August 1997 Issue 311 BRUM GROUP NEWS Price: FREE Price: FREE

The monthly newsletter of the Science Fiction Group (Honorary Presidents: Brian W Aldiss and Harry Harrison) Group Chairman - Tony Morton, Secretary - Anne Woodford, Treasurer - Alan Woodford, Publicity Officer - Steve Jones, Newsletter Editor and Novacon 27 h 28 Chairman - Martin Tudor. THE AUGUST MEETING WILL BE AN INFORMAL MEETING ON FRIDAY 8TH August 1997 from 7PM in the top FLOOR BAR OF THE TAP & SPILE, GAS STREET, (OFF BROAD STREET) BIRMINGHAM, ADMITTANCE* FREE! THERE WILL BE A RAFFLE AND REVIEW COPIES ARE AVAILABLE AS USUAL. (PLEASE REFRAIN FROM SMOKING U NTIL 8:30PM WHEN THE BAR WILL BE OPENED TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.)

IN THIS ISSUE: Peter Coleborn responds to Steve Green’s Surgical Strike; a new TAFF Race is launched; Stoke Heath leads the way in the production of Time Machines - PHOTO INSIDE!

The BSFG meets (informally) from 7pm in the Top Floor Bar of the Tap & Spile, Gas Street, Birmingham city centre on the second Friday off each month (unless otherwise notified). The annual subscription rates (which include 12 copies of this newsletter and reduced price entry to formal meetings) are £15.00 per person, or £18.00 for 2 members at the same address. Cheques etc. should be made payable to "the Birmingham Science Fiction Group" and sent to: Alan Woodford, the Treasurer, 81 Harrold Road, Rowley Regis, Warley, West Midlands, B65 ORL, (e-mail enquiries via: bsfg@bortas. demon.co.uk). Book reviews, review copies and other contributions and enquiries regarding the Brum Group News to: Martin Tudor, Newsletter Editor, 24 Ravensbourne Grove, Willenhall, West Midlands, WV13 1 HX (e -mail to [email protected]). The Newsletter of the Birmingham Science Fiction Group

Colophon______I Heath will raise the £5,000 needed. (The photo and original story appear on page eight o f this newsletter.) The contents o f this issue are copyright 1997 the BSFG, on behalf o f David Warbeck who featured in the contributors, to whom all rights revert films such as THE BEYOND and THE on publication. Personal opinions BLACK CAT died of cancer on the 24 expressed in this publication do not July this year. necessarily reflect those of the committee or the membership o f the BSFG. 'm sorry to announce that neither Text by Martin Tudor except where Dario Argento nor Linda Hayden will be stated otherwise. This issue was printed able to appear at the Eighth International on the CRITICAL WAVE photocopier. Festival of Fantastic Films, due to other For details o f WAVE'S competitive prices commitments. However, Hammer actress contact Martin Tudor at the editorial Veronica Carlson, film producer Aida address on the cover. Young, Jimmy Sangster, Richard Gordon Many thanks to ALAN & ANNE and Janina Faye (who played the small WOODFORD for producing the address child in DRACULA) all hope to appear. labels; PETER COLEBORN fo r his letter; (For further details contact 33 Barrington WHAT'S ON, the Birmingham EVENING Road, Altrincham, Cheshire, WA14 1HZ.) MAIL and STEVE GREEN for the news in the Jophan Report and Events Listing. in Birmingham are looking for “bright bubbly people” to Jophan Report #106 appear in forthcoming shows in Birming­ by Martin Tudor ham, so if you know anyone.... Call 0121- 471-1363. A shock announcement appeared, hidden, on page 36 of the EVENING Novacon 27 is pleased to announce MAIL for Thursday 31st July 1997: that they will be presenting a new version £1,000 has been raised “towards restoring of SF BLUES, featuring Brian Aldiss, on a Tardis to full working order. £5,000 is the Saturday night of the convention - still needed.” don’t miss it! TARDIS, as you are no doubt aware, stands for “Time and Relative The latest Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund Dimensions in Space” and had previously (TAFF) Race has just been launched. been thought to be no more than a prop Each candidate has posted a bond, for the BBC tv series DR WHO. promising - barring Acts of God - to travel The scientific community has been to Intuition, the 1998 National British strangely reticent regarding this startling Convention, in , , 10 news; but we can only hope that the -13 April 1998, if elected; and has Museum of Historic Buildings at Stoke provided signed nominations and a platform.

