TBS&E Number 65, April and May 2015 1 Now in Century Gothic! Produced by Garry Dalrymple as a contribution to ANZAPA mailing No. 286, of the Where’s my Pension, do I really have to wait till #67? Australian and NZ Amateur Press Association.

Postal Address: 1 Eulabah Avenue, EARLWOOD NSW 2206 Home phone (Best after 7 pm) 02 9718-5827 Email; [email protected]

INDEX to this issue Page 1 – Index. Page 2 – Editorial Pages 2 to 5 - A life seen through TROVE, William Frew Dalrymple, Irish- Australian Light Horseman, AIF. Pages 6 & 7 – Earlwood Stamp Club meeting of May 6, 2015, Daren Jones and NSW Numerical Cancellations Pages 8 to 12 – The Sydney City Skywatchers’ meeting of April 13, Kerrie Dougherty; The New Solar System, 55 years of Space Flight. Pages 12 to 22. Sydney Science Fiction Discussion meetings, April and May, 2015. P. 12 & 13 - The Infinitas / Mars Hill

Café SF&F Book Review meetings April 16; The Free, by Brian Ruckley ( P. 13 to 16. May 21; An appreciation of the life and works of Sir Terry Pratchett.

Books discussed at Concord Library SF&F Book Group meetings; P. 17 & 18. ‘Wool’ by Hugh Howley. P. 18 & 19. ‘Rudyard Kipling’s SF’

Sydney Futurian SF&F meetings P. 19 to 23. Topic; Cannibalism and other Strange Recipes in SF Stories.

1 TBS&E Number 65, April and May 2015 2 P. 23 to 28. Topic; Genre Transvestism, to do during the 1980s with Parsons SF & Horror stories that start as one Anderson and Co. then switch The point of this is – I’ve now got a fair bit to do to catch up, given that I let the ball slip Pages 28 to 31. Garry’s Book Reviews while running for Parliament and all that.

P. 28. ‘Genesis’ by Poul Anderson In this issue you will see my ANZAC day P. 28 & 29. ‘Lincoln the Unknown’, effort, research on TROVE. There are a by Dale Carnegie few other relatives and others that I have P. 29 & 30. ‘We’ by on the back burners, hopefully I can put by Yevgeny Zamyatin out booklets on each, but the William Frew Page 30 & 31. Garry’s 2014 reading Dalrymple one is a Weekend Wonder, that I made up after stumbling across Page 32. Traveller’s Tales and Basenjis references to him, after the discovery of Tail Piece some of his things that my late father had stored above the rafters (NB Australian homes of the older type rarely have a sealed off attic area, above the rafters are 70 years of dust that has fallen through the gaps between the terracotta roof tiles – i.e. it is Nasty up there! Garry P Dalrymple May 18, 2015

A life seen through TROVE, William Frew Dalrymple, Irish-Australian Light Horseman, A.I.F., May going on June – a view on my current and W.W. 1 Veteran. stage of life? Introduction Without day to day employment, managing I never met my Paternal Grandfather what I’ve got, and Mother’s financial affairs William Frew Dalrymple, like the frosts of is currently a big deal. Have I organised winter, he was long gone before I was born things for myself and Mother to best in January 1961. The effort to research this advantage? For most wage earning article is the closest I am likely to come to Australians tax time is a case of let things meeting him, and the wording and tone of slide for ten months of the year, throw your these articles tend to reveal more of those bits of paper together and pass them to the times than offering authentic glimpses of accountant to put in to the Tax department the man, so I, and you the reader can only on time and then hopefully (and gratefully) see him, ‘as through a mirror darkly.’ bank the refund that your tax agent’s As you will read, he died well before I was knowledge of arcane deductions and born. He died before my Mother first met allowables will hopefully result in. my Father, and a decade before my older In my and my Mother’s case, as our income Brother (now deceased) was born. If truth is exclusively ‘other than wages’ and group be told, I was uncertain even of the date certificates etc., I really need to know what and circumstances of his death. my income / tax situation is before I pass it on to an accountant, as the outcome He was an absence rather than a (Refund or amount owing) can often be presence in my life at 124 Bexley Road, as affected by doing end of year balancing my Grandmother (Henrietta but known to things. In effect I have to maintain business all as Daisy) a Widow all through my early like records, accounting type stuff like I used childhood, died before I was 12, robbing

2 TBS&E Number 65, April and May 2015 3 me of even of the prospect of second It is very likely that more details will hand, word-of-mouth stories about what sort emerge on TROVE from time to time, as of a man he was. About all that I knew additional papers are added to TROVE for certain was that he had come from from time to time. I believe that the two Ireland, was a Mason, settled in Griffith prior Dalrymple brothers, Samuel Rupert and to WW1, went off to war as a Light Horse William Frew, also spent some years in man, served on the Western Front, returned Queensland, Jackarooing etc. prior to to Griffith, raised a family and worked for the settling in Griffith, so, as additional Rural Murrumbigee Irrigation Authority (M.I.A.) until Queensland or Port of Entry Newspapers retiring to Sydney, where he died. are added to TROVE, additional aspects of my grandfather’s pre-Griffith life may The following are TROVE newspaper emerge. references. TROVE is an archive of digitally scanned Australian Newspapers. These Garry P. Dalrymple, May 7, 2015. references show light on some aspects of the life of my Grandfather. A life seen through TROVE, I have added to them some details that I did know. These articles hint at scenes William Frew Dalrymple, an Irish- from his my Grandfather’s life that I was not Australian Light Horseman, A.I.F. entirely unaware of. They result from and W.W. 1 Veteran. looking up articles that have been indexed under “W. F. Dalrymple” on TROVE. 1916 to 1954, Generally

In this Gallipoli Centenary year of In reviewing the Seventeen newspaper celebrations to the point of ‘ANZAC references I have been able to find exhaustion’? I offer you the reader my through TROVE, it suggests to me that there research as what I hope is a more a may be more articles which refer to my personal, meaningful and authentic act of Grand Father’s life which occur in respect and commemoration of the lives of newspapers but which may not be that past generation of Australians. indexed to ‘W. F. Dalrymple’. There may be references indexed under ‘Dal’, his nick This account is I hope. To be the first of name, lost amid ‘W. Dalrymple’, or simply several. I plan to commemorate Sister not indexed when his name is a grain of Marion Dalrymple (not a direct relative as sand in a beach of an article. A far as I know), my Great Uncle, Captain particular complicating factor is that Herbert W. J. Rhead and my Grandfather, although Dalrymple is an uncommon Frank Rhead with similar articles. name (it occurs once every 25,000 names on the Australian Electoral roll) “William” is What I disclose here is however only a facet both a common given name as well as of my Grandfather’s life. More detail of being a family name among my branch of my Grandfather’s life may be found in the the forest of Australian Dalrymple families. Griffith Pioneers book, in the form of an However, almost all of the detail disclosed article contributed by my late Father, J. T. F. by these seventeen newspaper references Dalrymple. This book also includes a similar are details that have not come down to account of the life in Griffith of my Maternal me through family tradition, and hence are Grandfather, Frank Rhead (of Joshua and valued by me as new insights. Rhead, The Tyre Hospital Ltd etc.) contributed by my Uncle (Geoffrey Rhead). 1916 to 1917, the War. The account, revealed by TROVE articles A fuller picture of part of both Grandfather’s indexed to recognizable variations of my life would of course include the detail grandfather’s life, of items indexed to “W. disclosed by their A.I.F. service records, but F. Dalrymple” starts in January and that is a tale and a task for another day. February 1916 with two references to his

