sign in sign up
<<
Home , AnimeFest, Fan Expo Dallas, Lou Anders, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, Nekocon

Volume 1, Issue 24 August 2011 2

Editorial: Okay, so this is a short issue. And late. I don’t have anything awesome to include, but y’all still managed to provide seven pages of letters. Good on ya! I’m right now too excited about to come up with a really great editorial, because in less than a week, I, and many of you, will be in Reno. I’ve been looking forward to this one. It’s gonna have a business meeting with lots of proposals around the zine categories, so I recommend those of you who care about the Hugos, and in particularly the fan Hugos, come out and make your voices heard. My voice will be distinctly quiet, as I’ll be too busy working my stopwatch and arithmetic as the timekeeper. Then there’s the site selection vote – is up for the Worldcon in 2013, and I’m looking forward to the return of Worldcon to the South, so remember to vote in that, as well. Khen Moore’s extensive art collection will be on display in the art show, thanks to the efforts of Naomi Fisher, and I recommend y’all go check that out, too. Then there’s the announcement of a bid for Orlando in 2015. I really don’t know they guys behind it, but I’m looking forward to meeting them and learning more. They’ll be in a contested race with Spokane, which should be interesting. And of course, we’ve already heard about the bid for New Orleans in 2018. It’s looking like a return to good times for the South as far as Worldcon goes is coming up. I, for one, welcome our new rebel overlords.

Contents: Convention Calendar – page 3 Rebel Yells – page 8

Art Credits: Cover & page 12 – Brad W Foster Page 15 – Greg Rieves

Colophon: Editor & SFC President: Warren Buff [email protected] (919) 633-4993 8712 Wellsley Way Raleigh, NC 27613 USA All contents copyright their creators. This zine is free, either by direct email or www.efanzines.com . A letter of comment or other contribution will get you on my mailing list, as long as I remember to put you there. If I forget, bother me a second time, or however long it takes to add you. I haven’t been printing this one, which leaves me free to use as many pages as I wish, and do things like color. It also lets me use all the contributions I can muster, so fire away! 3

Calendar of Events:

August 12-14: Guns of August (Williamsburg, Virginia – Holiday Inn Patriot Center. Gaming convention focused primarily on miniatures, but also featuring board games and role-playing. Registration is $25 at the door. $5 discount for military, students, and gamemasters. www.odms-club.com/convention ) Sukoshicon (Birmingham, Alabama – Howard Johnson. This appears to be part of a series of events around the Mid-South featuring a cosplay contest, AMVs, karaoke, and rock band. Membership is $20. www.sukoshicon.com ) August 13-14: M:TG Open Cup (Poplar Bluff, Missouri – http://warhorn.net/semo-mtg- open-cup/ )

August 17-21: Renovation, the 69 th Worldcon (Reno, Nevada – Reno-Sparks Convention Center, Atlantis Hotel, Peppermill Hotel, Courtyard by Marriott. Hotel booking will open 8 AM PST, January 17 th . Guests of Honor: Ellen Asher, Charles N. Brown (in memoriam), Tim Powers, Boris Vallejo. If you’ve never been to a Worldcon, you should try one. This one has the added bonus of not conflicting with the major Labor Day events so many of us go to, reducing your excuses. This is five days of science fiction, but more importantly, it’s a chance to meet fans from all over the world. It’s not uncommon for a group of friends at one of these to span three continents (or more – I’ve met fans from five at – South America and Antarctica, I’m looking at you). It’s also where fandom presents its annual Hugo Awards – members can nominate and vote, though you’d better hurry if you want to nominate. This will be my third Worldcon, and I’m already getting a bit excited about it. I hope to see all y’all there. Membership is $220, though there is a discounted rate of $120 available for fans 17-21. www.renovationsf.org ) August 18-21: Game Fest South (Chattanooga, Tennessee – Chattanooga Choo Choo. Tabletop gaming, mostly boardgames. Memberships are $40, with discounts for couples and families. www.gamefestsouth.com ) August 19-21: Mizu Con (Miami, Florida – Hyatt Regency Miami. featuring Todd Haberkorn, Lisa Ortiz, Johnny Yong Bosch, and EyeShine. Passes are $30 through August 14 th , though staying at the hotel two nights gets you a free badge. www.mizucon.com ) Motaku (Kansas City, Missouri – Holiday Inn CoCo Key Water Resort. Anime convention featuring Spike Spencer, Leah Clark, Tiffany Grant, Cassandra Hodges, Sophie McNutt, and Samurai Dan. Contests will be held for art, AMVs, and cosplay. $40 at the door. www.motaku.org ) August 19-20: Onyx Con III (Atlanta, Georgia – Southwest Arts Center. This convention is focused on the cultural output of the African Diaspora, and looks like it’s got a 4 strong sci-fi/comics bent. Guests include Mshindo Kuumba I, Tananarive Due, Steven Barnes, and N Steven Harris. Includes a writing contest in honor of the late Dwayne McDuffie. I can’t tell for sure if it costs anything or not – the website doesn’t seem to be loading images for me. www.onyxcon.com ) August 20-21: Baltimore Comic-Con (Baltimore, Maryland – Baltimore Convention Center. will be Guest of Honor. Ticket prices aren’t listed on the website, which claims that online ticketing will be available. http://baltimorecomiccon.com/ )

