SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW

$2.00 FALL 1981 NUMBER 40 SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW (,SSN “ Formerly THE ALIEN CELTIC P.O. BOX 11408 AUGUST 1981----- VOL. 10, NO 3

PORTLAND, OR 97211 WHOLE NUPBER 00 PHOf'E: (503) 282-0381 PAULETTE MINARE', ASSOCIATE EDITOR

COVER BY STEPHEN FABIAN PUBLISHED QUARTERLY FEB., MAY, AUG., NOV. BACK COVER BY GARY WIS SINGLE COPY — $2.00

ALIEN THOUGHTS BY THE EDITOR...... 4 LETTERS...... 32 POUL ANDERSON A.J. BUDRYS interview: ROBERT SHECKLEY SHAWNA PC CARTHY CONDUCTED BY DARRELL SCHWEITZER... .7 MICHAEL MOORE GEORGE WARREN GENE WOLFE AND THEN I READ.... ALAN DEAN FOSTER INTERIOR ART------BY THE EDITOR...... 10 HARLAN ELLISON ROBERT BLOCH TIM KIRK---- . HARRY J.N. ANDRUSCHAK ALEXIS gill: THE ORYCON '80 CONVENTION SHELDON TEITELBAUM FOUR-WAY TELEPHONE CONVERSATION...12 JACK L. CHALKER ARTHUR C. CLARKE DAVID LANGFOFE ARNE FENNER— HARLAN ELLISON RONALD R. LAMBERT KURT REICHEL—9 GREGORY BENFORD VIK KOSTRIKIN---- 14,17,46 FRITZ LEIBER GEORGE KOCHELL—18,19,22,29,40,^, HARK WELLS RICHARD TORONTO JOFN SHIRLEY 44,59,65 ROBERT A.W. LOWNDES MIKE GILBERT—23,51 BRUCE CONKLIN—25 TEN YEARS AGO IN SF—Sutter, 1971 , JAPES PEQUADE----25 BY ROBERT SABELLA...... 17 OLE PETTERSON----26,27 OTHER VOICES...... 43 SAM ADKINS—31,45 BOOK REVIEWS BY PAUL CHADWICK—32 THE ENGINES OF THE NIGHT DEAN R. LAMBE SUSAN LYNN TQCKER---- 33,41 ESSAYS OF SF IN THE EIGHTIES J0H4 DIPRETE KEN HAHN---- 35,55 BY BARRY N. MAI 7RFRG...... 18 DOUGLAS BARBOUR ALLEN KOSZOWSKI—48 SUE BECKMAN ROBERT BARGER---- 58 ANDREW ANDREWS SMALL PRESS NOTES GENE DE WEESE BY THE EDITOR...... 23 STEVE LEWIS FREDERICK PATTEN CLIFFORD R. MCMURRAY BEYOND THE FRINGE NEAL WILGUS BY WESLEY GRAHAM...... 24 ELTON T. ELLIOTT JAPES J.J. WILSON Copyright (c) 1981 by Richard E. ALLEN VARNEY Geis. One-time rights only have RONALD R. LAPBERT been acquired from signed or cred­ THE VIVISECTOR ited contributors, and all other BY DARRELL SCHWEITZER...... 26 TOM STAICAR C.J. HENDERSON rights are hereby assigned to the W. RITCHIE BENEDICT contributors . SMALL PRESS MAGAZINES PAULETTE MINARE THE ALIEN CRITIC REVIEWED BY DARRELL SCHWEITZER....29 MARK WILLARD SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW Available in microform from: OXFORD MICROFORM PUBLICATIONS, LTD AND THEN I SAW.... Wheatsheaf Yard, Blue Boar Street BY THE EDITOR...... 53 Oxford OXI 4EY, United Kingdom

SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW is published EIGHTY PER CENT AND SUPERMAN, TOO rr at 1525 NE Ainsworth, Portland, OR BY STEVE GALLAGHER...... 56 97211. NO ADVERTISING WILL BE ACCEPTED THE HUMAN HOTLINE Second Class Postage Paid SF NEWS at Portland, OR 97208 BY ELTON T. ELLIOTT...... 59 REVIEWS------STIR CRAZY...... INTERNATIONAL- CONSPIRACY , 7 OUTLAND...... of electrig Towcr compares.'1/) - NEW TALES OF THE CTHULHU MYTHOS THIEF...... DEAD & BURIED...... A CHANGE OF SEASONS...... SCANNERS...... SERIAL...... SPECTROS #1~ SILVERADO RAIDERS OF HE LOST ARK, THE CLAW OF THE CONCILIATOR TIE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE. ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK. AMERICAN GIGOLO...... TIE LORD OF THE RINGS EXCALIBUR...... TIE ROBOT IN THE CLOSET HIGH RISK...... GOD EMPEROR OF DUNE THE HOWLING...... UNSILENT NIGHT.. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME SMALL WORLD. NIGHTHAWKS...... THE PATCHIN PERFORMANCE...... FUTURE FOCUS BAD TIMING...... A SENSUAL OBSESSION CARTOON HISTORY OF THE THE INCREDIBLE MELTING MAN...... UNIVERSE, VOL.6...... ,m., THEY CAME WITHOUT WARNING...... INDEX TO THE SF MAGAZINES-1980. THE HAND------OTHERGATES #2 S.O.B------SUBSCRIPTIONS mRF. ITE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING WOMAN.. SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW OVERLOAD#? THE FAN------P.O. BOX 11408 STEPHEN KINGS DANCE MACABRE PORTLAND, OR 97211 H.P. LOVECRAFT AND LOVECRAFT For One and Two Years CRITICISM...... SONGS FROM THE ! At Four-Issues-Per-Year Schedule FANTASY TALES # TRIQUARTERLY #4! iv^Y jjoes NIGHT FLIGHTS #. UNITED STATES: $7.00 One Year SORCERER S APPRENTICE N\Y o£b $14.00 Two Years KADATH...... 2JP ? TIE BREAKING OF NORTHWALL... CANADA*: US$7.50 Che Year THE ART OF THE EFPIRE STRIKES US$15.00 Two Years *Canadians may pay with personal BACK...... cheques if the chequing acct, TOWERS AT THE EDGE OF A WORLD number on their cheques is print­ HE ANDROIDS ARE COMING...... ed in computer numerals. (Thus STARLOG PHOTO GUIDEBOOK TO SF TOYS AND MODELS, VOL.l ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS, NEW AND OLD, we, become slaves to the needs of the Machine.) THE SCIENCE FICTIONARY. ARE HONORED AND FULFILLED ON AN EXPANDED UNIVERSE.... ISSUES NUMBER BASIS. TFE PHAROH'S GHOST S UNITED KINGDOM: Send pound equiva­ THE TIFE OF TERROR lent of US$7.50 One Year KINDRED.... US$15.00 Two Years to agent WM. DAWSON § SONS TINE S FOOL Next Issue..... Cannon House, FANTASTIC LIVES Folkestone, Kent CT19 5EE UPBUILDING.... AND I HAVE SEEN THE HARBOR or write them for current quote LOVE NOT HUMAN A SPACE SHUTTLE REPORT THE ILLUMINATI PAPERS BY CLIFFORD R. MCMURRAY SOME BACK ISSUES OF TAC AND SFR THE SPINNER...... ARE AVAILABLE FROM: SHADOWS ON THE WALL AN INTERVIEW WITH FANTAST (MEDWAY) LID AFTER DARK...... MICHAEL WHELAN 39 West Street, TRIQUARTERLY Wisbech, Cambs., PE13 2LX HELLSTONE...... A FEW SURPRISES, ITE REGULAR ROBERT A. HEINLEIN: AMERICA AS COLUMNS...THREE HUNDRED AUSTRALIA: Send A$ equivalent of SCIENCE FICTION...... BOOK REVIEWS...MORE ALIEN US$7.50 One Year THE MAGICIANS OF CAPRONA THOUGHTS THAN YOU WANT TO US$15.00 Two Years DOWNBELOW STATION. READ.... to agent SPACE AGE BOOKS SF STUDIES IN FILM 305-307 Swanston St. THE TROUBLE WITH YOU Melbourne, 3000 Vic. EARTH PEOPLE..... THE HUMANOID TOUCH. ALL OTHER FOREIGN US$7.50 Che Year OTHERBORN US$15.00 Two Years MAYFLIES. All foreign subscriptions must be TIE DESECRATION OF SUSAN paid in US$ cheques-or money orders BROWNING...... 50 except to agents. STARMOST READER S GUIDES 51 #3 PHILIP JOSE FARMER m JOE HALDEMAN MAKE ALL CHEQUES, CHECKS AND #8 FRITZ LEIBER MONEY ORDERS PAYABLE TO SCIENCE YESTERDAY S LILY...... 51 FICTION REVIEW BEASTS OF ANTARES & REBEL OF ANTARES...... SAVE A HASSLE AND EXTRA EXPENSE PROJECT POPE...... BEYOND REJECTION...... IF YOU MOVE WE NEED YOUR FORMER THE WALL OF YEARS...... ZIPCODE AND YOUR NEW COMPLETE STARFINDER...... "52 3 ADDRESS. WHORES and THE CORPORATION STRIKES ALIEN THOUGHTS BACK, you could say I'm still in that bag. BY THE EDITOR Just something fixed deep in my secret psyche, I suppose. I've al­ ways been lucky. I disagree that sex novels are useless. Or shit. The worst of them give the buyer what he or she FINALLY!—A SOLUTION TO MY MOST wants! The best of the sex novels DEPRESSING PRESSING PROBLEM...... published please their readers might­ ily and (I hope) give an added in­ Whaazat? Editorials. Set piece tensity to the pleasures of mastur­ editorials. I quail at having to bation. write them for SFR. Nothing comes I've been told by editors that to mind that hasn't been tromped I write damned good sex novels. through before. They've always bought them, anyway. What should I do? And readers have said the same. What should I do? So I have spent maybe 23 years For a month now I have watched of my life writing close to 90 or with morbid eye as the days wither so sex novels which have helped peo­ away. The readers want more of my ple get more pleasure out of life. writing in SFR. More editorials. I'm happy with that. I'm proud AAARRRRGi. of that. I even beat the bushes of my I'm not sure if Burt thinks my brain looking for Alter Ego with real talents are in other types of intent to ask his advice. Even... fiction—or writing for and editing *Shudder* to allow him to write an SFR and/or CONSPIRACY NEWSLETTER. editorial or two. But Alter is I enjoy all the kinds of writ­ gone. Even his used synapse collec­ can you do?). I do not expect to ing I do. I'll probably continue tion is gone. I feel naked, some­ ever see another God-damned nickel doing them as long as possible. how. from the sons of bitches. Only re­ Where is he now? More to the Burt also [with others] suggests course is never to do business with I should give up my desperate non­ point, in whose brain is he now them again.' fiendishly residing? Hmmm... It professional stance in SFR and ac­ seems to me Elton Elliott has been cept all the outside advertising I acting strangely lately. I suppose these stories of major can get in order to expand the maga­ But that is neither here nor publisher ripoffs will become more zine or preferably go bi-monthly. sideways. My problem looms, dark and more frequent as book sales If I'm such a great fanzine ed­ and stormy. tail off more and more the rest of itor, howcum so many people want me Yet there is a way... Time this year. Some writers who have to change my style and policies? honored. Even in the Geis tradi­ been lucky don't really believe I prefer to not bother with ad­ tion. Why not...why not... "name" publishers do this sort of vertising, period. I don't want thing. I hesitate to say it, much less the subtle pressures that advertis­ do it. But why not an editor's Shit. I'm beginning to think ers exert [without saying a word] on diary? everybody skims and cheats. editors and publishers of small press I'm getting enough mail of one magazines. kind or another to provide raw mat­ # Burt Libe is tiring; I get these I don't want a 130 page zine one erial for a sloppy, uninhibited, long letters from him (to me 500 year and a 48 page zine the next as space-filling commentary. words is a long letter) frequently, advertising vanishes for one reason and I always feel guilty and inade­ or another. I don't want to be in I'll lose friends and alienate quate when I respond with short (two the position of depending on adver­ strangers. Perfect. or three brief paragraphs—if he's tising for profit or continued exis­ I'll start tomorrow. It now is lucky) pithy responses. tence . 5:44 PM and time for me to go up­ His latest takes me to task—as This is the way I think. Love stairs, pour myself my usual half have others—in this vein: me, love my policies. glass of homemade wine, turn on the bastard Sears TV (with its flicker '...(my) Id wants to know why, ing green-tinged color—got to get with so much talent, you spent all # A gentleman from Canada sent me that mother fixed one of these days) those many years writing all that 84 pages of a sex/pom novel he's and watch CBS NEWS to learn the lat­ useless porn shit. He thinks you been noodling at for (he says) 20 est increment of disaster. ain't even good at it. Well, I years. guess some people are great at some Well, he accompanied it with 6-9-81 Card from a long-time free­ things, but feel better with and in­ compliments re THE CORPORATION lance pro writer whose last book hit sist upon doing other things. So, STRIKES BACK, and enclosed an arti­ the paperback bestseller top ten Geis, I've heard several people at­ cle on Reagan's military spending briefly a few months ago. Names tack you personally for your infatu­ build-up and the economy which I eliminated to prevent lawsuits. ation with pom. They're entitled hadn't seen. Appreciate them. to their opinion as far as I'm con­ The 84 pages are well written 'Jeez, ______Books really cerned. But when I see someone fail­ and non-conmercial. I can say sane took me. Not only did they disap­ ing to exploit his real talents, I nice things about the story and make pear two extra printings of ______gotta get after 'im.' sone criticisms. ____ but they have reprinted and The point is I don't want to be commissioned from someone else an I often wonder, too, why I went sent manuscripts. Published books, atrocious sequel, using my charac­ from 1959 to 19and76 or so writing okay. Mss. have to be sent back, and ters and part of my scenario (all sex novels. In fact, counting STAR too often the sender doesn't think registered with the Guild, but what 4 to enclose return postage. At to­ day's rates returning a ms. costs me humor, mockery, sarcasm, ridicule "learning disabled" (how determined about a dollar. and satire more. was unspecified) and that their col­ I'm speaking of book manuscripts But True Believer Atheists are lege programs be modified in "cert­ here, mind. a humorless lot. I am an atheist, ain areas" (read: Mathematics and but not dedicated; my position is English) so that they can be gradu­ that I don't think there is or was ated. I was either ignored or # I'm using items from my mail here a Creator. Certainly not a God who laughed at when I asked if stupid­ to comment upon, to present attitud­ dabbled in Earth affairs in times ity can be considered a learning es, which normally wouldn't be print­ past. disability. ed in the letter column. So be aware Nor do I think there is an aft­ 'The proposal was sent back to that your mailing to me may be used. erlife. But I'm willing to be committee - but it will surface a-

I'll of course be cautious in using pleasantly surprised after I die. gain. A letter in the student news­ names and etc. But you can always paper recently objected to there be­ insure total privacy by noting 'Not ing any required courses for a col­ for publication' on anything, or lege degree. Claimed that required sections of whatever. 6-12-81 David______notes in courses were a violation of her stu­ a letter that he enjoys the series dent rights.' of essays by Barry Malzberg in SFR What kind of math is required: 6-11-81 I get on a lot of mailing ("Engines of the Night"), but observ­ lists. The latest fruit of that proc- algebra? Trig? Calculus? I can es that Malzberg's list of ten best sympathize with math-deaf students cess is a sample copy of AMERICAN sf stories has one perhaps unnotic­ ATHEIST---A Journal of Atheist News to a degree; I had a hell of a time ed characteristic: "Not a single with second year algebra and trig. And Thought. This is a copy of the one of them can be looked upon as February issue. [On the cover it is Almost didn't graduate high school having a happy or even a hopeful because of it. While making top recorded thus: 'PLUVIOSE (February) ending." 11981; Vol.23, No.2'. This self- grades in English and writing edit­ Aha. Barry, is your basic orials and a column ("The Professor conscious symbolic rejection of the worldview showing here? Christian names for the months, and of Screwlooseology"—God!) for the the acceptance of the Roman (pagan-- David also notes: school weekly paper. previous religion's) names seems I suppose standards have slipp­ 'The Gene Wolfe interview had ed since 1942-45. labored and awkward. But wotthehell. one section that struck directly AMERICAN ATHEIST is letter size But do you find a lot of engin­ home to me. In the part where he eering and math majors who cannot offset, 24 pages, and seems badly says that "Good writing is con­ edited and misconceived: there is pass basic English courses? crete ... an educational bureaucrat I tend to think laziness and precious little news and the bulk of says that someone has a learning the magazine seemed obsessed with disinterest is the major problem, disability; a good writer says the though. For my part, I could not past disbelievers from Medieval same person is lazy or stupid; ..." times onward, as well as foreign see any use of arcane mathematics 'I am a college mathematics pro­ in my future life. atheistic movements. fessor at a New Jersey State College. The magazine is dull, turgid, Our graduates in the Liberal Arts Of course if there were no re­ and virtually irrelevant to the mod­ are required to take a mathematics quired courses in college most stu­ em world. course in order to graduate. Over dents would happily take a variety God is really dead for most peo­ the years I have spoken to numbers of easy, no-work courses. Movie ple under fifty in America today. of students who have claimed that, Watching 105, for instance, or The They don't see any evidence anywhere despite their high intelligence, Significance of Benny Hill in Brit­ that God exists and is looking into they simply could not learn mathema­ ish Culture. [Home study permitted.] and ordering the affairs of mankind. tics . The numbers seem to be in­ Just the opposite. creasing lately. Two weeks ago I # Personal bibliographical note And all the magic and supernat­ attended a meeting of our faculty here: a reader has a copy of a porno ural powers seem to come from and be senate where a serious proposal was novel titled AUNTIE'S RAGING DESIRE used by scientists. made that some students be declared by Peggy Swanson. He wants to know The basic dogma of Christian be­ lief—supernatural evil and vile, hellish creatures—(for instance) have been taken and coimercialized Vw SEE THAT and reduced to fantasy and moron­ Window up। mental-food by TV, movie producers, THERE ? THE ONE With and horror writers of blockbuster The Bars made oot of fiction. Because most of this use starship covers, they of Christian dogma is very badly 5A.-y THAT'S WHERE G-ei5 done it is rejected by most halfway intelligent people as inpossible, Locked up alter . inplausible, incredible—and God goes along with Satan and demons and The. werewolves and Rosemary's baby and an afterlife in its many commercial variations. There is still a lot of lip-ser- ice Christianity practiced for social and business reasons. But True Be­ lievers are diminishing [despite per­ iodic media hoopla] in numbers and influence. AMERICAN ATHEIST is locked into the past. It would up its circula­ tion and effectiveness if it used if I wrote it. He sent zeroxes of Hty/ Stop OK?! WAeN the covers and credit pages and the first page of Chapter One. I used to write a lot of sex novels under the pseudo of Peggy Swenson. Also, one as Peggy Swann, and once a publisher (or his print­ er) screwed up and published a Swen­ son novel as Swanson. That was in 1964, and the title was LESBIAN LURE [Playtime Book published by Neva Paperbacks inc.] But AUNTIE'S RAGING DESIRE was published in 1975 by Embassy House of San Rafael, CA., and I did not write it. The first page of text ain't my style. I have no memory of it at all. But now I'm curious. Is there a real Peggy Swanson out there writ­ ing porno? Was the editor merely trying to "cash in" on the (at one time) dedicated readership of Peg­ gy Swenson novels?

# Mats Linder, of Sweden, who pub­ lishes SUM4A, wrote to request permis­ sion to translate and reprint Mack Reynolds' article, "Science Fiction and Political Economy" [SFR #36]. He says that is the best thing he has seen on the subject. He wants changes in SFR when something isn't None of this will pull the arrw Mack Reynolds' address. working or when something's gotta of outrageous fortune from the Mats also mentions the "Swedish give. breasts of the reviewers and from Post Office is [as of June 1,] rais­ Since Orson Scott Card burned the authors who always hunger for ing the rate for printed matter out as short fiction (magazine, notice. postage 300 to 500% by proudly de­ mostly) reviewer/columnist, the Now—if SFR were a weekly.... claring all mail to be Letter mail!" short fiction reviews section has But it isn't, will never be, so I've been following the statist inevitably taken up more space than forget it. travails of the Swedish establish­ it should. ment as they face ruin and bankrup­ And more and more often readers But the prime reason for this tcy of the nation because of incred­ have said, "What's the point of re­ change is to make room for more ibly generous welfare programs and viewing magazines that are off the and more of these editorial musings, incredibly confiscatory taxes on the stands before I get the reviews?" reactions, and savage changes. An wealth-producers. It's a good point. I tend to editor's diary is space consuming. I wonder if "printed matter" think magazine publishers will fill And my mail is becoming ever more in Sweden will now be delivered as recent back issue orders, but anoth­ interesting. quickly as Letter mail? Or if Let­ er factor is more compelling: too I am retaining Darrell Schweitz­ ter mail will slow down to printed often there are only one or two good er's Small Press Reviews, though, be­ matter delivery rates? stories in a given issue of a maga­ cause I have a bias for the small press efforts, and because in my op­ As to the reprint permission: zine, and for the sf/fantasy reader I am forwarding a copy of Mats' who isn't a steady buy-no-matter- inion Darrell is a knowledgeable and letter to Mack. As noted in the what collector or subscriber, the interesting reviewer. His reviews, if he should choose to continue them, copyright notice in every issue of cost and effort of acquiring a back SFR, 'One-time rights only have been issue of a sf magazine isn't worth will complement my own Snail Press acquired from signed or credited it. Interest is short and inertia Notes. contributors, and all other rights is long. are hereby assigned to the contrib­ So what the short fiction reviews utors .' were were a guide to professional an­ That means I cannot give re­ thologists who were happy to have a print permissions. I forward the flag sunk into good stories for their query. future reference. 7-12-81 This is short hairs time: Further, four or five pages of tomorrow these pages go to the print­ the opinions of Orson Scott Card are er. I have filled holes created by worth it. Five or six pages of short promised material that didn't ar­ 6-16-81 the COMMAND HAS COE DOWN fiction opinions by (current) lesser rive, and I have made ruthless edi­ TIE LINE: DEATH TO THE SHORT FICTION knowns are not worth it. torial decisions. It happens every REVIEWS TIE CREATOR DECREED. AND IT AND—the reader of SFR will be time. I'm used to it. WAS DONE. THE HAVOC WAS HORRIBLE. able to enjoy the cream of the stories Next issue I'll publish the STRONG REVIEWERS WEPT. WEAK REVIEW­ from the magazines in the many annual Michael Whelan interview! He called ERS.... BEST OF— volumes and in the fre­ about a week and a half ago and sug­ quently published story collections gested he send some updating answers Well, not to make too big a thing by individual authors. of it, but in the tradition of Gengh­ CONTINUED ON PAGE 67 is Khan and Nero, sometimes I make 6 ROBERT

SFR: Now that you're fiction editor of CMJI, how does it feel to be on the opposite end of the manuscript submission process?

SHECKLEY: Naturally it's very dif­ ferent. It feels very good. For a writer it's certainly a valuable in­ sight into how the other part of the publishing process works.

SFR; It seems to me that the short stories in ONflI are not what the sales really hinge on. Is this true?

SHECKLEY: omni sells, I think, as a total package. It's a very good mix of short stories, articles, col­ umns and graphics. Stories certainly are a vital part of this. I don't think Mil would be (Mil if it didn't SHECKLEY: Not narrower. GALAXY story I was best able to do. I had have fiction. then was a very active market, and a combination of interests which led my mainstay. I sold stories to Camp­ me that way. First of all I was in­ SFR: But since the sales don't tot­ bell also. There was a new look and terested in science fiction. I was ally hinge on the fiction, doesn't a new format for some time in AMAZ­ very interested in general litera­ this give you the opportunity to do ING and FANTASTIC. There was F£SF. ture, especially in parody and sat­ risky and far-out things and make In a way it had for me then the feel­ ire, and I was rather weak and not ONtll the cutting edge of the field? ing of being a nice compact field. terribly interested in science, ex­ There were salvage magazines also, cept in a conceptual way. So this SHECKLEY: I do think so. I cer­ then, which there aren't now. When mix of things led me into the sort tainly hope so. In theory, anyway, I started out, PLANET STORIES was of story I wrote. But I was writing since we pay the top rates, we should going still and Doc Lowndes' FUTURE my own version of mainstream science get first look at everything, and also. There were more outlets. They fiction. there is a very fine chance here to paid of course far less. open up new story territory. SFR: How much did Horace Gold dir­ SFR: How long had you been reading ect your career? SFR: Now much of a problem do you science fiction and how long had you have with the fact that much of your started to write it before you start­ SHECKLEY: Horace liked what I was audience hasn't read science fiction ed to sell? doing. It was simply a happy meet­ before? Doesn't this prevent you ing. I found out early on that I from running things they would re­ SHECKLEY: I had been reading science was not really a Campbell writer, al­ gard as esoteric? fiction, I'm pretty sure, since I though I did sell him some stories. learned how to read. Certainly since He was not the great inspiration for SHFCK1 FY■ I don't think so. Al­ the age of six or seven. In my par­ me that he was for a lot of other though our audience is not primarily ents' house I found some of the Edgar people. Horace didn't guide me. a science fiction audience, we have Rice Burroughs novels. I found Wells I've always had very firm ideas about done and will do very straight sci­ and Verne. Soon I found the science what I want to write. He bought what ence fiction. I've done stories by fiction pulps also. I really grew I wrote. Bob Silverberg, say, that are absol­ up reading science fiction. utely pure SF, with no compromise to SFR: Did he ever feed you ideas? a less informed readership. I do SFR: The kind of satirical science keep in mind the fact that my readers fiction that you began writing almost SHECKLEY: Horace would sometimes are not sophisticated in science fic­ at once was very much different from feed me ideas. I don't know that I tion, but I wouldn't say that this what you grew up reading. Was this ever used one, especially back then. stops me from buying what I think is a reaction, or were you shaped to I was very resistant to other people's good science fiction. write what you did by market condi­ ideas. I really wanted to do the tions in the early 1950s, or what? whole job. SFR: Did you find the field a lot SHECKLEY: No, not at all. This was narrower when you began writing than SFR: Did you ever have any problems it is today? simply the kind of science fiction with his celebrated tendency to re­ write stories?

AN INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY DARRELL SCHWEITZER 7 SHECKLEY: He only rewrote one story There were markets for it. They This brings us back to the of mine. I didn't know about that were paying about as well. But some times generating the fiction. It until after it appeared. I wasn't sort of excitement was gone. It just seems to me that the field was a lot happy about it being done, but the wasn't fun anymore. livelier back in the late 1960s, with job he did on it was rather good. many writers trying to expand the SFR: How does one create the excite­ field in a lot of ways, and that was SFR: You stopped appearing in the ment again? Can an editor do it? a time of great social ferment. Now magazine regularly about the time it seems the world is drab and so is Gold stopped editing. Was this a co­ SHECKLEY: Editors can certainly the fiction. incidence? help. Our scene then, the New York science fiction life, was very soc­ SFFCKI FY1 What I don't see very SHECKLEY: No. I think a part of ial. We had the Hydra Club. We much o? anymore is good light stor­ why I wrote for Gold was because it would meet every six weeks or so. ies. In the 50s and 60s there were was exciting. Horace was always ask­ We all scoffed at it and said that lots of them. Most of what I see is ing me for stories. I saw him almost it was a bore, but we all showed up. stories which are fairly grim and every week. I played in Horace's There was Gold's weekly poker game. depict a fairly grim future. weekly Friday night poker games. It There were more writers in the New was part of my world. When Horace York area then. But then a lot of What do you make of the occas­ left, that world was not ever quite writers moved out. At first as far ional bursts of science fiction get­ the same. The gang of us who were out as Red Bank and Milford, and ting very self-consciously literary there at the start -- people like then further out. There was no nu­ such as we saw in the late 60s? Is Fred Pohl, Jerry Bixby, Algis Budrys, cleus left. There's more now than this constructive? Phil Klass, Damon Knight -- all start­ there's been in years, but still ed to move out and go their own ways. very little. SHECKLEY: 1 nyself was not any part So Gold's little world was weakening or it, but I think it was certainly even before he left. SFR: Is this social scene important useful. I would enjoy seeing it more^ in respect to what is written, or even though a lot of it was just can a writer do just as well living plain self-consciously arty. It was SFR: A lot of people who were writ­ in the wilds of Idaho? probably a necessary corrective to ing in the 1950s say that during some of science fiction's aggressive­ that period, for various social and SHFCK1 FY: We got off a lot on play­ ly pulp roots. If you can have an political reasons, science fiction ing around with story ideas. Back aggressive root. was the most free area of American then we actually read each other's writing, especially for social sat­ stuff. We would often have sort of SFR: I don't know to whom the credit ire. Two questions: Is this true, informal plotting sessions. People belongs, but somebody once comnented and if so, is it possible that the sometimes helped me. Sometimes I that the major sins of science fic­ drop-off in your output was caused helped others. It seems to me that tion are incest and cannibalism. by the changing scene, the 1960s not we talked more about story in those Without some kind of aggressive re­ being the same as the 1950s? days. In these days we talk mostly newal, the field can get aggressive­ about markets, who pays what. ly ingrown after a while. SHECKLEY:. For me at that time, sci­ ence fiction was a superb medium for SFR: If you got a crowd of your OMNI SFECK-EY: Yes, it can. I've got a reeling that 50s and 60s SF modeled satire and social commentary, al­ contributors together and started itself to some extent on the pulps, though I did not especially think of talking story, do you think you could and presented a lot of pulp story it that way while I was writing a generate material in this way? story. I didn't think, "Well, now, variations. The pulps are gone now, and the new writers have perhaps on­ I will write a social conuientary on SHECKLEY: 1 don't know. We don't this or that". Still, it was in the nave any'real writing crowd yet. ly read stories very loosely based upon pulp form, so maybe science fic­ air. It's possible that my writing There are people we've bought sever­ tion is searching for a form now. during that period was a response to al times, but they aren't a crowd. I'm speaking exclusively about short the overall scene, but I think it is Some of them I don't even know. fiction here. a fallacy to assume that a writer's Times have changed. The field has output ought to stay at some sort of changed. The world has changed. It a constant pitch for his working SFR: I think what we saw a lot of is a greyer world, a less hopeful in the 60s was the attempt to use life. I don't think writing works world. like that. Maybe in the early years I had a higher output than was real­ ly natural for me.

SFR: Many writers have said that the latter part of the 50s was just a very dull, restrictive period, with a constantly shrinking market. As Silverberg once put it, you woke up one morning and there was no field.

SHECKLEY: Yes, suddenly, one day, or one week, or one year, there was no field. There were no people. There was no scene, no fun. Now, how much of that was one's own per­ sonal problem -- that's a factor that you can't really calculate. But I would certainly agree with Bob. Those felt like rather grey days. You could still sell science fiction. SFR: There was a lot of talk at the achieved in three thousand, four time about experimental writing in thousand words. I would love to find science fiction. What does the con­ experimental work, but work which cept of experimental writing mean to could still give our readers some­ you? thing. There are "mainstream" sci­ ence fiction and fantasy stories out SHECKLEY: To be glib, I could say which if I had been offered them, I that experimental writing is writ­ would have bought. There are things ing which has failed. You shouldn't by Donald Barthelme which would work experiment; you should do. In a way for us, and Julio Cortazar, Italo I don't know what experimental writ­ Calvino, to name just a few. I would ing means. I know that for me as a love to present some work of that writer, the mere fact that I have a sort. story which does not work as a story, but still has something strange about SFR: Surely all these writers do it, something eerie -- I would prob­ offer something to the reader, and ably call that experimental writing. that is why people read them. You talk about "offering something to SFR: It sounds to me like a story the reader" and being experimental that's only half there. It's not as if there's a definite dichotomy. an innovation. You could still have the something eerie and the story SHFCKI FY: "Experimental" is a bad too. wora here. We should define what we mean. Experimental has become one of those words which is used for any SHECKLEY: There it is. If you have a story, you don't have an experi­ sort of non-reg'ular story. mental story. The implicit experi­ ment in most experimental fiction is SFR; I think that in the 1960s the usually how we can have a story with­ term "experimental" got used in sci­ out actually having to sit down and ence fiction to the point that it tell a story. became meaningless. SHECKLEY: Yes, I think so. It's a SFR: Or is it how we can tell a very loose term. story differently? SFR; Are you doing any writing now? SHECKLEY: I don't think so. It's how to avoid that whole thing of hav­ SHECKLEY: I'm doing a science fic­ ing a character or characters with tion novel which is under contract problems which they must solve. to Holt. I don't want to say a They try this; they try that, and whole lot about it. I think it'll they can't solve it, and then through be funny. Beyond that I can't say. some ingenious means, they solve it. I have a great horror of speaking This simple-minded format is the ba­ about works that are actually in pro­ sis of the short story still. gress.

SFR: Then in what way would such SFR: Because you'll lose it by talk­ experimental fiction be desirable? ing about it?

SHECKLEY: I will lose something of SHECKLEY: Some of the South Ameri­ it. can writers are doing very interest­ ing work. I guess you could call it the forms of little literary maga­ SFR: Has your productivity bounced experimental fiction. They work with back from the dry periods? zine fiction or NEW YORKER fiction. voice a great deal. A writer like Is, this going to, get anywhere? Gabriel Marquez, the author of AUT­ SHECKLEY: It's bounced back some. UMN OF THE PATRIARCH, who to me some­ I'm still a very long way from hav­ times feels like a science fiction SHECKLEY: I don't think so. What ing a high output, but I've certain­ writer, is finding new ways of weav­ that sort of thing has in its favor ly written more this year than in ing various voices into a single sen­ is a higher, more self-conscious the past several. I've got about tence strand. I find that fascinat­ Writing level, but I personally like half a novel done and I've written ing. AUTUM'J OF THE PATRIARCH is a science fiction as a popular form. about three short stories also. book that most people do not like. I don't particularly like anti-pop­ I personally think it is a fascinat­ ular forms. When I read a story, I'd SFR: How has working at OMNI affect­ ing and successful book, but it won't like to find a story there, rather ed either your output or the kind of ever be a terribly popular book. Ex­ than a stylistic meditation upon story you write? perimental almost by definition seems some theme, which is what a lot of to mean difficult. .the NEW YORKER stuff is. Science SHFCKI FY: As far as output goes, I fiction also canApt really copy the think it's been a help. I like be­ SFR: Would you ever publish exper­ ing relieved of some of the economic style of the literary story. That imental science fiction in OMM? sort of style depends upon very care­ pressure that goes with being a pure ful detailing of things. It builds freelancer, and I think that I'm SHFCKI FY; Yes, certainly. A story probably going to write more. its power from certain social details. finally is not a plot and not a form­ But in science fiction, you can't ula. It's a total effect which is really*know-that kind of detail SFR: Thank you, Mr. Sheckley. about the future. 9 ************************************ SPECTROS #1—SILVERADO AND THEN I READ.... By Logan Winters Tower 51612, $1.75 An attempted melding of sorcery confrontation between the undertaker with westerns. Spectros is an old and the sheriff raises too many magician who has been chasing for "Hey, wait a minute!" objections and generations a magician/sorcerer nam­ questions for the novel to survive. ed Blackschuster. Blackschuster But that's not Yarbro's fault---she decades before had stolen Spectros' was chained to the screenplay writ­ bride-to-be, and since has kept her ten by Ronald Shusett and Dan O'Ban­ in a trance/spell in a crystal cof­ non which in turn was based on an fin. They are all now in the wild original story by Jeff Miller and west of America. Alex Stem. The final scene has a Spectros has three aides/compan- good revelation/twist which all vet­ ions. Blackshuster has only a sin­ eran sf readers are familiar with. gle evil cohort. In the movie I'm sure it'll be In personal battle with Black­ BY THE EDITOR more effective than in the novel, schuster, Spectros changes himself and will wow audiences; a movie into his youthful prime: Kid Soled­ keeps moving, and the fast, climac­ ad, riding his giant black stallion tic pace to the end won't allow Khamsin. tEW TALES OF THE CTHULHU MYTHOS time for thinking through plot/ There is involvement with Indi­ Edited by Ramsey Campbell logic/scientific flaws. ans, locals, a silver mine...and Arkham House, $11.95 I haven't seen the movie, and not much sorcery. Contents: I'm looking forward to seeing it: Of course Blackschuster escapes Jack Albertson as the benevolent, "Crouch End" by Stephen King. with Kirstina-in-the-coffin, and "The Star Pools" by A.A. Attan- evil, insane black magic undertaker Spectros, a little older, tireder, asio. should be marvelous. James Farentino must trail him again... "The Second Wish" by Brian Lumley. plays the sheriff, and Melody Ander­ So far there are four Spectros "Dark Awakening" by Frank Belk­ son plays his wife. books: SILVERADO nap Long. 2--HUNT THE BEAST DOWN "Shaft Number 247" by Basil Coop­ 3--NATCHEZ er. . 4--THE SILVER GALLEON "Black Man With a Horn" by These are formula, action, simplist­ T.E.D. Klein. SCANNERS ic. "The Black Terne of Alsophocus" By Leon Whiteson by H.P. Lovecraft and Martin Tower 51675, $2.25 S. Warnes. Another novelization of a film, "Than Curse the Darkness" by this one badly done. The story is David Drake about a few high-psi-powered "scan­ TEE CLAW OF THE CONCILIATOR "The Faces At Pine Dunes" by ners" created by a scientist, the By Gene Wolfe Ramsey Campbell. paranoid drive of one of these to Timescape Books, $12.95 After finishing this original anthol­ rule the world, and the struggle This second of four volumes in ogy you'll have a well-rounded per­ against him by two "good" scanners. The Book of the New Sun continues spective of who and what Cthulhu and Also involved is a rapacious super­ the adventures/destiny of Severian, his minions are, and of the horrible corporation and its ruthless head the exiled Torturer. The time is danger facing humankind. They are of security. at least a million years from now, Lurking. There are plot holes and ab­ the society and culture are melds I was most impressed with David surdities created by David Cronen­ of past technological glory and Drake's strong, unflinching narra­ berg's original screenplay that coimon medievalism.. .a period of tive. He managed to scare me. Whiteson could not avoid. ghastly powers and degeneracy, of But Whiteson himself is inclined hope and swirling, hidden energies, to eye metaphors galore. As: movements and terrors. 'His eyes were utterly inward. As a lifelong reader of science They hadn't looked outward in fiction I accept and incorporate a long time. They were dead with ease the wonders, the bizarre DEAD & BURIED black rubber balls in a thicket customs, the laws of this far, far By Chelsea Quin Yarbro of reddish beard.' future Earth. But I can't help im­ Warner 91-268, $2.50 agining the blown minds, the expand­ A very, very good walking-dead 'The artist was dying. His eyes ed consciousnesses of those who have horror novelization of the movie, were lifeless planets. ' not been acclimatized to thinking which will be released in early sum­ in other categories—in other worlds mer, 1981. This novel was first- 'His silver eyes were bullet —and who stumble into the first printed in August of 1980. tips.' volume, THE SHADOW OF THE TORTURER, A familiar story: a small town or this volune... .and either run sheriff is investigating a series of 'Revok's eyes were chips of from it as from the Devil, or feel strange murders—people doused with black glass....' that marvelous thrill I felt at age gasoline and lit—when evidence of 10. revived corpses emerges... Whiteson inclines to purple prose Even now, this series--this fine The local coroner/undertaker ap­ and short sentences. writer—evokes that feeling in me. pears to be linked...as well as the There are a lot of b/w photos from What it must do to a stranger to sf sheriff's own wife! Then others... the film in the novel. boggles my mind. The novel is gripping and coher­ Gene Wolfe writes with such skill ent, detailed and rational, plausi­ and art, with such precision and ef­ ble and chillingly believable—un­ fect, such detail and care and con­ til the last chapter. The final 10 trol, that as a fiction writer I am simply humbled and awed. Vol.2—The Two Towers UNSILENT NIGHT I can only urge anyone who has Vol.3—The Return of the King By Tanith Lee not begun to read this Book to run plus Appendixes A-F, NESFA Press $10. + $L postage to a sf/fantasy bookstore and buy plus Index for all three Box G, MIT Branch Post Office a copy; THE SHADOW OF THE TORTURER volumes. Cambridge, MA 02139 is now available in paperback from Each volume has a large, fold- I hope it's a compliment to say Pocketbooks at $2.50. out map of the lands covered in that that when she writes of magic and I have deliberately not reveal­ volume. Forward and Prologue by the evil sorecerers, of invincible ed any of the story of CLAW. To author in Volume 1. Synopses by the heroes and flawed courtesans, Tanith give anything away, in this case, author in Vol.2-3. Lee is better than Robert E. Howard. would be a disservice to the reader. These are printed on high quality Her fiction is so sensuous, muscular, book paper. These books will last disciplined and taut that it is a longer than you will. pleasure to read her. This small book, hardbound, printed on acid-free paper, 84 pages, THE ROBOT IN THE CLOSET in a limited, numbered edition of ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK By Ron Goulart 1000 copies, contains two stories and By Mike McQuay DAW UJ1626, $1.95 Bantam 14914-8, $2.50 ten poems. A smart-ass robot time machine The stories, "Sirriamnis," and This novelization of a soon-to- who poses as human is the key, amus­ "Cyrion in Wax" are familiar: the be- released movie (R) is taut, act­ ing element in this typical Goulart strange slave girl who worships a dis­ ion-filled, fairly believable. goulash of satire and derring-do as tant, evil goddess and who practic­ The President is crash-landed a young couple Trip to 1906 San es shape-changing and who makes a in New York—in 1997 an island Francisco and 1814 England in the noble youth her victim. Her death prison for all malcontents, crimin­ tracing of a fortune in gold. They is ironic. The story of Sirriamnis als and crazies in the country after are opposed by a greedy, conscience­ is told by an old slave in ancient a limited war with the soviets—and less relative and appalled by some Greek times. a crime hero, ex-Air Force pilot, disreputable ancestors. And then "Cyrion in Wax" tells how a su­ Snake Plissken is promised full pard­ the robot time machine goes on the perior, highly intelligent young man on if he can go in alone and get the fritz. outwits and kills a seemingly all­ man out alive—with a super secret Life for a Goulart character is powerful, evil sorcerer. tape cassette vital to world peace. fraught with villains and bad timing. Tanith Lee was Guest of Honor at Manhattan is a literal concrete Boskone XVIII (the annual New England jungle with residual nerve gas in Science Fiction Association conven­ the air (from the war) and from the GOD EPPEROR OF DUNE tion) and this book is NESFA's cus­ anarchy inherent in the inmate-run By Frank Herbert tomary and honorary volume comnemor- conditions of the vast prison. Putnam, $12.95 ating that event. Men have become creatures in the I have a feeling UNSILENT NICUT The fourth of the Dune books, sewers and subways, and only the Duke would be a good acquisition: I think this one seems to be the last—as of New York and his coterie and "array" Tanith Lee will endure as a writer 3500 year-old Leto, kept alive and survive in some luxury. far beyond her time. In addition to his rescue prob­ keen-minded by the spice drug melange, lems, Snake has a deadline—and a slowly metamorphosing into a Worm motive—for rescue of the President: —puts in place his final moves for implanted in his body are tiny bombs. irreversible transformation of man­ kind into a far, far better creature SMALL WORLD Chly the government scientists who By Tabitha King than we. placed them can neutralize them. Macmillan, $10.95 During his desperate attempts to Fascinating social, political, survive and find and rescue the psychological, economic conmentaries We are introduced to two repel­ President, Snake is injured in var­ on human societies and cultures—and lent characters—Roger Tinker, an ious ways. Yet, in true Hero style the ever-changing, never-changing amoral cipher of a scientist who has he is capable of truly extraordinary nature of mankind. invented an incredible device which physical feats despite his wounds. This is high on the best-seller shrinks anything enclosed in its Mike McQuay writes effective, lists. Deservedly. It may be flawed aimed field—and Dorothy Douglas, tensioned action-adventure fiction. as pure novel, but one tastes Wisdom daughter of an ex-President, spoil­ The novel makes you want to see the in it, and Herbert is a marvelously ed, solipsist, vicious, hating, who movie. skilled, tantalyzing writer. takes Roger, civilizes him to her needs, and uses him and his device to furnish her world-famous doll OF COURSE: THE COUXlTW House (of the White House) with miniatured, perfect furniture, IS quiLlYO^ TERK\BLE paintings, rugs...even a living, THE LORD OF TIE RINGS -gEHAYlOfZl TT|5/t breathing inhabitant—a young wom­ By J.R. R. Tolkien an Dolly has hated. Houghton Mifflin, $50 boxed set. THEM T AMY Tabitha King (Stephen King's A handsome black box, three wife) writes well, but dwells too volumes, each bound in silver leather­ long on preliminaries and secondary like material, each volume inprint­ characters. ed on the cover with a large crim­ The last half of the novel son JRRT symbol, with alien letters is exciting and suspenseful, and below spelling...what? evil is fated for retribution. The This is the Silver Anniversary trouble is Roger and Dolly are such Edition, for those who want the turn-offs reading of their doings very best and thoughts is a drag...and so is Vol.l—The Fellowship of the the novel. Ring. 11 THE ORYCON 80 CONVENTION FOUR-WAY TELEPHONE CONVERSATION

together to watch it evenings, which ARTHUR C. CLARKE is very promising. CLARKE: Well, fine. I've got the first six programs . . . the first four programs, and I've thoroughly HARLAN ELLISON enjoyed them and I'm looking forward very much to see the remaining ones. Incidentally, my own series is on the air now in the U.K. Arthur Clarke's Mysterious World, and that's FRITZ LEIBER doing very well indeed at 13 one- half-hour programs.

