November 2009 1

#157

2 File 770: 157

Editorial Notes by Mike Glyer

LASFS at 75: The Los Angeles year or so ago and I saw some Science Fantasy Society threw its items donated by Roy on ex- 75 th anniversary bash at the Casta- hibit — the first time I knew ways in Burbank on October 23. that part of his story. Perched high on a hillside our ban- Len and June Moffatt fol- quet hall had a vast scenic window lowed Roy. It was great to see opening onto a magnificent view of them together - they’ve been twinkling city lights, halfway to the part of LASFS for around 60 stars. years. Other speakers in- Master of ceremonies John Hertz cluded John DeChancie, Karl had not dressed like Beau Brummell Lembke (Chair of the LASFS (though he sometimes does) which board of directors), Mel Gil- he emphasized by pointing out den, Laura Brodian Freas, “This is one of the rare occasions Larry Niven and Jerry when Len Moffatt is better dressed Pournelle. that I.” John did wear his beanie, Larry Niven said in 1963 however, when he introduced our he decided he was going to be first speaker, Roy Test. a writer and took the Famous Roy at last got the attention he’s always deserved as one of the Writers School correspondence course. He was then 25 years old. club’s founding members. Test and the late Forry Ackerman both Having met Ray Bradbury years before (they had the same doctor) he attended the club’s first meeting in 1934. But Ackerman was such a wrote him for advice, was referred to Forry Ackerman and ended up legend and a polished raconteur that he was able to fully satisfy peo- attending LASFS meetings at the Silver Lake Playground. That ple’s curiosity about the past. However, Roy’s story is quite interest- opened the way to all kinds of adventures, and to meeting his future ing in its own right. wife at the 1967 Worldcon. Larry said that Fallen Angels (written with After Hertz helped him up to the dais Roy joked, “I was a little Pournelle and Flynn) embodied what he felt about fandom. more agile when I first started reading sf stories.” He remembered a Jerry Pournelle quoted Heinlein to the effect that authors who read preliminary club meeting at a movie theater one afternoon. More of their own works in public probably have other nasty habits, but he his memories were of meetings at Clifton’s Cafeteria when he was 13 agreed with Niven’s sentiments about Fallen Angels . He too had or 14 years old. He said his mother, Wanda Test, volunteered to be joined LASFS in the Silver Lake days, when Paul Turner was pro- club secretary as a way to come to the meetings “and see what kind of moting the idea that we’d someday own our own clubhouse. Jerry oddballs I was associating with. Maybe it didn’t occur to her I was the said he grew up with a future - “I knew in the 40s I would live to see oddest one there.” the first man on the moon. I didn’t know I’d live to see the last one.” (Forry wrote in Mimosa : “That very first meeting of all was at- Although the future isn’t what it used to be, “I think it’s still there… tended by nine people. There was a young fan named Roy Test; he One of these days we’ll find people who do believe it and we will get was interested in Esperanto, so we called him ‘Esperan-Test’. His our future back.” mother, Wanda Test, was our first secretary. In those days of the Fannish entertainers provided a change of pace between the speak- 1930s, Thrilling Wonder Stories was on our minds, so her minutes ers. Lynn Maudlin sang “Gotta Kill My Clone” and “High Fron- became known as ‘Thrilling Wanda Stories’.”) tier” (her response to the space shuttle tragedies). Storyteller Nick Roy remembered discovering a used bookstore with a trove of Smith spoke. Charles Lee Jackson II reminisced about Forry Acker- very early sf pulps selling for 15 cents each. He worked at a gas sta- man. And throughout the evening letters were read from our absent tion for 10 cents an hour, so every hour-and-a-half he could buy an- friends: Ray Bradbury, Ray Harryhausen, Paul Turner. other copy from the magazine’s first year of publication. I shared a table with Milt Stevens, Marc Schirmeister and Joe Zeff, When World War II started, Test went into the Army Air Corps and enjoyed seeing a lot of other long-time friends. and trained to fly B-17 bombers. He is, in fact, still an active pilot in Thanks to Christian McGuire and Arlene Satin for their excellent the Commemorative Air Force. Roy said he occasionally flies a Rus- work organizing the event. And also for publishing the incredible 75 th sian paratroop plane, the largest single-engine biplane in the world. Anniversary Memory Book . What a treasure that is! By coincidence, I had toured the Planes of Fame museum in Chino a

File 770:157 is edited by Mike Taral: Bacover, 22, 29, 50 Glyer at 705 Valley View Ave., Brad Foster: 15, 17, 47, 54 Monrovia CA 91016. File 770 is Bill Rotsler: 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, available for news, artwork, 18, 46, 48, 49, 53 arranged trades, or by John King Tarpinian: (photos) subscription: $8 for 5 issues, $15 11, 57 for 10 issues, air mail rate is Alexis Gilliland: 4, 6, 7, 51, 52, $2.50. E-Mail: [email protected] 55, 56 Alan White: 2, 46 Art Credits 157 Keith Stokes: (photo) 13 Brianna Spacekat Wu: Cover Andrew Porter: (photo) 15 November 2009 3

JumpCon’s Senter force larger than the weight of their climber.” Pleads Guilty The NY Times covered Kare’s Shane Senter appeared before a judge in victory. Hillsborough County Superior Court (Nashua, NH) on November 23 to plead guilty to two counts of felony theft and Guy Nearly Goes two misdemeanor deceptive business With the Wind practice charges in connection with his Guy Lillian III says he had never failed media convention, Jumpcon. seen a twister and regretted it . Through a previously agreed plea Then on October 29, while the bargain he stayed out of jail, receiving latest in a series of terrible thun- four consecutive, 12-month suspended derstorms was marching across his sentences - provided he demonstrates section of Louisiana, Guy started good behavior - and 14 years of proba- driving home from work down the tion on the four charges. Four of the Old Benton Road and got caught years of probation on the two misde- in something much stronger and meanor charges are to be concurrent with more dangerous than he expected: the 10 years of probation Senter received “A trashcan lid spun over my for the two felony charges. Senter was hood like a giant frisbee. The rain ordered to pay $33,824.33 in restitution turned white. The white became to victims of Jumpcon. opaque. I couldn't see the road. I He was also ordered to not own or hit my emergency blinkers and operate a business that would accept pulled over, hoping I wouldn't find payment “prior to producing promised a ditch... I remembered some of goods or services.” that twister [documentary]: the Court-ordered restitution in this sudden white wind tearing hell out criminal proceeding may not be dis- of the world. I said to myself, chargeable by Senter’s Chapter 7 bank- “Hell, I'm in the middle of it,” ruptcy. because I knew what was coming inside that depthless white pall. Kare a Winner photovoltaic panels 2 feet square topped by a “Now I was heading away from the ac- motor and a pyramidal frame of thin rods. tion. I floored Little Red and ran for it…. I at Space Elevator Games Ground-based lasers shined on the photo- turned back to Old Benton Road. The tall Sf fan Jordin Kare and Thomas Nugent of voltaic cells to power the electric motor. sign of one of the car dealerships was twisted LaserMotive won $900,000 at the Space Ele- NASA, along with the nonprofit organiza- like a pipecleaner and leaning. That just hap- vator Games on November 6. Theirs was one tion Spaceward Foundation, sponsored the pened, I said to myself….” of three competing teams which built proto- contest. A $2 million purse was available, Guy assures everyone that he came types designed to climb a one-kilometer cable which might be won by a single team or through “Unscathed, both me and car -- ex- held aloft by a helicopter. shared depending upon the competitors’ cept for a small crack in the windshield (the LaserMotive’s climber was a sheet of achievements. car, not me). Found out that the twister was a What LaserMotive Force 2. I'm not rattled about it, just ... won was second-prize thoughtful.” A complete write-up is coming Jordin Kare (third from left) holds prize check. money. Later they made a in the next Challenger . final attempt to reach the 5 meters/second prize Dan Steffan Wins threshold for the rest of the purse. As the contest’s 2009 Rotsler Award blog reported: Dan Steffan has won the Rotsler Award, “In their last climb, given annually for long-time artistic achieve- attempting 5 m/s, they ment in amateur publications of the science modified their climber to fiction community. Established in 1998, it decrease its weight (LM’s carries an honorarium of US$300. Dave Bashford referred to Steffan’s imagination, his marshalling of this as ‘Steamboat rac- detail and his poignant satire have kept his ing’) and ended up re- reputation high for decades. He is renowned moving too much struc- for his graphics, for example, the Ansible ture - they got stuck to logo and the cover of the April 2008 issue of their launch structure and Chunga . He was an award winner for the dragged it up the cable design of Science Fiction Eye . His art and 75 ′, with an additional visuals for Pong and Blat! , as well as Boon-

News of Fandom 4 File 770: 157

fark , are always part of any conversation in the city where she was born, Pasadena, about excellence in fanzine creativity. CA before moving to Washington state in The Rotsler Award is sponsored by the 1999, and the city treasures her memory — Southern California Institute for Fan Inter- Pasadena Public Library’s annual “One City ests, a non-profit corporation, which in 2006 - One Story” program selected her novel hosted the 63rd World Science Fiction Con- Kindred for 2006. It is fortunate for the com- vention. The award is named for the late Bill munity that Butler’s manuscripts, correspon- Rotsler, a talented and prolific artist over dence, notebooks, photos and other materials many years. Current judges are Claire Bri- were acquired by a prestigious library so aley, Mike Glyer, and John Hertz. close by - in San Marino, the next town over. The librarian responsible for Butler mak- Haldeman, Varley Win ing the donation, Sue Hodson, the Hunting- ton’s curator of literary manuscripts, is find- 2009 Heinlein Awards ing it a bittersweet experience. “In a sense I Dale S. Arnold of the Baltimore SF Society wish I hadn’t had the opportunity [to go reports: through the papers],” Hodson said, referring “Joe Haldeman and John Varley are the to Butler’s untimely death in 2006. “I winners of the Robert A. Heinlein Award for thought it would be someone who came after 2009. The Robert A. Heinlein Award is for me. It’s a great joy, but I’m sorry, in a way, outstanding published works in science fic- zine Thrills Incorporated and was an original it’s me unpacking the boxes.” tion and technical writings to inspire the member of the femme fan group Vertical Diana and I think the world of the Hunt- human exploration of Space. Winners are Horizons who enthusiastically participated in ington. Diana spent a couple of summers selected by a committee of SF authors origi- the Australian fan scene. using their facilities to work on her Inklings nally selected by Mrs. Virginia Heinlein and The award may not be given annually, as book. chaired by Robert Heinlein’s friend Dr. Yoji ASFF will only select work that meets an Kondo. The award prize consists of a wall appropriate standard of excellence. Assum- plaque certificate, large sterling silver medal- 2009 TAFF Ballot Released ing such a work is published this year, the Ladies and gentlemen, Frank Wu and the lion and lapel pin. The likeness of Robert A. award will debut at Aussiecon 4 in 2010. Heinlein, as rendered by Arlin Robbins, is tandem of Brian Gray and Anne KG Murphy Jurors selecting the first recipient will be are your 2009 Trans Atlantic Fan Fund can- featured on each of these items. writer/editor Russell Blackford, editor/ “The Baltimore Science Fiction Society didates. The winner(s) will go to the 2010 publisher Rob Gerrand, authors Kim Wilkins Eastercon. provides logistical support for the award and and Tess Williams, and editor Sarah En- maintains a website where winners are per- Wu’s nominators are Guy Lillian III, John dacott. Purcell, Kevin Roche, James Bacon manently recorded.” and Michael Rennie. Octavia Butler’s Papers Gray’s and Murphy’s nominators are John New Hemming Award Scalzi, Steven H Silver, Geri Sullivan, Paul The Norma K. Hemming Award has been Come to Huntington Octavia Butler’s papers have arrived at the Cornell and Cheryl Morgan. created by the Australian SF Foundation to Votes must reach the administrators Chris celebrate excellence in the exploration of Huntington where they will join those of Robert Silverberg and other well-known Garcia or Steve Green by December 22 be- themes of race, gender, class and sexuality in fore Chris Garcia’s watch strikes midnight. science fiction produced either in Australia writers including Jack London, Christopher Isherwood and Charles Bukowski. (Hint: it’s set to Pacific time). or by Australian citizens. The award is named for Hemming (1927- Butler, the most prominent African 1960), a British author who migrated to Aus- American woman in the field of science Medical Updates tralia in 1949. She wrote for the pulp maga- fiction, died in 2006. Butler lived for decades Joe Haldeman spent 52 days in two Cincin- nati hospitals after emergency surgery for acute pancreatitis on September 19. For part of that time it was touch and go, spent in a coma on a refrigerated mattress (to keep his fever under control). Gay Haldeman provided frequent updates on SFF.net. Joe’s recovery was apparent in a verse he penned on October 24:

The pancreas, a curious beast Has functions hard to scry. It sits around for sixty years Then tries to say “bye-bye.”

On November 4 Gay celebrated Joe’s best day since he was hospitalized: “He walked across the room without help, got himself in and out of bed several times, sat up for a long time, ate well, talked about the future November 2009 5 for the first time.” Rose Fox cheered Joe’s continuing improvement by answering his pancreatic poem with her own double 2009 Hugo Award Winners dactyl: Best Novel Best Dramatic Presentation, Abdomen habdomen The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman Short Form Haldeman’s pancreas (HarperCollins; Bloomsbury UK) Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog Gave him a fever and Joss Whedon, & Zack Whedon, & Jed Twisted his guts. Glad there’s no need for a Best Novella Whedon, & Maurissa Tancharoen, Pancreatectomy. ‘‘The Erdmann Nexus’’ by Nancy writers; Joss Whedon, director (Mutant Get better soon, Joe–no Kress ( Asimov’s Oct/Nov 2008) Enemy) Ifs, ands, or buts! Best Novelette Best Editor, Short Form (Reprinted by permission. Follow Rose’s ‘‘Shoggoths in Bloom’’ by Elizabeth Ellen Datlow commentary on PW’s Genreville.) Bear ( Asimov’s Mar 2008) Joe was allowed to leave the hospital on Best Editor, Long Form November 10. He and Gay are living in a Cincinnati condo loaned by local fan Joel Best Short Story David G. Hartwell Zakem. Joe will remain under the care of ‘‘Exhalation’’ by Ted Chiang ( Eclipse local pancreatic specialists for weeks to Two ) Best Professional Artist come, possibly returning to Florida by Christ- Donato Giancola mas, and he posted these sobering details to Best Related Book SFF.net on November 11: Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded: A Best Semiprozine “Speaking of woods, I’m not out of them, Decade of Whatever, 1998-2008 by Weird Tales edited by Ann quite. I get tired walking across a room (but I John Scalzi (Subterranean Press) VanderMeer & Stephen H. Segal can do it, without the walker). I have the clumsy ileostomy bag for another six months or so, and some pretty serious surgery in store Best Graphic Story Best Fan Writer then, when they reattach my large intestine. Girl Genius, Volume 8: Agatha Cheryl Morgan (They removed about 18 ″ of it, including the Heterodyne and the Chapel of Bones appendix as a little bonus.) And of course Written by Kaja & Phil Foglio, art by Best Fanzine there’s pain.” Phil Foglio, colors by Cheyenne Electric Velocipede edited by John Wright (Airship Entertainment) Klima Author and collectibles dealer Jerry Weist is battling multiple myeloma, reports Andrew Best Dramatic Presentation, Best Fan Artist Porter. The cancer was caught early, with no Long Form Frank Wu complications in his vital organs or other WALL-E Andrew Stanton & Pete parts of his body. He’s just started on chemo- therapy, an experimental program in which Docter, story; Andrew Stanton & Jim The John W. Campbell Award stem cells are used to fight the dis- Reardon, screenplay; Andrew Stanton, for Best New Writer ease, presently being used to treat 15 people director (Pixar/Walt Disney) David Anthony Durham* in Israel and 35 in the USA. *(Second year of eligibility) Weist is the author of Bradbury: An Illus- trated Life , The Comic Art Price Guide , and The Art of Frank R. Paul . From 1990 to 2001 he was a consultant at Sotheby’s specializing weeks continues that pattern I'll start to be- to conclude his problems had been caused by in popular culture, overseeing the auction of lieve in light at the end of the tunnel.” anemia. He was able to attend the balance of Sam Moskowitz’s collection. the Worldcon. A few years ago Weist acquired the Harry Australian fan Les Robertson was hospital- Warner collection and sold the fanzines to ized in August treatment of kidney failure, No (More) Time for Sergeants James Halperin of Dallas, co-owner of Heri- and will be regularly needing kidney dialysis. St. Louis fan Tyler Harris joined the Army in tage Rare Coin Galleries. Not long afterward Les has also had to have three toes amputated November 2001 in response to 9/11. He Askance editor John Purcell interviewed in recent months, Australian SF Bullsheet signed up for eight years, with a four-year Halperin and reported Weist wanted to write reports. active duty commitment. He was trained in a book about fanzines. maintaining networking systems and de- Peggy Ranson is recovering from her heart ployed to Kuwait and Iraq before being re- Bruce Gillespie was slowly recovering “from attack and bypass surgery. When Rosy and leased from active duty. He became part of a knee effusion (sprain)” in October accord- Guy Lillian had brunch with her in October the Individual Ready Reserves in 2006 to ing to Australian SF Bullsheet #92. Take it they found she was doing well, not up to par finish his eight year enlistment. However, he easy and get well soon, Bruce. physically but in wonderful spirits. was recalled to active duty in December 2008 and sent back to Iraq with a unit of the Mis- Mike Glicksohn received an encouraging Ken Konkol was hospitalized in Montreal sissippi National Guard in June 2009. word: “Tests have shown no signs of cancer during Anticipation. He reported afterwards Although his eight-year contract was due the last six months and if the test in two that a battery of tests and X-rays led doctors to expire in November, Harris was going 6 File 770: 157

released from duty and faced the pros- ters including Iron Man, Spider-Man, pect of remaining in Iraq until his unit X-Men, Captain America, Fantastic returns home in April 2010. Four and Thor with Disney’s creative So Harris took the novel approach of skills, unparalleled global portfolio blogging his protests and giving his story of entertainment properties, and a to a local newspaper columnist in an business structure that maximizes the effort to get the Army to release him value of creative properties across when his eight years are up. multiple platforms and territories.” On August 23 Bill McClellan of the Disney will also have access to St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote a column many characters and sub-characters about Harris titled: “Eight is enough, that have never been exploited other sergeant tells Army.” than their appearances in comic “His eight-year commitment will be books. That’s why New York fan Stu finished in November, but for ‘the good Hellinger is asking: “Does this of the service,’ his termination date is means the Mouse now owns me?” being extended. Stu Hellinger’s comic book alter ego “He is handling this the way you is one of the lesser-known characters might expect a computer geek to handle now part of Disney’s inventory. it. He is blogging. He is asking people to Hellinger is a dead villain in the contact senators and congressmen. You Marvel Universe, part of the Death- can read his blog at imbiginiraq.com. Be lok story line. Stu says that Rich forewarned that some of the language is Buckler, who created these charac- saltier than you’ll find in a family news- ters, based the villain’s original look paper.” on him. Stu says, “Somehow, being a I blogged about it, too. This past Oc- villain has always seemed appropri- tober Tyler Harris sent me an e-mail ate to me, even to this day!” with the rest of his story: It gets even better. Just like many “I just wanted to send you a ‘thank you’ Does The Mouse Own super-heroes, the villain Hellinger has a “real for putting up the nice write-up on File 770 life” identity. His first name is Harlan. about me, and where I'm at in the world. I Stu Hellinger? An online source describes Hellinger as a appreciate it immensely. The Army in its Disney’s acquisition of Marvel is affect- cyborg (cybernetic organism),” and as such mechanical ways has decided that I'm staying ing corporate giants and individual fans is composed of a combination of mechanical in, until March or April of next alike. The business consequences of the and organic parts. His body is composed of year. Hopefully I'll be home well before that. multi-billion-dollar deal are more obvious. his organic brain, contained within a protec- “I had hoped my mid-tour leave would Robert A. Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney tive shell, with a powerful exoskeleton pro- coincide with Archon this year - alas, it was- Company, told the Los Angeles Times : “This tection his internal organs, and robotic limbs n't meant to be - I was a week late. I heard transaction combines Marvel’s strong global replacing his originals. He possessed a type that I didn't miss very much and brand and world-renowned library of charac- of cybernetic telepathy, enabling him to Collinsville pretty much gave us the control other machines and computers.” finger. Oh well -- registration was Stu also observes, “Hellinger got nice enough to just pretend that this uglier over the years. At least I haven’t year didn't happen and my wife got aged as poorly!” me all set for next year - which is now conveniently close to my D’Ammassa’s Adventure house.” Fiction Encyclopedia Don D’Ammassa’s vast knowledge of Time.com Spotlights Uncle genre fiction has been tapped for a third Hugo’s SF Bookstore literary encyclopedia in a series from Time.com included Don Blyly’s his- Facts on File. His Encyclopedia of Ad- toric Uncle Hugo’s Science Fiction venture Fiction actually appeared last Bookstore on a list of “50 Authentic December, but it’s news to me. American Experiences,” one for each This is a companion volume to state. Uncle Hugo’s of Minneapolis D’Ammassa’s Encyclopedia of Science was named Minnesota’s authentic Fiction and Encyclopedia of Fantasy and experience. Horror Fiction in Facts On File’s Liter- ary Movements series. Short Waves The Encyclopedia of Adventure Fic- Tadao Tomomatsu announced his tion ranges from literary classics such as gafiation on Facebook on November Charles Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities 18, 2009. He did not give an expla- and Joseph Conrad’s The Secret Agent to nation, apart from a reference to “a tales that have enthralled younger read- sad and unfortunate set of circum- ers for many years, such as Treasure stances.” Island and The Wizard of Oz , to the fin- est of today’s adventure stories. November 2009 7

Fandom’sTangledWeb

museum. the offer. Nobody knows. Not even GCHQ’s Halloween the 13th The Telegraph reports: “According to historian. previously unseen records, Tolkien trained Then again, Anders Stenström has sug- Part 1965 with the top-secret Government Code and gested that this is not a record of Tolkien’s By Dian Crayne Cypher School (GCCS). interest, but merely a note on how to pro- “He spent three days at their London HQ nounce his name. With any luck, LASFS will never cele- in March 1939 - six months before the out- Intending no reflection on Tolkien’s patri- brate another Halloween the way it did break of the Second World War and just 18 otism (after all, he served in combat in WWI), in 1965. An assailant outside the build- months after the publication of his first book, could it be possible Tolkien just went through ing fired three shots into the party. No The Hobbit.” the process to see if they had any cool ideas one was struck by the bullets, but Dian When the war started, GCCS deciphered he could filch for his created languages? Crayne was cut by flying debris. And she Enigma traffic and broke other Ger- hasn’t forgotten: man ciphers and codes. That’s the work In Jeopardy with Tolkien auditioned for – not to carry Yes, I remember that incident VERY out espionage in the field. John W. Campbell well. Bill Rotsler and I were sitting in a Nor was this a deep secret. In 2006, Chris- Ben Bova listed the people he credits for window seat, talking, and the bullet went tina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond’s The helping him make it as a professional between us. I had wood splinters in my J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide listed writer in an article for the Naples News , say- cheek, Bill remarked later that he the information in the March 27, ing “No writer stands alone. We all owe our thought momentarily that for some rea- 1939 entry of the Chronology, which reads: success, such as it is, to those who taught us, son one of my earrings had exploded. “Tolkien begins a four-day training course in inspired us, helped us understand and perse- (He used to say later on that we had been cryptography at the Foreign Office.” vere.” “under fire together.”) Of course, every- Whether Humphrey Carpenter, author Editor John W. Campbell figures promi- one in the room hit the deck, and I re- of Tolkien: A Biography , knew about this is nently on that list. Bova sold him several member calling out to Bruce [Pelz], less clear. All he says about the beginning of stories before meeting him face-to-face at a “Don’t get excited, but I think I’ve been the war is that Tolkien volunteered as an air Worldcon in Washington, D.C. After shaking hit.” Only splinters, though. raid warden: “There were, however, no Ger- his hand, Campbell provocatively said: “This [At the time] I was pregnant with man air attacks on Oxford; nor was Tolkien is 1963. No democracy has ever lasted longer Cecy and she was born in March of required, was were a number of dons, to un- than 50 years, so this is obviously the last 1966. dertake work for the War Office or other year of America’s democracy.” As for the location, it was wherever government departments.” Bova dredged his memory to come up Don Simpson and his house mates were If Tolkien wasn’t required, we know he with the Jeopardy!-style question that living at the time. Don dug the bullet out was asked. The GCCS offered Tolkien £500- matched Campbell’s bold declaration. And he of the woodwork and I talked him into a-year offer to become a full-time recruit. He guessed right. Can you? giving it to me. Alas, I lost it during one turned them down. (Answer: It had been 50 years since 1913, of our moves. Journalists wonder why he went through when the Constitution was amended so that The surmise was that the shooter was the process, since instructors notes show U.S. senators could be elected by the people one of a small group of people who had he he was “keen” for the work, then rejected of their states, rather than appointed by their tried party-crashing earlier in the evening state legislatures.) and been ejected. The police came and took statements, but no one was ever picked up for it.

Not J.R.R. Bond Tinker, Tailor, Tolkien , Spy? Hardly. But that’s what headlines are inviting readers to believe. “JRR Tolkien trained as British spy” de- clares Telegraph.co.uk. “Tolkien’s Spy Past Inspires Hunt For Hoobit, Rings Spooks” says the Wired head- line. Britain’s intelligence-agency Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) is displaying documents from J.R.R. Tolkien’s three days spent training at the Government Code and Cypher School in a new exhibit at its restricted, employees-only 8 File 770: 157

Lasting Impressions: News from the World of Fanzines

Blogs, Websites Now Eligible Nick was the fourth Australian fan to visit For Best Fanzine Hugo Curt in 2009, following Vincent Docherty, WSFS Division head and Melbourne fan Clare Hugo Administrator for Aussiecon 4, has McDonald’s surprise visit confirmed that the rules changes ratified by to Pulpfest in June (while the Anticipation business meeting explicitly on her way to the World- permit works published in other media, such con in Montreal), and as blogs and websites, to be nominated in Damien Warman & Juli- several categories including Best Fanzine ette Woods of Adelaide and Best Semiprozine. who attended Corflu Zed While this was the point of making the last March in Seattle change, one commentator who had attended where Curt was the the business meeting claimed the new rules “Corflu 50 Fan Fund” would be administered in a restrictive way delegate. leading to a different result. Docherty has Curt reports that he completely approves made clear that is not his intention. year Terry finally won the Best Fan Writer of this trend and is looking forward to seeing Docherty is working on some general Hugo, 1973, he was also nominated for Best which traveling Australian fan drops by for guidance to help people apply the rules when Professional Editor (in the category’s debut), Christmas. [Source: Curt Phillips, who wrote making their 2010 Hugo nominations. and it was as an editor he won his last two the original blog post.] Hugos (1985, 1987). Sound and Fury Alexei Panshin won the first Best Fan 2009 Nova Awards Signifying Trivia Writer Hugo in 1967. He declined his nomi- Banana Wings , Claire Brialey and Sue Ma- Today’s trivia question: Every winner of the nation in 1968, hoping to set an example for son won their categories in the 2009 Nova Best Fan Writer Hugo has made at least one future winners. He also had great success as Awards announced at Novacon in Novem- professional sale, but two winners have a pro. His novel Rite of Passage received a ber. Steve Green has released the full voting never sold a science fiction story. Can you Hugo nomination in 1969 and won the Neb- statistics. name them? ula. The winners since the creation of Harry Warner Jr. had 11 short stories Best fanzine: 1, Banana Wings (30 points); the category in 1967 are: Terry Carr, Richard published in the mid-1950s (and grumbled 2, Journey Planet (24); 3, Head (20); 4, E. Geis, Mike Glyer, Dave Langford, Cheryl when that was discovered by his neighbors in Prolapse / Relapse (18); 5, Plokta , Qua- Morgan, Alexei Panshin, John Scalzi, Bob Hagerstown.) siquote (11); 7, No Sin But Ignorance (7); 8, Shaw, Wilson Tucker, Harry Warner Jr., Ted Richard E. Geis has sold any number of The Descent of Fan (6); 9, Lost in Space (3); White and Susan Wood. erotic sf novels. 10, Ansible , Procrastinations (2), 12, The Most of the names are easy to rule out I trail this parade at a respectful distance, Banksoniain , Critical Wave (1). because their record in the sf field is so well with one pro sale that appeared in Mike Res- known. nick’s Alternate Worldcons . Best fan writer: 1, Claire Brialey (26 Wilson Tucker won the 1970 Best Fan That leaves two winning fanwriters to points); 2, James Bacon (15); 3, Doug Bell Writer Hugo, then had Year of the Quiet Sun account for: Cheryl Morgan and Susan (14); 4, Mark Plummer (11); 5, Dave Lang- nominated as Best Novel in 1971. Wood. Cheryl has made nonfiction sales, but ford (9); 6, Christina Lake (8); 7, Sandra Scalzi’s novel Old Man’s War and its the Locus index lists no fiction. Susan Wood Bond, Peter Weston (7); 9, Max (5); 10, sequels have received Hugo nominations. published scholarly work about the sf field, Greg Pickersgill (4); 11, John Nielsen Hall Dave Langford’s “Different Kinds of but no stories. So Morgan and Wood are the (3); 12, John Coxon, Alison Scott, Nicholas Darkness” won Best Short Story in 2001. answer. Whyte (2); 15, Caroline Mullan, Yvonne Bob Shaw’s classic short story “Light of Rowse, Alan Sullivan, Ian Williams (1). Other Days” received a Hugo nomination in Does Curt Phillips 1967. He didn’t get around to winning the Collect Australians? Best fan artist: 1, Sue Mason (13 points*); Best Fan Writer Hugo until 1979 (and again Australian fan Nick Falkner (from Adelaide), 2, Alison Scott (13*); 3, John Toon (12); 4, in 1980.) while attending a series of Computer Science Steve Jeffrey (8); 5, Steve Green (7); 6, D Ted White’s first novel was written in conferences in the U.S. (in the real world, West (6); 7, ATom (5); 8, Clarrie O’Cal- collaboration with another Best Fan Writer Nick is aka: Dr. Nick Falkner of the School laghan (4); 9, Dave Hicks (3). winner, Terry Carr. Invasion from 2500 of Computer Science at the University of (1964) was published under the pseudonym Adelaide), made a flying visit to see family [*Although Sue Mason and Alison Scott tied Norman Edwards. Ted went on to write lots and friends in Abingdon, Virginia on No- both for points and first-place votes, Sue of other novels under his own name. vember 1 while en route to yet another Com- received more second-place votes.] Terry Carr, in the middle of a run of puter Science conference in North Carolina. seven other nominations for his fan writing What made this a fannish event is that one and fanzines ( Fanac , Lighthouse ) had a short of the above-mentioned friends was Ameri- story nominated for the Hugo in 1969, “The can fan Curt Phillips, who sent Nick home Dance of the Changer and the Three.” The with a stack of American SF magazines. November 2009 9 Eligibility of online works under the amended Hugo Award rules By Vincent Docherty

