Liberty and Culture Vol. 24, No. 1 Fall 2005

A Political History of SF 2005 Prometheus Awards, pages 2 & 8 By Eric S. Raymond

The history of modern SF is one of five attempted revolu- written, the center of the Campbellian revolution was “hard SF”, tions—one success and four enriching failures. I’m going to offer a form that made particularly stringent demands on both author you a look at them from an unusual angle, a political one. This and reader. Hard SF demanded that the science be consistent both turns out to be useful perspective because more of the history of internally and with known science about the real world, permitting SF than one might expect is intertwined with political questions, only a bare minimum of McGuffins like faster-than-light star drives. and SF had an important role in giving birth to at least one distinct Hard SF stories could be, and were, mercilessly slammed because the political ideology that is alive and important today. author had calculated an orbit or gotten a detail of physics or biology The first and greatest of the revolutions came out of the minds wrong. Readers, on the other hand, needed to be scientifically literate of John Wood Campbell and Robert Heinlein, the editor and the to appreciate the full beauty of what the authors were doing. author who invented modern science fiction. The pivotal year was There was also a political aura that went with the hard-SF style, 1937, when John Campbell took over the editorship of Astounding one exemplified by Campbell and right-hand man Robert Heinlein. Science Fiction. He published Robert Heinlein’s first story a little over That tradition was of ornery and insistent individualism, venera- a year later. tion of the competent man, an instinctive distrust of coercive social Pre-Campbellian science fiction bubbled up from the American engineering and a rock-ribbed objectivism that valued knowing how pulp magazines of the 1910s and 1920s, inspired by pioneers like things work and treated all political ideologizing with suspicion. Jules Verne and H.G. Wells but mostly recycling an endless series Exceptions like Asimov’s Foundation novels only threw the implicit of cardboard cliches: mad scientists, lost races, menacing bug-eyed politics of most other Campbellian SF into sharper relief. monsters, coruscating death rays, and screaming blondes in brass At the time, this very American position was generally thought underwear. With a very few exceptions (like E.E. “Doc” Smith’s of by both allies and opponents as a conservative or right-wing one. Skylark of Space and sequels) the stuff was teeth-jarringly bad; But the SF community’s version was never conservative in the strict unless you have a specialist interest in the history of the genre I don’t sense of venerating past social norms—how could it be, when SF recommend seeking it out. literature cheerfully contemplated radical changes in social arrange- John Campbell had been one of the leading writers of space opera ments and even human nature itself ? SF’s insistent individualism also from 1930, second only to E.E. “Doc” Smith in inventiveness. When led it to reject racism and feature strong female characters decades he took over Astounding, he did so with a vision: one that demanded before the rise of political correctness ritualized these behaviors in higher standards of both scientific plausibility and story-crafting other forms of art. skill than the field had ever seen before. He discovered and trained Nevertheless, some writers found the confines of the field too a group of young writers who would dominate the field for most of narrow, or rejected Campbellian orthodoxy for other reasons. The the next fifty years. Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, first revolt against hard SF came in the early 1950s from a group Poul Anderson, and Hal Clement were among them. of young writers centered around Frederik Pohl and the Futurians Heinlein was the first of Campbell’s discoveries and, in the fan club in New York. The Futurians invented a kind of SF in end, the greatest. It was Heinlein who invented the technique of description by indirection—the art of describing his future worlds not through lumps of exposition but by presenting it through the —Continued on page 12 eyes of his characters, subtly leading the reader to fill in by deduc- tion large swathes of background that a lesser author would have drawn in detail. Inside Prometheus: From World War II into the 1950s Campbell’s writers—many Reviews of fiction by Kazuo Ishiguro, working scientists and engineers who knew leading-edge technology Jerry Oltion, John Twelve Hawks, from the inside—created the Golden Age of science fiction. Other SF pulpzines competing with Astounding raised their standards and Gen LaGreca; John David; new ones were founded. The field took the form of an extended James P. Hogan conversation, a kind of proto-futurology worked out through stories Serenity, the Movie & the Comic Book that often implicitly commented on each other. While space operas and easy adventure stories continued to be WorldCon photos & reports Prometheus Volume 24, Number 1, 2005 Libertarian Futurists Announce

The newsletter of the 2005 Prometheus Awards Libertarian Futurist Society By Michael Grossberg Editor Anders Monsen The Libertarian Futurist Society an- having a positive effect on the dissemination nounced the annual winners of the of libertarian ideas.” Contributors Prometheus Award August 5 in Glasgow, The LFS, founded in 1982, presents Wally Conger Scotland at the 63rd World Science Fiction occasional Special Awards for outstanding Michael Grossberg Convention. achievement. The first Special Award was Chris Hibbert • Neal Stephenson won this year’s award presented in 1998 to Free Space, the first Max Jahr for Best Novel for The System of the libertarian sf anthology. The second Special Fred Moulton World. Award, and the first for lifetime achieve- Eric S. Raymond • A. E. van Vogt’s novel, The Weapon ment, was presented to Grand Master Poul William H. Stoddard Shops of Isher, won the Hall of Fame Anderson in 2000. David Wayland Award The other finalists for Best Novel were: • The Probability Broach: The State of Fear, by Michael Crichton (Harper Graphic Novel, written by L. Neil Smith Collins); Anarquia, by Brad Linaweaver and illustrated by Scott Bieser, won a Special and Kent J. Hastings (Sense of Wonder Award. Press); Newton’s Wake, by Ken MacLeod Letters and Submissions: • Give Me Liberty and Visions of (TOR Books); and Marque and Reprisal, Anders Monsen Liberty, anthologies edited by Mark Tier by Elizabeth Moon (Ballantine Books/Del 501 Abiso Ave and Martin H. Greenberg for Baen Books, Rey). Fourteen 2004 novels were nominated San Antonio, TX 78209 won a Special Award. for the 2005 award. [email protected] This is Stephenson’s first Prometheus The other finalists for the Hall of Fame Award after four nominations. The devel- award were: It Can’t Happen Here, a 1936 Subscriptions & Advertisements opment in the 1700s of the modern world’s novel by Sinclair Lewis; V for Vendetta, Libertarian Futurist Society classical liberal institutions, which paved a graphic novel (1988-89) by Alan Moore 650 Castro St. Suite 120-433 the way for modern libertarianism, is ex- and David Lloyd; A Time of Changes, a Mountain View, CA 94041 plored in the climax of the author’s ambi- 1971 novel by Robert Silverberg; and The [email protected] tious Baroque Cycle trilogy, which includes Lord of the Rings, the 1954 trilogy by J. Prometheus nominees Quicksilver and R. R. Tolkien. Basic Membership: $25/yr. ($30 int'l) The Confusion. The trilogy is a prequel The Prometheus awards for Best Novel, Full Membership: $50/yr. to Cryptonomicon, a 2000 Prometheus Best Classic Fiction (Hall of Fame) and (oc- Sponsors: $100/yr. finalist for Best Novel. casional) Special awards honor outstanding Benefactors: $200/yr. A. E. van Vogt, the late author celebrated science fiction/fantasy that explores the pos- Subscriptions: $20/yr. ($25 int'l) as one of the masters of science fiction’s sibilities of a free future, champions human All memberships include one-year Golden Age, won for Best Classic Fiction (the rights (including personal and economic subscriptions. Hall of Fame) for The Weapon Shops of liberty), dramatizes the perennial conflict be- Isher, an imaginative and clever 1951 novel tween individuals and coercive governments, Classified ads: 50 cents/word, 10 percent dramatizing the power of self-defense to or critiques the tragic consequences of abuse off for multiple insertions. Display ad sustain personal freedom. This is van Vogt’s of power—especially by the State. rates available. All checks payable to the first Prometheus Award. Libertarian Futurist Society Author L. Neil Smith and artist Scott Bieser shared a Special Award for “reaching See a complete convention report, new audiences by presenting a libertarian speeches from the winners, and photos, on page 8. Prometheus © 2005 the Libertarian Fu- classic in graphic form” with The Prob- ability Broach: The Graphic Novel, an turist Society. The LFS retains a non- To nominate books for the 2006 exclusive license to republish accepted imaginative and vivid condensed adaptation of Smith’s Prometheus Award-winning 1982 Prometheus Awards: articles on its Web site; all other rights Best Novel: Michael Grossberg, revert to the contributor. Letters and novel. Give Me Liberty and Visions of [email protected] and 614- reviews are welcome. Bylined articles 236-5040 are strictly the opinion of the writer and Liberty, pro-freedom anthologies edited by Mark Tier and Martin H. Greenberg and do not necessarily reflect the opinion Hall of Fame: Lynn Maners, of the LFS members. published as companion paperbacks by Baen Books, also received a Special Award “for [email protected]

