REGISTERED BY AUSTRALIA POST NUMBER 32 Publication No VBG2791 $1.25 nusTRnunn If re ids Volume 4 Numbers March *1982 THREE NEW AUSTRALIAN SF BOOKS PUBLISHED

THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND PRESS ENTERED THE SCIENCE FICTION FIELD IN FEBRUARY WITH "PORTABLE AUSTRALIAN AUTHORS - AUSTRALIAN SCIENCE FICTION" EDITED BY VAN IKIN. CORY AND COLLINS HAVE PUBLISHED TWO MORE TITLES IN VAN IKIN holds a Ph.D. from the Uni­ THEIR" VOID" SERIES OF SCIENCE FICTION BOOKS. versity of Sydney and is currently # 8 "RING OF TRUTH" BY DAVID LAKE # 9 " FUTURE WAR" BY JACK WODHAMS, teaching literature at the University of Western Australia. He is well known DAVID LAKE'S novel is a science-fantasy, featuring a to Australian fans as the editor of a prince on an epic journey to bring freedom to his people. SCIENCE FICTION: A REVIEW OF SPECULATIVE JACK WODHAMS' book is a collection of four stories - literature and has established himself "Butcher Mackerson", "United We Fall", "Pet" and "Dead Heat". as a leading authority on science These are all set on the same world as his award winning story "One Clay Foot". fiction published in this country. He gave us an indication of what was to YESTERDAY’S HEN BY GEORGE TURNER come in this book, with his lecture at IN THIS ISSUE: the conference on Australian SF, held in Canberra, at the Australian National A REVIEW OF GEORGE TURNER'S NEW SF NOVEL "YESTERDAYS University injuly'81. His exhaustive MEN - THE 3RD IN THE SEQUENCE FOLLOWING " BELOVED SON research has unearthed sf stories writ­ AND VANEGLORY"- JUST RELEASED IN FABER HC BY PENGUIN ten in Australia as early as 1845. Sel­ AUSTRALIA./ AN INTERVIEW WITH MELBOURNE AUTHOR WYNNE ections from Utopian and anti-utopian WHITEFORD./ THE SECOND HALF OF THE EDITOR'S CHICON novels from the 1880s and '90s through REPORT WITH PHOTOS./ NEWS AND REVIEWS ON AUSTRALIAN to the writings of A. Bertram Chandler , AND OVERSEAS SF AUTHORS, BOOKS AND FILMS./ A VERY Lee Harding, George Turner, Frank INTERESTING LETTER COLUMN WITH LETTERS FROM JOHN BRUNNER, Bryning, Wynne Whiteford, David Lake, HARRY HARRISON, CHRISTOPHER PRIEST, DAVID LAKE AND Dal Stivens, Michael Wilding and Jack OTHERS./ AN AUSTRALIAN CONVENTION UPDATE...... Wodhams, provide a broad and unexpected view and chronological history of the AUSTRALIAN- PROFESSIONAL NEWS genre in Australia. A.BERTRAM CHANDLER’S novel KELLY COUNTRY has been The book is published in bound volume bought by Penguin Australia, and will probably be pub­ at $17.95 ARP and $7.95 ARP in paper­ lished within the year. back. PAUL COLLINS has written about thirty thousand words of a humorous round-robin type novel, which will be foll­ owed with contributions from A.BERTRAM CHANDLER. DAVID LAKE, JACK WODHAMS and JOHN ALDERSON.(con. page 3) J SUMOTMS3 The 22nd Australian National Science Fiction Convention JUNE 10-13, 1983 at the Shore Motel, Pacific Highway, Artarmon GUESTS OF HONOUR: Harlan Ellison and Dr. Van Ikin Theme: Science Fiction and Society All correspondence to: Syncon 83 Membership rates: Attending $25.00 PO Box A491 Supporting $10.00 Sydney South 2000 Room rates: $59.00 per room, per night Australia (whether single, double or triple)

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* AUSTRALIA and clubs can start by sending me their membership lists, but if others are prepared to come in and reorganise my card index and help type up envelopes and a list that can be distributed to all interested people, I would apprec­ iate it.

Another "explanation" I must make is in reference to the visit of HARRY HARRISON to Australia for a convention. Harry expressed a wish to me to visit Australia during our summer and of (continued from page 1) Dear Readers, course, attend a convention. He was quite Other writers including CHERRY WILDER, My old friend, the late Ron Graham once prepared to cover his own air fare to are expected to also contribute. Paul said to me that I was always apologising Australia, but would expect internal also tells us that he has six titles too much, but there is a difference air fares and other costs covered by slotted for publication by CORY § COLLINS between apologising and explaining. the convention that invited him. The over the next two years. A story he wrote From now on,I will not indicate when only date I could think of was either with TREVOR DONOHUE, "Phantasm's Exodus", the next issue of the NEWS will be out. late November or late January. He was has been bought for publication by OMEGA. Expect it when you see it. I will try not keen on the latter. Completely over­ The collection of Australian sf edited to let more than three months lapse looking the fact that Perth usually by PAUL COLLINS for Goldmann publishers between issues, but the time I can put hold a convention over the Australia of Munich, West Germany, has been pub­ into the NEWS and the new CHECKLIST is Day weekend, I told Adelaide and Sydney, lished and will be reviewed for us in limited. Unfortunately I must do all of but not the fans in Perth. Adelaide the next issue by FRANZ ROTTENSTEINER. the work myself apart from a little quickly replied and said that they would help from my staff at Space Age, but love to have Harry as their guest. Alan JOHN BAXTER, whose novel THE BLACK running Space Age comes first. When I Bray was my contact and he said he wanted YACHT was released by Hodder and Stoughton get over the worst of my current fin­ to call the convention RATCON. However Australia in N.E.L. paperback, was inter­ ancial problems I may be able to employ this name had been used by Perth fandom viewed by Sue Calloway and Ron Liberman more people to help me with all the for their cons, so he rang them to ask on 'The Nation Today' programme on things I want to do. Meanwhile...... them if they minded. Channel 9 on the 13th of January '83. He spoke about sf and promoted his new One project I do want help with, and it Naturally Perth were upset as they had novel. He also appeared on a number of is for the benefit of everybody assoc­ a convention planned for that date. There other TV and radio programmes promoting iated with sf fandom and conventions in was I in the middle of a dilemma. I had already advised Harry that Adelaide was his book A VIDEO HANDBOOK, published by particular, in Australia, is a special Fontana. free issue of ASFN. A four page one it, but I did not want to do the wrong shot, listing all the conventions, clubs, thing by Perth. There was no doubt in my Local author TED MUNDIE was burnt out books shops, fanzines, fan activities mind by this time that Perth had priority. during the recent terrible bushfires. and services, plus in particular a To my relief Perth took the initiative Ted lived in Cockatoo. His stories have plug for Melbourne in '85. Each page and rang Harry, who immediately accepted appeared in col lections such as THE will be divided into 18 sections. Each their invitation to attend their con. ALTERED EYE, TRANSMUTATIONS, etc. How­ section will give basic details on Adelaide was most upset and I do not ever, Ted has bounced back with remark­ a convention or whatever. Space Age and blame them, but it was entirely my fault able alacrity and is currently putting ASFN will cover most of the cost, blit that the embarrasing situation had dev­ together a book on the disastrous I want to post out around 2000 to fans eloped. I repeat that I strongly feel Dandenong fires, utilising interviews all over Australia. The cost of the that Perth had priority under the cir­ with survivors etcetera. The book will postage I want to help cover by asking cumstances, but I do sincerely apologise be published by Hyland House, who pub­ the "advertisers" to put in $5.00 for to Adelaide and Alan Bray in particular. lished Ted's first book, YOU AND ME, a space or section. The help needed is This incident has made me aware of one GUM TREE. to reorganise my current mailing list, thing and that is that convention dates which badly needs up dating. Fan groups should be announced earlier. OKI I was

AUSTRALIAN SF NEWS ISSN 0155-8870 is edited and published by Mervyn R.Binns under the sponsorship of The AUSTRALIAN SCIENCE FICTION FOUNDATION. ASFN is registered for posting under Australia Post , publication # VBG2791 The address for all correspondence is 305/307 Swanston Street, Melbourne 3000, Victoria, AUSTRALIA.

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We are Australian Agents for: NEW RATES FOLLOWING DEVALUATION! L0CUS: Subscription rates: $36.50 12 issues Airmail $68.70 for 24 issues Airmail. $22.90 12 .. Sea Mail $41.80 ..24 .. Sea Mail. The cover illustration for Bantam's SCIENCE FICTION CHRONICLE: $33.00 for 12 issues Airmail/ $57.60 for 24 issues AM. US edition of LEE HARDING'S Award Winning novel. SCIENCE FICTION BOOKS PUBLISHED IN BRITAIN: $3.15 for 6 issues. 3 Schweitzer for misquoting him in the last originally against the National conven­ excerpted from the novel, won the 1981 issue's letter column in that he said : tion being voted on two years in advance, novelette Hugo. There are two other un­ "I decided not to review CRUX". The full but I can now see more than one reason titled novels and a short story collec­ •letter will appear next issue along with for all conventions to be announced tion. well ahead. Also, if the fans in the a letter from George Scithers correcting various major centres are going to hold misquoted details on AMAZING. M.B. "CHANTRY GUILD is essentially the first conventions every year, why not establish part of CHILDE; THE FINAL ENCYCLOPEDIA the dates they now seem to be using. It got so blasted big, and it looked like VISITING OVERSEAS AUTHORS CHILDE would be even bigger, so I split might be argued that the Queen's Birth­ HARLAN ELLISON will be first off the day weekend has been Adelaides, but it off the front portion of it. THE FINAL rank as Guest of Honor at SYNCON '83 the ENCYCLOPEDIA, CHANTRY GUILD, and CHILDE is being used this year for SYNCON, as National SF Convention in June in Sydney. Adelaide did not announce a con for that form a continuous whole which starts date this year. Melbourne is tradition­ William Collins have announced that their about 100 years after DORSAI and SOLDIER, ally Easter and Perth !!!, on the Aust­ author STEPHEN DONALDSON will be visiting ASK NOT wind up. ralia Day weekend. But there is nothing Australia in July, to promote the public­ 'THE FINAL ENCYCLOPEDIA took four years in the rules, not even a gentlemens’ ation of the paperback of the 6th book in to write, which is another reason I broke agreement. So members of SYNCON '83 may his Thomas Covenant series, THE WHITE CHILDE down into two pieces. The whole consider the matter worth discussing at GOL-D WIELDER. They released the hard thing would take about three more years. the convention, and perhaps arrive at cover edition in February at $17.95. The other books will come out earlier. some agreement that may stop any argu­ They're mostly planned books which have ments that might come up, over who holds HARRY HARRISON will be in Australia next been hanging fire and I want to get out conventions when. .. January. He will be Guest of Honor at the Merv Bmns/Editor. of the way. For example, WAY OF A PILGRIM Perth convention to be held over the was planned about a year before the first Australia Day holiday weekend, and will be story came out in analog. I've been work­ ADVERTISING spending about four weeks in Australia ing more slowly because my old enemy, all told, visiting as much of the country asthma, cropped up about two years ago. WOULD PEOPLE WISHING TO PLACE ADVERTISE­ as he and his wife can cover. I hate to lose time. There are seven more MENTS IN THE NEWS PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL books in the cycle (after CHANTRY GUILD) COPY IS REDUCED TO THE FINAL SIZE. CON­ -- there's CHILDE plus three historicals, SEQUENTLY WE REQUIRE COPY FOR ADVERTS plus three twentieth-century novels -- ACCORDING TO THE SIZE DETAILS GIVEN Other and if they run two or three years a BELOW. WE CAN USE SAME-SIZE COPY IF IT AUTHORS & piece, that's anywhere from fourteen to IS DIFFICULT FOR YOU TO PREPARE IT AT twenty-one years. I'm fifty-nine now, THE LARGER SIZE, BUT WE PREFER TO People In the N£WS so I'd better get moving.1' _ _. , RECEIVE IT FROM YOU IN THE SIZES GIVEN 6 s G.R.Dickson ALWAYS IN THE PUBLICATION DETAILS ON {CoiMtUy LOCUS.) PAGE TWO OR PAGE THREE EACH ISSUE AND REPEATED HERE: ROBERT HEINLEIN VISITS CHINA FULL PAGE: 360mm Vertical by 275mm horizontal. HALF PAGE: 180mm V by ROBERT HEINLEIN paid a visit to Shanghai 275mm h. QUARTER PAGE: 180mm by last October, aboard a Norwegian tour 135mm h. Columns are 90mm wide. You ship. He and Mrs Heinlein were welcomed can take anywhere from an of a col­ on behalf of the Shanghai Popular Science umn to a full column or more. A Association, by Ye Longlie. After trying full column would measure 360mm by to visit China for over 50 years, having 90mm. We think that all our readers, missed opportunities during the war to being the very intelligent types that go to Shanghai, he was pleased that his sf readers are, will be able to work "long cherished wish" was fulfilled. out any size requirements from these GORDON R,DICKSON UPDATE He met and talked to the members of the association and answered their questions Gordon R.Dickson has signed a five book about his writing and other matters, FURTHER APOLOGIES contract with Berkley and he has turned and was then taken to dinner, where he I must apologise to both C.J.CHERRYH in THE FINAL ENCYCLOPEDIA to Ace. The met Gao Xiaochong, the vice-president and JAY K.KLEIN, for the poor repro­ latter runs to 1,400 typescript pages of the Shanghai Science and Technology duction of C.J's photo on the front page or over 300,000 words. Association. After lunch the Heinleins of the last issue # 31. The light angle "It's primarily the contract on the were taken on a sight seeing tour and made C.J's eyes very dark in this photo next 'Dorsai' - cycle book, which will returned in the evening to the ship taken by Jay K. and I attempted to touch be called CHANTRY GUILD. Like the ear­ the Royal Viking Sea, to continue their the photo up, with disastrous results. lier contract, it has some outriders, trip. Next time its "warts and all". some smaller novels tied in with it. One IT hue. detaiti wim. taken ^om a ve-ty As this small space has become avilable them is left over from the earlier con­ eompnehenAive ftepoat by Ve Vongtie, at the last moment I will just briefly tract. It's WAY OF A PILGRIM. One of the twiu bated by Wu Vingbo, in Locua.) mention that I owe apologies to Darrell chapters , 'The Cloak and the Staff", AUSTRALIAN SF NEWS PRESENTS n StlERCE FICTION THE CYGNUS & FnnTHSV CHECKLIST CHRONICLER An Australian Review of Science Fiction and Fantasy Giving basic details including authors, editors, publishers, editions, prices and ISBN numbers, plus brief plot outlines Featuring fiction from the best Australian authors, of fiction and contents of associated non-fiction works. art from the best Australian artists, plus reviews, news and letters, and regular columns on SF-related Issue # 1, Now On Sale, features a complete list of all STAR TREK publications and future issues will have other themes. special interest lists and a progressive listing of all important back titles. Only $5 per year from: A SUBSCRIPTION COSTS: $7.50 for 4 issues. Published on an The Eperex Press irregular basis. Single copies $2.50 including postage. PO Box 770 Canberra City ACT 2601 The subscription rate will rise to $8.50 with issue #3. Australia FOREST J.ACKERMAN REPORTS Monsters, Jeff Rovin took over, but in shape of the book and a 12 foot model (Courtesy SF Chronicle) fact Rovin continues as usual as a con­ of the villain. A record and tape, SPACE Dr Donald Reed was very badly injured sulting editor, working with managing JAZZ, composed on a Fairlight computer when hit by a car, driven by a drunk editor Bill Mohalley. Ackerman was musical instrumnet by Hubbard and driver in October last year. Dr Reed is offered a column in Fangoria not the others has also been released. The first The Director of the Academy of Science editorship. He also states that he was "soundtrack for a book", rather than a Fiction, Fantasy 8 Horror Films, and always paid regularly by Warren Publish­ movie, as it was described. Well known founder of the Count Dracula Society. ing, publishers of FM, but that no artists such as Chick Corea appear on His car was stationary when hit by the increase had been forthcoming in many the record released by Applause 9000. A other car, which was travelling the wrong years. Our apologies for these incorrect game has also been promised. details in the last issue, which we took way on a one way street and over the A further bit of ballyhoo providing speed limit. The driver made a run for from SF Chronicle, who apparently misin­ terpreted them. publicity for BATTLEFIELD EARTH, was a it, but was apprehended. paradethrough the streets of New York At the time Dr Reed was expected to be in of a group of people dressed as charac­ hospital up to six months, but a February ters from the book. They went from reports says that he is recovering and has Union Square to the door of Forbidden been released from hospital. He was expect­ Planet Bookshop, but were not admitted ed to be back on the job soon as president to the shop. of the Academy of SF,F 8 H Films. A further report states that Hubbard's In his capacity as authors' agent, 4FJ wife Mary Sue Hubbard, has not seen him reports that William F.TEMPLE'S stories since 1979. Also, defectors from the church "Forget Me Not" and "Wisher Take All" state that while living at one ranch, have been placed in anthologies, while Hubbard twice needed hospital care and the novel "The Four Sided Triangle" has asked to be buried under the date palms. just been completed as a movie in Italy. Hubbard would have turned 71 in 1982. A recent issue of the magazine CommLine, which we believe is a Scientology pub­ lication, features a cover illustration L.RON HUBBARD UPDATE People and Publishing of the Metropolis Robotrix and the first Elsewhere in this issue we have noted OR WHO'S SOLD WHAT 6 TO WHOM of a two part presentation of L.Ron the efforts of the Scientology people HUBBARD'S "Just Imagine". Hubbard's to promote the sales of L.Ron Hubbard's story "He Found God", is featured in the book BATTLEFIELD EARTH. Correcting some magazine Meta SF. The Academy of SF, figures given in the last issue, the Fantasy g Horror Films has awarded first print run of this large sf novel Hubbard a Golden Scroll for literary was for 42,500, with 7,500 going to book achievement for his novel "Battlefield stores and the rest going to two companies Earth". A 1.3 million word quartet, specialising in the distribution of "Mission Earth", also by the founder Hubbard's books. Second and third print­ of Scientology, will be published by ings by St.Martin's Press were '2,000 and L.SPRAGE DE CAMP has been working on a St Martin's Press. 