® S F COMMENTARY the independent magazine about science fiction

JANUARY/OCTOBER 1979 Australia $2 USA/Canada $3

SFC 55/56 TENTH anniversary EDITION

AUSTRALIAN SCIENCE FICTION: A NEW BOOM? pages 5 to 45 REGISTERED FOR REGISTERED POSTING AS A PUBLICATION-CATEGORY B'

S F C O M M E N T A R Y 5 5 / 5 6

January/October 1979 Australia: $2.00 (double issue) 68 pages $5/5 subscription USA/Canada: $3.00 (double issue) newsstand $6/5 subscription Elsewhere: Australian equivalent

I MUST BE TALKING TO MY FRIENDS Editor John Berry Don Ashby Rick Stooker Alexander Doniphan Wallace George Turner Cy Anders 4, 46 and includes I MUST BE TALKING TO OUR FRIENDS, TOO Elaine Cochrane 48

AUSTRALIAN SCIENCE FICTION: A NEW BOOM?

A MEATY BOOK FOR INTELLECTUAL CARNIVORES Sneja Gunew discusses Beloved Son, by George Turner 5 SCIENCE FICTION IN AUSTRALIA A complete survey by George Turner 7 ROOMS OF PARADISE-. TW O V IE W S Bruce Gillespie and Henry Gasko 9 THE MAN WHO FILLED THE VOID Bruce Gillespie discusses Envisaged Worlds, Other Worlds, and Alien Worlds, edited by Paul Collins 16 BY OUR FRUITS... Bruce Gillespie discusses The View from the Edge, edited by George Turner 22 TOO MUCH POWER FOR THE IMPOTENT Bruce Gillespie discusses Moon in the Ground, by Keith Antill 25 WHY DID THE SKY WEEP? Rob Gerrand, John Foyster, Lee Harding, and Bruce Gillespie discuss The Weeping Sky, by Lee Harding 30 LIGHT IN THE GREYWORLD Rob Gerrand discusses Displaced Person, by Lee Harding 36 GENTLE ESCAPISM IN PRETTY PASTEL COLOURS Henry Gasko discusses The Luck o f Brin’s Five, by Cherry Wilder 38 AUSTRALIAN SCIENCE FICTION: IS THAT ALL THERE IS? Andrew Whitmore discusses Walkers on the Sky, by David Lake and Future Sanctuary, by Lee Harding 42

Editor and Publisher: Bruce Gillespie, GPO Box 5195AA, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia. (03) 419 4797. Subscriptions: Australia: $5 for 5, or $10 for 10. USA & Canada: $6 for 5 or $12 for 10 from Hank and Lesleigh Luttrell, 525 West Main, Madison, WI 53703, USA. Elsewhere: Equivalent of Australian subscription rate. Please submit in equivalent of Australian currency (ie, get cheques converted to Australian dollars first). Registered for posting as a publication—Category ‘B’. Final stencil typed 17 September 1979. I MUST BE TALKING TO MY FRIENDS

TEN YEARS! with me on what SFC was good at... and I was 1 always surprised when people 'Why bother with a Tenth Anniversary praised it. I've published SFC for Edition?' was said to me recently. ten years because it was enjoyable - Why indeed? Because we got here. I met many new people, and writers Touch and go, and all that. Plant a kept sending me great articles. I've flag halfway up Everest, even if the published less frequently during re­ summit is still a long way off (twenty- cent years because rising postage one years? twenty-five?). rates have made the whole job less A Tenth Anniversary Edition is enjoyable. (Rates tripled overnight needed to thank everybody who made it in 1974.) SFC =? Instant Poverty these possible. Sometimes I think that is days. But the magazine will continue almost everybody in science fiction because producing it -is still a lot except me. If I mention names, then more enjoyable than anything I do to somebody will be left out and get make a living. offended. So I won't unroll the long 1969 does not seem too far away, ! list of people who have been indis­ when I think about it. Prices were pensable to every issue of SFC- much lower. Melbourne fans were get­ Some people, however, were there ting used to the heady idea of bidding right at the beginning: George Turner, for a World Convention in 1975. I was who contributed to the first issue, stuck up at Ararat. The world's worst and is still here; Lee Harding, who teacher. My own life became more and collated and produced the first more desolate until the beginning of : two issues, and.who has written a lot 1971. To compensate (I suppose), I of books since then; John Bangsund, turned out 18 issues of SFC in its Whose Fault It All Is; Leigh Edmonds, first two years-. I don't have as much who also helped a lot on the first energy as I had in 1969. My enthu­ issue; Stephen Campbell', who . drew siasm was fed by marvellous letters covers for and collated many of the and fanzines from nearly everybody early issues; John Foyster-, whose (whatever happened to Barry Gillam? writings for ASFR were an inspiration, Sandra Miesel? Philip Dick?). and who edited six issues of SFC; 1971 saw my return to Melbourne, to Barry Gillam, who wrote for many of a congenial job in the Education De­ the early issues, and who edited SFC partment's Publications Branch. It also saw the closure of the old Mel­ 16; Brian Aldiss and Philip Dick, who bourne Science Fiction Club, and the wrote to a fan of theirs; ...and ... beginning of Space Age Books, pro­ now I've left out your name, I'll bet. prietor Merv Binns, who is the centre of Melbourne fandom whatever else A Tenth Anniversary Edition is a happens. fit occasion for self-congratulation. But I can never find anyone who agrees (Continued on Page 46) 4 SFC 5 5 /5 6 A MEATY BOOK FOR INTELLECTUAL CARNIVORES

Sneja Gunew discusses:

Beloved Son by George Turner

(Faber £ Faber; 1978; 375 pp; $15 Pocket Books 81696.9; 1979; 371 pp; $US2.25 Sphere Books; 1979)

To call Beloved Son a thesis novel is On the face of it, we get several to praise it, when you recall that narrative voices, intended, I presume, Brian Aldiss derives one major area to provide several perspectives on the of s f from the eighteenth-century new society, and leave the final (Age of Reason) philosophical tale. estimate to the reader. The trouble Because that is where its strengths is that, in the long run, they all lie; it is a novel of ideas rather sound alike. Ultimately, the voice is than characters. the same, even though it issues from The ideas themselves, concerning apparently quite different figures, the possible evolution of a post-holo­ all with very different axes to grind. caust society, are fascinating. The They range from the old Ombudsman f ramework is respectably inside that Jackson (Turner has challengingly re­ tradition which sees the chief end of defined this term) to the DP psychiat­ s f as being the removal of the reader rist Lindley, to the police-chief- from a known world of empirical experi­ turned-demagogue Campion, and even to ence in order to return him to that the psychotic clone-progenitor Raft. world with a new objective awareness. So the evidence the reader is given The leading characters of this story, does not in fact allow him to judge in the first interstellar travellers from any substantial way, because he is too Earth, gain their importance from aware of the deceptive nature of the their return rather than their journey source. As I said, each outward. The space voyage is impor­ narrator's credibility is undercut in tant only insofar as it transforms some way but, at the same time, what them into the standard 'observer' of they say is sometimes to be taken as any utopian or dystopian tale - their an objective and dispassionate account main purpose is not to tell of their of the society they encounter. It is own journey but to report on their en­ this 'sometimes' that is hard to counter with an Earth which has suf­ figure out. fered a rich change. Given all this, the extrapolations About the nature of this change, Turner comes up with are extremely Turner is highly ambivalent. Like Le suggestive ones. Quite credibly, he Guin in The Dispossessed, he too is unseats the old bogeyman, the psychi­ describing an extremely qualified atrist (the mind engineer), and re­ utopia, if indeed it can be called that places him with the biologist (the at all. Nov; it is, of course, his genetic engineer) and a. new Dr Fran­ right as novelist to insist on these kenstein is engendered. What makes qualifications (he is not duty-bound it all the worse (as is the case with to give answers to the questions he Dr F) is the inherent idealism of raises), but it is the way he raises these people. Turner puts it so much them that bothers me, and this has to better: do with the (to my mind) weakness of Psychiatric practice taught me the book - the characterisation. long ago that the sentimentalist, SFC 5 5 /5 6 5 *BRG: The two qualities which George Turner shows most obviously are generosity and modesty. When SEC was beginning, George contributed articles to the first issue, and still provides support whenever needed. And...ir George's article, which follows this review, you will find no mention of his own novel, Beloved Son. Yet, in terms of both critical acclaim and financial success, it has been the most successful book of Australian science fiction yet to appear: Britiah hardback and paperback; US paparback; translated editions. Caorgs won’t mention himself, so I'll get in first and praise him. What does it take to become so successful? Look at George's career and you will see: nearly thirty years of published fiction, including one Miles Franklin Award; five years of work spent on Beloved Son itself; twelve years of critical writing about the science fiction field. A writer's training time is as long as his or her life, and George gives every sign that his career in science fiction has only just taken off. Some will mutter that this single review is not adequate to praise Beloved Son. You will be interested to know that John Bangsund (to whom the book is dedicated) has praised it properly. He might still have copies of Philoso­ phical Gas 10, October 1978. In that magazine, John gathers together a large range of critical opinion about the novel, and some personal glimpses of George Turner: the result is 20 pages of illuminating reading. *

in matters where his selfish emo­ only the first symptom of this inward- tions are not involved, can be de­ looking obsessiveness. pended on for solid intellectual The details are not pursued - there intransigence and no mercy or care are far too many - but there is an for those outside his personal overall richness that constantly en­ circle of slop. gages the speculative mind. Along the same moral axis, it is The focus on the clone motif is a the sentimentalism of the 'Big Bro­ little puzzling to me. Is it meant to ther’ global security force which pre­ represent the dangers of a polarised cipitates the greatest disasters in totalitaiianism - embodying the concept the new society. in their mistaken that you are either totally with me or protectiveness, they do not allow the totally against me to the extent that young to make mistakes, so they inhi­ your physical presence nauseates me? bit their learning process, and the If so, the dangers are hardly allevi­ society becomes vulnerable to any ated by the closing chapters. organised takeover. (It has been And what is one to make of the rather conditioned that way by Big Brother.) stereotyped homosexual figures with Very well handled, also is the con­ whom some kind of hope for the future cept of the society founded on youth. resides? Turner's now earthlings are all young, And the figure of the 'Lady'? I and the energies of their budding minds will only say that she reminded me of are encov.rag-'d to develop at their own the psychological casebook grotesques pace rather than being straitjacketed that Fellini intrudes into his films into an institutionally guided pace when attention is lagging. In both (oh utopia!). The cc-'comitant of these cases, Freud's over-reductiveness has attractive points are the less appeal­ a lot to answer for. ing ones of intolerance and a general But these are minor points. Overall, self-satisfaction bordering on smug­ this is a meaty book for intellectual ness (neither is the sole preroga­ carnivores, and one hopes there will tive of the young, but the tone is be more from Turner in that particular recognisably the arrogance writ large mode. of present-day youth cults) of a centi­ petal society. The deliberate ignoring Sneja Gunew August 1978 of the returned space-travellers is Deakin University

6 SFC 5 5 /5 6 SCIENCE FICTION IN AUSTRALIA by George Turner

EDITORS This is a shortened version of The next name I can trace, the one who set an article which George Turner wrote my childish feet on the road to the bedlam for Arena, a very good English fanzine of wonder, is Frank Russell, nom de plume of edited by Geoff Rippington, 15 Queens a newspaper sub-editor who wrote gadget s f for Pals, a boys' weekly modelled on the Ave, Canterbury, Kent, England CT2 SAY. B ritish Chums and Boys’ Own Paper. At the The complete article will appear there. age of about nine I was hooked, for ever, George has written the kind of article which I could never have written - Out of the Silence a history and survey of everything that is happening in Australian science Another newspaperman (film critic, in this case), Erie Cox, sprang into prominence in fiction. I've slotted the the "1920s with Out of the Silence, a novel of reviews/critical articles in the prehistoric supermen revived in the present appropriate places. * day. It was vaguely utopian and philosophic, mildly adventurous and stickily sentimental. PART 1 By today's standards, it is hard to take, but it was a local best-seller, and was reprinted in America as late as "1932. THE PROFESSIONAL RECORD Cox also wrote a fantasy, The Missing Angel, and a fringe s f novel on the coming Dim Beginnings world war, (it came.) The Germ g ro w ers J M WALSH Science fiction as we understand it began in Vandals of the Void Australia,, so far as I can discover, with the The Vanguard to Neptune publication, in 1892, of a novel, The Germ The Terror Out of Space Growers (Hutchinson, London), by Robert P o t t e r . The next name of importance is that of J M .Potter was, of all unlikelihoods, a canon Walsh, an expatriate living in London. His of. St Paul's Anglican Cathedral, Melbourne. Vandals of the Void appeared in wonder Stories The story dealt with - hold your breath for Quarterly for Summer 1931. It was good adven­ it - germ warfare, mind control, invisibili­ ture s f for its day, and was followed by The ty, 'scientific' explanation of myths, secret Vanguard to Neptune and, under the pseudo­ enemies, and UFOs. -The science was godawful nym of H haverstock H ill, The Terror Out of but the themes are still with us; since the Space (Amazing Stories, February-May 1934). 'science' of the modern versions is also As a successful thriller writer, probably usually godawful, what's new? he found that s f did not pay and wrote It made no splash in the literary world, little more of it. and the remaindered copies were given away as Divinity prizes. (I suspect a moral there, Tomorrow and Tomorrow but it eludes me.) In 1947 appeared the most important novel in Australian s f to this day, Tomorrow and

George Turner: SCIENCE FICTION IN AUSTRALIA Continued on Page 8

SFC 5 5 /5 6 7 From Page 7...... George Turner: SCIENCE FICTION IN AUSTRALIA lomorrow, by 'M Barnard Eldershaw', the pen 1970, and its standard was immeasurably name of Marjorie Barnard and Florence Elder­ higher - but still not really good, save for shaw, novelists and historians. It was a a few 'literary' items from writers of the considerable critical success, and has 'establishm ent' mainstream. achieved the status of a minor classic in Both of these volumes were reprinted, so Australian literature. perhaps I am just a hard-to-please, Curmud­ ..ritten in the days when style and literacy geonly old bastard. were demanded and appreciated, Tomorrow and Then, in 1977, A&R produced a third Aus­ Tomorrow was a study of late-Depression and tralian anthology, The Zeitgeist Machine, wartime Sydney from a viewpoint four centu­ edited by Damien Broderick. This one was, ries in the future. Its ideas have been whatever the judgment on individual items, an superseded, but it remains a beautiful novel. advance on the Baxter collections, but Brod­ erick was working with w riters who had by CARNELL'S that time learned some sophistication and New W orlds science fiction expertise. Damien Broderick is highly individual (as A few novels, mostly bad, were produced per a slim volume of short stories called during the 1940s and 1950s, but the real Packaging at Its Apostrophe Best) in his seedtime for local w riters came with the approaches to writing, selection, and edit­ appearance of John Carnell's New worlds. ing; The Zeitgeist Machine (A & R; 1977; 200 Here appeared the first stories of Lee PPi «5-95), filled mainly by contributions Harding, John Baxter, Wynne Jhiteford, Frank from w riters who normally operate outside the Bryning, Damien Broderick, David Bo.utland s f fringe, is certainly eccentric in con­ (as David Rome)., and Stephen Cook. D avid tent and balance, but rewarding in its fresh­ Boutland concentrates■now.on tv work, and ness of approach of writers owing little tc otephen Cook, a promising young talent, is England or America - or s f, either. dead, but the others are still writing and Among the s f old guard, Lee Harding, s e l l i n g . Cherry wilder, Bert Chandler, and (surprise, John B a x te r 's The God K i l l e r s was pub­ surprise!) John F'oyster will be fam iliar to lished in New worlds, and David Boutland's overseas readers, but Dal Stivens, John Squat was published locally as a paperback Romeril, Peter Carey, and Michael Wilding (Horwitz) - but the WT-iting scene remained, are mainstream w riters who brought to the to say the least of it, thin. book a touch of professionalism, both in We had a past but, in "1965, little present. writing and imagination, which is outside the Nor did things improve quickly. usual conception of the genre.

WREN PUBLISHING The Modern Scene The Bitter Pill False Fatherland Another firm, not so long-established or so A local paperback firm, Horwitz, published solidly based as A & R, flirted with s f in Bert Chandler's False Fatherland in 1968, but the m id-'seventies. The Wren choices were more provocative were the anthologies pub­ unfortunate. lished by a major firm , Angus and Robertson: The Bitter P ill, the company's first essay in s f, must have seemed a safe bet, but was, The Pacific Book of Australian Science Fiction in fact, one of Bert Chandler's less success­ The second Pacific Book of Australian ful novels. In it, he moved into new areas Science Fiction and found himself uncomfortable (so it The Z eitgeist Machine seemed in my reading), with politics and lesbianis m as plot elements. In 1968, John Baxter edited, for A&R, The Pacific Book of Australian, science Fiction, * * * which I recall reviewing (sourly) for the first issue of Bruce G illespie's S F Commen­ Wren's next book, a thriller left namelessly tary. It was a mixture of the work of old forgotten, was a disaster only attributable hands and new, but nostalgia cannot pretend to bad editorial advice and misunderstanding that it was a good (or even averagely bad) of the nature of s f. collection. Baxter edited a Second Pacific Book in

George Turner: SCIENCE FICTION IN AUSTRALIA Continued on Page 9 8 SFC 55/56 From Page 8...... George Turner: SCIENCE FICTION IN AUSTRALIA

Beyond Tomorrow So, having recruited Brian Aldiss, Gene Wolfe, Ian Watson, Michael Bishop, R A Laf­ wren Publishing's final fling in s f came too ferty, and a greatly talented Japanese late; the firm was in serious difficulty gentleman, Sakyo Komatsu, he commanded six by the time Lee Harding's anthology, Beyond Australians to match the efforts of this Tomorrow (1976; 520 pp; $12), appeared. formidable team. They were Kevin McKay, This was a 'safe' collection, in that it Cherry wilder, David Lake, Philippa C leaned heavily on a dozen proven reprints by Maddern, Damien Broderick, and myself. such authors as Le Guin, Blish, Zelazny, and We heaved our sighs of despair at the other big names. The less safe fillip to power-playing ranks of the opposition and the collection was the inclusion of five got on with it. And - I think - upheld the original stories by Australians Bert Chand­ standard pretty well in a volume called ler, Cherry Wilder, John Baxter, David Grigg, Rooms of Paradise (Quartet Australia; 1978; and Tony Morphett. It turned out that they 182 pp; $1-1). stood up very well in august company, and A ustralia's prize entry, which has caused the book was a success. NEL published an much comment, wqs Kevin McKay's 'Pie Row English edition, minus five stories and most Joe', a totally original piece in outback of the editorial material. dialect, as Australian in conception and treatment as Dame Edna Everage can never be HYLAND HOUSE/QUARTET AUSTRALIA - and the only piece of fiction he had ever w r i t t e n . Rooms of Paradise On the publishing side, it was the first s f venture of a new firm , Hyland House, Lee Harding then became ambitious to try an based in Melbourne, which is interested in all-new anthology, wherein Australian and quality s f - and only in quality s f. We big-name overseas w riters should share the just have to hope the work w ill appear. book on even terms.

George Turner: SCIENCE FICTION IN AUSTRALIA...... Continued on Page 13

ROOMS OF PARADISE: TWO VIEWS

Henry Gasko & Bruce Gillespie discuss:

Rooms of Paradise edited by Lee Harding

(Quartet Melbourne; 1978; 182 pp; $10.95 Forthcoming from St Martin's Press, New York)

1. BRUCE GILLESPIE:

I've reviewed Rooms of Paradise already - that I would write 'an S F Commentary-style for Jhe National Times, 2 December 1978. review' which would be quite different from Some commentators have expressed doubts about the one written for The National Times. After both the style and the sincerity of the eight months, I do not find quite the same review. It's easy to olarify the second need to rewrite Holy Writ. point: I was quite sincere about everything In November 1978, when I wrote the review, I said in the review. The style? The review I made quite a point of saying that to pub­ was aimed at what I took to be the 'National lish Rooms of Paradise from Australia could Times audience'. Later encounters with the be financial suicide for the publishers magazine have not altered my estimation cf ('Q uartet A ustralia', alias Hyland House). NT's estimation of its own audience. I made the point that no editor of modern But when the review appeared, I did say fiction has attempted to gather the best wri-

SFC 55/56 9 ters in the field, and succeeded, v;hile.pro­ educated in these rooms. But, no matter how mising nothing but in itial publication in he tries, he cannot escape the sequence Australia. 'Is there an editor in Australia,' of rooms. If he evades his attendant, he I wrote, 'whose reputation is strong enough starves. Eventually he begins to dream in to attract the best new stories by the world's his sleep. The dreams are of a beach which best writers? Could such a book sell enough he saw in his previous life - a beach where copies in Australia to make the venture worth­ the 'reborn' children play. The dreams take w h ile ? ' up more of his life and his 'real' life in The answer to the first question is no - the rooms of paradise becomes a memory. He except in the 'genres'. I suspect that achieves the paradise he sought by forgetting Patricia wrightson or Ivan Southall could what reality was like. edit a selection of new children's stories from In one sense, this story is merely a drama­ Australia and succeed in the venture. But t i s a t i o n o f some id e a s common in some E a s te rn they have not attempted it; Lee Harding has - religions. Or it is a Phildickian statement in s f . The answer to the second question is about the paradoxical nature of reality. also no - the Australian publishers would have But it is also a vivid experience for the done very badly if Rooms of Paradise had not reader, at first engrossed in an endless mys­ been sold later for publication in America by tery, then hoping.like hell that the main St ‘“artin 's Press (with the same cover, no character w ill, at the end, remember what less; it's by Michael Payne). reality is really.like! The finger points at Just to get the book onto the shelves was the reader: what do you trust as reality?; is sufficient proof of success for Lee Harding, it, in the end, worth a damn thing? I would have thought. He has been able to Nupor, the cloned priest in Brian Aldiss' attract new stories by Brian Aldiss, Ian 'Indifference', becomes only too.aware of the ..atSon, Michael Bishop, Geno Wolfe, R A poverty of those ideas in which he believes Lafferty, and Sakyo Komatsu from overseas; most fervently. Like the main character of and Kevin McKay, Cherry wilder, David Lake, 'The Rooms of Paradise', Nupor is the product Philippa C Maddern, Damien Broderick, and of a civilisation motivated by supreme self­ George Turner as Australian w riters. There confidence. Religion propels the energies of is nobody else in Australia but Harding who a universe of human beings: it only takes could have done it; and not many editors out­ time to incorporate everything and every side Australia who could have produced a planet in God's body. Bormidoor proves to be volume like Rooms of Paradise. difficult. The small group of missionaries 'Fortunately, quality matches singularity,' diminishes as, one by one, each is killed I said in my National Times review. Indeed. by the human or natural forces of the planet. 'Rooms of Paradise is the most consistently Eventually a church rises on a lonely coast - interesting science fiction collection that but must be moved when the huge waves inun­ has appeared for some years.' I still agree date the coast. There don't seem to be many with that. Andromeda 1 was better, but that people on Bormidoor, but they prove particu­ came out more than three years ago. I’rbit 20 larly hard to convert. Eventually, Nupor is and Anticipations each han at least one left by himself, a captive of duty and des­ story which is better than anything in Rooms pair. He is unfortunate enough to see the of Paradise ('Jeven American Nights', by real point of his religion - in humbly serv­ Gene Wolfe, and 'A Chinese Perspective', by ing God the Indifferent, the servant eventu­ Brian Aldiss). But Rooms of Paradise wins ally can feel nothing but indifference on consistency. either. Wisdom he learns, but Nupor never 'Can a soul starve? Can it die of thirst?' quite learns the trick of being human. asks the viewpoint character in Ian Watson's The power of both these stories is derived 'The Rooms of Paradise'. In one way or from the deviceof 'seeing from the inside another, most of. the' stories in this volume out' - viewpoints connected the the main char­ ask the same question. In.. 'The Rooms of acter, with the action qualifying that view­ Paradise', the main character is buoyed up point, All the best stories in this book by the hope that he w ill achieve immortality. are based on this device - including the very The manufacturers of the reincarnation pro­ best in the book, 'Pie Rew Joe', by Kevin cess promise it to him. In he will go, old; McKay. out he w ill come, reborn in a baby's body, The viewpoint character, Joe, is refresh­ with important memories intact, His rapacious ing because he does not indulge in mega­ sense of self-congratu lation and greed for H lo m a n ia . e foa s peal power, but does not life dominate the first few pages of the know it. He can cause fires by the power of book. All this disappears. He is reborn as thought. Not only can he cause fires but he a baby - but no people surround him. He is loves fires. 'Big long logs, they go grey in in a vast room, cared for by robot attendants. colour, with long wavy cracks right down 'em. Day by day, he is moved from room to room, ...the pale yella flame is breathin' over and slowly he sees a pattern by which he is 'em, and nothin' 'appens. 'N then, grey smoke

10 SFC 55/5 6 starts coinin' out the cracks, and they start, Third World bar did take place - but the few real slow, sorta goin' black. 'N then little people left on the other side of the holo­ red glow worms starts creepin' over the sur­ caust are determined not to repeat our mis­

face, just like when a dry leaf starts to ta k e s . t a ke's 'solution' has not been sug­ catch.' Joe is an artist with fire, admiring gested before in a science fiction .story, as and horrified at the way wool burns: 'Kind of far as I know - yet when you read it, you comes up in black bubbles, and stinks, and think: surely that's the only thing we can crawls over itself like. ' do! After all, it looks as if the techno­ 'Pie Row Joe' is the story of Joe's life logical magic carpet is going to roll itself and death, told by Joe, and it has a great up anyway, for lack of fuel. Why not carry last line. One comes to love Joe for his out the process rationally? self-effacing quality: he has spent his whole 'Collaborating' has its moments (and Henry life trying to stop himself from hurting Gasko describes that story better than I can), people with his ability, and has never thought but it does not have the ferocious quality of of using it to make himself rich. when he a sim ilar story, Brian Aldiss' Brothers of uses fire in anger, against the person he the Head, published recently in England. If hates most, his trick traps him. You see, I had not read Aldiss' story first, I would he chose a day of hot north wind, with a have liked Michael Bishop's better. change about to burst through.... -'In-a Petri Dish Upstairs' I liked better Except for the great nineteenth-century than Beloved Son, to which it is a sequel... story-tellers cf Australia, most of our wri­ and most of the other stories are enjoyalbe ters have used 'ocker' language merely to de­ in different ways. nigrate the uneducated. Here, Kevin McKay Science fiction is slowly changing and writes the story as if Jce were speaking, and improving, and Rooms of Paradise shows the so creates a kind of poetry of love for life. most attractive features of that change. Indeed, Joe loves life so much that he.does To my mind, the main thing to get rid' of in not realise he has left it. This is so much science fiction is the 'gosh-wow-gee-whilli- better than all that rubbishy technological kers' element of the '1940s and '1950s. It was science fiction which comes.out each year, attractive then, -and still sells plenty of all of it, to my mind, showing a hatred cf copies of books now. But it has nothing to life, a desire for.destruction. Rooms of do with the situation we find ourselves in Paradise is worth buying for this story alone. at the end of the 1970s. *A more sceptical approach is needed - indeed, it must be taken * * * as an assumption that all our assumptions are faulty, and must be re-examined perpetually. There doesn't seem a lot more to say about The result of this scepticism is an intellec­ this book except to mention my other favour­ tual excitement which was unknown before the ite stories: mid-1950s, and can lead to some visionary 'Re-deem the Time', by David Lake, is science fiction. The best stories in Rooms another fine story about the treachery of of Paradise have the touch of scepticism, paradise. The man in the time machine sets even despair, and the same stories have the off, just like 'wells' Time Traveller, into brilliance to burst through assumptions and the future, but finds himself in a steadily show us unsuspected territories. L e t ' s hope receding past. No, he did not set the dial there are plenty more collections of original incorrectly on the time machine, les, the stories edited by Lee Harding.

