2 File 770:135 Mike Resnick Wins Tour De France
Mike Resnick peddled his 1987 novel The competition that will be open only to non Dark Lady to a French publisher last year, professional writers. The winner will be and now has won a tour in France - spe selected by an international panel of cifically. the Tour Eiffel Award for Best judges which includes Morgan Llwellyn. Novel of the Year. A 100.000 franc check Michael Scott. Michael Carroll. David comes with it ($15,000 U.S.) Pringle and David Langford. The winning 135 He’s expected in Paris for a huge cere author will receive a trophy and the story mony at the Eiffel Tower on June 8 where will be published in the British semi- File 770:135 is edited by Mike he will be presented with his trophy and prozine Interzone. Glyer at 705 Valley View Ave., check. Mike is the first American author Entries for the inaugural competition Monrovia CA 91016. No animals to win the award, and will be the first will be accepted until August 23, 2000. were harmed in the making of this American the French have thanked for The winner will be announced by the end fanzine. coming to Paris since Eisenhower. of this year. File 770 is available for news, artwork, arranged trades, or by Guy Lillian III spread this news as Each writer may submit a maximum subscription. Subscriptions cost $8 soon as he got it, letting us know Resnick of three stories, none of which have been for 5 issues, $15 for 10 issues, will write the event into the ending of his published before. Stories must be in Eng mailed first class in North America French Safari Diary, forthcoming in lish and between 2.000 and 4,000 words or surface mail rates overseas. Challenger. in length. There will be an administration Air printed matter rate is From now' on. it will be etiquette to fee of £3/$4 per story entered. Full rules available for $2.50 per issue. address Mike as the Marquis d'Tour and writers' guidelines are available from d’Eiffel. Epee optional. the Award administrator, James Bacon at CONTACT FILE 770 211 Blackhorse Avenue, Dublin 7, Ire Telephone: (626) 305-1004. James White Award land or from the Award's website at E-Mail: [email protected] A new annual award commemorates Ire http://www.jameswhiteaward.com land’s best-known science fiction writer. as of May 1 2000. Art Credits The James White Award will go to the E-mail: [email protected] Alan White: Cover, 2, 3, 7, best science fiction story' submitted in a 11, 17, 20, 21 Joe Mayhew: 2, 10, 14, 15, 22, 23, 26, 32 PRSFS Turns 25 cial thanks were given to Paul and Aly Sue Mason: 5 Parsons for hosting dozens of PRSFS Bill Rotsler: 9, 11, 24 by Martin Morse Wooster meetings over the years. Diana Glyer: 13 (photo) Evan Phillips: 15 (photo) The Society meets on the second Fri The Potomac River Science Fiction So day of every month at various homes ciety celebrated its 25th anniversary on around the Washington, DC area, and June 9 with a meeting at Dan and Anne co-sponsors two picnics a year. For Hoey’s apartment in Washington, DC. more information , contact Paul Par PRSFS was founded in 1975 by a group sons: (301) 587-0377. of local sercon fans, including Avedon Carol, Chick Derry. Jim Goldfrank. Bob File 990 Madle, Lester Mayer, Joe Mayhew and If your nonprofit organization files IRS Don Miller, who disdained WSFA’s Form 990. you’ll find its latest return fannishness and wanted a place where information posted on GuideStar - they could talk about science fiction. http://www.guidestar.org. The LASFS Two of PRSFS’s founding members are entry was accurate, so the listings ap still active: Jeanie Dunnington, who at pear to be reliable. tended the first thre PRSFS meetings, Form 990 information has long been went to college, and then rejoined the publicly available, but never before has club in 1980 after he graduated. GuideStar is a nonprofit organiza it been so accessible. Of course, much tion funded by major foundations in Members talked about how they more interesting than looking up your cluding the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, joined the club and what the club meant own information will be the free chance the Andrew Mellon Foundation, the to them. Most members agreed that hav to snoop on what other club- and con Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and the Ford ing no dues and no constitution pro vention-running corporations are telling Foundation. longed PRSFS’s life considerably. Spe- the IRS. June 2000 3 News of Fandom
Fanning Aganst the Flames
Americans who usually need a t-shirt slogan to remind them that “It’s not new and it’s not Mexico’’ were keenly aware that New Mexico was ablaze for two weeks in May with a fire that destroyed 400 families’ homes and threatened the grounds of Los Alamos laboratories where hazardous materials are stored. The Interior Dept, admitted responsibility for the fire, w hich resulted from a controlled bum that got out of hand. The value of lost property is estimated at over $1 billion. My sister, Kathy Glyer, principal of a special education school in Santa Fe, told me on May 12, “Many of our staff and students' families have been hit by the fires and forced to evacuate. Some have lost their homes...some have not. yet. The students and staff here have been very active in raising money for specific families and collecting blankets, food, etc. Today, most of the students and teachers will be in the community helping at the shelters. One major concern is what's happening to all the animals. The evacuees seem to have places to go, but they are, of course, not allowed to bring their pets. So, we have our one animal shelter trying to deal with all the animals. The rodeo grounds and the Santa Fe Downs are opening their doors for the larger animals (mainly horses and dogs).” In fact, Parris McBride was among the volunteers who worked at animal shelters. She told readers of Chronicles of the Dawn Patrol on May 15, “The best thing I can say is that New Mexico is doing all we can to help our friends and neigh bors. There has been no lack of volunteers who are offering shelter for humans and critters. Local massage therapists are working the shelters and at the emergency HQs - and don't laugh -- it's amazing how much a few minutes of getting the Forry Knocks Out Ferry neck and shoulders worked can help a person feel better. I've helped unload two trucks of critters moved to the Santa Fe The jurors agree that Forry is Dr. Acula. Now’, can he get shelter and sort some food and supplies, but they haven't blood from a turnip and actually collect any of the $724,500 in needed me for anything else.” damages they awarded him? Albuquerque clubzine editor Chad Lundgren let his issue Six men and six women on a Van Nuys. CA jury deliber go missing while he worked “insanely hard” for several weeks ated four days, then declared the “Dr. Acula” name belongs to to get the NMGrande Evacuee Database going in the aftermath Forrest J Ackerman, not Ray Ferry, current publisher of Fa of the fire. mous Monsters of Filmland. In addition to trademark infringe McBride wrote in Dawn Patrol on May 22, “The fire was so ment, they also found Ferry liable for breach of contract, libel, intense that in some areas the soil fused into glass and is steril misrepresentation and intentional interference with prospective ized more than a foot deep under the top soil. Given the fragile economic advantage. Ackerman was awarded $382,500 in nature of our forests due to fuel loads, no moisture and thin top compensatory damages, including $88,000 for libel, $54,000 soils, we can expect serious erosion and wildlife losses to con for breach of contract and $184,000 for trademark infringe tinue for months and years to come.” ment, plus $342,000 in punitive damages. The jury also threw At that time, she said there were no accurate, believable out Ferry’s countersuit. reports of possible releases of radiation and toxic wastes above A jubilant Ackerman hugged his attorney, Jacqueline Con and beyond what is expected from households and trees burn nors Appelbaum, and publicly thanked liis other attorney, Su ing. Many of the automatic monitor stations in Los Alamos san Loob, who couldn't appear in court on May 10 because of burned down in the fire, and residents anxiously await more her pregnancy . "I don't feel 83 anymore. I only feel 80 years reliable information from new stations being set up. old now," Ackerman said at the end of the three-week trial. 4 File 770:135
Jurors claimed they were not star- the mind where kids enjoy interacting of Decadence in 1995. He acquired his struck by the celebrities who testified for with hundreds of science and technol first outside magazine, Weird Tales, in each side, such as pro-Ackerman wit ogy exhibits. The museum also has a 1998. nesses John Landis and Ray Bradbury, web site full of kids’ science stuff which Porter's magazines liave won three and pro-Ferry witness Harlan Ellison. anyone is free to enjoy. Well, almost Hugos over the years — Algol (later Ackerman coined the Dr. Acula anyone. The Exploratorium web site has Starship) in 1974, and SFC in 1993 and name in 1939 and was forced to sue af been ruled off limits to soldiers at Peter 1994. He was Fan Guest of Honor at the ter Ferry began using it without permis son Air Force Base near Colorado 1990 World SF Convention. sion. He also alleged that Ferry, with Springs. whom he collaborated to stage science Pat Murphy, Exploratorium director fiction conventions, refused to share of publications, (the same Pat Murphy Fan Fund News profits as agreed and induced him when who writes sf), told the San Jose Mer he was ill to sign an option contract that cury News she believes soldiers are re DUFF 2000 Results would allow Ferry to buy millions of stricted from the site because it featured Cathy Cupitt is the new DUFF represen dollars worth of his assets for $ I. After a recipe for a "bubble bomb," an experi tative and will be attending Chicon in hearing from the jury, Los Angeles Su ment in which vinegar and baking soda August. She captured a first-round ma perior Court Judge Stephen Petersen are mixed in a plastic bag. causing a jority. There were 133 votes were cast, rescinded the contract, calling it "the reaction that makes the bag explode. and after subtracting 22 North Ameri product of undue influence." "There's no way you could injure can fans' votes of "no preference" Cupitt Ferry and his lawyer, Thomas yourself w ith a bubble bomb," said Pat. was the majority choice on both sides of Brackey II, vowed that they would ap [[Source: David Bratman, San Jose the Pacific. Full vote totals, a list of vot peal. "Mr. Ackerman's case was based Mercury News]] ers, and new financial statements can be entirely on sympathy," Ferry said. "On found in the latest DUFF newsletter at appeals, it's going to get ugly." SFC Becomes Leaner, Greener http: //home. pacbell. net/jgelb/duffresult. Like, it wasn’t already? Andrew1 Porter announces he has shed pdf [[Sources: Los Angeles Times, Sandy two unnecessary burdens: 21 pounds of Cohen, Bill Warren, Tom Kharis]] w eight, and the duties of publishing Sci Austr. N.Am. Total ence Fiction Chronicle, though he’ll Susan Batho 14 22 36 Deadly Fall Mars BayCon remain its news editor. Cathy Cupitt 38 30 68 BayCon 2000 was the scene of a fatal Porter is selling the newzine he No Preference 0 22 22 Write-in 0 2 2 accident early Sunday morning, when a founded in 1979 to Warren Lapine’s person fell from the balcony of their DNA Publications for an undisclosed It was Sue Batho's third defeat, begin seventh floor room and landed on the amount. The sale relieves Porter, 54, of ning with her loss in the original DUFF second floor patio. The victim was taken many pressures of small press publish race of 1974. At a point in fanhistory to a San Jose-area hospital in critical ing. such as maintaining the mailing where the meaningfulness of fan funds condition, underwent surgery on May list, sending out renewal notices, solicit is often debated, what do we learn from 29, and later passed away. ing and tracking advertising, and in a race where so many North Americans The victim’s name could not be creasing the magazine's retail bookstore lodged a vote for neither candidate? Per learned at this writing. A search of the and subscription base. Porter will con haps nothing more than that they never San Jose Mercury News online archives centrate on some of the things he does heard of either candidate. found no report of the death. best, including gathering, organizing Well, now we’ve heard a little more The victim reportedly was part of a and writing the news. A goal under from Cathy Cupitt. She announced in group registered under BayCon's room DNA’s management will be to increase Australian SF Bullsheet 144: "Stephen rate, but not a member of the conven SFC’s frequency from the current bi Dedman, Elaine Kemp and myself are tion. The committee chose not to publi monthly back to monthly. putting together a zine for Swancon cize any details, apart from the fact of DNA Publications, best known for 2001. It's called ConSensual, and is a the death, because it is a delicate situa Aboriginal SF, also publishes or man collection of erotica.” The stories will be tion Disclave’s experience remains ages several other small press maga published without bylines. Copies will fresh in memory, though BayCon has in zines — Absolute Magnitude, Dreams of be sold with the proceeds going to its favor a stable 18-year relationship Decadence, Fantastic Stories (formerly WASFF and the Immunodeficiency with its facility'. Pirate Writings), and Weird Tales. The Foundation. purchase will provide SFC a wider base, Tiny Bubbles with the other DNA magazines, for con TAFF 2000 Results San Francisco’s beautiful old Pan Pa sumer-oriented advertising campaigns. British fan artist Sue Mason is the 2000 cific Exposition building houses the Ex- Warren Lapine published his first TAFF delegate. Her work has been seen ploratorium, a real-world playground of issue of Harsh Mistress (now Absolute Magnitude) in 1993, launching Dreams in many fanzines, including File 770. June 2000 5
Now we will see the artist herself at Sara Douglass's Battleaxe Chicon 2000 and other stops along the from Emcit 48, were cop way. Mason enjoyed a first-round vic ied on the site. Adding in tory. The figures were: sult to injury. Kahane em broidered his own views North into the basic text of Eur. Am. Total Morgan's review of Paul McAuley's Child of the Tommy Ferguson 22 22 44 River. Perhaps he'd actu Sue Mason 88 52 140 ally read that book. Tobes Valois 30 4 34 Morgan requested an Holdover Funds 12 3 explanation and received No Preference 17 8 an apology from Basilisk Total 142 87 Dreams in early April. The offending reviews have Maureen Kincaid Speller, European now been removed from its TAFF Administrator, and Ulrika O' Brien, jointly announced the results. site.