ELLISON: I think we're eventually MARK WELLS going to get it over here on the ed­ ucational channel.

CLARKE: I sincerely hope so. I don't know what the position is at the moment; the book is apparently November 14, 1980, 9:30 PM CLARKE: Cosmic Engineering. out in the states and it's doing very well indeed. WELLS: Everybody hear me? ELLISON: All I could think of when I saw those photographs was that if Fl I ISON: You know, it's peculiar ELLISON: Well, I hear you. I don't we could get a contingent of Alabama that Sri Lanka is one of the few know if they do out there. How the rednecks who really believe all of countries that has no TV at all. hell are you, Arthur? this fundamentalist religion non­ sense, and bring them out there and CLARKE: Well, that's not true. We CLARKE: I'm fine. I've just done show them this they would understand have had TV now for a couple of a picture story for Intel; in fact, that God was too busy making aesthet­ years. It's rather limited to the curiously enough, because they're do­ ics to worry about keeping the uni­ Colombo area, but in fact there are verse together. ing an audio-visual presentation in about one hundred thousand sets in connection with a launching of In­ the country, which isn't bad for a telsat 5 the new communications sat­ CLARKE: I prefer which. I hope total population of only about 15 ellite. And the photographer has that Carl Sagan's program, of course million. just left, and I've just recorded we won't see it, but I mean his re­ the story of how it just happened. marks on evolution, about being a fact Fl I ISON: Gee, that's very strange. So it's rather curious we're now not a theory, may hopefully do some­ I was planning to move in down the talking through courtesy of Intelsat thing to improve the intellectual road from you a little bit because I between Sri Lanka and Oregon. climate of the country. understood they had no TV at all.

ELLISON! Well, I'd totally forgot­ ELLISON: Well, Arthur, to be perfect­ CLARKE: I'm sorry, but in Colombo, ten we were supposed to have this ly candid I dcn't think anything and everywhere in fact, they're conversation. I've been at the Jet much is going to inprove the intel­ building a TV center just down the Propulsion Lab for the last two or lectual climate of this country. road from me. three days watching the Saturn Fly­ . . . into Juke and Kallikak land, by. but Carl's program may just slow it Fl I I SON: Well, all right. So how just a trifle. It's very popular are you doing otherwise; how are you CLARKE: I envy you because I've on­ here, and people are in fact getting feeling? ly heard verbal reports over the rad­ io of what's happened. And what's this weird business about the braid­ ed rings?

ELLISON: That's absolutely true. The F ring has three interwoven strings of matter. They do in fact wind around each other and there are in fact nodes on them which may eith­ er be embedded satellites, little moons or may just be knots in the braids. It totally defies all cel­ estial mechanics according to every­ body who's looked at it. And I must say they're totally bewildered out at JPL.

CLARKE: Good. Well ... I mean you realize what this is don't you?

ELLISON: N°, I don't. You tell me. CLARKE: Well, I'm fine. I . . . their deal with Dell on the paper­ ah ... as you know I've stopped back, and Dell has just reissued writing. I finished writing in '77 DEATHBIRD STORIES, and the book of with FOUNTAINS OF PARADISE and I lit­ it is all full of science fiction erally have written nothing since and ads and so I called Harper and Row have no intention of doing so, ex­ and said, "Now you've breached con­ cept the odd articles and lectures. tract, and probably Dell, too. And Incidentally, I've just done the pre­ you've lostthe book," and all like face to the Nebula Awards which I that. And they said, "Oh, gee, we sent off about a week ago for the will have to check it out." And I next volane. got a call from Buzz Wyatt today and he said, "No, in fact, it's our er­ ELLISON: I'm in that book, aren't ror; we just didn't bother to check I? the contract when we made the sup­ plementary contract with Dell". And CLARKE: Yeah, that's right. And I said, "They're not in fault; it's incidentally, now I have no time to you, and you've lost the book, and read science fiction because it's a that means that Dell's lost it too full time job reading about science fiction. CLARKE: Well, this conversation is ELLISON: It's a filthy .... typical of the deep intellectual and aesthetic thoughts involved when CLARKE: I did make an exception. two authors start conversations to­ I still get MAKERS OF FANTASY. I gether. thoroughly enjoyed that story in which you get devoured by a giant ELLISON: Absolutely. Absolutely. snake. I know nothing about writing; all I know is this. ELLISON: Oh, my . . . thanks a lot, LEIBER: Well, I'll try to ... I Arthur. think that's just a certain amount CLARKE: Well, who of my friends are of hesitation or lack of training, present at the conference? CLARKE: I heard the audience reac­ but ah, but Harlan is my great chanp­ tion then, so presumably everyone ion, you know. could hear me okay. ELLISON: At convention, you mean? CLARKE: I don't think you need a champion. ELLISON: Yes. As usual, I'm much CLARKE: At the convention now. beloved of my audience. It's what Anyone else I know there I can send LEIBER: Well, Harlan got me to move one gets when one spends 25 years greetings to? dealing with pinheads. to a better apartment about three years ago, and I want to take this WFI I S: Well, I ...... CLARKE: That's right. I just had opportunity to thank you, Harlan. a cable from Scotland a few minutes CLARKE: Good old friends around ELLISON: Ah ... . ago. And Pocket Book's on our case there. at the moment. Presumably the mat­ LEIBER: 1 needed that push; I was ter is subjudicated, but there's no WELLS: The Guest of Honor at our reason why I shouldn't mention it. beginning to believe, I was begin­ convention is Fritz Leiber. Some of ning to believe the stories about They reissued my first volune of es­ the other notables . . . says, THE SANDS OF THE SPACESHIP, how bad off I was. saying that this had been completely CLARKE: Well, Hi, Fritz, how nice ELLISON: Well, listen, anything revised; in fact, it's completely . . . quite a while since we've met. uirevised. I would only reissue it that'll get you to do more stories, In fact ... of course, it's more I know, I mean where else . . . on condition that it was not revised. than three years since I've met any­ And right across the cover it says body except Bob Heinlein who was here LEIBER: Thank you, that's the thing completely revised edition, so heads earlier in the year. will roll. I most wanted to hear you say.

ELLISON: Good, do it for me too. LEIBER: Hello, Arthur. ELLISON: I've never had an original I'm about to sue Harper § Row. idea, Fritz. I have stolen every­ It's much handier this way. CLARKE: ... just now, how are you? thing from you.

CLARKE: Of course, poor Harper 5 LEIBER: Oh, very well there. They LEIBER: Oh, well, I've stolen them Row are my publishers too, and I'm are indulging me in every way at back. sorry you're having a little row this convention and now, now with with them. talking around the world. Fl I ISON: And done them much better, I'm afraid. How long has it been ELLISON: Well, no it's not really ELLISON: How are you, Fritz? since you two have seen each other? their fault, it's just terminal stup­ idity. You see, my contracts say LEIBER: I'm fine. Getting along CLARKE: Well, it must be five years, that they cannot call my books sci­ very well. isn't it? ence fiction and that they cannot put any science fiction ads in the LEIBER: Oh, must 1)6 at least> 1 CLARKE: Fine, fine, fine. Fritz have memories, I think, maybe I've books in the hardcover, or in any of sounds as if he's rather well oiled. the licensed paperback editions. seen you since then, but I have mem­ And they unfortunately didn't bother ories of walking in New York with to carry over those clauses into 13 you and .... CLARKE: ••• memory too, but that very much of it and he'd always kind CLARKE: Yes, that's the word. No­ must be 10 or 15 years ago. of poo-pooed it as being the lesser thing much happens here, except the of the two forms. monsoons. I sit here quietly in my LEIBER: Yes, that was when Kubrick house; apart from occasional trips, was going to do a film about Napo­ there's no plans ever to leave again. leon. LEIBER: Yeah. Though I suspect something will come up. There's this cruise on the . . . ELLISON: Science fiction was the oh, what ... my day is punctuated CLARKE: Whatever became of that? true word and I got a call from him by mail. The boy has just brought today just filled with wonder and in a pile of letters six feet high. ELLISON: I think he wound .... astonishment at how much he finds Let's see if it's anyone of you in pouring out of him in terms of fan­ here. Excuse me one second, air LEIBER: You tell me. tasy. He's done three stories in mail. That's for Rohan, New Ameri­ the last two weeks because he . . . CLARKE: I've just written Stanley. can Library send to me. I'll just Have you all seen THE SHINING? look to see if there's any bills, CLARKE: Wasn't he a fantasist? writs. Oh, here's a letter just LEIBER: Yes. arrived trom one Sam Butler from Ore­ ELLISON: Well, yeah, he says he nev­ gon. We'll open that letter and see er realized there was that kind of what he has to say to me. ELLISON: Yes, I have. wonderfulness. That he always thought it was science fiction where CLARKE: Did you like it? the true word came from, but now he LEIBER: Yes. finds that he likes writing fantasy CLARKE: Well, he's telling me that LEIBER: No. even better. the phone call that I thought was ELLISON: I'm afraid I did, I rather tomorrow was actually going to be liked it. CLARKE: Excellent. today. You know, it's damn lucky. I might have gone out this morning CLARKE: I'm sorry. Well, I've seen ELLISON: It's been a long time so you definitely got me down. Ch, THE SHINING, in fact, he put it on since you've done a fantasy, Arthur. let me read this letter. It's just for me when I was in London the oth­ been delivered to me by hand. Dear er day, and also I strongly recom­ LEIBER: Yes. Arthur: Latest word has it that mend, well, you know the little girl Harlan Ellison will be on the other in 2001 who received the phone call CLARKE: Well, I've never done any end of the line. Just got a letter from her daddy in the space station real fantasy unless you say things from him yesterday, and he expressed asked him to buy her a bush baby, such as THE NINE BILLION NAMES OF an interest in talking with you on you remember her? GOD and things were fantasies. Friday. Actually, he was under the impression that it was Saturday, LEIBER: Yes. ELLISON: I was thinking of that, and but when I talked with him, and he a cotple of others that you did that found it was Friday, he said, for CLARKE: Anyway, Daddy bought her a were pretty well into that kind of Arthur, okay, or something like that. movie camera instead, and her first feeling. It would be interesting film has just been on British TV and for you to bring your particular ELLISON: That's exactly what I said. it's THE MAKING OF THE SHINING. sensibility to a fantasy idea. You I'll be home on Friday night . . . don't think there's one more story? ELLISON: Was it his daughter, Ku­ CLARKE: Sam Butler, how about that? brick's daughter? CLARKE: I just got back from a fas­ cinating voyage. I was two weeks ELLISON: It's 9:49 at night here, CLARKE: Yes, that is Vivian. That at sea on the University of Colorado Arthur. is Vivian. That is her first film, floating campus, S.S. Universe. I and it's been on TV, and it shows the joined them in Djakarta and we steam­ CLARKE: But what's the day? I know making of the film. It's a very nice ed past Krakatoa which is still smold­ that, the problem's not the time, little documentary. THE MAKING OF ering gently so that's one thing I but the day. THE SHINING, try to get hold of it. guess not many people have done. ELLISON: Oh, the day is Wednesday. LEIBER: That's charming. Well, you LEIBER: Well, here in Oregon, of know, my son has followed me now in­ course, I'm near the new volcanic CLARKE: You've got me thoroughly to the science fiction writing, and territory in the United States. I'm extremely proud about that. We confused. are a father-and-son science fiction CLARKE: Right. You've been doing LEIBER: The day is Friday. novelist pair. pretty well in that department your­ self. ELLISON: You know what's interest­ CLARKE: The date line not just one. ing? ELLISON: There's another new one, ELLISON: No, I'm just playing a game isn't there, that's just opened up with you -- I'm just funning around. CLARKE: The combinatiorBof that kind someplace up in Alaska? .... I can't think of many off­ hand. LEIBER: Cold Bay, Alaska, someone says here. ELLISON: Ah, Fritz. I was going to say something interesting has been ELLISON: There's another one up happening. Bob Silverberg is start­ there someplace. It's very interest­ ing to write again, and after doing ing what's happening; the earth is LORD VALENTINE'S CASTLE I got him in­ burping a lot lately. Well, listen, volved in doing a story for this new how are things in Sri Lanka -- they TWILIGHT ZONE magazine. And Bob had nice and quiet down there? never really done any fantasy or 14 CLARKE: I know you are. You know them for you and tell you what they happen in the next 20 years I think I wrote a story about the dateline show. They don't show a whole hell I'd keep quiet about them and go called "Time On Mars" many years a- of a lot, but they look like, it pick up a patent application. go. In this particular story about looks like a pretty old ice body. the fact that the international date­ ELLISON: Here we are back to busi­ line on Mars occurs on land, no seas CLARKE: Obviously, the . . . reflec­ ness again. to put it in. So there'd be awful tive power of the two hemispheres is confusion in some town where the grossly different, that's the mystery. CLARKE: I'm afraid so. No, I think dateline runs down the main street. the biggest thing in the next 20 Fl I 1 SCN: Well, they're discovering years is going to be the development ELLISON: You know, out at JPL, all sorts of incredible things. of microelectronics of chips of in­ while I was there for the Saturn bus­ There are eccentric rings in the, formation services, of pocket com­ iness, one of the things which pleas­ I think it's the A or B rings, some­ puters -- all this revolution is ed me was one of my moments to gloat. thing like that -- they're finding just starting. I keep being pilloried because I eccentric rings. They're finding don't write science fiction and I very little, I guess, what they're Fl I ISON: Well, is it my turn? don't understand a lot of the heavy calling sheepdog satellites that science that does go into science are floating around in between the CLARKE: I did a piece, if I can con­ fiction, but I was gloating because rings kind of keeping them together. tinue. I did a piece about this cal­ I'm the only one of you guys who It's incredibly interesting. It's led "Silicon Scholars" which ONI doesn't have to rewrite all his a very complex system as we suspect­ published recently. Okay. stories to fall in line with what ed, but instead of five rings, it's they're discovering now. I have no­ something like 98 or 125 at last ELLISON: Well, the thing that I'm thing to be ashamed of. count. not sure, whether this is going to be a future development, but it's in CLARKE: That's a point in fact. CLARKE: Well, I should hope they the works right now and it's happen­ I'm a little bit worried about Titan won't be able to explain, then. In ing and it alarms the hell out of me. which is the . . . . of my penulti­ that case, they'll have a very int­ The Christian Television Network has mate novel here on Earth. And, of eresting situation. their own satellite up there and it course, things have changed a bit is broadcasting fundamentalist non­ around Titan the last few days. sense 24 hours a day, and if one WELLS: This is OryCon again, and goes to places like Alabama and South ELLISON: They discovered now that we have a question. I have a ques­ tion I must say, since I'm the one and North Carolina where I occasion­ the atmosphere is not in fact meth­ ally do sane work for the Equal ane, it's nitrogen, and they figure on the phone, that I would like to ask both of you, and perhaps get Rights Amendment -- you know, I go that there's a liquid nitrogen sea down there and do these lectures -- down there. your thoughts. A number of years ago, in a story, and it embarrasses and late at night I turn on the tele­ me to admit it, but I don't remember vision or the radio to see what's going on, and all that's being broad­ CLARKE: There's still lots of hyd­ the exact story, Mr. Clarke postul­ cast is Jerry Falwell, and Ernest rocarbons there, I'm sure, in various ated the existence of a conmunica- Angeley and the rest of those luna­ places, so I'll stick to that for a tions network designed around satel­ tics in their ice cream suits asking while. lites which orbited around a planet. for money so that they can bring That has obviously now come to pass. Would you care to speculate perhaps back the time of the Bible, and they ELLISON: The person I really feel have got something like, oh, I don't sorry for, somebody did a novel that on what will happen in the next 20 to 30 years? know, 20 million followers and they was placed on Janus, as I recall, now say that one out of every five which no longer exists. Americans is a born-again. And that ELLISON: You first, Arthur. alarms the hell out of me, and they CLARKE: Yeah, but they found a lot are using television and they're us­ of other ones, so they can just CLARKE: The story, of course, was ing these comnunications satellites change the name. for a technical paper in 1945. In fact, that's just what I've been and that communication satellite net­ filming and taping for Intelsat this work to promote stupidity, institu­ ELLISON: Somehow JUDGMENT ON S-ll tionalized stupidity. And I think doesn't sound like such a terrific morning because they're launching a that will have a more profound effect title. new communications satellite, Intel­ sat 5 shortly, and in fact, they're on the quality of life in this coun­ try over the next 20-25 years of rather flattered by the fact that CLARKE: Let's leave a nice name for anything I can think of. it. I'm also interested in, of more and more people are calling the course, Japetus, because in the nov­ synchronous orbits the Clarke Orbit now after my original concept, even CLARKE: Yeah, well, that's a de­ el version of 2001, that's where I pressing thought. It is ironic that put my monolith. I don't know if though I didn't actually first sug­ gest synchronous orbits as such, the techniques of modern science can they're going to get any pictures of be used to spread superstition, but that, but won't it be exciting if that was an old idea. I merely sug­ gested they use . . . that would be on the other hand, if one tries, then they do? the whole argument of censorship is the place to put satellites. When also involved, which again inciden­ ELLISON: There are pictures . . . I wrote my 1945 paper, I didn't ex­ pect this to happen in my lifetime, tally, I wrote a story about in PLAY­ BOY many years ago. "I Remember and that I sort of said ruefully, CLARKE: Japetus is quite a mystery Babylon", which was about the idea why the two halves have such differ­ I'd have tried to patent it so that wouldn't have done me much good be­ of communication satellites being us­ ent albedos. ed to broadcast pornography. In fact cause I think the patent would have what you've got is fundamentalist expired the year the first commer­ ELLISON: They do in fact have pic­ pornography; in fact, that's a good cial comsat went up. Now, if I had tures of Japetus. In fact, I've theory. I've already got seven page. got them; unfortunately they're up­ any really bright ideas of what would That sort of thing is pornography. stairs, or I would'run up and get 15 All this fundamentalist rubbish. ELLISON: Yeah, I'll tell you if I say this, but I've got a consider­ story. I can't really remember. had a couple of million dollars what able respect for anyone who's done And three years since I wrote a nov­ I would do with it would be to go to what Reagan's done. el, and it's a lovely feeling. I one of the networks and say, okay, have no withdrawal symptoms whatever. under the equal time fairness doc­ ELLISON: Well, you're going to have Fl I ISON: I've often thought about trine, you have to give equal time to tell me what it is because I was getting out of it, and getting in to opposed viewpoints. And I'd say here when he was Governor of this an honest occupation myself, but it every Sunday is nothing but Bible- state, and I remember his response is the only craft I know. I used to thumping hour from 6:00 in the morn­ to the free speech movement up at . . . I'm too nervous to steal. ing until you want to puke. And I the University of California, which said I would give them, I would buy was to call out the troops. a million dollars worth of TV time CLARKE: A lot of good books have been written in jail, you knew. to put on the hour of atheism. CLARKE: Well, anyway, you've got to PILGRIM'S PROGRESS, for example. make the best of what you can of it, CLARKE: Very good idea. Why don't through the next few years. You you get it on the air? I'll back know,cooperate with the inevitable; ELLISON: Uh huh. I often tell the you up. in fact, that used to be my motto: story about you that; do you remem­ "Cooperate with the inevitable", but ber? ELLISON: Well, thankee, thankee, I've changed that now to a more posi­ can we have an amen, Brother Arthur tive one: "Exploit the inevitable". CLARKE: Which one? .... How's the convention? ELLISON: I was thinking of a varia­ ELLISON: Well, it was the last time CLARKE: Back to Carl Sagan, he's tion on that in which one turns its I think that we saw each other, making the point on his program on own carnality against it. But I'm which was when you came to New York the evolution, and no, that was a not sure that would work with you. to accept the Nebula for RENDEZVOUS beautiful sequence showing how life FOR RAMA? And you had that accident. had evolved from earlier simple CLARKE: Eh? forms, and it was really poetic. And it seems to me so much more beau­ ELLISON: I think he's past the age CLARKE: "A Meeting With Medusa" won tiful and so much more religious, re­ of sex. a Nebula. ligious a concept, the idea of evolv­ ing of life forms, whereas this spec­ CLARKE: Anyway, let's change the ELLISON: Right, and you had that ial-creation nonsense, I mean, is subject from the crusty one of poli­ terrible accident off the Bahamas. just aesthetically ugly. tics which we can't do anything about now at least for four years, or per-’ CLARKE: Yeah, urn ... . ELLISON: They don't really want to haps in two years we can make sane know. I mean most of those people impact, I suppose, on the Administra­ Fl I ISON: I don't know if you remem­ don't want to know; it's much easier tion. ber this, but it's very much in the to turn their lives over to dope or forefront of my thoughts when I think religion which are one and the same ELLISON: Hey, Arthur, how would you about you. We had been exchanging thing, I suspect. It's depressing. like to do a story for THE LAST DAN­ sone correspondence about lecture GEROUS VISIONS? bureaus, and when you came into the CLARKE: Whoever said opium is the room at the Nebula Awards, of course, religion of the masses? I'm sure CLARKE! You mean THE LAST LAST DAN­ there were two guys fran the hospit­ it's not original. GEROUS VISIONS? al, I guess, who were, you know, supporting you because you had come ELLISON: What's going on at the con­ Fl 1 ISON! Yes, Absolutely Final, right from what ... which hospital vention? Last, there's no more. It's going was it? I don't know .... to be coming out .... WELLS: Well, right now, we're lis­ tening to a fascinating conversa­ CLARKE: I came straight from the tion. This really is one of the CLARKE: You know you reminded me of Virgin Islands. high points. a story they told me at TIME/LIFE when Churchill was doing the history ELLISON: Well, wherever it was, of the war for them. He would keep they brought you in and you sat down ELLISON: Well, if I went to conven­ sending revision versions. Sort of in a chair and you accepted the award tions, I would have gone to the Ory- penultimate versions, then for the and you looked just terrible because Con because I was just ip in Oregon final version, they sort of breath­ you know, you had been very close to doing a thing for John Anderson. ed a sigh of relief when the final death, and then everybody went about version arrived, but then would cane their business. And after a little CLARKE: I couldn't hear the last along another version labeled over­ while one of these interns, or ord­ word before you were interrupted by take. erlies, or whatever he was, came . . a shriek. . . found me, I was over on the oth­ ELLISON: Well, no, I'm getting er side of the room. Everybody was ELLISON: Well, what I was saying, ready for the final push. It's go­ kind of clustered around milling and Arthur, was that I was just up in ing to press. Berkley/Putnam is do­ thronging and he said, "Mr. Clarke Oregon, up in Eugene, Oregon, doing ing it. They're taking a year to would like to.speak to you", and I a lecture on behalf of John Ander­ publish it in three volumes. And I, said, "Fine". You know, I didn't son's campaign, not that it did much that's it then, that rock's off my want to bother you because I knew good. As Jefferson said, "The peop­ back forever. It's your last chance, everybody would be hanging around le get pretty much the kind of gov­ Arthur; I've only been asking you and I knew you weren't feeling too ernment they deserve" and it's prob­ now for ten years. well, so I had stayed away. And I ably time for this country to get came over and you said, "When I was, Ronald Reagan, and ahem, but . . . CLARKE: No, it's been about six or when I was going down," apparently seven years since I wrote a short you'd, I don't know quite what hap­ CLARKE: Well, you knot*; I hate to 16 pened to you, but you'd gone the wrong way swimming down to get up 01 ARKF: Well, you know Abbey is liv­ out of the water. You said you were ing a few miles from my bungalow here worried about me not getting the in Sri Lanka. This publication proper lecture bureau. And you had is available made, you had given the word or sent ELLISON: Yeah, I know that's why, a letter to your lecture bureau, and Bob. I needed a little peace and in microform. you wanted to let me know about it. quiet and Bob said, "Well, let's go And I was astonished that when you down to Sri Lanka, and I said, "You­ had such, something more important 've got it." Well do you think it to worry about like your life, that will disturb you too much to have you were concerned about getting me us down the road from you? the good lecture bureau. CLARKE: No, I wish I could get there CLARKE: I don't recall that. Ac­ more often down to the bungalow, in­ tually, what happened, I had vertigo; cidentally the first paying guest I I was skin diving with some friends had there was Tim Pienan. Poor chap. from the space business. I just, University Microfilms my gyros started tumbling, sort of ELLISON: He just died. International spinning around in the water. If I hadn't dropped my weight belt I'd CLARKE: Yeah. He was looking for a 300 North Zeeb Road been drowned in a few more seconds. place to get away from smog. So he Dept. PR. I haven't done any serious diving tried Sri Lanka, and didn't like it Ann Arbor. Mi. 48106 since that. Incidentally, the guy and went to California instead. U.S A. who spoke to you, he's a New Yorker, 30-32 Mortimer Street and his first book is coming out ELLISON: Yes, that's where every- Dept. P.R. shortly, and it's going to be a sens­ gody good goes. London WIF^ 7RA ation. England CLARKE: Yeah. ELLISON: Oh, yeah? Fl I ISCIN! Well, listen, it was wond­ TEN YEARS AGO IN SF — SUPPER, 1971 CLARKE: His name is Peter Arthur, erful talking to you, and I thank and I've written the prefix to his the OryCon Committee for giving me BY ROBERT SABELLA book which has 3 godfathers: Arthur the opportunity to talk to you. It Miller, Norman Mailer and myself. was very very kind of them. If On July 11, 1971, John W. Camp­ Peter's book is called: WITH BRENDON there's anything else I can do for bell died after serving thirty-four BEHAN, because Peter was Brendon's them I'm sure you guys will let me years as editor of ASTOUNDING/ANALOG. companion, bodyguard, and everything know. A guessing-game commenced as to whom in his last years. And this book Conde' Nast would name as his re­ which I've been persuading Peter to CLARKE: lb's wonderful speaking to placement, surely one of the tough­ write, he's finally done it, it's you, Harlan, and I'm open house to est acts in science fiction. Fre­ been sold by Scott to St. Martins anyone who gets to this part of the quently-mentioned names included Press. It's going to be out short­ world. The science fiction writers Frederik Pohl, Lester del Rey and ly, and it's going to, it's probably I've had here: Sprague DeCamp, Mack Harry Harrison. Little mention was going to cause a war between Ireland Reynolds, Bob and Ginny Heinlein made of the eventual selectee, Ben and the United States amongst other and, well, I expect to be here, I hope Bova. minor details. for the rest of my life, apart for August Derleth died on July 4 very rare trips to England, and you at the age of 62. He was the co­ know where to find me. founder of Arkham House which pub­ ELLISON: When's it coming out? lished horror stories in the tradi­ ELLISON: I think I'll be seeing you tion of H.P. Lovecraft. CLARKE: I don't know, but anyway, this coming year sometime, Arthur. it's called WITH BRENDCN BEHAN and Until that time, please stay well The Hugo Awards for 1971 were the author is Peter Arthur, and he and stay happy. announced at Noreascon: RINGWORLD was one of the guys, and I met him by Larry Niven (Best Novel); "Ill at the Hotel Chelsea, that's how we CLARKE: Okay, and the same to you. Met in Lankhmar", by Fritz Leiber got to know each other, and that's (Best Novella); "Slow Sculpture" by where Brendon used to stay. So I Theodore Sturgeon (Best Short Story); have made an exception to my rule. WELLS: Thank you, gentlemen, both No Award (Best Dramatic Presenta­ I wrote a book, through this book, I very, very much. tion) ; FANTASY 6 SCIENCE FICTION wrote a prefix to Peter's book. And (Best Magazine); Leo § Diane Dillon it's out shortly. (Best Professional Artists); LOCUS Copyright (c) 1981 by Arthur C. (Best Fanzine); Alicia Austin (Best ELLISON: It's nice to have somebody Clarke, Harlan Ellison, and Fan Artist); and Richard Geis (Best helping to push a book like that. Fritz Leiber Fan Writer). By his later admission, George WELLS: Gentlemen, I hate to break in, but we do only have a few more R.R. Martin was sitting in the gal­ lery at the Noreascon Awards Pres­ entation, "lusting after an award". Noreascon was the first Worldcon to have an estimated attendance of over ELLISON: Before we get cut off, 2000 people. Its efficiency set a Arthur, there is a . . . Bob Sheck- model for future Worldcons to emu­ ley and I had a vicious idea of com­ late. ing down to visit you in Sri Lanka (Thanks to LOCUS for several items) sometime next year. 17 PART THREE the THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST Well, what is it? Fifty ex­ perts --as the old Yiddish saying might have it -- will produce fifty- one definitions. Nonetheless, we all have a try at it; here is mine from the COLLIER'S ENCYCLOPEDIA where after a five-year hold it finally was slipped in for the late Groff Con­ EI1CIHES klin's essay early in 1980: "Science fiction is that form of literature which deals with the ef­ fects of technological change in an imagined future, an alternative pre­ sent or a reconceived past". Not too bad, I suppose, but it does not get around what I would call the ARROWSMITH problem ... which OF THE is to say that Sinclair Lewis's nov­ el which all of us science-fiction- eers would instinctually agree is not of the genre would probably fall into it by terms of this definition. Certainly technological (medical) change is an important aspect of this novel as are the effects of sci­ ence upon the individual. Also, my EIEET definition would exclude many of the whimsical early short stories of Robert Sheckley's whose bemused characters face the absurdities of a slightly disorienting metaphysics in the present day; there is nothing technological about these stories, much less technological change and yet they appeared, most of them, in BY BARRY N. MALZBERG Horace Gold's GALAXY, fit indisting- uishably into the format of that mag­ azine and got Sheckley generally rec­ ognized by 1953 as the most promis­ ing of the new science fiction writ­ ers . My definition would also ex­ clude Randall Garrett's long-running D'Arcy series (in ANALOG and ISAAC ASIMOV's magazines) in which in an alternate present magic has assumed the role of the conventional science which never got around to being dis­ covered or applied. Change, to be sure, but technological change? Quite the opposite: this is fiction that deals with the absence of tech­ nology.

