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The FACT Sheet A Monthly Publication of the Fandom Association of Central July, 2008 FREE with your FACT Membership! Convention Reports Wanted!

xxFACT EVENTS THIS MONTH Please consider taking a few notes about panels, readings and other aspects of ArmadilloCon, and Friday-Sunday, August 15-17: ArmadilloCon. then submitting them for next month’s issue. We Doubletree Hotel. want to include a special section on the con, and Writers’ Workshop: Friday, 9AM-4PM need your submissions to make it happen! Opening Ceremonies: Friday, 4PM Meet the Pros Party: Friday, 8-10PM FACT Benefit for Literacy Austin Charity Auction - Literacy Austin: Saturday, 5PM The Charity Auction at this year’s ArmadilloCon will Art Auction: Saturday, 6PM benefit Literacy Austin. 24% of Texans read below Campfire Stories: Saturday, 9PM the 5th grade level. Literacy Austin is taking action Board Meeting: Sunday, 9AM, Fourth Floor to improve these people’s lives by improving their Capital reading skill. Please attend the Charity Auction on Reading Group: Sunday, 2PM, de Zavala. The Saturday at 5PM and use a little of your spending Automatic Detective by A. Lee Martinez. money to help benefit this wonderful program! Thursday, August 21, 7-8 PM: South Austin Read- North Reading Group Selections ing Group. (Pleasant Hill Branch, Austin Public Library, 211 E. Wm Cannon Dr) Snow Crash by Neal The North Austin Reading Group has selected books Stephenson. through the end of the year: Sunday, August 17: The Automatic Detective by A. South Reading Group Selections Lee Martinez (Join us at ArmadilloCon to discuss!) Monday, September 1: Babel-17 by Samuel R. The South Austin Reading Group has announced Delany selections through November. Note that the Tuesday, September 16: Last Dragon by J. M. November and December meetings will be a week McDermott early because of the holidays. Monday, October 6: The Complete Roderick by John Thursday, August 21: Snow Crash by Neal Sladek Stephenson Tuesday, October 21: On Basilisk Station by David Thursday, September 25: Do Androids Dream of Weber Electric Sheep?/ by Philip K. Monday, November 3: Gordath Wood by Patrice Dick Sarath Thursday, October 23: Good Omens by Tuesday, November 18: The Blade Itself by Joe and Terry Pratchett Abercrombie Thursday, November 20: Grave Sight by Charlaine Monday, December 1: Kitty and the Midnight Hour Harris by Carrie Vaughn Thursday, December 18: TBD Tuesday, December 16: Nine Princes in Amber by Hugo Awards Announced Monday, January 5: Axis by Robert Charles Wilson The 2008 Hugo Awards were presented at on August 9. Winners include: ArmadilloCon Guest of IS IT TIME TO RENEW Honor as Best Fan Writer, ArmadilloCon 31 Artist Guest Stephan Martiniere as Best YOUR FACT MEMBERSHIP? Professional Artists, and Brad Foster as Best Fan Artist. Here is the complete list: Please be sure to keep your Best Novel: The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by (HarperCollins; Fourth Estate) membership up to date! Best Novella: “All Seated on the Ground” by (Asimov’s, December 2007; ) Stop by the FACT table in the Dealers’ Best Novelette: “The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Room at ArmadilloCon, or Gate” by ( & , September 2007) go to www.fact.org and pay online. Best Short Story: “Tideline” by Just $21 for a one year membership! (Asimov’s, June 2007) continued on page 4 The FACT Sheet - July 2008 - Page 2 Focus on the Art Show Anita Haddock, Scott Zrubek is back this year for another year DragonFishArt as the ArmadilloCon Art Show Director. This year’s Works.com, group of artists includes some familiar names and Flambeau some new ones. (Necklace) & Trilobite Ear- rings The Art Show will be open Friday, 2-7PM and 8-10PM. On Saturday, hours will be 10AM-6PM, with the Auction at 6PM. It will open again on Sunday from 10AM-12 Noon. Be sure to stop by!

