Vol. 17 No. 2 April 2018 ALEXIAD (!7+=3!G) $2.00 It is now less than a month to the Derby. Amazon is cheering on a colt named Audible. Alexis A. Gilliland...... 4, 6, 7, 14, 15 As the winner of the Florida Derby he is in the top ranks. I still do not understand the point Trinlay Khadro ...... 2 system. I believe the use of earnings to determine who got into the Derby was fairer, even if it Marc Schirmeister ...... 3, 5, 12, 13 did keep out Bernardini, the horse who raced his way into my heart in the Preakness twelve years ago. At least the earnings seemed to me more objective than assigning random points for Pascha was April 8, 2018. different races. The 144th Running of the Kentucky Derby will be May 5, 2018. — Lisa The 143rd Running of the Preakness Stakes will be May 19, 2018. The 149th Running of the Belmont Stakes will be June 9, 2018. Table of Contents Editorial...... 1 Reviewer’s Notes ...... 1 Printed on April 12, 2018 Deadline is June 9, 2018 Eclipse News...... 2 Historical Issues ...... 5 Reviewer’s Notes Hugo Award Nominees ...... 8 The Little Emperors...... 2 Amazon’s critiera for suggesting books the reader may be interested in has some issues. Nebula Award Nominees ...... 7 Looking up one JFK conspiracy book got my feed clogged with a monstrous gaggle of them, each Reading Matters ...... 4 more preposterous than the last. Vision Problems ...... 4 Then, I go looking for interesting new alternate history novels, and I end up being directed Worldcon Notes ...... 10 towards Highland Romances, Viking Romances, and the like. At least it isn’t Dinosaur Romances. (Yes, there is such a thing. Gay Dinosaur Romances, too.) Book Reviews JTM Bernhard, Empire...... 2 For various reasons, I keep on encountering conspiracy theorists. It is tiring to hear them trundle LGD Burke, Semiosis ...... 6 over the same debunked issues. And the debunking is difficult, when it takes pages and pages of JTM Kahn, Seizing the Enigma ...... 4 information about sand to disprove a facile, tossed-off claim of the setting of an alleged earthly JTM Kupari, Her Brother’s Keeper ...... 3 filming of lunar exploration journeys. JTM Kupari, Sins of Her Father ...... 3 Yet it has to be done, even though it’s a losing struggle. Having the gnostic knowledge of the JTM Hanson, The Second World Wars ...... 3 real way it was is satisfying. It is so much easier to say, “Well, Stanley Kubrick filmed the moon TW Strike, Furry Nation...... 5 hoax, that’s why there aren’t any more,” than it is to review the problems with expenditure, JTM Ward, Storming the Compound of a Rich Man ...... 3 technology, and public interest. Beyond that a sinister vista looms. The Holocaust is fading from memory. And Holocaust Con Reports Denial is now backed by those who are with the zeitgeist. But then, they dismiss all history save SB Capricon 38 ...... 5 their own. JTM ConGlomeration 2018 ...... 5 Winter has been slow to release its grip. We had snow on the first day of Spring, and more a few Random Jottings ...... 2 days later. It is not going to last, of course, and by July we will be longing for the month of March again. Letters ...... 11 It’s been amusing, for some values of amusing. First off, a pipe in the downstairs bathroom Jeffrey Allan Boman, Sue Burke, Lloyd Daub, Richard A. Dengrove, Nic Farey, Timothy Lane, broke and flooded the cellar, knocking out the hot water heater. Once that was repaired (it was Robert Lichtman, Cathy Palmer-Lister, Patrick McCray, Lloyd Penney, George W. Price, Darrell during the coldest days of the winter, and over a weekend too) the furnace had to be replaced. Not Schweitzer, Joy V. Smith, Taras Wolansky to mention the car’s water pump dying. I have concerns about going to future conventions. But the sort of conventions I would go to are Comments are by JTM or LTM getting fewer on the ground. Trivia: ...... 17 Thanks to Marc Schirmeister for his art. He has been going through some hard times, and I respect him for his strength and endurance. Best wishes, Schirm. Art: Sheryl Birkhead ...... 8, 10, 11, 16 — Joe Paul Gadzikowski ...... 17 Page 2 April 2018 Alexiad

1928, Katie Gertrude Meredith Wilhelm began 109E W. The eclipse is part of Saros 127, which changing jobs. Diocletian had made professions RANDOM JOTTINGS her career in 1956, and in 1957 published the began on October 10, 991 and will end on March hereditary and unchangable, you see, and who by Joe story “The Mile-Long Spaceship” in 21, 2452. was Sempronius Felix to challenge the right Astounding. She won two Hugo Awards, the order of things? Best Novel in 1977 for When Late the Sweet NASA Eclipse website: There are always taxes. Nobody can pay the Birds Sang and the Best Related Work in 2006 https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse.html taxes, so the rates are always raised to make up for Storyteller, and three Nebula Awards, for for the loss, which makes everyone guilty. But “The Planners” (1969), “The Girl Who Fell Other useful eclipse websites: the taxes that the government manages to collect from the Sky” (1987), and “Forever Yours, always go to paying the army, which Anna” (1988). She was married to Damon http://www.hermit.org/Eclipse nevertheless somehow seems to be ineffective. Knight in 1963, taking part in the development In a more personal note, there is also a nasty of the influential Clarion writers workshop. http://www.eclipse.org.uk/ little bit of hypocrisy presented. Felix relies on his wife, Maria, to give him guidance in the We note tragically the death of Stephen AUGUSTULI ways of Christians. Yet Maria starts out being William Hawking CH CBE FRS FRSA on Commentary by Joseph T Major on as adulterous as the pagans of Atia’s day, March 14, 2018 (Albert Einstein’s 139th THE LITTLE EMPERORS seducing one “little emperor” to kill him, and Birthday, to make it more painful). Appearing by Alfred Duggan goes from there to full-blown torture and on such diverse shows as The Simpsons and Star (1951) murder once her father becomes an unfit Buy my books. (All available on Trek: The Next Generation, he carved out a Emperor. (He has no military experience, or Amazon.com for quite reasonable prices, except stirring career in media. Oh yes, and he did Philip Toynbee, who had had the dubious honor even a command voice.) the Hugo-nominated Heinlein’s Children, some scentific stuff, too. of getting punched out by a real-life Grima, boldly Unpayable taxes, unbearable laws, a which can be bought from NESFA for a announced in 1961 that the enthusiasm for The rapacious government where power could be reasonable price.) We regret to report the death of Karen Lord of the Rings was passing into “merciful easily taken but not be held, would seem to be a — Advt. Anderson on March 17, 2018. June oblivion”. In 1955, Edmund Wilson, the scorner of model of doom. Which it is. Millichamp Kruse was born in Erlanger, Lovecraft, called Tolkien’s work “juvenile trash”. It’s not just the little people who suffer, as The Law of Superheroes (2013) was an Kentucky on September 16, 1932. She married In between, the author of this work declared of Felix notes that most people of authority end up amusing work by a pair of comic-fan lawyers, Poul William Anderson [1926-2001] in 1953; LotR, “This is not a work which many adults will being executed. It rather sounds like O’Brien’s James Daily and Ryan Davidson, discussing in there was one child, Astrid Anderson Bear. read right through more than once.” comment in 1984 about how he too will serious terms the legal realities of, well, Karen collaborated with her husband on several And now, of course, they are best known for eventually be vapourised. Felix isn’t vaporized, superheroes. It lost the Best Related Work novels, and wrote several science fictional those errors of judgment. Unlike the others, but he does not end up dying right away, though Hugo to a childish piece of fangirl gush, but poems. She was known as the first intentional Duggan had actually written fiction himself, and he may wish he had. never mind that. user of the term “filk music”, and the first history as well. He was also the stepson of that Duggan had an unsparing and un-romantic Daily and Davidson also have a blog, “Law publisher of a filksong. She was prominent as most remarkable purzon, the Most Honourable view of the world. Thus we have Conscience of and the Multiverse”. It has been sadly not over- a costumer, receiving the first lifetime George Nathaniel Curzon, Marquess Curzon of the King (1951) which among other things has active of late, but recently pointed a link to an achievement award from costumers in 1988. Kedleston, which meant he was Sir Oswald the historical Arthur as seen by one of his article on how the tax changes recently passed She was one of the founders of the Society for Mosley’s sort-of brother-in-law. His full brother opponents, Cerdic. Who observes that the band have affected superheroes with the appros title Creative Anachronism, remaining active in it Hubert Duggan was one of those M.P.’s ((C) of noble warriors broke up over a woman, of “Tax Avengers Assemble: The Impact of Tax until past 2010. Acton) who voted against Chamberlain in the which didn’t surprise him. (And which may Reform on Superheroes.” Norway Debate (see Winston’s War by Michael also explain the author’s opinion of LotR.) I wonder if they would discuss if there were YOU’RE SO VAIN Dobbs [Lord Dobbs of Wylye] (2002; reviewed in In Eagle in the Snow the maimed General a tax deduction for the defective first sphere by Joe Alexiad V. 16 #5) for more on this). Maximus sees the usurper Constantius III march World Steel sold to Seaton and Crane for the The Little Emperors is a novel of the end days through Trier. Felix had fled to avoid being Skylark of Space. There will be a solar eclipse on July 13, a of Roman rule in Britannia. As it is, it comes at executed by Constantius. Thus we see the same partial eclipse visible on the coast of Wilkes about the same time as the early parts of Eagle in process from two perspectives, at two points. Law and the Multiverse: Land in Antarctica, in the Australian states of the Snow (1970; reviewed in Alexiad V. 7 #3). The The Little Emperors is available for Kindle http://lawandthemultiverse.com/ South Australia, Victoria, and Tasmania, and point of view character, Sempronius Felix, is a for the quite reasonable price of $2.51. the Southland Region of New Zealand. The civil servant of a line of devoted servers of the res greatest extent will be at 67E 51' S, 127E24' E in publica. He might well be taken as an example of PILGRIM PROJECT The Master Replicas Group, makers of fine Wilkes Land. The eclipse is part of Saros 117, the unreliable narrator. Review by Joseph T Major of light sabers, has announced that it is bringing which began June 24, 792 and will end August In the last few years before the Britannic EMPIRE: out a HAL 9000 virtual assistant home monitor 3, 2054. administrators were informed that Rome couldn’t A Novel of Possibilities powered by an Amazon Kindle Fire tablet using The next eclipse will be on August 11, a do anything for them any more, the provinces (by by David Bernhardt Alexa. If you say lines from the movie to it, it partial eclipse visible in Newfoundland, then it was divided into five provinces) managed to (2017; David Bernhardt (Kindle); $0.99) will respond in HAL’s voice, otherwise it will Greenland, and Siberia. The greatest extent will spawn no fewer than three usurpers. The story be Alexa. As the one announcement I saw said, be at 70E 24' N, 174E 30' E, off the coast of here is of the fall of the three “little emperors”; In One False Step (2014) Richard Tongue “Maybe don’t hook up your garage door to it.” Russia near Wrangel Island. The eclipse is part how each tried for the Purple, won it for a time, discusses various possible, but not taken up, of Saros 155, which began June 17, 1928 and and then was overthrown. What Duggan shows is space missions; a real-life Pilgrim Project will end July 24, 3190. a nation that is failing; unable to sustain itself, and (1964; discussed in Alexiad V. 12 #2) set, as it OBITS The next total solar eclipse will be on June increasingly dependent on regulation enforced by were. Such alternatives as the Soviet moon 2, 2019, visible across the South Pacific and in cruelty. landing, Gemini to the moon, and the like were We regret to report the death of Kate Chile and Argentina. The longest totality will As an example of the latter, Felix several times proposed but never carried through for one Wilhelm on March 8, 2018. Born June 8, be 4 minutes 33 seconds, at sea at 17E 24' S, casually mentions having people burned alive for reason or another. Alexiad April 2018 Page 3

One of the most outré was EMPIRE. This The Pilgrim Project, died on February 17, 2017, a lot of complications and costs. Such as the less Lascelles, Earl of Harewood, great-grandson of was a proposal to send men on a flypast of at the age of 94. than stellar reputation the overthrown leader won Mary, Princess Royal) was running for Venus and Mars, using existing Apollo capsules for himself. Beyond that, planets of exile have President. Seriously, millions of Americans are and Saturn V upper stages. This is a story of an STRAINED their own agendas and laws, too. related to European Royalty. Apparently the de EMPIRE mission; fictional, but something that Review by Joseph T Major of Not to mention planets that one is exiled from; Wessingtons (the ancestors of George could have been done. HER BROTHER’S KEEPER which sometimes have their own indigenous Washington) of Northamptonshire are Navy radio officer Jim Busch, the narrator of (2015; Baen; ISBN 978-1476780900; people who have their own agendas and laws. In descended from a cadet line of the MacAlpin this story, was selected, presumably as a $16.00; Amazon Digital Services; $6.99) short, there are a number of beings involved with Kings of Scots, though. mission specialist, in one of the later astronaut and their own plans and ways. Oh, and the The Elite gained their authority after the selections. His specialty suddenly became SINS OF HER FATHER replacement planetary government has its own Famine of 2018. Looks like somebody read and useful when the Shuttle program was abruptly (2018; Baen; ISBN 978-1481482837; unseemly ways and disadvantageous. didn’t quite get The Harvest of Sorrow (1986) canceled, and NASA had to do something. The $16.00; Amazon Digital Services; $7.55) And there is a surprise in store . . . by Robert Conquest (also SF author and editor; something turned out to be EMPIRE, the by Mike Kupari he’s one of us). planetary flyby, and they needed an expert Kupari might need to learn to focus on his main Having conducted the massacre, the raiders communications officer. Thus Busch got a crew Catherine Blackwood has issues. She is story line. Some of his characters are too close to return to their ordinary jobs (except for the one assignment. saddled with a goof-off younger brother who is pulp stock types. whose electronic shielding broke down during And so it goes. The crew of the EMPIRE nevertheless heir to the family position. This isn’t the Grand Climax of the War the raid, and he died) utterly unconcerned about mission ends up better off than Steven Fortunately, she doesn’t have to fall for the Between Humanity and the All-Destroying Aliens, specific police retaliation, though still concerned Lawrence of The Pilgrim Project, not to bad ‘un only to be rescued at the last moment by or between the Good Kingdom and the Bad about generalized retaliation. The woman in mention Wendy Pendleton of Children of Apollo the swaggering buck whom she marries and Tyranny. It’s about people trying to get along, and charge goes on vacation in the Caribbean. (2002; reviewed in Alexiad V. 3 #1). The tames. This being