NUMBER 28 registered by AUSTRALIA post #vbg2791 95C Volume 4 Number 2 March 1982 COW & counts PUBLISH 3 H£W ttOVttS CORY § COLLINS have published three new novels in their VOID series. RYN by Jack Wodhams, LANCES OF NENGESDUL by Keith Taylor and SAPPHIRE IN THIS ISSUE: ROAD by Wynne Whiteford. The recommended retail price on each is $4.95 Distribution is again a dilemna for them and a^ter problems with some DITMAR AND NEBULA AWARD NOMINATIONS, FRANK HERBERT of the larger paperback distributors, it seems likely that these titles TO WRITE FIFTH DUNE BOOK, ROBERT SILVERBERG TO DO will be handled by ALLBOOKS. Carey Handfield has just opened an office in Melbourne for ALLBOOKS and will of course be handling all their THIRD MAJIPOOR BOOK, "FRIDAY" - A NEW ROBERT agencies along with NORSTRILIA PRESS publications. HEINLEIN NOVEL DUE OUT IN JUNE, AN APPRECIATION OF TSCHA1CON GOH JACK VANCE BY A.BERTRAM CHANDLER, GEORGE TURNER INTERVIEWED, Philip K. Dick Dies BUG JACK BARRON TO BE FILMED, PLUS MORE NEWS, REVIEWS, LISTS AND LETTERS. February 18th; he developed pneumonia and a collapsed lung, and had a second stroke on February 24th, which put him into a A. BERTRAM CHANDLER deep coma and he was placed on a respir­ COMPLETES NEW NOVEL ator. There was no brain activity and doctors finally turned off the life A.BERTRAM CHANDLER has completed his support system. alternative Australian history novel, titled KELLY COUNTRY. It is in the hands He had a tremendous influence on the sf of his agents and publishers. GRIMES field, with a cult following in and out of AND THE ODD GODS is a short sold to sf fandom, but with the making of the Cory and Collins and IASFM in the U.S.A. movie BLADERUNNER, based on his novel DO Work has commenced on FIND THE LADY in ANDROIDS DREAM ELECTRIC SHEEP ?, he was which Grimes, having resigned from the starting to recieve the acclaim he so governorship of Liberia, is scouring the much deserved. It is a very great pity galaxy trying to find Sister Sue. Bert that he did not at least see the release regrets that he will not be able to of the film. After a break of some years attend Tschaicon, due to being recalled It is with the deepest regret that we he had two novels published recently, have to tell you that PHILIP KENDRED DICK to duty by The Union Steam Ship Company. VALIS and a thematic sequel, THE DIVINE Although officially retired, he is from died, at the age of 53, on March 2nd. He INVASION. He completed for Pocket Books time to time called upon to fulfil the was one of the giants in the science last year THE TRANSMIGRATION OF TIMOTHY legal requirements of having an officer fiction field. He suffered a stroke on ARCHER, a non-sf novel. aboard ship, when a ship is in dock for repairs and such. He assures us that he An apptiecia£i,on ofa P.K.V. by Bailee GiMeip-ce uMt be fiound on page will arrange honorable discharge well before Chicon. < Fan comic strip this issue. Varyl has The DITMAR also decided to withdraw from PUFF and he gives his reasons and apologies in a Nominations. tetter in this issue. Vue to the script AUSTRALASIAN SCIENCE FICTION ACHIEVEMENT we were going to use being withdrawn AWARD NOMINATIONS FOR 1982 by the writer, because our artist could BEST L0NG AUSTRALASIAN SCIENCE FICTION not do his wonderful script justice, we OR FANTASY need to come up with a new story for the Anti-Fan Strip. That may also take THE ANARCH LORDS - A.Bertram Chandler another issue if we do decide to con­ (DAW Book U.S.A.) tinue it. BARD - Keith Taylor (ACE Books U.S.A.) We do not have any further details on BEHIND THE WIND - Patricia Wrightson The further behind I get, the further the Melbourne in '85 World Convention (Hutchinson U.K./Australia and behind I get, but at least we have some Bid, but we hope to bring you further Atheneum and Del Rey U.S.A.) very up to date information in this issue. information in the next issue. A second, CITY OF WOMEN by David Ireland The news o<J ?hil Vick's death we could issue of the newspaper being published (Allen Lane, Penguin Aust.) well do without . His toss will hit the by the Melbourne in '85 bidding committee, THE MAN