Page 2 Volume 24, Number 1, 2005 Prometheus

book gives evidence of Oltion’s being not just to any terrorist nut with a computer, some eviews culturally but politically a conventional leftist. downloaded software, and a decent-sized His central characters are from Wyoming, sealed vehicle. The United States in this R and more or less conservative, but they aren’t world has a lot of new craters, and the United Biblical literalists: they accept evolution as States government has made quite a few of a fact, and when they meet aliens who tell its own, as well as actively trying to suppress Anywhere but Here them about ancient visits to Earth where the new technology. The adversaries in this By Jerry Oltion they played the role of “gods” as a joke story aren’t simple villains for villainy’s sake, Tor Books, 2005 and seemingly started human religion, the which makes the story more interesting. Reviewed by William H. Stoddard Stinson’s aren’t more than mildly surprised. I wouldn’t call this an especially profound Geopolitically, the United States is the bad book. But it was entertaining, and its author’s From the dust jacket copy, Jerry Oltion’s guy of this future world, keeping the rest of cultural and political viewpoint was skewed latest book sounds like a classic libertarian the world under its thumb with raw military from mine, rather than diametrically op- story of a free frontier in space. It turns out power and repressing its own citizens; the posed. Other LFS members might find it not to be exactly that, but libertarian readers surviving resistance is led by the French and worth a look. may enjoy many aspects of it. In many ways the Arab nations. None of this is necessar- it’s very much like a classic Analog story about ily in conflict with libertarianism; certainly new technology and its social impact. Darwinism isn’t, and libertarians are able The Traveler To be specific, this is a “garage technol- to imagine the United States government as By John Twelve Hawks ogy” story—the kind where a lone inventor, the bad guy—we often think the real one is Doubleday, 2005, $24.95 in his home workshop, puts together a radical just that! A passage where the Stinsons try ISBN: 038551428X new device, based on his personal genius, a to buy something from an alien merchant, Reviewed by Wally Conger radical new theoretical concept, or a lucky who refuses to quote a price and instead asks accident, and the device changes the world. what they can afford to pay, explaining that This is turning out to be the Year of the Such stories used to be more common than fixed prices lead to class warfare, economic Libertarian Novel. they are now; they draw on older American exploitation, and monopoly, could have come First, columnist Vin Suprynowicz crossed hero-worship of inventors, especially solitary right out of Karl Marx—and combined Batman with samurai freedom-fighters to and eccentric inventors. Often their char- with the others, makes it look as if Oltion produce his powerful The Black Arrow. acters are “just folks” types with homespun is somewhere in the range from liberal to A short time later, Claire Wolfe and Aaron manners. Oltion has exactly captured that socialist. Zelman launched the terrific RebelFire feel with the central characters of this story, But given that, he’s the sort of leftist that 1.0: Out of the Gray Zone, the first in Trent and Donna Stinson, a Wyoming couple libertarians are able to get along with. He’s a projected series of “young adult” novels going into space because the development critical of repressive authority, and sees about freedom and self-reliance. of cheap faster-than-light travel has put government as likely to be exercising such Now here comes The Traveler, by first- America into a depression: Trent is out of authority, rather than as a benign protector time novelist John Twelve Hawks. While it’s work and Donna’s hours have been cut back of the common people. He sympathizes not as explicitly libertarian as The Black to almost nothing. with the common people doing things for Arrow, nor as well written as Out of the The stardrive technology isn’t invented in themselves. In particular, he shows them Gray Zone, it’s still an exhilarating addition this book; it looks as if this is a later volume going out into a frontier setting to start over to the growing catalog of freedom fiction. in a series, whose earlier volumes told that in a better world. A country run by this sort In quick summary, The Traveler takes story. The inventor, Allen Meisner, shows up of leftist would be a lot more congenial place in a post-9/11 future (maybe 15 minutes in this book, but it’s not about him; it’s about for libertarians than one run by Leninist from now) where there is “the appearance two fairly ordinary but competent people (a revolutionaries, or even social democratic of freedom with the reality of control.” Ev- bit more competent than they give themselves bureaucrats. His Galactic Federation causes ery person’s actions are tracked by the Vast credit for) having adventures—that is, getting problems for the heroes not by being too as- Machine, a complex web of computerized into unexpected trouble. The characteriza- sertive, but by insisting on keeping its hands information systems accessed constantly by tion is somewhere in between classic science off when they want help. government, large corporations, and even fiction and television situation comedy. The It’s also worth noting that Oltion shows “benign” nonprofits like the Evergreen Foun- setting is a bit old-fashioned: it appears that that there is some basis for American repres- dation, a front for forces interested only in Earthlike planets, with oxygen/nitrogen siveness. His stardrive technology is basically world domination. Most people surrender to atmospheres, liquid water, and only mild teleportation, with conservation of momen- (or choose to ignore) this 24/7 monitoring of biohazards are all over the galaxy, just waiting tum—that is, if you leave Earth’s surface and their lives in exchange for false security from for the first colonists to arrive in vacuum- teleport to the orbit of Mars, you still have terrorism and street crime. But some prefer sealed pickups. The past decade or two of Earth’s orbital velocity, and have to worry to live “off the Grid,” away from the prying extrasolar astronomy have made this look a about crashing into Mars! This provides a electronic eyes of the Vast Machine. lot less likely. In some ways Oltion’s story is way to bombard people from orbit with small as much a period piece as if it were set on the asteroids—and this version of “throwing Mars or Venus of Heinlein’s juveniles. rocks” isn’t the exclusive property of a band The political and economic subtext of this of heroic anarchist Loonies, but is available —Continued on page 8

Page 3 Prometheus Volume 24, Number 1, 2005

—Reviews, continued from page 3 its hardcore advocacy of liberty, this novel nations. This normalcy, however, is a sham. deserves to be a bestseller. (It has reached Kathy’s wonderful childhood at Hailsham, Upon this backdrop, author Twelve #13 so far on the New York Times bestseller a secluded school somewhere in the English Hawks presents the riveting story of a cen- list.) Buy a copy for yourself, and then buy countryside, is viewed by other clones as turies-long battle between those who want copies for your friends. unique place, an experiment disbanded some to control history (the Tabula, or Brethren) This is the closest we’ve been in a long time during Kathy’s adulthood. We learn that and those who value the human spirit and time to seeing a libertarian-leaning novel most other clones grow up in gray buildings, seek freedom (the Travelers and their warrior- break into the mainstream in a big way. And like government housing projects. Clones in guardians, the Harlequins). As one character nowadays, we need all the effective media this world serve only one purpose: to supply in the novel reveals, “The facts you know are tools we can muster. organs to non-cloned humans. mostly an illusion. The real struggle of history Life at Hailsham for Kathy and her friends is going on beneath the surface.” Wally Conger is a marketing consultant and unfolds almost lazily. Gradually we discover All of the computer surveillance technol- writer who reluctantly lives “on the Grid” along what they already have learned early on in ogy portrayed in The Traveler actually California’s central coast. His blog of unfinished their lives. While the reader might be hor- exists and is based on the author’s research. essays and spontaneous eruptions on politics and rified, rarely do we see this emotion in the Libertarians won’t be surprised by many culture can be found at wconger.blogspot.com. characters. They live almost normal young of the novel’s revelations about the end lives, discover friendships and hobbies, sex of privacy, but most other readers will be and betrayals, and leave school for the real startled by them. Never Let Me Go world as if their futures stand wide open. The Traveler may seem at times a hodge- By Kazuo Ishiguro Interestingly, the clones are sent out in small podge of science fiction, spiritual prophecy, Alfred A. Knopf, 2005, $24.00 clusters at first, living on remote farms or and conspiracy thriller, laced with smatter- Reviewed by Anders Monsen city based communes, but with free rein to ings of The Matrix, popular videogames, go anywhere. Later, Kathy will drive all over and Kill Bill. But it never loses its footing. There’s an implied sense of fatalism in England, in her work as a “carer,” seeing other It’s a solid, fast-paced corker of a novel. Kazuo Ishiguro’s mainstream novel about clones through their donations; eventually, And its heart is certainly in the right place. clones that may infuriate libertarian readers. inevitably, she too will die after completing The bad guys are as dark, bureaucratic, and Never Let Me Go feels like an eloquent her donations. authoritarian as they come. And the good prose poem, and evokes a continual mood The simple acceptance of this fate renders guys…well, all they want is a world where of memory and loss. In the this an ambivalent novel, they can be left alone to live, love, and create. end it’s this mood that hits the (Where are the clone resist- (Several scenes in the book even take place reader hardest, not any moral ers? Quickly eliminated?). in an “off the Grid” community called New lesson or commentary about Still, this novel shows that Harmony. Shades of Galt’s Gulch!) the fate of human clones. humans far too easily dismiss Unlike the recent Suprynowicz and Early reviews of the novel the rights of others, and Wolfe/Zelman novels—both published by implied a twist or surprise enforce such actions in the small publishing houses with tiny marketing contained in the novel that name of the greater good budgets that rely heavily on the kindness reviewers were hard pressed through the state. Whether of online reviewers and libertarian blog- to reveal, yet forced to do so or not this laconic attitude gers—The Traveler comes from a publish- in order to comment about toward clones is intended ing giant and has an aggressive marketing the novel. Told as a memoir to raise hackles in Ishiguro’s campaign behind it. I first read about the by Kathy H, now a woman in readers, we never learn from book and its author a few weeks ago in a her early thirties, Never Let the book. Perhaps we bring splashy USA Today article, and then visited Me Go looks back at her life, our own reactions to the a handful of official websites publicizing it. focusing mainly on her hal- table, and I hope mine are (One of the novel’s characters even writes cyon days at boarding school not unique. her own blog.) Doubleday’s PR department and immediately thereafter. However, the The setting and time (England, 1970s is busily promoting the author as an “off the apparent twist in the novel—which appears and 1990s) conveys a common history with Grid” celebrity who’s unwilling to do the relatively soon—reveals that Kathy and her our own, and functions as an alternate his- traditional book tours; “John Twelve Hawks” school-mates are clones. tory. Perhaps in a few years cloning will be is a pseudonym, and the writer only talks Cloning, long a science fiction staple, has a reality. The primary reason mentioned for to his editors by satellite phone or through gone mainstream. Ishiguro is not concerned cloning today is health—replacing sick cells the Internet. I also hear that a major movie with the science of cloning, nor the implica- with cloned healthy ones. How long before studio has optioned the book. tions on a macro scale. Rather, the clones the state intervenes to set the rules? All of this hype may deter you from buy- and their “normal” minders through school A superbly literate novel in terms of writ- ing and reading The Traveler, or from appear to take for granted that clones are ing, Never Let Me Go left a deep impression eventually pursuing the two sequels already sub-humans who live semi-normal lives until on me. Tread lightly if you pick up this book, planned. Don’t let that happen. With its their mid-twenties, at which point they begin which certainly deserves a wide audience, compelling warnings about the Security a program of “donation” which inevitably but beware, for in the end, this novel may State, its “secret history” point of view, and results in their death after at most four do- rip your heart out.