Ovine is Divine The Wheels Came Off The engines could’na stand Paul Ewins is the 2000 winner of FFANZ, which alternates sending Aus the strain when Melbourne tralian and New Zealand delegates to SF Club member and the other country’s national convention. Freight Australia Locomo Hounded for interviews by the me tive Driver James Styles dia - File 770 - Paul issued this state derailed at a level crossing ment. "1 promise to play nice, not rip oft near Tongala on April 30. the fund and on my return not tell the Evetyone escaped with mi same boring anecdotes repetitively.” nor injuries, James himself However, Australian SF Bullsheet suffering bruises and a 144 reports that work pressure will force swollen ankle, but the Ewins to postpone his trip to New Zea property damage will total land until 2001. TAFF Winner Sue Mason, who drew this ant millions of dollars. That's Voting Figures: Paul Ewins: 20; lered man, promises to scatter fillos in her a lot, even in Australian Little Ted: 17; Murray and Natalie wake when she visits America this summer. dollars - more than the Maclachlan: 7; Justin Semmel: 4; Total NESFA Press made last votes received: 48. year! British Eastercon. Voting is open until .And so the torch is passed to Paul Marc Ortlieb acutely observed, “Not November 13. from 1998’s FFANZ winners, Phil Wlo- many fans can claim to be involved in darczyk, Frances Papworth and Renaldo costs on that scale - not even conven the sheep - famed for their micro trip The Purloined Letters tion committees....” [[Source: Austra report Two Loonies and a Soft Toy. If "he who steals my purse, steals trash." lian SF Bullsheet 143]] Channeling Renaldo, Frances told what does he have who steals a fanzine's FFANZ voters, “Renaldo mentions that book reviews? Brass balls, in the case of Fanthoiogy 1995 Is Calling You! while Paul may be over 4 inches tall, he Mr. John Kahane, who was discovered Next Spring’s Corflu will be in New is just as lovely as the woolly one him using some of Cheryl Morgan's reviews England, and the committee has ac self.” from her e-zine Emerald City on his cepted Bill Bowers’ offer to continue a website without Cheryl’s permisison. Corflu tradition by producing a Fanthoi GUFF Kahane's website publicizes the Ot ogy for the occasion. tawa bookstore he owns, named Basilisk Eric Lindsay and Jean Weber an Bill will do a good job, and I applaud Dreams. Author Rebecca Bradley suf nounced for GUFF some time ago. and his editorial philosophy -- “I will proba fered a bruising deja vu when she vis by the time the ballot came out they had bly be fussy and idiosyncratic, and to ited the site and found her Lady in Gil competition from another duo, Damien tally eclectic in My Choices.” A Fan panned in the same words she'd already thoiogy editor never even tries to please Warman and Juliette Woods, who run unhappily read in Emerald City. Ka all the people all of the time. Of course, Adelaide’s discussion group Critical hane had not simply lifted the review, that makes it a dangerous job, and Bill Mass, and have started Ilie OzMemory- he passed it off as his own work. That knows what danger stalks a man who Hole. The winners will attend the 2001 review from Emcit 26. and a review of 6 File 770:135 deliberately hangs a target on his own John’s article about Malaysian culture. I The St. Augustine Record favorably back, from watching his fellow World- never suspected the American Civil War reviewed the play, in the vein of "things con guest of honor, Harlan Ellison. had any effect on that part of the world to see this weekend." Harlan literally wore one during Iguana- until John noted how the demand for Wilson and his family attended the con 2. canned food vastly expanded tin mining premiere. He also worked in a book Not that Bill is such a complete radi in Malaysia. Don’t miss a single fac signing at the local Barnes & Noble. cal. “I have total admiration for the past toid! Send your request immediately to Steve Spruill also came. several Fanthologies, edited by Robert [email protected] Peck hopes to work with horror writ Lichtman. And I'm counting on Robert ers again, and told Gutkes he has long as not only a resource, but as a mentor Fans Help Family been awaiting a play from Somtow. for this one. But my ‘tastes’ obviously Big-hearted fans at ConQuesT came to aren't the same as those of Robert. I the aid of Rob Fertner and family after Literature By The Ton have no ‘subject’ taboos - the only cri the death of Rob’s wife, Anita. Jim George R.R. Martin is delirious that A teria is that something intrigues me - Murray had the idea to sell fake Fans Storm of Swords is finally finished. By but I do admit to leaning toward heft/ Over Forty ID's and Richard Lipp de now the huge novel is being pored over length, over vignettes.” vised a way to make them. The idea by editors, publishers and agents. We Bowers brings a 90’s attitude to the caught well enough to raise $400 by hope one of them is already dreaming next Fanthology. He scolds us to waste Closing Ceremonies, and right after up a nice big figure to put on a check to no time in false humility. ‘‘If you wrote ward a widower anonymously donated purchase the rights. For one thing, and/or published something during another $300. So at the end of the con George needs to pay Kinko’s for making 1995 that you are particularly pleased vention, $700 was given to Fertner to all those copies. with, I'd like to know about it.. . Do not help him and his two sons. Roger Tener He muses, “I do feel as though as I be overly modest, and wait for some one delivered the money and writes, “As you have given birth to a wooly mammoth - else to 'nominate' your pride and joy.” could expect Rob was very grateful. .. this is a big beast, with a nasty disposi He prefers to receive an e-mail giv Once again Fandom takes care of it's tion, and pretty damned hairy too. It ing the name of the author, the title of own.” weighs in at 1521 manuscript pages, the piece, where it was published, and a [[Source: Roger Tener, Chronicles some 350 pages longer than A Clash of brief description. “If I'm intrigued, and of the Dawn Patrol]] Kings. I fear 1 lied about the four wed don't already have a copy, I'll ask for a dings and the funeral. Now that I am photocopy, or electronic copy.” Syzygy in St Augustine done, I see there are four weddings, two He also wants to adorn his Fanthol F. Paul Wilson's and Matt Costello's funerals, and a wake. .. But the mam ogy with art published in 1995. play Syzygy enjoyed a March premiere moth is at least on its feet; the rest is “Therefore I'm also soliciting fan art in St. Augustine, Florida. Local fan just a matter of polishing up its tusks.” work -- covers, fillers, spreads, what Rich Gutkes attended during the six- [[Source: Roger Tener, Chronicles ever -- also first published in 1995. show run. “My hat is off to director of the Dawn Patrol]] Again, photocopies or Garrett Peck to went through hell (and electronic graphic files are equally wel surgery) to get it staged.” A Rose by the Same Name come.” Rich calls Syzygy “twisty, fast paced Laura Brodian Freas had the last laugh Corflu’s Bob Webber has authorized and in the mode of a Twilight Zone when she e-mailed newzine editors this him to fill a hundred pages. And those story. I recommend it to all fandom. It confession from Paul Barnett of Paper pages will be mimeographed by Master would be perfect entertainment at a Snarl: Mimeographer Jeff Schalles. con.” “One of the major international Dispatch your nominations to: Bill Director Garrett Peck is the local events of March was the final determi Bowers, 4651 Glenway Avenue, Cincin connection, a member of the Horror nation, after massive international nati OH 45238-4503. E-mail: Writers Assoc, who has done dramatic brainstorming sessions and sophisti [email protected] work with other horror writers. He nar cated marketing research on both sides rates Wilson's audio CD "Conspiracies" of the Atlantic, of a title for the new Tin Type which made the final ballot for the Kelly Freas book, to be published by John Foyster distributes his fanzine Bram Stoker Award. Paper Tiger this Fall - Frank Kelly eFNAC by e-mail to fans who let him Gutkes remembers, “Two years ago. Freas: As He Sees It. This, um, hap know they’re (a) interested, and (b) able Peck was getting this play organized pened to be, er, the title Kelly had sug to read the PDF format (e.g., with when he had a motorcycle accident. gested in the very first place, which only Adobe Acrobat Reader.) The third issue They had to shorten his leg two inches goes to show that . . .” comes in a 500K file, but it’s not as to save it. I guess it gave him the impe though it will really take very long to tus to write as well as the resolve to pro In His Own Words download. The 24-page zine is full of duce the play.” Look for Julie Schwartz’ autobiogra- well-written articles, most notably June 2000 7
phy, coining soon from Bud Plant Comic Art. Man of Two Worlds: MyLife in Science Fiction and Comics, written with Brian M. Thomsen, tells how teenaged Julie Schwartz became science fiction’s first literary agent. He represented a distinguished roster of authors including H.P. Lovecraft and Ray Bradbury. Then, for more than 40 years he nurtured DC Comics top talents, including Bob Kane, Neal Adams and many others. For in formation. contact: Bud Plant Comic Art. Phone: (800) 242- 6642 Website: www.budplant com
The Magic Comes Back If you’ve witnessed a group of fans discover a really cool story at a convention, and seen them pay homage with all kinds of wacky creativity, then you can imagine the effect of John Bellairs book. The Pedant and the Shujfly on the ’87 Mythcon. Fans who took part 13 years ago are now cheering Joan Marie Verba’s announcement that The Anti-Fan Films Australia for preservation by the Oz-Fan the Mythopoeic Press wants to reprint Video copies of the Anti-Fan movies History project, courtesy of Victorian the book. made to promote Australian worldcon Science Fiction Conventions - the Ellie Farrell, Chair of the Mytho bids are being made available by jan group that brought you Aussiecon poeic Society, recalls how she and howard finder. He owns a copy of a Three. The films were thought to have Debby Jones entered the '87 Mythcon film-to-tape transfer made in 1991, with been lost, but copies were recently found masquerade with a one-minute produc some digital remastering done in 1998. in the US by finder. [[Source: Austra tion of the book. “Brief synopsis: Sno- The transfer was done, says finder, lian SF Bullsheet 144J] drog the Pedant, an irritable magician, “for the abortive 1995 Sydney Worldcon turns anyone he dislikes into a Flimsy - bid. In 1998,1 believe. I sent my tape of Clipping Service basically something resembling a nap the films to a fan in Winnipeg. He was Things That Keep Jerry Pournelle kin covered with turkey and cranberry working with a public TV station on a Awake at Night: “Goofy is a dog. Pluto sauce. It's up to a hairy creature called a series on science fiction and fandom. is a dog. But Goofy is Mickey’s friend, Shuffly to do battle and save the trans They used a few bits from the films. He and Pluto is his.... Dog.” formed folks. Debby was the Pedant and also had the tape digitized to clean up John Hertz: “Once I courted a girl I was the Shuffly. Eric Rauscher and some of the yellowing ..." The films, by reading Thurber to her. This was be Sherwood Smith volunteered to wear including finder’s “trailer,” run about fore I knew of the Thurb Revolu sheets smeared with chocolate sauce, the an hour. tion.” [[Source: Vanamonde 354.]] closest equivalent we could find on the Those interested in getting a copy of Instant Message: 665 “Tony cafeteria menu, and be Flimsies. There finder's tape were urged to contact him [Lewis] announced that his first act as are photos ...” directly by June 15, thus giving him President was to declare an amnesty for Bellairs was the con’s guest of time to have the tapes made before Chi- all NEFSA political prisoners, and that honor. He allowed Ellie to distribute con 2000. His e-mail address is wom- anyone else locked up in the basement xerox copies of his out of print book. [email protected]. Tapes are available in should also be released. [But not Mr. “Peter Beagle borrowed my xerox and both NTSC or PAL. The cost should be Skunk!]” read it over the phone to a friend during approximately NTSC = US$20 and PAL the weekend.” = US$35. Prints of the original films, complete with soundtrack, have been returned to 8 File 770:135
I Sing the Board of Fandom, Inc., "the number one Fanac Electric information resource and commerce web site for fanatics of science fiction, Joy V. Smith, in fantasy and horror entertainment." spired by last issue’s Ah, if only I could have been a fly on Internet theme, for the wall of that dinner meeting. (I’d warded her list of have dived into Chip’s soup and done online publishing the backstroke. . . .) credits. Joseph T. Major recently browsed Several of Joy’s Fandom.com to test the fannishness of stories are forthcom its search engine. “1 entered ‘Chicon’ ing in e-zines, get and got. .. nothing. Then 1 entered ting a second chance ‘Heinlein’ and got... nothing. However, in electronic publica had I been interested in comics, or mov tions after originally ies, it would have been quite a different Short Waves appearing in print. “Rocky Falls Park” matter. It looks as if someone knows Craig Hilton, one-time F770 cover art is on the Anotherealm Beyond (flash ist and full-time medical doctor, has fiction) page: where the money is.” Sounds to me like they’re missing a become Medical Supcrintcndant of the http ://216.147.67.68/beyond/index.html hospital in Doomadgcc, an Aboriginal The AOL SF column, Worlds With chance to squeeze a few more shekels from visitors to the site if you can’t en town of about 1,500 people. He and an out End, is running a series of inter ter “Heinlein” and order a DVD of Star other doctor provide medical services, views Joy did with writers, editors and ship Troopers. (Not that Robert would and he runs the hospital. [[Source: Aus poets. “They've also used my book re mind: if he’d seen the film, he would tralian SF Bullsheet 141]] views and humor pieces, and there are have made sure his contribution was Curt Phillips passed all his classes some articles upcoming.” credited to “Anson MacDonald” - or and finished college as a Graduate Joy’s novella. Hidebound, is a final maybe “Cordwainer Bird”) Nurse. He'll become a Registered Nurse ist in a Best of the 90s small press e- as soon he I passes the State Board of zine anthology. And you can find her Nursing exam in Virginia. short story , “Camies,” and an article on Like No Business The Major family just grew by one. Tropika, a gardening web site: Tadao Tomomatsu belongs to at least the way Gene Stewart sees it. He told http://members.xoom.com/ two well-known organizations, LASFS Joseph Major in The Knarley Knews, TropiKaMiami/ and SAG, but only one of them has “Hey, my wife’s a Major now. too. .. Of Bjo Trimble has started a monthly spent this Spring on strike against tv course, it’s a USAF rank, but still.” Ma column for Galaxyonline -- www. commercial producers. jor Stewart was promoted April 4. galaxyonline.com - about fandom. “Just So Tadao was massively relieved to Mark Loney has been promoted to sent in my second one; first one was be hired to act in a promo by a company Manager, Space Systems, at the Austra about the Excelsior campaign to have SAG has approved for work during the lian Communications Authority. His the next Star Trek series be based on strike. If you follow Animal Planet and Space System Team is responsible for Captain Sulu and his ship, the Excel “The Crocodile Hunter,” Tadao was on radio frequency planning for satellites, sior. Not going to happen, but it was a your tv screen during the week of June launch vehicles and Earth stations worthy campaign. The one coming up 18. New episodes were promoted on ca (which are the “space systems’). is about fandom, then and now. John ble as "Croc Week 101." [[Source: Australian SF Bullsheet and 1 