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THE HUGO WINNER!! REVIEW INTERVIEWS: ☆ A.E. VAN VOGT ☆ ☆ ☆ THE SILVERBERG THAT WAS BY I always do immediately after receiv¬ ALIEN THOUGHTS ing it. Other zines pile up, but this one becomes addictive. 'The Libertarians, like genuine Communists, and other idealists, are talking about a form of government which has never been tried on this planet, and which probably would never work beyond the level of a small, carefully engineered commun¬ ity populated entirely by zealots who are willing to force the offic¬ T. Pflock, free-lance writer, who ial theory onto reality no matter wrote, what. 'By the way, I'm now a REASON 'There are many examples of the contributing editor-haven't con¬ kind of elimination of competition tributed anything yet, however. in a free market that you hypothe¬ 'And have you heard: J.J. Pierce size. When there's no government is/has replacing (ed) J. Baen as GALAXY control, big companies take the op¬ editor! Baen's going to Ace to re¬ portunity to rub out little ones. place LoBrutto, who's going to Dou¬ This was commonplace in the early bleday to replace Jarvis, who's going part of this century in the communi¬ to Playboy Press. Ah, musical edit¬ cations media. More powerful radio ors. Such fun.' stations simply blew the smaller ones off the air by applying (and wast¬ Except for the editor at Playboy 8-5-77 A new area representative ing) more juice than anybody else Press who got booted, to create the from Gestetner, Dan Cunnings, dropp¬ had. The result was mostly static. first vacancy. ed by and fixed my 466 for free, by Then the FCC took over and assigned cleaning a little plastic pop-up And this item of similar, con¬ frequencies and times, and it got a thingumy that was too gummy to pop. firming mein, from Darrell Schweit- lot more orderly. Also, in the very This now permits me to run sub¬ early days of the movie industry, the scription forms, reminder forms, 'J.J. Pierce, that J.J. Pierce Edison people wanted to monopolize bookstore order forms...all kinds of 2nd Foundation fame, is the new the motion picture. They hired thugs of necessary items and save a few editor of GALAXY. So I hear from to destroy the equipment of the com¬ bucks on offset printing. Scithers via Meschkow from Pierce.' petition, rough up people, etc. (The movie "Nickelodean" is about I got a copy of ANDROMEDA 2 to¬ Needless to say I have written this period.) In those days, say, day, from Futura in England, and both Jim and John for confirmation about 1910, the center of the movie it's a good-looking pocketbook, and anything publishable they care business was New York. Ever wonder with a first-class cover. And I'm to send along. Alter-Ego is frantic why it became Hollywood? Because happy that Peter Weston gave my with worry, of course. He thinks the small companies had to move to story the catbird seat position, it's all a plot to keep him from to stay out of the reach and that he called it a 'blockbust¬ writing further installments of his of the Edison company thugs. That's er. ' Yes, this is all shameless GALAXY column. as close to a completely unrestricted egoboo and self-promotion on my "Don't sneer, Geis! I know market as has ever existed, and you part. Let me enjoy it. I cannot you're in on it! Eaten up with jeal¬ can see how everyone behaved. be blase about this. I'm all puffed ousy, frantic that I might be prefer¬ up and glowing. red by the readers, you conspired 'On the evolution matter: There with Baen and the owners of GALAXY are examples of evolution anyone can "Hold it, Geis! Just hold it and J.J. Pierce, and arranged the see, which are not particularly eso¬ right there! Where do you get this change of editors! Pierce will de¬ teric. It is not a matter faith. shit about 'my story'? .1 wrote "One cide my column is 'not appropriate' Did you ever collect butterflies as Immortal Man", and—" for GALAXY anymore. I know how that a kid, Dick? If so, and if you ever Alter, you wrote something call¬ jazz goes! You must think I'm a understood what you were doing, these ed "Tomb It May Concern," and I_ had fool! Rule or ruin, eh, Geis? Well, two will be familiar: to re-write it to make it even re¬ let me tell you---" motely publishable. Further--- Oh, go screw a pteradactyl. Alt¬ '(1) Industrial molanicism in Geis, all you did was change the er! We'll just have to wait and see moths (geometrids) which rest by day title and a phrase or two! You're what happens. on the trunks of trees. They rest trying to rob me! You always try to flat, with wings outspread, and es¬ rip me off! You---" "Easy for you to say, Geis! Do cape predators (mostly birds, but a you have any idea how difficult it An Alter-Ego is bom to be ripp- wasp here and there) through camou¬ is to find a young, goodlooking fe¬ ed-off by the Prime Self. It's al¬ flage. Virtually all of these moths ways done this way. I'm just un¬ male Pteradactyl?" evolved to look like pieces of li¬ lucky enough to have an alter-ego *Grumble, mutter, gripe, curse.* chen, with wing patterns of a basic who has the power to talk back and light grey or white with wavy lines, interrupt my important writings. While I have it before me I am spots and patches of darker grey up "Comes the Revolution, Geis!" going to publish the rest of Dar¬ to almost black. Resting on a piece Back to your hole, Alter. rell's letter: of lichen, they look like part of

LETTER FROM * But air pollution, of the same Anno Yuggothi MMMCCCXII sort that makes the statues in Ven¬ ice crumble, killed off most of the 8-7-77 Two items struck me to the 'Well I've read the new SFR, as lichen. This has happened in the quick yesterday: A note from Karl COVER BY From an idea by Richard Geis SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW "gg8 Formerly THE ALIEN CRITIC rOTTKjna, UK

by the editor..,2 ALIEN THOUGHTS NOVEMBER, 1977---Vol.6, WHOLE NUMBER 23 RICHARD E. GEIS, editor & publisher THE SILVERBERG THAT WAS BY ROBERT SILVERBERG.8 PUBLISHED QUARTERLY FEB - MAY - AUG - NOV THE ANNUAL NEBULOUS AWARDS Single copy — $1.50 PRESENTED BY GREG & JIM BENFORD. .17 UNEARTH #4. THE DIVERSIFIER. INTERVIEW: A.E. VAN VOGT NEW LIBERTARIAN NOTES #40. LETTERS- CONDUCTED BY JEFFREY ELLIOT...... 19 THE DIAGONAL RELATIONSHIP. NEUROLOG #3. KARL T. PFLOCK. OTHER VOICES book reviews by HOLLOW FACES, MERCILESS MOONS.. DARRELL SCHWEITZER... ROBERT ANTON WILSON, IAN MCDOWELL, THE KNOWN AND THE UNKNOWN. . PAUL MCGUIRE, JOHN DIPRETE, STEVE SELDON S PLAN #41. . MILLER, LEE WEINSTEIN, AND NICK WHISPERS #10.,'.... RICK BEBAN. COLEMAN.25 : UNREPENTANT BILL GIBSON. HARLEQUIN...65 GREG BENFORD.. interview: JACK VANCE ROBERT A. HEINLEIN: STRANGER PEARL. CONDUCTED BY PETER CLOSE.36 IN HIS OWN LAND. ANDREW PORTER. THE BRADBURY CHRONICLES. THEODORE R. COGSWELL. THE CAPERS ARENA #6,. NEAL WILGUS. BY MARK MANSELL.47 DURFED #2. MICHAEL T. SHOEMAKER. THE DARK DESIGN. JUDY PENOWN. interview: RAY BRADBURY AFTER UTOPIA.. LUISE WHITE. CONDUCTED BY JEFFREY ELLIOT.48 THE GRAND WHEEL. IAN COVEL. QUEEN S WALK IN THE DUSK. DANIEL SAY. interview: PIERS ANTHONY THE COLD CASH WAR. KEN HAHN. CONDUCTED BY CLIFF BIGGERS.56 ASHES & STARS.. AVEDON CAROL. AMAZING, OCT 77. ALAN R. BECHTOLD. SMALL PRESS NOTES COSMOS #3-4.. HARLAN ELLISON. BY THE EDITOR..64 F&SF, OCT 77.. . GALAXY, AUG 77. ORSON SCOTT CARD. THE ALTER-EGO VIEWPOINT 's sf magazine, fall.7 GORDON LARKIN. BY RICHARD GEIS & ALTER.66 ANALOG, OCT 77.7_ GEORGE SCITHERS. RICHARD BERGERON. DESCANTS & BYPRODUCTS whispers ().1}4 THE BEST OF EDMUND HAMILTON... DAVE BATH. PROZINE REVIEWS BY STEVE BROWN.. .68 SWORD OF THE DEMON. TON DUNLAP... BUZZ DIXON. THE HUMAN HOTLINE THE RIDDLE-MASTER OF ZED. THE STORY. MICHAEL E. KERPAN, JR S-F NEWS BY ELTON T. ELLIOTT.73 THE GALACTIC DREAMERS. JOHN J. PIERCE. GEORGE WARREN. THE VIVISECTOR THE FUTURE NOW. ALWAYS COMES EVENING. TIM KIRK.... A COLUMSI BY DARRELL SCHWEITZER.. .74 THE MARCHERS OF VALHALLA. GRETCHEN RIX. BOB SHAW.... AND THE WINNER IS... THE PRIDE OF BEAR CREEK. THE SECOND DEADLY SIN. IAN WATSON. THE HUGO VOTING RESULTS.82 MURDER AT THE ABA...... AND THEN I READ CALENDAR-1978.. BY THE EDITOR. .83 ASCENSION. INTERIOR ART- tim kirk—2,66,82,83/84 REVIEWS- ALEXIS GILLILAND-4,9,10,12,13,14, THE EXORCIST, PART II..5 ISSN: 0036-8377 36,37,38,39,40,44,45,46,51,54,55, EXO-PSYCHOLOGY.25 5/, 58,61,62.63.64,69,70,71,73.. 7&,81, THE EIGHTH TOWER.27 82 PROLONGEVITY.26 THE ALIEN CRITIC JAY KINNEY & PAUL MAVRIDES—5,6,7, THE IPMORTALIST.26 SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW WEIRD HEROES, VOLS. 1-2-5-6.27 Available in microform from: 24,32,33,34,35,42,43,51,52 LORD KALVAN OF OTHERWHEN.28 OXFORD MICROFORM PUBLICATIONS LTL!! GRANT CANFIELD—8 DRAGONSINGER.29 Wheatsheaf Yard, Blue Boar Street CARL BENNETT-22 AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FAIRIES.29 Oxford OX1 4EY JAMES -MCQUADE-47 THE FUTURIANS....29 DAVE HAUGH-59 THE DREAM OF X.30,80 STEVE STILES-68 RAISE THE TITANIC.30 Science Fiction Review is published MIKE GILBERT— ORCA.,...33 75 at 1525 NE Ainsworth, Portland, OR SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION ON P. 63 LOGAN S RUN (tv). .63 97211 SCIENCE FICTION COLLECTOR #4.64 TANGENT #7/8.64 NO ADVERTISING WILL BE ACCEPTED COPYRIGHT © 1977 BY RICHARD SCIENCE FICTION STUDIES #12.64 Second Class Postage Paid E. GEIS. ALL RIGHTS ARE HEREBY UNLIMITED #2~3.64 at Portland, OR 97208 ASSIGNED TO TIE CONTRIBUTORS. past 30 years or so. As a result, are often comouflaged), blackish Hue 'You'll recall that Darwin formed the moths described above became bla¬ with large white spots. Species B, his theory of evolution after taking tantly obvious on denuded tree trunks, which lives in an entirely different a trip around the world and observing and the birds ate them. New, darker territory, not overlapping with Spe¬ various flora and fauna. It wasn't forms began to emerge, adapting to cies A, is red and brown. It is al¬ faith at all. It's not even a very look like tree bark. The lighter so poisonous. Species C is yellow complicated concept. Even the layman forms didn't survive nearly as well, and white. Its range does not over¬ can understand it, if he's willing to and how the darker forms (some of lap with either A or B. It too is 'I'm still not utterly sure what which are nearly black) are almost poisonous. Species D is not poison¬ you mean by "seeming archaicism" in completely dominant. By collecting ous. Its range covers all the ranges "The Lady of the Fountain." As far moths as a child in the early 1960s, of Species A, B, and C. And here's as I can tell the thing is in modem I was able to observe in the course the cruncher: those specimens taken English, only with an absence of ana¬ of only a few years, a complete re¬ in the range of Species A are blue chronisms like out of period refer¬ versal in the population, from dark with white spots, a pretty good imi¬ ences and 20th century slang. forms very rare and light forms com¬ tation* of A. Those found in the mon, to light forms almost extinct range of B look like B. Those in the 'But thanks for the review of and black forms common. I can think range of C look like C. VOID anyway. By the way, the next of at least three species in which 3 issues will be published as a 'A more obvious example, which this has happened, all quite recent¬ single anthology, rather like an AN¬ has nothing to do with butterflies: ly. (I keep in touch--my brother is ALOG Annual. This will contain only You'll notice that mowing your lawn an etiologist at Yale.) Australian writers, so I'm not in it regularly won't get rid of the dand¬ The next regular issue will be #9, '(2) Mimicry in butterflies. elions. Now the average dandelion out about Christmas. This will pre¬ The common monarch butterfly feeds stalk is about 6 inches, with the sumably have something of mine. I on milkweed. (The larva does. The flower at that height. This has ob¬ seem to be slated for every issue adult sucks nectar from flowers like vious advantages in a wild field, for the next two years or so. There any normal, well-adjusted butterfly.) where everything is competing for are five stories of mine in the Both the larva and the adult are poi¬ sunlight and the attention of bees backlog. sonous to birds, but not so much so and butterflies which pollinate the as to kill the unlucky bird that flowers. If you cut your lawn regu¬ 'VORTEX is sending a form around eats one. The bird gets sick, and larly you should get all the six-inch to contributors saying they've sus¬ is "educated" not to eat green and pended just short of the fifth issue multi-colored striped caterpillars for "reorganization" and a format or reddish-orange and black butter¬ change. Allegedly the magazine will flies. (If the bird died, this de¬ continue, and all material will re¬ vice wouldn't work. They'd never main scheduled as before. I'm sup¬ learn better, just drop off.) Any¬ posed to be in #8. way, by this means the critter pro¬ 'ASIMOV'S has recently bought tects itself against predators. stories from Richard Wilson and John 'There's something called a Vice¬ Brunner, and an article on teaching roy butterfly, which is not poison¬ SF from . Things are ous, but which looks like a Monarch definitely looking up. Issue #5 butterfly in both adult and larval should be very good, with the short stages. Birds don't eat them much stuff (I'm not sure what--maybe Dun- either. They're less common than temann, Tuttle, Aldiss etc.) sand¬ the Monarch, so more likely than not wiched between a deCamp novella and the bird will get poisoned. a longish Varley novelette. Illus¬ trated covers begin with #4. The 'There are also moths that look first is by , and Dr. A's like wasps, and flies that look like smiling visage is tucked away in the bees or wasps. I had a startling middle of the 'O' in the title." encounter with a fly in the backyard today. It was a species I'd never seen before, almost an inch long, with a huge yellow body. It looked remarkably like the dreaded European 8-11-77 Jerry Poumelle, in a let¬ hornet until it sat still for^an in¬ ter received yesterday, confirms stant and I could see it wasn't. that J.J. Pierce is the new editor at GALAXY. Other sections of his 'This is clearly a case of adapt¬ letter will be published following ation, as described in evolutionary flowers before they go to seed. You would think this would wipe out the some social/cultural commentary by theory. A mutant strain that didn't me. look like the thing being mimicked dandelions. Nope. Among the tall wouldn't survive. ones there are some short ones, with § Within fifteen years, artific¬ flowers an inch or less above the ial membranes that can duplicate the ground. On a cut lawn these will photosynetetic processes of green 'But that's not conclusive evi¬ take over, because they are low en¬ plants should be on the drawing dence of actual evolution, from one ough to escape the lawnmower blade. boards, ajid could be a major source form to another, but this is: My If all dandelions grew on lawns, no of energy, says chemist Melvin Cal¬ brother showed me a set of African doubt the short ones would take over vin in the June CHEMTECH. Calvin is butterflies, which have been care¬ completely, and the species would a Nobel Prize winner. This artific¬ fully studied, bred in captivity, consist of nothing else. The favored ial membrane would break down water etc. to tell what's what. Species A, traits survive better than the not- into hydrogen and oxygen. like the Monarch, is poisonous to favored ones. Such man-made photosynthesis birds. It is brightly colored (as devices would use sunlight at a 7-5% opposed to edible butterflies, which efficiency. In the meanwhile, Calvin says, ludicrous after a while, with locusts ful to those who write this crap or some petroleum derivatives, such as and the Titanic Battles Between Good very much want to, and hardly worth ethylene (a raw material for many and Evil. a damn to you. But because it isn't industrial chemicals), should soon All this tomfoolery degrades to you is not much of a reason to be able to be produced economically the elements of Church, Faith, God and blackguard the outfit, is it?' from alcohol fermented from sugar Good to cheapo gimmicks which tend to I'll be happy, eager to rejoin cane. Also, Calvin calls certain become as unbelievable as Mizuzu and S.F.W.A., Jerry, if you can show me plants related to rubber trees "gas¬ his locusts and Satan and all that a -BULLETIN or a FORUM where such oline trees," claiming that they jazz. insider gossip is in print! All could be used for "harvesting econ¬ The shock effects---the ¬ omic amounts of crude-oil-like hydro¬ ings, the impalement, the rupturing that info is word-of-mouth between carbons from land.. .which today can¬ and devastation of the house in Wash¬ sf writers, and is NOT for the rela¬ tive public prints of S.F.W.A. pub¬ not be easily used for food or fiber ington, D.C.—were well done. The lications. And I get it via phone production." acting is good. But, oh, what a calls and letters. And there's a Better living through chemis¬ was te. lot more of it unavailable to me be¬ try. And as the price of oil and cause I don't go to conventions and gas rises ever higher, these alter¬ # The SATURDAY EVENING POST, con¬ S.F.W.A. banquets where the writers nate sources of energy will become vinced I still publish THE ALIEN ever more useful. Of course, the CRITIC and am wealthy, sent along big energy corporations will propa¬ their rate card for advertising. gandize (perhaps) that such methods They claim a base of 450,000 circu¬ aren't useful for mass-production lation, with a total readership of processes and aren't really econom¬ 2,808,000. For a four-color full ical. page ad (680 line page--8-3/4 x 11- But...ah, what if they ARE 1/4) they ask $7,118. Two-color economical for a small farm? What full-page ads cost $5,931, and a if Sears offered a small home/farm mere black and white full-pager will gasoline still and an adapter for run you $4,745. current gasoline so that the Let me see now...if I give up fermented "crude" could be used in ice cream and cut out movies.... the family Belchfire six? What if a small greenhouse could with care produce enough sugar # LETTER FROM JERRY POURNELLE THE RACIST GOVT. OF RHOPESIA HASMOVEP OVER plants to fuel the still and yield 4 August, 1977 200,000 BLACK RHOPESJAN5 INTO FENCEP'IN as much as ten gallons of "gas" per 8GUARPEP CONCENTRATION CAMPS IT CALLS “PRO.TECTEP” VILLAGES, TO "PROTECT" THE week? Per month? 'Enjoyed #22, as usual, but VILLAGERS FROM BLACK REVOLUTIONARIES.■■ I still think personal and na¬ somehow there was less in it for me tional salvation lies in millions than usual. Probably my state of of nearly self-sufficient households. mind. Novel not going well (not go¬ gossip and brag and fart and drink. But I recognize my beliefs may be a ing quickly. Hardly going.) and My point all along has been that the really vital, valuable in¬ character/personality inspired bias. mucho work staring me in . So busy I think I hadn't read a sin¬ formation is forbidden to 751 of the S.F.W.A. membership because # We saw THE EXORCIST, Part II, gle book reviewed in #22, a record they don't live in L.A. or New York, "The Heretic" last night. We missed for me. the opening credits, but as we enter¬ or because they are not sociable. ed the dark theater I caught the name 'I do think you ought to lay The one time a frank, honest, gossip- type discussion (on agents) was pub¬ in big red letters on off S.F.W.A. As you said somewhere, the screen, and presume he either it's for the members to decide. I lished in S.F.W.A. for the benefit directed or produced the film. completely agree, it's hardly worth of non-attending S.F.W.A. members, all hell broke loose and strict Whatever, he has fathered an¬ the money to you; the dues are low censorship was imposed. So much other interesting failure. I think for a professional organization (Nat. Assoc, of Science Writers went up to for THAT advantage to S.F.W.A. mem¬ his last was ZARDOZ. bership for the sf writer who lives Richard Burton, fighting to $37.50 this year, and others are a- outside the big sf centers. stay sober, hair dyed, made-up to bout that) but what's th point of a look presentable---a corpse with professional association to anyone As for the Grievance Committe: the committee will be made up of sf a great voice---was the heretic (so- other than a practicing member of called, I guess) sent to investigate the profession; which you don't in¬ professionals, won't it? So Dick the exorcism and death of the priest tend to be.' Geis is getting screwed by a publish¬ er who puts out a lot of sf in a who helped fight the demon who, in Not quite true: I am a practic¬ year. And maybe has bought from THE EXORCIST, inhabited the body/ ing sf writer now, with the publica¬ the members of the Grievance Commit¬ mind of lovely young Regan (Linda tion of "One Immortal Man," and prob¬ tee. How far will the Committee go Blair, who is even more of a sex ably other stories/novels in the fu¬ in offending the publisher, given child now, only older, and on the ture. The usefullness of S.F.W.A. • that conflict of interest? Maybe verge of plumpness). The demon is to a sf professional is another mat¬ the publisher or editor will get apparently still lurking in her mind, ter. and is named Mizuzu (phonetically pissed pff at the S.F.W.A. Grievance speaking). 'You don't need representation Committee and decide not to buy any The story lacks coherency and or a grievance committee or advice more from him/them? This is a the movie depends on shock and some or even market reports, gossip about thought that will occurr to that incredible mental telepathy and psi what royalty rates you can coax out sf pro. Under the current setup, powers. of whom, who's got how much from how valuable is that Grievance Com¬ There are some unexplained what publisher and how he might have mittee to me, really? Market Reports? With the FOR¬ apparent hallucinations...the line got more, let's try it this way next between reality and dream is fuzzed. time....all the sort of thing use¬ UM always late the reports carried The movie becomes grotesque and are often/mostly out of date. But back to your letter. 'Back when I was president I spiracy is to me just a mixture of strong, opinionated new voice to sci¬ raised the dues, hired an executive self-interest and stupidity.' ence fiction. A New slant, a new--- secretary, and did a lot of those "Short editorial career, eh, Awful Things which you've denounced Umm. I'm modifying my views Geis?" ever since. The vote for those prop¬ on the Rockefellers and the super- No, no. Alter. But J.W. Camp¬ ositions was overwhelming, despite rich. I'm convinced there is a work¬ bell, Jr. had strong opinions and opposition from you and some others; ing "conspiracy" (loaded word)... a turned ASTOUNDING into a winner. and I think S.F.W.A. has done pretty strong self-interest among the top "Give J.J. a year, Geis. I have well by its members ever since. power loci of the financial world a sneaking hunch he will surprise Hardly the earth. I could survive to cooperate in certain areas, and you, and others." without it. But one reason I can is also a strong rivalry—one group He said he is sending a letter that it exists/existed. As to our headed by the Rockefellers---for for publication which will give more affair re AMAZING and FANTASTIC you control of this country and this detail on the changeover and any edi¬ must know the previous history of it geo-political area, and for the torial changes he plans. all. Hell, Mr. Cohen made an agree¬ world. ment to pay some of our people, at a But. Even with the best low monthly rate with no interest, brains money can buy, even with vast # LETTER FROM ROBERT BLOCH made a few payments, and stopped financial leverage, they are having Aug. 3, 1977 sending the money. Add to that some one hell of a time coping, and even pretty incredible stories about de¬ they don't understand or control all 'SFR #22 is a super issue and lays in reporting, "payment on demand the factors that move the social- confutes the nerds who say sf read¬ fter publication" according to cultural- economic worlds. ers are only interested in mindless Schweitzer (in a favorable market re¬ The tendency is to imagine the juvenalia. There's more evidence of port) and like that, and what were we thought in these pages, more genuine to do?' intellectual content and concern, than one finds in NEW YORK MAGAZINE, Nothing. Present the facts of THE SATURDAY REVIEW, BOOKS AND BOOK¬ the situation as to selling to Ulti¬ Cover-up Lowdown mate, and let the individual member MEN, or even HUSTLER. Speaking of which, I enjoyed Sam Merwin's piece decide himself if he wants to do business with that publisher. But on S-F And S-X, though I must cor¬ as with all "leaders" and authori¬ rect his conclusions. There actual¬ ly was quite a lot of sex-activity tarians, as with all those who are tempted by what they conceive as pow¬ in sf during the Thirties and Fort¬ er, and superiority, you and the of¬ ies, Sam -- it's just that we never ficers of S.F.W.A. decided on some told you about it. As for MZB, her kind of a boycott...and later other article admirably demonstrates the officers(perhaps angered that neith¬ intellectual qualities I mentioned; er the membership nor Ultimate would it also demonstrates a candor and tremble and obey) decided to bar insight seldom found in the self- Ultimate-published stories from con¬ ONLY 9 DAYS BEFORE HER FATAL CAR CRASH, serving effusions of so-called NUCLEAR WORKER KAREN SILKWOOP WAS "mainstream" writers. Ted Tubbs' sideration for the Nebula awards. CONTAMINATED BY RAPIOACTIVE BO106NA ANP What is this but a history of inef¬ CHEESE IN HER FRIP6E ! HOW THE PLUTONIUM &0T letter was of particular interest; I fectuality? Now, I understand, the THERE IS STILL UNKNOWN...DELIBERATE POISONING? sadly agree with his conclusions and story ban has been dropped. Did too even more sadly agree with your brief- many members complain? omment on them. And the cover illo owners of the world have perfect, is great: I dig the symbolism. SF 'Incidentally, I don't concede fine-tuned control of their prop¬ in peril, with Harlan coming to the that other magazines have a record erties and employees. No way. Look rescue.' equal to Ultimate's for problems, how Nixon performed. And Jirnny Cart¬ but even if they did, so what? It er may hold some unpleasant surprises Umm, no, that wasn't the sym¬ bolism I had in mind. What I wanted took a number of years before we did for his mortgage holders, too. was a lot of newsstand browsers to ANYTHING about Ultimate; are not the Thanks for writing. be attracted by the nude and hooked others entitled to the same consid¬ by the cartoons and scraps of com¬ eration? ' mentary and Names inside. I'm a nak¬ Who are you supposed to be ed capitalist. serving, your members or the pub¬ # Just got a call from J. J. Pierce lishers? You're damned if you do and he is indeed the new editor of # LETTER FROM RICK BEBAN and damned if you don't, which is GALAXY, and he does want Alter-Ego 8 Aug., 1977 an elected figure's reward for seek¬ to continue the column. Alter says: ing office in the first place, 'and "A man of good taste and exquisite 'Don't know why you should for wanting to Do Good, in the sec¬ editorial judgement, Geis." malign the intelligence of dolph¬ ond place. Somehow, I knew you'd say that, ins when it's porpoises who get Alter. caught in tuna nets (SFR 22, page 'Your monologs sound as if J.J. informed me that the August 25). However, for the good news you get the publications of the US issue is now out, and subscription on that score, I refer you to Senat¬ Labor Party, which has invited me copies will be going out very soon. or Alan Cranston's office (D-Cal) to.a reception tomorrow night for a He is no longer the fire-eating crit¬ which forwards the news that "Fish¬ couple of the national officers. ic he was during the SECOND FOUNDA¬ erman report that the porpoises have That outfit is rather strange: I TION days. He wants to work smoothly been far less cooperative this year" tend to agree with most of their and amicably with everyone. He will and are avoiding tuna schools when policies, and a lot of their analys¬ write an occasional editorial. boats come near. Not only that, but is, until they get to conspiracies Poo. I wanted him to bring a they have apparently devised a meth¬ and the Evial Rockefellers, and like od for escaping the nets if caught, 6 that; and what they ascribe to con¬ which involves remaining calm (even to the point of busying themselves wealthy countries still mind pennies All across the nation the heat and with other tasks, i.e. procreation) — or the local equivalent-in cop¬ the rainfalls have been setting re¬ until the fishermen, just before per. See Italy, Greece, Turkey, cords. First last winter's cold, hauling in the tuna, dip the edge of etc.) now the heat. the net. The porpoises then swim * 'I haven't seen the SCIENCE Something is screwing up the weather patterns.... FICTION STUDIES collection Schweit¬ 'Less smart remarks about our Could it be the first clear zer reviews in SFR 22, but nothing smarter cousins.' I've read of his so far has indicat¬ consequence of pouring more and more and ever more carbon dioxide and ed much in the way of an ability to I will manfully resist any distinguish between Academese and a particulant pollutants into the at¬ comments about sex resulting in a vocabulary of advanced critical ide¬ mosphere for lo these many decades higher porpoise in life.... as. Thing that irritates me most in of industrialization? Yeah...could Schweitzer's criticism, considered be. And if true, this winter will be as "interesting" as last. as a body of work, isn't the narrow¬ We may discover new areas of ness of his literary viewpoint- fertility, and new areas of desert, 8-12-77 I was forced by sheer agony he's less parochial than del Rey, with resulting social maladjustment to go to the dentist today. Lower but not by much-but his "I have and profit/loss. right molar. Big rotten hole. the credentials" tone. Confronted Well, as Mother Nature might X-ray. Says, "That's a real with works drawn-successfully or say, "I never promised you a rose deep one!" not — from traditions he doesn't un¬ garden." Says, "That'll involve either derstand, he basically relies on root canal work and a crown, or ex¬ buzz-words like "self-indulgent es¬ # John Brunner sent a clip from traction." capism" and "artistic rigor mortis". the 31 July London TIMES titled, Says "Four hundred dollars for And that's about it; that pretty "Medicine Comes Back to Earth." the root canal and crown, or twelve Briefly, medical scientists dollars for the extraction." are discovering that all kinds of Says I: "Pull the sonofabitch!" advantageous drugs are available in plants and that old time "nature Berkley sent along a remarkable # remedies" weren't based on supersti¬ calendar with 13 full-color 14" x 10" tion and wish and after all. John Schoenherr paintings accompany¬ Herbs to the rescue. Hubris to the ing the months (one is the cover—a back of the bus. terrifying open-mouthed view of a gi¬ For instance: gantic sandworm) themed on Frank Her¬ bert's DUNE. The paintings are ti¬ 'Dr. Stuart cites a few ex¬ tled: "Alone on Arrakis", "Dawn at amples of healing plants that have the Palace of Arrakeen," "Baron Vlad¬ come recently to light. "During a imir Harkonnen," "The Sardaukar War¬ recent visit to I was given riors," "Ceremony at the Tomb of the a half-inch long root section of a Skull," "Desert Nightmare," "The plant used by the natives as a local Flight Through the Shield Wall," anaesthetic. I chewed it and in "Sietch Tabr," "Paul Muad'Dib Calling next to no time the inside of my His First Sandworm," "Stilgar and mouth was anaesthetised. Prelimin¬ his Men," "Paul Administers the Oath ary tests suggest that it is more of the Fedaykin," "The Defeat of powerful than lignocaine, commonly the Sardaukar." used by dentists. '"And did you know that the carefully selected 'chewing sticks' used by Africans to clean their # LETTER FROM BILL GIBSON teeth show strong anti-bacterial smacks of the century's various post- August 8, 1977 activity, much more than that of realist, post-symbolist "avant-gard¬ twigs from other trees? Or that 'I notice that my initial look es". There are credentials and then garlic oil, by one standard test, through a new issue of SFR now fol¬ there are credentials; Schweitzer is 24 times as effective'in killing lows a distinct pattern. After a has a diploma, but no credentials. typhoid bacilli than carbolic acid?"' glance at the table of contents, I The really appalling thing is that flip through the magazine until I there are people who have more di¬ As John commen ts on the back hit one of those depressing extrapo- plomas than Darrell Schweitzer and of the article: 'Progress!' And la-blurbs of yours, and then, to dis¬ know even less; it's enough to make let us hope that one day a counter¬ tract myself from the imminent col¬ you suspect the imminent collapse of culture medical researcher will lapse of All We Hold Dear, I turn All We Hold Dear.' gather all this natural medicine to whatever promises to be the most info into a book, and a company will interesting article. with Okay, Darrell, go get him! sell these plants, and we can all that, I start flipping through again Go for the throat! Buzz him to grow our own medicines [provided -this second brouse usually last¬ death! the A.M.A. and the drug companies ing until I run across Darrell don't pressure congress to make all Schweitzer doing something pedestrian this information illegal.] to a book he hasn't understood. In order to put that well out of my ALIEN THOUGHTS CONTINUED ON P. 16 mind, I turn back to pop futurolo¬ 8-J3-77 You want Doom? I'll give gist Geis projecting the horrors of you Doom. We here in Portland have RICHARD (WATERSHIP DOWN) ADAMS AN¬ a world without pennies or whatever. had about three weeks of above 90° NOUNCES HE IS GOING TO WRITE THE (What they'll do, by the way, proba¬ heat, and yesterday it was 105°, a FIRjjT WHOLLY SUCCESSFUL EROTIC NOV¬ new record for the day and the month. bly will be to mind them in less and EL' --Ian Coveil less expensive alloys; only very THE SILVERBERG THAT WAS

BY ROBERT SILVERBERG

THE INTRODUCTIONS BY ROBERT SILVER¬ THE SEED OF EARTH, Ace 75875, $1.50 BERG TO THE ACE REPRINT EDITIONS OF RECALLED TO LIFE, Ace 71085, $1.75 EARLY SILVERBERG NOVELS. COLLISION COURSE, Ace 11510, $1.50 STEPSONS OF TERRA, Ace 78600, $1.50 , Ace 76391, $1.50 NEXT STOP THE STARS, Ace 57420, $1.50

THE SEED OF EARTH

Introduction The science fiction world of ters were desperately needed to fill wanted its writers to acknowledge the late 1950's was an odd place, a all those blank pages, and spectacu¬ did other things beside pilot space¬ kind of fallen empire that had col¬ lar careers were launched overnight ships and invent time machines. And lapsed into eerie provincial decay. by such beginners as Philip K. Dick, yet it was not just a magazine od There had been a big publishing boom Robert Sheckley, and Algys Budrys. sexy slam-bang pulp adventure fic¬ in s-f from about 1949 to 1953, with But I was too late for the gravy tion. It demanded literacy of its dozens of new magazines founded, the train, and I had to make do in the contributors, grace of style, intel¬ first rush of science fic¬ very much reduced circumstances of ligence of story construction. Since tion, and even some activity on the the next era. it was free of the taboos against part of large hardcover houses like sex and forthright characterization ‘Strange things went on during Doubleday and Simon 5 Shuster. Then that afflicted its competitors, many those pinched, dark years, and the most of it fell apart. The magazin¬ writers who felt constricted by the publishing history of the book you es died in droves, because there sim¬ timidity of the other magazines glad¬ are now holding provides a revealing ply weren't enough readers to go a- ly offered outstanding work to VENT¬ look at how young writers coped with round. (In 1953 alone there were 39 URE for a very modest fee. During the situation that existed then. s-f magazines, which was about 35 its lifetime of only ten issues it too many.) The paperback houses, THE SEED OF EARTH began as a ran such splendid fare as Theodore having madly overextended themselv¬ short story, some 9000 words long, Sturgeon's "Affair With a Green Mon¬ es in their first hectic period of called "The Winds of Siros." I key" and "The Comedian's Children," expansion, sent hundreds of millions wrote it in March of 1957 for a maga¬ C.M. Kombluth's "Two Dooms," Walter of unsold books to the pulping mach¬ zine called VENTURE, published by Miller's "Vengeance for Nikolai," ines and cut back drastically. And the same house that published FANTA¬ Algys Budrys' "The Edge of the Sea." the hardcover people who had dabbled SY 8 SCIENCE FICTION and edited by VENTURE was very much to my in science fiction found that sales Robert P. Mills. VENTURE, which had taste, for even as a fledgling writ¬ were trifling: Doubleday stayed in come into existence late in 1956, er I was concerned with such things the business, but nearly all the was an interesting project that de¬ as narrative intensity and emotion¬ others dropped out. served a better fate than it met. al depth. In "The Winds of Siros" Against this background of re¬ Its aim was to publish strong, hard I did a story that combined a stan¬ treat and retrenchment I began my stories, intense and robust; unlike dard s-f theme---the struggles of a career as a professional writer, all the rest of the science fiction bunch of human colonists against circa 1955. I would much rather magazines of the time, it was un¬ hostile and bewildering alien beings have been starting out during the afraid of the erotic forces, indeed —with something that was a bit new golden age of 1949-53, when new wri¬ to the field, a study of human psy- chosexual interactions under circum¬ "The Winds of Siros" called "Jour¬ for the other half, which was due on stances of stress. The original sto¬ ney's End," and sold it to another publication. And waited and waited, ry began at a point in what is now of the short-lived magazines of the and never got it, because the GALAXY Chapter Eleven of the novel THE SEED day, SUPER-SCIENCE FICTION. When it paperback series sputtered to a halt OF EARTH, and took place entirely in came'out in the April 1958 issue, and terminated without ever publish; the cave where the four captive hum¬ the editor had changed its title to ing my book. Eventually GALAXY, with ans are penned. I liked the story "The Seed of Earth." I liked the my permission, recouped its $500. in¬ and so did editor Bob Mills, who us¬ new title so much that I appropriat¬ vestment by running THE SEED OF EARTH ed it in VENTURE'S fifth issue. ed it for my expansion of "The Winds in the issue for June, 1962. of Siros.") And then I set out to make a There are a lot of oddities a- novel out of it. I wrote THE SEED OF EARTH in bout that. For one thing, stories October, 1958. It differed from my in GALAXY are supposed to be pre¬ By the summer of 1958, when I previous novels in its greater con¬ viously unpublished, but a good began seriously thinking of expand¬ centration on the exploration of chunk of THE SEED OF EARTH had been ing my short story to book length, I character. You may not notice all used in VENTURE only five years be¬ had alresdy written eight or nine the searching, probing details of fore. For another, there had al¬ novels, though I was still in my ear¬ character revelation that I thought ready been one "Seed of Earth" by ly twenties. Nearly all of those I was putting into the book, because Robert Silverberg in a science fic¬ books had been Ace Double Novels— there really aren't a lot of those tion magazine, the unrelated story a publishing curiosity in which two things in it, but I thought there in SUPER-SCIENCE; this one confused novels were bound in one cover, up¬ were, and certainly my characters all the indexers. And, too, when side down relative to one another, were a lot more real thanany I had GALAXY had bought the novel for its so that whichever way you turned the created before. I took the book paperback series I had been asked to book you were at the front of some¬ downtown to my agent, told him it add a few graphic sex scenes to the body's story. Donald A. Wollheim, was going to be my breakthrough nov¬ original manuscript. This I did; the progenitor of the Ace Double Nov¬ el, and instructed him to sell it to but when the magazine ran the story, el, had seen some promise in me and Doubleday. it had to be cut for reasons of space had encouraged me to the extent of a from 50,000 words to 35,000. The Doubleday turned it down. book contract every three or four 15,000 words that went out did not months all through 1957 and 1958. That hurt. But they were pub¬ include the inserts I had been asked But I was growing restless with Ace. lishing only one book a month of to supply, which meant that GALAXY I was tired of having my books pub¬ science fiction at Doubleday, and I had first asked me to expand and then lished with someone else's book tack¬ decided they were just too busy do¬ drastically to cut the same story, ed to them. And Ace, valuable market ing Heinlein and Asimov to have room and had ended up publishing an a- though it was for a hungry young on the list for me. Well, there was bridged but unexpurgated version! writer, offered little prestige com¬ always Ballantine. This time, in¬ Amid such confusions did my nov¬ pared to Doubleday, or to Ballantine, stead of relying on my agent, I took el finally see print—some of it, the only other paperback house going the manuscript to Ballantine myself. anyway. With GALAXY'S ownership of science fiction at the time. Double¬ I had a long and amiable chat with the book discharged through the maga¬ day and Ballantine published books , told her all about zine release, I was again free to byAsimov, Heinlein, Sturgeon, Brad¬ my ambitions and yearnings, and gave seek a book publisher, and shortly bury, Clarke. Ace generally publish¬ her the book. my agent found one: Ace. Don Woll¬ ed books by—well, kids like Silver- She turned it down, too. berg, Phil Dick, Alan Nourse. Ace heim, who probably would have bought the book willingly enough in 1958, also published books by Asimov, van I still thought it was a pretty gathered it in finally, after all Vogt, Simak, de Camp, and others of good book---but obviously the big- these adventures, late in 1961, and that rank, but nevertheless there league publishing companies were in the sunmer of 1962 it reached the was something vaguely minor-league simply so preoccupied with the out¬ newsstands. Yes, as part of an Ace about the whole operation then. I puts of their big-league writers Bouble Book, but there was one con¬ wanted to get into the big leagues. that I wasn't going to break into solation for me: the flip side of that charmed circle. Okay, I re¬ I remember taking a long walk the volume was also a Silverberg signed myself to seeing THE SEED OF before dinner through upper Manhat¬ title, a story collection called EARTH appear as one more Ace Double tan one amazingly humid evening in NEXT STOP THE STARS. At least I Novel. July or August, 1958, wrestling with didn't have to complain’ that some the unfocused ambitions and yearn¬ But just then one of the out¬ other guy's book was riding with ings that were troubling me; and by standing s-f magazines, GALAXY, in¬ the time I returned home from that augurated a companion line of paper¬ restless stroll I knew what I would back novels that was designed to fol do. I would turn "The Winds of Sir- low the old VENTURE policy: strong os" into a novel and sell it to s-f adventure with a generous compon Doubleday. Although when dealing ent of sex. with Don Wollheim at Ace it had been sufficient to turn in three chapters THE SEED OF EARTH fit their and an outline in order to get the needs exactly, and so my agent let next contract, I would take the risk them have the book. The advance was of writing the entire novel before I the same as Ace would have paid— showed it to any publisher. I felt $1,000.---but the big difference, to that the big-time publishers would me, was that GALAXY'S edition would¬ scorn to deal with the likes of me n't be a double novel. I'd have a on the basis of a portion and out¬ whole paperback all to myself. I line. had never had that privilege.

(About this time, I wrote a I collected a down payment of short story entirely unrelated to $500. in February, 1960, and waited And here, fifteen years later, iously conceived, were full of sci¬ pleasure with it, accepted it prcmpt- is THE SEED OF EARTH again, at last ence fiction props such as alien be¬ published in solitary splendor. I ings and spaceships. I intended the realize now that it's not the pro¬ new book to have the texture of a The vagaries of magazine pub¬ found mixture of adventure and human mainstream novel, with nothing very lishing being what they are, RECALL¬ insight that I thought it was in extraordinary about its furniture ex¬ ED TO LIFE appeared in two install¬ 1958, but I still think it's an okay cept the one big hypothesis that ments, not three, and so much for my book. And it's interesting to see would qualify it as science fiction carefully crafted cliffhangers. The ’how many of my later literary themes and serve as the mainspring of the reason for the change was a shift in and obsessions turn up in it—nota¬ plot: What if death could be made a INFINITY'S schedule from monthly to bly the aliens who place human beings reversible process? I wanted to ex¬ bi-monthly publication; stretching a in a condition of stress for hidden plore the social consequences of a serial out over six months was not a purposes of their own, which shows up startling invention; and I wanted to good idea, but happily there turned again in , MAN IN THE MAZE, explore those consequences, not in out to be a breakpoint right in the and a good many other works of mine. the never-never land of some science- middle of my novel that was superior I enjoyed reading it again and I'm fiction universe, but in a world not to the two I had built into it by not overly embarrassed at loosing very different in its fundamental design, and it split nicely into two this very early novel of mine on the reactions from the one we inhabit. parts, for the une and August 1958 newsstands. I hope you'll find So, although RECALLED TO LIFE is set issues of INFINITY. The readers re¬ pleasure in it not merely as an his¬ nominally in the year 2033, it was sponded with a bunch of enthusiastic torical artifact. basically the world of 1957 I was letters about it, calling it a gem writing about, the timid, fretful, and a classic and a lot of other nif¬ complacent, placid 1957, the first ty exaggerations, and even the for¬ Oakland, California year of what we used to call the midable critic dropped April, 1976 Space Age. me a note to tell me how much he lik¬

RECALLED TO LIFE

Introduction

"Recalled to life" is a phrase that has long had potent meaning for me. It is the title of a chapter in A TALE OF TWO CITIES, and refers lit¬ erally to the return to society of an old man long imprisoned wrongly; but to me it has a magical metaphor¬ ical power going far beyond its role in Dickens' narrative. I first read A TALE OF TWO CITIES when I was about eleven, but I had already encounter¬ ed it in its Classic Comics version at the age of eight or nine, and I think---correct me if need be, 0 col¬ In the early autumn of 1957, ed the first installment. (He was lectors of comic rarities---that the Larry Shaw, the editor of the new less enthusiastic about the second.) "recalled to life" phrase figured and venturesome science fiction maga¬ With that kind of reaction, I figur¬ even in that adaptation. At any zine INFINITY, to which I had been ed I could expect a Hugo nomination rate, it was planted in me early. contributing some of my best short at the very least, if not a Pulitzer stories, asked me to try a novel for Prize. No wonder, then that it would him. We talked briefly about RECALL¬ Unfortunately, we ran into a suggest itself to me when in 1957 I ED TO LIFE, and he gave me a go- set out to write a serious and little more trouble when we tried to ahead (though I think he asked mild¬ straightforward novel about the con¬ find a publisher to do the book ver¬ ly if I wouol consider changing the quest of death. Dickens' phrase, sion. title; maybe that's a phantom memory). carrying with it in my mind a sense The traditional format for the sci¬ I have, right here in my lower of being surmoned back from an un¬ ence-fiction magazine serial was a left-hand desk drawer, a file of my known realm, seemed the perfect ti¬ three-part novel, with cliffhanging rejection slips. Most of them, tle. Cl was surprised, as things un¬ breaks at the 20,00 and 35,000-word thank God, were acquired between the folded, to discover how many people points, and that was how I construct¬ ages of 16 and 19, but some date thought I had invented it. Doesn't ed things---rather deftly, I thought. from the first five years of my pro¬ anybody read Dickens anymore?) (I congratulated myself a lot in fessional career, and a few are even I had written seven or eight those days. Of course, I was only more recent than that. I treasure novels already. Most of them were in my early twenties and selling fic¬ them all. (Even the deepest wounds adventure stories set in distant tion as fast as I could write it, or heal eventually.) I've just spent galaxies or remote epochs; two of even faster, so there were reasons half an hour picking through that them, MASTER OF LIFE AND DEATH and for feeling self-satisfied.) I turn¬ file, for the first time in many INVADERS FROM EARTH, did take place ed the novel in at the end of 1957 years, and I find five letters con¬ on the Earth of the relatively near and editor Shaw, expressing nuch cerning RECALLED TO LIFE. future, but even they, though ser¬ 10 The first, dated February 17, 1958, is from Simon § Shuster. (My This thing is too much like real that the sophisticated reader may agent and I were aiming high with fiction. It'll depress the custom¬ find hard to swallow, but I think it this book, trying to get it out of ers. deserved republication nonetheless. It might be interesting to compare the s-f ghetto.) "It does have cer¬ It depressed me, for sure. I it to my novella of sixteen years tain strength," the man says, "a had finally written a book about sense of excitement and some good later, "Bom With the Dead," which which even Damon Knight could find detail—but this seems outweighed is virtually its sequel. They make something nice to say, and nobody by the real morbidness of the sub¬ a curious pair. Here, then, recall¬ wanted to publish it, on grounds of ject (an impression which gathers ed to life, is RECALLED TO LIFE. excessive morbidity and moral ramif¬ as you read along) and cliched, ov¬ ication. I suppose my next move Oakland, California erplotted scenes." Then we have a would have been to offer the book to note from Ballantine Books, far more June, 1976 Ace, my regular publishers—or per¬ encouraging: "We didn't feel like haps I did, and it got turned down making an offer on this particular there too, on the same grounds. But title but we would like to see what in 1959 or 1960 the publisher of IN¬ Sliverberg (sic!) is doing next. As FINITY decided to shift from magazin¬ I understand it, RECALLED TO LIFE es to ; he started a line will be serialized in one of the sci¬ called Lancer Books, with Larry T. ence fiction magazines. If, however, Shaw as his editor, and Shaw, once it fails to hit there, could we look he received permission to start a at it again? Our interest in the COLLISION COURSE science ficiton line, asked me to book would be stronger if it did not let him publish RECALLED TO LIFE. appear as a science-fiction serial." Most gleefully did I accept, and ev¬ Introduction Promising, but the serialization of entually it appeared, early in 1962, RECALLED TO LIFE was already in the along with books by Jack Vance and COLLISION COURSE was written in works, and we never showed the book Stanley G. Weinbaum, in the Lancer November, 1958, which would make it to Ballantine again. (We did let Science Fiction Library. These were something like niy ninth or tenth them see my next one, but they turn¬ priced at 75

