Brum Group News The Monthly Newsletter of the BIRMINGHAM SCIENCE FICTION GROUP AUGUST 2020 Issue 587 Honorary President: CHRISTOPHER PRIEST

Committee: Carol Goodwin (Chair); Pat Brown (Treasurer); Dave Corby (secretary); Theresa Derwin (Publicity Officer); Carol Goodwin (Newsletter Editor); Ian Morley (Membership Secretary); Novacon 50 Chair: Alice Lawson & Tony Berry website: Email: www.birminghamsfgroup.org.uk/ [email protected] Facebook: : www.facebook.com/groups/BirminghamSFGroup/ @BirminghamSF

BSFG Meetings cancelled

Editorial: I hope everyone is still staying safe and well. I’m sure I’m not the only one who did not imagine how wide-ranging and long- lasting this disruption was going to be. Unfortunately, it still seems unsafe for us to hold meetings in person. I’m certain I’m not the only one who would love to meet up more with people but is also still very cautious and wary. I’m still not going far afield, and apart from a few garden meet-ups have only seen my husband and son in person for months. I was wondering how other people’s lives have changed and what they have found to occupy their time or to replace their normal activities. For example, I now use the telephone far less and use WhatsApp or Zoom for talking to people as it feels more of a connection than the voice-only aspect of telephoning. Perhaps it might be something that people could write about – eg are you reading more or less or differently? Have you found something you really like or recommend? Has anyone started a new project or activity – it doesn’t necessarily need to be SFF, just something you think we might like to hear about.

As we are unable to run meetings, I do think it’s important and helpful to try and keep up some form of contact. I’ve really appreciated those who have contributed over the last few months in particular. I certainly hope they and others continue to do so. They do make the newsletter and social media more varied and interesting. Keeping in contact doesn’t mean only via the newsletter (though personally I appreciate that) and doesn’t need to be long – it can also be an email or posting something on social media. Have a think and hope to hear from some of you soon. CG

The Full Glass Bushell by Bob Shaw This may be of interest to some members. Dave Langford has put together a collection of non-fiction articles by Bob Shaw, titled THE FULL GLASS BUSHEL. It is available as a free download at https://taff.org.uk/ebooks.php?x=Bushel although a donation to TAFF would be much appreciated. Also, if anyone who enjoys it wants to write a review, then I’m sure this would be welcomed by Dave. CG

HUGO AWARDS 2020 The 2019 Hugo Award winners were announced on August 1st. The ceremony was held online at Worldcon 77 (CoNZealand).

Best Novel: A MEMORY CALLED EMPIRE by Arkady Martine (Tor) Best Novella: THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE THE TIME WAR by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone (Jo Fletcher Books) Best Novelette: "Emergency Skin" by N K Jemisin (Forward Collection (Amazon)) Best Short Story: “As the Last I May Know” by S L Huang (Tor.com 23/10/19) Best Series: The Expanse by James S A Corey (Orbit)

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Best Related Work: “2019 John W Campbell Award Acceptance Speech” by Jeannette Ng (at Dublin 2019 – An Irish Worldcon) Best Graphic Story: LaGuardia written by Nnedi Okorafor, art by Tana Ford, colours by James Devlin (Dark Horse) Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form): Good Omens Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form): "The Answer" from The Good Place. Best Professional Editor - Short Form: Ellen Datlow Best Professional Editor - Long Form: Navah Wolfe Best Professional Artist: John Picacio Best Semiprozine: Uncanny Magazine Best Fanzine: The Book Smugglers editors Ana Grilo & Thea James Best Fancast: Our Opinions Are Correct presented by Annalee Newitz & Charlie Jane Anders Best Fan Writer: Bogi Takács Best Fan Artist: Elise Matthesen Astounding Award for Best New Writer (not a Hugo): R F Kuang Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book (not a Hugo): CATFISHING ON CATNET by Naomi Kritzer (Tor Teen)

THE 1945 RETRO HUGO AWARDS The winners of the 1945 Retro Hugo Awards (for works published in 1944) were also announced at Worldcon 78. These were:

