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Birthdays Pat Sims February 9

Birthdays Pat Sims February 9

Volume 28 Number 9 Issue 339 February 2016

A WORD FROM THE EDITOR Toracon If you have not renewed your membership and wish to February 6 do so, please contact us. Sarasota School Art & Sciences Checkout the Locus website for their recommended 645 Central Ave reading list. It is a good guide if you are an award voter or just Sarasota, FL 34236 looking for something new to read. $7 at the door, $5 for students This year was a good year for at the Anime and gaming con Oscars. Mad Max: Fury Road got 10 nominations, The Martian www.ssastoracon.net got 7,, : The Force Awakens, and 2 for Ex Machina and Inside Out. Next month I hope to do a review and the Nebula final Swampcon: Total Annihilation ballot should be out. February 13-14 Reitz Union at the University of Florida Amelia Con Gainsville, FL February 5-7 Free Admission Days Inn & Suites Guests: Bill Hatfield More guest listed on website. 2707 Sadler Road, swampcon.org Amelia Island, FL 32034 Guests: Patrick Seitz (voice actor) Arlex Saviuk (comic artist) The Infinity Toy and Comic Con Tramell “T-Ray” Isaac (video game artist) February 13 More guest on website Holiday Inn $15 at the door 1724 N. Alafaya Trail Orlando, FL 32726 www.ameliacon.com $8 Admission infinitytoyandcomicon.com/ FlaMingoCon February 6 Pensacon Holy Trinity Parish Hall February 19-21 211 Trinity Place Pensacola Bay Center West Palm Beach, FL 201 E Gregory Street Gaming convention Pensacola, FL, 32502 $10 at the door Guests: Kevin J. Anderson flamingocon.org Amber Benson Nancy Collins Tony Isabella Birthdays And many others see wbsite Weekend pass $80 http://www.pensacon.com Pat Sims February 9 (Continued on page 3)

OASFiS Event Horizon Vol 28 Issue 339, February 2016 Published Monthly by the Orlando Area Science Fiction Society (OASFiS). All rights reserved by original Authors and Artists. Editor: Juan Sanmiguel, 1421 Pon Pon Court, Orlando, FL 32825. Subscriptions are $12.00 per year and entitle the subscriber to membership in the Society. Attending Memberships are $25.00 per year. Extra memberships to family members are $6.00 per year when only one newsletter is sent to the household. To subscribe or join OASFiS, send a check or money order to: OASFiS, PO Box 323 Goldenrod, FL 32733-0323. To submit Articles, Artwork or Letters of Comment to the Event Horizon, send them to the Editor's address above or [email protected]. For additional information, call our Voice Mail at (407) 823-8715. OASFiS is a state chartered not for profit corporation whose goal is the promotion of Science Fiction in all its forms. All opinions expressed herein are solely those of the Author(s) and in no way represent the opinions of the Society or its members as a whole. Page two February 2016

February OASFiS Calendar OASFiS People

OASFiS Business Meeting Sunday, February 14, 1:30 PM, Orange Public Steve Cole 407-275-5211 Library (Downtown Orlando, 101 E. Central Blvd, Orlando, [email protected] FL 32801,407-835-7325). Come join us as we discuss Susan Cole 407-275-5211 works of Best Works of 2015 [email protected] Arthur Dykeman 407-328-9565 Sci Fi Light [email protected] Steve Grant 352 241 0670 [email protected] To contact for more info: Mike Pilletere [email protected] OASFiS Business Meeting 407-823-8715 David Ratti 407-282-2468 [email protected] Juan Sanmiguel 407-823-8715 [email protected] Patricia Wheeler 407-832-1428 [email protected]

OASFiS Meeting 1/10/2016 Any of these people can give readers information about the club and its functions. To be included in the list call Juan. Officers: Tom Reed, Peggy Stubblefield, Juan Sanmiguel Members: Arthur Dykeman, Patricia Wheeler Peggy is planning con swag.

Juan mentioned that The Matrix will be playing at the Enzian. Book Discussion Juan is willing to book a table at the Enzian for anyone who wants one. Patricia explained the plot and characters of The Man in the High Castle. It is alternate world where Germany and Japan won Did some discussion on future book discussions. Juan will do a World War II and occupy the United States. Juan pointed out that best of 2015 presentation. Peggy suggested some A. Lee the novel did focus on the resistance that the show focuses on. It Martinez titles. Helen and Troy: Epic Road Trip will be the was oddly plotted novel. Dick book for March. Juan discussed the book and how it related to the Amazon Prime Agent Carter will coming out next week. Arthur outlined the DC show. He was surprised that it won the Hugo in 1963 beating program Legends of Tomorrow. books by Arthur C. Clarke and .

