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The SHUTTLE March 2003

The Next NASFA Meeting will be 15 March 2003 at the Regular Time and Location The Next Con Stellation XXII ConCom Meeting will be 2P Sunday 6 April 2003 at Mike KennedyÕs House

{ Oyez, Oyez { April ConCom Meeting

The next NASFA meeting will be 15 March 2003 at the The next Con Stellation XXII con committee meeting regular time (6P) and the regular location. Call BookMark at will be held 2P Sunday 6 April at Mike KennedyÕs house Ñ 256-881-3910 if you need directions. 7907 Charlotte Drive SW, Huntsville AL. An email announce- The March program (7P) will be a presentation by ment with additional information will be sent out closer to the Bradley Carlson on ÒNext Generation Launch Technology: day. Future meetings are all tentatively scheduled for the The Blueprint to TomorrowÕs Space Program.Ó Mr. Carlson Sunday after the first Saturday each month. (As always, stay currently works on NASAÕs Next Generation Launch Tech- tuned as things can change if circumstances alter.) nology Program at Marshal. Previous assignments have in- cluded the Air Force Research Lab and NASAÕs Dryden Flight Research Center. The March after-the-meeting meeting will be at Mike KennedyÕs house (subject to change if we get another volunteer). We need ATMM volunteers for future months. This yearÕs Hugo nomination ballots have been mailed. All members of the 2003 Worldcon (Torcon 3 ) as well as last yearÕs Worldcon (ConJosŽ) are eligible to cast a nominating ballot. The deadline for casting a nomination ballot is 31 March 2003. Electronic balloting is not available this year, though you may visit TorconÕs web site to get a copy of the ballot if you need to. You must be an attending or supporting member of Torcon 3 to vote in the final Hugo selection balloting later this year.

Inside this issueÉ NASFA Calendar...... 2 Visual Effects Society Awards Announced ...... 3 Minutes of the February Meeting ...... 2 Razzie Awards Nominations ...... 4 BAFTA Awards Presented ...... 3 No Need for a Dragon with a Migraine Chapter 2 ...... 4 Science Fiction Book Club Top 50 ...... 3 No Need for a Dragon with a Migraine Chapter 3 ...... 5 Deadline for the April 2003 issue of The NASFA Shuttle is Friday, 4 April 2003. 1 19 BD: David O. Miller. NASFA Calendar 19 Victoria Day (Canada). 20 BD: Mike Glicksohn. MARCH 23Ð25 Rocket City FurMeet Ñ Huntsville AL. 02 BD: Ronnie Lajoie. 23Ð25 Oasis 16 Ñ Orlando FL. 05 Ash Wednesday. 26 Memorial Day. 07Ð09 ChaosCon 5 Ñ Clarksville TN. 27 BD: Kathy Paulk. 08 BD: Bill Payne. 30Ð01 ConCarolinas 2003 Ñ Charlotte NC. 08 International WomenÕs Day. 09 BD: Tracey Kennedy. JUNE 10 BD: Kerry Gilley. 02 BD: Lloyd Penney. 13 BD: Anita Eisenberg. 08 Con Stellation Con Committee Meeting (tentative) Ñ 14Ð16 StellarCon 27 Ñ High Point NC. Mike KennedyÕs house. 14Ð16 TechniCon 20 Ñ Blacksburg VA. 08 Pentecost. 15* NASFA Meeting Ñ 6P Business, 7P Program, at 14 Flag Day. BookMark. ATMM at Mike KennedyÕs house. 15 FatherÕs Day. 15 BD: Carlo DeShouten. 19 BD: Julius Schwartz. 17 St. PatrickÕs Day. 21* NASFA Meeting Ñ 6P Business, 7P Program, at 19Ð23 24th International Conference of the Fantastic in the BookMark. ATMM TBD. Arts Ñ Ft. Lauderdale FL. 21 Summer begins. 20 Spring begins. OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO 21Ð23 Galacticon 2003 Ñ Chattanooga TN. 21Ð23 CoastCon XXVI Ñ Biloxi MS. The North Alabama Science Fiction Association meets on 22 BD: Jayson Woosley. the third Saturday of each month. (Unless there is a large 28Ð30 MidSouthCon 21 Ñ Memphis TN. nearby convention being held that weekend Ñ in which case 28Ð30 MadiCon Ñ Harrisonburg VA. we usually hold the meeting on the second or fourth weekend.) 