VECTOR 60 Journal of the BSFA ; June 1972

oonTenTS The British Science Fiction Association Chairman John Brunner Treasurer: Mrs G.T .Adams 54 Cobden Road Bitterne Park Lead-In 3 Southampton S02 4FT Through A Glass Darkly Publicity/ Roger G.Peyton ...... John Brunner 5 Advertising 131 Gillhurst Road Harborne Science Fiction and the Cinema Birmingham Bl7 8PG ..... Philip Strick 13 Membership Mrs E. A. Vai ton Book Reviews 16 Secretary 25 Yewdale Crescent Chester Song at Twilight, and The Coventry CV2 2FF Fannish Inquisition ’larks...... Peter Roberts 21 Company Grahame R. Poole Secretary 23 Russet Rd The Frenzied Living Thing Cheltenham ....Bruce Gillespie 25 Glos. GL51 7LN BSFA News 29 Vector costs 30p. There are no sub­ Edward John Carnell 1919-1972 scriptions in the U.K.; however, .... Harry Harrison membership of the BSFA costs £1.50 Dan Morgan per annum. Ted Tubb Outside the U.K. subscription rates Brian Aldiss 30 are: The Mail Response (letters) 36 U.S.A. & Canada: Single copy 60p; 10 issues ^5»5°

Australia: Single copy 60/; 10 issues /A5.5O VECTOR is the official journal of the British Science Fiction (Australian agent: Bruce Gillespie Association. P0 Box 5195AA Melbourne Editors Malcolm Edwards Victoria 3001 75A Harrow View Australia) Harrow All other countries at equivalent rates. Middx HA1 1RF

News Editor: Archie Mercer 21 Trenethick Parc Vector 60, June 1972. Helston Copyright (C) Malcolm Edwards, 1972 Cornwall Of the novels, only The Lathe of Heaven has so far appeared in this LEAD-IN country (Gollancz); all the others are available in imported US paper­ back editions with the exception of Margaret and _I, which I've never heard of. Kany of the shorter nieces will of course appear in the AWARD PIKE annual anthology, which will be edited by Lloyd Biggie. Kosinski's You may have seen them listed, else­ Being There is also available, where by now, but on the assumption published by The Bodley Head. that many of you -.-ill not have, here arc the results of the 1971 Nebula The Hugo list is somewhat diff­ Awards, and the final nominees for erent, as follows: the Hugos. First the Nebulae: Novel Novel Dragonquest — Anne McCaffrey 1. A TIKE OF CHANGES — Robert Silver- Jack of Shadows — Roger Zelazny berg Lathe of Heaven — Ursula Le Guin A Time of Changes — Robert Silverberg 2. The Lathe Of Heaven — Ursula K. To Your Scattered Bodies Go — Le Guin Philip Jose Farmer 3. The Devil is Dead — R.A.Lafferty Novella 4. Margaret and I — Kate Vilhelm 5• The Byworlder — Foul Anderson Dread Empire — John Brunner 6. Half Fast Human — T.J.Bass Fourth Profession — Larry Niven Meeting with Medusa — Arthur Clarke Novella Queen of Air and Darkness — Poul Anderson 1. THE MISSING LIAN — Katherine Special Kind of Morning — Gardner McLean Dozois 2. The Infinity Box — Kate Wilhelm Short Story 3. Being There — Jerzy Kosinski 4. The God House — Keith Roberts All the Last Wars at Once — Geo. 5. The Plastic Abyss — Kate Vilhelm Alec Effinger Autumn Land — Clifford Simak Novelette Bear with a Knot in his Tail — Stephen Tall 1. QUEEN OF AIR AND DARKNESS — Poul Inconstant Moon — Larry Niven Anderson Sky — R.A.Lafferty Vaster than Empires and More Slow — 2. Mount Charity — Edgar Pungborn Ursula K.Le Guin 3. Poor Nan, Beggar Man — Joanna Russ Once more many, if not most, of 4. Special Kind of Morning — the nominees in the short fiction Gardner Lozois categories of both awards come from 4. The Encounter — Kate Vilhelm the original anthologies — Orbit, Quark, New Dimensions, Universe, Short Story Protostars — rather than from the magazines. Robert Silverberg's 1. GOOD KLwS FROM THE VATICAN — The u'orld Inside also made the final Robert oilverberg Hugo, ballot for best novel, but was 2. The Last Ghost — Stephen Goldin ’withdrawn by the author. It's nice to see Silverberg winning a Nebula 3• Horse of Air — Gardner Dozois for A Time of Changes, though it 4. Heathen God — George Zebrouski isn't one of his best novels, after

3 having been runner-up in that cate­ fame). No doubt we'll be seeing the gory in 1967, 1968 and 1970, and film in London in due course. It 4th in 1969. SF's answer to Leeds may be a lot longer before we get United I the Russian film of Solaris, direct­ ed by Tarkovsky from the novel by It's probably not too late if you Stanislaw Lem (who, you may remem­ want to have your say in the dispos­ ber, was mentioned in passing in ition of the Hugos to join the LACon. Vector 59). The film doesn't seem UK supporting membership used to to have gone down too well with cost £2.00 — I assume it still does some of the English critics, who — for which you get all the prog­ found it slow, not to say boring. ress reports, plus the programme book, plus the final report which Others were much more impressed, and from the reviews it would appear they swear they're going to produce this year (the same oath has been that the film follows the book reas- onably faithfully, not least in dem­ sworn in the past by other Worldcon anding an effort from the reader/ committees without ever coming to viewer. I look forward very much to anything; still, let's be optimist­ seeing it, but dread the possibility ic and say that it would be a good that someone will seize upon it as thing to have if it comes off), plus the Russian 2001 and promote it as a vote for the Hugo. If you're in­ such, complete with the usual awful terested, you can get details from dubbed American dialogue. the convention's trusty U.K. agent Peter Roberts (87 Rest Town Lane, Bristol BS4 5DZ).

If you have a club or society to keep amused, or even if you just like to show films to yourself in the privacy of your own home, a series of films An event which sounds well worth about sf is now available from attending is Speculation III, the Visual Programme Systems Ltd (send third annual one-day conference on enquiries to 21 Great Titohfield St., sf, which takes place at the London W1P 7 AD). There are 5 films University of Birmingham on in the series, all in 16mm and Saturday 24th June, starting at colour, running between 20 and 30 10 a.m. and ending at 6 p.m. You minutes. Poul Anderson discusses should find a flyer advertising plot; Forry Ackerman talks about the conference somewhere in with films; Asimov on the history of sf; this issue. If you can't attend, Harlan Ellison conducting a seminar well, some of the proceedings may on new directions in sf; a John U. appear in a future Vector. But Campbell working lunch, with Harry that isn't settled yet. Admission Harrison and Gordon Dickson. All price is 70p; full-time students of these can be borrowed, at about and pensioners 35p« I was intend­ £5 a throw. ing to try and get in half-price as one of the former (after all, I will be at - college full time next year); locking in the mirror Of course, Vector always needs lately, though, perhaps I'd stand material of all kinds — articles, more chance of passing myself off reviews, that sort of thing — as one of the latter. but one thing I'm particularly short of at present is artwork. Dave Rowe and Andrew Etephenson have kindly provided some for this issue, at rather short notice, but more is needed. So if you do any of that kind of thing, please do Some success at the Cannes Film send some in. Two restrictions: Festival for sf films, I notice. The it must be black-on-white (or v.v.) Jury Prize went to the American film and it must bo done to a full-page of Slaughterhouse Five, directed by size of A4 (tho magazine being photo­ George Roy Hill (of Butch Cassidy graphically reduced from that size).

4 Through a jonn Brunner Glass Darkly

Science fiction, it seems to me, is like battle on horseback and inspiring them a mirror — a distorting mirror, admitt­ to rout the enemy before the gates of edly, yet one which like all mirrors re­ Vienna. His navy consists of sailing flects what is set before it: our hopes ships, built of wood. The anonymous and fears, our aspirations and our author seemingly could not conceive of doubts. any major change in the type of warfare he was accustomed to. Although, ostensibly, it deals with the future, when I am writing I am al­ Yet it's highly likely that he may ways conscious of the fact that I am have lived long enough to hear about thinking in the present and by the time Montgolfier's hot-air balloon and even my reader sees what I have written it of Charles's hydrogen balloon, which will belong to his past. Already, in opened up the third dimension to man­ the twenty years or so I've been writing kind. SF, I have seen many, many of my imagin­ There followed the perfection of the ary futures overtaken by events, so that steam-engine, the development of rail­ they belong neither to the future nor to ways, the invention of the electric the past, but to a limbo of unrealisable telegraph... All of a sudden, new dev­ possibilities. ices wTere appearing so thick and fast Yet the commonest raw material for SF that it was no longer tenable to picture is speculation about what's to come, and the future as essentially an unaltered here I am confining myself to that as­ extension of the present. pect of it. It was not that technology, prior to Has it ever occurred to you how very the industrial revolution, did not recent is the idea that the future will exist. Consider the extreme sophistic­ be significantly different from the pre­ ation attained by the windmill just be­ sent? It's as new as the Industrial fore the steam-engine took over. Hot Revolution; in other words it's only two only did it face the wind automatically, centuries old. According to I.F.Clarke regardless of what direction it was in Voices Prophesying ’ciar, in 1763 there blowing from; it its ultimate form it appeared in lingland a book entitled The could — also automatically — feather Reign of George VI, 1900-1925. (You may its sails to prevent them being damaged note that we did in fact have a King by a gale, employing a feedback system George VI in this century.) That king as modern as any you can find today even is portrayed leading his troops into though its cogs, shafts and gears were

Guest of Honour Speech at the 1972 Swedish Sf Con

5 7

forged by the local blacksmith or carved passing, that in studying the history out of timber! of science fiction one can draw more pertinent and valid conclusions by ex­ No, the point was rather that innova­ amining the continuity of the audience tion, up to that time, had produced its than by looking for a direct line of effects slowly, as it were by diffusion literary descent, with one author in­ and not by imposition, and often the fluencing a successor or several succ­ inpact of an invention was not recog­ essors. Until the establishment on a nised as stemming from that actual universal basis of an awareness that cause. The horse-collar is frequently the future is going to be different, cited as an example. By putting the there was no possibility of SF arising load on the animal1s forequarters in­ as a recognisable and distinct cate­ stead of its neck, that enabled heavier gory of literature. Therefore those loads to be drawn. The stirrup is a people who enjoy SF today are the similar case; not only did it improve counterparts of those ’..’ho in late med­ the rider's control and make his pos­ ieval times avidly read such fantastic ture more secure, but it also permitted travellers’ tales as those attributed archers to rise in the saddle and shoot, to Sir John Mandeville....or indeed who on the move. One must likewise bear in listened to the bard and skald singing mind the windmill, as I mentioned, and about Beowulf! the watermill, and wire-drawing — and here's one of my favourite stories, by But a liking for novelty, marvels, the way. It seems that in the fif­ new sensations, is not by any means the teenth century the craftsmen of Augs­ same as an interest in invention and burg were desperately attempting to draw innovation. It was not until a suffic­ iron into wire. They knew it had been ient number of people had been suffic­ done elsewhere, but every time they iently affected within the span of a tried it the iron proved so brittle that single lifetime by the impact of new it snapped. One day, a particularly inventions that SF could come into ex­ exasperated experimenter grew so sick istence in a form we can identify as a of failure that he gathered up his stock precursor of what is being written tod­ of iron rod, carried it along the pass­ ay. When the climate of public opinion age and ceremoniously dumped it in the was ripe, it emerged. , privy. Thinking better of his rash im­ Such pre-industrial works as Kep­ pulse the next day, he retrieved the ler's Somnium, or Bishop Godwin's and rods and had another go. To his amaze­ Cyrano de Bergerac's accounts of voy­ ment, this time they drew into good­ ages to the moon, although employing a quality wire. few devices which foreshadowed SF, re­ Which is why, for a long while after­ flected a tradition harking back to the wards, you could see the wire-drawers days of alchemy rather than forward to of Augsburg going to work with a yoke what we would now regard as science. across their shoulders and a pail at Once this watershed had been cross­ each end. One contained their lunch. ed, however, it is possible to argue The other contained — ah — its exact that for each successive generation opposite. there has been a view of the future What had happened, of course, was which carries more than mere plausibil­ that carbon had penetrated and temp­ ity. You -..•ill appreciate that I am ered the surface of the rods, reducing throughout talking in terms of our the risk of brittle fracture and imp­ highly literate and highly tectyological roving the mechanical qualities of the western culture; I have no intention metal. At that time, however, it did here of getting embroiled in oriental not apparently occur to anyone to try views of the relationship between past and discover a basic underlying prin­ and future or man and the universe. ciple to account for this change in the Mere plausibility is something that iron. The habit of looking deliber­ even a meuiocre writer can acheive with ately for new techniques was not sys­ in the confines of a story, or even a tematised. novel. Beyond this lies what you might That is not to say there was no call conviction. One might illustrate taste for novelty. Cn the contrary. it this way: peoole not accustomed to It's my opinion, I should remark in the wide-ranging and free-wheeling deg­

