SCIENCE FICTION SUMMER T) UVf 7T X 7 NUMBER 51 1984 rv T-j v I Pj VV $2-50 John Brunner Charles Platt Bob Shaw Damon Knight Barry Malzberg F. Pau! Wlson
INTERVIEW: DONALD KINGSBURY SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW ,SSN “ P.O. BOX 11408 PORTLAND, OR 97211 MAY, 1984------VOL.13, NO.2 PHONE: (503) 282-0381 WHOLE NUMBER 51
RICHARD E. GEIS—editor & publisher PAULETTE MINARE', ASSOCIATE EDITOR ALIEN THOUGHTS...... 4 THE GLASS BUSHEL...... BY RICHARD E. GEIS A COLUMN BY BOB SHAW PUBLISHED QUARTERLY AND THEN I SAW...... 6 SMALL PRESS NOTES...... FEB., MAY, AUG., NOV. BY RICHARD E. GEIS BY RICHARD E. GEIS SINGLE COPY ------$2.50
LOOK WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO RAISING HACKLES...... 39 MY SONG, MA...... 7 BY ELTON T. ELLIOTT BY F, PAUL WILSON
LETTERS...... 42 COVER BY ALEXIS GILLILAND interview: DONALD KINGSBURY...... 9 PIERS ANTHONY CONDUCTED BY ROBERT J. SAWYER IAN COVELL DOUG FRATZ TONY ALSO-BROOK RENNER OTHER VOICES...... 15 RICH BROWN BOOK REVIEWS BY DARRELL SCHWEITZER DEAN R. LAMBE DAVID LASS INTERIOR ART------JANRAE FRANK ROBERT BLOCH TIM KIRK—2,4,6,38,56 NEAL WILGUS DAVID GERROLD alexis Gilliland —3,5,7,10,11,12. MICHAEL A. MORRISON STEVE PERRY BILL WINANS K.J. COHEN PAUL MCGUIRE JOHN BRUNNER 60,63 KARL EDD DAVID TRANSUE---- 7,8,34. LAURA CAMPBELL MIKE ARDEN---- 8,51 ROBERT SABELLA POUL ANDERSON RUSSELL ENGEBTRETSON MICHAEL GILBERT—9,48 DONALD FRANSON OLE PETTERSON---- 16 NORMAN KAGAN S.L.T.---- 19 THE DECLINE OF FICTION...... 20 brad w. foster—25,33,36,37,41,46,56 BY CHARLES PLATT TEN YEARS AGO IN SF - SPRING, 1974 ALLEN KOSZOWSKI---- 28,34 RAYMOND H. ALLARD---42 BY ROBERT SABELLA...... 55 GRANT CANFIELD---- 44,55 ONCE OVER LIGHTLY...... 22 BOOK REVIEWS BY GENE DEWEESE THE ARCHIVES...... 56 BOOKS AND OTHER ITEMS RECEIVED WITH DESCRIPTION, COMMENTARY, FLASHPOINT: MIDDLE...... 24 OR OTHER INFORMATION. NO ADVERTISING WILL BE ACCEPTED BY BARRY N. MALZBERG Second Class Postage Paid A REPLY TO GREGORY BENFORD...... 26 at Portland, OR 97208 BY DAMON KNIGHT Copyright (c) 1984 by Richard E. Geis. One-time rights only have NOISE LEVEL...... 27 been acquired from signed or cred A COLUMN BY JOHN BRUNNER ited contributors, and all other rights are hereby assigned to the contributors. TO BARRY: DOWN IN THE DREAM QUARTER...... 28 A POEM BY BLAKE SOUTH FORK SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW is published at 1525 N.E. Ainsworth, Portland, NOTES ON THE MAN IN THE TREE... .29 OR 97211 BY DAMON KNIGHT POSTMASTER: Send address changes to SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW THE VIVISECTOR...... 32 POB 11408 A COLUMN BY DARRELL SCHWEITZER Portland, OR 97211 REVIEWS------Call" by Avram Davidson. Next is sue for sure, Avram) SOMETHING ABOUT AMELIA...... 6 And two pages of "Alien Thoughts" LICENSE TO KILL...... which would have been political and THE HUNGER.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■>■■ likely more economic commentary. VALLEY GIRL...... The CIA operations against Nicaragua MIKE HAMMER...... are especially intriguing. BUFFALO BILL...... Also bumped again was the second ALONE IN THE DARK...... part of the Darrell Schweitzer inter CONFESSIONS OF A WINDOW CLEANER. view. Part of the problem was my CONFESSIONS OF A POP PERFORMER. . accepting Bob Shaw's offer to write THE MASTER...... 8 his legendary column, "The Glass LOVESICK...... 8 Bushel" for SFR. And the letter clay 's ARK...... column went to 14 pages; could not LIGHTRUNNER...... be cut! SUBSCRIPTIONS IRON TONGUE...... Paulette has done heroic work SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW EROS ASCENDING...... 16 with The Archives, condensing book P.O. BOX 11408 THE YEAR S BEST HORROR STOR IES descriptions to the bone, and we PORTLAND, OR 97211 SERIES XI...... saved a few pages there. And "Oth SHADOWINGS...... er Voices" was shorter, too, this THE SF COLLECTOR'S CATALOG FOR ONE AND TWO YEARS time, due mainly to fewer reviews H.G. WELLS IN THE CINEMA 18 AT FOUR-ISSUES-PER-YEAR received. But even there I had to SCHEDULE EARTHCHILD...... cut a page of Alma Jo Williams' THE WIZARDS OF ARMAGEDDON shorty reviews to make the 64-page THE ALIEN UPSTAIRS 19 limit. UNITED STATES: $9.00 One Year SUNWAIFS...... The life of an editor is hard! BRONWYN S BANE $18.00 Two Years THE BEAST...... # CRAIG MILLER called last week to TABLE FOR FIVE CANADA: US$9.50 One Year tell me of the Hugo nominations: US$19.00 Two Years LEGMEN... SFR for Best Semi-Prozine, and LOOKIN TO GET OUT Personal cheques accepted if me for Best Fan Writer. The nomin written on US$ accounts. CREEPSHOW...... ee must officially accept the nom JUST BEFORE DAWN ination before it goes on the final UNITED KINGDOM: Send pound THE MAN IN THE TREE. ballot. I'm always surprised and THE BRANCH...... equivalent of US$9.50 One Year delighted at being on the final bal US$19.00 Two Years THE STEPS OF THE SUN lot for one or more Hugos; it's an THE GHOST LIGHT...... to agent WM. DAWSON 8 SONS egoboo ball to find that a lot of Cannon House WHAT DREAMS MAY COME people think I write and edit so GREEN EYES...... Folkestone, Kent, well. CT19 SEE SOUL RIDER: SPIRITS OF FLUX ---- RICHARD E. GEIS ANCHOR...... or write them for quote. ONE WINTER IN EDEN THE SHORES OF ANOTHER SEA. AUSTRALIA: Send A$ equivalent of THE SENTINAL... Next Issue..... US$9.50 One Year childhood 's END US$19.00 Two Years ANNALS OF KLEPSIS. to agent SPACE AGE BOOKS THROUGH ELEGANT EYES 305-307 Swanston St. Melbourne, 3000 Vic. GOLDEN GATE & OTHER STORIES INTERVIEW: DARRELL SCHWEITZER or write them for quote. DARK VALLEY DESTINY: THE LIFE PART TWO AND DEATH OF ROBERT E. HOWARD.33 THE FRINGE OF THE UNKNOWN...... 34 ALL OTHER FOREIGN: US$9.50 One Yr. "clarion call " US$19.00 TWo Yrs. MR. MOM...... 37 BY AVRAM DAVIDSON losin ' it...... 37 All foreign subscriptions must be paid in US$ cheques or money STROKER ACE...... 37 "in the wave's wake" orders except to agents. LOVE SONG...... 38 BY GREGORY BENFORD INDEX TO THE SF MAGAZINES-1983. .38 CIMERA?...... 38 INTERVIEW: JULIAN MAY MAKE ALL CHECKS, CHEQUES, AND THE LLEWELLYN NEW TIMES...... 38 MONEY ORDERS PAYABLE TO SCIENCE STARSHIP, Winter-Spring 1984..,.38 FICTION REVIEW. STEVE LYON: THE DOCTOR...... 38 NEXUS...... 4. SAVE A HASSLE AND EXTRA EXPENSE THE FIRST KINGDOM...... 4. IF YOU MOVE WE NEED YOUR FORMER ELFQUEST #3...... 4. ZIPCODE AND YOUR NEW COMPLETE PRIVATE WORLDS...... 4. ADDRESS. FILE 770 ...... 4, THE EXPERIMENT...... 55 ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS, NEW AND OLD, ARE HONORED AND FULFILLED ON AN MY LAST WORDS ISSUES NUMBER BASIS. ...are being written April 9, the THOUGHT FOR THE ISSUE: day before these layout pages go to Deal with people on their the printer. terms—steal from a thief, lie to a liar, manipulate a # THINGS THAT GET BUMPED IN THE manipulator.... NIGHT...were, this issue, "Clarion 3 ouero THOUGHTS
So tell me, what is Fritz Mon dale's secret plan? He'll never tell. RICHARD E. GEIS | And if Gary Hart performs a miracle and cops the Demo nomina tion, what will be his secret set of Things To Do? We are in the hands of liars, mandmen, thieves and cowards. I see 11 WRITE IT AGAIN, DICK willing to make cuts and slashes in it at every level of government, is what is entitlements and other government from Portland's city council to the happening as you read this. I, and spending which a Republican president absurdly spineless legislature of Elton Elliott have signed contracts couldn't get away with. The new man the state, to Washington, DC. with Fawcett for the sequel to our will impose "poverty with compassion." novel, THE SWORD OF ALLAH. This one is titled THE BURNT LANDS and sends U I think it's marvelous how the hero John Norris to the horribly burn people of this country are rally ed and wasted lands of Europe after the ing to spend all kinds of money to solar flare which killed 99.99% of feed the starving deer and elk in A M3CKERY OF FREEDOM the people and after killer winds and the northern western states this firestorms had swept those countries. winter...so they can be shot later Every few years I contemplate Why the trip? A surviving band of in the year during hunting season. the structure of society, and am terrorists are holding for ransom the amazed at how virtually impossible president of the United States. II I really love President Reagan's it is to live in this country (or Ms. due in August. Publication remark that it doesn't matter wheth any other country) without paying likely sometime in 1985. er you cover a deficit by taxes or tribute to landlords. [And let us by borrowing. It says so much a- be clear—a landlord is also and bout his basic ignorance and stupid often especially so, the State.] U An observation on the economy, and ity. Land is owned, if not by private after this I'll leave my favorite sub If you pay for a 200 billion citizens, then by "the people" (a ject alone for this issue. dollar deficit by taxes, that's the mockery, since "public" lands are First, an admission of error: I end of it—it's paid off. If you actually owned by the government, misjudged in saying I thought the borrow 200 billion at today's in which is in turn owned and manipulat economy would start dying in:November- terest rates, you pay 200 billion ed by politicians and/or the mega December, 1983. Obviously there is/ dollars of interest in nine years... fortunes and power-lines (corpora was a lot of bounce left in the cred and still owe the 200 billion prin tions) controlled by the people who it cards. People have been buying ciple . control the megafortunes. cars and houses like crazy—and go The way things are going, the And all this land is controled ing into debt like crazy to do it. Reagan administration will run up in order to keep ordinary people It now appears, to judge by the the national debt (with congress' dive of the stock market, that mid- willing collaboration!) to two 1984 will be the turning point. trillion dollars before he's out From now on (now is Feb. 29) interest of office (if re-elected) in 1988. rates will climb and that will write And the public will be paying finish to this recovery. about 200 billion interest per year With a current deficit of 180 or —more than the entire federal bud so billion, and with handwriting on get ten years ago. the wall later this year for 250 bil When that chicken comes home to lion dollar deficits for 1985 and on roost, it'll smother the whole damn ward, with the economy faltering bad country! ly come election time in November, the new president will face the pros 11 I don't believe a damn thing any pect of cutting the budget and in politican says anymore. Reagan lied creasing taxes in a recession. If his head off to get elected in 1980: that bullet is not bitten, the real balance the budget, kill the educa pessimists will see their worst pro tion dept., do this, do that... and jections come true: terrifying infla he's reneged on every one of them. tion, incredible interest rates...a He clearly had a secret priori looming road to a Brazil-type bank ty—to build up the military and rupt economy and maybe a revolution re-establish the American empire from the right. and roll back Soviet expansion, and I look for the new president to to hell with balancing the budget! be a Democrat who will be able and 4 from living without paying for the to live out of a shopping cart down privilege of sleeping somewhere. town beside the county library. You cannot roll a travel trailer There was a big outcry and the powers onto a city park and live rent free, that be finally put him in a mental can you? You can't buy land and home. Obviously a crazy. live rent free, can you? [Taxes!] And periodically a man or woman And you can't just roam the will be discovered who has been liv streets with a backpack and sleep ing in one of the city's forest parks in a park that way. in the neighboring hills—having con There are laws against living structed a shack of scrap wood— without paying rent. You pay rent and this outrage is instantly ended. in effect to stay alive. Only by becoming a hermit and The entire structure of society doing the Vonu bit can a person evade is shaped to make you pay for the the gimlet eye of the state or other privilege of being alive. You are landlord. It's a very high price to the slave, the sheep always to be pay...and so we all pay the rent and sheered of whatever money you can most of us aren't even aware of the earn, or of value from whatever you basic outrage involved. or home for about one or two hours may produce. Why should a person have to pay or fifty to a hundred miles per day. (One of the greatest con games just to be alive? And provide power for TV, refriger in the structure to bleed people is ator, appliances, lights, etc. at interest on debt. But nobody can And isn't it odd that this is night. force you to go into debt.) true in so-called socialist coun Now, that would be something No matter how prosperous and tries, too? Socialists demand that worth saving up for. wealthy a country becomes, the on every citizen contribute to the Imagine the conflict between going strucuture of laws continues State—or be punished. the New Nomads and the State, as to suck you dry of money--for rent. I believe a homestead, once the exisiting culture and power Periodically I mentally explore bought and paid for, should be rent- structure sought to ban such life ways to live without paying rent. free, tax free, for as long as you styles and/or tax/license it to the Finding a rent-free, safe place to own it. You could live very cheaply, point of making it non-viable for sleep always stumps me. I am always without electricity, if you wished, poor people. forced to break a law: camping on a and only pay for the one basic serv Special police forces would be roof of a building, say, which is ice needed—water and sewer. You hired...a lot of counterfeiting of rarely inspected...finding a hidden could scrounge wood for a woodstove, licenses and permits would go on, patch of ground in freeway-bordering grow most of your food, and spend a a network of CB alerts would be shrubbery... empty, abandoned houses lot of time in libraries. On a developed to warn of approaching or buildings.... Inpermanent. Lia small farm with a well and an out smokies, and back-road living would ble for arrest for tresspass or house, even water and sewer expense be an option. There would be some other sin against property, city or could be cut. shoot-outs, sabotage, etc. private. Well, from all news reports, ev You'd have supply industries and Maybe, maybe in the pioneer days en in this "recovery" homeless peo services grow to maintain and per one could claim land in the wilder ple are increasing, living on the petuate the New Nomad motor homes ness and live tax-free, rent free. streets, as bag ladies, as suitcase and life-styles. But civilization has caught up with men, as some families live out of You'd have tribes, caravans, us now, and ho place is beyond the a covered pickup truck.__ in cars. distinct "nations" of nomads, and palm-up hand (a gun is in the other) And in the next leg down of the even warfare between these tribes of the State. depression these numbers will drama for prime camping/clustering spots. My home is hostage to the tax tically increase as more and more It all depends on technology. collector—pay up or in three years people cannot afford to pay the ex It all depends on the possibility or so they'll foreclose and sell orbitant tribute (ransom) demanded of living rent-free for millions of my house for back taxes [rent!]. by the State and by private land people. The only halfway viable method lords (who also pay rent) for the Employers would soon cater to I've thought of is the motorhome privilege of being alive. nomad workers, providing special which can be parked at a curb for But only the destitute and the parking areas... The New Nomads a few days at a time, before moving fanatics will endure the life-style would have a class structure, and to a new neighborhood. But that required by society now to live rent- middle-income families would join, system is high-cost, too, because free. linking up with computers and radio you'd need to replace batteries oft Maybe multi-millions of home and mobile telephones. en, or find a very quiet generator less in years to come (who signed Some would tow special green of electricity to use during night on in the millions to pay $500,000 house trailers and grow a lot of times. for a $100,000 home over thirty food. Self-sufficiency and indepen And nomadism is made very dif years) will force a change in this dence would be a new fad, a new ficult because so many employers iron law. But I doubt it. watchword... and financial institutions will de I suspect, suddenly, highly There would be gangs who preyed mand of you a "permanent address" efficient solar-power units will on the nomads...and New Nomad pro (you can't get a p.o. box without a allow a new era of luxury nomad tection and police forces... permanent address). ism. As I said, there's a novel in Society wants you under its Hmmm. There's a novel in that this. subtle control, paying rent, paying idea.,, a share it determines of your income. The only options are to have ...a motor home whose roof is WEMSER OF TRILATERAL- COMAtlSStOM miniscule income and turnthe tables-- covered by solar cell units power -rtK(N SOMETHING ABOUT AMELIA (ABC) THE HUNGER (R) MIKE HAMMER (CBS) fails in its cast is a uses the vampire movie ing Stacy Keach as Hammer—a nice nice-nice documentary-style drama and tries to make of it an art film. guy trying to play tough. His hard- about upper-middle-class incest. Fine, arty visuals, moody music, des boiled acting is undermined by a Ted Danson (of CHEERS fame, pair , desperation.... subtle good-guy inside. But the and remember him as the young Asst. Catherine Deneuve is a pure,age casting might have been deliberate D.A. in BODY HEAT?) played the less vampire who, in present-day New to make Mike Hammer more acceptable well-to-do father with an inex York, is sad to see her latest male to the public morality which rules plicable need for love and sex lover (played by David Bowie) lose network decisions. As it runs now from his young-teen daughter (play his immortality factor and age over the series is just another pseudo ed beautifully by Roxana Zal). It two hundred years in a day or two. private-eye series with old-fashion didn't convince me. She's gone through a series of ed voice-over to give it a phony Danson seemed too competent, lovers and keeps their husks stored first-person narrative "feel". too well-balanced, too handsome, in the attic. Of course Mike Hanmer, even in to be hiding such a Need. True, Enter Susan Sarandon, a lovely the original,Spillane novels, was he did display more-than-normal woman doctor working in a life-exten a cartoon. But he was an honest jealousy when his daughter went to tion research institute who is vital cartoon. In this network incarna her first prom with a nice boy from ly interested in the cataclysmic aging tion, Hammer is a self-mockery--- a her school, but.... of Bowie (and the aging is very con joke, a satire of the private-eye Maybe I find it difficult to vincingly done—they can make any genre. feel sorry for people who live in thing realistic nowdays!) . Deneuve $250,000 houses and have no money seduces Sarandon—bites her—and worries. places some of her own blood in Saran BUFFALO BILL (NBC) don's bloodstream. Sarandon gets is about an sick and is converting into an im egotistic, arrogant, selfish talk mortal vampire who can "eat" only human show host who turns into a wimp LICENSE TO KILL (CBS) blood (ordinary food makes her sick whenever confronted with real op as a dog). Eventually she is forced position, real anger, real contempt. follows the by her Hunger to kill and eat her felloe docudrama approach again in a story Dabney Coleman plays Bill very well, doctor/lover. and may be making a career of play about a wealthy middle-class business Great images, whispers, low-key man (Don Murray) who drinks too much ing such types (as in 9 TO 5 and lighting... The ending will not sur MODERN PROBLEMS). and who, drunk, killed a teen-age prise you...and may disappoint you as girl in a head-on collision in which But I don't like phoneys and it did me. cannot find anything in this show he was barely bruised. The seduction scenes between Den We are then given parental to like. Archy Bunker had the cour euve and Sarandon were nicely done, age of his convictions and an innate heartbreak and justice-system delays though—even with the nudity—a bit and apparent miscarriage of justice honesty and reluctant fairness. too contrived; I sensed they were in Buffalo Bill is simply a bullying as it looks like the evil drunk (sel serted to hype the picture. fish, selfish!) will get off scott- fraud surrounded by too many ass free on a technicality. lickers and cowards. James Farentino was good as the overcontrolled, delayed-grief father CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 of the girl. The one realistic thing about the VALLEY GIRL (R) film was Don Murray's bitching about his lawyer's outrageous legal fees. is fairly convinv- But here again the networks have ing as it involves (romantically) a demonstrated that the wealthy middle San Fernando Valley high school girl class male is the only class of person with a lower class Los Angeles punk they feel it is safe to make the rocker boy. villain. The clash of values and cultures Actually, women are more likely is interesting, if really accurate. to abuse their kids than men (not sexu Standard formula story. Some ally, but physically, emotionally), and very good acting by new young actors women are more likely to be drunks, sec and actresses. retly, at home. But, of course, they A good mixture of realism and do wrong because their men are abusive idealism. Some sly mocking of with- or depriving them of love. it parents. | RICHARD E. GEIS | LOOK WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO MY SONG, MA I'd been a knot of tension all Imagine a sylvan god creating day but the liter or so of Freixe- tree after tree after tree, pains net brut under my belt had gone a takingly etching each crag in the long way toward untying me by bark, each vein in every leaf, screening time. As the theatre Finally, it was ready. I knew fashioning utterly perfect, unspeak darkened and the screen lightened it was going to be good. It had ably beautiful trees. and the Dolbyized sounds of Tanger to be. Despite the fact that Mich ine Dream vibrated the seats, I ael Mann had not deigned to reply Now imagine him getting lost in held hands with my wife and watch to my comments on the first draft his own forest. ed. Like Thomas who first wanted of his screenplay nor to my offer to thrust his fingers into Christ's of any assistance that he might re The first half of the film was wounds, I'd said all along that un quire, that he had been cool and one of the most glorious experiences til I sat in a theatre and saw it distant when I visited the set at of my life. (It doesn't compare to with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe Shepperton Studios in England, that hearing that your wife is fine and it. But there it was: THE KEEP he had refused to allow me an ear you're the father of a healthy lit ... "based on the novel by F. Paul ly screening, that during the en tle girl, but it's up there.) To Wilson.” tire project he had not sought any see scenes you wrote for the page advice or opinion from the origina come alive on the screen is an ex Never thought it would happen. tor of the characters and concept perience every writer should have The book's slouch toward the screen of the story he was filming, I just once in his'life. The photo had been a perfect example of Mur was sure it was going to be a good graphy, the lighting, the sets -- phy's Law. A great start: Koch- film. After all, I'd heard all a- all absolutely stunning. I'm a Kirkwood Productions had generously long how Mann had thrown himself sucker for the expressionistic blend optioned it for CBS Theatrical into the project, going so far as of light and shadow the Germans did films in the summer of '80; THE to dig out old SS and Wehrmacht so well in the 20s and 30s and much KEEP was to be part of CBS' big ex manuals to assure a look of utter of THE KEEP reminded me of that. pansion plan. But no one wanted authenticity; he even brought a the author to script the movie -- linguist to the set to teach the But the narrative ... I noticed he'd never done a screenplay be British actors how to speak not dangerous little cracks in the nar fore and couldn't be entrusted to with a German accent, but with a rative. I brushed my fears aside: cut his teeth on such a big pro German rhythm. He was the movie Michael Mann knows what he's doing; ject. A "pro” was brought in but maker and I was the bookwriter. He he'll patch them up. his screenplay was rejected. Then was working in his field of exper But he didn't patch them up. He the screenwriters struck. "Could tise. (When I expressed to Whitley let them get wider, becoming fis we have an extension on the first Strieber -- who had already sures, then wide bottomless chasms option because of the strike?" been down this road twice --my that eventually swallowed the whole Sure. Then Michael Mann was brought confidence in how well everything movie. I didn't realize that im on the scene as writer-director -- was going, he gave me a small, know mediately, but as my post-screening "to ensure a unity of vision on ing little smile. I didn't under euphoria wore off, I began to ques the project." I'd been impressed stand that smile then.) tion the film objectively. with THIEF and THE JERICHO MILE and figured we were cookin' now. I told myself that in order Silly things -- like changing to protect his own vision, Mann Woermann from the last of a long Then CBS went and released a was trying to put some distance be line of Prussian military men to a couple of flops and decided to tween himself and the originator, street socialist who'd fought the tighten the belt on all future pro afraid I'd act like an overprotect- fascists in Spain half a dozen years ductions. Koch-Kirkwood-Mann said ive parent and harrass him to dis before. Not only does this rob Wo- they couldn't make THE KEEP under traction. So despite the rudeness, ermann of his conflict of loyalties the new budget restrictions so the rejection, the cavalier atti but anyone with a couple of func they went to Paramount and worked tude, I was sure it was going to tioning neurons knows that socialist a turnaround. Things began to go be a great movie. Had to be. It fighters in Spain in 1936 don't wind smoothly for a while: Oscar-win- had everything going for it. Mann up Wehrmacht captains in 1941. It ner John Box was signed as produc and Paramount knew what they were is laughable. But not as laughable tion designer, and Wally Veevers, doing, right? Everything was under as Mann's version of Molasar. If who had worked on all sorts of control, right? he didn't think a human form was goodies, from Menzies' THINGS TO visual enough, he could have kept CM in '35, through Kubrick's 2001, Right? to SUPERMAN, came on as optical effects director. Principle photo graphy was completed in December, '82 and THE KEEP was scheduled as a Summer of '83 release. Then, tragically, Wally Veevers died before he really got started on the sfx. The early summer re lease became late summer, then was pushed back to November. Now it was December. By F. Pau! Wilson 7 Molasar in a cloud or blurred his the whole movie should have been outlines or something! Anything pointing, is over in a flash. but that cross between a rubberized Glaeken's triumph is perfunctory Darth Vader and a flayed ape. at best, then he too is sucked into the vortex. As in a typical B- fully lit, wonderfully angled piec He failed to develop a single movie from the 50s, anyone or any es of film. I feel betrayed. character to the point where we thing that doesn't quite belong in Cheated. It angers me to know that could care about him or her. He this place and time cannot be allow millions of people will walk out of made Glenn/Glaeken into a robot, ed to remain. I ignored that cliche the movie thinking that's the way I and added a priest who did almost in the book but apparently Mann did wrote the book. Some of them will nothing. Glaeken and Eva (why was not choose to do so in his film. no doubt pick up a copy, but most n't "Magda" an acceptable name?) will not opt for what they'll feel meet on a hill and — cut! -- they A parade of missed opportuni is a more concentrated dose of con are in bed. Cuza's crisis of faith ties. That's what's so frustrating. fusion. And there will be uncount was gone. The whole point of Cuza This wasn't a schlock production. ed millions more who will skip the being a Jew — other than the irony Lots of money, time and talent were movie and the book because of all it lent his position -- was to al involved. What went wrong? I do the scathing reviews from the film low Molasar to fake the power of not know. I can't get a straight critics. the cross over himself and use that answer from anyone. I have produc I could have helped. I offer as a lever against Cuza's soul. tion stills of scenes that never ed and, God knows, I was willing. Without that crisis, the presence made it to the screen, scenes that If I'd been allowed a little input of a Jew in the keep smacks of ex might have given some of the char I could have made it a better pic ploitation. acters a little depth and explain ed more of the plot. But they're ture. Mann the film maker in col The plot was chopped up into on the cutting room floor. Why? laboration with Wilson the story an incomprehensible mishmash. There I don't know. Maybe Paramount, teller might have come up with a is no dramatic tension, no cathar for its own reasons, made Mann cut winner. After all, it's my story. sis. Molasar's final destruction of the film down to 97 minutes. I'll I know it best. the German soldiers takes place off probably never know. No one tells As Jeffrey Lyons said on PBS, stage as in a Greek drama --we the author a damn thing. "It could have been wonderful." hear a few shots, sane screams, and then find everyone charred to a Whatever the reasons, the story Amen. crisp. Glaeken's final battle with is gone. Nothing is left but a Molasar, the confrontation to which bewildering progression of beauti "AND THEN I SAW" CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 THE MASTER (NBC) is that network's ALONE IN THE DARK (R) CONFESSIONS OF A POP PERFORMER (R) attempt to cash in on the success of martial arts films. In this Another of those slapstick, gives the Lee Van Cleef—bald, in his 60's viewer Jack Palance as an escaped broad comedies made in England —plays a mysterious, super-cond homicidal maniac (with three other which feature stupid, inept heroes itioned master of occult and martial inmates from the most-dangerous (Jerry Lewis types) who stumble in arts. He has a snotty young man ward of a private sanitarium) after to social and workplace disasters assistant who screws up a lot. And a power outage and a back-up gener and in these R-rated comedies also together they Do Good by foiling ator fails and the locks of the in lurch into sexual situations in nasties. The kung-fu encounters stitution's doors do not work. which the young woman almost al are well-done: those stunt men and (Thin premise, but wotthehell, ways is bare-breasted and/or tot doubles Wo great work. it's a low-budget horror film.) ally starkers. BEAVER! I doubt I'll watch another of They go after a new doctor's Ten years or so ago pubic these. family, resenting his taking over hair would have been a staggering for a doctor they loved who left sight on film. Now it is a so-what to take a better job elsewhere. on Showtime. In these films the young man is LOVESICK (R) Suspense and gore, murder and has a great cast with often nude, too, but rarely is a mayhem follow. Dudley Moore as a lovesick psychiat glimpse given of male genitals. Donald Pleasence plays the rist who has fallen for a patient idealistic, weird psychiatrist Showing progressively more erect (reverse transference,in the trade), penises may be the next "break boss of the institution, and gets Alec Guiness playing the ghost of through". (The men are already himself killed trying to "reason" Sigmund Freud, John Ikis ton as Moore s explicitly fondling women's breasts with the sadistic, paranoid, homi mentor, Selma Diamond and Alan King cidal escapees. and kissing and sucking for a few as members of the Psychiatry Board seconds, the nipples.) Eventually, of Review...and Elizabeth McGovern Pleasence steals every scene I suppose, any sexual contact will he's in, of course, with his aura be permitted (except anal) provided as the patient. But the film is slow, dull, with of weirdness just below his surface. the male does not ejaculate on-cam- There are some gripping, con lots of no comedy or very mild amuse era. trived ending tension scenes in ments. Everyone seemed...bored, as this movie, as the doctor and his bored as Moore with most of his pa family are stalked and under seige tients before he met Her. in his house by the crazies. Marshall Brickman's direction seemed languid, aiming for charm in CONFESSIONS OF A WINDOW CLEANER (R) stead of energy and funny. Chamber is a formula repeat of CONFESSIONS music in the background, a predict OF A POP PERFORMER. (See above.) able story in the foreground. 