August 26-28: ArmadilloCon 33 (Austin, Texas – Renaissance Hotel Austin. Guests of Honor will be , Emma Bull, Will Shetterly, Lou Anders, Vincent Villafranca, Fred Duarte, Jr, and . This is a grand old science fiction con of the South with a reputation for bringing in tons of writers, editors, etc. Memberships are $50. www.fact.org/dillo ) MechaCon (New Orleans, Louisiana – Hilton New Orleans Riverside. Anime convention featuring , Johnny Yong Bosch, Samantha Inoue-Harte, Kyle Hebert, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, and . Memberships will be $50 at the door. They don’t say what the cut-off date is. www.mechacon.com )

September 2-5: Dragon*Con (Atlanta, Georgia – several hotels in downtown, though most have already sold out. The guest list is huge, and they’ve named Terry Brooks and Michael Whelan as Guests of Honor. The attendance at this will be in the tens of thousands. You will be surrounded everywhere you look by folks who share some interest in fandom. It’s a great four-day weekend, and always vibrant. Membership is $120. www.dragoncon.com ) Mephit Furmeet (Memphis, Tennessee – Whispering Woods Hotel and Conference Center. This furry get-together is in its fourteenth year, and going strong. Along with all the usual fun, their charity auction will benefit Tiger Haven. Attending memberships are $45. Supporting memberships are $20. www.mephitfurmeet.org ) TCEP (Laurel, Maryland – Holiday Inn Laurel West. Gaming convention with limited information on their website. Registration is $40. http://barkingmad.org/ ) Anime Fest (Dallas, Texas – Hyatt Regency at Reunion Tower. Anime convention with Guests of Honor Dai Santo and Bowling for Soup. I don’t understand what Bowling for Soup has to do with anime. Memberships are $40 through August 26 th , then $50 at the door. www..org )

September 9-11: Glitchcon (Bentonville, Arkansas – DoubleTree Hotel. Guests include Marina Sirtis, Ethan Phillips, Peter Pixie, , and Airship Isabella. Pre-reg is $30. www.glitchcon.com )

5

September 16-18: Intervention (Rockville, Maryland – Hilton Washington DC/Rockville. Billed as an internet culture convention, its guest list is a whole ton of webcomics creators. Registration is $40 through August 31 st , then $45 at the door. www.interventioncon.com ) Con*Stellation XXX (Huntsville, Alabama – Holiday Inn Express. Guests of Honor will be , Lubov, Gay Haldeman, Stephanie Osborn, and Joe Haldeman. This is a good, relaxing convention which usually sees attendance by some of the leading lights of Southern Fandom. Memberships are $40 through August 12 th , then more at the door. www.con-stellation.org/constell/index.html ) Intercon Mid-Atlantic (Bethesda, Marylnad – Hyatt Regency Bethesda. Gaming convention featuring a lot of high-brow games and scenarios, all LARPs. Registration is $55, which includes one catered meal. http://www.imalarp.com/ )

