1 2 ------I America or surface mail rates overseas. 140 Air printed matter rate is $2.50.
File 770:140 is Telephone: (626) 305-1004. edited by Mike Glyer E-Mail: [email protected] at 705 Valley View Art Credits Ave., Monrovia CA Tarai: Cover, Back Cover 91016. File 770 is Alan White: 4, 12 available for news, Bill Rotsler: 2, 8, 25, 26 artwork, arranged Kurt Erichsen: 16, 24, 31 trades, or by Teddy Harvia: subscription. Grant Canfield: Subscriptions cost $8 Keith Stokes: (photos) 3, 10, 11 for 5 issues, $15 for Sue Mason: 10 issues, mailed first Julia Morgan-Scott: 6, 9 class in North Vince Docherty: (photos) 15
gradually work their way as many first place votes as the nearest compe along the shore. Paddling tition. Some writers were outraged that a non- energetically, they leave a sf book won, referring to the result as “Harry surprisingly large wake and Potter and the Hugo of Shame.” Although the collectively look like a Hugo rules allow the award to be given to fleet of landing craft ap works of sf or fantasy, one can understand proaching the beach. how this could be forgotten, since fantasy as The domestic geese practiced by Tolkien, Lovecraft, Moorcock, Editorial Notes by Mike Glyer swim in shallow water and pick at the bottom etc. has never won before. Other writers, and The Hills Are Alive With The Sound of Fa- like the rest, until someone walks onto the fans too, were upset that someone who doesn’t nac: This fanzine is coming to you from the landing behind our home. The geese are ac know the sf community won its top award. shores of Bass Lake in Northern California, customed to people throwing food to them. If I Ordinarily, voters ignore bestselling writers where the mountains are beautiful, the air is appear they fix a beady eye on me. If I give the outside the field, for example, Michael Crich clear, the weather is bright, and I haven’t slightest encouragement, they’ll flap and honk ton. However, I think Greg Bear explained the looked at a tax return in two months! and run straight at me. Legend holds that a result very well: the vote is a tribute to a writer Diana is one of the professors Azusa Pa flock of Roman geese woke up the gods to who has done more than anyone to attract cific University selected to start its new save the Capitoline hill from attack, but now young readers to our kind of literature. “Semester at Yosemite.” It’s a program based I’m convinced the geese were simply running The winner of the Best Dramatic Presenta on the Great Works concept. Students are en to the Gauls screaming “Feed me!” tion Hugo was another anomaly, except that rolled in some combination of courses in I spend a significant amount of time in Crouching Tiger won with little grumbling World Literature, World Civilization, Art His seminars or reading classic works of literature from anyone besides me. It’s true that al tory, Church History and Philosophy. All of and philosophy that I’d never gotten around though fantasy novels are rarely competitive the courses make use of many of the same lit to — Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas, Dante - or for Hugo awards, quite the reverse is true for erary and philosophical works. About 40 stu had tackled on my own in high school without fantasy films: The Princess Bride, Who dents are spending the term at a summer camp enough training to comprehend — Plato. Par Framed Roger Rabbit and two Indiana Jones not far from Yosemite National Park. Diana ticipating in classes gives me the incentive to movies have won Hugos. The only obstacle helped develop APU’s program, and we had read these works because there will be people Crouching Tiger had to overcome was fans’ the opportunity to go together because I was to discuss them with. Sometimes I’m in the long-standing habit of rejecting box-office able to take leave from work. midst of the action - reading the part of Tire- champions. Since the end of the original Star So the day after I flew home from the sias in our productions of Oedipius Rex and Wars trilogy, top-grossing sf films have rarely Worldcon, I packed my car and drove into the Antigone. won the Hugo. The list of losers includes E. T., mountains east of Fresno. For two weeks we It’s an intense learning experience. The Armageddon, Phantom Menace (not even lived at the camp, until our rental home be students, especially, have left some distrac nominated), The Matrix, and every single Star came available - a remarkable five-bedroom tions behind, like TV. But they all have a lap Trek movie. “cabin” overlooking Bass Lake. Once the top with a wireless Internet connection, which My objection is that Crouching Tiger is it’s summer crowd took their jet-skis home, it’s can be used to deepen their studies, or play wildly uneven, a patchwork of genius and in remarkable how many birds came out again. Counterstrike ‘til 4 a.m. Or both. The sky’s the competence. I enjoyed Crouching Tiger’s des There are ducks of all kinds, kingfishers, limit on what a person can accomplish who ert sequences and its tavern brawl. On the herons and egrets. There are Canadian geese, never sleeps! other hand, the movie had more than its share and also six domestic geese gone wild. We’ve Axes To Grind: Did Millennium Phiicon of running across rooftops on guy-wires. And seen a bald eagle. There are coots everywhere, mark a changing of the guard among Hugo the sword-fighting in treetops sounded good in waterfowl slightly smaller than ducks. In the voters, or have a different demographic than the reviews but on screen was no more believ morning, two hundred coots take over the other Worldcons? Harry Potter never got a able than Bugs Bunny. shallow end of the lake, tails up while they stir sniff of the Hugo before, but Rowling’s latest Of course, you voters nominated Bugs the muddy bottom to find their breakfast. They novel did more than win this year, it got twice Bunny for a Retro Hugo, too. November 2001 3
edition paperbacks are not worth anything! But I need backup. Please, Mike, put the word out in fandom that if there is someone out there, please contact me. And the phone numbers are - work, (617) 292-5816, and home (508) 875-1885. And my work e-mail address is [email protected] - the home PC is temporarily out of commission. Such a person will be connected with my adjuster to work out mutually agreeable terms. Heck, I can’t even find a cunent or recent price guide for skiffy books or mags - all I’ve seen so far are 15+-year-old titles through Amazon. Oh, and if there’s a way to rid the leftovers of that musty smell, please let me know. And so, I end this piece of cor respondence in hope of a drier tomorrow.” News of Fandom Banzai! Tadao Tomomatsu, fandom’s working actor, has been appearing in promotions for the Bullsheet Ends Transmission day was excessive however. USA Network’s “Banzai Big Movie Friday.” Marc Ortlieb ended the run of The Australian “I was delighted to see Ted White’s Cor- It’s a cable movie and a simultaneous online Science Fiction Bullsheet with issue #177. flu report. That con made a great start to our game at their web site. Tadao is playing He told his readers, “When I started this pub GUFF trip. While I am starting to feel like a “Shaking Hands Man,” whose character has lication in January 1994, I promised myself Corflu regular, I must admit that the in celebrity brushes with the likes of Kelsey that when it stopped being fun I’d stop doing creased value of the US dollar (or the decline Grammer and Bill Murray. Tadao explains, it. Sadly, recently the BS has become an obli of the Australian dollar - I have to pay A$2 “The segments are sorta Brit Burlesque/ gation, rather than a pleasure.” for each US$1) has pretty much stopped me Benny Hill-ish humor.. Like Squirrel Fish Under a biweekly schedule, Marc pub travelling again this year. If 1 had an income, ing, etc.” lished a prolific number of Bullsheets. He it might be different.” Write and reassure Tadao he looks hand said with a note of pride, “I’ve enjoyed doing some on TV: “Truthfully I don’t have cable it, but I don’t have Dave Langford’s staying Not A Dry Sci-fi so even I don’t know how it looked. .All I power. It was nice to briefly overtake him in Eye in the House can say is that they have an extra wide angle number of issues produced.” Ron Salomon writes, “Although we’ve only lens, so I tend to look wider than normal.” You’ll also hear his voice in the new com The Bullsheet was both a paper and Inter lived in our house 32 years, already we are puter game, Throne of Darkness, a Japanese net fanzine from the beginning. Marc’s one thinking of moving to larger quarters, basi RPG. Tadao’s looking forward to it: “How regret is, “1 never did manage to put together cally because my collections are becoming often can you play a game and argue with an issue that was soft or absorbent, and it more kudzu-like and are taking over the never did tear at the perforations.” premises. This only became a glimmer of an yourself?” Although the zine has come to an end, idea due to a recent Marc will keep updating the calendar, fic basement flood caused tion, club and convention listings on his Aus by a dying hot water tralian SF Site: heater ‘losing it.’ So http://www.vicnet.net.au/~sfoz/ now I have had to (NOOO!!!) throw away GUFF soaked fanzines, prozi Eric Lindsay writes, “As you know, we have nes and SF books, and been wandering. First on GUFF, which took I’m left with many Jean away for over three months. I think I more dampened by the mentioned that the first draft of our GUFF moisture-laden atmos report is already up on my new domain.” The phere. In both cases, I address is: am in serious need, if http://www.ericlindsay.com/guff he exists, of someone “We will be working on the updates, cor who is qualified to ap rections, and the printed version. Naturally praise all my stfhal we had a wonderful time, caught up with a stuff so my adjuster can few old fans (Paul and Cas Skelton, Pete go ‘battle’ the insur Presford) as well as lots of the fanzine fans in ance company adjuster the U.K. at Eastercon and as we traveled. for a fair settlement of Covered several thousand miles as we criss my loss. Don’t tell me crossed the U.K. visiting fans. Doug Bell and my old Worlds of IF Tadao Tomomatsu wields the microphone at DemiCon. Christina Lake did seem to think driving and Ace Burroughs and Photo by Keith Stokes, used by permission. from Bristol to Lands End for a picnic one Ballantine 35-cent first 4 File 770:140
Ruth Sachter of Portland, Oregon, You Asked For It. f Teresa Nielsen Hayden and Mary Kay Kare were trading quips on That’s when Ruth Sachter posted: “Calling all fan artists. I could imag SMOFs about how transferable some fannish experiences are to every ine flipping through the next File 770 and seeing....” day life. For example, fanzines are easier to take home than a stack of I copied the conversation to Alan White, who took up the challenge storytelling conrunners, who “tend to be regrettably mobile and scurry of showing what happens when Smofs can check out anytime they like, off while you’re not looking.” Unless you use glue traps, Teresa said. but they can never leave... November 2001 5
David Levine Wins James White Award The 2001 James White Award, established to honor Ireland’s best-loved sf writer, has been won by David Levine for his short story “Nucleon.” Levine will receive a check for $150 and a trophy. “Nucleon” will appear in the next issue Interzone. Levine’s story topped a field of more than 100 entries. The final judging was conducted by Michael Carroll, Ian McDonald, Kim Newman, Mike Resnick and David Pringle. Levine is enjoying a breakthrough year as an sf writer. He’s sold five stories and won two awards in 2001 (the other was second place in a Writers of the Future quarterly competition.) Levine wrote online, “I am particularly honored by this award because James White was one of my favorite authors, both as a professional SF writer and as a fanzine writer.” The Award was presented at a ceremony in Queens University Belfast by White’s daughter Patricia Larkin. White was Honor ary President of the University’s Science James White Award ceremony: (L to R) Michael Carroll, member of the Fiction Society for many years and his grand Judging Panel; Patricia Larkin, White's daughter; Lynne Ann Morse, ac daughter Sinead is presently a student there. cepting for winner David Levine; Peggy White, widow of James White; Levine continued, “I was not able to at and James Bacon, award administrator. tend in person, but my old friend Lynne Ann Morse lives in Dublin and very kindly trav eled to Belfast to accept the award on my Odbert poster from 1974 for a signing of The I’m sure Texas fans may wish to point to behalf. 1 also sent an acceptance speech as a Dragon and The George, which is framed, some of their ranches, I’ll mention we drove computer video file.” He said that it was ap and signed by many local fans. (I picked up through more than five cattle stations, each propriate that as someone who was known the original Odbert calligraphy for the larger than the largest in Texas. Anna Creek for his work in fanzines and who was now “Ballad of Jacques Chertein” and a signed was over 30,000 square kilometres, and sold moving into fiction writing, it was appropri print as well.) I acquired some... odds and off a chunk twice as large as the largest ate he should win an award named in honor ends of other bits both fannish (the Sue Ma Texan ranch. We also saw the Maree Man, a of someone who was a fanzine writer before son plaque for Gordie from Follycon) and five kilometre earth figure on a plateau. The he became a professional. He encouraged the not (some small wooden Panda bookmarks.)” original is unknown, but suspicion falls on runners up to keep writing and to keep sub Other fans have also purchased items US and Australia army maneuvers in the area mitting their stories to publications. from the sale. It’s reassuring to hear that around 1990. Speaking at the ceremony, Michael many of his stfhal things are finding homes “We expected to have to drive via Bourke Carroll said that Nucleon stood out from the with people who value them. and Broken Hill, the long way around. How very start and was the unanimous choice of Joyce adds, “There is talk about creating a ever the roads had dried out, so we went on the judging panel. Peggy White, widow of Gordie Dickson scholarship for Clarion and the dirt roads down the Strzelecki Track, up James White, felt it was a story that White there has been discussion among the local the Oodnadatta Track, and came back via the would have loved to read had be been alive. fan groups of contributions to it.” Birdsville Track. Saved thousands of kilome The James White Award is now accept tres of driving, and several weeks. Almost ing entries for the 2002 competition. Full I’m Back From The Outback 2000 km without getting off the dirt, and details may be obtained from the Award’s Eric Lindsay and Jean Weber finished their 1860 kms as the longest distance between Website at http://www.jameswhiteaward.com Australian driving odyssey. Here what Eric’s fuel stops (I admit our long range fuel tanks More photos of this year’s ceremony can says about the last leg of the trip: are fairly extreme). be found at: “As foreshadowed in my previous letter, “We got back so early that we took an http://homepage.mac.com/stewartd/ we did indeed get to Lake Eyre, down in other trip a few weeks later, which was why South Australia. It had lots of water in it, for we didn’t hear of the terrorist attack on the Dickson Estate about the third time in a century. The desert USA until several days after it happened. Sales of items from the late Gordon Dick rainfall had been high for the past few years, Being out of touch isn’t always a good idea.” son’s estate have helped keep many things in 13 inches last year, and six inches this year the hands of fans, while generating money to so far, way up on the 2-4 inches that are Moon Flag Contest cover unpaid medical expenses. usual. Lots of bird life. Took a couple of The Moon Society is launching a contest to Joyce Scrivner wrote in her e-zine, “I pur flights over both the north and the south lake. design a flag for the people of the moon. chased many books ofhis I didn’t own yet.... The lakes are partly in Anna Creek station, Everybody is welcome and encouraged to I also found an original Ken Fletcher/Jim the largest cattle station in the world. Since participate, and kids in grades K-12 are eligi- 6 File 770:140