wrote it together, and I hope they The commercials feature a bunch of 141]] keep his name on the credits/1 enthusiastic students who "wanna learn Anne Brunsgaard will spend a year to be like the Croc Hunter” and are in in Japan teaching English. When she Lawyers Love Fandom.com training. Tadao says he plays “the Japa nese student” in the series of humorous leaves Atlanta next month, Anne will be If Fandom.com isn't being held up as a promos, accent and all. But, “No funny replaced as President of the Atlanta SF shining example in your neighborhood, glasses. (Can't win them all).” Society by Vicki Dobbs. you must not be living in tire takes- Tadao writes that he worked along The winner of the George Turner money-to-lose-money world of securities side “real snakes, crocodiles, pythons, Prize for Science Fiction and Fantasy' attorneys. and the crocodile from the ‘Luberderm’ for 2000 is Michelle Marquardt for a Lawyers at the Caltech/MIT Enter commercials. I wonder if that crocodile novel with the working title Blue Sky prise Forum on May 16 w ere promised a and Silence. The $10,000 award was look at "the evolution of Fandom.com, is SAG? Lots of mud. silliness.” And yes, he had a speaking part. presented at Random House's Sydney an early-stage new media venture, in offices on May 26. [[Source: Australian cluding its financing activities” deliv SF Bullsheet 143]] ered by Chip Meyers, Chairman of the June 2000 9 Graphic Examples by Mike Glyer ACT MW**- Baloney: Quickly discarding any Kincaid, without thought of naming their fanzine Tom rancor In fact, Arnold, Tom Springer and Amie Katz you can tell from n- 3/m decided what fandom needed was more Arnie’s brash Baloney. So the pair opened a delicates- overstatement, sen-by-mail, spiced by contributions poking fun at the from Ken Forman. Joyce Katz and the earnest British late Bill Rotslcr. Ross Chamberlain also reviewer, that he supplies a delightful cover showing agrees our Tom serenely unaware that Amie is homely efforts behind him juggling a knife, a cleaver could stand some and a monogrammed hunk of the zine’s polishing. namesake. Arnie also Now, if you don’t happen to like the fires a few salvos name Baloney, Arnie’s at online fanac in “Katzenjammer” column more or less a satirical expla guarantees a different name will be nation of the along soon. He lists 16 fanzine titles difference be he’s used over the years and alludes to a tween a “fanzine” dozen more. And if you’ve observed and a listscrvc. along with Greg Pickersgill that Las Fortunately, Vegas fans start fanzines enthusiasti Amie was not cally then fold them hastily, be sure and content to answer remind Arnie so he can twit you about Greg Pick- it. too: “If he actually wrote this. Greg ersgiirs provoca has a point. (If Greg didn't say it, he’s tive comment on pointless.)” This is fandom, where the MemoryHole nobody needs an excuse to give every listserve. What a issue of his zine a new name. Besides, waste of perfectly Amie sincerely believes that “Each new good editorial fodder that would have is also about how they chose Baloney to experiment generally gets a unique been. be the title. He writes in a light and name that, hopefully, fits its format.” He even jokes about TAFF. As if he amusing sty le, and gets off some good What’s it to you if they all coinciden didn’t know that simply writing lines of his own. He just can’t help tally have an editorial by Amie named “TAFF’ in a fanzine is a dangerous sounding like he’s written “the making “Katzenjammer”? political act! of Amie’s editorial.” His editorial in Baloney is especially Yes, Amie courts danger every step Amie’s legacy from Bill Rotsler noteworthy for its lively humor. Amie is of the way. He ends his editorial quoting included some autobiographical capable of a wide range of expression, a mock conversation with Tom sketches. The first of these appear in but he enjoys nothing better than a Springer. Amie explains that they' won’t Baloney as “Bent Lance, a column by passionate quest in defense of faanish just send the zine to their friends, they’ll William Rotsler.” Bill tells us what he values. Or in this issue, William Rot- also send it to five pompous idiots. Fans learned about life in three-and-a-half sler, who certainly deserves the benedic convinced Amie is talking about them years of art school. It’s quite easy' for me tion. This time, Amie reminds us he has have already gotten their knickers in a to imagine Bill’s voice saying these another side by first launching into a twist about that remark. words. I enjoy ed these stories and 1 miss humorous diatribe that spares no one, Tom Springer then weighs in with Bill. least of all himself, and bristles with his own editorial. It’s hard for anybody Ken Forman’s “The Quest” is well- funny lines like, “A Kincaid screed has to sustain the energy level of Amie’s suited the follow Rotsler’s column. Both become a badge of honor for U.S. column. Tom might have spared himself writers infuse their storytelling with a fanzines, a tangible vindication of talent from direct comparison by picking a high degree of machismo, but there’s and achievement.” Amie deftly needles different topic - but his entire editorial 10 File 770:135
this review, Alison rather pedestrian.” She hates it, right? happens to be one But wait! The last line of her review of the fans upset by says, “In Mimosa’s letter column, Harry Amie’s editorial, Warner Jr. muses on the demise of the taken aback by large solid genzinc. I think Challenger Amie’s notion that is picking up the mantle vciy nicely.” Plokta and Self Assuming “sold gcnzinc” isn’t just Important Blather another implied criticism, she must could be synony have liked it after all. mous titles. I was Alison ends her review of a third disappointed that zine with a comment about the cover Andy Hooper art: “I shall almost resist the temptation warned her it was a to say ‘The D West covers are, as usual, joke. Too sporting, excellent’; in fact, neither of these quite Andy. What British hit the spot for me.” Readers would be faned ever held our spared these frequent allusions to hand and explained greaseless candles and missed spots if something was Alison frankly explained her reactions. only a joke? Then we would learn more about mak Besides, ing good fanzines or more about Alison, Alison’s degree of and either possibility would be an im sensitivity is sur provement over her jaded pose. prising in someone Yes. Alison is quite capable of teach who gave her crea ing Joe Phan a better way to write, edit tion a name with and design when she’s willing. She more to it than that. Forman, like Rot- the initials KTF. The original KTF provides a number of lucid, highly sler, has a flair for vivid description that reviewers verbally flayed faneditors for practical insights that can benefit any puts the reader in the midst of a scene, sport. Of course, she isn’t really a critic fanzine publisher as much as the subject and his linear style compels the reader in that tradition. These are not killer of her review . The advice she gives Eric to stay with a story from start to finish. reviews, just a lot of painful paper cuts. Lindsay could make a world of differ Joyce Katz’ “A Family Affair” is an Alison has the bad habit of praising ence in Gegenschein, and many other abbreviated column, and we all agree with faint damns and leaving us won perzines: that we’re happy to read more when she dering what she really thinks about the “Eric's diary writing would be better can tear herself away from front-page day’s leading genzines. if he...expanded the little fannish inci assignments for Collectingchannel. She Take her review of Mimosa, for dents so that, rather than just hearing teases her fannish audience about that example. “Mimosa never quite greases ‘Had dinner... at an Afghan restaurant way we dramatize our feelings of con my candle, but I'm always glad to re called Kabul with Donya White. We nectedness to other fans. “LeeH gave a ceive it, and I'd be sad to see them cease talked about cooking, and British rail stack of fanzines to TerryC who passed publication, as they've threatened to do. food’ we got some sense of what was some to Amie and me... so I believe It's long, beautifully produced, and is in discussed, why Donya is a stimulating we’re tied in a link of dust and mi my view unmatched in terms of the care dinner companion (or not), what's so crobes.” taken to match artwork with articles.” special about Afghan food anyway (or And that’s it for the first issue of Yet she follows up that sentiment by indeed, what's so special about British Baloney. May there be more links to panning Joyce Scrivner’s contribution, Rail food), and, in general, what made come! then extending the judgment to Mimosa this evening different from any other in general: “Too much of Mimosa feels one.” Kittywompus Tracks Fanzines: Alison like this to me; embalming the minutiae Then, her review of No Award 7 Scott, of Plokta fame, recently started a of fannish history7 rather than celebrat gives Marty Cantor fair warning that his fanzine review diary on her web page. ing the delightful and unusual.” It’s zeal for DTP effects sometimes makes She’s been adding to it constantly, and hard to believe Alison will be missing the zine more difficult to read. She also her writing shows a great deal of en that zine. admonishes Marty7 about continuing his ergy. The best parts of it are quite good, She writes about Challenger 11, Digby article in a later issue: “Here's a and the rest could be raised to that level “This issue has a theme of ‘My Day in useful rule of fan editing; If an article's if Alison quit temporizing about her Court’, and most of the articles reflect worth printing, it's worth printing all at opinions, and edited out some bone this, producing a fairly strong overall once.” headed digressions. flavour to the fanzine. Unfortunately, That Alison unambiguously hates No Though not my reason for writing several of the writers' days in court were Award actually helps make this one of June 2000 11
of a sudden. For Changes of Address example, in the midst of reviewing If you're a fan whose last name starts Baloney, Alison with the letter “B. ” odds are you moved adds a snide com this spring.... ment: “We received one John Bangsund, 1/5 Tasman Street, letter over two pages Preston, Viet. 3072, Australia long on the last Chris M. Barkley, 1010 Park Lane, Plokta. from a nota Middletown, OH 45042-3410 ble letterhack, and John D. Berry & Eileen Gunn, 232 had serious difficulty Winfield Street, San Francisco, CA even finding one 94110 usable sentence to Sheryl Birkhead. 25509 Jonnie Court. extract from the Gaithersburg MD 20882 WAHF column.” If I William Breiding, 150 Grattan St #4, can figure out who San Francisco, CA 94117 this unnamed letter Allyson M.W. Dyar, 1209 SE 89th hack is, I’m abso Avenue, Portland OR 97216 lutely sure he knows Christian McGuire, 5320 Corteen Place and is feeling the #19, North Hollywood, CA 91607 back of Alison’s Curt Phillips, 19310 Pleasant View hand. Drive, Abingdon, VA 24210 Alison joins that Charles Platt, E-mail: [email protected] remark to an enthu Alex Slate, E-mail: alex_slate@hotmail. siastic repudiation of com The Usual: “we should have no Martha Beck discovered in March how compunction about to spam, er, message everyone on her not sending the list. "Since joining AOL, the wonderful fanzine to tedious machine yells at me when I have mail... gits, even if tliey did and to think I told it about two months loc every single ago, that it was going out in yard, and her better-written reviews. She sends no issue....” Has she blown up the basic before I buried it, my two rotties were mixed messages. Her opinions are direct social contract of fandom? Or is she just going to nasty things to it first ..." and supported by relevant details So making a joke? What do you think, Get in the queue by contacting Mar what if she’s wrong about Ed Green and Andy? tha at her new address: martha- Milt Stevens? However, Alison makes [email protected] another good point when she challenges Items Reviewed: Baloney, Amie Katz, "We are not well -- ha -- never have Marty’s article introductions, lavishing 330 S. Decatur Blvd., PMB 152, Las been!, but what are you to do when you praise in a way that instantly trigger a Vegas, NV 89107 and Tom Springer, hit 70? And Hank is 74 — just laugh at reader’s skepticism. A faned defeats his 15515 NE First Circle, Vancouver, WA it, and enjoy each other.. ." Martha purpose by inviting unrealistic expecta 98684. “Although this fanzine is as loves visits from her fannish friends and tions. Far better to let an article seek its available as a Vegas hooker, you can’t family: she puts them up in a large own level. If it's dial good, Ilie letler- buy it for any amount of money.” apartment beside their house. "[The liacks will figure it out and say so. Or if Kittywompus Tracks Fanzines, late] Joni Stopa gave us a wooden sign, it’s not, fans might still find a way to Alison Scott, http://www.kittywompus. BECK'S MOTEL, and we put it over enjoy it if the editor doesn’t annoy them com/fanzines/reviews/ front door — was really worried that with a lot of verbal elbow-jogging moving from Wimpy Zone over eight Besides needing to leave readers years ago, we'd lose sight of all you with a clear “bottom-line” opinion about sweet peoples -- will not make a list, but each zine, and to be sure that it’s sup believe me, we have company!" ported by her discussion, Alison also needs to get rid of all the casual insults Obligatory Dr. Who Reference strewn throughout her reviews. As I Harry Warner Jr. “My favorite Dr. said, Alison isn’t writing old-fashioned Who was Tom Baker,.” KTF, she just seems to go brain-dead all 12 File 770:135 Hugo Awards Nomination List
Best Novel Jack Cohen (Ebury Press) (334 nominations for 183 novels) Spectrum 6: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art edited by Cathy and Amie Fenner (Underwood) A Civil Campaign by Lois McMaster Bujold (Baen) Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson (Avon) Best Dramatic Presentation Darwin’s Radio by Greg Bear (HarperCollins UK; Del Rey) (304 nominations for 106 dramatic presentations) A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge (Tor) Harty Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling Being John Malkovich (Single Cell Picturcs/Gramcrcy Pic- (Bloomsbury; Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic Press) tures/Propaganda Films) Directed by Spike Jonze; Written by Charlie Kaufman Best Novella Galaxy Quest (DreamWorks SKG) Directed by Dean Parisot; (191 nominations for 58 novellas) Story by David Howard; Screenplay by David Howard and Robert Gordon "The Astronaut From Wyoming" by Adam-Troy Castro and The Iron Giant (Warner Bros. Animation) Directed by Brad Jerry Oltion (Analog 7-8/99) Bird; Book by Ted Hughes; Screenplay by Brad Bird and "Forty, Counting Down" by Hany Turtledove (Asimov's 12/99) Tim McCanlies "Hunting the Snark" by Mike Resnick (Asimov's 12/99) The Matrix (Village Roadshow Productions/Groucho II Film "Son Observe the Time" by Kage Baker (Asimov's 5/99) Partnership/Silver Pictures) Directed by Andy and Larry "The Winds of Marble Arch" by Connie Willis (Asimov's 10- Wachowski; Written by Andy and Larry Wachowski 11/99) The Sixth Sense (Spyglass Entertainmcnt/I lollywood Pictures) Directed by M. Night Shyamalan; Written by M. Night Best Novelette Shyamalan (168 nominations for 130 novelettes, six nominees due to a tie) Best Professional Editor "Border Guards" by Greg Egan (Interzone 10/99) (203 nominations for 66 editors) "The Chop Girl" by Ian R. MacLeod (Asimov's 12/99) "Fossil Games" by Tom Purdom (Asimov's 2/99) Gardner Dozois (Asimov's Science Fiction) "The Secret History of the Omithopter" by Jan Lars Jensen David G. Hartwell (Tor/Forge; Year's Best SF) (F&SF6M) Patrick Nielsen Hayden (Tor Books; Starlight) "Stellar Harvest" by Eleanor Amason (Asimov's 4/99) Stanley Schmidt (Analog Science Fiction and Fact) "1016 to 1" by James Patrick Kelly (Asimov's 6/99) Gordon Van Gelder (St. Martin's Press; Fantasy’ & Science Fiction) Best Short Story (189 nominations for 158 short stories) Best Professional Artist (196 nominations for 103 artists) "Ancient Engines" by Michael Swanwick (Asimov's 2/99) "Hothouse Flowers" by Mike Resnick (Asimov's 10-11/99) Jim Bums "macs" by Terry Bisson (F&SF 10-11/99) Bob Egglcton "Sarajevo" by Nick DiChario (F&SF 3/99) Donato Giancola "Scherzo with Tyrannosaur" by Michael Swanwick (Asimov's Don Maitz 7/99) Michael Whelan
