INTUITION

Progress Report I

November 1996

INTUITION PROGRESS REPORT ONE November 1996

INTUITION CONTENTS

British National Science Fiction Convention (“Eastercon”) 1998 From the Depths of the Sofa - Fran Dowd 10-13 April 1998 Hotel Jarvis Piccadilly Connie Willis: a One-Sided Dialogue — Manchester Paul Kincaid

Intuition Committee Is that a “Science” in your Acronym or Sofa are You just Pleased to See Me? Science Programming at Intuition — Fran Dowd AmandaBaker Treasurer David Cooper Discovering Ian McDonald — Paul Kincaid Secretary Jenny Glover Crossword — Jan Taylor Membership Secretary Drama and SF — Kathy Taylor 10 Kathy Taylor Operations News from the Committee 12 Fiona Anderson Programme, Publications and Fran’s Breakfast Mushrooms — Fran Dowd i Publicity

Claire Brialey Overseas Agents 13 Maureen Kincaid Speller HelenSteele Membership List 14 Amanda Baker(Science) COVER: by Sue Mason PRI Edited by: Helen Steele Intuition Progress Report One was produced on Microsoft Internal Art by: Word and Quark Xpress on the PC and the Mac(twice — an idiot Sue Mason burglar hasthe first paste-up...) Proofreading by: If you are interested in advertising in subsequent progress reports or in the programmebookpleasesee page 12 for details. the committee

INTUITION PROGRESS REPORT1 From the Depthsof the Sofa

Fran Dowd

Welcometo Intuition. I’m a left-handed woman, aware of sexual and social undercurrents, break- so I’m supposedto havea lot ofit. ups, fights, pick-ups and loveat first sight, and men tend not to be. Groups of women in more Intuition is mystical, irrational, stubborn.It has formal situations use consensus management, no place in modern scientific thought. Intuition whereas mixed groups or groups of men are is being convinced that your plane will crash, more involved with power and dominance that your numbers will come upin the National games. Someof this comes out of our education, Lottery. Intuition is sloppy, an excusefor rational where we were encouraged to read books about thoughtpractised by primitive cultures, women, left-handers, drug-users, young people, old relationships more than action, watch chick- flicks rather than Arnie movies, study arts and people, sailors, soldiers, police, doctors in US humanities rather than maths and science. Be medical soaps and anyone else who ISN’T ME. soft, not hard. Someofit is a remnantofthe skills As a left-hander, the books! say I think in a womenneededto get on in the world. How else different way. Using visual imagery rather than could youget a rich man to marry you? abstractions, absorbing a problem and spitting The word “intuition” madeits earliest appear- out a solution rather than detailing a logical, ance in the English language in the fifteenth linear progression of thought. A high proportion century, and originally meant contemplation, or of artists, writers, and musiciansare left-handed. In the traditional right-thinking world, I’m view. By the sixteenth century, it had come to supposed to be crap at following directions, mean taking into account, or havingreferenceto, immediately knowing or understanding some- completing projects, analysing and deducing. I thing. It wasn’t until the eighteenth century that shouldn’t be any goodat law, mathsorscience. it got its current meaning of immediate insight. Slang words for me in many languagescall me So it isn’t the blinding flash that comes out of awkward, clumsy, sneaky andevil — sinister. nowhere, it is just a way of using the mass of Right-handers however are adroit, dextrous data you already have, of shining the light from and correct. Ever since we started manufactur- a newdirection. ing things, tools have been designed for them to use, which lands me with a double whammy. Enough twaddle, what's this got to do with an Aboutonein ten of the population is born left- Eastercon? handed, and despite the best efforts of teachers, Well, we want to show you your world using parents, and even Dr Spock, nowadays in the some different spotlights. And we want to lay Western world mostof us grow up that waytoo. bare some of the wiring involved and look at But whatsort of future do we have, where we how someofthe thinking behind it works. How can’t use tools easily, can’t even think correctly? do scientific breakthroughs really happen? Where do newideas come from? Whatwill new Women are supposed to think differently as well. That used to mean that we couldn’tthink at technologies do to the way our minds work, our perceptions of ourselves, our dreams, our views all, that it wasn’t worth educating us, that we of the past and the future? Whatare the myths, shouldn’t be alloweda voicein politics, religion, legends and histories that colour these percep- science, commerce. Those days are starting to fade away, and the emphasis has shifted from tions? How do we know what we know? And “not being able to think” to “thinking in a differ- we want to party on while we’re doing it. My ent but equally valuable way”. I’m not going to intuition tells me that gin is the natural fuel for discuss political viewpoints on the rights and creative thought, and I intend to proveit using wrongs of modern feminism, but it is my scientific methods. personal experience that women of my genera- Intuition is the only wayto handle information tion perceive things in a way which men do not. overload. They may not have let womenin, but Whetherthat is innate or trained I don’t know, one in four of the Apollo astronauts was left- but wecertainly reinforce it. On a casual level, handed. westill go to the loo in groups. Why?It isn’t because wecan’t pee without someone holding Fran Dowdis the Sofa of Intuition. our hand, or because we need each other’s advice on adjusting clothes or makeup.It is to 1 including The Natural Superiority of the Left- combine and process information about whatis Hander, James T. de Kay (Frederick Muller Ltd, going on “out there”, discuss viewpoints, devise ISBN 0 584 10438 3) strategies. In party post-mortems, women are

