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Spaceways, v. 3, issue 5, June 1941

31858063101350_018

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18 SPACEWAYS THE READERS ALWAYS WRITE Joseph Gilbert, 3600 Grand, Columbia, South Carolina writes: Dark Interlude: 6 1-2. Should give it a seven I suppose, but it didn't strike me as being quite up to the standard that number represents to me—fair. Just so-so. There were some not-bad touches, but it was crude in spots, ineffectual on the whole, and the striving for naturalness in the policeman's speech—slurring of words, etc.—was so overdone that it was most irritating. A short I read by Jack in Polaris leads me to believe he can do much better than this..... " Hah! the Great Gilbert, whose keen deductive powers have been compared by awed fellow fans to the flat of a barn door for sharpness and penetration, knows who the SFCynic is. None other than my pal Robert W. Loundes, better known as Doc to his many enemies. Seriously, there are several things that seem to confirm that. Least material, but most important as far as I'm concerned is the Cynic's liking for Heinlein. The Cynic is nuts about Heinlein. Doc is nuts about Heinlein. I'm just nuts, but that's beside the point, if any. Another thing is the Cynic's connection with the pro field. Only one group in the field is intimate with the pro mag editors. The Feudurians. Doc is the only one, at present, acive in fan writing. So..... " The Readers Always Write: 8 1-2. Stanley's letter enjoyable. That Schmarze guy slaughters me. He's the only person in fandom whom I can point to with a certain justifiable pride, and say: "I am not the biggest dope in fandom. Here is evidence." Quite handy! Bob Jones I cannot agree with on Fields' front cover, but Bob should know being a rather remarkably good artist himself..... " Mentioning art reminds me that I didn't rate the front cover. Well, I'm going to rate it higher than I ever thot I'd rate any cover. Ten. Don't know why, exactly, but fish-face looked so darn pathetic that I liked him instantly. Art Widner Jr., Box 122, Bryantville, Mass., double-spaces: Ratings of last S: Cover 8. Would've had a nine but for a glaring error. 'Tis a strange creature indeed that has thumbs on the same side of both hands or else has swivel-jointed wrists, and I don't think Wright meant him to. He's really a good artist if he'd be more careful about things like that. Dark Interlude 7. Afternoon of a Fan seems rather dull or maybe I've had too much to do with it. 7. Fantasy Music 7. Too much Blish. Transition 7. Too much Wollheim. On Typing--8. Pome 7. Control Room 7. What They Are About—7. Beacon Light is DBThompson, I hear. Seems logical—Speer thinks it's me! Heh. Givem 7. Readers get 8. bacover 8. See! Here is a very good illustration of how your rating method is no indication at all of the relative merits of the various material. Here's how it would go my way—Cover 85, Bacover 85, Typing 85, Pennywhistle 80, Readers 87, Transition 78, Music 76, Interlude 74, Control Room 72, Afternoon 71, pome 71. Beacon 72, Mike 70. Do you get what I'm yapping about! Or am I just yapping? " Also enclosing the SoW epic. Auf Widnersehen. Lou Goldstone, 269 Sixteenth Ave., San Francisco, Calif. notes: I found this issue of Spaceways particularly enjoyable. Art Widner's article on Doc Swisher appealed to me as best of the factual material—all of which, by the way, I thought to be well above average. Damon Knight was terrific. I've seen this sort of thing done before, but The End of Pennywhistle impresses me more
 
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