3 TBS&E Number 65, April and May 2015 4 enlistment, place of military training and and bask in the glory of his great mentioning his prior employment (1. And 2.) achievement, before I have to reveal that As an employee of the Irrigation Trust, a for most years, for this category at the public institution, his name must have show, there were only one or two entrants occurred in earlier newspaper in this competition. correspondence? In 1924 (10.) we even get to learn the The next mention, in August 1916, (3.) states name of William’s prize winning stallion – that he is still in camp outside Sydney, but ‘Direct Style’ – possibly the one horse that having attained the rank of Sergeant, is William kept, possibly the one horse willing to renounce this promotion in order to entered in succeeding years? I will hasten his deployment overseas. forego any snide references to Griffith and The next references, December 1917, (4. environs being a ‘one-horse’ towns. And 5.) is of his name in the casualty lists. It 1931, Golf. states that he has been wounded, but that In 1931 (11.) and 1934 (12.) we meet he remains on duty rather than being unfit William’s name among the winners circle for any further military service. I believe this of some NSW Regional Golf tournaments, refers to an incident where he received a specifically competition organized for bullet to the back while bent over a Australian, British and New Zealand ex- machine gun on the Western Front. The servicemen. This may go some way to bullet following a long curved path under explaining the set of antique golf clubs the skin, but missing his spine. which still sit rusting away in a neglected Significantly the list mentions ‘Ireland’ next corner of the garage while I write this? to his name, presumably recognizing his 1934, In Court. place of birth, location of next of kin etc., Never say this coming, (13.) completely out rather than referring to Griffith NSW, his of the blue, is brief coverage of the place of enlistment, and with this, the essentials of a court case, where coverage of his war ends, with no mention Grandfather recovers money by court of his return to Australia or the re- order from the posthumous estate of a appointment to his previous employment. cousin, the ‘why?’ of a loan of 100 pounds 1921, Postwar. never being explained in the article. Our next encounter (6.) is his appearance in The full text of the article is; February 1921, with his wife (and cousin) COUNTY COURT CLAIM Verdict for £186/5/ Henrietta (nee Frew) on the passenger list of In the County Court yesterday, Judge the White Star liner ‘Medic’ going back to Foster heard a claim by W. F. Dalrymple, of Ireland for a holiday. This was to be Griffiths (N.S.W.) of Gunbower, against the William’s only return trip to Ireland, barring Sandhurst and Northern District Trustees, his any wartime leave / convalescence, but executors and Agency Co. Ltd. as Henrietta (Daisy) and my Father, the then 12 executors of the estate of the late William years old John Thompson Frew Dalrymple James Dalrymple, for money lent and were to go to Ireland in 1933/34, but interest. Mr N. Phillips (A. J. Mitchell and unaccompanied by William F. Dalrymple. Son) appeared for the claimant and Mr F. C. Mueller for the executors. It was stated 1922 to 1924, Horses for Courses? in evidence that in 1917 the claimant From 1922 to 1931 we have record of a few loaned £100 at 6 per. cent, to the late W. instances of William’s recreations and J. Dalrymple. During his lifetime involvement in the life of the community. deceased failed to repay the loan. We see him winning at the two local annual An order was made for £186/5/ in favour of country agricultural shows, Griffith and the claimant. Costs are to be paid out of Mirrool, in 1922 (7.), 1923 (8. And 9.) and the estate to the defendants. 1924 (10.), for the prize Trotting or Pacing 1939 and 1941, Retirements. Stallion / Pony Stallion 14.2 hands or under, After decades of service, retirement looms, competition. Let us stand for a moment in one (14.) W. F. Dalrymple has a cameo 4 TBS&E Number 65, April and May 2015 5 role in the retirement of a colleague and land grant of nearly 800 acres to my later (15.), it is now the turn of W. F. Grandfather, some seven years after his Dalrymple to receive a testimonial on the death. I believe that these are best occasion of his leaving the district for explained as land grants to my father’s Sydney for health reasons. The full text of ‘Cousin Bill’, William Dalrymple (the Father the article, which refers to W. F. Dalrymple is; of Rupert Dalrymple), for his W.W. 2 war … Mr. W. F. Dalrymple, channel service, rather than as the result of superintendent of the Mirrool Area for the anything to do with my Grandfather’s WW1 Water Conservation and Irrigation Com- service. mission for very many years, has been The full text of the article is; transferred to Sydney for health reasons. Settlers on Fat Lamb Blocks On the eve of his departure he was SEVEN ex-servicemen have been settled farewelled by the councillors of the Wade on "Broughshane" estate, near Jerilderie, Shire at Griffith. In the very early days under the promotion scheme. The seven when the district engineer, Mr. Knight, was a blocks, ranging in area from 798 acres to member of the provisional Shire Council, Mr. 877 acres, will be used for fat lamb Dalrymple was his right-hand man and in production under irrigation. The Minister that capacity played an important part in for Lands (Mr. Hawkins) explained the control and supervision of works. In yesterday that under the promotion proposing the toast of Mr. Dalrymple's scheme settlers were nominated for their health, Cr. W. D. Bull (Shire President) blocks by the owner of the property. referred to the pleasant associations that he "Broughshane" had been owned by Mr. H. had always had with the council. Mr. W. Steele. Dalrymple had always co-operated with the The soldier settlers are W. White, G. R. council and had shown that he had at Jinnette, J. F. McLaughlin, C. J. Campbell, heart the interests not only of the W. F. Dalrymple, A. W. Graham, and A. H. commission but of the settlers and the shire. Shumack. The president's remarks were supported by This article is an illustration of the problems Councillors J. H. Reilly, N. H. Simpson. W. H. that can be caused by the re-use of family Swales, C. Bowditch and A. G. Kubank. given names across generations. Mr. Dalrymple suitably responded. … 1947, Death. Footnotes, just the publication details Six years after a re-location to Sydney, for of W.F. Dalrymple mentions. health reasons, this item (16.) is a death 1 The Murrumbidgee Irrigator (Leeton, NSW: notice for W. F. Dalrymple. As is the usual 1915 - 1954) Friday 28 January 1916 p 4. case, it discloses some family details, next of 2 Albury Banner and Wodonga Express kin etc., but it does not explain any cause of (NSW: 1896-1938) Friday 4 Feb. 1916 p 6. death (car accident, smoking, complicatio- 3 The Murrumbidgee Irrigator (Leeton, NSW: ns from war injuries?). The full text of the 1915-1954) Friday 11 August, 1916 p 1. 4 Sunday Times (Sydney, NSW: 1895 -1930) article is; Sunday 9 December 1917 p 3. DALRYMPLE, William Frew - November 30, 5 Daily Standard (Brisbane, Qld.: 1912 - 1947 at Repatriation Hospital Concord, 1936) Tuesday 11 December 1917 p 2. William Frew Dalrymple of 2 Kensington 6 The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW: 1842- Road Kensington, dearly beloved husband 1954) Saturday 19 February 1921 p 15. of Henrietta and loving father of John and 7 The Murrumbidgee Irrigator (Leeton, NSW: brother of Samuel Rupert Dalrymple of 1915-1954) Tuesday 7 March 1922 p 2. Griffith. 8 The Murrumbidgee Irrigator (Leeton, NSW: But this is not to be the final entry about W. F. 1915-1954) Friday 2 March 1923 p 2. Dalrymple! 9 The Murrumbidgee Irrigator (Leeton, NSW: 1954, Posthumous Land Grant? 1915-1954) Tuesday 23 October 1923 p 4. These articles, in two different newspapers 10 The Murrumbidgee Irrigator (Leeton, NSW: (17. & 18.) seemingly record a posthumous 1915-1954) Tuesday 21 October 1924 p 3.

5 TBS&E Number 65, April and May 2015 6 11 Daily Advertiser (Wagga Wagga, NSW: reserves are being run down. 1911-1954) Monday 20 July 1931 p 3. Volunteers at Philas House are well served 12 Narandera Argus & Riverina Advertiser on public occasions by excellent (NSW: 1893-1953) Tuesday 21 July 1931 p 3. sandwiches as well as congenial company 13 Riverine Herald (Echuca, Vic.: Moama, -At the recent National Philatelic gathering, NSW: 1869-1954) Wed. 28 March 1934 p 2. held at the Hurstville aquatic Centre, the 14 The Murrumbidgee Irrigator (Leeton, NSW: display competition entries of three club 1915-1954) Tuesday 12 Sept. 1939 p 3. members were very successful, Arthur 15 Daily Advertiser (Wagga Wagga, NSW: Vella, received a Silver / Bronze, 1911 - 1954) Saturday 23 August 1941 p 4. Committee member Phillip Morehouse, a 16 The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW: 1842 - 1954) Tuesday 2 December 1947 p 22. Gold and Kim Dwyer the guest speaker at 17 The Land (Sydney, NSW: 1911 - 1954) the February meeting, (Antarctic fauna) Friday 10 September 1954 p 1. also won a Gold. 18 Jerilderie Herald and Urana Advertiser -The report back from the Orange (rural (NSW: 1898-1958) Thurs. 23 Sept. 1954 p 1. NSW) Stamp fair was that it was well © Garry P. Dalrymple, May 7, 2015 attended, competently run, but a ‘Local Derby’ rather than an event of National Earlwood and District Stamp Club significance. Stamp meeting of Wednesday, May -Parramatta Philatelists will hold an Open 6, 2015. At the Earlwood Senior Day (Displays and two Auctions) on Citizen’s Centre, Homer St. Earlwood Saturday May 9, 2015, at the O.E.S. Hall on Railway Street, opposite Wentworthville Terminus. Display; ‘N.S.W. Numeral Station. Cancellations’, by Darren Jones, a -Last month’s Display and Talk, by Allan member of the Manly Warringah Dextor, was about Sydney Harbour Bridge Stamp Club. Stamps. Since the first such stamp, in 1932, Pages 2 & 3 of Rough Notes starting April 28, there have been 29 such stamps! 2015. The Display; ‘N.S.W. Numeral Present were; Twenty One people, 16 M & Cancellations’ by Darren Jones 5F, there were also, two apologies. The display consisted of a number of This evening it was cold, but the sky was sheets bearing a NSW Colonial era stamp clear. A marked contrast to some recent cancelled with a numerical postmark. meeting nights. These were examples of the first 500 of

News - This meeting marks the anniversary about 2100 such postmarks, which formed (175) of the issue of the first ever postage the basis of a very impressive looking book stamp, the English Penny Black stamp, produced by the speaker, which sold out which was issued on May 6, 1840, the Whitby its limited print run. moment of our global obsession. This collection / Display has been -The major recent expense for the club has assembled purely for personal curiosity, been the renewal of it’s Post Office Box. however, within the greater Philatelic The club’s library of Philatelic reference movement, there is a specialized sub- books had been brought to the meeting. interest in collecting these Numerical -The next issue of the Club’s newsletter will cancellations, a group of specialist be out in June, having picked up a few collectors of surprising generosity and more sponsors, replacing those lost last year. mutual support. The speaker mentioned -Philas House, the Vatican of Sydney Stamp one occasion when fellow collector collecting is (as ever) seeking more Michael Parkin, on hearing that he lacked volunteers, especially a website controller. an example of a particular number, cut his It is the usual story, aging members of staff, example out of his collection with pinking steady as you go, but currently financial shears and presented it to him as a gift!

6 TBS&E Number 65, April and May 2015 7 Beyond the joy of completion, finding the who to sell things on to, could probably remaining numbers that he lacks an make money out of these, given the low example of, he does have a sentimental prices being asked? favourite, the number representing the I’m not remotely tempted, I’ve got more Trevallon Post Office, in the Hunter Valley, than enough ‘stuff’ to deal with as it is, but the Post Office closest to his childhood farm you do wonder. The Auction ended at and home. about 9 pm, there was a supper. I had a The story behind these postmarks is that from few of the little Salmon sandwiches on the start of formal postal services in NSW offer (never knock back the opportunity for (actually preceding that in England), post free Omega 3 and Protein?). masters in each new town added to the postal network, were given stamp The Talk and Display for next month’s cancelling device with number. This was meeting will feature John Higgs and well before the now familiar national system WW1 stamps. of ‘Postcodes’. These numbers were added in no Incidentals – I was able to stop in at Coles geographically consistent order, although to buy Milk and loose dried Peaches. I the earliest were probably issued usually eat two or three of these each day, sequentially along major lines of my ‘nearly Fresh Fruit’ ration. communication, and then additional - I was welcomed back by several people numbers were added as districts were present. This club seems to have some settled, Post Offices established and people who go out of their way to make Telegraph services extended etc., so, in you welcome. some sense, the numbers 1 to 2100 reflect - Side conversations, and Apologies an index / order of the rollout of European frequently involve discussion of the settlement in NSW. Of these 2100 ea, Post medical issues of those absent. I also offices, some represent now abandoned discovered that my circumstances, caring locations, and a process of postal for a difficult aged parent, were not rationalization to all NSW Post Offices into unique, which made me feel a little better. the 2000 to 2999 sequence of Australian Post If I were to attend more frequently I expect Codes, containing area subdivisions (i.e. I could unburden myself, tell my tales of Newcastle region 2300, Wollongong region woe and be understood / accepted. 2500, the A.C.T. 2600s etc.) which in recent -Having walked to the meeting via Coles years has again been modified, with (35 minutes?) and finding it rather cold and addition of some 1,000 to 2000 Post Codes a bit of a strain, I decided to walk up the being awarded to some NSW centres. Thus hill to the common 423 and 412 bus stop the N.S.W. Numerical Cancellations are outside Our Lady of Lourdes R.C. church, doubly anachronistic. past the Elvis Pizza shop to wait the 15 In collecting this material he has been minutes for the 412 home. If I had had assisted by being able to refer to Hugh more space in the freezer, I could have Freeman’s recently published book, ordered a stack of ‘$5’ Domino’s Pizzas. ‘Numerical Cancellations of NSW.’ The speaker had commenced his talk about the display with the admission that this was his first ever visit to Earlwood, but in truth, via his collection of NSW Numerical postmarks, he had been to ‘Earlwood’ in the past. The Auction was conducted with efficiency, not very many items bid for, most going for ‘reserve’, at a dollar or two. I think a more organised money hungry and connected collector who knew the value of things and