Patricia said Star Wars: The Force Awaken was a remake of the Juan asked about agency. He felt that most of the characters have first film. She also said that on genetics that Ben Solo could not more agency at end than they did at the beginning. be related to Leia and Han. Juan, Peggy, and Juan the film was Peggy held a raffle for 4 calendars. OK. Next month we will meet at the Orange County Public Library We discussed picnic dates. March 6 the planned date with March 13, March 20 as alternates. Meeting adjourned at 2:43PM.

Convention Stuff

Award News Juan invited the guests. And other participants Philip K. Dick Award Nominees Due to problems at World Con other cons are declaring (source Locus website) a disability policy. Juan will look at other cons policies. Disability policy.  Edge of Dark, Brenda Cooper (Pyr)  After the Saucers Landed, Douglas Lain (Night We discussed recruiting through YA, gaming, and cosplaying. Shade)  (R)evolution, PJ Manney (47North) Need to announce for volunteers. On the website and Facebook.  Apex, Ramez Naam (Angry Robot) Peggy and Michael can work on the website for volunteer  Windswept, Adam Rakunas (Angry Robot) recruiting.  Archangel Marguerite Reed (Arche)  Tom showed the art for the con and con T-Shirt. The award is presented annually to a distinguished work of science fiction originally published in paperback form in the Page three February 2016

(Continued from page 2) Best Sound Mixing  Mad Max: Fury Road – Chris Jenkins, , and United States. Ben Osmo  The Martian – Paul Massey, Mark Taylor, and The winner and any special citations will be announced on  Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Andy Nelson, Friday, March 25, 2016 at 39 at the DoubleTree by , and Stuart Wilson Hilton Seattle Airport, SeaTac, . Best Production Design Awards Speculative Fiction nominees  Mad Max: Fury Road – Colin Gibson and Lisa Thompson (source Wikipedia entry)  The Martian – Celia Bobak and Arthur Max

 Best Picture Best Cinematography Mad Max: Fury Road – Doug Mitchell and George Mad Max: Fury Road – John Seale Miller Best Makeup and Hairstyling  The Martian – Simon Kinberg, Ridley Scott, Michael Mad Max: Fury Road – Lesley Vanderwalt, Elka Wardega, Schaefer, and Mark Huffam and Damian Martin

Best Director Best Costume Design George Miller – Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Actor  Cinderella – Sandy Powell Matt Damon – The Martian as Mark Watney  Mad Max: Fury Road – Jenny Beavan

Best Original Screenplay Best Film Editing  Ex Machina – Alex Garland  Mad Max: Fury Road – Margaret Sixel  Inside Out – Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve, Josh Cooley, and  Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Maryann Brandon and Ronnie del Carmen Mary Jo Markey

Best Adapted Screenplay Best Visual Effects The Martian – Drew Goddard from The Martian by  Ex Machina – Mark Williams Ardington, , Andy Weir Paul Norris, and  Mad Max: Fury Road – Andrew Jackson, Dan Oliver, Andy Best Animated Film Williams, and Tom Wood  Anomalisa – Charlie Kaufman, Duke Johnson, and Rosa  The Martian – Anders Langlands, Chris Lawrence, Richard Tran Stammers, and Steven Warner  Boy & the World – Alê Abreu  Star Wars: The Force Awakens – , Roger  Inside Out – Pete Docter and Jonas Rivera Guyett, Paul Kavanagh, and  Shaun the Sheep Movie – Mark Burton and Richard Starzak  When Marnie Was There – Hiromasa Yonebayashi and (Continued from page 1) Yoshiaki Nishimura

 SyFy Bartow Best Animated Short Film February 21  Bear Story – Pato Escala Pierart and Gabriel Osorio Vargas Main Street  Prologue – Imogen Sutton and Richard Williams Bartow, FL  Sanjay's Super Team – Nicole Paradis Grindle and Sanjay Guests: Chuck Dixon Patel A SF themed street fair  We Can't Live Without Cosmos – Konstantin Bronzit Free  World of Tomorrow – Don Hertzfeldt http://mainstreetbartowfl.com/syfy-saturday-2016-2/