I knew better than to say, "But this is fiction, John. I’m just mak¬ STEPSONS OF TERRA ing up a story. I'm not drafting a blueprint for the future." To Camp¬ bell, in the latter days of his edit¬ Introduction orship, fiction’s prime use was a didactic one. Stories were supposed Unless I have lost count, which to entertain, yes, but they also had is entirely possible, STEPSONS OF to demonstrate certain essential cor¬ •TERRA was my sixth novel—which mak¬ rect point about the nature of the es it a very early work even among universe. What was correct for me--- my early work, because in the far- and COLLISION COURSE, advocating a off days of the 1950's I was writing certain humility, was correct for a novel every few months, and I had me—obvioulsly wasn't correct for a couple of dozen of things on my Campbell. It was his magazine, aft¬ record before I sprouted my first er all. I took my,story somewhere gray hair. else. Beyond any doubt my first book I took it over to Paul Fairman, was the juvenile novel, REVOLT ON who was for ALPHA C, which I wrote in 1954 when the big publishing house of Ziff- I was still practically a juvenile Davis. A lot of my Campbell rejects myself. Then came another juvenile, 'S QUEST, in 1956, and later that year my first ostensibly adult melodramas of the spaceways, and the is becoming a really disciplined novel, THE THIRTEENTH IMMORTAL, and readers evidently enjoyed them too, artist,” and asserted that "Shadow in early 1957 the quite respectable for my stories (under whatever pseu¬ on the Stars" seemed somehow to syn¬ novel MASTER OF LIFE AND DEATH--- donym) were usually the most popular thesize the previously antithetical whichprobably ought to be given an¬ offerings in each issue. traditions of Robert A. Heinlein and E.E. Smith. (Actually, I thought it other turn in print one of these The original format of SFA pro¬ days. A few months later I wrote owed more to A.E. van Vogt.) And vided Three Complete New Action INVADERS FROM EARTH, another early then SCIENCE FICTION ADVENTURES went Novels" (actually, novelets 15,000 out of business, for reasons uncon¬ book that causes me no embarrassment to 20,000 words in length) in each nected with the quantity of material today. That's five. And so STEP¬ issue, plus a few short stories and I was contributing to it. A lot of SONS OF TERRA, written in October of features. But with the seventh is¬ magazines folded in 1958, including 1957, would be the sixth. Of course, sue, October, 1957, editor Shaw de¬ a few that I never wrote for at all. there were also the two "Robert Ran¬ cided to vary the pattern a bit, dall" collaborations with Randal Gar¬ running only two "novels," a long The next destination for "Shadow rett, THE SHROUDED PLANET and THE one and a short one. I was his most on the Stars" was . Editor DAWNING OF LIGHT, in 1955 and 1956, reliable contributor, so he asked me Donald A. Wollheim bought it, retitled but those weren't solo jobs. And to write the "Book-Length Novel" to it STEPSONS OF TERRA, and published there were a couple of items like lead off that issue. I turned in a it later in 1958 in his Ace Double the pseudoymous LEST WE FORGET THEE, 28,000-word piece called "Thunder Novel series, with a book by a Brit¬ 0 EARTH (1957) and INVISIBLE BARRIERS Over Starhaven," which appeared und¬ ish writer, Lan Wright, on the other (1957) that were patched together er a and which I eventual¬ side. out of previously published magazine ly expanded into a novel. The inno¬ What Lan Wright is doing these pieces, but they weren't originally vation was successful, apparently, days, I have no idea. But here is conceived as full-length novels, and for soon Shaw tried another experi¬ I don't feel like counting them, and STEPSONS OF TERRA, back in print for ment: filling virtually an entire I hope you'll be willing to ignore the first time since its historic issue with one novel. them too. So the book you are now original appearance eighteen or nine¬ holding is my sixth novel, give or Again he asked me to do the job. teen years ago, for your amusement. take a few exceptions and footnotes. This time it was agreed that the sto¬ Oakland, California ry would appear under my own byline, It was written at the behest of April, 1976 since "Robert Silverberg" was by now Larry T. Shaw, a bespectacled and a better known name than any of the pipesmoking gentleman who edited a I had been using in the pair of magazines called INFINITY magazines; and, since the story and SCIENCE FICTION ADVENTURES. Shaw, would bear my own name, I was a an old-t ime s-f fan, might have had trifle less flamboyant about making a splendid career as an editor if he use of the pulp-magazine cliches be¬ had ever found a major publisher to loved by the magazine's readers. back him, for his taste was superb There would be no hissing villains THE SILENT INVADERS apd he had the useful knack of coax¬ and basilisk-eyed princesses in this ing writers to do their best work one, no desperate duels with dagger Introduction without seeming actually to be nag¬ and mace, no feudal overlords swag¬ ging them; but it was his fate always gering about the stars. Ratherm I to work for marginal companies in It is a strange and wonderful would write a straightforward sci¬ short-lived ventures. (He has mov¬ thing for a writer to forget the ex¬ ence fiction novel, strongly plotted ed to California, like almost every¬ istence of one of his own novels. but not unduly weighted toward one else I knew in New York in those Rather like a parent forgetting one breathless adventure. days, and edits a line of paperbacks of his children; but I imagine that out of Los Angeles for a company "Shadow on the Stars" is what I Johann Sebastian Bach, who was re¬ you've probably never heard of.) IN¬ called it, and that was the name it sponsible for some twenty offspring, FINITY was his special pride, a low- appeared under in the April, 1958 occasionally had trouble reciting bedget magazine that ran high-budget issue of SCIENCE FICTION ADVENTURES. the names of the whole tribe from stories by the likes of Arthur C. The cover announced in big yellow memory, and I, well, I have written Clarke, Isaac Asimov, James Blish, letters, "A COMPLETE NEW BOOK---35*" a lot of novels. THE SILENT INVAD¬ Damon Knight, C.M. Kombluth, and and indeed it did take up most of ERS is one that did indeed slip from Algis Budrys; it evfen published Har¬ the issue, spanning 112 of t he 130 my mind. lan Ellison's first science fiction pages and leaving room for only two story. I was a regular contributor tiny short stories and the feature to INFINITY and many of my best columns. Mainly it was a time-para¬ short stories appeared there. The dox novel—a theme that always has companion magazine, SCIENCE FICTION fascinated me—but there was at ADVENTURES, was less ambitious, a least one concession to the tradit¬ blood-and-thunder operation done ional policy of the magazine, a vast strickly for fun, featuring novelets space battle involving an "unstoppa¬ of interstellar intrigue and blazing ble armada" of "seven hundred seven¬ ray-guns. I was a regular contribu¬ ty-five dreadnaughts." I chose to tor to SFA, too: in fact, I practi¬ handle the big battle scene, though, cally wrote the whole magazine. As in a very untraditional underplayed I look through my file copies, I see manner, as you will see; and I did a long story or two by me (usually a bit of fooling around with the end¬ under some pseudonym) in virtually ing, too, providing two twentieth every issue—"Battle for the Thou¬ chapters. sand Suns," "Slaves of the Star Gi¬ The readers loved it. The next ants," "Spawn of the Deadly Sea," issue was full of letters of praise, and so on. I had fun writing these including one that said, "Silverberg The occasion on which I rediscov¬ erbacks were a mere 95f then---and TLE OF VENUS on the flip side. ered it was an odd one, a bit schiz¬ walked off with the book, and that Comparing the shorter version ophrenic, a moment in which I exper¬ night dropped a postcard to my agent with the book is instructive. So to find out what the dickens was go¬ ienced that curious split between far as the plot goes, the two are ing on. It was, indeed, a reissue, the "Robert Silverberg" who is my virtually identical, and neither is and nobody had warned me it was com¬ own personal identity and the "Rob¬ what you'd call Hugo-quality work. ing. And now, again, a few years ert Silverberg" who is the world- But the expansion alowed me to put a later, the book comes forth, only Famous Science Fiction Writer of coat of recognizably Silverberg-sound¬ this time with some advance warning someone else's scenario. I mean, I ing prose over the bare bones of the to its author, who will have only have been carrying my identity a- cloak-and-dagger adventure story be¬ himself to blame if he is startled round for a long time, and the fact neath. The most significant place once again to find it on sale. that I have written s-f is part of of this sort is Chapter Nine; the that identity, but not by any means For the bibliographical record: telepathy scene, in which my 1962 all of it; a whole goulash of other I wrote the original version of THE self suddenly burst out with a flour¬ events, activities, preferences, SILENT INVADERS, a 16,000 word novel¬ ish of imagery and passion that habits, hobbies, and whatnot is part la, all the way back in December, sounds much more like the Silverberg of it too. But to readers I am sim¬ 1957, when good old Ike was in the of 1970 or 1971, the Silverberg of ply a character in a great unfolding White House and I was still a beard¬ and , drama of science fiction that goes less boy. (As it happens, I began than the kid who wrote the original on in their heads; I am an abstrac¬ to grow the beard that is so familiar story in 1957. The same scene, in tion, a name on a title page, a a part of my appearance the very week structure made of words. I was working on the short version Anyway, there I was in Alamagor- of THE SILENT INVADERS. (It was that do, New Mexico, on a summer day in long ago.) THe story was commission¬ 1973, midway in a rambling jaunt ed by one of my most dependable mark¬ through the Southwest from Carlsbad ets, a magazine called SCIENCE FIC¬ to Santa Fe. I stopped in a lun¬ TION ADVENTURES, edited by the esti¬ cheonette/news company on the main mable Larry T. Shaw. Alas, SFA fold¬ street for a cold drink, and saunt¬ ed a few months later, and Shaw used ered over to explore the book racks. the story in his surviving magazine, Naturally I checked the science fic¬ INFINITY, where it appeared under the tion shelves, and (it is forgivable pseudonym of Calvin M. Knox. I have egocentricity) my eye happened to the issue before me as I write—the wander to that familiar place be¬ date is October, 1958, the cover is tween Sheckley and Simak where the a bright red job by Emsh, and the Silverberg titles are often kept, headline reads, "WAS SHE A WOMAN--- and in that place I spied an unfam¬ OR A MONSTER?...a great CALVIN KNOX iliar and rather handsome paperback, novel." Wasn't a bad story, wasn't the cover of which declared: an amazingly good one—just a routine job of the sort I knocked out pretty THE SILENT INVADERS rapidly in those days to pay the By the Winner of Science bills. (My ledger reveals I was paid Fiction's Hugo and Nebula in December of 1958 for this story Awards that I wrote one year earlier—$237. ROBERT SILVERBERG Which is one reason why young writ¬ "Ah," I said instantly to myself, ers of science fiction then tended "there's a new Silverberg novel out. to knock out a lot of stories for How splendid!" the sake of paying their bills.)

And I reached for it, and only Subsequently—a long time sub¬ when my hand was midway to the shelf sequently— I hatched the notion of did I tremble a bit and remember that expanding that novella into a novel I_ was Silverberg, and that my new for Ace books. The contract for THE the magazine version, is perfunctory novel was called DYING INSIDE, not SILENT INVADERS is dated March 14, by comparison. I find it most inter¬ THE SILENT INVADERS, and that in fact 1962. I had a lot of bills to pay esting to see these phases in my own I couldn't remember anything called that month, too, bills of a size development lying there like the THE SILENT INVADERS at all. Was that would have stupefied the lad strata of some buried city. there some other Robert Silverberg who wrote that story four years pre¬ I would not try to pretend that in the s-f business now? Had I viously; for in February of 1962 I- THE SILENT INVADERS is a landmark in carelessly turned this novel^out had moved into Fiorello La Guardia's American literature, or even a very last year without noticing it? No. old house in Riverdale, New York, important segment of the oeuvre of No. Please, no. your basic neat little fifteen-room Robert Silverberg. It is, after all, A glance at the copyright page mansion, and I was desperately try¬ a book whose very existence I managed told me everything. The book had ing to get it repainted, furnished, to forget in just eleven years—not first been published in 1963. It and otherwise up to snuff. Which because I was repressing the memory, had been written somewhat earlier, meant selling a lot of books in a mind you, just because I had no reas¬ of course. It had been out of print hurry, and it was tempting to resus¬ on to keep it in mind. It's a decent for a long time, and out of mind for citate old properties and blow them action story, cobbled together out nearly as long. Someone at Ace had up to book length. I finished my of second-hand ingredients by a young reached into the back list and yank¬ expansion of the story a bit later man who had to buy a few thousand ed it forth. And there it was, to in March of 1962 and Ace published buckets of house paint, and not much my surprise, on public sale in Alama- it the following spring, in a double more. I could tell you in some de¬ gordo. New Mexico. I paid my 95f— volume with William F. Tenple's BAT¬ tail why it isn't as memorable a book this was in 1973, remember, and pap¬ as DYING INSIDE or or NIGHTOINGS, but you will some awful; but I was still operat¬ And---with a little nudge from my probably be able to arrive at the ing very much in a buyer's market agent—Don finally agreed to do a reasons on your own. On the other for my work. I had the feeling com¬ Silverberg story collection as the hand, there are always people at sci¬ mon to most young writers that what¬ flip half of the double volume. ence fiction conventions who will 1 ever I managed to get published was Hastily I unearthed my unsold seek me out to tell me how much they making its way into print mainly be¬ collection of 1957. I picked the cause the editor had a certain numb¬ loved my straightforward melodramat¬ four best stories from it, and added ic adventure novels of twenty years er of blank pages to fill every to them a novella, "Slaves of the ago, and how much they wish I hadn't month, and what I was writing was Star Giants," that had not been in¬ decent enough to make the minimum deviated into writing all that arty cluded in the original group. The grade in the absence of anything bet¬ literary stuff. They know what they main reason for the substitution was ter. That is to say, if Heinleiji like and who am I to quarrel with that Ace, back then, preferred strong, or Sturgeon or Leiber or Asimov had them? In its original printing this colorful, action-oriented adventure bothered to turn in a story that book was dedicated to a beloved tom¬ stories, and none of the short sto¬ month, I'd have been out, but they cat of mine, long since gone to his ries in my original story collection didn't and so I racked up another reward; I let that dedication stand, quite qualified as that. "Star Gi¬ sale. On the other hand, I also had but now I dedicate this book also to ants" did. It had been written for the feeling common to most young all those people who yearn for the the first issue of an ephemeral maga¬ writers th^t some of what I was writ¬ good old days when the "Robert Silv- zine called SCIENCE FICTION ADVENTUR¬ ing was pretty good, maybe even as erberg" byline meant books like THE ES, and it was an appropriately col¬ good as the stuff the really big- SILENT INVADERS. orful job, decorated with mutants, time authors were producing, and de¬ giant aliens, mad robots, and other served the immortality of a book Oakland, California such equipment. It gave the book a edition just as much as anything June, 1976 certain solidity, even though it they had produced. Since they were wasn't exactly what I considered an having short-story collections pub¬ ideal kind of science fiction. lished, I put together one of my own. I don't now remember what it was The four stories appended to'it, called, but it contained ten or though, were something else again. twelve of the best stories I had In their various ways they represent¬ written in the three or four years ed the young Silverberg at his best, of my career. I shipped it down to striving to master the difficult art NEXT STOP THE STARS my agent with the usual high hopes. of the science fiction short story. The problem was that my books Oldest of them was "Hopper," Introduction were then being published by Ace, written in June of 1954, when I was and Ace didn't do short story col¬ in my sophomore year at college. NEXT STOP THE STARS was the' first lections. So the collection had to Here we see an early try at the time- collection of my short stories to be be offered to houses like Ballantine paradox plot, to which I would re¬ published, and holds a special place and Doubleday, which did collections turn throughout my career; here also in my affections for that reason. By only as sweeteners for their regular are decent attempts at characteriza¬ now my collected short stories run novelists, of whom I was not then tion, style, and creation of a plaus¬ to sixteen or seventeen volumes, and one. So there was no sale, and I ible future society. I thought it some of those volumes are a good deal looked ruefully at the other writers' was quite a mature story for a writ¬ more impressive than this one; but collections with feelings of envy er not yet out of his teens, and first is first, and first things and sorrow. still do; and I was much wounded never lose their significance. Be¬ Eventually Ace did start doing when "Hopper" failed to sell to AS¬ sides, it's an interesting book in collections — the first, an Eric TOUNDING, GALAXY, or any of the oth¬ its own right, for a lot of reasons. Frank Russell volume, appeared in er leading magazines of the time. (It was finally published in Larry The thing about short story col¬ 1958---and I began hinting to the lections is that they generally don't Ace editor, Donald Wollheim, that I Shaw's superb, much-underrated maga¬ sell as well as novels, unless the would appreciate one myself. The zine, INFINITY, two years after I wrote it. Years later I expanded author is someone who is primarily Ace system was a bit different from it into a novel, THE TIME HOPPERS, known only for short stories—as, that of other publishers: instead of for Doubleday.) for example, Ray Bradbury. Story doing a separate volume of short sto¬ collections are usually awarded by ries, Ace tacked the collection to a In June of 1955, while still an publishers as bribes, or, shall we novel by the same author, doing both undergraduate, I wrote "The Songs of say, sweeteners, to writers whose works in one binding in the celebrat¬ Simmer"—an extremely ambiguous good will they wish to earn. The ed Ace Double format. That wasn't technical stunt, an attempt at tell¬ theory is that if you let a writer quite as satisfying to the author as ing a story through a series of frag¬ bring out a volune of collected a single book of his stories would mented monologs. I thought it came short stories, you may also be able have been, but it was much less risky off quite well, but again the import¬ to get him to let you have one of for the publisher, and at least the ant magazines chose to turn it down, his novels. author had the satisfection of hav¬ and after a year in the wilderness ing an entire Ace Double to himself. Circa 1957, when I first tried the story was purchased by my friend Robert W. Lowndes for his SCIENCE to interest a publisher in doing a I hinted, but Wollheim didn't book of my short stories, no one was seem to get the hint, and I went un¬ FICTION STORIES, a magazine that especially interested in earning collected for another couple of years. managed a surprising level of excel¬ my good will in that fashion. I was Late in 1961 Ace acquired a book of lence even though its word rates a promising young writer—indeed, I mine called THE SEED OF EARTH, the were the lowest in the field. had in 1956 been awarded a Hugo as complex history of which is recount¬ You can imagine, I think, the Most Promising New Writer—and I ed in the new edition issued as a discouraging effect on a young writ¬ had sold a whole raft of stories and companion to this present volume. er to have stories of this caliber novels, some of them pretty good. 15 go begging for a home for a year or more. I think that had "Hopper" and striking cover painting by Ed Emsh, along with that....) "Songs of Summer" and my other ambi¬ SEED OF EARTH a less impressive but 'So it's doubly sorrowing that tious works of 1954 and 1955 found still attractive illustration, per¬ Malzberg is quitting his column here, publishers when I wrote them, I haps by Ed Valigursky, making for a because it's fascinating stuff. I'd would probably never have deviated pleasant little package. love to hear him talk about the State into the attitudes that led me to of the Art. He could call it "SF write "Slaves of the Star Giants" Oakland, California After : STAR WHORES." and score of other adventure stories. April, 1976 But none of those early good stories 'Your disagreement with him (p. sold on their merits; they all got ************************************ 56) rests on the assumption that published eventually only because I ALIEN THOUGHTS CONTINUED FROM P. 7 "people and Wonder" are orthogonal had established working professional aspects in sf. Not so. Often, yes, contacts with editors; and the cyni¬ you're right, and GATEWAY .is an ex¬ cism that they engineered in me 8-16-77 Have you wondered why the ample-1 didn't think the analysis taught me a lesson I was years in Big Push is on to "sell" the new worked dramatically therein-but unlearning, that is, that there was treaty with Panama? Why was Ells¬ there's no general reason why this no sense in trying to do my best. worth Bunker (an old-time Rockefel¬ must be so. (I struggled with pre¬ ler man) sent down there to work cisely this problem for years, with¬ The remaining stories in the col¬ out a deal? Why have Kissinger out verbalizing it that way, while lection were written only a few years (a newer Rockefeller man) and Gerald writing IN THE OCEAN OF NIGHT.)' after the first two, but thet come Ford (a minor elected ex-official) from an entirely different era. been given prominent play and their ((I guess I'll go back to using "Slaves of the Star Giants" dates ritual approval words presented on light italic for my reactions/re- from September, 1956. I was out of every newscast? Could it be because sponses to letters, since more than college then, already married, a Hu¬ if the treaty is approved by the U.S. a few people complain that my pica go winner, and an established pro¬ Senate vast tracts of the land held Delegate is too much like the above fessional author. No longer was I now by the U.S. govt, will revert to Adjutant. sending stories off into the void the Panamanian govt? And that that ((For those who don't know what and hoping they would sell; I had land is due to be exploited by some¬ 'orthogonal' means (I had to look it demonstrated to editors that I could thing called the Panama Development up), it says in my Webster's New reliably supply them with publish¬ Corporation? And could it be that Collegiate Dictionary: Right-angled; able commodities, and they were ask¬ the PDC is owned by...the Chase Man¬ rectangular. ing me for stories, generally of a hattan Bank? Yep. The PDC has a ((Since Barry is still writing certain length to be delivered by a mutually profitable arrangement with sf-selling, stories to AMAZING and certain date. "Star Giants" was the Panamanian govt, regarding those FANTASTIC and perhaps other mags- such an assigned story. I remember canal lands. And so all these Rock¬ perhaps he'll resume his column here writing it in the first weeks of my efeller agents and the Rockefeller one day. I'd love to have him con¬ marriage, on a folding table in the owned or leveraged media will go tinue whenever he wishes. I am ac¬ cavernous, still almost unfurnished into action to push the deal. We cused of favoring old-fashioned sf apartment we had rented on West End might even have some "demonstrations" and of being unfair and non-under¬ Avenue in Manhattan. No masterpiece, in Panama to further convince people standing of experimental sf, yet certainly, but its young author, to pass the treaty. getting an exponent of such to write certainly, was a pro. ... a well-known exponent... to write a commentary column is difficult. )) And the other two date from 1957, # LETTER FROM GREG BENFORD when I was already growing restless doing adventure fiction and was try¬ August, 1977 ing to work my way back to the more 'Barry Malzberg is one of the serious s-f I had set out originally most damned interesting commentators to write in 1954. "Warm Man," writ¬ on sf we've ever had, particularly 8-20-77 This Panama Canal business is strange, in a way. The Panaman¬ ten in January, 1957, was my first in his unbelievable recall of de¬ ians (anc their dictator) and the Cart¬ ale to urbane and sophisticated An¬ tails/events from a decade ago. His er administration, say the terms of thony Boucher of § SCIENCE charge--that the sf field isn't as the treaty in existence are unfair, FICTION, and an appropriately urbane open now as when he started in 1967 and the Panamanians should have sov¬ and sophisticated story it is, too, -may well be true. Certainly the ereignty over the canal...because it a far cry from the thud-and-blunder sf magazines are not so bold (and is an insult to them as a nation, of "Star Giants." Later that same may soon die off to a group of 3 or otherwise. month I did "Blaze of Glory," a study 4), and a recent trip to NYC convinc¬ Yeah...but, the in irony that has many points of res¬ ed me that the major houses are most¬ onance with my later fiction, and ly in the hands of troglodytes. I fomented the rebellion which split Panama off from Columbia in 1903 sold it to Horace L. Gold of GALAXY, think it is harder to do first class (because the Columbian govt, was hold¬ probably the most demanding editor inventive work now, and get it pub¬ ing out for more money for giving the in the business, a man who constant¬ lished-not because of what's hap¬ ly goaded me (with some belated suc¬ pened to me (I've been lucky; I use U.S. the right to build the canal), cess) to stretch my talents beyond hard science out of preference, not and sent warships to prevent Colum¬ their present reach. duty), but because of others' exper¬ bia from putting down the rebellion. iences. (Secondhand story: a cer¬ The great nation of Panama is our Not a bad group of stories for a creation. We stole it (as Senator tain editor for a large paperback writer who was still in his very Hayakawa says) fair and square. So, house bid on Le Guin's THE DISPOS¬ early twenties when the last of them to be absolutely fair about the Canal SESSED' s paperback rights, but re¬ was written. I was very much excit¬ Issue—shouldn't we give that land quired that the ending be changed, ed when they finally appeared in col¬ back to Columbia, and negotiate with to show exactly what the protagon¬ lected form in 1962 as half of Ace Columbia about the new treaty? Double Book F-145, with my novel THE ist found on his return to his home SEED OF EARTH on the other side. world. Somehow, Ursula didn't go NEXT STOP THE STARS was given a 16 ALIEN THOUGHTS CONTINUED ON P. 18 THE ANNUAL NEBULOUS AWARDS

PRESENTED BY GREG & JIM BENFORD

My instinct, when asked to be THE 'FESS UP AWARD OF THE YEAR THE SHORTEST HALF-LIFE AWARD toastmaster for the Nebula West Coast To: To: ODYSSEY MAGAZINE Banquet, was to finesse it, make a For acknowledging, in the ded¬ (A clear winner, since it start¬ few innocent jokes, and hand out the ication of A WORLD OUT OF TIME, ed out only half alive anyway.) Awards. But I was to co-toast with that in his earlier hard sf my twin brother, Jim, and we sat novel, RINGWORLD, he had des¬ around his pool the morning before cribed the rotation of the the banquet, and in the misty glow Earth in such a manner that BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION AWARD of northern California that seemed, the sun rose in the west and To: Harlan Ellison well..,® bit tame. So, with some set in the east. For his resignation from SFWA help from Dick Lupoff, we made up because it decided to hence¬ the awards that couldn't really be forth drop the Dramatic Presen¬ given, marking the year 1976 with NOTHING EXCEEDS LIKE EXCESS AWARD THE tation Nubula. (Reports that those scars and blackheads that To: The publishers of ALFRED HITCH¬ Harlan was resigning this time really make the year come alive, COCK'S MAGAZINE for recognising simply because it is an odd- y'know. that having a picture of an numbered year proved false. It was an inpressive year. We overweight, aging man on the Such manors are out of place in have seen, over the past few years, cover of every issue was the as esteemed an organization as a fundamentalist Baptist with a win¬ secret of their success, and this, and indeed, seem nasty, ning smile come out of nowhere, extending this method to ISAAC brutish and short...) sweeping all before him, and soon ASIMOV'S MAGAZINE. dominating the landscape. An amaz¬ ing rise. But enough of Roger El- THE CHEAP SHOT OF THE YEAR AWARD wood.... THE RIEMANNIAN HYPERSPACE ACHIEVE¬ MENT AWARD To: Gerald Ford To: Barry Malzberg For naming the space shuttle THE WHEN-YOU'RE-SAILING-ON-THE-TITAN- For establishing new princi¬ "Enterprise", with no credit IC-WHY-GO-STEERAGE AWARD ples of nonlinear differential whatever to Gene Roddenberry, To: The publishers of GALLILEO, COS¬ geometry by leaving the field in the closing days of the MOS and ISAAC ASIMOV'S MAGAZINE, for three times in one year, with¬ Presidential campaign. (There starting three new sf magazines in out ever being seen to re-ent¬ are indications that, in a the same year that the United Na¬ er it. last desperate bid for more tions appealed to all member nations votes, the Vice Presidential to take fresh measures to halt the nominee, Robert Dole, tried to appear in public wearing Spock swift defoliation of the planet's THE CONSPICUOUS RESUMPTION AWARD . forests. ears, but was restrained by To: Larry Niven and Jerry Poumelle. the Secret Service.) For authoring INFERNO, in which THE PROGRESSIVE PUBLISHING AWARD a drunken sf author is pushed THE DRACULA AWARD To: HONORABLE MENTION: Ace Books out a window at a , for PERRY RHODAN. and awakens to find himself in To: Robert A. Heinlein Dante's inferno, i.e. hell. For his labors for blood donors SECOND PLACE: DAW Books for Only at the conclusion of the in SFWA and fandom. (This was the John Norman Gor series. book does he discover that he also the first known attempt CLEAR WINNER: Del Rey Books, is in fact in the SFWA hospit¬ to get fresh blood out of the for establishing the best sf ality Suite. field.) publishing house of 1946.

THE SARAH BERNHARDT AWARD FOR MOST FAREWELLS To: SECOND PLACE: Robert Silverberg. WINNER: Barry Malzberg.

THE PROPHET WITHOUT A LOSS AWARD To: S. Lem For criticising, in several European journals, all Americ¬ an sf writers, because they write books which people want to read. ALIEN THOUGHTS CONTINUED FROM P. 16 tionist literature, it appropriat¬ es the facts, theories and con¬ cepts of science when they support # Elvis Presley is gone now (42 religious dogma, but willfully neg¬ years old! Christ, that makes me lects to mention those aspects feel good! All that money, all those which do not. This is simply a dis¬ beautiful women, and he died so de¬ honest attempt to exploit the au¬ liciously young.) And just last thority of science and is unworthy night Groucho Marx bit the dust. I of any individual or organization presume he is now in heaven hectoring which claims moral leadership. The Margaret Dumont about her wings and situation would be comical except harp. And now, according to the old that Creationist material is being saying that says famous people die in incorporated into science textbooks cycles of three, we await the third and causes a gross misunderstand¬ fatality...within the next week. ing of the nature and goals of sci-

'The hypothesis of a radio-o¬ LETTER FROM A. PETER CANNON paque layer of water in the atmos¬ 6 August, 1977 phere is pure ad-hocery. The only way consistent with science to get ’On page 6 ((SFR #22)) you that much water into the air and quote Dr. Franz Pick, "I know of keep it there is to raise the temp¬ To: Noah Ward no example in history where any erature of the earth. Even if this (Unfortunately, there is no government has ever repaid its didn't preclude.life, it would award this year because there debts in the purchasing power in cause a clearly measurable change were not enough unwritten ap¬ which the innocent bought its in the ratio of the oxygen isotop¬ plicants. Too many short sto¬ bonds..." I can of one example es in sea shells. None is seen of ries were not left undone this where it happened, but it may do the appropriate age. Secondly, year.) as much to prove Pick's point as there are a number of other dating disprove it. In 1790 Alexander techniques which do not depend on Hamilton persuaded the congress the constancy of the cosmic ray to honor at par all debts of the THE DOGGED PERSISTENCE AWARD flux, and these all indicate that Continental congress which fought the earth is ancient, not merely a To: the American Revolution. But the few thousand years old. Further¬ For producing the first best¬ purpose was avowedly to tie the more, even if the earth, and hence seller sf novel, CHILDREN OF interests of the rich to the new the atmosphere, were warmer, the DUNE. There have been hints government set up under the Con¬ water vapor would still freeze out of a 4th blockbuster title stitution. Most of the bonds and at some level and the nitrogen in the Dune sequence, LORNA the money printed by the Continen¬ would still difuse up through this DUNE. tal Congress had passed into the zone and be subjected to cosmic ray hands of speculators at a fraction bombardment. of their value and these men would 7VE MODERN SF ALCHEMIST AWARD obviously support the new govern¬ 'Although there may be an "ex¬ To: Harlan Elision ment if it meant a quick profit on cess" of tritium at present, this For selling "" their speculation.' cannot possibly be due to condi¬ as a TV series. This is the tions which ended 4500 years ago. first verified case of a writer J suspect that 'at par' is the The half-life of tritium is 12.5 who has successfully turned key phrase. That does not compensate years an 4500 years is 360 half- pure brass into gold. for the inflation then current... and lives, which corresponds to a de¬ Dr. Pick's quote still stands. The pletion by a factor of 10 to 108+ intricacies of debt structures and power. For there to be as much as sleight-of-hand bookkeeping have a single atom of Creationist tri¬ made the old kingly game of coin¬ tium on earth now would necessitate clipping and adding lead to gold there being on the earth more tri¬ coinage even more easy and less ob¬ tium than there are particles of vious. Nowadays government have all sorts in the entire visible prostitute economists,' P. Ft. men and universe. True, the resulting ra¬ sychophants and media agents who diation would have boiled all that willingly mislead the public on mon¬ water mentioned above, but we're ey/economic matters. talking about conditions more like They're still urging you to buy the Big Bang itself. In any case govt, savings bonds, aren't they? there would be a lot more helium-3, With the inflation rate (the rate of if there was this much tritium in loss of money value) higher than the the atmosphere. interest rate paid on those bonds. Yes, indeed, 'Invest In America'- 'Hyperbaric oxygen is used to and get screwed. treat a few diseas states, but hy¬ perbaric oxygen is also toxic if endured((?writing illegible)) too LETTER FROM JOHN CHALPERS long or at too high a pressure. Be¬ sides most reports of purported long- August 7, 1977 lived populations come from the Andes 'Ron Lambert's letter in SFR or Caucasus mountains. 22 is speculative, but hardly in¬ formative. Like the bulk of Crea¬ ALIEN THOUGHTS CONTINUED ON P. 23 AN INTERVIEW WITH A. E. VAN VOGT

$245, which was a lot of money in the depression. So I knew what he meant by colorful language. I've always tried to spice up my stories with plenty of atmosphere. SFR: What was your reaction when you received his letter? VAN VOGT: Naturally, I started to write feverishly. I was intrigued by the idea, and his letter served to reinstate my earlier interest in science fiction. My story was entit¬ led "Vault of the Beast." It was published in the July, 1939 issue of ASTOUNDING. SFR: How conversant were you with the science fiction field when you wrote that first story? Photo Credit: Chris Gemignani VAN VOGT: Actually, I knew next-to- nothing about the field, except per¬ haps, what I had read in AMAZING. The whole field was new to me. It A.E. Van Vogt is one of the most most standards, the kind of home didn't take me long, however, to dis¬ celebrated science fiction writers which looks warm and lived in. There cover who were the best writers. in America. He stands beside Asimov, on a rare rainy June morning in his Heinlein, and Clarke as one of the cluttered study. Van Vogt talked SFR: When did you decide that you nation's most gifted writers of imag¬ about his checkered career. wanted to become a science fiction inative fiction. His books, which in¬ writer? ■ SFR: How did you start writing-sci¬ clude THE WEAPON SHOPS OF ISHER, THE ence fiction? VAN VOGT: After my first sale. As UNIVERSE MAKER, THE WAR AGAINST THE I mentioned, I had written many RULL, THE WINGED MAN and THE WORLD VAN VOGT: I started reading science things before publishing in AMAZING. OF NULL-A have been translated into fiction when I was about fourteen. However, I had made very little mon¬ several languages -- French, Germain I remember buying the November, 1926 ey up to that point. I had written Italian -- and even recorded on issue of AMAZING, which caught my several stories for TRUE STORY MAG¬ "talking records" for the blind. eye on the newsstand. At the time, AZINE, although they weren't partic¬ I always thought it was THE science In assessing Van Vogt's career, ularly lucrative. In fact, I had to fiction magazine. I didn't really Barry Malzberg has observed: "So write them all anonymously, as though become interested in science fiction much of his work, reread after many I were divulging my hidden past. It until 1939, when I picked up a copy years, seems to work in terms which was imperative that the stories be of ASTOUNDING STORIES, and read what are sub or trans-literary; so much real or based on real material. The I thought was a fantastic science of his power seems to come not from publisher even made me sign affidav¬ fiction story. After examining the sophisticated technique and/or pyro¬ its to that effect. One day, how¬ technic style as from his ability to magazine, I sent the editor a brief ever, while I was working on one of tap archetypal power, archetypal paragraph outlining an idea I had those stories, I thought to myself, "them," and open up veins of awe or for a short story. I told him I had "What in God's name am I doing writ¬ bedazzlement that otherwise are already sold numerous stories to ing these things?" That was the end found in love or dreams." Indeed, other publications. If he hadn't of my career with TRUE. At that throughout his long career. Van answered the letter, I probably point, I began to write radio plays Vogt has championed important con¬ wouldn't have become a science fic¬ and work as a trade paper journal¬ cepts years ahead of his time, con¬ tion writer. I discovered later, ist. Fortunately, I was able to eek cepts such as hypnotism, "similariza- however, that he answered all such out a living by combining the two tion," semantics, "Nexialism," and letters. Actually, all he said in jobs. dianetics. Perhaps that is why For¬ the letter was, "When you do the rest Ackerman has dubbed him "the story, do it with lots of atmosphere'.' SFR: How stiff was the competition undisputed Idea Man of the Futuris¬ In other words, he wanted me to use when you began your career in the tic field." plenty of "purple prose." I under¬ science fiction field? stood what he meant. I started writ¬ Van Vogt dees his writing in Hol¬ ing when I was twenty. I sold my VAN VOGT: Well, we had Asimov, Del lywood, California, high atop the first story to TRUE STORY MAGAZINE Rey, Heinlein, Leiber and several hills, accessible only to those with about that time. They bought it for other well-known science fiction strong legs or a high-powered auto¬ writers. mobile. A spectacular view stretches acrossthis panoramic hilltop home. The decor is comfortable, modest by Conducted By JEFFREY ELLIOT „ SFR: Is it more difficult today for going on to the next sentence. By sentence gets too long, I get scared someone to break into the science comparison, many science fiction I'm afraid that I'll lose my reader fiction field than it was when you writers use the narrative approach -- midway through the sentence. began your career? that is, they write from the author's point of view. Sometimes they suc¬ SFR: Is it possible for you to VAN VOGT: Yes, I think so. The ceed beautifully, as does Robert stick to your rules in writing non¬ real problem is the shortage of Silverberg, who employs this method. fiction? science fiction magazines. Most of However, my approach to writing these publications are fighting for science fiction is quite different. VAN VOGT: Well, I never really did their lives. Unfortunately, that's It's much more time consuming. You much in terms of non-fiction. What where most new writers gain their must make sure that each sentence little writing I did do, was as a experience. It's tough to break in has the essential ingredients. In trade journalist for several news¬ with a novel. It seems as though addition, I try to use certain sounds, papers. At the time, they paid 20