INTUITION PROGRESS REPORT1

Connie Willis: A One-Sided Dialogue Paul Kincaid

I didn’t get to meet With the exception of Connie Willis when she Novels and Short Story Collections Doomsday Book, you're was over here at the not normally known as Glasgow Worldcon, so a writer of bleak it’s going to be a great Water Witch, w. Cynthia Felice, Ace 1982 fictions. In fact, a lot of your work has been pleasure to meet her at Fire Watch (short story coll.), Bluejay 1985 Intuition. After all, it comedy to some degree Which do might give me a chance Lincoln’s Dreams, John W. Campbell Award (Best Novel) or another. to ask some of the Bantam 1987 you find easier, the things you always find Light Raid, w. Cynthia Felice, Ace 1989 comedy or the realism? yourself wanting to ask And why is it that Doomsday Book, Hugo, Nebula & Locus (Best Novel) a writer whose work Hollywood seems to Bantam 1992 you admire. For feature in so many of instance: Impossible Things (short story coll.), Bantam 1993 your comedies, like the novel Remake for The New Hugo Winners, Vol. 3 (ed.), Baen 1994 What is it about instance? How muchof Britain? I mean, you’ve Uncharted Territory, Bantam 1994 a film buff are you — set more stories in that novel had so many Britain than any other Remake, Locus (Best Novella) Hugo nom.(Novel) Bantam 1995 film references in it that American writer I can I got the impression you think of — except for Bellwether, Bantam, 1996 must have spenta life- those who are actually Futures Imperfect (coll. Uncharted Territory, time in front of the resident over here. The Remake & Bellwether) Science Fiction Book Club 1996 video? story of yours that first introduced me to your Promised Land, w. Cynthia Felice, Ace March 1997 There’s one thing I’ve work was “Fire Watch”, To Say Nothing of the Dog, Bantam Summer 1997 noticed in quite a lot of which is set during the yourscience fiction — a Blitz in London. Then trick that I’ve not seen there has been “Jack” any other sf writer (whichis also set during the Blitz, come to that - attempt, at least not with the same success: you does the war hold a special fascination for you?) take a scientific principle and then reflect that and of course Doomsday Book, along with a few principle in the behaviourof your characters. Let other stories. They’re not researched on the metry and explain what I mean:in yourlatest ground, are they? (Am I right in thinking novel, Bellwether, you have one character Intuition will be only your second visit to this researching into fads and another character country?) researching into chaos, and of course the two cometogether. But the way they come togetheris Doomsday Book, of course, raises another inter- because of the way that the situation in the esting question. It tells the story of a time-travel laboratories where they work is descending into experiment which sends a researcher back from chaos and several key characters seem to be near-future Oxford to the Middle Ages, but constantly taking up new fads. So the idea because of a small mistake she ends up in the behind the novel is directly reflected in the middle of the Black Death. Hardly a usual sub- action of the novel. It’s a very neat device and ject for a science fiction novel, but what makesit I’ve seen it a number of your other stories as that even more unusual is the gritty realism well, like “At the Rialto” and “The Schwarz- makesthe historical sections of the book almost schild Radius”. So where does the idea come unremittingly bleak. This is not a neat, clean, from? Is it even something you do consciously? romantic image of the Middle Ages, noris it a It’s there in so much of your work it might happy-ever-after story — the ultimate death-toll almost be an unconscious approach to story- would probably make most writers of militaris- telling. tic sf blench. So what prompted this? And did you ever consider writing it as a straight his- Actually, there’s one story where you do the torical novel without the time-travel trappings? same thing and I don’t think it works quite as

INTUITION PROGRESS REPORT1 well, “Death on the Nile”. Butthat’s a fantasy in stories you've been writing for Asimov's, and which a group of American tourists are drawn your early collaborations with Cynthia Felice. into the ancient Egyptian underworld, which is But if we talked about everything in your work presentedasa reflection of what one of the char- that interested me, there wouldn’t be any time acters is reading about Egyptian religion. It may left for the convention. bethat scientific notions provide a morerigorous At the end of an interview, it is traditional to frameworkfor thatsort of story. Or doesit reflect a different attitude towards fantasy and science say “thank you”. This has been an imaginary fiction in your work? interview, and the answersare all in my head, or in the stories. But for those stories it seems Of course, “Death on the Nile” went on to win appropriate to end: Connie Willis, thank you! a Hugo, didn’t it? So maybe I’m the one who’s wrong.In fact, you’ve won more sf awards than just aboutany other writer, I think, with the pos- sible exception of people like Harlan Ellison and Award winning ShortFiction Robert Silverberg and they’ve beenatit a lot Fire Watch, Hugo & Nebula (Best Novelette) 1982 longer than you. What’s the secret? Are the award winners your own favourites among your A Letter from the Clearys, Nebula (Best Short) 1983 stories? After all they do include such excellent The Last of the Winnebagos, Hugo & Nebula stories as “The Last of the Winnebagoes” and (Best Novella) 1988 “Even the Queen” and “Atthe Rialto”. At the Rialto, Nebula (& Hugo nomination) But then, my personalfavourite of yourstories (Best Novelette) 1989 wasn’t a winner. But I still think “Cibola”is as Even the Queen, Hugo, Nebula & Locus near a perfect story as we’relikelyto get. It tells (Best Short) 1992 of a journalist being led around Denver by an old woman whoclaimsto be ableto lead herto Death on the Nile, Hugo (Best Short) 1993 the legendary Seven Cities of Gold, until eventu- ally she sees Cibola reflected in the dawn light on Denver’s glass towers. Nowthat’s whatI call Nominations a really magicalstory. Daisy in the Sun, The Sidonin the Mirror, Spice And of course there’s so much more we could Pogrom, Schwarzschild Radius, Time Out, Jack, discuss, like the wonderful civil war fantasy Miracle, In the Late Cretaceous Lincoln’s Dreams, and the series of Christmas

