MARCH 2001 Issue 354 Brum Honorary Presidents: BRIAN W ALDISS Group HARRY HARRISON Committee: News Chairman: Vernon Brown Secretary: Vicky Cook The Free Monthly Newsletter of the Treasurer: Alan W oodford BIRMINGHAM Newsletter Editor: Rog Peyton GROUP + Steve Jones & William McCabe NOVACON 31 Chairman: Tony Berry

Friday 9th March PETER WESTON will be giving an illustrated talk "JOHN W CAMPBELL and the ASTOUNDING days of SF

Peter Weston edited his own authors whose careers were launched in science fiction fanzine SPECULATION the 40s and 50s owed much to John W from the mid-sixties, and for many years Campbell and his own particular brand of it was considered to be the best fanzine science fiction. in the US or UK for serious SF fans. His Come along and listen to a man love of the Campbell era and the years whose involvement in the science fiction that he edited ASTOUNDING SF (now field has encompassed editing his own retitled ANALOG) is well known. fanzine, chairing an Eastercon and not Illustrated with slides from his large one, but two World SF Conventions, collection, Peter will be talking about one editing a trio of original anthologies of the most important eras in the growth entitled ANDROMEDA and was a of science fiction - the era that gave us co-founder of the current incarnation of Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, A E van the Birmingham SF Group. Vogt, Hal Clement, Poul Anderson and H You will not be disappointed. Beam Piper to name but a few. Many RGP Peter Weston will be giving his talk in the usual place at the usual time. Which is in the Lichfield Room on the second floor at the Britannia Hotel, New Street (entrance in Union Passageway opposite the Odeon). The talk will commence at 7.45pm so please arrive early, get your drinks from the bar and be seated in plenty of time. Non-members always welcome.

I FORTHCOMING EVENTS Jun 28-Jul 1. 2001: A CELEBRATION OF BRITISH SCIENCE FICTION at March 9-11. MECON DELTA at the Foresight Centre, University of Queen’s University, Belfast, N Ireland. Liverpool, Liverpool. Guests of Honour - Guests of Honour are Michael Sheard, Ian Brian Aldiss, Stephen Baxter, Nicola McDonald, Dave Lally. Membership £17. Griffith, Gwyneth Jones, Ken MacLeod, Info from 24 Malton Court, Upper Malone . Guest Artist Judith Clute. Road, Belfast BT9 6HB Membership (including meals) £130. Authors April 4. Robert Rankin will be signing at and students £72. Info from Dr Farah ANDROMEDA BOOKSHOP (2-5 Suffolk Mendlesohn, Middlesex University, White Street, Birmingham) at noon. The new Hart Lane, London N17 8HR. e-mail Andy hardcover is WEB SITE STORY and the sawyer at [email protected] new paperback is WAITING FOR website www.liv.ac.uk/ — asawver/200.html GODALMING. Phone 0121 643 1999 to November 9-11 NOVACON 31 - the reserve your signed copy. (And how many Birmingham SF Group’s own annual of you spotted the deliberate mistake in the convention. Guest of Honour will be last newsletter? Robert Rankin did NOT Gwyneth Jones (who also writes as Ann write PAINT YOUR DRAGON. Tom Holt Halam). Venue to be announced. Details was the author of that one. Nobody pointed from Steve Lawson at the address above. it out to me so no prizes this month. Sorry). STOP PRESS - we have been told by April 13-16. PARAGON - the British NOVACON 31 chairman that they have now National Science Fiction EasterCon. This booked a venue! It will be in Walsall - full year the venue will be the Hanover details next newsletter. International Hotel, Hinckley. Guests of Birmingham SF Readers Group meets Honour are Michael Scott Rohan, Stephen at 6pm on Thursdays in the Shakespeare Baxter and Lisanne Norman. Fan Guests of Memorial room at the Central Library. Honour are Claire Brialey and Mark Books shown are for discussion that night. Plummer. For details of prices, etc., contact Mar 15 - NORTHERN LIGHTS by Phillip Steve Lawson, 379 Myrtle Road, Sheffield S2 3HQ. Tel: 0114 281 1572. E-mail him at Pullman. Apr 19 - CAVES OF STEEL by steve. paragon@ keepsake-web .co.uk Isaac Asimov. May 17 - FLOWERS FOR or check out the website at ALGERNON by Daniel Keyes. www. keepsake-web. co. uk/paragon Although details are correct to the best May 25-27. ECLECTICON 21 at the of our knowledge, we advise contacting Holiday Inn, Leicester. Guests are Storm organisers before travelling. Always enclose Constantine, Gareth Thomas, Jacqueline a stamped, self-addressed envelope when Pearce, Ed Bishop, Frank Maher. writing to any of the above contact Membership £50. Info from 47 Bennetts addresses. Court, Bristol BS37 4XH. e-mail Any information about forthcoming SF/ [email