September 22-25: Hurricon (Orlando, Florida – International Palms Resort. Historical minis wargaming con with a theme this year of The Last Gasp of Colonialism. Pre-reg is $25, or $35 at the door, with a $10 discount for HMGS members. www.hmgssouth.com/hmgs ) September 23-25: FenCon VIII/DeepSouthCon 49 (Addison, Texas – Crowne Plaza North Dallas. Guests of Honor: Gail Carriger, Joe Bethancourt, Steven H Silver, Vincent Di Fate, Les Johnson, Bradley Denton, and Lou Anders. DeepSouthCon finally comes to Texas! I’m thrilled to be returning to FenCon, as well, which I found to have the friendly atmosphere appropriate to a good Southern con. I also found that the panels tended to have actively interested audiences, the game room stayed busy, folks attended the filk concerts and circles, the art show had a great mix of stuff (including some Tolkien-inspired quilts!), the video room was actually attended, the consuite well-stocked, and the dealers room balanced. The hotel bar also carried a few local Texas beers, which I appreciated. For DSC, I’ll be in charge of the fanzine lounge, which seems like an entirely appropriate place for the SFC to set up shop. FenCon will be taking advantage of Gail Carriger’s attendance to have some fun with steampunk as well. All in all, I’m looking forward to this year’s DSC, and I hope to see many of you there. Membership is $35 through September 1st , with a special $45 rate which gets you a t-shirt or tote bag and first crack at the autograph line with the GoHs. A $15 rate is also available for fans 21 and under. www..org ) ScareFest (Lexington, Kentucky – Lexington Center. This year, the nation’s largest horror convention is running a tribute to 80s horror. Elvira is headlining, along with folks from Aliens, The Return of the Living Dead, and Ghostbusters. They’ve also got a decent selection of paranormal folks. Tickets are $60, less for single-day admission. www.scarefestcon.com )

September 29-October 2: Klingon Feast (Daytona Beach, Florida – LaPlaya Resort. This event is strictly by the fans, for the fans – no dealers or guests will be included. The theme for 2011 is “Black Fleet”. There will be plenty of games and hanging out, capped by a 6 group feast on Saturday night. Pre-registration is $45 through September 1 st , $50 thereafter. http://www.klingonfeast.com/Klingon_Feast_Florida.html ) September 30-October 2: (Atlanta, Georgia – Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel and Cobb Galleria Centre. Guest include Todd Haberkorn, Brina Palencia, Amy Howard Wilson, and David G. Wilson, III. Memberships are $40 through September 1 st . www.awa-con.com ) 35 (Collinsville, Illinois – Doubletree and Gateway Center. Guests of Honor will be Spider Robinson, Sonny Strait, Brad W. Foster, Rusty Hevelin, Steve Lopata, and Vic Milan. Yeah, I know this is in Illinois, but it’s in the St. Louis metro, so I’m counting it. Memberships are $55. www.archonstl.org ) GameCon V (Memphis, Tennessee – Holiday Inn Select Memphis Airport. This is the Midsouth’s largest gaming convention, featuring all sorts of games. Admission is $30 through August 31 st , $40 thereafter. www.gameconmemphis.com )

October 7-9: Tsubasacon (Huntington, West Virginia – Riverfront Ballroom and Conference Center. Anime convention featuring Chris Cason, Robert Axelrod, Robert McCollum, Gina Biggs, Kittyhawk, and Year 200X. Also, some layout problems with the website – on the venue page, you have to scroll past their long list of rules to find the short blurb about the Riverfront. Pre-reg is $35 through August 31 st , then $40 thereafter. www.tsubasacon.org ) Fan Days (Irving, Texas – Irving Convention Center. Star Wars based convention, with Guests of Honor Jim Steranko and Billy Dee Williams. General admission is $20. www.scifiexpo.com ) Realms Con (Corpus Christi, Texas –American Bank Center. Guest of Honor Tom Felton. Looks to be a hybrid media and anime convention. Pre-registration is $35 through September 13 th . www.realmscon.com/joomla ) SIEGE (Atlanta, Georgia – Marriott Atlanta Northwest. Professional conference for video game developers. www.siegecon.net/SIEGE2011 )