Best Novel: SHADOW OVER MARS (The Nemesis from Terra) by Leigh Brackett (Startling Stories, Autumn 1944) Best Novella: KILLDOZER! by Theodore Sturgeon (Astounding Science-Fiction, November 1944) Best Novelette: "City" by Clifford D Simak (Astounding Science- Fiction, May 1944) Best Short Story: "I, Rocket" by Ray Bradbury (Amazing Stories (May 1944) Best Series: The Cthulhu Mythos by H P Lovecraft, August Derleth and Others Best Related Work: “The Science-Fiction Field” by Leigh Brackett (Writer’s Digest, July 1944) 3

Best Graphic Story or Comic: “Superman: The Mysterious Mr Mxyztplk” by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster (Detective Comics Inc) Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form) - Tied: THE CANTERVILLE GHOST, screenplay by Edwin Blum, from a story by Oscar Wilde (MGM) THE CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE written by DeWitt Bodeen (RJO Radio Pictures) Best Editor - Short Form: John W Campbell Best Professional Artist: Margaret Brundage Best Fanzine: Voice of the Imagi-Nation edited by Forrest J Ackerman & Myrtle R Douglas Best Fan Writer: Fritz Leiber

WORLD FANTASY AWARDS SHORTLIST The shortlists for the World Fantasy Awards have been published. The nominees for Best Novel are given below. Full details at https://tinyurl.com/yyoqbfjg:

QUEEN OF THE CONQUERED by Kacen Callender (Orbit US) THE TEN THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY by Alix E Harrow (Orbit UK) THE RAVEN TOWER by Ann Leckie (Orbit UK) GIDEON THE NINTH by Tamsyn Muir (Tor.com Publishing) THE MEMORY POLICE by Yoko Ogawa (Harvill Secker)

FORTHCOMING EVENTS All details are correct to the best of our knowledge, we advise contacting organizers before travelling. Any information about forthcoming SF/Fantasy/Horror events is always welcome – please send to Carol at [email protected]

EVENT HORIZON, Online, 10th August. Jane Yolen, Jo Walton, Rachel Plummer, Ada Palmer Reunion. Readings/Chat with live audience Q&A. On Zoom/YouTube. Free tickets from www.shorelineofinfinity.com

BRENT WEEKS & JOE ABERCROMBIE, 11th August. Fantasy authors in conversation with live Q&A. 8pm. Free. Register at ow.ly/zimC50AKvE3 4

THE ART OF REMOTE OBSERVING, 19th August. Online lecture. Hosted by Go Space Watch. Astronomer Pete Williamson talks about how to gain access to telescopes/observatories across the world. 7:30 – 9:30 pm. £3. www.facebook.com/events/309606006891420/

EVENT HORIZON, Online, 20th August. “Literary RPG’s” With Taran Matharu, Jay Boyce, Russell Jones, Jonathan Smidt. On Zoom/YouTube. Free tickets from www.shorelineofinfinity.com

SUPER RELAXED FANTASY CLUB, Online. Showing videos of author interviews, readings etc daily at midday. At www..com/channel/UCH8uMELmpiOVLik40s8y5vA/

LONDON FIRST THURSDAY SFF GROUP, Online. Virtual first Thursday. Details at https://medium.com/@BohemianCoast/first-thursday- london-sf-fan-virtual-drinks-5232021e961f

ORBIT LIVE, Online. Various events at www.orbitbooks.net/

NEWS IN BRIEF .... Character actor Maurice Roëves has died. Although not a lead actor, his face will be familiar to many SFF fans. He appeared in many SFF productions; he was in Doomwatch, Dr Who (“The Caves of Androzani”) and as a Romulan in Star Trek Next Generation. He was also in SFF films such as OUTLAND and JUDGE DREDD …. StokerconUK (which has been re-scheduled twice due to Coronavirus), a horror convention has been re-named Chillercon (with an accompanying website change). The 2021 Stokercon has reverted to the US and so Chillercon will no longer host the Bram Stoker Awards or the Ann Radcliffe Academic Conference …. A CoNZealand Fringe programme, “a project of many genre fiction fan communities” (non- affiliated to the WorldCon) was broadcast free on YouTube over the WorldCon weekend. It featured SFF authors, other creators and 5 fans eg Gareth Powell, Jeannette Ng, Mike Carey etc. The broadcast times were at “European-Friendly” times and outside of core CoNZealand programming hours. The various panels are still available to watch at www.conzealandfringe.com/. CG