50,000 respectively. sequel to THE PRISONER 0F ZHAMANAK, which After replacing a copy of the first Despite denials by the Church of Scien­ is called the BONES OF ZORA./ FRED POHL issue of Weird Tales at a cost of $1800, tology, it has been rumored that Hubbard has written a third 'Heechee' book, THE which was stolen from the Ackerman is either deceased or senile and a suit LAST HECHEE. collection during an Open House, it has has been filed by his son asking ’ the PETER STRAUB and STEPHEN KING are work­ been stolen again. Even from behind glass courts to take control of his father's ing on a book together entitled THE and lock and key,and along with the TV financial empire. The petition claims he TALISMAN. The theme of King's novel IT "Trilogy of Terror" manikin. Souvenir has not been seen since March 1980, that parallels Straub's FLOATING DRAGON. hunters also stole from a display at his health had been failing, and that Individually King has the book CHRISTINE Georgia Tech, Spock's ears and a Cylon some of the Church's officials had been coming from Viking in May, which for headgear. pilfering the church's assets. The apparently quite sound economic reasons, latter being valued at between $100 Ackerman has a part in a new film entit­ he is only taking a $1.00 advance. He million and $1 billion. Various documents led "Scalps", which is made by Fred Olen has done so well with novels such as have been produced supporting the claims Ray. He plays a character Fisher DEAD ZONE, FIRESTARTER and CUJO, that of the church that Hubbard is very much Trentworth, which is one of his pseudon­ he has come to an arrangement with the alive, and another explanation of his yms and appears in a scene with Kirk publishers where by the royalties will reluctance to be seen is that the FBI (Superman) Alyn. make up for the lack of an advance. and IRS want to talk to him about a The story is a supernatural theme about "Beauties and the Beasts", an imagi-film conspiracy involving his third wife and a car, featuring teenagers in a present book and "I Never Met Jules Verne", the church and an amount of $6 million memoirs of a mispent life in the fantasy owing to them. day setting with flashbacks to the 50s. field, have been turned in to Hank Stine Hubbard's son changed his name in 1971 ALASDAIR GRAY'S book LANARK, subtitled at Starblaze. Projected titles include to Ronald E.de Wolf, to "avoid harrass- "A Life in Four Books" has won the first "I Never Met Mary Shelley" and "I Never ment". Scottish Book of the Year Award. ( See Met Lon Chaney”.... DAW books have AeuZew tlvu ZMue. by G.T.). LANARK, bought A.E.vanVogt's original novel, Meanwhile BATTLEFIELD EARTH has reached an artist's version of Hell, was pub­ "Computerworld". #9 on the Dalton Bookshop chain's best­ lished by Granada in a large format pb seller list and a new book, MISSION edition in Septmber last, after it's Ackerman also reports that he inherited EARTH, is due to be published in 12 first edition in he from Edinburgh pub­ the papers of the late Stanton A.COBLENTZ, volumes starting this year. There are con­ lisher Caningate. A 25 minute BBC TV and that he finds he has on hand a flicting reports as to whether it is programme due to be screened in Febru­ virtual "treasure trove" of manuscripts, related to BATTLEFIELD EARTH, but it is ary will most likely mark the release letters and other material, including only(I) 1.3 million words say the pub­ of Gray's second book UNLIKELY STORIES. letters from such luminaries as Lord licists Author Services. NEL will pub­ Dunsany, Walter de la Mare, Frederik lish BATTLEFIELD EARTH in hard cover in DOUGLAS ADAMS has signed with Columbia Pohl, Raymond A.Palmer, Donald A.Wollheim July U.K., but there are no signs of a pictures for a screenplay and associate and others. Also included are two orig­ paperback yet. Most of the above details producer status on a film to be based on inal unpublished novels and numerous were announced at a press party given by the "Hitchiker" series. It could mean stories. Editors interested should Forrest J.Ackerman, sponsored by Author half a million dollars to him. Ivan contact Ackerman. Services, attended by 100 people includ­ Reitman, the producer, previously did ing Larry Niven, A.E.Van Vogt, H.L.Gold, "Animal House","Meatballs", and "Stripes". A FORREST J.ACKERMAN CORRECTION: Bill Rotsler and an actor dressed as Columbia plans a big marketing campaign In the last issue we reported that after Jonnie, the main character from "Battle­ with movie spin off items etc. Ackerman left as editor of Famous field". There was also a cake in the 5 PIERS ANTHONY has become a bestselling or Jove imprint. The Playboy Press paper­ author, with his novels NIGHTMARE and back line has been discontinued as of OGRE,OGRE both reaching 11th and 12th January '83. Berkley will also only places on the New York Times mass mar­ handle the ACE imprint itself and not ket paperback bestseller list. Anthony Charter or Tempo. John Varley's novel said that he enjoys writing the Xanth DEMON, the final title in the series, series which have been very popular, was announced for June, but has been with each one selling a little better withdrawn. We might assume he has not than the previous title. The next one completed it due to other commitments in the series will be DRAGON ON A mentioned in this issue. They will also PEDI3TAL, which is due out in about do paperbacks of the Charles Grant twelve months. SHADOWS collections. They now have a very impressive line up of back titles L.NEIL SMITH is doing three novelizations with their own authors like Heinlein using "Star Wars" characters for Ballan­ and Herbert, plus the ACE and Playboy, tine Books./ George R.R.MARTIN'S novel PIERS ANTHONY JACK CHALKER and the capacity to stay on top of the FEVRE DREAM has gone back for a second Photos by Charles N.Brown market from now on. printing at Poseidon Press and his new novel, THE ARMAGEDDON RAG, will be a horror/ anofficial "Biography" of the Star Trek Bantam will introduce early in 1983 a mystery story hybrid about rock music characters for Simon 8 Schuster/Wanderer. series of supernatural books for young and the '60s. It manages to mention two thirds of the readers. The first four titles in the membership of the Los Angeles SF Assoc­ "Dark Forces " series are THE GAME by RAY BRADBURY finally flew in an airplane iation, every writer in the series, etc. Les Logan, MAGIC SHOW by Laurie Bridges and said it wasn't so bad. The other not­ Captain Kirk attended the same high school and Paul Alexander, THE DOLL by Rex able author who does not like planes is as Rotsler; Spock's ID includes Rotsler 's Sparger and DEVIL WIND by Laurie Bridges Isaac Asimov, who has still not, as old US Army Serial Number, and so on... and Paul Alexander. far as we know,ventured into the air. He is now working on SURVIVAL AFTER THE After a year living and writing in the COLLAPSE, a (presumably ) non-fiction ARTHUR C.CLARKE'S secretary reports in wilds, ROBERT SHECKLEY has moved to title. Ansible that Polish fan Wiktor Bukato Paris. is organising a Clarke collection to be published in Poland. He, Paul Heskett, The last of JACK CHALKER's "Four Lords JOE HALDEMAN completed the sequel to his also adds that payment of royalties of the Diamond " series is MEDUSA to be novel WORLDS, entitled WORLDS APART and has been arranged, being the first ever published by Del Rey in April. The SF delivered it to Viking publishers last October. It should be published by late time real money has been paid for reprint Book Club will publish the whole series rights outside the USSR. in one volume in March. In 1984 Jack '83. He is working on the third in the series, STARS, and a play based on the will have a series from Del Rey called Robert REGINALD is to do a supplement to FOREVER WAR, for the Organic Theatre the "River of Dancing Gods" and a trilogy his SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY LITER­ Company of Chicago. He taught novel - with a working title of "Soul Rider" ATURE volume for Gale Research Co. It writing workshop at the University of from Tor. The first in the Tor trilogy will cover sfgf published from 1975 to North Florida spring semester. will be titled SPIRITS OF FLUX AND 1982 and include "Contemporary Science ANCHOR. JANE YOLEN has completed a sequel to Fiction and Fantasy Authqrs III. It MARION ZIMMER BRADLEY has sold a new DRAGON'S BLOOD for Delacorte, called will also include correction to the occult horror novel to Tor, with the HEART'S BLOOD, which will be published original work. Send details of new sf working title of THE INHERITOR. in the Dell Yearling series. and f books to R.Reginald, c/o Gale Research Co., Book Tower, Detroit, The fourth and final title in MIKE COLD BLUE LIGHT by Marvin KAYE and Parke MI 48226, U.S.A. RESNICK'S "Tales of the Galactic Midway" GODWIN will be published by Jove Books series, THE BEST ROOTIN' TOOTIN' SHOOTIN' early in 1983. DARRELL SCHWEITZER has resold his story GUNSLINGER IN THE WHOLE DAMNED GALAXY, "The White Isle" to Starblaze for 1983 has been bought by NAL./ THOMAS DISCH publication. It was previously sold to has written a new novel, A TROLL OF publishing Borgo but was cancelled. It will be re­ SUREWOULD FOREST. written for Starblaze, with a tentative new title GOD OF DARKNESS, PRINCE OF MARTIN H.GREENBERG and ISAAC ASIMOV LIGHT. have teamed with GEORGE R.R.MARTIN to World edit the SCIENCE FICTION WEIGHT-LOSS JOHN VARLEY wrote a screenplay, MILLENIUM, BOOK, which will be published by Crown A two volume fantasy anthology LANDS OF but the director of the proposed film in April. It is an athology, not a how­ NEVER and BEYOND LANDS OF NEVER, is apparently did not like the screenplay. to book, featuring "16 sci-fi stories being edited for Allen 8 Unwin by MAXIM Varley wrote a novel based on it for by the biggest names in the field" ---- JAKUBOWSKI. A total of twenty stories, Berkley, who bought it from MGM. The films including Asimov, Pohl and King. "Can ten each book, will include works by director likes the book better than the SF PREPPIES be far behind?" say Locus. Robert Silverbdrg, Tanith Lee, Brian screenplay, so a new version is being Aldiss, Jane Gaskell, Jessica Amanda ISAAC ASIMOV has signed a contract with written to conform with the novel TV producer Sonny Fox, giving Fox option Salmonson and David Langford. Jakubowski read 150 stories from approximately 100 Underwood-Miller publishers put off on all of Asimov's still available short publication of some of their titles stories for a possible TV anthology writers, before choosing the stories for this original anthology. A major till February this year, including program. Fox hopes to develop something Anne McCaffrey's THE COELURA, Jack similar to THE TWILIGHT ZONE for addition to Allen 8 Unwin's growing range of fantasy volumes. Vance' s SHOWBOAT WORLD, the Roger Zelazny network or cable TV. Bibliography, AMBER DREAMS by Daniel MALCOLM EDWARDS will become the Gollancz Berkley will publish STEPPING FROM THE Levack, DE CAMP: An L.Sprague de Camp sf editor in April, 1983, when John Bush SHADOWS by Patricia McKillip, as a main­ Bibliography by Levack § Laughlin and steps down from that position and from stream novel. They have also bought THE LYONESSE by Jack Vance. his Gollancz chairmanship. BLUE SWORD by Robin McKINLEY, MYTHAGO Two books announced for publication in HARLAN ELLISON'S recording of his story WOOD by Robert HOLDSTOCK, CHANGEWAR by October last year have been cancelled: "Jefty is Five", has been placed on the Fritz LEIBER, STAR SMASHERS OF THE ...AND NOBODY CAME by Ava Jacobs preliminary Grammy ballot in the "Spoken GALAXY RANGERS by Harry HARRISON, THE (Academy Chicago) and XANADU: A VISION Word" category. SUN'S END TRILOGY by Richard LUPOFF, IN A DREAM by David Bergen (Viking). and BLOOD MUSIC AND INFINITY by Greg PHYLLIS GOTLEIB has signed with Ace for BEAR. The latter two may also be done Chris DRUMM, P.O.Box 445,Polk City, IA two books: a story collection, and the as mainstream releases in hard cover. 50226, USA, has produced Hal Clement and third and last in the "Ungrukh" books Berkley are reprinting a large number Mack Reynolds checklists. Write for in­ (tentative title, THE KINGDOM OF THE of titles in the Berkley/Ace and Playboy formation. CATS)./ St Martins Press will publish range, and most will have increased FREDERIK POHL'S collection, MIDAS prices in the $2.50 to $2.95 range. DEL REY are to produce a publication WORLD in May. / Bill ROTSLER has written All Playboy Press backlist titles will titled BEYOND, which will be a quarterly 6 in future be published under the Berkly newsletter detailing all their fijsf publishing plans, sf news, interviews yet been announced, but request for etc, which will be mailed to booksellers, more details and manuscripts can be fans, the media and so on. Other pub­ sent, to Sheldon Jaffery, 23834, Windover lishers likely to do similar publicat­ Dr,. Beachwood, OH 44122, USA, or Roy ions include the Berkley group, and Torgeson, P.O.Box 737, Union City, Timescape who have already done one or NJ 07087, USA. two issues of such a publication in the past. Whispers Press editor Stuart Schiff MAGAZINE NEWS has been awarded a $1,000 grant for TOM DOHERTY ANNOUNCES EXPANSION his publication whispers Magazine, by the Coordinating Council of Literary OF SCIENCE FICTION LINE Magazines. He must raise a matching "Tbr has a $7 million budget for 1983, amount by December '83 to be eligible, which is bigger than Ace was when Grosset to receive the grant, which is distrib­ G Dunlap took it over in 1976", said uted by the CCLM from cash provided by Tom Doherty, the man who originally put the National Endowment for the Arts. Ade SF on the map, and who is now making A rare occurence for an sf or fantasy his Tor line fire for Pinnacle. publication. Andrew Porter reports that AMAZING STORIES has apparently been his application for a grant for his Besides a line of Tor computer games, overwhelmed by the number of stories magazine Algol fnow Starship), was ref­ there will be more sf titles or possibly being received and rejected, so they used on the grounds that sf is not lit­ a new line distributed through Richard have produced a booklet, CONSTRUCTING erary. whispers received a previous SCIENCE FICTION § FANTASY, 31 pages of Gallen, who has a distribution contract grant of $500, and this time, submitted with Dell. The trade paperback series it, put together by John Ashmead, issues with stories by Ramsey Campbell, now published by Simon G Schutser is Darrell Schweitzer, and George Scithers. also likely to be expanded. The computer It is available from Amazing, Box 110, Stephen King and others, which apparently games will be on disc for the Apple, Lake Geneva, W1 53147, USA, for 254 convinced the council of the magazine's value. TSR-80 and the IBM Computers, and plus 754 postage. We recommend that based on stories by Gordon R.Dickson, Australian writers send $2 US or at There is no equivalent source for such Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven, Fred least $3 if you want it airmailed. funding in Australia, so ASFNews must Saberhagen and others. Pinnacle and A correction from last issue is that struggle along as best it can, but there Warner, which owns Atari, will do the is the Australian Literature Board, which distribution. JEFF ROVIN is not the new editor of Famous Monsters. He continues as con­ has been supporting sf quite extensively The bock packaging deal for Dell sulting editor, working with Managing over the last few years. Cory and Collins being that two books would be chosen by Editor Bill Mohalley, Randy Palmer and publishers have benefited probably more Jim Baen at TOR and distributed as Tim Moriarity. than any one else except Norstrilia Press. part of Gallen's current arrangement One would wonder how long this will go on with Dell. If Dell do decide to handle The magazine American Fantasy, has sus­ before the Board thinks that enough is sf again it will be purely for economic pended publication. Robert T.Garcia, enough