Even if mailed first class, a flyby mission will take up to 12 years to reach Pluto. Tim explains: “Mission flight time depends upon the mass of the launched spacecraft, the power of the launch vehicle, and whether or not the mission can use a Jupiter gravity assist - and indeed, which assist opportunity is used). Un der current planning, a flight launched in either 2004 or 2006 would be able to use a Jupiter as sist; after that, Jupiter and Pluto will not be aligned in a way to avail a Jupiter swingby. This also as sumes the spacecraft in question to be one in the mass range of the Pluto Kuiper Express-type of spacecraft, which is a general design that ele ments of NASA have been pursuing for almost 15 years now. The cost of a Pluto flyby mission would be roughly $500 million, which designs and builds the spacecraft, pays for the launch, and for the decade or more of mission operations through Pluto encounter. (That’s the cost of a sin gle Shuttle mission, by the way...)” Tim’s e-mail came out ble to win things. The home page for the whether or not Pluto is a planet, or whether around Labor Day, just after the House and Moon Society’s Lunar Flag Design Contest or not a visit by a robotic spacecraft consti Senate had passed NASA appropriations. is at: tutes a visit by “Man”
World Trade Center. “Wow!” I Fans Wonder If thought, “That’s just like the time the US Army bomber Friends Are Safe crashed into the Empire State by Mike Glyer Building in the 40s.” I crawled out of bed and shambled into the Diana wakened to the radio living room, clicking on the TV. alarm and told me the news re ports about a plane crashing into After making a cup of tea, I sat down intending to watch a few the World Trade Center. My answer — “You’re kidding,” - minutes. They were showing the tower was not really disbelief, only a that had been hit. I was im way of resisting the dreadful pressed with how much smoke images that came to mind. We was pouring out of the building. soon learned the truth was even And here my first perception worse than we imagined. And came to life. Amazing how a the attacks were on cities where small plane could cause all that we knew dozens of people: were damage and smoke. Of course it they safe? was a small plane. One of those We were in Northern Califor 4-passenger prop jobs. Someone nia at an offsite campus of APU with only a couple of dozen that lacked a TV set, but had hours of solo stick time. Yeah, given every student and teacher a they could really screw up and laptop computer and wireless slam into a big building. Internet connections. Under the But I’d forgotten the time I’d conditions, a computer was a walked through the lobby of the better tool for finding out what I WTC North Tower, the sense of was anxious to know. New York weight, of imposing mass, the fans immediately began an e- ever so slight fear of being under mail “roll call,” and someone something that couldn’t possibly created a web page to list names stand up. Forgotten the size of of those who’d been in touch. In the thing. That was critical. Had the DC area, Rich Lynch re I remembered the true size of the ported seeing the smoke of the building, I would have known Pentagon from his office across that no small plane could have the river. Fortunately, no fans in possibly started such a large fire either location were killed or and done so much damage. injured. And none were aboard Twenty years in the military, the hijacked planes. six working with a trained bomb The tragedy did directly touch sniffing police dog, five pushing the family of Ellen Caswell, for papers with an Artillery Battal merly active in DC-area clubs in ion and just over eight as an Intelligence the 1980s and early 1990s. Her Analyst, I learned things about explosions brother, William Caswell, was one of the September 11 and their effects on people and things. workers killed when the American Airlines jet When I saw the explosion, the sky covering hit the Pentagon. by Ed Green sheets and walls of flame spurting out from This profoundly criminal act has rocked the the building, old facts and training suddenly entire country, and the effects will be felt for fought for first place in my thoughts. There years to come. In the following columns, Ed Life is always about perceptions. Every day was information missing. This wasn’t right. Green remembers the moment of the attack, colors your view of the world you knew be An accident rarely goes this badly unless it’s a then Tim Marion shares his experiences living fore, and what you’ve learned. military jet with weapons. in Manhattan in the days following the attack, September 11, 2001 certainly was no dif About then the voices of the TV anchors and probing his personal frustration about ferent. settled into understandable words, instead of whether justice will be done. I’d fumbled the snooze button on my clock noises competing with my own thoughts. radio, shutting down the alarm in hopes that “My God, that was another jet!” the 6-minute lull would translate into some “It just flew into the second tower!” deep restful sleep. But the LA radio station “Rewind the video, rewind the video!” went to a news bulletin. Sleep-fogged, my Another jet? What? I didn’t see it. NBC brain still caught the basic story. A plane had had the lower quarter of the screen covered X crashed into one of the two towers of the with advertising. On the far right of the screen November 2001 9 was the Channel 4 logo. There was another jet? Huh? Some Thoughts on What’s Happening “Hurry — rewind it.” “Did you see it - oh my God!” by Tim Marion “Its still burning - get that video on!” The TV image froze. The banners disap September 15: There is an unusual hush that delusions that he will get away with it and peared. The reporter was saying something has fallen over the streets of the Lower East that it doesn’t matter if he doesn’t. Someone and a dark outline flew onto the screen from Side of Manhattan. Gone is the usual roar of who believes he serves God in the form of my right hand side. I could see the two huge the traffic, which normally does not cease Allah, but most likely serves Kali (Hindu engines, since the plane was banked onto its even at night. The bridges have been closed, death goddess) and Mammon (Biblical de port side. It just moved across the screen, from and almost no vehicular traffic has been on mon who thrives on suffering). We are facing right to left. A brief moment and then it disap the streets. The police are everywhere, estab an enemy whose face remains hidden and peared behind the smoking tower. A pause, lishing checkpoints at 14th and Houston who, if his face was not, still could not be quicker than the onset of pain from a match, Streets, and surrounding the entire area. The negotiated with - this is a human enemy so faster than the tingle of the first hint of true people walk around with a haunted look in inimical to our life that we must squash it the love. their eyes - they try to look and act normal, same as we would any insect or parasite And on the far left side of the building, the but you can tell the difference. Everyone which threatens us. In order to fight this war, flare of hell fires. looks as though they have stared death in the we will have to descend to his level and fight “The World Trade Center is under attack!” face and wondered why he didn’t take them a long, drawn-out war of subterfuge and con That’s what one of the talking heads is yelling. too, and wonder when their turn will actually spiracies - merely bombing the hell out of Can’t be. That’s something you’d see in a come. Smiles are a rare commodity in New deserts or hospitals and schools will accom really bad movie. This is a lot of things, but York now. plish nothing except more misery. it’s not a bad movie. If it were, my set would The president was in town today, and the September 17: When I came back to work be showing something else. Anything else. constant whooshing growl of unseen jet en Thursday and Friday nights, I found a huge The remote is almost broken by my thumbing gines, high in the sky, caused both me and outpouring of email concern for me from all as I’m slamming through all the channels. others to look skyward with a questioning around the globe — Dick Jenssen from Aus Something else. Even a commercial for Mon gaze; knowing, even if we did see something tralia was telling me that he and Bruce Gilles day Night Football. But no, the same two coming, we would most likely be unable to pie’s wife had hunted for East Broadway on buildings are leaking smoke. Planes don’t at avoid it in time. No one knows what to ex the map and duly discovered that it was a tack buildings. Aliens from space do. I could pect or why this is happening. Although it is mite too close to Ground Zero, and had been believe it was a UFO more easily than what I technically, in terms of its devastation, an act concerned. Not only that, but eventually was watching. of war, at the same time, the fact that it’s an Jeffs [e-mail] server came back up and there Now, there’s just a pillar of smoke rising act of terrorism means that it was designed were two people there who had discovered up, polluting the sky. I should feel something. more to frighten and demoralize the Ameri they could e-mail me that way. Thank you Some emotion. And I do. can people as opposed to totally destroying all, you really have no idea. Honestly. The number of times I’ve felt it is less than us. An act orchestrated by a mad coward with five. That shifting of your soul that always seems to start in your belly and then rush all through you. Electric in speed, warm in an unhealthy way, bringing me as close to those ancestors who lived in caves as I’ll ever get. Fear as plain and raw as we ever feel it. I’d just watched the start of an attack on America. I’d just watched thousands of people die. What the Hell is going on? There aren’t words to describe anything about what we’ve just seen. For all our growth and civilization, the Human Race is incapable of conveying emotions like these in words. What would these people have said when Mount Vesuvius exploded above them? How can anything noble and important be said walking through the killing fields of Cambo dia? If professional reporters are reduced to fumbling for the right words, what about someone like me? What about the millions of us who sat and stared at the television? We also are struck mute. But now, I understand the emotions of a lone reporter who one night in Lakehurst, New Jersey watched an airship bum and crash. “Oh the Humanity!” he cried. Now, I not only understand his emotions, I share them. And his tears. 10 File 770:140
Lasting Impressions: News from the World of Fanzines
Ditto 14 project I ’ve ever attempted, “You thought it was a fanzine con,” Leah namely “The Canadian Fancy Zeldes Smith mused when she counted clopedia: An Incompleat Guide six former Worldcon chairmen among the to Twentieth Century Canadian members of Ditto 14: Sims, DeVore, Ol Science Fiction Fandom ”. This son, Siclari, Veal and Sapienza. Ditto, will be an A to Z listing of fan combined with FanHistoricon 11, con nish lingo, legends and fhistory vened in Bob Tucker’s home town of as complete as is sufficient to Bloomington, IL over the October 12-14 convey the nature of the beast, weekend. Afterwards, Tucker distributed and will include as many Cana an issue of eZombie advising connois dian fanzines as my research seurs to search Keith Stokes’ online reveals. I’m not interested in photo gallery
hosted six New York fans at Research Foundation investigating nuclear- a meeting they announced as energy levels. From 1959 to 1969, he the first science fiction worked at the Princeton Plasma Physics convention. The New York Laboratory on Project Matterhorn, studying ers returned the courtesy by methods of heating ionized gas to very high ^*4- nominating Rothman to chair temperatures. Rothman then joined the the meeting. He was a prod- faculty at Trenton State College, now the • 7 igy who graduated high College of New Jersey, where he taught until school at the age of 16 and 1979. He also had a 15-year association with entered Philadelphia College the Franklin Institute Research Center, from Obituaries of Pharmacy and Science to which he retired in 1985. study chemistry, yet in his Rothman also wrote for the prozines, Milton A. Rothman own view, “I was very young, inexperienced using a pseudonym to keep his science Milton Rothman, 81, chairman emeritus of and very impressed by the visitation of the career separate from his science fiction. Millennium Philcon, died October 9 of a New York contingent. They were a little Between 1939 and 1951 he published five heart attack after battling diabetes and older, on the average, and vastly more short stories as “Lee Gregor,” including the Parkinson's disease. Services will be held sophisticated.” oft-reprinted “Heavy Planet.” He modestly November 4 at 3 p.m. at the Trinity Center Time proved his leadership skills to be asserted, “I wrote my most important story for Urban Life, in Philadelphia. much more than honorary. He was elected when I was 19 and as far as fiction was Rothman was a prodigy in fandom and president of the Fantasy Amateur Press concerned it was downhill all the way after the wider world. He founded clubs and Association (FAPA), became a director of that.” conventions, wrote for the prozines, and the ill-starred Fantasy Foundation, and Twenty years after the last “Lee Gregor” chaired two Worldcons. Rothman’s career as chaired the board of advisors for the fledg story, he resumed writing fiction for the a scientist included ten years of nuclear ling N3F. He served as chairman of the Fifth prozines under his own name, his very last physics research, ten years of fusion energy World Science Fiction Convention (Philcon) story appearing in 1979. Rothman also research, and ten years of teaching. in Philadelphia in 1947. He assumed the wrote popular science articles for the prozi He began in fandom by writing letters to duties again in 1953 for the 11th Worldcon nes, including several in the late 1970’s for the prozines. The earliest he signed “Milton (Philcon II), after the death of its original Isaac Asimov’s SF Magazine, edited by S. Rothman,” but he later adopted the mid chairman, James Williams. At Philcon II, the fellow Philadelphian George Scithers. He dle initial “A” for “Arcot,” after one of John first Hugo Awards were presented. authored eight nonfiction books, including A W. Campbell’s heroes. (Rothman thus became the first fan to chair Physicist's Guide to Skepticism and a In 1935, the 15-year-old Rothman sent two Worldcons, solo. Only one other fan has “massive chemistry text,” and humorously Wonder Stories the modest sum required to chaired twice, J. Ben Stark, co-chairman of observed, “Curiously, doing the textbook join the Science Fiction League and became both Oakland Worldcons.) does not seem to have damaged my fiction member No. 34. The same year, he co Rothman also published a popular style.” founded (together with Jack Baitadonis and fanzine, Miltie's Mag, from 1939-1945. It Rothman was honored as Fan GoH by the Bob Madle) the Philadelphia chapter of the continued under the name Plenum until 1998 Worldcon. Considering that his name League, soon renamed the Philadelphia 1950. Plenum won the first FAPA egboo seems to appear on half the pages in All Our Science Fiction Society. poll, in 1948. Yesterdays, it was a homage long overdue! In the autumn of 1936 at the Rothman Rothman earned a doctorate in physics family home, five or so Philadelphia fans from the University of Pennsylvania in Alan Dodd 1952. He worked until 1959 at the Bartol Appreciation by Mike Deckinger Alan Dodd died of natural causes on June 5, Milton A. Rothman 2001 at his home in Hertfordshire, Great Appreciation by David A. Kyle Britain, a suburb of London. The local Borough Council conducted a funeral on June 28, in which many local friends at Milty Rothman, like so many of us young was stimulated by sf and wanted more of the tended. He had no living relatives. sters of the 1930s, was part of my life, from “Science Questions and Answers” depart Alan Dodd was a very active fan in the the distant past right into the new millen ment. No wonder, or should I say because of 50s and 60s, both as a contributor to other nium. Some of us in the days of Gemsback’s Wonder, he did become a scientist. He and I publications and as editor of his own Wonder Stories were regularly published as lived far apart, but we met at the first sf con fanzine, Camber. He earned the reputation letter writers, an elite group such as Forry ever in 1936 and actively participated in fan- of a hermit because he never appeared at any Ackerman, Jack Darrow, and Bob Madle. I nish affairs. We were especially together local club meetings, and only attended one have pulled out the Wonder copy of October when I stayed at his home for a week in the conventions (which he left halfway 1934 and looked into “The Reader Speaks.” I final days before 1953 worldcon helping in through.) In later years, ill health and low had a letter in it and so did Milty. Milton A. his chairmanship. funds forced him to curtail most of his Rothman asked plaintively why “my pal Ray Goodbye, Milty. You were one of the activities, though he remained an aviod Mariella can get two letters in one issue with originals. You were kind and thoughtful and letter-writer and had a keen interest in his hands tied behind his back” and Milty a good friend throughout our occasional mo amateur photography. Alan Dodd achieved doesn’t. And, like Ray, he told of receiving ments together. I do miss you, along with his greatest fame when Michael Moorcock his Science Fiction League certificate and those others of First Fandom who have christened him “Uncle Alan Dodd” in a pin, proud of being member number 34, stat passed on. Goodbye, Milty. Tarzan comic book Moorcock serialized for ing his intent to form an SFL chapter. He a local newspaper. November 2001 13
