Herewith we continue the Ackerman-Smith debate, which is waxing hot.
"The Ackerman-Smith controversy assumes all the aspects of a mad
comedy. To assail and reprehend the writings of Clark Ashton Smith is
as preposterous and futile as a dwarf transporting a huge mountain
peak upon the tip of his tiny finger. Either Forrest J. Ackerman is
daft or an imbecile or a notoriety-seeking clown and knave. Clark
Ashton Smith stands alone in the realm of present-day weird and
fantastic literature, and, therefore, above all his contemporaries. He
is still King: and has yet to be dethrone."--Robert Nelson.
"Personally, I thought that 'The Light From Beyond' was very good, and
I saw nothing weird about it. It was fantasy and not stf., but some of
the greatest classics of so-called science fiction have been almost
pure fantasy. Witness: Merritt's 'Snake Mother' and 'Moon Pool,' and
Taine's 'Time Stream.' Ackerman's objections to this were particularly
obnoxious to me, as I thought it one of the best stories ever written.
Certainly, there should be something more to science fiction than
rays, machines, villains, heroines (composed of lipstick and leg, as
Mr. Barlow rather bitterly expresses it), as has been stressed so
greatly of late. There should be an element of fantasy, strong
characters, and a well-developed plot in addition. The lack of those
is why so many weird story lovers (like Mr. Barlow) can find so much
fault with stf. I do not blame him. I, myself, as a reader, will stop
reading stf when the fantasy element is dropped completely." William
Crawford.