The exhibition space is completely booked by a varied group of artists that includes David Lee Anderson, the Artist Guest of Honor; , one of the Special Guests; Brad W. Foster, this year’s Hugo winner for Best Fan Artist; , who has won a number of awards and was a finalist for Best Professional Artist in this year’s Hugos; Rocky Kelley, who won the 2006 World Mary Helms Fantasy Art Show Award; “Diesel” LaForce, who Rocky Kelley (www.rockykelley.com) worked on Dungeons and Dragons; and more. Diesel LaForce Visit the Art Show at ArmadilloCon to see work by all these artists! Lubov (www.lubov.net) Theresa Mather (www.rockfeatherscissors.com) Melia Newman Mai Nguyen Night Wolf Studios John Picacio (www.johnpicacio.com) Shelly Pinder (www.shellypinder.com) Douglas Potter Mark Roland Brandy Stark (metalpug.deviantart.com) Alison Tawney Rachel Waterfield

“A Little Friend” © Brandy Stark

David Lee Anderson (www.davidleeanderson.com) Kimm Antell (www.kimmantell.com) Jolie E. Bonnette (www.joliebonnette.com) Nancy Cagle (tinyurl.com/5za48p) Peri Charlifu (tinyurl.com/5vbgof) Sarah Clemens (www.clemensart.com) Daniel Cortopassi (www.dacort.com) Sara Felix Brad W. Foster (www.jabberwockygraphix.com) Fairy Glade Ashen Grey (www.ashengray.com) Anita Haddock (www.dragonfishartworks.com) Joe Haldeman Kathleen Hardy Kendall R. Hart (maskedmayhem.deviantart.com) The FACT Sheet - July 2008 - Page 2 continued from page 2 Best Professional Editor, Long Form: David G. A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an Hartwell invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write Best Professional Editor, Short Form: Gordon a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort Van Gelder the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form: program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die Stardust, written by Jane Goldman and Matthew gallantly. Specialization is for insects. Vaughn; based on the novel by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by ; directed by Matthew Vaughn -- Robert Heinlein, Time Enough for Love (1973) Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form: “Blink” (), written by Steven Moffat; directed by “Singing of Mount Abora” Hettie Macdonald (Logorrhea, Bantam Spectra) Best Related Book: Brave New Words: The Oxford “The Evolution of Trickster Stories Among the Dogs Dictionary of Science Fiction by Jeff Prucher (Oxford of North Park After the Change” (The University Press) Coyote Road: Trickster Tales, Viking) Best Semiprozine: Locus “Damned if you Don’t “ Robert Shearman” (Tiny Best Professional Artist: Stephan Martiniere Deaths, Comma Press) Best Fan Artist: Brad Foster “The Church on the Island” Simon Kurt Unsworth (At Ease with the Dead, Ash-Tree Press) Best Fan Writer: John Scalzi Anthology Best Fanzine: File 770 edited by Mike Glyer Five Strokes to Midnight Gary A. Braunbeck & Hank John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer Schwaeble, Eds. (Haunted Pelican Press) (Sponsored by Magazines and administered on their behalf by WSFS): Wizards: Magical Tales From The Masters of Modern Fantasy & , Eds. (Berkley) World Fantasy Nominations : New Tales of Terror and the Supernatural , Editor (Tor) The 2008 nominations have The Coyote Road: Trickster Tales Ellen Datlow & been announced. ArmadilloCon 31 Guest Artist , Eds. (Viking) Stephan Martiniere was nominated, as was John Logorrhea: Good Words Make Good Stories John Picacio of . Klima, Editor (Bantam Spectra) Lifetime Achievement Collection Life Achievement winners are Leo & Diane Dillon Plots and Misadventures Stephen Gallagher and Patricia McKillip. (Subterranean Press) Novel Portable Childhoods Ellen Klages (Tachyon Territory (Tor) Publications) (Viking Canada/Penguin The Secret Files of the Diogenes Club Roc) (MonkeyBrain Books) Fangland John Marks (Penguin Press) Hart & Boot & Other Stories Tim Pratt (Night Shade Gospel of the Knife (Tor) Books) The Servants Michael Marshall Smith (Earthling Tiny Deaths Robert Shearman (Comma Press) Publications) Dagger Key and Other Stories (PS Novella Publishing) The Mermaids Robert Edric (PS Publishing) Artist Illyria Elizabeth Hand (PS Publishing) Ruan Jia “The Master Miller’s Tale” Ian R. MacLeod (Fantasy Mikko Kinnunen & Science Fiction May 2007) Stephan Martiniere “Cold Snap” Kim Newman (The Secret Files of the Edward Miller Diogenes Club, MonkeyBrain Books) John Picacio “Stars Seen through Stone” Lucius Shepard Special Award—Professional (Fantasy & Science Fiction July 2007) Allison Baker and for MonkeyBrain Short Story Books “The Cambist and Lord Iron: A Fairy Tale of Alan Beatts and Jude Feldman for Borderlands Economics” Daniel Abraham (Logorrhea, Bantam Books Spectra) for PS Publishing The FACT Sheet - July 2008 - Page 4 The FACT Sheet - July 2008 - Page 5 for Fantasy & Science Fiction “Unique Chicken Goes in Reverse”, Jeremy Lassen and Jason Williams for Night Shade (Eclipse One) Books Collection Shawna McCarthy for Realms of Fantasy *The Imago Sequence and Other Stories, Laird Special Award—Non-professional Barron (Night Shade Books) and Terri Windling for Endicott The Bone Key, (Prime Books) Studios Website The Entire Predicament, Lucy Corin (Tin House) G. S. Evans and Alice Whittenburg for Cafe Irreal Like You’d Understand, Anyway, Jim Shepard , Editor for Travellers in Darkness: (Knopf) The Souvenir Book of the World Old Devil Moon, Christopher Fowler (Serpent’s Tail) 2007 Anthology John Klima for Electric Velocipede *Inferno, Ellen Datlow, ed. (Tor) and Raymond Russell for Tartarus At Ease with the Dead, Barbara & Christopher Press Roden, eds (Ash-Tree Press) Dark Delicacies 2, Del Howison & Jeff Gelb, eds. Awards (Running Press) The first annual Shirley Jackson Awards, for Logorrhea, John Klima, ed. (Bantam Spectra) “outstanding achievement in the literature of Wizards, Jack Dann & Gardner Dozois, eds. psychological suspense, horror, and the dark (Berkley) fantastic” were handed out at Readercon in July. Winners (*) and nominees are listed here: Cordwainer Smith Award Novel This year’s Cordwainer Smith Rediscovery Award *Generation Loss, Elizabeth Hand (Small Beer Press) was announced at Readercon. This award is given Baltimore, & to a “science fiction or fantasy writer whose work (Bantam Spectra) displays unusual originality, embodies the spirit of Sharp Teeth, Toby Barlow (William Heinemann) Cordwainer Smith’s fiction, and deserves renewed The Terror, (Little, Brown) attention or ‘Rediscovery.’