Page 4 Volume 24, Number 1, 2005 Prometheus

Noble Vision (such as her title); the descriptive passages Destroying Worlds By Gen LaGreca often have exactly the effect, common in By John David Winged Victory Press, 2005, $27.95 Rand’s fiction, of portraying the scenery as if 1st Books Library, 1-4033-7550-X, Reviewed by William H. Stoddard it were an oil painting, or a stage set, slightly November 2002, $14.95 static and sharply visualized; the married Reviewed by Anders Monsen Certain books become the inspiration couple in the romantic triangle have almost for entire literary movements: Tolkien’s The exactly the conflicts and character traits of I received this book in the mail recently, no Lord of the Rings inspired the revival of Hank and Lillian Rearden, including the return address or indication of the sender’s genre fantasy that started in the 1960s, and husband’s perplexed struggle to understand identity. It appears to be a print-on-demand Gibson’s Neuromancer the cyberpunk his wife’s motives; the courtroom scene in book; research indicates that it’s a sequel to movement. In the years when Rand’s Atlas which the heroic doctor is brought to trial Becoming Death, from March 2002. Shrugged was still a relatively recent book, is remarkably close to Rand’s courtroom Set in the far future, with at least three some of her admirers hoped to see fiction by scenes, especially Hank Rearden’s trial scene competing world views (both human and other authors written under its inspiration in Atlas Shrugged. alien) on planetary scale and local societies, in this way. Not very much has appeared in I’m not saying that this novel is a plagia- this novel suffers from a fragmented narrative this line, but Noble Vision seems to be an ristic work—LaGreca went to some trouble and surfeit of characters. There are moments example: Rand’s writing looks to be one of to come up with new specific content—but when a narrative flows begins to assert itself, its inspirations, along with The Phantom that its methods are Ayn Rand’s methods, but the constant short bursts of scenes from of the Opera and soap operatic tales of copied with stunning exactness. In a word, all view points make it difficult to sustain family conflict. it’s a pastiche. Many novelists start out this attention or gain any understanding and Nominally, this is a science fiction novel, way, emulating the writers they like best; the empathy for the various characters. about a doctor who develops a revolution- good ones go on and find their own voices. Certain individualistic ideas show up in ary new technique for restoring lost neural I regret that LaGreca hadn’t done so when the critiques of slavery and views on women, function—and the conflicts that result, in a she wrote Noble Vision. but future novels in this series might need to socialized health care system. But Noble Vi- What’s wrong with writing this way? To focus on a more coherent narrative flow to sion really isn’t about the scientific idea in any start with, it makes it hard to surprise the keep the reader’s attention. meaningful way; LaGreca doesn’t convey the reader; I got more than halfway through details of the neural regeneration process or Noble Vision before I found anything in explore their implications for other aspects of it surprising—and that was an artificial sur- “The Falcon” biology or medicine. The process is more or prise, created by the author not giving the By James P. Hogan less what film critics call a maguffin: an object reader full information. Worse, it suggests Apex Science Fiction & Horror Digest that exists solely to be the focus of conflict in that the author lacks respect for the integrity Volume 1: Issue 2, Summer 2005 a plot. What the plot is really about is social- of her own fictional world. Too many of Reviewed by Max Jahr ized medicine, in a very near future where the events come about, not because of the James P. Hogan’s both high standards of medical care and the inherent logic of the characters and situa- recent novelette, “The invention of new treatments are threatened tions, but because that’s the kind of thing Falcon, ” tells the sto- by politicians, bureaucrats, and the sort of that happened in Rand’s fiction. I don’t feel ries of two women entrepreneurs who are willing to cooperate that the final chapters really resolved any of separated by time, yet with them. That part is science fiction, at the conflicts fully; instead, they found ways with strangely shared least in United States, but a different kind of to minimize them. memories. The first science fiction, focused on social trends rather As I said, this is often a failing of new focuses on Myriam, than science and technology. LaGreca weaves writers. LaGreca has some impulses to who lives in a repressive together three different strands of conflict: originality, and her style is on a higher level statist society. She’s ar- The political conflict over how medicine than the really bad prose I read so much of rested when she refuses should be practiced, the medical conflict over in reviewing small press books for Prometheus; to fire missiles at so- the hero’s new treatment, and the romantic she may have better books in her. I hope her called enemies in a distant town. She has triangle between the hero, his wife, and the next one will be, not a tribute to Rand, but an revised her thinking about the role of the patient he wants to treat, a dancer blinded original LaGreca all the way through. individual and the state; one of Myriam’s by an injury to the optic nerves. hidden books turns out to be Rose Wilder The trouble is that one influence on this Lane’s The Discovery of Freedom. book is overwhelmingly strong—the influ- Moving? The second tale is more diffuse, about ence of Ayn Rand. As I read the first page, a young woman, Vanessa, recovering from I found myself saying, “Yes, this is modeled Please send any changes in your some sort of illness, prone to bad dreams, on Rand”—and the impression grew stron- but with a bright future. Both women feel ger and stronger as I read further, as some mailing address to: somewhat lost in their surroundings, and little examples indicate. David Tuchman is resolved at the conclusion of Hogan’s story. The choice of vocabulary is remarkably 1364 Mapleton Ave Yet the tone conveyed is quite powerful (es- close to Rand’s, especially in the way the pecially the scenes with Myriam), and makes author uses abstract and evaluative phrases Suffield, CT 06078 for an enjoyable work of short fiction.

Page 5 Prometheus Volume 24, Number 1, 2005 Can’t Stop the Signal Serenity five years, the last one was never assured, and deeper memory also surfaces, one that leads Written and Directed by Joss Whedon it showed. Deviate from what network execs them all to a horrific—and in some regards Starring Nathan Fillion, Adam Baldwin, think sell—sex and action—and you’re gone. final—battle after uncovering the terrible Summer Glau, Chiwetel Ejiofor Firefly never really fell into line with the secret that River bears. Universal, September 30, 2005 network, I guess, because while it combined Serenity, as a movie, succeeds on virtually Reviewed by Anders Monsen two known genres, the Western and science every level. Due to the scale, it’s far grander Writer/director Joss Whedon is best fiction, it did so in ways that defied both. than anything the TV screen could offer. You known for his other TV shows, Buffy the The basis for Serenity’s universe is one can hear and feel the ship shake and groan Vampire Slayer, and its spin-off, Angel. I where a strong government (the Alliance) through atmosphere. The light is sharper, confess that I was a fan of neither, and when manages most of the core planets, with the and the depths of colors more vibrant, the Firefly debuted on the small screen in 2002, edges often left to less-civilized people, some sounds and silences more menacing. The I probably contributed to the show’s demise, who just want to be left along, others who actors seem unaffected by the change to the as prejudiced by my disregard of Whedon, ravage space and feast on other humans. bigger medium, and put in strong perfor- I did not watch a single episode. The Fox The crew of the spaceship Serenity includes mances. Newcomer Chiwetel Ejiofor, as the network abruptly cancelled Firefly after less Captain Malcom “Mal” Reynolds (Nathan Operative with no name, lends great depth than a dozen episodes. Fillion), a cynical foe of the Alliance who to the story, contrasting his utter faith in his TV is a poor medium for narrative sf, in inspires great loyalty in his crew; first mate job to Mal’s complete lack of faith. my opinion. Run a series long enough, and Zoë Warren (Gina Torres), tough as nails Whedon blends genres with ease, mix- desperate writers will wring every possible and married to ace pilot, Hoban “Wash” ing in tropes from science fiction, westerns, option and angle out of the show, just to Washburn (Alan Tudyk), seemingly out of horror, siege movies, and others. Showing keep the audience guessing and interested. place among this often violent crew. The main the true face of the Reavers might not have There’s maybe one or two exceptions out violent guy is Jayne Cobb (Adam Baldwin), been possible on TV, yet while the Reavers there, Babylon 5 being the best of these. a mercenary not afraid to challenge Mal’s receive more visual attention in the movie, That show was written predominantly by authority. The ship is held together by a most are glimpses and brief cuts, not long one person (94 out of 110 episodes of the sweet engineer, Kaylee (Jewel Staite), also in enough to gross out viewers. The element five seasons), J. Michael Straczynski, with pre- love with the aloof doctor, Simon Tam (Sean of fear is conveyed mostly off-screen and in determined story arcs and a five-year lifetime. Maher), who also is the brother of River, reactions from the characters. Some critics Yet even Babylon 5 could not escape the and both fugitives from the Alliance. Former might consider the Western a dead genre, other reason TV shows in general fail—life shipmates include Inara (Morena Baccarin), but certain visuals and behaviors from that exists only year to year on TV, and often far a geisha-like companion, and Book (Ron kind of movie work quite well in the context less—and while Babylon 5 lived its planned Glass), a preacher and spiritual guide. of Serenity. Whedon has chosen to focus primarily on This movie is important in many ways. the 17-year old River (Summer Glau), the First, it’s brilliantly filmed science fiction with gifted, psychotic/psychic young girl liberated few gimmicks, born through superb writing from the Alliance scientists by her brother. that contains both humor and heart wrench- As the movie opens we see a recording of ing tragedy. Whedon manages to involve the the rescue scene, setting the stage for the audience, which laughed at times, and ap- Operative, who is tasked with killing River. plauded at the end. The effects do not disap- For, as we learn, River carries a dark secret point, but unlike many other sf movies, they that cannot be exposed. Meanwhile, Mal overwhelm neither the dialog not the plot. At takes River along on a job, perhaps part of heart lies a strong plot, that of uncovering the process of integrating her into the crew. government secrets, and what lies at the heart Inara and Book have left, and the Alliance of this particular secret: the desire for control, presses ever harder around Mal, sending him for “a better world,” as the Operative states, further and further toward the edges of space and the result of such attempted control. At and legality in search of jobs. what cost one asks? Good intentions often During the job with River, the savage result in horrific consequences, and here we and cannibalistic Reavers attack, bringing to see the root of all government, the idea that the fore another story thread. What caused some people think they know what’s best for humans to become Reavers? Were they un- others, and will do anything in their power able to face “vasty” space, or could some to enforce that behavior. calamity be at the root? As the Operative Adam Baldwin, who plays Jayne in the closes in on Mal and the crew of Serenity, series and movie, described in interviews the something triggers River’s latent combat abilities, marking them on security cameras. A —Continued next page

