August 2001 1 2 File 770:139 File 770:139 is Telephone: (626) 305-1004. edited by Mike E-Mail: [email protected] Glyer at 705 Art Credits Valley View Ave., Alan White: Cover, 2, 8, 12, 14, Monrovia CA 16, 20, 31 91016. File 770 is Joe Mayhew: 10,13,15, available for news, Brad Foster : Back Cover artwork, arranged Ray Capella: 23 trades, or by Bill Rotsler: 7,19,24 subscription. Teddy Harvia : 6 Subscriptions cost Grant Canfield: 26 $8 for 5 issues, Keith Stokes: (photos) 9,11 $15 for 10 issues, Sheryl Birkhead: 30 139 mailed first class in North America or Marc Schirmeister: 22 surface mail rates overseas. Sue Mason: 21 Air printed matter rate is $2.50. Carol Doms: (photo) 3 Philly Fees Put A Crack in the Liberty Bell Feder, Evelyn Leeper, Jim Rittenhouse, Robert Schmunk, Stuart Shiffman and Steven Silver. Hucksters, remember to bring a couple of Ben We therefore included the information in the Franklins with you to the Millennium Philcon dealer’s mailing. We are not happy about this dealers room, because the City of Philadelphia requirement and apologize to the dealers for the BEST SHORT-FORM will be picking your pocket before you can situation in which they have been placed.” ALTERNATE HISTORY Eugene Byrne, “HMS Habakkuk,” open for business. That’s the very late word Hucksters were originally told the permit from the committee: Dealers will have to pay would be $200, but on August 17 Larry Smith Interzone 155 $100 for a temporary Philadelphia Business announced he got the city to extend to Mil- Ted Chiang, “Seventy-Two Letters,” Privilege License, then will be responsible for Phil’s vendors the $100 temporary license fee, Vanishing Acts, ed. Ellen Datlow paying a Gross Receipts Tax of 0.2525% and a notwithstanding the five-day length of the Paul J. McAuley, “A Very British History,” Net Profits Tax of 6.5%. That’s all in addition event. He still advises, “Any vendor who in- Interzone 157 to collecting Pennsylvania’s 7% sales tax. tends to sell regularly inside the City of Phila- Kim Newman, “The Other Side of Midnight: Michael Walsh wrote online that some delphia should still pay the full $200 and get a Anno Dracula 1981,” The Vampire Sextette , members of the MilPhil committee had infor- permanent license.” ed. Marvin Kaye mation about the fee months ago, although Tom Galloway offered the mind-boggling Carla Cristina Pereira, “Xochiquetzal,” didn’t share the news with hucksters until early suggestion that there be a convention-run “tip translated from Portuguese by David Alan August. Hucksters depend on the Worldcon jar” to help reimburse hucksters for this last- Prescott, Altair #67 committee to advise them about local require- minute expense. It probably won’t be needed. ments, and MilPhil let them down. Hucksters could not resist bragging online that BEST LONG-FORM Chairman Todd Dashoff explained on they’re already old hands at minimizing any ALTERNATE HISTORY SMOFS, “With regard to the Philadelphia busi- local taxes they don’t have to pay up front. Suzanne Alles Blom, Inca: The Scarlet ness license, we were originally informed that Fringe , Tor/Forge Mary Gentle, Ash: A Secret History , the city was not requiring the license from Sidewise Awards Nominations short-term vendors. Before we sent out the final Gollancz The finalists for the 2000 Sidewise Awards for S. M. Stirling, Nantucket Trilogy , Island in dealer’s mailing, we checked on the situation alternate history fiction are listed below. The again, and were informed that short-term ven- the Sea of Time, Against the Tide of Years, awards will be presented at Millennium Phil- On the Oceans of Eternity dors would be required to purchase the license. con. Judges for this year’s awards were Moshe The Quote Book change the title… because he had to get au- charged to Contingency last year.” Fred Patten: I [had been] invited to write a thorization from John Libbey & Co. Ltd., the From Ploktaratchik , Issue #8, August chapter on the cultural absorption of Japanese British/American academic publisher. Libbey 1997: “We will certainly miss the Fanzine animation, for a book on Asiatic animation would not authorize the change because Countdown, despite the fact that Plokta was being edited by Dr. John A. Lent, Professor of “everybody knows that Canada is part of the never, ever Andy’s favourite fanzine of the Communication at Temple University in Penn- United States, culturally speaking,” or words previous three weeks ( whimper! )… What’s sylvania. It was to have at least one chapter on to that effect. (An interesting example of edu- more, the countdown also gave us lots of ideas the animation