I am the WSFS Division Head for the 2010 available non-professional publication Worldcon, Aussiecon 4, and Administrator devoted to science fiction, fantasy, or for the Hugo Awards. related subjects which by the close of the Mike Glyer recently asked for my opinion previous calendar year has published four on how a couple of the newly-ratified WSFS (4) or more issues (or the equivalent in rules changes will be administered. Specifi- other media), at least one (1) of which cally: ‘ Will blogs and websites be eligible in appeared in the previous calendar year, the Best Fanzine and Best Semiprozine cate- and which does not qualify as a semipro- gories if they meet the general criteria of zine. either category? ’ Hugo administrators usually refrain from The substantive changes were: ‘Best Re- commenting on general eligibility questions lated Book’ becomes ‘Best Related Work’, in advance, preferring to deal with actual and the addition of the phrase ‘(or the equiva- nominations. There is a lot of interest in the lent in other media)’ to the Semiprozine and Hugos among people with an interest in the Fanzine categories. These were proposed by rules and potential nominees, and feedback the web eligibility sub-committee in 2008 and can be unforgiving of actual or perceived ratified this year. errors. However Mike did raise an interesting When increasing numbers of genre works point in regard to the recent changes to the began appearing online, sometimes exclu- WSFS rules, which resulted from the work sively, two Worldcon committees exercised done by a sub-committee looking at the eligi- their discretion to add a “Best Website” Hugo bility of web-based works: “This coming year category. These were popular categories, and poses different problems, however, and fans the nominees can be seen here: http:// will want to know in advance whether it's a www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/ How- waste of a nominating vote to write down ever, in at least one case, the same work ap- blogs and websites in the Best Fanzine cate- peared in both Best Website and another cate- gory.” gory, and several nominees were in effect I’d like to make clear my approach to which has been substantially modified containers for fiction, non-fiction or fannish administering Hugo nominations. This is during the previous calendar year, and work eligible in other also categories. There based on working with other Hugo Adminis- which is either non-fiction or, if fictional, was a concern that the same content could be trators and having been on the Hugo admini- is noteworthy primarily for aspects other eligible in multiple categories. This was a stration sub-committee in 2005. When look- than the fictional text, and which is not trigger for the eventual creation of the sub- ing at nominations: eligible in any other category. committee tasked with looking at web eligi- 1. first follow the WSFS Constitution as bility. it applies to the Hugos; 3.3.12: Best Semiprozine. Any gener- Even before 2009, the rules already per- 2. where the rules aren’t sufficiently ally available non-professional publica- mitted fiction, dramatic presentations, and in clear, be guided by the will of the vot- tion devoted to science fiction or fantasy the last few years, semiprozines and fanzines, ers; which by the close of the previous calen- to be nominated regardless of media platform. 3. consider, but not be bound by, rulings dar year has published four (4) or more The recent change brought the Related Work by previous administrators; issues (or the equivalent in other media), category into line and provided some addi- 4. any mistakes I make are my own and at least one (1) of which appeared in the tional clarity to Semiprozine, Fanzine, (and not a precedent. previous calendar year, and which in the Editor Short Form, which isn’t in the scope of Let’s look at the relevant changes that previous calendar year met at least two this article). The important thing is the con- actually occurred in the WSFS Constitution (2) of the following criteria: tent, not the container or medium or means of following the 2009 Business Meeting. Kevin (1) had an average press run of at least delivery. Standlee, the BM chair, has updated the text one thousand (1000) copies per issue, The answer to the general question about which is now online at http://www.wsfs.org/ (2) paid its contributors and/or staff in whether genre websites, including blogs, are bm/rules.html other than copies of the publication, eligible in principle is clearly yes, since the The clauses which were modified, and (3) provided at least half the income of rules now explicitly permit works published relevant to the questions, are now: any one person, in other media in several categories. The fol- (4) had at least fifteen percent (15%) of low-up question is which websites and blogs 3.3.5: Best Related Work. Any work its total space occupied by advertising, are eligible in which categories, and are there related to the field of science fiction, (5) announced itself to be a semiprozine. easy to understand guidelines for nominators? fantasy, or fandom, appearing for the first Under the revised rules, a web-only publi- time during the previous calendar year or 3.3.13: Best Fanzine. Any generally cation of an individual work, or series of 10 File 770: 157

issues of a work, would certainly be eligible whether it was a "this year" work or not would be that new material, comparable to as a Fanzine, Semiprozine or Related Work, -- did an issue appear in the appropriate the amount of new material in an issue of a depending on whether it satisfies the specific year? And that test is common to all of typical small fanzine, appeared in the last category rules. There are hard boundaries the Hugo categories. But for a web site, year, and that substantially more than that between Fanzine and Semiprozine: a work or something in some other medium that appeared overall. Any blog, or news-site or either meets two of the five tests, and is is continually modified (rather than hav- other website which has new material each therefore a Semiprozine, or it doesn't, and so ing a quantized "issue"), the judgment year, and which is popular enough to get is a Fanzine. (For instance, a notable fanzine has to be whether there is sufficient new enough legitimate nominations to get on the changed category in 2003, when its editor material to trigger eligibility. And, for ballot, should be able to exceed this. decided to declare it a Semiprozine., and it that, I would expect the guidance would I hope these are perceived as reasonable presumably satisfied at least one other condi- have to be to follow the will of the voters suggestions, which will work in combination tion for Semiprozine.). If a work is eligible unless it's so obviously wrong as to be with the will of the nominators and a certain to be a Fanzine or Semiprozine, then it is not absurd. For instance if a blogger had degree of judgment by the administrator. The eligible to be a Best Related Work. only one post to a sizeable existing blog Hugos don’t run in a vacuum and most nomi- Many genre websites, including blogs, are in a year, then it would probably be con- nators and voters are familiar with the rules continuously updated with material, making sidered too minimal an amount to re- and aren’t trying to game the system. them difficult to classify as individual works qualify it -- but it should probably be In summary, unless I feel very certain a or ‘issues’. ‘Issues’ of a magazine or fanzine something equally absurd to trigger that work is technically ineligible, (which in- have two characteristics: they comprise dis- administrator action. cludes having only a trivial amount of new crete blocks of new material. Reference, The second part -- the "four issues" material), I will accept the will of the nomi- news, and SF club and convention websites test -- should be interpreted based on the nators. It is therefore up to the electorate to comprise much-changing material. Other parliamentary history of what that was act as the jury on the facts and answer the sites such as the various online fanzines and inserted into the Constitution to do. question: 'Is this work a fanzine (or semipro- magazines are largely containers for individ- Although we don't have minutes for the zine or Related Work) or not? ’ ual works. Blogs and some other genre sites Business Meeting where that was I’ve found it useful to think through these are somewhere in between – is each article/ adopted (Seacon, in 1961), we do know questions, and I’m very grateful to Chris blog entry an individual work or issue in its the cause. Specifically, "Who Killed Barkley, Paul Dormer, Paul Ewins, Mike own right or is it the whole that is the work? Science Fiction?" (Earl Kemp's one- Glyer, John Lorentz, Mark Olson, Kevin And how often does an update need to occur shot) appeared on the ballot, and actu- Standlee, Ben Yalow and others, who took to trigger eligibility? ally won -- and the Business Meeting the time to offer opinions and background The eligibility criteria in Fanzine and decided that one-shots shouldn't be eligi- information. Some things are much clearer to Semiprozine include the condition: ‘ which by ble in Fanzine (and it was carried across me and others no doubt need further thought. the close of the previous calendar year has to Semiprozine when Fanzine got split). New Hugo rules can take some time to settle published four (4) or more issues (or the So the "four issues" test -- which is easy down, and sometimes they need to be revised equivalent in other media), at least one (1) of to administer for things that proclaim in order to provide more clarity. Some of the which appeared in the previous calendar themselves as having quantized issues -- people I have talked to have also taken a line year ’. That’s an easy test for works, whether needs an equivalent test, which is what that we should be more prescriptive about paper or online, which comprise clearly la- the wording "(or the equivalent in other what a Fanzine is, and that blog writers beled, separate issues, but less easy for con- media)" tells the administrator to do. So, should only be eligible for Fan Writer. I tinuously updated websites such as blogs or for a blog/web site, the question is leave that to those who can make a persua- clubs and cons. whether it's a one-shot item (for example, sive case at the WSFS Business Meeting. In regard to the requirements of discrete- a blog set up for people to post on at a I expect that the best guidance will be ness, WSFS clearly wants electronic media specific Corflu should be considered a provided by the actual nominations from fans to be included. Blogs are a vital part of the one-shot, and not eligible, even though it who genuinely want to celebrate and reward electronic fan writing scene just now. I sus- has lots of individual posts), or an ongo- what they think has been best in the genre, pect that ‘issue’ in this context is a proxy for ing item, which is the equivalent to the which after all is really at the heart of both ‘new content’. "four issues" test for continuous-posting Worldcon and the Hugos. The members of I would accept that any content update in media. WSFS are a very large jury, and it's up to the previous calendar year would be suffi- each person to make their own individual cient for the last eligibility criterion, but how I think there is a lot of sense in that, decision about whether a work is a fanzine to assess ‘four or more issues’? One can which I would summarise as: a nominee (etc.) or not. imagine the extreme case of a blog with four must have substantial original content in the I welcome comments and suggestions. short entries, by a popular genre figure, be- year in question, and that it be more than a ing eligible in the minds of some nominators, flash in the pan, (the Hugo is designed not to +Vincent Docherty [email protected] and arguably passing the ‘letter of the law’. be awarded to a one-shot wonder), and there- I asked Ben Yalow to provide some addi- fore had substantial material in prior years. tional background information on the eligi- What guidance is available then, in terms bility rules and with his permission I have of how much new material triggers eligibil- reproduced some of his key comments. (In ity? It is not my role to supplant WSFS and one place I generalized a reference to a regu- so I can’t give a definitive minimum count of lar recent nominee): words, and I also can’t declare that the con- cept of ‘issue’ is meaningless. Some guid- Historically, there was a two-part test ance is needed to avoid a situation where a for a paper publication to meet for decid- trivially small amount of work is considered ing its eligibility. The first criterion was sufficient. So I think a useful rule of thumb November 2009 11 Ray Bradbury’s 89th Birthday

89 And 10 made. Much love and admiration filled the ship only to be asked farther down the line by John King Tarpinian: Ray Bradbury had room to capacity. It was estimated that 300 “Why do you want two Attending Member- two birthday parties on August 22. The first people joined in at the bookshop while an- ships?” one happened at one of his favorite places, a other 100 attended the theatre that evening. It Bo Derek brought Bradbury a birthday bookshop. This bookshop, Mystery and was a wonderful day and the 90th party is in present, which shows how little I know about Imagination, is owned by dear friends of Ray the planning stages. celebrities. It was a good party. of some thirty plus years. People that came to The following day Ray spent time with his show their love for Ray were long time four daughters and eight grandchildren. I Bradbury’s Bullet Trick friends, William F. Nolan, George Clayton wish to thank them for sharing their dad/ grandpa with us on his actual birthday. Live From Gauntlet Press Johnson, Earl Hamner, Jr. and Bo Derek Review By John King Tarpinian: If you are (she’s still a 10 guys). Forever! a Bradbury fan Bullet Trick is a must-have. Many gifts were given, twenty-seven bot- This is a compilation of never-before- tles of wine alone. Speeches were Good and Crowded published material. Not new material per se , By John Hertz: If you thought an 89th- but never made available to the public in birthday party for Ray Bradbury at a book- book format. shop would be crowded, you’d be right. If In this volume you get five teleplays writ- you thought it would be an occasion to buy ten by Bradbury. These five teleplays were his books and get them signed, you’d be right. original to the small screen not translated As June Moffatt said when I reported by from previous works. These stories appeared phone, these were good things. on TV from 1955 to 1969…during a more Bookfellows, 238 N. Brand Bl., Glendale, golden age of fear and paranoia. CA 91203 (also called “Mystery and Imagi- A real treat are the two teleplays Ray nation”, the name of their Website), is a new- wrote for Twilight Zone that never aired, and used-book shop with a fine s-f stock. The Here There Be Tygers and a Miracle of Rare party started at 1 p.m. on Saturday, August Devices. Included in the Lettered Edition is I 22nd, Bradbury’s actual birthday. The Cos- Sing the Body Electric , which was Ray’s only mic Joker keeps making me type “Bardbury.” TZ program. This too may be a good thing. The Bullet Trick was written for Jane On a giant greeting-card shopowners Wyman and is about the magician Ching Ling Christine & Malcolm Bell had written Soo. Included is a preface by Bradbury, the “You’re a living book”, so below I wrote contract and the teleplay. “because you’ve set us all afire”. A chocolate Christmas “The Gift” was aired as part of cake with orange icing was decorated with a the Steve Canyon series, a very uplifting holi- Jack-o’-lantern wearing eyeglasses. We all day story and aired December 20, 1958. This sang “Happy Birthday”. is a story in which Steve Canyon tries to ex- Outside, which was no less crowded, only plain Christmas to a little girl who has never different, George Clayton Johnson was talk- celebrated the holiday. ing about heroes. I said, “You yourself are Tunnel to Yesterday was inspired by an one of the heroes.” He said, “You’re obser- article Ray read in Time Magazine. In this vant as ever.” I bowed. He did too. case it is about Nazis that do now know that Inside, Matthew Tepper and Charles Lee WWII is over. Jackson II told me they hadn’t known about The Jail was written for Alcoa Premiere. the party, just came looking for books. Tep- Included is a neat photo of Ray with James per said, “This is the second time I’ve gone to Barton, Norman Lloyd and John Gavin. Di- a bookshop and found Ray Bradbury there.” rected by Lloyd and airing in 1962. Oh yes, It was so crowded Tepper took out a hand- the narrator was Fred Astaire. phone and called Christine Bell to ask “The book contains two prose adaptations whether she had a book he wanted. Bradbury wrote after he wrote the screen- I told Jan Bender I was sad she hadn’t plays. Both “Bullet Trick” and “Hand In exhibited in the Worldcon Art Show at Mon- Glove” (“The Jail”) are far different than the tréal. She said she’d been daunted by the teleplays. prospect of Customs problems. I asked if Dial Double Zero begins with ghost voices she’d tried the special procedure the Art you never hear on a telephone and I’ll leave People: (1) Ray Bradbury’s 89th Show had worked out, better, I’d heard, than you with the final line from the story, “The birthday cake; (2) Sylvia Mancini Torcon III in 2003. She said she’d heard White House. Good Evening.” I’ll leave you nothing from the Worldcon at all, indeed helps Ray blow out the candles; (3) wanting to know what is in-between. wondering if her Attending Membership pay- Bo Derek poses for photo with Ray. ment had gotten lost, so that upon arriving (Photos by John King Tarpinian.) she dutifully paid for an Attending Member- 12 File 770: 157

way. She said she now sees her magazine as “Yes, hectographs,” she said. “In any case, a hybrid between print and electronic ver- you took this jelly and…” Conventional sions. I left for home, knowing that fans, even in Williams noted that Asimov’s circulation the age of LiveJournal and cosplay, could had been artificially inflated for years by still timebind. Reportage Publishers Clearing House subscriptions, and that she expected the print version would be Chicago in 2012 around for a good long while. She also dis- Adds Online Pulps Capclave counted warnings that the prozines were doomed. “People say, ‘You’re going to die. So many writers have been interested in October 17-19, 2009 You’re going to die,’ Williams said. contributing stories to the Chicago worldcon Rockville, MD “Magazines die all the time.” bid’s series of collectible pulps that extra By Martin Morse Wooster I asked the panelists how to get people issues will be created and posted at the Chi- under the age of 50 interested in print fiction cago in 2012 website where fans can read them for free. This year’s participants at Capclave, once magazines. No one provided a coherent an- swer. The series of paper issues are available to again held at the Rockville Hilton, were fans who buy $20 for a “pulp collector” greeted with all sorts of warnings. Roam the WSFA held its Small Press Award cere- mony on Saturday night. Capclave members membership to support the bid. There have halls with a drink in your hand, we were told, been five mini-magazines so far, each with a and the hotel’s alcohol cops would arrest you were asked to wear “fancy dress, like Oscars and Tonys.” No one dressed up except for story by a well-known sf writer and a cover and send you to the slammer. The con suite by a notable artist. items, we were told, were strictly limited by WSFA president Lee Strong and Colleen Cahill, who chaired the committee oversee- The authors and titles of the stories to order of local food regulators. (These regula- date are: Frederik Pohl, “Bialystok Strong- tors apparently told the staff to “buy stuff at ing the award. The winner was Greg Siewert’s “The Absence of Stars: Part I,” head and the Mermen” (8/08), Mike Resnick, Costco” and “don’t supply any non- “The Paternal Flame” (11/08), Matthew caffeinated diet sodas.”) from the December 2008 Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show . Siewert Woodring Stover, “South Loop Whip- Despite all these warnings, I had my usual saw” (2/09), Phyllis Eisenstein, “Boltzmann good time at Capclave. Like the past several thanked the “Washington Science Fiction Writers Association,” a “super-talented” Schiaparelli and the Lizard King” (6/09), Capclaves attendance was probably around Gene Wolfe, “Planetarium in Orbit” (8/09) 300. WSFA would love to get Capclave up group. He also promised that Part II would appear Real Soon Now. and Roland J. Green “Root Canals at Lane to around 500 attendees, and there have been Tech” (11/09). lots of complaints about how the low atten- The cover artists have been: Frank R. dance was due to The Greying of Fandom. Paul, delphyne woods, Stephan Martinière, The WSFAns tried to boost attendance by Randy Broecker, Deb Kosiba and Kaja placing a notice in the online Washington Foglio. Post literary calendar and handing out fliers The next paper issue will be released at at the National Book Festival. These activi- Capricon in February. ties do not seem to have helped. WSFA also The first free online issue was posted in offered discounts of the $65 at the door ad- September, featuring Richard Garfinkle’s mission price to students and soldiers. I “Eternal Quadrangle” and a cover by Ales- couldn’t tell how many students showed up, sandra Kelley. In October, Lois Tilton’s but I didn’t see anyone in uniform. “The Chapter of the Transfixing of the WSFA decided to revive WSFA Press, Heart” with a Brad Foster cover was released which produced four titles in the 1990s and Others will follow in the months no paper one title in 2005. The goal was to provide issues are scheduled to come out. Capclave with a second income stream from book collectors. WSFA proceeded with the project even though three of the four ‘90s A WesterConChord books and the 2005 Future Washington an- ConChord 23, the Southern California filk thology are still in print. The result, Reincar- convention, will partner with Westercon 63, nations , collects seven short stories of Au- both to be held at the same Pasadena location thor GoH Harry Turtledove, one of which is The guests of honor were then given over the July 4 holiday in 2010. There will original. It’s an attractive little (5” by 8”) awards. Harry Turtledove got a globe that be an Ace Double-style Program Book…. book, produced by Sean Wallace of Prime floated above its platform thanks to electro- Press and designed by the Australian book- magnets. (The globe, Turtledove explained, New Aussiecon 4 Rate packaging firm Linduna. was “run by elves.”) Sheila Williams got an Aussiecon 4’s membership rate increase took I only managed to get to one panel, called engraved whisky flask, which complemented effect September 1. The new US attending “Save the Magazines!” featuring former the bottle of single malt Scotch she had got- rate is $225. Asimov’s and Amazing editor George Scith- ten earlier in a private ceremony. ers, Asimov’s editor Sheila Williams, the Afterwards, Williams was explaining how BASFA 1000 Editor GoH, and a bunch of people affiliated before the Internet science fiction was hard The Bay Area Science Fiction Association with webzines in some way. Williams said to find. She explained that she was talking to celebrated its 1000th meeting October 4, that her magazine and the three other Dell Rusty Hevelin, who told her about how Back during SiliCon. fiction magazines were among the first ones in the Day fans would use “hexographs” to to sign up for the Amazon Kindle, and that Pub Their Ish. the Kindle was sending new customers her “Hectographs?” I said. November 2009 13

Obituaries

strong bidzine for the next Eastern site selec- time zone virgin as, for the first time in her tion. That was originally 1970 but moved to life, she left the Eastern time zone. Later that 1971 when Heidelberg bid for 1970. Charlie, year, at the academic Secondary Universe III along with Dave Vanderwerf and Ed Meskys conference, Dena was the one who wrote on were to be tri-editors with each responsible the blackboard “get science fiction out of the for one aspect – editorial, reproduction, mail- classroom and into the gutter where it be- ing, etc. The first trial issue was scheduled for longs.” That year Charlie and Dena were May of 1968; it featured news of Suford married and Locus was nominated for its first Charles N. Brown Lewis’ auto accident – 10 days after her mar- Hugo. As reported last issue, Locus publisher, edi- riage to Tony – for the next few issues the In 1972 Charlie and Dena moved to the tor, and co-founder Charles N. Brown (1937- main articles were of auto an other accidents Bay Area and I only saw them at conventions. 2009) died peacefully in his sleep July 12, in fandom. That first issue was run off in the Charlie kept editing, writing reviews for Lo- 2009 on his way home from Readercon. Lewis’s living room in Belmont, MA on cus and elsewhere. In 1977 he and Dena were Tony’s AB Dick mimeograph. divorced. I believe she went to South Africa There was some discussion on the name of with her parents. Charles Nikki Brown the zine – in some alternate universe it was Charlie kept working on Locus , now full- A Personal Perspective called Pulsar --- but it was decided to name it time, winning award after award. Charlie was by Tony Lewis Locus . From the first, Locus was partisan and Special Guest at Boskone 40, 2003, at the Reprinted from Instant Message #823 supported the Boston (and other) bids; it was Sheraton Boston. He was never a Worldcon only later, as the magazine segued to a more guest of honor which is a shame. [Soon after by permission of the author professional look that this aspect was Tony wrote this obituary, Brown was named dropped. Early on it was found that a tri- one of Reno’s GoH’s.] Charlie’s later career I first met Charlie in 1966. He was very inter- editorship didn’t work and Charlie became is more “public” and will be printed in full in ested in the Boston in 1967 bid – run by Dave the sole editor. Dave Vanderwerf eventually an obituary in Locus . Vanderwerf, Mike Ward and Erwin Strauss. completely gafiated and Ed Meskys was hav- I last saw Charlie the Saturday of Reader- The newly formed Boston Science Fiction ing trouble with his vision. After two trial con 2009. His parting words were “See you at Society was making the bid; members in- issues Locus went “official” and has contin- Montreal.” Alas, that will not occur. cluded Leslie Turek, Ben Bova, Alma Hill ued on a regular basis ever since. As a fan- and others in the area. I was busy finishing zine, Locus used to produce an annual art my thesis and fighting my draft board so I Wrai Ballard issue with contributions from many of the Legendary Seattle fanzine fan Wrai Ballard never joined. BoSFS also started running major professional and fan artists of the day. Boskones to gain experience and credibility. died July 24. He was 85 and very ill. He is This practice ended as the fannish aspect survived by his wife, Carol and two children, Charlie was a major advisor. After all, I be- diminished. lieve he and Marsha helped convert Lunacon Sylvia Pilgrim and Donald Ballard. That year a large group of “Greater Bos- Ballard did his share of good writing in from a one-day affair to a weekend conven- ton” fans took rooms and a large suite at Bay- tion. 60+ years as a fan. And he achieved immortal Con – Charlie and Marsha, Elliott, Frank fame by inspiring Lee Jacobs’ mock epic After the defeat in the voting at Tricon in Prieto, Paul Galvin, Leslie Turek, Cory Seid- 1966 – Boston came in fourth of four, it was Ballard Chronicles, a series of genre parodies man, et al. We rented a minivan and toured for SAPS. The installment named “Six-Gun believed that a major restructuring was the area after the convention. needed. By this time, Charlie’s section of Ballard, the Musquite Kid” became a fan- The next year, 1969, Charlie and Marsha made movie. Al Lewis was the cameraman, New York fandom (mostly Charlie, Marsha were divorced. and Elliott Kay Shorter) were sometimes Ron Ellik played the title character, and Ernie In the Summer of 1970, a group of ten referred to as Boston South. Late inn 1967, Wheatley, John and Bjo Trimble, Karen “greater Boston” fans rented a minivan and after NyCon III, NESFA was formed to bid Anderson, Ron Ellik, Robert Lichtman, Terry drove to Oromocto, New Brunswick to see Carr and Charles Burbee appeared in other for a Boston Worldcon. BoSFS turned over John Mansfield and the Base Gagetown Sci- all its assets to NESFA – basically, one large roles. ence Fiction Club. This was the first – and coffee urn, the right to the name Boskone, only – OromoctoCon. Charlie was on this trip and a small amount of money. as was Dena Benatan who was to be Charlie’s Ben Indick Charlie felt that one of the elements of second wife. We joked as we passed into Ben Indick (1923-2009), popular and highly defeat was the bad press Boston had gotten in New Brunswick that Dena was no longer a esteemed fanzine fan, passed away September the fanzine Focal Point and resolved to run a 28 at the age of 86 after a period of shaky 14 File 770: 157

health. He is survived by his wife, Janet, two Dorf ran Detroit’s “Triple Fan Fest” be- ited Speculative Japan: Outstanding Tales of grown children and two grandchildren. fore moving to California. When he met Ken Japanese Science Fiction and Fantasy , pre- In years gone by Ben was a prolific writer Krueger, owner of Alert Books in Ocean senting stories by Japanese writers in English of letters of comment to fanzines, File 770 Beach, they gathered other enthusiasts and translation, a book launched at Nippon 2007. luckily among them. He became one of the held the first Golden State Comic Con, at He is survived by his wife Tomoko, leading personalities in Donn Brazier’s fa- San Diego’s U.S. Grant Hotel in 1970. daughter Miika, and sons Makato and Akito. mous Title in the 1970s. Dorf led the convention for about 15 Ben received the First Fandom Hall of years, but as Mark Evanier tells it on his Hal Haag Fame award at Anticipation. Besides his long “News From Me” site, “There’s a long, un- Baltimore fan Hal Haag died from an appar- -running fanzine Ben’s Beat , he wrote vol- comfortable story of how he came to be es- ent heart attack on August 12. He was a for- umes of articles for other zines and partici- tranged from the organization. Many of us mer Balticon chair and its regular gaming pated in REHUPA, the Robert E. Howard witnessed it (and tried to help) but it was one host. He served on the Baltimore Science United Press Association. of those problems that just could not be Fiction Society Board of Directors. In recent His nonfiction book George Alec Effin- solved, at least to his satisfaction.” years served as an officer of the Maryland ger: From Entropy to Budayeen appeared in Dorf confessed to the San Diego Union- Games Club. He was also involved in run- 1992. He also wrote scholarly and pro arti- Tribune in a 2006 interview “We had no idea ning the Farpoint Convention Gaming Room cles, reviews and stories. “H. Russell Wake- it would get this big. To me, it’s just become as well as multiple other gaming events in field: The Man Who Believed in Ghosts” an ordeal. I don’t know of any way to make the area. [Source: Skip Morris] appeared in Discovering Classic Horror it smaller, though. I guess in some ways it’s Fiction (Borgo Press, 1992) and his inter- become too much of a success.” view of Nelson S. Bond ran in Publishers There remained bonds of respect and Don Ivan Punchatz Weekly . affection, however. Six of the original Comic Famed illustrator Don Ivan Punchatz (1936- Robert Lichtman advised the Trufen list: -Con committee members visited Dorf in the 2009) died October 22 of cardiac arrest. He “Contributions in Ben’s memory can be hospital on October 17. And many others was an acknowledged influence on the sf art made to The Dramatists Guild Fund. The posted salutes to the Shel Dorf Tribute site field who did some of the most iconic sf Guild, of which he was a lifetime member, is before he died. book covers of his generation. As the New America’s national organization York Times noted: “Mr. Punchatz was a of playwrights, and is a group that was dear skilled hyperrealist with a penchant for the Ken Krueger fantastic and absurd. His cover art for works to his heart.” [Source: Andrew Porter] Comic-Con cofounder Ken Krueger passed like Isaac Asimov’s Foundation trilogy and away November 21 from a heart attack, re- Harlan Ellison’s Dangerous Visions anthol- Shel Dorf ports Digital Spy . While Krueger is best ogy was a striking blend of romantic meta- Shel Dorf, one of the creators of the San known for helping plant the seeds of the phor and supernatural fantasy - what one Diego Comic-Con, passed away November 3 popular megacon by his work on the first colleague called ‘elegantly weird.’ He of kidney failure at the age of 76. Golden State Comic-Con in 1970, he had a worked for the paperback publishers Ace, long history in sf fandom be- Dell, Avon, Warner and NAL.” fore that. Krueger attended the first Worldcon in 1939. He part of In Passing the group photograph taken at the Slan Shack that appeared Zanny Leach Dillson , a Chattanooga in All Our Yesterdays , proba- fan died from leukemia on September bly shot during one of the 25. She was on the Chattacon board for over large fannish gatherings there 20 years, served as Treasurer and ran several during WWII, since he was departments over that time, including con- living in Buffalo around that suite. She was 56. time. During the 1950s Krueger Barbara Bova died in September, reports SF had a small press of his own, Site. She ran a literary agency and had been Shroud. He published such married to Ben Bova for 35 years. books as The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath by H. P. Melbourne fan, David McDonnell , passed Lovecraft. away from cancer on 21 July. [Source: Aus- tralian SF Bullsheet]

Gene Van Troyer Specialty press publisher Donald M. Grant Poet and sf author Gene Van passed away in Florida on August 19 after an Troyer, 58, died July 17 of illness lasting some years. He is survived by cancer. his wife, Shirley, and his two children. Van Troyer worked as an Don was member of PEAPS for a short English teacher in Japan. He time. (The Pulp Era Amateur Press Society served for a time as an assis- founded by long-time SF fan Lynn Hick- tant editor of Star*Line , news- man). He’d been retired to Florida for the letter of the Science Fiction past several years. Poetry Association. With Grania Davis, he ed- Noted commercial illustrator Edward November 2009 15

Valigursky died September 7 at the age of 82. He worked as an art director or did covers for Amazing Stories , IF and Fantastic Adven- tures in the 1950s and 1960s.

British fantasy author Louise Cooper passed away on October 21 of a brain aneurysm at her home in Cornwall at the age of 57.

Mary Schaub (1943-2009) passed away September 25, SFWA News reports. She col- laborated with Andre Norton on the Witch World novel The Magestone , and wrote many short stories set in Norton’s fantasy universes.