Next Issue

Our Guest of Honour and TAFF winner — Martin Tudor — is profiled on his return from the US. Manchester and Literature Programme update Dragonsin sf and fantasy Hotel function space use Andall the up-to-date news!

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INTUITION PROGRESS REPORT1 x Is that a “Science”in your acronym,or are you just pleased to see me? Science ProgrammingatIntuition Amanda Baker

I'm going to accept the risk of boring yourcol- numerous members of every sf convention who lective socks off, and tell you some of my philos- are “hiding their light under a bushel” — people ophy on science at sf conventions. I hope you with fascinating interests, knowledge, expertise will let me know if you disagree: of the fans, by and even day jobs. If I knew these people, and the fans and for the fans,afterall. could persuade them to volunteer for the programme, I would!If that means you, please Intuition has chosen the theme “Opening get in touch, any time, any how. Even Doors” to help provide inspiration. Science has more importantly, if you think it doesn’t mean you, always been an indispensable key to the doors of please get in touch. Obviously, I can't guarantee the future: science can give us the means to to include you or your ideas in the science realise our wildest dreams — clean water, free programme, especially at this early stage. But I time, desk-top publishing, and a walk on the will be putting together a diverse science moon. Science andsf are intimately connected in programmefor Intuition. I hope to be able to modern culture — more so than many would organise lecture-presentations on topics like admit. SF inspires those who shape our undeni- recent advances in practical launch vehicle ably technological world — an unknown but technology. But I am also going to widen the significant fraction of working scientists are horizons ofthe science programme beyond such closet sf fans, inspired by Hugo and Nebula win- traditional formats and topics. I will include as ners to survive their long years of study and to many participatory formats endure (at least in the UK)relatively low pay. as_ possible, including floating panels, workshops and semi- Science and sf fire the imagination, and at their formal debates - I saw the latter used with best, are infused with the spirit of “Whatif ...?”. varying degrees of success at Worldconthis year Theoretical physicist Paul Davies describessf as and have ideas on how to tweak the format to “a uniqueliterary genre” — a kind of theoretical suit the special circumstances of sf cons. Any science that investigates imaginary worlds. SF other suggestionswill be seized upon, discussed explores the consequences of science for and on with enthusiasm and, hopefully, tested out. behalf of humanity, tackling philosophical and ethical issues which scientists sometimes avoid. 'I am ecumenical in my definition of science, Manypeople only explicitly encounterscientists, and open to persuasion as to whetherparticular andscientific activity, via sf. This is one reason topics qualify. Also, the Intuition programming whythescientific accuracy of sf is an important team are working on cross-over items between issue. Both sf and science are denigrated as all notional areas including written sf, TV and cultural activities by the self-proclaimed film, graphic novels, fan, costume, filk and art. intellectuals and literati. Yet most people would For example, I’m interested in items on the benefit if science recovered the cultural status it science of language. I’d like to hear about the enjoyed during the Enlightenment. SF has an latest research on language in non-human important role to play in helping this happen. species; our current understanding of the developmentof language in humans;the ins and Despite depressingly commonopinion, science outs of developing alien languages for sf; the is not incontrovertible truth handed down by specialised ways in which graphic novels use authority. Fundamentally, science is disciplined language; what it takes to write a good filk; scepticism — an open-mindedbutcritical investi- discussion of the technofilk sub-genre; and gation of facts, phenomena and proposed expla- undoubtedly numerous ideas I’ve completely nations. Everyone gets their mind involved! failed to imagine.If I can find the programme Ideally, science programmingat Intuition - you participants, I'd like to explore areas such as knew I would get around to this eventually — whathappens whenthe Internet meets the Real will work in the same way. It is impossible to World™; what will be the impact of biotech- keep up with all the developments in even one nology in the next decade; the future of science small area of science (say, the physics of activity and scientists; and obscure ways in which in the nuclei of galaxies). There is certainly no science features in mundanelives. Mostofall, wayfor a convention committee to keep abreast I'd like Intuition to have a science programme of everything which will make good science which you enjoy. Am I going the right way about programme items. I am sure that there are it?