Page 6 Volume 24, Number 1, 2005 Prometheus

—Continued from previous page Serenity: The Comic Books (1-3) usual home base is on Persephone. Story by Joss Whedon and Brett Matthews This second installment concludes with feeling of being able to go back and tell the Script by Brett Matthews images of Serenity amid the hulks and wrecks story on the big screen as “redemption time.” Art by Will Conrad of a vast space battle, quite nicely done since It’s not often a cancelled TV show that lasted Colors by Laura Martin most visualizations of space battles show half a season manages to live again with a Letters by Michae Heisler all the vessels vaporized. Whedon seems to $40 million budget and almost total control Dark Horse Comics, 2005, $2.95 each realize that there is a post-battle reality of for the director. Much like the original Star Reviewed by David Wayland drifting metal and corpses, the latter flash- Trek, the fans of Firefly pushed this movie frozen by the coldness of space. into creation. In creating this show, Whedon A three part comic book venture sub- The big pay-off comes in issue three, has tapped into something beyond himself, titled “Those Left Behind” bridges the gap where the men with blue hands try to board even writing a libertarian character and world between the last episode of Firefly and the Serenity seeking their lost River, while Mal, view positively, which contrasts with his own feature film, Serenity. Fans of either the Zoe, and Jayne (this trio seems to do all the more liberal views. TV series or the movie will enjoy some of heavy work outside the ship) hope to find the In an interview, Joss Whedon relates how the backstory shown in the comic books, and lost treasure, and instead encounter Mal’s the studios initially turned down Ejiofor it’s a neat way to see the familiar crew and vengeful nemesis. And what of Inara? She as the Operative, as the wanted a “bigger universe again. does finally manage to depart the ship, but name.” Universal eventually relented and Issuing a comic book version of events the big shocker showed another member went with the best actor for that role, show- not shown on TV or motion picture allows of the crew declaring the intent to also ing more faith in the director than Fox. With Whedon to explore his ’Verse is a different nary a big name in the entire production, medium, and also temper somewhat the ap- the movie’s focus instead becomes one of petite of the show’s long-suffering fans; the characterization and plot. gimmick of three different covers for each Whedon is a noted master of dialog, of- issue might make collectors and fans shell ten shading several meanings in a phrase or out thrice the cash, but also showcases one statement. When Zoë responds to a question character per cover. about the ship after a particularly hard battle These comic books are slim—thirty-two with the words, “She’s torn up by she’ll fly pages each, although advertising filler chips true,” we know that’s as much about Zoë off ten pages per issue—so the best equivalent as Serenity. The Operative at one point tries would be to view all three as one TV episode. to shame Mal by talking about many inno- Events unfold on a planet where Captain cents dying in a space battle through some Mal Reynolds and crew appear reduced to action by Mal, he tells the Operative, “You robbing a relative impoverished populace. don’t know how true that is.” Mal refers to However, a rival group takes off with the loot, something else, drawing upon a recent truth and the Serenity crew must flee empty-handed he’s just discovered. There are many other and quite upset with Mal, as usual. Inara is gems like this. Good writing tends to die at still trying to get off the ship, but the captain the hands of people who wants snappy one- procrastinates and makes excuses as to why liners or simple clichés, but in this movie the they can’t make her rendezvous quite yet. writing shines. At the close of book one, the men with blue Serenity stands as one of the most hands make their appearance on Whitefall, entertaining, thoughtful, and best written asking to talk to “the man,” and calmly movies in many years. I hope one day we’ll disposing of the guard in a messy manner see more of Serenity’s crew, but if this is the reminiscent of TV’s “Ariel” episode. end of Whedon’s special ‘Verse, well, no The crew meets with Badger in book two leave, worried about the loss of his soul to other movie made a better showing of what to explain the theft of their stolen goods, and Reynold’s casual attitude towards life and it had. Serenity gives no quarter, and pulls look for new work. He brings them a tale of human morals. no punches. treasure from a battle between Alliance and Overall, “Those Left Behind” succeeds Browncoats. Mal must be getting desperate, nicely as a single episode linking Firefly and This review originally appeared in early draft form resorting now to robbery, not just transporting Serenity. When Fox TV (may they burn in on Anders Monsen’s personal blog, http://firebringer. cargo. Meanwhile, the men with blue hands hell) cancelled Firefly, only two certainties blogspot.com. engage in a conversation with “the man”—it stood forth, that Inara declared her intent to appears they don’t just kill everyone they leave the ship, and Alliance pursuit of River meet—who turns out to be a former foe of would intensify. Little new development oc- Wanted: Mal Reynolds, and now lives only to plot the curs in the comic books, but fans of the show A Few Good Reviews death of Mal. Either I missed something, will not be disappointed. My only gripe came or there’s a small discontinuity, as Serenity is from the scant 60 or so pages comprising Email [email protected] spotted overhead at one point on Whitefall, these three volumes. Time passed far too shortly after having met with Badger, whose quickly reading the comic books.

Page 7 Prometheus Volume 24, Number 1, 2005 2005 Prometheus Awards By Fred C. Moulton