It was recently learned that St. Louis fan Bob Schoenfeld , died in 2006. He was a member of The Saturday People (the invitational club in St. Louis), editor of the St. Louiscon Pro- (Left) Wrai Ballard ; (Right) Donald M. Grant (photo by Andrew Porter.) gram Book, and publisher of two comics- oriented fanzines, Gosh Wow and On the Drawing Board . [Source: Joyce Katz, An- Glendale, AZ, whose back yard connected to vision's Jeopardy) team of DePauw Univer- drew Porter] that of Bruce and Hilde, long-time friends. sity. She read very widely and had a phe- She entered the internet late but with a nomenal memory. Anne Janet Braude vengeance. For her, a very formative book She was an intelligent scholar and skilled was Kenneth Graham's Wind in the Willows , writer, wrote some brilliant pieces for Niekas , by Ed Meskys & Bruce Arthurs and her favorite character was Mole. Later, and helped edit some issues. She was sole Anne Braude (1942-2009) died quietly in her William Horwood's Duncton Wood was an- editor of the special issue, Andre Norton: sleep in Kindred hospital, Peoria, Arizona, other landmark book, and she fixed on moles Fables and Futures . With Fred Lerner, she Tuesday afternoon, August 25. Her friends as a personal icon. She took Talpianna, Latin compiled a glossary to all the literature re- Bruce Arthurs and M.R. "Hilde" Hildebrand for "mole" combined with her name, as her ferred to by John Myers Myers in his novel, were by her side. on-line identity, and collected mole figurines Silverlock . This was later included in the Anne had been in increasingly poor health and other paraphernalia. She spent much time NESFA Press reissue of Silverlock . She sold for several weeks when she asked Bruce to on the internet, largely on listservs and fo- two fantasy stories, "The Quincunx Solution" take her to the emergency room at nearby rums dealing with words, the English lan- in Catfantastic IV edited by Andre Norton, Banner Thunderbird Medical Center on June guage, and romantic suspense novels. One of and "For A Transcript, Send Five Dollars" in 7th. On June 9 she underwent emergency her most important lists was Delphi forum Olympus edited by Bruce Arthurs, as well as abdominal surgery, from which she was never Dictionary.com, to which she contributed an article to Ellery Queen Mystery magazine able to fully recover. She remained in inten- over 55,000 posts and comments. and some poems. She was a frequent corre- sive care for much of the next two months, Her father had been a West Point graduate spondent with numerous fans and writers. until she was transferred on August 18th to and career Army, so Anne spent her youth all We are planning a special issue of Niekas Kindred Hospital, an extended acute-care around the world, transferring from school to in honor of her life and writing, and solicit facility. school and never establishing roots. In 1962, reminiscences, and suggestions of items to She entered the science fiction community she was a member of the undefeated cham- reprint. in 1965 when fellow UC Berkeley graduate pion GE College Bowl (a predecessor of tele- student Ruth Berman brought her to a meet- ing of the local SF club, the Elves', Gnomes', and Little Men's Science Fiction, Marching, and Chowder Society. Anne quickly became a regular contributor to my Niekas , Buck & Juanita Coulson's Yandro , and other fanzines, initially writing as "Nan Braude." By 1989, when Niekas was again nominated for the Best Fanzine Hugo award, Anne was listed as one of the editors, along with Mike Bastraw and myself. Also in the 1960's, Anne expanded her interests into the new Society for Creative Anachronism, doing a column for their maga- zine Tournaments Illustrated , and the Mytho- poeic Society. She attended a few west coast conventions before she returned to her par- ents' home, a condo in Scottsdale, AZ, where she continued to live after her parents' death. In 2002, she sold it and bought a home in 16 File 770: 157 John Hertz Westercon Notebook Westercon LXII “FiestaCon,” July 2-5, 2009 Mission Palms Hotel, Tempe, Arizona

Writer Guest of Honor, Alan Dean end_of_eternity.html>. To “Jekyll and Hyde” Boop and me; at 7, Related Book, Long- Foster; Graphic Artist, Todd the best guide I know is Nabokov, in his Form Editor, and Novel, with Kathryn posthumously published Lectures on Litera- Daugherty and Paige – ending with an hour Lockwood; Editor, Stan Schmidt; ture (also has Kafka’s “Metamorphosis”), as left, papermen long having mailed, electron- Fans, Doreen & Jim Webbert; usual perceptive, poetic, and powerful. men still at it. Toastmasters, Teresa & Patrick “Oysters” won Davidson a Hugo and is For me Thursday at 5 was “Jekyll and Nielsen Hayden. Attendance about probably his best-known. There’s an intro- Hyde.” This and Eternity I led alone; for duction in the Treasury by Guy Davenport. “Oysters” I joined Teresa Nielsen Hayden. 600. In the Art Show, about $5,200 Reading is the root. Katherina Nabity in the audience noted how sales by 51 artists. The Phoenix airport had aviative mo- holding Jekyll’s vices offstage had the effect ments etched in glass panels along a slide- for us of keeping them timeless. Hyde’s hor- Chris Garcia, who in my mind used to be way. I noted Leonardo da Vinci. Nearby, ror was heightened as he was gentlemanly in Lightning Lad until I was shown how abys- Tempe was hot, but the con was cool. Or crime, avoiding a scene, paying up. We rec- mally ignorant of the Legion of Superheroes Tempe was cool, and the con was hot. Chris- ognized three voices in the three narrators that proved me, was to run the Fanzine tian McGuire, with the truck, again brought Utterson, Lanyon, and Jekyll, an achieve- Lounge. I looked forward to this. However spectacular s-f matte and illustration from ment of the author’s; each drawing us farther mispoetically I had characterized his powers, Local 790, I.A.T.S.E. (Int’l Alliance of The- on, lighting a new lamp, unveiling – though it was within them. He would be electric. He Jekyll thought he was veiling, to show us proved unable to attend. I was asked to re- which was another achievement. See Jekyll’s place him, although I am more like – no, I Invulnerable good will clothed in marvelous hypocrisy, his minimization of his won’t. Anyhow I agreed. I accumulated sam- oddity. misdeeds. I asked, is he a scientist? ple fanzines for people to browse through, Fredson Bowers In the hotel lobby I met the Daughertys. decorations, and following the Geri Sullivan James said it was too late to watch the Dra- rule, toys. These I shipped ahead, or more matic Presentation nominees. I said, anyone accurately trucked. Fanzines are heavy, man. atrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture who’d seen them but was still undecided I considered packing myself in one of the Technicians, Artists, and Allied Crafts). I set cartons but in the event went by air. After up the Fanzine Lounge in the Cavetto Room Herb Kelleher retired as president of South- Those infinitesimal jests that caused next door. Mike Glyer, unable to attend, sent him at least such enormous merri- west Airlines there wasn’t as much bourbon generous cartonsful of File 770 free for the as there had been. But it was all right. ment. taking; several feet were gone by the end Patrick O’Brian Also I had with Programming picked (hmm, sounds like a Tim Powers story). The Classics of S-F to discuss. These were Asi- hotel was set round a courtyard, titillating my mov’s End of Eternity , Davidson’s “Or All sense of wonder each time I crossed between might be helped. Kathryn said, some who the Seas with Oysters,” and Stevenson’s worlds of air. Restaurant tables in both attend are readers, not voters, or at least not “Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” worlds were populous. voters just now; they’re looking for things to The Davidson was partly a tribute to Teresa Westercon is often the last chance to re- read, to watch; I said, why not? A Classics of Nielsen Hayden, who edited the wonderful view the Hugo ballot before voting closes. S-F talk is similar, some folks will re-read or Avram Davidson Treasury for Tor. I had a With Anticipation (2009 Worldcon, Mon- read them, some won’t. Kathryn said, John tendre for “Take Wooden Indians,” which is tréal) in August, votes had to be received by Scalzi is reading the best-sellers of 1907. I actually more of a science fiction story, 9 p.m. Mountain Time on Friday. But noth- later learned this was a specific set of books though it’s not so easy saying what anything ing ventured, nothing gained. Programming so marketed, namely F. Burnett, The Shuttle ; of Davidson’s is, but I realized what the chief Catherine Book, egged on by some R. Chambers, The Younger Set ; R. Connor, choice had to be. I repeated a successful propeller-head, scheduled the Westercon The Doctor ; F. Little, The Lady of the Deco- stunt from L.A.con IV (2006 Worldcon). LXII Really Last Minute Nominees Review: ration ; G. McCutcheon, The Daughter of There I got permission from the holder of Thursday at 5 p.m., Novella, Novelette, Anderson ; H. MacGrath, Half a Rogue ; M. rights to C.L. Moore’s “No Woman Born” Short Story, and Short-Form Editor, with Nicholson, The Port of Missing Men ; Sir H. for us to make a copy available on the con Kathryn Daugherty, Beth Meacham, Chris Parker, The Weavers ; H. Rives, Satan San- Website through Closing Ceremonies. For Paige; at 7, Pro and Fan Artist, with Tony derson ; L. Vance, The Brass Bowl . “Oysters” I was able to do likewise. Parker of Phoenix and me; at 9, Dramatic Another gathering-place was a vestibule Eternity has been called the most unusual Presentation and Graphic Story, with James outside the Art Show and Dealers’ Room, of the Good Doctor’s books, perhaps his Daugherty and Parker; Friday at 6, Semipro- with Site Selection, tables for con bids and best. A note about it by me is on the Web, zine, Fanzine, and Fanwriter, with David for clubs, a big display about exploring

Space. The Webberts pondered the fate of posed deleting Section 3.4 of the Bylaws, the before they want to know or before they their collection. Doreen said they’d been 75-mile Local Exclusion Rule. Glenn Glazer know how it fits in. The meaning of a word is drawn to fandom by Bruce Pelz at the Tampa said his Westercon LXIV bid for San Jose, the negative space left by what the word public library; he was reading fanzines and and Westercon LX in San Mateo chaired by doesn’t mean. Gorg Huff in our audience laughing. That never changed. I suggested Mike Siladi (who was present), although they think of the Eaton Collection (Riverside within 75 miles, were substantially different campus, U. California). They knew his fan- fan groups that should not be blocked from Perceptive analyses and the zines had gone there. I said, after seven years’ each other. Passed, subject to ratification next sparkling rallies of active minds. labor a preliminary indexing was just fin- year. Tom Veal said it was the first time he’d ished. It can’t be called the Rebecca and Leah voted on the prevailing side since Westercon A.R. Humphreys collection, it would have to be Elayne and – XXXIX. Then Eternity . From the audience: “I no, I won’t. Alice Massoglia ran the Hospital- love stories about moral choices. Asimov did ity Suite, which throve with refreshment and that a lot.” Another: “His longer fiction tends said, other words close down the meaning. conversation. Lee & Alexis Gilliland had to bog down – except this.” Another, female: Nielsen Hayden said, in dysfunctional prose come across the country, another East-West “In Eternity he shows great insight into the author doesn’t close down anything. connection for Westercon. woman.” I read aloud. Davidson understood how talk works. Later I Friday, 10 a.m. Art Show and Print Shop Right after, in the same room, I moderated caught the last half of “Traditional Religions signs by the Southwest artist Sherlock, color- “Masquerade Judging” with Sandy Manning in S-F,” which Nielsen Hayden moderated. I ful and witty, had been preserved by local and the Wombat. Programming didn’t want to came in as she said “Remember, the Vati- fans. I hadn’t seen her work recently, but I keep rooms stuck to “tracks,” or assume only can’s astronomer is a fan.” later heard she exhibited at Armadillocon people with a special interest would go for a Boop liked Weird Tales among semiprozi- XXXI (Austin, 2009). Time for Sylvana topic. We try, we said, to take everything into nes, as others also eventually proved to; he Gish’s Art Show tour. I remembered her won- account. Manning said, show us the universe praised its putting its original into today’s derful bronze sculpture at Westercon LVII in which a character exists. The Wombat said, world. Among fanzines he liked File 770 . We (File 770 144). She explained pit-firing pot- kings shouldn’t slouch. John O’Halloran in discussed “amateur,” and with a little time to tery to the Gillilands: no glaze, lower tem- the audience said, make it big. Chris O said, spare he and I went to the Fanzine Lounge peratures than kilns, metals can emerge from use the stage. I said, cultivate a sense of where he could look closer at some he’d the soil; once she’d wrapped a pot in a event. Another in the audience: what weight scarcely seen. Regency Dancing at 8. I kitchen-scrubber to get copper. Raku pots by is given to music, to the Master of Ceremo- danced with Paige, reviewer for ConNota- Brelyn Fidler, age 5, were the talk of the nies? We said, they can help you; we try not tions and filker, who had been four years an town. Gish said, her grandmother couldn’t do to let them hurt you. Another: what about Army medic, and knew Sean Smith from St. these. “Zowie Pot,” highlighted with copper, mistakes? We said, recover well. At Buccon- John’s (founded 1696), the liberal-arts college won Best 3-D. Art is not fundamentally de- eer (1998 Worldcon, Baltimore) in “The that has a great-books program and means it. pendent upon skill. Huntress” Jeanette & Brian Healey’s living Later, to hear filking, until 3 a.m.; as I ar- metal insectoid motorcycle collapsed, with its rived, “Every act of creation is an act of I know. But I kept the receipt. rider, but “Huntress” won Best in Show. love.” Leslie Fish sang “Hard-copy every- Three o’clock, “Oysters.” Nielsen Hayden thing that you do; hard copy lasts longer than Lisa Hayes said Davidson was one of the great American you.” I remembered to ask for the Don Simp- writers of mid-century. I mentioned the son song “A Ship of Stone.” Treasury . She’d helped sort boxes of David- Saturday morning at 11, my Art Show tour Kevin Standlee in a maple-leaf necktie for son’s papers. She said, Davidson never gives (alas thus missing the Apollo XI 40th- Anticipation rapped a model railroad car on the reader an opportunity to disagree. In anniversary panel). We saw in three black the table to start the Business Meeting. Absit “Oysters,” at the moment when Ferd says ceramic plates by Clay Martinez how his omen . A subcommittee of Standlee, James he’s afraid of bicycles as alien, it all sneaks circles were subtly cracked, how he offset Daugherty, McGuire, and Ben Yalow pro- up on you. Never tell things to an audience bright white lines by silver buttons. Joni Dashoff said, we’re re-discovering artisanry. In Lockwood’s “Twilight Realm,” one highlight below a man’s right ear invited all to notice the man’s paintbrush and palette, though most of the picture was giant demons and death and an ambiguous frost goddess and flame. It won 1st place. A few minutes in the Green Room. Louise Kleba told of the American Indian Science & Engineering Society, begun by 2 men + 1 woman at Johnson Space Center. She is now a flight-crew repre- sentative for astronauts, had been on the Apollo panel. Sarah Clemens’ tour. Shadow is everything, she said; it’s the anchor. Mark Roland’s forests and magic cities looked lonely to her; he doesn’t show 18 File 770: 157 their people if they have any; the hinted face acknowledged the danger to fankind of his in “Enchanted Forest XVIII” seems no deni- having invited Mike Willmoth as Fan GoH, Changes of Address zen – our dream? In “Dissent” and their known comic tendencies being likely to Ed Meskys, E-mail: “Sunflower” we see he can do the human react. Perhaps there should be a Cadmium edmeskys @ roadrunner.com figure if he wants. Dashoff’s tour, 4 p.m. In a GoH. In the Hospitality Suite, the question Elayne Pelz, E-mail: print of Richard Hescox’ “Space Vector” she Are old or young more narrow-minded? [email protected] pointed out the great diagonal marked by the Some said old . I said young . During the con Alexander Slate, 4308 Ridgepath Drive, missile magazine, the observer in his space- a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle grew to- Dayton OH 45424; E-mail: suit back-lit like the explosions on the planet, gether. Susan Potter Stone of Seattle, newly [email protected] other detail allowed to fall away. married to Tom Shaffer and recovering from Garth Spencer, P.O. Box 74122, Hillcrest San Jose won the 2011 Westercon unop- widowhood, had come to help Massoglia Park, Vancouver, BC, CANADA V5V 3P0 posed. Realizing we’d reached a Westercon with the blessing of her groom. Filking; a Taral Wayne, E-mail: [email protected] blonde in funny-animal shoes sang “Would you mind getting born somewhere else?” Garth Spencer changed his address a couple Indignation at such a mode of pass- Simpson’s Jack London song, “I would of years ago, I just overlooked it til now… ing the evening, to the exclusion of rather be a comet sending out a shining spark all conversation. than the mightiest of planets lost unheeded in Jane Austen the dark.” Sunday noon, “The Effects of the World- Kowal To Edit Wide Web on Fanzines” with Jacqueline Hugo Showcase Series number that would for the first time require 7 Lichtenberg. Some of us forget that the print Next year Prime Books will publish the first binary digits, the committee modestly said it runs of her Star Trek zines were 1,000 copies volume of a projected Hugo Award Show- was going into seven bits on a two-bit horse. of 500-page issues. Her accomplishments are case series edited by Mary Robinette Kowal, Regency clothes again to judge the Masquer- not to be sneezed at. She said fans deal with beginning with the award-winning stories ade. I like the custom – it’s not required – more mail than anyone else in the world, from 2009. that judges and the M.C. dress up, and since whether paper or E. I said, making a zine is The official Hugo Awards site displays a this is the funny-suit I’m known for, I wear beautiful mock-up of the proposed cover by it. Manning was Masquerade Director, Cary Donato Giancola, winner of this year’s Best Riall the M.C., judges John O, Nyki Robert- It came to be understood that where Professional Artist Hugo. son, and me, workmanship judge Claudia I was it was safe to turn your back. Villa. We started at 6 so all would be free to Beyond Bree 2010 Calendar watch fireworks. A week in advance the Teresa of Ávila Beyond Bree , the Tolkien newsletter, is ac- hotel sprang on the con that a cabaña would cepting orders for its 2010 art calendar. The open on the swimming-pool deck selling theme is “Hobbits of the Shire.” There is food and drinks – not just to us – with an an artistic act. From the audience, the Web is new and reprinted art in both color and black elaborate scheme of wristbands and maxi- a distribution device. Lichtenberg said, fever -and-white by Ted Nasmith, Tim Kirk, Jef mum attendance. The committee negotiated. drives people to the Web, like a gold rush. Murray, Sylvia Hunnewell, Louise Ying Diana Gallegos as “Suki the Water Plucking my same cord I said, art is not an Chen, Octo Kwan and others. The calendar Dragon” won Best Novice (also Best Work- extra; it’s woven in. It’s easy can be high but lists both Middle-earth dates and real-world manship in Class, self-molded fish heads, not highest. At Closing Ceremonies, the holidays. hand-painted armbands). John Autore as Nielsen Haydens said “Our first Westercon Proceeds go to benefit Beyond Bree , “Bachelor #1” (Journeyman), a Re-Creation was Westercon XXXI,” famous in song and newsletter of the JRR Tolkien Special Inter- entry from Beauty and the Beast , won a story. Two hours helping to load storage. est Group of American Mensa Workmanship Award for use of found ob- Con chair Willmoth was everywhere. jects; as a nice touch he carried a book How to Have Sex in the Woods . Best Journeyman was Tasha & Chuck Cady’s “Which Mon- keys?,” the 1939 Oz movie’s Wicked Witch by cell-phone, two entrants who are always clever, showing in this case that a harvested field can still yield. Best Master was “He’s Just Not That Into You,” Angel Brent, Fran- ces Burns, Diane Harris, Barbara Ratti, three Victorian ladies and a helpless Steampunk gentleman. A treat not in competition was “Destination Libation” from Costume-Con XXVII (2009, Baltimore), a Steampunk spectacular by Jeff Jennings, Nola Yergen Jennings, Jean Palmer, Jeanine Swick, and Gail Wolfenden Steib, with a brass engine and Guinness. I drank four Ridge zinfandels with Linda & Rich McAllister, who had a good fire- works view. At the San Jose party, Glazer November 2009 19 To Walk the Moon A Convention Report For the 2009 Worldcon in Montreal by the Fan GoH Taral Wayne

Part Un - Mercredi/Wednesday lackluster performance by all accounts, that appeared in several fanzines (notably and behind the scenes were an unusual in Drink Tank ). There’s no need to go A fan is Guest of Honour at a worldcon number of ugly little stories about over it again. Instead, we’ll skip ahead to only once. It doesn’t say so in the rules, personality clashes, arrogance, naiveté, early August, a few days before so far as I know, but what are the odds of and possible malfeasance. My own Anticipation. being chosen twice? In fact, the reality is experience was one of frustration and A number of things had to be rushed that deserving fans far outnumber the disappointment. Efforts to contribute art to completion, not the least being a select few who are actually honored. I to Torcon publications were rebuffed colour drawing. Ultimately it wasn’t joined an elite club of only three other utterly, much to my astonishment. used, but I couldn’t know that at the Canadians. Mike Glicksohn and Susan Although encouraged by some members time. I had things to pack, art to frame, Wood in 1975, Robert Runté in 1993, of the concom, there was no getting banking that had to be done, and now Taral Wayne in 2009 . around the difficulty of a publications arrangements to be made with a neighbor The story properly begins last year, head who had not the least interest. to look after my cat, and a new internet when I received e-mail from the Instead, the con relied almost exclusively service provider to close a deal with Montréal Worldcon bid asking if I was on the con chairman’s wife for art. before I could leave. Not the least of my willing to be the Fan Guest of Honour if Would it be rubbing it in too much to problems was that I would have a they won. I wasn’t so burned out or mention that Torcon III’s program book houseguest. disillusioned yet as to say “no,” so I said was the most primitive looking since at Anticipation allowed me to bring a “yes.” The next few months were least the early 1970s? guest to the con. I wasn’t married and anxious ones, as I waited to learn As if that weren’t bad enough, I had didn’t have a significant other, so I whether the Worldcon would be held in been working with a furry fan named offered the freebie to Marc Schirmeister. Montréal or Kansas City, but for once Tom to organize a presence of Schirm and I go way back. We first the Ghods were acting on my behalf, and anthropomorphic fandom at the met at Iggy in 1978, and for many years I the voters chose another Canadian bid Worldcon. After months of fruitless e- was his guest in LA whenever I attended over the safe one. mail that Torcon mostly ignored, the con ConFurence. He stayed here in 2003, for By no means was this inevitable. I made an unexpected announcement. Torcon. Aside from a fold-out bed, heard a lot of scuttlebutt before the They had nominated a third party (who though, I hadn’t much to offer him that voting, and it wasn’t very reassuring. No did not even live in Toronto) as their time. This time I could offer him his own one seemed terrifically enthusiastic about liaison with the furries. At that point, I bed in the main con hotel, a free Kansas City, to be sure. But Canadian was so bloody furious I left the entire membership, and the extra cost of travel Worldcons are handicapped by a border mess in Tom’s hands, and swore off from T.O. to Montréal. that causes no end of petty hassles for having anything more to do with Torcon. The problem was, Schirm was dealers and artists trying to bring their Tom, it has to be said, handled the matter arriving only the day before we left for material into the country. Worse, the with patience, and if nothing else at least the Worldcon. I had to pick him up at border had been tightening up steadily manned a table for anthropomorphic Pearson International as a matter of since the destruction of the World Trade fandom throughout the con. courtesy. Since the transit authority had Center only two years before. American You might go so far as to say that my begun regular bus service right to the fans were faced with a possibility of acceptance of Montréal’s offer was in terminal, getting to the airport had been having to have passports to enter Canada part an unsubtle form of revenge. cheap and easy. I arrived on time, and so for the first time. The next year or so after Montréal did Schirm’s flight. I hadn’t seen him for Worse, there had been a Canadian announced its guests was a busy one for a while. Let’s say we’d both aged a bit… Worldcon not five years before. Torcon me. I’ve also chronicled it in great detail, but gracefully. He was wearing a funny III had left few with fond memories, in a number of articles such as “Looting sort of pork pie hat he’d found at Target either. While short of a disaster, it was a the Worldcon,” and “The Countdown,” for under ten bucks. I had to smile more 20 File 770: 157

had to be one of those streetcar on the corner, and go directly times. I managed well downtown to Union Station to catch the enough up to a point. train? As well, the station in Montréal Then random chance was just across the street from the Delta reared its ugly head. I Centre Ville, my hotel. The train would had no way to know that be more convenient, more pleasant, and streetcar service had cheaper by far. been interrupted by So naturally, a few days before the repair, and the route con, VIA Rail went on strike. diverted. We were left Alan pulled strings quickly, on foot about a mile switching my travel arrangements to from home, and had to Porter Air. Porter was a commuter carry Schirm’s luggage airline that flew out of the Toronto

The Toronto Islands were an archipelago that the whole way. Much as Island Airport. It was a dinky airfield, enclosed and created the harbor. Before the I enjoyed the time but then it was a dinky island as well. mid 19 th century they hadn’t even existed, together, catching up on I’d never flown from the Island but after a particularly violent storm, the gossip and old times, the Airport before, nor on an inter-city sandbar across the Don River became a walk back nearly commuter flight, so the change in plan series of low, swampy islets. In time, plant reduced me to a cripple. wasn’t unwelcome. It would even be a growth solidified the sandbanks, and people If it had been any other small adventure. So just as naturally as moved to inhabit them. Most of the island time, I would have they went on strike, VIA Rail was back chain was public parkland by the 1960s. Not rested the next day, in service the same day Alan booked us only had there been a small town once, of spending my time off all on the plane. We stuck with the which vestiges remained, but even a ball my feet, hanging around plane. park. It was the original location for the old the apartment, and that Arrangements for flying were slightly Maple Leafs team. Originally built in 1897, would have done the more complicated though. Schirm and I the grandstand was destroyed by fire and trick. had to meet Alan downtown, by the rebuilt several times. The 1910 stadium was But it wasn’t any Royal York Hotel. Alan had his own officially Hanlan’s Point Stadium, and known other time. Next day, guest, Jeanne Bowman, who I met for informally as the Island stadium. For the early , we were meeting the first time. A shuttle bus stopped at minor leagues, it was large and lavish. But Alan Rosenthal, the hotel and picked up passengers for its real claim to fame is that on September downtown. the airport. It was a fairly short drive. 5, 1914 Babe Ruth hit his first home run there. Unfortunately, the Leafs team left the Alan was my Nevertheless, I thought we rode half Island for their new Maple Leaf Stadium on “minder” for the con. way back the way we’d come before we the mainland in 1925, and the Island Like Schirm, he was an finally pulled into a tiny ferry dock. The stadium came down for the last time two old, old friend. In fact, I ferry itself was only a sort of floating years later. In 1939 the site was chosen for knew Alan when I think bridge, with an open car deck below, the King George VI Airport, and used for he was literally a kid. and a one-room passenger deck above. It training in WWII. It’s been in constant use We were friends while put out from the dock and crossed the for civil aviation as the Toronto Island Airport he went through 500-foot channel in about a minute. ever since. university for his From the ferry, we entered a lounge engineering degree, and to wait for our flight. Waiting is waiting, we remained friends but there was a whole world of at his luggage. Wherever he’d found that after he left Toronto for Seattle – to take difference between this, and the usual grip, it had likely once been the pride up a well-paid job with Microsoft. rows of not very comfortable seats and and joy of some teenage girl in 1962. Although I had an official liaison with nothing to do at large airports. The Apart from being small – manageable as Anticipation for most things, I wanted Porter lounge was nicely carpeted, Schirm might have put it – it was bright someone who would keep an eye at me furnished with tables and comfy chairs, red plastic. “Why don’t you get one of at the con and remind me what I should and had a self-serve refreshment bar those new roller board cases?” I asked. be doing, and when I was supposed to stocked with snacks, soft drinks, juices, “You just pull those, and don’t have to do it. Alan was my choice. and coffee. Alan, Jeanne, Schirm and I carry them.” “The wheels break,” he He made all my travel arrangements had checked our luggage on leaving the said. So do handles and snap fasteners, I as well. Our first plan was to take the ferry, and enjoyed a leisurely brunch thought, but being eccentric is what train. It wasn’t all that hard to get to the with conversation before our flight was makes Schirm Schirm . airport, since public transit extended called. This was air travel as it was Most times, this would only mean a service via “the airport rocket.” Still, meant to be – not the mean, cramped, tight schedule. But at times I suffer back why spend an enormous amount of time suspicious experience it’s become in trouble, and naturally that Wednesday in a terminal when I could catch a single recent years. I had an opportunity to get November 2009 21 to know Jeanne, and quickly learned that Usually described as an extinct as “cold” breakfasts go, I had no she liked my jokes. I loved her. volcano, Mont Royal is in fact a remnant complaints. Different cereals, fruit, The flight took about ninety minutes, of a vast underground magma complex bagels, rolls, yogurt, coffee and juice, as I recall. The weather was good and at formed around 125,000,000 years ago. mainly. We made good use of it, despite 25,000 feet it was easy to pick out salient Clearly visible from its peak, or from any the ungodly hours… Who gets up before landmarks along the way. We passed high building in the city, are a number of 11 at a con? over Rice Lake, Southern Ontario’s associated formations across the river. If A surprising number of people were largest center of Hopewell Indian anything, they are higher, more dramatic, already at the con Wednesday. There was culture. I had visited the mounds once, and wilder than their urban sister. quite a lot of activity, too, though none and tried to paddle a canoe on another Looking out the window of the of it official. Priority number one was occasion, though I hadn’t the least idea Bombardier, Schirm expressed a hope registering. There was already a line, and what I was doing. Next came a stretch of we could take a trip to the top. It was just it wasn’t even dinnertime of the day the Canadian Shield, identified by what I was thinking. We would do it , but before the con opened. As one of the hundreds of tiny irregular lakes. The not until Tuesday following the con. Guests of Honour, I was escorted aside Shield passes under the St. Lawrence Fortunately, too, we discovered that the to be handed my badge and membership River, forming the Thousand Islands, and Mont Royal Ave. bus drove through the package right away, while Schirm, Alan, widens once more on the American side, park without so much as an extra fare. and Jeanne had to grit their teeth and join where it is known as the Adirondack Touchdown was at Mountains. Past the Shield, you could Dorval. We took a taxi see a change in how land was surveyed. direct to the hotel. The strange appearance of the 1967 Olympic stadium was due to a unique design. Created Instead of the more compact fields of Though there were by a German architect, and probably built by Ontario, the farms in Quebec were laid cheaper means, my aching a Mafia-owned contractor, it looked like some- out in long strips, a relic of seigniorial back convinced Alan that thing from an expressionist SF movie. A weird times. In those days, frontage on the river it was worth the expense. crane loomed over the bowl of the stadium, was life. Every farm had to front on the Through gritted teeth, I and gathered cables from the roof. The notion river, or it was cut off from transport and concurred. Check-in at the was that when the stadium was to be opened, would not survive. So the riverbank was Delta Centre Ville was the cables would haul the fabric roof up to- divided into narrow slivers, only a few simple and easy; our bags ward the tip of the crane. It was a futuristic hundred feet wide, but several times that were carried to our room design, and would have impressed the world if lengthwise. by a porter who was it had ever worked. Unfortunately, it didn’t. I At last, Montréal. As if the urban spoiled something awful think it only operated successfully a handful of build-up wasn’t a dead give-away, the by the size of our tip. times, ripped more than once, leading to re- mountain itself hove into view. I could The room itself was a pairs that cost in the millions of dollars, and see other famous landmarks easily. The bit of a surprise. I had more recently parts of the concrete structure 1967 Olympic Stadium would be hard to been led to expect have detached themselves from the main miss. There was the St. Lawrence River something like a suite building and crashed to the ground, narrowly too – a broad band of shallow water that when I was offered an avoiding killing numbers of people. From the marked the upper limit of navigation, and “upgrade” to the 16 th floor air, it looked like Space City, or something was the raison d’etre for the city until the by the con. It was an from the Thunderbirds’ island. If they had opening of the Seaway in the 1950s. In averaged-size been real, no doubt, they would have been every bit as much of a hit with image- the middle of the river were room, judging by those on conscious Montréalers as the 1967 Olympic the islands that had been the site of the whose floor I’d slept in Stadium. But at least Gerry Anderson’s table- Montréal World’s Fair – Expo 67. past years. But since this top rotating skyscrapers, and launch pads hid- Mont Royal gave the city its name, time I had a bed to myself, den beneath movable swimming pools and stands over the city like a guardian. I forgave the room its worked! Before the French came, an Iroquois somewhat diminished village named Hochelaga had rested in proportions. What the its shadow. Tall and as rugged as it may room lacked in size, it did seem, the mountain is only a hill of some make up for in providing 750 feet at its highest point, but it is access to the top floor heavily wooded, and is protected as the lounge, where free city’s crowning glory. In the 19 th breakfast was offered from century, much of the mountain was 8 to 10 every morning. It designated a park. The trails and would have been belvederes were designed by Frederick wonderful if they had been Law Olmsted, who had also been the “hot” breakfasts – bacon, genius behind Central Park in New York eggs, toast, pancakes, City. sausages and the like – but 22 File 770: 157

the end of the line. vague memories of This was the first time I museums and saw the printed membership interactive features on badges. Having done the art, DVDs. Why not I knew they were going to be photograph my gorgeous, but I couldn’t apartment, I said, and know just how gorgeous. I digitally enlarge the had suggested using the images to create a 3-D same artwork as had montage? This version appeared on the final of Murray’s idea got a progress report, but digitally green light, and late in subduing the background so 2008 a friend came that the con logo and names over to take the photos. would be more legible. Lea The photographer Farr was in charge of the was Paul Wilson. I’d badges, and to my delight know Paul literally took me up on the idea. (As since he was a babe. I’ve said before, what I He was the first son of mainly valued in being a Janet, and Robert GoH was the opportunity to Charles Wilson. While work, and have my work not an active fan, he seen.) I had already done the work once, collections, art from the walls, fanzines, grew up in an environment that could in creating the proposal, so doing it and every sort of other colourful and only be called fannish. Paul also had the again was quick and easy. I was less absorbing clap-trap that set my place job of digitally re-sizing and knitting happy, though, about the need to keep apart from the common run of together the resulting mosaic. Given the appearance of the badge confidential habitation. The display would create a how little space there is in my before the con. It was a concern that the sort of “reproduction in the round” of apartment, he did a great job. It was badges could be counterfeited if the original room. Well, as an idea it impossible to get more than a few feet revealed in advance. Seeing it for the was outstanding… but it had a number back from anything without backing up first time, it was a pleasure delayed, but of very small flaws. First, it would take against the couch, or the TV or shelves a great pleasure nonetheless. The badge an enormous amount of work. Secondly, along the other wall. Distortions were was hung around the neck, in a fabric things would inevitably be broken, and inevitable. So, if much was left to be protector – in the back of which I some even lost – and many items, such desired, Paul got the best possible results discovered zippered pockets. I was like a as Hugo pins and hand sculpted figures, under the circumstances. child with a new toy. Why didn’t were irreplaceable. And thirdly, I said The job of creating my “virtual everyone wear one of these, all the time? no . But I had another idea, based on apartment” next passed to a team in Well, for the weekend, everyone at Montréal. Who was in charge I’m Anticipation would! not sure, but I think it was Gradually, Allan and the others We flew in a Bombardier Dash8/Q400, a ultimately John Mansfield. I can’t worked their way through twin turboprop, medium-range airliner, fault the industriousness I met registration, and were free. We were still in production. It seats 70 to 80 pas- when I walked into the partly built admitted early into the exhibit area, sengers and has a reputation for being re-creation. At least four or five where the dealers room, art show, and the most economical-to-fly airliner in its people were busy, buzzing around, fanzine lounge were being set up – class. Although built by the same parent cutting foam boards, fixing the another perq of being a GoH. If I had company that invented the snowmobile, I huge printout strips to their been curious about the badge, I was failed to note either handlebars or a rub- backings with double-sided tape, still more curious how my “virtual” ber tread. The turboprops were surpis- and tying the prepared panels to a room was coming along. It was about ingly quiet, considering. tube framework. It was unfinished,

half up, and standing in it could but the result was already surreal, hardly have been more surreal. even eerie. The idea was initially Murray The same cat appearing twice Moore’s. Murray was my official was a nice touch. liaison with the con, who looked after From the photos I took, it can my needs in the abstract. (My even be hard to distinguish accommodations, for instance.) He pictures of the real suggested that there be an exhibit of room from those of the “virtual my interests at the con. We could room.” It takes a moment to notice pack up my books, videos, toys, things projecting into the room November 2009 23

that in fact have no depth at all. Or things that point in impossible directions. Or other things that are out of scale, such as a small stack of “loonies.” (Canadian dollar coins) that are nearly the size of poker chips. Around the back of the “room” was a workspace where several more strips lay on tables. Schirm took me to an unoccupied space, and pulled some Saara Mar in the inimitable car- rolled paper out of a toon style of Marc Schirmeister. I tube. I hadn’t know it’s inimitable. I’ve tried. noticed him carrying it until then. While I held one end on which were depicted some curiously rendered feet, Schirm unrolled the other end, using a pair of scissors to hold down the top. It was the cartooniest-looking drawing of Saara Mar I’d seen… at least since the last time he took a crack at her. It was delightful. A couple of the guys working on the “apartment” came over and looked at “Saara” on the table. After talking among themselves for a minute, it was decided they could double-tape Schirm’s drawing on a foam board too, and stand it up outside the entrance. Probably no-one understood what she meant by being there, but it was the Only Sane Thing to Do. Now that Anticipation is over, the question inevitably comes up -- what became of my “apartment?” I don’t know . People have told me they saw the walls being disassembled, but they knew nothing more than I do about what happened to them afterward. Here are some suggestions that occurred to me, to be used or ignored as Anticipation sees fit: 1) Save it for the next time I’m GoH anywhere. 2) Donate it to the Merril Collection in Toronto… if they’ll have anything that fannish. 3) Send it to Aussiecon for fans Down Under, where it might be assembled upside-down. 4) Auction pieces of it for TAFF and DUFF. Give a special discount on buying an entire room. 5) (This suggested to me by another party), set it up in an alley for some homeless fan. Kevin Goodchuck in yellow. Bottom, far right, Alan Stewart and Alan Rosenthal discuss… what? The Part Deux – Jeudi/Thursday “virtual apartment?”