Try Sturgeon's nineteen-forties dictum: a good science fiction story is one whose events would not have occurred without its scientific content. This is promising -- among other things it manages to sunmarize in half a sentence the essence of John W. Campbell's editorial vision and what ASTOUNDING was trying in the decade ... but Anne McCaffrey's Selected Essays From dragons would have nowhere to fly THE ENGINES OF THE NIGHT: Science Fiction in the Eighties in Sturgeon's science fiction and Sheckley's work, almost all of it To Be Published By DOUBLEDAY now right through his great 1968 novel, DIMENSION OF MIRACLES would not fit. Neither would the visions Copyright (c) 1981 By Barry N. Malzberg 18 of J.G. Ballard and his imitators or descendants; if THE TERMINAL BEACH Pohl is onto something inportant is about anything it is about a here and if one can define what world without science and yet it is that way of thinking about things is as clearly a work of science fiction one is, perhaps, as close to a work^ as any of its decade. Tiptree's fa­ ing definition of science fiction as mous THE WOMEN MEN DON'T SEE has no will be necessary to understand al­ science in it either, nor does Rob­ most all of it. Let me have a try ert Silverberg's 1972 novel DYING at this (noting my indebtedness to INSIDE, generally regarded as one A.J. Budrys who has worked this cor­ of the pivotal works of the decade. ridor a bit, most notably in his in­ (It is about a telepath who has liv­ troduction to John Varley's short- ed concealing his gift slowly losing story collection, THE PERSISTENCE OF his powers in contemporary New York.) VISION). Then too, Sturgeon's definition would admit not only ARROWSMITH but Science fiction, at the center, all novels about science ... Morton holds that the encroachment of tech­ nological or social change will make Thompson's NOT AS A STRANGER, Peter George's RED ALERT, George P. El­ the future different and that it liott's David Knudsen and any defin­ will feel different to those within ition so inclusive would obviously it. In a technologically altered culture people will regard themselves tend to break down a category which, however ill-defined, is very clearly and their lives in ways that we can­ not apprehend; that is the first part understood by its readers, writers, of the science fiction vision but editors and critics to be a distinct the important part follows: the ef­ and limited (if not limiting) form the explanation of experience), genre fects of changing technology upon of literature. science fiction has been in trouble people will be more profound than with the larger culture from the out­ Perhaps one throws up one's hands, change brought about by psychologic­ set if not directly at odds with it. dives back to the fifties for Damon al or social stress. What technolog­ Science fiction has had a hearing Knight's "Science fiction is what­ ical alteration, the gleaming or pu­ from those who control access to the ever we point to when we say 'this trid knife of the future is going to larger reading audience at only a is science fiction'". Lots of truth do to us far overbalances the effects few points in its history (1946, in that; the fact is that whatever of adultery, divorce, clinical de­ 1956, 1972 seem to be good suggested trouble we may have with definitions pression, rap groups, consciousness years of encounter) and in every there is a consensual feeling among raising or even the old law firm of case after a brief consideration those who understand the form; we sack, pillage, loot § bum. It is has been repudiated. The enormous­ know that DRAGONFLIGHT belongs in these changes, those inposed extrin­ ly successful media science fiction the genre and that ARROWSMITH does sical ly by force which really matter, of the seventies (most although not not. Don't bother me with why, the science fiction vision holds, and all of it debased adventure stories) Jack. But if one wants to take the in their inevitability and their has forced literary science fiction Knight path of implied lesser resis­ force they trivialize the closed-in, into juxtaposition with the culture tance I would prefer Fred Pohl's psychological interactions in which and the increase in readership, fun­ far more useful, provocative and most of us transact most of our liv­ nelled in from STAR TREK and STAR contained: "Science fiction is a es. Lasting, significant change is WARS, has guaranteed that publishers way of thinking about things". Sci­ uncontrollable and uncontrollably will not permit it this time to go ence fiction, in short, is a method­ coming in on us; regardless of what away ... but science fiction is ology and an approach. we think or how we feel, we have hardly at the beginning of the eight­ lost control of our lives. When ies a more reputable and critically the aliens debark from the RIGEL IV accepted genre than it was thirty to deal with Colonization Problem, years ago and it is likely to assume the saved and the unsaved, adulter­ that it never will be. It is too ous and chaste, psychoanalyzed and threatening. decompensated will be caught up in their terrible tracer beams and ab­ This leads away from the question sorb the common fate; when the last of definition but is the central layer of protective ozone is burnt point after all. Science fiction at out by International Terror 5 Trade the center is a dangerous literature; the EST discussion leaders, bom it represents the beast that has again Baptists and doctors of clini­ been from the onset of the era of cal psychology will perish together. enlightenment at the heart of intel­ lectual and technological advance. This is what is being said, im­ As the technology became more soph­ plicitly, in all of the crazy and isticated and intrusive, as our liv­ convoluted stories of the thirties es in the post-industrial twentieth and forties behind the funny covers; century came to be dominated (cons­ more sedately and occasionally in ciously or often unconsciously) by hardcover it is being said today. technology, science fiction became Because this vision is inimical to a more sophisticated and cunning med­ the middle-class Western vision ium, a more clever beast to match (increased self-realization is in­ the medium. We have not grasped the creased control), because it tends implications; if we do not this stuff to trivialize if not mock the vision will destroy us is what science fic- of the modem novel as it has been tion has been saying (among many oth­ painstakingly developed from Field­ er things) for more than half a cen­ ing (the shaping of experience is tury now; it may be preaching only to be converted but the objective 19 and terrible truth, screamed by the beast in the heart of the night will al change will have an effect upon interrupted by flashes of self-loath­ not go away and so neither, despite the individual human condition to ex­ ing and mockery. He was not the the hostility of the culture, the ceed that of the private experience. greatest of artists but he had the ineptitude of many of its practition­ That way of thinking underlay the greatest of careers; perhaps was the ers, the loathing of most of its ed­ form from the outset and bound all of only painter of the first rank (or itors, the corruption of most of its its principals and minor actors to close to it) who was able to articu­ readers ... neither will science fic­ service, great or small, of the vis­ late his vision to its fullest range tion. It, if not any given writer, ion itself. and implication through all the chron­ will run the course. Science fiction is a single, de­ ology that he could have expected, -- 1980: New Jersey mented, multi-tentacled artist sing­ able to move his career in embrace ing and painting and transcribing in with his life until the two of them, fashion clumsy and elegant, errant not out of joint, could end together. and imitative, innovative and repe­ Science fiction will live longer than titious the way the future would feel. Picasso -- barring the apocalypse Science fiction bom in 1926, dream­ our little category is going to be around until at least 2019 -- and it SCIENCE FICTION AS PICASSO ing through its childhood in the 1930s, achieving change of voice and remains to be seen how the ticketron holders and curators of the third Consider: Perhaps not five hun­ the beginning of adult features at the age of 13 at the end of the de­ millennia, as they poke around our dred careers or a thousand but one; own museum will take our works but not all of the myriad voices but one cade, shooting through adolescence in the 1940s with all of the misdir­ this much, this nuch is clear ... we voice, not the individual struggles may be less than the sum of all our and destinies but the single arc of ected energy and hints of promise of parts but we are far, far more in a single creator now in the middle the adolescent, arrival at a shaky the aggregate than individually we of its sixth decade. All of the legal maturity at the end of that de­ cade with the expansion of the mark­ ever took ourselves to be. Nue of us voices mingling, murmuring into one, can build science fiction, none of overtones in the one chord. Science et and the full incorporation of a us can destroy it. Science fiction fiction as one artist. Science fic­ range of styles and techniques, young gave us voice and the voice however tion --if you will --as Picasso. adulthood in the sixties with all of the knowledge turned loose in a hun­ directed must be toward its perpetu­ It is not the artifacts but the dred ways, some toward no consequence ation. The Picasso of the late nine- vision, not the material but the others foreshadowing the shape of teen-sixties savagely drawing blood theme which dominates in this form. maturity. Science fiction at thirty- from LA DEMOISELLES D'AVIGNON caused This has been pointed out long be­ five eligible to be President, pro­ only his own veins to sing while the fore; it is not an original insight. ductive of fluency, science fiction painting cool and beyond his caring Science fiction, Fred Pohl has said, at forty in the mid-sixties with all ’hung on the walls of the Modern Mu­ is the only genre in which collabor­ seum for all the crowd to see and the hints of mid-life panic ... ation is conrnon-place, in which col­ pity the twisted but beckoning har­ chaos, fragmentation, the replica­ laborative works of quality are pre­ tion of childhood, the donning of lots. valent because science fiction is a new masks. Science fiction settling -- 1980: New Jersey pool of ideas, a manner of approach, down from its decade of panic in the writers function less from their id­ mid-seventies to pursue what it had iosyncratic vision (as is the case misplaced as a young writer, rework­ with "serious" literature) or their ing the familiar in thoroughgoing ability to recombine elements of the fashion. Science fiction now at the COME FOOL, FOLLIFY form (the mystery and the Western) threshold of old age, the faint whiff than from their immersion in the ap­ of alcohol and decadence as it goes The editor and I were talking of proach. Science fiction, Pohl said, toward the millennium. Science fic­ large science fiction conventions. is a way of thinking about things. tion, that demented artist of which Editors and writers, fans and hang­ That way of thinking (worth an­ we are all but cells and cilia. ers-on who have hated one another, other essay) is probably that the Blood and bone. some of them for forty years, come future will feel different, that it by the thousands and dwell in the Picasso went on and on, from will not be another version of the same space for several days. Old green period to blue, from the cub­ past but something now indefinable passions, old griefs, it must be ist to the surreal to the classical ... and that social and technologic­ understood that envy and recrimina­ to the querulous serenity of old age tion in science fiction are higher per capita than anywhere else except, possibly, the reform wing of the New York democratic party. "It doesn't mean anything, though", the editor said. "If these people were really serious they'd kill each other". Ah. The capsulization of sci­ ence fiction. In print and behind one another's backs we** will revile, condemn, curse and whisper scurril­ ities of the most urgent sort: face to face we whisper in reasonable tongue. Old enemies buy one another drinks, new mistresses and old whis­ per confidences in corners. Perpet­ rators of venemous fanzines will ask writers to autograph. As the editor

** I belong under this tree too, boss. said, if we were serious we would cur a deep sense of obligation to certainly kill but the key to science make the Merm real -- **** fiction -- perhaps the key to the The effects of writing science Ultimate Mystery itself --is that fiction in quantity and over a per­ it is not a serious field at all. iod of time have been amply discus­ In fact, it is frivolous. sed, the carryover is not insignifi­ The nature of the form counsels cant and the damages evident. One frivolity. Consider the readers' does, as a science fiction writer, slack-jawed wonder: ftl travel, tend to hate a little more richly, haunting sea beasts on the Jovian cleave a little more tightly, recrim­ plain, mutiny on the Antares bypass, inate somewhat more sensationally ... alternate and mysterious worlds in but only up to a point and quickly which dragons fly and understand El­ beyond that sets in reluctance. It izabethan ... and then it is time is one thing to despise the colleague for dinner, the chem assignment or who stole your plot idea from a for­ the uptown local. Escape fiction, gotten Ace double and got it into you know. If the reader were to real­ hardcover; it is another to plot ly deal with this material on the against the wretched editor who bought level apparently set he would be thatbook and rejected your own while quite unable to make the changes. also making love to your ex-mistress; How can one carry on even the ges­ it is another yet to come up against tures of one's life if one is rocket­ the very good folks themselves in ing over Jitter astride a sea beast? the hotel bar and deal with it. ***** Che reads science fiction -- even at A handclasp will suffice and a word the age of eight one had better read of cheer; after all the editor may be it -- in contract. Just kidding you back in the market right now. Your know. Don't take it straight. The old colleague who is somewhere up­ same fail-safe factor seems to oper­ stairs drunkenly fucking your ex-wife ate in the SF reader *** as within has been doing this kind of thing the American consumer; no one really since 1953 and surely you are only takes those ads seriously, you know. one (and unimportantly) his victims, One could go quite insane if one de­ he's done worse to others and be­ been around, all of you have been manded the vision of America squeez­ sides, if you recall, you did the around since 1953, why should any­ ed through the interstices of Cadil­ same to him when you swiped that thing change now? Or next week? lac, Crest, Miller. Everyone over WORLDS OF IF short story gimnick for You take your losses, you stick the age of two (might it be six your own 1964 Pyramid novel. Who the editor with the bill, you look months?) here knows that ads are ... knows what he might be saying about for a new connection or an unembit­ well, just ads, folks. As science you? Besides, the old swine is con­ tered older one. You go through the fiction is just science fiction. sultant now for a medium-sized paper weekend and return to what you call back firm and your agent has some home. If you were serious, yes, you Simil the writer. Four cents a portions and outlines on offer: they might kill the bastards but then word, maybe five, portions and out­ might even be there. Then again they again if they were serious they would lines, magazine rates, editors, spec­ might not. It all depends on whether kill you. Right? Every loss a gain, ial intergalactic issues, put an 8 1/2 you can lay them off elsewhere be­ every action a reaction, the great X 11 in the machine and let it go. fore you come crawling. In any case, mid-century vision of the middle Whoops! and a flight to Mars; wheel this convention is not the place to class and science fiction is nothing and an invasion of the capitol by throw down the gauntlet. Is it? -- anyone who ponders this for five the hired assassins of Me rm, whap! Let's be reasonable, friend. Besides minutes will see it clear, cheers and a parallel universe in which tine a scene would only make the future Trenholm -- if it is not a middle runs countrawise rather than causally more difficult; there's no end to class phenomenon. and how much of this can I get done this you see, for a lifetime he and -- 1980: New Jersey before dinner and is Terry paying on you and the editor are going to be acceptance these days or on publish­ showing up at these things and a Phil­ er payout to him? The first fine adelphia blowup would lead only to a flight of youth becomes with any Boston beguine or a London coda. kind of persistence at all, the rou­ No. Take your losses and live tine of middle age; if it did not; with them. You do -- one does, aft­ if one began to dwell in these uni­ THE ENGINES OF THE NIGiT er all -- have to deal with these verses, take the Merm seriously, in- people for the duration; they have Science fiction is the only branch of literature whose poorer **** examples are almost invariably used Truth in packaging: Several science by critics outside the genre to at­ The late Robert Lindner in THE fiction writers have lost the handle tack all of it. A lousy western is FIFTY MINUTE HOUR wrote memorably and spent time in mental hospitals. a lousy western, a seriously-intend­ of a science fiction reader who did They all seem to have come out in ed novel that falls apart is a dis­ not appear to have the fail-safe pretty good shape though and the pro­ aster ... but a science fiction nov­ mechanism (he lived in an imaginary portion of admissions in the field el that fails illustrates the inade­ universe and half-dragged poor Lind­ is far less than amongst the general quacy of the genre, the hollowness ner into it) and it is for this rea­ population. of the fantastic vision, the banality son that the chapter has become fam­ of the sci-fi writer, the failure of ous in our field and frequently an­ Everyone at a convention is in the imagination when applied to a pulp thologized. This is what happens hotel bar. Usually simultaneously. format ... the phenomenon is as old to someone who really believes this as the category itself (in fact for shit is the nodding subtext. 21 the first quarter-century outside media would not even review us, so praise, seen in the wrong quarters, After one brief, terrified look contemptible was science fiction) could threaten his credentials as a at genre science fiction in the early and as fresh as the latest rotten "serious" writer. Hardly has so postwar period, the middle class book. trembling a voice been raised for flung it into furthest darkness and the defense. (Reminiscent of the dove into those swimming pools of Not so long ago, a weak and over­ eulogy hesitantly offered for the O'Hara's or Cheever's suburbs, the extended bildungsroman by a young legendary Meanest Man in Town: forests of Truman Capote's or Eudora writer was attacked spitefully in a "Well," someone said after a long, Welty's night. They wanted no part publication called THE SOHO WEEKLY terrible pause, "he never missed a of the possibility that technology NEWS; Jonathan Rosenbaum then turned spittoon, right?") And in a review had appropriated the sense or control in the last 500 words to the field of my own GUERNICA NIGHT some years of their lives, these were our lives, itself, concluding that sci-fi writ­ ago Joyce Carol Oates took pains to dammit, we got ourselves into this ers could not deal with the modern make clear that the novel's concerns mess and the $75-an-hour shrinks, reality because they apotheosized ma­ were, ah, spiritual and metaphysical the encounter groups and a new life­ chinery over mortality, stripped hu­ and that its virtues came from it style will get us out. Science fic­ manity in their fiction of dignity being unlike the science fiction to tion, post-Hiroshima, may indeed and drained it of the capacity to which she was accustpmed. have been dealing --as Vonnegut sug­ feel. In so saying the reviewer in­ gested also -- with the only things dicated not only thorough ignorance Science fiction, as I say, stands that really mattered, the choice be­ of most of the serious work done in alone in literature as being forced tween the thousand year voyage to this field since the early fifties to judgment by its weaker examples, heaven or hell but if postwar Ameri­ but was patently using a novel by a denied in praise of its best. Out­ can life --as Cheever and O'Hara young writer of indifferent reputa­ side of literature there are numer­ were themselves insistent -- was bas­ tion to vilify the genre. ous examples: racial prejudice for instance. The member of the minority ed upon the avoidance of things that Not atypical. In a 1972 book of must be a "good example of his race" really mattered, science fiction essays, REDISCOVERIES, devoted to the and in so doing exhibits virtues could not have been a comforting lit­ favorite lost novels of a dozen lit­ which make him "not really like the erature. Besides, there were all erary writers, Walker Percy, in cau­ rest of them at all" and the bad ex­ those crazy covers and kids loved it tiously praising Walter Miller's A ample sets the standard, "They're so; anything that kids seemed to CANTICLE FOR LEIBOWITZ (a novel which all like that". Modern music is like love (it has been noted that this has never been "lost" to science fic­ this: infrequent performances by culture hates children and old peop­ tion but which has been in print the major orchestras of Webern or le) might be worth hating. continuously since publication in Wuorinen bestir subscription aud­ And within science fiction also, 1959) took the most elaborate pains iences and often lead to venemous beneath the robots and the radioact­ to point out that although the novel critical attacks upon the entire ive dust, the nihlism -- which like had the trappings of pop sci-fi it specter of the dissonant or the aton­ that of modern art, modem music, had more serious undercurrent, ele­ al. (Pierre Boulez left the Philhar­ street theatre -- that suggests none ments of mysticism and religious am­ monic for many reasons but not the of the devices of preventative main­ bivalence (subjects close to Percy's least of them was his insistence up­ tenance (adultery, alcohol, avarice, own artistic sensibility) were hand­ on exposing subscribers to that crazy prayer) really matter at all. led in a fashion more complex than modern junk.) Contemporary paint­ might be expected of science fic­ ers, sculptors or directors of Which means that our worst ex­ tion ... and that the novel might avant-garde stage and film know ex­ amples, even our mediocrities, will actually reward study by serious actly what I mean. Every weak ex­ be used over and again as a club to readers who would otherwise find ample of the form is there to be us­ beat back the demon. That our best science fiction of little interest. ed to pillory all of it. "Modern will be ignored. And that all of it music", "modern art", "modern dance" will be denied. It was almost as if Percy had to become as indistinguishable for the balance off his response to CANTICLE Ah, but still. Still oh still. infuriated critic (and by implica­ against real fear that unrestricted Still Kazin, Broyard, Epstein, Pod- tion his audience) as does, pity the horetz and Howe: grinding away slow­ beast, "science fiction". ly in the center of all purpose, car­ Why? Well, our genre is danger­ rying us to the millennium regard­ KfSTANbEKS /AAY "BE ous and threatening at its best (and less: the engines of the night. UNlNVOLVEbz WI fttEO- perhaps even more so at its worst), -- 1980: New Jersey "THEY CANNOT it implies a statement and view of BE INNOCENT? the world which is unbearable for the unaccustomed. Alice Sheridon theorizes so anyway in an afterword to her story "Her Smoke Rose up For­ ever" (FINAL STAGE/1974) some years ago: post-war science fiction rais­ ed the proposition that our fate was uncontrollable and that the machines were going to blow us out of exis­ tence; the middle class, as repre­ sented by the critics fled this in­ sight: Oh please o please tell us that it is our swimming pools and martinis and mistresses and expense accounts and mortgages and angst which makes us so unhappy, not radio­ active dust or the mad engines of doom.

22 OTHERGATES #2 SUTTER, 1981 - A SMALL PRESS NOTES GUIDE TO MARKETS FOR SCIENCE FIC­ TION AND FANTASY FOR WRITERS AND BY THE EDITOR ARTISTS --- $3.00 Edited and Published by Millea Kenin Unique Graphics 1025 55th Street, Oakland, CA 94608 THE PATCHIN REVIEW #1 - July 1981 A New Listing and Update sheet Edited by Charles Platt is included. The Patchin Review $2.00 There are over a hundred markets 9 Patchin Place listed: pro, semi-pro, and amateur. New York, NY 10011 Most are outlets for work, not true paying markets. Well, Charles Platt likes a live­ A very valuable resource. ly zine, full of calumny, cohorts Offset, 8J5 x 11, 48 pages. and name-calling, plus some truth, a dash of realism, a tinge of wisdom. Here is Barry Malzberg looking sourly at current science fiction [Methinks he's making a career of OGRE Jan. 1981 it.], and here is Harlan Ellison Edited by Andrew Andrews calling out John Shirley for a writ­ Peabody Press $2.00 ing shootout—Selectrics at ten tasy and horror films and the people P.O. Box 322 paces, perhaps—a confident battle­ who create them. There is a linkage/ New Holland, PA 17557 ship challenging a frigate,and here recognition of sf semi-prozines and are a clutch of pseudonymous writers fanzines via reviews by Tarai. OGRE is nicely put together, and an editor venting gripes and An Adam Smith art portfolio. with good to fine artwork, and some science fiction gossip, and here is MIRIAD is mostly into puff and interesting writing. I found the John Shirley emitting that age-old adulation of the movies and VIPs it interviews with Ben Bova, Stephen cry for better writing in sf, here writes about. Donaldson, and Robert Sheckley of dragging Larry Niven over the Offset, 8J5 x 11, 44 pages includ­ major interest. The poetry was coals along with Barry Longyear. ing covers. awful. Barry seems too young for such deep OGRE also has articles on SF/ wounds, but I imagine he'11 survive. fantasy movies, fantasy gaming con­ The party line running through THE CARTOON HISTORY OF HE UNIVERSE ventions and fantasy role-playing, THE PATCHIN REVIEW is the call for VOL.6 “Who Are These Athenians?" a review of comics... an Anne Mc­ boldness in sf, something opposed by 590 - 479 B.C. Caffrey analysis...short, vignette the conglomerate mentality which By Larry Gonick fiction. calls the shots in mass market sf Rip Off Press, $1.50 OGRE covers a lot of bases but doesn't score many runs. these days. Based on the accounts of Hero­ There are several dozen short, 48 pages, 8^x11, heavy covers, dotus, this volume concerns the offset, typeset. acidic, jaundiced-eye book reviews Greeks and their long war with the in the back pages. Persian Empire. Try this new magazine; you'll Gonick has an unflinching eye OVERLOAD #5 love it or hate it. for the ruthlessness and cruelty Offset, 5^ x8*s, 36 pages + covers. Edited by Evan Mills $2.00 of ancient peoples during war and 1951 Quaker St. conquest, and somehow he makes it Eureka, CA 95501 funny. One thing you learn in these The finest thing about this is­ FUTURE FOCUS #12 - Fai1 1980 sue is the marvelous color cover Edited and published by Roger Rey­ volumes: in them days being a king, drawing by Duane Flatmo, showing a nolds. a prince, a general, a soldier, a TV set busily encasing a hypnotized Future Focus - 2.50 conmon citizen—was a high risk viewer of its screen in a covering 1301 Bernard Av. existence. They seemed to follow of bricks and mortar. Findlay, OH 45840 the dictum: "Live fast, die young, and have a butchered corpse." Inside the issue is a display of Essentially a comix-zine with sf/fantasy graphic stories [comics] a dash of poetry, fiction, interview of less-than-pro quality, some ex­ and articles on other subjects. INDEX TO HE SCIENCE FICTION MAGA­ perimental. OVERLOAD bills itself There are artists' portfolios, ZINES - 1980 "The Fantasy Humor Magazine" on the sketches...... some good, some bad. Compiled by Jerry Boyajian and cover, but doesn't deliver past the FUTURE FOCUS tries to cover too Kenneth R. Johnson cover. many bases. Twaci Press, $4.00 postpaid. Rod Marchetti is interviewed Offset, 8% x 11, 52 pages includ­ PC® 87, MIT Branch Post Office by Don Chin. I'm always interested ing heavy covers. Cambridge, MA 02139 in artists. Marchetti is a stippler, and very good. They list stories, authors, MIRIAD #3 - Spring 1981 verse, graphic art stories, editor­ Edited by Bill Marks ials, artists. Even have an append­ Miriad Productions - $1.50 ix listing sf in miscellaneous mag­ 61 Warner Av. azines such as ONNI and various Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4A 125 mystery mags, COSMOPOLITAN, SATURDAY EVENING POST.... Highly professional layout, All well organized. Printed off­ startling color cover of space-borne set, 8% x 11, 28 pages. nude, this zine focuses on sf, fan- 23 BEVOND WE PE. WE sufTbSE> To ’------oFEM in VEQ-A OP MS /E^AS ?

ARE YOU KiW*1^? Veg* is 5(

EXPLORATIONS OF THE PARTLY-KNOWN

The aide told me that the matter On May 12, 1962 at a speech to The war continued, MacArthur re­ was dropped there and that for the the graduating cadets at West Point turned in triumph to the Philippines next several months MacArthur was Military Academy, General Douglas and on September 1 (U.S. time), 1945, extremely busy with the Japanese, MacArthur shocked those listening he accepted the surrender of the Jap­ implementing the substance and de­ with the following statement: "... anese aboard the battleship Missouri. tails of steps designed to turn Jap­ we deal now, not with things of this The Foo Foo Task Force, as it came to an into a democracy. world alone ..." but "of ultimate be known, had by then completed its It was unusual during MacArthur's conflict between a united human race report. Its conclusions, obvious es­ period of virtual rulership of Jap­ and the sinister forces of some oth­ pecially after the Japanese surrend­ an, that he had tremendous private er planetary galaxy." ered, was that the "foo fighters" weren't a Japanese or Axis Power Se­ resources, including an Intelligence What information had MacArthur cret weapon, otherwise they would Staff that covered the world and act­ uncovered that lead him to the con­ have been used to prevent Japan's de­ ed independently from the regular clusion that humanity would one day feat (and conversely in Europe, where U.S. intelligence services. MacArth­ have to fight "sinister forces of they also showed up, Germany's de­ ur was given, according to another sane other planetary galaxy"? Grant­ feat) . The frustrating question re­ acquaintance (a business man who had ed, MacArthur did not use correct mained: What were they? The report, dealings in the Far East in the late astronomical terms in his speech to remembered by one of NhcArthur's forties) a "... remarkably wide de­ gree of latitude, from the meddlers the West Point cadets, but what im­ aides, (the report itself has myster­ pelled him to even mention such a iously disappeared but more on that at the State Department". Thus, on notion before the present and future later), said that the objects were June 24, 1947, when Kenneth Arnold leaders of America's defense estab­ of undeterminate origin, that they had his highly-publicized sighting lishment? What had convinced this were neither friendly nor hostile in of UFOs flitting amongst Mt. Rainier four-star general who in 1930 at age intent. The aide said that after and other Cascade peaks, MacArthur fifty, was the youngest man of his­ MacArthur read the final report (in had worldwide intelligence resources, tory ever to be named Army Chief of some not available to either the Uni­ March of 1946), he turned to the Staff, that we would have to fight head of the task force and said: ted States or the Russian Empire. aliens in the future? "What is their intent?" MacArthur, described by a close It started in the early 1940s: associate as a man who disliked mys­ MacArthur had left the Philippines The officer replied that he teries and had "an intense aversion to organize the Allied counterattack could "do little more than specu­ to the unknown, particularly if it on the Japanese, when several times late". The general reportedly re­ appeared to be potentially a threat", his plane and others were buzzed by plied, "Well, then, speculate." ordered, in the sunnier of 1947, a small lights which darted back and The officer said from all reports of conplete task force to gather inform­ forth across the sky. These lights their behavior, the only sensible ation on UFOs and to find out "from became known as "foo fighters"; they speculation was that they were scouts what country or locale" the objects appeared during World War II, were MacArthur asked, "For whom?" and went were coming. Whatever information never satisfactorily identified and on to say that there wasn't a country they found was inconclusive when vanished shortly thereafter. Mac- on the face of the Earth that had MacArthur was relieved of his com­ Arthur was worried about them and craft that advanced. The aide re­ mand by Truman, in April, 1951. plied, "Exactly". But MacArthur re­ fearing that they might be some se­ MacArthur returned to the States cret weapon of the Japanese or Axis portedly refused to believe the al­ and after a ticker-tape parade in Powers, set up a special task force ternative, that they were extra-ter­ restrial, snorting at the idea and New York City, made a speech before to look into "foo fighters", find Congress in which he made the famous out what they were and if they posed saying that the only thing in space reference to an old military ballad: a threat to Allied security. was "the sun and a few pieces of rock". "Old soldiers never die, they just fade away". He dabbled briefly in politics in 1952, unsuccessfully ran for the Presidency in several Repub­ lican Primaries and later became BY WESLEY GRAHAM board chairman of Remington Rand Corp­ oration, now Sperry Rand. His fascination with UFOs was un­ for Mac Arthur personally in the Fif­ abated, one acquaintance describing ties, reported, "We were not able to it as "... an obsession with the ascertain the nature of the craft, damn things". He even had several or where they originated" in the late THE people who worked on his earlier Forties study, "but we were able to group, do some private investigating ascertain that these objects were for him. In the late Fifties craft, all of this information went CORPORATION (sources cited 1957, '58 or '59), into the file". In the later inves­ they came up with some piece of evi­ tigation my informant reported that STRIKES BACK dence so overwhelming that MacArthur, "conclusive proof was furnished that according to a business acquaintance, the craft were intelligently operat­ A NEW EROTIC SCIENCE FICTION NOVEL ed by denizens whose origin was out­ "changed his entire outlook on human BY RICHARD E. GEIS affairs". When MacArthur and his in­ side of our planet's atmosphere. vestigators attempted to learn more, We were also able to ascertain that THE STAR WHORES SAGA CONTINUES— the National Security Agency stood these aforesaid denizens were hos­ Toi King, Sex Guild Companion, is squarely in their way. A friend of tile in intent". When I pressed him kipnapped by the corporation she MacArthur's, working for another gov­ for more information, he replied that frustrated in STAR WHORES. Taken ernment agency, remembers MacArthur to give specifics would be a viola­ to Phallus, the pleasure planet, asking him to "check into the NSA's tion of national security. When I injected with a new, powerful sex activities and find out what their asked him what authority gave that drug, enslaved, she must make her interest was in UFOs". The friend opinion, he said the National Secur­ escape and seek a terrible revenge. was frustrated by a stone wall of si­ ity Agency. When I asked him what lence, and maintains that shortly happened to the file he had referred after his inquiries, a tap was found to, he replied that MacArthur had on his home and work phones. Mac- kept it personally and that after he Arthur then went directly to the NSA, died, it disappeared. I asked what who denied any knowledge of the UFO he thought had happened to it; he business and referred MacArthur to answered, "I do not know, nor do I the Air Force. MacArthur furiously want to -- if anything, the Mossad told a friend that not only were his stole it". operatives being stymied in their in­ The Mossad! For those of you vestigations by the NSA, but that he who don't know, the Mossad is the was getting the government run-around. Israeli Secret Police. I asked him, Finally, MacArthur gave up, say­ "Why the Mossad?" His answer was, ing to one friend, that they could "I've probably said too much, but stop his investigation but they could I'll tell you this" and his voice not keep him from speaking his mind. rose, "Everywhere we went in the Rand And speak his mind he did, to any study", the Fifties investigation, listening group. MacArthur warned "we ran into the Mossad; I believe that humanity must stop fighting they are the ones who sicced the among themselves and unite to meet NSA on us -- and before you ask the "the deadliest foe mankind has ever question, no, goddam it, I don't known". In addition to giving the know why they were interested; I do speech at West Point quoted earlier know they hung around the general's in this text, he warned President (MacArthur's) house often enough, es­ Kennedy not to get into a land war pecially after his West Point speech in Asia, that there were sinister ... we even found a tap on the gener­ forces the human race must unite to al's phone after the visit to the defeat. This was shortly after he White House". I asked my informant helped settle a dispute, at Kennedy's if he was ever bugged or followed. request, between the Amateur Athlet­ "Yeah, we all were". "All?" I asked ic Union and the National Collegiate him. "All of us that had helped the Athletic Association that was endang­ general on this, and that were still ering the 1964 U.S. Olympic Team. in touch with him." NOW AVAILABLE $4.00 per copy Kennedy did not take MacArthur's I asked him his opinion of the warning seriously and sources close ORDER FROM: Air Force Blue Book and Condon re­ to the White House said that Kennedy ports. "A coverup, the Air Force SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW thought MacArthur was off his rocker. people turned over anything inport­ P.O. BOX 11408 Less then six months after Kennedy's ant to the NSA; the Condon people PORTLAND, OR 97211 assassination, MacArthur died on April 5, 1964. weren't told a thing." Here was a man, who in the early Fifties was advocating that we extend the Korean War into China and that I am still continuing research we selectively bomb certain Red Chi­ on this story. Clearly, MacArthur nese targets, yet less than a dozen knew something, but what? Until years later warns against involve­ those associated with the investiga­ ment in any land war in Asia, and tion care to talk or until the mis­ makes public appeals for humanity to sing files suddenly appear, MacArth­ unite! to fight a common foe. What ur's comments and the entire subject made him change his mind so drastic­ of UFOs will remain shrouded in mys­ ally? tery, beyond the fringe of "accept­ ed" knowledge. One person who worked on the task ************************************ force in the late Forties, and later 25 THE UIUISECTOR BY DARRELL SCHWEITZER

AND SPRINKLED JUST A BIT ON In the movie section, I'm sure by chance on late night TV, but real­ everybody will agree that HORROR CM ly a waste of time to watch again. TOP OF EACH BANANA SPLIT PARTY BEACH is awful (Actually, I King probably liked Cronenberg's never saw it, but I had the magazine SCANNERS (he keeps referring to THEY photo-novel version as a child. It CAME FROM WITHIN as "brilliant”), didn't look very impressive when I but I found that movie's purely in­ STEPHEN KING'S DANSE MACABRE was twelve. King calls it "an abys­ advertent humor its only redeeming Everest House, 1981 mal little wet fart of a picture", value, and I would not want to see 400 pp., $13.95 again eschewing formal academic j ar­ it again. LITTLE SHOP is something gon) , but I always thought LITTLE special. I reserve a special syn­ If you're at all interested in SHOP OF HORRORS to be a masterpiece aptic cobweb for its memory. Appar­ horror fiction or fantasy that is of not entirely inadvertent camp, ently Stephen King does not. We do more than a Regency Romance with and King seems to put the two in not agree. The important thing to elves (about which more in some fu­ the same category. There's a whole remember is that you don't read a ture column), rush out and buy this chapter on "The Horror Movie as Junk book like this because you expect to book, as thousands before you have Food", in which he tells us that, in agree, or you want the author to done. the end, we have to discard most of agree with you. If he writes well Now that that's over with, we this garbage, but, but ... there is enough, you are hooked and you just can talk about the book. First of such a thing as exquisite garbage. want to see what he has to say. all, there's the matter of the title. THE NIGHT OF THE LEPUS (Attack of King does. the Killer Bunnies) is a wonderful Nowhere does it say "DANSE MACABRE I admit I am puzzled, however, by Stephen King", although it is piece of "found art" if you find it convenient to refer to it as such. Secondly, there's a matter of clas­ sification. It isn't a critical work, really. King has some choice things to say about critics. It is like a long convention speech, wit­ ty, perceptive, filled with remin­ iscences and insights into how var­ ious of Mr. King's works were creat­ ed. His analysis of CARRIE, book versus film, is particularly good. It is ver\' hard for a writer to write about his own work without seeming either affectedly humble ("Aw, shucks, ain't nothin'”) or pompous. King does it without seem­ ing effort, engagingly in fact, simply by saying what he means, can­ didly, with no pretentious jargon getting in the way. Which brings hack the convention speech analogy. DANSE MACABRE is simply a fascinat­ ing rap on the horror field and King's involvement in it. It is not an easy book to put down. I guess if it were a speech you would sit there, or stand iri the back, unwil­ ling to slip out even for a minute, for all 400 pages worth, until your bladder burst.