8 CONTINUED ON PAGE 21 INTERVIEW: OOW0CO KINGSBURY CONDUCTED BY ROBERT J. SAWYER Donald Kingsbury's epic COURT a mining engineer. He moved to They'd teach me about woodcutting. SHIP RITE has received unique treat Montreal in 1948 to study at McGill I'd play around with the axe under ment for a first science fiction University. He became a Canadian their very careful supervision: novel. The book was published in citizen in 1953 and now teaches they weren't going to let me get six different formats over an mathematics at McGill. Divorced, hurt. All my early learning was eighteen-month period. Early in he lives with his two sons. in this manner: interacting with 1982, Simon 8 Schuster distributed the adults. My two sisters and I Kingsbury is 195 centimeters an advance trade paperback with a were the only children in the town. tall, a sprawling man with a pierc plain green cover to critics and When I was six, my parents decided ing gaze. Though the dust jacket booksellers. ANALOG serialized it it was time we got out of the wild of COURTSHIP RITE has no author in the spring of 1982. Simon 8 erness and into some proper schools. photo, it is Kingsbury himself who Schuster released it simultaneously We spent six months in the Pacific appears in profile as Joesai in as a hardcover and a quality paper en route to California, traveling Rowena Morrill's cover painting. back in July. The Science Fiction around China, Japan, Indonesia, Book Club brought out its edition and Hawaii. That's one of the Accolades have poured in for late in 1982. Timescape's mass reasons I like to wander around market paperback appeared in July Kingsbury's SF. Terry Carr has the galaxy on paper: it's easy 1983. said, "Kingsbury isn't yet a fam for me to fall into the traveler ous name but he soon will be." mode. We left California when I COURTSHIP RITE is a sweeping In 1980, his novella "The Moon God was in the sixth grade and went to saga of an energy-poor planet where dess and the Son" was a Hugo nom New Mexico for a year. We lived multiple marriages are the norm inee. And COURTSHIP RITE was a in Tyrone which is an old silver- and cannibalism is a sacred ritual. contender for the best novel Hugo mining town not far from Alamagordo It received the kind of notices in in 1983. where the A-bomb went off. the mainstream press that most SF authors only dream of getting. SFR: How were these moves reflect Witness PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY: "an ed in your work? ambitious work, certain to gather a lot of attention." And KIRKUS: SFR: You were bom in San Francis co and ended up in Montreal, but KINGSBURY: When you write, you "a feat of nonchalant, assured com take and alter things. Joesai’be plexity: rich, teeming." Rare is there was a lot in between, wasn't there? ing a goldsmith in COURTSHIP RITE the reviewer who doesn't compare comes from the time we spent in COURTSHIP RITE with DUNE. KINGSBURY: When I was a year-and- New Guinea. A lot of the semi-des Who is Kingsbury? The readers a-half, we moved to a gold-rush ert in New Mexico probably came of ANALOG know him. He's been ap town in the interior of New Guinea. out when I wrote about the planet pearing since 1952 in that maga My father hired a converted World Geta in that book. Someone wrote zine's pages, commanding four cov War One bomber to fly us in. me a letter saying, "That doesn't ers. His stories are remembered They tell me I stuck my nose right for their rare depth of characteri out the window and got a big shock zation, for their rich explorations as 100-mile-per-hour winds whipped of future human societies. Equal by. I had Australian nannies and ly noteworthy are his contributions we had 20 black servants. My moth to the oft-neglected second half of er was a Southerner and she fell ANALOG SCIENCE FICTION/SCIENCE FACT. into the old plantation mode very Bom in 1929 in San Francisco, easily. When the servants chopped Donald MacDonald Kingsbury lived wood for the stove --we didn't his childhood in such diverse have electricity -- I'd turn up places as New Guinea, New Mexico, and all the work would stop. and New Hampshire. His father was 9 look like an alien environment to pervert. Deviations from societal norms can be quite disgusting, but me; it seems just like New Mexico." MACHO IS ALL R( SFR: When did you graduate to writing longer works? KINGSBURY: 1 took my first crack KINGSBURY: Fitting, isn't it? was this finger of stars pointing SFR: You were ultimately excom After I got the contract for across a black abyss, which I cal municated. COURTSHIP RITE I went out and led the noir gulf because I was bought a word processor because I flunking French at the time. If I KINGSBURY: I taught my mathematics couldn't face the idea of typing ever went back and wrote a story course at McGill in the same way drafts over and over again. I got about where the people in COURTSHIP they taught Scientology: as work an Olivetti -- it's obsolete now, RITE came from, I'd probably dis shops, a very fast, very effective but a good machine at the time -- cover many interesting things I method. I wrote a report on the dedicated word processor. Now I don't know now. In one of these application and sent a copy to Hub have an IBM Personal Computer with stories, I had a planet that sup bard. He sent me back a letter ProKey software. I belong to the ported itself by raising colonists saying I had plagerized his learn school that says once you've had a to sell: just a big childraising ing theories. Hubbard built a word processor, you can't go back. factory. Another involved the great apparatus to deal with enem Used to be I'd avoid doing minor planet Lager, which also appears in ies. In order to have something revisions just to keep from having "Shipwright." That's the one that for the apparatus to do, he goes to re-type a page. Campbell and Gold rejected because out and creates enemies. He has a of the sexual content. "Ship hard time with able people. When SFR: There seem to be connections wright," incidentally, is contemp he gets able people around him, he between your novelette "To Bring orary to COURTSHIP RITE. excommunicates them. in the Steel" and COURTSHIP RITE. Or am I mistaken? SFR: You've been with the SF SFR: You were once involved in scene since the 1940s. What Scientology. Or would you prefer changes and trends have you ob not to talk about that? KINGSBURY: All Of my stories, in served? cluding "Ghost Town" are in the same series. I was impressed by KINGSBURY: Oh, I have no trouble KINGSBURY: The quality of story handling the Scientologists. Dia Asimov's Foundation series and got telling and writing is steadily involved in creating my own future netics, you know, was first pre inproving. It's harder and harder history. Copycat! I never read sented in ASTOUNDING. I sent away to sell a story that's patchy. any Heinlein. When he was turning for the book, actually receiving SF has an inexhaustible supply of it before its official publication out juveniles I considered myself ideas, just as science has an in date, and read it in one sitting. too old to read them. Besides, I exhaustible supply of discoveries. I thought, "that's a very interest couldn't afford hardcovers: they One of the things I've noticed in ing psychotherapy technique; I'll were some ridiculous price like the last few years is the rise of try it out on my girlfriend." I three dollars. He quit writing for fantasy. Some people thought that went over to her place, had her ASTOUNDING about the time I start was going to kill the SF market, lie down on the couch, and closed ed to read it. I have most of my but SF publishers absorbed fantasy, the living room door. In the mid unpublished stories in my files fantasy didn't absorb them. but they don't fit the background dle of the session, her mother anymore because it's developed. In broke in. She thought -- well, SFR: What fantasies do you like? you know what she thought: we the early versions of my universe, were doing something indecent. I the first moon landing was in 1965 KINGSBURY: I like Patricia McKil- and World War Three started in later married that girl, though. lip's Riddlemaster series. If it 1968. In that war, ICBMs were I spent one week of our honeymoon has "Swords" in the title and "Sor launched from the moon. Since it learning Dianetics from L. Ron cery" in the title, I tend to avoid Hubbard; the other week we went to takes only a primitive rocket it. My advice to people trying to Martha's Vineyard. I began to have technology to go from the moon to write fantasy is, for God's sake, reservations about the Scientology the earth but a complex rocket take out all the swords and the organization. I was going to technology to go from the earth to sorcery. If you've got anything start a group in Montreal, but I the moon, a moon colony would be left over, go from there. found Hubbard very, very, very safe from attack. Once you make difficult to work with. I always the massive effort to get the moon SFR: Have you ever considered knew I didn't agree with him on a colony going, you could have a writing any yourself? lot of things. He was inpossible pretty devastating power position to work with if you didn't agree over the earth. What I missed was KINGSBURY: I've plotted out my with him and in that way he creat that if you have the sophisticated own fantasy novel, called PLANET OF ed scads of heretics. rocket hardware to get to the moon, MAGIC. In the story, Earth is the then you would also have the more economical technology to bombard the earth from elsewhere on the CITWAS AL-E'WF JVHEM I SAI)'' planet. That idea is not in my THAT MAN wasn't T>E?CE.Nt)Eb : future history anymore. \FROm APES, WB WERE APE«-^ I jumped to various parts of my galactic history. One of the stories I had was about a guy who was getting upset with the way the galaxy was going and sent a bunch of people out to this planet cal led Geta. I don't really remember too much about it because it was all plotted in my head and I nev er wrote any of it down. That was the seed of COURTSHIP RITE. I sketched out what the region looked like at the time. There 12 repository for the galaxy's sin to use it in the Second! I argued tact with him, I wasn't a complete ners. In "To Bring in the Steel," this with my friend Bruce Knight. amateur so I don't really know the little girl is reading PLANET I was saying there must be a sec what his total slush-pile treat OF MAGIC. That's a reference to ret atomic bomb project and we're ment was. I approached Ben for this fantasy that I intend to write going to drop an A-bomb on the Jap the first time at an SF convention. someday. anese very soon. He pooh-poohed There had been two atomic rocket me. We argued until three in the motor projects under way, and the SFR: Do you think fantasy is eas morning. The next day, while I best, most imaginative of the pair ier to write than science fiction? was mowing my lawn, Bruce came had been canned. I asked him if down the street white-faced. he'd be interested in a scoop art KINGSBURY: It's always going to "Guess what," he said. "What?" icle on the cancelled project and be difficult to find people to "You won the argument." "What?" he said no. "We're not interested write hard, technology-oriented, "They've just dropped an A-bomb on in reporting what's been done; we ANALOG-style SF. You not only need Japan!" "What?" That's the way are interested in speculation. In a speculative ability, you also the speculative mind works. You what way might this open up things need a writing ability: those two pick up on detail. If you'd been in the future? In what way is high-level skills have to occur in alert, you would have sensed it in this on the forefront?" I said it conjunction. Some people who are the air. could fit those parameters. With highly trained in science make his permission, I submitted it. very poor speculators. A lot of SFR: It's rare in SF for female Ben was very impressed. That was writers see all the money in the characters to be handled well, yet a very personal contact with the SF field and decide to move in, but you excel at them. Why? editor. Of course, I had a good if they lack that speculative piece of buried research to talk knack, they end up writing fantasy. KINGSBURY: Partly because I under about. With a good product like stand women. I have two sisters, that, it's not hard to get person SFR: How do you perceive the so there were always a lot of wo al attention from an editor. speculative knack as working? men around the house having hen Ben's very good to you when you sessions. To them I was just part have something to offer him. The KINGSBURY: Prediction is the key. of the woodwork. I saw that facet next thing I sent him was "Ship In my first published story, "Ghost of the world that some men never wright." He sent it back to me, Town" (1952), I said man would be see. Partly it's because I didn't which disappointed me a little, on the moon by 1965. My friends understand women at all. I got but it was only for revisions. thought a thousand years from now, very interested in what their He said he liked it very much and maybe ... I bet all my friends in goals were and how to please them, was surprised to receive it be high school that we'd be there by how to turn them on. With that cause he'd started to think of me '65. It's a bet that I lost, but kind of empathy, your preconcep as a writer of fact articles. not by much. You have to predict tions get blown away. I used to "Shipwright" was in my Finger something that seems a little bit write controversial articles for Pointing Solward series. preposterous. It'll always come the McGill University newspaper. COURTSHIP RITE was supposed to sooner than you think. One, called "They Sent Her to the be the next story --a novelette -- Let me give you another examp Butcher Shops," was about the old abortion laws here in Canada. The in the series, but it just wasn't le. In the first edition of Willy working. I read an article by Jer afternoon after it appeared, a Ley's book ROCKETS AND SPACE TRAV ry Pournelle in GALAXY which stimu EL, he said he didn't see how Uran- pregnant student dropped by my of fice. We talked about it. That lated me to write "To Bring in the ium-235 could possibly be applied Steel." I spent a week writing to rocketry. This was before the opened my eyes to a lot of the un just ways society was treating wo that and another week typing it, A-bomb. I wrote him a castigating editing a little bit. I shipped it letter -- me, a 15-year-old kid men. It became easy for me to write about women without turning to Ben Bova, who bought it. The arguing with the great expert -- next thing I sent him was that nov them into cardboard. Stereotypes saying of course you could apply elette version of COURTSHIP RITE. are just verbalizations of inade atomic energy to space flight. He sent it back saying make a nov quate mental pictures. Willy wrote me back saying he el out of it. He told me he was could not comment because the mil SFR: You are one of the few auth leaving ANALOG, so I didn't have itary wasn't allowing anyone to any more communication with him. talk about U-235. I linked that ors to have written for John W. with the fact that I hadn't been Campbell, Ben Bova, and Stanley I finished "Moon Goddess and able to find any recent information Schmidt. What continuity did you the Son" and shipped it off there. on U-235. In 1939, everyone had perceive between them and what I didn't hear about it for a long been talking about it freely. differences did you notice in their time because Stanley Schmidt was editorial styles at ASTOUNDING/ in the midst of moving in. I got I notice you've got the fac ANALOG? a very favorable reply from Stan simile edition of the July 1939 ley, but he said I'd have to cut ASTOUNDING in you bookcase, there. KINGSBURY: Campbell set up a style 4,000 words out of it because it The editorial is about U-235 and that was very amenable to working was longer than he could print. atomic energy. Suddenly in 1940 with authors. When Bova and Stan was also a little bit worried -- boing! -- all references to U- Schmidt picked up, they very much about the sex involved. I said 235 disappeared from the journals. tried to work in the Campbell trad you shouldn't worry about it: the Yet I knew they couldn't have just ition. It wasn't an idiosyncratic girl in the story is very moral. lost interest. My natural specula CampbeIlian way of doing things She gets involved in a few little tion was that a military project that they were imitating slavishly. things, but after all she's mostly was afoot and, considering the It was a very successful method of interested in preserving her virg complete silence, I assumed it developing authors, which is what inity throughout most of the story. must be a realistic, practical an editor wants to do. Ben paid a He printed it and it was nominated military project. They weren't lot of personal attention to his for the Hugo. A story that's go thinking of using U-235 in the authors. By the time I got in con- ing to be nominated for the Hugo Third World War; they were planning 13 is not too hard to sell. When Stan moved in, he really tried to write personal stuff to SFR: What about what happened all his authors. Of course, as with Dell? time goes on, that becomes harder iF THEY UKEF IT SO and harder to do as your slush MUCH, WHY pile grows. He's very committed T>inT they KINGSBURY: 1 don't consider the to encouraging new authors. He ■gxjY iT? top management at Dell very busin knows he can't live off the old esslike or very sane. I first got ones. He can't really afford the connected with Dell at the Hugo a- old ones: once they become known, wards banquet at SunCon. The man I they go somewhere else. You've was sitting beside, unbeknownst to got to keep cultivating new ones; me, was their editor. He was ask I think he does that fairly well. ing me a lot of questions and I He's getting better and better at was blabbing away the way unpub it. Some of the stories he pub lished authors do. So he said, lished when he started were a lit "send it to me at Dell." Well, I tle bit weak, but that was because did send him FINGER, and the first it takes awhile to establish con tract myself; that's very slippery part of COURTSHIP RITE, the novel tacts and get your authors going. business. Jerry Poumelle recom la version I'd done for Ben Bova. ANALOG is beginning to show the mended Eleanor Wood. She's Robert He said FINGER needed some work, fruits of some of Stan's initial Heinlein's agent, as well, so I and since COURTSHIP RITE cams ear encouragement. figured I couldn't go wrong in lier in time, it was probably bet having her. She's certainly worth ter to publish first. That lang SFR: He made you take 40,000 her 10%. uished for a while in the offices, words out of COURTSHIP RITE. as these things often do. David SFR: I understand there are two Hartwell at Pocket was very inter KINGSBURY: That wasn't really an versions of "Shipwright" in print. ested in seeing COURTSHIP RITE, editorial judgment, just a con so I asked Dell if they would send straint of the magazine. I'd sold KINGSBURY: That'S true. In the the sample back to me. They re COURTSHIP RITE to Pocket Books and one that appears in ANALOG, there sponded by offering me a contract: we thought it would be good mark is a scene where the two engineers $5000 up front; $5000 more upon eting to have it serialized in AN are going through a bar and are completion of the manuscript. I ALOG, advertising of a kind. I picked up by women. In the version sat down and wrote it. It took me knew it was going to be too long that appeared in Terry Carr's longer than I'd thought; it always for them. My agent suggested I BEST SF STORIES OF THE YEAR #1, does. Don Benson, the man I'd or send it there anyway. Stan liked the men work in a strip joint. iginally dealt with, had left, so it, but felt it was 40,000 words They strip for the women who pick it became the responsibility of too long for his needs. I tried them up, which is the way that Jim Frenkel, the chief editor at to get him to commit himself to culture works. ANALOG felt that Dell. He very much liked the book. buying a cut version prior to my was a bit strong for the magazine He gave me an extensive, interest actually doing the cut, but he field. I prefer the version that ing criticism of it. I made a sec didn't see how the novel could appears in Terry's anthology. ond version, which wasn't so bad, survive that drastic an edit. And since I had a word processor. Some I didn't want to do all that work SFR: Ho you have a good relation of his suggestions I took and they cutting if it wasn't going to be ship with Terry Carr? improved the book a lot. The bought. So we compromised. I did first two chapters are quite sub the first installment on specula KINGSBURY: Well, I certainly like stantially improved because of Jim tion. It was hard work, even on Terry Carr. He's reprinted every Frenkel's suggestions. I referred my word processor. He said okay, one of my ANALOG stories and that to the God of the Sky in male go ahead, so I had the horrible or has certainly given a boost to my terms. He thought maybe I should deal of cutting the next three in career. When David Hartwell moved do it in female terms. It's kind stallments, all of which would have to Pocket Books from Berkley he of a popular thing nowadays to re been 30 or 35 thousand words long, was bemoaning the fact that he had fer to God as a woman. I didn't down to 20,000 words. I think I worked for three years developing think it particularly fit. Women managed pretty well. a stable of authors and now he gods tend to give the inpressions was back at square one at Pocket, of soft, motherly types that take SFRi When did you acquire an with an offer he couldn't refuse. care of you. On the other hand, agent? Terry said, "Well, you know, I've it could have been female, because been buying these stories from Don it turns out to be a ship and we KINGSBURY: I had my first agent Kingsbury. I don't think he's normally refer to ships as she. when I was 20. I thought every committed to anybody. I know he's Of course, the Getan language has young, aspiring author should have written this novel, FINGER POINT a different tense structure than an agent, which is not true. There ING SOLWARD, which is just lying ours. The God of the Sky is actual is no real difficulty in selling around. Why don't you get ahold of ly referred to in the neutral gend short stuff on your own. My agent him?" When David flew back to New er. They have structures which was a nice old man who didn't know York, he ran into me at Lunacon can refer to an individual without much about SF. I paid him to be a and said, "I was going to give you identifying their sex. critic, which was not unreasonable; a phone call; come down and have a he was spending time on me and I beer." He published COURTSHIP RITE When I got the manuscript fin wasn't up to publishable levels and is going to do an expanded ished, the upper levels of Dell de yet. I found his critiques fascin version of "The Moon Goddess and cided to kill their entire SF line ating. the Son." The manuscript for that so they never accepted the book. is long overdue and they're start My agent, Eleanor, wasn't dis I started looking for an agent ing to put the thumbscrews on me. pleased. She said Pocket Books again after I sold COURTSHIP RITE. still wanted it. They advanced me I didn't want to negotiate the con- 14 $30,000. SFR: What books can we look for ward to seeing by you in the future? KINGSBURY: I'm under contract with Simon § Schuster for the nov OTHER UOICES el-length MOON GODDESS AND THE SON and they have an option on THE FIN GER POINTING SOLWARD. I'm certain clay 's ark Commander of the Empyforce is fram ly going to do some revisions on ed for a crime he did not commit: it, though. The draft they have By Octavia E. Butler the theft of the most advanced space was written in 1970; since then I've St. Martin's Press, 1984, $12.95 craft ever developed. He manages to written COURTSHIP RITE and "Ship REVIEWED BY DEAN R. LAMBE foil the actual theft, which he be wright," bringing the background lieved to be a malfunction, by ac details of that universe into Butler's latest short novel cident. Then he lands on a forbid sharper focus. My ability to plot continues her preoccupation with den planet, gets arrested with a is a lot better too. FINGER is a- groups of more-than-human outcasts group of pirates, rescued by a tele bout the same length as the book and their conflicts with the run- pathic creature called Tak and a version of COURTSHIP RITE. I of-the-mill. This time, the out Sybaritic adventuress named Lanie. think they'll buy it. They cer group, under the leadership of Eli, And then he discovers that the true tainly have first dibs on it. the only surviving member of the thieves are actually an underground first Proxima Centauri mission, is terrorist organization-alliance SFR: You were up for the Hugo in subject to the alien demands of a formed to take control of the Empy 1980: "Moon Goddess and the Son" symbiotic disease. rean Alliance worlds. versus Barry B. Longyear's "Enemy Mine." Barry won and you lost. Despite the dangers of "sewer It is all pretty routine stuff rat" attacks on the deteriorated and has already been done to death KINGSBURY: I went to the Losers' highways of early 21st Century Cal in all forms of adventure fiction Party and celebrated. When Barry ifornia, Dr. Blake Maslin and his -- especially science fiction. Longyear tried to get in, we kick two teenage daughters are heading Sometimes the graphic novels can ed him out. home from an Arizona visit with take an old concept and give it relatives. Suddenly, the Maslins new life with the characterization. SFR: COURTSHIP RITE copped a well- are kidnapped by Eli and his fol This one doesn't. All of the plot deserved Hugo nomination. Are you lowers -- strangely-thin and-strong devices have been used before. excited? men and women. When the odd group There are no surprises. The pro takes their three captives to a tagonist Bume Garret is extremely KINGSBURY: Oh, yes. I'm jumping primitive desert farm, the extra bland and unconvincing. Lanie is up and down. Vote.' The competi terrestrial disease is explained to only somewhat more interesting. tion looks pretty stiff, though. the horrified M.D., who envisions Tak is the best thing in the book. world-wide epidemic and fears es LIGHTRUNNER should have been about SFR: The first novels in years by pecially for the leukemia-weakened him. Clarke, Asimov and Heinlein. state of daughter Keira. The Mas *********************************** lins are infected and told of their KINGSBURY: I really like COURT simple options: Survive the ini SHIP RITE. It's my personal feel tial symptoms and join the secret IRON TONGUE ing that it can take on anything group, or die of the disease as the By Robert E. Vardeman that was published in 1982. Cer extraterrestrial microbe permeates Ace, paper, 1984, 217 pp., $2.75 tainly it'll be a good contest. their cells. The three captives REVIEWED BY NEAL WILGUS As they say, may the best man win. escape, however, only to fall prey to even worse kinds of human pred ators . Their only hope is rescue IRON TONGUE is Book IV in the APPENDIX: DONALD KINGSBURY'S by the very inhuman people they Cenotaph Road series, the continu- APPEARANCES IN ASTOUNDING/ANALOG have fled. Courtship Rite...... Feb-May 1982 Although Ms. Butler has a fine hand with lean, well-paced prose, SHOut-l) I use THe The Moon Goddess and AX OR THE HAMMER? the Son...... Dec 1979 the alternation of chapters Present and Past grates. As with a few The Spaceport (NF) other lyrical, humanistic writers (with Roger Arnold)...Nov-Dec 1979 in our genre, Ms. Butler really The First Space War must learn some science. Her ali (Guest Editorial)...... Dee 1978 en disease is not very credible, and she must get a real crick in To Bring in the Steel...... Jul 1978 her neck searching the Southern Shipwright...... Apr 1978 California skies for Alpha Centauri. *********************************** Atomic Rockets (NF)...... Dec 1975 The Right to Breed (NF)...Apr 1955 The Ghost Town...... Jun 1952 LIGHTRUNNER By Lamar Waldron 8 Ron Whigham Letters...... Oct 1945 Starblaze Graphics, 112 pp., $9.95 .... Jun 1946 .... Dec 1949 REVIEWED BY JANRAE FRANK .... Nov 1960 This is a routine rite-of-pas LITERARY CRITIC Jay Kay Klein profiled Kingsbury sage novel. The son of the retired AT FLAY. in his April 1978 "Biolog" column. 