protected] or see website Fantasy/Horror events are always welcome - www.eclectic21.co.uk. please send to me at rog@andromedabook .co.uk, tell me about it May 25-27. SECCOND at the De Vere in the shop or phone me at the shop on 0121 Hotel, Swindon. Guest of Honour Paul J 643 1999. McAuley. Info from 19 Hill Court Road, Cheltenham, Glos GL52 3JJ. e-mail [email protected] website www.seccon.org.uk 2 SWAP & BUY BOOKS. . . “Time is a resource. Everyone knows it has to be managed. And on Discworld that Yes, YOU can bring books to the is the job of the Monks of History, who Brum Group and make a profit from your store it and pump it from the places where sales. Our beloved chairman actually it’s wasted (like underwater - how much brought a small number of unwanted books time does a codfish need?) to places like to sell and was seriously injured in the cities, where there’s never enough time. The stampede to buy his pristine unread copies full supporting cast includes Ronnie, the (actually items he had mistakenly purchased fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse (who left twice!). People throwing metal money at before they became famous)” him made his plight even worse. A well-bandaged Mr Brown was reported as Who’d have thought it - Terry saying, with a smile on his face, “Gosh, I Pratchett writing a time-travel novel? didn’t know it was so easy to make money - Does this mean I’ll have to read it? Well, I took £4 tonight!” I’ve got to start somewhere - haven’t I? Bring a few books with YOU next ..... Horror writer Simon Clark turns month to supplement your meagre income. to SF for his next book due out in June - There’s no charge for the facility - all you an authorised sequel to John need is a mug with money... Wyndham’s classic DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS with the title - you guessed it LAST MONTH'S MEETING... - NIGHT OF THE TRIFFIDS. I’m The February meeting with Graham trying to organise a signing at Higgins came as a complete surprise. I’d ANDROMEDA and also get him to do obviously seen his name on the Pratchett a talk to the Group. Watch this space..... graphic novels but did not know who he was The new Jonathan Carroll book, or that he was from Birmingham! THE WOODEN SEA, is one of the best His memories of working on novels he has written - it reads like GUARDS! GUARDS! were fascinating and Philip K Dick on speed! It’s got the lot when he recounted the meetings at the - aliens, time travel, God, and the usual publishers without naming names, I found mix of Carroll’s weird characters and his descriptions so good, I recognised settings. Just out in the US from Tor everyone he spoke about! with a tremendous cover, it is due for Altogether a very good meeting and one that I’m pleased I did not miss. UK release from Gollancz in June, but RGP hopefully they will cancel the proposed cover - it is appalling! ....The February NEWS IN BRIEF. . . issue of FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION included no less than 26 short Terry Pratchett surprises us with short stories by Harlan Ellison, one yet another Discworld novel - the 26th - for each letter of the alphabet ..... following hot on the heels of THE HarperCollins are issuing Tolkien’s TRUTH. Titled THIEF OF TIME it is THE LORD OF THE RINGS in yet due out in May from Doubleday UK. another format - paperbacks with covers This probably means we’ll get two based on Tolkien’s original designs. The Discworld novels this year - May and much anticipated film version of RINGS November. The blurb for THIEF OF is due later this year and HarperCollins TIME reads:- will be doing yet another issue, this time 3 with movie tie-in covers ..... The Barry US); MIDNIGHT ROBBER by Nalo Levin Most Collectable Author of the Hopkinson (Warner US); ONLY Year Award went to Britain’s own J K FORWARD by Michael Marshall Rowling. Last year it was Peter F Smith (Bantam US/Voyager UK); Hamilton. Isn’t it strange that every BROKEN TIME by Maggy Thomas year the winning author is the one whose (Roc US); EVOLUTION’S DARLING books have sold for the biggest amounts? by Scott Westerfield (4 Doors 8 The cynic in me is positive he’s only Windows US); THE BRIDGE by interested in the profits his company Janine Ellen Young (Warner makes. It’s certainly not for the literacy - US/Earthlight UK). Only the Smith and his advert in LOCUS spells Anne Young titles have been published in the McCaffrey incorrectly - McCaffery. It UK. My money goes on Nalo could be just the typesetter (I suppose!) Hopkinson, about whom I keep ..... And while on the subject of spelling hearing great things. Must read