To the Editor,

Your Don't Kill the Messenger piece got me three new players. I can't wait to see how many I can recruit with a whole magazine full of stories.

M. J. Brysch
Spreckels, CA

We wish you the best of luck in gaining new players. Let us know how well we've helped. - CB

Dear Chris,

Finally found some free time and decided to kill it by commenting on DTM #3. First off, let me say I really liked it. The fiction was your best selection yet, and everything else about it was great, too.

Protective mailing cover: This was a neat idea, as it prevented the USPS from mangling my copy. However, I doubt that people are saving them in the way that they preserve, and even hunt for, ADQ mailers. Personally, mine earned a one-way ticket to the recycling center. Why don't you put artwork on them? With illustrators like Robert Garitta and Joel Mullins, it would make them well worth saving.

Letter page: This is good! Of course, I liked seeing my own letter in print, but it would have been nice to see what others had to say. Maybe you could expand this column to two pages.

Puzzle page: Interesting. I'm not sure yet if I like it or not. I'll have to watch this one to see how it develops, but do keep it around for at least another issue or two.

Artwork: The illustrations were similar to issue #2 in quality. I liked Garitta's issue #2 cover better than this one, but it was still well drawn. "The Guide to Exploitive Artwork" was my favorite cartoon you've printed yet. However, I missed the variety that Joel Mullins provides.

As for the quality of the fiction, this too is an improvement over both issues. "Ranger Kill" by Steph Burke was enjoyable, with one of the better plots thus far. Shall we be seeing the continuing adventures of Brian Hooker? I know that would be difficult to formulate, but would be well worth reading.

Ray Keegan and Rob Garitta's collaboration "Something Old..." had a good opening (and a great title). Personally, I think Lucky should have been the one to marry Holly, but that's just none of my business.

"Hawks and Doves" was one of my favorite original stories published in DTM, next to "The Horde". I loved the opening with Jack Hammond playing his video game and the double twist plot. This and "Ranger Kill" were my two favorite pieces of this issue.

Keep up the good work.

Daveed Gartenstein-Ross
Ashland, OR

You bring up a lot of good points. I'll take them one at a time.

The protective mailing cover was a last-minute addition to the last issue. We realized that if issues were returned to us for some reason that it would be cheaper to replace that than it would be to have another cover printed. Also, the reader could discard it and still have an unmarked issue remaining. We considered artwork for this issue, but it just wasn't meant to be this time around.

As for letters, we would love to print more of them from more people. But first someone has to write them. Most of our mail, however, consists of subscription and writers' guideline inquiries. (Not that this is a bad thing.)

The puzzle page was an experiment at something different. We got zero feedback on it.

Brian Hooker and his new crew, if you don't know by now, make a return appearance in this issue and will be back for more in Part Two.

Finally, about your suggestion that Holly should have married Lucky, what has Lucky ever done to you, huh? - CB

Dear Chris,

I must say, you and Mr. Garitta continually improve your work as time passes. I recognized both names from the pages of Autoduel Quarterly and hope you will continue to publish work in that magazine as well as in Driving Tigers. While "Epilogue" remains my favorite Driving Tigers story, I have yet to read one I didn't like. I particularly enjoy settings which differ from the Car Wars standard; Steph Burke's "Ranger Kill" for instance.

For some reason, I received two copies of this last issue, both sent to identical addresses. I wanted to let you know my name may be repeated on your mailing list.

Jeffrey Field
Olympia, WA

Letters to the editor are always welcome, good or bad. Letters may be editted for space or content. Names and partial addresses will be included with all printed letters but will be withheld upon request. Send all correspondence to Chris Burke, 127 Bay 23 Street, Brooklyn, NY 11214.

One final note: we're behind schedule. There's no arguing that. In fact, we changed the cover at the last minute from "Autumn" to "Autumn/Winter". (Yes, I guess that means we had two Winters this year.) The next issue will be Spring 1992 and, hopefully, you'll be seeing it in time for the vernal equinox. I pledge my word that you will not see a Spring/Summer 1992 issue in the coming months. -Chris

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