Science Fiction/San Francisco Issue 137 Editor-in-Chief: Jean Martin January 30, 2013 Managing Editor: Christopher Erickson email: [email protected] Editor: España Sheriff Compositor: Tom Becker Contents Editorial ......................................................................................Jean Martin............................. ........................................................................................ 2 Upcoming Year of Geekitude ....................................................Christopher Erickson.............. ........................................................................................ 6 The Fur From Outer Space....................................................... Christopher Erickson.............. Photos by Christopher Erickson................................... 10 HMS Pinafore: The Next Generation ......................................Tom Becker ............................Photos by Tom Becker .................................................16 The Books of the Raksura by Martha Wells ...........................Tom Becker .................................................................................................................. 22 Letters of Comment ...................................................................Jean Martin............................. ...................................................................................... 25 BASFA Meetings 1169-74 ..........................................................BASFA ......................................................................................................................... 28 Bay Area Fannish Calendar ......................................................España Sheriff ........................Photo by Lucy Huntzinger ...........................................34 Art Credits Cover A secret wilderness by Lucy Huntzinger Page 5 Leliel by Peter Mohrbacher Science Fiction/San Francisco is the monthly news zine for the San Francisco Bay Area. All issues can be found at www.efanzines.com. Except as noted, all articles and photos are copyright 2013 by the original creators. Used with permission. SF/SF #136! 1!February 2013 Editorial By Jean Martin Editor-in-Chief First of all, happy new year to everyone! 2012 was the best will miss her for both these reasons. I’m very happy for her as of times and the worst of times for me, and it seems like with she’s planning on moving to the UK to be with her boyfriend. lots of people. At least according to most Facebook posts I Ah, I wish Chris and I can move to the UK too! But then, we read around the end of the year. Most people were glad to see love the Bay Area and our jobs, friends and activities are all the year end and were looking forward to a better 2013. here. And part of the reason I enjoy doing SF/SF is reporting For me, last year was great due to my wedding and on all the amazing things that happen in our corner of the honeymoon. And I promise, next issue will have my fannish world. travelogue from my and Chris’s honeymoon tour of the UK. So Chris has stepped up as Managing Editor since he’s But 2012 was also extremely stressful and busy (hence, an been writing a lot of our content lately anyway. And as my day over three-month lag between the tour and my travelogue). It job has become busier, I’ve needed to have someone take care also saw the loss of numerous people in fandom as I’d of some of the logistics of running SF/SF. Thus, this transition mentioned in my previous editorial. And I ended the year with makes sense and is timely. This will also leave me more time a cold from Christmas through New Year’s Eve and wasn’t to actually write more for SF/SF as well as do the editing, properly able to celebrate either holiday. proofreading, assigning, etc. We would appreciate more So, I’m looking forward to this year. While this January has content from new people and so please contact me if you already been stressful due to work and health issues, I am still would like to contribute articles, photos or artwork! I know we hopeful that the rest of the year will be better. Positive changes have a lot of talented and creative folks out there who are as are already in the works and I’m holding myself open to passionate about fandom as we are. whatever opportunities come up this year. I’m also hoping to Going back to the topic of the UK, so Chris finally got to cross a few things off my bucket list. My mantra for this year go there and it was fun showing him around and seeing new is “joy.” things too. We were already planning on going back even Well, one change that I was expecting, but am still sad before we left. There are so many historical, literary and, of about, is España Sheriff leaving SF/SF as Editor as she course, scifi/fantasy things to see and so many more to come mentioned in her editorial in our last issue. España has been back for. It would be great to live there, I suppose, but it’s with us for a long time, and she’s also a good friend, so we probably a better place to visit. It is ironic, though, that in the SF/SF #136! 