wars, of cracked politics and politicians, of 200% Americans and enemies that bore from within, it was more than relief to turn to a Lovecraft story; it was a rare treat and a positive delight. He may have written from a sense of belief; or half-belief, or with his tongue in his cheek. But, regardless, he will always live in the thoughts of those to whom he brought such pleasurable escape from what, for want of a better term, we call reality. I, for one, will miss Lovecraft and his stories."
Hugh Rankin's Art
J. Vernon Shea, Jr., of Pittsburgh, writes: "The April Weird Tales seemed to me one of the best issues in months. Probably the most distinguished tale was Derleth's The Shuttered House, one of his finest. Its quiet excellence contrasts sharply with the more melodramatic items. Peirce's The Death Mask had a good atmosphere, but the story was rather vague and unconvincing. I liked Symphony of the Damned, despite its technical inadequacies and its adherence to worn formulas. There was a fairy-tale quality which I found delectable; and Feroch demonstrated that characterization does have a place in weird fiction. Just a type character, of course, but he did have some breath of life. I read Bloch's The Mannikin with especial interest, for its basic idea was (illegible text) for (illegible text)
Mr. Hasse, I sincerely hope to find him often in Weird Tales. I shall not soon forget that little hairless man and his tome of cosmic horror. . . . I have noticed for the past several months a lack of weird-scientific fiction in your pages. When you print stories of this type they are usually exceptional ones, of a far better caliber than what one finds in the so-called science-fiction mags. . . . Tales of the planets and of the spaces between, dimensional stories, time-traveling, the mysteries of infinity and the strange realms beyond the stars and even beyond space itself, have always been popular and fascinating and always will be. Why? Because Man, the insignificant, with an insatiable curiosity since the dawn of time, is continually pondering on and striving to learn from an enigmatic cosmos the secrets of time, space and infinity. I close with a plea for more of these stories."
Concise Comments
W. C. Pardue, of Dallas, writes: "When Edwin Baird has a story, in Weird Tales, or wheresoever, it is always the best story in the book. I read him first, and as opportunity affords I read the others. Your May issue is full of entrancing adventures into mental pyrotechnics."
S. Hugh McKenna, Jr., of Seaside, Oregon, writes: "I wish to add my voice to the myriads in expressing sorrow over the death of Howard Phillips Lovecraft. I can say no more—his stories, and the many friendships he has made, speak for themselves."
Gertrude Hemken, of Chicago, writes: "Guess I'll hafta wait till next month for another installment of The Last Pharaoh—this one was far more exciting and interesting than the opening installment. Bodiless ⟨heads⟩ that are alive—only a genius or an ⟨inebriate⟩ can conceive such, and I'm inclined ⟨to⟩ believe that Mr. Kelley leans more to the (illegible text) of the former."
Most Popular Story
⟨Readers,⟩ what are your favorite stories in ⟨this⟩ issue? We will be glad to have you ⟨send⟩ us a letter telling what stories you like ⟨and⟩ what ones you dislike, and why, and (illegible text) to the Eyrie, Weird Tales. Your ⟨favorite⟩ story in the June issue was The ⟨Carnal⟩ God, that strange tale of a golden image ⟨imbued⟩ with evil life, by John R. Speer and Carlisle Schnitzer.
