Transcribe
Translate
Acolyte, vol 1, issue 3, whole 3, Spring 1943
Page 27
More information
digital collection
archival collection guide
transcription tips
CRACKS ~~ WISE AND OTHERWISE The general sentiment among "Acolyte" readers called for a much larger letter section; however I'll still stick to my gunsa to a certain extent, and emphasize paragraphs of general interest. To keep up with reader opinion, a new rating system will be used, and I'd appreciate it if you would rate this subsequent issues by it. I've gone through the letters of comment and assignes ratings as follows: best item in issue, 5; second best, 4; third best, 3; favorable mention, 2; unfavorable mention, -3. In case of doubt, I allowed tie ratings except in the case of first choice. The following figures are cumulative totals: Cthulhu Mythology........... 89 Beyond.........................................................60 Rondo and Ilana....................38 Within the Circle...................33 Shadow Over Innsmouth...........23 Mood...........................................................22 Canada Calling.................18 Poetry as a whole..................18 Kismet..........................................................16 Enigma..........................................................15 Editorial.........................................................11 "Cracks"........................................................3 Ratings through the courtesy of R. Wright, Burbee, Ashley, Baldwin, Child, Van Houten, Bovard, Cook, Warner, Wakefield, W. Evans, Bronson, Gergen, Lorraine, Edwards, Lamb, Wollheim, Hartle, Becker, Clever, Saha, Miller, Wilimezyck. -oOOo- "I must say that it is a real pleasure to see a fan mag that actually deals with fantasy literary work rather than the general run-of-the-mill juvenilities of the fan field today... I can't say that I like Croutch's opinios on Canada's Uncanny Tales. There are lots worse mags passing on US newstands as fantasy publications (and I don't necessarily mean poor Palmer only). UT's printing job may not be the best, but what does a man expect when the total circulation that could be expected of Canada even in balmy days is still to small for a US publisher to care about? (Not that US companies don't publish good looking Canuck editions, but....) I've seen the other native Canadian rags, and believe me, Croutch should be ashamed of himself knocking the only good one of the lot. Nor is UT only a collection of reprints (even if they do have considerable good taste in their pick -- if I ahve to say so myself from whose pages a good many were taken) but they use a lot of original stuff as well. I just wanted to get this off my chest, for your readers unfamiliar with UT will get an entirely unfair opinion of it from Les's uncalled-for assault." DONALD A. WOLLHEIM. -oOOo- "Oh, and I meant to saya word or two about plotless stories. My objection to Campbell's not liking them isn't so much that I dislike stories with plots, naturally. It's that I don't like Campbell's rules, which are very definite although we don't hear much about them. I'm thoroughly disgusted with the slanting necessary for modern magazines of all sorts, and pulps in particular. The situation is really crucial in the stf. field; each magazine is almost a reflection of the personality of its editor, and the stories all sound as if they were writtten by one man -- the editor. That makes it swell for those who learn the trick of writing fiction just as the editor wants it written, but it's deucedly hard on the reader. The large number of pulp stf. magazines today is all that saves us from deadly monotony. Can you name just one prozine that would be satisfactory to tou, month in and out, if you had no variety as supplied by the others? Although some parts of Jack Wood- ford's "Writing and Selling" infuriate me (especially his way of connecting the sex impulse with every conceivable human action, thought, and trait!) his page or twp on the perils of editors who specialize is swell . And I hope his prophecy is true, and we go back to the days when pulp -- 27 --
Saving...
prev
next
CRACKS ~~ WISE AND OTHERWISE The general sentiment among "Acolyte" readers called for a much larger letter section; however I'll still stick to my gunsa to a certain extent, and emphasize paragraphs of general interest. To keep up with reader opinion, a new rating system will be used, and I'd appreciate it if you would rate this subsequent issues by it. I've gone through the letters of comment and assignes ratings as follows: best item in issue, 5; second best, 4; third best, 3; favorable mention, 2; unfavorable mention, -3. In case of doubt, I allowed tie ratings except in the case of first choice. The following figures are cumulative totals: Cthulhu Mythology........... 89 Beyond.........................................................60 Rondo and Ilana....................38 Within the Circle...................33 Shadow Over Innsmouth...........23 Mood...........................................................22 Canada Calling.................18 Poetry as a whole..................18 Kismet..........................................................16 Enigma..........................................................15 Editorial.........................................................11 "Cracks"........................................................3 Ratings through the courtesy of R. Wright, Burbee, Ashley, Baldwin, Child, Van Houten, Bovard, Cook, Warner, Wakefield, W. Evans, Bronson, Gergen, Lorraine, Edwards, Lamb, Wollheim, Hartle, Becker, Clever, Saha, Miller, Wilimezyck. -oOOo- "I must say that it is a real pleasure to see a fan mag that actually deals with fantasy literary work rather than the general run-of-the-mill juvenilities of the fan field today... I can't say that I like Croutch's opinios on Canada's Uncanny Tales. There are lots worse mags passing on US newstands as fantasy publications (and I don't necessarily mean poor Palmer only). UT's printing job may not be the best, but what does a man expect when the total circulation that could be expected of Canada even in balmy days is still to small for a US publisher to care about? (Not that US companies don't publish good looking Canuck editions, but....) I've seen the other native Canadian rags, and believe me, Croutch should be ashamed of himself knocking the only good one of the lot. Nor is UT only a collection of reprints (even if they do have considerable good taste in their pick -- if I ahve to say so myself from whose pages a good many were taken) but they use a lot of original stuff as well. I just wanted to get this off my chest, for your readers unfamiliar with UT will get an entirely unfair opinion of it from Les's uncalled-for assault." DONALD A. WOLLHEIM. -oOOo- "Oh, and I meant to saya word or two about plotless stories. My objection to Campbell's not liking them isn't so much that I dislike stories with plots, naturally. It's that I don't like Campbell's rules, which are very definite although we don't hear much about them. I'm thoroughly disgusted with the slanting necessary for modern magazines of all sorts, and pulps in particular. The situation is really crucial in the stf. field; each magazine is almost a reflection of the personality of its editor, and the stories all sound as if they were writtten by one man -- the editor. That makes it swell for those who learn the trick of writing fiction just as the editor wants it written, but it's deucedly hard on the reader. The large number of pulp stf. magazines today is all that saves us from deadly monotony. Can you name just one prozine that would be satisfactory to tou, month in and out, if you had no variety as supplied by the others? Although some parts of Jack Wood- ford's "Writing and Selling" infuriate me (especially his way of connecting the sex impulse with every conceivable human action, thought, and trait!) his page or twp on the perils of editors who specialize is swell . And I hope his prophecy is true, and we go back to the days when pulp -- 27 --
Hevelin Fanzines
sidebar
