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Home , Andy Duncan (writer), A Night in Sickbay, Gordon Van Gelder, Michael Swanwick, Mike Allen (poet), Patrick Nielsen Hayden

The SHUTTLE October 2003

Con Stellation XXII 10Ð12 October 2003

The Next NASFA Meeting will be 18 October 2003 at the Regular Time and Location

{ Oyez, Oyez { NASFA Calendar

The next NASFA meeting will be 18 October 2003 at the OCTOBER regular time (6P) and the regular location. Call BookMark at 02Ð05 Archon 27 Ñ Collinsville IN. 256-881-3910 if you need directions. 05 Con Stellation Con Committee Meeting Ñ Mike The October program will be a Con Stellation KennedyÕs house. postmortem. The location of the October after-the-meeting 09 Con Stellation Con Committee Meeting Ñ at the meeting is undetermined at press time. hotel. Note that the November program will be the more-or- 10Ð12 Con Stellation XXII Ñ Huntsville AL. less annual auction. Start searching your closets and bookcases 12 Columbus Day (Traditional). now for donations. (continued on page 2)

Inside this issueÉ Minutes of the September Meeting...... 2 Winners ...... 4 Re-Do...... 2 SFWA Emergency Medical Fund at Worldcon ...... 4 Alabama-Cuba Week Conference ...... 3 Hugo Nomination Statistics ...... 4 Start Trek Night at the Library ...... 3 No Need for a Dragon with a Migraine Chapter 9 ...... 7 British Awards Nominations ...... 3 Letters of Comment ...... 7

Deadline for the November 2003 issue of The NASFA Shuttle is Friday, 31 October 2003. 1 13 Columbus Day (Observed). The regular meeting location is the upstairs meeting room at 15 BD: Robert Buelow. BookMark on South Memorial Parkway. The Executive 18* NASFA Meeting Ñ 6P Business, 7P Program, at Committee meeting (if scheduled) is at 5P. The business BookMark. Program: Con Stellation Postmortem. meeting is at 6P. The program is at 7P. Anyone is welcome to ATMM TBD. attend any of the meetings. There is usually an after-the- 24 United Nations Day. meeting meeting with directions available at the program. 24Ð26 Hallowcon Õ03 Ñ Chattanooga TN. 24Ð26 Necronomicon Ñ Tampa FL. 25 BD: Marie McCormack. 30Ð02 2003 Ñ Washington DC. September Minutes 31 Halloween. by Samuel A. Smith, too much! Too much!

NOVEMBER The September meeting of the North Alabama Science 04 Election Day. Fiction Association was called to order on Saturday, Septem- 11 VeteransÕ Day. ber 20, 2003 in the upstairs meeting room at BookMark at 11 Remembrance Day (Canada). 6:20:08P by President Mary Ortwerth, gavel, crickets, and all. 15* NASFA Meeting Ñ 6P Business Meeting at Book- OLD BUSINESS Mark. Program: Auction. ATMM at Mike Ken- There was discussion of the delayed Shuttle delivery. nedyÕs house. NEW BUSINESS 20 BD: Geoffrey Hintze. Randy Cleary: Pete Mohney will be running the 22 BD: Nancy Renee Peters. International Conference in Birmingham next year. He has 23 BD: Mike Kennedy. sent word (via Randy) that he would like to rent our Art Show 23 BD: Wilson ÒBobÓ Tucker. fixtures for the conference. There was much discussion, and 27 Thanksgiving Day. we agreed that we could do this, but we donÕt remember the 29 BD: Howard Camp. arrangements we made the last time it was done. So weÕll figure 30 BD: Joshua Kennedy. it out later (probably after Con Stellation). 30 BD: Richard Gilliam. Anita Eisenberg had a suggestion for a program for next year Ñ participating in (or just visiting?) the Botanical Gar- DECEMBER denÕs ÒScarecrow Trail.Ó (There was considerable discussion 05Ð07 SMOFCon 21 Ñ Rosemont IL. of AnitaÕs possible volunteering to be Program Director next 12 BD: Toni Weisskopf. year.) 15 Bill of Rights Day. Randy Cleary noted that Fred Ordway will be participat- 17 BD: Robin Ray. ing in a panel on Space and S. F. Art at the Huntsville Public 19 BD: Yvonne Penney. Library on November 2nd, from 2Ð4P. 20* NASFA Meeting Ñ 6P Business, 7P Program, at Randy Cleary announced that he is starting a freelance BookMark. Program: Gift Exchange. ATMM TBD. appreciation service. 22 Winter begins. CONVENTION BUSINESS 25 Christmas. There was some discussion of program book issues (we 26 BD: Michael R. Stone. have an earlier than usual program book deadline this year). 26 Kwanzaa. There are con committee meetings on September 21st and 26 Boxing Day (Canada). October 5th, plus October 9th at the hotel. The Art Show load out 27 Chanukah. will be October 5th before the con committee meeting. [All, 31 New YearÕs Eve. except possibly the 9 October meeting, past by the time you see this.] JANUARY 2004 Sam Smith reported that the Con Stellation web site 01 New YearÕs Day. received 817 visitors in August, and the NASFA web site 02Ð04 ShadowCon VII Ñ Memphis TN. received 122 visitors in the same time period. 