WHO LOVED MORLOCKS by sf community very hand. An author puts THE ANTIPOVEAN ANNOUNCER, wilt be out David Lake his thoughts and ideas into his writing, by Easter. For further details write to (Hyland House Aust.) even with fiction and the more readers GPO Box 2253U, Melbourne 3001, Victoria, read of his wonk, the more they feel Australia. BEST SHORT AUSTRALASIAN SCIENCE FICTION they know him personalty. In the a/ OR FANTASY In relation to the '85 World con bid, field we have the unique opportunity it has been decided that the Australian ARMSTRONG by Jack Wodhams also, of being abte to meet many of own SF Foundation wilt in effect become the ("Distant Worlds" edited Paul favourite authors pensonatty at the legally constituted body organising the Collins, Void Publications Aust.) conventions. So when we lose an author, bid. The current committee will be re­ TALES OF MIRRIC by Elizabeth Travers we feet that we one not just losing a signing, including Paul Stevens, Varyt ("Yggdrasil" No 2 1981, edited source of reading pleasure, we are losing Mannelt, Rob Gerrand, Peter Varting and Denise Griffin, Melbourne a friend. I am sure that all Phil Vick's myself, Merv Binns. The Foundation was University SF Association.) fans in Australia wilt join us in con­ originally formed after Aussiecon, the WHERE SILENCE RULES by Keith Taylor veying own condolences to his family. 7975 World SF Con held in Melbourne. ("Distant Worlds" ed Paul Collins, He wilt be greatly missed. It will probably continue after a suc­ Void Publications Australia.) cessful or unsuccessful bid for '85. We have a tot of information to go in BEST INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE FICTION OR Its purpose and reasons for existance this issue, so some things will have to wilt need to be reviewed. FANTASY be cut. Thene are tots of out of date THE AFFIRMATION by Christopher Priest book reviews laying about and we thank TSCHAICON organisers advise that the (Faber U.K., Charles Scribner oun reviewers for doing them, but we regret PITMAR voting forms must be returned by U.S.A.) we will just have to drop some of them. April 5th. Members only can vote. See THE CLAW OF THE CONCILIATOR Also we wilt not be abte to include all membership details page 4. The next con By Gene Wolfe (Timescape U.S.A, the tetters we have received in full, coming up is OCTACON, Vunedin, New Sidgwick § Jackson U.K.) but we wilt see how we go when we get to Zealand. June 4th to 7th. Vetails from RADIX by A.A.Attanasio them. Box 5516, Vunedin, N.Z. The next World ( William Morrow USA) Uy thanks to the editors of ANSIBLE, Con is CHI CON, in Chicago U.S.A, THE SIRIAN EXPERIMENTS by Doris September 2-6. Bert Chandler is G.O.H. LOCUS and SF CHRONICLE for a targe Lessing (Jonathan Cape UK, More details next issue or on request. Alfred Knopf USA) percentage of the information herein, and to Justin Ackroyd for proofreading. Next years Australasian I National SF BEST AUSTRALASIAN FANZINE Convention is in Sydney, with Harlan Ellison as G.O.H. June 10th -13th 1983. AUSTRALIAN SF NEWS Vue to our resident artist being involved Ed. Mervyn R.Binns with other activities, there is no Anti­ Merv Binns Ed. Q36 Ed. Marc Ortlieb AUSTRALIAN SF NEWS ISSN 0155-8870 is edited and published by Mervyn R.Binns SF COMMENTARY under the sponsorship of The AUSTRALIAN SCIENCE FICTION Ed. Bruce Gillespie FOUNDATION. THYME ASFN is registered for posting under Australia Post regulations category 'B'. Eds. Andrew Brown 5 Irwin Hirsh The address for all correspondence is 305/307 Swanston Street, Melbourne, WEBER WOMAN'S WREVENGE 3000, Victoria, AUSTRALIA. Ed- Jean Weber BEST AUSTRALASIAN FAN WRITER SUBSCRIPTION RATE: $6.00 Australian for 6 issues, surface rtail. $10.00 Airmail. Please make all payments payable to the editor, Mervyn R.Binns. Our American Leigh Edmonds agent is LOCUS, Box 13305, Oakland, CA 94661. Please send all payments Judith Hanna in the U.S.A, to LOCUS : $6.85 US surface mail and $11.45 US airmail. Our Eric B.Lindsay British agent is GERALD BISHOP, 2 Cowper Road, Cambridge, CB1 3SN, England. 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