“ The 2008 award was given Tokyo Year Zero, David Peace (Knopf) to Stanley G. Weinbaum (1902-1935). Novella Mr. Weinbaum had a brief but influential career *“Vacancy”, Lucius Shepard (Subterranean #7) in SF. His first story, “A Martian Odyssey”, was 12 Collections, Zoran Zivkovic (PS Publishing) published to great (and enduring) acclaim in the July Wonder Illyria, Elizabeth Hand (PS Publishing) 1934 issue of . He was dead from lung cancer within eighteen months. “A Martian Odyssey” can be The Mermaids, Robert Edric (PS Publishing) found in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Volume One, The “Procession of the Black Sloth”, ( 1929-1964. Imago Sequence and Other Stories) The Scalding Rooms, Conrad Williams (PS Sidewise Awards Publishing) Novelette The Sidewise Awards, which recognize the best *“The Janus Tree”, Glen Hirshberg (Inferno) of the year, were announced at Worldcon. The winners for Best Short Form (there “The Forest”, Laird Barron (Inferno) was a tie) are: “Quaestiones Super Caelo Et Mundo” “The Swing”, Don Tumasonis (At Ease with the by (Analog, July 2007) and “Recovering Dead) “The Tenth Muse”, William Browning Spencer (Subterranean #6) “Thumbprint”, (Postscripts #10, Mar 2007) Short Story *“The Monsters of Heaven”, Nathan Ballingrud (Inferno) “Holiday”, M. Rickert (Subterranean #7) “A Murder of Crows”, Elizabeth Ziemska (Tin House #31, Spr 2007) “Something in the Mermaid Way”, Carrie Laben (Clarkesworld Mar 2007) “The Third Bear”, Jeff VanderMeer (Clarkesworld Apr 2007) The FACT Sheet - July 2008 - Page 4 The FACT Sheet - July 2008 - Page 5 Books Needed for James Reasoner The FACT Book Drive for author James Reasoner, who lost his professional library in a house fire earlier this year, is still going on. Please go to www.fact.org to get to the link to his Amazon shopping list, and help buy the last few books to help him reestablish his professional library. FACToids and Friends (a favorite author of your editor) has a story in the September issue of Fantasy & Science Fiction: “Pump Six”, the title story of his recent collection), Wheatland Press has several books of interesting newly out or due out soon. ’s Laughin’ Boy is currently available for preorder, as is Can’t Buy Me Faded Love by Josh Rountree, another Texas writer. Polyphony 6, co-edited by Apollo 8” by (Asimov’s, former Texan , is available, with a seventh February 2007). The winner for Best Long Form is: volume available preorder. Polyphony volumes 3-6 The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon are available on Wheatland’s website for download, (HarperCollins) and include stories by several FACT favorite authors. was recently the special guest on WSFA Small Press Finalists the Major Spoilers podcast. Get it at tinyurl.com/ The finalists for this year’s WSFA Small Press 6m2qa4. Finn’s piece starts about 30 minutes into Award (honoring short fiction published by small the show. presses) are as follows: , who wrote the bio of Haldeman for “Bufo Rex” by Erik Amundsen, Weird Tales #347 the ArmadilloCon 30 Program Book, has a new novel “Orm the Beautiful” by Elizabeth Bear, out, Lord Tophet. He was interviewed about the book Clarkesworld Magazine, January 2007 by the Wyrdsmiths: tinyurl.com/6mkon7. “The Wizard of Macatawa” by Tom Doyle, Paradox Randy Lankford of San Antonio recently had his #11 () first novel,Aliens for Sale, published by Ayslett Press. “Harry the Crow” by John Kratman, Aeon Find out more at www.randylankford.com. Speculative Fiction #12 Del Rey has released another volume in a series “Mask of the Ferret” by Ken Pick and Alan Loewen, of rereleases of ’s Elric material. Infinite Space, Infinite (Twilight Times Books) This new book is illustrated by acclaimed artist “The Third Bear” by Jeff VandeMeer, Clarkesworld Michael Wm. Kaluta and includes a new introduction Magazine, April 2007 by Mr. Moorcock, The winner will be announced at Capclave in The International Horror Guild award nominations October. are out. Nominees include Texans Joe R. Lansdale and Don Webb, and former Texan Lisa Prometheus Awards Tuttle. Get details at www.horroraward.org. You The Libertarian Futurist Society announced the can congratulate both Lansdale and Webb at winners of this year’s Prometheus Awards. There was ArmadilloCon. a tie this year for Best Novel. The co-winners for Best Joe R. Lansdale will sign copies of his new thriller, Novel are: The Gladiator by Harry Turtledove and Leather Maiden, at Bookpeople on August 17 at 3PM. Ha’Penny by (which was a Reading Group Moon Flights, a collection of stories by Elizabeth seldction earlier this year). Other finalists wereThe Moon, will be released in paperback on August 15. Execution Channel by Ken MacLeod, Fleet of Worlds Rick Riordan will appear at the 39 Steps Party at by & Edward M. Lerner, and Ragamuffin Bookpeople on September 19. Watch the Bookpeople by Tobias S. Buckell. The winner in the Hall of site for additional details. Fame category was A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. has posted his novel Black and White along with a great deal of his short fiction online. Read and enjoy at www.lewisshiner.com/liberation. The FACT Sheet - July 2008 - Page 6 The FACT Sheet - July 2008 - Page 7 BoingBoing posted a link to an interesting talk by Strain, Battlestar Galactica, Chuck, Heroes, Jericho, Neal Stephenson discussing the nature of literary Masters of Science Fiction, Medium, Pushing Daisies, genres and why these definitions are melting away. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Smallville, See it at tinyurl.com/5svr5z. , Supernatural, and Tin Man. will be the keynote speaker at Fans of Moonlight continue to campaign for a new the Austin Game Developers Conference (Sept. 15- home for the show on cable. SciFi had been reported 17, Austin Convention Center). Find out more at to be in discussions about picking the show up, but www.austingdc.net. has passed. For more information, see: moonlight- The new TOR.com website has launched. Material united.com. to enjoy there includes a story by John Scalzi. Read The Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas will shut down Star it at tinyurl.com/5ut5ra. Trek : The Experience on September 1, after an 11- Former Texan is interviewed in the year run. July, 2008, issue of The New York Review of Science Fiction. Convention Listing ArmadilloCon 30 participant has Aug. 15-17: ArmadilloCon 30, Doubletree Austin a short story in the September, 2008, issue of North, Austin, TX. Literary SF convention. GoH Asimov’s. John Scalzi; Artist GoH David Lee Anderson; Fan and Jay Lake will have stories in GoH Kelly Persons; Editor GoH Sheila Williams; The Lone Star Stories Reader. Preorder a copy at Toastmaster Bill Crider; and Special Guests Joe and www.lsspress.com/8201.html. Gay Haldeman. www.armadillocon.org Martha Wells has a story in the Summer issue of Aug. 22-24: BuboniCon 40, Albuquerque Grand Black Gate. Read an excerpt at tinyurl.com/626d92. Airport Hotel, Albuquerque, NM: GoH David Weber; Toastmaster Daniel Abraham; Artist Guest Writing News Bo Eggleton; Auctioneer Robert E. Vardeman. Regular memberships $40 (at the door only). The Last Theorem, the new novel by Arthur C. www.bubonicon.com Clarke and Frederik Pohl, has been released. Aug. 29 - Sept. 1: Anime Fest, Hyatt Regency Thomas M. Disch, American science fiction at Reunion, Dallas, TX. Memberships $35 author and poet, passed away in July. He reportedly if paid online by Aug. 22 or if sent by mail and committed suicide. See articles at tinyurl.com/ postmarked by Aug. 15. $15 for children (8-12). 66ogom and tinyurl.com/6hkfrn. Disch had won www.animefest.org a number of awards, including the John Campbell Sept. 5-7: Realms Con: 4th Annual Anime Festival, award and a . Holiday Inn Emerald Beach, Corpus Christi. Terry Brooks is touring to promote his new novel, www.realmscon.com Genesis of Shannara: The Gypsy Morph. one of his Sept. 12-14: ProtoCon 10, all-genre gaming appearances will be in Fort Worth, TX, on September convention, Memorial Student Center, Texas A&M. 9 at 7PM. The location will be Casa Manana, 3101 Additional focus on independent publishers and West Lancaster Avenue, 76107. “Fans of Terry prototype games. Weekend passes currently $10, $15 Brooks can get two free reserved seats by either at door. www.protocon.com sending their request with a stamped, self-addressed envelope to “An Evening with Terry Brooks” c/o The Sept. 15-17: Austin Game Developers Conference, Star-Telegram, P.O. Box 1870, Fort Worth TX 76101 Austin Convention Center. Keynote Speaker is Attn: Melinda Mason, or by calling (817) 390-7579. Bruce Sterling. $895 in advance; $995 at the door. There is free parking in the Casa Manana lot at the www.austingdc.net intersection of West Lancaster and University Drive.” Sept. 18-25: Fantastic Fest 2008, Alamo Drafthouse Robert Stikmanz will appear at Bookpeople on South Lamar. Film Badge (all time slots) $120; 2nd August 13 at 7PM at a release party for his latest Half of Festival Badge $65; Day-Only Badge $40. novel, Entranscing. www.fantasticfest.com Oct. 3-5: FenCon V, Addison, TX. GoH Gregory Media News Benford; Music GoH Three Weird Sisters; Fan GoH See the trailer for a new Joss Whedon project, Dr. Gerald Burton; Special Guest Jay Lake. Regular Horrible’s Singalong Blog, at www.drhorrible.com. memberships $35 before Sept. 1, $40 at door. Actors include Neil Patrick Harris and Nathan Fillion. www..org Science fiction and fantasy television productions Oct. 10-12: 2008 Browncoat Ball, Omni Hotel, received 49 Emmy nominations this year. The FSF Austin, TX. Memberships $150 for the weekend, $125 shows that were nominated include: The Andromeda for Saturday and Sunday, or Saturday only $100. The FACT Sheet - July 2008 - Page 6 The FACT Sheet - July 2008 - Page 7 www.browncoatball.com Ludicrous Speed Book Group will discuss Summer Oct. 10-12: Southern Festival of Books: A Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay. Celebration of the Written Word, Nashville, TN. Sunday, August 17, 2PM: North Austin Reading Authors appearing include Janis Ian. No charge. tn- Group. Doubletree Hotel, de Zavala. The Automatic humanities.org/festival Detective by A. Lee Martinez. Oct. 17-19: Capclave 2008, Hilton Washington DC/ Thursday, August 21, 7-8 PM: South Austin Rockville, 1750 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD. Literary Reading Group. (Pleasant Hill Branch, Austin Public SF con -- a long commute but looks like something Library, 211 E. Wm Cannon Dr) Snow Crash by Neal an ArmadilloCon fan would enjoy. Author Guest is Stephenson. James Morrow. $50 through Sept. 30; $60 after that. August 28 (Thurs.), 7-8:30 PM, Barnes & Noble www.capclave.org Arboretum Café, Science and Religion in Fiction Oct. 25-26: Fan Days & the Sci-Fi Book Club (Center for Inquiry) will discuss Cat’s Expo, Plano Center, 2000 E Spring, Plano, TX. Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut. www.scifiexpo.com/DCC/Next-Convention.html Nov. 7-9: Wizard World Texas, Arlington Convention Gaming Center, Arlington, TX. www.wizardworld.com/home- Adult Gaming: FACT gamers are invited to attend tx.html gaming at ArmadilloCon, which replaces the monthly Nov. 14-16: G-Kon III, Dallas Market Hall, 2200 N meeting for August. Stemmons Fwy, Dallas, TX. www.g-kon.com Saturdays, 12-8 PM, Great Hall Games: Austin Nov. 21-23: Oni-Con, Hilton Americas, 1600 Lamar, Board Gamers meet at store for gaming. Houston, TX. Preregsiter online for $35 (discount for groups). www.oni-con.com Upcoming Social Events March 13-15: Dallas All-Con, Crowne Plaza North August 29 (Fri.), 7:30-10:30 PM, Ursa Major Dallas, Addison, TX. www.all-con.org Party/Meet-Up, Lynn Ward’s apartment, 3711 Medical Dr. #1614, San Antonio. Call Lynn for At the Movies directions and to confirm location: 210-218-2800. There are still a few new F/SF/Horror films left to www.groups.yahoo.com/group/UrsaMajorSciFi be released this summer. Writing Fly Me to the Moon 3D (Aug. 15) Mirrors (Aug. 15) Oct. 2-3, FenCon V Writer’s Workshop. Jay Lake Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Aug. 15) will be the instructor. Spaces will be limited to 20. Babylon A.D. (Vin Diesel) (Aug. 29) Submission information is available after you register ($65, including your FenCon membership). See Austin Books & Comics has partnered with Bob details at tinyurl.com/5pw5wd. Bullock State History Museum to bring The Dark 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 7-10 PM: Slug Tribe, Hancock Knight: The IMAX Experience to Austin. Showtimes Rec Center (41st and Red River) in Activity Room #2 and tickets are available online at tinyurl.com/ 69f633. August 16, 9:30-11 AM: Austin Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, Barnes and Noble Westlake 9: The UT Anime Club’s last meeting for the summer 30 - 11:00, Open Critique (9:30), Chapter Meeting semester is on Friday, August 15, starting at 7PM. (10:30), Life Drawing Session (starts at 12). Critique Showings are free and open to the public, and are is totally open. Anyone can bring five pages of held in Welch Hall room 1.316 (in the first basement their work-in-progress for the rest of the group to level). comment and make suggestions on. Please bring The Alamo Drafthouse is bringing Mad Max to Re- six copies. Find out more about this group at public Square Park on Friday, September 12, at 7PM, www.austinscbwi.com. followed by The Road Warrior on Friday, September 19, at 7PM, as a free accompaniment to their annual Reading Group Report Fantastic Fest (see Convention listing). June 2: Mainspring by Jay Lake Book Groups Ten people attended the discussion of Jay Lake’s Mainspring. All but two people started the book. Six August 13 (Wed.), 7 PM: Dark Forces Reading people finished it. Two more were planning to finish. Group, Flightpath Coffee House, Danger Boy #1 by Eight people had read something by Jay Lake before. Mark London Williams. The author will attend. Mainspring is set on a world that looks a lot like our August 18 (Mon.), 7 PM, Bookpeople: The Earth, except it’s literally a clockwork mechanism. The FACT Sheet - July 2008 - Page 8 The FACT Sheet - July 2008 - Page 9 The gears along the Earth’s equatorial wall mesh with reader said the notion that the Earth is filled with those of the Earth’s orbital track as the planet travels gears is so nonsensical (“in that case what keeps around the Sun. Inside the Earth a giant spring, you glued to it,” he asked) that he concluded from Mainspring, keeps the planet rotating around its axis. the very beginning this book should not be analyzed But now the Mainspring is becoming unwound, and intellectually. So he took out his brain and enjoyed world is in danger. A young man named Hethor, a the adventure. clockmaker’s apprentice, is sent on a quest to find Hethor’s adventures -- his travels on airships and the Key Perilous for winding up the Mainspring. encounters with exotic tribes -- were found enjoyable Several people thought the notion of the world as by most readers. In that sense they found Mainspring a clockwork mechanism raises interesting points comparable to books by Edgar Rice Burroughs, about religion, but they disagreed whether this novel or Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle. However, did a good job exploring those religious implications. several people were bothered by magic that suddenly Hethor’s enemies, who try to derail his quest, do so appeared in the final pages, after having been absent because of religious differences, but it’s not clear that anywhere else in the book. Nothing in Mainspring’s the inhabitants of this world have a lot of latitude in setting indicated there was magic in this world. One religious interpretation of their everyday experiences. reader even said he wondered if the book changed As some readers pointed out, faith is a belief in things overnight. Before the magic appeared, he didn’t see unseen, but in this world God’s presence becomes how the character was going to achieve his goal in apparent as soon as you look up. The orbital track 30 pages, unless the story continued into the next could have only been made by a super-powerful book. He would have preferred that, instead of author designer. So faith, as we understand it, can’t really pulling magic out of the hat. exist here. There was also some confusion as to whether Another reader argued that characters’ doubts the people Hethor encountered in the Southern concerning religion are nonetheless justified, because hemisphere were mechanisms or flesh-and-blood a mechanical universe does not necessarily imply