03 BD: Jim Kennedy. ANNOUNCEMENTS 03 BD: Karen Hopkins. Randy Cleary saw last night. 06 BD: Rich Garber. The meeting was adjourned at 6:48:43P. The program was 07 BD: Doug Lampert. a discussion of what we are currently reading (and why). The 16Ð18 Chattacon XXIX Ñ Chattanooga TN. After-The-Meeting Meeting was the annual September birth- 16 BD: Bruce Butler. day party at Nancy Cucci and Ray PietruszkaÕs house. 17* NASFA Meeting Ñ 6P Business, 7P Program, at BookMark. ATMM TBD. NOTE: Date could be changed due to Chattacon. 19 BD: Martin Luther King (Observed). Doctor Who Re-Do 20 BD: Larry Montgomery. OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO The BBC has announced a revival of Who franchise, with new programs tentatively scheduled to air The North Alabama Association meets on beginning in 2005. Series writer Russell T. Davies is quoted as the third Saturday of each month. (Unless there is a large saying ÒThe new series will be fun, exciting, contemporary, nearby convention being held that weekend Ñ in which case and scary.Ó Few details have been announced, and in particular we usually hold the meeting on the second or fourth weekend.) the new Who has not been named. 2 jollied into doing silly things on stage for the evening. Alabama-Cuba Week Door prizes and prizes for the various contests were furnished by a local collectibles store, who also had a sales area Conference set up in a small meeting room hear the main room. Information tables were (wo)manned by local fan groups, including NASFA/ , Assistant Director Con Stellation (thanks, Mary and Karen!) and the local Star- of Student Media, has announced that the University of Ala- fleet chapter (the USS Wernher von Braun). bama in TuscaloosaÕs Alabama-Cuba Week conference (17Ð20 The centerpieces of the evening were a talk by Birming- November 2003) is scheduled to include appearances by ham writer Lee Shackle- Cuban science fiction writers Angel Arango and Michel ford (a story writer for Star Encinosa. Other scheduled sf participants include Juan Carlos Trek: TNG among other Toledano and James Stevens-Arce. (The overall event covers credits) and a showing of many aspects of Cuban and Cuban-American culture, from original-series episode poetry and photography to wastewater treatment and baseball.) ÒThe City on the Edge of SF-related events scheduled for that week include an Forever.Ó (I would have appearance at the Tuscaloosa Science Fiction SocietyÕs monthly thought that ÒAll Our Yes- meeting at 7P Wednesday 19 November and a panel devoted terdaysÓ might have been to Cuban science fiction at 10A Thursday 20 November. There the choice, given the set- will also be a party in the science fiction visitorsÕ honor at the ting.) ShacklefordÕs talk home of Andy and Sydney Duncan, with details still to be included a cold reading of announced. the first few pages of an The registration fee for the conference is $25. Details and unproduced Next Genera- registration forms were not available online at press time. tion script with half a photos by Karen Hopkins Questions and suggestions regarding the science fiction events dozen audience members should be directed to Andy Duncan (, (including NASFAÕs 205-348-9298); questions about the overall conference should Steve Sloan) taking the be directed to Carmen Taylor, associate dean of UAÕs College various parts. Shackle- of Arts and Sciences (, 205-348-7007). fordÕs script, which had Mr. Duncan notes that, given the nature of U.S.-Cuban politics, reached a late stage of de- the issuance of visas is never certain so the final conference velopment before being lineup is subject to change at the last minute. canned, ventured an answer to why the original series Klingons look nothing like those in the movies and later. Steve played an original-series-type Klingon being beamed onboard the Next Gen Enterprise in a rescue operation. His ÒmaterializationÓ Library Trek (rising from a crouch) was priceless. by Mike Kennedy A number of events remain in the libraryÕs Century of Flight series. Details can be found on their web site As part of their ongoing Century of Flight series, the or by calling the library at 256-532-5940. Huntsville-Madison County Public Library held a themed event 6-9P Friday 3 October 2003 at the main branch in downtown Huntsville (aka Fort British Fantasy Awards Book). Titled ÒA Sa- lute to