Vol. 12 No. 6 December 2013 ALEXIAD (!7+=3!G) $2.00 This year the stores began dragging out Christmas decorations before Halloween. With September 19, 2013 at the Delaware County Fair in Delaware, Ohio. Vegas Vacation a supreme effort of self control I refrained from singing the Grinch song every time I went won over his stablemate Lucan Hanover, while Captaintreacherous was absent, heading into a store playing Christmas carols before Thanksgiving. Come on, people, let’s at least get for the Red Mile. through Thanksgiving before we start preparing for Christmas. I don’t have anything against The 58th Running of the Messenger Stakes (3rd leg of the Pacing Triple Crown) was Christmas carols. I enjoy them in their proper time, which is no earlier than the day after November 2, 2013 at Yonkers Raceway in Yonkers, New York. Ronny Bugatti won, a Thanksgiving. The stores make huge efforts to sell us things. I understand that Christmas is purse which was twice his previous winnings all together. (Ronny Bugatti’s sire is named a huge deal for them. I, however, do not like seeing the season turned into one huge market. Art Major. Really.) It should be about more than that. Oh, I will buy presents for people. But I am not going to be sold a lot of hype. I give presents through the year and I refuse to yield to the marketing Trivia:...... 19 hype. Art: — Lisa Sheryl L. Birkhead...... 9 Brad W. Foster...... 3 Table of Contents Paul Gadzikowski...... 19 Editorial...... 1 Alexis A. Gilliland...... 4, 6, 8 Reviewer’s Notes...... 1 Trinlay Khadro...... 2 Coffee...... 5 Printed on December 10, 2013 Eclipse News...... 5 Deadline is February 1, 2014 The Joy of eReaders...... 5 The Joy of High Tech...... 6 For some of you, this will be the last issue — unless you subscribe, write, or otherwise Worldcon News...... 8 indicate your interest. Book Reviews Reviewer’s Notes JTM Bart, Race to the Top of the World...... 4 JTM Brooks, Shattered Nation...... 3 Life gets more complicated. JTM Campbell, The Lost Stars: Perilous Shield...... 3 Back around 2001 there was a quarrel about the Hugo-worthiness of Harry Potter and the JTM Greenfield, If Kennedy Lived...... 3 Goblet of Fire. Was it the best SF novel of 2000? That can be questioned. Was it the best novel JTM Holland, Dam Busters...... 4 nominated? That, sadly, I had to say so. (One of the opposing novels was A Storm of Swords, JTM Resnick, The Trojan Colt...... 3 one of the middle works of the Song of Ice and Fire.) JTM Resnick/Garcia, eds. Worlds of Edgar Rice Burroughs...... 2 Since then, the trend has been downwards. More of them have been “within the circus” ones, JTM Walker, The United States of Paranoia...... 4 such as Redshirts, a STAR TREK parody, and Among Others, a story of a girl who reads SF (but strangely, not given the time and place, not New Wave) and has fantastic adventures. There’s Con Reports a place for a novel about a girl who reads a lot of fantasy adventure and then gets cast into a LK Archon 37...... 6 fantasy world, but Diana Wynne Jones has passed on, and such a work would not meet the LK Windycon...... 7 standards of editors today. I can see the problems of the earlier writers, but I also notice their virtues. The paradigm has Fanzines Received...... 8 flipped now, so I can’t read the more readable stuff. Random Jottings...... 2 Meanwhile, mundane factors intervene. I am now the only driver in the house. The cellar door needs to be put in, but I can’t do it alone, and our potential helper has so much else to do. Letters...... 9 We still go to Heitzman’s for Saturday brunch — it’s not that far from the con hotel for Sheryl L. Birkhead, Dainis Bisenieks, Sue Burke, Richard A. Dengrove, Brad W. Foster, ConGlomeration, for your congoing experience. But even there changes are not for the better. Alexis A. Gilliland, John Hertz, Robert S. Kennedy, Timothy Lane, Rodney Leighton, Murray Moore, Lloyd Penney, George W. Price,. John Purcell, Darrell Schweitzer, Joy V. Some of you don’t do NASFiC, but I have connections in the north, and that’s a decent time Smith, Milt Stevens, Jim Stumm, R-Laurraine Tutihasi to see the area. The Henry Ford, for example, which would have delighted Uncle Hugo. But then, Ford said “history is bunk” because it was being taught as rulers and wars, not as he saw Comments are by JTM, LTM, or Grant. it, the use of technology to better the human condition. Also, the Neil Armstrong museum is not too far away, not to mention the Air Force Museum in Dayton. The 59th Running of the Cane Pace (1st leg of the Pacing Triple Crown) was September 3, 2013 at Tioga Downs in Nichols, New York. Captaintreacherous won by a neck after a Have a fannish 2014. hard-run race. The 68th Running of the Little Brown Jug (2nd leg of the Pacing Triple Crown) was — Joe Page 2 December 2013 Alexiad

Baldrick in the Blackadder series. Pendent World, the orb within the shell of the “Tarzan and the Martian Invaders” by RANDOM JOTTINGS Hollow Earth? Particularly for the non-human Kevin J. Anderson and Sarah A. Hoyt. There by Joe Prince Harry (Prince Henry Charles Albert inhabitants, the Sagoths? Misty takes an was one John Carter story in War of the Worlds: David of Wales) is going for another walk with excursion into the feeling of being shut out Global Dispatches (edited by Anderson) and the Walking with the Wounded. To the South from others, describing what it is like in the this is in that spirit. Except perhaps these Pole this time. Let us hope that history does not Land of Awful Shadow in the inner world. invaders have sinister mind-control rays. repeat itself. Particularly when someone falls from the cause Fortunately, Tarzan has his own mind control, of that darkness, straight into conflict and other a more natural and human one. And as year follows year, matters . . . More old men disappear, “The Two Billys, A Mucker Story” by Someday no one will march there “Scorpion Men of Venus” by Richard A. Max Allan Collins and Mathew Clemens. at all. Lupoff. Carson Napier and Duare find Another less noticed work in the ERB library is Report by Joseph T Major someone who is claiming connections to that The Mucker (1914, 1916), the story of a man impossible place beyond the clouds. It turns rising above his origins and overcoming a dark Remaining is: out that his claims work, and before long, past. This is a scene filling in the greater story. Poland Carson Napier is back in California. With his Józef Kowalski* (113) 22 Pulk U³anów new love, Duare, and her new love. “To the Nearest Planet” by Todd One correction: Cantonese is Yue not “Wu”, What was Lupoff thinking? He should have McCaffrey. At the end of Beyond the Farthest which is a different Sinic language. * “WWI-era” veteran, enlisted between the known better! Star (1941) the narrator was preparing to make Armistice and the Treaty of Versailles a flight to the adjacent planet. Not by Amazing Stories has revived “The Club “The Forgotten Sea of Mars” by Mike dragonback, ahem. This is what he did and House”, the fanzine column that I remember ERB-DOM Resnick (reprinted from ERB-dom 1963) There what he found there, also who, which comes from those heady days of the seventies. The Review by Joseph T Major of was a loose end in Llana of Gathol, when Tan out seeming just a little unfair to Harkas author, Earl Terry Kemp (the son) gave in his WORLDS OF EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS Hadron of Hastor, previous hero of A Fighting Yamoda (the girl he left behind on Poloda). October 11 column a glowing plug for both this Edited by Mike Resnick and Robert T. Garcia Man of Mars (1931), was taken away by fanzine and Heinlein’s Children. We point out (Baen; 2013; ISBN 978-1451639353; $15; enemies while John Carter escaped. Loose ends “The Dead World” by F. Paul Wilson. that the distributor and reference may spark Amazon Digital Services; $7.53) ought to be tied up, and besides Tavia of The physics of Pellucidar is a litle off. In this some interest. Tjanath ought to have her chieftain returned to daring tale, David Innes and Abner Perry Tarzan fan fiction has been common for her. So, here is the story of how John Carter investigate the Pendent World, the cause of the http://amazingstoriesmag.com/ some time. Not always without difficulties, went to finish the job against Hin Abtol of only shadow in the inner Earth, after seeds admittedly. The “New Adventures of Tarzan” Panar and his army on ice. begin falling from it, seeds which spread like We get it by cable ow! ouch! I’ll stop by “Barton Werper” of the fifties violated super-kudzu and produce sleep gas. They find already. copyright, such as it was, and for many years “Apache Lawman” by Ralph Roberts. The an explanation, but it’s more troubling than ERB fans had to write about the adventures of Apache Devil finds a new job in his forgotten resolving. Not to mention not satisfying the Someone in the Navy has a sense of destiny. “Elmo of the Apes”. And then there was PJF . origins, becoming a lawman for the whiteskins angry native whose draft dinosaur was killed. The commanding officer of the new stealth . . — of which he originally was one. destroyer USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) is . . . The copyrightholders have unbent a little, It’s well to be reminded that ERB, like most “Tarzan and the Land That Time Captain James A. Kirk. and here are stories by others in the many and pulp writers, was eclectic, but that may have Forgot” by Joe R. Lansdale. The author of the varied worlds that began on the backs of used been because there were eclectic markets and first authorized Tarzan pastiche takes the Lord http://ingalls.huntingtoningalls.com/products/ddg1000 stationery, under the moons of Mars and other no categorization as there is today. His of the Jungle to a different world, the exotic and places. Not just Elmo — Tarzan, either! portrayal of the Inde (of course it means strange island of Caprona, where ontogeny Meanwhile, the LA Fan who was so “Person”, what would you expect) can be recapitulates phylogeny with a vengeance. enthusiastic about the series that he changed his “Tarzan and the Great War” by Kristine faulted as a perspective of the derogated Other, (James Blish’s Father Ramón Ruíz-Sanchez name to “James T. Kirk”, performing other acts Kathryn Rusch. Is there anything that that by those who don’t want to believe that pre- would be in trouble there, and his bizarrely of hommage as well, has been reported dead; he Lloyd George won’t stoop to in order to finance post-modern people might be able to have other reactionary Catholic Church not much better.) is alive, but unwell. Thanks to Mike Glyer and his schemes? While the Great War grinds on, perspectives. correspondents for the news. an investigator from the Treasury is dispatched Often (as with Sherlock’s Home: The Empty to Algeria to prove that this “Jean C. Tarzan” is “Moon Maid over Manhattan” by Peter House (2012; reviewed in Alexiad V. 12 #4)) And going on in the devoted fan not the true heir to the late William Cecil David. And what happened to Nah-ee-lah and when fans write tributes to a writer’s work, they department, a Tennessee fan is putting forward Clayton, Lord Greystoke. And if there is no her little one Julian the Sixth when the Kalkars often have more admiration than skill. These great effort to building a full-scale model of the heir, the estate escheats to the government . . . followed them to Earth? In the follow-up to the fans are professional writers, honoring a writer Millennium Falcon. Has anyone seen his back? The story is interesting, but the background revised prehistory of a Soviet America (the whose work was significant to them seems a bit, well, contrived. There would be story of how Under the Red Flag (1919) The skill level is better, but there is still the MONARCHIST NEWS reaction: became The Moon Men (1926) is a melancholy problem of imposing one vision over another. “Trying to grab a peer’s estate is an warning of the fate of being ahead of one’s Still, being professional, the writers have tried Baldrick’s cunning plan to get into Buck outrage, I say, an outrage! time), we see the faet of a take-over from the and mostly succeeded in staying in ERB’s House worked. That is, Anthony “Tony” /s/ Disgusted, Tunbridge Wells.” perspective of an Enemy of the People . . . who spirit, and the reader can follow in enjoyment. Robinson was created a Knight Bachelor in the manages to get in her last shot, doing what a 2013 Birthday Honours for his services in “The Fallen: A Tale of Pellucidar” by good parent should do. SMERSH politics, sports, and the arts, including playing Mercedes Lackey. What was life like on the Review by Joseph T Major of Alexiad December 2013 Page 3

THE LOST STARS: PERILOUS SHIELD Syndicate, with its other-worldliness. The subsequent engagements, and often the When Jack bites the bullet and drops out of by “Jack Campbell” [John G. Hemry] flashes of its operations, not just the snakes but outcome is in doubt. the land war in South-east Asia, that ends one (Ace; 2013; the relationships of their leaders and ordinary Up north, too. The 1864 election is often potential problem, but sets another. Perhaps in ISBN 978-0-425-25631-2; $26.95; people, who in a symbology worthy of taken as a turning-point. Brooks has taken up return to get the good opinion of the armed Penguin Group (Kindle); $9.99) Dilbert and Working Daze are styled with a few more schemes, devices, plots, and other forces, he discards McNamara and replaces him Sequel to The Lost Stars: Tarnished Knight corporate titles from CEO down to line-worker. appurtenances of ordinary political activity as with — Bobby! Which sort of precludes a RFK (2012; reviewed in Alexiad V. 11 #6) One wonders how Hemry would have written addition to his story line. The activities of in ‘68 campaign the story of F. M. Busby’s corporate Benjamin Franklin Butler, for example, make Indeed, Greenfield shies away from the government in the Rissa Kerguelen series. for particularly appropriate (for the man) results Kennedy dynasty (of, say The Number of the At least the Enigmas aren’t just to the changing situation. Beast (1979, NHOL G.189)) concept, since misunderstood well-meaning types who just Thanks to superior numbers and some under the differing circumstances the siblings happen to lash out killing, as the aliens were in clever deception, the situation at Atlanta did different things. One hopes this keeps the Busby’s work; Gwen and Artur could deal with becomes a particularly grand crisis, and our Prophet Nehemiah Scudder in his church. those, but their own problems are going to be characters, both the surviving commanders, and Incidentally, Greenfield’s usual omission harder to solve when this is . . . To Be the little people, such as the Texan sharpshooter continues; there is next to nothing about the Continued who finds himself the last man standing in his space program here, any more than there was in outfit, are perilously close to destruction . . . Then Everything Changed. So much for JOHNSTON STAYS WEST Stephen Baxter’s Voyage (1996, 1997). Review by Joseph T Major of THEN EVERYTHING CHANGED One can argue about some of his foreign SHATTERED NATION Review by Joseph T Major of policy speculations. A choice between “Hey, by Jeffrey Brooks IF KENNEDY LIVED: Hey, JFK, How many kids did you kill today?” (Jeffrey E. Brooks; 2013; The First and Second Terms of President and “Who lost Vietnam?” would seem more Though the leaders of SMERSH became ISBN 978-0615802053; $14.38; John F. Kennedy: likely than his ignominous scramble. prominent in the postwar Ministry of State Amazon Digital Services; $6.99) An Alternate History Is there something better coming from this? Security (MVD) they did not stick to one habit by Jeff Greenfield The change described by James Piereson from their old days. Instead, they wore The comment has been made that Fort (G. P. Putnam’s Sons; 2013; (Camelot and the Cultural Revolution (2007; uniforms with identifying insignia. During the Bragg in North Carolina has been named in ISBN 978-0-399-16696-9; reviewed in Alexiad V. 6 #5)) would not have Great Patriotic War, the officers and men of honor of the general for his great, if not Penguin Group (Kindle); $10.65) such a strong focus. SMERSH conducted their activities in ordinary decisive, contribution to the Union victory in But a ill, weak JFK sitting in his rocking uniforms and civilian clothing, devoid of any the Civil War. Part of it was his advice for the Most of the works that presuppose Lincoln’s chair, having paid any price and borne any specific identification, unlike their colleagues in high command in the Western Theater. living on present him as a failed if not hated burden, now has to face the pain of living, and the NKVD, who replaced the red tabs of the No, he didn’t recommend Grant or figure, no Abraham to go with Martin and John. being less than an icon. Red Army with blue ones. Anyone could be a Sherman; he advised Jefferson Davis to sack This novel is about John suffering the same SMERSH operator, as too many found out too that disreputable fellow Joseph Eggleston fate. SILVER BLAZE late. Johnston, for his dilatory and overcautious In Then Everything Changed (2011; Review by Joseph T Major of Just as too many on the Syndicate Worlds defensive tactics facing the Union advance on reviewed in Alexiad V. 10 #3), Greenfield THE TROJAN COLT found out too late who the snakes were. The the railway and industrial center of Terminus, er snuffed out JFK’s life earlier. Now, he takes “An Eli Paxton Mystery” Syndicate Worlds’ secret police pervaded the Atlanta. Which led to Victor Fleming srarting the other tack, and prolongs it. All because it by Mike Resnick population. Their greatest damage was not that a fire. looked rainy, and the Secret Service figured the (Seventh Street Books: 2013; of arresting people; it was that their actions Not surprisingly, the group of people who Presidental car should have the bubble top, so ISBN 978-1-61614-789-1; $11.68; eroded trust to the vanishing point. could not get along with Bragg (a set rumored he could seen, and not have raindrops a’fallin Amazon Digital Services; The Midway System has thrown off the rule to include the man himself) generally thought on his head. Or 6.5 mm bullets, either. ISBH 978-1-61614-790-7; $8.89) of the Syndicate, extirpated (as far as they can this decision less than well-considered. So. Greenfield is to be commended for avoiding the tell) the snakes, and established a more or less Brooks takes into consideration a number of facile conspiricism put forth by, for example, Bwana has also been into racing, and in this functioning government. And they still can’t other political actions. The Army of Tennesee Bryce Zabel (Surrounded by Enemies, 2013, mystery novel he deals with a coverup. The trust anyone. was politicalized, just as Scarlett O’Hara reviewed in Alexiad V. 12 #5), even though he groom for the new Trojan colt has gone This is the story of how that polity without Hamilton Kennedy Butler didn’t want to go too does have the balked assassin silenced thanks to mysteriously missing. Now the annual trust had to get going; when no one, from long between her meals and her last husband more energetic resistance on his part in the Keeneland yearling sale is one of the more President Gwen Iceni and General Artur was unconcerned. In particular, the case of one Texas Theater. noteworthy events of the season. There’s Drakon down to the lowest worker could trust commander shows discrimination didn’t just After his salvation, Jack turns to tackling nothing here like the pulpy scene in Sonic Slave anyone, but had to act as if they trusted others. extend to those of African origin. No Irish need several issues. For one, there is the land war in (“The Baroness #6" (1974)) by “Paul Kenyon” It is a very grueling and troubling story told apply for higher rank, particularly after they southeast Asia. At home, there is the question [Donald Moffitt] with the Baroness Penelope here, for all that there are successes, escapes, propose emancipation for those who wish to of civil rights. In the government, there is the St. John Orsini, the “Sexy Superspy”, riding a recoveries, and improvements. There are also serve in the ranks, and the response to Patrick question of Lyndon’s associates. Not to stallion naked from the Keeneland stables to betrayals, and trying to find a human basis for Ronayne Cleburne’s notorious proposition mention Cuber, the Soviet Union, and so on. Lexington Airport, which fortunately is just on existence in a system so morally ravaged can be plays a significant role in the campaign. It isn’t easy. The contestants don’t fall the other side of US 60. hard. The relief of Johnston came at a bad time. down on their faces in awe of His The investigation is . . . well, unglamorous, There are glimpses of the enemy; not the Brooks, therfore, has a somewhat more JFKsomeness. Add to it his deteriorating health but not as “gritty” as some detective novels are. Alliance, which at least has politics, however advantageous result occuring. However, not all and personal situation, and the President is More like a real-life police case (instead of the broken and dark they may be, but the goes well for the Army of Tennessee in surrounded by a different sort of troubles. novelistic ones with either gunfights or magical Page 4 December 2013 Alexiad