15 ing adventures of Lan Martak, Inyx who the Syndicate sends to check her and the giant spider Krek as they books. Rasputin, Comet Chief of battle with the evil mage Claybore Security, is even more unhappy with on various Cenotaph worlds. The the likeable Redwine, when the ac earlier titles were CENOTAPH ROAD countant immediately ties the (1983) in which Martak's adventures brothel's computer in knots. Suma, began, THE SORCERER'S SKULL (1983) teen-aged prostitute extraordinaire, in which Claybore emerges as the does her bedroom best to twist Red villain and WORLD OF MAZES (1983) wine to her own purposes. And Red in which our heroes battle Claybore's wine's mysterious Syndicate boss stooges to a draw. threatens the whole swinging oper ation. It should be explained that a cenotaph is a magical opening be Collectors of erotica may be tween alternate worlds, that Clay disappointed, for this tale offers bore begins the series as a skull more agape than eros, as love of in a box and that in each book he the Leather Madonna sidetracks Red seeks a different part of his body wine from his secret mission. Read which has been left somewhere along ers in search of a good story will the Road. By the time we reach IRON be pleased with this oft-tender TONGUE Claybore has regained his rendering of lovers pitted against heart and torso but Martak and com the underside of the rock that is pany have managed to destroy his humanity, however. Well-realized, scalp and facial skin. Guess what throughly-adult characters populate they're fighting over in IRON TON this novel, and the sequels may be GUE. awaited with interest -- especially in the handsome packaging by Phan Lan Martak is a likable hero, a tasia Press. clone of Fost Longstrider from the WAR OF POWERS series which Vardeman *********************************** co-authored with Victor Milan sev eral years ago. And the Cenotaph series is entertaining --in fact, it's getting better as it goes along There is still a certain unevenness THE YEAR'S BEST HORROR STORIES: to the storytelling, but Vardeman is SERIES XI> Ed. Karl Edward Wagner DAW, Nov 1983, Paper, 237 pp. learning from earlier mistakes and $2.95, ISBN: 0-87997-878-3 overall this is a well-told tale. There will be two more titles REVIEWED BY MICHAEL A. MORRISON in the series: FIRE AND FOG and "It's dark now ... time for PILLAR OF NIGHT, both of which strange things to stir." So says might be on the newsstand by the John Thunstone in Manley Wade Wel time this review sees print. If lman's "Rouse Him Not," one of 17 from beyond the grave. By letting the recommendation of one who rare tales in this latest volume of humor emerge naturally from the tel ly reads swords-n-sorcery means DAW's annual horror anthology. ling of his story, author David anything, consider TONGUE and its This is the fourth such collection Campton creates a genuinely funny predecessors well recommended S-N-S. to be edited by Karl Edward Wagner, horror story. *********************************** himself a skilled author of liter The finest stories in this an ate terrors (see his IN A LONELY thology -- meaning my personal fav PLACE, Warner, 1983). Wagner orites -- have a more modem tone. brings to his editorial duties in The highly subjective point of view telligence, sound judgment and a EROS ASCENDING in Ramsey Campbell's "The Depths" formidable knowledge of the field brings the reader uncomfortably By Mike Resnick of horror fiction. close to the genuine terror of Phantasia Press, 1984, 217 pp, $17. Wagner's tastes are highly ec nightmare. This story deals with REVIEWED BY DEAN R. LAMBE lectic, and the stories in this matters close to home: the compul volume include ED-type pulp horror, sion to write, and the psychology A hooker with a heart of gold traditional ghost stories, Weird- of writing (and reading) horror fic and an accountant with a conscience? Tales -style stories, SF techno-hor tion, especially that of a partic Yes, Resnick offers that and much ror, and some thoroughly contempor ularly violent nature. In "The rore in this, the first of four ary terrors. Nearly all of these New Rays','" M. John Harrison tells "Tales of the Velvet Comet." For stories are well-crafted, and sev of a (nameless) female who undergoes the Velvet Comet is a brothel, the eral are downright excellent. treatment for an (un-named) disease. The relentless onslaught of dis best little whorehouse in ... eh, In one of the best traditional the galaxy. No simple cathouse, quieting images in this original stories, the understated "Come, and harrowing story evokes the men mind you, but an elegant orbiting Follow" by Sheila Hodgson, a young collection of the best shops, res ace and fear that accompany all in student from Cambridge, on Christ comprehensible medical treatment. taurants, casinos, and rooms to mas holiday at his farm, encounters tickle the wildest fantasies. a very Jamesian horror (M.R., not But the cream of the anthology is The Leather Madonna, successful Henry). Hodgson's vivid writing Dennis Etchison's stunning "Death madam of the Velvet Comet has rea beautifully evokes the wintery grey tracks," a tale of a couple in an son to be proud ofthe profits she fields and downs on Sussex. Also all-too-near future who are haunted generates for the Vainmill Syndicate noteworthy is "A Posthumous Bequest" by the great unanswered question and she is suspicious of the mid an EC-type story of ironic vengeance of the 1960s. Astonishingly, in dle-aged accountant, Harry Redwine, 16 merely 9 pages, Etchison combines intense psychic pain, tragedy, so Several of the longer articles and everything in between. The cial and political commentary, and will be of special interest to the book has a Foreword by Adam West satire. The last paragraph attains horror enthusiast. Particularly (TV's Batman) and a bibliography a level of poetic power rare in good are Jack Sullivan's article on of works useful to the collector. horror fiction. Ramsey Campbell's challenging hor Each chapter has an introduc Whether or not this book actu ror fiction and Winter's commentary on the novels of David Morrell. tion on that area of collecting, ally contains the best horror stor information on and pricing of se ies of 1983 is beside the point. Counterpointing Winter's introduc tory survey of literature is Craig lected items, where to collect, how This is a terrific bargain: a to store and other sections where wide-ranging collection of very Shaw Gardner's look at films of the period. Because it is organized so applicable. There are also pic good stories, a few gems, and by tures of hundreds of items, many my count, only one clunker. (I as to identify major trends, sub- genres, and directors, this essay from the author's personal collec can't imagine what the predictable tion. and awkwardly-written "The Smell is quite valuable (even if I do ve of Cherries" by newcomer Jeffrey hemently disagree with Gardner's ap This is a fun book to read or Goddin is doing in this company.) praisal of two of the most brilliant, browse, but it's not an exhaustive What more do you want for $2.95? important and mis-understood horror catalog. Many items are omitted *********************************** films of the decade, John Carpent due to space limitations, including er's THE THING and David Cronen many relating to my favorites, berg's VIDEODROME). Another high though the author has tried to pick point is a mini-symposium on the the most important works in each question of the role of violence area. SHADOWINGS: THE READER'S GUIDE in horror fiction (and film). The book is lacking in some TO HORROR FICTION, 1981-1982 One could quibble with some of areas. While the author acknowl edges that condition has a great im By Douglas E. Winter Winter's selections. For example, pact on the value of each collect Starmont House, 148 pp., $6.95 although his justification for in ible, he states only one value for Paper, ISBN: 0-916732-85-1. cluding a section on horror films ("the inevitable cross - influences each item. The book has eight col REVIEWED BY MICHAEL A. MORRISON between books and film”) is sound, or pages of photos but each color one could argue that in a book con photo is also printed in black § The reader of horror fiction strained to 150 pages, this section white elsewhere in the book, an un today finds himself in a frustrat should have been replaced by more necessary repetition. There is a ing situation. On the one hand, a essays on books and/or writers photo of the cover of THE WAY THE plethora of genre fiction is pub (say, extended articles on recent FUTURE WAS, Frederik Pohl's auto lished every year, some of it ex fiction by Charles Grant or Peter biography, on page 175 in the SF cellent. On the other hand, the Straub). In addition, the admit- wargames section. That book is not majority of new horror fiction ap tedly-hilarious survey of "Safeway mentioned in the text but is includ pears as paperback originals and, horror fiction" by "Billy-Bob Bur ed in the bibliography. The book not to put too fine a point on it, nette" takes up valuable space. does not have an index, which would is execrable dreck. Even the avid be a valuable addition. But these are minor cavils. reader is likely to be puzzled: In summary this is an enjoyable He knows that a new book by the Winter and Starmont House are to be congratulated on this important vol book, but not the book I'd like it likes of Stephen King or Ramsey to be. I recommend reading but Campbell is worth his time and mon ume, which is evidently the first of not buying, unless you think it ey, but how is he to know, for ex a series. It is a "must buy" for absolutely everyone who reads hor will become a valuable collector's ample, that a paperback original item. with a garish cover and the unprom ror fiction -- from the casual read ising title STRANGE SEED, by an er of the novels of Stephen King, *********************************** unknown writer (T.M. Wright) is, to the fan, to the professional in fact, a brilliant, powerful and critic. All of us should do what important first novel. ever we can to encourage Winter, Starmont House and series editor VERY • WHEN This situation is ripe for a Roger C. Schlobin to continue the book like SHADOWINGS, which like series. THE MOON ir FULL I Winter's regular column in FANTASY *********************************** HAVE STARTED 7D CRAVE REVIEW, provides useful guidance to <%STERS r the reader. It is divided into four parts: Following an ambitious survey by Winter of nearly all ma jor horror fiction published during 1981-1982, there are reviews of THE SCIENCE FICTION COLLECTOR'S major books, essays on three writ CATALOG ers (Campbell, Morrell and Etchi By Jeff Rovin son), articles on important films A.S. Barnes § Co, Inc., San Diego and a concluding list of represent 1982, 181 pp., $12.95, 11 X 14 " ative works. Most of the reviews Paperback, 8 pp. color photos and essays have seen print before, but Winter's selection is excellent. REVIEWED BY BILL WINANS All of the pieces stand up well to re-reading. Moreover, the reviews This is the first book of SF are of uniformly high quality: collectibles I've come across and those of familiar books spurred me it covers a wide range from toys to to want to re-reader them, while original manuscripts and art, from those of books I had not encounter pulp magazines to bubble gun cards, ed made me want to rush out and from comic books to movie props buy them. 17 H.G, WELLS IN THE CINEMA wide passion. The children are and learn about the 44-step ladder By Alan Wykes gathered into concentration camps of escalation that leads to total, all-out war. Jupiter, London, U.K., 1977 for their own protection as the new age of mankind dawns. 176 pages, L5.95 Much of the book deals with Part II takes place five years the development and application of REVIEWED BY BILL WINANS later as the immortals prepare to mathematical "games theory" to war. I live almost on top of Cheyenne The book presents photos and inherit Earth. There is a chilling ly cool portrayal of the soul of Mountain, a military computer com brief descriptions of films based on works by H.G. Wells. Some of evil lurking within the small body plex that could unleash World War III, and I worked at one time on these are unfamiliar to science of a child who shows signs of be Titan Missile covers so am familiar fiction fans. For instance, THE coming a most memorable grown-up villain. to a slight degree with our under HISTORY OF MR. POLLY and three ground "war brains.” If you have films adapted from the novel, KIPPS In Part III of EARTHCHILD (94 not had this opportunity, Kaplan's including the musical HALF A SIX years later), we learn that the book will give you an insightful PENCE. Mouat-Gari process severely retards view of this world within a world. creativity. In fact, as Ms. Webb The photographic work is very You may conclude that random will have it, being immortal pre well done and displays over 100 chance could lead to humankind's vents any form of progress. Stop photos, some from rarely-seen blazing finale. aging and all growth and change movies, but the text is too brief stops. Just what the citizens of and displays little research. Kaplan reveals objectively the this world do with all their time senseless, almost madman, jealousy, Many other sources offer the read is never shown as we watch the up fund stealing, and stupidity of er much more information on H.G. per echelon powers worry about what our various so-called intelligence Wells' career, his opinion of to do about what the lower echelon services -- ranging from the CIA these films and his relationships peons are not doing any more. to Congressional "oversight" com with the makers of these films. mittees. The RAND Corporation is The author does have an interest Project Renaissance is their exposed as a dummy company that ing point of view: He states he answer. Children with unusual pow was set up by General "Hap" Arnold saw many of the films during their ers or skills are taken to a much of the Air Force so military sci initial release, and often writes prettier and more comfortable camp entists could be paid higher sal of his reaction to the film at than those in Part I. There they aries than they would earn as mil the time, and of the audience's are trained and encouraged to not itary officers. As an organiza reception of the film. take part in the Mouat-Gari process, tion, RAND is made up of an equal giving their lives to make the The reader is cautioned to proportion of genuises and idiots, world worth living in for all those beware of omissions; for example, humanists and cold m----- f------ers. neither the chapter on "The War lay^about immortals. The villain Some members claim that a war will of the Worlds" nor the appendix makes his opening move against the be considered won if at the end (both list the cast of the film) new mortals, and -- for what hap there are two Americans left and mentions its star, Gene Barry. pens next wait until March, 1984 only one Russian. Not so well when Bantam will publish Part II of known as our intent toward Russia ********************************** EARTH SONG just in case anyone was is that we also have China blanket not yet confused by this novel be- ed for total destruction. ing printed in three parts of three parts. EARTHCHILD IT'S one By Sharon Webb Still, this one-third of a nov- q-ENERW-... AN& WE Bantam Books, 23666-0, $2.50 el is very well written with char BIU-'ONS 176 pp., cover by John Rush acters bom of a deep understanding Blt-LICNS TO FiWb w*Ys of people and emotion. Jt>i At the risk of sounding too At the same time, I was embar ily last year; it has some of the much like my friends Norman Spinrad rassed. Perhaps my book is to same flavor. Send me a self-ad- and John Brunner, I'm going to write some extent useful and maybe even dressed stamped envelope to Bruce, this column in a casual, conversa clever here and there, but it is and he'll mail you a copy. It's tional style, beginning with an an not in any sense important. I did free and indeed, cheap at the price. ecdote about one of my own books. not deserve its media exposure. Each issue features a "top ten" Fair warning. To my mind, the deep statements of novels that Sterling feels about our relationship with tech should be more widely appreciated. nology have appeared as novels, I'm seldom familiar with more than from FRANKENSTEIN onward. one-third of them. The ones that I The book is THE WHOLE-TRUTH MICHAELMAS by Algis Budrys haven't heard of sound interesting HOME COMPUTER HANDBOOK, published says more about our future with -- and yet, somehow, I never get by Avon with illustrations by Carl computers than any nonfiction around to buying the books, even Lundgren. I'm mentioning it not guide and says it eloquently. But though I live less than five blocks Only because every reader of SCI Budrys was never invited to share from three of the largest, best ENCE FICTION REVIEW should own a his insights with the talk-show bookstores in the entire United copy, but because the recent recent audience. More recently, AGAINST States. Evidently, I'm now as publication of this book has made INFINITY by Gregory Benford ex resistant to reading recommended me realize the extent to which non plores, in some depth, our use of novels as my friends are. In fact, fiction has displaced fiction --in technology to capture the unknown, when I think about it, the only my reading habits, and elsewhere. conquer it, and destroy it. Did fiction I have read this year has Benford's publisher pay his way to been by Anthony Burgess, William In Britain, my computer book England to talk about this in a Burroughs, Frederik Pohl, and a was published by Gollancz, who as two-minute spot on Radio One? In few writer friends toward whom I tonished me by offering to pay my fact, when Benford is invited to feel some obligations. round-trip air fare so that I could speak, it is more often as a scien spend ten days promoting the book tist than as a novelist (academia Anyway, the fourth issue of in newspapers, radio and television. apart). It seems that audiences CHEAP TRUTH no longer includes a Like any writer of category fic want to hear facts, not fiction. "top ten" of fiction. Instead tion, I am accustomed to viewing there's a list of nonfiction titles, my work as a disposable commodity I returned to New York some possibly because even Bruce Ster that appears fleetingly in a few what confused. The last book I had ling has gotten tired of reading semi-bankrupt bookstores, only to been able to promote was DREAM novels. be swept away thirty days later by MAKERS, a collection of profiles of a new tide of "product" from the other writers. That had been an I'm beginning to wonder about publishers in New York. other strange experience. First, there was the shock of having reading habits in general. Out As for publicity -- publishers friends ask to see the book, and side of editors, who are paid to seldom show any interest in promot actually read it. This amazed me, read fiction, and obsessive escap ing fiction at all, no matter how because I generally find it impos ists, who act as accessories to the interesting the author or important sible to persuade anyone to open a literary crimes of the del Reys, and sustain the market for fantasy his message. It's hard to promote work of fiction, whether it's writ and fantasy-flavored science fic fiction: talk-show hosts don't ten by me or by somebody else. I tion books that retreat as far from know how to handle it, and journal find that even novelists now seem ists seldom seem able to find a reluctant to read novels; they say contemporary life as possible ... workable angle. Christopher Priest they are too busy reading nonfic- outside of these deviants, is any recently told me what happened to ion, "for research." To judge from one really interested in novels these days? Yes, I know, people him when he did a radio interview my experience with DREAM MAKERS, shortly after one of his novels people now find a description of a still buy novels; but do they ac was published. There were two main tually read them, all the way science fiction writer more inter questions: "What's it about?" and esting than the science fiction through? "What do you think of the picture itself. On those increasingly rare oc on the cover?" casions when I open a science fic While pondering all this, I But a nonfiction book is anoth found the fourth issue of CHEAP tion magazine, I start by browsing through the departments, and then er matter. Mine was topical, and TRUTH waiting for me in the mail. as an appetizer before the main had a fresh approach (debunking the This intermittent broadsheet is whole subject of home computers), circulated by Bruce Sterling from fictional course, I turn to the article or opinion piece. Often, which made it promotable, and so I 809-C West 12 Street, Austin, TX, moved from one radio studio to an 78701. He started it when I let I confess, this appetizer becomes other, endorsing my own work, and THE PATCHIN REVIEW lapse temporar- the whole meal; I never reach the indeed self-indulgence never felt fiction at all. And if I do, I so good. 20 sedom finish any of it. From my own reading habits, and LOOKIN' TO GET OUT (R) the habits of people I know, I sense that fiction no longer seems "im displays portant" enough, unless it is anch John Voight's remarkable skills ored somehow in shared reality. I as an actor; here he plays a com now open a novel with diminished pulsive gambler, secretly dedicat expectations; I'm surprised if it ed to losing, in terminal debt to tells me anything new at all. By a mafia-style gambler, who must contrast, I open a nonfiction book, flee to Las Vegas for a desperate or a rigorously realistic novel, attempt to 'get straight'—win with the definite expectation of enough to pay off his debt. discovering new and interesting Ann-Margret plays his former information. Either my tastes, and girl friend whom he abandoned in the tastes of other people I know, Vegas years ago, and Burt Young have changed with age; or fiction plays his not-so-dumb side-kick has deteriorated; or journalism and fellow gambler. has advanced; or everyday life it They are pursued to Vegas by self has become more interesting his blood-in-the-eye creditor, and Apparently, I am not unique, to read about. the film becomes cat-and-mouse, since the magazines seem to be absurd, amusing, only saved partial changing to cater to this bias. AN I'm not sure whether this is ly by fine acting. ALOG and ASIMOV'S magazine publish good or bad. I'm not sure who is It may be worth seeing again more nonfiction than they did a few to blame. And I'm not even sure if to appreciate Burt Young's subtly years ago. In TWILIGHT ZONE the this is part of a real overall great performance. trend has been quite blatant. trend. At the risk of sounding too Where OMNI is concerned, reader re much like Samuel Delany or Michael Bishop, I'll have to leave it as sponses show that many people don't CREEPSHOW (R) bother with the fiction at all. an unresolved, open question. Even F§SF has more departments Stephen King's than in earlier times. boyhood strikes again! He took "AND THEN I SAW.CONTINUED FROM P.8 his memory/impressions of horror I'm not sure that these frag comic books and wrote a five- ments form a coherent picture, and part book, which became in due I'm unable to assemble the pieces time a five-story horror film TABLE FOR FIVE (PG) myself. One more item seems rele in the format of stories from vant, however. John Voight CREEPSHOW, a comic book taken from takes his three kids (one an Asian a boy by his father. While in England I visited J. adoptee) on a cruise to Egypt. Name actors people these well- G. Ballard. His forthcoming novel During the trip his divorced wife done stories, and King himself is a fictionalized account of his (the kids' mother) dies in a car stars in one. He's not bad. childhood in a POW camp in Shanghai crash. The stepfather, well- Several of the stories are during and after World War II. He played by Richard Crenna, wants funny/macabre. The rest are told me that his British publisher the kids back, because he feels straight grue and retribution. has sold serial rights to the Lon he loves them more than Voight. The special effects are very don equivalent of the Sunday NEW On the trip Voight at first good. I loved the final story best YORK TIMES. This newspaper, togeth discovers three kids are too much which had E.G. Marshall as a Howard er with the book publisher, offer trouble...but his fatherhood in Hughes-type recluse in a New York ed to pay him to return to Shanghai stincts are good, he discovers he high-rise apartment/office which and visit the scenes of his child loves them all more than he knew, is all white and pathologically, hood, as part of the promotion for and earns their love. antiseptically clean. Imagine his book and maybe a TV show. Happy, tear-jerking ending. the horror for this man when his Meanwhile, in the United States, I enjoyed it a lot! But, then, fortress against germs is invaded Simon and Schuster have bought the I almost always puddle up and cry by thousands of cockroaches! book for approximately ten times as during well-made, honest tragedy Well worth seeing. much money as has ever been offer films. ed for any previous Ballard novel. JUST BEFORE DAWN (R) The book is not yet published, is a routine but I understand its style is sim horror film about five young campers ilar to that of Ballard's earlier LEGMEN (NBC) is probably the best intruding into forbidden forest work. The difference lies in the land where a mountain family's two form and the subject matter. In new show I've seen in a long while. Two college boys doing odd-jobs for huge sons habitually kill strangers. the past, he wrote science fiction, George Kennedy has a small role surreal fiction and "condensed nov people always get into trouble with criminals, cops, etc. and in the end as a forest ranger who saddles up els" juxtaposing figures of twent in the last reel and saves the spun ieth-century life with images drawn always manage to solve the crime in order to save themselves. ky remaining young woman in the from the psyche. His work was not nick of time. directly representational; it was The acting is good, but the dia logue is even better—fresh, light, The one memorable scene is this metaphorical, using imaginary land girl's unique method of killing one scapes . humorous, a touch realistic. The stories are not to be taken seriously of the huge psycopathic retards who Like Vonnegut with SLAUGHTER —in this episode Hugh Heffner is is bear-hugging her to death: she HOUSE FIVE, Ballard has now written sent up—and there is a steady mock sticks her fist into his mouth and a thinly fictionalized account of ery of almost everything, but in into his throat, strangling him. his experiences in World War II. A passing. Very well done. Being very slow-witted, all he novel that is "real." Already it could do about this is make urk-urk has attracted more attention than noises and flap his arms...and fall the earlier work ever received. 21 down—on his back. BOOK REVIEWS BY GENE DEWEESE THE MAN IN THE TREE final cynical twist. Reminiscent by one of the top SF and fantasy of Lester Del Rey's classic FOR I writers of the last several deca By Damon Knight AM A JEALOUS PEOPLE, it will pro des. The autobiographical remin Berkley, Paperback, $2.75 vide an engrossing few hours for iscences may not be as slick or as anyone who doesn't take his relig entertaining as Asimov's, but they As a child Gene Anderson dis ion too seriously. give a fascinating, sometimes al covers he has the power to reach most clinical look at an often into other worlds and bring things troubled life, and they add mean back, but the power at first means ing to much of the fiction. As only trouble. Unjustly accused of THE STEPS OF THE SUN for the stories themselves, they killing a local bully, he is forced range from the straight SF of "Com to run away from home, after which By Walter Tevis ing Attraction" to the pure, if un the bully's father kills Gene's Doubleday, $14.95 conventional, fantasy of the title parents and pursues Gene single- story. For the most part, they mindedly for the rest of his life. In a bleak, energy-short simply reminded me once again just Gene grows to be a giant and, us twenty-first century world where how good Leiber is, particularly in ing his power, becomes a million lumps of coal are sold on the black the way he can take modem, every aire and a prophet, perhaps even a market and Cosa Nostra Industries day settings and events and grad Messiah. All in all, it's an en (a merger between the Mafia and ually turn them into surrealistic grossing if slightly schizophrenic the Teamsters) is listed on the nightmares which, without so much book. Parts, particularly those New York Stock Exchange, billion as a drop of blood or a scrap of dealing with Gene's escapes from aire entrepreneur Ben Belson, suf violence, can send chills up your his pursuer, are as gripping and fering from a stubborn case of im spine. tense as any best seller, and the potence, defies the authorities and characters are generally as realis sets out in his own spaceship to tic as they come, even though Gene search for new energy sources. Up himself comes off as unbelievably on his successful return, however, mature at times during his pre- the powers-that-be confiscate his teens. Also, the parallels with ship and throw him in jail. It's / Christianity are drawn with an ov only after becoming a Chinese cit- I, erly heavy and predictable hand. izen, spending five weeks as a Still, it's one of the more enjoy chemically enhanced male prostitute able books of the season and the and being adopted by a high Chin best that Knight has done in some ese official, that things turn out time. moderately all right and he's al lowed to save the world. And that only scratches the THE BRANCH surface of the oddities in this new book by the author of THE MAN By Mike Resnick WHO FELL TO EARTH. More a meander Signet, Paperback, $2.50 ing and often funny character study of Belson and his world than In this one, the Messiah -- a straight SF novel (the new ener and God, for that matter -- are gy source, for instance, is pure treated a lot less kindly. For fantasy), THE STEPS OF THE SUN has WHAT DREAMS MAY COME one thing, this mid-twenty-first an offhand style reminiscent of century Messiah is of the Old Test J.D. Salinger, and it keeps you By Manly Wade Wellman Doubleday, $11.95 ament variety, more interested in interested if not fascinated, no vengeance than love. He calls matter how outlandish things some himself Jeremiah the B, and in ad times become. In this latest of John Thun- dition to apparently being invul stone's adventures, his "instinct" nerable to death, he's extremely for the supernatural leads him to crooked and totally immoral. Not a small English village where pre parations are being made to awaken only that, his gospel is being writ THE GHOST LIGHT ten by his necrophiliac girl friend, something that has slept for ten- and his main opponent, a billion By Fritz Leiber thousand years. This is not a book aire pornographer, isn't that much Berkley, Paperback, $7.95 for anyone who wants only fast-pac nicer than Jeremiah. Despite this ed action or edge-of-the-chair absence of conventionally sympath One new novelet, eight old suspense or a lot of sex and gore, etic characters, however, "The ones, and 30,000 words of autobio because WHAT DREAMS MAY CCME has Branch" grabs you right at the graphy make up this latest volume none of these. Instead it takes start and doesn't let go until the 22 the reader on a pleasant amble through an everyday world where people in conflict, apparently head ren in a remote section of the Af the supernatural is taken for ing for Armageddon, and no one and rican bush, where Crawford traps granted, where everyone is polite no thing is ever quite what it baboons to be shipped to America and even courtly, and where even seems. There are twists and sur for research. One day there is a the final confrontation between prises in every chapter. Just as brief, meteor-like light in the Thunstone and the ancient, awaken important, the characters, from the sky and soon after the baboons be ing evil is low key. This sort of young Anchor girl Cassie to the gin disappearing from their cages thing wouldn't make a good steady world class wizard named Mervyn, only to reappear later, changed and diet, but it does make a nice, are fully developed and fascinat sick. Gradually it becomes clear relaxing change of pace. ing. You find yourself not only that an alien ship is out there wondering what is going to happen somewhere, and the aliens, never next but actually caring. seen, are experimenting with the baboons and will if they can find GREEN EYES a way, do the same with humans. By Lucius Shepard There are, of course, elements Ace, Paperback, $2.95 ONE WINTER IN EDEN of a standard "monsters-from-space" By Michael Bishop movie in the novel, but that's like A secret government project in Arkham House, $13.95 saying "2001" had elements of a the deep South is using graveyard space adventure movie in it. THE bacteria to bring the recently In "Saving Face" a man is sued SHORES OF ANOTHER SEA is filled not dead back to life. The subjects, under the Physiognomic Protection only with tension and suspense but however, don't remember their pre Act because he happens to resemble with fully developed, believable vious lives but instead seem to a movie star too closely for the characters, a thoroughly realistic manufacture whole new sets of mem movie star's comfort. In "The Yuk and vivid picture, of the African ories. Not only that, they occas io Mishima Cultural Association of bush, a chilling and all-pervading ionally "remember" brilliant scien Kudzu Valley, Georgia," a town gets sense of the unknown and a resolu tific discoveries which turn out to really serious about the late Yukio tion that is, refreshingly, the be quite real. They also sometimes Mishima and commits ritual suicide. antithesis of the so-called reso develop spectacular psychic powers, In "Collaborating," a two-headed lutions found in most "monsters- and one after escaping from the man falls in love, one head at a from-space" movies. project, even becomes a successful time. And so on. None of the faith healer. Unfortunately, their twelve stories in this surrealis new "lives" last, at most, only a tic collection are what you could few months as the bacteria, a lum call believable, nor are many of the characters particularly symp inescent green, multiply uncontrol THE SENTINEL By Arthur C. Clarke lably and destroy their resurrected athetic. Still, the wealth of ev Berkley, $6.95, Paperback hosts. ocative detail about them and their surroundings are so well and inter CHILDHOOD'S END By Arthur C. Clarke Shepard's detailed and evoca estingly presented that it doesn't Ballantine/Del Rey, Paperback, $2.95 tive descriptions bring the swampy really matter. While few of the southern locales and the characters characters -- except possibly the In my opinion the best SF novel themselves vividly to life, and for two-headed man -- are as grotesque ever written, CHILIHOOD'S END has at least half of its length, GREEN as those of Flannery O'Connor, or probably never been out of print EYES promised to be not only one of quite as touching as those of Sher since it was first published in the most intriguing books of the wood Anderson, chances are that 1953. For anyone who managed to year but one of the best. The res anyone who likes either of those miss it, here is yet another new olution, however, while certainly writers will also find much to edition. And for anyone who likes spectacular, what with its mixture like in ONE WINTER IN EDEN. to make comparisons, there is also of voodoo and alternate realities THE SENTINEL, a new collection of and psychic duels, was too confus nine stories plus autobiographical ing and left too many loose ends introductions. Most notable is for my taste. Even so, the fascin GUARDIAN ANGEL, the original vers ating premise of the story and the ion of the novelet that eventually superior writing make it a book grew into CHILDHOOD'S END. Also you shouldn't miss. THE SHORES OF ANOTHER SEA there is "The Sentinel" itself, By Chad Oliver the short story which contained, Crown, $7.95 as Clarke