2. Matrix 138 ontents JUly-August. 1999 Inside BSFA
Publk',y&Promolions:Clal!l'arb.lcy Section I: BSFA Officers 26 Norllulmplon Road. Croydon. Surrey. News CRO 7HA; cbifa@lmgi~.demonco.uk and Mark Plumm.,.. I~ Northway Road. Matrix Including the Arlhur C. President: Croydon. Surrey. CRO 6JE 138 • July-August. 1999 Clarke Award, and new names Sir ATthuT C. Clarke, CBE in lhe SF Hal1 of Fame. Vice President: PubliearionsMa""gcrPauJBillin!l"r lhebi-monlhly news magazineoftllc 1 Long Row Close. Everdon. Davenl'l" British Science Books Stephen BaxtcT Northanls.NNl13BE Forthcoming books and SF [email protected] publishing schedules. Adm;nimatoc ~bu_n Ki""ald S~J1~r Fiction Associaton BSFAWcbSi,c: 60 BOU1'l'ltmDUlhRoad hupJlmemberuol.com/Ill/'l\3I'Mlhf Columns FoI~eSIOM. Kenl. CTI9 5AZ mainlaintd by Tanya Bro..n Regislertd in Englan
Coverage of all that's happening in the worlds of Science Fiction
Stephenson Bradbury, Silverberg Arthur C. Clarke takes SF to Awards photos join SF Hall of Fame Page 5 mainstream ekran authors Ray Bradbury and Robert Silverberg are to Awards Special: ~:~o:o~:t~~:~oh:on:cn:~ be inducted Into this year's Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall Hugo, Nebula & A Vof Fame, along with Julct> Verne and A. Merrit who gain came second only to Slar Wars: entry posthumously. Aslmov Awards The Phantom Menace in inter The decision was announced Haldeman, Larry Hopkins, Ted Page 6 nee hype during May. at ConQuest 30 in Kansas Cily Poovey, Keith W. Stokes and Advanced on-line orders put on May 29 and Ihe event will Wil1iamTienken. Rankln slgnlngs the much discussed novel at No. take place on July9 alongside the Previous inductees include Page 4 3 on the Amazon.com site. presenlation of the John W BSFA President Arthur C. Preview copies and fan buzz Campbell and Theodore Sturgeon Clarke, Hal Clement. Frederik Media news on the internet helped push the Memorial Awards at the Pohl, A. E. van VogL Andre Page 16·17 novel to bestseller status, despite University of Kansas. Norton and Jack Williamson. it's unusual approach to science Founded in 1996. the Science POSlhumous inductees have fiction. Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame included Isaac Asimov, 10hn W. 'What I am doing here isgiv was sct up by theJ. Wayneand Campbe111r.. Hugo Gemsbaek. Straczynski ing the science fiction treatment Elsie M. Gunn Center for the Robert A. Heinlein, C. L. Moore to characters, times and settings Study of Science Fiction at the and H. G. Wells. to become that are not the usual province of University of Kansas. Members eStrac1.,Ynski wins Bradbury SF,' claimed Slcphenson during of the Hall of Fame arc selected Award - supage 4 a rock star an on line interview. by the Board of DireclOrs: Robin eHugo nominations for 'Half of the novel takes Wayne Bailey. James Gunn, lee /999 infuU- see page 5 place during the Second World A;;;:C~~~:kit~e~;::::~:e~ War and half during the present rock star, day - Dancof i! in thcfuturc, and The Babylon 5 and Crusad~ nonc in any sort of fantasy Dune deal for crealor has been honoured by the world.' Kitt Peak. Observatory in Tuscon. Appeal draft coming in at close to 900 Arizona which has named an Despite this unusual pages long. The third volume in asteroidaflerthe writer. approach, Stephenson is sure the Bantam the prequel series is tentatively Discovered in 1992 the rock novel will appeal to SF readers. entitled The Space War is now officially designated 'People who are accustomed ~~~ ~e:~~;u~~~~e~~~ For spice girls (and boys) "8379 STRACZYNSKJ". to reading conventional (i.e. non F who can't wait, the first Dune 'Suffice it to say, it is a SF) novels will probably find that control of the author's son, fiction in 15 years will sce print tremendous honour.' said I come at thesc topics from weird Brian lIerbert and The X-Files in July's issue ofAmazing Storics. Straczynski of his journey inlo angles,' he noted. and Star Wars author Kevin J. As a taster for the new novels. space. 'People who are accustomed Anderson. Herbert and Anderson have col to SF will probably recognise my Bantam will be publishing laborated on the short story A approach as being SF-ish. even House Atreldes, the first in the Whisper of Caladan Seas. Horrible! new Dune scries. in hardhackin elan McDonald won the though the time and place aren't.' ritish horror author the US in October. 1999 Kurd Lasswilz Awatd for Stephenson is 'reasonably Ramsey Campbell and Chronicling the events which Best Foreign Novel for Sacrifice B confident' that his new work will maverick film director Roger lead up to Hetbert's original of Fools. The award. the equiva catch on with SF fans and may Corman will receive the Dram Dune book (first published in lent of the Nebula, has been bring him a whole new audience Stoker Award for Life 1965, filmed by David Lynch in given since 1981 by Gennan SF Cryptonomicon is Ihe firsl Achievement, 1984) the series will go under the professionals and was presented book in what Stephenson's pub The award is given each year title of Prelude to Dune. at Eurocon '99 in Dortmund, lishers are calling a 'book cycle', by the Horror Writer's The pair are working on the CiennaJJy, 00 May 22rd Christopher which the author claims sounds Association to those whose work second book in the series, entitled Priest was a previous winner for 'a lot more pretentious' than a has substantially influenced the House Harlc:onnen, with the first The Glamour in 1988. simple trilogy. horrorgenrc. .;4..:• ..:M;:.::;'ri::.• .:;'3;:8 - ArthurC. Babylon 5 creator Norton Clarkegets scoops Ray Bradbury library stamped SFWA gong given for opens Award only the second time • Archur C. Clarke is being • High Hallad, the Andre honoured by his adoptive: country rtator and writer or the Babylon 5 TV show J. Michael Norton Genre: Writers' Research of Sri L3nka with a stamp "show Strac.t.ynski was awarded the Ray Bradbury Award ror and Reference Library at 114 Scien~ ing my portrait superimposed on C Dramatic Screenwriling by the .'iction and Fantasy Eventide Drive. Murfreesboro. the geost3lionary satellite config Writers of America (SFWA) at the Nebula Awards Banquet in Tennessee. opened on 28th uration" commemorating 50 Pittsburgh on 1st May. February, also celebrating years of communications. First The Award is only given inlerestin dramatic media,' noted Nonon's 871h birthday earlier in day of issue was 19-02-99. Sir rarely at the SFWA President's Levinson February. The 10,000 volumes Anhuf3dded: "I never imagined discretion, The only previous The planned five year run of include fiction and non fiction, this would happen when I soned winner of the Ray Bradbury Rabylon 5 concluded in 1998, Wiccan and pagan lore. mail in Bishops Lydeard post Award was James Cameron for with Straczynski scripting 91 of office 65 years ago:" his screenplay for Tenninator 2 Iheseries Il0episodetotal. • Writer's Choice Literary in 1992 at the instigation of the The Nebula Award banquet Journal at members, spree,com! • At the end of April David then-SFWA President Ben BoYa. made two olher special awards writerl is a very discerning maga Langrord delivered the lext com Paul Levinson. the currenl alongsidc that to Slraczynski. Hal zine with links to a huge set of mentary (plus 6,000 words of SFWA President who nominated Clement(Hany SlUbbs) received seemingly up 10 date wriler's piclUre captions) for A Cosmic StfaCzynski, said that the SFWA the SFWA Grand Masler Award. markets and guidelines, for lhose Cornucopia. I new selection of membership had voted to rein and William Tenn (Phil Klass) interested. - ROJ GraJ (whose losh Kirby's paintings which Slate the Dramatic Nebula Award, received the Author Emeritus story ~Neutrino CAT~ can be Paper Tiger have schedukd for but as digibility for this would Award. .... "alog editor Sunley found at members.spree.coml writer/htm7/ncatl.htm). publicalion on 7th October. begin in January 1999 it was felt Schmidt served IS toaSImaslCr at There's also a brief introduction import:.nt to gnmt the BllIdbury the ceremony. and editor David by Tom Holt. Award in recognition of G. Hartwell was guesl speaker. Straczynsld's achievement. 