the Interstellar Age, she goes occasionally make a difference. Perhaps the origins of Ward’s politics can be mission is entirely nominal, with no drastic to space, and becomes a free-lance transport taken from the work previewed so the reader events beyond a meteor strike, which turns out subcontractor. Don’t say “pirate”, or even UPRISING will want to buy it, The Banker with a Face Full to be repairable. perhaps “privateer”. Review by Joseph T Major of of Evil (2012). Granting banks supernatural Well, maybe not. Being cooped up in a can She has worked her way up to being master STORMING THE COMPOUND OF A RICH powers is a legacy of the Populist movement. for two years can do things to a man. Science (mistress?) and commander of the Andromeda, MAN — An American Revolution Story This group confuses people who want to make specialist Kevin Lowell decides to come out, and as our story begins is called home by her by Michael Ward it either left or right; they can’t really deal with and not on an EVA, either. This provokes just father to become Her Brother’s Keeper. It (2012; Michael Ward (Kindle); $0.99) it, so they go into denial. a bit of a crisis, with Kevin and the commander, seems the family is in several binds. Their This isn’t something you read for enjoyment Mike Eggert, having Words. position is shrinking, and her useless brother This shorter work (in Kindle it is 55 pages, unless you’re into revenge fantasies. It is, One of the highlights of the book is that Cecil has gone off to make something of including a book preview) is hard to place, either however, worth reading as a study of political Bernhardt realizes there is an outside world. himself. Like, it turns out, a hostage. They in type or politically. He referrs to it as a short belief. Such books are usually uninteresting Busch is always pausing to point out how things need someone reliable to deliver the ransom. story but of course it’s longer. except as example. have changed in the fifty years since the Catherine decides to get some extra muscle, The political venue, on the other hand, has its mission. Other matters impact the narrative, so picks up a planetary security agent in need of own problem. Invoking the American Revolution ΊΣΤΟΡΙΑΙ such as conspiracy theories. money. Which gets inconvenient when his is generally done by the right. Killing rich people Review by Joseph T Major of In the end, this turns out to be one of John daughter is facing a charge of assault for having is more of a leftist cause. THE SECOND WORLD WARS: W. Campbell’s desires; the ordinary novel of objected to having her horse fatally poisoned, so The setting is an extreme security state, with a How the First Global Conflict Was Fought the future. (Perhaps Busch would had heard she becomes an apprentice. minority ruling class, the Elite, that controls the and Won that; he reads SF and even met his wife that Cecil, meanwhile, finds he’s mired deep in people through electronic surveillance. If you do by Victor Davis Hanson way.) the toils of warlordism, as his boss turns out to something they don’t like, you die. (Rather like (2017; Basic Books; have desires to rule more than one planet. the setup in Jack Vance’s Durdane series [The ISBN 978-0465066988; $40.00; Which costs, so he is getting Cecil to oversee Anome (1973), The Brave Free Men (1973), and Hachette Book Group (Kindle); $22.99) the excavation and plundering of valuable The Asutra (1974)] where the anonymous rulers archaelogical items. could blow anyone’s head off at any time.) Or These are the researches of There are a number of stories involved in the other things; one charming regulation permits Herodotus of Halicarnassus, which he rescue and retribution; perhaps too many for one members of the Elite, the ruling class, to punish publishes, in the hope of thereby book, and too concentrated for a universe- insolent shop clerks by having their fingers broken. preserving from decay the remembrance building exercise. Still, it’s well to remember However, they have extremely poor security. of what men have done, and of that the underlings also have their own lives and The group of revolutionaries that figure in this preventing the great and wonderful are not disposable mooks. story spoof the electronic defenses, take out the actions of the Greeks and the Barbarians In the end, the people involved have grown armed guards like the SAS meeting Feldwebel from losing their due meed of glory; and and come to realize themselves better. Yes, Bilko’s supply company in the Bierstube, and take withal to put on record what were their there are more than exotic backgrounds to tour, the Elite family they’re attacking hostage. Instead grounds of feuds. Kupari actually tells a story. of staging a suicidal hostage situation, the — Ήρόδοτος, Ίστορίαι [Herodotos, The revolutionaries simply kill all the family. Histories], Book I Chapter 1 But it’s not the end of Catherine’s story. Some of Ward’s concepts are just a bit Someone out there has to pay for the Sins of conspiratoralist. For example he says that “Most This is not a regular history of World War Her Father and Catherine has to be the cashier. American Presidents came from seven families II; rather it is a set of essays, touching on the At first it sounds so romantic, overthrown leader who were all related to European royalty.” I didn’t vital processes of the war, which is to say, not coming back to topple tyrannical usurpers. notice that Tewa Lascelles (son of the Hon. James only the fighting, but the material, Sadly, Henry Hunt “Hank” Searls, author of Things don’t always go so easily, and there are Lascelles, grandson of the Right Hon. George technological, economic, and political Page 4 April 2018 Alexiad underpinnings thereof. Even though this is a THE CRUEL SEA Naval Enigma machines, setup sheets, and the like. good. long book, such are the ramifications of these Review by Joseph T Major of This often required quite extensive efforts. The Apparently B. J. Willinger showed up, but matters that the essays can serve but as SEIZING THE ENIGMA: two most notorious captures of U-boats contributed didn’t join. He was reported to be in bad health. introductions to these topics. The Race to Break the German U-Boat to this. The taking of Julius Lemp’s U-110 There’s a lot of that going around. Joel Zakem Yet so many writers seem unaware of these Codes, 1933-1945 provided the first haul of documents, and nearer had Pesach, with his family in Cincinnati. matters. For example, Adam Tooze’s The by David Kahn the end of the war, Dan Gallery’s boarding of the ConGlomeration 2019 will be April 19-21 at Wages of Destruction (2008; reviewed in (1999, 2012; Frontline; U-505 made available a valuable map key. (Oddly the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Louisville. The Alexiad V. 8 #2), with its portrayal of the ISBN 978-1848326361; $48.19; enough, Kahn doesn’t bother mentioning that guest of honor will be Timothy Zahn. economic chaos of Nazi Germany puts paid to Amazon Digital Services; $7.55) Lemp died during the evacuation of the boat.) so many Naziism Triumphant stories. The Man This significant addition to the history of the READING MATTERS In the High Castle would be flat broke and have Commander Ericson of HMS Compass Rose battle has been revised, and in addition is available by Lisa Major nothing to eat. and then HMS Saltash was directed by an for Kindle. It should be in the library of every The essays discuss the basic features of the unseen power. This is the story of how the serious reader about the war. (And, incidentally, it It disturbs me that there is a divide between war. Hanson begins by describing the “Ideas”, anonymous, Most Secret men and women of the helps make some passages in “The Living electronic reading and physical reading. the intellectual concepts that formed the war and Government Code & Cipher School, their Daylights” and From Russia, With Love more Reading is reading. There are advantages and drove the participants. From there, he goes to masters at the Secret Intelligence Service, and comprehensible.) disadvantages to both kinds of reading. Ebooks the means, in an invocation of the classical their allies from the U.S. Office of Naval take up much less space than physical books elements, “Air”, “Water”, “Earth”, and “Fire”. Intelligence strove to find the means to direct VISION PROBLEMS and are much easier to carry around. I remember The first is obvious, a discussion of air power, Ericson and his many real-life equivalents by Joe telling one of my aunts I was taking 800 books as is the second, of naval conflict. “Earth” is (including his creator, Lieutenant-Commander on vacation with me and her questioning how I about the armies itself, while “Fire” is about Nicholas Monsarrat, RNVR) in their war. Our eye exams were overdue, so Lisa and I could get that many books in the car. My tanks and artillery. Kahn begins by describing the development went to Visionworld. Lisa got new glasses, and as response was that they fit in my purse. The 800 The next section, “People”, begins with of the Enigma machine, its adoption by the for me . . . books were electronic ones. discussion of the nations’ leaders, followed by German military, and the efforts by Germany’s The doctor had some less than heartening news. You can take a favorite book in electronic the military commanders, then the industrial and foes to determine the means by which this I had cataracts, bad enough to cause vision format on trips and not risk losing a cherished agricultural workers, and finally he discusses device was used. problems. And after seeing how blurred the vision physical copy. Many books by great Sf authors the human cost of the war. From there he goes on to recount the many in my left eye was, I had to agree. long out of print are back in digital format. The The last section, “Ends”, sums it all up. As incidents which gave the opposing sides the They made an appointment with eye specialists. disadvantages of ebooks are that you cannot flip the exhausted destroyer commander in Tom advantage, first one and then the other. The My first appointment is at seven in the morning. back forth very easily. The devices you read Clancy’s Red Storm Rising (1986) thinks as his British were forced to devote their efforts to They close early, too, as we went by there later that them on must be kept charged or they are only ship moors, “What It All Means, Morris this, and the many exotic devices which were day. inert pieces of plastic or metal. decided, is that it’s over.” How did the used to unriddle this riddle were harbingers of Cataract surgery has become less stressful for The cost of the devices is not as much an countries achieve or fail to achieve their reasons modern computing technology. the patient. In the Classic era (yes, ancient Rome) issue today as it was when the devices first for fighting? Hanson discusses this in the terms In turn, once America was in the war, healers would press on the eye until the lens appeared. A Kindle 7 tablet sells for fifty dollars of classic history. Americans were joined to this effort. Looking popped out. Ouch. In modern times, recovery except on Cyber Monday when it drops to His description of the conflict as “Wars” at the descriptions of the people involved, it from a cataract operation used to involve several around thirty dollars. The Kindle app can be highlights its the divided and diverse nature. As seems that the middle-American, small-town days in bed with the patient’s head immobilized by gotten for free. the Wars of the Roses grew from local disputes, types who made up the NSA (see Stephen sandbags. I enjoy my Kindle books. It is possible now with combatants looking for allies merging into Budiansky’s Code Warriors (2016; reviewed in This has changed. Nowadays, the paperwork to carry an entire classic library in a backpack a greater conflict, so did the Second World War, Alexiad V. 15 #5) for more on this) had come seems to take about as much time as the operation, for very little money. I hope never to be without or Wars, stem from different conflicts waged by from the Navy. As opposed to the British, who though the recovery is a little longer. It is now physical copies of my favorite horse books but disparate powers, merging. There was no Grand merited Churchill’s comment to C (Sir Stewart outpatient surgery. I can now take them with me without worrying Unified Axis Plan, and indeed (he argues) not Graham Menzies, the Chief of the Secret I have been receiving messages of reassurance, about losing cherished books. Unfortunately, much of a strategy at all. Relevant in this, for Intelligence Service) “I know I told you to leave including my younger brother, who also has had not all my favorite books are digital yet. If Joe example, is the disparity between the German no stone unturned to find the necessary staff, but cataract surgery. As opposed to our late great- wins the lottery, perhaps I will track down who operational success on the battlefield and the I didn’t mean you to take me so literally!” For aunt, who was blind with cataracts that were holds the rights to the works of Rutherford lack of a long-term strategic plan. example, Dillwyn Knox, one of the famous considered inoperable (to be fair, this was over Montgomery and Dana Faralla, buy the rights It might be controversial that he considers Knox Brothers, a veteran of the last war come forty years ago). and start my own digital publishing company. the war to be in fact the “first” world war. In back to do it some more. I will try to be more careful than the relative response to arguments that the War of the Kahn describes the workings of the various who had cataract surgery (he was 90), was told not HISTORICAL ISSUES Austrian Succession, the Seven Years War, the models of the naval Enigma, the many means by to work, worked and injured the eye, and had to by Lisa French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic which a key was generated and used. It should have more surgery. Then he crossed the road to Wars, and the First World War all involved be noted that the Kriegsmarine was more secure get his mail, and between his vision and the sun The History Channel is airing a program worldwide conflict, he argues that these several in their employment of the machine, avoiding setting directly down the road didn’t see anything. about people seeking Confederate gold battles and campaigns were not connected. This the all too common errors of setup, repeated The man driving the truck almost managed to stop somewhere in Michigan. I find it hard to believe may seem to be a trifle hairsplitting. messages, and the like (one of the more in time. that diehard Confederates would send treasure This book will serve well as an introduction notorious being the Afrika Korps observation into Yankeeland. They would have been much to the history, or a guideline to influential and post in the Qattara Depression that reported in We had a very good time at ConGlomeration, more likely to have hidden that gold with their significant factors in that war. The Herodotos every day with “Nothing to report”, thus even though it seemed to be mostly chatting up kin or very close friends. I suppose it is possible of the Second World War(s) does not and may providing a simple plaintext for breaking the Rod Smith (sorry you were ailing, Stickmaker), that they could have done so but Michigan never exist; but this is a beginning. day’s Army Enigma settings.) Bob Roehm, and Steve Francis. There was a would not be the first place I would look for As a result, the Allies had to capture actual dearth of parties, again. The Masquerade was very Confederate gold. I would look instead for Alexiad April 2018 Page 5 descendants or descendants of kin of those who evening