industry/cultural influence of cational precision and Commonwealth solidar- for people to send fanzines to in the hope of a every country in East Asia… He specifically ity.) [[Source: ¡R«banos Radiactivos! #1885]] trade; our mailing list will be worse off for its asked me to write a chapter titled “Anime in John Hertz: I may not say everything I passing. Not to mention the problems of “do the United States.” I replied in my acceptance think, but I don’t say anything I don’t think. we still send a copy to Frohvet?” Alison thinks that I would change this to “Anime in Amer- From Instant Message #686 : he’s a hoax. Steve’s not so sure after the decla- ica” or “Anime in North America,” whichever “Contingency: $1000 is budgeted but if we are ration of feud in the last Twink . Maybe we he preferred, since I would have to include luck we won’t have to use it. Pam inquired if should just keep sending to EBF and drop some events in Canada. He told me not to the matter of Peter Weston’s pants was Andy, carl and Victor?” August 2001 3 News of Fandom Over 100 fans, family, and friends gathered sages or letters from folks that could in Bloomington, Illinois on August 3-5, to not attend. Speakers included Jimmy celebrate the Tucker Tribute, honoring Fern Tucker Tribute Hollaman, Tom Meserole, Robin and Wilson Tucker. The weekend was spon- Wayne Bailey, Joan Marie Knappen- sored by the Dawn Patrol, a loose collection by Keith Stokes berger, Missouri Smith, Nancy Hatha- of over 300 science fiction, space and avia- way, Gordon Garb and others. Bob was tion enthusiasts from throughout the United presented a plaque in honor of his States and Canada. contribution to SF and mystery litera- Folks started flying in on Friday after- ture and Fern received one for all of noon, coming from 14 states, including both her support. coasts. Roger Tener, Cathy Tener, Dave Mo- After each speaker, I would read a reno and myself lived up to the group’s few messages, not giving the name of name, arriving in Bloomington in a Bonanza the sender until the end. It quickly dubbed “White Knuckle Airlines,” became a challenge for Bob (and oth- No activities were scheduled for Friday ers) to attempt to name the sender in night, but following several groups going out advance of the end. Well-wishers to dinner, the early arrivals retired to the included Frank M. Robinson, Harry Hospitality Suite in the Dawn Patrol’s wing Harrison, Joe Haldeman, Larry Niven, of the Empire Inn and Conference Center. Algis Budrys, William F. Wu, Rob The two rooms were packed with good Chilson, Mike Resnick, Phylis Eisen- friends who talked until the wee hours. Bob stein, Julie Shwartz, Lee Killough, Tucker, who looked 15 years younger than James Gunn, George Zebrowski, Pat- the last time I saw him, stayed at the party rick Nielsen Hayden, Dave Trues- until midnight and a very animated Fern dale, Jack Williamson, and many stayed until 1a.m. Bob, Fern and their chil- others. Mark Tiedemann sent his in dren were all sporting Bob Tucker sweat- the form of a script for a play. shirts, which Judy Mays (Tucker) had made After about 70 minutes, Roger for the weekend. called for a brief break. When folks Saturday morning many folks went to the Fern and Bob Tucker. Photo by Carol Doms returned there were a couple more nearby Bob Evens restaurant to start the day. presentations and I read my last two Other daytime activities included an auto- helped get drinks and clear tables. The hotel messages: one from Sri Lanka (yes from Sir graph session, a video from a Tucker Roast was understaffed and the surprisingly good Arthur C. Clarke) and one that was from me. at Archon in 1989, and an informal Bloom- meal had been entirely prepared by one per- Roger presented the final plaque of the eve- ington Used Bookstore tour. One of the son, Dominique, who received a well de- ning to Bob for his contribution to Fandom. stores had a large display of Tucker books served round of applause. The ceremony was followed by a receiv- and a clipping from the local newspaper’s After dinner, folks returned to the main ing line with Bob and Fern, and their chil- coverage of the tribute. ballroom. When most people had settled dren. Then the Dawn Patrol had one of their The event received other local attention, down, the hosts entered to the fanfare from famous group pictures. After folks changed, including a 30 minute interview with Tucker Star Wars. Then Bob and Fern were escorted many returned to hospitality suite to unwind on the radio earlier in the week. to the main table, to the Olympic Fanfare. and share a few Smooths. The actual event began at 5:30 p.m.