'It Both are Hugo nominees this • l Sprague de Camp (91) is sigll:.ls to the world SFWA's deep year. • Hugo AlI'ardf, Page 6. fully recovered from his Novembcr hip replacement and is now walking again. Ellison's audio Oscar • Michael Moorcock had sold mainstream novel King of the lIrlan I-:llison was a double tion that Amazon.co.uk is set to City, a collection, London Rone. Hwinner among the 25 who follow suit, despite the fact lhat three new Elric falllasies and SIlW success in the 1999 Audie the UK variant must be losing reprim rights to Mother London, Awards, presented by the business 10 it's US parent where all to John Jarrold for the Audio Publishers Association. it is often cheaper to buy the Scribncr and Earthlight imprints. Ellison won in his own right same books even when the cost in lhe category for Solo Narration of shipping is added. • Peter F. Hamilton's The - Male for his reading of Ben • Millcnnium fever hits SF Naked God, which concludes the Bova's novd City or Darkness, publishing: According to trilogy begun with The Reality • RoMrt Rankin will be 5igning hi5 relude by Dove Audio in the Pubfjrhtr's Weekly, publishing M .... hardback SnutrFic:lion, pub Dysfunction, was delivered to US. He won a second Audie as schedules for the coming months lished 8th July Imand Apocal)"pM, Betsy Mitchell at Warner. The part of the cast of Titanic nowOUI in paperback. dunng a Jul)' manuscript weighed in at a are set to be clogged up with Disaster (also released by Dove) Millennium books - none more 1oIIJl11ll1Our.1bedalesare: healthy 460,000 words. 3 Jul)' . SproutJore Thanes Ri~ which included David Ackroyd. so than in the SF category. Titles EIlnvapnza. 12~CoMaa: James Suun Anspach. Patrick: Macnee scheduled for release over com • Caitlin Kiernan'S Silk won BaxlnonOOJ531S683l.W9fcrtil::1<£U the Barnes and Noble Maiden and Michael York:. among others ing months in the US include 6July-\VaIcnIonc:s.Carwabufy.7pm Voyage Award for best fantasy or alongside E1lison. Jack: Oann and Gardner Dowis's 7July·~Guildfml,I_2prn SFfirstoo\'el. • Star Wars brings online theme anthology Armageddons 7July-Sei·fieveningaIQnakars. book wars: The success of Star (Ace, December) and William Banbury. 7pm; 8 Jul)' - Red Lion Warstitlcs in Inlemet sales have Gibson's All Tomorrow's Books.Colc/'ester,5:~ • Michad Crichton polled 8th 9 July - Walersloncs. Merr)' Hilt in Forbes' 10 highesl earning seen Amazon.com start a price Parties (Pulnam. October). a ShoppinllCenIR:. BrierleyHiJl, 1-2pm war by slashing all Ne ..... York semi-sequel to Idoru. In a neat celebrities with $65 million in IOJuly- Andromeda., Birmingham, at 1998, under Steven Spielberg TImes best-sellers by up to 50% gimmick, a new edition of BSFA 12_ ($175 million) while Stephen offthcir list price. The move President Arthur C. Clarke's 13July,Waler$lor>e$,Manchesler,7pm King (who has Iraded deals on prompled immediate counter original 2001: A Splice Odyssey 14July-Walemones, HuH,7pm royalty shares over large action from online rivals (NAL. October) wilh a new intro I~July,WalersloneS,Edinbutglt, 7pm advances last year) dropped off Barnesandnoble.com and by the author, will b~ issued al 17 July- James Thin Booksellers. from the list, Borders.com. There's no indica- the millenium price of $20.0 I. 1:)O-2:)()pm. .:;JU:;IY:...A;;;U;:9.:;US:;t.:;• .;;1999= -- ricia sum....n's Drtaming in Smoke was announced as tne winner of the A.rthur C Clarke Award, ror best sdentt ne T lion novel published in 1998, at 11 ceremony in London's Science Museum OD 19tb May. An American presently living in London, Dreaming in Smoke is her third no\·el. Sttphen RUler. as yke presi. announced the Award and made dent of the BSFA. flISt presented the presentation, including a a BSFA Special Award 10 editor. cheque for £1000. David Pringlc: for I,,'tr:.ont's In a short and spontaneous ABOVE; Stephen Bute.- hosted the event; A surprised long-tc:nn contribution to science speech, looking both delighted Tricia Sullivan accepted her award from fellow winner fiction (see report below). Bauer and stunned, Tricia SuJlivan David Pringle; BELOW: Nominees (L-R) Ken MacLeod, praised Inurzont for tenacity, lal expressed her gratitude and sur entandlactoverseventeenyears, prise. She had nopreparedaccep Alison Sindair and Chrlslopher Priest. PHOTOS: JANItr BAIl.RON and declared it to have made a tance speech, she told the audi great deal ofdifferencc 10 a num ence, because she had convinced ber of writers. and to British sci herself she would not win ence fiction in general. David Dreaming in Smoke. she Pring1caccepc.ed. highlighlinglhe said. was the hardest of her nov labours of Andrew Tidmanh and els to write. She had nearly given And)' Roberts on the publication. up on it at limes, only 10 be Angie Edwards, Sir Arthur's exhorted by her agent to keep niece, was present and relayed a going, and even now she found message of support for the BSFA some of iu content unpleasant 10 from her uncle who was 'in contemplate, cracking fonn' and writing up a Four of the six nominees storm. David Pringle then attended the ceremony; Sullivan, Christopher Priest (The Extremes), Ken McLeod (The and Claire Driarlty for the DSFA, wcre jJfeSell1. illcluuillll: luuilh Asirnov's and Analog Cassinl Division) and Alison and 10hn Clute and Farah Clute, Chris Evans, Elisabelh Awards winners: Sinclair(Cavacade). Mendelsohn for the Science Hand, Michele Hodgson, Robert The panel of judges, who Fiction Foundation under the Holdstock. David Langford. A :n~ ~:a~~a:~l:e~~:::nw:;: deliberated for a record length of chairmanship of Paul Kincaid David Gamell. 10n Counenay end. Dell Magazines announced the time before reaching their ver Many other writers, editors_ Grimwood, Maureen Speller winMnoflbeirannualawanls: dict. consisted of Tanya Brown and those active in the sf field Kincaid and Brian Stablefon1. AMm,""'. ScH.n F"lctioll • nirt_lh Aaa.... Radcn' Award BQI No..dIa:-ocea.uc~byOrclE&'" (AUJUIII99I) Special award recognises editor David Bul Noulelle: ~Echn~ by K"llllnt KldlryllR>*:h(JulyIM) Bul Sbo" SIOf")': KRad'"1I1 Doou~ by Pringle's contribution to science fiction Modwd Sw_wick (Sept The Hugo Award Nominations are: Aan_nm al Aunl~n J, I.~ 511. Sdm«-fldioa: n.e er....lbac.. '·Rn.. Allllaal .....orld Stl~.cc .·i~l;oa Ev~ml F. Blciltt(K.II'S,OI( Un,v'rllly Swanwick in Ih~ lh~ ~, C"nlllioa Hul'l " ..a.dsand Pru&); Sprclrum Th. BUI III JoIut w. CampMIl A...rd ror Bm ~ Conl.mporory Fanlull. Arl. ealhy Wrll". Willn~.. ar~ dfl~rm;n'" by a ""line, .I: AmlC FmIlCl". nb. lUndttwood 'oI~ 01" WS~"S mcmhru. WiIlM.. will hr 1kloU): TIlt Worb or Jad, Wllllamson' • nnoun~~d al Ih ronv~nlion in An Annolal'" Bib1iol"'phyand G.. ld•• Melbournt. Anllnlb, d"rlnK lht R;chlrd A. Hauplmanll ,ne NESFA Hugo triple .xptemhrr2tldlo61h.lm. Preu) IkstNo.-d ~l)"' ....lic~talind Michaelswanwick, Greg Egan top Hugo list C.ildru or God. Mary Do"a R..stll Blbylon3."Sl«pin"nUpt":I)aIkC,ly; lV,llard): Da,,,'I.la. Roben Charln P1casant llt:StarTrd<:lnllllftClJOll: or the first time an author has Men nominated three limes in W'I.... (T..); ();M...... BruocSIC'h"l 1l>tTN S_ the Short Story cal~ory for this )'ear's lIugo Award nomina· \BantamSpc'Ctn);.