The 63rd World Science Fiction Conven- as a contributor with a story in one of the tion was held August 4 through 8, 2005 in anthologies. I read the statement from Mark Glasgow Scotland. The events were held in Tier and James Hogan read the statement the Moat Hotel, the SECC (Scottish Exhibi- from Martin Greenberg. tion and Conference Centre) and the Clyde Fran Van Cleave then announced the next Auditorium. Special Award winner: The Probability The second story of each of the three are Broach: The Graphic Novel written by connected via a enclosed walkway however L. Neil Smith and illustrated by Scott Bieser. walking directly was faster in most cases unless Fran read the statement from L. Neil Smith it was raining. However they were somewhat and I read the statement from Scott Bieser. further from the other hotels and downtown Finally I announced the Hall of Fame Glasgow than many fans expected. award winner A. E. van Vogt for The Weather was somewhat variable; I was Weapon Shops of Isher. I read a state- rained on Wednesday evening when I went to ment from Lydia van Vogt, widow of A. E. pre-registration. That was the first and only van Vogt. Then I adjourned the Prometheus time I walked from my hotel to the SECC. Awards session so that that Sidewise Awards The Moat Hotel next to the SECC was full could begin their session. Function space was and so most attendees stayed in other hotels. at a premium so the Prometheus Awards, Some by choice stayed in the Hilton which the Sidewise and the Golden Duck awards was the evening party hotel. The Hilton also were each given a 30 minute portion of a 90 filled up and I was able to get a room in the minute program slot. For those who do not Holiday Inn near the Hilton. Fred Moulton displays the Prometheus Hall know, the Sidewise awards are for Alternate of Fame Award for A.E. Van Vogt’s novel, The The geography of area and the layout of Weapon Shops of Isher. History SF and the Golden Duck awards are streets and structures meant that walking to for Children’s and Young Adult SF. the Hilton not easy from a lot of the hotels. after the Hugo Awards ceremony the con On Friday evening a small group gathered Thursday evening on two occasions I helped provided buses to transport persons back to for a “libertarians and friends of libertarians someone lost find their hotel. By Friday most the Hilton. However, during the day most get together” for drinks and dinner at the people had the layout figured out. Also on people chose to trade money for time and lobby bar of the Holiday Inn. Several authors Saturday after the Masquerade and Sunday pay the £3.60 for a cab in order to save were invited but none were able to attend due time. The schedule was packed and after to meetings with publishers and agents. the late night parties time became a valued Overall the con went well, there were a commodity. couple of minor glitches but nothing major. The Libertarian Futurist Society’s My friend Kevin Standlee, a fan in the SF Bay Prometheus Awards slot was Friday 3:30 PM Area, was Division Head of Events and did to 4:00 PM in the Moat House Jura Room. a good job with the Masquerade and Hugo Steve Gaalema took photos for us. I began awards ceremony. Both started on time and the meeting by acknowledging the attendance ran on schedule. In fact the rumor is that a of author Elizabeth Moon who was a finalist new time record was set for a modern Hugo for the Prometheus Best Novel award. I then ceremony. This allowed everyone to enjoy announced that Neal Stephenson won the the event without getting tired and then to award for his novel The System of the get to the parties sooner. World. Publishers representative Diana Cheryl Morgan has collected a lot of links Gill was very gracious in thanking us for the to con reports and photos at award and read the acceptance statement http://www.emcit.com/wordpress which Neal Stephenson had sent. Finally, a big Thank You to Steve and Fran Next I announced the Special Award for for helping with the Awards Ceremony, and the anthologies Give Me Liberty and Vi- to Diana Gill and James Hogan for being sions of Liberty edited by Mark Tier and representatives for the award recipients. Martin Greenberg and published by Baen Books. Former Prometheus Award-winner Prometheus Award Best Novel finalist Elizabeth James P. Hogan (The Multiplex Man and Moon at the Prometheus Award Ceremony in Voyage From Yesteryear) spoke, repre- Glasgow, Scotland. senting the publisher Baen Books and also

Page 8 Volume 24, Number 1, 2005 Prometheus

Best Novel Winner The System of the World, Neal Stephenson (William Morrow)

The Libertarian Futurist Society, as you that the award is a golden coin. One of the might expect, has gone against the grain tricks used by counterfeiters in the old days of every other award-giving organization was to make a heads and a tails out of gold in the world by asking winners to deliver foil and then fill the middle with solder. There long acceptance speeches. This places me was a simple way to detect such fakes: put the in a quandary in that I believe that there is coin between your teeth (assuming you still a special circle of hell reserved for people had any) and bite down. Solder, being a soft who do that, especially those who deputize material, would come away with teeth marks. others to read those speeches in their places. Now, if this gold coin had come from any If I were in Glasgow, I wouldn’t want to sit other organization, I’d just put it up on the and listen to a windy speech. I’d want this shelf and admire it, since one should never thing to be over so I could head for the pub. look a gift horse in the mouth, or put a gift Being one-quarter Scottish, I can see a long coin between your teeth. But I know enough line of my MacPhail ancestors glancing at Libertarians to know that they would only their watches, glaring at me, and drawing be irritated by my unquestioning assumption their thumbs across their throats. that this thing was real, and so I would like So I will just say thank you to the Lib- you to know that, with respect, I’m biting ertarian Futurist Society for honoring me down hard on this one. with this award. I would also like to give my Now off to the pub with you. Editor Diana Gill accepts the Prometheus compliments to the other nominees. Given Award for Best Novel on behalf of Neal the subject matter, particularly of the final —Neal Stephenson, author, The System Stephenson for The System of the World. volume in the Baroque Cycle, I am delighted of the World, 28 July 2005

Hall of Fame The Weapon Shops of Isher, A. E. Van Vogt (1951)

“I am happy and honored for this award. I am pleased that the works of A. E. van Vogt are still remembered today. I am so grateful to the Libertarian Futurist Society for honoring The Weapon Shops of Isher.” —Lydia van Vogt

Panelists James P. Hogan, Fran Van Cleave, As of August 25, eight novels have been nominated for the 2006 Best Novel category. and Fred Moulton (left to right).

• Chainfire, by Terry Goodkind (TOR Books) • Reflex, by Stephen Gould (TOR Books) • Noble Vision, by Gen LaGreca (Winged Victory Press) Photo credits. Page 8, top: Fran van Cleave; • The Black Arrow, by Vin Suprynowicz (Mountain Media) bottom: Steve Gaalema. Page 9, top: Fred • Accelerando, by Charles Stross (Ace/Putnam Books) Moulton; bottom: Steve Gaalema. Page 10, Steve Gaalema. Page 11, top: Fran van Cleave, • Infernal, by F. Paul Wilson (Forge Books) bottom: Steve Gaalema/Fran van Cleave. • RebelFire: Out of the Gray Zone, by Claire Wolfe & Aaron Zelman (RebelFirePress) • The Mists of Everness, by John C. Wright (TOR Books)

Page 9 Prometheus Volume 24, Number 1, 2005

Special Award The Probability Broach: The Graphic Novel, L. Neil Smith and Scott Bieser

It’s difficult to express adequately my professionally gloomy, all I have to do is look tated somewhat—the story would not easily delight that the graphic version of my 1980 up at them, in order to convince myself that divide into 24-page segments, so we dropped novel The Probability Broach has won a there is a point to the struggle, after all. the comic-book series and designed the proj- special Prometheus Award of its own. For ect to be a full-size book from the outset. me, it’s a little like having sold the Brooklyn — L. Neil Smith, author, Neil and I created several sample pages Bridge—twice! The Probability Broach: from the story and I shopped the book around I’m very happy that Win Bear and Lucy The Graphic Novel (BigHead Press) to the half-dozen comic publishers I knew of Kropotkin and all their friends (and mortal Fort Collins, Colorado who both produce graphic novels and respect enemies) continue to win allies for the cause August, 2005 creators’ rights. It was a time-intensive and of liberty and libertarianism. The past 25 sometimes daunting process, and I might years have taken them (and me) on many have given up at several points, but Lux’s strange and interesting adventures. I wonder My thanks to the judges who chose to enthusiasm for this project convinced me what lies ahead for all of us now. give us this award, which may be the second that I was on the right track, so I persevered, It’s especially pleasing that the great work Prometheus award for The Probability and got some—interesting—comments, but of my friend and partner, Scott Bieser, is be- Broach but it’s the first for me. There are few no offers. ing recognized in this way. He has a fabulous things in life sweeter than a public “atta-boy” So up comes another libertarian sci-fi fan, knack for taking my words and turning them from such a learned and discerning group as my brother Frank Bieser, who had just re- into the exact images that were in my head, the Libertarian Futurist Society. cently cashed out of the dot-com business, and he has a great gift for words himself that I’d like to acknowledge two more lib- decided this would be a good time to go is rare among graphic artists. I think it’s fair ertarians, besides Neil Smith and myself, into the publishing business, and founded to say that we’re rapidly becoming the Gil- without whom this book would not have BigHead Press. And as a result, our graphic bert and Sullivan (or at least the Martin and been made. novel idea could be made real. Lewis) of the movement. Sadly, there aren’t On a Yahoo mailing list on 2002, it was By the time we set up the arrangements to enough of us to be Marx Brothers. Lux Lucre who first suggested re-writing start the art production, Kerry was working So thank you, Libertarian Futurists, for Neil’s first novel as a comic-book series, which on other projects and did not become part of making my year, and for what amounts to would later be re-published as a trade-paper- the production team. However we did touch a three-and-a-halfth Prometheus Award to back “graphic novel.” Lux is, as some of you base from time to time on the book’s prog- hang on my office wall. Whenever I feel know, the Cyberspace name for the late Kerry ress. I was just a bit past two-thirds through Pearson of the art pages when word of Kerry’s sudden C a n a d a , demise reached me, and I was shocked and who was a saddened along with the many hundreds of passionate other friends he had made in cyberspace. supporter of So Neil and I agreed to put Kerry into both liberty the book, assuming one of the roles from and science- the original prose story. Kerry is the private fiction and security chief aboard the airship San Francisco well known Palace who we meet after the kidnappings, and on, it would I hope he would have liked the rendition. seem, virtu- Frank also appears in the book, as do ally every In- many of my friends and family, as part of tenet forum various crowd scenes. But as he is still, I’m and mailing very happy to say, still among the living, he list dealing seeks his reward in the form of a profitable these topics. publishing company. So I hope everyone who Lux and Neil appreciates my brother’s role in providing and I and quality libertarian science-fiction will show some others it by purchasing copies of The Probability discussed the Broach: The Graphic Novel for their details, and friends as well as themselves. the idea mu- Thank you.