In Passing Maryland Space Grant Consortium gave him list of religions, alongside Church of Eng Rhode Island fan Mark M. Keller died on the opportunity to help direct an under land, Roman Catholic, Muslim, Buddhist, September I of adenocarcinoma. He was a graduate satellite development program. In and Hindu. scholar in the fields of biology and history. addition, Dr. Pisacane teaches masters level Sufficient numbers of people wrote the His specialty was the “Columbian Ex courses in spacecraft systems at the Johns entry in for it to be allocated its own code change,” the biological interaction of the Hopkins University (JHU) Whiting School for the census processing team to use — but Old World with the New World after 1492. of Engineering and courses in space system officials from the Office of National Statis He frequently appeared on programs ranging design and engineering at the Applied tics are keen to point out that just because from alternate history to hard sciences, at Technology Institute. He most recently Jedi Knight has been given its own code, Boskone, Readercon and other conventions. served as the Director of the Institute for that does not confer on it the status of offi He was a member of the SCA. [[Source: The Advanced Science and Technology in Medi cial recognition. Kessel Run #9]] cine (IASTM); Assistant JHU/APL Director “We are not defining what a religion or a for Research and Exploratory Development; faith might be,” a spokeswoman said. “We Walter H. Costello, long-time sf reader and and Assistant JHU/APL Director for Bio are recognizing what some may have entered occasional fanwriter, died September 1 at medical Programs. on their census form and ensuring that our home in Cincinnati after a lengthy battle coding framework will cater for it.” with cancer. Ignotus Awards 2001 Other religions which are included on the The Ignotus awards recognizing outstanding list, alongside the better known cases, are Michael Anthony (Tony) Oliveri died on Spanish achievements in the field of fantasy the Church of Free Love, Wiccan, Divine June 23 of respiratory failure at age 60 at and science fiction from the year 2000 were Lightmission, and Coleraine Christian Georgetown University Hospital in Wash presented Saturday, September 29, 2001 in Centre. Also on the list: Druidism, Satan ington, D.C. Tony Oliveri was one of the Zaragoza (Spain) Hispacon. Recognized ism, Free thinker, Celtic Pagan. founders of Knossos, the Washington were: Shortly before the census last April, an e- branch of the Mythopoeic Society, when the Best novel: Nuxlum, by Jose Antonio mail was circulated in the U. K. stating that group was re-formed in 1984. Oliveri also Suarez (Espiral) if 10,000 people put Jedi on the census founded the Children of the Night, a horror Best novella: “Rax,” by Eduardo Vaquer- form, it would become a “fully recognized book discussion group that lasted for a few izo (Espiral) and legal religion.” A similar thing had years. He was also a collector of fantasy and Best short story: “La canica en la previously happened in New Zealand, when horror art, and talked about his collection at palmera”, by Rafael Marin (Artifex 2E) citizens were led to believe they needed local conventions in the late 1980s and early Best Anthology: Besos de alacran y otros 8,000 signatures to make Jedi an official 1990s. Oliveri, who spent most of his career relatos, by Leon Arsenal (Metropolis Mi- religion. as a mechanical engineer for the General lenio) It is not yet clear how many people will Services Administration, is survived by his Best related book: Paradojas: ciencia en have written Jedi on their form, as the count second wife, Leonicia Icayan, and Elena la ciencia fiction, by Miquel Barcelo ing process is still going on. Results are to Oliveri Hiett, a daughter from his first (Equipo Sirius) be published in Autumn 2002. marriage. [[Source: Martin Morse Best Article:”Viajando hacia las estrellas, Wooster]] naves estelares en la CF”, by Cristobal Letterhacks ’ Addresses Perez-Castejon (BEM WEB) and “[Bester! Allan D. Burrows, 320 Maple Grove Ave., Laurie Koon of Redmond, WA died from a [Bester!”, by Juan Manuel Santiago Mississauga, ONTG L5A 1Y2 Canada heart condition on August 17. A frequent (Gigamesh) Marty Cantor, [email protected] attender of NWSFS social events, she was Best Illustration: Cover from Snow Raul G. Capella, 904 N. 3rd Ave., Upland, 29. Crash, by Juan Miguel Aguilera and Paco CA 91786-3911 Roca (Gigamesh). Paula DiSante, E-mail: Best Audiovisual : El corazon del guer- [email protected] Heinlein Chair Filled rero, by Daniel Monzon (film) Tom Feller, E-mail: [email protected] Best Poetic: Desert John Foyster, E-mail: [email protected] By Dr. Vincent Pisacane Best Magazine: Gigamesh, Alejo Cuervo Jerry Kaufman, 3522 NE 123rd St., Seattle, The United States Naval Academy Founda Editor. WA 98125 tion has announced that Vincent L. Pisacane Best Foreign Novel: Snow Crash, by Robert Lichtman, E-mail: Ph. D. will fill the first endowed chair in Neal Stephenson (Gigamesh) [email protected] aerospace engineering at the Naval Acad Best foreign short story: “Entra un Eric Lindsay, [email protected] emy. The Robert A. Heinlein Chair in Aero soldado, despues otro”, “Enter a Soldier. Yuri Mironets, Oktyabrskaya St. 2 Apt. 15, space Engineering was established with an Later: Enter Another” by Robert Silverberg Vladivostok, 690000, Russia anonymous gift of $2.6 million in honor of (Gigamesh) Elizabeth Osborne, E-mail: the renowned science fiction author and Best Web site : Bibliopolis, critica en la [email protected] graduate of the Class of 1929. Red (http://www.bibliopolis.org”), Luis G. Lloyd Penney, 1706-24 Eva Rd., Etobicoke, Dr. Pisacane comes to the Naval Acad Prado Ed. ON M9C 2B2, Canada emy from the Space Department of the Mike Rogers, E-mail: [email protected] Applied Physics Laboratory of John Hop Jedi Makes the UK Census List Ron Salomon, 1014 Concord St., kins, where he has been a staff member since It’s official: “Jedi Knight” is ON the list of Framingham, MA 01701 1962. In this position, Dr. Pisacane did Joy V. Smith, E-mail: [email protected] fundamental work in astronautical engineer religions for the 2001 UK census. According to the BBC, a campaign to get people to Henry L. Welch, E-mail: [email protected] ing and development of space instrumenta write the entry on their census forms has Martin Morse Wooster, tion, and small and large spacecraft. His succeeded in the term being included on the E-mail: [email protected] involvement as Associate Director of the 14 File 770:140 Ben Frankly Speaking Millennium Philcon August 30-September 3, 2001 Worldcon Report by Mike Glyer ®
equivalent of two city blocks. As if this Two Weeks stretch needed emphasis, the architect It’s All My Fault punctuated the corridor with frequent Tardis Pilot alcoves whose identical arrangements of Rubber Chicken benches and pictures resembled the end Triumvirate Free Zone lessly repeating background scenery of a % Century of Boring Conventions Tom and Jerry chase. Elaine Rules The long corridor traverses the second Lovely Parting Gift story, over Reading Terminal Market. It Huey, Dewey, Louie and Unca Scrooge ends in a T-intersection with the Exhibit (for Treasury, said Adina Adler. Kathryn Hall. That intersection was the focus of Daugherty added, “They all have green shirts the convention. Everyone passed by on with money printed on them.”) the way to the Art Show and Dealers I hoped as the convention unfolded I Room or the main program rooms. Regis would learn the meanings of them all. tration, flyer boards, and snack stands Oddly enough, program participant rib were also sited around the intersection. bons ran out almost immediately. The com One flight up, on the third floor, were the mittee ordered an exact number of these, convention offices, including Program intending to help control access to the Green Ops and the Green Room. Room, and it was not quite enough. Some Wednesday in Program Ops: Janice people were agitated because they wanted to Gelb had recruited me to work in Pro be able to get into the Green Room, others gram Operations. I entered with the greet simply because they wanted the acknow ing, “I’ve come to wear the chains I ledgement. As John Mansfield told his 1994 forged in life.” Tom Galloway agreed, Worldcon committee, “It’s amazing what a “Size 53 long!” person will do for a little scrap of ribbon.” Reading Terminal in the old days: now Janice rapidly acquainted her staff Registration: Registration suffered the main entrance of the Pennsylvania with her methods by wearing a t-shirt chronic problems. Eva Whitley Chalker’s Convention Center. stamped with bright, metallic letters, say family had registered together, but only one ing “Warning - Sarcastic and Cynical.” In of her two sons was shown as a member. reality, Janice can always be counted on When Dana Siegel’s family tried to register, Over 5000 fans converged on the Pennsylva for an effective and diplomatic answer to a only one out of four badges could be found. nia Convention Center to attend Millennium problem. Other fans also reported that Registration Philcon, the 2001 Worldcon. The Philadel Program Ops was an excellent place to located records for only part of their families. phia facility, formerly the Reading Terminal, meet the guests of honor, for one simple rea These and other problems were the symp dwarfs human dimensions. The main en son: we had the GoH badge ribbons. Fan toms of choices and late planning by the lo trance is the Terminal’s nine-story Guest of Honor George Scithers came to get cal MilPhil committee which handicapped “headhouse” on Market Street. Escalators his, wearing a red hat and his customary the Registration staff, who were forced to use take visitors up to the Grand Hall, a dramatic plaid jacket. Having seen him looking like their skills to make the best of it. space converted from the old trainshed, this in old photos, I asked him if he’d worn They were led by Winnipeg’s Linda Ross where acres of marble floor have replaced the same jacket to every Worldcon. George Mansfield, who said the local committee did tracks and platforms. Designers have pre said, “No, the louder ones finally wore out!” not give her critical resources until scant served the ninety-foot-high vaulted ceiling of Ribbons: Ribbons are more than an eye weeks before the con. She offered two exam 19lh-century iron and glass, and integrated a catching way to identify dealers, artists and pro ples of what they had to overcome: “(1) Not neon sculpture that sprawls around the ceil gram participants. They're a creative outlet for receiving the member database until very late ing like a dissected theme park ride. the committee to show it's not taking itself too (Aug 1 Oth) blew my timeline out of the water The Pennsylvania Convention Center was seriously. Sharon Sbarsky placed orders for and my home crew did yeoman service prep a great facility for the Worldcon. But when over 7000 total ribbons in dozens of varie ping all the [pre-registered members’] cards. Mark Twain described Captain Stormfield’s ties. She showed off her master set to those (2) Not being told I would not have the bene arrival at the Jovian entrance to heaven, it’s of us working in Program Ops. I wrote down fit of any networked computers, (the last I likely he had this place in mind. The distance what seemed to me the funniest and most had heard I had been restricted to four) until from the front door to registration was the cryptic titles: very late, meant that I was forced to print the November 2001 15 name tag labels for the all the pre-reg'd cards, before. She was looking forward to voting emphatically agreed, “And we needed those prior to the con.” for Charlotte, and with feigned reluctance three years!” Ben Franklin had used the time A side-effect of the rush to produce predicted that if they won she’d come back to invent the propeller beanie perched on his badges in time was the choice of a tiny type for the 2004 Worldcon. head when he strolled onstage. The cere face to print the names. The badges could I also talked to John Pomerantz and Kathi mony’s stream-of-unconsciousness story then only be read by leaning closely forward and Overton. Kathi told me she’s been doing gave way to swordplay by the SFWA Mus squinting. Registration did make name tag some work for IRS-TV, my employer’s in keteers, and Mark Blackman (in a head ban replacements in 24-pt. type during the con. house video service. I hadn’t seen her latest dage) giving his impression of a Monty Py Be that as it may, unreadable badge names assignment, a training session delivered by a thon character. are a perennial complaint. Keith Lynch, a guy costumed as a one-touch keypad. Yes, A beautiful redhead escorted Chairman veteran fan, always comes to Worldcons your tax dollars at work. Todd Dashoff to the microphone so he could wearing a virtual scarf made by stringing John and Kathi also promised to post on introduce toastmaster Esther Friesner. together all his membership badges. John line the photo sequence showing the fans at Dressed in a glittering gown, she was ush Hertz pointed out to me that Keith’s name their New Year’s Eve Party when they an ered onstage by two Chippendale’s-type appeared in suitably large type only on his nounced they were getting married, then an studmuffins. As they departed with the red 1996 Worldcon and 1999 NASFiC badges. nounced that the ceremony was going to be head, Esther warned, “Don’t do anything I This has been a problem so long, several of right now. wouldn’t do!” Everyone laughed as if they us proposed an amendment to the WSFS Opening Ceremonies: Fans often men knew what that was. constitution to require 24-pt. type. tion in their convention reports that they Esther introduced Fan GoH George Thursday in Passing: Andy Dyer won waited for a major event to start, but let’s Scithers with note that he wrote the first dered if attendance was affected by the face it, in our hearts we don’t really want book on how to throw a Worldcon: “How to downturn in the economy. He felt it would be them to start on time. We count on them to throw one, not how far to throw one.” She ironic if the local voters