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Sun Spots, v. 4, issue 4, whole no. 16, March 1941
Page 7
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March, 1941. SUN SPOTS Page 7. All about the anni-issue SUN SQUAWKS, OR READERS LETTERS By you Readers all about the anni-issue D.B. Thompson, 2302 U. Street. Lincoln Nebr. Hi: Congratulations! The annish of SUN SPOTS is most decidedly the best you have done. And that isn't all --- It is up with the better fan-ags in every respect, with the possible exception of the art work (?) and even there, you have shown considerable improvement. The ish is defihitely, not sloppy! The mimeoing is satisfactory, the pages are uniform (Lack of uniformity was one of the bad points in issues previous to number 12 or 13, when improvment in this respect started.) All in all, the magazine has the appearance of being laid out with considerable care --- and in a fanag, appearance is half the battle. (SOme of the middle issues looked as though they had been receiving the wrong end of a blitzkreig). *** The best single item is "Citation For Valor" by HA Ackermann. The idea for the "Citation" coming from the enemy is not new, but is effective, and is somewhat unique as to form. It merits a 9. *** Others that I liked are "Irony of It All," "Thoughts at Midnight," the story (but not the drawing) for "Death on Mercury," and "The Trash Basket." They all get 8's (marginalia: "an 8"). *** "Our Martian Observer Says" is as good as most material of this type --- but I don't like the type, even in the pro mags. So this, the art work, "The Greatest Adventure," Editorial Space Filler, get an average of about 5. *** The rest of the items get either 6 or 7, about equally divided. "Weapon Needed" may be worth more when finished. So, you can give all of these unspecified items 6.5. This also, will represent the approximate rating for the whole issue. Perhaps I should specify that general appearance as a whole gets a 7. *** None of those numbers really mean anything, you know. They are all relative, and I don't know what they are relative to. Neither does anyone else. Harry Warner, Jr. 303 Bryan Place, Hagerston, Md. Dear Boys: You certainly outdid yourselves on this issue -- I hate to think how much you lost on it! When you sell a copy for only one-half cent more than the cost of postage, it doesn't make you rich very quick, eh? And the issue was, really and truly better than omst of the preceeding ones. Yours typography is now unbeatable, compared with what it was about three months or so ago, there's less ink-splashing, and the format is much better. You still can improve, of course. In responce to your ratings, I'll give them. To save labor, typing out each title I'll give only my figures, rating things as they are listed on the contents page. Thus the first figure for "Weapon Needed" and etc. Here goes: 4, 5, 3, 6, 5, 6, 6, 7, 4, 5. Second section: 6, 7, 8, 5, 6, 8, 5, 9 (marginalia: "for my Death on Mercury!"), 3, 7, 6, 7, 5, 6, 7, 6, 6, 3, 4. And that's that. As you can notice from them, I prefer the articles to the fiction and illustrations --- and I do think you do use a bit too much fiction. I don't agree with fans who insist that fiction doesn't belong in fan mags, and think that every fan magzine should have at least one yarn per issue, but unless it's of exceptionally high quality I think that 1/3 of the magazine devoted to fiction at the very most is enough, and 1/4 o5 15/5 is a much better proportion. However Ackermann's bit was pretty good in this issue. (Marginalia: "Thanx") Chauvenet's stands out far above the others, if you count that as fiction. As for your articles and things, Groveman's article came after so many accounts of the Philly Con, that most was repetitious. "Thoughts At
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March, 1941. SUN SPOTS Page 7. All about the anni-issue SUN SQUAWKS, OR READERS LETTERS By you Readers all about the anni-issue D.B. Thompson, 2302 U. Street. Lincoln Nebr. Hi: Congratulations! The annish of SUN SPOTS is most decidedly the best you have done. And that isn't all --- It is up with the better fan-ags in every respect, with the possible exception of the art work (?) and even there, you have shown considerable improvement. The ish is defihitely, not sloppy! The mimeoing is satisfactory, the pages are uniform (Lack of uniformity was one of the bad points in issues previous to number 12 or 13, when improvment in this respect started.) All in all, the magazine has the appearance of being laid out with considerable care --- and in a fanag, appearance is half the battle. (SOme of the middle issues looked as though they had been receiving the wrong end of a blitzkreig). *** The best single item is "Citation For Valor" by HA Ackermann. The idea for the "Citation" coming from the enemy is not new, but is effective, and is somewhat unique as to form. It merits a 9. *** Others that I liked are "Irony of It All," "Thoughts at Midnight," the story (but not the drawing) for "Death on Mercury," and "The Trash Basket." They all get 8's (marginalia: "an 8"). *** "Our Martian Observer Says" is as good as most material of this type --- but I don't like the type, even in the pro mags. So this, the art work, "The Greatest Adventure," Editorial Space Filler, get an average of about 5. *** The rest of the items get either 6 or 7, about equally divided. "Weapon Needed" may be worth more when finished. So, you can give all of these unspecified items 6.5. This also, will represent the approximate rating for the whole issue. Perhaps I should specify that general appearance as a whole gets a 7. *** None of those numbers really mean anything, you know. They are all relative, and I don't know what they are relative to. Neither does anyone else. Harry Warner, Jr. 303 Bryan Place, Hagerston, Md. Dear Boys: You certainly outdid yourselves on this issue -- I hate to think how much you lost on it! When you sell a copy for only one-half cent more than the cost of postage, it doesn't make you rich very quick, eh? And the issue was, really and truly better than omst of the preceeding ones. Yours typography is now unbeatable, compared with what it was about three months or so ago, there's less ink-splashing, and the format is much better. You still can improve, of course. In responce to your ratings, I'll give them. To save labor, typing out each title I'll give only my figures, rating things as they are listed on the contents page. Thus the first figure for "Weapon Needed" and etc. Here goes: 4, 5, 3, 6, 5, 6, 6, 7, 4, 5. Second section: 6, 7, 8, 5, 6, 8, 5, 9 (marginalia: "for my Death on Mercury!"), 3, 7, 6, 7, 5, 6, 7, 6, 6, 3, 4. And that's that. As you can notice from them, I prefer the articles to the fiction and illustrations --- and I do think you do use a bit too much fiction. I don't agree with fans who insist that fiction doesn't belong in fan mags, and think that every fan magzine should have at least one yarn per issue, but unless it's of exceptionally high quality I think that 1/3 of the magazine devoted to fiction at the very most is enough, and 1/4 o5 15/5 is a much better proportion. However Ackermann's bit was pretty good in this issue. (Marginalia: "Thanx") Chauvenet's stands out far above the others, if you count that as fiction. As for your articles and things, Groveman's article came after so many accounts of the Philly Con, that most was repetitious. "Thoughts At
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