Like any book that's alive, that has any ideas swimming around in it, there are points raised in DANSE MA­ CABRE which are arguable. If you to­ tally agree with any book like this, even one you wrote yourself, well, I have a few theories: You are a dime; the author is a drone; you're a good little Red Guard and the author is Chairman Mao. Specific opinions ne­ ver match. by his complete failure to mention Most enlightening idea in the THE INNOCENTS (a brilliant adaptation book: The horror writer is an agent of THE TURN OF THE SCREW) anywhere, of the status-quo, as conservative even in his list of 100 significant as a Republican in a three-piece films, which includes such, ah, les­ suit. This idea is explored in con­ ser items as THE KILLER SHREWS and siderable detail, almost exploded THE DEADLY BEES. at the end (an eloquent explanation of why horror fiction exists and ap­ You can tell how important films peals to people, there for anyone are to King. The sections on them with the brains or sensitivity to are nearly as long as those on books. understand it) then reaffirmed. It But we also have a chapter on the makes a great deal of sense. Love­ basic archetypes ("Tales of the Ta­ craft makes a great deal more sense rot"), the whole idea of horror (Tal­ in light of this insight. es of the Hook") and one in which ten works are examined as examples Worst idea in the book: King of everything that is good in the seems to occasionally fall prey to field. I doubt anybody will agree a familiar prejudice. He annexes on all those either. things into his chosen field, out There are lots of quotable pas­ of science fiction, defining science sages. Here's one that has to do fiction in the narrowest sense, as with the subject of my last column: stories about machines and not peo­ ple, hard science only. THE SHRINK­ "... Lovecraft ... opened the ING MAN isn't science fiction, the way for me, as he had for subtext reads. It's a good book. others before me: Robert Argh. I don't see why science fic­ Bloch, Clark Ashton Smith, tion can't have all the character­ Frank Belknap Long, Fritz istics he ascribes to good books. Leiber and Ray Bradbury among them. And while Love­ Which is just another point of craft, who died before the disagreement. Disagreeing is good Second World War, could ful­ for you. It keeps you awake. At fill many of his visions of the very bottom line, King's book is unimaginable horror, does never, never dull. not figure largely in this book, the reader would do well to remember that his shadow, so long and gaunt, and his eyes so dark and THE SHADOW OUT OF .... puritanical, which overlie almost all of the important H.P. LOVECRAFT AND LOVECRAFT CRIT­ horror fiction that has come ICISM: AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY since. (P. 102)" By S.T. Joshi King's first encounter with ser­ Kent State University Press, 1981 ious horror fiction came with a XXXIV plus 473 pp., $27.50 Lovecraft paperback. He knows per­ fectly well that the Providence You really can't get away from Spook's influence is too vast to Lovecraft, can you? Next time you get away from. But at the same time, hear someone denounce him as a no­ his interests are a lot broader. He good hack appealing to sick juven­ does things and appreciates things iles, etc. etc., ask the denouncer to stop and consider: why are books (like THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE) fault, the only thing you can do is like this one published? (Or for that H.P.L. would certainly not have wait to see what posterity says. that matter, Joshi's H.P. LOVECRAFT: approved of. He will even admit Well, the verdict is in. Lovecraft FOUR DECADES OF CRITICISM, reviewed that there are three levels in this is unquestionably the most success­ last issue.) Why do established sort of thing, three ways to get at ful SF/Fantasy writer of his genera­ university presses publish them? the reader's emotions: terror, hor­ tion. It must be that his work is They do not publish such books about ror and gross-out, and he isn't a- somehow special. shamed to go for the last when need Robert E. Howard or Clark Ashton be. Which brings me to the heading Smith or Henry S. Whitehead. Why of this column. It's a line from a has enough been written about Love­ Lovecraft Studies, like Joyce Tom Lehrer song, about a druggist craft, and enough translations been Studies or Shakespeare Studies, have who murdered someone, ground up the made that a very sparsely annotated become an on-going industry. It corpse, and did what the line says. bibliography of it all, probably reflects, rather than dictates Love­ Very funny. Haha. I'm sure King not complete (like Zeno's Paradox, craft's importance. It probably has could, if he wanted to, write an Lovecraft Studies will never quite no effect on his popularity at all. intense, absolutely riveting horror make it: somebody always discovers In the course of things, much worth­ story on that premise. In fact, it something, writes something), takes less material is Piled Higher and seems to be just the sort of story up 473 pages of often itty-bitty Deeper, but for those interested, King is into. In a footnote he men­ print? There isn't even that much much good stuff has also been pro­ tions an unpublished tale, "Survival material about Machen or Dunsany or duced. If you are at all a Love­ Type" in which a surgeon, shipwrecked Cabell or any of the other "respect­ craft scholar, it is a must. You on a desert isle, amputates and eats able" fantasists of Lovecraft's time. don't necessarily have to own it, parts of his body, one by one. Ner­ When a writer seems questionable, but at least you'll want to refer vous laughter. Humor and horror when somebody's taste may be at to it frequently, so bug your uni­ versity librarian. This biblio­ are so close together. 27 graphy is probably the most exten­ on Television" hitherto unknown to prep school) so such goings-on are sive and detailed we will have for me. I doubt the magazine IL RE IN not exactly vivid firsthand memories decades. It is a landmark work. GIALLO is still being published, or to me. I've already found it useful. I that I'11 ever hear from the cul­ was about to label Lovecraft's "Notes prits, Francesco Faccanoni and You see, SONGS FROM THE STARS on Interplanetary Fiction” the first Giuseppe Lippi, but if I ever do, reads like it was written in 1968. piece of in-genre SF criticism ever I'll know not to trust them. If Had it actually been published then, written, because it was allegedly they want to show their good will, I imagine most critics would have published in 1927. You have to use they can at least send me the issue pronounced it datedly trendy. Per­ a bibliography on matters like this, in question. haps by 1981 it would have become a because actually checking the orig­ period piece antique, like THE BUT­ inal might well involve a trip to TERFLY KID. Right now it might best Providence and access to the collec­ be called a historical reconstruction tion at Brown University. Key Love­ (It is also simply a rather good nov­ craft items are that rare. Now I el, but more on that later.) One of find out that the Chalker biblio­ its premises is that, after an atom­ graphy (which was published in an SONGS FROM THE STARS ic holocaust, there flourishes in what was once California a society Arkham House book) is wrong. The By Norman Spinrad essay dates from 1935. based on 1960s back-to-nature utop­ Simon § Schuster, 1980, 287 pp. ianism. The place is called Aquaria I'll admit that one reason I $11.95 The main characters are named Sun­ wanted to see this book was to see Available in paper from Pocket Books shine Sue and Clear Blue Lou. The what Joshi said about me. I'm not people are divided up into tribes entirely surprised that he dismissed All book reviewing is a subjec­ and live in communes. They follow my DREAM QUEST OF H.P. LOVECRAFT tive affair, and any book might "The Way" and are all very Zen. (Borgo Press) out of hand. (He al­ strike one reviewer a particular way They talk in language that would so missed the good review it got in because of something in that review­ have been very hip ten or so years CHOICE.) There are errors in it. I er's background or interests. I had ago. Worse yet, the early sections want to weed them out in the next a problem with this book, and up of the narrative itself are written edition. There are also heresies front I shall tell you why: I don't in such language, which means the in it, and here and there Joshi may think I'm old enough for it. I author's voice is constantly intrud­ be seen smiting the heretics. The doubt Spinrad so intended it, but I ing, reminding the reader that he is kind of critical factionalism I suspect that SONGS FROM THE STARS reading a story. mentioned last issue is definitely will have its strongest appeal among present. The barometer, as always, readers between the ages of 35 and This is about as real to me as is the treatment of L. Sprague de 45. You have to be able to remember a science fiction novel set in a Camp's LOVECRAFT: A BIOGRAPHY. the counter-culture of the 1960s at Beatnik future. (Well, not quite. its height, and to have been either I don't remember Beatniks at all.) I think that Joshi's position a participant or sympathizer. (If There are so many shrieking implaus­ might have gotten in the way of his you belonged to the Young Americans ibilities in the first few chapters scholarship at one point. Now there For Freedom, forget it.) I am 28, that I nearly gave up then and there. are certain shortcomings in his clas­ and was in high school at the time Fortunately, I persisted. Once the sification system, and the item in (to make matters worse, it was a action leaves Aquaria, the novel question may have slipped through gets a lot better. However, quite the cracks. You would never know late, there is a major blunder, when that I wrote an article called "Love­ characters who use words like "un­ craft and Lord Dunsany", unless you cool" and "boogie" are completely already did, because he does not YOU cfyp TELj_ i~s a puzzled at a mention of a Christian list separate articles included in MovEu- TSY burial. books edited by the person who wrote Tt+^ STAPLES S' STEEL- the article. It's in my ESSAYS LOVE- In some ways, SONGS FROM THE CRAFTIAN and listed only in the con­ STARS provides the clearest example tents of that book. (Nor does he of how not to handle social extrapo­ mention that it was incorporated in­ lation that I have ever seen. The to DREAM QUEST.) In any case, the society of the novel is a descendant missing item is the most embarrass­ of our own, yet Spinrad would have ing piece in all the Lovecraft canon, us believe that after the destruc­ a bit of doggerel (Lovecraft's at­ tion of nearly everything, a minor tempts at poetry were best summed up social trend, which has already peak­ by Stephen King; the only good thing ed and reversed, will shape society, he could say was at least they will while much older and more massively never be mistaken for Rod McKuen) entrenched elements will have no ef­ entitled "On the Creation of Nig­ fect whatever. Actually, most of gers". I know it exists. De Camp Spinrad's major assumptions are sens­ wrote it and documents its source. ible enough. I can well believe that It is this very hanging out of dirty- a low-technology, post-atomic soci­ laundry in the pursuit of truth that ety would try desperately to keep has made de Camp's name mud among the environment clean, and that at­ Conservative Lovecraftians. omic energy would be feared as sor­ cery of the worst sort. I can even I trust this is an oversight. believe the tribal setup, the com­ The one reason I noticed it is I munes and the presence of guru-like saw it listed in the chronology in figures who pass judgment by inspir­ Joshi's other book. ation. But I cannot believe that One last note about the surpris­ the people are going to be 1960s ing uses of this book. Joshi lists style hippies. I suspect they would an Italian pirating of my "Lovecraft 28 be something entirely different, their beliefs shaped by the traumat­ your postage. Two cents is another ic experiences of their ancestors. matter. That's twice what AMAZING If they remember anything of the old pays most people. society, it would surely be some remnant of its most important as­ Quite frankly, the only thing pects, probably very distorted. which will lead to publication in Spinrad's overall plan is okay, the regular prozines is submitting but he has all the details wrong. your stories to the editors of the regular prozines. Let's not kid Be that as it may, once past the ourselves. Editors look for talent opening chapters, the novel keeps in slush piles. They don't read you reading. It has the raw power various small magazines and say, characteristic of Spinrad novels and "Hmm, this guy looks good. Let's a certain amount of grace. There move him up to the big leagues". are even moments of considerable Small press magazines are worth your beauty. The hero and heroine are while if you write the kinds of led, by convoluted means, to colla­ things they specialize in. If you borate with "black scientists" on do hard science fiction, there are an attempt to launch a space shut­ plenty of markets, and any story you tle. It seems that just before the sell to a small press magazine has cataclysm, a space station had pick­ probably been rejected by ANALOG, ed up an extra-terrestrial signal. ASIMOV'S, etc. If you write fantasy, Obviously this is the key to man­ that's an entirely different market. kind's future. There is one more You have anthologies, TWILIGHT ZONE, descent into cliche as the charac­ ASMIMOV'S, FtjSF, AMAZING/FANTASTIC ters fake an alien landing to make occasionally, and the small press the Aquarians unite out of fear (one magazines for your markets. Take is almost convinced the author is my word for it: WHISPERS, WEIRDBOOK, kidding: there are chapters entit­ FANTASY TALES and the rest don't sub­ led "The Spaceship Enterprise", "We sist on prozine rejects. They are All Live in a Yellow Submarine" and the bulk of the market in their field. "Chariot of the Gods"), but in the SMALL PRESS The money isn't good. Then, interplay between the hero and hero­ again, nobody makes a living writing ine and their scientist guide and short stories. I would say don't the sequences on the space station MAGAZINES bother with anything that pays under itself, we get quite an intelligent l/2£ a word, because chances are the tale of the effects of power (part­ magazine is so bad you don't want to icularly media power, a long-run­ be published there. ning Spinradian concern) on individ­ Reviewed By uals, the balance between science Why does such an appearance get and mysticism and finally, a vast you? Read, that's what. It can lead cosmic vision worthy of anything in Darrell Schweitzer to anthologization, since stories Stapledon. That the "black scient­ from such magazines are in every vol­ ist" should be cold, soul-less and For the benefit of latecomers, ume of THE YEAR'S BEST FANTASY and ultimately unable to cope with this THE YEAR'S BEST HORROR. When you vision is hardly a surprise, but I will explain briefly what this de­ partment is all about. I am review­ are selling novels, and a publisher somehow Spinrad manages to transcend ing any non-newsstand magazines with is willing to do a collection of the stereotype and make him humanly fiction worth reading. your stories, you can include stor­ convincing. ies from small magazines. You can Ye Ed has passed me a letter also sell the stories overseas, if Clear Blue Lou is less success­ from Mike Bracken, who asks in part: you know the foreign market. A good ful a character, too much a wish­ fulfillment. The writing itself is "I was wondering if Darrell story is a good story, no matter .... might be willing to where it appears. more versatile than you might expect explain what SF's small press from the first few chapters, moving But this isn't a market column. means financially. My own from slangy trendiness to lucid des­ What about the current crop? criptions to cadenced, near poetry sales inside the SF field have been to small press mag­ FANTASY TALES 6 is a handsome toward the end. The author is production, with a front cover by clearly in control. The failures azines, with payment ranging from l/8th$ per word up to Jim Pitts, a back by Fabian. I keep must be attributed to deliberate, having to break my rule about review­ wrong decisions. The successes are 2f per word. For that reason I have not followed the de­ ing reprints with this magazine. considerable. The book is, ultimate­ velopment of SF's small press, Karl Edward Wagner's "The Other One" ly, at war with itself, and I think nor have I made much effort is a reprint from the 1977 small the right side won. to sell to the various small magazine, ESCAPE (Oh, yeah, Mike, ************************************ press magazines. Can expos­ another thing: You can sometimes ure in the small press maga­ sell reprints to other small press zines ultimately lead to magazines after a few years), but sales to the SF prozines, and since that is an obscure source, I is it worth the effort finan­ don't imagine many readers have seen cially to bother with the semi- it. It's a Kane story, and those pros?" who like such will probably be de­ lighted. I've never managed to get Well, Mike, if you're "selling" into the series because Kane is such stories for an eighth of a cent a a heartless scoundrel, without re­ word, I can see your point. Save deeming virtues, and his victories 29 are so inevitable, that I scarcely care what happens. Worse, this sto­ at least visually striking, and Cook I WILL FEAR NO EVIL. Lean, sparse ry hinges on a love affair between hasn't. prose, a model of compression . . .) Kane and a lady. I can't believe I keep waiting for FANTASY TALES he loves anyone, and I can't imagine The best short story is "In Look­ to really bowl me over. Once in a what she sees in him. ing-Glass Castle" by Gene Wolfe great while it does, about as often which, with his usual deftness and My cwn "The Last Horror Out of as the newsstand prozines do. And sensitivity, almost manages to make Arkham" (also a reprint, from an they publish more and larger issues. a one-sex society work. Men are even more obscure source) began its TRIQUARTERLY 49 is a special hunted down and killed, you see. career as a bibliographic ghost in science fiction issue of a mainstream One woman meets one, and finds her­ THE READER'S GUIDE TO THE CTHULHU small press magazine, edited by Da­ self fascinated. Such conditions MYTHOS. Later I wrote it as an at­ vid Hartwell and Robert Onopa. Such have apparently prevailed for a tempted mercy-killing. The Old Ones issues can be very interesting. Re­ long time, so women take it for win, you see . . . but alas, all was member the spectacular SF issue of granted, but it still isn't quite in vain. Bob Bloch did a more elab­ EDGE Bruce McAllister did a few convincing. The level of hatred re­ orate job a couple years later with years ago? And there has been SF- quired to bring such a thing about STRANGE EONS, and people still write related material in THE LITTLE MAG­ just isn't there. I'd think that these damn things about gibbering AZINE. even after a few generations, the horrors and regurgitated seafood. I society would still be half psychot­ might mention that the editors left The star attraction isn't fic­ ic. off the dread couplet which adorned tion, but a 30,000-word essay by the original printing: Algis Budrys, which is fully as good Ursula LeGuin's "The White Donk­ ey" is a short fable. It won't add "That is not dead which is etern­ as you would expect, and probably will be recognized as a critical much to her reputation, nor will it ally rewritten; detract anything. But it also won't It's about time the Mythos was landmark. It's worth the price of admission all by itself. However, show any newcomer why she is such a quite soundly smitten." big deal. —Abdul Alhasreadtoomuch Michael Swanwick's "Ginungagap" "Payment in Kind" by C.A. Cador is almost a high tech/puzzle story. is a reprint from GNOSTICA, which It lacks focus, as if the author is fine, but it also appeared in hadn't decided what it was about till YEAR'S BEST FANTASY which makes it halfway through, and really could a trifle overexposed. (If I were have used some tightening up. It running FANTASY TALES, I would re­ would be about average for ANALOG. frain from reprints from mass-market paperbacks.) It's a good story, or Craig Strete's "When They Find at least structurally interesting, You" is sinply awful, clumsily writ­ as each character unwittingly pas­ ten, with an expository lump taking ses the Curse along to the next by up the first third, then awkward Re­ telling him about it. More could levance. He has done a lot better. be done with the idea, but I still I hope this is a trunk story. have to credit Cador for making me sit up and pay attention. Horror/ At last, Tom Disch's "The Pres­ fantasy is like heroin addiction. sure of Time". This is a rewrite of a story that appeared in ORBIT 7 and You need stronger and stronger doses, I'm supposed to be reviewing fiction: part of a forthcoming book of the and I've been at this for a while. There are two novel excerpts. same title. I didn't manage to fin­ "Wrapped Up" by Ramsey Campbell Ian MacMillan's SMALL MUTATIONS looks ish this, and I gave it a lot of is one of those things about robbers like a well-written post-disaster thought. I admire Disch's work vast­ in an Egyptian tomb who always meet tale. The prose is clean and vivid, ly. CN WINGS OF SONG was a triumph. an eldritch doom. No surprises, but the characters hard to tell CAMP CONCENTRATION was a quantum but the idea of a mummy as a chrysa­ apart. However, it is often hard to leap. Most of his short stories are lis has possibilities. (Again, more judge from an excerpt. The piece of sinply marvelous, but I have never than are really shewn here.) Samuel Delany's, STARS IN MY POCK­ managed to finish any of the excerpts ETS LIKE GRAINS OF SAND, is the long­ from THE PRESSURE OF TIME that I've "Reflections On a Dark Eye" by est lecture we've seen since RALPH seen. The material is good (the Peter Tremayne (he of REVENGE OF 124C41 PLUS, or maybe one of the re­ lives of a mortal minority in an im­ DRACULA fame) is entirely too stand­ cent Heinlein disasters. There are mortal world), and the prose is as ard for me. It could better be en­ some good ideas in it, occasional titled "The Eyeballs of Orlac". polished as ever, but the story snatches of effective writing, but doesn't go anywhere, as if Disch Well, corneas actually. A guy gets if the whole book is like this, it's the transplanted corneas of a murder­ never figured out what it is about. going to be boring. If it isn't, if Actually, I'm sure he has, but it er, and . . . you mean you already this is the equivalent of the chap­ guessed? isn't coming across. Characters, ter in MOBY DICK about the whiteness ideas, themes do not develop. There "The Woodcarver's Son" by Robert of the whale, then it was not the is no discernable plot in any sense Cook is over-written and vague. Cook piece to let stand alone. (Aside: of the word. Just an inert lump of faces the common problem of trying to Right after this, I read "Aye, and words. describe Unearthly Beauty in convinc­ Gomorrah" for the first time in 12 ing terms. Well, I assure you going years, because a friend was trying Now something like TRIQUARTERLY on and on just saying how marvelous to convince me it was mindless rub­ 49 is presumably a showcase of the it is won't work. The character bish. I found it a wonderful story, State of the Art in Science Fiction. may get turned on, but the reader for all its scientific bloopers. It will reach a lot mainstream aca­ doesn't, and this emotional dissoc­ I couldn't believe it was the same demic types who are not familiar with iation from the story is fatal. Writ­ writer. The shock was like dipping the genre. This disturbs me. The ers who have pulled this sort of into "Universe" after a long bout of issue contains (in the Budrys artic­ thing off have genuinely produced le) a sound theoretical base, lots something strange and beautiful, or 30 of good writing, but no real innova­ tion, no story which breaks new A A * able) tomes in the late uncle's li­ ground. The best one is Gene Wolfe brary . — I need not say more. But trying to revive a hoary cliche. FANTASY TALES, Stephen Jones, 33 I will mention my theory: I think It's as if science fiction, with a Wren House, Tachbrook Estate, London stories like these, all of them so good understanding of where it had SW1V 3QD, England; 75 pp. for $2.50. alike, by authors all over the world, come from, arrived at a crossroads, are part of a plot by Them to set up TRIQUARTERLY, 1735 Benson Avenue, looked in all directions, and wand­ a resonating psychic vibration, which Northwestern University, Evanston, ered off into a pasture. when the one billionth person finish­ IL 60201. $5.95 for Issue 49. es THE SHAMBLER FROM THE SHUDDERER, (By the way, there's oneavail- Subs are 1 year for $14.00. will rent the universe and let the able back issue of fantasy interest: NIGHT FLIGHTS .... Goddamit, Law- Great Old Ones back in. TRIQUARTERLY 25 is devoted to mater­ son, the address doesn't appear in ial by and about Jorge Luis Borges. The next issue of KADATH will be the damn issue! Fortunately, I have $2.40 in what I guess is a clearance devoted to WEIRD TALES, with new sto­ the envelope. 3952 West Dundee Road, sale.) ries by Manly Wade Wellman, Warner Northbrook, IL 60062. $2.50, 4/$9. Mmn, etc. $4 the copy or 4/$15.00 NIGfT FLIGHTS #1 is actually the fifth issue of MYRDDIN, Lawson Hill's SORCERER'S APPRENTICE, Flying Buf­ from Francesco Cova, falo Inc., POB #1467, Scottsdale, very infrequent little magazine. It Corso Aurelio Saffi 5/9, AZ 85252. $2.25, 6/$10. contains a lot of poetry, some of it 16128 Genova, ITALY very good, non-fiction about Lewis and Tolkein and three short stories. It's a magazine worth watching. "Writer's Curse" by Ramsey Campbell Its production values are good and MORE SMALL PRESS REVIEWS tells how a pro writer ends up liv­ it pays its contributors well. It ing the horrors of an amateur's work The third issue of KADATH is en­ could turn into another WHISPERS in (and I don't mean he just has to time. read it!) and manages to create the tirely devoted to Brian Lumley. His ************************************ sense of anti-rational, almost sur­ hardcore fans, collectors, and the real dislocation which is at the like will want to send their money core of good horror fiction. It al­ off right away, before all copies so ends with a snap. My "A Strange are sold. The edition is limited to Encounter" later became the epilogue 450. to my book, WE ARE ALL LEGENDS. Jes­ Unquestionably, KADATH is an im­ sica Salmonson's "The One Great Ach­ pressive publication, entirely type­ ievement of Padinre Luil" uses fable set, on slick paper of NATIONAL GEO­ format capably enough, but doesn't GRAPHIC grade. When the Old Ones deliver any particular insight, just finally take over. I'm sure they'll weak and obvious irony. Buy the is­ find copies, yet unmoldering. Graph­ sue for the Campbell and the poetry. ics are fairly good, but not the main SORCERER'S APPRENTICE is a fan­ attraction. This issue contains tasy gaming magazine, very handsome, three original Lumley stories, one professionally produced, with more of them a novelet, an interview with of interest to non-gamers than most. Lumley, a bibliography, and a poem. The fiction is often very good. That's just the English section. Pi- "The Squire's Tale" by Tanith Lee in bout 40% is in Italian. the seventh issue is a vivid, erotic The three stories: "Too Mich tale of medieval witchcraft, quite Monkey Business" is one of those unlike most sword-and-iron-pants things about the sf writer visited epics you may have read. Highly rec- by time travelers (it's often ali­ onuiended. ens) , slight, clever, and nothing more. "The Man Who Got Slotted" is Yuggoth, there's a pile of zines another slickly written, slight sto­ waiting to be reviewed yet! All ry about a haunted slot machine. It right, no more introductions. If would probably seem a lot better if you have questions, let Geis run them Harlan Ellison's "Pretty Maggie Mon­ in the lettercol, and I'll answer ey Eyes" hadn't come first. The them there. Avaunt! Go to! big item is "The House of the Tem­ Alack! Gesundheit! ple," a Cthulhu Mythos tale which could have been published in WEIRD TALES in 1938. It's better written than most, not inadvertently funny the way August Derleth's were, but I think you're more likely to smile than shudder when reading it. It's like a homey, nostalgic visit to old friends; after many years they're all the same. The narrator, confined in an asylum, assures us he is not mad. It seems he has inher­ ited his sinister old family estate. Naively he asks, "The curse? My family had...a curse?" All those strange deaths. The pool on the grounds, by the ruined temple. All those forbidden (but amazingly avail­ 31 LETTERS

# LETTER FROM POUL ANDERSON well off because they moonlighted at 3 Las Palomas their writing until that ceased to Orinda, CA 94563 be necessary. None ever pitied him­ 11 May 1981 self, suffered noticeable twitches of Angst, sank into existential al­ 'Barry Malzberg is a nice guy coholism or came to grief in any oth­ and a fine writer, but I sometimes er fashionable way. Instead, the wonder if we inhabit the same uni­ bunch of us have enjoyed extraordin­ verse. The latest example is his arily good lives. woeful description of the lowly sta­ tus of science fiction in the fif­ 'No doubt various critics will ties and how hopeless and self-hat­ reply that this is because we're all ing that made its writers feel. coarse, insensitive subliterates, as well-paid for it, too. Meanwhile, our writings prove. Nota bene, I 'Now it's true that times were more than once, writers recognized do not mean Barry, nor am I trying often lean in the first half of that by that establishment were being to be sarcastic. Science fiction decade. At one point I went broke threatened with professional destruc­ has long been so broad and many­ and into debt. . That, though, was tion if they didn't lend their names dimensioned a field that no one writ­ largely because of having invested to the anti-war movement. six months in a project that failed, er of it can possibly please every 'So not until the last few years and didn't seem to be any particular reader of it: a remark which is a truism unless one is a critic. have I felt the walls closing in on occasion for despair. I got a job, science fiction also, and I hope wrote in my spare time, and within a This variousness is precisely why I it's just an illusion. A new re­ year had paid off the debt, accumu­ and numerous others can continue to quirement has appeared, a great deal lated a small stake, and resumed as work in it and still keep our self- more constricting than the simple a self-employed free lance, which I respect. We are under no economic old ban on explicit copulation and have been ever since with steadily compulsion. Each of us has proved a half-dozen four-letter words. On increasing material success. able to operate in quite different fields, and most of us do it yet. every matter conceivably connected The artistic success is for time However, we like science fiction and to race (except white), nationality to judge, not critics. I soon out­ the range it offers us. (except American), creed (except grew all desire for their Bandar- Christian) and sex (except male, un­ 'Until recently, that range ap­ Loggish attention, preferring the less male homosexual), everybody is peared unrestricted. Yes, original­ freedom of literary disreputability supposed to toe the party line, and ly there were certain taboos, but -- a topic which I'd like to take woe betide whoever does not. up again in a bit. And, although they were of the kind that every com­ petent writer can write his way obviously quality is always subject 'Mind you, I don't myself want around, as witness the great Victor­ to statistical fluctuations, I never to put anyone down just because that despised what I was doing. Oh, yes, ians. Much worse were editors who person belongs to any of those groups, in the past it was often done hast­ butchered text without troubling to and quite agree that certain reforms ily, but that was merely because I consult the author, but after one or are long overdue. However, the pro­ was young then and didn't know any two such experiences a person learn­ hibition sure does restrict my choice better. I never came near the pro- ed to avoid them, so they weren't of characters, not to mention sub­ lificity of, say, Robert Silverberg important either. Sometimes a dol- jects for the kind of speculation drum period occurred, when nobody or of Barry himself. Not that it was that used to be considered the spec­ wrong; much or all of their work is seemed to be doing anything fresh ial business of science fiction. Not deservedly admired. As time went any more, and then we might begin to that any editor has demanded changes on, I grew fussier and fussier, think seriously about getting out -- on ideological grounds -- yet -- but therefore slower and slower, with but a new breeze always came from this may be simply because I don't longer and longer intervals between somewhere in time to revitalize us. want to give gratuitous offense. writing sessions, which is probably 'Far from feeling cramped, most Nor do I care to lick boots. During a normal development in a long car­ science fictioneers were apt to take the sixties, it didn't hurt to be eer. True, then as now, an occas­ an excessive pride in their freedom, called a fascist and a warmonger, ional piece was written tongue-in- pointing especially to the raft of considering who was doing the call­ cheek, but this wasn't a matter of anti-McCarthy stories that they pub­ ing. Now, though, it's becoming self-contempt but of having fun. lished in the so-called McCarthy era. "male chauvinist pig", "racist", and For me the fifties were, after a few (Several of them were mine.) Actu­ even "anti-Semite", from some of the initial difficulties, a vintage de­ ally, this was not especially daring; most unexpected quarters. cade. the literary establishment was do­ 'I think this is an ominous sign, 'There would be no point in re­ ing likewise, while some academics but repeat my.hope that I'm mistaken citing this if it were exceptional, found their careers endangered be­ or at least that science fiction but the fact is that it applies rath­ cause they contributed to the right­ will retain its traditional independ­ er widely, not just to long-recog­ wing National Review. I think the ence. If not, if they do start cen­ nized writers such as Robert Hein­ touchstone period was the sixties, soring me in earnest, I'll let you lein but to a large number -- I be­ when people such as Mr. Heinlein and know, and then really leave the field lieve a large majority -- in "my" myself were writing material that while self-respect remains.' generation, such as Gordon Dickson, flew straight into the teeth of the Jack Vance and Frank Herbert. The literary establishment, and getting latter two were always reasonably 32 ((Pressure groups abound and science fiction-- because of its appeal to teresting about that is an indica­ to a ms. in order to justify their youth and the intelligent-- has be­ tion that the time had finally ar­ jobs; there may be an office-poli­ come a new arena for social propa­ rived when an SF writer could contem­ tics dynamics involved which rewards ganda. ..and social taboos. plate doing such a thing -- just go those who tamper most-- who are per­ ((We would all like to know out and start a book with sufficient ceived as having "contributed most" more about specifics in this area; confidence that a market would turn and have a critical eye-- with pro­ it would be useful if those editors up. This may not sound like such a motions. )) and publishers who are into putting big deal now, and in all truth I nev­ restrictions on writers' sf themes, er thought about it one way or the characters, locales, etc. would show other, but in hindsight it must have some guts and put on paper what they been one of the earliest such pro­ object to and what they want...for jects. the guidance of both writers and 'And, while we're at it, as some # LETTER FROM SHAWNA MC CARTHY readers. people know I've been bitching un­ EDITOR ((There's not much chance of that relentingly about Knox Burger's re­ DAVIS PUBLICATIONS? INC. kind of honesty, however, so I'll fusing to accept either the original 380 Lexington Avenue be happy to hear from other writers title, THE DEATH MACHINE, or either New York, NY 10017 (anonymously) concerning the unwrit­ of the two alternates I came up with; May 21, 1981 ten "rules" governing much of the discovering it was called ROGUE MOON content of science fiction and fant­ was a surprise delayed until after 'Due, in part, to a mixup at asy today. I'd returned the untitled galleys to our end, some misinformation about ((For instance, is the "Feminist Gold Medal and in due course receiv­ SCIENCE FICTION DIGEST has been dis­ Mafia" as powerful in sf as I've ed six finished copies and a check seminated. It's not tragically heard?)) for $750 less commission from my a- flawed, just a bit confused, but gent. But the text was word for nonetheless, I'd like to say what word what I'd given them in manu­ is the absolute final last word on script; at no time had Burger as much the subject (for now). as tentatively suggested any fiddles 'First, the first issue of SCI­ # LETTER FROM A,J. BUDRYS with it. And in the light of far ENCE FICTION DIGEST will be on sale 30 May 1981 more recent experience with book ed­ in the middle of September. Its 824 Seward Street itors who don't know any SF but are contents will be: "Swarmer, Skim­ Evanston, IL 60202 sure they can improve it -- which mer" from ACROSS THE SEA OF SUNS, Burger certainly was -- that's be­ by Gregory Benford; "Asimov on Sci­ 'The thing about Malzberg's come a more and more gratifying ex­ ence Fiction" by Isaac Asimov; "The ENGINES OF THE NIGHT -- which I've perience as I look back on it. As Pride of Chanur" by C.J. Cherryh; recently had the pleasure of reading I understand the present situation, and "Sunwaifs" by Sydney J. Van complete, in manuscript -- is that most contemporary SF writers may Scyoc. Barry's almost consistently wrong even consider it an unbelievable ex­ 'Second, SCIENCE FICTION DIGEST on detail but makes it to a viable perience. I know I had to keep will be bi-monthly, although the bi­ conclusion nevertheless. An example brushing aside all sorts of helpful months will be a bit long between of this turns up in SFR #39, where suggestions from Berkley/Putnam per­ the first couple issues. he's talking about the short story sonnel on MICHAELMAS, until one day as being the crucial form in SF. I Ned Chase, the editor in charge, 'Third, and most important, it's think he's right about that. Jim put a nominal stop to that. They not entirely true that we'll be deal­ Gunn for years has been talking up still slipped in some editing after ing only with subsidiary rights di­ the novelette, and Malzberg's defin­ the galleys had supposedly been fin­ rectors. Here's what we'll be buy­ ition of "short story" doesn't ex­ alized, which means the Berkley re­ ing: On hardcovers, we generally clude that length, but when you look print is the only definitive edi­ will want second serial rights. On at the truly pivotal stories in the tion, twenty-one corrections later. paperback originals, generally, we field, you're in among the "Twilight" I don't yearn for a return to the will want first serial rights. On and "Coming Attraction" lengths a lot days of the $1500 advance on three trade paperbacks, we'll want first of the time. years' work, but maybe the late serial rights, unless a deal has 1950s-early-60s were The Happy Time. been made for a mass-market follow­ 'But of all the three "classic" up. If there will be a mass-market novels Malzberg cites when claiming 'Whatever. You're putting out paperback, we'll take second serial that almost all of the top novels a consistently valuable and interest­ rights on the trade version. Clear? were expanded or assembled from short ing publication there, Mr. Geis, and Good. Of course, these are not ab­ stories, only CANTICLE FOR LEIBOWITZ I wish I would get around to re­ solute on-the-pain-of-death rules. fits. (Furthermore, in the context sponding to it more often.' If the situation and the book war­ of Malzberg's entire book, it fits rants it, we'll revise our stand less well than it does in this ex­ on any or all of the above state­ cerpt, though that hardly matters.) ((How much purchasing power would ments . Sturgeon's MORE THAN HUMAN is a trip­ fifteen hundred 1955 dollars equal tych whose central portion, "Baby is in today's dollars? Six thousand? 'I suppose, too, that this is Three", was a novella. And ROGUE ((The problem with lower level an appropriate place to lay to rest MOON was never, ever, anything but editorial personnel is that they whatever misgivings authors might a novel from scratch. The FljSF feel a pressure to do something have about what we will "do" to their shorter version was cut into shape from it; no other form ever existed. This is insufficient as either news or criticism to make the heavens fall, but I would like it on record with the SFR audience. The book was conceived in 1958 and launched into with no market in mind and no test­ ing of the waters. What may be in­ work. So: We will not rewrite, we # LETTER FROM GEORGE WARREN 'Like Broce D. Orthors, I too, will excerpt. What this means is 853 North Hill like Borry Molzberg. (Hey, this that an experienced excerpter goes Pasadena, CA, 91104 is fun!) I particularly like him when he writes in THE ENGINES OF through the work with a pencil and May 11, 1981 discovers a subplot which will stand THE NIGHT. alone. This will be extracted from 'Do those zillion-dollar ad­ 'P.S.: About half the time, the body of the work and printed, vances ever sound fishy to you? you write LeGuin. It is Le Guin.' without anything added by us. We Does it ever occur to you that So- will not give away an ending unless and-So might announce that his firm the author says it's okay. You may has issued a $2 million rubber check ((Well, I did look into it, and think this is impossible (and I must to So-and-So for his now novel -- nothing came of it. Except that admit I did too, until I saw the ex­ and then demand most of it back in we otter be more careful with spell­ cerpter' s work on the first issue), kick-backs by prior arrangement, in ing and proffreading in the foture. but It Can Be Done. order to get the free publicity you (Apologies to Ursula. I suppose 'So, that's the story, and I get from allegedly paying someone she, like de Camp and del Rey, have hope it helps to clear up any con­ all that bread for his book? I wond­ long since become accustomed to all fusion that may have resulted from er .. . Mind you, I am not talking the possible misspellings and mis­ various and sundry reports and rum­ specifics. I am not accusing Sagan printings of their names. ours. or his publisher. But I am curious. There have been several very fishy sales recently. ((Thanks for the detailed, up-to- date info on SF DIGEST. 'Schweitzer is very good on Love­ ((From your description of the craft and his followers in the cur­ # CARD FROM ALAN DEAN FOSTER process, SCIENCE FICTION DIGEST will rent SFR. He explains why it is Box BC1-11 not be precisely a digest, and a that the Lovecraft stories on NIGHT Big Bear Lake, CA 92315 more accurate title for the magazine GALLERY were such turkeys.' 9 May 81 might be SCIENCE FICTION EXCERPTS... 'Point of trivia: the "beauti­ or CHOICE CUTS.)) ((I've always liked Darrell’s review­ ful black woman" who plays Michael ing and respected his perspectives Caine's wife in the hodge-podge film on writing and fantasy. With the ASHANTI is, in fact, Mrs. Michael ending of the "Short Fiction Reviews" Caine in real life. She was/is an this issue, I'm going to have the internationally-known model (origin­ space to invite Darrell to lengthen ally from Senegal, I believe). # LETTER FROM MICHAEL MOORE his "Vivisector" column, if he has MANAGING EDITOR the time and inclination.)) 'Caine seems to be the English ares-™ MAGAZINE OF SCIENCE equivalent of Burt Reynolds: an ac­ FICTION AND FANTASY SIMULATION tor of some range and sensitivity Published by SPI, 257 Park Ave. who is constantly saddled with triv­ South, New York, NY, 10010 ially-written roles which the pro­ May 20, 1981 ducers know will make money. The # LETTER FROM GENE WOLFE last good work he had a chance to do 'Elton T. Elliott was almost was in Huston's THE MAN WHO WOULD BE Box #69 right when he stated in "The Human KING (fine film, by the way). Barrington, IL, 60010 Hotline" that ARES has discontinued May 20, 1981 'Universal is remaking THE THING short stories not directly connect­ by the way.' ed with the issue game. For a time 'Number 39 is a very good is­ it looked like the rules to the is­ sue -- I found the interviews with sue games would take up so much room me unotterably fascinating. Howev­ ((A subscriber chewed me out for we would have to sacrifice space er .... making the judgement of her body that the fiction would normally oc­ '('Small tits, great ass') in the cupy. Add to this fact that most of 'The title of the fourth volume review I wrote for SFR #39. Said the fiction received was bad, and it of my tetralogy, which is given cor­ I was crude and sexist and like did appear that we would have to rectly on page 20 as THE CITADEL OF that. Well, hell, she was present­ drop fiction from the magazine. THE AUTARCH, is given as THE CITADEL ed to the audience as a body, so I OF THE OTTER on page 62. Unimport­ 'Not so. We have now removed felt like rating the body. Maybe ant, but it gives me something to the rules from the magazine and made if I'd said 'small breasts, great write to you about; as does that them into a separate booklet. We rear'? Am I too prone to the Vul­ word tetralogy itself, which seems now have lots of room for fiction in gate do you think? Shit, no!)) to be spelled tetrology every time the magazine. We hope to publish at it appears. You will note that each least two short stories per issue, of these problems derives from a assuming we receive quality fiction mysterious tendency to substitute we consider worth using. 0 for A and U. Au is, of course, 'Furthermore, we hope to have a the symbol for gold, while 0 is the # LETTER FROM HARLAN ELLISON short story or "historical" article symbol for Nothing. Thus the same 3484 Coy Drive in each issue tied directly into tendency may be responsible for in­ Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 the game. To help potential authors flation. I would advise you to look 6 May 81 develop a story more closely related into it. to the issue game, I have prepared 'On page 24, Neal Wilgus (Neol 'Panic! Confusion reigns! I am an outline of the content of the is­ Wilgos?) asked the sinister to come whelmed, definitely whelmed; neither sue games for the next year of ARES, forth. I cane forth already on page over -- nor under --; simply whelm­ including dates when the material is 21. ed outta my mind. due. This sheet is available (along with a writer's guide) to anyone who 'On page 11 of the July 1981 is­ sends a SASE to the above address.' 34 sue of AMAZING, Tom Staicar says of me humble widdle self: "a writer er to do? Like Jeffty, I seem lock­ # CARD FROM HARRY J.N. ANDRUSCHAK who has never been content to make ed, in the minds of some, in a nev­ POB #606 the safe moves or seek the secure er-ending childhood; while to others La Canada-Flintridge, CA 91011 position". I am far over the hill and should May, 1981 only be worrying whether my rocking 'On page 36 of the Summer 1981 chair faces toward the sun, or away issue of SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW (re­ 'Iregret to inform you that Janie from the sun. ceived the same day as the AMAZING Lamb died on 6 May from a stroke suf­ noted above), Bruce D. Arthurs says: 'If other writers out there feel fered on 2 May, from which she nev­ "(Ellison) reached a peak in his the bite of the same dichotomy, I er regained consciousness. As the writing, I feel, about five or six would appreciate their comments. long-time Secretary-Treasurer of the years ago, and I haven't found any­ Or at least references for acceptab­ NFFF, she was loved by all who knew thing new in his work in any of the le nursing homes and/or kindergart­ her. things I've read since then. It's ens where a weary old, snappishly 'Don Franson, 6543 Babcock Aven­ still good, still marvelously in­ young, long-toothed and adolescent ue, North Hollywood, CA, 91606 will tense gut-level writing, but he seems scrivener can go to wait out his take over her duties for the next to have settled into a niche in second childhood or his twilight few months. ((Dues are $6.00 a which he may be one of the best, but years ... whichever comes first. year, going up to $8.00 soon)). isn't challenging himself to strike 'Exhausted, but exuberantly, out into new niches". 'Come to think of it ... you -- HARLAN ELLISON probably knew her well before I did, 'Setting aside for a moment the or many in fandom did. She was 73 compliments contained in each of last April. Too young..... ' these assessments, for which I am ((I think you don't need to stew in grateful, I looked back over what your insecurity juices until, ail the I've written in these last six years. reviewers and critics agree that you ((Yes, 1 was saddened by the news of The works include such fictions as are the greatest writer since Shakes­ Janie 's death. The tragedy of her "Croatoan", "Hitler Painted Roses", peare. Then panic!)) home burning to the ground earlier "Seeing", "The Diagnosis of Dr. in the year must have contributed D'arqueAngel", "From A To Z in the enormously to her death. All those Chocolate Alphabet", "Jeffty is Five", books, fanzines, memories... the full novel version of "A Boy and ((I first met her when I joined His Dog" titled BLOOD'S A ROVER, the National Fantasy Fan Federation "The Man Who was Heavily into Re­ (N3F in those days) some time in the venge", "All the Lies that are My # CARD FROM ROBERT BLOCH early Fifties. I didn't stay long, 2111 Sunset Crest Drive Life", "Count the Clock that Tells but I remember she loved helping the Time", "All the Birds Come Home Los Angeles, CA 90046 young, beginning fans. She is no to Roost", "Shatterday", "Grail", May 6, 1981 doubt now explaining fandom to some "Django", "Broken Glass", "Opium" doubting angels and showing them and "In the Fourth Year of the War". 'Dear REG: Postcards from me how to use a hectograph.)) These, in addition to several dozen are quite common, and often even vulgar. So is Bob Tucker. Person­ non-fiction pieces such as my col­ umns in FUTURE LIFE and my essay on ally, I can see no reason to save gun control and the death of John them; as for Tucker, he is beyond Lennon in a recent HEAVY METAL. saving. I have just returned from Australia, where I made a valiant 'I don't suppose it does any good attempt to clean up the mess he left # LETTER FROM SHELDON TEITELBAIM to say that the writing of some of behind during his visit in '75. Rehov Mordecai Anelevitch 23/2 these -- particularly "All the Birds There are a dozen kangaroos in the Holon, Israel Come Home to Roost" and "All the Sydney zoo with Tucker-like faces, May, 1981 Lies That are My Life" -- were enor­ and in Melbourne I heard a few mis­ mously difficult and seemed to me to guided fans still yelling "Smooooth!" 'A recent letter from Norman Spin be, at least as far as my ouevre is as they downed their drinks of Coca- rad printed in SFR #37 informs that concerned, serious departures ... Koala. At my recommendation the Aus­ Israel and Taiwan are current havens conscious efforts to "strike out in­ tralians intend to bring Harlan El­ for SF piracy. We are glad to report to new niches," whatever that means. lison over next year where he will that this type of thing seems to be I was reaching. Stagnation, like tell them all about sci-fi. By the on the wane here anyway. The books plagiarism, is something every writ­ way, the new SFR is a thing of beauty in question were horribly translated er fears. If Mr. Arthurs is correct­ and a joy forever; it makes most and packaged in the worst pulpish ly perceiving that I've peaked and 'zines look like turkeys. Hoping manner you can imagine. There were have been coasting for at least six you are the same...' years, then I'm in deep trouble. never more than two or three of the little monsters available, and have ((Yes, here I sit, gobbling up your all apparently rung down the curtain 'But I must admit that his words, praise, trying to keep my place in and joined the choir invisible. in juxtaposition with Mr. Staicar's, the pecking order while studiously While I share Mr. Spinrad's concern have me whelmed as I have not been ignoring the roasting (in Rell) I for this kind of theft, the problem whelmed since, on the same day about am no doubt destined for.)) never reached epidemic proportions six years ago, I received two reviews in Israel. from two different sources, one of 'ISRACON 81, the first ever SF which referred to me as "the peren­ con to be held in Israel took place nially angry young punk of the biz­ on 24/3/81 at the Haddassah Medical arre" and the other which opined Faculty Building in Eyn-Karem, Jeru­ "Ellison is getting a little long in salem, and was surprisingly success­ the tooth to be called the enfant ful. Although it only ran for one terrible of fantasy". day, it attracted 2500 paying mem­ 'What is an insecure, looking- bers, which was far beyond what we to-his-betters-for-evaluation writ­ expected. Given the kind and gener­ ous offers of help proffered by Mr. "Outside the Whale" (SFR #36) and "'A member has reported that Spinrad and Harry Harrison, we be­ "Inside the Whale" by Jack William­ she has received no royalty lieve that JERUCON 82 will put Is­ son, Jerry Poumelle, and Jack Chalk­ statements for the past four rael on the SF map. er (SFR #37). The "Whale" is the years and that the company Science Fiction Writers of America, entirely fails to deal with 'May I announce having assumed aka SFWA.)) correspondence. This lat­ the position of Assistant Editor to ter complaint is confirmed FANTAZIA 2000, the only prozine in by the experience of other Israel. While it is true that most members of the Society." of our short fiction comes to us by way of agreement with F8SF, our sci­ 'One friendly editor points out ence and book review articles are to me that theoretically I could firmly in the hands of Israelis, and # LETTER FROM DAVID LANGFORD bill Futura Books for the copy of we have even salvaged some of the 22 Northumberland Avenue ANDROMEDA 2 I had to buy, because less dubious efforts from our very Reading, Berkshire of course the contract says they 11 own slush pile for publication. The RG2 7PW United Kingdom provide such copies. I'm tempted... 27 March 81 magazine by the way is not a pulp 'And the mag NEW STATESMAN has job, but rather a large format, heav­ been publishing illicitly-acquired ily illustrated glossy. While not 'I know what Chris Priest means when he grumbles about SFWA effic­ Home Office plans in the event of nu­ surpassing the 10,000 mark in sales, clear attack on Britain. It's easy the magazine is quietly holding its iency. As a full member, I do find it a tiny bit disconcerting to dis­ to see they understand the magnitude own into the third year of publica­ of the calamity: tion. None of us are making any mon­ cover myself mysteriously struck off ey out of it, to be sure. Aharon the mailing list for the Nebula re­ "'A large-scale nuclear at­ Hauptman, the editor, is teaching ports (this happened around last tack on this country would computer science at TelAviv Univers­ autumn), to find that the prelimin­ completely disrupt the bank­ ity to get by, his wife and coeditor ary Nebula ballot and the motion con­ ing system on which the Zippi is practicing law, and I'm work­ cerning an Overseas Director have whole monetary economy is ing time and a half as an officer in gone by without my knowing about based." the paratroops. ' them, and to learn about the Nebula shortlist from LOCUS rather than 'And the relaunch of money is a SFWA ... I hear a rumour to the top-priority matter for after the effect that US sponsors of the Over­ holocaust. Hoping you are the same seas Region concept have been worry­ ... all best wishes.' ing about lack of support from apath­ etic overseas members. Possibly, as ((Actually, after emergency food, # CARD FROM JACK L. CHALKER in my case, apathy isn't always the shelter and medical care is set up, reason for such members' failure to re-establishing the money system is_ 4704 Warner Drive vote? the next priority. For lack of the Manchester, MD 21102 ability to buy and sell and save, March, 1981 people would quickly sink to savag­ 'Quite a number of copies of AND­ ery and civilization would die.)) 'Sorry, have to be brief now, ROMEDA 2 with your story (and with but two items on my "Voice of the mine) have been remaindered over Whale" thing on SFWA. First, I here in the last few months. Nasty want to apologize to George Hay and remainders, with deep buzzsaw cuts Tom Clareson, two really nice guys, into the paper ... but if you want # LETTER FROM RONALD R LAMBERT for my using them as examples of a couple, let me know and I'll see academia. Nothing personal was if I can find some. (Going rate is 2350 Virginia, Troy, MI 48084 meant or intended, and particularly 30p each... say 70souls about the diary, some say­ trouble by noising around my com­ es to Pautz. It seems that I can ing they'll take it up. I do rec­ plaints. I began looking over my only get my membership card from him, ommend it for clearing the air, keep­ shoulder all the time, wondering so I guess for the time being I will ing track, etc. But I don't expect when the SFWA goon squad would come have to carry around my copy of the to do it again; no time! and break my legs. But as time pas­ directory to prove to people that I sed and they did not come, I wonder­ am a member of SFWA. Stay tuned for 'Good issue of SFR as usual. ed what was wrong. What were they the next exciting episode!' Malzberg is right about Campbell's waiting for? Then in a moment of influence. After looking over his wonderful illumination it came to me: ((To be frank, Ron, this long-run­ list I realized that I, too, didn't Obviously, they were waiting for ning struggle of yours has become a sell anything to Campbell, and de­ Sucharitkul to give them my address! drag. Will someone in SFWA with spite being a "hard science" writer, No sweat, man!' some clout please get a membership didn't have anything in ANALOG until number to this poor man?)) (I think) 1974 -- and that was a de­ cidedly odd piece, no science at all, called "Doing Lennon" (about # LETTER FROM RONALD R. LAMBERT this guy who kills Lennon and takes 2350 Virginia his place ...).' Troy, MI 48084 June 17, 1981 # LETTER FROM GREGORY BENFORD 'Here is yet another installment 1105 Skyline Drive, in the continuing saga of my epic Laguna Beach, CA, 92651 struggle to get a response from Such­ March 19, 1981 aritkul to my application for mem­ # LETTER FROM RICHARD TORONTO bership in SFWA: Finally, I heard 'My diary looks neat and orderly EDITOR OF SHAVERTONj "THE ONLY „ (even though my life does not) in from someone.' -- But not from Such­ SOURCE OF POST-DELUGE SHAVERANIA aritkul . Knowing that the universe SFR. Much better than the sloppy 309 Coghlan Street, Vallejo, is a strange place and that sometimes ms., which as you saw was sent in CA 94590 you have to be strange in order to as is, no rewriting, no planning, March, 1981 cope, I took a deliberate wild shot just a chunk of life. Rereading it, and addressed a letter to Sucharit­ I was struck by how much I'd forgot­ 'I thought that possibly you or kul in care of a former editor of ten. No wonder the years blur -- your readers might be able to help the SFWA BULLETIN, whose address I hell, the weeks fog up! me out in my predicament. saw in a fanzine somewhere. The let­ 'A few bringings-up-to-date: 'I am currently editor of the ter was forwarded to Peter D. Pautz, The paper for PHYSICAL REVIEW LET­ world's only on-going zine dedicat­ Executive Secretary of SFWA. He TERS was accepted without even small ed to the continued exploration of wrote to me immediately, and his changes asked for. Keith Kato is the Shaver Mystery. We were founded competent professionalism and mani­ now in his final round of experiments in 1979, four years after the death fest decency as a person were truly for his thesis; it promises to be a of Richard S. Shaver. refreshing. With profuse apologies, nice piece of work. The short story, he sent me back issues of the FORUM, "Exposures", my agent sold to Scith- 'Our purpose is manyfold: to - a copy of the bylaws and a copy of ers for ASIMOV'S. I think it's my update the Mystery; keep old SM fen the new directory (which lo and be­ best short piece in some time, and together and foster new fen; to look hold, does contain my name). He al­ it's probably going to be out of at new events in light of the Shaver- so said he had told the present BUL­ place in that magazine, being some­ ian worldview; to keep the SM alive LETIN editor to send me issues, and what thoughty and not action-filled. and kicking so that in the not-too- said he had talked to Sucharitkul. The riddle of NGC 1097 remains: no­ distant future, some of his works will be reprinted; and last but not 'He also suggested that perhaps I body's been able to come up with a least, to find those who may know had submitted my application for mem­ plausible model for what those huge, something about the life of Richard bership to the wrong address. When luminous jets coming out of an other­ Shaver they wish to share with us I set him straight on that, and told wise ordinary galaxy might be. The and our readers. him I had even recently sent Suchar­ short story, "Slices", sold to Jim itkul a self-addressed, stamped en­ Baen for DESTINIES just before the 'The latter purpose is very im­ velope and a plea that he communicate gates closed. The dustup over Time­ portant to me, and is why I am ask­ with me in some way (without res­ scape Books etc. has been documented ing for help. I am trying to piece ponse) , and told him about a friend as well as possible in LOCUS, but together one of the most documented of mine who lives near Sucharitkul in this diary you see an early, simp­ biographies on Shaver's life that telephoning him repeatedly about me le stage of the whole thing. Since has yet been accomplished. Many ob­ and even confronting him at the Neb­ May, 1980, the whole issue of charg­ scure sci-fi writers like Shaver, ulas (always to be put off with lame ed particle weapons has exploded will be lost to the world unless excuses and the assurance that the through the defense community and something is done NOW to collect mat­ materials would be in the mail to me the media; I've talked to technical erial about their lives. The people "real soon now"), he called Sucharit­ types and gotten vibrations from who knew Shaver have all but vanish­ kul again to talk to him quite stern­ distant citadels (including the ed or died or simply clammed up . . . ly. Sucharitkul, according to Pautz, CIA...), but there's no big news. and time passes and more info is said that he had tried to run my And the novel I was working on then lost down the drain of total obscur­ name into the computer, but for some 37 ity. This historical (especially biographical) info will someday be 'I'm going to France soon for 'While I still find "At the Moun­ valued by all of fendom, even though more recording sessions, and to join tains of Madness" good Lovecraft, de­ it is not thought much of now. With my fiancee, a French woman who has spite all, there's no question but each passing year, the data becomes done much to endear Paris to me.' that it does have the fault Schweit­ harder to come by. zer describes. For my taste, the sweep of it -- abortive as it may 'So, please . . . anyone having ((There are many purists who will be when you've come to the final something that they feel could be of say you NEVER wrote science fiction, paragraph -- redeems the fault suf­ interest to readers of a NEW bio on but a kind of warped fantasy with ficiently to make it worth re-read­ Shaver, feel free to write to me. occasional pieces of sf furniture ing. But I certainly would not rec­ Any and all leads on information to decorate the rooms. ommend it as a starter for anyone would be most appreciated. I am al­ ((Good luck in Paris; the Euro­ who hadn't read any Lovecraft but so trying to locate Shaver's only pean experience should give your writing greater variety and depth.)) was interested in trying. daughter, Evelyn. If anyone knows of her whereabouts, I would be most 'There's one sentence, however, grateful in hearing about it.' that inspired some research result­ ing in this letter: "It is the only aborted beginning in existence long # LETTER FROM ROBERT A.W. LOWNDES enough to have been serialized — 717 Willow Avenue abridged, no less -- in three parts # LETTER FROM JOM SHIRLEY Hoboken, NJ 07030 in ASTOUNDING". C/0 Rob't Cornfield June 9, 1981 667 Madison Avenue 'I read the story when it first New York, NY 10021. 'A couple of items in your excel­ appeared, and later that year (1936) June 8, 1981 lent Summer 1981 issue were just when I first became acquainted with what was needed to bring me out of Don Wollheim, who was corresponding 'I feel I must set the record my usual lethargy to the point of with H.P. Lovecraft at the time, straight, though most of you could writing a comment. learned from Don that Lovecraft was not care less, with respect to Steve greatly upset by the cuts that Tre­ 'All thanks for the continuing Brown's well-meant corrections of maine had made and considered the excerpts from "The Engines of the Elton Elliott's news item about me. story as still unpublished. Later, Night". While I have long admired others told me that the deletions 'John Hammond told me he was go­ Barry N. Malzberg's skill as a writ­ didn't amount to very much. ing to sign me, but he told me it er (no small matter in these semi­ would take a few months, as he was illiterate days!) I haven't seen 'I reread it, of course, when in the process of legalizing his new much by him wherein the subject mat­ the Arkham House volume reprinting record company, arranging backing ter was of much interest to me. came out, and couldn't see much dif­ and so forth. A few months after my (That is my failing, not his!) The ference. By then, I no longer had meeting with him I wrote and said, present material is a glorious excep­ those copies of ASTOUNDING STORIES "Well?" and he replied, "I believe tion, and I shall be looking forward (February, March, April, 1936) so in you and I will not forsake you". to the book's appearance. Here is there was no way of comparing and Oddly Biblical style. But still no something I can reread with growing seeing for myself. And when I final­ contract. So I got fed up and ac­ appreciation. ly had both versions on hand, a men­ cepted a contract from Jean Luc Bes­ tal note to do it got mislaid. 'There is, however, one slight son, enslaving myself for three years error: he mentions Fred Pohl having 'Until this last weekend, when to Dorian Records, a French produc­ persuaded Damon Knight to come East, I took out the magazines, and the tion company. The first lp will be back in the 40s. Now, it may be Arkham House version and made a quick on the Dorian label, distributed in that Fred did have a part in that, scan. By a "quick scan" I mean a the USA by Celluloid Records. Dor­ but it was Don Wollheim, John B. Mich sentence-by-sentence comparison, ian is a successful European label; el and myself who did the main work, checking both the openings and the we are their first American band. offering Damon a berth in one of endings of each sentence, and get­ The band is called "Obsession". our Futurian apartments where he ting the feel of the length of the 'I have, Steve, have sold CEL­ could be among friends and colleag­ sentences. In that way, if any sen­ LARS. To Avon. Long ago. The book ues at a minimum of expense while he tences are missing. I'll catch them; is complete. Steve gives the impres­ made his way into the business. (He if the first or second half of a sion that I ladled everything nasty started out as an illustrator but long sentence has been cut, or a big and twisted I could think of onto was writing fiction not long after.) chunk taken out of the middle, I'd the narrative, but no, no, the book Damon, John and I shared quarters in notice. But I wouldn't necessarily is more artfully put together than a large apartment on West 103rd notice tiny cuts within sentences. that. Street, near Columbus Avenue, from the summer of 1941, right after the 'Now and then in the process, I 'It's true, however, that there Denver Convention, to some time in couldn't help noticing that Tremaine are some scenes which were so ... 1942 when that particular arrange­ had, at times, changed words and well, so horrifying to me that I had ment broke up. punctuation, deleted words, or added to get up from the typewriter and words. That happened often enough retch -- this actually happened twice 'The other item is Darrell Sch­ to satisfy me that a word-by-word before I completed them. No, wise weitzer's brief but pointed essay on comparison (which I wouldn't make un­ guys, I was not retching at the qual­ "aborted beginnings" in horror fic­ less handsomely paid to do it!) would ity of the writing. ..CELLARS is to tion. That hits the nail squarely, show many more instances. be my last paperback original. No I'd say -- and I'm by no means sure more for me. They disappear from that some of my own early attempts 'Yes, there are cuts. Here's a the racks like a puff of smoke in at horror fiction, heavily under list of them: the wind from the supermarket's auto­ HPL's influence as they were, didn't 'I didn't notice anything except matic sliding door. I am writing no have the same fault. I'm sure that changes as described above in the SF, but after I finish the "main­ some of the unpublished ones did, first installment. It became dif­ stream" novel I am currently writing anyway. ferent when I came to Chapter IX, I may do another borderline fantasy. 38 which opens the second installment. 'Chapter IX: sentence cut, read H.P. Lovecraft's other stories ial" and are not wanted by editors followed by 2 sentences omitted en­ and built up a cooperative reaction or readers. tirely. That was all I noticed in to such buzz words, just as -- to ((The fast scene, the direct, to- the second installment and I wonder­ use the same parallel that Schweit­ the-point dialog, the sketchy char­ ed if that was what all the shout­ zer does -- Ezra Pound drops in a acterization and background-- are ing was about. Then, of course, we word or phrase in the final cantos easier to write, and I imagine re­ come to the final installment. which is supposed to do the work of quire less genuine writing talent the details he has presented in the and merely more technical skills. 'Chapter IX: Five sentences de­ earlier ones. Well, as I know from ((Would Lovecraft be published leted. Chapter X: sentence cut; my own experience, you can get a lot today...as an unknown? four sentences omitted, sentence of mileage that way providing that ((Thanks for writing, Bob, and cut, another omitted. your reader is well-trained and eag­ for making the distinctions and ob­ 'Chapter XI: Five sentences cut, er to play the game.) servations in your letter. We don’t the last part of one paragraph and hear from you often enough.)) 'I haven't the stomach to compare the opening of the next; four sent­ the ASTOUNDING version of "The Shad­ ences deleted; one sentence cut; ow Out of Time" with the Arkham House sentence cut, \ sentence cut; one version, but I think it reasonable sentence cut; one sentence cut, etc. to assume the same sort of mistreat­ At that point, I stopped noting as CANNED MEA T ment in the magazine version. we were practically at the end -- A SCIENCE FICTION NOVEL there were a couple more instances, 'Obviously, Tremaine's excuse BY RICHARD E. GEIS however. But we had enough to know for the reparagraphing would be that Life in a computer-run domed where we stand. not breaking them up would have re­ city and the failing civiliza­ sulted in innumerable column-long 'If all the cut sentences and tion of which it is a part. (or nearly column-long) blocks of the deleted sentences were restored, type what would make it difficult the ASTOUNDING version would have Roi and Eelia, two young citi­ for the average pulp-magazine reader been about one page longer -- or a zens of the dome, two children to wade through. I can see some of Great Mother Computer, meet little over one page, but surely not sense in dividing some of the longest and experiment with forbidden two pages. paragraphs into two -- but not the sex. 'No: you really cannot call that deadly succession of tiny ones that Covers by Bruce Conklin version abridged. you find in the magazine edition. So, all in all, Lovecraft had sound 'However, that plus the little $4. reason to feel that his story had word changes, punctuation changes, been ruined in publication. I my­ breaking long sentences into shorter Order from: self, didn't see anything terribly ones, were surely enough to annoy Science Fiction Review wrong when I first read it in 1936, any author. I read such passages POB 11408 although I never did like nothing word for word and could not find any Portland, OR 97211 but short paragraphs; the mood and instances where the word changes imagery of the tale does come through seemed to be an improvement. Some in spite of it all -- and, of course, of them were harmless enough, but in there were many complaints about H.P. quite a number of instances the sub­ Lovecraft's verbosity and slow-mo- stitutions were less good. motion, even so. CONSPIRACY 'We know that Lovecraft did not 'Whether skilled cutting would approve of editorial "emendations", NEWSLETTER improve the story remains moot. The as he put it, and those word-changes fault Schweitzer refers to would were exactly what he was talking still be there, and it might be that about. However, there is something Stories in #3: it just wouldn't work at all if the much worse: the paragraphing. H.P. NEW WAR STRATEGY excesses were trimmed off. In his Lovecraft's paragraphs tend to be FOREIGN BUGS book, THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION, long, although not all of them go to DIAMONDS ARE FOR DUMPING 1926-1976, Lester del Rey mentions great length. What Tremaine did was POLAND APPEARS DOOMED trying to rewrite "The Skylark of mechanically to break up al 1 of the ISRAEL, IRAQ, SYRIA AND Space", eliminating E.E. Smith's longish paragraphs into several THE WHOLE BLOODY MESS, characteristic literary faults and short ones. Lovecraft's effective PART II found that it didn't make a better and well-thought-out paragraphing is HOW DO YOU CENSOR CABLE? story; it just turned a flawed but gone entirely and we are left with PLAYING THE CHINA CARD exciting tale into a dull one.' the inept type of paragraphing which NEW TECHNOLOGY NOTES one finds in the Warner Van Lome THE PRIVATE VS. THE PUB­ stories. LIC MORALITY ((I suspect Lovecraft may be now in OIL, OIL, WHO NEEDS OIL? the AmericanLit. textbooks-- stuff­ 'That is a real atrocity, far COPPER, COPPER, WHO NEEDS ed and erect, on display-- with the more damaging to the story than COPPER? result that no one will read him a- the finicky emendations, the cuts TRICKLE-DOWN OPINION: SIG­ gain except under forced assignment and deletions. (None of the cuts NALS FROM ON HIGH in college or high school. or deletions deprive the reader of THE ECONOMY WITHERS ((I suspect TV and movies have any significant or necessary inform­ trained generations of readers to ation; in most instances, what we Sample $1. -- $10 Yr. expect and demand the quick scene, have lost has been a repetition or the sharp climax, the snappy dialog, yet another reference to one of H.P. Send to: the swift background setting. CONSPIRACY NEWSLETTER Lovecraft's weird locals -- Leng, ((The slow, Victorian style of etc. -- the very mention of which is P.O. Box 11408 writing, the indirection, the gentle Portland, OR 97211 supposed to bring a shudder to the revelation.. .these are not "corrmerc- reader. The difficulty with that is that the reader is supposed to have 39 OTHER UOICES