parties. gift for my husband. I spent the rest of the evening standards for libations and dance music, had the gold. Of course, it is also quite likely In a world growing crowded with at a gathering called “Writers and Donuts,” hosted although it faced stiff competition for the title of that said descendants would not talk of the commercially organized genre events, Capricon by Richard Chwedyk, where we noshed on donuts “best.” matter unless they knew you very well. I would remains a volunteer-run “literary” (book- and discussed writing. Then I attended various not rule out, either, the possibility that the gold focused rather than media-focused) science parties until midnight. The festivities were still Sunday, February 18 ended up in Confederate colonies in South fiction convention. Everything seemed to flow going strong, but I was tired. smoothly, and even the weather cooperated with I was among the five people at the start no cold snaps or major snowstorms, just heavy Saturday, February 17 (more stumbled in over the next hour) of a 10 flurries on Saturday. a.m. panel on “The Critical Eye” about how to I missed Thursday evening’s activities, write a review, “a creative response to a creative which included panels on topics as varied as work.” The next panel, “The Singularity: Mechs brewing alcohol, military science fiction, and a or Shapers?” suggested that we will only critique of Blade Runner 2049, along with an identify whatever the singularity is – a ice cream social and opening ceremonies. disruption or AI breakthrough of some sort – after it happens. Friday, February 16 “The Expanding Universe of Fandom” compared large commercial cons like Because mass transit doesn’t quite reach the Dragon*Con, which draws 80,000 people, Westin Hotel, my husband dropped me off on comic cons, and media cons to smaller fan-run the way to work at 7:30 a.m. I consigned my literary cons like Capricon: huge versus up close suitcase, got some coffee, wandered around, met and personal. Eric Flint observed that, like fan- friendly people in the Green Room, got my run cons, some of the big commercial cons had badge, and began the busy task of attending their uses for professional authors, including panels and having fun. After a light breakfast in the Con Suite, I began reaching readers. The commercial cons’ “Working Toward Social Equity in Saturday by attending a panel on “Care and success, he said, reflected the growing Speculative Fiction” considered demographic Feeding of a Debut Novelist,” since I am one, and popularity of genre among the general public, changes in the US and how that is being learned I can expect my life to get much busier. although some fans bemoan them: “There’s a reflected in literature: slowly and with bumps in “Characters That Don’t Suck” considered craft and strain in fandom that resists and almost resents the road, according to the panelists. techniques for stock, static, and dynamic the fact that it’s won.” I couldn’t stay long, though, because I had characters. Then I went to an author reading. Ada The Closing Ceremonies followed, but they America. to moderate a “Rapid Reading” with four other Palmer told how the 18th-century novel Jacques had just begun when my husband called from authors. The audience never outnumbered the the Fatalist by Denis Diderot affected her story- the parking lot. He’d come to pick me up, and Capricon 38 panel, alas, but we had a fine time getting to telling choices in her Terra Ignota series; the first my weekend of fun with a thousand-member fan Westin Chicago North Shore Hotel, Wheeling, know each other and forging friendships. novel, Too Like the Lightning, won a 2017 Hugo. family was over. It was time to go home and IL The panel “Imaginary Races Doesn’t Erase After lunch with a new friend, I attended the rest, full of enthusiasm to read and write a lot February 15 to 18, 2018 Racism,” considered what an author can or fun-sounding panel “How to Piss Off Dave more. Report by Sue Burke should be trying to accomplish in their writing, McCarty.” Any question related to Hugo voting Capricon 39, held February 14 to 17, 2019, and panelists suggested that over-reactions and software provoked a bitter, heartfelt, entertaining again at the Westin North Shore, will have the In an interview with the Capricon an erroneous sense of scarcity in science fiction rant. At “Who’s the Boss?” a panel about working theme of “Strange Beasts Arise.” newsletter, Goat Droppings, Dave McCarthy, affect the way works are received. Next I was on joint projects, Eric Flint offered a cold-hearted the fan guest of honor, spoke of Capricon as a on the panel for “Exobiology for Dummies,” analysis of Hollywood and its sometimes A FURRY NOTION family reunion. Well, yes, if your family has moderated by the voluble Bill Higgins; I sophomoric behavior. That made co-panelist Review by Taral Wayne of about a thousand members of different ages and discussed how as an author I invent the Monica Valentinelli, who has had her own FURRY NATION: interests, all of them, like Dave, intent on biological aliens that serve my story. adventures in that realm, exclaim, “I love you so The True Story of America’s Most having a good time – which as far as I can tell, I attended “Diversity Backlash,” where much right now!” The next panel, “Science Fiction Misunderstood Subculture we all did. Dave McCarthy spoke a lot, and for good Cover Art: A History to Modern Day,” covered a by Joe Strike This year’s convention theme, “Expanding reason. He had been a Hugo administrator for lot of ground despite loose organization, and (2017; Cleis Press; Universes,” referred to the way written works, several years, including 2015 when “No Award” panelists anguished over how little value was paid ISBN 978-1627782326; $17.10; television shows, movies, games, and new prevailed in an unprecedented five categories. to art in the early years of the genre. Simon & Schuster Digital Sales; $10.99) media form a creative loop with each other: He summarized the history and said he hoped By then I’d been serious for too long, so I hence the eight-like loopy logo for Capricon 38. that the attempts to “game the system” and attended a concert by the a capella group Sassafras In a way, this is not the book I meant to Guests of honor, besides McCarty, were “hijack the award for political purposes” was with its tight harmonies, heard some of Kingon review. The book I wanted to review was one Timothy Zahn, author; Sarah Wilkinson, artist; the dying gasp of a small minority. Pop Warrior’s music and her powerful voice, and about the history of the anthropomorphic Monica Valentinelli, gaming; and Matt McCarty moderated the next panel, then laughed a lot at SpaceTime Theatre Troope’s fandom that grew up around comics in the early McElroy, special guest. “Someone Is Wrong on the Internet,” a playful improv comedy, led by Bill Roper. 1980s. Most of the people involved comprised Although I am tunnel-vision devoted to look at good topics to debate, good tactics, and After that, I wandered from party to party until a relatively small number of fans whose print, I could have spent my weekend exploring the art of the rant. I was on the panel and 1 a.m. Again, celebrations continued after I was interests — from comics, gaming, animation any of those other creative avenues. Plenty was suggested a few rantable topics, such as the snug in bed. and science fiction — were interconnected, and on offer: panels, an always-busy gaming room, Oxford comma or evaluating history. The Best Overall Party Award, voted on by who were closely involved in the creation of a starship bridge simulator, anime, crafts, By then it was late afternoon. I took some attendees and presented at Closing Ceremonies, alternative comics. Unlike traditional “funny cosplay, children’s programming, an art show, time to check into the hotel, cruise through the went to Bar Fleet, hosted by the U.B.S. Abandon animal” comics for kids, featuring characters a dealer’s room, music, filk, and two floors of Art Show and Dealer’s Room, and buy a small crew. I can attest that it lived up to Bar Fleet such as Bugs Bunny or Mickey Mouse, the Page 6 April 2018 Alexiad comics created by anthropomorphic told It has to be said that Furry Nation is a forgotten in the mists of a bygone era. Since then, Glassmakers will have to write their own about unabashedly adult stories. Whether depicting well-made book, with no signs of the people who comprise the great majority of their own. humour, sex, politics or adventure, funny animal amateurishness. Nor can the author be faulted present-day fans have become totally enthusiastic After a mercifully brief sermon on global stories offered a completely new perspective — Joe has been a professional publicist or about those very facets of fandom that I think of as warming (so short it almost seemed like those that was unlike anything in serious science copywriter for The Sci-Fi Channel. Judging “fringie.” This was their book as much as Joe’s Soviet books of Stalinist days where Ioseb fiction, action-oriented superhero comics or from other reviews I’ve read, the book quickly and, by inference, it is I who is now on the fringe. Besarionis had to quoted somehow and was children’s cartoons, and was uniquely its own. became popular among furries. To create the It is entirely likely that Furry Nation may become jammed in almost randomly), we get our If that had been the book that had been written book, Joe interviewed a large number of people, one of the publisher’s best selling books. Good for intrepid illegal immigrants (she spared us that about anthropomorphic fandom, it would have allowing them to speak in their own words as Joe. one) off Earth and into trouble. That’s where the been the book that I wanted to review. they described how they had discovered furry It’s too bad, though. I really wanted to read cure I mentioned earlier comes in. This is not Instead, Furry Nation was the book that Joe fandom. Their stories comprise the largest part that other book — the one that was never written! the life for me, and so far as anyone on Earth Strike wrote about furry fandom, from the point of the book, relating the various personal knows, they’re all dead anyway. And vice of view of furry fandom as it had became more discoveries that highlighted the various ways in SEMIOSIS: versa. No galactic empires here. No Star Fleets. than 30 years later. which they were turned on to furry fandom. Sentience Takes Many Forms No FTL or letters from home. It’s fifty years to It was, also, not really the book I wanted it Reinforcing the basic message about furry by Sue Burke go for the time when Earth even hears they to be at all. fandom as a creative lifestyle, Joe included a Reviewed by Lloyd G. Daub arrived. A little background music, Maestro. number of chapters about other facets of furry (2018; Tor Books; No, none of your ‘humans take over the I’ve known Joe for almost as many years as fandom such as role-playing, art shows, and ISBN 978-0765391353; $25.99; universe and only then struggle’ plotting. Just I knew furry fandom. If he was not in it at the of course the alternate comics that got it all Macmillan (Kindle); $13.99) a lot of hard work for survival. And aliens. very beginning, he was very close to it, and started. And that science-y bit I have to suspend knew as much as anyone about how the fandom For the most part, Joe has done this book disbelief on. And no dogs. I don’t know why developed, and continued to evolve. A while exactly as he should have. they didn’t bring dogs. Leaving cats behind is ago, Joe let it be known that he had begun to It’s just not the book I had wanted to read. fine with me. write a book about the fandom. There had been I imagine Joe will be surprised that I found I will spare you all the plot, because you a little written on the subject — in particular a Furry Nation a terribly unsatisfying account of should buy this book yourself and put money in series of well-researched articles about the early conventions, role-playing and fursuiting. I Sue’s pocket (she wears jeans like we all do) comics. There was also Fred Patten’s early began to skim over later chapters, becoming where it belongs. I only want to say that our history of the fandom and a few other odds and increasingly uninterested in people’s similar colonists (another loaded term) are the people of ends. (Ahem.) stories of similar discoveries of fandom, and of Pax. So they call themselves Pacifists. That Fred’s history was well-done as far as it people making similar new friends. was a nice joke, Sue. Much appreciated here. went, but inevitably his take on fandom was I can’t fault Joe for my having the wrong “Gift Center.” That was an even better one. very much Fred’s opinion of it. I was excited expectations. Furry Nation was not written by The reader of SF has to be able to help move by the possibility of seeing the subject covered accident, but with skill and purpose, using Johnny Carson used to say of comedy that if the story using their own imagination (I dislike from a different point of view. techniques that journalists go to school to learn. the audience bought the premise, they bought the the ‘singular they,’ but there it is.). Since I have When Joe originally finished his book, he Perhaps some courses are even titled “Human joke. (I think I remember the exact quote, but this that, there is fun in guessing the plot and what proposed a cover idea that he and I discussed in Interest 101,” teaching you to interview your is good enough.) the characters will do and where do we all go late 2016. I produced a rough sketch according subjects in such a way as to draw out their That is, Abraham Lincoln is a funny name, and from here? Sue gives me — us — plenty of to Joe’s directions but that was when things stories, much the same way that survivors he was funny looking, and being human he got into scope for that. came unstuck for me. To begin with, I had the would be interviewed after a fire. a lot of funny situations. He was and is a natural And then we turn the page and it’s a new rotten luck to have a stroke right at the end of The problem I had was with all this was that topic for comedy. But for a comedian, joking chapter and a new generation. And we are – January, which threw into doubt my ability to I would have preferred much fewer syrupy about his death is murder. bereft? forlorn? abandoned? — left to our own recover soon enough to complete the work appreciations of fandom, and much more (My example, not Carson’s.) imaginations about the rest of the life story of ahead of publication. The second serious understanding about where this fandom came SF authors like Sue Burke have a similar some very interesting people — human, alien setback was the publisher’s insistence on from, why it appeared when and how it did, how problem. The science-y background of her story and other, too—that we only just got to know a replacing cover with one of his own. I don’t it evolved over time, and what any of this means has to be acceptable enough to the reader that they little. (Very clever, Sue. We can all put the shouldn’t be too surprising that I was dead set if anything. The entire raison d’etre of furry can let any objections go while enjoying the plot. book down long enough to do some serious against this, if only because of the time and fandom the artists and the publishers who In Horror, it’s called “the suspension of disbelief.” fantasizing, and then eagerly go back for more.) effort I had expended. However, in the end, Joe began it all — were more or less sidelined in a Just let go of your objection to the idea that even a To move the plot along by getting me to meet came around to the publisher’s point of view, single chapter or two! man who says his prayers by night