and decides that perhaps their the publisher, said there will be one reasons it seems, because it was hinted money would be better spent elsewhere. more issue combining the intended con­ when they dropped their sf line that it The incoming new Australian Labor gov- tents of issues 3 and 4, but he has no was just an arbitary decision of the erment, facing an enormous budget deficit plans for later issues. Subscriptions editorial department. Could it be that left by the outgoing Liberal government, will be refunded. Garcia plans to Dell edit6rs just don't like sf? are likely to start cutting such spend­ marry Nancy Rife, owner of a used book ing, despite their obvious interest in TOR incidently were effected recently store in Oak Park, Illinois, in May. encouraging the arts. We might just add by the death of the founder of the His publication was the successor of that the Literature Board has no preced­ company that owns Pinnacle, of which Chicago Fantasy Newsletter, which he ent for funding publications that do not TOR is part, Michigan General. However published for several years. His full publish fiction. the management decided not to sell and time job is with Cinefantastique mag­ seeing that TOR expects to hit a sales azine, handling sales and distribution SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW mark of $1 million in March , it is for editor Fredrick Clarke, who himself a reasonable decision. is getting married in March. EDITED BY RICHARD E.GEIS This popular Hugo winning review zine SCIENCE FICTION GAMING The publisher of the successful British is now up to its 46th issue. Over 60 comic magazine Warrior, plans to re­ pages of reviews, interviews articles Mayfair Games of Chicago have obtained publish his magazine Halls of Horror. and letters, interspersed with cartoons the rights to produce boardgames based Des Skinn, who originally produced by Tim Kirk, Bill Rotsler, Kurt Erichson on Joe Haldeman's FOREVER WAR and the The House of Hammer/ Hammer's Halls of and others. You can subscribe to SFR with C.J. CHERRYH series starting with the Horror, between 1976 and 1978, said ASFNews or Space Age Books. Current Hugo winner DOWNBELOW STATION and that he thought it was time the only rate: $8.60 Australian for one year MERCHANTER'S LUCK, and a 3rd book to be other British fGsf film magazine, and $17.20 .. .. two years. published. Chaosium, the California Starburst, had some competition. Some games developers, are doing a game comic strips will be used, mainly left based on the ELFQUEST series. overs from the earlier, magazine, but SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY BOOK English publishers Routledge and Kegan they will not feature as much as they REVIEW A PUBLICATION OF THE Paul have published two large sized did previously. SF RESEARCH ASSOCIATION This publication, originally published pbs on games; RUNE GAMES by Marijane Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone Maga­ by the Borgo Press USA, is now published Osborn and Stella Longland, and DICING zine, which has been in existance for by the SFRA and edited by Neil Barron. He WITH DRAGONS by Ian Livingstone, illus­ less than two years, will switch from a is the the editor of the book ANATOMY OF trated by Russ Nicholson. monthly to a bi-monthly schedule with WONDER: A Critical Guide to SF, which was the February issue. A big subscription Video Games based on RETURN OF THE JEDI nominated for the Hugo in 1982. Approxim­ drive is being organised for this year. will be released by Parker Brothers in ately 600 books are reviewed in SFGF BOOK The publishers are considering changing the USA. This is following the success of REVIEW, published 10 times a year. Non­ the format to a digest size, with about their THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK game. They fiction, British, Australian and-foreign 160 pages per issue. are also planning "Jedi Arena" and a language books are included. Most hard cov­ "James Bond" game, followed by "The Lord Yet another attempt is being made to ers are reviewed, but few paperbacks and no of the Rings". revive Weird Tales magazine, or that is reprints or reissues. Members of the SFRA produce an original anthology using the receive the magazine as part of their mem­ OUR THANKS AS USUAL to ANSIBLE, LOCUS, name. Sheldon Jaffery and Roy Torgeson bership, but you can subscribe separately at SF CHRONICLE and various other trade have negotiated a contract with the $15.00 US by surface and $30.00 airmail .For journals and publishers lists etc., for owners of the rights to the title, Weird further details write to the editor, Neil details and news in this issue. AND to Tales Ltd., and they are looking for Barron, 1149 Lime Place, Vista, CA92083,USA Justin Ackroyd and other Space Age staff stories in the tradition of Peter or to the SFGF BOOK REVIEW, PO Box 11408, for help in proofing and typing this Straub, Dennis Etchison, Tanith Lee, Portland, OR 97211, USA. _ issue. and Ramsey Campbell. No publisher has WW: Not just amateurs or beginners. Even to people like Edgar Allan Poe, Guy de Maupassant, 0. Henry, Katherine An Interview With Mansfield. ASFN: How did you change your method? WW: Oddly enough, the spark of the Australian Author idea came a long time ago, in a CAE class on public speaking. The lecturer - I think his name was Wyss - said a speaker should work out his closing WyiUfh WHITCFORD words and memorise them. Then, if he lost his way, he could at least finish with a bang, which his audience ive obstacles: distribution problems, would remember. This also gave the relatively high cost of marketing, speaker a goal to aim at. Much later, and the inbuilt local resistance to when I'd run aground in a longish ’’buying Australian”. novella, it occurred to me to apply ASFN: Your stories have appeared in his technique to writing - to write a wide range of publications, from the closing chapters first, then come local magazines like THE AUSTRALIAN back and aim at them. JOURNAL to AMAZING STORIES, FANTASTIC ASFN: Then you think planning is UNIVERSE, IF, NEW WORLDS and others important for a long work? back in the 50s to Cory § Collins A.SFN: Wynne, perhaps we could begin collections more recently. During WW: Yes, seeing the overall pattern with your background - when you start the years did you have any inclination before you start on the details. Perhaps it's a method I borrowed from -ed writing, where you worked, and to write a novel? Did work and other painting. Leonardo da Vinci didn't so on. activities limit you to short story writing until lately? start the Mona Lisa at the top left­ WW: I grew up during the Roaring hand corner and work across and down. Twenties. Raced little trolleys with WW: Full-time work is always a limiting ASFN: There has been a lot of talk about the neighbour's kids up and down the factor. I’ve never been dedicated developing an original style of Aust­ footpaths of East Melbourne, but at enough to live in a tent while trying ralian SF, without simply mentioning home I was the only child in a house to bash out a best seller. Contact kangaroos and koala bears. Both your of adults. I had access to all their with different people and visits to novels we feel have succeeded in this, books - I remember especially a exotic places fire your imagination. as although they are set in Australian volume of H.G. Well's short stories. But for more than a year, now, I've locales most of the time, if not all When I was six, my father, who'd just organised things so that I work away ("Sapphire Road" being set on another returned from one of the earliest from home only two days a week. However, motor expeditions across central this was not what stopped me writing planet about 50% of the story), you have been careful not to overkill the Australia, decided Garden Vale was novels in the past - like many writers more his scene, so we headed for the of short fiction, I've tried novels - the Australian scene. Would you like to comment on that? sea air. about three during my 20s and 30s - but ASFN: When did you begin writing? they petered out after 30 or 40,000 WW: I think characters are more vital words. to a story than background, but you WW: When I was about twelve I won ASFN: Why was that? can make a story more believable by third prize in an adult essay comp­ using a setting you know well, so your etition, so I decided to try to keep WW: I think they took too long to write details stay consistent - and real. on winning. Had some stories publish in my spare time, and I lost hold of -ed in my teens - "Automation" in the story. With a short story, you ASFN: We were particularly interested the Sydeny Bulletin around 1935, can keep the whole thing in your head, in the locale in "Breathing Space Only" and some a bit earlier in Adam § Eve. and type at least one draft straight as we were familiar with the places The first in print was called "Beyond through. This is fine for 5000 words, described. Your idea of a lake in the Infinite", but don't ask me what even for 10.000 words with a bit of central Australia in "Sapphire Road" I thought I meant by that. practice. But in a novel you lose sight was quite convincing. How did you come to use these settings? ASFN: Wynne, you have probably been of where you're heading. aware of the lack of a market in SF ASFN: You suggested just now this WW: I knew the Snowy Mountains quite in Australia more than any other happens to many writers of short well. About eight years before I writer, because you've been tackling fiction. wrote "Breathing Space Only", my the field for so long. Can you tell us a little about how you see the SF writing field has developed in this country, and future prospects for SF authors. WW: The field is always in a state of flux. For instance, there has been a shift away from the magazine short story towards TV. But another drift is favouring SF against what we used to think of as "mainstream", spear­ headed by film super-epics like Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark. In fact, if you look at the Best Seller list in this week's TIME, you notice Arthur Clarke's "2010: Odyssey Two” heads the list again, with Michener's "Space" third and Asimov's "Foundation's Edge" fifth - altogether at least five of the first ten sellers are SF, so that it begins to look as if SF is the mainstream now. So, in the long run, prospects for SF authors appear good. As to the Australian scene, however, there are still mass- 8 wife Laurel and I had spent a holiday at from one direction, it’s an analysis something•wrong! up there simply driving around ex­ of power-structures, an extension of ploring - at that time you could drive the sort of in-group control you see There are a number of quite different elements involved in producing a almost to the summit of Kosciusko. all the way from your local councils upwards to the international scene. salable story - selection of ideas, The original spark of the idea behind observation of people, market analysis, the book came shortly afterwards. One I've simply extrapolated it into the next country. plotting, writing, salesmanship - these Saturday morning we’d driven over to are all vital parts of the whole process. Doncaster Shoppingtown, and looking The motives are the same. I've just Never regard the job as complete until across the city saw it obscured by anticipated improvements in methods, it's in print. Above all, try to a sea of brown pollution, with only techniques. As to motives, I go along develop your own individual style. Nauru House and a few of the other with David Riesman when he said some­ high buildings showing above it. where - I think it was in The Lonely ASFN: Finally, a summing up of the SF Laurel pointed it out to me. ”Yes,” Crowd - "we've come to realise that field in Australia and how you see things developing? I said, "but wait until you can stand men who compete primarily for wealth on the top of Kosciusko and lojk out are relatively harmless as compared WW: Local publishers, Cory § Collins over a sea of smog". The idea grew with men who compete primarily for and Norstrilia Press, seem well enough into a short story, which was virtually power". established now after a rather shaky the first chapter of the book. I read Most of the scenario of the planet start, putting out at least three it out to a writers* group before titles per year each - in fact, Cory sending it anywhere, and it seemed "Alcenar" was worked out before the rest of the book was written, by the § Collins put out five titles last to have a lot of impact. Some liked year. Their books seem to get better it, some hated in, nobody ignored it. way, including some of the types of characters. In fact, it grew, gradually reviews overseas than at home - in So I kept it and developed it into Analog and Dick Geis' SF Review in the the novel. in files, over some years. The central Australian part of the story was built USA, Ad Astra in England, and of course, There’s an odd postscript to that. up quickly from one or two stimulating the Australian Book Review and Penthouse, After it had been written, and Paul ideas, as if I were writing from a on the home scene. Overseas interest Collins had sent a copy to the background I knew - Samoa and the Red seems to indicate it was a mistake, Literature Board of Australia Council Centre - towards another locale, Alcenar earlier, to emphasise that the material to apply for a publishing grant, I which I felt I also knew, in a different was Australian. It begins to look as went back to the mountains for a final sense, because I'd worked it out if this has a negative effect on sales. check-up on the background. I'd set previously. However, this might have been temp­ part of the story in old Cabramurra, orary. For the future, thanks to which was built right on the top of a ASFN: Are you working on a new novel Star Wars, ET, etc., judging from the mountain, with three concentric loops at the moment, and can you tell us best-seller list in Time, all systems of streets linked by wooden stairways anything about it? appear GO. and a beehive of wooden buildings. WW: Yes, there's another one close to ASFN: Thank you Wynne for a very inter­ When I came in sight of it, I saw finished. I'd originally called it the whole thing had been bulldozed to esting interview and the best of luck Thor's Hammer, but Larry Niven and with your writing in the future. the ground, and a new, modern town Jerry Pournelle have just bought a had been built nearby. A much better novel called Luc if er's Hammer - I town - but I had to rewrite a whole haven't read it yet, but from the back chapter. blurb it's quite different. Still, I ASFN: And that lake in Central Aust­ may call mine Dark Frontier, unless ral ia? someone points out that's already been used. W.W.:I've flown over lake Amadeus. It was mostly dry at the time, with shallow, ASFN: Have you any advice for new discoloured water at one end. I could writers trying to break into the field? easily visualise the effect of flooding WW: That question usually brings up it by pipeline from Queensland. Later, a lot of hoary old cliches ranging I used contour maps to work out its from "Don't!" to "Write what you know future extent and shoreliness. Also, about." Is that right? When H.G. Wells I've driven over a lot of the surround­ wrote his First Men in the Moon he'd ing country. By the way, I started never been there. The point is, though, the action of that book in Samoa for - neither had anyone else. So you a couple of reasons: first I knew the might adjust that dictum to sound place; second, I think it has a timeless something like this: "Never write Authors in conference in the old Melbourne atmosphere that makes it a good start­ on a subj ect that many of the readers SF Club in the mid-60s: The late Steven ing-point for a plunge into the 21st may know more about than you do." Cook, Wynne Whiteford and Damien Broderick. century. Build a large reservoir of general ASFN: We enjoyed reading "Breathing knowledge. Don't specialise deeply Great minds think alike. Andrew Porter, Space Only" but it was not a particular­ on a few subjects, but spread your editor § Publisher of SF Chronicle has ly exciting or earth-shattering ex­ interests as wide as possible. (As said he would like to start a Photo perience, but "Sapphire Road" was a a side-effect, this can sometimes pay Gallery, using old photographs, in each lot better. We feel, however, that off in a TV quiz). If you do need issue of SFC. Looking at old photos in you did tend to overlook the potential profound specialised knowledge on a my own collection I have been thinking of the political set-up in Australia, subject, all you need to know is where basically the same, but using the old and you did not explain enough about to get it. The point is that broad theme of "All our yesterdays". So.... that or the situation on Earth in knowledge, as opposed to deep, special­ next issue we will take you back into general. Did you deliberately avoid ised knowledge gives you a richer base Australian fandom's past. writing more about the situation that for cross-fertilisation of ideas. led to the killing of the main char­ acter’s relatives and owners of the It's a good idea for a beginner writer A STATEMENT OF POLICY etc.,, company, because the interplanetary to join a writers' group in which part was more interesting, or are you members contribute regularly and The contents of Australian SF News in cooking up a sequel? criticise each other's work. Don't THE CASE OF NEWS ITEMS AND DETAILS ON pick an SF orientated group - you BOOKS PUBLISHED MAY BE REPRINTED BY WW: A sequel? What a marvellous idea, already know SF - but one interested ANYONE WHO SO WISHS, BUT THE ARTICLES, Merv! .. . Actually, overall length came in general writing. Reading one of INTERVIEWS, REVIEWS EDITORIAL AND OTHER to be a problem with "Sapphire Road" your stories to a group, or having it NON-NEWS ITEMS CANNOT BE REPRINTED WITH­ - it finished nearly 90,000 words long, read to them while you watch, gives OUT PREMISSION FROM THE PUBLISHER OF so the motives of the early killings you valuable feedback. For instance, ASFN OR THE SOURCE OF THE MATERIAL IF had to be suggested rather than analysed if 50 per cent of them are snoring GIVEN' M.Binns Ed/Pub. in Sherlock Holmes-type detail. Looked in five minutes, you know you're doing 10 Chicago and Other Points East