-adorinllhll...nily. Ftions. Michael Sw'anwick, Ihe American author WhOK non~1 RobntJ. Sowyn(Tor);T.S.y Nothiacol Btat PrvI...... Editor tM Doe. C_ Witbt (B-am Sprcu;o) debut "'"as 1985's In Ihe DriR and is best kno"'-n for 1987's Vacuum Gardnf:tllolool:SoonEdt/mall Dlvld G, ttanw"ll: Paltlcl N'ehu Flowers. has matched Ihe achieH~:ment of Norman Kapn "-00 had IlIIy.lI, St.aDlcy Schm,dt: GotIkHl Van thlft nOl"eletles on tht '-ery first Nebula Awards ballot (which was ~A on ia F••• ".I~u"'. Calhttlll" unusually long ",-ilh a lotal or 19 nominations in lhe oo\"f:lette cate A ", (AIIII"II. o.e 1991); '"'Gd Mt 10 "'... Ih Ch••". On Tlm.~. T"rry 8'15011 IloIPToI...... tAnbl gory in 1966, the award's first year). lA"""",,·.. l>Ily 199IJ:"Octuk".G~1 J,m BU'III: Bob E"I'lon. DonllO [(5 unusual on a major awards hallO! for an author to allow more EllnlAs,mov·s.A"II99II;-Slo.yor G,IIIICOI.. Don "l.llz;Nic"SUlhopoulos; Ihan onc nomination. often withdrawing one or more of the nominated rOUt Lir~-. Trd C1II11I1' \S'ltl;,hl 2. To.-. M,dlaelWhel~n works 10 avoid competing with themselves. It appears that this time NO" 1'l91):"TMS"mmt. bln".I;m R Macl.wlllAslR>ov·•• 0C1IN""l'l98J 8esl Stn,iproun~ Swanwick chose to let his multiple nominations stand. lnl.rUln•. o.vid PrinSI •. od. As a result of this unusual lriple nominal ion, Swanwick now has the IkstNo.,,,letl,, 1""'.... C1Iart.. S. Brown. od. moSt cumulalive nominalions at 10 in the fiction calegory of any writer "OI.'ld... hy IlInlllly". Robc:nCharlts Th. N.w yo... Revi.w or ScI.nce W,llOlI \Slarli,hl 2. To., Nov 1998); .'lclion. Kllhryn Cram... A".I Ha""",. who has never actually won a Hugo Award (bypassing Miehael Bishop, ""rhu"'. ""Ilin. Kalhryn Ruch DavidG.II..,...e1l&:Kt.,nMaroney.cdL whose nomination t()(al now stands al nine). EditOl'S David G. Hartwell (As,mov's, Jnl 1998); "Th~ P"n~" ~.idiol>Chronick. and Stanley Schmidt have also never won. despite notching up 20 nom· Drin". Grq Epn tASllllO'V·l. Ftb 1998): Andrewl J>oncr.rd. "Stna Forthcoming Books and Publishing BOOKS Compiled by Janet Barron Schedules eXlinClion guaranlced in 200 years, ing 10 reclaim conlemporary Britain eMaggieFurey K~ytQbooklislings: privale space enlrepreneur Reid as their own , Thel-leartofMyrial hp"'hardback MalcnfanlplanslOlauncharocketlo eArthurCClarke (o.-bil July £16.99432pp) Ip:lradepb explore a recently discovered near E: WinningCQlouTS eChrislopherPriest eRoocrIJSa"')'er ellOlafStapledon (OrbiISepl£5.99432pp) The Exlremes frameshifl Last and First Men 'Fast paced' space opera from ell· (Scribner Aug pb £6.99352 pp) (VoyagerJulypb£5.99352pp) (MlIlennillmJunc:pb£6.99) marine Moon,aulhorof fanlasy lrilo CJar~e Award nominee, NOIP. Bimech lhriller from Nebula award Masterworksscries. gy The Deeds of Paksenarrion His besl yel lB. \'«ror101 winner. billcd as 'A moralily laic for ellGeorgeR.StewlIrt eL.E.ModessillJnr lhe Genetic Age: ElIrlhAbldes Tile White Order eMarlinScotl (MiJlenniumJuncpb£6.99252pp) (OrbitJuncpb(6,99566pp) Thraxis Masterworksseries AnrnherdQOrslopadditiontolhc5aga (OrbilAprilpb£5.9922Qpp) ePelerSlrllub of Recluse Thraxisand the Warrior Monks Pork Pie lIal Adiamanle (OrbitMaypb£5.99247pp) (Orionhb£6.9980pp) (Orbit Augpb£6.9932Opp) Thraxisat lhe Races Slraubdoes aStephen King: publish Far·(uturescicnccficlion. (OrbitJunepb£5.99245pp) inll in novella form • Kin, Ncwman Comic capcrs of thc barbarian kind eJohnWhilbourn Life's Lotltr}' (Simon & SchuSler e 1111 Palll M Sammon Ridley Downs Lord Da"'n Aughb£16.99496pp) Scotl:The1\hkingofhisMovies (EarlhlighIAugpb£5.99352pp) 'A high-concept inluaclive novel (OrionMcdiaJulyhb£12.99144pp) 'A blackly witty laIc of doors aboutlheprecariou,natunlofhum:lJl eRobertSil.-erberg(Edilor) bl'twccnworlds,andaltemative destiny' Far Horizons hislory" jI Bad Dreams (Simon & Schusler (Orbit June, £17.99,482 pp) ellGeneWolfe Aug pb£5.99320 pp) 'Eleven masters of science fiction The Fiflh Head of Cerberlls It The Night Mayor (Simon & relUrn lOlheir legendary worlds' (Millennium May pb £6.99252pp) SchuslerAug£S.99 192 pp) eRoberlRankin Includes new stories by Ursula Le Masterworksscries. eTerryPratchelt SnulTFiclion Guin, Grcg Bcnford, Nancy Krcss ellRogerZelazny Discworld Assassins' Guild (Doubleday July hb£16.99) aWGregBear. Lord of Lighl Yearbook and Diuy2000 CalchRan~inonhissigninglOur... e.CordwainerSmilh (MillenniumMaypb£6.9926Ipp) (Victor GollanCl AlIg lib £850 +VAT Apocal)'pso The Rediscovery of Maslcrworksscries. 128pp) (Corgi July pb£5.99),NOlP (MillcnniumMaypb£6.99) Beat that Christmas rush ellGeoITR)'man Mastcrworksserics e IN/ails art torrut al prtSS limt ., Frederick I'ohl UnconqlleredCounlriK eTriciaSullivan and baud On publishtr supplitd Gate.u)" (Voyager July pb £6.99) Dreaming In Smoke informotion. Chuk "'it1l bookshops (Millennium May pb £6.99) Ryman's four novellas now issued in (MillcniumAugpb£5.99) for thangn 10 book sc/udules Maslcrworkss.crics. onccollcclion ClarkewinningnovelNOlP ~tI<'f!f!nissuesofMa/rix. VVin X-Files Novels! Short list grows for BSFA Awards The X-Files novel Skin by Ben Jo's TImewasters Mezrich (HarperCollins) can be Think a Number! yours. To win one of 10 copies, or Thi'monthllla.elhreesumSfo.-you send answer.; to the~ 10 X-relat A) DedUCl Tom DisCh'$ "p~t1ment P1ease remember thal it isthe nomination and have to discard it ed questions to the Editorial block from lhe year ofO,,,,ell', Big items with the most nominations then nOt receive nominations! address on Page 2. Hrother:di.idethere,uhbyVe.. on the closing date for submis Current Shonlist Ch.pman'.damooel,; odd the number of gale, from l,mbo; muluplytl>c 'e.ult by sions that will be shortlisted. So Best NO\'el x Queslions tll< numb<-rof~.yslO EAkn .. please remember if you wallt Children of God by Gary S, Dalkin H) Add together three Odyssey,. something to appear on the shon by Mary Doria Russell G"'''es' days in Ne",C"'te, Ballard',num_ list then nominate it even if it is The Bones of Time I: Who created The X-Men were be, toCcnlau"" and onc·qu.'ter of lhc created in 1963? minu,•• inAldi$"'hour;'l>cn'ublrac1h.:llf already inthe list of nominations. by Kath1een Ann Goonan 11: Who played DrXavier ina ofHc,nle,n",,,,voll The eligibility rules are as Headlong by Sirnon Ings Cl Di,·idelh. numberofnam., of 1963fi1m? follows' ThigMOO by Eugene Byme God by lh. numbe,ofAldi..·s spree: add Best Short )<'iction lIT: Leo McKem starred in which to the ",sull F,hronhei, .nd Golem, lhcn Best NoveL Firsl published in 50's creature feature? $ublmcl the number of hghlyearll from Sol the UK in the calendar year 1999 The Gateway of Eternity IV; Which 1980's UK SF horror Best Short Fiction. First by BrianStableford A+B+C _the "umber of light_ye.,. appearance in lhe calendar year (In/cl7.ollc 139//40) film stars Bond girl to be from hom. 0' half the le'gue, unlkrth. Maryarn D'Abo? sea. An,,,,,erstoA. B andCple'UC, ""lth 1999, irrespective of country of Gorillagram V; The name of a fanzine by lhe wor~,"g, origin (thus stories in non-UK by Tony Ballantyne Richard and Pat Lupoff? magazines and original antholo (llllcr..one/39) R....lu ..fCompeti.iooI37; VI: Capital city founded in 1256, t wrot. a p",uy good ons,,·et for llli, gies are eligible) Be.stArtwork as immonalised in 1816? myself;jul'"well. as it wmedou','''lCe Best Anwork. First appear Cover, Ma/n.t /36, Colin Oddi VII: The answer 10 6 is also the .11 you im.gin31..e people oul lhe", pro ance in the calendar year 1999. • The search gocson for ducedju'tONE.mry,,,,lhepril.goe,to The closing dale for nomina new editor(s) for Focus, as title of a musical fantasy film Nig.1 P~rsons starring which pop group? PIllefolcorrectcnlro.,tClthi$ tions is 28th J3nuary 2000. You Carol Ann Kerry-Gret'n and VI1I: The Creeping Unknown is tnOI1lh'srompel'1l0n will w,n. "'lofColin