Star Trek; or, Nominations Not with my Yeomen You DonÕt, Captain Nominations have been announced for this yearÕs British Kirk,Ó the evening was Fantasy Awards, given by the . Winners intended to be a light- will be announced at the British Fantasy Convention hearted evening, and , to mostly succeeded. be held 21Ð23 November 2003 at the Tillington Hall Hotel, The main meeting Stafford. The nominees are: room at the library was AUGUST DERLETH AWARD (NOVEL) pretty much filled, The Darkest Part of the Woods, (PS with over 100 people Publishing) at the peak (though far The Devil in Green, Mark Chadbourn (Gollancz) fewer remained by the The Facts of Life, Graham Joyce (Gollancz) end of the evening). photo by Karen Hopkins The Scar, China MiŽville (Macmillan) Highlights included a Star Trek trivia contest, a small costume White Apples, (Tor) contest (three entries), and a ÒKlingonÓ buffet (which was SHORT FICTION actually much more edible than previous attempts at Klingon Cape Wrath, () cuisine IÕve seen). The costume contest was won by a Klingon The Fairy-FellerÕs Master Stroke, Mark Chadbourn (PS chanteuse, with other entries being a Picard lookalike and an Publishing) original-series-era Starfleet Marine. The judges (also cos- Firing the Cathedral, (PS Publishing) tumed) seemed to be library employees who had probably been ÒOpen the Box,Ó Andrew Humphrey (The Third Alternative 3 #29) The Tain, China MiŽville (PS Publishing) SFWA Raises Medical ANTHOLOGY Art of Imagination: 20th Century Visions of Science Fiction, Funds at Worldcon Horror & Fantasy, Frank M. Robinson, and Randy Broecker, eds. (Collectors Press) SFWA, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Amer- Dark Terrors 6, and David Sutton, eds. (Gol- ica, maintains an Emergency Medical Fund which offers lancz) interest-free loans to members facing unexpected medical Fantasy: The Best of 2001, Robert Silverberg and Karen expenses. Funds are raised through auctions and donations. Haber, eds. (ibooks) At Torcon 3 SFWA raised about $2800 (US), primarily Keep Out the Night, Stephen Jones, ed. (PS Publishing) through an auction (about $2000). There were also significant The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror: Volume Thirteen, contributions from a tip jar in the SFWA suite plus about $500 Stephen Jones, ed. (Robinson) from the SFWA Musketeers Ñ an unofficial group of SFWAns The YearÕs Best Fantasy and Horror: Fifteenth Annual who also like to fence (and, apparently, touch people up for Collection, and , eds. (St. money). MartinÕs) COLLECTION The Emperor of Dreams: The Lost Worlds of Clark Ashton Smith, Clark Ashton Smith (Gollancz) Hugo Nomination Stats EverythingÕs Eventual, (Hodder & Stoughton) Ramsey Campbell, Probably: On Horror and Sundry Fanta- Torcon 3 received 738 total valid Hugo nominating forms. sies, Ramsey Campbell (PS Publishing) Per the WSFS Constitution, they published a list of at least the Tales from Earthsea, Ursula K. Le Guin (Gollancz) top 15 nominees in each category. Nominees not on the final The Virtual Menagerie, Andrew Hook (Elastic Press) ballot were not validated or checked for errors. SMALL PRESS Nominations for Best Novel 621 nominating forms, 219 PS Publishing () nominees Roadworks (edited by Trevor Denyer) 97 Hominids, Robert J. Sawyer (Tor) Telos Publishing (David J. Howe) 91 The Scar, China MiŽville (Macmillan; Del Rey) The Alien Online (edited by Ariel) 88 The Years of Rice and Salt, Kim The Third Alternative (edited by Andy Cox) Stanley Robinson (Bantam) ARTIST 72 , Michael J. K. Potter Laura Bandilla Swanwick (Eos) Randy Broecker Bob Covington 69 Kiln People, David Brin (Tor) Les Edward (aka Edward Miller) Ñ final ballot complete Ñ Dominic Harman Chris Moore 56 Dance for the Ivory Madonna, Don Sakers (Speed of C) 55 Ruled Britannia, Harry Turtle- dove (NAL) 2003 Rhysling Award 43 Night Watch, Terry Pratchett (Doubleday UK; HarperCollins) Winners 40 Diplomatic Immunity, Lois McMaster Bujold (Baen) The Science Fiction Poetry Association has announced 36 Redemption Ark, Alastair Reynolds (Gollancz; ) the winners of the 2003 Rhysling Awards for achievement in 35 The Eyre Affair, Jasper Fforde (Viking) . Winners are selected by a vote of the 35 Permanence, Karl Schroeder (Tor) membership in two categories: Short Poem (up to 49 lines) and 34 Coyote, Allen Steele (Ace) Long Poem (50 lines and over). The winners are: 32 Chindi, Jack McDevitt (Ace) SHORT POEM 32 Light, M. John Harrison (Gollancz) First Place ...... ÒPotherb GardeningÓ by Ruth Berman 32 Probability