6 ree of speculation ire arc used to in SF know of no more apt and eloquent express­ might say, "Yes, the future is going to ion of this belief, which survived well be different — but it's most likely to into the present century and in a few be of the general form such-and-suoh, backward areas such as Alabama and Cape and any writer ,:ho nrojects something Town still does survive, than what 'Jin­ completely out of line is going to have wood Reade said in The Martyrdom of Man, a lot of explaining to do before he can the book which inspired H.G.lfells to convince me!" write his Outline of History. Here's a- passagc from it: Thus, at the stage where it becomes possible to isolate SF for the first "The negroes are imitative in an ex­ time in its modern guise, at the stage traordinary degree, and imitation is where it became reasonable for a writer the first principle of progress...it to specialise in it (Jules Verne being will, I believe, be found that when of course the obvious example), the pro­ they enjoy the same inducements to jection common to the great majority of work as other men, when they can hope literate and intellectual persons was to distinguish themselves in the par­ the one reflected by the majority of SF: liament, the pulpit, or in social a euphoric view conditioned by the succ­ life, they will become as we are, the ess of the European industrial powers in slaves of an idea, and will work day exploring unknown territory, carving and night to obtain something which empires, and nations out of them, and they desire but do not positively immensely increasing their material need." wealth. Lot me give an instance from In passing, you will doubtless note Verne, one of hundreds. In The Clipper the implied agreement with the so-called of the Clouds Robur is flying over Dah­ "Puritan ethic", which held that work omey when his lookout spots a tribe tor­ was holy and rest — if not exactly sin­ turing captives in preparation for a ful — at least something to be worked cannibal feast. Using the flying-mach­ for. ine and the power of European guns, he drives the natives away and frees the Low I have elsewhere summed up this captives. picture of the future as seen from the The attitude underlying this epi­ 19th century as "the naive Victorian sode is precisely that of the ’.Ihite lian's belief in man's ability to conquer the Burden philosophy, the argument that the universe by the power of steam." Per­ European is obliged to civilise the non­ haps I should add gunpowder, for winwood white races, by force if need be. I Reade, on the very next page after the extract I quoted above, foresaw European—

7 ised negroes opening up the centre of — you arc rich — we are all rich and Africa "with Bible and musket"! happy because vc are so few and we live so long." However that may be, we do have here the first very widespread, the first Considering that that was written in conviction-carrying idea of what the fut­ 1912, I find it most impressive. ure was most likely going to be. It was the one which sank roots so deep into our collective unconscious that traces The tradition of Morris's News from of it still linger; one could apply it 1-iowherc continued; it reached perhaps very aptly to the world's most famous its most eloquent expression in Graves's and highest-paid SF writer today, Arthur novel Seven Lays in Nev Crete (other­ Clarke, with the crucial qualification wise Watch The North Viind Rise), but by that in such books as Childhood's Snd and large the popular image of the fut­ Arthur has envisaged radically contrast­ ure remained that of most SF writers, ing alternatives, including the possib­ whether specialists or not. expansion ility (in that novel) that our concern equalled progress, and progress was all. for the individual and his rights may be The tarnish, however, had appeared a blind alley in our evolution to early on this romantic steam-driven fut­ another stage of intelligence. Perhaps ure. Kipling, in the story referred to Larry Niven would be a more precise in­ above, revealed a fundamental optimism. stance of someone who has inherited the Wells, in whose long shadow we SF -writ­ same principles. ers still for the most part have to When somebody proposed a future which work, was inclined by his different was absolutely at variance with this background and upbringing towards pess­ general conception, like William Morris imism, securely founded on the insights in News from Nowhere with its plea for a of Marx, Darwin, Mayhew- and other clear­ voluntary return to a craftsman-and- sighted critics of the industrialised peasant culture, the audience was limit­ world. Not only in The Time Machine ed and the response minimal. It was the but also in The Shape of Things to engineer's future -which was most accept­ Come and many other works he emphasised able....and the entrepreneur's. That of the cost at which progress was being course did not prevent such alternative bought, th-. price in humanity and hu­ views being voiced. Nor did it prevent maneness. He also stressed the ways in the authors from being more correct than which so-called progress could backfire, their contemporaries. A few of them had through misuse of our new discoveries, exceptional insight. One of the most and although like many propagandists he remarkable was Rudyard Kipling, who in exaggerated his case in books like The With the Night Hail and Lacy as ABC .-.ar in the Air, he was absolutely right foresaw.an end to democracy — because in principle. This was borne in on the of its unfortunate tendency to lapse comfortable — indeed smug — school of into mob-rule, with its concomitant naive progrescivists by the appalling riots and lynchings — and the rise of a slaughter of the First World War. For managerial form of government based on four years the proud heirs of that glo­ the power to control trade and communic­ rious Age. of Steam applied the achieve­ ations, not to mention the need to re­ ments of science to the destruction of verse the- population explosion! Quote: their fellow humans, breaking all rec­ ords for battle-casualties. The pre­ "The Planet has taken all precautions vious greatest mass-murderers, such as against Crowds for the past hundred Attila, Genghis Han and Chaka Zulu, years. What is our total population probably did not kill as many people in today? Six hundred million, we hope; their entire lives as the- British, five hundred, we think; but if next French and German generals were happy year's census shows more than four to wipe out in a single week. hundred and fifty, I myself will eat all the extra little babies. ’Ie It was hardly to be expected that have cut the birth-rate out — right this traumatic experience .ould be foll­ out! For a long time we have said owed by a complete switch to a pessim­ to Almighty God, 'Thank You, Sir, istic view of the future. It is true but we do not much like Your game: of that Kells's attitude, the cynical one, of life, so we will not play.'" became the. respectable one among in­ And a line or two later: "I am rich tellectuals,, and such authorities as

8 Professor J.B.S.Haldane, when they made No, on the contrary, what shapes the projections of man's future, spoke in mass opinion of the public is the cont­ terms of millions of years before any inual hammer-hammer-hammer of advertis­ significant social difference would be ing, and of propaganda in all its forms. perceived. (He also referred to two Even during the Depression years, a partly-successful moon landings having belief persisted in the power of applied been achieved by the year 8,000,000.... technology to make the world a para­ though in neither case did the crew dise. Given that the slump was being manage to return to Earth.) cured by such projects as the Tennessee Let me quote from Haldane1s The Last Valley Authority, bringing electricity Judgment, written in the 1930's (I'm to the remotest villages and farms; afraid my copy of the collection it given that Ford's Model T and Model A appears in provides no date): had endowed even the poorest of the poor with unprecedented mobility — "For the human race on Earth was and, incidentally, revolutionised Ameri­ never greatly influenced by an en­ can sexual habits and later those of visaged future. After physiology other countries because in a oar a court­ was discovered primitive men long ing couple could get away from the sharp continued to eat and drink substan­ eye of their parents — given all this, ces which they knew would shorten plus a wistful envy of other and hypo­ and spoil their lives. Mineral fuels thetically happier times and places, it were also oxidised without much fore­ was not surprising that the Sf magazines thought. The less pigmented of the persisted in the obsolescent attitude primitive races exhausted the fuel towards the future which had been in­ supply under the continents on which herited from the last century. they lived with such speed that for some centuries the planet was dom­ However, it's notable that an in­ inated by the yellow: variety resid­ creasing degree of interest in social ent in eastern Asia....The unpigment­ consequences becomes discernible at ed men appear to have foreseen this this time. We begin to move away from event, but did little or nothing to the stock figures of the twenties, the prevent it, even when it was clearly handsome rich hero who builds a star­ only a few generations ahead. Yet ship in his private laboratory and pro­ they had before them the history of vides three cabins, one for himself, one an island in the North Atlantic, on for his fiancee and one for the elderly which Newton and Darwin are said to scientist who goes along as chaperone. have lived, and whose inhabitants With the advent of World War II, and were the first to extract mineral ultimately of the atomic bomb, we reach fuel and the first to exhaust it, a stage where disillusionment begins to after which they disappeared from coexist with optimism. I have said the stage of history, although at elsewhere that the chief attribute of one time they had controlled large the science fiction hero is that he portions of the earth's land sur­ knows what he's doing — an enviable face ." talent — but, faced with the possi­ For a contemporary Briton that has bility that we might destroy ourselves, an uncomfortably correct ring to it... the irritating question arose unavoid­ ably: "How the hell did we get into But we human beings are incapable of this mess?" living with the belief that our best efforts are doomed to failure, that our During the First World War, unless children's lot will inevitably be worse you were unlucky enough to live in than our own. Besides, the mass of the Flanders or Western Russia or some public — and in that mass I include the other actual field of combat, the war readership of the SF magazines which came to you second-hand; the few Zepp­ appeared late in the 1920"s as a spec­ elin and Gotha raids on Britain were ialist category — are not chiefly ex­ terrifying, but they caused no actual posed to the views of people like Wells, disruption — that was occasioned at a Haldane, or Aldous Huxley, whose cynical distance, by submarine blockade or projection of an antiseptic future world your brother's receipt of a conscrip­ where God has been replaced by Ford re­ tion notice. The Second World War mains as alarmingly valid as it ever abolished frontiers over much of was. Europe; no one who covered listening 9 - to a V-l or the nightly drone of devastation seems incongruous a quarter Lancaster bombers could fail to be of a century after that war’s end, yet aware that the finest aohcivements of the fact stands: it is here that the modern science were being perverted to most conviction-laden sf is emerging. monstrous ends. It is true that the old future-vis­ That knowledge persists today, of ion continues to inspire many writers; course; switching on the TV news is I've earlier mentioned Larry Niven, and enough to inform us of the way in there are several older authors who which still more modern advances have have simply continued to express views been similarly misapplied. But in the which they held in their younger days last generation we have learned some­ and don't feel inclined to change. thing which is yet more disturbing. Poul Anderson is one of them; Gordon Even when we are doing something innoc­ Dickson is another; Robert A.Heinlein uous, or actively beneficial, such as must also be included in this class, I inventing penicillin or DDT, we now feel, despite his unconvincing bows to realise we are screwing ourselves up. "permissiveness" and "withitness" in We are more and more often discovering I Will Fear No Evil. (That's a curious that the cure is worse than the dis­ novel, because despite the lawlessness ease. Reduce the infant-mortality and violence, not to mention the poll­ rate; inevitably you increase the ution of the larger world, its action scale — and the likelihood — of fam­ is played out in an enclosed area pro­ ine. Cleanse the orchards of insect­ tected by the power of money. One pests; unexpectedly you find birds' thinks of Marie Antoinette and her court nests full of broken eggs because their playing and shepherds and shepherdesses shells crushed under the mother's while the real peasants were listening weight. Make the weekly washing less to the call of revolution.) of a chore; next time you go to the But it's becoming more and more ess­ river, intending to spend the time ential for a writer of SF who wants to you've saved fishing, there are no project an optimistic future to show, or fish to be caught. And so on. at least hint, how we got there from We are, in consequence, on the here. In other words, it's no longer verge of a complete reversal of our permissible to take for granted a bright former popular picture of the future. future of interplanetary and inter­ Unless something is done to prevent stellar travel, where dirt and disease it, very quickly, the image of tom­ are unknown and racial prejudice is a orrow which carries the greatest power forgotten aberration; on the contrary, to convince is going to be that of the dirt, disease, prejudice and so world-wide starvation, disease and forth must be taken for granted, and probably senseless warfare. One can the alternative depicted as stemming see this view spreading. One can from some special cause which inter­ tell by the way the younger SF writers fered with the foreseeable course of are concentrating on stories of disas­ events. f ter and collapse; as I said at the Alternatively one may revert to start of this article, SF functions Haldane's view, and depide that it may as a distorting mirror of the present. indeed take millions of years for us to Norman Spinrad has written all his evolve into fit company for each other.. most powerful stories on themes of disaster and destruction: "The Big Flash" and "The Lost Continent" are In the distorting mirror of SF, we have probably his finest work. James seen many facets of our successive pre­ Tiptree Jr. (who I predict will coll­ sents reflected. At each stage we have ect a Nebula very soon, and probably a seen a loss of confidence. It is as Hugo too) similarly produces his most though the future, of which we had such impressive work in a downbeat mood; high hopes, has let us down when it his recent F&SF story is an example, actually arrived. Lach stage of this "And I Awoke and Found Ke on the Cold loss of confidence can be matched with Hillside". Samuel Delany's best novel, a pattern of present-time events. The The Einstein Intersection, is laid in a First World War; the Second; the Dep­ post-disaster world. What was only ression; all the other little wars — natural against the background of WWII's so-called —’from Algeria to Viet-Nam; 10 and, on our own doorsteps, the terrify­ care what he's doing. Or even whether ing rise in drug-addiction in the States he's doing anything at all. and elsewhere, not to mention the brutal In the distorting mirror which SF religious war in Ulster and the racial holds up to us in the present, what we conflicts in the US and in Southern see — you must never forget this — Africa... It is only too typical that is actually here. It may not be here the first practical application of a in the same proportion, but precisely rocket-design intended to launch men because the writers are working in the into space was to deliver a ton of high present and their readers are reacting explosive at a time on a great city. in the present what strikes hardest, Along .ith all these great disapp­ what is most likely to touch a nerve, ointments, then are the smaller and more is what influences the changing view nagging ones. Consider the city of of the future that carries more than Stockholm: it used to be the custom of plausibility, that carries conviction. liberals to point to the enlightened By that standard of measurement, a policies of Sweden, its publicly-fin­ film such as 2001 did not gain its anced housing, its excellent education­ massive audience because it portrayed al and medical systems, and so forth, an inspiring view of a probable future. as a viable and admirable alternative to the communist ideal....it being taken for granted that unbridled capit­ alism was going to rape the planet sooner or later and leave us starving in the midst of luxury. Yet it's notorious that there is an emptiness in the lives of many young people there, which leads them to waste their time driving around aimlessly, nicking up girls for casual sex, drink­ ing too much and experimenting with drugs even more dangerous than alcohol. It is perhaps not the least sobering (reference intentional) discovery of our time that there are a great many people whose chief ambition is. to ren­ ounce the power of reason that's suppos­ Its appeal was founded on nostalgia and ed to mark us out from the brute creat­ ro -ted in escapism. Just as, during ion, and with th-.? h In of L:.D or other the Depression years, people crowded to artificial aids to switc'i off their cinemas to see lush Hollywood musicals; consciousness for good. just as today people in Hong Kong go day after day to see an endless success­ ion of violent and fantastic historical movies; so the customers for 2001 came, and keep coming, in search of the last expression of the future-view which has been dominant from the very beginning of SF. No matter that man has had "a little help from my friends"; he's going to the stars one way or another 1 ..'ho cares that the odd computer here and there may go crazy? We're used to that — did you hear what happened last week at my bank? It may seem somewhat paradoxical to claim that a film supposedly about the future can draw audiences because it's nostalgic. But the paradox resolves That's a far cry from the old ideal here: that now-outdated view of the of the IF hero, isn't it? In place of future which I've repeatedly alluded to the man who knows what he's doing, we it-.elf belongs to the past. Consciously find more and more the man who doesn't the majority of people who bother to 11 think about the future at all, includ­ For talking about the future as seen ing specialist SF -writers, are compell­ from a given moment in time tells us ed to admit that the trends detectable things about the present which we might in the present which will give rise to not otherwise be able to appreciate. our future offer little encouragement There are signs that this has begun for optimism. Time after time, the to happen. To cite just one relevant most hopeful-seeming developments have example, the opera Aniara is clearly foundered in the midst of war, and SF. More and more young writers have now — this cannot be emphasised too come into the field — more and more often — those which have escaped being young artists have made their appearance misapplied to killing are entraining in the galleries — more and more crea­ subtler but no less fearful consequences. tive personalities have been emerging It's small wonder that people vague­ who acknowledge openly that SF had a ly aware of this state of affairs look determining influence on their think­ back with regret to that simplistic ing in childhood. One must have res­ idealised future which never actually ervations about some of the consequen­ happened ces; endless reruns of the Flash Gordon movie serials do not exactly open up new vistas for us I But on balance the Does it follow from this that SF writ­ effect must surely be healthy. After ers must resign themselves to becoming all, at least part of the reason why we the modern counterpart of fabulists, are in such a mess today can be found and spin mere technological fairy-tales in the fact that the people who led the without foundation in reality? Does it way here imagined the future was going follow that they must pack up and go to take care of itself, that any amount home? I don't think so. While it is of rubbish could be left behind for true that SF has regularly and routine­ their children to clear away, that any ly reflected the present in a distort­ quantity of resources could be squand­ ing mirror, let us not forget, that ered, any number of trees cut down, those distortions are under the control mines exhausted, rivers fouled, and the of the writer. He is free to choose future would still be bright and glor­ whether he makes a straightforward pro­ ious! At any rate we're learning better jection of foreseeable tendencies, or And people who throughout their lives whether he hypothesizes some new-as- have been encouraged — thanks to sf — yet imaginary influence that may alter to worry about tomorrow, are that much those tendencies, or even abort them. more likely to question destructive SF has been around for quite a long obsolete principles, such as the sacred­ time now. Not only does it now reflect ness of hard work, the obligation to the present, as it has always done; it make a lot of money, the equation of has to some extent at least conditioned greed with progress, the identification it. It's notorious that the director of material comfort with psychological of NASA dedicated a photograph of an happiness. We are going to have to Apollo team to Arthur Clarke, saying he throw away a lot of our old misconcept­ had given the team the necessary intell­ ions, and as I've said, our conviction­ ectual drive to get to the moon. How carrying view of the future is currently that not only scientists and technici­ being turned topsy-turvy. But although ans, but ordinary people, can see and I'm rationally a pessimist, I'm congen­ occasionally comprehend the impact of itally an optimist. We can find a way science on our lives, SF is regarded out. Even if it means postponing the with a respect it formerly did not realisation of our stock SF dreams to enjoy among academics, intellectuals the third millenium, that's a minor and influential persons generally. It hardship compared with drowning in our would be nice to think that it will re­ own waste products. main worthy of that respect; that its themes will be substantial, that its The distorting mirror is at present scope will grow wider, that the fresh reflecting the sores and scabs on our approaches and the resources of imag­ body politic. That may, eventually, ery which it has developed will be more help us to pluck up our courage and and more frequently applied in general call the doctor. fiction, drama and the other arts. John Brunner 12 It was a pleasure to see Fahrenheit 451 again at Chester, even though any film you care about looks impotent on 16mm in a smoke-filled Convention hall where the acoustics are bad and everyone's Science Fiction fidgeting to get away to the bar, and there are interruptions for the reel­ changes. The print had scratches all over it, of course, and was printed with chunks of picture missing on and the Cinema either side; altogether it was rather like trying to read a book through a gas-mask with the lights out — almost as bad, in fact, as watching films on television. But plenty of people stuck with it, and they were all disposed to discuss it afterwards, so it served its purpose. I hope we can all see it again under perfect conditions one day, but meanwhile all praise to Harry ■ A COLUMN BY Hadler and his lot for laying it on. All Truffaut's films are about lon­ eliness, in my view, and Fahrenheit is one of his bleakest. Like his delin­ Philip Strick quent (in Les Quatre Cents Coups), his musician (in Shoot the Pianist), his femme fatale (in Jules et Jim and many more), and his married man (in La Peau Douce). Truffaut's fireman is on a hunt for a real self, a hunt of which he only gradually becomes aware, through his encounters with other people making similar journeys. On the one hand is his wife Linda, immersing herself in the television 'family' which.even addresses her by name. On the other is Philip Strick is a man of many parts: Clarisse, the appealing girl from next film critic for Monthly Film Bulletin; door who parallels his wife's narcissism columnist in Films and Filming; chair­ by wondering why society won't accept man of this year's Speculation Con­ her. Logically enough they are both ference; lecturer for the University played by Julie Christie, looking gor­ ui London Department of Extra-Mural geous as the wife but very awkward as Studies with a course of lectures the neighbour, a piece of casting which entitled 'Worlds of Science Fiction' at one stroke reveals and emphasises one commencing this September. I've of the most important patterns of the probably omitted a few things, but Bradbury original. Sadly, the balance can now add one: columnist for is missed by the film's deletion of Vector. The column's title doesn't Faber, the old man who is Montag's ally mean that Philip will always be in the second half of the book, and who talking about sf films, not by any is Bradbury's 'outsider' equivalent to means; this first installment stems the fire chief. The paternalistic in part from a discussion at Chester aspects of the chief, an omniscient on the merits of Fahrenheit 451, bantam who consigns Me in Kampf to the which seemed to provide an approp­ flames with honeyed reassurances but riate starting point.... is also nervously dependent on the loyalty of his staff, are however well brought out by the film — and they're in keeping with one of Bradbui'y's per­ sistent themes, the adored but elusive father. Truffaut uses a tiny scene