7 TBS&E Number 65, April and May 2015 8 had explained to them; the constellations Notes from the NSAA Sydney of Orion, Canis Major, The Southern Cross, Space Frontier Society (SSFS) and Alpha and Beta Centauri, the false cross (Grus?), the concept of inter-stellar Sydney City Sky-watchers distances (The Light Year) and the location meeting at Sydney Observatory of the South Celestial Pole. The planets on Monday April 13, 2015. Jupiter and Venus were also pointed out. Other memorable features included the From Pages 104 to 108 of my Rough Notes use of Ipads with freely available (Sky NB. This joint meeting was the result of the Walk?) skyview software, i.e. hold it up to Sydney City Skywatchers meeting date (first the sky at any angle and the image on the Monday) falling on the Easter Monday screen shows you what you could see public holiday. under clearer skies or through buildings etc., and the kiddies just loved the tour Present were; 37 Members and guests, 27 M guides hand held star pointing out & 10 F and one Guide Dog. ‘megawatt’ Green laser (oh to do this

demonstration in a Darth Vader suit, with a Guest speaker, Kerrie Dougherty (ex- tricked out Light sabre holding the laser). Powerhouse Museum Space Flight Afterwards I was a bit disappointed that Curator) on; The New Solar System, there was no mention of the Ecliptic / path after 55 years of Space Flight. of the Moon and Planets etc., a staple of my childhood Night Sky tours, but perhaps Overview - It was more of a SSFS meeting understandable under Sydney with a few Sydney City Skywatchers as Observatory’s available night sky, with the visitors, as plans for an (6.30 to 7.30 pm) view to the North being seriously observing night had been derailed by compromised by the lights of Luna Park uncertainties over the weather. I.e. perhaps and North Sydney? A brief mention was half a dozen Sydney City Skywatchers made of Night Sky pollution, but no attended, no observer’s reports etc. mention was made of the then visible Having arrived before 6 pm for a 7.30 pm Harbour Bridge Dust lanes or any the other talk, I was at a loose end and able to hang freely available inappropriate lighting around for one of the observatory tour phenomena, such as glare from Circular groups, which started with an outside the Quay / Darling Harbour etc. observatory ‘Night Sky’ tour. The other alternative option was to lie in wait behind Comment – Is this really the way to go? I the Observatory Park’s giant fig trees and really wouldn’t like to take on this task. jump out shouting ‘Bugga Bugga Boo!’ at They had a Phd. Student talking to pre- the passing Ghost tour customers, and so; schoolers, simplifying concepts etc. Might it be better plan to write separate pre- A Mystery Shopper’s Sydney schooler’s and Adult scripts for these sky Observatory Night Sky tour review tours, with two guides speaking, I.e. Voice The leader of the group that I tagged along One giving the kiddies version and Voice with was Sarah, a very nice young lady, an Two giving the Adults version, rather than Astro Physics (Evolution of Galaxies) Ph. d., requiring the one person having to ratchet and ridiculously overqualified for the task in down her talk to the lowest common my estimation, which in effect involved denominator and at the same time trying explaining the night sky to a group of pre- to keep it interesting for the parents? schoolers (chillingly well informed at times!), Should tours be ‘streamed’ according to their parents and their ‘babes in arms’ the ages of children accompanying, or younger siblings. I can’t see myself possibly bookings for families with under successfully addressing a group like this and eights given the Planetarium treatment holding it’s attention. They were shown / with the emphasis of instruction to the

8 TBS&E Number 65, April and May 2015 9 parents as to what they should be showing Our current view of the Solar System is the their children at home, tomorrow night, one result of 55 years of Spaceflight. Prior to to one, under better than Sydney this, knowledge of the Solar System had Observatory skies? Parent’s take home been relatively static after the Copernican packs to be included in tour cost? Revolution, names, orbital periods and Conclusion – I left the group as they went distances etc. had been deduced and inside to view the sky through a (40 cm?) ground based telescopes and telescope in the North Dome. I expect that photography had at times produced fuzzy some of the objects discussed out on the images of Planetary discs, a Solar System lawn would have been viewed closer up made known to the greater public through through this telescope. mass media (and Science Fiction), but basically much the same as would be NB – In my opinion the viewing (on the East familiar to the likes of John Tebbutt (d. lawn) was seriously compromised by interior 1916) or Walter Gale (d.1945). One very lights shining down through windows from real difference being that the assumption the Observatory’s upper story. Perhaps a of life (on Mars etc.) based on ‘faith’ has policy of all window shutters / blinds down been replaced with observational at sunset needs to be better policed. Or evidence supporting an expectation of perhaps this could be used as an object liquid water and possibilities for life. lesson, i.e. see how much better you CAN see once those lights are turned off! Even before advanced spacecraft could be launched, Sounding Rocket and High So, the NSAA / Sydney City Altitude Balloon based observations Skywatchers meeting. opened new EMF windows beyond what The room filled up, seats became scarce. ground based telescopes could resolve, Wayne Short, the usually punctual NSSA I.e. Ultra-Violet (UV), Infra-Red (IR), X-Ray President and meeting MC was late. NSAA and Radio frequencies etc. Each of meetings include fewer women than at these windows new details of planetary Sydney City Skywatchers meetings. There surfaces, and at times some detail of what was news of SSFS activities and Spaceflight; lies below the clouds and at times under The ISS long duration mission, to evaluate planetary surfaces. This new Solar System Flight to Mars duration zero gravity effects, includes previously unseen things that are involves twin Astronauts, one Earthbound, not Planets. I.e. we start a tour of the the other orbiting in the ISS for twelve Solar System at the Sun’s edge, with Solar months. Recent ISS upgrades and Wind, a stream of charged particles renovations (Hey, how about sending ‘The emerging from the Sun bringing particles, Block’ into orbit!) will allow more Space electric and magnetic effects to the far Tourism berths, with singer Sarah (first hit, ‘I reaches of the Solar System. We now fell in love with a Star Ship Trooper’) have spacecraft co-orbiting with Earth that Brightman is currently in training to go. give us an all sides / all-weather view of ‘Yuri’s day’, April 12, commemorating Yuri the Sun’s activity, knowledge that is Gagarin’s first into space, sub-orbital flight economically important given the effects was mentioned, as was a talk about Neil of Sunspots etc., on power distribution Armstrong, possibly touching on why he was networks and satellite communication. chosen to be the Apollo mission’s ‘First Man Solar Particles have been collected and on the Moon’. Some manned spaceflight analysed by the Genesis probes, and what videos were to be shown after the guest they reveal is that the origins of the Sun speaker’s talk and Jupiter differ from those of the rest of the Solar System, suggesting that the Kerrie’s talk – New Perceptions of the planets were captured rather than locally Solar System. evolved. Recent knowledge of the effects of Solar Emissions have cleared up

9 TBS&E Number 65, April and May 2015 10 an anomaly from Apollo samples, as it turns secrets, uncovering the fastest winds of out that they have physically eroded the the solar system, two times faster than the ‘sunny-side’ of returned samples, resulting in planet’s rotation, and a permanent ‘V’ false impressions of Lunar Composition / shaped shockwave passing through tits evolution. atmosphere. Mercury – Had been thought to be tidally The Moon – since Luna 3, the first of many locked to the Sun, one side in perpetual landers, which revealed the far side of the sunlight, the other in perpetual shade, with a Moon to be very different to the side that twilight zone ring of possibilities. The new faces Earth. Ahead of the manned truths about Mercury is a bit more landings (Apollo), many landers were sent complicated than this. Its surface is to scout out areas of interest and to prove cratered / lunar like, it bears ‘shrinkage’ that a landing was physically possible on effects as other crust minerals have the Moon’s surface, with fears of a evaporated under the sun. It possesses a combustible Lunar surface, or deep seas of number of crater chains, the result of ejecta liquid like dust. In addition to collecting from large impacts falling back. Volcanic surface samples, Apollo also set up and effects both early, 3.8 billion and recent 2 left behind devices to monitor the Lunar billion years ago. Mercury also has a geology, distance between Earth and cometary tail of Sodium metal vapourised Moon and Solar phenomena. Overall, off it surface, with some pockmarked the Lunar rocks recovered were found to surface zones resembling Swiss cheese, be ‘Earth-like’ but water deficient. Some presumed to be the result of evaporation. exceptions were later found to be similar to The Messenger spacecraft has verified that newly discovered minerals, from Australia’s water ice exists at North and South poles, in Pilbara region. In addition to this there the shaded corners of craters. Mercury were the Soviet Lunakhod rovers, which for possesses a magnetic field and a large Iron an extended period traversed the Lunar core, most Iron of the proto-Mercury having surface. sunk to its core and there is evidence that A recent minor space race has seen both it’s surface is being top dressed by in falling India and China launching successful matter from Comet Encke. Moon Rover missions. Recently, ‘Skylight’, Venus – The Cloud shrouded planet, what sinkhole type formations have been seen lay beneath was a fertile field for scientific on the moon. These surface openings to speculation and Science Fiction adventures. under the Moon’s surface lava tubes may Competing visions of Venus included provide naturally sheltered sites for future Dinosaur infested Jungles, Seas, Swamps or manned lunar bases. Deserts? Spacecraft revealed ‘None of Mars – To observers of the 19th and early the above’ to be the correct answer, the 20th centuries, the seasonal changes to reality being a surface of metal melting 500 Mars’ surface and Percival Lowell’s canals degree C. days, sulphur yellow gloom and inferred the existence of life on Mars and 90 Earth Atmosphere pressures. However, even human level intelligence. The setting the radar mapping Magellan probe for Edgar Rice Burrough’s (d.1946) revealed features suggestive of the action ‘Barsoom’ seemed very credible. Since of water, river-like erosion, river delta like then dozens of spacecraft have been sent alluvial deposits etc., Recently, super to Mars, but only about half have arrived or critical (compressed) liquid Carbon Dioxide functioned, giving rise to lurid speculation has been suggested as the liquid likely to of a spacecraft consuming Mars Hoodoo. have caused these features. There are Adding to this, Mariner 4’s flyby managed also Meteor and Volcano features including to photograph a line of Martian real estate ‘only on Venus’ very flat pancake lava which entirely missed any of Mars’ features domes. The Venus Express spacecraft of interest, however it did reveal that Mars focussed on the atmosphere of Venus, using was cratered. Mariner 9, arrived in time UV and IR frequencies also has revealed its for a massive Mars wide dust storm.