2 . HENRY GASKO:

An idea that has been around the s f in telli­ such as philosophy cr sociology, is intrin­ gentsia for some time is that the future of sically better than a traditional entertain­ science fiction lies in more 'literary' sto­ ment story built around the hard-core ries, tales dealing with symbols, allegories, sciences such as physics or biology. and experimental styles. These are the sto­ As the stories in this anthology show, this ries responsible for the mainstream's in­ isn't necessarily so. Both types of stories creased awareness and acceptance; they w ill cqn be enjoyable and exciting with new ideas; lead science fiction out of the wilderness. both are more often mechanical and unin­ while these stories may lead to greater spired. Characters who were once two-dimen­ critical notice from the outside world, a sional All-American hero types are now re­ dangerous fallacy has grown up: that an placed by puppets who jump and jerk about to illustration of an idea, usually in an area illustrate the author's point. A style that SFC 5 5 /5 6 11 is obscure or self-indulgent is no improve­ criticism is more notice than the story de­ ment on the uninspired slogging of most s f s e r v e s . p r o s e . R A Lafferty's stories used to explode like In Rooms of Paradise, most of tlie stories f i r e c r a c k e r s no m a tte r how g in g e r ly you are self-consciously literate, stories with approached them. In 'A Bequest of Wings', a point to get across, where the author is the mixture of homespun prose and outlandish visible behind each word and every action. ideas is present again. But the technique To varying degrees, these stories are all is well-worn and fam iliar. The story is mis­ f a i l u r e s . sing the sparkle of the early days. I was Fortunately, there are a few authors here left with the feeling that it is time for who have chosen a third alternative: stories Lafferty to try something new. which deal with people rather than ideas. Gene W olfe's .'Our Neighbour, by David Cop­ These are the best stories in the book. But perfield', is also a disappointment. The more about them socn. story is a long homage/parody of Dickens that never gets off the ground. It seems like an * * * artist's still-life study: an interesting exercise in style, but not something meant The two showcase stories are Brian Aldiss' for public exhibition. 'Indifference 1 and Ian Watson's title story. Another slight story is 'Re-deem the Time', Both illustrate the failures of most of the by David Lake, An eccentric professor goes volume. They are well-crafted and profes­ forward in time, only to find that society sional stories, but with an intellectual has decided to regress, and is moving steadi­ puzzle rather than a human emotion at their ly back towards the Stone Age. The story is c o r e . written stylishly, and is momentarily amus­ The better of the two is Aldiss' story ing. But the central idea falls apart as about three missionaries of a new religion soon as you give it a second thought, and the establishing a church on a cold and dreary story is quickly forgotten. world. The central character, Nupor, is a Much more s e r io u s i s 'T he Savage M o u th ', by •clone who cannot get in touch with others or Sakyo Komatsu. This is a gruesome little his own inner self (and, ..therefore, with the tale about a man who arranges a surgical bit of God withi* him). Aldiss' short sen­ machine in his home and, over a period cf tences and deliberately choppy style depict forty days, eats himself. Unfortunately, the character and his relationship with the Jorge Luis Borges used the same idea many planet very well. But, as Roger Zelazny says years ago in a story called 'In the Ruins'. in his introduction, Aldiss 'sets his stage This reduces the impact of the current story carefully' and 'times his entrances and exits considerably. to perfection'. Unfortunately, this is all There are several problems within the story too obviously true. The understanding the as well. The surgical details and culinary reader could share with Nupor's situation is preparations are graphic enough. But breaks, not developed, and he remains a robot going in the narrative every few paragraphs-never through the motions programmed by Aldiss. a llo w th e h o r r o r to b u ild p r o p e r ly . And Ian Watson's story,''The Rcoms of Para­ there is an out-of-plaoe epilogue, in which dise', looks at the interface between the a detective explains why the man's true fate outside world and our inner reality. A man must never become public. The author starts wakes after his rejuvenation to find himself the story as an allegorical shocker, but ends in a new room each 'day', with no apparent it as a social treatise. escape from the cycle. Eventually his dreams Also very interesting is pip Maddern's become the reality that he expected, and the 'I g n o r a n t o f M a g ic ', ab o u t a woman who may rooms fade to vaguely remembered nightmares. (or may not) be a time researcher thrown in­ There is nothing new being said here, and to a world of illusion by her experiments. <«atscn takes a very long time to say it. The story is commendable for its attempt to get inside the woman's mind as she tries to * * * discover what has happened to her. But Maddern seems to have the idea that Easily the worst story in the bock is 'A Pas­ confusion on the narrator's part can only be sage in Earth', by Damien Broderick. It in­ conveyed by confusion and obscurity in the volves a couple of traidy ps udo-gods, a story's plot and descriptions. The story is beautiful sixteen-year-old girl, and the open to dozens of interpretations, none of cybernetic spaceship that manufactured her. them very clear. This is probably what the Talking quasars, an Icelandic poet, and The author had in mind, but it is net very en­ Secret of the Universe all figure briefly. lightening to a reader trying to figure out This story demonstrates the worst excesses of what her private vision cf the world is. the 'New Wave'. It is glib, pretentious, When Maddern learns tc communicate her ideas self-indulgent, and boring. Even damning while retaining their unique flavour, she

12 SFC 5 5 /5 6 w ill be an.author to watch. rarely, to hand out justice as he sees it. 'In a Petri Dish U pstairs', by George The story is told in a strong dialect that is Turner, is about the interaction, after many pure Aussie, and each simile and metaphor is years, of Earth's culture with the people of p e r f e c t f o r a man who h as sp e n t h i s l i f e in the orbiting space stations. The story has the Outback. many faults: an expository lump that would Michael Bishop continues to amaze with the choke a horse, a too-neat ending, and a lec­ range and depth of his stories. 'Collaborat­ turing style that is intent on making its ing' is a realistic description of the prob­ point rather than telling a story. However, lems of a man with two heads, each with its the point is a good one. The story is an own separate personality. James and Robert excellent antidote for the many s f stories S e lf t e l l how i t f e e l s , how p e o p le r e a c t to where even the aliens, let alone the humans them, and the accommodations they have from other planets, all behave like business­ reached with each other. The prose is de­ men from C le v e la n d . scriptive but barely noticeable, the inter­ play between the two is excellent, and the * * * characters and motivations cf the two are entirely believable. Especially good is the And so ( f i n a l l y ) to th e good s t u f f . last line; it is at once revealing, logical, Cherry wilder's novel, The Luck of Brin's and completely unexpected. Five (reviewed in this issue of SFC), is set Both of these are mainstream stories with on Torin, a colourful, vaguely medieval world an s f element. The attention is on the of humanoid marsupials.. It describes the people rather than an idea or a gimmick. The crash landing of a man, his adoption by a style is chosen to suit the material, and the local family, and his effect on the politics characters, are individuals rather than gener­ of the day. The main attractions are the alisations. This is very difficult to de gentle, unhurried 'people' of Torin, and well, but the results are obviously worth the W ilder's smooth and richly detailed prose. a tte m p t. The effect is reminiscent of Jack Vance at h i s b e s t. * * * In 'The Falldo.v.r. of Man', a troupe of dan­ cers use the tale of the Man as the inspira­ I've probably made this collection sound tion for'a vastly successful play. There is worse than it actually is. Three very good no suspense here, and very little plot, but stories and a couple of interesting ones' is it doesn't matter. Again, the prose is ex­ at least average for an original anthology. cellent, and the depiction of a kinder, more But the overall feeling is disappointment: 'closely knit people leaves the reader with a that such a list of names didn’t produce a warm feeling and an eagerness for further greater number of good stories; that only stories in the series. Gecrge Turner approaches Lee Harding's direc­ The two best stories arc by Michael Bishop tive for stories about 'the impact of the and Kevin McKay. The two are completely dif­ future cn the individual'; that rf the six ferent, but both involve individuals who tell local authors, only Kevin McKay's story is their own stories, with the author nowhere in recognisably Australian (George Turner's s i g h t . story is set in Melbourne, but oha'nge the McKay's ’pie Row Joe' is the life and death place names and it could as easily be Mont­ of an Australian swagman who has the ability real or Moscow); and most of all that the to start fires without matches. He uses it collection contains so many intellectual to amuse his mates and keep, himself warm and games and so few human beings. - Henry Gasko December 1978

From Page 9...... George Turner: SCIENCE FICTION IN AUSTRALIA

WILD & WOOLLEY • Wavery which seems, fortunately, on the verge c f e x p iry . I t The Empathy Experiment PERGAMON PRESS

Another firm , Wild and Woolley, has produced Play L ittle Victims a small torrent of expensive paperbacks which reflect the firm 's name ideally. Few, alas-, More successful was Pergamcn Press, with its have been good books, and their two s f excellently illustrated Play L ittle Victims satires - It, by Chris Aulich, and The (1978), by Kenneth Cook. Film-goers w ill Empathy Experiment, by D M Foster and D K remember Wake in F r ig h t (O u tb a c k ), b a se d on Lyall (both in 1978) - have been dreary send- a Kenneth Cook novel. ups in that specially dislikable form of New Play L ittle Victims is a savagely funny George Turner: SCIENCE FICTION IN AUSTRALIA ...... Continued on Page 14 SFC 5 5 /5 6 13 From. Page 13 George Turner; SCIENCE FICTION IN AUSTRALIA satirical fantasy about a world dominated by erratic titles at erratic intervals and for mice after the demise of Man. I hcpe this writing belles lettres on anything that one has reached the British and American strikes his fancy, except s f« market, because it's a bleakly comic charmer. SFC s till shows a fitfu l head, whenever Bruce thinks of it and, after 54 issues, the CASSELL AUSTRALIA standard is higher than ever.

Cassell Australia, has also dabbled in s f and Vision of Tomorrow children's fantasy, but its contribution can be better dealt with when authors Harding One fan of this period tried to do more. The and Grigg are discussed in Part 3. late Ron Graham (died 1979), a retired engi­ neer and s f fan from way, way back (his *■ * * collection of some 70,000 volumes was willed to the University of Sydney), decided that a It is-a small 'enough record for 87 years, new magazine was needed, and so Vision of but at.leasf'a promising one. At least we Tomorrow was born. are neither alone nor ignored. - The first issue of VoT, under the editor­ ship of Phil Harbottle, was published in England in 1969, and the magazine lasted a year or so. Its content was about 50/50 PART 2 English and Australian authorship, with many FROM FANDOM TO PROFESSIONALISM reprints of the stories of John Russell Fearn, for whose work Ron had a great regard. VoT failed, partly because, of distribution problems and partly, through inexperience in The professional publishing scene has been management and editing, but it was a brave largely experimental, with an expectable attempt and the magazines are collectors' quota of failures, and this - let's be blunt items in Australia.. about it - has been only partly due to lack of knowledge of the field, and mainly t’o the Enigma lack of local writers worth publishing. Mere interesting are a group of publishers At about the same time, Leith Morton (now a who have grown directly out of fandom and lecturer in Oriental Studies at the Univer­ are concerned with s f only. sity of Sydney, but then a student on the Before discussing them, hewnver, it is nec­ campus) conceived Enigma as the magazine of essary to look at the fannish upsurge which the Sydney University SF Association, and b re d them . the first number appeared in 1970. It is published regularly still. Babes 'in Their Wilderness This was possibly the first Australian amateurpublication to feature regular s f. Australian Science Fiction Review by vlub members. Its print run, averaging S F Commentary 450, continues today under the editorship- of Van I k i n . You must know about the fans - well, about Van suggests that, ever the years, Stephen some fans - in order to make sense of what Hitchings and Rick Kennett have shown the finally happened. My personal connection kind of talent we may hear more of. Of art­ with fandom has always been peripheral, but work, of which Enigma features a fair quan­ nobody interested in s f would have missed tity, he says, '...O ur major contribution the appearance, in 1966, of John Bangsund's may be in the field of artwork, where we. Australian Science Fiction Review and, in have introduced Danelkin, Nick Stathopoulos, 1969, Bruce G illespie's S F Commentary. They Michael Kumashov, and... Mike McGann to the set standards of writing, both 'fannish' and world. In time to come, this might preve- 'sercon' (if, doubtfully, I have the mean­ to be our most valuable contribution.' ings of these words correctly), for the whole continent, and were soon recognised overseas Y g g d ra sil also (with five Hugo nominations between th e m ). In 1969, David Grigg (of whom more later) ASFR is long dead, owing to Bangsund's pen­ instituted Yggdrasil as the magazine cf the chant for producing erratic magazines under newly formed Melbourne University Science

George Turner; SCIENCE FICTION IN AUSTRALIA Continued on Page 15 From Page 14...... George Turner: SCIENCE FICTION IN AUSTRALIA

Fiction Association. It was also David's side Melbourne, as an observer for one morn­ personal magazine for .a year or two. ing only, and Bruce G illespie handed me a In 1973, Yggdrasil turned more and more typescript headed 'The Ins and Outs of the to publishing fiction. (Charles Taylor was Hadhya City S tate', by someone called the editor that year.) This treni was made Philippa C Maddern. By the bottom of page 2, official in 1974, with the institution of I knew that here was the kind of talent Aus­ the club's Shaky Leaf Award for the best tralian s f needed - that at least one up-and- item of fiction published during the year. coming w riter was already born. Francis Payne usually does well in the The enthusiasm of that workshop, carried Shaky Leaf com petition, and from MUSFA he through at breakneck - and breakmind - speed

springs to mind at once ; as a writer of con­ beggars description. The outcome was net siderable promise. Perhaps, now that he has only a great surge oi interest among young completed his degree,.. David (who left Mel­ people who wanted to write, but also a book bourne University a long time ago) is, of course, already professional. The Altered I

* * * edited by Lee Harding (N orstrilia Press; 1976; 131 pp; $3.60) from the work done at Other fanzines in various centres are pub­ the 'shop and including short essays by the lishing amateur fiction and, though it would workshoppers describing their reactions and be idle to pretend that any of this has muoh feelings. It is not like America's Clarion more than rehearsal value, the evidence of Workshop books of a few years earlier; it interest is high and the.earnestness of these was a different experience, alive with the young w riters is heartening," energy of creation. Readiag it gives an The two University clubs, however, did most extraordinarily powerful sense of the elec­ to prepare the ground for what was to come. tric nature of the Le Gui» classes. What was to come was a one-woman storm in Among those present were: Philippa C Mad- an inkpot, Ursula Le Guin. dern, Bruce G illespie, Edward Mundie, David Grigg, Rob Gerrand, Bruce Barnes, Randal Flynn... You w ill meet most of them again Le Guin and After before this article has finished.

•1975 AUSTRALIAN- SF WRITERS'. WORKSHOP THE MONASH WRITERS WORKSHOP 1977

The thumbnail historian has little chance The View from the Edge of establishing basic causes and reasons, but I must chance my neck far enough to suggest Eighteen months later, in 1977, a second that the detonator that blew the current workshop, lasting three weeks, was held in Australian outburst of writing and publishing Melbourne's Monash University. Vonda was Ursula Le Guin. McIntyre and Chris Priest were brought out Others may say it was simply the matter of to coach (or whatever word you choose for Aussiecen, with its array of overseas not­ that indefinable job of 'being in charge') ables, which provided the stimulus, but my the first and third weeks, with myself in bet remains that among w riters (who are a the middle. different breed from fans, though fans they It was a different type of workshop, if may have been in the chrysalis stage), the only because none of us was Le Guin - and credit will go to Ursula and her fantastic certainly because our three styles had W orkshop. little in common. What wo did was different, There were, I think, twenty young and not- just as the workshop bock, The View from the so-ycung hopefuls present for that dynamic Edge (N orstrilia Press; 1977; 124 pp; 33.95), week in late July 1975. The workshop lasted which we eventually evolved, was quite dif­ for seven days of writing, criticising, dis­ ferent from The Altered I. cussing, arguing, and learning - often into Familiar names were present - Maddern, the small hours of the morning - all con­ Mundie, Flynn, Barnes - but among the un­ ducted at the hysterical pace that kills, fam iliar names (although she was at the 1975 with Ursula imperturbable, understanding, Workshop) was a Sydney lass, Petrina Smith, firm, and quite professionally in charge. who raced off in a fover of enthusiasm to I visited that workshop, in the hills cut­ organise a third workshop in Sydney, which Terry Carr and I conducted in early 1979.

George Turner: SCIENCE FICTION IN AUSTRALIA Continued on Page 16

SFC 55/56 15 From Page 15...... George Turner: SCIENCE FICTION IN AUSTRALIA

There was also, between whiles, a long- 1975. Its editor, Paul Collins, seems to weekender in the h ills above Adelaide, 500 have managed everything singlehanded except miles in the other direction. That one is the actual writing and illustrating. s till going on in monthly read-and-c iscuss And we a l l s a i d , 'P a u l, i t ' s a w fu l; th e m e e tin g s . stories are bad, the editing is bnd,. the presentation is bad, and you'll go broke.' * * * well, we were half right - all of these things were bad, but they improved with prac­ Now you know roughly what was doing and who tice and Paul didn't go broke (I suspect it was doing it, we can get back to the publish­ was a narrow squeeze at tim es). He even man­ ing scene and the writing upsurge which owes aged to persuade the Australia Council Liter­ so much of its impetus to the presence of ature Board into giving a little cash to help U rsu la Le G uin. out with costs. He has published stor­ ies by Wynne whiteford, Bert Chandler, Lee The Rise of In-Group Publishing Harding, Van Ikin, Frank Bryning, David G rig g , Rob G e rra n d , Ja c k Wodhams, B ruce ’In-Group', I think, expresses it, I mean Barnes, John Alderson, David Lake, and many the publishing of s f by fans who are not others. (rhe eagle-eyed will have spotted attached to a publishing house but are issu­ some workshop names there.) He specialised ing and distributing original work on a pro­ in short stories and paid 20 to 40 a word. fessional basis. Theirs are quite literally Void lasted five issues. And collapsed? private publishing houses which exist within Not on your nelliel Paul simply shifted the s f structure. I propose to deal with gears and went into hardcover publishing. four of them,. He had his little stable of dependable authors who could provide the stories he VOID PUBLICATIONS wanted and a readership who liked them - and that, after all's said, is the name of the Void game, isn 't it? Envisaged Worlds So he published Envisaged Worlds (Void Other Worlds Publications; 1978; 253 pp; $9.9'’), a jumbo­

Alien Worlds sized collection of original Au s -tr a i i a n s f . He came out of the experience with a suf­ After the demise of Vision of Tomorrow, it ficiently whole skin to put together Other was not to be expected that there would be worlds (Void publications; 24a pp; 1978; much enthusiasm for regular magazine publica­ $9.95), this one partly financed by the late tion in a country with a population too small Ron Graham. to support such a specialised venture. But When I spoke to him to get the material for there was enthusiasm. Net one magazine this section, he was on the point cf publish­ appeared, but three. ing Alien Worlds (Void Publications; 1979; The first of these, Void, launched its 252 pp; $12.95). first issue to coincide with Aussiecon, the World Convention held in Melbourne in August, * * *

George Turner: SCIENCE FICTION IN AUSTRALIA ...... Continued on Page 20

THE MAN WHO FILLED THE VOID

Bruce Gillespie discusses Envisaged Worlds Jther Worlds Alien Worlds Void Publications; 1978; 233 pp; $9.95 1973; 248 pp; $9.95 1979; 252 pp; $12.95 edited by Paul Collins

What can I, a mere fanzine editor, write write, I cannot help thinking that they have about the collections of short stories edited been a financial success as almost no other and published by Paul Collins? Whatever I venture in Australian science fiction has

16 SFC 5 5 /56 been. (George Turner's beloved Son is the this interesting writer. exception to almost any general statements The mo st experienced w riter in Other Worlds about Australian s f.) It does not matter was, of course, A Bertram Chandler. I en­ what I think about Envisaged .torlds, Other joyed 'Grimes Among the Gourmets' a lot, but worlds, and Alien Worlds. A lot of people I never escape the feeling that Bert Chandler liked each succeeding collection well enough can toss off a Grimes story any day of the to buy the next one. Even the Literature week just by dipping into the ample store of Board of the Australia Council supports experiences from his own lifetim e, 'Gourmets" them! (Yes, you can hear a definite note of gains a lot of fun from Bert's knowledge of jealousy.) By sheer hard work and per­ food and his acute awareness of cultural dif­ sistence, Paul has guaranteed better distri­ f e r e n c e s . bution for his books than most regular dis­ But 'Grimes Among the Gourmets" has no ex­ tributors provide for small publishers. In tra dimension to it - that exciting experi­ these books is a spark which gets brighter ence felt by the reader when an author has each y e a r . something new and exciting to offer. Several But none of these considerations has any­ authors in this collection had this quality thing to do with reviewing books. Even while to offer - but bungled the job of offering it. I know that lots of other people liked Of all the stories in Other Worlds, Jack Envisaged worlds and Other Worlds,- I know Wodhams' 'Jade Elm' stays in the mind most also that most of the stories in them were clearly. It is a simple enough story, show­ awful or unreadable. And I would not have ing existence as seen by a jade elm. Or, bothered to review them if I had not been so more precisely, the antics of people as seen surprised by the improvement of the stories by an interested, but not completely sympa­ in A lie n W orld,s.. thetic observer. 'Jade Elm' becomes a story when the tree feels that at least some people * * * have declared war on it as well as on each other. The elm decides to retaliate as best Envisaged Worlds had an awkward, name, but i t c a n . And N atu re h as th e l a s t la u g h . Michael Payne's cover was arresting. Cynical This should have been a great story, and observers around Melbourne expected it to it is not. 'Jade Elm' should have had the sink without trace.. Most people I talked to same direct, incontrovertible style as said there were no good stories in it. I Margaret Flanagan Eicher shewed in her story. found two I liked - sort of. They were 'And I n s te a d , Ja c k Wcdhams w r ite s p a ra g ra p h s l i k e : Eve Was Drawn from the Rib of Adam', with Human creatures were very interesting. w hich Van I k in won a s h o r t s to r y p r iz e in There were so many who were net sub­ "1976. I liked it mainly for its accumulation consciously aware of me. These seemed of suspenseful hints, rather than for its unaffected by any ambience I might pro­ revelation. Nothing really exciting there je ct... But others were mere sensitive, in the end. Bruce Barnes' 'A Matter of Push­ and these could recompense me my benign­ ing the Right Buttons' shows some of the qual­ ity, albeit I suppose unwittingly, by ities which emerged far more clearly in his revealing to me ever finer shades of hu­ story in The View from the Edge. To judge man behaviour patterns. from his published fiction so far, Bruce This just won't work. I can accept, for knows what commercial fiction is about - and the length of a story, a tree which can slick, vivid commercial fiction is what he think. I cannot accept a tree which thinks is trying to write. using terms such as 'subconscious', And even 'pop. fic .' has its minimum stan­ 'ambience', and 'human behaviour patterns'. dards. Most of these standards are absent These are treacly, mind-numbing cliches, even from most of these stories. S till, they were in day-to-day conversation among people. beginners, most of them. After reading A tree which talks this way is just a bore! Envisaged worlds, I wondered whether Paul In other words, IVodhums takes -17 pages to could bring out the best in these beginners. te ll a tale which could have been told much better in 5. He's added so many extra words * * * which mean little , and hold up the story. So what does Paul Collins do when he re­ What progress could be found in Other worlds? ceives a story like this? Probably he likes Very little , I thought. The best story was the story, would like it changed or short­ hardly science fiction at all: a tale by ened, but knows Jack's reputation for being Margaret Flanagan Eicher called 'Death and prickly about revising stories for publica­ the King', a magic fable with all the con­ tion, and he runs it anyway. Paul provides ciseness of form and clarity of perception the only regular market in Australia - but missing from the other stories. Was Ms Eicher he cannot afford to pay top rates, sc he a pen-name for somebody more experienced? If lacks a means of persuading authors to raise not, I hope Paul can gain more stories from their own standards. So how could follcw-

SFC 55/56 17 ing collections be an improvement on Other The final section reads like an intact short ,< orlds? story; again, it is adventure fiction made convincing because Chandler shows how people * * * really act in dangerous situations. (A fur­ ther recommendations Don Wollheim rejected when the partners of N orstrilia Press hired M atilda's Stepchildren as too 'pornographic' an IBM Composer and went into the typeset­ for his readers. 'What can be too porno­ ting business, we needed some guarantees of graphic for the publisher of John Norman's business apart from setting Moon in the Gor books?) Ground for ourselves. Paul gave us the job I t’s fortunate for Paul Collins that Bert of setting and laying out Alien worlds, and Chandler's pieces are good, since they take we were in business. Or rather, I was in up 55 pages of the middle of the book* The business: for more than two months I laboured only other very long piece is 'Orie Clay away at Alien Worlds, watching a job that I Foot', by Jack Wodhams: not only the best thought would be 80,000 words stretch ever story in the book, but will probably be the onward until it. was more than 120,000 best piece of s f short fiction for 1979. words. It's a long, long book. In the introduction to 'One Clay Foot', As I've said, I did net enjoy Envisaged Ja c k Wodhams s a y s , 'T h is s to r y was in s p i r e d , Worlds or Other 'worlds very much. I groaned if that is the word, by the film, Star Wars... as I struggled through the first few stories A culminating pain of this experience was a of Alien Worlds. Whatever you do, don't so-called "space" battle, which engaged read 'The Stage is Set', by Lynette Godfrey. "space" craft in typical world War II fighter­ Very few published stories have ever shown plane duelling, complete with sound effects. such a complete lack of knowledge of the ...Speculating upon the possibility of a structure of a story. And Alan Carr's 'The reality in space combat, we rather might Horizontal Player' is not much better. Its assume that opponents at best may be hundreds structure is perhaps quite sound, but you of kilometres apart, and that their tactics cannot discover this under all the towards mutual destruction should rely heavi­ hysterical, overblown, meaningless words ly upon symbiosis between man, computer, and which are thrown ground. A sort of Harlan highly sophisticated weaponry.' Ellison style which is worse than Ellison's, It's simple enough to state that as an aim. if possible. The other story to avoid is I can think of any number of ways by which Kendall Evans' 'Capsule of Infinity'. I can­ any number of science fiction writers could not remember'much about it, except that it is have w ritten immensely dull melodramas based uninspired. on this idea. To write a real story about a So there I was typesetting, and they were space war and make it convincing needs seme the first stories set. For awhile I gave up skill even in the planning - which is perhaps hope of enjoying the rest. why Star wars evaded the problem and settled for But wynne tahiteford's 'Transition' was okay. fighter pilot whizzbangs. But Wynne always writes readable stories, I Indeed, it is fascinating to watch the way said to myself, and I would expect a story of in w hich Ja c k Wodhams t a c k le s h i s e n t e r p r i s e . at least that standard. He does not shirk the problem of explanations. And what's this? Another of Paul's regu­ His story-teller has just joined the squad­ lars? (A Bertram Chandler).' Four excerpts ron and he tells us carefully what his task from a new novel? is. He takes it seriously, and 'practises' At that point, I became interested’in Alien simulated battles at a computer term inal. Worlds. ■ Also, I would like to read all of Not that there is any difference between M atilda’.s Stepchildren when it appears from simulated battles.and real battles, except Hale later in the year. To judge from the that somebody usually dies at the end of a four excerpts, the novel tells of Grimes' real battle. Out in space, the opposing adventures on a planet whose rulers provide craft are sc far apart that they cannot see rough entertainments for tourists who enjoy each other. Kills and flight paths are sadism and voyeurism. Grimes and his com­ plotted on the computer screen: that is the panions are captured and forced to take part only way of 'seeing' what is going on. There in games where - so to speak - both Christians is one effective scene where the main charac­ and lions are killed in the end. Chandler ter becomes so involved in his simulated shows how well he can write genuinely excit­ battle that the reader cannot quite tell ing adventure fiction, a rare achievement whether it is 'really' happening or not. even in the s f field, whose bread and butter Meticulous electronic records are kept of is escapist adventure. Grimes tries to buck each manoeuvre cf each battle. Most tattles the deadly system, but finds himself in an take place within the high upper atmosphere even worse spot; forced to give a star per­ of planets which are the pawns in the game, formance as torturer of his own companions. so the records show as complex patterns of Another hairbreadth escape here, well told. trajectories and orbits. If you get through