will become a all new people really worked for this reader. thinking the new cover art would be a better At this point, I want to dismiss any wolf — suspend your disbelief — and enjoy the There is a lot of hard science research draw for the intended readers who, for better or suggestion that my review is motivated in any ride. Sue battles my disbelief in this book. embedded in this. A lot to be exposed to us worse, were mainly interested in fursuiting, and way by the taste of sour grapes. As a matter of She wins, when even some of the most about plant chemistry, animal chemistry, animal would immediately know that this was a book fact, Joe treated me quite generously in Furry celebrated authors in SF fail me. I was perfectly behavior, plant communication and other things. that would interest fursuiters. It was hard not to Nation, citing an anecdote of mine, and finding willing to suspend all sorts of disbelief to enjoy the And almost always in the background, where it agree with that logic but in my disappointment, a reason to add an example of my artwork. For ride in this book. She makes me all the more belongs. Almost always, this book is about it was also hard not to suspect that the new this, perhaps, I should be grateful. willing to encourage humans to leave this planet people, and that means human behavior, and cover’s real purpose was to please the And while I may be dissatisfied with the for another, and all the less willing to go myself. that’s what we humans like to read about. Sue publisher’s girlfriend. And to sell more copies, book, there is no question that Furry Nation has (Thanks for the cure, Sue.) The fun ride is that we does not disappoint. of course. been a big hit with furry fandom. This is not have a bunch of human characters we can relate to, Thanks, Sue Burke. I had a good time. So Putting those suspicions aside, I ordered the terribly surprising, really. It has been quite a and not merely a bunch of aliens and maybe some did my imagination. (I know, it’s silly, and it book from Amazon when I had a few bucks to long while since the original cast of misfits alien technology. We get some of that, but human goes along willy-nilly. But, there it is.) I look spare. created anthropomorphic fandom, almost readers want a story about humans. We get one. forward to buying a ticket on the next ride you Alexiad April 2018 Page 7 offer. “Carnival Nine”, Caroline M. Yoachim assembles a crew with even fewer scruples and a (Tor.com Publishing) In a Asian-like culture (Beneath Ceaseless Skies 5/11/17) variety of essential skills to clear the fierce, feral with two moons and fluid genders, twins are NEBULA AWARD NOMINEES hippos out of a Louisiana swamp. (The prologue driven apart by their tyrannical mother, also the The Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding explains how they got there.) Repeatedly, the man land’s dictator, who rules with a bloodstained Novel Dramatic Presentation denies that his plan is a caper, but it is: a iron hand. Technology is managed by those predictable story right down to the many reversals, gifted with the control of a sort of elements- Amberlough, Lara Elena Donnelly (Tor) Get Out (Written by Jordan Peele) much like a matinee movie except that this story based magic, and the tyrant and her family are The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s The Good Place: “Michael’s Gambit” has a lot of savage murders. Despite the bloodshed, among those gifted. But a rebellion against her, Daughter, Theodora Goss (Saga) (Written by Michael Schur) this is a fun farce of an old-fashioned Western — using mechanical technology, brings the twins, Spoonbenders, Daryl Gregory (Knopf; Logan (Screenplay by Scott Frank, James with hippos! — but I was hoping for something now adults, back together. At times, the writing riverrun) Mangold, and Michael Green) more solid and original. seemed a little cliche and approached purple The Stone Sky, N.K. Jemisin (Orbit US; The Shape of Water (Screenplay by Passing Strange, Ellen Klages (Tor.com prose, and some characters, including the evil Orbit UK) Guillermo del Toro & Vanessa Taylor) Publishing) In San Francisco in 1940, the lives of mother, get little development. The story Six Wakes, Mur Lafferty (Orbit US) Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Written by Rian several women in its lesbian subculture become doesn’t quite end, either, instead setting up a Jade City, Fonda Lee (Orbit US; Orbit UK) Johnson) entwined. When one couple faces a disaster, they sequel. Autonomous, Annalee Newitz (Tor; Orbit Wonder Woman (Screenplay by Allan pull together and solve it by — well, no spoilers. I’ll vote for All Systems Red, but “And Then UK 2018) Heinberg) The story starts and finishes tense, and while it has There Were (N-One)” is a close second, and some sharp moments, in other parts it spends more Passing Strange third. I’m basing my decision Novella The Andre Norton Award for Outstanding time exploring the city and the subculture. I on originality and execution, but reasonable Young Adult Science Fiction or Fantasy Book enjoyed the chance to see that slice of history, but people can come to different choices. River of Teeth, Sarah Gailey (Tor.com I think the story could have been shortened a lot Publishing) Exo, Fonda Lee (Scholastic Press) without much loss. Novelette Passing Strange, Ellen Klages (Tor.com Weave a Circle Round, Kari Maaren (Tor) “And Then There Were (N-One),” Sarah Publishing) The Art of Starving, Sam J. Miller Pinsker (Uncanny 3-4/17) Sarah Pinsker (not the “Dirty Old Town,” Richard Bowes “And Then There Were (N-One)”, Sarah (HarperTeen) author) gets an invitation to a Sarah Pinsker (Fantasy & Science Fiction 5-6/17) Boys who Pinsker (Uncanny 3-4/17) Want, Cindy Pon (Simon Pulse) convention being organized by Sarah Pinsker, the were rivals in grade school become close in Barry’s Deal, Lawrence M. Schoen quantologist, who has found a way to connect adulthood and retain a magical bond. That’s it (NobleFusion Press) Nebula Awards 2017: My thoughts alternate realities. More than two hundred Sarahs — not much plot to this rambling story. Yet it All Systems Red, Martha Wells (Tor.com on the short fiction come from a wide variety of divergence points, remains captivating to the end as the two men Publishing) by Sue Burke some very similar to other Sarahs, a few quite continue to struggle with mutual antagonism The Black Tides of Heaven, JY Yang different, and from similar or different Earths. In and affection while their bonds deepen. (Tor.com Publishing) one, for example, Seattle has been destroyed by an “Weaponized Math,” Jonathan P. Brazee earthquake. Then a Sarah Pinsker is murdered. (The Expanding Universe, Vol. 3) This is Novelette Which one? By which one? Why? Sarah (the military SF, a noble subgenre. A sniper is on author) does a good job of showing the weirdness assignment, protecting a meeting in a war zone, “Dirty Old Town”, Richard Bowes (F&SF of being surrounded by people almost just like and an attack comes. The site of the fighting and 5-6/17) yourself. the reasons behind it aren’t clear, but the “Weaponized Math”, Jonathan P. Brazee Barry’s Deal, Lawrence M. Schoen professional determination of the United (The Expanding Universe, Vol. 3) (NobleFusion Press) The Amazing Conroy is Federation Marines shines through. The story’s “Wind Will Rove”, Sarah Pinsker back! This is the fourth caper of the tension never flags. Outside of some highly (Asimov’s 9-10/17) galaxy-traveling stage hypnotist and his super-cute technological weapons, however, there’s not “A Series of Steaks”, Vina Jie-Min Prasad alien companion animal, a truly omnivorous much science fiction, but this is from a larger (Clarkesworld 1/17) buffalo dog. He comes to a hotel-casino that is series that I know provides more SFnal context. “A Human Stain”, Kelly Robson (Tor.com planning an illegal auction, runs into some people “Wind Will Rove,” Sarah Pinsker 1/4/17) he knows, and discovers a sinister criminal (Asimov’s 9-10/17) On a multi-generational “Small Changes Over Long Periods of As a member of Science Fiction and Fantasy scheme. In the end, Conroy outsmarts the bad guy. ship, the older generations cling to what they Time”, K.M. Szpara (Uncanny 5-6/17) Writers of America (SFWA), I get to vote on the What the story may lack in depth it makes up for in recall from Earth or have learned about it. For Nebula Awards. They’ll be presented May 19. fun. the narrator, this means music. Younger Short Story You can see a full list of the nominees on the All Systems Red, Martha Wells (Tor.com generations grow rebellious, eager to create SFWA website. Publishing) I was among those who nominated their own music and arts or to forget Earth’s “Fandom for Robots”, Vina Jie-Min I’ve read the short fiction nominees, and this, a straight-up science fiction adventure. The culture and history altogether. These children Prasad (Uncanny 9-10/17) here are my thoughts. Let me add that last year, narrator’s mordant attitude makes the story know they will grow up in a static society on a “Welcome to Your Authentic Indian none of my choices in the three short fiction outstanding: a robot who has killed in the past, voyage that seemed romantic to their elders but Experience™”, Rebecca Roanhorse categories won, and the year before that I was who is sure everyone hates it because of that, and is confining to them. Despite the skill in (Apex 8/17) one for three. That shows what I know. Or it who hates itself, too. It’s possibly clinically storytelling, the focus seemed a bit off to me. I “Utopia, LOL?”, Jamie Wahls (Strange shows how high the quality is. depressed and spends its time trying to lose itself in learned a lot about the narrator’s family and Horizons 6/5/17) a video series, secretly dreaming of not being a music, especially one particular song, but not as “Clearly Lettered in a Mostly Steady Novella slave to a brutal, profiteering corporation. But it much about what is going on in the ship. The Hand”, Fran Wilde (Uncanny 9-10/17) does its job to protect people on a dangerous need to change and adapt became symbolized “The Last Novelist (or A Dead Lizard in River of Teeth, Sarah Gailey (Tor.com mission, even risking its own life, which those by that song, but the story got stuck on the the Yard)”, Matthew Kressel (Tor.com Publishing) The Wild, Wild West with hippos. people didn’t expect. symbol rather than a resolution of the on-board 3/15/17) A man of few scruples and a thirst for revenge The Black Tides of Heaven, JY Yang problems. Page 8 April 2018 Alexiad

“A Series of Steaks,” Vina Jie-Min Prasad as authentically Indian as the Lucky Charms in real life to families with children with “Extracurricular Activities,” by Yoon Ha (Clarkesworld 1/17) This was one of five leprechaun is authentically Irish, but white disabilities — a bit too obvious an analogy, Lee (Tor.com, February 15, 2017) finalists for Clarkesworld magazine’s 2017 people seem fine with that. Then a customer perhaps, almost a parable, and the story never “The Secret Life of Bots,” by Suzanne Reader’s Poll. My story “Who Won the Battle wants too much. Unrelenting cynicism about explains who does the winding up or why some Palmer (Clarkesworld, September 2017) of Arsia Mons?” was also a finalist. As soon as commercialization and stereotypes underlies this toys live in a closet. Heart-strings are tugged, but “A Series of Steaks,” by Vina Jie-Min I read “A Series of Steaks,” I knew I was likely story’s quiet fury. It’s already won an Apex logic is stretched, and that weakened the overall Prasad (Clarkesworld, January 2017) to lose. A woman in China agrees to make Reader’s Choice Award and a Locus effect for me. “Small Changes Over Long Periods of counterfeit beefsteaks for a client, then the deal recommendation. Verdict: I’m voting for “Fandom for Robots” Time,” by K.M. Szpara (Uncanny, starts to go sour. Three things impressed me: the “Utopia, LOL?” Jamie Wahls (Strange because I was charmed by Computron the robot, May/June 2017) quiet desperation of the main character, the Horizons 6/5/17) A human is revived in a post- but I’ll be just as glad if “Welcome to Your “Wind Will Rove,” by Sarah Pinsker philosophical musings about the art of forgeries, singularity age when most people spend their Authentic Indian Experience™” or “Utopia LOL” (Asimov’s, September/October 2017) and the thoroughly satisfying ending. time in computer-generated simulations. He’s wins. “A Human Stain,” Kelly Robson welcomed by an energetic and enthusiastic Tour Best Short Story (Tor.com 1/4/17) A woman takes a job as a Guide to the Future, the story’s narrator. They HUGO AWARD NOMINEES governess of sorts at an isolated old manor slowly come to trust each other, and then there’s “Carnival Nine,” by Caroline M. Yoachim house/castle, where the staff is strange, her a twist (no spoilers). As a result, a fun, almost (Beneath Ceaseless Skies, May 2017) young charge is stranger, and the man who frivolous story takes on a sudden, satisfying “Clearly Lettered in a Mostly Steady employed her flees from the place on a business solidity. Hand,” by Fran Wilde (Uncanny, errand as fast as he can. I don’t want to give you “Clearly Lettered in a Mostly Steady September 2017) any spoilers, but you can easily guess that Hand,” Fran Wilde (Uncanny 9-10/17) A “Fandom for Robots,” by Vina Jie-Min there’s a horrible secret, and things are going to visitor is led through an exhibition of what Prasad (Uncanny, September/October end badly. I felt like I’d read this horror story might have once cruelly been called a freak 2017) before. show. Beautifully written, the story effectively “The Martian Obelisk,” by Linda Nagata “Small Changes Over Long Periods of evokes the bitter anger of those on display, and (Tor.com, July 19, 2017) Time,” K.M. Szpara (Uncanny 5-6/17) A man perhaps it’s meant as horror reflecting the way “Sun, Moon, Dust” by Ursula Vernon, in the process of transitioning from female to society treats those who are different, but I don’t (Uncanny, May/June 2017) male gets turned into a vampire. The difficulties think it quite fulfills the noble goals of horror. “Welcome to your Authentic Indian of his human-to-vampire transition become Horror stories are modern tragedies, and a Experience™,” by Rebecca Roanhorse more complex due to his gender transition, and tragedy requires the protagonist to suffer for (Apex, August 2017) he struggles. There are hot sex scenes. Beyond some fault within him or herself. The visitor is the transitional complication, though, there’s not tortured apparently to avenge the general cruelty Best Related Work much of a new take on vampirism in this story. of society, but his or her participation in this Every story here is expertly written and cruelty is never established. As Aristotle argued Best Novel Crash Override: How Gamergate (Nearly) worth reading, and each one got on the ballot in Poetics, unmerited misfortune merely shocks Destroyed My Life, and How We Can for good reason. Still, as you can tell from my us: it isn’t tragedy. I see this story as torture for The Collapsing Empire, by John Scalzi (Tor) Win the Fight Against Online Hate, by comments, I think some have flaws in their torture’s sake, and there’s no merit in sadism. New York 2140, by Kim Stanley Robinson Zoe Quinn (PublicAffairs) development or originality. For that reason, I’m “The Last Novelist (or A Dead Lizard in (Orbit) Iain M. Banks (Modern Masters of Science voting for “A Series of Steaks” because I think the Yard),” Matthew Kressel (Tor.com Provenance, by Ann Leckie (Orbit) Fiction), by Paul Kincaid (University of it pushes the genre into the newest territory. 