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Fiction EBX 6S 25-28" March 2005 Convention PARAGON2 Hanover International Hinckley

: Progress Report 2 April 2004

Contents:

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Guests of Honour John & Eve Harvey Ben Jeapes Ken MacLeod Richard Morgan Robert Rankin

Committee Bran Dowd) Sofa James Bacon #4ee Programme OUMaDaly eeee Programme John Dowd -220...... 2..000 Memberships, Hotel Bookings & Finance Nigel Murionge 2955 4.0.8).2082 Ops Sabine PurlOone o. 7h esse eee e ees Ops Alice Lawson 22035 2). ee ere Hotel (Function) & Special Events Steve LaWwSOM 2. r.5.66..5:.. secs sec est cece cc eee Hotel Liaison (Beds) & Registration John Richards. ..:2:...0... ieee eeee. Programme

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Paragon2 Full Page: 4 Burnside Avenue, SHEFFIELD Fan £35 Professional £75 S8 9FR UK Half Page: Fan £20 Professional £40 0114 281 0674 Quarter Page: Fan £10 Professional £25 www.paragon2.org.uk Special arrangements can be madefor [email protected] leaflets or exchanges of ads

What’s a... Hero? Glynn Christian (the mutineer’s great- Thoughts on the Philosophical Founda- great-great-great-grandson): “There is tions of Heroism, by Dr Andrew nothing new to say about Bounty, Bligh Bernstein: “What, the first question or Christian ... William Bligh was a mag- must be, is the distinguishing essence of nificent navigator and a truly awful man heroism? What characteristics must one just as Fletcher Christian was a wicked possess to qualify as a hero? Whatis it mutineer and an interesting pioneer of that unites Achilles, Cyrano, Isaac New- democracy and female emancipation.” ton, John Galt and Ayn Rand? Whatisit that differentiates them from: both the Lenin: “All our lives we fought against folks next door, and from Iago, Ellsworth exalting the individual, against the eleva- Toohey, Adolf Hitler, Hilary Clinton? In tion of the single person, and long ago we short, what is the rational meaning of the were over and done with the business of concept “heroism”? a hero, and here it comes up again: the glorification of one personality. This is Webster’s Ninth Collegiate Dictionary de- not goodat all. 1 am just like everybody fines “hero as: a) “a mythological or leg- else.” endary figure often of divine descent endowedwith great strength or ability, b) Ralph Waldo Emerson: “A hero is no an illustrious warrior, c) a man admired braver than an ordinary man, but he is for his achievements and noble qualities, - brave five minutes longer.” d) one that shows great courage.” These cont. page 9

Paragon2 - PR2 - Page 2 From the Depthsof the Sofa by Fran Dowd

Hello again. With less than a year to go, course (04) announcedthat if they did not everything is starting to gather speed. You have enough advance entries or enquiries can now book yourhotel room, there’s more by April 1st, they would cancel the Mas- detail about that on page 14. We’re work- querade, although they would continue ing on the projects that need lot of ad- with the increasingly popular Hall Costume vance planning - these include the Richard competition. Alice is monitoring the re- III Project - more on page 12. PRsalsoin- sponse and wewill make our decision based clude info on someof the other things we’ve on this. got in mind - this issue features the war- gaming strand (page 10). If we do decide that the Masqueradeis not to go ahead, we will notify you in the next There’s some enclosures with this PR for PR (November 2004). We have a range of you. As well as the Hotel Booking Form ideasto replace it, and will do some of these there’s a Volunteer Form (oneside for Ops, even if we go ahead with the main event. one side for Programme), a Membership These include Hall Costume Competition, Form for any of your friends who haven’t an Easter Bonnet Parade, an Alter Ego Cos- joined yet, and flier - please try and find tume Ball, and the audience participation a local bookshop, work noticeboardorli- costumesfor RichardIII. There will be the brary where this can be displayed. usual capable support of Chaos Costum- ing. This and future PRs will have detailed in- formation about our Guests of Honour - Weare also thinking of running some work- Ken MacLeod and Robert Rankin are our shop items on Masquerading, to support highlighted guests in this issue (pages 4 people who are thinking of entering the and 7). Worldcon Masqueradelater in the year.

As I’ve said before, if you would like to be If you have any comments or queries about involved in Paragon2, we would love to hear this, please contact Alice or myself. from you. If you have programmeideas, or wantto write for the publications,it doesn’t Paragon2 Merchandise mean you haveto be involved in running We're experimenting with something new the con on the day. for Paragon2 souvenirs - T-shirts, mouse- mats, tote bags andthelike. We have joined Conversely, if you want to work at the con, forces with a US companycalled CaféPress, it doesn’t mean you have to spend time who producea wide range of products and between now andthenin the planning. print them individually with our designs to your order. Unfortunately, these products Masquerade and Costuming are only available through the souvenirs You may have heard that we’ve announced shop on our website. It does mean, though, that we’re not going to have a Masquerade. that you can have a choice of T-shirts from This isn’t quite true, we have not yet made 6-month baby size up to 4XL, and weve - the final decision. also got a special design for people who prefer to have an image between their boo- Alice Lawson, who’s our committee person bs and not across them. You can even have responsible for special events, has been Paragon2 undies! The service is fast, and running Eastercon Masqueradesfor quite they take credit cards. The greatest benefit some time. She has been watching the for all of us is that we have not had to tie numberof entries slowly decline. At Sea- up your membership money in merchan- con03, there were very few entries, and dise stock. If you visit our desk at conven- none who notified her in advance. Con- tions, we will have samples for you to look at before you order.

