Dear Editor:
Enclosed you will find twenty cents in stamps for the first copy of Astounding Stories.
I have just finished the May issue of Astounding Stories and the rating of the stories is: 1—"Brigands of the Moon"—Excellent! 2—"The Atom Smasher"—Marvelous! 3—"Murder Madness"—Perfect. 4—"Into the Ocean's Depths"—Good. 5—"The Jovian Jest"—Pretty Good.
The cover design by H. Wesso is good. Don't lose him.
I would like more stories by Victor Rousseau and Ray Cummings. Where are some stories by H. G. Wells, Stanton Coblens, Gawain Edwards, Francis Flagg, Henrik Jarve and Dr. Keller? My favorite stories are interplanetary stories.
Here are some things that may improve your magazine (though I must say that your magazine is about perfect as it is): More pictures in long stories; about two novelettes in each issue; about two short stories in each issue; more interplanetary novels and novelettes; about one serial in one issue; smoother paper.—Isidore Horowitz, 1161 Stratford Avenue, New York City.
"Fairly Good Satire"
Dear Editor:
I have read your two issues of Astounding Stories and I feel they will fill a very much needed place in literature.
I am especially interested in the stories like the "Vampires of Venus" and the "Brigands of the Moon." The "Vampires of Venus" can be classed as a fairly good satire on Earth beings; I consider that story one with a moral. It reminds one of Voltaire's Micromegas, and it's taking us to another planet to show us our faults at home will stimulate interest in social improvement.