INTUITION PROGRESS REPORT1 es as [HE 1997 UK NATIONAL SF CONVENTION http://ds.dial. pipex.convminerva.tectvinterven.htm From: The_Cyberbirds translation from books to lo: Fans@large, S : films to commend ea s s rans@conventions, ec 110STS OF might makeofit all. Uherc'll

Fans@zines be a Newspeak short story cc: Fans@bar HoiOvias competition and SF Subject: Communication Join before

Briai 1st March 1997 and save ALDISS up to L20! Oe beaxir oO cio"gh BING « Octavia: (eala / BUTLER |e : rama from mastcr David communicator Brian Aldiss. Andif that's not enough to LANGFORD talk about, the Great Pork Pie Race will return! Ve're on line to tell you how itervention will celebrate the ost important reason why mee ins go to cons. No, not beer, MS alatial hotel bedrooms or the LOTS L March 199 NY hairman's dress-sense ADELPHI HOTEL Ox Ithough Intervention will ave all three). It's you LIVERPOOL UK Iking to each other about SF Attending Membership: £30 (£35)* _ Fantasy, life, the universe Supporting: £20 (£25)* id chocolate bodypaint. "Rate in brackcts after 30th November 1996, Attending £50 from {st March 1997. >: they'll look at FTL Memberships close 14th March 1997. ymmunications, ask if the Contact: 12 Crowsbury ture of story-telling is in Ciose, Emsworth, Hants, PO10 7TS, GB ctures, investigate Discovering lan McDonald

Paul Kincaid

Ian McDonald comes Novels & Short Story Collections sprawling combination of from Manchester and now Ray Bradbury and Gabriel Desolation Road, Bantam, 1988 lives in Northern Ireland. Garcia Marquez, a book I come from Manchester Empire Dreams, short story coll., Bantam US, 1988 that had too much going and lived for three years Out on Blue Six, Bantam Spectra, 1990 on for its own good butit in Northern Ireland when is far far better to be too fat I was at university there. King ofMorning, Queen of Day, Bantam, 1991 with ideas than to be too On such small coinci- Hearts, Hands and Voices, Victor Gollancz, 1992 thin. dences, tottering edifices (also pub. as The Broken Land) Andthe thing that really can be built. Kling Klang Klatch, w. David Lyttleton got me wasthat here were I discovered Ian Victor Gollancz, 1992 two stunning books by a MeDonald in 1988, in Speaking in Tongues, short story coll. British writer — and he’d Birmingham, in a book- Victor Gollancz, 1992 never been published in shop that wasn’t this country. (Let’s forget Andromeda. Actually, I Scissors Cur Paper Wrap Stone, Banta Extro, I clearly had.) This (US only), 1994 might well have discov- was a crime, and I made as cred him some years Necroville, Victor Gollancz, 1994 muchof a fuss aboutit as I earlier, in 1982 when his (also pub. as Terminal Café) could. Lo and behold, first story was published Chaga, Victor Gollancz, 1995 Desolation Road then did in the short-lived British (also pub. as Evolution’s Shore) appear in this country magazine Extro. Atleast, I thanks to Bantam, and Sacrifice of Fools, Victor Gollancz, had the magazine, I could with a very handsome date to be confirmed have read the story — butif hardback edition courtesy I did, I have absolutely no Freedom Tree, in development of another Ian McDonald recollection of it. fan, Rog Peyton and his Drunken DragonPress. No, the discovery came in 1988 when I came across two American paper- Since then, every one of McDonald’s books has backs, his collection of short stories, Empire had a British edition andit’s probably absolutely Dreams and his first novel, Desolation Road. | nothing to do with me, butI can’t help feeling I havenoideaafterall these years what impulse it have a stake in the enterprise. He was my was that drove meto pick up the books(I have a discovery — mine, and thousands of other vague feeling it was something to do with people’s, but still mine. Bernie Evans), but I’m damnedgladI did. If the thing that appealed to me aboutthatfirst The stories, that’s where I started. I’ve always short story collection was the diversity of his enjoyed a good, well-told short story — a skilled work, I could hardly complain about where he author can often do morein a short story than in wentafter Desolation Road: all his books have a full-length novel, and McDonald wasclearly a been very different. There was the utopian Out skilled author. These were stories that on Blue Six, and King of Morning, Queen of Day whispered with a strange menace, that became whichis one of those rare novels that showsitis possible to turn a good story into an equally vigorous in places where other science fiction a seemed to be becoming tired, that wrung the good novel, and Hearts, Hands and Voices (what changes stylistically and, more importantly, did I say abouthistitles?) which is as lush and emotionally. When did you last read a science exotic and inventive as something by Geoff fiction story that rang you out emotionally? But Ryman,and his nanotechnology meets the living there were stories here that were doingjust that: dead thriller Necroville, and Chaga with more “Unfinished Portrait of the King of Pain by Van alien exotica making the world a stranger and Gogh” (McDonald has an odd waywith title) more challenging and usually a lovelier place. and particularly the stunning “King of Morning, Not much uniformity there, thank heavens. Queenof Day”. Science fiction should play with ideas, and Ian McDonaldis more playful than most. Then there was the novel: “For three days Dr. Alimantando had followed the green person If there is a common theme it is probably across the desert.” There wasall the exuberance politics, though none of his books is obviously that seemed to have been missing for too long political in any straightforward sense. Thefailed from science fiction. This was a massive book, a utopia of Out on Blue Six is probably the most