says, the "seed" of "2001" as well as "Rescue Party," which, I'd thought the days of the despite Clarke's own reservations, SOUL RIDER: SPIRITS OF FLUX AND under-ten-dollar hardcover were I still consider one of the most ANCHOR By Jack L. Chalker long gone, but Crown has just be memorable short stories in all of Tor Books, Paperback, $2.95 gun their "Classics of Modem Sci science fiction. ence Fiction" series, all attract In the World, Anchors are sta ively packaged, compact hardcovers, ble oases where the natural laws of and all for only $7.95. All are TRo? You mean/ science work. Flux is everywhere also quite readable, if sometimes TARESTiNE KlBEMTioN else, where magic and wizards and a bit dated, but one, Chad Oliver's organization ? chaos seemingly rule. Soul riders THE SHORES OF ANOTHER SEA, is one are -- well, no one knows, not ev of the best novels you're likely to en the soul riders themselves, but find anywhere, regardless of price the name seems reasonably accurate. or date. A plot summary of this first The story is simple and of the Soul Rider series is inpos straightforward. Royce Crawford sible. Suffice it to say that lives with his wife and two child- there are countless groups and 23 flashpoint: middle By BARRY N. MALZBERG This is an Afterword to a col time, all of the crazy stuff went most of those stories appearing lection of stories from and memoirs where it could be buried amongst in NOVA, UNIVERSE, GENERATION, IN about WORLDS OF IF which was sold the adventure stories. FINITY, the Roger Elwood antholo by Pohl and Greenberg to Playboy gies were work that had first been submitted to the magazines. Press in 1980 which was acquired WHAT TIME WAS THAT? was sold to by Berkley. When will it appear? Ejler Jakobssen in the first month Despite the fact that the true Title? of his tenure; it had already, a history of WORLDS OF IF can be com year earlier, been rejected by Fred piled wholly without reference to Pohl but cunningly (I got cunning me, however, the magazine had rath So here we sit in the cathedral early enough in this business al er larger personal significance The service is over, the elegies though not at sufficient breadth) than even I might have thought at are echoes, the mourners have been I changed the title and managed to first and the transfers of owner excused and the coffin itself with unload it; it was an energetic but ship were small shocks, each of due discretion has been trundled unoriginal time paradox story and them, superseded by the large and stage left, consigned to the fire. $69 for 2300 words seemed at the final shock of its demise which to (Bodies may be buried but deceased time a steal. My name never graced me took something out of the cent science fiction magazines, cover the contents page of WORLDS OF IF er of the science fiction market. less, go straight to the cremator again; in fact I sold only five One could found a certain reading ia.) Writers have written of stories to GALAXY, none of them of modern science fiction upon the their stories, the stories have longer than 2500 words. In the proposal that it really began to been exposed once again and three period of 1969-1975 I was making go to pot when WORLDS OF IF fold wise men -- Budrys, Pohl and Shaw something of a reputation for my ed, that in a strange and subtle -- have gone beyond amenities to self, selling stories in spree and way IF's collapse signalled the explain what WORLDS OF IF was and welter to all of the original an imminent failures of GALAXY and even what it might have been. thologies, to AMAZING/FANTASTIC VERTEX and brought home to writers And here, nonetheless, I stand and to my best and most loyal ed at every level and a number of alone amongst the eaves, my own itor, Ed Ferman of FANTASY 6 SCI sophisticated readers the fact eulogy undelivered, the sounds of ENCE FICTION, but if my career had that science fiction had changed: night stirring beyond the walls. been judged in terms of how I was dwindled, narrowed in an irrevers Perhaps I should be out of here succeeding with the great tradi ible way. myself, but the task of the after- tional magazines which had carried wordist (sic) is not a happy one the medium of science fiction This was so to me because and furthermore in the shadows through that time, it would have WORLDS OF IF was the only succes there are hints of forms in the to have been judged disastrous. sful magazine in the difficult his pews, heads bobbing, voices mut Five sales to GALAXY, two to tory of this genre that (at least tering special evening prayers. WORLDS OF IF, four short stories until its last year under Jim Baen I will do my faltering best. (again none of them longer than when it became, along with GALAXY, 2500 words) to ANALOG. There are not many science fic according to Baen himself, a would- tion magazines awaiting these ser I was the paradigm of the be tool of the scientific/military/ vices, you know ... just four, as science fiction market at that time industrial complex) had no defin a matter of fact, three older than moving beyond the landscape of the able editorial bias. It printed the deceased. One must not in the field, finding new outlets, re stories that the various editors ruins of the last fifth of the treating from the traditional for wanted to print (or for reasons of Century of Print take any depart the simple reason that I could not inventory pressure had to print) ure lightly. No pulp era is bound deal with it. For a long time on their own merits and without to come again. My own contribution to WORLDS OF IF can be taken as vanishingly minimal, granting me if little else a certain objectivity. Two stories: BY RIGHT OF SUCCESSION in the 10/69 issue; WHAT TIME WAS THAT? in that of 12/69. The first was offered to the GALAXY magazine in 1968; anoth er one of my characteristic assas sination stories of that period re jected by several magazines, the astonishment was that Fred Pohl bought it at all which after asking for a slight revision he did, plac ing it in the lesser-pay magazine where as I understood even at that 24 regard to how they conformed to if at all when they were extract to develop something of an editor what on the sunnier days might be ed for anthologies, author collec ial identity. called "editorial philosophy." tions or the basis of novels. The three essays in this book WORLDS OF IF, however, edited by a To those not familiar with the sequence of men who (until the days are worth consideration from that field of science fiction -- there point of view; Shaw, Budrys and of Baen) had nothing to prove and might be two or three reading this Pohl are diverse people but in nothing to assay other than what book -- this may seem an unremark their different ways they seem to entertained them, and their readers able statement; a magazine that ac be saying almost the same thing a- imposed no rigors upon the material cepted or rejected work simply on which it published. This could on bout the magazine. Larry Shaw was the basis of quality judgment ar ly be conceived of as entirely lib looking for good writing, "contro rived at by its editors. For sci versial" work ****, Fred Pohl was erating. ence fiction as it was constituted looking for "fun," Budrys recalls from 1938-1970 (and perhaps beyond) Liberation was not what the "good, crisp tales swiftly told it was anything but unremarkable. latter-day ASTOUNDING/ANALOG writ ... better liked as distinguished from institutionalized than the Science fiction was a magazine er felt; what the GALAXY crew felt medium until the end of the six (reminiscences in the canpanion vol Big Three." Campbell in his way was seeking to change the world, ties; its writers and its work mov ume to this book make clear) were Gold to wall it off like a noxious ed within the context of these pub the imprint of shackles and the disease and Boucher and his succes lications (90% of the books were elegant and civilized FANTASY § sors in their amused way to nullify drawn from work and writers which SCIENCE FICTION of Boucher/McComas it; less possessed, less inflamed had appeared in the magazines; the was editing based upon an ignorance book market was a parasite and ap of science which amounted to ter by necessity IF's editors and its pendage until the magazines began ror; technologically developed sci publisher who for a long enough to run down) and the important ence fiction was almost unpublish period was also jts editor simply wanted to get along. To get along magazines were under the aegis of able in that magazine. IF on the was probably more signatory of the strong-willed, idiosyncratic edi other hand -- under Fairman, Shaw, mood of the United States in the tors who, in their various ways, Quinn, Knight (briefly), Pohl and perceived of their publications and Jakobssen sought and published fifties than the attitudes of the others; one could follow things contributors as extensions of work whose only criteria in the ed along from this perspective and i- their own vision. Much has been itorial eye was quality. For that written elsewhere of the canon of reason, IF might have been the on dentify IF as the all-American sci Gold, Boucher and Campbell; suf ly science fiction magazine below ence fiction magazine, a Booster of a pulp published by a genial and ficient to say here that every es the top three which often enough hardly insensitive Babbit, emanat tablished science fiction writer saw manuscripts on first submis knew of their editorial prejudices sions (experienced professionals ing from a version of Zenith which and slanted their work to conform knowing beforehand that they had probably would have fit neatly en ough into Sinclair Lewis's perimet to those prejudices (or at least written something which fell out not to run up against them) or was side the range of all three major ers. unable to sell those publications editors and not wishing, perhaps, with any consistency. At the third to prejudice those editors against If George F. Babbit had been rank were a slew of penny-a-word slanted work) and which was able a science fiction editor/publisher magazines through the fifties and he might well have turned out a early sixties where rejects could WORLDS OF IF and this is to deni be sold to editors whose only pre **In fairness INFINITY edited by grate neither Babbit nor the pub judice was to accommodate publish- Larry Shaw, the shortlived WORLDS lication because George Follansbee able work but there was, with the BEYOND of Damon Knight and James -- hopeless lover of women, ponder single exception of WORLDS OF IF, Blish's one issue VANGUARD were fil er upon mortality, friend of a tor no magazine at the second rank ... led with striking work written on tured violinist, gentle and strick one which paid a median wage, one low wages but mostly at direct en soul in the dead-center of tech which did not impose editorial vis commission for the editors at the nology's first awful deliverance ion upon the writers was the WORLDS top of the writers' form. These -- had far more quality and more OF IF and in its humble way it three magazines combined, however, to offer the world than is general might have occupied a position in did not publish twenty-five issues ly understood. Read now BABBIT is history of science fiction far and were small factors in the mar not satire but sullen celebration; more inportant than we are prepar ket. its author was neither Booster nor ed to glimpse, even at this late Calvinist but Daniel in the lion's hour. ***Again in fairness, the large den. pulp magazines — PLANET, STARTLING, This carries far enough from a THRILLING WONDER — were looking The other magazines did the modestly entitled, modestly budget for something entirely different ed digest sized magazine which did best that they could within their than the digest magazines and get budgets and limitations and some its best for nearly a quarter of ting it so often for a demarcated a century and at the end died (un excellent work was published with audience that they might for the in them but th,e run of material in like most magazines) not without a purposes of this analysis be con certain dignity but it is worth these publications was, to put it sidered of another genre ... trans charitably, the slightly crippled, some consideration; for Gold, Camp planted science fiction; adventure bell and Boucher science fiction the glass-eyed, the halt, the lame stories. and the unfleet of foot.** was work at the flashpoint, writ ten to dramatize intensely that Although excellences did ap ****"Controversial" then as now was editorialese for writing of intersection between the extant pear in SPACE SCIENCE FICTION, and the imaginary at which conse- SCIENCE FICTION ADVENTURES, ROCKET some obvious quality which was, at STORIES, COSMOS, THRILLING WONDER, least to the editor, not immediate PLANET STORIES *** the excellences ly assimilable. were overwhelmed by that which sur rounded them; most shone later on 25 quence begins; for James Quinn and "hard" SF, often involving unusual in the pro- and anti-Vietnam mani his successors (even the restless astronomical bodies. A typical ex festoes published in GALAXY in the Fred Pohl became genial within its ample is Larry Niven's RINGWORLD, sixties: All the Campbellite writ pages) science fiction was work to a habitat of mind-boggling size and ers lined up on the hawk side, with ward the middle; working out pat shape, on which however, nothing one exception, Isaac Asimov. It iently and not without a certain happens that could not happen on may be that some scientists, and honor the implications. In the Barsoom or in Oz. The attraction many engineers, have an ingrained true, unwritten history of science of such backgrounds is not their pragmatic approach to problem-solv fiction IF will not and does not scientific respectability (Ring ing which makes them seek simple deserve to take up the space that world, as others have pointed out, and pragmatic solutions to human the other magazines will find if is not a stable configuration) but problems (social Darwinism, racism, civilization, as we have been giv simply their scale and novelty: laissez-faire capitalism, imperial en to understand, moves not with They give the science fiction read ism). Whatever the cause, this the truly great but in the humble er a large new place to go to. right-wing bias is a grave defect toilers who carry forth and pass This value is not to be despised; in the works of many hard SF writ on the world's business and issue, the primary attraction of SF, for ers, because they are philosophic then WORLDS OF IF, true servant many people, is the opportunity it ally shallow. The only thing we and toiler in the fields may be offers to escape to other and more learn from these works is that Man seen to be the paradigm of this fascinating worlds. But novelty is has a glorious destiny to conquer tortured and occasionally unlovely short-lived by definition; if sci the universe and that if other field. Seven lean years gone as ence fiction has any lasting value races get in the way it is too bad. this anthology is published to it must lie elsewhere. "The game" that place in science fiction of hard science fiction cannot be As a science fiction writer, I where all the lost pulps go; it is at its core; that is as absurd as believe in getting the science missed by more of us and more pro to imagine that the point of read right if I possibly can, just as I foundly than genial Jim Quinn could ing Dostoevsky is to try to catch believe in getting the facts right have dared to imagine. him out on details of the architec in any other kind of fiction; but ture of St. Petersburg. I also believe that if the only A benediction then, to this way of making an original philosoph quiet and earnest man who asked Let us return to Wells. He ic point is to introduce some im for so little, a benediction to called his stories "scientific ro possibility, it does not matter a this man who gave in proportion to mances"; he used devices he knew to rap that the science is wrong. The his desserts and who no less than be inpossible -- Cavorite, the elix novelty appeal of the "hard" sci any of we brethren and keepers of ir of invisibility --in order to ence fiction writers is essentially the flame cared for this field and turn the world over and see what it that of POPULAR MECHANICS. We brought to it measure. Science looked like from the other side. must aim higher than that if we fiction in Kingston! Citizen of The core of science fiction, I sug expect to be read twenty years from the stars. gest, is philosophical speculation. now. -- February 1981: New Jersey *********************************** The cluster of "hard" science and right-wing politics which Ben GEIS NOTE: Below is Gregory Benford's ford notes has never been satisfac visualization of the political spec torily explained. It was evident trum and hard sf's place in it. A REPLY TO GREGORY BENFORD STATIST BY DAMON KNIGHT Gregory Benford, in "Hard Science Fiction in the Real World" (SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW #50) re marks that "hard" science fiction "somehow seems to be the core" of SF. This is a modest claim; Ben ford is too intelligent to assert, as others have, that hard SF is the only true science fiction, all oth er varieties being counterfeit. But history does not support even this. "Hard" science fiction in the sense in which Benford uses it, that is, fiction in which spec ulative science (preferably physics) is an essential element and is rig orously worked out, is a game which very few writers are qualified or inclined to play. Wells did not write hard SF -- he got his charac ters to the Moon by the use of Cavorite, a gravity-opaque substance Verne did not write it -- he got his characters there by shooting them out of a cannon. Science fiction is a literature of novelty and a medium for day dreaming: Thus the popularity of HOI5E LEVEL A COLUMN BY JOHN BRUNNER WORD PROCESSORS CONSIDERED AS So what? -- you may be saying * * * FORTUNE-TELLING MACHINES, ETC. to yourself by now, especially if you have a machine that does the I'm going to start accumulating same. Ah-ha! The point is: appropriate references generated Does your word processor have by the system and perhaps eventual the facility that automatically gen It was a ruddy great foul-up ly I'll have enough to compile a erates a fresh reference for every and I'm glad I was warned before I further article on the subject. document, and prints it bottom left put the letter in the post! I er In the interim, however, what I unless you instruct it not to? ased the lot and Started over the mainly want to tell readers of following morning in a much more this column about is my fiftieth Mine does. It's a Nexos 2200, tactful tone, thereby saving me and birthday party. designed by Logica and now market my correspondent a lot of unneces ed by ICL in Britain, and it sary aggro. (At that point I had to break runs a Logica program called Word- off. While working, I listen to There's a kind of gematria at skil which I must admit I like a lot- BBC Radio Three, the mainly music work here. Now, every time I fin programme, and the DJ just played Bar one aspect of it, which ish a letter, a story or a chapter, the finest setting of Ophelia's song bothers me. I look at the reference. Now and from "Hamlet" that I have ever run You see, the code has six let then (ah, happy day!) I find it across. The composer was uncredit ters (or digits) of which the first saying AOK. Sometimes, on the oth ed, alas, but the singer was cal three identify the disk you're work er hand, it says e.g. ADF - A Dam led Shusha or Shoosha -- I trans ing on and the second three ident ned Fool. Or even ASS ... cribe phonetically, since I've nev ify the document. Naturally, the er heard of her before. I must I think I am going to make a latter begin at AAA and continue track her down and buy the record! AAB, AAC ... in theory to ZZZ. point of throwing away my most- used disks before the machine has (And then what happens? A At first I paid small attention a chance to deliver reference NBG charming and delightful young lady to them, unless I had to break off -- No Bloody Good! -- well, she must be, since Marjor partway through a letter or whatev ie buzzed me in the study and said, Because that's always the ver er and needed to make a note of "There's someone here to see you dict I'm afraid of from my readers where I was on what disk when I came and she is very dishy!" -- comes whenever I publish anything, and to back after lunch. and tries to sell me a vibrating have a machine tell me in advance pad to relieve lower back pain. I Then suddenly I realized: this would be unbearable ...! held it in my hand for half a min damned machine must be trying to Hmmm! What does it say this ute and lost virtually all sensa tell me something! Because what time? Oh, that's neutral: AEO. tion; my fingers are still tingling did I find? The assigned code was I shall choose to consider it an long afterwards, rather as though I JBRBFU: a Big Foul-Up by yrs trly! abbreviation for An Excellent Out were on the verge of pins-and-need- come. les and can't quite make it over the edge into actual pain. Do people really like this being done to them? By me it's actively nasty! (All of which reminds of of an Israeli dance teacher we used to know in London, also a charming and beautiful lady, with whom I had a most enjoyable relationship right up to the day when she attempted to cure some back trouble I was having at the time. You know, I'm sure, that we were not evolved to walk upright, so our internal organs are far more comfortable when they de pend from a horizontal spine, and consequently lower-back pain is a plague on the human species, espec ially its sedentary members like authors. I had to phone Lea forty eight hours after she had "fixed" me to ask when her treatment was 27 supposed to stop hurting, and she told me huffily that it wasn't sup Casalbordino Lido is the kind of re ed directly, in making it a memor posed to hurt at all. But she'd sort frequented by Italians, and able occasion. by a handful of people from abroad tom one of the muscles in my back Write to Hotel (they've stop which sets into another muscle rath who want to go where the Italians ped calling it Motel since it was er than into a bone, and it took me go, not where the tourists are recently enlarged) Calgary, Via a week to recover. A dance teacher shipped in by the planeful. They Lungomare Sud 22, Casalbordino Lido, ought not to be that ignorant of an keep coming back year after year (CH), Prov. Abruzzo, Italy. The atomy.' I never saw her again ...) for the sake of Italian home cook rate for daily board and lodging ing and wine made by the local co Ah, yes.' My birthday party! is 35,000 lire, at the time of operative a couple of kilometres in writing about BIS or $21. The cook Some twelve or so years ago, land. (The grapes, for the oeno ing is local-style and always good, not exactly by chance because we philes among you, are of Montepul- and Visa cards are accepted. The ciano stock.) were deliberately looking for Saturday party with a buffet supper places on the Adriatic coast not Would you believe -- those who and wine is, of course, on us. yet overwhelmed by package tours, know us may find this incredible -- we found our way to Casalbordino An autostrada passes within a we even like the local chief of Lido, south of Pescara. We waited few kilometres (take the Fossacesia police? patiently at a level crossing (US: exit and head south; be prepared grade crossing) for a train to pass, So at the risk of ruining ab for a very sharp left turn across turned right, and found ourselves solutely everything we prize about the railway, and don't make for at the Motel Calgary, which faces the place ... Casalbordino proper, which is up in the Med with nothing between it the hills), and there is a station and the beach save the sea-front I'm going to celebrate my fif within easy walking distance of the road ... and was not, to be candid, tieth birthday there by holding a hotel. We have no data about times a motel at all, but a sort of glor party on 22nd September 1984, and of trains, but we know many stop ified boarding-house with a bar. I'd like as many as possible of there, from having heard them grinding to a halt. It was one of the most felic those friends I may have met but itous accidents of our entire lives never properly got to know --in See you in September -- how not only because the people who run other words, my readers --to come about it? it learned their trade in Canada and join me, and Marjorie, and the and speak good English, but because personal friends whom we've invit TO BARRY: DOWN IN THE DREAM QUARTER While the night Falls down Choking like a collar Seamless nylon images Faces of foil Arms of entropy Legs of flesh Pour soundlessly onward Down in the dream quarter Crying away softly Another twelve whales murdered The candle of humanity flickers In green meadows On sandy strips of beach While the engines of the night Hum onward Realities fall from Insane laughter —BLAKE SOUTHFORK 28 town: and when he had spit on his N OTES ON eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw aught. "And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking." THE MAN IN THE TREE This has the sound of an eye witness account, the sort of thing that would be remembered because it was unexpected and vivid. Compare, for instance, the stiff doctrinal invention of the episode in which BY DAMON KNIGHT Jesus walks on the water, Mt. 14:25. I discovered that when the ob Gene had hit him on the shoulder. "And the Son of God died, vious inventions are eliminated, which is immediately credible be He was very angry, and shouted at Gene's father. Gene denied every all the rest can be accounted for cause it is absurd. And buried he by a single extraordinary ability, rose again, which is certain be thing, but he was frightened, and he reached in again to make the the one I gave Mike Kronski in cause it is impossible." "What Rough Beast" and Gene Ander boy's arm well. When the father son in THE MAN IN THE TREE: He is -- Tertullian, DE CARNE CHRISTI saw him moving his arm, his face changed, and he took the boy away." able to see into alternate realit I knew that I wanted to write ies and to rotate parts of them in to this world. this novel when I read for the I began with a few assumptions: first time the "Infancy Gospels" that Jesus of Nazareth was a real "A beetle was crawling across in THE APOCRYPHAL NEW TESTAMENT, person, that he had an infancy and the warped yellow boards of the edited by M.R. James. In these childhood like other people, that porch. Gene knelt and put his stories, the child Jesus withers he did and said some of the things finger in front of it to make it up a boy who interferes with the attributed to him, that after his change direction. Then he reached pools he has made by damming a death his body disappeared, giving into the shadows and found the stream; strikes another dead for rise to a rumor of resurrection, place where it could just as eas running into him, etc. These in and that all this became the basis ily have gone the other way. Gene cidents became part of the first of a new religion which prospered turned it there, and then there chapter of the novel. For example: astonishingly over the next two- were two beetles. He turned the "One day when Gene was five, thousand years. beetle again, and now there were three, crawling away from each after a hard morning rain, he was In a previous story, "What other as fast as they could. sailing boats in the gutter. When Rough Beast," published in two he tired of this, he brought a versions in the 60s (in FfjSF and in "Zelda and Petie were crouching bucket full of dirt from the gard my collection TURNING ON) I had us beside him. Petie said, 'Aw, en and made dams. The mud washed ed most of these assumptions; now that ain't nothing. You had them away, but he built the dams up I wanted to do it again at greater in your hand.' again with twigs and straw, and length, and I also wanted to make "They argued about this, and sent his boats down the stream to fictional use of my own experiences watch them tip over the dams and Gene lost because he was outnumb as a child and a young man, some ered. When he left, Zelda and Pet spin in the whirlpools. thing I had never had the courage ie were shouting, 'Liar, liar, to do before. "A boy he didn't know came down you're pants on fire!'" the street carrying a long stick. In "What Rough Beast," in one The Gospel stories also tell Before Gene realized what he was version, my protagonist was a Jew doing, he had broken one of the us that the act is tiring and from an imaginary Russian-French sometimes involuntary -- dams. 'Don't do that,' Gene said, country occupying the place of Can but already the boy was breaking ada in an alternate universe. I "And a certain woman, which another one. didn't want to do the same thing had an issue of blood twelve years, "Gene got up and rushed at him; again in the novel, first because "And had suffered many things he was the taller, although the I thought making the new Messiah a of many physicians, and had spent other boy was two years older. The Jew was too literal, second be boy jabbed him with his stick and cause I had no Jewish family exper danced away; Gene could not get ience to draw on, and third because near enough to hit him. The boy I wanted to approach the question, broke the last of the dams and then what would happen if another man hit him with the stick again; Gene with Jesus' power were born here, was crying with anger and pain. in this world, this country, and At that moment he felt with his this century? mind where the nerves and muscles A further assumption was that of the other boy's arm were; he some of the Gospel miracles, but reached in and turned them in a way not others, really happened. Cer he had never done before. The tain of these stories have the in stick fell. Gene picked it up and nocent ring of truth, for example began to beat the other boy, who the healing of the blind man, Mt. ran away crying. 8:23: "That evening the boy's father "And he took the blind man by brought him to Gene's house with the hand, and led him out of the his right arm in a sling; he said the boy's arm was paralyzed because 29 all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, "When she had heard of Jesus, THE DEO-INE AnJ> EALU came in the press behind and touch of ElTERAKY' CRITICISM ed his garment. AS A VIABLE ART FORM WAS COlWCli>£NTAL "For she said, if I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. "And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. "And Jesus, immediately know ing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touch ed my clothes? (Mk. 5:25-30.)" -- and that he could not per form it too frequently: "And when they wanted wine, "'They called me Fish-skin,' none greater than John the Baptist the mother of Jesus saith unto said Parlow apologetically. 'One "among them that are bom of wo him, They have no wine. day two kids caught me going home men," and in the Gospel of Thomas, from school and whitewashed me.' "When you see him who was not bom "Jesus saith unto her, Woman, of woman, fall upon your faces and what have I to do with thee? (In "'Whitewashed you?' worship him: he is your’Father." modern idiom, What do you want "'That's right, there was a from me?) mine hour is not yet can of whitewash in somebody's come. (Jn. 2:3-4.) The Crucifixion story in the basement -- they took me down Gospels was evidently written by I had to make one further as there, pulled my shirt off and gentile Christians with little or sumption, that Jesus was able to painted me ....'" no knowledge of Jewish law or cus read people's thoughts, because it I made Anderson a homosexual toms; the offense with which Jesus appears many times in the Gospels, partly for the same reason, and is charged in the story (blasphemy where it has no evident doctrinal partly to interpret the Gospel against the Jewish God) was not a value. See, for instance, story. Jesus and his followers crime under Jewish or Roman law; Jn. 4:17: were all bachelors: this in a re even if it had been, the Sanhedrin "The woman answered and said, ligious culture which laid the ob would not have had jurisdiction. I have no husband. Jesus said un ligation of marriage on every man. There is no contemporary record of to her, Thou hast well said, I the Crucifixion, and we cannot have no husband; In THE SECRET GOSPEL, Morton know whether it ever happened at Smith explains the puzzling inci all. T.W. Doane, in BIBLE MYTHS, "For thou hast had five hus dent of the young man in Gethse refers to one Antigonus, "King of bands; and he whom thou now hast mane, dressed only in a sheet, who the Jews," crucified, scourged, is not thy husband: in that flees leaving his garment behind and put to death by Mark Antony saidst thou truly. (Mk. 14:51-2): "The business in c. 37 B.C. Dio Cassius, Plutarch, hand was a baptism; the youth wore and Strabo mention the story; This appears throughout the the required costume." Smith sug Doane suggests that it was approp novel, for example, p. 166: gests that the secret ceremony in riated by the Christians. volved a homosexual act. '"Maybe I ought to read it. There are traces of another Will you put it on my list?' This is a tenuous argument, tradition in Acts 5:30 ("The but there is a suggestion that the God of our fathers raised up Jesus, "She did not quite smile; she Gospel writers believed Jesus to whom ye slew and hanged on a had done so on Friday. have been a homosexual. In Levit tree") and I Peter 2:24: "Who his "At the door he turned to icus, the price of redemption is own self bare our sins in his own look at her. 