Page:Weird Tales Volume 24 Number 06 (1934-12).djvu/124

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Weird Tales

(Continued from page 776)

the Northwest stories. If you get enough protests against the discard of Northwest Smith, C. L. Moore may give him back to us; let's hope so. Robert E. Howard still pleases with Conan, and Seabury Quinn entertains us as he always has. Weird Tales is the only magazine in the field of weird fiction that is worth reading; the imitators of Weird Tales quickly pall and do not give the splendid variety of stories that your magazine does."


The Supreme Witch

J. J. O'Donnell, of New York City, writes: "When I was beginning to read Weird Tales, several years ago, you published what is perhaps the best weird story that I have ever read: The Supreme Witch, I think it was called, by an English author. I was drawn to that issue by the cover design, which was based on that story. The tale has haunted me since then, and I would like to read it again. Won't you publish it in your Weird Story Reprint section?" [You are not alone in your liking for The Supreme Witch, as a number of our readers have requested us to reprint this story. E. Hoffmann Price, himself an author of distinction, was loud in his praises of the story when it was printed, back in 1926. It appeared simultaneously in Weird Tales and the English magazine, Pan. The author, G. Appleby Terrill, has since died. We will publish the story in our reprint section for January.—The Editor.]


Reactions to Black God's Kiss

Vennette Herron, of Darien, Connecticut, writes: "The Black God's Kiss is one of the most fascinating stories that I have ever read."

Bert Felsburg, of Frackville, Pennsylvania, writes: "After reading C. L. Moore's The Black God's Kiss, I certainly hope Moore can arrange it so that Northwest Smith kills off Jirel of Joiry, and quickly at that. I fail to see where there is any action in Jirel, and I wonder if there is anyone that desires a better story than Shambleau or Black Thirst. . . . Of all the different characters I have read in numerous magazines, there are none that appeal to me as do Northwest Smith and Conan."

Jack Darrow, of Chicago, writes: "The Black God's Kiss is the best piece of work yet turned out by C. L. Moore, even surpassing Shambleau—and that's saying something. . . . I would very much like to read a book-length novel by C. L. Moore."

Fred Anger, of Berkeley, California, writes: "The Black God's Kiss was by far the poorest C. L. Moore story yet. The first three of C. L. Moore's tales were excellent, but the last two were rather pediculous."

Manley Wade Wellman, of Wichita, Kansas, writes: "Permit me to congratulate you on the current issue of WT, an outstanding item in the history of an outstanding publication. Particularly good was your lead yarn, The Black God's Kiss."

Alvin Earl Perry, of Rockdale, Texas, writes: "I disagree with you concerning The Black God's Kiss. It is not the weirdest story ever told. All of Moore's previous tales surpass it in that particular, especially Black Thirst. But, even so, this Jirel of Joiry is good, very good. I'll certainly be satisfied if all of Moore's works in the future feature her."

Edwin F. Caswell, of Dayton, Ohio, writes: "The best story in the October number is The Seven Geases, by Clark Ashton Smith. Next is The Black God's Kiss; but Clark Ashton Smith's is so good I have cut it out and saved it."


A Few Orchids

Lucy Leonard Kessler, of San Francisco, writes: "I want to tell you how much I and some of my friends enjoy Weird Tales. Francis Flagg is our favorite writer of scientific and unusual fiction. We also like very much Clark Ashton Smith. . . . Some of us have especially enjoyed The Three Marked Pennies, by Mary Elizabeth Counselman, The Parasitic Hand by R. Anthony, and—oh, beautiful and haunting—the poem, A Ship Is Sailing, by Katherine van der Veer."


A Plea for Science-Fiction

Stuart Ayers, of Lewiston, Idaho, writes to the Eyrie: "Why so few scientific stories? The horror stories are generally excellent, but they don't compare with a well written science-fiction tale. And you seem to be able to get some very excellent ones at times. Gray World by Paul Ernst was fine. It had the ring of truth, and an appropriate strange atmosphere. The old idea was handled mar-