a people. Hethor heard gears clicking in those people: conventional kind of God. “Did the maker of all these does that mean they were, in fact, robots? Does gears put the gears in motion and then walked away? that imply the people of the Northern hemisphere, The fact that the creator put the gears in motion including Hethor himself, were robots too, and they doesn’t mean there’s someone watching day-to-day just haven’t discovered that yet? Or was the clicking and intervening,” said the reader. of the gears some kind of allegory, not to be taken Two people noted that the book has a more religious literally? This was yet another confusing aspect of the tone than one would expect from the cover blurb. book. The blurb promises Monty Python, but the novel is Yet a lot of people enjoyed the book despite the anything but. It’s not irreverent, funny, or amusing, seeming inconsistencies: they chose whichever said one reader, who saw Hethor as a Christ figure. interpretation made the most sense to them. The fact that the key for fixing the world fit in Overall we agreed we were probably seeing more Hethor’s heart only reinforced her impression of philosophical controversy in the novel than Jay Mainspring as a very reverent, very religious book. Lake put into it. For example, one reader saw in Another person agreed with that impression, pointing Mainspring a parable for the pressing issues of today. out that all the villains were Rational Humanists and “Here’s a person who discovered that the world has a all the good people were religious. Yet he thought the big problem; and there are people who don’t believe view of a world as mechanism wouldn’t make a case in that problem and believe that God is going to come for religion. So he found the book to be internally inconsistent. Internal consistency of the world described in Mainspring was fodder for much discussion. For one thing, people weren’t sure whether the story should be taken straightforwardly or as an allegory. If this is straightforward science fiction, then, as one reader pointed out, it wouldn’t be possible to wind the gigantic Mainspring with a key small enough to fit in one’s heart. Another reader saw the clockwork universe as an allegory, and the key as purely symbolic, so the task of winding up the Mainspring wasn’t physical, he concluded. Others argued that it’s hard to see the gears and springs as mere metaphors when descriptions of the mechanisms that move © David Lee Anderson, ArmadilloCon 30 Artist Guest the Earth are so detailed and tangible. Yet another The FACT Sheet - July 2008 - Page 8 The FACT Sheet - July 2008 - Page 9 along and make it all OK. I wonder where Jay Lake got such an idea,” he said sarcastically. OFFICER REPORTS “So you think Al Gore inspired this book?” another CHAIR reader asked. Mr. Price advised he has been working on the “If so, a 12 year-old Al Gore inspired it,” the first ArmadilloCon dealer’s room, which appears to be reader replied, “because it’s way too naive.” nearly full. Naivete and passivity were the main reasons why PRESIDENT several people didn’t like the protagonist, Hethor. Ms. Meschke attended the north reading group and Somebody said “He makes a couple of decisions in the Memorial Day picnic. She also attended Book the 1st chapter, and then pretty much doesn’t have Expo America, where she spoke to John Scalzi, Kage any choices. He gets into situations that compel him Baker, and . She advised she will be to move in a certain direction. And then he doesn’t attending ApolloCon and hopes to see everyone there. make another decision until [halfway into the book].” VICE-PRESIDENT Another reader commented: “I’ve never read a quest No report book where the hero had it so incredibly easy.” TREASURER Others liked that while Hethor started out as a Ms. Moul reported via email that as of 5/31/2008 sheltered character, he learned a lot more about the the account balances were: ArmadilloCon: $2,627.57; world during his journey. One reader in particular FACT: $10,291.36; World Fantasy: $11,650.91. liked Hethor’s humor. Even when things are going Deposits outstanding: FACT $0.00; ArmadilloCon: horribly, he has a way of finding something darkly $0.00; World Fantasy: $0.00. humorous about the events. Debits outstanding: FACT $0.00; ArmadilloCon: Everybody seemed to like several of the secondary $0.00; World Fantasy: $0.00. characters, especially the librarian, who was the universal favorite. Arellya and the drover girl Darby SECRETARY were also thought to be interesting. Some people Ms. Burton reported she had been contacted by a were disappointed that those characters disappeared representative of Frost Bank to verify the signatories quickly and for good. on the various accounts. She explained, in answer to Many people also liked the images in the novel, a question from several of the directors, that because such as the image of Earth’s brass orbital tracks, the libraries don’t reserve meeting space for the latter vertical city on the equatorial wall, the airships. For half of the year until June, she had not yet contacted some they were the best part of the novel, making up them regarding changing the date of the meeting. She for its weaknesses. advised she will do so in the coming week. ---Elze Hamilton REGISTRAR Mr. Hollas reported active members still numbered FACT Board Meeting: June 68 as of the end of May. Expired memberships numbered 22, a decline of 1, while inactive The monthly meeting of the board of directors for memberships remained static at 54. the Fandom Association of Central Texas was called SOCIAL ACTIVITIES MANAGER to order on Sunday, 8 June, by Board Chair at the Mr. Siros provided an update regarding the Carver Branch of the Austin Public Library, 1161 upcoming boat trip, noting he