INTUITION PROGRESS REPORT1

ibaa overtly political, though it is for that reason beautiful nightmaresthat are the landscapeof so probably less interesting than King of Morning, manyof his tales, which may grow out of the Queen of Day which uses a lyrical fantasy to madness of Ireland, which may indeed be the explore the natureof Irishness, and you'll hear a only sane wayof seeing our mad world). backbeatof the Irish situation drumming away behind manyof his fictions. And there’s a story which hasn’t beencollected yet, a story called “Some Strange Desire” which Butit’s not just novels; we have to remember appeared in one of the Omni anthologies, which that. Hestill writes short stories, not enough of is sad and cruel, bitter and beautiful, disturbing them maybebutthey are there, everybit as fresh and enthralling. It is one of those stories that and odd as those early ones in Empire Dreams. sticks in the mind,a story that plays you like a They come at you from unexpected directions yo-yo reeling you back and forth with the and make yousit up and take notice. There was contradictions of your responses. It is a story a secondcollection of stories, Speaking in Tongues, composed of opposites, and it seems to typify which came out four years after the first. If I’d everything about Ian McDonald’s work. not already discovered his work, it would have had the same effect on me as Empire Dreams did, There are times, readinga story likethat, when stories like “Gardenias” and “Fragments of an I wish I had not discovered Ian McDonald in Analysis of a Case of Hysteria” (ah, there’s a 1988, then I could be discovering him afresh strain of madness running through the work, a right now. But maybe that’s whatI’m doing any- madness which may explain the profusion of way.

a 19 Actor temporarily engaged to former Crossword - /an Taylor wife with a semi-tragic end (5) 20 Gromit maninitiates preparation as real eS 3 4 5 6 killer (4) 21 1,23’s chief wart blitz! (9) 9 22 Cat’s noises are to compiler sounds of pain (5) beauty a 25 1,23’s head sheep — tailless with damp scousehair? (10) 10 "1 28 See 13 Across 29 1,23’s sleep features the sound of pain (6) 30 Hero of young lady with bank account 12 13 14 15 starting to increase considerably (8)

16 Down 1,23 Guest wrote “Wise One Lincoln”(6,6)

18 19 20 2 1,23’s things tower over the small rela- tion left within (10)

ou 3 Dictator head over heels for Douglas! (5) 24 22 23 4 Internally pointless membrane that’s used in 5? (4) 24 5 Herald act about 21 setting (9) 6 Bottomless swampontheplanetof war 25 26 27 28 chronicles? (4) 7 Perfumed water for gamesman after little convenience (8) 14 Activity that the furious get up to? Not 29 30 the French! (5) 15 Avery soft redheadto lure the warrior's sidekick (10) 16 Bring misfortune to a small office and queenin Greek verse (9) Across 8 1,23’s sad moodytravel book? (8) 18 Hermaphrodites have trouble with psychicabili- 9 Incarnation of the audio-visual at a leading ty about formality and nothing else initially? (8) revue? (6) 23 See 1 Down 10 Type of dumpthat the kinfolk possess (4) 24 Tolkien’s first to move stone creatures (5) 11. Struggling? Then scream “Intuition” here (10) 26 Ecstasy in a place of luxury makes you reach 12 Questing creature that shouted “Love!” (5) conclusion quickly! (4) 13,28 Story of infertility that sounds as if it’s 27 Award to cuddle and love? (4) producedby a craftsman — but out of date! (9,4) Answersin Progress Report 2 17. TV companythatwill exist in two directions? (4)

INTUITION PROGRESS REPORT1

Drama and SF Kathy Taylor

Science fiction drama is usually thought ofin fantasy radio plays produced by fandom. The terms of science fiction films or TV series or only performance I know of was “The Eli Still serials. Some of these are excellent pieces of Show” by Lionel & Patricia Fanthorpe, which science fiction, others a series of high budget was puton at the 1983 BECCON.According to special effects strung together by a minimal and Roger Robinson,“TheEli Still Show”wasa great simplistic plot. success as “the wholecast, including Lionel him- self, as well as the audience. thoroughly (Jood drama howeverdoes not haveto rely on enjoyed themselves”. For those interested in science a high budget or special effects and one of the fiction radio drama,radio playsare media for science fiction drama is listed in the most effective Radio Times and many other complete The most famous example on radio listings the radio. magazines. You have to scour these science fiction must be the Orson Welles produc- carefully though, as often nothing more that of the Worlds”. This was broadcast thetitle is tion of “War given, and that in very small print. October 1938 as partof the Mercury Theatre of For a more in permanentcollection, many the Air series. Howard Koch’s script was based of the BBC’s radio plays are now available on cassette in places as on the H.G.Wells novel but used the dramatic diverse as interrupting a Forbidden Planet to the larger device of a series of newscasts branches of W.H. Smiths. regular radio programme. The apparent break- downsin transmission, desperate interruptions At one point, there seemed to be few science wereall of dance music or a sadly tinkling piano, fiction or fantasy plays producedfor the stage. too convincing. Theatrical producers and directors suffered from The audience, most of whom tuned in only the illusion that science fiction required props, after the programmestarted, increased to over sets and special effects that were too technically six million. People abandoned their homes, demandingfor the stage. Robert Scholes, in his fleeing to their church or taking to the streets. 1975 essay “Structural Fabulation: An Essay on Many hysterical callers jammed the switch- Fiction of the Future”, explained that science fiction’s boards. Koch reports an operator who very “favorite themes involve the impact of properly replied to a question as to whether the developments or revelations derived from the world was coming to an end, “I’m sorry, we human orthe physical sciences upon the people who don’t have that information here”. mustlive with those revelations or devel- opments.” If this emphasis on the social and The effectiveness of this radio drama seems psychological impact of science and technology, be viewed against incredible now,but it should rather than the scientific systems themselves, is emotional ten- the backdropofits time. In 1938, accepted, many science fiction pieces can be sion was running very high in America, as many presented on stage. Some productions have people feared their lack of preparation against a unsuccessfully tried to use hugesets with elabo- of the possible German invasion. Thecredibility rate props and special effects but often these its vivid dramatisation was due in part to serve only to overwhelm the actors. A classic mimicking of the news broadcasts from Europe. example of this was the 1989 production of wastheir For the many Americans, whoseradio “Metropolis”. Peter Holand, in his review for the of major or only source of information, the news Times Literary Supplement, summed it up as “the tooreal. invasion must have seemedall music is adequate, the lyrics dire, the acting appalling In the UK, the BBC has produced manyexcel- andthe sets magnificent.” The antithesis of lent science fiction and fantasy radio plays. One such pieces are the works that were of the best, and most famousofthese was their produced by the Moebius Theatre. Their adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. The gentle director, Michael Blake, believed that “big sets and voice of the narrator and rural voices of the elaborate costumes could never compete with hobbits evoked wonderfully Tolkien’s land of the images the imagination of a well-read The Shire. In contrast, the recent radio science fiction fan generates” and their approach productions of Dr Who have brought newlife to was to strip the performance down to the a well-loved series: devotees claim that, by essentials of actors andscript. freeing it from cardboard special effects, radio The current trend in fan-produced science has allowed the series to concentrate on the fiction plays essentials of the script and characters. seem to be that of the musical comedy, for which Phil Raines and Ian Sorenson Despite the obvious potential of the genre, must take much of the credit. Their most recent there seem to have been few science fiction or production, “Dune - The Sand of Music”, which