SCIENCE FACTION SHELF emotional game-playing of the toddl¬ ing infant recapitulates mammalian territorial rituals, and the infant EXO-PSYCHOLOGY, By Timothy Leary, lives in a primate tunnel-reality at Peace Press, Los Angeles, 134 pp., that stage. The school-child learn¬ $7. ing to parrot lessons lives in a THE EIGHTH TOWER, By John A. Keel, paleolithic tunnel-reality. The Signet, New York, 1977, 250 pp., adolescent gang recapitulates the $1.75. barbarian horde (Attila, Genghiz Khan, etc.) The domesticated adult PROLONGEVITY, By Albert Rosenfeld, lives in the tunnel-reality of his Knopf, New York, 1976, 250 pp., or her tribal guilt-virtue game. $8.95. No conditioning techniques, THE INMORTALIST, By Alan Harrington, Leary insists, can permanently Celestial Arts, Nlillbrae, 1977, Leary asserts that DNA was seed¬ change such imprints. Skinner's 313 pp., $5.95. ed on Earth (and on millions of oth¬ Behavior Mod works only so long as er planets) by Higher Intelligence. the conditioner has the victim more Reviewed By Robert Anton Wilson This does not mean "the police-court or less imprisoned and totally con¬ Jehovah" of monotheism, he says pre- trols reward and punishment. Once cisley. Higher Intelligence might the subject gets free of the condit¬ It is getting harder and harder be (a) an advanced interstellar civi¬ ioner, behavior drifts back to the to draw a line between science-fact lization, as suggested by Nobel gen¬ biochemical circuits of the original and science-fiction, because the im¬ eticist Sir Francis Crick, the first inprint. plications of current science are to propose that DNA was seeded here; often more staggering than anything or (b) ourselves-in-the-future trav¬ The only way to change an im¬ published in ANALOG or GALAXY ten eling backwards in time, as suggest¬ print, then, is to dissolve it chem¬ years ago. The rate of acceleration ed by physicists Jack Sarfatti and ically at the synaptic level. If of social-technological change is Saul Paul Sirag; or (c) sun-atomic anybody but yourself alters your im¬ itself changing at an accelerating consciousness, as suggested by phys¬ prints this way, by chemical inter¬ rate; Prof. Gerard O'Neill's space- vention in the nervous system, that icist Evan Harris Walker. city designs are already more Futur¬ person can totally brainwash you. istic than the Clarke-Kubrick space¬ Higher Intelligence, Leary pro¬ On the other hand, Leary says, ships in 2001. ceeds, designed the DNA to evolve, if you can learn how to use neuro¬ through metamorphoses and migration, Dr. Timothy Leary, typically, chemicals for serial re-imprinting into ever more complex and more in¬ has accepted the interpenetration of of your own nervous system, you grad¬ telligent forms. Evolution is not science-fact and science-fiction uate to a new level of evolution, guided by "least possible effort and cheerfully, as an inevitable develop¬ which he calls I2, which means in¬ greatest possible blunder" (Neitzs- ment; he calls his new book, EXO¬ telligence-squared, or .intelligence- che's caricature of Darwinism) but PSYCHOLOGY, "science-faction," on studying-intelligence, i.e. the by a pre-programmed "brain" within the grounds that his facts come from nervous system studying and re-im¬ the DNA tape-loop. science and his style or way of or¬ printing itself. You can then be¬ ganizing the facts is deliberately All living organisms, then, are come as smart as you wish, as brave science-fiction in flavor. survival-machines designed by DNA to as you wish, as happy as you wish, transport itself about, reproduce as wise as you wish. This is a EXO-PSYCHOLOGY is an astonishing itself and create more and better quantum jump above the robot-level performance even for the Most Contro¬ DNA. In short, we are, as geneticist at which animal life, and most of versial Man in America. It's only Herbert Muller likes to say, "giant humanity, have functioned hitherto. 134 pages long, but it incorporates robots" programmed by DNA for its literally hundreds of bright new i- There is no end to this serial own purposes; we are "fragile, easi¬ deas in psychology, neurology, eth¬ imprinting. "The more intelligent ly replicable units," Leary adds, ology, astro-physics, genetics, soc¬ you become," Leary says, "the more because DNA can make myriads of dup¬ iology and dozens of other sciences, you see the advantage in becoming licates of us. making it one of the most compressed, even more intelligent." condensed, highly charged books I've At each stage of development, The result of this self-metapro- ever seen. Attempting to summarize each individual robot takes a new gramming is that all the Utopias and it is like attempting to summarize imprint in the ethological sense and Heavenly visions of our imagination the BRITANNICA; to review it is like thus mutates from one "tunnel-reali¬ can be acheived; we need only inprint reviewing 20th Century culture it¬ ty" to another. For instance, the these possibilities to make them self. 25 neurologically real, and then we can through acquisition of a steadily shouted down and booed off the stage begin making them physically real. maturing wisdom and a steadily ex¬ in a demonstration of hooliganism "Since no one can allow the game to panding awareness, could finally be¬ that hasn't been seen here since Al¬ become bigger than Hir concept of come... a being worthy to be the an Watts was similarly mistreated by the game (what is not imprinted is trustee of our future evolution." Left Fascists back in 1966. It is, not real to the primate brain) there¬ of course, a tribute to both Watts Rosenfeld agrees with Leary that fore let us define the game as large, and Harrington that they were not ENA has programmed us (all life-forms fast, intense, precise as possible: permitted to speak; this shows how on this planet) to survive, repro¬ Unlimited Space, Unlimited Time and powerful their ideas are, and how duce and die. He also suggests that, Unlimited Intelligence to enjoy same. frightening such ideas are to cer¬ in creating humanity, DNA programmed tain neophobes. LeaTy summarizes this goal into a robot conscious enough to resent the acronym, SMI2LE, which means death and intelligent enough to do THE IMMORTALIST carries current Space Migration, Intelligence2 and something about it eventually. life extension research and theory Life Extension. After the neuro¬ Leary and Rosenfeld could say, to the logical conclusion: Humanity, psychology of inprinting is clari¬ like Gurdjieff, "Our way is against Harrington proposes, can and should fied, most of EXO-PSYCHOLOGY deals God and against Nature"—except ultimately conquer death. with the practicality of beginning that they see ENA (the modem equiv¬ this Triple Mutation immediately. "Death," Harrington says, "is an alent of what mystics meant by "God" inposition on the human race, and no Albert Rosenfeld's PROLONGEVITY and "Nature") as programming this longer acceptable." deals with 1/3 of Dr. Leary's Triple rebellion also. As a "self-develop¬ Mutation program---Life Extension. ing organism" (Gurdjieff's term), "Let us hire the scientists," he Rosenfeld, who was science editor of Humankind seems to have been pro¬ says, "and spend the money, and hunt LIFE for 11 years and is now science grammed with all the characteristics down death like an outlaw." editor of SATURDAY REVIEW, seems to necessary to transcend the limita¬ have interviewed everybody engaged tions of biological life as it has Where Rosenfeld provides the in Life Extensioh research in the scientific evidence that longevity United States---or, if not, he prob¬ and eventual immortality are possi¬ ably didn't miss more than a few of ble, Harrington tackles the much them. They all agree that a quantum heavier question of their desirabil¬ jump in human lifespan is a very ity, and does not hesitate to damn real possibility very soon. and blast every organized ideology based on the acceptance of death. There are degrees of optimism, Christianity has never received such of course; some speak of merely a brilliant philosophical assault doubling human lifespan, adding an¬ since the days of H. L. Mencken, and other 70 years; others talk of ex¬ Buddhism and other, more intellect¬ tending life into centuries or thou¬ ually fashionable religions are sands of years; one chapter is de¬ treated with no more tenderness. voted to scientific Immortalists, Those who love death, Harrington in¬ who think we can conquer death en¬ sists, have the right to die; but tirely sooner or later. they have no right to tell those who PROLONGEVITY (a title James love life that we have no moral or Joyce would have loved) is sheer metaphysical right to extend it in¬ science-faction; the implications definitely. He is quite willing to are staggering, but the sources are dance on their graves, but he is not all reputable scientists, who have hitherto existed on this planet. going to let them persuade him to hard facts to back up their hopes. crawl into the grave next to them. The ultimate, or a kind of ulti¬ Rosenfeld concludes with a 40- mate, in this line of speculation is page philosophical discussion titled Alan Harrington's THE INMORTALIST, THE IMMORTALIST smashes more "Shouls We Do It?", in which he dis¬ which may be as important as DAS KAP- sacred cows, questions more "un¬ cusses the arguments against Life ITAL or THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES or THE questionable" dogmas, assaults more Extension and finds them all weak GOLDEN BOUGH. Harrington, an old prejudices, than any single book I and short-sighted. friend of Kerouac and Ginsberg and have ever read. Gore Vidal has al¬ one of the original creators of the ready said, with some awe, "Mr. Har¬ Longevity, to Rosenfeld, means rington may have written the most Beat Generation of the 1950s, has "To have time to travel everywhere" important book of our time." I not mellowed out on Buddhism, tran- —he neglects to note that this would go further: Alan Harrington quilized himself with Transcendent¬ must eventually include Leary's Un¬ has written the most important book al Masturbation, or collapsed into limited Space---"and go back again of the millenium. paranoia and bitterness. Instead, and again to favorite places. To he has become more revolutionary and go on learning—new skills, new "Poor Allen Ginsberg," Tim Leary sports, new languages, new musical more Utopian over the years. THE said to me recently.- "He lives in instruments... To read everything IMMORTALIST is one of those rare books that challenges you to re-think constant fear that the future is go¬ you want to read. To listen to all your basic philosophy about the uni¬ ing to be different from the past." the music, to look at all the pic¬ verse totally. It is the literary The same fate has overtaken most of tures, and even paint a few. To equivalent of finding a rattlesnake the radicals of the 50's and 60's, savor and re-savor experience and in your bedsheets; you can't ignore who are now the most nostalgic and arrive, not at boredom but at new it' you have to take a stand and make reactionary people around. Alan levels of appreciation..." (Serial a decision about it. Harrington stands head and shoulders re-inprinting, or I2.) above all of them, looking bravely When Harrington last spoke in "There could arise a new breed into the future while they day-dream Berkeley, a few months ago, he was of human being," Rosenfeld says, wistfully of a dead and irrelevant "who, merely by virtue of longevity. past. "Let us now turn to the gentil¬ nostic: to make us aware that there adventure and entertainment-- es," as St. Thomas once wrote. John are mysteries we cannot yet explain. the heartbeat of the old A. Keel's THE EIGHTH TOWER is as ap¬ pulps... ocalyptical as the works of Leary, I suppose Keel will be exper¬ ienced as a royal pain-in-the-neck '...WEIRD HEROES refreshes that Rosenfeld or Harrington, but in an concept of fiction as an adven¬ entirely different way. It is the by Fundamentalists of all.persua¬ sions, whether they stopped their ture in itself, without relating UFO book in the "revisionist" trad¬ to the new wave of violence and ition of Dr. Jacques Vallee, Dr. J. intellectual growth with the theology of the 13th Century, like religious pornography in the production of Alan Hynek and Brad Steiger; that is, exciting stories.' it accepts UFOs as real and tangible, conservatives, or with the science not hallucatory, but it rejects the of 1950, like Martin Gardner, high Sounded great. I began the book extra-terrestrial interpretation of priest of the Materialist Church. wich a great deal of anticipation. To those with really open minds, these beasties offered by most pro- Well now, I have just put down UFO writers and almost all "Contac- Keel is bracing, provocative and even amusing. WEIRD HEROES: VOLUME 6 with a mild tees." feeling of disappointment. So far Keel, in an earlier book, THIS ************************************ the series has fallen short of its HAUNTED PLANET, had attributed UFOs potential. From a visual standpoint to a group he called "Wings Over it is an unqualified success. The The World" (WOW), a hypothetical books are beautifully designed and super-mensa frankly derived from H. profusely illustrated by some of the G. Wells' THINGS TO COME. He has best graphic artists in the business also called them "ultra-terrestri¬ No, the main problem is the stories. als," an inconveniently ambiguous Too many of them are attempts at hu¬ term, or "the crew that never rests" mour and satire. Nothing wrong with (a phrase borrowed by Sir Walter that, but I prefer my humour to be Scott's LETTERS ON WITCHCRAFT. funny. Most of these simply aren't. WOW or the crew that never rests The first story in VOLUME 1 is has been around since the beginning "Quest of the Gypsy" by . of history, Keel argues. Where This is a bit more straight-faced skeptics ask, "Why haven't they con¬ than Goulart's usual product. I tacted us," Keel asks instead, "Why found it rather boring. the hell won't they leave us alone?" 's "Stalker" is They created all the miracles of the much better. This is probably the major religions and can manifest best story in the series so far. gods, demons, angels or UFOs as Goodwin writes in a lean, tough style easily as a stage pulls only hinted at in his previous comic rabbits from a hat. The Bavarian book work. Stalker is probably the Illuminati, the Nine Unknown Men, Edited by the Ascended Masters, the Secret Pyramid A3746, $1.50 most realistic "Weird Hero" in the bunch. This story could have prob¬ Chiefs, etc. are other routines this WEIRD HEROES: VOLUME 2 versatile magical theatre has used ably been published as a straight Edited by Byron Priess mystery. in its games with humanity. Pyramid A4044, $1.50 Preiss's contribution, "Guts", Keel presents an enormous a- WEIRD HEROES: VOLUME 5: DOC struck me as rather pretentious. mount of evidence in only 200 pages, PHOENIX, THE ENCOUNTER Too many stylistic tricks and gim¬ and he does not make comfortable By Ted White and reading. If you want to regard WOW micks. I don't mind this sort of Edited by Byron Preiss thing in a story with something ser¬ as a single intelligence and call Pyramid A4036, $1.50 it "God," Keel will go along with ious to say, but it's rather irrit¬ you on that metaphor, but he insists WEIRD HEROES: VOLUME 6 ating in a piece meant to be "mere" that you face the consequences. On Edited by Byron Preiss entertainment. Also, I don't share the basis of its dealing with human¬ Pyramid M4037, $1.75 the rest of the world's nostalgic ity, he points out, it looks as if enthusiasm for the 1950s. Reviewed by Ian McDowell "God is a crackpot." "Rose in the Sunshine State" by Joan Kobin is well written but its The only other book I've seen When I first saw the ads in ANA all-too-obvious literary magazine that goes that far was called GOD LOG over two years ago, I immediate origins make it out of place here. RIDES A FLYING SAUCER (author forgot¬ ly began searching the local book Very nice iloes by Jeff Jones, though ten, alas) which concludes clinical¬ store racks for WEIRD HEROES:v VOL¬ ly, on the basis of the same sort of UME 1. Upon finding it I purchased The final story in the book, evidence that Keel sifts through the book and skimmed Editor Preiss's "Showdown at Shootout", is another here, that "God" is a paranoid introduction. one of Phillip Jose Farmer's attends schizophrenic. at farce. I wish Farmer would stop 'WEIRD HEROES is a collective this sort of strained and unfunny Keel once admitted (in OUR HAUNT¬ effort to do something new: to literary grave robbing and go back ED PLANET) that some of his theories approach three popular heroic to the-sort of fiction he used to do are tongue-in-cheek; although he fantasy forms--science fiction, so well. doesn't admit that here, I suspect the pulps and the comics--from that it is still true. He does quote different and exciting direc- VOLUME 2 is a slight improve¬ The Master of Those Who Don't Know. ment. Ted White's "Doc Phoenix" Charles Fort, to the effect that sounds in description like an un¬ 'WEIRD HEROES is a collective there is no way to discover some¬ wieldy combination of THE DREAM MAS¬ effort to give back to heroic thing new without being offensive, TER and Doc Savage, but White (a fiction its thrilling sense of and he certainly is offensive. I very underrated writer) handles it suspect that his ultimate aim is ag¬ 27 rather well: Still, this is more of feathefs afe less outrageous than Arthur Byron tion, (11) ability to comnand, the -pisMPesr i2>ea Cover's usual output. Good but (12) luck. There are places in this i Eyep. heaF> of ' somewhat overlong. Preiss claims country of ours where such men are that 's "Orion" will be the considered to be somewhat rare. favorite story in the book. Well, Calvin Morrison of the Pennsyl¬ Bova's style is a bit flat, but as vania State Police has all of the a series it definitely has potential above qualities plus a bonus. When I'm looking forward to the next in¬ asked about the gods of his lost stallment. At least Bova plays it land the hero turns out to be the straight. type who would (and does) answer, And that's the main problem with "Oh, my people had many gods. There a preview of caning attractions than the series so far. In his afterword was Conformity, and Authority, and a story in its own right. to "Viva", Steve Engleheart says, Expense Account, and Opinion. And "Comics, at least the best ones, are there was Status...And there was At¬ "The New York Review of Bird" is just like that: straight-facedly om Bomb, the dread destroyer, who the best story in VOLUME 2. Harlan serious and off-the-walledly outrag¬ would some day come to end the world Ellison's no-holds-barred attack on eous at the same time. No matter None were very good gods, and I wor¬ the New York literary establishment how somber a saga seems, there is shiped none of them." (pp. 40-41) is the only genuinely funny piece in always an amiable awareness of its the entire series (and Ellison's al¬ own absurdity, and it's that ambi¬ Calvin likes the world he has ter ego, Cordwainer Bird, is easily valence that attracts me as an auth¬ landed in much better, becomes Kal- van, and starts taking over. One ‘ the most appealing hero). Sic 'em, or." Unfortunately, that ambivalence religion has a monopoly on gunpowder Harlan. is a difficult thing to attain. in that flintlock society, so Kalvan There's nothing wrong with writing From here on its down hill all sets up his own factory. Meanwhile tongue-in-cheek adventures (Lester the way. Charlie Swift's western, the Paratime Police are hot on his Dent's best Doc Savage novels have "The Camden Kid", bored me and I trail -- and another H. Beam Piper a rather nice sense of screwball com¬ found Steve Engleheart's, "Viva", SF swashbuckler is underway! over-written and rather silly. El¬ edy and in modem comic books Steve iot S. Maggin's, "SPV: The Under¬ Gerber is consistently outrageous Piper often used standard plots* ground Express", is another attempt and hilarious) but unless it's done but he excellently developed them. at humour that falls flat on its carefully the whole thing gets self Situations were never static. Al¬ face. I stopped reading Farmer's, consciously silly. though action novels. Piper's books are concerned with change and human "The Return of Greatheart Silver", Byron Preiss seems to be a man growth, of which he seemed to feel after six pages. Not only was it un¬ of considerable taste and intelli¬ war was an agent. (At times Kalvan funny but Farmer's fascination with gence, but in the future he would be his character's geneological his¬ well-advised to have his writers reads like an military history text book.) And Piper knows that it is tories is becoming a pain in the ass. steer clear of camp and play it straight. not the scientist who wades hip deep I skipped VOLUME 3 featuring a through new worlds, but the adven¬ novel length QUEST OF THE GYPSY and ********************A*************** turer. VOLUME 4 never appeared on the racks here. I did buy VOLUME 5: THE OZ 'Look what he has, on his new time-line, that his old ENCOUNTER featuring Doc Phoenix. I LORD KALVAN OF OTHERWHEN one could never give him. had high hopes for this one. The By H. Beam Piper He's a great nobleman; they introductory story was one of the Ace Books 0-441-49051 have gone out of fashion better pieces in VOLUME 2. Unfortun¬ 249 pages, $1.50 ately, White had been unable to write on Europo-American, where the novel and so it had been turned Reviewed by Paul McGuire the Common Man is the over to Marv Wolfman. Some excellent ideal. He's going to mar¬ concepts, but Wolfman's style is Sideways in Time, Cross Time, ry a beautiful princess, rather banal. Still, the book has Lateral Time Travel -- call it what¬ and they've even gone out an excellent Jeff Jones cover and ever you wish, we are talking about of fashion for children's many fine illustrations by Stephen Alternate Worlds. When the ability fairy tales. He's a sword- Fabian. If you're looking for a to travel between worlds is patented swinging soldier of fortune, good read you could do worse. some organization like the Paratime and they've vanished from a Police soon follow. Only one more nuclear weapons world. He's VOLUME 6 is back to the anthology commanding a good little format, in his introduction Preiss ingredient is left, a man from our world must become involved. army, and making a better says that the series will be more one of it, the work he s£ and fantasy oriented in the fu¬ About that last, what kind of loves. And he has a cause ture. This volume is more even in man is it that stumbles into another worth fighting for, and an quality than its predecessors. No¬ world and survives? Here are some enemy worth beating.' thing as enjoyable as "Bird" or of the qualifications: (1) excel¬ (pp. 92-93) "Stalker", but nothing really bad lent physical condition, (2) know¬ either. ledge of military history and strat- Which makes for a novel worth reading, especially when the Para¬ "Shinbett Investigates" is one egy, (3) a gift for learning lang¬ time Police start slipping agents of the few Ron Goulart stories that uages, (4) a very good well-rounded in, and... I really liked. I never laughed but education, (5) excellent memory, I at least smiled a couple of times. (6) trained swordsman, or be an am¬ The characters are not unusual "The Edmond Hamilton Papers" is a azingly quick learner, (7) charm, at but Piper made them both more com¬ nice tribute to the pioneering sf least a sense of humor, ironic pre¬ plex and simultaneously more human. author. "Greatheart Silver in the ferred, (8) at least average horse¬ In contrast, his hero's actions al¬ First Comnand" is the mixture as be¬ manship, (9) COURAGE, (10) imagina- ways seemed the more extraordinary. fore. "Galactic Gumshoe" is a bit 28 In simple straight-up prose. Piper, using familiar enough plots, AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FAIRIES though, the biggest difference is would people and pace his novels with By Katharine Briggs that THE FUTURIANS is a biography of uncanny insight. He did what every¬ Pantheon Books, 1977 a group: The Futurians. Warner one else did, but he did it a lot 481 pages, $12.95 found it expedient to limit his dis¬ better. cussion of people to their involve¬ ment in science fiction and science H. Beam Piper is one who showed Reviewed by John DiPrete fiction fandom--Knight was not bound that the storytelling can be more by this limitation. vital than the story, and the "fam¬ Katharine Briggs must be well- iliar" can be made more wondrous and acquainted with hobgoblins, bogies, THE FUTURIANS is a convening exciting than the farther reaches of brownies, and other mythological book. In a way the book is embar¬ speculation provided the author has creatures -- she's compiled an ency¬ rassing, something like walking into enough talent, knowledge and skill. clopedia! It's entitled (you gues¬ a room and discovering your younger The man could knock out a mean yam, sed it) AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FAIRIES, sister making out with her boyfriend. in other words. and it's for all ages. Like the history of any family there are stories of falling in love (or 'Carrying the ball to-an Ms. Brigg's authoritative text¬ lust) and falling out again. There open window, he tossed it book spans 1,000 years of the super¬ is the continuing saga of John Mich¬ outside, and then looked natural -- from gnomes to dragons to el, a long-time member of the Futur¬ up as it vanished in the elves -- all in alphabetical order. ians who eventually died in a frozen night. After a few seconds, The book is a valuable guide for puddle of water. There is Wollheim, high above, there was an scholars and laymen, inasmuch as it serious and steady, knowing that one instant's flash among the overflows with odd, fascinating in¬ day he will be on top. There is As¬ many visible stars. It formation. Like for instance: Did imov, Knight, Merril and others, each looked like a meteor; a you know that elves esteem qualities presented not as science fiction Hostigi, seeing it, would of "neatness, cheerfulness, and gen¬ writer but as person, with a person's have made a wish.' erosity" in human beings, and look weakness and strengths. (p. 75) down upon "braggarts and meddlers"? (In this respect, it would seem elves The Futurians as a group was to ************************************ resemble a great many ordinary provide a number of major writers people.) and editors to today's SF field. As a companion to the writing, Additionally Damon Knight credits his DRAGONSINGER vivid and lifelike artwork graces association with the group and the By Anne McCaffrey the interior of the volume. Twenty- constant writing that was part of be¬ Atheneum, 1977 three plates of fantasy and alien ing with the broup as a source for 264 pages, $7.§5 settings are reproduced with superb the Milford Writing Conferences, and detail and add a visual dimension later on the Clarion SF Workshops. Reviewed by John DiPrete throughout. Legendary artists like And again, since Knight was the Henry Fuseli, J. Simmons, Richard founder of SFWA, one wonders if McCaffrey's DRAGONSINGER is a Doyle and Kay Nielson are represented that, too, might not be traceable sequel to her DRAGONSONG, an SF ju¬ here. Art and content go hand in back to the short-iived heyday of venile that's OK for adults. hand in this comprehensive, but en¬ The Futurians. DRAGONSINGER is about a music- tertaining, document. It's not for Who were they, these Futurians? centered world called Pern, a drag- everyone, but -- who cares? (90% of A group of brash, awkward, and some¬ onsinger named Menolly, and a musi¬ Everything is Not for Everyone -- times starying young people who band¬ cian's academy. The Harper Craft DiPrete's Law.) ed together against the whole world. Hall. Menolly, a new arrival here, ************************************ Knight's spare prose and the excel¬ has trouble making friends -- owing lent interviews show them in excel¬ to the fact she is a girl (harpers lent light, as do the outtakes from are all boys) and she owns fire liz¬ publications and even quotes from THE FUTURIANS ards. Her dragonlike pets arouse Isaac Asimov's diary. These insecure By Damon Knight scorn and envy from her rivals. quasi-revolutionary writers, editors, John Day Company, $10.95 The backbone of the novel con¬ and publishers helped shape each cerns Menolly's problems: feelings Reviewed by Steve Miller other's future as well as the future of isolation, painful memories, and of the genre, and it seems a wonder guilt. Her interactions are of live¬ The comparison is inevitable. after reading the book that they ly interest: they center around THE FUTURIANS by Knight versus Harry her instructors, rivals and friends. Warner Junior's ALL OUR YESTERDAYS. There are loads of characters -- Mas¬ You'll never be able to multiply by ter pomick, an acidic, short-temper¬ the two books: they are as differ¬ ed instructor; Camo, a half-witted ent as apples and orangutans. cook; Piemur, an impish rascal; SL1- vina, the strong-willed matriarch -- Warner's book is basically a his¬ and dozens of others. tory, neatly subdivided and organ¬ ized, relying on a few letters and The novel's Good Stuff starts a lot of memory. Memory, of course, on page 70 or so (it takes 70 pages is failable. THE FUTURIANS, on the to explain the setting in full de¬ other hand, depends on primary tail, but it's worth the wait.) sources wherever possible -- letters, There's some gentle, insightful books, pamphlets, fan magazines and prose, vivid imagery, and subtle multiple interviews. If there is a philosophy. Definitely a good yam difference between the recall of the for people who like people (in their people involved, Knight is careful fiction, at least.) Recommended. to so inform the reader. Ultimately ************************************ 29 managed not to kill each other off. mile high metal pyramid set in a what remains is still quite coherent, great chasm 100 miles below the although a tremendous number of evo¬ THE FITTURIANS is well worth Earth's frozen surface. Surrounding cative scenes, and with them much of reading, but the cover price of the pyramid is a strange, surreal the inventiveness of the original $10.95 makes me wonder who will be landscape beset with glowing fire- have been left out. reading it. I hope that libraries holes and dimly lit monstrous beings will order the book, and that fans that lie in wait for the pyramid's However, the brilliant descrip¬ will lend other fans the book. I power to bum out. It is across tion of the pyramid and 'its sur¬ also wonder if the cover design is this nightmarish landscape that the roundings from the beginning of the planned in such a way that casual hero must journey to rescue a young novel, perhaps the most powerful observers will think that it is an maiden (with whom he is in telepath¬ section of the book, has been re¬ anthology with works by Knight, Asi¬ ic contact) from a newly discovered tained in its entirety, as has the mov, Blish, Wollheim etc. The audi¬ second pyramid which has fallen prey long sequence beginning with the re¬ ence for THE FLTTURIANS seems limited to the beseiging monstrosities. It turn of the couple to the vicinity to me--I hope it catches on. is explained in the first chapter of the pyramid. ******* that both the hero and the maiden are future incarnations of a 17th On comparing the texts of the REG NOTE: When I was a kid, s-f ed¬ century man and his wife. Both have two versions, I find that very lit¬ itors were Gods. When I started visited this future land in dreams. tle has actually been rewritten. writing in 1959, s-f editors—any Most of the text of the condensation editor—were Gods. Since that time has merely been transplanted from I've met editors and.writers and pub¬ the original. Although the affected lishers.. .and they're all people. prose is unchanged, it is perhaps What will strike you as you read more bearable over this shorter TOE FITTURIANS is how scroungy this length, and most of the romantic se¬ group was in the beginning. Appar¬ quences have been eliminated. The ent misfits all, some physical dis¬ sequences which remain still convey asters as well. Hopeless. much of the awe, terror and mystery And of course I kept thinking of of the original. The prose, despite myself—the 15-year-old self 1^ was its failings, still manages to create in 1942---and how I've changed [and some of the most vivid and potent how I've not changed!] The world of imagery in English literature. the Thirties and Forties is as alien If the text were all this book now as the civilization of ancient contained, it would be worth getting Egypt. but Steve Fabian has graced it with Yet time did its work on the mem¬ a large number of illustrations, in¬ bers of the Futurians, and the sur¬ cluding 14 full color plates. Fab¬ vivors are mostly successes, and if ian is a real craftsman and has a you didn't know different you'd true feeling for Hodgson's work. My think they had always been normal only complaint is one plate which people_ has been printed out of register, What I'm trying to say is that although I suppose this is forgiv¬ to a misfit s-f fan of today who able since it appears correctly on feels hopeless and doomed and a soc¬ the dust jacket. ial leper...have faith, kid. Read this book and know that some ugly ************************************ ducklings DO turn into swans.

************************************ RAISE THE TITANIC! By Clive Cussler Viking Press, N.Y., 1976, $8.95 TOE DREAM OF X and when the wife dies, these dreams Reviewed by Nick Coleman By William Hope Hodgson are the man's only hope of being re¬ Donald M. Grant, 140 pp, $15.00 united with her. Midnight April 15, 1912--Cold, Reviewed by Lee Weinstein The novel suffers from two major confusion and fear grip thousands of flaws. Firstly, it is written in an people as the stage is set for the TOE DREAM OF X is a beautifully inaccurate attempt at 17th century worst sea disaster in the history of packaged condensation of Hodgson's English, which is so awkward and the North Atlantic. Only one indiv¬ massive novel THE NIGHT LAND, lavi^i- verbose that many people find it un¬ idual, a lone gunman, remains calm ly illustrated by Steve Fabian. A readable over such great length. as he forces a young ship's officer short introduction by Sam Moskowitz Secondly, a great portion of the to lead him to the number one cargo explains how Hodgson came to abridge book is taken up by interminable hole. In the hole a large vault is his 200,000 word novel to the size Victorian love scenes which H.P. opened by the gunman- Entering the of a 20,000 word novelette, and em¬ Lovecraft described as "nauseously vault, he releases the officer by phasizes that all the alterations in sticky romantic sentimentality". stating that "Yes, I'm staying. IVe murdered eight good and true men. I the text were made solely by Hodgson TOE DREAM OF X consists largely can't live with that." The officer A digression concerning the par¬ of the opening and closing sequences of the novel. The bulk of the no¬ flees, barely able to reach the ent novel may be in order here. THE safety of freezing waters as waves vel, a detailed hour-by-hour des¬ NIGHT LAND is a book of tremendous close over the R.M.S. Titanic. power and vision, although it is cription of the hero's progress over severely flawed. It is set in the the dark desolation has been reduced July 1987--American scientien- remote future, millions of years to about 14 pages. Footnotes insert¬ tists working with Meta Section, a after the sun has burned out. The ed by Hodgson close up the gaps, and top secret research group covertly last outpost of mankind is an eight 30 formed by the president, are con- vinced of their ability to construct novel, RAISE THE TITANIC! is as ing the rules of nature with this the first impregnable defense system. clearly within the Science Fiction free money program in the first Only one element is required for its genre as Bova's MILLENIUM. Not only place. Somebody else has to pay for completion--byzanium, a rare mineral is the novel set in the near future, this, somebody has to work to be found only in minute amounts. As but it contains scientific data and taxed to give the money to them who several pounds are required to ac¬ technological developments concern¬ do no work in return. That is in¬ tivate the system, an intensive ing that other unknown universe, the herently immoral, and they know it. world-wide search begins. ocean, to keep the scientifically- They also know there are millions of minded satisfied throughout. public employees making damned good The search ends only to begin wages, making careers, from these anew on the Russian island of Novaya ************************************ programs and that those high salaries in the Arctic Sea. A covert Ameri¬ ALIEN THOUGHTS CONTINUED FROM P. are a further rip-off of the taxpay¬ can mission, successful in arousing 2k ers. the curiosity of the Russians, is The government is seen, constant¬ successful too in its discovery that "THE LUST FOR POWER IS CONDEMNED ly, as imnoral, and is seen (in the a large amount of byzanium was taken BY THOSE WITH NO HEART FOR THE news) as a constant violator of its from the island in 1911-12 by a groip BATTLE. POWER IS FREEDOM. POWER own rules. of American miners. The precious IS NEVER HAVING TO SAY, YES, SIR. And so The Game is to get the mineral was transported to the United AND POWER IS NEVER HAVING TO COUNT most, lie, warp the truth-get that States via an erratic and hazardous THE COST. POWER HAS MANY FACES. extra welfare money, that extra grant, route, a route that ended aboard the BEING POWERLESS IS BEING A SLAVE. that extra (you name it). White Star Liner R.M.S. Titanic. IVE BEEN A SLAVE AND I VE BEEN So why the surprise and lament Thus begins the task of raising FREE; AND FREE IS BETTER. when these people loot and bum and the Titanic. And if nature alone steal when the lights go out and the couldn't heighten the odds against opportunity for 'Christmas in July' success, the Russians could. comes? It's just another form of welfare, man. You dig? It's just CONMENT: The romanticism of the another way of beating The System. Titanic and the notion of raising The politicians take care of this great ship so that she might themselves with increased salaries complete her maiden voyage will pro¬ and marvelous fringe benefits and vide the appeal to make this book a very, very generous retirement funds. prime seller on the paperback mar¬ The unions use their leverage to get ket. But do not expect to be over¬ higher and higher rates and benefits. whelmed by Titanic trivia or histor¬ Everybody has to look out for number ical footnote. Although present, it one and if necessary shaft number is in much smaller doses than expec¬ two, right? ted. (One would do better here to read Clarke's IMPERIAL EARTH.) How¬ The wonder of wonders is that ever, if the desire is for a compet¬ the people who pay for these poli¬ ent cast of characters caught up in ticians' games and Liberal games a novel of the near future that is and welfare games stand still for jam-packed with suspense, interna¬ it. tional intrigue, mystery and just Oh, hell, who cares? I do, a plain high adventure, then grab a few others do... There are a few copy of RAISE THE TITANIC! signs that the times are a-changin', Taut suspense is maintained and the inevitable adjustments will throughout the novel by weaving to¬ cause all kinds of howls. More fun. gether an increasing Russian inter¬ For instance, the conventional est and the development of natural wisdom is that we will be in for un¬ forces. Espionage and counter-es¬ ending inflation in the years ahead. pionage blows are dealt above the But don't count on it. If inflation surface while sabotage attempts be¬ is the creation of fiat money by gov "THE LUST FOR POWER IS ROOTED NOT low conjure up memories of Herbert's eminent, then deflation is the de¬ IN STRENGTH BUT IN WEAKNESS. UNDER PRESSURE. By the time a hur¬ struction of money by non-government ricane develops in the gulf with a —ERICH FROMM forces. predicted course of 41° 46' North What can destroy money? Debt 50° 14' West, you may find your fin¬ liquidation and its consequences. gers racing for the end. ff It is becoming obvious at least The government may run a 100 billion to me that there is no real "solu¬ dollar deficit in one year, but what As if the Russians and nature tion" to the "welfare mess." What happens if that is cancelled by 100 were not enough, Cussler has taken most Liberals don't realize is that billion dollars worth of bankrupt¬ a salt shaker of traditional skits most "underprivileged" people who cies? Think about that and the and sprinkled them liberally through¬ go onto welfare see the programs to mountain of personal, corporate and out the novel. Included is a locked help them differently from the poli¬ public debt which has been created room murder in a deep sea subrersible, ticians and the administrators. and structured into the economy to the solving of a 75-year-old mystery, Those on the receiving end see the point that ever-increasing con¬ a daring rescue, a combat assault a free handout, a subsidy, a way of sumer and corporate and government and (yep, 'fraid so) the final story beating the world to a degree, and debt is absolutely necessary to keep twist. Minor mysteries, questions they see it as a something-for-noth- the economy growing at its present and problems, however, are solved as ing goodie. And they have no qualms modest pace. Farm debt, for instance the story progresses, adding much to about cheating on the "rules", be¬ is enormous, and might be the triggei the novel's momentum and the read¬ cause they correctly see the rules that brings the slow, growing ava¬ er's satisfaction. as idiocy. The government is break- lanche of bankruptcies which will Although marketed as a mainstream 31 mark the next Great Depression. There, I've had my Doomsaying berg on another matter served to re¬ membership rules, but then we'd get for this issue...unless something mind me that I had planned to run screams from the part-timers. Got momentous happens on the economic his six Ace introductions in this any suggestions on what to do about front. issue, and forgot to mention them that ?' in the run-down of coming items in ((If you disenfranchise the part- the tail-end of last issue. § I've decided to stick with the time writers, and the one-story-sold- present subscription and retail rat¬ Hmm. I may have a reschedule an interview. every-year-or-so writers, your memb¬ es for another year---through 1978 ership will slip probably below 100 at least, despite constant postal members, which will force SEVERE re¬ and printing cost increases. In trenchments in the budget. You know fact. I'm yielding to a lust for # Jerry Poumelle had some furth¬ where. SFWA needs the fringe pro¬ color by adding a heavy orange er thoughts on the SFWA question and fessional the way the government cover stock this issue (other my positions as expressed on pages 5 needs multitudes of quiet, long-suf¬ color stock in subsequent issues) and 6. fering taxpayers.)) which should give the lovely Fabian nude a great display. I have to LETTER FROM J.E. POURNELLE expect that the heavy cover will result in increased sales in book¬ August 15, 1977 stores and thus help pay the extra costs. I also expect to go to heaven. 'Hell, man, we can't print most LETTER FROM NEAL WILGUS: Gee, aren't I a good-guy pub¬ of what we know about things. And August 18, 1977 lisher? the fact that we're willing to share "What's the catch, Geis? What information with those not members-- 'Chris Evans' confusion over the hidden motive lurks in that diseased not so very many of those, really-- proper spelling of Llandysiliogogo- mind?" would seem a point in our favor, not goch is understandable since he's I am simply noble and altruist¬ talking about the modern Welsh vil¬ ic, Alter. Get back into your dun¬ lage of Llanfairpwllgwyngllgogerych- geon. wyrndrobwl111antysiliogogogoch, which "No, no, don't try to con me, does indeed employ a t rather than a Geis! You're up to something! Ever d in some references. The point since you increased from 48 to 56 Evans missed is that the planet cal¬ pages, and then to 80 pages, I've led Llandysiliogogogoch was discov¬ smelled a submerged rat. No sane fan ered toward the end of the 23rd cen¬ does these things without a profit in tury when the t had turned to d, mind of some kind. Come on! Tell the "goch" rhymed with "smooch" and the truth!" full name had evolved into something No...no, you'll nevqr get it out that woulcjn't filter through even of me. Alter! Go away. Alter's typer. Reference: 999th "The truth, Geis! Confess! edition of GUINESS BOOK OF RECORDS, Confess!" oddest Q-type planet in Sector 23t. No! I'm just uncomfortable in a too-profitable position! I don't 'Update to my letter in SFR #22: .like to make too much money on fan- Rumor has it there's a movie version oriented sf work. of ILLUMINATUS! in the works; as of • "Bull! You're... I know! You against us. As to Grievance, I as¬ August first the Lovecraft marker "want to be loved! That's it, isn't sure you we've done pretty well for fund was only $170 short of the $1200 it? You lust for love, affection, needed to erect the headstones on and praise! Your whole life is rul¬ August 20, HPL's birthday; and HPL- ed by a carefully masked lust for 'You don't write enough sf to marker-fund coordinator Dirk Mosig egoboo!" make it worthwhile being a member, has a new address: Arrrgghhhhh!! You had to tell, and the outfit wasn't designed for C/o Department of Psychology . didn't you? you. It has tended to have a bit of Kearney State College "Of course! What's an Alter- social club atmosphere, and I don't Kearney, NB 68847 ' Ego for?" really regret that; trouble is some¬ For misleading the readers. I times that obscures the real func¬ actually want to drive ALGOL to the tions. One thing SFWA had done is wall, dominate fandom, win at least preventative--our people are not one Hugo per year, and become a leg¬ screwed as regularly as those in LETTER FROM MICHAEL T. SHOEMAKER endary figure like John Campbell, other genre, precisely because we do - Jr- , tend to hang together. I think I August 16, 1977 "Crap. If that were true you'd could prove that if I wanted to. 'About that computer chess game never write a dialogue like this and 'A good bit more than 30% of the let it be published. Come on, Geis, that was advertised. Gary Grady, membership gets to cons, and a great Ned Brooks and I discussed it at Dis- ,tell us why you really act this way." deal of those who don't talk to mem¬ "Well_okay. It all goes clave, and they are of the opinion bers who've been at conventions; the that something that good, that small, back to my childhood. I was a sick¬ information gets around, for those ly child and full of neurosis. By that cheap can't exist. I don't who have some need for it and a de¬ know. I do know that even the best the time I was five.... sire to find out. "Forget, it, Geis. I've got computer chess players can be led to better things to do than listen to 'I can see why you don't bother make atrocious mistakes against hu¬ your life story." with membership, and I doubt I would man players because the computers in your place—but is that the same have no positional understanding of as saying the outfit oughtn't exist? the game. Computers have no under¬ What we probably need is tighter standing of pawn structure, nor of # A postcard from Bob Silver- 3 2 strong and weak squares. These are things that can't be quantified the Not only do the local grocery If there is no Hell or Heaven, way tactics can. stoes have one or more uniformed there is no sin. There is only situ¬ 'By the way, a robot domestic is security men on duty, very visible, ational ethics and force. What you scheduled to go on sale for $4000 in but so does the local bank, and now see is what you get, so get what you 1979. "Developed by Quasar Indus¬ the local Penny's store, too, has can while you can, because there ain't tries, Inc., Rutherford, N.J., the a gun-toting guard. Last week, too, no pie in the sky. That's the true 5 foot 4 inch 180 pound robot can be one of their plate glass windows was operating morality going in the world programmed to fry an egg, mop the broken during the night. today. What used to be the philosophy of upper class cynics and Leaders and floors, mow lawns, vacuum rugs, even Why are these guards necessary? babysit the kids."' men of high finance has now been adopt They save the merchants money. Their ed by the entire populace. presence inhibits, also, shoplifting, Until science proves there is a ((I'll wait for the sex-mate model.)) which is endemic in black neighbor¬ God we'll have to live without Him. hoods. What gets me is that in the Great Depression when times were so tough, <>r77-Tl Af® this past week we've # Something happened at the guards in stores were not necessary. had record rainfalls for August— post office when I delivered the for¬ Shoplifting was a minor expense. It over three inches in three days. ty or so sacks of SFR #22 for mail¬ was safe to walk the streets. Something is Wrong... *Mutter, mut¬ ing. ter. .. * What's different? Television, I had as usual stacked the sacks and the death of God. with care on a big open-sided cart, # I have had frivolous thoughts taken the paperwork in to the Permits Television is a terrific educa¬ about stenciling a novel or two and Desk, and returned to show the man tional machine. It opens the world running off limited editipns on the (Mr. Jacobs) the cart so that the old Gestetner.. .dreams, dreams. But mail could begin the process... As a few days ago the friendly Gestet¬ I was putting four sacks full of #3 ner representative for this section mail sacks (for use next mailing) in of Portland called and suggested I the car trunk, I noticed that he had buy a lot of ink if I needed it, be¬ opened a huge trap door in the floor cause beginning Sept. 1st the prices of the five-foot high loading dock of all Gestetner supplies would go and was unceremoniously, even brutal¬ up 10%. ly (to my concerned eyes) throwing, Out of curiosity I asked what a kicking, shoving the sacks of SFR tube of basic black ink costs now down into the hole. (it being several years since I've I cringed and asked what was he bought any) and he stunned me by say¬ doing that for? Seems there's a con¬ ing, 5.95 per tube! veyor belt system under there, and And due to go up to $6.45 per the sacks were on the way to be dis¬ tube in a few days! tributed in the multi-leveled machin- Astonishing, how a company can ery-boweled innards of the huge build¬ price itself out of its market. The ing. selling point of mimeographs has But...but that had to be at least been their economy, in the past. But a three foot drop to the conveyor, and now the local Quick-Print budget off¬ to it. It cracks op¬ I could see in my mind's eye the set printing company can give you en minds, it shatters Faith, it un¬ crunch and crush of the envelopes and better looking professional printing dermines social institutions---simp- SFRs in the sacks. So if you have re¬ for less money, less effort, less ly by Being. It could be rigidly ceived a bent, battered copy in the everything, than mimeo. And it censored for violence and sex, and mails, don't think it's MY fault; would cost me more to mimeograph SFR still it would explode social and its the way they handle those sacks. now, at 5000 copies, than it costs cultural structures. And I resent that callous brutality. to have it all done comnercially by And, despite the surface twit- There has to be a better way of cop¬ offset. (To say nothing of all that chings of fundamentalists and sects ing with the volume of mail. The most labor saved!) and widely publicized pseudo-relig¬ heavy envelope made couldn't withstand So, goodbye, Gestetner. I have ions, God is dead. Science and tele¬ the crush I witnessed. nearly 80 tubes of ink left over from vision have made Him ridiculous— I saw my children mauled, de¬ three or four years ago (at $3.50 or the creature of emotional cripples humanized, treated like...like junk so per tube!) and I'll gradually use and lower class zealots and hypo¬ mail, and I resent it! it up doing subscription forms and critical middle-class phoneys. notices and such. After that—off¬ There is a vacuum in the world; set. And any private editions of my it's impossIFle to believe in an H We saw ORCA and the latest Sin- novels will be done by Times Litho. afterlife and a supreme being and bad movie a week ago, at a 99

((I now join the ranks of those # LETTER FROM DANIEL SAY writers who cannot recognise their August 24, 1977 books from the 'analysis' by Critics. ((A lot of the books Perkins ex¬ 'I thought that you might be in¬ amines were bad novels because they terested in the enclosed photocopies let literary pretensions get in the of pages mentioning you and your way of their main reason-for-exist- works from a really awful book on ence: erotic sex scenes embedded in a good, high-tension story. That's MODERN EROTig LITERATURE. IN TESTS AFTER JFK'S MURDER, OSWALD'S RIFLE WAS FOUND TO HAVE A DEFECTIVE SCOPE what the readers wanted and thought 'Perhaps you already have the WHICH COULD NOT BE ALIGNED WITH THE TARGET/ they were buying. To the degree book or know Michael Perkins since IT WAS ALSO ON A LEFT-HAND MOUNT, VET the authors (and editors) evaded OSWALD WAS RJ6HT-HAMPEP/_ the same name shows up in the Essex that pay-off, they were cheating the House lists. buyer. And despite some office pol¬ ATED COMPLETELY FROM WHAT THE itics and cultural/intellectual/ 'It is not a book worth buying. ANCIENTS CALLED FAMILY LIFE, personality clashes, I think buyer Much better to get it through the AND FROM THE PATTERN Of... dissatisfaction and low sales were local library (call number should be CHILDREN...PREGNANCY AND the main reasons why Essex House 809.933) or through the local lib¬ BIRTH. died. (Correct me if I'm wrong, rary's interlibrary loan system. "In RAW MEAT Geis speculates on Brian.) 'It is (p. 152) "to acquaint... some interesting ideas concerning ((The reason porno novels don't people with the masterpieces of the the teleological significance of include the consequences of sex genre." It is a Masterplots book, - birth to sexuality, but like so many pregnancy and venereal disease a Reader's Digested of recent paper¬ - science fiction writers he expresses is simply that the readers don't backs. How can a person write such his ideas through the mouths of car¬ want them in their sex fantasies! a book when they read only one lang¬ toon figures. The best s-f writers And the readers won' t buy a pom uage, don't mention or know of G. at least substitute a certain emo¬ novel that includes sexual conse¬ Legman, don't read anything but new tional ambience for the lack of quences of that type. books and then only if available in breathing characters, just as erotic ((Perkins is indulging in pre¬ paperbacks, and calls a sparse cor- novelists substitute evocations of tentious intellectual bullshitting.)) nerstore selection of recent paper¬ physicality and sensuality for full backs a "Selected Bibliography". psychological characterizations. Geis' people in RAW MEAT are puppets, 'Readers might be interested in but his theme starts a train of Perkins' Readers Disgust versions of # LETTER FROM KEN HAHN thought about the symbolic importance some books by Geis, (of course). of reproduction in erotic fiction and August 20, 1977 Hank Stine, Barry Malzberg, Samuel rushes it to a logical destination. R. Delaney and Philip Jose Farmer 'Neil Kvern is kicking around and the chapter on Essex House, etc. "The implications of his theme the idea of editing a "Best of the 'Not mentioning Legman, tsk, tsk, ultimately seem more memorable than Year" series of stories culled from tsk... his fictional exposition of it: the various semi-pro zines. He'd like causal relationship between sex and feedback from editors and interested reproduction is implicit in the work 'THE SECRET RECORD persons. Address: Neil Kvern, Box of serious erotic writers, contrary By Michael Perkins 258, Cataldo, Idaho, 83810.' (New York: William Morrow 8 Co. to the opinion of critics who casti¬ 1976) ' ALIEN THOUGHTS CONTINUED ON PAGE *£ AN INTERVIEW WITH JACK VANCE

VANCE: I'll try to cooperate with SFR: For example. I've seen Hodg¬ VANCE: My style certainly isn't ac¬ you by answering questions which, in son's NIGHT LAND cited as an influ¬ cidental; I know exactly what I want my opinion, don't diminish the im¬ ence upon your "" stories, to do, and work something over until pact of the stories themselves. As although they have almost nothing in I get what I want. I try, perhaps you are aware, I am not anxious to common except a cold sun; Clark Ash¬ subconsciously, to use a style which discuss myself personally, and I ton Smith's "Zothique" stories are is appropriate to the subject mattar. won't undertake to analyze sources, maybe closer... I do this more or less automatically, influence, etcetera, in any great I think, without any particular self- VANCE: I'm not aware of Hodgson -- detail. However, feel free to ask consciousness. There is, from time I've never read THE NIGHT LAND. I questions, to which I in turn may or to time, the occasional happy acci¬ have, of course, read Clark Ashton may not respond. dent, where the sentence reads prop¬ Smith, when I was an adolescent. We erly the first time through. SFR: When you mention sources and lived in the country in those days; influences in that way, I'm reminded our mailbox was about a mile from SFR: Have you ever tried to intro¬ of Asimov's anecdote in THE HUGO our house, and, on the day I might duce technical devices into your WINNERS, transmitted from Bob Sil- expect WEIRD TALES in the mail, I writing? I'm thinking of things like verberg; apparently he asked you in can remember walking down to that 's practice of using at conversation whether you regarded mailbox, peering in there, and be¬ least three sensory modalities in Kafka or Dunsany as a greater in¬ ing very unhappy if WEIRD TALES had¬ descriptive passages, or Van Vogt's fluence upon your work, whereupon n't arrived. 800-word scenes.- you changed the subject. Faced with SFR: As regards your style, I think VANCE: I don't use, and I'm not a- such a question, I imagine most James Blish summarized it very well ware of such technical devices; I writers might have done the same in a review of EIGHT FANTASMS AND think that when you start using art¬ thing, but could you say anything MAGICS, in which he said, '"Vance's ifices, you destroy your flexibility, about your reluctance to dissect marvelous feeling for the telling so to speak. I don't think Poul your work? of sensual detail, his incantatory td;es such artificial techniques ser¬ VANCE: I think the situation is tone, his muted humor, his rather ar¬ iously; he's too good a writer. that, once I finish a story, I re¬ cane vocabulary, his ear for exactly SFR: In tracking down your output gard it as finished, out of the way. the right proper names, his love for since the beginning of your career, I enjoy writing, but when I go back the mediaeval and for anachronisms I expected to find a fairly straight¬ and reconsider the product, then I in general...have been with him from forward development from pretty bad see faults, and it annoys me. the beginning.'" There's also your at the beginning, through mediocre very strong visual sense, your char¬ SFR: A number of writers have been to competent and then increasing so¬ cited as influential upon you -- acteristic dialogue, your elaborate phistication. This wasn't really the syntax and meticulous grammar -- Stapledon, Burroughs, Chambers, Ca¬ case; your very first story stands there's a split infinitive in THE bell, Howard -- and, outside the up remarkably well to present-day DIRDIR that's conspicuous by its un¬ genre, R.L. Stevenson, Wren, Saki, reading (that was "The World Thinkef iqueness -- Wodehouse and Jeffrey Famol. I'd in 1945) and much of your early work regard most of these as peripheral, VANCE: I remember that split infin¬ is of consistently high quality... although some affinities are recog¬ itive! The rhythm of that particu¬ VANCE: I generally prefer to forget nizable, such as Saki's talent for lar sentence demanded that that in¬ my earjy stories. I decided when I detached, ironic humor and economic finitive be split. I tried the ad¬ got out of college that I was going characterization, Stevenson's color verb on either side but I found no to be a professional writer and set and themes, Famol's handling of ac¬ other recourse...so I did it. I've about learning the trade. These tion, bargaining scenes and female always regretted it a bit. I could early stories represent my apprent¬ characters, and Wodehouse's influ¬ have used different syntax. iceship. ence in ... SFR: Any conments on the develop¬ VANCE: I think everything I've ever ment of your style -- is it very dis¬ read has worked on me to some effect. ciplined, or does it more or less The names you mention are more or come naturally to you to write in less picked at random from my back¬ this way? ground. I don't, personally, take these influences too seriously; I think in general I'm my own man. These other writers have certainly served to show me what can be accom¬ plished with words and ideas; they're in effect, exemplars, although maybe that's not the right word either. SFR: I think your style, themes and plotting weren't greatly influenced by other writers. VANCE: This is essentially correct.

CONDUCTED BV PETER CLOSE SFR: You established quite a fol¬ and other pulps, which weren't very lowing among the readers with the prestigious. This seems to have hap¬ K'NKtHT W/TH 1,000 EYES " Ridolph" series in STARTLING pened quite frequently throughout your career -- you've often chosen VANCE: I set out doing these to see poor markets for your work. if I could be a million-word-a-year man, you know, one of these chaps VANCE: The fact of the matter is, I that writes prodigiously, on the or¬ was happy to sell anywhere. I never der of John Creasey, Max Brand, Sim- became part of John Campbell's en¬ enon... So one weekend, I wrote the tourage. I met him only once or first two "Magnus Ridolph" stories - twice. There's no mystery about my I forget what their names were; "Hard appearing in these markets -- a mat¬ Luck Diggings" and something else. ter of expedience. They were first-draft work and, of SFR: You were in ASTOUNDING again course, absolutely terrible. in 1950 with "The Potters of Firsk", SFR: They did seem to get better, but the major step forward in that though, after "The Howling Bounders" year must have been . I think. Is it correct that you wrote these stories at an early stage of your VANCE: I think there is a definite career, and had trouble getting them improvement towards the end of the published? series. Some I rather liked -- "The Kokod Warriors',' the last two or three VANCE: The stories were written at anyway. I've used some of these in sea and failed to sell individually, collections. so I rewrote them, tied them together and sold them to Hillman as a book. Oddly enough, "Hard Luck Dig¬ gings", the worst thing I ever wrote, SFR: Were you happy with the Hill¬ was picked up by 20th Century Fox man deal? I've always thought it for a movie. And, to my amazement, was an appallingly shoddy edition -- I was hired to prepare a treatment did you think the book deserved bet¬ VANCE: As I re-read it, I thought and a scenario from this wretched ter? that I'd better make a few changes, story. I worked in the studio for VANCE: I didn't think much about it several months, until my producer, but both Bob Silverberg and yourself at all. I was writing something else have not approved of these changes. Julian Blaustein, was promoted to and, as I mentioned, once I finish a At the time, I thought I was elimin¬ executive producer and all his pro¬ book, I tend rather to lose interest jects were shelved, and I was re¬ ating over-exuberant expressions and in it. Then it's my agent's respore- extravagance. quired no longer. Which didn't hurt ibility and he's supposed to do the my feelings too much. I was afraid SFR: Also in 1950, you published a best he can with the material. of getting trapped in the golden story called "Ultimate Quest" under snare. I was getting paid handsorndy A friend, Tim Underwood, has the name 'John Holbrook', which is, of course, but I think, by and large, published the book in a hardcover ed¬ of course, a version of your full I've been happier as a freelance ition, a very nice job, illustrated name, John Holbrook Vance, which you writer. by George Barr. So this book has put on your mystery stories. Any been reprinted several times -- first particular reason for using a pseu¬ A little later I did some tele¬ Hillman, then Lancer, now Pocket donym of sorts? vision work, CAPTAIN VIDEO, aij early Books. Lancer, I think, had two space program. A number of other VANCE: I was starting to write more printings. writers worked on it as well -- Rob¬ prolifically and I think I had some ert Richardson; Arthur Clarke, I VANCE: There are some discrepancies vague intention of segregating think, was involved; Sheckley; I dont in later editions -- for example, stories--for a good story, I'd use know whether Poul Anderson did any "Mazirian the Magician" is the first one name, and for stories that were of that or not, but I don't think so. story in the original edition, al¬ not so good, I'd use another. But though, chronologically, it follows it didn't work out; one story was It was about this time that I "Turjan of Miir"; the order's re¬ much like another, so I used the met Frank Herbert. My wife and I versed in subsequent publication. same name for everything. were living in the mountains and he lived in the same area. Our two It was my intention to make There is a story which I used families went down to Mexico and set "Mazirian" the first chapter; I another pseudonym for, and which I've up a "writers' household" on Lake thought it led into the second story always rather liked. It appeared in Chipalla. We stayed there for three better than the second story led in¬ a magazine called MALCOLM'S MAGAZINE or four months and neither of us sold to the first. not many people are aware of this anything very significant, and we story. It was called, I think, SFR: "Guyal of Sfere" also exists returned to the States in utter pov¬ "First Star I See Tonight". I have in two versions--the story as printed erty. forgotten the pseudonym I used, but in EIGHT FANTASMS AND MAGICS is quite it was a mystery story, dealing with SFR: Yes, you weren't very prolific heavily cut. Sometimes this is for astronomers who became annoyed with for the first few years, up to around the better (for example, you replace each other. In my opinion, it's a 1950 -- although you did break into the "Book of Kells", which is an ex¬ pretty good story. ASTOUNDING in 1947 with "I'll Build tant manuscript, with the "Lost Book Your Dream Castle." of Caraz", which is invented) but SFR: The sociological or anthropo¬ mostly, I think, the editing damages logical element in your work was now VANCE: Although "I’11 Build Your the story. You've edited most of becoming evident. Was this sort of Dream Castle" sold to Campbell, it's the long descriptive passages, such direction a conscious decision on a story I never liked particularly. as the entrance hall of the Museun your part? 1 SFR: Most of your early work appear¬ of Man... VANCE: I experimented with the "gim- ed in STARTLING and THRILLING WONDER 37 mick" story, the "purd'or "hardcore" The other names that you mention were VANCE: I wrote that as a longer used because they sounded right in story, with a few more incidents and the context. episodes in it, but when I sold it, the editor, whoever it was, wanted SFR: My only cavil concerns SER/ANTS it shorter. So I cut out some of OF THE WANKH--I was unable to buy the episodes, and I don't think it the original edition when one of Lon¬ hurt the story too much. It was don's major sf bookshops, located in "against my better judgment", I sup¬ a rather red-light area, sold out pose, to some extent--because the almost at once to a variety of pas¬ more I sold, the more I'd get paid. sers-by who were apparently under the impression that it dealt with an When it was published as a book, exotic form of masturbation... somebody else edited it, and this was done without my consent--chang¬ (American readers are generally una¬ ing the name, for instance, of'Hein- ware of the vulgar British word zelman" to "Atman". This bothered "wank") me tremendously.