Having had a long, eventful day, Schirm and I went to bed early weekdays, so I made do with the sleep I got. Wednesday night. After all… we wanted to be up to have that The lounge was a crescent-shaped room on the top floor, all free breakfast that came with the room. The beds had lovely, glass on one side, with a view over downtown Montréal, and firm mattresses, and I would have liked to have slept several the buffet on the other wall. We gave our attention to both. more hours, if I could. But the breakfast buffet ended at 10 on Nursing juice and coffee, and digging into Muesli with a 24 File 770: 157

mountain of raisins, we sat and watched around back, as I found out later.) Large on. There were a few costumes on the city below. The weather that day was as the concourse is, the true size of the exhibit, and a display of “steam punk.” lovely. It wouldn’t remain that way, center was concealed. At the back, it At the far end from the fan lounge was a unfortunately, with thundershowers turned a corner and opened into a space set with tables for autograph coming and going the whole weekend. shopping mall that was still larger. That sessions. It’s funny, but the only conversation I was only a preview of the way the entire This lengthy space was also where remember is one about spiders. We were convention center was laid out. Like a my “virtual apartment” had been something like 20 floors up. Outside the labyrinth, you would think you’d seen it assembled. I gave an official tour of the windows, though, spider webs furled all until you turned the next corner… room the next day. It had an like sails in a limpid tropical breeze. At the top of the escalator was embarrassingly small turnout, but, And there were plenty of spiders to go another concourse. This was the first despite that, the “virtual” room seemed with them. How did they get there? Did convention floor. Along the right side to be a hit. Later, I saw people going in they climb the entire 20 floors? If so – were several entrances to a much larger and out of it on a constant basis. In fact, why? How many flying insects were space, the main exhibition area. As there were generally more people in it there for them to catch, so high above seems increasingly common, there was than when I gave the tour. I suspect it the ground? no separate dealers’ room, art show, and was curiosity that drew people in. No Far off over the St. Lawrence River display space – they were all in one one had to be told what they saw – we saw blue-grey shapes of granite, like room, divided by movable partitions. If books, art, toys, figures, collectables of humpback whales on the horizon. They you stood in the entrance – blocking all sorts, computer, TV, and cat. Any fan were the larger, sister mounts of people coming in, by the way – you must have instinctively understood it all. Montréal’s own. faced the dealer’s area. It occupied the One of my first thoughts was to see The first time we saw the convention entire center and left side of the room. It about the t-shirt I did for the con. I’d had center, or Palais de Congres, was from a had one small entry, more or less at the a look at it the night before, but was taxi on the day before. Thursday, we front. Right of that was the art show unable to obtain samples. I had asked for walked. area. A little farther, in the corner was three or four, and did eventually obtain It was clear, by then, that the the fanzine lounge, laid out in the four: one to wear, two for my collection, problems with my back weren’t getting traditional way by the Penneys. A table and one I wanted as a gift to give my better. I needed at least 24 hours respite, for fanzines, including freebies. Some friend Steven Baldassarra, who I usually in which I never walked farther than comfy chairs. A table. The mimeo itself and literally cannot do enough for. I from the TV to the bathroom or kitchen, was Colin Hinz’s department. Paper, would imagine that wearing it at the next and back. But for the third or fourth stencils and ink were available to create Italian family wedding he attends, he straight day I was on my feet, and my a one-shot, which was naturally run off can’t fail to stand out. The actual back was getting worse, not better. on the last day of the con. The old printing and sales of the shirt were The convention center is a corner of custom of WOOF (Worldcon Order Of outsourced to OffWorld Designs, a deal an old city block, but unlike the Faneditors) was also revived, though it I’m told is an advantage to the con and Romanesque architecture around it, the weighed in with relatively few has become normal. center is a late-50s-looking cube of glass contributions compared to issues at As well as the “official” Anticipation panels in bright prismatic colours. Worldcons long past. A small gopher’s t-shirt, at the last minute I was asked for Although one side took up the whole space was tucked out of sight behind art for the con volunteers’ shirt. A block, the front seemed not much wider curtains at the back of the fan lounge. particular older piece had been picked than your average urban supermarket. Between the main divisions of the out that I readily assented to. It was a Even when inside, the floor space room and the near wall were a few odd simple job to touch it up as needed. seemed inadequate. Little did I know features. There was David Hartwell’s Most of the work was done at that the old buildings on the street were display of neckties, for instance. Anticipation’s end, though, and they did only skin deep. The majority of the Hundreds… maybe thousands of a better job than I had been led to convention center lay behind them and brightly coloured, garishly checkered, expect. Instead of the traditional “red took up the greater part of the block by vigorously striped, outrageously figured shirt,” the design was against a blue far. The center was, in fact, deceptively, cloth neck pendants. My search was a background, on a black shirt, with the impressively enormous. hasty one, but I was unable to find one con logo picked out in red. I later Entering from Rue Saint Antoine, you with Fred Flintstone on it, nor one that obtained a couple of these for the are immediately bathed in gold, ruby, or played “Nine to Five” when poked, but collection also. By an exquisite irony, emerald light from the glass walls it was a small mercy. the art was a piece I had submitted to around you. The whole of the visible There was the (by now) customary Torcon, which they had not bothered to ground floor is a concourse – a wide- display of fan photos, and another of use. open space where large numbers of sample art by notable fan artists. More Perhaps this is a good time to people can gather and break up, in unusual was the exhibition of phone summarize the work I did for the con. which the only feature was a massive cards, individually illustrated from SF The Progress Report 3 cover is a good escalator. (There was a small elevator series like Babylon 5, Star Wars, and so place to start – I’m particularly proud of November 2009 25

that. The image of Saara on Mars The same art has been revised for an evolved into the membership badge upcoming File 770 . For Mike, I replaced through the use of Photoshop. Then there the newspaper with an issue of F770. were the two t-shirts. I also revised an With more time to work with, I improved old black & white drawing of mine for a few small points in the art. And instead the Hugo Ceremony Guide. It was of drawing a rough copy of the zine, I altered for its new use by adding a large mapped an actual image of an issue into box of “one gross/une grosse Hugos.” the art digitally. The invitation card Pre-Hugo Reception The work didn’t end with only the art. also used a tiny cartoon of mine from I penned a new autobiography, “Better years ago. I was surprised to discover Than Life,” for the souvenir book and that the original black and white drawing revamped an old fan article called for the t-shirt had also been put to use on “Burden of Gilt” that had originally the Convention Guide cover. Naturally I appeared in Mike Glyer’s Scientifriction , approved. There had also been a very last years ago. My first submission had -minute badge of some sort – a special actually been “ The Last Mary Jane pass for work, after the convention center Story ,” but rather late in the day I was closed for the night, I think. I finished asked for a substitution. The con had colouring it only a few days before the become worried that a spoof of Star Trek An aside here. Apparently it’s con. This was apparently too late, might draw unwanted attention from become common for Worldcons though. Only the black and white Paramount. This was unfortunate, as I’d to outsource their t-shirts. I did- original was used, although I haven’t substantially rewritten it, and thought it n’t know this, and was somewhat actually seen one to be sure. funny as hell. Unfortunately, a surprised to find out that an out- There was, of course, a lavish amount Worldcon is large enough to be within fit named Off Worlds had actually of space given me in the progress the sights of dedicated legal departments printed the shirt in a shared- reports. A couple of splendid little write- looking for people to sue. profits scheme. I was half work- ups by Mike Glicksohn and Robert Mike Glyer also wrote a glowing ing for Off Worlds, in effect. Charles Wilson, and a few of my illos tribute that I could not have written There were also two other appeared in the first report. The third PR better myself, though you might almost shirts I knew nothing of. One ran a gallery of recent work, and more think I had. The piece was thorough, not was designed by the owner- spot illos. And the gorgeous fourth, with merely flattering. Mike obviously operator of Off Worlds, who was the full-colour cover! I hope everyone researched his subject, or simply knew also an artist. The other was the same design that appeared as saw it in colour, but the reality being me well enough from decades of cover art on the con’s souvenir what it is, the printed mail-out copies interaction. I’d been a contributor to his book. were in only in grey tones. To see Saara numerous fanzines since the 70s. His Had I know that full colour Mar stride the landscape of Mars tribute did not cost me a dime, either… was an option, I would have fin- (irreverently tossing away an though you may expect to find a serious ished the hockey player design I Anticipation program book), you ought increase in the number of articles I write did in full colour as well. Unfortu- to download PR 4 from the Anticipation for File 770 in future. nately, I was thinking “cheap.” website. Maybe it seems odd to go on about Fortunately, I don’t think it came Was the work done then? Happily, what I did and what Anticipation out badly in only four colours – no! I was contacted for an interview for published, but this is what I mainly red, blue, black and white, the Worldcon issue of Concordia valued about being the Worldcon Guest against grey. University’s student newspaper, The of Honour. Yes, the opportunity to stand Off Worlds had done a decent Link . The interview with Chris Olson in front of an audience, and hold forth job as well with the Anticipation itself was not as exhaustive as one like someone momentarily important is logo, and added a shadow below conducted previously by Janet nice . For some people, the chance to be the players that was just about Hetherington for a comics news website the center of attention is the chief appeal what I might have done myself. The Pulse , but with it came an interesting of fandom. I recall a short conversation I Off Worlds no longer seems to opportunity. Chris asked if I could do the had with Lloyd Penney just after we have the shirt for sale – I’ve cover of the paper for that issue. I was presented two of the Hugos, that been told the unsold shirts re- pressed for time, but together we came illustrates the difference. I believe I’d verted to Anticipation, which has a few available yet. up with a work-saver. I used a small said something like I had never portion of the background from the 4 th especially sought to appear in public. I progress report cover, and created a new was happiest with the opportunity to do foreground of Saara reading a copy of creative work. Lloyd, on the other hand, The Link . By no coincidence, I used the said that the chance to make an important “After the Space Age” issue. public appearance, and do something as 26 File 770: 157

noteworthy as presenting a Hugo, was In a way, I benefited from the microphone at the right distance to be something he had looked forward to for absence of an Artist Guest of Honour. heard and not cause feedback. But the years. To be clear about my motives, I Ordinarily, an artist guest would have audience was almost lost in the glare. I do enjoy performing in public when I provided much of the con’s illustrations, gave them no thought at all. have a purpose and some idea of what but this was one Worldcon without an The ceremony itself was impressive, I’m doing. I don’t think I do a half-bad “official” artist. Jean-Pierre Normand, a given that I’d never attended one before job of it when I do, either. But to be Quebec pro with impressive credentials and can’t be much of a judge. I was frank, I’ve walked out on more than one in the field filled part of the void. I filled particularly impressed that the con had panel, when it seemed it was a waste of the rest. as a speaker Marc Garneau, the everyone’s time. They aren’t ends in Anticipation’s Opening Ceremonies Canadian shuttle astronaut. But I think themselves. I’m less a people-person were held Thursday night, and were the the gymnastic dancer who followed stole than I am an artist and writer, and the occasion for my first official act as Fan most of my attention from the chance to write and draw for a large Guest of Honour. The last time I had astronaut’s well-meaning remarks. She number of readers was the chief honour attended the opening ceremonies of any came out dressed in what looked like no of being Anticipation’s Fan Guest of Worldcon were… uh… actually never. more than flames painted on her body, Honour. If they held any such formalities back in then proceeded to flow and ooze all over Time for a digression, going back the ‘70s, it had escaped my notice. the stage. After warming up, she more than a year. Shortly after the Before 1980 I had stopped attending performed the most provocative announcement that Montréal had won its almost all programming, missing the contortions with a suspended hoop that bid, I had a curious conversation over growth of any number of new I’d ever seen live. She would have dinner. It was at a local Tibetan institutions. So when I was prompted for gotten us all arrested in Maurice restaurant with Catherine Crockett and the Opening Ceremonies for Duplessis’ Quebec of the 1950s. Thank Terry Fong, who was in charge of fan Anticipation, it was total terror Gawd we live in The Future. It was a program. The dinner was partly just to incognita. While I was instructed on unique pleasure to be backstage while meet Terry, but also to discuss early more-or-less what to do, no-one realized the guests were being presented, and to details of being the Fan GoH. I I had to be told basic things like sit in be able to congratulate her. Also to get a mentioned that an Artist Guest of the front row , or leave the stage after much closer look. The flames weren’t Honour hadn’t been announced yet. you’ve said your piece by exiting the painted on, unfortunately. It was a body Hoping to promote my special interests, wings . stocking. I suggested a departure from custom. Naturally, the only thing that came to I suppose it was usual to have video Instead of the usual cover artist, would mind to say when I faced the audience cameras and big screen displays of the Anticipation consider an animator? was, “I have never seen an Opening proceedings on stage. It was strange to Terry waffled, saying it was an Ceremony before, much less have any me. I’d look at the real person, then at interesting idea, and dropped it. Oh, idea what I’m supposed to do.” After the video image, and feel a cognitive well, I thought. It had been worth a try. that I seem to recall saying that I was double-take that one was the same as the What I didn’t know then was that the delighted to be here, and that I regarded other. Perversely, I found myself concom had already had the same bright it as a significant gesture between watching the video more often than the idea, and had invited Ralph Bakshi. English and French Canada for a person on stage. It seemed more “real” Later, Terry told me that he couldn’t Torontonian to speak as GoH to a because I could see their face and discuss it at that dinner because Bakshi Worldcon in Montréal. This was said expressions, hadn’t accepted yet. He said it was only only in English, which may have Once it was all over, I was annoyed with great difficulty that he hadn’t weakened my message somewhat. that I had no idea what I looked like on laughed out loud. Great minds do think It was actually fairly easy to do. I alike, it seems, and so do fannish ones. don’t seem to be nervous in front of Marc Garneau, 1 st But no-one expected that, a year people as long as I know what the hell I Canuck in Space later, Ralph Bakshi would decline the want to say. And I’d managed to live honour, citing reasons of health. He long enough to learn to think about cancelled his appearance at the San things before I go and do them. Diego Comics Con as well. While the Consequently, I used the time sitting in con had hoped perhaps to honour Bakshi the front row to work up something in in absentia, nothing came of it, and the my head. The strangest thing about Artist Guest of Honour spot was quietly facing a couple of thousand people and deleted from the website. I suppose it talking at them was that they were might have been a little tacky to have invisible. I could see the lectern in the named a replacement, but I had two or bright light, and was conscious of the three suggestions at hand had anyone stage itself, lest I trip over some line of asked. If any Worldcon is interested, tape on the floor meant to guide me. I drop me a line. took care, also, to speak to the November 2009 27 those big screens – or even much recall mainly a blur in my mind. I recall punch line, when Phyllis commented on of what I said. specific parties, particularly lavish his “geography.” “John, that’s bullshit, I thought Julie Czerneda did a bang- spreads, and intense conversations, but and you know it!” he quoted her. It up job as master of ceremonies. The ask me what night they were and I can wouldn’t be the first time she’d said elaborate horseplay between her and her only shrug my shoulders. I’ll tackle the that… sadly, it was one of the last times. translator seemed casual, but must have subject of parties later, if no one minds. I kept my own remarks simple, mainly involved a lot of preparation, not to I’m impatient to get on to Friday. paraphrasing from a written piece that mention experience before a mike. I also had appeared in Drink Tank the month learned, for the first time, how to Part Trois – Verdi/Friday before. pronounce “Czerneda” properly. I recall At four, I gave a guided tour of the that Neil Gaiman spoke relatively few Free breakfast again, naturally. “virtual apartment.” Perhaps a half-dozen words, but that David Hartwell had a I was scheduled for four appearances people turned up. I began explaining that longer speech. All in all, I thought it was in the program Friday. The first, at 2 the impressive armory on the wall was probably best that I hadn’t prepared p.m., was “In Conversation with Taral deceptive. Most were Japanese kits, a anything and made only a couple of brief Wayne,” a vague name to describe a live few were Airsoft guns that shot little comments onstage. After all… I was well “interview” conducted by Alan yellow plastic balls, and the rest were versed enough in the ways of the larger Rosenthal. We had rehearsed elaborately cheap toys that I’d worked on, as a circle of fandom to know that the Fan that morning, with Alan taking notes. As model builder, to make more realistic. Guest was rather low in the pecking with the talk on coins the day before, “But there’s real brass in some. No live order. These people were here mainly there were only a few in attendance, ammo, but real spent brass.” One or two because they were science fiction fans, mainly people who knew me well. Alan people drifted away. I moved on the 1/24 and not one in twenty people in the repeated most of the questions from scale fire engines under the firearms. crowd was there to hear what I had to earlier, and I gave much the same “These were originally very expensive say. answers, but I would still rate it as a die-casts – the company’s premium line. René Walling and Robbie Bourget fairly spontaneous demonstration of the Seats lift to show hidden valves, fire came onstage last of all, and declared gift of gab. I hadn’t made notes of my hoses are made of real rubber, the Anticipation had begun! answers, after all, nor made any special ladders can be taken from their hooks I had only one other order of business effort to repeat what I’d said earlier. and extended, there are fully detailed on the first day. At 9 p.m. I was to give a Why would I need to? It was my life, and engines under the hood, completely talk and answer questions about my none of it had changed in the course of a detailed under-carriages, fire “private passion.” I don’t know who else morning. extinguishers that you can remove from may have given such talks, or what their In more ways than one, my 3:30 was their brackets, and one of the trucks has a passions were. Mine was collecting a last-minute call. Only shortly before rack of actual rubber boots! Usually I ancient coins, and I knew from the Worldcon, Phyllis Gotlieb died. She can’t afford such things, but Wal-Mart experience that I could bore for hours was more or less the godmother of had them on sale, you see…” A couple about the silver content of first through Canadian SF writers, and on a first-name more people wandered off. I moved on to third-century denarii, the problem of basis with a lot of people in the fandom, the DVD shelves and started talking. knowing the true names of Roman coins, too. I had called her a friend for a long After a minute I noticed that only the and how to recognize various styles in time. Anticipation organized a last- elderly mother and son from my talk on depicting the Imperial bust. It didn’t minute panel as a tribute to Phyllis. They ancient coins were left. matter a whit to me that only five or six were understandably a little slow in It seems no one really needed people sat in the room to hear me realizing that I’d known Phyllis well, and anything about the “virtual room” pontificate. In fact, it served to draw put me on the panel last of all. Nothing explained. That was all right with me, them into to the subject. I spoke for some of this is printed in any of the program since the continual traffic in and out time, and took a number of pertinent schedules, unfortunately. Though for the showed it titillated people’s curiosity. It questions, particularly from an elderly record, the Hugo Guide is dedicated to was a success in this, at least. gentleman and his mother . They were Phyllis, and there is a full page obituary I wish I could say the same for my six from Russia, I found out later. He wanted in the Program Guide. o’clock. I was able to recall nothing of it to know about counterfeiting ancient The main speakers were Robert until I consulted the program guide, and coins, giving me an excuse to talk for Sawyer, who spoke eloquently of his read that it was a “kaffeeklatsch.” Then it another fifteen minutes. A willing and feeling, and John Robert Colombo. John all came flooding back, but there was engaged audience is always better than a Robert is mainly known in Canadian nothing to recall! My minder, Alan, merely large one. literary circles, and has edited a number came with me. One or two other friends There were parties Thursday night. of books about the SF and fantasy turned up for a coffee, but otherwise Hell, there were parties Wednesday genres. His was the centerpiece of the there was no audience at all. We chewed night, but they were nothing compared to tribute, talking about the change in the the fat for little while, in case anyone Thursday and the rest of the weekend. “geography” of local science fiction. I came late. After a quarter of an hour, or The problem is that the parties are had to chuckle when he came to the so, it was obvious there was no need to 28 File 770: 157

needed legs? You could outrace anyone having to tip anyone. I do? Sez who? Is walking, and it was no obstacle to getting leaving a tip a gratuity for good service, as close as you liked to dealers’ tables. If or isn’t it? On another day I might have I needed to sit down at a table, or bend stalked out. But on this day I didn’t want over a display, I just stood up from the to create a fuss, and, what the hell, I was scooter and took a few steps. Okay, I on a daily stipend from the con anyway. wouldn’t be able to climb the trail up Mt. So I left the minimum tip possible, Whitney, or hike in Death Valley in one counting out the pennies one by one like of these things, but the odds were that an offended Scotsman whose purse that my days in the wilderness of desert hadn’t been opened since Jim Hawkins California were long over anyway. Of slept at the Benbow. course, backing up was tricky. People Friday was the day we made safari to not only milled around me, as though I a famous deli. Six or eight of us would never depart from moving in crammed into two cars and drove to who straight lines, they did worse – they knows where – the Jewish part of town distracted you by talking. Naturally, I one imagines. I don’t remember the ran over one or two unwary pedestrians. name of the place, but enthusiasts of But I don’t recall permanently crippling smoked meat and bagels probably have it any. tattooed on their backsides, the place is While speaking of eating out, I that famous. According to Alan, and the confess I didn’t indulge every day. The clippings in the window, at least. We had stay around. first meal out of the convention center to stand in line outside, so that was a At this point I began to suspect, there was probably the day before, Thursday, good sign. Once in, we were naturally was a bit of a problem with how many because I still have the emotional scars seated at a crowded table at the very people were attending my program from the walk to Chinatown on Friday. events. Still, it was only Friday. And the “Not far,” Alan or one of the others had During the deli expedition, some of kaffeekatsch was a pretty rinky-dink said. By normal standards they were us ducked into a pharmacy for program item, even for the Fan GoH. quite right. By my standards of that snacks or drinks to take back to the Most of the rest of the time I was free moment, it was like a hike over red-hot, con. I picked up some interesting to cruise around. “Cruise” was the waist-high boulders. I think it was Jeanne flavours of pop, and had the sud- appropriate word. I had complained who noticed my lagging behind, and den notion to buy a Vachon “Jos. steadily throughout Thursday about the volunteered to stay with me whenever I Louis.” state of my back. Whoever I was with at found a convenient curb or step to sit on The Jos. Loius is a Quebec- the time would cluck sympathetically, and take a necessary break. made, cream-filled chocolate cake and then march off at a brisk pace, From the outside, the restaurant confection about the size and shape expecting me to follow. I’d been dragged seemed promising enough. Schirm and of a hockey puck. Nothing, except to Chinatown, and I think Friday was the both the Stileses were with us, as well as maybe hockey itself, is more Cana- day I was dragged to another part of the a friendly guy named Brad, who I didn’t dian. Superficially similar to a Ding- city, to sample one of its best-known know. We ordered what we ordered, Dong, it is as unlike the Hostess delicatessens. At least we went by car, with some confusion over whether we confection as maple syrup is to the and the amount of walking I had to do were eating New York style (two table imitation. The calories in a was minimal. Not zero, but at least much teaspoons of everything), or ordering just Jos. Louis will kill you. But at least closer to my actual capacity. By Friday, for ourselves. The others ate New York not preservatives, palm oil, or corn though, I was in a state of near agony style, while Schirm and I ate our own syrup. I hadn’t seen them around To- whenever I had to move much farther choices. It was decent fare, but Schirm ronto lately, and expected that in than arm’s reach. No amount of sitting or and I thought it nothing special. Montréal, of all places, I should resting did much good – walk a hundred What did stand out was being almost have no trouble. Oddly… I couldn’t feet, and I was incapacitated again. A literally collared by the waiter after find one. Has anyone checked to suggestion had been made Friday that I paying my bill, and his demand I tip him. see if the end of the world is nigh? use one of the con’s electric scooters. I The way he put it was “his service don’t have much pride about things like charge”, and I said “what?” He repeated that, but I hesitated. Surely, someone himself. What the hell was a service needed the assistance more than I did? I charge , I wondered. After three or four wasn’t permanently disabled. But by repetitions, someone at the table said, Saturday I faced facts, and gave in. “you have to leave a tip.” Maybe I was It was a revelation. Once you get used being cheap, but I wasn’t that impressed to it, you realize you could really get with either the food or the service, used to it. With a scooter like this, who frankly. And I distinctly bridled at November 2009 29 back of the deli. The menu was paperback edition and the graphic limited to smoked meats, novel as well. I splurged and pickles, and a few side dishes bought a paperback copy of like slaw or French fries. Most Stardust , which had been adapted of my party ordered Montréal to another very enjoyable film. smoked meat and because I love At the NESFA table I bought good salami I dared to be the hardcover second edition of different. I must admit – the Harry Warner’s All Our sandwich was good. The Yesterdays . In a talk with Joe smoked meat might have been Siclari, I learned that it was very better than the salami. Whether little different from the first or not that was, I’ve had as good edition I owned. Harry wouldn’t in Toronto in my opinion. Either allow changes other than there’s some nuance I’m correcting typos and a couple of missing in the matter of smoked other trivial details. Joe said that meats, or the ambiance counts his attitude was that the book was for more in the minds of deli what it was, a moment in SF fans than it does to me. I’m glad history that shouldn’t be revised. for any excuse to stuff my face “Why buy it, then?” I asked Joe. with good salami, though. “There are many more photos added,” he said. Fair enough. I got The dealers’ room wasn’t large the last copy at the table that by the standards of a Worldcon. wasn’t water stained. It wasn’t large by the standards Another table had an of many major regional cons interesting selection of custom- I’ve been to, in fact. But the made pewter pins. A number were tables were groaning with good shaped like classic spaceships. I books, leavened with enough bought one for $10, that was trinkets and toys, and based on a Von Braun design sufficiently interesting that you identical to a model kit I built as a could focus your attention for kid. Another pin that caught my hours on this or that. I made a point of Despite having a per-diem from the eye was unusual because it used two pins scouring the dealers’ room several times, con, I was reluctant to buy very many and clasps. It was a finely done version finding some new point of interest each books. You can easily spend $75 a day in of the submarine Seaview . I wasn’t much time. a dealers’ room. Three hardcovers would of a fan of Voyage to the Bottom of the It was while wandering around from be enough to run through the whole Sea and its ludicrous seaweed monsters table to table that I bumped into Andrew day’s budget, and I had to eat with that and insipid spy plots, but I had a fond Porter. He was talking with Robert money as well. Besides, most books I spot for the sub. And the pin was only Silverberg. I was still all agog with the saw could be easily found at home. I five bucks, half the price of the others. nametags and had the inspiration to don’t live in a small town in a Along the back of the dealers’ room photograph Andy and Silverberg predominantly agricultural province or was the outfit that had printed the together, wearing my art. The flash was a state. In fact, Bakka Books is not very far Anticipation t-shirts. They had a large bad idea, apparently – my shot was from where I live. Ironically, Bakka had assortment of their own designs also, but disappointing. I had been fooling around a table at Anticipation – just about the I only had eyes for my own artwork. with my digital camera for only a few only table I never bothered to look Along with the regular shirt there was a months, and still couldn’t claim any closely at, thinking I could see the store variation without arms – I didn’t press a mastery over it. I turned off the flash and at any time. point about having one of those for my got one decent shot of Andy alone. It was Because Neil Gaiman was the Pro collection too. almost the last photograph of the con I Guest of Honour, it entered my head that I resisted pretty much everything else the remembered to take, before I effectively I ought to have him autograph some dealers had, barring one Smurf book in forgot I was carrying the camera. Andy books for me. I’d read the Sandman French. – and lucky thing that I bought it and I have known each other for many stories, Good Omens (with Terry on a whim. It turned out to have an long years. I’m always glad to see him. Prachett), and quite enjoyed American unknown petrification story in it that I This time I was happy to have more than Gods . When I saw the film version had fun sharing with some other fans of one, more or less coherent conversation Coraline, I recognized a favourite. Of statue spells.) with him too. Often I feel I’ve missed a course I hadn’t brought anything with The dealer was named Denis, and his point somewhere, when talking with me, but one of the tables had several business was in collectable cards. He had Andy. editions of Coraline , so I bought a trade some sports cards, but his display leaned 30 File 770: 157

toward TV series, movies and odd-ball bleed after chewing it. The cards There had been no man-made objects in stuff – the sort of things that interest me, themselves were a bit puzzling, but space in 1958 except the two Russian in fact. I have no use for pictures of intriguing. I vividly recall one card with satellites. Vanguard had not yet been overpaid professional athletes. Looking a photo of some bird named Lionel successfully launched. The cards looked over the table, I spotted a set of Hampton. It was probably twenty more as though three or four different artists photographs of hot rods and racing cars years before I had any idea who he was. had rendered the paintings – several that I remember having when I was Sure wish I still had them, but so far I were clear rip-offs of Chesley Bonestell, twelve or so. I’ts surprising after all this haven’t encountered anyone who even in fact. Boy! Did I love those cards! time, how many sets I have clear remembers such cards every existed. Nothing can explain how I could ever memories of. These particular cards had Cards like those, I would very much like have been bone-headed enough to have pretty much defined for me what a hot to have again. parted with them. Fortunately, sometime rod was and was supposed to be – not Another great set depicted the in the’ 80s I found a dealer at a con who the streamlined post-modern Indianapolis 500 winners. I could name sold me about three-quarters of a set for “Boydsters,” or urban “dubs” of the each racing car from the painting a reasonable amount. It didn’t seem modern day.) without turning over the card. Hardly reasonable at the time, but, compared to I spotted a few other sets I less favourite were Pirates of the present prices, it was. I had never remembered as well: Photo captions Caribbean. Years later I managed to buy managed to complete the set as a kid, so from crappy monster movies. Ugly a few at high prices in California. As a it didn’t bother me too much that I still cartoon faces. Stills from the Batman kid I had owned the whole set – at only didn’t own a full one. TV show. None I felt a great need to five cents for a pack of four or five. But one set of cards on Denis’s table possess again, though. Some cards came with boxes of tea- caught my eye, and tormented me for I collected cards during the ‘60s and bags instead of gum. I was lucky enough the next two days. Even when I was far had quite a number of really curious to have kept those, and still have the away and it was after hours, I could see sets. One was of jazz musicians. I didn’t complete collection of Brooke Bond’s those cards in my mind with painful know jazz from 14 th century motets, or beautifully painted dinosaur cards, along clarity. Arapaho death chants, but I liked the with the album they were meant to be It’s a real crying shame that I had gum. Most gum that came with cards pasted into. ever parted with my complete set of was stale, flavorless, and brittle. It broke There were “Space Age” cards too, Civil War News cards. I found no into little shards that lacerated your sometimes sold as “Target: Moon.” replacements for many years. There gums. But the gum with the jazz cards Printed in the years right after Sputnik, were 88 in the full set, and the paintings was actually fresh and tasty. You didn’t they were nearly all pure speculation. were every bit as gloriously bloodthirsty

