by Bob Tucker
(Series Four)
This month, the column is devoted entirely to a small English
publication knows as "Boy's Magazine." The particular issue in
discussion is one of late November, 1933.
One of the two fantasy stories in this issue is "The Menace of the
Monsters." The monsters, which are prehistoric nightmares of the past,
invade England and proceed to raise everything they come upon,
including a train, a couple of autos, etc. The story carried three pen
and ink sketches which were very well executed. One portrayed a huge
stegosaurus uprooting a train of cars, tossing it into the air, and
spilling people out of it right and left.
Another illustration showed a tyrannosaurus in a death battle with a
giant sabre-tooth tiger ... 'tis something to gaze upon, take my word
for it!
The other science fiction story in the issue is named "The Ocean
Crater" and resembles _Astounding's_ "Telegraph Plateau" somewhat, in
the fact that a deep crater opens in the ocean and ships drop down
into it. This story has two illustrations, one showing a ship falling
into the "ocean-pit" and the other portraying the destruction of an
airplane carrier via "electric-arrow" rays from an overhead enemy
plane.
Another story in the issue, "Chin Ling's Ghost" was supposed to be a
supernatural tale.
(We hope to be able to present another article in this series in an
early issue.)