Paragon2 - PR2 - Page 3 Ken MacLeod by John Richardson

If for nothing else Ken MacLeod can be His second book The Stone Canal (1996) remembered for devising the latest format won the 1998 . For me for the style of that it was here that Ken really became some- Margaret Atwood does not write. While one to watch out for. Like an lain Banks “squids in space” is hardly a complete de- novel with the pseudonymous middleini- scription of the Engines Of Lighttrilogy, tial flashing on andoff like a faulty neon from that definition it is difficult to iden- sign The Stone Canal alternates between tify another writer from whom she was a cinematically drawn far future and con- attempting to distance her novel Oryx temporary Scotland with the ideas that And Crake. Quite why Ms. Atwood should crop upin late night political arguments be so keen to be seen as “Not Ken in Student Union bars being given flesh. MacLeod”is, of course, a matter of much At once achingly familiar and breathtak- speculation. After all Ken’s works betray ing in its scope and with Ken’s sense of a ready wit, an interest in humanity and politics and sense of humourin top gear. an ability to characterise that quite a few writers, Ms. Atwood among them, might The Cassini Division (1998) broke Ken, by do well to cultivate. now a full time author, into the US. De- spite a personal liking for the previous Described by Salon.com as “the greatest books Patrick Neilson Hayden of Tor living Trotskyist libertarian cyberpunk books had considered them, with their science-fiction humorist” like many of us European style of politics, not suitable for in the underworld of fandom Ken had American publication. Once again Ken been writing since he first discovered SF threw caution to the wind and came up at the age of 13 and collecting the stand- with a lead character who has been de- ard rejection slips. scribed as “the mostevil protagonist in the universe.” Unrepentant, in an inter- “I got a rejection slip from New Worlds view for Locus Ken commented: Quarterly for a story wherethe alien planet turns out to be Earth. Gosh! Too “I certainly don’t think she’s evil from a radical for New Worlds, obviously. Pity I human point of view, and I don’t believe didn’t know about The Last Dangerous Vi- there’s an extra human point of view that sions and I could have sentit to that! matters to us. Ellen’s belief is mine, that Over my 20s and 30sI very, very slowly fundamentally human beingsare their collected rejection slips from Interzone own moral arbiters, our little moral cen- and then gave up trying to write short tre. So there is no “good”external to the stories...” question of what is good for us. But with- out some form of religious belief, there’s Through the urging of old school mate literally nothingelse to go on, to drive us. and the efforts of agent Mic I don’t think morality has any meaning Cheetham he burst upon the public whatsoever once it moves beyond the hu- scene with The Star Fractionin 1995; the man.” first in a series that I find myself some- what surprised to learn is called The Fall Despite this attack on the morality of Star Revolution. was runner Trek, The Cassini Division was nominated up for the 1996 Arthur C Clarke award for The Nebula Award, The BSFA Award, and, despite having a communist hero, The Arthur C Clarke Award and The winner of the 1996 Prometheus Award for Prometheus Award. Libertarian SF.

cont. page 6

Paragon2 - PR2 - Page 4 The 634 World Science Fiction Convention 4-8 August 2005 The SECC Glasgow, Scotland GUESTS OF HONOUR Greg Pickersgill, ChristopherPriest Robert Sheckley, Lars-Olov Strandberg and Jane Yolen Scotland : HomeoftheCeilidh e- and the > Highland Fling , Membership Rates uuu (Valid to ist December 2004) Seer §=6Supporting £30 wae €@€=§=—s_ Attending £95 : 4 a Child (7 1 15 on 4 Aug'0s) E32 , " = INfantioro 6 on 4 Aug’0s) Free apgso INTERACTION ae ee 379 Myrtle Road, Sheffield South Yorkshire, UK, S2 3HQ General Enquiries [email protected] Membership Enquiries [email protected] Soe See http://www.interaction.worldcon.org.uk “World Science Fiction Convention” and “Worldcon”are service marks of the World Science Fiction Society, an uninc orporated literary society

In 1999 Ken won the BSFA award with pleted the series. “Heavy weaponry, alien The Sky Road, the fourth and last in The symbiosis, a programmeof “guerrilla on- Fall Revolution series. Set in the time be- tology” featuring literal Men in Black and tween The Star Fraction and The Stone devastating intervention by one of the Canal it deals with a minor incident in gods ... A highly enjoyable conclusion to history and shows how things could turn a fizzy, fast-moving but persistently intel- out differently. Once more split between ligent trilogy.” () events in one time and their consequence in another this is a quieter book than its Newton’s Wake (2004) is out in hardback predecessors, considering the nature of in the UK and will soon be available in history and extrapolation. the USA.This is a stand alone novel, as the cover blurb insists on telling us Which brings us on to the Engines of twice, but retains several familiar Light trilogy and squids in space. MacLeod tropes - post human intelli- gences and a story which spans centuries In an interview with Duncan Lawie in The - as well as the glorious occupation of Zone Ken said. Combat Archaeologist.