Space, Nancy Kress (Tor) (AsimovÕs, December 2002) Nominations for Best Novella 374 nominating forms, 65 Second Place...... ÒA Ghost StoryÓ by nominees (, Spring 2002) 85 Coraline, (HarperCollins) Third Place ...... Òmeteor showerÓ by David C. Kopaska- 48 ÒIn Spirit,Ó Pat Forde (Analog 9/02) Merkel (The Magazine of Speculative Poetry, Spring 2002) 47 ÒBronteÕs Egg,Ó Richard Chwedyk (F&SF 8/02) LONG POEM 45 ÒBreathmoss,Ó Ian R. MacLeod (AsimovÕs 5/02) First Place (tie) ...... ÒEpochs in Exile: A Fantasy 41 A Year in the Linear City, Paul Di Filippo (PS Publishing) TrilogyÓ by Charles Saplak and Mike Allen 41 ÒThe Political Officer,Ó Charles Coleman Finlay (F&SF 4/ (Eotu Ezine, February 2002) and 02) ÒMatlacihuatlÕs GiftÓ by Sonya Taaffe Ñ final ballot complete Ñ (Dreams and Nightmares, September 2002) 40 ÒThe Potter of Bones,Ó Eleanor Arnason (AsimovÕs 9/02) Second Place ...... ÒMedusaÕs TaleÓ by David C. Kopaska- 34 ÒVeritas,Ó Robert Reed (AsimovÕs 7/02) Merkel (Mythic Delirium, Summer/Fall 2002) 32 ÒRouter,Ó Charles Stross (AsimovÕs 9/02) Third Place ...... ÒNot One of UsÓ by Tyree Campbell 31 The Human Front, Ken MacLeod (PS Publishing) (Sex and the Single Alien, WriterÕs Club Press, 2002) 30 ÒStories for Men,Ó (AsimovÕs 10-11/02) 4 30 ÒUnseen Demons,Ó Adam-Troy Castro (Analog 8/02) 31 Dragonhenge, Bob Eggleton and (Paper Tiger) 29 Turquoise Days, Alastair Reynolds (Golden Gryphon) 28 Spectrum 9: The Best in Contemporary , Cathy 22 ÒA Democracy of Trolls,Ó Charles Coleman Finlay (F&SF Fenner and Arnie Fenner, eds. (Underwood Books) 10-11/02) Ñ final ballot complete Ñ 22 ÒJury Service,Ó Charles Stross and Cory Doctorow (Sci 25 The Science Fiction Professional, Mike Resnick (Farthest Fiction 12/03/02) Star) 22 ÒParadises Lost,Ó Ursula K. Le Guin (The Birthday of the 25 Tomorrow Now: Envisioning the Next 50 Years, Bruce World) Sterling 22 ÒThe Drive-in Puerto Rico,Ó (F&SF 10-11/ 24 The Science Fiction Art of Vincent di Fate, Vincent di Fate 02) (Paper Tiger) Nominations for Novellette 377 nominating forms, 149 19 The Science of Discworld II: The Globe Emury nominees 18 The Art of Jeffrey Jones, Jeffrey Jones (Underwood Books) 60 ÒHalo,Ó Charles Stross (AsimovÕs 6/02) 18 Bad Astronomy, Philip Plait 34 ÒPresence,Ó Maureen F. McHugh (F&SF 3/02) 18 Mapping Mars, Oliver Morton 32 ÒThe Wild Girls,Ó Ursula K. Le Guin (AsimovÕs 3/02) 12 Adventures in the Dream Trade, Neil Gaiman (NESFA 29 ÒSlow Life,Ó (Analog 12/02) Press) 28 ÒMadonna of the Maquiladora,Ó (AsimovÕs 5/ 12 The Making of the Movie Trilogy: Lord of the Rings, Brian 02) Sibley (Houghton Mifflin) Ñ final ballot complete Ñ 9 LOTR - TTT Visual 33 ÒLiking What You See: A Documentary,Ó Ted Chiang 9 Paper Tiger Fantasy Art Gallery, Paul Barnett, ed. (Paper (Stories of Your Life and Others) Tiger) (Ted Chiang declined his nomination) Nominations for Best Long Form Dramatic Presentation 27 ÒTourist,Ó Charles Stross (AsimovÕs 2/02) 529 nominating forms, 59 nominees 25 ÒFirst to the Moon,Ó Stephen Baxter and Simon Bradshaw 428 Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Spectrum SF #6) 191 Minority Report 24 ÒOwnz0red,Ó Cory Doctorow (Salon 8/28/02) 183 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 23 ÒLook Away,Ó Stephen L. Burns (Analog 5/02) 164 Spider-Man 23 ÒThe Passenger,Ó Paul McAuley (AsimovÕs 3/02) 130 Spirited Away 18 ÒIsabel of the Fall,Ó Ian R. MacLeod (Interzone 7/01) Ñ final ballot complete Ñ 18 ÒLull,Ó (Conjunctions 39) 126 Lilo and Stitch 18 ÒThe Real Story,Ó Alastair Reynolds (Mars Probes) 43 Star Trek Nemesis 17 ÒIn Her Image,Ó Michael A. Burststein (Analog 10/02) 38 Signs 17 ÒThe Old Cosmonaut and the Construction Worker Dream 37 Star Wars: Attack of the Clones of Mars,Ó Ian McDonald (Mars Probes) 27 Ice Age 17 ÒWe Come Not to Praise Washington,Ó Charles Coleman 21 Metropolis Finlay (F&SF 8/02) 20 Taken Nominations for Best Short Story 400 nominating forms, 18 Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring extended 263 nominees version 31 ÒCreation,Ó (F&SF 5/02) 18 Solaris 30 ÒÔHello,Õ Said the Stick,Ó Michael Swanwick (Analog 3/02) 13 Men in Black II 29 ÒThe Little Cat Laughed to See Such Sport,Ó Michael 13 Treasure Planet Swanwick (AsimovÕs 10-11/02) Nominations for Best Short Form Dramatic Presentation 26 ÒFalling Onto Mars,Ó Geoffrey A. Landis (Analog 7-8/02) 284 nominating forms, 176 nominees 22 ÒLambing Season,Ó Molly Gloss (AsimovÕs 7/02) 72 ÒCarbon CreekÓ (Enterprise) Ñ final ballot complete Ñ 62 ÒConversations With Dead PeopleÓ (Buffy) 21 ÒIn Paradise,Ó Bruce Sterling (F&SF 