'Don't be too clev given as 50 shekels for a man over body on the tree ..." Haim Cohn, er, Maggie,' he said, and was gone." twenty, 30 shekels for a woman; 20 in THE TRIAL AND DEATH OF JESUS, shekels for a man under twenty and p. 211, tells us that Jewish law The parallelism between Jesus 10 for a woman, etc. Thus and Gene Anderson functions in two Joseph's brothers sold him for 20 * In this schema, nuns are con ways, forward and backward: the pieces of silver (he was seventeen) Gospel story illuminates the story verts recruited from the ranks of but Jesus was sold for 30, the the enemy. of Gene Anderson, and the other price of a woman. way around. There is a suggestion here of The attitude toward women ex a lost myth, opposite in intent I made Gene Anderson a freak pressed in the Gospel stories is (a pituitary giant) because I want from the story of the Virgin Birth: curious. In the Gospel According that Jdsus himself was not born of ed to write about the creative to the Egyptians, Jesus made to is a woman but came into existence in person as an outcast. The dialog say, "I came to destroy the works between Anderson and the Lizard some more ethereal way; the Doce- of the female." (Compare the Gos tists had a doctrine that Jesus Man illuminates this: pel of the Egyptians: "Until when had not come in the flesh, had no "'I was too big for the seats shall men continue to die?" "So earthly mother, and had simply in school,' Gene said. 'I had to long as women bear children.")* In "passed through Mary like smoke." sit with my feet in the aisle, and Mt. 11:11 Jesus says there are (Schonfield, THOSE INCREDIBLE they called me Feet.' 30 CHRISTIANS, pp. 219-20.) "It was Linck's conviction that Jesus of Nazareth had been a man like Gene Anderson, gifted with the same power; all but a few of his reported miracles could be ex plained in that way, and in addi tion there was a suggestive pas sage in the Gospel of Peter, where he was made to say on the cross, not 'My God, my God,' but 'My power, my power, thou hast de serted me.' "It was even possible, al though Linck did not excuse him self on this ground, that Gene ex pected and willed this betrayal -- prescribed hanging on a tree after ghost: and great fear came on all as Jesus had given the sop to Ju execution (compare Deut. 21:22-3). them that heard these things. das, saying, 'What you do, do quickly.' He suggests the possibility that "And the young men arose, wound Jesus was killed in some other way him up, and carried him out, and "One of the great puzzles and then hung up, and that later buried him. was the fact that within three writers interpreted Hebrew taloh, centuries of the execution of its "And it was about the space of to hang, as "to crucify." (Aramaic founder by one of the most degrad three hours after, when his wife, tselov, to hang, is "to crucify" in ing methods known to the Romans, not knowing what was done, came in. modern Hebrew.) All we can be cer the Christian religion had become tain dis about is his mysterious "And Peter answered to her, the dominant force in Europe. appearance; that was sufficient to Tell me whether ye sold the land That was absurd, and it was true, make him a supernatural figure. for so much? And she said, Yea, and this absurd truth, for many The title, THE MAN IN THE TREE, for so much. theologians, was the ultimate came from these thoughts, and from proof of the divinity of Jesus. "Then Peter said unto her, How a bronze Cristo hanging on my wall Linck did not go so far, but he is it that ye have agreed togethr above a potted plant. was convinced that if Jesus had It refers, er to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? on various levels, to the hanging not been arrested, tried and ex behold, the feet of them which have from the tree in the last chapter, ecuted, the movement he had buried thy husband are at the door, founded would have remained an to Gene Anderson's tree house in and shall carry thee out. the Oregon woods, and to his inac obscure sect." cessible tower in his Florida "Then fell she down straight house. way at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, I assume that Jesus believed and found her dead, and, carrying in the imminent coming of the heav her forth, buried her by her hus In one sense I believe Linck enly kingdom on earth (Lk. 24:34: band." was wrong: it was not the Cruci "Verily I say to you, this genera fixion itself but the mysterious tion shall not pass, till all these This is exactly the sort of disappearance of the founder that story that might be told in order things be fulfilled"), therefore made it possible to construct a had no intention of founding a to frighten the members of the church. In the founder's absence, church into giving up all their as church (Mt. 16:18, "on this rock I a capable organizer could put to sets; it gives a hint of the early will build my church" is evidently gether a structure of dogma and church as an organization not un doctrinal), and that the church doctrine that would be self-sus like the Moonies. Linck, the dis must have been organized by others taining. Linck, the betrayer of ciple who betrays Gene Anderson, is whose aims were different from his. Gene Anderson, could not accomplish In this connection, I found the the organizer who intends to con this, but others could: story of Ananias illuminating. struct a church out of the grass roots movement created by Anderson: "But a certain man named Anan ias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. "From THE BOOK OF GENE, Chic ago, 2036: "And kept back part of the l ytf oyt> mm's- a sisnor! price, his wife also being privy * CdWAF 3>O You THlHK OF THAT? "Then his enemy rose up before He smijq-s A uJicxeD cRozisP- him to kill him; but GENE touched to it, and brought a certain part, HE WEARS A -BisyoPi HAT and laid it at the apostles' feet. him with the power that was in him, and he fell dead on the ground. "But Peter said, Ananias, why Then GENE said, '0 God, what shall hath Satan filled thine heart to I do?' And God answered, 'Hang lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep this one from a tree, and come to back part of the price of the land? another place that I have prepared "While it remained, was it not for you; and let not your disciples thine own? and after it was sold, sorrow, for I will return you to was it not in thine own power? why them at the proper season and will hast thou conceived this thing in gladden their hearts: and then thine heart? thou hast not lied un you shall come in your glory.' to men, but unto God. So it was done; so it was told; and so it shall be." "And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the 31 THE UIUISECTOR BY DARRELL SCHWEITZER THE AMAZING MADMAN By R.A. Lafferty: on those long lists of unpublished That's only the beginning. We novels which appear in some of his see all this through the eyes of a ANNALS OF KLEPSIS Ace, 1983, 212 pp., $2.50 books), is a rambling adventure/ would-be historian, who wants to travelogue set in the universe of find history on Klepsis, for all THROUGH ELEGANT EYES PAST MASTER and several of his the planet is still in its legend Corroboree Press, 1983 short stories. Familiar planets ary period and doesn't seem to have 237 pp., $20 + $1.50 postage are mentioned -- Astrobe, Cameroi, any. (This being the legendary World Abounding -- but the action period, the ghosts of most of the GOLDEN GATE & OTHER STORIES Corroboree Press, 2729 Bloomington takes place on a new one, Klepsis, famous people of the past are still Ave S., Minneapolis MN 55407 the Pirate Planet, which was set around.) Klepsis, society is bright 1982, 237 pp., $20 + $1.50 postage tled by Christopher Begorra Bran- gaudy and viciously violent, but nagan, who set up a fund to encour then, people don't always stay I won't claim to fully under age the inmigration of peg-legged dead. After the hero is nearly stand R.A. Lafferty's work, I Irish pirates. A grotesque cari flogged to death for accidental don't think anyone does, except may cature of piracy (not to mention fraud at a slave auction (only to be Lafferty. This is probably a the real thing, with the aid of the be bought by the slave he was bid good sign, because if a writer's Tailed Men of Tarhish, who can tele ding on), he is healed in a vat of work is totally, utterly and com port pirate ships from the ocean of miraculous wine. There is also pletely understood by everyone as one world to that of another) is someone floating in the vat who soon as it is published, chances all the rage: was murdered fifty years before. are there is nothing new in it to He finally emerges, and is known "They wear loose, baggy be understood. Nothing is easier as the Dripping Man for the rest of shirts and loose, baggy than the familiar, which is why a the book. lowest-common-denominator medium trousers ... in shouting like network television deals ex yellows and oranges and And so on. There are many won clusively in the familiar. scarlets, gold and blood ders, social and supernatural. stone, sky-blue and sea- There is even a voyage through At the same time I would be the green, saturation-purple. Brannagan's brain. You will not last person to make obscurity into They wear knotted head-ker forget the story-telling session a virtue. There has to be some chiefs that are brighter inside the hollowed-out carcass of sort of fascination in a writer's still. Oh, and they have a whale, or the active corpse who work, which makes the reader come eye patches, peg legs, propositions young girls in verse: back again and again, until the short swords dangling in "Give up your soul, give up mysterious depths are (somewhat) sword sashes ... most of your life, Come rot with me plumbed. (This is called enter the barefoot ones have and be my wife." tainment value. Without it, no one their feet painted in one will bother. Clearly, some people of the bright primary col There is a lot of strange find "Finnegan's Wake" entertain ors ... For a Klepsis farth verse in this book. There is also ing.) It can take time and gener ing they can step into a ations. We need only look at H.P. trough that will color Lovecraft, whose work is only be their feet with a color ginning to be understood now, fifty- that will last all day. some years after he wrote his major work. And there are still a lot "Some of the people wear of people who are not aware that green-and-orange birds, there is anything to Lovecraft. So perched on their shoulders will it be with Lafferty. It is as Gaea pirates used to all a judgment call, but my judg wear ... Some of the pirate- ment tells me that Lafferty's point dressed persons also wear of view is a genuinely unique one, snakes. Probably half which will take some getting used of the sword-sashes are to. In the meantime many critics really living snakes ..." are satisfied with calling him --(pp. 5-6) completely crazy, or a madman, or If that isn't enough, hallucin a troll, or indescribable (all ogenic grapes (known as "My God these being compliments of a high What Grapes!") are distributed to order), which conveys a reaction new arrivals, assuming, of course, but otherwise isn't very useful. that they remembered to bring a The least we can do, I think, is pinch of salt. The Klepsis oceans attempt to describe what we find. don't have salt, you see, so each ANNALS OF KLEPSIS, the latest inmigrant is expected to make a Laffertian novel (it does not occur contribution. (ambiguously) the ending of the hu appearing in various anthologies man universe, since the crucial and magazines (including several pivot of the Doomsday Equation (a lost in obscure Roger Elwood anth hunchback named Quasimodo) dies be ologies) over the years. Two have fore anyone can do much about it. been rewritten for this collection. One is an original. The structure of the book seems to be that of successive tall Even if you have read some of tales: If you think that's some these stories before, you should thing, wait'll you hear about this read them again, as assembled. one! There is very little that They make much more sense in con could be called a plot, for all text. There is definite continuity in book form, in anthologies). that a tremendous amount happens. and development. The second one is There are also six originals. Most The characters mostly watch, or ex- sort of an "origin story" of two of them are quite good. Why these plain things (all in the same voice recurring characters, Mary Mondo, six did not appear elsewhere first, too), without much development or the disembodied ghost of a schizoid I don't know. Perhaps it was to interaction. Before long there secondary personality which has increase the attractiveness of the are just too many characters who outlived its host, and Loretta Sheen, book for the potential customer. are nothing but funny names. For the sawdust-filled doll whom Barn It is not accurate to say that Laf all the author does provide a pro aby insists (with reason) is his ferty is an "uncommercial" writer, gram from time to time, it is hard daughter. In the third ('Barnaby's considering his sales record, and to tell the players apart. It is Clock") we are first introduced to the number of new Lafferty books harder still to tell why things hap Austro, the Australopithecus house that seem to be coming out. boy from Ethiopia who gets prog pen. To Lafferty's credit, he This collection also contains ressively more articulate in later writes clearly enough that you can his Hugo-winner, "Eurema's Dam." always tell what happens except for stories (and starts drawing a pop the intentional confiision at the ular comic strip on slabs of rock). How to sum up? You should read end, where the universe might have The series itself is in the grand Lafferty, but it's best to begin been destroyed. (A bit of a prob tradition of bar and club and oth with his short stories and work up lem since this is narrated in the er recurring framework stories. to the novels. And save ANNALS OF first person, past tense.) His Barnaby frequently meets with three KLEPSIS for the next ignoramus who comic invention is going full blast friends who, along with him, "know "knows" that "all" science fiction here, but the book doesn't have everything" (or at least they talk (or even "sci fi") is like this, dramatic power. I don't think it like they do) and one who doesn't, or that, or something. Lafferty will be seen as a major work in that that is, Lafferty, the author. is great for confusing the sweeping hypothetical future in which all of They form a "polyander," which is generalizers. Lafferty is unravelled. "a group of men who have become one and will remain so." In fact, much of his reputation may rest on his short stories. They This is a recurring motif in tend to be more readily understand Lafferty's fiction. You'll find MUCH LESS HAPPILY CRAZY able, perhaps because in them the very little romance in his work, typical weirdness is kept to man but there are many groups of odd ageable proportions. (Lafferty folk who stay together for good DARK VALLEY DESTINY, THE LIFE AND mentioned in his AMAZING interview fellowship and friendship. His DEATH OF ROBERT E. HOWARD that he writes a story "until it novel ARCHIPELAGO is largely about By L. Sprague de Camp, Catherine busts." Maybe his novels are just this, the idea being that men may de Camp 5 Jane Whittington Griffin short stories that went on and on, be islands, cut off from the main, Bluejay Books, 1983, 402 p., $16.95 because they didn't seem to "bust" but they tend to come in little at short story length.) The two bunches, or archipelagoes. ARCHI While we're on the subject of Gorroboree Press volumes are prob PELAGO (Manuscript Press, 1979 -- crazy, we must define our terms. ably the place to start with his still in print, to my knowledge) The semantics of madness are quite work. (Or, I could also recommend dealt with the breakup of such a tricky. I had to wrestle with this the Ace collection NINE HUNDRED group. In the last Barnaby Sheen when writing the Tom O'Bedlam stor GRANDMOTHERS.) Corroboree is a new story, the "polyander" breaks up, ies, lest I end up an honorary small press outfit determined to rather grimly. Exactly why and member of the Crazy Gugenheim Mem do for Lafferty what Underwood-Mil how will be a topic for future an orial Make Fun of The Handicapped ler has done for Jack Vance. They alytical essays. A woman intrudes Association. (Remember him? From have ambitious plans which include (but most of the members are mar "The Jackie Gleason Show?' First reprints of rare works and publica ried, so this isn't as misogynistic not, well, maybe it's for the tion of several of the (about fif as it sounds) and causes the mem best.) teen) unpublished novels. Typical bers to mentally/psychically partic When we say that Lafferty is a of a small press, they have very ipate in a tragedy/melodrama which "madman" (as so many have), we mean high production values: acid-free brings out the worst in them. that he is wildly eccentric, that paper, sewn signatures, real cloth Before that, the stories are his ideas are striking, whimsical, bindings, and'color illustrations. exuberant explosions (at one point and seem to follow an alien logic; Also, these editions are limited, literally) of tall ideas, taller that he is remarkably creative in numbered and signed, but happily explanations and pure whimsey, his view of reality. This is quite not priced like many of the "in with only slight touches of male a different phenomenon from the mad- stant rarity" editions we're see volence . ness/paranoia/Oedipal complex/ ing these days, which cost three whatever of Robert E. Howard, which times as much. GOLDEN GATE is a more generaliz was not an amusing thing at all. ed collection of stories which have THROUGH ELEGANT EYES, subtitled It was sad. It was ugly. And it never before been in a Lafferty "Stories of Austro and the Men Who killed him, as thoroughly as heart collection (though many have been Know Everything" collects the Barn disease or cancer might. It is not aby Sheen series, which has been 33 a joking matter at all. There are two ways to approach from reality and point to Howard as DARK VALLEY DESTINY. First, let's an example. I tend toward the Tol- talk about quality: This is a fine kein/Lewis "fantasy as an addition piece of writing and an amazing to life" theory myself and can only feat of scholarship. It is surely point out that most adventure fan the definitive biography of Robert tasists have not been like Howard. E. Howard. Not only did the de Tolkein's life was hardly an Oedip- Camps go through vast amounts of al tragedy. Edgar Rice Burroughs papers and records (to the extent was an ordinary fellow to a fault of going through the stacks of a (the fault being that his books college library, gathering together express only the most common ideas all the books Robert once owned -- and perceptions). H. Rider Hag his copies, that is -- and examin gard was such a paragon of Victor ing them page by page to see if he ian respectability that he was underlined or annotated anything; knighted, not for his literary happily, they found something) but activities, but for services to they also interviewed a lot of very the Empire. old people who knew Robert or the Howard family and who won't be In Howard's case, fantasy was around the next time someone de an addition to a life that was cides to write a book on Howard. otherwise pretty bleak. Any future biography of Howard will be of necessity so derivative of DARK VALLEY DESTINY that there would be little point in writing it. (Irwin Porges' book on Edgar Rice Burroughs has had the same effect. AND NOW, A WORD ABOUT SANITY There can be future commentary, and articles or even books about specific aspects, but all the ba sic information is there.) You'll THE FRINGE OF THE UNKNOWN learn everything you ever needed By L. Sprague de Camp to know about Howard: Who he was, Prometheus Press, 1983 what kind of environment he grew up 208 pp., $16.95 in, what kind of conditions he work ed under, what he accomplished, Sprague de Camp may not be as and as much as it is possible to This brings us to a second prolific as Isaac Asimov, but he know, why he killed himself. We point: What does this book mean? is to my mind, fully as good as a see his suicide looming like the It's clear what it means in the popular science writer. This is a final act in a Greek tragedy, quite sense of the information it conveys collection of essays, broadly ar inevitable once all the pieces are but what does it mean to the fant ranged in categories of "Our In in place. Mare heart-wrenching are asy field? I suspect every thought genious Forebears," "Beasts Now and the obvious points at which he ful fantasy writer will read it a Then," and "Scientists, Mad and could have been saved, but these little bit guiltily, looking for Otherwise," covering a wide variety opportunities were closed off one him/herself in the personality of of odd and fringe topics. Prometh by one. The last chance came when Howard. I thought to myself: Gee, eus Press is devoted largely to hu Robert had a love affair --he when Howard was my age, he had been manistic philosophy and rationalis was about 28 -- and, while this dead for several months. After a tic debunking of pseudo-science might not have resulted in a suc while I was relieved to find that (they publish Martin Gardner, the cessful marriage, it might have led my personality and his have so lit Amazing Randi, etc.). THE FRINGE to emotional independence. But no, tle in common. The most striking OF THE UNKNOWN isn't a debunk book his mother discouraged it. In the feature about Howard was his bot- per se, but it does contain a lot end, he could not survive without tled-up rage, directed at everyone of information which may be used to her. (Did she know what she was and everything (including, I sus debunk everything from Pyramidology doing? Was she a monster, or self pect, his mother, although it nev to Atlantis cults to people who be centered and oblivious?) er showed). His "paranoia" is rate "orthodox scientists" without The book also provides consid largely explicable in terms of this. knowing what these words mean. He erable insight into Howard's writ He never forgave a slight, and explains how the Pyramids were ing. Much use is made of his poet seething inside, had reason to be built, and how various other tech ry as a source of autobiographical genuinely afraid that one day he nical feats were accomplished in hints. We get to see exactly what would lose control and kill some antiquity without the aid of Gods sort of drives and needs he was one. He assumed everyone was like From Outer Space. For the fantasy projecting into his characters. that, therefore concluded that he writer/historian/war-gamer, there You will come away from this with had countless implacable enemies is a very good piece on acient ar a much better idea of what made Co gunning for him. These "enemies" tillery. Next time you mention a nan the distinctive character he is, had long since forgotten him, no catapult or a trebuchet or even a and why no one can ever write ex doubt. But he was astonished when crossbow, it will be easier to know actly like Howard. (For their sake, E. Hoffman Price wouldn't own up to precisely what these devices were. this is just as well.) I couldn't having any enemies. There are also entertaining sec tions of scientific eccentrics, ask more from a literary biography. Fortunately, most fantasy writ It is an excellent piece of work. hoaxes, and even the largest theft ers are not like that. There will of all time, "The Great Whale Rob always be those who insist that bery," all told in a clear style fantasy, particularly heroic fan with occasional dashes of wry hu tasy, is "sick," or an "escape" mor. 34 THC IF YOU CANT Gp£T Any YOKE invisible thAkJ THAT GCOSS BOSHCC A COLUMN BY BOB SHAW I'm writing this during the The books alone took a whole one firm which seemed about right Christmas and New Year break, day -- an endless, grey, wet, mis and made an appointment by phone. safely esconced in a recently ac erable day -- and now I hate the On actually going in though, quired house which -- for reasons bloody things. Out of sheer vin I began to entertain severe doubts. too tedious to go into -- is my dictiveness I've started dumping fifth address in twelve months. The exterior of the building had books I no longer need. Not even seemed to exhibit the correct de And this one, I can assure you, trying to sell them -- just hurl gree of upwardly-mobile seediness, is PERMANENT. My last house was ing them into plastic sacks and but inside there were thick car called BoShkone (an involuted pun hurling the sacks onto the local pets, good furniture and smart which is quite impossible to ex tip, snarling all the while. secretaries. I began to feel un plain to postman) but now I'm be easy. Perhaps this was the wrong ginning to see why some people give The fact that I can do that kind of place for a humble SF writ their houses names like Dunroamin'. reminds me that, although deeply er. How could somebody who worked in this kind of environment empath It's hard enough being a free involved with literature, I don't ize with an author whose preoccup lance SF writer when conditions are have the instinctive reverence for ations were with space travel and good, but when all your working books which is shared by many fans. gear, reference books and all other Mind you, I'm not as bad as one galactic empires and such? possessions have been repeatedly writer whose biography I read years At that moment a secretary scrambled the job becomes a near ago. (It might have been Compton came over to me and said, "Mr. impossibility. The last move was Mackenzie.) When he was going on Trantor will see you now." four weeks ago and it was complic a train journey in the Thirties he ated by the fact that the house used to buy a hardback novel in Honest! I've just bought is only fifty the station, immediately rip the I'd never bothered much about yards from the one I've just va back off and drop it in a wastebin. omens in the past, but I immediate cated. You might think that would He then split the rest of the book ly felt better. And it turned out make things easier, but the snag is in two and put a half in each pock that Mr. Trantor was a science fic that nobody with the normal greed et of his overcoat. On the train tion reader and we get on well to for gold is going to hire a remov he would read the first half, throw gether. al firm just to go fifty yards. it out the window, and repeat the All I need now is a bank man Right? You decide to make the move procedure with the second half. ager called Arrakis. in a leisurely fashion over a per Most SF fans cringe when they iod of days, carrying all your bits hear that story, so enough of hor and pieces by hand or trolley and rors and on to the brighter side save all that money for more impor of the SF author's life. Earlier tant matters. Pints and pints of in the year, having moved down Discriminatory Sentences more important matters. from the Lake District into Chesh A few paragraphs above I men The migration took a full week. ire, I was in need of a new account ant. That presented me with a tioned entertaining severe doubts. A week in which we had rather problem, because I prefer a trier, Why is it that negative mental a lot of rain. a man who is good at his job but processes like doubts always get who is still small enough to value entertained, while the best that It might have been accomplish can happen to more worthy cases ed more quickly but for an unexpect my patronage. There's a kind of Hertz-sprung-Russell diagram for such as convictions is that they ed complication. On Day One I will be firmly held? came down with a flu bug which made accountants at various stages of the one in THE STAND seem like a their careers, but the main seq This hardly seems fair, espec mild case of sniffles. I kept go uence is much shorter than for ially when you consider our obseq ing regardless, dosing myself with stars, and one has to exercise nice uious behaviour with the genuine whiskey and aspirin, and exacerbat judgment on this point. After a nasties in this category. Unpleas ed my condition so much that I was lot of thought and discreet casing ant examples like grudges are al out of action for the following of various premises, I selected ways harboured, and grievances are two weeks. 35 actually nursed! We should demand fair play for It had been imported from the words. UK. To be precise, it had been im ported from Murray's factory in Belfast -- about a mile from where I used to live. lengths to defeat the system. They Still, it's the thought that pay large sums of money for "good" counts ... number plates, just to acquire the right to use the registration, and when I say large sums I mean large sums. In EXCHANGE 6 MART (our weekly Fire Without Smoke What's That On Your Plate? advertising magazine) there is even a section headed "Cherished Numb Americans are often surprised Most people don't care a hoot about pipe tobacco, but there is ers" in which specialist dealers at how much the British have to advertise. In this week's issue, pay for certain commodities in one facility enjoyed by citizens of the USA which Britishers -- espec for example, the motorist who hung spite of our generally lower earn ers to stand out from the crowd ings. Spectacles are a prime ex ially SF fans -- would love to have, and which is denied to us by a rig can snap up GNM 1 for a mere ample -- $100.00 being quite norm $4,000.00! Or he could have BRV 1 id bureaucracy. I'm referring to al -- and I personally suffer in for only $6,000.00! the case of pipe tobacco, which the right to personalize one's car costs eight times as much in the license plates. The sad thing is that these UK as it does in the USA. My old friend Jan Howard Find plates will undoubtedly sell. Somewhere in this country there are er publishes a fanzine called WOM At the moment I'm enjoying a a couple of well-heeled egotists BAT and on visiting him in Albany, pound of properly-priced tobacco with names like George Norman Mor New York, a few years back I was which Ramsey Campbell brought back ris and Brian Robert Vickers who from the States for me last month, quite astonished to see that the registration of his car was WOMBAT. are working up to the point of pay but it is amazingly difficult to ing the above sums so that they'll set up a deal like that. If I felt a pang of envy when he ex plained that some states allow a be able to roll up to the pub in friends going abroad are smokers cars which bear their own initials. driver to pick any registration they need their duty-free allowance They would prefer it if they could for themselves, and if they aren't he wants, as long as it is unique, while others only insist on an of leave off the fairly meaningless smokers they usually forget to "1" at the end, but the law in bring the stuff or do something ficial designation on the rear sists on digits and the "1" is the else wrong. Dave Kyle was one of plate, allowing the motorist to do as he wishes with the front plate. least obtrusive -- and that makes the latter. it the most expensive. If Richard A few years back, knowing he Dear US readers, have you any Lupoff lived in England and wanted was due for a trip to the States, idea of how much UK motorists would his initials on his car -- and did I really worked on him with heart faunch for that system if ever it not mind people perhaps thinking rending stories about ray plight as came to their notice that authori he was also boasting of his age -- a British pipe-smoker and how he ties with such liberal attitudes he could have (from the same issue could ease the situation with just existed? of E§M) the registration RL 82 for a little thought on his part. The In the UK you take Whatever only $3,700.00. piteous pleas must have got through license number is handed to you and I mention all this partly be to him, but Dave is a non-smoker -- unless you have lots of money to cause British SF fans with their and therefore had not fully ab spare -- that's it. If our baf fondness for acronyms and word sorbed the plot. fling area code letters and digits play, would have had lots of fun What I wanted was a big plast accidentally produce a combination devising their own registrations; ic bag of run-of-the-mill US to that a car owner particularly likes and partly because I saw an advert bacco purchased for an eighth of he is grudgingly permitted, for a quite recently which announced that its British price, but Dave had fee, to transfer it to successive 1 SF and SF 1 had become available. forgotten that aspect. All he re cars, but clerical unions involved I wouldn't have minded one of membered was that he had promised in the paperwork have been grumbl those myself (although BNF 1 would to bring me a gift of tobacco. ing about it for years and are be nicer) but the asking price trying to have that privilege sus somewhat put me off the idea. pended. The advertiser was not prepared to He went into a tobacco store consider offers of less than and saw lots of really cheap domes $39,000.00 They want us all to be uniform tic brands and -- being a good- I think I'll start keeping an hearted person -- decided it would specks in a grey social porridge, eye on Ian Watson's car ... not be nice to present an old bud but the natural craving for indiv dy with something he could buy in iduality is so strong that some quantity with some small change. British motorists go to incredible So he looked around for a small tin of a really expensive tobacco -- and he found one. Eisenberg's Big Brother It was a curious, overpowering The dreaded 1984 — the year of weed called Murray's Mellow Mixture Orwell --is here at last and it's and the reason it was expensive in proving even worse than I expected. the USA was that it had been im Everywhere one goes there's a TV ported. 