haveplenly of time, bUlplease Julie Venner prepare 10 move Grttnland'. Tabilha Jute tril Professionals and fans write on the varied worlds of COLlJMRS science fiction Addicted In the SF to Pulps! Business Magazine/an GLENDA Ellrthlight editor JOHN PR1NGLE shares Iter JARROW throws some obsession with pulpfiction. /iglU 011 SF publishing. guess you could say I haH,' an obsessive personality. You Sft I'm ne of the qu~tioJ\'li I get asked most oRen is: "Why the hell a science nclion magazine addict. Other pt'ople have drugs, did you publish that?"' So I guess it might be interesting to I lrainspolting, or en'n chocolate -I ha'-e SF magazines.. O go through the process of choosing the authors I publish. The sound of onc of the J1 magazines I subscribe (0 dropping Although this is obl'iously my process., and not el"ef)'one ,,-orks the through my lellerbox Slam my pulse r;w;ing. The mere glimpse of a lal $lime. I"\'e sat in editorial meeting at three different publishers OO'U lel'l:d old copy of ASlOundinx and yoo'\-(' JOt my undivided attention. the past eleo-en )"ean, and difTerellC'eS aft minor rather tban major. I am a child of the space age. TIle Gemini and laler Apollo space One or the old-time song writers said he was mosl: often aslr.ed what missiOfls kept I;ids like me glued 10 the TV (or hours. The space: pr0 came rltSl, the music or the lyrics. His answer. 1'bc: phone call." Which gram may have b«n a giant leap for mankind, but it was a small leap is to say that writing songs is 11 business, as well as an an. Publishing is for me 10 pick up Ihal digest-sized magazine wilh a rocket on the cover. slmilar'itcenainlyain'tascience. SF magazines have short stories. novelettes. and novellas wrillen by I get around rorty t)"Ilescripts a week from members of the publie, old favourites and new, up-and-coming authors. They include the occa· and thiny or so from literary agents. And yes, I do take the agenled sional poem and canoon. as well as news of what is going on the world authors more seriously. Since I do all the reading for Eanhlight myself of SF. You can expand your mind with some challenging Sl;:ience (which was also the case when I was at Legend and Orbit) I decided columns and read reviews of books, TV shows and films. If you lead a years ago that I would give an unsolicited book ten pages [0 interest me. busy life you can dip in and out or. if you're greedy like me. you can If there's no bell ringing by then, I mOve on to the next script. With gobble the whole thing down a[ once like some kind of mind candy. If books from agents, I will quite often have discussed the author. or mow you only read SF books. you're missing so much! his or her work already. In some ways, the agcnt acts as a cut-out for One of the oldest pulps is The Magazine of FOnlaJy olld Scienct publi~h~nl - althuugh I've cenainly seen truly awful typescriptS come FictiQl1 (or FSF). FSF's many editors have included such luminaries as overflowing with praise from agents! Anthony Boucher, Avram Davidson, Joseph and Edward Ferman, The first thoughts which come to mind with any project are, lirstly. Kristine Kathryn Rusch, and. currently, Gordon van Gelder. It has won "00 I like this?"" and secondly. "Can I sell this?"". I've cenainly turned eight Hugos for Best Magazine (a category th:lt no longer ex.isu) and down books I lovcd if [ didn't honestly reel they were commercial several Best Editor Hugos. Among its many award-wiMing stories are cnough 10 .sell. Ifan author's first book doesn't sell. it has become con· the precursors to: Starship Troopers (Heinlein). A Canticle for siderably more difficult. over the past ten years, 10 sdi [heir second Leibowit'l (Miller) and flowers for Algernon (Keyes). Everybody book. This is largely because the book trade now ....orks on computer you'\'e ever heard of has had a story within these venerable covers. sales - say a shop sold five copies of an author's previous book - you're The best part of FSF is a treasure trove of stories. The January 1999 going to have to worlr. \'cry hard to get them 10 take ten of their new issue is fairly representative of the range and mix. whatever yoor tastes. \l,·ork. lan Watson's Caucus Winter presents a chilling loolr. at quantum com This is where rnarUting comes in, and 1"11 talk about that ntxttimc. puters achieving spontaneous consciousness. In Joy to the World. HO\l,'cver, editorial enthusiasm counts for a great deal in-house - for David BischofT t:llr.es a slightly irreverent approach to both Christianity iDSlance. I made: several people at Random House read Ken MacLc:od's and a cenain .....ell-known computer software entrepreneut. The proIago TM Star Fraction as soon as I'd finished it and realised I had some nist of TIr Na Nog by Usa Tunic finds I novel solution to a love trian thing very special on my hands. It meant there was a real buzz through gle that will apPeal to ut lovers. Terl)' Bisson's Smoother confirms his out the company rrom day one. which can only help. place as a master of the short-short story form, even when [he subject is That was a case where I saw an author whose: work I IO\'ed, and something as big as global disaster. And. finally, Roben Reed makes us who was obviously commercial - by which I don't mean -downmar wonder how much control we have over our own destiny in Will Be. ket". The two terms are nOl synonymous. Subscriptions are $]8.91 a year for non-US subscribers from: But, in the final analysis, the decision process has a degree or sub Fantasy & Science Fiction, 143 Cream Hill Road. West Cornwall. er jectivity: I've taken on authors that other publishers h:lve hated. and 06196, USA. The website is located at www.fsfmag.com. vice versa. Sometimes we have all got it right. and sometimes we fail dismally, in ,.sales terms. You really can'l second-guess the public, • "'aglnincJ for revic"', including Jmu/l prcJJ gild !gn~incJ, should bc which is a veT)' good thing. since we would be dealing in absolutes ir lent to GltndtJ Pring/c, 21 "'eM m,y, Kidlillglon, Oif!rmJ, OXS 181. She 'tJII thal was the casc:- and, as I said before, publishing isn·t a science. Not tJlso In rtlldltd.iu emaillll:[email protected]••0.wk. even science ficlion pUblishing. 10. Matrix 138 eatures JUly-August. 1999 Cinema fails to Why, when VR's f'ictional past we expect the flen dismisnd a~ no more nate uni.erRS bawd Oft gamn or O lhan the prime cliche ol'lhe compuler nd..'orts hu beat elnr. cyberspace ccybupunkmO"emenlinspil'fllby AIOftgtM ....y .. riters like E. M. WiIIi.m Gibson's Neurom.nccu. f·orst~(TbrM.hi~Slops.l909l 'irtual rulily ha!! b«1HM • staple .nd Aldoul DUliley (Bra~e New of science ofKien«ficclionduringlMpasl World,I\lJ2)lumed tOlpina 1"-ccnl)')'ean.llo"',,'er,IM~1 .'isionolam«li• .g~lulu~ fiction to be a of.llern.lerulilies,,-ithwhlcch untannilylikelheone,,·eno... ordinaryhumallSCllnintccractlO'S o«upy. bacck mlKh further lhlln cc,.lx-npa« lIoweHr,it islrom lhe early visual co"boyeas<'. 1!l8(kon..ardl lhat virtual ~alily If the film The Matri:< pruu'S ficlion ruliycame in 10 il'so...n experience, do any·lhing(.long lI'ith the recently wllh .. varielyofthegenn'sbell relu~ed Da~id Cronenberg film lalenllturninglheirallentionto eXislenZ) Wlthatf'hilip K. Dick lhe kind ormaleri.llhat Dick had visual renditions ..