"I surely am delighted with the second issue of TFF—a big step forward from the first edition! By all means keep up the good work that you have started. This is just the thing we non-scientifictionists need. Lovecraft, Smith, Wandrei, Howard, and Quinn, I hope, will be your main contributors as they just about hold up the weird and fantastic candle. I look for big things from you! 'The Kingdom of the Worm' was quite light and weak and far below the Smith standard—he is my favorite author and I know what he can do as I have nearly all of his stories and poems. The idea of portrayal was novel but many more pages could have been written. It seemed to me that the climax came too quickly, and with a less startling denouement than is customary with Mr. Smith's work. However, I was gladly surprised to see the story in this new magazine's pages. 'Supernatural Horror in Literature' by H. P. Lovecraft is intensely interesting."—F. Lee Baldwin
One has his full right to like or dislike a story, and while you and the previous writer believed Smith's tale to be below his standard, many have written in acclaiming it one of his best. If the tale had appeared in Weird Tales, you might have thought so also, but seeing that TFF is only a struggling little publication, you might have "hypnotised" yourself into believing that it was not up to his average. And then again, you must be in the mood when you read weird stories. Reading them under unfavorable conditions may force a derogatory opinion of the tale upon you.
"The second TFF was good! Hope you will get more staff writers who are familiar with fantastic fiction as you go along. Glad to see Lovecraft's article. C. A. Smith's tale was fine. Keep up their publication in spite of the opposition which will be forthcoming of 'pure' stf addicts."—Lester Anderson
"The second issue was read with much interest and enjoyment. It showed considerable improvement over the first issue. The high spots were Clark Ashton Smith's story 'The Kingdom of the Worm' and the beginning of H. P. Lovecraft's article on 'Supernatural Horror in Literature.' Smith's story was splendid and I hope to see much more of his work in TFF. Lovecraft's article began very promisingly, my only criticism being that the instalment was much too short."—H. Koenig.
"I am glad to learn that TFF will be devoted henceforth to the weird in fiction, for I feel that truly fantastic literature, as distinguished from the merely pseudo-scientific, is entitled to the fullest support; a support hitherto given to the stf type. I feel certain that a large and appreciative following may be built up among the disciples of this branch of literature. My best wishes to the success of TFF."—Richard F. Searight
Following are two letters in direct contrast.
"I have read the October issue of TFF from cover to cover and enjoyed it thoroughly. I have one objection, though. Since TFF is a magazine devoted to the discussion of weird fiction, you should cut down on the stf stuff. You'll find plenty of readers who will enjoy it without having to add so much science fiction talk."—Emil Petaja
"Please keep on using the same kind of paper and add more pages. Was sorry to hear that TFF is leaning toward weird fiction. Why do you encourage superstition with all the pronouncements of science against it? I like the magazine fine, all except the weird part. I never have read a good weird tale. Why do they print the science fiction and interplanetary stories of Kline, Hamilton, and Williamson in Weird Tales, for weird tales, interplanetary stories are not weird."—Lloyd Fowler.
Now, considering the two above letters, what is the poor editor to do? For the present, we will continue to use both stf and weird material, leaning toward the weird and printing only weird stories—except, of course, in the January issue, which will be chiefly weird. By the way, we believe that the January number will have quite opposite effects upon Messrs. Petaja and Fowler. We are sorry to hear that Mr. Fowler has never read a good weird story. We must pity him. Has he ever tried a magazine known as Weird Tales by any chance? But all kidding aside, we will take his suggestions into consideration.
For some reason known only to themselves, Weird Tales has refused to accept the TFF ad for their January, 1934 issue. Perhaps they think they have competition! We had intended to make our January number entirely weird with 24 pages, but now find it inadvisable, because of the rejection of our ad. We find that it would be best to conserve the Fantasy Fan Fund for future issues, rather than put everything into one issue.