who said three years start late and leave us time to finish a conver introduced Editor GoH Gardner Dozois as ago they didn’t want to go to a Worldcon in sation, meet a tardy friend, or gobble down co-creator, with George R.R. Martin, of the Orlando also decided they couldn’t afford the last bite of lunch. At MilPhil, this think “Hugo Losers Party,” which “he has been one in Philly. This was a good question, be ing even extended to fans actually appearing disqualified from attending.” Esther called cause MilPhil entered the weekend with in Opening Ceremonies. Beside me in the Writer GoH Greg Bear “A triple threat. This membership numbers appropriate to San An crowd surging toward the Marriott Grand does not make him the Three Bears, how tonio and Winnipeg, rather than to a huge Ballroom, one of the actors answered his cell ever.” She said Artist GoH Stephen Youll’s East Coast city within driving range of New phone and explained to the director that he less-well-known job is as a historical recon York and Baltimore. was on his way. Twenty more minutes passed struction artist at Durham Cathedral. As the It was only Thursday, of course. Some before things began, probably to the pleasure punchline she revealed he’s a twin: “But not working fans probably couldn’t come in until of everyone but the director. Ashley or Mary Kay.” Saturday. (In fact, on Saturday morning 290 I used the time to greet Diana Thayer and Todd Dashoff closed the ceremonies with one-day memberships were sold, worth over Teddy Harvia. Teddy showed off his name a wonderful touch that gave the convention a $24,500. The committee estimated that Mil- badge, decorated with his Hugo nominee pin, sense of connection with Philadelphia’s rich Phil broke even on the strength of one-day another rocket-shaped pin, and little golden- fannish history. Noting that Milton Rothman, membership sales.) colored bomber that would be suitable for chair of both previous Philadelphia World- I met Maria Pavlac, who has moved to World War Il-era Retro Hugo nominees. cons, was too ill to attend, Todd named him Boston to take care of a parent. She ex Eventually, the lights dimmed and Open Chairman Emeritus and declared the con plained her attendance at MilPhil was the ing Ceremonies began. Early in the script open in Rothman’s name. byproduct of buying a membership to vote someone explained that MilPhil took three Accessibility: On the way out of Opening against the Boston/Orlando bid three years years of planning. On stage, Lew Wolkoff Ceremonies I talked to Doug Friauf, who
The endless corridor to Registration. (Both photos The Grand Hall, showing the original trainshed by Vince Docherty, used by permission.) vaulted ceiling, marble floor, and neon sculpture. 16 File 770:140 navigates conventions in an motorized “lifelines,” so I went early. Tom Galloway Doroschenko be a contestant. Chris, and eve wheelchair. Doug reported that last night he was on the dais setting up his boom box and ryone else, expected Leo to promptly run the was unable to get into 90% of the restaurants loading the CD of themes and musical table. But there was a question he could not near the convention center because so many prompts from the British version of the answer: “What university did Indiana Jones of them have a big step at the entrance. game. Then he warmed up the audience of 80 teach at?” (Princeton.) Leo redeemed himself As a result, Doug and some friends went with serious scientific questions like, “Earth later, winning the “Trivia For Chocolate” to the McDonalds at the comer of Broad and is what planet from the sun?” event, and tying for first with Len Wein on Arch. He got up to the restaurant in the ele When Chris started in earnest, he asked “The Weakest Link” (hosted by Pat Cadi- vator. But when he left it broke down, and more challenging questions, so contestants gan.) Doug was stuck inside munching his burger eventually needed their lifelines. All three Friday In Passing: I started the day by ‘til two engineers fixed the problem. questions I got called for dealt with the his working another shift in the Green Room. Meet and Greet: MilPhil’s Thursday tory of the space program, and I remembered Janice Gelb had everything running night reception took place in the Overlook enough to help. smoothly. The only “problem” was that Mark Bar, named for its view of the T-intersection The first contestant anguished about try Blackman had found it impossible to display formed by the exhibit hall and the corridor of ing to answer the 500,000 lira question, then the “5 minutes” warning sign in a room dark meeting rooms leading out to Market Street. decided to bail out and take the 250,000 he’d ened for a slide show. The third floor is set back from the exterior already won. (By the way, Chris, I never ac Most of the people I helped wanted to be walls, like a terrace, making the bar a perch tually saw any lira...) Galloway gave him a added to the program. The organizers, Laurie above it all. “Lovely Parting Gift” ribbon for his badge. and Jim Mann, had so many people respond MilPhil did its best to help people eat, The second contestant easily worked her positively to their participant questionnaire drink and be merry. The event was well- way through the low-money questions, like that although hundreds were placed, nearly publicized inside the con. The quality of veg “What is the name of the convention you’re 200 respondents were not. Some came to the gies, cheese and fresh fruit was suited to the at?” She also knew what BEM stood for, and Green Room in hope of last-minute open tone of the event. Program participants had that Millennium Philcon’s official mascot ings. They were shown a list of about 20 va all received free drink tickets redeemable was not Benedict Arnold. However, she did cancies that needed to be filled, and several only at the Meet and Greet. Yet attendance n’t make it past the 64,000 lira question, be were added that way. was modest. Everything possible had been cause she didn’t know where the first World- One vacancy never seemed to get filled. done to spark the event except one thing. con was held. She gambled by not calling on Many would see the title of a panel called They forgot to close Philadelphia’s vaunted her lifelines, wanting to save them for higher “Worldbuilding 101 ” and be ready to volun restaurants. Thousands of fans went out for a level questions. teer. Then they’d read the names of the other great meal. In the third round, Chris relented and let panelists - Greg Benford, Hal Clement and However, the GoHs and a lot of the other perennial Worldcon trivia contest winner Leo Yoji Kondo - and speechlessly go away. fan-friendly pros showed up at starting time. They mostly had each other to talk to at the beginning, and drew a corral of stuffed chairs around Gardner Dozois, who was leading the Sorry you lost it. laughter. Then, once more fans arrived, they all got up and circulated through the party. There's a $5 charge for a After the reception, I ran into Robin John son of Tasmania. He said he was just getting replacement over yesterday’s travels. He started at 6 a.m. in England by falling down a flight of stairs. V WORLDCUN He still made it to his plane - though it sat on | RE GIST RAT IC the runway for three hours before being al lowed to take off. One bright spot came when he was allowed to upgrade his seat, or as Robin phrased it, “upgraded from bottom to bottom-but-one.” Mike Walsh of Old Earth Books pointed out the SFWA president, who wasn’t wear ing a badge. I asked if he was going incog nito to learn what the common people think? Walsh said, “And learning they’re buying huge quantities of Star Trek novels.” Andrew Porter had taken the train down from New York, and half-seriously claimed he lived close enough to go home every night. As we talked, Rusty Hevelin passed by wearing a t-shirt with the message, “Oops, wrong planet!” Thursday Evening Program: Who Wants To Be a Millionaire: Chris Barkley promised the contestants on his trivia show the chance to win “one million Turkish lira.” He’d asked me to appear as one of the November 2001 17
fans swarming over tables of merchandise. conventions. They will now. KC cons are Millennium Philcon There was no effort to visually unify the highly creative and run by a strong and expe Membership Statistics huge, generic space using thematic decora rienced group. ConQuest, held on Memorial tions. In the past, Magicon did this with a Day Weekend, has well-developed themes Chairman Todd Dashoff provided the fol miniature golf course; L.A.con III trans punctuated with lots of humor that elicit en lowing “unofficial but pretty close” report formed the exhibit hall into a spacescape by thusiastic participation. of MilPhil’s membership figures. Dashoff running colored streamers and star-shaped LA in 2006: I worked several shifts at the favors a figure for total attendance of balloons across the ceiling; and ConFran- LA in 2006 bid table. The bid theme is “Join 4,592, reached by a formula that reduces cisco divided the floor with avenues of carpet the Space Cadets,” and we’re issuing a new one-day memberships to an equivalent and hung a dragon made of balloons from the “skill patch” (like a merit badge) at sched number of full-attending memberships. ceiling as a visual signature. Lacking any uled conventions. The skills are depicted However, if one assumes very few one-day thing similar, Millennium Philcon’s exhibits with heavy irony. For example, the patch for members paid for subsequent days, the seemed continents apart in an overly large rocket ship piloting shows a Hugo-style “warm body” count was closer to 5,000. space. But this was specifically due to a lack rocket that’s suffered a major fender-bender. This assumption is reasonable because of decoration, because the exhibits actually At Millennium Philcon, fans earned the MilPhil offered special rates for “the rest suited this space better than some facilities “interspecies sex” skill patch by filling in the of the con” to people buying on Saturday the Worldcon has used, for example, San missing word in the phrase, “Interspecies sex and Sunday. Antonio. between intergalactic aliens is____When Fan History: Joe Siclari supervised the Becky Thompson had difficulty deciding Pre-Registered extensive Worldcon history exhibit. The ex how to answer, Genny Dazzo asked, “Are Attending hibit includes newspaper articles, fan photos you married?”, and there was suddenly a Adult 4,091 and artifacts from every past Worldcon. Joe gleam of understanding in Becky’s eye. Child 48 also had computers and other equipment to Fans working at bid tables have the ad Supporting 922 show the FANAC fanhistory archives, and vantage of meeting tons of people without Educator 5 scan in new contributions. having to search for them. At the LA table, 1 5,066 Joe came to the con despite being in re was lucky enough to meet Yuri Mironets of covery from surgery on a crushed disk. Joe Vladivostok, a Russian fanzine fan. Philadel said he didn’t know what had done to dam phia’s Catherine Mintz raised funds to bring At-Con Registration age the disk, but he was doing much better. him to the Worldcon. Mironets gave away Full convention 315 To keep everything in his neck properly little mementos to the fans he met. He Full - (converted support’g) 34 aligned, Joe wore a huge, hi-tech plastic col handed me a pair of Soviet steel coins, for Thursday 33 lar. With all the buttons and flanges, it merly worth a few kopeks, now souvenirs of Friday 119 looked like Joe’s head was stuck in a Denver history. Saturday 286 boot - the thing police use to immobilize Dealer’s Room: Dealers were shocked to Sunday 144 autos belonging to people who don’t pay hear only two weeks before the con that they Monday 10 their parking tickets. would need to pay $100 for a temporary Child Full 32 Bid Tables: The LA in ’06 bidders’ sur Philadelphia Business Privilege License. A Child Days 44 prise at seeing an unmanned Dallas in ’06 few dealers wrote online they might have to Kid in Tow 6 bid table beside their own was nothing com abandon their tables. But I didn't hear any Educator 2 pared to their surprise of seeing a fully- further controversy at the con about the per Saturday to Mon 57 staffed Kansas City in ’06 on the other side. mits and taxes. Even Ed Meskys brought Sunday to Mon 17 Dallas in ’06 asked for a table, according Niekas for sale, though he’d expressed Press 45 to MilPhil sources, though they never came doubts about covering the costs of his table. Supporting carried in 11 to claim it. Meanwhile, the KC bid held its Dealer’s room organizer Larry Smith said Comps 67 cards close to the vest, maximizing its sur afterwards, "Only one dealer cancelled her Total 1,222 prise appearance at the con. Although the single table, which we promptly resold to group had put an ad in the Chicon 2000 sou another dealer. Lots of my dealers griped Grand Total 6,288 venir book, my friends in KC had never been both pre- and at-con about the fee, but 100% Pre-Reg: Supporting (922) willing to explain its significance. ‘Til now. of them filled out their forms in compliance. At-Con: Supporting (H) KC in ’06 bid chair Margene Bahm, one Ed Meskys really was there and running his Pre-Reg: Attend No-shows (335) of the “Redheads From Hell,” said she was in table, so the fee didn't seem to bar more than Total Attending 5,020 the audience of a panel at this year’s Con- one dealer from attending." Quest when Ken Keller predicted there My swing through the dealers room coin Exhibits: The convention center’s huge ex wouldn’t be another KC Worldcon. She cided with the Guests of Honor autograph hibit hall was split by pipe-and-drape into jumped up in the audience to say, “Not so session. Greg Bear’s endless line of auto- three main areas. In the back was the Art fast...!” graph-seekers was kept moving with the help Show and Dealers Room. The front half was Their facility is under construction in of a three-book-limit. Gardner Dozois’ fans ringed by fan tables, miscellaneous exhibits Overland Park, KS. It’s due to be completed had the opportunity to have him sign a cou and functions like Site Selection and Sales to in 2002. If there were any skeptics, Margene ple of very new books: his story collection, Members. quickly defused them by giving them a Strange Days, and Michael Swanwick’s The main areas were a study in contrasts. webcam address so they could see the prog book-length interview, Being Gardner Do The Art Show hangings imposed geometric ress for themselves — the steel frame is al zois, from Mike Walsh’s Old Earth Books. orderliness on half the hall, while the Dealers ready 6 stories high. By the way, Walsh has become the quin Rom looked like a kicked-over anthill, with Hearing people talk, Margene felt not tessential huckster. He strode through the very many have paid attention to Kansas City dealers room with an ear-to-ear grin, happier 18 File 770:140
Millennium Philcon Masquerade Winners
Vicki Warren - Masquerade Director Journeyman Class
