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

Depths" was "really splendid, except for the cheap ending on which the Editor of
Wonder Stories insisted."

The Fantasy Fan, "The Boiling Point," October, 1933.


Lovecraft also wrote in the November 1933 issue of Fantasy Fan ("The Boiling
Point"), bitterly denouncing Forrest J. Ackerman. In the December 1933 and again
in the January 1934 issues Ackerman responded, directing his attack not so much
at CAS but rather at Lovecraft. Both Lovecraft's and Ackerman's letters
contained rather personal attacks on each other.

In his January, 1934 letter, however, Ackerman did go so far as to say
that since Weird Tales occasionally published science fiction, perhaps Wonder
Stories should be allowed to publish weird tales. Also in December, 1933, was a
letter from Donald Alexander in which he attacked CAS and Lovecraft for
"descending to personalities" and concluded that "Smith, in my opinion, is a
poor writer. his stories are all like the ravings of some fearfully diseased
mind."

In the January 1934 issue Lovecraft again answered Ackerman by reminding
him that his original attach on "Dweller in Martian Depths" was not based on
whether or not the story was suitable for a science fiction magazine, but rather
was an attack on the story itself.

Editor Hornig at this point decided the debate had gone far enough and
was perhaps threatening to get out of hand; he served notice that the issue
would be dropped after the February issue of FANTASY FAN. In that February
issue, CAS--who had remained out of the most acrimonious part of the
debate--publised a letter concerning Donald Alexander's charges.

Donald Alexander's letter caused me to reread carefully my own answer to
Forrest Ackerman's epistolary critique. Since my one concern was to meet Mr.
Ackerman's arguments on their own ground, I am puzzled by the assertion of Mr.
Alexander that I made a fool of myself by descending to personalities. Off hand,
I should have said that my letter was about as free of that sort of thing as it
could conceivably have been. Perhaps there were a few mildly ironic touches; but
certainly nothing of an insidious nature was implied or even intended. I do not
think that any good purpose is ever served by abusive personalities. If my
letter was derogatively personal, I really wonder how Mr. Alexander's should be
classified.


Clark Ashton Smith

In the same issue was a brief note from August Derleth saying he was "squarely
on Smith's side." The debate concluded with this note from Editor Charles
Hornig:

We stated last month that the Smith-Ackerman debate would end in this