36 or radio Blairing away on the sub ject. Every newspaper or magazine MORE MOVIE REVIEWS BY R.E.G. has an article explaining that Or well wasn't trying to predict the future, that he was actually writ MR. MOM (PG) ing about 1948. I suppose it's a is a rehash of the hus- good job he wasn't trying to make band-out-of-work-who-must-take-over- realistic predictions, because he the-household-and-the-kids-when-his- was destined to have a personal wife-amazingly-finds-a-job plot. Michael Keaton (NIGHT SHIFT) has effect on whatever year he select heart is basically in the right ed. the energy and comedy flair to make place --he has proved it with his this a fairly good comedy, and is A temporal version of the Un laudable urge to be in charge -- helped by a lot of fine comedy certainty Principle? but who is over-enthusiastic in character actors. Ann Jillian, his approach. this time a brunette, plays the man- Imagine for the moment that hungry neighbor divorcee. some kind of science fiction mir But the comedy wasn't that good, acle takes place overnight and in and I'm baffled by its success at Mitty-gating Circumstances the morning it is found that all the box office. I have always loathed politic the governing politicians of the ians and one of the things I hate world have been replaced by, say, them for is their essential hyp stamp dealers. Imagine further ocrisy. that somebody machine-guns a few LOSIN' IT (R) people to draw attention to his is the story of four The difference between a normal views about life and on being boys who go to Tijuana; three to lose person and a politician is that brought to book, gives the author their virginity, one to buy firworks, the latter -- secure in his Walter ities a crafty wink and says, "Ah, he being only about 12 and more mature Mitty dreamworld -- believes he is but my motives were philatelic." than any of the others (but even Holly capable of running other people's wood producers aren't going to involve lives. In short, he wants to be Finally, imagine the outcry a pre-teen American boy with Tijuana in charge. there would be if those in charge whores). Knowing that his fellow citi said, "Oh, that throws a different The time is the 1960's, and this zens will show resentment if he light on the matter! You're one of is a better comedy and picture of its simply jumps up and shouts, "I us! We'll see that you don't get time than you would expect. Tijuana treated like a common murderer." —rough, bawdy, mercenary, virtually want to be in charge," the politic lawless (with the police a law unto ian comes up with the Big Lie. He The public would kick up hell themselves)—exists to serve Ameri refers to being in charge as "pub if they saw stamp dealers giving lic service." The whole time he is cans looking for raw sex, booze, and each other special consideration cheap divorces or marriages. telling us what to do he pretends in those circumstances, but we ac we are telling him what to do. Shelley Long is along for a di cept that politicos do it. And vorce from a thoughtless, selfish And one of the most disgusting what if the aforementioned miracle husband, and she feels compassion perversions these monsters have resulted in all those in charge and sympathy for one of the boys forced on the rest of us is the being replaced overnight by science who was embarrassed and couldn't concept of the "political crime." fiction and fantasy fans? "lose it" in the whorehouse; she If a murderer pleads that his mot Would the general citizenry takes him to a motel and makes his ivation was political he often gets hold still for a member of a Purple first time a good time. special consideration, and in some Brigade (old-time hard-line coter Tijuana of 1960s period steals cases the government in one country ie of hekto users) mounting a gren the movie, though: God, I wish I'd will actually help him evade the ade attack on Gestetner owners and gone there then, when I had the punishment another government wants then pleading fannish motivations? chance. to administer. Would th^ approve of lighter sentences for a STAR TREK group who wiped out a cell of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA enthusiasts? STROKER ACE (R) is a smirky, good Come to think of it, though, ol' boy Burt Reynolds car comedy we're getting into serious matters with Jim Nabors doing his Gomer here. I mean, after all ... BAT Pyle schtick as Ace's mechanic, TLESTAR bloody GALACTICA! Loni Anderson (still with that Have you ever considered the plastic prettiness and nary a degree of sheer prejudice in that? hair out of place—she must use a quart of hair spray per scene or A politician, wrapped in his varnished wigs) as a virgin who conviction that it is his destiny must inevitably fall for egotist to be in charge, can't help but Ace, and Ned Beatty as a fast-food feel a certain sympathy with some (fried chicken) magnate who gets body else who wants to be in charge. and holds Ace to a demeaning driv The two may have opposing views on ing contract (with humiliating many subjects, may even be sworn commercials and ribbon-cutting enemies, but underneath each has a on the side). sneaking regard for the other. Burt Reynolds is here mocking After all, the subconscious reason himself and sticking it to his fans, ing goes, if he wants to be in who apparently he feels will pay to charge (as I do) he can't be all be insulted while having their bad. The politician tends to re buttons pushed. gard the terrorist as a man whose 37 quent destabilizing of the Earth's axis—wobbling—until on May 5, 2000 AD, the planet will "flip." This scenario and prediction is based on a new study of the prophes ies recorded in the Great Pyramid by Richard Noone. (Noone—No One?) An interview with Carl Weschcke deals with out-of-body experiences. The bulk of this publication, however, is a catalog for vast numbers of occult, astrological, etc. books. STARSHIP Winter-Spring 1984 $3.00 Edited and published by Andrew Porter. P.O. BOX 4175. LOVE SONG By Philip Jose Fanner artist index. AND an author index New York, NY 10163 Dennis McMillan Publications for stories that appeared in more This is STARSHIP's hail and fare 328 Madison Street mundane magazines like OMNI, PENT well final issue, with outstanding San Antonio, TX 78204 HOUSE, STAG, ALFRED HITCHCOCK'S material by Robert Silverberg, Fred A limited edition (500 copies) MYSTERY NAGAZINE, REDBOOK, NEW erik Pohl, Arthur Byron Cover, Joe hardcover printing of a minor sex YORKER, STARLOG, etc. Sanders, and,a Darrell Schweitzer novel Hail wrote for Brandon House interview of Terry Carr. Of special of North Hollywood in 1970. interest is publisher Lloyd Arthur It deals with the occult—two CIMERA? Eshbach's personal history of the strange, warped women (mother and A Portfolio By Giuseppe Mangoni pioneering Fastasy Press. The art daughter) who live in a huge old Editrice Nord work is as usual very fine, with creaky mansion, isolated, by the Via Rubens, 25 the purple Dell Harris mer-creature sea, and of their weird relation Milano, Italy outstanding. ship with the dead pervert who haunts Mangoni's latest portfolio—8 A long editorial detailing the the old house, and with the young bizarre b/w drawings on 16^x11-3/4 rise and fall of ALGOL/STARSHIP is man whom they attract and "seduce" heavy white cardstock—shows a absorbing reading for small press in more ways than one. talent for graphic symbolism: a people. Loose ends dangle and it is woman with a rat crawling from one unsatisying because the intriguing eye, another woman whose head is occult aspect which screams for framed by a lizard, a child plated exploration is left hanging as the inside a Coca Cola can with no arms young man's lust is examined and or legs... A woman in a bondage STEVE LYON: THE DOCTOR endlessly frustrated to satisfy helmet whose inside is lined with Mars Management, 478 S. Ashland, Lex the sex-novel priorities. spikes... Grotesque, morbid, naked ington, KY 40502. $8.00 postage pd. As a novel, LOVE SONG fails. As woman-hating? A scream of protest Steve Lyons sings his mildly a literary curiosity and memento of against modem society/civilization? satiric, raunchy, clever sci-fi songs Phil's time before Riverworld and These certainly do capture the in a clear voice and accompanies him financial security, it is interest eye and intrigue the mind. self professionally on a piano. ing and intriguing. Available from Editrice Nord, The flip side of this Ip is mun- Each copy of this edition is address above, for $10.00. danity, present-day, fun songs... numbered and autographed by the "The Wilted Lettuce Orgy" promises author. A copy costs $40 plus 85 I stopped in to the local B. the SF 5 F section. As for the ter. When a corporation hires a Dalton's the other day. I was Ludlum positioning, it can't have person to manage a local store they waiting for a haircut appointment anything to do with expectation of should be hiring a person who knows and thought it would be an approp sales, since Ludlum and Le Carre the area, its people, their tastes riate time to do a little prepara both sell in the millions. and what they are most likely to tory publicity work for my upcoming buy. If that manager and the oth novel with Dick Geis (THE SWORD OF Regardless of the explanation er employees can't be responsive to ALLAH, Ballantine/Fawcett, August offered by B. Dalton, I see this local tastes (i.e. feedback, if 1984). situation as symptomatic of prob you follow the Shannon model), then the store stands a good chance of I noticed some interesting lems that have beset other American stocking material (and stocking it changes in the store. Science industries in the last several de in such a fashion) that does not ap Fiction and Fantasy have been com cades, most notably the automobile peal to consumers. The end result bined as a category and moved from and electronic industries. The a comer in the back to nearer the problems start when executives at is less than maximum sales and dis gruntled customers. And sooner or front next to mysteries and general corporate headquarters make all the later along the line this leads to fiction. I guess it's a sign that important marketing and production a company out of touch with the SF is selling better than ever. decisions without setting up an market and for a retail company In the SF section they have signs efficient feedback loop. Skipping that spells financial disaster. indicating the bestselling, most all the analogies how it applies to popular SF and Fantasy authors. book retailing is simple. America When you get past the bs these is a vast country with diverse tastes in politics, art arid liter Now, there are some people out signs are a good indication what there who don't like the bookstore authors in SF and F are hot movers ature. New York is not Utah, New Hampshire is not Texas, Minnesota chains and the effect they are hav in the Dalton chain. The authors: ing on the publishing industry who Piers Anthony, Stephen R. Donaldson, is not Oregon; Oregon west of the Cascade mountains is different from would say, "Great, who needs the Andre Norton and J.R.R. Tolkein. chains anyway, we're better off No Asimov, Clarke or Heinlein. No Oregon east of the Cascades and about the only thing that Eureka without them." Well, while that is Niven, Varley or Wolfe. I'm not an argument that can be made in sure what this means and t didn't and Beverly Hills have in common is that they are both in California. theory, reality shows an industry have time to ask the store manager. in greater and greater lockstep One thing I did notice and For far too long in publishing with the large chains and it's not asked the store manager about was and it holds true today, most of likely to change. Once such a the appearance of a new category: the production decisions were be trend develops nothing short of a Action § Suspense, right next to ing made in New York. But at collapse can stop it. And that Fiction § Literature. It seems least the retail decisions were folks is the danger -- that with the that now suspense novels are also being made by local bookstore own lockstep firmly in place, with the being genreized, but in a haphazard ers. They knew what their custom industry more dependent than ever way. John Le Carre, for instance, ers like and they stocked it and on the chains for advice from ev was right where you'd expect him to the publishing industry didn't fare erything from how many copies of a be, in Action 8 Suspense. But Rob too poorly under that state of af novel to print, to what type of cov ert Ludlum was in Fiction 5 Litera fairs. But with the advent of the er artist to use, to whether they ture. It's not logical since there big chains like B. Dalton's and should even buy a particular book, is a hell of a lot more action and Waldenbooks, all that has changed. that if one of the chains, further suspense in Ludlum than Le Carre. Now the marketing decisions to sep and further out of touch with the I'm not talking quality of action arate suspense novels from other market should suddenly collapse, and suspense, just quantity. I in "mainstream" or contemporary novels, the entire industry might go under. quired about the separation of cat are made at a national headquarters Or at the least a gigantic shakeout egories and why Ludlum was not in instead of on a store-by-store ba would happen, with writers getting Action § Suspense. The store man sis. Other decisions like what shaken the most. It behooves those ager said it was a decision made at authors to highlight in a given sec who make their livings by the writ company headquarters. I presume tion are also made on a national ten word to keep a close watch on the same holds for the signs by cer basis. This is a recipe for disas- this situation. tain authors and not by others in 39 One sidelight to this matter: a source tells me that a negative abound. This is an important issue unusual for some American writers recommendation from one of the that every author is prey to. It's to find their most enthusiastic bookstore chains on a science fic a situation that can deny to the audience overseas, witness Jack tion mid-list novel can alter the public certain authors whose works Vance-'s popularity in The Nether print run by as much as 20,000. are blackballed because those in lands. But, Jerry Lewis? With the average run on a science powerful positions don't like them, # Now that President Reagan has fiction mid-list around 70,000, their friends, politics, whatever. made the concept of a manned Space suddenly taken down to 50,000, the We as writers don't need this; we Station a ten-billion-dollar budget royalties on a $2.95 book at 6% work hard enough as it is. This proposal (the money would be based on 50% sold come to $4,500. situation should be nipped in the stretched over a period from fis That extra 20,000 copies could mean bud. Who needs a bunch of leeches cal 1985 up to 1992 when the Sta almost $2,000 more. There are al attaching themselves to the field. tion would go into orbit) it's time so rumors that some companies are This is the very thing that destroy to give science fiction and some of allowing buyers for the chains and ed poetry and the popular contemp its practitioners credit. I think some major independent distributors without SF's gigantic popularity advance looks at manuscripts. Their among movie-goers combined with recommendations can affect not only the unceasing efforts of many in the print run but the advance the science fiction community, this against royalties and in some ex project would not have gotten off treme cases whether the manuscript the ground. From an economic view will be bought at all. It's bad point it's been general knowledge enough for a beginning writer to for some time that it makes econom break in, and for a lot of other ic sense; the station shoild pay for writers to barely hang in, with itself rapidly with the expected out some know-it-all deciding be profits from medical drug manufac fore the fact whether a book, or turing leading the way and metals in some cases a chapter-n-outline technology applications, supercon will be purchased. ductors and a host of other money making possibilities right behind. Now, while conflict of inter But since when has the government est is not a problem for most of paid any attention to economic the publishing industry, when it sense? No, it's clear that with comes to the chains and the whole orary short story in America. If out the tireless work of many in sale independents advising on SF, the pro-space community, long hours they often rely on "experts." you've ever been to a large con vention, you know that it's hard of lobbying the White House science This is a major problem, for while advisor George Keyworth (who init most buyers in suspense novels, enough just surviving the idiots that hang around these places with ially was against the idea) and westerns or mysteries might not others in congress, President Rea know the people who write the mat out having to worry about offending some drunken slob who later turns gan would never have made the pro erial they're advising on, the out to be a major buyer for so and posal, no matter how many good same cannot be said for SF. SF is arguments were made in its favor. among the most incestuous fields in so. publishing. In SF if you go to Among the groups who worked enough conventions as a new writer, hard were the L-5 Society and the or fan aspiring to be a writer, Space Studies Institute whose Rob you will sooner or later meet peop ert Jastrow made such an impres le who will greatly affect your sive presentation of the pro-space career. Now, you are not going to MUSINGS: station side on Nightline. Among meet these people in a strictly de the individuals in Science Fiction fined professional setting, in fact # What do Jerry Lewis and A.E. who worked the longest and hardest more than half will be stone-cold van Vogt have in common? Well, was Jerry Poumelle. Those of us drunk out of their minds. In such both are far more popular in France in the SF field (and humanity at a highly unstructured, personaliz than they are in the United States. large) who believe that future sur ed situation, likes and dislikes Jerry Lewis was recently awarded vival of the human species depends can form easily, likes and dislikes the French Legion of Honor medal, on our ability to move into space which might affect how your materi an award that has previously been owe Dr. Poumelle and the others al is judged later on. Now, most given to foreigners such as Dwight who worked with him a large, large editors are professionals who will Eisenhower and Albert Einstein. debt of gratitude. While others look at your work with an eye to gave up and indulged in chic cyni whether it will sell and whether it Now comes word that van Vogt has completed a third book in his cism he kept the faith. Congratul suits their tastes; if it passes ations, Jerry. both those criteria they will prob classic Null-A series, completed ably buy it even if you're the the book for a French publisher. If The space station project worst son-of-a-bitch to ever step The French publisher commissioned will also affect science fiction. into a Hyatt lobby. But the person and paid for the book completely When writers want to place a story who advises the chains has probably bypassing any American publisher. in the mid-to-late Nineties in near also met you and if he or she does This is the first instance of a Earth space the space station will not like you or your opinions, he foreign publisher instigating and have to be included in the back might axe your book out of malice. buying the work of an American SF ground of their stories, whether Most likely conflict of interest writer prior to U.S. publishing they like it or not. works the other way, with the advis involvement, at least it's the first time I've heard of it. This is a perfect example of or pushing those books of authors what I mean when I write about To that he or she likes, or who can Other popular American SF writ day's Tomorrow. Forty years ago supply favors. ers in France include Philip K. when science fiction authors pic The ugly specter of kickbacks Dick and Norman Spinrad. It’s not tured humanity going into space it has reared itself in SF. Rumors 40 was usually a couple of good old Joes who tinkered in their back SWLL PRESS (CITES CONTINUED pect almost an infinite variety in yards and cobbled together a space human bodies and character. craft. That's an example of Yes The Pinis have mastered a wonder terday's Tomorrow. Now, while the NEXUS #4 and #6, $1.75 each ful variety of characters for their idea of a few people cobbling to By writer Mike Barop and artist series, but I feel their high and low gether a spacecraft might be ro Steve Rude elves are too idealized and similar. mantic, it does fit in with what Capital Publications we observe today. Thus if SF writ P.O. Box 908, Madison, WI 53701 ers write up that concept without PRIVATE WORLDS By Scott E. Green dealing with the enormous costs and THE FIRST KINGDOM #19 organization that it takes to get Written & Drawn by Jack Katz $3.50 from Bedouin Press up in space, it's a perfect example Bud Plant, Inc. 7 Franklin St. of writing Yesterday's Tomorrow P.O. Box 1886, Grass Valley, CA 95945 Woburn, MA 01801 today. The same goes if they write Being 58 short poems—sorta like a near-Earth story in the late Nin ELFQUEST Book 3, $10.95 haikus—which give the essence of a eties and don't take into account By Wendy & Richard Pini writer's writing. Thus, Phil Dick the space station and the role it The Donning Co. is encapsulated thus: will play. If a writer doesn't 5659 Virginia Beach Blvd. The city full of tears, want to deal with the station di Norfolk, VA 23502 an ocean of tears. rectly at least mention it in pas Tiny isles of hope sing. That would be an example of Nexus the superhero seems to be barely holding their own against writing Today's Tomorrow, a writer a success for Capital, having gone the waves. using the best of present-day know to full color and better paper early Slowly the isles grow ledge to inform his or her science on. Fine artwork, a very good comix absorbing tears in slow, ever slow fiction. If he doesn't he really superhero matrix. Some humor during ways. is not writing science fiction but extreme danger: these superheroes and some weird form of nostalgia. Yes, their key buddies know they aren't and "Ellison's World" is: that's exactly what it would be, going to die. The City is the Land of Pain nostalgic fiction. If a writer ig Mkkost roads lead to it nores the present and writes as if Few roads pass it by he or she were still living in the The First Kingdom series has a Those poetically commented upon Forties then he's not writing sci formula medieval/barbarian who-shall- range from Anderson to Zelazny. ence fiction, he's writing nostal rule-the-kingdom? storyline involv gic-fiction. ing gods, evil priests, rightful rulers, heirs, usurpers, aliens... What most science fiction is to The drawing is first rate, the day should better be categorized as comix story-telling style is wooden a strange form of gothic/romance and static, with too many posturing that has a slight patina of techno scenes with narrative lines telling logy sprinkled across the top. the-story. Science fiction dare not become a fad connected to any one particular era or political point of view or . Elfquest #3 continues the quest it stands the chance of becoming of the wolfrider tribe of elves, led mired in a rigid format and like by Cutter, to seek knowledge of their the dinosaurs unable to adapt when origins and of the scattered tribes a new change comes along. and varieties of elves in a world they must increasingly share with the FILE 770 There seems to be a feeling hated humans. Edited and published by Mike Glyer among many writers that in order to This is state-of-the-art comix 5828 Woodman Av., #2 become informed about science and or graphic art storytelling, and is VAN Nuys, CA 91401 technology they have to have a de simply superb in its subtle character I consider this the prime news/ gree in the sciences or have a izations, its multi-stranded storyline, opinion-zine of science fiction fan background in a technical area like and its multileveled use of symbol and dom. sf fandom is (in the tradition engineering. Not true. One good psyche. Enormous care goes into this al understanding) a small, hardcore source of technological and scien series in all aspects, and the Elfquest of fanzine publishers who are more tific information is SCIENTIFIC AM books will likely never by surpassed---- concerned with the fandom aspect ERICAN. If you want something less except perhaps by Wendy and Richard than the science fictional aspect. technical, try SCIENCE NEWS, a week Pini themselves. They talk mostly about themselves, ly newsletter that provides a good Available in large quality trade about conventions, fannish scandals, overview of upcoming developments. softcover at $10.95, and in a deluxe fanzines. On the technical side HIGH TECHNO harcover, slipcased edition, limited In this 45th issue of FILE 770 LOGY is an excellent reference edition, signed and numbered—$40. the main issue is the huge deficit source. They also provide an an run up by Constellation, the last alysis at the end of major articles A word about comix art in general: world SF convention. assessing the impact that each ad I've mad this point before, and will At five issues for $4. this is vance will have on business. now again: the artists seem to master well worth the money to those who Most scientists that I talk to one marvelously muscled body type and want to follow the inside activities are only too willing to help. Make use that body for all characters, vary and opinions of this enclave which, sure that you doublecheck with that ing only faces a bit, uniforms, etc. since the early 1930s, has remained person before you put any notions Men and women both. It gets terribly essentially the same in traditions, structure, numbers and interests. into a story. How a writer uses boring and unrealistic. Perhaps juven In a very real way, this fannish such information in a story or nov iles in mind (and age) demand perfec fandom is the heart and enduring soul el is of course, up to that indiv tion in all their characters, but a- of sf fandom as a whole. idual . dults have learned to accept and ex- 41 LETTERS # LETTER FROM PIERS ANTHONY Star Route #1, Box 27 R Inverness, FL 32650 Feb. 16, 1984 'Yes, I know what you're asking: if I don't want my address run, how come I have letterhead stationery with my address on it? Because, unlike some I might mention, I an* swer my fan mail, and I got tired of typing my own address. Last year I typed 702 letters (yes, I counted; I'm compulsive about such masoch ism) , most of which were responses to fans. Those fans have to go through the publishers' mail slush pile, a fate halfway worse than ex tinction, to reach me; I figure that any that make it through that gant let deserve to be answered, at least with a card. But if my name were laid open to hard-core fans, the kind who'd rather fight than read fantasy I'd be in deep trouble. 'Now: starting in on SFR #50 a fitting issue for me to read, as I am now in my 50th year and not mellowing with age — I encount- er on page 4 your quote of a letter from a hopeful writer who asks you for information and the addresses of several major writers (somehow he overlooked Anthony...), and your sour remark: "I have not answered." Then on page 5 you launch into the horrors of your experience with dentist who left you in pain and I used his own techniques of selec I am a slow reader, and a busy writ ignored you. Now evidently this tion and innuendo to parody Charles er, so I don't read much, but I did not register with you, so I Platt, and sent that to him. I did read PRINCE OMBRA, partly from will make it obnoxiously plain: understand that some of his friends curiosity to see whether the hype you violated the Golden Rule, and found that parody hilarious, though could be accurate. I found it to were hoist on its petard. A hope Charles himself somehow failed to be a fine novel, deserving of the ful writer, desperate for the sort see the humor in it. Why SFR chas accolades, probably one of the best of information that professionals ed that interview, instead of the of the year, perhaps deserving of seem to conspire to keep secret, superior one in FANTASY NEWSLETTER an award, if the sawdust-heads who did the sensible thing: he wrote is something only REG can answer. vote awards happen to read it. to the most important figure in the I do get turned off by the evident Schweitzer's comment is not just genre he knew of and asked for in tastes of fandom, as may be seen in wrong, but extravagantly wrong, as formation. His letter was polite my attitude toward it. Let me ad though he feels an excess of pejor and to the point and quite reason dress just one statement in Mr. ative language can make his mis able. And you, you ill-met, lily- Smith's letter, tempting as it may judgment true. I remember back a- livered, ignominious ilk, you cank be to take the whole thing apart. bout fifteen years ago when you er on the anus of the genre, you He says that Koontz receives ad folk in SFR (by whatever title) deliberately left him to suffer in vances for every book he writes were taking off similarly on Le- the juices of his ignorance. I that are larger than Anthony's Guin's LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS; there had half a mind to haul you up on yearly income. Frankly, I doubt too, I raised my voice in protest. charges before the Secret Masters' it; my income has tripled since But as a poet has said, swinehood Guild -- until I saw that the Guild Platt interviewed me, and is still has no remedy.' had already acted on the matter by rising at what 1 suspect is one of doing the same thing back to you. the steepest rates in the genre; How does it feel to be ignored very few writers in the genre -- ((Alert to all readers: I'm switch while you're hurting? Will you perhaps half a dozen -- actually ing to letter gothic for editorial profit from this lesson, or will it earn more than I do now, and it answers in the letter section: more have to be repeated? would surprise me to learn that visibility, more impact, and the Koontz is one of them. italic I had been using for lo 'Two days after I received that these many years has broken a SFR, I answered a bunch of 20 fan 'As it happens, we have a ba tooth.)) letters, five of which were of the sis for comparison, because each of type you quoted. I have become ex us had a novel published last Oct ((Now, sirrah! Congratulations perienced at answering this type of ober (actually, I had three, but on reaching age 50 and for being so letter on a post card, so will show let's not complicate this). Mine successful at your chosen modus Vi you how to do it. You should have was DRAGON ON A PEDESTAL; it spent vendi for your workaholicism. said: "Dear So § SO: Assuming four months on the LOCUS list, ((The text of the letter you that you do have a story to tell peaking at number 1. His was PHAN excoriate me for not answering dic that you believe will interest oth TOM; correct me if I am wrong, but tated my non-response to it. Let ers enough to pay to read, you I don't believe it made the LOCUS me reprint it here for those who should type it in double-space list. This may be because it was don't want to look it up in SFR #50 with wide margins on one side of not considered to be a genre novel, and for those who don't have a copy each sheet, with your name or an though I would look askance at that of #50 (since #50 is sold out): abbreviated title on each sheet, exclusion. Very well, call it a 'I am interested in becoming a and send it loose-leaf to the pub horror novel and adjourn to some of professional writer and was wondering lisher of your choice. You can the main-stream lists. My novel, if you could either send me some in get the address from a current vol DRAGON, made the B. Dalton Best formation about becoming a writer ume of WRITERS' MARKET or similar seller list, peaking at number 1 and/or the addresses of the follow reference, which book may also have there too; his novel also made that ing science fiction writers: Isaac useful advice for you. But be list, peaking at number 10. Still, Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, Gordon prepared for rejection, as there is that's only one chain of stores; R. Dickson, Jerry Poumelle, and a great deal of competition, and let's go to a more general list. Alan Dean Foster. only one hopeful writer in a hund My novel spent four weeks on the 'Thank you very much.' red ever makes it to professional PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY list, peaking at ((He's 'interested' and he wants print. Make sure you enclose your number 7; his spent one week there to know how to do it. He doesn't go address and return postage, or you at number 15. My novel also spent to a library and look up books on may not get your manuscript back, five weeks on the NEW YORK TIMES how-to write, or buy a copy or two and allow several months for the list; I don't believe his made that of WRITERS DIGEST or THE WRITER, response. Good luck; you will, un list. So though his novel did have or anything else; simpler to ask a fortunately, need it. I regret a larger print order than mine, it pro to waste his time and postage. that SFR policy does not permit me does not seem to have sold as many No, better, he wants the addresses to divulge the addresses of profes copies. My publisher, DEL REY, has of five of the better known sf pros sional writers, but you may be able already paid me for 140,000 copies so he can bother them with witless to reach them in care of their pub sold in the first two weeks; I questions. He wants the "secrets" lishers." doubt his publisher, BERKLEY, has of writing imparted to him. 