10 INTUITION PROGRESS REPORT1

premieredatIntersection, the 1995 WorldCon,is The dramatised reading can be more staged a wonderful piece of comedy which somehow than this. To increase the dramatic effect, the compresses mostof the salient storyline of Dune reader or readers may be in costume and some- into under an hour. I thoroughly recommendit, times simple lighting or sound effects are notjust as an enjoyablepiece of light theatre but provided. There may often be more than one as an example of what can be done. readerfor, unless the readeris a superb speaker, Serious fan-produced science fiction dramais it can be very difficult for an audience to much rarer. The only near contemporary concentrate onjust one voice for a long period of examples I know of is “Mutatis Mutandis” by time. At conventions where the masqueradeis David Compton which was performed at the used to showcase dramarather than primarily 1981 BECCON,and the Bester plays produced costumes, simple versions of the dramatised for Confiction in 1990. For those interested in reading are sometimes used but the time limits attending science fiction and fantasy plays the of this forum have prohibited the fuller best sources are often either a national paper, exploitation of this dramatic medium. such as the listing magazine in Saturday’s Whathasall this to do with Intuition? Well, Guardian, or the local press for amateur produc- we'd like to include somescience fiction drama tions such as those of Terry Pratchett books. in our programme. After a panel of Drama and Alternatively you could try SFX. According to a Science fiction at the 1996 EasterCon, a lot of letter from SFX’s news editor MJ. Simpson in people expressedan interest in getting involved, issue 425 of Locus, since it has started SFX has so this is where you comein. Let us know what “...reviewed or featured stage versions of you'dlike to see: a “radio” production, a serious ‘Nosferatu’, ‘The Cabinet of Dr Caligari’, ‘The play, another musical comedy, a dramatised Fly’, ‘Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency’, reading. If you'd like to get involved in one of ‘The Wasp Factory’, Pratchett’s ‘Maskerade’, these, or some other form of science fiction and ‘Plan Nine from Outer Space’.” dramalet us know. We're not asking you to sign on the dottedline, or make a major commitment Apart from radio plays and live theatre, the at this stage, but eventually we may need not two most obvious media for science fiction just readersor actors but script or song writers, drama are improvisations and dramatised make-up artists, costumers, prop creators and readings. In its purest form, an improvisation musicians. Professional or amateuralike, if you requires a cast to take the outline of a story or think you may be interested, let us know by situation and spontaneously produce a “play”, writingto: making upboth script and movementas they go along. To do this well is incredibly difficult, SF & Drama requiring not only rapid thinking but the Intuition seamless teamwork provided in part by a professional awarenessofthe spatial positioning 1 Waverley Way and emotional projections of the others in the cast. Carshalton Beeches Surrey Most “improvisations” are rehearsed, at least to the extentof the cast knowing the progression SM5 3LQ of the story and its basic staging with their entrances, and exits. Even so, this is a very difficult art form for amateurs to do well, and usually works best when short and linked with pre-learned sections such as songs. Intuition Programme

Dramatised sciencefiction or fantasy readings Intuition’s programme team have been can work wonderfully. In their simplest form, working hard gathering together the storyteller will read aloud, acting as narrator programmeitems from committee, staff and dramatising the work through the different and volunteers, and now have over 150 accents and speech patterns used by the hours worth of suggestions. characters. Anyone fortunate enough to have Westill want your input! been at Albacon manyyears ago and who heard Harlan Ellison give a reading of Paladin of the If you have any suggestions for Lost Hour will know the power andeffectiveness programmeideas — panels, discussions, of such a reading. Other authors, including workshops,talks — we wantto hear from Terry Pratchett, have often given dramatised you. Please contact our main address readings of their work, even though they may (FAO: Programming) or via email. not have been promoted as such by the (Addresses on page 12) convention.

