April 1998 Issue 319 BRUM GROUP NEWS Price: FREE___ Price: FREE

The monthly newsletter of the Birmingham Science Fiction Group (Honorary Presidents: Brian W Aldiss and Harry Harrison) Group Chairman - Tony Morton, Secretary - Anne Woodford, Treasurer- Alan Woodford, Publicity Officer- Rog Peyton, Newsletter Editor and Novacon 28 Chairman - Martin Tudor, Novacon 29 Chairman - Carol Morton.______

EGM Friday 3rd April! 998, 7.30pm for 7.45pm, in interviewed the Board Room of Friday 17th April Bennetts, Bennetts 1998, 7.30pm for Hill, Birmingham. 7.45pm, in the Board The Board Room is on the ground floor, left as you enter the bar from Room of Bennetts, Bennetts Hill, just past the Library. Food will be served until 7.30pm. Bennetts Hill, Admittance: FREE Birmingham. The EGM will be followed by Admittance: Members £3.00 an informal meeting where (£2.00 Unwaged), Non-Members members will have the £4.00 (£3.00 Unwaged). opportunity to meet the Unwaged discounts are at the current North American discretion of the Committee and TransAtlantic Fan Fund wiii depend on satisfactory proof of status being produced. winner - Ulrika O’Brien. *VB: the third Friday of the month.) (*VB: the first Friday o f the month.)

COMING SOON: , 8th May, Britannia Hotel.

The BSFG meets from 7pm in the Board Room of Bennetts on Bennetts Hill (off New Street), Birmingham city centre on the second Friday of each month (unless otherwise notified). The annual subscription rates (which include 12 copies of this newsletter and reduced price entry to formal meetings) are £15.00 per person, or £20.00 for 2 members at the same address. Cheques etc. should be made payable to 'The Birmingham Science Fiction Group" and sent to: Alan Woodford, The Treasurer, 81 Harrold Road, Rowley Regis, Warley, West Midlands, B65 ORL, (e-mail enquiries via: bsfg@bortas. demon.co.uk). Book reviews, review copies and other contributions and enquiries regarding the Brum Group News to: Martin Tudor, Newsletter Editor, 24 Ravensboirne Grove, Willenhall, West Midlands, WV13 1 HX (e-mail to [email protected]). The Newsletter of the Birmingham Science Fiction Group \

This Month’s Guest: in paperback for £5.99. (Thanks to Clute and Grant’s THE Tom Holt ENCYCLOPEDIA OF and Orbit's Press release for the above.) Thomas Charles Louis Holt was bom in 1961 and his first book, POEMS BY TOM HOLT, was published when Colophon he was just thirteen and followed several years later by two novels The contents of this issue are (LUCIA IN WARTIME, 1985, and copyright 1998 the BSFG, on behalf LUCIA TRIUMPHANT, 1986) o f the contributors, to whom all rights continuing the stories told in the E F revert on publication. Personal Benson “Lucia” novels. He then opinions expressed in this publication produced two historical novels set in do not necessarily reflect those of the Ancient Greece (GOATSONG, 1989, committee or the membership of the and THE WALLED ORCHARD, BSFG. Text by Martin Tudor except 1990), now available in one edition where stated otherwise. from Warner called THE WALLED This issue was printed on the ORCHARD before writing his first CRITICAL WAVE photocopier. For comic fantasy novel, EXPECTING details o f WAVE's competitive prices SOMEONE TALLER (1987). contact Martin Tudor at the editorial This was followed by: WHO’S address on the cover. AFRAID OF BEOWULF (1988), Many thanks to: ALAN & FLYING DUTCH (1991), YE GODS! ANNE WOODFORD for producing (1992), OVERTIME (1993), HERE the address labels; the reviewers for COMES THE SUN (1993), their book reviews; thanks also to GRAILBLAZERS (1994), FAUST WHAT'S ON, the Andromeda AMONG EQUALS (1994), ODDS catalogue, the BBC and the EXPRESS AND GODS (1995), DJINN & STAR for the news in the Jophan RUMMY (1995), PAINT YOUR Report and Events Listing. DRAGON and OPEN SESAME. He has also collaborated with Steve Nallon on I, MARGARET the Forthcoming Events (unauthorised) autobiography of (whoever she was). WISH YOU WERE HERE, his Until 18 April 1998: THE NEW thirteenth comic fantasy novel, has just ROCKY HORROR SHOW, the been published by Orbit in hardback 25th anniversary production, at the priced £15.99. His twelfth, OPEN Birmingham Rep. Tickets £12.00 and SESAME, is now available from Orbit £17.00 call 0121 236 4455.