James P. Hogan and Fred Moulton pose with the LFS Hall of Fame Award for — Scott Bieser, artist, A.E. Van Vogt’s novel, The Weapon Makers of Isher. The Probability Broach: The Graphic Novel (BigHead Press)

Page 10 Volume 24, Number 1, 2005 Prometheus

Special Award welcomed would be negligible. Nevertheless, quite some time went by Give Me Liberty & until Marty managed to interest Jim Baen Visions of Liberty, in the project—and even more time went by Edited by Mark Tier and Martin before they were published. Often, I thought H. Greenberg they’d never come out. Visions of Liberty is certainly a book As a libertarian and a science fiction fan it’s that could never have happened without a real honor that the Libertarian Future So- Marty’s involvement. I’m positive that if I ciety has made these Special Awards to Give had approached authors like Lloyd Biggle and . Me Liberty Visions of Liberty and James Hogan—and I’m not sure I’d The idea for these books began in con- have had the chutzpah to approach a Grand versations with a good friend of mine, Dan Master like Jack Williamson—with a request Rosenthal (the title Visions of Liberty they write a story for me it would’ve been was his idea, by the way). We both thought ignored. it would be great to have “hard libertarian” So in addition to thanking the authors, science fiction stories like Vernor Vinge’s who wrote such great stories, and the LFS “The Ungoverned” and Eric Frank Russell’s for deciding they deserved this award, I want “And Then There Were None” collected to especially thank Marty Greenberg and together in one volume. As a longtime friend of Jim Baen, in his associate John Helfers as without their This was around 1990. Back then, there addition to being the contributor of one of involvement and dedication, neither Give were no such anthologies—this was long the stories in Visions of Liberty, I feel Me Liberty and Visions of Liberty would before came out. it doubly appropriate to be here on Baen Free Space ever have seen the light of day. I gathered together some of the stories Books’ behalf. The theme of this collection, that finally appeared in . societies free from government restraint on Give Me Liberty — Mark Tier, co-editor, But I had no real idea about how to go about the creative powers of individual initiative, Visions of Liberty and Give Me Liberty getting it published. seems particularly timely. Then one day I had the idea of contacting In my own story, “The Colonizing of Martin Greenberg whose name I knew of Mark (Tier) deserves the credit here—he Tharle,” two administrative departments on course from the anthologies of his that I had brought the idea to me, and he supported and Earth each think that the other is responsible on my shelves. I knew from Asimov’s biogra- worked hard on both books. I should also like for a colony established at a distant star, with phy that he lived in Green Bay, Wisconsin. So to thank the LFS for this recognition, and the result that there is no contact with it for I phoned information, got a phone number, of course, the writers that we reprinted and over a hundred years. It doesn’t strike anyone talked to him and proposed the idea. those who wrote such wonderful stories for as significant that nobody from the colony has He seemed to think it was a good one us from scratch. troubled to inform Earth of the fact. When which really tickled me pink. I guess I more the error is discovered, a diplomatic mission or less expected that if some total stranger — Martin H. Greenberg, co-editor, is hastily dispatched to rectify things. phones you out of the blue with an off-the- Visions of Liberty and Give Me Liberty Attempts to contact the governing author- wall idea, the chances of having the idea (Baen Books) ity get nowhere because there doesn’t seem to be one. And the natives have evolved their own notions of economics. To their way of thinking, the system that rules Earth—where everyone tries to grab as much as they can get, and give in return as little as they can get away with—simply can’t work. So how do they do it? To them, only one way is pos- sible. They way they are taught is, “Always give a little more than you promised; take a little less.” I am delighted to accept this award in recognition of such stories. Their mes- sage is surely relevant to realizing the kind of world we would all like to see one day. Thank you. — James P. Hogan

James P. Hogan reads a statement from Martin Greenberg, co-editor of Special Award-winning anthologies, Give Me Liberty and Visions of Liberty, with co-presenter Fran Van Cleave.

Page 11 Prometheus Volume 24, Number 1, 2005

—History of SF, continued from page 1 New Wave was both a stylistic revolt and a Wave eventually failed just as completely as political one. the Futurians had. Its writers were already which science was not at the center, and the The New Wave’s inventors (notably running out of steam in 1977 when Star transformative change motivating the story Michael Moorcock, J.G. Ballard and Brian Wars (rather obviously patterned on Ed- was not technological but political or social. Aldiss) were British socialists and Marxists mond Hamilton’s The Star Kings from Much of their output was sharply satirical in who rejected individualism, linear exposition, 1949) took the imagery of pre-Campbellian tone, and tended to de-emphasize individual happy endings, scientific rigor and the U.S.’s space opera to the mainstream culture. The heroism. The Futurian masterpiece was the cultural hegemony over the SF field in one half-decade following (my college years, as it Frederik Pohl/Cyril Kornbluth collaboration fell swoop. The New Wave’s later American happened) was a period of drift and confu- The Space Merchants. exponents were strongly associated with the sion only ended by the publication of David The Futurian revolt was political as well New Left and opposition to the Vietnam War, Brin’s Startide Rising in 1982. as aesthetic. Not until the mid-1990s did the leading to some rancorous public disputes Brin, and his colleagues in the group that participants admit that many of the key Fu- in which politics was tangled together with came to be known as the “Killer Bs” (Greg turians had histories as ideological Commu- definitional questions about the nature of Bear and Gregory Benford), reasserted the nists or fellow travellers. As with later revolts SF and the direction of the field. primacy of hard SF done in the grand Camp- against the Campbellian tradition, part of the But the New Wave, after 1965, was not bellian manner. Campbell himself had died motivation was a desire to escape the “con- so easily dismissed or assimilated as the in 1971 right at the high-water mark of the servative” politics that went with it. While Futurians had been. Amidst a great deal of New Wave, but Heinlein and Anderson and the Futurians’ work was well understood at self-indulgent crap and drug-fueled psych- the other surviving luminaries of the Camp- the time to be a poke at the consumer bellian era had no trouble recognizing capitalism and smugness of the postwar their inheritors. To everyone’s surprise, years, only in retrospect is it clear how While the Futurians’ work was well the New Old Wave proved to be not just much they owed to the Frankfurt school artistically successful but commercially of Marxist critical theory. understood at the time to be a poke popular as well, with its writers becom- But the Futurian revolt was half- at the consumer capitalism and ing the first new stars of the post-1980 hearted, semi-covert, and easily absorbed smugness of the postwar years, only boom in SF publishing. by the Campbellian mainstream of the in retrospect is it clear how much Before getting back to the Killer Bs SF field; by the mid-1960s, sociological they owed to the Frankfurt school and their Campbellian revival, I need extrapolation had become a standard to point out an important bit of back- part of the toolkit even for the old-school of Marxist critical theory. ground. Besides helping spawn the New Golden Agers, and it never challenged Wave, the Vietnam War broke open a the centrality of hard SF. The Futurians’ long-standing fissure in the right wing of Marxist underpinnings lay buried and undis- odelizing, there shone a few jewels — Phillp American politics. One kind of right-winger cussed for forty years after the fact. José Farmer’s Riders of the Purple Wage, was the cultural conservative, frequently Perception of Campbellian SF as a “right- some of Harlan Ellison’s work, Brian Aldiss’s with both religious and militarist beliefs. wing” phenomenon lingered, however, and Hothouse stories, and Langdon Jones’s The The other kind was the “classical-liberal” or helped motivate the next revolt in the mid- Great Clock stand out as examples. small-government conservative. These two 1960s, around the time I started reading As with the Futurians, the larger SF field very different tendencies had been forced into the stuff. The field was in bad shape then, rapidly absorbed some New Wave techniques alliance in both the U.S. and Great Britain by though I lacked the perspective to see so and concerns. Notably, the New Wavers broke the rise of the socialist Left after 1910. at the time. The death of the pulp-zines in the SF taboo on writing about sex in any but The aftermath of Barry Goldwater’s failed the 1950s had pretty much killed off the SF the most cryptically coded ways, a stricture presidential campaign in 1964 had strained short-fiction market, and the post-Star-Wars previously so rigid that only Heinlein himself the alliance between these factions almost boom that would make SF the second most had the stature to really break it, in his 1961 to the breaking point. The Vietnam War successful genre after romance fiction was Stranger In A Strange Land—a book that broke it, at least for some. A mixed group still a decade in the future. helped shape the hippie counterculture of of dissident classical liberals and anti-war The early Golden Agers were hitting the the later 1960s. radicals formed the Libertarian Party in thirty-year mark in their writing careers, and But the New Wave also exacerbated 1971, repudiating both the right’s cultural although some would find a second wind in long-standing critical arguments about the conservatism and the left’s redistributionist later decades many were beginning to get definition and scope of science fiction, and statism. a bit stale. Heinlein reached his peak as a briefly threatened to displace hard SF from This is worth noticing in a history of writer with 1967’s The Moon Is A Harsh the center of the field. Brian Aldiss’s 1969 SF because the platform of the Libertarian Mistress and, plagued by health problems, dismissal of space exploration as “an old- Party read like a reinvented, radicalized and began a long decline. fashioned diversion conducted with infertile intellectualized form of the implicit politics These objective problems combined with, phallic symbols” was typical New Wave of Campbellian hard SF. This was not a or perhaps led to, an insurgency within the rhetoric, and looked like it might have some coincidence; many of the founding libertar- field—the “New Wave”, an attempt to import legs at the time. ians were science-fiction fans. They drew the techniques and imagery of literary fiction As a politico-cultural revolt against the into SF. As with that of the Futurians, the American vision of SF, however, the New —Continued next page

