Alien Critic 11
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an informal science fiction & fantasy journal KAIEN $1.25 CRITIC AN INTERVIEW WITH AVRAM DAVIDSON—1973 Number Eleven WHAT KIND OF MM READS SCIENCE FICTION? (Don't Ask!) THE FOUNDATION ON SANDS An Article By John J. Alderson FOOTNOTES TO FAN HISTORY A Coluan By Larry Shaw NO ADVERTISING WILL BE ACCEPTED FOR ANY SUBSEQUENT ISSUES OF THE ALIEN CRITIC. SUBSCRIPTIONS In the UNITED STATES: $4. One Year / $7. Two Years. From CANADA: US$4.50 One Year / US$8. Two Years. From AUSTRALIA; A$3-15 One Year / A$5.6O Two Years. To Agent: John Foyster 6 Clowes St., South Yarra, Victoria, AUSTRALIA 3141 From the UNITED KINGDON: 41.98 One Year / 43.43 Two Years. To Agent: Wm. Dawson & Sons, Cannon House, Folkestone, Kent, CT19 5EE UNITED KINGDOM All Other Foreign; US$4.50 One Year / US$8. Two Years. All foreign subscriptions must be paid in U.S. dollar cheques or money orders, except to agents. Canadians may pay with personal cheques if their checking acct, number on their cheques has been printed in computer numerals. BACK ISSUES OF THE ALIEN CRITIC #1, #2, #3 were a personal journal titled RICHARD E. GEIS. ffl and #3 are SOLD OUT. #2 is in short supply. (44 pages, dated from 4-27-72 to 7-20-72) THE ALIEN CRITIC #4 is SOLD OUT. THE ALIEN CRITIC #s 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 are in good supply. BACK ISSUES ARE $1. EACH OR MAY BE ORDERED AS PART OF A SUBSCRIPTION NOVEMBER, 1974 / Vol.3, No.4 THE AIEN CRITIC Whole Ntaaber Eleven Quarterly: Feb., May, Aug., Nov. RO. BOX 11408 AN INFORMAL SCIENCE FICTION Portland, Oregon 97211 & FANTASY JOURNAL RICHARD E. GEIS, Editor A Publisher All uncredited writing is by the COVER BY TIM KIRK editor in one Geis or another. ALIEN THOUGHTS....................................................................4 Copyright (c) 1974 by Richard Geis for the contributors. AN INTERVIEW WITH AVRAM DAVIDSON—1973....................7 DUX SOUP: Peregrime: Primus REVIEWS OF: Reviewed by JOHN BOAROMAN............................................15 PEREGRINE: PRIMUS............................15 COLONY: EARTH....................................18 WHAT KIND OF MAN READS SCIENCE FICTION? (Don't Ask!)......................................................................19 THE POISON ORACLE............................30 THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE..30 THE ENGLISH ASSASSIN......................33 THE FOUNDATION ON SANDS THE DISPOSSESSED..............................35 An Article by JOHN J. ALDERSON..................................23 WILD CARD............................................41 TIDE...................................................... 42 •GASP* SIR, THERE'S A WOMAN REVIEWER ABOARD! RINGS OF ICE......................................45 Three by LYNNE HOLDOM....................................................45 THE WEATHERMONGER............................45 THE INFERNO........................................45 FOOTNOTES TO FAN HISTORY A Column by LARRY SHAW..................................................4? THE TEHH.E OF THE TEN....................50 FANTASY CLASSICS #4........................51 THE 'LOMOKOtt' PAPERS....................56 THE ALIEN'S ARCHIVES......................................................59 GOD FORBID.......................................... 57 UNCLASSIFIED ADS..............................................60, 69, 70 SOULMATE.............................................. 57 THE GALACTIC REJECTS......................58 ALIEN CONCLUSIONS............................................................ 70 INTERIOR ART------------------------------------ Tim Kirk—3, 5, 70. LETTERS BY: Alan Dean Foster....................................17 William Rotsler—47. David Gerrold..........................................17 David English—7 Paul Novitski..........................................20 George Foster—9, 15, 23. Bruce D. Arthurs....................................28 Jack Gaughan—12, 53, 67. John Bangsund..........................................29 Mike Gilbert-20, 25, 26, 27, Pearl..........................................................32 29, 36, 68, 72. Charles W. Runyon..................................34 Avram Davidson........................................37 Michael G, Coney....................................42 Ted Tubb....................................................43 Robert Bloch............................................44 George Warren......................................... 