SFR: How did you cbme to write such science fiction--and I found it ra¬ VANCE: I was unaware of the British a massive story in the first place? ther tedious. I don't care to write usage until, I think, John Brunner stories whose punch, or denouement, informed me. Of course, if I'd VANCE: Oh, I just felt in the mood. is based on some unfamiliar aspect known, I'd have avoided the term. SFR: Your next major work was your of science; it seems a rather ster¬ first formal adult novel, TO LIVE ile approach. I gradually drifted SFR: I don't want to dwell in exces¬ sive detail upon your output during FOREVER. I like, this a lot, but I into the sociological or anthropolog¬ think the most pressing question ical stories which I've found my¬ the prolific period from 1950 to 1953-- about it must be why it falls apart self more interested in, although I so badly right at the end, in an un¬ have a scientific background. I or¬ VANCE: I don't want to dwell upon real setting of chaos and improbable iginally started university as a min¬ it either! instantaneous revolution. This has ing engineer, became a physics maj¬ SFR: Nonetheless, during this time, happened time and again in subsequent or, then decided that a technical stories, too. No doubt you've heard life was not for me. I ultimately you sold an excellent and complex "hard" sf short to GALAXY (Winner this many times before; would you be wound up in joumalism--although I'm willing to comment on it? certainly not cut out to be a re¬ Lose All), contributed a thoughtful, porter by any means. if poorly resolved, psi story to VANCE: No, I don't have any particu¬ ASTOUNDING (), diversified to lar comment, except that sometimes I SFR: Have you had any formal edu¬ a number of other markets, invented -write myself into traps. I have to cation in social science? the unique and devastatingly cool end the story some way or another. VANCE: No, none whatever. In fact, Jean Parlier, in "Abercrombie Sta¬ I should take much more trouble with I think education in social science tion" and'Cholwell's Chickens", my plotting than I do. I think I is a terrible waste of time, and it struck off in new directions with start writing on the basis of a mood is a study which people go into when very atmospheric stories such as and figure: Oh, well, the story they can't think of anything better "" and "The Mitr", and publish¬ will take care of itself. Of couise to do... ed , a juvenile the story doesn't take care of it¬ now eagerly sought after by many self, and halfway through, I start SFR: It's well known that you've enthusiasts, including me, despite asking'myself where is the story go¬ travelled very widely--do you think the negative opinions of those few ing? Sometimes I find that in order this has helped to generate the ali¬ who have read it. Any comnents? to end the story in 60,000-70,000 en societies which you specialize in? VANCE: You mention VANDALS OF THE words, I have to go through some ra¬ VANCE: For the most part I don't VOID. This was a story commissioned ther undignified antics. Well, I'll think travel has generated any alien by Winston. As I recall, I wrote try to do better in future ... folkways or customs. it in Italy--Positano, which you're SFR: I'll skip quickly through the SFR: You have a legendary skill probably acquainted with. We had a next few years--there's "The Men Re¬ with proper names. Is this natural beautiful flat overlooking the water, turn" (one of your best short stor¬ inventiveness, or do you have tech¬ and lived there all one spring while ies) , , the ex¬ niques for making up or collecting I wrote the book. cellent baroque, "The Miracle Work¬ exotic names? My boy John--John II--has read ers", "Ullward's Retreat", which seems to be one of your own favor¬ VANCE: No, I don't have any partic¬ the book, and he likes it, although the rascal won't read any of my other ites, "Dodkin's Job" ... In 1960, ular technique. Usually it's just you published THE MAN IN THE CAGE, a matter of trial' and error. books. I think he finds them too grown-up. But he thinks I'm a good a mystery novel set in Morocco, which SFR: I'm thinking of such examples writer on the basis of VANDALS OF won you an Edgar award from the Mys¬ as the old English legal meaning of THE VOID. tery Writers of America. Do you "deodand" as an instrument of death, want to say anything about how you the Latin root for humour in "Iucou- SFR: There was "", of moved into this field? nu", and so on. I'm completely at course, in 1952. Richard Tiedman, VANCE: I wanted to see if I could a loss as to the etymology of things in his monograph JACK VANCE: SCIENCE FICTION STYLIST, quotes you as say¬ make any money in suspense, murder- like "IOUN stones", "Scop Sivij Su- so I started writing these things. thiro" or "Ballenkarch"... ing that the story originally ran to 120,000 words, with three entire se¬ I stopped because I make more money VANCE: "Deodand"--I hesitated over quences cut by Sam Mines (against with science fiction and fantasy. that word. Then I thought it had a your better judgment) for its ap¬ Although two or three years ago I good sound, and very few readers are pearance in STARTLING. wrote which did pretty acquainted with rather archaic legal well, although I think it deserved terminology, so I used it anyway. 38 better. It should have been pub- lished in hardcovers; Softcovers ... Marquesas, Tahiti, big sailing ves¬ VANCE: I think you exaggerate the you fling them out into this abyss, sels- -well, not big, but 120-foot differences in Cugel's character and they're gone. I like this par¬ schooners. from the beginning to the end. I ticular book. It was bought by TV never thought of him as either sym¬ This is one of my interests, deep- and a rather successful TV movie was pathetic or unsympathetic, but just sea sailing. We currently have a made of the thing. I like THE FOX the person he is--a rogue and a small sailboat (well, it's my boy VALLEY MURDERS and THE PLEASANT scoundrel, capricious, self-serving. Johnny's boat) and we keep talking GROVE MURDERS; these are the two Cal¬ I think you're making too much of about our next one. All my life I ifornia mysteries. They're part of changes in.Cugel's personality. I have planned deep-sea sailing and California which Europeans are not have never thought of him as develop¬ somehow the plans never materialize. aware of; they think in terms of San ing from story to story. My wife's not a deep-sea type but my Francisco and Los Angeles and Holly¬ boy is, and hopefully we'll at least SFR: That's interesting, because wood, and of course California is an cruise the South Pacific. the "Cil" episode, which does portray enormous number of different envir¬ Cugel as a very malicious, selfish onments . But to get back to the two final sort of person, is the second story stories in the "" ser¬ SFR: In the next couple of years in THE EYES OF THE OVERWORLD, yet ies- -I'm currently trying to workout you wrote (perhaps the didn’t appear in the sequence as pub¬ a deal. I don't know when they'll best novelette of your career), "The lished in F§SF. I thought that per¬ come out; I haven't got the contracts Augmented Agent",'' haps this was inserted afterwards to yet. (your first Hugo winner and one of shift the characterization at an your best-known stories) ... In early point in the story. 1963 you made your first appearance SFR: In 1964 Ballantine brought out VANCE: No, this isn't at all the in FEjSF with "Green Magic" and also your first collection, FUTURE TENSE. case. For some reason, which to this began the splendid "Demon Princes" You had been publishing stories since day I've never been able to figure series with "The " in GAL¬ 1945--any reason why you waited so out, Ferman at Ff)SF decided not to AXY. There's a lot to be said about long before issuing a collection? publish this second story, "Cil". this series--for example, the way in VANCE: I was never happy with the Why, I don't know; he had access to which Gersen develops and grows earlier material. The material now the whole book, but he chose not to through the sequence, after starting in collections is about the only publish this episode. off as a very repressed, withdrawn stories that I want to reissue. character ... I'm planning a second book of SFR: 1965--you brought out several Cugel stories. "The Seventeen Vir¬ VANCE: I did not develop Gersen pjr- ' books and started the "Cugel" seq¬ gins" had already appeared. Lin poseful ly. The more you work with a uence in F6SF. You also had a couple Carter has a second story--he's had character the more real he becomes. of stories in British magazines--one it for several years now--which is I think this is probably what hap¬ was "Alfred's Ark" in NEW WORLDS, called "A Bagful of Dreams". I've pened in the case of Gersen--after which is a very odd little vignette. got stories plotted and I'm very anx¬ working with him for three novels, ious to get at them. Along with the he began to become a human being. VANCE: I'd written that as a kind PALACE OF LOVE I think EYES OF THE of recreation and had it hanging SFR: GALAXY ran "The Star King" and OVEBWORLD is my favourite book. around for years. Meredith finally These two I like very much indeed. "", and "The Kill¬ sold it. ing Machine" was scheduled for IF, Tim Underwood, who's published but never appeared--what happened SFR: There was also "The Secret" in THE DYING EARTH, is going to do a there? IMPULSE. Is this related to the nicely-illustrated hardcover job on "lost" story of that title that you EYES OF THE OVERWORLD too. (That's VANCE: "" was mention in THE BEST OF JACK VANCE? sold to Fred Pohl, and it was about not my title, incidentally. In fact [As Mr. Vance began to answer this, lots of my novels--, to appear; in fact he'd got the art the cassette ran out.] work ready and was all set to go. SHOWBOAT WORLD--aren't my titles). But through a mistake at the agency, VANCE: It's only appropriate that, SFR: Your output was rather re¬ Berkley brought the softcover out be¬ just as I was talking about "The stricted in 1967. fore Fred Pohl had a chance to get Secret", the tape runs out...these the story into the magazine. In have been the circumstances connected other words, it was just an adminis¬ with this story--things like that trative error, back in New York. So happen. I wasn't even aware it had Fred Pohl couldn't use the story ... been published; I never got paid for and in order to repay him for the it. There's been a terrible foul-up money he'd advanced me, I wrote "The somewhere. Last Castle" for GALAXY. At the tim^ SFR: I've always admired the "Cugel" as I recall, we were living in Ta¬ series, THE EYES OF THE OVERWORLD, hiti; we'd gone down there and rent¬ immensely, but there're some questions ed a lovely cottage about 15 miles about it. Cugel seems to start off south of Papeete. Like Positano it as a sympathetic sort of character-- was just an absolutely glorious place crafty and opportunistic, but fairly to work--but it wasn't so glorious amiable--but towards the end of the finding I had to write this story sequence, he's becoming much more for nothing. evil; he tricks all those pilgrims SFR: How was it that you never fin- into accompanying him across the ished the series? desert on a trek which only he sur¬ vives, he betrays Fabeln and his VANCE: I don't remember why I didn't daughter to a grisly fate among the go on with the last two. I think rat-folk- maybe I got sidetracked into a mur¬ der mystery, THE DEADLY ISLES. The 39' milieu was the South Pacific, the VANCE: A friend and I became in¬ Russ's review. This will probably VANCE: Well, I won't comment on volved in restoring an old Victorian be reissued soon. that. I don't think it's quite the type mansion which meant a lot of SFR: Over the next couple of years, case. fancy ornament. I wasn't particul¬ there was the "Durdane" series and arly making any money doing this but SFR: ... and "The Seventeen Vir¬ in '73 a couple of commissioned star- I got interested in it, and my writ¬ gins", already mentioned; colourful, ies--"Morrsion" and "". And ing suffered because we spent all prodigiously inventive, perfectly you started a new series with TRUL- our time producing fancy woodwork. paced, neatly plotted--a jewel of a LION: ALASTOR 2262, which is a thor¬ story...and SHOWBOAT WORLD--an unex¬ SFR: There was "The Narrow Land" in oughly entertaining novel. The game pected surprise... FANTASTIC; this was supposed to be of hussade is a splendid invention the first in a series. and could usefully be staged at a VANCE: I like this story, too. I science fiction convention, although think there's scope here for a beaut¬ VANCE: I wrote this for ANALOG, the the selection of shierls might be iful movie, but unfortunately, I do first of three-story sequence, but controversial. not think anyone would spend the mm- Campbell didn't like it very much. ey on it. In fact, he was rather unreasonable. VANCE: By all means! I appoint you SFR: You brought out the second Since it didn't sell in a good mar¬ to take charge of this ... book in the. ALASTOR series a couple ket, I never completed the sequence. SFR: You also came back to the mys¬ of years after TRULLIQN--this was SFR: In 1968 you began to publish tery field with BAD RONALD from Bal- MARUNE: ALASTOR 933. I don't like the "" series. lantine; I haven't seen this one, this one as much as the first--the Compared to some of the stories you just the rather arch publicity. plot seems to lurch around rather a had been writing iiimediately prior VANCE: I didn't like Ballantine's lot and the story shows signs of to this, I don't see these books as production at all, or their cover. haste. For example, giving a chara¬ being among your best. I didn't see any of their publicity. cter a name and then changing it a VANCE: The "Tschai" set was com¬ missioned by Ace. They enticed me with talk of big promotion, million- copy sales... Owing to BATMAN AND they wanted a juvenile in it, so I put a juvenile in; I don't think he has too much function. Well, J won't say that; I think I've prob¬ ably used him as well as I could in the circumstances. I had fun writ¬ ing these things, although I never made much money out of them. The word "money" must seem a re¬ current theme, but I think you'll find that when someone supports him¬ self by his writing, he's very much aware of how much a story is making for him.

SFR: You used the name "John Hoi- - few chapters later tends to be con¬ SFR: EIQTT FANTASMS AND MAGICS came brook Vance" on this one, as on all fusing to readers. out at about this time; it's an im¬ your mysteries. Is this maybe in¬ pressive collection, if a little VANCE: Well, de gustibus...As for tended to direct them to a different familiar in parts, and the stated signs of haste, not really. "Con¬ readership? unifying theme of "the paranormal" fusing" perhaps--but I thought I didn't fit too well. VANCE: I use that name on murder made it clear that the name given to mysteries or suspense stories, to him was, in a sense, a stop-gap. He VANCE: Unfortunately I don't have differentiate between these two as¬ needed a name, but I couldn't use too many stories that I'd want to re¬ pects of my work. I've often thought his real name because, for the first issue, so I had to scratch through that maybe, if I were starting all half of the book, his real name was rather familiar things. They charged not known. It was just something the title a bit; originally it was over again, I probably wouldn't use "Jack Vance" as a byline. "John which had to be done. something like EIGHT FANTASMS, UN¬ FAMILIAR SCIENCES, AND... something Vance" would be somewhat more dig¬ I'm currently working on number nified perhaps. else. three in the ALASTOR sequence; in SFR: What about THE GRAY PRINCE? fact, the story’s just about done. I don't consider this as successful It's completely different from the SFR: Then there is , which as some of your other recent books. other two, and I think you may like first appeared as a serial in FAN¬ it better than MARUNE. TASTIC. This has had some rave re¬ VANCE: This isn't one of my favour¬ SFR: What about THE BEST OF JACK views, including an exceptionally ite stories, although I think there VANCE? Who picked the stories? perceptive one from in are some pretty good parts in it. I VANCE: I selected them. F§SF, and I think it's a splendid prefer the ALASTOR series, the "De novel which represents the very1 peak mon Prince" sequence, and, of couise, SFR: All the stories have appeared of your achievement. I can only urge "Cugel" and THE PALACE OF LOVE. at least once in other books, sever¬ you to do what you can to restore it SFR: Then there's "Assault on a al of which are still in print or to print. City" in Terry Carr's anthology UNI¬ readily available. I'd have thought VANCE: I’d forgotten it ran in FAN¬ VERSE 4--this one seems to me as if that a representative "best" collec¬ TASTIC and I haven't seen Joanna it were written against a deadline.. tion would have included stories like "The World-Thinker", "I'll Build Your supposed to be aware that someone's pleasant boy-child...Vances span Dream" Castle',' a Ridolph story, "The written the story--he's supposed to the state of California in space Potters of Firsk", "The Overlords be completely immersed, submerged in and time, one great-great-grand¬ of Maxus", certainly "Winner Lose the environment. Now, if you're a- father arriving 11 years before All"... ware of the back cover, of this fun¬ the Gold Rush; Jack bom in San ny-looking chap with his cat or his Francisco, raised in the San VANCE: Well, I picked stories for guitar with the studio lights on him, Joaquin-Sacramento , high- the reasons I've already mentioned, it certainly subtracts from the ef¬ schooled in Los Angeles, attended fect of the story. and all these that you mention here, U. of C.—picked fruit, hop¬ I'm not too happy with. Also, the biographical notes ped bells, canned, mined, SFR: "Green Magic"? "The Seventeen about people...they're so much the constructed, rigged, fared at Virgins"? same somehow. What they do again is sea, played jazz band comet- bring to life a kind of...not a lives in an old house in the VANCE: "Green Magic" has appeared Oakland Hills, defies storms stereotype, but a superficiality. in several collections and I'm sav¬ and tempests in building the ing "The Seventeen Virgins"--oh, well, There's nothing wrong with me; I'm not deformed or grotesque or anything famous houseboat with Frank I could have put that one in, I sup¬ Herbert and Poul Anderson... of that sort--in fact, I'm quite pose. It doesn't make that much dif¬ says he is in favour of normal. But I'd much prefer to be ference. Maybe what I'd like to do "...feasting and festivity, is THE SECOND-BEST OF JACK VANCE and "Jack Vance"--those two words on the byline--than any picture on the back sailing, ceramics, books, put these in...or the THIRD-BEST, Scotch, Bourbon, beer, gin of the jacket with my biography, FOURTH-BEST stories... and wine" and is against "bom such-and-such a time" and "...modem architecture, psy¬ SFR: MASKE: THAERY is your latest "went to school such-and-such a chiatry, confusion, Picasso, novel, which I haven't seen yet. place" and "does this, does that"-- Muzak, progressives and reac¬ they have no bearing on the story; VANCE: I'll probably do others in tionaries,", etc.'" this sequence; I have two more in they interest the readers not at all mind at least. But I've got so many and create distortions. 'There are various snippets of information to the effect books ahead of me...I don't know. I SFR: Well, I'll limit myself to re¬ that Vance is also an expert hope I'll get time to do it all. producing what I've already written ceramicist, that his house is about your background, derived from SFR: Most of your recent work has on the side of a cliff and various published sources; if there been at book length and in series-- can only be reached on foot, is anything you'd want to correct or do you expect this to continue? and that the legendary house¬ expand upon, I hope you'll let me boat displayed an unfortunate VANCE: It takes me just about as know. long to plot a short story as to propensity to sink (perhaps plot a novel. I remember I sweated 'As regards Vance's bio¬ under the weight of its owners' for a month and a half over "Sulwerfs graphy and personal circum¬ accumulated awards) and passed Planet" and I never did crane up with stances, public information into other hands.' a decent ending. is limited. He has the rep¬ utation of a man who guards SFR: Your recent shorter work has his privacy, and has stated VANCE: This is more or less accur¬ mostly been in original anthologies, in print on several occasions ate... I don't "guard my privacy"; but I notice you're one of the few that he feels a writer does I've got lots of friends. I'm not major writers who hasn't contributed his work no service by intrud¬ particularly taciturn... to Harlan Ellison's DANGEROUS VIS¬ ing his own persona upon the IONS series. Do you want to say why reader's attention. In a brief Our houseboat only sank once. A that is? autobiographical note accom¬ big storm came up and Poul Anderson and I had to go down in wetsuits and VANCE: I don't know Harlan Ellison panying his first published story in 1945, he described lift it up with all manner of means. very well; I've only met him once or Anyway, we're talking about building twice. He asked me to do a story, himself as "taciturn" and this a new one now--just talk, so far. but I was busy otherwise. seems to have' been an enduring component of his personality. SFR: What about 's (JEST Even his age is uncertain, al¬ SFR: You were Guest of Honour at a FOR SIMBILIS, which attempts to con¬ though he was in his early convention in Sweden last year--did tinue the adventures of Cugel? Were twenties in 1945. you involved in this at all? you enjoy this? 'Vance has apparently led an VANCE: No. I made no contribution VANCE: Yes, I did, very much. I adventurous life and has trav¬ had a splendid time--in fact much to his work; I didn't comment on the eled widely throughout the manuscript, or make any suggestions. better than I anticipated. Perhaps world, spending several years you know John Henry Holmberg who's a I told him to go ahead and publish in the Merchant Marines. He it if he could find a publisher, fine fellow--I number him among my has now settled in California friends now. which he did. I just asked him: with his family, although con¬ "Please don't kill off Cugel!" tinuing to travel. An elegant SFR: Do you think the convention SFR: You've already stated that you biographical sketch of Vance by helped your career? don't wish to discuss yourself per¬ appeared in THE VANCE: No, I don't think so! They sonally- - BEST FROM F&SF: 13th SERIES are not selling too much of my stuff accompanying "Green Magic"-- over in Sweden. But I had a good VANCE: Well, about my reasons--I'm excerpts: not at all shy or anything of the time. First time I've ever been to sort. However, on many books, the '"...slightly delayed honeymoon Scandinavia, as a matter fact, which back cover shows a picture of the enabled us to meet the pleasant is one reason I went. author holding a cat or smoking a Mr. Vance, pleasant wife, and pipe and he looks an utter ass. Ffe's SFR: Do you think you're still obviously posing. A reader is not learning as a writer? VANCE: Oh, I don't know about that doctors unless you already know you to do after paying extortionate fees ...I don't think so. I do feel that are seriously in need of one... And to doctors, to have to find these each story must be better than the my advice there is that unless you heavy tomes and figure out just what one before, and I'm more afraid of know what you have or are in severe the doctor is doing to us, but there reiteration and of duplicating my¬ pain, you just don't go to see one. simply isn't anyone you can trust. self than I am of...I think I've It's too risky. It is simply not I'd say in half the cases I see, learned the techniques of writing worth it to see a shrink; there is. what I am treating is something a by this time. If not, then I'm in too much danger of having them give doctor did*to my patient, rather a sorry condition. you dangerous drugs which are not than an independently contracted likely to do you any good. Blum- disease. If I didn't have to spend SFR: What about plans for the so much time treating iatrogenic future ? berg implies that Victoria Vayne's story is somehow unique, but as a disease, I might have time to take VANCE: The main problem is time. professional I have heard this story care of people who were just plain We've got a thousand projects going far too often to discount it. It is old sick for a change. Unfortunate¬ here; we're working on our house and normal for doctors to improperly di¬ ly, they have to come next, because it's coming along very slowly. We agnose and treat their patients. I the doctor-caused diseases are usual¬ are gradually remodelling it; when frequently see patients who would ly worse, and the patient who has an we get done it'll be a very large have been "cured"-that is, rid of iatrogenic disease is more likely place. My boy has been dragooned in¬ their symptoms-years ago if they to go back to a doctor and therefore to service and we just finished put¬ had simply not bothered to see a get into even worse shape. ting down a big slate floor in our shrink. Eyesenk proved that therapy 'On doctor shows they always living room. Next year it's just does more harm than good, Hooker, have some situation where they show conceivable that we might come to Little and Schneidman proved the in¬ a patient who has an "unreasonable Europe, but this is by no means cer¬ consistency and utter fallibility of fear of hospitals." What a joke! tain. Of course, I've got all kinds diagnosis, and what I've seen with of writing to be done. Two "Demon There i£ no such thing as an "unreas¬ onable" fear of hospitals or doctors. Princes" novels; I'd like to do a second in the MASKE sequence, then Inybody who knows what's going on finish the "Cugel" stories...I've must carry with her at all times a really got to work harder than I good healthy suspicion that borders have been heretofore. on paranoia when consulting any med¬ ical personnel, and that includes SFR: I wish you the best of luck me. You'd better know that every and look forward to seeing the re¬ damn one of us is playing guessing sults. Mr. Vance, thank you very games with your health, and though much. I may be a lot less likely than most to play these games, I'm making *********************************** guesses and judgements too. Like when I tell a patient to use vinegarm ALIEN THOUGHTS CONTINUED FROM P. 35 which should work without side-ef¬ fects, instead of flagyl, which also # Letter from avedon carol should work (a little better than 9 August, 1977 vinegar, [?] but it is very carcino¬ genic and you can't keep giving it ' I have this tendency to read to someone with chronic trichomonas), letters without first looking at the there i£ a chance that if it doesn't names of who wrote them, and I was my own eyes is enough to tell me the work and you still have it, you only barely into this one letter rest. I must know at least ten peo¬ could end up with displaysia... but when I found myself saying--"This ple, as personal friends, who right I'm figuring that if the vinegar moron is a uoctor"--and I looked up, now are suffering from drug abuse doesn't work we can always try some¬ and sure enough, it says, "Neil Blum- that was forced on them by their thing else, and you'll be none the doctors. These people were suffer¬ berg, M.D." After a while you can worse for wear, but if I give you tell, you see, because doctors al¬ ing situational depressions, things the flagyl and it doesn't work, the they would have worked out by now ways seem to take this attitude that next doctor you see may also give it somehow it is the patient who is at but that their doctors put them on to you, and then you'll be building fault no matter how bad the malprac- drugs which depressed them further, up for a good case of cancer, you making them unable to think through see. But I've had more than one and adjust to their problems. I've doctor tell me, without a sign of 'Look. I gave up the career seen full-time depressives diagnosed guilt or remorse, that they know I'd spent a lifetime in training for as manic-depressives and placed on they have done, and continue to do, so I could study enough medicine to Lithium-a drug which should be ad¬ things which endanger the patient's keep me from getting murdered by doc¬ ministered only during severe manic health because it is more convenient tors. I had to give up my career, episodes and discontinued immediately than to do otherwise and take safe¬ because nobody has time to study after the fit abates. I've seen per¬ guards for the patient. that much medicine and still carry fectly healthy people shoved into on another vocation. I wasn't just nut housesat the flick of a pen- 'Blumberg implies that doctors randomly picking any odd doctor who point, and come out so paranoid they know something you don't about weigh¬ came along, either. I was getting could hardly function. ing your own drug needs-don't be¬ all kinds of recommendations for any¬ lieve it! A general practitioner one I decided to see, I was seeing 'On the medical side as well as may never have seen a case like the most respected experts in the when taking psychoactive drugs, I yours before, and may never have had field-and I still almost got murd¬ recommend that no one take any drug an opportunityto develop an informed ' a doctor gives without first consult¬ ered more than once. You simply opinion-he may, in other words, can't go to a doctor and expect him ing the PDR. It is difficult, I be at least as ignorant as you. And to help you, and that's all there is know, and more than we should have if you've been dealing with the same to it. You must, in fact, avoid problem for a while, you could very well know a great dealmore about it think that when a Woman tries to and delivery. I don't believe peofie than the doctor you are now seeing. tell other women about their bodies should be asked to take such risks Contrary to what you may like to be¬ so that they can protect their and make such sacrifices for things lieve, there is little direct follow¬ health, it is Lesbianism-gasp- they do not believe in. up, so doctors don't necessarily and that's dirty. Hundreds of Con¬ 'I can sympathise with Marion's know (even, and perhaps especially, cerned Parents swarm the libraries desire to show a supportive relation¬ so-called experts) what happens to to get That Dirty Book-OUR BODIES ship between women that is not based you aftpr they treat you, so no mat¬ OUR SELVES-off the shelves before on sex--after so many stories in ter how many patients they may have their daughters get their hands on which any respect for one woman by treated for what you've got, they it and find out about you-know-what. another is twisted into some sort of have no idea what their opinion was Margaret Sanger was arrested when she "perversion", as in Wilhelm's THE worth. They may convince themselves tried to give out birth control in¬ CLEWISTON TEST, perhaps it is best that you didn't come back to them formation-for breaking the obscen¬ that Bradley resisted the temptation because you were cured by them, but ity laws. But the censors are get¬ to make those of her characters in it could be that you didn't come ting more lenient. I've heard the THE SHATTERED CHAIN lesbian relation¬ back because you can't face paying word "pregnant" on television at ships. Yet I still yearn for that even more money to someone who did¬ least twice so far this year-impos¬ story that shows me a believable les¬ n't help you the first time. Ex¬ sible ten years ago--on prime time! bian relationship that I can really perts have a nice way of ignoring Isn't progress wonderful? relate to. Maybe someday ... what patients tell them, so what 'Ted White and Marion Zimmer Brad¬ ‘P.S. Do you think right-to-lif- good is their experience and intui¬ ley are both braver than me. I'm ers would have prevented Julie tion? You'd be amazed (or would glad I don't have a record of the you?) to know the number of truly Christie from aborting her demon things I said and thought ten years seed?' sick people who find themselves dis¬ ago. Still, I'd like to see Marion missed as psychosomatic cases be¬ cause doctors refuse to believe that their work was inadequate. BP 'The problem with you and Larry Flint, Geis, is that you want to 7-31-77 I presume you have all destroy society as we now know it. heard about that Wisconsin judge who If people could really write and is self-assuredly 'old-fashioned' talk freely about sex, they might and who ruled (controversially!) that start to see through some of the a 15-year-old high school boy was myths that hold this culture togeth¬ not wholly at fault for raping a 16- er, and then where would we be? year- old high school girl because You'd be out of business, anyway. "girls today dress and act in a How much fun would descriptions of provocative sexual manner." cunnilingus in which our virile hero There i^s an element of truth in never gets his tongue anywhere near A LATE NIGHT SNACK TURNED FATAL FOR CHICAGO this -- especially for us old geezers the woman's clitoris be if everyone 1 MOBSTER SAM GIANCANA IN JUNE, 75. SAM'S UN¬ who grew up in the puritan days of knew what a clit is?' EXPLAINED DEMISE BY BULLETS CAME JUST the thirties and forties when a bra- PRIOR TO HIS SCHEDULED TESTIMONY ON CIA MAFIA ((Tsk. You obviously haven't LINKS BEFORE THE SENATE INTELLEGENCE COMM. less woman (if you ever saw one!) read, any of my hardcore porno. I was a prostitute, and no mistake, know where and what a clit is, and fix up WINDOW ON THE NIGHT and see man! so do my heroes and heroines.)) how it holds up. Maybe its time has The good judge is himself guilty come? I'd like to see such a novel. of telling us he is enraged by the 'And if we Imagine, I don't have to read tire¬ really had a sexually free and know¬ temptation he Teels and he wants to some passages about why the lady rad¬ blame girls now for not being around ledgeable society, who'd want to read iologist should go to bed with the about it?' when he was a kid. The man feels captain to prove she's a real woman, cheated. The sexually permissive f(No society is ever perfectly or any garbage, like that! On the society wasn't in existence in his other hand, of course, I deeply re¬ or completely free or unfree in any youth, so he flails out... given area... so there is always a sent Marion's assertion that femin¬ few—always an audience—for what¬ ist rhetoric says that "abortions But that 15-year-old boy -- and ever.)) are Always Good." That is hardly others, millions of others -- don't the case, and she should know it. go mad with lust on the beach at the 'Where do you think wom¬ Nobody likes abortion, but as a sight of acres of bikinis. There en's lib came from? Buncha women feminist I cannot agree that any wo¬ are no stories of mass rapes. got together and start talking about man should be forced to have a child And then there is the argument sex, next thing you know, they actual¬ she does not want. I am overjoyed that businessmen should not mind be¬ ly know something about it, and don't when I see a woman patient who real¬ ing robbed, having their merchandise want to put up with Things As They ly wants a child and is informed and taken from busted windows by adver¬ Are anymore. You're talking about prepared for that come in and get a tising-maddened consumers...The ac¬ ripping the fabric of society here, pregnancy test, and it gives me a quisitive instinct is as powerful as kid, messing up the Sacred Family real thrill to see the look on her the sexual instinct, is it not? (I read that the Family was Sacred face when I get to be the first to Should not jewelry stores have no in the Washington Post, etc. What congratulate her--but I also know recourse if a particularly provoca¬ are you, some kind of commie?' that an unwanted pregnancy is a ter¬ tive display of diamonds drives a rifying, horrible thing to have to go ( (I'm happy to hear the Wash¬ youth to theft? ington Post holds something sacred.)) through, and that an abortion is bet¬ ter--not Good, just better--than No, civilized life requires self- 'Actually, I don't write porno¬ having to go through such a degrad¬ discipline, and the 15-year-old boy graphy, but some people think I do. ing thing as an unwanted pregnancy in question hadn't enough of it (for Some people, like Anita Bryant, whatever reasons) and should be pun- ished for that lack or at least kept it didn't work. I had to get a new author, but he won't care any more out of society if he obviously is edition out every two months and, for the field as a whole because of incapable of managing his desires. excepting Dr. Asimov, NO ONE follow¬ it. In the light of the recent STAR ed their deadlines. AniJ, though a WARS popularity there are bound to And just as obviously the judge critical success I was proud to have be follow-ups from other filmmakers, is a Sexist of the most naked (and initiated, the series just plain was SF TV series, more SF books, and you unconscious) kind. not paying for itself. This made my should have some of your top-flight I understand there will be a re¬ work-a-day job even more needed, to work in there, rather than leaving call election soon, and the voters help pay those ever-increasing bills. a void to be filled by second-rate will have a chance to turn him out Finally, when Harlan was eighteen hacks more than willing to sacrifice of office. Fine. He let his emo¬ months late with his story without the field for a few bucks. You're tions get the better of his judgnent an explanation why, I wrote him to reducing yourself to a position of -- and will likely pay a high price. the effect that it was over. His aiding these thieves by leaving the book was cancelled. He called me field now. I THINK YOU OWE US SOME¬ with more or less a plea for more THING, DAMNIT, and I'm personally go¬ time, saying he was still looking ing to stop buying your books if forward to doing the story, but his they aren't clearly marked SF! I life the past year had been a sham¬ suggest others who feel the same fol¬ bles, he'd pulled many a small press low suit. WE HELPED GET YOU WHERE out of the red before, etc. I was YOU ARE, HARLAN, and if you want to tempted to say yes, but it wasn't "move on" to the mainstream now, it just the lateness and lack of money should be without our support! that made me decide to quit. I 'Second: You mentioned an an¬ WANTED to quit. I decided I WANT TO noyance with your fans, the ones WRITE FICTION, NOT CONTINUE TO PUB¬ wanting a chance to boast of "des¬ LISH THAT OF OTHERS!!! And this is troying" Ellison verbally. Well, probably where I'll stay...a regular from what I saw at MAC last year, contributor of LOCs to you, Dick, this problem must be pretty much and to a few choice others, and a singular. The fans there had noth¬ hopeful (someday professional?) au¬ ing but respect and courtesy for thor of science fiction. their peer group favorites, authors V and fans alike. It sounds to me like your reputation is catching up with OPEN LETTER TO HARLAN ELLISON you and you can't take it. I've al¬ LETTER FROM ALAN R. BECHTOLD ways been a believer in the adage 'Now...Harlan: In your intro¬ that if you always come out with both August 17, 1977 duction to NO DOORS, NO WINDOWS and guns blazing, you've got to expect in the July Special Harlan Ellison someone, somewhere, no matter how 'I'm writing this in two parts. Issue of FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION, much of a punk he really is, to shoot The first is to update you and your you expressed several gripes. Three back. You ask for it every time you readers concerning APOCALYPSE PRESS, of them I'd like to take issue with open your mouth in print! We love its demise and etc. The second is you for it! And now you tell us of an open letter to Harlan Ellison con¬ how sick of our bullshit you are. cerning some matters I'm sure have 'First: You told your readers why, in a way, you'd like to leave TOUGH SHIT! I personally don't look been discussed before, but that I forward to the chance of throwing feel need airing again. the SF field behind you by not al¬ lowing your work to be classified as insults your way, and I'd be willing 'APOCALYPSE PRESS and its FAMOUS science fiction with any mention of to bet that's the exception rather SCIENCE FICTION CHAPBOOK SERIES have those awful words on the covers of than the rule, but I'd love to meet ceased publication. The first two your books. Your reasons seem pretty you, maybe even argue on some half- editions, "The Apocalypse Papers," by well-founded, too. Publishers just intelligent point a half hour or so. the Firesign Theatre, and "Good don't push their SF titles like the Most of your fans would love to meet Taste", by Isaac Asimov, are still others. Mainstream readers don't you, but don't have anything of val¬ available from me in their original browse the SF racks. Reviewers don't ue to say when they get the chance so two editions, personally signed review SF titles. With such things ... insults! That's the way to get @$5.50 pp., plate-signed @$2.50 pp. against the genre, it would be wiser, Harlan! Get him talking! I'd prob¬ "Down Deep", by Harlan Ellison, to further your own career, to ig¬ ably bore you too, but I'd still scheduled to be third in the series, nore the field entirely. But has it like to meet you. That's life. A has been cancelled before seeing occurred to you that you could be few of us get to Author print. Advance reservation holders just the one to bridge the gap be¬ stage and the rest of us have to set¬ should return their reservation con¬ tween "mainstream" and "SF?" The tle with being fans, no matter how firmation cards, indicating whether blending of the two will never occur much we're hated by our idols. Bear they want their refunds in copies of if the best of the field "move on" with us. We buy your work. We pay the first two editions or cash. to mainstream markets, failing to your way and, every now and then, we expect the right to get a little pet¬ 'Why did I quit, you may ask (and mention that their work is still very much SF. What good is this go¬ ty about it, regardless of the bur¬ you may)? Easy. I started TFSFCBS den it may cause. You knew what you as a means by which I could afford ing to do for the average mainstrean- er reading one of your books? Your were getting into before you started to eat and pay the rent while working and now that you're there you don't within the field, thus freeing me work (fiction) is still very much SF 5 Fantasy, but he's possibly not care for it! Again, TOUGH SHIT! We from my 8 hours-a-day job at Ameri¬ are your sounding board and you are can Yearbook Company. This would even going to know what it is he's reading because you won't allow the ours. Isn't that fair? In reaching allow me the added bonus of extra for literary success and fame you've time to WRITE science fiction with¬ publisher to tell him! Maybe he'll respect you as a "weird" mainstream opened yourself up to the limelight out infringing too much on my normal and, according to law, your life is eat/sleep/cleanup/social life. , But 44 now in the public domain. That's the way it is. If you don't like it, Bechtold's letter and you have sug¬ move on to someone who is easier to why not DROP OUT OF IT ALTOGETHER? gested I might wish to make a res¬ badger. But don't for an instant Are you getting paranoid? Don't you ponse for publication. In truth, my abuse yourself with the ludicrous realise that all this nonsense you instincts advise against such a res¬ belief that I'm going to limit my hear from people just might be in ponse. Not only b.ecause Mr. Bech- writing or my life by the demands of fun? Don't you? told advances his view of my life an insular, tunnel-visioned, frus¬ and seems upset that I don't care to 'Last: Again in F§SF, you told trated fan who thinks he has the adopt it as my own, but because I of your problems the past year. The right to sink his fangs into my ex¬ find his sending a letter to me, same ones that, as you told me on istence. through you, for open publication, the phone, put you farther behind on merely a self-serving device. If he 'Were I not a polite and decent your work schedule than you already has reflections on the way I choose human being, I would advise you to were. I feel for you. I think I to live my life, it would seem ap¬ piss off. And that goes for the told you at the time I've been propriate to address them to me. jackass you rode in on.' through similar hassles. Smaller but But no, he chooses to say looka me similar. Devastating to the creat¬ and writes to a public journal. I ive mind. BUT YOU SIGNED A CONTRACT think the word that comes to mind is WITH ME! A promised delivery date "tacky." LETTER FROM ALGIS BUDRYS in print and signed! And I had to write you to get an explanation at 'But if response is needed, let August 22, 1977 all. That's legal grounds for law¬ this serve: 'I don't ordinarily write let¬ suit and I seriously considered it, 'Mr. Bechtold is entitled to live ters about reviews, unless the re¬ to repay some of my losses (not to his life and pursue his life's work mention the cancellation of the viewer has published a direct ques¬ in any way he deems fit for himself. tion which elicits what I think series altogether) if it hadn't been I will do the same. It is unfortun¬ would be a useful response to a sin¬ for your offer to go ahead and do ate, not to suggest pure cockeyed, this story, to help bring me out of cere interest. Most reviews mis¬ that Mr. Bechtold is so hung up on describe the book, either favorably the hole. That and my enormous re¬ labels that he feels intelligent or otherwise, and I can take 'em or spect for you. I didn't want to add readers need specific designations leave 'em alone, although I prefer to your troubles or mine. I got in¬ to know whether they've read a good the favorable ones. to the business mainly for fun and I book or a bad book. Since I intend got out of it because it wasn't. to insist in all my book contracts 'Charles Platt's review of MICH¬ Lots of advance order customers mad that the words "science fiction" do AELMAS is different. From my point at me, a bit in the hole for adver¬ not appear on volumes of my work-- of view, it's perfect. He's read tising, disappointed in you, but chiefly because I do not write sf the book, thought it through, re¬ still madly in love with what you and thus feel it is dishonest adver¬ lated it to my previous work, and can do with words. Oh, well, I guess tising to say that's what it is--he wrapped that all up in his essay. I I DON'T know you. In spite of how is advised that while I will cer¬ enjoy the fact that he liked it and I feel about your work, sometimes I tainly suffer the torments of Hell said nice things about me. More im¬ think I'm glad I don't. because he won't buy my books, I will portant, he has accurately traced me to where I live. 'In case it's not obvious enough, struggle on heroically. I directed this scream-session at you 'His position is so amateur, so 'The references to Kornbluth and because I love science fiction, re¬ sophomoric, s<3 wrongheaded, that to Hammett are stunningly apt; he has gardless of its money-making poten¬ comment further would only serve to named the man who had the most art¬ tial, and want to do what I can to feed his delusions. istic influence on me when I was a make its acceptance more widespread new member of the New York profes¬ and more lucrative for its writers 'Suffice it to end this nonsense sional SF community, and he has and artists at the same time. But that you didn't help me to get any¬ named one of my favorite writers we've ALL got to work at it. You where, clown. I got there on my from the days when I was an adoles¬ are the one that pulled my interest own, sitting behind a typewriter for cent aiming compulsively toward my back to SF, after1 I'd tired of the twenty years. I owe you only one present career. (The others are usual space/robot/war schmuck and thing: the work. If it isn't suf¬ Greene, Ambler, Geoffrey Household was turning to the mainstream for my ficient for you to pick up a book as the author of--oddly--ROGUE MALE, reading entertainment. I'll never by me and know you're getting a book and Chandler, in addition to the HG forget you for that, Harlan, but I'll by me, without moronic labels, then Wells of THE INVISIBLE MAN.) never forgive you if you leave us behind when we need you most. 'Dick, thanks for the chance to get that off my chest. I'm sure you've heard it all before, but it was effective therapy for myself any¬ how. I've been a silent reader of yours for too long now. The blessed silence is over.'

GEIS NOTE: The address for Apoca¬ lypse Press is: P.0. Box 1821 Topeka, KS 66601

REPLY FROM HARLAN ELLISON August 26, 1977

'You have sent me a Xerox of Mr. 'No one with the possible excep¬ reading my work, and that impresses the Meddling Moron for not noticing tion of Fred Pohl was ever Cyril's me no end. the difference anymore. Of course, bosom buddy. But his famous grumpi- none of the writers I edited and 'I think Charles is being kind ness arose from his inability to proofread were sf writers, who are when he rules out hope .of acclaim, tolerate pretension disguising ig¬ undoubtedly a breed apart. But I or narcissism, as motivations for my norance, and willful ignorance as an believe that were it not for the writing. Sometimes late at night, evasion of what he saw as duty. An Meddling Morons, writers would come when the children are asleep, I sneak artist's duty, as Cyril saw it, was out looking a lot dumber than they over to the bookshelf and stealthily to turn every stone he could per¬ do. ' take down a book with my name on it. ceive. When I arrived on the scene, Algis Budrys, after all, writes the I brought with me that same Middle kind of SF I like best, and he does European kvetch as the one useful it better than anybody else does it. item in the bag my folks had packed But now and again I am reminded that for me. We also had similar tastes this would not be true if Cyril were in delicatessen. In 1954, when Cy¬ # LETTER FROM GORDON LARKIN still with us, instead of with me.' ril would drop by Edna's and my June 26, 1977 apartment, with un¬ failing patience and great generos¬ 'I have just chanced upon a ity, had already taught me most of copy of your very excellent SFR #21 what I knew about technique. Cyril ...hence this brief note. Page 57 and I, in what were really very few # LETTER FROM ORSON SCOTT CARD carries mention of the British Fan¬ conversations and yet what was real¬ tasy Society Bulletin...slightly in¬ ly one extended communication, a- September, 1977 accurate. I am the editor of this, greed on how it was best for me to not the venerable Brian Mooney (who put all that to use. He is one of 'Avram Davidson's letter in #22 is actually Treasurer/Secretary). The the best friends I have today. Da¬ included his complaint against the type- size i^ bloody small.. .which mon Knight taught me how to take Meddling Morons--those who "correct" must be why you got the editor wrong. apart a half-bad story, and Jim his Portuguese to Spanish. He cited Ah well, I've just sent you a copy Blish taught me how to extend my the example of the MM changing his of the new issue. (There must be learning until I could use the word facienda to hacienda. Well, I speak better ways to go blind!!) "art" and know what I was talking Portuguese-lived in Brazil for two 'I enjoy your magazine immense¬ about. But if we're talking about a years speaking the language almost ly and it's nice to get 24 extra sense of "duty", it was Cyril who exclusively--and there ain't no such pages. Pleased to see a review of demonstrated to me that it was a 'word in Portuguese as facienda. The Steve King's THE SHINING, a title I strength--for us, the best strength-- word is fazenda, and the meaning is am eager to read. You may or mat as well as a burden. rather different, too, from the Spai- not know that this novel is being ish cognate. The Meddling Moron may filmed by with-pos¬ 'As for Hammett, I have never have corrected facienda the wrong sibly-Jack Nicholson staring. had such a revelation into attitude direction, but it sure as heck needed Shooting starts at Elstree in Novemb- as I had when I read THE MALTESE correction! FALCON at the age of 12, and every¬ 'We recently had an excellent thing else of his I could find im¬ ’Which brings me to a pet gripe hoax on TV over here. ALTERNATIVE 3 mediately thereafter. Other writers in sf use of Portuguese. Writers by David Ambrose. A piece of SF --the ones I've listed, plus Robert look at their maps and see the obvi¬ documentary-drama that convinced Heinlein, Cordwainer Smith and Fred- ous fact that Brazil is the only half the nation of the imminent col¬ erik Pohl, in that chronological or¬ South American nation likely to be lapse of planet Earth and the emer¬ der, and CS Forester and Nevil Shite important in the future (overlooking gency colonization of Mars using the as constant companions--have done a the fact that any economic force top brains in many fields. A de¬ lot for me. My short story style in that would reduce the U.S.'s impor¬ light this. the 1950s was heavily dependent on tance in the world would completely 'Gordon Larkin my reading of Clifford Simak and destroy Brazil); so they whip out 113a High Street, Lester del Rey short work in the the old conversational Portuguese Whitstable, Kent CT5 1AY 1940s. But as a novelist I go back book and toss in guidebook phrases. , UNITED KINGDOM' principally to Hammett and then To all who care: those .guidebook Chandler for their protagonists. phrases bear about as much relation Platt has found that out just from to spoken Portuguese as they do to spoken Swahili. How often do you "FOR THOSE WHO KNOW IT AT FIRST say, "How do you do, Mr. Ablick. It HAND, INSANITY HAS VERY LITTLE RO¬ is a pleasure to speak with you to- MANCE, IT IS UGLY, PAINFUL, FRIGHTENING. AND IT LEAVES ITS VICTIMS IN THAT TERRIBLE SITUATION 'And a word for the Meddling DESCRIBED BY LARA JEFFERSON, Morons. As a book editor in a uni¬ STRAIGHTJACKETED IN ONE OF THE versity press for several years and MIDWESTERN ASYLUMS OF A GENERATION a proofreader before that, I discov¬ AGO: HERE I SIT-MAD AS THE HAT¬ ered that the only people dumber TER-WITH NOTHING TO DO BUT EITHER than editors are writers. After on¬ BECOME MADDER AND MADDER OR ELSE ly two weeks of proofreading incred¬ RECOVER ENOUGH OF MY SANITY TO BE ibly bad writing, I learned a con¬ ALLOWED TO GO BACK TO THE LIFE tempt for the average writer's gram¬ WHICH DROVE ME MAD. matical ability and good sense only matched by my contempt for people who -OTTO FRIEDRICH steal candy from children. The oc¬ GQINSflM casional writer who knows what he's doing with the English language is so rare that you can hardly blame ALIEN THOUGHTS CONTINUED ON PAGE 51 took out of a non-Conan THE CONAN CAPERS By Mark Mansell Howard story (or was it a poem?) and wrote in as a female swordswoman contemporary-companion to Conan. KULL THE DESTROYER is also published in the usual comics format about One of the biggest trends in Howard's next famous character: Kull fantasy publishing these days is of . (or heroic fan¬ tasy, as others prefer to call it.) Hmm, quite a list so far. Be¬ I doubt that many are unaware that sides the Conan series, confusion is modem sword and sorcery is a sub¬ also occuring in other Howard pub¬ genre begun in its present form by lishing areas. Grant, Fictioneer, the prolific Robert E. Howard with FAX, and others have been putting out his tales of Kull, , editions of Howard's lesser-known Bran Mak Mom, and especially Conan characters and stories, which are back in the greatest fantasy/horror reprinted by Zebra practically the of them all: WEIRD moment they're off the presses. Al¬ TALES. so, Zebra and others are reprinting Howard material in cheaper book for¬ I enjoy sword and sorcery, and I mat very quickly after publication like seeing Howard's works reprinted, in such Howard fanzines as HOWARD but in recent months it seems his REVIEW, CROSS PLAINS, LONE STAR FIC¬ most popular character, Conan, has iginal versions as published in TIONEER, and TWO GUN RACOUNTEER. gotten all the attention by publish¬ WEIRD TALES, edited this time by Karl This quick reprinting has hurt some ers and most of the public, to the Wagner, well-known sword and sorcery fan publishers by causing some of exclusion of his other stuff. I'm author, creator of Kane and the cen¬ their buyers to wait for a few months not complaining (much), publishers ter of his own nucleus of fans (and for the material to get into cheaper do what they think will sell, and also a friend of mine.) The Berkley paperback editions. Yet another How¬ Howard is one of the most marketable edition (starting with HOUR OF THE ard snafu is the question of what is authors around. What this article is DRAGON, a.k.a. CONAN THE CONQUERER) a first edition. Many publishers of about is the recent glut of Conan will contain none of the deCamp-Car¬ books that have ensued after certain Howard material reprint books with ter material, will have different new artwork or an additional extra lawsuits concerning the now-defunct covers, and will also contain some Lancer Books which originally car¬ story. of the interior art as originally ried the Conan series. published with the stories in WEIRD This is not to say that anybody's Now for the facts: I was in the TALES. a crook. But the Howard situation local bookstore today and scanned is a quivering morass that is quite Ah, but that's the obvious part. easy to lose oneself in. The fans the Howard section. Lo and behold, Less well-known, but still popular there were already two sets of Conan keep buying and buying almost any¬ are the deluxe illustrated editions thing with Howard's name on it, often books. Ace Books gained rights to being published by Grant Books, also reprint the Lancer series with the ignoring other, equally deserving of the original WEIRD TALES versions same Frazetta covers, the stories as talents such as Wagner, Schweitzer, Grant has been issuing this series edited, completed, or written by Leiber, Saunders, et al. It's gotten for a couple of years now, and each Howard, de Camp, and Carter, along so some publishers have used the is a collector's item with one or with the Clark and Miller chronology words "Robert E. Howard" and "Conan" two Conan tales in a large-size for¬ of Conan's career. In addition, the as magic words to get fans to buy. mat printed with illustrations by last Conan book (11th chronological¬ Zebra Books has used "In the tradi¬ some of the top people in fantasy ly) , CONAN OF AQUILONIA was finally tion of Robert E. Howard" to blurb illustrating. These volumes go for published. It is by de Camp and its Howard stories about non-Conan around $15 apiece, while the Ace/ Carter, originally supposed to come characters with the blurb "By the Sphere are around $1.75-1.95. The out from Lancer, but it was never in creator of Conan: Robert E. Howard" Lancers, which I still can get at book form before due to Lancer's with "By the creator of..." in itsy several used bookstores in my area collapse. It did see publication in bitsy dark type that blends in with (not even science fiction specialty FANTASTIC as four separate stories. the cover, while "...Conan: Robert shops) originally sold for 60tf-9S

CONDUCTED BY JEFFREY ELLIOT This interview first appeared in the June 1977 issue of the San Franciseo Review of Books

It is difficult in a few words The interview was conducted at BRADBURY: I don't really have a to capture the renaissance talent of Bradbury's home in Los Angeles. preference. I love to do everything a writer as gifted as Ray Bradbury. There, surrounded by momentoes of If a fantasy idea comes to me, then America's most famous writer of sci¬ his varied career, he discusses his I'll do it. If a science fiction ence fiction, Bradbury is also an philosophy of writing, his interest idea excites me, then I'll do that. accomplished writer of poetry, short in the arts, his attitudes about pop¬ I never plan ahead. Everything is stories, novels, childrens' books, ular literature, his feelings about always spontaneous and passionate. plays, and a variety of other liter¬ television, and a host of other top¬ I never sit down and think things ary genres. When asked to assess ics. out. I also do a great deal of day¬ Bradbury's artistic merit, Gilbert SFR: By your own admission, you dreaming. Oh, I do some thinking in Highet observed: "Ray Bradbury is, write both science fiction and fan¬ between, but it's a very loose thing. I believe, the finest living writer tasy. What do you see as the basic It's not super-intellectual. If it of fantastic fiction. He has appar¬ difference between the two genres? feels right, then I'll do it. I'll ently inexhaustible invention, a fine give you a good example of how ideas sensitive style, elegant good taste, BRADBURY: Science fiction is the art come to me. The other night I was and that unusual combination of of the possible. There's never any¬ in a local bookstore when a stranger gifts: a sense of horror and a sense thing fantastic about science fic¬ came up and started to talk. He told of humor." tion. It's always based on the laws of physics; on those things that can me that he wanted to be a poet. We Bom in Waukegan, Illinois, Brad¬ began to discuss football, when he absolutely come to pass. Fantasy, bury grew up in Los Angeles, where remarked what a shame it was that on the other hand, is always the art he learned his craft as a writer. they couldn't invent a machine that of the impossible. It goes against The author of over two dozen books, would suck in all the energy that all the laws of physics. When you he best known for such popular goes into football and apply it to 'is, write about invisible men, or walking works as FAHRENHEIT 451, THE MARTIAN curing cancer. Well, I thought that through walls, or magic carpets, you CHRONICLES, DANDELION WINE, THE IL¬ was a great idea! I asked him if I are dealing with the impossible. could have it, and he said, "Yes." LUSTRATED MAN, SOMETHING THIS Science fiction has a long history WAY COMES, and THE OCTOBER COUNTRY. I'll probably do a poem on it, or which goes back to the cavemen. perhaps a short story, or even a no¬ As objective as one tries to be, Plato's book, THE REPUBLIC, is a vel. there is something extraordinary a- good example of science fiction. bout Ray Bradbury. He is more of Everything starts in the head and SFR: One journalist attributes your everything in the flesh than he is then moves out into the world. interest in both of these literary in his books. A man of rare wit, en¬ Whenever you create something in the forms to your boyhood experiences ergy and drive, Bradbury lives as he head first, you're writing science with carnivals and circuses. In what writes -- with style, and gusto, and fiction. The history of science fic¬ ways did they affect your decision daring. Unlike many writers, he is tion is the history of ideas that to become a writer? wary of the "super-intdlectual." For have been laughed at. These same BRADBURY: I'm a product of many art Bradbury, the artist is one who can ideas are then bom in fact and lat¬ forms. Thank God I had a mother who feel deeply about things, who doesn't er change the world. was madly in love with movies. She over-intellectualize, who is self- SFR: In terms of your own experi¬ started taking me to all sorts of disciplined and hard-working, and ence, which of the two genres do you fantastic films when I was three, be¬ who doesn't take himself or life too prefer? ginning with The Hunchback of Notre seriously. Dame. Along the way, I went to a lot of magic shows. Once I even jumped up on stage and helped Blackstone with his act. When I was nine, I be¬ gan to collect comic strips -- Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, Tarzan. About that time I started to hang around circuses and carnivals. I struck up a great friendship with a man named "Mr. Electrico," who really impressed me. I think that it was his influ¬ ence which really encouraged me to become a writer. After we had sev¬ eral long talks, I went out and bought a typewriter and started writ¬ ing. I've never stopped writing since then.