Best Original Score Star Wars: The Force Awakens – John Williams

Best Sound Editing  Mad Max: Fury Road – Mark A. Mangini and David White  The Martian – Oliver Tarney  Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Matthew Wood and David Acord

Page four February 2016

Letters of Comment David Hartwell

1706-24 Eva Rd. I had heard of David Hartwell for years via Locus arti- Etobicoke, ON cles. I first remembered seeing him at AussieCon 3, the 1999 CANADA M9C 2B2 . I was watching a door for the Dead Dog party and I January 7, 2016 recognized Hartwell, I told my fellow door guard that we should let Hartwell in because he was an important editor. Hartwell was surprised I said that. Dear OASFiSians: I would see Hartwell at various panels at Worldcon. I seem to be catching up all the time. I have here issues 337 and With , Hartwell discussed Philip K. Dick, whom he 338 of the Event Horizon, and so, the letter starts…NOW! knew. There Hartwell talked about the time he visited Dick and Dick told Hatwell about the novel he was working on, The 337…Looks like you will all be quite busy for 2016. Wish there Transmigration of Timothy Archer if I recall correctly. Hart- was a way to get to Florida for something SFnal. If we can scrape well also participated in the Joanna Russ Memorial panel at together the cash, we might go down to Florida for the Harry Renovention, the 2011 Worldcon. He was close to Russ and Potter park, maybe in 2017. I gather that ’ talked about the time they went to a Joyce Carol Oates reading. Shannarra books have been turned into a mini-series, but reaction He gave great insights to these important writers. is poor. There will be a mini-series some time this month, I think, based on Lev Grossman’s Magicians trilogy, and I think that will A few years ago, the International Conference for the be better. Harry Potter for hipsters… Fantastic in the Arts (ICFA) moved from South Florida to Orlan- do. As a volunteer, I worked for David Hartwell, who ran the The Magicians was more than that. It was college students ICFA bookroom. It was a fun assignment. who have great power and how to deal with them. I did a review of the first book here in the Event Horizon. David was easy to work with. On the setup days, we would go to the out for lunch. During those lunches, we talked The photos are always great, and given my own interests, I about the field. It was just like talking to any other fan. especially appreciate any steampunk costumes. >From now, I believe, I will be at Worldcon only in spirit. We will be travelling He treated everyone with respect and kindness. He was to go places before we are financially unable to do so. the definition of professional.

Ah, Juan, you did what I did some years ago. I posed with a In 2009, he was a Worldcon Guest of Honor. Below was Hugo award, too. Wasn’t mine of course, it was Chris Garcia’s in a summation of his Guest of Honor Interview that was part of my Reno, but still, it is nice to hold one. con report for that year.

For the last couple of years I made a tradition to photograph My last communication with him was an email. An an- myself with the Hugo. It easy since I have been covering the gry writer wanted people to email David and let him know that it Hugos for a website . This year I also worked the Hugos was mistake to take the bust of H.P. Lovecraft off the World Fan- tasy Award. I thought it was a good idea to remove the contro- 338 arrived just yesterday…that is an amazing con list. You can versial writer from the trophy. I emailed David and told him that attend cons just about every weekend, and never leave the state. he and the committee made the right call. I was surprised that he SW7 is now the biggest movie, box office wise, of all time. thanked me for the email.

My letter…thank you, I hope we are nominated again next year, Losing David right after David Bowie and Alan Rick- but it seems less and less likely. I think we will keep trying, man was devastating. I am glad I got work with and know David. though. ———————- I think we will be going to see Star Wars Episode 7 this The editor guest of honor was in the spotlight with Paul weekend, even if we have seen far too many spoilers. Already, Kincaid in Conversation with David Hartwell. Kincaid asked I’ve heard somne rumours about Episode 8, and Episode 9 is what Hartwell read at 13. Hartwell read the Best of anthologies. going have to wind this who saga up…unless Episodes 10, 11 Hartwell got into science fiction accidentally. He was a big read- and 12 are ordered…take care all, and see you with the next one. er in the 5th grade and came across the Tom Swift books. Hart- well liked the basic concept of the books despite the bad writing and political incorrectness. After Hartwell had finished all the With Disney owning Star Wars we may never see the of end Star Tom Swift books, he asked the librarian if there were more books Wars. There will also be side stories movie about Han Solo, Obi like this. The librarian gave him a note to give him permission to Wan Kenobi, and Boba Fett. the adult section of the library. Hartwell found science fiction anthologies that blown his mind. The story notes in the antholo- Yours, Lloyd Penney. (Continued on page 5) Page five February 2016