Best Related Book Best Semiprozine (167 nominations for 74 related books) (168 nominations for 38 semiprozines)
Minicon 34 Restaurant Guide by Karen Cooper and Bruce Interzone edited by David Pringle Schneier (Rune Press) Locus edited by Charles N. Brown The Sandman: The Dream Hunters by Neil Gaiman and Yoshi The New York Review of Science Fiction edited by Kathryn taka Amano (DC Comics/Vertigo) Cramer, Ariel Hamion, David G. Hartwell, and Kevin Science Fiction of the 20th Century by Frank M. Robinson Maroney (Collectors Press) Science Fiction Chronicle edited by Andrew I. Porter The Science of Discworld by Terry Pratchett, Ian Stewart, and Speculations edited by Kent Brewster June 2000 13
Best Fanzine (195 nominations for 94 fanzines)
Ansible edited by Dave Langford Challenger edited by Guy H. Lillian III File 770 edited by Mike Glyer Mimosa edited by Nicki and Richard Lynch Plokta edited by Alison Scott, Steve Da vies, and Mike Scott
Best Fan Writer (191 nominations for 147 fan writers)
Bob Devney Mike Glyer Dave Langford Evelyn C. Lccpcr Steven H Silver No Hard Feelings: During a Disneyland photo op with a Hugo Best Fan Artist nominee, Buzz Lightyear asked why Toy Story 2 missed the ballot. (164 nominations for 101 fan artists) Semi, Edo van Belkom. becois, Jean-Louis Trudel; Le XIXe Freddie Baer Meilleur livre siecle fantastique en Amerique fran- Brad Foster en fran^ais -1998/1999 <;aise, Claude Janelle et al.; and Solaris, Teddy Harvia L'Aile du papillon, Joel Champetier; Le Joel Champetier. Joe Mayhew Livre des chevaliers. Yves Meynard; Artistic Achievement - 1999 Tarai Wayne Sur le seuil by Patrick Senecal; and James Beveridge. Jean-Pierre Normand. Samiva de Free by Francine Pelletier. Bernard Rcischl, DLSproulc, Larry John W. Campbell Award Best Short-Form Work for Best New Writer Stewart, Ronn Sutton and Terry Pallot in English - 1999 Fan Achievement (Organizational) (110 nominations for 72 writers) The Emperor's Old Bones, Gemma Brian A. Davis (inCONsequential); Files; Erratic Cycles, Mark Leslie; Cathy Palmer-Lister (MonSFFA); Lloyd Cory' Doctorow (2nd year of eligibility) Speaking Sea, Sally McBride; Any Port Penney (Toronto in 2003 worldcon bid); Thomas Harlan (1st year of eligibility) in a Storm. Mark Rayner; Stream of Yvonne Penney (Toronto in 2003 Ellen Klages (2nd year of eligibility) Consciousness, Robert J. Sawyer; State worldcon bid); Bernard Reischl (KAG/ Kristine Smith (1st year of eligibility) of Disorder, Douglas Smith; Symphony, Kanada); and Ann Methe (Con*cept). Shane Tourtellotte (2nd year of eligibil Douglas Smith; Plato's Mirror, Robert Fan Achievement (Other) ity) Charles Wilson. Made in Canada. Don Bassie (Web site) Meilleure nouvelle [www.geocities.com/canadian_sf]; en frangais -1999 Lloyd Penney (fan writing); The Road Prix Aurora Awards Souvenirs du Saudade Express, Eric to Roswell, Karen Linsley & Lloyd Here are the nominees for Canada's na Gauthier; Soldats de sucre, Yves Meyn Landa (music CD); Larry Stewart tional speculative fiction awards, given ard; Passions etouffees sous la pierre (entertainer); and Jason Taniguchi (one- for achievement by Canadian fans and cendreuse, Jean-Louis Trudel. man SF parody shows). pros in sf & fantasy literature, art, me Best Work in English (Other) - 1999 Fan Achievement (Fanzine) dia and organizational work. As always, Aurora Awards, Edo van Belkom; CONtract, John Mansfield, ed. & pub there are deux categories to recognize Northern Frights 5, Don Hutchison, ed.; lisher [newsletter]; Disrupter. Bernard work in each of the nation’s official lan On Spec, Jena Sny der, general ed; Par Reischl, ed. (KAG/Kanada) [clubzine]; guages, English and French. sec, Chris Krejlgaard, cd; and Trans- OSES Statement. Joel Polowin, ed. I Best Long-Form Work Versions, Dale L. Sproule. Dwight Williams, ed. I Sharon C.P. in English - 1998/1999 Meilleur ouvrage Fall. ed. (Ottawa SF Society clubzine); Beholder's Eye, Julie E. Czemeda; en franqais (autre) - 1999 Voyageur. Karen Bennett, ed. (USS Brown Girl in the Ring, Nalo Hopkin L'Annee de la Science-Fiction et du Hudson Bay/IDIC clubzine); Warp, son; Flashforward, Robert J. Sawyer; Fantastique Quebecois 1997, Claude Lynda Pelley. ed. (MonSFFA clubzine). Starfish, Peter Watts; Bios, Robert Janelle et al. ; Historique des Pulps que Charles Wilson; and Death Drives A 14 File 770:135
Joe Mayhew 1942-2000 June 2000 15
Joe Mayhew all-you-can-eat.” Appreciation by Mike Glyer Mayhew7 more recently forged an international reputation as a fanartist. I ran a bid party at an early-90’s Dis- Fans learned that lan Gunn's fight with clave where Joe came in and parked for cancer had taken a serious turn for the the evening, showing off the collected worse when Joe Mayhew announced the “Spaceman Tad" comics he'd drawn for news as part of his emotional speech the clubzinc. They were fabulously accepting the 1998 Best Fan Artist funny, cleverly drawn and deserved Hugo. Both men had been nominated, much wider circulation. Mayhew spent and Joe almost seemed impatient that the evening taking care of tliat in his Ian hadn't been the first of them to win. own way, lending his copies to a series Gunn died soon afterward, leaving May of fascinated readers. It was just in the hew a passionate protector of his legacy past five years tliat Joe became a prolific until Gunn received his own Hugo, post cartoonist and a fixture in every' printed humously. in 1999. Now, Joe Mayhew fanzine. has unexpectedly passed away, and fans Mayhew worked at the Library of are mourning his loss. Congress, in the Spanish acquisitions Joe Mayhew died at 9 a m. on June department, until his retirement. As the 10, at the end of a month-long struggle LoC’s Recommending Officer for Sci against a disease his doctors never defi ence Fiction, he developed its official nitely diagnosed but suspect was Joe Mayhew. Photo by Evan Phil definition of science fiction. Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, a relative of lips, used by permission. Retirement gave Mayhew more time “Mad Cow Disease.” extremely rare in to pursue his ambitions as a writer of the U.S. He was only 57. Mayhew’s cruit newcomers, “The trouble was, fiction and as a critic. His stories ap brother and sister-in-law, Bill and there wasn't anything there to recruit peared in Tomorrow, Aberrations, and Maren, arranged for a Catholic funeral folks to. When you included Mayhew, Aboriginal SF. He reviewed science fic at Joe's local parish. Studebaker, and Haughey, we were tion. most notably for the Washington A teen-aged Joe Mayhew was part of more of a kind of gang of nerds than a Post. Mayhew told fans at a 1998 Bo- the Washington Science Fiction Asso real club.” skone panel how difficult it was for him ciation that Jack Chalker discovered in Mayhew grew as a WSFA leader to review the work of friends like Jack 1959. “WSFA was quite active during over the next four decades, an officer, a Chalker and Gene Wolfe. (The WSFA that period and had a number of mem conrunner, and occasional editor of the website includes a wonderful picture of bers around my age.” Chalker wrote in WSFA Journal. Evan Phillips remem Mayhew and Wolfe posed beside Mimosa 20. “The teen clique became bers Joe as “an active fan who did some “Dragon Growly,” the comical monster basically Tom Haughey7, Joe Mayhew1, of his best work as the unseen hand that head Joe created for the 1989 Disclave.) Don Studebaker, and myself. Meetings encouraged people to try things such as It was well-known that Joe disliked say were held at the home of a retired eld run a con or be an officer in a club when ing anything negative about a book. He erly railroad lobbyist named Elizabeth they didn't realize on their own that they made an exception for Battlefield Cullen and were being run by George could. Joe was constantly striking up a Earth - and Bridge Publications retali Scithcrs, who was stationed in D.C. at conversation with folks at cons, and al ated against that review’ by pulling ad the time. It was a golden time for the ways fitting them into fandom -- this vertising from the publisher. club.” WSFA inspired some Baltimore one would be good on a panel, that one One of Mayhew’s most traumatic fans, Chalker among them, to start could run a con suite.... Joe was my experiences came as the chair of the BSFS. Chalker writes, tongue-in-cheek, lunchtime buddy most Saturdays and never-held 1998 Disclave. The con’s that although a friend of his tried to re- loved conversation, ideas, and Chinese annual difficulties in booking a hotel. *. Kens we sove 16 File 770:135
for economic reasons, had been made so many awestruck expressions of admi WOOF. Fans and ayjay enthusiasts ap infinitely greater by the notoriety Dis- ration for the work involved in handset peared side by side in Stefs letter col clave gained by being flooded out by a ting type for fandom’s last letterpress umn, to my knowledge the most conge broken fire sprinkler in 1997. Mayhew fanzine. Long-time FAPAn Robert nial common meeting place of the two reversed another committee member’s Lichtman wrote the following apprecia subcultures. amazing decision to invite the "ASB" tion of one of the apa’s legendary mem In the end. Bill found it too ardu group back and give it an entire floor, bers. ous to continue his favorite activity . In but Disclave’s economic and image a July 1999 letter he wrote: "If you're problems doomed hotel negotiations. He Bill Danner (1906-2000) wondering what happened to Stef 124, described winding down his Disclave as by Robert Lichtman there isn't any. I started it right after “a bit like building a casket. Perhaps for Bill Danner was bom July 20, 1906. He Xmas and then we had two very cold a child.” arrived on the fannish scene in July spells and the cellar was unfit for hu Mayhew was beset by medical prob 1945 in the Vanguard APA with a pub man habitation. When it began to warm lems during the last five years. He was a lication, A Dangerous Thing, which up it was too late to get an issue out on diabetic. He underwent a quadruple by soon metamorphosed into his beloved schedule, and I found I had slowed pass heart operation in 1996. He needed Stefantasy. Danner stayed with VAPA down so much it took a lot longer to do treatment for tachycardia the weekend until its end in 1950, when he leaped anything so I decided to call it quits." after officially announcing the cancella over to FAPA (the Fantasy Amateur Elsewhere in the letter he confessed that tion of his 1998 Disclave at WSFA. De Press Association, SF fandom's oldest he'd been getting around with a walker spite all of these trials, Mayhew was apa) and remained active there until for quite some time. Ending on a char blossoming as one of the best fanartists 1962. After that he continued to pub acteristic positive note, he said: "When I ever. lish Stefantasy, with gradually decreas kick off, a nephew in Colorado is to get Elspeth Kovar wrote online that peo ing frequency, for a total of 54 years, my whole outfit, and he says he'll take ple noticed Mayhew’s latest problem ending with the 123rd issue in Decem care of it and use it, and hinted that he because ’’for the first time in anyone's ber 1998. Stef is best characterized by might continue Stef. That would be an memory Joe left Baiticon and did not Danner's unusual sense of humor, w hich interesting development, and I wish I return, saying that he was overwhelmed manifested itself in a scries of mock ad could see his issues." by all the people - and things came to a vertisements for a wide variety of ficti So do 1. head about two weeks later and he was tious business entities, the most memo admitted to the hospital.” rable of which was the National Ray Gibberd Michael Nelson saw Mayhew in the Twonk's Disease Foundation. He re Ray Gibberd. a director of Britain’s fa hospital on May 31 and wrote, “Joe is ferred to his publishing activities as the mous Andromeda Bookshop for over 20 trapped inside himself. I think he recog Skreughbaul Press, to Stef as "the maga years, died on May 28. He was diag nizes people most of the time, but either zine that's milder, much milder - it lets nosed with a brain tumor over 18 he can't understand us or can't commu you sleep - it's soft as a grape," and in months ago, and surgery was immedi nicate, not even by blinking or other cluded in every issue the immortal ately done to remove it. Unfortunately, movement Last night, he was drifting words of one Ambrose J. Weems: "You the tumor returned and another opera in and out of sleep every few minutes. can fool some of the people some of the tion had to be done this past January. Sometimes he would appear to recog time, and you can fool some of the peo When the country’s National Health nize someone and give one of his big ple some of the time, but you can't fool Service was unwilling to pay the cost for grins and other times he acted like a some of the people some of the time.” a recommended course of chemother startled deer caught in a car's head Despite such a long string of pub apy, Rog Peyton, Andromeda’s manag lights.” lishing activity, Danner never consid ing director, turned to the science fic Sad as it was that Mayhew slipped ered himself an SF fan. Good-humored tion community to help find the rest of away over the past few weeks, I’m com about it as with everything, he was the money. Donations and auctions forted to know he went in the company quoted as saying in 1950, "I consider raised £3.400. according to The Brum of the friends he made in fandom. And being called a fan merely a mistake, not Group News. The money and ten boxes through his artwork he’ll remain a an insult." Bill's origins were in the of auction material will be distributed lively presence among us for some time printers' amateur press associations -- between the Hospice which took care of to come. the world of "ayjay" or "the 'dom" as it's Ray. Children With Leukemia, and affectionately and variously known by Cancer Research. William Danner its adherents — and Stefantasy was William Danner passed away on March printed by letterpress, using hand-set In Passing 4, 2000 at the age of 93. He had already' type. He continued his associations Catherine Crook deCamp, teacher, retired his long-lived quarterly fanzine there, contributing annually to the It's A author, and editor, and beloved wife of Stefantasy, which, had it not been clev SmallWorld combozine, a sort of L. Sprague de Camp, passed away April erly written, would never have garnered 9, 2000 at the age of 92. June 2000 17
UK 2005 — Forever Plaid dom on its head in June 2002 by At the recent