Workmanship Awards Most Humorous: “Fairies Meeting in the Forest”, presented by Kristin Honse, Carol Landley, Jim Landley, Rob Landley; created by Young Fan Kristin Honse Most Staggering: “The Sugar Plum Fairy - Off Season”, presented Best in Class: “Bubbles the Magic Baby Dragon” by the Royal Society for the Advancement of Space Operetta, created by Eugenia Home Novice Best Invasion: “The Empire vs. The Brood”, presented and created Excellence in Hairpiece Con-struction: Vir Cotto by Bill Emoehazy, Gail Bondi, Attention to Detail - Recreation: “Sailor Mini-Moon (Rini)” John Bondy-Emoehazy, Steve Bartlett and Tina Beychok Best in Class: “A Little Romance” Best in Class: “Full Circle”, presented and created by Gunther Anderson Journeyman Most Creative Use of Materials: “Full Circle” Master Class Best In Class: “Cash Conscious Couture - Fashion for the Money Minded” Honorable Mention: “Rocks-Anna, Queen of the Asteroid Belt”, presented and created by Patricia Buard Master Most Alluring: “Kitsune”, presented by Jennie Faries and Mark Van Creativity and Attention to Detail: “Carnevale on Mars” Name, created by Jennie Faries Excellence in Beadwork: “Pre-Emptive Strike” Best Choreography: “Carnevale on Mars”, presented by Sue Barrett- Special Award for Design and Construction of Collars: “Matsuri Bullitt, Jim Bullitt, Sue Frank, Dave Howell, Lynn Kingsley, Marci no Shinda” Malinowycz, Greg Sardo and Julie Zetterberg; Engineering Excellence Award: “Seeking Hope” created by Betty Bigelow, Lynn Kingsley, Greg Sardo and Julie Best In Class: “Kitsune” Zetterberg Most Elegant: “Matsuri no Shinda”, presented and created by Pierre Best In Show (all classes) Pettinger and Sandy Pettinger For the Dragon: “The H-Mercs” Best Transformation: “Seeking Hope”, presented by Allan Kent, Bill Powers, Dina Flockhart, Presentation Awards Don Eastlake, Ian Flockhart, Joyce Grace, Karen Purcell, Liz Manicatide, Nancy Shapiro, Pat Vandenberg, Phil Servita, Phillip Nathanson, Rich Fine, Junior Stephanie Fine, Suford Lewis Best Use of Duct Tape: “Stage Crew: The Next Generation”, and Talis Thomdyke Love; created by Allan Kent, Barbara Flockhart, presented by Joseph Meltzer, created by Loris Meltzer & Morris Dan Zimmerman, Keesan Deryl Burr, Dina Flockhart, Doug Ray, Ellen Kranzer, Ian Flockhart, Best Swashbuckling: “D’Artagnan: The Early Years”, presented by Keshlam, Robert Meisner, created by Jay Meisner Kristin Burger, Lois Mangan, Nancy Shapiro, Pat Vandenberg, Best Beast: “Bubbles the Magic Baby Dragon”, presented and Phillip Nathanson, created by Mellisa Knappenberger Phyllis Collins, Rich Fine, Sandra Ryan, Sheila Oranch, Stephanie Best Historical: “A Renaissance Lady”, presented and created by Fine, Suford Lewis, Rachel Willeg Susan Brown, Susan Kruger and Tracy Comogg Best Recreation: “Sailor Mini-Moon”, presented by Ariel Sheridan, Most Terrifying: “The H-Mercs”, presented by Brian Healy, created by Wendy Sheridan Jeannette Healy, Faith Baker, Rob Shugrue, Hans Bader, Misty and Michelle; created by Brian Adult Healy Best in Class: “Pre-Emptive Strike”, presented by Rae Bradbury- Novice Class Enslin, Darren Bradbury, Honorable Mention: “Pandora’s Box”, presented by Celia Foo-Foo Craig Enslin, Rob McKeagney, Lisa Ashton, Ming Diaz, Susan Ashton and Robert D. Ashton, created by Robert D. Ashton Toker, Max Legault, Most Humorous: “Mascot”, presented by Joni Brill Dashoff and Laura Kovalcin, Diane Kovalcin, Jim Kovalcin, Scott Owens and Judy Bemis, created by Jared Dashoff Mike Pederson Best Recreation: “Vir Kotto”, presented by Paul Dellechiaie, created by Kitty Kitik Best in Show (all classes) Most Original: “Couture by the Numismatic Society”, presented by “Fridays at Ten”, presented and created by Amanda Allen, Michael Rebecca Morris and Jake Swank, created by Rebecca Morris Atkinson, Tom Atkinson, Dan Corcoran, Deborah Feaster, Jeannette Best in Class: “A Little Romance”, presented by Alison Moran and Holloman, Sharon Landrum, Ric Rader, Ron Robinson, April Korbel, created by April Korbel and Michael Moran Don Sakers, Ann Stephens and June Swords November 2001 19 that he’d found a dollar bill on the floor than water, but there was none to be found. Lastly, Connie recalled a dinner group at that his new Dozois book had arrived in time (MilPhil didn’t have regular water service - a recent Worldcon held at a round table, in for sale. panelists shared water bottles til they ran spiring people to give each other names of The NESFA Press sold $27,000 of books, out.) Guy complained, “We’re reduced to participants at the Algonquin Round Table. according to the September Instant Message. drinking from a muddy goat pen! We need to Connie reported that Gardner was Alexander NESFA”s bestseller was their new William improve our social status!” Wolcott, “Because he’s so funny, and such a Tenn story collection, Here Comes Civiliza Guy explained that he prefers paper wonderful host.” Connie went on effusively tion. fanzines, and thinks some readers find them praising Gardner’s warm qualities ‘til he Art Show: In order to attract more inter easier to deal with than big PDF files that squirmed and blushed. Connie finished with est in fanzines, John Hertz had persuaded the “tie up your computer forever.” He called the a triumphal grin, “And now I’ve embarrassed Art Show staff to give him several panels for Katzes’ Jackpot “an enormous you!” a display of fanzine illustrations and cover load.” (Sounds like the perfect title for one of Joe Haldeman told about Dozois the edi art. John enlisted me to bring copies of some Amie’s future zines!) tor. “John W. Campbell used to smoke unfil- great art by Tarai, Alan White, Brad Foster, The Liar’s Club: The popular “liars” tered Camels in an ivory holder - the only Ray Capella and others. We spent the first panel lived up to its name in a different way vice that Gardner doesn't have.” Haldeman morning of the convention setting up this at MilPhil. Pat Cadigan, Gardner Dozois, complained that after he sent Gardner The exhibit. Janice Gelb and George R.R. Martin were on Hemingway Hoax, Gardner “cut it to shreds The Art Show is also where Bob Eggleton the platform: three were in on a secret they so he could run it as a novella in Asimov’s. later tracked down Joe Rico, who is editing a were about to spring on the fourth. He did so much damage to it that it won both Approximately Infinite: The Essential A.E. Dozois got everyone’s attention with a the Hugo and Nebula.” Van Vogt for NESFA Press. Eggleton said, drill sergeant’s yell, “Shut uuuupp!” Then After much more was said about Dozois, “So I hear you’re doing a Van Vogt book? Janice Gelb revealed that the panel was actu he was allowed a rebuttal. Gardner began by Can I do the cover? What stories are you ally “The Secret Roast of Gardner Dozois.” verifying how far he could fire a jellybean doing? Is ‘Black Destroyer’ one of them?” Hearing that, Gardner shouted, “My pager out of his nose. (Kathryn Daugherty hap Rico agreed Eggleton can do the cover, but went off - bye!” Janice merely explained, pened to be carrying a bag of pineapple jelly asked him how he will get people to forget “We wanted to get a rubber mallet and hit beans which she donated for ammunition.) the original. “I will,” was Bob’s confident him every time he interrupted.” Gardner Then he exacted humorous revenge on reply. sneered, “You think rubber would stop me?” George R.R. Martin, the Haldeman brothers Friday Program: Nurturing Your Ish: George R.R. Martin began the roast by and several others by telling a long, ribald The Care and Feeding of a Fanzine: Editors telling about Gardner’s “nose for stories.” anecdote about their antics at a closed party and co-editors of five nominees for Best When George met Gardner for the first time, at the 1974 Worldcon. Fanzine — Guy H. Lillian III, Richard Lynch, at Disclave in 1974, Gardner had a red jelly Internet Lounge: After the roast, I went Mike Scott, Dick Smith and I — appeared on bean stuck up his nose. George told him, to the Internet Lounge in the Marriott. The this panel to discuss the challenges we had in “Most people put those in their mouths.” In crew who set up the MilPhil lounge did an common with the editors of commercial reply, Gardner slapped his cheek and the excellent job. There were a lot of terminals, magazines. I’ve no doubt we stayed on topic jellybean flew into his hand. “Here, go and users did not have to wait very long be for at least ten minutes. ahead,” he said. cause every user was limited to 30-minutes. Some of those minutes were devoted to George felt the connection between this This appeared to be managed fairly, effi publishing technology. Plokta's Mike Scott “talent” and Gardner’s success was more ciently and pleasantly. I also observed that talked about using different media to distrib than coincidental. Two years ago he watched whenever somebody asked for help, the staff ute the zine, most of them expensive. He Gardner trying to teach a less experienced answered very quickly. appreciates the community of people who editor, Scott Edelman, to put things in his Friday Party: LA in 2006 Party: Craig contribute the humorous material they pub nose and blow them across the room. Edel Miller and Genny Dazzo coordinated our bid lish, though he admitted, “There are some in man never mastered this ability and his party. Helping them set it up guaranteed I jokes we don’t get.” Fans throughout the magazine was cancelled soon thereafter. made it to at least one party at MilPhil. room immediately took out pens to add the Others came up to testify about Dozois. When the party opened I stood at the door line to their conreports. Ellen Datlow, Walter Jon Williams, Nicol and distributed badge stickers until replaced Hoping the panel had attracted curious and Pat Cadigan sang about Gardner’s by Jerome Scott wearing his lime green newcomers, not just veteran fanwriters, Dick “sensitive side,” to the tune of “Barnacle Bill Space Cadet spacesuit. Smith distributed an informative flyer he the Sailor.” Williams was frighteningly be Then I spent some time talking to happy authored with Leah. It included capsule re lievable as he imitated Gardner roaring out parents. Amy Thomson showed me the latest views and contact information for 16 the rude lyrics. photos of her daughter. Morris Keesan and fanzines, including all the Hugo nominees, Gardner enjoyed the ribald song so much Lori Meltser brought their energetic young and discussed how to get zines for “the it was even easier to believe Connie Willis’ son. We all enjoyed watching him trundle usual” by participating. claim that he is impossible to embarrass. She full-speed into the next room, hoping to Guy H. Lillian III said his first experience cited examples. A Worldcon gave out a Hugo reach up and snag some party food, and the as an editor came while working on a college base that looked like a toilet seat with nuts way his watchful parents always intercepted zine that Terry Carr had edited before him. In and balls attached, which began to fall apart him before he could get lost in the crowd. fact, Guy contacted Carr and was amazed to as soon as they were given out. When Connie I met Ted White and asked him about the receive by return mail xerox copies of all of asked Gardner how his Hugo was holding monthly fanzine review column he’s writing Carr’s issues: “Which they’ve since lost, and up, he answered, “My toilet seat’s fine, but for several clubzines. Ted hoped to spark an I could cheerfully dynamite them.” my balls fell off.” This did not embarrass interest in more club fans about reading After declaring how he wanted to win a him. Connie also described a scene from fanzines, but hadn’t heard of any results. He Hugo to repudiate Ted White’s negative re American Pie and promised, "That wouldn’t and Marty Cantor (editor of LASFS’ De Pro- view of Challenger, Guy needed a drink of have embarrassed Gardner, either....” fundis) planned to discuss at the end of the 20 File 770:140 year whether he should continue. I encour to sustain life as we know it. Harvia said Laurie Mann predicted that in the future aged him to continue, because I thought he fanzine editors have 200 of his unpublished the competition of Worldcon and would have an effect on newer club members cartoons in their hands. (Free the Harvia Dragon *Con, now running on the same who were still forming their notions of what 200!) weekend, will result in media fans being fandom is about. The payoff would be in the He also said that Australian artist Nick drawn away to Dragon*Con, while editors long run. Stathopolous had come into the Green and writers will keep coming to the World Saturday in Passing: I worked another Room, supposing it was the Con Suite, con. She also observed that gamers were only shift at the LA in 2006 table and got to talk picked up a drink and taken a bite out of a using three out of the five rooms MilPhil to Robert Silverberg, who mentioned he had cookie before the staff ran him off (he was gave them. Moshe Feder agreed there will be been asked for his autograph by rock singer not a program participant.) Harvia con more specialized cons, even for sf fans (he Janis Ian. She attended MilPhil and after cluded, “If I go to the Hugo reception and mentioned Readercon), but said it’s a healthy wards posted a long convention report on her see a cookie with a bite out of it, I’m going reaction. web page (www.janisian.com). to be upset!” Fandom of the Future: Later on Sunday, I Silverberg encourages everyone to nomi Teddy had pitched an idea to Bob Eggle- joined Erik Olson, Mark Olson, Jack Speer nate Bill Rotsler’s fanzine Masque for a ton for a game they could do as a prorgam at and Victor Gonzalez to discuss another old Hugo. For more than a year, Bill Warren and next year’s Worldcon: “Bob & Teddy’s Ex favorite topic, whether fandom has a future. friends have been producing regular issues cellent Pictionary.” Eggleton liked the idea, It involved some of the same themes, or as from hundreds of pages of unpublished so Teddy hunted down Linda McAllister, Milt Stevens ad libbed, “There’s nothing that paste-ups Rotsler left behind. It is vintage ConJose’s program head, and made the sug brings us together like fragmentation.” stuff. gestion. “It would be two Hugo-winning art Mark Olson brought up the trend toward Silverberg is the only person who’s been ists,” he modestly added. But all glory is shrinking science fiction club membership to all the Hugo ceremonies. He thought it fleeting. This was McAllister’s first World I’d written about in the article “Is Your Club was ironic that the committee had checked so con, and Teddy dramatized, “She grabbed Dead Yet?” Milt Stevens added, “Hell’s An carefully whether he would attend the previ my badge and asked, ‘Who are you?”’ gels have the same problem as fandom - ous day’s Retro Hugo ceremonies. He ac Sunday Programming: The Fragmenta they’re getting older, their backs are bent, cepted the late John W. Campbell’s Retro tion of Fandom: The fear that devotion to they can’t climb onto their Harleys any Hugo for Best Editor. special interests is breaking up our commu more.” This was the last day to vote in Site Selec nity has been debated for decades. Laurie Victor Gonzalez said fandom’s experi tion. Someone in a lobster suit was doing the Mann, Moshe Feder, Ed Meskys, Don Sakers ence resembled that of other hobbyists breaststroke in front of the bid tables to en and I tried to inject the controversy with new who’ve formed online communities, such as courage Boston in 2004 voters. energy. “I want to dismember individual parents whose kids own tandem bicycles. Saturday Programming: Worldcon Ori fans,” Sakers kidded. Erik Olson said generation X is not a joining entation: Leah Zeldes Smith, Lenny Bailes Most of the panelists had been in fandom generation, they tend to be Lone Rangers and Priscilla Olson found a living fossil long enough to have witnessed this who still do charitable things, but individu among the newcomers at their panel: Joel “fragmentation,” and engaged in a lively de ally. Their comments seemed to fit Moshe Nydahl. He was legendary in the 1950s as bate about its tone and meaning. Ed Meskys Feder’s earlier speculation that fandom will the 14-year-old who published the best said he noticed a hostility toward other fan come to be just another pop culture interest monthly fanzine, then gafiated after the strain doms even back in 1970, when half the huck group. of publishing its 103-page first anniversary ster room at Lunacon was comic books. I Mark Olson asked, “What do we have in issue. “Nydahl’s Disease” became a byword admitted that when I met Bob Gale - also in the fannish experience that we could market for editors who zines never appeared again 1970 - and he mentioned an interest in to teenagers?” He excluded clubs and con following a giant annish. fanzines like Rocket’s Blast and The Comic ventions, saying they could easily find those Nydahl is now a teacher, and can be lo Collector I had thought to myself, “Those outside fandom. Ted White said the creativity cated through his web page. aren’t fanzines!” evident in fanzines is a unique experience we Sunday in Passing: Joseph T. Major told Moshe Feder said that we in the fannish offer. Spike said even more important is the me, “I survived the Heinlein Society dinner.” mainstream still cling to the original idea of sense of community we offer. In a country It featured luminaries Yoji Kondo, Gregory science fiction fandom, aided by the presence where it’s no longer typical for people to live Beford and Joe Haldeman - who told a story of so many of its founders - our equivalents their whole lives in one town, that fandom is, about his sister, “Straight” Haldeman. of Washington and Adams. However, we metaphorically, a small town that we can Craig Miller and I logged another shift miss the “outside pressure” that drove people always come back to. together at the LA bid table. Paula Murray into fandom because the public has accepted Hugo Nominees Reception: The commit showed off the flapping, black finger-bat science fiction. It’s just another hobby, tee hosted a two-hour reception, plying us she’d just bought. Paula added, “I got maybe a little odd, but not persecuted. He with desserts and party favors full of choco Chthulhu for my anniversary.” Craig agreed, fears we’ll wind up being the literary equiva late candy. Stoked to the gills with sugar and “I think there should be more plush demons lent of baseball fans. caffeine, we had plenty of time to dread the from hell.” I suggested that the perception of frag blindingly stupid things we might say to the We overheard Dick Spelman tell a KC mented fandom was not because interests in audience if we won. bidder, “I’m too old to enjoy being a World- fanzines, conrunning, comics, filk, costum James Cambias, a Campbell award nomi con chairman.” Craig interjected, “Trust me. ing, etc. were mutually exclusive - many fans nee, broke the tension by suggesting, “Next I was 30 when I chaired a Worldcon. You’re enjoy them all to some degree. But, in con year, when Lord of the Rings is winning the always too old to enjoy chairing a World trast to fandom’s early days, to participate in Best Dramatic Presentation Hugo, they could con.” any of them at a high level requires such a very well thank all the little people.” I visited the Green Room before a panel great investment of time, and often money, Hugo Awards Ceremony: One of fan and talked to Teddy Harvia. It appears fanar that very few fans can excel in more than dom’s culture wars is about the proper venue tists still have trouble getting enough egoboo one. at the Worldcon for memorializing departed November 2001 21 Millennium Philcon Hugo Award Winners