her ..... errors - the January BRUM GROUP The new Alfred Bester book - NEWS listed one of the answers to the REDEMOLISHED - is now published Christmas quiz as ‘Chesney Bonestall’. in trade paperback (no hardcover at all!). This should have read Chesley It’s a collection of 10 stories, 3 articles, 4 Bonestell as I’m sure many of you essays, 5 interviews plus the first noticed. There’s a new book out from publication anywhere of the deleted Paper Tiger in April devoted to prologue to THE DEMOLISHED Chesley Bonestell (1888-1986) who MAN!!! ..... ARES EXPRESS, Ian was one of the greatest astronomical McDonald’s ‘sequel’ to artists - if not the best - and who was a DESOLATION ROAD will be tremendous influence on a very young published in hardcover by Earthlight in David Hardy ..... In the same month, March and they’ll be reprinting Paper Tiger are doing an art book on the DESOLATION ROAD in paperback late Richard Powers who single- the same month. Text of handedly changed the direction of SF art DESOLATION ROAD will follow the in the 1950s when he was working for Drunken Dragon Press edition which Ballantine, Avon and Berkley was the First Edition of the author’s distinctive abstract covers that still look preferred text and the first hardcover fresh today ..... SPECTRUM magazine edition - published here in Birmingham, follow up their Keith Roberts new if you remember..... NESFA Press have novel scoop with a new story in issue 4 issued Vol 1 of the Complete Short by John Christopher - his first Stories of William Tenn, titled appearance in print for many a year. IMMODEST PROPOSALS. Also the And lo and behold it is announced that Complete Short SF of Fredric Brown, next month’s INTERZONE - #165 - titled FROM THESE ASHES. Both will will be a John Christopher Special be available from ANDROMEDA in Issue including another new story ..... March. Also available will be their The 2000 Philip K Dick Award Boskone Special; this year by their GoH nominees have been announced. They George R R Martin. Following fairly are:- CALL FROM A DISTANT quickly will be Vol 2 of the Complete SHORE by Stephen L Burns (Roc Short Fiction of William Tenn called 4 HERE COMES CIVILIZATION ..... which have never before appeared in That other US publisher of beautifully book form. (In fact, I discovered a couple produced classic SF, Haffner Press, will of items which have been omitted, be issuing Vol 4 of the Collected Short though probably for good reasons. I also Fiction of Jack Williamson - SPIDER spotted several typographical errors ISLAND in the near future while carried over from a previous book MARTIAN QUEST: THE EARLY publication). BRACKETT by Leigh Brackett was The collection is neatly framed by scheduled for December 2000 but has his earliest and somewhat still to appear. They have also bought undistinguished effort to his latest, a rights to DETOUR TO OTHERNESS "collaboration” written by Stephen by Henry Kuttner and C L Moore. Baxter which constructs a new edifice Presumably a collection of their best from the same theme and events and work? All will be available from takes it to levels of social extrapolation, ANDROMEDA ..... And finally, we’ve emotional content and literary quality heard that David Gerrold has at last undreamed of half a century ago. In completed War Against the Chtorr Vol 5 between the stories cover every aspect of but apparently Bantam are no longer SF, from amusingly ingenious to interested - they’ve allowed volumes 1 to inventively prescient, and range from 4 go out of print. So David has now to those which are, quite frankly, somewhat find another new publisher who will pedestrian to others which have the obviously want to reissue the first four emotional content to stir the soul. It has before they publish the new book. to be said that Clarke was never a I...... literary genius and his writing style always left something to be desired, BOOK REVIEWS particularly in his earlier years, but the never ending flow of ideas and invention Rating system:- always made up for his stylistic 5 star - excellent. A must to read. shortcomings and there are enough 4 star - very good. really special bits of writing - most 3 star - good but flawed. 