BRUM GROUP NEWS #319 2 April 1998 The Newsletter of the Birmingham Science Fiction Group

2 April 1998: URI GELLER will be and/or further details call 0121 643 reading from his new novel, ELLA, 1999. from 7pm at Waterstones, 24-26 High Street, Birmingham. Tickets are free 8 May 1998: ROBERT call 0121 633 4353 for further details. HOLDSTOCK will speak to the Group on the publication of GATE 3 April 1998: An Extraordinary OF IVORY (Voyager, £16.99), from General Meeting of the BSFG to 7.45pm in the Board Room at formally accept last year’s accounts, Bennetts, Bennetts Hill, at 7.45pm. Followed by an informal Birmingham city centre (just off meeting where you will have an New Street). opportunity of meeting this year’s North American TAFF winner 9 May 1998: IAIN BANKS & KEN Ulrika O’Brien. From 7.30pm in MACLEOD will be talking at the the Board Room at Bennetts, Library Theatre, Central Library, Bennetts Hill, Birmingham city Birmingham. Tickets available from 1 centre (just off New Street). Please May. Call Roger Peyton on 0121 643 note that TOM HOLT will be 1999 for further details. addressing the Group on the 17th JUNE 1998: ANNE McCAFFREY April instead. and RAYMOND E FEIST will be doing signing sessions at Andromeda, 10-13 April 1998: INTUITION, the 2-5 Suffolk Street. For confirmation 49th British National Convention, and/or further details call 0121 643 Jarvis Piccadilly and Britannia hotels, 1999. Manchester. GoHs: Ian McDonald, 21-24 August 1998: THE WRAP Martin Tudor, Connie Willis. Attend­ PARTY to celebrate the conclusion of ing £30.00, supporting £15.00, to: BABYLON 5, the Radisson Intuition, 1 Waverley Way, Carshalton Edwardian Hotel, Heathrow, London. Beeches, Surrey, SM5 3LQ. Confirmed guests include: J Michael Straczynski, Harlan Ellison, Dr Jack 17 April 1998: TOM HOLT will be Cohen, John Ridgeway, Bryan Talbot, interviewed from 7.45pm in the Adam “Mojo” Lebowitz, John Board Room at Bennetts, Bennetts Matthews. Attending £65.00 Hill, Birmingham city centre (just (instalment scheme available), to The off New Street). Wrap Party, PO Box 505, Reading, RG1 7QZ. MAY 1998: IAIN BANKS and 11-13 SEPTEMBER 1998: TERRY PRATCHETT will be doing FANTASYCON 22, the convention signing sessions at Andromeda, 2-5 of the British Fantasy Society. At the Suffolk Street. For confirmation Albany Hotel, Birmingham, Guest of

BRUM GROUP NEWS #319 3 April 1998 The Newsletter of the Birmingham Science Fiction Group

Honour Freda Warrington, with more NEWS when replying to listings or guests to be announced. Contact: c/o advertisements. BFS, 2 Harwood Street, Stockport, I f you know o f any events which SK4 1JJ. (This is a temporary contact you think may be of interest to address pending the organiser’s house members o f the BSFG please send move.) details to the Editor (e-mail martin@empties. demon, co. uk). 13-15 November 1998: Novacon 28, If you have attended any events at the Britannia Hotel, New Street, or seen any films or videos that you Birmingham. Guest of Honour would like to recommend to other Paul J McAuley. Attending members (or warn them about) please membership costs £28.00, rising feel free to write a report or review after Easter 1998. Contact: Carol and send it to the editorial address. Morton, 14 Park Street, Lye, Stour­ bridge, DY9 8SS. The Jophan Report #114 2-5 April 1999: RECONVENE, 50th National British Convention, by Martin Tudor Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool. GoHs: Peter S Beagle, John Clute, Jeff Noon. From the 8th May meetings of the Attending £25.00 to Reconvene, 3 BSFG will be held on the second West Shrubbery, Redland, Bristol, Friday of each month in a function BS6 6SZ. room on the second floor of the 27 December 1999 - 2 January Britannia Hotel on New Street - venue 2000: MILLENNIUM. Venue to be for this year’s Novacon. announced, but definitely in Northern Europe (probably a BeNeLux country As Easter approaches Cadbury World or UK), £3.00 (flO.OO) per year, to be has opened two new attractions: deducted from eventual membership visitors to the Centre can now see the fee. Contact: Malcolm Reid, 186 original Aardman chocolate lookalike Casewick Road, West Norwood, sets from the sponsorship credits on London, SE27 0SZ. CORONATION STREET and, of more interest to the true media sf fan, Although details are correct to visit PLANET ASTRO, the little the best of our knowledge, we advise planet of biscuit and chocolate in a readers to contact organisers prior to crispy shell, inhabited by blue-skinned travelling. Always enclose a stamped, aliens. Once you’ve arrived on the self-addressed envelope when writing planet you can interact with the aliens, to any of the above contact addresses. distort your voice to communicate with Please mention the BRUM GROUP them and log onto the Astro web site -