INTUITION PROGRESS REPORT1 11 NEWS

Memberships Chequesshould be madepayable to “Intuition”. Weregret that we are unable to take credit card paymentsatthis time. Our membership secretary has been extremely busy recently! Following the trend of previous convention membership secretaries, Kathy Taylor has been personally upping our member- Next issue ship: she gave birth to a healthy baby daughter — Charlotte Amanda — weighingin at 7lb 130z on The next progress report will be produced for September 20th. Congratulations to both Kathy Easter 1997. Advertising rates willbe: and Ian! Pro Fan As if having their first child was not enough, Kathy and Ian,and thus ourpostal address, are 1/4 page £8 £5 moving. From November 22, our new address 1/2 page £15 £10 will be: full page £30 £20 Intuition inside front £45 £30 1 Waverley Way back page £60 £40 Carshalton Beeches Surrey Rates are based on Black and White A4 pages. SM5 3LQ Ads should be sent as camera-ready copy, unless a prior arrangement has been made to submit electronic copy or unformatted text. Formatting We shall have redirection working until can be donefor a smallextra cost. November 1997 for the previous address, butif you don’t wantto rely on Her Majesty’s postal Intuition is also prepared to accept fan ads for a reciprocal agreement to publish our adsin fan system, then please use the new one. Our email publications. address will remain the same: [email protected] Copy should be sentto: Get you memberships Publications office 368 Mill Road now! Cambridge

Our membership prices are due to rise on CB1 3NN 1 December. The current and newratesare: Copy dates: Current New Booking: 1 March 1997 Attending £25 £28 Copy received: 10 March 1997 Supporting £15 £15 Conversion P toA £23 £26 If you want more information on advertising in Junior (11-16) £12 £14 Intuition progress reports please contact us at the main address, FAO Paul Hood, Advertising. Child (5-11) £5 £5 Infant (0-5) free free Volunteers

We expect the newratesto be accurate until after If you would like to volunteer to help Intuition, Easter 1997 (Intervention). Infant, Child and either beforehand, or on the day, we would Supporting rates will not change; Junior rates welcome your input. Please contact our main will rise to remain at approximately 50%of the address or email address for more details of how full attendingrate. you can get involved.

12 INTUITION PROGRESS REPORT1 Fran’s Breakfast Mushrooms To makethem really special: e With the butter, use a flavoured oil like hazel- You need to make these the day before you nut, walnut, or truffle, or concentrated baking plan to serve them. They are very rich and butter. concentrated, so you don’t need big portions. e Add dried porcini, or other strong-tasting Start with about 200 grams of ordinary mush- mushrooms,or choppedtruffles. rooms for each person. Put them in a big ° Use beef or game stock or consomme,sherry, saucepan with a spoonfulof butter, a sprinkling port or white wineas part of the liquid. of salt and a whole clove of garlic per person. Cook very slowly over a low heat. They'll ooze e Add thyme, green peppercorns, finely their ownjuice, then re-absorb it and a lot of the choppedparsley or chives with the cream butter. If you haveleftovers, freeze them; use them as When they are almost dry, add a mugful of a sauce for pasta, grilled meat; mix them into a water and keep cooking until the garlic has stuffing for chicken or baked vegetables; top baked potatoes with them or stir into mash with dissolved andtheliquid hasall gone. You can go on adding liquid and cooking them for hours. lots of choppedspring onions. Let them cool overnight, and whenit’s time for Breakfast is a fan’s most important meal. This breakfast, reheat them and stir in some créme is part one of a series of perfect breakfast dishes fraiche or ordinary cream. — next time, Luxury Kedgeree.

AGENTS The Netherlands Nico Veenkamp Croatia Aart van der Leeuwkade 83 Igor Tabak 2274 LB Voorburg The Netherlands Srebrnjak 62 10 000 Zagreb [email protected] Croatia Turkey Eire N. Cenk Gokce Brendan Ryder Tufan Sokak 12 30 Beverley Down Yenimahalle Templeogue Ankara 06170 Dublin 16 Turkey Eire [email protected] [email protected] USA France Sharon Sbarsky* Tom Clegg PO Box 453 9 rue Arthur Rozier Needham 75019 Paris MA 02194 France USA [email protected] Germany Juergen Marzi* Our overseas agents are able to handle all requests concerning Intuition. * However, Scharnhorststr 27 please note that only our German agent, D56073 Koblenz Juergen Marzi, and our US agent, Sharon Germany Sbarsky, are able to handle memberships and [email protected] other financial matters. All other nationalities shouldjoin via our British address (see previous page).

