THE READERS' CORNER'"

_And join in the general
discussion of stories,
authors, likes, dislikes--everything
pertaining
to_

ASTOUNDING STORIES

_And Science-Fiction_]

The Readers' Corner

_A Meeting Place for Readers of_ Astounding Stories

[Illustration:]

_To the Rescue_

Dear Editor:

I hope you can see fit to print this letter in the July
issue of Astounding Stories. This letter is written in
defence of Ray Cummings and in reply to the letter of C.
Harry Jaeger, 2900 Jordan Road, Oakland, California.

Following is an extract of Mr. Jaeger's letter: "Also I like
my authors to make an original contribution to whatever
theory of science they develop fictionally. This, Ray
Cummings does not do in his very interesting story,
"Phantoms of Reality." His beginning is palpably borrowed
from Francis Flagg's story, "The Blue Dimension," which
appeared in a Science Fiction magazine in 1927." Another
paragraph is devoted to explaining his claim. He claims that
Cummings' method of transporting his characters from one
dimension or planet to another is practically copied from
Flagg's story. The method, that is, not the narration. I
hope to prove that if any borrowing was done, it was done by
Flagg. Incidentally, Flagg's story "The Blue Dimension" was
printed in 1928, not 1927, as Mr. Jaeger says.

I have in my possession a story by Ray Cummings named "Into
the Fourth Dimension" and published in another magazine
during the last month of 1926 and first ones of 1927. And in
this story--printed two years before Flagg's story--Cummings
uses almost the same apparatus of passing from one dimension
to another as is used in "Phantoms of Reality." I will not
discuss whether this procedure is to be approved or not.

This letter is not to be construed as an attack on Mr.
Jaeger, or Mr. Flagg, or on either of the two stories under
discussion.

If Mr. Jaeger will let me know I will send him Ray Cumming's
story "Into the Fourth Dimension," as clipped from the
magazines.

I write this letter to the magazine, instead of Mr. Jaeger,
so that if any one was misled by Mr. Jaeger's well meant but
mistaken criticism they will be straightened out.--Donald
Coneyon, Petoskey, Michigan.

_A Wish for Success_

Dear Editor:

I have r