October 13-16: Wincon (New Orleans, Louisiana – New Orleans Marriott Metarie. This looks to be a convention based around media fan-fiction, with a goal of creating a safe- space for women and other under-represented folks. Tickets are $130 through August 31 st , then $145 thereafter. www.omgwincon.com ) October 14-16: Capclave 11 (Gaithersburg, Maryland – Hilton Washington DC North/Gaithersburg. A serious literary convention with Guests of Honor Carrie Vaughn and Catherynne Valente which also happens to be a really good time, Capclave is one of the meeting points of Southern Fandom and the Northeast Corridor. Memberships are $55 through September 30 th , then $60 thereafter. Oh, and the site-design is good enough that I can get all of that information without scrolling on the front page. www.capclave.org ) Babelcon (Baton Rouge, Loiusiana – venue TBA. That doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence, now that we’re two months out. The website is still just as 7 poorly designed as ever – this one is too wide for the screen even with the browser maximized. No guests are listed that I can find, though they do make a note of local costuming groups – no, wait, there they are, hiding over to the side inside the frame that’s too big for the screen. Decent number, but I don’t recognize any of them, nor are any distinguished as a GoH. Weekend passes are $25. www.babelcon.info )

October 21-23: Roundcon (Columbia, South Carolina – Holiday Inn & Suites Columbia. Hybrid convention that got its start in gaming, almost died, and came back strong. These guys are doing two a year, now. They’ve got a few guests listed, but don’t seem to have an emphasis on any of them. Pre-reg is $25 through October 14 th , then $40 at the door. Simple but elegant site. www.roundcon.com ) Necronomicon (St. Petersburg, Florida – Hilton Bayfront. Ben Bova is Guest of Honor. Established SF/F/H convention in its 30 th year. Memberships are $35 until October 1 st , then $50 thereafter. www.stonehill.org/necro.htm ) EXPCon IV (St. Augustine, Florida – Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village. Anime convention featuring Ali Hillis, Chris Sabat, , Charles Martinet, and Mega64. Pre-registration $35 through October 17 th . www.expcon.org ) Geek Media Expo (Nashville, Tennessee – Maxwell House Hotel. General geek culture/multi-fandom convention. The big feature on their front page highlights Patricia Alice Albrecht, a voice actress. Tickets are $25 through October 1 st , then $30 thereafter. www.mtac.net/gmx ) CharCon (Charleston, West Virginia – Charleston House Hotel. Gaming convention. Pre-registration is $30. www.charcon.org )

October 28-30: HallowCon (Dalton, Georgia – Super 8 Convention Center. Small local con with an appropriate horror flair for the Halloween season. Memberships $35 through September 30 th , $50 thereafter. www.hallowcon.com ) Oni-con (Galveston, Texas – Galveston Island Convention Center. The big guests featured on the front page — once you get through the flash intro – are Airship Isabella and Chris Ayres. Pre-registration is currently $35. www.oni- con.com ) Vulcan Away Mission (Orlando, Florida – Hilton Orlando Resort Lake Buena Vista. convention featuring and Jewel Staite. General admission $69, autographs, photo ops, and special events extra. www.vulcanevents.com ) October 29-November 5: C3 at Sea (Baltimore, Maryland – Royal Carribean Enchantment of the Seas . Cosplay Caucus Cruise. Berths start at $681.81 per person. http://theavatoy.site.aplus.net/id7.html )

November 3-6: EuroQuest IX (Pikesville, Maryland – www.boardgamers.org/specific/eq11ann.htm ) 8

