tories
are top-notchers.

And Ray Cummings. Must we mention his story? We all know
what to expect when we read one of his stories. I hope you
have another serial by him soon.

I'm sure you'll be deluged with letters because of the even
edges and the illustrations by Paul (who should draw at
least two in every issue), but I hope you'll print my
letter, because I never had a letter of mine in print, and
want to get a thrill seeing this published.--Anthony
Caserta, 4575 Park Ave., New York, N. Y.

"_Very Pretty Problems Here_"

Dear Editor:

The letters by P. Schuyler, J. N. Mosleh, and Jackson Gee in
the last number sure do raise some very neat possibilities
in Science. Anent travel in time, just what would you, Mr.
Schuyler, expect to see if "John Doe" at 40 years (1931)
went back to 1892 and met "John Doe" of that date on Main
Street of his old home town? I suspect that two bodies
cannot simultaneously contain the same ego, constant-entity,
personality, or soul.

Which brings me to Mr. Mosleh, to ask: Just how is the
self-realizant ego, which is conscious that "I am I"
unchangingly for life, in any sense a derivative of the
unstable, rapidly changing body?

Mr. Burks and Mr. Lee elucidate a very pretty little problem
on the same lines. The cranial transplantation and the
"atomic patterns" are admittedly scientifically and
reasonably possible. But there is a real point of doubt:
Would the personality accompany the brain in
transplantation? True, the brain is the control room; but--?

And would the "atomic patterns," perfectly as they could
duplicate a body, which is unstable by nature, work on the
essentially stable ego (relatively) with its inherent
capacity for continuity?

If not, would not the synthetic "Extra Man" be a human being
minus personality? Some very pretty problems here. I'd much
like to see a story along the lines of item 3 in Mr. Burks'
letter.--L. Partridge, Box 84, Cornish, Me.

_What Price Smoothness?_

Dear Editor:

I have just finished the June issue of Astounding Stories.
The cover was excellent, as were all the illustrations,
except perhaps Manape's arms should have been a little
larger.

I see that the edges of the paper are now smooth, but still
the leav