One thing I still haven’t been able to find anywhere found any of the Civil War News paper bills, but I did are the reproductions of Confederate paper money buy some real Confederate money a number of years that came with every pack. There were seventeen ago. That was in the era when their price was still different designs, ranging from $1 to $1,000, and comparable to face value. The real McCoy was badly they were authentic. Although only about ¾ the size printed, cut from the sheet with scissors, and each of real Confederate bills, the detail was superb, better one signed by a flunkey of the Secretary of the Treas- than most “archival” quality reproductions I’ve seen ury in India ink. The reverse sides were blank, and since. In fact, the paper money from the card sets the paper exceedingly cheap. might have been “better” than the real thing. I never November 2009 31 as the unfairly famous Mars Attacks set. Which brings me to the subject of the fairly small. I didn’t recognize many of By comparison, Mars Attacks was just art show. Odd as it seems, at least one the artists, but among those I knew were gaudy crap, revived in an orgy of bad person had trouble finding it. It wasn’t Jean-Pierre Normand’s paintings, taste by ‘80s yuppies. The Civil War quite that small, but it was probably no Brianna Wu’s coloured drawings, and a News cards were painted realistically and larger than the art show at Torcon III. good selection of Steve Stiles’ work. depicted genuine events in the War That was small by Worldcon standards John Hertz had put up a somewhat hasty Between the States, not ridiculous stuff too. The reason for this is simple and assortment of other fanartists. One of the about living brains on a spree, blowing frustrating, and it applies to the dealers’ more interesting displays was a huge up school buses and disintegrating stray room as much as the art show. cartographic study of an imaginary pooches. They showed John Brown’s planet. A few hand-made starship models raid, the wall of corpses at The border between Canada and the caught my eye – I always enjoy trying to Fredericksburg, the battle between the United States was for many generations identify what kits the various parts came Monitor and the Merrimac , steamboats all but invisible. In just about one from. But whatever else there might have exploding, trains going off their rails, generation we’ve wiped out that civilized been in the show has mostly escaped Indian irregulars scalping fallen arrangement, and erected highly memory. Confederates, spies being hanged, and impermeable barriers to the movement of I brought 14 pieces and it was barely Lincoln being shot by the wretched John people, goods, and services. The reasons enough to cover the space given me. The Wilkes Booth. To quote a letter I wrote are varied. Washington’s policies appear panels at the front of the exhibit area to Mike Glyer, shortly after the con: to be based on a groundless fear that were huge, and I could have added I won’t mention what he wanted for it — Canada is an open door to terrorists of another four without crowding the the price was outrageous of course, but every cant and colour. They fear, too, display in the least. Showing an unusual reasonable for what the market would that Canadians are huddled up against amount of prescience for once, I framed bear. Nor will I go into how I raised the the border, waiting for an opportunity to only prints. Laziness was one reason. I money. I did, and took home with me all sneak in and take a job away from an didn’t want to be bothered with 88 glorious pasteboard paintings of men honest, hard-working American. removing the originals from their being bayoneted, shot, blown up, Alhough past administrations have protective sleeves and zip binders, and impaled, burned to a crisp, and shown complete indifference to then having to replace them all later. I occasionally playing the harmonica. Mexicans actually doing exactly that. could only have the other reason in the Indeed I did raise the money, thanks Ottawa, on the other hand, seems to new century. Several pieces that I wanted mainly to Alan Rosenthal, and in part believe that gun-crazy Americans are to show had no originals. There were due to the per-diem paid by Anticipation. organizing mass shipments of illegal only a pencil sketches that I had I may yet mitigate the cost by selling weapons into Canada. Also in their enhanced and coloured digitally – and back to the same dealers a few duplicates thinking, the underclass south of the one print made at Kinko’s was the same I had scraped together over the years. border would quickly overwhelm our as any other. While I had never been able to replace health care system if they could assail As it happens, I was fortunate I hadn’t the entire set I lost when I stupidly “grew our hospitals. Both governments are brought along such originals as there up,” I did manage over the years to deathly afraid of drugs – though just why were. The luggage must have been acquire about 35 of the entire 88. To find anyone would bother to smuggle coke or bounced around in handling. A couple of a complete set for sale, and moreover meth into Canada from the U.S., or vice the new frames I bought for a dollar-and- manage to buy it , made my entire versa, I can’t imagine. Both nations have a-half each – modern, all-glass designs – Montréal experience even more special unlimited national resources. had broken. The prints were only slightly than it already was. The bottom line is that taking a van- damaged, but imagine if they had been One reason I may have subsequently load of books, or a number of paintings the original art! Worse, two more frames forgotten about my camera is that I ran across the border, in either direction , has broke on the trip back, andanother one out of memory just after taking the shots become a serious hassle. There’s just while unpacking them at home! The of Andy and Silverberg. I asked to have paperwork, to start with. Then there are old-style plastic frames all survived. it downloaded to my USB drive by one sales taxes and duties where applicable. Guess which kind I intend to buy in of the staff in the art show, but it I’ve heard of dealers and artists being future? reminded me how quickly a 128-meg forced to pay large sums in advance on I found the art show staff particularly chip is filled when each shot is about one possible sales. Refunds could only be helpful. In the last few days before the -and-a-half. Sixty shots? Forget it. applied for, later, after still more con I was extremely pressed for time. Seemed more like forty. As well, I paperwork. Perhaps matters are not so While I had filled out the on-line bid tended to be over-conscious about how dire as the positively prevent a border sheets and control form, I had no quickly a digital camera eats batteries. I crossing with art or books. The opportunity to take them to a Kinko’s for had rechargeables with me, and a perception that it is, though, likely printing. I brought the paperwork with recharger, but they were back in the hotel accounts for small turnouts whenever the me on my USB drive, so that the staff and no use to me if I ran out of juice Worldcon is north of the border. was able to download the paperwork during the day. To return to cases, the art show was directly to their own computer. Printing 32 File 770: 157

ran into a snag, but the staff worker was I thought that particularly strange. come up with the same idea. Check persistent and eventually ironed out the Someone told me that it was a normal Chris’s next issue to see if I was right. difficulty. policy in the wine-conscious province. At 3:30 p.m. I was penciled into a The art I picked to bring was an We didn’t bring our own bottle, but they panel called “Ready, Set, Draw.” It was assortment of humour, erotica, science showed us to seats anyway. I found the to have included Schirm, Sue Mason, fiction and fantasy. Among them were steaks were a little pricey, but not and Brianna Spacekat Wu as the various pieces created for remarkably so. They were very, very participants, and to have taken Anticipation, a couple of covers for good, though, and went a long way suggestions from the audience. Yet I’m recent fanzines, and some comic pages. toward justifying the over-$25 check. nearly unable to remember anything like Ironically, no one challenged the The all-you-can-eat chips were less this. I have just a dim recollection of hanging of the nudes. The same art satisfying, but what can you really do sitting at a table with Schirm near the art taken to a furry con would have to be with a potato to make it worth more as show. I don’t believe Sue was there at hung in a specially curtained-off area much as a dollar more?. Despite the all, or that I met her at any time. It’s where no-one under 18 would be many times I declared I was through, I only an exercise in filling in the blanks, admitted. The same prints sold from a saved the bottle my Coke came in for but what likely happened is that nobody dealer’s table would have to have red Moshe Feder. turned up for “Ready, Set, Draw.” Once stickers placed in strategic spots so as Following dinner we went our the drawing was on the wall, so to not to warp young minds. At a science different ways – Schirm and I to the speak, we left, and there was no such fiction Worldcon, though? No problem. Delta, to dump our things and freshen up panel. Now wait a minute! Isn’t furry a bit before cruising for parties. As This is probably as good a time as fandom supposed to be obsessed with before, I won’t try to deal with parties any to discuss a problem with pornography? Yet it seems that it’s furry on their proper nights. They’re a blur. Anticipation that I had begun to cons that are actually more prudish than I’ll deal with them all together, later. recognize earlier, and was by now SF cons. That’s one way to be obsessive, convinced of. For a Worldcon its size, I suppose. I had a very good laugh over Part Quatre – Samedi/Saturday Anticipation it was ambitiously over- that. programmed. One rumour I heard was Although I hadn’t marked any of the By this time, I admit, I was getting a that there were around over 800 prints for sale, there was interest. I little tired of cold cereal and fruits, but I different program items scheduled. should probably have added a quick sale hadn’t become disenchanted enough Around one for every four attending price. The only reason I didn’t is that I with a free meal that I’d pass one up. members! In any single hour, the never had an encouraging record of art My first gig on Saturday took place at program guide shows there were as show sales, and preferred to avoid the eleven. Not really early, but it didn’t many as 30 items listed, rarely fewer complications. As it happened, I made a leave much time to dawdle over the than 10. Once most of the attendees had sale anyway… to that Russian couple. granola. Schirm and I made a beeline been sequestered in major events The prints were mailed to them a week for the convention center right after featuring one of the pro guests or a or so later. Even more unexpected, I breakfast. topical subject, there were few warm walked into the art show the next day Chris Garcia was moderator. I’d met bodies left over for minor events like and found something new hung next to Chris a day or two earlier, and I found “Ready, Set, Draw.” Typically, I saw one of my pieces. A blue ribbon. him to be completely as advertised. Who only a few friends at any of my program I’d never won an art show prize of else could wear a Fred Flintstone shirt items, and the largest audience I faced any sort before. (with printed tie) and get away with it? was likely no larger than the 25 or so I That’s not quite true… way back in The hair and beard only added to the counted at “Fanzine Cover in One 1972, I think, I entered a cardboard effect of prehistoric vigour and Hour.” I also came to certain stand-up figure in the art show of a local enthusiasm. conclusions about my place in the comics con. Vaughan Bodé awarded me Ostensibly the program item was pecking order at the Worldcon. a prize as Judge’s Choice. No ribbon – “Fanzine Cover in One Hour.” In reality Regardless what the concom may have just a small check. I cashed it, of it was an underhanded effort to get hoped for, there seemed little curiosity course, and kept a xerox . The prize at several of fandom’s best to produce about the Fan GoH. Anticipation was another Judge’s several covers for Chris’s upcoming Fortunately, I found at least one party Choice, and the first-ever actual ribbon. issues of Drink Tank . Besides myself, who took a lively interest. Sometime Now where shall I wear it? the participants were Steve Stiles, Frank during Saturday, Schirm and I bumped It was likely that night that I had my and Brianna Wu. Chris called for ideas into a TV journalist from the CBC. She third real meal. As before, it was in good from the audience, and some wise guy asked a couple of questions, and when company. I went with Schirm, Alan and came up with “tentacles” and Schirm pointed out I was the Fan Guest Jeanne, and also Bob and Sharry Wilson “dirigibles.” No doubt he thought it at Anticipation, she got excited enough to a steak restaurant not far from the would stump the artists. Far from it… I to call over her cameraman. I was Palais. Right off, I noticed the awning peeked to either side of me, and it interviewed on the spot. I likely didn’t said (in French) “bring your own wine.” looked as though we had all pretty much cut a very dashing figure – what with November 2009 33 one droopy eyelid, sitting in a scooter, named. Look at them more closely, including the TAFF delegate, Steve and dressed in the customary fannish though. Ellison certainly passes scrutiny. Green. The event that made the fan room uniform of t-shirt, buttons, badges, and His 1950s fanzines are proof enough. truly indelible in my memory, though, shorts, but at least I wasn’t wearing Pohl was a Futurian, and up to his was Steve Stiles’ illustrated talk, “How rubber ears or carrying a Bat’leth. I was elbows in fan politicking during the first to be a Cartoonist.” It was very able to discuss fandom in words of more Worldcon. That seems pretty genuine. reminiscent of Mad Magazine in the than two syllables, though, and that Asimov attended early Futurian meetings Good Old Days, with all the classic seemed to be what the lady was after. before his first sales, but that seems to twists and cynical turns. The jokes may Her question was, “what made have been the limit of Asimov the fan . not have been new, but the delivery was science fiction conventions different Dickson I can’t say, but think he and sincere. Steve had lived through most of from other kinds?” Poul Anderson drank together in the the ironies and humorous situations he The answer I gave was that there was early days of Minneapolis fandom. described. At one point he called me to an organic relationship between the pros Clarke belonged to some fusty rocketeer the easel and charged me with and fans, and a greater sense of group in London. You could say almost performing an artistic exercise. I failed participation in the con. I explained that, as much of Werner von Braun, if you miserably, of course. (It was pre- in the past, many prominent writers and substitute Berlin for London. Ray arranged that no matter what I did, I’d editors had grown up in fandom, spoke Bradbury also comes to mind, as an fail. We both hammed it up hugely.) the same language as fans, and kept active member of the early LASFS. There was a party thrown by a French many close ties with friends they made in Clearly, it doesn’t take much thought to -Canadian publisher. Another one by the fandom. In comics, Trek, or anime cons, produce a longer list. So there is some Canadian small press. And a third by this was much less so. Most pros had truth to the notion that pros emerge from Japanese publishers. I can’t possibly tote little or no contact with fandom before fans. But are these examples the rule… up the many parties run by cons wanting going to cons, and made ties with fans or the exception? to sell memberships, nor others run to only after becoming celebrities. I also Was R.A. Lafferty a fan? Thomas drum up support for their Worldcon bids. said that SF fans put on their own cons, Disch, Roger Zelazny, Ursula K. There was a Texas party that stood out and were as much a part of the program LeGuin, Robert Heinlein, Orson Scott for wonderful chili, and another I can as the writers and editors. Card, Philip K. Dick, Leigh Brackett, only recall as the Smoked Meat party. At the time I said this, I probably Joanna Russ, Alfred Bester? Were (Must have been the Montréal fan believed it. I’ve had plenty of time to Theodore Sturgeon, Philip José Farmer, group.) I confess that I wasn’t entirely think about it since, though, and I’m less Joan Vinge, John Varley, Larry Niven, comfortable in the party for Gaylaxicon, certain now that I was speaking the Greg Bear, Brian Aldiss, James Tiptree, though they assured me you didn’t have absolute truth. On the one hand, not all or Harry Turtledove ever fans? I suspect to be gay to attend. (I just wasn’t sure media conventions are run by studios or most weren’t, but the final word would what the point of the con was, if you profit-making organizations. Many do have to go to someone far more weren’t.) I might or might not have gone still treat fans as consumers of interested in SF biographies than I. slumming in a Tor party, as well. entertainment, rather than participants in It may come down to who you call a Possibly, I’m confusing that with the entertaining themselves. But some media fan, and why. Are you entitled to the Worldcon Chairman’s party – also off cons are surely as fannish in their own status of fan if you took a course in limits to most of the crowd. way as ours. journalism, and attended a couple of I got in by pulling rank. Being a GoH Another point I’ve reconsidered – local cons? If you were a regular at the has its privileges, I ‘m happy to say. how many pros in past decades did come local writer’s workshop? If you review Having seen the lavish spread, I know up from fandom. Asimov, Ellison, Pohl, books on your blog? How deep do why Worldcon memberships these days Dickson, Clarke and others are usually fannish roots have to go before they cost $200 and more. Not even the Hugo produce the distinctive flower we know reception had free alcohol, but at the Con Just as an aside, here’s a short list as a blooming fan? Runners’ party I could drink as much as I of SF pros I knew locally, who I The myth took another blow if I asked for. can confidently identify as once observed correctly at Anticipation. What I noticed about the parties was Let me get to this indirectly. that, by and large, there seemed little being fans – Some of the names I attended most of the parties on the presence of pros who I recognized. might surprise you. Robert J. 5th and 28 th floors, at least briefly. (The Exceptions there were. I saw George Sawyer, Robert Charles Wilson, con suite was on the 5 th and fan room on R.R. Martin several times, notably at the Tanya Huff, John Douglas, Patrick the 28 th .) I’ve said before they were Brotherhood Without Banners party. Nielsen Hayden, Gar Reeves- largely a blur, but I can at least put a Robert Sawyer and Carolyn Clink Stevens, Sheila Meier, and Steve name to a number of them, even if I can’t popped up at the Canadian writers’ party. Stirling. I also know a number of say when I was there, or in what order. I saw John Douglas and Ginger local pros who I don’t regard as I was in the fan room many times. I Buchanan here and there throughout the ever being fans, but that’s a mat- met Sharee Carton there, Rich Coad, Bill evenings. But… that’s about as many as ter still waiting for an argument. Burns and a number of British fans come to mind. Where were the other 34 File 770: 157

pros? Although I met Elizabeth fandom of their own. They have their see him, but he’s not there to see any of Vonarberg once, I honestly don’t think I own interests and circles, and have little us. would have recognized her a second in common with everyday fans. From A professional writer may attend a time. But where was Bob Silverberg? I what Bob Wilson later told me, I con to promote a recent book. He may saw him by day, but not by night. Neil imagine I might have been chowing enjoy being popular. He may even feel Gaiman, the main Guest of the con, was down on corned beef on rye in the he owes his readers a look at him, and a also conspicuously absent after hours. Montréal party, while Bob had dinner chance to speak to their favourite author. Robert Charles Wilson was conspicuous with his Hungarian translator. This may But there is a profound difference in programming. But I don’t recall be more or less the general case. While I between a sense of noblisse oblige seeing him once the convention center quizzed the TAFF winner about British toward one’s fans, and actually being a closed for the night. fandom, perhaps Rob Sawyer was fan. So what of this famous equalitarian discussing with his editor the release As they would say on Myth Busters, relationship between fans and pros? Is it date for his next two books. As I the myth of equality between fans and real or not? watched Steve Stiles’ easel pros is mainly busted. Admittedly, I wouldn’t recognize a demonstration, maybe David Hartwell I wasn’t going to try to explain any of great many writers and editors. There was having a tête-à-tête with Patrick that to the CBC interviewer. She wanted might have been Michael Swanwicks Nielsen Hayden over budgets. sound bites that were easily digested by and Nancy Kresses and Greg Bears at The pros have their own circle of the television viewer. By definition, a every turn, wherever I went, and I likely cronies and their own shared interests. sound bite contains one idea (or fewer) wouldn’t have a clue. “Collecting” pros They’re no different, in their way, from that is simple enough to grasp in ten was never a hobby of mine. The Klingon Boarding Party or other seconds. Giving the viewers of the CBC But offhand, I think not. Whether it special-interest groups in the erratic, News a little more credit than the was ever really so, older fans than I amorphous body known as fandom. One average watcher of Fox News, maybe would have to answer. At present, it could go out on a limb and say pros have simple enough to grasp in thirty seconds. appears to me, that the pros are a sub- even less common ground with fans than Whether or not the material made it to most other groups. Costumers often the air is another question. There was no work on cons. Fanzine fans may also sign of it in a couple of news stories that There have also been provocative filk and love Star Trek. Comics fans I saw on YouTube. It wouldn’t be the on-line discussions that frankly game. Not too many pros would seem to first time I ended up on the cutting-room owned up to there being fewer have a hand in any fan activity, except floor. pros at the Worldcon. The con- tention of some pros is that it perhaps a little writing for fanzines. One of the film clips that did make it makes little sense to spend The main basis for claiming an easy to the air, though, lingered long over money to attend a small conven- and equal relationship between fans and some fan’s badges, and the Anticipation tion of a few thousand mem- pros is probably the common ground of name tag was gloriously visible for bers, when giant media cons with science fiction. In that regard, we do several entire seconds. 20,000 or even 100,000 mem- speak the same language, and do share My final program event for Saturday bers is more cost-effective. broad swathes of the same history. It’s was “The Tools of the Trade” at five The argument is that if thin grounds, though. Fans and pros o’clock. My guess is that the item was Worldcons are to attract any pro- don’t approach science fiction the same created for Alan Beck, who was the little fessional attention at all, they way. They write and sell books – we buy -known final nominee for the Best must make radical changes to and read them. Do you feel you’re on Fanartist this year. I say “little-known,” grow to a size comparable to same basis with the man you bought but he is evidently well enough known Dragon Con or SDCC. your Toyota from as you are with the to have gotten whatever number of The contrary argument is guys you bowl with? The Toyota nominations it takes to appear on the that pros also come to the World- salesman is friendly, to be sure. You ballot in that category. (I’d say about con for other reasons than busi- wouldn’t expect him to invite you home fifty, possibly forty.) In any case, I had ness, and that such changes for dinner, though. Isn’t he really just no idea who he was when I first heard would be fatal to the Worldcon as trying to sell you a car? Doesn’t the the name. This led to a Google search to we know it. writer just want you to buy his book? discover that Beck was a freelancer who My position is that we are nowhere near a crisis yet, and No, not entirely. He’d happy to talk specialized in cute animal renderings of such concerns are premature. In to you about his book. I doubt he would famous paintings. He sold them as the end, though, I think it would be quite as happy to listen to you talk posters, coffee mugs, and calendars. I be preferable to let the Worldcon about your fanzine. And while a hundred came to the panel expecting to talk about slowly die than alter it into some- people can listen to him at the front of my pens and pencils, since I use little thing unrecognizable, that serves the room, he couldn’t possibly listen to a else. Alan came with a lap top, and a no-one’s interests but a very hundred people individually. This gets complete PowerPoint presentation that few. Whose Worldcon is it, after to the core of the unequal relationship took a considerable time to show. His all? between fans and pros. We’re there to main point was that no amount of November 2009 35 preparation was too much, and he Rob Sawyer, Bob Wilson, Alan the awards myself. Instead of leaving the proceeded to show about twenty steps in Rosenthal, Catherine Crockett and stage entirely, I was directed to wait in the construction of one of his book cover Schirm were all present and accounted the wings in the event I was called back. paintings. One of the other artists came for. The necessary change came so late, So far, so good. similarly prepared, and followed much though, you unfortunately won’t find any At 3.30 p.m. I gave a tutorial on the same line. In one of only a couple of mention of my roast in the program drawing. The tutorial was based on an opportunities to speak, I subverted the guide. article I wrote, a few years ago, called entire message by stating I only needed a It was one of the better-attended “Pencil Points.” It was the result of quite pencil, pen, paper, and sometimes a ruler events I was part of… excepting the a long period of thought in response to a to do my work. In my opinion, tools opening, and closing ceremonies, of friend asking me if I could help him with were far less important than the idea… course, and the Hugo presentations. his drawing. I felt that the usual approach and knowing how to put it across. This Twenty-five or thirty bodies sat through – drawing stick figures and circles – didn’t seem to fit the party line very well, the whole hour, as we reminisced, joked wasn’t very helpful. The real issue as an and I could see I didn’t really belong and kidded around. While not strictly a artist isn’t hand-and-eye coordination so there. I made the excuse of a conflicting “roast” – I took my turn embellishing old much as observation, and judgment, program item – we had already gone stories – it seemed to keep our modest which no amount of geometrical exercise over an hour and no end was in sight – audience entertained. I wondered where will teach. So, when I finally came to then hurried away. other people were. The Stileses for giving my friend lessons, I took a example. Or Guy Lillian. But the last different approach. Instead of pencil Part Can – Demarche/Sunday minute scheduling ran afoul of other exercises, I asked him to act out a program events. Steve, I later learned, number of scenarios. The purpose of this It was likely on Sunday that we went to was giving a presentation on the Rotsler was to force him to discover the the egg place for brunch. Finally, Schirm winners with Sue Mason at exactly the essentials of a scene, and then organize and I started a day with something hot same time my “Life & Times.” I would them in the most effective way on paper. and savory, not rich in fiber and good for have liked Steve to be there, and for that Never mind that the draftsmanship might us. The restaurant was named something matter (as a past Rotsler winner) I would be wretched. Can you identify what like “Eggs-actly” or “Eggs-istential” and have liked to seen his presentation. makes an elephant an elephant, and not a served only hen fruit in one fashion or To be honest, I saw no-one else’s camel? Can you communicate an angry another. I was a bit skeptical about this, program appearances. I was so busy over expression that doesn’t look like an evil but it turned out that my ham & eggs on the five days of the con that it never even grin? The lessons seemed to satisfy my bagels were eggs-cellent. entered my head to look through the friend, and later I wrote a successful At 12:30 I had to be in a certain room lengthy program guide to find if there article about the experiment. without knowing why. That was the was anything I wanted to see. Likely as I had hoped to repeat the experiment theory behind the “roast” prepared for not, there would have been schedule on a larger scale at Torcon. But as usual, me. In practice, I knew all about it. conflicts in many cases. Or I might have no-one was interested in my suggestions. Originally scheduled for Monday had to skip more meals. But mainly I just Anticipation was a different matter, and afternoon, it turned out that only one of didn’t think of it, and this I deeply regret. the “Pencil Point” article made the the participants of “The Life & Times of I also missed all of the Canvention translation to “Drawing Seminar with Taral Wayne” would still be in Montréal events, and the presentation of the Taral Wayne.” on Monday afternoon. The single Canadian Aurora awards. I can’t say I It drew a fair crowd, measured by any survivor of the remorseless need for regret this very much. other program event I’d been on so far. people to catch trains and planes going Sunday was the day for big-ticket They were all prepared to sketch, which home was Robert J. Sawyer. Rob and I program events. It was the day of the was a good sign also. In the course of the have known each other for quite a announcement of next year’s Worldcon, seminar I challenged the participants to number of years – longer than he’s been when the new Worldcon logo would be act out a double-take, climbing a ladder, a published writer, in fact. But we could revealed and, of course, the day for the an angry encounter with sailors goofing- hardly say we were close, and there was Hugo ceremonies. At two o’clock I some doubt he could conduct a proper joined the elite in the main program It may seem odd to most of fan- “roast” on his lonesome. It became room for the rehearsal. I was mainly dom that I’ve been nominated for necessary to tell me about it. I asked if baffled. Remember, the last time I would Best Fanartist 8 times so far, won “The Life & Times” could be have seen the Hugos presented it was at a the Rotsler award, run for TAFF rescheduled. Laurie Mann was good banquet (of the traditional rubber and DUFF, been toastmaster at about this, and managed to reschedule chicken) in the early 1970s. Some special one Corflu, and was Fan Guest of early Thursday. We ran into the same instructions had to be given to keep me Honour at the Worldcon – but I’ve problem. One of the panelists would be off my feet as much as possible, not once been nominated in any on hand, but the rest weren’t expected complicated by the unusual circumstance fan category for the Aurora Awards. I think it speaks volumes until Friday. Finally Laurie squeezed that, immediately after presenting the for the provincial outlook of most “The Life & Times” into Sunday, when Hugo for best fanzine, I might win one of Canadian fans – pun unavoidable. 36 File 770: 157