3/15/17) An author travels to a distant planet to Raven Stratagem, by Yoon Ha Lee (Solaris) Illinois Press) Second on my list is “Dirty Old Town” for its finish his final book, and meets a child who Six Wakes, by Mur Lafferty (Orbit) A Lit Fuse: The Provocative Life of Harlan deep characterization. After that, I’m neutral — becomes his muse and student. The story’s The Stone Sky, by N.K. Jemisin (Orbit) Ellison, by Nat Segaloff (NESFA Press) but to reiterate, if any of these stories appeals to genuine sweetness — in the best, most beautiful Luminescent Threads: Connections to you for some reason, don’t hesitate to read it. sense of sweet — can’t make up for what I think Best Novella Octavia E. Butler, edited by Alexandra are two flaws: 1. The science fiction amounts to Pierce and Mimi Mondal (Twelfth Short Story mere scenery, and the story, right down to the All Systems Red, by Martha Wells (Tor.com Planet Press) girl’s creole-like accent, could take place in the Publishing) No Time to Spare: Thinking About What “Fandom for Robots,” Vina Jie-Min present on a Caribbean island. 2. Its narrator “And Then There Were (N-One),” by Sarah Matters, by Ursula K. Le Guin Prasad (Uncanny 9-10/17) A sentient robot insists on the supposedly dying art of writing Pinsker (Uncanny, March/April 2017) (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) discovers an anime series about another sentient with pen and paper and printing actual dead-tree Binti: Home, by Nnedi Okorafor (Tor.com Sleeping with Monsters: Readings and robot, Hyperwarp, and becomes a “hyper-big books. This also sounds just like the present, Publishing) Reactions in Science Fiction and fan.” Then it discovers fanfiction and makes like bitter Baby Boomers complaining about The Black Tides of Heaven, by JY Yang Fantasy, by Liz Bourke (Aqueduct friends. This is as funny as it sounds but also Millennials and their supposed over-reliance on (Tor.com Publishing) Press) touching as the robot, which has no emotions, their cell phones. That kind of grumpy, defeatist Down Among the Sticks and Bones, by responds in a pseudo-emotional way and rant makes me ashamed of my age cohort. I Seanan McGuire (Tor.com Publishing) Best Graphic Story becomes accepted as a human on the internet. don’t know what the future will be like, but it River of Teeth, by Sarah Gailey (Tor.com (On the internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.) won’t be like the present, and this story is the Publishing) Black Bolt, Volume 1: Hard Time, written Both fandom and technology are efficiently present pretending to be the future. by Saladin Ahmed, illustrated by dissected with a loving, razor-sharp knife. “Carnival Nine,” Caroline M. Yoachim Best Novelette Christian Ward, lettered by Clayton “Welcome to Your Authentic Indian (Beneath Ceaseless Skies 5/11/17) A wind-up Cowles (Marvel) Experience™,” Rebecca Roanhorse (Apex toy robot mother makes great sacrifices to care “Children of Thorns, Children of Water,” Bitch Planet, Volume 2: President Bitch, 8/17) An Indian guide for cyberspace tourists for her robot son who has mechanical problems. by Aliette de Bodard (Uncanny, written by Kelly Sue DeConnick, offers Native American “Vision Quests” that are The tale is obviously a analogy to what happens July-August 2017) illustrated by Valentine De Landro and Alexiad April 2018 Page 9

Taki Soma, colored by Kelly Fitzpatrick, The Good Place: “The Trolley Problem,” produced by Erika Ensign & Steven Sanderson (Tor US / Gollancz UK) lettered by Clayton Cowles (Image written by Josh Siegal and Dylan Schapansky World of the Five Gods, by Lois McMaster Comics) Morgan, directed by Dean Holland Bujold (Harper Voyager / Spectrum Monstress, Volume 2: The Blood, written (Fremulon / 3 Arts Entertainment / Best Fanzine Literary Agency) by Marjorie M. Liu, illustrated by Sana Universal Television) Takeda (Image Comics) Star Trek: Discovery: “Magic to Make the File 770, edited by Mike Glyer John W. Campbell Award for Best New My Favorite Thing is Monsters, written and Sanest Man Go Mad,” written by Aron Galactic Journey, edited by Gideon Marcus Writer i l l u s t r a t e d b y E mi l F e r r i s Eli Coleite & Jesse Alexander, directed Journey Planet, edited by Team Journey (Fantagraphics) by David M. Barrett (CBS Television Planet Katherine Arden Paper Girls, Volume 3, written by Brian K. Studios) nerds of a feather, flock together, edited by Sarah Kuhn Vaughan, illustrated by Cliff Chiang, The G, Vance Kotrla, and Joe Sherry Jeannette Ng colored by Matthew Wilson, lettered by Best Editor Short Form Rocket Stack Rank, edited by Greg Hullender Vina Jie-Min Prasad Jared Fletcher (Image Comics) and Eric Wong Rebecca Roanhorse Saga, Volume 7, written by Brian K. John Joseph Adams SF Bluestocking, edited by Bridget McKinney Rivers Solomon Vaughan, illustrated by Fiona Staples Neil Clarke (Image Comics) Lee Harris Best Fancast The World Science Fiction Society (WSFS) Jonathan Strahan Award for Best Young Adult Book Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form) Lynne M. Thomas & Michael Damian The Coode Street Podcast, presented by Thomas Jonathan Strahan and Gary K. Wolfe Akata Warrior, by Nnedi Okorafor (Viking) Blade Runner 2049, written by Hampton Sheila Williams Ditch Diggers, presented by Mur Lafferty and The Art of Starving, by Sam J. Miller Fancher and Michael Green, directed by Matt Wallace (HarperTeen) Denis Villeneuve (Alcon Entertainment Best Editor Long Form Fangirl Happy Hour, presented by Ana Grilo The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage, by / Bud Yorkin Productions / Torridon and Renay Williams Philip Pullman (Knopf) Films / Columbia Pictures) Sheila E. Gilbert Galactic Suburbia, presented by Alisa In Other Lands, by Sarah Rees Brennan Get Out, written and directed by Jordan Joe Monti Krasnostein, Alexandra Pierce and Tansy (Big Mouth House) Peele (Blumhouse Productions / Diana M. Pho Rayner Roberts; produced by Andrew A Skinful of Shadows, by Frances Hardinge Monkeypaw Productions / QC Devi Pillai Finch (Macmillan UK / Harry N. Abrams US) Entertainment) Miriam Weinberg Sword and Laser, presented by Veronica Summer in Orcus, written by T. Kingfisher The Shape of Water, written by Guillermo Navah Wolfe Belmont and Tom Merritt (Ursula Vernon), illustrated by Lauren del Toro and Vanessa Taylor, directed Verity!, presented by Deborah Stanish, Erika Henderson (Sofawolf Press) by Guillermo del Toro (TSG Best Professional Artist Ensign, Katrina Griffiths, L.M. Myles, Entertainment / Double Dare You / Fox Lynne M. Thomas, and Tansy Rayner RETRO-HUGO AWARD NOMINEES Searchlight Pictures) Galen Dara Roberts Star Wars: The Last Jedi, written and Kathleen Jennings Best Novel directed by Rian Johnson (Lucasfilm, Bastien Lecouffe Deharme Best Fan Writer Ltd.) Victo Ngai Beyond This Horizon, by Anson Thor: Ragnarok, written by Eric Pearson, John Picacio Camestros Felapton MacDonald (Robert A. Heinlein) Craig Kyle, and Christopher Yost; Sana Takeda Sarah Gailey (Astounding Science Fiction, April & directed by Taika Waititi (Marvel Mike Glyer May 1942) Studios) Best Semiprozine Foz Meadows Darkness and the Light, by Olaf Stapledon Wonder Woman, screenplay by Allan Charles Payseur (Methuen / S.J.R. Saunders) Heinberg, story by Zack Snyder & Allan Beneath Ceaseless Skies, editor-in-chief Bogi Takács Donovan’s Brain, by Curt Siodmak (Black Heinberg and Jason Fuchs, directed by and publisher Scott H. Andrews Mask, September-November 1942) Patty Jenkins (DC Films / Warner The Book Smugglers, edited by Ana Grilo Best Fan Artist Islandia, by Austin Tappan Wright (Farrar Brothers) and Thea James & Rinehart) Escape Pod, edited by Mur Lafferty, S.B. Geneva Benton Second Stage Lensmen, by E. E. “Doc” Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form) Divya, and Norm Sherman, with Grace P. Fong Smith (Astounding Science Fiction, assistant editor Benjamin C. Kinney Maya Hahto November 1941 to February 1942) Black Mirror: “USS Callister,” written by Fireside Magazine, edited by Brian White Likhain (M. Sereno) The Uninvited, by Dorothy Macardle William Bridges and Charlie Brooker, and Julia Rios; managing editor Elsa Spring Schoenhuth (Doubleday, Doran / S.J.R. Saunders directed by Toby Haynes (House of Sjunneson-Henry; special feature editor Steve Stiles Tomorrow) Mikki Kendall; publisher & art director Best Novella “The Deep” [song], by Clipping (Daveed Pablo Defendini Best Series Diggs, William Hutson, Jonathan Strange Horizons, edited by Kate “Asylum,” by A.E. van Vogt (Astounding Snipes) Dollarhyde, Gautam Bhatia, A.J. The Books of the Raksura, by Martha Wells Science Fiction, May 1942) Doctor Who: “Twice Upon a Time,” Odasso, Lila Garrott, Heather (Night Shade) “The Compleat Werewolf,” by Anthony written by Steven Moffat, directed by McDougal, Ciro Faienza, Tahlia Day, The Divine Cities, by Robert Jackson Bennett Boucher (Unknown Worlds, April 1942) Rachel Talalay (BBC Cymru Wales) Vanessa Rose Phin, and the Strange (Broadway) “Hell is Forever,” by Alfred Bester The Good Place: “Michael’s Gambit,” Horizons staff InCryptid, by Seanan McGuire (DAW) (Unknown Worlds, August 1942) written and directed by Michael Schur Uncanny Magazine, edited by Lynne M. The Memoirs of Lady Trent, by Marie “Nerves,” by Lester del Rey (Astounding (Fremulon / 3 Arts Entertainment / Thomas & Michael Damian Thomas, Brennan (Tor US / Titan UK) Science Fiction, September 1942) Universal Television) Michi Trota, and Julia Rios; podcast The Stormlight Archive, by Brandon “The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Page 10 April 2018 Alexiad

Hoag,” by John Riverside (Robert A. Laurence Stallings, directed by Zoltan anachronisms (H. P. Lovecraft as best fan Heinlein) (Unknown Worlds, October Korda (Alexander Korda Films, Inc. / writer? Would Leeman Kessler have to 1942) United Artists) accept?) as there had been last time. “Waldo,” by Anson MacDonald (Robert A. But then, Whittaker Chambers is a Heinlein) (Astounding Science Fiction, Best Editor Short Form nominee. Or at least connected to one. (He August 1942) translated Bambi.) John W. Campbell Best Novelette Oscar J. Friend WORLDCON BIDS Dorothy McIlwraith “Bridle and Saddle,” by Isaac Asimov Raymond A. Palmer 2020 (Astounding Science Fiction, June 1942) Malcolm Reiss New Zealand “Foundation,” by Isaac Asimov Donald A. Wollheim http://nzin2020.org/ (Astounding Science Fiction, May 1942) “Goldfish Bowl,” by Anson MacDonald Best Professional Artist 2021 (Robert A. Heinlein) (Astounding Washington, D.C. Science Fiction, March 1942) Hannes Bok http://dcin2021.org/ “The Star Mouse,” by Fredric Brown Margaret Brundage (Planet Stories, Spring 1942) Edd Cartier 2022 “There Shall Be Darkness,” by C.L. Virgil Finlay Chicago Moore (Astounding Science Fiction, Harold W. McCauley February 1942) Hubert Rogers 2023 “The Weapon Shop,” by A.E. van Vogt Paris (Astounding Science Fiction, Best Fanzine https://sites.google.com/site/parisin2019/ December 1942) Futurian War Digest, edited by J. Michael New Orleans Best Short Story Rosenblum Inspiration, edited by Lynn Bridges 2024 “Etaoin Shrdlu,” by Fredric Brown The Phantagraph, edited by Donald A. United Kingdom (Unknown Worlds, February 1942) Wollheim http://www.ukin2024.org/ “Mimic,” by Martin Pearson (Donald A. Spaceways, edited by Harry Warner, Jr. Wollheim) (Astonishing Stories, Voice of the Imagi-Nation, edited by 2025 December 1942) Forrest J Ackerman and Morojo Pacific Northwest “Proof,” by Hal Clement (Astounding Le Zombie, edited by Arthur Wilson “Bob” Perth, Australia Science Fiction, June 1942) Tucker “Runaround,” by Isaac Asimov NASFiC BIDS (Astounding Science Fiction, March Best Fan Writer 1942) 2019 “The Sunken Land,” by Fritz Leiber Forrest J Ackerman Utah (Unknown Worlds, February 1942) Jack Speer http://www.utahfor2019.com/ “The Twonky,” by C.L. Moore and Henry Arthur Wilson “Bob” Tucker Kuttner (Astounding Science Fiction, Harry Warner, Jr. September 1942) Art Widner I had a conversation with Steve Francis Donald A. Wollheim at ConGlomeration where he expressed Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form) some concern about the facilities at Dublin Campbell edited most of the and the potential staff in New Zealand. He Bambi, written by Perce Pearce, Larry nominated short fiction. He has won all had visited both on the way to other Morey, et al., directed by David D. Hand of the other Retro-Hugo Best Editor Worldcons. The Dublin main facility could et al. (Walt Disney Productions) Short Form Awards, so he has an only accomodate about 2500 people. The Cat People, written by DeWitt Bodeen, advantage. New Zealand national con usually had about directed by Jacques Tourneur (RKO Simone Simon played Irena Dubrovna 100 people, so there would have to be a lot Radio Pictures, Inc.) in Cat People, when she wasn’t being of overseas volunteers. The Ghost of Frankenstein, written by W. Dusko Popov’s latest girlfriend. And Scott Darling, directed by Erle C. Selena Kyle has sometimes used the Kenton (Universal Pictures) pseudonym “Irena Dubrovna”. I Married a Witch, written by Robert Pirosh I Married a Witch is the basis of and Marc Connelly, directed by René Bewitched, for what it’s worth. Clair (Cinema Guild Productions / However, this is not so much as what Paramount Pictures) was best-liked then as what is Invisible Agent, written by Curtis Siodmak, remembered. Having the “nominations” directed by Edwin L. Marin (Frank be selected by a jury, and only then Lloyd Productions / Universal Pictures) voted on, might be a more realistic way. Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book, written by There aren’t as many clanging Alexiad April 2018 Page 11