30 BD: Maurine Dorris. The regular meeting location is the upstairs meeting room at BookMark on South Memorial Parkway. The Executive APRIL Committee meeting (if scheduled) is at 5P. The business 01 April FoolÕs Day. meeting is at 6P. The program is at 7P. Anyone is welcome to 06 Daylight Saving Time begins. attend any of the meetings. There is usually an after-the- 06 Con Stellation Con Committee Meeting Ñ Mike meeting meeting with directions available at the program. KennedyÕs house. 13 Palm Sunday. 15 BD: ÒUncle TimmyÓ Bolgeo. 15 Income Taxes due. February Minutes 17 Passover. by Samuel A. Smith, inky 17Ð20 Fantasm 2003 Ñ Atlanta GA. 17Ð20 World Horror Con 2003 Ñ Kansas City MO. The February meeting of the North Alabama Science 18 Good Friday. Fiction Association was called to order on Saturday, February 18Ð20 Nebula Awards Weekend 2003 Ñ Philadelphia PA. 15, 2003 in the upstairs meeting room at BookMark at 6:21:37P 19* NASFA Meeting Ñ 6P Business, 7P Program, at by President Mary Ortwerth. The crickets have spoken! BookMark. ATMM TBD. OLD BUSINESS 20 Easter. The crickets should have kept speakingÉ 21 BD: Randy B. Cleary. NEW BUSINESS 22 Earth Day. Mia is going to a con and has offered to take Con Stellation 23 Administrative ProfessionalsÕ Day. flyers. 25 National Arbor Day. Sam Smith passed around a signup sheet for people who 26 BD: Chloie Airoldi. want to join the NASFA e-mail mailing list. 30 BD: Mark Maxwell. New chocolate arrived! (Love those after-ValentineÕs sales.) MAY CONVENTION BUSINESS 01 BD: Russell McNutt. We have an Artist Guest of Honor for Con Stellation, and 02Ð04 Chibicon Ñ Madison AL. Fan Guests of Honor: Don Maitz and Guy and Rosy Lillian, 03 BD: Martha Knowles. respectively. 04 Con Stellation Con Committee Meeting (tentative) Ñ We have dates for Con Stellation: 10Ð12 October, 2003. Mike KennedyÕs house. Sam Smith reported that the Con Stellation web site 11 MotherÕs Day. received 758 visitors in January, prior to reorganizing the web 14 BD: Debbie Hughes. site so Pat McAdams could take it over, and 158 visitors 16 BD: Linda Bolgeo. afterwards. The NASFA web site received 120 visitors in 16Ð18 MobiCon Ñ Mobile AL. January. 16Ð18 Roc*Kon 2003 Ñ Little Rock AR. The meeting was adjourned at 6:35:41P. The program was 17 Armed Forces Day. ÒScience Fiction Haiku.Ó (During which Sam proved to every- 17* NASFA Meeting Ñ 6P Business, 7P Program, at one that he wouldnÕt know a Haiku if it bit him.) The After- BookMark. ATMM TBD. The-Meeting Meeting was held at Mary OrtwerthÕs place. 2 Slaughterhouse-5, Kurt Vonnegut BAFTA Awards Presented Snow Crash, Neal Stephenson Stand on Zanzibar, John Brunner The British Academy Film Awards were presented Sun- The Stars My Destination, Alfred Bester day 23 February 2003 at the Odeon, Leicester Square. The Starship Troopers, Robert A. Heinlein Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers picked up two BAFTA Stormbringer, Michael Moorcock awards (in the categories Costume Design and Achievement in The Sword of Shannara, Terry Brooks Special Visual Effects), plus the Orange Film of the Year Ñ the Timescape, Gregory Benford only award given out at the ceremony that is voted on by the To Your Scattered Bodies Go, Philip JosŽ Farmer public. LotR:TTT had also received nominations in over a half- dozen additional categories, including best director and best film. Visual Effects Society Awards SF Book Club Top 50 The Visual Effects Society has com> presented the first set of what is planned to be an annual announced a list of what they consider to be ÒThe Most award on 19 February 2003. The VES Awards were created to Significant SF & Fantasy Books of the Last 50 Years, honor excellence for visual effects in feature films, television, 1953Ð2002.