18 SFC 5 5 /5 6 a battle, you can take time later to view important hurdle with Alien Worlds: now well- it as an intellectual game. Some fighting known Australian w riters are sending him men, like the Commander, become so blase stories which they could have sold in US or that they regard their profession as a English markets. So Paul's regulars are im­ series of games - until the end. proving at the same time as he is attracting I've made this material sound fairly dry, such w riters as David Lake and Cherry ’wilder. and some readers might not be too interested. There is an air of self-confident profession­ Jack .fodhams describes it all in fascinating alism about these stories which was so ob­ detail, and meanwhile introduces the real viously missing in the first two volumes. theme of his story. He is not really inter­ ested in the question: what would a real * * ♦ space battle be like? He is interested in the question: what kind of experience would Paul has always published a few stories by be undergone by a fighting man in such a non-Australian w riters. Darrell Schweitzer's battle? Jack's conclusion is that such an work has never impressed me before now, but experience might not be too different frcm his 'Into the Dark Land' is my second favour­ fighting in any' other sort of battle: that ite story in Alien Worlds. It begins as a the real enemies 1 could be your own companions. conventional sword-and-soroery yarn, with To say more about the plot would be to the hero trying to save the kingdom and all anticipate the story's ending. Commander that. But he can achieve his goal only by Beeschopf Praze w ill be remembered as one of riding into the Land of Death itself. Com­ the great characters from science fiction, parisons with Le Guin's The Farthest Shore a character so individual as well as awful are inevitable. Darrell chooses quite new that we can never quite decide whether he images for his death landscape, and I found deserves his comeuppance, them original and chilling. The ending of ,'One Clay Foot' is'so engrossing that nbt the story is great. until finishing the story did I think to ask; From Canada comes Terry Green ’(whose re­ who was the enemy, anyway; was it human or views appear i.- SFCuand’., Supersonic Snail). n o t? As far as I can remember, my correspondence with Terry began when we found we were both * * * Phil Dick fans. In 'Japanese Tea', Terry has written a rarety: a story which pays tribute The presence of 'One Clay Foot' would be to another writer (ie, Dick), but has its enough to give distinction to any collection own v ie w p o in t. T h e r e 's no way o f r e c a l l i n g of new short stories. Alien Worlds does not the spirit of Phil Dick's fiction without in­ stop there, however. ducing a feeling real terror as well. Cherry W ilder's contribution, 'Odd iiian Terry chooses the tertiary educational system Search', is the beginning of a forthcoming as a fit stage for a terror story.. novel, but it is a sufficiently haunting piece on its own. California has disappeared * * * in a haze of radioactive dust. Out in the New Mexican desert, a small number of strange And, as usually .happens when talking about survivors live in a disused laboratory. The anthologies, I'm left with quite a few sto­ main character sees himself as an outsider ries which I liked a lot, but which I can in the settlement, although it is only late hardly summarise quickly without doing them in the story that the others treat him this an injustice. Briefly: way because he is a robot, net a human. But David King, frcm Western A ustralia, is it was only because he was a robot that he still eighteen years old, but his 'Skyworld' survived at all. He is also well' built for shows a conciseness of form and originality searching in the desert for other possible of main ir.age that many other w riters would survivors of the catastrophe. He finds some envy. A story with a good sting-in-the-tail. - and they shanghai him and steal his ve­ Rob Gerrand's 'Scenes from a Marriage' hicle. Again, he will survive because his would have been- much better if Rob had not anatomy.is metal. However, he has found out adopted a style already worn to threads by enough about himself and other people to give Malzberg and Silverberg. This style - him a feeling of humanity. The story is told present tense, exterior description - places from the viewpoint of somebody who does not the reader sc out of sympathy with the char­ quite know what is going on (although we do) acters that it seems as if Rob is jeering and reminds me rather of Fritz Keiber's at them. Instead, he's really writing a award-winning stories, 'Ship of Shadows' and modest little joke, which should have been 'Gonna Roll the Bones'. more effective. At about this point when I was typesetting, 'Within the Soul Lies Waking' is not the I realised that Paul Collins had passed an best Van Ikin story I've read, but it is the

SFC 5 5 /5 6 19 most concise. Van still appears to believe becomes irresistible. (John is another that a writer can make a reader feel par­ veteran of the "1975 Workshop.) ticular emotions' simply by using emotional words. A bit of understatement could have helped this story a lot. •Who Killed Cock Robin? 1 , by David Lake, is Writing about this book-becomes nearly as well-written, but a bit dull if you guess long-winded, as typesetting it. It's enough the ending. Even if you do, it's a nice to say that Paul Collins (and Rowena Cory, romp of an adventure story. since I'm never quite sure how much she is And l'ots of- people I've stolen to enjoy directly involved in the editing) now has a John Clark's 'Chocolate Sundae H eist'. In regular winner on his hands. Det's hope the one way, '-it' S- just a joky anecdote, But Worlds series becomes the basis of ‘a real if you catch the Queensland references, it Australian s f industry.

From Page 16 George Turner: SCIENCE FICTION IN AUSTRALIA

So it can be done. It's a shoestring effort 'When I took it (No 4) to my usual, and probably a brutally demanding one, out printer for a quote (on a much larger l^cal writers arebeng published and paid, issue) I was thrown figures like 31000. and local artists - notably Michael Payne After much dealing with Fate, I found and Stephen Campbell - are providing the il­ myself the proud owner of a secondhand lustrations and jackets. offset printing machine. (Logic: I There is much disagreement about the qual­ bought it for 31000.) The bloody thing ity of the stories and. some less-than-gentle- was more trouble than it was worth, and manly critical infighting but, while there it died of natural causes a few months can be no doubt that in some areas Paul has later with the issue still unfinished. more enthusiasm than.expertise, the thing is Fate stepped in again (the Jester) and being done. He tells me profitable results I found myself the proud owner of a are beginning to show, so the end i s . n e t y e t . brand new printing machine and a printing b u s i n e s s . . . I s t i l l own th e p r in tin g PETER KNOX machine, the business is defunct, and I ’m trying desperately to finish printing B o g g le’ Boggle from my laundry at home. I'm a d ill, but I believe in this bloody, thing! As if it were not enough that one starry- There will be future issues. eyed innocent should brave the dreaded Aus­ The mind Boggles. tralian magazine trade, another stuck his Here is a further quotation on Peter’s hopeful head rut in Sydney. In 1977, Peter policy and aims which, unless I ’m badly off Knox f lu n g c a u tio n and common se n se to th e beam,’pretty well represents Paul Collins' winds and produced the first issue of Boggle. experience and ideas as well: If, like me, you find the title a mite dis­ Boggle is subtitled 'A Forum for the concerting, rest assured that there are Development .of Australasian Science Fic­ p e o p le who l i k e . i t and race, to the defence tion W riting', and is here to help the at the faintest hint of criticism . unknowns in the field. I've been in lots Peter's. w riters were drawn from much the of trouble with some of the s f critics same list as Paul's, with a few fresh names. for what they term my 'publication at any He also applied for Literature Board assis­ price' policy, but I firmly believe there tance, but did not get it, so his publica­ is an Australian writing scene to be un­ tion has been entirely self-financed, The covered. Rough as guts at the moment... man just has to be a closet-m illionaire, out but here just the same... I'll be the of his mind, cr a Dedicated Fan Doing His first to admit that my contributors have Bit For Science Fiction. I think it's the a long way to go. Nobody was willing to last because, in spite <~f setbacks and dis­ start a magazine because the standard of appointments, he is still producing. writing wasn't up to publication... It The original plan for four issues a year may be some time before Boggle can boast failed, as such plans -do in the most profes­ world-scandard content, but at least it's sionally backed and funded organisations; to bought a ticket, and without one there's date, only three issues have appeared, but a no hope of winning the lottery (old Aus­ fourth is on the way. tralian folk talc). Let me quote from Peter's answer to my re­ quest for details: * * *

George Turner: SCIENCE FICTION IN AUSTRALIA Continued on Page 21

20 SFC 5 5 /5 6 From Page 20 George Turner: SCIENCE FICTION IN AUSTRALIA As a critic, I prefer to say nothing of has been sold to a US publisher for a Boggle or Void Publications'1 anthologies, book of essays on Vance, so the tentacles but please bear in mind that they are selling, are reaching out. that there are people who like the stories, Van tells me the next print run will be that local writers are finding a market, that 1000 copies. Good! He also says there will experience is. improving both the editors and be at least three more issues in 1979. I their product - and that we c r i t i c s may f in d don't believe a word of that; I only hope to that, in the long run, wo are talking only to be proved wrong. other critics, while readership swallows its This is a professional product. It took placebos regardless. One can only wish suc­ either courage or touching faith to start it cess to those who operate in the teeth of the in a country whose 'establishment' is not g a l e . anti-s f, but very wary of it. It deserves s u c c e s s . VAN IKIN NORSTRILIA PRESS Science Fiction; A Review of Speculative Literature Philip.K Dick; Electric Shepherd The Altered I The third magazine is a very different kettle The View from the Edge of fish. It is not dedicated to publication Moon in th e Ground of fiction - though some appears - but to the discussion of science fiction. Appropriately, Now for the finest flower of our profes­ it is called Science Fiction: A Review of sional fandom: Speculative Literature, and is published and N orstrilia press is owned and operated by edited by Van Ikin of the English Department long-time fans Carey Handfield, Rob Gerrand, at the University of Sydney, and aims high. and Bruce G illespie, and is named in genu­ Please don't say, 'Ho hum, another bloody flexion to Cordwainer Smith. Eng. Lit. academic at our throats, waving his N orstrilia Press arose at least partly degree and quoting Averrhoes.' It isn't so; through Bruce G illespie's desire to collate it is not a University publication. The the best articles from SFC for a wider pub­ magazine has been wholly financed by Van lic and, presumably, a historically minded Ikin with, as he says, 'the help of an occa­ fan-posterity. From the beginning, Carey sional advertisement'. Though its bias is Handfield has run the actual production and literary, its tone is determinedly on the distribution side of the business. Rob Ger­ side of common sense and intelligibility. rand became a partner in 1977. Van's own writing of s f no doubt helps keep The intention seems to have suffered a sea his perspectives en line. change, though it surfaces occasionally in Vol I , No 1 appeared in June, 1977, and conversation, but the first publication, publication has been inevitably spasmodic, Philip K Dick; Electric Shepherd (1975; 106 with No 3 to hand in 1979 and No 4 promised pp; »6), was indeed lifted from the pages of in quick time. Since Van was editing the SFC. It was decked out with a bibliography, SUSFA magazine, Enigma, w riting a degree an index, an introduction by Roger Zelazny, thesis, producing fiction and articles, and and an intriguingly eerie wraparound cover getting married throughout this period, one executed by the talented Irene Pagram. The may not only forgive, but express some awe at articles included three of Bruce's »wn rever­ his managing it at all. ent salaams to his favourite author (and why The latest issue runs to 15^ pages, is not?), together with Stanislaw Lem's ill- priced at 5f1.7O (about 95p at present ex­ tempered and, I think, ill-advised attack on change), contains an author-interview, verse western s f which Bruce appears to have per­ by Bob Beale and Roger Zelazny (snared, no mitted because Philip Dick alone was excepted doubt, while he was in Australia last year), from universal excoriatien. art work by Van's brother, Dane Ikin, some To prevent the beck becoming simply a Dick- solid reviewing, an editorial and a letter is-marvellcus festival, Bruce needed a scur- section, two fiction items (one by opposition puss to spit in the idol's eye, so I was un­ editor Peter Knox!), and Terry Dowling's erringly selected to write the most unpopular 28,000-word (I kid you not) article on Jack essay in the volume. I always get these Vance. The article is illustrated with a icon-busting, villain-in-chief roles and, to portfolio of Vanciful creatures by Geoff tell the truth, I rather enjey them. Pollard. This piece, 'The Art of Xenography', At any rate, N orstrilia Press' first book

George Turner: SCIENCE FICTION IN AUSTRALIA Continued on Page 22

SFC 5 5 /5 6 21 From Page 21...... George Turner: SCIENCE FICTION IN AUSTRALIA was a critical success and fully competent From N orstrilia Press, I expect no less. in design and production. I believe there is also another novel in Bruce's plans for immortalising SFC were the offing, but everybody is being tight- thrust aside by the eruption of Ursula Le lipped about it. Guin onto the local scene in that same year, by the wild success of her workshop, and by * * * the decision to produce the workshop book, The Altered I. The book was a success with The b? money, if it can get itself backed readers and critics, and rights were sold to by s f expertise, has the best chance of Berkley Books (USA) for a sum that paid off making publishihg history here, but it is my the company's creditors and left money in hope that N crstrilia Press, which has the hand for the next production. s f expertise but not yet the money, will This was The View from the Edge which, whip the prize from under the older-estab­ limited so far to Australian distribution lished noses who deserve to lose it because only, has not yet paid for itself. Efforts they won't bother to learn the trade. to find distribution outlets in England and Rob Gerrand is also compiling and editing America have been unproductive, but the part­ an anthology of original Australian s f, ners are not downhearted. They are already Transmutations, which w ill be published in busy with a novel, Moon in the Ground (re­ collaboration with (je, financed by) another viewed in this issue of SFC), by Keith local firm, Cutback Press. ' A ntill, and my literary antennae are aquiver to reports that it is a high-quality bock. < • * " George Turner: SCIENCE FICTION IN AUSTRALIA Continued on Page 28

BY OUR FRUITS■..

Bruce Gillespie discusses

The View From the Edge: A Workshop of Science Fiction Stories edited by George Turner (Norstrilia Press; 1977; 124 pp; $4)

I suppose that what I fear most in the world really. By the time I get around to writing (apart from physical dangers, of course) is an article, it has already written itself in my the act of sitting down in front of a type­ head. All the real decisions about the form writer, with a blank piece of paper in it, and style of the article are decided by the and attempting to write a piece of prose nature of the material being researched. All f i c t i o n . the hard work is in the research, which is So constant.has been this fear in my life easy, even if endlessly time-consuming. that I've written,n« more than four or five Comes writing fiction - search your notes: stories during the last fifteen years - and nothing. No material to work with I All the two of these were written at a w riters' decisions yet to be made. w orkshop. No, that's not right. There is a huge why the fear? Why net a sim ilar fear of area of material which is waiting to be 'written writing reviews or factual articles, which is up'. It's the inside of one's own mind. The one of the many ways I have earned my living contents of the subconscious, as some would during recent years? A simple difference, say. But that area is lim itless... or is

22 SFC 55/5 6 there, perhaps, nothing there? You reach so far has been The View from the Edge, based the brink of the cliff which looks out over on the 1977 Monash W riters' Workshop. I can the territory of complete uncertainty, one's discuss the book with seme dispassion, since own mind - and look for a path; any path. No I had nothing to do with it until I received more difficult or frightening task in the a copy, even though it bears the imprint cf w o rld . the company of which I am a partner. I And that is why I've tried writing fiction could see no economic justification for pub­ only when I've had some certainty about which lishing it (and so far it has been a finan­ path to follow. cial disaster), and I would have preferred to get on with something new, rather than attempt to repeat the success of The A lte re d I . But somehow things are different at a W riters' It is plain when reading The View from the Workshop. I've been to only one - the "1975 Edge that George Turner had no intention of Workshop ('the Le Guin Workshop', as George following the footsteps of anyone, not even Turner calls it). It was one of the very Lee larding and Ursula Le Guin. Given the greatest weeks in my life - perhaps the task of editing a 'second Workshop book', greatest. I've written already about that George tried to put into effect some ideas experience (in SFC 44/45), and of course you about workshops Which were different from can read lets more from all the participants those shown in The Altered I. in The Altered I. What I remember most now I don't Know whether he succeeded or not. is that amazing experience of conquering, As I've said, I've always felt distanced for a week at least, the great fear of writ­ from Th.e View from the Edge. Carey Handfield ing fiction. There's the simple fact that handled all the processes of publication, everybody around is sitting, typing, for raised the money, and worked with George hour after hour. You try for an idea, and when needed. The cover is splendid, but not try for an idea, then give up for awhile, inviting. The print inside is small and per­ then... the story begins. You have no guaran­ haps offputting to many people. The bock tee that you can go from one sentence to contains no 'big names' except those of the another. Yet the sentences keep following, w riters-in-residence, Christopher Priest, and you can see the end of the story, and Vonda McIntyre, and George Turner him self, than it is finished. It's one o'clock in There must have been many potential buyers the morning and you might have time to who found the book forbidding and put it back on the shelf, finish the second draft in time to get some But all these things are beside the point. sleep before' th-e discussion . sessions begin In his editing of The View from the Edge, the next’ morning. And you keep wondering at George has tried to come to some conclusions the 'ideas floating around you, how everybody about the craft of fiction itself, If the is feeding ideas to everybody else without reader sees some of these points while read­ much being said. Telepathy? 'Togetherness'? ing the book, then George's aims w ill have Or just a process as mysterious as- the most been put into effect, and the book will be a mysterious process of.all - writing? success anyway, I have heard some people dispute the way * * * in which George has interpolated his comments among the stories which were written during Qne product of my fear of writing has been the workshop. First there's a story; then my enthusiasm for becoming involved in almost George's comment, Another story; another every other process of transferring pieces comment. And three general articles, one of fiction from the hand of the writer to each from Priest, McIntyre, and Turner, Some th e hand o f th e b o o k -b u y e r. In '197 5, Carey have found it disconcerting 'to read a story Handfield and I formed N orstrilia Press, and which has been thoroughly enjoyed - only to Rob Gerrand joined us in 1977; after already find that George has pinpointed exactly what lending us a considerable amount of money to is wrong with it. I have the opposite prob­ continue operations. The whole process went lem: after reading a story like Pip Maddern's a stage further at the end cf "1978. Norstri­ 'Ignorant of Magic', which I find quite lia Press hired an IBM Composer, and I began incomprehensible, even in the revised version typesetting our fourth book, Moon in the in Rooms of Paradise, George shows that he Ground (mere on that later). There have knows just what it. is all about. And I been changes in direction, and I can't say scratch my head, go back to the story, and I've approved of all of them. I would have find I still can't make head or tail of it. liked to continue the 'Best of SFC' series; But again, this misses the point. George . ... but The Altered I just had to be published aims to cover a host of problems about w riting. in the way it has been. (It has been our Usually these are problems which hit beginner only financial success so far.) writers most severely. If a beginner never The oddity among our four books published solves these problems, he or she w ill never SFC 55/56 23 get very far. But if the beginner tries to • Several people have made much of the fact •write by the rules', no stories will ever that Sharon Goodman was only sixteen at the be produced. The only solution is to show time of the 1977 iConash Workshop. (Which what has gone right in each story, and what means she is eighteen or nineteen now, about has gone wrong. the age when Isaac Asimov began selling Take a story like D W talker's 'Rat Stew'. stories.) Nothing has been heard of her It is a mystery story: the main character since that Workshop, and that seems a pity. has been hired to do research in the micro­ 'Day Dreamer' is an extraordinary stery to biology of proteins, but he has not been told come from anybody, and few successful writers the aim of the research. The head of the are so good at sixteen. A girl has gifts of laboratory controls the researchers by an precognition; Sharon shows what this would eccentric form of divide-and-rule, and strange actually be like for the girl and the people thingS'-s,eem to happen to researchers once who are responsible for her. Nothing melo­ they have completed a two-yfear stint. The dramatic at all; no breakthroughs in human only key might be provided by' the wife of possibilities. Just a lot of puzzled, hurt the laboratory head. And when all is revealed people. This is a type cf science fiction at the end, you scratch your head and say... which I admire a lot. It's not like the is that all there is? When I finished read­ science fiction of Pip Maddern, most of whose ing the story, I could not pinpoint just what stories nave involved start.ling conceptual had gone wrong. I read George's note at the leaps. Instead, Sharon asks: What would it end of the story, showing me just what was really be like if...? This takes imagination right and wrong about 'Rat Stew'. And I of a different kind. Perhaps the best s f com­ could see that Walker could well become a bines both kinds in the right proportions. very good writer indeed. But new I'm starting to pontificate about the nature of writing and of science fiction. * * * Perhaps George Turner does too much of that as well in this boo-k. But George always has The real problem with marketing The View from something worthwhile to say. _ l. . ' the Edge is that most of its potential buyers would not give a stuff about learning to * * * write, or divining-the ins and outs of each story. They would just like to read a col­ Having gone back to The View from the Edge lection of good stories. Since there are with some scepticism, I leave it with enthu­ few 'big names', there is little to guarantee siasm. Not as much as I have for The Altered this experience. A pity, because there are 1 - but that will always be. the problem cf seme fine stories here, which do not even this book: it cannot escape being the second - need George's notes. in a series. My enthusiasm is for the Work­ My favourite story is Pip Maddern's shoppers, most of all. They managed to get 'Silence'. It may be objected that pip is over the fear of flying that I have still. following a furrow already ploughed by Ursula Best of all, some of them have gone onto fur­ Le Guin and Vonda McIntyre. (You might call ther writing (titles of which are mentioned in it 'anthropological science fiction'.) Well, George's main article in this issue cf SFC). so are any number of writers in USA and Eng­ Even the people we haven't heard from since, land, and they are net doing it very well. such as Sharon Goodman and Malcolm English, The essence- of writing such a story is to see could yet .re-emerge. things from the viewpoint of the alien, which And the articles by George, Chris, and means really taking the imagination for a Vonda help to put a lot of things into per­ long, hard hike. In Pip's story, the aliens spective. One paragraph, written by Chris­ fear noise more than anything else. (On a topher Priest, can be particularly helpful in clear night, they can even hear radio waves keeping people like me writing: emitted by the stars.) The humans come to ...All the best fiction is an expression their planet in search of plunder - what else? in one form or another cf the unconscious They find a way to steal the 'treasure', but or subconscious mind. When writing fic­ destroy it in doing so. And they fail simply tion one should therefore allow the sub­ because they have no imagination for per­ mind a freer rein that one would allow it ceiving an alien viewpoint. One of the very in other matters. Everything I said du­ best s f stories for 1977. ring the workshop was, to some excent, a My other favourite is Bruce Barnes' 'The variation of this. Two Body Problem', which is a detective mys­ But the subconscious is only the real total tery rather than the kind of mystery raised of everything a writer is. So the message is: by pip Maddern. To tell you much about it is be everything that ycu really are. Which is to give away too much. George describes the a difficult' ta sk. difficulties in bringing this story into be­ And that is where I started, so I had better ing. It was worth the trouble. finish. 24 SFC 55/56 TOO MUCH POWER FOR THE IMPOTENT

Bruce Gillespie discusses -

Moon in the Ground by Keith Antill

(t'orstrilia Press; 1979; 220 pp; $11.95)

During the last few months, I have The strange object w ill communicate only read Moon in the Ground gt least five with beings who are technologically advanced times, mainly in the process of type­ to the point that they can keep artificial lighting directed at it for longer ihan a setting and publishing it. The fol­ natural cycle of day and night. Pandora has lowing is unique, I suspect: a long decided that these are people worth talking to. essay-by the publisher of a book ex­ But are they? plaining why he (and the other part­ Consider the scene: 14 Shed at 'Churinga ners of iJorstrilia Press) believe in R ift, US weather station, in the middle of the book sufficiently to risk a small nowhere'. In the middle is a large metal ob­ fortune on it. A true believer's ject which begins to play colours around it. '...The shaft or cylinder begat) to rise an document? Of course but also the inch at a time. The whole surface seemed to result of considerable examination of glow.*.-as it emerged from the earth, ceasing the text of Moon in the Ground to find only when twelve feet of its unknown length out just how and why it is a fine stood exposed. The disc top lifted a few novel: inches and it too halted,' Responsible for making contact with Pandora ♦ • ' • are the scientists, Sam Caporn, Imre Szep, and Hugo Mottram, A group of technicians Moon in the - Ground is basically a mystery stay on watch at all times. M ilitary story. .(hat is Pandora? what does she want? personnel buzz around the establishment. «hat does she offer humanity - evil or good, They include General Briggs, who is in charge or something unknown in previous human exper­ of the 'station, and Captain Mayhew,, who is in ie n c e ? charge during the"many periods when Briggs The aboriginal tribes who lived around , is away. But watching over them all is the Alice Springs called it a 'moon baby' or, CIA, in the person of Clifford Toglund. And 'moon in the ground', an object with magio who known who m ight be w atc h in g him? A ll a r e powers. At the beginning of the novel, Sam Americans, all strangers in this strangest of Caporn sees it as a 'huge silver disc set in lands, Australia. Fear washes around them the bare earth'. American surveyors found it like an ocean: fear of the Australians, who . and decided that it had an extraterrestrial might find out what is really going on here; origin. The US Government incorporated it fear of the Communist enemy, who might be into its network of bases near Alice Springs, here in any one of a number of disguises; and Caporn is head of the team studying the and, increasingly, fear of Pandora and of object. At the beginning of the novel, it each other. has done nothing and revealed nothing. The whole'bock is deliberately theatrical, 'Pandora' is the nickname g? ven to the mys­ with Pandora centre-stage, and various groups terious object - and it proves to be apt. of chara'cters moved onstage or offstage. All attempts to 'arouse' Pandora have failed This device gives a remarkable density to the so far. From his reading oi' the aboriginal action. The bock comes close to obeying the legend and by putting 2 and 2 together to unities of time and place, and the reader make 5, Caporn tries an experiment which must stay and chew his fingernails (or laugh activates Pandora. In doing so, he estab­ heartily) while watching events unfold. At lishes that intimacy of contact with Pandora all times, the reader is at the centre of which continues to be important throughout the stage as well, and is swept along by the th e n o v e l. current of happenings and emotions in the book. SFC 55/56 ■ 25 As readers, we find ourselves as puzzled he can think of. Mayhew and Toglund become as the characters to sort out those central involved when Caporn, Mottram, and Szep are questions I mentioned. Who is Panuora? 'incapacitated'. They try to question Pan­ Once 'she* (and the characters so soon be­ dora through the teletype link, but receive gin calling her 'she' that the reader does answers which make little sense to them. so too) wakes,u.p, Caporn rigs up a teletype Pandora has been asked what her purpose is. device to feed in signals. But so far Pan­ She answers, 'If you do not know, what do you dora has no vocabulary with which to answer. want?' During most of the novel, this state­ Caporn carries a dictionary towards the ob­ ment stops all the characters finding out ject - which stretches out a proboscoid arm what they most want to know. to take the book. At the same time, Caporn Pandora becomes the main character in the feels a powerful emotional reaction, of be­ book. Net that she says much, but she has a ing 'ingested' or 'drawn in'. He feels also tart way «f making fun of people who ask her that Pandora projects power, that a link, silly or over-literal questions. Toglund perhaps telepathic, has been established be­ tests her with, 'What is the name of my tween him and her. He scuttles away from maternal grandmother?' Pandora answers, Pandora, and finds that there is a 'circle 'Don't you know?' Toglund replies, of course, of influence' around her. 'Yes.' So Pandora answers, 'Then why ask while Pandora is teaching herself to read, me?' It's not that Pandora is trying to playing out vocabulary on the teletype, both baffle people; itBs just that they are so Mottram and Szep sneak in at different times good at baffling themselves. Mayhew tries to test.the power of the circle of influence. to save the situation, and feeis in, 'All Mottram realises quickly that it can be acti­ questions asked hereafter w ill be of unknown vated only by offering Pandora a gift. When things.' So Caporn becomes very annoyed, be­ she receives the gift, she perpetrates very cause this lim itation rules cut a large number strange effects on the givers. of questions he wanted, to ask! The base's medico, Dr Bianchi, comes to Eventually Washington realises how much of regard those influenced by Pandora as mad. a treasure chest Pandora might be. If she is He even plans to write a paper for a medical asked nicely, she reveals some remarkable journal on 'Bianchi's syndrome'. But he is information. Almost as an afterthought, puzzled that Pandora evokes such different Toglund asks her for a formula for rocket reactions from her various 'victim s' - in­ fuel. The answer comes through and is tense love from one, the worship of a reli­ tested. It's a miracle formula, much more gious acolyte from another. For awhile, effective than anything known before. The Caporn thinks he is cn the brink of turning Pentagon sends a whole sheaf cf questions into a 'superman'. for Pandora to answer. Pandora yields little information to her Moon in the Ground works 'on stage'. questioners, but this is mainly the fault of The centre cf every action is the 'circle of the questioners. But they are not at fault influence' cf Pandora. Eventually every because of stupidity or cupidity, but because character must face what effect it has cn of basic lim itations inherent in being human. his life. Each set cf questions newly sent Their greatest weaknesses arise from their from Washington must be fed by hand tc Pan­ greatest strengths.. Caporn will net test out dora. The three who have teen affected so Pandora fully because he is afraid of showing far by her influence - Caporn, Mottram, and her how stupid and evil humanity is. (For Szep - refuse to hand the questions to her. that reason, he opposes feeding her the They regard the requests listed as unjusti­ Encyclopsj-dLa Britannica.) At the same time, fied exploitation of her. Let Toglund and he hopes to gain from Pandora 'citadels of Mayhew do it I But they are both terrified new knowledge with its promise of himself - of being influenced by Pandora. They enter in d e e d , <>? all mankind - raised to superhuman the circle only because it is their duty to levels'. Mottram is afflicted bj the love obey their Government and eliver the ques­ which Pandora stirs in him, unrequited love. tions. The result? Bianchi has two mere He cannot bring himself to speak directly k* 'patients', Toglund and Mayhew, who have her, (As it turns out, direcct speech tc Pan­ fallen under the influence cf Pandora. dora is one of the signals for which she 'what a change in those two - talk about waits in vain throughout the novel.) Each buddies! It's all "Cliff" this and "Charlie" character refuses to be true tc himself, and that, like they'd never had a cross word in sc makes little headway in gaining the know­ their lives- ' Like Szep, they become true ledge which is his real quest. believers i>. the one true Pandora god, as a To the m ilitary and the CIA, Pandora is no­ way of bowing down to authority: 'For thing more than a dangerous brain-scrambler. (Toglund), it's all "Freedom, the US, and Worse, it makes its 'victim s' speak <~f love the Democratic Way". He believes everything and brotherhood; sc Toglund fears it is an the CIA taught him, like he believes what 'interplanetary Communist' - the worst insult the commercials say. So with authority