“I don’t believe in the UFO mythology In addition to the above, Ken’s novella but I find it fascinating. Episodically, I The Human Front (nominated for the find it fascinating. I did quite a bit of re- Sidewise Award this time) is available in search on the web about Area 51 and a Gollancz ‘binary’ edition and Cydonia is read an interesting and entertaining book available in Web 2028 or in a stand alone called The Dreamland Chronicles by David edition from Orion’s Children. Darlington, which is about the whole subculture that’s grown up aroundit. As for the standard biographical details... There’s an interesting webzine, which is no longer active, called The Groom Lake Ken MacLeod was born in Stornoway, on Desert Rat. It was a newsletter about and Isle of Lewis, Scotland, on August 2", for all the people who made attempts to 1954. He went to school with Iain Banks penetrate Groom Lake and were turned and was published in the school maga- back by the famous camo dudes. It’s in- zine while Banks wasn’t. He graduated in triguing stuff because obviously the place Zoology from Glasgow University in 1976 exists and they do useit to develop very and did an M.Phil in biomechanics at advancedaircraft and the mind just bog- Brunel where he joined The International gles. It’s surrounded by this huge cloud Marxist Group. He worked as a computer of disinformation of which I think the programmerbefore becoming full time UFO mythology may well be a part.” writer in 1997. He’s been married to his wife Carol since 1981, and has two chil- Unlike The Fall Revolution, Engines of dren, Sharon and Michael. His favourite Light has continuing characters and a film is Blade Runner and he admits to lik- chronological sequence, although Cosmo- ing the film of Starship Troopers. naut Keep does use Ken’s favourite two timelines style. It has the victimsof alien The 2003 Prometheus Award was won by abductions and kidnapped spacemen, Terry Pratchett’s Nightwatch. When I re- whofor once happen to be Russians and marked to Ken, at P-Con in Dublin, that intelligent dinosaurs. It also has squids this seemed to indicate that Libertarian who can navigate between stars. As by SF was in a bad way Kenreplied “there now seemed inevitable Cosmonaut Keep are only two good Libertarian SF writers (2000) was nominated for the Hugo, The and they are both at this table”. I leave it Arthur C Clarke Award and The as an exercise for the reader to guess Prometheus Award while Dark Light was whothe other oneis. A clue might be nominated for the John W Campbell available in the dedication to Newton’s Award and on the shortlist for the James Wake. - Tiptree Award. Engine City (2003) com-

Paragon2 - PR2 - Page 6 Robert Rankin by Michael Carroll

In his early days in Victorian London, In accordance with the prophesy, Honest Robert Rankin performed street magic Bob’s Miracle Warehouse wasestablished alongside such greats as Bernard the in 1978, and offered solutions to many Man-Cabbage and The Amazing Fabuloso world problems, includingall seven of the of Penge. Robert’s act often grabbed the armageddon scenarios (plague, famine, attention of hundreds - sometimes even ecological disaster, comet smashing into dozens - of passers-by. earth, punkrock,alien invasion, single European currency). It should have sig- His most popular trick was most prob- nalled the start of a new Aquarian Age, ably “sawing a plank in half’, a feat of but sadly after a mere three weeks the such incredible prestidigitation that no business wasforced to close due to the magician since has dared to perform it in numberof complaints lodged with the ad- public. vertising standards association. The building, it turned out, was not a ware- Blessed with the power to heal the sick house but a converted storage shed. using only a hospital, and the powerto return sight to the bland, Robert Unperturbed by this, Robert Rankin Rankin’s reputation grew and grew. He formed the Brentford Poets and Paramili- gathered about himself a band of follow- tary Association. This is where he learned ers, men and women whogladly aban- that his word could be spread more wide- doned their professions and formerlives spread if the word was written down, to spread the word about him. along with some other words, and pub- lished in hefty religious tracts, or They shouted his name from the rooftops, “books.” they circulated his name on Ye Internette, they posted posters in the Robert Rankin’s first book was, is, and post office, and by the turn of the century ever shall be The Antipope. It was quickly almost everyone in London had heard of followed by two more,then little pause, this man who,they said, could perform and then a fourth. These books, plusa miracles. more recent one, have become known in many circles as The Blessed Trilogy - the Unfortunately, at the peak of his career miracle of five books in three. The books Robert Rankin wascruelly struck down tell of the exploits of Jim Pooley and John by a runawayoffal cart - the first of many Omally, two reluctant heroes who con- signs of his apotheosis, accordingtofol- tinually save the world from such diverse a lowers of The First Church of Rankin - enemies as a resurrected Pope, an alien and wasn’t heard from again until his re- invasion fleet, and Hugo Rune. They are incarnation in 1949 thefirst of many aided in their struggle by their old friend - signs of his deification, according to the Professor Slocombe, a man of great mys- followers of The Second Church of tery and power, who, according to James Rankin. Bacon, the leaderof the Fifth Church of Robert Rankin, will eventually be seen to The Book of Jeffrey, Chapters 12-14, be none other than Mister Rankin him- states: “There shall be a sacrifice of the self, fatted calf and thigh, and, lo, verily even, shall come again a man whowill work Robert’s next series of books was the Ar- miracles, and if within a week you can mageddonTrilogy, which deal with the find the same miracles cheaper anywhere struggle of humanity against a meddling else, he will refund double the differ- alien race. The hero of these books is one ence.” cont. page 8

