Page:Weird Tales Volume 6 Number 1 (1925-07).djvu/138

Rh —please pay no attention whatever to a few killjoys who would have you publish the same sentimental trash as most of the other magazines. is the only magazine of its kind. It is unique; let's keep it that way."

Napoleon Shahka Vhan writes from Jamestown, New York: "My favorite story in the March issue was The Composite Brain. I am myself a scientist, although only twelve years of age, and I fairly went wild over it. I like scientific stories, and yet full of thrills and chills such as The Composite Brain."

James Godfrey Osgood, Jr., writing from Fitchburg, Massachusetts, after dissecting the stories of H. P. Lovecraft and C. M. Eddy, Jr., whose styles, in his opinion, are marked by an undue straining for effect, says: "I do not think you have overstated the case one bit when you say that When the Green Star Waned, by Nictzin Dyalhis, is one of the most remarkable stories of its kind which have yet appeared. Indeed, of its peculiar genre it is the best, I have no doubt, and, needless to say, is my choice for the best story in the April number. But The Lure of Atlantis, The Wind That Tramps the World, The Soul-Catching Cord, The Dark Interval and Back to Dust were also especially good. Don't lessen the value of the magazine in the eyes of a 'ghost-gutted' multitude by any anomaly from the standard that has made what it is today in the eyes of a hundred or more thousand people. And don't forget, by the way, that when a passer-by out of curiosity purchases for the first time a copy of and carries it home with him, he does so for the simple and sole reason that he expects to find in its pages, not love stories, not adventure stories, not detective stories, nor anything else, in short, but weird tales. If he wants love stories, he knows where to look for them. If, therefore, he chooses, it must be for no other reason than what the title signifies, and with the word 'weird' there is associated in his mind horror, tragedy, mystery, death, fear, etc., but nothing sick or nauseating."

Peter Donohue, of New York City, writes as follows: "Although I have been a constant reader of your extraordinary magazine, I have never yet enjoyed any number as I have the April. It would seem that the publication improves with age. However, you ask your readers to tell which story they consider most interesting. To my way of thinking, the best story, or at least one of the best, that you have ever published is The Wind That Tramps the World, by Frank Owen. It is a delightfully whimsical tale, and, aside from its weird atmosphere, it is one of the quaintest stories that it has ever been my privilege to read. Then, too, it is just as weird as any of the more gruesome stories, but lacks only the hair-raising horrible details of these. Even without these details the tale holds charm enough and sweetness enough to make it a favorite of all. Invaders From the Dark promises to be most interesting—so much so, indeed, that I can scarcely wait for the next issue of. And please leave us some horror tales, despite what some people say. Give us more stories like The Hermit of Ghost Mountain."

And now let us call your attention to the series of "Weird Story Reprints," which begins in this issue. We intend to leave the selection to you, the readers, and will follow your advice as far as possible. What masterpieces of weird fiction do you want to see in our magazine?

Also, let us know what is your favorite story in this issue. Address your letters to The Eyrie,, 408 Holliday Building, Indianapolis, Indiana. Your votes show that the favorite complete story in the May issue was Under the N-Ray, by Will Smith and R. J. Robbins.