10 TBS&E Number 65, April and May 2015 11 Its features giving rise to Earthly concerns, First observations were of storms in its the idea of a Nuclear Winter. However, the atmosphere through Pioneer 10 and 11, gradual settling of the dust was quite a rather than the nature of its composition. reveal, indicating the relative altitudes of Then came Voyagers 1 and 2, on the Marscape features. No canals have been grand tour flybys, which revealed a wealth seen, however traces of past water caused of new details, particularly of the features and dampness features are Differences between the surfaces and observed, so Mars did have a watery past. composition of its moons, and a continuing Viking 1 and 2 provided better surface to increase explosion in the number of mapping and the mapping of Phobos, as a known moons. Probes then focussed on captured Asteroid, disposing of ‘Phobos is Jupiter’s atmosphere. The Galileo probe an ancient spaceship’ speculation. It was has revealed voids, clear water free areas also a first asteroid photo opportunity. Their among the cloud levels offering views of landers conducted tests for soil for evidence deeper mysteries. Next year Juno will of life, producing ambiguous results, investigate Jupiter’s clouds and moons. indicative of life, or the presence of highly Jupiter has polar Aurora and frequent reactive Perchlorates in the soil. The Mars thunderstorms. Rovers have encountered layered Io’s active Vulcanism was caught in the geological features indicative of being act, it shows signs of a slushy mantle of ices deposited by water and meteorites on the and sulphur mixtures. The discovery of ground. Water it seems is everywhere on Io’s Vulcanism being thought to be worth Mars, Pole to Pole, in buried glaciers enough the cost of the Voyager missions. to cover Mars a metre or two deep. On Europa has a highly variable surface, with the Martial Poles, in Winter, the CO2 of the shapes and forms similar to those seen on atmosphere drops out, to coat the water ice Earth’s polar seas. Inner heating, from polar caps and leading to a planet wide gravitational flexing assured a water level seasonal drop in atmospheric pressure. underneath the ice. Europa is the great Excavation in the Martian soil have hope for black smoker type life ecologies, produced particles of buried ice which consequently, to prevent any possibility of have evaporated on exposure and salty contamination, its probe was crash landed ‘dew’ has been seen on shaded lander elsewhere. Ganymede is larger than Mars legs. Meteorites from Mars (recovered from and has magnetic fields. Australia and the Antarctic) have been The surface of Callisto shows meteor suspected of bearing fossil traces of life. impact cratering, but frequently these Mars also has a magnetic field and hence impact features are partly melted back, polar Aurora, but these occur in UV again suggestive of below surface liquid frequencies. We now have a feel for Mars zones. as a real Planet, with weather and geology Saturn has Rings, previously thought to be rather than being a fuzzy disc seen in a solid, but we now know that they are telescope every two years. made up of chunks from dust to house The Asteroids – Were thought to be the result sized particles, thousands of rings, with of a between Mars and Jupiter planet shepherd guard moons and gravitationally exploded, current evidence is that they are distorted braids, arcs and enigmatic dust unconsolidated leftovers from the creation free ‘spokes’. It also has a hexagonal of the Solar System. Vesta Ceres a dwarf polar vortex planet which might have a surface coating Titan visited by the Cassini lander, possesses of ice and possibly even an ocean under a thick hazy atmosphere and a this. landscapes of land and lakes of The Gas Giants hydrocarbons at colder than life-as-we- Jupiter – Since Galilean times, known to know-it temperatures. have four moons, a vivid illustration of the Iapetus is the two faced moon, a light and Copernican system for the solar system. a dark side, it’s away from Saturn side

11 TBS&E Number 65, April and May 2015 12 being covered by in falling debris. © April 2015, Garry P. Dalrymple Enceladus, the Death Star moon, with a massive crater whose mystery being how such a large impact didn’t shatter this moon. It has geysers so again presumably a under surface liquid layer, possibilities for life et al. Uranus (a Georgian star, but seen and recorded by Galileo!) is a dull, blue and nearly featureless object. It has great white spots, but a past event knocked it on its side, i.e. its North and South Poles point to the sun rather than its equator. Given only brief flyby photo opportunities, the best views of Uranus usually come from the Hubble Space Telescope rather than spacecraft. It does have rings (as does Jupiter) but these are much less visible than Saturn’s. Its moon Miranda has a ‘mix and match’ surface, again indicative of an icy surface with possible levels liquid below. Neptune, only visited by Voyager 2, giving views of surface Clouds and Aurora. It’s rings are skimpy, usually as arcs rather than complete rings. Flybys and space telescopes have inflated its moon numbers, currently at six plus. It’s major moon Triton has geysers, of hydrocarbons rather than Underground SF&F Book Review water. discussion meeting, Thursday April Pluto and the Kuiper Belt objects are the 16, 2015 (Formerly the Infinitas frigid outliers of the Solar System. Famously Bookshop SF&F Book review, ‘Book Pluto has been demoted from a Planet to being a Dwarf planet. It is now merely the Club’ meeting), in the Basement, first known of the Dwarf planet, Kuiper belt Mars Hill Café, 331 Church Street objects. Kerrie showed a sizes comparison (two doors back from the between the smaller Planets, larger Parramatta River Bridge), planetary moons and the known dwarf Parramatta, 6.30 to 8.30 pm. planets. Its major moon, Charon, like the Earth Moon system, it seems likely to have been formed as a result of an impact on the proto-Pluto. It’s the largest moon to Planet around. Currently there are four more Plutonian moons, a figure likely to increase soon, as Pluto will be visited this June, for a brief flyby by the New Horizons spacecraft. Kuiper Belt objects of the icy wastes of the outer Solar System, the source of Comets, are frequently named after the gods of the Discussion Topic: polar living Inuit (Eskimo) people. There are The Free, by Brian Ruckley (US). lots of them known and more to be discovered, possibly some are Icy and Who was there; April, Beth, Garry, Graeme, others Rocky. Geoff, Len, Liam, Michael, Peter? Sam,

12 TBS&E Number 65, April and May 2015 13 Sandra and Tim. Other Books mentioned; News and extraneous conversation ‘Mistborne’, by Brandon Sanderson was I have been away from this meeting for praised as being a series of self-contained some time, due to the 2014 Conflux and Fantasy short stories in a novel sized then the December Freecon. During this collection. These stories were enjoyable time there has been a wedding and and comprehensible in themselves rather meetings have wound down a bit, shedding than needing to be understood as part of some of the commitment to discussing the an extended story arc. month’s book choice and instead moving The book for June will be ‘Tuff Voyaging’ more towards general SF&F discussion. by George R. R. Martin. This is reflected in the shortness of this meeting account. © Garry Dalrymple April 23, 2015. The release of another series of George R.R. Martin’s ‘Game of Thrones’ provoked some, Underground SF&F Book Review but not over excited interest, those who discussion meeting, Thursday May watch it from this group have usually read 21, 2015, Mars Hill Café, 331 Church the book, and so generally know what to Street 6.30 to 8.30 pm. expect. Other non-topic discussions included further Topic: An Appreciation of the memories of Sir Terry Pratchett, his writing, his illness and his death. Also, issues related to Life & Works of Sir Terry Pratchett Marriage, Property ownership and the (UK Dec’d). indolence of adult children were discussed. Who was there? April, Beth, Garry, Geoff, Discussion of the Book; Len, Liam, Michael, Peter, Sam, and Tim. The Free, by Brian Ruckly (US). Julie Ann (currently exiled to Adelaide) This book is a story about the adventures of may be attending next month. a company of Mercenaries. At the end of News and extraneous conversation a long war they have been paid off, but Trouble at the Worldcon, attempts have they choose to go off on one more mission, been made to rig the Nomination a private quest of vengeance for an act of procedure for the Hugos awards with block betrayal that occurred to them during the voting. I.e. with a limit on the number of war that has just finished. nominees that get onto the at Worldcon The atmosphere of the story is that of a Neil ballot, block voting for a list can result in Gaiman type quest Fantasy adventure, the exclusion of non-list nominees and where the death of all characters is to be Worldcon members being presented with expected. A general comment was that a choice only of the list’s nominees to vote the story could have been much better if it on. Discussions are as they say, ongoing had been written by a British Author, as in fannish circles. With all this going on, some of the clichés attempted during the ‘No Award’ may be multi-Hugo winner (by story failed to make much sense. a block vote?) this year. The magic involved was rather clever, the Trouble in Parramatta, the jig is up for this plotting so-so, but with some good turns of meeting at this location. Across the street phrase. Some readers found it enjoyable to the old Murray Bros. (Burns Philp) site is invest in the characters of the company, being developed as a zillion story riverside and to follow their progress through the shopping centre / apartment complex, story, others didn’t. One problem with the and now the ‘development’ disease has book is that most characters encountered crossed the street. The owners of the Mars during this story are obnoxious, unlikable Hill Café building (and its Convict built and this makes it more difficult to give a sandstone basement where we have met damn about how they fare.