26 SFC 55/5 6 you've got their common link, the point of had forgotten his own sense of self­ fusion of their personalities.' importance, even for a moment, he might have Antill has an enticing way of spinning out solved the riddle of Pandora much earlier in his story so that, just when the reader the action. thinks all problems have been solved and The configurations of Antill's metaphor there is no more to the action, he pulls the are just as interesting, but tend to be ob­ rug from under everybody's feet. The rug is scured by the broad satire. In fact, never anything but slippery, though. We see, Antill's description of the relationship be­ as the characters do not, that they have tween Australia and America are scarcely failed entirely to explain Pandora's actions. satire, as can be seen frqm events during She could be up to anything. And there is recent years. (Moon in the Ground was writ­ furious activity in Washington. We hear ten in the late -1960s, but becomes more up- news broadcasts occasionally, and they show to-date each year.) that the outside world is not doing well at But Australia seen as the impotent pawn all, Antill has a very nice sense of chaos of a technologically powerful America is much - of showing how people or even countries the same metaphor as the relationship between who believe themselves impregnable can be the main characters and Pandora. Antill wounded by the slightest change in their makes much of the fact that Churinga Rift is circumstances. And Pandora's inventions are populated by career figures who 'believe in' changing the world greatly. what they are doing. They obey orders with­ For some time, the 'Pandora Club’, as out question, do their best to advance Ameri­ they oall themselves, do not realise what is can interests, and welcome Pandora's influ­ happening in the outside world. Each of ence as a comforting authority figure. They them uses the forcefield as a mind oomforter go to some lengths to surrender individuality and explorer, spending, hours of every day - and so fail to find the Answer that they inside the circle of influence. But Pandora are seeking. Pandora waits ■for the length does deliver the answers fcto a second lot of •f %he novel for some human to stand up forth­ detailed questions.. The answers do not even rightly and communicate direotly with her. go back to Ameriea, but are being tested at Instead, she is fed the ultimately idiotio other bases at Churinga. As nobody in Aus­ question, 'How long are you going ta.continue tralia knows, the entire US weapons research to serve us?' To reply, she asks, 'How many program hasleng since been shifted out to are you?' Later, she asks, 'Am I to. serve Australia, (Yes, I rather believe it, ’too.) the whole world?' If she is to serve the But the final result is no help to Austra­ whole world, she can hardly serve only one lia. The US uses one of Pandora's inven­ part of it, America. But these people do not tions, an all-prqte<,tive force-screen, t» believe in a whole world. Which, as Antill protect itself from the entire rest of the implies, is the same as not believing in world. The balaace between world powers has yourself as a human being, but only as the disappeared, and rtow.it seems as if the Third representative of some country or belief, World War is *»ly hours away, * Soxual frustratiefh ha’s much to do with the A»d then? I'll leave you to read Moon in situation. Early in the novel, Antill makes the. Ground for yourself. It's enough to say much of the separation experienced-by these thpt pandora has^the last laugh on humanity, men in the Outbaok, The Australians in Alice but it's a sour laugh. ' {springs do not vJdloome their attentions. Al­ though office girls Wdrk«at the base, they ♦ * * are "scarcely^noticed by the male inhabitants* Some characters, like Mottram, relish the •Ch^ twists and turns of Antill's story are aloneness and absorption in scientific work handled adroitly, and give rise to muoh whi di life on the base offers. Little won­ comedy, of incongruity and undisguised farce, der that the strong signals released by Pan­ Thepp is a beautiful? scene, for instance,■* dora evoke in them a sexual response. Where Gapopn and Mfttram, linked by a tempo­ Several characters show strong signs of jea­ rary telepathic bond under Pandora's ipflu- lousy when they realise that others have 80 charging around the station, speak­ received her 'favours' as (rail. Pandora is ing with one voice and frightening the hell 'she' - the only female <• from early in th£ out-of even the toughest Military man, pr book, And 'she' is the most powerful figure there are-the technicians, who are regarded on stage,"a bitch’ goddess, making fun of her as beneath consideration by most of the char­ subjects, playing with them, absorbed with acters , but who gain great amusement from them* When she feels that humans as a whole the attics of their 'superiors' every time have rejected her (after she has played some they enter the circle of influence. And cute tricks on them), she leaves in what looks Caporn, Mottram, Szep, Toglund, and Mayhew suspiciously’ like a huff. become figures of fun only beca&se they takb But the ambiguity of the bock is made mere themselves'so seriously. If any one of them obvious by the fact that Pandora is the most

SFC 55/56 27 obvious male symbol in the book. There’s know that she takes the whole episode as that six-fovt-long cylinder erected centre­ 'personally* 1 as does any other character. stage throughout the book! No wonder the In the end, she likes being an authority reactions of the characters tend toward hys­ figure who brings goodies to grateful sub­ teria dissolving into melancholia and acute jects. Humankind is an exasperating set of introspection. But ambiguity of this sort bastards - but we have not so completely is the essence of go»d drama. Goaded by given away our humanity as to fall for.Fan- internal forces they do not understand at all, dora. Vfhat we have done is extend our war­ the characters put oh a spectacular show of making capacity so far that we have little energy for the reader. hope of avoiding the "next world war. That's I feel almost that Moon in the Goound be­ carrying potency to its most ridiculous ex­ came more complicated than Antin's original treme. Somewhere between Pandora and Arina- intentions. Beside Pandora, humankind, was geddon lies the balance, but Antill offefrs meant to look frail and suicidal. But she is little hope that anybody will find it. But left at the end as something less than an all is not lost. «e must do it, not spme all-pure judge of the world. Pandora is a visitor from outer space. Read the last chap­ machine that has been built to react in a ter in particular. Will there by any wotld certain way with the people she encounters. left for Pandora when she wakes again? : Although we see little of het reactions, we - Bruce Gillespie July '1979

From Page 22...... t George Turner: SCIENCE FICTION IN AUSTRALIA With dozens of peeple writing, editing, pub­ Astounding for May 19^, aftd probably only lishing, and going to workshops (another oae Bert knows^how many .there have bee.n since. at Mor.ash University next year with< hope­ He has published 33 novels; there are twe fully, Joe Haldeman as my running mate), the more in the publishers' hands *and another <»> future leeks set fair. the typewriter. Many s f writers have pro­ But we must find some novelists; you can't duced vastly more in a similar period, but build a solid s f on short stories. few have been so consistent in quality. I can recall only two novels which se«m to me to Have fallen below the Chandler standard, PART 3 . and there are few prolific writers of whom as much can be said. The state of the art , Bert is best known as the creator *f Com­ modore Grimes - or whatever his rank in- the latest-novel, Matilda's Stepchildren - but Granted all the ferment and flurry among fans he has produced sixteen »ther novels as well, and ambitious but tentative new professionals, among the least-known of which is his flir­ the r.eal future’ Of s f lies with its writers. tation with John Russell Fearn's Golden Ama­ The fact to be faced is that we have only zon. Fearn wrote a series of Golden Amazon two wh« have made a continuous impression en novels for the Toronto Star nf Canada. The the world scene, twe more who are emerging paper wished to continue with the popular into prominenoe, and a handful ef talented character.after his death, and asked Bert to 'eceasionals• ' It is this.small group I must do another GA story. new present, perhaps more briefly thaa they Bert, who detested the character, accepted deserve. in a *ry-anything-oace spirit, but soon feund he couldn't deal with the impossible woman; A BERTRAM CHANDLER so he had her brainwashed., and the psycholo­ gically reoriented lady reappeared as the 'This Means War!' Empress Irene in Empress ef Outer Space, The Empress of Outer Space Toronto Star felt, perhaps, that some sleight Into the Alternate Universe of typewriter had keen werked on them and the relationship lapsed. The novel was published If we had a chapter to elect a Dean of as half of an Ace Double, with The Alternate Australian s f , A Bertram ('Bert') Chandler Martians, in 1965. would take the position unopposed. Yes, yes, But Bert has always been happiest with I know he is English born, allowing you to Grimes and the Rim Worlds. (He once did an claim at least a part of tie action, but he autobiographical piece for John Bangsund, who is an Australian citizen these days, living published it as 'My Life and Grimes'.) It in Sydney. has long been a friendly joke that Bert writes His record in s f is solid. His first about ocean-going spaceships or spare-going shert story, 'This Means War!', appeared in limers; he accepts it philosophically. But

George Turner: SCIENCE FICTION IN AUSTRALIA...... Continued on Page 29

28 SFC 55/56 From Page 28...... George Turner: SCIENCE FICTION IN AUSTRALIA what would you expect of an old seadog who LEE HARDING has only recently retired after spending most of his life on the water, ending as Captain 'Dancing Gerontius' C h a n d le r? florid of Shadows In fact, these 'ocean-going spaceships', Future Sanctuary designed and staffed and disciplined out of The weeping Sky a lifetim e's fam iliarity, are more believable Displaced Person than the products of writers who accept the Fallen Spaceman spaceship as a useful piece of s f hardware Children of Atlantis and forget that it is a miniature breathing, The Frozen Sky living world* Return to Tomorrow Grimes appeared as a minor character in Journey into Time early Rxm worlds novels, which began in 1961, The Altered I but took star status in Into the Alternate Beyond Tomorrow Universe (Ace Double with The, Coils of Time, Rooms of Paradise 1964), and has never looked back through seventeen published novels, and two as yet If Bert Chandler is our most prestigious u n se e n . w riter, Lee Harding is our most diverse Grimes' appeal lies, for me, in the sober and, within Australia, the most influential. normalcy of himself and his friends and foes. He is a dedicated w riter, determined on suc­ The environs may be bizarre, the adventures cess, and success is coming to him after a fantastic, but they are faced by people like long apprenticeship. He has, like any of us, ourselves; we are not plagued by red-blooded his lim itations, but he has also some dis­ numbskulls or yawnworthy superheroes. tinctive abilities and a willingness to In his short stories, another side of Bert attempt fresh areas. Chandler is seen, displaying a quirkish He began with short stories in Carnell's humour better suited to the swift anecdote New Worlds and, later, Vision of Tomorrow. than the complex novel. There is the tale of From these early years, one tale, 'Dancing how Ayers Rock turned out to be an ancient Gerontius', s till remains sharply in memory. spaceship - and took off. There is my favour­ His first real break came with publication ite, about the orbiting astronaut who re­ of his novel, florid of Shadows (Robert Hale; turned to Earth to discover himself the only "1975; 160 pp; 47). It made no s 1 history, man in history who had missed the Last Trump. but was a promising work. We could do with a collection of these tales. It was followed by the paperback, Future He is a good man for Australian s f, writ­ Sanctuary (Laser Bocks No 41; 1976; 190 pp; ing for Void and Boggle though better markets $ 1 .5 5 ) . are available, always friendly, available The Weeping Sky was published by Cassell when needed, a w riter who knows both his Australia in 1977 (197 pp; $5.95) to con­ worth and his obligations. siderable fan applause. He has been published by Ace, Daw, Monarch, Mere interesting is Displaced person Dell, Lancer, and Curtis in America; by (Hyland House; 1979; 142 pp; S9), a novel Herbert Jenkins, Mayflower, and Robert Hale which can be seen as a 55,000-word metaphor in England; by Wren and Horwitz in Australia; for teenage alienation; and a most striking and by Just about every major s f magazine metaphor it is. It is his most stylish work you oare to name, as well as such gentlemanly yet, and will be in print (from Quartet, outsiders as Town and Country and John O' England, and Harper & Row, America, as well) London's Weekly. And has been translated by the time you read this. into eleven languages, including Japanese, Lee is no gadgeteer; he writes of people Cne last note: This renegade Englishman and surroundings as an indivisible whole, is the most Australian in theme and atmos­ with fantasy and wonder arising cut of them phere of any of cur w riters. The native-born rather than being imposed upon them. might ponder this, then look again at their He has also been busy in other less usual own im itations of overseas idols. directions, mostly concerning youth education. A few years ago, Cassell Australia published a series cf short paperbacks designed for remedial-reading olasses. Lee did four cf these: Fallen Spaceman (1975; 99 pp; $1) (not the same as his If tale of the same title), Children of Atlantis (1976; 104 pp;

George Turner: SCIENCE FICTION TN AUSTRALIA ...... Continued on Page 30

SFC 5 5 /5 6 29 From Page 29...... George Turner: SCIENCE FICTION IN AUSTRALIA

35'1.50), The Frozen Sky (-1976; "102 pp; 351.50), Into Time, The gimmick was that classes of and Return to Tomorrow (1976; 112 pp; $1.50). bacnward readers listened to the play with They were popular, were reprinted and, I be­ the script in their hands so.that they could lieve, sold also in Britain. relate the speeches to the printed word. These books, written with word-by-word This was a success with kids and teachers, attention to remedial-reading necessities, so another, Legend of New Earth, is in pro­ were, says Harding, the most difficult fic­ g r e s s . tion he has attempted, As an editor, Lee earned his spurs with Fallen Spaceman is to be published in the Workshop book, The Altered I, in 1976, America by Harper and Row with illustrations and continued with the already mentioned by Schoenherr, to my mind the best artist in Beyond Tomorrow and Rpems of Paradise. The the s f business. last w ill be published in America by St These brought him to the attention of the M artin's Press. Australian Broadcasting Commission, for whom It is a record of achievement, of which my he did a children's radio serial, Journey feeling is that we have so far seen only the p r e lu d e .

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WHY DID THE SKY WEEP?

A debate about Lee Harding1s The Weeping Sky (Cassell Australia; 197.7; 197 pp; $5.95) with comments from: Rob Gerrand John Foyster Lee Harding Bruce Gillespie

Rob Gerrand: * A MASTERPIECE.■■'

First, we must state quite clearly that It is such a clear novel that virtually any The Weeping Sky is a masterpiece - which, scene can be recalled, three-dimensionally in our science-fictional world of noble as it were, to mind, such is the precision but failed experiments, is a rare achieve­ of expression, the intensity of impression. ment, It is a novel precisely and surely The novel is set in an alternate world’s imagined, well structured and beautifully middle ages, in which a Scientist and his w r i tte n . apprentice have ventured to examine a new Clarity is the difficult tool Mr Harding phenomenon, carelessly and superstitiously has grasped and mastered: clarity in seeing called miraculous by the local monks: a mys­ his characters, clarity in seeing their en­ terious, transparent wall across a valley, vironment, clarity in developing the lucid which 'weeps' water, thus slowly forming a plot, and clarity in the writing of it all. la k e .

30 SFC 5 5 /5 6 The impact of this mysterious wall on the perhaps even antipathetic, to each other, yet lives of those nearby and those who venture each a serious artist - because Mr Harding to see it is related with Ballardian author­ appears to have brought off a successful ity, but with a sense of life lacking in Bal­ fusion of various of their qualities: Bal­ lard. Keith Roberts' pavane may be remem­ lard's visualisation and intensity, but bered by readers as a novel of another alter­ adding a sense of warmth; Roberts' example of native medieval reconstruction, inhere that a youthful protagonist in an alternative his­ admirable book irritated, however, because of tory (Pavane has a sim ilar 'feel' to The a fundamental confusion as to what Roberts Weeping Sky) , but with a surer sense of.pur­ was really trying to achieve, which led to pose and better balance; and B.lish's intel­ erratic pacing and a tendency to obscurity, lectual rigour, but without the pedagogy. The Weeping Sky glides smoothly on, navigat­ There is no point in retelling the plot er ing such shoals because of the surety and describing the various characters and their strength of its construction. The book is interactions. All of that is handled only true to itself. The other writer who should too well by Mr Harding. What we shall say be mentioned is James Blish, whose Dr Mirabi- is that in The Weeping Sky Mr Harding has lis is another attempt at medieval recon­ aroused in us anew, as if it had never-dis­ s t r u c t i o n . appeared, a sense of wonder. We mention these three w riters, Messrs Ballard, Roberts, and Blish - so different, Rob G erran d December -1977

John Foyster;

'...A PUZZLE THAT ISN'T A PUZZLE...'

(*Explanation: What follows is a review reasons for not writing about Lee or his fic­ that is not exactly a review, and did tion: I am too close to him, personally. not appear in the magazine for which But I think I shall try, partly because you it was meant. It is, in fact, written ask so elegantly, and partly because last night I went to the movies and saw an Ibsen in the form of a letter to John Bang- double-bill. Ibsen, I think, cheated by sund, explaining why John Foyster writing so much about people he didn't like should not review a book written by or, more generally, people for whom he had no Lee Harding, a friend of his. It sympathy. That, it seems to me, makes w rit­ seems that John Bangsund thought the ing too easy. But perhaps if I have that non-review might offend Lee anyway. sort of belief I ought to think again about At least, he didn't print it. John Foy­ not writing on the fiction of someone as close to me as Lee is. ster rescued the review, and published First I should dispose of one troubling it in Chunderl, Vol 2, No 9, 7 Nov 78. problem - or at least bring it to your atten­ In the meantime, Lee was writing to tion. The Weeping Sky, as found in a volume Chunder' about his objections to Van of the same name published by Cassell Aus­ Ikin's article about Harding's novels. tralia, isn 't exactly the novel Lee wrote. The two issues get a bit mixed up, so Now Lee and I had a fair discussion about I am reprinting John Foyster's com­ the advantages and disadvantages of copy­ editing, with particular reference to The ments first, and then Lee's, even 'Weeping Sky, and it was our conclusion that though they were all mixed up together copy-editing was a good thing, but that at the time. And if you're not con­ screwing up a book wasn't. The Weeping Sky fused by then, you can't say I haven't seems to have been subjected to a good deal tried. *brg*) of the latter and precious little of the fo rm e r. Dear John (Bangsund) And it gets worse. Let us hypothesise a You ask me to review Lee Harding's The jacket-copy author looking for a quick sum­ Weeping Sky. I'm sure it will not have es­ mary of the plot in the first few pages. caped your notice that I've not previously Ah, here we are: 'The wall was a mystery they reviewed any of Lee's stories or novels, and had come here to unrave' (page 2). Give 'em I have always felt that I had the best of an inch and they'll take an ell, I always SFC 5 5 /5 6 3 i say - what do you always say? field for exploration and variation. Lee The other side of what was done to Lee's Harding, so far as I can make out, has for manuscript has to be described in more gene­ almost twenty years mined one little patch: ral terms. Cassell decided to metricate the a protagonist, almost always alone, seeks to novel, so they did - in places. They decided understand an artefact which is clearly the that one character's accent was too broad, so product of Someone Else. (I do not suggest i t was. t r a n s l a t e d in to s ta n d a r d E n g lis h - in that Lee hasn't written other kinds of places. Names were changed (of course), and science fiction, but he does seem to have bits and pieces added and subtracted through­ taken a lot of gold out of those particular out. All in all, I guess Lee has discovered h i l l s . ) the meaning of involuntary collaboration..... I do not see this as a serious problem: (Parenthetically (he remarked tautologously) understanding other people may be difficult I might note that Lee finds this sort of (but that's not likely to arise in science treatment very different from what he is fiction), but dealing with the products of a currently receiving from another publisher.) civilisation, however loosely defined, doesn't Well, having tried to make some distinc­ seem to me to warrant serious consideration - tion between the bock written by Lee John I'm sorry that Lee wastes his time on it. Harding and that published by Cassell Aus­ In The Weeping Sky, the protagonist is a tralia, I now find myself dealing somewhat sixteen-year-old; the artefact is a weeping hesitantly with a chunk of paper of uncertain lens (rather than a weeping sky). The age of parentage; but I shall not further make that the protagonist is determined by the market distinction, and will pretend that LJH is the for which Lee is writing, of course, but onlie begetter. nevertheless it is restricting in terms of I have complained, over the years, and pri­ the perceptions which may be relayed to the vately to Lee, that there is a certain same­ reader. But because such a protagonist is so ness in all his fiction, so far as I am con­ much easier for the writer to handle, such a cerned. I do not think it is just his world­ c h o ic e i s common enough in s c ie n c e f i c t i o n - view, which is rather different from mine, particularly, say, with Heinlein. but rather that his machinery for dealing The other way is to make one's authorial life with outside impressions is so different from easy is to create a very simple society, pro­ m ine, bably highly regulated, and not too differ­ I think that I take the world as basically ent from the popular impressions of past knowable; that there are a few rough edges human societies, The Weeping Sky is set in a and dark corners near which one must tread sort of kitsch-medieval alternate world which, carefully, but in general, though we may not because there really isn 't room for develop­ like how the world works, we do know that it ment, lacks the charm of, say, Lud-in-the- works and something about how it works. Lee, M is t. it seems to me, takes a different view - that The final handicap with which Lee saddles if the world is knowable, we do not know very himself is, as one might almost predict from much about it, and that such knowledge as we the context, that ponderousness of language have should be. guarded carefully and trea­ which some mistake for poetry, Here's some sured as something rare and beautiful and sample dialogue: (though this is a somewhat hackneyed descrip­ D o n e lla : tion which I find embarrassing to use) there 'But how can you know th is?,.. How can are some things we are not meant to know. you say that such a thing will be true?' At least, th at’s how we seem to differ C onrad: whenever I finish reading one of Lee's stor­ ’I cannot say for sure, Donella: I can ies, whether i t ’s a short stony or a short only surmise there is a high probability novel like this one; Perhaps I can begin to that this will occur,’ explain why I feel this way; Conrad then goes into an explanation which Far too much science fiction, as many ob­ presumably is so nauseating that even Lee servers have noted, is based upon the notion cannot bring himself to report it* And then: that human beings are extremely simple-minded Donella gazed at him in fascination. It (and; extending that, that none, or very few, was hard for her to visualize what he was are devious), Newspapers and television and saying; her mind had not been trained to pulp fiction all rely upon this self-percep­ understand such things. Conrad seemed to tion amongst their various audiences, In realize this, for he lowered his voice science fiction, this approach works itself and said gently, 'Donella, I know how dif­ out largely through idiot plots, since the ficult this must be for you: but try to persons in science fiction are almost non­ understand. It is my task - my sworn existent. Serious fiction tries, I like to duty - to observe everything strange, to think, to work with more realistic, more record what I have seen; and, where, pos­ human, hum ans. sible, to make conjecture, upon what I Science fiction, however, is a quite rich have seen. This much I have done.'

32 SFC 5 5 /5 6 Of such stuff are reporters for Truth made! But The. Leeping Sky is readable, as I have (.But we should be grateful that the last sen­ said. Because he has done it so often be­ tence of th is extract from pages '1'16-1'17 was fore, Lee is able to interest the reader in not, ’This much have I done.’) his puzzle that isn't a puzzle. One does Given that starting point, it seems unlike­ want to know something about the bloody lens ly that a 'good 1 novel will result. In some (er, you don't really find out, by the way) ways, the result is disappointing, but it is. and, if you are like me, you will keep read­ also true that The 'weeping Sky is surprising­ ing in the hope that something of interest ly readable. Lee does have a story (or al­ will develop in one of the characters (for most a story) to tell and, while the story is me, nothing did - they seem to have been jogging along, it is almost possible to for­ pushed around in response to plot require­ get its surroundings. Perhaps, like some ments). In my case, of course, I was inter­ other science fiction writers, Lee isn't ac­ ested in seeing what Lee would do next, and tually telling a story, and by craft manages that perhaps won't be so much fun for other to give the impression that he is. Since the readers. On the other hand, other readers characters don't influence’events, one might may find the plot more palatable. This is assume that the novel is to some extent about one of the major problems, I guess: that be­ character development, yet in fact there's cause I've seen it done before, I'm hardly little evidence that the characters do able to be enthusiastic about this umpteenth change, aside from the author's earnest assur­ repetition. ances that this is the case. Ncr does' the I don't know whether you would enjoy The novel te ll us very much about our world (ex­ Leeping Sky - it doesn't seem to fit into cept for giving Lee's views cn the 1 f a l l o u t your pattern of reading material - but it will shelter•problem - see pages 166-168). So te ll you something about what Lee is up to what the-subject of the novel might be, I now adays. can't tell you. Regards, John (Royster)

Lee Harding in reply:

(*brg* First some remarks Lee made liked to see in print... I would not have before he read John Foyster's review, objected to the letting of a little blood but after he read Varf Ikin' s long from the touch of your scalpel... general article about Lee Harding's (Chunder1, Vol 2, No 9, 7 Nov 78) work: *) (*brg* In the same issue, John acceded I do recall a very funny piece in an early to Lee's request. Next issue, Lee A8FR when you reviewed New W ritings in SF 'll have his reaction after John sliced and t o r e my s to r y and Ja c k >

SFC 55/5 6 33 mised them, I promptly sent him a copy of the works of friends. I take this a step The keeping Sky with 72 major corrections further and find myself reluctant to raise (I didn't have time to bother with the my pen to praise or damn a fellow w riter. minor ones.) His prompt response was to say Arnold Schoenberg has said that an a rtist's ■ that this was 'pretty horrific', and that, major concern is his own work, and that, if before returning my copy, he would transfer he criticises one of his peers, then it will my corrections to their file copy... be for the purpose of forwarding his own Anyway, the upshot of all this is that I ideas. I think that, in the s f field, did manage to get a new - and much better - Brian Aldiss and George Turner would spring contract negotiated for my next Cassell book, to mind as the most likely contenders in this and this includes the right to okay the copy- regard. Since I am neither old enough nor edited ms. Nothing so strange about that: wise enough to have formulated a Theory About my new publisher, Harper & Row, is courteous Writing - did I hear someone say not percep­ enough to send me airm ail Xeroxes of my copy- tive enough? - I feel no urge to write re­ edited oss with all queries indicated - even views of anyone else's writing. Not any if it is only a misplaced comma... On the m ore. other hand, my favourite notation so far has ...However, I wish to pick a nit and dis­ been this: 'We cannot find Albert Park Lake claim your suggestion that (my writing) sug­ anywhere on our maps. Could you be more spe­ gests 'there are things we are not meant to c i f i c ? ' know'. I would prefer to be absolved of that Your review of The Weeping Sky was fine in cliche and instead make a point that - per­ a way that so many reviews are not: in writ­ haps - there are things we simply cannot ing you, you revealed something of your own know. Perhaps I seek the numinous, or what­ nature as well as the book's. ev er? I can understand your reluctance to review ( C h u n d erJ, Vol 2 , No 10, 28 Nov 7 8 ).