[email protected] connection to other subsets. into me, followed by 3 more weeks of home Letters, we get letters I’ve generally considered Alexiad to be “tribal” rest. Thanks as always, Joe, for the usual solid in this sense, since my perception is that your read. reliably regular correspondents are seldom B y c o m p a r i s o n , m y I’m often mildly surprised (in some kind of represented in a broader range of publications. I hospitalization (for a blood mental disconnect) to see a loc from myself, judge this by the loccer logs I maintained for The infection) is nothing. Officially Not The World’s Finest Loccer, Incompleat Register (which, by the way, will be — JTM although last year I did manage to get seven of ongoing), wherein it’s clear that the people who them printed. This is a major (ahem) uptick generally locced, say, Vibrator or Banana Wings That brush with mortality shook me up so from my fanzine fanac of the 1980s-2000s, are a different “tribe” from those who respond to much that I stalled on all my other projects… when I was subscribing to the Lilian Edwards Alexiad, or any of John Thiel’s zines. Notable my LOC-ing, my own zine (I’m still working on tenet of saving precious wordage for my own exceptions to this tribalism are the prolific Lloyd it), my novel (4 years so far). I’m trying to zine(s) rather than setting such adrift in the Penney, John Purcell and the late (and sadly rebuild to them now perilous waters of others’ loccols. missed) Milt Stevens. I had good news to start 2018, at least: my I’m grateful for the inclusion, however, and This seems a good spot to interject that I don’t youngest sister had my next nephew Jan. 4th. it will be interesting to see how many of your see anything fundamentally wrong with this per se. Luke Guillaume Laflamme joined my family, more reliable correspondents might have voted I attempted to make clear in TIR that it’s silly (and making an even 50-50 split for me between From: Patrick McCray February 23, 2018 in the FAAn awards by the time this minor elitist) to suggest that FAAn award voters ought to nephews and nieces. Also, my newest cousin [email protected] epistle sees print (or WAHF). be widely cognizant of all fanzine output, although (Georgie-Rose Solomon) was born in My first thought on your comment “where the listing itself is intended as a guidepost to Massachusetts on Feb. 14. So I have new There is a write in campaign for me to get are the new faneds?” was a nod of publications people might like to check out. If a reasons for life. best writer in the Rondo awards. Feel free to acknowledgement to that observation, but then potential voter only sees one or two zines, there’s Now, to get to this zine… vote or spread the word. You can vote simply second, third and subsequent thoughts modified no inherent or implied prohibition in voting for by indicating your preference at that nod considerably to the point of becoming them as favorites, in the intent and spirit of the From: Robert Lichtman February 26, 2018 [email protected]. Thank you! a shake, and a reach for more Advil (and awards as to spread the ‘boo widely. [email protected] alcohol). “New faneds”, I might now argue, are I subsequently revised my thinking of the use From: Cathy Palmer-Lister Feb. 23, 2018 out there, but possibly operating in forms and of the term “tribal” to suggest a definition of the It was a surprise, though not an unwelcome [email protected] methods essentially invisible to those of us Balkanization of fanzine fandom as being more one, to find your “commentary” on I, Libertine rooted in what we might consider as like parallel universes, since it does seem as in the latest Alexiad. Considering that the book As former con-runner and current club “traditional” forms (or, as I define it for FAAn though, absent special abilities (Penney, Purcell was originally published in 1956 and the most president, Oh, yes, sigh, I really can relate to award purposes, “fanzine-as-artifact”). etc.) they seem as invisible to each other as the recent edition was the 1959 Panther paperback this. ; As a small aside, I noted with interest that theoretical “new faneds” may seem to us. in England, I would guess that quite a few Sadly, it is not only fandom affected by this there was a local “fanzine workshop” Alexiad, a long-running zine of consistent readers weren’t even born at the time. I was, attitude of watching rather than doing. Other (essentially ‘Fanzine Production 101') by quality, is an excellent place to engage in this although it was years later that I learned the groups I belong to are also running into trouble something called the ‘LV Zine Library’ which conversation. story of its creation that you detail here, drawing in new members. Two local stained I probably ought to get involved with on some obtained a copy, read it, and enjoyed it glass groups have closed up shop. The one to level, which seems firmly grounded in the Thank you for the compliment. considerably. I have a different copy these which I belonged ran out of volunteers to run it, “fanzine-as-artifact” ethos. I’m beginning to — JTM days, but haven’t reread it and doubt I would and then there was a schism between the few suspect that the yoof are realizing that the enjoy it as much as I did in the ‘60s. remaining because two tried to run classes on firehose of social media is less than useful when From: Jeffrey Allan Boman Feb. 24, 2018 Looking at the copies that turn up in a book their own and screwed up. My dance school is you’re looking for a particular drop of water, 6900 Cote St-Luc Road #708 Montreal, QC search and their prices, it would seem prime for cutting back and might have to move to smaller and that they’ll be looking at less ephemeral CANADA H4V 2Y9 a POD reprint. locale. I fear I am headed for a boring old age. ways to channel creative energy. No doubt this [email protected] will hark back to the halcyon days of the late As you see, it is available on There was an article by, as I 70s, Sniffing Glue, footy fanzines & such This is Jeff from “Just get on with it already!”... Kindle. It wouldn’t be that hard to remember, Taral, which told the cranked out by people unaware of the fanzine’s Many of you won’t remember me, as I haven’t make a POD version. story of a model railroad club that noble history, and convinced that they’d written a LOC in years. I have to thank Joe, — JTM was taken over by people who were invented the form. Laurraine, and Cathy for keeping me in the loop… into “connected” topics — building also to Chris for getting me back to writing for dioramas, researching railroad It’s all the fault of Factsheet zines. Now, it’s time for me to get back more! history, and so on — and were Five, which began as a fanzine July 13, 2015 was the day that messed me up uninterested in model railroads, listing but expanded to list any for a long time: near 4:30 AM that day I pushed but had been brought in by friends sort of amateur publication. my panic button; I felt like I was baking. who liked model railroads as well as In the hospital, it was diagnosed as sepsis. My the connected topic. The club I first thought to describe the separation of Latin is almost non-existent, but as I understand it, became uninterested in model fanzine community subsets as “tribal” in the it was a septic shock. Even my blood system was railroading. Which is the process sense that there are distinctly discrete groups infected. The main guy I knew of who had it — through which the conrunners had with their own focal point ishes. My somewhat and died — was Frank Goodish, the wrestler called to quit having DisClave. privileged (ahem, again) position as FAAn Bruiser Brody. He died in the early 1980s. — JTM awards administrator makes this clear, as there Fortunately, medicine has improved since then. are those clearly showing allegiance and loyalty Obviously, I’ve survived, but I had a 2-week From: Nic Farey February 24, 2018 to their own perceived “tribe”, and having little hospital bedrest, with fluids and minerals pumped Page 12 April 2018 Alexiad

big ones George Price didn’t mention are Forts — JTM statement of the number of copies Advent had From: Timothy Lane February 27, 2018 Benning in Georgia and Hood in Texas. The sold of The Science Fiction Novel (in which [email protected] 101st Airborne’s 39th Engineer Battalion was From: George W. Price March 26, 2018 Heinlein had an essay) and what royalties were my father’s final command, ending on May 18, 4418 N. Monitor Avenue, Chicago, IL due. I wrote back that we didn’t keep track of Reading the steampunk Gotham version, I 1966. Joe once took a photo of Lisa pointing at 60630-3333 USA the exact number of copies sold, because wondered when it was set, given that the Ferris his name on a certain wall in DC. [email protected] Advent didn’t follow the usual rules of royalty Wheel first appeared in the 1892 Chicago payment. Instead of paying a large advance and equivalent of a world’s fair (the one enlivened LTC Ernest Edward Lane. Panel February Alexiad: then a set amount per copy sold, we paid a token by the activities of one H. H. Holmes). So this 07E Line 2 Rodford Edmiston, in The Joy of High Tech, advance (usually $100) as a binder, and then would have to be set at least a little later. says that “The Earth is massive enough in nothing until the book sales paid off its I know of other movies based on one story comparison to the Moon that the shared expenses (mainly the printer’s bill, since the Between then and 1901. Harvey but with a title from another. Burn, Witch, Burn gravitational center is actually on average about Advent partners got no salaries). Thereafter we Dent says, “This is the nineteenth is based on Fritz Leiber’s superb Conjure Wife 3700 (1060 mi) below the surface of our planet.” paid the author half of all subsequent revenues. century” in a conversation about but draws its title from A. Merritt, and The He left out the units for that “3700.” It can’t be (Standard royalty payments are usually around marriage. Haunted Palace draws its story from H. P. kilometers, since that would be 2299 miles. So 10% to 20% of sales revenue.) — JTM Lovecraft’s The Case of Charles Dexter Ward what in the world (literally!) is it? (The reason for this odd payment plan was but its title from a Poe poem (they do quote Mr. Edmiston also says, “Some astronomers that since Advent’s authors were sharing the some lines from the latter). now believe that about ten billion years ago risk of getting nothing if sales were poor, we When I was a child, we had a book of jokes Andromeda and the Milky Way had a close felt obliged to pay them more generously if that included the one Price closes his letter with. encounter, which drew spirals out in both. (Doc sales were good.) Nice. Smith actually mentioned that in the Lensman I got back a fire-breathing letter from series, attributing the large number of habitable Blassingame saying that our system was From: Joy V. Smith March 6, 2018 planets in both galaxies to the close encounter unheard of, and not at all what the contract 8925 Selph Road, Lakeland, FL 33810- causing bursts of star formation.)” actually specified. I checked the file, and 0341 USA I think he means “bursts of planet formation.” damned if Blassingame wasn’t right. Apparently [email protected] Also, Doc Smith said in Gray Lensman that the Earl Kemp (Advent’s founder and my “Second Galaxy” is “Lundmark’s Nebula,” not the predecessor as manager) had made this Thanks for all those reviews.I haven’t read Andromeda galaxy. Lundmark’s is much farther arrangement directly with Heinlein, and any of the books so I appreciate your bringing away than Andromeda. Heinlein had not told Blassingame about it. (We them to my attention. And I haven’t seen can only speculate on whether this was an Darkest Hour, though I’ve recently seen * * * * * oversight, or if Heinlein was purposely keeping documentaries with footage of Churchill and Blassingame in the dark.) Lord Halifax — and explaining the historical Robert S. Kennedy, in his Loscon44 report, I wrote back to Blassingame giving him a background. (I so admire Churchill for standing notes that he found Heinlein’s Citizen of the rough estimate of the number of copies we had his ground. I cringe thinking about what might Galaxy in the children’s section of a public library, sold of The Science Fiction Novel, and how have happened to us and the world if England and he is “a bit baffled as to why it is considered a much Heinlein would have collected under the had given in to Hitler.) children’s book.” Now that’s easy to answer: original contract. I noted that this was far less I haven’t read much steampunk, but I Because Scribner’s published it as a juvenile, and (about half as much, as I recall) than we had recently enjoyed Etiquette & Espionage. That that’s what librarians go by. Never mind that it is actually paid Heinlein under Advent’s was fun, including the cute, though not cuddly, adult in everything but Thorby’s age at the start. unorthodox plan. And I offered to withhold mechanimal. future royalties until we had made up for the Lisa, I love rocks too and bought a little The people who did the graphic overpayment, then resume payment according to piece of one at Oasis con a while back; and I’ve novel adaptation (reviewed in Alexiad the original contract. I never heard back from Is Richard Dengrove talking about the bought big rocks of various sizes for our V. 16 #1) apparently thought it was Blassingame, and so I kept on paying in possibility of a metal ship in Roman times? A gardens over the years. Some were delivered by adult too. Some of the dresses they Advent’s usual way, as invented by Earl Kemp. steam engine would be unlikely, given the crane. (I’m serious about my rocks — granite, had Leda wearing would have made difficulty of developing the aeolipile into a coquina, and others of various colors...) Alice Dalgleish’s brain explode — That was the agreement Allen & functional engine. On the other hand, you can even though that was how it was in Unwin had with J. R. R. Tolkien for get by with oars — the first armored sea-going I bought some more at the text. royalties on The Lord of the Rings. warship (the Korean turtle ships that defeated a Conglomeration. As for The Science Fiction Novel Japanese invasion in the 1590s) were galleys. —LTM * * * * * itself, I noted that Heinlein’s Bronze would probably be better due to its Some really good science fiction and essay was copyrighted separately. being less vulnerable to seawater. Thanks to Robert Kennedy for his LOSCON fantasy is shelved in juvenile fiction, such — JTM Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey and later report. And to all the contributors for keeping as Susan Price’s Sterkarm Handshake and Duke of Norfolk (and grandfather of two of me in the loop about everything — including the Cinde Chima’s Warrior Heir. From: Lloyd Daub March 29, 2018 Henry VIII’s wives, Anne Boleyn and Catherine solar system, universe, etc. ! And I loved the —LTM 6535 W. English Meadows Drive D205, Howard, according to wikipedia) was indeed the lightbulb cartoon. (Much more challenging.) Greenfield, WI 53220-3995 USA one who dramatically described his loyalty to AL du Pisani discusses the problems Heinlein [email protected] any crowned king. He was still kept in the I’m sure Dr. Wizenbeak would had with his agents. I have a story about that. Tower (and attainted) until 1489. be thankful for your kind words, Many years ago, in my capacity as head of I hope by now USS St. Louis has made it to There were many Army bases, mostly in the and not hand you over to Advent Publishers, I got a letter from Lurton sea. Then again, given that neither LCS class South, named after Confederate leaders. Two Chittabob. Blassingame, Heinlein’s agent. He wanted a should ever have been born [A Churchill-ism] Alexiad April 2018 Page 13 and can’t be replaced soon enough, the crew re-enactment of Rome in AD 69—a power March 20 primary ballot to legalize recreational challenged planned to say she was was probably safer locked in the ice. There is vacuum that even the least competent can hope use of marijuana. It passed 68% to 32%, no part of my hall costume. no truth to the rumor that they watched the to fill. But I doubt that the keepers of the SW surprise, and now it’s up to the state legislature to Arctic exploration/horror movie The Terror the universe are capable of making a movie that has act. I’m not holding my breath. Anecdotes about “16-year old girls hauling whole time. a new leader emerge from of the outer limits of I enjoyed many of the articles in the last issue, men out of burning T-34 tanks” don’t change the galaxy to sweep aside both Ren and Rey. including “The Joy of High Tech.” the fact that women have half the upper body But that’s the likeliest outcome were this the Robert Kennedy says all the hotels at San Jose strength of men, on average, and 16-year-old ‘real world.’ Worldcon are filled up. Not all the hotels, girls less than that. How many men didn’t get according to the Worldcon website, and the hauled out of those tanks? There was a discussion on the convention committee is trying to find more rooms. The entire Soviet war effort was designed to alternatehistory.com board about I’m staying at the Fairmont, which by luck is also protect just one man. Aside from that, combat how it would look if they did the party hotel. I tend to stay up late, and I can casualties were simply not a consideration. Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire sleep through noise, anyway. Richard Dengrove: The so-called Indian novels about Admiral Thrawn. It Elsewhere in this ‘zine, editors willing, are Wars ended only in the 1890s, so there were looks like you’re presenting a reports on Capricon and my picks in the Nebula plenty of people in early Hollywood who pretext for doing so. Awards short fiction categories. Other than that, I remembered them or participated in them, or have little to report. My novel launch went well, were told about them by their fathers. This was My LOC: Lisa, for backups of handwritten and Tor has kept me working hard to help promote important because the more horrifying details materials, I suggest a scanner. Then you can it. about Indian atrocities were often omitted or create multiple electronic backups. Let me close this brief letter with a joke bowdlerized in printed records. For example, suitable for the science-minded, Schrodinger’s when a woman settler was gang raped by her Thanks for the suggestion. The emoticon :): captors, a routine occurrence, newspaper idea is definitely worth considering. accounts would merely say she was “degraded“, —LTM From: Taras Wolansky March 31, 2018 if they said anything at all. Post Office Box 698, Kerhonkson, NY Robert S. Kennedy: Thank you for your 12446-0698 USA Mark Twain stopped writing best wishes on my retirement and reappearance [email protected] Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer Among http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2708480/ in fandom. ‘Regeneration’ is what it will be the Indians (c. 1884) when he called in my books, rather than resurrection. Like the cast of Monty Python and the Holy realized he had put in a scene But here in WI we appreciate the But I will consider some of those in the God Grail, you have many roles to play even if you implying precisely that. procurement business. Camp calling it that. Thank you. don’t have many people to play them! Some belated comments on the December 2017 On the subject of living memory, it’s worth It would have been interesting You could be Jason Todd. issue: noting that when director John Ford wanted to if she could have ended up like the — JTM Joe’s review of True Believer: Perhaps the find out about the 1881 gunfight at the OK Baychimo. NKVD report about how Noel Field and Alger Corral, he went over to Wyatt Earp’s bungalow Here’s to the next issue! Hiss tried to recruit each other, when they were and asked him! Earp died in 1929. Book reviews RE: Your comment on the both already working for different branches of On to the February ish: font face used in A Traveller’s Guide to Mars. From: Sue Burke March 31, 2018 Soviet intelligence, referred to Hiss’ real name Joe: “Larque Press’s statistics on prozine My interest in reading has not abated, as shown 5620 N. Winthrop Ave., #1R, Chicago, because he wasn’t one of theirs and they didn’t circulation … Read ‘em and weep”. Actually, by my not clicking links to videos and instead IL 60660-4422, USA know his code name. the digests aren’t doing as badly as I thought. clicking on text sites. But I am increasingly [email protected] Joe’s review of A Portable Cosmos: “The Lisa: “The big problem with audiobooks is irritated by font size. I have books I used to mount-oregano.livejournal.com implication [of the Antikythera Mechanism] is that that it takes longer to get through them than a read comfortably that now require my spectacles sueburke.site there was an entire unrecorded field of mechanical physical book.“ Thou hast said it! You can’t and a magnifying glass. And more recent books semiosispax.com technology in the classic era.“ Machines to wow skim, or jump ahead (other than blindly). Some have even smaller font. Yet font sizes are larger the rubes visiting the temples, I’m guessing. books I gave up on because the audiobook was than those of the 17th and 18th centuries, as I Spring has come, according to the tilt of the Sue Burke (review of Windycon 44): “While simply too slow: Neil Gaiman‘s American have seen from reproductions of works from Earth, but according to the neighborhood the government has way too much data on us, Gods, one of M.Z. Bradley’s Camelot books. I this time. I don’t know how humans did it in daffodils, not quite. I live a half-mile from Lake corporations have immensely more”. The admire Neal Stephenson enormously (his those days. Or even how the printer could see Michigan, so the weather tends to be cooler, and difference is, the government wants to tax us or put SevenEves was the best SF book I’ve read in to set the type. And without electric light. I am spring comes later. I also live a few blocks us in jail, while corporations just want to sell us years), but I’m not sure I’ll be able to get thankful for the zoom feature in south of Loyola University, and as the college stuff. through the 32-disc edition of REAMDE — browsers. basketball season draws to a close, its team is John G. Hemry: Letting nonmembers into which I got fo r si x bucks at Movie Reviews, Star Wars VIII: I spoiled playing in the final four tonight, the first time convention dealers rooms might work in some audiobookstand.com. all the fun there was in watching Phantom since 1963. People are excited about the cases, but I suspect it would increase shoplifting as Rodford Edmiston: “Our solar system has Menace by reading too many reviews before Ramblers. Baseball’s opening day was this well as (or more than) sales. been within a hundred light years of a attending a showing. Having decided not to see week, and people are also excited about supernova of some type within the past few The Last Jedi, I took advantage of the flood of Chicago’s north side team, the Cubs. I prefer I went to at least one million years“. Perhaps more evidence for the reviews to know most of what is going on. This football, which is still a ways away, and having ConGlomeration where they hypothesis that planets stable enough to evolve means I can understand your comment at the been born in Wisconsin, I’m naturally a Packer permitted non-members in the intelligent life are vanishingly rare. end about Kylo Ren leading an ineffective bad backer: the Bears will always suck. dealers’ room. And once I took a Robert S. Kennedy (Loscon 44 report): guy empire versus a depleted Rebellion. And As I mentioned last time, Cook County, woman I was seeing to the RiverCon “Most of the session was spent on Robert A. thus the Star Wars galaxy has become a Illinois, had an advisory referendum on its dealers’ room. I held her arm and if Heinlein and not the actual novel.” I attended a Page 14 April 2018 Alexiad panel like that at Heliosphere, a few weeks ago. acts to protect them. The filmmakers were no invading Spain. Illustrated models. Some of them actually have I had recently listened to audio recordings of dopes! George W. Price: “Heisenberg … believed that kids, but they look like they don’t. several classic Heinlein stories from the 1940s, “I would like to see someone give a since his team, the cream of German physicists and Natural selection also designed women to and I was able to remind the panel that, by the complete Helsinki Worldcon report.“ What I engineers, was having a hard time on the atomic play a double game. They look for the good standards of his time (if perhaps not ours), remember most vividly about Helsinki is project, the British and American scientists must husband and father, the provider. But especially Heinlein was a crazed, wild-eyed feminist. standing in line in a hot, sweaty hallway, to get be having an even harder time.” Did he underrate when they are ovulating, the sexy bad boys start By the way, Citizen of the Galaxy is into a hot, sweaty, packed hall where every the Jewish scientists that Germany drove away and to look good to them, the ones who could give considered a juvenile only because the possible light is turned on for no good reason America gained? a woman sexy sons who can father many more protagonist is a teenager, and it was part of and where I can hear the panelists but I can’t see “We can bring back chaperones. Just imagine children than she could ever bear herself. Scribners’ series of juvenile SF. Now that you them, and there is virtually no chance of asking a Weinstein‘s face …“ Maybe the creepiest part of Thus, why women are attracted to men who mention it, I don’t know why they didn’t ask a question. But I will see if I took any useful the story is that old Harvey provided chaperones – they know will make them miserable. Sleeping Heinlein to write sequels to any of the books. notes, in spite of everything. fake chaperones, that is, who would quietly with promiscuous bastards may give you a I sometimes chose which panel to attend disappear when he signaled them. One could make promiscuous bastard of your own, who will He apparently didn’t want to. based on its physical location; for example, the case that what those women did was more evil leave a trail of broken hearts and swelling You’ll remember that he had picking something on the first floor because the than what Harvey was doing. If he’s a sex addict, bellies. planned to write a number of first floor had high ceilings, and was for that what’s their excuse? Sue Burke: “[Pot legalization in California] sequels to Rocket Ship Galileo, reason less hot and sweaty. I can’t blame the can only mean one thing: pot parties at under its original title of The concom very much, though. They had no way Worldcon 76 in San José“. Hey, I just got an Young Atomic Engineers, with that of knowing that all the young people in idea how you can fulfill your contractual as the series title, but decided Northern Europe would suddenly decide that obligation to promote your book! otherwise. The standard for they wanted to go to a science fiction AL du Pisani: “After working with [John juvenile novels then was that they convention in Helsinki. W.] Campbell for a while, it appears that most were a series, with each book My sister did her DNA. I was hoping for authors that remained in SF moved on.“ Well, having the title of the next one something interesting: for example, there’s a maybe. I looked at Analog’s 1971 contents, announced in boldface on the last family tradition that some of our ancestors were Campbell’s last full year. It includes Gordon R. page. Gypsies who settled down and pretended to be Dickson, James H. Schmitz, Christopher Anvil, Jews, because that was more respectable. And Lloyd Biggle Jr., Katherine MacLean, Stanley another tradition that there was an officer who Schmidt, F. Paul Wilson, Alan Dean Foster, married a beautiful Jewess; and somebody made Verner Vinge, Ben Bova, Jerry Pournelle. some comments, and there was a duel — and she was left to raise three children by herself. From: Richard A. Dengrove April 1, 2018 But it came back “Boring Eastern 2651 Arlington Drive, #302, Alexandria, European”; in fact, I think those were the exact VA 22306-3626 USA words. [email protected] It could have been worse: it Ah, Alexiad February 2018, and I’m just could have been, “Your mother was starting it in March. If I cut down on all my a hamster and your father smelt LOCs, I might be able to get all of them in on of elderberries.” time – but I can’t. — JTM There are pluses and minuses to LOCs just as there are pluses and minuses to everything. I was unhappy with Emma Watson‘s Of course, I wouldn’t continue to use a ‘knife’ performance in The Circle. I’ve noticed a like Lisa bought from Half-Price Books. Not if problem when young British actresses play my fingers were in danger. I hope there’s a way American characters: they have to concentrate of avoiding that that she knows of. so hard on the accent that they lose all their There are pluses and minuses to knives and vivacity. This was particularly striking on the LOCs. There are also pluses and minuses to the short-lived Bionic Woman show. In one New Fandom, which you mention in Reviewer’s episode, the story required the lead character to Notes.. A minus is that there are so many fan “pretend“ to be British: she could speak in her specialties, like gaming and cosplay. An even natural accent, and her personality just lit up. greater minus are fans who just come to Too late to save the show, though. A couple of wrinkles on your evolutionary conventions to be entertained. That is the result Finally, if San José is in driving distance for schemes. of science fiction being accepted by mundanes, you, you can save a lot of money by staying at Natural selection probably ensures that to a who are, for the most part, spectators. a cheap motel and driving in to the convention. man the most attractive woman will be one who During the last San José worldcon I stayed at a appears to be ready to bear a child, but has not yet Yes there were pluses and Motel 6 a few miles away and took the train. done so. A firstborn child has the inside track for minuses to New Fandom. This feminist prof on the same panel also Lloyd Daub: How do Sue Blom’s Inca survival and reproduction, because it gets the Moskowitz and Taurasi kept six of went off on the new Death Wish movie, handle their biological disadvantage; that is, that mother’s undivided attention, and by attention I the Futurians out of the NyCon claiming it’s about white men killing black men. they have no resistance to Old World diseases? mostly mean food. It will also tend to establish and let in the one who had done I had just seen the film, and told her Bruce This same thought occurred to me when I read dominance over its younger siblings. the problematic brochure, Dave Willis shoots no black people at all, but instead Esther Friesner’s story about the Aztecs Thus the appeal of Victoria’s Secret and Sports Kyle. Alexiad April 2018 Page 15

Are there any pluses? There should be one. Stalin’s Englishman by Andrew Downie something trivial. .Robert S. Kennedy criticized me http://lloydpenney.livejournal.com/ Fandom has been accepted by the great delves into how Guy Burgess got away with for referring to a General Kimmel as being in unwashed. A lot of fans in the old days yearned being a Soviet spy, even in Russia, while being command at Pearl Harbor when it was Admiral It’s a little past the deadline, but I hope you that that would come to pass. obnoxious. In Britain, I gather he was the Kimmel. will forgive that. I have here finally the time to I have spent some time in modern day British elite’s equivalent of a good old boy, an All I can say is guilty as charged. make some comments on Alexiad WN 97. Such fandom . Next, I will go back to the good old Etonian. Of course, in Russia, he was a person as… days and wonder whether a certain radio who gave valuable information; and the Soviet Be glad Leigh Kimmel didn’t notice. Reviewer’s Notes…for decades, I tried to personality belonged to fandom. So much government was reluctant to formally rein in his Or did she? Leigh? make things happen fanwise locally, and the belongs to fandom these days which we wonder excesses. only one to credit me with all of this is me, for about. Why not him? We go from the misplaced Kimmels to Lloyd I am the only one who knows just how much His name is Jean Shepherd, whom I “[Who] had given valuable Penney’s feeling that Rodney Leighton didn’t like time and effort I put into local fandom. We are remember very vividly. You reviewed the novel information.” But in Moscow, he him. It was hard to tell from moment to moment definitely seeing that transition from I, Libertine, and he was the inspiration for the was a lonely drunk who longed to go whether Rodney liked you or not. Even I who participating to consuming. But, I think we are book. I knew him from his radio show, which, back to Blighty, and went prowling wrote him an incredible number of letters, and being forced that way. There is little to do at at that point, ran between 11:00 PM and 12:00 for golden boys. received a number back. Rodney could be moody, many conventions but sit down and watch the AM on WOR in New York City. no doubt about that. actor cavort on stage, or the author drone on in I don’t know whether his subject matter I think everyone agrees with Andrew We go from Lloyd Penney to George Price, and a reading. That’s one reason why we’ve moved would be included in fandom. He specialized in Downie there. Whom some may not agree with from faanish