THE BREAKING OF NORTHWALL BACK. The various methods of anima­ tion, rotoscoping, bluescreening and By Paul 0. Williams other complicated production techni­ Ballantine/Del Rey, 1980, 280 pp. ques are discussed and behind-the- $2.25 scenes insights given into the en­ REVIEWED BY DEAN R. LAMBE tire cinematic procedure. A thousand years after the "time The large-size softcover meas­ of fire" laid waste to the North Am­ ures a whopping 9" x 12” and costs erican continent, Jestak of the Pel- a hefty $15.95 ($18.95 in Canada). bar people becomes the key figure in The book contains countless color the slow return of unified civiliza­ matte paintings, production sketches, tion. The conservative Pelbar live stills and photographs. Recommended in walled city-states on the upper for the STAR WARS and THE EMPIRE reaches of the Heart (Mississippi) STRIKES BACK enthusiast. River, and conduct an uneasy trade ************************************ Whether he is telling us of the with surrounding nomadic tribes, bold knight Gundegar, who loved to the Sentani and the Shimai. When kill and was eventually slain by a young Jestak returns two years late dragon during the Dark Ages, or of from a mission to fabled Eastern TOWERS AT THE EDGE OF A WORLD the monks who succumbed to the Black cities, he is punished by his own By Virgil Burnett Death (all but Gerardus, the contem­ city and sent to Northwall. Sima St. Martin's Press, NY, 208 pp. plative copyist of the Bible), of Pall, Protector of Northwall, ex­ Lady Constance and her high-bom tracts Jestak's amazing story of REVIEWED BY DOUGLAS BARBOUR lover, who used to dance on the contact with unknown tribes, and -- heads of rats, killing them in the for devious political reasons -- TOWERS AT THE EDGE OF A WORLD is midst of their pleasures, or of Djaa Sima approves Jestak's odyssey of a truly marvelous book as well as a the Amazon from the Orient who weld­ peace and unification among the Mid­ book of the truly marvelous. Al­ ed together an army of women to raid dle American tribes. Jestak has a though he has published stories in and plunder in the valley, of the more personal goal in his search for such varied places as HARPER'S, modem artist Vliet, who dies in ec­ an enslaved Shumai woman, but when CHICAGO REVIEW, TRIQUARTERLY and stasy in Fausta's embrace or the Jestak and his new allies return to PENTHOUSE, Virgil Burnett will not American woman Julie, who slips off Northwall, they find the near-impreg­ be known to most readers of SF ? F. to make mad love to a circus clown nable city under attack. A professor of Fine Arts at the Uni­ almost under her husband's eyes, versity of Waterloo in Ontario, he While a very ambitious exercise Burnett presents his tales in a has, it is obvious, waited to give in speculative anthropology, a "the prose so pure they take on an almost us his first book until he honed his times make the man" future history, iconographic perfection. Indeed, craft to the finest edge possible. this novel fails to convince. The they remind me of nothing so much oft-turgid prose, especially in the Subtitled "Tales of a Medieval as X-rated Grimm's Fairy Tales. battle scenes, does not convey much Town", TOWERS AT THE EDGE OF A WORLD sense of action. The tribe that re­ is a series of exquisite formalist It should be obvious by now discovers gunpowder seems an unlike­ fables set in a universe just slight­ that the women of Montamis are pow­ ly choice, and the disparity of ly askew from the historical Europe erful, indeed. Like Kali, they are weaponry among neighboring tribes we know. Montamis, a "high town mysterious and potent creatures who does not fit well with preserved in some fantasy France", becomes dance the eternal dance of creation English literacy. Perhaps Williams the central character of this chron­ and destruction around their men. has modeled this emergence from a icle much as the castle of Gormen- The men seldom escape unscathed. second Dark Ages too closely on the ghast does in Mervyn Peake's great Gerardus is one of the few men who first such period, and in so doing trilogy. Each individual story does and he lives entirely apart he has combined too many historical comes from a particular time in Mon­ from women. The rest of the men eras in far too short a time. tands' s history, from the Dark Ages tend to come to bad ends, partly be­ *******************************A**** to the present day; only the town, cause they are in love with brute always changing but somehow always power, while the women survive and the same, on top of the plateau even increase in power. For one where its buildings accumulate and thing, they know and acknowledge the crumble through the ages, remains THE ART OF THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK power of sex for what it is and do the still centre from which a var­ not, as the men so often do, try to Edited by Deborah Call, Text by iety of strange individuals emerge turn it into other realms, like war Vic Bulluck and Valerie Hoffman to shine briefly before fading into or politics or even art. Ballantine, $15.95 ($18.95 in Canada) the eternal dark. Montamis only 176 pp., 1981, Illustrated exists, then, in the writer's imag­ TOWERS AT THE EDGE OF A WORLD ination, but ah, with what authority is not your average fantasy. In REVIEWED BY JOTO DIPRETE do its history and legends come to their pristine stylishness and their life there.' And it is a long hist­ moods of mixed violence and eroti­ This is a fascinating look at ory, full of legends. cism, these tales are archetypically the world of special effects from decadent. There's a touch of what George Lucas' THE EMPIRE STRIKES 40 Gene Wolfe achieved in THE DEVIL IN THE FOREST, and I believe Wolfe would prose), and characters change and really enjoy this book. Like Burn­ develop interestingly. A moral re­ ett's exquisitely alluring and alization, and tragic denouement, frightening illustrations to each mark this tale, but there's no real tale (which are both uniquely his story -- just trite dialogue and and reminiscent of the flavour of scarce, tacked-on action. Aubrey Beardsley's drawings, and Simak's "Good Night, Mr. James" which any SF illustrator could pond­ features a cyclonic set of circum­ er and learn much from), they insist stances -- involving elements of upon their own inviolable "reality". stealth, cunning and trickery, and Brilliantly focused dreams, they a man-alien "cat and mouse" chase. are "about" nothing; their rich Smooth reading, sharp description, oneiric textures are their own ex­ along with suspense and other ingred­ cuse. ients stir up this thriller of death Do not read TOWERS AT THE EDGE and darkness. Simak's aliens, known OF A WORLD if your idea of fantasy as puudlies, display a nicely-etched, you're an incurable collector, and is Conan the Barbarian, but it you alien feel; the creatures' down-home you'll love this book. If not, con­ enjoy fine writing, superb observa­ creepiness and racial consciousness sider yourself (and your pocketbook) tion, ritualistic and mythic over­ exceed our own psychotic natures. lucky and get the book anyway. Even tones, and the cool and cutting play As a matter of survival, they repell, non-collectors will get a kick out of irony Michael Moorcock mastered attack and out-trick the Enemy by a of photo-tripping through the '30s in GLORIANA, I predict you will find kind of emotional skunk-scent. and '40s, when less than a dollar Virgil Burnett's book a rare delight. Strangely inspiring. Characteriza­ (or a few Cream of Wheat labels) Oscar Wilde would have loved this tion lacks here -- unless a duplicate could buy a wonderfully well-made, book, I think; I know I do. who is literally bom yesterday, and all-metal toy. These same toys, if ************************************ whose destiny is cloned, qualifies well-kept, now bring hundreds at auc­ as a real character. The story en­ tions. This book is not a price tertains, however. guide, but on the last page, the auth­ Although several reprints includ­ or notes that a fairly ordinary tin THE ANDROIDS ARE COMING ed here may be dated, or juvenile, astronaut from the '50s recently sold Edited by Robert Wilverberg or simply ill-done, none are total for $1,050. (If only your mom had Elsevier/Nelson, 183 pp., 1980, $7.95 failures -- about half or so actual­ not tossed out that Official Tom Cor­ REVIEWED BY JOHN DIPRETE ly sparkle. The volume seems a safe, bett Space Gun when you left for col­ adventuresome sport for juveniles, lege .) This seven-author android anth­ and well-written and pretty average In the '50s and '60s when U.S. ology, edited by Robert Silverberg, for grown-ups. Also, if you're new manufacturers had shifted to plastic, features such stories as the clas- to SF, it's a safe bet. Japanese toy-makers were turning tin sic; "Fondly Fahrenheit" by Alfred ************************************ cans discarded by American occupation Bester --an exciting, crazy and forces into some of the most imagin­ fast-paced yam, originally a selec­ ative (and comical!) robots and space tion from THE SCIENCE FICTION HALL vehicles of all. There were robots OF FAME (Volume One). It's a tale STARLOG PHOTO GUIDEBOOK TO SCIENCE FICTION TOYS & MODELS, VOLUME I that smoked, laughed, drove tractors, of psychotic android antics, furious­ or showed moving pictures in their ly action-packed, a madcap blend of By Stephen J. Sansweet chests -- all with flashing lights various insanities. Starlog Press, NY, 1980 and annoying sounds. Today, Japan, 32 pages plus covers, $3.95, paper The volume's first tale, "The too, has gone plastic, leaving Main­ Captain's Dog", by E.C. Tubb (1958) REVIEWED BY SUE BECKMAN land China to carry on the mostly- hasn't aged well, as the soggy metal space toys characteristic of theme, "Androids are People, Too" If your heart skips a beat at the '50s. indicates. A talky, juvenile and the sight of a 1936 mint-condition The first half of the book cov­ maudlin melodrama, the plot is prac­ Buck Rogers XZ-44 Liquid Helium Wat­ ers toys with movie or television tically nil, but, on the plus side, er Pistol, and if you'd sell your tie-ins: Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, E.C. Tubb writes deftly (stylistic soul for a Robby the Robot battery- Captain Video ("Master of Space! He­ tendrils of description energize his powered Space Patrol Vehicle, then ro of Science! Captain of the Video Rangers!" -- remember?), LOST IN SPACE, STAR TREK, STAR WARS and many others. The second half presents toys manufactured in response to the general increase of interest in space, AND FROM HENCEFORTH robots and UFOs after 1950. There are small sections on Mattel and Dis­ You and yours ujil-l live- ney and fifteen pages on "Japan: The (KJ REALTIME FOFEVeKT Golden Age of Space Toys". Clear photos by Steve Essig con­ stitute well over half the book, with at least one color shot per page. The text is informative and quite entertaining. The lengthy captions give important and some­ times humorous details about each toy's design, operation or packaging.

