"Horror,Fantasy.and.Science" - читать интересную книгу автора (Smith Clark Ashton)

his article which he requested to have printed at the beginning of this month's
column.

I could as well pick on John Tame--a favorite author, mind you--for "The
Time Machine" in Wonder Stories, another story considered doubtful science
fiction. My only interest is to keep stf. in the stf. publications, and let
fantasies and weird tales appear in the magazines featuring that type.

It is to be hoped that Mr. Smith will discover many of his admirers thru
the writings of readers caring to present arguments.

It is only fair that Mr. Smith himself should have the first blow
against Mr. Ackerman's argument, in defense of his own stories, lie calls (it)


Horror, Fantasy, and Science

Mr. Ackerman's fervent and ebullient denunciation of my stories, followed by
Editor Hornig's invitation to join the melee, is not to be resisted.

I infer that Forrest J. Ackerman considers horror, weirdness and
unearthliness beyond the bounds of science or science fiction. Since horror and
weirdness are integral parts of life (as is well known to those Who have delved
beneath the surface) and since, in all likelihood, the major portion of the
universe is quite unearthly, I fail to understand the process of logic or
syllogism by which he has arrived at this truly amazing proscription.

Let me recommend to Mr. Ackerman, and to others like him, a more
scientifically open and receptive attitude of imagination. If Mr. Ackerman were
transported to some alien world, I fear that he would find the reality far more
incredible, bizarre, grotesque, fantastic, horrific, and impossible than any of
my stories.

In regard to "The Light From Beyond," I cannot see that this tale is any
more fantastic and unreal than others dealing with unknown dimensions or planes
of hyper-space. Physical entry into such planes is impossible, but form an
alluring theme for fictional speculation.

It is curious that Mr. Ackerman should profess to like 'Flight Into
Super Time,' a story which is wilder, if anything, than the ones he has
denounced. I might also add that it was written as a satire on time-travelling,
and should not have been read too seriously.

Of course, it is Forrest Ackerman's privilege to dislike my stories, and
to express his dislike whenever he chooses. I have merely tried to point out
that he is in error when he condemns them as being inherently unsuitable for a
scientifiction magazine.

At this point editor Charles Hornig printed part of a letter from H. P.
Lovecraft in which Lovecraft defended CAS, saying that "Dweller in Martian