2!February 2013 past few months after I got back, almost all of the DVDs I’ve “The Avengers” and “The Dark Knight Rises.” Fun movies but purchased are from Amazon UK. I seem to want to see shows I didn’t love them enough to see them again or buy them on that are not available here and haven’t even been shown here. DVD. I remember mentioning “Eternal Law” a while back and I So I was looking forward to two movies this past finally ordered that on DVD. Chris and I got to see part of the December. “The Hobbit” and “Les Miserables.” “Le Miz” is set for that TV show while we were in York (more on this in my favorite musical, which I’ve seen live on Broadway and in my Honeymoon article). I bought all three available seasons of SF, and I’ve seen both anniversary concerts on TV, which were “Horrible Histories,” which is just so clever and funny that I both great. The movie was a wonderful adaptation and the have a smile on my face every time I watch it. I’m so looking performances were outstanding. Hugh Jackman (Wolverine!) forward to Season 4, or I should say Series 4, as they say it in was just incredible as Jean Valjean, and he deserves all the the UK. Lastly, I got “The Scapegoat” based on a Daphne du awards and accolades he’s been getting and will hopefully Maurier novel and starring Matthew Rhys. I’ve been following continue to receive. I’ve seen him on stage twice and he’s just Rhys for about 13 years as I think he’s a great actor, but while amazing. Anne Hathaway (Catwoman!) turned in a marvelous he’s been in a lot of movies and TV shows, he still seems to be performance as Fantine but I thought she was a bit over the labeled as a relative “unknown.” Anyway, this TV movie is top. The rest of the cast were awesome too. But in between the sort of a Prince and the Pauper tale but with a psychological songs, it just felt flat to me. While there were added scenes and suspenseful twist. It’s set during the coronation of Queen that tied everything better together, it felt like I was watching a Elizabeth in 1953, and the plot, atmosphere and costumes are movie and was in a theatre and didn’t feel transported and wonderful. Very reminiscent of the current “Marple” series, drawn into the story. which I love. I know lots of Agatha Christie fans don’t like “The Hobbit” fared a little better for me in this respect. these more modern adaptations because they’ve taken liberties While I would have preferred one movie with just the original with the novels, but I think they’re great anyway. novel, the additions from J.R.R. Tolkien’s appendices worked As far as movies in 2012, I find that most of the movies I well and made me feel I was back in Peter Jackson’s “Lord of saw on the big screen were entertaining but didn’t really touch the Rings” world. So yes, it was less about Bilbo, the hobbit, my heart, ignite my imagination or leave a lasting impression. and more about him and the dwarves, Thorin Oakenshield in I think my favorite movie from last year was “John Carter.” particular, but it made for an enchanting tale in Middle Earth. I’ve already waxed rhapsodic about this movie previously so Martin Freeman as Bilbo was just perfect. Thorin Oakenshield suffice it to say that it took me back to a more innocent time of was properly heroic as Thorin. Ian McKellen as Gandalf just childlike wonder at the universe, excitement about imagining has so much presence with both gravitas and humor at the adventures and knowing the comfort of good triumphing over same time. However, I didn’t love the movie as much as I evil. I’ve also previously talked about enjoying “Skyfall,” loved the three “Lord of the Rings” movies. So while I would SF/SF #136! 3!February 2013 still rate this movie highly, I am not passionately in love with Someone noted on Facebook recently that it seems like it. A tad disappointing, but it’s understandable given that “The most fantasy and books lately are aimed at young adults, and Hobbit” is much more of a children’s tale compared to “The that has sort of become the default. It also seems to me like Lord of the Rings.” As I’m sure I’ve mentioned several times most fantasy books nowadays are either post-apocalyptic or already, I read “The Hobbit” after “The Lord of the Rings” urban fantasy. Classics like Tolkien’s work seems to be around 30 years ago. And I remember feeling the same way considered more old-fashioned. You know, the ones where the about “The Hobbit” novel then as I do about the “Hobbit” main characters are adults and where there are royalty, elves, movie now. That it just didn’t capture my imagination and dragons, etc. I was on a panel at the recent Convolution want me to create and connect as “The Lord of the Rings” did convention in Burlingame that touched on this.