# Isaac Asimov to Planet Stories, Spring 1941

Please, Mr. Asimov, Please Don't Cry, Everything Will Be All Right, Bye and Bye.
| Dear Editor: | 174 Windsor Place Brooklyn, N. Y. |
It is difficult to type this because salt tears are rolling down my rosy cheeks and are interfering with my vision. You see, I will have to plead in this letter—plead on hands and knees.
Please! My name is not Isaac Asenion! Any one who says it is is a dirty liar. When I first saw that name appended to a letter, I was puzzled. Can this be mine? said I. Yes, answered I, it must, for its literary composition proves that it can only have been written either by yourself or by an illiterate Australian bushman—and illiterate Australian bushmen don't read Planet Stories (one of the reasons why they remain illiterate Australian bushmen). Besides, added I, Asenion knocks love interest and any letter knocking love interest is yours a priori.
The next item on the agenda was whether or not to visit the editor and attempt assault and battery or to confine myself to a time-bomb sent via parcel post. After long consideration, I decided against both. Why, said I, there is not a sciencefiction fan in the country who would not take one look at that letter, breathe in the odor therefrom emanating and exclaim in impassioned tones, "This is an Asimov letter." It is a cinch, said I, that poor Mr. Editor will get seventeen thousand threatening letters by return mail concerning this gross misspelling.
But, alas, things did not work out so. My best friends now call me Asenion (a combination of sounds I detest). The reader's column in the current Planet Stories is saturated with reference to this Asenion. I have no doubt I shall soon get mail addressed to Asenion. Nothing I will ever be able to say will convince anyone I am not Asenion. Damn it, I won't stand for it.
Know, then, that I, Isaac Asimov, am proud of my name. I like it. I like its sound. I like the way it looks in print.
I abhor this Asenion. I cast it into the outer darkness. I will punch the next guy who calls me Asenion right in the kisser.
Blessings on Charles Hidley for recognizing me through the disguise. Even with a "z" my name looks better than Asenion. Blessings from a grateful heart also upon my favorite letter writer, D. B. Thompson (of whose sanity I have grave doubts, for he likes my stories—but why should I complain of such a charming and lovable affliction) for likewise recognizing it—with a "z."
And now, having concluded I shall—for the first time—ask, nay, beg, the editor to print this letter. I realize that it has little or nothing to do with Planet Stories and will just waste valuable space—but perhaps he can print a tiny excerpt, say, for instance, just the following short sentence.
"My name is Asimov, and not Asenion, curse you all!" Insistently yours,
Isaac Asimov.
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was legally published within the United States (or the United Nations Headquarters in New York subject to Section 7 of the United States Headquarters Agreement) before 1964, and copyright was not renewed.
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Works published in 1941 could have had their copyright renewed in 1968 or 1969, i.e. between January 1st of the 27th year after publication or registration and December 31st of the 28th year. As this work's copyright was not renewed, it entered the public domain on January 1st, 1970.
The longest-living author of this work died in 1992, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 31 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
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