of 1930. That is, in Science
Fiction. We want to find the five best serials, and the ten
best short stories of the year. First returns indicate that
Astounding Stories captured most of the honors. "Murder
Madness," "Brigands of the Moon" and "Earth, the Marauder"
having places among the serials. About six of the ten short
stories were also published in Astounding Stories.

I close with best wishes from all Scienceers for a bigger
and better year for Astounding Stories. Happy
birthday!--Nathan Greenfeld, President, Scienceers, 873
Whitlock Avenue, New York, New York.

_Words Are Weak_

Dear Editor:

It was a terrible storm!

The thunder roared; the lightning flashed; the wind howled;
the tempest beat through the night, bearing on its fleet
winds of darkness a torrent of driving, splattering rain.
Splintering darts of lightning crackled through the raging
storm, their crystalline reflection caught in the driving
sheets of watery spray; their swift illumination lighting
but dimly a rocky shore beaten and tossed by black lashing
waves of the angry ocean. And, upon that ragged,
element-swept shore, cowered the Searcher.

He crouched there in the darkness, his muffled figure
swaying to the fierce tug of the wind and the impact of the
driving rain. Water ran in streams from his drenched
clothing. The icy breath of the wind pierced through to his
soul like so many needles of death. Placing a gaunt, weary
hand above his brow he strained his vision to pierce out
into the darkness.

And suddenly the storm ceased. The rain disappeared with a
last futile spray, and the dark clouds overhead parted
sullenly to reveal a cold frozen moon of silver. The
thousands of tiny aberrations in the tossing wavelets on
the ocean's bottom sent steely reflection of the moon's
luminescence in sparkling sheens to the Searcher's eyes. For
long he hung there motionless, a gaunt shadow peering into
the distant darkness of the horizon. But abruptly--

He started. He has sighted an object floating inward upon
the tide. Running swiftly along the shore, he seized it
eagerly as it fell to the shore at his feet. With a wild cry
of exuberant delight he threw himself down upon the sands to
scan its pages. It was a copy of Astounding Stories! Yes!