CSI, just as Paxton, the detective, is not a back to when the Salem Witches were agents of Piereson’s Camelot and the Cultural corporate logos plastered over their equipment grotesque, just a guy trying to get by). the International French-and-Indian Revolution. are in an old tradition. Byrd’s polar plane was The complication is that another groom for Conspiracy. Yes. King Philip’s War was A history of this dark doleful undertone in named after his principal donor’s daughter, and this Trojan colt also inexplicably disappeared. conducted against a grand master conspirator American culture is useful in learning its nature just as well, too. Imagine how it would look Goldfinger’s paradigm of events gets working with the French and (gasp) witches, and seeing its results. Walker is to be credited today saying he had gone to the North Pole in accelerated here (how far was it from his place, according to no less an authority than Cotton for his bravery (considering how, for example an Edsel. (The namesake of the Josephine Ford anyway?) and gradually a plausible motive Mather himself. Popular Mechanics was excoriated as a neocon was Edsel Bryant Ford’s only daughter.) appears. And so he goes on through the methods of propaganda rag for its analysis of the 9/11 Bart describes how the pattern of a storm But there’s no proof — until it turns out that conspiracy and its deleterious effects. For events). and the actual timing of the flight dispelled a standard of journalistic layout was applied, example, there was the never-published work those accusations of falsehood. And then, taken up by someone who only read the Tom Sawyer’s Conspiracy, in which Tom Byrd, Bennett, and the rest of the guys they magazine . . . persuades Huck and Jim to join with him in watched Amundsen and Nobile take off in the playing Abolitionist conspiracy. As this would old technology to do it. “Write what you know,” they say. Resnick likely have ended with Huck narrating, “Here As a coda, Bart recounts the story of the is doing this, with mysteries set in his area, they’s a-comin’ fer me, with an insultin’ thick Fokker Triplane America and its flight across dealing with mundane things he knows. The rope.”, like Huck and Tom Among the Indians the Atlantic. He does mention, casually, this previous book in the series, Dog In the Manger it never got to the publisher. (That one misfired other guy from Minnesota, before he gets down (1995) featured dog shows (big surprise), when it became clear that the noble savages had to the gruelling flight, the impossible conditions another of his mundane interests. Those gang-raped their prisoner.) at Paris, the desperate decision to land on the looking for a novel that lacks grotesques, Other discussions include the history of beach in Normandy . . . magic, romance, or cyberpunk (yeah I know, Robert Anton Wilson and his Illuminatus that seems to exclude almost every mystery works. Wilson might have the problem that his This is a well-informed book. I remember reader these days) can look here. games become too serious. As it was with reading “Nevil Shute’s” An Old Captivity Thanks to Resnick for blowing his own another topic of this work, Philip K. Dick, who THE WIND AND THE BYRD (1940) and noting that the explorers had to horn, as it were, and giving us a good time. began to wonder if he was telling the truth after Review by Joseph T Major of custom-order their airplane. That was how it all. (Walker’s proposed ending to the Matrix RACE TO THE TOP OF THE WORLD: was up to the post-WWII era. To go a little HOW CAN WE ACCOUNT trilogy should be drawn to the attention of the Richard Byrd and the First Flight to the beyond the topic, as with Norway’s Review by Joseph T Major of YouTube “How It Should Have Ended” North Pole archaelogists, the Floyd Bennett Ford Trimotor THE UNITED STATES OF PARANOIA: channel.) by Sheldon Bart was custom-built with a more powerful central A Conspiracy Theory Some of the people involved are even (Regnery History; 2013; engine, for example. by Jesse Walker stranger than Phil Dick, a remarkable ISBN 978-1-62157-082-0; $29.95; Bart touches on this; design was a crucial (Harper; 2013; accomplishment. Thus we have William Amazon Digital Services: $14.99) part of every such work in the early days of ISBN 978-0-06-21355-1; $25.99; Dudley Pelley, an American Nazi who believed flight, and technology was transitioning. HarperCollins Publications (Kindle); $11.89) in Occult Masters. He could have moved to the Declaration of Interest: Anne Douglas Beyond this,there were other shifts. For Homeland and got a job with the Ahnenerbe, or Beverage Byrd, sister-in-law of the topic of this example, one proposal had been to use the maybe sent messengers to the future in a ritual book, was a relative of mine. Navy dirigible Shenandoah to make the polar requiring the desanguination of a dozen Aryan This is a partial biography of Richard flight, but she ran into a storm and crashed. virgins, to mention two dooms possible. Evelyn Byrd, the explorer from Virginia. It’s (Given the historical accident record of lighter- Or for example the sinister Rothschild also a narrative of the earlier of his various than-air craft, their popularity in alternate mistress told off by her lover to write a popular explorations, with comments on the history and steampunk is the triumph of tale that would set a blueprint of how the competition. nostalgia and enthusiasm over experience.) Illuminati were going to take over America. One of the characteristics of explorers Beyond that, Bart takes Byrd’s point of Her books sold wildly to Communists. In 1979 seems to be an ability to transcend physical view. Thus he describes the 1925 Greenland a follower of John Todd, the man who revealed limitations. Or bad feet. Robert E. Peary had expedition as being led by Byrd. Not this sinister plot, confronted the writer and lost eight toes to frostbite, and Byrd had broken surprisingly, Donald B. MacMillan thought he demanded her confession. And Ayn Rand was an ankle so badly that he was medically retired was in charge (see Dangerous Crossings: The confused. That wasn’t the weirdest thing after graduating from the Naval Academy. First Modern Polar Expedition 1925 by John H. The question was put: “How can we account Illuminati revelator John Todd did, either. Nevertheless, Byrd found something he could Bryant and Harold N. Cones (2000; reviewed in for our present situation unless we believe that (It will be a severe disappointment to do and with great skill persuaded the Navy to Alexiad V. 2 #2) for more on this). men high in this Government are concerting to skeptical, secularist, and other such groups that let him do it, over and over again, rising from More to the point, as said, Bart describes in deliver us to disaster?” (The current case being far from being his enablers and supporters, Ensign to Rear Admiral — always on the detail how the Polar flight of the Josephine those who are so absolutely convinced that the Christian organizations critically investigated retired list! Ford could have been accomplished. There entire American and British war effort was Todd’s claims and showed their falsehood. His contributions to flight were pervading. seems to be evidence in the form of directed for the benefit of Stalin.) But long These people believe Jack Chick books are He was involved in the Navy’s crossing of the navigational readings made (and erased) by before the Senator from Wisconsin, or even his given out after Mass; that all redigulous morons Atlantic in 1919, and continued from there, Byrd that Bart does not discuss. state, came to be, people were asking that have one common belief.) leading an aerial survey of Greenland and question. Some of Walker’s discussions are off. Thus Ellesmere Island. Then the Pole beckoned. DAM WARS In this useful book, the Books editor of he denounces Daniel Pipes for his calling any As with any such expedition, there was the Review by Joseph T Major of Reason Magazine carries the story of American critique of American foreign policy problem of paying for everything. The DAM BUSTERS: conspiracies so immense and in infamy so black “conspiracist”. Or, he never deals with explorers who trek with two dozen different The True Story of the Inventors and Airmen Alexiad December 2013 Page 5

Who Led the Devastating Raid to Smash the lets-go-out-and-make-a-Heath-Robinson-gadget to rebuild the dam. Which meant that the 2987. The second will be a partial eclipse, on German Dams in 1943 looking fellow. He certainly had a very Atlantic Wall was short of workers and October 23, visible in eastern Russia, Canada, by James Holland commonplace origin, and knocked around in materials. I believe they call that a “knock-on” and the United States. It is part of Saros 153, (Atlantic Monthly Press; 2012; various vehicular construction venues before effect. which began July 28, 1870 and will end August ISBN 978-0-821-2169-1; $28; fetching up at Vickers, where he became a lead Afterwards . . . eight of the planes, out of 22, 3114. Oddly enough, all the eclipses in this Amazon Digital Services; 2013; $14.99) designer. (For a while he worked on airships seventeen, did not come back, and the rest of saros are either partial or annular. with a team that included N. S. Norway. Did Gibson’s crew died on their next mssion. The The next total eclipse will be March 20, DAM their breaks include a spot of time On the Beach book says four of the original Dam Busters are 2015, visible in Svalbard and the North Atlantic WARS (1957; as by “Nevil Shute”)?) still alive, another source says three. and Arctic oceans, ending at the North Pole at When the war broke out Barnes Wallis Guy Gibson received the Victoria Cross for local sunrise. The maximum totality will be Episode .5 started thinking about how to blow things up. bravery exceeding that of even the most two minutes 47 seconds. It is part of Saros 120, Dam it! While his designs include the Grand Slam devoted British soldier. He died before the war which began May 27, 933 and will end July 7, bomb, the first bunkerbuster, he also started ended, flying a Mosquito (for which he was not 2195. The Germans have wondering about the best way to place checked out), after a showing extreme signs of constructed a dam explosives against dams. Since they had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Barnes Wallis http://www.hermit.org/Eclipse in the Ruhr valley. torpedo nets and there wasn’t the opportunity to lived a long and happy life, becoming Sir British Lancesters run a loaded ship into them, he considered other Barnes, and held the seemingly contradictory http://www.eclipse.org.uk/ have been means. values of a strong Christian faith and a sort of dispatched by the Gregory Boyington used to say that if you pride in having done what he had done. The http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse.html RAF with one goal - scratched a hero, you found a heel. Guy Gibson unit that conducted the mission was continued, bring it down. The may not have been a cad, but he was a little . . the famous 617 Squadron of the RAF, their COFFEE Germans are . unusual. He fell for and got married quite insignia showing a broken dam and their motto by Lisa confident that the abruptly, and his wife’s position is given, the sardonic “Apres Moi la Deluge”. After thick concrete can perhaps discreetly, as “dancer”. Then, he fell in sinking the Tirpitz and bombing Iraq, the unit is I have a new favorite coffee. It is withstand any love with another woman — who before long being reformed to fly F-35s. Guatemalan coffee from Highland Coffee attack, but the also got married. Perhaps volunteering for this When George Lucas was doing early rough Company. I found its flavor smooth and robust. British have a new mission was a way of getting out of cuts of what was then “The Star Wars”, to fill in It does not beat a sugar free cappucino but it weapon: bouncing entanglements. the gaps, as it were, he used clips form “The comes close. bombs. With any The development of these dam-busting Dam Busters”. Which was why Henry V. luck, they will be bombs had its moments. The bombs would Keiper’s “Dam Busters a la Star Wars” For my birthday we went to the Newport able to break the skip over the lake surface, and the torpedo nets, YouTube video, with the dialogue from the Aquarium. It was thoroughly fun even if I did dam, flood the Ruhr hit the dam wall, roll down, and apply attack on the Death Star over scenes from “The learn that sharks are harder to photograph than valley, and retard explosive force to the lower reaches of the Dam Busters”, works so well. The “Dam horses. The best thing about it was a tunnel with German production structure with a concrete-shattering kaboom. Busters a la Star Wars” video has been deleted water above and on either side of the for over a year. This took a lot of effort and indeed when the from YouTube for copyright problems. Its passageway. The sharks were interesting but the mission was launched, the bombs still had not counterpart, “Star Wars a la The Dambusters” real prize of the exhibition were the mantas. — “The Dam Busters a la Star Wars”, been fully tested. hasn’t. They look like they are flying in the water. Henry V. Keiper As for the men . . . a problem of the Army Commandos was that they took high-initiative “Retard” . . . heh heh . . . Saturday is December 7, seventy-two years I have been rereading MacArthur’s War: A and skilled men, who would be good nco’s and — “The Dam Busters a la Star Wars”, exactly since Japanese planes swept down on Novel of the Invasion of Japan (2008; reviewed even officers, and made them expendable Henry V. Keiper Pearl Harbor and brought us into World War II. in Alexiad V. 6 #3) by Douglas Niles and footsloggers. This mission required high- Michael Dobson. Ellis Halverson, the Smith- quality pilots and crews, just the sort every YOU’RE SO VAIN NOOK fan AAF pilot who is the principal point-of- squadron commander wanted to keep. Yet by Joe Observations by Lisa Major view character of the book (who else would Gibson got them. Including Joe McCarthy. name a B-26 The Skylark of Space?) in proper (An American named Joseph C. McCarthy, and There was a hybrid solar eclipse (partially For the Black Friday weekend Barnes and Seatonian style invents skip bombing. he was a pilot, not a tailgunner.) total, partially annular) on November 3, 2013. Noble had basic Nooks going for $39. Joe took Somehow watching Flight Lieutenant Ellis Then, Operation CHASTISE set off. The It was visible in Gabon, Republic of the Congo, me to the one in Evansville where I learned that Halverson at the helm of a Lancaster named S- mission was not the safest in the world. One of Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, for ten dollars more I could have Glowlight. Skylark roaring down towards the Möhne Dam the Lancaster bombers (for Americans, think B- Kenya, and Ethiopia. The maximun totality The sales woman did not find me a hard sell on would only involve him finally having crossed 17) flew into power lines. But the first wave was one minute 40 seconds, at 3E 30" N, 11E the more expensive machine. My impressions up MacArthur once too much, and what got to the Möhne reservoir, dropped, and blew 42" W, off the coast of Liberia. It was part of of the Nook so far are mixed. Overall it is a MacArthur wants, MacArthur gets, says open the dam. Gibson went in first and stayed Saros 143, which began on March 7, 1617 and better machine than the Kobo, I think, but it MacArthur. (The authors seem to have it in for around, drawing German flak, as he ordered in will end April 23, 2897. does not fit as well in my hands as the Kobo Douglas MacArthur, though not quite as bad as other bombers. One of the other dams was also There will be two solar eclpses in 2014. did. Its screen is wider than the Kobo’s and I Robert Conroy, who had him being hit by a broken. The first will be an annular eclipse, on April 29, believe it weighs less than the Kobo. It does not kamikaze plane.) The flooding in the river valleys is all too visible in Wilkes Land of Antarctica, with the have all the latest bells and whistles but all I Richard Ballinger Seaton might have found reminiscent of the Johnstown flood, with maximum totality being at 70E 36' 42" S., 131E wanted was a basic reading machine. I am Barnes Neville Wallis a congenial sort. The devastation and destruction widespread. Albert 18' 18" E. It is part of Saros 148, which began enjoying the Nook but discovering also that it photographs show a grandfatherly, avuncular, Speer was ordered to mobilize a special effort September 21, 1653 and will end December 12, has not brought me the thrill that the Kobo did. Page 6 December 2013 Alexiad

