2 File 770:117 File 770is edited by Mike mailed first class in North Glyer at P.O. Box 1056, Sierra America or surface mail rates File Madre, CA 91025. File 770 is overseas. Air printed matter available for news, artwork, is available for $2.50 per is­ 770 arranged trades (primarily sue. with other newzines and 117 clubzines), or by subscript­ Telephone: (818) 355-3090 ion. Subscriptions: $8.00 for E-mail address: MGIyer@- 5 issues, $15.00 for 10 issues, compuserve.com editor, and finally as a creative force in his own right. OBITUARY Turner’s sf novels include Beloved Son, Vaneglory, Yester­ day’s Men, and Drowning Towers (winner of the 1988 Arthur C. Clarke Award). Eight of his short stories were collected in George Turner Pursuit of Miracles. His autobiographical book In the Heart or Aussiecon 3 Guest of Honour In the Head was nominated for the Best Nonfiction Book Hugo in 1985. Author and Aussiecon 3 guest of honor George Turner died Sunday, June 8, in Ballarat, Victoria, days after suffering a massive stroke, according to John Bangsund. He turned 80 last Lou Stathis, 1952-1997 October, an occasion celebrated by a large number of Mel­ Editor’s Notes by Mike Glyer bourne fans. The funeral was scheduled for June 11. Lou Stathis died May 4. He had been under treatment for Perry Middlemiss, chair of Aussiecon 3, wrote online, "At the brain cancer since last June, including two operations to time the Aussiecon committee asked George if he would be remove tumors. Experimental chemotherapy weakened his our guest of honor he suggested that we should choose immune system more than expected and a resultant infection someone younger. We disagreed and told him that our aim killed him, according to Moshe Feder, who added, "Ironically, was to honor him, and his work. Again at his 80th birthday the chemo was successful in stopping the third tumor’s party last year (after a previous stroke had left him rather frail growth." and easily tired) he pointed out that he may not be able to make the convention. I told him that if that was to occur it Stathis and I were the same age, 44. While in college at wouldn’t change our minds and that we intended to honor him opposite ends of the country we became friends through anyway. I tried to make light of it, but you could tell he was fanzines. Norm Hollyn (then, Hochberg) and Lou attended worried that he wouldn’t be with us. It strikes me as a SUNY Stony Brook. Their zine was mentioned in Amie Katz’ measure of the man that he should feel compelled to suggest Focal Point and we started trading. I’d like to claim I was such a course of action." doing Prehensile by then, but in truth I was probably still doing the execrable New Elliptic, so it’s almost unbelievable Middlemiss adds that Aussiecon’s official slate of GoH’s will that Lou actually read it, let alone gently critiqued it in occa­ remain the same, Turner, Greg Benford and Bruce Gillespie. sional letters. "Although George will not be with us in 1999 in a physical sense, he will be there in spirit and that we intend to honor Norm attended L.A.Con in 1972. I met Lou the following him as best we can." year, at Torcon 2. We were equally new to fandom, trying to forge an identity in it and make friends. I visited them in New Aussiecon’s plan to keep Turner as an honoree is similar to York after Discon in 1974, driving up from Washington D.C. L.A.con Ill’s response to the death of its special guest, Elsie before returning to Ohio for graduate work in Bowling Wollheim. (Though Aussiecon will probably have a free hand Green’s popular culture program. I had that carefree, broke- in its tribute, whereas L.A.con III was restrained by Betsy student quality of denying even my VW Bug’s most outra­ Wollheim’s veto of some proposals.) geous mechanical problems, like the rear tire that wobbled uncontrollable whenever it hit a bump, but could be put in Turner wrote 5 mainstream novels in the 50s and 60s before [[Please turn to page 15]] entering the sf field, first as a critic, then as an anthology Disclave 1997 Water flooded seven adjacent rooms, loosened acoustical tiles Sunday Morning Sprinkler Break in the elevator lobby and caused the elevators to be shut off Forces Disclave Evacuation for 14 hours. A fireman quoted by the Washington City Paper estimated $100,000 of damage. [[Sources: the WSFA Statement, John Pomeranz, Martin Morse Wooster, Laurie Mann, Seth Breidbart and Michael Outside in the pool area, fans consoled the unfortunate couple Nelson.]] from room 303, directly