'Further along, I note George done the same. So if Koontz really ((None of the above listed writ H. Smith's objection to my remark is making advances larger than my ers have asked me to send this per about Dean Koontz in the DREAM MAK yearly income, perhaps Mr. Smith son's address; they haven't been ERS II Interview. Now I could say will be kind enough to clarify for faunchi ng to respond to his ques a lot about that interview and the other interested parties how he tions. manner that Charles Platt elected does it; it doesn't seem to be from ((If you wish to waste your to go with my offhand remarks about a higher sales base. time and money on this sort of the likes of Koontz rather than my 'And a concluding chide to your thing, Piers, that's fine—for you. detailed discussion of the way to "Vivisector," Darrell Schweitzer: But people like this man—and there abolish Writer's Block, but will are millions of them!—will eat you content myself with mentioning how 43 alive, will suck your time and en- ergy till you are a dry husk, in un conscious envy/hate activities born of their own failure and lack of talent. ((They cling and cluster like metal filings seeking a magnet. Your postcard response is not what they want, really; it isn't enough. ((I don't condemn genuine fans and admirers here. The self-posses sed person who has encountered good work and wishes to compliment the creator is another thing entirely. There are always too few of them! ((Do you really think God or His equivalent was punishing me for not responding to that letter by in flicting that awful toothache upon me at Christmas? ((By the way, I resigned from the Secret Masters Guild some years ago. They're secret, I can't deny 'Dorothea (HOW TO BECOME A WRIT 'Ace keeps saying they have that, but masters? Hardly any power ER) Brande said that fiction was now reprinted all of H. Beam Pip at al 11 most people's only contact with er's books -- except for the mys ((I chose to use the Platt in philosophy. Expanding this, could tery, and the newly discovered terview of you because it hadn't it be that the reading of SF was third Fuzzy — but where is CRISIS appeared in a fanzine before and I simply an acclimatisation/coming to IN 2140? Speaking of Piper, poor wasn't aware of the FANTASY NEWS terms with the philosophy of tech Roland Green; to have laboured so LETTER interview, and would have nology itself — or is that too hard on JANISSARIES II only to see felt in any case that there would simplistic? himself vanish from cover, and pub licity ... Even when mass-marketed. have been too great an overlap of 'What is sourly amusing about readers. And, too, Charles injects this review of PET SEMATARY is 'I believe I said that if de some personality and zest in his what it does not mention, just as Camp had done to the final Jorian stuff, whereas the usual Q and A few other reviews have mentioned. volume (UNBEHEADED KING) what Sch interview is often too dull for my PS is simply an expansion of an old weitzer's review hinted he had taste. short story, "The Monkey's Paw." done, I would sell my de Camp colln. ((I think you misremember what Granted, every author is influenc He had. I'm selling it. Well, appeared in SFR (or PSYCHOTIC) about ed to some extent, but at least it half. It is an obvious fact that THE LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS; I liked would be courteous to mention (as people change, and authors are no that novel. It opened up sf quite King does in the book) that the exception. I think there's a cut a bit. story was so narrowly influenced by off point of about five years be one story. (King did the same thing yond which an author should not re ((If this be swinehood, make with RITA HAYWORTH in DIFFERENT turn to a character or series he's the most of it! Oink, oink.)) SEASONS; I'm sure Jack Finney must once written. Obvious objectors have recognised an old plot of his will point out 2010, or FOUNDA ... with one difference, of course: TION'S EDGE, but they don't con no romance.) vince me, and neither does UNBE HEADED KING. The thrust and pur # LETTER FROM IAN COVELL 'I agree totally with Schweit pose of Jorian's original two books 2 Copgrove Close, Berwick Hills zer's dismissal of PRINCE OMBRA and are neither continued nor amplified Middlesbrough, Cleveland have been rather shocked by the by the third; the texture, emotions, England TS3 7BP recommendations shown in various tone and resolution have nothing in March 3, 1984 adverts for the books — some of common with the originals. De Camp the authors Who are quoted I had should have left it alone. (Just 'I did think when Piers Anthony often imagined had taste, discrim as Landis should never have written said it, that Koontz's "pseudonym ination and so on. Nope. the third CAMELOT book.)' ous" books and others weren't sel ling well, that it couldn't be true. '"The Archives" are useful as ever, though I'd have preferred I now discover that, as I had sus ((Fiction may indeed be most pected, yet another high-selling more of your own remarks on what's listed, I'm also sure that if you people's only contact with philoso author — Leigh Nicholls -- turns phy—unless you consider the every out to be Koontz in disguise. Why read as much as you received, dear SFR would suddenly go bi-annual. day exhibition of basic philosophy he continues to write such books in action, as in foreign policy, under other names instead of using (Do you know, by the way, why Pock et's edition of Morgan Llewellyn's economic policy, the renewed execu the clout he undoubtedly has to tions of murderers, the symptom of build up a readership is beyond me. THE HORSE GODDESS demolished the original wrap-around cover by Row philosophy betrayed by the return Ken Follett wrote under many pseu to button-down collars, shorter donyms while "learning" but has ena Morrill and left only isolated glimpses -- something they did also hair.... There is philosophy in stuck to his own name for about TV drama, too, though severely limi five years ... yet, conversely, with Don Kingsbury's novel; as a fan of Ms. Morrill I find it some ted. There, in the soaps especially the English author Chris Nicole the whole fiction is centered on continually alters his pseudonyms, what disturbing that she has such odd things done to her work...) the villains and villainesses who most of which sell well. I've yet have all the good lines, good scenes to understand why they do it... 44 and who are always plotting and act ing against the beleaguered good ton rejects ("fantasy wor be Settled and Certain. But most people. lds") have as much validity important—a need to feel import ((Technology is change; coming to as the ones he likes ("sci ant. Imagine the feeling of worth terms with change is difficult be entific, technological" it must give (if you desperately cause everyone wants security and worlds). (Emphasis added)." need it) to know there are vast love; who can love a robot which has forces—unseen-—which are battling just taken your job? "STOP THE 'Collins goes on, but this much for your immortal soul! Demons WORLD! I WANT TO GET OFF!" is now is depressing enough. Does anyone plotting to seduce you! Whole and will be an increasingly loud cry actually think that there is an ac complexes of financial and political and may be responsible for the emer tual widespread problem wherein and cultural power devoted to warp gence of "nostalgia" and the turn laboratory scientists' senses are ing society into unGodly and un ing back to "pioneer" life-styles: fooling them, resulting in their Christian shape in order to gain could be Survivalism has more to do misperceiving reality and there your soul! Ahhh...it gives me the with reaction against technology fore misinterpreting experimental shivers...the paranoia quiver of than fear of The Bomb. results? Is tfyere even a single delight. If only I could believe example of this kind of routine in ((Ah, wouldn't it be nice to be it! termittent schizophrenia? The con ((And imagine—given the power able to just edit and publish SFR cept would actually make a good and read sf and fantasy, and be "up" —the self-righteous lengths and end-of-the-world horror novel. ends to which these people would go. on the new fiction? But, alas, I Collins obviously does not even It gives one a vision of the past.)) have to write novels to make ends understand the disastrous conse meet, and.... Or, wouldn't it be quences of this ludicrous and un nice to only write novels and not founded statement that he throws have to read and review and publish out as if it were common knowledge.' SFR? Ah, I tell you, life is hard!)) ‘(Actually, the USA may be a- # LETTER FROM TONY ALSO-BROOK mong the few countries to attempt RENNER 2916 A Keokuk Street any comprehensive science education St. Louis, MD 63118 for all students. We met two vis Feb. 12, 1984 # LETTER FROM DOUG FRATZ itors from Holland this summer, THRUST PUBLICATIONS both well educated high school 'Thanks a lot for the copy of 8217 Langport Terrace teachers, who (we discovered) did SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW #50 which Gaithersburg, MD 20877 not know that stars were "suns" you sent in trade for ETHEL THE Oct. 30, 1983 that are much farther away! Hon FROG. If only the faaanish-type est .') fans I sent EtF to would trade so 'It seems that every time I freely ... open a newspaper or newsmagazine the last six months, there are ((Yes, there are two cultures. The .'A couPle comments about the features on the sorry state of our rational and intelligent, and the article on human sexuality: I ques- science and math education, replete irrational and (often) non-intelli- tloa the assertion that there is no with horrendous examples -- 80% of gent. I listened to about fifteen market whatsoever for lesbian porn high school graduates don't know minutes of fundamentalist Christian °graphy- Perhaps there are no spec that basic scientific fact, and 8S% dogma and opinion today as I shaved lflcally lesbian porn mags as there can do this basic mathematical cal and was astounded to hear a woman a1re for gay male audiences but then culation, etc.* who had written a book (THE BEAUTIFUL “e need doesn't really exist as FACE OF EVIL) discuss how she had there *s plenty of male-oriented 'It is less often, but just as been saved from demons and a false porn that would seem to do the trick distressing that I run into hor Christ by a friend invoking the cor rendous examples of our society's rect words: “In the hame of Jesus of failure to convey a basic underst Nazareth..." as opposed to "Jesus •SHE ASkfei) Fof^ IT^\ anding of science to those very Christ". She was thus exorcized of So YOU QAYE (J- highly educated, but outside of her demonic beliefs that certain the physical sciences. (Shades of faith healers and psychic surgeons HER.1? HOlAl GOME YoY C.P. Snow's two cultures.) Robert (who, she insisted, were actually Collins' letter in SFR #48 concern healing people!) were doing good ing Elton Elliott's "Raising Hack within the Christian world view in les" column provides another de spite of their individualistic and pressingly spendid example. non-establishment techniques. She 'To quote Bob Collins, who is went on to say that dowsing and as expounding on the difficulties of trology and the game of Dungeons trying to define such abstract and Dragons...any belief in the oc terms as "fiction" and "reality": cult of any kind...all of the super natural (ghosts, reincarnation, etc.) "'Of course we all think we is of the devil and not to be tol know what reality means, un erated in a true Christian. She MY til we're put to the test of had been, she sees now, worshipping lAllFC. defining it for someone else. and putting her faith in the Other (...) The laboratory scient Christ...and now, of course, with ist's naive faith in the "re her worship in Jesus of Nazareth, ality" of his data has been was whole and saved and pure at questionable, to say the last. Great god! Pure at last! least, for several genera ((I got a strong insight into tions now. Obviously, if her and her Need: the need for you can't pin down the na an alliance with the Real Power, ture of reality, you can't a need to Know and for things to eliminate the possibility that these worlds which El 45 if someone wanted sexually explicit he has anything IMPORTANT to say. tion of endurance and egotism. ("Why photographs of females or graphic '"And Then I Saw" ...is by far would a man spend his entire adult descriptions of sex acts. I also the strongest evidence I can think life publishing a fanzine?") Now strongly question the assertion of that SFR is too a fanzine. Your Mike Glyer, who seems to have the that the importance of physical at comments were interesting, Dick, but drive and peculiar insanity requir tractiveness and youth in determin dammit, I can find movie reviews ed, can have a long-term go at “my" ing sexual desirability is innate in anywhere and everywhere. I would records. I really don't think I'll men. Our culture teaches us that be publishing SFR for more than, say, have been happier to see that space young and "beautiful" is the most used for your comments on what you five years longer.)) desirable. (Having said that, I have read, which I probably could see that the counter-argument is not find anywhere else. "find a culture that doesn't put an emphasis on youth § beauty." Off 'The first part of "Raising # LETTER FROM RICH BROWN hand I can't think of one, but I Hackles" was very interesting to me 1632 19th Street NW, #2 can side-step that question by argu because I'm fascinated by "How I Washing D.C. 20009 ing that if most cultures put youth Met and Became Friends With A Fam Feb 14, 1984 first in determining sexual desir ous Person" tales. Elton's count- ability it is to insure that people er-anti-D§D crusade worries me a 'It seems Bjohn has been too mate with those still within child little because it doesn't look as busy playing Secret Master of Trek- bearing years.) (I also see why though Elton has done any more re dom and L. Ron Hubbard sycophant to discussions of sexuality in fanzines search on his foes as they have look at a calendar, else he'd real go on and on, and constantly keep done on DfjD. Elton says, "I have ize the irrelevance of pointing out popping up.) heard" this and "I have heard" that that a few small-circulation fan but if he is so whipped-up about 'I can't top your Christmas zines beat out zines with larger the whole thing WHY DOESN'T HE time toothache story, but I did circulations 20 years and more ago. WRITE TO GARY GREENWALD AND GET THE spend New Year's Day sick with some For the record, worldcon attendance INFORMATION FIRST HAND? By basing sort of flu bug or mild form of in Them Thar Days was counted in his opinions on hearsay evidence food poisoning. the hundreds -- with 600-700 eli Elton is being just as bad as Green gible voters, FANAC and CRY (with 'Itwas rather amusing to find wald. It occurs to me that there circulations in the 300 range) that Piers Anthony is still feud are already several anti-censor stood a reasonable chance against ing with Dean Koontz. That's one ship groups that one could join FANTASY (later SF) TIMES (with a of the nice things about fandom: that are probably more likely to do circulation in the 500-600 range) -- there are always things that remain anything positive than Elton's rath which incidentally had already won constant. er narrowly-focused "Save Science a Hugo. CRY even had a "home field' Fiction" movement. Hasn't it occur 'Another of those constants is advantage -- it won its Hugo at red to to Elton that his pro-sci that Ted White will be embroiled in Seacon, put on by its editors. ence fiction fervor isn't all that some controversy or another. I'm Those who get off on reading BAT different from their pro-God ferv of two minds about the fan Hugo a- TLEFIELD EARTH might claim FANTASY/ or? ■ Oh, yes, I almost forgot, El wards: In a way, taking you and SF TIMES won two Hugos on the basis ton is RIGHT. But, wait, Gary Green LOCUS out of the fan category makes of quality — but I tend to doubt wald is RIGHT, too. Wouldn't it sense because it had grown boring, anyone who can read without moving make sense to put this mess on the and a little absurd, to see the Hu their lips would agree. When the back burner for a while and wait to go alternate between only those two quasi-literate FT won, it was over see if Greenwald and his crew real publications year after year. The a zine called HYPHEN, which I'm ly are trying to ban D§D before go current issue of SFR though, makes sure John G. realizes many people ing off on a holy war and convincing it clear that you are just as "fan- consider to be one of the finest Greenwald that DgD is bad? One nish" as Mike Glyer and it's total fanzines of all time. If John can last comment: How do those poor ly unfair to take SFR out of the think of a reason besides circula little kids who haven't seen STAR fan category simply because it keeps tion to explain this, I'll listen. WARS get along in this world?' winning Hugo awards. Apart from the 'If I'm puzzled by being twice fact Mike Glyer is almost certainly WAHFed in my attempt to straighten going to win for a fanzine which ((Ah, but I haven't won a Best Fan out Arnie Fenner, it's not from a appears to me to be little more zine award for four or five years— belief that my Deathless Prose than a smaller-scale LOCUS, it will it's been a Locus Hugo for all that should hot at times by buried alive be refreshing to see a new fanzine win the award. time. We haven't "alternated" winn but because Mr. Fenner is allowed ing that Hugo for a long time. And to go uncorrected in his contention now that SFR is ruled a semi-pro zine that what I was "really" saying 'I enjoyed the Kurt Vonnegut and in that category with LOCUS, I'm was "it's unfair that an amateur interview. It seems that Vonnegut sure that category will be dominated magazine that 3000 people buy reg has lost most of his status as a by LOCUS forever more. ularly gets more votes for the Hugo "major literary figure." I only I do get nominated, though, and than a magazine that sells 500" and saw one advertisement for DEAD EYE I'm humble and proud to be (probably) "because BOONFARK and FILE 770 don't DICK and only a couple of very brief the most-nominated fan of all time, have an equal amount of success reviews. Apparently sales for his for Hugo awards. But that's a func- (despite contending for the atten new works aren't very high as I tion span of the same active SF don't believe PALM SUNDAY ever came readers), the Hugos have become out as a mass market paperback. I meaningless." While I'm willing to don't know what it all means, or e- make a case for the unfairness un ven if it means anything. For my der the old rules, I did not do so own part, I still read Vonnegut -- in SFR, as you well know, Geis — and have come around to liking him although I can see why it may suit again after a brief period of find your pouting pose better to leave ing him useless -- mostly because me accused of making such a dumb his writing is funny, not because 46 statement. 'In the letter to which Amie dom has a circulation higher than old rules. John and Arnie can say was ostensibly replying, I said 300. To argue, as Arnie does, things in defense of the Hugos you circulation can be a gauge of qual that because zines designed to make have received which would be seen ity among fanzines published with a profit have greater circulations, as absurd if you said them your the same or similar aims and goals. it follows that they must be "bet self -- since, again, at least some It was at least implicit in my ter" is like saying THE READER'S DI people know you do "know better." statement that not all fanzines GEST must be better than any SF mag 'No one can accuse you or Char are published for the same (or ev azine, since no SF magazine has ev lie Brown of "manipulating" the en vaguely similar) aims and goals. er had a circulation over 1 million rules so they would be to your ad Unable to comprehend this simple whereas THE READER'S DIGEST is vantage, since they were in place distinction, Arnie is of the opin read by 33 million people world before you began publishing. I ion that FILE 770 and BOONFARK are wide. suppose they can say, with some "contending for the attention span justification -- although again of the same active SF readers" 'While I agree with those who perhaps not in SFR — that not once (my emphasis) as LOCUS and SRF; and, changed the Hugo rules to the ex in all the years you and Charlie like the editors of SFR and LOCUS, tent that I think there was some played Hugo volleyball did either want to "sell" as many copies of unfairness involved in the earlier of you attempt to make this known to their zines as they can, or are setup, the thrust of my comments in your readers. If either of you gauging their success by how many SFR was that the new "semi-profes cared about the value of the Hugos copies they sell." I note that sional magazine" category (design you were receiving, it would have while he is upset at having his ed to keep zines like ALGOL, SFR, been a simple matter to say some qualifications challenged by Ted LOCUS, §c. from being voted on as thing like, "While I sincerely ap White, Arnie does not so much de fanzines) substituted unfairness by preciate being nominated for and fend them as dismiss what was said design for something that is unfair winning so many Hugos, I'd like to because he thinks Ted is "as ignor by accident. I didn't and still urge my readers to vote this year ant of me and my reading background don't, think two wrongs make a only if they have read all the as he claims I am of fanzines and right. nominees." It might have been Hugos." In fact, not only is Arn ‘Arnie doesn't know enough to worth a try -- it might have made ie's ignorance inferable from what see unfairness in the earlier rules your Hugos really mean something. he said, but "ignorance” is a char -- but you do, Dick. When a hobby It may well say something about itable description of his remarks fanzine with 300 circulation is nom your insecurities -- or Charlie's — since if ignorance is not at inated for a Hugo and 1000 ballots — that all either of you ever said fault, it must be stupidity. are cast for SFR or LOCUS, the hob in that period was, "Vote for me/my 'Having access to Dan Steffan's by editor knows at least 700 ballots fanzine." Neither of you is res mailing list, I feel it's unlikely were cast by fans who never saw his ponsible for the unfairness in those Mr. Fenner has read BOONFARK; Dan's fanzine. Obviously, no quality old rules but obviously you both next door neighbor, Ted White, has comparison is involved, although took deliberate and calculated ad had similar access. BNF is not the award is ostensibly for the vantage of it. And I trust neither sold on newsstands or by huxters "best" (not "most popular") fan you or Charlie are naive enough to at conventions. If I'm wrong, and zine.. (I suspect the same occurs claim your exhortations to vote for Arnie has actually read a copy, it in other categories, i.e., people you or your fanzine were not made is certainly clear that he has who have read only a few -- or in the certain knowledge that a failed to understand what he has sometimes only one — of the nom vast number of your readers read read, since no one who has read inees vote anyway. In the case of few, or no, other fanzines. and understood it could believe it fanzines, sheer numbers make it ob 'Well, I've been maintaining -- was being aimed at the "same" ac vious this is the case.) and will keep on maintaining — tive SF readers as LOCUS or SFR. 'This has been so for quite that two wrongs don't make a right. At least, Ted White knows better; some time, although the numbers But perhaps because fringefans are I know better; John G. Trimble were not all that lopsided until unlikely to refrain from voting in knows better — even you, Dick worldcon attendance rose into the categories about which they are Geis, know bbtter. Arnie; apparent thousands and more fringefans — who somewhat, if not totally, ignorant ly, does not. He won't own to ig see but few of the zines nominated -- or because neither you or Charlie norance, so call it stupidity; it -- were, under those old rules, ever cared enough about the unfair must, you see, be one or the other qualified to "vote in ignorance" — ness of your circulation advantage and I'm of a mind to let Mr. Fenner the Arnie Fenners of our microcosm, to bring it to your readers' atten have his pick. (Yes, I know, my who feel no qualms about proclaim tion — my point has been ignored. generosity is overwhelming.) ing LOCUS and SFR "the best," even Under the circumstances, it doesn't 'SFR and LOCUS actively seek though it might be evident from really surprise me. No, the only subscribers, but as most zines not what they have to say that they've thing that surprises me is that it sold for profit, they do net. Al neither read nor seen the zines surprises you.' most all are self-published, most they are effectively casting votes (if not all) the expense is borne against. Under the circumstances, by the editor -- so adding 100-200 I do think their qualifications "new" readers could turn a hobby in might be questioned -- albeit not, ((No, Rich, you were not cut from to an expensive and time-consuming it seems, in SFR. previous issues to protect my ego or drudge. Most of these are not "con to prevent you from venting your tending" for the "same" readers as 'But I dig it: You print Arn bile or to prevent you from impart SFR and LOCUS but are aimed at a ie's obvious inanities and -- ing your Truth to the SFR readership. smaller and generally quite differ although you may "know better" your Your letters were cut because I am ent group of readers -» so neither self -- no one can really blame you always short of space and I consider their "success" or "quality" is for not pointing out (to them or ed other letters of greater interest gauged by circulation. your readers) that you're well a- at those crunch-layout times. This ware SFR and you have both benefit- perennial savagery over the fanzine 'Further, since few fans are ted from the unfairness of those Hugos gets tiresome and is of inter est to only a few. But I enjoy a wealthy, the "average" fanzine sel 47 certain amount of it. As you do, am I trembling? My blood is running obviously. cold!)) 9 on one hand and real books on the ((You say 'SFR and LOCUS active ((Are you happy, Rich? No, other. (Comic books used to do that. Maybe nowadays one progres ly seek subscribers...1 I suppose you're not. You think I'm making LOCUS does. SFR does not. I have ses from videogames to participa fun of you. You're right.)) not advertised SFR for years. I tion books to comic books and then have deliberately whittled away the into real fiction.) I know someone number of bookstores which handle whose nine-year-old son won't read SFR by insisting they pay for copies anything else. If his participa in advance. Fewer and fewer are tion books were taken away, I'm willing or able to do that. Fine. sure the kid would go back to tele I have a standard procedure for SFR vision. At least he is getting the subscribers: one notice that their idea that there is enjoyment to be sub will expire "next issue" and a found in books and that it is pos final notice when that final issue sible to get a story from the print comes out. I do not follow up with ed page. (High school teachers I letters or mailings after that. know tell me many of their students ((I could have built SFR's cir haven't gotten that far.) culation up and up but chose, years 'But on the dark side, I do ago to stay with 64 pages, sort-of agree with Charles that there is a amateurish layouts and mechanicals, menace: If these things make more andthis Selectric typer's "balls" money than real fiction, publishers and ragged right-hand margins. will decide this is the way to go. ((Many, many pure fanzines look They will publish more quest-by- far more professional than does SFR. # LETTER FROM DARRELL SCHWEITZER numbers books .and less fiction. I Fiendishly clever of me, eh? 113 Deepdale Rd, Strafford, PA ((I also chose/decided years ago can envision some Pocket Books of 19087 Jan 30, 1984 the future dumping a future David to let SFR's circulation sink to its Hartwell because his science fic natural level by attrition. Little 'Help.' I find myself agreeing tion didn't sell as well as the by little the circulation has shrunk, with both Charles Platt and Elton reader participation line did. settled lower and lower... until Elliott in the same issue! You have That's bad news for all of us. now the number of those who are pay no idea how disorienting this is. ing subscribers number about 1200. They should be worried too. I 'The manace Elton sees is a bit more familiar. His column has Soon.. .soon...Rich, horror of hor- think they're both slipping ... ros, SFR's circulation(if I cut out a certain born-yesterday feel to it bookstore sales) will be below the 'Actually, there are slight The fundamentalist threat has been magic 1000 number and will OHMIGHOD! differences, so the world hasn't around for a long time. It has qualify as a pure fanzine again! I quite ended yet. It never occurred been in its present, particularly could even stop making token payments to me, as it has to Charles, that virulent stage for over a decade. to contributors of major pieces and reader-participation books are a Before Elton goes off and starts a be utterly pure amateur. menace to literature. I suppose defense fund, he ought to do his ((How would that grab you’ Be this is because it never occurred to homework and find out what has al prepared. me that they are any more related ready been done in this field. ((The truth is I intend, sooner to literature than a crossword puz There may be some already existing or later, when the circulation is zle or a pacman game. Of course, group which deserves our support. low enough, to "convert" SFR from he is right --■ a do-it-yourself ad Starting a new one from scratch this format and style to a personal- venture-type book by its very nat might not merely waste a lot of ef zine. Maybe it'll be RICHARD E ure cannot have any merit as fic fort, but divide the defense. GEIS again, or PSYCHOTIC, or some tion. No one has ever produced one that has, and no one ever will. 