had obtained signed Angelina St., Austin, Texas, at 2:11 PM. Present in checks to ensure all necessary expenses can be paid. addition to the chair were FACT President Karen He noted 10 RSVPs had been received as of the day Meschke and Directors Kurt Baty, Elizabeth Burton, of the meeting. He was asked whether any authors A.T. Campbell III, Jennifer Juday, and Charles Siros. had been personally invited and responded in the Mr. Price and the board observed a moment of negative. silence in memory of lifetime member Robert Asprin, HISTORIAN who had passed away recently. No report The secretary presented the minutes of the May MIS meeting. Ms. Meschke noted that ALAMO should Ms. Antell reported she is just about ready to put properly be rendered in all uppercase letters, as it the new registration procedures online. She set up a is an acronym. There being no other additions or forwarder that will go to the treasurer and registrar corrections it was moved by Mr. Siros, seconded by and tested it and heard back from Ms. Moul but not Mr. Campbell that the minutes be accepted. There from Mr. Hollas. being no objections, Mr. Price so declared. She requested input regarding whether to remove the name of Mr. Asprin from the member-writers’ CORRESPONDENCE: Although Ms. Meschke had listing on the FACT website. The board consensus mail for the treasurer, there was no correspondence was that he should be removed as a FACT member. that required the board’s attention. The FACT Sheet - July 2008 - Page 10 The FACT Sheet - July 2008 - Page 11 Concern was expressed by several directors QUARTERMASTER regarding locating the registration system on the Mr. Siros advised he has purchased shelves and in server at the MIS Manager’s place of employment. two weeks will, hopefully issue a call to help clean It was noted there are security concerns regarding out the interior storage locker. storage of the information on a non-FACT server as well as the potential for loss of information. Mr. Price COMMITTEE REPORTS offered to discuss the board’s concerns with Ms. ARMADILLOCON 30 Antell. Mr. Baty noted he was attending EuroCon in Russia PUBLICATIONS on the date of the mass mailing. Ms. Meschke noted Ms. Juday reported she had updated the various about 50 packets had come back, a percentage flyers for the mass mailing and noted the lack of with address corrections; these are to be passed on someone in charge of publicity for the convention. Mr. to Ms. Antell so she can update the database. The Baty advised Jonathan Miles had agreed to handle it. next committee meeting will be in two weeks from Ms. Juday said she had worked with representatives Wednesday at Mr. Campbell’s residence. Mr. Baty of FenCon and ApolloCon to get their flyers ready in called the hotel and talked to their sale representative time and advised the board of a San Antonio member about getting the South Ballroom for the entire seeking to be more active in the organization. weekend; negotiations ensued. He said they are She noted she had corresponded with Lynn Ward reluctant to tie the room up in case they may be able regarding Ms. Ward’s complaint that she hadn’t to use if for some other, short term event, so Mr. received the FACT Sheet and advised her that her Baty requested they let us have three weeks notice membership had expired. She received permission should they decide to let us use it; However, he has to reprint cover art; completed the not heard back and will need to follow up. The plan FACT Sheet thanks to contributions from numerous would then be to use the ballroom as major function FACT members and noted that artist Kendall Hart, space and move the art show and special exhibits whose work has appeared in several issues, had into the North Ballroom. However, as it stands we advised her he may be coming to the convention. may not have a decision from the hotel until three- She stated she had received compliments from Lee four weeks prior to event. The alternative, he said, Martindale on the newsletter. is to have panels that can be moved in and out of Ms. Juday composed and ad for the ApolloCon the dealer’s room and place the displays in the hall program book and has received a quote from during the day. We will have to improvise for the Kinko’s for the ArmadilloCon program book. She historical retrospective if we can’t get additional recommended sticking with a black-and-white cover, space. as color would add a considerable premium to the Mr. Baty and Mr. Siros were reminded they need total cost. Mr. Baty noted he had inquired about to establish ad rates for the program book. They the possibility of a color cover on behalf of the artist requested Ms. Juday send the quote she received guest of honor and will check with him regarding from Kinko’s to Pat Virzi for feedback. monochrome. Membership registrations to date is very low. Mr. Campbell inquired whether there were plans to do any local advertising. Mr. Baty has requested the writer’s workshop administrator do an article for the Austin Chronicle regarding the thirty years of ArmadilloCon. Mr. Price said one of the chairs needs to the newspaper directly and inquire how we might work out some coverage. A question was asked whether flyers had been distributed in comic shops. Mr. Baty advised he will begin distributing them shortly. Mr. Price also suggested sending press releases to local radio stations. ARMADILLOCON 31 Ms. Antell reported she has contacted all of her proposed committee and most of them have said yes. She noted that Jonathan Miles has already started working on programming. At the meeting with the hotel on 7 June, Fred Duarte, Renee Babcock and Ms. Antell discussed the gaming component and the possibility of using the Dover Room again. They will continue to look at that.