Best Novel Best Related Book Best Semiprozine Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by Greetings from Earth: The Art of Bob Locus J. K. Rowling Eggleton by Bob Eggleton and Nigel Suckling Best Fanzine Best Novella File 770 “The Ultimate Earth” by Jack Best Dramatic Presentation Williamson Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Best Fan Writer Dave Langford Best Novelette “Millennium Babies” by Kristine Best Professional Editor Best Fan Artist Kathryn Rusch Gardner Dozois Teddy Harvia
Best Short Story Best Professional Artist John W. Campbell Award “Different Kinds of Darkness” Bob Eggleton Kristine Smith by David Langford 1951 Retro Hugo Award Winners
Best Novel Best Short Story Best Fan Writer Farmer in the Sky “To Serve Man” by Damon Knight Bob Silverberg by Robert A. Heinlein Best Dramatic Presentation Best Fanzine Best Novella Destination Moon Science Fiction Hews Letter “The Man Who Sold the Moon” by Robert A. Heinlein Best Professional Editor Best Fan Artist John W. Campbell, Jr. Jack Gaughan Best Novelette “The Little Black Bag” Best Professional Artist by C. M. Kombluth Frank Kelly Freas fans. I disagree with the view that the Hugo you for your kind indulgence.” speaking countries. They usually hope the Ceremony is the best place for this, but wher There were the usual non-Hugo awards winners will be there - Robert Sawyer was. ever it’s done, it needs to work. Ceremony (and more) at the top of the ceremony. Dave On the other hand, Australian Greg Egan organizer Pat Vandenberg intended at a very Kyle came up to deliver the Big Heart wasn’t likely to be. Janice Gelb said he is so early stage to have a moment of silence while Award. (Janice Gelb jogged my elbow and private, he’ll autographs books, but only if the In Memoriam list was displayed on a looked significantly at her watch as he be they are left in a box on his porch. screen. Unfortunately, the tech didn’t work gan.) The award went to Steve and Sue Fran Esther Friesner came out and gave the and the solemn buildup fizzled out. cis. There was also a “certificate” for the late techs one more chance to show the In Mem Even if such a moment works properly, it Dr. Donald A. Reed. Joanie Knappenberger oriam list, but what appeared on the screen can’t be followed by a joke-cracking toast accepted the First Fandom Hall of Fame was unreadable beyond the third row. master. (And yet, who else is supposed to be Award on behalf of the winner, Frank Robin Then we moved into the main part of the on stage running the show?) Hugo Adminis son. evening. The John W. Campbell Award was trators Rick Katze and Saul Jaffe supplied Robert Silverberg lent his irresistible dig given by Stan Schmidt to winner Christine the tempo between the sublime and ridicu nity to the inauguration of the Cordwainer Smith. The Best Fanartist Hugo was deliv lous, by speaking briefly about the rules and Smith Award. He and fellow judges John ered by TAFF’s Victor Gonzalez to Teddy showing off the distinctive Hugo base. Clute, Gardner Dozois and Scott Edelman Harvia. The Best Fanwriter Hugo was pre Then it was time for “Rapmaster Toast” — were charged with the task of rediscovering sented by DUFF’s Pat Molloy and Naomi Esther Friesner, with her baseball cap turned great work that had fallen into obscurity. Fisher to Dave Langford’s representative, around. She opened the main ceremonies They selected Olaf Stapledon as the first win Martin Hoare. Presenting the Best Fanzine with a blast of doggerel, reminding us that ner. Hugo, George Scithers asked whether the “in 2001... you know it’s all about the Ben A contingent from the Japanese sf com editor has the last word. George used his last jamin!” When Esther returned to normal, she munity made the traditional presentation of word to give me the Hugo. said, “On behalf of the Island of Dr. Moreau, Seiun Awards (chosen by Japan’s national My notes went on the floor. When I home of the original Beastie Boys, I thank convention) to winners from English picked them back up Bob Eggleton was 22 File 770:140
Winners were called on stage to 2004 Worldcon Site Selection Voting Statistics have their photos taken. While I was standing next to Gardner Do Mail-in Thurs Fri Sat Total zois I took advantage of my chance Boston 264 170 307 455 1,196 to ask about the Roast: Gardner Charlotte 151 72 223 386 832 confirmed he was surprised. No Preference 9 3 4 14 30 None of the Above 2 - 4 2 8 Hugo Nominees Party: In a Rottnest Island 1 1 - - 2 gracious gesture, the MilPhil com Minneapolis in '73 1 - - 1 2 mittee reserved a bank of elevators Aruba - 1 - - 1 to express nominees and their Illegible - 1 - - 1 guests to the official party hosted Invalid 12 - - - 12 by ConJose. The elevators were Niew Amsterdam - - 1 1 2 held until photographers finished Blank - - 1 3 4 Hogsmead - - - 1 1 with the winners. Todd Dashoff New York City, NY - - - 2 2 and company were there to usher 95 in 95 - - - 1 1 us to the head of the line. Total with preference 419 245 535 849 2,048 Harry Potter’s Hugo sparked a Grand total 440 248 540 866 2,094 great debate at the party. Greg Bear looked over my copy of the press 2004 Worldcon: Noreascon Four, the 62nd Worldcon, will be held in Boston from September 2-6, 2004, release with the voting statistics at the Hynes Convention Center, and the Sheraton Boston and Copley Marriott hotels. and observed, “The losers didn’t Four guests of honor have been selected: a pair of pro SF writers, Terry Pratchett and William Tenn, just lose, they were trampled by 35 and a pair of fans, Jack Speer and Peter Weston. Pratchett, creator of the “Discworld” series, and Weston, million books.” He approved, to a former TAFF delegate and Worldcon chair, are from England. William Tenn [Philip Klass] is well- the extent that Harry Potter brings known for his short stories, and is emeritus professor of English and comparative literature at the Pennsyl a lot of kids in to read books in our vania State University, where he taught the second-oldest American course in science fiction. Jack Speer field. Andrew Porter said that in produced the first Fancyclopedia, which codified many aspects of fanhistory and fannish jargon. winning the Hugo, Harry Potter Noreascon Four information is available at our web site at http://www.noreascon.org overcame the bias against fantasy Membership Rates: Initial membership rates have been announced. New attending memberships (for novels and children’s books. nonvoters) are $100. Supporting memberships are $35 (site selection voters automatically become sup Publications: Souvenir Book: porting members.) Thorough December 31, 2001 conversion for those who voted in site selection will be MilPhil produced a very well- $60. Memberships for children (age 12 and under as of September 6, 2004) are $65. Presupporters and designed Souvenir Book. Stephen Friends receive a discount on conversions or new attending memberships. Youll’s beautiful cover depicted a See http://www.noreascon.org/n4regform.html for specifics. superrealistic Ben Franklin per forming an electrical experiment aided by a bevy of aliens — the vaulting onto the platform to collect his Best ductive Jack Williamson. Pro GoH Greg kind seen in tabloid newspapers: with blue Pro Artist Hugo. He led the audience in Bear announced that Harry Potter and the skin, smooth skulls, exaggerated insect eyes. “Coool!” Esther Friesner pretended to pout Goblet of Fire won the Best Novel Hugo. More full-color Youll art was inside the because he didn’t do “the thing with his Gay Ellen Dennett picked up the rocket, say book. hair.” She said she was there for that mo ing how appropriate it was to have a chil The written features about the Guest of ment, a moving moment in her life — “Which dren’s librarian accept on behalf of Rowling. Honor were very enjoyable. The book in will tell you about my life.” cluded a long section of program participants The Best Professional Editor Hugo went biographies. It also reprised Diana Thayer’s to Gardner Dozois. The Best Dramatic Pres interesting biography of Ben Franklin. The entation winner was announced by Craig one discordant note was GoH Greg Bear’s Miller. It went to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Christian-bashing comic strip. Dragon. Craig read an acceptance statement Of more obscure interest were the historic from the director, An Li. lists of past Hugo Winners and “Long List” The Best Related Book category was won of Worldcon chairmen’s and guests names, by The Art of Bob Eggleton. Bob bounded titles, etc. back onstage. The audience would not let The “Long List” is often adjusted to re him go until he had done “the thing with his flect the tastes of the year’s committee. There hair.” are some obvious litmus tests for this. For Presenter Connie Willis tortured the Best example: Is Gary Farber listed as co-chair of Short Story nominees with a long, funny Iguanacon? Not this year. ramble. She completed the torture by giving Error or forgetfulness inevitably play a the Hugo to one of the nominees who wasn’t role, too. MilPhil left off six of last year’s there - Dave Langford. Precedent was bro Hugo winners. The Special Committee ken as Dave Hartwell, rather than Martin Awards given by L.A.con III have yet to ap Hoare, collected the rocket for Dave. pear in any con’s Hugo Awards summary. Larry Niven presented the Best Novelette And was the NASFiC historical list seen in Hugo to Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s accepter, last year’s Souvenir Book excluded, or sim Sheila Williams. Gardner Dozois presented Your editor, with notes in hand. ply forgotten? NASFiC is a WSFS conven- the Best Novella Hugo to the eternally pro November 2001 23 tion, after all. The same problem affected program items about Mark Keller. On Saturday morning, I hope the Business Meeting follows listed as being in “L4”, with the further prob fans learned that Mark Keller of Providence, through on its discussion about generating a lem that the booklet lacked a key to explain RI had died in a hospice the previous night, canonical version of the Worldcon’s histori this meant Loew’s Hotel. Several panelists from cancer. This would have been shocking cal data. Standardized lists will be a valuable came to Program Ops asking where they in any case, all the more so after Friday’s resource for people doing Worldcon publica were supposed to go. daily newzine had happily reported: “If you tions. Restaurant Guide: MilPhil’s 84-page res can’t find Mark Keller and Sue Anderson Program Book: Ann Cecil’s pocket pro taurant guide made excellent reading. Lew from Providence, they have an acceptable gram for MilPhii was generally well-done. She Bryson’s enthusiasm for Philadelphia micro excuse for missing the convention - they are continued the highly successful spiral note breweries was positively contagious. Of getting married!” The writer must have been book design originated by ConFrancisco. The course, I had to wonder, is this where the horrified to discover he’d lacked full details booklet presented program descriptions, publishing budget went? when he wrote his story. schedules, schedule grids and a participant Daily Newzine: The Kessel Run, the daily An interesting story not appearing in The index in a clear, standard font, artistically set zine, did a very good job of covering the en Kessel Run was the resignation and reinstate off by headings in the pseudo-18th-century tire spectrum of con activities in a systematic ment of its chief editor, Mike Nelson, be typeface that has been MilPhil’s signature. It way. The orientation program, filking, busi tween Friday night and Saturday morning. was a handsome publication, and highly use ness meetings, the art show, and exhibits After the first of Kurt Baty and Scott Bobo’s ful, with two qualifications. were explained in prominent feature articles. party reports appeared, the publications divi Programming in the Marriott appeared in There was also an insightful and practical sion head allegedly wanted to suppress any the schedule, but not on the grids. report about the problems at Registration. further reports, or if there any were pub “Unfortunately, there wasn’t room for every The most delightful regular feature was lished, the duo would certainly not be al thing,” was the reason given in the daily Teddy Harvia’s comic strip, Xenophillie. lowed to pick a party of the night. newzine, and program’s Laurie Mann said it Somebody should give this man a Hugo. Baty and Bobo have been writing party was the result of budget limitations. She pre Authorities have yet to determine why the reports for Worldcon daily newzines since sumably meant they couldn’t afford to add daily zine was titled The Kessel Run, a Star the early 1980s. Why was this suddenly con pages in order to expand the grids. However, Wars reference without a visible connection troversial? Cheryl Morgan’s explanation in fans rely on program grids to help them com to Millennium Philcon or its guests of honor. Emerald City #73 was that “MilPhil’s senior pare offerings at a given hour, and a two- But full credit is awarded for skipping further management had not forgiven Baty and Bobo thirds complete grid is not a tool that will do references to Ben Franklin. for preferring Boston’s parties over their own that job. Because Marriott rooms were One oversight was neglecting to arrange during the race to win the 2001 Worldcon.” mainly used for anime, gaming, filk, the the Party Lists in descending order by floor, Nelson resigned rather than submit to the fanzine lounge, films, vintage radio record a proven technique for encouraging the use interference. Patty Wells reportedly spent a ings, and other special interest items, the grid of stairways. (This was finally done in the long time mediating the dispute. The next design aroused some grumbling among fans Sunday issue.) morning Nelson told people he and the divi of those interests. There was also an unfortunate report sion head had “kissed and made up.”
