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Spaceways, v. 3, issue 5, whole no. 21, June 1941
14
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14 SPACEWAYS BEACON LIGHT angle does not depend upon wheter or not la Kuslan was pretending. she could have been taken in and now in Washington, DC, in some government position, that his apparent "death" was necessary for his work, that he originally intended to return to fandom via a pseudonym, but that now events have served to make him actually "dead" so far as fans are concerned. Your Cynic feels that there is little point in arguing over wheter or not Earl was justified in his actions (if these "confessions" be not a hoax and he is still alive) or either building him up or tearing him down. We did not know him save for Nepenthe which was thought a splendid little literary magazine. We shall remember Nepenthe long after we've forgotten about this "suicide" case. Did you know that W. J. Delaney, publisher of Weird Tales, once owned Astounding Stories? He bought it from Clayton when the latter went blooie. But Delaney apparently decided that Astounding wasn't worth investing in after all, and let it go to Street & Smith. He's regretted it ever since, he claims, and we believe him....For the new reader, Beacon Light is just stuff thrown together for your edification and, we hope, enjoyment. Your Cynic has lots of information-sources, but cannot reveal any of them. I trust those sources but nonetheless am careful about what goes in here. We notice that James V. Taurasi seems to think, according to an editorial in Fantasy News, that the scientific fiction market is breaking up. This he puts down to poor magazines poorly handled. Unfortunately, no sound prediction can be made on such a bases for when you speak of a "poor magazine" you run into your own opinion and sometimes nothing more. Your Cynic thinks that Amazing Stories is far less good than a "poor magazine" but doesn't see it closing shop soon. Well, what's the lineup now, close to mid-1941? Weird Tales has, according to its publisher, doubled its circulation since the present editor took over and is still climbing, though but slowly. Amazing Stories seems okay. There is one note however; they are now a closed market, only the Milwaukee Fictioneers being in on them. That might indicate a drop in word-rates to authors. Remember, I say might. If so, it would also indicate that they are not doing phenomanally well. Thrilling Wonder Stories has changed from monthly to bi-monthly publication since the lst of the year, which indicates a slump. Astounding is unchanged, which indicates that all is passably well. Marvel appears after the publishers find out how the previous issue sold. One issue has appeared this year. Starling is unchanged. Strange Stories is gone with the well-known wind. Unknown is about to change title, format and price and might as well be considered a new magazine. Science Fiction is in a doubtful position: gravely doubtful. At the moment, the publisher, we hear, plans to drop it after the forthcoming, September, issue. Whether or not these plans may be altered no one knows. Fantastic Adventures ties in which Amazing: however, they recently returned to monthly publication which must indicate that they are selling. Famous Fantastic Mysteries, while obviously in none too good a position, to judge from its gyrations, is still worth the risk, its publishers think. Future Fiction has been climbing in circulation slowly, we hear, but climbing. No report upon the first issue under the new editor, as yet. Planet Stories is unchanged, never having skipped an issue. It may be doing well, or may just be getting by; Fiction House has a large enough chain to carry it at a slight loss for a while. However, indications are that it is doing well enough. Captain Future may well go under. Editorial directior Margulies indicated as much at a QSFL meeting recently, according to Fantasy-News-unless this news be a bit of their fantasy. Or maybe it wasn't in Fantasy News after all. Your Cynic doesn't keep copies and forgets at the moment just where he heard the report of what Margulies said. Astonishing and Super Science have both skipped issues which doesn't look awfully promising but that does not indicate more than a momentary setback at the moment. Science Fiction Quarterly apparently is skipping an issue, but that does not mean anything at all with Columbia magazines. I am (Continued on page 15)
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14 SPACEWAYS BEACON LIGHT angle does not depend upon wheter or not la Kuslan was pretending. she could have been taken in and now in Washington, DC, in some government position, that his apparent "death" was necessary for his work, that he originally intended to return to fandom via a pseudonym, but that now events have served to make him actually "dead" so far as fans are concerned. Your Cynic feels that there is little point in arguing over wheter or not Earl was justified in his actions (if these "confessions" be not a hoax and he is still alive) or either building him up or tearing him down. We did not know him save for Nepenthe which was thought a splendid little literary magazine. We shall remember Nepenthe long after we've forgotten about this "suicide" case. Did you know that W. J. Delaney, publisher of Weird Tales, once owned Astounding Stories? He bought it from Clayton when the latter went blooie. But Delaney apparently decided that Astounding wasn't worth investing in after all, and let it go to Street & Smith. He's regretted it ever since, he claims, and we believe him....For the new reader, Beacon Light is just stuff thrown together for your edification and, we hope, enjoyment. Your Cynic has lots of information-sources, but cannot reveal any of them. I trust those sources but nonetheless am careful about what goes in here. We notice that James V. Taurasi seems to think, according to an editorial in Fantasy News, that the scientific fiction market is breaking up. This he puts down to poor magazines poorly handled. Unfortunately, no sound prediction can be made on such a bases for when you speak of a "poor magazine" you run into your own opinion and sometimes nothing more. Your Cynic thinks that Amazing Stories is far less good than a "poor magazine" but doesn't see it closing shop soon. Well, what's the lineup now, close to mid-1941? Weird Tales has, according to its publisher, doubled its circulation since the present editor took over and is still climbing, though but slowly. Amazing Stories seems okay. There is one note however; they are now a closed market, only the Milwaukee Fictioneers being in on them. That might indicate a drop in word-rates to authors. Remember, I say might. If so, it would also indicate that they are not doing phenomanally well. Thrilling Wonder Stories has changed from monthly to bi-monthly publication since the lst of the year, which indicates a slump. Astounding is unchanged, which indicates that all is passably well. Marvel appears after the publishers find out how the previous issue sold. One issue has appeared this year. Starling is unchanged. Strange Stories is gone with the well-known wind. Unknown is about to change title, format and price and might as well be considered a new magazine. Science Fiction is in a doubtful position: gravely doubtful. At the moment, the publisher, we hear, plans to drop it after the forthcoming, September, issue. Whether or not these plans may be altered no one knows. Fantastic Adventures ties in which Amazing: however, they recently returned to monthly publication which must indicate that they are selling. Famous Fantastic Mysteries, while obviously in none too good a position, to judge from its gyrations, is still worth the risk, its publishers think. Future Fiction has been climbing in circulation slowly, we hear, but climbing. No report upon the first issue under the new editor, as yet. Planet Stories is unchanged, never having skipped an issue. It may be doing well, or may just be getting by; Fiction House has a large enough chain to carry it at a slight loss for a while. However, indications are that it is doing well enough. Captain Future may well go under. Editorial directior Margulies indicated as much at a QSFL meeting recently, according to Fantasy-News-unless this news be a bit of their fantasy. Or maybe it wasn't in Fantasy News after all. Your Cynic doesn't keep copies and forgets at the moment just where he heard the report of what Margulies said. Astonishing and Super Science have both skipped issues which doesn't look awfully promising but that does not indicate more than a momentary setback at the moment. Science Fiction Quarterly apparently is skipping an issue, but that does not mean anything at all with Columbia magazines. I am (Continued on page 15)
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