Page 12 Volume 24, Number 1, 2005 Prometheus

—Continued from previous page ambitions as Mikhail Gorbachev realized that Cyberpunk themes (virtual reality, pervasive the Soviet Union could not match the U.S.’s computing, cyborging and biosculpture, inspiration not merely from the polemical raise in the geopolitical poker game. The corporate feudalism) had been anticipated in political science fiction of Ayn Rand (The Berlin Wall fell three years later; science fic- earlier works like Vernor Vinge’s 1978 hard- Fountainhead, 1943; Atlas Shrugged, tion saved the world. Somewhere, Campbell SF classic True Names, and even further 1957), but from the whole canon of Camp- and Heinlein were probably smiling. back in The Space Merchants. Cyber- bellian SF. Heinlein’s personal evolution from Gold- punk imagery (decayed urban landscapes, Something rather similar had hap- buzzcuts, chrome and black leather) pened in the late 19th century, when quickly became a cliche replicated in various now-forgotten works of utopian dozens of computer games. fiction had helped shape the thinking of Something rather similar had hap- Neal Stephenson wrote a satirical finis early Socialists. But this time the con- pened in the late 19th century, when to the cyberpunk genre in 1992’s Snow nection was more two-way and intimate; various now-forgotten works of Crash, which (with Bruce Sterling’s novels like Heinlein’s The Moon Is utopian fiction had helped shape Schismatrix and Walter Jon Williams’s A Harsh Mistress, H. Beam Piper’s the thinking of early Socialists. But Hardwired) was very close to being the Lone Star Planet, and Poul Anderson’s only work to meet the standard set by No Truce With Kings (among many this time the connection was more Neuromancer. While most cyberpunk others) came to be seen retrospectively two-way and intimate; novels like took for granted a background in which as proto-libertarian arguments not just Heinlein’s The Moon Is A Harsh capitalism had decayed into an oppres- by their readers but by the authors of Mistress, H. Beam Piper’s Lone sive corporate feudalism under which the novels themselves. Star Planet, and Poul Anderson’s most individuals could be nothing but The new hard SF of the 1980s No Truce With Kings alienated and powerless, the future of returned to Golden Age themes and …came to be Snow Crash was a tellingly libertar- images, if not quite with the linear sim- seen retrospectively as proto-liber- ian one. The bedrock individualism plicity of Golden Age technique. It also tarian arguments not just by their of classical SF reasserted itself with a reverted to the anti-political/individual- readers but by the authors of the smartass grin. ist values traditional in the field. This novels themselves. By the time cyberpunk fizzled out, time around, with explicit libertarianism most fans had been enjoying the hard- a feature of the political landscape, the SF renaissance for a decade; the New split between order-worshiping conserva- Wave was long gone, and cyberpunk tism and the individualist impulse was more water conservative to anti-statist radical both had attracted more notice outside the SF field explicit. At one extreme, some SF (such as that led and reflected larger trends. By the time than within it. The leaders of SF’s tiny in- of L. Neil Smith) assumed the character of the Soviet Union collapsed, depictions of house critical establishment, however (figures radical libertarian propaganda. At the other explicitly anarcho-libertarian future societies like Samuel Delany and David Hartwell), extreme, a subgenre of SF that could fairly had begun to filter into non-political SF works remained fascinated by New Wave relics be described as conservative/militarist power like Vernor Vinge’s Realtime sequence and like Thomas Disch and Philip K. Dick, or fantasies emerged, notably in the writing of Joe Haldeman’s Buying Time. Haldeman’s anti-Campbellian fringe figures like Suzette Jerry Pournelle and David Drake. Conch Republic and Novysibirsk were all Hadin Elgin and Octavia Butler. Tension between these groups sometimes the more convincing for not being subjects While this was going on, the readers voted flared into public animosity. Both laid claims of polemic. with their Hugo ballots largely for writers to Robert Heinlein’s legacy. Heinlein himself Cyberpunk was the third failed revolution that were squarely within the Campbellian (increasingly erratic as a writer but still the against Campbellian SF. William Gibson, tradition—Golden Age survivors, the killer Grand Old Man of the field, immensely who is generally credited with launching this Bs, and newer writers like Lois McMaster respected by fans and even more by other subgenre in his 1984 novel Neuromancer, Bujold and Greg Egan (whose 1997 work authors) maintained friendly relationships was not a political writer. But Bruce Sterling, Diaspora may just be the single most auda- with conservatives but described himself a who promoted Gibson and became the chief cious and brilliant hard-SF novel in the entire libertarian for more than a decade before ideologue of anti-Campbellianism in the history of the field). his death in 1988. late 1980s, called it “the Movement” in a In 1994, critical thinking within the SF Symbolically, Heinlein was the first among self-conscious reference to the heady era of field belatedly caught up with reality. Credit equals in a study commission of SF authors 1960s student radicalism. The cyberpunks for this goes to David Hartwell and Kathryn formed by Ronald Reagan to consider the positioned themselves particularly against Cramer, whose analysis in the anthology The feasibility of an anti-ballistic missile defense. the carnographic conservative military SF of Ascent of Wonder finally acknowledged Commission member Gregory Benford later David Drake, Jerry Pournelle, and lower-rent what should have been obvious all along. described President Reagan as “a science imitators—not exactly a hard target. Hard SF is the vital heart of the field, the fiction fan”, and the vision that emerged as Despite such posturing, the cyberpunks radiant core from which ideas and prototype the Strategic Defense Initiative was startlingly were neither as stylistically innovative nor as worlds diffuse outwards to be appropriated SFnal. Reagan’s threat to build SDI at the politically challenging as the New Wave had by writers of lesser world-building skill but Reykjavik summit with Gorbachev in 1986 been. Gibson’s prose has aptly been described triggered the collapse of Soviet strategic as Raymond Chandler in mirror-shades. —Continued on page 14

Page 13 Prometheus Volume 24, Number 1, 2005

—History of SF, continued from page 13 get one from being like the prototype to like they identify libertarianism as a right-wing the instance in question. Some traits are phenomenon. This is an error characteristic perhaps greater stylistic and literary sophis- important and tend to be conserved across of left-leaning thinkers, who tend to assume tication. While there are other modes of SF the entire radial category (strong flavor that anything not “left” is “right” and that that have their place, they remain essentially including sweetness) while some are only approving of free markets somehow implies derivations of or reactions against hard SF, weakly bound (color). social conservatism. and cannot even be properly understood In most radial categories, it is possible to Is the “Radical Hard SF” program pos- without reference to its tropes, conventions, point out members that are counterexamples sible? Partly this is a matter of definition. I and imagery. to any single intensional (“logical”) definition, have already argued that the SF genre cannot Furthermore, Gregory Benford’s essay in but traits that are common to most of the core be culturally conservative; by nature it must The Ascent of Wonder on the meaning of prototypes nevertheless tend to be strongly be prepared to contemplate radical change. SF offered a characterization of the genre bound. Thus, “coconut” is a counterexample So either the partisans of “Radical Hard SF” which may well prove final. He located the to the strongly-bound trait that fruits have are just terminally confused, pushing against core of SF in the experience of “sense of soft skins, but it is sorted as “fruit” because an open door, or what they really object to is wonder”, not merely as a thalamic thrill but (like the prototype members) it has an easily- hard SF’s libertarian connection. as the affirmation that the universe has a chewable interior with a sweet flavor. It’s worth asking, then: is the intimate knowable order that is discoverable through SF is a radial category in which the pro- historical relationship between libertarian reason and science. totypes are certain classics of hard SF. This political thought and SF a mere accident, I think I can go further than Hartwell is true whether you are mapping individual or is there an intrinsic connection? And not or Kramer or Benford in defining the re- works by affinity or subgenres like space worth asking merely as a question about lationship between hard SF and the rest of opera, technology-of-magic story, utopian/ politics, either; we’ll understand SF and its the field. To do this, I need to introduce the dystopian extrapolation, etc. So in discussing history better if we know the answer. concept linguist George Lakoff calls “radial the traits of SF as a whole, the relevant ques- I think I know what John Campbell’s category”, one that is not defined by any tion is not “which traits are universal” but answer would be, if he had not died the year one logical predicate, but by a central pro- “which traits are strongly bound”—or, almost that the founders of libertarianism broke totype and a set of permissible or customary equivalently, “what are the shared traits of with conservatism. I know what Robert variations. As a simple example, in English most of the core (hard-SF) prototypes”. Heinlein’s was. They’re the same as mine, a the category “fruit” does not correspond to The strong binding between hard SF and resounding yes—that there is a connection, any uniformity of structure that a botanist libertarian politics continues to be a fact of and that the connection is indeed deep and could recognize. Rather, the category has a life in the field. It it is telling that the only intrinsic. But cultural history is littered with prototype “apple”, and things are recognized form of politically-inspired award presented the corpses of zealots who attempted to yoke as fruits to the extent that they are either (a) annually at the World Science Fiction Con- art to ideology with shallow arguments, only like an apple, or (b) like something that has vention is the Libertarian Futurist Society’s to be exposed as fools when the art became already been sorted into the “like an apple” “Prometheus”. There is no socialist, liberal, obsolescent before the ideology or (more category. moderate, conservative or fascist equivalent often) vice-versa. Radial categories have central members of the class of libertarian SF writers includ- In the remainder of this essay I will never- (“apple”, “pear”, “orange”) whose mem- ing L. Neil Smith, F. Paul Wilson, Brad theless attempt to prove this point. My argu- bership is certain, and peripheral members Linaweaver, or J. Neil Schulman; their books, ment will center around the implications of a (“coconut”, “avocado”) whose membership even when they are shrill and indifferently- concept best known from First Amendment is tenuous. Membership is graded by the dis- written polemical tracts, actually sell—and law: the “marketplace of ideas”. I am going tance from the central prototype — roughly, sell astonishingly well—to SF fans. to argue specifically from the characteristics the number of traits that have to mutate to Of course, there are people in the SF field of hard SF, the prototypes of the radial who find this deeply uncomfortable. Since the category of SF. I’ll use this argument to try centrality of hard SF has become inescapable, to illuminate the central values of SF as a Classified resistance now takes the form of attempts literature, and to explain the large histori- to divorce hard SF from libertarianism—to cal pattern of failed revolutions against the preserve the methods and conceptual appara- Campbellian model. tus of hard SF while repudiating its political Science fiction, as a literature, embraces The (Libertarian) Con- aura. Hartwell & Kramer’s 2002 followup to the possibility of radical transformations of nection, open-forum since The Ascent of Wonder, The Hard SF the human condition brought about through 1968. Subscribers may in- Renaissance, takes up this argument in its knowledge. Technological immortality, star sert four pages/issue free, introduction and explanatory notes. drives, cyborging—characteristic SFnal unedited. Factsheet Five The Hard SF Renaissance presents tropes such as these are situated within a said, “Lively interchange itself as a dialogue between old-school knowable universe, one in which scientific of point, counterpoint and Campbellian hard SF and an attempt to inquiry is both the precondition and the prin- comments”. Eight/year, construct a “Radical Hard SF” that is not cipal instrument of creating new futures. $20. Strauss, 10 Hill #22- in thrall to right-wing tendencies. It is clear SF is, broadly, optimistic about these fu- LP, Newark NJ 07102. that the editors’ sympathies lie with the “Radicals”, not least from the very fact that —Continued next page