Charles Sheffield and Nancy Kress. You'll find all of them at the Rye First Annual Apples and Oranges Nominees Town Hilton over the March 23-25, An outsider viewing our Petri dish through It will be after Labor Day before I can 2001 weekend. For current registra the microscope might expect any random make a valid comparison, when this year’s tion rates and other information, Hugo nominee statistics arc released. So mail inquiries to Lunacon 2001, P.O. sample of the denizens of our tiny w orld to I’ve tried to satisfy my curiosity by com Box 3566, New York, NY 10008- pretty much agree who is the best fanwriter paring apples and oranges -- the 1999 Aus- 3566, or visit the convention web or fanartist, or what is the best fanzine. Well, we don't. The winners of the Hugos siecon Three statistics and 2000 FAAn sta page, wwxv.lunacon.org and the FAAn Awards rarely overlap. tistics. Con Jose Extends Seeing the recently-published year 2000 For each fan Hugo category I’ve set up FAAn voting statistics inspired me to won a series of short lists. (1) The 2000 Hugo $100 Membership der: What if everyone who voted in the finalists. (2) The 1999 Hugo finalists with Announces New Rates FAAns had also nominated for the Hugos? total nominations. (3) A list of all the 2000 ConJose, the 2002 Worldcon. now Would this year’s fan Hugo finalists have FAAn vote-getters receiving enough votes will honor its current $100 Attend been as radically different as we expect? to have made the 1999 final ballot had ing Membership rate through July Especially since someone only needed 17- those been Hugo nominations. (4) A com 15, 2000. Attending Memberships 23 votes to reach the bottom rung of the posite list of the five top vote-getters. will cost $120 after July 15, 2000, a 1999 Hugo ballot? rate that will last to the end of the year. Supporting Memberships are Chicon 2000 1999 Best Fanzine 2000 FAAn Best Composite Best still $35. Best Fanzine Hugo nominees Fanzine votes Fanzines After July 15 there will no longer Hugo Nominees 48 Mimosa 44 Trap Door 48 Mimosa be an extra discount given to pre Ansible 44 Tangent 41 Bento 44 Tangent supporters who are converting site Challenger 38 Ansible 40 Plokta 44 Trap Door selection memberships to Attending File 770 34 File 770 35 Never Quite Ar 41 Bento Memberships. Those who voted in Mimosa 23 Thyme riving 40 Plokta the 2002 site selection will simply Plokta 23 Plokta get a $30 discount off the cost of an Attending Membership, and those Chicon 2000 1999 Best Fanw riter 2000 FAAn Composite Best who pre-supported the Bay Area in Best Fanwriter Hugo Nominees Fan Writer votes Fan writers 2002 bid committee will get a $20 Hugo Nominees 47 Dave Langford 38 Christina Lake 47 Dave Langford discount off the cost of an attending Bob Devney 28 Evelyn C. Leeper 25 David Levine 38 Christina Lake membership. These two discounts Mike Glyer 28 Mike Glyer 28 Evelyn C. Leeper may be combined. Dave Langford 26 Bob Devney 28 Mike Glyer A full schedule of membership Evelyn Leeper 20 Maureen Kincaid 26 Bob Devney rates, including all applicable dis Steven H. Silver Speller counts for those who voted in the 2002 site selection at Aussiccon Three, and/or pre-supported the Bay Chicon 2000 1999 Best Fan Artist 2000 FAAn Fan Composite Best Area in 2002 Worldcon bid, and also Best Fan Artist Hugo Nominees Artist votes: Fan Artists including rates in other currencies, is Hugo Nominees 78 Ian Gunn 56 D. West 78 Ian Gunn scheduled for publication in Con- Freddie Baer 60 Teddy Harvia 36 Stu Shiffman 60 Teddy Harvia Jose's Progress Report 1. PR 1 is Brad Foster 41 Joe Mayhew 31 Steve Stiles 56 D. West currently in preparation, and is ex Teddy Harvia 28 Brad Foster 31 Craig Smith 41 Joe Mayhew pected to be mailed to all ConJose Joe Mayhew 17 Freddie Baer 30 Sue Mason 36 Stu Shiffman members and Bay Area in 2002 pre Tarai Wayne 17 D. West 19 Teddy Harvia supporters by the end of July. Details 17 Ross Chamberlain will also be soon posted on the con vention's web site, http://www.conjosc.org/. ConJose will be held Thursday, August 29 through Monday, Septem ber 2, 2002, at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, Cali fornia. June 2000 19
Dickson, Anderson, Russell tie on a hot, sultry morning. He flapped Mythopoeic Fantasy Award and Sturgeon - Oh, My! his arms and legs, pretending to be a (Adult Literature) It’ll be a solid Golden Age induction lobster. Clarke uses a wheelchair be Elementals by A.S. Byatt when four new members of the Science cause of a post-polio problem that has Tamsin by Peter S. Beagle Fiction & Fantasy Hall of Fame are offi left him partially paralyzed. "I have Dark Cities Underground by Lisa Gold cially honored during the Campbell every reason to be happy and, yes, I am stein Conference in July. Poul Anderson, very, very happy." The Wild Swans by Peg Kerr Gordon Dickson, Eric Frank Russell [[Sources: AP news, Chronicles of The Book of Knights by Yves Meynard and Theodore Sturgeon were announced the Dawn Patrol]] as additions to the Hall for the year Mythopoeic Fantasy Award (Children's Literature) 2000 during ceremonies at ConQuesT Medical Update Skellig by David Almond 31 in Kansas City this past Memorial Judy Sephton, a Lunarians member, is The Folk Keeper by Franny Billingsley Day Weekend. suffering from brain cancer. She under The Science Fiction and Fantasy went surgery on June 16 to install a The Circle of Magic series by Tamora Hall of Fame was founded in 1996 by shunt that will drain fluid from her Pierce Harry Potter and the Prisoner ofAzka the Kansas City Science Fiction and brain. Lunarians president Dom Cor ban by J.K. Rowling Fantasy Society and the J. Wayne and rado announced that the prognosis is not Elsie M. Gium Center for Ilie Study of good. Kingdom series by Cynthia Voigt Science Fiction at the University of Mythopoeic Scholarship Award Kansas. The Campbell Conference takes Elian: Not the Only Orphan (Inklings Studies) place at the University of Kansas in As the Elian Gonzalez crisis made a C.S. Lewis: Writer, Dreamer & Mentor July, and features the Hall of Fame in political football out of the plight of one by Lionel Adey duction and presentation of the John W. international orphan, Marie and Kirby Tolkien: Man and Myth - A Literary Campbell and Theodore T. Sturgeon Bartlett-Sloan wrote the following letter Life by Joseph Pearce Memorial Awards. to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Farmer Giles of Ham by J.R.R. Tolkien, Due to previous commitments, nei published on April 10: edited by Wayne G. Hammond and ther Anderson nor Dickson are expected “Many of us in the international Christina Scull to attend the July conference, and it will adoption community have been amazed Roverandom by J.R.R. Tolkien, edited be a posthumous honor for Russell and and frustrated by the attempts by some by Wayne G. Hammond and Chris Sturgeon. However, Hal Clement, a in Congress to pass a bill granting citi tina Scull 1998 inductee, and Robin Sturgeon. zenship to little Elian Gonzalez. Ted’s oldest son, will be present this “We American citizens who have Mythopoeic Scholarship Award year. adopted orphans from overseas must pay (General Myth and Fantasy Studies) The inductees to the Hall of Fame hundreds of dollars in fees and wait King Arthur in America by Alan Lupack were selected by the Board of Directors: years for the Immigration and Naturali and Barbara Tcpa Lupack Robin Wayne Bailey, James Gunn, Joe zation Service to act on our children’s The Quest for the Grail: Arthurian Leg Haldeman. Larry Hopkins, Ted Poovey. citizenship. This ought to be a no- end in British Art 1840-1920 by Keith W. Stokes and William Tienken. brainer: If an American adopts a child Christine Poulson For more information, see their web from overseas, the child should auto Oz and Beyond: The Fantasy World of page: matically become a citizen, just like L. Frank Baum by Michael Riley http://www.kcsciencefiction.org/hof.htm children bom overseas to Americans. Strange and Secret Peoples: Fairies and The proposed Adopted Orphans Citi Victorian Consciousness by Carole zenship Act would do precisely that, but The Knight Has G. Silver it has been stuck in committee since last a Thousand Ayes men Dreams Come True: Classical September. We urge Congress to act on Arthur C. Clarke was recently knighted Fairy Tales and Their Tradition by this simple measure so it can become at the home of the British ambassador to Jack Zipes Sri Lanka, more than two years after he law and our children can become citi was conferred with the honor. Plans for zens.” Clarke to be invested with his knight hood by Prince Charles during the Mythopoeic Awards Finalists prince’s visit to Sri Lanka in 1998 were The Mythopoeic Society has announced derailed by a tabloid’s accusations that the finalists for its fiction and scholar Clarke was a child molester. The allega ship awards. The winners will be an tion was never proved. nounced at the Mythcon XXXI banquet "I feel like a lobster." joked Clarke, on August 19th. wearing an ash-colored suit and a blue costume and prop departments to the public. There was a $100 holding fee at the door however, which got you an >h FANBOY 1 auction paddle and catalogue. First | 0 as told to Alan White would come the auction of bigger pieces; pirate galleons, statues, huge miniatures, 12 foot long submarines and of course, guests to the exhibit. It looked tired and the Time Machine. worn but still held the same magic. What Who would buy this stuff, if not it didn't have however, was it’s original collectors? 1 wondered, and found that control panel. most purchasers owned amusement George Pal had taken the panel home as parks, miniature golf courses and such. a souvenir of the film and as history There it sat, still with Tom’s control would have it, the infamous BelAir fire panel next to the statue from “The burned his home and contents to the Prodigal” also used in “Atlantis, The ground. I found out about the exhibit Lost Continent”. The fish-submarine from Tom Scherman, who was called in lay nearby. ALL THE TIME IN at the last minute to recreate the control panel and gussy up the machine. THE WORLD...” Also on display were the head mock es, I had the hots for 16 year old ups of Tony Randall from “7 Faces of Dr. Lao”, a “King Kong” armature, the Yvette Mimieux in 1960, but submarine from “Atlantis, the Lost there were other reasons I loved Continent”, miniature sets from “3 YGeorge Pal’s 'The Time Machine", I Worlds of Gulliver”, the mechanical swear. Rod Taylor was dashing, the dinos from “Dinosaurus”, some Morlocks were gruesome but the machine Morlock make-up pieces and assorted itself was a wonder to behold! “giant” props. Over the next twenty years, I found The exhibit impressed everybody, but in me!
myself actually coming in contact with time it came to an end, much like the by the machine again and again. For those Lytton Center itself, which closed not who also hold a fascination for this long after. Whatever is in it’s place today, unforgettable movie prop, I offer a trip
I haven’t a clue, but that corner, like the snapshots down memory lane. machine has gone through an interesting All metamorphoses. Incident One - Where Allah Dwells Ready for the auction “The Garden of Allah”... was a movie in Incident Two - The Highest Bidder The auctioneer stood on a high rolling 1916, a Maxfield Parrish painting in 1918; It was all the talk in 1970 when MGM podium and was pushed from battleship a Charles Boyer movie in 1936 and an decided to sell-off the entirety of their to dirigible and finally to the machine. I Eagles song much later. The “Garden of actually bid on the machine at one point, Allah” we want, is the infamous celebrity making a bid for the sake of history and nightspot opened by silent film star Alla knowing I could never afford it anyway. Nazimova in 1921 on the comer of Sunset Frankly, 1 thought the final bid of $5,000 Boulevard and Crescent Heights in was less than proper, but then, the panel Hollywood. Bogart, Dietrich, all the stars was missing and it needed extensive of the day had their trysts, drunks and maintenance. brawls at the Garden. In the 50s, the In the days after the auction, place closed and was gutted by fire. warehouses of costumes, sketches, hand From the ashes rose a financial props and tons of other stuff went up for institution called Lytton Savings. Their grabs in a giant rummage sale. It was only importance in this story however, is here that I and others spent most of our the theatre and showroom they sported. money. 1 picked up several swords from One such event they held in 1965 was, I “Ben Hur”, Gary Lockwood’s gloves suspect, a first for Hollywood; a show and from “2001”, some jewelry from exhibition devoted strictly to special “Cleopatra”, a set of color costume effects! The theatre played an hour long sketches from “The Time Machine” and loop of great monsters and calamities a bunch of other stuff. while the showroom displayed some The machine itself, the Atlantis genuine wonders. Time Machine with Tom’s control panel submarine, spacesuits from “2001, A It was the Time Machine itself greeting at Lytton Center (1965). Space Odyssey”, one of the three hour In the meantime, I was working as film neighborhood had never seen. historian for “Movie World”, an They were 15 minute productions automobile and film museum in Buena repeating as long as there were still people Park with Custom Car King Ed "Big in a line that snaked down the avenue. Daddy” Roth. After the auction, the boss Over the years we put our hands to bought “scavenging rights” to the back terrifying spinoffs of “Forbidden Plant”, lots of MGM. Anything we could carry “The Exorcist”, “War of the Worlds” off was ours. There were overgrown and of course “The Time Machine". We fields of weeds - dotted with bungalows built lavish sets and props, and the and each housed a particular surprise. performers had nerves of steel to put on Some were full of uniforms from the same show maybe 30 time a night! cavalry or legionnaire films, some where Bob had actually found the time piled high with scripts, sketches and other machine, or what was left of it in a junk cool stuff. Now understand we were store and carted it home. Calling upon his sweating, as we were just three days in band of dedicated followers, bit by bit all front of bulldozers that would reduce all the missing parts were recreated and the of this to so much debris and construction damaged parts repaired. Sand, sand, file, In pieces at Martinet. would commence on business property. file, paint, paint - an exhausting job, but glasses from “Wizard of Oz” and oth^r I could barely make them out. sitting in the payoff was worth every bit of it. items were purchased by the Martinel the field, the weeds were so high, but here At last the machine was finished, and in Company whose office on Beverly Blvd, were the turret guns from “Forbidden better shape than ever before! Of course, would house the stuff while being Planet” laying in complete ruin. Control that meant a Halloween production of the refurbished. They also got at least one of panels and pieces of the starship’s bridge Time Machine! Details of the shows are the three smoking jackets that were made were strewn here and there, completely another story. for the film. George Pal fan Mike Hyatt overgrown by 30 years of weeds and Masterminded by Tom Scherman, was in charge of putting this stuff in elements. Dennis Muren and Mike Minor the viewing condition as it was being readied At last there was a surprising jackpot. finished set was beyond belief and for a truck-bound touring display of the Ed and I opened one nearby shed, like Morlock costumes were made. The actual country. By the way, for those of you Carter opening Tut’s tomb to find time traveler himself was played by David seeing the Atlantis sub in Forry’s back Robby’s transport car and could it be? In (“Trouble with Tribbles”) Gerrold. yard and wonder who the hell cut it in the comer were four grey boxes, and Donning the Morlock costumes a second half, this is where the deed went down, all painted on one of them were the words: night, we gave a special presentation for for easier packing. “Robby”! George Pal himself. After the show he It was Mike that introduced me to Tom Like kids at Christmas we tore into the came on stage and sat joyously in the Scherman a year earlier while putting boxes finding the robot in two pieces, machine. Beaming, he yelled out “Forry plus an extra head from some TV show Ackerman, eat your heart out!” and a car battery-powered control panel And thus, would-be time travelers for the robot. Contrary to popular belief, everywhere can rest easy, knowing the Robby was never in the actual auction. Time Machine has a good home at last. ■ Back in Buena Park, we took weeks rebuilding the car, fabricating the seats / now live in Las Vegas where daily, during the and remolding the pod windshields. For MGM Grand Hotel show “EFX" Tommy Tune some reason, our boss completely lost in a Time Machine rescues Weena from the interest in Robby letting him fall prey to evil Morlocks! vandals. I was so disgusted with it, I quit and moved to Hollywood. Shortly, the museum closed and I’ve never seen the real Robby again.
