File 770 #157
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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.