41 ************************************ TFE SCIENCE FICTIONARY new volume is about three tiroes as long. It contains fiction stories By Ed Naha ... nonfiction articles not avail­ Lspeculative fiction is, the -- although, for 388 pages, it seems al levels of Americans are deterior­ meaning of truth, travels in the So­ a little overpriced. Still, recom­ ating. viet Union, the wonders of world mended. tours and he explains exactly why he ************************************ I can't write about all he writes "1) sees the slums and 2) evaluates about. But among the early stories the diet" of the countries he and are: "Life Line" (1939), "Blowups his wife visit. Happen" (1940); later, "Free Men" I would have expected and enjoy­ (1966) and "Nothing Ever Happens On EXPANDED UNIVERSE ed more autobiography and less preach­ the Moon" (1976) . ing; nonetheless, read EXPANDED UNI­ By Robert A. Heinlein VERSE and have your consciousness Ace Books, 1981, 582 pp., $8.95 Heinlein explains that he wrote almost entirely for money --to pay . . . expanded. REVIEWED BY ANDREW ANDREWS off a mortgage, to spend and save ************************************ Hallmarks of the genre, Robert A. Heinlein's science fiction novels, anthologies and non-fiction articles deal with everything from 1776-like space revolutions (THE MOON IS A HARSH MISTRESS, 1966) to future re­ ligious cults (STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND, 1961) to a new collection which enlarges your horizons while broadening your beliefs about man's present and future. This 1974 Neb­ ula Grand Master has connected his 1966 anthology, THE WORLDS OF ROB­ ERT A. HEINLEIN to never-before-pub­ lished fiction and fact, a compila­ tion as close to an autobiography as he'll probably ever come. In his foreword to EXPANDED UNI­ VERSE, Heinlein explains that "this 42 THE PHARQH'S GHOST tide's FOOL and THE TIfE OF TERROR By Grant Carrington By Kenneth Robeson Doubleday, c. 1981, 180 pp., $9.95. Bantam, $1.95, paperback REVIEWED BY STEVE LEWIS REVIEWED BY GENE DE WEESE A one-line synopsis of this book In case anyone didn't know, Ban­ would not be difficult at all. Try tam is still working its way through this on for size: Here's the story the old Doc Savage pulps. They're of a famous, world-acclaimed musi­ up to 101 and 102 in this volume, so cian as he tries to come to grips there are lots more to go. Obvious­ with life in the spotlight. ly Doc isn't great literature, but he's fun once in a while and the nov­ Of course, you know there's more els are certainly superior to the to it than that, but even though campy Ron Ely movie of a few years Doubleday's selling the book as sci­ ago. ence fiction, it takes a while to see exactly why. For all that it ************************************ takes place in a future 500 years from now, and for all that the mus­ ician Garcia's instrument, called KINDRED an autar, is both computer-assisted By Octavia E. Butler and computer-accompanied, his world inspiring about the literature of Pocket Books, $2.75, Paperback and his concerns both seem very science fiction to lead people into largely unchanged from those of to­ such daring attempts to touch other REVIEWED BY GENE DE WEESE day. peoples' fantasies? A young black woman, a writer, Until, that is, Garcia is offer­ No more wondering; here it is finds herself unwillingly transport­ ed a chance at immortality. The written. Nine fantastic lives are ed, not once but several times, back real thing. There is a secret oper­ written down for us to learn why. to the slave state of Maryland in ation, privately developed and per­ Inside, Harlan Ellison tells how the early 1800s. Though only a few fected and only the world's most his most famous SF story, "I Have No hours or days may pass between trips, wealthy and influential people are Mouth and I Must Scream" was created she finds that on the plantation on given the chance to undergo it. from a Bill Rotsler quote and a Den­ which she appears each time, many nis Smith illustration . . . and why years have passed. She is apparent­ For long-time science fiction he detests critics. Also, Philip ly being unwittingly "called" there readers, if it sounds as though you Jose Fanner poses tongue-in-cheek by one of her own ancestors, the son have read all of this before, you scenarios to describe his life from of a white slave owner, whenever his probably have. The problems that birth until 1952, and the real style life is threatened. would arise from the ability of the of life back then ... I think . . . The story depicts her growing re­ world's population to live forever and, of course, his writings. R.A. lationship with the boy -- later a are well documented in the field of Lafferty's incisive "The Case of the young man --as she repeatedly ap­ SF, and Carrington's version of it Moth-Eaten Magician" is inspiring and pears mysteriously to save his life. is told in a deceptively simple, informative, but says so little about The book is at its most powerful, sparse style that stands the danger "R.A." himself -- it's more about however, in its portrait of an inde­ of being mistaken as hopelessly shal­ "S.F." And there is more point in pendent and intelligent black woman low. "The Expanding Mind", Katherine Mac- Lean's story as a young girl, when from the 1970s adapting and surviv­ But what Carrington does succeed ing for months or years at a time in she thirsted for the future by read­ in doing, if you'll give him the ing science fiction. How she is a slave society where even her white chance, is the slowly-developed dis­ husband, who was inadvertently trans­ "convinced that fiction is the major section of the art, the feelings and educator of all civilizations" and ported with her at one point, must the emotional triumph of the accomp­ pose as her owner. This is not the how it fired her mind into selling lished stage performer. It's a fiction. type of SF I normally enjoy, but But­ heady experience and in the end, it ler's heroine is so well drawn, sym­ rings true. It's in this sense that Barry N. Malzberg writes about pathetic and courageous and the story the book becomes an event worth the life crises and other such personal so gripping and suspenseful that I reading. conflicts "Down Here in the Dream literally couldn't put it down and ************************************ Quarter" with his "... And a finished it in a single evening. Chaser". It examines his connections, ************************************ if any, with SF. There is much depth to his explanations on why he reads FANTASTIC LIVES; AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL and writes speculative literature ESSAYS BY NOTABLE SCIENCE FICTION ("speculative literature" is the WRITERS best alternative title to the child­ Edited by Martin H. Greenberg ish "science fiction" I've ever Southern Illinois University Press heard) . . . about ambition and the 1981, 215 pp., $15.00 real, hard pains of science fiction REVIEWED BY ANDREW ANDREWS writing, and why he finally wants to be able to leave the field. For What drives talents such as Har­ good. lan Ellison, Philip Jose Farmer, R. Mack Reynolds' "Science Fiction A. Lafferty, Katherine Maclean and and Socioeconomics" is speculation others to write fantastic stories? about the political and social frame­ To create unique worlds inhabited by works of SF and how such speculation unique characters? What is so awe- is connected on a deep level with 43 technology. The essay also tells of his involvement in political-social my areas of interest. NOVELS a few years back, but is pre­ groups that support speculation about *********************************** sented here with Dickson's original the future. and preferred title. The maiden is, Other authors and their autobio­ of course, Nessie. graphical essays include Margaret LOVE NOT HUMAN "The Breaking of Jerry McCloud" St. Clair ("Wight in Space: An Auto­ By Gordon R. Dickson is the only story of any great worth biographical Sketch"); the market­ Ace Books, 1981, 249 pages that has not been published in book place of SF in Norman Spinrad's "A form before. In it we find a man Prince From Another Land", and fin­ REVIEWED BY CLIFFORD R. MCMURRAY who sets out to hunt an alien bear­ ally, a self-evident self-portrait like creature and its mate for the by A.E. van Vogt, "My Life Was My A little less than half the sake of money to buy passage from Best Science Fiction Story". stories in this latest Dickson col­ Earth for his bride. Jerry McCloud lection have been published in pre­ learns that his quarry has something At the end of each autobiography vious collections, and the rest are is the author's bibliography and a to teach him about the dimensions for the most part trivial. But, of love. listing of story collections. gee, it has a pretty cover ... There is a preface to the col­ All the stories are tied in one One should not be too hard on lection, and the package is worth way or another to the theme expres­ the fillers, at least not in their every serious researcher's time. sed in the title: love as a univers­ original places of publication. They Libraries with SF and fantasy col­ al emotion. Far and away the best were written, most of them, in a per­ lections and readers, if they can is "Black Charlie", a tale so sad iod when the pulps were ravenous for afford to do so, should buy a copy. it never fails to bring tears to material from anyone who had any ta­ ************************************ the eyes of a number of people I lent at all, and they are part of a know -- including myself --no mat­ flood of stories from the typewriter ter how often it is read. It is of a fledgling artist who was living the archetypical story of the vis­ on peanut butter and stale bread and UPBUILDING ionary artist who is hated and mis­ writing short stories as fast as he By David Macaulay understood and eventually destroyed could to keep from starving. by his own people. In this case Houghton Mifflin, 1980, 80 pp.,$9.95 ************************************ ISBN: 0-395-29457-6. the artist is a swanp-dwelling intel­ Order from Houghton Mifflin Company, ligent otter and the love he pours 2 Park St., Boston, MA 02107 . into his work earns a place for his sculptures among humans after his THE ILLUMINATI PAPERS REVIEWED BY FREDERICK PATTEN death. This beautiful piece later went through a drastic metamorphosis By Robert Anton Wilson And/Or Press, Box 2246, Berkeley, UPBUILDING is a straight-faced, to emerge as the equally excellent CA, 94702. popularized technical report on the children's novel ALIEN ART. disassembly of the Empire State Build­ Large-sized paperback, 150 pp., $7.95 "The Christmas Present" is an­ ing after its purchase in 1989 by rich REVIEWED BY NEAL WILGUS oil sheiks, and its shipment to Saudi other finely crafted piece, about a young earth colonist's present to Arabia for reconstruction there. It THE ILLUMINATI PAPERS is to COS­ his alien friend -- and the alien's reads like a satire that might have MIC TRIGGER what SCHRODINGER'S CAT present for him. It is a poignant been written for FORTUNE, BUSINESS was to ILLUMINATUS! That is to say, WEEK or whatever the appropriate example of the communications gap humans will find when th^r encounter these PAPERS are a kind of restate­ trade magazine for the building con­ ment and sunuiarization of what has alien intelligences, as only Dickson struction industry might be. There's gone before, some variations on the can tell it. Communication is also a bit of dry wit directed at the ec­ themes, some footnotes and addendum. an important element in "The Monster onomic control of the U.S. by Middle Retrenchment, but no new ground taken East oil money, but the primary em­ and the Maiden", a genuinely realis­ phasis of the book is on the techni­ tic look at what kind of creature Nevertheless, some of Wilson's cal aspects of the dismantling of the Loch Ness Monster may be. This best work is included here. Reprint­ the Empire State Building. story was published as "The Mortal ed from a variety of sources, the and the Monster" in STELLAR SHORT PAPERS include articles and essays, My interest in building construc­ tion 8 demolition is so slight that I skimmed much of the text, brief though it is, and concentrated on admiring Macaulay's architectural draftsmanship. The book is designed to be comprehensible to the uninform­ ed layman, but even so, its most ap­ preciative audience is likely to be those with some appropriate back­ ground -- college engineering stu­ dents, maybe. However, UNBUILDING is absolutely convincing as realistic fiction. That is, it left me with a feeling that, farfetched as it is, it would really be possible with to­ day's technology to take apart the Empire State Building in such a way rEAV 'HAT- IVE FtAPTHAT. TvE READ THAT Ivt READ. that it could be restored elsewhere; T. Ivt READ THAT TVE READ THAT Tit READ THAT TVE R and that is how it would be done. UNBUILDING is an extremely clever ------JAPEP REAPER’ and unique book. I can appreciate a masterpiece even when it's not in 44 poetry, a series of short "items" THE SPINNER Dan makes friends with Joe Stanton, designed to jolt you into shocked By Doris Piserchia a local tour guide and taxi driver recognition -- and even parts of in­ DAW Books, 1980, $1.95 who shows him about and offers to terviews from SF REVIEW and CONSPIR­ take him to meet some real gypsies ACY DIGEST. REVIEWED BY ELTON T. ELLIOTT when the latter set up camp near town. But Dan soon realizes that Probably the best item included The blurb on the back of this Joe has a hidden reason for introduc­ is "Celine's Laws", not previously novel says you won't be able to put ing him to Ambrose Faw's gypsy clan published, which is credited to Hag- it down. Well, for once a blurb is and that this may or may not be con­ bard Celine, one of Wilson's many correct. I sat up till three-thirty nected to a secret of the Faws' own. fictional alter-egos (i.e., charac­ in the morning reading this book. ters from ILLUMINATUS! and CAT). It is a spellbinder. By the volume's end the only Celine's laws are funny and insight­ things that Dan (and the reader) ful as Wilson always is at his best As the novel opens, a crazed feel fairly sure of are that one of genius has constructed a machine and might have challenged PARKINSON'S the mysteries has been revealed (but LAW or THE PETER PRINCIPLE if he had which penetrates into an alternate not solved), and that some of them developed the ideas to book length. universe. The object is to find oil are definitely caused by supernatur­ Even in a short essay the laws are or other sources of energy for an al agents from York's Roman past. Earth burdened down by scarcity and real classics of libertarian satire Whether the mysteries are innocuous an aging population. The machine in which would put the state out of bus­ or dangerous, whether the supernatur­ iness tomorrow if they were univer­ its explorations uncovers an alien. al elements are psychic natural forc­ sally understood. The alien, which is malevolent, then es or individual ghosts deliberately invades our world. seeking him, whether his human com­ This is standard Wilson fare: The rest of THE SPINNER shows panies mean him good or ill, whether the Illuminati, anarcho-libertarian- us snippets of this future Earth, the puzzles are actually connected ism, Bell's Theorem, Discordian soc­ and the efforts to destroy the invad­ or whether they will remain separate, iobiology, Tim Leary's SMI^LE, pag­ ing alien. The alien spins webs are questions still to be answered. anism and the occult, all of the which devour any human unfortunate above. If you haven't read Wilson enough to be caught in them. There Naylor has done a fine job of es­ before, this is a good sanpier; if is one human, however, who is quick tablishing a mood of eerie suspense you have, and like it, here's a small enough to try to destroy the alien. and of building a complex plot in bonanza, a Wilson windfall. And un­ which all the elements remain clear­ til the next volume of SCHRODINGER'S An enjoyable tale, THE SPINNER ly distinct. Dan is a well-develop­ CAT appears, it will have to do. nevertheless moves too fast in the ed personality, but most of the oth­ opening scenes, where a gradual un­ er characters are still bundles of folding of the incredible danger the hidden motives at this point. (They alien poses to humanity would have seem genuinely friendly towards Dan, had more inpact. but with secret problems so desper­ Such minor quibbles aside, THE ate that they're prepared to sacri­ SPINNER is a quick, exciting tale of fice him if necessary.) There's alien terror. And I guarantee you, some brief action at the end of the after you've finished this book you book, but not a real climax. Basic­ won't look at a spider web quite the ally, SHADOWS ON THE WALL is merely same way for some time. the scene-setting first third of a ************************************ novel. If the other two volumes de­ liver on the promise of this one, "The York Trilogy" will be a defin­ ite must-read. However, unless you SHADOWS ON THE WALL like serials, you'd best wait for By Phyllis Reynolds Naylor the other two volumes to become a- Order from: Atneneum Books, 597 vailable before you start this first Fifth Ave., NY, NY, 10017. one. 1980, 165 pp., $8.95 ************************************ ISBN: 0-689-30785-3. REVIEWED BY FREDERICK PATTEN AFTER DARK SHADOWS ON THE WALL is a compel­ By Manly Wade Wellman ling but bewildering melange of mys­ Doubleday, 1980, Hardcover, $8.95 teries. Dan Roberts is an American 184 pp. teenager vacationing in York, Eng­ ISBN: 0-385-15604-9 land with his parents. Dan spends REVIEWED BY JAPES J.J. WILSON most of his time visiting the histor­ ical sites in town while his parents Manly Wade Wellman has been pub­ are sightseeing in the nearby country­ lishing since the early thirties and side. But Dan is worried. Why had is one of the best known of the non- his parents interrupted their routine traditional SF/fantasy writers. One lives to take this vacation right of the strangest series in the genre now? Why do they seem so worried, is Wellman's "John the Minstrel" or and what is the real reason for their "Silver John" stories published in trips without him? Dan himself, F6SF in the sixties and actually be­ while visiting the Roman ruins in ginning as the "John Thunstone" ser­ the city, becomes overwhelmed by ies in WEIRD TALES in the early fort­ such inexplicable moods of dread that ies. The only true novels in the he begins doubting his own sanity. series are THE OLD GODS WAKEN and 45 AFTER DARK. issue guest-edited by David Hartwell stellar travel, black holes and the and Robert Onopa, featuring contrib­ whole bit to dramatize a speculation utions from some of the leading fig­ on the nature of identity. The ques­ ures in the field. Such an academi­ tion isn't resolved completely but cally-oriented anthology opens it­ the characters are interesting, the self to more severe scrutiny than plot novel and there are a couple of your average issue of ANALOG, but neat technological gimmicks for even so, TRIQUARTERLY 49 holds up those who collect such things. I fairly well. wonder, though, how the traditional academic community will react to Algis Budrys' extensive critical such uncompromisingly technophilic introduction, "Paradise Charted", is material. an interesting and accurate sumnary of the history of the field up to Ursula LeGuin adds a cachet of about 1960, but the events thereaft­ respectability and little else with er are barely sketched in. Presum­ "The White Donkey", a quiet and very ably this journal itself is intend­ ordinary virgin-and-unicom vignette. ed to represent the recent develop­ But the real show-stealer (as it ments in the art. The essay is fol­ were) is Thomas Disch's "The Pressure lowed by Tom (as opposed to Thomas of Time", revised and expanded from M.) Disch's poem "On Science Fict­ its first appearance in ORBIT 7 ion". Something of a rebuttal to (1970) and taken from the forthcom­ John Varley's "The Persistence of ing novel of the same name. Disch is Vision", it compares SF readers to exploring questions of death and im­ These stories are written in an paraplegics and is guaranteed to of­ mortality here, effectively and with intriguing, back-woods dialect, ap­ fend every fan who reads it. propriate to the setting. Silver sensitivity, using as his premise John is a man whose only possessions The fiction begins unpromisingly the farfetched notion of a plague in are the clothes on his back and the with an excerpt from Ian MacMillan's the next century that has left most silver-strung guitar he carries and SMALL NUTATIONS, yet another post­ of humanity immortal, save for a plays to earn occasional friends. catastrophe novel. The disaster small minority of genetically-domin- here is a series of fungus mutations ant mortals. Emma Rosetti, the sto­ In AFTER DARK John comes across , that cause worldwide crop failure ry's Irish Catholic protagonist, a settlement of a race of people and famine. In the 36-page excerpt must grapple with her God and her known as "Shonokins". These people a group of forgettable characters own mortality, even while those ar­ supposedly evolved from a different journey across a devastated American ound her seem to have attained Heav­ form of animal long before man but interior and encounter a community en on Earth. That she is an active were driven from their land by the of cannibalistic religious fanatics. and decisive character is what saves Indians. Now, they want to use leg­ Ho-hum. "The Pressure of Time" from the ted­ al and other means to get their coun­ ium that marked Disch's recent ON try back. The peculiarities about Things improve with Gene Wolfe's WINGS OF SONG; Disch here and in oth­ Shonokins are that their middle fing­ story "In Looking-Glass Castle", a er stories with this background, has ers are shorter than the third, their beautifully-written character study shown every sign of surpassing his eyes and life-styles are nocturnal set in Florida after the women have masterpiece, 334 -- heretofore the and they are deathly afraid of their taken over and banished or disposed most sophisticated novel in the field of almost all the men. This trendy own dead. They also seem to dabble -- and in fact is quietly reshaping in ancient black magic. material is handled with imagination contemporary SF. and excellent pacing -- the only The story of the novel is how problem is, it stops dead about a It is "The Pressure of Time" as John and a local landowner defeat third (half?) of the way into the well as the works by Swanwick, Wolfe this particular group of Shonokins. story.. This too appears to be an ex­ The uniqueness is due to Wellman's cerpt, though not packaged as such. back-woods dialect and the rustic charm of his characters. AFTER DARK The section from Samuel Delany's is a welcome addition to the "Silver STARS IN MY POCKETS LIKE GRAINS OF SOMP5ISA1 Aut> ?ANPSrCH(SM John" series and a perfect book to SAND (a title which must go) consists IS ACTVALL-Y TPE-TTY curl up with on a stormy night. of two people talking at each other FIRM, MY TROSLPM IS **************** it*********:*:***:******: for thirty pages. It's not a self- sufficient extract but holds your in­ terest if you forget everything you have ever heard about realistic dia­ TRIQUARTERLY 49 (SCIENCE FICTION logue. Craig Strete's "When They ISSUE), FALL 1980 Find You" is an Old West pioneer- Softcover, 268 pp., $5.95. with-Amerind-wife story transferred Available from: Northwestern Univ­ event for event to another planet. ersity, 1735 Benson Ave., Evanston, There are nice details and a moving IL, 60201. conclusion, but the development is mainly sunuiarized and the idea isn't REVIEWED BY ALLEN VARNEY SF in the first place. No blasters or BEMs, but this is space opera in TRIQUARTERLY, Northwestern Univ­ its strictest sense. "Ginungagap", ersity's "international journal of on the other hand, is the quill, the art and writing", likes to do "theme pure hard stuff. This short story issues" every so often: War stor­ is by Michael Swanick, a new writer ies, Westerns, contemporary Asian I suspect we'll be hearing nuch more literature, etc. By now there's no­ from; it uses space colonies, inter- thing left but SF and Barbara Cart­ land romances, so we have now an 46 and Budrys that lift TRIQUARTERLY 49 Missouri hometown newspaper files gets but on the civilian populations above mediocrity. For the rest, they from the dates when Heinlein was of two major cities". might better have been replaced by growing up, to support his argument. Regardless of the fact that Hein­ Wilhelm, Lafferty, Bryant, Dozois or His references to historical events Bunch, but who knows what the academ­ lein's books show American attitudes, ics will like? Be glad there's en­ Franklin is using this book to create ough for every taste. a soapbox from which he can broad­ I U/OMPETR. IF I / cast his personal political ideas. ************************************ SI&-KJ \JP with MESSlES I think that in 1970 or so, this might have been acceptable in a book sold to college students, but in 1981, the lack of objectivity is HEI I STONF present within the context of a far By Steven Spruill I STAtJP Playboy Paperbacks, 1980 different political climate. The 7’i-A'r'i mq- -the" Panshin book HEINLEIN IN DIMENSION 320 pp., $2.50 6Diana Wynne Jones Despite the impression given by emerging urban-corporate-conformist Order from: Greenwillow Books, 105 the cover blurbs, HELLSTONE is not lifestyles which pushed them aside. Madison Ave., NY, NY, 10016. an occult/supematural tale. It is The idea of space exploration as the 1980, 223 pp., $7.95 straight science fiction with a lit­ John F. Kennedy New Frontier theme ISBN: 0-688-84283-6 tle psi. It will chill you and can be seen as influenced by the thrill you and keep you awake long Heinlein novels which preceded them. REVIEWED BY FREDERICK PATTEN into the night. Chyndonax was a ba-a-ad Druid! A problem arises when Franklin attacks the ideas of Americans in THE MAGICIANS OF CAPRONA is not ************************************ the process of discussing them. a sequel to CHARMED LIFE (SFR #27, Whether from the right or the left, p. 39), but it's set in the same such attacks should not intrude in world in which magic is a natural ROBERT A. HEINLEIN: AMERICA a piece of writing such as this one. force. Also, one of the characters AS SCIENCE FICTION Franklin has a right to believe in from CHARMED LIFE plays a small but By H. Bruce Franklin liberal politics but these should important role. The setting is Italy Oxford University Press, 232 pp., not be presented in a critical ana­ rather than England, but an alter­ $18.95 hardcover, $4.95 paperback. lysis of the works of a writer. A nate-universe Italy that's still di­ book about America might be a good vided into numerous kingdoms and REVIEWED BY TOM STAICAR place for them - - not one about Hein­ duchies as it was before the Risor- gimento. Oxford launches its Science Fic­ lein. Franklin has a lot of com­ tion Writers series with this look at plaints about how Americans live and Caprona is a city-state whose the life and works of Robert A. Hein­ what they believe, and these get in public works are maintained by two lein. Franklin's acknowledgments the way of scholarship. rival families of magicians. The thank Heinlein for allowing him to Montanas and the Petrocchis have spend a day talking with the writer FARNHAM'S FREEHOLD is shown to been icily competing for years, at his home. Franklin mentions that mirror the anti-Communism of Ameri­ while the benevolent but ineffectual "He also read through the manuscript, cans. Franklin is not attacking Mc­ Duke has been diplomatically patron­ saved me from some embarrassing er­ Carthyism and the far right, but is izing them both. Young Tonina and rors, and even argued me out of a simply stating that the news media Paolo Montana haven't yet begun point or two". Heinlein provided were out to show that the Soviets training in spellcraft, but they are him with a manuscript copy of THE were bad guys. On page 156, he aware that their elders are worried NIWBER OF THE BEAST -- prior to pub­ states that Heinlein wasn't the only about the recent weakening of their lication of that novel. American having "recurring fantasies family's charms. The Montanas blame about nuclear bombs raining on Amer­ the Petrocchis despite the fact that Franklin's main argument, which ican cities in a sneak attack". He the Petrocchis' spells are also los­ holds the book together like a dis­ adds: "This was and is a national ing their force. Soon the ineffect­ sertation topic, is that Heinlein's nightmare in the only country in the ualness of Caprona is obvious to fictional works mirror the attitudes world that has ever actually used the world, and her aggressive neigh­ and ideas of Americans who faced the bors begin preparations to annex her. wars, Depression and various cultur­ atomic bombs, a country that launch­ ed sneak attacks not on military tar- Then Tonino is magically kidnapped al upheavals of this century. He and the Montanas receive instruct­ uses research materials such as the 47 ions to stop all spell-casting. To Paolo this is proof that Caprona's main neutral. Mazian, head of the SCIENCE FICTION STUDIES IN FILM weakness is the work of sorcerous Company forces, has his own plans By Frederik Pohl and Frederik Pohl IV enemy action, and he begins seeking for Pell. Ace, 1981, 346 pp., $6.95 their adversary -- while Tonino and ISBN: 0-441-75437-6 one of the Petrocchi children, who This leaves the two families who have been shrunk to only a few inch­ are responsible for Pell, the Lukas­ REVIEWED BY JANES J.J. WILSON es in height, struggle to escape es and the Konstantins in the middle with the identity of the necromantic of civil war, double power-play pol­ SCIENCE FICTION STUDIES IN FILM spy before Caprona's helpless armies itics, spies and open warfare. is the best book on SF films yet are crushed. As you might guess, it is a com­ written. In recent years, countless books on the subject have been pub­ THE MAGICIANS OF CAPRONA is a plicated 432 pages. Cherryh does not waste a single word. There are lished but most have been little more lot of fun. The emphasis is on daily than nostalgia-ridden picture books. life among a large family of magic­ no passages which could be omitted, no sections could be removed with­ The thing that sets this book apart ians . Incidents include the pranks is research. Painstaking research, of the youngsters and the Montanas' out destroying the delicate balance alley-cat familiar, Benvenuto; the of the novel. Nearly all of the ac­ The authors have viewed and re­ disastrous attempt of one of the sis­ tion takes place on Pell and Pell searched virtually every SF film ev­ ters to use magic for household chor­ Station. Between the threat of Un­ er made, they've interviewed people es; the Romeo-Juliet romance be­ ion, of Mazian's martial law, of the such as Harlan Ellison, and they've tween a Montana girl and a Petrocchi danger from the thousands of refugees dug up some amazing books and news­ boy; and the pitched street battles from destroyed stations who have been paper clippings on the films. The between two families when both use delivered to Pell, spies sent to result is a book that looks at SF spells to humiliate each other. The cripple/eliminate the station and films from two views that other books plot becomes more serious when war the Lukas family ambition, the Kon­ have overlooked: how these films threatens and when Tonino and the stantins have their hands full were looked on by the public and crit­ Petrocchis' Angelica are enchanted throughout the book. ics at the time of their original release and how the films fit in with by an enemy who really means to kill The novel's major triumph, how­ film and SF history. them, but the youngsters' efforts to ever, is the creation of Captain escape are so ingenious (and hilari­ Signy Mallory. Mallory plays as The authors occasionally fail as ous) that the mood remains light. tight a game in space between her film critics in that their gosh-wow The climax is unfortunately a let­ commander Mazian and the rest, as attitude sometimes interferes with down, due to an overly-bland deus ex Damon Konstantin plays on Pell. She an objective approach to certain machina. is ruthless, disillusioned, tough, films. This is overcome by the sheer bullheaded and beloved by her crew. detail of the information they pre­ ************************************ She does not combine these traits sent. The Pohls have left no stone with feminine wiles to get what she unturned in putting this book togeth­ wants. She uses power and authority. er and have produced an invaluable Sometimes she uses them too harshly, reference source. The book's major DOWNBELOW STATION too callously, but she does use them flaw is that it lacks an index. By C.J. Cherryh well. DAW Books, $2.50, 432 pp. ************************************ UE1594 ************************************ REVIEWED BY C.J. HENDERSON THE TROUBLE WITH YOU EARTH PEOPLE In what is, if memory serves, By Katherine Maclean her longest work yet, Cherryh has Donning Company, 5041 Admiral Wright created her strongest character and Road, Virginia Beach, VA, 23462. her best novel. 1980, 237 pp., $4.95 DOWNBELOW STATION is a story of REVIEWED BY W. RITCHIE BENEDICT space exploration, colonization and war. In the first few pages, she Katherine Maclean is a rarity -- tells the history of our future sort of a J.D. Salinger of science space colonies. The first planet fiction. discovered with intelligent life is Pell. The Downers, childlike, sim- In this collection of 12 stories ian-like creatures, help the humans (one written in collaboration with of the orbiting Pell station run Tom Condit), every mood from light their station and cultivate the plan­ humor to deep tragedy and horror is et. represented, very definitely a mix­ ed bag. Things would have been fine if Man had confined himself to Sol and If there are any common themes Pel±, but as usual, he does not. or interests displayed in these very Many more stations are established diverse stories, they are humor, until finally, man has gone so far anthropology and the problem of con­ from Earth that he no longer looks formity versus individualism. on Earth as home or as the Company A few stories which are well- as boss. done vignettes: one ("The Carniv­ Thus, civil war. Union, as the ore" -- a tale of the last hunan on rebels call themselves, want to earth) is so slight it even misses break away from Earth, taking every­ being included in the index (unless thing with them. Earth wants to keep being #13 had something to do with Pell station. Pell wants to main­ it?). The title of the lead story tain its neutrality. The merchant comes from aliens judging our cul­ fleets of space also want it to re- 48 ture only from our television program- ming (I have often wondered about that myself). "Brain Wipe" is a fine example of man's inhumanity to man. "The Trouble with Treaties" is a puckish treatment of how the earth is saved from invasion by a cat. We have other equally odd sit­ uations in stories dealing with a planet that makes everyone end up looking alike, a planet ruled by in­ telligent lions that is still mired in the feudal period, escaped pris­ oners taking over a store in the As­ teroid belt, a surgeon who has to ex­ cise the intelligence of a potential superbeing, a religious fanatic try­ ing to convert natives with a bizarre life cycle, the wiping out of a nat­ ive life form on Venus who (despite their harmless appearance) have no moral values concerning their own form of life, etc. And there are some others I have led the Leleyo. Hunans can survive Williamson has labeled his earl­ not even mentioned such as "The on Malili only within the Zone -- iest writings as "purple prose" -- Missing Man", which won a Nebula an area sterilized by neutron bombs. an apt description and sometimes lit­ award. Outside the Zone, they fall prey to erally true. In three consecutive deadly bloodrot. paragraphs of "The Metal Man" (1928), This book will be a welcome ad­ his first published story, there Crewman Ryn Kyrone (the ancient dition to the collection of any true are twenty-one references to color. shipboard terminology is still in SF fan who specializes in lesser- His prose could only have been more use) is a scientist on Kai and one known authors, as well as anyone who colorful if it had been printed on of a handful of people who still take just wants an entertaining read. red and blue paper. These early the humanoid threat seriously. He stories are awash with adjectives -- ************************************ and his cohorts are dismissed as par­ a compelling style, but a bit ornate. anoid fanatics for their efforts to Now, five decades later, THE HUMAN­ discover the lost secrets of rhodo- OID TOUCH seems bleached in compari­ magnetics -- the only form of energy THE HUMANOID TOUCH son. Some of the old color and effective against the humanoids. By Jack Williamson drama emerge when the action is set Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1980 Not surprisingly, the humanoids in the multi-hued jungles of Malili, (SFBC Selection for November) do discover Kai and get smoothly down but the rest of the story is disap­ 186 pp., $2.49 to the business of making people "hap­ pointingly flat. The narrative is There is also a signed, boxed, 500- py". Resistance is met with drugs blatantly melodramatic at times and copy limited edition available from and brain surgery, and soon the citi­ the writing seems rushed, dashed-off. Phantasia Press for $30.00. zens of Kai have joined the rest of The portrayal of Keth's desperate REVIEWED BY SUE BECKMAN humanity in becoming a race of pamp­ and lonely flight from the humanoids ered zombies. Malili, however, is is skillfully done, but the love curiously immune to humanoid control. scenes are cliched with phrases like In this sequel to Williamson's "golden splendor" and "bared loveli­ most successful novel, THE HUMANOIDS, Kyrone's rhodomagnetics research ness". The novel is further flawed 1949, a millennium has passed since has been fruitless and escape lies by choppy pacing and a predictable the creation of the man-shaped black open only for a Leleyo/Human half­ plot -- even the revelation at the robots and they have spread to a mil­ breed named Bosun Brong and Kyrone's end is no surprise. lion human-colonized planets. Their son, Keth. Having learned the Leleyo Prime Directive is "To serve and ob­ technique of teleportation, they Overlooking the failed criteria ey, and guard men from harm", but in "jump" to Malili, seeking refuge but for readability, it must be said fulfilling this injunction, they have fearing bloodrot. that THE HUMANOID TOUCH is a thought- regulated all hazardous activities, provoker. The real hero of the story including sports, driving, reading, Except for the ending, THE HU­ is freedom and its role in human pro­ science and sex (taxes the heart, you MANOID TOUCH is essentially a re­ gress. prise of its predecessor. Once more know). Of the numerous attempts to ************************************ escape their suffocating security, the humanoids are unstoppable and es­ only one has succeeded. The people cape lies in paranormal mental poweis. of Kai and Malili, binary planets The concept of the humanoids did not with a very tricky orbital system, begin with the novel of that name OTHERBORN have somehow eluded the humanoids' but with a novelette called "With By Joan Gould detection. Kai is a harsh, ungiving Folded Hands" (1947). Editor Camp­ Coward, McCann § Geoghegan, New York world where, for centuries, the mil­ bell so liked the story that he en­ 1980, 160 pp., $8.95 itaristic human colonists have en­ couraged Williamson to write a long­ ISBN: 0-698-20497-2 er version incorporating the notion dured a cycle of thirty "days" of REVIEWED BY FREDERICK PATTEN light and thirty "days" of freezing of psi powers. The current Avon ed­ darkness. Cities are underground, ition of THE HUMANOIDS includes "With OTHERBORN is packaged as Young but the wealthy have additional sun­ Folded Hands" plus an account of how Adult science fiction. If it were time homes on the surface. Malili, it led to the novel and a candid really science fiction it would have on the other hand, is a lush jungle afterword by Williamson, entitled too many inplausibilities to be con­ world, inhabited by a brown-skinned, "Me and My Humanoids". vincing. It is clearly actually a gentle, non-technological people cal­ 49 fantasy, a philosophical parable dis­ guised as SF. As such, most readers Metaclura panics 34 days into the Later Wanda Carmichael, Maxwell will be willing to suspend more dis­ trip and switches off the ship's ram­ Webster and 169 inner-circle votar­ belief than if the scientific ele­ scoop, what was meant to take 16 years ies (13 x 13), stripped and donned ment was to be taken seriously. becomes a voyage of more than ten identical hooded wool robes and en­ This is to the good, because OTHER- centuries. The reader follows gener­ tered a large secret temple where a BORN is a beautifully-written tale ation after generation of passengers, young virgin lay naked, bound on the that offers some dreamy yet discon­ first through years of escapist rev­ granite altar. certingly sharp outsiders' view­ elry, then decades of anarchy and Amid ecstatic, libidinous shrieks points towards basic social attitudes gang violence and ultimately to com­ of the robed devotees, the girl is and values. plete cultural degeneration. Meta­ stabbed by Wanda with a jewel-en­ clura, during this time, evolves Mark and his sister Leggy (Al­ crusted ceremonial dagger; blood from a bodiless man with all his gushes over the altar. Maxwell and legra) are two young teenagers on fears, foibles and desires still in­ their uncle's sailboat in the Pacific Wanda, each in turn, soak the filch­ tact, to a machine among machines, ed handkerchiefs in the gore-filled Ocean. They are swept overboard dur­ fully aware of its godhood. A de­ ing a storm and end up on an isolat­ maiden's abdominal wound. Then be­ vastating visit by aliens creates fore the assembly of cultists, they ed island, Hiva Oa, the Land of Light mass paranoia in his human cargo and A native youth who speaks English each perform an act which will slav­ marks the beginning of Metaclura's ishly bind the owners to them sexual­ perfectly (though in a strangely old- long battle to wrest control of the fashioned manner) acts as their guide ship from the unrelenting domination ly- in showing them about. Yet it is of The Program. After Marty leaves Susan for soon obvious to Mark and Leggy that Wanda, Susan engages Yancey Bradley Tanay is only showing them a limited ************************************ to investigate Wanda, and discovers portion of the island, and that ev­ a strange fact: Wanda, although in eryone is answering some of their her thirties, did not exist until questions evasively. THE DESECRATION OF SUSAN BROWNING four years ago. Later, Yancey, in Gould has used the same basic By Russell Martin return for highly interesting re­ plot that Swift did in GULLIVER'S Playboy Paperbacks, April, 1981 wards, doublecrosses Susan by find­ TRAVELS. She has put two represent­ Occult/Horror, 254pp., $2.50 ing her for use in Wanda's Satanist atives of our own culture into an un­ ISBN: 0-872-16802-6 ceremony. known Pacific island whose inhabi­ REVIEWED BY PAULETTE MINARE' A baby has been born under the tants are not what we would call hu­ most unusual circumstances, fathered man or civilized, but who consider The novel opens when a young by "The Master", whose countenance themselves more human and civilized Hollywood couple, Marty and Susan bears grotesque signs of his parent­ than the rest of the world and who Browning, leave a movie just in time age. This last ritual will normal­ present a good argument for their for Marty to "rescue" Wanda Car­ ize the babe's appearance. During case. After the initial culture this unspeakable ceremony, Father Al shock, Mark and Leggy see that what michael from a rapist. Wanda is clearly interested in Marty; "grat­ Crabbe, a friend of Susan's, manages they had accepted as the natural way itude" gives her the opportunity to to be a spectator. A fire breaks for people to live is only a way of get inside the Browning hone, bear­ out; Al takes revenge on Wanda and life dictated by a particular set of ing an exquisite antique gift -- escapes with the baby wrapped in a artificial social standards, some of and that's when everything starts to blood-stained blanket. You will be which are difficult to rationally go wrong in the Brownings' lives. interested in learning his ironic justify. The question of whether reason for saving the child and the the two will be allowed to leave Hi­ Soon Susan and Marty receive a fates of the Brownings. va Oa gradually evolves to whether dinner invitation to the opulent they should want to? And if they do Carmichael estate. Susan is paired return to "civilization", what conse­ off with Maxwell Webster while Wanda quences will this bring to themselves practices her wiles on Marty. Wanda Russell Martin writes very real­ istically, mincing no words. This and to the islanders? manages to spill a cocktail on her gown; she wipes it off with Marty's book is not for those who cannot *************************** handkerchief which she "forgets" to stomach graphically-portrayed de­ pravity. return. After leaving, Susan finds her handkerchief also missing. ************************************ MAYFLIES By Kevin O'Donnell, Jr. Berkley, 1979, 295 pp., paper, $1.95 REVIEWED BY SUE BECKMAN As the result of a freak accident Dr. G.K. Metaclura is decapitated, but his brain lives on ... and on. Metaclura becomes the ultimate cy­ borg when his brain is connected to the electronic innards of a starship hastily built to carry 30,000 people away from inninent atomic war and the social cesspool that 23rd-Century Earth has become. Metaclura's brain is fed the knowledge of the ages and instructed to find a habitable plan­ et in the Canopus system. However, the prograiwners have failed to ask him how he feels about open spaces and immortality, so when agoraphobic 50 STARMONT READER'S GUIDES and the series of Fafhrd and Grey BEASTS OF ANTARES (206 pp.) PHILIP JOSE FARMER Mouser heroic fantasy books. Frane REBEL OF ANTARES (191 PP-) By Mary T. Brizzi has done well and it's good to see By "Dray Prescot" #4: JOE HALDEMN by Joan Gordon someone taking notice of one of our DAW, #s 397 8 413, @ $1.95 #8: FRITZ LEIBER by Jeff Frane greatest giants in a way he deserves. $3.95 each, paperbacks, Starmont I hope this will begin a trend of REVIEWED BY MARK WILLARD taking Leiber's body of work more House, POB #851, Mercer Island, These are the first two books of seriously. WA 98040. the latest cycle of Prescot's adven­ ************************************ REVIEWED BY TOM STAICAR tures #s 23 and 24 of the saga as a whole. The "Prescot of Antares" ser­ Like the first two books in this ies is fairly unique among long ser­ series (ARTHUR C. CLARKE and ROGER ies in that it is a true epic and ZELAZNY), these guides are intended not just repeated episodes. Major for use in science fiction classes yesterday's LILY events and changes for good or worse and also for the general reader who By Jeff Jones take place; major characters change, wants to know more about a favorite Dragon's Press, 79 pp., $8.95, pb. develop, depart or die. The mystery surrounding the Star Lords who occas­ writer. The Starmont project is an REVIEWED BY MARK WILLARD extensive one, with 36 titles planned ionally direct Prescot's movements in the series. Each book, ranging This collection is ironically be­ is gradually being revealed, veil by from 60-100 pages, contains a chron­ ing issued at about the time that veil. Large portions of the stories ology, bibliography and an index. Jones is withdrawing from the- commer­ are simply good swashbuckling adven­ ture in exotic alien territories, but Mary T. Brizzi's PHILIP JOSE cial art field. It could be consid­ ered a companion book to THE STUDIO, the weight of all Prescot's previous FARMER makes sense out of the confus­ experiences is very much present, and ing progression of heroes, settings of which a quarter was devoted to Jones. time and again the tales are lifted and series which have emerged from another notch above the average Farmer's typewriter through the years YL contains many things: an in­ swords-and-politics yarn by a thought­ After a brief biographical sketch, terview, a moderately incoherent in­ ful insight, a bit of mature wisdom a including Farmer's bout with a pub­ troduction by Irma Kurtz, three short sobering or tragic or uproarious turn lisher who cheated him out of his ad­ comic stories, a section of pencil of the plot. Large doses of humor, vance money and delayed the River­ sketches and one of ink drawings and or at any rate a generally humorous world series, Brizzi provides a de­ lots of color art. Seventeen of outlook on life, are included; these tailed analysis of THE LOVERS, NIGHT Jones' paperback cover paintings are books are a fairly quick read unless OF LICHT, "Riders of the Purple reproduced two or four to a page, you're really trying to keep tabs on Wage" and the Riverworld novels. THE smaller than the book covers they all the minor characters and the MAGIC LABYRINTH was not ready at appeared on; some of the ink sketch­ book-to-book themes, but they're publication time, unfortunately. The es are quite small, as well. There fast-moving, fun stories. often religious or philosophical al­ are 26 full-page color reproductions lusions which Farmer makes during of covers, prints and paintings, BEASTS opens with Dray Prescot his stories and novels are discussed ranging in subject matter from SF to handling imperial affairs in Vallia here, with the result being an in­ heroic fantasy to horror to items of and somewhat smothered by his multi­ creased understanding of his works. no definable category. There is con­ tudinous friends and retainers. An siderably more fantasy and "mood" art airshipwreck enables him to arrive JOE HALDEMAN by Joan Gordon alone in the island kingdom of Hyrk- features some illuminating explana­ than SF. They heavy-stock pages are printed on both sides. (81/2x11 1/2) lana, scene of past adventures, where tions about the influence which Hal­ he uses his old knowledge and new deman's Viet Nam war experience had Paintings are identified by skills both to rescue some friends on his fiction. Names, characters Jones' titles rather than by the from the arena and to advance his po­ and situations in altered form were books they appeared on, so that the litical aims. REBEL continues the the basis for much in WAR YEAR, MIND­ viewer has little idea of what sub­ Hyrklana episode, with Prescot even­ BRIDGE, ALL MY SINS REMEMBERED and ject matter they were representing tually leading a revolt to topple THE FOREVER WAR, although each book or interpreting; on the other hand, the queen, who is leaning towards dealt with a different time and set­ most Jones fans will recognize most alliance with Prescot's enemies. ting. paintings. (But it would be nice to There are surprising and gratifying Jeff Frane makes the point in be informed, for example, that the developments in Prescot's relations his book FRITZ LEIBER, that Leiber picture on page 56, top, is a detail with his widely-scattered family, has produced so many fine works that of a larger painting -- it is.) he suffers from "a diffusion of rec­ ognition", meaning, not many outside The book is attractively put to­ of SF have heard of him. Awards gether, well-bound in sewn signatures for horror, fantasy and straight sci­ and the color reproduction and regis­ ence fiction have done little for ter are excellent. Aside from the his career outside of the world of few quibbles mentioned above, no one SF fandom, although Frane argues who has admired Jones' work over the that few can match Fritz Leiber for last several-to-a-dozen years is like­ overall excellence in fiction. A ly to be disappointed with this col­ random selection of ten readers would lection. probably name a different story each ftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftftxftftftftftftftftft as their personal favorite.

Frane's biography mentions the influence of Leiber's theatrical fam­ ily, interest in chess and his years as editor of SCIENCE DIGEST. He then provides an analysis of such novels as THE WANTERER, CONJURE WIFE 51 and the close of REBEL brings a new lowers and even murderous robots, all characters do not seem to stand out stage in his service of the Everoinye, trying to strike out on their own well, but maybe this is one of the the Star Lords. Both are worthwhile path to the future. deficiencies of a short novel. reading. ************************************ ************************************ BEASTS has interior illustrations by Richard Hescox, and REBEL'S are done by Jack Gaughan and rather more BEYOND REJECTION THE WALL OF YEARS detailed than his usual frontispiece By Justin Leiber By Andrew M. Stephenson work. Random House, Inc., New York. Dell, $2.75 (paperback) ************************************ In Canada by Ballantine Books of Canada, 5390 Ambler Drive, Missis­ REVIEWED BY GENE DE WEESE sauga, Ontario, L4W 1Y7. Travel to parallel worlds is ach­ 1980, 177 pages, $2.75 ieved in the 21st Century, but injud­ REVIEWED BY RITCHIE BENEDICT icious tampering with nearby time­ PROJECT POPE lines disrupts the home line and By Clifford D. Simak It is quite rare to see a second only a few million people escape to Eel Rey Books, $10.95 generation in science fiction. Hugo- the 26th Century. From that refuge, SBN: 29138-7 Award-winner Fritz Leiber's son, Jus­ time travelers explore the past, tin, brings to the field some prod­ some intent on altering history once REVIEWED BY C.J. HENDERSON igious intellectual accomplishments again, others determined to prevent such as an interest in linguistics further tampering. There are end­ Retirement has rested itself and computers and a degree in philo­ less Van Vogtian complications as well on Simak's shoulders. His last sophy. the characters' paths cross and re- novel, THE VISITORS, was a stepping cross in different eras and time­ stone. PROJECT'POPE is the other The theme of BEYOND REJECTION is lines and their Identities and mo­ an old one --a male mind transplant­ side of the river. It is witty, at tives aren't cleared up until the ed into a female body through elec­ times savage, and Simak's best in a end, if then. But equally as intrigi- number of years. tronic techniques. It has been used ing as the intricacies of time hop­ in various configurations by many The main story starts as Jason ping is the grubbily realistic re­ writers such as Robert Heinlein and Tennyson escapes the port of Gutshot creation of 9th Century England as Tannith Lee and Robert Sheckley. The on the ship Wayfarer, bound for the Alfred the Great, unsuspectingly in­ questions are "Does it work?" and fluenced by the time travelers, pre­ sector of space known as End of Noth­ "Has anything new been added?" ing. Jason is running for his life, pares for a pivotal battle against leaving behind court intrigue which The answers are a qualified yes. Guthrum and the invading Danes. meant to use him as Judas Goat for A large part of the early going is Stephenson obviously knows history its own ends. On board he meets Jill taken up with exposition and scene­ intimately, and he brings it to life Roberts, a free-lance journalist who setting, with little action. But as vividly as Harold Lamb or any is headed for End of Nothing for what (a) this is a first novel and (b) historical novelist ever did. He promises to be the story of her life. it is part of a projected trilogy. may even send you searching for a biography of Alfred to compare notes. On End of Nothing waits Vatican The main character is Ismael 17, a religious order of robots study­ Forth, who is literally shanghaied ************************************ ing all of the universe's religions, into the body of female asteroid min­ trying to sift out the one true rel­ er, Sally Cadmus, who met with a igion. Also on the planet is Thomas deep-space accident. He does not Decker, a mysterious hermit who just like it one bit. Particularly after STARFINDER By Robert F. Young he discovers that he/she now also suddenly showed up one day, and his Pocket Books, $2.50 paperback. constant companion, Whisperer. Whis­ has a prehensile tail. In the 22nd perer is a gaseous alien invisible Century, this sort of transplanta­ REVIEWED BY GENE DE WEESE to most, appearing as a shimmer of tion is used as a means of extending diamond dust to a select few. Jason, life, but it has very definite limi­ Spacewhales are asteroid-like predictably, falls for Jill, be­ tations and immense psychological creatures whose dead bodies are con­ friends Decker, and can see Whisperer. problems. The other main character verted into spaceships which use the is a transplantee as well, named whale's own "drive tissue" for pow­ But from there on in, the read­ Candy Darling, a blonde 11-year-old er. When alive, however, the whales er is on his own. Vatican 17 is as girl, but in actuality an 80-year- also travel through time. Spacewhal­ rife with back-room dealings and sub­ old woman who has survived six of er John Starfinder enters into a tle power manipulators as any relig­ these body switches. Together they "conpact" with a partially converted ious or political body ever has been. track down the person responsible whale when he finds it is miracu­ Painted with believable strokes, for the accidental marooning of Is­ lously still alive. In his travels PROJECT POPE shows us robots twist­ mael, and who now possesses his or­ through the "space-time sea", he un­ ing logic as easily as any human as iginal body. That person is a 98- intentionally causes the death of a they try to pin down the one true year-old homicidal sex maniac with young woman from another era and he faith, and the proper way to find it. an interest in torture through the vows to somehow save her. It's not Simak has not really given us an ages and presents a deadly danger to giving anything away to say that he allegory for our time, or a religi­ both of them. and the whale eventually succeed, ous guidebook of any sort. What he but only after sane very complex man­ Dealing with sex in literature has done here is to write a very good euvers through time and space. Like can present problems. Any writer book dealing with religious themes. Roger Zelazny, Young's style is rich­ dealing with the subject has to walk It is a spellbinder. There is no ly poetic and unconventional, and a fine line between sociology, sex­ preaching, no hypocrisy evident. Si- the characters -- including the ology and sensationalism. I think mak's basic message seems to be that whale -- are engaging if not always Mr. Leiber succeeded quite well, al­ everyone will find their own answer realistic. And the story, even if though some may feel he is too graph­ in time. The novel has uncompromis­ you know the ending, will probably ic at points. Some of the secondary ing bigots, both human and metal. keep you guessing all the way. There are crazed aliens, blind fol­ 52 AND THEN I SAW....

