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Horizons, v. 3, issue 3, whole no. 11, March 1942
Page 8
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HORIZONS ANOTHER YEAR OF UNKNOWN in mind for that reason -- much as Jabberwocky would be much harder to memorize than an orthodox poem. Probably the prologues appeal to our love of melodrama or something; there doesn't seem to be any other good reason. Nothing much to say about the editorial and letter section. I note with horror I forgot to list the stories in order from the February issue. So, The Mislaid Charm and The Crossroads very even; Sbottle Bop; Ultimate Egoist; Doubled and Redoubled; Oscar; Carillon of Skulls. For this April issue: Over the River, Castle of Iron, The [illegible], Length of Rope, and Forbidden Trail. Tish! I've gone and omitted They from that list -- it should be first place. There, that's better. Unknown, June, 1941. This is the first issue we rated from 1 to 10 instantly upon reading. Therefore, we'll use the on-the-spot ratings from now on. The Fountain: 8. Not so much was said about this, even though it's Bond's finest work to date. Possibly the disappointing Cartier illustrations soured some on it to begin with -- though the illustrations to a story never affected me one way or the other, except sometimes to decide which of two stories to read first. We gave only three -- no, four -- stories ratings over 8 during the year, outside of reprints, so an 8 is pretty high honor. Bond should feel duly honored. Nightmare Island: 6. We don't care, as mentioned before, for stories set down in such parts of the world. If we can ever remember to say I instead, I don't like stories with a dipsomaniac the leading character, unless exceptionally well done. I don't remember much about this, but it must have been better than remembered, or it wouldn't have gotten a 6. Not According to Dante: 7. The chief charm of this was the way it made you figure out parts of it, as when the dead guy found all the paving to be made up of good intentions. We must say that this is a more interesting Hell than Jurgen's, even if no one invented a lovely vampire. The Crest of the Wave: 4. Again we think Jane Rice writes too must like a woman. I don't see why Campbell used it, since it's merely a weird tale slightly overwritten. Add to the things we don't like in Unknown: stories in which gangsters, especially those who talk so tough, are leading characters. The Howling Tower: 6. About the best of Leiber's stories in Unknown. Aside from its own merits, this is another example of Campbell's skill in writing interest-attracting whatchamacallits on the contents pages: "One the vast, bleak plain there was only one thing -- the lone tower. And the tower -- howled!" Shape of Desire: 5. A little better than Cartmill's "Oscar" -- but still showing no promise of what was to come at the end of the year. There wasn't much story built around the central thing; at least, not an important story. Yesterday Was Monday: 7. Some time, we'll make out a long list of the things we like in stories in Unknown, and the things we don't like. Said list will contain many things from this yarn on the credit side. One minor objection -- except that it doesn't really hurt the story is itself -- is the title, which could have been better. Saying that yesterday was Monday doesn't attract much attention; bring the missing day into the title, and you'd have something there. Joshua: 7. This takes us 'way, way back, to one of the first comic strip episodes I can recall. It was a Sunday edition of Gasoline Alley, where Skeezix found a combination barometer and weather forecaster, and by turning the handle to different weathers, produced them. Funny how one episode like that will stand out, when all others are irrevocably forgotten, isn't it? Again nothing much can be said of the editorial, except that it's nice to know about such things. Nothing bright to remark about the letters occurs to me, either. Issue as a whole (allowing for relative length of each story): 5.9474. Stories in order: The Fountain, Yesterday Was Monday, Not According to Dante, Joshua, Howling Tower, Nightmare Island, Shape of Desire, The Crest of the Wave. Unknown: August, 1941. We might mention that Campbell is very unwise to use these blue covers: they aren't exactly the sort to attract oodles of interested potential readers, when they're so hard to read. The Case of the Friendly Corpse: 6. Betcha this would have been rejected if L. Ron Hubbard's name hadn't been behind it. Oh, it's thoroughly capable and all that, and expertly written. But the heroes of the Hubbard and de Camp stories are rapidly becoming as standardized as Ray Cummings' water festivals. Another woe: this seemed so intriguing that I was sure it was going to be marvelous. Live and learn. The