relationships back to the Axis atomic to steampunk events and conventions, where satire, stories about his childhood, and humor in is Chris Garcia. In a letter, he claims digital data bomb projects. I don’t disagree with George that there may be guests, but the main feature is general. He rarely discussed science fiction. lasts many decades. However, I heard someone the advocates of German science were a bunch of everyone’s participation through costumes and Still, as I have said, others even less science claim DVDs go after five years. crackpots. However, they were powerful crackpots events. It is simply more enjoyable. Fandom as fictional than Jean have been considered I confess that’s not been my experience. until Himmler decided relativity and quantum we know it is fading away, so we’re moving faanish. However, I’m soon going to put more DVDs to mechanics would be permitted again in Nazi where the fun is, simple as that. I want to see the By the way, I bet I, Libertine was a parody the test, and see. Will an example of a 1950 Germany. old cons continue, but they are increasingly on the fashion then for referring to Samuel “Lights Out” produced during ‘90s have In fact, in the mid-30s, they had many expensive, the pro-run cons offer too much for Pepys 17th Century diary, even if the referers survived? advocates of relativity fired from German too much money, and our friend base has moved never read it. Unlike about DVDs, I don’t weigh in about universities. Many fired went to the US. and onto other things. some things, believe it or not. I thought you ultimately ended up making substantial Or I, Claudius. were dubious about the bronze steamship, and I contributions to the Manhattan Project. At least, Are you going to Corflu? It’s was just wondering about whether bronze would that is what I remember hearing. the first weekend in May at the Now we go from one novel to a bunch of be able to withstand all the heat needed. In From disagreeing with George – sort of – I go Ramada Plaza Toronto. (We have novels. I have been astonished by all the reaction, however, you seem to have changed on to disagree more with Al du Pisani somewhat another engagement that different alternate timelines people have written your mind; and support von den Boom, that more. With George, it was only a matter of weekend.) about. They make a mockery of the stereotype bronze steamships are possible, . disagreeing about the power of said crackpots. — JTM that alternate histories are either the Nazis or the By the same token, I don’t think I am With Al, I disagree about the destructiveness of Confederates winning their wars. disagreeing with Lloyd Daub when he claims editors. I suspect they’re often needed. . Other awards…not only does Rob Sawyer In Gerald Hall’s Yesterday War Book 2, that the Japanese during World War II did not I agree that a bad editor can set writers back. have his Order of Canada, but he also has his there is no Pearl Harbor and the Japanese decide believe the US could have actually developed an However, having had to plow through some of Order of Ontario. We’re not sure, but we think to take over Australia. In Triumph of a Tsar, atomic bomb; and the Germans did believe that Heinlein’s later works. I think he desperately Rob has run out of highfalutin’ awards to win, Alexander II survives being assassinated and they were pretty well along in developing one. needed an editor to take out the excess baggage. so he will return to his work as novel and takes Russia in a less autocratic direction. . . In fact, as far as I can tell, he did better with an screenplay writer. Actually, there remain a genre of alternate My only point had nothing to do with that. It editor than he did without one. On the novels upon We did see Darkest Hour, and while timelines to be fully exploited. The novels up had to do with why the Nazis did not develop an which a good deal of his fame rests, his juveniles, different people certainly have different above seem almost entirely based on the Great atomic bomb rather than what they thought of I gather he was thoroughly edited, like novels for opinions of Winston Churchill, everything from Man theory of history. A great man changes the state of their development. juveniles have usually been. I gather he had a lot of saviour to monster, this movie shows him, warts things, and history takes a completely different fights with his editor at Scribner, Alice Dalgliesh; and all, at one of his own finest hours. Great course. and he was often right. However, their movie, and deserving of all the nominations and Couldn’t alternate timelines be due to the collaboration produced a lot of great novels. trophies. action of a whole bunch of people in the And ah, fond memories of Loscon. Yvonne trenches? Or butterfly wings flapping with a Read the biography by Bill and I have spoken with each other about different rhythm? Or a stray electron? All of Patterson or the letters in Grumbles returning, and I hope one day that we can, on which have been thought to have the potential to from the Grave (1989) for more on our own dime this time. change history. I remember Ray Bradbury wrote this. The local…Nic Farey is right, we predict the a short story where a dinosaur hunt in — JTM demise of fanzines, and yet we persist, because prehistoric times leads to a different President we know that no matter the format, paper or being elected in the near future. That’s it. I spent a lot of time on the atomic electrons, it is the communication that is most In addition to reviewing books on alternate bomb in my LOC. I hope the letter doesn’t bomb. important. His Incomplete Register provided a history, you review one on history history that lot of valuable information for FAAn Award actually took place in our timeline. Also, rather From: Lloyd Penney April 5, 2018 voters. That demise will come, though, and this than dealing with the swathe of history, it deals We leave that belief about World War II. It 1706-24 Eva Road, Etobicoke, ON M9C generation shuffles off, and new ones come on with how one person was responsible for a was an earth shattering development that ended 2B2 CANADA with little reason to talk to each other, other than small change in history. the war in the East Instead, I will comment on [email protected] through social media. Page 16 April 2018 Alexiad

My own loc…the job I had with the mystery something) in his local SF club asked the older contributors that way. Damon Knight observed that shopper company lasted six months. They members, “Why does Heinlein have such a he did something shrewd thereafter. He latched simply ran out of work for me. I am now at a good reputation when he writes such terrible onto writers like E.B. Cole and others who really short-term assignment with a medical marketing books?” They asked her what she read. It was had very few prospects elsewhere, and used them company, but that should end in a day or two, The Number of the Beast, etc. She did not know as his mouthpieces. He also attracted cynical hacks and the hunt will continue again. the early work at all, and at this rate was like Randall Garrett, who made a sport out of Thanks for all of this, and all the book unlikely to discover it. racing to sell Campbell a story based on his latest reviews, too. I cannot comment on them, mostly My feeling is that if Heinlein’s reputation is editorial. The long-term result was that Analog in because the chance I haven’t read a particular to survive long term, we are going to have to lop the 1960s was a shadow of what the magazine had book, and probably never will, reaches close to the second half of his career off, with the once been, and although it paid better than the 100%. I am enjoying costumes and creating possible exceptions of The Moon Is a Harsh competition, it was markedly inferior to Galaxy or jewelry a lot these days, but I am also enjoying Mistress and Friday. Most of his other later If or F&SF, or even Amazing and Fantastic. writing, the communication thing I referred to a work merely detracts from his greatness. The way it worked for Heinlein, I gather was little earlier. See you with the next issue, I hope. that if you ever rejected any submission from him, One of the things you discover you never got another. Heinlein expected to be From: Darrell Schweitzer April 6, 2018 from reading Bill Patterson’s treated like royalty. Fred Pohl caught on to this and 6644 Rutland Street, Philadelphia, PA biography is how so many of what published anything he was sent, even Farnham’s 19149-2128 seem to have been Heinlein’s later Freehold. I once heard Pohl say, “Even if it’s bad, [email protected] obsessions were actually earlier if it’s by Heinlein, people will still want to read it.” obsessions that were suppressed Re, the discussion of Heinlein and his for various reasons, including as Thus Pohl’s capitulation over Algis editors, let me pass on something Michael you said editing. For example, the Budrys’s review of Stranger In a Swanwick told me once. Michael was teaching “Circle of Ouroboros” of all his Strange Land. at Clarion. He typed up the first page of the characters and characters from — JTM unedited The Puppet Masters and gave it to his his favorite works stems from students, followed by another copy, in which all Caleb Catlum’s America (1936). the edited parts were crossed out in red pen, Back in the thirties he had the WAHF: followed by another manuscript of the first rule that you had to like that book Martin Morse Wooster, with various page, which is the edited version. Everyone before he would take you as a items of interest. agreed, and could see why, the edited version friend. Sue Burke, James Nicoll, Rod E. Smith was far superior. The whole thing was a lesson who got it. in how to edit. Said Michael of the unedited As for John Campbell, yes, he seems to have Earl Kemp, who said “I did have reading version, “This is the author of I Will Fear No alienated most of the Golden Age writers, as he pleasure. Keep doing it, please.” We will Evil,” which is about the worst put-down of a became more crackpot and dogmatic in the do it as long as we can. Heinlein novel I can think of. 1950s. Alfred Bester told a wonderful story of F. Paul Wilson, with thanks. Let me heretically suggest that Heinlein was how he went to visit Campbell in his office never a great novelist. He was edited into a about 1950, to discuss the story “Oddy and Id.” great novelist. More than most writers, he First, before he would discuss anything, needed the discipline forced on him by the Campbell handed Bester a galley of the original maximum word-lengths for Doubleday books in Dianetics article by L. Ron Hubbard and the 1950s, or the maximum word lengths of insisted he read it right then and there. Campbell magazine serializations. How fortunate we were sat glaring while Bester skimmed through the that the publisher decided that The Puppet article, trying hard not to burst out laughing. Masters needed to be no more than 75,000 When Bester had finished, Campbell said, words to be profitable. These may be “Hubbard’s going to win the Nobel Prize,” and extra-literary considerations, and they could be then explained how “Oddy and Id” needed to detrimental to some writers – Dune would have drop all its Freudian terminology, because been impossible in such an environment – but if psychiatry was now rendered obsolete by you go back and read the good Heinlein, back Dianetics and one could not have obsolete when his work was tight and uncluttered, it is science in Astounding. The story was published really amazing how fine a storyteller he once as “The Devil’s Invention.” Bester went away was. I found The Door into Summer a real thinking that Campbell was a raving lunatic. He eye-opener, reading it for the first time in changed the title back to “Oddy and Id” when perhaps forty years. This is not the author of I the story was collected, and never wrote for Will Fear No Evil or The Number of the Beast. Campbell again. (I heard this directly from As soon as Heinlein no longer had editorial or Bester, by the way.) The result was that all commercial restrictions, his fiction deteriorated Bester’s great work of the 1950s appeared very quickly. I remember a cruel fannish joke outside of Astounding. The de Camps also from the ‘70s: “Robert Heinlein used to write mentioned that their inability to embrace juveniles. Now he writes seniles.” Campbell’s various crackpotteries cooled their More seriously, a friend about my age (60 relationship with him. Campbell did indeed something) told me that a young woman (20 manage to lose almost all of his best Alexiad April 2018 Page 17

A growl came from behind the mask. “I IT — This Time It’s Personal! HATE CLOWNS!” Jason said, and pulled hard. Co-Editors: Lisa & Joseph Major The clown came out of the drain, but it was Co-Publishers: Joseph & Lisa Major The paper boat bobbed in the drain. The beginning to change, become something hard Writers, Staff: Major, Joseph, Major, Lisa boy in the red and yellow outfit looked down and evil, something with a miasma of fear. into the opening. Jason had something else in his hands now. This is issue Whole Number Ninety-Eight “Hi, Damian,” it said. He brought down a crowbar on the clown’s (98). Damian blinked and looked again. There back, and it made a thud. “I died once! I’m was a clown in the stormdrain. The clown held not afraid of anything!” he screamed over and Art: What we are mainly looking for is small a bunch of balloons in one hand and the paper over again as he rained blow after blow on the fillos. Your fillo will probably be scanned in and boat in the other. “Want your boat, Damian?” clown. may be reused, unless you object to its reuse. The clown smiled. It writhed under his blows. And then, it was Damian scowled. “We’re not big on gone, turned into an ooze that flowed away into Contributions: This is not a fictionzine. It is strangers in this part of Gotham,” he said. the drain. intended to be our fanzine, so be interesting. “Very wise indeed. Therefire I will For a moment Jason stood there, his breath introduce myself. I, Damian, am Pennywise the rasping through his mask. Damian blinked and Material in Alexiad is copyright © 2018. All Dancing Clown.” said, “I think we’d better go home.” rights reserved. Upon publication, all rights revert “I know someone who wants to meet you.” The big man was silent. The boy took his to the original contributor, but we reserve the right Damian scampered off. The clown laughed hand, and he began to shamble down the street. to use any item more than once, unless otherwise and waited. They always come back. There was a long limousine waiting there. specified by the contributor. All letters sent to Sure enough, Damian came back with a Damian opened the door and got Jason in, then Alexiad become the property of the publishers. friend. “Pennywise, this is Jason,” he said. buckled him up before running around to the Any material by the editors is available to other Jason was wearing a leather jacket — and he other side and quickly getting in. fanzines if they provide proper credit and send a had a mask covering his face. “Master Jason had a hard time?” the driver copy. “Oh, two of you,” the clown said. “Want to said as he started the engine. Available for The Usual (letter of comment, come to the circus? Can you smell the Jason pulled off his red hood, buried his face trade, contribution). Sample issue available upon peanuts?” in his hands, and began to shake again. request. Back issues $1; subscription $10/year. Jason reached. Alexiad is also available by email in Adobe The clown seized his arm. — Not by Stephen King Acrobat .pdf format. ALEXIAD c/o Lisa & Joseph Major 1409 Christy Avenue Louisville, KY 40204-2040 USA [email protected] http:/efanzines.com/Alexiad/index.htm