I think the reason for that is that the Kobo was how they held together against their own spin. makes my head hurt just thinking about, so let’s unexpected force on some of our most distant my first ever e reader, not any fault in the Nook There just wasn’t enough visible mass. He move on. probes. There is something causing the Pioneer itself. My experiences with it were a voyage of coined the phrase “dark matter” (“dunkle A similar exotic concept is negative matter. 11 and 12 probes to slow more quickly than discovery. You only get to make the voyage of Materie” in his native Swiss) as a label for this While antimatter has a reversed electrical expected as they move outward from the Sun. discovery with a new experience once. substance we can’t see. Like the Force, dark charge with respect to what we’re made of, The Voyager probes can’t show this effect, matter holds the galaxy together. (Oh, so many negative matter has a reversed gravitational since they are not spin stabilized and fire their THE JOY OF HIGH TECH jokes to resist . . .) charge. If it exists, it would collect between thrusters to maintain or change orientation. That by Rodford Edmiston There are many potential candidates for this galaxies, and might provide an inward repulsive overwhelms this miniscule effect. The given matter we aren’t seeing. One is numerous force which would counter the centripetal explanation is that thermal photons (IR heat Being the occasionally interesting ramblings of massive objects out in the cometary halos acceleration which would otherwise tear apart emissions) from radiothermal generators is a major-league technophile. around star systems. For our own system, these galaxies and other large collections of stars. It providing enough thrust to cause the are detectable through occultation (that is, they could also be all or a major component of the differential. However, some say this doesn’t MACHO WIMP get in the way of light from stars) or by direct mysterious “dark energy” (you’d think they’d completely account for the deceleration. observation if they reflect enough light from the call it “dark force” but noooo . . .) which is One wonders whether the piano-sized New There’s a lot out there we don’t see. This Sun. We don’t know how many there are, but expanding the universe. However, it also is still Horizons probe — at the time this is written isn’t surprising. We can only perceive distant considering we’ve already discovered several of very hypothetical. over halfway to Pluto — will show this effect. objects by the light they emit themselves or them the number is probably large. However, New Horizons has both spin-stabilized (cruise) reflect from other sources. (Here using “light” even using maximum estimates for their total and three-axis stabilized (science, using to include the complete electromagnetic mass, there aren’t enough. There has to be thrusters) modes. In the spin stabilized mode is spectrum.) For some bodies we also detect more. Much more. Two classes of what that should be subject to the same effect as the particles they emit. Except for such nearby more might be are the origin of this column’s Pioneers, once it gets far enough from the Sun bodies as the Moon and Venus (both of which title. for the effect to be detectable. have been radar scanned from Earth) we can’t MAssive Compact Halo Objects (MACHO) An alternate explanation to dark matter is supply this illumination. are massive bodies such as dead stars (including MOdified Newtonian Dynamics, or MOND. It Digression: Well, we can’t supply the neutron stars and black holes) and small, dim claims that gravity does not behave exactly as amount needed from Earth. Not with any stars; “free” or “rogue” planets which wander one would expect according to the inverse practical application of current technology. The between stars; brown dwarfs and a few things. square law. That over very large distances, inverse square law sees to that. Typically, if you They could be imaged through occultation or — gravity decreases less and less. This makes double the distance you need four times the for the most massive of these — gravitational gravity stronger at great distances than if it energy sent for the same energy delivered to the lensing. These massive bodies would produce a operated strictly according to the inverse square target, because the radar wavefront spreads as it specific lensing signature when passing in front law. travels. Then subtract what the target absorbs. of a star. That is, there would be a smooth, MOND does explain galaxies holding Then only a tiny fraction of what’s reflected gradual rise to a peak then a gradual So, the WIMP concept seems the most together in spite of their spin. It also explains actually heads back towards the transmitter, and symmetrical falloff, over many days to several likely source of unseen mass. Multiple detectors the Pioneer anomaly. However, there is no even that is again weakened by distance. months, depending on the geometry and relative around the world are seeking the WIMP experimental evidence to support it. We know Years ago there was a serious proposal to speeds. These are normal bodies, made of population, using several different there are MACHO out there; we’ve seen some launch a probe well out of the plane of the normal matter (that is, baryonic matter, which methodologies. If they exist theory calls for a of them. We have actually observed lone ecliptic. Once far enough from what we already is what we are made of). They are just too small whole family of different particle types, to planets between stars. We’ve seen large objects know about (especially including us) it would or too old to glow detectably on their own. (A symmetrically balance with visible matter. in our own cometary nebula, too. Given our detonate a gigaton warhead. This would act as black hole doesn’t glow at all, but matter falling Some physicists (and others) have imagined current state of the art and the number so far a flashbulb, illuminating the solar system out to into one does. However, if there’s no matter that these aren’t just particles flying around on detected, there must be a *lot* of both ‘em we perhaps hundreds of astronomical units. This falling in . . .) their own. That there would be at least dark aren’t seeing . . . at least yet. Most people “snapshot” would reveal many new objects in Weakly Interacting Massive Particles are matter atoms, and likely molecules. There could familiar with MOND dismiss it as an interesting the Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud. similar to neutrinos in that they are incredibly possibly be entire planets and star systems, intellectual exercise which is almost certainly Also, some space probes have had radar. difficult to detect. However, those ghostly existing alongside us unseen and undetectable not applicable to the real universe. Others have transmitted their radio data signal particles have barely any mass at all. WIMP except for their gravity. Actually, the individual There are no confirmed findings of WIMP as they passed around the limb of a planet or particles do... theoretically. If they exist, they particles, atoms and molecules have so little matter, but the concept fits so well with existing moon, giving us information on the makeup of are likely the most significant part of whatever mass they could be passing right through us subatomic particle physics it is probably real. any atmosphere present. makes up dark matter. continuously, and we’d never notice. One Besides the detectors — which look for existing Coming back on target: Even the most There are even GNACHOs: Gravitationally wonders if WIMP stars produce an analog to WIMP particles — there is hope that the Large sensitive telescopes can only detect what bodies Negative Anomalous Compact Halo Objects. electromagnetic radiation, and how that might Hadron Collider — which already found the reflect or emit themselves, and even that must These are also detectable through gravitational be detected. Higgs Boson even while operating at a reduced be above a certain threshold. That threshold lensing, but with a different and distinct We see the presence of dark matter on a power level due to equipment problems — will gets a little lower every year, but it’s still there. signature. (Gradual rise in intensity, sharp galactic scale, but what about within our own produce detectable WIMP particles once at full So, when looking out at the universe, we know cutoff to zero, sharp rise to a second peak, solar system? No matter what is responsible for power. we’re missing a lot. gradual falloff. Again, the time scale depends the extra gravity, the effects would be subtle in There’s a lot to look for out there. Even if In the Thirties, brilliant (if eccentric) on geometry and relative speeds.) These are something as small as a star system. Inside the we can’t see it. physicist Fritz Zwicky used data from very hypothetical objects which are the results orbit of Jupiter, even light pressure from the astronomers to demonstrate that we could not of matter pouring through a wormhole and Sun would overwhelm the effect. However, ARCHON see enough material in other galaxies to explain producing a negative gravity effect. Which there are signs of the influence of an Con Report by Leigh Kimmel Alexiad December 2013 Page 7

sellers were offering. participated in, and mentioned that he didn’t I’d forget. Archon 37 was held over the weekend of Once the doors finally opened for business, enjoy the parties because there were so many On Friday we headed back to the main October 4-6, 2013 at the Gateway Center and I noticed that sales seemed to be coming more cops hanging around, like they were just hotel. We went early in hopes of getting our the Doubletree Hotel in Collinsville, Illinois, slowly than I would’ve expected. I had some waiting for an excuse to crack down. Then, as badges, but registration still wasn’t open. one of the St. Louis Metro East suburbs. It is time to write, or at least make some notes. we were packing to leave, our roommates However, the dealers’ room did start letting us one of the larger annual conventions in the There were a few spurts of business where we mentioned that the parties were wilder than they load in early, so we started hauling everything Midwest. had several customers at once, but nothing to felt comfortable with. in. We didn’t have a lot of space to work with, We started our trip that Wednesday and the level of similarly-sized anime cons. Once we got our stuff out of our room and so getting set up was quite a challenge. We just went to my folks’ place in the After the dealers’ room closed for the got checked out, we headed off to the made it in time, and I still needed to get my Bloomington-Normal area to stay the night. evening, we headed over to the artists’ convention center. We were running late, so by artwork on the art show. Their local high school was having their reception. It was already in progress, but there the time we got our dealer tables open for I picked up the necessary paperwork and homecoming that weekend, so we went to was still a reasonable amount of food left. I business, there wasn’t much time to look took it back to the dealers’ room to fill out watch the parade. It brought back memories of took a look through the art show and was around. between customers. Then I took it back and got my own high school days, and the homecoming gratified to see a bid on one of my pieces. I also At least the sales started picking up, but not my art set up. Since they print bid sheets up on parades in our small town. saw two very nice Cthulhu-inspired really enough to let us feel confident that we’d computer, I tried my best to put everything in Thursday morning we hit the road for majolica-ware ceramic jars with very made money. Soon it was time to start packing, the proper order to simplify the process of Collinsville. We made some pretty good time in reasonable starting bids. I would’ve liked to bid which meant I had to go out and get our empty getting the bid sheets on the correct artworks. spite of a fair amount of road construction on on them, but with the poor sales we’d boxes from the van. At least I was able to move The rest of the evening was fairly slow, and I-55, and we got checked into the hotel. experienced in the dealers’ room, I didn’t want to a parking spot closer to the loading dock, we were rather disappointed with our sales. We However, we made an unhappy discovery when to commit myself to the purchase of either one. which would speed things up. tried to console ourselves with the idea that it we checked out the hot tub -- it was shut down After that we headed back to the hotel to do We had good help in packing and loading, would be slower than an anime con, but it still and drained. We asked at the front desk and a little catching up on the Internet before and we were able to snag one of the convention left us wondering whether we’d made an were told that it had been shut down turning in for the night. It had been a very long center’s big flatbed carts. Our biggest problem expensive mistake. permanently because it couldn’t be made day, and I was ready to get some sleep. was not always having the next thing I needed After the dealers’ room closed for the compliant with ADA accessibility requirements. Saturday morning came way too early, and to load out, but I was able to improvise enough evening, we headed over to the con suite to I was a little surprised and did some research, it didn’t help that I’d been dreaming about to keep things flowing while other things were grab some food and hang out until the parties. and discovered that the ADA rules were driving through Oklahoma during our being broken down and packed. We talked to some friends I hadn’t seen for a supposed to apply to new construction, and Worldcon trip. We had breakfast and then Once we had everything loaded into the while, and I did a little writing. existing installations that couldn’t be retrofitted headed off to the convention center to get our van, we hit the road back to my folks’ place. Windycon has always been a really good at reasonable expense would be grandfathered tables open and do business. While we were stopped at one of the rest stops one for parties, and that was something I really in. So a ham-fisted interpretation of the law At first, sales were so slow that I was on I-55, we encountered some other fen missed during the years we weren’t attending. meant that a nice thing was taken away for fighting sleep. But plenty of caffeine and some returning home from Archon. We talked Several of the local and area conventions had everyone. We were really disappointed, since lively conversation with fellow bibliophiles briefly, then continued on our way. parties to promote them, and they had enough we’d been looking forward to soaking out some perked me up, and by the time I needed to get We made good time to my folks’ place, and good food that I ended up eating more than I’d aches and pains. to the David Weber signing, I was actually stayed the night. On Monday we continued the intended. By the last couple of parties, I was After supper, we headed over to the starting to feel alert. While I was standing in journey and made it home in good time. feeling full and icky, and was talking with a convention center to get our badges. I might’ve line, I made a pretty good start on my con friend about how we just aren’t as young as we gotten my art on the art show, but I’d forgotten report. WINDYCON used to be, and can’t do some of the stuff we and used the art box to fill a space when I was When the signing started, we were warned Con report by Leigh Kimmel used to do without a second thought, like loading our merchandise, and it was pretty well that he had an old wrist injury that was prone to staying up all night partying, or pigging out on buried. giving him trouble, and that he might not be Windycon is the Chicago area’s big fall the party food. In the evening I did some writing. We also able to sign for everyone. As it turned out, the science fiction convention. This year it was held We headed back to the other hotel to get made contact with the couple who would be line wasn’t that huge and he ended up getting in the Westin in Lombard over the weekend of some sleep. At least by the next morning I was sharing our room. everybody’s stuff. His wife was helping get November 8-10, 2013. feeling enough better that I could eat a hearty Friday morning we got up early and had books ready so he could sign one after another. Because dealer load-in begins at noon on breakfast from the hotel’s complimentary breakfast before heading over to the convention After the signing, I headed back to the Friday and we knew it would take us a long spread. center to load into the dealers’ room. We had dealers’ room. I’d been thinking about checking time to get everything in, we came up on Then we headed over to the main hotel to some really good help and were able to get in in at the art show to see if anything else had Thursday. However, in the haste of getting on get our dealers’ tables open for business. Sales quite quickly, which was good because it was sold. However, as I went by, I saw they were the road, some important things got left behind. remained pretty much steady, and we were unseasonably hot and humid, which made the closed for auction setup. As a result, I had to figure out some awkward beginning to have some guarded optimism process miserable. Setting up in air When the dealers’ room closed for the workarounds, but at least I could make do. about the possibility that we’d do well enough conditioning was much nicer, just time evening, we debated on whether to come back After supper we headed over to the main to return in future years. However, sales were consuming. Because of some trouble we’d had for the parties or to just stay at our hotel room. hotel. Since this was our first time at this still slow enough that I had time to write. with our big t-shirt display at Worldcon, I We took a look at the weather radar and didn’t location, we wanted to take a look around and We headed over to the con suite to have reinforced it with some PVC pipes, and it like the look of the rain to the west of St. Louis. get some sense of our logistics. We got an supper. However, I was still feeling rather off seemed to be holding up better when we started so we just stayed put after supper and I did opportunity to talk to some of the people after the previous night’s indulgence, and I loading it up with t-shirts. some writing. running the con, which was also helpful. Then found the chicken sandwich I’d brought for Once we were set up, I headed over to the As we discovered the next day, it was we headed back to our room and took it easy supper did not appeal. I tried to force it down, art show and got my art set up. Then I had a probably a good call. At breakfast another fan for the evening. I did some work on a story, but each bite got harder, until it was literally little time to look around and see what other was telling me about various activities he’d although it took several times to catch elements repulsive. I finally ended up having to toss it. Page 8 December 2013 Alexiad

As a result, we decided not to stick around Opuntia #268 October 2013, #269 November 2017 for the parties, even if it did look like we were 2013 Helsinki going to have an interesting night, what with a Dale Speirs, Box 6830, Calgary, Alberta http://helsinkiin2017.org/ mundane wedding party sharing the hotel. We T2P 2E7 CANADA headed back to the other hotel so we could turn Japan in early and get some serious sleep. The Reluctant Famulus #96 http://nippon2017.org/ On Sunday morning we ate breakfast, then Thomas D. Sadler, 305 Gill Branch Road, carried our stuff out to the van. Then we headed Owenton, KY 40359- USA Proposed Dates: sometime in August over to the main hotel to get our dealers’ tables [email protected] open for business. I also needed to retrieve my http://www.efanzines.com Montréal unsold artwork from the art show. Sales actually picked up on the last day, Space Cadet #23 Washington DC after people settled up with the hotel and the art R Graeme Cameron http://dc17.org/ show and knew how much money they had left to spend. However, we had a long drive home Vanamonde #918 January 11, 2011 — #922 Proposed Dates: August 16-20 ahead of us, so we started packing the February 8, 2011 slow-selling merchandise early. John Hertz, 236 S. Coronado Street, No. 2018 We were able to get everything packed 409, Los Angeles, CA 90057-1456 USA New Orleans without too much difficulty, although we did http://neworleansin2018.org have some hassles over the hotel’s issues with carts on their carpet. Then we hit the road for 2019 the long drive back home. Dublin http://dublin2019.com/ FANZINES Paris Askew #6 https://sites.google.com/site/parisin2019/ John Purcell 2020 Beyond Bree October 2013. November 2013 New Zealand Nancy Martsch, Post Office Box 55372, http://nzin2020.org/ Sherman Oaks, CA 91413-5372 USA [email protected] Bids under consideration include: http://www.cep.unt.edu/bree.html 2021 Not available for The Usual; $15/year, $20 Fort Worth foreign, $10/year electronic. 2022 Broken Toys #22, #23 Chicago Taral Wayne Thanks to Mike Glyer for the updates. The Drink Tank #357, #358, #359, #360, #361 Christopher J. Garcia The problem with Detroit is, well, Detroit. [email protected] As for future bids, Kansas City is quite http://www.efanzines.com reasonable — it will be forty years *SIGH* after my very first WorldCon, and afterwards Fish Out of Water #559, #560 there is the Kansas Cosmosphere, with the Marty Helgesen, 11 Lawrence Avenue, Liberty Bell Seven capsule. I would never have Malverne, New York 11565-1406 USA thought to see it, and there it is, in Hutchinson, Kansas, a place that features in When Worlds The Life of Rodney Year 65 #1 Collide (1933). I can see some relatives Rodney Leighton, 11 Branch Road, R. R. afterwards, too. #3, Tatmagouche, Nova Scotia, B0K 1V0 Of the choice, we have a preference for the CANADA newly announced DC in ‘17 bid, but it looks as if Helsinki has the emotional edge. And New MT Void V. 32 #14 October 4, 2013 — V. 32 # WORLDCON BIDS Orleans should be fun. (Not surprisingly, I 22 November 29, 2013 have relarives in both.) Mark and Evelyn Leeper, 80 Lakeridge 2016 See you in Detroit. Drive, Matawan, NJ 07747-3839 USA Kansas City [email protected] http://kansascityin2016.org/ [email protected] http://leepers.us/mtvoid Proposed Dates: August 18-22. Alexiad December 2013 Page 9