Millennium Philcon Johnna Klukas - “Hall of the Mountain Stephen Youll - “I, Robot” King” Stephen Youll - “Terminal Cafe” Art Show Awards Brad Kunkle - “Wish” Andrea Senchy and Barbara Lynn Higgins Liz La Valley - Body of work - Scrimshaw Chairman's Choice Award Millennium Philcon Art Show Directors Joy Marie Ledet - “The Mourning Stephen Youll - “Worn Planet” of the Dwarves” Gary Lippincott - “Tom Kelly’s Ghost” Best In Show Sue Manor - “Rowan Lady” & “Green Art Show Directors’ Bob Eggleton - “Quimeartha’s Dream I & 2” Man” [bowls] Choice Awards Theresa Mather - “Journey’s End” Judges’ Choice Awards Petar Meseldzija - “Gandalf’ Rob Alexander - “Atlantis” Chris Moore - “The Days of Perky Pat” Barbara Higgins Lisa Ashton - “Oyster Shell” James Odbert (Nybor) - “Kiss of Ages” Omar Rayyan - “Felis Noctumus” Mike Conrad - “Alien Attack!” Michelle Parker - “Til Death” Ed Cox - “Snowshoe” Marilyn Pride - “Platypus With Eggs” Andrea Senchy Dan Dodson - “Light and Starburst” Richard Powers - “Star Dancers II” Stephen Hickman - “Beyond the World’s Newton Ewell - “Tree City” Sheila Rayyan - “Fish Ladder II” End” Marc Fishman - “My Lover’s Gone” Ruth Sanderson - “Sleeping Beauty” pair Ric Frane - “Zheng Zi Yi” Sophia Kelly Shultz - Needlework Donato Giancola - “Gandalf “ Lisa Snellings - “Here Comes Santa Claus” Popular Choice Awards & “The Hobbit: Expulsion” Nick Stathopoulos - “Dragon Study 1,2,& 3” Dominic Harmon - “Masks” Hicaru Tanaka - “Dance in Star Ocean” Best Professional Artist Jael - “Floue” Ron Walotsky - Body of work - Lisa Snellings Nancy Janda - “Breath of Life” Crabshell masks Nancy Janda - “Domestic Camouflage #l” James Wappel - “Mars” drum Best Amateur Artist Michael Whelan - “Lumen 6.2” Tom Kidd - Pencil Work Diane Kovalcin Paul Youll - “Desolation Road” 24 File 770:140
And to think this all occurred after Baty did not issue many press releases. Its Prog as its slogan and Bobo announced they would retire from ress Reports had too much to say about Ben writing party reviews after MilPhil. I guess Franklin and not enough about things to do Factsheet 5 the division head wanted to say, “You can’t at the con. Microbrewers and filkers were Will Pactsheet 5 ride again? Yes, says an quit - you’re fired!” more effusive about their plans than those authoritative e-mail (coff, coff) from “a new Press Coverage: Millennium Philcon got organizing the Worldcon’s so-called main editorial collective” that expects to have the excellent coverage from the mundane press. events. The web page had many useful fea first issue out by the end of the year, and The Philadelphia Inquirer ran a big feature tures, but generally fewer details than those appear quarterly thereafter. on the local Guest of Honor, Gardner Dozois. of other recent Worldcons: which was not the If you have a little gray in your beard, They did an interview and reviewed his new fault of the webmaster. Even fans posting to you’re old enough to remember that Mike story collection. The photo of Gardner ac SMOFS knew nothing to say about MilPhil Gunderloy’s Factsheet 5 once printed hun companying the articles seemed to have been until two weeks before the con. dreds of reviews of independent and unusual cropped somewhat strangely, or else the edi People tend to find what they come look “alternative” publications. The new incarna tor had decided Gardner’s handsomest fea ing for at the Worldcon. In that respect, Mil- tion of Factsheet 5 will carry reviews, and tures were his head and his fire escape. Phil’s legacy would have been greater if the also “informative articles on zine culture, Perfect Hindsight: The list of minor other arms of the committee had been as ef independent publishing, lively columns, in problems and annoyances that beset Millen fective as programming was in sharing their terviews with self-publishers, and an exten nium Philcon is actually fairly long: from plans in advance. sive news section.” registration hassles to the exhibit hall’s ge neric look, from info missing on maps and grids to constantly running out of water in the program rooms. However, none of these problems formed people’s dominant impression of the con: what everybody talked about were the pro I'm so grams they’d seen. Organizers Laurie and Jim Mann succeeded in giving fans substan touched! It's tial things to discuss and debate. The exciting ideas delivered by the program made the gos the first sip about behind-the-scenes problems unin teresting by comparison. Hugo for Rarely has there been such a good chem istry between the program and the members "Semi-pro of the Worldcon. People’s appetite for pro gramming was proven to me by 25 fans who Semi- tracked down our “Nuturing Your Ish” panel in an obscure comer of the convention cen lengthy ter, when a similar panel at Westercon had attracted only four. Everything seemed to Semi-writer" draw well. The center of things were the eight func tion rooms on the main corridor near Regis tration, where program provided the conven tion’s hourly heartbeat. Fans flowed in and out of the rooms, meeting friends, talking about what they’d just seen, comparing notes The Kitty Pounces Back If you’re interested in having your zine on what they wanted to see in the next hour, Charlotte in 2004’s leader Irv Koch reports reviewed, send a copy to Factsheet 5, P.O. then walking next door to another panel. the group will bid for the 2005 NASFiC, led Box 4660, Arlington, VA 22204. The editors Windows in the walls of the function rooms by a new chair. “It’s all the Directors, Tracy suggest that you “enclose a separate card allowed people outside to see whether some Kremer, Mark Blackman, and Kathleen clearly stating the sample price and subscrip thing interesting was starting inside, which Meyer (awaiting her acceptance) as Chair. tion price. Also print the ordering address, subtly encouraged people to join in. Based on what I understood when I phoned email address/web site, the check endorse The high quality of response to program her, she’s going to get a nationwide batch of ment name, and if you regularly review zines, ming had been seeded ahead of time by the BNFs or whatever for that committee.” books, videos, comics, or records. You can division’s use of the web to allow fans to Koch expects to resign as chair and direc also tell us if you want submissions, if you peruse the final schedule ahead of time. tor of the bid’s nonprofit corporation, require an age statement, if you regularly Raised expectations helped everyone prepare SECFI. “That was due to my having only print reader letters, if you offer free prisoner to enjoy the convention more fully. Knowing signed up, when I started this deal, for one subs, and the page count for that issue. Feel what to look for creates a positive feeling of project. However, the recent crash knocked free to state your preference on the card.” anticipation. It also keeps fans from missing me out financially so I’ve got to get a full A one-year subscription (4 issues) is anything special the committee has worked time job and won’t have time anymore. $15.00 ($25.00 for first-class delivery). hard to create. Probably at the IRS....” They also have a web page: The rest of the MilPhil committee was Charlotte will keep its Kitty Hawk mascot www.factsheet5.com unusually close about its plans, and did not and probably use “The Kitty Pounces Back” use the available tools to build momentum. It 28 File 770:140 The Fanivore
Lloyd Penney eration with the Library of Congress and the US Attorney’s Office will be It’s the day after the World 1 actively going after people who are Trade Centre disaster in New I W scanning artwork and craft kits York City. We're all shocked wbmI (artwork and instructions included) and stunned, and many say it’s and posting them. There are sites on like a movie, but it’s all too X the web where you can find hundreds real. Fiction has become fact, / of such items and the violators don’t and we truly live in interesting I think they are doing anything wrong. times. 1 have read that many I The only thing missing would be fans in NYC are safe; I’d be 1^/1 discussion somewhere about trade interested to know if anyone marks. Next time you should be more has been affected by this dis- complete in your news coverage... aster, such as being stranded in an airport or in a foreign John Foyster country. 1 ’ve heard several times that the best way to han This issue arrived the same week that dle this deep shock is to carry on with regular detail messy car chases, especially in Califor Marc Ortlieb announced that he was giving activities, to keep from walking like a zom nia. And yes, some of those chases involved up on the Bullsheet. I am amazed that Marc bie. So, in that spirit, here is a letter of com a tank, a mobile home and a bus. I think most managed to keep it going so long - which ment on File 770 139. Bear with me, and I people have seen those shots by now. They only makes your longevity with File 770 the shall try to get back in the loccing spirit. are silly, and we watch them for fun, but I more remarkable. 1 used to get frustrated that Millennium Philcon has come and gone, doubt I'd boot up the website to see more. it appeared so irregularly, but now that it is and Yvonne and I enjoyed ourselves quite a Tarai thought that Marcon was a travesty one of the few fanzines that has survived bit. We had no commitments to a bid table or because it had a psychic fair as part of the earlier eras 1 have to assume that it is all part series of parties this year, so we were free to convention, and a "never was" actor who of a Master Plan. explore, and we did. As do most, I have my played a Romulan? Good thing he didn’t go The convention reports, though not up to misgivings about the winners of the Hugos to Toronto Trek this past July then...it had the Glyer Standard, worked pretty well for for Best Novel and Best Dramatic Presenta both. Nevertheless, a good time was had by me, though perhaps John Hertz’s was a fair tion, but I hope this will encourage more fans us. distance ahead of the others in content. to nominate and vote to that SF novels and movies will the rockets. We’d been in touch Henry Welch Robert Lichtman with Craig Miller to distribute LA in 2006 flyers in Canada. We have a revision in Thanks for File 770:139 - “The Intellectual Simon Ounsley is quoted (from his fanzine mind, but as soon as all is resolved, we plan Property Issue” and congratulations on the Connection No. 3): “I felt a bit uncomfort to distribute extensively. Hugo Award. able planting a ‘u ’ in all those ‘favorites' of I would amend Fred Patten’s assessment I appreciated seeing the item on my patent Robert [Lichtman] ’s and realise I've never of the representative of the publisher he even if I think the invention itself is rather really thought before about the way I auto spoke to...an interesting example of a com lame. Everyone keeps telling me that it will matically anglise the letters I get from Amer plete idiot and a damned fool. As usual, oth get banned for contributing to road rage, etc. ica. But I mean you know he didn’t write it ers are experts on Canadians, and Canadians There will, alas, never be any money in it for that way, don't you? I guess I just think that are the last ones asked about these matters. me since I assigned all the rights to the co the fanzine reads a bit better with uniform Many thanks to Fred for knowing that Can inventor who paid me handsomely by the spelling. Do you agree? ” ada is a separate country with a separate cul hour. I judged that there wasn’t much money Well, yes, I do - and I feel the same way ture and separate events. We are not a part of in the concept and opted for cash up front. A when I remove every "u” from the articles the United States; at least, not yet. business has already started in New York and letters by British writers in Trap Door I saw Shibano-san at a distance at Millen City that uses a satellite to transmit location (not to forget changing every appropriate "s ” nium Philcon, but did not see Sachiko. Most specific ads for displays on the top of taxi to a "z ” as in "anglicize ’’) for the same uni years, we run into them, bow deeply, and cabs. Not in any way covered by my patent, formity. then hug the stuffings out of them. I hope all but I’m sure it’s covered by someone else’s. Let's think of what Simon and 1 are doing is all right with her. The idea of a Japanese In the second phase of intellectual prop in the same way we view TAFF — sort of a Worldcon is intriguing, especially the part erty we see illuminating commentary on copy trans-Atlantic vowel movement. about how we ’re supposed to afford to go. right for free lance writers. The internet has Yvonne and I have to admit to sharing Ed opened huge avenues of copy right abuse. E. B. Frohvet Green’s addiction. We often watch TLC Anyone with artwork is in danger of having (nicknamed by us The Disaster Channel), it scanned and posted or worse. My wife’s I have it from a reliable source that File 770 and tune in to see those myriad shows that business is part of a consortium that in coop received the Hugo Award for “Best Fanzine” November 2001 29 this year. Congratulations! The contribution look beyond paper fanzines — though let's fought with him on that issue, but he just of File 770 to fandom is substantial and remember Fosfax, which prints more reviews “never got around to that.” Lots of fans are fairly recognized. I trust you will not feel than anyone. If you count reviews published witness to the fact that Daffyd profited by it. yourself diminished, nor is that my intent, if 1 on websites or in zines distributed via e- I also got a number of short stories into vari point out a few relevant statistics. Namely, mail, like Cheryl Morgan's Emerald City, ous magazines and anthologies; one book during the entire period from 1970 to 2001, more fan-written reviews are being pub was published. all of the 32 “Best Fanzine” Awards have lished than anytime in the past 25 years. Jack is a loss to satirical fiction - and to gone to a total of 11 fanzines. Four of those That's after the cream has been skimmed by literary fiction. were one-shots, arguably flukes (Energumen publications willing to pay the best review I admire his talent and still do. I owe him; in 1973, Algol in 1974, Texas SF Inquirer in ers.]] I will miss him. 1988, Mad 3 Party in 1990); leaving the re [[LASFS scribe Karl Lembke announces maining 28 awards distributed among a Raul G. Capella that the Jack Harness Memorial Page is on grand total of seven fanzines. the Web at: [[Prior to 1984, zines published by Rich Jack Hamess was one of the most brilliant http://www.lasfs.org/lasfs/history/harness. ard Geis and Charles N. Brown won 14 Hu members of the four Writers’ Workshops I html]] gos. Then, in the first nine years after semi- attended, two of which were conducted at the prozines were removed from the category, six LASFS. Jerry Kaufman different zines won a Hugo for the first time. A Writers’ Workshop brooks no preju One of the six was File 770, however, it was dices and collects criticism and opinion from I was saddened to hear that Boyd Raeburn also among the nominees defeated by each of every quarter, sans emotional reactions. It is died. 1 didn't recall seeing a mention of this the other winners. I expect the cycle will turn much like an art class: all members are peers, on rec.arts.sf.fandom, which I consult now again, when Plokta, Challenger or Idea gets all at the same level, at learning and contrib and then, and I am not a member of the truly a well-deserved award. In the meantime, I'm uting. Those few who came in loaded with fannish listservs, so it was news to me. I certainly enjoying the response to File degrees, their 770.]] Great American End of rant. In fact, this seems an apt mo Novel and their ment to remove myself from the Fan Hugo Egos, took um discussion. As you probably know, I (not brage at criti without assistance) made a fool of myself by cism and van misunderstanding the eligibility require ished into thin ments, and recklessly and unfairly insulted air - fast. Those Richard Smith and Leah Zeldes Smith. I have who really apologized to them, and I do so again pub wanted to do licly. something with Personally, I still feel the Hugo nominat their work and ing and voting process has clear flaws, and appreciated what that term limits would solve some - not all - was going on of those flaws. That is obviously not going to (like Dafydd ab happen. Due to a combination of factors, Hugh, J or right now I simply have enough with which Jennings, to concern myself, to devote much thought to George Jumper what appears to me to be a lost cause. There etc.) got a lot out fore, in the future, 1 will not be nominating of it. or voting for the Hugo Awards. I considered [[With your passion for the award, why Jack Hamess to does quitting make sense?]] be one of the Another item in #139 which prompts a most incisive brief observation from me is to agree with and productive Marty Cantor concerning the state of book contributors. He reviewing in fandom. I am one of the few had more talent faneds who run a regular book review col than the three of umn - and more often than not I wind up us put together. 