13 TBS&E Number 65, April and May 2015 14 for two years) and other properties up to the be a subversive / resistance Bridge across the Parramatta River, have underground? been made ‘an offer they can’t refuse’. A New Age Hacker, discovered how to Honestly. In NSW Municipal Councils can ‘hack’ the controls of the airliner, in flight, issue an ‘of State Importance’ classification that he was a passenger on, and then for a developments which then allows a publicly announced it. His ‘defense’ was Developer to obtain land that they couldn’t that he thought that the airliner company get by direct commercial negotiation from should have supplied him with an on- owners. What happens is that after the ground plane to play with. Kinda declaration, the Council resumes the land, worrying isn’t it. before transferring it to the Developers etc. Meditations on ‘Super Computers’ & P.C.s. It’s all legal, it’s called ‘Progress’ apparently The proliferation of desk top sized and its absolutely not just a quid pro quo computers overshadows the fact that big deal set up to benefit the class of election computers are still out there, running the campaign contributing Developer ‘Mates’ big jobs and usually without difficulties, of both big political parties. while legions of IT people are needed to So the Café at this site goes on June 10, with keep the much less well engineered PC brave hopes to set up the same sort of computers and their networks functioning business elsewhere, somewhere nowhere on a daily basis. near Parramatta. Thus passes a valued cultural institution, there is no other Café like Notes on a Discussion of the Life and it in Parramatta, with dungeon down stairs works of Sir Terry Pratchett and a modest sized live performance venue The timing of the recent death of Terry upstairs. Pratchett came as a bit of a surprise to us The Parramatta R.S.L. club on Church St. is all, in spite of universal understanding that likely to be the venue for future meetings. his Alzheimer’s would in the end prove Netflix, has arrived in Australia and has been fatal, and evidence, through his later works settling in, resulting in ‘never to be that his abilities were deteriorating. repeated’ value deals for access to stuff There are many fan tributes on the internet you would otherwise have pirated. 1950s and on the pages of ANZAPA newsletters. American Comedies like ‘The Jack Benny Show’ and Lucile Ball still hold up well we The most important point, which was were told (also screened on Channel 44?). stated only at the conclusion of this Cannibalism – At one point conversation meeting was this; That Terry’s writing is the shifted to discussing whether a discussion of equivalent in book form of the humour of cannibalism was in fact a feature of all Monty Python. meetings, or just an occasional visitor, such The facts of Terry’s life, works and death as when the food service from the kitchen are well known, so what is recorded here above was running a bit slow. are discussions of our personal experiences Euphenism? A parting comment ‘I’m going and impressions. home to shift some mattresses,’ was viewed His books are always quick reads, but you by some, in or out of context, to be are able to re-read them and usually pick euphemistic of his at home intentions. up new bits of humour and observation New SF from China, ‘The Three Body that is hidden in the background of the Problem,’ by Liu Cixin translated by Ken Lui, main story line. Terry’s background, pre- is making waves in SF fandom. The official Disc world etc. was as a writer employed and Government approved Chinese SF by the UK Atomic energy industry, as was magazine (such is life in China, ‘official’ SF Kurt Vonnegut Jr.(US), another writer of the even!) sells 150,000 to 250,000 copies a absurd, and arguably provide the source month, so it can’t easily be ignored as a for the vignettes of the absurdities of source of future SF visions? Academia, Industry and Government that But might SF fandom, as we experience it,

14 TBS&E Number 65, April and May 2015 15 may be seen in many of his books, together outcome of sporting events and with many stories conflating the of the seriously warp history. ‘Magic’ of Radiation with Wizardry. There was a discussion of the character One such story involves the mutation / Moist, from ‘Going Postal’ centring on the evolution of an intelligent cat, due to its diet degree of his at times reluctant of mutated intelligent mice. reformation, centring on the concept of Pratchett invented the powerful Quantum printing postage stamps, his deep internal Butterfly, The Chaos Butterfly of Doom, an character conflicts of a thief when he insect so powerful that with a single flap of realized that his job, in effect required its wings, it can raise storms several printing stamps the equivalent of money, continents away. This is not purely a although he was always a ‘decent’ con Pratchett invention (Ray Bradbury’s, ‘The man, in that he was just crooked enough Sound of Thunder’?) as it is a well-known SF to rob bad people. As a deviation, the trope that if any Time Traveller steps on any Telegraph system was also discussed at insect, deep enough in the past, the Nazis some length. It wasn’t that far removed win WW2, or the Apes rule the US etc., but from the now largely forgotten pre-electric Terry gave it a personality and a voice. telegraph systems, semaphore flag signalling etc. The characters and set up An admission by Len, that he had never of Ankh Morpork engages, even meeting read a Pratchett book, lead to cries of Death and hearing his side of the story. disbelief, followed by suggestions of where to start and offers of loan copies. In his later books, Terry wrote by dictation rather than typing. Some can spot Avoid reading ‘Strata,’ if you can. This stylistic differences in these books. He Science Fiction story has elements of the wrote books in partnership with other writes later ‘Discworld’ series in, but they clash, and again some readers can pick the rather than harmonise with the Fantasy of ‘Terry bits’ and the ideas / sections Discworld. contributed by other writers, such as in the

The charm of Pratchett books lead to a Long Earth series, co-written with Stephen number of reminiscences of scenes and Baxter. character interactions that we particularly Favourite Characters? enjoyed, included such as; Unlike many writers of SF and Fantasy During ‘The Colour of Magic’, When a writer series, Terry was able to populate his stories who goes on a bender, drunkenly kills off his with a great many major and minor popular main character, a Barbarian, the characters who each had a unique character turns up at his door next day, ‘voice’ and motivation. seeking his creator and his reward (Valhalla like) for living the life he has been written. Characters we particularly liked include; During ‘The Night Watch’, when Grimes Rincewind, Vimes, The Luggage, The faces off a mob intending to start a riot and Librarian, Vettinari the Arch Chancellor unarmed, shames them into backing down (who starts off as an ‘off the rack’ despot, and going home. who evolves), Moist (a character In ‘The Thief of Time,’ the monks of a mystic redeemed) and the Golems (for their order are charged with keeping Time laudable work ethic). running as it should and that history conforms to what is pre-ordained and Posthumous works? – When an important written up in the big books. This set up Writer dies there are usually notes, drafts, makes you think about the nature of time ideas and papers of the Writer left behind, and reality as we experience it. The monks enough to fuel a bonfire of speculation are also charged with keeping the Abbott about appointing another writer to ‘finish’ of the order away from these books, lest he them off into a ‘final’ novel (or series). make a packet on gambling on the

15 TBS&E Number 65, April and May 2015 16 So far nothing like this has emerged from the standalone short story, posted it to the executors of Terry Pratchett’s literary estate. internet and subsequent netizan demand However, given the experience of Terry’s in- resulted in the book length treatment, and life jointly written books, feelings were mixed its two sequels, thus you could dismiss this as to whether a posthumous jointly written book as being ‘fan fiction’?. In the book could be completed as authentic sequels there are also some (fairly lame) Terry Pratchett style book. explanations of the essential but reality defying plot elements (Good and Bad As an epitath, and as a conclusion to this Nanoparticles dancing on the head of a meeting account was offered; a poor Terry metaphorical plotting pin?). Pratchett book is usually much better than It is at the end of the book that we finally his imitator’s best books. learn Why the silo was set up, with near

© Garry P. Dalrymple May 23, 2015. present day political figures, planning the setup of several survival pods ahead of a The Concord Public Library SF&F Nuclear War (or similar). The kicker being that they were planning to bring on this Discussion Group meeting of apocalypse, at a time of their own Monday, April 13, 2015, 2 to 3.30 choosing! I.e. to set out to destroy the pm. world in order to climb out of the silos generations later and claim the Earth! Present were – 14 people, 7 M and 7 F. They live like Termites?, with very limited aspirations, to ask what lies outside resulted I arrived late, by about 20 minutes, being in a death penalty of sorts. The set up delayed at the local hot Chicken place. It raised questions along the lines of the Nuke had been chocka with over-weight, shaven bomb shelter question, Who do you invite headed, 30 year old Greek-Australians in? Or would you be prepared to stay having their working man’s lunches. Not a outside, choosing a quick end rather than hat in sight, all tanned outdoor workers, a extended suffering among the ashes when vivid reminder that ‘Melanoma’ is a Greek it was safe to leave the shelter. word? At the meeting there were slightly The reality of life in the silo must be a less people than usual. This meeting had disappointment to its architects. It was set been re-scheduled to avoid the Easter up, with a host of peculiarities in order to Monday Public Holiday and not all could have a uniform culture. However, with attend a 2nd Monday of the month history destroying revolutions every few meeting? generations and at least three distinct level based cultures, it is not the homogenous News before the meeting ‘American’ culture of its architects. There Lim Goodarzi – our host, had addressed a are three books in the ‘series’, although it meeting of librarians concerned with isn’t a sequential series, the second book, Science and Science Fiction in Libraries, on ‘Sand’ deals with events some hundreds of our meeting, notes / transcripts might be years later, some hundreds of miles away, available on line somewhere. when life on the outside is more survivable.

Book discussed this meeting; It does not involve the people or set up of ‘Wool’. The third book returns to continue ’Wool’, by Hugh Howley. the story about life in the silos.

By the time that I arrived, about half Discussion of the book. present had already had delivered their As in this book, it is only at the end of the verdict on the book. Much of what I had discussion that we learn the important facts planned to say on the book was already of this book’s Why and How, how this book being offered by Ace (the Goth came to be written. It emerged that the Grandfather). We had briefly met on the writer wrote the first three Chapters, as a preceding Thursday, at Burwood’s main