(Continued from page 4) a new review magazine. The poetry magazine became The New gies got him into science fiction reading. Those books also men- York Review of Science Fiction. It debuted in 1988 and made tioned the magazines the stories came from. Hartwell started completely on Apple Macintoshes. The magazine broke even for buying the magazines. After reading the magazines, Hartwell 22 years. Hartwell encourages and trains new reviewers. The thought it would be cool to be a science fiction editor. Hartwell reviews avoid traditional academic forms and are open discus- joined the SF Book Club when it started and the local bookstore sions. Hartwell would like to publish memoirs on science fiction. owner recommended him science fiction paperbacks to read. They are not many science fiction biographies or memoirs. Kin- Hartwell would win a prize in college for his book collection. caid asked Hartwell how he reads so much short fiction to pre- The first adult science fiction novels he read were Childhood’s pare for the Year’s Best anthology. Hartwell says he reads the End and More Than Human. He got sensitive to style. Hartwell first few paragraphs in the magazine and anthology stories. The also joined the Ballantine’s paperback book of the month club Year’s Best represents the genre’s boundaries. Writers need to and order books from magazine ads. As a teen, he read a book a know the genre’s boundaries so they can break them. An audi- day. Kincaid asked if the golden age of science fiction is 13. ence member asked what writers Hartwell recommends. He men- Many have accredited Hartwell with this quote. Hartwell said a tioned Alastair Reynolds, Daryl Gregory, Peter Watts, Naomi fan came up with the quote. Hartwell could not remember who Kritzer, and Dominic Green. Someone mentioned a book series originally said it but it stuck with him after he used it in the intro- with classic novels with a new introduction. In this series, Joe duction of an anthology he edited. Hartwell went to Columbia for Haldeman introducing Robert Heinlein’s Double Star and Nor- his doctorate in comparative medieval literature. He wanted to a man Spinrad introducing a Philip K. Dick book were examples of doctorate in science fiction but there were no college programs this series. Hartwell always wanted to reprint those intros for a for that. The times were lean then. Hartwell had to get by on a book. Right now, he is busy with his family. Hartwell believes an dollar a day. Many professors at Columbia read science fiction. editor can influence the field. He does not think he has entirely One his professors told Hartwell that he had talent and he should failed in his attempts. forget the doctorate. Hartwell wanted to finish it and liked the topic. As a fan, Hartwell learned a lot about publishing and peo- ple told him to go into publishing. Hartwell did a lot reviews for fanzines in the 1960s. Paul Williams was a fanzine fan who start- ed the music magazine Crawdaddy. Hartwell did science fiction reviews for Crawdaddy. Williams believed science fiction and music go together. Williams, whose mother was in publishing, gave Hartwell the idea to do a science fiction anthology. Hart- well reviewed ’s The Final Programme. This was the only American review the book received and one of the few serious reviews. Moorcock was grateful and invited Hartwell to dinner. Hartwell also reviewed Jerry Pournelle’s first novel, King David’s Spaceship. Hartwell compared Pournelle’s work to . Pournelle was grateful for that review. Hart- well feels one has to put themselves in the way of luck. Hartwell read science fiction with careful attention. He has been lucky to be an editor. Management has fired him several times. Some accused Hartwell of wasting money while working at Timescape. While at Timescape he developed the modern Star Trek novel. Hartwell sold his first anthology, Dark Descent, in 1986. Hart- well felt anthologies should have structure and form. Dark De- scent focused on horror themes. In the 1980s, horror novels were rare. Horror writers had to work on writing in longer forms. Dark Descent demonstrated horror categories. Science fiction is a generous umbrella for the oddball works in literature. Hart- well edited The World Treasury of Science Fiction. The book had many foreign science fiction stories. It was a success and reviewed by John Updike for the New Yorker. In Eastern Eu- rope, Science Fiction was subversive. Some in the east thought Science Fiction was finished after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Soviet/Russia science fiction is very optimistic about technology. Hartwell discussed the influence Haruki Murakami has had on Japanese science fiction and his fondness for genre literature. Kincaid asked about The New Y ork Review of Science Fiction, the semiprozine that Hartwell edits. Hartwell had done reviews for Locus and did some teaching. He edited a poetry magazine which did not do well (most of the subscribers were libraries). At that time he discussed with Samuel R. Deleany the idea of doing Page six February 2016