November 4-6: CONtraflow (New Orleans, Louisiana – www.contraflowscifi.org ) Chibi-Pa: Moto (West Palm Beach, Florida – www.chibipa.com/news.php ) SugoiCon (Fort Mitchell, Kentucky – www.sugoicon.org/current/index.html ) 14 (Hampton, Virginia – www.nekocon.com ) Hurricane Who (Orlando, Florida – www.hurricanewho.com ) SonicCon (Dallas, Texas – www.wix.com/sonicon/sonicon )

November 11-13: MACE (High Point, North Carolina – www.justusproductions.com/index.php/justus/mace/2/2/2 ) ShandoCon (Tampa, Florida – www.shandocon.com ) November 12-13: FAN:dom (Pensacola, Florida – www.wix.com/fandom_con/fandom )

November 17-23: WarCon 3 (Warrensburg, Missouri – www.warhorn.net/warcon-3) November 18-20: AnimeUSA (Arlington, Virginia – www.animeusa.org )

November 25-27: Darkover Grand Council (Timonium, Maryland – www.darkovercon.org )

December 5-10: Furry Cruise (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida – www.furrycruise.com )

June 15-17, 2012: DeepSouthCon 50 – Lunar Party (Huntsville, Alabama – Embassy Suites. This will be the first independent DSC in about a decade, and the Moon Princesses have put together quite a crew to run it. Guests of Honor will include Lois McMaster Bujold, Howard Tayler, Travis “Doc” Taylor, Larry Montgomery, David Hulan, and Dr. Demento. Larry and David ran the very first two DSCs back in the 60s, and this will be a rare opportunity to get to meet them. I’ll have more information on this con in coming issues. Attending Memberships are currently $40, or $15 for pre-supporters. Supporting Memberships are $20. www.dsc50huntsville.com )

Rebel Yells: News and note from all over

First, we heard from Joy V. Smith THREE TIMES:

Dear Warren,

I love the cartoon cover. (Hmm. I wonder if we could have a cartoon caption contest.) And the color graphics and fillos are also fun; I'm glad you included some book covers too, plus the con graphic in the con listings. The Waffle house 9 memories were interesting--as was Ms. Betty. I've never heard of poutine; I might try it or at least poke it with a fork a few times. A Canadian dish, huh; it sounds so American, especially with all the mixed concoctions restaurants are serving now.

I checked out Brad Foster's website. (One of fringe benefits of ezines is the embedded links.) Fantastic Texas Diablos logo! I see he does covers...

Nice review of Cryoburn; I really liked that book; as a matter of fact I think I'll reread it--again. I enjoyed Allegra's con reports and her panel tips (with pictures yet!), and it reminded me that there was no con suite at PariahCon--no mention of one anyway. Lively issue!

Appreciatively, Joy V. Smith (Helpful house and decorating hints and links) http://pagadan.blogspot.com/

Warren,

My ebook, Remodeling: Buying and Updating a Foreclosure, has been published by Smashwords.

Blurb: How one woman and her family coped with selling a house--at last, looking for a new house, buying a new house that was a foreclosure and needed lots of work, and then remodeling it since it didn't even have a kitchen sink! This book should be helpful to anyone coping with a remodeling project.

Btw, the cover was designed by SF author and poet, Vincent Miskell, whose SF ebook, Godspeed Inc, is available as a free download: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/66239

Smashwords link to book: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/71560

Joy

Warren, My book review of Rescuing the Future: A Naomi Kinder Novel by Vincent Miskell is on The New Book Review: www.TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com

Joy My other blog (media tidbits and more) http://pagadan.livejournal.com/

Brad’s website is pretty awesome, isn’t it? Also, congrats on the success of your ebook.

10

A press release from William Housel:

For immediate release:

Announcing the creation of Bullshit! The Speculatively Fictitious Fanzine.

All and sundry are invited to take part in the inaugural issue of Bullshit! Fan writing of all types is welcome and encouraged, with the single requirement that the main thrust of the piece may not be true. It may be a bold-faced lie, a fabrication, a tall tale, a flight of fancy, an article of spurious logic, or a fib. Anything but the truth. The Editor, however, shall reserve the right to reject material of a slanderous nature.

