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Fantascience Digest, v. 3, issue 1, whole no. 12, January-February 1940

Page 14

Page 14                       FANTASCIENCE DIGEST

understand Sloane you must know that this remark was the greatest compliment he could pay. Sloane was noted for letting exceptional stories stand on their merits. Sloane was the type of editor who would conservatively announce a new H.G. Wells' novel, especially written for AMAZING STORIES, if such a thing did happen, in eight point type in reply to a letter in DISCUSSIONS. Where is Sonneman today? Is it possible that he is still writing and his work does not fit the policies of the various magazines--the policies of editors two or three years in the editing game? Not impossible, but I doubt it. I can't imagine any editor being that hide-bound. ((I can--RAM)) Still, I sound a clarion call for Sonneman. I know a great writer when I read him, and thes writer is great.

   John Beynon Harriss is really an author of the top-most rung.  He can give any science fiction writer a run for talent. His "Venus Adventure" is the best story of the colonization of other planets ever written, with the possible exception of Edmond Hamilton's inspired "War of Two Worlds". But certainly the latter does not excell it. If this were the only good story that Harris has ever written, we might dismiss him with a shrug and mutter, "Once to every hack." However, such is definitely not the case. Who can forget the superb poignancy of "The Man From Beyond"? Of the recations of a space adventurer asleep for millions of years on Venus and awakening to find the earth dead, barren, pitted—and his reaction? A story among stories is this one! You read an endless number of "human" robot stories today, but the very first of the type was "The Most Machine," written by Harris, which appeared in the April, 1932 issue of AMAZING STORIES. It can still serve as an example to writers of similar stories. And it was Harris who introduced one of the first of the people from different ages meeting and battling the future type of story, which Hamilton has been rehashing so monotonously recently. "Wanderers of Time" is certainly the best of that type of yarn thus far. Look it up in the March, 1933 WONDER STORIES, and see if you don't agree with me. John Beynon, as he calls himself now, has written a few others; some duds, none actually poor, but these four exceptional yarns he has published in the USA brand him as a writer far superior to the run-of-the-mill.

   Stephen G. Hale is another. He wrote two of the most human, appealing, science fiction yarns I have ever read, then apparently retired from the writing game. I know he is still alive, for he is an art instructor in Philadelphia, but he doesn't write for publication any longer--and he should. "The Laughing Dead)" and "Worlds Adrift" -- how can I ever forget them? Whenever I think of great science fiction stories, I think of Hale's last man on earth combing the sky in desperation, searching, searching for a sign of life; a communiation from the other half of what was once earth. A story of a planet severed in two by the misusage of an invention. There is writing, vivid writing -- and another uncrowned master.

   The name K.F. Ziska can't mean very much to you. He's only written two stories that have appeared in science fiction magazines. They both appeared in ASTOUNDING under Tremaine and were titled "Succubus" and "Man of Ages". Both short stories--both great stories. The plots of both were unusual and different, but they were certainly not original. One can easily see where Ziska had obtained his inspiration, but as Campbell might say, "Does the plot really matter when the writ-

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Page 14 FANTASCIENCE DIGEST understand Sloane you must know that this remark was the greatest compliment he could pay. Sloane was noted for letting exceptional stories stand on their merits. Sloane was the type of editor who would conservatively announce a new H.G. Wells' novel, especially written for AMAZING STORIES, if such a thing did happen, in eight point type in reply to a letter in DISCUSSIONS. Where is Sonneman today? Is it possible that he is still writing and his work does not fit the policies of the various magazines--the policies of editors two or three years in the editing game? Not impossible, but I doubt it. I can't imagine any editor being that hide-bound. ((I can--RAM)) Still, I sound a clarion call for Sonneman. I know a great writer when I read him, and thes writer is great. John Beynon Harriss is really an author of the top-most rung. He can give any science fiction writer a run for talent. His "Venus Adventure" is the best story of the colonization of other planets ever written, with the possible exception of Edmond Hamilton's inspired "War of Two Worlds". But certainly the latter does not excell it. If this were the only good story that Harris has ever written, we might dismiss him with a shrug and mutter, "Once to every hack." However, such is definitely not the case. Who can forget the superb poignancy of "The Man From Beyond"? Of the recations of a space adventurer asleep for millions of years on Venus and awakening to find the earth dead, barren, pitted—and his reaction? A story among stories is this one! You read an endless number of "human" robot stories today, but the very first of the type was "The Most Machine," written by Harris, which appeared in the April, 1932 issue of AMAZING STORIES. It can still serve as an example to writers of similar stories. And it was Harris who introduced one of the first of the people from different ages meeting and battling the future type of story, which Hamilton has been rehashing so monotonously recently. "Wanderers of Time" is certainly the best of that type of yarn thus far. Look it up in the March, 1933 WONDER STORIES, and see if you don't agree with me. John Beynon, as he calls himself now, has written a few others; some duds, none actually poor, but these four exceptional yarns he has published in the USA brand him as a writer far superior to the run-of-the-mill. Stephen G. Hale is another. He wrote two of the most human, appealing, science fiction yarns I have ever read, then apparently retired from the writing game. I know he is still alive, for he is an art instructor in Philadelphia, but he doesn't write for publication any longer--and he should. "The Laughing Dead)" and "Worlds Adrift" -- how can I ever forget them? Whenever I think of great science fiction stories, I think of Hale's last man on earth combing the sky in desperation, searching, searching for a sign of life; a communiation from the other half of what was once earth. A story of a planet severed in two by the misusage of an invention. There is writing, vivid writing -- and another uncrowned master. The name K.F. Ziska can't mean very much to you. He's only written two stories that have appeared in science fiction magazines. They both appeared in ASTOUNDING under Tremaine and were titled "Succubus" and "Man of Ages". Both short stories--both great stories. The plots of both were unusual and different, but they were certainly not original. One can easily see where Ziska had obtained his inspiration, but as Campbell might say, "Does the plot really matter when the writ-