A well dressed mannequin with Incident Three - Burns, Baby, Burns "All the time in the world". A dedicated monster fan and editor of together a special effects exhibit at Long “Fantastic Monsters of the Films”, I met Beach City College. It’s funny, that Bob Bums in 1972 and found that not only Hollywood was still small enough that did he have a smashing collection of mentioning “The Time Machine”, the movie memorabilia, but held Halloween in same people would reappear. the highest regard. For years he had been I then lost track of the machine entirely, doing more than just handing out candy until one day on my way into Hollywood, and yelling “Boo”! Bob had been I saw the three 18 wheelers parked by the assembling a group of enthusiastic fans to side of the Harbor Freeway, abandoned. create a Halloween show such as the George Pal: Once & future time traveler 22 File 770:135 A Fan in Jeopardy! Part Two! by Steven Silver
California Before the Day: Our trip out thing. you first have to spend and hour or last meal. I was not particularly im to California was pretty booked up. so I more in the car getting to the general pressed by the food, the service or the really had no chance to focus on my up area to which you wish to go. history. Our subsequent plans to visit coming Jeopardy! appearance. The Sat On Monday, we took my two-year-old Griffith Park were scuttled when Robin urday before, we attended a wedding. On daughter, Robin, to Disneyland. No mat decided (much to her parents’ apprecia Sunday, my parents, wife, daughter and I ter what anyone says, the perfect age to tion) that it was time to take a nap. While flew out of Midway in Chicago, spending go to Disneyland is in your thirties, as she slept in the back seat, we drove up a couple of hours at the Albuquerque air suming you are bringing your child along into the San Fernando Valley where we port where we visited with cousins from and can watch her expression as she tries had dinner plans with some other friends. both my parents’ sides of the family. to deal with the sensory' overload, the After dinner, we drove back into LA When we arrived at LAX, we rented a shock and the pure, unadulterated enjoy proper and checked into the Radisson car and drove out to my uncle’s house in ment. In the weeks leading up to my trip, Hotel in Culver City. I checked in at the Yorba Linda. I was telling people that I was more look concierge’s desk and was told that some For those who aren’t familiar with ing forward to taking my daughter to body had already booked a cab over to the LA Yorba Linda is about as far east as Disneyland than I was toward Jeopardy! studio for 8:00 the next morning and you can go and still remain in California, After my return, I stand by that state someone else for 8:30. I decided to aim at least, that’s the way it seems. The only ment. for the 8:00 ride with the option of thing Yorba Linda has to offer, in the On Tuesday. Elaine. Robin and I met switching to the later ride. way of tourism, is the Richard Nixon some high school friends for lunch at a The Day Dawns: On March 1, I Birthplace, Library and Gravesite. This Mexican restaurant. El Coyote, which, I awoke at 3:00 in the morning with a means that whenever you want to do any am assured, is where Sharon Tate ate her splitting sinus headache and the sounds June 2000 23
of the elevator running in the hall outside Camille and the Jeopardy! staff said our room. I stumbled to the bathroom and made it sound like Jason was unbeatable managed to locate an allergy pill, but and would rank in the pantheon of five nothing for the headache. As I lay in bed. time Jeopardy! winners. wishing I were asleep, I could hear the Meanwhile, the rest of the contestants whirring of the elevators continue. Even joked in a friendly manner until Suzanne tually. I did manage to fall back asleep, came in an began to explain how the day but I kept waking up. the headache still would work. Despite the fact that every there and the elevators still moving. one in the room had seen Jeopardy! on When I did wake up at 6:45, my head television, it was necessary for Suzanne ache was miraculously gone. A wake-up to cover the rules, explaining that there call came while 1 was in the shower and were two changes from the contract Elaine and Robin wound up joining me which was sitting in front of us. Al for breakfast in the hotel restaurant. I still though the contract stated that all trips hadn’t decided whether to leave for the escorted to the Green Room for our ori won would originate in Los Angeles, they studio at 8:00 or 8:30, but as I ate, 8:30 entation. paperwork and make-up. could now originate from the major air seemed like it would work. I didn’t see The green room is a small room with port of the winner’s choice. Secondly, the any point in rushing at the hotel so that I a coffee set up and pastries in one comer, clause about not revealing the outcome of would sit around the gate at Sony for an two bathrooms at the back, a make-up the games only applied to the media. We extra half-hour. area which leads to a changing room, and were allowed to tell out friends, family, At about 8:15, I wandered over to the a wall of photos of former Jeopardy! ce enemies, co-workers, etc., if we so de concierge’s desk to see about getting a lebrity contestants. Regis Philbin’s pic sired. cab over to the studio. There were three ture had been turned conspicuously up Eventually, we were led onto the women standing around and I had a feel side down (he had also done very poorly stage, where we met John, the stage man ing they were also looking for transporta in his various Jeopardy! appearances. ager. They showed us how the podiums tion to Sony. I introduced myself and We all hung up our bags and sat at a and buzzers worked and had us nm learned that one of the women was Meg, long table to fill out our contracts and through a practice show. Our instructions the woman my mother-in-law had seen make sure all the information they' had were to play the game until we had an an article about in the paper the previous was correct and current. We were also swered three questions correctly. This week. The other two women were her asked to think about what we wanted to would give us a feel for the pace of the cheering section. When I heard her say when they filmed something they call game and, more importantly, a feel for name. I commented that she was from a “Hometown Howdy.” This is a short the buzzers. The first group was made up Lexington. KY, immediately explaining promotion which can be run on local of Ted, Camille and Jason, but Jason w as how I knew. She later told me that for a television, basically informing people replaced after he buzzed in once. He split second, she thought “He memorizes that a local resident will be appearing on hardly needed the additional practice. 1 phone books. I don’t want to go up Jeopardy! was in the second group, and Suzanne against him.” While we filled out our paper work, quickly asked me to refrain from buzzing One of the interesting things about the Jennifer, the make-up artist, began pull in. I was having no problem with the Jeopardy! contestants I would come to ing people to have a base coat of make-up buzzer at all. meet that day is that none of us felt that put on. Maggie, one of the contestant I felt a few moments of nervousness we knew everything. In fact, we were all handlers, tried her best to make everyone when I first walked on to the stage. Just very aware of the limitations of our feel at ease in the green room. Two of the as hearing the names of potential com knowledge. Similarly, we were all posi members of the contestant pool, Ted and petitors had made the whole situation tive that our opponents knew everything, Camille, had been potential contestants more real on Sunday, actually being on or at least more than we did. from the day' before and they began to tell the stage furthered the reality of the We were shortly joined by Kari, an us about the returning champion, Jason, situation. However, the nervousness only investment banker from New York. who had not yet arrived. lasted a few minutes and I was fine. Elaine and Robin came by to join us and Jason was a graduate student in While we were sitting in the audience we chatted for a while, trying to deter American history from the University of being briefed, a woman and a teenage mine if Meg or her companions knew my Florida. He was six-foot-six and very girl came into the studio. Apparently in-laws (they didn’t, but one of Meg’s quick on the buzzer. Over his first three they were the wife and daughter of one of companions works in the building next to days, he averages $10,000 in winnings the contestants, Scott. They had managed my mother-in-law’s office). Eventually, each day. Neither were looking forward to get in early and were quickly escorted the hotel bus arrived and took Meg, her to the possibility of facing him and hoped out. supporters, Kari and me to Sony. Four that by coming in on the first they would The audience is divided into two por other contestants were already waiting by be thrown into the pool with the rest of us tions. The larger part, taking up about the gate. When we all arrived, we were and gain a reprieve. Everything Ted, two-thirds of the audience, is for the gen- 24 File 770:135 eral audience. These are people who have Grant walked over to the front of the airs because I couldn’t tell you what the written for tickets to Jeopardy! or been audience and announced the sacrificial categories, answers, or questions were. I given tickets while looking at the sites of lambs (although he politely called them do know that Jason proved amazingly Hollywood. The smaller section is re challengers) for the second game. The adept at finding “daily doubles.” Fortu served for the contestants, their guests first name was Kari, who had been on the nately. I seemed to be a match for him and guests of Sony. Jeopardy! or similar bus over to the studio with me. I was the when it came to handling the buzzer. organizations. A wall divides the two second name he called off. We rose from During the first round of Jeopardy!, the parts of the audience from each other. our seats and went to get our makeup lead went back and forth between us sev The majority of audience shots are taken touched up in the Green Room. The other eral times. on the larger side. contestants were led off after us. Jeopardy! is filmed in real time. We were escorted back to the green I later learned that when my wife and When the show goes to a commercial room for a final make-up touch up. At mother realized I would be facing Jason, break, the contestants stand around on about this time, Suzanne informed us that their hearts sank. Jason had demon the set. talking to each other or to the the shows we would be taping would not strated that he was a powerhouse player, crew. Jennifer rushes onto the stage to air until the week of June 12. Although not only knowing the categories, but touch up make-up as needed and a stage contestant order was determined at ran quite competent with the buzzer. They hand brings a tray with water cups for the dom. I asked if it would be possible for figured we had traveled all this way only contestants. During the first commercial me to appear in the third show, which to have me go up against the invincible. break, I told Jason he should focus on would air on June 14, my anniversary . With a mother’s optimism, my mom tried deciding which car he would choose Suzanne responded that if I were selected to reflect that their was no reason to when he won the game (Five time win for one of the first two shows, I would have to earn my way to the third show and there was no way they could simply put me on that show. I jokingly said, “Then I’ll just have to beat Jason.” Sitting in the Audience: Grant an nounced that Jason would face off against Ted and Camille, the two contestants left over from the day before. The three of them were sent to Jennifer to receive touch-ups on their make-up. They shepherded the remaining ten future contestants into the audience, which was already full. I sat on the aisle of the first row. Across the aisle from me was a woman I had never seen, my par ents. wife and cousin. We had been warned not to communicate with our guests since it could result in our dis qualification. Our guests had been think I couldn’t beat Jason, but her hope ners receive their choice of four cars in warned even more harshly that even wav seems to have been half-hearted at best. I addition to their cash). ing to us could result in our disqualifica know that my goal at that point was sim When we came back from the first tion. I later found out that the woman on ply to enjoy my half hour on Jeopardy! commercial. Alex Trebek began his inter the end of the aisle was Jason’s mother. and to do the best I could. Perhaps sec views. We had to supply the Jeopardy! Jason completely dominated the first ond prize would be a trip somewhere staff with several topics which Alex game. The single-day record for win nice. could discuss with us ahead of time. Be nings on Jeopardy! is $34,000. Al Grant held out two slips of paper in fore the show. Grant came up to us and though Jason could have set a new rec his hand, asking Kari and me to each showed us the note card Alex would re ord. he chose to bet conservatively in Fi pick one to determine which podium we ceive. Each had our name, hometown, nal Jeopardy'. Nevertheless, he finished would stand behind. Each selecting the job description and three topics of con the game with $28,000, the fourth high paper closest to us, I wound up on po versation. Grant had highlighted the first est single-day total, which set his four dium two, next to Jason. topic, and confirmed it with me, noting day winnings at close to $60,000. The Against Goliath: Before I knew it, that Alex occasionally deviated from the contestants in the audience looked at our game was underway. I’m afraid I cards. each other and it was clear we were all can’t really give too many details, mostly He did not deviate, but asked me thinking that we didn’t want to go up because the game is something of a blur. about the Sidewise Award. I explained against Jason in his fifth game. I’m looking forward to seeing it when it what the award was and gave a brief de- June 2000 25 scription of what alternate history was. same fashion I did during the first game. and declared it functional, a fact he Alex then surprised me by asking for an This time, I was the only contestant to proved in Double Jeopardy. example. Our contracts specifically pro get the correct answer, which was ex During Double Jeopardy, we had an hibited us from promoting products un tremely biased in my favor. Allen, who other break to check on an answer. Once less in response to one of Alex’s ques was in first place going into Final Jeop they were ready to continued, they played tions. Of the four winners, the most typi ardy wanted to know7 who I had bribed to the tape back several times trying to find cal alternate history was probably Harry get the questions we got. In fact. I almost an appropriate starting place. Unfortu Turtledove’s How Few Remain (1998), so got the answer wrong. I began writing nately, that meant that I got to hear Alex that is the one I mentioned. During the the answer down and thought about the informing me that I had given a wrong next commercial break, one of the con advice Grant gave us going in to Final answer about ten times. According to my testants and three of the crew members Jeopardy7: “Even if this is the Final Jeop mother, that is when my concentration asked me for the name of the book and ardy7 question you’ve waited your whole went. author again. life for, think about it carefully.” I re Before Final Jeopardy, Grant gives the Going into Final Jeopardy, I found read the question and realized I was giv contestants some advice. In addition to myself in second place in a game which ing an answer different from the one they the advice mentioned above, he explains was reasonably close. I felt comfortable were looking for. that there is a blue card in case your pen with the category, but merely bet enough Lunch: After my second show (the stops writing, although this has never that I would ensure myself a second place third of the day), we got a lunch break. happened. They also give the contestants finish if all three of us answered the While my family went off site to have paper so they can figure out their wagers. questions correctly . When Jason came up their own lunch, I was escorted, along Once the wager is placed, it is locked out with the wrong question and I realized I with the six remaining contestants to the so it can’t be changed and a stage hand had won, an expression of shock came studio commissary. While the rest of the copies the amount down onto a note pad. over my face. I can only hope the camera contestants generally had their own han The question field is then opened and the was on me to pick it up. Although I knew dlers, I, at this point, had one of my own. contestants are told to write either “Who” I had won, when Alex came up to me and They aren’t trying to segregate the cham or “What” on their screen, depending on said, “Congratulations giant killer.” it pion from the others, although it does what the question should be, as a re took me a moment to figure out what he