etc.; pink, black, purple and
eleventeen other colored rays. As a result the stories are
drier than the Sahara Desert.

The illustrations are fine (O.K.) as they are.--Walter
O'Brien, 6 Hageman Pl., North Bergen, N. J.

_Trial by Readers_

Dear Editor:

When Astounding Stories first appeared on the newsstands, a
brand new Science Fiction magazine, I was prejudiced against
it as a competitor to the existing magazines--one that might
carry an inferior quality of Science Fiction so closely
approaching the supernatural as to practically disregard
science. In a few cases, as with very good writers like A.
Merritt and H. P. Lovecraft, this is permissible, but,
otherwise, not at all so. In the first issue, "The Stolen
Mind" seemed to bear me out, but, then, there was "Tanks." I
bought the next issue--much better! And then the third
showed "The Soul Master," very well written, but not quite
science, as related. Yet, "Cold Light" held me on, and
"Brigands of the Moon." There is no danger of my dropping
off now!

In the current issue, "Murder Madness" and "The Power and
the Glory" stand out as mile-posts in the history of Science
Fiction. The rest are not far behind, though, as a matter of
fact, "Beyond the Heaviside Layer" and "Earth, the Marauder"
have more discernible flaws than the rest. Just for example,
a layer of organic matter would raise Cain with astronomy,
due to refraction. Air is bad enough. But the writing
overwhelms the error. You have certainly assembled a group
of excellent authors, new and old, and I am glad to see the
promise of R. F. Starzl in the next issue. His "Madness of
the Dust" is one of the most naturally written
interplanetary stories I have read--logical and clear, just
as it would happen to anybody.

And now for the big question--that of reprints. You seem to
have already decided the answer, and have defended your
action well, but I wonder if it is well enough. By far your
best argument is your last--"authors must eat"--with which I
have no quarrel at all. Still, one classic serial a year, or
at most two, might not prove too harmful. Following back, I
reach a statement concerning "The Saturday Evening Post." In
the past it has published hundreds of the world's best
stories, and never r