2 star - very average. notably but certainly not only “The 1 star - read only if there’s nowt on telly. Star” for example - to compensate for 0 stars - Turkey! Turkey! Turkey! any amount of lesser work. In essence, therefore, the individual stories vary from good to near-miraculous. THE COLLECTED STORIES What I was surprised to find was of Arthur C. Clarke that 899 ( 93% ) of these pages come Gollancz / 966 pgs / £20 / Hardcover from the twenty-five years between 1946 Reviewed by Michael Jones and 1971, while a mere 37 pages cover Rating ***** the next thirty years to the present day. Clarke now relies largely on other hands As titled, this is a complete to convert his ideas into the written word collection of Clarke’s short fiction and it is pretty unlikely that there will spanning sixty-four years of his writing ever be much, if anything to add to this career and incorporating several pieces 5 collection. It will therefore remain as a methods of communi- cation too, such as fascinating study of the work of a man contact rumbles and smell, as well as whose contribution to SF is impossible to their interaction with other creatures and overstate. It is interesting to see how his hominids. And about their mating writing has always kept pace with habits, migration patterns, and all else contemporary science, with some ideas necessary to make this another returning for further development and I well-rounded novel. was also intrigued to find several stories The Fireheads (humans) are which later became the basis for full- invading mammoth territory and, as we length novels. discover, have already ‘domesticated’ The 93% which I mentioned earlier their cousins, the mastodons. Longtusk, constituted the contents of several book as a mere youngster, gets separated from collections published during the same his Clan, and this book is about his period and frequently reprinted. There adventures, which make him the greatest can therefore be few readers without Bull hero in the Cycle. He befriends a some degree of familiarity with what is young Dreamer (another type of human, here and because of that it is difficult to presumably Neanderthal, being give a star rating as so many people will ruthlessly exterminated by the more be in a position to provide their own. intelligent and aggressive Fireheads), and However, it is well worthwhile having it is later captured by Fireheads, though he all together in one volume and in my never fully capitulates to them, and case simply being stimulated to read the makes an enemy of their Shaman. stories again was a rewarding exercise I found it quite compulsive reading, worth a top five stars. MJ but I wonder where the next in the series LONGTUSK by Stephen Baxter is going. We’ve had one book set in the Millennium SF / 290pgs / £5.99 / pbk present, one in the past - and the Reviewed by David Hardy Epilogue to this book refers to Mars in Rating * * * * AD 3,000. DAH This is book 2 in the Mammoth FOREVER FREE trilogy, and sequel to SILVERHAIR. by Joe Haldeman However, whereas that book was set in Millenium / 277 pgs / £5.99 / pbk roughly the present day, this volume Reviewed by Michael Jones takes us back to 16,000 BG. Rating * * * This series is very different from Stephen Baxter’s more usual space or In 1974 Joe Haldeman accomp­ time epics, but no less compelling. They lished the rare feat of scooping both have apparently been compared to Hugo and Nebula awards with his first WATERSHIP DOWN - presumably novel THE FOREVER WAR. It was a because the animals speak to each other story of war in a relativistic universe (in English, for convenience!). But any where soldiers are sent out to fight such resemblance is surely superficial. battles which will take place so far in the Baxter has always done his research and future that they hardly know what they knows all about the mammoths’ natural will find and return to a world in which 6 the family and friends they knew are now long dead. OBITUARIES In this long-delayed sequel William Mandela and his partner Marygay, who GORDON R DICKSON survived the Forever War together against all the odds, are living with a We have just learned of the death of handful of other veterans on a remote Gordon R Dickson on February 1st. A US colony of an Earth changed beyond newspaper cutting was faxed to recognition. In the centuries during and ANDROMEDA. We don’t think the news was reported in any UK newspaper. since the war the human race has Certainly, none of us saw anything. evolved into Man, a group mind like Dickson’s most famous books - and mankind’s former enemy the Taurans the biggest sellers - were the Dorsai series with whom they are now at peace, the which formed part of his ‘Future History’, war having turned out to be merely a the Childe Cycle of novels. The short misunderstanding. William and the version of his Dorsai novel SOLDIER ASK other ex-soldiers discover that they are NOT won the Hugo for best novella. being kept and supported as a kind of Earlier, DORSAI (abridged as THE genetic reserve in case Man has to GENETIC