·ue.'en furthuahud of his lime Ipenlhilwrilinglileobluling than man)' people gi""him cl"fllil .boul. Thilgfowlh olVR fiction for. His Itoc-iescco best. Roben Lengo's film version of Johnny Mnemonic hardly dId the wril1enwordjustice. "The sky above the port was the colour of Nor did film~ like Lawnmo....er Man or Disclosu~ live up 10 lhe television, tuned to a dead channel." expectations of even the Stephen King or Michael Crichton reader. Given the speed of the technological progreSSion, il'S no wonder that so many cinematic recreations go awry. '"I know this, this is UNIX!'" says iIIiam Gibson inlroduces Ihe world of Neuromancer lhe young computer geek in JUrassH: Park (another Crichton crealion). with an allusion 10 the visual media whkh provides lhe but how many compuler programmers and users in the audience merely W reader with a simple, )·el ,·ivid. picture unambiguous in guffawed althe ignorance on display. eilher its ,-isualisation or its ronnolations. As with many ochcr book-to-film nops.. turl:eys and disasters. the Glbson's descriptions of c)'berspace in hiS eyberpunk lextS remain Images c~ated on screocn can never live up 10 the images in the mind of lhe benchmark whereby science fiction has measured talcs of yinual the fan. Cinema. which at ils best can be a pun: and ;nspinnional an realily. but the .·isual media tl'lcmselves have failed 10 adequalely cap form. so often falls foul of the paltry imaginalion ofcommerce. lure lhe lerrors and wonders of VR rendered so skilfully with words. The written word relics on our imagination 10 bring the charoclers. Why. when wc expect the cybcrspace of science fiction to be a pre settings aAd events to life. No maller how skilled the film designers or dominantly visu:ll experience, do visual rendilions so fail to spark the how visionary the direclor, the screocn recreations will neverquile match im:lgln:ltion? the mental images drnwn from the book, coloured as they are by our Picture this. "And in lhe bloodlit dark behind his eyes. silver personal and experiential backgrounds. phosphenes boiling in from the edge of slXIce. hypnagogic images jerk Tad Wiliiams' Olherland is safe as long as it stays locked inside ing past like film compiled from random frames, Symbols. figures. the pages of his trilogy. freed only in the minds of the reader drawing facC5. a blurred. fragmented mandala of yisual informalion:' The on lheir own intenextual knowledge of hislory. an and popular culture Hollywood film induslry. fOf all ilS compUter tricktry and indUSlri.d which frequent his vinual reality in the dislorted forms of the great hghl and magic. cmllOl rttre3le t~ images so tffortlessly crealed 10 empires of the Americas. lhe fantastical Kansas of The \\lizard of Ol., the bloodlil spaces behind the readers eyes. ancicnl Egypt as home of the animal-headed gods and the ruined Johnny MfM'monk IS so far the only adaptallon of a Gibson novel. London of H.G. Wells' The W.r oftht Worlds. Although NeuromaOC'er was optioned as long ago as 1987. II seems Other-land """Orks because the charxters arc convincing and their desuoed 10 remain in dcvelopmtnl hell. which is probably all for the responses belieyable. They bring their own verisimilitude wilh them July-August .1999 eatures Matrix 138.11 be virtually reel wh:ltcvcr reality they are inhabit ing, be it actual or vinua1. Films, especially Hollywood films tai lored to the box-office and the eighteen to twenty-four year old male demographic. frequently dispense with such concerns. relying instead on special effects and action set-pieces for their impact and effecL They just don't tell good stories that keep you turning the page as Gibson or Williams might. No wonder, then. that we remain unconvinced by their virtual worlds But film makersretum again and again 10 the fertile world of virtual reality. be it high-tcch or low-Iech. Why do they keep try ing when so many allemptsgo wrong? The lureofVR is undoubted Iy strong. Living as many of us do now in a world where the media has expanded to embrace the Internet and a)] itsallendant peripherals. one can't C:l:pect the visual media to ignore it. The truth is. when you scratch the surface or seek out films outside the mainstream. representations of vinual realities, with or with out the mediating technology of computers. can bc successfully created in visual fonn DavidCronenberg uses an hallucination of cyberspace to question our assumptions about the stability of the world in which we live. though he disturbed and dis cinema. ils addictive vinual reality is created not from the insideofa orientated far more subtly in Videodrome than he did in the recent silicon chip, but directly from the human mind. In Strange Days fragilc conceit which was eXistenZ Kathryn Bigelow similarly persuades us that experiences can be record Cronenberg's VR role playing game works because it is so very ed and played back. These may not represcnt the interactivity of VR but close to the worldview we have seen in his films before. Gristle guns in their sensual and impressionistic visualisation they may hold more that shoot molars, living squelchy games consoles constructed in trout power for the cinema viewer. The debt owed here is more to Phi lip K. fanns or mutant fish in the special at the local Chinese restaurant are Dick. who taught us how to distrust our own senses. than to Gibson, what we have come to expect from the deep pool of Cronenberg's who gave us the vision for cyberspace. It seems that the former has unconS/;IOus. more seope and betterprospetls for Ihe cinema than the laller. What disturbs most is that we cannot trust what we view. more dis Artists working in the medium of film can and do play beller mind concerting that the unknowability of the 'truth' at the end of the film is tricks than the artisans of the Hollywood industry ever could and may the moment when Jennifer Jason Leigh's character, whom we have have far more in common with the masters of the writlen word. Books come to rely on as the voice of authority in this virtual (but so close to and films, as has been amply demonstrated before. rarely translate well actual) world, behaves like a constructed games personality. The key - but perhaps we can love both mediums, each for their own merits. here is that thce:l:perience is hallucinatory and closer to dream ormem ory than a computer generated world. • Bl"igid Cherry is a film writer and academic researcher with a And this is how VR in the cinema seems to work best. In Until The special interest in audience studies, She is a contributor to the End of the World, Wim Wenders much maligned piece of millennial forthcoming UFI book Identifying Hollywood Audiences (1999). 12. Matrix 138 eatures JUly-August. 1999 Millennium's master of SF MiI1emrillm's series o/SF Masterworks 1uwe brought long out-of-print classics oftlu! SF genre to old aud tlelll audience; rouy mOllth. Millennium's Editor Mateo/m E.dwards explains tile selection of titles. What ""ere lhe origins or the st'ries? sus emerged on a 101 of the lIt1es. as did a con· "ThollllespbllflCdlOlhcead 010 TbcT_M..lUnc When I jOined Orion at the beginning of sistent disbelief that books like The FO~"er oI"nnlye._ by H.G.Wclls JMtI~/m }""1UI'Y10DtJ last year I decided thal a subSt3nlialrelaurx:h War, Gateway, The Stars My Destination lIt..-lAftd~lntMm 2$1'1...-.... of the Millennium list was needed. That meant really were 001 of print. From this it was fairly ~~hS~ byGrqo The Matrix view of science fiction books, films, TV s and multimedia Forthcoming MacLeod banks US titles G :~:~ ~::: :~:~ 7~r:~:~r~; their monthly l'ill of new SF no"els on being the best dir«l from the S.atn eOllrlny of Amazon.com.Malm fell i...'ould be useful to highlight some of the The Sky Road forthcomingAmerican.itln: Ken MacLcod ~ Andent.solDa)·s (TheSccondBool.clConnucnce) Orbit Hardback. £16.99. 