Paragon2 - PR2 - Page 7 Rex Mundi, aided by Elvis Presley, who in truths.” However, amonghis followers turn is aided by a sapient, time-travelling those criticism of those booksis regarded sprout called Barry. These books are as tantamount to blasphemy, punishable probably the most complex that Mister by sneering. Rankin has written to date, and on re- reading they offer up much in the way of The belief of The Fort Chruch of Roburt fresh nuggets for the observant reader: Ranken that he is the Davine Savieris they’re not so mucha trilogy as an in- particularly strong, as expressed in their vestment. mannyphesto, written by the Chruch’s leader, James Bacon*: “Roburt is probly Subsequent books include the Hugo Rune the best ever savier that weve ever had. Trilogy, in which the young heroes Whenoffficer Joans reads the book’s to Cornelius and Tuppe are faced with find- me I go all cam and sadated.” ing that ancient master of the mystical arts, Hugo Rune, and his book The Book For the less fanatical, there is another of Ultimate Truths. Indeed, so popular was group of people who frequently gather to this series that fans of Robert Rankin pay homageto the great man. Calling tend to find themselves on their own themselves “Sproutlore”, they publish a quest for The Book of Ultimate Truths. fan magazine four times a year and pro- vide news about forthcoming events.It is Thus, art becomes life... Was it predic- with this group of fine bodies that I, your tion, or mere chance? Both of the follow- humble servant, am affiliated. It has been ers of the Twelfth Church of Robert predicted that one day every person on Rankin believe it to be the former. “Most Earth will be a memberof a Robert Holy - that’s Robert, by the way - knows Rankin Appreciation Society, so I strongly what has gone before and whatis to urge you all to join the One True Society, come,” said the Church’s founder James Sproutlore, before you are indoctrinated Bacon. into any of the other, lesser, groups.

There are also a numberof stand-alone For those of you whoarestill unsure, I novels, such as A Dog Called Demolition urge you to read - and re-read - as many and The Garden of Unearthly Delights. of the Great One’s books as you can find. Like most of his other novels, both of Please bear in mind that each copy ofhis them present a complex parable, which books can only be properly read once: as the layman(you, in other words) must in- soon as the words have been absorbed terpret as Desi as possible. Interestingly, into your brain, the bookslose their the followers of the Zeroth Church of power. For this reason, you should only Robert Rankin believe that the true path buy new copies, and to re-read them, you is not the reading and understanding of must buy additional copies. the books, but the purchasing of the books. In the unlikely event that you ever get to meet Mister Rankin, the correct way to The Zeroth Church is the most recent of greet him is as follows: Respectfully grasp the many churches, their name chosen the left side of your collar in yourright by their leader James Bacon in the belief hand, bow your headslightly in supplica- that they’d be listed first in the phone tion, and mutter the sacred words, “He’s book. They subsequently discovered that right in front of me, all units close in.” the entries in the phone bookarelisted alphabetically, not numerically, so they’re You should then proffer at least three last instead. shiny new Robert Rankin booksfor sign- ing. It is not necessary to have three dif- Robert Rankin has also written about his ferent books, as long as theyare all new. own life, though many believe those Note: you may be asked by oneof his booksto be allegorical, or, in their termi- Apostles to show proof of purchase. . nology, “fabricated from lies and half-

Paragon2 - PR2 - Page 8 Oncethis is done, you should close the Should you suspect the Robert Rankin ceremony by making a token sacrifice of you meetto be a fake, simply ask the a twenty-pound note, an ancient tradi- question.If the answerfails to satisfy tion whoseorigin has long since been you, then that Robert Rankin is most lost, but without which you could very likely false. You should then remove your well bring bad luck upon yourself. clothes and stand nakedin front of him, You should also be wary of the many as a sign of protest, but only if you arefe- Robert Rankin impersonators whoat- male. tempt to cash in on Most Holy’s success. Most of them can be easily spotted, for * Note: perhaps I should makeit clear at they are not tall and dashing and hand- this point that “James Bacon”is the honor- some, and do not carry about them an ary title bestowed uponthe leaders of all of divinity, but there are others who are Robert Rankin societies. masters of disguise. These charlatans should be approached with caution. Re- member, only the true Robert Rankin knowsthe answerto this question: “Where do you get your ideas from?”

What’s a... Hero? continued from page 2 attempts at defining the nature of a hero Of these, the hero’s moral stature is un- are woefully inadequate. Observefirst the questionably the most fundamental. An predominant emphasis on the physical, uncompromising commitment to morality on great strength, courage and warlike is the foundation of heroism. Although prowess- second the absence of any the point can be stated simply—the hero mention of the mind or intellect - and is a “good guy”—its reasonsare philo- third the attenuated referenceto the cri- sophical and apply to all instances of the terion of a man’s moral character (“noble concept.” qualities” is listed as one of the term’s meanings). The American Heritage Dic- From a schoolessay: “Macbeth was a tionary, though endowed with such a true Shakespearean tragic hero. He had promising name,providesa set of defini- many noble qualities as well as several tions essentially no different. Based on tragic flaws. He was a courageous, brave this definition, one might conclude that and good nobleman who was haunted by an Arnold Schwarzenegger character is a superstition, moral cowardice and an hero but that Howard Roark or Ayn Rand overwhelming ambition. Progressively are not. Sadly, this is a common percep- throughtheplay, his flaws started con- tion in our culture. suming his qualities until they areall that can be seen of him.” A herois (this is my definition, not Webster’s): an individual of elevated Ernest Renan:“Asa rule, all heroism is moral stature and superior ability who due to a lackof reflection, and thus it is pursueshis goals indefatigably in the necessary to maintain a mass of imbe- face of powerful antagonist(s). Because of ciles. If they once understand themselves his unbreached devotion to the good, no the ruling men will be lost.” matter the opposition, a hero attains spiritual grandeur, even in he fails to Solomon Short: “Nature abhorsa hero. achieve practical victory. Notice then the For one thing, he violates the law of con- four components of heroism: moral great- servation of energy. For another, how can ness, ability or prowess, action in the it be the survival of the fittest when the face of opposition, and triumph in at fittest keeps putting himself in situations least a spiritual, if not a physical, form. where heis mostlikely to be creamed?”