CONZEALAND (WORLDCON) NEWS The first “virtual” WorldCon, CoNZealand took place on the 1st weekend in August. The saving on travel and hotel expenses, and of access issues was popular and it appears that some form of digital access will be popular when conventions resume “in person” …. CoNZealand was criticised before it began for not offering programming or panel opportunities to many of its finalists (especially POC) and also providing contradictory information about membership requirements. An Open letter signed by many of those affected was sent (http://file770.com/group-sends-letter-of-concern-to- conzealand-programming/ ) …. There were also complaints about the lack of New Zealand content, especially any presence at the Hugo Awards ceremony …. Chicago was voted in as the site of the 2022 Worldcon. It received 517 of 587 votes. It was opposed by Jeddicon, a bid from Saudi Arabia. A group of SF professionals and fans had written an open letter opposing the Saudi bid, given its human rights record and that it would be unsafe for many people to attend because of their gender, sexuality, nationality or religious beliefs”. The Saudi bid has announced that they intend to re-apply for 2026. There is also disquiet in some quarters that Chengdu (in China) is applying for 2023, given the current problems with and China’s treatment of Uighur Muslims. As things stand, the only mechanism to stop a bid is if they do not meet the “minimum technical requirements” regarding a suitable venue and finances …. There was controversy about the Retro Hugos (with awards going to controversial figures such as Campbell and Lovecraft …. Finally, there was massive uproar over the Hugo Awards ceremony, in particular the bad and unprofessional behaviour of the Toastmaster, George R R Martin. His comments offended many, being seen as misogynistic, racist and transphobic. He was openly disrespectful to many of the nominees including mis-pronouncing many names, 6 despite everyone having been provided in advance with pronunciation guidance; he spent a very long time talking about John Campbell, who is widely viewed as fascist and racist, which was wholly inappropriate given the diversity of the finalists and audience; the ceremony over-ran, taking 3 ½ hours rather than the scheduled 2 hours, most of the excess being due to Mr Martin. There are also questions why this was allowed to happen, given that all segments were pre-recorded, and it is not clear whether the Convention didn’t ask for a re-recording or whether one was refused. CG

FORTHCOMING BOOKS (NB Prices given are Recommended Retail Price and may be available at cheaper prices). At the moment, given the situation, many publishers are changing the release dates on new books to later in the year. The publication dates given below are correct to the best of my knowledge, but may change at short notice.

TALES FROM THE FOLLY by Ben Aaronovitch / Jabberwocky / 139 pgs / £4.31 ebook only / ASIN B08BW6LCPH / 31st July. Collection of short stories from Rivers of London series.

NOUMENON ULTRA (Noumenon 3) by Marina J Lostetter / HarperVoyager / 576 pgs / £13.28 paperback / ISBN 978-0062895721 /

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August 18th. SF. An AI and the descendants of a generation ship must decipher the mystery of an alien-created planet.

A SONG FOR A NEW DAY by Sarah Pinsker / Head of Zeus / 384 pgs / £18.99 hardback / ISBN 978-1800243835 / August 20th. SF. Nebula Award-winning novel about life in a permanently locked down world following a pandemic.

THE CRUEL STARS (Cruel Stars 1) by John Birmingham / Head of Zeus / 544 pgs / £18.99 hardback / ISBN 978-1789545913 / August 20th. SF. When the hostile, alien Sturm return, five flawed survivors of the first war band together to rout their old foes.

WORLD ENGINES: CREATOR (World Engines 2) by Stephen Baxter / Gollancz / 560 pgs / £14.99 paperback / ISBN 978- 1473223233 / August 20th. SF. Trapped on an alternate Earth, a combined crew of crash-landed Russians, Britons and “strays” from the future work together to escape.