BRUM GROUP NEWS #319 4 April 1998 The Newsletter of the Birmingham Science Fiction Group but don’t stay too long as these little Groom Lake: an airbase so secret that planets are “so delicious they’re the dry lake for which it is named doomed”. Call 0121 451 4159 for appears on no maps and even to speak details. the name is forbidden. Consequently, it has been known through the years British experts are producing a Mars by various other designations, ride for a US space museum using real including “Area 51 ”, a name enshrined NASA data to recreate the landscape in the lore of UFO mystique. of the planet. Visitors will be able to However, despite being subtitled “The use a state of the art simulator to “fly” Secret History of Area 51”, this book a mission over mountains and through is not just about UFOs. Rather, it is Martian valleys and ravines and about secret projects, the development encounter a red dust storm. of advanced aircraft, National Security The computer generated and, above all, about the people who Martian terrain has been created by obsessively devote their lives to animation experts from Bournemouth penetrating the veil of secrecy to find University for the ride’s builders out and publicise what is really Camber Entertainment from Crawley, happening. Surrey. It will be the star attraction at In reporting their studies and the US Astronaut Hall of Fame near investigations, Patton has a great deal the Kennedy Space Centre. to say about supposed UFO sightings, but he does not come down definitely The EXPRESS & STAR reports that on one side or the other of the debate. DR WHO fan, Mike Owen, has taken Rather, he mostly lets the facts speak out a £1,800 bank loan to buy his own for themselves, allowing the reader to Dalek. They ask where he borrowed provide his own interpretation. When the money from and suggest “Time he himself turns to interpretation I felt Lloyds”? Ouch. him inclined to be somewhat pretentious. Nevertheless, I was impressed by a couple of pages near Book Reviews the middle of the book where he explains the various stages in the development of UFOlogy in terms of TRAVELS IN DREAMLAND by the changing obsessions of the Phil Patton, Orion, 264pp, hb, American psyche. Referring to the £16.99, Star Rating: **** secret bases such as Area 51, he Reviewed by Michael Jones. describes how the area kept secret becomes a blank to be filled with In the Nevada Desert, north-east anything those on the outside may of the area used for nuclear testing, is choose to imagine. Then, when

BRUM GROUP NEWS #319 5 April 1998 The Newsletter of the Birmingham Science Fiction Group secrets are finally revealed they can Have you ever wondered why, often be seen as misdirection aimed at when Rome fell and the legions concealing the true nature of what still abandoned Britain, we also abandoned lies concealed: eventually, no one can the marvels of Roman civilisation, like be sure whether they have seen a central heating and hot baths to grub secret aircraft disguised as a UFO or a around in mud walled huts? In UFO disguised as a secret aircraft. A McDevitt’s future, the same kind of further example: in one of the last thing happens but a reason is given. chapters, after suggesting that the Plague wipes out most of the world’s latest stealth aircraft are only tested at population and centuries later, only night to hide the fact that they may be traces remain of our civilisation. The invisible in daylight it is pointed out greatest clue to the past are the roads. that if nobody can see anything it is Legends have sprung up from the time not because there is nothing to be seen of the Roadmakers about the - there is something there, but it must repository of books collected after the be invisible. plague in a place called Haven. Karik Leaving aside the question of Endine returned alone from an whether to agree or disagree with any expedition to find Haven. Everyone particular interpretation of the UFO thought he had failed until his death question, this is not an easy book to when Chaka Milana receives a volume read in that it lacks a coherent of Mark Twain’s A CONNECTICUT narrative thread, jumping about YANKEE AT THE COURT OF confusingly from place to place, from KING ARTHUR as a bequest. As her time to time and from person to brother died on the Endine’s person. It would have benefited from expedition she decides to follow the some judicious editing to make it more trail, to find Haven and perhaps, what accessible as well as more thorough happened to her brother. She, and an proof-reading to correct the occasional ill-assorted group, travel northwards grammatical errors and spelling from the Mississippi valley towards mistakes. Nevertheless, there is some the remains of Chicago and Detroit. fascinating information in these pages The route is meticulously and 1 finished them feeling wiser and planned and easy to follow on any more knowledgeable than when I reasonable map of the United States. began. What more can one ask? The events and artefacts they find seem very plausible even after the ETERNITY ROAD by Jack passage of more than 700 years. The McDevitt pace is good and if it lacks anything it Voyager, £5.99, 338pp, is depth of characterisation. This is a Reviewed by Pauline Morgan. good read.