51 Robert Hoskins........................................53 George Hay............................................... 54 Harry Warner, Jr....................................55 Let's just say that after three big What I'm saying is that TAC #12 will JOOO-copy mimeographed issues of TAC I likely be mimeo again, about 50 pages... felt I needed a rest...so this issue is Okay, it’ll likely run 52...or 5^.... But a break in the routine. I approached no more monsters of 62! Don Day about the possibility of having I'll switch out of the cheapie Sure this issue done photo-offset and discov Rite stencils and go to the heavy-duty ered he had two new employees, that the long run Gestetner #6 blues. We'll see helper who had botched TAC #7 (and turned if that minimizes the stencil creasing on me off) was no longer with Perri Press, the bottom line of type I've been fight and that the cost would not be prohibi ing for so long...though I suspect that tive. the problem in inherent, somehow, in the I consulted my bank balance, ignored dynamics of 2000 copies plus run (after the ominous rumblings of a recession in 2000 copies the creasing generally be the economic sky, and decided to indulge gins) and the weakening of the stencil myself again. due to this 17-cherecters-psMnch tall mlcro-elits typeface. In short, good peo I prefer the "freedom" pf mimeo, ple, we'll have to live with some scrunch- though...there is a hard-to-pin-down joy ed-up last lines...you'11 have to read for me in typing my thoughts on-stencil; them, and I'll have to regret them. it's as if it is truly non-professional, somehow, and I am more relaxed and inform A further experiment is to narrow the al and... Whereas with this photo-offset columns to two inches, thus reducing the format— I feel subtly inhibited. I weakening rf the stencil, but also cutting suppose I am the victim/beneficiary of dozi somewhat the wordage-per-page. Life the Low-Brow Syndrome. Like the up-from- is a series of unsatisfactory compromises. the-ranks executive who is never happy The headings in this issue come to you in the front office and who loves to get courtesy of Varltyper. I bought one for down with the workers on the factory a price I couldn't refuse to pay, and got floor. seven fonts in the bargain. It's an old I am not cut out for the Big Time, I #230 model and isn't good for anything but suspect. I'm a natural born prole. Got headings, because typing on it is a slow, a broom?—time for me to sweep out the frustrating process. But it dresses up trenches. /, the photo-offset editions of TAC, and is worth it. Unfortunately, it can't be used —fitting punishment for my life of crime to type a stencil. Headings in the mimeo in the neighborhood of science fiction. issues will be done on the Sears electric Presidential pica (the allignment of which I await with a smug smile the outraged I have fixed, by the way). cries and wails and gnashings of teeth of the losers and not-nominated. And I’ll take this opportunity to co»- misserate with those few of you (not count What the Convention Committee in Aus ing librarians) who are Serious Collectors tralia will do about the thorny question of Tac and who like to have issues accumu of eligibility and definitions of 'amat lated bound. I know changes in size & eur' and 'fanzine* I know not. They may format make you howl. Sorry. decide, as did the Discon II concom, to simply let the Hugo voters decide by the nominations voted as to which is what. As you may or may not know by now, IF Whatever. It's okay by me. is dead. Jim Baen called me around the middle of August to tell me. Seems he Mike wrote: "After you split the best was on vacation and while he was out the fanzine Hugo with Andy Sunday night I ran powers-that-be at U.P.D. decided that the upstairs and dialed Portland Information increases in circulation since his take with the idea in mind of calling you (col over didn't compensate enough for the lect) to inform you that they had inflict heavy increases in the cost of paper they ed another of those potmetal phalli on had suffered. you. (I know your den must be quite clut tered with those souvenirs by now, and All is not lost as far as "The Alien who needs another, eh?) However, inasmuch Viewpoint" is concerned, however. My as no Richard Geis is listed in Portland, column will continue in GALAXY on a bi and your phone number wasn't in any copy monthly basis, although with a 5<S cut in of TAC that I could scare up in the hotel, length. this is the first chance I've gotten to There is some hope that as later cir pass the word.” culation figures come in the further im ((A few...a very very few people in provement in sales will dictate renewed s-f know my number...and I think for a few life for IF. more years I’ll stay in my hidey-hole.)) But don't hold your breath. "My brilliant and witty acceptance And be prepared for further shocks in speech was preceded by the announcement of the s—f field. the tie, naturally. At which time andy offutt declared you and Porter co-winners. He then stated, 'Accepting for Richard Geis is Mike Glyer. I don't know why he'd Below I quote a letter from Mike Glyer do such a thing...' whom I appointed Hugo Acceptor for me at "I hurtled forward, but Porter had a Disconll. headstart; probably irrelevant. My ec static remarks were something to the ef As luck would have it, TAC and ALGOL fect that, 'Geis said if I didn't get tied for the Best Fan Magazine Hugo. Thus him a Hugo this year I'd be fired...I Andy Porter can purr with delight now that guess this means I still have the job.' he has his coveted Hugo...and I can put Now all I need to do is work my passage Hugo on the mantel and note that there to Australia, right?" is room for at least three more.