The printed invitation used a tiny content. the nominees for best editor. Chris excerpt from an old drawing of The big event began at six o’clock Garcia was there, of course. I heard that mine. Catherine Crockett asked if with the pre-Hugo reception. You John Scalzi was schmoozing I had ever drawn any Hugos that needed a printed invitation for this, and somewhere, but wouldn’t have she could use. could bring one guest with you. I recognized him on sight anyway. Wracking my memory came brought Steven Baldassarra, since it was Somehow I met one of the nominees for up only with a couple. A third bound to be a once-in-a-lifetime event Best Graphic Story, and spoke a while was wholly unusable. Of the two, for him. For that matter it was a once-in- about his hopes. Not Phil Foglio. I Catherine had picked one that a-lifetime event for me this time. In spite would know Foglio. He would have spit was from a pastiche of cartoonist of seven previous Hugo nominations, I in my eye, from what I’ve been told. George Herriman. Looks like a had never been able to attend a This man I didn’t know, and I’m hood ornament on a corned beef Worldcon for the occasion. I’d never embarrassed to say I’ve already tin, doesn’t it? been to a Hugo reception either, so it forgotten his name. And there was the was just as novel to me as to Steven. energetic Frank Wu. It was a bit of a disappointment too, Frank I had met earlier in the con, of really. course. Or more accurately, he met me, The room the reception was held in since I recall my name being called from could have been a hanger for the B2 behind, and Frank introducing himself. I Bomber, and enjoyed a view of the city have to admit, Frank is the second-most- from the all-glass back wall. A small bar friendly guy I met at the Worldcon. was set up in one corner, and each guest Chris Garcia just nudges him from first was issued a single ticket. No hard place. But Frank’s a bit unnerving when liquor or any liqueurs were available, you don’t know him. He high-fived me, just white wine or red. Fortunately, there bounced off the walls, and performed off and other scenarios that would was plenty of coffee from a self-serve fellowship rituals too arcane for me to awaken them to how the face and body table. From time to time a vested busboy recognize while I was still making up moves. In pursuit of relevant but walked by with a tray of my mind to answer “hello.” He sufficient detail, I also asked them to whaddayacallums… hors d’oeuvres? introduced his wife, Brianna, draw Spanish galleons, fruit stands and Appetizers? Pricey snack food. somewhere between that and my next other distinctive subjects. Then I walked To tell the truth, I had no idea who word, and then was off again. Frank around the group to see the results. most of the other nominees were. Many must have found the pre-Hugos Where I could, I showed how the were formally dressed to one degree or intoxicating. He shifted from what drawing might have been better staged. I another, but a few were casual enough passes with Frank as cruising mode to pointed out when too much detail was for the gym. I ran into Karl Schroeder, high energy . Before I knew it, I was distracting, and when necessary details who I knew from a few years ago in being pushed and pulled and prodded were lacking . Whether or not anyone Toronto. He was up for the Hugo in Best into photo ops, outdrawing each other gained from my tutorial I can’t say. But Dramatic Presentation, Long Form. (The like gunslingers. “ Outdrawing , get it?” It it kept the participants concentrating on award’s name is sure long enough.) I’m sank in, but Frank was off on another their sketch pads, and they seemed pretty sure I saw David Hartwell, one of trajectory by then. I don’t know what he November 2009 37 was having, but I could have used a little. would not have the chance to speak to The new official logo for the Hugos After a while, a table was wheeled him at all. It wasn’t that I was a sworn was shown for the first time. I have to into the middle of the room. An fan, but I did like his writing and thought admit I couldn’t have designed better – it announcement was made. This was the that under the circumstances it would be was perfectly simple and simply perfect. first unveiling of Anticipation’s take on appropriate to at least meet him. Then the actual Hugo for 2009 was the Hugo award – as Beautiful People, As at the opening ceremonies, I was a revealed to the public. Finally, the site we got to see it first. It was a moment of bit bewildered by the Hugos. I had a selected for the 2011 Worldcon was truth. Whatever lay beneath the white better grasp of what to expect, thanks to announced – Reno. Better work out your sheet might be mine in an hour’s time. the rehearsal earlier, but it was nothing right arm, if you’re planning to go. Those Would it be a figure of grace and like the last time I had seen the awards slot machines will be in the dealers’ dignity? Or would it be a hideous piece given out… likely 1976, when I heard a room if I know Nevada, and the Hugos of claptrap like the Nippon Hugo – a misanthropic Heinlein booed from the will probably have a handle. With the pairing of the traditional rocket and Ultra audience. But in 1976 I didn’t have to John W. Campbell award, the Man that was so cheesy you didn’t know actually hand someone a rocket from the preliminaries were over. whether it was enough to push it behind stage. I thought it unlikely I’d mess up so The Penneys were up first, to present the bowling trophies, or such an outright badly, that I’d be booed, but it was a the Hugo for the Best Fanwriter to embarrassment you could only stick it distinct possibility. Cheryl Morgan. under the bed. One thing that was definitely in my Then came the cue for me to climb I think you could hear every breath in favour was my shirt. Unlike David the stage. As before, I really couldn’t see the room being let out. The Hugo was Harwell and his technicolour ensembles much of the audience, only the brightly gorgeous. For the first time, I realized I of stylishly mismatching off-the-rack lit stage and the few people on it. wanted this one. The silver rocket was shirt, tie, pants, socks and underpants, I Someone handed me an envelope. I think mounted on a piece of silvery granite wore a custom-made garment. My Julie pushed me up to the mike. Then I representing an asteroid. The top of the original intentions were unpretentious. spoke off the top of my head. stone base was polished flat, and looking When asked by Catherine Crockett what Okay, I haven’t got a transcript, nor down the boresight you saw a “blast pit” I’d wear at the ceremonies, I said I did I make any notes, but it’s unlikely I’ll whose flames were Autumn-coloured hadn’t thought about it, but probably the ever forget what I said. maple leaves. Around the circumference same t-shirt and short pants I wore the I said that I had published fanzines, I of the base was a metal strip that rest of the time. What else did I own? had written for fanzines, I had drawn in reminded me of Jeordi La Forge’s visor, Some years ago, though, Catherine had fanzines, and on occasion I had bled on with the name of Anticipation engraved made a couple of custom shirts for me fanzines when I cut myself on the on it. A little bit like Jeordi’s visor, it that I often wore to conventions. They staples, so I knew it was an artform. Then also tended to fall off at awkward technically still fit – but not well. She I opened up the envelope, read the moments. Nevertheless, it was not offered to make another along the same nominees – Argentus, edited by Steven merely attractive, it was stunning. lines. Having now thought about it, it Silver; Banana Wings, edited by Claire Not long after the unveiling came the seemed like a good idea. The shirt she Brialey and Mark Plummer; Challenger, photo session. Groups were formed of made was a dark, twilight blue, the edited by Guy Lillian III; The Drink nominees in each category. In Best colour of the clear sky before night Tank, edited by Chris Garcia; Electric Fanartist, Frank did the gunslinger shtick begins to fall in earnest, with black Velocipede, edited by John Klima; and again. If you can’t tell, I found it a little facings. Instead of buttoning or zipping, File 770, edited by Mike Glyer. Then I embarrassing to draw attention that way. it was tied in kimono fashion, and had said, “interesting.” Get it? Draw. short sleeves. Catherine fitted it only My first thought was “damn,” It was soon time to leave for the Hugo days before both us left for the actually. I knew who’d I’d voted for, and Presentation itself. convention, managing to finish it just in would have been quite content if Banana Up to then, I had seen nothing of the time. The fit was great, and I really loved Wings , Drink Tank , Challenger , or File Guest of Honour, Neil Gaiman, except how it turned out. Paired with ordinary 770 had won. But who the heck was John for a few minutes at the opening black cotton pants, at least no-one would Klima? I read out the name of the zine ceremonies. I see 17 listed program boo how I was dressed. I’d never heard of. I wasn’t to learn it items Neil Gaiman took part in. Kept The place was packed, and the lights was a fan-fiction website, of all things, busy with my own schedule, I missed turned low just as the opening until later. them all. I have no idea where he was the ceremonies had been. The video screens Someone held the Hugo out so I could rest of the time, so there were no casual lit up and Julie Czerneda appeared on take it and pass it to the winner. For encounters. The way it looked, he just stage with her translator. The show had about five seconds, I actually held the about missed the pre-Hugo reception. begun. One by one, they went through bloody thing – and I can’t remember Gaiman arrived five minutes before the warm-ups. Andy Porter was those five seconds at all! Did the base everyone was formed up to move to the presented with the Big Heart award. I feel rough? Was it cold? Was it heavy? main program area for the award clapped hard for that one. Next came the No shred of the experience survives. I ceremonies. I was beginning to suspect I First Fandom award. should have left the stage at that point. 38 File 770: 157

withdrawn his name.” either. A lot of people would give an eye The contest was basically down -tooth for one . So I had the whole cake to Frank, Sue, and me. Frank had except for one slice, and had no good won three times before. Sue twice. cause to complain. But it was such a This year seemed to be the one in beautiful Hugo… which I held my strongest hand, No, I have no complaints… except since I was a GoH at the same for one thing. If not this year, can it be year’s Worldcon, enjoyed its any year? To repeat a question posed by backing in numerous ways, and had Chris Garcia in a recent issue of Drink had a number of showy things Tank , “what does it take to win a published in fanzines in the Hugo?” If not work, then what? I previous couple of years. If I could certainly can’t compete for popularity not win in 2009, it stood to reason when I attend no conventions and have Frank’s Victory Dance . A more that I couldn’t win at all, no matter little personal contact with other fans. It complete dialog between Frank, what I did. The moment the would seem as though the fan Hugos Brianna and I about the Fanart Hugo envelope was torn open, my belief measure those virtues more than any can be found in Drink Tank 223, and in work and effort was hanging in others. downloaded from Bill Burns’ website, the balance. As for the professional Hugo eFanzines. Well, there is no reward for hard categories, I paid little attention. I’m not work, and effort does no good. very interested in that minor-league Since I was a nominee in the next Horatio Alger’s boys-who-made-good stuff. Surely Mike will have the details category, I retired behind the wings. were just the figment of a lying writer’s somewhere in this issue of File 770 – if And there I waited. For me, the next few imagination. Good fortune comes to no not, try Locus . I hear they’ve even won minutes were the most nerve-wracking one simply because they deserve it. an award for that sort of thing. of the whole affair. Putting it another way, Frank won his Still, I wonder where the Hugos are The Hugo for Best fanartist was 4th Hugo. I guess I can’t blame him for going. At worst, I fear the distinction presented by the trio of fan-fund winners being elated, but I took his victory dance between the SF genre and the outside – Steve Green for TAFF, Emma Hawkes rather badly. He swooped around the world is breaking down as we watch. for DUFF, and LeAmber Kensley for stage, playing with his Hugo as though it Two of the fan Hugos were taken, not by CUFF. The nominees must be pretty were a toy rocket, raising more than one traditional fanac, but by their internet familiar by now: Brad Foster, Sue eyebrow among the other winners who offspring. Best fanzine was a website. Mason, Frank Wu, and yours truly. The preferred more reserved expressions of Best fanwriter was Cheryl Morgan, by newcomer to the group was Alan Beck. satisfaction. I merely started breathing virtue of her blog. John Scalzi took I met the somewhat obscure Alan A. again. The stage helpers didn’t shoo the home another rocket in the category of Beck briefly at the pre-awards reception. other nominees away, but drew the Best Related Book– not for his blog this Until the nominees were revealed in the winners apart for the photo op. I’ve seen time, but for a collection of his blog summer, I’m guessing not too many one shot of the winners in which you writing. Best Short Dramatic people had heard of him. Google can see a bit of me at back, and off to Presentation was some gim-crack directed me to Alan’s website, where I one side. It must have been a little while amateur production on a blog called “Dr. quickly learned that he was a freelance after that, when things were breaking up, Horrible’s Sing-Along,” that conjures up artist who appeared to specialize in that I decided I didn’t need my newly- the truly horrible question of whether animal renditions of famous paintings. written acceptance speech. Lacking the “Dancing Baby” could have been a “American Gothic” with mouse heads, anything better to do with it, I gave it to nominee a few years ago. for example. He sold these by mail as t- Frank. I felt he had everything else. Why The problem I foresee is not the new shirts, calendars, coffee mugs and other not have that, too? medium itself. The internet is a tool, and such perennially favourite media in In time, I regained some perspective I use it myself. But the internet shopping mall culture. Like any and put away the sore-loser face. After potentially reaches millions, where the enterprising freelancer, he evidently also all, I was a Guest of Honour at a print media reaches thousands. And the takes his work to SF conventions. Worldcon, wasn’t I? I had been blessed twiltone medium reaches several dozens. Naturally, he had a display of his prints with any amount of egoboo over the At the same time, many of the plots and at Anticipation. Sometimes I have balls previous year or two, including an symbols of science fiction are diffusing of brass, so I had to ask Alan why he introduction written by Mike Glyer that into the mainstream culture. Chances are thought he was on the Hugo ballot as I couldn’t have been improved if I had that anyone under the age of 40 knows best fan artist. By his answer, I assume dictated it. I’d have a ton of stuff what a Vulcan nerve pinch is, or a faster he was almost as puzzled by it as I was. published, which is what fanac is -than-light drive. They understand the He told me he had no idea. supposed to be all about. I’d won the time-paradox because they saw it on an From a practical standpoint, the only Rotsler last year. And eight nominations episode of Third Rock From the Sun . answer was “because Steve Stiles had for the Hugo is nothing to sneeze at, And they know A.I. made their Toyota, November 2009 39 because they saw one transform into a both shook our heads, then, and afterward is not for me to say. All of this battle robot on a television ad. If conceded there was nothing to be done I learned later. It seems to me, too, that everyone understands SF, and anyone about it. this wasn’t in the least foreseeable. can access the internet, what difference I also spoke with the René Walling , What Worldcon hasn’t made will there be between fandom and the the con chairman- for a little while. I mistakes? As far as it went, there were mundane world in the future? What wanted to thank him (and the committee) adequate reasons for complaint. But to sense of “community” will there be? for a wonderful experience, and a well publicly tongue-lash the chairman like Could a digitally animated Captain run convention. Timed almost like a some gold-bricking employee seemed Crunch commercial win a Hugo for Best comic turn, Patrick Nielsen Hayden more like a bit from some sitcom. René Short Dramatic Presentation someday? picked that moment to come bristling up seemed to shrug it off in true Gallic Growth can be a good thing, but it’s to René. He complained in a very loud fashion, though. I had to admire him. A not always equally good for everyone. A voice that it was a badly run con, one of little later, Teresa came over and made select few may benefit enormously, the worst he had ever seen. I’d known soothing noises. I don’t recall what she while everyone else sinks to the level of Patrick pretty well during the mid-‘70s, said, but she seemed concerned that a the mass consumer. after he had suddenly moved into faux pas had been committed and it So far as I know, the limiting factor in Toronto, and then I largely fell out of needed to be set right. the growth of the Hugos is the cost of a touch when he almost as suddenly While circling the room, I noticed Worldcon membership. It’s already moved away. He had always been several people were carrying an odd- higher than many old-time fans will pay excitable, and had a Puckish sense of looking box, about the size of a CD case. just for the right to vote. The Hugo in humour that was sometimes hard to After a time I noticed a table where the foreseeable future is almost certain to distinguish from his straight delivery. So someone was minding a stack of them. I be defined by the few thousand people at first I thought he was pulling René’s assumed it was more of the same disks, who will pay for the privilege. It already leg. But Patrick had had a quick temper and paid them no mind. Next day, one of is. But who will those people be, one when I had known him, too, and the concom asked if I had gotten my wonders. eventually it sunk in that he was dead Hugo nominee’s gift from Aussiecon. After the Hugo ceremonies I stumbled serious. Not that I noticed, I said. What was it? down to the post-awards reception with The gist of his complaints was about Apparently those “CDs” I saw the night Steven. the elevators, and limits to people’s before were limited-edition, bone china Steven didn’t want to stay long. I moving to and from the upper floors. dishes. The designs were based on an can’t say I blame him – he’d already There had also been complaints about Aboriginal painting by an artist named seen the genre’s royalty at the pre-award noise, causing the SFWA party to be Ruth Napaljarri Stewart. They are ceremonies, and wasn’t too enthusiastic moved. After dismissing the Delta as a handsome – I’ll give them that. And the about seeing them again. Nor was the totally unsuitable choice, and ranking Australian connection is obvious. But ambiance, created by dim lights and a Anticipation as one of the worst-run I’m not at all sure why a dish. Except for crowded room, as friendly. Tables were Worldcons he’d seen, Patrick bristled the card pasted on the box, it might be a well-stocked with canapés, but unless away again. It’s good when people let souvenir brought back by a tourist. I you anted up at the cash bar there was their minds be known. But, like a gave Aussies A for taste, but I’m forced only water to drink. I had water. lightning strike on the last green, there to mark them lower for relevance. Yet I had a couple of lively was no time for an apology or a rebuttal. Thanks for thinking of me, though. conversations that I recall as enjoyable. The elevators had, in fact, been slow. As it happens, I also received a small One with John Hertz, about the Hugo There were line-ups. I’ve heard, too, that gift from Anticipation. It was a small, rules, was largely in confidence. Another a pronouncement of the fire marshal had wooden, faux-Japanese box. You might was with John Douglas. I’d known John kept some people from reaching the wonder at the relevance of that, but since he edited OSFiC newsletters, more party floors. I saw nothing of this myself, “Anticipation, Worldcon 2009” had been than 35 years ago. Oddly enough, I think but the expedient of keeping some painted by brush inside. And there were I grew to know and like John more after elevators free for use of guests going to five glorious maple syrup candies! The he moved to New York and began to edit and from their rooms may have had professionally. We talked about the Best uncertain results. Did it help the “Tim Hortons” is the correct name of Editor category. My point was that the movement of people, or hinder it? I can’t the eponymous chain of donut stores. award was certainly deserved, but that it say. But what Worldcon doesn’t have It used to be Tim Horton’s Donuts, but was too much to expect of most readers problems with the elevators of one sort in Quebec that contravened the notori- to be very aware of what editors do. John or another? ous law known as Bill 101. It is illegal added that most editors unfortunately do Then, there were the closed parties. to advertise on a sign or in a store win- fly under the readers’ radar, and that the Although the con had arranged two party dow using English. The possessive Hugo tended to go to certain names that floors, evidently noise carried through to apostrophe is forbidden. So Tim Hor- were highly visible. Gardner Dozois’ The the floors above and below. It was ton’s became simply Tim Hortons. Year’s Best Science Fiction , for example, possible to relocate the SWFA party at I bet even Hazel Langford didn’t or Terry Carr’s Ace Specials . I think we least, but how well it carried on know that. 40 File 770: 157

only thing more Canadian than maple exceptions for writers I don’t know if I syrup candy is Tim Hortons donuts. admired them tremendously. But your And of course, I didn’t share a single run-of-the-mill Clarke, Asimov, or one. They were my preciousssss. Heinlein – no thank you. On the other One of the more popular parties with hand, one doesn’t share billing with a the cool crowd was the fan lounge. It name like Neil Gaiman’s every day, so I was well stocked by Catherine Crockett, was willing to make an exception. I had and seemed to be the preferred hangout asked just before the Hugo ceremony, of British fans. It’s probably worth but this was ruled out. If Gaiman started mentioning the odd layout of party to sign a book there in front of rooms at the Delta Centre Ville. There thousands of people, thousands of were basically two floor plans, and people would be also swarm him to aks Illumination by Ken Fletcher square was not an option. The larger for autographs. The ceremonies might rooms were at the ends of the building, end up starting an hour or two late. and were shaped somewhat like a two out of three. It was Monday or never, then. There croissant, with the door to the hall in the There were more than two dozen was a table set up for autograph sessions middle. The other sort was split-level – a parties running at any one time, I’m just in front of the curtain separating the small and cramped lower area, stairs, sure. Some I probably never set foot in, dealers’ area from the rest of the main and an upper level bedroom with bath. there were so many. Concentrating them exhibit room. Gaiman wasn’t there yet, The fan lounge was one of the second on two floors seems to worked well – but about two hundred people were sort. The downstairs area was just large almost as well as having those floors one already lined up. While perhaps I should enough for a sofa and chair, and much of above the other would have worked. I have just taken my place at the end of the action took place upstairs. The wonder why there were twenty-one the line, I really couldn’t justify tying Worldcon one-shot was, in fact, mainly floors between them? myself up for however long it might take typed in a closet nook across from the to work to the front of the line. Not to bathroom, while the bed provided space Part Six – Lundi/Monday put too fine a point on it, I was the Fan for loungers. Crowded though it was, Guest of Honour. So, for the first time, I Steve set up his easel for his “How to be Monday was a time of winding down. actually took advantage of my status, a cartoonist” talk in one corner Almost of leftovers. I don’t even have a and asked to be jumped to the head of downstairs, and somehow packed them clear recollection of what I did most of the line. The staff person in charge saw in. the day. Perhaps Monday was when I no problem with it, so I motored my By comparison, the con suite was watched John D. Berry and Steve Stiles scooter right up to the table and in front large, fairly rectangular for a change, meet on the lower concourse? Otherwise of someone who found out he was now and had a full bedroom on the same I wouldn’t have known Berry had even only second in line. I waited. Gaiman level. I recall spending a good deal of been at Anticipation. There were others was due in about ten minutes. He arrived time there on more than one occasion, at the con that I never saw either – such in about fifteen. We had a few words but particularly one late night with Steve as Lise Eisenberg, who I was only later and he signed my three freshly Stiles, Andy Porter, and Steve Green. told had been there. It was likely purchased books. The copy of Coraline Andy was doodling fake Rotslers on a Monday, too, when a small number of he inscribed “Taral – Fellow G of H, marker board, while Stiles and I my friends found an agreeable Chinese Neil, Anticipation,” just as I was nervy discussed our discovery of a wonderful restaurant for dinner. It was less enough to ask him to. It wasn’t a first light fixture based on a drawing by Ken pretentious than where we dined on the edition, but where would I get one of Fletcher. No party could rival the first day. This one was a hole in the wall those? Honour had at least been Montréal and Texas parties, though. in Chinatown, not far from the Palais. satisfied. Mounds of savory smoked meat and rye We ordered from shabby menus and As it was the final day of the bread competed with vats of spicy beef- were quickly served on a plastic Worldcon, I also had to return the or-chicken chili. tablecloth. But the food was as good as scooter that afternoon. By then it had I mentioned the Con Chairman’s at the classier joint, and cheaper to boot. nearly grown to be a part of me. It was party earlier, though not perhaps the Nobody put a hammerlock on me for a second nature to hop on and off, plug it long and astute conversation about tip, either, so I left one willingly. in whenever I was stopped for any American politics I had with Kevin Monday was also the last day there length of time, and back up without Standlee’s wife. In the other room, Joe was any possibility of getting Neil running over too many toes. I had had an Siclari and a few others tried to think of Gaiman to autograph books for me. interesting encounter once with another anyone who had earned a hat-trick by Normally, I don’t collect autographs. I scooter that reminds me of that old story having been a Worldcon Chairman, do have any number of books signed or about the only two cars in some Worldcon Guest of Honour, and a major inscribed by writers I know well – Midwest state back in the early 19 th fan fund winner. No names emerged, Robert Charles Wilson for one, Phyllis century. Despite having the whole state though plenty in fandom had managed Gotlieb for another. And I would make to avoid each other in, they still November 2009 41 managed to collide. Pity I had to go home, but that’s how Title page from my copy of Steve Stiles had been having it is. Coraline . problems with his legs at work, and was seeing a therapist for them. He had many Sept – Mardi/Tuesday questions to ask me about the scooter – had it taken long to get used to, did I find It was astonishing how fast everything it useful, how agile was it? If his therapy came down after the ceremonies on didn’t begin working better than it had so Sunday. Even if I had been serious about far, he said, he might needing one camping in my virtual apartment, it was himself. Then again, he also said that the already too late. Disassembly probably amount of walking he’d been doing began even before everyone had left the throughout the con seemed to have done program area. By Tuesday morning, it more good for him than the therapy. was as though the Worldcon had never Before I turned the scooter in and bade it happened. Schirm and I walked over to a sad farewell, I let Schirm have a go. He the convention center and found no sign zipped up and down the hall outside the of it. Now and then, we encountered main exhibition area, trying for an indoor another sole survivor, or a couple of fans land speed record. I let him drive it into who hadn’t left yet. There were a the scooter park enclosure. Thinking it surprising number, really. But compared was his scooter, they began to bill him to the kaleidoscopic emptiness of the for the rental. Fortunately I was there to Palais, a handful of fans were only a few step to explain, and the rental was half-deflated balloons bobbing in the waived. I really could use one of those wake of a circus parade. Schirm and I around my Parkdale neighborhood. But had little idea what to do, but we were unless my back actually gives out for determined to do something with our last walk east or west, but which way was the good, it’ll be quite a few more years full day in Montréal. mount? The first passer-by spoke perfect before it comes to that. It was Schirm who suggested there English and directed us west. From I also ran into Lea Farr, who had one was a Métro stop nearby. He reminded where we were it wasn’t obvious there last present for me – a box about the size me that we both wanted to see Mont was a rise, but we trusted the natives to of a car battery, with the last of the Royal, if we found a way to get there. I know the lay of the land. Mount Royal membership badges in it. She had hazarded an obvious guess that getting was a main street – not the commercial promised me the leftovers, to use as I off at the Mont Royal Avenue stop center of the city by any means, but both wished. I had no idea how many that would most likely get us where we sides of the avenue were lined with was. Two stacks of cards filled most of wanted to go. Some of the smartest ideas interesting stores all along the way. We the bottom of the box. The label outside I have are that obvious. noticed a bus go by a minute later. We’d read 6,000. Each of the three layers must The subways, or Métro, in Montréal probably need it, I guessed. have originally held 2,000, so my Mk. I are unlike any I know in the world, that I My back had grown considerably eyeball gauged the remainder to be at know of. Where the cars in Toronto, stronger since I have begun using the least 1,500! I could give these out on New York, Philadelphia, Washington, or scooter, but it was far from strong yet. street corners for a week, if I wanted. Seattle all run on steel rails, the cars here As long as I took it easy, I managed well I had no programming to do Monday, ran on rubber wheels! The experience of enough. It helped that we were in and out except to attend the closing ceremonies. riding them is unique, too. Instead of a of little stores. I was fine as long as we As before, the ceremonies were held jolting, rocking ride, you swayed back didn’t march in a straight line without in the huge, main program hall. As and forth. The Métro differed in one stops. before, I had never witnessed a modern other respect as well. We had decided to We spent some time in an art supply closing ceremony at a Worldcon. And buy six fares for the discount, and I store where we picked up a couple of once again, I had prepared nothing to would save the two we didn’t need for mechanical pencils, and not much else, say. There was one difference, though. Moshe Feder’s collection of subway This third and final time I faced the tokens. When we bought the fares, audience, I was really conscious of them though, all we got were six cheap being there. I looked at them on purpose little red and white cards with and told them it had been such a unique magnetic strips. I was quite irritated experience to be the Fan Guest of on Moshe’s behalf, but even so the Honour at a Worldcon, that I was six were cheaper than buying four. tempted to move into my virtual We arrived at Mont Royal Avenue “apartment” here, and never leave. Why station after only a ten-or-fifteen not stay too? I asked the assembled minute ride, and at street level found members of Anticipation. ourselves in a small plaza. We could More or less life-size. 42 File 770: 157

then moved along. For some reason complaints from my back, the slope we have been too concerned. The rain everything of real interest seemed to be climbed was gentle, and wound through slackened, gradually diminished to on the other side of the street. Schirm well manicured parklands and forest, spitting, and after an hour stopped spotted a place that advertised poutine, arriving after about a quarter of a mile at entirely. There was only the water for instance. He was feeling a little a much larger stone building, built in a dripping out of the trees to gripe about peckish and wanted to try it. He wasn’t European château style. It was hard to while we hiked our way back down the hungry enough to start criss-crossing the believe it hadn’t been a dance hall, or, if trail to the bus stop. road, though. not that precisely, then surely the Later, I discovered on a map we had We wanted to get to the mountain architect had some other definite driven about halfway through the Mont straight away, and consigned the other purpose in mind. I asked an attendant, Royal park. side of the street to the walk on the way but I was wrong. The Pavilion seemed to We left the bus, as planned, and back. For now, we caught a bus headed have been built for no more reason that walked the other side of the street on the west. The cheap little cards showed their to give tourists shelter from the weather. return. Limiting ourselves to the short worth then – we were instructed by the And a damned good thing it was. We’d distance from store to store, my back driver to insert the tickets into a fare box be needing it, presently. eased up considerably from the stress and wait until they popped back out. We admired the city from a flagstone put on it by the hike. For some reason, Apparently the cards were good on any terrace spacious enough to drill a the south side of the street was the more line for two or three hours. We hadn’t Scottish regiment. It was the same city interesting. We poked into one costume far to ride – in only two or three as before, but from a greater elevation shop, where I examined stage money minutes, we were at the foot of the and a somewhat different angle. I and plastic swords, but sensibly passed mount. noticed that dark clouds that had been up frivolous purchases. We spent more I said much earlier that Mont Royal far in the north before, were now nearly time in a couple of places that sold used is only about 750 feet high. From a overhead, and quite threatening. Sure CDs and vinyl. One was more hip by distance it’s hardly noticeable from the enough, thunder echoed among the far, but too hip for me to find any music ground, but from close up you just thank moving towers and battlements of sullen I wanted to buy. Very little on CD was your lucky stars you aren’t riding a cumulus. In moments, the front was older than a few years. The décor was a bicycle up. The mount is a rocky, craggy racing over us and across the city. We little of the country general store, and a knob, and heavily wooded. Mont Royal headed for the Pavilion with little delay, little from Forbidden Planet . The cash Avenue snakes up it in lazy S curves. reaching shelter just in time. The rain register sat on a counter, with four All thought of urban development halted pelted the flagstones so violently it maroon-coloured leatherette-topped bar the moment the grade grew too steep for raised a spray from the ground that stools in front. a street bum to sleep and not roll down Schirm called “water smoke.” (I never The second store was much the the grade. We asked to driver for the heard the expression, myself.) It went on smaller of the two. Records and CDs first stop with a good view out over the that way for about half an hour, while a nearly crowded the customer out. It was city. hundred or so tourists huddled under the simply a makeshift box with racks and That turned out to be about half way pavilion eaves, or stood inside, shelves that you walked into, and lacked to the top, and gave a very good view of fascinated by the passing storm. the carefully contrived élan of the other downtown Montréal from the Olympic It was a spectacle that Schirm place. Fortunately, however, it was more Stadium in the east, the old French city enjoyed immensely, coming from a city indiscriminate in its taste – I quickly to the south, the distant granite mounts where rain is a winter affair of nothing found three used CDs of Gentle Giant flung across the horizon over the river, better than drizzle and gloom, and that I had been wanting for some time. A and the International district to the west. genuine storms a rarity. Living in little farther down the street we dropped It spoiled the atmosphere somewhat that Toronto, I saw my share of storms every into an unpromising gift shop, just on a some advertising agency was shooting a year, and so I mainly wondered how whim. At first there was nothing of lottery commercial. Actors and snazzy long we’d be stuck there. interest, but then I noticed a rack of cars cluttered the parking lot behind us. It’s probably worth mentioning that it “wall hangers.” These were imitation After a few minutes we caught the next rained several times during the samurai swords – the sort stamped out of bus to come along, and rode the rest of Worldcon. By far, Monday was the stainless steel that won’t hold an edge. the way to the top. worst. But it had come down in buckets They’re assembled by thoroughly The summit was rather more of a for a quarter of an hour one afternoon, untraditional methods, but if you don’t swale, a gentle basin and an open area and there had been short periods of light know any better they look authentic on where the road divided. There was a rain on several other occasions. For that the wall. tourist building built of stone that had matter, a terrific thunderstorm and Most were $35 or $40, which is evidently been a home at one time, a shower hit Toronto a few days after the cheap as these sorts of things go. As glass bus shelter, a profusion of sign con, driving through chinks around my well, a 20% discount applied. I looked at posts, and several foot paths. We picked air conditioner, to puddle on the floor two or three overly-ornate blades, but one to “The Pavilion,” with its grand and soak my telephone jacks! one sword particularly caught my eye. It overlook of the city. Except for constant But at that point in time, I needn’t was only $25 to start, and with the November 2009 43 discount it would be cheaper still. It was even longer, but eight sheathed in a gold-lacquered scabbard hours was what we got. that was battered and chipped. The sword We had packing to do hilt was missing the finial cap. in the morning, as Otherwise the scabbard was solid and the well, so the ten o’clock blade unscratched. Considering that I had closing of the free examined a plastic stage sword not half breakfast never entered an hour before that cost just as much, I our minds. Instead, we made the decision to buy it. What else found a fast food court are per-diems for, I reassured myself. I in the underground. The perfect toy sword is a real toy sword! carried my new samurai sword back to There was an the subway wrapped in paper. unremarkable choice of It wasn’t a katana, as the full length Chinese stir-fry, sub sandwiches, welcoming tunnels than the Centre Ville Japanese sword is commonly known, but McDonalds, Thai noodles, donuts, Greek district of Montréal. We finally found a wakizashi or shoto . These are the kabobs and fried chicken. I had an one short section of tunnel between two shorter “companion” swords, typically unremarkable but filling falafel from a insurance towers with a small number of around 20 inches long, that a samurai Middle Eastern place. shops. But it was so insular that it was wore through life,. Of the two, it was the If the food was pretty much the same the one place I actually found it difficult wakizashi that was handier for beheading fare as anywhere in St. Louis, New York to make myself understood in English a prisoner. Also called the “honour or Toronto, the underground wasn’t. when I asked for directions. sword,” it was sometimes used in Some wag once remarked that Toronto A note about the use of language. committing seppuku – ritual suicide. To was built on clay, so naturally it grew Although I had been slightly concerned, show he was unarmed, a samurai upward – but Montréal was build on it turned out that almost anyone an removed the larger sword of a daisho granite, so naturally they grew English-speaking tourist is likely to (pair) when he entered a home. But he downward. It’s almost true. Montréal encounter in Montréal will answer your never removed the wakizashi. He didn’t does have an extensive network of enquiries in English. Some of it, spoken go that unarmed, ever. While my shabby underground tunnels, connecting most of by taxi drivers, may be a little colourful, “wall hanger” would never impress a the downtown buildings so that you but it is completely intelligible. I tried to true warrior or even a true collector, it never have to resort to street level. In sprinkle in the little bit of French I knew felt like the perfect toy sword in my Montréal winters that’s a godsend. We – mainly “merci” and “pardon” – and hand. And what the hell… if I pushed found they were not especially only once found it necessary to try “je ne hard enough, I could still kill someone wheelchair-or-scooter-friendly, though. parlez Français pas.” When I did, the with it. One route from the Palais to the Delta bookstore clerk came back with perfect We never did find that poutine place failed us mid-way when we finally came English. Considering how bad my “ne we had noticed earlier from the north to an escalator down, with no provision parlez” must have sounded, I felt like a side of the street. As a result, we went for the disabled. We plotted another bit of a fool. But I understand that most without dinner until we got back to the route on the map, but found it ended a Montréalers are pleased you made the hotel. We discovered a few lingering couple of blocks short of the hotel. We effort. They know they can do better… fannish types in the Delta lobby and were forced to use an elevator to street One thing I have to say about French introduced ourselves. It grew slowly dark level, and emerged into a light rain to language bookstores – they have as we chatted. After a while I decided to finish the trip. fabulous sections on French comics – go up to the room, and read a while. I left Toronto has an underground as well, Lucky Luke, Asterix, Tin Tin, Spirou … Schirm behind in the lobby, too absorbed though far less extensive. It too connects even Les Schtroumpfs . ( Smurfs, to the by gab to leave. When he came up about downtown buildings. But the space to Anglophone.) Unfortunately I can hardly an hour later, I said I needed to eat, and either side of the tunnel is leased read kindergarten-level French, and at we went out again to see what was open. commercially. You can shop in an Indigo something like $16 each, looking at the All we could find at that hour, though, bookstore, buy fresh fruit and vegetables pictures wasn’t value for the money. At was a Tim Hortons. A mini-sub and a from a carriage trade grocer, have your least all the Asterix and Tin Tin volumes couple of cream-cheese on bagels hit the clothes dry-cleaned, buy a radio- are translated into English, and I have spot dead on, even if it wasn’t exactly controlled toy Hummer, pick up a read them many times. With Lucky Luke Montréal hospitality at its best. Schirm chocolate bar from a newspaper stand, or I’ve hardly been as lucky. I know of only and I didn’t have a full day on Tuesday. enjoy a piping hot cheese croissant. Not a handful of the more than sixty So we turned in early. in Montréal. Not in the Centre Ville adventures of the French “poor lonesome section that Schirm and I explored, at cowboy” in English editions. Spirou I Part Huit – Mercredi/Wednesday least. Instead, the long tunnels were hardly know at all, but for one translated vacant, alienated spaces that echoed with volume. It had been a long week, and we needed the footsteps of people hurrying through. We spent a little more time in a full eight hours sleep that night… or The Krell left behind warmer, more Chinatown on our final Wednesday. You 44 File 770: 157