Moving right along . . . caught up (again?) on loccing . . . well, to one be sold — so that has become my holiday gift to Letters, we get letters As I type this Capclave is doing its thing zine at least! me — and bumped the player down to a maybe nearby. I have poked around the Internet to see I have notes to myself written all over the . . .) if I can locate any news item about it, but so far envelope- so I need to re-write them in some A comment about tires. I grant you that I haven’t located anything. With Steve Stiles and other spot that I can remember. I’ll work on that totally forgot my own advice when I got my last G RR Martin as two of their GoHs I was hoping later. tires but I remembered it as soon as I signed the to see exposure (so to speak). Nope, a quick re- I bought a turntable and cd player that credit card receipt and I won’t forget it in the search . . . can’t find anything yet. looked like an old victrola. Well, you get what future. I found that (I don’t haggle, so it is much I don’t have a cell phone that I use or that you pay for and within a year, the cd portion nicer if the regular price is right...) the amount could be used as a camera. As a result, I have died. So, the whole thing is parked in a corner I saved on one tire at Sam’s Club covered a thought about buying a digital camera (which I of the bedroom. Perhaps I think it will self-heal year’s membership that I had to buy in order keep reading will soon be obsolete — well, my because I certainly cannot find a repairman! On to... I was buying two tires that time, so I got a drawing software will have company!) but am my list of holiday gifts to me (since no one else year’s membership and still saved $75 on top of uncertain about what to look at/for and suspect pays any attention to what I say I want) is a that for the same tires I would have gotten from the price will be a rude awakening. So, no “nice” record and cd player — caveat being the the dealership. digital camera. price-free would be affordable. That went on the Just heard from my brother that they are list a year ago, but since there was no extra moving to Louisville..their younger daughter From: Sheryl L. Birkhead Oct 12-14, 2013 You can get some decent digital money at Christmas, it is still right there. Yeah, already lives there. It is ridiculous for them to 22509 Jonnie Court, Gaithersburg, MD cameras for about $100. I noticed RSN. (To make matters worse, I need a floor- keep their beautiful (and BIG) home when they 20882-3422 USA during my skin cancer surgery that mat for the car and the one it came with never are at home only 2-3 months out of the year, the dermatologist used a regular fit right — since it was not factory equipment I they do love traveling! He pointed out that it Ah, the saga of the laptop continues. Well, camera to record the operation. can’t complain. I took the car in for routine might take a while, since homes in this price I found out what the underlying cause of the servicing which I expected to cost at most $64. bracket don’t sell well and add in winter...may erratic (psychotic) behavior was. Unfortunately, My VCR taping is still months behind in the There was a new guy at the reception desk who be a while. They (he and his wife and their during the diagnosis, I . . . um, er . . . rendered watching category — but I think Jenny asked for name and then read over the daughter) are off for their traditional holiday it pretty much useless as a mobile computer. It McCarthy is the new co-host on the View. repair/service history and told me what needed trip-meeting up with the elder daughter in (as you can see) still works, but only while Eventually I’ll get to some of their shows tapes doing would be a bit over $1000. I didn’t both Australia for a three week stay in Vietnam and plugged in since I made it impossible to install within the past two or so months and I’ll know saying he must be joking-just said- to going to Laos. I believe that last year’s Antarctica trip a battery. Since the connection is a magnetic for sure. I won’t cheat and go look! happen. He took the list back and said-no meant they had hit all the continents. Next they one, almost any movement of the computer Sheesh, even with eye surgery as an excuse, wait—I see you’ve done a few of these things head out to Hawaii in January for a few weeks’ makes it pull off and if I have not saved it . . . Brad Foster is doing a better job at loccing than already — so the total is $596. I repeated- not stay at their time share. In March they head out well at least I am making different mistakes! I am. Gotta get better at this. going to happen, but if all that was really to Australia again for another cruise — 4 Fixing it for this model will require replacing Lloyd, maybe you and Brad can discuss eye necessary, it would get done over time. Then, months — tough life! the lower case. I bought a used one off eBay, surgeries — it is the fannish thing to do. the service manager who usually waits on me Coffee — nope, don’t like it. My mother but after reading the directions several times (it I am just now trying to watch the new came by and said he would look at the drank it with cream/milk and sugar and I got is labeled as a difficult procedure) I am not so episodes of Foyle’s War. I watched Bletchley paperwork. He told his co-worker that used to the smell — and I had eaten coffee ice sure I want to tackle it. Apple won’t do it, Circle after seeing Sam (Honeysuckle) in the everything had been done over the past year, cream. I thought coffee would taste like . . .it saying it is too old (2007) but went on to say previews. just out of order and not exactly at the didn’t. When I’d try a cup of “good” coffee, the they cannot get the parts. I said I already had George (Price) my condolences on your benchmark of mileage. So, for the first time only analogy I could think of was that it tasted them — and they said no since they can not loss. since I got the car it really did only need grease as if someone had stubbed out a cigarette in it. guarantee such parts. I went to an Apple related Well — kept typing, cord pulled out and and oil etc. It is difficult to keep up since the car Yeech. I don’t want the buzz. I also never could store called Mac Business Solutions and they whoop there it went. Not sure where my is 11 years old but only has 68,000 miles on it tell if one cup would make trying to draw a said they would do it if I got the parts for $226 comments were headed, so might as well stop so work has been done due to age rather than “straight-ish” line impossible and it wasn’t however he went on to say he felt it was not in now and not even try to re-construct this (but I mileage. Anyway- at that point I didn’t ask the worth it to me. The day I decided not to my best interests to repair this one. It boils gotta admit this is better than it was — but now cost- it had to be better than the $596 . . . just continue trying to like the stuff was the day after down to the idea that I want to be able to use I need to make it right!). took my toys and went back to the waiting area my Organic Chemistry exam in college. In FreeHand as long as I possibly can since I have Didn’t hear anything about the worldcon — to ..well...wait. When I was told the car was panic, I had gone to the student union and been unable to find any other drawing program making me think nothing went horribly wrong done and had been through the wash-1 just went gulped down cup after cup..so I that feels as right. FH is obsolete from OS 10.7 or terribly ghreat — can live with that. I tried to to pay the bill. $4.98 I thought he was kidding, could study. I went back to the dorm on. This locks me in to any Macbook (or watch the Hugo ceremonies online, but the but no, that is what the receipt says. So, I went and..immediately fell asleep. Coffee ice cream closely related) manufactured before late 2011. screen kept on going dark and I gave up. over to their parts department and asked the guy — that is okay, not on my best list, but . . . On my desktop I use 10.6.8 (Snow Leopard) if he could research new mats — really only There is a vegan ice “cream” mocha with an external hard drive connected that is You missed the mad dogs need the one, but no way to get just one and chocolate fudge~and yeah, you know how I running 10.7.5 (Mountain Lion) — so I can use kneeing us in the groin. break up a set~l only found then at $139 — know that fact. It is difficult to find, but both as needed, but not on the portable one. So, again, not going to happen. He went to — his enjoyable. problem figured out — solution . . . well . . . not As always — thanks! words — an arcane and difficult to locate I use Healthwarehouse online to mail order yet. I looked on eBay and just cannot afford website and they had one set of the 2002 the one small prescription I get. I never get any of the right years. With any luck (read that November 17, 2013 mats(come to think of it — he never did ask the anywhere near the annual deductible, so I just as coming into a windfall) I will be able to get a color — this might get interesting) $49.99 ~– pay it myself-since going through insurance newer model and repair this one (yeah, right!). It would appear that I am close to being SOLD! Well . . . order me one and then it will would be $180 for 6 months and Page 10 December 2013 Alexiad

Healthwarehouse is $18.50 for 6 months (free 19149-2128 Alexis is also right about another thing: rule Cat Who Walks Through Walls is shipping). FYI, the address is listed as [email protected] by the rich is the most common form of human Hazel Meade Stone and she brings Kentucky. I don’t know if their prices are any government. It may take many names, and in the rest of the Lazarus Long better than what you are already getting. Around I fear our friend Taras Wolansky is getting sometimes cause and effect can be reversed (as bunch, that book isn’t half bad. here, of the chains — Sam’s Club is routinely a mite peculiar. He seems to think that when a revolutionary clique becomes rich by The writer is master of his world the least expensive — and the last time I heterosexual AIDS is a “myth.” If so, what is ruling, but it tends to work out the same. In the and as he goes on, his attitudes get checked you did not have to have a membership devasting Africa? In South Africa as much as a Roman Republic there were offices (such as reinforced, usually to the if the pharmacy was all you wanted to “visit”. third of the population is infected. Either South Tribune of the Plebs) which were reserved for detriment of his writing. As As non-Worldcon reports go, yours rates Africa and some of the adjoining countries have non-senators, supposedly to give the Bradbury had his Mr. Munigant, right at the top. Sorry you had so many troubles the highest rate of closet homosexuals in the government some balance, but even as far back who crunched the strength out of and couldn’t make it. I’d be tempted to say — world, or something is wrong with this model. as the days of the Gracchi this did not really his work. For as long as Heinlein think of all the money you saved, but with all Indeed, most sources report that the main means work, and the electoral system was more like an had to defend his ideas against an the car troubles, I am not sure how much the of spread has involved (female) prostitutes and Illinois election as managed by Al Capone. The equally firm personality (Campbell bottom lines varied from each other. truckers, who get laid when they are on the road masses actually did better under the Empire, as first, then Alice Dalgliesh) he was and then come home and bring the disease to there was more opportunity of persons of low the better for it, even if they had The price of the two repairs their wives. The result is that there are an birth, who lacked senatorial connections. So their own issues. To look how it was about what the price of the extraordinary number of orphans, because many when Caesar and then Octavian wiped out most went for another writer, compare hotel stay would have been. That children lose both parents this way. I don’t of the old senatorial aristocracy, the common Dragonquest and Dragonflight, was why I decided there was no doubt that certain homosexual practices are people were not particularly concerned. When written with Campbell’s input, with point in going on. riskier, and more likely to introduce the virus Octavian as Augustus brought peace and the later books, written with the — JTM from semen into the bloodstream, but it is also prosperity, most people did not care how input of adoring fans hoping to see clear that heterosexual transmission is common. exactly he had done this, and did not look too their dragonrider names in print. I’m trying to remember if I ever stood in The science on global warming is in. We closely at the studied hypocrisy it required. line for an autograph..yes. My sister came with know it is happening and it is caused by human As for what there is to admire in Heinlein, I have to admit that Richard Dengrove’s idea me to a con and wanted Asimov’s signature — activity. The UN admitted as much recently. there is of course a great deal, but the question, for an alternate history does not excite me very so I stood in line with her while she waited to There really is no argument here, although the which I once used for the title to a group much. I suspect that for the average soldier on get it. Wonder what she did with it? details continue to change as more data is discussion at a Lunacon, is “When Did Heinlein the ground, or the average civilian trying to Every time I start thinking of attending a collected. Will the sea level rise a foot, six feet, Go Bad?” He definitely did, but, was it before survive through it all, an alternate historical war Worldcon, I look at the travel and lodging costs. or twenty feet? That we do not really know, but or after Starship Troopers, before or after causes the same sort of suffering and destruction That pretty much finishes off even considering it will rise. Taras asks why people who keep up Stranger, or later. The common opinion as a regular, historical one. So some different a trip. with these things do not mention the southern certainly is that The Moon is A Harsh Mistress combination of how a battle turned out is not I only get 3 of the 10 zines listed. 30% bodes polar cap. The answer is that they do. It is is the last really good Heinlein novel, and that particularly interesting, dramatically or well for the state of health of printed zines. melting too. Pieces have been breaking off at most of what he published thereafter, starting intellectually. Alternate histories only get In this area we have had WETA UK on record sizes. We just pay more attention to the most memorably with I Will Fear No Evil did interesting when the difference brings about regular PBS TV for a year now. If you were northern one because it is closer, and the his reputation no good. Friday marks only a some real change, and creates a strange, new paying close attention to the scheduling, it was immediate geopolitical implications are greater, partial return to form, but it was given a lot of (but half-familiar) world, as it did in Keith possible to get episodes of Endeavour (the because there is no land underneath, which slack at the time because so many Heinlein Roberts’s Pavane. I’ve always admired Sprague prequel series) and Inspector Lewis (the spin- allows easy access to oil in the seabed. But this admirers were so desperate for something to de Camp’s “Aristotle and the Gun,” which is off, sorta sequel) back to back with episodes of is not a mystery. The political issue remains admire. But to see Heinlein at his very best, I about how the difference in an idea about the Inspector Morse. My stack of VCR tapes to though, how to defeat the obstructionists and think you have to cut off his career after Have nature of science changed everything. The only watch has grown substantially since this TV harness international will to address the Spacesuit, Will Travel, and before Starship alternate history I ever wrote (“The Last show started broadcasting! problem. Troopers. He is rather like Bradbury in that Heretic,” published in a Postscripts anthology) I got a temporary CoA for Guy and Rosy Alexis Gilliland is quite correct that the regard. He had about ten great years, early, and was about the impact of a religious idea, i.e. Lillian — then a follow up letting me know the world’s leading polluter is China. That is then wrote less and less good work. I think the what would happen if the Arian “heresy” had original one was wrong. That’s another faned on because the Chinese have completely preponderance of his later work is going to triumphed, as it very nearly did in the mid-4th my list of needing to contact/loc RSN. unregulated capitalism, very much in bed with harm his reputation in the long-run, particularly century. Is it really a meaningless formula that I am/was hoping to be able to get to a few the corrupt government but not at all answerable the publication of the unedited texts. A fan of Christ was “begotten, not made”? What if it fillos to send, but so far that is proving difficult to the people. Profit is all. There is no my acquaintance tells me that this were the other way around? I then went off into — useable time in a chunk.just is not being equivalent of the Environmental Protection twenty-something woman at his local club satire, suggesting that an infinity of worlds and found. I’ll give it another try before trying to Agency, no laws against monopolies, no asked the older members, “Why does Heinlein timelines was necessary to allow all the print this off to send . . . regulations guaranteeing worker safety, etc. It is have such a good reputation? He writes such contradictions in Christian theology to make Man — the little illo below is so very simple true that some Republicans apparently see this terrible books.” What had she read? I Will Fear sense. and took forever to create-l have no idea if it as an ideal and are working to bring it about in No Evil, The Number of the Beast, Time Enough Who is the senior person in the SF field will look the same printed as it does on monitor the United States, but they have not done so yet. for Love, etc. It is entirely possible that bad now? I think it may be Carol Emshwiller, born — let alone I got carried away with color — China may ultimately turn out to be a warning Heinlein will sink Heinlein altogether. 1921. Now 92. sorry, but too enticing to avoid! Sheesh — it is to the rest of the world. For example, if fracking now Nov 17th — sorry! is really as bad as some people say it is, we will There are some good parts in First story, “Built for Pleasure” find out from China, which is determined to Time Enough for Love and even I (Long Island Suburban, November From: Darrell Schweitzer October 25, 2013 take the lead in this technique, without any Will Fear No Evil. Up to the ponit 1954) 6644 Rutland Street, Philadelphia, PA regard for environmental consequences. when we find out that Gwen in The —JTM Alexiad December 2013 Page 11