underneath the flood, who’d been roused from a sound sleep by water splashing all around them. Hundreds of Disclave members felt like passengers abandoning Their belongings were soaked, and the room itself was a total a sinking cruise ship as they were jolted awake by fire alarms loss. Sunday at 5:15 a.m. and made their way out of the New Caroilton Ramada Inn while thousands of gallons of water An hour passed before guests with rooms above the fourth flooded the fourth floor and poured into the lobby through its floor were permitted back into their rooms; the others had to ruined ceiling. wait awhile longer. The main hotel elevators were in the path of the runoff and disabled, and at first guests could only return Later, a rope found tied to a broken fire sprinkler in room 403 to their rooms by the stairs. However, the hotel soon made its confirmed that hotel guests engaging in B&D had suspended service elevator available. Later in the morning, guests on the a heavy weight from the pipe, snapping it under the stress. remaining floors of the hotel were allowed to return, some to 4 File 770:117 (Alice, come\ find rooms spared handled this entire incident. We feel even more comfortable quick and from damage, oth­ going back there next year. Contract negotiations continue see these ers to discover the between their sales staff and next year’s con chair Joe May­ fannish types flood had drenched hew, and I expect we’ll have a signed contract soon." everything. The hotel moved guests The hotel has confirmed that the damage was the result of the from water-dam­ people in the room who were engaging in B&D. The Wash­ aged rooms to ington City Paper quoted chairman Michael Nelson calling other rooms in the them, "An outside group — parasites. We do all the work and hotel. then they come in and make the mess." Disclave will not be publicizing the names of the people involved or anything that Fans unable to might identify them. Pomeranz adds, "I am told they gave return to their statements to the appropriate authorities before they left the rooms were wel­ convention." comed into the DisCave, Dis- Meanwhile, East Coast smofs left Disclave by the shortest clave’s con suite, route home to check their own insurance coverage. which was quickly replenished with Disclave ’97 drew between 650 and 700 fans, up approxi­ additional refresh­ mately 10% from last year, even with CostumeCon in Balti­ ments. Disclave more drawing off a number of Disclave regulars. also reopened the film room and be­ gan showing vid­ eos. The hotel cal­ led in additional staff to clean up the mess and gave away "When the fire alarm went off at 5:25 a.m., I was inclined to sweetrolls, coffee and drinks in the lobby to fans inconve­ stay in bed since I had been up until 3:30 a.m. Then I re­ nienced by the flood. The committee complimented the hotel membered that I was the con chair and should go investigate staff for their friendly and efficient efforts. the situation." Humor was the fannish antidote to a lost night’s sleep. Dave ++ Michael Nelson Weingart’s parody of "S.S. Titanic," (reprinted in this issue) was one of four filksongs instantly written to commemorate the disaster. The Disclave Horror The convention continued, despite the disaster. Activities that had been scheduled in the I Oth floor function space (made by Michael Nelson inaccessable by the disabled elevators) and the Green Room Chairman, Disclave ’97 (water damaged) were moved to the Con Suite. Several years ago I was given a ride in a sailplane by a The committee also rescheduled the gripe session to a larger fannish friend with a sailplane pilot’s license. I’ve taken many room, expecting the disaster to attract a great deal of com­ commercial jet plane rides and even a few rides in helicopters ment. Instead, said John Pomeranz, "Nobody even mentioned and small propeller-driven aircraft. Not to mention fishing ’ASB’ during the gripe session. The general tone was that trips in small boats on the ocean. So I didn’t expect to be Disclave had done a great job, all things considered, and there bothered by a ride in an overgrown paper airplane. We were far fewer complaints than at a normal Disclave." squeezed into the little cockpit of the rented sailplane -- first Robert got into the pilot’s seat, then I squirmed into the seat Immediately after Disclave, WSFA’s insurance company behind him - just like two peas in a peapod. Then he sig­ talked to the hotel’s insurer, which agreed it will not be nalled to the tow plane and off we went.