ATRIP REPORT parttwo BY MERV BINNS Every World Con seems to have had its problems, be they over crowding or being spread over two or more hotels and so on, but CHICON's problems if JAN HOWARD FINDER C.J.CHERRY, JEAN LORAH and SOMTOW SUCHARITKUL any were minimal. In comparison with #One USA supporter of the A '85 Bid On panel at CHICON other American World Cons it was a bit and 1983 DUFF Candidate. Photos by M.Binns unspectacular and uninspiring I was told, but everything seemed to go quite well The list of awards themselves were given for the quips and comments by both the from my point of view. The organisers in the last issue, but an interesting panel presenters and the receivers, but most did a very good . There were 300 regular I might mention, that was held before the in this case, including Tucker, had committee people and 500 gophers. It award presentations, was "The Science Fiction little to say and I felt slightly let was feared that the way things were perhaps Novel in 1981". Most of the panelists down. Perhaps I was spoilt by Torcon over-organised, written authorisation agreed that "Claw of the Conciliator" where the old masters Asimov and Bloch being needed from higher echelons for or "The Many Coloured Land" were the held sway, but I enjoyed SEACON's awards even minor items, that trouble could most likely winners of the Hugo. Charles and even AUSSIECON's better, and that was result. However a so called "travelling Brown who was one of the panelists along by far not the best part of our World Con world con-committee" made up of the with Algis Budrys, George R.R.Martin, actual operations people, handled all Rena Wolper and Shawna McArthy, commen­ Two awards not mentioned before were the the problems on-the-spot. ted on the fact that good novels quite special committee award to Mike Glyer for The attendance of 4275 people was larger often missed on nomination for the "Keeping the Fan in Fanzine ", and the than last year at Denver of 3792, but Hugo, such as "Timescape". He said that Japanese Hugos, in the form of scrolls, down on Noreascon in '80 of 5921. The the field is wide open for 1982 with a presented by Takumi Shibano . Mike was pros, dealers, committee levels and host of booKS including the new Asimov, wearing his SIX-TIME HUGO LOSER T-shirt, guests,all had different identifiable Clarke and Heinlein titles,but "Pride and with the new rules he might actually badges, which obviously worked very of Chanur" by C.J.Cherryh is probably win one next time. well. There was a very good turn up of her best yet and "Courtship Rite" by At the Guests of Honour Speeches Marta pros of course, but some big names were Donald Kingsbury and "No Enemy But Time" Randall said she was not there to intro­ missing. Poul Anderson and Roger Zelazny by Michael Bishop must also be consid­ duce the guests, but the people who were for instance were not there to pick up ered. to introduce the guests and promptly their Hugos. Everybody had a chance to One of the highlights of the convention introduced Howard de Vore who introduced meet the pros at the autograph sessions was the good job done by Marta Randall Lee Hoffman. She gave a very short held in the hucksters room, the parties, as Toastmaster. She introduced just speech and said she would speak at more and after the panels. Some panel the right touch of humour when it was length in a later interview. Robert subjects covered were "The Lure of the Asprin introduced Kelly Freas very Middle Ages", "Dont Do Any Strange needed, and she absolutely brought the roof down when during the Award presen­ eloquently and Kelly went ahead and Things in the Punchbowl"(Fan etiquette}, proceeded to castigate the artists and "The Politics of Space", "The Next tations she grabbed Bob Tucker by the arse and cried, "Smooth”. Tucker was publishersart directors, for the raw Steps" (The future of the entertainment deal that artists are getting. He said media), "Getting Dumarest to Earth" absolutely speechless for some minutes, while the audience was in hysterics. most of them have no idea what makes a (The problems of sequels.), "The Two good cover illustration. Also,the art­ Ocean Fanzine" ( A panel with Jan Finder, When he did speak the words did not come out right. The Awards presentation was ists are not being promoted enough. He John Foyster, Kevin Smith, Ted White said sf is now big business in the pub­ and Joyce Scrivner, one of the few I over in hours which set some sort of a record. Many people said this was lishing field and that it is about time saw ), and "Covering the Field" (Mag­ the publishers all realised that good azines about sf). The titles here good and complimented Marta Randall for keeping things moving, but I felt that cover illustrations sell books. He urged indicate the wide range of subjects readers to write to publishers and com­ covered in the panels. apart from the bit of humour mentioned, that the awards were a bit of a drag. I plain about poor cover illustrations. The alternative progamming included have enjoyed past award presentations Co-chairman Ross Pavlic introduced numerous meetings of special interest groups, war gaming, video and films. The Hugo nominated films were screened and there was a continuous video screen­ ing of a trailer for "Dark Crystal". The film programme itself included everything from cartoons and serials to crazy items such as "The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes". Fanzine fans were well catered for with a special room provide for them where G.O.H. Lee Hoffmann spent a good part of her time. There were also such things as the authors forum and a special programme for the sf academics, who discussed items such as "The Mechanical God", "Fans and the Future", "Studies of James Blish" and "Women in Science Fiction". The Space Programme and the Legal Considerations for Authors and Artists were regular features of the alternate programme also. Takumi Shibano being Wilson (Bob) Tucker Marilyn and Larry Timescape Editor Robert Silverberg and IASFM introduced by Marta Randall and friends Niven David Hartwell Editor Shawna McCarthy Photos courtesy Science Fiction Chronicle no preference or none of the above. Bert Chandler, whose writing he said ittee helper. After all the fuss I All those who paid $20.00 to vote are he got hooked on after reading the could have just walked in at any rate. now attending members. The Guest of early ACE titles. His heroes were un­ The ticket idea was killed for the Hugo Honour is Gordon R.Dickson (Pro) and predictable and not always winners presentations the next night. Lots of Dick Eney (Fan). The toastmastership He was obviously glad to have the opp­ fans wear costumes but do not enter in will be split between Bob Bloch and ortunity to honour an author who was the masquerade, just as they do here, Jerry Pournelle. The convention will very popular in the U.S.A, and had not but at Chicon they had what they called be held at at the Anaheim Convention received the credit due overseas. Bert "the hall costume" contest judged by Centre which is adjacent to Disneyland, started off with his own inimitable Bill Rotsler and Marjii Ellers. To get and the hotel, which is being built humour and spoke about past connections back to the main costume contest, it less than a block away is the Anaheim with Chicago, his first meeting with would take too long to give full details Hilton. Attending memberships are now John W.Campbell, his early sf influences of all the winners, but just to mention $30.00 up to April 1983. Those just and the fact that his father was a a few: BEST IN SHOW - "Pyrogensis" -- wishing to vote for the Hugos and the fantasy reader, but never let on up to Dave Meyers, Kelly Turner, Karen 1986 site selection can join for $20.00 his death. He carried on with his own Schnaubelt, Diane Dawe, Susan Lanoue, but these will not be convertable to ideas of the developement of sf and Nathalia Quirk; MOST BEAUTIFUL — attending memberships. further humorous anecdotes and the "Jherek Carnelian and the Iron Orchid - audience loved it. Sally Fink and George Pacholtz; MOST Some significant items were covered at SPECTACULAR - "Fantasy and Science the business sessions that were held During the programme Ross Pavlic inter­ Fiction -- Kathy and Drew Sanders. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings. viewed Bert Chandler under the heading (Those people who have seen these last They lasted two hours each and had of "The Life and Times of John Grimes", two couples previous efforts would know 80 to 100 people attending. Donald Terry Carr interviewed Lee Hoffman, what a splendid job they can do and Eastlake and George Flynn ran them. Frank Kelly Freas was also interviewed, their costumes here were great.) THE A new draft of the constitution was but I missed by whom and other inter­ BEST SCIENCE FICTION - "Man Plus" -- tabled and is now dead. A new standing viewees included Philip Jose Farmer, Philip Mercier ( From Fred Pohl's rule allows the business meeting at Douglas Adams, Robert Silverberg, Gary novel and this guy's first World con the World Con to choose the site for Kurtz and Jim Henson. costume entry. An excellent job.); the North American SF Convention The Masquerade was very colourful and HONORED FOR EXCELLENCE - "Arienhod, The (NASFIC), which is only held when the the mind boggles at the time entrants Snow Queen" -- Jacqueline M.War (This World Con is held outside North America. must put into making their costumes. costume was perfect and should have won A resolution was passed, but it was One report said that it was not as spec­ one of the major prizes in my opinion.) not binding, requesting World Con-coms tacular as seen at other world cons. I The MEDIA WINNERS who were judged to pass on con profits to worthy fan detected a trend towards a lot of att­ seperately to the rest, were an action causes such as TAFF, DUFF, GUFF, TOFF, ention to the costumes themselves and stunt group who did "Indiana Jones". FAAn Awards, Nfff, FAN, plus PBS and less to presentation and extras, like They also entertained during the Hugo NPR for sponsorship of sf programming, lighting and weapons. The emphasis presentations, doing mock scenes from plus future world con committees. The seemed to be more on fantasy and less the five nominated movies between the most important item for many people was on science fiction, not much humour actual presentations. A Star Trek take a change to the Hugo Awards,in that a and not much in the way of aliens off, the "Royal Canadian Mounted Star- new category "Best Semi- Prozine " has or monsters. Even so I found a much fleet", were also very good. The Cosmos been added. Eligible nominees are more professional approach to the whole and Chaos juggling act, Ro Lutz-Nagy defined as "Any generally available thing than Seacon in England, but with and Stephen Leigh with assistance from non-professional publication devoted less humour, and I don't think as Frank Johnson and Ben Zuhl, entertained to science fiction or fantasy which enjoyable, trying to remember back that at half-time during the masquerade. has published at least four issues, at far, as Torcon in '73. The Committee They were very good. Ro Lutz-Nagy least one which has appeared in the cafne up with the crazy idea of issuing juggled three bowling balls. previous calendar year, and which tickets for the Masquerade. It took meets at least two of the following ages to get into the room and the place There was no opposing bid against Los criteria: (1) had an average press run was at least 10% empty at any rate. I Angeles to hold the World Con in 1984. of at least one thousand copies per got a ticket courtesy of Melbourne girl LA CON II will be held August 30th to issue, (2)paid its contributors and/ Adrienne Losin, who had been living September 3rd 1984. Of the 1163 ballots or staff in other than copies of the over there for a while and was a comm- LA got 914 and the rest were write-ins, publication, (3) provided at least half the income of any one person, (4) had well known critics within the sf field, to introduce another category and put at least fifteen percent of its total have strongly criticised both books. in the "semiprozine" award this year, space occupied by advertising,or (5) Tom disch said of the Asimov book - It will of course be officially on the announced itself to be a semiprozine.” "Asimov attempts so little and achieves list from 1984 on if all goes well. Minor changes were made to the fanzine, so much less that a critic shrinks before fan writer and fan artist award wording the task of describing emptiness so vast. (Aa much as I taue appreciated the heip and all changes along with the new ....(Whether it) will enjoy the success and information given by SF Chronicle amendment will not become part of the of its antecedent trilogy would seem to and Local, tn the past, I would appreciate constitution until ratified at Baltimore lie in the hands of the ten-to-twelve- an original report on CONSTELLATION, pref- next year. All other motions put were year-old segment of the reading public". abty by one of the Australian fans going defeated. to Baltimore. Also somebody else to take Even if a book is particularly well My final summing of my impressions of photographs. As press representatives, written, this does not necessarily mean CHICON is that I did enjoy it, but I was which I can and will arrange this time, that it will even get nominated for The a little disappointed that I did not get you would have some special privilages. Hugo. What seems to be counting most to see more of the panels and interviews. Id. ) now is the popularity of the author, or There will always be a clash of interests just simply whatever takes the fancy of between the fan and the professional book­ the people who bother to vote. seller I guess. It was great meeting all the friends I have made over there, both in fandom and on the bookselling side. This observation applies particularly The way business is going here at the to the novel voting. DOWNBELOW STATION moment I regret it is going to be a was a surprise to us, but C.J.Cherryh very long time before I venture overseas is a nice person and very popular with again, but I will hope and I am certainly the fans. They obviously wanted her to looking forward to seeing many of you win, even if other nominations were URSULA LE GUIN received the 1982 over here in 1985. better all round books. Apart from the RHYSLING AWARD, given by the Science film award, most people seemed to think Fiction Poetry Association. She received In the October SF chronicle, editor that there were no other real surprises the Best Long Poem award for "The Well Andrew Porter complains about the fail­ in the winners, in the other categories of Bain", first published in HARD WORDS ure of the Chicon committee people last year. It has been said that C.J. to supply everyone with full details of AND OTHER POEMS, published by Harper and Cherry's novel PRIDE OF CHANUR, published Row. The Best Short Poem Award went to the Hugo voting. As a matter of fact I in '82, is better than the Hugo winner. Raymond DiZazzo for "The Speed of Sight". could bitch* about not getting better Anybody want to bet on it getting nom­ treatment at CHICON as a newszine inated? Besides the Asimov and Clarke THE 1983 NEBULA AWARDS banquet will be editor, but that was my own fault for contenders, which surely must get on held at the New York Statler Hilton on not being familiar with procedures and the final list, there is THE SWORD OF THE April 23, 1983. The preliminary nomination not reading pre-publicity material LICTOR by Gene Wolfe, NO ENEMY BUT TIME ballot has been announced. The top 7 books properly. I will know better next time by Michael Bishop (a better chance for are as follows: THE SWORD OF THE LICTOR - if there is one. .. D. Wolfe (19), HELLICONIA SPRING -Aldiss (15), Merv Binns the Nebula ), THE TRANSMIGRATION OF TIMOTHY ARCHER by Philip K.Dick (not NO ENEMY BUT TIME - Bishop (IS) FRIDAY - sf or even fantasy really, but it could Heinlein (13), THE PRIDE OF CHANUR -Cherryh SOME EDITORIAL COMMENTS ON command a sympathy vote), HELLICONIA (13), THE PROMETHEUS MAN - Nelson (11), SPRING by Brian Aldiss, STARBURST by COURTSHIP RITE - Kingsbury (9). These are THE HUGO AWARDS Frederik Pohl, COURTSHIP RITE by Donald followed by five books with 7 votes; We gave the Hugo winners in the last Kingsbury and George R.R.Martin's FEVRE BIRTHRIGHT: THE BOOK OF MAN -Resnick, issue of the News, so we will not list DREAM. And we almost forgot Robert EYE OF CAT -Zelazny, THE GOLDEN SPACE- them all again, even to show how the Heinlein's FRIDAY, which is not a great Sargent, RODERICK - Sladek and THE' TRANSMIGRATION OF TIMOTHY ARCHER -Dick. number of votes each nomination got, book, but probably better than his last except for the novels. DOWNBELOW STATION half a dozen or more novels. Then of THE LOCUS ANNUAL BOOK SURVEY received 265 final votes and 64 nomin­ course there is L.Ron Hubbard's giant In this year of takeovers and mergers in ations, THE CLAW OF THE CONCILIATOR novel BATTLEFIELD EARTH, which the the American paperback field, sf comes up received 240 votes and 139 nominations, Scientology people are promoting as the selling better with most publishers than THE MANY-COLORED LAND got 163 votes sflbook of the century’. If they all join general books. The hardcover bestseller after 53 nominations, PROJECT POPE got the World con, and there is nothing to lists have also been stacked with sf, 118 votes and 53 nominations, and fin­ stop them, and all vote for "Battlefield", fantasy and associated titles. There were ally LITTLE,BIG got 98 votes and 58 it could very easily win. We are sure that 1047 sf books published in 1982 -- almost nominations. No Award got 51 votes. most fans would be annoyed if that hap­ the same as 1981. 