Ó No doubt there could be some quibbling about commercials, and music videos. Perhaps unsurprisingly, genre the title of the list, since many of the entries are in fact works did well in the awards. The winners are: comprised of multiple books. Nevertheless, hereÕs the full list: Best Visual Effects in an Effects Driven Motion Picture: The The Lord of the Rings, J. R. R. Tolkien Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, , Joe The Foundation Trilogy, Isaac Asimov Letteri, , Dune, Frank Herbert Best Supporting Visual Effects in a Motion Pictures: The Sum Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert A. Heinlein of all Fears, Glenn Neufeld, Derek Spears, Dan Malvin, A Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula K. Le Guin Al Disarro Neuromancer, William Gibson Best Visual Effects in a Television Miniseries, Movie, or a ChildhoodÕs End, Arthur C. Clarke Special: Dinotopia, Mike McGee, , Alec Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Philip K. Dick Knox, Ben Morris The Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley Best Visual Effects in a Television Series: Firefly ÒSerenityÓ Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury (pilot), Emile Smith, Rocco Passionino, Loni Peristere, The Book of the New Sun, Gene Wolfe Kristen Branan A Canticle for Leibowitz, Walter M. Miller, Jr. Best Visual Effects in a Commercial: XBOX Mosquito, Wil- The Caves of Steel, Isaac Asimov liam Bartlett, Andrew Daffy, Jake Mengers, Helen Mack- Children of the Atom, Wilmar Shiras enzie Cities in Flight, James Blish Best Visual Effects in a Music Video: So to Speak, Andrew The Colour of Magic, Terry Pratchett Honacker, Steven Wagner, Sean Capone, Talon Night- Dangerous Visions, edited by Harlan Ellison shade Deathbird Stories, Harlan Ellison Best Character Animation in a Live Action Motion Picture: The Demolished Man, Alfred Bester The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Richard Baneham, Dhalgren, Samuel R. Delany , Ken McGaugh, Bay Raitt Dragonflight, Anne McCaffrey Best Character Animation in a Live Action Televised Program, EnderÕs Game, Orson Scott Card Music Video, or Commercial: Dinotopia, Michael Eames, The First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, Quentin Miles, Dadi Einarsson, Ben White Stephen R. Donaldson Best Character Animation in an Animated Motion Picture: The Forever War, Joe Haldeman Stuart Little 2, Tony Bancroft, , Eric Arm- Gateway, Frederik Pohl strong, Sean Mullen Harry Potter and the PhilosopherÕs Stone, J. K. Rowling Best Special Effects in a Motion Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The HitchhikerÕs Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams The Two Towers, Steve Ingram, Blair Foord, Rich Cordo- I Am Legend, Richard Matheson bes, Scott Harens Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice Best Matte Painting in a Motion Picture: : Episode The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. Le Guin II Attack of the Clones, Paul Huston, Yusei Uesugi, Little, Big, John Crowley Jonathan Harb Lord of Light, Roger Zelazny Best Matte Painting in a Televised Program, Music Video, or The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. Dick Commercial: Dinotopia, Daren Horley, Jason Horley, Mission of Gravity, Hal Clement Craig Lyn, Martin McRae More Than Human, Theodore Sturgeon Best Models and Miniatures in a Motion Picture: The Lord of The Rediscovery of Man, Cordwainer Smith the Rings: The Two Towers, Richard Taylor, Paul Van On the Beach, Nevil Shute Ommen, Matt Aitken Rendezvous with Rama, Arthur C. Clarke Best Models and Miniatures in a Televised Program, Music