PROFESSIONAL NEWS GERALD MURNANE 2010: ODYSSEY TWO by ARTHUR C.CLARKE will be published by GRANADA late 1982. It is expected to be on sale in Australia late 1982 or early 1983. Clarke has sold a collection of short stories to Byron Preiss Visual NEW NOVEL FROM Productions, which will be presented as a "lavishly illustrated" book with an NORSTRILIA PRESS autobiographical introduction by Clarke. Norstrilia Press launched their latest Berkley will publish in the U.S.A. publication, THE PLAINS, by Gerald Murnane at a party held on Sunday BRIAN ALDISS became the first author August 15th. Although it is science with a number-one science fiction best­ fiction or fantasy, THE PLAINS is expected seller in England recently when the to appeal to a more general audience, as first part of his trilogy, HELLICONIA did this authors previous two books, SPRING hit the top of the list, beating TAMARISK ROW and A LIFETIME ON CLOUDS, out such books as NOBLE HOUSE and CUJO. neither of which could be classed as The American edition published by f or sf. TAMARISK ROW came close to being (MELBOURNE OR BUST.Q Atheneum was sold out within a few days and the publisher obviously underestim­ the best Australian novel of the year Artwork for sew on patch in 1974 and A LIFETIME OF CLOUDS was by Mike McGann ated the demand. Aldiss reports that also well received in 1976. the second volume, HELLICONIA SUMMER is near completion in first draft. The THE PLAINS is set in an alternative third title will be HELLICONIA WINTER. Australia, where a different culture He said that it is not a trilogy in has developed to that of the coastal HIEIBOURIIE in'85 fact, but a three part novel, which all areas. As George Turner puts it in takes place in one year ----- 2,592 his review in this issue ".. a vision AUSTRALIAN FANS attending the World Earth years long. He chose the cover of what we Australians might have design which he thinks is great. The become if we had based a culture on our SF Convention in Chicago next month will be going all out to convince second volume will have a map and he surroundings instead of importing our hopes to produce a Helliconia Encyclo­ thinking from Europe and America". attendees that they should vote for MELBOURNE IN '85. May we remind all pedia, making it virtually a four- volume novel. CORY and COLLINS have announced their Australian fans in particular, that the forthcoming programme. It will be voting for '85 will almost be all over David Lake's RING OF TRUTH, by this time next year, so now is the IN THIS ISSUE: Jack Wodham's FUTURE WAR, and time to tell all our overseas friends Wynne Whiteford's THOR'S HAMMER. Their that MELBOURNE'S THE PLACE TO ARRIVE INTERVIEWS WITH: next anthology (not titled yet) has IN 1985. been suspended until early '83. Among those attending this years World A,BERTRAM CHANDLER JACK WODHAMS has sold stories to RIGEL, Con will be Guest of Honour A.Bertram and JOHN FOYSTER FANTASY BOOK and OMEGA. His most recently- Chandler and his wife Susan, John News, Reports, Reviews, published story has appeared in the Foyster, DUFF winner Peter Toluzi, hardcover anthology, LOCKED ROOM Eric Lindsay and your editor Merv Binns. and Letter Column MYSTERIES. CONTINUED PAGE 2 AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL NEWS Continued Australian con in Melbourne in '73, 1985, and to come down and see us again, PAUL COLLINS has sold stories to when we did a musical show called JOE and sample a little of our hospitality. FANTASY BOOK, COLD BEER (with Leanne PHAUST, about a fan who sells his soul I am certainly looking forward to Frahm), INFINITY CUBED, and the to the devil to win a Hugo and many CHICON and BUBONICON for that matter, Australian magazine PM. more. I have many good memories of and renewing old acquaintances and WYNNE WHITEFORD is now reviewing science people and events in coventions and in making new ones and enjoying myself fiction for the Melbourne Herald. He fandom also for that matter, built up in general. CHICAGO, HERE I COME! has so far written five columns. On over the last thirty years, that I Tuesday 13th of July he flew to Japan would not trade for anything. where he will research his forthcoming Some conventions have been disappointing ALIEN HUNTER novel, THOR'S HAMMER. He will be away of course, but this has been mainly due AN AUSTRALIAN MADE SF MOVIE AT LAST for two weeks. to just personal dislikes in the way the We have just been advised of a project VAN IKIN reports that his PORTABLE programme was put together, as often as AUSTRALIAN