55% were new and the pened, not that the book is bad or even The thing that strikes us first of all rest were reprints. There were: 184 poor sf, it is we hear a quite! readable sf is the very small number of people that sf novels, 129 fantasy novels, 63 anth­ adventure, but it would be a bit of a voted,considering the number of people ologies, 62 collections, 48 reference/ joke wouldn't it? who were members of the convention and academic, 29 novelisations, 17 omnibus eligible to vote. This is why a con­ In conclusion, our opinion is that more volumes, 18 art and 22 miscellaneous certed effort by a group of people can fans should make the effort to vote for associated titles. These figures we be­ swing the vote. The fact that RAIDERS the Hugo Awards, especially those that lieve include British titles distributed ‘of THE LOST ARK won Best Film last will be attending the convention. It is in the USA. The average price of paper­ year, with 551 people voting for it as becoming more and more expensive for non­ backs has risen, but the bookstore chains against 139 for TIME BANDITS, 117 for attendees to join and vote, which is one in the US have decreed that they will not handle genre fiction at prices over $2.95, EXCALIBUR, 107 for DRAGONSLAYER and of the main reasons that Australian fans apart from bestsellers. Consequently we 59 for OUTLAND, indicates to us that join, along with being able to vote for probably will not be seeing very many big some.people may have only bothered to the site for future World Cons. For years sf paperbacks from now on. vote so that they could vote for we have been badgering Australian fans to "Raiders". This should never have won. vote in the Ditmar Awards, now it seems CITADEL OF THE AUTARCH - '82 OR '83 ? We enjoyed it as a film, it was great fun, we need to encourage both local and over­ but not sf and only marginally fantasy. seas fans to vote on the Hugo Awards and The fourth volume in "The Book of the make them more representative of an New Sun" by Gene Wolfe, sold out it’s The line up of books for the 1983 voting overall opinion. We realise of course 10,000 copy edition from Timescape on is rather awe inspiring when you look that fans in Australia have some difficulty publication. Only 6000 copies were at the authors, but despite the fact in getting hold of and reading all the printed of the first three volumes, but that 2010:ODYSSEY TWO by Arthur C. eligible books and stories, but we hope THE SHADOW OF THE TORTURER did not sell Clarke and FOUNDATION'S EDGE by Isaac you will make some effort in the future. and was remaindered, THE CLAW OF THE Asimov, have been 2nd and 3rd on the CONCILIATOR stayed in print for nearly overall Bestseller list, not just sf, a year, and number three, THE SWORD OF in the USA, they are no certainty to George Flynn ( leader of business ses- THE LICTOR also sold out on publication. take out the Hugo. Either of them. ion at CHICON) is urging CONSTELLATION Although on sale in December, the pub­ Most reviews for 'Edge' and '2010' by to use their option under Hugo rules, lishers have told everybody that THE T ' CITADEL OF THE AUTARCH (Volume 4), was given the opportunity to read the proofs. Is commercialism creeping into sf fan­ not published until January. We know Besides being extensively edited, which dom in the States? ROBERT ASPRIN is try­ that they have the name "Timescape", but amounted to a rewrite, there were serious ing to form a consulting firm to get do they really have a time machine in errors and there was a failure "to pub­ companies to sponsor sections of con their dispatch department? The British lish a proper notice of copyright", all programs and a company called 'Synergy', edition from Sidgwick Jackson is due of which made Budrys come to his decis­ has decided to put $600,000, presumably for March publication. ion. The editor Gary K.Wolf says he as a tax loss, into bringing famous is not accepting the blame. We do not pros to conventions. The latter, expect­ know the full circumstances of course, ing an adverse reaction from fans, are but it does seem strange that an editor asking for a chance. Personally we do Publish anii be has not "edited" a book that bears his not like their chances of selling the name as editor. idea to fandom. Da AIN Ell! Boy the Poms sure seem to get themselves We read a report that D.G.Compton has A Column of gossip, inuendo and other into trouble over there! A recent issue been proclaimed an unsaleable author in news items of controversial content, of Ansible reports impending legal the US sf market. That is nothing new to action against the BSFA by the Regis­ edited by I.M.McRaker. us, as he is a dead loss here also. We trar of Companies involving fines up to are not saying that he is a bad writer, Living up to it's reputation of fandoms £1000 if they do not smarten themselves but he is just not popular with the answer to The Daily Mirror or News of up; Convention committee members seem readers here and there are many like the world, Ansible presents Martin M. to be threating one another with legal him. Barry Malzberg, Michael Bishop, Wooster's report on the World Fantasy action; Paul Campbell, publisher of and Russell Griffin are three that come Convention. The highlight is the bit EXTRO magazine has been ripped of and how to mind. If authors have a style that is about a disreputable British fan/pro, by his distributors Seymour, with money not popular with the readers, they either dousing a well known American fiction owednot forthcoming and all the unsold have to live with it or change it. SF in editor, of an equally well known glossy copies being destroyed. (We. have heaAd particular is big business now, catering sc-fi magazine, with beer from a Zt att befjcvte, wZth pooA old. Ron GAaham'i for a great many readers whose interest shaken can. Sounds more like the sort vision foA example. Ed.) in the literary value of what they are of thing a disreputable Australian fan/ reading is minimal, so the publishers pro would do, and I know just the one We agree with Ansible’s assessment of Arthur C.Clarke's 2010: ODYSSEY TWO, purely from an economic point of view, who might have liked to swap places with must publish what sells. We know that said British type. Needless to say it is in that despite his own opinion that it statement will be taken as heresy by some unlikely his work will appear in said is his best effort, it has his usual people, but you have to face the facts. magazine for some time. Also overheard weak characterisation and fails to deliver the long awaited answer to the We are not saying that authors should at same party: 'Yes, I liked HELLICONIA not continue to write in a way that they SPRING, but it won't even be nominated glorious denouement promised in the first book. (Even I noticed the. many want to, and in one that they and many for a Nebula.' 'Why not?', 'Look at the critics consider as superior, but they cover. It's got a 16th century painting mtitakei tn GAanada's pAoof copy, iome oi uihtch appaAently twin up itilt. tn should realise that they will most likely on it, and SFWA members won't vote for only reach a smaller market. things they can't understand.' the. book ttietf,. Ed.) Also reported is Clarke's speech to the UN Committee on We sympathise with some of the British The above mentioned pro, denies the Disarmament, calling for a 'Peacesat' authors in particular, who are being story in the next issue of Ansible, International Satellite Monitoring rejected by the big US market, but if is saying that it was not a can, it was a Agency to promote global togetherness. a matter of eating or starving...... bottle and he was not thrown out of the He would like to follow up last year's party, as the report stated. visit to the USSR, but they may not When you see a book like HOUSE OF ZEOR be so keen after his part-dedication by Jacqueline Lichtenberg being offered The author of AFTER MAN, the art-come- of 'Odyssey Two' to the persecuted for $75.00 (autographed of course), you future-zoological treatise, Dougal DIXON, physicist Sakharov. cannot blame some writers for saying that was heard to remark when unofficially there just ain't no justice in the sf bus­ informed that his book had not won the We always knew that the land of our iness. The 'rare' book was listed by a Hugo, "Any system of judging that elects fathers harbored a lot of rude and firm in the USA that offered us copies of RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK as the best uncouth people, that is why our fathers Wolfe's "Book of the New Sun" volumes dramatic presentation must be a little left, but at convention fancy dress one and two for $75 and $35. Nuff said! suspect". Incidently we were not very competitions they hold there, they have items such as the Mary Whitehouse French publishers J'ai Lu and J.C.Lattes impressed with Mr Dougal's book at any are translating inconsequental sf novels rate. Despite all the research and art- Least Dressed Award and the Breast Dressed Award. Disgusting! ( PauZ Steveni and adding spicy sex scenes. (P.J.S. ii tistic work that has gone into, we con­ Manti to knoM uhen the next Unicon oa tn the rr.ztiket foA a copy of T.V.hAench.} sider it a load of twaddle. CymAucon aAe on tn BActatn. Ed. ) HARLAN ELLISON does it again. He is the only "SF superstar" to make it on THE BEN BOVA's non-fiction book, THE HIGH AMERICAN BACHELOR'S REGISTER compiled by ROAD was bought by Omni magazine when MARKET REPORT he was editor (3000 copies), for sale the editors of Playgirl magazine. Rumor MARION ZIMMER BRADLEY is editing an through the magazine. We hear that only has it that..wait for it... LAST DANGER­ anthology tentatively titled SWORDS AND 38 copies were sold. Incidentlywe saw OUS VISIONS has been completed, but SORCERESSES for DAW. She is looking for no publicity for it away from the mag­ Chris PRIEST just managed to sneak a stories of 1200 to 12,000 words (shorter azine, and even now we do not know who story in. preferred), with strong heroines and an published it. Peter PINTO,and Derek STOKES who was ’’emphasis on woman as her/swordswoman/ the proprietor of the London science woman as wizard”. Typed on text-quality- fiction bookshop "Dark They Were and printer-manuscripts only -- no dot mat­ Golden Eyed", which closed down bank­ rix printing. Payment is 3$ - 7Frank Herbert in January, followed by THE SUNSET WARRIOR PUBLISHERS RELEASE HIGHLIGHTS (RP) by Eric Van Lustbader, along with his SHALLOWS OF NIGHT and DAI SAN. They FOR EARLY 1983 also have another piece of sexist gar­ bage to go with their John Norman books, The Australian trickle of original sf THE WARRIOR WITHIN by Sharon Green, and books continues, with the megre output of apparently only one 'I'iDr Who" title, sf from British publishers getting even DOCTOR WHO - TIME FLIGHT by Peter worse, while the US stream still continues Grimwade. despite the amalgamation of some of the major paperback publishing houses who pub­ All of these paperbacks will be released by the local distributors in due course. lish most of the ftjsf titles. The local output has been mentioned in main news Arrow, Coronet, NEL and Futura by Hodder section, so to start with the British titles and Stoughton; Granada and Star by Gordon due up to April : From ARROW we have and Gotch; Sphere and Hamlyn by Thomas Nelson; Magnum by Methuen Australia; Gene Wolfe's THE FIFTH HEAD OF CERBERUS in January, THE AFFIRMATION by Christopher Penguin by Penguin Australia. Priest, RUN TO THE STARS by Mike Scott Rohan PAN incidently, have gone to a lot of and ALIEN PLANETS edited by Peter Davison trouble to promote the Julian May "Saga in February, and an anonymous collection, of the Exiles" series. Posters, dump­ title not listed, for April. CORGI have bins, good cover illustrations and a Anne McCaffrey's THE CRYSTAL SINGER and small poster giving May's biographical A large number of Science Fiction and RESTOREE (RP) for January(March here), details, with photographs of her wear­ Fantasy books are still being published THE LENSMAN FROM RIGEL by David Kyle also ing her own designed fantasy costumes, in the U.S.A., both in paperback and January and that's it. CORONET will pub­ are all part of their campaign. hardcover and they are making their pres­ lish THE GALACTIC EFFECTUATOR by Jack ence felt on the besteller lists. Major Vance in February. FUIURA published In the hard cover field W.H.ALLEN will new release from January to March are: Mildred Downey Broxon's' fantasy TOO LONG do four lIDr Who" books; MEGLOS by ACE - THERE IS NO DARKNESS by Joe Haldeman A SACRIFICE in January, THE BARBIE Terrance Dicks, CASTROVALVA by Christopher and Jack Haldeman II, THE WORLDS OF H. MURDERS by John Varley in February, Orson H.Bidmead, FOUR TO DOOMSDAY by Terrance BEAM PIPER edited by John F.Carr, HARPY'S Dicks and EARTHSHOCK by Ian Marter. Scott Card's UNACCOMPANIED SONATA in FLIGHT by Megan Lindholm, RED SONJA#5: March, and SANDKINGS by George R.R. In March RICHARD DREW publish the first AGAINST THE PRINCE OF HELL by David C. Martin in April. FONTANA have no sf but three volumes in the Stephen Donaldson Smith and Richard Tierney. HEROIC VISIONS they will have WHITE GOLD WIELDER by series, FIRST CHRONICLES OF THOMAS edited by Jessica Amanda Salmonson, Stephen Donaldson, which William Collins COVENANT, in one hardback volume. CENOTAPH ROAD by Robert Vardeman, DAUGHTER released here in hard cover in February, OF WITCHES by Patricia C.Wrede, THE DRAGON and will release in Fontana in July. GOLLANCZ publish Ursula LeGuin's collection RISES by Adrienne Martine-Barnes, STAR THE COMPASS ROSE, featuring the full COLONY by Keith Laumer, THE PRISONER OF GRANADA paperbacks have the most sf range of her writing styles, FAR FROM titles, even if they are unspectacular, ZHAMANAK by L.Sprague De Camp, KING'S HOME is a collection by Walter Tevis, with RODERICK AT RANDOM by John Sladek BLOOD FOUR by Sheri S.Tepper, JHEREG by and Robert Silverberg's SUNRISE ON Steven Brust and GENTLEMAN JUNKIE (Non-sf) (Part 2 the "Roderick" novel), CAUTIONARY MERCURY. CHEKOV'S JOURNEY by Ian Watson TALES by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, THE STORIES by Harlan Ellison. is a time concept novel featuring the OF RAY BRADBURY (2 vols), THE VANISHING Russian authors journey to Siberia and BANTAM * BOOK OF SKULLS by Robert TOWER by Michael Moorcock, BENEATH AN a modern film crew commemorating the Silverberg, MATHEW SWAIN #4: THE ODDS ARE OPAL MOON by Eric Van Lustbader, THE WAY event. Finally they will publish Michael MURDER by Mike McQuay, MAJIPOOR CHRONICLES THE FUTURE WAS by Frederik Pohl (NF), Coney's CAT KARINA in May. by Robert Silverberg, THE WINDHOVER TAPES: THE TROUBLE TWISTERS by Poul Anderson, FLEXING THE WARP by Warren Norwood, THE SPLIT INFINITY by Piers Anthony, THE In February GRANADA publish Asimov's UNICORN CREED by Elizabeth Scarborough DANCERS AT THE END OF TIME by Michael new "Foundation" novel, FOUNDATION'S (Sequel to SONG OF SORCERY), DANCE OF THE Moorcock, and THE UNREASONING MASK EDGE. His first novel in ten years and HAG by Stephen Leigh, NEBULA WINNERS 15 by Philip Jose Farmer. METHUEN only have it deserves a better cover illustration, edited by Frank Herbert, and a new juv­ one, the first British edition of a 1955 than a disembodied brain complete with enile occult series "Dark Forces". title, PREFERRED RISK by Edson McCann floating eyeballs. A large majority of (Fred Pohl & Lester Del Rey). readers, especially the casual sf type, BERKLEY - THE UNREASONING MASK by Philip will not be seen dead reading the book Jose Farmer, IDLE PLEASURES by George HAMLYN's small release includes MORE with a cover like that. Even if it has Alec Effinger , ORBIT by Thomas Block, THINGS IN HEAVEN by John Brunner, STYX been number two on the U.S. bestseller HART'S HOPE by Orson Scott Card, SET by Christopher Hyde, THE NESTLING by list. OF WHEELS by Robert Thurston, TRADER TO Charles L.Grant, and a good old title THE STARS by Poul Anderson, FAMILIAR THE PROUD ROBOT by Henry Kutner ROBERT HALE are publishing hard covers SPIRIT by Lisa Tuttle, ECLIPSING BINAR­ NEL, who used to be one of the most versions of the film fantasy epics, IES by E.E."Doc" Smith and Stephen prolific sf publishers have only two CONAN THE BARBARIAN by L.Sprague De Camp Goldin, TWELVE FAIR KINGDOMS by Suzette sf titles and a few horror/fantasy, and Lin Carter and THE SWORD AND THE Haden Elgin, SPACEWAYS #10 : THE YOKE OF CAGEWORLD #4:STAR SEARCH by Colin Kapp, SORCERER by Norman Winski, plus two sf SHEN by John Cleve, THE WHITE PLAGUE by THE BEAST by Jeffrey Konvitz, THE KEEP titles, A CACTUS GARDEN by Jo Bannister Frank Herbert and LYONESSE by Jack Vance. by Paul F.Wilson, and the major title and John Lymington's THE VALE OF THE SAD on the whole list, FRIDAY by Robert BANANA. DAW - THE WARRIOR ENCHAINED by Sharon Green, RED AS BLOOD by Tanith Lee, OUT Heinlein, due out in April. Lisa Tuttle's SECKER § WARBURG will publish Stanislaw FAMILIAR SPIRIT is also an April title. OF THEIR MINDS by Clifford Simak, THE Lem's MORE TALES OF PIRX THE PILOT, trans­ DEADLY SKY by Doris Piserchia, MOON- PAN BOOKS have reissued Arthur C.Clarke's lated from the Polish by Louis Iribarne SCATTTER by Jo Clayton, PRELUDE TO CHAOS THE VIEW FROM SERINDIP (NF) and will do and Michael Kandel. by Edward Llewellyn, THE GATES OF EDEN Julian May's THE NON BORN KING, the 3rd In March from SIDGWICK § JACKSON comes by Brian Stableford, ISAAC ASIMOV PRE- - SENTS THE GREAT SF STORIES #9 ed. by Isaac Asimov 8 Martin H.Greenberg, THE REGIMENTS OF NIGHT by Brian N.Ball, obituaries J