16 TBS&E Number 65, April and May 2015 17 street shopping precinct and discussed the books that we found interesting or book, from a well-read fan’s perspective. memorable, even though her current book I had been out, shopping for a new DVR is a Crime / Mystery story. and ended up buying ‘Dexter’ (series 3) and ‘Twilight Zone’ (All episodes) DVDs. NB. If you are interested in this book, you We were both of the view that ‘Wool’ should also look out for my review of this lacked originality of its key plot elements book and it’s Better Reading guide. and settings, a case of ‘done better, earlier, After the discussion - elsewhere’. The May 5 meeting, (after International Star Comments on the book focussed on the Wars day) will discuss a collection of nature of life in the silo, and the curious Rudyard Kipling’s Science Fiction stories. parallel’s in other books / Movies, where life is safe inside the hive, but presumed to be © Garry P. Dalrymple April 22, 2015. deadly ‘on the outside’. ‘Logans Run’, ‘THX 138’, Dr Who’s Khaled and Tharl cities, and ‘Equilibrium’ were mentioned, amongst The Concord Public Library SF&F others. Some of the quaint details of life in Discussion Group meeting, the silo were discussed, such as stairs rather than a lift, and that while paper was scarce, Monday, May 5, 2015, 2-3.30 email communication was prohibitively pm. expensive. These were later explained in Present were – 17 people, 5 M and 12 F. the book, as part of the essential plan for life in the silo, to keep the inhabitants from News before the meeting communicating among themselves and Two new members this meeting Ann and conspiring against the authorities. Other Adriana, from Riverwood Public Library. reader’s observed that the first few The new Library at Riverwood is much into chapters, a romance between ultimately E-books. Ace had attended the funeral discard able, two elderly characters, was an for Coleen Bowland (nee Kennedy) an old unnecessary detour and delay before the Sydney fan at Cessnock. The funeral was arrival of the book’s main character, a well attended by a number of other Old wonder working, engineering savy, wonder Sydney fans of the Syncon era. woman, whose investigations and adventures drive the book. She seems to Book discussed this meeting; be only character encountered in the book ‘Rudyard Kipling’s Science Fiction who is in possession of a conscience, Stories’, Edited by Garry Dalrymple compassion and a sense of curiosity. (A R.K.S.A. youth wing project?) For readers of this meeting account, who Conclusions – Some readers, with a heroic have not had the opportunity of seeing the degree of suspension of belief, liked the collection discussed here, the collection book. included the following stories; Only two or three present wanted to read the next book in the series. Some enjoyed - ‘A Matter of Fact’ the main character’s struggles. So, it was a (From Many Inventions, 1893) story that some gagged on, some enjoyed - ‘The Ship that Found Herself’ (from to a degree, but not a Great book. The Day’s Work, 1898) - ‘.007’ (From The Day’s Work, 1898) Deviation – As the enthusiasm to discuss this - ‘The Army of a Dream’ book trailed off, an extended discussion of (From Traffics and Discoveries, 1904) Writing emerged. Olga, our Writer - ‘Wireless’ member, explained in some detail how (From Traffics and Discoveries, 1904) useful she finds this form of meeting, as we - ‘With the Night Mail: A Story of 2000 discuss aspects of Science Fiction or Fantasy A.D.’

17 TBS&E Number 65, April and May 2015 18 (From Actions and Reactions, 1909) contemporary ‘Steam Punk’ re- - ‘As Easy as A. B. C.’ (From A Diversity of envisaged past stories. In several other Creatures, 1917, written 1912) stories, Kipling describes other aspects of - ‘In the Same Boat’ (From A Diversity of the then futuristic architecture of what we Creatures, 1917, but written 1911) recognise as the present. - ‘The Eye of Allah’ What’s the book about? This book, some (From Debits and Credits, 1926) 140 or so pages was a collection of about - ‘Unprofessional’ a dozen stories written by Rudyard Kipling (From Limits and Renewals, 1932) which are easily identifiable as being And ‘Science Fiction’ all but one being written ‘A Master of out Art, Rudyard Kipling before Science Fiction was invented in considered as a Science Fiction Writer,’ by America. In the British and European Fred Lerner (2004) tradition of publishing (pre-1926) there was Discussion of the book. no ghetto-ising of ‘Science Fiction’, it was a Commonly expressed was the sentiment part of general fiction, frequently published that the Science Fiction that we usually read in mainstream popular magazines such as and discuss is based in the present or the far The Strand, its rivals and many European future looking on out to the further future. contemporaries, thus a well-rounded and In this Kipling collection, the stories written imaginative popular British writer could find from the 1890s to the 1930s, are an ‘our- a market for speculative Science Fiction past’ view looking towards about now, like stories, without being stigmatised as a rather than a distant future. Some ‘SF writer’. In a sense the work of Kipling expressed difficulty in getting some of the and others was what the first SF writers read anachronistic references in the stories, before they wrote Science Fiction. understandable in writing which is 100 or Also mentioned in discussion – I was invited more years old. The attempts at accents by Lim to explain what I had hoped to and styles was also a barrier to enjoyment. achieve by selecting this collection for the Some noticed the journalistic touches in group to read. My short answer was that I some stories, such as the dig at Americans, wanted to offer them some good Science i.e. write it up as Fiction for one side of the Fiction stories from a writer that few people Atlantic and as ‘True Adventure’ for the associate with Science Fiction. I also set American side. out to explain a bit of what I knew of It was noticed that some stories ended with Kipling’s background, to put this in context, an unexpected ‘twist’. and to demonstrate that the popular The Train Engine story – Current SF worries image of him as the writer of Kim and the about the machines, computers and Jungle books, The Voice of Empire, etc., is Androids, becoming self-aware. This story were only minor aspects of his literary deals with a Locomotive, the most complex output. While his stay in India, and his machine of its era, having a personality (as work there as a journalist, had each been does the story about the ship, a female ship deeply influential in developing his writing made up of all male working parts!). This style and point of view characters. The story was likened to a grown up precursor to major importance of this period was ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’ stories. however commercial, in that he arrived on The story of a militarised British society, which the mainstream Trans-Atlantic English occurred nearly over night, and its message Language market already known to be a of adult suffrage through military service, Best Seller in India (through his books sold was likened to Robert A Heinlein’s ‘Star Ship to the Indian Railway Bookstall monopoly) Troopers’, although it may have had more with a deep ‘bank’ of stories that could be to do with Kipling’s experiences, returning to re-published with revised and additional London during the (South African) Boer War. stories into new book length collections, The then ‘Way of the future’ technologies of with poems, songs and illustrations which Telegraph and Airship now dovetail with usually reflected a theme. His Novels, Kim

18 TBS&E Number 65, April and May 2015 19 and the Jungle Books, being basically The June meeting will discuss ‘Nineteen outliers rather than his main body of work. Eighty Four’ by George Orwell, a Science Criticisms – There were some difficulties Fiction book which is also considered to be dealing with the anachronistic language a Literary Classic. and social situations of the book, overly long © Garry P. Dalrymple May 7, 2015. ‘polite’ conversation in scenes etc. but not as much as I had expected. Notes from the Sydney Futurian Conclusions – Most present had read the SF&F Discussion meeting of collection, or at least attempted it, earning a chocolate Freddo Frog from me. Some Friday April 17, 2015. Topic; readers were very surprised and even Cannibalism and other Strange enthused at meeting another Rudyard Recipes in SF Stories. Meeting Notes Kipling to the writer they had expected to Pages 109 to 112 / Published TBS&E No. 64 meet. In all, I judge the exercise to have been a success and Lim is open to the idea Present were – Garry Dalrymple, Diane of featuring the work of another ‘Long Fox, John Fox, Ann Rankins and Dean Dead’ SF writer next year (what about the SF Wheatley, apologies were received from of Conan Doyle?). Stephen Bingle, who is still a bit unwell. Other books Mentioned include; ‘Star Ship Troopers’ by Robert A. Heinlein What we have been reading ‘The Time Machine’ by H. G. Wells’ recently; ’Wool’, by Hugh Howley GD – Is currently reading the April issue of ‘Song of the Slums’ by Richard Harland ‘The Fortean Times’ and a thematic ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’ by anthology of 15 SF stories, ‘Space-Fighters’ And various works by Jules Verne short stories, Edited by Joe Haldeman with Deviations – A drawing of the silos featured Charles G. Waugh and Martin H. in ’Wool’, by Hugh Howley, was handed Greenberg. The book is one of a series of around (not convincing). There was thematic story collections. discussion of the status quo of the current DF – Is currently reading ‘A Most Copyright wars, court actions against movie Blasphemous Play’ and ‘You Suck’ a downloaders and the Disney protection vampire story by Chris Moore. provisions, i.e. their looting of European JF - Is currently reading a collection of Mythic material is copyright protected horror short stories, ‘12 stories for late at ‘forever’, i.e. themes, characters and Night’, by Alfred Hitchcock, and a book of situations etc. provided they re-do a movie poems, ‘Poetry’ by Ian (no M.) Banks and alluding to it every 70 or so years. Ken McLeod. Noted that Disney animated movies are AR - Is currently reading ‘Golden Son’ by getting darker and darker in content. Pierce Brown, which is part two of a trilogy Ace admitted to living a life of continuous / series. This book makes sense by itself, oppressed by former wives, girlfriends and rather than requiring to read the previous children, in addition to recent weather and book. Its about life on a class structure household maintenance related injuries. obsessed Mars of the future.

DW – Is currently reading ‘Man Plus,’ by An emphatic quote, on hearing about the Fred Pohl (Dec’d), which is about a Cyborg ‘hook’ in Kipling’s ‘My True Ghost Story’ Martian terraforming pioneer, and he is (Where a night of Ghostly visitations at an enjoying it. He came across this book, an Indian Government Guest House is only visible SF title, among a ‘bring-and- described.) borrow’ pile of books that are available to ‘Finally, 100 years ago someone at people working in the building that houses last wrote a Real Ghost story.’ his workplace, a large office block at Parramatta. This revelation lead the Foxes to describe the ad hoc libraries housed in 19 TBS&E Number 65, April and May 2015 20 the waiting rooms at least two Blue idle creating new Chinese Great Walls? Mountains Railway stations, including Space and Astronomy – Pluto gets Hazelbrook. Remember when all suburban a flyby this June, 2015. railway stations had waiting rooms, full time The recent ‘Blood Moon’, Lunar Eclipse on staff and unlocked toilets? the Kabbalistically significant first day of