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The candidates are: Victor Forthcoming Events Gonzalez, Ulrika O’Brien, Vicki Rosenzweig and Tom Sadler. Voting in the 1997 race is open to 8 AUGUST 1997: Informal meeting of anyone who was active in fandom prior to the BSFG at the Tap & Spile Gas September 1995, and who contributes at Street, Birmingham, from 7pm in the least £1 (or $2) to the Fund. Larger Top Floor Bar. contributions will be gratefully accepted. Voting is by secret ballot: only one vote 16 AUGUST 1997: STEPHEN per person, and you must sign your ballot. BAXTER will be signing copies of You may change your vote any time prior TITAN (£16.99), VOYAGER (£5.99), to the deadline. TIMELIKE INFINITY (£5.99) and the Votes in this race must reach the first volume in his new “Young Adults*’ administrators by midnight 13 December series THE WEB: GULLIVERZONE, 1997. A ballot form has been enclosed from noon at Andromeda, 2-5 Suffolk with most copies of this newsletter, further Street, Birmingham. Call 0121-643-1999 copies are available from the European for further information or e-mail 106016. Administrator, Martin Tudor, 24 [email protected] or check them out Ravensboume Grove, Willenhall, West on http://www.andromedasf.co.uk. Midlands, WV13 1HX, England (or from the North American Administrator, Dan 23-27 SEPTEMBER 1997: FROM A Steffan, 3804 S, 9th Street, Arlington, VA JACK TO A KING by Bob Carlton. 22204, USA). From the creator of RETURN TO THE FORBIDDEN PLANET another musical Nominations are opened for the assault on the work of Shakespeare. 1998, Europe to North America TAFF Loosely based on Shakespeare’s OTHER Race. The winner will attend Bucconeer, rock’n’roll masterpiece - MACBETH! the 56th World SF Convention, in The Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham. Baltimore 5-9 August 1998. Prospective Tickets £7.00-£20.50, call 0121 643 1231. candidates need to ensure that signed nominations (two from North America and 3-5 SEPTEMBER 1997: three from Europe) reach the Adminis­ LONESTARCON 55th World SF trators by midnight on 1st November Convention, San Antonio, Texas, USA. 1997, along with their 100-word platform Contact: PO Box 27277, Austin, TX and £10 bond. 78755-2277, USA. TAFF gratefully accepts your freely-given money and material for auc­ 10-15 NOVEMBER 1997: Terry tion; such generosity has sustained the Pratchett’s WYRD SISTERS adapted Fund for over 40 years. TAFF is fandom's for the stage by Stephen Briggs. “This oldest travel fund, and one of its worthiest hilarious stage version of the phenom­ causes - give early and often! Please con­ enally successful novel pits the three tact your nearest administrator for details. witches, Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Og

BRUM GROUP NEWS #310 3 August 1997 The Newsletter of the Birmingham Science Fiction Group and Magrat Garlick, against the wicked Contact: Malcolm Reid, 186 Casewick duke and duchess. Any similarity to Rd., West Norwood, , SE27 0SZ. Shakespeare’s MACBETH is purely Although details are correct to the intentional!” The ,' best of our knowledge, we advise readers , Broad Street, Birmingham. to contact organisers prior to travelling. Tickets are £5.00 in advance and Always enclose a stamped, self addressed concessions, or £7.00 on the door. Call envelope when writing to any of the above 0121 -643-5858 (Monday- Friday contact addresses. Please mention the 1 lam-4pm). BRUM GROUP NEWS when replying to listings or advertisements. 14-16 NOVEM BER 1997: NOVACON If you know of any events which you 27, the annual sf convention of the think may be o f interest to members o f the Brum Group, will be held at the Abbey BSFG please send details to the Editor Hotel, Great Malvern. Guest of (e-mail martin@empties. demon, co. uk). Honour Peter F Hamilton. Special If you have attended any events or features include SF BLUES by Brian W seen any films or videos that you would Aldiss and The Comedy Revue by Dave like to recommend to other members (or Hicks and Mike D Siddall. Attending warn them about) please feel free to write membership £30.00 until 30 September a report or review and send it to the when the price will rise. Supporting editorial address. £10.50. Progress Report #2 and hotel booking forms now available. Contact: THE RESPONSE TO STEVE Carol Morton, 14 Park Street, Lye, GREEN’S SURGICAL STRIKE Stourbridge, W. Midlands, DY9 8SS. [In the June newsletter I reprinted 11-13 SEPTEMBER 1998: FANTASY - an article by Steve Green from his fanzine CON 22, (he convention of the British RAILINGS, inviting members to respond. Fantasy Society. At the Albany Hotel, My own reply ran last issue, along with Birmingham, Guest of Honour Freda letters from Chris Murphy and Dave Warrington, with more guests to be Hardy. Below, Peter Coleborn adds his announced. Contact: c/o BFS, 2 comments; Tony Morton, the Group Harwood Street, Stockport, SK4 1JJ. Chairman will be responding to all of (This is a temporary contact address these articles/letters next issue.] pending the organiser’s house move.) PETER COLEBORN, 27 DECEMBER 1999 - 2 JANUARY 46 Oxford Road, Acocks Green, 2000: MILLENNIUM. Venue to be Birmingham, B27 6DT. (E-mail announced, but definitely in Northern [email protected]) Europe (probably a BeNeLux country or 16th July 1997. UK), £3.00 (flO.OO) per year, to be As one of those BSFG members deducted from eventual membership fee. guilty of not attending many meetings, I