13 near the end of the film to acknowledge to become as depressing as its theme. this, with an old man dying as his son Nicolas Koeg, since become a film haltingly recites the words his father director in his own right, gives has taught him. splendour to the photography, while Bernard Herrmann's music has a rich The following of instructions from and pounding excitement that almost a higher authority: Montag is simply makes you want to take up book­ exchanging one authority for another burning for the hell of it. Herr­ when he takes to reading books instead mann, of course, has done the music of burning them, which is no doubt for many of Hitchcock's films, which why Truffaut gives him the air of a is a reminder of Truffaut's admira­ monkish pedant rather than that of an tion for the great man; seeing enthusiastic convert (and how is it, they all asked at Chester, that he knows how to read anyway? And why is it, I ask, that we don't see his first momentous gesture of revolt by preserving the first book from burn­ ing?). But if there is an ultimate irony in that Montag 'becomes' some­ one else — and it could only be Poe I — at least he is better off, Truff­ aut suggests, than are his previous oo-zombies, who have no identity at all save that stamped upon them by the ultra-ELatonic city-state. It's a chilly message, particularly in its snowbound final scenes where the muted landscape colours are approp­ riately more easy on the eye than the superbly strident shades of earlier sequences. My assumption has always been that its intention was pessi­ mistic, but when I checked this with Truffaut himself, meeting him for the first time just a couple of weeks ago, he maintained that he is always the optimist; the snow just happened to fall at the right moment, and he regards the ending as one of beauty and contentment. Well, I stick to my critical guns. As the bookmen tramp with purposeful aimlessness along the lakeside, muttering to them­ selves like madmen, it seems to me that they may well have all the di­ Fahrenheit once more, I noticed that versity of books in a very public it had more of Hitchcock in it, library but there seems little chance however, than the soundtrack. Mon­ of their ever being read. Bradbury's tag's nightmare, for example, has ending blew the city sky-high on the something of the mood of Vertigo — horizon, but Truffaut leaves the and there are indeed (as John Hamsey stainless mausoleum intact, and with Campbell pointed out at the Con­ it remains, in my view, the inference vention) some subtle resemblances to that the bookmen may never cease to that film in the story. Whether or be socially redundant. Their self- not you go in for influence-spotting sacrifice would seem to have only most of Fahrenheit is compulsive fractionally more purpose — in that watching in its own right — partic­ it is at least a matter of personal ularly the punctuating shot of the choice — than that of their city mini fire-engine, scooting through cousins. the countryside like a child's dream Even so, Fahrenheit has too much come true, or the book-burning exhilaration, polish and humour ever scenes, in which tho flames pore

14 fascinatedly over the pages in hyp­ and would seem on this evidence much notic close-up. A timely reference drawn to the theme of a foredoomed to La Religieuse (Rivette's film was hero who insists on outliving his being martyred in France at the time usefulness. But the potential iron­ Truffaut was making Fahrenheit at ies in the film have either been so Pinewood), an obligatory "Cahiers du overemphasised as to become banal, -Cinema" (tribute to Truffaut's days or have been subverted by the intro­ as a critic), but otherwise Truffaut duction of blatantly 'loaded' fac­ wisely lets the books speak for tors like the child who wonders if themselves. And they are marvellous­ Heston is God (not yet, dear, not ly eloquent. yet), and the irresistible heroine, coolly played by Rosalind Cash, who provides Heston for no very good Turning to more recent screen ex­ reason other than that it hasn't ploits, I was sad to see what they'd been done before and might just en­ done to Richard Matheson, even if few sure a bigger audience, with his would rate _I Am Legend as greater in first black bedfellow. importance than Fahrenheit. It's a The film is often as garish in brutal novel, like all of Matheson's its appearance as in its script, work, but to my mind his best (yes, with lurid sets, unhelpfully stark despite Incredible Shrinking Man), lighting, and a great deal of uncert­ and it's the only thing on vampirism ainty in the editing (notably in the that doesn't leave me stone cold scenes of the escape on the motor­ bored. I've always thought it could cycle, rather obviously ridden by a make a really tremendous movie, and stuntman, and of Heston's sluggish so have plenty of scriptwriters; the demolition of an intruder who has first attempt at it was The Last Man climbed his outside wall while he's on Earth, made in Italy in 1$64 with been fiddling in the basement). Yet Vincent Price, with a good beginning it would be unfair not to say that and not much else. With The Omega the film has somehow managed to re­ Kan, Boris Sagal directs and Charl­ tain at least an echo of the compul­ ton Heston makes quite a decent stab siveness of Matheson's original, even at being Richard Neville, only to be while upturning its ending so that deprived, right at the start, of the the survival of Heston's blood­ essentially Mathesonian paranoia brothers is promised. The customary which would have had him pursuing garbage of disaster is as fascinat­ his victims with garlic and sharpen­ ing as ever: the empty city, the un­ ed stakes. Instead, he grasps a tended houses, the corpse-filled matter-of-fact machine-gun, and his hospital beds, the eerie menace of opponents are little more than torch-bearers in the streets at night albino psychotios in modish dark — sometimes, if nowhere near often glasses, sprinting impishly about enough, The Omega Man has an authen­ like Chaucerian friars. tic chill to offer. Sad that it Forgivable as it may be to sim­ could all have been so much better, plify the technology-versus-humanity but then that's what Matheson's debate in this fashion, The Omega novel was all about in the first Man reveals its true colours depress­ place... ingly quickly with Heston's screening of his favourite movie (Woodstock, -- Philip Strick no less) in which the garbled hopes of the peace-lovers are evidently in­ tended to encapsulate both the inno­ cence and the naivete of the common man. The scriptwriters, John and Cover and cartoon strip are Joyce Corrington, also wrote Von by Andrew Stephenson; all Richthofen and Brown (the Corman other artwork is by Lave movie released as The Red Baron), Rowe