1 writing it myself. Bob Sabella does book do not exagger reviews in Visions of Paradise, though often ate when I say of mainstream books. Nova Express does some of Jack’s book reviews, which somewhat overlap with work ranged a highly specialized area of sf. Beyond that? I from the stature suggest an article, or perhaps someone can of Heinlein to use it for a panel topic: “Where Have All The that of Pablo Book Reviewers Gone? (Long Time Pass Neruda. ing).” Or maybe no one cares about such a He never sent retro subject. Literacy, after all, is obsolete. a story out. Rod Serling, where are you when we need I cajoled, you? encouraged, and [[Maybe it looks that way if you don’t 30 File 770:140 remember him with great fondness from a Elizabeth Osborne book of his. I know of no one who, given few meetings at cons over the years, as he the choice between printing and carrying was a dry wit and good company. Among the many obits, I was shocked to see around several hundred “free” pages and Boyd published a number of entertaining that of Poul Anderson. I completely missed buying a book, would choose the exhaustive and worthy fanzines over the years; I believe news of his death or even his illness. He printout. If Hamit produces an attractive his best generally available zines were don in and his wife were to be guests at Marcon last book (and not the usual computer-printed the 1960s, and included A Bas. The most May but they didn’t show up. I guess I know blodge) people will buy it, regardless of wonderful thing Boyd contributed, to my why now. whether or not the material is on the web. knowledge, were items called "derogations. " I never knew the Andersons very well. I These were assemblages of quotations from saw them at various conventions at a distance Eric Lindsay different fanzines cobbled together to form but I always tried to see them when they did new conversations between fans of different come to a convention. [[On issue 138]] I can’t blame Harlan Elli points of view, done with a satirical edge to In the early 80’s I was a member of a con son for wanting to prevent stealing of his them. The most recent descendant of these committee at a convention in Northeast Ohio writing via the internet, since it is very appar was a piece in a Nielsen Hayden zine in the (which one is not important) We invited Poul ent that once out there, it is hard to ever get early 80s, putting together things people had and his wife as our guests of honor one year. payment from many. I’ve been collecting SF said during a Norwescon weekend, and mak He was originally from Akron, Ohio and his in digital form, now I lack the space to keep ing them seems as though they'd all been mother and brother (John was a professor at all the books I would like. But I must admit said during one room party. Kent State University) were still in the area. that re-reading a novel in digital form is a I hope you can get Ted White (to suggest He and his wife arrived on Friday night and right pain in the eyeball. It has been interest one possibility) to do a real (and more accu the con committee (including me) took the ing to see Baen putting some novels up for rate) appreciation of Boyd Raeburn. Andersons to dinner that night. I remember free (as well as via their great $10 a month As John Hertz mentions, you were not it very well, a table full of geeky young peo for 5 novels deal), and I downloaded a bunch introduced in Westercon’s opening ceremo ple hanging on to everything they said. I of them. However I still find myself reluc nies. Neither was any other Guest of Honor; think that they were more embarrassed by tant to read a novel as an eBook if I don’t this was a bothersome lack and I think it was this hero worship than pleased but he and already own the paper version - and I still a failure to perform one of the important his wife were great quests that weekend. The haven’t managed to get rid of any of the pa functions of such a ceremony. It was particu Andersons were also major players in the per versions of the ones I downloaded - de larly odd, since the Not Ready for Sidereal founding of the Society for Creative Anach spite that being the point of the whole down Time Players always work such introductions ronism and the local chapter came out and load exercise for me! Interestingly, Mike into the playlets they do at Orycons. did a demo in their honor. I had to miss that Resnick asked when I was going to review I think John is wrong when he says I was since I was watching the consuite that AM another bunch of his books, and sent me cop in the Fanzine Lounge on Sunday with all but from what I saw they both had a great ies as ASCII files by email. I still haven’t those other DUFF winners. I don’t think I time. read them. Real Soon Now! saw Lucy at all on Sunday, for instance. I I am sure they would never remember me Rose Mitchell is entirely incorrect in as also remember the fannish funds auction be but I was looking forward to seeing them at serting that “all Australian cities now have ing on Saturday. So perhaps the whole para Marcon 36. There was also a large turnout of purpose built convention centres.” Many graph should be moved back a page and at the SCA type crowd. I was disappointed but smaller cities do not. She means that almost tributed to that day. never dreamed that he was so ill that I would all of the major cities now have decent facili John’s report was carefully subheaded be reading his obit a few months later. ties. Meanwhile, can I interest your readers with the dates and location of the con. Not so By the way, I did go to Marcon and the in attending conventions here other than Joy V. Smith’s report on Oasis 14, and I am remarks by Tarai are way off base. I planned Worldcons? In the last weekend of May mildly curious where and when this con took to write a report but so much time past, I 2002, New Zealand has its National Conven place; I can't recall having heard of it before. thought I would just put it aside. Tarai’s re tion. In the first weekend of June 2002, there In the letter column, Joseph T. Major says marks however need to be answered and I is the Australian National Convention, cele that Bill Warren won’t have to worry about will do so. As editor, of course, you can do brating 50 years of Australian conventions. going back to the eathquaked Boeing plant in with what you want with them. Rose Mitchell is chairing it. The week after Renton. Sorry, Joseph T., only Boeing's that, Jean Weber and I are running a relaxa- headquarters is moving to Chicago, which Martin Morse Wooster con in our home town (not a city) of Airlie accounts for about 1000 employees. Many Beach. We will feature diving on the Great thousands more, along with the Renton and Barrier Reef, sailing among the Whitsunday Everett plants, are staying here for the fore I found Francis Hamit’s analysis of the Ta sini decision to be one-sided. Like Hamit, I Islands (one of the premier sailing areas in seeable future. the world), native Australian animals at the To answer Joy V. Smith’s question about am a mundane freelance writer and editor, and many of my articles have appeared with Barefoot Bushman animal park (as seen on Corflu's methods of choosing guests, yes, the Discovery channel) and visiting the outback. Guest of Honor has always been chosen by out compensation on various websites. I have found, however, that this exposure has Check http://www.ericlindsay.com/relaxa. throwing the names of all attendees into a con for leads to all three cons. And remem hat, with one certain exception: here in Seat been very helpful to me; my best client came to me because he had seen my work on the ber that your US dollar will buy almost two tle, in 1988, we chose and announced our Australian dollars! Guest of Honor in advance. That was Gary web, and the fees he pays far outweigh the amount (and aggravation) I would have got [[On issue 139]] Leah Zeldes Smith Farber (before he discovered the Internet, I ten had I hunted down the creators of web makes slanderous accusations about my his believe). It was not considered to be in the torical knowledge of Old Sydney in her re true spirit of Corflu, and no other committee sites and demanded money. And surely if Hamit’s articles are worth port of their Tokyo trip. Revenge will be followed our example. preserving, there will be customers for a mine! November 2001 31
Allan D. Burrows Joy V. Smith The last I read with interest your conventional report Lovely cover (File age about ConJose holding a contest to deter 770: #139). Robotic Fan in the mine the likeness of their imaginary GoH, explorer? Great back Ferdinand Feghoot. What, no drawings of cover too. I love all world sat Feghoot exist? I take it, then, that Tim Kirk those details from the never managed to replace his artwork from spaceships on the alone in his The Even More Compleat Feghoot. It was he ceiling on down to who illustrated the book, having sketched the the clutter of toys and room. redoubtable Ferdinand during one of the lat things on the floor. Suddenly ter’s chronoscooter outings to the 1970s, no Good selection of doubt. illos, including the there was Why, was it not in an earlier issue of this cat on p 21, and car very publication that I read of the disaster? toons, especially the a LOG at Mr. Kirk kept the originals hanging above bleat, bleat one. [[By his commode, (the better to take his mind off Ray Capella]] the door. his business, as it were.) A house guest, a I enjoyed the well-known art critic, thinking them inferior Tucker Tribute arti examples of the man’s work, did him the cle, the Fandom news dubious favor of having them crushed to (including the Hugo/ powder. When last I hard, poor Tim Kirk was NESFA connections searching desperately for a copy of Compleat list, Autumn Feghoot so that he could at least re-sketch Rausher's masquer his originals and thus replace them the hard ade entries, the Flash way. Alas, the book is rare; not many were Girls ’ album and web printed in the first place (only 2000 copies) site, the Sci Fi channel news, the various house bum down. and the very intense puns they contain tend award winners, ...), and the Report from To From these parts, it was very disappoint to cause their readers to commit the sin of kyo. That was a fun fannish visit. ing to see Charlotte lose to Boston, but the book burning. The Campbell Conference report was in result is about what I expected. On the other Now it happens that I myself have an in teresting too; I would have liked to have seen hand, it gets me out of a promise I made to tact copy of The Even More Compleat Feg the John W. Campbell documentary. I’ve Irv Koch had Charlotte won. hoot. (Having survived Andre Levien at his always admired him, and I have a collection Paula DiSante: There has been such a big punniest, I had some resistance when I read of his editorials. controversy in various web forums about it.) If it is true that Tim Kirk has not yet suc Good report on the Tasini decision. And Harry Potter winning best novel. I couldn’t ceeded in finding a copy, it would be my John Hertz' Westercon report was excellent; get over how heated some people were be honor to restore the ground prints Ferdinand I enjoyed his interview with you. Are they coming over the issue. I did find it curious to his throne. really looking for a Westercon chair for that the book had even been nominated, [[Now that collectors know you have a 2003? though — not because I didn’t think it should copy, aren 't you engraved danger?]] I really, really loved Ed Green’s “Cheap be (not having read it, I don’t have an opin Note to Gene Stewarrt - I forgot what we Thrills at 90 MPH.” Some funny and reveal ion either way), but because it is clearly a were arguing about, too. Mea maxima culpa ing scenes with the reporters and the cops... fantasy novel, not science fiction. Maybe I’m and let’s call it square, ‘kay? I appreciated the background on Mike out of the loop big time, but I didn’t know Gunderloy's naming of Factsheet Five (from the Hugos covered anything but science fic Tom Feller John Brunner's Shockwave Rider) too. I tion. Live and learn, I guess. used to get that and some of the zines listed Ron Salomon: So here I be in Beantown Thanks for sending the zine and congratula in it. I used some in the small press issues of mourning yet another year of nonattendance tions on your Hugo. To my knowledge, no Splish Splash I put out. at the Worldcon. Well, it gives me more time one showed up at Millennium Philcon claim to save for South Gate in ‘08, yes. Thanks for ing to be E.B. Frohvet. Maybe a future We Also Heard From all the swell conreports in thish. Between Worldcon should have a program item based them and the letterhackers I feel more in con on the old To Tell the Truth game show in Marty Cantor: I have been reading File 770 tact than I really am with fandom, which to which three people claim, “My name is E.B. this morning, seeing the material about the me seems to be a Ghood Thhing. Frohvet.” Tucker Tribute. Now, Tucker lives in Bloom Yuri Mironets: I’m safely back in Vladi In the April issue, you ask where wres ington, IL (which is right next door to Nor vostok, but the memory of Worldcon is still tling fans go when they bum out. I don’t mal, IL). As Joe Major mentioned to me, fresh and the impressions are very vivid. My know about the fans, but an issue of Nash “Who would think that Tucker would be near head is tightly packed with impressions and ville’s alternative newspaper a few months Normal?” I’m slowly unwinding them. ago had an article about the Jerry Springer Mike Rogers: I am not yet sufficiently in Studies at Far Eastern University began show. According to the article, they recruit touch with current fandom to get all the ref and I already told students about Worldcon - their guests from the ranks of professional erences in File 770, but I do enjoy reading it they are pleased and excited. wrestlers, so presumably their fans might when it arrives. The article on car chases in follow them. the most recent issue was brought to mind as [[letterhacks ’ addressres appear on page 2]] I sat last Friday watching the SoCal suburban