Ringworld, Larry Niven Video, or Commercial: Enterprise ÒDead Stop,Ó John Rogue Moon, Algis Budrys Teska, Koji Kuramura, Pierre Drolet, Sean Scott The Silmarillion, J. R. R. Tolkien Best Visual Effects Photography in a Motion Picture: The Lord 3 of the Rings: The Two Towers, Alex Funke, Brian Vant MOST FLATULENT TEEN- Hul, Richard Bluck TARGETED MOVIE (New Category) Best Effects Art Direction in a Motion Picture: The Lord of the Adam SandlerÕs 8 Crazy Nights (Sony/Columbia) Rings: The Two Towers, Alan Lee, Jeremy Bennett, Chris- Crossroads (Paramount) tian Rivers, Gino Acevedo Jackass: The Movie (Paramount) Best Effects Art Direction in a Televised Program, Music Scooby Doo (Warner Bros.) Video, or Commercial: Adidas ÒMechanical Legs,Ó Eric XXX (Sony/Revolution) Barba, Bernd Angerer, Jeff Julian, Feli di Giorgio WORST SCREEN COUPLE Best Compositing in a Motion Picture: The Lord of the Rings: Adriano Giannini and /Swept Away The Two Towers, Mark Lewis, G. G. Heitmann Demers, and Nicoletta Braschi/Pinocchio Alex Lemke, Alfred Murrle Hayden Christensen and /Star Wars: Epi- Best Compositing in a Televised Program, Music Video, or sode II Send in the Clones Commercial: Dinotopia, Christian Manz, Pedro Sabrosa, and either Robert deNiro (Showtime), Owen Nicolas Cotta, Tor Bjorn Wilson (I Spy), or Himself Cloned (The Adventures Of Best Performance by an Actor in an Effects Film: The Lord of Pluto Nash) the Rings: The Two Towers, Andy Serkis, Elijah Wood, and Whatever-His-Name-Was/Crossroads Sean Astin WORST DIRECTOR Roberto Benigni/Pinocchio Tamra Davis/Crossroads /Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Groans Razzie Awards Noms Guy Ritchie/Swept Away /The Adventures of Pluto Nash SF/Fantasy and related films are, um, well represented in WORST REMAKE OR SEQUEL the nominations for the 23rd Annual Golden Raspberry Awards I Spy (Sony/Columbia) , aka the Razzies. These awards ÒhonorÓ Mr. Deeds (Columbia/New Line) the worst achievements in film in the year 2002. In fact, there Roberto BenigniÕs Pinocchio (Miramax) are so many films that are arguably genre-related in the list that Star Wars: Episode II What-Ever (Fox/Lucasfilm) the Shuttle will present the entire list of nominations (below) Swept Away (Screen Gems) rather than try to sort out genre from non-genre films. The 2003 WORST SCREENPLAY Razzie ceremony will take place at 11A PST on Saturday 22 The Adventures of Pluto Nash, Written by Neil Cuthbert March 2003 at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel in Santa Monica Crossroads, Screenplay by Shonda Rhimes CA. Roberto BenigniÕs Pinocchio, Screenplay by Vincenzo Cer- WORST PICTURE ami and Roberto Benigni The Adventures of Pluto Nash (Warner Bros.) Star Wars: Episode II The Boredom Continues, Screenplay Crossroads (Paramount) by George Lucas and Jonathon Hales Roberto BenigniÕs Pinocchio (Miramax) Swept Away, Screenplay by Guy Ritchie Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones (Fox/Lucasfilm) WORST ORIGINAL SONG Swept Away (Screen Gems) from Die Another Day, written by Madonna WORST ACTOR and Mirwais Ahmadzai Roberto Benigni/Pinocchio IÕm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman from Crossroads, Written Adriano Giannini/Swept Away by Max Martin, Rami, and Dido Armstrong Eddie Murphy/Adventures of Pluto Nash, I Spy, and Showtime Overprotected from Crossroads, Written by Max Martin and Steven Segal/Half Past Dead Rami /Adam SandlerÕs 8 Crazy Nights and Mr. Deeds WORST ACTRESS /Life, Or Something Like It Fishing and Wyrm Hunters! /Enough and Maid In Manhattan No Need for a Dragon with a Migraine Chapter 2 Madonna/Swept Away by PieEyedDragon Winona Ryder/Mr. Deeds Britney Spears/Crossroads The local Fairies have