15 Do'.-n-.rard to the Earth by Robert Silverberg Signet, 75c Son of Nan by Robert Silverberg Ballantine, /1.25

Reviewed by Terry Crooks

On second reading — following some months after the first — I found myself enjoying Downward to the Earth, Robert Silverberg1s good colonial novel, even more, if anything, than I had the first time round. Well, no: to call it a colonial novel, while partly accur­ ate, is misleading. Itfs the story of an ex-administrator who returns to the colony he formerly governed, where the native creatures proved to be intelligent, and were there­ fore given back their autonomy. But more than anything, it is a religious book. It is the story of a pilgrimage: the journey Edmund Gundersen undertakes to expiate his feelings of guilt; to find spiritual fulfillment; and, ultimately, to be reborn. The concern is one shared by other Silverberg novels. The paperback blurb for Nightwings, for example, describes it as a novel of 'redemp­ tion and renewal'; this might apply equally well to Downward to the Earth. There are closer correspondences with Silverberg's more recent novel A Time of Changes: both books attempt to depict in prose a transcendent experience, a kind of religious ec­ stasy; and both adopt much the same approach. It made the later novel seem to me a darker alternate to Downward to the Earth; but in both cases I felt the attempt was success­ ful. This is in every way a worthwhile book reviews book. Simply as an exotic adventure it is excellent: the world of Belzag- or is superbly drawn: the journey is dotted with many moments of real beauty and horror; the serious points about colonialism, its attitudes and its aftermath, are well made, without being over-insistent — one effective touch is the way in which Silverberg contrasts Gundersen's journey with the nildoror — the native b ings — 16 with the guided tour' on which the ceremonial means; and the concurrent party of tourists with whom he arriv­ idea that that the energy which pow­ ed Eire conducted. Even the rather ers the world is the same as sexual Ava Gardner-esque figure of Seena, energy, so that th? rites are gener­ waiting not-quite-alone in her house ally of a sexual nature. at the head of the huge Shangri-La This is one aspect of the book; falls comes off in context. It is a the other main strut is transcendence book well worth attention on each of again. The various sorts of human­ its three main levels, and to my ity each represent, rather obviously, mind it is Silverberg's best to date, Aspects of Man. Clay becomes each, despite being less ambitious in in turn, in an attempt to embrace technique than much of his other and understand each and therefore be recent work. able to become something more. One such book is Son of Man, a By the nature of this book, as book which seems to have received described above, it contains a great practically no attention in the fan deal of sex. I must confess that I press, possibly because nobody dared find Silverberg's writing about sex to commit themselves. This may be rather ugly: too harshly lighted, partly because Ballantine's packaging like pornographic photos. But at and advertising maintains that the the same time one should recognise book isn't sf; it is, very definitely that he does at least write about it but not sf of a kind to easily fit in an individual style; an achieve­ within established genre limitations. ment in itself in a world where the In fact, one of its notable achieve­ merest mention of a hardening nip­ ments is in its return to first prin­ ple seems sufficient to reduce most ciples. It approaches its idea with­ writers, whatever their abilities, out any apparent reference to what to an identical state of quivering has been done within the genre with mediocrity. the same kind of concept, to the various traditions which nowadays I’ve shied away from assessing restrict our imaginings while claim­ this book very much; it's too open ing to discipline them. for that, I feel. I think it's a novel you should try to read, but I It is also a book which practic­ don't guarantee your enjoyment. ally defies the critic to interpret I'm still not really sure how much it without making a fool of himself, I enjoyed it. and in all honesty I didn't actually enjoy it nearly as much as some of Silverberg's other books. Very basically, it's about a man who awakens in the distant future, when men have become much like gods — Mutant 59 — The Plastic £>ater or some of them have, since man has by Kit Pedler and Gerry Davis split into a number of separate Souvenir Press; £1.80 species. The symbolic note is str­ uck at the outset: when first asked Reviewed by Malcolm Edwards what was his name, he thinks for a while and replies, "I was Clay”. With one of the types of man, the The creators of "Doomwatch" here Skimmers, Clay performs the Five turn their talents to the literary Hites necessary to keep the -world field. The characters are different in balance. The idea seems closely from those of the TV series, but the analogous with the cosmological ideas situation itself could be taken of some North American Indian tribes straight from it — and indeed, if (my guess that this nay be the spec­ I remember correctly •..'hat I heard ific influence is Silverberg’s use about the first ever episode, which of material from the same source in I didn't see, it is. Two scientific his short story "Sundance"): the discoveries precipitate the disaster idea that the world is like a mach­ at the core of this novel. The first ine which slowly runs down and must, occurring some tine before the events from time to time, be ’round up' by of the book, is the c'.evclonn.'nt of a

17 bacteria which will attack certain ened. plastics. The scientist who discovers The prose is distressingly wooden it dies without ever revealing his and frequently ungrammatical. In secret, but spores of the bacteria fact, the only spark of life comes remain. Things start to happen when when the authors are describing some the dormant bacteria come into con­ of the disasters caused by the bac­ tact with a new form of plastic de­ teria, which they do with a rather veloped by a commercial scientific unpleasant relish: group, the Kramer Consultancy. This plastic provides just the food the "The severed nose section, turn­ bacteria needs and it eats, and grows, ing over and over like a giant and mutates, and spreads, becoming bullet, bounced once at the end able to digest a wider and wider of the road and, in one final range of plastics — and soon, all gigantic ricochet, spiralled over London, plastic is dripping into a tightly packed mass of uselessly from a thousand insulat­ housing, pulverising walls and ions. As short circuits occur every­ ceilings. where planes crash, submarines sink, "The remaining fuselage began to the London Underground grinds to a shatter, turning end over end halt. like a ragged metal stick flung A nice set-up for a disaster novel, through the air. but unfortunately the central events "The lives of the forty-eight aren't the only disastrous thing passengers and crew ceased almost about Mutant 59. It is regrettably simultaeneously as collapsing clear that neither of the authors bulkheads and jagged panelling knows much about writing a novel, let slashed their bodies into a alone about rewriting one. The book terrible carrion which rained stretches for 295 pages, perhaps 50A down on the street below..." over its optimum length. Tension is lost over pages and pages of clumsy In the end, of course, our hero action and dialogue. The physical finds the answer (they poison it, aspects of disaster — generally the but it takes them 250-odd pages to most fascinating part of such a book think of it) and the bacteria is — seem lacking, except for material defeated, while he gets the girl and relating to the London Underground, the chairmanship of the company. with which the authors seem peculiar­ A dull, amateurish novel; yet one ly obsessed. The characters are so which seems destined for a popularity artificial that one cannot help but which eludes practically all decent wonder why the bacteria didn't get sf, having been sold to book clubs, to them as well. Lectures are scat­ films etc for huge sums. It's rather tered through the text, most uncon­ depressing to me, but I expect the vincingly dramatised. To give just authors can cry all the way to the one example of the general ham-handed­ bank over that. ness of the book: towards the end, while research on the antidote is in full swing, the authors introduce one Professor Kendall, who is supervising the experiments. They discuss the Science Against Man situation to him, but they don't get very far: as soon as they mention edited by Anthony Cheetham Macdonald, £1.75; Avon, 75/ polymer chains and photosensitive links the Professor interrupts, saying, "Sorry, I'm a bit lost". Reviewed by John Bowles Pause for explanation. Then, when the discussion later turns to poly­ First, a word from the editor: peptides, the Professor is again at sea: "Polypeptides, sorry I don't "Ten years ago, a collection really see...". More explanation, such as this would have been a and the ignorant Professor and the collection of technological ignorant reader are equally enlight­ nightmares — crazy robots, poisoned wastelands, megalo- 18 if maniac computers, fiendish utionary lectures. Piers Anthony subliminal advertising tech­ and Harry Harrison are the culprits, niques, mega-death dealing and while the former is quite in­ microbes and warheads..... structive and the latter (dealing Today these nightmares are no with more familiar material) is longer the Preserve of the very vivid, neither story seems science fiction writer. They particularly relevant to this an­ are part of our daily lives." thology, or particularly good as a Now what do you suppose he meant story. by that? I mean, I don't know about Four stories, however, are rele­ you, but my daily life (admittedly vant. James Blish's "Statistician's mundane) is rarely disrupted by Day" is an effective short about the so much as a single crazy robot or necessity for maintaining a balance megalomaniac computer; and -while I between the various sections of a bow to no one in my mastery of fiend­ stable society. Since you can't ish subliminal advertising techniques control the number of people that are (such as the nearly-invisible inter­ born of a given kind... It's not a lineations in this review reading likely solution, but the story does "John Bowles is a great critic") I explore what would be a real prob­ must confess that I haven't seen a lem. (But Jim: where did you get mega-death dealing microbe since last the idea that middle-class Britons Thursday. Anyway.... refer to the bathroom as the ward­ Perhaps the authors were equally robe?) "The Hunter at His Ease", baffled by the conditions set, for by Brian Aldiss is a telling extra­ despite Mr Cheetham's assurances there polation of the technological imp­ are several stories which feature erialism of the industrialized count­ computers, one of which could be des­ ries, channeling their aggressive cribed as megalomaniac and another of tendencies against their less—fortu­ which is crazy. Furthermore, the best nate neighbours, having no outlet story in the collection is a poisoned- for them at home...while at the wasteland story pure and simple. The same time this provides the stim- question -,-hich the best of the stories - ulus for industrial development, seek to answer is one nosed by Nr Cheet- which is the only solution to the ham later in his introduction: "How population problems faced by the will (man) meet the challenge of his under-developed countries. It's a new environment?" complex problem, and makes for a worthwhile piece of fiction. The computer stories are generally unimpressive., perhaps because, of all Hobert Bilvcrberg's "In The lit Cheetham's 'technological nightmares', Beginning” is one of his Urbmon computers have truly become part of our stories; others have appeared in daily lives — so much so that it's no Galaxy, and some of thorn at least longer possible to accept the tradition­ form the background of his novel al Luddite approach, or to regard them The '..'orld Inside. The premise is as other than complex, efficient, and that by the mid-24th century the totally inanimate lumps of machinery. Earth will be able to accommodate So Paul Ableman's "Man's Estate" (only a population of 75 billion. Seven-eig­ peripherally in this group, admit­ hths of cultivable land is turned over tedly) is clever but empty, while to food production; the remainder is John Brunner's "The Invisible given over to the urban constellations Idiot" is merely dull. Bob Shaw's which house the vast population. A contribution is good-humoured and typical constellation, Chipitts, con­ entertaining, but unmemorable. sists of fifty urban monads, colossal Michael Moorcock's "Sea t.'olves" is apartment blocks, 1000 storeys high; (you guessed) a Jerry Cornelius self-contained worlds housing 800,000 story, one of the best of that people each — people who would no more ubiquitous gentleman's shorter ad­ step outside their monad than you or I ventures to my mind, but that's would visit another planet. The stor­ about all I dare say. ies, as a series, offer a solution to the population problem so effective Bafflingly, there are also two that breeding is once more encouraged, stories which are little more than but at what cost? In such closely fictionalized palaeontological/evol­ crowded living conditions violence 19 must be eliminated. Since repression Stonehenge by Harry Harrison breeds violence there must be no re­ and Leon Stover. pression; since tensions lead to vio­ lence there must be no tension. The Books received (may be reviewed result is Silverberg's 'post-privacy' in future issues) culture, and a horrifying, powerful From Gollanoz: Report on Planet vision it is. This said, this par­ Three, Arthur Clarke (£2.20); ticular story is not one of the best, Kuldesak, Richard Cowper (£1.80); having a tendency to excessive pat- Holding Wonder, Zenna Henderson ness, particularly in one of the best (£2.00); Patterns of Chaos, Colin ordered ’dream sequences' I've ever Kapp (£1.90); The Tombs of Atuan, encountered, in which one of the Ursula Le Guin (£1.25); Can You characters conveniently dreams all Feel Anything When I Eo This?, about the background of the story. Robert Sheckley (£1.8oT It's undeniably relevant, but should be assessed in the context of the rest From Faber: The Day After Judg­ of the series. ment, James Blish (£1.60); Fugue for a Darkening Island, Christopher The best story in the hook, though, Priest (£1.75); Nine Princes in much the best story, which is also the Amber, Roger Zelazny (£1.75) author's best story to my knowledge, is "The Lost Continent" by Norman From Sidgwick & Jackson: Timescoop, Spinrad. This poisoned-wasteland John Brunner (£1.50); lihat' s Become epic gives us an unforgettable picture of Screwloose, Ron Goulart (£1.75); of America a couple of centuries Nightwings, Robert Silverberg (£1.60) hence: entire seaboards blanketed in Out of Their Minds, Clifford Simak smog banks; deserted cities; sub­ (£i.6o). .. human survivors in the New York subways; the surface inhabitants, From Peter Davies: Stonehenge, Leon Stover and Harry Harrison (£2.10) lucky to live to $0 even if they change their breathing filters every From Pan/Ballantine: R is for Rocket day, such is the virulence of the at­ and S is for Space, Hay Bradbury (25p mosphere. Spinrad knows the power of each)”; 100 Years of SF, Damon Knight his material, and mostly just lets it (2 vols, 30p each"J7 A Voyage to Arc­ speak for itself, which it does elo­ turus, David Lindsay (40n); Water of quently in a series of carefully the Wondrous Isles, William Morris described landscapes. The story (40n); The Palace of Eternity, Bob is simply that of a prosperous Shaw (30p); The People Trap, Robert tourist party from flourishing Sheckley (30p). Africa, come to marvel at the From Tandem: The Time Mercenaries, ruins of the greatest civilization Philip E.High (25p); Confessions of the world has known — a journey Westchester County, Barry Kalzberg counterpointed by the ritual play­ (Olympia Press, 60p); Priest-Kings ing-out of the old racial con­ of Gor, John Norman (30p) flicts. It's an old cliche to say that it's worth getting a From Arrow: The Jagged Orbit, John book for one story alone, but I Brunner (50n) think it's true here (it does in any case account for about a quarter of the book's length). Not that the rest are worthless; they'll keep you entertained, and three of them are pretty worth­ while in themselves anyway. But it's Spinrad's book.