Star Wars: The Force Awakens erful enough to stop a blaster bolt. Despite his injuries, he is able SPOLIER ALERT to hold off Rey. He feels an inner conflict that is driving him mad. He has to kill his father in order to assure himself that he is committed to the Dark Side of the Force. Last Christmas was good to Science Fiction and Fantasy The scene on the catwalk is intense. For a moment, one fans. The SyFy Channel debuted a mini-series based on Arthur believes it is possibly that Han maybe able to turn Kylo Ren back C. Clarke’s classic novel Childhood’s End. That same week The to Light Side. When Kylo Ren kills his father, he commits to Expanse, a television series based on a novel series by James Dark Side. Turning back is more difficult but not impossible. Can S.A. Corey, came out the same week on the SyFy Channel. The Kylo Ren redeem himself like his grandfather Anakin? SyFy Channel also previewed The Magicians, a television show Some say The Force Awakens copies too much from A based on a trilogy by Lev Grossman, at the same time. The big New Hope, but that film copied from other films too. Disney the present was the return of Star Wars to the big screen. current owner of the saga decided to play it safe on its first Star Star Wars is special. It is a genre of its own. The saga Wars film. There are rumors that the next film in the saga will presents the classic Hero’s Journey, but using the furniture of be more daring. space opera to tell its story. My only disappointment in the film is not seeing Leia What we ask from Star Wars is action, adventure, inter- welding a lightsaber. In the old Expanded Universe novels, Leia nal conflict, and romance. The originally trilogy was a conflict fought as a Jedi with Luke. Abrams and the writers explained between a totalitarian government and freedom fighting rebels their reasons for this, but one hopes a future production team that reflected Cold War conflicts. The prequels showed how a reconsiders and we see Leia dueling like her brother and father. democracy could fail and become a totalitarian regime. Some It was great how the old cast with blended with the new. saw this happening to the US because of its participation in Mid- Han and Chewie were fighting the good fight. Leia held the mor- dle Eastern wars. The Force Awakens has the remnants of the al center as the leader of the Resistance. R2D2 and C3PO broke Empire, the First Order trying to take over sectors of space much the tension. like what ISIS is doing in Iraq and Syria. There is more Star Wars in the future. There will be The story begins with fighter pilot Poe Dameron getting films focusing on the main story or Saga films. There will be information on Luke Skywalker’s location. First Order forces films focusing on specific characters like Han Solo, Obi Wan capture Dameron, but he sent the information away on his astro- Kenobi, and Boba Fett. Star Wars has returned more powerful mech BB-8. A metal scavenger Rey finds BB-8 and looks than ever and has been nominated for 5 Oscars. I hope that this after him. She meets Finn, a former who escaped will allow artists to practice their craft on one of the best canvas- with Poe Dameron. Kylo Ren, a knight of Ren, pursues them to es ever. acquire the droid. With Dameron lost, can Finn and Rey get BB- The Force is with us. 8 to the Resistance? Along their journey, they meet some famil- iar faces while the First Order prepares a new super weapon. This is the beginning of new saga. The film introduces new characters who will drive this current trilogy: Dameron, Finn, and Rey. They will learn from their predecessors and carve out their own destiny. Poe Dameron is the most established of the three. He is a confident and able fighter pilot. Dameron is a good leader and can keep cool during intense situations. He demostrates this when co-ordinates the fighter assault on the Starkiller and when his interrogated by Kylo Ren. Finn makes a moral choice. He starts out as a cog in the First Order’s war machine. Finn sees the cruelty and ruthlessness of First Order, up close. Finn decides to escape and find some- thing new. Finn overcomes his fear of First Order when he realiz- es Rey is in danger. Though Finn is not Force sensitive, he fights with a light saber since that all he has to fight with. He willingly goes into danger for his friends and figures out how deactivate the Starkiller shield. Rey is a resourceful loner. Rey wants to stay on Jakku since she believes her family will one day find her. The Force vision she has scares Rey from embracing her true self. Rey only accepts her destiny to defend Finn from Kylo Ren. The duel between Rey and Kylo Ren is very dynamic. At first Ren is controlling the duel. When Kylo tells Rey, he can teach the ways of the Force, she realizes what to do. Rey rejects her fear and is able fully embrace the Force, and starts driving the duel and is able to push Ren back. Kylo Ren is a formidable if unstable villain. He is pow- Page seven February 2016 RIP

David Bowie

Alan Rickman OASFiS PO Box 323 Goldenrod, FL 32733-0323

Joe Fan 123 Sesame Street Orlando, FL 32805

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