291pp PalllJMcAuk:y,AvonIEos Published 3rd June 1999 ~ (Iwdcovn.JOO pag~ Sl6 US, PlfblicalioIIdole:AuXII.J/. /999 Reviewed by Brigid Cherry Paul MeAukycontinue$()nC' ot'lhlS ong~)rngSF_w,thth,s5nfUCllo ChjldclthrRi~er en MaclAOd's fourth nOH~1 is stt in the rhythmic pallem of evenlS that though temporally sanM' unh'Crst as hLs P~l-iOllS titles - Ibe relTlOle~S1ronglyinlerconnected. TheRJlinySe-ason Arlhur C. Clarke short-listed The Slar The two worlds are totally different - though K J:rmes P. Dl»ylod. Ace fraction, The Stone Canal and The Cassini recognisably connected. the contrasts are often unell (hardcover.:!SS pages. $2/.9.'5 US) Dhision (now released in paperback). peeled and Ihere are quite a few surpri!lCson the route Publ,rol;OI,w,u: Ausu£•. I999 David Reid. who features in The Cassini to unravelling the mystery of the relationships '!L's I.rly. wel winter in soulhern Dh'ision as leader of the New Mars colony. appears between the two. Political intrigue is at the hean of CalJfornia. and Phil A,"s... orth tS again in The Sky Road indulging in some ideologi born. alone.1lIe sudden dealh nf hi~ yn"na cal manoeuvring with Myra Godw!n. political leader MacLeod is at his best when selling his futures wtfeturs leflltim sltaken. and he sens, cs an eerie pre"ence in lite big old of one of the last enclaves of very firmly in the present and he Itouse Ite inlterited from ltismOllter. develops the old Cold War len· socialism and perhaps. as the Then a IUle nil:ht pltone call1trings Deliverer, the saviour of the world "MacLeod's writ· sions between Capitalisnl and II,m more bad news: Phil's si~lerhas The story really centres, how ing is thoughtful Communism in inleresting ways. dIed. leav,ng Iter t~n·year-old d~uglt. ever. around Clovis. a wannabe So here we have the familiar old ler Delsy in hisca~. 11 ..,emS like U graduale slUdent of history from and insightful, but ideologies, whilst redundant in bad tim~ 10 bring a chIld inlO lh,s Glasgow, and Merrial. a gypsy terms of world power. living on in unh~ppy hou!iC. but the child is lhe .....ith computing skills forbidden to more than that he almost unrecognisable forms. only f3m.ly he Itas left. Wh31 he doesn't know,s Ihar !XIS) isa "el)' the city folk. Noching and no one are quite doesn't stop short !ipCC131 chIld. Shc:can sense po,"'Crful When C10vis meels Mcrrial. or as straightforward as they appear. emollons from lite pasl. ht:ar VOl.,.,S rather IS found by him. whilst ofspinning a good Most intereslingly. information Oflhedead.3ndseelheuncann) working on a project to launch a technology has becomr a convinc JlO""ersekl.llngaroondllmihouse .. · space mIssion from the "l,esl COil$l yarn. He tells a ing form of magic - the ghost 10 of SCotland. he gcu drawn inlo the story which chal the machine was ncverquite as Lord~mon Intriguing events of the 2050s envisioned here. MacLeod's writ Roger Zeluny and J:me L,ndsl.old. which may have closed off the lenges and gets the ing is thoughlful and insightful, AvonlEoti(hc.288p;rj!e:5.Sn) Pwb/'C,JilDtlda.e:A"xlI.J··I999 avenues of space exploration for but ITlOfC than that he does.'!'1 Slop Following ROller Zc:luny's deatlt In ever. reader thinking." short of spinning a good yam, he 199.'5. author Jane Llndskold The Story becomes really nail t('lIs a Slory which challenges and (Chlnter. When the Gods Irr biting when Clovis breaks inlO the hislory depan gelslhereaderthinking. SilentJ has been finIShIng off ment at Glasgow University and absconds. not just He is a Slrong.Sloryteller. NOI only are hischarac Zellll.ny·s unfinished WOfls. with the contenlS of the illicit computer systems ters believably motivated and well conslrucled. but secreted away al the back of the library. but with their political beliefs and persuasions well drawn oul. Crime Zero Godwin's papers. Do eilher set of artefacts from lhe lain Banks...... ilh whom MacLeod is closely linked, MiehadCordy M~. past hold the key to the future? Yes, but in ways that has said thal MacLeod is going 10 be a major writer. (h:lrdcover,l92p3ges.S25USl arc: often circuitous. Banks should look oul because the proof here is that PubUWli{)tJ JMt: July. 1999 Set both in the early years of the next cenlllry he is already rivalling the emperor of SCOllish science Ncar-fulun: crimc lhnlkr by :lulhvr and a farther distant flllllre, The Sk)' Road weaves a fiction for pole position. ofThr-l\tiraclr-S'rain. ,:,14:,;.:"M::'::":::;'~l,::38:.... --- Critical comments on science fiction in the cinema and FILM released on video The Matrix spoon feeds up vapid VR The Matrix Directed by The Wachowski Brothers ~ Starring Keanu Reeves, Carric-Anne Moss Released Illh June 1999, 139 minutes, cert 15 ~ Reviewed by Brigid Cherry 'Thue is no spoon!' Keanu Ree."es )'e1l5 nothing. except that tttnage boys fttl at odds with the Virus lriumphantJy in Tht Malrix whilst rid world (hah. who doesn't?). ing up 11 lin shaR the hard ","ay by hang The' Matrix also joins a number of films which claims ingontothecablcs. ha"e blalantly Slolen the ideas of Philip K. Dick and If IhaCS the: case. yOll mighl thmk. how the: heel:. failed ullerly to do them Justice. 1bere afC' moments am I gOIng to eat my Ha:lg~ Dau? Because that's early on In The Matrix where some seeds are laid for B-movie going to be a more .....onying concern whilst watch some teasingly imaginative mind play, but whereas ingthjsfilmthanthefateofanyoflhech.antcte~. David Cronenherg's eXistenZ or Videodrome gen Acting in The Matrix consists largely of frozen uinely did toy with the audience something rotten. crown poses and the spining'g ouft of the endz'zofevery The Malrix falls bacl: on lhe generic compelencies of other word. whilst the plotting is by the numbe~ and Ihe games consolejocl:ey. It even has Reeves's hero irus is 11 8Joriouslyhonest the dialogut facile, ·!t·s our way or following the cheat's walkthrough VSF B-movie, with no pre lhehighway' isthel;indofcliched "It could have been of the game by phone at one point. tentions to be post-modern in line which should be expunged funny. Some moments of It could have been fllnny, some the way that Scream tackled from scripts even heforelhe first the film are, but instead moments of the film are. but the horror genre pre"iously, draft, It cenainly makes you want instead of relying on B-movie sen The cast, including Jamie 10 take the highway $lfllight out of oC relying on B·movie sibilities mingled with big budget Lee Curtis as a navigalOr, lhecincrna. sensibilities mingled with effects used imaginatively (as. say, W,lham Baldwin as Ihe muscle The Matrix undoubtedly big budget effects used Dark City did), the Wachowski and Doru.Jd Sutherland :lS an old belongs 10 the growing genre of imaginatively the Brothers pretend 10 ··Art", And sea salt with a hilariously wan cyherpunl: films which utterly fail An, prelly though some of the dermg accent. lal;e the thing so tocapcurecyberspace.lt·slhe pre Wachowski Brothers pre effects are. thoroughly fails to seriously that the viewer can too. senl. But no. it's the future. tend to "Art", And Art, materialise. An alien entity beams down Mankind is simply living in a con pretty though the effeds Marlial arts and John Woo from the Mir space stDtion and strucl of the present in order to are. fails to materialise." style bullet fetishisalion. however. selS abouI decimating the crew of provide power for the machines there are aplenty and if jazzy fight a Russian science vessel. laler which have laken over Ihe world, scenes and loving close-ups of found adrift al sea by Sutherland Anificiallnlelligcnce it seems will be the down guns are whal illakes 10 amuse yOll, then this is a and his unhappy crew. Laying fall of mankind and we'l! all have 10 live anificial good time-waster, claim 10lhe ship for salvage. the lives in cyberspace or become resiSlance fighters When all is said and done. The Matrix is a boy crew end up ballling machines This is the same ideological sublext as The Oick - heavy on the action. thick with trite dialogue, built using Ihe ship's high-tech Terminator films which preach of global desecra renl with weal: plotting, light on emotion and lacl:ing labs which n:gard humans as a tion as the punishment for the false idolisation of in mearlingful depth, virus mfectinglhe Earlh. technology. Which is a valid concern of science fic The Matrix succeeds in its intent to mal;e a lot of ICs not original. nordeliber tion of coorse. but mainstream filmmakers often foe money. What it doesn't do is erase the hideous memo alely funny. but ViruJ is a lot of get that SF lells us ~ about our present Ihan our ry of Keanu's previous excelknt ad"enture incyber· fun if approached properly. future. The Matrix is an emIXY decoy. lelling us space. Johnny Moronic. - 8rianJ. Robb .:;JU::;IY'-'-A;;;U"'g.:;U,;;.t.:;• .:.;'9;;.99:.... --(~>------..:M:;:.:::.U':::.