Bruce Gillespie:

WHY THE SKY WEPT

Front he exchange of correspondence between Leo worth speaking of. Harding and John Foyster, one astonishing [waking the main character into a teenage conclusion can be drawn: that neither the re­ boy was probably not too difficult. Adding viewer nor the author knew what The Weeping the extra characters at the beginning must Sky is all about. Is it possible that I am have been more difficult. The real change more astute than both commentators? Or did between the two stories has been the change John Foyster fox Lee Harding into forgetting in Lee's style. Lee has always had a ten­ ideas which were surely clear to him when he dency to describe, in long and wearying de­ wrote the book? ta il, the emotions which are supposed to be Another item has become clear: that The inspired in the characters at particular beeping Sky is net a 'm asterpiece', as Rob points in the story. He needed to cut all Gerrand claims. However, it is excellent to that stuff, and either give up worrying about the point where I am more on Rob's side than emotions and concentrate on the action, or on John's, The truth lies between, and I tell the story in such a way that we felt would like to try to find that truth. the main character's emotions for ourselves. The latter feat is more worthwhile, and Lee * * * comes close to it in many sections of The weeping Sky. More importantly, he has cut I have had the advantage of reading 'The down the narrative so that the story skips Weeping Sky', a novella which Lee Harding along, and we can make up our minds for our­ wrote in the late 1960s, and was bounced from selves on what the story is about. place to place when nobody much was publish­ All of which makes me a ll the more amazed ing novellas. As I recall it, 'The Weeping that Lee can write: 'What was it about? Sky' had the same central image as The Weep- Search me.' I suppose I will have to tell ing Sky: the ever-widening lens, the flood, him after all. the journey into the alternate dimension. The main character was an adult monk, how­ * * * ever, and there were no ether characters

54 SFC 5 5 /5 6 The obvious thing to say is that The Weeping rob him of all he possessed if the balance Sky is 'about' the wall, or lens, or of power ever shifted in their favour...'). 'weeping sky'. At the beginning of the In ordinary times, the relationship between book, it looks like a 'solid sheet of glass, these groups would be clear: ruler and directly over the lake. But as it reached ruled, oppressor and oppressed. Now all are out on either side, the intensity of the equally threatened by the central non-, light diminished, and eventually faded away human objects into a shimmering mist at the extreme edges Outside the tableau stands Conrad. In of the phenomenon'. At first, the water feigning -neutrality, he becomes identified falling through this lens merely wets the with the Wall itself. He becomes non-human, ground. Gradually the volume of water in­ perhaps; certainly an alien, because of his creases, the valley becomes flooded, and desire to investigate, rather than accept, the inrushing water emits the stench of decay. natural phenomena. The function of the Wall in the story is The strength of The Weeping Sky is that to mock the people who are forced to put up Harding does net give automatic support for with its incursion into their lives. The Conrad's position. We think for a while l,all is a neutral form of inconvenience which that Conrad is a 'goodie’, just like the becomes an active form of destruction. heroes of all those other mock-medieval It is also seen as a source of profit by romances. But then the Wall collapses al­ the Abbot of the nearby monastery and the together, and a vast flood covers the Duke of the surrounding territory. The Duke countryside. Conrad and friend (Donella) orders his men to form an armoured ring around and their enemy, the Abbot, are stuck in a the valley. The solders' aim is to stop room at the top of a tower which is the one crowds of pilgrims from testing for them­ structure likely to survive the flood. Con­ selves the proposition that the waters from rad locks the door, but the villagers race the Wall have miraculous properties. A mono­ up the stairs inside the tower and try to poly on miracles is seen by the Duke and the get inside the door. Conrad keeps the door Abbot as a splendid opportunity to improve locked: 'The screams on the other side of their political position. the door rose to a pitch and then faded away The people in The Weeping Sky do not into gasps and struggling cries as the mo­ over-react to the new natural phenomenon. mentum of the water swept in through the door Instead, 'collectively the village took a of the lodge and surged up the staircase. deep breath, found time to give thanks and The people outside were swept and tossed praise the Almighty, then got ready to squeeze around like so much straw, then sucked down all they could from the purses of the many to the bottom of the stairs. ' Exit people; visitors steaming through the streets. ' And, exit any pretension of Conrad to be a '.goody'. as I've said before, leaders of Church and He is a human, too, just trying to survive. State set up their sideshow to milk the Where else might his metamorphosis lead him? pockets of both visiters and locals. No over­ The beeping Sky is about b?ing human. sim plification of motive or plot here: just In many ways, it is like the Strugatsky people getting on with the arduous job of Brothers' Hard to be a God, where the main surviving, no matter what. character wanted to abstract himself from But Master Asquith and Conrad le Jeune are the harsh medieval environment in which he two people who call themselves Scientists. found himself - but instead, was quite caught In other words, they are the only people in up in it. But not even Hard to be a God had this world interested in looking at natural the splendid apocalyptic denouement which phenomena from an objective viewpoint. graces the last pages of The Weeping Sky. This task places them rather outside their The flood leaves behind mud where villages own society - so much so that Conrad, the and fertile fields had been. After the Abbot young protagonist, thinks of himself as be­ escapes from the tower, Conrad slogs it out ing above the petty concerns of those he across the mud, pursuing him. Both step travels among. through the lens, new flood-free. The world I have a sort of mental diagram in my mind they see seems alien: *a featureless plain of The Weeping Sky (reinforced by the way stretching into deep and utter darkness.' Harding sets up effective stage settings for But even this alien world presents mocking all the action in the book). The Wall is images of humanity. Conrad sees creatures in the middle, growing larger and more killed by a war which rages in this dangerous, mocking those gathered around. To alternate world: 'Something flopped around one side are the villagers, and the formers close by his head... One of the tiny man­ whose lands are being taken away by the grow­ fish creatures was struggling to survive. ing lake. On the other side are the power­ Its near-human face mocked him. After a ful people, especially the Duke (frightened while, it ceases struggling and flopped over, 'by such close proximity to the rabble...: its head lolling in the mud. (Conrad and he knew that they could very easily the man-fish) stared at each other for a long

SFC 55/5 6 35 t i m e . ' * * * So. man has changed into a creature even more fragile than the people Conrad left be­ So th at's what The Weeping Sky is about - h in d in h i s own w o rld . who h as r e p la c e d images of humanity; an adventure in which at people? - Harding does not show us their faces least one person finds out what it is to be but shows us the effects of the war they human. If the characters have little scope wage among themselves. One effect of this to affect the main direction of their lives war has been a high-energy device which has (as Foyster claims),'then that is how things opened a way from one alternative world to are. What is the best way to act, given the other. . The new people are much like that we have little scope for action? And people anywhere. can we prevent ourselves acting badly, any­ . In this final confrontation, Conrad is de­ way, without abstracting ourselves from the prived of his implied claims to being 'out­ human stage altogether? The l/eeping Sky side humanity', a student of life rather than has no set answers, like so many fantasy part of life itself. The strange time-dis­ and science fiction books. The situation is torting quality of the alternative world presented starkly, and we must allcw the works on Conrad as.well as the Abbot. Con­ questions to affect us. rad ages quickly, he 'becomes a man' in a I hope that Lee Harding agrees with me. few minutes, both physically and psychologi­ If so, he might write some more rich books c a l l y . about what it is to be human.

LIGHT IN THE GREYWORLD

Rob Gerrand d i s c u s s e s : Displaced Person by Lee Harding (Hyland House; 1979; 139 pp; $8.95)

US edition: Misplaced Persons (Harper & Row; 1979,- 149 pp; $7.95)

Displaced Person is a simply w ritten, under­ his. normal life. The book is Graefe's stated novel which yet has considerable account of what happens from then on. power. That it is written by Lee Harding Stated so baloly, this plot outline shows shows he has not stood s till since The V;eep- something about the nature of writing - that ing Sky. Mr Harding has had the courage to some w riters can make an engrossing work, of move into the different and difficult field an idea, and others nothing. Readers become of the apparently straightforward first- involved only when the author can make his person narrative. Although the book has some characters credible, and the difficulties the faults, it is a convincing and disturbing characteis face and the means of overcoming novel - and an extremely readable one. them real to the reader. Gf course, the The novel is basically the recounting, via author must believe that something interest­ a small cassette player, of a bizarre event ing is happening throughout the plot, but in the life of seventeen-year-old Graeme again, this becomes appar?ht when the Drury. One day in the local McDonald's he author reveals what the characters are feel­ finds himself ignored and the world locking ing and thinking and how they respond to each indistinct and grey. Graeme passes quickly o th e r . into a shadow world where he is cut off from ■Displaced Person is all the more powerful

36 SFC 5 5 /5 6 for the quiet unmelodramatic way it unfolds. (♦EDITOR'S NOTES For Graeme Drury is a quiet, unmelodramatic youth. He examines and ponders the unnerving Forgive yet another intrusion by an even- way he is cut off from parents, girlfriend, more-gabby-than-usual Editor, but... and, finally, society, as he tries to find Rob Gerrand does not mention that the great some understanding of his situation. Since attraction, of Displaced Person is its sense he is seventeen, his occasional philosophis­ of place. A teenage reader of this book in ing seems jejune at times - but it is never Des Moines or Pocatello could travel to St pretentious, and helps nicely to move the Hilda and almost navigate its streets. To book along. see the unique character of St Hilda captured In his grey world, Graeme meets an old so well is good; to see it at one remove, man, Jamie - a drawing verging on carica­ through this alien experience, is memorable. ture - and Marion, a more successful crea­ Rob also does not mention that Displaced tion. By and large, the interactions between Person could mean something rather different Marion and Jamie don't come off - in fact, to the reader unfamiliar with science fic­ they are inconsistent - but the book finds tion. A friend, not an s f reader, said, its real strength when Marion and Graeme are 'But that's .lust how I felt when I was seven­ alone together. The adolescent mixture of teen: all the world outside was grey and de­ strong attraction and great reserve is fine­ pressing; all I could do was sit about and ly handled. try to write mournful poetry.' So the bock's However, Mr Harding lets this developing scenario can work entirely as metaphor. As relationship dissolve, mere's the pity, as for me: well, I know my s f cliches fairly he brings the novel to its odd end, an end well, and nothing in the first half of the that leaves us satisfied that, yes, the book book was at all surprising, so I found it has finished appropriately, but also leaves rather dull. Once Graeme has disappeared us feeling unsettled by a sense that some entirely into the greyworld, the book comes threads have not been drawn together proper­ alive for me - especially because I like ly. On reflection we suspect this is a de­ both people he meets there, and find all liberate attempt to show us all the more their interactions convincing. thoroughly the nature of Graeme's experience. I s till find Graeme, alone, unconvincing. There are nit-pickings the observant reader He seems too knowing, just too able to sort can make. Would a seventeen-year-old have out his thoughts and feelings. At the same seen Beauty and the Beast (Cocteau's film, time, there is an edge of hysteria in his of course) eight or nine times, or Aces High voice which also does not sound convincing.- three times? How is it that Graeme can pass But I cannot avoid the feeling that Lee through some objects but still stand on the Harding might have had in mind a particular ground? Do his parents miss him, or is he type of upper-middle-class kid, who is being- in a time warp? 'would Graeme have the con­ satirised gently. After all, Graeme is so tro l of language Mr Harding evidences? confident and sc capable and so balanced - Perhaps these quibbles are unfair; they are until the catastrophe - that one almost hopes certa-iply not important, for it would be silly for something to upset his complacency. to try to. see the novel entirely as straight Also, since when have seventeen-year-olds science fiction, or entirely as a straight hungpround listening to jazz? I don't believe novel of schizophrenia or alienation. It it... surely seventeen-year-olds haven't used is all of these, but different. jazz for background listening for twenty-five Having taken the bit between his teeth, Mr years. *brg* ) Harding (to mix metaphors) has not found it more than he can chew. We look forward to where he leads next. Rob Gerrand August 1979

From Page 30...... George Turner: SCIENCE FICTION IN AUSTRALIA SOME OTHER WRITERS I feel curiously distant from Cherry Wilder, never having met her (she lives with her hus­ CHERRY WILDER band in Germany) as I have most of the others mentioned here. She is by any standard The Luck of Brin's Five A ustralia's senior woman s f writer (there 'The Ark of James Carlyle' are quite a few of them), ahd has had a sig­ 'The Falldown of Man' nal success with her novel, The Luck of

George Turner: SCIENCE FICTION IN AUSTRALIA Continued on Page 38

SFC 5 5 /5 6 57 From Page 37 George Turner: SCIENCE FICTION IN AUSTRALIA Brin's Five, to which there is to be a story, 'Odd Man Search', turns up in Paul sequel. (Original publication: Atheneum, Collins' Alien 'Worlds. New York; 1977; 230 pp; »7.95, with a new Cherry Wilder writes with a smooth in ti­ edition just appeared from Angus & Robertson.) macy which imposes itself on the reader with- Her first published s f story was 'The out bludgeoning him with the overblown and Ark of James Carlyle' (New W ritings), which wildly outre, and has an acute sense of Lee Harding snapped up for reprint in Beyond character which renders her prose lively in Tomorrow. essence, even when activity is not her con­ The most recent I have read is 'The Fall­ cern. Her writing has also that indefinable down of Man', especially written for Lee's quality, 'charm', which I do not know how to Rooms of paradise collection. Another assess and discuss. George Turner: SCIENCE FICTION IN AUSTRALIA Continued on Page 40

GENTLE ESCAPISM IN PRETTY PASTEL COLOURS

Henry Gasko discusses

The Luck of Brin's Five by Cherry Wilder (Atheneum; 1977; 230 pp,- $7.95 Angus & Robertson; 1979; 230 pp; $9.95)

When Bruce asked me to review The Luck of are descended from marsupials. Newborn Brin's Five, he mentioned that he hadn't babies are still sheltered for a time in the liked it at all, and didn't understand what mother's pouch, but in most other respects the all the fuss was about (it won the Ditmar Moruians are quite sim ilar to human beings. for the best Australian s f novel of 1977); Most of them live as farmers, craftsmen, or he couldn't imagine reading it again in order merchants. The world is ruled by a council to do a review. I was quite surprised by of elders who represent the wealthy and this. I'd read it in one sitting about a powerful clans. There are signs that tech­ year ago and, even though none of it stood nological progress is beginning to raise its out in my memory, I did recall leaving the interesting head, and the council, especially novel with a vaguely warm and satisfied feel­ the ruthless governor, Tiath Pentroy, is ing. I told him I'd be happy to review it. jealously anxious to contain the 'fire-m etal- So I sat down a week ago to read the book magic' and the disruption it would cause to again, expecting to enjoy it just as much as their power. I did the first time. Many o f th e p e o p le s t i l l 'f o llo w th e But it wasn't the same this time. The un­ ancient threads' and live as part of a family hurried pastoral world that I remembered was of five. This always includes a 'Luck', now just another unimaginative copy of medi­ someone who was born with or has suffered eval Europe, with all the dirt and disease some disfiguration or misfortune: the 'dwarfs and suffering removed; the people who had and cripples, the blind, the deaf, the mad seemed gentle and loving were now simply one­ and the half-mad' (page 10). Brirfs Five is dimensional; the plot dragged, and so did my a family of mountain weavers whose Luck is interest. Something had gone wrong, but I dying. Just as she does die, a silver ship wasn't sure what it was. crashes into a nearby lake. The governor's The novel is set on the planet of Torin, men capture the craft, but Brin's Five rescue where the inhabitants are called Moruians and S c o tt G a le , th e man who p a ra c h u te s from th e

38 SFC 5 5 /5 6 vessel. This is a good omen, and the family And, for someone who is supposed to be immediately adopts him as its new Luck. ruthless, Tiath Pentroy's search for Scott The Five flee their mountain tent the next Gale is surprisingly perfunctory and inept. day as the governor’s men close in, and soon He is like a bogeyman in a fairy-tale - lots arrive in the town of Cullin to consult the of noise and posturing to scare the children, local diviner. She sends them on a leisurely but no real danger to anyone. barge journey to a farm further down the river. Here they live for several weeks, >. * * while Scott Gale learns the language and cus­ toms, and rebuilds an old glider which has But there is a great deal in the novel that crashed nearby. is very good as well. Eventually they discover that the gover­ The slow movement of the plot means that nor's agents are still pursuing them. In­ there is no suspense, but it does allow the stead of doing the sensible thing and staying planet and the people to unfold at an un­ out of sight, Scott Gale decides to fly his hurried and effective pace. There is a glider in the spring festival farther along strong feeling that the world is real and the river. This decision is crucial to the extends beyond the lim its of the novel. action, but makes no sense at all; as the The characters are uniformly sympathetic - narrator says, 1 1 do not know how the next gentle, loving, and without a grain of deceit plan was made... it seems reckless now.' - and the reader can (almost) understand why Scott Gale wins the flying contest at the Scott Gale makes no attempt to make contact spring carnival, and soon half the planet with the other members of his survey team on knows of his whereabouts. the outer islands. Of course, he's every Again the family escapes the pursuers, and bit as honest and steadfast as the rest of heads for the capital city of Rintoul. Here them, and fits right in. the Five are befriended by Guno Deg, one of All this makes more sense if the book- is the members of the inner council. Then, when accepted as a juvenile rather than an adult it appears that all are finally safe, Scott novel (although this doesn't excuse its Gale is captured. faults). The narrator,is Dorn, the twelve­ After several weeks in prison, he is year-old of Brin's Family, who was raised in brought before the great council to be tried. the mountains, and for whom the trip down the His last defence against imprisonment is his river to the heart of the world is an excit­ bond with Brin's Five. Just as this is about ing-adventure, fu ll of marvels and wonders. to be ruled invalid because Scott Gale is a All this is captured in a beautifully de­ foreigner, someone realises that the great tailed and descriptive prose style that is clans themselves claim direct descent from quite amazing, considering that this is the spirit warriors of the planet's mythology. Cherry W ilder's first novel. As an example, The council votes in favour of Brin's Five the stay at the diviner's farm begins with and the day is saved. The story ends with the following paragraph: Scott Gale and several members of the family There are plenty of jokes about rough sailing off towards the governor's prison bush weavers moving into a fixed house, island in search of a sequel. and I dare say we could have been models I've simplified the plot a great deal; des­ for all of them, at whiterock. If it pite the fact that it moves slowly, it often wasn'.t the cold, the corking hearth, the becomes very confusing. There are an incred­ earth closet or the cupboard locks, then ible number of characters, and all have long, we were complaining about the. stuffiness similar-sounding names (as in Dr Zhivago, and the way the walls did not give, We only more so). adapted pretty quickly and the Ulgan's There are other annoyances as well. , smalJ whit-a .house- brcox.T.ei.dear and fam i­ The clever little idea of humanoid marsu­ liar to us. But there were nights when pials plays no part in the plot and has no spring approached when we couldn't stand effect on the culture. it another moment and slept in our bags The experiments with 'fire-m etal-m agic' cn the lawn er on the flat roof, under seem too advanced to fit into the culture; th e s t a r s . on a world with no mines or smelters or In one deceptively simple paragraph, Wilder foundries, one of the gliders has a steam presents a description of the surroundings, e n g in e! a bridge to the family's stay at the farm, The capital city of Rintoul is also over­ and a further development of the personality done and out-of-place in an agrarian society; and background of the family. (My only com­ the family's first sight cf it is in the plaint about the prose is the occasional pre­ evening: 'A network of pure gold - the ponderance of commas in the first few chap­ towers, the bastions, the spires, the sky­ ters. This does improve later in the novel.) houses of the great city of Rintoul' (pages Allow yourself to- sink into the soft cushion 1 7 6 -1 7 7 ). cf this prose, let the images and pcssibili-

SRC 55/5 6 39 ties take hold, and the book can be very en­ realist like Bruce and can't entertain the joyable indeed. notion of simple motives and a happy ending for even a single afternoon, then pick up a . * * * Philip K Dick novel instead. But if you feel like a bit of gentle escapism painted in So what went wrong the second time I read The pretty pastel colours, read The Luck of Brin's Luck of Brin's Five? I think the answer is Five - jnce. quite simple; there's a lot that's very good in the novel, and a lot that's bad. Differ­ henry Gasko December -1978. ent aspects stand out, depending on the reader's frame of mind. I was in a bad mood (*brg* Outraged protest: I didn't like The the second time I read the book and, because Luck of Brin's Five because I could not un­ I'd seen it all before, there wasn't suffi­ derstand it: those endless Names and slow sen­ cient interest there to suspend my disbelief tences were too much for my simple mind. I and sweep me along into this new world again. read Philip Dick for relaxation - for easy-to- The moral is clear: if you're feeling mis­ read, zesty, fast-moving adventure... ♦) anthropic, or if you're a die-hard pessimist/

From Page 38...... :George TurnerSCIENCE FICTION IN AUSTRALIA

DAVID J LAKE DAVID GRIGG

Wai tors on the Sky 'Deep Freeze' The Right Hand of De'xtra 'To Speak of'Many Things' The wildings of Westron 'A Song Before Sunset' The Gods of Xuma Halfway House 'Re-deem the Time' Shadows

David Lake is another whom I have not met, David Grigg is a quiet Melbourne man with a probably because, until recently, he was in deep interest in the sciences, who goes America researching and writing a thesis on quietly about his business without making H G Wells. large waves or being washed over by them. He sprang fully armed, not from the head His first published story was 'Deep of Zeus but from DAW Books, with a novel, Freeze' (Science Fiction Monthly, 1975), and Walkers on the Sky (DAW UY1273; 1976; 188 pp; 'To Speak of Many Things' appeared in 41.25), the first of a series of five. The Galileo. Lee Harding swept up his 'A Song Right Hand of Dextra, The Wildings of Westron, Before Sunset' for Beyond Tomorrow, he con­ and The Gods of Xuma have been published; there tributed three items to The Altered I, and is still one to come. one to Envisaged Worlds, and has another in These novels are complex in conception, Rob Gerrand's forthcoming anchology, Trans­ though fairly simple in structure, and are mutations. basically adventure stories in an s f ambi­ David also did two of those difficult little ence, though informed with an intellectualism works for the Cassell remedial-reading set, which is not pushed to"o hard. The writing Halfway House (1976; 110 pp; 41.50) and is less individual, more middle-of-the-road, Shadows (-1976; 109 pp; '41-50). than might be expected cf Lake's academic David has not produced a great deal, but background. has shown steady improvement; he is one of His short story, 'Re-deem the Time', in our probable future stars. Rooms of Paradise, is a neat inversion of the time travel theme, confirming the fertility PHILIPPA C MADDERN of his imagination, but I still look forward to something more stylish from this undoubt­ 'The Ins and Outs cf the Hadhya City State' edly gifted man. (David has new stories in 'Ignorant of Magic' Paul Collins' Alien Worlds and Rob Gerrand's Transmutations.) Philippa C Maddern, a university tutor, scooped the pool at the Le Guin Workshop with her first story, 'The Ins and Outs cf the Hadhya City State', one of her three items which later appeared in The Altered I. In the next Workshop book, The View from

George Turner: SCIENCE FICTION IN AUSTRALIA Continued on Page 41

40 SFC 55/56 From Page 4 0 ...... George Turner: SCIENCE FICTION IN AUSTRALIA

The Edge, she had four stories, including it. How much is sold I don't know, any more 'Ignorant of Magic', which she later re­ than I can hazard a guess at what he might or handled for Rooms of Paradise. might not achieve in the future. (She will appear in Transmutations, and a story of hers was bought by Damon Knight for DAMIEN BRODERICK Orbit 20.) The prime characteristic of Philippa's 'A Passage to Earth' work is an ability to express a complex situ­ ation in remarkably compact prose which is The intellectual of our group is Damien still perfectly clear and informed with lit­ Broderick. His tales are rarely easy, his erary grace. uhile still feeling her way as style is mannered in the extreme, and his a stylist, she shows a sureness of tech­ interest is in underlying meaning rather than nique many older hands might envy. She explication. Like many another, he will seek writes for herself, has no hesitation about your opinion 'as a matter of interest', and saying No to editors who want changes (but discard it immediately as being of no makes them quickly and accurately when she interest. sees the need), and has so far rejected my This, however irritating to the asked, is plea that she try her hand at a novel. not ar. entirely bad thing in a writer. 'Not ready,' says Philippa. When she is, Damien doe > not wish to be influenced (which watch out! is in general right of him), but certainly retains more than he allows you to know. He JACK WODHAMS does not write a great deal of s f, but his story, 'A Passage to Earth', in Rooms of Para­ No Australian listing would be complete dise, is an excellent sample of his style and without mention of that dedicated writing orientation. machine and prickly personality, Queenslander I am told there is also a novel in the Jack ivodhams, who will treat your opinions works, so watch the news flashes... with the contempt they may/may not/possibly do deserve and carry on writing his way. Acknow1edgements Jack hit a responsive spot in the not- really-tough-hearted Campbell, and the Grand I am conscious of having failed to comment cn Cham of American s f published him often in a number of new writers who deserve a little Analog for several years. Then came Ben notice, if only for encouragement - conscious, Bova, with a different taste in fiction, and too, of having given only passing mention to the association lapsed. Jack had then a the artists among Australian fans. racy, dialogue-oriented style, a penchant For the factual material transmitted here, for wild, sometimes absurd but always provo­ I am indebted to Bert Chandler, Lee Harding, cative ideas, and a neat hand at the twist- Bruce Gillespie, David Grigg, Merv Binns, in-the-tail story. Ke has also.sold to Paul Stevens, Peter Knox, Paul Collins, Van Amazing and Vision of Tomorrow. Ikin, and God only knows how many mere. Lately he. has contributed more serio.usly The mistakes and opinion? are my own, I will angled tales to the Paul Collins books and no doubt hear about both. magazines. He writes everything - stories, novels, poems, plays, telescripts, you name George Turner January-May 1979

SFC 5 5 /5 6 41 AUSTRALIAN SCIENCE FICTION... IS THAT ALL THERE IS?