THE DREAMSTONE by C.J.Cherryh, and Wood KAJIRA OF GOR by John Norman. DOUBLEDAY - KING OF THE WOOD by John Susan

Maddox Roberts, THE ALIEN UPSTAIRS by Pamela Sargent, THE WINDS OF CHANGE 6 OTHERS TORIES by Isaac Asimov, HYACINTHS Photo by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, CHRYSALIS 10 ed. by Roy Torgeson, and NAVIGATOR'S SYNDROME by Jayge Carr. (All in HC ) DEL REY - NIGHT MARE by Piers Anthony, THE SWORD OF BHELEU by Lawrence Watt- Evans, OPERATION LONGLIFE by E.Hoffman Price, THE WALL AROUND A STAR by Fred Pohl and Jack Williamson, A TAPESTRY OF MAGICS by Brian Daley, THE DISAPPEARING DWARF by James P.Blaylock, FOR LOVE OF MOTHER-NOT by Alan Dean Foster, SECTOR GENERAL by James White, THE WALLS OF Dallas McCord Reynolds was bom Nov­ AIR by Barbara Hambly, and the ember 12th, 1917, in Corcoron, Calif­ "Foundation" trilogy by Asimov, in the ornia. His father was twice a presid­ first Del Rey printing. ential candidate on the Socialist Labor ticket, but he did not regard himself PLAYBOY - SPACEWAYS #9: IN QUEST OF JOAN HUNTER HOLLY died October 19th last, in Sparrow Hospital, Lansing, as either communist or socialist. How­ QALARA by John Cleve. This is the last Michigan. She had small cell cancer in ever he did believe that changes were title that will appear under the needed in the socio-economic system Playboy imprint, in the f§sf category. both lungs. and this came through in his writing. She was born September 25, 1932, in NAL/SIGNET - BILI THE AXE by Robert Lansing, and she lived there all of her After attending high school in Kingston Adams, THE THREE-LEGGED HOOTCH DANCER life. She started "writing" before she New York, he worked as a reporter, and by Michael Resnick, STRATA by Terry was old enough to write - dictating became a marine during the war. After Pratchett, THE SNARKOUT BOYS AND THE stories to her mother. She took a degree the war he became a full time writer. AVOCADO OF DEATH by Daniel Pinkwater. in psychology and sold her first story His most prolific writing period was in TIMESCAPE - HC : THE VOID CAPTAIN'S when a university student. the 1950s when he sold stories to most of the adventure pulps, but not ASF, TABLE by Norman Spinrad. PBS: BLACK FIRE Her earlier novels were published under Galaxy or F8SF. In the sixties however by Sonni Cooper (Star Trek), THE QUEEN the name "J.Hunter Holly", but later OF THE LEGION by Jack Williamson, his stories in Analog and IF were very she wrote as Joan C.Holly and then BLOODED ON ARACHNE by Michael Bishop. popular, and were mostly rewritten and HC : RETIEF TO THE RESCUE by Keith Joan Hunter Holly. Her writing career published in book form by ACE. He was Laumer. PBS : WEB OF LIGHT by Marion was interupted by a brain tumor which nominated a number of times, but never Zimmer Bradley, THE FLOATING GODS by was sucessfully removed in 1972 and won a major award. M.John Harrison, THE SPACE EATER by she went on to become a Trustee of the SFWA, and in 1975 she was elected His best short fiction appears in THE David Langford, TRIANGLE: A Star Trek BEST OF MACK REYNOLDS (1976). Some of Novel by Sondra Marshak and Myrna treasurer. A position she held for three years. his outstanding novels are THE RIVAL Culbreath, FROST by Robin Bailey, and RIGELIANS(1967), MERCENARY FROM TOM­ RENAISSANCE by A.E.Van Vogt. Besides her 13 novels, she had 8 sf MORROW (1975), BLACKMAN 'S BURDEN (1972), TOR/PINACLE - THE DRAGON LORD by David short stories published. She regarded THE SPACE BARBARIANS (1960), and FIVE Drake, NEW AMERICA by Poul Anderson, THE GREY ALIENS as her best novel.(1963). WAY SECRET AGENT (1969). NESFA has a A REBEL IN TIME by Harry Harrison, THERE "Her friends and colleagues will cherish Boskone book , COMPOUND INTEREST,sched­ WILL 3E WAR edited by Jerry Poumelle, THE memories of the indomitable courage and uled for March and TOR have three re­ PRITCHER MASS by Gordon R.Dickson, THE good humour with which she faced the prints "re-edited by " Dean Ing plan­ FIRST BOOK OF ‘SWORDS by Fred Saberhagen formidable adversities life dealt her." ned. "His best fiction is tied too (TPB) , THE VARKAUS CONSPIRACY by John Lloyd Biggie, Jr. - SF Chronicle strongly to the present no matter when Dalmas, and TWILIGHT WORLD by Poul it takes place. His books still make Anderson. WILLIAM P.McGIVERN, sf pulp and mystery fascinating reading, and I advise you writer, died of cancer on November 18th to pick them up before they disappear Thomas Nelson releases of SPHERE books 1982. He was reported to be aged 61. entirely." Charles N.Brown. not covered above include: DYING OF He was bom in Chicago, December 6th PARADISE by Stephen Couper, THE BRIGADE 1921. Apart from a brief period as a by John Shirley, THE STAINLESS STEEL RAT newspaper mar,, he spent all of his life WORLD SF MEETING HELD IN AUSTRIA FOR PRESIDENT by Harry Harrison, writing. His first story was published COSMICOMICS by Italo Calvino (Abacus), Don Wollheim reports in SF Chronicle, that by Amazing in 1940, and over the next THE GENESIS ROCK by Edwin Corley, THE the World SF Organisation met in Linz, 15 years many of his stories were pub­ ICE BELT by Stephen Couper, YEARWOOD by Austria, 24th to 26th of September last. lished by Ziff Davis magazines. He then Paul Hazel and IRISH FOLK & FAIRY TALES The Chairman was Fed Pohl. A somewhat switched to mystery writing, radio by Michael Scott. Other Nelson Australian smaller attendance than before of less scripts, TV and movies. His most notable releases included in HAMLYN: THE SHAPE OF than 100, was made up of writers, editors movie being THE BIG HEAT (1953). Many WARS TO COME by David Blake' (NF), DARK and translators from eleven countries. others of his twenty-plus novels were UNIVERSE by Daniel F.Galouye, EINSTEIN'S Brian Aldiss was elected president for also filmed, often from his own screen­ the next period, with Zagreb as the site BRAIN by Mark Olshaker, THE NORTHERN pl ays. GIRL by Elizabeth A.Lynn, and in VIRGIN of the next meeting. BOOKS TPB edition, THE ILLUSTRATED BOOK A new award for translating, the "Karel”, OF SCIENCE FICTION by Mike Ashley (NF). MACK REYNOLDS, 65, died in a Texas named for Karel Kapek, the author of hospital on Sunday January 30th 1983. "R.U.R.”, was designed by Fred Pohl. It DONT FORGET I A FULL LIST OF ALL SF He had been operated on for cancer of featured a robot astride a globe of the AND FANTASY TITLES WILL BE FOUND IN the esophagus in November, and had Earth, in glass. All the attendees were OUR OTHER PUBLICATION, "a SCIENCE seemed to be recovering, back writing warmly welcomed by the city of Linz and FICTION AND FANTASY CHECKLIST", WITH letters in early January. He was back they were entertained by events in the MORE DETAILS ON PUBLISHERS, PRICES, in hospital on January 25th. Reynolds annual ”Ars Electrica Festival, that STORY, ISBN AND MORE, THE FIRST ISSUE was to be the Guest of Honor at Boskone coincided with the meeting. COVERING TITLES PUBLISHED UP TO DECEMBER XX Convention on February 18th, but he 1982 IS NOW AVAILABLE @ $2.00 PLUS For details on the World SF Organisation will not be replaced. Fred Pohl will write the secretary: Sam J.Lundwall, 504 POSTED. deliver a eulogy instead. 16 Storskogsvagen 19, S-161 39 Bromma, SWEDEN. It was the last scene and the last shot Following the success of Francis Ford of the segment, which will be included Coppola's resurrection of the 1927 in the film which is expected to be re­ Abel Gance film "Napoleon", composer leased on schedule in US summer. The Georgio Moroder has announced plans to second segment is being directed by Joe revive Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" in Dante from a script by Richard Matheson. 70mm. (One would hope that they do not Still to come are stories directed by forget that diffetent ptenti, with George Miller and the executive director diffetent icenet ok mote complete icenet Steven Spielberg. exitt, including the one in the National STAR WARS broke more records when shown LibKOKy in Canbetea, AustKaZia. Ed.) on cable TV in the US last year, by CBS has paid more than $750,000 for the attracting 30% of the viewing audience. TV rights to James Michener's novel An Update on the Australian SF One company alone covering only six of "Space". It is expected to appear in the the major city areas, took in $1.3 Film ALIEN HUNTER form of a mini-series six to ten hours in million on the screening. Lucasfilm length. RICHARD BRADLEY PRODUCTIONS PTY.LTD : has announced that "Return of the Jedi" "We would like to thank the many enquiries will be released in May '83. The next Producer Renee Valente is preparing a to the article in SF News concerning part of the series to be filmed will be film sequel to "The Day The Eath Stood ALIEN HUNTER. Episode 3, which is one of the three Still". The central characters will be We would like to advise that Nick episodes set before the three films that the Patricia Neal character's son and Stathopoulos, Marilyn Pride and Lewis will have been released by May, episodes Klatuu's (Michael Rennie) daughter. Morley Jnr were chosen to work on the 4,5 and 6. Episodes 1 and 2 go further The $5 million 20th Century-Fox produc­ film after they had produced some out­ back and then the action will jump to tion will be written and directed by standing and most original ideas to est­ Episode 7, set after "Return of the David Englebach. ablish the overall look of ALIEN HUNTER. Jedi". A sequel to "Raiders of the Lost Their visual concepts have now been com­ Ark" is also in view, which will go into pleted and along with the excellent Third productuon in June '83 under the working Draft script by Valerie Parv the project title of "Indy II". is now being discussed with major distrib­ "Star Trek III" will not be called "In utors in Australia and Japan. Search of Spock", say Paramount, but it Thanks " Richard Bradley (Co-producer) will go into production, produced again by Harve Bennett, in June '83 for a And from Nick himself: 1984 release. At the time of this report "A notice about the film ALIEN HUNTER in only William Shatner had been signed to #30 has given me my first big break in star. the industry. As a result of that notice A later report indicates that Leonard and a subsequent interview with the pro­ Nimoy will direct "ST III", but we are ducer, I've spent the last three months not sure if this should be taken too conceptualizing the film in a series of seriously. pre-production paintings. It's exactly DAVID LYNCH, whose credits as a director what I've always wanted to do - be res- include "The Elephant Man”, has been sponsible for the look and feel of an selected by Dino DeLaurentiis to direct A scene from the original "The Day The SF film. Without ASFN, I would never "Dune". Lynch is also writing the screen­ Earth Stood Still", with Gort the robot, have known about the film. Thank you." play adaption of Frank Herbert's novel, Michael Rennie and Patricia Neal. Nick Stathopoulos which will be filmed on location in Mexico. PETER BEAGLE reports that he is very Rock star Sting, lead singer of the pleased with the Rankin and Bass ani­ A JOHN CARPENTER film of STEPHEN KING'S group The Police, has been signed for mated film of his story THE LAST UNICORN. novel "Firestarter" has been shelved. a co-starring role in the film DUNE. He did the script for this feature Universal cited the $17 million budget Gordon Sumner, which is his real name, length work , but despite early trepid­ as the main problem, and not any lack recently appeared in the British film ations and doubts of this basically of confidence in Carpenter. BRIMSTONE AND TREACLE. literary story coming over properly on Another film of a Stephen King novel the screen, he thinks it is the best thing Rankin § Bass have done. We have is "Cujo". Filming started on the Dan HARLAN ELLISON has been signed to write Blatt production, but the day after not seen a great deal if any of their the screenplay for the film of "Bug Jack work here, but readers may have seen filming began the director Peter Medak Barron" for Universal. The tentative was replaced by Lewis Teague and the reference to the TV animated version title for this film based on Norman of Tolkien's THE HOBBIT. Cinematographer Tony Richmond was rep­ Spinrad's novel, is "None of the Above". laced by Jan De Bont. The screenplay is Costa-Gavras will direct for producer He worked well with director Jules by Barbara Turner. Edward Lewis, with whom Ellison worked Bass and was particularly taken with The film that was incomplete at the on the ill-fated "I, Robot". Shooting actor Christopher Lee, who provided ,time of the death of its star, Natalie, is scheduled to start in June. dialogue. Beagle is working on Wood, "Brainstorm", is finally to be KNIGHT OF GHOSTS AND SHADOWS, which we ABC is planning to release it's contro­ assume is a new novel. released as a co-venture of its studio versial four-hour mini-series "The Day and the insurance underwriters, Lloyds After", set after the destruction of of London. A $20 million production is now under Kansas City by an atomic bomb, in late way after many years of planning. Hugh Major f§sf film releases delayed include spring. It is directed by Nicholas Hudson is directing for Warner Bros. Warner Brothers "The Right Stuff", Meyer ("Time After Time", "Star Trek II") GREYSTOKE : THE CREATION OF TARZAN AND based on Tom Wolfe's documentary novel with a cast including Jason Robards and HIS EPIC ADVENTURES. The film, Hudson's Bibi Besch. on the astronauts, and the Buena Vista first since directing CHARIOTS OF FIRE, (Disney) film of Ray Bradbury's "Some­ STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN was is being filmed in Cameroon, Equatorial thing Wicked This Way Comes". The Ladd released on video in the USA in November East Africa, as of November '82. Produced Co/Lucasfilm animated feature from John last year. The price was much lower than by Hudson and Stanley S.Canter, with Korty, "Twice Upon a Time", and ITC's the average movie, at $39.95 and it has photography by Oscar-winner John Alcott, puppet film by Jim Henson and Frank Oz, been selling very well. Proving a point from a screenplay by P.H.Vazak, who is "The Dark Crystal" were both released being made by Paramount Home Video, probably in reality Robert Towne, who on schedule. (See a teviarf of thit film that people will buy, rather than rent lost control of the film after problems by Nick StathopouZti in the. next ittue.) if the price is right. with another film. Filming continued on the anthology film The MAN FROM UNCLE is returning to TV Tobe Hooper as been given the job by "Twilight Zone" after the fatal accid­ next year with a two-hour movie from 20th Century Fox to direct THE LIGHTS, ent back in July when actor Vic Morrow CBS. David McCallum and Robert Vaughan an sf adventure film, from a screenplay and two Vietnamese children were killed. are returning as the main characters . by Andy Tennent and Mike Marvin. Hooper. 