09/02) 33 ÒA Night in SickbayÓ (Enterprise) 21 ÒWhat I DidnÕt See,Ó ( 7/19/ 24 ÒSerenityÓ (Firefly) 02) 22 ÒWaiting in the WingsÓ (Angel) 20 ÒKnapsack Poems,Ó Eleanor Arnason (AsimovÕs 5/02) Ñ final ballot complete 20 ÒReflections in Black Granite,Ó Mike Resnick and Michael 19 ÒConJosŽ Masquerade Half-time ShowÓ (The Trans-Iowa A. Burstein (In the Shadow of the Wall) Canal Company) 20 ÒThe Waif,Ó (F&SF 01/02) 19 ÒLord of the PiercingÓ (LOTR: FOTR Extended DVD 19 ÒFlight Correction,Ó Ken Wharton (Analog 3/02) Easter Egg) 18 ÒAt Dorado,Ó Geoffrey A. Landis (AsimovÕs 10-11/02) 19 ÒSelflessÓ (Buffy) 18 ÒLittle Gods,Ó Tim Pratt (Strange Horizons 2/4/02) 18 ÒThe Legend of the RangersÓ (Babylon 5) 17 ÒSocial Dreaming of the Frin,Ó Ursula K. Le Guin (F&SF 18 ÒObjects in SpaceÓ (Firefly) 10-11/02) 14 ÒA Walk on the Windy SideÓ (Windycon) Nominations for Best Related Book 262 nominating forms, 13 ÒRyanÓ () 83 nominees 13 ÒWhere No Fan Has Gone BeforeÓ (Futurama) 51 Better to Have Loved: The Life of Judith Merril, Judith 12 ÒUnrealized RealityÓ (Farscape) Merril and Emily Pohl-Weary (Between the Lines) 10 ÒNormal AgainÓ (Buffy) 50 : An Illustrated Life, Jerry Wiest (Morrow) Nominations for Best Professional Editor 399 nominating 39 The Battle of the Sexes in Science Fiction, Justine Lar- forms, 89 nominees balestier (Wesleyan University Press) 131 Ellen Datlow 5 127 24 Lady ChurchillÕs Rosebad Wristlet 124 22 SFRevu 118 Stanley Schmidt 15 Bananna Wings 104 David G. Hartwell 13 Devniad Ñ final ballot complete Ñ 13 Vanamode 79 12 Wabe 29 Mary Anne Mohanraj 11 Steam Engine Time 22 Warren Lapine 10 The Knarley Knews 21 Shawna McCarthy 10 Tangent Online 19 A.J. Budrys 10 Twink 19 David Pringle Nominations for Best Fan Writer 315 nominating forms, 144 18 Betsy Mitchell nominees 16 Ian Randall Strock 51 Dave Langford 16 Martin H. Greenberg 44 Bob Devney 13 Terri Windling 40 Mike Glyer Nominations for Best Professional Artist 344 nominating 38 John L. Flynn forms, 141 nominees 38 Steven H Silver 107 Bob Eggleton Ñ final ballot complete Ñ 82 35 Cheryl Morgan 57 Jim Burns 32 Alex von Thorn 56 Frank Kelly Freas 32 John Hertz 49 David A. Cherry 22 Lloyd Penney Ñ final ballot complete Ñ 19 Evelyn Leeper 46 19 Guy Lillian 30 Phil Foglio 19 Jeff Berkwits 24 Thomas Canty 17 22 Vincent Di Fate 16 David Levine 20 John Jude Palencar 14 Kate Yule 14 Kinuko Y. Craft Nominations for Best Fan Artist 243 nominating forms, 76 13 Tom Kidd nominees 12 Ron Walotsky 83 Frank Wu 12 Stephen Youll 53 Sue Mason 11 Alan Pollack 50 Teddy Harvia 11 30 Brad Foster 11 Jody Lee 27 Steve Stiles 11 Omar Rayyan Ñ final ballot complete Ñ Nominations for Best Semiprozine 314 nominating forms, 23 Alexis Gilliland 47 nominees 23 Taral Wayne 136 Locus 20 Sheryl Birkhead 105 Ansible 15 D West 82 Interzone 13 Kurt Erichsen 78 The New York Review of Science Fiction 12 Bill Neville 51 Speculations 12 Freddie Baer Ñ final ballot complete Ñ 11 Alan White 48 SF Chronicle 10 Marc Schirmeister 35 Artemis 10 Melody Rondeau 30 On Spec Nominations for John W. Campbell Award 259 nominating 29 Absolute Magnitude forms, 93 nominees 16 Talebones 60 Wen Spencer 14 The Third Alternative 51 Charles Coleman Finlay 13 Spectrum SF 43 Karin Lowachee 12 Ideomancer 40 Ken Wharton 9 Starlog 36 David D. Levine 6 Strange Horizons Ñ final ballot complete Ñ Nominations for Best Fanzine 289 nominating forms, 93 35 Benjamin Rosenbaum nominees 32 Jacqueline Carey 58 Mimosa 29 Tim Pratt 57 File 770 28 Cecilia Dart-Thornton 56 Plokta 19 Hilary Moon Murphy 49 Emerald City 16 Alan DeNiro 44 Challenger 15 Alexander C. Irvine Ñ final ballot complete 14 Jasper Fforde 39 Bento 12 Ruth Nestvold 30 The Voyageur 12 6 body. Holding it by one end, she touches the imageÕs head. Over, and Through, the Ñ O Ñ O Ñ O Ñ Wotan: What now, master Goodfellow? We have a body. Rainbow! Do we hold a wake? No Need for a Dragon with a Migraine Chapter 9 Puck: Why, not ÒA Wake,Ó but ÒAwakeÓ! Let there be by PieEyedDragon music, to rouse the spirit! The Dagda Mor places his great harp beside the simula- Many were the gods and goddesses visiting Asgard for the crum. first time; having come in response to PuckÕs message on Amaterasu Ohmikami: And what song to begin (smiling behalf of PED. Quetzalcoatl was there for his similarity of slyly), Rock the Dragon? form. Amaterasu Ohmikami came, claiming a masterÕs duty to Puck: (laughs) Perhaps later; but Restoration for now! her (former) servant. The magic harp begins playing, and a host of Pixies start When the little wooden ship descended again from the singing in their tiny, bell-like voices. Puck pulls out a violin High Air, Thor accosted Puck; who was leading an entranced and adds a complementary theme. Not to be left out; Apollo mortal woman. ÒThis place is for gods and heroes, Old Thing!