Nissan, (Hebrew calendar) was the shortest News full Lunar Eclipse observed for many years. Stephen Bingle has donated $50 towards Way back at the turn of the last century, I this year’s Freecon (paying for the Friday?). recall the subsequent newspaper Garry is in a book! Or at least my blurb for coverage of one that caught a lot of Ron Ward’s latest book ‘A Commissioning in people by surprise. As it was not Ammonia’ includes part of my review on an predicted to be a ‘Full’ Lunar eclipse, it inside page. wasn’t fully publicised, but it was seen as Earlwood SF&F Discussion group plans. I such in Sydney. This unanticipated total hope to get a ‘May the Fourth; letter darkness on the night of a Full Moon published in some local newspapers, caused a bit of a stir. pointing out that there is more to Science The International Space Station (ISS) is Fiction than Starwars, inviting people to my currently passing over Sydney at about 3 home for a discussion about setting up a a.m. The ISS will feature a year long, long group with twice a month meetings. duration experiment, with two Astronauts in A new Lambda Bookshop (SF friendly?) has orbit, as a trial run for trip to Mars type zero opened in the Blue Mountains, like Sapphos Gee exposure. The American one, Scott of Glebe, it isn’t actually a Gay bookshop Kelly, having a twin who will remain on the (Not that there is anything wrong with that). ground as a ‘control’. The record set on Science? Soviet era MIR remains, 400 days zero gee Tasmanian Blue Berry Leaf Tea is being exposure. investigated as a Diabetes treatment / cure. The Dawn Orbiter (March 6, 2015) has As Diabetes stalks us all, it is a particularly reached the Asteroid Ceres, currently fannish concern? Hope it works out better settling in for an extensive mapping session than a Placebo. etc. Early imaged back reveal flashes of Australian researchers are working on an light, possibly from a frozen ice sheet Alzheimers’ disease cure, a plaque covering its surface. This suggests it attacking medication. Which reminds us originally was a (massive) Comet. that ‘The Truth’, a Terry Pratchett play will be Current TV etc. performed during May by the Blue Channel 44’s 6 pm Black and White, 1940s Mountains Players. serial / matinee show, is currently showing Black is the new Black – The Black Death ‘The Invisible Man’ fighting the Crimson rides again! It’s Death Jim, but not as we Hood etc. ‘Dick Tracey’ also appears? know it. American Prairie Dogs are being New SF offerings are ‘Almost Human’, a wiped out by a flea borne illness. Their series set in 2046 where Androids can be demise and the end of their giant cops (and sex bots!), more human than earthworm like soil aeration services are their human colleagues, and A CGI version likely to lead to great habitat change (soil of ‘Thunderbirds’. compaction) and local eco-collapse. Flea ‘Believe’ seems to be a show about a child eradication efforts continue. who is initially thought to be a Christ figure, A Giant Chinese 3D Printer, capable of but turns out to be just another kid with ‘printing’ inhabitable buildings, has been some psychic powers. shown on TV and the net. At last a merciful Other repeated SF TV currently on offer end in sight to ‘The Block’ and other Real includes; ‘Dr Who’, The animated ‘Starwars Estate porn TV series? I hope it has an off / Clone Wars’ series, ‘Star Trek Next switch or it could run off over the horizon on Generation’ (always with us?), ‘Big Bang

20 TBS&E Number 65, April and May 2015 21 Theory’, and George Takei (publicity Numerous Space Wreck survival stories whore?) ex-Star Trek etc. will be interviewed feature the necessity for survival dictated on the SBS ‘The Feed’ program. cannibalism, after the ration packs run out. One that came to mind was the story Thar be Pirates! – A new season of ‘Game where the only survivor of a space of Thrones’ is available, legally, or catastrophe, rescued long after the wreck, predictably, via the usual well organised is a Mother with a small child who greets pirate sources, while at the same time her rescuers with ‘Look Junior, Food!’ or people connected to ‘The Dallas Buyers something similar. Club’, is attempting to sue unauthorized Other more metaphorical forms of space downloaders. The story is that this award lifeboat survival involve the re-cycling of winning movie failed to be a box office the dead and human wastes through on- success, losing money. The producers board closed cycle food synthesising claim that this lack of success was the result systems or using their bodies to form viable of freeloading downloaders. Others claim soil, as in Grayson’s World of David Weber’s that the movie was not distributed / ‘Honor Harrington’ universe. screened very well. Intellectual property is Harry Harrison’s Make Room Make Room, all well and good, but where does the was the second story discussed, for the balance lie, i.e. does the creation of movie ‘Soylent Green’ (is people!), where something (or acquisition of) followed by a the previous Soylent Blue, made of algae, failure to promote / release give you is supplemented by the new and (flavour) universal rights to vengeful prosecution of improved Soylent Green, allegedly downloaders at 10x video hire rates plus sourced from Soy Bean protein. $1,000 legal costs etc., or is there a need for The Twilight Zone episode ‘To Serve a small ‘fair’ automatically recovered Mankind’, was the first story on everyone’s universal statutory online download fee? mind, where the ‘Bible’, of apparently They had something like this on Audio benign Aliens is eventually translated as Cassettes and Photocopying (CAL). being … A Cook Book! A SF story from the psychedelic sixties, Discussion of the Topic; where a new fungus based drug grants Cannibalism and other Strange comic awareness, an addict produces a Recipes in SF Stories deformed but super intelligent baby with a message for mankind, which has to be Cannibalism passed on, via the consumption of the The Komodo Dragon of our near north, baby’s brain during a drug fuelled trip, practices a resource harvesting strategy, strange recipe AND cannibalism! Komodo Dragons that are too big to climb trees to hunt birds etc., simply hunt and eat Strange Recipes smaller Komodo Dragons that still can, Some Ants are known to farm Aphids and increasing the range of environmental to harvest ‘honeydew’, a sugary substance niches they can draw on. derived from sap, via the Aphid’s guts. The pre-Columbian Aztec culture, of heart From the animated series ‘Futurama’ there extracting human sacrifice fame, also is Slurm, the mysteriously sourced addictive practiced cannibalism, as a form of protein Coca Cola type drink, which turns out to recycling, as alternative sources (no Beef, be the honeydew-like excretion of a huge Sheep, Chickens etc. only Deer, Dogs and and disgusting alien worm creature. Turkeys). This, presumably has been Readers may be acquainted with ‘Moko covered in some SF stories, including those Coke’ a highly addictive, highly advertised by Harry Harrison (Dec’d) during his drink (by Fred Pohl or A. E. Van Vogt, ‘The Mexican sojourn? Space Merchants’?), in a book that is a The Morlocks of H.G. Wells ‘The Time satire on American life of the 1950s / 1960s, Machine’ ‘farmed’ the Eloi for food. focussed on the Advertising industry of

21 TBS&E Number 65, April and May 2015 22 Earth and Venus. This might be timely, an ancestor of the very conversational given that at the moment the shops are full Meat of the Day, on offer to patrons of ‘The of ‘Green Coke’, a mixture partially Restaurant at the End of the Universe,’ sweetened by the use of ‘Stevia’ a plant written by Douglas Addams. extract that tastes several times sweeter Monty Python’s Alt-History SF classic ‘The than Sucrose (Cane sugar), but which loses Life of Brian’ (featuring scenes from an its effectiveness through heat, i.e. you can’t Alien space war fought over BC / AD use it in your Tea or for cooking. Marginally Palestine) introduces us to the weird world more tasteful, the honey like ‘Bug Butter’, of Roman convenience foods such as produced by Mark Vorkosigan, sourced ‘Larks tongues, Ocelot’s spleens …‘. The from GM cockroach like bugs, a major Bible describes cooked Sparrows being for element in one of the Miles Vorkosigan / sale in Jesus’ time and hermits sustained by Barrayar series by Lois McMaster Bujold. A eating Locusts, prawns from the sky to short story, ‘The All Consuming’, in the ‘2001 present day North Africans? ‘The Life of Best Fantasy stories’ collection, is about a Brian’ also features the hermit’s sole source bloke whose ambition is to eat all species in of food – the berries of a Juniper bush the Universe, an adventure based on the (more frequently used to flavour Gin). real life adventures of the UK Oxbridge The Goons offer us the relief available from Gluttons Club, who serve up not usually ‘The Confessions of a Senna pod Addict’ consumed species. Just so you know, this as a response to Dequincy’s more firming story involves an anti-venom time travelling ‘Confessions of an Opium Addict’. machine! The Minister of Aging’s prescription for older Vegemite! An Australian favourite with a Australians, a therapeutic Kerosene bath Science Fictional / imaginative origin. for skin conditions. The world of ‘Donald Could you look at the sludge left at the Duck’ features Bombastium, a food bottom of a Beer fermenter and imagine capable of a taste exactly matching your that this could be good on toast expectations. Super Goof, Goofy after (But what on Earth do they make Bovril and eating radioactive peanuts is a character Marmite from … Dead Horses and Soylent who with superpowers. Goofy is a dog or Green)? what? ‘American Pie’, the movie and the In the world of Cordwainer Smith’s Norstralia, Neil Young song each involve strangely Stroon, a life extension drug, is extracted used foods. The Spice, in Frank Herbert’s from giant immobile mutated sheep. John ‘Dune’ series. In various forms is Wyndham’s ‘The Trouble with Lichen’ offers consumed as a food, to varying effects a similar life extending substance, initially a such as space/time navigation, longevity cosmetics additive. In this story, an and mind expansion etc. extended life is not without its new ‘The Food of the Gods,’ by H. G. Wells, difficulties. where the development of a super grain to In J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘The Lord of The Rings’, better feed the world’s starving results in beyond the Hobbit’s pre-occupation with giant domestic animals and vermin? A mushrooms and smoking ‘weed’, we counter or complimentary threat to the encounter two travelling foods, long shelf- movie ‘Silent Spring’. life breads, great improvements of Tolkien’s ‘Attack of the Killer B Girls’, where WW1, in the trenches, experience of radioactive Royal Jelly turns ordinary Hardtack. Cram is made the Hobbits, while women into bee like servants of the hive the much better tasting Lembas or and men into servile drones. Waybread is made by the Elves. Norman The ‘Mad Max’ movie with a goanna buffet Lindsay’s ‘The Magic Pudding’, Come at Barter town, while the pigs were for again, Cut again etc. is an inexhaustible farmed for car fuel methane and power food source, but bad tempered, as rather than food. opposed to Lil’ Abner’s Smoos, who enjoy The 1960s Japanese Movie about the being cooked and eaten, who are in turn discovery of an infectious Moon Fungus

22 TBS&E Number 65, April and May 2015 23 that takes over people, the last man other dental work to Vampires and standing, facing starvation, eventually eats werewolves. Dental hygiene for Dragons, the fungus and gets infected. (I do wonder requiring Blast furnace of other high if this story line was influenced by Walter temperature Fire Suit work. Barber work Miller Jr.’s non-‘A Canticle for Leibowicz’ for Vampires, I mean they can hardly plague stories?). shave themselves with mirrors? Other In the book and brief TV series ‘Alien Veterinary – C5 Vaccinations to Nation’, the newcomers like their food raw Werewolves, on the spot, or as take-away and their milk fermented, as an alcohol like self-medication service? refreshment or intoxicant, depending on amount consumed. Absolutely nothing to Travel - Does the (Sydney) Opal public do with the distilled alcoholic Mongolian transport charge card allow you to pay the fermented mare’s milk drink, coz that would ferryman for that final trip across the River be racist? Styx?