Fan art, too, is welcome and encouraged, with the caveat that it may not be in the creator’s own distinctive style. It may be of some material outside of the artist’s milieu, an imitation of a well-known artist, or a parodic work. This should be taken as an invitation to explore new territory, free from the confines of reputation.

The Editor shall be known by the name of William Housel, and will receive submissions at the electronic address of [email protected]. The deadline for submissions to the initial issue of Bullshit! shall be Wednesday, the 14th of September, 2011.

I’m guessing that’s a pseudonym.

And of course, the inimitable Lloyd Penney:

1706-24Eva Rd. Etobicoke,ON CANADAM9C 2B2

July23, 2011

Dear Warren:

Thanks for Vol. 1 No. 23 of the Update. Greg Rieves is putting some pretty nifty cartoons on the front covers. Let’s see what else there is here…

The convention list…when I see conventions like Shore Leave bring in a fairly long list of actors, and I see those same names elsewhere, I imagine they must all know one another by now, kind of an Association of SF Movie and TV Actors. At some point, they all co-guest with one another at one media con or another, somewhere in the world. I am surprised to see a very familiar and old name in Sally Kellerman. I remember her not only from the Star Trek pilot, but also from the original M*A*S*H movie. We just had our annual big media con, Polaris, and because this was its 25 th year, it got a good membership spike. We were dealers 11 there, selling steampunk and magical school handicrafts, and we did very well. I expect this will be our last year as a dealer, but we still have a little stock to get rid of. Of course, there’s Renovation, and we are definitely going. We’re getting all our preparations done, and it should be a helluva party.

Steampunk may be nostalgic for a more optimistic and better motivated era, but it is also a wish for some wonder in our lives, and some opportunity to explore and discover parts of our world, something we don’t have any more. I’m enjoying it for that attitude, and I admit, also for the costuming. Yvonne and I were Worldcon costumers in the 80s, and while we don’t wish to compete any more, wearing something of style and grace is also appealing. (Hey, I live in the south! Southern Ontario, that is…)

My loc…no, it was an audition that I went to. Didn’t get the role, but there are always other opportunities. No honours for Yvonne this year as the founder of Polaris, but she got some some years ago at no. 20, which included a lifetime membership.

A number of US-based restaurants have come up to Canada over the years, and many of them have failed. Chi Chi’s, Olive Garden, Fuddrucker’s…they all failed because they assumed that Canadian tastes were the same as American. Canadians seem to like spicier foods, and the average portion in a Canadian restaurant is smaller, which is a good thing. I admit I could have a few more meals at a Bob Evans’. Waffle House is a chain I’ve seen from the Interstate here and there, but I’ve never been in one. Great stories, especially yours, Warren. We’re all aging rockers here, I think.

Yup, I’ve had poutine. I’m married to a French-Canadian; I’d better have had poutine. But not even the French-Canadians eat it very often. I could have McPoutine in Montréal if I wanted. I figure poutine is like pizza and stew and jambalaya; it’s a garbage food, where what’s left over is thrown into the mix, and it’s a comfort food, to enjoy whenever you need it. Ah, my arteries are hardening just thinking of it…

We’ve already done our Hugo voting. Even with the voting packets, I voted only on what I really thought I knew well. I am amazed that even today, sparkly emo vampires and zombies are the top ideas. When the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta put out advisories about how to handle zombies, I thought someone there has a really good sense of humour, or far too many people think they truly exist. Is there an emoticon for rolling your eyes upwards?

I have been to two chocolate symposia in my fannish lifetime. I ate what I could, and then ate some more, and enjoyed what I could stuff down my throat. I figured, I worked hard for this sugar reaction, tremble, tremble, and I am going to lie down and enjoy it.

12

Great con reports, Allegra! When I figured out what steampunk costumes I wanted to create, the railway conductor, the mechanic and the dandy (I plan to bring them all to Worldcon), I did my research online to see what people in those professions looked and dressed like, but I also check out steampunk sites to see how others interpreted them, and grab a few ideas. Hey, why not? I fully agree with your comment on witty skits in your presentation. Years ago, we did The Royal Canadian Mounted StarFleet, and we sang our song, and people still remember it. Google it up, and you’ll see me, only much younger.