In the next Vector, we will feature reviews of, among others, The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula Le Guin, Fugue for a Darkening Island by Christopher Priest, 20 Last year at the Worcester Eastercon everyone told me how good a time they'd had on the Thursday evening before the official start of the convention, so I arrived happily and expectantly on Thursday afternoon, Chester found no one in the Blossoms, and •walked the mile and a half to my overspill hotel, the notorious Peacock. This bustling place was a Song at giant Twenties pub and was closed until the landlord arrived at 6 p.m. "We generally go to bed at eleven Twilight o'clock," said his wife. "But I daresay you'll be back before then?" Looks like a really good con, I thought. However, things became somewhat from Our Man at brighter with the arrival of Greg Pickersgill, famed Fouler editor, the Convention an ex-Australian comic fan John Brosnan. We kept the poor land­ lady up till half past one waiting for Roy Kettle who, as it happened, was still sleeping peacefully in London. She had her own back the next morning, though, and charged Peter John £4 for the double-room... We made our way over to the Blossoms, where Greg and I found we'd been double-booked. Great. Roberts Last straw, and all that. Anyway, much of Friday was spent in long and tedious arguments and a great deal of trudging around; the mon­ soon came to Chester, the Peacock opened an hour late, and the police waited watching us, whilst we waited watching hamsters in a rat-race. If A walking tribute to the destructive Greg and I looked sour and more than power of Guinness, Peter Roberts is usually dishevelled on Friday, you well-known as Britain's fannish fan now know why. The con committee par excellence. He's just completed later cleared things up and we part­ a four-year course at Keele in — I ed fairly amicably, but the first think it was — American Studies, two days of the con turned out to and is all set to join the dole be a dismal and unlovely introduct­ queue. Which should allow plenty ion to Chester. of time over to write Vector's sec­ Enough of my general woes, how­ ond new regular feature, a column ever. I shall now turn briefly to of fanzine reviews. First, however, science fiction, the sub-literary a report on the Chester convention, genre to which, I'm told, the con­ at which Bram Stokes thought he was vention was dedicated. Professional me. Which of us do you think writers in attendance were: Larry should feel insulted, Peter? Niven, the Guest-of-Honour, from America; Brian Aldiss, fine British author; Harry Harrison, Anglo-Amer­ ican author and fan, currently plugging Stonehenge, an historical 21 novel of sorts; Fred Pohl, well- known American writer, now editing with the general crud and chaff. It Ace Books' sf line; John Brunner; was a mark of the unfannish nature Bob Shaw and James White, Irish fans of the con that no one seemed to know and authors; Ted Tubb and Ken Bulmer, anything about fanzines and none famed auctioneers and' writers; Anne were in fact auctioned at the major McCaffrey and James Blish, ex-Americ- sale. An unscheduled auction, how­ ans now in residence in Britain; and ever, grudgingly allowed a few of many more whom I should doubtless the things to be sold and, lo and have mentioned. The programme was behold, they fetched higher prices not an appealing one to a trufan, and than the rare books and artwork put I'm afraid I was not tempted by the together. A set of Hyphens went for various films and talks on science fiction. Such a gross neglect of fannish topics may well result in a backlash of sorts at future cons, I fear, to the obvious detriment of sf addicts and casual visitors. It should be possible to produce a bal­ anced programme — last year's Easter- con, for example, had a fine range of items; even a couple of serious things worth listening to, instead of "Sf in the Past, at Present, in the Future" (delete as applicable) and sundry other well-worn themes. Never­ theless one remarkable event occurred, I'm told: Brian Aldiss did a little Pohl-vaulting and a genuine argument was heard during a panel discussion! The Blossoms Hotel itself was far too small for the con, but had the most gocd-natured and extravagantly helpful staff I've ever encountered. The cocktail bar stayed open from 9 a.m. to 6 a.m. (hence, incidentally, the lack of room-parties) and was the setting for late-night singing, the (fool)hardier fans being supplemented £27, I believe... Visiting Texan fan, by early breakfast-eaters. Have you Joanne Burger, bought a large number ever heard Pete "Speculation" Weston of items against my bidding, and singing "Danny Boy"...? Could make there was a loud, chauvinistic cheer it a regular programme item. when I finally managed to secure The Buttery Bar downstairs was the some pre-war stuff. Mind you, I watering-place of Chester's gay pop­ could hardly have afforded all that ulation, despite the presence of the I'd set my eyes on — my fannish Oddfellows pub nearby. Apart from exuberance almost had me walking one or two minor incidents, the reg­ home as it was. Good job my bus ulars kept to themselves, although fare was only six bob. provoked by some idiot who persisted Despite some setbacks, I finally in carrying a whip around. found myself enjoying the con as I did actually enter the con-hall usual; plenty of people were around, for the auctions. A mass of fanzines including the newly-degafiated Tony were to be sold, part of the BSFA and Simone Walsh, German fans Gerd collection which had been rotting Hallenberger, Tom Schluck, Valdemar away unseen for many years (despite Kumming, Mario Bosnyak, and others, the gallant efforts of Charlie Win­ Rat and Gannet fandom en masse, and stone); these were unsorted, and Rog many more, all of whom will be Peyton and I spent a frantic half- rightfully annoyed that I failed to hour just before the auction trying mention them. All I can do is write to sift out some of the hideously a longer conrep in Egg and cease to rare items that had been mixed in exhaust the patience of the massed 22 readers of the BSFA who are probably That proviso may seem obscure, but bemused at the moment and are now it applies to the first fanzine I wondering if they dare risk being intend looking at, namely Antares seen at a con. Well, why not, eh? News 1 which is half in Turkish, After all, did you do something half in English. The arrival of this better over Easter? newszine surprised me, I must admit; I'd heard that Turkey had discovered -- Peter Roberts both science fiction and fandom, but I hadn't realised they'd become suff­ iciently organized to produce any­ thing. This first issue, written in very fair English by the way, serves as an introduction to Turkish fandom And now...... the and is invaluable for anyone wishing to contact foreign fans. A list, for first installment of example, notes thirteen Turkish fans looking for correspondents (although only five require British ones) and the column nobody a brief letter column shows the re­ sults of the editor's first contact expects_____ with Continental fandom and thus pro­ vides more names and addresses for potential letter writers. Antares I.'ews is published by the SF Fan Club and an information sheet is provided for foreign members who will receive The Fannish i.N and their journal, Antares, as part of the subscription. The con­ tents of this issue are largely con­ cerned with film news and notes Inquisition ("Tarzan'in Oglu" sounds rather fine), sf publishing — aside from comics — being rather sparse in Turkey. There are also some short fanzine reviews and some intriguing Having written fanzine reviews for letters in Turkish which stimulate some time, I’m well aware that the my notable tendencies to linguamania audience for these columns is some­ (a futile attempt to learn several what smalls a select coterie of you, hundred languages at once). me, and the fanzine editor in fact. The above might best be classified Fanzines come in various shapes and as a newszine, so I'd better turn to sizes and range widely in content, something more specifically sercon as the tiro norms being the serious or I promised earlier and look at a new sercon magazine which comments on British publication, Macrocosm, edited science fiction and the fannish fan­ by Rob Holdstook. This is almost en­ zine which deals with science fiction tirely devoted to amateur fiction, fandom. In this column I hope to though I use the adjective with some cover a wide selection of material, hesitation, since nearly all the con­ both sercon and fannish, and to in­ tributors have sold stories profession­ clude at least one fanzine from the ally. I wouldn't normally read some­ British Isles, not an easy task since thing like this, but in the interests almost every fanzine published here of unbiased reviewing I did and my ded­ is irregular and issues appear infre­ ication was not without reward, for the quently. Most of the material comes collection proved better than I had from the United States, needless to expected. say; but there is also a strong band of Australian and Canadian publish­ Unlike the majority of fiction fan­ ers, plus those in Europe (mostly zines, Macrocosm contains nothing that German), and an isolated few else­ is so bad that it's pitiful or laugh­ where. I'll limit reviews to those able. Andrew Stephenson and Alistair fanzines which are at least partially Hoyle both write pastiches which are in English. predictable and somewhat clumsy sty- listioally, whilst Jack Marsh attempts Turner has some more idiot recipes and an American setting which is too blat­ advice for drinkers and the Luttrells ant (and also inconsistent) and which review fanzines in what strikes me as therefore spoils and interesting short a rather miserable and prejudiced way. story. Hob Holdstock himself con­ Terry's layout and printing are adeq­ tributes an indulgent piece: no sin in uate, though-with less cartooning itself if his indulgence hadn't taken than would be ideal. Mota 4, there­ the form of mimicking a second-rate fore, is an enjoyable fanzine, and one author's love of words in an opulent that seems typical of the fannish and whimsical mess (and a startlingly genre; the reliance on the editorial inappropriate ending didn't help and letter column means that it enjoys either). This still leaves a fine, a stability of content that article- striaghtforward Roy Kettle story, wit- oriented fanzines often lack, though ten without pretension and relying on it's still building up, of course, a fluid narrative style to highlight after only four issues. the content, and a piece by Matthew Hatch, suspiciously full of Tucker- Next time I intend to look at an­ isms, but again successful with its other three or four fanzines chosen linguistic ease and straight depend­ at random, but with an eye to mixing ence on content. Two out of six isn't countries and types. I am, however, too bad an average and as I said in­ open to suggestions for this column, itially none of the fiction is exe­ though not to requests or demands crable or too wretched to print. An that I review a specific fanzine. sf panel discussion from the 1971 The information given below is rather Eastercon is an additional, though mercenary; most faneds will trade fan­ rather non-descript, item and Macro­ zines and send free copies to letter­ cosm 2 also has a letter column and writers and contributors (fannish fan­ a brilliant editorial which I must eds prefer this and tend to discourage subscribers). confess I enjoyed more than anything else. The presentation is excellent, Antares News 1 (18pp): Sezar Erkin an extreme rarity for a British fan­ zine, and the abundant artwork is Ergin, Bakanliklar, PO Box 56, An­ kara (G-10), Turkey. Duplicated/ generally fair. There are few fan­ zines dealing with serious attempts 10 Int'l Reply Coupons for one year. at amateur sf and most of the others Macrocosm 2 (48pp): Rob Holdstock, 15 I've seen are a lot worse than Macro­ Highbury Grange, London N5< Dup­ cosm. licated/^? per copy. To close this first column I think Mota 4 (27pp): Terry Hughes, 407 I'll choose a fannish fanzine, in my College Ave, Columbia, Missouri opinion the most consistently success­ 65201, USA. Dup./25c per copy. ful and entertaining species of fan­ zine yet produced. This one is Terry -- Peter Roberts Hughes' Mota 4, an American production which looks something like a New York fanzine, but actually comes from Miss­ Continued from page 39 ouri. As with most fannish zines, the editorial and the letter column are pages, and features an amazing 55 two strong points; the first is ramb­ page editorial-cun—letter—column, , ling and well-written, interlineations with long letters from, among being used to advantage. Terry seems others, John Brunner, Damon Knight, to have a tendency to over—write, a Stanislav- Lem, Ursula Le Guin, common pitfall I fear, though mostly David Gerrold, Franz Rottensteiner, it's channelled off into exclamation Nilson Tucker, and yours truly, marks and capitals and the reader can plus the first of three articles thus become acclimatized without much by Bruce on the novels of Brian trouble. The other half of Mota has Aldiss, and articles by Prof.Darko a fannish three-subject column by Suvin and others. SFC comes very- Creath Thorne which is entirely read­ cheap, considering the size of able, if not outstanding, and an 'Open some issues (averages 50?'?; IJo.19 Letter to Alvin Toffler' (author of was another monster, over IJOpp), at Future Shock) by Ray Nelson which 11.50 for 9 surface mail, 14 for 9 seems a little out of place. Jim air mail. The Frenzied Living Thing:

Kobo Abe’s Future

The group has entirely taken command of the Institute. Wada, Katsumi's quiet, efficient assistant, tells him that they have gathered to screen his application for a visiting permit to Yamomoto's experimental farms on the continental sea floor. "The formal designation of this gathering," says Tanomogi, "might be called the Admin­ Scene: the Institute for Computer Tech­ istrative Committee of the Society for nique, in Japan. the Exploitation of the Sea Floor — Hegular Meeting of the ICT branch." Dramatis personae: Tanomogi, Wada, This is the first time that Katsumi and Katsuko, workers in the Institute, hears of the existence of the branch. tomuyasu, of the Programming Committee, Professor Yamomoto of Yamomoto Lab­ "Who gave you permission oratories; and Professor Katsumi, head to use this place?" I murmured of the Institute of Computer Technique, softly. who tells the story. This is his lab­ At once the speaker of the oratory. forecasting machine began to talk: "I did." The other people in the laboratory "Your second self, Professor," are many of Katsumi's old friends and said Tomoyasu, looking up apol­ confreres. Perhaps they are also his ogetically at the loudspeaker. enemies. Tanomogi has assisted Prof­ essor Katsumi in developing the Inst­ The meeting develops into a trial. itute's raison d'etre, the predicting The loudspeaker of the forecasting machine. As soon as Katsumi steps machine "says" in Katsumi's voice, inside the door, Tanomogi takes com­ "There is danger that the Professor, mand of the situation. "We've been with malice aforethought, will commit expecting you," he says. Katsumi does the heinous crime of infanticide." not bridle at this impertinence; Tano— Certainly, Katsumi already believes raogi already knows more about this that he should kill his "son" as soon as mysterious situation than Katsumi does. possible, but he does not realise that Why shouldn't Katsumi expect some more anybody could guess why he wants to impertinence? visit Yamomoto's farms.