have this effect, it is just that there are minder that they need to answer in the was talking about. things the champion has to do. for in form of a question. If a word is illegible Defending My Own: I was hurried stance change clothes, which the other or misspelled, the judges will decide off stage to change clothes. When I came contestants do not take part in. whether or not to accept the answer. out, I learned that I would be facing Mary I wound up eating with the other con Going into Final Jeopardy, I was in and Allen. The game played out similarly testants and talking a little about what it third place. I was unsure of the category, to the first in many ways, although I had is like being up on the stage and actually and figured that if I made only a token a slight advantage since I was the return playing the game. A few joked about slip bet and got it wrong, I wouldn’t be much ing champion. ping a mickey into my drink when I got worse off. I also figured that at least one During the interviews, Alex was sup up in the same manner we had joked of my opponents would get the question posed to ask me about a mock historical about slamming Jason’s thumb in the wrong and I could wind up in second paper I presented several years ago about door frame before his games. We didn’t place, which is what wound up happen the Bubonic Plaque. The idea for the pa damage Jason’s thumbs and. as far as I ing. What I couldn’t know was that if I per came from the frequent typographical know, my drink remained unadulterated. had wagered as little as $1,000, I would errors on the word plague. Unfortunately, The Outcome: After lunch, it was have won the game. Alex referred to it as the Bubonic Plague, announced that I would be going up Aftermath: After the end of the driving home our point, but requiring me against Scott and Meg. We took our posi fourth show, we left the studio to retrieve to explain it. tions behind the podiums and began the my daughter from the college friend who During this (and the other two game. Within a few questions, I had a was watching her and go out to dinner. games), there were points when the feeling that I was not going to go any fur We had to stop at the hotel to pick up our judges stopped the game to double check ther, although I did well enough in the rental car after dinner, and when we did on answers. When this was done, the first round. so, I picked up the house phone to call contestants were made to turn their backs I had been told that Alex would Meg, who had beaten me in the third to the game board and talk to each other probably ask me about the time I was game to see how she did in subsequent and the handlers. In at least one instance, stopped in front of the KGB Building in games. On my way out of the hotel. I a call which had initially gone against Moscow , but instead he chose to ask me bumped into Camille, who had lost to me was reversed, although at a later about my job. We continued the game Jason in the first game. She had heard point, I lost points because the judges and Meg gave me a run for my money, that I had beaten Jason and was wonder didn’t like my pronunciation of Chaillot. although Scott couldn’t seem to get his ing how I had done in subsequent games. Going into Final Jeopardy, I was buzzer to function. During the break be again in second place and wagered in the tween rounds, they checked his buzzer 26 File 770:135
ter striving to separate her small stu dents from pennies for the support of baby-saving in China. Catholic repre The Faiiivore sentatives were trying to rescue the new born girl babies who were being thrown away by parents who wanted only sons. intercontinental fandom. But there Sister said. I no longer recall how many would be problems: Australia was pennies I was talked out of and 1 doubt too expensive for many United if this particular form of population con States fans. I imagine the air fare to trol is much practices in China today, Japan is at least as high as to Aus but 1 find the whole program of Chinese tralia, if the con is held in Tokyo adoptions a wonderful one. that’s supposed to be the most ex One solution to the comma problem pensive city in the world, and the that has Marie Rengstorff so upset is language problem would be a big this, live a long life, read too much in one. I don’t think schools in Japan the course of it, and this will cause com teach English to nearly as many mas to be invisible most of the time to students as the schools in the Neth damaged eyesight, so their presence or erlands and Germany do, which absence at controversial places will no made it easier to communicate at longer be a matter of concern. Of the two European continent world- course, there is always the right to have cons. recourse to what Ralph Waldo Emerson Hagerstown’s television cable once wrote about fandom: “A foolish never adds a channel until the chan consistency is the egoboo of small nel in question has deteriorated from its minds.” splendid first years. As a result, I won’t I hate to disappoint Alan White, but be able to watch the Ackerman-Ferry LASFS won’t be able to put out the first trial since there seems no prospect for fanzine of the new century. Several It should be no surprise to you that this expansion of the cabel into the Court years ago, I published for SFPA an ad 134th issue of File 770 is unusually Channel this year. vance copy of my apazine for January large. So much the better, because [[Wow, Harry. If you didn’t have 2001, promising to distribute the re fanzines have been scarce around here. Court during the highly-rated OJ trial, mainder of the press run when that Since the first of the year, about 2/3 of you sure won't be getting it for the 4SJ month arrived. As far as I know, it was the fanzines arriving here have origi trial...]] the first fanzine of the 21“ century by nated from apas or clubs, not individu Francis Hamit’s article is enlighten official mathematical calculations. als. Is it coincidence, is it the fault of ing. But it does lead me to wonder if [[Were those calculations made by transportation to Australia bills, or is American industry no longer has the the same abacus now being used by the the electron finally fulfilling all those knowhow it possessed decades ago. Af Census Bureau?]] prophecies in replacing paper as the ter all, it produced toys based on media The obvious reason why there isn’t preferred medium for fanac? characters without all this need for com good quality science fiction in the mov But Fan Basic 101 in this issue gives puters and other electronic marvels. I ies and on television is the size of the me some hope. There aren’t as many used to have a wonderfully realistic audience needed to survive in those pro listings as I had imagined there would Toonerville Trolley that even ran as if it ductions. A first-rate novel that sells be in such a compilation and many of were going over bumps, and everyone 100,000 copies is a blessing to its author those involving “publishing” have paper knows how many Mickey Mouse play and publisher. But a television series equivalents or origins. And yet it is sad things were produced as soon as the that is watched by 1,000,000 persons is to think that ten or fifteen years from Disney character became famous. a complete failure, from the financial now, just about everything listed here Marie Bartlett-Sloan wrote an article standpoint, even if it’s an artistic suc will be inaccessible for all intents and that has the happiest ending I’ve en cess. There just isn’t any practical way purposes because of obsolescence of countered recently. It’s wonderful, the to survive producing for the intelligent computers and supplies or failure to thing that Kirby and she have done to minority on the screen or tube. save stuff on permanent discs or gafia- give a first-rate home to those Chinese tion of individuals who had unica from tots. As I read the article, a long- Joseph T. Major computer fandom. submerged memory came up. Even The news about a Japanese bid is though we were Protestants, my parents very interesting. I hope it succeeds as a sent me to the local Catholic school for Ackermansuit: “Forty had to be let go symbol of the spread and unification of the elementary grades. I remember Sis because he didn’t do any writing or edit- June 2000 27
ing for the magazine.” Famous Mon the Social Security Death Index has no weren’t getting a fair deal, so they put sters of Filmland publisher/owncr Ray records that he has died, so...) up a candidate and this somehow an Ferry says. In the next paragraph Ferry The elucidate the Will Sykora story, gered the British administrator who an is said to have refused to publish an arti Damon Knight in The Futurians de nounced that if this person won, he cle 4E (those names arc going to cause a scribes how in the early 50’s, Sykora would withhold the British funds. The big mixup) wrote. Do you not find a cer went to Don Wollhcim and then to Sam whole thing left a bad taste. tain inconsistency between those two Moskowitz and laid forth his Great I enjoyed the article on the Jeop allegations? Plan. Namely, that they should Take ardy! Appearance. I will certainly try to Libel suits can often rebound on the Over Fandom! Each of them had the watch both June 12 and 13. Journalisti filer. Tomorrow, April 11, the judge same reply, the capper of which was, cally (if there is such a word) the last will announce his verdict in the Irving “And what would you do with it once paragraph seems to give away the story, v. Lipstadt et al. Suit. David living is you had it?” that he lost (“who and what 1 was up suing Deborah Lipstadt over whether I remember the acceptor for the 1998 against”). But perhaps I have just been she libeled him by calling him a Nazi. Best Dramatic Presentation Hugo men reading too many mysteries. In his closing speech (Irving repre tioning that he was ready to accept for I once auditioned for Jeopardy! - sented himself) Irving addressed the all the nominees. Says something about the old show in NYC. It was interest judge as “mein Fuhrer.” Obviously, (1) the meaning the that particular award to ing , and apparently not as complicated he was proving the adage about self- its intended recipients. So Leah Zeldes as currently. I suspected I would not be representation and clientele, and (2) he Smith and Marty Cantor have a point chosen when they walked around and can walk! about the BDP Hugo; and yet, there are took Polaroid photos of the group, and I The Faanish Side of the World so many voters out there to whom the was correct. But the letter saying I was Wide Web: “If you have to write your BDPH means something that it will not chosen was fascinating. I really own HTML code, designing a web page never stand a chance of being dropped. wished I had saved it. The gist was that is a lot like being forced to solve one of [[That's not what will save it - those they tried to match up players so they those word problems that starts ‘if a voters don’t go to the Business Meeting. would be competitive, and it was train leaves Baltimore at 50 miles per But the business meeting regulars love worded so that we rejected could, if we hour.’” The ones I always encountered the category too - Sharon Sbarsky wantcd/nccdcd to. read into that they always ended with “What is the engi wanted to add media Hugos, and also, had been unable to find other candidates neer’s name?” I’m sure I published something about at a high enough level to match us. “Tails” of Moving to Hawaii: Ben Yalow setting up a Buffy listserve When did the serial comma rule not long ago’]] Allan D. Burrows change? Since there is no American Language Academy, who changed it? David L. Travis You do recall the famous Bad E.xample I want to applaud Mr. White for his re of why the serial comma (before “and” alization that Trufandom is stagnating. I in a list) is important: “I would like to It occurs to me to say thank you for might even go so far as to guess that it's thank my parents, Ayn Rand and God.” keeping me (somewhat) au courant dying. (Luckily for my morale. I hardly And 1 thought my family was unusual. about fandom. I first “appeared in fan consider Trufandom to be the whole of The serial comma was initially dom” via a letter in a magazine in 1949 SF fandom... but I digress.) He seems to dropped by newspapermen, who type for or 1950. But there are/have been/wili be have pinpointed quite neatly the causes; a living and can use all the space they times when I am convinced I have been lax attention to fannish traditions, active can get. Who did it subsequently is an a neofan for 50 years. I suppose that la discouragement of new' blood and loss of other matter. bel is not the pejorative it once was touch with your literary roots. I might The Fanivore: All the stamp actions (trufans would sneeringly suggest that even suggest a fourth contributing face the problem that the most likely one get in the NFFF until one learned cause; refusal to accept the diminished answer is “Didn’t we do the ‘Space Fan the way things were (this often meant role that fanzine fandom plays in SF tasy’ scries a few years ago?” And my until one learned to agree without dis Fandom as a whole, which has ghetto proposal to do SF people will be over cussion.) 1 did join N3F and I am still a ized and isolated you. Mr. White is right whelmed by the mystery fans. Mysteries member. on the money with this rant. are more respectable than SF&F, so you Anyway, I value File 770 for infor I'd also like to congratulate him on arc likely to see Earle Stanley Gardner mation I don’t get elsewhere, for your realizing that, when I said that the term on a stamp before you sec Robert A. fair and balanced reportage and the Sci-Fi makes me feel a bit queasy, I was, Heinlein. clear, readable prose. Thank you. in fact, speaking rhetorically; quite After reading Alan White’s For some years I sent (small) sums of right, sir. (I do cringe, however, for the “tongue-in-cheek” rant. I can only say money to TAFF, but not for some time. reasons which 1 stated in a previous that Claude Degler now has a successor. I do not remember the details but some LoC.) But I'd like to correct him on a (He is still out there, I firmly believe - people (in the Midwest?) thought they few brief points. 28 File 770:135
First of all, my first name is spelled firmed by fiction? Huh? This smacks of boo? with two "l"s, please. brushing PKD aside, and certainly does As for Ayn Rand, I m far too selfish I chose the shibboleth "get a life" n’t even begin to address the superlative to give her any credit. deliberately and for effect. You'll recall human qualities PKD’s characters tend Fans who make a point of feigning the long ago and far, far away Saturday to display . Nor docs it do justice to ignorance of popular culture and flaunt Night Live sketch in which William PKD’s continuing success at standing ing same as some sort of badge of honor Shatncr let fly at the trekkies who'd up to, and often confounding, conven or purity need to grow up, but then, they made his experience of Trek fandom tional academic analysis while remain are fans, so I guess that’s out. less pleasant, (to say the least), by their ing readable and mind-expanding. Hm. Apparently my fannish nick obsession with the show . Trek fandom's Which books arc important or essen could also be GcArt or even Euart, an collective feelings were initially hurt by tial is indeed best ascertained in retro odd one that sounds half real. However, this, largely because they recognized it spect as hooplah dies down and genuine as OLD 815 commemorates an actual for what it was -- his real feelings about influence settles in. error made by George Himself Scithcrs, them, thinly disguised - and saw them I’m surprised that Trevor Hoyle’s I’ll stick with that for now . selves in the characters which the SNL The Last Gasp wasn’t cited as most de Tarai’s back cover, blatant plug crew portrayed. These days, however, pressing sf novel ever. Read it and see though it be, was charming and effec Trek fans use the phrase on each other why. if you dare, and if you can. tive. May he thrive. when they see another getting too close Why would Childhood's End leave to obscssivcness. (I'm sure there's a cer folks depressed? Don’t they want to Lloyd Penney tain famous letterhack who could back evolve out of this useless body? Typical me up on this.) slans... It was in this sense that I suggested One hopes that Mayhew, Hlavaty, A Japanese Worldcon bid. We received that Mr. White "get a life"; that he was and Geis, not to mention any and all a letter from Takumi Shibano probably getting far more excited about the sub other stricken fans, mend soon and thor around the same time you did, and ject at hand, and putting far too much of oughly. Yvonne and 1 have already volunteered his ego into the argument, than was Thanks for the Clocktowcrfiction. our services as Canadian agents. We've warranted. Even I have to admit that... com plug. And hooray A. L. Sirois. done it several times before, and will be um... (Dam, my back issues arc buried. Great listings for FanBasic 101. It pleased to do it again. And, hot on the What was he arguing with Chris will take me a few minutes to visit them heels of Boston announcing their 2004 Barkley about that time?) all, I fear. Worldcon bid is New York withdrawing And just one other thing, regarding We may yet know what the sevagram