Ó strums his Lyre, and Pan blows on his pipes. Even that other Robin just grins: ÒAnd gods have bred with giants and Pan, who had followed the Pixies for the thought of Great mortals. Some of those part-bloods, like Apollo, and you, are Adventure, begins filling in short melodies of youth on a here represented. Some arenÕt (nodding meaningfully toward simple tin whistle. Mihoshi). This one is a berserker, and a great great grand- The music builds, and builds, until it is a near-solid force. daughter of the abdicated Juraian goddess of science and Wotan makes a sign to Thor; who smacks his hands together, chaos, Washu! She bears some of her ability; as well as creating a thunderclap. Everything stops as if being cut off with something much more important, and tangible.Ó a knife. Ñ O Ñ O Ñ O Ñ Puck examines MihoshiÕs face closely. Her eyes are Wotan: So, Puck. WhatÕs to be done? glazed and finally, very slowly, blink once. Puck: First, we make use of the connections we have ÒWe have contact!Ó He declares. available. Mihoshi! What is PEDÕs condition? Mihoshi: (in a light trance) Frozen solid. No breath. No heartbeat, yet alive and dreaming. His spirit cannot depart. Wotan: Why not? Letters of Comment Puck: True Immortality; he already died once. We must contrive to wake him. The Vanir taught you witchcraft. Let an EMOC-EMOC-EMOC-EMOC-EMOC-EMOC-EMOC image be made of the dragon, using your most potent weapons and talismans. Lloyd Penney 26 August 2003 Wotan places his spear, Gungnir, on the ground for a spine. ÒEarthpower!Ó 1706-24 Eva Road Quetzalcoatl spreads mounds of tiny Òbird peppersÓ in a Etobicoke ON serpentine line along the spear. ÒEarthpower, alive in itÕs most Canada M9C 2B2 fiery form, barring lava!Ó Mananaan Mac Lir places his paddle at the tail end. ItÕs been just crazy here, getting ready for Torcon 3. ItÕs ÒWater, that the seas may move him!Ó great to have a Worldcon thatÕs local, but except for transpor- Amaterasu Ohmikami places silk fans, and razor-sharp tation, it really doesnÕt cut down on expense. The party war-fans in the wing positions. ÒAir, that he may rise up again, equipment for the LA in Õ06 bid parties is ready, and weÕll [be] and fight!Ó picking up some people coming in from LA later tonight. So, Frey and Heimdall both lay their giant-bane swords: in the meantime, thereÕs time for a loc; in this case, for the Hundingsbana and Head, in the fore-claw positions. August Shuttle. Thor smites the ground with Mjollnir, generating thunder Club minutesÉ IÕll ask a question. Is there a feeling of and lightning. ÒFire, to confound the powers of Ice!Ó He places apathy within the club? Are there a lack of things to do, or a the short-handled hammer in the midst of the construct. feeling that the club is no longer relevant? These are problems Wotan pours mounds of rings, which had been clubs everywhere are having. The club in Vancouver is re- dropping for ages from his magic ring, Draupnir. The rings ported to be almost moribund, and other clubzines I receive say cleave together and cover the dragon-image with golden ring- much the same thing. If NASFA is vital and moving about, mail. good for you; you may be among the few clubs who are. Lugh, King of Tir-Nan-Og, places a large stone at the Preserve it and nurture it. head. ÒI, ah, borrowed this from Blarney castle; for serpents are In just a few days, as I write this, there will be a lot more known also for the power in their tongues. A tongue can be award news, namely the winners of the Auroras, Hugos, sharper than any sword!Ó Spectrums, Chesleys and many more. We have our fingers Quetzalcoatl protests, ÒHey, there. Snake-Oil is my de- crossed, and weÕre hoping we can bring at least one sharp partment!