Bruce R. Gillespie

25 The proceedings catch Katsumi more some person at random in the street, and more off his guard. Enough mucking collect as much information as poss­ around; the committee has made its dec­ ible about the individual, and "exer­ isions "You're going to have to die." cise" their new toy with the inform­ Tanomogi adds comfortingly, "We intend ation. Tanomogi and Katsumi find a to exert all our efforts to save you, seemingly average man in a cafe and sir. What we're hoping for is that now follow him back to a block of apartment you know the conclusion, you yourself buildings. Tanomogi follows the man up will find premises which might change to his room and finds him murdered. the conclusion." Katsumi becomes frightened that a casual What sort of game are they playing? bystander might have seen the two of If this secret organisation wants to des­ them following the stranger; shortly troy Katsumi, why don't the members afterwards a mysterious voice calls shoot him on the spot? Why doesn't Katsumi on the telephone and tells him: Tanomogi say, "We will kill you."? Why "You'd better not go too far with us. does he say instead, "You're going to The police already suspect the two fell­ have to die."? The latter statement is ows that were shadowing that dead Romeo. a prediction about the future, not a Katsumi's wife, three months pregnant, threat. The only person who can change is drugged and taken from a hospital and that future is Katsumi himself. given an abortion. The man they shadow­ ed »as murdered in the flat of a pros­ As the members of the Committee point titute who, among her many activities, out to Katsumi, he knows nothing of his "bought" three-week-old foetuses from own future, and, acting upon government expectant mothers. For awhile it seems orders, he carefully avoids making pre­ as if Kobo Abe has invented more myster­ dictions about political events. "Let ious killers, strange machines, and sec­ me remind you that I'm a mere technician, ret organisations than any Ian Fleming. not a philosopher," he tells the assem­ bled company. At this point the Commit­ Stanislaw Lem has described the mys­ tee most firmly disagrees with him. tery story as a "mechanistic, determin­ "You manifestly didn't even try to con­ istic" type of literature. I take this sider the possibility that the future to mean that a mystery novel unrolls might be at odds with the present," says towards a prediscovered conclusion. A Wada. "You see, sir, you were a lot mystery story's raison d'etre is its more interested in the machine than con­ conclusion; once you have discovered cerned about the future." And because whodunit or howhedunit, you need not Katsumi has invented a machine that can show any further interest in the story. predict the future accurately and min­ The mysterious gadgets of its plot may utely, and because he sees none of the lead the reader of Inter Ice Ape 4 to consequences of his invention, the mach­ finish the book in a hurry — and then ine predicts that its maker cannot take read it a second time to find out what part in the future. it's really all about. The problem of "knowing the ending in order to know the ******* beginning" is so acute that I cannot even talk about the book without reveal­ ing some of the answers to its superfic- Haven't I just given away the answers ial mysteries, for only after the reader to a number of the book's mysteries? knows these answers can he assess the True, Kobo Abe constructs Inter Ice Age questions that Abe raises during the 4 so that superficially it resembles any books first few chapters. The author number of other mystery books. At the writes such lean, concise prose that he beginning of the book, Professor Kat- can make the meaning of any sentence sumi's forecasting machine has just harmonise ith the meaning of any other begun to operate. The government tells sentence elsewhere in the book. When I Katsumi that he must not make any pol­ read the book again, I found that Kobo itical predictions. They might rock the Abe does not perticularly want to baffle boat. (Moscow's machine predicts a the reader, but he particularly wants to completely Communist world by the year baffle Katsumi. The reader must out­ 20001) Tanomogi suggest to Katsumi that guess Katsumi in order to judge both him they should predict the destiny of some and the situation, but he needs to read individual instead. They should pick . the book twice in order to form his

26 judgment. sigh. "Even though I've said this much, you still don't have any idea? ******* This isn't me. It's you yourself. I am youI" Katsumi receives the last infuriating This revelation illuminates the mean­ phone call from the mysterious stranger ing of all the novel's previous chapters, who seems to keep permanent watch on and dominates the long last scene in the him. The voice can anticipate Katsumi1s ICT control centre. In chapters 29 and every move. Often Katsumi is on the 30 Kobo Abe seeks to illuminate this cen­ point of guessing the identity of the tral mystery of the novel. The forecast­ mysterious stranger, but he can never ing machine, speaking with Katsumi’s quite find the answer. During the last voice, and programmed to precisely pre­ call, the stranger teases Katsumi with dict his every movement, conducts a "con­ an eerie Alice-in-Wonderland-type con­ versation" with his original self. "I'm versation: merely a prerecorded tape," says the voice. "Of course I wouldn't have any­ "But surely, Professor, you've thing so fine as perception." The mach­ noticed how exactly my voice re­ ine speaks on: sembles your own. Maybe it's some accidental likeness to that of a ..."But I possess reliability and total stranger, you're thinking, certainty that go beyond perception. Professor. No, it's all right. I know what's going on in your Your not trying to learn, your not thoughts long before you think them. bending every effort to find out No matter how you may try to behave who I really am, and my being ob­ independently, you can't take a liged to telephone you like this single step outside the prearranged now are after all two sides of the program in me... My volition is same coin, so to speak." your volition. But you still haven't realised it. I am only doing as you I realised that I roust take care. probably would if you knew your own That my adversary could command at future." will words worthy of a gangster and the expressions of a govern­ Kobo Abe makes real a concept that ment official meant that he was most novelists merely fool with, for not an ordinary individual. Katsumi learns about himself from "him­ self", or, if we want to use such terms Again, Katsumi faces the same alleg­ (and Abe doesn't) his ego learns from his ation that several committee members superego. make during different parts of the novel — that Katsumi has missed a vital But why does the predicting machine part of some overriding message about know Katsumi's motives while Katsumi has the future, because he deliberately so little self-knowledge? The voice says chooses blindness. Katsumi is worried "All Tanogomi's actions up till now have sick about the situation in which he been at my request. And my commands are finds himself, yet the voice dares to nothing more than your commands." This berate "your not trying to learn, your idea includes several assumptions, or not bending every effort to find out who clues, which Abe does not describe at the I am." beginning of the novel. When he built the machine, Katsumi must have built it Katsumi tries to bargain with the so that its capabilities reflected his stranger. Ho cannot see that the voice own personality, or perhaps his possible is trying to teach him, not menace him. personality. Also the author assumes The stranger's cloak-and-dagger tactics that a programmer can codify enough in­ bring down his defences and at last he formation about the human mind or behav­ surrenders to the attack: iour patterns so that the machine could "This is the crucial point," predict to the split second the actions said the voice. "I can see every­ of any particular person. ..estern phil­ thing. osophers, at least, would say that "mind" and "machine" are entities of "And so?" such different kinds that no machine "Mm. You don't get it, do you." could ever duplicate human behaviour in The threatening voice gave a deep so precise a way. 27 But, you might say, Abe has already When Katsumi accuses the Society of explained that the machine is not sent­ social amorality on a grand scale, the ient, that it does not think for itself. members agree, and they let the "certain In that case, I am not satisfied that future" justify their actions. As the predicting machine would not simply Katsumi realises during one brief moment ape Katsumi's behaviour rather than coun­ of illumination, the predicting machine ter it. Kobo Abe has dropped a few makes the future into "some frenzied specks of magic into his machine, I living thing that possessed a will inde­ think. However, if Abe cheats at this pendent of the present". In Inter Ice point, he doesn't cheat when he delin­ Age 4 the Future becomes an independent eates the main philosophical conflict of entity. The concept of free will loses his novel. The voice from the telephone its reality. Hitler used the same argu­ continues to taunt Katsumi. "You're ment as the Society's; but neither Hit­ your own enemy, there's no way out of ler nor any other despot has ever had it. We've all exerted as much effort as certain knowledge that the future would we can for you." When Katsumi reaches vindicate his actions. his last destination, Wada admonishes The final chapters of Kobo Abe's him further, "You were a lot more inter­ novel provide very sombre reading. I ested in the machine than concerned leave them to your perusal. However, about the future. You're able to en­ even during the last pages, the writer visage the future only as a continuation still cracks ironic jokes at the expense of day-in, day-out life." of Katsumi, but although the Society is factually right, the author doesn't sympathise with their position either. Time after time, Katsumi shows his moral stupidity. Even at the last moment, when he "knows everything", he makes a futile attempt to escape the room. Several times he admits that he would much rather hide somewhere and immerse himself in* the trivia of com­ puter programming, although he has found out the whole strange future of man. The grim joke of Inter Ice Age 4 is that Katsumi never does realise the power of his "pet" predicting machine. In making the future certain, he denies himself choice in the present moment.

*******

After the reader discovers the mean­ The Society has learned that a global ing of the book's ending, he may return disaster will take place within a few to the book's beginning and marvel at years. As a result, the sea will rise, the way in which Abe infuses every pass­ and will cover most of Earth's land, age with the desperate spirit of the including Japan. The Society, financed whole. Even during the novel's first by unnamed Japanese industrialists, passage, Abe shows how moral ignorance seeks to create a completely new form of combines with intellectual passivity in underwater civilisation (the aquans) Katsumi's nature. "Don't throw' things before the disaster strikes. At the around like that," he snaps at his same time, they seek to justify their assistants. (His "assistants" already expenditure in the most satisfactory know the predicting machine's full possible way: members of the Society potential, have begun to program it, and join Katsumi's staff, Tanogomi feeds all have effectively taken over control of the relevant information into the pre­ the centre.) Katsumi opens a page of dicting machine, and the machine gives his scrapbook. The popular scientist of them a precise picture of the world's a newspaper incites, "We stand now at a future. new turning point in the history of

28 civilisation." "As far as I was con­ However, the future will not contain cerned," Katsumi mumbles to himself, an omnipotent Society for the Exploit­ "the critic hadn't seen the future at ation of the Sea Floor which will pre­ all but merely witnessed an inconseq­ pare for man's fate. The predicting uential newsreel." Katsumi praises (and machine doesn't exist, and Kobo Abe's dismisses) Tanomogi as a "somewhat ill- particular invention probably never mannered but very efficient assistant." will. Abe shows that we have no one to Given that Abe scorns Katsumi at protect us against the future, that times, he still makes this novel into a "frenzied living thing", except our own moving account of a man's battle with wisdom. The world mainly contains Dr the inevitable. "What if the determin- Katsumis, who, when faced by the future ists were ontologically as well as will say, "The question had nothing to do with natural phenomena or social metaphysically correct?" Kobo Abe seems to say. "In that case we couldn't sub­ phenomena." Or, as the world dies or merge ourselves in illusions of free changes beyond recognition, will we finally ask Katsumi's last question, choice. But we couldn't surrender our wills to the people who represented the "Could man be made to assume respons­ ibility just by existing?" future. We would need to meet our in­ tolerable futures in the best possible way." -- Bruce K.Gillespie news department edited by archie mercer John W.Ellison (16); 93 Gorsedale Hd., Wallasey, Ches, L44 4AL. Surre­ alism, sociology, music.

MEMBERS WANTED By the Tolkien Soc­ News concerning the Association and iety, Britain's own its members, members' small ads, and answer to Mordor. Two regular pub­ the like should be sent in the first lications, The Mallorn (a serious, instance to the News Editor. This but not too serious, magazine) and department is in effect the old Bull­ Anduril (more of a newsletter). Soc­ etin in a new shape. ial meetings for those who are with­ in range. Subscription is £1.00, NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS says the say­ covering four issues of The Mallorn ing. The lack plus any Andurils that appear among of news on this occasion, however, is, them. Treasurer is Archie Mercer, if not exactly "bad", certainly no whose address appears on the con­ more than mediocre, being entirely tents page of this Vector. Cheques due to the fact that the final Bullet­ and postal orders should be payable in was sent away weeks ago for dup­ to THE TOLKIEN SOCIETY. licating and distribution ana as I •.suite is definitely overdue. So the NEW AND REJOINED MEMBERS back news has been covered, and until 90? Ellison, John W.: 93 Gorsedale the members see it they won't bother Rd., Wallasey, Ches, L44 4AL to make any more! Hence this feeble 1053 Gielgud, Christopher H.: 8 collection. Better next time, I Rutland Park Mansions, Halm sincerely hope. Lane, London, NW2 4RB 1246 Hill, Peter C.: 22 South Spr­ CORRESPONDEtJTS WANTED Peter C .Hill: ing, Sidcup, Kent 22 South Spr­ 1247 Lawrence, Gerald G.: 58 Oakley ing, Sidcup, Kent. "Other" interests: Drive, London, SE9 2HJ Astronomy, mythology, chemistry. Pre­ 961 Wilde, Peter J.: $8 Church 3TP ferred location of correspondents: Road, Sheldon, Birmingham, B26/ USA and generally. 29 Continued on page 35 Edward John Carnell