Paragon2 - PR2 - Page 9 Wargaming Strand by Gary Stratmann

Some of us have been fascinated with the with miniatures is still a huge popular Time Commanders TV show, featuring hobby and certainly has the most visual modern teams re-fighting historical battles impact, however for space and conven- - and we’ve all thought We Could Do Bet- ience wargamesplayed with card ter. But we wantedto fight the battles we counters representing the units are also reallly knew and loved - Helm’s Deep, for extensively used and are probably the example. So to give us all a chance, as most common type of wargame played. well as the regular gaming programme There is the added benefit that large ar- strand, Paragon2 is going to have a mies do not have to be made up and wargaming room. Our partners the Society painted before battle can commence. of Fantasy and Science Fiction Wargamers Wargames now cover almost every con- will be bringing games and expertise. ceivable period from Prehistory to thelat- We’ve asked Gary Stratmann to run us est Gulf War. through someof the basics. (Ed.) It was a natural progression to go from Wargamesdate backto earliest antiquity, recreating historical battles to fictional when model soldiers were used to re-en- ones. Someof the earliest examples I can act battles. For centuries generals used remember are games based on Lord of the miniature soldiers for planning and strat- Rings and Valley of the Four Winds, both egy. The birth of the amateur wargame in the late 70s. The latter was based on a dates back to the publication of Little story serialised in White Dwarfand was Wars by HG Wells in 1913, which intro- originally a miniatures game with figures duced a simple rule structure enabling from Minifigs. It was also oneof the first amateurs to use modelsoldiers to fight four games produced by Games Work- miniature battles. At this time European shop. There was also a long running armies used a hugely complicated system strategy game based in the world of called Kreigspeil, as an essential training Conan which wasserialised as battle re- tool, but as the Appendix of Little Wars ports in Military Modelling. points out it was not suitable for amateur gamers. In the science fiction arena one of the oldest and best games is Star Fleet Bat- “Little Wars” (stated Wells) “is the gameof tles, originally appearing in the early 80s kings - for players in an inferior social as a game which allowed the players to position. It can be played by boys of every fight battles between rival Star Trek Uni- age from twelve to one hundred andfifty - verse races. The game, whichis still in and even later if the limbs remain suffi- production, has grown through numer- ciently supple, - by girls of the better ous editions to perhaps one of the most sort, and by a few rare and gifted complex, comprehensive and detailed women.” games ever produced. Possibly only the classic Advanced Squad Leaderrivalsits Not perhaps the most politically correct pre-eminence. A word of warning about message for the 21% century! Star Fleet Battles, for various copyright and other reasons the background, while Little Wars used lead soldiers and spring firmly rooted in the Star Trek milieu has loaded guns to simulate warfare, casual- undergoneparallel evolution and has ties being determined by how manysol- many differences from the current ver- diers are knocked over by the rounds. sion seen on film and TV. Modern wargaming turned to the more useful and safer option of using dice to determine combat results. Wargaming cont. page 19

Paragon2 - PR2- Page 10 EVER WANTED — ... to beat the Daleks?

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Richard III Project by Alice Lawson

People in costumes shouting at the cast Richard opened his mouth to speak and the and joining in with the play. Sound famil- whole audience erupted in unison: iar? Been there, done that? “When is the winter of our discontent?” Oh yes I hear you say. The Rocky Horror Show ... “Now,” replied Richard with a cruel smile, “is the winter ofour discontent ... madeglorious Well you would be wrong.I am talking summer by this son of York ..” about Shakespeare’s RichardIII. Yes,I said Richard II. On the word “summer”six hundred people placed sunglasses on and looked up at an im- Anyone who has read Jasper Fforde’s aginary sun. The Eyre Affair will know immediately what we are going to do. For those who (from The Eyre Affair, byJasper Fforde) don’t, well I suggest you could do worse than read the book.I will not spoil the In the Swindonplay, the parts are given plot. I will only tell you the bit that out on the night. Now this has taken 15 started off this project. years to happen,in a world where every- one quotes Shakespeare the way we The Eyre Affair takes place in Swindon in quote the parrot sketch. So for ourplay I an alternate universe. In this Swindon think we need a cast and somerehearsal. Richard II has been performed every Fri- John Dowd hasalready taken dibs on the day night in The Ritz theatre for 15 years. part of The Viking. (A Norse, A Norse... ) The audience turn up and are given parts, so you have a different cast each Whoknows,if it takes off and other con- week. There are all sorts of fun things ventions carry it forward, 15 conventions like the Battle of Bosworth in the audito- down the line maybeit can be cast on the rium with all the audience involved. night...

Jasper Fforde has kindly given his con- Wewill also need costumes, soit follows sent to us using his idea and staging the we will need people to make them. You show.I say given his consent, whatI know who you are! mean is he said, “Yes please, Can I be Richard”... So please volunteer for any area that suits you, but remember... “Can I play too?” I hear you cry. Like any good project, we Even as just a memberof the audience, need volunteers. you have a part. There will be audience participation and remember: we have a We would like to put together a group of battle to fight! people to write (or should I say cut) the play into a manageable length. As good If you want to know moreplease get in as it might be, I think three to four hours touch with us. At Concourse (Eastercon is enough fun for anyone. 2004) there is an introductory workshop, there will be a space on the Paragon2 This group would also work on the script website dedicated to the Project, and we for the audience. We have the opening will arrange script workshops andre- lines: hearsal events during the next year.