THE HOUSE OF STYX (Venus Ascendant 1) by Derek Künsken / Solaris / 331 pgs / £5.03 ebook (print copies delayed till 2021 due to pandemic) / August 20th. SF. The families of la colonie live on floating “trawlers” in the acid clouds of Venus. Now there is a wind on the surface that shouldn’t exist which promises riches to those clever enough to survive the inhospitable surface.

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THE DOORS OF EDEN by Adrian Tchaikovsky / Tor / 608 pgs / £18.99 hardback / ISBN 978-1509865888 / August 20th. SF. Cracks are opening between parallel Earths and revealing strange creatures, some of whom must work together to preserve the whole multiverse.

THE 2084 REPORT by James Lawrence Powell / Hodder & Stoughton / 240 pgs / £16.99 hardback / ISBN 978-1529311860 / September 1st. SF. In 2084, a historian documents the irreparable damage climate change has wrought over the course of his life.

THE GREEN MAN’S SILENCE (Green Man 3) by Juliet McKenna / Wizard’s Tower Press / £4.99 ebook only / ASIN: B08F2X3QQN / September 2nd. Dryad’s son, Daniel tries to avert disaster from conflict between local supernaturals and humans.

GRAVE SECRETS (Lavington Windsor Mysteries 1) by Alice James / Rebellion / 300 pgs / £8.99 paperback / ISBN 978-1781088616 / September 3rd. Toni Windsor is an ordinary estate agent, except for her ability to raise the dead and her vampire boyfriend!

AFTERLAND by Lauren Beukes / Michael Joseph / 464 pgs / £16.99 hardback / ISBN 978-0718182809 / September 3rd. SF. Three years after a virus wiped out 99% of the men on Earth, a mother and her son are on the run.

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FEARLESS by Allen Stroud / Flame Tree Press / 368 pgs / £20 hardback / ISBN 978-1787585423 / September 8th. SF. In 2118 AD, Captain Shann and her search and rescue spaceship pick up a distress call from a solar system supply freighter. CG

 B O O K R E V I E W S  (REVIEWERS please note: - all reviews should be emailed direct to me at [email protected] Deadline for each issue is 14 days prior to the date of the monthly meeting) COMET WEATHER by Liz Williams NewCon Press / 302 pgs / £12.99 paperback / ISBN 978- 1912950461. Reviewed by Pauline Morgan. With so much available that is worth reading it is not surprising that some potential readers shy away from genres that they may have encountered in their childhood especially when told “You don’t want to read that it's ... SF/Fantasy/Romance/Literary (delete as applicable)’. Without trying something you cannot know whether it is to your taste. This applies equally to books as well as food. Mention fantasy to most readers and they think either of the swords and sorcery type of mediaeval world, or more recently the urban setting peopled with vampires and werewolves. Often forgotten is that fantasy enters our childhoods in the form of myths, legends and fairy-tales. In COMET WEATHER the four Fallow sisters have always accepted that what others would regard as fantasy is part of their lives. The house they grew up in lies in the shadow of Glastonbury Tor and they have often glimpsed women wandering through it and the grounds bearing plants and jewels. They know them as spirits of 10 the Behenian stars (these are significant alchemical symbols). They accept the supernatural as ordinary. The sisters, all with different fathers, have different personalities, something that comes through clearly in the narrative. The eldest, Bee, still lives in the family home. She likes lists, is well organised and her lover is Ned Dark, the ghost of a seaman who sailed with Drake. Stella is a DJ, doing gigs around the world and is impetuous. Serena has a daughter and is a fashion designer. Her boyfriend, Ben plays in band and is the son of a family friend. The youngest, Luna, is travelling with Sam along routes frequented from times before Romany came to the shores of Britain. A year ago, their mother, Alys, disappeared. No-one knows where or why she went. The sisters are drawn back home by a series of portents, the biggest one being the imminent arrival of a comet that last approached thousands of years ago. Also arriving is Nell, a cousin from America and an author. They may try to hide the more bizarre happenings from her but is likely she is more aware of them than they believe. Mixed up in events are siblings Tam and Dana Stare. Tam claims to be a friend of Ben’s family: Dana is currently and deliberately causing a split between Ben and Serena. Caro Amberly is a neighbour and Alys Fallow’s best friend. She and Bee are organising an Apple Day around the time the comet is due. As all the family will be present, they are all roped in to take part in the celebrations. With the approach of the conjunction of Earth’s orbit and the comet, the sisters experience increasing mystical experiences. They are aware they need to find Alys and bring her home and avert the influence of the comet. They are unsure of the role the Stares will play but they all agree that it is likely to be malign. Names in a novel are vitally important. If the name doesn’t match the character it strikes a false note. Here, the names of the sisters perfectly fit their personalities. The story is (mostly) told from the view-points of the four. Each (named) chapter is neatly told, not a word is wasted and each moves the plot and understanding on further. This book is delightful. It is a fantasy that veers away from the expected but uses myth to great effect. Read and enjoy. PM (Review copy kindly donated by NewCon Press) 11