1912-1972

lisher's representative....my powers of Harry expression fail me, as does my memory. The result of this has been that when­ ever someone such as a publisher, movie producer or television director has Harrison made a request for science-fictional information or aid anywhere in the Brit­ ish Isles, the request has sooner or (The following article first appeared, later been dropped onto the O.E.'s in a slightly different form, in desk. "Science Fantasy" No.68, as "E.J.Car- It is important to remember — if nell — A Quick Look". It is reprinted you doubt the benevolent part — that here by permission of the author, who "Ted" Carnell started life as an sf fan has added a new postscript.) and has remained true to that dedicated calling ever since. He likes sf and If the Things from outer space landed in this affection has always been his prime Kegent's Park tomorrow, there is no motivation; he has had monopoly thrust doubt that the authorities would turn upon him. In the primitive days of first to Edward John Carnell for advice 1946 ..hen "New Worlds" was first found­ on how to handle the situation. ed — and again in 1952 when it was re­ I firmly bdieve this to be true: he founded — there were no other British has not been called the Old konopolist sf magazines nor editors nor agents who for nothing. For years now he has been handled this specialized material: Ted carrying on the most complicated career had to take them on one by one for him­ imaginable, a polydactyl mastermind who self. Only dedication could have moti­ has a finger in every science-fictional vated him to assume all this responsib­ pie. It is a lucky thing for us all ility, while at the same time editing that he has been the benevolent despot, "new Worlds" and "Science Fantasy", managing to be impartial while at the through all the black years of audience same time acting as literary agent, art indifference into the present sunlight agent, magazine editor, book editor, of acceptance. It cheers me to see anthologist, book club selector, pub­ that other editors are now at work on 30 these journals: I was afraid that the was always the best of friends, someone O.M. would explode from overwork. He whom I shall miss very much. He be­ still has entirely too much to do, but friended me in 1957, when I came to Lon­ apparently that is the only way that he don for the first Worldcon there and can operate. stayed on to make my freelance fortune on Britain's hospitable shores. That For one thing, he appear to have was a cold winter, you will remember, gained some sort of global control of and we ran out of sixpences for the sf. For a long time he has had northern fire in our bedsitter on Camden Town Europe within his empire, channeling Hoad while food — not to mention British and American sf to the markets drink — was in very short supply. there, and now he has appropriated Ted, friend of a few months, was far Spain, Portugal and Japan, and is intro­ more concerned for my and my family's ducing them to the glories of science welfare than the miserable New York fiction. All of this is a very good agent I had at that time. Not only thing — remember the benevolency — did he have us over for the already and the only ones with cause to grumble mentioned teas, but he commissioned are shoestring foreign publishers, since stories from me, cash on the barrel­ he insists always on a fair price for head or in advance, and found ways to the authors he handles. But agenting is reprint some of my stories from little- not all, he still keeps his hand in the seen US magazines. He h"d to do none creative pool as editor of "Hew Writings of these things; he just wanted to. in SF". This was the beginning of a friendship The man who carries these many port­ and a business relationship that last­ folios is a dedicated Londoner, born in ed down through the years. Plumstead in 1912 he still has his home Ted, I am going to miss you, we are there. He sports a natty moustache and all going to miss you. a fine ruddy complexion that only years of exposure to the rigours of the Eng­ The world is a diminished place since lish climate — both indoors and out — you have gone. can produce. I have many times tucked my legs under the family table and con­ -- Harry Harrison sumed the immense and satisfying teas his wife Irene uncomplainingly produces for all the flotsam of science fiction that wash up on the Carnell doorstep. After tea, and with a little prodding, the O.M. will show some of the films he has made of historical science-fictional gatherings and one can sip a drink and Dan Morgan wallow in nostalgia. The fire crackles in the grate and forgotten faces are re­ called with enthusiasm and amusement. I I first met Ted Carnell at a convention think, perhaps, this is the secret of held in the Royal Hotel, Woburn Place Ted Carnell1s success and his ability to back in 1951* He was, as I recall it, play fair to all in his many roles. He Chairman and Master of Coremonies on enjoys science fiction and, since he has that occasion, and memories of my first made it his life's work, he feels con­ SF Con will always be associated with tent with every passing day. his wit, charm and enthusiasm. The most His is an enviable position vivid of those memories are his welcoming smile and handshake when I nervously in­ troduced myself as the neo—writer whose ******* first SF story he had recently bought for publication in New Worlds. llhen I wrote the preceding a few years The way he greeted me was typical of ago for "Science Fantasy" I meant exact­ the Ted I was to know for the next twenty ly what I said., I still do. Ted was years — a man completely without false all these things and more; a man of most pride, who despite his outstanding per­ obvious honesty and honor in a field not sonality was capable of the self-efface­ noted at times for either of those att­ ment which is one of the most necessary ributes. What I can add now is that Ted dualities of a great editor. And he was

31 that, make no mistake about it; the un­ a writer and his agent is a delicate questionably dominant force of British SF one. Very few writers are able to re­ in the fifties, who acted as guide, gard their own work with a sufficiently friend and father confessor to most of impersonal eye to appreciate that if a the writers of my generation. The list piece doesn't sell they have only them­ of those whose first stories he pub­ selves to blame. It's far easier on lished must be a tremendous one; the the ego to assume that the man whose job amount of encouragement and advice above it is to sell the stuff isn't working and beyond the call of duty which he hand­ hard enough. That kind of face-saving ed out was enormous. excuse could never apply when your agent was Ted Carnell. A book completed, I Writing is an odd sort of introverted would send it to Ted and wait gnawing affair with its own special agonies. my nails down to the elbows until I Quite frequently when a writer asks,for heard his assessment of its quality and criticism what he really wants is the saleability. In my experience, over the kind of praise that will ease his self­ dozen or so novels he handled for me, he doubts and make him believe he really is was never wrong. I respected his judge­ the genius he would like to be. Ted ment, and he continued to represent me understood the dangers of this kind of until he died, even though latterly he self-delusion. His praise was given only was battling against a crippling and when he considered that it was truly painful illness. merited, and never as a sop to pride. It was thus a rare and treasured thing. He Just how ill he was I only realised was honest about a writer's work, even if for the first time in September 1971, he knew that sometimes such honesty would when Georgie and I stayed with him and hurt — because he knew that in the long Irene for a night on our way back from run his frankness would be for the good Spain. Even then it seemed impossible of all concerned. For all the ivory tow­ that his everlastingly cheerful spirit er legends, writing is not a job for could ever yield, and as recently as those whose egos bruise easily, and in the beginning of this year my phone his wisdom he knew this. would ring every week or so and we would chat about what was new and plan for the I remember one occasion in particular future. Now alas, that future is no when I disagreed violently with his ass­ more for Ted. But his is assured of the essment of a story of mine which he had only immortality any human being can rejected. I wrote him a long diatribe expect — he will live on in the mem­ attacking his editorial policy, and he ories of his many, many friends. replied with typical mildness and humour, saying that maybe I was right, and could Vaya con uios, muy buen amigo. he print my broadside in the letter col­ umn of ’New Worlds? The story was after­ -- Dan ..organ wards published in another of the British zines, but in retrospect I understand that he was right in saying that it was not suitable for his magazine. The key­ stone of his policy at that time, and indeed right through his editorship of the "New Writings" series, was that he would not publish anything that he con­ led “lubb sidered might corrupt the young people he looked upon as his average readers, or offend their parents. With him this Edward John Carnell is dead and if the was a matter of principle, a principle achievement of a man can be measured by adhered to in later years in the face the hole he leaves behind then Ted's of attacks a great deal more vicious achievement was great indeed. His rec­ than my own. ord speaks for itself, but not all Ted went on publishing my stories in things are a matter of record. There New Worlds until he left the role of are other things, personal moments and, editor for the new one of agent, when I for me, they stretch almost forty years was privileged to become one of his into the past. I remember him in the first clients. The relationship between years before the war, the early years

32 when the Science Fiction Association consisted of a few devotees of a frown- ed-on literary medium, and Ted was there, tall, suave, kind and, above all, knowledgeable. H knew the science fiction world probably better than any man in the British Isles and became such an integral part of it that he was Brian Aldiss regarded as being the prime source of information. And he was always with us, at Conventions, in the White Horse and later the Globe, at meetings, in Arundel Street is one of those little his office, at his home, always there London streets that trail steenly down and always readv to help, to advise, to ohe Embankment. Derwent House is on to guide. the right as you go down. It’s digni­ fied but slightly seedy, smelling of So what do you do when such a man last week's disinfectant. goes? ..'hat else is there to do but to remember? Nova Publications lived in the base­ ment of this mansion. As you hurried The early days when we were young down the street, you could look through together and science fiction was open­ the area railings and see Ted Carnell ing into a bright new way of life in down there, working with his jacket which we wrote and sold and magazines off, shirt always clean and uncroased, flowered and there was a sense of sleeves always down. Tou could also shared interest and companionship. see piles of unsold Nova magazines, The gatherings and enthusiasms and "New Worlds" and "Science Fantasy". always Ted, the man who knew, who There were girlie calendars on the could answer any question, who was al­ wall, for Ted, that most respectable ways good-humoured, always good comp­ and retiring man, liked to think of any. Ted who was the mainspring be­ himself as 'a bit of a lad'. So he was, hind the Festival of Britain Convention in his way. which set the pace and began the series When I first went into that basement, of Conventions as we know them today. as a slender and callow youth, my inner Ted the impeccable FC, the toastmaster, feelings were that this hardly seemed the chairman who knew everyone and the lair for the sort of poetical-emo­ couli introduce them all. tional sentimental-intellectual fiction And other things, more personal and I wished to write. I was not entirely perhaps, because of that, the more at ease — in those days I often wasn't. individually important. He was the But Ted was his own man, and he and I editor who accepted my first published got on very well together. story and who later, as my agent, sold He was never anything but kind. He ray novels all over the world. A kindly never had any facade against the world; agent who was reluctant to pass on bad and as far as I could observe he was news but who was always quick to give always exactly the same person to every­ a needed boost to ease depression. Who one he met (a trait of which, given my would take a delight in giving me good own character, I stand in some awe). news and who was always cheerful, On the rare occasions when I could aff­ always patient. ord to visit London, Ted would take me And there was the visiting, the out to lunch in truly awful genteel sharing of wine, the talking of the cafes, often subterranean, where it past, of old friends and mutual acq­ would be "Hello, Ted, dearl", and uaintances, the observing of a changing "Hello, Hose!" between him and the wait­ scene. The reminiscences of a span of ress. He seemed to like my stories — years encompassing generations. And though I wished he could be more precise now he has gone. A friend, a business in stating what it was he liked about associate, but even more than that. A themj beyond saying that their style was man who was a star in my personal sky. 'nice and fresh' — but at least he said that several times — he had no other As I said at the beginning — the critical comment. All the same, he knew hole he has left is; very great. what he liked, and had a ouiet and un­ shakeable determination to publish it. -- Ted Tubb 33 My first sf story was published in ure from authors, who in those days had "Science Fantasy", and my second; after no way of selling their stories, or no which, I was promoted to "New Worlds". other publishers to sell them to, or no Announcing the story in the previous other literary agents who knew what the issue, Ted remarked that "it promised hell sf was! To give you some idea — to be the gem of the issue", a comment I was lucky in that ay first book was I cherished dearly, as one should the ordinary fiction, and Faber approached first word of praise in print. (The me rather than vice versa; also the book story was "Cutside", appearing in issue was a success, just, so that Faber were 31 in 1955; that I still recall without glad to publish "Non-Stop", and would having to look it up.) have done so whether I had had an agent or not; but it took Ted over a year, The remarkable tale of how the Nova maybe over two, to sell to paperback... magazines were born has been told else­ to Digit, the lowest form of life. They where. Or it would be a remarkable paid £75. Yet only three years later, I tale to those who cannot understand the was editing the Penguin Science Fiction strange devoltion that sf arouses in the Series, where we actually managed to ex­ manly hearts of those who read the tract sums of up to £500 for authors, stuff. The battle went on for years, including Harry Harrison — for his mas­ the issues appeared irregularly, and terly "Make Room, Hake Room!" and Ball­ often had awful rubbish in them (as ard and Budrys. So rapidly did things well as some nice John Christophers and change. John Wyndhams). When Ted and I first corresponded, he was just getting out With other fans like Les Flood and of his difficulties, and proudly ann­ Ken Chapman, Ted launched the Internat­ ounced a monthly schedule in 1954. To ional Fantasy Award, which was born be­ that schedule he stuck tenaciously. fore the Hugos. The Award vent to "New Worlds" never failed to come out "Earth Abides" and, a little later, to on time — or to pay its writers re­ Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings"; pretty liably, however little the pay was (it eminent choices. I'm still pleased to was two guineas per thou then, and so think that "Earth Abides" was singled it remained for many a long year, where­ out. as the unreliable but enthusiastic Peter The Science Fiction Book Club called Hamilton, publishing "Nebula" up in on Ted's services at an early stage. Glasgow, paid five guineas per thou). Somehow or other, he smuggled all my Ted Carnell was not a literary man, early books into it. He also helped in but he had a sort of permanence about the organisation of the World Conven­ him which caused literature to get born. tion in London in 1957 — its near- By that J mean that he was not a shifty disastrous first venture away from the character,- and that his inclination was States, inspired by that fine Anglo­ for regular habits. Since writers are phile expatriate, Dave Kyle. It was shifty characters, and generally irreg­ okay for Dave — he managed to make the ular, Ted was a good and stable man to occasion a honeymoon as well, but Ted have around. Carnell almost had a breakdown with all the stress and strain behind the The contrast between his quiet way scenes. of editorialising and the brash drum­ beating that went on in American sf Soiencefictioneers — to use an old magazines at that time ("Jim Harmon — term — are orone to grandiose dreams, a pulsating new volcano-load of erupting inspired by reading too much van Vogt talent 1") was marked. I preferred Ted's and Asimov, no doubt. Ted could have way intellectually, but emotionally I built himself an empire, enmeshing all believed that it would do a lot of the British writers in his agenting and good — to us if not to him! — if he publishing net, and building up outer had stood up and said, "nook at my new bastions with the excellent overseas authors, Aldiss and Ballard, two puls­ systems he gradually acquired. Ho could ating new volcano-loads of erupting have moved from Plumstead and conducted talent!" the whole business from the South of France. But he stayed where he was, Here are some of the things he did do never nourishing any territorial amb­ in his quiet way. He began his literary itions, beyond working in order that sf agency, almost forced into it by press­ 34 should not vanish from the face of the recipe was a suocess at last. Earthl In a nutshell, Ted's success story When Maclean's closed down the Nova was thin I that, through a lifetime of magazines and they were bought by Roberts devotion to sf, he made it a success and Vintner at the last moment, Ted app­ story for a number of other people as ointed Bonfiglioli and Nike Moorcock ae well. He prepared the ground, he pro­ his successors and started his "New vided a stable environment in which we . Writings in SF", where he quietly did writers could do our stuff. He was in paperback form exactly what ho had entirely honest, entirely without envy been doing in magazine form. Whereas entirely nice; I like to believe that Nova magazines had begun, in their last some of his virtues have rubbed off months of Ted's reign, to show lower onto British fandom, and onto us. and lower returns, "NWSF" do better and better with each number. Ted's modest -- Brian W.Aldiss