SCIENCE FICTION anthology, a general overall foul up by the organ­ to produce an Australian sf film. It due from the University of Queensland isers. On my last overseas trip I felt is to be produced by Richard Bradley Press later this year, is now at the let down at SEACON, and I cannot to and Brian Rosen. The director is Mike page-proof stage - the last phase of this day tell you exactly why, but at Robertson, who will work from a script checking before printing begins. The the Northamericon in Louisville I had written by Valerie Parv. Great interest book runs to 361 pages in all: 41 pages a great time and I did not see very has been shown in the project by Hoyts, much of the programme at all. People, C.I.C,. The Toho-Towa Company in Japan of introduction,and a further 320 pages that is the most important thing about and others. Preliminary work has of sf stories and excerpts. cons. Meeting people. Believe it or not been going on for two years, but the TERRY DOWLING, hard-working co-editor I did not make many new friends at producers are now looking for additional of SCIENCE FICTION and Jack Vance SEACON, there were too many people there assistance, talent to develop this enthusiast supreme, is the new permanent and they all seemed to be moving so major Science Fantasy project, which is sf reviewer for the Sydney Morning fast, but Louisville and further back now in the pre-production stages. They Herald, with a column appearing on a at Toronto, when we won the bid for '75, need artists with imagination, especially quarterly schedule. things were quite different. those with established track records in fandom and/ or professional or semi- Running conventions and helping organise KEITH TAYLOR'S latest published work is professional work. They do not want them is an experience in life that no another collaboration with Andrew Offut people who just want to work on a film. insane person should miss. That is if in the CorMac MacArt fantasy series, They only want to hear from people you are not around the bend before you THE TOWER OF DEATH, from ACE. who have experience and have genuine start, you are by the time the con is talent. If you are interested and feel GEORGE TURNER'S novel YESTERDAY'S MEN over. It was an old joke with me ten you can meet these requirements you can has been put back by Faber till early years ago that I kept saying never in 1983. again would I be involved with running contact Richard Bradley (02) 3312660 Michael Robertson (02) 9223968 or if In the last issue we quoted a price a con, but I have been, with Aussiecon, which quite seriously was worth every unscuccessful there try Valerie Parv in this column on Rick Kennet's A on (02) 4383300. WARRIOR'S STAR as $2.95 retail. This minute put into it and last year a film was a tentative wholesale price given con, CINECON. The latter was a very The original story by the way, "ALIEN before the book was available, which we successful show, but very expensive and HUNTER", is an idea of Richard Bradleys, took at that time as retail, but the left me out of pocket by quite a large and we wish him and his associates the price recommended now is $4.50. Our amount. Never again.' best of luck in getting this film made. apologies to Alternative Production Well all except MELBOURNE in '85. I Company and our readers. Allbooks are thought I was keeping out of the way now distributing this title throughout there, but I already have been roped in OUR THANKS TO LOCUS, SCIENCE FICTION Australia. to help with local publicity and no CHRONICLE and ANSIBLE and their editors doubt other items when things get down and correspondents for allowing us to to it. I hope at CHICON that along with reprint news and reports from their pages. the other Aussies attending I can con­ vince everybody to vote for us for AUSTRALIAN SF NEWS ISSN 0155-8870 is edited and published by Mervyn R.Binns under the sponsorship of The AUSTRALIAN SCIENCE FICTION FOUNDATION. ASFN is registered for posting under Australia Post , publication # VBG2791 The address for all correspondence is 305/307 Swanston Street, Melbourne, 3000, Victoria, AUSTRALIA. SUBSCRIPTION RATE: $6.00 Australian for 6 issues, surface mail. $10.00 Airmail. This is being typed on the eve of my Please make all payments payable to the editor, Mervyn R.Binns. Our American setting off for the good old U.S.of A. agent is LOCUS, Box 13305, Oakland, CA 94661. Please send all payments for the World SF Convention in Chicago. in the U.S.A, to LOCUS : $6.85 US surface mail and $11.45 US airmail.