BY THE EDITOR

STIR CRAZY (R) gives you a great portion of Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor in a prison comedy. These two like each other and work beauti­ fully together--great comedy chemis­ try. The story doesn't matter. Lots of sex jokes, dirty words and slap­ stick. Somehow, Richard Pryor can say Those Words inoffensively. A marvelous comedian.

OUTLAND (r) is a gritty, utterly realistic science fictional varia­ tion of HIGH NOON, with Sean Connery playing a future Federal Marshal re­ There are flaws: Io has one-six­ others trying to extort part of his cently assigned to Io. th Earth gravity, but for practical hard-earned money: he tells the On this moon where a huge corp­ reasons everyone inside the mining corrupt cops, "Have you ever con­ orate mining operation is run by a installation ignored that. sidered working for a living?" Nev­ manager out for maximum profits and The outside miniature work was er, ever, a thought about the own­ production bonuses, Connery discov­ a bit less than convincing. ers of the property he is taking. ers the miners are being sold a pow­ A nice variation in the formula Caan is very good in this ef­ erful upper to promote extraordinary was the life-scarred woman doctor, fort to show the values and dreams efforts. not having her and Connery fall in and no-bullshit philosophy of a After approximately 10 months the love, and the use of shotguns (though man of warped integrity. drug mushes their minds and they heat-seeking aiming computers were suicide, become violent...insane. used by the killers.) A large number of these effects Well worth seeing. A CHANGE OF SEASONS (r) are surfacing, and Connery quickly follows discovers he is almost alone in Shirley MacLaine in another bedroom trying to stop the drug operation. farce involving her husband (Anthony He is a stubborn, honest, ideal­ Hopkins), his lover (Bo Derek), and istic maverick who has been assign­ THIEF (R) Shirley's lover (name forgotten), as ed "hell hole" jobs for years because well as their outraged daughter and he won't get along by going along. has uncompromising real­ ism and authenticity as it follows her husband's lover's father. This gut-level characteristic al­ It's a tit-for-tat plot as Shir­ so loses him his wife and son soon a top-rank professional safe crack­ er as he struggles to maintain his ley discovers her English professor after the film begins: she has had hubby is involved with a lovely stu­ enough of the shitty outposts he is independence from organized crime. James Caan as the thief wants dent and takes a lover of her own. always sent to. Bo shows her #10 breasts through Alone, abandoned, depressed, he a loving woman, a child, a secure future. He thinks of his work as a glass murky and everyone has second will not yield, and the mining opera­ thoughts. MacLaine has third thoughts. tion manager, in league with under­ a high-risk business. He is not world drug suppliers, finally has able to "go along" with payoffs to to bring in a team of professional the cops, the pretentious adoption killers to eliminate Connery. agencies, or being told what to do He is shunned by the miners he when by a crime biggie who tries to SERIAL (R) is trying to help and protect. The recruit him. is a funny satire on the only help is from a middle-aged worn- But he does succumb to the lure trendy upper middle-class people of out woman doctor. of a multi-million dollar job in­ rich Marin County, south of San Fran­ The mining operation, the miner volving a nearly impregnable Swedish- cisco. dormitories, the prostitutes, the built safe in a huge gem dealer's It follows the lives of three or nightclub where nude dancers appar­ high rise suite of offices. The four cotpies, all friends, who are ently perform sexually in blue spot­ crime biggie sets it up for him and "into" all the latest psychology, lights... the computers, the small after the job refuses to make a com­ self-fulfillment fads, dress fads, hospital..'.the jail cells... all have plete payoff. living-style fads... the practical, fuctional, well-used The result is a climactic shoot­ Martin Mull is good as a basical­ look you'd expect. The space suits, out involving pride, revenge and a ly straight, old-fashioned husband too, are obviously simple standard fatal misjudgement of character. and father. issue. This is a grim, violent, per­ An asshole shrink, a liberated, The setting is real. You say, ceptive film. The thief resents orgy-minded secretary, a closet gay "That's the way it will be." S3 high-rank corporate officer, and a "love" religious cult are ingredi­ this manifest power-of-God is to re­ It's a sweet life, I suppose, for ents that add enormously to the duce God to another suspense-tool a very few men of a certain character flavor and humor of this stew. and to further trivialize the core and personality. Fbur-letter words, some nice of the Christian religion. Though In this film Richard Gere's gen­ nudity. some moron-level Christians may see uine liking for women and his compas­ it as good propaganda for God. The sion and professionalism ultimately young audience is too sophisticated save him from the murder rap. But to be positively influenced toward that is probably fantasy; if most Christianity, I would think.] The female prostitutes hate their male RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (pg) message is that God/Ark/Christianity "johns", then probably under their is a are as fictional as the characters charm and behind their erections, 1930's-40's serial strung together, and the plot, as incredible as the most gigolos hate their women "jan­ with close shaves, recurring death­ hairbreadth escapes and physical es". threats to the hero and heroine, stunts. nick-in-time escapes, incredible derring-do.... And all done with such loving care and detail and authenticity... EXCALIBUR (R) performed with such verve and sin­ THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE (r) gives full measures cerity, and with humor.... in some ways is too good and too old- of beauty, atmosphere, medieval vio­ With built-in cliches reversed fashioned for today's movie-goers: lence and idealism. on occasion, with deft tributes to the recreated world of the Depres­ It is the story of King Arthur old-time actors and serials.... sion 30's is cruelly authentic—an­ and his knights of the round table What George Lucas as prime mover other world—and James M. Cain's (give or take a few quibbles). [story, Executive Producer], and story is also 30ish—moralistic, Nicol Williamson's eccentric Steven Spielberg [Director] have with an ironic, retribution pay-for- Merlin mars the film...but may also done is create a new action/adven- your-sins ending that probably does­ be the only element that gives vari­ ture form for the movies by re-creat­ n't sit well (subconsciously?) in ety and depth. The other actors ing the serial, linking the episodes today's get-away-with-it morality. stick to their appointed stilted and doing it so superbly that it out­ The cynical twists of official jus­ dialog and fanatic/idealistic moti­ shines all current competition. tice and legal maneuver in the mur­ vations . This form is certainly new to der trial section of the film is, Hie film asks a lot of suspen­ the kids and young adults who make however, right-on for today, which sion of disbelief. But it is a up 99% of the movie-goers today. suggests that some aspects of our beautiful film to watch. RAIDERS might well be also known society never change. Crunches: Excalibur didn't seem as The Perils of Indiana Jones. Jack Nicholson underplays a bit ornate or impressive enough to be Jones is played by Harrison Ford [we in this role of a con-man/criminal a magic sword; the suits of armor know him better as Hans Solo] with a drifter, and Jessica Lange is a rev­ worn by Arthur and the knights seem­ mustache and a cooler, less smart-ass elation after her ho-hum screaming ed more the result bf modem tech­ temperament. With a different (30's) orgy in KING KONG. She's very good nology than medieval blacksmiths. haircut and 30's clothes he doesn't when given a chance. Her animals- seem the same actor. in-heat love scenes with Nicholson The story revolves around Jones' are a bit hard to accept: I'm not HIGH RISK (R) attempts to reach and possess for personally that lustful (and never raises questions of the United States the ancient Ark of was) and cannot really believe in morality and ethics and the nature the Covenant which holds the broken such frantic, fervent copulation. of our current folk heroes as it pieces of the Ten Commandments tab­ But it plays well and does motivate follows a clutch of unemployed auto lets brought down from God by Moses. the murder of Lange's middle-aged workers on a stupid, very high risk The pre-World War II Nazis are Greek husband by her and Nicholson. adventure into Columbia (South Amer­ also after the Ark because Hitler This is a film you can see twice; ica) via a drug smugglers "airline" is a collector of such and because the second time you'll come to ap­ to steal a multi-million dollar batch the Ark is said to be the key to preciate the sets, the small iron­ of American cash from the safe of a tremendous power. ies, the subtleties of the very good biggie drug exporter. Jones is an accomplished arche­ acting. The combination of humor and rue­ ologist and daring treasure hunter. ful reality and violence works nicely The opening sequence shows him pen­ throughout. etrating a cunnigly-trapped ancient APERICAN GIGOLO (r) But the story makes you wonder: native temple in South America to glamorizes the The good guys win through with the seize a golden statue. He escapes business of the Los Angeles high- millions after grand theft, murder, the deadly temple only to lose the class male who sells his ability to prison escape, more killings.... statue to a cynical French rival, make love skillfully and thoroughly. See the film and think about it. Rene Belloq, and barely escapes This in spite of the movie's frame- the natives with his life. up for murder of the hero, played A few years later Belloq is nicely and convincingly by Richard aiding the Nazis in their quest for Gere. the Ark. The murder, the black pimp, the THE HOWLING (r) There are few pauses for breath betrayal by his rich clients, by his seems at first a in this film. It darts from crisis "business" associates—all this is very low budget, inept horror movie to crisis, fran continent to conti­ plotwork to make the movie work as a as a beautiful young TV anchorwoman, nent, from menace to menace. story. Thousands of handsome, well- pursuing a multiple-killer in L.A., It is a film worth seeing twice, educated college men who have seen meets with him and suffers a black­ at least. this film are not going to believe out as he attacks her. And, at the end, there seems to that scenario will happen to them She cannot at first remember his be a genuine sf element. Or relig­ if they go to Hollywood/Beverly Hills words or his face. ious proof of the majestic pcwer of and set up as a gigolo. She was saved by police, who shot God, if you prefer. [The effect of 54 the young man. Later, he is missing from the James Fox is the hunted mob en­ The General is killed, the sci­ morgue. forcer, and Mick Jagger is the Str­ entist chases the monster through a She goes to The Colony, a rest ange center of the menage (involving refinery....guards are killed, the and recuperation canp run by a two pretty young women.) Jagger monster is impervious to bullets... famous psychiatrist. plays a spaced-out rock star seek­ Finally, the creature sits down Her fellow reporters with the ing. . .sane thing. There are hints to die and melts before your very TV station are running down werewolf of homosexuality. There is artful­ eyes to a puddle of icky gunk. clues... ly photographed intercourse, roll­ Good riddance. The film becomes truly, really ing and writhing.. .swear words. honest-to-god frightening when one Some bloody killing. of the locals turns into a werewolf Nicholas Roeg directed this and before your eyes to the sounds of its companion— THEY CAPE WITHOUT WARNING (r) pain and crackling, adjusting bones, has the virtue of giving some aging and visually as flesh pulses and BAD TIMING—A SENSUAL OBSESSION (x) character actors a few weeks work. changes, as fangs develop, as hair is a botched tale of two ill-starred Beyond that, this idiot-plot sf mo­ grows, claws come fort^i, and the lovers: he jealous, sexually enthral­ vie of a shitty kind details the snout thrusts forward... led, sadistic...a psychiatrist; she taking of "trophies" or "pelts" He becomes a seven foot wolf is a low-ego, resentful, animal blonde (humans) by a lone alien whose only and he kills one of the investigaing who trades on her looks and sex skills tools and weapons are vicious little TV reporters. and hates it, loves/hates the men she disc-like creatures which it spins The wounds and corpses are very "conquers." Bad bargain. Bad end through the air like frizbies; when realistic: gruesome. as she ultimately tries suicide. they reach a human target they claw The story has a twist ending Lotsa nudity, street language, and is both ironic and tragic. realism (the emergency room proced­ tight, eat, and sink ugly blood-suck­ There are scenes that will re­ ures used to save her life) and vic­ ing tubes into the host flesh. mind you of FRANKENSTEIN. ious conscious and unconscious be­ The film was built stupidly a- THE HOWLING is really scary, and havior. Good acting except that round this one good special effect. more than just a series of shocking Harvey Keitel is miscast as the Ger­ Jack Palance played the canny/ killings. man detective who investigates the crazy old woodsman who finally kills It could have been a classic with suicide attempt. the alien by sacrificing himself. better known, better-skilled actors, The botching is the excessive Martin Landau, Larry Storch, Cameron and with a slightly better script. flashback and switch/cut technique Mitchell, Sue Ann Langdon and some used and overused. Roeg seems to other familiar faces and names also be saying in his films: LOOK AT ME! contribute solid forformances. The script was a total failure. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME (r) I'M OBVIOUSLY THE MASTER HERE! is an over­ I'M THE STAR! ly contrived psychotic-revenge murd­ Beware of authors and directors er rampage movie. Melissa Sue Ander­ who feel it necessary to draw atten­ son plays a high school girl appar­ tion to themselves in their work. ently killing off most of her clique THE HAND (r) in a variety of ways. is a botched attempt Credibility takes a fatal beating to pretend an artist's hand, sever­ at the end, however, as a too-clever ed in an auto accident, stays alive twist impales itself on inpossibil­ THE INCREDIBLE MELTING MAN (r) and, with cunning and incredible ity. owes strength haunts the artist and kills For those who enjoy seeing a few its ridiculousness to the idea that his enemies---or those threatening new ways to kill people. solar flares as viewed through the his needs, desires, plans. I'm getting a bit sick of these rings of Saturn could be so viru­ Michael Caine is a fine, under­ murder/gore vehicles. lently radioactive as to kill two rated actor, and does the best he astronauts and turn the survivor in­ can, but the director doesn't play to a berserk monster who has a ter­ fair with the audience and ruins rible hunger for human flesh and whose the film with contrived ambiguity. flesh is literally melting and Worth seeing if you like Caine. sloughing off in gobs, drips, flows And there are some nice supporting NIGHTHAWKS (r) and landslides. performances. The artificial hand is a standard cop vs. Escaped from the secret military fitted to Caine is fascinating and terrorist movie, set in New York, which hospital where he has been kept since menacing; alas, the potential is allows Sylvester Stallone a change of the capsule returned to Earth, the ignored. pace if not of expression. superstrong astronaught/monster is Realistic, grim, well-done set of as pathetic as Frankenstein's mon­ cliches. All that said, it will ster—but horribly deadly...as he AND THEN I SAW... continued on p. 64 hold you till the end. continues to melt, continues to leave droppings and thoroughly eaten corpses litering the landscape. A General flies in to assist the scientist/keeper in hunting down the PERFORMANCE (x) sorry thing. As in many, many of suffers from bizarre these low-budget films, (where logic sets, weird characters and incompre­ and coimon sense are abandoned to hensible motives...along with a minus save the cost of extra scenes and plausibility quotient. actors) the General does not call in What you have here is a renegade help, and the monster conveniently mob soldier on the lam from the mob. wanders to the scientist's house He falls in with a menage-a-trois of where frets the scientist's heavily the weirdest kind while seeking a pregnant wife. hideout. SS EIGHTY PER CENT AND SUPERMAN, TOO

Many, many years ago -- well, The major imaginative influence le behind the new FLASH GORDON, who about two if you want to be picky of my pre-adolescent years, far more obviously had no gut-feeling for the about it -- in the days before I than TV or improving books chosen appeal of the original, Richard Don­ could persuade a publisher to look by well-meaning librarians, was the ner and his team seemed to have grasp­ seriously at my own stuff, I used American comic book. They were im­ ed the fact that SUPERMAN is as near to take on novelisations. If there ported in job lots and distributed as you'll get to a piece of Twenti­ is any modern-day equivalent of the without any particular pattern or eth-Century mythology, a wish-ful­ most routine hackwork of the pulp reason, and it was difficult to as­ fillment that you monkey around with era then I reckon this is it, with semble a run of numbered issues. at your peril. the exception that a pulp writer's These days it's easier -- British work was at least his own and could franchises reprint US editions in It's a view, according to sane be as good or bad, as memorable or black-and-Miite on the cheapest pa­ of the documentary evidence, that uninspired, as time and pressure al­ per, scratching out references to wasn't shared by the film's produc­ lowed him to make it; whilst a nov- American currency and institutions ers, Alexander and Ilya Salkind and eliser is tied to a film script, a in order to substitute British equi­ their protege, Pierre Spengler. In­ peculiar document of committee-work valents in spidery handwriting. I terviewed for the slick magazines or and compromises where story values think, all in all, I had it better. for the TV account of the making of don't always come as high on the The DC group were the most availably the picture, all three showed the list of priorities as they might -- with the Superman and Batman-cent­ informed enthusiasm that's expected but I'll be getting to that. red magazines the most prominent of a production team under such cir­ amongst these. Novelisers are a varied group. cumstances; a hint of the negative You get writers who are on the way The earlier celluloid versions at this stage could panic investors up but still need the money, writers of SUPERMAN somehow missed me. The and kill the picture. But an inter­ who are on the way down and can only Kirk Alyn serials and the Paramount view with Donner in MILLIMETER, the use their craft abilities when ins­ cartoons were way before my time, New York media magazine, after SUPER­ piration has left them, and you al­ and I was about five years too late MAN l's release, gave a different so get those who aren't just passing for the British screenings of the angle on relationships within the through but who are content to pound TV series. The timing of the BAT­ team; regarding the way that the out one forgettable scenario after MAN TV series was perfect; dynamite producers were attempting to hold on­ another. These are the pragmatists, couldn't have shifted me from in to the technical teams whilst stal­ the ones who fit in best with the front of the screen and I never mis­ ling over actually getting the re­ production system, and their output sed an episode. Basically, I was mainder of the production onto the also makes for a stunningly dull too young to know I was being mock­ studio floor, he said: read. But when did a novelisation ed for my seriousness -- I now see "That's the way Spengler works. ever do anything else? it for the camp drivel it was. I He'll wait to the last minute heard that, following SUPERMAN'S I never fitted in too well. always and, miraculously, we success, Fox was trying to reas­ Once I got summoned down to Pinewood always pull it off ... This semble the cast for a two-hour spec­ Studios, an endless tacky warehouse- time if they screw themselves ial; I hope they lose enough money yard behind a mansion, to be told up, then they've screwed them­ to make it hurt. by a producer's aide that I'd have selves up. I'm not going to to stop inventing new characters and I suppose the BATMAN fiasco go riding to the rescue ... incidents and stick to the script should have made me wary of SUPER­ Everytime they've negotiated I'd been given. And then the bas­ MAN 1; but, once a comics-raised at the last minute, they've tards made me sit through a screen­ kid, always a comics-raised kid, and lost. They tried to do it ing of the workprint, just to make I was one of the first three in line with Christopher (Reeve) and sure I couldn't pretend I'd got the for the Day One matinee. Margot (Kidder) and they lost. message wrong. ... If he wants to be there I wasn't disappointed. Oh, sure, and communicate with the Sal- Most of that day has now merged there was plenty to wince at, like kinds, that's fine. But he into the grey area of my memory, by the laughable train-racing sequence can't be a producer. He's not which fact I conclude that the visit or that godawful Leslie Bricusse going to learn how at my ex­ to the Dream Factory wasn't one of song, but somewhere deep where it pense." the high points of my life. Only mattered they'd got it right. Un­ one detail sticks out, from when I like, just for comparison, the peop­ We shouldn't really be surprised; was crossing a gloomy drive-through hangar on the side of one of the sound stages; I glanced up a flight of narrow stairs on the inside wall. They led to some offices, looking 3>l1> YOU just about big enough for a gas ring EveP-iKY and a transistor radio and sheafs of -TO SCPATOI worksheets pinned to the walls. Youk nose But there was a sign on the door UVHEN you which blew all of that away. It C/’INi't said, Superman II -- Editing. yous F(MQ-ER Now that, I thought, is going to OR YOUR be a movie. Mose z |BY STEVE GftLLftGHER after all, it's only the facts re­ flecting a popular stereotyped view of the movie producer. Once you've hired the talent and got them per­ sonally identified with the project, they'll put up with whatever stunts you try to pull on them just to see it carried through. Or perhaps they were trying to follow the Dino de Laurentiis meth­ od of hiring a director with no part­ icular style or following of his own simply to carry out their stated wishes. This is rather like hiring a butler when you really need a body­ guard, as a string of expensive de Laurentiis flops has shown. If that's what the Salkinds had in mind, they made a mistake in their choice of directors; Donner's early days in TV and the undistinguished nature of his feature career before THE OMEN original on the back of whose success ax -- a new end that I now made him bankable may have convinced it rode; this had almost attained have and is wonderful. ... I them otherwise, but when in harness the status of a rule when THE GOD­ mean it's three-fourths done on SUPERMAN he showed that he was FATHER, PART TWO blew holes in it. and I've got so many ideas prepared to fight them whenever he From that time on, blockbuster se­ now... SO'much input and needed to. quels became almost mandatory; and thought to work with. And whilst there are still low-profile I have a tremendous obliga­ SUPERMAN 1 probably qualifies junk sequels like JAWS II, the new tion, both to the film as as much as any film can as a movie­ expectation is that the second film well as Christopher and Mar­ movie; it had zip, internal consis­ will be an even mightier effort than got. I don't want anyone tency, technical virtuosity and a the first. else to touch it.'" good, solid story. Its structure Shooting two-for-one is the ob­ Those plans weren't to be real­ left the viewer with a powerful vious compromise between these ex­ ised, because Donner was replaced as anticipation of SUPERMAN II, as the tremes. Your talent comes on one director on SUPERMAN II. Despite publicists were careful to point contract and can't use the success the extent of his involvement he's out that it was actually the first of film number one as a lever to uncredited, and the byline goes to half of one massive two-part project. squeeze more out of you for the fol­ Richard Lester. The second half would pick up and de­ low-up, and you get double value out velop all of the deliberate loose Lester, like Donner, is nobody's of sets and studio space. But you ends of the first -- the re-emer­ hack, but the opportunities to exer­ also lose any opportunity you might gence of the three Kryptonian crimin­ cise any kind of real director-con­ have had to observe and learn from als from the Phantom zone, the out­ trol over the material at this late the reception of the first film; and come of Lois Lane's first, unheeded stage must have been limited. How, in the competition for your time and suspicions about Clark Kent, the then, I wondered, was SUPERMAN II attention, number one has to get the consequences of going against Jor- going to shape up? best of it. If that's not the case E1's warning not to interfere in the and you have a flop, your sequel This time I managed to do even course of human history. Wow. will never see outside the film cans. better than the first matinee. A Something like that could knock your friend in a local radio station got eye out. The answer to this difficulty me fixed up with complimentary tick­ But, even then, I had my sus­ was to shoot only those scenes for ets for the press show -- eleven picions. The precedent for making a SUPERMAN II that were necessary; through midnight, sitting in the pop­ movie in this tandem fashion lay in the Brando segments, the scenes with­ corn debris left by the BERMUDA TRI­ the Salkinds' previous production, in the massive "Fortress of Solitude" ANGLE crowd in an overheated theatre. THE THREE MUSKETEERS and its "con­ interior set, everything with Hack- The place was filled, and most peop­ clusion", THE FOUR MUSKETEERS, both man and the three super-villains, le looked as authentic as I did -- directed by Richard Lester. The and so on. Donner, in the quoted stuff the press show, we were here claim was that the massive over-cov­ interview, estimated that three- to see SUPERMAN. The Saul Bass short erage which spawned two films in­ fourths of SUPERMAN II was already and the tattered old hotdog ads -- stead of one was accidental, a mis­ in the can. Presumably the remain­ anything that wasn't The Movie -- calculation which was then turned to ing quarter consisted of the Paris sent an impatient rumble through the good effect in the cutting rooms; at and Niagara Falls exteriors along house. But the censor's credit got a round of applause. least, that's what they told the with various miniature and effects angry actors who wanted to know why shots and bridging scenes. But Don­ they'd been paid once to be exploit­ ner wasn't going to let it end at The film was okay but it was a ed twice. From the sidelines it that; he had plans for changes that sequel, not a capper. If I had to looks very much like a cheap shot would reshape the second film, and make an estimate I'd say that it that didn't quite come off. he also wanted to shoot new footage achieved 80% of the success of SUP­ The worrying indication was that for the final climactic aerial bat­ ERMAN I. My biggest complaint is FOUR MUSKETEERS was a noticeably in­ tle over New York City. that the plot didn't work and had ferior movie. been badly cobbled to make it hold "Donner again; 'I'm lacking together, resulting in ill-made The old Hollywood expectations about four or five major seams that my book publisher calls for a sequel were that it would gen­ scenes including a new clim- "shit points" -- those crucial mom­ erally gross about one-third of the 57 ents where you either carry the read­ er with you or have him/her saying, ings? Anyway, the loss of powers deeper than you ever suspected. In­ "Aw, shit.'" and closing the book. will be permanent and irrecoverable. stead we've got an entertaining mov­ Examples? Luthor builds a de­ A big decision, an awesome step. He ie which will change nobody's pre­ vice that "tracks Alpha waves" and gets his powers back offscreen and judices. The individual routines somehow leads him to Superman's For­ without any explanation of how, all come off with success, but when tress of Solitude, where he takes a which makes the whole routine into they're added together they don't look around and then goes away again. something of a damp squib. In fact, make the greater total that is the The point of this is to give him at the end of the film the whole sta­ hallmark of the real story. Which bargaining power with the three sup­ tus quo is restored, just like in an rather suggests that the final as­ er-villains -- General Zod is look­ episode of a TV series. But this is sembly of the film was that and no­ ing for an opponent worth the name a movie, and the status quo should thing more, a gathering of the ex­ (a pretty thin motivation -- why is­ be resolved rather then restored; if tant pieces and stringing them to­ n't he looking for the son of the the promised SUPERMAN III ever ma­ gether like beads when they should man who banished him? When this terialises it will simply be a box­ have been used like building blocks. fact emerges, it's only icing on the car of incidents tagged onto the cake) and Luthor's knowledge is a end of the gravy train, the world's In which case, filming two-for- rather transparent plot-hook to keep most expensive TV special. one was a creative mistake, even if them strung along and to provide com­ The main climax, the four-way it did make accounting sense. The ic relief along the way. New powers battle in the centre of Metropolis, Salkinds thought they were getting are brought in when convenient -- is pretty good. The street-level a free movie for little extra effort, the ability to levitate an object recreation of central Manhattan and Donner thought different, the two by pointing a finger at it, a la the miniatures work are excellent. sides fell out. And other problems MY FAVOURITE MARTIAN, or to wipe Some of the flying isn't so good -- emerged to show up the specific vul­ somebody's memory on contact, or to there are distinct changes of pace nerabilities of such a long-haul dematerialise and reappear in sever­ enterprise; photographer Geoffrey al places at once. I don't doubt Unsworth, production designer John that if you plough your way through Barry and matte artist Les Bowie all the comics archives the immense turn­ died after the release of SUPERMAN I over of story material will give you and before the release of SUPERMAN precedents for each of these; but II. Their replacements were faced we're not talking about that kind of with matching the work of others accuracy, I'm talking about internal rather than pulling something out of consistency. After all, you've got the bag on their own behalf; Ken a willing audience that's prepared Thorne's music, whatever his own to accept the notion of a flying abilities may be, is an orchestrat­ man, unaerodynamic and without any ed pastiche of John Williams' orig­ powered propulsion; that's an outer inal. And the whole damn thing is parameter of likelihood within which a year later than it was promised. all the normal rules of storytelling An unusually high proportion of apply. It isn't a precedent to the late-night audience -- about a throw all of the rules out of the fifth -- stayed on to watch the cred­ window. its roll through. The last credit Like having a SPACE 1999 moon of all (unseen by all you junkheads where footsteps crunch loudly and who think it's okay to start walking people hold conversations in vacuum. out before a movie's actually fin­ ished) promised SUPERMAN III for I'm not trying to be picky; I'm next year. There's nothing in the pointing out examples of weaknesses can for this one, so it means a that run through the whole film. whole new effort from scratch; the The crystal-locked image of Super­ between wire-work and mattes that rights are there, and the Reeve and man's mother explains how Zod and are actually emphasised rather than Kidder contracts have long-term op­ his cronies could just conceivably concealed in the cutting. And the tions, but as to whether it's likely be sprung from the Phantom Zone by whole fight is witnessed by a crowd to be made ... "a nuclear explosion in space", and of ... oh, dozens in the streets be­ guess what we saw happen just a few low. Many of the crowds' reaction Part of me hopes not. A good scenes before ... we can take the shots appear to have been lifted idea should be developed, not milk­ coincidence, but we don't want to be from out-takes with people looking ed. A serial form could do that, beaten over the head with it. She the wrong way and grinning, or watch­ but a series form -- never. Lucas also tells her son that his chances ing the battle overhead with the has seen this and put it to work in with Lois Lane are zero unless he same sense of awe that might be pre-devising the greater structure enters a crystal chamber which will shown at a Sunday-League football that the STAR WARS sequels will fall take his powers away and make him match. into for as long as the public will like any ordinary mortal. Eighty per cent ... that still take them. He's no fool, is Lucas; keeps it head and shoulders above he's also a film-maker and not an the dross that clutters up the fan­ accountant. THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK Obviously she's read Larry Niv­ learned from and improved upon its en's essay,. MAN OF STEEL, WOMAN OF tasy archives, and then some. But it isn't what it promised to be and original in precisely the ways that KLEENEX, but she isn't giving any SUPERMAN II didn't. more explanations. Maybe that's what it was all set up to be, the Man Talk, but Jor-El doesn't seem thunder that would roll through the But when the credit came up, the to be anywhere around. Could it be personal skies of every kid who ever remaining diehards of the audience that some cheapskate somewhere de­ owned a stack of comic books, some­ cheered. And, damn it, there was cided to drop the scenes they'd al­ thing that would let him turn to another part of me that was cheering ready shot with Brando so they would everyone who may have patronised his too. not have to pay him the agreed per­ enthusiasm and say see, it all went -- March 29, 1981 centage on the second movie's tak­ 58 ************************************ •jub imBfl HBJllJUE S-F NEWS BY ELTON T. ELLIOTT

REMEMBER THE ADDRESS FOR THIS COLUMN IS: ELTON T. ELLIOTT, SFR, 1899 WIESSNER DRIVE N.E., SALEM, OR 97303. PHONE: (503) 390-6753