17 of course directed POLTERGEIST and the film and get off on the blood and TV four-hour SALEM'S LOT. gore, the true fantasy fan will bewail Australian Producer Yoram Gross has another lost opportunity. announced the production of a film with ’ Arnold "Thing" flexes his muscles and a $2% million budget titled EPIC. This sticks out his lantern jaw and even animated feature will be based on the acts passably well with his few lines, aboriginal legends of the dreamtime, but he is not Conan. James Earl Jones and the work of Australian artist plods through his part as a sort of Ainsley Roberts. Of RECENT SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY early Moonie leader and even Release of the Columbia Picture $25 Books and Films changes into a snake at one point as if million production KRULL, has been driven to prove he is evil, but he just By Paul J. Stevens delayed till August. Ostensibly to fails to provide real menace and evil. allow for the completion of special In the last exciting issue of Austral­ As Conan's girl-friend , Sandahi effects, but it will most likely have ian SF News I promised my hordes of Bergman is very luscious and lithe, less competition at that time. fans some reviews of SWORD AND THE but somehow passionless and this seems Stephen King's horror novel CARRIE has SORCEROR and CONAN THE BARBARIAN. to hold true for the entire film. been optioned for a Broadway musical. To this list I also add TRON, the Something is missing that could have made THE DEAD ZONE has also been sold for new Disney extravaganza done with this film great. Thulsa Doom(James Earl filming by Dino Laurentiis. David computor graphics. Jones) should have been a dread sorceror Cronenberg (SCANNERS) will direct, with First there was Wall Street, and the rather than the leader of a group of Christopher Walken starring. Disney executives saith unto Wall St., hippie snake worshipers and the character "please like our new movie so that of CONAN should have shown more passion DR WHO fans will not be happy to know the stock of Walt Disney Enterprises and anger, but it is easy to be wise that a strike at the B.B.C. caused the will move Upward a few points and from behind a typewriter. Perhaps it is cancellation of a story called "The we can all gain a bonus." However the best to go see CONAN THE BARBARIAN and Return" and the delay on the making of Pundit of Wall Street looked upon the judge for yourself. other new stories in the series. Good film TRON and was not amused. "Who maketh news is that a special entitled "The THE SWORD AND THE SORCEROR turned out this manure?" he was heard to cry. "This Five Doctors" is due to commence prod­ film is not another BAMBI nor is it a to be the usual standard fare, though rather fun in some spots. Lots of big uction in March. breakthrough liketh to FANTASIA. It is an abomination to mine eyes and I would have barbarians, nasty villians, undraped TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY INTERNATIONAL women and much swordplay make for a it removed from mine sight and from the SF FILM FESTIVAL few yoks and the trick sword as weilded nations theatres and sold to cable TV." Twelve sf and fantasy films were screened by the hero made a few more yoks but at the Annual SF Film festival. Our ref­ And so it was law and TRON did badly all in all the story was the same as erence does not say where or when it was at the American box office and there always. The only bright spots were the held. Five judges, including Forrest J. was weeping and wailing in the offices raising of the demon sorceror at the Ackerman comprised the jury which awarded of Walt Disney Enterprises until the start of the film and the hero dragging the prizes. The Australian made film good publicity for the new Florida himself off a cross, nails and all and THE SURVIVOR was awarded the Golden EPCOT was seen in the media. then picking up his sword and wading into Asteroid. It is a supernatural story the assembled villians with much gusto, based on the book by James Herbert, and In actual fact TRON is quite enjoyable as if he had been sitting around waiting stars Robert Powell and Jenny Agutter. if rather garish and over loud. To be for a number 10 bus and not slowly dying, fair to the film it is breaking new on some six inch roofing nails. The Best Actress Award went to Elena ground and it is far better than Metiolkina in a Russian film TO THE most of the sf and fantasy that is Holiday recommendation:BLADERUNNER as the STARS BY HARD WAYS. A rather off beat being shovelled onto our movie and video best sf movie to come along in years. fill! that borrows from numerous other screens. The story is simple and tells A combination of good story, art direction sf films made over the last few years. of the computor whiz-kid, played by lighting and acting as well as great SFX. WAR OF THE WORLDS - THE NEXT CENTURY, Jeff Bridges, who is endeavouring to was an interesting film whose male lead find evidence that Ed Dillinger and (One fZZm P.J.S. had the good sense to won the Best Actor Award. The country of his nasty boss, the Master Control mZss was THE THING. The wostst fZtm of origin was not give, but SAGA OF MADIANA Program, have stolen his ideas and the tost yeast and pstobabty any yeast. was made in Belgium and was so bad it booted him out of the company. Not just because of the pZastZe, gstossty should have been left there. The Roger Whilst doing this snooping Jeff gets ovestdone specZaZ effects, but because of Corman film FORBIDDEN WORLD was also not himself zapped by the MCP with a laser the weak and unexcitZng stosty. A bZg appreciated by the judges. The French and finds himself part of the world of dZsappoZntment fast Castpentest fans. Ed.) film MALEVIL was a bit of a bore but a the world of the computor. Forced to couple of the judges did like it. LITAN, play video games to the death, our Series books are proliferating. another French film was a fascinating hero escapes with Tron, a security By that I mean there are a lot of fantasy. BATTLE TRUCK was the entry from program set up to destroy the MCP, series books being written and publ­ New Zealand. This ROAD WARRIOR/MAD MAX and after some graphic adventures ished. It is a good way of ensuring type film is currently screening in manages to destroy the MCP, save the that Joe Author has a regular job Australia. The Japanese film TENKOSEI is computor world and prove that Ed and Fred Publisher has a sure market a variation of the Thome Smith "Turnabout Dillinger is as bad as his name sounds. for Joe Author's books. Of late it theme. Israel's MESSAGE FROM THE FUTURE seems that series books have gotten was "an unfortunate combination of low- CONAN THE BARBARIAN should have been a little out of hand. Take {he budget sci-fi' effex and out-of-place soft a winner with art design by Ron Cobb Stephen Donaldson's as an example. pom. and many millions of bucks spent on They started out as three large books, sets and stuff, but somehow it just expanded into a further three and at The Czechoslovakian film SOMETHING IN does not come off. A vital spark is last count a further three are contr­ THE AIR, a "Twilight Zone" type film, missing from the screenplay and acted for to make the total nine books was given the special "Urania" award. although most people will enjoy the in the series. A little excessive I Urania is Italy's oldest sf magazine, think. now in it's 30th year. Films from other countries including Hungary's PERPETUAL (THE SURl/IUOR wcyborg man-camera, who must accustom over the book. I must admit to a STEEL RAT FOR PRESIDENT. Sphere $3.95 himself to junglo slogging very quickly, sneaking wish that George would go back (Distributed by Thomas Nelson Aust.) and Bailey, the soldier who tries to to writing non-sf; that's where his help him, but is faced with the more real strength lies. In the meantime, And now before I close, may I recommend difficult task of keeping his soldiers Yesterday's Men will do quite well. FIRES OF AZEROTH by C.J.Cherryh and Ben alive. The task is made more difficult Bova’s VOYAGERS, both new editions from by the presence of Dunbar, the closet Reviewed by Bruce Gillespie. Methuen PBs, and Virgin Books, THE ILLUS­ immortal, who is part of the company, TRATED BOOK OF SF LISTS by Mike Ashley, but knows that his presence is the 2910;ODYSSEY TWO PB $9.95 (Nelson Aust), containing lots reason why so many of them die. On of information that any sf reader must the other side of the mountain, Anne By Arthur C. Clarke have, and finally, BLAKES 7 PROGRAMME Swopes (known as Anna-Lisa to her vast Granada HC; $18.95 ARP GUIDE by Tony Attwood HC $16.95 (Hutch­ holovision audience) must put up with inson Aust), strictly for fans only. a murderous employee of the Lagrangian A Clarke short stoi?y--witty, concent­ rated and usually with a sting in the 19 tail -- tends to stick in the mind as it; the prose goes down like cream takes place primarily in the Earth's a neat and polished anecdote. The and honey. past, to which self-exiles travel novels, almost fluffy in their discur­ through a one-way time machine. There His work is not all style and surface; siveness and lack of form, are recall­ they find aliens in residence, who fit he tosses off new ideas and new read­ ed only by way of a couple of striking the humans into their society and keep ings of old ones in largesse. Consider images -- the apothes.is of the children them in place through the use of collars 'Concepts', with some comfortless in 'Childhood's End', the static city or "tores". The most serious event thoughts about intersellar contact, in 'The City And The Stars'. The which occurs in this volume is the close contact, or 'The Apartment Next exeption,'Rendezvous With Rama', is effort by some of the recent exiles To The War' for a statement about really only a single image stretched to project a message 6 million years aggression, or 'The Foetus' for a to the length of a plotless novel. into the future, to try to close the small dose of nastiness. Consider, time portal so that no one else comes '2010' is a compendium of the best and most wildly of all, the title story through. Saving the humans from the worst of Clarke. It contains more about how to deal with people who talk aliens (Tanu) is a Serious Obsession memorable images than any of his prev­ without saying anything. ious novels and sets them in a confused with the main characters, but for me narration which cobbles disparate Buy and enjoy; it isn't the best of never assumed the magnitude of imp­ elements together. I was never sure Disch, but his average is so high. ortance of Covenant's attempts to just which of them represented the save the earth from Lord Foul. There central story line. The author's Reviewed by George Turner. are, of course, two groups of aliens introduction claims '2010' as a sequel (varients of the same species) who to the film rather than the novel, CAGEWORLD N0.1 - SEARCH FOR THE have ritual wars with each other, into because the action is shifted, as in SUN which the humans are drawn, and Our the film, to the Jovian rather than the By Colin Kapp Heroes choose sides. Saturnian system. (Saturn had proved New English Library; 172pp; $3.95 ARP If you don't like stories that rely filmically difficult in those experi­ heavily on ESP in all its variant mental days.) CAGEWORLD NO. 2 - THE LOST forms, you're unlikely to like this WORLDS OF CRONUS book. I enjoyed it thoroughly, not He makes capital of the change by By Colin Kapp least because of the dollops of humour detailing the adventures of an expedit­ New English Library; 170pp; $3.95 ARP ion sent to investigate the star gate strewn along the way--such as the Fighting Standard of one of Our Heroes (whose nature is still unknown on These are the first two of what Earth at this stage) and gives us a -- which bears the symbol of a hand promises to be a series of books. with the middle finger raised. hundred pages of facinating action on The idea is simple. In the remote the Jovian moons. This is where the future, the fertility of mankind I look forward to the third in the memorable images cluster and shine. creates a living space problem, so series. Then the transmogrified David Bowman they make and programme a computer Reviewed by Jean Weber gets into the action and we learn the Zeus to cope with the problem. Zeus real meaning of that eighteenth century creates concentric shells around the apartment scene. It is here that the sun, each of which gives enormous NO ENEMY BUT TIME story ties into knots, with half a dozen increases in living space and each plotlets struggling for attention. of which is filled. But the problem By Michael Bishop It is giving nothing away to say that is too great for Zeus but there is Gollancz; 397pp; $21.95 ARP the background aliens are guardians a difficulty in reprogramming it. So A number of SF writers are presently of life in the universe, but their three strange adventurersk(actually trying to break the 'characterisation method of fostering life provides a five as there is the cook barrier' which had bedevilled the genre uniquely spectacular climax to the and her husband who also matter), set from its birth. Gregory Benford's structural muddle. Computer enthus­ out first to find Zeus, enroute from TIMESCAPE was loudly hailed, but really iasts may applaud the fate of the Marshell to the Sun;, they find that failed because the characterisations reconstituted HAL, but I felt it smelled many things are astray. The second were not properly related to the theme faintly of Mills and Boon. But when journey is out to the "Lost” shell of or the plot. the carping is over you can't ignore Cronus. As they still haven’t found or dismiss a Clarke novel. There is where the compulsory migrants go there Michael Bishop does better with this always something to applaud and re­ is obviously a third journey ahead. tale of a trip into the past to settle the question of human ancestry, running member, and always something new that Interesting as the idea is, the science the adventure in chapters alternating only Clarke could have dreamed up. is shaky. In any case mankind has with the present-day life story of the lost a lot of knowledge. The books time traveller. If the two sections are interesting, but they are nothing are intended to be cross-explanatory, earth-shattering. the connections seem to me very tenuous, THE MAN and the final section which purports WHOHADNO Reviewed by John J. Alderson. iDEA to join them seems arbitrary. And THOMAS M. DISCH what are we to make of an anthropologist THE GOLDEN TORC who visits the past without camera or tape recorder? Nor is the stone-age By Julian May 'heroine' anthropologically convincing. Pan;377pp; $4.95 ARP Despite all this the book remains well written and interesting. Only at this The second volume of May’s "Saga of end, where the writer must tie it all Pliocene Exile", following THE MANY together, does there come a feeling -COLOURED LAND. The size of these of chances missed. Bishop had done volumes led me to think the series much better. But more popular writers would be like Stephen Donaldson’s continue to do much worse. Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, but THE MAN WHO HAD NO IDEA there is really no similarity. Reviewed By George Turner. Donaldson's books are full of heavy By Thomas M.Disch, soul-searching and Momentous Events. LANARK Bantam Books Nov. '82 $2.95 US PB I get emotionally exhausted reading Gollancz April '82 $18.80 ARP HC By Alasdair Gray them. May's books, on the other hand, Granada; 560 pp; $10.95 ARP The Disch fan will buy a new Disch have a much lighter tone, quite tongue book without being pressured, and -in-cheek at times, and thus are much To do this gorgeous novel any kind of rightly so. Disch stands with Wolfe more fun to read. The events are based justice would require a very long and Lafferty, Aldiss and Ballard as on science, not magic (though I can't article. It is a huge metaphor of one of the few considerable stylists accept some of the'science', such life creating for itself the Hell it in SF. You read him not only for what as interbreeding with aliens). As will inevitably end in. The Hell, 2Q he says, but for the way he says most readers will know, the series which occupies about 60% of the tale, is different from any you ever read accurately, offering probf of his of before; it is one which literally dishonesty if he did not - in which arises from the living of your life; LETTER case I can leave you and him to fight there is no question here of getting it out between you; your deserts or of being punished for COLUM Or make public your grounds for accusing sin, only of living under the conditions me of what you are pleased to term you have spent your life preparing. "my old wrecking tricks", with chapter It is not the Hell without remission, and verse of all occasions on which though no Heaven is ever mentioned. It appeals that I am obliged to ptint I have been guilty of such behaviour... (God is, and not to his advantage.) heteletiets ftom both Hatty Hattison and I promise that if you can produce Hell, Alasdair Gray says, is not what and John Btunnet, which have come about evidence of it, I shall make what we do but what we are, and we can since I ptinted a tefetence to John amends I can. change that. Strangely, amid Plutonian Btunnet not attending Jetucon and a I am, though, greatly afraid that uproar, this is a romantic novel, with lettet in which Hatty Hattison etiiic- something like a tranquil ending. ised him fot his tematks. My soutce what it will come down to is this. was otiginaZZy Vave Langfotd's news zine You'll sit tight in the immunity of The imagination is ferocious, the ANSIBLE. I believe I had evety tight to your Irish tax-haven while I find writing first class, and the novel ptint Hatty's lettet and as I do not get myself obliged to put the matter in among my most beloved of the last few that many Zettets ftom big name ptos, I the hands of my lawyers, because this years. was pZeased to do so, but on tefZection is a very grave libel indeed, casting I am sotty I did. I will ptint the foll­ aspersions not only professional but Reviewed by George Turner. owing, I apologise to all concerned and also my personal integrity. And in I hope this will be the end of it. that event the guy who carries the THE SPACE EATER can back will be Dave Langford...against Meitu B. Ed. whom I have no grudge at all. Indeed, By David Langford, I'm obliged to him and Merv Binns for 301pp, Arrow Books, $5.95 ARP letting me know what you're accusing Brunner Fact 6 Fiction DREAMRIDER me of. I might otherwise never have The Square House, By Sandra Miesel, found out. 279 pp, Ace Books $2.75 US Palmer Street, THE IDYLLS OF THE QUEEN SOUTH PETHERTON, But you'll have left Dave to pick up By Phillis Anne Karr, SOMERSET TA13 5DB UK the pieces. And there may be quite Ace Books $2 .95 US a lot before the dust from this settles.