From: Milt Stevens October 25, 2013 [email protected] little bit of getting used to, but so far so good. Indeed, hotshot pilots like Buck Rogers are 6325 Keystone Street, Simi Valley, CA Lee and I were also invited to Capclave, the already being phased out in favor of drones, 93063-3834 USA I’m so sorry you had to miss WorldCon, and local con, for the first time since 2005. Why with the prospect of cyber-fighter planes (not [email protected] it sounds like a lot of people missed you! I’m were we invited? It seems the Baltimore- human fighter planes flown by clunky Cylons) glad you did get out and about to visit your Washington Area Worldcon Association is being able to outperform human piloted fighter I held off writing an LoC on Broken Toys families. bidding for 2017 in some as yet unspecified planes. In a world of Machina Uber Alles, who #21 until I received some new software. The Those Darth Vader books on single location, and feels the need to show that things needs humans, except maybe the writers of software is called JAWS, and it will read fatherhood sound like fun. Interesting are cool between BWAWA and the Gillilands. science fiction? fanzines for me. It does pronounce words like background on Tyler Kent, whom I’d never We wouldn't have gone back to WSFA, but In the letter column there is some discussion of prozine and Lonestarcon strangely, but you can heard of. Fascinating article on economics, decided refusing an invitation to WSFA's climate change. The notably conservative get used to it. Now all I need is some software dystopia, and fiction. (Excellent roundup.) And convention would have been ungracious, so we Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that will write LoCs for me, and I’ll have this I like to read about the alternate history books arranged to attend for Saturday only, with one recently issued its fifth report since 1990 in fanac thing knocked. out there to see what’s happening in that panel each, and despite her misgivings Lee had which they estimate that the chances are 95 In the United States, it does appear that the sub-genre, but I never see any point in reading herself a very good time. Alas, after dinner I ran percent that global warming is caused by human number of massacres has increased in recent them ‘cause I’d lose track of what really out of steam (if we had had a room at the hotel burning of fossil fuels. The IPCC also predicts years. It’s still not as bad as in the Arab world happened. (I have enjoyed a couple.) Another I could have taken a nap) so we went home a three-foot rise in sea levels by 2100. Will where blowing yourself up is just something to interesting review is The Riddle of the around nine. global catastrophe wipe us all out before our do on a Friday night. In the U.S., the media Labyrinth. I am impressed by the work done in Joe's essay on “The Economy of very profitable machines turn suffering isn’t exactly to blame, but they have made the that field, and I know more about Linear A and Abundance” 'aka “Oomphel In the Sky” humanity into a useless anachronism? Stay marginally suicidal aware of a spectacular B than I did. I’ve seen them mentioned, but (Oomphel In The Sky With Diamonds?) offers tuned for breaking news. alternative. However, areas in most major cities never had a clue as to what the reference meant. a number of comment hooks, the first being that George Price extols the virtues of the gold have been war zones for decades. The Thanks to Sue Burke for the intel on Spanish the cargo cult in the New Hebrides was cynical standard, though he doubts that anyone massacres don’t do much to the overall conventions and SF books. And thanks to rather than naive, having begun as a counter- anywhere has ever lived up to his ideal. Two numbers. everyone for their LOCs to give us a different missionary effort. The second is about things come to mind, the first being that the Back when I was still working, I read an perspective on everything. Fun story combo on employment. In 1800 about 70 percent of the essence of government is choosing the least essay titled “The Statistics of Deadly Quarrels.” the back page, though I don’t know enough population worked as farmers, while in 2000 available evil. In practice this means long-term The man who wrote the essay had collected as about Smiley. only about 3 percent did, the result of the advantage is usually traded off to avoid short- much information as he could about people mechanization of agriculture. The same process term pain. The second is that the humans getting killed for the last 700 years. He may The BBC serial is better than (applying science and engineering to make more running any given government have often have found a relationship. As I recall, it was the recent movie, and besides it money) has increased the efficiency of embraced dumb ideas with enthusiasm, called a Lausanne Distribution. Basically, has Obi-Wan facing off against manufacturing even as it reduced the size of the invariably to the detriment of the governed. people kill people in either a few big incidents Captain Picard, instead of labor force needed to produce all that stuff. The Examples of such ideas are left as an exercise to or a lot of small incidents. It’s possible there Commissioner Gordon. manufacturing exported to China, Mexico and the reader, but might that perfect gold standard doesn’t have to be any reason for people killing India may someday return to this country, but be one of them? George should consider people. It’s just what we do. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1979) only when it will be cheaper to make stuff here. whether there are minuses as well as pluses to I agree that things would be better if there http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080297/ That will be when manufacturing can be his beautiful idea. When William Jennings were fewer guns. Considering the number of sufficiently automated, so that the necessary Bryan said: “You shall not crucify mankind men who were killed with bolt action rifles in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) investment of capital will be less than the upon a cross of gold!” did he have a point for at the 20th century, I wouldn’t think it was http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1340800/ ongoing expense of labor. Labor in need of least some of the people? The fact that the necessary to have automatic weapons in private – JTM expensive training, and often inclined to nation eventually abandoned the gold standard hands. Trying to control bullets would never unionize as a way of getting more money for suggests that Bryan might have been on to accomplish anything. Making bullets is cottage From: Alexis A. Gilliland October 26, 2013 less work. The general rule seems to be that something. What else? This Halloween will be industry. Some reloaders produce bullets that 4030 8th Street South, Arlington, VA well-paying jobs are the first to be eliminated, our 20th wedding anniversary. have far more oomph than factory ammo. 22204-1552 USA as is currently shown by America's shrinking Unfortunately, it is also possible to create http://www.alexisgilliland.org middle class. The rich are getting richer, and the From: Brad W. Foster October 29, 2013 bullets that are poisonous or which promote poor are getting, if not poorer, at least a lot more Post Office Box 165246, Irving, TX infection. Thank you for Alexiad 12.5, the highlight of numerous. College degrees for all will not help, 75016-5246 USA Back before I retired, possession of minor a postal delivery otherwise consisting of a mess nor more job training, and we seem headed for [email protected] amounts of marijuana had been reduced to of Christmas catalogs. Since the previous issue, more inequality of income than we currently http://www.jabberwockygraphix.com being an infraction. In other words, it had been various things have happened, the most notable enjoy. From a science fictional point of view, reduced to the level of a traffic citation. If you of which being that I traded my gold 2000 this is not a promising future, since machines New issue of Alexiad arrived this weekend, got several of them, you could be referred to Mazda Protege for a white 2013 Mazda 3. Such are usurping human economic functions, in time to remind me that I still have the drug counseling. Possession of 50 lbs. of a move was maybe a little overdue, because in thereby making humans unnecessary. For previous issue in the stack here, waiting for marijuana was still a serious matter. Of course, the past year I had spent more on repairs than instance, it is hard to imagine a worker's response. Been that kind of a summer, always driving under the influence is illegal no matter the car was worth, and more repairs, some uprising if workers are only a tiny minority of hurrying to catch up on things. Should be a bit what the substance. major, were in prospect. Since Lee had begun to the population. A third comment hook is the better from now on, had the last of the eye urge me to get a new car, I cooperated with the weaponry revolution since the battlefield is surgeries about a month ago. The From: Joy V. Smith October 26, 2013 inevitable, and turned in the old car for about becoming increasingly non-survivable as twice-operated eye is still a bit funky (slow to 8925 Selph Road, Lakeland, FL 33810- three percent of the cost of the new one over the machines usurp not only human economic adjust to light in the morning, not the same 0341 USA big Labor Day sale. The Mazda 3 is taking a functions but also human military functions. focus as the old eye, etc.), but it is getting better, Page 12 December 2013 Alexiad and I now am at least back to having two eyes, in this issue dealing with history of various sorts to maintain the slowly crumbling status quo of and the next federal election should give them which means depth of field, and I can DRAW made me think it might be something you would both the house and my own body. Ah, life. Of their just rewards. I can hardly wait . . . once again on something more than a tiny enjoy. He uses the framework of the rooms of a course, it beats the alternative! I am pleased to say that after six months of doodle. Lots to catch up with on the drawing house as a jumping off point for a look at the unemployment, I am working again, and I hope front after a whole summer of little getting history of.. well, just about everything! I’ve From: Lloyd Penney October 29, 2013 for more than the proposed two-week trial or done. been a Bryson fan for years, so might be a bit 1706-24 Eva Road, Etobicoke, ON M9C three-month contract. With this job in mind, we prejudiced, but am enjoying this one 2B2 CANADA are still optimistic for going to London. I must Back in 1996 I had a sinus tremendously. [email protected] agree with you that many consumers of science headache and woke up the next Oh, and think special mention needs to be http://lloydpenney.livejournal.com/ fiction these days are consumers, not morning unable to see out of my made of the wonderful Gilliland cartoon on participants. We’re being trained not to speak right eye. After several visits to page 24 of the August issue, with the alien folks Many thanks for the 71st Alexiad. I am up or do anything, but simply sit down and various eye specialists, thorough occupying the negative space of the two human rapidly catching up with my letter writing, watch. The mad dogs will knee us in the groin testing, and much analysis, they figures (or is it vice versa?) Freaking brilliant, mostly because yesterday was the day I started again and again, if we stick around to have it concluded, “We don’t know either.” Alexis! a new job with an advertising agency literally happen again and again. The FAAn awards will The vision returned over about a down the street from me. I am so relieved, and have to do for the moment. week. October issue— while it is a two-week trial to get a 3-month The locol . . .Sheryl asks about change the — JTM Can identify with your comments on contract, it is the first work I’ve had since elimination of the copper penny here. The price changing tech, Lisa. Looking at all the record March. Let’s see what I can say here. of anything, should it be something other than 5 Oh, and speaking of drawing, attached is a albums on the shelves at one side of the room, Netbook, laptop, iPad, smartphone…I have or ten cents, gets rounded up or down to the new piece I hope you might get a grin from. I know I’ve got an old turntable around here none of these, finding that for the money, for nearest five or ten. I hope I’ve gotten the luck I One of those “Hey, never thought of it that way somewhere, but not sure if it even works me anyway, the benefits are questionable and need for my new job; thank you for your good before” kind of cartons. If you’d prefer not to properly anymore. Then there are all the VCR the potential costs of software and possible wishes. use it, just let me know. I think the lettering will tapes on shelves on the other side of the room-- temptations to buy stuff online are more than I My loc . . . Joseph, better change my e-mail hold up when reduced to your column format . I’ve got a player next to the tv, but it has been want to consider. I am no Luddite, but I won’t there. I haven’t been with Allstream for many . .) unhooked for years, so I could attach the DVD take on new tech until I can find a reasonable years. Now that Helsinki is now bidding for the Sorry one of the things we had to miss out player. Can I even figure which cables go where use that will benefit my life. I have a cellphone, 2017 Worldcon, I think Montréal’s chances on this summer was getting to go to the anymore? (Of course, there is also the old Yvonne has one and a laptop, and this suits have become fairly slim, unfortunately. Worldcon after, well, quite a while. Right down hand-crank standing victrola in the front room, what we want and need. Also, old tech should For the moment, I think that will have to do. the road from us, but having it moved back to and it’s selection of about a dozen or so never be considered bad or useless tech. That I have just finished up my second day at the Labor Day weekend conflicted with one of super-thick record discs — I can crank that up was brought home to me when years ago, I saw Perennial Inc., an advertising agency just down our bigger art festivals that I show at each year, anytime I want, though the selections are a bit a group of university students hook up their the road from where I live . . . a walk and a and we couldn’t afford to lose the income from more limited.) Twitter feed to an old teletype machine. Not short bus ride gets me there is about 20 minutes. that show at this time. We’re going to take a Part of Leigh’s trip report struck home, the only did they get their messages printed out, but I am trying my best to stay there, but I shudder gamble and throw our hat in the ring for TAFF crappy deal with their insurance for their house they could also respond to the messages using to think what will happen to us if I don’t. I am for this next year though. Have always wanted being cancelled out from under them, even after the teletype keyboard. so relieved at having this job, and a number of to visit England, and figure we’ll never be able doing all the work that was asked. We had Dave Kyle is now our senior statesman? I people are happy to have me there, and have to do it financially on our own. So, maybe will something similar last year — told would not be am sure that’s a distinction he has never looked told me so. Anyway, the best of times to get to attend a Worldcon after all, as long as renewed unless some nebulous “fix the walls” for. I am pleased to say that Dave will be at a everyone for Hallowe’en, and may we have a enough people in the US vote to kick us out of repairs were made. After a lot of calls, I was convention in Toronto next month, and I look relatively warm and snow-free winter. I don’t the country for a while! finally able to narrow it down to what, exactly, forward to chatting with him and signing his want to think about snowbanks . . . See you they wanted done. Had the repairs made, book. with the next issue. August issue— photographed and sent it in months before the Daniel Snowdon’s actions have lost-lasting While I was sorry to see the obit for E. L. policy would end . . . then waited and waited. effects, now with revelations that the US From: R-Laurraine Tutihasi Nov. 2, 2013 Konigsburg, it did remind me that I have been Turns out they still needed to have their reps government, through the NSA, has spied on Post Office Box 5323, Oracle, AZ meaning to read From the Mixed Up Files of drop by to look at it, and wouldn’t you know it, allied nation leaders for many years. A 85623-5323 USA Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler forever, and so have just too difficult for anyone to drive by for two comment I saw on Facebook last night . . . the [email protected] added it to our “look for this one” book hunting minutes to confirm the repairs in the photo were US has been proved to be doing terrible things, http://www.weasner.com/ list. The writer may pass, but their work remains real. For months, they couldn’t be bothered. things they used to criticize the Soviet Union to entertain over and over. Ended up our agent literally had to write a and East Germany for doing. I enjoy history Thank you for reviewing The Cats of Your description of scenes from “Le voyage brand-new policy, and on the day the old one texts, but must wonder about our future. . . who Tanglewood Forest. It looks like my kind of dans la Lune” as having a Monty Python vibe expired, put the new one into effect. Insane, but will write those history books? book. I’ve added it to my reading list. had me grinning and nodding my head in hopefully we won’t have to go through that Your commentary on oomphel . . . we’ve In response to Rodney Leighton’s query, I agreement. The Pythons tackled so many things, again for a while. been living a dystopia in some ways. Dubya got received an issue of Pablo Lennis sometime last I always wondered what a Monty Python sf Meanwhile, we are still paying off bills for rid of surplus production in the US by year or so. It came with a note saying that I was movie would have been like. But then, maybe the new ac/heating unit, the two different times almost-never-ending, never-victorious wars in mentioned within. I read it fairly carefully we have that in the Douglas Adams works? burst pipes had to be repaired by cutting through Iraq and Afghanistan, and did so to boost the without finding that reference. I can’t say I was Getting near the end of reading At Home, A the foundation, and a couple of different economy. But, it resulted in record debts, and of terribly impressed by the zine. The layout was Short History of Private Life by Bill Bryson. doctor/hospital bills from my surgeries this course, the Republicans blame Obama for debt pretty bad, and the contents weren’t much Odds are you have already devoured it at some summer — all of this stuff, interestingly they rang up themselves. Our own conservative better; I didn’t find it worthy of a LoC. point yourselves. However, if not, all the books enough, was not to make things better, but just leaders have been doing much the same things, It doesn’t sound really worthwhile to get a Alexiad December 2013 Page 13 driver’s licence in Spain. Wow! Galen Dara as Best Fan Artist: nice for her but Wrdnrd, Karen Schaffer, Mike Ward, Ian Tuesday. Exam took about 15 minutes. Used I’m glad to see that I’m not the only one Very Much Not my choice. Sorensen, Gregg Trend, Audrey Trend, Bill to be they were all one, do exams, fit you for unimpressed by Kim Stanley Robinson’s Dept. of Mad Dogs Kneed Us In The Groin, Burns, Mary Burns, Elinor Busby, Kate glasses, make the things, mail them out. Now writing. The ones I’ve read seem like treatises AKA Unversed in History, this year’s record Schaefer, Glenn Hackney, Pamela Davis, Terry she is affiliated with some huge corporation with a thin veneer of fiction. His ideas are often five-Hugo-nomination recipient, during Floyd, Grant Kruger, Lenny Bailes, Jim which does the glasses; took longer to select and very intriguing, but his characterizations leave Renovation, did not appear to understand a O’Meara. order a pair than the exam did; they no longer a great deal to be desired. That said, I felt that reference to The Stars My Destination. Kids Dainis, our public library has these Gillian use Canada Post. And instead of the three to 2312 was an improvement over his Mars trilogy these days! Bradshaw titles: which one should I sample?: five days it uset to take it is now seven to ten where his characters were concerned. They Dale Kyle, your suggestion, Joe, as Senior Wrong Reflection, Sand-Reckoner, Island of days. were about the level of Asimov’s early Science Fiction Author, is a guest, Nov. 29-Dec. Ghosts, Bearkeeper’s Daughter. They had a buy one pair get the second free characters. 