LOVE BITES by Ry Herman Jo Fletcher Books / 384 pgs / £9.99 paperback / ISBN 978- 1529406307 Reviewed by Carol Goodwin LOVE BITES is a debut novel and is promoted as “A laugh-out-loud feel- good queer romance with a paranormal twist”. Chloe and Angela are both trying to build new lives after leaving behind their toxic previous relationships, and feeling hopeless and unhappy. Neither one is looking for a new love but when they meet in a night club, there is a spark and they discover something in common. As their tentative and initially awkward relationship begins to progress, both begin to rebuild their confidence. But Angela has a big secret which threatens the relationship – she is a vampire and the ramifications of that is a not insignificant obstacle to their happiness. I took a little while to get into this book. I think my problem was that from the blurb I expected a fluffy rom-com vibe but at the start the tone didn’t match that at all. Both of the main protagonists start as unhappy and depressed which made for harder reading than the light-hearted tone of my expectations. However, I persevered and the book did improve. The female vampire who “preys” on other women is an old one, and both the character and the author recognise this and are trying to avoid the clichés and write/have a genuine romance. The style is pleasant and easy to read and the plot holds together well. I found the most interesting character was Chloe’s Aunt Esther, who is a long-lived, outrageous, tarot-reading, genuine witch and is great fun. She turns up unexpectedly on Chloe’s doorstep at the beginning of the book, moves in uninvited, and proceeds to chivvy Chloe into going out and into a more positive outlook. 12

The other main characters I found far less convincing. There is Chloe’s flatmate, Ari who preaches on street corners but may also be a guardian angel. He seemed to me to serve little purpose until one conversation near the end; Shelley, who is Chloe’s boss and co- incidentally Angela’s landlord and who I found irritatingly over- confident; Finally, there is Tess, Angela’s vampire ex-lover (and sire) who serves as the example of ‘bad’ vampire compared to Angela. She is not only a murderer but more interestingly, she is shown as an emotional vampire, callously grooming and manipulating her victims and probably was the most nuanced character to me. There is also a werewolf thrown in to the story who didn’t seem to add anything much other than to establish their species’ existence in this setting. While I enjoyed the book by the end, I found the humorous elements less convincing and while sometimes I smiled, it didn’t strike me as laugh-out-loud. Recognising that humour is quite subjective, for me I think it at times distracted and interfered with the flow of the main story and personally didn’t add much. The book comes to a narratively satisfying conclusion and as far as I’m aware is a stand-alone though there are plenty of threads and possibilities for sequels. As a first novel, while flawed, it should be applauded as daring to go a bit deeper than many urban fantasies into some difficult issues. It tackles matters such as abusive relationships, depression and consent in an interesting way and these for me were the stronger elements that often jarred with the at other times light-hearted tone. If you want something different from standard urban fantasy, then this is definitely worth trying and I think the author has the potential to become better as they gain experience and confidence in their own voice. (Review copy kindly donated by Angry Robot)

RED NOISE by John P Murphy Angry Robot / 400 pgs / £9.99 paperback / ISBN 978-0857668479 Reviewed by Carol Goodwin Science fiction has a long history of using tropes from Westerns (ie cowboy stories) including many space operas. Gene Rodenberry described the original Star Trek series as a space Western (“Wagon 13