Ó and exhales lightly upon the Blarney Stone. Aurora home. Thanks to Sheryl on her good wishes! The gleaming, golden dragon-image now seems almost Greetings to PieEyed! I hate the winter, so I can sympa- complete; and completely still. Mihoshi now draws the little, thize with being flash frozenÉ IÕve felt that way just about hollow, dragon bone from her hair. Before PEDÕs original every January. Great fun with the various pantheons. Reminds body died, he had selected it from the ruin of his smashed me of the Steven Brust novel To Reign in Hell. wings. Polishing it as best he could, he had imbued it with a full I know Patrick Molloy and Naomi Fisher will be at quarter portion of his essence, later returned to his second Torcon; theyÕve said so online. I see so many people selling 7 their memberships because of financial hardship. ItÕs getting Our condolences go out to Larry Montgomery on the loss expensive to attend Worldcon, and Yvonne and I are discuss- of PLCM, as well as to Southern fandom as a whole. Pamela ing whether we should continue attending them, especially was the first SFC Bulletin editor to send me copies of the with places like Glasgow, Scotland hosting in 2005, and Bulletin, and as I read the Bulletins, and any other fanzines I Japanese and Australian bids coming up for succeeding years. received from the southern US, I quickly saw how busy and We expect to go to Boston next year, and possibly LA and involved she was; we could all have used a dozen of her. IÕm Columbus should they win 2006 and 2007 respectively, but sure she is keenly missed, and IÕm sure there will be a special after that, I think weÕll just be local fans, and attend local remembrance at the next DSC. conventions. To other thingsÉ hello, Mike Kennedy, and it was a Time to goÉ I must be heading to the airport shortly. Take pleasure to finally meet you on my own home turf. I hope your care all, and Mike, hope to see you this week! visit (and everyoneÕs visit) to Toronto for Worldcon was enjoyable. ThatÕs quite an itinerary of your WorldconÉ IÕll [Torcon has come and gone Ñ mostly successfully Ñ since see if thereÕs anything I could add. Robert Sawyer had his you wrote this letter, Lloyd. Also successful was LAÕs 2006 dream come trueÉ win the Best Novel Hugo in front of the bid. My own plans will likely have me missing the next several hometown crowd. Emily Pohl-Weary is Fred Pohl and Judith Worldcons, so perhaps IÕll endeavor to recruit you as my MerrilÕs granddaughter, I believe, and she lives in Toronto. intrepid reporter on the scene for Boston and LA if you do Also, Julie Czerneda won a Golden Duck award for her series indeed make those. I can get a lot of factual info off the web Tales of the Wonderzone, she lives in the city where I grew up, during and after the con, but the personal touch is missing Orillia, Ontario. So, Canadian authors got their share of all the without someone who was there putting in their 200¢ worth. I various awards given out. think NASFA is still quite viable as a club. Our largest activity The senior committee gave the division heads and workers is clearly as ÒownersÓ of Con Stellation Ñ the local sf/fantasy little time to get things ready, so the programming team convention Ñ but meetings and social activities are pretty well deserves some credit for getting done what they were able to attended and people seem to have fun. Of course, as one of the do. Unfortunately, that lack of time meant late programme oldest of the old-timers I am probably biased, so comments books, and a pocket programme that bore no resemblance to from other club members would be appreciated. -ED] reality. Yes, Nolacon came to mind for me as well. Ah, you were at the wedding, too! Yvonne and I were in the front row. POC-POC-POC-POC-POC-POC-POC-POC-POC-POC Rev. diNovo did a fine job of putting everyone at ease, and with the legality of same-sex marriages here, four couples went Sheryl Birkhead 13 September 2003 home very happy. And, thatÕs the main thing. 25509 Jonnie Court Much of our time at Torcon was spent working with the Gaithersburg MD 20882 LA in 2006 Worldcon bidders, getting them the necessary food service equipment they couldnÕt have brought with them, and Hope all who traveled north for Torcon 3 enjoyed the con. driving them all over Toronto to find all the hardware they Oooh boy Ñ Con Stellation 2004 Ñ Mike you must be a needed to stage the space cadet academy they used to win 2006. glutton for punishment. Also, Mike, congrats on the Rebel. I figure silly wins over sedate every time. Just got the latest Harry Potter book on tape from the Spider Robinson helmed an upbeat and quick Hugo cere- library Ñ have yet to start listening. Hope Lloyd and Yvonne mony, and this generated some excitement for all in atten- enjoyed Torcon 3. dance. The climax came with Rob Sawyer winning his Hugo, IÕve heard various comments about Torcon, but have not and all Canadian[s] stood and cheered his victory. Afterwards, actually seen any conreports. IÕm sure that if I spent time on the the now-traditional Hugo newsletter was handed out, with the Internet