1 at SFContario 4, with the slightly younger so called deal. Then the female doing this stuff Chan Davis and the very young Seanan Simple, read them all. revealed that if I only bought one pair there was At least the setting of 2312 McGuire. — JTM a 30% discount. Thus: $99.95 for frames; $365 was interesting. I found the Mars Joe you comment “I think Corflu has got to for lenses less $139.49 for one complete pair of Trilogy boring. be . . . people who had been there and done that From: Rodney Leighton November 1, 2013 glasses equals $325.46. Plus three trips to Truro — JTM a long time ago, and those who are going to pub 11 Branch Road, R. R. #3, at around $20 per trip equals about $60. But their ish RealSoonNow.” Tatmagouche, Nova Scotia B0K 1V0 that’s probably not fair; I did other things the Since there was some discussion of Of the 95 names on the list of members of CANADA other times I was there, like buy some Chinese worldcons and hopeful statements made about this year’s Corflu, 30 I know to be active food for lunch and likely will next trip as well. meeting at some future date, I just want to say fanziners, whether publishing, writing, drawing. Thanks for the last couple issues of Alexiad. In case Lloyd doesn’t answer Sheryl’s that the next one on our calendar is the one in More of them might be but I don’t know it. #72 appeared a few days ago all by itself. This question; sales tax is added to the cost of Spokane. I can’t see getting to London unless You can experience Corflu next year, in is the day after Hallowe’en. I was sorry that purchase. I just now realized there is no tax on an unknown long lost uncle leaves us a large Richmond, Virginia, only 8 hours 13 minutes you didn’t make it to the con. Admit it, you the glasses or else it’s factored into the cost. legacy. Illness prevented us from being in San from Louisville. No need to organize a Faneds were secretly pleased. Knowing in your heart Anyway, the discontinuation of pennies applies Antonio, and I regret the lost opportunity for Feast: the Corflu Sunday brunch ticket is part of that you are the only person interested in these only to cash transactions. Since I paid this one meeting some people there. your membership. And two weeks later you can faned feasts or at least the only one willing to with the Visa the price given was what I paid. return to Virginia, to Bristol, for DeepSouthCon put in any effort on them and being tired of If I had been carrying $400 with me and paid From: Murray Moore November 6, 2013 52. being the sole organizer of the things for years cash it would have been $325.45. Price is 1065 Henley Road, Mississauga Ontario on end, aren’t you happy to see that there wasn’t rounded up or down to the nearest five cent L4Y 1C8 CANADA That’s May 2-4. We have one because Joe wasn’t there to make it happen. level; 46 or 47 cents goes down to 45; 47 or 48 [email protected] another engagement that weekend. My latest adventure involved eyeglasses. or 49 goes up to 50 cents. Gas has taxes on top Interesting how things have changed over the of taxes. The two of you have a lot of relatives. My The 2013 Corflu, CORFLU XXX, years, but some things stay more or less static. It’s raining like crazy. Probably had nothing mother’s side of the family assembles in a city Membership List, as it was April 17, 2013: Ted I got my first pair of glasses 53 years ago. to do with global warming or any such park annually on Labour Day. Since I resumed White, Pat Virzi, Geri Sullivan, Robert Examined by an older man whose son attended. foolishness. How about a moratorium on global attending Worldcon in 2000, on Labour Day I Lichtman, Carol Carr, John Harvey, Eve A few days ago I had an eye exam with his warming chatter? chose to be at Worldcon when Worldcon Harvey, Claire Brialey, Mark Plummer, Nigel grand daughter; her father having done almost I have been in one of my “I am getting out happens on Labour Day weekend. Rowe, Spike, Tom Becker, Arnie Katz, Joyce all of my eye exams in the interim. He passed of this small press shit entirely” moods. But I You were missed at LoneStarCon 3, both as Katz, Frank Lunney, Earl Kemp, Michael away a couple of years ago. She’s really good, gather that a couple of people have started individuals and as warm bodies. I have not Dobson, Dixie Tracy-Kinney, Jay Kinney, Terry and fast. Our vaunted medical care will pay for reading the zine. Here’s one in case you want to experienced such an underused Worldcon Fan Kemp, Aileen Forman, Ken Forman, Gary the exam now that I am 65. They won’t do read it. Lounge, despite its location adjacent to a bar, Mattingly, Patty Peters, Sandra Bond, Woody anything for the glasses. the fan tables, Newsletter, and site selection Bernardi, Art Widner, Milt Stevens, Carrie The adventure began when my glasses fell From: Jim Stumm November 1, 2013 tables. Root, Andy Hooper, Hope Leibowitz, Murray apart. Cleaning the lenses and they Post Office Box 29, Buffalo, NY 14223- Looking at the list of Hugo winners, I had to Moore, Mary Ellen Moore, JoHn Hardin, Jacq disintegrated into three parts. I found an older 0029 USA remember, ‘Scalzi won for best novel’. I did not Monahan, Rob Jackson, John D. Berry, Teresa pair. Those I am now using date back to the vote in the Novel category however my choices Cochran, James Taylor, Petrea Mitchell, Chris 90's. Eyes haven’t changed much. But I George W. Price: This is what a gold for Novella, Novelette, and Short Story, were French, Steve Stiles, Elaine Stiles, Mike Meara, developed some sort of allergy to something in standard would prevent: On the first day the the winners. Pat Meara, Randy Byers, Jim Caughran, Jerry the frames. If I wear them for about four hours debt limit was raised, the Obama Administration Cadigan’s “The Girl-Thing Who Went Out Kaufman, Suzle Tompkins, Linda Deneroff, wearing my hardhat with ear muffs down my added $328 Billion to the National Debt, in one For Sushi” was the only fiction nominee which Roy Kettle, Kathleen Mitchell, Kim Huett, Rich head feels like it is in a compression chamber. day. That’s a new record high increase for one I thought very fine. Coad, Stacy Scott, R-Laurraine Tutihasi, Mike Doctor is in Thuro, about a 45-minute drive day, surpassing the old one day record increase Recently I read Best Graphic Story winner, Weasner, David Levine, Kate Yule, Rob away. I had some other things to do there and that was also set by the Obama Administration “Saga”. The writing is smart and the painted art Hansen, Eileen Gunn, Jack Calvert, Gary my aunt lives farther away, I planned on doing in 2011. does not get in the way. I will borrow Volume Hunnewell, Jeff Schalles, Doug Bell, Christina all my stuff on Friday and going to fisit her. Before the debt limit was raised, I read that 2, too, if it becomes available through our Lake, Pat Charnock, Graham Charnock, James Having troubles with these glasses I went on the Govt needed $246 Billion a year to pay the public library. Charnock, Shell Rees-Jones, Eloise Charnock, Thursday to see if I could get them fixed. interest on the National Debt. The revenue that I voted for Best Fan Writer on the basis of Gordon Eklund, Lucy Huntzinger, Victor Sorry, can’t weld those. Got to get new frames. the Govt continuously receives from various the samples included in the Hugo packet. Tansy Gonzalez, Tamara Menteer Gonzalez, Alan Got to have an eye exam to do that. Bother. taxes is more than 10 times that. So what I heard Rayner Roberts I gave my second place vote. Rosenthal, Jeanne Bowman, Andy Smith, Chris So, I made an appointment for the following repeated over and over, that not raising the debt Page 14 December 2013 Alexiad ceiling would FORCE the Govt to default on its science, a theory is not proved by the number of sus hijos e hijas, sirvientes y familiares debt, was not true. They had plenty of revenue people who say it is true, but rather by the From: Sue Burke November 14, 2013 pequeños o grandes de todas las edades to pay the interest and avoid default. strength of the evidence. I haven’t seen ANY calle Agustín Querol 6 bis - 6D 28014 al fin de Julio de este año . . .” But if they keep on raising the National Debt evidence. Madrid, SPAIN “. . . In this edict we also order male and by continuing to borrow more, the amount of [email protected] female Jews of every age who reside in interest they have to pay will continue to Everything that is occuring is mount-oregano.livejournal.com our dominion or territories to leave with increase. Besides that, interest rates are now proof of global warming. More amadisofgaul.blogspot.com their sons and daughters, servants and very low. They will probably go much higher in polar ice pack — global warming. family members, humble or wealthy of the future, and that will also increase the interest Cold winters — global warming. I I went to watch the movie Gravity in all ages, by the end of July of this year . that must be paid on the National Debt. So started having problems when an “versión original,” which means original . ..” future generations will be stuck with paying the expedition set out to measure language with subtitles. The movie was fun, and (http://es.wikisource.org/wiki/Decreto_de_Granada) bill for what this present greedy generation is annual snow pack in Greenland. one subtitle taught an interesting lesson in consuming. They expected to see less snow in translation. When Matt asks Ryan where she I thought it had been July 2 — Jerry Kaufman: You wonder what will more recent years, due to global lives, “Where do you pitch your tent?” the Tisha b’Av 5252. happen when the writers have run through all of warming. They found the snowfall Spanish subtitle read, “Where do you keep your the Oliver Sacks books . This often happens in in recent years had been greater, toothbrush?” – a good idiomatic translation. In And so they did. The priest Andrés the British police procedurals that I like to thus proving the global warming Spanish, the word for tent is also the word for Bernaldez (1450-1513), in his history of Isabel watch. For example, there were only some or 8 hypothesis since increased store, a usage dating back to medieval times and Fernando’s reign, wrote this account: “Inspector Morse” novels to adapt for TV. After evaporation from the oceans was when shopping was done at weekly or annual “...Young and old, they left the lands where they that, other writers wrote new episodes “based increasing snowfall. fairs where itinerant merchants pitched their were born, elderly and children, on foot or on” these novels, using the same characters, the tents. If that sentence had been translated mounted on donkey or other beasts, and in carts same setting, and trying to remain faithful to the Alexis A. Gilliland: Moral hazard also literally, Matt would have asked her where her ... some falling, some rising, some dying, some original concept. I suppose this requires applies to the Govt’s response to rising sea store was. So an alternative had to be found, and being born, some becoming ill, so no Christian approval by the author or his estate, and levels. If they subsidize flood insurance for this sounded just as jocular in Spanish as in who saw them did not feel sorrow for them....” payment of royalties. Another example is people who want to build on barrier islands, that English. The edict was formally overturned in 1969, “Midsomer Murders.” I believe there were only encourages more people to take on more risk Translation isn’t always so easy. Here in and in 1992, King Juan Carlos I and Queen original novels, but they have by now made and build in these unsafe places. Spain, if something is very successful, it “leaves Sofía presided over a ceremony called Sefarad over 80 episodes, and the series is still going on, But I have heard on the news that a law has by the big gate.” This is a reference to 92 to mark the official reconciliation with with some characters being replaced, as they do been passed requiring the Govt to stop bullfighting, where a matador who has a very Spanish Jews, held at the Madrid synagogue. regularly on “Law and Order.” subsidizing flood insurance. I don’t know if that successful fight is carried out of the main gate means all flood insurance or just in certain of the bullring on the shoulders of his crew, Primo de Rivera decreed in the In production terms, it’s a places. surrounded by cheering fans. You could 1920s that descendants of franchise. If the Lord of the One woman whose house was flooded by translate it as “hits a home run,” but Spaniards expelled Sephardim could gain Rings movies didn’t cost so much, Superstorm Sandy says her flood insurance don’t play baseball. You could just say “very Spanish citizenship, which proved we would have a LotR franchise, premium is going to go up from a few $100 a successful,” but the verve of the expression gets to be of use during the Holocaust. with further adventures of the year to $9000. She can’t afford that so she will lost in translation. Fellowship. (Aak, Tauriel fights drop her flood insurance. So the next time she Similarly, there’s the expression, “They Here in Madrid, we watched a partial eclipse the New Shadow . . .). gets flooded out, there will be no insurance blamed him for everything. He even killed of the Sun on November 3 in the early afternoon money to rebuild. I don’t think people should be Manolete.” Again, this is a bullfighting – just a nibble out of the solar disc, not very Darrell Schweitzer: So all these scientists are living on barrier islands or right down on ocean reference. Manolete (1917-1947) is generally exciting. We had a little more excitement two prepared to blame climate change on human beaches. But I would prefer a softer transition. considered the greatest bullfighter ever. He was days later with an earthquake at 7:34 a.m., 3.5 activity. But they don’t seem to be prepared to Give one last payment, but only to people who killed in the ring by a bull named Islero. To on the Richter scale, with an epicenter 2 say what proof they have that it is due to human agree to build somewhere else, on higher blame someone for Manolete’s death is a way of kilometers under Alcorcón, a suburb where I activity. At least I have never seen any such ground. saying that the person is considered the had practiced driving. My apartment building proof. What I have seen repeatedly is the Use these beaches for recreation. Maybe culmination of all evil. I can’t think of any shook briefly. No injuries or damage, but it gave assertion that global warming is caused by drive your RV down to the beach and park there translation that would not be another lesson in us a lot to talk about. human activity. And a theory, the greenhouse for a week or 2. But no one should receive any loss. I’m turning in this letter early because I’m effect. And a correllation, as CO2 rises, due to kind of Govt subsidy to build a permanent (By the way, you can see the tanned hide of off to San Angelo, Texas, for three weeks, to humans burning fossil fuels, global temperature house there. And the Govt should not build any Islero in the Bullfighting Museum of Córdoba, help my sick sister. I’ll be there for rises. infrastructure in these high risk places. No in the room dedicated to Manolete. Olé.) Thanksgiving and for the Packers game on But, correllation does not prove causation. utilities, nothing more than roads. Any RVs that Speaking of Spain, I recommend that Darrell television. I’m packing my Packer backer gear. And a theory is not proof, it’s what needs to be use these places should be self-contained, no Schweitzer throw away all his history books that The next missive will include a report on proved (that this is what’s really happening). hook-ups. And when a big storm is forecast, say Spanish Jews had to give up their children Hispacón XXXI/Quartumcón 2013, Spain’s And an assertion is just an unproven hypothesis. everybody should clear out of the area, leaving when they were expelled in 1492. The edict by national SF convention, on December 14 and 15 And now we see that as CO2 continues to rise, nothing much of any value behind. Queen Isabel I and King Fernando II specified: in Quart de Poblet, a suburb of Valencia. Hasta the global temperature has stopped rising. So Rod E. Smith: You think low solar activity luego. you no longer have even a correllation between accounts for the lack of global warming in “. . . Nosotros ordenamos además en CO2 and temperature. recent years. Do you think that higher solar este edicto que los Judíos y Judías de Hasta la vista, ba-bee. So what proof do you have that global activity before that may have had something to cualquiera edad que residan en nuestros — JTM warming is caused by human activity? In do with the global warming that occurred then? dominios o territorios que partan con Alexiad December 2013 Page 15