The FACT Sheet - July 2008 - Page 10 The FACT Sheet - July 2008 - Page 11 Some guests of honor have accepted their Ms. Burton reported that the South Group will meet invitation. She noted that her writer guest was monthly instead of bimonthly, and that she will try to thrilled to be asked and is really looking forward to meet with the library manager to determine how more attending. However, she has not heard back from her interest might be generated. Mr. Campbell advised proposed artist guest. Chris Roberson is helping her the North Group will pick new books on June 18th. on that front and has emailed him as well and not HOTEL COMMITTEE heard back, suggesting they may both have a bad Mr. Siros recommended the committee look at address. Mr. Roberson has emailed a mutual friend various dates rather than try to lock in the current of the artist to see if there is a different address to dates. Upcoming are being competitive, as use. are other major conventions. Ms. Antell advised she had spoken to several BYLAWS COMMITTEE people about who to ask as her special guest, as her No report original second choice wasn’t able to accept. The SAN ANTONIO CONVENTION EXPLORATION consensus was that a well-respected author who had COMMITTEE been unable to accept a previous invitation but had No report expressed high interest in being asked again would be a really good choice. The only concern would be that the individual is the Guest of Honor at another OLD BUSINESS convention next year. However, her advisors felt Book Donation: Mr. Baty will be taking the books there much overlap, and that the author in question currently in his possession to ApolloCon to be given was sufficiently well-known and popular that it away. Mr. Price suggested tending to the ones in Ms. wouldn’t matter. The author was contacted by email Antell’s garage after the locker cleaning has been and didn’t respond, so Ms. Antell contacted KD completed. Wentworth to find out if there is a better address. Merchant Account: Renee Babcock, as the Sam’s As of this date she hasn’t heard back from Ms. Club account holder, needs to arrange to have it Wentworth either, but it has only been a few days. changed to someone else. It was reposed that Ms. She will ask someone who knows her well to contact Burton, as the board secretary, is the logical person her if she doesn’t hear anything within a week. to replace her, and she will contact Ms. Babcock to Things are moving briskly, Ms. Antell advised, and set up a date to do that. Additional individuals can she is hopeful that by the next meeting, she will have then be added to the account as required at a later a full line-up. date. Several directors expressed concern that the There being no other business before the board, the individual who had been proposed at the last meeting was adjourned at 3:33 p.m. meeting for Special Guest had not even been asked. In addition, some wondered whether the guest of About The FACT Sheet honor is sufficiently well-known to be a draw. The Editor Jennifer Juday consensus was that, given the convention’s goal is Mail: The F.A.C.T. Sheet, PO Box 26442, Austin, TX to introduce lesser-known authors who are up and 78755 coming, the choice for guest of honor was well within E-mail: [email protected] the purview of the chair. Mr. Campbell stressed that Artwork: Cover Image ©1988 by Laurie May. “A Little the real concern wasn’t with the choice but with the Friend” ©2008 by Brandy Stark. Flambeau and Tri- fact that the proposed guest of honor wasn’t even lobite Earrings ©2008 by Anita Haddock. “Fireleap” invited. Ms. Meschke stated she felt there did need to ©2007 by Jolie E. Bonnette. Happy Little Sunrise be clear guidelines regarding communication when ©2008 by Brad W. Foster. Untitled (p.6) by William guests are chosen, as it could set a bad precedent Rotsler. Pan Am/Space Station © David Lee Ander- if the board isn’t kept informed when proposed son. Abstract (p.11) ©1980 by Tarkus. DilloTex logo guest line-ups are drastically changed after the is © 1988 by Brad W. Foster. Texas Fandom Logo is bid is accepted, with which Ms. Burton concurred. © 2007 by Brad W. Foster. Mr. Price suggested establishing such criteria is Copyrights: All contents copyright © 2008 by the something the convention oversight committee should Fandom Association of Central Texas, Inc., except take under serious consideration. where otherwise noted. Trademarks: “World Science Fiction Convention,” Ms. Babcock advised via email that once the “WorldCon,” and “Hugo” are registered service marks Friends of Fandom donation is presented to them at of the World Science Fiction Society, an unincorpo- ApolloCon and the check has cleared the account rated non-profit literary society. Nebula Awards is a can be closed. Mr. Siros noted that donation could as registered trademark of the Science Fiction and Fan- easily be paid by FACT. tasy Writers of America. READING GROUPS The FACT Sheet - July 2008 - Page 12 The FACT Sheet - July 2008 - Page 13 ArmadilloCon 31 August 14-16, 2009

Guest of Honor Artist Guest Stephan Martiniere Editor Guest Chris Roberson Fan Guest Karen Meschke Special Guest Joan Vinge Toastmaster Scott A. Cupp

Artwork by Stephan Martiniere All rights reserved.

The FACT Sheet - July 2008 - Page 12 The FACT Sheet - July 2008 - Page 13 The FACT Sheet The Fandom Association of Central Texas P.O. Box 26442 Austin, TX 78755-0422

FIRST CLASS

In This Issue

Convention Reports Wanted! 2 FACT Benefi t for Literacy Austin 2 North Reading Group Selections 2 South Reading Group Selections 2 Hugo Awards Announced 2 Focus on the Art Show 3 World Fantasy Nominations 4 Shirley Jackson Awards 5 Cordwainer Smith Award 5 Sidewise Awards 5 WSFA Small Press Finalists 6 Prometheus Awards 6 Books Needed for James Reasoner 6 FACToids and Friends 6 Writing News 7 Media News 7 Convention Listing 7 At the Movies 8 Book Groups 8 Gaming 8 Upcoming Social Events 8 Writing Groups 8 Reading Group Report 8 FACT Board Meeting: June 10