·'.;;'3:;:8".,,':::.5 Critics maul Menace, but fans rejoice Report by Brian J. Robb he wail for a new instalment in George Lucas' Star Wars saga mayha\'c bet'n 16 years, but most critics reviewing the T film were nol impressed with The Phantom Menace. While it seems impossible for tains no nutrients for the heart or any film to live up (0 the hype mind,' McCanhyclaimed. which has surrounded Star Wars The New York screenings of Episode Onc. most fans were nOl the long awaited prequcl was prepared for the film to be held on Saturday. 8th May 1999. panned by the mainstream media, As well as the Variety review, the The snacks began with Los Angeles Daily News, New SHADOWS OF EMPIRE: Young Anakin contemplates his l'arit'I)'. Ihe movie industry trade York Daily News and the Toroll/o future in the long-awaited The Phantom Menace paper. which look a bite OUI of Star ran early reviews, infuriating the film a fulllen days before distributor 20th Century Fox. The flying to the States specifically to With a tally of$105 million release. breaking the press Los Angeles Daily News even see the movie before its UK over the five days since the film embargo on reviews. went so far as to run the review release. opened on Wednesday 19th May, 'As the most widely antici on it's from page of Sunday 9th 'Regardless of what thecrit The Phantom MenaCC' Soquashed pated and heavily hypt:d film of May. demoting the NATO bomb ics said, people made up their The Lost World five-day record modern times, Slar \Vars: ing of the Chinese Embassy in minds several months ago of $98.8 million. [1 also tri Episode I: The Phantom Belgrade to second lead. whether they were going to see umphed over The Lost World's Menace can scarcely help being Other reviews were similar to it,' said Gitesh Pandya of the single day record of $26.1 mil a letdown on some levels, but it's Variety in tone. A poll of major Web site boxofficeguru.com lion witll $28.5 million too bad that it disappoints on so reviewers in New York, Los The Phantonl Menace, one Up 10 94 percent of the audi many,' Variety critic Todd Angeles, Chicago and of the most widely anticipated ence members surveyed rated the McCarthy wrote following an Washington D.C. by Vadel)' movies in history, grossed $61.8 movie as excellent or very good, early screening for select critics. reported that 17 critics liked it, million for the Friday-to-Sunday and 85 percent said they would 'While the film hardly lacks nine did not and 28 were mixed. period, said distributor 20th definitely recommend it - but for visual creativity, it laeksreso As for the fans, they reck Century Fox. Record holder The most of the firslaudience sur nance, freshness and a sense of oned that the movie was critic Lost World pulled in about $72 veyed would have been fans of wonder. Phantom is easily con proof with many lining up for million during the Memorial Day the Star Wars franchise sumable eye candy. but it con- weeks in the US and British fans holiday weekend of 1997 Industry experts have predict cd that The Phantom Menace will end up wilh about $1 billion world-wide. The record is held The Matrix is the first by 1997's Titanic. which pulled in $1.8 billion thanks in part to repeat attendance by female fans summer blockbuster of heartthrob actor Leonardo DiCaprio. 11 remains to be seen aking over $150 million in Expected hits over the next whether repeat viewing by the T just three wccks,the Keanu few months include Will Smith's world'sStarWarsfanscanhal'e Reeves kung-fu VR film The The Wild, Wild West (UK the same effect at the box office f\.'1atrix became the first block release 13 August), The for The Phantom Menace. buster of the summer of 1999, Mummy (out now) and the It was closely followed by Austin Powers sequel • Star Wars Episode Onc: The Star Wars - Episode I: The It's unlikely that any film this Phantom Menace opens in the Phantom Menace which claimed year will eclispse the box office DREAM ON: Keanu Reeves UK on 16th July 1999 - but you over $200 million in two weeks. performance of Star Wars. knew that already, right? in The Matrix 16. Matrix 138 Reviews JUly-August .1999 Reviews of recent science fiction television, radio, MEDIA and soundtracks tube tales Failure is the fate of SF TV e SpielbcrgTaken by alien SF TV Review First Wave abduction lang~;s:~gn~u7u:ri;:~~a~~~~;;:t ~:;~ ~:~:~tht~v:n~~m~ Dir~ctor Stcven Spiclbcrg has Deep Space Nine, Voyager, First Wave, commiu~d to prodoce a 20-hour TV Prey, The Last Train, Highlander: The missianed furth~r seasons of Ihis X.Files-meets_The· mini-~eries allout alien abduction Fugili"e clone. Made by Francis Ford Coppola's TV pro· entitl~dTaken.Th~series will initial Iyairon Sei Fi inlhe US in tho::third ~~"':~"~c",nw"":e;~'ii:"'yS:;;~f;"'i:-n-;J~.R;;"O:":b";"b----1 ::~0~;:~i~:~7:a:::eC:~:dat~~~~~n~:~:;:i~~a~; quaner of 2000. Going into produe· ======"'----1 Greys With Attitude?) who more often than nOltake the tion this summer. the series will cover he \O"orld orlelevision science fiction continucs 10 form o( bu~om women in order to ro~ humanity, Cade individualincidcntsavcra50year be dominated by lhe Star Trek franchise, despite Foster (Sdlastian Spence) finds himself caught up in a GWA period that involve the lead character. T the challenges of strong contender~ like Ihe ulli e~l"'rim<'nt,blamed ror the dcalh of his wife and on the run 'As a 20·hour miniseries, the matel)'dis.appointing Babylon S. determined to expose the alien conspiracy. He's aided by project can give uS the opponunity to With l><1epSpace Nine drawing toaclosc Statesidc. Paranoid Times web-site editor Crazy &Idle (Rob LaBelle). in"oh'e viewers in a way thalcom soon Voyager will be the sole Trck show on the air and whose disdainrul, hiWie-sryle 3nitudc to everything makes bines lhe narrati'·e scope of movi~s perhaps there· I! he room tobrealhe rorsomc of the newer the show wonh watching. Actually, First Wa.e is an incred with lhe lu~ury of unfolding that contenders OUlto be crowned king of TV SF. Here's a ibly variable show, sometimes actually ,'cry in,·entive (as in ad'·enture over a much longer period round-up of the merits {or otherwise) orsomc oflhe rcccnt the podet universe show), somelimes downright dull. And of time.' saidSpielberg. 'Thereckar scriesrunningonUKTV. what other show would dare lry to gel away with a clips Iy was no other place bUl Sei Fi Star Trek: Deep Space Nine show as a season clima~? (Oh, Star Trek: The Nut Chann<'i fora project of this magni Generation,o(caurse!ShadesofGrey,anyolle?) 11lc sixth season ofDS9 ..'obblcd to a dramatic con tude' clusion, after starting with somethingo(a whimper in the Prey The Sd Fi Channel plans to si~·cpisodc Dominion War arc story. Too many <"l)m~dy E,'en more yariable than ~'irst Wa.