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HORIZONS ANOTHER YEAR OF UNKNOWN in mind for that reason -- much as Jabberwocky would be much harder to memorize than an orthodox poem. Probably the prologues appeal to our love of melodrama or something; there doesn't seem to be any other good reason. Nothing much to say about the editorial and letter section. I note with horror I forgot to list the stories in order from the February issue. So, The Mislaid Charm and The Crossroads very even; Sbottle Bop; Ultimate Egoist; Doubled and Redoubled; Oscar; Carillon of Skulls. For this April issue: Over the River, Castle of Iron, The [illegible], Length of Rope, and Forbidden Trail. Tish! I've gone and omitted They from that list -- it should be first place. There, that's better. Unknown, June, 1941. This is the first issue we rated from 1 to 10 instantly upon reading. Therefore, we'll use the on-the-spot ratings from now on. The Fountain: 8. Not so much was said about this, even though it's Bond's finest work to date. Possibly the disappointing Cartier illustrations soured some on it to begin with -- though the illustrations to a story never affected me one way or the other, except sometimes to decide which of two stories to read first. We gave only three -- no, four -- stories ratings over 8 during the year, outside of reprints, so an 8 is pretty high honor. Bond should feel duly honored. Nightmare Island: 6. We don't care, as mentioned before, for stories set down in such parts of the world. If we can ever remember to say I instead, I don't like stories with a dipsomaniac the leading character, unless exceptionally well done. I don't remember much about this, but it must have been better than remembered, or it wouldn't have gotten a 6. Not According to Dante: 7. The chief charm of this was the way it made you figure out parts of it, as when the dead guy found all the paving to be made up of good intentions. We must say that this is a more interesting Hell than Jurgen's, even if no one invented a lovely vampire. The Crest of the Wave: 4. Again we think Jane Rice writes too must like a woman. I don't see why Campbell used it, since it's merely a weird tale slightly overwritten. Add to the things we don't like in Unknown: stories in which gangsters, especially those who talk so tough, are leading characters. The Howling Tower: 6. About the best of Leiber's stories in Unknown. Aside from its own merits, this is another example of Campbell's skill in writing interest-attracting whatchamacallits on the contents pages: "One the vast, bleak plain there was only one thing -- the lone tower. And the tower -- howled!" Shape of Desire: 5. A little better than Cartmill's "Oscar" -- but still showing no promise of what was to come at the end of the year. There wasn't much story built around the central thing; at least, not an important story. Yesterday Was Monday: 7. Some time, we'll make out a long list of the things we like in stories in Unknown, and the things we don't like. Said list will contain many things from this yarn on the credit side. One minor objection -- except that it doesn't really hurt the story is itself -- is the title, which could have been better. Saying that yesterday was Monday doesn't attract much attention; bring the missing day into the title, and you'd have something there. Joshua: 7. This takes us 'way, way back, to one of the first comic strip episodes I can recall. It was a Sunday edition of Gasoline Alley, where Skeezix found a combination barometer and weather forecaster, and by turning the handle to different weathers, produced them. Funny how one episode like that will stand out, when all others are irrevocably forgotten, isn't it? Again nothing much can be said of the editorial, except that it's nice to know about such things. Nothing bright to remark about the letters occurs to me, either. Issue as a whole (allowing for relative length of each story): 5.9474. Stories in order: The Fountain, Yesterday Was Monday, Not According to Dante, Joshua, Howling Tower, Nightmare Island, Shape of Desire, The Crest of the Wave. Unknown: August, 1941. We might mention that Campbell is very unwise to use these blue covers: they aren't exactly the sort to attract oodles of interested potential readers, when they're so hard to read. The Case of the Friendly Corpse: 6. Betcha this would have been rejected if L. Ron Hubbard's name hadn't been behind it. Oh, it's thoroughly capable and all that, and expertly written. But the heroes of the Hubbard and de Camp stories are rapidly becoming as standardized as Ray Cummings' water festivals. Another woe: this seemed so intriguing that I was sure it was going to be marvelous. Live and learn. The
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