From: Richard A. Dengrove Nov. 16, 2013 would react when you mention the Duke of What isn’t a micron so depressing is that you cannot control a financial bubble once 2651 Arlington Drive, #302, Alexandria, Monmouth to Alexis Gilliland. discussing the how and why of people’s names. it gets sufficiently large. VA 22306-3626 USA My comment is that while the Duke of I referred to Josephus as Titus Flavius Josephus It is true I disagree with George that [email protected] Monmouth may have been illegitimate, my and Joseph ben Matityahu. You said you absolutely no one saw trouble coming while the understanding is he still would be entitled to a referred to him as General Two-Gun Joe Cohen. housing bubble was in progress. I remember a As usual, I have arranged all my comments coat of arms. However, it would have to contain Just one problem: wouldn’t that be a nick lot of people worrying about it. In addition, a on politics to come at the end of Alexiad, the Bar Sinister, indicating he was illegitimate. name? number of people saw the real estate practices October 2013.. It is not hard because most of I also hear that some heraldic symbols signify a Next plenty of politics as opposed to the leading to it as basically fraud. the comment hooks on politics come from the person whom the king had Gay relations with. politics of names. George Price advocates However, I have to agree with George 100% letter writers, and the letter column is near the Of course, you, Joe, know more than I do about taming the politicians with bimetallism. Rather that once a financial bubble has grown large end. At any rate, most hard politics come near that. than taming the politicians, I suspect enough, it is too late. Once the bubble gets the end; and softer politics are typical bimetallism, a gold and silver standard, would sufficiently large, the perps have too much throughout. He was granted one: “The Arms allow great room for mischief. I know the money to be regulated. No, any housing bubble For example, my comment on George of King Charles II (viz. quarterly: Republicans were opposed to silver as a has to be nipped in the bud. Orwell, AKA Eric Arthur Blair, whom you 1st and 4th, France (azure, three standard too, the Democrat Bryan’s cause. They It is obvious to me, though, that that can and mention in “Oomphel in the Sky.” For now, I’m fleur-de-lys two and one or) and feared it would inflate the currency. has been done. That regulation between 1940 apt to believe him that he based his Oceania not England (gules, three lions passant Of course, the politicians wouldn’t be in and 1980 had nipped any wouldbe financial on a Fascist Britain but on Britain during the guardant in pale or) quarterly; 2nd, control if you had Free Silver, which gets pretty bubbles in the bud. Forever in the world of the World War II. He worked in the propaganda Scotland (or, within a tressure close to the private currency you advocate,. politics and government. branch of the government, and exaggerated his flory counterflory gules a lion Anyone could have any silver they owned It looks like my long, meat potatoes screeds experiences for his 1984 world. For instance, rampant guardant of the same); brought to the mint, made into coins and used as on politics to George – on bimetallism and the people disappearing from the public view, and 3rd, Ireland (azure, a harp or the currency. financial meltdown – will end my letter. Just in heroes being made up for the public. stringed gules)) defaced with a If that were the case, the way I heard it, it case you forgot, I made comments earlier about I can’t say the same for this comment on baton sinister argent, with an would accomplish an objective the opposite of George Orwell, Spanish and American “Dystopia made in Spain.” It’s not light on inescutcheon of Buccleuch (or, on a yours: it would inflate the currency. I have dystopias, Ditto Con and me, and Lloyd Penney politics; in fact, it’s pure political dynamite. My bend azure a star between two heard the amount of silver would suffice to do and job searching. Anyway, as all good things, problem with the Spanish novel Cenital is the crescents of the first)” [for his that today; and the farmers who advocated free my letter is finito. same as I have with quite a few US and British wife], and now the Dukes of silver intended it to do just that then. dystopias: that our technological civilization Buccleuch have more quarterings. George goes from bimetallism to the From: John Purcell November 21, 2013 will die without oil. What about coal? Not that Also, a DNA test peformed on Sir Financial Meltdown. And he is still trying to 3744 Marilene Circle, College Station, it’s desirable from an environmental point of Richard Walter John Montagu prove it was caused by the Community TX 77845-3926 USA view. What about atomic energy? Douglas Scott, the current Duke, in Reinvestment Act of 1978. To do this, he claims [email protected] Now that we have spoken about one danger 2012 showed that he had Y- that it is possible lenders didn’t mind making to humanity; how about another. This, however, chromosomal descent from the subprime loans he claims the Federal Egad. Your fanzine has reached a rather I hope, elicits no politics. I found the hook in Stuarts, so it looks like Lucy government was forcing them to make. stratospheric number. The problem here, your article “On Not Going to Worldcon.” You Walter was telling the truth about The reason is that while such loans would though, is that now I have the song “77 Sunset mention donut burgers and donut sloppy joes as her son’s parentage. bankrupt them, they thought the Feds were Strip” running through my head. Oh, great. My a way of clogging arteries. In fact, I gather the — JTM going to bail them out because the Feds were vision just regressed 50+ years so that now cholesterol in them is not measured in already subsidizing housing. While I doubt the everything around is no longer in color, just micrograms but in megatons. While the Duke involved himself in 17th lenders would give up present profits for pie in black and white — birds, trees, the sky, hockey The same here: it is no politics politics. In Century politics, you and Trinlay indulge the sky, I have to admit anything is possible. games on the television . . . Oh, whow! The fact, I hope this excites even fewer politics than yourself in silly politics. I love the idea of the In fact, something else is possible: that players aren’t wearing helmets, either. And is the donut burgers. Too bad you couldn’t make Lovecraftian Prairie Home Companion. lenders were willing to stoke the housing bubble that really Gump Worsley in goal for the it to WorldCon. Of course, something like this Now we’re completely back to hard politics because they saw dollar signs in their eyes. With Canadiens? Doo-dee-doo-doo, doo-dee-doo-doo had to happen. I had my incident at Ditto Con again with Jim Stumm. He argues that precedent prices always going up and up, foreclosures . . . in, I think, 1991. My 1970 Volvo broke down is good as long as the judges stick to the letter of didn’t matter. Nor that the mortgagee was a and I had to return home. the law. No, no, the idea behind precedent is the credit risk. The lenders could still make money Don’t you mean *SNAP* Unlike you with World Con, I doubt Corflu law is what the court says it is. Of course, since by reselling the property. It is possible. *SNAP*? missed me. the justices know their power is very limited: Of course, both of us can’t be right – nor For this next comment, also absolutely no they have no army or police force: normally can the proponents of alternatives unmentioned You know, Daylight Savings Time is a politics at all. I’d like to tell Sheryl Birkhead in they are cautious in their decisions. here. So ‘possible’ is a garbage criteria. Thus, fully-loaded crock of steaming fecal matter. the letters section there’s nothing wrong with What Lloyd Penney says is too personal for once more, George fails to give any actual proof Studies continue to reveal that the use of DST using a mouse with your laptop. I found a politics, namely that he has been searching for that the Community Reinvestment Act of 1978 has resulted in no significant changes in energy wireless mouse best, and that there was no need a permanent job for some time; and hasn’t been was the cause of the Housing Bubble of the consumption or savings. At best, the differences for a mouse pad. So the mouse took up even successful. You Joe sympathize because you ought years. between standard time and daylight savings less space than normal. searched between 1976-88. My search wasn’t as On the other hand, I will say, while George time are negligible. All I know is that now it’s My next comment concerns politics again. long as either of you two, 1974-77. Still, fails to give any evidence for his thesis, he dark by six in the evening, and that’s a bad Fortunately, politics of the 17th Century. however long it was, it was depressing. As they recognizes I believe the Financial Meltdown thing when everything around you is in black Nobody should be up in arms about that, but say, job hunting is the worst job you’ll ever was a bubble not a government plot. Also, he is and white. Can’t see a frigging thing anymore! I’m sure there are few that are. I am sure some have. responding to my arguments when he argues Then again, that may be a good thing. Page 16 December 2013 Alexiad

When word spread around LoneStarCon 3 copy of. One of these years I may even read it. Books, Inc., 2010) and Servant of the I don’t understand the problem some people that Frederik Pohl had died on Monday, In another universe maybe I have — and before Underworld by Aliette de Bodard (Angry seem to be having with the Red John storyline September 2nd, the general tone of the Benford even wrote it. Robot, 2010). in The Mentalist. Getting Red John is the WorldCon dramatically downshifted. It was the While I’m at it let me recommend a non-SF reason for Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) last day of the con anyway, but it was terrible And another one, If Kennedy book. The Revenge of Geography: What The continuing to live. Red John murdered his news to leave the WorldCon with. I heard the Lived, in thish. Map Tells Us About Coming Conflicts and The family. Red John apparently has a large number news from Steven H Silver when Valerie and I Battle Against Fate by Robert D. Kaplan of people working for him including a good rode the elevator with him up to the dead dog Oh, my! A fanzine written in Linear B (page (Random House, 2012). In a couple of places number in law enforcement. I do not have any party (re-named the Old Fan’s Party, I noticed) 8, column 1). That’s enough to make my head the author gives his political orientation away. problem with the Red John storyline. As of the in the Marriott Rivercenter Hotel that night. The hurt. Don’t make me use wing-ding font on the But, I heard part of an interview with him on the latest installment Red John has been identified news definitely affected many a convention next Askew in retaliation. radio and that led me to check the book out of and is on the run. Where The Mentalist going attendee as groups of fans shared memories of the library. His information is excellent and his to go next is the question. meeting Pohl and appraisals of his many books conclusion(s) is well thought out. For anyone So, Helsinki, Finland is trying again, this and stories. For myself, I have always enjoyed Go ahead. Make my day. interested in what the United State should be time for 2017. I wish them luck. I voted for Gateway and Man-Plus, but I think my favorite So Lisa has discovered the wonders of doing in foreign policy and actions around the them as #1 for 2015 and they led on the first Pohl novels were his collaborations with Cyril coffee? I usually only drink one and a half cups world I recommend the book highly. ballot eventually losing to Spokane, Kornbluth, especially The Space Merchants and each morning, and that holds me for the day. Every Thursday I go to the library to return Washington. The Marching Morons. Those two are More than that and I’m bouncing off the walls. books and DVD’s, obtain any books or DVD’s wonderful books. Frederik Pohl was definitely I am really sorry you two didn’t make it to being held, and to get a copy of the weekly free From: John Hertz November 16, 2013 one of the greats, and he is missed. San Antonio for WorldCon; hate to say this, but county alternative paper The Ventura County 236 S. Coronado Street No. 409, Los Joe, your article “Oomphel in the Sky” is a I was really looking forward to finally meeting Reporter. Also, I like to check the new SF Angeles, CA 90057-1456 USA very good discussion of the concept of you two. If anything, it is good that you were books shelf. What do you know? On October over-abundance and howit has been able to make it home safe and sound, which is 24 there was a copy of The Lost Stars: Perilous Among childhood memories of my incorporated into various science fiction stories. major good news. Shield by Jack Campbell (a.k.a. John G. Hemry) grandfather is his teaching me to sing “Little What impresses me the most is how you discuss Speaking of the WorldCon, I have no (2013, Ace Books). I am not as fast a reader as Brown Jug”. Decades later I realized what it how many writers explored the consequences comment on the Fan Hugos except that until the Joe; but I did finish it in two days, not getting meant. over-abundance would have on society. I would final ballots came out, I had never heard of some other things done. Just by chance I Under so many of the “economy of think that such a material excess would create a Tansy Rayner Roberts nor Galen Dara. Sure I noticed that next to it on the shelf was another abundance” stories we intellectual types have lazy society, which could become stagnanty had met Leigh Kimmel, though; I have a couple book by Jack Campbell, The Last Full Measure never thought through the creation and with every need and want provided with plenty of her books at home and it would have been (2013, Subterranean Press). It is an alternate exchange of value. Instead we abhor or left over. If there is no desire to ‘want’ nice to put a face with the name. history of the United States. It’s either a one- romanticize labor — usually both. (We don’t anymore, then that removes the drive to provide time short work, the start of another series, or a read books like the Dorothy Sayers Mind of the and/or acquire goods. Complacency would Leigh spent most of her time in political statement by Campbell (Hemry). It is Maker because that’s religion, see comment become the norm, and such a situation could the Dealers’ Room, selling so she only 98 pages. I recommend it. about labor.) result in lower classes (the proletariat) becoming could afford to go. Tansy Rayner Fascinating to read about ripening thoroughly cowed and controllable. It’s like you Roberts is a minor pro with a blog, It was reviewed in Alexiad V. 12 sunflowers in Middle-earth. said: “if there is no need to work, who will be Galen Dara is a pro artist, and both #2 WN 68. Josephus had handguns? the distributors?” My guess is that would be of them are among the mad dogs those in charge and they’d regulate the amount who have kneed us in the groin. Being that I enjoy the TV series Once Upon As the Romans said, “Cave ne of produced to be used, thereby maintaining the — JTM a Time I watched the first two Once Upon a ante ullas catapultas ambules.” status quo as they see fit. Availability regulating Time in Wonderland. I didn’t particularly care (Lingua Latina Occasionibus needs. A fairly lengthy loc. Not bad at all. Many for it and did not like Alice, so have not Omnibus, Henricius Barbatus thanks for sending the zine my way, and now watched it further. scripsit (AUC MMDCCLVII). Pagina I’m surprised that no one got it’s time to get onto the next Askew and I went to see Ender’s Game. It was well CXXXVIII [“If I were you, I the point about “Huga Wells-Erb Askance, the latter of which should be done done, but a bit of a disappointment. It’s been wouldn’t walk in front of any Heinsturbury”; a field dominated around Thanksgiving weekend. many years since reading the book. But it catapults.” (Latin for All Occasions by continuations of others’ work seemed to me that they left out some parts that by Henry Beard (2004) Page 138)] and by women. From: Robert S. Kennedy Nov. 21, 2013 could have been included (the movie was two — JTM 1779 Ciprian Avenue, Camarillo, CA hours and could have been a bit longer with no Holy crap, but I’m beginning to sound 93010-2451 USA problem) and put in some of Hollywood’s From: Dainis Bisenieks Nov. 23, 2013 downright Marxist! This is not good. Time to [email protected] politics. On my movie rating scale of 1-5, I 921 S. St. Bernard Street, Philadelphia, change topics and fast. gave it a 4.5. I would be interested in the PA 19143-3310 USA On page 5 you review a book — Surrounded Thank you for Vol. 12, No. 5 (October opinions of others who have seen the movie. by Enemies — that asks the musical question on 2013), Whole Number 71. Let me recommend another book, this time By a neat coincidence, this appeared in the everybody’s lips this week, “what if JFK had In the last issue I mentioned obtaining four by Neil Gaiman—Fortunately, The Milk letter column of TLS, Oct. 11: lived?” Well, “what if’s” is a staple plot device free paperbacks at WorldCon in San Antonio. (Harper, 2013). It’s indicated as Young Adult, in science fiction, and there have been Two of them I could not read. However, the but probably is more like children. “Armenian is a normal abjad with numerous Alternate History books on the very remaining two I did read and enjoyed even Nevertheless I enjoyed it which may indicate thirty-eight characters, conspicuous for topic. You mention Gregory Benford’s novel though they are not in my usual interest area. my mental age. J It was a fun read and the their disciline, regularity, while Amharic Timescape here, of which I have an autographed Touched By An Alien by Gini Koch (DAW illustrations by Skottie Young are outstanding. is an abugida, or syllabic alphabet, with Alexiad December 2013 Page 17

182, that fleefully dsnce up and down the NYC landfill. “scarce” if producing some means that we must was already known but too expensive to extract. the page.” forego others that might have been produced (The reverse is also true: if the government Have the mad dogs kneed him in with the same resources. The function of prices clamps on price controls, and at the new lower Wouldn’t want to add these words to my the groin lately? is to help us decide which goods we will forego price level we can profitably produce only half vocabulary until I was sure the guy didn’t just — JTM in order to produce which other goods. of our previous proved reserves, then the proved make them up. Not that I can imagine them Stories positing that all goods will be reserves figure drops by half.) being in my active vocabulary, spoken or The biography of Patrick Leigh Fermor by abundant are implicitly assuming that capital, As production draws down reserves, the written, which msut not send the hearer of Artemis Cooper is now out, a year after UK labor, and natural resources will all be price will rise to where it becomes profitable to reader scurrying to the dictionary. publication, and I have it from the library. I unlimited, so that we never have to choose step up exploration for more. When we find it, find myself reading more about Brits of that era, between using them to produce one good rather that adds to the “proved reserves” at the new An “abjad” is a consonant-only roughly the first half of the 20th c., than about than another. Until that impossible world of higher price. The economics of oil production (or almost solely) alphabet. An Americans. Familiar names flit through these infinite resources shows up, we need a price are such that proved reserves are usually about “abugida” is a syllabary where pages, as they do in other biographies and mechanism to make the choices. As Ludwig von twenty years’ worth of consumption. That does vowels only appear in association memoirs — I looked to see who was also in Mises pointed out in 1922, centrally-planned not mean we’ll run out in twenty years, only with consonants. Friends of Promise (about Cyril Connolly and economies lack such a mechanism, and so they that we’d better explore for more oil before Horizon, the magazine he edited in London in necessarily work very poorly. The Soviet Union then. Once in my life I declared myself to be the 1940s) and found a bunch of them. More of spent seventy miserable years proving him right. It is effectively impossible for the oil to run aghast, when I found that the American editor them may may, in time, take on some solidity. By the way, I once talked to Frederik Pohl out all at once. In the real world, as oil is used of Titus Groan had taken the drunken Swelter, Much can be accomplished by a good revealing and pointed out that “The Midas Plague” had an up the price will keep rising, which encourages shpeaking like thish, and normalized anecdote about a person. idiot plot because, really, all the people had to exploration for more oil, discourages oil everything. The latest Economist, looking forward to do was turn off the production machinery. He consumption, and encourages developing Somewhere in a magazine I read recently 2014, had a ratehr unusual obituary, not of a agreed, and said it was Galaxy editor Horace substitutes. was a bit about words that are only used in person but of the Latvian unit of currency, the Gold’s idea. That sounded like Gold all right. In fact, substitutes for natural petroleum newspapers. I did hear “slain” from a youngster lat, about to be replaced by the euro. Its already exist. For example, back in the apartheid in a creative anachronist household. “But of stability was noted. It was brought in after the Galaxy had a habit of running era the South African company SASOL course,” said his father. “‘Kilt; is what Uncle transitional Latvian ruble had stabilized; it was that sort of story. Then the same developed a workable process for