And…I’m done! I wrote this early this morning because it’s been too hot to sleep. We’ve gotten Texas temperatures lately, and to be honest, we’re not used to it. Also, our AC needs replacement, and that will probably have to wait until next year. Take care, and see you in a few weeks!

Yours, Lloyd Penney.

I’m looking forward to seeing you again at Renovation. Southern Ontario, eh? Reminds me of the graphic I saw in the SFC Handbook about Deep South/Freeze Con, which had half a maple leaf with half a rebel flag for the other side. Hey, a lifetime membership is a pretty nice sort of honor, especially if the con keeps going for a number of years. Fuddrucker’s is the most dangerous restaurant name ever. One misplaced spoonerism, and you’ve just f- bombed the soccer team. Try a Waffle House next time you’re in the right part of the US. And that story was only part me, and largely Glug as well. I’ll leave figuring out which words are whose to the readers. I believe there are emoticons for rolling your eyes, at least on some chat programs. Alas, all Google turned up for that search were your letters of comment.

Then, Brad W Foster wrote in, and sent some pictures, too:

Greetings Warren ~

Saw issue 23 a couple of weeks back, but only just now getting caught up on things fannish. Also didn't have any new bits of art on hand to send. But, was able to take a day or two off from the work-art to do some stuff just for the fun of it, and so attached here you should find two new pieces that I hope you'll like and can use in future SFCU issues.

Not much comment-wise, I'm afraid. (Which is one of the reasons I started sending out art so long ago, most of my locs suck!) But always looking forward to more down the line. 13

stay happy~ Brad

Brad W Foster PO Box 165246 Irving, TX 75016

Thanks, as usual, for the art. I’ve gone ahead and given you the cover again, too – I really liked that one.

And, finally, as if to remind me I was late, Rich Dengrove wrote in:

August 8, 2011

Dear Warren, So Warren, you need to organize a big con so that I don’t have to answer SFCU so fast. We’re on SFCU-23, aren’t we? Of course, if you’re not fast, you better watch. That guy on the cover didn’t and lost his ray gun to a little green man. (Isn’t the “little green man” from my time?) You better watch too or you won’t be slow enough. What’s the problem there? I note, in your response to my LOC, you say that you and Tim are trying to ascertain the DeepSouthCon traditions since Tim is hosting DeepSouthCon at Fencon this year. Because those traditions were created back in the ‘60s and ‘70s, that’s something you need to be slow enough for. On the other hand, because I have only been going to DeepSouthCon since 2001, I could care less about them. For instance, I myself have no idea how to play Hearts, which is the tradition you most hear about. Also, I could care less if the Rebel or Phoenix was awarded to a costumer – or worse, a non-Southerner. One thing I care about are transitions. Thanks for complimenting mine. Now I will give you a short explanation of my theory of transitions. Short short, I hope. Theoretically all transitions should coordinate with one another so your letter becomes a whole. That’s a lot of work. I think it’s perspiration enough that I just separate all my topics with a transition; so the reader won’t miss it when I change topics. On the other hand, while it would be easier still to have separated my topics with bullets or a word in all caps or curlicues, I show a little bit more art this way. With idea books, my taste is less sure than with transitions. However, I remember Future Shock as being one of the schlock idea books of the ‘70s. The problem was that Toffler was using straightline projection, and, I suspect, in a heavy handed manner. Did he get anything right? I have forgotten. It doesn’t matter. Straightline project notoriously doesn’t work. It didn’t when the ballyhooed intellectuals of the ‘60s, like Daniel Bell and Herman Kahn, made exclusive use of it too, and managed to get everything wrong. In fact, assuming that the future would imitate the recent past turned into the Haruspexy of the modern age. With a scientific basis, as squishy soft. Recent trends never hold; history always throws us a curve ball. 14