SFR: One writer said of your early work, "He did not cease to be a tea¬ cher when he stopped writing science fiction, but he did place a morator¬ ium on the more evangelistic kind of moralizing which he was practicing in the 1940s and early 1950s." As you look back on your career, did you of ten moralize in your early work? SFR: In a recent article, you argued ularly dangerous. I suppose it's BRADBURY: Oh, I'm sure I did. I that all arts, big and small, should inevitable that there must be some still do. It's important, however, aim toward "the elimination of wasted type of conflict between the people to do it as subtly as possible. You motion in favor of concise declara¬ who think and the people who feel. don't want to be a bore about it. tion." What did you mean by that The truth is, not one of these writ¬ That was the nice thing about George statement? ers would know a good idea if it came up and bit him. Updike is all Bernard Shaw. He could moralize; but BRADBURY: In order to be a good style and no idea. It's amazing how turn it into a lot of fun. He was writer, you must first explode pas¬ little this man thinks. It's unfor¬ always making one point or another. sionately and render it down. It's tunate that these writers receive so But he never was so serious that he always best to do the big thing ini¬ much attention. Look at Mailer and spoiled the fun. I suppose that's tially, and then cut it down to size the publicity he received from his why my book, FAHRENHEIT 451 is still Every time I write a short story, I book on graffiti. I thought it was around. While I was making serious will do about 30 pages and then pare a ridiculous book. Whether he knows points, I also wrote a good suspense it down to around 20 pages. The im¬ it or not, graffiti isn't beautiful; novel. The novel was so good, that portant thing is getting it out and it's ugly. If we're not careful, it you had to put up with the moraliz¬ not thinking about it. I've seen ing. will destroy our cities. Come on, more good ideas ruined by people that's a lousy idea! SFR: As you see it, what is the re¬ thinking about them instead of do¬ lationship between art and propagan¬ ing them. When you're writing some¬ SFR: Several times you've referred da? thing, don't think about it, just to the one-dimensional nature of the do it! intellectual, of his inability to think and feel at the same time. BRADBURY: Well, since we're all a SFR: Generally speaking, you've re¬ What lies at the heart of the prob¬ part of life, I don't see how it's ceived extremely good reviews from lem? possible not to propagandize. We all the critics. What do you see as the have strong feelings about certain proper role of a critic? BRADBURY: I'm not sure. After all, things -- love, sex, war, politics. ideas can be lots of tun. The intel¬ These things should be the mainstays BRADBURY: Whenever I'm asked to re- lect is a great game. Some of the of one's art. They're an integral view a book, I never do so unless I most enjoyable evenings of my life part of life. They can't be separ¬ really like it. I don't see my job have been spent with bright friends ated from art. as trying to destroy the book. Un¬ in the science fiction field. We fortunately, there are many critics would get an idea, throw it up in SFR: In 1962, you observed: "We who enjoy that role. I only pick the air, and create with it. It's must seek ways to know and encourage those books that I'm super-enthused like a lot of kids playing basket¬ the good in ourselves, the will to¬ about, and then try to sell them to ball. You're all over the court, ward life." How have you attempted people. I want them to share my throwing the ball around, scoring to achieve that goal in your own loves, not my hates. points from all directions. There life? SFR: Some time ago, you expressed are some writers, however, who had BRADBURY: As best you can, you at¬ the view that the American novel this quality. Gerald Heard had it. tempt to set an example that will was bankrupt of idea, style and im¬ Bertrand Russell had it. Aldous Hux¬ help you to know yourself and others. agination on any level. Who do you ley had it. When you met them, they That means you must be totally hon¬ think that's true? were like bright children. They est with yourself, particularly about could be serious, but they also had your destructive impulses. You must BRADBURY: I don't know. You have a wonderful sense of humor. leant to face up to them in yourself. the "New York Mafia" which rolls If you can do that, the people around logs for each other -- people like SFR: Throughout your life, you've you will be much more forgiving of Updike, Roth, Mailer. It's a very had a love affair with books. With your mistakes. insular thing. It's also extremely so many people turned off to reading, 49 intellectual, which makes it partic¬ how did you develop such a keen in- terest in books? Do you start each day with the idea BRADBURY: Oh, that's hard. There BRADBURY:, I found in books the ro¬ of writing a fixed number of pages, are many of them; each one has af- mance and ideas on which to feed. I or do you take the view whatever hap¬ ected me in a different way at a was really quite a glutton. I used pens, happens? different time. A lot of women writ¬ ers have influenced me -- Eudora to memorize entire books. I suppose BRADBURY: Basically, I just go in Welty, Edith Wharton, Katherine Ame that's where the ending of FAHREN¬ with the idea of writing something. Porter, Ellen Glasgow, JessamynWest. HEIT 451 comes from -- where the I usually start the day off with po¬ Other writers like Ernest Hemingway, book people wander through the wild¬ etry. I go through a process of Thomas Wolfe, John Steinbeck and erness and each of them is a book. free association. I do the same William Faulkner have taught me a That was me when I was ten. I was thing with short stories. A lot of great deal. I've also been influ¬ . I used to love my best poetry has come from just enced by writers like George Bernard all of ' books. sitting down at the typewriter and Shaw, William Shakespeare, Gerard I've always enjoyed the smell of thinking up some crazy line. As far Manley Hopkins, Alexander Pope and books. If you don't have the primi¬ as work goes, once I've done four G.K. Chesterton. There's no one a- tive feeling about books to begin good pages, then I'll let myself off round today, however, who really im¬ with, I don't think you'll ever make for the day, unless it's going ex¬ presses me. it as a writer. I've kept up my ac¬ tremely well. If that's the case, quaintance with childrens' books I might work until the piece is fin¬ SFR: What accounts for the short throughout the years. All of my ished. I think that the work a per¬ supply of good writers in America books, really, are childrens' books. son does in a single day is very im¬ today? I don't write books only for grown¬ portant. In many ways, writing a BRADBURY: That's a tough one. The ups. I just write books. Now, they novel resembles a segmented worm. short story has certainly languished, are passing them from one generation Each day you're a different person. hasn't it? Even the biggest writers to another. I'm so proud to be shar¬ By the time that you've readied the rarely do short stories. I suppose ing the shelves with my real heroes end of a novel, you're much different that television is part of the prob¬ -- Jules Veme, H.G. Welles, Robert from when you started. In fact, you lem. More and more writers are go¬ Louis Stevenson, Nathaniel Hawthorn^ can have 365 different novels on ing into television. They see it as Edgar Allan Poe. All of their books your hands unless you're careful. much easier work. However, you carft have somehow found their way into If I'm writing a novel, I try to fin¬ learn writing by writing for televis¬ the hands of children. As for lib¬ ish it within about nine days. Oth¬ raries, they're great places. I erwise, it will usually bog down, be¬ ion. There's no real writing in the can't stay away from them. I had to come overly intellectual, and lose average . Many of these writ¬ educate myself after I left high its fun. ers are enticed by the big money school. I used to take home ten that television offers. Money has books at a time. I read every book SFR: Are you a very rapid writer? never really been a driving motiva¬ I could find on writing. I also got Do words come easily to you? tion in my life. I've been glad when into philosophy, religion, music, BRADBURY: Yes, especially now. They -it showed up, but for many years, I art and poetry. I've educated my¬ didn't use to. Of course, when you was smart enough to stick to my self in virtually every art form start out, the words come quickly, loves, even when it meant $30 or $40 that exists. but they're usually lousy. That's a week. That continued until I was 29 or 30. My wife even had to work SFR: Obviously, you enjoy being a the most difficult thing to get stu¬ to support us when we were first writer. What about that life style dents to understand. If I were married. most agrees with you? teaching the short story in high school, I wouldn't be interested in BRADBURY: I'm not sure that I have quality at all. I would only be in¬ SFR: Have you ever wanted to be a a particular life style. I've been terested in product. I would simply performer? extremely lucky to have a good fam¬ want them to do it. After they were ily and raise four lovely daughters. finished, I would pat them on the BRADBURY: Yes. In fact, when I My daughters are all film enthus¬ head. I would correct their grammar. started out, I was an actor. I did iasts, so it has been relatively I would make them repeat courses. I a lot of theatre work until I was 2Q easy for me to share a lot of my would emphasize quantity, which would It was great fun to perform. That's loves with them. I never get bored guarantee quality, eventually. It's one reason why I stay in the theatre. with life. I don't let myself get at that point, I think, that you can It's certainly not for the money. into a rut. Writers are fortunate begin to criticize their work. Oth¬ None of my plays have ever made a because they can shift gears more erwise, you run the risk of doing dime, and that's after 45 years in easily than the average person. I real damage. the theatre. I suppose that's why have continually put myself in a pos¬ I lecture as much as I do. It gives ition to fail so that I could become SFR: Once you've finished your ini¬ me a chance to perform. I'll usual¬ a student again. It has taken me 35 tial draft, do you do much re-writing ly do scenes from some of my plays, years to learn to write poetry. And or are you pretty much satisfied or perhaps read some of my poetry. that has been lots of fun. In fact, with your first effort? I enjoy the feeling of being in frort it has kept me alive at times. I BRADBURY: If it doesn't come out of an audience. rarely get depressed. Whenever I right the first time, then it's gen¬ feel down, I walk away and do some¬ erally no good, ever. Again, that's SFR: Are you a fan of television? thing else. I find that writing is why the emotional explosion is so im¬ BRADBURY: Sure. The really good still a challenge. I'm experimenting portant. The main thing that I do more with novels. I'm also learning writing takes place in the comedy is to pare down. Virtually every end of television. There are very to write screenplays. Recently, I story that I've ever written was ini¬ few people who write good drama. have been getting more and more into tially too long. It really becomes music. a question of knowing where to cut. SFR: Thank you, Mr. Bradbury. SFR: On your office door, there's a SFR: Which writers have most influ¬ sign stating that you're a working enced your own development? ************************************ writer -- that you arrive at nine o'clock and leave at four o'clock. 50 L-5 IS A SPACED-OUT COP-OUT ALIEN THOUGHTS CONTINUED FROM P. ^ also to be doctrinaire followers of # LETTER FROM DAVE BATH a competing, heretical catechism-- and these imaginings just ain't so. 28th June 1977 # LETTER FROM GEORGE SCITHERS 11n the introduction to your August 18, 1977 'Your 'source' was a Jehovah's story, "One Immortal Man" in the an¬ Witnesses' tract. Giddings has cited thology ANDROMEDA 2 it says that 'Some comment on the creation- a collection of references, tons of this is your first published sf sto¬ ists--If it weren't for the creation¬ bones and other real evidence... if ry, but that you have been involved ists' record of trying to suppress you're too busy to look up some of in the field for twenty years. I thoughts in conflict with their own, the references, it's past time to have read your articles in GALAXY paleontologists, biologists, et al. drop the whole silly debate; but if magazine over the past few issues would simply ignore their demands you do dig into some basic paleont¬ and have found them to be mildly en¬ for proof and yet more proof. But ology texts, you'll find a strange joyable. I have seen occasional people have faced criminal charges and wonderful world--own own past-- copies of your publications, and in these United States for offending that the creationists are forever once again these seem very profes¬ the creationists' view of reality, blind to--a world that the creation¬ sional and informative. However, I while no one has been similarly pros¬ ists would, if they could, make us sincerely hope that over the next ecuted for going against evolution. blind to as well.' few years you will gradually phase out your involvement with such pro- 'Of course there are vast gaps f(Okay, thanks, George, and in the fossil record--if there were thanks to the other writers on this 'I cannot express just how much not, we'd be up to our ears in fos¬ subject, this issue. It's all been I enjoyed your story in ANDROMEDA 2. sils. Of all the animals that ever pro-evolution, since a Creationist This is where your talent truly lies. lived, only a minute, minute frac¬ response hasn't appeared.)) The preceding stories in the volume tion have (lj been fossilized (2) were of a pretty acceptable standard, not been subsequently destroyed and but from the very first page I was (3) been close enough to the sur¬ totally gripped with your story. face to be found. It's hardly sur¬ Cover-up Lowdown 'I am a member of the British prising that countless species have Fantasy Society, and within a few left no fossil record whatever. CONTINUING THE 200 YEAR GOVT. hours of reading "One Immortal Man" COVER-UP OF IN- 'The creationists' argument, -OPPRESSION, I immediately wrote a review which I that there are no current, in-trans- _.FBI CLAIMED have sent off to the Society. I itional examples, appears to be so THAT AIM ACTIVIST have raved about this story to every ANNA MAE AQUASH sloppily worded that any example one DIED FROM member I have met, and have had feed¬ might cite can be dismissed because "EXPOSURE" THIS back now from several, agreeing that "that's not what we meant." The FEB. AT PINE it is a superb piece of work. I was RIOGE, SO. DAKOTA. Platypus is^ transitional between BURIED QUICKLY particularly interested in the reac¬ reptile and mammal, and seems per¬ BY FBI ORDER, tion of a fan called Pete Watts'who fectly happy to stay that way. If HER BODY WAS is somewhat of an authority on Philip LATER EXHUMED. some minor variant of the Platypus AUTOPSY FOUND Jose Farmer. He agreed with me that design would allow the variant ones THAT HER DEATH the story was more like Farmer than to prosper and multiply, presumably WAS 01 i TO Farmer's own work, and like me he they would; if not, not. could not wait for a sequel. 'I am not in the habit of waxing 'Imagine, if you will, how to so enthusiastic over a short story, cope with someone who insisted that and it is certainly unlike me to the Dachshund and the Collie (and # LETTER FROM RICHARD BERGERON write direct to the Author to put a- all other breeds of dog, cattle, cross my feelings. At the British etc.) were individually created by August, 1977 Fantasy Socoety's annual Convention the Lord God Almighty. Can you come in February of this year, I was on up with a complete fossil record of 'Well, SFR seems to be indispen- the voting panel for the best short the transition from ancestral wolf- sable--as always. The Willis issue story of 1976, and I hope to be serv¬ dog to Dachshund? And if you can, of Wrhn should be out in the next 2 ing a similar function at our next how about the Collie--or the Boxer-- months. It runs to 480 pages and Convention in February 1978. I am or...and so on for endless demands after that I expect to revive Wrhn not sure exactly what items to vote for 'proof'. If you demonstrate that on a somewhat more frequent and much for but certainly your piece is head¬ crosses between breeds of dogs lead smaller scale. If you'd like to ing the list at the moment. My main toward the ancestral wolf-dog, our trade, I'd be most happy to receive reason for writing to you is simply hypothetical someone can dismiss the SFR. (Some of your paranoid inter¬ to say PLEASE continue the-series. I demonstration as 'irrelevant'. If lineations are worth a Hugo in them¬ would be extremely grateful if you you bring up the historical record selves!) (And that reply to Bob could let me know where future sto¬ of the development of the Dachsund, Shaw! Lovely.) ries of this character will appear, that 'proof' can be dismissed as ev¬ as I intend reading more of the se¬ idence of an Ancient and Evial Con¬ (7WHY ARE YOU COMPLIMENTING ME? ries as soon as they appear.' spiracy against God. And if you try to ignore the zealots, and go about ((But, seriously. Rich, the news your business as a dog breeder or that the long-delayed Halter Willis issue of WARHOON (Legendary Famine) ((Excuse me, people, while I dwarf-peach-tree-grower, they'll gorge on this lovely egoboo. Just will appear soon is most welcome. pass laws against heresy... one more ecstatic rereading.... Even more joyous is the news that 'Do I overstate the case? Not WARHOON will appear regularly again. Ahh... ((Yes, thank you, Dave. As I by much. The creationists think Once a prominent fan publisher...it’s think I wrote earlier in this issue, basically in terms of Revealed Word; impossible to quit for good, isn’t unless a publisher makes me an offer they imagine their enemies (i.e., it?)) anyone who doesn't agree with them) I cannot refuse. I'll be self-pub- lishing the further adventures of tiche which swiped ideas all the way ling in the above paragraph. Would Vik Kunzer and other heroes still from MAD to THE NEW YORKER. However, you believe it's 2 a.m. and fatigue lurking in Alter-Ego's mind, and the special effects were pretty poisons are setting in? No? Okay, these efforts will be available to sucky. I saw it at a drive-in and I strike the whole argument... SFR readers by mail, and possibly could still see blue matte lines, by bookstore.)) jiggling composite shots, occasion¬ 'I would have illustrated Nol¬ ally transparent scene elements, an's article with a big cow pie. mis-matched perspectives, and gener¬ Nolan has always wanted the public ally shoddy miniatures. to believe LOGAN'S RUN is a great § I have very recently received work of art. George Clayton Johnson from an amateur artist in England a 'George Warren pretty accurately has always claimed it was a fast large drawing. He hoped I could use summed up my views on science fic¬ buck con-game-as-novel scam which it in SFR. Alas, I cannot, and I tion. The main problem is making a paid off in big bucks (read the in¬ must take this route to tell him so, subject interesting. I've read stf terview with him in issue 5:1 of since he scrihbled his name and ad¬ novels where the whole galaxy was at CINEFANTASTIQUE. dress so illegibly that all hope of stake which pale when compared to a direct conrnun ration is impossible. simple short story dealing with an 'I must confess having read So, D. Gal---?, sorry. You sent almost miniscule problem. very, very little of Marion Zimmer a 9 x 12 pen drawing, and you live Bradley. Now I feel compelled to go on 22 Ravens- Road, Heat--, N-- 'The interview was and buy the entire DARKOVER series. very, very good. I've only read two Upon Tyne 6. 'Hmm, whatever I write seems to Shame on you (AND OTHERS!) for stories by him but they have burned themselves in my mind. The differ¬ suffer typos at the hands of either not having sense enough to PRINT vit¬ you or Alter. First 105% of science al information, and for not sending ence between Varley and 99% of other, stf writers is that they write about fiction, now "East shit, pigfucker." international postal coupons for re¬ I wonder if some of our psuedo-hip turn. contemporary people with contempor¬ ary values in the future (Larry Ni- friends will read my letter, think it's new jargon, and incorporate it into their vocabularies. If you hear somebody called an "east shit f‘ LETTER FROM TOM DUNLAP pigfucker" in a couple of years, we will know where it came from.' August, 1977 ((East Shit sounds like a loca¬ 'MZB's piece was very interest¬ tion. A way of putting dawn a neigh¬ ing. I have been reading the DARKOV- borhood or a city: East Shit, New ER stories for some time, can't re¬ Yorkj East Shit, Chicago....)) member just when I started. The series is getting better as the sto¬ ries get longer and the characters are developed at length. I still, though, have a few glitches. How, for instance, did Danilo go through ARMV PLANS TO USE 466 BEA6LE PUPS THIS YEAR # LETTER FROM MICHAEL E. KERPAN, JR. life supposing that everyone could FOB TESTING CHEMICAL ft BIOLOGICAL WARFARE GASSES AT A MD. ARSENAL MAY BE ILLEGAL AC¬ read thoughts? (p. 160, HERITAGE OF CORDING TO THE 1475 LAW PROHIBITING THE- August 31, 1977 HASTUR) Surely in a society like USE OF DOSS IN JOST SUCH EXPERIMENTS. AltFf Darkover, someone should have tumb¬ ven and Jerry Pournelle are prime 'In a course this past year led to the fact or he should have called Public Law and the Economy, found out from someone that this was examples of this. Niven writes about contemporary Libertarians and Pour¬ our professor introduced us to 'tead- some kind of special talent. Another ing the Budget critically." In fact, thing, the atmosphere is more like a nelle about contemporary reaction¬ aries) . by looking at the numbers therein, pocket kingdom than a world. Though one can see just why the Congress much of the series needs large spa¬ 'Varley, on the other hand, likes the tax system pretty much just ces, I seem to be floating in some creates a viable future society of the way it is. Due to peculiarities small cloud-land. Maybe Bradley is highly advanced technology and in the way the tax structure is set just not into geography and maps.' peoples it with human beings from up, income taxes rise much faster such a society. I'm looking forward than incomes. This sounds like a with awe and anticipation to the fu¬ truism, but I never realized just ture growth of Varley's career. what this means in $ 8 t, till I ac¬ tually looked at the Budget. ft LETTER FROM BUZZ DIXON 'The Vidal quote on page 28 shows just how much shit the man is full 'It turns out that, short of an August, 1977 of. If we're so fucking illetirate extravaganza like Johnson's Vietnam how come more books and periodicals Follies, Congress should virtually 'Speaking of weird book (titles) per capita are being pubbed now than never have to actually vote for a Roger Elwood's latest is SALVATION ever before in this country? Our il- tax increase. The tax structure au¬ BEHIND BARS. I am what you would letiracy rate is low (while admit¬ tomatically raises taxes so much probably call a "bom again Chris¬ tedly looser and looser standards of that Congress usually has the priv¬ tian" yet at times the antics of the literacy are being applied--but there ilege of voting for "tax decreases" Elwoods and Bryants make me sick. is a change in the winds viz the instead. I think I'll start a new religion school superintendent who flunked 'This happens due to three fea¬ (why not? Look what it did for L. half the 8th grade students in his tures of the American economic sys¬ Ron Hubbard). district rather than let them go on to highschool unable to do the work). tem: 1) We have a "progressive" 'I suggest you get your eyes Er, I've just looked over my spel- tax system, wherein each ascending checked, Geis. I liked the remake tax bracket pays a higher percentage of KING KONG because it was a pas¬ 52 than the one below. 2) Bracket divisions are fixed from year to LEINSTER and THE BEST OF RAYMOND Z. year. 3) We live with a constant GALLUM, both of which will come out state of inflation. Thus, suppose next year). $9,999.99 is taxed at x% and $10,000.00 at x+1%. Further, sup¬ 'A few weeks ago, I was over to pose a 5% rate of inflation. There¬ see the del Reys, and they mentioned fore, a taxpayer making $9,999.99, Pat Lobrutto had left Ace. So I who gets a 5% cost-of-living in¬ mailed in a resume the next day. crease, does not maintain his status The day after that, Fred phoned me quo but loses a portion of his real to say Jim Baen was leaving GALAXY to take over Ace, and that he (Fred, that is) had recommended me for the In only one case, over only one GALAXY vacancy. So I set up an ap¬ year, such tax encroachments may not pointment with Arnold Abramson, and seem like too much, but over a per¬ made a good enough impression, com¬ iod of years, the cost to all Amer¬ bined with the support of Fred and ican tax payers is horrendous. the del Reys and Jim himself to Looking at the government's own fig¬ land the job. ures, we get an interesting picture. Between 1977 and 1982, it estimates 'Now, to lay your fears to rest. wages and salaries will increase Alter Ego will remain in GALAXY as from 996 billion to 1562 billion, long as you want to write it. Like¬ about a 57% increase. Other person¬ wise, Jerry Pournelle and Spider al income and corporate profits are Robinson are welcome to stay as long expected to have similar increases. as they want to. I've liked the way tion (and real economic growth, if Tax receipts, assuming no change Jim has run the’magazine, and appar¬ any). Any extra revenue gathering whatsoever in the tax law as of 1 ently the readers have too--circula- would then require an affirmative January, 1977, will skyrocket from tion is up to nearly 90,000. I'd be vote by Congress, it would no longer 360.9 billion to 634.8 billion, a a fool to tamper with a successful occur magically, with no Congress¬ 76% increase. Were total tax re¬ formula. ional responsibility. Arrogant Con¬ ceipts merely to keep pace with in¬ gressional leaders would find it 'Problems. Yes, I know GALAXY flation etc., only $566.6 billion harder to win (even faint applause) has problems, and you and I and all would be collected for 1982. So, by handing back only a small portion the writers and artists know what the government has almost 70 billion of "extra" tax dollars. It would, they are. I can assure you the sit¬ extra dollars to play around with. perhaps, be harder for Congressmen uation doesn't please me any more You can bet your last dollar they to routinely consider our dollars to than it does them. I have been giv¬ won't give it all back to the tax¬ be theirs.' en to understand that this situation payers . can be corrected within the next 8 months.to a year, and I will cer¬ 'If you only look at personal ((Given the fact that welfare tainly do everything in my power to income tax figures, the picture is payments and social security and see that it is. unemployment benefits are all non- even more repulsive. Once again, 'One innovation of a sort: The assuming no change in the tax law, taxable income> the point may soon be reached where it is simply not quality of the slush pile being what between 1977 and 1982, revenues it is, I have already purchased one from personal income tax are project¬ worth it to work. I suspect that for some people that point has al¬ translation of a good short story by ed to rise from 159.1 billion to a top Russian writer. I may do more 330.2 billion. .Thus, taxes would ready been reached, and every year more and more people will come to of this, but not as a gesture for more than double (108% increase), improved international relations-- while wages and salaries went up the same conclusion-as the tax rates escalate.)) only when I think a particular story merely 57%. Clearly, the current is worthy of publication under the income tax set-qp is politically same standards we apply to American brilliant, a true work of genius, SF. though one hardly knows who to con¬ gratulate. It operates analogously 'When conditions permit, I would to Congress's instant, no-vote pay- LETTER FROM JOHN J. PIERCE raise scheme. In both instances. New Editor of GALAXY like to try to get serial rights to Congress can do what it wants with¬ novels by some of the better new out taking explicit responsibility August 11, 1977 writers whose works are not serial¬ for what they are doing. There is ized at all now. I will try to keep no vote on record for constituents 'Pardon lack of typing--I'm try¬ the writers Jim has developed and to to object to. ing to write this and follow the Son develop new ones from the slush pile. of Sam capture at the same time. I will even try for big names--Mrs. . 'There has been a perennial plan Genevieve Linebarger could be in for rectifying this situation, which 'Yes, I am the new editor of GALAXY with a new Cordwainer Smith has been perennially ignored--by GALAXY. Believe me, it's as much a story if she'll only finish it. whichever party was in power at the surprise to me as it is to you. How time. If only brackets were flex¬ it came about is thusly: 'No immediate change of format-- ible, rather than absolutely fixed and no change of publishing schedule. 'Two or three years ago, I told from year to year, this situation I don't believe in missing issues; both the del Reys and Fred Pohl I'd could be remedied. For example, if neither did Jim--but circumstances be interested in a science fiction this year a particular bracket star¬ beyond an editor's control sometimes job if they heard of any openings. ted at $10,000.00 and the inflation ...Well, all I can say is, I'll do As you know, I have since edited THE rate during the year was 5%, next my ,bes W. And, M11- try, to represent BEST OF CORDWAINER SMITH (I recently year the same bracket would start, All ft ^XY%^adef«r and be fair finished work on THE BEST OF MURRAY instead, at $10,500.00. Thus, taxes to all writers—in this job, I neith¬ would merely keep pace with infla¬ 53 er can, should or want to be a part- isan of any faction or cause. My that he always made up the ANALYTIC¬ 'My trucking novel sold to Play¬ feuding days are over. AL LAB figures out of whole cloth. boy Press for $5,000. That might 'I'll be working at the office 'SFR was interesting as usual, keep me out of jail for a couple in Scarsdale (address on contents particularly as you indulged your months. This time too I have a rea¬ page); the New York P.0. Box will be Rockefeller paranoia (the political sonable amount of time to finish it closed. Of course, I'll take a lot comment and economic analysis is in. I only have 250,000 words to of work home, but I won't be based still in some ways the best part of write in the novel form alone by at home as Jim was. (Personal note: the book even when you're wrong). Xmas. Maybe by then I will get Whenever you'd normally have sent The lead interview was weak, with a rights to my sf novel back from Las¬ your next column to Jim is when 2. nebbish interviewing a patzer. I do er and can market it elsewhere. I want it) . wish Malzberg would stick to his re¬ still have a perverse liking for it solve to shut up about his Former despite flaws which I will admit 'A note in response to Bryce H. freely, most of them due to the fact Mouw (Letter, page 48, SFR 22): Ac¬ Career. I am beginning to like the guy, sort of, and the column was em¬ that (to your chagrin) I found I tually, I don't know either German could not write the Mindless Muscle¬ or Chinese. A lot of what I know barrassing. Marion Bradley I find tedious. On the other hand I' must man from Moo stuff this time around comes from a concordance edited by and had to let my own revulsion Tony Lewis (but never published) second Rotsler's suggestion that it is time Gilliland got a Hugo or two. against machismo take over. (I went which explained many German and other back to the macho shit for Nick Car¬ terms, but few Chinese. Mrs. Line- I think he's the best of his kind all the way around, and the most con¬ ter but this time it had a certain barger explained some Chinese words amount of humor attached.) Anyhow, to me--for example, Chang, the name sistently satisfying contributor ■ you've got. I march slowly upward from shit pub¬ of a character in "Scanners Live in lishers to slightly better ones, one Vain" means "enduring" and "Aojou 'Alter is far and away the best midget step at a time. My brother Nan Bien", the Chinesian City-State writer in the mag. And he is never, is about to sell his second hard¬ or what was once Australia, means ever wrong about anything. Even back (he writes sports books) and I "The south side of the old Golden when he's in error he's right, and have yet to sell my first. (On the Mountains"--What the Chinese called I am for him all the way. other hand he can't sell a word of Australia during a 19th century gold his fiction, and envies me no end rush. But she didn't happen to men¬ 'If you are going to continue to comment about STAR WARS without see¬ for continuing to sell in this tion the Chinese meaning of "An line.) Fang". I'm glad to hear about it, ing it you are going to land your¬ and no doubt there are other multi¬ self in the shit. Go see it ... and 'I finally get to meet my littry lingual puns in Cordwainer Smith's agent, Dick Curtis, for the first fiction that haven't been unraveled time this weekend. Marilyn Granbeck yet. is throwing a party for Dick at her Y place in Agoura. She and Art Moore, 'Best wishes.' 'her husband, are friends of ours and were over here for dinner a few ((Thanks for taking the time to nights back. Both of them have been write, J.J. And good luck. Alter, hacking away for 15 years without of course, is pleased as punch that success until they have finally hit his column will continue.)) in the last year. Marilyn's romance CELIA is a big seller (but below the "best-seller" category) at Pyramid and she recently sold another one to the same firm for $100,000. This is unusual in that the book is a paper¬ back original. VERY high advance # LETTER FROM GEORGE WARREN ^ for an original. Art, meanwhile, is August 3, 1977 doing Family Sagas and doing well, but not that well yet. Both were don't wait for the 99{ movie because 'Forry Ackerman quoted me on working for the same markets as me the thing absolutely has to be seen one year ago. I am crossing my the back of Rhodan #106, CALLER FROM with the 70mm print and the Dolby fingers.' ETERNITY: sound on the biggest goddam screen "Are you holding the magazine you can find. Anything less is a of the future in your hands? transcription of Beethoven's Ninth Journalist George Warren thinks for solo kazoo. But this business so: 'Forry Ackerman h^s in¬ of editorializing about it on the vented the next replacement basis of what so-and-so says it's # LETTER FROM PEARL species that will replace the like or what you imagine it to be magazine of fiction and comment. about is silly and will just land August 24, 1977 This mad invention may well you a lot of unnecessary embarras¬ have far-reaching effects, and sment . 'I have met George Warren. He everybody ought to know where 'E.C. Tubb's letter sounds like is brilliant, articulate and loqua¬ it came from.'" prophecy. This is Good Ole Liberal cious. Except for an occasional TV 'Unfortunately for my rep as a America a few years from now. The interview with Gore Vidal, my only seer, Ace decided to do away with combination of public employee un¬ recent experience with intelligent the magabook or bookazine format and ionization (which is unforgiveable) conversation has been interior mono¬ went double-back on the Rhodans. and the creation of a fixed and ir¬ logues. I wasn't ready for a two- Seems they did an audience survey responsible bureaucrat class is go¬ way connection and my tongue stuck and were so foolish as to pay heed ing to be the death of all the lib¬ to the roof of my mouth. George to it. Frankly, my opinion of JWC eral democracies. never noticed; he really is loqua¬ went way the hell up when I learned 54 cious . 'So George swept all the recent considered old hat by SF fans? I personality can be hell. paperback arrivals off a shelf, dump¬ don't. ed them in a box and sent me on my 'I'm having problems with my way with instructions to do three 'Faced with Heinlein's ROCKET- wardrobe too. Seems when I get pithy sentences on each. That was SHIP GALLILEO, I just couldn't bring togged out mid-Wilshire conservative good. I hadn't done any writing in myself to read it. I know he's sup¬ I find myself in offices where ev¬ so long, I figured it would be a posed to be a good writer but it's eryone's zipping around in blue jeans good exercise in turning out pointed, a 1947 book about a trip to the moon and wispy peasant tops, rosy-tipped barbered prose and it was. I did 22 and the welcoming committee the as¬ nipples peeping through the gauze. reviews in ten days and can now see tronauts encounter there. Seems They stare at me as though I'd just rather after-the-fact, doesn't it, a terrific future for me as a com¬ stepped out of some historical cos¬ and about as relevant as that drama poser of telegrams, a specialist in tume drama and in no time at all, about illegal abortions I saw the night letters, a winner of contests I'm hauling my frumpy ass back to other night on TV. that require you to complete a phrase the car. On the other hand, when I in 25 words or less. 'Well, it's fun and exciting and try to array myself in clothes with I have regained my facility with a more casual feel, I'm regarded as 'It didn't take me long to learn words in great, choking handfuls a hippie who needs to be taken in that: for a lot of these books, two but, of course, I can't count on hand. pithy sentences is stretching it. this wordplay as a source of income. Berkley Medallion is a sleazy pub¬ 'Ordinarilly, none of these I was out on the street again today, lishing house. Every publisher who things would mean doodly-fuck to me hitting on an agency and buys a book about a married woman but when you're job-hunting, it's trying to look only middling-anxious who plays around thinks he has an¬ the small shit that can put you out for work. So wouldn't you know it, other Fear of Flying on his hands and of the running. those bastards--a repository of all wants us to think so too. Paperback 'P.S. I continue to be aston¬ blurbs have little to do with the ished at the amount of passion poured contents. into your mag by your contributors. 'I have also discovered that I It don't seem decent somehow.' am not emotionally constituted to ************************************ review Fantasy. It's definitely not my bag but how the fuck do you put "POSSIBLY THE GREATEST OF ALL down fairies? Actually, I'd never THE INSIDIOUS FRAUDS OF CIVILIZATION been aware that there was such a IS THIS IDEA THAT THE MIND IS A LOG¬ category or that a readership exis¬ ICAL ORGAN. PEOPLE WHO CONSIDER ted and now I'm fascinated.- Would THEMSELVES IRREPROACHABLY RATIONAL love to meet someone who reads this CAN STAND IN A ROOM EXHIBITING A PIC¬ stuff and find out where they're at. TURE OF WASHINGTON CROSSING THE DEL¬ For openers, I'd like to know what AWARE AND DENOUNCE A FOREIGN COUNTRY sort of driving obsession can get FOR BREAKING A CHRISTMAS TRUCEj THEY them past the cover artwork which, CAN SUBSCRIBE TO A RELIGION THAT BE¬ on Fantasy, is usually pretty bad. LIEVES IN THREE GODS IN ONE FOR ONE I had only three books in this cate¬ DAY IN SEVEN; THEY CAN SEE THEMSELVES gory but on two, the covers were THREATENED DAILY BY DISSIDENTS WHO enough to give one pause. One show¬ DEMAND TO BE TREATED EQUALLY AND DIS¬ ed a cretinous-looking youth holding SIDENTS WHO ARE TIRED OF BEING TREATED an obviously untrustworthy bird (The ALL THE SAME, AND THEN DEFEND FREE¬ Blue Hawk) and the other depicted a for them as a counselor. No way do DOM OF SPEECH BY CLAMPING DOWN ON stout, red-faced man in some sort of I want to be a counselor but this ANYONE WHO TRIES TO SPEAK OUT. TO transport (Lud-In-The-Mist). The happened to me before and I know SAY THAT SOMETHING DOESN T MAKE latter looked like nothing less than from experience that if you turn SENSE IS TO IMPLY A CRITICISM OF THE an old queen who had spied the vil¬ their offer down flat, they consider THING, YET ALL IT REALLY INDICATES lage boys nekkid at the swimming you short-sighted, intractable and IS THAT IT IS PART OF THE GENERAL hole. not the calibre they like to send SCHEME OF THINGS. RATIONALITY IS ONE out under their agency banner. OF THE MORE RECENT ADDITIONS TO TFE 'And, I don't feel qualified to 'I have got to wriggle out of CITOERSOFE MENTAL BAGGAGE, AND AS A review science fiction. As you this situation slowly and gracefully NEWCOMER IT IS DEEPLY MISTRUSTED BY know, I don't read much of it be¬ and meanwhile, they're sending out ALL TFE STAID AND RESPECTABLE INST¬ cause of the (generally) poor qual¬ other people to get these plum jobs. INCTS LIKE AGGRESSION AND PROPAGATION ity writing and so I lack background. I thought I had an out when they AND SELF-PRESERVATION, WHO WERE THERE I did a scathing putdown on Keith told me I'd have to wear dresses and FIRST AND AIM TO KEEP IT THAT WAY. Laumer's WORLDS OF THE IMPERIUM, I demurred, pleading ugly, varicose- IN ANY CRISIS OR TIGHT SITUATION, calling him unimaginative, old-fash¬ veined legs (not true yet) and now LOGIC CAN BE COUNTED ON TO BE CON¬ ioned, graceless and unfit to write they're going to see if they can't SULTED LAST, EXCEPT IN MOVIES, CHEAP science fiction. But how do I know? make an exception in my case! "And NOVELS AND TV SHOWS. THE CONCEPT OF Maybe he is a highly imaginative, if they won't," sniffed the office RATIONALITY IS NOT MUCH MORE THAN AN gifted creator of SF (although it manager (a man), "you can always UNSEEN' IDEAL LIKE JUSTICE, PERFECTION hardly seems possible) and this was wear Supp-Hose." IMMORTALITY AND THE PUBLIC SERVANT. just a bad book. 'All I want is an adding machine; —GROUCHO, HARPO, CHICO 'Conversely, I gurgled all over a fine-line pen, an excellent salary AND SOFETIFES ZEPPO Colin Kapp's THE CHAOS WEAPON... hea¬ and to be left alone. I definitely BY JOE ADAMSON vy-weight writer, brilliant vocabu¬ do not want a closet full of missy Thanks to Ian Coveil lary, marvelous ideas. But how do skirts and a dozen pairs of Supp- I know his story line hasn't been Hose. Sometimes, having an engaging ************************************ done a hundred times before and is 55 ALIEN THOUGHTS CONTINUED ON P. 62 AN INTERVIEW

WITH PIERS ANTHONY

Conducted By CUFF BIGGERS

New Books by Piers Antony: A SPELL FOR CHAMELEON, Ballantine 2S8S5, $1.95 CLUSTER, Avon 34686, $1.75

First published in FUTURE RETROSPECTIVE Drawing of Piers Anthony by Wade Gilbreath