BRUM GROUP NEWS if310 4 August 1997 The Newsletter of the Birmingham Science Fiction Group thought I’d have a word or so. It is Some of the guests haven't depressing that the BSFG seems to be impressed me too highly - or rather the declining in popularity; alas, many fact that they nearly always seem to read a organisations suffer this (the British passage from a work-in-progress. Fantasy Society has done so on a number Personally, I don’t like readings - unless it of occasions). It is only because of a few is delivered by someone with aplomb, with dedicated society members, who care a gift for verbal story-telling. Ramsey enough, that the organisation survives - Campbell is excellent at reading stories (I and hopefully later flourishes. So to those know, he's a horror writer). still on the committee: stick with it. * [As we cannot afford to pay However, you must think about speakers any more than their travelling what you can do to make the BSFG more expenses it is difficult to demand that they exciting for new, and ways to attract back spend time (which is money) preparing lapsed, members. It ain't gonna be easy. talks - however many o f them do. Chris And you'll get criticism no matter what Priest's excellent talk last year springs to you do. mind, along with that o f Professor Why don't I attend many BSFG Krauss. I would've estimated that, at meetings? Well, it took me quite a while to most, only a third o f those who spoke to get it into my thick head that you met on the group read their works - perhaps ever}' third Friday of the month. Then you you' ve been unlucky in the few meetings changed it to the second Friday - and it y o u ’ve attended? - MT] changed again. • Perhaps you expect too much of [The Group met on the third Friday your guests: an hour before the break, of the month for 25 years, then changed to Q&A after is too demanding. You should the second Friday of the month, except start off their bit promptly. Let them talk when members are notified of a change of for 40-45 minutes followed by 15 minutes day because of the availability of of Q&A. Or have the guest in discussion speakers/venues. -MT] with someone - a chat show format. Get a Now: I'm not sure. Also, I wasn't PA system. too impressed with some of the venues [We don't actually specify what the chosen, but I know that city-centre pubs speakers should do - we merely suggest a can be depressing places. Have you talk followed by a break and Q&A. We considered the MAC or someplace certainly don't specify that they have to similar? talk for an hour! [Yes, but as the majority o f the [As we cannot afford a function people who actually attend on a regular room at the moment, a PA would be out of basis come from as far afield as Coventry, the question - and totally unnecessary for Leicester, Lye, Oldbury and Willenhall, the 16-20 people (at best) who showed up we need to stick to the city centre or they for meetings last year. - MT] ca n 't make it. (As this includes four out End the formal bit by 9.00 or o f five o f the Committee it is unlikely to 9.15pm. That way, guests don't feel change!) - MT] pressured into filling over an hour of