enter through a Manchu-style gate, to cumulo-nimbus drifting East as we sped in the Delta were a great relief. My own find yourself in a narrow pedestrian West. I guessed there was more bad mattress, new only ten years ago, was alley with the usual medley of weather in store for Montréal in the already beginning to sag and wear restaurants and gift shops. Most had coming day or two, but at the moment through. Though I hadn’t given it any about what you would expect in their billowing crowns, gilded by a thought, it obviously needed to be Chinatown anywhere – vases, Ben Wa setting sun, were Dutch Masters falling replaced. Schirm collected damn nearly balls, chimes, incense sticks, more slowly behind us. Gradually it became $400 that he presented to me at the end tableware and cookware than you can dusk. We caught glimpses of Lake of the con, more than enough for a new shake an incense stick at, paper fans, Ontario past the Thousand Islands mattress. Now all I had to do was make gimcrackery of every kind, fake jade, stretch, but mist and the deepening up my mind whether I wanted springs, and very little of actual value. There darkness made it hard to discern where or perhaps even a futon. were one or two modern Chinese shops lake ended and sky began. Then it was Later that evening we had an as well, stuffed to bursting with plastic black altogether. We pulled into invitation to drop in on Steve Green. He anime toys and Taiwanese manga. I Toronto’s Union Station around 10:30. was this year’s English delegate for bought a cheap figure of Sailor Mercury, We were not so much tired as languid. TAFF, and was passing through who I’ve always liked because of her The five-hour ride had been neither too Toronto. Steve was at Catherine blue page-boy hair. The day had to be long, nor an uncomfortable ordeal, but a Crockett’s and Colin Hinz’s place for cut short, though. Our train pulled out of restful pause between the Worldcon and the one day, then leaving on Friday. Montréal at 5.30 – dinnertime. arriving home at last. Schirm and I promised to drop by, and Fortunately, the station was There was a streetcar line virtually at spend a few hours in an attempt to practically across the street from the the station exit, and it would have taken represent the local fandom honorably. I Delta. We had already checked out. All us right to my street, a block from my had spoken with Steve a couple of times we had to do was retrieve our baggage apartment. But rather than wrestle with at the Worldcon. The word “garrulous” from the concierge and pay yet another our baggage and spend another hour in was made to describe Steve Green. He tip. travel, we took a taxi. Once home, I simply loved to tell long stories, so that Although we had flown from Toronto didn’t quite pull the fold-away bed from it was a bit hard to get a word in to Montréal, we retained our return the couch and turn out the light on edgewise. I remember asking him to tickets for passage on the train. We had Schirm – I compulsively checked my e- explain Plokta and the Plokta cabal to “business class” seats, which entitled us mail – but that’s near enough. Schirm me. Were they part of British fandom or to more leg-room, hot meals, and was staying a few more days in Toronto not? Apparently only sort of. The uninterrupted service. We settled and there was plenty of time for a good explanation was somewhat tortuous, but leisurely into spacious seats, our night’s sleep first. I think I finally got the gist of it. “So baggage already checked, and pulled out Plokta is like an off-Broadway show, of Montréal Central Station more-or-less Part Neuf – Jeudi/Thursday and the rest of British fandom is the on time. The seats were very audience and only gets to applaud? ” I comfortable and adjusted in at least Little of the next few days until Schirm don’t recall his answer to that. three dimensions. Slowly the station fell was booked to fly home are properly When Schirm and I arrived, we found behind us, then the city, then the suburbs part of a con report. But, in one respect, Steve quite at home. He and Catherine and we were gliding comfortably Thursday really did continue from had gotten quite mellow beforehand, through the countryside. We had our Anticipation. enough said. I believe Colin arrived first round of drinks – coffee, juice, or The next afternoon we spent from work a little later, and something pop the hostess asked, leaving a puttering around my neighborhood. First Thai or Chinese was ordered in for the packaged snack to work up a thirst. brunch at the nearby Skyline Restaurant, lot of us. Schirm got along with Colin Menus followed moments after the last an early-60s-style sit-down grill, with well, a little to my surprise. Schirm is salted peanut disappeared. While not leather benches, Formica tables and raucous, but Colin rather reticent of exactly in the five-star class, the chicken menus that featured cheeseburgers and speech. Once Schirm had a good look at (or the trout Schirm ordered) wasn’t too minute steaks. The Breakfast Special the old pulps shelvesd along two walls shabby. After dinner we were offered every morning was a good deal. Despite of the dining room, though, they seemed coffee, juice, or liqueur . I didn’t hesitate a total absence of pretension, the Skyline to find plenty to talk about. We sat in to require all of the above… and more was a well-known institution in what was ostensibly the dining room. than once. If there was a limit, I didn’t Parkdale. Catherine’s drums took up too much of reach it. I remember when flying was Having eaten, we poked into a the the living room for company to sit. this civilized. If ever you have the local furniture shops. Schirm had Switching from pulps to cartoons, choice of air or rail, and don’t mind surprised me with a “mattress fund.” Schirm carried on an animated paying a little more, I strongly advise He’d begun collecting for it when it conversation with Steve as well. In fact, taking the train and going first class. became obvious during the con that my there seemed rather a lot of talk about While the daylight lasted we saw a back was still troubling me, and I’d science fiction, too. What is fandom number of ominous-looking islands of remarked that the very firm mattresses coming to? November 2009 45

I don’t remember much of the is too much of a good thing, The Hugo Presentations – Best Fanzine evening very clearly, though. I assume I when nearly a thousand held up my end of the conversation, but program items compete sadly it was a bit of a strain. Likely, I with each other for warm was crashing from the weeklong con and bodies. stay in Montréal. Normally I spend one I regret that I didn’t take week to the next with little contact with more photos. The camera anyone, except by e-mail or telephone. was with me all the time. Once it began to grow decently late, I But after the first day, I suggested calling it a night. Schirm was seemed to forget I had it. having a great time, but I was afraid we The habit of noticing photo might hang on until we were both opportunities is one I never exhausted, and only then realize we still formed. I moved through had an hour’s travel by streetcar to get crowds or watched events home and to bed. happen, totally lost in the The remainder of the week, well… moment, and no thought this and that, but since the second formed in my head that I Thursday truly marked the end of should reach for the Anticipation, I’ll pass over the rest I camera. Not until I returned silence. I had a good time and hated to home did I ever realize how see Schirm go. Then again, it was nice to many opportunities to save return to my usual peaceful existence a photo record of my Photo credit – Christine Mak, (pxlbarrel) with only a cat and my computer for experiences had been lost. company. Anyway, even if I had thought of it, how with all the Guests together. It was too in the world could I have photographed much to hope that the Pro Guests would Part Dix – Réflexions/Afterthoughts myself presenting a Hugo, or a giving a show any interest in the Fan Guest, talk to an audience? probably. But might it be that they were Regrets? I have a few. Once I had time on my hands again, I as curious about me as I was about them? For one, I was so busy that I only began to search the internet for It may be as well if I never know. I suffer realized when the Worldcon was over photographs. profoundly egalitarian feelings. how little I saw of Anticipation. Other My first searches were frustrating. My biggest regret by far, though, was than programming that I was part of, I Most photos were of friends over dinner, that more of my old friends and saw no panels, attended no seminars, or writers at panels. There was acquaintances in fandom couldn’t have listened to no talks, saw no presentations, understandable interest in Neil Gaiman been at the con. It was my biggest and missed a number of significant and the other Guests of Honour. But, so moment, but it seems that only a few of events such as Elizabeth Vonarberg’s far as I could tell, there were more the people who mattered to me in birthday, the Aurora awards, and the fan photos taken of the Dave Hartwell’s ties fandom were there. Where were you funds auction. There were several than there were of the Fan Guest of Moshe Feder, Ken Fletcher, Linda and fannish panels I would loved to have Honour. Eventually the situation Ron Bushyager, Stu Shiffman, Jerry been on instead of my abortive improved. Friends gave me addresses on Kaufman, Avedon Carol, Ted White, kaffeeklatch, or the “Tools of the Trade” FlickR and FaceBook, where I finally Dan Steffan, Don D’Ammassa, Dave panel that I clearly didn’t belong on. I found what I was looking for. No matter Langford, Marty Cantor, Arnie Katz, would almost give money to know if my how creaky my memory may become, Robert Lichtman, Edd Vick, Victoria name had been brought up by anyone someday, I have the means now to Vayne, Bob Webber, Dick and Leah discussing “fanwriters,” or to have sat on remind myself of my moment in the Zeldes-Smith, Eric Mayer, Art Widner… the fanhistory panel. But in many cases, limelight. the list is disappointingly long. (Where, even if I had known, my own schedule A very big regret was that I never for that matter, were you, Mike Glyer?) would have precluded it. really met any of my fellow Guests. I But then I have to stop and smell the On the other side of the same coin, spoke to Julie Czerneda as well as coffee. Travel costs a lot. Hotels cost many people that I missed seeing during Elizabeth Vonarberg for the first and more. Worldcon memberships aren’t my panels were busy with their own. Or only time while on the stage. Gaiman I exactly pocket change, either. What all else they had been tempted away to other had a few words over the matter of those people did over the Worldcon program events. I was sometimes having my books signed, and then I only weekend was, unfortunately, what I do competing with name pros or one of the saw him again when he actually signed over almost every Worldcon weekend. other Guests, and it takes little them. They stayed at home. imagination to guess how that worked I expected more, for some reason. A But this year I didn’t have to stay at out. dinner with the committee and other home over the Anticipation weekend. The conclusion is inescapable. There Guests, perhaps? Or at least one panel Instead, I had an awesome experience 46 File 770: 157

important again. He had walked on the Moon, and he had no more What If? goals. (The Hugo Acceptance Speech I Like Aldrin, I too have walked Never Made) on the moon. Now what do I do with the rest of my life that could It says here, “Best Fanartist” – a mi- possibly equal the experiences of nor category. the 6 th through 10 th of August, All the same, there’s no such thing 2009? as a “minor” Hugo. It is still the su- Perhaps nothing can match the preme recognition fandom can confer five days I spent in Montréal this on anyone in the field. summer. Perhaps something greater Although I have been nominated and unguessable lies ahead. But several times, this is the first and whatever goals I set for the future, only occasion that I’ve been able to whatever I accomplish, one thing be present for the award ceremony, will never change. The footprint I win or lose. So it is special (with a left behind on the industrial capital S) that I am actually here to that was like no other, that I had never carpeting of the Palais de Congres will receive the rocket with my own expected, and that I’ll never experience always be there, and I wouldn’t have hands. the like of again. It’s a thought that fills missed my moonwalk for the world. As if the Hugo wasn’t enough, I’m me with pride… and then I’m brought Finis also a Guest of Honour at a Worldcon down to a terrible realization. Having – the other great honour fandom con- lived through an epiphany and arrived ************************** fers. If I weren’t a rather phlegmatic sober on the other side, I’m in very good s.o.b. I’d be dazzled. company. A LIST OF PEOPLE that I had the For a long time I’ve thought that, After years of preparation, a spidery pleasure of working with during if I did win a Hugo, it would bring claw of tubes and foil reached down to Anticipation that I wish to thank, in no closure to more than 30 years of fa- the surface of the Moon on June 20, particular order: nac. But oddly enough, I don’t feel 1969. It was a near thing. With only that I’m at the end of anything at all. seconds of fuel left, the Apollo 11 lander Rene Walling, Robbie Bourget, Instead, my best work may well be touched down in a cloud of dust that Eugene Heller, Lea Farr, Ian Stockdale, ahead of me. hadn’t been disturbed in a hundred Louise Alain, Murray Moore, Paul If I work at it a little, I may even million years. Two men emerged and Selkirk, Terry Fing, Farah Mendelsohn, be able to break into a grin . spent a precious two-and-a-half hours on John Mansfield, Diane Lacey, I’ve been lucky. Every year there the Moon’s surface. And then they left – Laurie Mann, Catherine Crockett, are many richly deserving fans who forever. After returning to Earth, Lloyd & Yvonne Penney, Ponsonby might be nominated for the Hugo, but astronaut Buzz Aldrin had trouble Britt. never are. I’ve wondered for years adjusting to the fact that he had nothing why some of the most creative, yet more to do with his life that will ever be Doubtless I’ve missed many people who under-appreciated artists in fandom th at assisted me or dealt with my haven’t been given one of these nifty unreasonable demands with great paperweights for their own. Among forbearance. I never knew the names of them I number Marc Schirmeister, every one, and moreover I have a bad Ken Fletcher, and (perhaps most of memory for people I meet in moments all) Steve Stiles. of frenetic activity. I often recall the I’d happily step aside next year for faces, but placing a name to them I one of these old friends, or for any of cannot do. Those people also deserve many unrecognized fanartists. my thanks. After all… I’m certainly not going to Australia.

Thank you. November 2009 47

When Mike Resnick raised questions about A bidder for a future Worldcon says he genuine problems. They are not the ones the Worldcon’s future in an SF Signal recently received a similar warning from an Resnick chose to dramatize, and there are comment chain his approach there was to unnamed past Worldcon guest of honor. (That good reasons why worrying about describe symptoms, assess possible causes would have to be someone different than Dragon*Con won’t contribute to solving and urge intelligent changes to fix them. Yet Resnick, who hasn’t been GoH.) them. in crafting his editorial for Baen’s Universe Conrunners would worry about these Where Did the Publishers Go? Resnick about the same topic Resnick inexplicably warnings and criticisms anyway, and a few lists 11 sf publishers that didn’t go to this took a radically different approach. are especially anxious about the unopposed year’s Worldcon in Montreal. Since he made Readers of Universe presumably now Chicago in 2012 bid’s plan to hold the con a point of this I checked the Dragon*Con believe that Worldcon’s inept volunteers over Labor Day weekend. That would be the website expecting to find them listed among cheated posterity out of 120,000-member first time a U.S. Worldcon has been held the dealers and exhibitors - but they weren’t. Worldcons by scorning gamers, anime and opposite Dragon*Con since 2004. Is the list wrong or did they not go to comics fans, and have ruined the Worldcon These are hard times for conventions that Dragon*Con either? brand by sending it out of the U.S. too many cater to the written word as Worldcon does. It’s well known that the publishing times. Worldcon now reaps what it has sown. Worldcons in the 1990s typically had around industry is ringing from the twin hammer- Attendance is flat and Resnick says 6,500 attendees. Since 2000 only two blows of a technological revolution and a publishers are abandoning the shrinking Worldcons have drawn 6,000 and the others world economic crisis. Worldcon. Writers inevitably will follow rarely topped 4,000. I’d like to stop the The demand for print sf was shaky even them to Dragon*Con and Comic-Con as he incredible shrinking Worldcon so I agree it is before electronic publishing took off. Jerry has. a good idea to identify and address the Pournelle once could count on libraries for a Sowing Dragon’s Teeth by Mike Glyer 48 File 770: 157

steady 5000 hardcover sales before their for writers to come to the Worldcon. Fans government funding was eviscerated. work hard to perpetuate the Worldcon’s Magazines have been in serious decline for traditional culture of being a place where decades: Analog had a circulation of 104,000 they interact with the remarkable men and in 1980, by 2008 it had dropped below women who write the fiction we like, who 30,000. Written sf can be distributed see the world a bit differently, anticipating electronically in the internet age, yet and sometimes creating its changes. Fans get electronic magazines fail all the time despite to interact with writers at panels, in the bar, their reduced costs. Baen’s Universe itself at room parties. plans to quit publication in 2010. While Worldcon surely needs to rebound Publishers are retrenching. Some of the in size, and ideas for attracting fans are traditional work of marketing books has been constantly sought, let’s not lose that vision. cut back, phased out, or dropped in the laps Worldcon is not a business, it is a of individual writers. community of fans and creative professionals Even without technological change the with a common interest and it is a shared publishing business would be hard pressed trust that is handed on from one organizing by the present economy. Those same committee to the next. economic factors are a drag on Worldcons. Dragon*Con is a popular culture event The two major economic downturns of that simultaneously houses several parallel the past decade have directly affected conventions for various special interests. Worldcon attendance. While it is very successful, the Worldcon is The dot-com boom ended in March 2000 trying to do something different. Let’s keep and bottomed out in October 2002. The that sense of community which is the main economy reached low-ebb in the hard-hit times the size of most Worldcons. distinction that leads fans to this con. Silicon Valley right as it was slated to host a Why isn’t the Worldcon following that Special Interests: Shaping Worldcons Worldcon (ConJose, 2002). trend? around the creativity of writers, editors, The subprime mortgage crisis began in An Answer Given: The Worldcon’s artists and publishers and doing that as well 2007. Unemployment in the U.S. literally linkage with the market for written sf is the as we know how is our foundation. doubled from 4.8% in April 2008 to 9.6% by reason for this state of affairs. Whenever that is said in so many words a August 2009, obviously affecting attendance Last year Book Expo America in LA few people promptly condemn it as a at the two most recent Worldcons, drew 5,800. In the early 1990s when it was decision to exclude media, gaming, comics, Denvention 3 and Anticipation. When fans called the ABA event attendance was closer etc. despite the evidence in front of their eyes are losing their jobs con attendance drops. to 25,000. The Internet and other innovations that all these things are included - are in fact Then, the Toronto Worldcon was over the last 15 years or so have begun to courted , but in a way that harmonizes with certainly not helped by the outbreak of eclipse personal meetings and the physical the focus on written sf. SARS there in early 2003, which put a dent showing of upcoming books, which is a There’s a world of difference between in the city’s tourism for the rest of the year. primary purpose of BEA. turning a ballroom over to a special interest Post-9/11 changes to airport security also BookExpo Canada was cancelled and making that special interest the primary affected travel decisions. altogether — in the same year that its focus of Worldcon. Gaming, comics, anime, A Question Begged: The impact of the corporate owner successfully launched new etc. are involved at Worldcons because these, economy on Worldcon attendance is backed Canadian shows for the jewelry and too, are interests shared by fans who read up with anecdotal evidence from fans who pharmaceutical industries! books and stories. say job loss is why they skipped some Events built around the written word Gamers have been included by Worldcons Worldcons they’d planned to attend. generally are suffering a decline in for as long as I can remember - given space So why don’t the two most famous attendance. to meet and play, and more. I’ve even run a megacons seem to be suffering? Worldcons follow that trend because Worldcon department with Steve Jackson’s San Diego Comic-Con International has written science fiction is the Worldcon’s first help. From Aussiecon 2 (1985) through drawn more people every year of this decade, priority, if not our only love. That’s not the Noreascon 4 (2004) most Worldcons growing exponentially from 48,500 in 2000 way to build an empire in 2009. To become a provided dedicated facilities to gamers. to upwards of 140,000 in 2009. proprietor of a huge sf/fantasy con you must Every time I walked from my hotel to the Dragon*Con’s attendance is more devote your attention to the media that draw convention center during the 2004 Worldcon difficult to research because its history page the largest audiences — movies, tv and in Boston I passed the open doors of a vast simply lists “20,000+” for 2000-2005, comics, not books and magazines. ballroom which had been turned over to increasing to “30,000+” in 2007, the last year Worldcon Identity Community: It gamers and hosted a whole suite of reported. It suffices that the most would be nonsense to suppose writers and tournaments. conservative number is still enormous. Much publishers only just recently discovered there The idea that fans of these special larger numbers are thrown around in the are megacons many times the size of interests turned to other conventions out of press but denied by Dragon*Con staff Worldcon when that has been true for a resentment is less logical and likely than the (”those numbers just could not happen, as we couple of decades. And they don’t simple explanation that they heard about did not order that many badges from the necessarily have to pick just one: Tor Books what was happening at the megacons and printing company.”) Conspiracy theorists has been known to have a major presence at were attracted to their abundance of mass wink and assume the official number exists both Comic-Con and Worldcon. But why media sf/fantasy related features. to keep the fire marshal from shutting down have writers and others in this business been A Worldcon Too Far? I also want to the con. Whatever number you believe, coming to Worldcon all along? respond to the notion that circulating Dragon*Con is somewhere between 5-10 Fans’ passion for written sf is the reason Worldcon out of the U.S. is to blame rather November 2009 49 than the economy and state of the publishing enjoyed the benefits of being a hybrid something they’re not finding at the cons they business. writing/media convention for a long time. already attend. Alex Von Thorn points out, Through 2010, the Worldcon will have Hold the con every year on the same date? “A lot of the large media conventions aren’t been out of the U.S. five times in eight years. No. Hold it in the same city every time? No. ‘welcoming’ in any meaningful way; having a Resnick considers that deeply significant. But Have major media guests from movie, tv, dealer’s room and a big room with a stage two of those five Worldcons took place in comics. Yes, that can be done if they’ll come doesn’t build community or provide attendees Toronto and Montreal, at distances from New as GoHs (just their travel expenses paid.) In with much opportunity to connect to each York publishers of 491 miles and 331 miles, fact, this year’s Worldcon picked guests with other.” respectively. Why would such a trivial that kind of appeal. Neil Gaiman is a major sf It remains a fact that the appeal of events distance keep anybody away? I doubt that it writer who also has a great history in comics. celebrating print sf has waned continually. did. That happened because of the economy Filmmaker Ralph Bakshi originally agreed to When the Worldcon is in the U.S., I think the and retrenchment in the publishing industry. be another of Anticipation’s guests, but work of reaching people who are interested in When you look back at those domestic backed out. Other Worldcons have had Roger our kind of event would be a lot more U.S. Worldcons of the 1990s whose robust Corman, J. Michael Straczynski, Gerry effective if the cities being selected had a attendance inspires Resnick’s nostalgia, Anderson. Sometimes it can be done. (I large fan population that already supports you’ll find they were scheduled around four wonder how Roger Ebert stacks up as a media sizeable sf cons (of whatever type). Would it out-of-country Worldcons (1990, 1994, 1995, guest, someone who can appeal to more than not have been easier to draw well in Chicago 1999.) one part of the fannish spectrum having once instead of Denver? And won’t Reno in 2011 The notion that out-of-country Worldcons published a fanzine.) be forced to swim against the tide, having to are detrimental to the relative size of U.S I disagree that Worldcon has run off the educate the public about cons, which they Worldcons doesn’t hold water. So I expect fans with a variety of interests — since most have little money to do well? But what can I what the people who raise this argument are Worldcon members fall into that category. say, it’s that darned democracy thing again. driving at is they believe the Worldcon ought Readers who are also fans of media and Where the Worldcon goes is determined by a to be growing like Dragon*Con and holding gaming are around and every Worldcon vote of the fans willing to join the future so many Worldcons overseas hurts the committee should be making a concerted Worldcon. People are making these choices development of Worldcon as a brand — out- effort to take advantage of their talent, fresh with their eyes open. of-sight, out of mind. insights and energy. They are the best bridge Finally I come back to ask what response If it is true that being in the same country between the various special interests and the Resnick and the unnamed former Worldcon every year is important to sustain the desired Worldcon for the obvious reason that people GoH want from these messages (assuming level of domestic Worldcon attendance - who already like Worldcons have the best they meant something more than “So long, which I believe I’ve just shown it is not — chance of interesting others in attending and thanks for all the fish.”) If everything we that’s antithetical to what the Worldcon does, them. The best place to look for Worldcon can reasonably do to enhance and market the it’s never going to be an option. We’re not members is among convention-attending Worldcon succeeds, it will still be only a going to quit circulating it around the world. fans. fraction the size of Dragon*Con. Worrying Worldcon members themselves vote on And believe it or not, this doesn’t about relative size is pointless. where future cons are held. The “World” in represent a big change from what most Let’s concentrate on doing the things this its name has been kept a reality by voters at Worldcon committees already want to do. community exists for in the best possible U.S. Worldcons — from 1995 to the present, The Worldcon may offer these other fans way, a community of which the writers, bids from outside North America have been editors, etc. are a big part, and a potent one chosen 4 times, each of them selected by a with a vision of a Worldcon’s future. I think vote held at a Worldcon in the United States. that statement was clearly made by the people It’s that darned democracy thing. who turned out to oppose the repeal of The choice may go against the usual semiprozine Hugo and the others who voted wisdom of “branding” but it is true to other the Best Fanzine Hugo to a fiction magazine. values fans respect. I take that as a sign many more pros are Nippon 2007, in particular, was the investing their blood, sweat and tears in the realization of a long-held dream to use the Worldcon than are abandoning it. Worldcon as a bridge to Japanese-speaking Committees need to keep working with all fans. the individual pros who pay their own way Thinking About the Real Problems: The (virtually all of them) and find out what it fragile health of book-oriented events and the takes for the Worldcon to maintain a good cratering of the economy are the main reasons mix of business and social reasons for them to for the shrinking Worldcon. On the other attend. Their imaginative help is the con’s hand, I don’t think fans have done everything most valuable asset. possible to overcome them. There’s a focus on written sf but if that’s all Worldcon was about it would be a lot smaller. The last Worldcon held before Star Trek’s first episode aired — when the Worldcon was the only game in town — drew a total of 850 people. At the 1972 Worldcon there were about 80 pros on the program. Attendance and the number of pros available to participate in programming is so much larger now. In other words, the Worldcon has 50 File 770: 157 The Fanivore

Robert Lichtman well-received, but after the work of doing it I realized that one genzine at a time was enough for me. Also, the mimeo I used The star item in File 770 #156 is definitely belonged to the church of one of my high- Taral’s “Flash Memory 1.1,” and not just school friends, and they suddenly with- because he had nice things to say about my drew my access to it. I suspect a crudsheet Trap Door . As you probably know I was might have been noticed with ungodly privy to the earlier versions of this and content. made various corrections and suggestions One final note: In his letter Chris Gar- as Taral revised and polished it. One cor- cia writes, “Harry Warner stopped doing rection that doesn’t appear to have made his FAPAzine, the longest running of all the transition from me through Taral to you time, shortly before his death.” Actually, is that John Bangsund was the editor of only Harry’s death put an end to Hori- Philosophical Gas , not Bruce Gillespie. zons —the final four-page issue appeared Another is that one of the fanzines he lists in the February 2003 FAPA mailing. of Arnie Katz’s is correctly Swoon , not Harry died on February 17, 2003, nine Swan . (And for historical accuracy, I note days after that mailing’s deadline, and that it was coedited with Joyce.) Finally in may have just received it prior to his de- that paragraph, I notice that Taral must mise. have really liked Rob Jackson’s Maya — it’s listed twice. Terry Whittier In his commentary on Trap Door Taral writes that “Mysteriously, the flow of fan- zines slowed to a trickle” after 1964. It It's always nice to see that you are giving wasn’t all that mysterious—I graduated Taral cover space. I get paper and elec- from UCLA in 1965 and moved to the Bay tronic copies of most of his work anyway, Area, where between holding a full-time job, to the three-ounce mark with 48-page issues but I like it that he is getting fannish expo- having a live-in girlfriend, and being on the through the conversion to half-lettersize sure. front lines of “the ‘60s,” fandom and fanzine when I got a new computer in 2000 (except You are still publishing Rotsler illos. Are publishing took something of a back seat for 13 and 14, which returned to 36 pages). they unpublished ones you've had in the compared to the place it had held when I was No doubt you (and/or your readers if you vault? Or are you recycling? Heaven forbid a student living with my parents (although I print this) are well asleep by now with this the alternative -- that you are getting them was active on the Bay Area fannish social fascinating minutiae. from beyond the grave. scene). [[Can’t speak for the others, but I’ve [[After Bill’s death, Bill Warren found an He also writes, “The first couple of issues lived through some of this fascinating minu- envelope Rotsler had written my name on were a little thin… Around the fifth issue, tiae too. So I’m keeping it in the lettercol.]] which was stuffed with illos. Trap Door assumed a heft of 30 to 35 pages. Somewhat outside the scope of Taral’s [[Warren also gave me a share of the Then the Redd Boggs-Charles Burbee tribute focus, but since he mentioned both Psi-Phi unsorted illos. Rotsler drew A LOT you issue, number 16, ballooned up to 48 pages, and Frap it might be noted that I did one know. I will be able to run Rotsler illos for a becoming the norm.” Actually, only the first other genzine. In September 1959 I produced long time to come.]] issue was small—only twenty pages— my first and only issue of Outworlds , a full because my original concept of the fanzine six years before Bill Bowers began using that Gregory Benford was as a small, fairly frequent genzine that title because he was unaware I’d gotten to it could be mailed for one stamp. This was first. It was a scrappy hybrid employing three based on Richard Bergeron’s Wiz , which was different means of reproduction: ditto on the Good piece by Taral on the best fmz, and a ten legalength pages weighing one ounce. front and rear covers and an article by Lee real honor to be included with Void . Unfortunately, that first issue was run off on Hoffman, “I Remember Keasler,” which was So many others, though... Cliff Gould's Shay Barsabe’s mimeograph—and the differ- at the time the first thing she’d written for a Oblique , f'instance. Ted White generated so ence between copy and mimeo paper pushed fanzine other than her own in many a year; many great fmz, with his acolytes, that he it an eighth-ounce over. So the next five mimeograph on my editorial, a faan fiction deserves his own category. I was a Void guy issues were 32-36 pages, to send for the two- story by Bob Leman (reprinted from his at a distance, not meeting any of the other ounce rate. But as I published them I realized SAPSzine), Ted Johnstone’s long Detention editors till I came to California to grad I was chafing at the size; I wanted to do a report, Harry Warner Jr.’s article about the school and went to my first Worldcon in larger genzine. The seventh issue—a memo- Earl Singleton death hoax, Len Moffatt’s 1964. Don't forget brother Jim's role, ei- rial to Terry Carr—was the largest of the “Forgotten Fans of the Forties” (about one ther...now that Pete Graham and Terry Carr legalength ones at 52 pages; I backtracked to Clyde Haggsworth), and Terry Carr’s are gone, the Voidboy chorus sings a bit thin. 32 pages for the eighth (the first to be done “Trufen’s Blood” (faan fiction reprinted Point is, with fandom, you had to be on computer, and with fonts that were just from his SAPSzine); and handset letterpress there. Each era spawns its own legends and too small); and with the ninth issue I went up for an article by Bill Danner. The issue was injokes. Some survive through superior writ- November 2009 51 ing. Same with literature itself, even with the fans Hoping for Another Worldcon to Hold du con was now about the doings of Nova capital L. Again, otherwise BWA HAW HA. Their Express and Tangent , both of which were [[Thanks Greg. You're right about each effort was doubtless inspired by the fact that “professionally-printed, high-circulation” era. So the value of somebody's "best ever" one new hotel is finally being built opposite zines like SFR , Algol , and SF Chronicle of list is more in spotlighting some really good the new Washington convention center, with eld. (And both of which had run campaigns zines – and if they happen to be zines we've a second one having been authorized. I sup- for themselves, but that was another story.) read, momentarily reminding us of the pleas- pose everyone needs a hobby. [[Ah,the golden days of yesteryear when ure they gave.]] all we had to worry about was the appear- Joseph T Major ance of a big fish in the pond and not the Alexis Gilliland incapability of the pond itself to produce a Hugo contender.]] The Future of the Best Fanzine Hugo. Ar- The semipro fiction zine problem used to Thank you for File 770:156 which was, as guably, the Hugo administrators would rule have another solution, back when there was a always, nicely turned out. You have an em- List C (a group of websites run by profes- “Best Prozine” category. Now that the surviv- phasis on the semi-prozine Hugo, an interest sional publishers) to be Best Related or ing prozines have print runs and frequency that I don’t really share, but pubbing your ish even ... ghasp ... Semi-Prozines . But I think approaching that of does entitle you to ride your favorite hobby that a Best Blog category may finally be in semiprozines, perhaps a “Best Fictionzine” horses. Taral’s cover and back cover are well- order. Which in turn brings us to what hap- category may be in order, where Analog can executed, but too similar (i.e., being the same pens when the blogger has a change of heart compete with Electric Velocipide . size and totally Taralesque) to each other. and starts blogging, say, only mosaic photos The Fanivore: Brad Foster should have Perhaps if you had reduced the back cover to by the time the nominees are out. Or even has seen the “Player v. Player” strip on “Lost”, provide wider margins it would have pro- had an attack of Nydahl’s Disease and pulled which had them getting to the other side of vided the contrast I felt was missing. the thing. the island, where they found the Gilligan and [[That’s an interesting idea. I will remem- WHC: But weren’t they pulling away the Skipper, who said, “We’ve been waiting ber it.]] from other cons because they didn’t want to for you.” Taral’s lists of his ten favorite fanzines was be swamped with all these people who were- Sheila Strickland: The WigWam Village interesting if a bit idiocyncratic, though in his n’t into horror the way they were into horror? in Kentucky isn’t a dump, but it is rather low first list I was bemused to see his assertion of The few, the proud, the horrid? on business. Times and ways have changed. unfamiliarity with several Geis edited fan- Hugo Award Logo: I wonder what the Our parents thought that such a place was zines, to which I had been a regular contribu- losing contestants were. If experience is any cute, but it lacks a swimming tor. He definitely should have mentioned guide, some of them must have been gro- pool, a free breakfast, Internet access . . . Bergeron’s Warhoon #28 , a fanzine in book tesque. Mike Rogers: If you want to combine form consisting of 614 elegantly mimeo- Norton Estate: And I wonder how much “The Phil Silvers Show” and furries, just graphed pages, devoted to the writings of is left after this prolonged (and expensive) remember that the “Top Cat” cartoon was Walt Willis with illustrations by Lee Hoff- legal contest. I was not surprised to learn that based on “The Phil Silvers Show.” man. Published in 1978, it is a spectacular the legal action in Bleak House was based on Martin Morse Wooster: The one time we example of timebinding, and also includes a a real dispute over a will. went to Bloomington for their SF club meet- lot of really witty writing. All by itself War- Why I Favor Dropping the Best Semi- ing, there was a trivia contest that turned out hoon #28 deserves a place on one of Taral’s prozine Hugo: How soon we forget. After a to be a draw. Grant McCormick (the guy little lists, meaning no disrespect to the regu- long hiatus (and a marriage) I went to my first who sleeps on our couch) could answer every lar run of Warhoons of course. WorldCon in twenty-one years, LoneStarCon one of the print SF questions, but none of the Other stuff. Lee had a really good time at in San Antonio. The argument Doctor Who questions. The other guy could the Montreal Worldcon, meeting old friends, and working at the Raleigh NASFiC table while mediating a family dispute in Florida; the maiden aunt had given her 17-year-old niece her credit card to shop for school clothes, with predictable results. By the time the battery in Lee’s cell phone ran out, no- body was happy, but at least they weren’t yelling any more. Lee was also a den mothr at the Masquer- ade, where her knowledge of French came in handy. Alas that the party hotel should have been three long blocks from the convention center and our own hotel across the street. After walking over and back on the first eve- ning, we subsequently commuted by cab, catering to the weakness of the flesh. Sunday [August] 23 rd , we went up to the BSFS club house to attend the wake for Hal Haag. Most of the gossip was trivial, but the usual unreliable sources tell me there is a study group, the Baltimore Washington Area 52 File 770: 157