theirs, with a cryptic hint that they may the first fanzine of the new century ; was, if time travel proves out. Hooray announce again for a future year. shame on Mr. White for forgetting that for Van Vogt, and long live his wilting. I have from time to time wandered the third millennium and the next cen Any word on how much of his work is webwise through Bill Bowers' Fan Ba tury begins next year. OOP or plans to reprint it? sic 101 on Victor Gonzales' Squib site. I Lucky Baby by Marie Bartlett-Sloan should click on more of these, but in too Gene Stewart is suffused with joy. May all orphans many web sites, there is the feeling that find parents like these. the graphics overwhelms the articles Con reports and the Oz trek a la within, as if they are grey spaces to Nice Alan White cover, the grey tones Francis kept me glad to be at home. counteract the colour backgrounds and reproduced really well. It reminds me of As a veteran of the Jeopardy! audi GIF animations. I do have MS Pub the time I was stranded off Europa dur tion process, 1 was ironically amused by lisher, so I should train myself on the ing a Red Spot emergency. Silver’s experience. He should contact making of websites, and try my hand at Not sure what to think about Nip- Volvo and offer to be a sponsor, for one it. I will probably be the last of modem poncon but a more sfnal locale would be thing. fandom to do so, but I've got to learn hard to find outside a Ridley Scott Marie Rcngstorflf and her dog com website design and HTML at some movie, or inside one. for that matter. bined in my mind with grammar and point. So the dark secret connection be syntax rules until I, too, wanted a flight Some years ago, one of the local ra tween AAR and MCFI has been re attendant in my water dish, but only dio stations here sponsored a Jeopardy! vealed, eh? May the ghods be gentle in preceded by a comma, phrase or not. audition, and one had to call in and an their wrath. And no, being insane isn’t as bad as swer a question to get an invitation to David Bratman (now there’s a super they say. go. I called in, answered the question hero for fandom, Bratman...) reports THE FANIVORE - (urp) Stamps for correctly , and booked a day off to go that Paul Williams stated that PKD’s sf writers? Please. Haven’t they been downtown to a hotel where the auditions books have negative futures but leave licked enough? How about, instead, they were held. Unannounced, Alex Trebek readers feeling optimistic if only for slap sf writers’ names on the solid fuel himself was there, a good Canadian having confirmed worse fears. Con boosters, thus providing a literal ego with his broadcasting roots in Toronto. June 2000 29
Trebek used to do the play-by-play of western. This idea might have a better As always, a good fanzine, full of curling on the CBC. He is thin, tanned chance, but I gather that Man was not comments hooks that get me to hit the and much smaller in stature than you'd meant to know certain things, like how keyboard with renewed vigor each para expect. I took the test they gave, but a the Post Office head office really works. graph. That's what a fanzine is for. I'm lot of the questions were about Ameri I kept Alan White's tongue-in-cheek looking for the next fanzine in the se can geography, American history and factor in mind when I read his loc, but ries, and I sure hope it comes along other topics an American might know to be honest, I can't disagree with him soon. about, but a Canadian may not have any on anything he waites here. I'm sure idea about. After the test, some people we've all run into snobbish fans during Alan White asked about this, and the general answer our ncofan days (and modem day, too). was, "Well, what do you expect? This is Fanzine fandom, and more and more, an American game show!" My own the fannish Usenet areas, arc where fan It w ould be cool if you put out a collec test.... I gather I got about 90% of the dom exhibits its own creative juices in tion of all your covers over the years. questions right, but was not asked to the form of ideas, crafted articles, fun You've had so many fun artists since come down to the show. My souvenirs art and publishing skills. Then again, issue one. from this day? A bright orange Jeop other areas of fandom allow creative I miss the 70's and 80's when I had ardy! pencil and a light green audition expression and an outlet for skills, too. time and money to work on art and sell T-shirt. What does a club offer a 14-ycar-old it at the cons. It's been eight years since Maric Rcngstorff ends her story of kid these days? An opportunity to learn I've been to an SF con - poop. I only moving to Hawaii and amusing dol to socialize, share like interests, meet get two zines these days and I'm horri phins with a question on something with people of all ages, not just his own, bly out of touch with fandom, so I hun more slippery than grease, namely the and to take part in interesting activities. ger for each copy of File 770\ rules of English grammar and common Whether that's enough to attract today's usage. I'm sure that George Flynn and 14-ycar-old is a continuing debate. Ed Meskys Arthur Hlavaty could weigh in here, but What is fandom for? To gather and I am a professional copy editor too, so share the common interest, and if you I'll take a shot at this. In a sentence that would rather participate, to practice and Just read in File 770:# 134 that Japan is contains a list of items, let's say, "My enhance life skills with a sfnal flavor. planning to bid for a worldcon. I ap favorite spices are parsley, sage, rose Unfortunately, we chase the few possi prove heartily the thought of a con mary and thyme." The comma is a ble recruits to our happy asylum away there, but am afraid that their choice of punctuation device that can replace the with feuding, sniping, plotting and ar timing is not very propitious. There are word 'and' in a sentence to reduce the guing that the average outsider would already bids for UK in '05 and perhaps repetitive nature of say ing 'and' between probably find awfully pedantic and tire Australia in '07, so if they bid for '05 or every item in that list. Where 'and' ap some. '06 I do not think they will be well re pears in that sentence, the word signals Also, I don't think anyone likes the ceived. a completion of the list. Putting a way SF has been turned into Sci-Fi for We have a number of intertwined comma between 'rosemary ' and 'and' is a public consumption, but it's far from the issues here. In '85-'90 we had three non duplication of services. The comma and only part of our lives that has been com North American cons in five years, and the 'and' do the same thing. IMHO, the mercialized like that. We've spent years I think that that is a reasonable number. comma should be left out. I'd like to asking for some kind of public accep Crossing the Pacific is about twice as hear George and Arthur's take on this. tance, and when we get it, it's in a plas expensive as crossing the Atlantic, and 1 wish Chris Barkley luck on getting tic, crappy form we don't like. while I cannot go there I will support, SF writer postage stamps on the USPS I wouldn't like to see the BDP Hugo for good faanish foreign relations, one list of issues. Of tire U.S. postage stamps split in two, but I wouldn't like to see it transpacific con every five years. Since I do get, from fans and non-fans alike, I abolished, either. The Hugos are the British bid for '05 is well-established see stamps commemorating various awarded by the members of the World I would like to see Australia back off for American writers, and I'm sure the gen Science Fiction Society , with no distinc several more years and Japan try for '07. eral public says "Who?" to many of tions made as to what media that SF [[Implicit in your comments is the those stamps, too. I'd say that writers of takes. Certainly, we are a literary- reality that overseas Worldcon bids a popular genre of literature should have minded group, but if we were to elimi must woo North American voters in or as good a chance as any other group of nate all fans who enjoy SF on television, der to be successful. The question is not writers. A scries of stamps I could see in the movies, or even on audiotape or whether UK fans might take offense at are great American genre waiters, a on the Web, Worldcon would be a week competition, but how many prospective commemorative stamp for a single end event in the ballroom of a cheap North American voters have already writer of each of the following genres: hotel. This may go back to Alan White's formed such a strong loyalty to the UK science fiction/fanlasy, detective/ creeb...we are exclusive when we should bid to render a Japanese bid unwin- thriller/suspense/spy, horror, romance, be inclusive. 30 File 770:135 nable? The UK bid has worked effec acceptance speech. Harlan Ellison (who for years. tively to forge support among conrun- I admire greatly) read the speech for Bill Bowers' Internet listing (Fan ners — though being unopposed, they him. I had to make an effort to stay out Basic 101) is great! I will check some of may have been looking past the election of the spotlight when it was shone on those sites out if I ever catch up. You to the advanced recruitment of a work Van Vogt. had a incredible selection of articles— force. Voters in general have enjoyed He was an excellent writer. Much of fan toys, the Chinese baby adoption, the the UK in '05 parties, however, the de what he had written is much better than Aussie con and travel report, Steven lay in announcing a definite site until what is being written today. He will be Silver's Jeopardy! report (I'm looking recently left some of us feeling that the missed. forward to Part ll of that), and Maric race had yet to begin. In a head-to-head Rengstorffs Hawaiian "tail" (I agree race, some voters will prefer Japan be George Brickner with her about commas. It is often con cause it's never hosted a IVorldcon, or fusing if you leave it out! And then beckons them to a once-in-a-lifetime there were the LoCs. Was this a longer vacation. There being no strong bid al Nice article "The Faanish Side of the issue than usual? In any case, I really ready in the field for '06, and it always World Wide Web." Have you considered enjoyed it. being better to enter the field against registering a domain for File 770? I just weak rather than strong competition, I checked and file770.com, file770.org We Also Heard From would think the Japanese bid's chances and file770.net are available. You might Jeff Smith: The Tiptree book I put to are better in the second of the two years want to "park" one of these domains gether for Tor, Meet Me At Infinity, just it is considering. If that impairs the until you're ready to use it. came out [[Jejf wrote this in April.]] I chances of Australia's '07 bid, well, it's BTW, have a look at my web site. wrote the introduction and notes. I’ve already running under the handicap of This is hosted on a Linux-based $5/ written a lot about Tiptrec over the following too soon on the heels of'99.]] month web hosting company (they also years, so when I was writing for this it Now that the rotation plan is gone, is do NT for those so inclined). For that was just “more of the same.” except I it time to do away with NASFiC? I $5/month I get 5mb of disk space, mail tried to look a lot of things up rather know’ it is resented by other nations and forwarding, auto responders. MS Front than rely on memory, as I would have in I have never attended the rumpcon even page server extensions, etc. The hosting more informal fan writing. (That didn’t when I could not get to an overseas site, http://5dollarhosting.com, is one of always help. I held the Tachyon Press worldcon. many of such services and they want booklet of her poetry in my hand as I [[Since it's so hard to find anyone small businesses to build ecommerce typed a comment about it - yes, all those with a kind word to say about NASFiC, sites. old fanzines were typed with one hand - I can't explain why year after year the http://www.dupanet.com/ and I still called it Clean Sheets instead Business Meeting takes no action to re I'll add a link to your File 770 pages to of Neat Sheets.) I thought I was pretty move it from the WSFS Constitution. — my "favorites" page. blase about it, so I was real surprised Oh, why lie. Of course I can explain it. how excited I got when the book showed Nobody's willing to abandon the rights Joy V. Smith up. It’s nice to still be able to get ex as long as Sacks, Burley and company cited. seem to want them.]] Interesting cover. I like the combina Henry Welch: Thanks for the latest Dennis Caswell tion. Great selection of interior artwork, File 770. At the risk of incurring your and I love Tarai's comic strip on tire wrath I'm sorry to say that I didn't find back cover. much to comment on in the issue. The I would like to add my comments about I enjoyed the Belknap report “The content is interesting and informative, Alfred Elton Van Vogt. The only time I house left the planet at 3:05; the next but nothing elevates itself to the status saw him was at L.A.con III. He was suf day I raked his house out of my back of compelling comment hook. fering from Alzheimer’s Disease, as yard, and the dog probably won't have to noted in your report in issue 134.1 knew go bathroom for quite a while." Some John Hertz: [[On “Migly. ”]] I think it that he would not be writing again. I people I read that to are still laughing. should rhyme with “Big Gly.” But if it managed to get three books signed by But I am sorry about the tragedy. I hope keeps component vowels, it’s Diana’s him, and these I treasurer greatly. their house passed the structural engi Song, “There’s not a fan today/ Who I happened to be sitting right behind neer's inspection. can take me away/ From My Gly.” him at the Retro Hugo Ceremony. I did Lots of Internet news too, I see. I not know he would be presented with an love your new web page, by the way, Roy Pettis: Thanks for publishing my award for 60 years of excellence in sci and all the blinky lights, also the earth. Aussiecon 3 reports. It was really inter ence fiction. He was very weak; he was You've done well. I have an old web site esting to see people commenting on my unable to walk on stage to accept his that a guy did for me and hasn't updated reports in the LC. I appreciated your award; he was not even able to read Iris editing, and truly had not realized I had 4
June 2000 31
written that much. Al! my published Letterhacks' Addresses writing thus far has been in peer- George Brickner (aka Dupa T. reviewed journals or formal government Parrot), E-mail: reports -- or, of course, in e-mails and [email protected] posts. Anyway, 1 just wanted to thank Allan D. Burrows, E-mail: es- you for the experience. [email protected] Dennis Caswell, 108 Princetown Ron Salomon: The little number just Dr., Frederick, MD 21702- received was particularly valuable to 1184 me, as I am still adding “favorites” to a Bob Kennedy, E-mail: rob- recently purchased PC, and have an [email protected] empty folder marked “Fans.” Bill Bow Roy Lavender, E-mail: ers FanBasic 101 is a GhuSend. In fact, [email protected] given the time demands from spouse, 4- Eric Lindsay, E-mail: year-old and 12-year-old (I can’t believe [email protected]; PO I’ve got a kid readying himself for Box 640, Airlie Beach, Qld 2001: A Bar Mitzvah Odyssey), this 4802 note stays short. Joseph T. Major, 1409 Christy Ave., Louisville, KY 40204- Roy Lavender: Thanks for the list. So 2040 far. I've only had one return 404. Bob Ed Meskys, E-mail: ed- Tucker's. Tried three browsers, same [email protected] answer from each. Lloyd Penney, 1706-24 Eva Rd., You are welcome to publish mine, if Etobicoke, ON, M9C 2B2, you wish. Both addresses are in my Canada. E-mail: pen- Yule letter. Http://roylavender. web.com [email protected] http://home.earthlink.net/ Roy Pettis, E-mail: ~roylavender/web3 .html 76046,3422@compuserve. com Eric Lindsay: It sure seems about time Ron Salomon, 1014 Concord a Worldcon bid came out of Japan, St., Framingham, MA given how much SF activity there is in 01701; E-mail: randlake- that area. It was also good to see an ad [email protected] ditional Aussie trip report from Sue and Jeff Smith, 1339 Weldon Ave., Steve Francis. Baltimore, MD 21211. E- 1 was pleased to see the reports on mail: smithl339@dellmail. Potlatch and Corflu, both of which were com great conventions for us. Indeed, I like Joy V. Smith, E-mail: Pa- Corflu so much that Jean and I will be [email protected] bidding for a Corflu in Australia (in Gene Stewart, 1710 Dianne Melbourne) for 2002, just a week after Ave., Bellevue, NE 68005. the Australian National Convention in E-mail: [email protected] Melbourne, and two weeks after the David L. Travis. P.O. Box 1011, New Zealand National Convention. Clovis, NM 88102 Maybe June 2002 is the time U.S. and Harry Warner, Jr., 423 Summit U.K. fans should visit our area of the Ave., Hagerstown, MD Pacific. Especially when both U.S. and 21740 U.K. currencies buy so many Australian Alan White, E-mail: Vega- and NZ dollars. [email protected] Didn't Bill Bowers do a great job Henry L. Welch, E-mail: with his Net 101 stuff. I hope that your [email protected] site works well for you.
Bob Kennedy: My thanks for an out standing issue. Especially appreciated is FanBasic 101 with all the sites.