INTROSPECTIVE: PIERS ANTHONY to be not "why SF?" but "why write?" er faced the authorities with the The answer to the first is, that is note, showing that they had lied what I was familiar with, so when I about not knowing anything about the Piers anthony is an author who decided to get serous about writing, case, and since had done no wrong, needs little introduction to science it had to be SF. That tells you al¬ they were in an awkward position. fiction readers of the past fifteen most nothing; you need to know why So they covered up by letting him vears; Piers has been active in sf, I was an SF nut, and why I was mot¬ go -- provided he left the country. both as a professional and as a fan, ivated to write, instead of being a He has some interesting things to and has achieved notoriety in both good, sensible mundane civilian. say about his time in that prison; areas. At the end of March, Piers Actually, the why SF and why write apparently there were no toilets, took some time off in the middle of items are linked -- well, you asked just a trench in the men's section -- a current novel and answered the for it... so when the women needed to go, questions for this interview via they had to come into the men's sec¬ My early life was unhappy. I mail. tion to use the trench, and the men was not mistreated or hungry or any¬ stood around and saw whatever they FR: You seemed to burst into sf thing like that; it was more subtle. could see while the show was on. full-force, with two major works -- I was bom in Oxford, England, and And that's just one example... SOS THE ROPE and CHTHON. Do you lived there about four years. Yes -- have any idea why you came to sf to John Brunner hails from the same Anyway, we left Spain in August begin with, and how actively involv¬ time and place. I was happy there, 1940, and I had my 6th birthday on ed were you in sf before you became until the time came to leave; then the ship. They were short of sup¬ a professional? I discovered that my beloved nurse plies , since WW II was then on in was not my mother, and that I had to Europe, so my birthday cake was mads ANTHONY: The key word is "seemed". go away with two comparative strang¬ out of sawdust, iced and candled like I was an avid, completist reader of ers who were my real parents. We any other cake. Today my own child¬ SF from 1947 on, and developed a con¬ went to Spain in 1939, when I was ren, the age I was then, delight to siderable collection of magazines. hear about that wonderful sawdust I started serious SF writing in 1954, just about turning five; I began to cake, though I recall being disap¬ sold my first story in 1962, and my learn Spanish and forget English. pointed that I couldn't eat it. I first novel in 1966. So it was hard¬ My father was head of the AFSC (Am¬ had a harmonica for a birthday pres¬ ly a "burst"; I had worked my way up erican Friends Service Comnittee, ent, and played it all over the ship. through the slush pile for many years the international activity arm of Lot of fun, right? Well, yes, ex¬ before my head broke the surface, the Quakers) relief program in Spain cept for the seasickness; but another and by then my talent had solidified during the civil war there. He was thing is, this was my second uproot¬ I had no fan activity prior to my feeding the starving children, who ing, going to a new country with a- first sale, but I was as deeply in¬ there, as in many wars, were the nother language, and I suffered. I volved in SF as I could be. real victims of combat. Then Gen¬ eral Franco won, and apparently the had a string of psychological prob¬ It would be difficult to trace new quasi-fascist government was lems such as bed wetting, convulsive everything, though. I was addressing suspicious of anyone who was giving head and hand motions, and fear of a class of high school students last out food for nothing, so one day my the dark. A single nightmare ter¬ month, and a girl asked me why I had father disappeared. Nobody knew rified me for three years. I was taken up writing, and I gave her a what had happened, until he managed small for my age, finishing 9th grade direct answer -- and was amazed to to smuggle out a note; then my moth- at exactly 100 pounds and 5 feet e- hear what I said. The real key seems 56 ven, the smallest in my class, male or female (I have considerable sym¬ (collaborative) in 1967, and they dl ness. As it happened, my wife was pathy for Harlan Ellison, who is sold, and I've been going at a sim¬ pregnant at the time, and she had also my age; I may have been smal¬ ilar writing pace since. So it was lost three babies before and had had ler than he, until I started to not as sudden as it seemed; it was surgery in an effort to hold this grow, and I kept growing until my just that once I cracked the novel, one; she began to get hysterical, and third year of college, and now stand publishing barrier, I moved right on I don't mean with laughter. SFWA and at 5'11" or so in the morning, and ahead. My second novel sale was ac¬ Gordon Dickson, then President of shrink some during the day). So I tually OMNIVORE. SFWA, offered to arbitrate, and we got bullied. Also my parents didn't all chose arbiters, and after a long get along; they were divorced when FR: You seemed to have run into passage of time, it was obvious to I was eighteen, but they might as some problems quite early; I've me that someone was stalling and no¬ well have done it when I was eight, heard that you had some problems thing was going to come of it, so I because the tension was worse than with your dealings with BALLANTINE quit SFWA (and never have rejoined) the finality. This represented my concerning OMNIVORE. What did hap¬ and handled it myself. I ended up third uprooting really. So I had an pen? getting $800 and after that it went untenable emotional situation, and pretty much my way. I never did get ANTHONY: They violated both their had my life ended there, I would my book club author's copies, incid¬ contracts with me, on CHITON and CM- have preferred not to have been bom. entally. And of course, the word was NIVORE, and blacklisted me when I I've glossed over the details, of spread all over about what an unreas¬ protested. I took back both novels course; it was not all bad. But I onable person Piers Anthony was; I and had them republished elsewhere. had to get out of it or lose my mind. got feedbacks from that from more And that was where SF came in. Wien I have a tremendous amount of than one direction and had trouble I discovered ASTOUNDING SF magazine material relating to this matter, selling my books, and my income de¬ at the age of 13, a whole new world and it is too complex to cover en¬ creased while my unsold backlog in¬ opened up for me -- a glorious, ad¬ tirely here. So I'll suraiiarize as creased. But I survived it without venturous wonderful world, so much I remember it, and you must bear in compromising my principles. better than my own. I suppose to¬ mind that the others named would nat¬ FR: Why is it that you're now back day kids in my situation discover urally put different interpretations with Ballantine, after all those hard drugs instead; I guess I could on the matter. I got along fine problems? Is it changing editors, have been a drug addict, but never with BALLANTINE at first, but then changing policies, or what? encountered that, and did encounter they played it fast and loose with science fiction. I was hooked; I the terms of the contract, and tried ANTHONY: Both, in fact. The admin¬ lived for SF thereafter. So that's to tough it out rather than admit istration changed at Ballantine, and the "why SF?" answer. The "why writ¬ error, and involved other people, the Del Reys took over there. I've ing?" ties in; I was nothing and less and suggested that I was the one at always gotten along fine with both than nothing -- that is, I would have fault -- well, you don't do that to Del Reys. I admired Lester's edit¬ been happier not living -- and there me unless you are prepared for a real ing way back in the early 50s, and seemed to be precious little justi¬ fight. met him personally in 1966 and told fication for my existence. When I him he was the sort of editor I couLd One good example: when OMNIVORE was 16 my closest cousin, age IS, write for, and I meant it, and I was was picked up by the book club, they who had everything to live for, died right. I've had experience with good never showed me the contract or told of cancer; it really seemed unfair, and bad editors: he's a good one. me its terms; they just sent me a since obviously 1^ was the one who So I'm doing fantasy for him now, and note saying my 504 share would be should have gone. It was as though enjoying it. sent along soon. Well, time passed; I had to justify my life somehow. the book club edition was published, FR: And then there was MACROSCOPE, And so this compulsion to figure it and no money came. So I inquired, undoubtedly one of the most contro¬ out, to understand why I did live, gently; how come no money and no versial non-Hugo winners in SF. lid and to make that clear to the woiid author's copies? They ignored this you have trouble selling the book? -- assuming there was a rationale Then, a month after the book club for it. By the time I had figured ANTHONY: Yes. Five American pub- publication they sent me a statement the things I needed to know, I was lishers bounced it, and finally Avon of account -- and did not even list a vegetarian -- because of my aver¬ took it. It has paid back a lot of the book club sale. Or the two Eur¬ sion to death, which I suppose may money since then; I expect the total opean sales of CHITON. That was be taken as a positive sign after to pass $20,000 this year. But the when I hit the ceiling and sent a my prior attitude - -■and I was able most important thing is that it got stiff note, demanding to know why to express complex thoughts pretty me a good publisher; Avon has treated such things weren't listed. well. So -- I wrote. And became me in a way that no other publisher Someone, instead of No-one. That is As a result, Betty Ballantine did. Almost all my best work is at the essence of what I told the girl blacklisted me there, returning my Avon now. in class, and listened to myself novel ORN -- already editorially FR: What about Hugoes in general; tell. I am an Sf writer today be¬ marked for the typesetters, or at Eow do you feel about SF awards, cause without SF and writing I would least partially marked. So I wrote whether from fans or pros? be nothing at all today. to the SFWA Contracts Committee, that was set up to handle such To wrap up the question: I took things, run by Damon Knight. He did seven years to struggle through CH- not respond directly; instead he THON, finally got it untangled and passed the letter along to Robert completed in 1965. It sold a year Silverberg, who passed it (or word later, and was published the year of it) to Betty Ballantine; then after that. Meanwhile I had written both Silverberg and Ballantine wrote the collaborative novel THE PRETEND¬ me what I felt were arrogant notes, ER (Borgo Press should publish that suggesting I was guilty of libell¬ in a couple of years) and was work¬ ing the finest publisher in the world ing on HASAN. I wrote three novels, and had harmed my career by my rash- (MJIVORE, SOS THE ROPE, and THE RING * 57 ANTHONY: I've gotten rather cynical Berkley, and now will be published a successful manuscript from a dud. about those awards, for a number of by Borgo) and the SF novel ORN were A number said that HASAN fell be¬ reasons. I'm not sure I would ac¬ serialized in Ted White's magazines. tween categories, and thus would not cept either a fan or a pro award to¬ I have no quarrel with White in this sell well. Make of that what you day. Some of my earlier novels were connection. But his publisher is a will. contenders for awards; CHTHON placed rogue who reneges on agreements FR: Another rather amazing fact is third in both Hugo and Nebula. MA¬ and cheats authors, so I decline to the absence of a Piers Anthony short CROSCOPE was distributed late, so the do business. I did compromise by story collection from your publisted people who were waiting to read it showing Ted a collaborative novel, works. Why? and perhaps nominate it for the Neb¬ DEAD MORN; he has had it for over ula could not do so, and they refus¬ three years now without a report or ANTHONY: I don't know how writers ed to allow write-ins so it was fro¬ response to my queries, and I presune get short story collections publish¬ zen out without a hearing. It was this means he will not publish it. ed; no publisher has *ver been inter¬ on the Hugo ballot -- but I had re¬ I'd like to get it back, in fact. ested in anything of the sort from ceived the word privately that a lot I would have shown Ted OX had his me. Maybe if I had more aggressive of fans didn't like my arrogance, publisher behaved, but he did not so agents who thought in those terms -- and refused to read it. I feel both I did not. but by and large, story collections the fan and the pro attitude were are not in demand. Since only one wrong, and I also feel that MACROS- About Ted, though -- and this re¬ in four of my stories ever sold any¬ lates to an earlier question -- let COPE was a better novel than the one way, I don't have a big list of pub¬ that won. That was LeGuin's LEFT me say this. When all the mess with lished stories to draw from; maybe HAND OF DARKNESS -- which was a very Ballantine broke, and it seemed that twenty or so. fine novel, but which won by default. my career as a writer could be fini¬ But I did try one innovation; I You see, that was the year, 1969, that shed because of the blacklist, and I felt SFWA had betrayed me, I needed collected almost all of my unsold Disch's CAMP CONCENTRATION was pub¬ good advice. So I turned to what I stories into one 100,000 word vol¬ lished; I never found that on sale felt was the best source for advice ume entitled ANTHONOLOGY, which I so have never been able to read it, relating to this sort of problem: thought was a clever title. I felt but I understand from all accounts, Ted White, who has had a similar that many of those stories should including LeGuin's own, that it was problem. And he answered with a have been published, and would have the best novel of that year. There long, fine sensible analysis: what been, had my name been Clarke or was also Spinrad's BUG JACK BARRON, threats were real, what were bluffs, Heinlein or Asimov. However, many tremendously controversial -- but what I could expect to gain or lose of them were not good stories, too. what a number of people seemed to following what courses. It put the So I put them all together with my overlook was the fact that under all whole thing into tactical perspec¬ commentary, telling where they had that provocative language was an ex¬ tive and enabled me to carry it been marketed and what sort of edit¬ cellent novel. With people voting through to its eventual more-or-less orial responses I had gotten and why for or against Spinrad's novel for successful conclusion. I have al¬ I thought they had failed. The vol¬ the wrong reasons, and with both ways been grateful to Ted White for ume thus became a kind of new -- mine and Disch's excluded from the this, and that is why I am so care¬ writer's text: here is this story, ballot (for different reasons) -- ful to say that my quarrels with A- here is what the editor said about well, LeGuin's might have won fair¬ MAZING have been with his publisher, it, here is what was wrong with it. ly, in the Nebula, but did not. The not him. I never forget how he help¬ I think it made good reading of a Nebula win carries a lot of impact ed me when I needed it. unique kind: The reader could read with the fans, and I think in recent a story, enjoy it, then guess what years the winner of the Nebula has FR: Why did you have so much trouble getting HASAN sold? In fact, you was going to happen to it, and may¬ often won the Hugo automatically, be get some pointers on how to avoid regardless of its merit. So I feel still have numerous manuscripts un¬ sold --an amazing thing for a pro¬ a similar failure himself. But -- both awards have been debased by er¬ the volume itself could find no pub¬ fessional of your caliber. Do you ror and politics, and that isn't the lisher. I think this was for sev¬ have any ideas why? sort of thing I care to participate eral reasons; one reason was that in. It is possible that I might have ANTHONY: Well, I did have trouble the editors knew these were rejected a more optimistic attitude had one with that blacklist; one publisher stories, so felt they must be bad, of my prior novels won, of course; bounced HASAN for that reason, and and read with a prejudiced mind. but I try not to be a hypocrite, and others may have without admitting it Another was that it was a collection feel I have legitimate objections to But I think it is mainly that editors by a not-well-known writer, a sure these awards. So I rather expect to have particular tastes and not too drug on the market. But mainly, it pass them up, not because I feel my much competence, and often don't know called a spade a spade when it came work is unworthy, but because the awards are unworthy. The fans who did not like my arrogance before will now have more ammunition -- but there is no arrogance on Earth like that of an ignorant fan. FR: When Ted White first took over AMAZING and FANTASTIC, he ran a stun¬ ning fantasy novel of yours, HASAN, which remained unsold in book form for seven years. More recently, you've been noticeably absent in A- MAZING and FANTASTIC; is this due to financial aspects or other reasons? ANTHONY: Both the fantasy HASAN (which was sold in book form, but written off without publication by to editing. I quoted editor's com¬ vice to an agent---and I had the airplane would not let us aboard. I ments on given pieces -- well, from proof. Ironic that ANTHOLOGY, the had planned to meet an editor in New memory, here's an example: I did a very maruscript she chastized on York, and everything was fouled up. story called "Balook" about the ani¬ this score, was the one that proved Anyway, I had several days good con¬ mation of the largest mammal ever my case. versation with SF writer Katherine known, Baluchitherium, eighteen feet McLean, and my daughter enjoyed it, tall at the shoulders, twice the siae But how to get past the barrier so I don't regret it. I adapted the of an . But people found it on that book -- I don't know. I sent experience to my novel GOD OF TAROT; strange, so they were mean to it, it to Richard Delap to review, the I adapt everything I can to my writ¬ taking pot shots, throwing firecrack¬ way he had for HASAN, that resulted ing, as a matter of policy. This ers, and so on, so the experiment in the first sale of HASAN. He said May I'11 take my younger daughter to failed not because of the animal but he was going to review it -- but a Pennsylvania, to my 25th high school because of the people in our society. number of years have passed with no reunion, because the 25th is the only I thought this was a very important word. So I'm out the top copy, and one I'm willing to make the effort concept to get across, and a good SF one day I'll query Delap to learn for, and we have a high concentra¬ story too. But one editor rejected what happened. It seems to be ano¬ tion of family there to visit, and it because he couldn't believe people ther jinxed manuscript. But there's we try to be fair with our children: would be that cruel, and John Camp¬ why I have no short story collection one daughter had her turn, now the bell rejected it because he said he in print. other must have hers. That's the already knew people were that mean; FR: You're not a convention goer at way we operate. he even gave an example of such all; you mentioned once that you'd FR: It's quite obvious that your cruelty, where someone had fed a can probably not go to a Worldcon that of lye to a zoo hippopotamus and daughters are extremely important to. was only a few hours away from you. you; how much of a change in your killed it. So there you have two Why is that? opposite reasons for rejection -- life came about when Penny and Chery and this tends to show up editors ANTHONY: When they set up a Worldcon were born? more than the story. So editors in Orlando, I decided to go; that's ANTHONY: I regard the birth of my bounce the collection that shows only a hundred miles or so. When first child as the most significant this. they moved it to Miami, I decided not change in my life, ever. You see, to go; that's too far away. I don't Editors have much more sensitiv¬ we'd been married eleven years, and like it traveling anyway; my family lost three children, and not been ity about criticism of them than they is important to me, and so is my do for the merits of a given story. certain we could ever have a child writing. We can't all go because we of our own, and of course the adop¬ One editor rejected the volume say¬ have animals to care for and my wife ing in her experience it was not tion agencies would not have accept¬ has a job and my kids have school, ed a vegetarian who wrote science true; that editors did not treat un- and I don't like going alone. I did agented authors worse, pay them less, fiction as a good parent. So when make a trip to Vermont last summer, we finally got one we could keep, it etc., as I had suggested in ANTHOL¬ but I've never been to an sf conven- OGY. Well, at that time two of my was a complete transformation. My manuscripts were shown to that pub¬ wife returned to work, and I took lisher. PR0S1H0 PLUS (a novelized FR: You dislike traveling, yet you care of Penny. She was my little collection of dental stories) I sub¬ mentioned a trip to Vermont -- what girl; I diapered her, I fed her, I mitted on my own; then a couple of was that about? held her at night, because she was months later I had obtained an agent, colicky and had to be held or she ANTHONY: I think that was the first could not sleep; I got very little and he submitted ANTHOLOGY. I got a trip I'd taken out of the state in a report on the latter, with that com¬ sleep those days! There was not a decade. I visited Andy Offutt in moment of my day or night when she ment about the fairness of editors, Kentucky back in 1964, and attended before I got one on PROSTHO PLUS. was not somewhere in my mind; I had the Milford session in Pennsylvania to know what she was doing, where Finally, when someth hg like six in 1966. The trips were worthwhile, months had passed, and my query to she was, that she was all right. but fandom simply isn't that impor¬ My writing efficiency was cut in the publisher had been ignored, I tant to me. But the Vermont trip -- obtained a copy of the bound galleys half. Thus this birth made more dif¬ my college professor asked me to come ference to me than marriage itself. of the British edition of that nov¬ for a Science Fiction 5 Future sort el and gave it to my agent to re¬ Chery, born 21/2 years later, was of program, and because I did have her mother's girl, and did not affect market elsewhere. Immediately he my degree in writing from there and got an offer for it from the same my life so much. As my mother-in- had good instruction, I felt the col¬ law put it; one child already takes publisher, who I thought had lost lege had a call on me. I have a loig the original manuscript. For $500 up 1001 of your time. So the sec¬ memory for who I owe what, be it a ond can't make as much difference. more than they said they might have favor or a curse. So I went, taking paid me. So that editor struck me I'm making notes for a book, now, to my daughter Penny along. It was just be entitled TANGLEHAIR TALES (a bor¬ as exactly the sort of hypocrite she twenty years after my graduation, and denied being. She gave better ser¬ rowing from Hawthorne's TANGLEWOOD now they have co-ed dorms and such -- TALES) about the experience of rais¬ when I had been suspended for being ing two cute, bright little girls. in a girls’ lounge with five other (The school tested Chery's IQ at 150, people at 10:40 pm, just talking. and she's doing 2nd grade work in Times change, and I reminded them of the first grade. As I said: bright) that. Ed Meskys, one of the editors Penny is hyperactive and learning- of NIEKAS, attended, but overall disabled -- both terms referring to their program was a disaster. Hard¬ rather complicated syndromes; I did ly any students bothered to attend; a whole article on that subject and it was the first nice day in some sold it to the local newspaper. So time, and they were all outside en¬ we've had a lot of experience, good joying the sun. We had confirmed and bad -- but I'd never trade it reservations going home -- and the for the alternative. A number of 59 fans have objected to my talking about my children; sorry, my child¬ personal levels, and do you still a number of people are like this; ren are more important to me than get feedback on them? I know you've they apply talent and drive and cour¬ the fans. told me that "I never had a feud age to whatever they do (Harlan El¬ with an honest person; I hate dis¬ lison being an obvious example), in¬ FR: You have veiy few dealings with honesty and hypocrisy, and my defin¬ cluding combat, so they achieve more fanzines nowadays; is this because itions are stricter than the norm." and make more enemies than other of your heavy writing schedule, or Do you care to elaborate? people do. I am of this type, apt are there other reasons? to be more generous in both friend¬ ANTHONY: I really entered fandom ANTHONY: Something you have to rea¬ ship and adversity than the average and prodom simultaneously, late in lize; there is no person in this person. So don't be too free about 1962, getting in touch with NFFF world who is not reasonable by his saying I'm not hot-tempered feuding sort; had you challenged my compe¬ while my first sale was being made. own lights. Harlan Ellison has I did not tell the fans I had made quite a reputation for feuding, yet tence or ethics in print, you might a sale, and they regarded me as a he can be the most considerate, nic¬ have encountered quite another facet "neo" despite my fifteen years of SF est person you'd want to meet. As of my character. Yet if I were not addiction, and I never cared to go be¬ I've shown here, Ted White can be this way, I would not have made it yond that status. Someone discover¬ most accommodating. So most of these this far as a writer. ed I was a pro and printed my addrss feuds are really misunderstandings. FR: You received poor treatment as and I was deluged with fanzines beg¬ So I must qualify my statement: I a writer at Laser; Elwood had your ging a response. I wrote to each do hate dishonesty and hypocrisy, and book rewritten by Robert Coulson, explaining that I preferred not to try to live a moral life'myself -- and then listed it as a collabora¬ participate, and some of them would but what I call dishonest,' another tion. What were your feelings on run my note and maybe ridicule it, person may call practical. Don Pfeil this? Did this lead to financial though I had not intended it for of VORTEX treated me perfectly well, problems concerning royalties? Do print, so finally I lumped three fan¬ and he was merely running his busin¬ you feel that the manuscript needed zines together and gave them a mul¬ ess as he saw fit; I took off on him sufficient rewriting to classify it tipage letter putting it all on the because my standards differ. I'm as a collaboration? line. One of them printed excerpts sensitive to contract violations and -- negative ones, not positive ones, blacklisting and setting stories in ANTHONY: This is another question of course, and that started a major type without contracts, but he ob¬ that requires a complex answer. My fan feud. If I say "this is good viously felt that some of these feelings were and are strongly nega¬ and this is bad," and a fanzine practices were proper. He made the tive; it seems Elwood deceived both prints only the latter and 'objects tactical mistake of challenging me, me and Coulson, telling me that there to my being negative -- well, I had so he paid the penalty; I do know were only minor changes so he was having Coulson retype it rather than a bellyfull of that sort of thing, how to fight, as I think even my fan- and now I simply don't answer fan¬ nish enemies will concede. I don't bothering me with the details, while he told Coulson that I had agreed to zines without a special reason. I think I've ever lost a battle in used to write to half a dozen fan¬ fandom, though my positions have such major revision as to require zines, good ones like SFR and DOUBLE been misrepresented many times. I've collaboration. Had Elwood not been fired because of the lack of success BILL and NIEKAS, and refused to also had run-ins of small or great of the Laser line, I believe I could write to any others after that. FR extent with agents Scott Meredith have gotten him fired because of the is an exception, mainly because I and Jay Garon, and with pros Ted ethical and contractual violations do have an interest in SF reviewing. White, Harlan Ellison, Harry Harris¬ You may remember that our first con¬ on, , Wilson Tucker, Lin he perpetrated in this case. I feel that no revision at all was necessary, tract was when you invited me to at¬ Carter and others I've forgotten. and that my original novel was super¬ tend an unpretentious con in Georgia There are a number of people who ior to the mess that saw print. (Halfacon '74 - Susan), and I de¬ don't like me -- but the root of it There were no financial problems, be¬ clined, and then you printed your has generally been my objection to cause I had already been paid; Coul¬ fanzine and did not lambast me. their standards, rather than the son was paid a pittance by the com¬ That shewed the difference between other way around. If you ever en¬ pany and promised a 50% share of you and a number of other fans. I'm counter someone who seriously be¬ future proceeds. Since there was still in touch with Joanne Burger lieves I have acted with dishonesty, no contractual authority for that, and hope to see her this year, so I tell me; I'd say the chances are ten it was an empty promise; the "colla¬ don't eschew all fans, but I cer¬ to one he'll be correctly informally boration" was illegal. The manus¬ tainly don't go out of my way to or in court. I don't say "to know cript did suffer sufficient rewrit¬ interact with them. It is true I'd me is to like me", I say that when ing to qualify as collaboration; the rather write than waste time at cons, the dust settles down, most people problem is that it did not need that and if I ever do attend a con I'll will have to admit the bastard is rewriting, and was not improved by probably do it anonymously, because right, and many of the rest will it. I now have the publisher's apo¬ I don't like class distinctions. As show themselves about the way Dean logy and the reversion of rights to I said: I have a reputation for ar¬ Koontz did. Dean won't understand my original text; Elwood is gone and rogance, and well-earned -- but there what I mean, of course. Yet I do the Laser line is finished. I think are a number of fans -- and pros -- have very close and good relation¬ that suffices. It was Elwood, and who deserve much more of that reput¬ ships with those who meet my criter¬ not the publisher, who did it; El¬ ation than I do, and I'm damned if ia, and some who don't; for example wood deceived his own publisher, too. I'll cater to them. I differ extremely from Roberto Fu- FR: Several people in fandom seem entes, but we've collaborated on six FR: You take environmentalism quite seriously; how did your interest in to see you as a hot-tempered, feud¬ novels and sold five, and we're good this come about? Are you satisfied ing sort; yet you're not that kind friends. I don't take the credit that the American public is giving of person at all. Your VORTEX feud, for that; it's just that Roberto can environmentalism the attention it for instance, was a case of your of¬ get along with anybody, for all that fering moral support to a new author he doesn't have to, being a third deserves, or do you think it's being who'd gotten a bad deal -- have any degree black belt in judo. Anyway, glossed over? of these other feuds been on more 60 ANTHONY: This ties in with my pro- fession and my family. Professional¬ judo is pro, if that analogy helps. ly, I want a halfway decent world But if I'm ever mugged on a street, for my children to go out into. What I could probably dispatch the mugger, I perceive is disquieting. We are judo is self-defense, and some of not headed for any utopia. It isn't those techniques are devastating. just a matter of corruption and mon¬ Apart from that, it has kept me ex¬ ey-grubbing; there has always been ercising vigorously, and that is good that, and though I don't approve, for my health, especially at my age. the world will no doubt survive it. I do about 13 chins each morning, and It is that we cannot maintain our three times a week assorted other present trends without destroying exercises that give my system a good the world as we know it. Food, ener¬ workout. I don't kill myself, but I'm probably in better shape than 95% gy, environment -- we're running out of them all. Our grandchildren may of men my age. So you might say phy¬ starve and shiver and cough, with no sical health is one of my activities* recourse. No need to go into a long and that includes healthy eating -- discussion here; there is plenty of no free sugar, smoking, coffee, etc. documentation elsewhere. I have been I hope to measure out a half-mile active in Consnon Cause, trying to track around our forest property and correct the political roots of mis- run a couple of laps regularly; I govemment -- but it will take more think running is the best exercise than that. I don't know how to make there is. people who are stupid or willfully FR: Your Jason Striker series of blind do what is necessary; merely kung-fu books did a nice job of com¬ economizing myself doesn't solve the bining this interest with semi-fan¬ problem when others are wasting pre¬ tasy themes. Why was the series can¬ cious resources. So I am doing what celled after five books? little I can; I am removing my fam¬ ily from it. I use bicycles to take ANTHONY: Ouch: not kung-fu. Judo. my children to and from school -- Important difference. It was cancel¬ these novels, and how important are tandem bikes with extra seats, so I led because of a change of editors they to you as a writer? can take one or two children at onae. at Berkley. The old editors told us I've been doing that for six years, the series was doing well, and they ANTHONY: Crucially, important. I and amassed about 7000 miles on four wanted more, so we worked up a 6th regard the three Cluster novels bikes -- which represents a fair a- novel -- but in the interim, George (CLUSTER, CHAINING THE LADY and KIR- mount of gasoline saved. We use so¬ Emsberger, who was editor at Avon LIAN QUEST) as the best sf adventure lar water heating, and open windows when I started there with MACROSCOPE, I have done; together they amount to in lieu of air conditioning and wood and who moved to Berkley and bought 349,000 words and range the full gal¬ in the fireplace in lieu of electric many more novels there -- he left, actic cluster. I think the readers or oil heating. So we are living and the new editors said the series will like them best of all my works. cheaply. We're now building a house was not doing well and bounced the GOD OF TAROT is linked, but of a dif¬ on several acres of forest land next next novel. I don't know what went ferent type; I hope it will be my to a state forest, where we can con¬ on there; one fan reviewer, David best serious novel. (I'm working on tinue and extend these things and Hartwell, I believe, did a bad re¬ it now, and it is difficult, so I grow a better garden. If civiliza¬ view of my juvenile novel RACE A- can't say it is my best -- just that tion collapses, maybe we'll be able GAINST TIME, implying I was a racist I'm trying.) If I succeed, GOD OF to survive. More important, maybe and he went to Berkley as an editor, TAROT will eclipse MACROSCOPE as a we'll show people it can be done so and that could account for our loss novel I am known by. The fans may that others will cut down on wastage of favor. I don't know; no doubt not like it, because it isn't what and pollution, and the damage will Hartwell will deny it -- but he did they expect from me, but I'm aiming lessen. And of course it shows in show a bad attitude about a novel for a larger audience. Those who my writing; I had many of these that was not racist. The sales fig¬ didn't like the astrology in MACROS¬ things in my Laser novel, before the ures show that the martial arts nov¬ COPE will be apoplectic at the tarot editors interfered. But I don't els were doing about as well there theme of this one, not .to mention think the American public is taking as PROSTHO PLUS, which is science the serious religion. But I refuse these things seriously enough -- and fiction -- but that hasn't done that to shy away from serious material; I fear we all may die of it. well, either. The fact is, the ed¬ for example, I'm doing a nonfiction itor, more than the particular book, book on kidney disease -- FR: What other non-sf activities determines what publishers buy my are you involved in? work; when Emsberger left Berkley, FR: How did you come to do a book I was in again. (And on this matter on kidney disease? ANTHONY: I've mentioned most of of racism: my best friend, one of them already, actually. One other the few bright spots of my child¬ ANTHONY: That's another long story. is judo. I got into that because of hood, was a Negro. I believe in the I'm getting tired, so let’s see if I my collaborator, Roberto Fuentes, integration of races, and my major can condense it into a short answer. and the martial arts novels we are novels feature integrated casts: Back in 1962 I was fired from my doing. I'll probably leave it this MACROSCOPE, GHOST, GOD OF TAROT, good job at an electronics company summer, after three years, because and others: my Laser book had a and my wife lost her third baby, and I am moving and I don't think there black character -- who was expurgat¬ a doctor told me the constant fatigue is a judo club where I'm going. But ed to white by someone.) I felt was all in my mind --on the it has been good while it lasted. same day. Because of the unemploy¬ I'm a green belt, now, which is no FR: I know that you've been most ment problem I tried my first full high rank --it might be reckoned as proud of your upcoming CLUSTER/GOD year as a writer, and my wife, hav¬ getting a story published in a fan¬ of TAROT series of novels; what are ing no baby to care for, went to zine, while the black belt level of work to support us, and my insurance company ridered me for all mental big to go into detail on here... ALIEN THOUGHTS CONTINUED FROM P. 55 disease because of the fatigue, which never left me. I carried on. FR: Before we close --do you claim In 1972 I was a professional writer, any influences from other writers? 9-15-77 It has been a while since and my wife had carried two babies, ANTHONY: Everything influences me, I wrote a dated entry. Time to make and I had found insurance that didn't even bad examples like Hemingway. a prediction, make some political think I was crazy -- but fatigue re¬ But basically I am my own man, emu¬ comments... mained. Finally I had a competent lating nobody. Borgo will do a bock- physical exam; it cost $169 -- they let on me, 'later in their series, But first. I've heard that I won discovered I had diabetes. This was and possibly they will fathom my lit¬ the Best Fanzine Hugo and tied with the source of my fatigue. The doc¬ erary antecedents better than I can. Susan Wood for Best Fan Writer Hugo. tor, who supervised about 250 kidney I think this interview shows that I Very nice. Very gratifying. I asked dialysis treatments a week and hand¬ am not quite like other people, even to accept for me at the les all the kidney business for this other writers. worldcon if I won, and I presume he area, said he had this notion for a did. I have to presume a lot, since nobody ever tells me anything. An SFR book, and -- and so we collaborated. FR: Thank you. Piers. He is the doctor, I am the writer; [This interview has undergone reader called from Seattle to con¬ we bring our respective skills to gratulate me on winning the fanzine only marginal editing for purposes it. We had one collaborative artic¬ Hugo—this days after the event—and of space, otherwise, it is present¬ le published in a newspaper, and now THAT was the first word I got. He as¬ ed as written.] at last have placed our book, DEATH sumed I already knew. *Grump*. And OR DIALYSIS, with a small local pub¬ then came a letter from George Flynn REG NOTE: With his permission to re¬ lisher. It covers kidney disease, (from the Hotel Fontainebleau). He print this interview from FUTURE and dialysis, and transplantation of said, RETROSPECTIVE, Piers sent along an kidneys, and has fascinating episodes,, 'I presume you've already been additional paragraph for one of his like the time the tubing burst in notified of your latest 1-1/2 Hugoes.' responses, and the following extra the middle of a treatment, shooting You presume too much, George. information: a geyser of blood up to the ceiling, Somehow I expect the convention com¬ or when they took a kidney from the June 6, 1977 mittee to notify the non-attending mother of a patient for transplant winners, officially, on a letter¬ 'And a ... note to you, suggest¬ and discovered it was cancerous, so head. ed by something in one of the other that hep act of generosity literally And I have no idea who has the interview questions: I am now work¬ saved her life. I'm sorry no big actual Hugoes...or when I'll get ing on GOD OF TAROT, the most hor¬ New York publisher wanted this book. them.... *Grump* rendously complex novel I have done. I did it because I believe it will If it makes it through the various save lives, and I want to do more censors along the way, I recommend # Arthur F. Bums is currently than merely entertain people. it to you for reading, not because head of the all-powerful Federal FR: You've collaborated a great I give a damn about any possible Reserve Board (which controls the deal; do you prefer collaborating? SFR review (though I do) (but who currency, interest rates, bank re¬ Have you ever had any problems with knows whether SFR will exist by the serves, etc.) and he is due to re¬ collaborations? time GOD OF TAROT sees print?) but tire soon. So who will be his re¬ because I believe you will find that placement? ANTHONY: Endless problems! Colla¬ parts of it read more like REG's I'll pick Robert V. Roosa, one boration is as much work as indivi¬ secret thoughts than any of your cur¬ of the men most often mentioned as dual novel writing -- for each par¬ rent material does. You once quit Bums' successor. Why? Simply be¬ ty, yet each only gets half the reading one of my stories after the cause he is a member of the Rocke¬ money. I collaborate because I re¬ first pages because you didn't like fellers' Council on Foreign Rela¬ fuse to be limited by my own limita¬ the style, thereby missing out on a tions, and a member of David Rocke¬ tions. I knew nothing about martial story you would have enjoyed-"Hur¬ feller's Trilateral Commission. arts, so I collaborated with a judo dle"-about supersonic car racing. In case you're wondering, Bums is black belt; I know nothing about med Take my word, though the first two a member of the CFR, too. ALL the icine, so I collaborated with a doc¬ chapters of GOD OF TAROT may turn policy-making biggies in the Cart¬ tor. It is hard work -- but I'm not you off, keep going; you will not er administration are CFR and/or in writing for money or ease. I did regret it. Tf I win my upcoming members of the Trilateral Commission. a whole fanzine article on collabor¬ battle with the censors, that is; Including Carter. ating for OUTWORLDS, so I'll leave this stuff is potent.' it at that. ft*A****************Aft*Aft************ FR: You also mentioned once that # The Bert Lance affair is begin¬ you were contemplating a massive ning to look like a Waterloo for historical work; how did you get Carter's cleaner-than-thou image. motivated to this, and what will it Either Lance lied to Jimmy and others deal with? about his financial antics in trying .to run for governor, buy banks, and ANTHONY: Again, I went into this in wheel and deal on borrowed money, or a fanzine, BEABOHEMA, some years Carter and his close people are go- back. History is one of my hobbies, . ing down the shit tube with a cover- but school classes often make it up and dirty-tricks. dull; I want to make it bright, and [Jody Powell's call to that Chi¬ think I can -- if I can ever find a cago newsman and attempt to smear willing publisher. My project will Senator Percy was patently not 'im¬ cover the entire history of man, pulse'. It had to have been okayed told in stories and graphically. I and known by Jimmy Carter, in ad¬ mean, graphically as in graphs, pic¬ vance. If Carter didn't know, then tures; what did you think I meant? he would have fired Powell so fast--- But let me cop out on this; it's too But Powell simply said he admitted a mistake to Carter and Carter agreed. 9-17-77 The TV version of LOGAN'S Bullshit.] RUN is lousy. Even worse than SPACE: Either way. Carter has lost his 1999. SUBSCRIPTIONS image and is now just another lying, Again and again and again the conning, bought politician. And, men who produce these sf TV series UNITED STATES: $4.00 One Year worse, inept and clumsy. insist on treating the audience as $7.00 Two Years 10 year olds. As usual we adults are given a CANADA*: US$4.50 One Year diet of unmotivated behavior, unex¬ US$8.00 Two Years plained situations, and insults to intelligence. As when Logan and his girl are attacked by helmeted horsemen with laser rifles. Logan and girl manage become slaves to the needs of the to open a presumably locked air raid Machine.) shelter door and are "captured" by UNITED KINGDOM: a community of people who have lived Send pound equivalent there for eight years in hiding from j the same small band of all-male horse¬ of $4.50 one year, or $8.00 two men. years to agent WM. DAWSON 8 SONS The Shelter people somehow have Cannon House lots of fruit and vegetables. Folkestone, Kent, The helmeted horsemen are never CT19 5EE unhelmeted: why do they always have or write them for current quote. q~\ to have those dark glass visors down? CURRENT AND BACK ISSUES OF TAC AND Where did they come from? How did SFR are available from: they get the laser rifles? How do FANTAST (MEDWAY) LTD. IT IS SOCIETY, OF COURSE, THAT DE¬ they keep them charged? 39 West Street, FINES WHAT CRire IS, JUST AS IT DE¬ With ridiculous ease Logan over¬ Wisbech, Cambs. , PEI3 2LX FINES WHAT INSANITY IS. CRIME IS throws the tyrant band and leaves THE USE OF SOCIETY S METHODS BY with the girl to seek Sanctuary. AUSTRALIA: A$4.1S One Year PEOPLE WHOM SOCIETY HAS NOT AUTH¬ They then come to a mountain city A$7.50 Two Years ORIZED TO USE THOSE METHODS. WHEN inhabited by robots who worship their To Agent: SPACE AGE BOOKS THE GOVERNMENT CHARGES MONEY FOR dead makers. The robots try to hold 305-307 Swanston St. UNWANTED 'DEFENSE' FORCES, THAT IS Logan § girl prisoner so they can be Melbourne, 3000 Vic. TAXATION! WHEN THE UNDERWORLD served till death do they part. (Re¬ DOES THE SAFE, THAT IS CALLED THE member WITH FOLDED HANDS?) ALL OTHER FOREIGN: PROTECTION RACKET. WHEN BANKS By crawling through conveniently US$4.50 One Year SEMAND THAT THEIR CUSTOMERS PAY large air ducts he and she reach a US$8.00 Two Years BACK SUBSTANTIALLY MORE THAN THEY robot repair shop where they meet a All foreign subscriptions BORROWED, THAT IS INTEREST! WHEN superior class robot named Rem (the must be paid in U.S. dollar THE UNDERWORLD DOES THE SAME, IT only character in the long 90 minute cheques or money orders, IS 'LOANSHARKING. WHEN THE GOVERN¬ episode with any personality) who except to agents. MENT ENFORCES ITS DECISIONS BY CO¬ insists he is an android. But when ERCION, SUCH AS IMPRISONMENT OR wounded later he repairs his ruptured EVEN EXECUTION, PEOPLE SPEAK PROUD¬ leg struts and wires and when puzzled MAKE ALL CHECKS, CHEQUES AND LY OF THE RULE OF LAW! WHEN THE utters the inevitable Spock line: "It MONEY ORDERS PAYABLE TO UNDERWORLD DOES THE SAME, THERE IS does not compute." SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW EXCITED TALK OF HOODS' CARRYING Androids are man-made creatures OUT HITS. THE VERY WORD CON¬ in human form who have artificial TRACT, WHICH HAS ACQUIRED SINIST¬ flesh and bone, blood, brain, nerv¬ SAVE A HASSLE AND EXTRA EXPENSE ER CONNOTATIONS OF GANGSTER GUN¬ es. They are not the same as robots IF YOU MOVE I NEED YOUR FORMER PLAY, IS, OF COURSE, THE SAME WORD which are mechanical. But nobody in ZIPCODE AND YOUR NEW COMPLETE THAT DENOTES SOCIETY'S MOST FUNDA¬ Hollywood ever can understand that, ADDRESS. MENTAL LEGAL RELATIONSHIP. or give a shit. And after days of trudging and —OTTO FRIEDRICH travel, the girl's hair and makeup are immaculate, her dress as clean and neat as when she started the run, and through all his exertions Logan's uniform (and the uniforms of his QUESTION: so you do plan to continue pursuing Sandmen) are still clean, WORKING AS A PROSTITUTE? and no one ever needs a shave (nor do BABS: YES, AS LONG AS I'm SINGLE! their pursuers ever get tired or IF I GO ON FOR ANOTHER YEAR-AND-A- hungry). HALF TO TWO YEARS, I COULD HAVE I could go on and on.... Fuck CLOSE TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND PUT AWAY. it. I won't watch LOGAN'S RUN again. THERE'S CERTAINLY NO OTHER PROFES¬ I hope it's cancelled after four or SION M QUALIFIED FOR THAT COULD five episodes. EARN PE THAT! IT WOULD BE STUPID TO QUIT AT THIS POINT. ALIEN THOUGHTS CONTINUED ON PAGE 83 THE AMERICAN WAY OF SEX By Peter Whittaker 63 SMALL PRESS NOTES

# Interesting article in THE SCI¬ ENCE FICTION COLLECTOR #4: "Science Fiction Pornography" by Kenneth R. •' Johnson. With a couple-hundred book listing by author (many of which are pseudonyms). Also, many of the books listed are fantasy or occult pomo. I would, further, question the in¬ clusion of the Beacon sexed-up sf novels as true pomo. And including # A good, up-to-date interview # George Beahm announces the inini- Jane Gallion's BIKER seems odd. with is in the August nent publication of a complete TIM For the record, after Essex 1977 issue of SFfjF 36. Offset, 75*, KIRK art index: House bit the dust, Larry Shaw was from Jim Purviance, 13 West Summit July 29, 1977 given the mss. inventory to pick ov¬ Drive, Redwood Cirt, CA 94062. er for Brandon House use. He took Buried in the letter column is 'I will, of course, send you a only my THE ARENA WOMEN and, I pre¬ a letter from Virginia Heinlein which review copy when it is published. As sume, the rest were never published. announces in passing that Robert A. it stands now, the book should be a THE SCIENCE FICTION COLLECTOR Heinlein is 'in the middle of a new beautiful little publication: 8-1/2 is $1.25 and available from: novel.' x 11 inches, saddle-stitched, with J. Grant Thiessen two full color covers, the front one 943 Maplecroft Road S.E. # Those of you who want the full, bt Tim, the back one by George Barr Calgary, Alberta T2J 1W9 sordid, tempest-in-a-teapot story of (a portrait of Tim). Plus an index CANADA. The Lem Affair in re S.F.W.A: should with annotations by Tim, a Bill Rots- get the #12 issue of SCIENCE FIC¬ ler article, a George Barr article, # Terry L. Shorb, editor of TION STUDIES. It documents in near- a Tim Kirk article, and a 15,000 CTHULHU CALLS, sent a form letter exhausting detail how Lem was given word interview with Tim. Tom Reamy, saying, alas, that the delayed July an honorary membership in the Science Tim, 6 I went through stacks of ma¬ issue will be the last issue. He Fiction Writers of America, how this terial for possible inclusion, 6 Tom is leaving Northwest Community Col¬ was objected to, and how it was with¬ will be handling both the typeset¬ lege and cannot, of course, afford drawn, and how that was objected to. ting § designing; undoubtedly a to subsidize the magazine on his own. Who-what-when-where-why-how. It is challenge! The academic-oriented magazine did all an illuminating exercise in mask¬ not, of course, earn enough to pay ed motives. LATE NOTE: George isn't sure yet who for itself. SF STUDIES: English Dept., Indi¬ will be publishing the Kirk book; ana State University, Terre Haute, several small presses are interest¬ # The #7/8 Summer, 1977 issue of IN 47809. Costs $4. ed. TANGENT has arrived, a monster issue July issues, in the clammy grasp of of 132 pages, offset, with interest¬ # FANDCM UNLIMITED #2-3 have a ing and valuable interviews with the fantasy-weird-horror sub-genre, two-part history of the Cthulhu Myth- with material by E. Hoffman Price, and William F. Nolan. os by Loay Hall, Terry Dale and Rand¬ There is one amusing item that Hannes Bok, , all Larson. Plus a chronology of Fritz Leiber, Robert Bloch, Joseph triggered my bemused comment button: the Cthulhu Mythos---1924-1976, plus the diatribe by Craig W. Anderson on Payne Brennan, Carl Jacobi, Emil a brief survey of the Cthulhu Mythos Petaja... My best capsule descrip¬ page 30. He was outraged and aghast stories published in fan magazines, at Richard Brown's story, "Two of a tion of the magazine: a sloppy copy plus a listing of Cthulhu Mythos of WHISPERS. Kind" in the March AMAZING which has stories appearing in non-profession¬ a strong sexual and violence realism But the Clingan brothers, as ed¬ al magazines. itors and publishers, have a lot of element, plus social/cultural Liber¬ There is also, in issue #3, an al no-no's, and Craig is trying to interesting material and deserve a informal profile of L. Sprague de look. $1.25 to C.C. Clingan, P.0. rally support in his condemnation. Camp, by Loay Hall. With all due respect to the pal- Box 1836, Oroville, CA 95965. *Mpph!* I note that issue #2 I neglected to credit THE DIVER¬ id, "good taste" norms of current is sold out and not available. s-f, I think the genre needs a cer¬ SIFIER with credit,’ last issue, for Anyway, #3 is gettable from having first published "An Evolution tain percentage of shock fiction and Randall Larson, 774 Vista Grande Av., dogma-cracking themes. As things of Consciousness" by Marion Zimner Los Altos, CA 94022. are there is a bland-leading-the- •, Bradley. Marion made some changes bland sameness to sf nowadays that in the text for its SFR appearance. I deplore. If you want a copy of # UNEARTH #4 (Fall, 1977) has TANGENT 7/8 send $2.50 to David A. switched to the completely pro¬ # The NEW LIBERTARIAN NOTES #40 Truesdale, 611-A Division St., Osh¬ fessional, high class perfect-bind¬ (Sept. 4, 1977) contains the inter¬ kosh, WI 54901. David informs me ing of such as ANALOG and most pock- view with me conducted a few months that future issues are in limbo, etbooks. It is a handsome package, ago by Jane Talisman and Eric Geis- pending solutions to some problems. now, and features interesting feat¬ linger. Came out pretty good, I ures by Harlan Ellison, Norman Spin- think. If you'd like to read it rad and . send 60* to New Libertarian Enter¬ prises. Box 1748, Long Beach, CA SMALL PRESS PUBLISHER'S SAYING: # THE DIVERSIFIER has shifted em¬ 90801. "THAT'S THE WAY IT GOES—FIRST YOUR phasis and is now, with the May and Editor Konkin continues to use MONEY, THEN YOUR CLOTHES." awful, amateurish artwork which 64 continues to give his magazine an appearance of juvenility and an at¬ permanent, bound volume. $15 from Azalea St., Browns Mills, NJ 08015. mosphere of 12-year-olds at play. Gerry de la Ree, 7 Cedarwood Lane, Send Ms. to: Box 904, Chapel Hill, (How's that for biting the hand that Saddle River, NJ 07458. NC 27514. $2. per single copy. Four feeds me egoboo, Sam?) issue sub is $7. USA, $7.50 in Canada and other foreign. ff Ken Hahn writes: 'JEET has sus¬ ff SELDON'S PLAN #41, a fanzine pended publication due to personal published by the Wayne Third Founda¬ ff Linda Bushyager writes in her problems of the editor. Material tion of Wayne State University, has KARASS #33 (Sept. 77) that KARASS, held for consideration is being re¬ an impressive section titled "Sexism too, is biting the dust, after three turned, and all remaining subscrip¬ in Fandom". The most interesting or four more issues. Lack of inter- tion moneys are being returned.' and startling article is by Marion east and enthusiasm is the reason Zirnner Bradley titled "Who I am, given. Also, she has sold a sf Where I am 8 Where I Come From." This ff The superior personalzine, THE novel to Dell, and is working on a is absolutely must-read for anyone DIAGONAL RELATIONSHIP #2 is out, prequel. who wants to understand MZB and her from Arthur D. Hlavaty, 250 Coligni Linda intends to publish a fan¬ work. What she reveals explains some Av., New Rochelle, NY 10801. Avail¬ zine of some kind after the death things that have puzzled me till now. able for $1. DR#1 is available for of KARASS, but one less hectic and Send $1. to Wayne Third Founda¬ 50*. frequent. tion, Box 102 SCB, Wayne State Univ¬ ersity, Detroit, MI 48202.. PARANOIA IS BETTER THAN NO IMAGINA¬ ff Keith Justice, editor and pub¬ TION AT ALL. —Arthur D. Hlavaty lisher of S-F BOOKLOG, an all-re¬ # LETTER FROM RICHARD BERGERON view zine, has folded it. An awful lot of zines have bit September, 1977 # NEUROLOG #3 is devoted to The the dust lately! Search For Higher Intelligence, and 'The publication date for the is a source of information/addresses Willis issue of Warhoon has been set ff If you care enough about a giv¬ on groups and organization interest¬ at December 15, 1977 and it runs to en writer to want to read an approx¬ ed in space colonization, enhanced some 550 pages. It includes all the imately 30,000 word analysis of perceptions/thinking, and other Harps as well as "The Harp Stateside^" his work, the Borgo Press series by pseudo-scientific futuristic search¬ "The Harp in England" (I) "The Harp George Edgar Slusser will interest es for God. $1. from The Network, in England" (II), "Willis Discovers you. The most recent releases are: POB 317, Berkeley, CA 94701. America", "The Bright Land", "I Re¬ HARLAN ELLISON: UNREPENTANT member Me" (a 100 page autobiography HARLEQUIN, $1.95 HOLLOW FACES, MERCILESS MOONS; # and excavation of Walt's correspond¬ fiction by William Scott Home, and ROBERT A. HEINLEIN: STRANGER IN ence files), as well as many other art by Stephen E. Fabian. Publish¬ HIS OWN LAND, $1.95 items. No price has been set be¬ ed by Weirdbook, POB 35, Amherst cause I don't have a quote for the THE BRADBURY CHRONICLES, $1.95. Branch, Buffalo, NY 14226. 1200 hardcover binding with gold stamping copy edition, available in hardbound Borgo Press, POB 2845, San Bernard¬ at this time. and softbound, $15 hardbound, $5 ino, CA 92406. soft. 'Also, Warhoon is being revived William Scott Home writes weird on a semi-regular basis (at least ff Robert Sheckley visited Eng¬ often bizarre, violent (yet curious¬ the covers for the 4 issues following land recently and was interviewed ly static) fiction. Vivid, often the WAsh have already been printed!) extensively. Two of these were pub¬ boring, often electrifying material. and #29 (the WAsh is #28) has a pub¬ lished almost simultaneously by dif¬ And Steve Fabian has done over a lication date of December 1, 1977. ferent English fanzines: dozen drawings--evocative, in his Already lined up are columns by Tom ARENA #6, which has also "An most graphic style---some of them Perry and Patrick Hayden. The dir¬ Enquiry Into the Work of Robert full-page. ection of the magazine is definitely Sheckley" by David Wingrove. ARENA The book is 8-1/2 x 11, offset, fannish and I'm not looking for sf is available for $1. from Geoff Rip- on white paper, heavy white cover criticism though the problems of aes¬ pington, 15 Queens Ave., Canturbury, stock,about 98 pages. Worth the thetics and the ways of creations re¬ Kent CT2 8AY, England. (Send cash, money as entertainment and keeping main a favorite preoccupation of since an American check is virtual¬ value. yours truly. ly impossible to cash at an English 'PS: Wrhn 29 is 50* and of bank, from what I hear. And English ff THE KNOWN AND THE UNKNOWN is a course, reservations for the WAsh are banks will readily convert a $ bill beautiful, large-size hardcover col¬ being accepted.' to English coinage at the current lection (128 pages, slick paper) of exchange rate.) the fantasy and science fiction art Richard Bergeron DURFED #2 has an interview with of . 11 East 68th St. Robert Sheckley, an analysis titled In the 1940's and early 50's, New York, NY 10021 "Notions Unlimited: The Fiction of Edd Cartier's illustrations in AS¬ Robert Sheckley" by Kevin Williams, TOUNDING and UNKNOWN were the best and a "Postscript" by Sheckley in in the business; he was a delight, .ff WHISPERS #10 (August 1977) is which he confronts what he said in and his work enhanced every story out now, with its usual impressive the interview and has afterthoughts. ...and was as much an integral part fiction and artwork, and important DURFED is edited and published by of ASTOUNDING as Campbell's heavy section of publishing news and re¬ Kevin Williams, 9 Whitton Place, hand. This collection, assembled views of fantasy/macabre books and Seaton Delaval, Northumberland NE25 and edited by Dean Cartier, is a publications. Very valuable. OBJ, England. Send a dollar bill tribute to Edd Cartier and a marvel Editor/publisher Stuart David for a copy. for those who remember, for artists Schiff has moved. Correspondence to wonder at, and for those who and subscription address: Box 1492-W, SMALL PRESS NOTES CONTINUED ON P. want his work in large size in a 65 80 THE ALTER-EGO VIEWPOINT