'Ironically, the best way to other manifestation of me. But I defend science fiction against such will do that, in my *sob* declining The only thing like this I've ever enjoyed was Charles' own specimen an attack is to emphasize its kin years, and then...yes, maybe then., ship to fantasy. Fantasy, once you of the genre, published in QUARK we 11 have a true test for the fan point it out to even the dimmest many years ago. But that was a Hugo awards. Or maybe not. Life school board member, is literarily isn't fair. comic strip, which is a medium more suited to such games. respectable. Just about every ma ((I make no bones about liking jor literary figure in history of to win Hugos. And I may have in the 'We could be optimistic and the world has written some fantasy. past asked readers to vote for SFR; say that at least these participa (Including Moses and the Four Evan I don't recall. I certainly haven't tion books involve more reading gelists, you might add, but we in recent memory. I know better than a video game (or a crossword won't say that.) If you argue that because asking or begging or cajoling puzzle). I suspect that they are science fiction is a form of fan readers for votes is contra-produc read by kids (or adults) who other tasy and therefore part of the tive and is humiliating to boot. wise would be playing video games, main tradition of the world's lit *Oh,_Ghod, just one more Hugo!!* No not by people who would otherwise erature, you have just annexed a no, it's beneath me. be reading real fiction. The illit lot of prize material. It seems to ((Ill even do as you suggest. erate audience is larger than the me that the old cry of "These peop Yes, yes, all you SFR readers out literate audience. The reason le are trying to ban Shakespeare there, hear me! Attend! While I these books are so successful is and Mark Twain" still packs some sincerely appreciate being nominat- that they enable the publisher to punch. A real dishonest-to-God , and winning so many Hugos, reach further into the illiterate fundamentalist would like to ban I d like to urge...to urge my...my audience than ever before. That Shakespeare and Mark Twain, natur readers to v-vote t-t-this year only means serious money. ally, along with all imaginative it-—if—(you don't know how hard literature and anything else that 'An optimist might speculate this is for me!)—if you haveread might expand the reader's mental that these books can form a bridge allthenominees! horizons, but if you force them to between television and videogames ((My Ghod, I'm trembling! Why admit it, only the extreme lunatic 48 fringe will go along. 'Another thought: As long as would consider a fan, is to them a and died fighting the Persians in a Richard McEnroe is looking for re mundane. Of course, such people military campaign! do not read SFR and have probably actions to the Pocket Books fiasco, 'Mr. Schweitzer is quite entit never heard of Gilliland. If they I might mention that when it was led to tranfer historical figures saw the cartoon, they wouldn't un all over I asked myself, "Well, from Roman history, into a medieval derstand the propellor beanie sym what does Pocket Books do under the romance g theological fantasy set bolism. ' new arrangement?" They don't ac ting, provided he acknowledges the quire books. The packager does real-life existence, and established that. They don't deal with artists. facts about individual characters! The packager does that too. They 'Turning to our own activities, don't print books. They don't the Dublin University S.F. Society, typeset them. They don't distrib has about 300 members (founded 1983), ute them. They don't sell them. and we are affiliated to the Irish You see the point? S.F. Association (founded 1976), which has several hundred members. 'The Pocket Books office is someplace you may pass through on 'The I.S.F.A's patrons are James the way to someplace important. White, (The S.F. author from Belfast, Or maybe not. The publisher has writer of the "Sector General" ser been reduced to a middle level man ((I suspect that a lot of mainline ies), Harry Harrison § Anne McCaff agement operation, possibly extran publishers are thinking the same rey, both of whom have been living eous to the real business of pub thoughts you are and seeing the in Ireland for many years, (under lishing books. What happens when same writing on the wall: short the income tax-free artists' status), the packager and the writers and term advantages may backfire into and lastly Harlan Ellison in the U. the distributors and Walden Books longterm disaster if they become S.A. and the printer all get their heads mere conduits and assemblers and 'Proceeding to SFR #50, I great together, glance over at the so- dealers. ly appreciate Gregory Benford's ar called publisher and say, "What do ((It may be already too late. ticle, "Hard S.F. in the Real World," we need him for?" What happens Could not a small group of special on pp. 29-34. when they figure out how to cut the ist packagers get together under an 'As a devotee of the genre my publisher out entirely? umbrella publishing name, in alli self, and having read his 2 novels, 'It'll serve him right, as I ance with a printer and a distribu- TIMESCAPE, and IF THE STARS ARE GODS, see it. That's what he gets for tor/bookstore chain and say goobye it was most revealing to perceive surrendering all his responsibili to the Name Publishers? the author's own in-depth analysis ties . ((In 1985 and 1986 when the of the subject. next down-leg into deeper,recession 'If we want to get historical settles over this land, cost-cutting 'Finally, I would like to com about it, we might say this is the and bottom-line factors may force ment on a point raised in Buzz Dix tail end of a SOO-year devolution some monumental shifts and adjust on's letter on p. 23 in SFR #50. into senility. In Caxton's time, ments in Big Name Publishing.)) He stated that VARNEY THE VAMPIRE the guy who owned the printing (attributed to T.P. Prest), (pub press was the publisher. He did lished originally in the "penny everything except (sometimes) write dreadful" magazine REYNOLDS MISCEL the book. He acquired the manu LANY, 1845-7)...sold quite well, but script. He set type, bought paper, # LETTER FROM DAVID LASS somehow fell from view, while its printed, bound and finally sold the D.U.S.F. Society competitor DRACULA, (written by Bram books. "To be sold in his shop," Regent House, Trinity. College, Stoker in 1897) has indeed become a as many 15th and 16th Century title Dublin 2, EIRE classic work of fiction"---- pages say. But the process has 'As a founder member and Hon. been subdividing ever since, and 'As a new reader and subscriber, Librarian of the Bram Stoker Society nowadays some publishers don't do I would like to compliment both the (founded in Dublin 1980), we have much of anything. Editor § Associate Editor, for their been engaged in serious study of the remarkably high standards achieved sources of DRACULA, both in the Eng 'Aside: It seems that, as ed in all sections of SFR, No's 49-50. lish Gothic novel, and in the Anglo- itor, Caxton was meddlesome in the Irish literary tradition. finest 20th Century fashion. He 'Particularly enjoyable in #49 'The latter was directly influ changed LE MORTE D'ARTHUR consider were the Charles Platt column (whose enced by Sheridan Le Fanu's celebrat ably. This was not discovered un controversial erotic novel THE GAS ed vampire novel CARMILLA (published til the Winchester Manuscript turn I read in the Savoy Books edition, 1872), as well as the earlier THE ed up in the 1930s. It took almost before it was banned in the U.K., VAMPIRE OF POLIDORI (1816). 500 years for the book to get into and the ((I don't see how books, with up to # CARD FROM POUL ANDERSON two-year lead times, can review 3 Las Palomas, Orinda, CA magazines. The "magabook" concept LETTER FROM JOHN BRUNNER 94563 Feb. 14, 1984 works for reviews of other books be BRUNNER FACT § FICTION LTD cause of the availability of advance The Square House, Palmer St., 'The late Dean Dickensheet once copies and because a reviewer can S. Petherton, Somerset TAI3 told me that years before, while review a hardcover and be fairly S DB, England working in defense industry, he met sure that novel will appear later 28th January 1984 a John Carter who admitted to hav in paperback. ing been the patient of "The Jet- ((As noted elsewhere in this 'THE CASE OF THE JET-PROPELLED Propelled Couch." I have no way issue, SFR will not be carrying a COUCH now of verifying this, but Dean was review column devoted to sf magazin a truthful man, and the story cer 'Dear Dick, es, after all. )) tainly seems reasonable.' 'I see from your latest issue that people are still trying to i- dentify Paul Linebarger with the pa tient in Lindner's THE FIFTY MINUTE HOUR. Oh, dear: I though: that can # LETTER FROM NORMAN KAGAN ard had been laid to rest years 408 East 64th Street, #3C ago! # LETTER FROM DONALD FRANSON NYC, 10021 'After I left the RAF and moved 6543 Babcock Ave., N. Holly August 28, 1983 to London, for six months or so I wood, CA 91606 was a technical abstractor on "The February 7, 1984 'I have read and enjoyed SCI Industrial Diamond Information Bul ENCE FICTION REVIEW for a while letin," standing in for Sam Youd 'I was struck by the connection and noticed that one ongoing ("John Christopher") while he did between two items on page 4 of SCI theme of your magazine is the in the boss's job until the latter got ENCE FICTION REVIEW #50: an announ ability to define science fiction out of hospital. My duties involv cement of a new SF magazine that in a way that most people will a- ed spending two weeks per month in will, among other things, review gree with. Towards this end, I the Patent Office Library, checking books; and a letter from an old- recently devised a way of repre the current scientific journals for time fan (Roy Tackett) complaining senting genres, including science references to industrial diamonds that magazines are being hurt by fiction, which I think will be of (what else?) and since one of the lack of publicity, and your concur interest to you and your readers. things you can use a diamond for is rence, with a praiseworthy promise 'The chart proposes a unified as a radiation detector, I had to to review same again in SFR. genres theory with regard to the cover publications from inter alia 'But that is not the solution. film medium, organized among ten the US Atomic Energy Commission. I The above two items only strengthen genres in three modes. While it can therefore state categorically my belief that, since about the is organized around films, I be that at the date in question (1955) 1950s, when SF book publication lieve it is equally applicable to there was or had very recently been boomed and magazines began to de SF books, most obviously suggest a guy working for the AEC who was cline, magazines have reviewed ing their tendency to fade into named John Carter; that he co-auth books, but books have not even men fantasy or straight war stories. ored more than one published paper; tioned magazines. Is there some On a more basic level, all other and that — to the best of my re way to reverse the traffic on this genres are rooted in strong as collection -- he vanished from the one-way street? sumptions about social and indiv abstracts lists just about the time idual behavior. Only SF, in ten I moved on to my next job. 53 sion between war's No-Man's-Land and dream/fantasy counterparts of enemy occupation as in THE SEVENTH familiar corrupt society. Like life, is interested in an ’’unknown?’ CROSS; 2001 ’’trascendental com wise an SF ’’political thriller” tomorrow. Much of the difficulty bats” as in POTEMKIN and PATTON. like BUG JACK BARRON ends up with and confusion in strictly defin STAR WARS and E.T. seem to be, at a villain who is a virtual Dracula ing SF has to do with ’’futuristic” least ’’formally,” fantasies, (by destroying ordinary individu films and books which are just dream counterparts of key life e- als, he can live forever). other genre works set in the fu vents such as friendship and ture — e.g. OUTLAND (western), ’’good” and ’’bad" parents. ’An interesting relationship DEATHRACE 2000 (contest), HEART in the theory is thatSF/horror BEEPS (outlaws). These are weak represents a ’’sublimated” form of ’Attempts to construct SF the madness and amoral contest/ satires in those genres at best, works in other genres besides and significantly, usually despis success genres. (e.g. DR. JEKYLL borderline war and borderline AND MR. HYDE sublimates PSYCHO or ed by SF afficionados, who fantasy seem upon reflection to sense their lack of the genre’s PERSONA; DESTINATION MOON the am be ’’empty” in terms of the other bition of THE SETUP or TREASURE characteristic themes, mood and genre. Consider the successful tone. OF THE SIERRA MADRE. Compared to ”SF detective” works, THE CAVES OF their ’’subversive counterparts," ’By contrast, most SF films STEEL and THE DEMONLISHED MAN. SF works tend to be bleak, stiff are in tension between the war and Both actually use war contexts and repressed, but such is the way fantasy genres: DESTINATION MOON (the Spacers/City War; 23-century of sublimation.’ The rich interior fantasies the high-tech mission Hitler), fantastic detectives (a landscape of personality is ex (as in AIRFORCE); THE THING mindreader, a perfect logician), ternalized as spectacular art di the all-powerful enemy (as in and crimes that are Cosmic Turning rection and special effects. LIFEBOAT); NINETEEN EIGHTY FOUR Points rather than products of a Again THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT is WESTERN GENRE - individual WAR GENRE - joining moves community towards civilization society through hardship The Man Who Shot Stagecoach Ft Apache Patton Abe Lincoln Liberty Valance 001: A Space TRAGICl HEROIC in Illinois AU Quiet on the Odyssey DETECTIVE GENRE- My Darling Clementine MO DE SCI Fl/HORROR GENRE - moral action in a Western Front complicity with abhorrent corrupt world Forbidden Planet Cutter's Way Broken Arrow MELO DRA MATIC/ FliIsafe MORAL IZING High Noon MO DE Air Force Dr. Jeckel A Mj Hyde The Big Sleep Dirty Hany Walking Tall Lifeboat Destination Moon Frankenstein The Maltese 12 Angry Men ar of the Worlds Falcon Red River Dr S Invasion of the Body Snatchers All the President McCabe COM IC/ Men Chinatow Mrs. IRON IC Blowup Miller MODE Mash Sleeper Wizard of Oz The Long Wings Countdown Littk All About Eve Goodbye Young Frankenstein tar Wars Eagle Clockwork Orange The Magic Flute The Big Knife Straw Superman Cabaret FANTASY GENRE - Day for Night Nashville Akx in Brewster McCloud dream counterparts SHOW BUSINESS GENRE - The Entertainer "Wonderland What Price New York New York Discreet Charm of Boun. of key life compulsion to "perform ” A UNIFIED GENRE THEORY —ten genres in three modes (tragic/heroic: moralizing/ Ie.g. are of mixed genres/mixed modes). Genres resolve tensions between two bordering center. As genres tend to "masuline dreams/' their comic/ironic modes act as feminist subveHve/counterparts (e.g. outlaw outcast family), linking the "primordial'' genres of doughnut, with darkest Ironic films merging, on the hack, into mythic and then heroic/ melodramatic; comic/ironic). with exemplary films. /Xcclaimed films often lie near margins genre themes. Minor genres (e.g. musical, epic) may lie charted as narrow rings about the critiques. Note upper curve holds social sublimation genres (e.g. western) and lower curve fantasy and performance (show business). Last, the chart is not pieshaped but a torus or tragic ones. 54 interested as SF/horror genre as the other hand, has turned away irony which amounts to what crit from that great socializing exper ics call "demystification" — ience, and prefers its "dreamlike THE EXPERIMENT note its climax in which a raging, counterparts of key life experi By Michael Carson wheelchair-bound capitalist (pub ence" straight — dad, mom, Signet, March 1984, $2.50 lisher? producer?) leads citizens friends and foes, etc. Anyway, in a mad attack on the film's in don't blame me for any of the a- REVIEWED BY PAULETTE MINARE' nocent "Dr. Frankenstein," divert bove, I'm just a well-meaning Young Doctor Vicki Blake hears ing them from their class inter part-time film theorist.' ests . the supposedly demented rantings of Alice Greenway as she babbles in 'To tell the truth, I've grown comprehensibly about "where they a little nervous about the theory TEN YEARS AGO IN SF — SPRING, 1970 hide the babies"..."Upstairs. Ba since I can't seem to find any bies everywhere"... "Glass eggs':'... thing in SF I can't fit into it. BY ROBERT SABELLA "Floating,"..."Not hatched." For example, Heinlein's THE MAN WHO SOLD THE MOON. No war, no In this novel, THE EXPERIMENT, written by Dr. Charles D. Smith fantasy, just pioneering in space Award season was in full swing deal, M.D., who writes under the or maybe Moses. But if it resemb with the usual announcement of de pen name Michael Carson, he ex les anything closely, it's a fan serving winners intermingled with plains and very graphically por tastic extension of "command saga" some overrated works ... The Nebula trays little-known procedures for war films created about the same Awards for 1973 went to RENDEZVOUS abortions without regard for the time — TWELVE O'CLOCK HIGH and WITH RAMA, by Arthur C. Clarke for reader's shocked disillusionment. COMMAND DECISION. Heinlein even Best Novel; "The Death of Doctor The protagonist,' Dr. Blake, has wrote a sequel, in which ground Island," by Gene Wolfe for Best her first residency in Manhattan's bound commander dies happily, like Novella; "Of Mist, And Grass, And Eastside Women's Hospital where she the Air Force generals in the mov Sand," by Vonda N. McIntyre for finds it impossible to remain ob ies who have nervous breakdowns Best Novelette; and "Love Is The jective about the number of still after succeeding. Likewise, his Plan, the Plan is Death," by James births and those bom with congeni THE ROLLING STONES can be seen as Tiptree, Jr. for Best Short Story tal anomalies, plus the late-preg- a fanciful version of MRS. MINI ... The John W. Campbell Memorial nancy abortions performed. Not un VER, TUNNEL IN THE SKY or STARMAN Award was a tie between RENDEZVOUS til much later does she discover JONES versions of films about com WITH RAMA and Robert Merle's under the secret experimental laboratory bat training like I WANTED WINGS. rated classic MALEVIL ... Harlan on the seventh floor where "comput Ellison picked up two awards. One er pregnancies" are the project of 'In proposing the theory I was the Writers' Guild Award for — someone I had not suspected. don't really seek to belittle SF Best Dramatic Episodic Teleplay for by claiming that it's just fanci "Phoenix Without Ashes," the pre After Dr. Blake first watches ful versions of old war movies or miere episode of THE STARLOST. The an abortion performed, she faints THE WIZARD OF OZ with technology other was the Mystery Writer's of from shock. Later: (though a recently critical paper America's Edgar Award for Best ..."But she couldn't get argued that idea about Niven's Short Story for "The Whimper of the scene from her mind of RINGWORLD.) Rather it is that SF Whipped Dogs" ... THE MAGAZINE OF Dr. Braymer taking that is not "privileged" as a genre, FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION, in a child from its mother's it does not contain or "transcend" sort of award of its own, devoted uterus, piece by piece, the other genres, as many enthus its April issue to celebrating the like gutting a live chick iasts have argued. The theory, career of Robert Silverberg. This en with a bent grapefruit if correct, seems to suggest that was the latest in a series of spec spoon...'That wasn't an the genres are organized around ial issues which in the past had abortion, she thought. tension between two basic irration featured such writers as Isaac As That was brutal, barbar al forms of human behavior, fan imov, Theodore Sturgeon and James ic mayhem.'" --(p. 206) tasizing and performance, or play Blish. The highlight of the issue acting. Most successful SF, books was the publication of Silverberg's An independent continuing nar or films, seems to deal with fan major novella "Bom With The Dead." rative in italics heads each chap tasies linked with social behav ter, a different facet in the same iors and social contexts. One of setting, providing a fascinating the main reasons for my faith in mystery which is revealed at the it, in passing, is that Asimov's end. story "Nightfall," voted the best Both heart-wrenching and stom SF story of all time, embodies ach-retching, this medical thril this tension in perhaps its most ler has all one can desire in a naked upsetting treatment.* T.S. novel: horror, intrigue, murder, Elliot put it the other way round; romance, mystery, credibility and people can't stand very much rea science of the near future. lty- ***** 'P.S. One more thought. A lot of correspondence in your publica tion deals with the decreasing a- mount of SF, and rise in the vol ume of fantasy. I would suggest that one reason for this is that the older generation of SF writers experienced World War II as the central event of their lives, and their work has tended to fantasize it. The younger generation, on 55 THE ARCHIVES THE ARCHIVES RECORD RECENT SCIENCE LUCKY STARR AND THE BIG SUN OF FICTION AND FANTASY RELEASES, SOME MERCURY By Isaac Asimov writing as TIMES WITH COMMENTARY OR RELEVANT Paul French, Ballantine, Feb 1984, INFORMATION. $1.95 'If Mercury's Project Light succeeded, desert heat and THE ARCHIVES IS A DATA BASE AND MAY polar cold would vanish from the SAVE THE READER MONEY AND TIME. Earth, and the seasons would be re arranged to Man's liking. But now something was wrong on Mercury so the Council of Science sent Lucky A Starr, its ace investigator'... K MIDSUMMER TEMPEST By Poul And‘ erson, TOR, 1984, $2.95 'Welcome 100 GREAT FANTASY SHORT SHORT to the world of Puck and Caliban, STORIES Ed. by Isaac Asimov, Terry Oberon and Titania, Ariel and Nep Carr, Martin H. Greenberg. tune, to the world of Faery, where Doubleday, March 1984, $15.95 a single night can while away a ...'100 of the greatest, shortest century and gold can turn to dross fantasy stories ever written.'... in the twinkling of an elfin eye... but what in the world of Faery is that steam engine doing there — and THE GREAT SF STORIES Ed- Isaac King Charles: he wasn't even born Asimov § Martin H. Greenberg, Vol. when Shakespeare wrote!'... 11, DAW, March 1984, $3.50 'Relive the mythic moments of 1949 with the now-legendary giants THE UNICORN TRADE By Poul andKaren of yesterday and today.'... Anderson, TOR, April 1984, $2.95 Stories and poetry, first pub lication in book form. ISAAC ASIMOV'S MAGICAL WORLDS OF FANTASY, #2, Edited by laaac Asimov, Martin H. Greenberg, & Charles G. THE PIG PLANTAGENET By Allen And Waugh, Signet, April 1984, $3.95. rews, TOR, 1984, (c) 1980, $2.95 Anthology of 14 witch stories. In 13th Century France, a spy, a pig named Plantagenet, acts to protect the beasts against the HIT OR MYTH By Robert Asprin wealthy farmer who seeks to slaugh Starblaze, 1983, $6.95, 127 pp. ter them. Illustrated by Phil Foglio, paperbk. QUEST OF THE DAWNSTAR By Gordon Others of the series: ANOTHER FINE McBain, Avon/Flare original, March MYTH, MYTH CONCEPTIONS, MYTH DIREC 1984, $2.25 A legendary scientist named Truestar discovers ancient INTERGALACTIC EMPIRES — ISAAC TIONS. 'Skeeve and Aahz are back asimov's wonderful worlds of for the fourth book of the best maps and charts left by the ancient SCIENCE FICTION #1 selling myth series by award-winning lost civilization of Atlantis, the land of his ancestory. Edited by Isaac Asimov, Martin H. Robert Asprin. The young sorcerer's Greenberg, and Charles G. Waugh apprentice suddenly finds himself Signet, Dec. 1983, $2.95 alone when his demon mentor is lur CORONA. THE NEW STAR TREK NOVEL Nine stories, introduction by ed back to his own dimension— for by Greg Bear, Pocket, April 1984, Asimov. good! Now Skeeve must deal with $2.95. 'An aweseme, sentient force his own apprentice applicant, a of protostars — Corona -- has ta king who's skipped "kingdom," and a ken control of a stranded team of X STANDS FOR UNKNOWN By Isaac Asimov medieval version of the Mob!' Vulcan scientists.'... Feb 1984, Doubleday, $13.95, 218 pp. 17 essays on physics, chemistry, AGAINST INFINITY By Gregory Benford math and astronomy, "...my tenden March 1984, (c) 1983, Pocket Books, cy. ..is not to describe knowledge B $3.50 An alien has ruled Gany flatly, .. . but instead, when I can, THE WAY OF WYRD By Brian Bates mede for millennia destroying ef to describe that manner in which The Book of a Sorcerer's Apprentice forts to make the planet habitable. what is known became known ..." Harper § Rowe, April 1984, $12.95 — Isaac Asimov ...'a young man's initiation, a thousand years ago, into Anglo-Sax IN THE OCEAN OF NIGHT By Gregory on shamanistic healing methods, the Benford, Pocket, 1984, (c) 1972, DAVID STARR — SPACE RANGER spirit world and the secrets of 1973, 1974, 1977, $3.95 By Isaac Asimov writing as Paul "wyrd." The first of a trilogy, followed French, Ballantine, 1984, (c) 1952 by ACROSS THE SEA OF SUNS. A com $2.25, a Lucky Starr Novel. plex alien comet is on a collision SF adventure. Poisoners are try course with Earth. ing to get control of the Mars Farm ing Syndicate. "Lucky" Starr is assigned to the case. 56 THE GIRL FROM THE EMERALINE ISLAND THE EXPERIMENT By Michael Carson From Ballantine: five books By Robert S. Blum, Del Rey, May Signet, March 1984, $2.50. By Arthur C. Clarke, 1984, $2.95 1984, 288 pp., $2.95 In his first Doctors in a medical center are each; 2010: $3.95 novel, 'Blum has drawn an engrossing performing experiments on pregnant THE VIEW FROM SERENDIP Cc) 1967 and sympathetic portrait of a young women without their knowledge. ...'hums with life, offering glimp girl at war with a restrictive, ses of Clarke the Adventurer that will delight those readers who' know postholocaust society.'... KELLORY THE WARLOCK By Lin Carter Doubleday SF, March 1984, $11.95 him only as a superb populizer of OUT OF THE SUN By Ben Bova Crossing the Sea of Sands with space science 1... TOR, Feb 1984, $2.95 'The exper its spells and night spirits, Kel- RENDEZVOUS WITH RAMA Co) 1973 imental USAF fighter Arrow One was lory must find the Book of Shadows 'In the year 2130 a strange object cruising eight miles over the Arctic and decipher its magic for his use. is discovered, hurtling through Ocean when Ground Command came on space on what could be a collision course with Earth. What is it? line to direct the pilot toward a THE RIVER OF DANCING GODS mysterious object with a trajectory By Jack Chalker, Bpllantine, 1984 Where did it come from?'... that traced back to the USSR.'... $2.95 'Life had not been kind to IMPERIAL EARTH Cc) 1976 '2276. Joe and Marge. Now, according to Welcome to Earth for America's quin- centennial! The time of Troubles WEB OF DARKNESS By Marion Zimmer the stranger who met them on a road Bradley, Starblaze, 1983, $6.95, that wasn't there, they were due to is over. War and Poverty are dead. And Duncan Makenzie, benign ruler Paperbk. 'An unholy alliance be die in nineteen minutes, eighteen of the distant world of Titan has tween the High Priest of a strange seconds. But the ferryboat that returned to the planet of his fore cult and an innocent girl result in waited to take them across the Sea fathers to solve a mystery and an unspeakable act of the blackest of Dreams could bring them to a create a son. A clone.'... sorcery. The results are devastat new and perhaps better life.'... ing -- dynasties fall, lovers are THE FOUNTAINS OF' PARADISE 1978 'Sri Kanda, the Sacred Mountain, parted and a great nation crumbles.' DEMONS OF THE DANCING GODS was the holiest place in the anci ...'Concludes the Atlantean Saga By Jack L. Chalker, Del Rey, June, ent land of Taprobane. It was also which began in WEB OF LIGHT.' 1984, $2.95, 272 pp., sequel to RIVER OF DANCING GODS. A journey the only possible site for the most to the unknown. Ruddygore again de daring feat of engineering in Man's THE PRACTICE EFFECT By David Brin history.'... Bantam, April 1984, $2.75 mands the aid of two humans -- Joe A baffling alternate universe of the magic sword and Marge, who 2010: ODYSSEY TWO (c) 1982 where laws of science are changed. is now a flying fairy woman. Sequel to 2001. .. .'Who or what transformed Dave Bowman into the SOUL RIDER BOOK I: SPIRITS OF Star-Child? What purpose lay be THE JAGGED ORBIT By John Brunner FLUX & ANCHOR By Jack L. Chalker DAW, March 1984, (c) 1969, $2.95 hind the transformation?' ...'What TOR, March 1984, $2.95. 'Cassie alien purpose lay behind the mono Set in 2014 in an apartment-fort did not feel the soul rider enter ress, when street-fighting is the liths on the Moon and in space? her body ... but suddenly she knew What could drive HAL, a stable, in norm in a dangerous world and the that Anchor was corrupt, and that world power is a weaponry combine. telligent computer to kill the crew? far from being a formless void from Was HAL really insane? What happen which could issue only mutant Chan ed to HAL and the spaceship Discov- STAR REBEL By F.M. Busby gelings and evil wizards, Flux was ery after Dave Bowman disappeared?'. . Bantam, 1984, $2.50...'At thirteen, the source of Anchor's very exis Bran Tregare was stripped of his home tence. '... his name and his family, and sent to CHILDHOOD'S END By Arthur C. Clarke Ballantine, 1984, (c) 1953, $2.95 the brutal space academy known as VOYAGER IN NIGHT By C.J. Cherryh the Slaughterhouse.'... 'Without warning giant silver DAW, April 1984, $2.95. Two ships ships from deep space appear in the on a collision course, one asteroid skies above every major city on CLAY'S ARK By Octavia E. Butler size, enroute for over a hundred Earth. They are manned by the Ov St Martin's Press, 1984, 201 pp. thousand years. $12.95. An SF future world of erlords ... mysterious creatures violence. Survivors of Clay's Ark from an alien race who soon take 1984: SPRING, A CHOICE OF FUTURES over control of the world.'... go into exile to prevent the spread By Arthur C. Clarke, Ballantine of infection contracted by an en 1984, $14.95, 259 pp. counter with sinister aliens. A collection of articles, essays SPACEWAYS #16: THE PLANET MURDERER By John Cleve, Berkley, March 1984, and speeches by Arthur C. Clarke $2.95. Adult SF mystery. Gelor treating war § peace, frontiers of enjoyed murder. For help he kidnap space, need for global communication ped two women: a maker of lifelike etc. androids and a microbiologist. THE COMPLEAT ENCHANTER By L. Sprague de Camp § Fletcher Pratt, Ballan 2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY By Arthur C. Clarke, (c) 1968, New American Li THE CRYSTAL CROWN By B.W. Clough tine, 1984, (c) 1975, $2.95. brary, $2.95 Based on a screen DAW, April 1984, $2.75. Lars The magical misadventures of Har play by Stanley Kubrick and Arth will ascend the throne, having his old Shea complete in one volume. ur C. Clarke. 'Man's control ov mind dominated by the Crystal Crown, By the use of mathematical equa er the machines he has created is and married off to a barbarian. tions, Shea can time-travel, with absolute. He has manipulated his many unexpected adventures. natural environment, conquered the problems of interplanetary travel, THE V.OLF WORLDS By Allan Cole and and is ready for what comes next.' Chris Bunch, Ballantine, 1984, $2.95. The Mantis Team is a small BEST FROM THE UNIVERSE Ed.Terry Carr Doubleday, Feb 1984, $11.95, 204 pp. band of problem solvers. They are 9 stories, including index, of needed to stop the piracy of the UNIVERSE Vol. 1-10. 57 Wolf Worlds, using only two men. MANNA By Lee Correy, DAW, 1984, aldson, including "The Conqueror the bridge of a Klingon warship. (c) 1983, $2.95 'On the first day Worm" and the novella "Ser Visal's M