BRUM GROUP NEWS #319 6 April 1998 The Newsletter of the Birmingham Science Fiction Group

GERRY ANDERSON THE same time he parted from his wife and AUTHORISED BIOGRAPHY by co-worker Sylvia. After a bad spell he Simon Archer & Stan Nicholls, came back again and the book ends on Legend, 228pp, £7.99, a hopeful note with him in his late Reviewed by Michael Jones. sixties, still working hard and looking Star Rating: *** forward with a big-budget feature film of THUNDERBIRDS. In 1957 a little tv production The story is all in these pages, company called Polytechnic Films but it is the story of the tv programmes went into liquidation and two of its rather than the story of their creator. It ex-employees decided to set up then- is indeed a useful book for any fan own company. The first job they got who might want to know for example was a children’s puppet programme why SUPERCAR gave way to called THE ADVENTURES OF STINGRAY or how TWIZZLE and it was from that THUNDERBIRDS came to be the inauspicious beginning that Gerry way it was, but little is revealed of the Anderson - for he was one of the two - man himself launched the career which would ***** eventually bring to the tv screen the The "Star Ratings” are: series for which he will always be * = Utter dross. remembered: THUNDERBIRDS. ** - Not totally unbearable. This book has for the most part *** _ Worth risking it. been compiled from taped interviews **** = Pretty damn good. with Anderson, supported here and ***** B U Y IT ! there by comments from others who have known and worked with him over the years. This makes it readable and Also Received informative, without any pretence to being a work of great literature: not TRACES by Stephen Baxter that it is any the worse for that. After (Voyager, £16.99, 359pp); WISH beginning with some family YOU WERE HERE by Tom Holt background and a brief sketch of how (Orbit, £15.99, 252pp); COSM by Anderson got his start in the film Greg Benford (Orbit, £10.00, 372pp); business, it tells the story of how he OPEN SESAME by Tom Holt (Orbit, developed puppetry into something £5.99, 312pp); INDEPENDENCE completely new before moving on to DAY: SILENT ZONE by Stephen the live-action format of UFO and Molstad (Voyager, £5.99, 268pp); SPACE 1999. Then, disaster: the end SWORD OF BEDWAR by R A of his association with ATV left him Salvatore (Voyager, £5.99, 247pp). broke and out of work and at about the

BRUM GROUP NEWS #319 7 April 1998 The Newsletter o f the Birmingham Science Fiction Group

DYSFUNCTION by Peter F Hamilton The Rules (3/97); THE SANDMAN BOOK OF DREAMS ed Neil Gaiman & Ed Please remember that reviews Kramer (4/97); MILLENNIUM ed o f books should reach Martin Tudor Douglas E Winter (6/97); THE at 24 Ravensbourne Grove, Willen- DISCWORLD COMPANION by hall, UYl 3 1HX ( or by e-mail at Terry Pratchett & Stephen Brigg martin@empties. demon, co. uk), within (6/97); BABYLON 5: TO DREAM IN ONE MONTH o f your taking the THE CITY OF THE SORROWS by book. Kathryn M Drennan (7/97); THE All contributions are preferred FIFTH SACRED THING by Starhawk on 3.5 inch disks in Works, Word, (9/97); THE PA V ILIO N OF RTF or Text format. FROZEN WOMEN by S P Somtow (9/97); WALKING TO MERCURY Please note that in future no by Starhawk (10/97); JOVAH’S one who owes THREE or more ANGEL by Sharon Shinn (10/97); reviews will be allowed to have 3001: THE FINAL ODYSSEY by further review copies and no more Arthur C Clarke (11/97). than three review copies may be Adrian Middleton: ALIEN: taken at one time. RESURRECTION by A C Crispin (11/97); SERVANT OF THE BONES by Anne Rice (11/97). The List of Shame Carol Morton: SORCERIES ed. Katherine Kerr (2/97); RAGE OF A DEMON KING by Raymond E Feist A number of people still owe reviews, (3/97); SORCERERS OF MAJIPOOR please ensure that these, along with by Robert Silverberg (3/97); THE reviews o f books picked up at the last SEER KING by Chris Bunch (10/97); two meetings are mailed to Martin JACK FAUST by Tudor by this month's meeting. The (10/97); MAGISTER by Jonathan following list includes the name of the Wylie (12/97). •person, the title and author o f the Yvonne Rowse: THE STONE book and in brackets the month when CANAL by Ken MacLeod (9/97). the book was picked up for review: George Ternent c/o Dave Cox: Robert Jones: TIMESCAPE by MILLENNIUM: THE UNOFFICIAL Gregory Benford (2/97). COMPANION, VOLUME 2 by N E Steve Jones & Friends: THE RUINS Gense (1/98). OF AMBRAI by Melanie Rawn (3/97); MAGNIFICAT by Julian May (3/97). THE REALITY

BRUM GROUP NEWS #319 8 April 1998