"Geis, I've just had a stupendous "Oh, shit. Phil Farmer got idea! The title for my first self- self-indulgent and thought he should published novel will be—" introduce a lot of new minor charact¬ Alter, you've got to do reviews ers and follow three interwoven plots in this space, not rave on about and make these characters "deep"... your fantasy of writing and selling especially a woman name of Jill Gul- to the readers of SFR. birra." "Ah, Geis, you of little faith! Nothing wrong with characteri¬ All I need is about eight hundred zation, Alter. dollars for the artwork and the first "Of course not. Except Phil is print run. You can dip into---" no great shakes at it and his at¬ I cannot 'dip into' the saving tempts in this book only slow the pace to a crawl and are in the cate¬ account! That's for property taxes, or a foil to play against." gory of ho-hum and so-what. All his income taxes, medical emergencies, You think it a wrong device? characters are virtually indistin¬ and security feelings. You'll have "Hell, no! The first chapter is guishable anyway. So much so that I to raise the money some other way. a winner as Tracy Cogswell, revolu¬ "But wait till you hear the ti¬ couldn't keep Frigate and Mark Twain and Burton straight in my mind as tionary, finds himself doing unthink¬ tle! It'll knock you out!" able things against his will as he is Alright, what is this siqjer ti¬ he switched from plot-line to plot- line." forced to prepare his own tomb. The tle? picture of the underground revolut¬ "Here it is. Are you ready? He also had to repeat himself a lot, reminding readers of past event. ionary life and histoiy of Tracy that STAR WHORES." Reynolds provides is so real and viv¬ *Urrrck* Alter--- "That's always a problem with writing saga novels like this. New id that it makes the utopian future "I knew you'd love it! We can pale and limp in contrast." subtitle it 'A Seething Story of the readers have to be brought up to date and old readers reminded of what hap¬ Alter, why was Tracy Cogswell put Oldest Profession in the Future!'" into deepsleep by these people in the Alter--- pened in the previous two books. Look what has happened to Roger Zel¬ future? Why did they want him? "It's the story that asks the "They perceived that the human question: can a girl from a small azny in his Amber series. A disast¬ er. At least Roger's Amber novels race was going soft, turning into mining moon in the asteroid belt vegetables in the dream-machines find happiness in the house of one are short. This one of Phil's runs around 190,000 words and all it is that were so popular. They wanted of the solar system's most famous Tracy to figure out a way of revital¬ madams?" is a setting of the stage for the final revelations/confrontations izing the species." Alter--- Did he? "And after it sells out in the bewteen humanity and the Ethicals who have set up and run the River- "Aha. Read the book and find out. private edition we can sell it to It's an old solution, and it is too Harpers." world planet." That's your summing up? easy a winner, but Mack needed to end ALTER- -- the book, so... The main interest is "? Viking? Some "Yeah. At $9.95 this volume is not what it is supposed to be, the utopia so long sought and so dead¬ publisher with class, anyway. Of ly. The 'ownership' bag we are into course I'll have to clean it up a and is a disappointment. It is published now in hardback by Put¬ now is unnecessary, and this affects bit for the general public, I under¬ every aspect of life, including sex." stand that! But---" nam's and will appear later in pap¬ He certainly didn't avoid look¬ ALTER--- erback by Berkley." ing at sex. Couldn't have written "What? Why are you so purple?" this book this way ten years ago. I AM NOT PURPLE!! I AM--- lam "Right. But the realism goes be¬ calm... I am composed.... I will yond sex into every aspect of adjust¬ not let this creature infuriate me ment to unlimited energy and thus un¬ again. I am calm. I am— limited access to goods and services. "You keep saying that, Geis, Your next victim. Alter, is AFTER A good speculative sf novel." but that artery in your temple UTOPIA by Mack Reynolds, an Ace orig¬ The Reynolds fans will not be keeps on throbbing. I guess you inal to be released November first, disappointed? want me to review a couple books, and priced at $1.50. "They'll be very happy. It huh?" "Yeah. An exploration—unm—a wouldn't hurt if everybody read this Yes. That would be the thing display of a possible utopia for man¬ one." to do in this space. kind a couple hundred years from now, "Okay, line them up and I'll when we have unlimited power and ev¬ knock them down." erything is free." The first is the long-awaited How would people adjust to that third (but not final) volume of the kind of life? What kind of social series by Philip Jose and cultural trends would develop? Would you recomnend that every¬ Farmer. I noticed. Alter, that it "Mack shows us. He brings a one read THE GRAND WHEEL by Barring¬ took you weeks to finish the book. 20th century man to this future via ton J. Bayley? It's a new DAW book Howcum? a kind of hibernation which is forc¬ at $1.50. "Geis, you forgot to mention ed on him by a group in the future. "This one starts out very well that the title of the third volume This is all gimmick to give the auth- as an undercover agent for human is THE DARK DESIGN." government (the Legitimacy) makes Sorry. Your opinion of it? 66 his moves to infiltrate the crime organization of the future (the Alter, are you ready to give type. Personally, I prefer the Wheel). your opinion of THE COLD CASH WAR larger type—it gives me a feeling "As usual *sigh* the fate of all by Robert Asprin? It's a St. Mart¬ of progress to turn a lot of pages mankind hangs in the balance at the in's Press novel, at $7.95. and it's a hell of a lot easier to end of the novel, as the Wheel boss "Why not? It's a good, thought- read." gets into a situation where humani¬ provoking story about a possible Yes, yes. Alter, but was it a ty is the stake in a betting game future in which super-giant combines good sf novel? with the super-Mafia of the Galaxy. of multinational corporations take "No, no, Geis, it was not a "But, Geis, I weary of these on the governments of the world— good sf novel. It is billed as fate-of-mankind sf thrillers which and beat them in both public rela¬ 'The first book of the Omega Point on close examination aren't all that tions and actual physical war. The Trilogy.' But the first half of thrilling. One would think that multinationals use exquisitely train¬ this story is so full of Zebrowski's with the stakes that high... But ed mercenary soldiers and superb desire to write a pretentious (lit¬ I suppose we are all surfeited with technology to make government forces erary) space opera—full of intern¬ this plot, and ennui sets in for appear ridiculous and (in fact) in¬ al dialogue chock-a-block with meta¬ anyone who has read a dozen of this effectual." phor and other pretty figures of type." He uses multiple viewpoints to speech—that it is a puzzlement as I note, also, that Bayley rang show the events, and the ending... to who what when where and why. I in a humanity vs. an alien race, and "The ending, Geis, is the mess¬ did glean that in the far future hunanity is losing the war. age: Power corrupts, and a dictator when mankind has spread through a "Yeah...all throttles out and by any other name is still a dictat¬ large part of the galaxy, a super¬ the book is.still run-of-the-mill or. A pox on both your houses is human race was created by mating sf. Interesting extrapolation of what Asprin is saying." with a humanoid race in the Hercules the underworld/overworld govern- Ummm, Alter, I don't find any Globular Cluster. The long-lived, ments/power structures... and a kind other books here for you to review. highly intelligent Herculeans expand¬ of unified field theory based on What have you been doing with all ed and came into conflict with the number/chance/lady luck." your time? normal, highly technological humans "At the moment I'm plowing and a terrible war resulted. Which I don't believe. Alter, that through a long Jack Chalker book the Herculeans lost. Their twenty this next novel is quite your cup of which is long on magic science and worlds were wipes clean and only a tea. low on tension. And I may be able handful of Herculeans survived— "Which one? Oh, QUEEN'S WALK to get to another novel or two. including the leader, Gorgias and IN THE DUSK by Thomas Burnett Swann. Don't be pushy, Geis. I'm also his revenge-minded son. They were You're right. I read it but it did¬ plotting STAR WHORES, so—" in stasis for a long time. n't turn me on." That is a dumb title. Alter, "Anyway, the son is hot for re¬ Maybe because it was his final and if you insist on continuing that venge, and the father is old and novel, finished while he knew he was novel, change it! tired. Using a super-spaceship, dying of cancer? "I will NOT change it! It fits. a Whispership, the son does some "Maybe... It has a kind of down¬ And when it's a sellout and I've raiding and killing and manages to er ending. But mostly I don't like sold it to Random House—" push his dad to suicide." the classic setting (Greek mythology HA-HA! Random wouldn't touch Sounds exciting. type---wanderers in the Mediterran¬ that title with a parsec-long pole. "Your basic space opera plot, I ean, swords, a retelling of the Dido- "Maybe you're right. Umnm... guess. But the poetic thinking and Aeneas legend with telepathic king How about...some small press? Yeah! the dumb dialogue and incredible elephant, and the coming-of-age of It will be an underground bestseller behavior of these Herculeans makes a boy...). But wothehell, Geis, it's and a major pocketbook publisher it verrry hard to swallow. And a quality package:eight tipped-in will pick it up in spite of the ti¬ while I'm all for realisms, the plates by Jeff Jones, text on lovely tle, and-" psychopathic, insane behavior of heavy, textured book stock. Alter, go read some more. You're Giorgias, Jr. is a turn-off, and the failure of the few remaining Hardcover, Alter, by Heritage hopeless. "I am not! I have all the hope Herculeans and of his father to Press. Limited edition of 2000 in the world." kill the sonofabitch when he was copies. $16.00. Address: Box 721, six years old is a flaw. But of Forest Park, GA 30050. course without this maniac loose "You know, I found more inter¬ there is no book, or Omega Point esting the essay, "Remembering Trilogy...as a few Earth Empire Tan Swann" by Gerald Page, which people who care try to get him be¬ describes Swann the man, the writer fore he manages to wipe out more and the works; Page convinced me millions of people." Swann was good, was important, and You back so soon? You have a summing up? will be remembered and appreciated." "Yes, Geis, I found a new book " I think Zebrowski botched There is also a photo of Jeff by George Zebrowski, ASHES § STARS the first half of the novel and Jones and a page about him and his by name, which I found I could read Ace let him get away without a re¬ work. quickly, mainly because it is only write. The story only gets inter¬ "Jeff Jones is a surprise; he 45,000 words long, and has big type esting and involving when the late- looks like a medieval youth...some¬ to help fill up the 197 pages." appearing hero goes to New Mars to one from a painting of the period. Why would Ace publish a 45,000 rethink his life after his wife's A striking young man." word novel in that large a page- total death (immortality is the count format? rule) just before Giorgias sends a "Obviously the editor was small moon crashing into New Mars' stuck, fpr various mechanical reas¬ ocean." ons, with a 210-page-with-covers package and so had to blatantly use We're out of room, Alter. fillers between chapters, blank pag¬ "About time, Geis." 67 es between chapters, and the big And don't tell me that you have a building shaped like a tessaract un¬ oesennTS & byproducts less you are willing to show it to me. Heinlein almost did it. Try.

Elinor Busby's 'Time to Kill" is marginally better. This is her first published, and some of the descrip¬ tive passages and dialogue indicate that she will soon out-write her his- band. Unfortunately the story is that old berry about going back to kill Jesus and make the world better. After all that tedious space- filler, "Shadow of a Snowstorm" by John Shirley hits the reader like a thousand candle-power kaliedoscope. This is the story of a woman's ini¬ tiation into the Humanequin Guild, people who take the place of depart¬ ment store dumnys and fanatically hold awkward poses for hours. In an attempt to curb runaway unemployment the Federal Bureau of Mandatory Em¬ ployment has assigned steep minimum hiring quotas, thus creating hundreds of new jobs. Go out onto the street, and you will encounter "...shoe-lace cappers, shoe polishers, cuff-relin¬ ers, collar-straighteners and spiri¬ PRQZINE REVIEWS by STEVE BROWN tual comforters" gathering about you in a cloud, neatening up your clothes Some of the actions and motives dorft AMAZING, October '77 ring true, some of the imagery is sophomoric, but the constant flow of Two outright turkeys, a lengthy all speak in the same voice, a sort nutty ideas and crazed metaphors piece of competent mediocrity, a of Heinlein Basic, and the minor justifys the effort of reading. A feet-wetting vignette, and a bizarre characters are fools. The story is journey through Shirley's Looney oddity don't do justice to Steve Fa¬ barely there; a pair of star-wander¬ Tunes mind. SF doesn't have enough bian's interior illos. His cover is ers land on a colony planet full of true crazies, or at least not enough relatively minor, but for the beau¬ helpful, pleasant and dull people. who are able to construct a coherent tiful coloration that makes the mag They relax for a while, then go back narrative, and we need to nurture stand out nicely. to Earth. End of story. Suspense the ones we do have. is shamelessly forced by the intro¬ "A World of One's Own" by Dave The editorial has been bounced duction of a sick child at the last Bischoff and Ted White is a predict¬ for a lengthy letter column full of minute who can only be cured by the able tale of marooned spacers en¬ sturm und drang: Moscowitz and Rich Wizards of Earth, with a convenient countering a (human) feudal matri¬ Brown back to back, defending their .time limit that just happens to fit archy on a Forbidden Planet. Some respective opinions against all the length of the journey with a of the scenery and the excellent comers. comfortable margin. Naturally they pacing make it readable, but the rea¬ get delayed in transit, and reach son for the story--an examination of Earth in the nick of...aw, forget the validity of the matriarchy--is it. As much as I've seen it done be¬ undermined by a blatant Deus Ex. fore, I did find the Drift Drive in¬ The society turns out to be a part teresting, whereby one skips in and of somebody's (off-stage, though the out of neighboring probability al¬ story is presented as being part of ternatives as you move at three hun¬ a series) sociology experiment, and dred lights. Sometimes you return is being continuously monitored and COSMOS #3 and COSMOS 04 to the wrong one. I was unsettled reinforced by some pretty clumsy by the unholy glee one of the char¬ conditioning. A cop-out. A set-up acters meets herself (and off-stage, If there's any justive, COSMOS society like that can act like any¬ damn it!). should be the one that takes the SF thing you want. prozine industry out of its cottage. One of the turkeys is "Never So The other is "Far From Eve and If only they can surmount the inev¬ Lost"...by F.M. Busby. This is a Morning" by Thomas Monteleone. It itable distribution problems; I spot¬ continuation of "Nobody Home", and is a highly overwritten and neglig- ted it in one bookstore and one drug¬ tells us nothing new at great length able story of a star-colonizer tom store in the entire Baltimore-Wash- We are subjected to interminable from his One True Love by that mean ington area. It has a lot going for scenes of eating, bathing, and the old time-dilation (but a hundred it: spectacular art and layout laborious repair of a starship--the thousand relative years? Isn't that (excuse me if I tend to slight the same kind of stuff that padded RISSA a bit' far?). The characters speak art in my review, but an entire col¬ KERGUELEN from the 5,000 wrods of in epigrams, and the plot was done umn should be devoted to COSOS art the story that's there to the 630 to death before your mother was bom and I had to leave room for the pages of the novel. The characters 68 stories) featuring full-page, full- color interior work, a consistently human colonists. The whole story is is reminiscing about the fact that excellent review column by Silver- told in the blurb (hey, Hartwell, "...when she finally reached her berg (note particularly his insight¬ fire that guy, will you?). womanhood, Creg would not let her ful Phil Dick essay in the Sept, go". This sounds like a nit but it I had a lot of fun with "Black¬ issue), a handful of assorted col¬ is not. The woman's puberty and e- out" by Norman Spinrad. Here we have umns- -Gin jer Buchanan on fans and merging womanhood is a central theme the well-worn tale of the American Harlan Ellison on media--and gener¬ and Martin has clouded the issue. Armed Forces vs. The Aliens, but ally superior fiction, rather trend¬ Spinrad focuses a long way from the "The Alphabet System" by Mary ily biased toward Enigma. All it action, concentrating on the Little Jean Tibbils is one of those home- needs is thousands of happy readers. People--even as you and I--who ob¬ life in the future stories full of Two things I objected to were (A) serve strange phenomena in the sky gadgets and some superficial societ¬ three-sentence form letter rejection and hear infuriatingly sketchy bits al extrapolation. What story there slips with the name of your story of the story on the media and never is is about children defying their typed into a convenient blank space, really know just what the Hell is parents. It reads like a low-key, and (B) some of the most God-awful happening. But their lives are tot¬ heavily sanitized early Felix Got- blurbs in all of publishing (sample: ally disrupted as a result. A very tschalk story. "A witty bit of fluff"). good story; wish I'd thought of it. Michael Bishop's "At the Dixie- COSMOS #3 leads off with a comp¬ The Big Story of the issue is Apple with the Shoofly-Pie Kid" is a etent piece of light entertainment "Sunday's Child" by Phyllis Gottlieb. fascinating and very funny story a- by ("All the Universe It deals with a decaying future, aut¬ bout urban guerilla warfare in an in a Mason Jar") concerning backwoods ism and aliens (or rather, the con¬ automated future supermarket. I humans, aliens and moonshine. Fun, cept of Alien). The prose is beau¬ especially like the alien (wonderful¬ but forgettable, It should sell mag¬ tiful with flashes of true brillian¬ ly painted by Wayne Barlow) sitting azines, though. ce. I wish I had the space to quote on an anti-grav platform peddling "Apocalypse" by Robert Borski is the entire middle paragraph on the toilet paper. When you're "...one an ambitious story about elephants central column on page 59. The cha¬ of the six refugees from the Cygnus and Africa several decades from now racters breathe at you from between nova" I guess you don't have much (let's not mention the direct line the commas. Unfortunately for me, choice in how you make a buck. from the orbitting power station to the story dissolves into ambiguity I swore I'd never again read the Earth; the author is new and can toward the end--I still lie awake another time travel story involving be forgiven the unforgivable--just nights worrying about that last line. the incidents that gestated the Cath¬ don't let it happen again). A good But I am more than ready to believe olic Church, but I promised Geis... idea developed with detail and a that this version of Enigma is my "0, Ye of Little Faith" by Robert rich texture, but marred by stereo¬ own imperfect perception. Chilson is better than it should typing, an unrealized global back¬ The issue also has a hyper-infor¬ have been. It concerns a convention ground and a vague plot that winds mative article on current knowledge of ministers gathered to decide whe¬ 15) in Enigma. and conjecture about Gas Giants and ther or not to publicly censure time "The Wayward Flight of the Teety- what the Voyager probes might find travel, and concentrates on a small¬ Oh" by Sherwood Springer is the only out there--"Into the Abyss" by Ter¬ town preacher wrestling with his stinker; a dull story of bookies and ence Dickinson and miles and miles conscience. Unfortunately, just as race track activities written in a of great art by Bryant, Schomburg, the protagonist is beginning to real¬ dense, almost unreadable twenty-year- Schelling, Gaughan and Freff. ize what it might mean to confront old slang. It should have appeared the distilled essence of Christian¬ in a Post War pulp where it could ity, stripped of all of the comfort¬ have been mercifully buried. able compromises and rituals of the Richard Lupoff's "A Child's Sto¬ There is an old fairy tale told modem religion, the story ends. ry" is so visionary that it took me a dozen times with many variations But if the story was resolved, we two careful readings to figure out about the secret hill where the elves wouldn't have an Enigma. what was going on, but it was effort live ( usually on the inside). If "The Other Eye of Polyphemus" is well-rewarded. It is an extremely an unlucky human chances by, he will formula Ellison. It has all the far-future story of the beings that be invited in and spend the night in trade marks: an arresting title, humanity has become revisiting their total luxury, only to be found years impeccable but screwball syntax, ancestral planet, and a decision that later dead of hunger and dehydration, painfully delineated characters and was made. One jarring note was Lup¬ with a contented expression on his off's use of two separate sets of face. The first story in the Novem¬ clumsy pseudo-pronouns ( one bunch ber COSMOS ("Bitterbloom" by George for a neuter character and another R.R. Martin) is a retelling of this for an androgyne). The florid style legend in a science-fictional con¬ the story is written in makes Zelaz¬ text. The story is a lengthy en¬ ny look like Hemingway and we don't counter between a young girl from a need the tiny speed-bumps of those harsh feudal society and a decadent, pronouns. I'll admit that something sophisticated woman, lonely to the like that is necessary and that I point of insanity. It is a beauti¬ can't think of a better way to do ful story; Martin has refined his it, but this way didn't work. One descriptive prose imneasurably late¬ of the crosses one must bear when ly and there is a minimum of a bad writing in a ludicrous language like Martin habit--shoving two words to¬ English. gether to make another (deepwinter, blackbark, longknife). One glaring "Horsemen" by is a flaw is that at one point we are professional mood piece about kindly told that the young girl was "...not telempathic aliens confronting the yet a woman, and thus untouchable" spectres in the minds of voracious and just a few paragraphs later she a fantasy episode stretched into a THE MAGAZINE OF FANTASY AND SCIENCE age, but touching. Maybe I just ponderous allegory. This one is fur¬ FICTION, October '77 can't help reading it against the ther hampered by a cop-out ending-- background of Simak's body of work. This is the annual Fall Super- how many times does the Right Person I get the impression that he isn't star issue and it's a pretty good happen by just when we've reached an aging so much as slowly merging into one, though not spectacularly out¬ important life decision? When is the ground. Ellison going to realize that he has standing. In between yet another more insight in a single sentence of giddy Star Wars article, thoughtful "Caretaker" is a moody Manly character description than in reams and caring reviews by Delap (nice, Wade Wellman piece straight from the of top-heavy parables? but Bring Back Budrys!), and a gen¬ ominous hills of North Carolina. A uinely weird Asimov essay (in which standard tale of a thief and his in¬ Felix Gottschalk is an acquired we have Dr. A. burrowing away in his evitably just desserts. taste, one that I've acquired a long pragmatic manner at no less a topic Michael Bishop manages to make a time ago (to the dismay of several than Life, Death and Spirituality), story about a pest-control man into friends). In "Sir Robert's Robots" we have stories by lots of interest¬ a transcendental exploration of one he keeps his psychojargon and anal ing people including two rare won¬ man's mental confusion and ultimate fetishes to a minimum and tells a ders. great story about an English lord disintegration. "Leaps of Faith" and a pair of robots dealing with a The rarest of avis's is new short (fleas as a metaphor for mental quai- group of low-life inhabiting his man¬ fiction by Samuel Delany. "Prismat- tum mechanics" Only Bishop could sion by government decree. In this ica" is his first piece of published pull it off) isn't F or SF by any¬ story, everyone under forty is leg¬ fiction since TRITON and it reads one's definition, but it is an out¬ standing story nonetheless. ally entitled to literally anything as easy as those sunny pre-Dhalgren days of yesteryear. A colorful, sim¬ they can grab and hold onto. Gotts¬ "Time-Sharing Angel" by James ply-told fantasy with more than a chalk' s humor is as vicious as ever. Tiptree, Jr. is a story that she is touch of weird. Sheer fun; give it I only wish I had grown up in Eng¬ careful to label 'entertainment' in to your kid sister and drive her land so that I could laugh harder. the blurb. It is about one of the crazy. The Big Story for me is "Wheels most interesting and most unworkable solutions to overpopulation possible; Westward" by Robert Thurston who is a thoroughly dangerous man. This all it would need is a little magic one doesn't quite measure up to his (or in this case, "alien technolo¬ "Aliens” (FfjSF, Dec. '76) or espec¬ gy") . It is as finely crafted as we ially "The Mars Ship" (F$SF, June have come to expect of stories from . '77). It is about bikers, peculiar Tiptree's typewriter. Read it care¬ people, and a trek across a blasted fully, linger over it. The walls landscape--an ultra-realistic DAMN¬ tell me that due to overzealous ex¬ ATION ALLEY--a kind of story prolif¬ posure earlier this year (and other erating lately like spaghetti west¬ -reasons) Tiptree stories are becom¬ erns. Very skillfully told with ing an endangered species. lots of nicely kinky sexual tension, but situationally unimaginative and too open-ended. Thurston manages to pull off two stylistic vagaries that usually leave me cold: present tense and omitted quotation marks. "What You See is What You Get" In this story both work due to the is standard Bloch, chilling fun in¬ highly tuned style. The lack of volving a dope dealer and a super¬ quotes in particular casts the story natural camera. First off I had better explain into a weird limbo past tense--half- "The First Stroke" is another that it is a firm rule with me to way between anecdotal and real-time. rarest of the rare, a new Zenna Hen¬ never read magazine serializations It takes a very high calibre writer derson story, told with delicate (yes. Mom, I know, the first SF I to get away with something like grace and a keen eye. It is about remember reading was Bester's THE this, but Thurston uses these tricks an old man, a heart attack and some STARS MY DESTINATION--serialized in to add a richness to the prose like distinctly unsettling members of an GALAXY). For one reason it is easy the tones of brown in a daguerreo¬ ant colony. to lose perspective over the three type. or four months it takes to read it It's too bad Star Wars made it As one who has had a close two all, and I am too weak to let the so big. By now we are all groggy and a half year acquaintanceship segments pile up, but more important, from one of the largest media love with eighteen gentle elephants, the there hasn't been a serial in recent affairs in history. I don,vt think kindest and smartest of land anim¬ memory.that hasn't shown tp later in there's a journalist alive who has als, "The Man Who Could Provide us book form reworked and expanded (veil yet to make his/her pronouncement with Elephants" by John Brunner in¬ maybe a few). I refuse to read some¬ on Star Wars. I can't take it any stilled real horror in me. This is thing as long-awaited and as poten¬ more. Too bad, because Samuel Del- about a group of westerners trying tially worthy as, say, the new Bud¬ any's essay on the film is cogent, to build their Tower of Babel (a rys novel only to find out later provocative and all those other re¬ jungle air-strip), ancient magic, that the book is so much more so. viewer words, not to mention reada¬ jungles, and, of course, elephants. So I haven't read Herbert's THE D0- ble and entertaining. I wish I'd I can't look at this one objective¬ SADI EXPERIMENT and won't until the seen it a couple of months ago. ly; I didn't want to believe in those book comes out or unless Alter kid¬ elephants but Brunner forced me to. naps my family. It does look inter¬ "Brother" is a quiet pastoral esting, a sequal to WHIPPING STAR. Simak story about a land-bound old The Freas cover of this issue is man and his stellar yearnings. I shameless. To the artist's credit, 70 found it slow and lacking in rough¬ it wasn't done on assignment, but is labeled as being 'from his portfol¬ 's review column two serious flaws. The first is a io' ("Hey, Kelly, we're short a cov¬ is one that I tend to disagree vio¬ very trite and clumsy rationale for er, got anything loose?" "Let's lently with (particularly in his de¬ the society. It seems that there see"--rummage, rummage--"Here'S some¬ ification of Heinlein and his casual are these Enigmatic Aliens who have thing, I don't know what it is but dismissal of Phillip Dick). But he been hanging around for the past cen¬ ..." "Say no more, they won't know is entertaining and has some nice tury or so, doing nothing at all. the difference. Thanks, your check things to say here about one of my Their mere presence has so demoral¬ is in the mail"). But we do have minor deities--Kombluth--and some ized humanity that all of the major plenty of very fine Fabian interiors significant thoughts on the sorry governments have broken down into to look at and some Odbert pieces, state of modem anthologies, origin¬ the afore-mentioned city-states. a good artist I am happy to see get¬ al and otherwise. The East Coast Okay. But how can these decentral¬ ting published. readers will probably be amused at ized societies manage to produce the datedness of his TK Graphics computer networks that make the NASA "...And Earth So Far Away" by plug, though I believe the column telemetry machines look like abacus¬ H.C. Petley starts out nicely with a was written last February or March. es? The other, and most serious disaster on an asteroid mining plat¬ flaw, is the length. This story form, complete with daring rescue. should have been a novel. There is Then the story degenerates rapidly so much expository baggage that the into Stalwart Pioneer propaganda. I suppose that it would be *ahem* all-important lovers have no room Petley seems to have written the irpolitic to comment on Alter's col¬ for adequate development. The ex¬ story backwards. You're supposed to umn. Ethics are one reason, but more position takes up fully two-thirds put the exciting stuff toward the important, Alter is just a few pages of the story, and often pretty clum¬ end and build up to it. The entire away, close enough that I can see sily (a character telling another last half of the story consists of the muscles writhing ominously in after several lengthy speeches: paper-doll people discussing in in¬ the suction cups on his tentacles. "...Whoa, you've got me doing it. terminable detail how they too are Repeating what we both know."). A going to carve a homestead out of fascinating and worthwhile failure. the Martian wilderness. There is some nice detail work, the author "Minister West" by William E. shows talent, but should be cured Cochrane is decorated by a decent (and soon) of his/her tendency to piece of Schomburg line-work that proselytize at any excuse. Also I it doesn't deserve. It is a mono ton-- am curious as to how pirates could ous action story about a completely manage to either build or otherwise automated freeway network that' is acquire the billions of tons of pre¬ dependent on coincidence and ends cision equipment that is a mining just as the real story is beginning. platform. I enjoyed "Is Physics Finished?" Next we have a literary artifact by Milton Rothman, an essay on the by Fred Pohl that should be of inter¬ current turmoil in particle physics est to anyone wondering how authors that puts across an astonishing am¬ work. There is an essay on the cre¬ ount of data digestibly, brings us ation of GATEWAY and a deleted (very lay people up to date, though I was short) final chapter to the novel. hunting for a description of the The justification for this is appar¬ properties of 'truth' and 'beauty' ently that Pohl has read too many --companion properties to 'strange¬ reviews complaining about his ending ness' and 'charm'. As far as I can tell, it doesn't add The blurb on Stephen Goldin's much to the novel; Broadhead learns "When There's No Man Around" tells to cope and time passes. us that his wife "disapproves of "Perfectly Safe, Nothing to Wor¬ this story". She must be inhumanly ISAAC ASIMOV'S SCIENCE FICTION MAG- tolerant. This is the worst SF sto¬ ry About" is minor , AZINE, FALL '77 but fun. It is about some amusing ry I've read in recent memory. It lawyers involved in a slapstick sit¬ Flipping hastily past The Face is about a self-styled "prgtty girl" uation (the most disgusting explosion on the Cover, we come to Dr. Asimov's dealing with a recalcitrant tractor on Mars). editorial; the usual display of mild on Mars. Every conceivable literary ly witty self-congratulation, and and sociological sin is perpetrated. The Poumdle essay is a summary some curious comnents on the nature The title tells it all. There is no of his opinion of the major hard- of love that seem to be an introduc¬ excuse for crap like this. science advances in 1976 and a pitch tion to this issue's major story: for increased scientific funding. "Joelle" by Poul Anderson, illustra¬ Isaac Asimov has a story of his Arsen Damay's "The Pheromonal ted by a trivial piece of Freas hack own included--"Good Taste", accom¬ Fountain" is a spy story featuring a work. panied by some mediocre Freas illos. robot as the first-person narrator. "Joelle" is an excellent Romeo It is the story of a sort of Pills- There isn't much to it (the big clue 5 Julietish story about lovers from bury Bake-Off on an old and inbred is in the title), but told with uni¬ different future city-states and L5 colony. Elaborate background, que and very dense imagineering. their confrontation with something more interesting than most of his recent stuff. I can't say much about "The All- more important and significant (on Soul is Calling Quinlan" by Jay a personal level) than their love. Jack C. Haldeman II's "Home Team Brandon, it's just another one of The background is rich and highly Advantage" is a nutty story about detailed and contains some fascinat¬ those feisty-hedonist-confronting- the aftermath of an Arcturian-Human ing material on direct brain/comput¬ God stories that freshman fantasists baseball game. The Arcturians have er interfacing. But is hampered by love to play with. A mild diversion won and earned the right to eat the nothing more. 71 human team. It could have been a lot funnier than my description im¬ ANALOG, October '77 # LETTER FROM TIM KIRK plies, had he not opted for the ob¬ It opens with a sabre-rattling vious ending. Boveditorial about Us and Them, end¬ August, 1977 "In Darkness Waiting" by Stephen ing with: "Remember Sputnik? Re¬ Leigh is the grim tale of an ethical member Pearl Harbor!". Then we have 'Thanks for #22; looks good. choice in an Assassin's Guild on a the beginning of a Mack Reynolds se¬ The interview with John Varley was rough back-water planet. Well-told, rial called "Of Future Fears". I timely, since I'm in the midst of il¬ but hampered by a sketchy and unreal¬ read the first chapter and skimmed lustrating his story for THE LAST istic background (if you have elec¬ the rest. It seems to involve ter¬ DANGEROUS VISIONS. tronic knives that return to their rorists, sophisticated weaponry and 'Mike Glicksohn definitely has a owner, then why do you have to have whole-sale carnage. Then there are point concerning myself and the fan torches "guttering on the wall?). two lengthy fact articles on War artist Hugo. I was halfway consider¬ I would have liked it better but I Lasers full of subtle shades of doom ing removing my name from considera¬ have a hard time empathising with By now, 3/S of the way through the tion this year, but I just couldn't the ethics of purchased murder. magazine, I am wearing a helmet and believe that I'd be nominated again, staring suspiciously at my neighbors A couple of Feghoots, some very in view of the distinctly paltry a- through a slit in my armor-plated forgettable "poetry", and we,come mount of fan work I did in 1976! I shutters, my Kalashnikov AK 47 as¬ very much appreciate this honour, sault rifle cradled in my lap. but I do wish to remove my name from "A Many Splendered Thing" by At last on page 106 we have a future fan artist ballots; it simply Linda Isaacs, which I found to be a respite from death, the final half isn't deserved. I hope eventually beautiful, poignant story of a young of a Keith Laumer serial: "The Wbn- to graduate to the pro artist cate¬ child's perceptions. I don't know derful Secret". I was sucked in by gory; I'll be thirty this year, Dick! how it got into IASFM, but I'm glad a great gadget, thus violating my My sunset years are just around the I read it. Lovely surreal images rule about serials. I found it typ¬ corner! I would dearly love to at halfway between metaphor and day¬ ical Laumer; fascinating gadgets, least appear on the pro artist bal¬ dream, that vividly evoke the joys abominable dialogue and no plot. It lot once, before I shrivel up like a and fears of the very young. is hung with a pedestrian Schelling salted snail...My personal choice "Omit Flowers" by Dean McLaugh¬ illo.. for the fan artist Hugo this year is lin is a one-punch single-pager ab¬ Grant Canfield, long overdue; though out medical ethics. It's all been "Dog Day Evening" by Spider Rob¬ Bill would certainly be no disap¬ done before. inson is a Callahan's Bar story, i.e, pointment . a string of bad-to-fair puns and lit¬ A Bertram Chandler's "No Room at 'Things plug along here as usu¬ tle else. Not even al. I finished a hardback version the Stable" is another quickie about could be inspired to come up with the end of the world and the preva¬ of RIME ISLE by Fritz Leiber, am in anything better than the illo he progress on what promises to be a lence of cats. Even though I am a turned in. cat-lover, I thought this was a lot fairly lavish edition of a book of of fun. "The Ultimate Arbiter" by Eric poetry by de Camp and have two more Vinhoff and Marcia Martin is an ex¬ stories to illustrate for LDV, bet¬ By the way, the last few stories ploration of cloning ethics handled ter known as the Gutenburg Bible. were illustrated by some minor Stem- with skill and respect. It deserves And Hallmark greeting cards, natch. bach spot illos except for the Leigh the outstanding Mike Hinge illustra¬ 'P.S. Hope SFR wins!' story which had two nice painterly tion (I can't call something like Di Fate's that expertly captured the that an 'illo'). I disagree with mood. the authors' conclusions, but they Freff's faces are inproving. state their case very well. There is some childish and clumsy Oval Of¬ His full-page illo for "Lorelei at THE WORST CRISIS OF ALL WAS THE Storyville West" by Sherwood Spring¬ fice dialogue, but after the events of the middle Seventies, who am I to PROLONGED ILLNESS AND DEATH OF HIS er has five different faces, all in¬ FRAGILE WIFE; VIRGINIA; THE COUS¬ teresting, and four of them recog¬ call anything said in that room un¬ realistic? IN WHOM HE HAD MARRIED WHEN SHE nizable. The story is yet another WAS THIRTEEN. 'EACH TIME (SHE Springer-archaicism (see COSMOS re¬ Barry Malzberg is at the helm of HEMORRHAGED)/ POE WROTE TO A view) about a mysterious jazz sing¬ The Reference Library, and is a re¬ FRIENDS; I FELT ALL THE AGONIES er and the people under her spell. lief from Del Rey's garrulous crust¬ OF HER DEATH; AND AT EACH ACCES¬ How can anyone write a phrase like iness. He puts forth a highly read¬ SION OF THE DISORDER I LOVED HER "strung out on reefers" (yes, that able and perceptive essay on the in¬ MORE DEARLY & CLUNG TO h€R WITH last word is plural) in the late creasing proliferation of academic EVER MORE DESPERATE PERTINACITY. Seventies? The rest of the story is SF books and other analytical works BUT I AM CONSTITUTIONALLY SENSI¬ similar. on the field. TIVE-NERVOUS IN A VERY UNUSUAL Charles Brown's book review col¬ The cover is pretty good, but DEGREE. I BECAME INSANE; WITH umn (wittily titled ON BOOKS) is o- not the best Di Fate I've seen; he LONG INTERVALS OF HORRIBLE SANITY. kay in a methodical and conservative appears to be working to formula DURING THESE FITS OF ABSOLUTE UN¬ way. I envy him his ability to cov¬ lately. CONSCIOUSNESS I DRANK; GOD ONLY er 23 books in 2,000 words. KNOWS HOW OFTEN OR HOW MUCH. AS A MATTER OF COURSE; MY ENEMIES RE¬ ************************************ FERRED THE INSANITY TO THE DRINK received: COSMIC TRIGGER: THE FINAL RATHER THAN TIC DRINK TO THE IN¬ SECRET OF THE ILLUMINATI by Robert SANITY. ' ANTON WILSON; FROM AND/OR PRESS. A FASCINATING; HIGHLY READABLE BOOK. -OTTO FRIEDRICH REVIEW NEXT ISSUE. —REG GOING CRAZY 72 THE HUMAN HOTLINE S-F NEWS BY ELTON T. ELLIOTT

ft Poul Anderson has completed a new novel, THE AVATAR, for Putnam. Ace Books will be reissuing many of his older titles (with the original titles and texts restored) in 1978