Two discussions by Andrew Whitmore

(*EDITORIAL DISCLAIMER: The following articles mount a thoroughly scurrilous and underhanded attack on the novels of two friends of mine. They are also the most entertaining articles I've published for years. They show that criticism hasn't been really critical for more than a century (Andrew acknowledgesThomas Hazlitt et al as inspiration for these pieces). Also, they imply the question: why should we praise Australian s f books just because they are Australian? (or, why should we pull our punches just because we would like the s f publishing industry in Australia to prosper?). *)

LAKES, SWIMMING POOLS, AND EMPTY SPACES

A discussion of Walkers on the Sky by David J Lake (DAW Books UY1273; 1976; 188 pp; $1.25)

Schopenhauer once divided writers into three something of a challenge. This is in no way categories: meteors, planets, and fixed at all connected with the plot (and one has stars. The first are apt to engage our to misuse the term cruelly tc apply it to attention for a brief time, but are ephemeral anything that occurs between tnese particular, creatures and soon disappear from view. The covers); nor with the characters (who are planets are rather more enduring, but they very nearly as invisible within the book as are diminished by distance and give forth the author is outside it); nor with the only reflected light. The fixed stars are writing itself, which is so unremarkable as the great works of literature that exist out­ to suggest that the author's relationship side of the bounds of time and place. with the English language has been a brief Of course, Schopenhauer was a philosopher and somewhat ill-considered affair. No, the and, displaying a characteristic elevation of challenge that one faces is to establish why intellect, he ignores those vast areas of Mr Lake should consider this particular work non-lumincus space that exist between the to in any way repay the amount of effort re­ meteors, planets, and fixed stars, and which quired to commit it tc paper. lend definition to these radiant bodies. There would seem to be two alternatives: This space is, in fact, occupied by an almost either Mr Lake regards the work as possessing infinite number of writers, all of whom are some merit of its own, or else the publishing destined never to engage anyone's attention of the book is an end in itself, regardless at all unless, by some stroke of fortune, of the quality of what is published. their particular section of the firmament The first would appear to be the more dif­ happens to be examined most diligently and ficult proposition to acknowledge. According in the minutest detail. Mr Lake is among to information received by this reviewer, Mr the least visible of this tenebrous company. Lake is a graduate of Cambridge, has taught Walkers on the Sky offers the reviewer in universities in four countries, and has written critical material on Milton, Greek merely because they were already fam iliar tragedy, Jacobean drama, and modern poetry. with what happens in it before they commence Now, it is quite possible that he regards reading,, because nothing that happens matters Paradise Los t as no more than the continuity anyw ay.) for a comic strip, and that, to him, Aeschy­ The book contains nothing more than this. lus, Euripides, and Sophocles were engaged in The concept of the 'skies' over the different nothing more demanding than the production of 'worlds' on the planet, 'Netherworld', a kind of ethnic soap opera, something along 'Middleworld', and 'Celeden', although in i­ the lines of Days of Our Lives. If this is tially suggestive, is presented in such an the case, one word of confirmation from Mr unimaginative manner that it might just as Lake would be sufficient for this reviewer to well have been left out altogether. It is express his most heartfelt apologies. One merely stage scenery, and the reader does not cane ignorance. If Mr Lake honestly tires of it even before the author does. believes that talkers cn the Sky contains It has been suggested that ’walkers on the literary merit (and that could only be the Sky is intended as a parody of the cliches case if he has no inclination at all of what on which it depends. If this is so, then literary merit might be), then one can do no Mr Lake has studied his subject much too more than hope that this review might provoke assiduously, as there is nothing at all to him to look more closely at the works of more distinguish what he has written from those highly regarded authors and gain some bene­ books which it is supposed to be parodying. fit thereby. Satire does not consist of merely reproducing However, if one does presume to credit Mr in detail all the inadequacies of that which Lake with some c ritic a l acumen, however is to be satirised. what's more, satire must slight (and the fact that he has taught in be done with a certain wit and flair, universities would suggest that he at least attributes so lacking in Mr Lake's writing pretends to such accomplishments), then sure­ the one wonders, if he is even aware of their ly talkers on the Sky is totally inexcusable. existence. His prose is colourless, and It is not as if Mr Lake has. failed because possesses something of the texture of a nev. what he attempts to do is beyond his ability paper that has been, left out in the rain. to achieve but, rather, because what he has He displays no conviction in what he writes and, done was not worth doing in the first place. indeed, there is little suggest that his To use th-e words of a rather more visible im a g in a tio n i s e v e r engaged a t a l l . One author, he has been content to sit back and comes away from the book feeling that one's emit garbage. time, might have been more profitably spent This reviewer lacks the time and, ..indeed, counting the number of bricks in the wall, the inclination also, tc give a detailed or watching assorted insects crawl about on account of the assorted incidents and goings- the ceiling. Surely Mr Lake must have known on that are accumulated in this book. It may something sim ilar when he finally put an end best be resolved into a series of cliches, to the manuscript. each one being slightly more pedestrian than The question remains as to why Mr Lake that which precedes it. 'lie have the Uncor­ should seek publication for his book, given rupted Northern Barbarian. we have the that he is well aware of its m altitudinal Corrupt Southern Merchant, we have the failings. All writers,- of course, crave Raiders. we have the Evil, Degenerate acceptance, but it is usually the acceptance Empire. we have a Good Prince and a Bad of something. Mr Lake, it seems, looks on Prince (one does not need to be over-endowed publication as something that is to be with intelligence to predict which of them achieved at all costs, the exact nature of takes over the throne).. We have Primitive the published material being quite irrele­ Good People living in a place called the v a n t. 'Netherworld'. 'lie have the 'Netherworld' in­ Science fiction abounds with such indivi­ vaded by the Evil Empire. we have cur North­ duals. They are the backbone of the in­ ern Barbarian lead the 'Netherworlders' to dustry. They collect their two thousand (interminable) victories. We have Gods flit­ dollars per book, see their names attached ting around in rocket-powered armchairs, who to covers almost as incompetently executed are revealed to be Earthmen who have come to as the prose which they contain, and are this particular planet and set.themselves up comforted by the knowledge that none of the as Gods while the descendants of the colohists people who read their books w ill remember live out their lives in manufactured environ­ their ’names anyway. ments beneath force-field 'skies'. The emergence of Australian science fic­ One cculd go on and list further details, tion does not lie in the hands cf writers but such an activity would be sc tedious as such as Nir Lake. Indeed, it is unfortunate to risk inducing sleep both in. the reviewer that so little Australian science fiction is and the reader. (There is. of course, no published, else we might comfortably ignore danger that anyone would enjoy the bock less Mr Lake's presence altogether, as he deserves

SFC 5 5 /5 6 43 to be ignored. We do not often find He identified those other than first-rate such writers as Lin Carter being held up as writers as authors who had sold their souls the paragon of American science fiction, and for -a swimming-pool. Mr Lake is not quite nor should we revere Mr Lake merely because so elevated (after all, it is science fiction he has sold a large number of novels in an that we are talking about): he has apparently exceedingly short space of time. william decided that all his soul is worth is an Faulkner once divided w riters up into two inflatable toddler's pool and a plastic space groups: first-rate writers and the rest. h e lm e t.

MR HARDING'S MISCONCEPTION

A discussion of Future Sanctuary by Lee Harding (Laser Books 41; 1976; 190 pp; $1.25)

Neither Laser Books nor Mr Lee Harding is occurrence is rare indeed, and to produce especially noted for the quality of their examples would require a much more assiduous work, and so any conglomeration of their search than this reviewer is prepared to abilities, however much expected it may be u n d e r ta k e . (as like invariably calls to like), is apt Nor . is Mr Harding's talent confined merely to produce results that are rather distres­ to descriptive writing - his attempts at dia­ sing, to say the very least. logue are also rendered with an absolute The issue of this particular union -goes by innocence of taste cr judgment: the undistinguished title of Future Banctuary 'Let us leave these melancholy images, - and a most unfortunate offspring it turns Deirdre, and begin anew. ' o u t to b e . a n d : The-cover may fairly be ignored, as it is 'But I see you are impatient to be off; grossly impolite to comment'on a person's please be kind and do not reproach me so deformity, whether it be attributable to the with your eyes,' hand o f God o r t h a t o f Mr F re a s . Mr H arding a n d : would have us excuse the 'Prologue' as well, 'Now you must go,' she said softly. 'You pleading economic, necessity, although it is need to find a place which moves in har­ hardly any more inept in its execution than mony with your soul, perhaps you will the remainder of the novel, merely somewhat find others who will share your dream, more asinine. and I wish you well on your quest...' It is generally conceded that the art of Mr Harding has been known to affirm that writing, consists of more than merely arrang­ he is often aware of his characters waiting, ing words into sentences which more or less locked within their filing cabinet, for him conform to some standard of intelligibility; to come and write about them. From the however, one would imagine that the art cf examples of conversation given above, it writing consists of at least that. Mr Har­ would seem that the characters were extremely ding would appear to disagree. Consider the comfortable within their little abode, as following examples: they obviously staunchly refused to have any­ The mechanical emisseries of the law thing at all to de with Mr Harding's novel. waited patiently, their featureless faces True, a number cf proper nouns do wander devoid of expression. (page 5) about within the book, like insects in a a n d : bottle, giving pitiful impersonations cf The soft soughing of the em isseries' hy­ human beings, but we can hardly be expected draulic limbs sounded sinister beside to dignify them with the title 'characters' him. (page 7) for any other reason but that of practicality a n d : (as we are required by convention to call Beyond this and barely visible through them something). the strangled air... (page 24) oo far, little has been said about the Admittedly, the prose does occasionally novel other than that its prose is abysmal, rise above this abysmal level,-but such an its dialogue taxidermic, and its characters

44 SFC 5 5 /5 6 nonexistent, Enough, one might imagine, to plains that he has been told little of what condemn the book to purgatory at least, bear­ Future Sanctuary is about, then let him take ing its puerile cover and attendant 'Pro­ his complaint to Mr Harding rather than lay logue' like a stone on its back, there to the blame with this reviewer, who is only too await the unlikely salvation of a new, and willing to describe what the novel is about alternate, edition. However, these matters - were he convinced that it is about anything of technique are the least of the- book's a t a l l . f a u l t s . Mr Harding has brought nothing to his work, Craftsmanship is important - none would and any criticism of the novel begins and deny that - but talent is even more so. The ends there. He leads the reader to his book plain fact is that Mr Harding is not a and then abandons him. The prose is not only writer, and it is unlikely that he will ever clumsy, but pointless. The dialogue is become one. There have been writers who have not only poorly conceived, but meaningless rendered their work in prose equal to that as well. Not only does the reader care no­ of Mr Harciing at his worst; other writers thing about the characters, but Mr Harding have produced dialogue which, by comparison, obviously doesn't care about them either. makes Mr Harding's efforts appear the very Nor does he appear to care about what they paragon of elegance and wit; other w riters do. The novel is as devoid of life as the have given to airy nothing a local habitation interior of a killing jar. and a name, only to have it remain airy If Mr Harding takes exception to some of nothing. David Lindsay comes to mind. the views expressed in this article, he may William Hope Hodgson is another. As crafts­ comfort himself with the thought that his men, both these writers are not appreciably book w ill s till be available when the works superior to Mr Harding; but they are w riters 0 of w riters such as Lindsay and Hodgson are A writer should bring something to his long out of print. Indeed, but for those work. If it isnjt a talent for language, copies in the possession of long-suffering then it must be something else: an intensity reviewers, the entire edition should still of imagination; a vehemence of feeling; faith be available. er hope or charity. But suitething must be there. If the reader of this article com­ Andrew Whitmore July 1977

The books discussed in 3FC's survey of Australian Science Fiction

may be o b ta in e d from SPACE AGE BOOKS 305 Swanston Street Melbourne V ictoria 3001 (Overseas readers: Please have currency converted to Australian dollars, and add an average &A1.50 per book for postage.)

SFC 5 5 /56 45 (I MUST BE TALKING TO MY FRIENDS ary 1974. Yes, I still mean to write Continued from Page 4) an account of that journey. Promise. 1973 was the year when Australia was 1971 and 1972 were the two best years bidding at Toronto to hold the World- for SFC. Franz Rottens teiner was send­ con. Our feeling of triumph was ing me Stanislaw Lem's articles, and I great when we won. The rest of the still. think publishing them had a lot trip had its ups and downs. I'm glad to do with SFC's first Hugo nomination I went, but I think five months on and first Ditmar in 1972. (A very the road (or in the aircraft) cured heady year.) In 1970, the 'I Must Be me of travelling forever. I tried to Talking to My Friends' column began, produce SFCs as I went - but produc­ and it seemed to have its best years ing SFC 39 ruined Dave Gorman' s dup­ in '71 and '72, fed by enthusiastic licator when I was staying with the letters fr^m nearly everybody, and Gormans in Indiana; and Ed Cagle nearly everybody disagreeing with promptly gafiated after we produced Stanislaw Lem. the SFC 40 that was never posted. SFC's success then also had much to (The 'real' SFC 40 did not appear do with the fact that Charlie Brown until October 1974.) was my agent, and that new subscriptions 1974 was my first attempt at free­ rolled in. (That was in the good old lancing. Not much money around, but days when Locus was mimeo and reviewed I had few expenses, except for the fanzines.) rapidly rising costs of producing a Worldcon fever was building up, and fanzine. Hence production of issues Australian fans began to attend world of SFC slowed down remarkably, and I conventions regularly. 1970 had been have never felt rich enough to return the real bidding year, however, with to the lightning schedules of 1970. more than 100 different general circu­ 1975 was the World Convention, and lation fanzines published in Australia the 'Le Guin Workshop', mentioned during that year. Robin Johnson be­ throughout this issue of SFC, and a came more and more involved, and the wide variety of other interesting ex­ bid and the eventual Convention de­ periences. Perhaps the only entirely pended more and more on his hard successful autobiographical piece I work. I like to think that SFC's wrote was 'My 1975' for SFC 44/45. issues during the 'bidding years', 1976 turned into a disaster, as 1970-73, helped to make sure that Aus­ every true follower of this magazine tralia held the World Convention. will remember. SFC copped the worst During 1972 SFC began to change of the troubles. I borrowed a vast direction. SFC 2$ was an issue into sum to set up SFC as an offset, semi- which I put a special effort. Four professional magazine, found that no­ people - Leigh Edmonds, Harry Warner body much was interested, and was left Jr, Bill Wright, Bruce Gillespie - with a huge debt to repay and not much told of our '1971'. Hardly a word money to pay it with. (I even had to about science fiction in the issue. go back to a regular job.) One of SFCs 30 and 31, at the end of 1972, those offset issues is still languish­ told, among other things, how I dis­ ing in the files, waiting for funds. covered the birds and the bees and At the time, it seemed as if Mel­ the True Meaning Of It All (I wonder bourne fandom had benefited enormously what that was?). SFC had become, from the boost provided by Aussiecon. more than before, my autobiography. Perhaps my most vivid memory of August To varying degrees, it has been that '75 was the sight of Henry's Degraves ever since. Tavern entirely filled with Worldcon 1972-73 was the only financial year members tucking into that truly awful when I had any money to speak of - so food for the sake of fandom and good I blew it all by going overseas during times. Vale Henry and Gemma! When the last four months of 1973 and Janu­ Degraves Tavern was closed at night for

••6 SFC 5 5 /5 6 Wednesday night meetings, a process fiction, 'speculative fiction', or began which, to my mind, has destroyed fantasy. That is because not a great Melbourne fandom as I knew it, and has deal has happened in the field during built, perhaps, something more inter­ the last ten years. If you looked at esting. Failure to agree on the best the lists of Hugo and Nebula winners, place for traditional Wednesday night you would conclude that nothing had gatherings remains. A pity. More re­ happened during that time. However, vealing was the night of the Star Wars I keep an eye on what's happening, viewing in Melbourne in 1978. More and often I find good novels and than 50 of the people who were there stories which nobody else notices. might have called themselves s f fans Things have been happening in Australia, but had never been seen before by the as you can see from this issue. Ten rest of us. I know some of the people years ago, there was little Australian from the university groups, but even s f to talk about, except for people most of the MUSFA people attending that like Lee Harding and Bert Chandler and night were new faces to me. The same Jack Wodhams selling to overseas mar­ kind of expansion has taken place kets. Vision of Tomorrow lasted a throughout Australia. I've met only year, and it was published in England three or four of the Western Australian anyway. Now there are a few firms wil­ fans, for instance, but already ling to take a chance on Australian WA has as many fans as could be found sf, and there has been Norstrilia Press throughout Australia in 1969. Now and Void Publications, whose efforts are there is a huge New Zealand group - described elsewhere in this issue. but we knew of virtually no New Zea­ Overseas, much has been happening land fans in 1969. The only person in the science fiction industry, who is now trying to keep track of whose aims are quite different from all this activity is John Foyster, in those recommended in SFC from time to Chunder'. magazine, and I hope he is time. I read science fiction because succeeding. The only people I know I am looking for the new, the unexpec­ anymore are the SFC readers, about ted, the remarkable, both in subject 120 of them, scattered throughout matter and in ways of looking at fami­ Australia and New Zealand. (Overseas liar subject matter. On the other readers still make up most of the hand, to judge from reading the works mailing list.) of those to whom the science fiction 1977 was one of those non-years, industry gives its greatest rewards, rather flat and depressing, which that industry seems to be designed for turned out to be very important after those who want, most of all, something all. You can read all about my 1978 to read which is just like what they and 1979 in SFC 55%, which went out read before. This is the only way I with SFC 54. A return to freelancing can explain the rise of... But I had in April 1978 was very encouraging, better not name names. The kind of new and living with, and marrying, Elaine author I’m thinking of usually has a has been even more encouraging. All few stories published in Analog, a that's needed is the money to return novel out from DAW, Del Rey, etc, and SFC to its regular schedule. But is suddenly overwhelmed with ad­ perhaps SFC belongs only to the dim, vances of $10,000 or so for the next dark days of 1969? Who knows? (Put in what has already become an assembly­ another stencil in the typewriter, line of books. The voters for such Gillespie.) awards as the Hugo and the Nebula usually back the judgment of the con­ * * * trollers of the publishing industry. No, I do not deny hardworking writers You will notice that I have managed the right to financial success for the to write a survey of the last ten first time in s f's history. But what years in a magazine called S F Commen­ tary without once mentioning science (Continued on Page 51) SFC 5 5 /5 6 47 Elaine Cochrane: I MUST BE TALKING TO OUR FRIENDS, TOO

Well, here I am, twenty six, going on Art I like to look at also, but my twenty-seven, and never contributed knowledge is limited to 'I like what before to a fanzine. Hardly even I see'. read one, although that need not be a Cats I like, but Charlie Taylor disqualification from fitting for SFC. will be annoyed if I tell cat stories. But why start? Mainly to get fan­ Can't say I blame him. Someone zines out of my system, I think. else 's cats are never as interesting With Bruce, who manages to put more as one 1s own. panic into any situation than I would Music? I play the piano, sort of, have thought possible, certainly more not as well as any of a dozen fans I than I think necessary, fanzine pro­ could name, and I own a violin, from duction takes on the air of a vast which I can extract horrible noises and complicated enterprise, something but not music. Of our rather large like c limbing Everest or crossing An­ record collection there are very few tarctica. I can't say that I'm writ­ pieces I could claim to know well, ing this because it's there, since it and quite a few records as yet un­ isn't there until I do it, but I do played. My favourite composers are feel some sort of challenge. Beethoven (rarely played because I My last literary effort was my can't reach the top shelf), Haydn, Honours thesis, and that is something Vivaldi, Mozart. I also like early I still have to atone for. It was an Stones, and the 1812 when played with unmitigated disaster - chemical, scho­ suitably loud cannon. Francis Payne lastic, typographical (I typed it), has a version, Maurice Abravanel with and literary. I shudder at the sen­ the Utah Symphony, that sounds like a tences left unfinished, the diagrams full-scale naval barrage. Magnifi­ unlabelled, the conclusions unwar- cent. rnated. As I've written all I ever I love doing embroidery but, be­ will about C13 nmr longitudinal relax­ cause the execution is so much slower ation times of formaldehyde cross­ than the inspiration, I tend to have linked amino acids, I feel I am at iwo dozen projects going at once, all last re aiy to branch out. destined to remain unfinished for What to write about? Not s f. This years. may be my first fanzine contribution, I enjoy gardening when it has pro­ but I'm not that naive. gressed to the stage of planting or I ’ve been to only four conventions pruning, but I am tiring of digging and they don't seem to be anything to rubble out of our yard before start­ rave about. ing the garden. Films I rarely see, and on politics Work I despise, detest, loathe, I prefer to remain silent. hate, abhor. What else? I like cooking, but I ’m Books. Someone I know used to buy not as good as the chef at our favour­ anything that had, or had had, covers ite restaurant (Two Up, 83 Johnston around printed pages and was suitably Street, Collingwood; 419 6086). I'll cheap. Anything at 5 cents he would give you the recipe for lemon pudding buy; 10 cents required careful thought. later. As a result he had an enormous library Sport I avoid. of crud, with a few gems that made me Books I like to look at and buy, but drool. I am a little more selective; they take so long to read. I have I buy books that one day, maybe, I read probably no more than a fifth of just might want to read. I read rea­ the books in our house. sonably quickly, but I buy books even

48 SFC 55/5 6 faster, so the number I buy remains should be out in the fresh air, or at roughly three times the number I helping around the house or doing my read for any one year. In 1978 I piano practice, or even doing home­ bought 336 books and read 126. 126 work, so it took me all night to doesn't sound too bad, but I was work­ finish a lot of things. I am exag­ ing as a bus conductor and ploughed gerating a bit, of course. The most through masses of crud to keep me I ever borrowed in one year was 80 awake on night shift. It had to be books, but it was about that stage crud so I didn't mind being inter­ that I discovered Large Books. The rupted by my driver stopping to pick Count of Monte Cristo and the Sherlock up passengers. One problem with read­ Holmes stories, and even Lord of the ing on the buses was that many pas­ Rings (0 my dark, infamous past!) took sengers took it upon themselves to much longer than one half day. But I comment on what the illiterate (of have got lazy since then. course) conductor was reading. This What do I like to read? Preferably year's total, til the end of June, is in English, although I can read 71 books bought and only 33 read. straight-forward French, virtually Bruce and I have just finished anything qualifies for at least a counting our book collection, and the casual glance. I don't recall ever figures are even worse than I thought. having read a Western (Roughing It Just counting reading books (not doesn't count), and I haven't read a science texts or pretty picture books) historical romance since I lost access we have 3390 on the shelves. (Not to Rosemary Sutcliffe's children's counting s f magazines or fanzines, books, unless you count Par Lager- either.) I ’ve read 489, just one qvist's stories about Oth-century Pal­ seventh, and Bruce has read 963, or estine. That doesn't mean I won't about one three-and-a-halfth. Not read them; it just means I haven't read good. At last year's level of 100 them. I enjoy reading historical non­ books a year, which I certainly won't fiction, especially contemporary reach this year, I have 29 years of accounts: Gregory of Tours' History reading on the shelves. That in­ of the Franks, Galbert of Bruges' cludes things like Remembrance of Murder of Charles the Good, but not Things Past, The Man Without Quali­ Suetonius' Twelve Caesars. They were ties, Decline and Fall of the Roman dull! Even Tiberius wasn't especially Empire, and such many-volumed mon­ titillating. I tend to avoid crime/ strosities which really count as one detective books, although I have en­ long book. Bruce has read most of joyed the Saint stuff and loved Don't them. I haven't. Point That Thing At Me by Bonfiglioli, So why am I typing this instead of and I like spy books. Don’t ask me reading? Well, after a bout of ton­ the distinction; it's as artificial as sillitis, made far more severe by an any classification. Love stories are acute allergy to my workplace, I've harder to explain. I won't read just about reached saturation point. a Mills and Boon romance, but what is I just can't read like I used to. At the real difference between them and, school, I'd take out a book from the say, Death in Venice or Madame Bovary? library before school, read it in I certainly don’t complain about the class (I wasn't often caught - the bad writing; I don't know if it's punishment was banishment from the bad because I've never read any, and library for a specified period), re­ anyway, I read s f. One problem I turn it at lunchtime, read the next have in the Philistine world Out There during the afternoon classes, return is convincing non-s f readers (who it after school, get one to read on generally are pretty much non-readers) the way home. That was a mile walk that there is as great a range of across some rather nasty streets, so types of s f as there are of Love I didn't finish many books on the way Stories or Crime Stories. I won't home. My mother had ideas like I say there is quite the range of qual-

SFC 5 5 /5 6 49 ity. I've read abysmal s f as I have apprenticeship (I would like to be a of most other types of book, but I gardener) or on-the-job training. No have yet to read an s f book that one likes to pay adult rates for some­ does for me what The Recognitions or one who's wasting time learning. I've Portrait of a Lady did. But then, I been a school lab assistant for one have read very few books of any kind term (Physics assistant and for junior that are in that class. Science), a bus conductor, and a pub­ Which brings me to my Best Books of lic servant. At uni I worked in the 1978. I don't list short stories, High Energy Physics Research Labora­ because it never occurs to me to do tories. That sounds grand, but all I so until I've forgotten which I liked did was press buttons on a machine. in the collection I read three months It was, however, the most interesting ago. So here are the novels: of these jobs, with the possible ex­ 1 The Recognitions (Gaddis) ception of working for the MMTB. I 2 The Last of the Just (Schwarz-Bart) have just handed in my resignation in 3 Portrait of a Lady (James) from the Public Service and, to quote 4 The Makioka Sisters (Tanazaki) Tom Collins, I'm UNEMPLOYED AT LAST! 5 Year of the Quiet Sun (Tucker) Not for the first time, but this time 6 A Spectre is Haunting Texas (Leiber) I have a little money saved, a perma­ As you can see, s f does get in nent roof over my head, if we can keep there. There are quite a few others up the payments and, if Bruce is not for Honourable Mention, but do not mistaken and I do have sufficient qualify for numerical listing. Here grasp of the English language to copy­ they are, in no order at all: edit, I won't have to go job hunting Young Torless (Musil), The Rector*s again. I could claim that, being a Daughter (Mayor), Great Expectations married woman, I don't have to work, (Dickens), The Mouse and His Child that it's his duty to support me, but (Hoban), Jane Eyre (Bronte), Madame that wouldn't go down too well. Be­ Bovary (Flaubert), Journal of the sides, he's got a fanzine to support Plague Year (Defoe) (a fictional re­ already, and that takes priority. construction with many inaccuracies; Once I even offered to help him sup­ not a real journal, as he was born port .it if he ever had serious after the Plague), The Miracle of the trouble. The truth is, though, I may Rose (Genet), Beloved Son (Turner). be lazy but I 'm not a good sponge. As I only see fit to mention 14 out Idleness drives me crazy. of the 123, you can imagine what the So here I am. No useful skills, no rest were like. fanzines or other masterpieces to my Why read so much anyway? Laziness, credit and shame, bone lazy, only good pure and simple. It's so much easier for charming stray cats. Nothing to to read than think. I don't like talk about at all. thinking, but I don't like having my Here's the recipe for lemon pudding: brain totally unoccupied. This has 1 oz butter 6 oz sugar been my main problem in finding 4 oz plain flour grated rind, and work. Given that there are more 2 separated eggs juice, of 1 Chemistry graduates than chemical lemon jobs, and that I am by no means a 1 cup cold milk brilliant chemist, I have had to find Cream butter and sugar, add the flour work in areas that ask for no quali­ and lemon, then egg yolks. Mix thor­ fications or skills at all. That's oughly, add milk, then stiffly beaten the trouble. You spend years getting egg whites. Pour into a greased pie a piece of paper, and everyone you dish, stand it in a pan of warm water knew who went to work instead acquired and bake in a moderate oven for 50 skills and good jobs and is sitting minutes. pretty. At the end of your course you As you can see, I don't cook metric are too old to be taken for an yet, outside the laboratory. - Elaine Cochrane June 1999 50 SFC 55/50 (I MUST BE TALKING TO MY FRIENDS View from the Edge), but Pip is a Continued from Page 47) person determined to go her own way, and I shouldn't think anybody's in­ they are writing, quite often, has fluence will stick for long. Again, little to do with what I call science Vonda McIntyre's fri endship and fiction. association with Ursu h Le Guin is The rise of women's s f seems, on fairly well known, but Vonda seems to the surface, to be an exception to have found her own voice in Dream­ this process. What seems like a fair­ snake, and she works slowly anyway. ly selective audience of women has be­ I have some quibbles about Dreamsnake, gun buying and reading women authors, but I suspect that one of the reasons and in some cases this has bucked the for its success is that it is so much general trend towards more and more of better than other books written by the same imperialist, militarist macho people who imagine they are emulating bullshit which is published as s f. Ursula Le Guin. However, publishing execs seem to have My other favourites in s f during given the greatest rewards to women the last decade have little to do authors whom they see as Ursula Le with the vast river of sludge that Guin imitators. Instead of brisk pours over the shelves of Space Age looks at women in the future, women1 s Books. Thomas Disch and Brian Aldiss s f has tended more and more to be a and. Wilson Tucker are novelists who kind of highflown fantasy which has happen to write science fiction, and little to do with what Ursula Le Guin for this reason most of their books is really writing, but sounds a lot seem to be incomprehensible to the like her to the people who pick the readers who keep the s f industry in books. And this 'fantasy* often sounds business. Disch's 334 and On Wings as imperialistic, militaristic, and of Song are two of the few unquali­ macho as equivalent books by male fied successes during the last decade. writers. Aldiss' Frankenstein Unbound and The But to get back to science fiction Malacia Tapestry and Barefoot in the that is actually worth reading... and Head have given me much pleasure, and you come slap bang against the Ursula Frankenstein Unbound in particular Le Guin Phenomenon. Obviously, Ursula repays considerable rereading. And has had quite an effect on my life Tucker's Year of the Quiet Sun is, I during the last decade. She has sup­ suspect, the best novel of the decade, ported SFC since it began. I have I've praised it already (SFC 24, re­ written already about the experience printed in the Tucker Issue, 43) and of being a member of a Workshop at have read it at least four times. which she was the Writer in Residence. Stanislaw Lem is somebody who was But even her personal influence pales unknown to us in 1969. Now I would beside the influence her best books place Solaris and The Cyberiad as two (especially The Farthest Shore) and of my all-time favourite s f books. short stories (especially 'The Stars Franz Rottensteiner, my irascible Below') have had on my life. (And Austrian friend who has had as much now Susan Wood has done us all a to do with SFC's success as anybody favour by collecting Ursula Le Guin's else, pushed Lem's name into the lime­ essays about fantasy and science fic­ light, where it nearly collapsed immedi­ tion into an indispensable book, The ately for lack of good translators. Language of the Night, which I will Only the amazing work of Michael Kandel review properly as soon as possible.) has made Lem one of the best known The only trouble with Ursula Le European writers in America today. Guin is that little of her wisdom or Nobody much in the s f world yet skill has been emulated by other s f recognises the greatest two books of writers. Pip Maddern knows what s f that I have yet discovered - Ursula is on about ("Silence' in The Cosmicomics and T Zero, by Italo