Train to the stars”). Other examples that come to mind are Westworld, Firefly and latterly the Disney Star Wars TV series, The Mandalorian. RED NOISE is also clearly based on Westerns and readers/watchers of both will recognise many of the tropes. A solitary asteroid miner, with a mysterious past, arrives at a small trading outpost to offload the ores they have harvested. Two rival gangs run the meagre and shabby amenities including the bar/hotel and the casino. An uneasy truce is maintained by a corrupt and outnumbered law enforcement team. When the miner is fleeced on the price for her ore, she is left without enough money to buy the fuel and supplies she needs to leave. The corrupt law enforcement chief refuses to intervene, so she decides to take action herself and plays the two gangs off against each other, whilst making money at the same time. Essentially, the setup will be recognisable to anyone who has seen the spaghetti western, A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS. RED NOISE is an enjoyable piece of hokum – readable and entertaining though not especially profound. Jane is revealed (to the reader at least) as being ex-Intelligence Corps, so as well as experience in destabilising groups, she also has bio-modifications which increase her strength and resistance to pain. Her machinations as she baits and deceives the opposing factions are quite entertaining at first, though as the body count rose, I found the somewhat casual disposal of gang members a little harder to take. That being said, it is not much different to what you would see in any cowboy or war film so I may be being over-sensitive. Later in the book, Jane does seem to develop some conscience and tries to rein back the gangs but they now have their own momentum.

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The plot works well and moves along at a good pace, alternating between action and slower scenes. There are also some unexpected twists and setbacks which make the story more interesting and also add an element of doubt about what the final outcome might be. There has clearly been thought given to the motivations of characters and the way their previous interactions with each other impact on their current responses. However, none of the characters are very multi-layered or sympathetic (perhaps deliberately) and thus as a reader I didn’t feel a great deal of emotional investment in their fates. Given the many cross-over/mashups there have been between Westerns/SF, I think there will be a proportion of SF readers who will enjoy this book. It’s competent though not particularly deep or intended as any sort of metaphor or commentary. That being said it “does what it says on the tin” and is engaging enough that I did not struggle to keep reading it. CG (Review copy kindly donated by Angry Robot)

CONVENTIONS and EXHIBITIONS EDGE-LIT 9, moved to 7th – 8th November, Derby. Literary SF/Fantasy festival. Speakers to be confirmed. Tickets £50 at www.derbyquad.co.uk/whats-on/events/edge-lit-9 OPEN FOR NOW

STOKERCON UK (Now Renamed as CHILLERCON), 28th – 31st January 2021, Scarborough. International Horror Convention. Guests of Honour Mike Carey, Kim Newman, Grady Hendrix etc. At the Grand/Royal Hotels, Scarborough. £115 Non-HWA Members. https://chillercon-uk.com

SATELLITE 7, moved to 19th – 21st February 2021, Glasgow. Guest of Honour Aliette de Bodard, Margaret Walty. At Crowne Plaza, Glasgow. Membership £70. https://seven.satellitex.org.uk

CONFUSION (EASTERCON), 9th – 11th April 2021, Birmingham. Guests of Honour Dan Abnett, Nik Vincent, Dave Lally. At the Hilton NEC. Membership £70. Registration now open at www.confusion2021.uk

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BRISTOLCON, 3Oth October 2021, Bristol. Guests of Honour Adrian Tchaikovsky and Anna Smith Spark. Doubletree Hotel. £20. Details at www.bristolcon.org POSTPONED

NOVACON 50, November 2021, Nottingham. Guests of Honour: tbc. Mercure Nottingham Sherwood Hotel. Details at www.novacon.org.uk

FUTURE MEETINGS OF THE BSFG ALL MEETINGS CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

BRUM GROUP NEWS #587 (August 2020) copyright 2020 for Birmingham SF Group. Articles, artwork and photographs must not be reproduced in whole or part without the consent of the editor and/or the respective authors. This issue produced by Carol Goodwin ([email protected]). Thanks to all the named contributors.

ABOUT US... The Birmingham Science Fiction Group meets on the second Friday of each month. Membership is £25 per year per person (or £35 for two members living at the same address). This includes the 12 free issues of the Newsletter plus reduced entrance fee at each meeting. Details of how to join/pay can be obtained at a meeting or by email to [email protected]

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