Page 14 Volume 24, Number 1, 2005 Prometheus

—History of SF, continued from previous tions that best support scientific inquiry and ence as a permanent revolution, as the final permit it to result in transformative changes to and most inexorable foe of all fixed power tures. This is so for the simple reason that SF both individuals and societies. Also, of social relationships everywhere. is fiction bought with peoples’ entertainment equilibria which allow individuals the greatest Earlier, I cited the following traits of SF’s budgets and people, in general, prefer happy scope for choice, for satisfying that lust for libertarian tradition: ornery and insistant endings to sad ones. But even when SF is possibilities. And it is is here that we begin to individualism, veneration of the competent not optimistic, its dystopias and cautionary get the first hints that the strongly-bound traits man, instinctive distrust of coercive social tales tend to affirm the power of reasoned of SF imply a political stanc —because not engineering and a rock-ribbed objectivism choices made in a knowable universe; they all political conditions are equally favorable that values knowing how things work and tell us that it is not through chance or the to scientific inquiry and the changes it may treats all political ideologizing with suspicion. whim of angry gods that we fail, but through bring. Nor to individual choice. All should now be readily explicable. These our failure to be intelligent, our failure to The power to suppress free inquiry, to limit are the traits that mark the enemies of the use the power of reason and science and the choices and thwart the disruptive creativ- enemies of the future. engineering prudently. ity of individuals, is the power to strangle the The partisans of “Radical Hard SF”, like At bottom, the central assumption of SF bright transcendant futures of optimistic SF. those of the earlier failed revolutions, are is that applied science is our best hope of Tyrants, static societies, and power elites fear thus victims of a category error, an inability transcending the major tragedies and minor change above all else—their natural tendency to see beyond their own political maps. By irritants to which we are all heir. Even when is to suppress science, or seek to distort it for jamming SF’s native libertarianism into a scientists and engineers are not the visible ideological ends (as, for example, Stalin did box labeled “right wing” or “conservative” heroes of the story, they are the invisible with Lysenkoism). In the narratives at the they doom themselves to misunderstanding heroes that make the story notionally possible center of SF, political power is the natural the deepest imperatives of the genre. in the first place, the creators of possibility, enemy of the future. By understanding these imperatives, on the people who liberate the future to become SF fans and writers have always instinc- the other hand, we can explain the series of a different place than the present. tively understood this. Thus the genre’s long failed revolutions against the Campellian SF both satisfies and stimulates a sort of celebration of individualist anti-politics; thus model that is the largest pattern in the his- lust for possibility compounded of simple its fondness for voluntarism and markets over tory of modern SF. We can also predict two escapism and a complex intellectual delight state action, and for storylines in which (as important things about the future of the SF in anticipating the future. SF readers and in Heinlein’s archetypal The Man Who genre itself. writers want to believe that the future not Sold The Moon) scientific breakthrough One: people whose basic political philoso- only can be different but can be different in and free-enterprise economics blend into a phy is flatly incompatible with libertarianism many, many weird and wonderful ways, all seamless whole. These stances are not his- will continue to find the SF mainstream an un- of which are worth exploring. torical accidents, they are structural impera- comfortable place to be. Therefore, sporadic All the traits (embrace of radical trans- tives that follow from the lust for possibility. ideological revolts against the Campbellian formation, optimism, applied science as Ideological fashions come and go, and the model of SF will continue, probably about our best hope, the lust for possibilities) are field inevitably rediscovers itself afterwards the established rate of one per decade. The weakly characteristic of SF in general — but as a literature of freedom. Futurians, the New Wave, the cyberpunks, they are powerfully characteristic of hard This analysis should put permanently to and “Radical Hard SF” were not the end of SF. Strongly bound, in the terminology of rest the notion that hard SF is a conservative that story, because the larger political ques- radial categories. literature in any sense. It is, in fact, deeply tions that motivated those insurrections are Therefore, hard SF has a bias towards and fundamentally radical—the literature not yet resolved. valuing the human traits and social condi- that celebrates not merely science but sci- Two: all these revolts will fail in pretty much the same way. The genre will absorb or routinize their literary features and discard their political agendas. And SF will continue to puzzle observers who mistake its anti-po- litical DNA for conservatism while missing its underlying radicalism.

Eric S. Raymond is the author of The Ca- thedral and the Bazaar and the present maintainer of the “Jargon File” (also known as “The New Hacker’s Dictionary”). After 1997 he became a leading figure in the open source move- ment. Raymond is an avowed libertarian. He is known to have a strong interest in science fiction, firearms, is an enthusiastic amateur musician, and has a black belt in taekwondo. This essay is reprinted with permission from the author.

Page 15 Prometheus Volume 24, Number 1, 2005

rewarding task of reading 10-15 new books LFS literature/flyers at every such event, LFS News in time to choose the finalists each spring. participating in panel discussions that offer By Chris Hibbert The Hall of Fame committee reviews clas- opportunities to add an LFS perspective sic works. New members may have a bit and informally talking up the LFS at social David Tuchman, who has been handling of work to catch up on all the classics that events. our Membership duties for a few years, has most of the other committee members have The Assistant Director also backs up the been elected to our Board of Directors, to already read. The Special Award committee Director, where possible, and informally replace Bruce Sommer. Our other Directors doesn’t receive nominations every year. This serves as a “director-in-training” position. whose terms expired (Michael Grossberg and past year was its all-time high, with three (Although Fran Van Cleave, our former Fred Moulton) were reelected to new terms. nominations. Assistant Director, has now moved up to We added Rick Triplett as the chair of the Both the Special Award committee and Director, there is no automatic move up, of Special Awards Committee, and Fran Van the Hall of Fame could use more members course, without board approval.) Cleave moved up from Assistant Director to this year. New members can join the com- This past year, we created a mailing list (on Director. As of press time, we were still look- mittee at any point. If you are interested, let yahoo groups) to allow members to discuss ing for an Assistant Director. It would also be me or the respective committee chairs know. nominees and finalists for our awards. If you nice to add assistants for the Treasurer, and Rick Triplett ([email protected]) chairs the are a member, and would like to join the the Publicity committee. If you are interested Special Awards Committee, and Lynn Man- discussion (which is hottest after the finalists in helping with any of these positions, please ers ([email protected]) is in charge of are announced in the spring), please let me contact me ([email protected]), and the Hall of Fame committee. know at LFS-discuss-subscribe@yahoogroups. let me know how you’d like to contribute. The LFS Director and Assistant Director com. Access to the list is only available to We have three committees that review are two of the most important public faces members of the LFS, so I have to approve works nominated for each of our prizes each of our organization. For these two positions, your subscription. year. The Best Novel committee is limited to we’re looking for veteran LFS members and ten members, and when there is a waiting solid libertarians who are interested in pro- list, we prioritize it by membership level. moting and representing the LFS at public Historically, the members of this committee gatherings, especially sf and libertarian have received review copies of the nominees conventions. from the publishers. In return, they have the This outreach could include distributing

The Newsletter of the Libertarian Futurist Society 501 Abiso Ave San Antonio, TX 78209

Page 16 Page 12