Page:Weird Tales Volume 5 Number 1 (1925-01).djvu/181

186 party next month to pass you up for something that does not leave bad night dreams. And I am not speaking of the personal effect upon myself—for you couldn't budge my nerves with a sledge hammer."

Well, readers, we are going to keep the magazine weird, but NOT disgusting. The votes for the necrophilic tales were so few that we are satisfied you want us to keep the magazine clean. Stories of the Poe type—scary stories—spooky stories—mystic and occult fiction—thrilling mysteries—bizarre crime stories—all these will find place in, but those of you who want tales of blood-drinking and cannibalism will have to make your opinion register a great deal more strongly than you have yet done before we let down the bars to this type of stories. We repeat here what we have said before: belongs to you, the readers, and we will be guided by your wishes. That is the reason we ask you, each month, to write in to The Eyrie,, and let us know which story is your favorite. We want you to point out the particular story that you like best.

The readers' favorite story in the November issue is "The Brain in the Jar," by Norman Elwood Hammerstrom and R. F. Searight. This story received nearly half of all the votes cast, as well as a number of votes for second choice. In the choice of stories, at least, you, the readers, have selected a distinctively "weird" tale as your favorite. "Teoquitla the Golden," by Ramón de las Cuevas, comes second in the balloting. For a time this held the lead in the poll, but then the votes began to pour in for "The Brain in the Jar," landing this unusual tale in first place.

A remarkable feature of the balloting is the wide range of stories that have drawn votes for first place. Two of the authors themselves took a hand in the voting. Arthur J. Burks, whose story, "Thus Spake the Prophetess," ran high in the poll, cast his own vote for "Teoquitla the Golden," and Norman Elwood Hammerstrom, co-author with R. F. Searight of "The Brain in the Jar," also cast his own. vote for "Teoquitla the Golden."

Lieutenant Burks accompanies his vote with an interesting letter of comment on the November issue:

"I like the new magazine, received this afternoon, and instead of knocking out a thousand words or so this evening as is my wont, I lighted the old corncob and began to read. Ramón de las Cuevas is a writing hombre. Please convey my respects to him. This is humbler than it sounds, I assure you! I liked his story best of the twelve I have read so far. After these, in the order named, I like 'The Brain in the Jar,' which is exceptionally good, 'Adventure of Souls,' 'The Desert Lich,' and 'A Soulless Resurrection.' 'The Tower of Silence' gets a vote, too. I like the careful workmanship of Brosnatch's cover and art headings. Hold on to that boy! Also keep 'Ramón of the Caves' busy—he knows his stuff! His description of the old beggar woman took me bodily back to the West Indies. In any case my vote for the best story goes to him. May I also vote 'yes' for horror stories."

Everett McNeil, of New York City, in explaining his vote for "The Desert Lich" by Frank Belknap Long, Jr., writes: "A good tale of this kind is a difficult thing to write. It is difficult to give it just the proper perspective, so that no part stands out with disproportionate prominence; to put into it that subtle feel of horror and weirdness that attracts, instead of repulses, the imagination, that makes the reader shudder, and yet read on. It is difficult for the author, when picturing the weird or horrible, to exercise a proper repression, to go so far and then to stop, leaving the rest to the