GENERAL) was runner-up for change the direction of its evolution, a Best Novel, losing out to Heinlein’s situation from which they determine to STARSHIP TROOPERS. In more recent years his writing time escape. had been divided between the Childe Cycle Their attempt becomes a disaster and his many follow-ups to his humorous and they are forced to change their plans fantasy, THE DRAGON AND THE completely and head for Earth. There GEORGE. His latest books were an they make a discovery about the omnibus reprinting of the Dilbia stories with Universe and their place in it which the wonderful title THE RIGHT TO ARM overthrows everything they ever knew or BEARS and a new novel in the Dragon believed right down to the most series, THE DRAGON AND THE FAIR fundamental concepts of understanding. MAID OF KENT. Although well-written and based on I can’t say I’ve read all of his work an amazing idea this book left me but personal favourites are the original three Dorsai books - DORSAI, SOLDIER ASK surprisingly disappointed. The revelation NOT and TACTICS OF MISTAKE and his with which it is finally wound up is non-Dorsai military novel NAKED TO THE over-contrived and the eventual STARS. conclusion is inadequately worked-out. It is a long time since I read THE RICHARD LAYMON FOREVER WAR but my recollection is first that it did not need a sequel and And just as I’m finishing this second that it exhibited a freshness, a newsletter, news of a further loss comes along. Richard Laymon, the bestselling novelty, which gave it a dramatic impact horror writer has died at the age of 54 from which is lacking here. I wanted to read it a massive heart attack on February 14th., because it is a sequel to an earlier book leaving a wife and daughter. Best known for which mightily impressed me, but that his Beast House series, the last of which was on its own is not enough. MJ MIDNIGHT TOUR. His latest book was the

7 short story collection from Headline, DREADFUL TALES. There is at least one A STATEMENT FROM novel left to be published including the MARTIN TUDOR fourth Beast House novel. He has had 37 books published under Martin Tudor (European TAFF his own name plus westerns, romances and administrator 1996-98) has recently been children’s books under various pseudonyms. made aware of an appalling oversight that occurred during his Administration. FUTURE MEETINGS In 1997 Paul ‘Skel’ Skelton contacted TAFF to offer the donation of APRIL 20 - please note that this meeting the book and magazine collection of his will be on the third Friday as the second recently deceased friend and sometime Friday coincides with Easter when many co-editor Brian Robinson. members will be at the Annual Easter The sale of this collection raised Convention in Hinckley. £1000 which went a long way towards MAY II - Debate with Birmingham paying off the TAFF debts generated University SF Group. after the TAFF funds were stolen; but JUNE 8 - to be announced - we’re trying for somehow Martin failed to record his Simon Clark thanks to Skel and Cas Skelton for JULY 13 - to be announced sorting out Brian’s stuff, Tony Berry for AUGUST 10 - Discussion “Is SF the transporting it, Andy Richards for coming thing?” agreeing to buy it without even viewing SEPTEMBER 14 - to be announced it and, of course, Brian Robinson for OCTOBER 12 - to be announced kindly donating his collection to a good NOVEMBER 9 - shared programme item fannish cause. with NOVACON 31 A belated ‘Thank you’ to all those DECEMBER 14 - Christmas Party - Beer involved. and Skittles evening. Price and details to be Andy Richards’ Cold Tonnage announced. Books can be contacted on 01276 ***** 475388 or check Newsletter 354 copyright 2001 for the http://www.coldtonnage.demon.co.uk Birmingham Science Fiction Group. Designed by Rog Peyton. Opinions expressed herein do BRUM GROUP Website address is not necessarily reflect those of the committee or the general membership or, for that matter, www.bsfg.freeservers.com/ the person giving their opinion. Some people like being controversial and may actually believe the opposite to what they say. Don’t believe everything you read

The Birmingham Science Fiction Group meets on the second Friday of each month at the Britannia Hotel, New Street. Membership is £16 per year per person (or £2\ for two members living at the same address). This includes the 12 free issues of the Newsletter plus reduced entrance fee at each meeting. Cheques should be made payable to ‘The Birmingham Science Fiction Group” and sent to our Treasurer, Alan Woodford, 2 Old Port Close, Tipton, West Midlands, DY4 7XN (e-mail enquiries [email protected])