I might be able to unearth some. My congratulations full stats for those who made the ballot, and those who didnÕt. to all the winners and nominees. I finished ninth in Best Fan Writer, with 22 nominations, and I hope the various fan lounges went smoothly Ñ I know IÕm pleased with my showing. Rob will be having a party the Penneys put a lot of work into the con. Ah yes Ñ now on shortly, and weÕll get a close-up view of the Torcon Hugo, to Noreascon. which has been described by some as the most beautiful Hugo ever, with the maple leaf/jet exhaust hugging the fins of the [As it turned out, I got your postcard, Sheryl, just after the rocket. previous issue of the Shuttle was put to bed, though perhaps Anyway, I will get this out to you, and I look forward to before I mailed it. Hopefully that overstuffed issue satisfied more commentary on Torcon 3 in the next issue. See you then. some of your desire for a Torcon report. -ED] [Actually the short deadline for this issue was due more to EMOC-EMOC-EMOC-EMOC-EMOC-EMOC-EMOC Con Stellation Ñ less than a week away as I type this Ñ than to Worldcon. I certainly intended no conclusion in the last issue Lloyd Penney 19 September 2003 as to who or what level of the Torcon organization should have the largest blame for the chaotic state of the program at Torcon 1706-24 Eva Road and I certainly have no way or intent to contradict your Etobicoke ON judgement that the fault lies at fairly senior levels of the Canada M9C 2B2 committee. -ED]

Just after Sam Smith announced the newest issue of the EMOC-EMOC-EMOC-EMOC-EMOC-EMOC-EMOC Shuttle, Volume 23, No. 9, I saw the deadline on it, and thought IÕd better handle that immediately. ItÕs tough to get back on PieEyedDragon 28 September 2003 schedule after a Worldcon, isnÕt it? 8 Farewell PLCM. The wheel turns yet again. voice1: So who believes the Enquirer? Have you read Johnny Cash: ÒI fly a starship, across the universe divide. what they print? And when I reach the other side; IÕll find some place to rest my voice2: It wouldnÕt happen that way. Doctor Chandra spirit if I can. Perhaps I may become a highwayman, again; Or might instead tell his daughter, Antonia. I may become a single drop of rain. But I will remain; and IÕll voice1: So? come back again, and again, and againÉÓ The Highwayman voice2: She is editor of ÒBone Books,Ó and married to Excerpt from chapters to come: ÒHunkÓ Runeheart: a writer and sometime swordsmith. They voice1: Will the corona of Bifrost hide this from the would know who to talk to about this. Humans? voice1: You are surely pulling at least one of my legs. voice2: Yes, and no. Doctor Martin ChandraÕs ÒWise- Such coincidences do not happen in the real world. Not HeadÓ X-ray telescope spends part of itÕs 2.6 day orbit above naturally, anyhow. the shrouding ÒVan AllenÓ fog. If anyone used it to look down, instead of outward toward deep space, our many agents could [As you can see, PED, we managed to fit another episode of not keep it out of the general news. Fortunately, the astrono- your adventures into this issue. IÕm sure there are many more mers have it booked up for decades. of them to come. -ED]

9 P. O. Box 4857 Huntsville AL 35815-4857

***************************************************************************************************************** The NASFA Shuttle is the newsletter of the North Alabama Science Fiction Association, Inc. This is the October 2003 edition (Volume 23, Number 10). NASFA Officers for 2003: President Mary Ortwerth; Vice President Mike Kennedy; Secretary Sam Smith; Treasurer Ray Pietruszka; Program Director Karen Hopkins; Publicity Director Doug Lampert. Shuttle Editor Mike Kennedy. Comments, inquiries, and contributions of writing by email to: [email protected] Ñ EDITORIAL ADDRESS (EMAIL) Comments, inquiries, and contributions of writing by snailmail to: Mike Kennedy, 7907 Charlotte Drive SW, Huntsville AL 35802-2841 Ñ EDITORIAL ADDRESS (SNAILMAIL) Dues ($), subscriptions ($), and Official Mail to: NASFA, Inc., P. O. Box 4857, Huntsville AL 35815-4857 Ñ OFFICIAL ADDRESS Contents Copyright, © 2003. All rights revert to contributors. All opinions are those of the individual authors and do not reflect club policies other than by coincidence. LoCs subject to edited printing. NASFA Dues = $15/year (Family rates available) Subscription only = $10/year Single copy = $1.50 each. *****************************************************************************************************************

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