·e was lhe short.lived screen the ..,ries in two hour inSlall episodes centring On Quark,ttw Ferengi and Bashirpadded Prey(buriedbyChannel4ataroundmidnighlooThursdays ment... owratenday period,with the aula season which gavelht: impression of furiously tread recently). This had quite a neat premise - Man wiped OUt 540 millioo proj~d being tOUled as a ing waterumiltht: seventh and final season came around. Neatho::rdahlsand now a new sptties has evolved and aims major series. Noeasting, writing or Eyen dramatic events like the death of Da~ were tossed 10 wipe usaul. An auraclivecaslb.1uled with enhanced ene directing decisions have yet b~en imo suth a mixturc of so.ap opcra, Iligh mclodrama and low mies, Ulostly by peering at things lhrough microscopes in m"'" comedy that any scriou, dramatic impact \O"hicbeould have yariouslabs.Rclationshipsbuiltquitcnic..:ly,thcalmOSIs.:ri Fox grabs Phantom e been gait>cd from the departure of 0,," of the show's stars al nature of the early episodes was ~ngaging, but ultimately Fo~ The Network in the US is waS totally lost. Only the final episod~, which saw a demon Prey didn't really amount 10 much. hdidgivc Larry Drake a promising to show Star Wars: possess Gul Dukhal showed any nair and held out the good chance to tryOUt his X-Files style chops for a while. Episode I - The Phantom Menace promise that things might he looking up for Season 7,du~ but watching a fat man being mysteriousjust isn·t enough 10 on television uncut and commercial forlransmission on Sky One this autumn keep an audience (although it worked well enough (or fr~e as SOOfl as November 2000. fol Star Trek: Voyager Sydney Greenstreet) lowing a deal betw~~n Lucasfilm and The Last Train the network for TV rights. according Whal a difference a year makes. With DS9disappear to The WS AIIgtlts Timts ing up ilS own wormhole, the long disdained Vo)'agerhas This braYe auempt at mainstream, peaklime SF on rrv eBuffyrailstograduate romped into the top spot as the hot Trek show. While the turned OUt to bea 90s version of Terry Nation's Survivors arrival ofScvcn ga.·e the scriesa much n~eded (honnonal) and somewhat surplus 10 requirements. The well known lim After being messed around by boost last season, the opening episodes of year five have itations of British SF television were IQ be found here in BBC2, dumped then revived by Sky shownanewmaturityandbeneroutlookfortheseriesthat abundance-limiled spttialeffecrs, much wandering around TV,OulTythe\'ampireSla)'erfaces mOSI had written off. There's less concemr~lion on S~ven semi·dcsolatclandscapes, a bunch of unlikeable characters new troubles in the US. where the now and, surprisingly, there seems to be less emphasis on largely played by unknown actors and a serious lack of season finale lookssct to be axed due Ihecaptain.too(~rhapsrenectingKateMulgrew·sunhap- imagination in both writing anddireClion. When the beSt 10 eoncerns Over high school violence pinesswith her role). That giyes some or the minorcharac British·matlcSFtelevisionon at the moment Iurns OUt to be following the COlumbine shootings lerS room tQ grow _ none mar<: SO than oft neglecled Harry reruns of Troy Kenncdy Martin·s 1985 eco-thriller Edge of ~arlier this year. Kim in the looth episode, Timeless. A Voyager time travel Darkness, you realise how the quality of imagination of TV The Warner Network pulled Ihe rale which actually works without a ton oftcchnobabble. scriptwriters. like The LaSt Train's Matthew Graham, has season finale from ilsMay 25 debut the plot sees a fUlure Harry (who survived an e~pc.'riment fallen in the paSl 15 years because the episode features 'actS of with a slipstream drive along with ChakOlay) allempling to violence:u a high school graduation Brimstone eliminalehimselfand hisfuturc by sending a message back eeremon)'.1t is OUt of sympathy and This quickly cancellcd show turned aut to be yet anoth· in lime to Voyager 10 avert the original disasler. Effective, eompas.sion for the families and com crlVknock-offofSeven,complete with rain, murder and simple special effects and equally effective acting from muniti~s th~l have been dcvastat~d by supernatural beings. Peter Horton (thirlysomething) not Gam:tt Wang. Robe" Picardo and Robert Bdlran make this the rec~nt senseless acts of violence only Stars as the undead,indcstfllcliblehero{nat much room episode a winner and Vo)'agcr a show to kCl.'p an eye on . perpctrated on high school campuses for tension there tho::n) but is also the e~eculive producer of even fornon·Trckkics like me that wc have decided todclay this this pointless rehash ofatmospherieswhich works on the big Highlander: The Raven screen, but not TV. Mind you. the pi tOt gave Peler ··'iii'ii'H"iiiIOUW• Cancelled· nosurprisc lhere. then Woodward lhe chance to chew the scenery JUly-August e1999 ediaNew Matfix 138 e 17 Mummy success revives tube tales '!!iii!i'N" 9151'&". broadeaSl: said Warner's TV head Bride and Creature flicks honchoJamieKellncr. Gradualion Da,', Part T...o.fea duce, which could bring his paymenlloa 100al of$5 million. lllrcsslooenlsbaUlinga60-fOOl-long 5 ;u~~:S~f ~:. ~n~;~~::~:~I::a~:t~h~~~I~;r::~: The Founlain Sociely lell. lhe slory of Dr Palcr Janze, a demon serpent. Warners said il will inglopulllhetrkkolTasecondlim...... ilharemak... of weapons expert dyingofeanc..r who unwillingly becomes air both pansoflhe finalelalerduring ThellridcofFrankenotein, part ufa seerel Government genelies projecle"ploring IOC summer monlhs The modern-day ~Ihink of The Mummy, based on Ihe cloning and the founlain ofyoulh. ShOOling is lenlalively e Voyager plans future 1932 BOIis Karloffmovie, pused toc $100 million mark scheduled for spring or summer of 2000 afler Craven has With shooling on lhe Si~lh sea wilhinamonlh. wrapped on Sc~am 3 which slarted shOOling this month and son of Ihe nOw solo Trel:. series Vari"O'fi'poI1S lhal producer Brian Gr.l.£cr is preparing wiJl be rcleased inlhe US on December 100h 1999 underway, rumours are rife aboul to remake The Bride of Frankenslein. originally filmed eSlolenMenacerelurned dev<,lopments lhrough lhe season. by James Whale in 1935. Universal ha) been working on a A prinl of Slar Wars: Episode I. Th... Phanlom They include writer Ron Moore (co· Bride remake for years, wilh bolh Anne Rice and Eve's Menace slolen during lhc wccl:.endofMay21 from a lhealer wriler of Firsl Conlacl) penning a Oayuu .cribe Kasi Lemmons having worked on scripls in MenomOflie, Wisconsin was recovercd by police. 11",,,e Day of Honor-related B'Elanna Ghm;lbuslers direclor Ivan Reilman is being lined up 10 men, allegedly involved in the thefi surrcndercd 10 aUlhori episooe which sees Torrcs relurn 10 helm The Bride of Frankenstein rcmake. Gra~er wanlS licson May 26, bringing the mis.ingfilm reel along with her mOre aggressive firsl-season hi. Bride 10 have a near fUlure selling. 'You can creale a lhem. Speculalion was Ihallhe Ihefl was pari ofa plol 10 Klinllon roots: onc oflhe crew from whole sensibilily of lhe lime, from fashion design 10 make booIlcg copies oflhe movie,although police said lhe lhe Equinox (fealured in lhe season music: be cxplained 10 I-ilri"I)' rnOlivehadnOlyetbeenestablishe Forthcoming conventions, signings and local meetings 27-30 August 2S-26 Septtmber 12-14 Non'mbcr 1999 Galileo IV lfypotMticon ArmadaCon 99 "","4IlchBnlllhSwT..kCOllv~n'_,", ~:koII..cl·.Othct...'1OOW 31 August-4 September 2000 Chicon 2000 MEETINGS El EVENTS COUNTRYWIDE 58,hWDl1dCon Chic~go, Illinois, USA G""sl$:BtnBo,... SobEggleIO (19')~) and the 1970's IiQnd ad,·.nILl"" all G"en the nalure <>flh. f,lm, ,h,s Mail for Matrix should be sent to: dockin"JuSI 00 or shSh,ly over 120 min· would ha>'. I.d Ih. pcrc.pt,,·e mind 10 the only av.oI.bi.con"u.lon, Th.nkfully. I Brian J. Robb, 10: Ashbrook 1.1Is u'lh., THani. didn·ls.:elhcpo"erunlillhod.y.flerl cosIHOOm,lhon.Mo