NEWS (cont. from p.29) people hadn’t been able to get copies from the publisher. All completely untrue, no doubt; but 'here it is, and a handsome prod­ uction too, though scarcely cheap 1110 Bertin, Eddy C.: Residentie at 50p. The main content, sur- Murillo, Dr. van Bocxstaele- . prisingly for a journal whose straat, 8O-B.9OO2, Ledeberg, statement of intent specifically Belgium says how sholarly it is, consists of reprints from various fanzines, CHANGE OF ADDRESS plus pseudonymous stories by George Hay. There's a slightly 1070 Horrell, Mike: noir 1 Piccadilly different version of the Pamela Square, Caerphilly, Glam, CF8 Bulmer article from Vector 59, If®, S .Wales with Pamela thinly disguised as 1082 Horsman, P.E.: now dpi. Sid. Kathryn Buckley. Then there's Horsman, P.E., Stst Cie TRIS, a Larry Niven article from the 1JAP0 5700, Utreoht-Veldpost, last Speculation and a rather Holland mediocre John Boardman piece 1239 Edwards, Malcolm: add HA1 1RF from Science Fiction Review. Stir in an interesting piece of ST ATISTICS John Brunner's autobiography, STATISTICS which says little one hasn't read before but does have the Members with inland addresses virtue of saying it all in one (including BFPO) 223 piece, and yet another long re­ Members with overseas addresses 22 view of Solaris, and a couple of Total 245 other pieces and you have an odd hybrid, half academic journal and half fanzine. Charles Barren and ca clearly take this project very seriously, and good luck to Foundation...... them, but I can't help thinking that only in an sf scholarly publication could you come across words like 'affioianados' and 'antecedants'. Everyone seems to have been ex­ (Foundation 1, from The Science pecting the SF Foundation's ’maga­ Fiction Foundation, North East zine Foundation for an awful long London Polytechnic, Barking Pre­ time now, so it came as a bit of cinct, Longbridge Road, Dagenham, a surprise to actually see it, Essex RM8 2AS.) although there had been a number of rumours to the effect that it had appeared but the Foundation 35 Dan Morgan Almeria

Bear Malcolm,

Even at the risk of creating a precedent I feel myself impelled to write a L.O.C. about the last issue of Vector. Pam Bulmer is beautiful, and I love her very dearly. Ken Harker is not beautiful, but I happen to have met him a number of times at the Writers' Summer School and found him to be a pleasant and undoubtedly sincere person who takes his SF writing seriously. I have never read any of Ken Harker's books (he has written sev­ eral ), but then — with a few not­ able exceptions — I am not an afic­ ionado of British SF. This may be unpatriotic of me> but my tastes were formed early, in the days when there was no British SF to speak of, and I have found no convincing reason to change them, pseudo-Hells and camp Edwardian jollity notwith­ standing. The Flowers of February may indeed be as bad as Pam makes it sound — although it should be borne in mind that quotations out of context and plot summaries inter­ spersed with hostile comment are The Hail hardly the best way of forming an

Response LETTERS FROM READERS

36 opinion on a work of fiction. Bruce Gillespie A great deal of labour and ded­ ication is required in the writing Melbourne of even a bad novel — much more work than is involved in demolioh- ing one in a critical essay. I Dear Malcolm, question very seriously Pam's idonc about the purposes of criticism, in Vootor 59, a magazine which looks particular her suggestion that crit­ nearly as bad as SF Commentary, reads icism is of some help to the writer. nearly as well. Good stuff. Franz's In the case of Ken Harker I can only article makes an interesting comple­ hope that he isn't a mombor of the ment to his Stanislaw Lem; A Profile, BSFA and that he doesn't ever read in Luna Monthly 31. However both Vector 5?. should he do so he may articles raise certain real problems very well be so badly discouraged which I'm not sure Franz has consid­ that ho will find himself unable ered completely: to summon the self-oonfidenoe needed to write at all for some time after­ (i) Franz has made a consistent wards. Pam might reply that this effort since 1969 (or even earlier; would be a good thing, but I'm afraid I remember his review of The Invin­ I don't see it that way. cible in Australian SF Review 19, April 1969; the review was written Criticism is a sterile occupation. some time before that issue appeared) Might I suggest that Pam would be to promote the works and reputation bettor employed in the production of of Stanislaw Lem. His motives seem her own novel — which -would no doubt fairly obvious to me: having become nrovide a yardstick of excellence completely disillusioned with the against which we would be able to thud-and-blunder sf that he loved in measure all future work in the field. his childhood and teens, Franz looked around for an author who fulfilled ++ Do I detect a note of sarcasm? the potential that he saw in the Obviously you find criticism of field. He found this author in Stan­ your work no help to you, but I islaw Lem, whose works were mainly don't believe every writer would unknown in the West. After writing share that opinion (see, to quote to Lem, at some time or another a relevant example, Samuel Delany's Franz offered to become Lem's agent, letter in Speculation concerning and in the last few years Franz has Pamela Bulmer's review of Nova). turned that potentially vestigial However, even if criticism is no job into what seems like a whirl­ positive help, surely accurate wind of activity. Khat's more, it criticism should not harm a writer? looks as if Lem might even achieve I can't comment in the specific some or all of the success that he instance of The Flowers of Feb- has achieved in Eastern Europe. ruary, not having read the book — (ii) when one considers Lem's perhaps Pam would like to reply views about present Western sf to your points in a future Vector. (views as set out in magazines like But I would suggest that if a SF Commentary and VISFA Journal, in writer is that bad'.y upset by the English-speaking world; and in accurate criticism, then what you all the literary journals in Europe) term self-oonfidenoe is actually arid Lem's approach to sf writing, self-delusion, which is no good as revealed in Solaris and in to anyone. ++ Franz's articles, it appears that Lem hasn't a hope in Hades of win­ ning any readers from among oresent sf readers. Fan reactions to Solaris tend to bear this out. "C++ Lot all reactions though, Bruce, and not all fans. ++) Therefore why does Franz bother to promote Lem's work in nresent Western sf circles?

37 Well, I haven't a clue. Doubtless likely to happen. Franz was greatly encouraged by the (++ I look forward with very kind of discussion of sf that he slightly mixed feelings to the forth­ found in Australian Science Fiction coming Lem explosion. I can't help Beview, later in John Foyster's wondering sometimes: what if they're Exploding Madonna, and (I hope) no good? Judging by Solaris, there later still in SF Commentary. should be nothing to worry about; but However — and this is what I really there must always be a considerable meant to say — the response to Lem's uncertainty about twice-translated work and criticism from readers of novels. I know somebody who has SFC, although tumultuous, should not read the translation of The Invinci- give Franz any illusion that Lem is ble, and he said it was dreadful. going to win acceptance among readers The work is being done, I understand, of genre sf. I like publishing Lem's by V.'endayne Ackerman, whose chief stuff, but I get the idea that Franz claim to fame is as the translator should never have worried about the of Perry Bhodan. I may be doing the fanzines, or the sf magazines, or lady a great injustice, but I'm the sf publishers. He should have filled with foreboding. ++) trumpeted about Lem in The Listener, Times Literary Supplement, in the Everything else in Vector is very "little magazines", in The New York interesting. Pamela Bulmer's SF Beview of Books; in real magazines Criticism in Theory and Practice is which are worried about real liter­ of course well worth printing, but I ary problems. If the sf world ever can't help feeling that she's missed takes kindly to Lem, I'll count it the point of criticism, for all the as one more triumph for Franz very sensible and helpful remarks fiottensteiner; if it doesn't, I don't she makes about it. I don't think think Franz should be very surprised that she says anywhere in the article or disappointed. On the other hand, that most of the problems of criti­ if the literary world of New York cism in the sf field exist because ignores Lem, then I would have to most sf is lousy by any standards blame Franz for not plugging Lem in (and especially by the standards that the right places. sf readers raise when they talk in abstract terms about the field) and (iii) I should remind Franz again that most fans and sf readers prefer that so far he has precious little one of the varieties of the lousy sf of Lem to promote: one novel, five to any of the few brands of the good short stories (does the one in stuff. Therefore, in John Foyster's Vector count as a sixth?) and the archetypal example, the sf critic fanzine.articles, about six or seven often does have to explain to his of which have appeared in SFC, two or fanzine readers (or prozine readers; three more in WSFA Journal, another it makes little difference) just why one in a recent Moebius Trip, and an Van Vogt is not a better writer than interview with Lem in the most recent Tolstoy. Scythrop. I think Franz could have restrained himself from whetting our appetites for Lem's novels until more of them were translated, printed, and actually in our hot little hands. Roger Widdington I want to go out and buy The Invinci­ ble, and Memoirs Found in a Bathtub, Malton and The Cyberiad, and all those other marvellously evocative names. Now I know from correspondence with Franz Dear Malcolm, just why he cannot open this treasure casket in a short time, but most of the readers of our magazines don't I was actually pleased to see know that. I hope that they haven't (Vector1s) reappearance in duplicat­ all forgotten Lem by the time these ed form...it probably means more books appear. Knowing something work for some group of fen, but I about Franz, I don’t think that's saw the dupered Vector as having more warmth in it, BOBothlng t" tho BSFA, while attracting a show that it had been prnpnrad with steady flow of now members, loving toil and sweat by intemutad noomn to have an equally steady parties, rather than Just another outflow. I don't olaim to bo job for the lithoprenn that th<> able to altor tho situation □Tinted Vector seemed. Hut I'm ainglo-handed, but if I can waiting to seo the rmxt V rotor with mnko Vector Into a magazine interest and hope that it can nettle people look forward to reading, down to some titnmlniM formal; I instead of juot looking through think that's half the battlel bnoauno it arrives every now and ++ Well, yes, if only (from my then, it must be a step in the point of view) beoaune a bi­ right direction. ++ monthly magazine needs some corn on whloh it oon rely. Thio loauo So much for evangelism. This is io on exneriment for mo, being a very short letter column, largely printed rather than duplicated, because of the dearth of letters and the way it turns out may received. My thanks to the three determine what format Vector people whose letters are printed, will adopt in future. My fond and to David Lewis, Terry Jeeves, belief that typing copy for John Piggott, Audrey Walton, and pasting-up would be less oner­ Andrew Stephenson, all of whom ous than typing stencils has commented at greater or lesser already been shattered — this length. However, I think it issue has taken much longer to should be obvious that eight complete than I expected. ++ letters from a membership of The other half being content, of more than 200 (seven, rather, as course; which was why I found the Bruce Gillespie isn't a member) Dick Howett piece especially wel­ is not a great number. I'll con­ come, not so much for its writing, tent myself with pointing out that but for the fact that he could find a magazine like this depends heavily a home in Vector at all. The latter on feedback from its readers, and if issues seem to have been determined it doesn't get it, then it is not to make it a learned sercon journal particularly likely to improve. ...Now, I'd say most of the people who join the BSFA do it more to find Room for a mention of two items which out about sf rather than any contacts you can obtain from me. The first is they may make in the fandom they fin­ Loous, a bi-weekly newszine edited by ally reach, but couldn't their load Charlie and Dona Brown, late of New be lightened?...There'o maybe a place York but currently, as far as I know, for faanishness an well. Which is of no fixed abode, being in transit why you needn't apologise for tho to the West Coast. Locus won the Dick Howett piece, but proclaim it as 1971 Hugo for best fanzine, and must a much needed otop forward in tho be favourite again this year. It concept of Vector I contains comprehensive coverage of ++ I wasn't apologising for all sf news, announcements of forth­ Dick's piece — it was, aftor coming books, conventions, book and all, my own favourite in tho fanzine reviews, market reports for last issue — but wondering writers and anything else relevant. about how it did fit in with Comes airmail and is sent first-class the way people saw Vootor. 00 it's current when you get it. I only received very few let­ £1.50 for 10; £3.50 for 26. ters, but the reactions wore The second item is SF Commentary, strongly favourable, which also on the final ballot for the has encouraged me in a policy Hugo this year, and the only con­ which I'd already decided on, tender from outside North America. namely to widen the range of Its editor is Bruce Gillespie, material in Vector. Recent Vector's Australian agent, whose issues of Vector never seem article on Kobo Abe appears in this to have been very interesting, issue. Latest SFC to hand, number however worthy, and this must 26, runs to 118 (yes, 118) large surely be a major reason why

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