something new to gossip about: me. WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR They are understandably shy about stopping in for tea, so to Hayden Christensen/Star Wars: Episode II Yada-Yada- speak. They are gradually getting used to me. Yoda I am reminded of the Banshee who foretold my recent /Stealing Harvard death. IÕve heard they are ghosts of evil elves, but who can say? Freddie Prinze, Jr./Scooby Doo Perhaps I can summon that one back, to thank her for the /The Country Bears warning. How many have thanked these bearers of unpleasant Robin Williams/ news? IÕll be one to do so, and perhaps more. WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Ñ O Ñ O Ñ O Ñ Lara Flynn Boyle/Men In Black II (a month later) /Master of Disguise My stomach is settled, and my head feels fine. I think IÕll Madonna/Die Another Day go fishing. Natalie Portman/Star Wars: Episode Ñ Who Cares? I slither down into the lagoon and, shrinking, enter the Rebecca Ramijn-Stamos/Rollerball underground stream. I follow it for miles through caverns and 4 drowned tunnels, to emerge into a small stream. I follow this resilient if unstable; but more effective in the long term. Not down to a larger stream and then the river. I set-up in a shallow, that living flesh ever chose to be a weapon. wide place and let the salmon swim around and over me. The He had contrived for Siegmund to have a son: the man- ones who go around, I let take their chances with bear and wolf. weapon, Siegfried. Of those who swim over me I catch one in eleven, and swallow The Jotuns were on guard against the Aesir; and not whole. After a day of this, I am sated. A disturbance in the force forgetful of their human warriors. They even guarded against reveals that three witches or warlocks, flying invisibly, are warrior women, for good measure. All Mankind was born of quartering the whole area. Could they be looking for aÉ water, and not the best weapon against Ice. dragon? Ñ O Ñ O Ñ O Ñ I return through the underground stream, and reenter the The ravens flutter in and deliver news of the worlds. One lagoon. I expand to normal and climb out onto the bank; item was especially interesting. Wotan had paid high prices for ostensibly to warm myself in the afternoon sun. My various his wisdom and powers; to find the loopholes in the enemy senses confirm that the three stealth-mode witches are still preparations. Not even Siegfried had been special enough to overflying the land. I act like I am unaware of them. If they have hurl against the enemy. the slightest shred of survival instinct, they wonÕt buy that for Wotan had needed something truly esoteric: an Immortal, a minute. born of no father, and born of fire. (And not the Fire Giant One of the fairies comes near, and I quietly discuss the Surtur, for obvious reasons.) situation. She(?) agrees that these magic-users are probably This primordial weapon he had first forged when the from the Salem School. They were likely tipped off by the few ice sheets had last withdrawn, where fires had continued fair-folk remaining in those environs. My existence is no secret to burn under the ice. ItÕs first form had not been strong to them. enough, so Wotan had broken it and made it anew in even The witches fly away, as I expected. No contact this time. hotter fires. I dare not sleep yet, even though I am well-fed with excellent The weapon was tempered again, now; but could only be salmon. I am not stuffed; to be overfull is to invite disaster. No tested in combat lest the foe set countermeasures. The battle need for complete invisibility (learned from the kami). I shift need not be obvious, and there were plenty of good targets. scales into mime camouflage and look like