INTUITION PROGRESS REPORT1 ile

Current MembershipList

This membershiplist is correct A62 John Bray A18 Sue Edwards to 1/10/96. If any details are Claire Brialey A142 John English incorrect, or missing please contact: A63 GordonBrignal A54 Bernie Evans 1 Waverley Way A190 ED Buckley A130 Horst Evermann Carshalton Beeches A108 Bill Burns P48 Simon Fairbourn Surrey A127 Mary Burns A29 Janet Figg SM5 3LOQ A143 Roger Burton West A38 MikeFigg A204 Chris Butterworth A181 Colin Fine P33 Andrew A. Adams P28 Steven Cain A114 Brian Flatt A148 Paul Allwood A201 John Campbell Rees A104 Ronan Flood P73 Chris Amies A193 Vincent Clarke A146 Mike Ford Al5 Fiona Anderson P64 Dr David Clements A115 Susan Francis P41 Helen Archer A164 Peter Cohen A93 Anders Frihagen A35 Sion Arrowsmith A176 Sarah Collins A88 Gwen Funnell A79 Margaret Austin Al6 NoelCollyer P23 Michael Furse S162 Graham Auty A195 Chris Cooper P34 Nick Gibbins A68 Mark Bailey A157 Keith Cosslett P72 Joe Gibbons P9 Amanda Baker A209 Gail Courtney A200 Helen Gladsboron P70 Saar Banin A92 Adrian Cox A131 Martin Glassborow A147 John Bark A178 Dave Cox P74 Jenny Glover A117 Trevor Barker A206 James Crook P75 Steve Glover A128 Julia Barnsley A192 Michael Cule A67 Neyir Cenk Gokce A121 Simon Barnsley A6 John Dallman P21 Sarah Goodman A179 Andrew Barton P44 Julia Daly A125 Simon Grant A170 Chris Bell P17 Jack Davies P5 ‘Jacky Gruter-Andrew J172 Kenneth Bell A100 Robert Day P31 Oliver Gruter-Andrew J171 . Rachel Bell P32 Jim de Liscard A87 Urban Gunnarsson J173 RowanBell A119 Chantal Delessert A69 Bridget Hardcastle A156 ‘Jess Bennett A118 Zoe Deterding-Barker A191 John Harold P30 Meike Benzler A47 Martin Dickson A20 Colin Harris A158 Michael Bernardi P76 Chad Dixon A46 Chris Hartshorn A199 Elizabeth Billinger A140 Paul Dormer A25 Andy Hayton A208 PaulBillinger P11 Frances Dowd A110 Julian Headlong A132 Susan Booth A94 Tara Dowling-Hussey P45 Alastair Hepburn A151 Jill Bradley A177 David Drysdale A189 Geoff Hill __ A150 ‘Phil Bradley P77 Owen Dunn A153 Valerie Housden A107 Richard Bradshaft A86 Roger Earnshaw S159 Terry Hunt P61 Simon Bradshaw AS50 Martin Easterbrook S145 Glyn Jackson

14 INTUITION PROGRESS REPORT1

Al19 Judith Jackson A165 Roger Robinson A91 Dave Tompkins — A22 Rhodri James A113 Mic Rogers A154 Barry Traish P40 Richard Kettlewell A105 Tony Rogers P56 Paul Treadaway A207 Paul Kincaid S175 Paul Rood A155 Chris Tregenza A24 DaveLally A194 Howard Rosenblum G3 Martin Tudor P71 Dave Langford A196 June Rosenblum A186 Jan van ‘'t Ent A36 Alice Lawson yi97 Michelle Rosenblum Al41 David Wake A37 Steve Lawson A161 Stephen Rothman A183 Rachel Wake A144 H.K. Loose A80 Marcus Rowland A160 Nick Walker A90 Peter Mabey A116 Lynne Savage A59 Huw Walters A101 Keith Martin Alll Moira Shearman A137 Christine Ward A129 Eckhard Marwitz A133 Jean Sheward A136 Edward Ward A120 Jurgen Marzi A84 Linda Shipman A89 Peter Wareham A27 Ian Maughan A215 Neil Simpson A135 A Wells G2 Tan McDonald A43 Simo P12 Laura Wheatly P78 Duncan McGregor P58 Ken Slater A134 Janet Wilkins A205 Bobby McLaughlin A184 Jane Smithers G1 Connie Willis P65 Alex McLintock A180 Kate Soley A10 Robert Wilson Al13 Pat McMurray A126 Chris Southern A97 Alan Woodford A169 Alice Meades A98 Jenny Southern A96 Anne Woodford A168 Rob Meades A66 Mautreen Kincaid Speller A149 Chris Morgan A112 Jesper Stage G = Guest A152 Pauline Morgan P42 Gary Starr A Attending A39 Tim Morley A4 Helen Steele S = Supporting A124 Miriam Moss A138 Barbara Stewart P = Presupporting A203. Tom Nanson A102 David Stewart J = Junior P53 Rhona F, Neil A49 John Stewart A106 Andrew Norcross A139 Mike Stone A198 Kenneth O' Neill A109 Lars Strandberg A55 Chris O'Shea A166 MarcusStreets — A81 Arwel ParrA187 A167 Rae Streets David Peak A182 Alan Sullivan A188 Susan Peak A123 Igor Tabak A122 Bernie Peek A82 Graham Taylor A185 Mike Percival = P52 Ian Taylor A8 Heather Petty P51 Kathy Taylor A26 Val Phillips A202 Teddy P14 Mark Plummer A95 Nadja Tegen A99_ Ceri Pritchard ~—s A103 Marcter Horst P174. APugh A83 Jennifer Tibbetts A85 Peter Redfarn __s— P60 Linda-Clair Toal A57 ‘John Richards

INTUITION PROGRESS REPORT1