Paragon2 - PR2 - Page 12 NTCRIS ee AV CHOOT

5-7 November 2004 The Quality Hotel, Bentley, Walsall Guest of Honour lan Watson

Author of The Embedding; The Martian Inca ; ; Mockymen

"A phenomenon,a national resource to be conserved. Ian Watson resembles H.G. Wells in both invention and impatience." Times Literary Supplement.

Big Dealer’s room; Artshowfeaturing digital work. Programme and Bar all on one level. Great atmosphere, good beers, fun auctions,lively panels and the Nova Awards.

Join for just £33 until Easter (£36 after Easter until 26 October) Rooms £35/night person sharing; £48 single. Chequesto “ 34” Registration: Steve Lawson, 379 Myrtle Road, Sheffield, S2 3HQ

e-mail: [email protected] Web Site: www.novacon.org

Booking Hotel Rooms by John Dowd and Alice Lawson

What’s this hotel booking If you need a double or twin then early form thing? booking is not as urgent but we mayfill the hotel. If we do, there are not many With this PR we have sent you a Hotel hotels nearby to act as overflow. None are Booking Form. It is your opportunity to within easy walking distance. We are book a room in the hotel andtell us making no overflow arrangements and about any special requirements that need prices at these hotels are likely to be sub- to be arranged with them. You must be a stantially greater than those in the Hano- member to book a room. You can join at ver. Details of possible overflow hotels the same time as you book your hotel will be posted on the website and in fu- room. If this is your first Eastercon ture PRs. please read the following article - it may help you understand howto get the room Finally, early bookings help your commit- you want. If you are an old hand, we may tee. If we can show the hotel substantial be doing things little differently and early numbers,it helps in negotiations on there may still be useful information. such things as bar prices, beer quantities Jaded pedantic old fans who know every- and cheap food. It also helps us arrange thing about conventions might like to room allocations earlier spreading our read it to find misplaced semi-colons and work over a longer period as we lead into split infinitives. the convention.

The hotel What kinds of room There are more than seven hundred beds occupancy are there? (or How in the hotel. These are spread amongst three hundred andfifty bedrooms. A do I get a single/someone to small number of roomsare for single oc- share with?) cupancy, most are twins or doubles, You can ask for one of several different some are modified for disabled access types of room occupancy either as a sin- and some can accommodate up to four gle or sharing with someoneelse. You adults plus children. The family rooms can find the person you wish to share have a double bed and a comfortable with or you can ask us to find youa double sofa bed. sharer. The options are;

Why bookearly? Single- I will not agree to share a room. Wewill deal with bookingsstrictly in or- Wewill book you into a single room if der of receipt. If it is essential for you to available. If you book after all the avail- have a single room, you must book early. able singles have been allocated we will Numbersof single roomswill be very lim- not book you into the hotel but contact ited. If you bookat or shortly after Easter you to inform you of the situation. If this 2004, you will almost certainly get what is your position, early booking is essen- you want. Book after Christmas and sin- tial. gle rooms will probably have been all al- located. Single- I will agree to share a room if no singles are available. If you have special needs or need one of Wewill book you into a single room if the disabled access rooms then early available. If you bookafter all the avail- booking is strongly advised. able singles have been allocated wewill treat you as a Twin- please find me a sharer.

Paragon2 - PR2 - Page 14 Twin- please find me a sharer. deal with it and the more reasonable your We will match you for gender and smok- request the easier it is to get the hotel to ing with someone else who has asked to help. be found a sharer. You will be booked into a twin room. A completely unscien- We anticipate somefairly standard re- tific survey suggests that people who quests and theyare listed on the hotel have used this service at previous con- form. These include: ventions have met people they would not ° Room in no smoking partof hotel have met otherwise and in some cases ° Room in quiet area had sharers with such completely differ- : Cot in room ent activity patterns that they have ° Vegetarian meals hardly seen them. There is also a space for you to list spe- Double- sharing with. cific needs and requirements. Please con- Wewill book you into a room with a dou- tinue on a separate piece of paperif the ble bed with the person you name on space is not sufficient. your booking form. The sharer you name must be a member and the booking will If you do nottell us what you need, not be made until we have a booking you will not getit. If you have a problem form from both sharers. A single form with the hotel, your room,or thestaff, we from both sharers at the same addressis will do our bestto sort it out. If however acceptable but if you live at different ad- you complain that you have four pillows dresses a form each please. when you like six and you have nottold us, tough! It is also fair to say that only Twin- sharing with. viable requests will be entertained. If you Wewill book you into a room with twin ask for a lilac coloured room or a round beds. Otherwise, it is the same as Dou- bed, Alice will refer you to our resident ble- sharing with. psychiatrist. (Oooh, I want one - Ed.)