In the SPACE EATER Jacklin and Rosa are 6th September, 1982 Despondently, sent in a bizarre way on a bizarre mission. To get there they are cut John Brunner into thin strips and passed through a WITHOUT PREJUDICE tiny matter transmitter and remade at TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN...and I regret the other end into human beings again. to say it may concern quite a lot of Then they had to pretend that Earth people! Harry Harrison had faster than light travel. Of course Kestrel Ridge, they are not believed and are tortured In ANSIBLE 28, which I read today after Vale of Avoca, etc etc, but of course it all comes returning from a business trip to Co. Wicklow, right in the end. There is sane con­ France and Germany, I find the following IRELAND. siderable power in the book, but the remarkable passage. (It's appended writing is in much need of improvement. to a letter from Pascal Thomas which However, Langford as a new writer, has dealt inter alia with the cancellation This is written in answer to a document something to say but a lot to learn. of Jerucon. At Stresa in 1980, Marjorie dated 6th September 1982 and addressed He will be worth following. and I were asked whether we would to someone named "Without prejudice'.' "like to be invited" to it, in terms It was signed by John Brunner who Miesel, in DREAMRIDER takes up the that normally would imply reimbursement posted a copy to me in an envelope burden of Shananism as a means of saving of expenses, but none was forthcoming, covered with funny rubber stamp messages. the world. The use of para-normal so we found we couldn't afford to go Read it? Do you know what he is talking abilities is too easy a way to achieve after all. So, apparently, did sundry about? I mean aside from his Brunner- power and the advent of superman or other "guests"..) ish waffling? (I am not pleased with supergirl, however necessary and however Quote begins: MERV BINNS added: typical examples like "You'll sit beneficial for the world is also re­ tight in the immunity of your Irish motely unlikely and it is time writers "Harry Harrison is after our blood. I reprinted the bit about Jerucon, tax-haven__ " Immunity from what? faced the question: Are such remote And when did I tell you or make public possibilities worth writing about? and Brunner's complaint about no expenses being paid. Harry said that the fact, that I am in Ireland because The forepart of the book develops slow­ it is a tax-haven'? Watch that big ly but it ends with a rush with a sort Brunner is up to 'his old wrecking tricks again'..." mouth, Brunner, or you'll be hit with cl iff-hanging ending. It looks as lawsuits that will keep your solicitors though we are to be blessed with another Let's skip the next bit about the busy for years. I won't permit some­ volume. "rich authors” who let down the Jerucon one like you to pass sly remarks about Life at King Arthur's court is very -I'm not one and never expect to be, his betters.) Where was I? Oh, yes. complicated and in The IDYLLS OF THE so never mind. I do, though, have Laughing hysterically at the jug­ QUEEN Karr revels in the complexity and a career to pursue and a reputation headed pomposity of this impudent intrigue. Still prefer Malory. to protect, and that includes protect­ fellow, chortling my head off at his ing it against this kind of libel. jejune threats. "Obliged to challenge Reviewed by John Alderson Harry, if you have been quoted correctly ...committed libel...deny at your (and I sincerely hope this is not the expense..." Oh dear, oh dear. You We. do thank all the. publishets who ate case), libel is what you have commit­ have me so frightened Brunner that I sending us books fot teview, but it is ted, at least under British law, which am near to fainting. not possible fot us to actually AevZew states that a- libel is calculated to What is it you want me to do? You them all. We will endeavour, to covet bring the victim into "hatred, ridicule want me to publicly deny (at my own all new titles, but teptints will only be or contempt." expense!) that I have ever said done occasionally. But, aZZ titles of "Brunner is up to his old wrecking coatse will be mentioned -in out othet I accordingly find myself obliged to challenge you in the following terms. tricks again." Not only won't I deny publication, A SCIENCE FICTION g FANTASY that I ever wrote these words, but I CHECKLIST and teceiving copies of the Either deny, in print, at your expense will repeat them in public whenever books will heZp us to give the cotteet and to at least as large an audience as and wherever I please. Why? Because and complete details, including stoty is reached by ANSIBLE (purchase of a what I said is true. For the record synopsis. half-page ad in the magazine will then, in the hopes that no more will suffice) that Merv Binns quoted you be heard of this stupid affair. 21 I am an American SF fem-fan (10 years WRECKING TRICK ONE Over to you, Brunner. Lawsuits in Britain, a punchup in Ireland, dueling active), in my late twenties, who will A few years back I organised a pro­ pistols at dawn in Hyde Park, (beware, be touring Australia (for one month) fessional SF convention in Dublin, I'm a crack -shot), what comes next is between September and November 1983 with the cooperation of the Irish up to you. (after the Worldcon - Constellation). Government and the following government I would appreciate any information any departments; Bord Failte, the tourist You do realise, don't you, that you of you could give me about: 1) conven­ board; CIE, travel and transportation; are making an awful fool of yourself? tions anywhere in the country during the Irish Arts Council . It was very those months,.2) non-scuzzy hotels in successful...and a lot of fun. Lots Harry Harrison the medium price range - anywhere, 3) of hard work. I did all of the gasoline companies - so I'll know what organising myself, aided only by my I have -iZnce AeceZved a ZeZZeA /Acm John credit cards to have with me, 4) accept­ son. Full time for about half a year. in aepty to a ZeZZeA of mine, which 1 ability to merchants of US VISA and I did all the PR, my son mailed out think hat, cZeaaed the ai*. a bZZ and I MASTERCARD credit cards, 5) interior reciepts and membership cards. I wZZZ pubZish them next issue. g travel arrangements, tours, etc. - any personally answered all letters re­ travel agents out there?, 6) any suit­ ceived. It was a great con. Except DAVID LAKE, able tourist advice. I'd also love to for Brunner. He had joined up, then Dept, of English, hear from any VFL maniacs and Beach Univeristy of Queensland, sent a deposit for travel and hotel to Boy fans. the CIE who was handling discounted St Lucia Brisbane, 4067 31/8/82 Any of you who are coming up to the travel arrangements for those who 1983 Worldcon and would like similar wanted. But somewhere along the line Dear Merv, information should write - I live out­ he decided to back out. He never Thanks for your remarks about Riddley side Philadelphia (two hour ride from wrote to me about this, or to the Walker in the July -Aug. ASF News. the '83 con hotels) and know a good bit convention, as a true gentleman would. I hope you enjoyed your American cons. about the touring situation on the Not on your nelly. That would have Washington D.C., Baltimore,. Philadel­ been too simple and civilised to do. You will see that I'm ordering Gene Wolfe's Torturer etc. I have read the phia, New York, Boston route. Instead he wrote to the government first volume, and would like to own a Thanks, and I'll see some of you next agency complaining about how bad the copy. I note your remarks in the prev­ committee was, how bad the arrange­ year. ious ASF News ----that the books are ments were, how he had heard nothing, basically a bore. Well, I see yourpoint Wendy Weller (Known only as "Weller") how he was forced to resign from and I sympathize: one gets the feeling membership because of the incompetance that Wolfe is deliberately stringing the Pea*. "I'JeZZe*.", of the con-committee-and he wanted the thing out. As Science Fiction the if I had the time [it has taken me tha.ee his money back. If that is not wreck­ whole thing is infuriating; unbelieve ing- what is? There was no truth in months to get abound to even Heading able, contrary to current theories of you*. ZeZZeA) I coutd answen most of anything in the letter. Therefore one solar evolution (by the time the Sun is can only surmise that he wrote it to you*. que*Zes myseZf, but you wiZt I am red, the Earth will be inside it; and ceatain aeeeZve some immediate HepZZes cause me trouble. I was the committee, as the suns ages, it will get hotter, no one else, he knew that. The CIE f*jom AustnaZian fans. I was at CH1C0N not colder); and the author deserves to and pHobabZy so weae you, but I wZZZ acted like gentlemen and turned the face an anacrisis with a braquemar for letter over to me without comment. I not be at ConsteZZation, aZthough a tot raking through the English, Latin and of othe* Austaatians witZ, so 1 am suHe instructed them to return his money, Greek dictionaries to produce his pec­ then placed the name Brunner on the you wiZZ be hea*Zng f>wm some of them. uliarly ancient and medieval vocabulary. Hope to see you when you a*e ove*. he*e. top of my personal list of undesirables. But it's not really SF, it's gothic WRECKING TRICK TWO horror fantasy—and not bad in that line. M.B. The hero has no character: he is a peg The Jerucon was to have been a most on which to hang agreeably macabre scenes. CHRISTOPHER PRIEST, important event, the first SF con But I do find the scenes entertaining 1 Ortygia House, ever in Israel. I gave advice on enough to wish to read on. It's not Harrow, Middlesex HA2 ODA, organisation from the beginning, did great literature (contrast Riddley England 27/10/82 a lot of correspondence to help them, Walker), but it's amusing in a decadent and was surprised and pleased when I Dear Merv, was' invited to be joint Guest of Honour. way. At no time did I expect to be reimbursed ... Lisa and I are... moving back to in any way; I was paying all expenses our old place in Harrow. The new/old for myself and my wife. At no time PS address - which in fact we never really did any member or guest expect payment I agree with George Turner's review of left, but now are going to have to live of any kind. There were no funds Riddley. It is one of the ten great SF in full time is-- (as above). Sending available for this. And I know for a books; that's why I'm putting it on my COA cards to everyone in Australia fact that the following Brunner state­ ten-book course. would wipe me out! ment is out-and-out nonsense. 'At* PeaA PavZd, The last few months have been somewhat Stresa in 1980 Marjorie and I were dominated by our steady decline into asked whether we would "like to be You have summed up "The Boob of the bankruptcy, bailed out at the last mom­ invited to it (Jeruconj, in terms that New Sun" seaies veAy weZZ. 1 wiZZ just ent by the sale of the house, so I would imply reimbursement of expenses" add that 1 think that Wotfe's paose is can't offer you much new. Except: Untrue. You have forgotten that I was quite coZou/cfut, but the action is a there, Brunner. At that time the con ZittZe stow fo*. my tikZng. Ai a matte* Lisa's first solo novel, FAMILIAR was just a glimmer in Stanley Einstein’s of fact I am cu*Zous to know what does SPIRIT, will be coming out as a paper­ eye. He was seeking information about happen to SeveaZan, but with anothe*. back original from NEL in April. Also how he might someday organise some kind boob Zn the se*Zes to come, fotZowing appearing from Be ikley at much the same of SF con in Israel. No invitations the thaee atneady pubtished, I find the time, we believe. She's currently work­ could have been extended since there task a tittZe dauntZng. Fantasy, apa*t ing on a second novel. was no con. faom The Load of the Rings, is not my THE AFFIRMATION will be coming out in That's two and that's enough. Wrecking bag eithe*. and thetie is so much being pb over here in March. It's the launch tricks. Plural. Brunner published published one must d*aw an a*bita*.y title for a new imprint-- Arena Books a letter in ANSIBLE whining about not Zine somewheae as to what one Heads oa --being started by Arrow Books, of the being paid money by the Jerucon, doesn’t. A 5th "New Sun" book is set Hutchinson group. Appearing with it Merv Binns quoted it in AUSTRALIAN befoae the Seveaian sequence, but I am will be LORD OF THE DANCE, the novel which won the recent first novel com­ SF NEWS. I was offended by this toZd is not in the "seaies".!!!!!.,M. o.„ petition sponsored by Arrow. I believe world wide coverage of Brunner's W.A. WELLER, gratuitous attacks on friends so I this novel has some fantasy elements, 668 Paddock Road, wrote to set the record straight. I but I don't know much about it. Haverton, Pa. 19083, U.S.A 10/9/82 stand by everything I wrote. I have been chosen as one of "The Best 22 Greetings Readers, of the Young British Novelists", taking part in a book-trade promotion in Feb­ ruary and March. I'm the only sf writer 3) This has already happened. The 1982 ADVENTION FOUR for miles around, as far as the book New Zealand National and the 1982 April 23rd to 25th (Sat-Mon Aiizac Day trade is concerned, it seems. "Young" Australian National Cons deemed SYNCON Weekend) G.O.H. MARY SHELLEY (well in being defined as under 40, they caught '83 as an "Australasian" con. It is the spirit at any rate) and WYNNE WHITEFORD. me with about seventeen minutes to first con to be so designated both in Venue: The Pier Hotel , Glenelg, spare! But it seems for at least a Australia and N.Z. It will (also) be South Australia fortnight, books by young writers will the Australian National and Wellington Memberships: $20.00 Daily $8.00 be heavily promoted in bookshops through­ will host the New Zealand National. Clear? (GahlGah! Gah'. Ed.] Rooms with facilities:$28.00 Single out Britain. It makes a change, as I'm and $38.00. W/0 fac: $18.00 single sure you'll agree, and I'm feeling ex­ Nominations for the SF Film Awards and $28.00 Double. tremely lucky to be in it. raise an interesting question. Who det­ Correspondence to P.O.Box 46, Marden Meanwhile, none of my books are in ermines what is an SF film? How is S.A. 5070. print in America. They have all, hard­ RAIDERS anymore fantasy than KELLY'S An Adelaide University SF Association cover and paperback, been remaindered. HEROES, for example? How is QUEST FOR Convention. Make all cheques payable No U.S. pb of the AFFIRMATION will FIRE SF or Fantasy? What classifies a to ADVENTION 4. "Low Budget" film? appear. Which is partly, but directly, SYNCON '83 why I have had to sell the house. What's this? Even Aldiss is writing trilogies! Has the "new wave" sold out? Best to everyone down under! The 23rd Australian National Convention And Aldiss' promo blurb is paraphrasing "comparable to Tolkien" as well! How June 10th to the 13th 1983 Chris Priest the mighty have fallen. Actually, Dear Chrii, HELLICONIA SPRING and the whole series Guests of Honour: HARLAN ELLISON sound like the most interesting thing and DR VAN IKIN. 1 know exactly how you. feel. I wa* Aldiss has done for donkeys' years. Venue: The Shore Motel, Pacific Hwy., forced to iett my home, to prop up Space Could you please note in future con Artarmon, N.S.W. Age four year* ago and it could be columns that SYNCON '83 is the 22nd Memberships: Attending $25.00 another four year* the way thing* are Australian National Con and Euerka Con Supporting $10.00 gotng, before I can purchase another. '84 is the 23rd...... Some people are Room Rates : $59.00 per night (whether Vid you mean "directly" tn that last single, triple or double) sentence or "not directly" 1 particularly interested in the Nat Con and like to know which it is. Of course, All correspondence to P.O.Box A491, Beit of tuck with the "Young Novelists" SYNCON '83 is also, officially, the Sydney South, NSW 2000 promotion. I edited your paragraph on 2nd Australasian Con. DITMAR AWARD NOMINATIONS: that bit; I'm already in enough trouble Nominations are due in by March the with other author*...... Good reviews although seeing George 25th 1983, so if you have not nomin­ Turner being reticent because he ated by the time you read this, you Ai for those Yank*! Most of them would might actually be too laudatory is are probably too late. But we hope not know good waiting when they see it. amusing. you will join and vote for the The things that sell well and win the Good ish and Good luck in the U.S.A. Awards themselves. award* ate enough to indicate the tow level of literacy of what it popular Jack Details will be given next issue on there. upcoming world conventions, the Vear Jack, Best of tuck. Merv Melbourne in '85 Worldcon Bid and Thank you very much for the information future Australian conventions. Mean­ JACK HERMAN, on the convention* and for all your while any information you need can Box 272, other comments. I per*anally am much be had by ringing us on (03) 663-1777 Wentworth Building, happier about the iituation regarding FAN FUNDS the designation of the national, con*. Sydney University, DUFF The nominees for the current 2006 N.S.W. 6/3/82 I wilt have more to say in reply to this fund are JAN HOWARD FINDER, ALEXIS letter and your later one next issue, Dear Merv, GILLILAND, JERRY KAUFMANN, and you can see how far behind 1 am with the CHARLOTTE PROCTOR. A voting form ASFN 29 has taken a while to be locced- tetter* I have received. will be sent on request. Or you can mainly because it has percolated up to send votes with your $2.00 minimum the top of the pile, slowly - what with It i* again impossible for me to include donation to Jack Herman, Box 272, production and distribution of WAHF-FULL all the letter* I should, especially Wentworth Bldg.,University of Sydney, 9 and catching up on other fannish com­ those relating to my comment* on the NSW 2006, by March 31st. The winner mitments. Another readableish although review* of Australian *f by Ken Uethotd. will attend SYNCON '83, the 23rd the pro-fan balance leans heavily to the They will be in the next issue along National Australian SF Convention former thish. The TSCHAICON report was com- with other* that ihoutd be included, being held in Sydney in June. rehensive more than insightful. I can app­ but will just have to wait. Somg! reciate your newzine desire to report FFANZ Other thing* 1 wanted to include will Is a new fund to send fans to and the GOH's words, but occasionally you alio have to wait and I will only cover go too far here. A precis (or even tran­ the major convention* that are very from Australia and New Zealand. We scription) of the interview (s) might close...... have not received any further details have been better. on this fund, but you can write to Sue Dickie, P.O.Box 1401, Wellington, On the question of National cons, a NZ or John Newman, P.O.Box 4, Thom- couple of points: 1) The vote at bury, Victora 3071, Australia. TSCHAICON changed the constitution back to that of an Australian convention. FINAL WORD: While the WSFS constitution requires confirmation, ASFS doesn't. Well that is another issue put to bed. 2) Under the new arrangements (old There are probably a few thing* I arrangements revisited?), New Zealand FUNCON could have cut and a few thing* more and Australia each have their own important could have been Included, National Con. However , either can Melbourne, Easter, April 1st to 4th '83 but they wall all be in the next designate a con to be an "Australasian" will be held at the Queens Lodge Motor issue. 1 am particularly upset that I Convention. This designation would be Inn, 81 Queens Road, Melbourne. did not get thi* issue out on time to additional to its designation as a urge you alt to nominate for the Vitmar Funcon features a MYSTERY G.O.H. Awards,. but that is the way it goe*. The National Con. For example, the 198S and various crazy, events, discussions, National Australian Con might be des­ films etcetera. Checklist is not receiving a very enthu*- aitic reception, bat you wilt probably ignate the 1986 National Australian Membership: $20.00 Supporting:$5.00 as an "Australasian" con in spite of see at least another issue before 1 Correspondence to P.O.Box 4, make any decision on it* fate. there also being a 1986 Australian Thornbury, Victoria 3071 National. M.8. 23 A GATEWAY TO THE FANTASY WORLDS OF PAST,PRESENT AND FUTURE! ^CORGI and BANTAM BOOKS v The Crystal Singer

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