Page:Weird Tales volume 32 number 01.djvu/116

 like, but I don't expect the authors to please everyone. The loss of Howard and Lovecraft is irreparable To my mind Howard was tops and I hope you will honor Mr. Robert J. Hoyer's request for reprints or a book of Mr. Howard's stories, especially the Conan series. I also propose that one of your other authors study Mr. Howard's style and characters and continue the Conan series. I don't think any Howard fan would be too harsh with criticism. After all, Conan was a strong character, and many weaker ones have outlived their creators. So let's make Conan a monument to his creator. Let's hear what some of the others think of this proposal As to Quinn, let me say I heartily disagree with Marian Shortess. I think Roads was a truly wonderful story. I read it to my children and I am sure it was more acceptable than the age-worn lies told to children down through the centuries. I would like to suggest that our friend Marian look up the real history of our so-called Christian holidays. Then she will find that Mr. Quinn really knew whereof he spoke. As to mentioning Christ and the Virgin Mary in a magazine filled with witchcraft, ghosts, werewolves and vampires, etc.: I would suggest that she borrow someone's Holy Bible and read it. But I am afraid that if she did, she might like the horrible and gruesome, as well as the witchcraft stories contained therein, so well she would forget to buy the next issue." [Sorry to deny your request for some other author to carry on the Conan stories of the late Robert E. Howard. His work was touched with genius, and he had a distinctive style of writing that put the stamp of his personality on every story he wrote. It would hardly be fair to his memory if we allowed Conan to be recreated by another hand, no matter how skilfully.—]

Donald V. Allgeier writes from Licking, Missouri: "Congratulations on the fine May issue I give first place to Dreadful Sleep. Williamson has done it again. I agree with those who compare his style to Merritt's. They are similar, but Williamson is a splendid author in his own right. This seems to me to be as great a story as the now almost legendary Golden Blood. Pigeons from Hell gets my vote for second place. It certainly makes one long for Howard to be back again. There's a story that really caused the goose-pimples. Horrible and frightening are the words—a real weird tale. Perhaps it's my preference for serials, but even without that Thunder in the Dawn would rank high. I rate it third. It has all the elements of a true weird tale—mystery, black magic, fantastic setting—plus action. That makes it comparable to the Conan saga. Congratulations to Kuttner, a writer who has certainly developed recently. I'm sorry this story is only in two parts. Quinn's latest yarn is so close behind that it's practically a tie. Goetterdaemmerung struck me as an experimental type of story—to test readers' reactions. Personally, I prefer a story that I can understand, but, as usual, Quinn delivers a fine job of writing. The Secret of the Vault was quite good. I wonder if the style reminded others of Poe. It seemed to me quite like some of E. A.'s masterpieces. Hamilton's latest is little but a clever idea, but is worth reading. The reprint was fair, but the writing seemed strained. Why wait so long to reprint early stories by Howard? The Eyrie is demanding them In recent issues I particularly liked The House of Ecstasy. With Farley's Abductor Minimi Digit and Vallisneria Madness it completes a trilogy of delightfully unique short tales. I voice a lone cry for less lurid covers."

Edith Mulder writes from Lindenhurst, Long Island: "I like the new serial, Dreadful Sleep, immensely. I'm eagerly awaiting the finish. I wish you would reprint stories in WT that other readers keep talking about—like Shambleau, Once in a Thousand Years, and, oh, so many others that readers write about. They make me long so for all the WTs that were ever printed, so I could read them all! Couldn't you reprint serials that were acclaimed, also? I agree with others that say they would rather have a serial reprint than a lot of new stories."

T. Gelbert writes from Niagara Falls, New York: "Features of the April issue are The Temple Dancer, The Garden of Adompha and the very charming Hawthorne tale, Feathertop. Mediocre and very much so are Dreadful Sleep and Forest of Evil. I am glad to see Seabury Quinn's tales featuring others besides Jules de Grandin and the