Family- triple / quad. What do I do about children? Wewill book the three or four people named on the form into a room that has Over 16 they count as people and needa a double bed and a substantial double room booked in the usual way. Under 16s in the parents’ room stay free. Many sofa bed. This room is charged on a per room basis. We will want only one form rooms have a sofa bed that can be used. A truckle bed can be supplied at a cost of for each room. All names on the form £10 per night. The children would be should be membersat the time of book- charged for breakfast. Underfives are ing. free. Five to sixteen year olds will be charged £6.50 for each breakfast taken. When can I stay? The children need to be membersof the The convention runs from Friday to Mon- convention. day afternoon but you may book at the same rates for Thursday and Monday Deposits nights. Although the convention has We need a deposit of £20 per person with closed there are often parties following the completed hotel forms. This amount the tear down on Monday and staying the will be applied to your bill by the hotel. extra night can be fun. Cheques should be made payable to Whatsort of special Paragon2. There will be an online book- ing system with the opportunity to pay by requirements can I ask to Paypal available after Concourse (Easter have met? 2004). No room will be booked without a You can ask for anything. We will try to deposit. The date of a booking will be the meet any request but remember the date both the hotel form and payment are sooner you ask the more time we haveto received. cont. page 16

Paragon2 - PR2- Page 15 Paying for your room John Dowd You are wholly responsible for your hotel 4 Burnside Avenue bill including any extras such as phone SHEFFIELD S8 9FR bills and drinks or meals charged. Your deposit will be credited against yourbill. Tel 0114 2810674 If you are sharing, you are responsible for your share of the bill. Room rates are Email [email protected] : £31 per person per night sharing The fastest responseis likely to be email. ° £41 per person pernight in a single It is usually checked daily. room and ° £73 per room for up to 4 adults ina My Booking Details family room. For your own record, you can make a All these rates includefull breakfast. note here of your booking information: What do we do with your Date sent: booking form? On receipt of your form, we will record the important details in our database (we already have your membership details), I single(must have) checking that you and any sharer you name are members.If you are a member, i single (accept share) we will send a copyof the details we have about your booking to you. Weprefer to By twin(please find sharer) do this by email and if we have an email O twin address for you, we will use it. If you have named a sharer whois not yet a Ls} double member, the message will include this fact. When your sharer joins, naming i family you, we will confirm this fact by email. Date confirmed: Necessary information about your book- ing will be passedto the hotel. The hotel will have none of your membership de- Sharer: tails and limited information about your booking until shortly before the conven- tion. Any queries you may have should be sent to the convention contact address Preferences: below. CJ quiet How should youfill in your a non smoking form? CL cot Legibly. If you have handwriting that is difficult to read consider completing the (al vegetarian form in block printing or possibly using the online form and paying the deposit by Nights booked: Paypal. Thursday Whoshould you contact with Friday queries? Saturday Do not contact the hotel directly. They will not have your details. All member- Sunday ship and hotel booking matters should be Monday sent to: eel

Paragon2 - PR2- Page 16 Paragon2 Membership List as of March 2004

(A = Attending, S = Supporting (receives publications etc. but is not entitled to attend the convention), J = Junior, C = Child, I = Infant)

ar 65 Matthew Cooper Cc A3 171 Steve Cooper 12 A Michael Abbott 46 William Cooper 70 J Dawn Abigail 144 Cardinal Cox A Brian Ameringen 81 Tony Cullen 223 A Meriol Ameringen 82 John Dallman 128 A Chris Amies 204 Julia Daly esas A Diane Anderson 35 Martyn Dawe A John Anderson 56 Jim de Liscard 135 A Andrew Armstrong 92 Giulia DeCesare ee 1S I// A Helen Armstrong 93 Vincent Docherty A AuntieChrist 134 Chris Donaldson le 34 A Margaret Austin 169 Paul Dormer 58 A Barbara-Jane 159 DougsS ee or A Meike Benzler 136 Fran Dowd A Michael Bernardi 24 John Dowd ee 25 A Tony Berry 191 Tara Dowling-Hussey oe 183 A Blind Pew 73 Dr Bob 09 166 A Jaap Boekestein 38 Dr Tones 104 A Hans-Ulrich Boettcher 112 David Drysdale 72 A Sandra Bond 111 Roger Earnshaw elas 22 A Jill Bradley LIZ Martin Easterbrook 170 A Phil Bradley 116 Eddie Cochrane tet 148 A Simon Bradshaw 175 Sue Edwards 132 A John Bray 182 Elaine A Claire Brialey 39 Herman Ellingsen 74 A E.D. Buckley 208 Udo Emmerich eee 45 A Bug 174 Iain Emsley 213 A Bill Burns Mike Figg 36 ee 149 A Mary Burns 37 Brian Flatt Sa 68 A Cal 131 Susan Francis 194 A K.I.M. Campbell 50 Anders Frihagen ee 91 A Diane Capewell 172 Gwen Funnell 20 A Stuart Capewell 173 Nigel Furlong 4 A Cat Coast 94 Sabine Furlong 5 A Chris 219 Gav eee 130 A Chris 52 Carolina Gomez Lagerlof 43 A Ethan Coates 189 Niall Gordon 118 A Joel Coates 188 Steve Grover 199 A Steve Cockayne 220 Urban Gunnarsson 80 A Paul F Cockburn 165 Dave Hardy 206 A Peter Cohen 142 Colin Harris nate 140 A Colette 30 Julian Headlong 42 A Baby Cooper 66 Rick Hewett 158 A David T. Cooper 62 David Hicks 95 A Jane Cooper 63 Marcia Kelly Illingworth PP 120 A

cont. page 1 8

Paragon2 - PR2 - Page 17 Tim Illingworth 119 A Mark Plummer 40

James 2 Ss Silas Potts 77 ereS Rhodri James 44 A Thomas Recktenwald 32

Wilf James 41 A Peter Redfarn 195 rer Janet 150° A Trevor Reynolds 88 Jenny oA John Richards

Jess 147 A Roger Robinson 69 rere Sue Jones 79 =A Rod O’Hanlon 26 Dick Jude PLP IN Roger P 126