SFC 5 5 /5 6 51 Calvino. Obviously somebody some­ of the good stories of the decade where knows of Calvino, since these ?■: have appeared in original fiction an­ books are reprinted constantly - but thologies, but most of the award nobody in our field has yet written nominees have come from the magazines. about his work with the kind of poetry Stories which I recommend over the and authority which the task demands. past decade are: (Hence I have still not ventured into Calvino.) Only the occasional disco­ 'The Castle on the Crag', by P G very of books like these justifies con­ Wyal [Fantastic, Feb 69) tinued interest in the s f field. 1 The Time Machine', by Langdon (Also serendipitous was my finding Jones (Orbit 5) Kobo Abe's Inter Ice Age Four which 'The Asian Shore’, by Thomas Disch appeared in, I think, 1969 in English. (Orbit 6) 'Serendipity', in both cases, was the 'The Custodian', by Lee Harding recommendation of Dick Jennsen.) (Vision of Tomorrow, May 70) SFC owes much to the writings of ’The Electric Ant', by Philip Dick Philip Dick, but the 1970s have not (F&SF, Oct 69) educed many new books from him. Per­ 'The View from this Window’, by haps he has been struck dumb by all Joanna Russ (Quark/ 1) the noisy attention which critics have 'Bodies', by Thomas Disch (Quark/ 4) been giving him. All my favourite 'The Encounter', by Kate Wilhelm Dick books date from pre-1969, but A (Orbit 8) Scanner Darkly gave signs that he has 'The God House', by Keith Roberts not lost the old flair. The great Dick (New Worlds 1) find of the 1970s was the first publi­ 'Continued on Next Rock', by R A cation of his 1959 masterpiece, con­ Lafferty (Orbit 7) fessions of a Crap Artist, which shows , 'Heads Africa Tails America', by how fine a novelist Dick would be if Josephine Saxton (Orbit 9) he was not constrained by economics to <■.'Things Lost', by Thomas Disch write science fiction most of the (Again Dangerous Visions) time. 'In Hot Pursuit of Happiness', by I ’ve left lots of books out of con­ Stanislaw Lem (View from Another sideration - Priest’s Fugue for a Shore) Darkening Island and The Inverted 'The Making of Ashenden', by Stanley World, for instance - but nearly all Elkin (Searches and Seizures) the books I've liked have been pub­ 'The Last Day of July', by Gardner lished in spite of trends in the s f Dozois (New Dimensions 3) field, not because of them. There 'The Direction of the Road', by was of course the temporary New Wave, Ursula Le Guin (New Dimensions 3) which made possible the publication of 'The Night Wind', by Edgar Pangborn such books as Barefoot in the Head (Universe 5) and Joanna Russ' And Chaos Died for 'Mr Hamadryad', by R A Lafferty perhaps the only time in s f's his­ (Stellar 1) tory. With the Nev? Wave ebbing fast, 'The Stars Below', by Ursula K Le nearly all originality in the field Guin (Orbit 14) has disappeared as well. The Philis­ 'Tin Soldier', by Joan Vinge tines have won... long live Goliath! (Orbit 14) The rest of us just have to read a 'Riding the Torch', by Norman lot more and in more widely scattered Spinrad (Threads of Time) sources to find anything of interest. 'The Kozmic Kid, or The Search for There has been a continual list of the Inestimable Silver Ball', by achievements in the short fiction Richard Snead (Fantastic, Jul 74) field - but again, you would never 'Running Down,:, by M J Harrison know it by looking at the Hugo and (New Worlds 8) Nebula lists. Ninety-five per cent

52 SFC 5 5 /5 6 ''The New Atlantis’, by Ursula Le and a few others if you wanted Guin (The New Atlantis) articles about science fiction. At 'Under the Hollywood Sign', by Tom that time I thought it unsatisfactory Reamy (Orbit 17) that such magazines were expected to pro­ 'Settling the World', by 11 J duce fine material on an amateur Harrison (New Improved Sun) basis. Already I had the delusion 'Solid Geometry', by Ian MacEwan that someday somebody might Call me (Fantastic Feb 75) to a Position On High where I could 'The Ins and Outs of the Hadhya be paid for doing what I like doing City State', by Philippa Maddern best - writing about science fiction. (The Altered I) The professional magazines about 'The Disguise', by Kim Stanley Science fiction have now arrived Robinson (Orbit 19) (notably, Foundation in 1972 and 'A Chinese Perspective*, by Brian Science Fiction Studies in 1973; Aldiss (Anticipations) Algol, Science Fiction Review, and 'Pie Row Joe', by Kevin McKay some others now pay for articles) (Rooms of Paradise) and I am still being paid to do almost 'One Clay Foot', by Jack Wodhams every other task except writing about (Alien Worlds) science fiction. I suspect I'm lucky I did not become enmeshed in the If you read that lot, you would con­ academic machine of writing about clude that science fiction has had a science fiction:, so far, the results magnificent decade. But you wouldn't have been very disappointing. In know about most of these stories unless my innocence, I thought that a pro­ I told you about them. fessional critical magazine would be Obviously, I've missed out a lot, in­ critical. (I hoped always for a cluding all the stories in Cosmicomics, Scrutiny of science fiction but lacked T Zero, The Cyberiad, and The Star the gall to call my magazine Diaries, because I've included, those S F Scrutiny.) Instead, magazines books for consideration at.one time like Extrapolation and SFS have spent or another for my 'Best Novels' lists. years providing the icons of the s f Also, I'm several years behind in religious establishment. The motto reading science fiction, and recom­ seems to be: Defend the Faith! In mendations are only sketchy so far for the academic magazines, it takes the stories published in 1977, 1978, and form of making the implicit claim 1979. The hero of this list is, as that every book that can be pursued you can see, Damon Knight. He's paid through sixty footnotes is necessarily the price for publishing good stories, a Classic of Science Fiction; and, of course: Orbit has not been available because of that, is necessarily a in paperback since Orbit 13, and Classic of World Literature. In the Orbit 20 was the last in the series philistine giants, such as SFR and (unless some enterprising publisher Algol/Starship, it takes the form of will help Damon keep up the good work). considering that everything except The New Worlds anthologies were often science fiction is beneath considera­ good as well, especially for publish­ tion ('only mainstream'), and that ing the occasional Keith Roberts and any book which is defended with suf­ M J Harrison stories. NW has died in ficient energy is necessarily a its paperback form. In fact, almost Great Work. nothing is left but Silverberg's antho­ So I've not been too impressed with logies and Terry Carr's Universe. the vast army of Defenders of the Faith, ranging from other magazines * * * with circulations as small as SFC's to the many books which now call In 1969, you could read Speculation, themselves 'The Encyclopaedia of Science Fiction Review, S F Commentary, Science Fiction'. Most of these

SFC 55/56 53 activities have nothing to do with get published. criticism as I understand the terra. The good reviewing is still being Most of these books and magazines do done in the amateur magazines, not the not even offer accurate or attrac- academic journals and professional fan­ tively written book reviews. Host of zines. I can think of Vector and the people who inhabit all these Arena in England, Khatru in USA, journals and encyclopaedias and Sphere in Adelaide, and some new guidebooks cannot even write an in­ English-language journals from Europe. teresting or delightful sentence in the English language! Not that I'm * * * holding up my own prose as an example of anything but the hurried jottings The other day it was great to receive of an Editor who enjoys writing for in the mail copies of Don Miller's his own magazine. But a fair number latest fanzines. I did not know until of pithy, energetic, and well-written then that Don has been seriously ill pages have been published here. for the last year or so, which is why Among the professional journals, only he had not published for some time. Foundation st ill has a number of good Don was one of the first people to trade writers (but I wish Malcolm Edwards fanzines with SFC, and he has would write the entire contents of managed to last the decade. Quite a his own magazine himself), and that few of my main encouragers from 1969 magazine is the exception to most of still make contact from time to time. my sweeping statements. Among the Dick Geis is still collecting Hugos s f 'critics’ who do not write well at a ludicrous rate. The current or critically, only a few professional Science Fiction Review reads much as novelists such as Aldiss or Le Guin it did in 1969 - but how many people stand out by contributing fine articL es remember the four issues of Richard to such magazines as Science Fiction E Geis in 1971 and 1972, which helped Studies. to start a whole range of personal, So, I say with no trace of modesty, highly confidential magazines? (One SFC is still needed. I'm not here of my current favourites is Don just to have fun. I still believe in Thompson's Don-O-Saur.) Linda Bush­ the principles which led me to pub­ yager was Linda Ey ster in 1969, and lish SFC in the first place. I still she was responsible for Granfalloon. believe that a critic should be All of Linda’s fanzines have disap­ 'damned critical', as Henry James put peared for the time being, since she it. I still believe that a critic's is now writing and selling novels. function is to judge how a particular (When I visited the B shyagers in work measures up to the standards 1973, Linda had not even thought which the critic thinks are impor­ about writing novels.) 'Fannish' tant. I still believe that a good fanzines have come and mainly gone novel or short st -->ry is one where the during the decade? my favourite would author respects language and can be the current best fannish fanzine, use it attractively and creatively. Terry Hughes' Mota. Peter Roberts' I do not believe that a badly written Egg has also been great when it has book is justified because it has been appeared; meantime I'll be content written about a 'worthwhile' topic. with Checkpoint. I managed to get a And... if you've been reading SFC for few copies of Warhoon from Richard long enough, you would know better Bergeron before he disappeared, and than I do what I believe in. Usually it is truly unfortunate that he has SFC reviewers just try to warn readers never been able to return to regular away from shoddy goods on :he s f > production. (The promise of a Walt bookshelf (the whole bookshelf, to Willis Issue - not the Issue itself judge from the review copies I see) but the Promise - is also ten years an<3 point out the few good books which old this year.) As different as

5^ SFC 5 5 /5 6 possible from Warhoon has been Locus, The people who have had the longest which printed subscribers' changes of continuous subscriptions to SFC are address in 1969, and now sports colour Bert Chandler, Paul Anderson, and Derek covers and typesetting. Kew (Kevin Dillon's sub lapsed for As George Turner mentions elsewhere awhile.) Dave Piper has kept in touch in this issue, 'the John Bangsund fan­ over all this time, and so did Ron zine' has managed to appear fairly Graham until his unfortunate death a regularly, despite many changes of few months ago. Joanne Burger has name. John Foyster also likes changing stayed in contact over all these years the names and aims of his fanzines. (and she even published a genzine for His efforts for the Worldcon bid, and a few years), and so has Gian Paolo publication of Norstrilian News, are Coasato (who sent me New Worlds in a probably his best-remembered publish­ plain envelope when a few issues were ing achievements, but there have also banned from Australia in 1970). Stuart been Boys' Own Fanzine (with Leigh Leslie still writes to me from time to Edmonds) and Chunder'. Foyster has also time... organised some of Australia's most Science fiction fandom might be a successful conventions, spoken at many little world, often constricting, but conventions, written articles and re­ it's the biggest, richest little views, and pushed people like me back world I know of. onto the Trufannish Path when they show signs of straying. Leigh Edmonds was * * * a very different person in 1969 than he is now, but the jolly tone of his Meanwhile, what has been happening in fanzines has changed little. Leigh's the real world since 1969? greatest achievement was founding If you're talking about important ANZAPA. I wrote in SFC 54 about our events, then I will have to concede celebration of AiiZAPA1 s Tenth Anni­ that the Rolling Stones really are versary in October 1978. Leigh is finally, irrevocably on the skids. also famous for well-loved fanzines Even Some Girls sounds just a bit such as Rataplan, Fanew Sletter, and fake to me, and Ron Wood cannot hack Boys' Own Fanzine (with John Foyster). it as a Stones guitarist. (He can't I could mention names for the rest hack it as a Ron Wood guitarist, of this issue. Merv Binns has become either, as you would notice from a regular fanzine editor (Australian listening to his latest record.) Ron Science Fiction News) as well as book­ Wood makes Mick Taylor sound like a shop proprietor. Paul Stevens can still genius, and both of them make Brian put out a funny magazine when he gets Jones sound like the nearest thing to around to it. Harry Warner Jr still God that rock 'n' roll has produced. writes to lots of fanzines, if not Brian Jones died a decade ago, and I'm to every one he receives. Ethel amazed that the Stones have produced so Lindsay is still reviewing fanzines much good stuff after the event (es­ and still publishes one of my favour­ pecially It's Only Rock’n’Roll, ite fanzines, Scottishe. Franz which even other Stones fans tend to Rottensteiner is still there somewhere ignore). Still, two dud albums in a in Austria, still sends me Quarber row and a very boring live album just Merkur from time to time, and I still show that even the best rock 'n' roll cannot read it because it is always in band in the world can get awful tired German. But one day I will find a after 15 years or so on the road. But translator for my German fanzines... it's the Stones' records I will wear (The most consistent addresses in my out, not anybody else's. subscription book are those for Walde- In fact, the whole record scene has mar Kumming and Hans Joachim Alpers, gone downhill since 1969. Way back both still publishing fanzines very then, for instance, I thought that similar to those they were doing in Creedence Clearwater Revival was just 1969.) a good band. Recently I bought a few SFC 5 5 /5 6 55 of the early albums, anl Fogarty and of disco. (I found a really good Co. sound stunning beside everything disco track the other day - but it being released now. For awhile, I was recorded in 1971 by Stevie Wonder. thought Led Zeppelin and Rod Stewart He and Isaac Hayes invented the disco would revive rock 'n' roll between music way back then, and the rest since them. But Led Zeppelin has gone then has been good promotion.) slow and somehow distracted, and what Punk? New Wave? I get the feeling has happened to Rod Stewart is so un­ that most of the New Wave bands don't believably awful that I won't mention care too much about anything, let him anymore. (Still, A. Nod’s As Good alone making good rock music. But As a Wink, to a Blind Horse and Every people like Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds Picture Tells a Story are two of my are worth listening to. And Aus­ Top 10 albums; Stewart was very good tralia's own Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons in 1972.) David Bowie made crackling make the best live albums I've heard albums early in his career. I've dis­ for awhile. covered Lou Reed only recently; when The general pop scene could do with I think of it, he's probably the only a decrease in production values. Per­ pop musician who hasn't sold out in haps producers should demand that some way or another during the 1970s. rock groups return to recording albums It helps to be irredeemably sardonic in less than 24 hours on a two-track during the seventies. recorder, each song at a single take. I've gained more and more enjoyment We might get some good music again. from that marginal area on the edge of folk, country, and rock which is * * * filled by very fine musicians, most of whom played with the Byrds during the Sorry I got carried away there. 1960s. (I've discovered the Byrds Listening to records and, worse, buy­ only recently, and Elaine and I ing them, takes up far more of my actually saw McGuinn, Hillman, and time and money than anything connected Clark play the Dallas Brooks in 1973; with science fiction. oh joy!) Gene Clark is a favourite of mine; Gram Parsons made some good al­ * * * bums; and I found a brisk album by Gene Parsons. The two best musos of It is difficult to say what has been the seventies - Ry Cooder and Loudon happening in literature during the Wainwright III - come from this in­ last ten years. If you had read The definable area of music which I think New York Review of Books and The of as 'good-time music'. Cooder and Times Literary Supplement during all Wainwright are funny and always sound that time, you would have some idea as if they are having fun. Beats the what was happening. However, I have Seventies Blues every time. had access to those magazines only The two best records since 1970 are intermittently. Usually I rely on Blood on the Tracks and Desire by Bob recommendations from my friends. In Dylan, but his last few albums have particular, Gerald Murnane has put me been dreary. Still, Dylan has staged onto some of the best books I have more revivals than most musicians have ever read, especially Musil’s The Man made records, and he will probably Without Qualities (freely available, still be around at the end of the through Picador, again at last), eighties, if any of us is. Canetti's Auto Da Fe (also recently The disaster area in rock music has re-released by Picador), and Gunter been the general field of electronic Grass' The Tin Drum. sludge, ranging from the German bands But those books were written long (would you rather be rolled on by an before 1969. Most of the books I've elephant or listen to an hour of Tan­ enjoyed most during the last ten gerine Dream?) to the production values years were written early this century

SFC 5 5 /56 or before: Henry James, Henry Handel be the finest writer currently working Richardson, Hermann Hesse, Thomas Mann, in Britain. etc. It is difficult to recall peaks Which brings us to Australian lit­ of excitement rising above the flat erature. Deservedly, the best-known plain of recent literary endeavour. Australian writer (apart from Colleen However, it is worth noting that Whatsername, the Thorn Birds lady) is the book which has been 'discovered' Patrick White. But second and third most often by people I know (often would surely by Patricia Wrightson independently from one another) is and Ivan Southall, whose books are Gabriel Garcia Marquez1 One Hundred for children. Apart from them, very Years of Solitude. Why are there no little. Gerald Murnane’s Tamarisk books being written in English like Row was my favourite Australian book this? In turn, discovering Marquez in the decade, but a worthy successor often leads to a discovery of the from him has not appeared. Joseph whole rich world of South American Johnson's Womb to Let and Peter literature: Fuentes, Llosa, Asturias, Mathers' The Wort Papers were funny Borges, Arenas, and many more. and zany back in 1973 - but whatever So the last decade has been one of happened to Johnson and Mathers? translation and discovery of South Even the Miles Franklin Award, for­ American books, often written well merly a guarantee of quality, has before 1969. been given only to pot-boilers and Fiction from Britain itself seems predictable winners (Poor Fellow My dead on its feet, but a few good Country) during recent years. George novelists are still working in USA. Turner's Transit of Cassidy is the Stanley Elkin's books are almost un­ only recent Australian novel to be obtainable in Australia, but if you worth much, and that barely scored a can ever find The Dick Gibson Show, review in the press! Australian buy it. It shows that our language, literature is in a bad way. Many even in Elkin's feisty version, can reasons are given >- foreign owner­ still be used with zest, creativity, ship of our publishers, Literature and piercing accuracy. (His books are Board grants, etc - but I would have funny, too.) William Gaddis is some­ thought an uninterested public, body whose reputation I discovered in tepid or ignorant reviewers, and in­ a very roundabout way. His great adequate payment for the writer's novel, The Recognitions, was recently efforts would stop almost anybody try­ reprinted, and a new book, JR, is ing to produce a good Australian novel still waiting to be read. or short story these days. One of the best American novels of All in all, the best way to gain a the decade, Gene Wolfe's Peace, I good read these days is (a) try a discovered only because the author translation of a South American, Euro­ was famous already to science fiction pean, Japanese, African (etc) book; readers. Someday someone else will (b) read a children's book; (c) buy a discover that book. book by one of the science fiction or While general literature has been fantasy authors recommended in SFC. going stale, all the excitement has If the worst comes to the worst, read been going on in children's litera­ non-fiction, as everybody else is doing. ture. If you want the finest books from England during the last decade, * * it look at Penguin's Puffin or Peacock lists - Mayne, Garfield, etc. Rus­ During 1969 to 1979, the newspapers sell Hoban's books cross over all the have been filled with the usual news genre categories: I've enjoyed The of wars and rumours of wars, and the Mouse and His Child, The Lion of usual descriptions of famine, plague, Boaz-Jachin and Jachin-Boaz, and earthquake, fire, and pestilence of Turtle Diary. And Alan Garner must every kind. The Vietnam War seemed to

SFC 55/56 57 have ended when America lost, but the excuses for doing so. It’s the Vietnamese people still have their swallowing of the excuses by the elec­ troubles. It’s just gone ten years torate that has made life in Australia since the first walk on the Moon look increasingly bleak after the (which I saw on television while stay­ bright prospects of 1972. As John ing at the home of a science fiction Hindle said on 3L0 recently: 'The writer, Lee Harding, which was gosh- eighties will be marvellous! They wow to me at the time), but the must be, after the seventies.' Saturn flypast (and, a few years ago, The most accurate barometer of what the landing on Mars) are much more has happened in Australia since 1970 awe-inspiring. I wonder whether we has been the rising and falling for­ will ever get into space after all, tunes of Nation Review (also called except to fight wars? American fans Sunday Review and The Review at various seem far more concerned about these times). Its new owner, Geoff Gold, things than I am - but I still cannot has been having problems keeping it help being thrilled at seeing boyhood afloat, and various people have al­ dreams coming true over the years. ready essayed obituaries. Hepworth, Almost every aspect of scientific Adams, Becket, and Bill Green have and technological ’progress' has all had their say recently, and have taken on an ambiguous value. Aus­ somehow come to the conclusion that tralia is undergoing the pain of dis­ the Australian readers don't want to covering that many of its workers will know about an 'alternative weekly' be made redundant by ’inevitable’ anymore. Perhaps - but, in economic developments in micro-miniaturisation terms, they never did. Some of us of equipment. But acceptance of have always read Nation Review, because ’inevitable’ penalties to workers in it is the only alternative. Its Australia is just symptomatic of initial effervescence was caused by attitudes since the dismissal of the the knowledge its writers had that at Whitlam Government here in 1975. I last they could contribute to a paper suspect that the 1960s lasted longer where they could say what they wanted. here than anywhere else. I was in It's the only time the dead hand of New York the week that the sixties proprietors on Australian newspapers finished for the rest of the world: has been lifted. Those early writers the week of the last Arab-Israeli talked about everything previously un­ conflict, when oil supplies were known in our daily press - sex, Women's turned off for the first time. That Lib, capitalist ripoffs, of course, was 1973 - but the heady days of the but also good book and film reviews. Whitlam Government were just starting The main thrust of the paper was to here, and did not really finish until get rid of the Macmahon LCP Govern­ the middle of 1975. During that ment, and NR's circulation was high­ three years a process took place by est when this was accomplished and which most Australian workers became the Whitlam Government began. One paid properly for the first time ever, commentator was berating the paper for and capital declared an investment supporting Whitlam from then on, quite strike which pushed unemployment forgetting that Whitlam and his mini­ .levels up to politically disastrous sters were canned as often in NR as levels by 1975. Mad Mai came in. anywhere else. But the paper was With much less economic nous than different from the rest of the press anybody would have believed possible, because it gave a continuing insight since then he has been doing his into the nefarious doings of the best not only to make things as bad Wxsrals and the increasing number of as possible for as many workers as extreme right-wing groups. Also, possible, but he has virtually sanc­ Mungo McCallum, as political corres­ tioned endlessly rising levels of pondent, was the first journalist, unemployment, and found reasonable and perhaps the last, to give much

53 SFC 5 5 /5 6 idea of what was really happening in of Books and couldn't make work. Your talk Canberra. now of making a living at freelance editing But still I forget to say that inspires me to make a stab at finding free­ Nation Review’s contributors were la n c e jo b s h e r e . I'm n o t s u r e how many there are in Seattle. At present I make a funny and ratbaggy and often foul- very modest living as a part-tim e photo- . mouthed and believed nothing was typesetter, and occasionally sell freelance sacred. The disappearance of such a w r itin g . paper means that Australia returns to A skim over your Favourite Things elicited being the same dull place it was in a smile of recognition at your listing of 1969. For awhile in 1974 and 1975 it Alan Garner's The Owl Service and Red Shift. looked as if this would never happen. They would fa ll into my 1978 favourites, since I was introduced to Garner's writing * * * (by Susan Wood) l a s t y e a r and q u ic k ly gobbled up all there was. I'm not sure that Red Shift is in fact the better book of the Since it looks as if Nation Review two, though more refined, certainly. I did, will not be around much longer to talk however, just recommend it to a local short about things worth talking about, it story writer who is a friend of mine; she is looks as if I will need to do it from moving, in her recent writing, in the direction of compression, leaving nonessen­ time to time. Topics nuclear were tials out, conducting the business of the raised in SFC 53. John Berry was co­ story in dialogue, and I think she may find editing Egoboo (with Ted White) back much of interest in Red Shift. It may serve in 1969, and he is one of the many as a warning, actually, of what happens when letter-writers who have provided the you refine a style too far; or it may pro­ real backbone of SFC-. vide her with good examples. I have read your two pieces on Australian politics, 'Australia: Fear and Loathing For­ JOHN BERRY e v e r? 'a n d 'A w orld Mythed U p?' (Do you 1203 18th Ave E, Seattle, Washington always title things with question marks?) 98112, USA I'm impressed with the lucidity of your wri­ ting; I'm naturally happy with your expres­ SFC 55 arrived in yesterday's mail, with the sion of-ideas and feelings that are close to usual time-warp delay of several months be­ mine. The only thing that bothers me is the tween publication and perusal. I'm delighted partisan tone; not that you take stands, but to see a new issue, and secretly glad that that you seem to do so with an alternating you've returned to mimeo and a more personal cynical/rom mtic fervour. I'don't think I'm magazine, although.not glad at the reasons. a romantic, which is probably why I have (I would suggest that you continue to publi­ never been able to maintain a convincing cise SFC arid try for more subscriptions, cynicism; the two are sides of one coin. which I think are out there potentially, I continue to be fascinated by impassioned while not having to feel desperate about it accounts of the political struggles in Aus­ with this less ambitious format. There are tralia - your accounts and John Bangsund's, indeed people who want some 'straight talk •largely, though I recall an excellent essay about science fiction', who are 'interested by B ill wright in ANZAPA a couple of years in applying acumen and independent, disinter­ ago - and I- find the description you give of ested intelligence to the science fiction 5ZZ Access Radio quite amazing: amazing that field '. (And who know how to use the word a public access radio station could generate 'disinterested' - thank you for that!) It's such wide support. >,e have such a station just that by the nature of the question in Seattle, KRAB, which various people I those people are fewer, and less public, know work at as volunteers or employees; it than the larger audience for superficial s f occupies a needed spot in the media matrix writing. Your problem is not at all in what of the region, but it is perpetually in need you write, or publish; it's in reaching more of money and operates always on a shoestring. of those poeple than you already do. There is no government support, of course; I'm glad to hear that your life goes well. KRAB does not look for grants, and it is en­ I wish you good luck and good sense. (You tirely supported by its listeners in the need Doth, I think, if not constantly then form of voluntary subscriptions. Like 3ZZ, at least periodically.) I hope that you and listener-sponsored stations in other US w ill someday achieve your goal of editing cities, KRAB features a lot of ethnic shows, SFC for a living; that's a goal 1 can appre­ news and music and features for the city's ciate fully, since it's almost exactly what various ethnic communities, as well as a lot I attempted with Pacific North West Review of free-form craziness. Unlike Melbourne, I