Mike Glicksohn

As always, Mike, File 770 is my best source of news about fandom and my main interaction with fanzine fandom nowadays which is why some subscription-renewal money will be snail-mailing its way to you later today. There's a great deal I could react to in #156 but those days are long gone. How- ever, I must point out that while Steve Green's assertion that his will be/was the first TAFF trip to a Canadian worldcon IS TRUE, several previous TAFF winners have made it here and met with local fan- dom. One even stayed with me for a few days. Unless, of course, Greg Pickersgill is indeed a figment of my drunken imagina- tion. answer every one of the Doctor Who ques- tighter and tighter these days, with little of Keep up the excellent work! tions, but none of the print SF questions. The any value that could be sold. While it would If there's a list of criteria for eligibility for list was split that way, fifty-fifty. be a last ditch effort to keep out of the poor The Rotsler, I've never seen it but of the ten Steve Davidson: Yes history is context. house, knowing I do have something in this winners Taral writes about I'd have no trou- And all history is rewritten to meet present place with a value over two figures would be ble agreeing that five of them deserve the standards. If you noticed, in the movie “Pearl nice! honour. The other five I'd be at least a little Harbor,” nobody smoked cigarettes. Another cool, hugely, insanely in-depth dubious about. Especially since the one per- article from Taral. He keeps this kind of son I'd think ought to have won the first such Brad Foster thing up, he will be the go-to guy to settle award has never won the award. I mean Tim questions of a fanzine nature, since he seems Kirk of course. to either already know it, or have access to Admittedly I played a part in making I saw that File 770 #156 went up on line a the original source for just about any of Tim's work known to fandom but it was a few weeks ago, but waited until my hard these. But then, after seeing his cool photos small part indeed. I can think of no fan artist copy arrived this week to actually get into it of his abode, and the amazing organization who was more prolific or more talented or and enjoy the read. I'm not a total Luddite of just about everything he collects, it shows more generous or did more to raise the stan- when it comes to ezines, but have yet to get he's got a great mind for this kind of stuff. dard of fanzine artwork than Tim did. His as comfortable reading a lot of stuff on line, (Oh, and that Steffan logo for Blat! is still, in failure to win a Rotsler is as great a travesty over being able to read it in print. Thanks for my opinion, one of the best zine headings as Outworlds never being recognized as Best still doing both! (And I love the bonus we ever designed!) Fanzine. get with the print version of your smiling, [[Well, the Rotsler Award in concept is waving visage on your Christian McGuire both a lifetime achievement award and an return-address sticker!) encouragement to keep doing fanzine art. [[Diana had those made, and I had a lot When the award started we couldn’t have of fun with them.]] Just finished 154-6 and are my arms tired. said the award was going to encourage Kirk In the "Medical Updates", you mentioned The excellence of your fanzine continues to to keep doing fanzine art because he had Peggy Ranson having undergone bypass keep my interest fresh. I am particularly stopped many years earlier. Now that he’s surgery. I'm assuming the lack of any other impressed by the Taral's article on the Rot- show a bit of interest again, the judges ought news means that all goes well, but have been sler winners. I was so impressed that I want to think about your recommendation.]] unable to find any other info on line. Can to ask Taral if we can put it up on the Scifi By the way: I agree with those who have you give us an update next issue on Peg? site under the Rotsler page. noticed that in addition to being a fine artist, [[I’ll keep trying. At the last minute be- I am also very impressed by the James Taral is one hell of a fan writer. (He was a fore closing this issue I received some info.]] Bacon Cosplay/dance article and pix. His truly excellent fanzine publisher as well but I Regarding Forry's Retro-Hugo going for writing is improving by leaps and bounds. guess his chance for acknowledgement in $1,500 as part of a sex of six awards, and Makes me want an event like that here in that area is long gone.) A nod on both the your comment that this implies the market L.A. There may be something but I'm not Best Fan Artist and Best Fan Writer Hugo value of a Hugo isn't all that much, I would aware of it. That sort of “let's rent a barn and ballots would not be amiss. And might even like to observe: (1) It is worth enough put on a show” attitude is what Chaz is try- be a first. But that would require fanzine fans that we don't even know what the other ing to foster among the anime fans. The to buy memberships and vote and we've long awards were for, so (2) I would like to as- Forry obituary was very well done, sad that it known that doesn't happen. sume that those other five, unworthy of being was finally necessary, but well delivered. Do we really want to leave the fan Hugos named, would go for only $10 each if offered Oh, it took me a couple of minutes to in the hands of people who haven't a clue separately, and that it was the Hugo that connect the dots between the picture of you what fanzines and fanzine fandom are all pulled in the other $1,450. I particularly, at and then the picture of Chris Garcia wearing about? this unfortunate time, would like to think the 6-time loser shirt. that, since funds around here are getting November 2009 53

Gary Farber "Particularly worthy of mention was the level because it puts people into the universe, first installment of Dan’s own illustrated ver- almost at the level of Virtual Reality." sion of Walt And we're not even tallking about A couple of tiny notes on Taral's fine over- Willis’ 'The Enchanted Duplicator .' We had MMORGs (http://www.mmorpg.com/ view of some of the best fanzines since 1979, to wait until Boonfark 6 for it, unfortunately, index.cfm?bhcp=1) This article reads as if the mostly giving credit where due: but it was unquestionably worth a wait. Chap- writer has never encountered computer games 1) It's "Terry Garey," not "Terry Gary." ter Three didn’t appear until issue 8. Disap- or online games. Weird. Also try http:// 2) Hyphen had various co-editors; it wasn't pointingly, no other installments have ever www.isotx.com/wordpress/?p=142 solely Walter A. Willis; I don't have a full list been completed that I know about." Sheila Strickland's loc mentions an "Amy handy, but memory tells me Chuch/Chuck Dan illustrated the edition of TED put out Thomason": was that a typo for "Amy Thom- Harris was first a co-editor, and then Ian for Constellation, the 1983 Worldcon, which son," or some other person? McAuley, and later also Madeleine Willis. edition I was initially going to do, and which [[A typo. I wonder if there’s some magic Also Vin¢ Clarke early on; as I said, I can't I got started, but petered out on, as what I dust I can sprinkle over the finished issues to break it down at the moment. later learned was major clinical depression fix them? Proofreading is not my giftedness. I "Void – “The Void Boys”, Ted White, had begun manifesting a couple of years ear- hope you didn’t make any – honestly, I have- Greg Benford, et al" also doesn't mention that lier. n’t deliberately left any in.]] the first fourteen issues were purely the Ben- On that Star Trek slot machine: "Everyone Chris Garcia says that "Lucas was more of ford twins, Greg and Jim. Only then was Ted seems to really like the fact that they can save a bookworm and probably read a lot of those added, and then more co-editors came along, their game at one casino and pick it up at guys." and then more. another. This is the real technological ad- In one of the many mini-documentaries on Similarly, Innuendo had Dave Rike as a co vance." one of the DVDs for the Star War prequels -editor for some issues. I know diddly about slot machines, so (which I believe first appeared on the official On the more recent list, " Plokta –Alison maybe it's some kind of "new advance" for website) was an interview in George's office; Scott, Steve Davies, & Mike Scott," it's worth slot machines, but it's ancient history for I naturally used the "zoom" feature to make pointing people to http://www.plokta.com/ computer games. I couldn't begin to list the out what I could of what books one could plokta/ number of multiplayer games which identify on Lucas' shelves, and noticed at "The Plokta cabal includes Steven Cain, have functioned this way for -- well, it de- least one Jack Chalker book. I mentioned this Giulia De Cesare, Sue Mason, Flick, pends on your definitions, but running off in an email to Eva when I noticed this several Marianne Cain, Jonathan Cain and (formerly) servers that retained your identity and scores years ago, but don't feel like digging out my George the cat (RIP)." and where you can pick up again from any DVDs right now to try to reproduce this proc- Telos : Issues #2 and 3 were also co-edited machine that can access the internet, as op- ess, but anyone else is free to try. by Gary Farber; issues 3 and I think 4 (I don't posed to a LAN or WAN, has been common- Chris also writes "I'm glad to see that Fred recall) were also co-edited by Fred Haskell. place, since, er, sometime in the Nineties, at Pohl has himself a blog." Really, it's a per- (I also contributed a long co-editorial to issue least. Ultima Online in 1997, at least, I guess. sonal memoir/journal, in journal/serial for- #2, as well as the piece in #3 that Taral men- Earning medals and perks, etc., has a com- mat, rather than a traditional blog with links tions.) Patrick and Teresa, to be sure, deserve monplace, again, for many many years, in (for the most part), but there's plenty of fine at least 92% of the credit for the issues, over- multiplayer computer games. writing on it (including some by Elizabeth all. "This slot machine takes it up to the cult Anne Hull) that fans shouldn't miss out on. "Suzanne Tompkins" is aka "Suzle," though not "Suzle Tompkins": one or the other. Terry Hughes' Mota was also co-edited at times, including at least once by Bob Shaw and Dan Steffan. "There was a bit of a rough hewn quality to Spanish Inquisition . The fuzzy twiltone pages are stapled together a bit higgledy- piggledy." Hey, I was at a lot of those collating par- ties, and it's true that there were no whippings for imprecise stapling, much though obvi- ously there should have been. "Even though Jerry and Suzle were living in Seattle by this time, Stu continued to give the zine a distinctive New York flavour." Now, really, can there be a "New York flavour," I ask you? A Toronto flavour, a London flavour, a Manchester flavour, a Can- berra flavour, yes, but New York would have a flavor, unless perhaps the zine were done by Charles Platt. "...and of course Jerry Kaufman and Suzle Tompkins themselves." Whoops, and there it happens; as I said: either "Suzanne Tomp- kins," or "Suzle," but not the two combined. 54 File 770: 157

Joseph Major writes: "The Fanivore: Wikipedia that they're a credible source of Taral includes, but if I were starting such a Chris Garcia: You should have been at that authority for who should be mentioned on list from scratch, one fanzine I'd include panel where Jack Chalker was talking about Wikipedia, unless most Trufen members plan almost immediately would be Idea, from the nightmarish Hugo Banquet (they had to start working on Wikipedia and earning Gerri Sullivan. She included some very good banquets in those days) that ran well credibility there for themselves. (This is not material by various Minneapolis writers and past midnight. In an un-airconditioned ban- any value judgment by me; it's an observa- artists, and wrote excellent material herself. quet room. Surrounded by rioters." tion on how Wikipedia works, which is not Chunga , from Andy Hooper, Randy Byers, Major is clearly referring to the famously by accepting recommendations by outside and carl juarez also would make my top ten long Phil Farmer GOH speech at Baycon in groups, especially self-defined ones.) or fifteen. But I may be prejudiced in their 1968 about "REAP." Farmer talks, among Gee, you have a loc by Tim Marion where favor because they're all Seattle boys. many other things, about that speech in this the last section starts off "And the rest of this interview: http://www.pjfarmer.com/ is not to be printed," and then you print it. I Lloyd Penney interv.htm kinda wonder how Tim feels about that. Among other things, Farmer says: [[Aaaagh!]] “On the subject of the REAP speech, we I was a little surprised that you weren’t at the understand that Randall Garrett, unan- Jerry Kaufman Montréal Worldcon last month. It was a great nounced, got on the stage and did some sort time. Anyway, some comments arise… of song that lasted for an hour. We were [[Judging from my experience in Denver, wondering if that was really true. Taral got my attention by including The I didn’t feel sure I would be physically equal “He might have gotten up there and sang, Spanish Inquisition and Mainstream into his to a Montreal trip plus several days of hoof- I don't remember. It wasn't too long. Actu- top ten favorites of the past thirty some ing around the con. I’m working back up to ally, Silverberg and Ellison, I love these two years. It was a nice burst of egoboo. it.]] guys, but they got up there and fucked I'm sorry I irritated him by leaving off any Great Taral art as always…as the Fan- around for a long, long time. However, part dates in the first two issues of SpanInq . They GoH, Taral’s artwork was everywhere at of that was my fault, because it wasn't until I were the first two fanzines I ever produced, Anticipation, and we had a lot of Files in the gave that speech that I realized that all these and I was thinking only of the same number fanzine lounge. I brought them home with people had eaten, and the room was very of people who would see it, and not of pos- me, and will be sending them out to people warm. If I'd had the experience then that I'd terity. I produced them for a brand-new apa who want them in exchange for a donation to had later, I would have ripped the speech devoted to movies, called the Cinema Ama- the fan funds. apart and just given part of it or maybe tried teur PRess Association (capitalization sic), Part of the great time in Montréal was to switch over to something else very short, aka CAPRA. The outside circulation was meeting the fan fund winners. Hugs to DUFF because they were sitting there (heads lolling miniscule. winner Emma Hawkes and to DUFF candi- to the side). I didn't blame them, it was just Suzle became the coeditor and copub- date Alison Barton, who was also at the too much.” lisher with the third, and this was the first Worldcon. CUFF winner LeAmber Kensley Martin Morse Wooster writes: "We need issue to get widespread circulation outside was there, as was TAFF winner Steve Green, some discussions, perhaps on the Trufen list, CAPRA. (And I soon started an apazine who we transported from Montréal to To- where gardening has become king, about specifically for that apa.) ronto on the first leg of travel on his TAFF- which of us deserve Wikipedia entries." The final two issues of Mainstream were- ish conquest of the continent. To which I have to say, good luck to the n't offset, but photocopied. Mimeography Once again, far too many obits to list. Trufen list in convincing the mass mind of had become too difficult, and we couldn't More and more, they are familiar names, seem to get de- which makes me feel a little old. I know of cently cut pages Gary Bateman, but did not know him person- from our electros- ally. I’m sure I walked past him at numerous tenciler. The Rex local conventions. Rotary mimeo and A shame the Ackerman collection had to estenciler sat in our be broken up like that. Why couldn’t it have basement for an- been purchased outright, and made into a other decade, until public museum? A collection like that, we’ll a few weeks ago, never see its like again. I am convinced that when Chris the age of the collector is coming to an end, Wrdnrd came and so I must wonder if these ancient movie happily took them props will be kept in good repair, or if they away. will rot to dust. The list of con- [[Good question. Considering what’s tributors impresses happened to the economy generally and the me now - I have financial struggles of the state of California, forgotten that we I don’t know if you could have counted on a published so many publically funded museum to give things in of them. I'd like to that collection the needed care.]] correct one name If there ever was a decision made about to Terry Garey, the ten best fanzines of all time, of course, and not "Gary" as someone with a sizable and comprehensive Taral has it. collection of zines would be the one to make I've enjoyed all that decision. However, it would be best that the other zines that decision be announced with .pdfs of the November 2009 55 fanzines announced. I’d love to see these old zines, and we are always told that we should read them, but if all extant copies are tucked away in private collections, the chance of ever reading those zines we should read are pretty slim. I am glad I bought a copy of War- hoon 23, but few others from that era are available. In some ways, I am not surprised that a hotel will not tolerate room parties. This past July, Polaris, the big fan-run media SF con- vention in Toronto, was the site of only one private room party, to promote Astronomicon 2009 in Rochester this coming November. Many of the party signs were taken down, and one convention security found out about it, they knocked on the door, saying there was a noise complaint. (We were behind closed doors, talking and having the odd laugh.) Fifteen minutes later, hotel security shut the party down. I guess only convention- sanctioned fun was tolerated. suddenly coming up quick and snapping up Thanks to the Lonely Planet guidebook, I I hope you had correspondents taking lots Hugo nominations, but he’s got a lot of good found out that Clifton’s Cafeteria still existed of photographs of the Montréal Worldcon. I friends in the BArea and on his distribution and resolved to have a meal there. I found wish I’d been able to get to Denver, but Mon- list who like his stuff. It’s tough to be cranky that while the third floor (which is where tréal was terrific. Any Worldcon we can drive with that, but we do try hard. LASFS met in the 1930s, right?) was closed, to is a good one, to start, as arrival and depar- Dale Speirs’ loc…I am very interested to the rest of the building was a splendid tacky ture are up to you, not an airline or railway or see what Canadian fans are doing elsewhere. time capsule, a place where it was always busline. We stayed at the Embassy Suites, That’s one reason I wanted the clubzines in 1948. The décor was sort of a Northwoods right beside the Palais de Congres, and not Montréal, Ottawa and Vancouver. The prob- Lodge motif, and the waterfall--which I dimly only did they offer rooms with a kitchenette, lem is that I have little disposable income, recall the teenage LASFSians, glutted with but they also offered a complimentary break- especially these days in my continuing under- ice cream, found entrancing—is still there. fast each morning. To sum it up…the fanzine employment, and as much as I’d like to go The food was still good home cooking, and I lounge was smaller than promised or imag- and see these folks on a regular basis, I sim- thoroughly enjoyed my visit—at least until I ined, but we made it work fine. Funds were ply can’t do it. A loc to the clubzines keeps discovered that the bathroom had no toilet raised for TAFF, DUFF, CUFF and Corflu me in touch. paper. 50, and we sold about C$200 of fanzines. Nearly at the end of the second page, so I think I must have been the first fan in At a couple of times, there were 12 to 15 wind it up I will. I am nursing a sunburn Clifton’s in decades. Why haven’t the faanish people in this little 200 sq. ft. area, chatting, cause by being outside and watching the Ca- fans visited it? Where are the articles by An- reading, checking e-mail, snoozing on the nadian National Exhibition’s 60 th annual Ca- drew Hooper and Randy Byers explaining sofa, or cranking out zine pages on Colin nadian Air Show. Because of that 60 number, how this place, blessed by Ghu, FooFoo, and Hinz’ Gestetner. A great room. not only were the Snowbirds stars of the Roscoe, be made a National Faanish Land- I finally got to my first faneds’ feast, at the show, but the Blue Angels were there, too, mark? I did read, thanks to the Intertubes, a Forguet Fourchette restaurant in the conven- and aerial acrobatic groups like these two are Los Angeles Times story that noted that Ray tion centre itself, we attended the Aurora rarely together for any event. Now that Bradbury had his 89 th birthday in Clifton’s. Awards banquet, a fine time indeed (I was a Worldcon is past, we will be working on Good for him! nominee for an Aurora, but did not win), and Astronomicon in Rochester this coming No- I see that in Montreal (and where were we awarded the Best Fan Writer Hugo to vember, and that may be it for this year. We you, by the way?) that the semiprozine was Cheryl Morgan during the Hugo ceremony. could use the break. Take care, many thanks preserved. This seems to me to be the right This meant that we were also attending the for another great issue, and see you with the call. Why can’t the semiprozine be the Hugo pre- and post-Hugo celebrations, and again, a next one. award for the small press? I subscribe to fine time. I found out that I was a single Weird Tales and, quite frankly, the fiction is nomination away from being on the ballot for Martin Morse Wooster not to my taste. But Weird Tales ’s win shows that Hugo myself. So many old friends, a few that the magazine does have a constituency, new ones, lots of hugs and smiles…Any non- and there ought to be a place in the Hugo American Worldcon is going to suffer in the Many thanks for File 770 . I didn’t mean any ceremony for zines that help young, strug- art show and dealers’ room departments, but ambiguity in my description of the Boucher- gling, or esoteric writers get on their feet and as far as organization goes, this convention con’s Batman panel comparing Batman to get some recognition. The Semiprozine Hugo did very well. We couldn’t see the seams, but Monk. It’s very clear that they meant Monk is far more valid than, say, the Best Long then, we weren’t really looking for them. All the television character and not Monk the Form Editor Hugo, (How many Hugo voters around, a good time and a fine convention. Doc Savage sidekick. In fact, I would be very know the difference between good book edit- Chris Garcia showed off your old Six- surprised if the panelists knew anything about ing and bad editing, or know how much edit- Time Hugo Loser t-shirt at Worldcon, and Doc Savage! ing the Long Form nominees actually perform now it fits him, in more ways than one. Us I went across country last month on a long on books?) cranky types might snark at this Garcia kid train trip and had eight hours in Los Angeles. If you want to make a change, how about 56 File 770: 157

I have a collection (book) of Campbell's editorials.) Thanks to Dr. Rengstorff for her comments on early SF stories and writers.

Marie Rengstorff

I have now sent two packets of anthologies to Terry. I still do not know if he can read them. However, I hear from his daughter that he loves them. Perhaps he is only enjoying the art. What the heck. He is an artist. The old line drawings had to be good. There was no xerox to help fix the art for size or to remove an error, etc.

Letterhacks’ Addresses

Gregory Benford, E-mail: closing the loophole that allowed Electric years to come. [email protected] Velocipede to get a fanzine win? My under- Sheryl Birkhead, 25508 Jonnie Court, standing is that Electric Velocipede is a Joy V. Smith Gaithersburg, MD 20882 “fanzine” because it had a paid circulation of Gary Farber, E-mail: [email protected] 200, even though contributors are paid. Bear in mind, Electric Velocipede is a perfectly Brad Foster, E-mail: [email protected] Lovely cover, though I'm not sure what hap- Alexis Gilliland, 4030 8 th St. South, reasonable zine—a AA version of F& SF — pened here. Nice back cover too, though but it’s not a semiprozine. Arlington, VA 22204 again I'm wondering what's happening. She's Mike Glicksohn, E-mail: [[I’m waiting for Australia’s Hugo ballot armed, but then I saw that her arms might be to tell me whether we have the luxury of [email protected] tied behind her... (I want to know what hap- Jerry Kaufman, E-mail: worrying about loopholes anymore. Will all pened!) the nominees for Best Fanzines be blogs or [email protected] Thanks for all the news. It'll be interesting Robert Lichtman, 11037 Broadway Terrace, websites?]] to see what happens with the Hugo fanzine Oakland, CA 94611-1948 category (ies). Pitting print zines against e- Joseph T Major, 1409 Christy Avenue, Sheryl Birkhead zines doesn't seem fair or practical. Thank Louisville, KY 40204-2040; E-mail: you for the background. Whatever the deci- [email protected] sion--and I suspect the decisions have been Christian McGuire, E-mail: Thank you for the news bit about Peggy made and I'm out of the loop--I'd like to see [email protected] Ranson. I had mailed her something about more variety in the winners. Lloyd Penney, 1706-24 Eva Rd. Etobicoke, six weeks ago but it bounced — saying mail- I enjoyed all the illos and photos; I'm glad ON M9C 2B2 box full. I figured she was on vacation or I got to see "The Condiments They Keep." Marie Rengstorff, E-mail: something else… Just as I was going to start And Sierra's picture. She's growing up! I [email protected] queries File 770 arrived and I knew what had love learning background info, so I enjoyed Joy V. Smith, E-mail: [email protected] happened. I called her that evening just to be Whence Wombat, though I hoped for a pic- Henry L. Welch, E-mail: sure things were okay — or at least as okay ture of a wombat. As I recall, they're cute [email protected] as they could be under the circumstances — little critters. Terry Whittier, E-mail: yes. Taral Wayne's article on early fanzines [email protected] was most impressive! I'm glad the covers Martin Morse Wooster, P.O. Box 8093, Henry Welch were included. This would make a useful Silver Spring, Maryland 20907 chapbook or a chapter in a fanzine history. We need such a round-up for reference. I enjoyed the interesting commentary on the And I appreciated the con reports, the fanzine/online Hugo issue. I suspect that no article on the Star Trek slot machine (more classification is ideal and that it may take a history), the news about Len Wein's comic while to iron this out in practice. If those book collection effort; and I hope Leviathan people who were truly interested could be 99 was recorded. Re: con reports, I was glad determined (the Hugo voting electorate is to read Joe Haldeman's quote about his war rather fluid) I could propose a multi-step idea experiences. And I think John Hertz did a and information gathering process that might great job on the Rotsler Award exhibition; actually come up with decent line between it's important to remember the accomplish- the various categories. This, alas, is not pos- ments of the past. sible - so we'll get what we get and it hope- And more info in Fanivore re: the Camp- fully won't need too much tweaking in the bell letters, do write about them again, Mike. I'm not aware of the "arrogant insults." (Btw, November 2009 57

Bill Warren’s Updated Skies suit. Bill Warren’s Keep Watching The Skies: The The 40th anniversary weekend will in- 21 st Century Edition , a detailed study of clude panel discussions, screenings of the hundreds of science fiction movies released Apollo 13 movie and other documentaries, a from 1950 through 1962, can be ordered gala dinner, a chance for photos with the from Macfarland now. Apollo 13 Command Module, and autograph Bill devoted five years to this update opportunities. (Keep Watching the Skies first appeared in two volumes about 20 years ago), drawing Hand-to-Hand Selling on remarks by the filmmakers that have Francis Hamit, in “Street Level Views of emerged in the quarter century since the Book Marketing” at SelfPublishingRe- original edition. He gives a detailed plot view.com, uses stories from his latest Shenan- synopsis of each film, lists cast and credits, doah Spy book tour to teach that if you want and summarizes its critical reception. The to get paid to write, then you have to get out best part is his discussion of the movies, there and sell: studded with anecdotes about the people “I engage most of [the customers at my who made them. Now it’s in one volume book signings] with a friendly greeting and a that Bill says seems “as thick as a Manhattan pitch line. This is something I learned in phone book.” 1988, the year I was a Factory Representative Another attraction is a foreword by How- for the Hoover Company, working in depart- ard Waldrop. ment stores. Most people did not come in to And Kerry Gammill has done a beautiful buy a vacuum cleaner, and most are not at a cover - exactly what Bill was looking for, the green room Thomas Steinbeck told a story signing specifically to buy your book, no only better. Bill says: that brought tears to my eyes. For Halloween matter how much advance publicity you have “Isn’t it great? Kerry Gammill is a comic his father would read Something Wicked This done. Most have never heard of you or your book artist, living in Texas. He lived out here Way Comes to him and his brother John, Jr. book. You have to introduce yourself, and for a while when he worked for a makeup Think about that, John Steinbeck reading a even if you don’t close right then, have a effects company, and we often had story by Ray Bradbury to his boys. How cool bookmark or other sales tool to hand them. lunch. Originally, McFarland was going to is that? It’s not the books you sell that day but the use, yet again, a shot from The Day the Earth number you sell afterward that really counts Stood Still for the cover (Klaatu and the robot and keeps your book on the shelves.” on the front porch of the flying saucer–which Apollo 13 Anniversary was already the cover for the paperback of the Fans will make a pilgrimage to the Kansas Pohl’s High School Graduation original KWTS ). I told Kerry I wanted the Cosmosphere and Space Center in 2010 to mark the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 13 Fred Pohl left high school at the age of 17 cover to resemble a poster from those movies without graduating. That didn’t noticeably –most of which were done by one guy, Rey- mission. Roger Tener and readers of Chroni- cles of the Dawn Patrol have circled the April handicap his writing career. Just the same, he nold Brown–but he demurred at first, saying was very touched when one of his readers that he didn’t do oil paintings like Brown 16-17 weekend on their calendars when As- tronauts Jim Lovell and Fred Haise, Flight from his old high school’s alumni association did. I said that I wanted a comic book look recently offered to present him with a di- because comic books also underwent a big Director Gene Kranz and other Mission Con- trol and NASA personnel are expected to join ploma. change in the 1950s (and were very important As Fred said on his blog: “I was flabber- to me). I said maybe show the Robot Mon- the celebration. The Cosmosphere did the Apollo 13 com- gasted. It was one of the kindest things that ster (the gorilla in a diving helmet) wrestling any total stranger had, without warning, ever with the Man from Planet X, giant sized, mand module restoration and keeps it on display along with Jim Lovell’s flown space- stepped up and done for me. I showed the people fleeing in the fore- letter to Betty Anne and she was as ground. Maybe add some other icons touched as I was.” of the 50s in that kind of cornucopia In an interview published in the New effect that Jack Davis and Frazetta York Times Fred explained why he did- sometimes used in their movie poster n’t finish high school: work. “Mr. Pohl tested easily into Brooklyn “I was gob-smacked by what Tech back when it was new. Then, some- Kerry turned in. Talk about taking a time around his junior year, he hit a wall. flimsy idea and running with it — he ‘I largely stopped paying attention,’ Mr. galloped off for a full touchdown.” Pohl recalled by phone from his home outside Chicago. He failed two drawing Bradbury At Big Read classes, one of them twice, and a math By John King Tarpinian : Santa class. His father and mother were divorc- Barbara hosted the National Endow- ing at the time, which he thinks probably ments for the Arts Big Read program explains his troubles at school. ‘I can during Banned Books Week. Ray scarcely believe I was so dumb as that,’ Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 was their Mr. Pohl said. book of choice. Ray was introduced Incidentally, Fred never attended by Thomas Steinbeck, son of John, to college either. Ray Bradbury and Thomas Steinbeck at the the capacity crowd. While we were in Santa Barbara Library Big Read program.

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