KAT W 203 A Mic Rogers 10 rrr Kate 103 A Tony Rogers 184 Peter Kievits 99 A Steve Rogerson 48

Steve Kilbane 202 A Stephen Rothman 198 Serr Tim Kirk 49 A David Row 114 Kris 210 A Marcus Rowland CX

Dave Lally 6 A Yvonne Rowse 193 Err Dave Langford 167 A Alison Scott 192 Alice Lawson Ta Ina Shorrock 168 Steve Lawson 8 A Mark Sinclair 186

Erhard Leder 78 =A Sally Sinclair 185 PPrr Ruth Leibig 122 A Mark Slater 190 Oscar Logger 160 A Dan Smithers 73

Lor 152 8 Lucy Smithers 163 SPP Lostcarpark LSS Nathaniel Smithers 76 Peter Mabey f53 A Smurf 133 Mali 85 A Adrian Snowdon 129

Keith Marsland 197, A Michael Spiller 96 PrP Martin 161 A Square Bear 27 Rory McLean 157 A Jesper Stage 200

Pat McMurray 29 A Stef 28 OPP Cheryl Morgan TOO 7A Andrew Stephenson 90 Chris Morgan lod A Susan Stepney 109 Pauline Morgan 155 A Steve 18

Tim Morley 11 A Steve Davies 138 SSPE Carol Morton 180 A Ian Stockdale 121 Tony Morton 181 A Lars Strandberg 54 Caroline Mullan 83 A Marcus Streets 123 Murphy’s Lawyer 176 A Mathilda Streets 125 Paul Neads 222 A Rae Streets 124 New Moon I> A Charlotte Taylor 107 Nojay 98 A Ian Taylor 105 Nolly 156 A Kathy Taylor 106 Paul Oldroyd 33 A The Bellinghman 31 Omega LQ The Magician 23 Ken O'Neill 201 A David Thomas 145 OwlMoon 141 A Tibs 139 Arwel Parry at TJ 127 Brian Parsons 61 A Dave Tompkins 35 Pat Reynolds 89 A Paul Treadaway 113 Andrew Patton 205 A Chris Tregenza 146 Hal Payne 178 C Valerie 207 Jodie Payne lie 1 Larry van der Putte 53 Catherine Pickersgill 60 A Jan van ‘t Ent 84 Gregory Pickersgill 59. A David Wake 143

Marion Pitman 221 A Nick Walker 13 PrPrPrrrrrrrrrrrrOrFrOPrPrr

Paragon2 - PR2 - Page 18 Mark W. Waller 15 A What's a... Badge Name? Danie Ware 214 A When you join a convention, you may be Peter Wareham 19 A offered the option of having a Badge Name. Ian Watson 196 A Your given namewill not be shown on your Jessica Watson 211 A membership badge at the convention, but Alan Webb 87 A will be replaced with a name of your own Gerry Webb 86 A devising. Karen Westhead 218 A Kathy Westhead 216 A Some fans become so well known bytheir Mike Westhead DiS A badge names that their given names are Peter Westhead 217 A only known to holders of membership Eileen Weston 102 A databases. Peter Weston 101 A Laura Wheatly 108 A Itis a matter of courtesy that a badge name Charles Whyte 110 A becomes your public name as far as the Anne Wilson 47 A convention is concerned.It will be used in Woad Warrior 162 A any publication of the membershiplist and Alan Woodford 17 A in any mention of you in the programme. Anne Woodford 16 A Ben Yalow 67 A If your real name is shown here and you would prefer a badge name,please let John Dowd know.

Wargaming Strand continued from page 10

A rather less successful game that ap- Warhammer40K (Science Fiction) and peared in the wake of Star Wars was Lord of the Rings lines of rules, mini- Freedom in the Galaxy, an attemptto cre- atures and accessories. However they are ate a strategy game of rebels against the not the only player in the sandbox, there evil empire. Unfortunately it didn’t really are many other manufacturers producing work as a game. genera games. Ground Zero Games pro- duces miniatures and rule booksfor sev- The developmentof the role-playing eral SF gamesincluding StarGrunt, Full game, itself a spin off from skirmish Thrust and Pig Tickler, the latter for an al- (small unit) wargaming greatly increased ternative Victorian setting. the interest in SF and Fantasy settings and companies began to produce a huge Others have produced games ofgiant ro- range of games. Everyone was jumping bot combat (Battletech), alternative 1920s on what looked to be a popular and flying adventures (Crimson Skies), ram- therefore lucrative bandwagon. A leader paging monsters (The Creature that Ate in the field was Steve Jackson Games. As Sheboygan, Bug Hunter), classic SF well as creating one of the most popular (Starship Troopers), classic Fantasy (John role-playing systems, GURPS (Generic Uni- Carter Warlord of Mars - regrettably the versal Role Playing System), he produced Plan 9 from Outer Space of games). classics like OGRE, the gameof supertank combat, and the immensely Basically if anyone has been able to im- popular Car Wars. agine it there’s a pretty good chance someone has produced a gameof it. Drop Oneof the leaders in the field of mini- along to the games at the convention and ature wargaming is Games Workshop see for yourself. with their Warhammer(Fantasy),

Paragon2 - PR2 - Page 19 Paragon2 Progress Report 2, April 2004 Designed and edited by Fran Dowd(Sofa) Printed by the Print Unit, Sheffield Hallam University © Paragon2

This PR will not be duplicated on the Paragon2 website, but edited highlights will ap- pear there:

http: //www.paragon2.org.uk:

Paragon2 - PR2 - Page 20