Opera or Sword 6 Sorcery. Another 68 pages, with a print run of 2000 COMMENTARY: trend has publishers pulling a book copies to retail for $1.75. It is OBSERVATIONS ON TRENDS: because of poor advance orders; THE quarterly and the first issue, ac­ Science Fiction is a perplex­ JOYMAKERS by James Gunn (Timescape) cording to the press release, came ing field -- just when I think a and FREDERIK POHL'S FAVORITE SF out in May edited by SF author, Eric trend is surfacing, it disappears STORIES (Berkley) are recent examp­ Vinicoff. For more info write: or reverses itself. Just when the les of a trend that will continue RIGEL SCIENCE FICTION magazine field seems down to its as SF becomes more prominent in pub­ Aesir Press last several, then new ventures lishing, and a good sale is valued POB #2523 start. Rumors whisper that some of more than a good book. Science Fic­ Richmond, CA 94802 tion seems neutral, neither booming the steadiest are in danger of fold­ Davis Publications' first issue nor busting at present. ing. In book publishing, Dell and of SCIENCE FICTION DIGEST has one Doubleday cut back (see article in MAGAZINE NEWS: more item that I didn't cover last this same column); Ace increases issue: "The Pride of Chanur" by C.J. OMNI has been experimenting output; Tor joins the fray with suc­ Cherryh. They are starting a mys­ with creating an all-Science-Fic- cessful figures already on their tery digest along the lines of SCI­ tion magazine. The reprint magazine, first few titles; Holt and Houghton- ENCE FICTION DIGEST, to be titled THE BEST OF OMNI SCIENCE FICTION, Mifflin increase their involvement. CRIME DIGEST and to contain excerp­ proved so successful that it has up­ For every line or magazine that ted fiction from mystery novels. ped its schedule from a one-shot to fails, another takes its place or Another fiction digest is planned a quarterly basis and if its success carves out a new niche. but no word on what field it will continues, the name will change to Authors who make their living in OMNI SCIENCE FICTION. The magazine cover. the trenches report a gloomier out­ began printing some original SF in Dell Distributing has sued GALILEO look -- one said, "It's like a ghost its second issue with Robert Silver­ for back monies owed it when it dis­ town out there; nobody is buying, berg's "Waiting for the Earthquake". tributed the last four copies of with few exceptions". Another re­ This development coincides with a GALILEO on the newsstands in 1979. ports that publishers delay signing drop in the number and length of SF of contracts because of a cash short­ stories in OMNI, amid rumors that PUBLISHING NEWS! age to cover advances and royalties OMNI might forego SF altogether. # Ace Books has paid over in the same month -- for some, it's $300,000 for the right to two doz­ still a hand-to-mouth cash flow, A new fantasy magazine, FANTASY en Conan books. These include the from the bank to bill collectors. BOOK, has been announced, to be quar books Ace currently has in print, terly, 8 1/2 X 11", 80 pages, set to One trend observed is the tendency plus the six original novels pub­ go bimonthly beginning in January, lished by Bantam. Bantam bid against to market SF trilogies or series as the first issues to be out in July "future family" sagas in hope of Ace, and although it lost the elec­ and October. For more info write: tion, it retained book rights for capturing legions of readers who FANTASY BOOK buy these historical sagas. Examp­ the novelization of the Conan movie POB #4193 currently set for December release. les are The Phoenix Legacy trilogy Pasadena, CA 91106 by M.K. Wren and TOMORROW'S HERITAGE This is the highest amount of mon­ by Juanita Coulson. The day may Another new magazine debuting is ey Ace has paid for any package, come when "future family sagas" are RIGEL SCIENCE FICTION, 8 1/2 X 11", available through Filmways, Ace's as much a part of the genre as Space 59 parent company, which is pumping more cash into their publishing op­ and refused to release backlist ti­ # Producer Julia Phillips has erations, putting Ace in the market tles to them. I have no confirmed announced that she has convinced for bigger financial projects. figures on the number of authors Arthur C. Clarke to write a sequel (This info from LOCUS.) affected, but it applies to many, to 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, and to # In July Ballantine Books starts including some of the biggest names write a screenplay of THE FOUNTAINS the American Patriot series with a Dell has published. OF PARADISE. unique "two-step" publishing pro­ Before anybody leaps to the con­ # Robert Silverberg has sold to gram: simultaneous release of both Arbor House the prequel to LORD VAL­ mass market and trade paperback ed­ clusion that this is a part of or the beginning of a general bust in ENTINE'S CASTLE, titled MAJIPOOR itions. Both editions will be mark­ CHRONICLES, for a high five-figure eted on the display stands. SF, there are several factors to consider: Doubleday and Dell are advance. # Berkley has announced a trade both owned by Doubleday, which also jf Harry Harrison has completed a program, debuting in the Spring of owns the Science Fiction Book Club novel for Ace, INVASION: EARTH. 1982. Most of the books will be and a variety of other concerns in­ SF under the Berkley trademark as cluding the New York Mets baseball # Roger Zelazny and Fred Saberha- Berkley trade paperbacks. The Berk­ team. A reversal of fortunes on gen have completed a novel, COILS, ley SF hardcover line has been dis­ any of these investments could lead for Tor Books. continued after this fall's releases! to a cash-flow problem, leading to # Nicholas Yermakov has sold a belt-tightening throughout the cor­ sequel to LAST C0M4UNI0N to Signet, # Pocket Books will begin a hard­ porate body. Doubleday's ownership titled EPIPHANY. He is also set to cover line in early 1982, separate of the SF Book Club creates inherent write Battlestar Galactica's #6 and from Simon 8 Schuster or Timescape, conflicts of interests inside the #7 for Berkley. to come out 12 times yearly in two corporate structure, and when they lists under the supervision of Pock­ recently underwent several top-lev­ # Frederik Pohl has sold a third et Editor-in-Chief, Ann Patty. It el managerial changes, could have book, as yet untitled, in the series will feature successful Pocket soft- decided these conflicts were produc­ which began with GATEWAY. He has cover authors in cloth bindings. ing unwanted results and the cut turned in his new contemporary novel, The Pocket hardcovers will be pro­ was made. Any one, all or none of SYZYGY, to Bantam. duced and distributed by Simon 8 the above might have been the decis­ # Philip K. Dick has sold two Schuster, but will be edited, pack­ ive factor in this action, so it is new novels to Timescape Books: THE aged and promoted by Pocket, who perhaps inaccurate to generalize OWL IN DAYLIGHT, an SF-oriented nov­ will also handle Rights and Art Dir­ from one specific situation to the el which sold for five■figures, and ection. field as a whole. BISHOP TIMOTHY ARCHER, the first con­ FEVRE DREAM, George R.R. Martin's One sidenote: LOCUS in issue #245, temporary novel Dick has sold to a new fantasy novel, will be a Pocket reported that Jim Frenkel had moved major publisher. He has sold Del hardcover. on from Dell to form his own com­ Rey Books the reprint rights to DO pany, Blue Jay Books, which would ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP, publish SF in hardcover, trade and for his largest advance to date, a # DFI l /POUPI FDAY CUT SF PROGRAMS: mass market paperbacks and was con­ reported $50,000. As I reported last issue, Double­ sidering forming his own distribu­ day has cut its SF program from two tion system. I talked to Frenkel # Samuel R. Delany is at work on titles per month to one because of who said that the LOCUS report was a new book, STARS IN MY POCKET.LIKE high editorial overhead and poor "premature" and that he was still GRAINS OF SAND. A novel set in Nev- sales on the second title issued in the "process of raising money" eryon, A FABULOUS FORMLESS DARKNESS, each month. As part of a general for this company still in its "forma­ has sold to Bantam. Now all of his belt-tightening move by Doubleday, tive stages". Other sources dis­ fiction, except for DRIFTGLASS and the Western output has been cut in agreed with Frenkel, saying the com­ TIDES OF LUST is with Bantam. STAR­ half, the religion program cut and pany was already formed and would BOARD WINE, an essay collection, will the crime club is under review. begin operations in the fall of this be published by Dragon Press. year. This cut means that Doubleday is in­ # Marta Randall has sold two nov­ ventoried through late '83 to early els to Pocket, one SF and one non- '84, and some titles currently sched­ SF. uled could be dropped. # Sterling Lanier has finished Jim Frenkel left Dell May 1, 1981. AUTHOR NEWS! the sequel to HIERO'S JOURNEY. The Dell SF program has been elimin­ Isaac Asimov has sold a new ated, with no regular SF titles # Carl Sagen has received an ad­ Foundation Novel, LIGHTNING ROD, to ditional $200,000 for CONTACT, sold scheduled after September '81. Dell Doubleday for a $50,000 advance, the had many titles under contract at to The Book of the Month Club, and most Asimov has received for a book, will receive an extra $300,000 on the time the program closed. Authors the manuscript to be turned in to delivering manuscripts to Dell have completion and delivery of the manu­ Doubleday this fall. (This from script. been urged to place them elsewhere SCIENCE FICTION CHRONICLE.) and to return the advance, although # Charles Sheffield and David # Frank Herbert will be research­ some agents have advised authors not Bischoff have sold their horror nov­ to return it. Several authors are ing a new SF novel on a visit to el, THE SELKIE, to Macmillan. contemplating legal recourse to col­ Europe this summer. He and Bill Ransom will do a sequel to their lect monies purportedly owed them # Pay Bradbury was honored at novel, THE JESUS INCIDENT, and Her­ by Dell. Others are trying to pull the Inaugural Performance Award din­ bert will be doing another book on their books on Dell's backlist, ner of the Los Angeles County Mental computers. claiming Dell is in breach of con­ Health Association, May 26. Chair­ tract, affecting all their works at # Robert A. Heinlein is working man was Gene Roddenberry, Master of Dell and that backlist titles should on a new SF novel, title yet un­ Ceremonies was Bob Newhart, and fea­ be returned to them. Dell has chosen . tured speakers were: Charlton Heston, threatened legal action if the auth­ Gene Kelly, Forrest J. Ackerman and ors do not return their advances, 60 Theodore Sturgeon. Messages of con­ gratulations were read from Isaac Writer's Guild, I'm not working". First Novel: ...... DRAGON'S EGG Asimov, Carl Sagan, Tom Bradley (LA When asked why, the reply was, "...... Robert L. Forward Mayor) and former President and First because if I did I'd be blackballed; Novella: ...... "Nightflyers" Lady, Jimmy and Roselyn Carter. the unions are that strong". Others ...... George R.R. Martin working in Hollywood echo that opin­ Novelette:"The Brave Little Toaster" # Marion Zimmer Bradley has sold ion, sometimes word-for-word...... Thomas M. Disch a new 300-500,000-word fantasy novel Phillip K. Dick's novel, DO AND­ Short Story: ...... "Grotto of the MISTRESS OF MAGIC, for a $60,000 ad­ ROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP, is ...... Dancing Deer" vance, to be delivered this fall; set to open next spring, the movie ...... Clifford D. Simak Del Rey will do the paperback. cost reported at $2S million plus. Anthology: ...... THE MAGAZINE OF ...FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION: # John Varley is to do two more (This info from SF CHRONICLE.) Del ...... A 30-YEAR RETROSPECTIVE novels for Berkley after DEMON, Rey has purchased novel rights. ...(Editor) Edward L. Ferman third in the Gae series, is deliver­ (See Author News elsewhere in this Single-Author Collection: ...... THE ed, plus he is working on the novel­ column.) ...... BARBIE MURDERS ization of his short story "Air Raid". ....John Varley The title of the novel and prospect­ Bob Guccione, publisher of PENT­ Related Non-Fiction Book: ...IN JOY ive movie from Independent Producer HOUSE and ONWI magazines, has an­ ...... STILL FELT David Beagleman is MILLENIUM, to be nounced formation of Omni Produc­ ...... Isaac Asimov published in hardcover from MacMil­ tions International. O.P.I. will, Artist: ...... Michael Whelan lan. He recently turned in the mov­ among other activities, produce a Magazine: ..THE MAGAZINE OF FANTASY ie script which has been dalayed by nationally broadcast OM4I television ...... AND SCIENCE FICTION the writers' strike. program scheduled for this fall. Publisher: ...... Ballantine/Del Rey The program will cover, in part, fast-breaking science stories the world over with bureaus in New York, movie/tv news: Los Angeles, London, Rome, Tokyo and Toronto. The show has sold into a # BALROG AWARDS: Paramount will back a second variety of markets, becoming the Novel: ...... THE WOUNDED LAND Star Trek movie, produced by Harve first show ever purchased for syndic­ ...... Stephen R. Donaldson Bennet, best known as producer for ation by owned/operated stations Collection/Anthology: ...UNFINISHED Mod Squad. The budget is $6 million from all three major networks. The ...... TALES the final product will be a TV movie show's budget has already been doub­ ...... J.R.R. Tolkien or a theatrical release, depending led. In addition O.P.I. will do a (Ed. Christopher Tolkien) on how the Paramount executives per­ children's science series, four Professional Achievement: ... George ceive it. For this, the first of a specials for 1982 and a science-re­ ....Lucas for STAR WARS and for series, Paramount will attempt the lated educational series. return of all the original actors. ..contributions to the SFSFantasy Gene Roddenberry is listed as a con­ Guccione has also announced forma­ ...... film genres sultant but will likely not be ac­ tion of Penthouse Entertainment Tele­ Amateur Achievement: ...... Paul C. tively involved; his only recourse • vision Network. P.E.T. Network will ...... and Susan Allen if he dislikes the film is to remove provide programming in shows where ...... (Editors, FANTASY NEWSLETTER) his name from the credits. words are not bleeped, talk shows Poet: ...... H. Warner Munn which discuss sex problems, filmed Artist: ...... Frank Frazetta It is rumored that Spock dies in versions of PENTHOUSE magazine's Short Fiction: "The Web of the Magi" the movie, purportedly because Leon­ "Pet of the Month" layout and sex­ ...... Richard Cowper ard Nimoy wants out of the proposed ually graphic, although not hardcore, Professional Publication: ...... THE series. movies. Included will be discussions ...... MAGAZINE OF FANTASY AND The producers of Mork § Mindy have of alcoholism and drugs, plus game ...... SCIENCE FICTION decided that the show will take a and variety shows. Needless to say, ....(Ed. by Edward L. Ferman) turn towards SF next season. Also this show will be syndicated on cab­ 1981 Science Fiction Film Hall of rumored is that the writers have le, not free TV. Fame Award: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK been ordered to marry Mork fi Mindy 1981 Fantasy Film Hall of Fame Award: next season to placate the Meddling ...... THE WIZARD OF OZ Minority who have complained that Writers 8 Artists Panel Awards: Mork § Mindy live immorally together ...... Fritz Leiber for without benefit of wedlock. AWARDS, AWARDS, AWARDS, AWARDS: ...... FAFHRD AND THE GREY MOUSER ...... Jorge Borges -- George Lucas, in addition to re­ # NEBULA AWARDS: ..Argentinian author of FICIONES signing from the Director's and Writ­ Novel: TIMESCAPE .. Gregory Benford er's Guilds, has resigned from The Novella:...... "The Unicorn Tapestry" Academy of Motion Picture Arts and ...... Suzy McKee Chamas Sciences. Some see this move as Novelette: ...... "The Ugly Chickens" damaging to the unions, and others ...... Howard Waldrop see it as "damaging to the long term Short Story: ...... "Grotto of the interests of Hollywood"...... Dancing Bear" iUealth corrupts because In Hollywood, according to inform­ ..Clifford D. Simak WWE.M they have the moiueY ed sources, the current rash of # LOCUS AWARDS THEY ST(CK no A MEW iAYeR. strikes among last year's actors, OF this year's directors (who recently Science Fiction Novel: ... THE SNCW signed a new contract) and writers, ...... QUEEN has delayed production as much as ...... Joan D. Vinge two to three years on sane products. Fantasy Novel: .... LORD VALENTINE'S Heavily affected are many SF projects CASTLE. and several SF writers. One person, ...Robert Silverberg not connected to the SF field, said, "Although I'm not a member of the 61 Schmitz was one of the most under­ ANCIENT MARINER by Greg Irons, limit­ # DEATHS: rated authors in SF. Long before ed to 750 signed and numbered copies, Bill Broxon, 54, died of a heart anyone else, Schmitz' female protag­ $12; THE FORGOTTEN BEASTS OF ELD by attack, early July 1, 1981. A phys­ onists were non-stereotyped women, Alicia Austin, limited to 1500 sign­ ician and husband of SF author Mild­ handled without reference to gender ed and numbered copies, $15. red Downey Broxon, he was a frequent or competence (the hallmark of non­ attendee of Northwest SF Cons and sexist thinking), and totally over­ was a collector and comnisioner of looked has been his delightful hand­ SF art. There will be no funeral, ling of society in The Hub (particul­ BOOK NEWS: but as per his will, there will be a arly the Overgovernment --of the # ACE: Wake sometime in late July. few original political units shown August: George 0. Smith, 70, died on in SF). His presentation of mankind in THE DEMON BREED, is one of the May 27, 1981, from a heart attack. Hal Clement ...... NITROGEN FIX most convincing statements on human He lived alone in Rumson, New Jers­ H. Beam Piper ...... PARATIME ability presented in SF. Besides ey, and had been dead for several G.C. Edmondson...TO SAIL THE CENTURY being ahead of his time in depicting days when his body was discovered. . SEA women, he was an original thinker in An SF author and former engineer, Avram Davidson ...... STRANGE SEAS the areas of sociology, political Smith was best known for his series ...... AND SHORES organization and human individuality; of stories concerning a communication Robert Sheckley ...... MINDSWAP/ his stories at their best (in The Hub satellite orbiting Venus, which were ...THE PEOPLE TRAP collected under the title, THE COM­ and elsewhere) had one very unique G.C. Edmondson ...... THE SHIP THAT PLETE VENUS EQUILATERAL, by Del Rey characteristic in SF: the stories, ...... SAILED THE TIME STREAM Books in 1976. He wrote nine other characters and backgrounds don't Anthony Bellairs ...... THE FACE books and several score additional date...... IN THE FROST short stories. I had the chance to speak with Mr. Andre Norton...... ZERO STONE James H. Schmitz, 69, died of Schmitz twice when I tried to convey Andre Norton . .STORM OVER WARLOCK James Patrick Baen (Ed.)...DESTINIES congestive lung failure April 18, my enjoyment of his stories and my (The last issue) ...... #11 1981. Increasing lung problems for wish to see more. He explained that the last half-dozen years, necessit­ his lung congestion made writing too September: ated his retirement from the SF field painful. The second time I spoke to Randall Garrett ...... LORD D'ARCY in 1974. His last five weeks of him, he mentioned some disillusion­ ...... INVESTIGATES life were spent in an L.A. area hos- ment with the SF field. I told him (Related Short Story Collection) pital. his stories would stand the test of time, where some more-recognized G. Harry Stine ...... SPACE POWER classics would wither away into nos­ (Non-fiction) talgia, and that his stories and Terri Windling § Mark Arnold (Ed.): # JNGS H, SCHMITZ: Afcl ...... ELSEWHERE APPRECIATION ideas were ahead of their time. He replied, "I just wish somebody would Gordon Eklund...... LORD TEDRIC #3: Schmitz is best known for his tell me what these ideas are -- I .. .BLACK KNIGHT OF THE IRON SPHERE novel THE WITCHES OF KARRES, a short just wrote what was natural for me". Gene Wolfe...... THE FIFTH HEAD story in the December 1949, ASTOUND­ Several people have told me that ...... OF CERBERUS ING, which he later expanded into Schmitz was bitter toward the SF Randall Garrett ...... TOO MANY novel length for Chilton in 1966 field for his lack of recognition...... MAGICIANS (nominated for a Hugo). Most of his If so, it is sad that we should wait Randall Garrett ... .MJRDER AND MAGIC stories, written in the early bOs until a person is dead to honor him. Philip Jose' Farmer ...... BEHIND THE and '70s, were set in a common back­ ...... WALLS OF TERRA ground, called The Hub, far in the (4th in Wall of Tiers series) future. Humans had expanded through­ Andre Norton...... THE STARS ARE OURS out the galaxy, and many strange men­ Fred Saberhagen..THE MASK OF THE SUN tal powers were in evidence. One ACADEMIC & SMALL PRESS NEWS: October: mutant, a young woman telepath, Tel- zey Amberdon, was the protagonist of # GALE RESEARCH: Gordon R. Dickson ...... LOST DORSAI several novels: THE UNIVERSE AGAINST Will publish in July, TWENTIETH Frank Herbert...... DIRECT DESCENT HER (Ace, 1964), THE LION GAME and a CENTURY SCIENCE FICTION WRITERS. In­ Rudy Rucker ...... SPACETIME DONUTS short story collection, THE TELZEY cluded among the ninety writers are: Marion Zimmer Bradley ...SURVEY SHIP TOY (DAW, 1973). These stories ap­ Poul Anderson, Isaac Asimov, James Robert Asprin (Ed.) ...... SHADCWS OF peared in ANALOG. Other stories fea­ Blish, Ray Bradbury, Philip K. Dick, ...... SANCTUARY tured another female protagonist, a Harlan Ellison, Philip Jose' Farmer, (Thieves' World 3) non-telepath, Trigger Argee, featur­ Robert A. Heinlein, Ursula K. Le- Richard McEnroe ...... WARRIOR'S WORLD ed in A TALE OF TWO CLOCKS (Dodd Guin, Frederik Pohl, Robert Silver­ (4th in Buck Rogers series) Mead 1962), later reissued by Ace in berg, and Theodore Sturgeon. Robert Asprin (Ed.)...THIEVES' WORLD 1979 as LEGACY. Other books set in Roger Zelazny ...... DREAM MASTER The Hub are the novel, THE DEMON # SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIV. PRESS: Clifford D. Simak ...... CITY BREED (Ace, 1968) and the story col­ Will publish in July THE BEST Fred Saberhagen ...... AN OLD FRIEND lection, A NICE DAY FOR SCREAMING SCIENCE FICTION OF ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE ...... OF THE FAMILY AND OTHER TALES OF THE HUB (Chilton, edited by Charles G. Waugh and Mart­ Fall Trade-Size Paperbacks: 1965) and A PRIDE OF MONSTERS (Mac­ in H. Greenberg. millan, 1970). ((One story, his Orson Scott Card (Ed.) ...DRAGONS OF first-published, by ASTOUNDING in .... DARKNESS 1943, "Greenface", was not set in # SCHANES & SCHANES: POB #99217 Larry Niven (Ed.)...... THE MAGIC MAY The Hub.)) His two other books, not San Diego, CA, 92109 ...... RETURN set in The Hub, are his first, AGENT (Illustrated by Alicia Austin) Several art portfolios: UNI­ OF VEGA (Gnome, 1960) and his last, Roger Zelazny...... MAEWAND THE ETERNAL FRONTIERS (Berkley-Put­ CORNS by Leia Dowling, RIME OF THE (Sequel to CHANGELING. nam, 1973). 62 Illustrated by Judy King Rienits) Also the Venus Series by Edgar Rice Sydney J. Van Scyoc ...... SUN WAIF Also featuring a special Dragon Burroughs. Richard S. McEnroe is no George Alec Effinger...... THE WOLVES publicity promotion, including: THE longer with Ace...... OF MEMORY DRAGON AND THE GEORGE by Gordon R. (Hardcover) Dickson, ORPHAN STAR by Alan Dean Foster, which features the main pro­ # AVON! tagonist Flinx and his mini-drag Pip; # DAW DRAGONFLIGHT, DRAGONQUEST and THE August: August: WHITE DRAGON in Anne McCaffrey's best­ Hannes Bok and A. Merritt..THE BLACK selling, The Dragonriders of Pern ser­ ...... WHEEL C.J. Cherryh...WAVE WITHOUT A SHORE ies, each of the 3 volumes having Stanislaw Lem...... TALES OF PIRX THE Karl Edward Wagner, Ed....THE YEAR'S over 2/3 of a million copies in ...... PILOT ....BEST HORROR STORIES: SERIES IX print, with THE WHITE DRAGON leading John T. Phillifent... KING OF ARGENT the way with 1,000,000+ copies and September: Dray Prescot...... #25: LEGIONS the total for the series running to Brian W. Aldiss ...... NEW ARRIVALS, ...... OF ANTARES over 2.5 million copies. Dray Prescot...... #6 § 7: MANHOUNDS ...... OLD ENCOUNTERS September: George Zebrowski ...... MACROLIFE ...... ARENA OF ANTARES September: Juanita Coulson..TOMORROW'S HERITAGE October: Elizabeth Boyer ...... THE ELVES AND Linda Heldeman ...ESBAE: A WINTER'S Tanith Lee ...... DELUSION'S MASTER ...... THE OTTERSKIN . TALE A. Bertram Chandler.THE ANARCH LORDS James White...... DEADLY LITTER Ralph A. Sperry...... STATUS QUOTIENT: Philip K. Dick ...... NOW WAIT FOR Alan Gamer .... THE NOON OF GOMRATH ...... THE CARRIER ...... LAST YEAR Alan Gamer...... THE WEIRDSTONE Lin Carter...DARYA OF THE BRONZE AGE ...... OF BRISINGAMEN Tanith Lee ...... NIGHT'S MASTER Lester del Rey...... THE ELEVENTH ...... COMMANDMENT # bantam: October: The Coulson is the first of a fut­ August: Marion Zimmer Bradley ...... SHARRA'S ...... EXILE ure-family saga to be backed by a Russell Griffin...... CENTURY'S HMD Jack Vance ...... SHCWBOAT WORLD multi-media publicity blitz, includ­ Samuel R. Delany(Ed.)NEBULA WINNER'S Arthur W. Saha, Ed. .THE YEAR'S BEST ing radio ads, press interviews, etc. FANTASY STORIES: 7 THE ELEVENTH COMMANIMENT has over Gordon Williams ...... REVOLT OF THE 150,000 copies in print...... MICRONAUTS E.C. Tubb ...... THE TERRIDAE A. Bertram Chandler THE WAY BACK October: September: # DELL: Jack L. Chalker...... LILITH Mike McQuay ...... MATTHEW SWAIN: HOT Alexis A. Gilliland...... LONG SHOT ...... IN OLD TOWN September: ... FOR ROSINANTE James R. Berry...... QUAS STARBRITE Stephen Englehart .... THE POINT MAN Susan Dexter ....THE RING OF ALLAIRE David Gerrold...... SPACE SKIMMER October: October: Frederic Brown...... MARTIANS, GO HOME Stephen Leigh...... SLCW FALL TO DAWN No titles scheduled. See article Fletcher Pratt...... THE BLUE STAR Stephen E. McDonald....JANUS SYNDROM on Doubleday/Dell Cut SF Programs. LILITH is volume #1 of THE FOUR Samuel R. Delany...... DISTANT STARS (A short story collection to be re­ # DEL REY: LORDS OF THE DIAMOND tetralogy. leased as a trade paperback) Chalker's Well World series has over July: 900,000 copies in print. James P. Hogan...... GIANTS' STAR Alan Garner ...... ELIDOR # BERKLEY: Alan Gamer ...... THE OWL SERVICE # DOUBLEDAY: August: Frederik Pohl § C.M. Kornbluth...THE ...... SPACE MERCHANTS August: Barry B. Longyear ...CITY OF BARABOO David Bischoff...... THE VAMPIRES OF Kit Reed...... OTHER STORIES AND ... NICHTWORLD. Ben Bova ...... VOYAGERS Ron Goulart ...... BRINKMAN ....THE ATTACK OF THE GIANT BABY David Bischoff...... NIGHIWORLD (Cover blurb says "You Will Stuart D. Schiff, Ed....WHISPERS III GIANTS' STAR is the third in a Never Feel Safe Again") September: George R.R. Martin, Ed...... NEW series that started with INHERIT THE ...VOICES #4 STARS and THE GENTLE GIANTS OF GANY­ Suzette Haden Elgin...... AND THEN MEDE; INHERIT THE STARS is now in its .... THERE'LL BE FIREWORKS September: fifth printing with over 240,000 cop­ (3rd in Ozark fantasy trilogy) Elizabeth A. Lynn...... THE WOMAN WHO ies in print. THE GENTLE GIANTS OF Roy Torgeson...... CHRYSALIS NINE GANYMEDE and another Hogan novel, . .LOVED THE MOON AND OTHER STORIES October: Poul Anderson..THE CORRIDORS OF TIME THRICE UPON A TIME are also over the Paul H. Cook...... TINTAGEL 100,000 mark. Marvin Kaye...... THE AMOROUS UMBRELLA Charles L. Grant, Ed. ... SHADOWS IV Philip Jose' Farmer... THE UNREASONING August: ...... MASK (Hardcover; also a limited edition) Marion Z inner Bradley...... THE HOUSE Janet E. Nforris ...... CRUISER DREAMS ...... BETWEEN THE WORLDS (Hardcover. Second in Dream L. Neil Smith...... THEIR MAJESTIES' ..... Dancer Trilogy) ...... BUCKETEERS # PLAYBOY: H.. Warner Minn...... MERLIN'S RING October: John Brunner ...... THE LONG RESULT August: M.K. Wren...... HOUSE OF THE WOLF Judy-Lynn del Rey, Ed...... STELLAR Philip Jose' Farmer.... TARZAN ALIVE ...... SCIENCE FICTION STORIES #7 (Concluding Volume of Phoenix September: Trilogy) William Tenn...... THE WOODEN STAR John Morressy...... GRAYMANTLE Kevin O'Donnell, Jr...... REEFS 63 October: Kate Wilhelm WHERE LATE THE Ron Goulart ...... STAR HAWKS II ...... SWEET BIRDS SANG A fifth title for the month has not AND THEN I SAW.... been decided; THE BEST OF WILSON TUCK­ CONTINUED ER was originally scheduled but can­ # STffiBLAZE'. celled. S.O.B. (R) August: is said by those who October: should know that this Blake Ed­ Marion Zimmer Bradley ...... WEB wards film is a Revenge Movie, ...OF DARKNESS Jerry E. Poumelle ...... KING DAVID'S in which he rips certain Holly­ Ted White ...... JEWELS OF ELSEWHEN ...... SPACESHIP wood personages and character­ (Revised and expanded) Ed Bryant ...... PARTICLE THEORY istics with merciless satire September: Nancy Kress ...... THE PRINCE OF and sarcasm...... MORNING BELLS No doubt. But without In­ D.C. Poyer...... STAR SEEDS Kate Wilhelm ...... FAULTLINES side knowledge the film seems October: Robert Vardeman...THE KLINGON GAMBIT an inspired but cliche-ridden (A Star Trek novel) entertainment. The characters Marion Zimmer Bradley...WEB OF LIGHT Later this year they will publish are standard malicious, venal, double-dealing, selfish, ego­ Upcoming titles include MALLWORLD THE COVENANT OF THE CROWN by Howard tistic, amoral, kinky Hollywood by Somtow Sucharitkul, THEY'D RATHER Weinstein, another Star Trek novel. types we have known and enjoyed BE RIGHT by Mark Clifton and Frank Weinstein also wrote scripts for the in many previous Hollywood Riley; in 1982 the first abridged Star Trek cartoon series aired on expose films. publication of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Saturday mornings several years ago. THE COLORS OF SPACE, CHIMQUAR by Jan- The bonus here is the deli­ rae Frank, GALACTIC CONMAN by Randall cious, flesh-flaying humor, the Garrett (an expansion of the Laland black humor, the death humor. Hale series from ASTOUNDING), an art # TOR: And the super-deluxe extra­ book by Ron Miller, the former dir­ special bonus is THE MJMENT when August: ector of the Smithsonian Space Mus­ Julie Andrews rips down her gown eum; three books later in '82 by Ray Poul Anderson ...... WINNERS and exposes for a satisfactorily Faraday Nelson including TURN OFF Harry Harrison...... THE TECHNICOLOR long moment her entirely lovely THE SKY, described by Starblaze Edi­ ...... TIME MACHINE breasts. tor, Hank Stine, as "the controvers­ The plot revolves around September: ial Nebula nominee story ... it was her (film) husband's gamble of never nominated, that's what the con­ Philip Jose' Fanner ...... THE CACHE $16 million to salvage a movie troversy is all about". Poul Anderson ...... FANTASY judged a boirb by giving it overt sexual aspects—and requiring October: her to do the topless bit. The movie is also merciless # SIGNET: Fred Saberhagen...... EARTH DESCENDED Poul Anderson..THE GUARDIANS OF TIME in its estimate of audience de­ August: sires- --"THEY WANT SEX!" and dirty humor, and suicide humor. Stephen King ...... FIRE-STARTER And the film delivers all of that Robert Adams ...... SWORDS OF THE # GAMECON I: and more...... HORSECLANS Richard Milligan, Julie An­ Roger Zelazny ...... TODAY WE CHOOSE Gamecon I was held in Salem the drews, Robert Webber, William ...... FACES/BRIDGE OF ASHES weekend of June 26-28. It was the Holden, Robert Preston, Robert first gaming convention I had ever September: Vaughn, Lorreta Swit and all attended, and although demands on the rest do a marvelous job. Ann Maxwell ...... THE JAWS OF MENX my time made it inpossible to run And running through the any tournaments officially, I did October: film is the heart-rending loy­ play in several, finishing second in alty and love of a dog sticking Mike Resnick...... THE SOUL EATER the Risk tourney. by and mourning his dead master. Arthur C. Clarke.TALES OF TEN WORLDS An all-around good Con. I enjoy­ The constant contrast of Holly­ ed my chats with Ed Simonson, one of wood duplicity and greed with the designers of Space Opera, out this simple example of true from Fantasy Games Unlimited. I and pure love is devastating. heartily recommend Gamecon II for # timescape: those of you who like to play board, August: miniatures or role-playing games. TH^ INCREDIBLE SHRINKING WOMAN Richard Cowper ...A DREAM OF KINSHIP manages to strike yet anoth­ (A sequel to THE ROAD TO CORLAY) # CONCLUDING WORDS: er knee-jerk blow against pollu­ Hilbert Schenck...... AT THE EYE OF tion, advertising, consumer ...... THE OCEAN Due to space limitations the junk products, supermarket civ­ David M. Alexander...... FANE articles on SF displays in bookstores, ilization. . .as it says all them Clark Ashton SmithTHE. CITY OF one on distribution and another on chemicals caused Lilly Tomlin ...... THE SINGING FLAME censorship in SF amid the rise of the to shrink and shrink and shrink Jules Verne ...20,000 LEAGUES UNDER Meddling Minority, have had to be post- until she disappeared into a ...... THE SEA poned. sludge of spilled something or other. September: The ankle is fine, and I'm busy working on SF BOOKLINE and SCIENCE The stars of the film are Adam Corby ...... THE FORMER KING FICTION NOVELS among other projects. the sets which make it appear Octabia Butler ...... WILD SEED See you all next issue. Lily is very small...smaller... Somtow Sucharitkul...... STARSHIP AND and Sidney—an ape...... HAIKU 64 S F Bookline For a list of our current needs for SF BOOKLINE, query first for our Science Fiction Novels general guidelines. Elton T. Elliott P.O. Box 2050 For SCIENCE FICTION NOVELS we Salem, Oregon 97308 want science fiction novels, (no fantasy, no horror or occult -- and no short fiction) between 40 and 100,000 words. We prefer this length TO THE READERS OF SFR! but will look at longer manuscripts. Reporting time, four to six weeks, On May 1, 1981, Thaddeus Dikty volume of submissions permitting. and myself formed SF Productions, Query if longer than ten weeks. We Inc., an independent packager of SF- accept no responsibility for unsol­ related products. Four weeks later icited manuscripts. we signed contracts with New Media The SF BOOKLINE staff: Publishing, Inc. of Florida to pack­ age two magazines. Thaddeus Dikty...Editorial Director Elton T. Elliott.Editor The magazines are SF BOOKLINE Paula K. Stiner..Editorial Associate and SCIENCE FICTION NOVELS. SF BOOK­ Ken Hansen ...... Associate Editor LINE is a service-oriented publica­ Sandra Miesel....Contributing Editor tion aimed at librarians, academic­ Pamela Sargent...Contributing Editor ians, academic libraries, booksel­ Marshall B.Tymn..Contributing Editor lers, bookbuyers and serious collect­ George Zebrowski.Contributing Editor ors and readers of SF. It will con­ tain reviews, articles, columns, The SCIENCE FICTION NOVELS Staff: news, interviews, lists of upcoming Thaddeus Dikty....Editorial Director books and books just published. It Elton T. Elliott..Editor will be 8 1/2 X 11" trim size, 48 Paula K. Stiner...Editorial Associate pages. SCIENCE FICTION NOVELS will Ken Hansen ...... Associate Editor consist of four to five new never- Norman E. Hartman.Assistant Editor before -published science fiction nov­ Steve Perry ...... Assistant Editor els. Each novel will be serialized Kerry E. Davis... Editorial Assistant in generally from two to four instal­ Craig P. Peterson.Editorial Assistant learn more. As for SCIENCE FICTION lments, depending on manuscript Pamela Sargent ...Contributing Editor NOVELS, it has long been apparent to length. Short stories will be occas­ George Zebrowski..Contributing Editor me that one of the great ironies of ionally used as "filler material" the field is that the younger writ­ should space dictate. ers generally get their start in the SF BOOKLINE and SCIENCE FICTION I will have more information magazine and once they have estab­ NOVELS will not be distributed by next column on the contents of the lished themselves and acquired some the newsstand method, but will be first issue. With these two maga­ name value they almost totally desert available in speciality shops and by zines we will meet a real need. A the magazines and concentrate on nov­ subscription, and will be advertised major complaint I have heard over els, to the point where today most in various science fiction publica­ the years from booksellers and book­ of the best work in SF by some of tions. The cover price of each will buyers, librarians, etc., is the lack the biggest names is done at novel be $1.95 and subscription rates will of a service-oriented magazine to length. This is not surprising, as be $18.00 for 12 issues, $10.00 for give them a broader understanding of book publication and novels in par­ six issues. They will be bimonthly the field and to provide specific in­ ticular, is where the money is, so through the first three issues and formation about current titles. I I could never understand why the SF monthly after that. The address for believe that SF BOOKLINE is for those magazines didn't recognize this and subscriptions and distribution infor­ people, and for anybody else who has serialize more novels. This is the mation is: New Media Publishing a curiosity about SF and wants to void SCIENCE FICTION NOVELS has set 12345 Starkey Road out to fill, our ecological niche, Largo, FL, 33543 if you will. SF BOOKLINE is set for January Another item which might not be release with a March cover date and apparent to those who read only my SCIENCE FICTION NOVELS is slated for news columns in SFR and have never February release with an April cov­ talked to me, is that I have quite er date. strongly-held beliefs about SF. I SF BOOKLINE and SCIENCE FICTION am tired of the nostalgia for yester­ NOVELS both buy First North American day's tomorrow in science fiction; Serial Rights only, and payment is what this field could use is more one cent per word on acceptance. new-fashioned futures; extrapolation from the present world, not the SF of The address for Editorial Of­ the past. I will develop this concept fices is: SF Productions, Inc. more in my editorials in NOVELS. So, POB #2050 if you too are fed up with the smug Salem, OR, 97308 stagnation of a lot of current SF, Phone: (503) 390-6753 SF NOVELS is your magazine. If you Any questions about advertising want well-told stories that do not should go to the same above address. insult your intelligence, then SF There will be display advertising in NOVELS is the magazine for you. both magazines but no classifieds. THE ALIEN CRITIC #9 "Reading SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW #23 Inter­ BACK ISSUES Heinlein Subjectively" by Alexei views: A.E. van Vogt, and Jack and Cory Panshin; "Written to a Vance, and Piers Anthony; "The Pulp!" by Sam Merwin, Jr.; "Noise Silverberg That Was" by Robert Level" by John Brunner; "The Shav­ Silverberg. THE ALIEN CRITIC er Papers" by Richard S. Shaver. SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW #24 Inter­ NO OTHER BACK ISSUES ARE THE ALIEN CRITIC #10 Interview views: Bob Shaw, David G. Hartwell AVAILABLE with Stanislaw Lem; "A Nest of and Algis Budrys; "On Being a Bit $1.25 per copy Strange and Wonderful Birds" by of a Legend" by Algis Budrys. Sam Merwin, Jr.; Robert Bloch's EACH ISSUE CONTAINS MANY REVIEWS Guest of Honor speech; The Hein­ SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW #25 Inter­ EACH ISSUE CONTAINS LETTERS FROM lein Reaction. views with George Scithers, Poul WELL-KNOWN SF & FANTASY WRITERS, Anderson and Ursula K. Le Guin; EDITORS, PUBLISHERS AND FANS. SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW #14 Inter­ "Flying Saucers and the Stymie view with Philip Jose Farmer; Factor" by Ray Palmer; ONE IMORTAL THE FOLLOWING LISTINGS ARE OF "Thoughts on Logan's Run" by Will­ MAN--Part One. FEATURED CONTRIBUTIONS iam F. Nolan; "The Gimlet Eye" by John Gustafson. SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW #26 Inter­ views with Gordon R. Dickson and SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW #15 Inter­ Larry Niven; "Noise Level" by THE ALIEN CRITIC #5 Interview view with L. Sprague de Camp; John Brunner; "Fee-dom Road" by with Fritz Leiber; "The Literary "Spec-Fic and the Perry Rhodan Richard Henry Klump; ONE INMORTAL Dreamers" by James Blish; "Irvin Ghetto" by Donald C. Thompson; MAN--Part Two. Binkin Meets H.P. Lovecraft" by "Uffish Thots" by Ted White. Jack Chalker. SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW #27 Inter­ SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW #16 Inter­ views with Ben Bova and Stephen THE ALIEN CRITIC #6 Interview view with Jerry Poumelle; "The Fabian; "Should Writers be Serfs with R.A. Lafferty; "The Tren­ True and Terrible History of Sci­ ...or Slaves?"; SF News; SF Film chant Bludgeon" by Ted White; ence Fiction" by Barry Malzberg; News; The Ackerman Interview; ONE "Translations From the Editorial" "Noise Level".by John Brunner; INMORTAL MAN--Part Three. by Marion Z. Bradley. "The Literary Masochist" by Rich­ ard Lupoff. SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW #28 Inter­ view with C.J. Cherryh; "Beyond SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW #17 Inter­ Genocide" by Damon Knight; ONE IM­ view with George R.R. Martin; In­ MORTAL MAN--Conclusion; SF News; terview with Robert Anton Wilson; SF Film News 6 Reviews. "Philip K. Dick: A parallax View" by Terrence M. Green; "Microcos­ mos" by R. Faraday Nelson. SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW #29 Inter­ views with John Brunner, Michael SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW #18 Inter­ Moorcock, and Hank Stine; "Noise view with Lester del Rey; Inter­ Level" by John Brunner; SF News; ------BACK ISSUE ORDER FORM------view with Alan Burt Akers; "Noise SF Film News 6 Reviews. $1.25 EACH Level" by John Brubber; "A Short One for the Boys in the Back Room” SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW #30 Inter­ Dear REG: I enclose $ by Barry Malzberg. views with Joan D. Vinge, Stephen Please send back issue(s) #5 #6 R. Donaldson, and Norman Spinrad; #8 #9 #10 #14 #15 #16 "The Awards Are Coming" by Orson #17 #18 #19 #20 #21 #22 #23 SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW #19 Inter­ Scott Card; SF News; SF Film News #24 #25 #26 #27 #28 #29 #30 view with Philip K. Dick; Interview § Reviews. #31 #32 #33 #35 #36 with Frank Kelly Freas; "The Note­ [Circle #'s desired] books of Mack Sikes" by Larry Niven; SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW #31 Inter­ 'Angel Fear" by Freff; "The Vivi- view with Andrew J. Offutt; "Noise $1.50 EACH — #37 #38 #39 sector" by Darrell Schweitzer. Level" by John Brunner; "On the Edge of Futuria" by Ray Nelson. SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW #20 Inter­ Science Fiction Review views: Theodore Sturgeon, and Joe SUBSCRIPTION COUPON SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW #32 Inter­ Haldeman;"Noise Level" by John view with Andrew J. Offutt--Part Dear REG; Start my subscription Brunner; "The Vivisector" by Dar­ Two; Interview with Orson Scott with issue # rell Schweitzer; "The Gimlet Eye" Card; "You Got No Friends in This by John Gustafson. $7.00 OtE YEAR I $14.00 TWO YEARS World" by Orson Scott Card; "The Human Hotline" by Elton T. Elliott. SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW #21 Inter­ Name...... view with Leigh Brackett 6 Edmond SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW #33 Inter­ Address...... Hamilton; Interview with Tim Kirk; view with Charles Sheffield; "A "The Dream Quarter" by Barry Malz­ Writer's Natural Enemy—Editors" berg; "Noise Level" by John Brunner. by George R. R. Martin; "Noise City...... Level" by John Brunner. State...... Zip...... SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW #22 Inter­ view with John Varley;"S-F and SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW #35 Inter­ SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW S-E-X" by Sam Merwin, Jr.; "After­ views with Fred Saberhagen and Don thoughts on Logan's Run" by William P.O. Box 11408 Wollheim; "The Way It Is" by Barry Portland, OR 97211 F. Nolan; "An Evolution of Cons­ Malzberg; "Noise Level" by John ciousness" by Marion Zimmer Bradley. Brunner; "Coming Apart at the 66 Themes" by Bob Shaw. SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW #36 Inter­ tion, especially the DUNGEONS 6 DRAG­ view with Roger Zelazny; A Profile ONS game. of Philip K. Dick by Charles Platt; The move against fantasy games "Outside the Whale" by Christopher by the New Right and the Bible thund­ Priest; "Science Fiction and Polit­ ers would be a natural. All they'd ical Economy" by Mack Reynolds; In­ have to do is invoke the "devil wor­ terview with Robert A. Heinlein; ship" angle...heathen, alien, anti- "You Got No Friends in This World" Christ influences... __ ZI?/ • » by Orson Scott Card. There's a hint that may have al­ ready occurred. A source has told ) IaJOki'DE^ IF ) 3E7 me that Jerry Fallwell, the leader MXOl4> JOB of the Moral Majority, has written $1.50 per copy from #37 onward to a major paperback publisher and objected to one or two titles in the SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW #37 Inter­ sf, fantasy lines, and that the pub­ view with Robert Anton Wilson; lisher responded in a cowardly fash­ CoRR-V iMTO "We're Coming Through the Window!" ion, promising to make adjustments by Barry N. Malzberg; "Inside the in titles, covers and cover and back- Whale" by Jack Williamson, Jerry cover blurbs. Pournelle, and Jack Chalker; "Uni­ That's not surprising; the major ties in Digression" by Orson Scott paperback houses are all owned by Card. conglomerates—CBS owns Popular Library and Fawcett, for instance— SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW #38 Inter­ and conglomerate thinking is terri­ view with Jack Williamson; "The fied of bad publicity. The powers- Engines of the Night" by Barry N. that-be don't give a damn about free­ Malzberg; "A String of Days" by dom of the press, resisting censor­ Gregory Benford; "The Alien Inva­ ship, etc. They care about profits sion" by Larry Niven; "Noise Level" Shuttle program for the fiscal year and their own growing control of the that begins Oct. 1. (AP) by John Brunner; SF News by Elton mass media. They'll easily sacri­ Elliott. fice the freedom of content in sf and Look at it this way: of the fantasy to that end. They may even $2200 million space budget for the SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW #39 Inter­ agree—if they think about it— shuttle, the House made a trivial view with Gene Wolfe; "The Engines that science fiction and fantasy to­ little $60 million spite cut, prob­ of the Night"-Part Two by Barry N. day are in fact subversive litera­ ably knowing full well the Senate Malzberg; "The Nuke Standard" by ture. will vote even a bigger budget and Ian Watson; "The Vivisector" by Before long we may find an ad­ the compromise will be either the Darrell Schweitzer; SF News by ditional set of written and unwrit­ elimination of the House cut or Elton Elliott. ten taboos in place in the editorial an added chunk of money. offices in New York. Not just for­ The space program is safe—be­ bidding certain religious aspects, cause of overriding military consid­ but outlawing certain economic and erations. ALIEN THOUGHTS CONTINUED political themes as well.... It'll be nice to have up-close The sad fact is that science pictures of Halley's Comet from a and some b/w artwork I could use. I fiction and fantasy's success as big Voyager or Pioneer.... said fine, I'd work around his inter­ sales genres may be their undoing. view until his material arrived. As long as the field was small and # Below is a movie review that was Only, it didn't arrive. So I de­ marginally profitable, it could be crowded out of "And Then I Saw...." cided to put it over once more. [Of ignored—and left to its freedom. course his package will get here to­ Now...what sf and fan tasy writers morrow, due to a post office screw- are saying in those weird books may TFE FAN (R) up of something.] disturb a lot of important, insecure is chillingly well done. I aim for the 10th of the month people. Newcomer Michael Biehn does a fine job as an increasingly psychotic of Feb., May, July, November as the fan of a Broadway star played with day I want to get these completed sad weariness and hope by Lauren layouts to the printer. Once in a # From the WASHINGTON STAR, 6-24-81: Bacall. while I make it. Mostly I'm one to HOUSE CUTS SHUTTLE FUNDS, KEEPS COMET First he writes increasingly three days late. PROBE ALIVE I HATE BEING BEHIND SCHEDULE! possessive and demanding letters, Over Reagan administration ob­ then begins eliminating those peo­ This means the mailing date is three jections, the House voted yesterday days late, usually. I aim for the ple who stand between him and his to cut money for the Space Shuttle adored. 24-26th of the month, and too often but decided to keep alive the option The audience can understand his don't get the mailing to the P.O. of a mission that would intercept until the 27-28-29th. For some warped reasoning. He has, he thinks, Halley's Comet with an unmanned real claims on Sally Ross, and is so reason that pisses me. space probe. sure she wants him, needs him... To fail to keep a 1986 rendez­ But she calls in the police and vous in space with the comet would his love turns to hate. # Hank Stine called a few weeks ago be false economy, backers of the This is a suspense thriller of and in passing mentioned he thought mission said as the House approved high calibre. The photography is the current Moral Majority power a $5 million installment toward the superb. The ending is--contrived. moves against sex and violence on TV $30 million-plus space shot. At the And Bacall doesn't pass as a 50- would eventually bring the Thou-Shalt sam e time the House reduced by $60 year-old anymore. Not See/Read/Think/Hear-What-We-Don't- million the administration request But see it. The supporting Want-Thou-To-See/Read/Think/Hear crowd for $2.19 billion for the Space cast, including Maureen Stapleton, to attack fantasy and science fic­ 67 is excellent. For information about other Gary Davis artwork, contact Future Dreams, 1800 E. Burnside Portland, OR 97214