trees, rocks, bracken, One of the toughest of these was so situated that no direct and mud. assault was possible. It persisted in wagging a ÒtongueÓ at the During all this, a large black raven has been overflying the world. If that ÒtongueÓ could be caught, and jerked out; some lagoon. It circled nine times and then flew straight away north. critical damage was sure to follow. After a little while, it seemed to wink-out as if it had gone A distraction was needed. Wotan whispers a message to behind a curtain. It is dusk, and the aurora is dimly shining Huginn the raven, who raises itÕs black-feathered wings and overhead. flies out again. Soon, a red-bearded man presents himself at the [Some of the above beings and situations have been suggested throne. by the works of J. K. Rowling.] ÒYou sent for me, Father?Ó Wotan fixes his single eye upon his son. ÒYes, Thor. Prepare your chariot and go to the border of Musspelheim. Take two or three with you, if you like. Raise a thunderstorm, Overview of a Cold War! and search among the wet stones. Find a fist-sized, round block No Need for a Dragon with a Migraine Chapter 3 of obsidian. Then, fly over Jotunheim and hurl it down at the by PieEyedDragon ice. Return here.Ó Thor takes his leave and hurries out. An old man sits, and broods upon the state of the worlds. Wotan acts: placing the Hammer marker and the new The wolves beside him do not stir. The Jotun powers were marker onto his mental war map. ÒThor to the Fire Giants: closing in; slowly, like glaciers. make noise.Ó His people stood now all but alone. The realms of the The Hammer token starts moving. Sidhe were closing; and Alfheim was all but blocked. The ÒKnight to Ice Castle foundation: prepare an ambush.Ó Alfar trapped in Midgard were dead, dying, or diminished. The The dragon icon coils, and prepares to move. proud Sidhe were unwilling allies at best, and rarely. ÒSo, now I roll the dice. Even if they come up Ôsnake eyes,Õ Dwarves had made mighty weapons in ages past, but cold that is still hopeful!Ó metal was unreliable and not the best defense against the [Some of the above beings and situations have been suggested creeping cold. The Frost Giants were masters of Cold War. by Clash of the Titans and the works of Poul Anderson and Wotan made weapons, too: weapons of flesh that were Lester Del Rey.]

5 P. O. Box 4857 Huntsville AL 35815-4857

***************************************************************************************************************** The NASFA Shuttle is the newsletter of the North Alabama Science Fiction Association, Inc. This is the March 2003 edition (Volume 23, Number 3). NASFA Officers for 2003: President Mary Ortwerth; Vice President Mike Kennedy; Secretary Sam Smith; Treasurer Ray Pietruszka; Program Director Karen Hopkins; Publicity Director Doug Lampert. Shuttle Editor Mike Kennedy. Comments, inquiries, and contributions of writing by email to: [email protected] Ñ EDITORIAL ADDRESS (EMAIL) Comments, inquiries, and contributions of writing by snailmail to: Mike Kennedy, 7907 Charlotte Drive SW, Huntsville AL 35802-2841 Ñ EDITORIAL ADDRESS (SNAILMAIL) Dues ($), subscriptions ($), and Official Mail to: NASFA, Inc., P. O. Box 4857, Huntsville AL 35815-4857 Ñ OFFICIAL ADDRESS Contents Copyright, © 2003. All rights revert to contributors. All opinions are those of the individual authors and do not reflect club policies other than by coincidence. LoCs subject to edited printing. NASFA Dues = $15/year (Family rates available) Subscription only = $10/year Single copy = $1.50 each. *****************************************************************************************************************

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