Certainly, I am righter about Future Shock than I was about Jemsin’s The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. If the order of the Heavens plays a big part in the novel, then perhaps I was wrong in believing other reviews and presuming Jemsin had made a hash of the historical Tang era. I say that even if, in that novel, the Moon goddess or the Weaver Woman didn’t descend from the stars and walk the Earth. Would I be willing to read it? I might be willing to read it if I thought it was hash. I usually don’t let obscure facts stand in the way of a good read. With “The Cold Equations” (1954), which Joy V. Smith mentions, my incisive criticism sticks. It hasn’t been the act of originality many have claimed. In fact, the plot goes back to 1890, to the novel A Plunge Into Space by a Robert Cromie. Yes, there, the heroine also stows away on a rocketship. Yes, it is also found the ship cannot return to Earth unless she is jettisoned. Yes, they also jettison her. Of course, I don’t believe A Plunge Into Space was the direct inspiration for “The Cold Equations.” I gather a comic and short story with that plot published nearer 1954 show more promise . All these remarks I could have resisted. However, I find now I can’t resist commenting on your Waffle House memories. At first, I didn’t think I had any comments at all because I don’t remember patronizing Waffle House. However, if your subject is not the Waffle House but eating out at 3 AM, then I have a few bagatelles. Very few. However, I wanted to join the contest even though I would finish last place. In the mid-1970s I would drive into New York City, and join the studio crowd for my sister’s late night talk show. Admittedly not a big deal late night talk show. Then both of us would go out to eat. No Waffle House was needed. Probably as many restaurants were open at 3 AM as were open at 3 PM. And you had your choice of eating breakfast or dinner. The anti-climax to all this was two incidents. First, I remember my sister and I eating and talking to a very pretty English woman decked out as the Ancient Egyptian queen Hatshepsut. She had just played Hatshepsut in a theater earlier that night. ...Worth a mild hooray? Maybe not. ...The second incident occurred several times: a traffic jam at 4 AM in the Lincoln Tunnel. ...Worth a lukewarm wahoo? Maybe not. I guess I’m better at commenting on others than living in the fast lane – unlike Allegra Torres. She always has con experiences to write home about. I only wonder when she sings “Luck Be A Lady” at a karaoke bar during Outlanta. That’s a song from my time. Could anyone from her time see any virtue in it? I guess she did. Otherwise, Allegra, with her con reports, knocks ‘em dead by living to the hilt. Less sexiness this time around, but more craziness. The mediocrity of the con didn’t matter. She still found things to write home about. While Outlanta could have been better, she spied the band One Hard Night auctioning off their clothes and kisses to pay for an audition. Worse than Outlanta, Fanaticon actually seems to have been a total bust. However, there, she spied the Joker and Venom dancing, while the Penguin watched on. Of course, since ConCarolinas actually floated her boat, she had her prize experiences there. Prize even though the fascination lies more in her description than her adventure. Here, I present three such experiences. 15

1. There was the panel “Sci Fi Whose Line Is It Anyway.” There she got to choose her bachelor, and she chose Mario over Batman or Kirk. ...Super Mario? 2. On one panel, I liked her instruction for making costumes: be naked and fashion them out of duct tape. ...Not that I would be anxious at sixty-six to wear such a costume. 3. Then there was the time this year when the Mandos arrested her. She wasn’t prepared for them like last year. As she said, in gold scale mail, she was as stealthy as a tapdancer wearing jingle bells. Anything else to comment on? The Yezidis? Cinderella? String Theory? Justin Bieber? ...Naw. Let’s publish this.

Yours, Rich Dengrove 2651 Arlington Drive #302 Alexandria, VA 22306

Hey, man, I’m taking a break from being in charge on cons right now. Maybe again later, but for now, I work on other people’s projects and learn and have fun and meet cool people. Ah, but the Rebel was awarded to a costumer – last year, in fact. Albin founded the 501 st Legion, which is a stormtrooper costuming group. Dude, Sinatra’s awesome. His music doesn’t stop being good just because it’s old, and the classier kids know it.

WAHF: Mike Moon, who I really hope I’ve actually removed from my mailing list this time, since his ISP can’t handle the large emails; John Coxon, TAFF delegate; Henry Welch, who edits The Knarley Knews ; and Patrick Molloy, SFC Treasurer.