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Sun Spots, v. 5, issue 1, whole no. 17, April 1941

Page 11

April, 1941     SUN SPOTS     Page 11

THE TRASH BASKET
By
N.E.Body

FLASHES:
Anson MacDonald, author of the popular "Sixth Column", the serial just concluded in ASTOUNDING SF, is none other than Robert Heinlein, author of many great stories, and guest of honor, to be at the Denvention this summer. . . . "Martian Fantasy", Henry Andrew Ackermann's latest story to be sold to a pro magazine, will appear in the issue of STIRRING SCIENCE STORIES, out April 1st. Look for it. It is a fantasy story. . . . DETOURS, fanzine published by L.R.Chauvenet has been suspended, and latest reports have it that it will be continued as a column in THE SOUTHERN STAR. . . . Sam Moskowitz, fan who made good as a pro, has sold about five more stories. . . . As everyone knows by this time, LE ZOMBIE has been suspended for 90 days. . .ALCHEMIST is suspended, and may or may not return next fall. Lets hope it does, for this was truely a great magazine. Oh yes, Lew. If you don't plan to start up again, please return "La Tombe" by J. Edward Davis, as we would like to sue it in SUN SPOTS. . . . End of flashes. Terrible, weren't they?
Well, AMAZING STORIES' 15th Anniversary issue arrived a week ago. I remember when I'd have jumped with joy at the size of AMAZING, but now I hardly blink. I sort of feel sorry for it. It could be such a good Science Fiction magazine, rather than such a sloppy looking attempt. I hear Palmer wants to get clipped edges for the fans. Yes, clipped edges do improve the looks of a magazine, but if they want it to look decent (from outward appearences anyway) they had better put a better cover on the front, and cut those gaudy colors. ASTOUNDING gives a so much better appearence, that it isn't even funny. And then you read those letters from 10,-15 year old kids( like I was myself a few years ago) praising AMAZINGS' covers, and saying what great stories they print. It's really sickining to turn to the Readers Section of that magazine anymore. Some of those kids would praise anything, reguardless of how rotten it was, as long as it had E.R.Burroughs name attached to it. The chances are that this junk that AMAZING is printing by Burroughs now, either wasn't written by him, or he did it on an off night. In the former case, perhaps one of his sons wrote them, and he has alowed his name to be attached to them, thus getting 2[[cent symbol]] a word, while other authors, with much better yarns, and less wealth than Mr. Burroughs, have to struggle along on 1[[cent symbol]] or 1/2 [[cent symbol]] per word. Oh what a magazine AMAZING could be with a company like Street And Smith behind it, rather than Ziff-Davis. Palmer at least pleases the young readers, who some day will switch from comic mags and AMAZING, to ASTOUNDING and the better Stf mags. Lets hope for the future success of AMAZING.
Well, now I've spouted off all my feelings on AMAZING, so I'll go on to something else. Art Widner, you said you'd write SSp and article, and I am to inform you that it can be on any topic. Perhaps, "The Way I See It." Forry Ackerman, perhaps you can write us one too. Say Ackerman, I hear you were responcible for that "History of A Foolish Age." All the readers have been asking who wrote it. So you were trying to be funny, eh. Well, at least the story was. How about some more on the same line? - - - - This just about fills the "Basket" up for this ish, so remember, if you have any trash, send it along.--Yers, N.E. Body.

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April, 1941 SUN SPOTS Page 11 THE TRASH BASKET By N.E.Body FLASHES: Anson MacDonald, author of the popular "Sixth Column", the serial just concluded in ASTOUNDING SF, is none other than Robert Heinlein, author of many great stories, and guest of honor, to be at the Denvention this summer. . . . "Martian Fantasy", Henry Andrew Ackermann's latest story to be sold to a pro magazine, will appear in the issue of STIRRING SCIENCE STORIES, out April 1st. Look for it. It is a fantasy story. . . . DETOURS, fanzine published by L.R.Chauvenet has been suspended, and latest reports have it that it will be continued as a column in THE SOUTHERN STAR. . . . Sam Moskowitz, fan who made good as a pro, has sold about five more stories. . . . As everyone knows by this time, LE ZOMBIE has been suspended for 90 days. . .ALCHEMIST is suspended, and may or may not return next fall. Lets hope it does, for this was truely a great magazine. Oh yes, Lew. If you don't plan to start up again, please return "La Tombe" by J. Edward Davis, as we would like to sue it in SUN SPOTS. . . . End of flashes. Terrible, weren't they? Well, AMAZING STORIES' 15th Anniversary issue arrived a week ago. I remember when I'd have jumped with joy at the size of AMAZING, but now I hardly blink. I sort of feel sorry for it. It could be such a good Science Fiction magazine, rather than such a sloppy looking attempt. I hear Palmer wants to get clipped edges for the fans. Yes, clipped edges do improve the looks of a magazine, but if they want it to look decent (from outward appearences anyway) they had better put a better cover on the front, and cut those gaudy colors. ASTOUNDING gives a so much better appearence, that it isn't even funny. And then you read those letters from 10,-15 year old kids( like I was myself a few years ago) praising AMAZINGS' covers, and saying what great stories they print. It's really sickining to turn to the Readers Section of that magazine anymore. Some of those kids would praise anything, reguardless of how rotten it was, as long as it had E.R.Burroughs name attached to it. The chances are that this junk that AMAZING is printing by Burroughs now, either wasn't written by him, or he did it on an off night. In the former case, perhaps one of his sons wrote them, and he has alowed his name to be attached to them, thus getting 2[[cent symbol]] a word, while other authors, with much better yarns, and less wealth than Mr. Burroughs, have to struggle along on 1[[cent symbol]] or 1/2 [[cent symbol]] per word. Oh what a magazine AMAZING could be with a company like Street And Smith behind it, rather than Ziff-Davis. Palmer at least pleases the young readers, who some day will switch from comic mags and AMAZING, to ASTOUNDING and the better Stf mags. Lets hope for the future success of AMAZING. Well, now I've spouted off all my feelings on AMAZING, so I'll go on to something else. Art Widner, you said you'd write SSp and article, and I am to inform you that it can be on any topic. Perhaps, "The Way I See It." Forry Ackerman, perhaps you can write us one too. Say Ackerman, I hear you were responcible for that "History of A Foolish Age." All the readers have been asking who wrote it. So you were trying to be funny, eh. Well, at least the story was. How about some more on the same line? - - - - This just about fills the "Basket" up for this ish, so remember, if you have any trash, send it along.--Yers, N.E. Body.