SFC 5 5 /5 6 59 gather, beattie has a wealth of commercial passionately want: a decentralised, stable­ radio stations, enough so that I believe state, cooperative society with a healthy that the Fuget Sound region as a whole has sense of self-respect and of respect for the no available frequencies left for new sta­ world outside our skins (or our egos) and a tions to broadcast on. There is one Public sense of our place within it. I don't like Broadcasting Service station (government utopian literature, but I maintain what could sponsored), noted chiefly for its classical be called a utopia in my mind as a model of music and some nationally distributed PBS what I am aiming at and working toward. I shows like 'All Things Considered'. If we oppose nuclear power because it is possibly had a powerful enough antenna we could pick the most pervasive force being unleashed on up the CBC from Vancouver or Victoria with­ us all at this historical point; social out its fading in and out, and that would changes and the rise and fall of empires are add another perspective to local radio. In temporary compared to the effects that nu­ Vancouver there is also a public access sta­ clear wastes can have on a world that was tion, CFRO Co-op .Radio, which is perhaps never asked if it wanted them. But my most even more a struggling enterprise than KRAB; telling argument, I suppose, is very simple. the situation in Canada, of course, is dif­ Look at who controls nuclear plants and dis­ ferent from that in the US, since Canada has poses of nuclear wastes. Do you trust them a government-sponsored 'public.' network in to run your telephone system or your post the CBC. Co-op Radio, I think, arose in office? would you then trust them with your reaction to the centralisation of the CBC in life? Toronto, the increasing trivialisation of That much cynicism, I find, comes easily. its programming (that is a completely second­ I'm glad to see an intelligent essay on hand opinion, but it's a widespread com­ nuclear power in a fanzine, and I think that plaint) , and the lack of local input and your final points are important to the s f locally generated shows; and in response to community in particular. The proliferation a natural anarchic impulse to 'do it our­ of old s f cliches in movies, television, selves'. But in neither city is there any­ and mass market paperbacks in the past thing on the scale you describe for 3ZZ; the couple of years demonstrates just how right concept of Commonwealth Electoral Officers those critics were who insisted that science being asked to conduct the elections for the fiction is creating a new mythology for station's Greek Language Committee - only ..estern civilisation. But the myths that one group served by the station! - is pheno­ are spreading are the most simple-minded: menal. the worship of technology and the extension If I can dig up copies, I may send you of the frontier that American s f, at least, some guides from KRAB and CFRO - by sea mail, has revelled in for decades; if s f is giv­ of course. Pass them on to Don Ashby if you ing us a handle with which to grasp our don't want to keep them, technological world, it is a clumsy handle, I wasn't intending to go on so long about one most suited to holding things as they public access radio. What I did mean to are, capable only of large, lumbering move­ talk about was your consideration of uranium ments against the inertia of what the handle mining in the Northern Territory and its im­ attaches to. we need to create more of the pact on nuclear use in the rest of the world. finer, subtler myths that s f has started to I have been actively involved - well, occa­ make in recent years; and we need to bring sionally active - in local efforts to halt to bear on the s f myths that are spawned construction of the Trident nuclear submarine all the intelligence we have and all our base, which is planned for Bangor, Washing­ breadth of knowledge and understanding. ton, right across the Sound ('the most beau­ Writers' conclusions may be at loggerheads tiful ground zero in the world'). There are with each other, but we must not let them separate, cooperating groups opposing the get away with unquestioned assumptions, par­ construction of nuclear reactors on the tial understanding, or a narrow view of rea­ shores and tributaries of Puget Sound and the lity. ocean, and trying to shut down the one that That is the responsibility of the fans and is presently operating on the Columbia River critics of science fiction, and it's a re­ near Portland, Oregon. All the arguments sponsibility that you're exercising. And you cite contribute to my support for the that, I guess, is why I was so glad to see anti-nuclear movement, as does the under­ SFC in the mailbox yesterday. standing that nuclear reactors can only re­ (6 January "1979) inforce the centralised, energy-intensive economy that we are possessed by now. Even if it weren't dangerous, nuclear power as a method of fuelling the economy and social structure works against everything I most

60 SFC 55/56 It’s a help when somebody says clear­ DON ASHBY ly what I was trying to say in a 22 Maugie St, Abbotsford, Victoria 3067 stumbling way. My secret utopia, like that imagined by most people ((Re SFC 54)) I agree with you whole­ who think about such things, tends heartedly with your comments on Unicon 4. to be shaped in answer to what is Even I, under the encumbrance of an extreme­ ly broken foot and an on-the-rocks love actually happening around me. My affair, found the bits I attended (.inbetween imagined utopia now would be without making those much-maligned sandwiches and atomic power of any sort; I doubt if protecting Tonia from the unwelcome atten­ that would have been true if I had tion of extremely drunk male fans) most en­ written for this sort of fanzine in joyable. The Ditmar debacle was just what the 1950s. All the evidence has come the whole idiotic institution deserved. At least the business session was exciting for up against nuclear power, for 'peace­ a change. The fan politicos and closet ful' purposes or we rlike, but bumbling demogogues have since proved that fandom can politicians like Doug Anthony can run precision-engineered conventions in only see the dollar notes fluttering which the usual blah is chewed over in the in front of their faces. My imagined traditional manner, so your remarks w ill utopia would certainly be without hopefully not send irate fans rushing to their typers foaming at the mouth as such an cars. No chain fast food stores, admission as you have made might have done either, or freeways. Not as many six months age. people. What I see, perhaps, is a I will not regale you with cat stories, society rather like that of Australia even though Ersatz just threw up all over in the 1950s, but without the stultir- the washing machine. I can come and do that fying bigotry, censorship, and around your place anytime. I mean, of Puritanism which is the quality I re­ course, regale you with cat stories. I wouldn't dream of throwing up all over your member most from the 1950s. washing machine. It isn 't British. Thanks for the information about Philip Stephensen-Payne is, I gather, not your access, radio stations. We. still a complete idiot. He could do much to dis­ have 3RRR on the FM band, opened up suade others from thinking this by not sound­ only in recent years. 3MBS is a pub­ ing off half-cocked about matters he ap­ lic subscription classical music sta­ parently isn't equipped to discuss. It is tion run by a rather strange old chap beyond my comprehension why someone would spill so much ink trying to defend Robert who makes sure that no details of pro­ Silverberg. A luminary in the field of grams are given over the air so that primitive s f he may be, but his attempts to all listeners will feel constrained to produce stylistically competent, or even take out a subscription and rec eive literary, memorable s f have been almost the program notes. When you do this, pathetic. It seems to me that perhaps one however, you find no details of operas of the greatest traps an ardent s f fan can or oratorios. This information can fall into is ending up with an utterly de­ stroyed perspective. Sciaijx;e fiction is an be obtained for 'only' another $10 a extremely small pond, though getting larger, year. (I've heard that the Sydney and to attempt to draw up conditions for MBS station is much better.) But the literary excellence from within it is futile. government-run station offering ethnic Most s f is extremely ephemeral and deserving programs, 3EA, is reported to be not of little more attention than to be read even a pale imitation of 3ZZ. There when you are waiting for a train or are too tired to read something better. Every now seems to be an implacable determina­ and then a w riter comes along within the tion among members of our current field who is good. These writers are gene­ government to 'keep the uppity ethnics rally people who have something specific to in their place'. say about the human condition and find s f I hope you keep surviving okay, the best mode cf saying it. These people, John, and that a few bits of our like Dick, Delany, Le Guin, Aldiss (with utopias might come true, instead of reservations), wolfe, Russ, Calvino, etc, etc, are not exactly s f writers (though, the only-too-ghastly realities and sadly, they are often packaged as such) but possibilities, such as those implied are writers who write s f. George Turner is by nuclear submarine bases across the one of these. To intimate that George is in I ay, some way jealous or aspiring to the 'lofty' SFC 5 5 /56 6-1 pinnacle of achievement enjoyed by Silverberg RICK STOOKER is so idiotic that only ignorance of the 403 Henry Street, Alton, Illinois writings of George makes it possible to be 62002, USA forgiven. In style and characterisation, not to mention actually having something coherent Thanks for SFC 55. I had to write to an­ and worthwhile to say, George is so far ahead swer your question about Richard Snead, of bilverberg that it is laughable. Mr author of 'The Kozmic Kid' (Fantastic, July Stephensen-t-ayne' s slip was left glaring when '197’A ), b ec a u se few o th e r s in th e s f commu­ he listed his Non-SF Novels by SF W riters. nity know anything about him and, of those, Ninety per cent of them were h^cks writing I suspeot that only Terry Hughes and Ted worse (if possible) outside the genre than White are on your mailing list, and they they did in it. On reflection, make that 50 may n o t re sp o n d . per cent - but most of the others mentioned According to Ted, Snead was about eighteen aren't exactly literary works of the when he wrote 'The Kozmic Kid', and had been memorable kind. taking acid frequently ever since he was Mr Stephensen-Hayne's credibility is eroded thirteen. He comes from, I believe, either even more seriously when he reaches the part North or South Carolina. He had a pro­ of his letter concerning the Niven-Pournelle nounced southern accent when I met him collaborations. To mention them in the same briefly at Torcon and right after Discon. breath (or paragraph) as Dick is a bit like In ^ 7 ^ he was trying to expand 'The Kozmic pairing up Enid Blyton with Alan Garner. The Kid' into a novel; but I don't know whatever Goat in Mod's Eye was so full of holes you happened to it. Robin white told me in the could have driven more than a city through summer of 75 that Richard had moved back to any one of them, and the characterisation his home town, and that's the last I've almost aspired to the heights of E E 'Doc' heard of him. Smith. Inferno was so light it took me Snead seems to have been one of those one- about an hour to read and sent me screaming shot literary phenomena who write thinly back to Dante to reassure myself that it disguised autobiographical first novels •wasn't as flimsy as the dynamic duo made it which reveal great promise and are highly seem. Inferno was a piece of cynical money­ remarkable documents because the authors making literary effrontery second only to led highly remarkable lives, but who never using Carmina Burana in a coffee commercial. produce good second works because they can­ I really enjoyed the Aldiss and Zelazny not jump out of their own experience long speeches, as Imissed them at the convention enough to write from the viewpoint of char­ (the call of the sandwiches), aldiss has a acters who are not themselves under other hard-nosed attitude to his writing and the nam es. field in general tnat is refreshingly dif­ However, I'd be happy if, in the future, ferent from the inconsequential posturing of he proves me wrong. writers with less ability and more ego. My worry is that even if he does write, or Zelazny showed himself to be a craftsman is writing more brilliant sf/f stories, nobody very much aware of his responsibility to the w ill buy them now that Ted White has left English language and the sensibilities of Amazing/Fantastic. SFWA criticised Ted to his readers. their hearts' content, but he was there I spend more of my time than I can afford when members found they had written a story going to schools and talking to children too cffbeat or 'experimental' for the main­ about s f , and the material present in the stream s f editors to touch. two speeches has given my (by now rather ...It saddened me to see you praise Star flagging) spiel a big boost. Wars so much. But perhaps the current hys­ Thanks for a very enjoyable issue and teria over it is not so prevalent in Austra­ le t's have them thinner and more often. lia, and you haven't been forced into reac­ (20 July 1979) tion against it as I have. (-18 January 1979)

If SFC appears more often, it will cer­ I still have a lot of affection for tainly be thinner. The only two Snead's story. For one thing, the economical sizes for it are either author seemed boiling wi-th ideas, a triple issue of 150 pages or a sights, and sounds needxng eruption single issue of 16 pages. More of into exciting language. I don't the latter, I hope, and fast. think he quite 'got' th

SFC 55/56 63 ANDREW WEINER FAVOURITE THINGS 1978 T24 Winchester St, Toronto, Ontario M4X IB4, Canada FAVOURITE NOVELS 1978 SFC 53 seemed rather perfunctory. About the only thing which really engaged me was 1 The Tragic Iluse Damien Broderick’s letter on Silverberg, by Henry James which seemed to say more about what is good (Original publication date: 1890. and bad about his writing than your entire Edition read: Dell LX133. special issue. I would also tend to side 575 pages.) with Stableford against Turner’s position, 2 Capricornia which seems to me to be a kind of literary macho. Sooner or later, every writer has to Xavier Herbert come to terms with the market one way or (1938. Lloyd O'Neil. 510 pp.) another, and not necessarily in an all-or- 3 The Malacia Tapestry nothing way. (stableford may be guilty of. Brian W Aldiss plenty of hackwork, but he also wrote The (1976. Jonathan Cape. 313 pp.) Realms o f T a r ta r u s , w hich may be th e b e s t 4 Transit of Cassidy s f novel I've read in years.) I think the reason behind the general flat­ George Turner ness of SFC 53 can be found partly in your (1978. Nelson. 259 pp.) Top Ten lists. It's obvious that you don't 5 On the Road like most science fiction very much. Jack Kerouac Neither do I, but I don't try to publish a (1955. Signet D1619. 254 pp.) magazine about it. If you're continuing 6 Confessions of Zeno with SFC just to meet obligations to sub­ Italo Svevo scribers, I for one would be happy to discharge you from that obligation - or per­ (1923. Seeker & Warburg. 448 pp.) haps you could go to an all-letter format, 7 Confessions of a Crap Artist letters always being one of SFC's strongest Philip K Dick p o in ts . (1975. Enthwhistle. 171 pp.) I disagree with you, incidentally, about 3 Roadside Picnic Gateway. Fohl is guilty of much the same Arkadi and Boris Strugatski slickness as Silverberg, but I think he is (1977. Gollancz. 145 pp.) working his way out of it. Gateway is a con­ siderable achievement, and if he keeps this 9 Such Is Life up he may finally get to be as good as Korn- Tom Collins b lu th . (1903. Lloyd O'Neil. 371 pp.) I'm surprised that A Scanner Darkly even 10 I Am A Cat made your runners-up list. I thought it was Natsumi Soseki a great disappointment. In fact, about the (Peter Owen. 431 pp.) only writer I have any faith in these days 11 Don’t Point That Thing At Me. is Disch. (30 January 1979) Kyril Bonfiglioli (1972. Penguin 14 004075. 172 pp.) SFC 53 probably was a bit flat, but 12 I Am Jonathan Scrivener mainly because of the physical and Claude Houghton financial difficulties of producing (1930, Cedric Chivers. 315 pp.) it. The same can be said of 54, which was typed up as a quickie fill-in issue I will try not to rave on too much for November just before this issue about these books, especially as my would appear in January. favourite two books for the year are The beginning of this column would not on the list. One was Portrait of have made it clear, I hope, why I a Lady, by Henry James. The other was keep on with the magazine. I still Ann Charters' biography, Kerouac. know what s f should be and could be. The first was not on the list because It's worth continuing to publish the I had read it before (it made it high magazine with such an idea in mind. on the Top Ten for 1966). Definitely Since you mention my Top Ten the best Henry James novel, with every lists in SFC 53 (for 1977), here are theme blended and orchestrated in a a few of my: way not seen in his other books.

69 SFC 5 5 /56 In some ways, Ann Charters' biography the main characters circle the world- of Ife rouac makes more interesting read­ in-itself which is America, and find ing than anything published by at the end that they must face them­ Kerouac himself. Kerouac is written selves after all. Kerouac's gushing the way biographies should be written: prose is refreshing. :: Confessions just one stage of immediacy away from of Zeno has something of that analy­ being a novel; without trace of tical, irritating quality of Proust, pedantry or unwarranted over-inter­ and gets under the skin in the same pretation. Since Kerouac's life is way as does Remembrance. But at the remarkably interesting, his biography, end it erupts into wild farce, and now re-released in Picador, is just subsides into a prophetic last para­ the thing to read when sick of second- graph which takes the breath away be­ rate fiction. (The moral of the book cause of the way its insight reaches is that, no matter what else he did or forward from 1923 to now. :: I pro­ was done to him, Kerouac kept on writ­ mise myself to review Confessions of ing. I keep making resolutions to take a Crap Artist as soon as possible. heed of this moral.) A must for Dick fans, but also for To the Top Twelve itself: anybody who wants to read a good novel The Tragic Muse is not as imposing as about the life we are supposed to be Portrait, but it impressed me a lot, living now. (It was written in 1959, if only for those lovely, long, per­ but it seems more about 1979 than most fect sentences. :: Capricornia is books published recently.) :: Road­ the other Great Australian Novel, apart side Picnic was going to be reviewed from the Greatest Australian Novel, by John McPharlin, but he's probably ’ ; ■ ■. J The Fortunes of Richard Mahoney. The given up in disgust at SFC's schedule. Northern Territory is given the same The sort of really exciting s f adven­ kind of epic, violent, dangerous glow ture which I do not find very often. that Marque z gives to Macondo. Anyone Not slick. :: Such Is Life is the who thinks Australians are not racist sort of book which is often touted as can find here not only a. record of the very much better than it really is. intrinsic racism of being a white It is basically a collection of shaggy- Australian but also an analysis of dog stories set in the bush in northern the way such racism blights the lives Victoria. The main character is of all afflicted by it. (The most im­ usually down-and-out, and so are the portant character in Capricornia is a people he meets,,thanks to the way half-ca$te aborigine.) It is also the squatters have carved up the land often funny and always unputdownable :: and made it almost impossible for I've written about The Malacia Tapes­ small farmers and drovers to operate. try air «ady when replying to Dr Wallace. The refreshingly democratic bite of I should have added that the book in­ the book and the effectiveness of some cludes some of Aldiss' most magical of the tales must blind people, I sus­ prose as well as some of his gutsiest pect, to the irritating archness of action. A juicy book. :: And I the humour and the awkwardness of its talked about Transit of Cassidy in conception. This is not, I suspect, my column last issue. An honest a very good book, but it is one which mystery story which invites the reader I and all its readers remember with to stay with the story to find out some affection. :: I Am A Cat. Inde­ what the main character is really scribable. People look very funny to like. :: On the Road is probably the a cat. Especially Japanese people to best example of American romait icism, a Japanese cat. :: Don’t Point That the kind that stare d with the Wes­ Thing at Me has a main character whose tern and is most obvious these method of operation is so underhand, days in Jack Nicholson movies. murderous, and generally nasty that he Propelled onwards by native crazi­ makes the Saint seem like a saint. ness, alcohol, and a love of travelling, Fortunately, his line of humorous

SFC 5 5 /5 6 65 patter makes this the funni est book Any films Elaine and I saw during for some years. (For details of Bon- 1978 were caught on the hop, when figlioli’s knowledge of crime in the nothing else much was going on. art world, see Brian Aldiss' talk in Tell the truth, Elaine doesn't much SFC 54.) :: I suspect that Claude like watching movies; what could have Houghton's fervently held views about been a difficulty in our relationship Human Destiny were rather nutty, has been solved simply by missing especially if you read all of his films, but not missing them very much. seriously intended mystery stories By comparison with films of the which appeared during the 1930s and 1970s, Casablanca is so brilliant that 1940s. Owen Webster first mentioned I could see it over and over again. Houghton to me some years ago, and But, believe it or not, I had never now here is an English firm, Cedric seen it before January 1978. (No Chivers, reprinting the best known of television in the house.) Not only Houghton's books, I Am Jonathan great acting, lighting, photography, Scrivener. A really intriguing mys­ direction, etc, but an intricately tery story, although I am not alto­ complete script which picked up all gether happy about its ending. the elements in the film and let them work together. : Script-writing is FAVOURITE NON-FICTION 1978 the great asset of Network, too. (A non-ordered list only.) Many critics panned the film for being too wordy, which I would have agreed Upstate, by Edmund Wilson with if the script hadn't been so (1971. Farrar Straus Giroux. 386 pp.) well-conceived and if the acting and The Futurians, by Damon Knight direction had not been so intense. (1977. John Day. 276 pp.) The Peter Finch character is supposed The Triple Thinkers, by Edmund Wilson to be mad, of course, but it turns out (1938/1952. Pelican A55O. 303 pp.) that all the characters are off their Kerouac, by Ann Charters heads in one way or another. It's (1974. Picador 330 25390. 387 pp.) this frenetic quality which gives the The Rise and Fall of Marvellous film so much pace and excitement. Melbourne, by Graeme Davison The other films are pretty much (1978. Melbourne University Press. runners-up to those two. The Man Who 304 pp.) Fell to Earth is the first film of Roeg's since Walkabout that I have really FAVOURITE FILMS 1978 liked. The alien shots were great, and the atmosphere of alienation from 1 Casablanca Earth was convincing. David Bowie directed by Michael Curtiz has a most remarkable, angular face, 2 Network which dominates the screen in a way Sidney Lumet (scr: Paddy almost unrelated to Bowie's acting Chayefsky) talents. :: I was fortunate to see a 3 The Man Who Fell to Earth new print of The Treasure of the Sierra Nicolas Roeg Madre, as the black-and-white photo­ 4 The Treasure of the Sierra Madre graphy is some of the best I have seen. John Huston The acting is adequate, and the cumu­ 5 Newsfront lative effect of B Traven's fable Philip Noyce carries the story through its slow bits. 6 The Getting of Wisdom :: Newsfront inspires a lot of affec­ Bruce Beresford tion for anybody who knows how Austra­ 7 Arsenic and Old Lace lia dragged itself out of the Fearful Frank Capra Fifties. Lots of good humour, as well 8 Close Encounters of the Third Kind as nostalgia. Good acting. And the Steven Spielberg original newsreel footage cannot be missed. :: Beresford's The Getting of

66 SFC 55/5 6 Wisdom is no more than a screen adap­ 'Best of' Philip Dick, published by tation of Richardson's classic, but to Del Rey. 'Pie Row Joe’ is reviewed in say that the film succeeds is sufficient the 'Australian SF' section of this recommendation. Not as bitter as the issue of SFC. original tale, and is given more humour by the lively actors. :: The * * * 1970s style of comedy seems to have passed Frank Capra by, but Arsenic I should mention in this Tenth Anni­ and Old Lace is made convincing by versary Edition that finally I found the energy and conviction which is a copy of I Must Be Talking to My given to this ludicrous farce (with Friends. (You didn't think I invented Raymond Massey pretending to be Boris this column's title myself, did you?) Karloff, and Peter Lorre). :: I've It is a recording by the great Irish already discussed Close Encounters once actor, Michael Macleammoir, in which in this issue. If you don't take it he reads selections from Irish litera­ as a comedy about obsession, es­ ture to show the struggle of that pecially regression to childhood ob­ people through the ages. I heard it sessions and fantasies, then I don't for the first time in the mid 1960s see how you can take it. There was a broadcast by the ABC, and again in recent article about Spielberg in 1969. If you want to hear it, you will Sight and Sound which said better than probably need to do what I did and I can what should be said in favour of find a copy of the record, (I dis­ the film. covered it in Discurio, Melbourne. It's on Argo.) SHORT STORIES 1978 Some final words. Firstly,

As you know, I keep two lists of GEORGE TURNER short stories. One is the list of 87 Westbury Street, Balaclava, s f short fiction for any one parti­ Victoria 3183 cular year. I’ve read the original fiction anthologies up to halfway I have just read SFC 5^ and am suitably grateful for your intervention against through 1977, but the s f magazines Philip Stephensen-Payne's angry tirade. only up to the middle of 1975! If I Your defence of my stand is one I could-not, have the courage to keep on with the in conventional decency, have advanced for magazines, I will release 1975's list myself and I would have had little choice real soon now. If not, I will con­ but to allow the letter to pass unanswered,. tinue with lists of the best s f from As it is, I now feel able to point out the original fiction anthologies that in cooler days ahead Philip will pro­ bably reconsider some of the quotations he alone. has lifted out of context (who was it said, But I also keep a list of short 'A quotation out of context is a pretext'?) stories of any kind read in any par­ and se e t h a t h i s i n t e r p r e t a t i o n s astre to o ex­ ticular year. In 1978. there were treme to be just. only three contenders for the Top Ten: The article itself I stand by. I felt when I sent it to you for publication that 1 'A Chinese Perspective', by Brian it might rouse a pretty uncomfortable storm of protest from pre-Silverberg fans, but Aldiss (Anticipations) Philip's is in fact the only seriously deni- 2 'Second Variety', by Philip K Dick gratory response I have seen. (The Best of Philip K Dick) I'm looking forward to your reviews next 3 'Pie Row Joe', by Kevin McKay (Rooms issue - or do I mean the next but one or of Paradise) even the one between that one and some other? (19 July 1979) I will include reviews of the first two when I get around to reviewing Gulp. All of those, George. (Copies Chris Priest's admirable anthology, of SFC 51, The Silverberg Issue, are Anticipations, and the most recent still available.)

SFC 55/5 6 67 CY ANDERS roared on for awhile, then died from 2845 W Walnut, Johnson City, Tennessee lack of interest. John Foyster and 37601, USA Carey Handfield and Peter Darling put most of the work into reviving the In July of 1977 I found a thick dog-eared group in 1974, and it did very well magazine lying unattended on a table at the local comics emporium. A quick thumbing until about the middle of last year. disclosed the fact that it contained quite When no new people were turning up and a few reviews and lists of books. How much even regulars disappeared, we gave was it? The proprietor didn't even know how up. It was good, and sometimes very it got there, so: 'You can have it for a good, while it lasted. quarter.' Probably the best buy I've made in Also forgot to say that Tony Thomas my lif e ! - was one of SFC's first subscribers, The magazine was SFC 41/42, and I was sud­ denly confronted with the fact that there and he has kept up his sub ever since. were others fam iliar with such supposedly Various fan households must be men­ secret books as Canetti's Auto Da Fe. Not tioned to tell the true story of Mel­ only fam iliar with, but writing about them bourne fandom since 1969. Unfortu­ and recommending them! In-depth reviews of nately, I do not have space here to speculative fiction and what books to choose; tell those stories. Don Ashby keeps 334 and The Dispossessed. I could go on for promising to finish the story of the pages, but the whole point is this; SFC 4l/42 is (was?) the best issue of any periodical Magic Pudding Club. John Bangsund or I've ever read. One of my main aims in Leigh Edmonds or Paul Stevens could writing this letter is to say, 'Thank you, tell you much about various Bangsund Bruce', and thanks as well to George Tur­ residences before he left for Canberra. ner, Gerald Iviurnanc, and everyone else who And quite a few people could tell the contributed to the writing and production of story of 275 Rathdowne Street, or the this marvellous magazine. I've read most flat John Breden shared for awhile, or.. of the articles, reviews, and letters five or six times and found even the incompre­ I forgot to give my Grand Sweeping hensible parts (such, as your review of Survey of the last ten years in Film Gerald's book)(incomprehensible because I or Serious Music. In film, it's been haven't read the book) to be well written a sharp, glossy downturn from the high- and entertaining. As a direct consequence point of the sixties. Production of reading your magazine I was led to the values up,- artistic values down; Mel­ work of Priest, Roberts, watson, Coney, Abe, Lem, and many others. (Those that were not bourne audiences flock to see Marx mentioned in SFC were mentioned elsewhere Brothers movies, W C Fields movies, as being sim ilar to or having elements in Humphrey Bogart movies. In Serious common with the work of authors I was check­ Music... well, probably we won't know ing cut at the time.) (18 March 1979) what happened from 1969 until 1979 until, say, 2009-2019. In the compo­ Thanks, Cy, for the Encouraging Letter sition of new music, that is. For of the Year. All the effort does seem record buffs, there have been exciting worthwhile after all when I get letters new recordings of old music: the like these (not to mention the large Dorati complete Haydn symphonies, the cheque thatCy sent for back copies - Haitink Mahler symphonies, Boskov- although I could not supply a replace­ sky Mozart, Mariner everything-else. ment copy for 41/42, which he lost). For range of choice, the present-day record shelf seems to offer everything OOPS. . . to the classical buff, but one is not conscious of any large-scale movement. I keep remembering bits that I should have included some pages ago. For in­ Sign-off time. Again, thanks for your stance, I did not talk about the Nova enthusiastic support for ten years, or Mob. It began as a group to discuss part thereof. I have no idea what science fiction once a month, and the the next ten minutes will bring, let first meeting was held at the flat of alone the next ten years. Stay around Tony and Myfanwy Thomas in 1970. It and see the funny man behind the type­ writer. He moves, clicks, and produces *Last stencil typed 17 September 1979* SFC sometimes.* 68 SFC 55/56