ft John Varley's first story col¬ lection will be titled PERSISTANCE OF VISION. It's due from Dial/Jam¬ es Wade early in 1978. ft THE FANTASY FAIRE, a movie/Perry Rhodan convention, attracted 400 fans. LATE NEWS REPORTS- ft Jack Vance has sold the Star Held in Los Angeles, Forrest 8 Wendayne King series to Daw for a reported Ackerman were guests of honor. Also ft The British prozine, $30,000 advance. Included in the present were Robert Bloch, C.L. Moore, VORTEX, has folded. Print¬ deal are the three published books Fritz Leiber, Marion Zimmer Bradley, A. ing costs were too high in in the series: THE STAR KING, THE E. van Vogt, and Ann Robinson of WAR OF relation to sales. KILLING MACHINE, and THE PALACE OF THE WORLDS fame. ft , author LOVE. The final two new novels will of SALEM'S LOT, CARRIE, and probably be completed by the time ft John Norman, author of the contro¬ THE SHINING, with his agent you read this. versial Gor series of counter-Earth nov¬ Kirby McCauley has complet¬ els, is really John Lange, Professor of ed a deal with Futura [Eng¬ ft Jack Chalker's 4th novel, Philosophy at the City University of land] of $330,000 for his WORLDS OF MIST AND SHADOW, has sold New York. next three novels. to Del Rey. He also has a short story coming out in STELLAR #3 ft 20th Century Fox has ft DAW Books is now publishing six ti¬ withheld distribution in tles a month: four originals and two re¬ ft Ray Palmer, long-time contro¬ England of Ralph Bakshi's prints . versial figure in sf, editor of WIZARDS. AMAZING and FANTASTIC during most ft Alex Schomberg will have an ANALOG ft Peter Weston's origin¬ of their fat pulp days of the Shav¬ cover early in 1978. al anthology series, ANDRO¬ er Mystery period when the circula¬ MEDA, has apparently been tion of AMAZING reached a reported ft James H. Schmitz is not out of the suspended indefinitely by 250,000 copies, died at age 67 re¬ sf field; after a five year hiatus he is the publisher. cently. Since the AMAZING/FANTAST¬ writing again. IC days he has edited and publish¬ ft 's new book, ed FATE magazine. ft Jerry Poumelle's new novel, EX¬ EAST OF MIDNIGHT, due from ILES TO GLORY, starting in the Sept. Macmillan in September. It ft A.E. van Vogt has sold his first GALAXY (it's about asteroid mining), is described as a sword 6 movie script, entitled COMPUTERWORLD. will be published by Ace next year. sorcery juvenile. Ace will also bring out an ex¬ ft PULSAR, a new British ft F.M. Busby is working on a sus¬ panded version of BIND YOUR SONS prozine, is reportedly due pense novel. TO EXILE(the original, badly butch¬ out in February. ered version appeared in ODYSSEY #1). ft Vonda N. McIntyre has sold her It'll be about 36,000 words with 40 ft 's new novel, second novel for a five-figure ad¬ illos by a major artist. THE DEVIL IN A FOREST (mark¬ vance. It's an enlargment of her eted in hardcover as a Juv¬ winning short story, ft Coming from Ace in December: enile Fantasy) will be pub¬ "Of Mist and Sand and Grass." THE LAVELITE WORLD (fifth in the lished by Ace in November. Tiers series) by Philip Jose Farmer. ft Mack Reynolds' new nov¬ ft Frank Herbert, contrary to pub¬ el, PERCHANCE TO DREAM, will lished reports, is not going to sue ft Jack Chalker's next novel, WEB be published by Ace in De¬ George Lucas over STAR WARS. OF THE CHOSEN, is due in February cember. from Ballantine. ft The federal government is pro¬ secuting 20th Cetury Fox for attempt¬ ft ASIMOV’S SF MAGAZINE is ed blockbooking STAR WARS with THE NEWS WANTED, if you are an author, edit¬ going bi-monthly with #5. OTHER SIDE OF MIDNIGHT. Several or, PUBLISHER, BIG NAPE FAN OR RUMORMONG" Now buying for #6, needs threaters in New England were forced ER AND YOU HAVE NEWS-WRITE TO: strong novelets. to show THE OTHER SIDE OF MIDNIGHT, ft Owlswick Press will a turkey, in order to get STAR WARS. publish THE GHOSTS OF THE HEAVISIDE LAYER--uncollect¬ ft Confluence Press will publish THE ed Dunsanv. EGGPLANT AND OTHER ABSURDITIES: Prose by REG Poems by Duane Ackerson. 73 however, he is in complete control, THE VIVISECTOR and not a word rings false. It's a whole story, and very, very good. The other reprints are: "The A Column By Darrell Schweitzer Glove" by Fritz Leiber, strong on character, weak on plot. Not one of the author’s best stories arid pain¬ fully heavy-handed (or gloved real¬ ly) with the criminal's glove taking the inevitable stroll at night. "Dark Winner" by William F. Nolan is about a guy done in by his child¬ hood self and not very memorable WHISPERS in the current WEIRDBOOK, along with either. "Ladies in Waiting" by Hugh Stuart David Schiff, Editor a novelet by H. Warner Munn, author B. Cave (a WEIRD TALES veteran, re¬ Doubleday, 226 pp, 1977, $7.95 of'MERLIN'S RING in the same issue? cently returned to the fold) seems These guys aren't amateurs. And why better on a second reading. I'd else would a story like Karl Edward completely forgotten it from its or¬ There has been a veritable ren¬ Wagner's "Sticks" (reprinted in the iginal appearance, but now I find it aissance in the supernatural horror present anthology) have appeared in an above average haunted house tale, field of late, especially in anthol¬ a magazine with a circulation under strengthened by the overtly sexual ogies. First FRIGHTS last year, 2,000? It's a splendid piece of nature of the Alluring Things. The then 's SUPERHORROR only serious drawback, all but uni¬ (which I haven't seen--St. Martin's work, taking a real-life experience versal in this type, is the contriv¬ Press, please note), and now this. of Lee Brown Coye (ever wonder what ed method used to get the victims to Three books in two years. I assure those sticks in his later drawings stay overnight in that godawful you, considering the unstable condi¬ are? Dare you ask?) and turning it place. "The House of Cthulhu" by tion of the genre, that's a verit¬ into one of those rarest of rare is a genuine addition able renaissance. And WHISPERS is treasures, a Cthulhu Mythos story to the Cthulhu Mythos--it explains an important event in another res¬ which can be read with a straight how sunken R'lyeh got sunk--but it's pect: it's the first recognition face, without yawns or chuckles. also a very hokey sword 6 sorcery by a major publisher of the impor¬ It won the British Fantasy Society's effort written in a style I can only tance of the "semi-prozine" phenom¬ award for best short fiction of the call Archaic Redundant: enon. year, and should have won in Provi¬ dence the same year, but it seems "...you may kill me--aye, A semi-prozine, as I define it, likely that without a magazine like even take my life with that is a magazine which pays rates com¬ WHISPERS it would never have been very blade..." (p.108) parable to the newstand magazines, printed at all. Stuart is justly publishes fiction of a similar qual¬ proud of it, and has used it to lead Which sounds much too close to ity (or better, in the case of WHIS¬ off his anthology. Adrian Cole's Longbore the Barbarian PERS) , but which is distributed only and similar parodies. (Again chuck¬ He's also reprinted "The Barrow through the mails and some bookstores;, les 6 smirks--the great trap of eld¬ Troll" by , which is also and has a circulation under the SFWA ritch § fantastic writing is that of award quality. Drake is, for limit of 10,000. (Usually under when it's done badly it becomes fun¬ practical purposes, a WHISPERS dis¬ 3,000.) It is analogous to the ny, hilariously, if inadvertantly.) mainstream "little magazine" and covery. He had two stories publish¬ not to be confused with the fanzine ed previously in 's "A Weather Report from the Top putting on airs by paying token sums last two Arkham anthologies, but of the Stairs" by James Sallis and for amateur work. (I draw the line these gave no hint of what he was David Lunde is a real surprise, one at 1/2* a word--WHISPERS pays 1* capable of. Then came WHISPERS and of the three or four genuine stories minimum--this being the lowest paid "The Song of the Bone" and "The I've seen from these two most uncom¬ by newstand prozines in recent mem¬ Shortest Way" which demonstrated a municative of writers. (I'm talking ory. MAG OF HORROR and WITCHCRAFT brilliant grasp of historical de¬ about Sallis' whole output. I've $ SORCERY paid 1/2*, and VOID still tail, if a less than brilliant grasp never seen a solo Lunde but alone or does.) There have been isolated at¬ of plotting. With "The Barrow Troll" with company Sallis tends to write tempts over the years, like MARVEL TALES, THE ARKHAM SAMPLER, MACABRE and some others, but semi-prozines didn't begin paying competing rates or appearing in quantity until the spring of 1973, from which time WHIS¬ PERS has been the clear leader. The significance of all this is that much of the best fantasy fic¬ tion, both by newcomers and major names, appears in small magazines which are not seen by the general readership at all. There's a tre¬ mendous reprint potential there, which Doubleday is just beginning to tap. So far there aren't enough or¬ iginal anthologies to draw away the best material and none of the news¬ stand magazines offer serious compe¬ tition. Why else is there a new Pusadian novelet by Sprague deCamp NEW WORLDS style non-functional word Another mirror turns up in Ray patterns, which is no doubt why most Russell's "Mirror, Mirror", but this of you have never heard of him. I time the content is fully as trite once conducted an informal poll and as the title. A deal with the dev¬ was very hard pressed to find anyone il, df the sort fantasy editors who could remember anything by Sal- dread and receive by the hundreds, lis, even though they'd read books with the inevitable twist and no real in which he had appeared.) There redeeming features. I could have are even characters, a plot and a done without it. Charles Fritch theme to make it all mean something, does considerably better with "The not to mention two endings, because Pawnshop", in which His Satanic Maj¬ Schiff and the authors had a disagr¬ esty gives you a receipt for your eement and never could make up their soul, to be redeemed in bad deeds. minds. The story is based on a Ga- "Antiquities" by I han Wilson cartoon about discarded barely remember. Let me take a toys which plan to get the little look--completely unbelievable bit boy who junked them. The ending about umpteen thousand mummified Eg¬ published in the magazine makes it yptian cats imported into England, clear they will, but the original "The Dakwa" is another of Manly as one character puts it, "for no ending, first published in this book Wade Wellman's stories wherein a conceivable reason". The spirit of carries the implication that they're critter out of American folklore is Bast comes with the deal, and seems too rusty and broken to do so. I proven to be real and is then dis¬ to be causing a rash of unfaithful¬ think I prefer it that way for the patched in short order by equally ness among English husbands. The added pathos. Much of the point is traditional methods. In this case " telling is through retrospective dia¬ that there is no justice in this credibility is stretched too far. logue, in the manner of Jorkens, and world, and otherwise the impact is After making himself partially im¬ Crowley understands the technique. blunted by a simplistic horror story mune to the Thing with magic oint¬ If this is the start of a series it revenge format. ments, our hero pins the beastie to could be interesting, if the content an underwater log with a hunting "The Inglorious Rise of the Cats- gets better. knife. Since the Dakwa isn't allerg¬ meat Man" is black humor about a "The Scallion Stone" by Basil ic to knives the way vampires are to meatshop owner who may have taken a A. Smith is a more definite promise stakes, and since it has not been tip from Burke and Hare. I'm not of good things to come. Smith (now seriously injured and is very power¬ nearly as fond of this as the editor deceased) was an English clergyman ful, it should be able to work it¬ appears to be, but at least it's self free in about five minutes. quite competent and more interesting who wrote for his own amusement, ghostly tales in the M.R. James trad¬ than 's "The "The Chimney" by Ramsey Camp¬ ition, without making any attempt to Willow Platform", which reruns the bell may be a joke. I'm not sure. familiar formula of the man who finds publish them. Miraculously his manu¬ It’s about a neurotic kid with a the forbidden book, dabbles in the scripts found their way into the morbid fear that Santa Claus or some¬ hands of someone who can not only ap¬ Unknown and is gobbled up by Things, thing like him really will slide preciate them, but has the resources without any variation whatever. down the chimney into his room some to publish them. Schiff intends to "Goat" by David Campton is much bet¬ Christmas Eve. Handled tongue-in- issue a book of Smith's writings, ter, about a convincingly evil and cheek it's a notion worthy of Gahan repugnant little man who knows too and offers the present story as a Wilson, but the ending has real pain foretaste. I'd say that the conclu¬ muidi about everyone. As the blurb and death in it and I'm not sure how says, an exemplary horror story. sion is nearly bungled, but on the much of the humor is accidental. way the author maintains atmosphere Afterthoughts: Even if all In addition to the reprints, a with the best ^nd is a delight to these stories aren't to my taste, at treat--half the book is made up of read. I'm looking forward to the least not one of them is so bad it new stories, about the equivalent of book. three issues of WHISPERS. Two of couldn't be read. A formidable ac¬ "The Closer of the Way" by Rob¬ complishment for an anthologist, in them are "reprinted" from issue 10/11 ert Bloch isn't a sequel to his "The these days of rampant Elwoodism. The which hasn't appeared and must be Opener of the Way',' but an elaborate book is certainly worth getting for considered originals along with the gag which runs into the ground all those stories that are Outstanding rest. These two are "Graduation" by attempts to psychoanalyze the author and all the rest are never less than Richard Christian Matheson (son of through his work. One step ahead of pleasant time-killers. Another the famous writer) and "Le Mirror" the Freudian critics, he explains he point: Last year at the second World by . The former is really is a fiend of the most unsav¬ Con I remarked to Stuart that it is slight in content--a college student ory sort, which is what you'd expect a shame Doubleday is the publisher causes misfortune to those around from someone who has the heart of a of this book. I don't think he him--but it's written with a great little boy--in a jar on his desk. understood, but what I meant is that deal of wit and polish, and may sig¬ a book this good deserves a perma¬ "White Moon Rising" by Dennis nal the start of a noteworthy car¬ nent edition, and while this is the Etchison contains some good writing, eer. Aickman is a writer who ranges most elaborate Doubleday product in but in quest of great subtleties or from brilliant to unreadibly awful, several- years (color wraparound jack¬ else outright murkiness, the author and "Le Mirror" falls somewhere in et by Kirk, interior illos by Kirk, lost me at the end. Either that or the middle with a deliberately (ver¬ Barr, Utpatel, Coye, Fabian, Garcia) when I understood the ending it was bose) Victorian treatment of a young the physical production of the thing girl's premature aging brought on revealed to be a pointless exercise is absolutely rock bottom. The by a mirror she picked up in one of in paranoia. So, university guards boards are plastic and cardboard, those mysterious shops people always are Out To Get You...why not little find in stories like this. Not ex¬ old ladies, and the Boy Scouts who the paper is of low quality and the binding is glued just well enough to actly outstanding stuff, but it does just seem to be helping them across create a convincing mood of helpless¬ the street? keep the pages from falling out be¬ ness and decay. fore the book is sold. Needless to say no sewn signatures or even a level as Edwin K. Sloat or John Rus¬ ilton chose to ignore, and Gemsback strip of cloth down the inside. In sell Feam--if he had not every once was ignorant of the difference be¬ libraries where a book like this will in a while written a story out of tween a story and a synopsis of a be frequently read, I predict it'll type, just to show complacent read¬ story. This is the latter, a sum¬ last about a month. For collector^ ers he could do it. And since he mary of events with only vestigial well, ten or so years from now it'll was one of the most prolific science attempts at character, plot or even be very rare since most copies will fictioneers ever, there got to be division into scenes. There's a have disintegrated and remaining quite a lot of these after a while, genuine story or two buried in the ones will be so fragile you'll be enough to comprise several books, in¬ material, but by today's standards afraid to touch them. cluding this one. it's rank amateur slushpile stuff, completely unpublishable. (If writ¬ I'm not asking miracles, but I His first published story, "The ten in 1977 and submitted to, say, think Doubleday (and other offending Monster-God of Mamurth", is well- ANALOG.) The only noteworthy thing companies) should make some effort written, orthodox WEIRD TALES stuff, about it is its protest against the to upgrade the quality of their ed¬ the old bit about the guy who finds blithe assumptions made by other au¬ itions, getting them at least to the a ruined city in a remote place thors (and much of the world) that level of a book club edition of five wherein has dwelt a Thing since time it is the role of mankind (white, An¬ years ago. Is that too much to ask? immemorial. One look, a few hairs glo-American mankind at least) to The other alternative is for someone raised and the hero escapes to have rule lesser races "for their own like Gregg Press to do "first hard¬ shudders ever after. Lovecraft's good". Hamilton's characters come covers" for the good ones. "The Nameless City" is one of these, to the startling conclusion that and some neo-Moskowitzian will no there might be something wrong with doubt try and show influence one way wiping out 75% of the Martians and or the other (ignoring the fact that enslaving the rest, because Earth HPL's tale was written first and wants their resources. published--professionally at least-- later) but I won't, even though I Some of the other entries are could make a good case for a connec¬ remarkably mature science fiction THE BEST OF EDMOND HAMILTON tion with "In the Walls of the Eryx". from the 1930s, mostly from WEIRD Leigh Brackett, Editor Hamilton's Thing, you see, is a gig¬ TALES, which had far higher stan¬ Ballentine/Del Rey antic invisible spider, and much of dards than any pre-Campbell science 381 pp., 1977, $1.95 the lost city is also invisible fiction magazine. "In the World's (which is why it was lost?) and the Dusk" might have become a classic if The del Rey line continues to potential for the place turning into Campbell's "Twilight" hadn't come justify its existence with the Best a fiendishly infuriating death trap first. It's the same brooding view series. This latest one is a real is obvious, though not fully exploit¬ of the utmost future, this time with bargain, both at pages per price and ed. (Influence, I think, and have a determined last man who goes to on account of some of the stories learned from my own experience, fre¬ amazing lengths to renew life on included herein. Between these cov¬ quently consists of picking up gems this planet. "Child of the Winds" ers we get a capsule history of Ed¬ the other guy thoughtlessly discard¬ has a bit of the lost race cliche in mond Hamilton's career and of modem ed.) it, a beautiful white girl living science fiction as a field, because alone on an Asian plateau with sen¬ at virtually every stage of the game "The Man who Evolved", one of tient winds. The love at first sight from the Gemsback era to the pres¬ the early attempts to break out of business is ridiculous, but the story ent, he was involved. His reputa¬ type (1931--he was hooked on the has fine moments anyway. "The Seeds tion is not as great as it should be turtle men then to the exclusion of from Outside" would presumably have because he was often a formula writ¬ virtually all else) holds up quite slowly and horribly devoured the hap¬ er. He had three basic plots in the well today even if the prose does less protagonist if Clark Ashton early days--the space opera, the in¬ slip into Tottering Hysterical Gib¬ Smith had been in charge, but again vasion of the turtle men (or spider ber in spots. It shows a perfectly Hamilton broke away from the conven¬ men or bird men) from Out There (or good grasp of the structure of a tional. The seeds sprout two plant another dimension or whatever), and short story and manages to focus on people. The hero is attracted to the the lost race with the magical sec¬ a single wondrous idea without, turn¬ female, but the male kills her out ret. (Invisibility, immortality, ing into a crude lecture like so of almost inexplicable jealousy. non-wilting cornflakes, etc.) Grad¬ many stories of the period. The ually, since he'd written these sto¬ ending is a bit of a --the After that, a couple of stories ries so many times, he produced def¬ gentleman of the title, having gone from the 1940s and then a sampling initive versions of at least two of through the most advanced evolution¬ of Hamilton's mature period. All them, THE STAR KINGS and THE VALLEY ary stages, becomes a lunp of mind¬ the crudities are gone--the overwrit¬ OF CREATION. (The poor turtle men less protoplasm. Evolution is cir¬ ing, redundancies, occasional lapses never made it.) His later space cular, human progress meaningless. in grammar. In "What's It Like Out operas, like the STARWOLF books for For all his interstellar romanticisnv There?" he resembles the author of Ace in the 1960s are among the best from the very beginning there was an the Captain Future stories about as ever of the type next to which E.E. underlying streak of pessimism in much as Ray Bradbury, resembles Clark Smith is a weak joke. Hamilton, ev¬ Hamilton. Darlton. The story is brilliant and justifiably famous. It's scientif¬ en in interstellar adventure stories, "The Conquest of Two Worlds" ically dated because space travel could handle character and write de¬ should not have been included. The cent prose and he knew better than didn't turn out to be as gruelling author's reputation would have been as Hamilton imagined it (and Mars to substitute action for plot a'la helped far more by alluding to this doesn't have a breathable atmos¬ STAR WARS. (If only Lucas had film¬ story, then leaving it to molder in ed Hamilton!) phere) , but as a story about brave the pages of . Its men sent to die wretched deaths to But, alas, the of Captain content is advanced for its time, keep the folks back home in luxuries, Future never did wear off, and I im¬ but as a piece of storytelling it is and about a survivor who is unable agine Hamilton would be even less a total failure. I'd guess that Ham¬ to tell the truth about what he has remembered today--on about the same experienced, it is still valid and always will be. (The analogy to war Joisey. Most authors counter this first serious attempt to use Oriental is deliberate and obvious, especial¬ with archaicism and usually they do material in fantasy since the days ly of the Korea/Vietnam variety.) it ineptly. LeGuin herself manages of Hearn and Ernest Bramah. (We An earlier version of this was ac¬ through outstanding eloquence and an will tactfully ignore Frank Owen who tually written about 1933, but re¬ ability to assume the viewpoint of couldn't write his way out of a rice jected by all the magazines as too her world, keeping her narrative paper bag.) Parts of it are quite mature for the audience. This may clear of anachronisms. Lupoff uses good. The comic duel between Susano- have prolonged the babyhood of the present tense and a fragmentary style Wu and the hydra-critter is master¬ genre, but in the long run I think which distances like crazy, but fails ful. Lupoff has apparently done his posterity benefitted. The Hamilton at storytelling because never for an mythological homework well and intro¬ of 1952 was a much better writer. instant are we allowed to ignore the duces a vast array of unfamiliar ¬ tifs, even if he isn't always con¬ "" is a fine mood piece writing and pay undivided attention vincing in his presentation. (I about the end of the Earth. Not of to what is being written. The best can't help but wonder how the inhab¬ mankind, but merely of the deserted prose is invisible. This stuff is itants of the Land of Gloom can Earth, which scarcely anyone seems lit up like a barrage of neon signs. light a fire and make hot sake under to notice. "The Pro" is probably a And the language is appropriate some water.) I think his nautical know¬ personal statement--it's about an of the time. Modem scientific voc¬ old time science fiction writer who abulary has no place in a Japanese ledge is a bit shaky--either he does not know a quarterdeck from a fore¬ finds he's not at all prepared for mythological epic, but there it is. castle or the Ofuna as described on the reality of spaceflight. In "Af¬ Distancing is a two-edged sword. page 34 is built backwards--but this ter a Judgment Day" the pessimism is The story must be removed from the is hardly important. Much more sig¬ back. The last two humans, on a lu¬ ordinary, but at the same time there nificant is his ability to handle a nar base, program robots to carry must be recognizable human motiva¬ great number of Japanese terms with¬ the history of mankind to the stars, tions and emotions in it. Sooner or out confusing the reader: but neither they nor the readers are later the reader has to feel at home convinced this will mean anything. in the exotic setting. This trans¬ "He wears a scarlet-painted "Castaway" is an elaborate gag from portation wholly out of the real scabbard held by a uwa-obi, Sam Moskowitz' s THE MAN WHO CALLED world is much of the appeal of this outer belt... HIMSELF POE which would have us be¬ kind of writing. To make it work As she takes the obi from the lieve Poe wrote what he did because the people have to be real people, dead sailor there is a clat¬ there was a mind from the future just for contrast, so the supernat¬ ter, and a yoroi-doshi, an ar¬ stranded in his subconscious. ural beings will seem supernatural mor-piercing blade, falls from A good introduction to one of and fantastic and the fantastic set¬ the obi to the ice-covered the greatest pioneers of SF. Go ting will be fantastic also. Poul deck." (p. 57) thou and buy. Anderson handles this well in "The Broken Sword" and Tolkein is quite Maybe a little redundant, but it adept at it. Love, hate, lust, en¬ works. vy, etc., all have to be there to This novel is worth a look, sim¬ make the story interesting in human ply because so few things like it terms. have been done. But, alas, I pre¬ Unfortunately Lupoff's charac¬ dict it'll sell about 12 copies, may¬ ters are supernatural beings whose be less in paperback. The title is SWORD OF THE DEMON motivations are obscure, whose rea¬ very, very wrong and makes it sound By Richard A. Lupoff soning is obscurer and whose abil¬ like a fur-jockstrap effort. In pa¬ Harper 6 Row ities are never stated. There are perback it'll no doubt get an imita¬ 174 pp., 1976, $7.95 dozens of rabbits out of hats, un¬ tion Frazetta cover and be placed next to THUDBORE Vs. THE LAMPRAY WO¬ Two issues back your editor and expected character changes (a mee\ frightened girl into an Amazon in MEN. But the Thudbore fans will mine dismissed this book with a sncrt, take one look at the overtly liter¬ but I think it deserves closer at¬ the space of a paragraph), and hith¬ erto unaccounted for magic tricks, ary style and put it down. Any who tention. I'm not satisfied with it, and the result is fantastic people last beyond the first page will be but why I'm not satisfied may be im¬ doing fantastic things in a fantas¬ puzzled by the lack of familiar ster¬ portant. (Not because it's my reac¬ tic setting. If anything can happen, eotypes, and meanwhile the readers tion, but because of what it might the reader doesn't care what does. of more sophisticated fantasies will tell us about the nature of fantasy There is no connection with human pass by with upturned noses. Dick fiction.) It's certainly an intel¬ reality at all. Between this and the mentioned once that an alternate tit¬ ligent and creative effort--of it¬ le kicked about was THE MIRROR OF self very welcome in such a moribund inappropriate style, the book has committed a thorough job of hara- AMATERASU, which to my mind would field as --and yet in have been 1000% better. many ways it's a textbook case of kiri. How Not To Do It. But it is interesting. The writ-, ing is at least clear. Lupoff knows The problem is distancing. Le- how to use English, and comes as a Guin discusses this in FROM ELFLAND tremendous relief after Patricia TO POUGHKEEPSIE (surely the standard McKillip (see next review) and the text on the subject---a must) and novelty of his content carries the points out that heroic and imaginary TOE RIDDLE-MASTER OF HED reader through. If a conventional world fantasy fiction, quite unlike By Patricia S. McKillip fantasy novel with the two or three realistic fiction (including science Atheneum, 1976 stock characters and the usual med- fiction) requires a distancing from 229 pages, $7.95 the ordinary to be convincing. If ieval/Hyborian setting were written this way, it would be a flat bore, it's a tale of long ago and far a- Patricia McKillip has apparently but we have here what may be the way, and epic deeds of the princes written four books, but the only one of Faery, it can't sound like an an¬ to attract any attention so far was 77 ecdote told by Uncle Sid from New THE FORGOTTEN BEASTS OF ELD, which. you'll recall won the first World Now then: As in the previous where in all this gunk. I think Fantasy Award ever presented, and in book, the author shows little flair there is one, but it hardly gets off general created a sensation, even if for naming names, which is so inpor- the ground. I'm not asking it to Dick Lupoff did give it a bad re¬ tant in fantasy. She has a woman unravel itself completely since this view in ALGOL. I was quite taken named Tristan, a violation of rule is the first part of a trilogy, but with it--in essence, that rare crea¬ #1 in imaginary names. Do not use it should get moving. To make the ture, the fantasy novel of character, names which carry associations ir¬ inevitable comparison to Tolkein, about an enchantress and I know few relevant to your story. Tristan you'll note that while Tolkein had better--although I was willing to (sometimes Tristram) was a knight of enough sense to hold much of his admit its faults. The writing tend¬ the Round Table, the lover of Isolt. story back, he got the essential ed toward deep purple and there was A male name, I've always assumed. plotline set ip early in THE FELLOW¬ desperate need for someone armed with Then there's a country named An which SHIP OF THE RING. By chapter 2 we a blue pencil to open season sounds just like Ann or Anne and is know something of the ring and what on the words "forgotten", "legend¬ noted for horses raised there and has to be done with it. Then later ary", and "fabled". The society the thus smacks of Annwn from Welsh on, revelation follows revelation, story took place in was sketchy at mythology without having anything to and the picture gets bigger, more best. However, because of the close do with it or even being supernatur¬ complicated, and things turn out focus of the novel, it came off quite al. An inhabitant of this place is differently from what was first ex¬ well. named Mathom. A "mathom" in Tolkein pected. But rather than pull the is a useless thing that's so nice camera back, McKillip has smeared I'm sorry to report that THE you can't bring yourself to throw it vaseline on the lens. She gets no¬ RIDDLE-MASTER OF HED tries for a away. It's also the title of Lisa where. Her hero blunders through broad sweep and fails utterly. It's Tuttle's fanzine, which was publish¬ several societies as paper-thin as a vast disappointment, nowhere near ed on that theory. Again, hardly those in ELD (only there are more of as good as THE FORGOTTEN BEASTS OF right for a character's name, unless them) without accomplishing anything. ELD. All the shortcomings of the you can't bear to throw him away The story doesn't really start until previous work are here with none of either. (I could.) In the tongue¬ four-fifths of the way through, by the strengths. The writing is on a twisting department there's Ylcar- which time it's too late. Maybe we much lower level, extremely murky, cronlth, which looks like an epilep¬ don't have a trilogy here at all, imprecise and often with dubious tic fit at the typewriter to me. but a monstrously padded one-volume grammar like: Don't ask what it sounds like. novel. "It was dark; the sea lay As far as murkiness goes, there The second part, HEIR OF SEA AND heaving, blue-green with un¬ are times when I'm not sure just FIRE (Atheneum, 204 pp., $7.95) just earthly lights on a moonless what the hell is going on in a scene showed up. I can only hope it'll be night; so close he could see or what is being described, or even better than the first. the light from Danan's house who is talking. Everybody talks a- lay Isig Mountain." (p. 178) like anyway. A little bit of the confusion is intentional, since the hero seems to be frequently deliri¬ I have never figured out what ous, bonked on the head, or just the last part of that means. Either plain not paying attention, but the the light is screwing the mountain experience of his confusion is not or "lay" is being used in a. sense conveyed. More is created, which is THE WEIRD TALES STORY I'm unfamiliar with, or the verb was not what's needed. , Author and Editor assassinated by the typesetter. But FAX, 1977, 134 pp., $17.50 there are many cases of this and I To make the going tedious, Mc¬ tend to think it's the author's Killip never really gets into the This lavidi, oversized book (a fault. Additionally, the above spec¬ mind of her character and he's such coffeetable book in general trade, imen is first rate Deep Purple, com¬ a dolt anyway we could care less. but FAX is a specialty press) is not plete with terminal adjectivitis. He spends most of the book denying quite what it was supposed to be. Someone ought to tell Ms. McKillip the obvious. Admittedly this could Some of you may remember Weinberg's that one does not make a scene "un¬ be a believable motivation (many fiftieth anniversary WT tribute in earthly" merely by calling it so, any people spend their lifetimes doing 1973. (If you have one, hang onto more than a horror story writer of the same), and it is possible, as it. Allegedly worth $15 a copy these the Eldritch Dread school can make everybody from Dostoyevsky to Thomas days.) Shortly thereafter it was something frightening by labeling it Disch has proven, to write a good announced that THE WEIRD TALES STORY "a mind-wrenching horror of nameless, story about an utter nebbish, but would be an elaborate reprinting of blasphemous, unspeakable abomina¬ this particular ninconpoop is never WT 50 (minus fiction) with lots more tion." the slightest bit convincing. If artwork from the original magazine, handled right, the reasons for the and much new text. She seems to think there are character's mistakes are obvious to Well, it is and it isn't. There such words as "surprisedly" and "be- the reader if not to the character is something of the original book wilderedly" and in any case doesn't himself, and he can become sympath¬ know not to use such appallingly etic- -this is not the stuff of trag¬ left here, but it's been heavily re¬ clumsy said-bookisms. edy, though, since a tragic hero has written. My own article on Mcllwraith is gone (I'd hoped this to be a whole man to start with-- On page 194 "the ceiling loomed would be my first hardcover appear¬ at him". I don't think she knows but if he makes one blunder after another not because of some flaw ance) , although admittedly Weinberg what "loomed" means. knows more about the subject and within himself but because the auth¬ To be nice, before I proceed fur¬ or is blatantly pulling strings, covers it better than I ever could. The memoirs of various authors are ther, I must admit some of the nature then he's merely exasperating. descriptions, especially the hero's here, along with some new ones, not¬ transformation into a tree near the If there's any tragedy, it's the ably one by Robert Barbour Johnson end, are lovely. There are snatches tragedy of a good story buried some- which raises a lot of questions. of good writing scattered throughout 78 Why did Farnsworth Wright seem to do everything possible to discourage readers, who got educated! sewn signatures. It'll last.) The Johnson, whose "Far Below" was one contents speak for themselves: "Com¬ Mach of this is, of course, of the most popular tales the maga¬ mon Time" by James Blish (a great taste, but I think Weinberg goes zine ever ran? Eventually he suc¬ story in its own right, probably overboard praising the dreadful art¬ ceeded, and Johnson stopped submit¬ best known for Damon Knight's Freud- work in the early WT. I have yet to ting. ianization of it in IN SEARCH OF WON¬ encounter anyone who isn't a fevered DER) , "" by Jack Vance In any case, this streamlined, WT fan who can say anything good a- (from EIGHT PHANTASMS), "Incentive" deluxe version is certainly a much bout Margaret Brundage. Certainly by Brian Aldiss (GALAXIES LIKE more complete history of WEIRD TALES her nudes are unrealistic, her exe¬ GRAINS OF SAND), "The Waiting Grou¬ than the previous one and he did cution pedestrian, and her situa¬ nds" by J.G. Ballard (the early, well to cover the ground himself, tions unimaginative. Few but the storytelling, surrealist Ballard, rather than let others do it. For hardest of hardcore enthusiasts can prior to the "condensed novels", one thing, he has access to the in¬ regard one with a straight face. back when his stories had such con¬ credibly rare 1920s issues of. the "Beautiful" is not an adjective I ventional elements as theme, charac¬ magazine, which few of us ordinary would ever consider using in the ter and thoughts conveyed from one mortals have ever seen. Thus he is same breath with one of them. Nor paragraph to the next), "Sky" by R.A. one of the handful of people capable would I ever use "erotic". And Hugh Lafferty (Need I say more? From NEW of intelligently coimnenting on the Rankin's interiors are more embarras¬ DIMENSIONS 1), "Night" by John Camp¬ early years of the magazine. sing smudges than anything else. bell (sequel to "Twilight"), "The Weinberg admits that because of low I have a few objections: The Dead Lady of Clown Town" by Cord- payment offered by WT, if an artist layout, especially in the chapter on wainer Smith (one of the longest Un¬ was any good he would get work else¬ interior art, is a mess. The figure derpeople stories, seldom antholog¬ where, unless he happened to be spec¬ referred to is often pages ahead of ized accordingly) and Silverberg's ially suited for the weird. These the text and the text sometimes junps own "Breckenridge and the Continuuirf' specialists didn't start showing up a few pages, dropping a single para¬ (from his own period of greatness till late. Aside from a couple of graph in the middle somewhere, with¬ which he has sadly and abruptly end¬ J. Allen St. John pieces, I can see out so much as a "continued on ed- -from THE FEAST OF ST. DIONYSUS). no competent art work in the maga¬ p--". At least one drawing is iden¬ zine before the advent of Finlay and The subtitle is "Science Fiction tified incorrectly. Figure 35 is no competent covers before Bok. And as Visionary Literature". Yes, in¬ not for del Rey's "Cross of Fire", I've seen few covers from the Mcll- deed. Bob. It's really the Finlay poetry wraith period that were aggressively page from the May 1939 issue, page bad, most of them well above the 129, for "Wine of Wizardry". earlier level. More seriously, Weinberg fre¬ Ah, but this could go on for quently fails to back up or follow hours, couldn't it? As long as up his statements. He mentions off¬ people still sit around and talk-- hand that Ray Cummings' "The Girl THE FUTURE NOW for hours sometimes--about "The Uni¬ in the Golden Atom" was inspired by Robert Hoskins, Editor que Magazine", it lives up to its sub¬ a Quaker Oats sign, then doesn't Fawcett, 1977, 286pp., $1.75 title, and this is certainly the bother to spare a line to say how. best book about it so far. And more frequently he'll tell us Once you've been in SF for ten that this or that story was effec¬ P.S. Two ideas occurred to me years or so, reprint anthologies be¬ tive or not effective or exception¬ while reading this thing: 1) If gin to look alike. Here's another ally gruesome without substantiating Henry Whitehead's article on the one with familiar stories, but again it in the least. This is hardly per¬ technique of weird fiction is so if you weren't reading SF in the late ceptive criticism. At one point great, someone ought to reprint it, 1960s and early 70s, you may have (p. 40, discussing "The Tree of and 2) If STRANGE STORIES, the only missed the first printings. The au¬ Life" by C.L. Moore) he uses the serious competitor WT ever had was thors include Harlan Ellison, Poul word "theme" when he clearly means so great, how about an anthology of Anderson, Virginia Kidd, Ed Bryant, plot, as if the two were interchange¬ stories from its pages? Bob? FAX? Dean Koontz, etc. able. He is at his best when relat¬ But there's one thing of inter¬ ing history or anecdote, at his woist est to all, which makes this book as a critic. Fortunately he does worth the price of admission even if more of the former than the latter. you have all the stories--Ursula Le- Sometimes I think enthusiasm Guin's essay, "The Stalin in the Soul". This is based on a speech clouds judgment. When we are told BRIEFLY NOTED: that "The Call of Cthulhu" was re¬ delivered at Clarion in 1973. It's jected in 1925 because the audience THE GALACTIC DREAMERS copyrighted both for that year and wouldn't have understood it, then Robert Silverberg, Editor 1977. This is apparently the first bought in 1928 because they had been Random House, 1977, 276 pp., $8.95 publication, of this version at "educated" that far, I tend to sus¬ least. Books like this tend to be neg¬ pect ex post facto rationalization. It's absolutely required reading lected by reviewers because their for writers and for anyone with hopes For one thing, much of the read¬ contents are familiar to veteran of becoming a writer. Much of it ership of a magazine turns over in readers (I already have all these seems obvious in retrospect--the 3 years, so those "educated" thus stories) but they shouldn't pass hack writer sells himself, his aud¬ wouldn't be around by the time the without any notice at all. This is ience and his art form short--but story appeared. For another, many an excellent collection, ideal for rarely has all this been said with conmentators have suggested that newer readers and for libraries try¬ comparable force or eloquence: Wright had a quirk whereby he would ing to build an SF collection. (Lib¬ "We censor ourselves. We turn down anything really unusual, rarians note: It's a properly bound writers fail to write ser¬ then sometimes buy it later because book, in cloth with good paper and he'd seen it before and it was more iously, because we're af- familiar. It was the editor, not the 79 raid--for good cause--that it won't sell. And as readers we er Rider," plus a short story, "The sf of the sort that gets reviewed at fail to discriminate; we buy Grey God Passes." In addidtion length in the Sunday papers here. it, read it, forget it. We there are eleven full-color, full- The responsibility seems too great are mere "viewers" and consum¬ page illustration by the well-known just at present--I'm still recover¬ ers", not readers at all. Read¬ painter, Marcus Boas. The price ing from the effects of having been ing is not a passive reaction, for this volume is $15. at a convention in Belgium--so I but an action, involving the The third book is THE PRIDE OF think maybe I'll get drunk tonight mind, the emotions, the will. BEAR CREEK by Robert E. Howard. instead. It's an odd feeling, this To accept trashy books be¬ This is the second volume of tales idea that one must try to live up cause they're "best sell¬ involving the western hero Breckin¬ to the highest standards. Last year ers" is the same as accept¬ ridge Elkins. The first volume was I did a lightweight fun book called ing adulterated food, ill- A GENT FROM BEAR CREEK. This book MEDUSA'S CHILDREN, knowing as I was made machines, corrupt gov¬ has the dust wrapper and three in¬ writing it that the critics would ernment and military and terior illustrations by Tim Kirk. dislike it and that ordinary sf rea¬ corporative tyranny and Price is $7. ders (as distinct from fans) would praising them and calling Address: Donald M. Grant, Pub¬ like it a lot. Since then the fan them the American Way of lisher, West Kingston, RI 02892. press critics have been tearing it Life or the American *********************************** to shreds, and a number of ordinary Dream. It is a betrayal of readers have contacted me out of reality. Every betrayal, U LETTER FROM GRETCHEN RIX the blue to say it was the best thing every lie accepted, leads to September, 1977 I had ever done. The latter state¬ the next betrayal and the ment is wrong, because I know it is next lie." (p. 19) 'George Warren's letter of com¬ not the best thing I have ever done --but who should I write for? Per¬ To which I would add, don't ac¬ ment about Star Wars in last issue's SFR was interesting, but I've got haps I won't even wait till tonight cept a book merely because it is a to start boozing... "classic". See for yourself. one (or two) comments for him. Warren was sure James Earl Jones 'Anyway, I wish you luck with ft*********************************** was playing (in voice, at least) the development of ONE IMMORTAL MAN SMALL PRESS NOTES CONT. FROM PAGE 65 Darth Vader. Actually, I was check¬ --I'd like to see that turned into a ing the closing credits to see if novel. hadn't sneaked into 'Thanks again for keeping me on ALWAYS COMES EVENING is a # the movie somehow for Vader's voice the mailing list for SFR. It's a handsome hardcover collection of reminded me of his to a degree. But truly great fanzine, and I feel like Robert E. Howard's poetry, compiled according to Newsweek Magazine, a swine for not sending you a six- by and illustrated by which does make errors, admittedly, page loc every time. Yes, I'll go Keiko Nelson. This volume contains Darth Vader was David Prowse. out and have a swine right now... all of Howard's poems from WEIRD TALES, as well as verse from the 'I wouldn't think anyone would 'For some reason this afternoon hard to find (and little heard of) use an actor of James Earl Jones' I keep ending sentences with three THE PHANTOGRAPH,FANCIFUL TALES, and stature in a movie without publiciz¬ little dots...' ORIENTAL STORIES. This is a 2500 ing it. copy edition at $10. each. There 'And C3PO was Anthony Daniels, is a 200 copy edition bound in not Roddy McDowell. leather at about triple the above 'I enjoyed Star Wars immensely price. Query Chuck Miller, 239 N. # LETTER FROM IAN WATSON Fourth Street, Columbia, PA 17512. the first time, and pretty well the The endleaves of the book have second time I saw it. Twice was September 24, 1977 a reproduction of Howard's writing. more than enough, though. But I'm 'What a load of grump from Ted Wow. To anyone who has even a rudi¬ glad everyone else is getting a kick Tubb. So the UK economy is in rags mentary knowledge of handwriting out of it.' and tatters because of cynics, sabo¬ analysis, REH was obviously a very teurs and idiots? The facts are neurotic individual...yet a reliable {(I keep putting off going out that the UK was well in the black neurotic. to Beaverton to see STAR WARS be¬ last month on balance of payments cause of horror stories of looonnng and is going to be staying there for # Donald Grant continues to pub¬ lines.. .hours of waiting- And I quite a few years to come because of lish very fine, quality books. The keep hoping the film will shift to oil (okay, only 15 years or so per¬ cream of the three recent releases a nearer theater. But, one of these haps, but that's a pretty handsome received is, in my mind, THE DREAM days....)) breathing space by any reckoning); OF X by William Hope Hodgson, with we've got the largest foreign cur¬ a feast of full-color, full-page rency reserves in a decade (and it Stephen Fabian paintings. There isn't all borrowed money by any are 14 really superb illustrations, means); the pound is stable and has § LETTER FROM BOB SHAW plus full color endleaves, designs, been for the last 12 months; infla¬ etc. and a full-color dust jacket September 20, 1977 tion is under control, nowhere near painting. 'I'm feeling quite well at pres¬ 20%, because of sensible unvacillat¬ There is no price given in the ent, having just dispatched the ing government policy over the last d-j, but judging from the companion latest novel off to the publisher. 2 years and trade union cooperation; volume (described below) the price I've been going through a phase of prices of raw materials to industry should be about $20. But check with writing jolly semi-space operas for are falling; taxes, far from getting Grant to be sure. the past two or three books, and now worse, were reduced by 1% a few THE MARCHERS OF VALHALLA con¬ the feeling has come over me that I months ago. Taxes still aren't amus¬ sists of two relatively obscure must write some serious adult social ing, mind; but the system isn't en- . novelettes by Robert E. Howard, tirely run by sadists--when I visit¬ "Marchers of Valhalla," "The Thund¬ 80 ed my local Tax Collector recently she advised me how I could .pay a bit ly has a stimulating piece in it of ((There are a lot of writers, less tax. Local taxes (rates) are this sort, in Gerard Klein's "Dis¬ including me (and I suspect Foul being held in check as far as pos¬ contents in American Science Fic- Anderson, for one) who prefer not sible by cutting back on public tion"-more stimulating for writers to know too much about their own spending. You can argue the pros than thesis-mongers, whether you end particular fiction's content of and cons of the Common Market all up agreeing or not agreeing. And symbolism, influences, and other right but to link it to decimalisa¬ Remington's "Three Reservations of unconscious or subconscious inputs tion and metrication as similar the Structural Road", under its for¬ for fear that if they become too 'disasters' is crackers, unless you bidding title, asks some very pert¬ self-conscious in writing and in simply like foxing foreigners by inent questions about what the core manipulating these elements they'll charging a dozen guineas a furlong of SF is-in opposition to what Ted lose the "magic" that makes their for goods, or three-farthings a calls pontificating on Godlike at¬ fiction interesting and important, score. And on the subject of 'for¬ tributes of the new SF pantheon. It and will end up making fools of eigners', we don't happen to have helps you be aware, SF STUDIES does themselves. There's also an ele¬ unlimited immigration. The notori¬ its best; and being aware is what ment of not-wanting-to-know because ous large families are declining life's about or you end up blindly the furniture of their unconscious year by year in a different society. and resentfully grumbling. is embarrassing and sets up con¬ You can at least (and at last) get 'Ah, but the forbidding title. flicts and writing blocks. Too, know¬ a decent meal in any British town There is this language problem with ing the sources of inspiration and now. The problems of social adjust¬ SF STUDIES; which can lead to some theme and choices of characters can ment can be dealt with and will be-- funny episodes. The thing is that make one feel like a machine and but not by grumbling about the rac¬ Darko Suvin and Mullen are aiming at can make one feel out-of-control, ial problem, which merely helps to a mere set of reflexes and literary enforce it and make it one. Compul¬ conditioned responses.)) sory purchase doesn't happen, as Ted implies in his context, because you SCHIZOPHRENIA IS' NEVER HAVING TO SAY have become poor; if that happened YOU KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON. you'd get assistance to maintain your house. It's caused by motorway mania. It certainly isn't against "WHEN IN THE PAST INTELLECTUALS the law to defend your life and RAILED ON AGAINST THE MOVIES, IT WAS property; it's the law that you can ALWAYS ON THE GROUNDS THAT MOVIES crack a burglar's skull open with WERE SOMEHOW BENEATH" THE OTHER ARTS your poker--the advice is you don't BECAUSE THEY MADE THEIR APPEAL TO sensibly attack a cornered beast of BASIC EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS RATHER prey. And the fact that there are THAN THE CEREBRUM. THEY WOULD POINT no guns at large, generally speaking OUT WITH SOME SUPERIORITY THAT THE means not that you're forbidden to GUNFIGHT AND THE CHASE WERE MORE POP¬ sleep happy and secure with a rev¬ ULAR THAN THE METAPHYSICAL ARGUMENT, olver under your pillow but that you THEREBY PROVING THAT MOVIES COULD are very much less likely to get DO NOTHING IMPORTANT. THIS IDEA RESTS shot if somebody does break in or ON THE NOTION THAT THERE IS SOME¬ just casually shot at random. extreme precision rather than foggy THING BASE ABOUT ANYTHING BASIC, AND impressionism. Well, in one of my THAT FEELINGS AND DRIVES ARE "BE¬ 'Oh, well, Ted's obviously reel¬ pieces on Dick/Le Guin I used the NEATH" THE INTELLECT. EVER SINCE ing nostalgically under the blows of word of a thousand faces, "realism"; THE GUN WAS FIRED AT THE AUDIENCE IN Future Shock, nostalgia being a con¬ and Darko wrote back saying "You do THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY, FILM HAS dition of punch-drunkenness from not actually mean 'realism' because BEEN A MEDIUM WHERE MOOD AND SENSA¬ the demon Change; but he does rather it sets up x,y,z falso connotations TION WERE MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANY flail about at random. And isn't in this context". So we changed the IDEAS. IT IS A MATTER OF INTENSITY it odd how past-oriented a lot of word to "verisimilitude", which is a AND THE POWER TO HAUNT, NOT SIMPLY the heart of SF is? Now I know why bit sharper. But then we came to VISUALIZATION AND THE PRESENCE OF Dumarest never finds his way back to the adjective and to be consistent THE IMAGE. IT IS THE ADVANTAGE A Terra; it isn't here anymore. we had to change this to "verisimi¬ SILLY FILM LIKE KING KONG HOLDS OVER 'On the subject of the past, I'm lar", and Ye Gods, we then got to the A BRILLIANT FILM LIKE BEFORE THE REV- surprised you call Dan Galouye a adverb later on and a new word bloan- 01 IfTTON. forgotten writer; DARK UNIVERSE, ed, "verisimilarly'. Well, this is "THE EARLY DAYS OF THE AMERICAN COUNTERFEIT WORLD and PROJECT BARRI¬ not a bit of Academese; it's actual¬ MOTION PICTURE WERE FORTUNATE IN CO¬ ER were all paperbacked here a few ly a bit of Suvinese-which is a more INCIDING WITH AN AGE OF HEROIC COM¬ years ago with beautiful covers by responsible language than Academese EDY—A TIME WHEN COPEDY, WHICH HAD Sphere Books and I think I've seen because it isn't simply aiming at TRADITIONALLY LABORED UNDER ARISTOT¬ copies in shops till fairly recently. acceptance by some Academic hierarchy LE S DELUSION THAT GLORY WAS RESERED but at greater truth value, a sharp¬ 'Thanks for including me as a FOR THE FIGURE OF TRAGEDY, CAME TO 'fine critic' in your rundown on the ening of thought rather than sonor¬ BE USED TO GLORIFY A PERSONALITY AT Gregg Press SCIENCE FICTION STUDIES. ous obfuscation. At any rate, that THE EXPENSE OF THE WHOLE WORLD. WHAT Actually, I'd say that SF STUDIES is the idea... SET CHAPLIN, KEATON, FIELDS AND THE has much more than academic value. 'All the best and thanks for a MARX BROTHERS APART FROM THEIR FORE¬ It can be very useful and provoking fine issue which tided me through BEARS WAS THAT THEY BECAME EPIC OAR- to writers too-if you like to think flu. ACTERS, AND IT WAS THEIR SURROUNDINGS about what you're doing and why you RATHER THAN THEIR PERSONS THAT WOUND are doing it and what 'invisible' 'P.S. Mandrake the Magician had UP BEING RIDICULED. Lothar as his sidekick.' social and ideological concepts lie ---GOING CRAZY in back of your work and the genre By Otto Friedrich you're writing in. The March 1977 Avon 31567, $1.95 issue you review on pp 58/9 certain¬ r THiRb TVMK>efc-uP ONE AND THE WINNER IS.... U|EU-r MAYBE CoE CftEAM flE/ SECOND 13UN- .shouldn't ■RAuk-tHP I NEK.- UP TINO CREAM T7ES, •runneRs-uP FfRST RUNNER-UP THZSE CPEAM ?)ES, 4N»THE i HUGjO WlNKiep. VS-. APE You SER'OUS THE HUGO AWARDS WERE PRESENTED AT THE 35th WORLD SCIENCE FICTION CONVENTION SEPTEMBER 2S, 1977.

THE NOMINEES FOR BEST NOVEL WERE: CHILDREN OF DUNE by Frank Herbert; MAN PLUS by Frederik Pohl; MINDBRIDGE by Joe Haldeman; by Robert Silverberg; WHERE LATE THE SWEET BIRDS SANG by Kate Wilhelm. AND THE WINNER IS WHERE LATE THE SWEET BIRDS SANG. THE NOMINEES FOR BEST EDITOR WERE: NON-HUGO AWARDS ALSO PRESENTED: BEN BOVA: THE NOMINEES FOR BEST NOVELLA WERE: TERRY CARR: the J.R.R. Tolkien Award (GANDALF) "By Any Other Name" by Spider Rob¬ ED FERMAN: FOR LIFE S WORK IN FANTASY inson; TED WHITE. THE NOMINEES WERE: "Houston, Houston, Do You Read" by AND THE WINNER IS BEN BOVA. ; James Tiptree, Jr.; C.S. LEWIS; "Piper At The Gates Of Dawn" by FRITZ LEIBER; Richard Cowper; THE NOMINEES FOR BEST PROFESSIONAL URSULA LEGUIN. "The Samurai And The Willows" by Artist were: Michael Bishop. AND THE WINNER IS ANDRE NORTON. GEORGE BARR: VINCENT DIFATE; STEPHEN FABIAN; the John W. Campbell Award RICK STERNBACH. FOR BEST NEW WRITER AND THE WINNER IS RICK STERNBACH. THE NOMINEES WERE: THE NOMINEES FOR BEST NOVELETTE WERE: JACK CHALKER; "" by Isaac Asi- C.J. CHERRYH; THE NOMINEES FOR BEST FANZINE WERE: M.A. FOSTER; "The Diary of the Rose" by Ursula K. LOCUS; CARTER SCHOLZ. LeGuin; MIHOLOGIES; "Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance" by John OUTWORLDS; AND THE WINNER IS C. J. CHERRYH. Varley; SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW; "The Phantom of Kansas" by John Var¬ THE SPANISH INQUISITION. ley. jgj gjE WINNER IS SCIENCE FICTION A^ the winner is THE BICENTENNIAL

THE NOMINEES FOR BEST FAN WRITER THp FjjjST Fandom Award: THE NOMINEES FOR BEST SHORT STORY WERE: FRANK BELK- WERE: DON D'ANMASSA; "A Crowd of Shadows" by Charles L. DICK GEIS; Grant; DONALD C. THOMPSON; "Custom Fitting" by James White; SUSAN WOOD. StfkJiG Heart flWARD: ELAIIt mdjcie- "I See You" by Damon Knight; "Tricentennial" by Joe Haldeman. AND ™^winnbr IS A TIE: DICK GEIS AND THE WINNER IS TRI CENTENNIAL.

THE NOMINEES FOR BEST FAN ARTIST THE NOMINEES FOR BEST DRAMATIC PRE¬ were: SENTATION WERE: GRANT CANFIELD; CARRIE: ; FUTUREWORLD: TIM KIRK; LOGAN'S RUN: BILL ROTSLER; THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH; JIM SHULL. No Award. AND THE WINNER IS PHIL FOGLIO. AND THE WINNER IS No AWARD. 82 10-9-77 The final entry for this AND THEN I READ.... issue. Two items I'd better not forget: with this title? The second deadly THANK YOU, all of you Hugo vot¬ sin is covetousness, and the killer's ers who voted for me this year. I name is slang for "moneyman". Then, am humble...and sort of proud. (Aft¬ too, the killer's death seemed too er all, a Hugo vote is a way of ex¬ pat and his self-undoing, panic, and pressing love.) I hope that isn't stupidity (after having been so smart vaguely obscene. We all hate vague¬ up till the end) seemed to me more ness. of plot necessity than character AND—I wish everyone a happy reality. holiday season. Just think: anoth¬ Still...it is a good, near-com¬ er year shot to hell. pulsive read. MARION ZINNER BRADLEY (I quote from a letter in FUTURE RESPECTIVE MURDER AT THE ABA #12) had this to say about the Hu¬ By The Editor By Isaac Asimov gos and one winner in particular: Fawcett 2-3202-6, $1.75 THE SECOND DEADLY SIN 'A Hugo of course is just a CONMENT: This is the best-written By Lawrence Sanders popularity contest among fans/read¬ Asimov book I've read. He surprised Putnam, $9.95 ers who at least have bought and the hell out of me. Excellent, malic¬ read the book. It doesn't mean much; CONMENT: I presume this was sent be¬ ious characterizations, good pacing, but I would rather have it than a cause I liked Sanders' THE TOMORROW realism, a good murder puzzle, and no Nebula. FILE so much. This novel is a de¬ cheating (but a few lucky breaks). 'A case in point: James Tip- tective murder mystery, with retired There is also sly by-play as Asimov tree's "Houston, Houston, Do You chief of New York detectives Edward inserts himself as a character in the Read?" Now this may, in my person¬ X. Delaney as the sleuth, helped by book and argues with the central char¬ al opinion (which doesn't of course an alcoholic police detective whom acter in amusing asides and footnot¬ mean much) be one of the worst nov¬ the force can spare. In a quasi- es. He has a lot of fun. The reader elettes to appear at any time in the official investigation, Delaney does, too. Recommended. past fifty years. I think it was pieces together clues to solve the printed because it happened to tie knifing of Victor Maitland, an art¬ into the feminist politics of the istic genius who is also a sonofa- THE FRANK FRAZETTA CALENDAR - 1978 last year. But try reversing the bitch. sexes in the plot and think of the Delaney is old-fashioned, meth¬ Peacock Press/Bantam Books, $4.95 [12" x 12 5/8" size] screams we would have? Three female odical and unforgettable. The char¬ space travellers somehow go through acterizations are depthy and the COMMENT: Really fine. Heavy, heavy time, and wind up in a world where background utterly realistic. The card stock. First class. The paint¬ women have been eliminated and the police slang and procedures are in¬ ings are: Bloodstone, Aros, Serpent, men are creating a wonderful Utopia, triguing. Nightstalker, , Girl free of the female traits of whatev- But. Did Sanders HAVE to tele¬ Bathing, Fire Demon (a double-page er-men-hate-about-women. The men graph the identity of the killer center-spread. God, to own the orig¬ find them obnoxious, so they prompt¬ inal!), Rogue Roman, Tanar of Pellu- ly kill off the women so that their cidar. Autumn People, Dracula Meets wonderful womanless world won't be the Wolfman, Bran Mak Mom, Swords threatened by the possibility that of Mars. some of the men might listen to or Full color poster size prints enjoy the company of the returnees. of the plates from this calendar are Could a nazi or fascist write a available from Frazetta Prints worse explication of their vicious RD2, Box 257, hate propaganda? When I read it, I East Stroudsburg, PA didn't have to wait for Tiptree's 18301 revelation of herself as a woman— The prints are $3. plus $1. postage I said "No man wrote that story." and handling for each print. If you It is a tragic commentary on the re¬ are a Frazetta freak, get the calend¬ lations between the sexes that e- er and then choose your posters. nough writers could vote for it, for any reason, to give it even the mean¬ ingless Nebula. I'd be shocked if ASCENSION it had won a fanzine award. Hate By Charles L. Grant Berkley 425-03412-7, $1.25 COMMENT: An unconvincing after-the- Such a story would also be con¬ holocaust novel in which an implaus¬ sidered "sick" and "homosexual" and ible hero seeks revenge for his fath¬ "too controversial" and likely not er's death, in the last great in-ruins be published at all. city on Earth. Petty local dictators, See you all next issue. insane, left-over androids and doubt¬ ful friends make the young hero's life a time of troubles. Rather pre¬ tentious rendering of a standard sf theme. BACK ISSUES thoughts" by Harlan Ellison; "The SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW ft20 An Gimlet Eye" by Jon Gustafson. Interview with ; THE ALIEN CRITIC "Noise Level" by John Brunner; SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW An Interview With Joe Haldeman; SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW #14 "The Vivisector" by Darrel Schweit¬ No other numbers are available An Interview With Philip Jose zer; "The Gimlet Eye" by Jon Gust¬ ONE DOLLAR PER COPY Farmer; "Dancing On the Titanic" afson. by Charles W. Runyon; "Thoughts on Logan's Run" by William F. No¬ EACH ISSUE CONTAINS MANY REVIEWS. SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW *21 An in¬ lan; "The Gimlet Eye" by Jon EACH ISSUE CONTAINS LETTERS FROM terview with Leigh Brackett 5 Ed¬ Gustafson. WELL-KNOWN SF 6 FANTASY WRITERS, mond Hamilton; An Interview with EDITORS, PUBLISHERS AND FANS. SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW #15 Tim Kirk; "The Dream Quarter" by "Spec Fic and the Perry Rhodan Barry Malzberg; "Noise Level" by- THE FOLLOWING LISTINGS ARE OF Ghetto" by Donald C. Thompson; An John Brunner. FEATURED CONTRIBUTIONS Interview With L. Sprague de Camp by Darrell Schweitzer; "Uffish THE ALIEN CRITIC #5 Interview Thots" by Ted White; "The Gimlet with Fritz Leiber; "The Literary SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW #22 An In¬ Eye" by Jon Gustafson. Dreamers" by James Blish; "Irvin terview with John Varley; "S-F and Binkin Meets H. P. Lovecraft" by S-E-X" by Sam Merwin, Jr.; "After¬ Jack Chalker. SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW #16 thoughts On Logan's Run" by Will¬ An Interview with Jerry Pournelle; iam F. Nolan; "An Evolution of Con¬ THE ALIEN CRITIC #6 Interview "The True and Terrible History of sciousness" by Marion Zimmer Brad¬ with R. A. Lafferty; "The Tren¬ Science Fiction" by Barry Malzberg; ley. chant Bludgeon" by Ted White; "Noise Level” by John Brunner; "Translations From the Editorial" by "The Literary Masochist" by Richard Marion Z. Bradley. Lupoff; "Whatever Happened to Fay Wray?" by Michael G. Coney; "The THE / '~v CRITIC "The Shape Gimlet Eye" by Jon Gustafson; of Sc - :>me" by li-ed- "Plugged In" by George Warren. ^LD C ***BACK ISSUE ORDER FORM*** : . 0 OUT Brunner; "Up r all, Rog- $1.00 each SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW #17 An er Zelazny", a Interview with George R. R. Mart¬ Dear REG: I enclose $_ THE ALIEN CRITIC 3 8 '’TomorroWs in; An Interview with Robert An¬ Please send Back Issue(s) Libido: "Sex and Science Fiction" by ton Wilson; "Philip K. Dick: A Its #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 Richard Delap; "The Trenchant Blud¬ Parallax View" by Terrence M. #13 #14 #15 #16 #17 geon" by Ted White; "Banquet Speech" Green; "Microcosmos" by R. Fara¬ #18 #19 #20 #21 #22 by Robert Bloch; "Noise Level" by day Nelson; "Angel Fear" by Freff. (Circle #s desired) John Brunner. THE ALIEN CRITIC #9 "Reading SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW #18 An In¬ Heinlein Subjectively" by Alexei and terview with Lester del Rey; "Noise SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW Cory Panshin; "Written To a Pulp!" Level" by John Brunner; "A Short Subscription Coupon by Sam Merwin, Jr.; "Noise Level" One For the Boys in the Back Room" All you have to do is fill it in by Barry Malzberg; An Interview with by John Brunner; "The Shaver Papers" with your name and address (or by Richard S. Shaver. Alan Burt Akers; "The Gimlet Eye" by that of someone you wish to de¬ Jon Gustafson. THE ALIEN CRITIC #10 An Inter¬ stroy), enclose money, and uour view With Stanislaw Lem; "A Nest of life (or that of the other vic¬ SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW #19 An In¬ tim) will never be the same. Strange and Wonderful Birds” by Sam terview with Philip K. Dick; "The Merwin, Jr.; Robert Bloch's Guest One 'fix' of SCIENCE FICTION RE¬ Notebooks of Mack Sikes" by Larry of Honor Speech; The Heinlein Re¬ VIEW and you'll be hooked. Niven; "The Vivisector" by Darrell action. Schweitizer; "Angel Fear" by Freff; Now else oan you become so pleas¬ THE ALIEN CRITIC #11 An Inter¬ An Interview with Frank Kelly Freas. urably addicted as inexpensively! view With Avram Davidson; "The Foundation on Sands" by John J. Al- Dear REG: Start my subscription derson; "Footnotes to Fan History" with issue #_ by Larry Shaw.

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