Street & SMITH PUBLICATIONS incorporated seventy-NINE SEVENTH AVENUE NEW YORK, N.Y

 

      March 21, 1939

J. W. Campbell, Jr.       Mr. L. Ron Hubbard,
      Route 1, Box 452,
      Port Orchard, Wash.

      Dear Mr. Hubbard:

      The check–largest in UNKNOWN’s brief history, and second largest in the combined UNKNOWN-ASTOUNDING history–is on its way. DON’T write more than 45,000 words after this, at least not in one chunk, please.

      But, on the other hand, please start now on your next Arabian Nights yarn. What’ll it be about? I’d like to get it in about four weeks. If not, then in six weeks. I’m having a hell of a time getting the long stuff, because I consistently and firmly bounce anything below grade B+, and all the novels seem to run about grade C+. And will you tell me when and if you’re going to get over your mad at New York and move back where you’re convenient? Considering the way the West Coast has treated you, I’d think you’d want to leave it.

      You’re going to have a sort of competition on Arabian stuff – but of a noncompetitive type, really. Silaki Ali Hassan, full-blooded Arab, is transcribing modern Arabic legends of the Yaffri hill-country for us. They’re different in tone from the Baghdad legends of the 1001 Nights.

      And – just because UNKNOWN’s going, don’t forget ASTOUNDING still uses 85,000 words a month. If you must toss off a few shorts between chapters of the novels, how about your strongman from Alpha Centauri who sells the safety pins his father’s factory makes? Forgotten that guy? He sounded like nice material, as I remember it.

     

   Sincerely,

              JOHN W. CAMPBELL, JR.
Editor:
           UNKNOWN and ASTOUNDING


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