BRUM GROUP NEWS #310 5 August 1997 The Newsletter of the Birmingham Science Fiction Group stressful time. And people who have to knowledge, resulted in a single leave early, to catch buses home, etc., can. attendance let alone a new member!] Or folk can go off for a Chinese meal. I would not like to see the BSFG (Also, committee and other long­ become a group of and for the fans only. term BSFG members who sit out the The BSFG would decline at a faster rate: formal talk in the bar sets a shockingly bad potential new members can listen to a example.) speech and then start chatting after (they [I used to stay outside because, at have a ready-made topic); they will likely the time, I smoked and wished to indulge feel excluded from contributing to a in that habit without bothering others. 1 discussion between friends-. really do not see how some members sit­ Literary (i.e. written) SF and fantasy ting in the bar can be considered “shock­ and horror needs the BSFG, BFS and ing" or in anyway a bad example. - MT] BSFA and others to promote it to the Has the BSFG thought about doing readership. We have one of the best SF something with Dillons or Waterstones? bookshops in the UK in our city. The They have large SF sections. They have BSFG should work together with literary evenings... Every year I miss out Andromeda to promote the written word. on getting the BFS involved with the And I don't think the BSFG can do that Readers' and Writers' festival. Has the successfully if it stops being serious (I'm BSFG looked into this? Have you sought not totally familiar with terms like sercon, an arts grant? You'd probably only get so I might be off on the wrong track here; one for a NEW project, but certainly the but that seems to be the suggestion of BSFG fills the criteria as an arts group. Chris Murphy). [We organised the Professor [The Committee are not suggesting Krauss meeting last year with Water­ that the BSFG stops being serious about stones, who mailed out 600+ BSFG flyers literature - we are merely reacting to the with their mailings. Both Waterstones fact that the evidence shows, over the last and ourselves were disappointed with the five or more years, people are not willing results - the meeting barely broke even to turn out in sufficient numbers for and Waterstones had a disappointing speakers who they have heard before. signing session. [As the Group has insufficient . [We also tried sending mail-shots funds to subsidise meetings to the tune o f to every library in Birmingham and the £50 or more a month, we have to surrounding area. (Although there is concentrate on speakers who are either SUPPOSED to be a distribution service new to the group(and likely to attract from Central Library we have discovered attention) or are proven draws (such as it doesn't work!) Hundreds o f flyers and Pratchett and Banks). Unfortunately this posters were despatched to the libraries means far fewer meetings with speakers with covering letters, on three occasions and more informals - we do not have a through the year - the result was two choice. We have tried (and failed) for the enquiries, neither o f which, to my last two years to attract people on a

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regular basis. Now we are left with little activity and find that it is centred around a alternative but to withdraw and regroup'] mysterious truck. The truck may or may Yes, SF is ubiquitous. But bugger not be carrying an alien from a shot-down "sci-fi": much of it is pretty bad anyway. flying saucer and other aliens may or may It's superficial. Look at SF on TV, in the not be attempting a rescue. By the end of cinema, the magazines... Well, you know. the episode the hypothetical alien has Media-SF can manage on its own. Books, disappeared and nothing has been proved on the other hand, need to be cherished one way or the other. and cultured. It is just conceivable that a book That's all... like this might .be of use to somebody who missed that particular episode on broad­ [Further comments from members cast, but I cannot imagine it being of any are invited and will be run in the use to anyone else. It adds absolutely September newsletter. Letters should nothing to the screen original, treating the reach me, Martin Tudor, at 24 story with no extra depth or background Ravensbourne Grove, off Clarkes Lane, and lacking whatever dramatic content the Willenhall, WV13 1HX or e-mail to tv presentation may have possessed. On [email protected] by the 5th top of that, the writing is amateurish and September 1997.] shallow and with only 100 pages of large print it is lousy value for money. Aimed, Book Reviews presumably, at those sad people who eat, sleep and breathe X-FILES, it is a blatant merchandising rip-off - don’t be caught THE X-FILES #9: E.B.E. by Lee out. Martin, HarperCoIIins, lOOpp, p/b, £3.99. Star Rating: * The "Star Ratings" are: Reviewed by Michael Jones. * = Crap, beyond belief Having watched every episode of ** == Crap, but readable. THE X-FILES (well, almost) since it *** = Not too bad, really. began on terrestrial television, I thought it **** _ p retty good actually. ***** _ b u y i t would be interesting to read a book for a change. As it happened, I remembered Please remember that reviews of this episode quite clearly once I started books should reach Martin Tudor at 24 reading, but if I expected any extra Ravensbourne Grove, off Clarkes Lane, insights into the story I was doomed to Willenhall, WV13 1HX ( or e-mail disappointment. It was as if Lee Martin martin@empties. demon, co. uk), within had sat in front of his tv to make notes as ONE MONTH o f your taking the book. the episode unwound and had then written A number of people still owe up his notes to provide a straight account reviews, please ensure that these, along of what he had just watched. with reviews o f books picked up at the last The story is a simple one: Mulder meeting are mailed to Martin Tudor by and Scully investigate an outbreak of UFO this month's meeting.

[brum group n e w s #310 7 A ugust 1997 I ■ GOOD TO TALK: Steve Cashmore. Picture: JOHN JAMES The right number STEVE Cashmore, from Lickey, near Bromsgrove, earned £1,000 for Avon- croft Museum of Historic Buildings at Stoke Heath in Worcestershire. A retired BT engineer and voluntary worker on the museums unique collec­ tion of telephone kiosks he was selected as one of the national winners of the BT Community Challenge for'"work in the community. The £1,000 will go towards restoring a Tardis (above) to full working order. £5,000 is still needed.