making Paul wears.” not noted here that 200 of them converted to spirit animated Star Trek: The gasoline out of coal, to evade sanctions cutting Lastly, on words: I found quoted from one lat. They didn’t want to make the Next Generation. off imported oil. Any number of such processes “Indian Ink” by Tom Stoppard: “While having hundredth part too picayune. They should have are sitting on the shelf, ready for use when tiffin on the verdanah of my bungalow I spilled gone for 500, just as a number of other countries * * * * * natural petroleum becomes too scarce. kedgeree on my dungarees and had to go to the should have shifted by one more decimal place. Sue Burke reviews the Spanish novel We can also substitute non-petroleum gymkhana in my pyjamas.” Cenital, by Emilio Bueso. She describes it as a energy sources, such as nuclear-generated From: George W. Price Nov. 24, 2013 dystopia about the oil suddenly running out in electricity to charge the batteries of electric cars. For that you need to reference P.O. Box A3228, Chicago, IL 2012, with the consequent breakdown of Had I been writing Cenital, I would have felt Hobson-Jobson (1886, 1903) — 60690-3228 USA commerce and farming leading to starvation and obliged to work out a plausible rationale for which itself is from the Shi’ite wail [email protected] violence. Right up to the end the oil companies why the oil companies — especially the of “Yâ Hassan! Yâ Husayn!” for “lie about how much reserves exist, while in government-run ones — overlooked all this. Or Ali’s children. October Alexiad: fact the reserves are close to zero.” I do not did Bueso give such a rationale that Ms. Burke My heartfelt thanks to all those who offered know any more about this story than Ms. Burke didn’t mention? If not, I have to put this down My auld acquaintance X. J. Kennedy — Joe condolences on the death of my wife Virginia. tells us, so I could be way off, but I suspect a as an idiot plot (though perhaps not quite as Kennedy, 1940s fan and letterhack — asked me Your concern is very much appreciated. huge misconception of what petroleum deposits idiotic as in “The Midas Plague”). to copyedit a novel for which he’s trying to find are like, and what is meant by “reserves,” and a publisher. This I have now done. In such * * * * * especially “proved reserves.” * * * * * matters, the principal of confidentiality applies; First, a petroleum reservoir is not a big pool Darrell Schweitzer says, “Religious freedom an editor saves the writer’s face where Joe’s commentary “Oomphel in the Sky” of oil that we can suck out steadily until we get in the United States after the Revolution was a necessary and takes no credit. Still, I can make deals with utopian or dystopian stories about to the bottom, and then suddenly it’s all gone, radical idea that took a while to catch on. There a few harmless remarks. The setting is a “the economy of abundance” which assume that like draining a tank. It is more like a rock was still anti-Catholic violence in the 1840s.” (wholly fictional) college in New Jersey, 1946- “some technological or scientific advance will sponge with oil in the pores (“fracking” breaks Indeed so. I have seen it stated (but have not 7. I realized the question whether there should solve the problems of production, and then the open those pores), and in general the oil gets confirmed) that public school systems started or should not be any little pointers for the 21st concept of a price for goods will cease to exist, harder to pump as the amount remaining being founded around that time precisely to c. reader. This is akin to Heinlein’s principle since all goods will be so abundant that their diminishes. In practice, we “shut in” the well “Americanize” the Irish and other Catholic for science fiction, that it should be written as sale will not be feasible.” That is, there is no when pumping becomes too expensive for the immigrants pouring in. Previously, almost all though for readers of the time of the story. It longer any scarcity. price we hope to get. Half or more of the oil schools were run by Protestant churches, and struck me that some of C. J. Cherryh’s novels, Such stories usually embody a fatal might still be left. the Catholics wouldn’t use them. So compulsory the ones not about world-changing events, were misunderstanding of what “scarcity” means in Second, “proved reserves” means the public schools were set up with the plain intent exactly such. economics. It does not mean “shortage” or amount of oil known to exist that can be of breaking the Catholics of their papist ways I was certain that Joe couldn’t resist working “poverty.” A good is “scarce” if the amount profitably produced at the current price. If the and indoctrinating them in proper Americanism. a prominent bar in Secaucus, N.J., into the story available is any less than what would be price goes up, then “proved reserves” increase The new schools were highly slanted toward — and sure enough! He had this poem, in a consumed if it were perfectly free. No matter even though no new oil has been discovered, Protestantism, of course, so the Catholic ballad metre: Secaucus was famous as the site of how wealthy an economy is, goods are still because now we can profitably produce oil that response was to set up their own parochial Page 18 December 2013 Alexiad school system. along as Detroit. Not yet. To top off, our mass I asked Sue Burke if “those reckless private De Vries cycle of solar activity (which As I have noted before, the First transit agency just rolled out a new borrowers [would] have dared to take such risks apparently is at its peak, hence the warming Amendment forbade the federal government to fare-payment system that works almost as if they hadn’t known the government would bail from the late 1970s to the late 1990s) and the establish a national religion, and also forbade it poorly as the ObamaCare website. them out?” She gives a resounding “Yes, they 65-year Atlantic and Pacific oscillations. to interfere with the already-established would. Again and again. With and without Meanwhile, in the name of preventing religions that still prevailed in several states. * * * * * bailouts. Bubbles and panics abound in history, climate change, the federal government is (Those were eventually disestablished one by I am happy to join Alexis Gilliland in including recent history.” planning to issue a rule allowing wind turbines one by each state, not by federal compulsion.) denouncing government bailing out big business True, but with a critical difference. When to continue to kill endangered bird species such So it was perfectly constitutional for states to “by being their insurer of last resort.” As he there is no government support and bailout, the as golden and bald eagles without facing the discriminate against Catholics, either explicitly says, “Moral hazard also affects the bubble collapses much sooner. The damage is severe penalties anyone else not so politically or implicitly. I hope we’ve outgrown that. government, which enjoys the popularity (and less, and is inflicted mostly on those with the favored would. This comes after they finally higher taxes) of boom times and fiddles to keep bad judgment to have believed in the bubble, did issue a fine to Duke Energy for the eagles I learned about Pierce vs. the good times rolling.” not on taxpayers in general. The creators of the they’ve killed. (I assume this means Duke Society of Sisters (in full, Pierce, And in bad times the government fiddles to bubble usually wind up broke. When the bubble Energy made the mistake of contributing to the Governor of Oregon, vs. Society of revive the good times, with massive “stimulus” is government-supported, the damage goes on wrong campaign.) Sisters of the Holy Names of spending which is actually a drag on the and on. The malefactors don’t get punished, and Darrell does make some excellent points Jesus and Mary, 268 U.S. 510) in economy. Since stimulus spending is money indeed may be left in charge so they can repeat about the nature of Islam. I do have a couple of constitutional history class. taken away from taxpayers (or lenders), it the offense. I note that Rep. Barney Frank, who minor points to make. First, while the Jews of Unfortunately, it seems that a lot makes sense only if what the government strenuously and successfully obstructed efforts the Old Testament could be very bloody when of other people didn’t, particularly spends it on is better for the economy than what to damp down the housing bubble, became Yahweh commanded it, there was no general Justice McReynolds’s line about the taxpayers (or lenders) would have spent it co-author of the new law supposed to prevent commandment to convert at the point of the children not being “mere on if the government had let them keep it. And future bubbles. Not a good sign. sword (unlike Islam). Fortunately, there are no creature[s] of the state.” how often is that the case? This is the “Papa Amalekites for the modern Hebrews to target. knows best!” nanny-state mentality in full * * * * * The other point is that the dichotomy is not Mr. Schweitzer also notes that “Jesus was a flower. Taras Wolansky, discussing Foyle’s War, between Islam and Darrell’s beloved pacifist and Mohammed was a warrior,” which says, “at least, they’re willing to admit that the Secularism, but between Islam and modern helps explain why Islam is usually more militant * * * * * Soviet Union under Stalin was a nasty place, civilization. No other religion of significance, and intolerant than Christianity. I’d say Jesus Jim Stumm notes that, in denouncing and that the Soviets were worse than our side.” for example, treats women anywhere near as was more a peacemaker than a pacifist. He same-sex marriage, I cited an editorial “that says Yes, leftists do occasionally admit having been badly as Islam does. No matter what Darrell famously said to “turn the other cheek” when we should have laws that promote the wrong, but (as Taras says) usually not until after believes, for example, fundamentalist Christians attacked, which I interpret to mean that we flourishing of children.” It’s too late, he says; it no longer matters. And I have yet to see educate women and allow them to be should be slow to take offense, and should look “That ship sailed 50 years ago when LBJ’s War anybody on the left express even the slightest independent members of society. for a peaceful resolution if at all possible. Is on Poverty began subsidizing bastardy. . . . . regret that, because of the way the Cold War And Taras Wolansky is equally accurate there anything in Scripture to show that he What we need is take-care-of-your-children ended, we can’t hunt down and punish the about the intolerance of other religions in Islam. meant that we should never fight at all laws, aimed at criminally negligent mothers.” masters of the gulag. Adherents of the religions of the book (i.e., regardless of how gross and harmful the He’s right, of course, and such laws have to be Judaism and Christianity)) are to be tolerated provocation? Should we meekly suffer part of recalling that ship. It is said that the From: Timothy Lane December 1, 2013 only as long as they know their place (to use a invasions, with all the usual rapine and plunder, single best marker for predicting if a child will 2265 Bradford Drive, Louisville, KY Southern expression that seems apt). But this rather than fight back? I think not. (We all know become delinquent — as by joining a street 40218-1562 USA presupposes a Muslim world; they divide the the pacifist way of preventing rape: give in gang — is whether he is raised by a single [email protected] world into the City of Submission (Dar al Islam) willingly — then it’s not rape.) mother. (There’s room for a lot of research on and the City of War (Dar al Harba). The the role of gangs as surrogate fathers.) I see Darrell Schweitzer continues to place religion alos has the doctrine of taqiyya, which 6"Â Ò :° §PT<, BT80FVJT JÎ Æ:VJ4@< This is a problem too large and complicated faith in those who call themselves scientists and calls for deceiving the Infidels if htat is "ÛJ@Ø, 6" •(@D"FVJT :VP"4D"<. to discuss now, but it will surely need a massive agree with his “climate change” dogma than in necessary. One needs to remember this kai ho m‘ echÇn pÇl‘salÇ to himation change in morals and social attitudes. It may the actual science (which involves checking out whenever one hears a Muslim proclaiming his autou kai agorasatÇ machairan. well require killing the welfare state and theoretical predictions against new facts). It’s moderation. Is he telling the truth (no doubt and he that hath no sword, let him sell his depending on private charity to care for the poor been a bad year scientifically for the cultists of some are), or following the call to deceive the garment and buy one. and afflicted. With lots of hard work and good Catastrophic Anthropogenic Global Warming, Infidel? Luke 22:36 luck, we just might get there without a complete what with less actual severe weather than they social collapse. I don’t expect to live long expected (no Atlantic hurricanes hit America, enough to see it. for example), Arctic ice cover shrinking far less WAHF: * * * * * The struggle against same-sex marriage has this summer than it has in recent years, and Lloyd Daub, with various items of John Thiel asks me what I think of Chicago been lost in Illinois. This is absurdly bad public Antarctic ice cover actually growing. interest. today. Now that’s a subject that could fill up policy, but at least it was done in the Now some German climatologists (as Martin Morse Wooster, with the same. several issues of Alexiad. But in brief, the city constitutionally proper way, by act of the reported by Michael Bastach of the Daily has improved in some ways and deteriorated in legislature. That’s more honest than judges Caller) have concluded that the pause in global others. The political system is not quite as dirty pretending to discover a previously unknown warming since 1998 (which is why the cultists as it used to be, but the politicians are just as constitutional right. now talk of “climate change” instead of “global irresponsible in their spending. Chicago is well warming”) will continue for the rest of this on the road to bankruptcy, though not as far * * * * * century. They base this partly on the 200-year Alexiad December 2013 Page 19

Subordinate to the monarchy, the Three The accumulation of wealth in the private THE DECADENT EMPIRE Departments and Six Ministries are established sphere is massively deterred. Any who saved Co-Editors: Lisa & Joseph Major as the governing bodies of the empire. The foodstuffs would have them confiscated by Co-Publishers: Joseph & Lisa Major . . . the ritual for succession is that the Imperial order of the administration is that there is a bandits, often operating under the color of tax Writers, Staff: Major, Joseph, Major, Lisa, Ordnance of Succession, stored in the Dynastic Principal Minister, assisted by a Grand Minister collectors. Similarly, any who developed a & McCormick, Grant Casket in the Imperial Throne Room, is of the Left, a Grand Minister of the Center, and useful mechanic art would be slain by his Tech Staff: Grant C. McCormick consulted. If the Wangdi were even to have a Grand Minister of the Right, overseeing the fellows, jealous of his advantage. prepared such a document, it was inevitably Minister of Personnel, the Minister of Revenue, This conflict militates against the This is issue Whole Number Seventy-Two destroyed. the Minister of Rites, the Minister of War, the continuation of literacy. Education has lapsed, (72). The choice for a successor thereupon falls Minister of Justice, and the Minister of Works. as the struggle for mere subsistence has become upon the Grand Deliberative Council. No appointments to these positions have predominant. There is no wherewithal to Art: What we are mainly looking for is Inevitably, they have chosen among the been made in living memory. The emoluments sustain a specialization in education, even as small fillos. Your fillo will probably be scanned youngest sons of the late Wangdi, ostensibly to and benefits pertaining thereunto accumulate in such people fall under suspicion as having in (by Grant) and may be reused, unless you facilitate the steadiness of a long reign. After the treasury, or would were there any collection wealth, to be taken from them for sharing out. object to its reuse. his proclamation and installation the newly of taxes. Beyond that, the preservation of written records enthroned Wangdi is removed to the Exalted The structure of the Ministries provides for is nonexistent. Contributions: This is not a fictionzine. It Chambers of the Forbidden Palace. a civil service, filled by examination. In this This structure would collapse, were any to is intended to be our fanzine, so be interesting. The Wangdi is kept stupefied with alcohol, manner, the most able and intelligent will be be found to assail it. None should be surprised hemp, and opium. His education is abandoned, associated with the management of public that the actual control of the land is exercised by Material in Alexiad is copyright © 2013. and should he survive to maturity, he is affairs. bandit gangs, yet they too fail to coalesce, as All rights reserved. Upon publication, all rights endowed with harims of women and boys. He The examinations grew more strict and any bandit chief of resolution is generally slain revert to the original contributor, but we reserve never marries, since such an attachment would exacting with the passage of time, reaching a by a jealous subordinate striving for a the right to use any item more than once, unless create a First Consort, the existence of such level of complexity where none were able to momentary advantage. otherwise specified by the contributor. All creating a separate locus of power which would fulfill the requirements. The existing body of Without the empire, a few roving nomads letters sent to Alexiad become the property of diminish the power of the Grand Deliberative administrators jealously hoarded their authority seek possession of greater things. Their the publishers. Any material by the editors is Council. and strongly warded their community, desiring numbers are inadequate to obtain any available to other fanzines if they provide Few Wangdi survive their third decade. to not dilute them by expansion. The Board of substantial control. Betimes, some more proper credit and send a copy. The Grand Deliberative Council consists of Examination died off with the passage of time, successful bandit has secured dominion in some the other Princes. They are ill-educated, if at and while the examination halls still exist, the more fertile region. These leaders seem Available for The Usual (letter of comment, all, given to the most extreme of perversions examinations have been postponed to a later inevitably to fall prey to the addictive trade, contribution). Sample issue available and to the excesses of consumption. Much of date which has not yet been announced. seductions of drugs or the jealousies of upon request. Back issues $1; subscription their effort is expended upon contriving the Indeed, the entire civil service has perished subordinates, or both. $10/year. Alexiad is also available by email in murders of their colleagues, which plots so with the passage of time. In its final years, Adobe Acrobat .pdf format. often fail because of the ineptitude or incapacity every official strove to enrich himself with Some fantasy realms just don’t of the assailants. bribes, yet could not succeed in this effort, as seem to work right. his superiors required of him greater payments, ALEXIAD which were required to fulfill the exactions of c/o Lisa & Joseph Major their superiors, and thusly upwards. 1409 Christy Avenue Louisville, KY 40204-2040 USA [email protected] A Question for the Jedi by Paul Gadzikowski http:/efanzines.com/Alexiad/index.htm