And What does Star Trek have to offer New ‘Science Fiction’ books at the Library of the Sydney Mechanics School of Arts, on this topic; The Klingon’s live bait like level 2, 280 Pitt Street Sydney ($15 for full food Gack and are intoxicated by Prune membership, $10 for a reader’s ticket) are; juice, Ferrenghi who eat insects and whose ‘Half the World by Joe Abercrombie (US) – ‘skyclad’ wives chew their food, while SF Fantasy ‘normal’ people of the future indulge in ‘The Invisible Library’ by Genevieve ‘Synth Alcohol’ or covet smuggled Romulan Cogman – Fantasy? Ale, but no-one seems concerned about ‘Trigger Warning’ by Neil Gaiman (UK) – where the matter from replicators comes Fantasy Urban Fantasy Para. Rom. from. ‘Saint Odd’ by Steven King (US) – SF A Star Trek Episode where everybody Fantasy except a dwarf had super powers, an agent ‘Robot Overlords’ by Mark Stay – SF in the food, the dwarf lacked an enzyme / NB – No SF&F E-books this month. had a food allergy the ST crew discovered © Garry Dalrymple, April 23, 2015 the agent ‘restoring’ the dwarf to his latent superpowers. Notes from the Sydney Futurian Deviations - At some point we fell to SF&F Discussion meeting of discussing organ harvesting, Vampirism and Friday May 15, 2015. Topic, Werewolf lifestyle issues, as organ harvesting (consensual or non-consensual) involves Genre Transvestism, SF & Horror ‘consuming’ humans, Vampires drink stories that start as one then human blood and in the classic sense, switch Werewolves did up and eat deceased human remains, a folk memory from Present were – Stephen Bingle, Garry medieval famine times when cannibalism of Dalrymple, Diane Fox, Brian Walls and the dead was a survival necessity for the Dean Wheatley. Apologies were poor rather than a lifestyle choice. received from John Fox. Contributing Max Headroom Deviation The volume of Virtual Futurians were; Vanessa Berry, John Chinese Government administered Masters-Brown and Simon Yates. ‘voluntary’ organ donation programs (i.e. Falun Gong Prisoners), while you wait organ Recent reading; transplant tourism etc. have affected the VB - Vanessa is currently reading a new World Church Music Market. book of supernatural short stories by an

author she likes named Kelly Link, called Paranormal Job opportunities – Dental, 'Get in Trouble'. offering ‘Guaranteed Silver Free’ fillings and SB Isn’t currently reading much. Has

23 TBS&E Number 65, April and May 2015 24 watched ‘Wormwood’, a Zombie movie pop culture references. He also saw with a difference and possibly a turning the new Terry Gilliam Sci-Fi film 'The Zero point in Human Zombie relations, as these Theorem' and found it to be interesting. Zombies are fed up with being mistreated (Comment by GD – On its publisher’s by uninfected humans, and decide to rise website, 'Ready Player One' is described as up against their oppressors! being ‘Dystopian Fiction’ so apparently GD Is currently reading ‘Genesis‘, by Poul you can read it without fear of SF genre Anderson (US), a story of life and re-birth in contamination.) post-human A.I. run Universe. But he has recently finished reading the highly Correspondence Received predictive1920 era ‘We’, by Yevgeny John Masters-Brown (a 1950s era Sydney SF Zamyatin (Rus.) the source code for the fan) announced by letter that he is better known totalitarian Dystopian SF of currently in Sydney and re-raises the issue ‘This Perfect Day’ and ‘Nineteen Eighty of a specialist ’for fans’ SF library, as the Four’ by Ira Levin and George Orwell. original Sydney Futurians used to run. He DF Is currently reading ‘The Teleportation has books that he is willing to donate. Is Accident‘, by Ned Beauman, not actually a there anyone in Sydney now willing to take SF story in spite of the name, and is looking on such a role? forward to reading ‘Fires Rising’ by Michael Laimo, based on the good promotional (Comment by GD in my mind it raises the puffs she has read. Also, she watches question; Do we have enough of a more TV on the computer screen these days ‘community’ left to support such a than on the TV / DVR etc. venture? I had thought that the SMSA BW Has only read four books this year (!) but Library was a beacon of hope, a collection has read ‘Mindstar Rising’, by Peter Hamilton with a sense of past / perspective, but by a Cyberpunk / Crime thriller type story. He the evidence of donations received for the was attracted, but disappointed by the key 2015 Freecon’s Paradox Auction, they too story, ‘Manhattan in Reverse,’ which failed are discarding SF books by a rotation to deliver what the title promised. Based on method, where a book unread for a period of time is automatically discarded.) this experience, he is unlikely to read more books by this author. Not quite reading, but News Brian ordered off Amazon a talking book JM-B Pointed out that there was a stash of treatment of some Harlan Ellison articles interesting 1950s SF at the Leichhardt (part 4.), which he listens to each night Berkelouy’s Bookshop. Brian Walls had before retiring. (GD. Brian _listens_ to a seen it as well, but reports that it had gone number of SF books each year, as talking within a day or two. book editions). Has seen ‘Glory Road’, the new Mad Max movie and also ‘Ex Art Machina’, which is likely to be his best SF&F This year’s Bienniale will feature some movie this year Science Fictional / High Concept art at DW – Is currently reading ‘Broken Angels’ by Cockatoo Island, and it’s Free. SF at an Richard Morgan (UK), which is a sequel to Art festival, Vs a fatwa against any SF ‘Altered Carbon’ but he has just finished books and Writers at Sydney’s Literary ‘Man Plus‘, by Fred Pohl (US) and enjoyed it Festivals? greatly. It is likely to be his Best Book of the Movies and TV year. Mad Max ‘Glory Road’, is out and about, SY- Simon hasn't had much time for reading sequels already being discussed (one set lately (reasons given) but was curious about on a desert planet with sand worms?). the hype surrounding a book 'Ready Player Disney has five new Starwars movies under One' (by Ernest Kline) so he read it and consideration. Numbers 7, 8 and 9 of the found it to be quite a readable story about old reckoning, with two additional movies a virtual reality world based on 80's nerd set chronologically at 7.5 and 8.5 as

24 TBS&E Number 65, April and May 2015 25 between movie movies, to flesh out the Clique’s Fatwa against allowing SF and characters in the 7, 8 and 9 movies. Surely Speculative Fiction Writers ‘equal sales / there is space for a sixth one, an ‘I Lars equal time’ or a place on the Adult books Klieg’, movie while Australian actor Jack program. Brian produced an article on Thompson is able to re-create his role as this writer that he had found in the _Travel_ Anakin Skywalker / Darth Vader’s down to section of the weekend paper. I earth step-dad (imagine the scene, assiduously trawl through the book section foreshadowing later canonical of the Spectrum ‘Arts’ supplement, where confrontations i.e., see him face off the they usually ignore genre fiction, so why Emperor and ; ‘Darth.’ ‘I am your step- wouldn’t a SF writer end up / be hidden father’)? away in a Travel section? The recent Movie ‘Limitless’ is being made There will be a Comic Convention (but into a TV series. definitely not a ‘Comic Con’) at The TV series ‘Almost Human’, a future Wollongong September 26 and 27. police procedural where one partner of the Clearly it would be wrong to claim that this team is an Android, is being screened late will be Wollongong’s only literary highlight at night and has been seen by some for 2015, so I won’t even infer it. present – verdict – OK for police drama and Garry advises that TBS&E Issues #64 (36 for SF-ishness. pages?) and #65 (28 pages?) are nearly The ‘Missy’ character in Dr Who (The Master ready to go to meet a June deadline. in female re-generation mode) is coming Science back soon. The imminent rise of Quantum Computing A SF TV series, with an unusual source will raises troubling issues, as Heisenberg and shortly be produced / screened. Schrodinger’s theories predict that if you Indigenous TV in Australia and New buy one, there is only a 50% chance that Zealand, are making a series about the opening the box will reveal an actual experiences of some GM augmented computer in the box, which is then likely to humans. These GM Augmented humans turn into a cat? with superior abilities are all, well, black and Tesla and AGL have each announced the discriminated against, while the mundane availability of ‘game changer’ domestic and discriminating humans are white. It electricity storage devices. I.e. harvest will be interesting to see how effectively this and hold ‘power’ for release at peak series harnesses the metaphorical potential demand / maximum wholesale cost of SF to ‘Aboriginal’ agendas? periods. This potential for smoothing of James Bradley, the author of ‘Clade’, which the power demand curve could eliminate is likely to be a SF themed book, will be the need for firing up ‘just in case’ power appearing at Randwick Public Library on stations and make ‘Alternative’ power Wednesday May 20, 2015, 6.15 pm onwards, sources more ‘mainstream’. a Sydney Writer’s Festival event. Mr Borg, previously an ace tennis player, James Bradley discusses his new novel. has helped create a range of Fire Proof, Clade spans three generations, reaching Nomex (used in Space Suits) underwear, into the future to ask how a changing for Scandinavian Iron workers, to protect planet may change the way we live and their assets presumably. Contemplating love in the decades to come. The Saturday ‘fit for use’, if they are actually needed, Paper has described it as 'that rarest of then they had better be stain proof as well. novels: one that stares down its harrowing Robot Dogs, for no reason that is beginning to find a sense of peace and abundantly clear, Newspapers and Radio even of wonder, while being true to itself.' this week have been rabbiting on about Bradley is an award-winning novelist, poet Robot Dogs, presumably a blizzard of press and critic. releases were behind this. This occasioned an exchange of views Fans of the Messenger spacecraft / probe about the prevailing ‘Literary Festival’ are in mourning. It was impacted into the

25 TBS&E Number 65, April and May 2015 26 surface of Mercury. Detail on the series is – ‘Pensioners Vs real slow consequences of its impact will only Zombies’. The Next Philip K. Dick Movie become known in 2024, when the next will be titled ‘And No-one gives a damn Mercury observer spacecraft passes by. about Azerbaijan’. Only 80 more days to wait, until the New Horizons spacecraft has its flyby of the non- Discussion of the Topic, Genre planet Pluto. Preliminary pictures, testing Transvestism, SF & Horror stories the cameras have already revealed better that start as one then switch. detail than Earth bound telescopes. Overview, this is a small field, once you The long thought Lost / impacted Beagle exclude the large amount of Science Mars lander has been found. It failed to go Fiction that shades into Fantasy (and Vice ‘on-line’ on landing. Its Solar Panels a Versa). Another exclusion, unconsciously deployed over its antennae, blocking made, was that of books that had covers signals to and from, so no message home that failed to represent the book’s content. received and no wake up calls sent etc. Books of the 1970s would frequently Re-animation is no doubt being discussed, feature outlandish cover art (Super-sized but is unlikely after all this time. polychrome Space Ships, the mostly nude, The Brian Walls’ Report - At one point brass space bikini etc.) just to make the Brian was pronouncing about the parlous statement ‘This is a Science Fiction Book’. state of the Sci-Fi movie industry, apparently Most of the more memorable examples Ridley Scott is ‘off’ SF these days (and onto that were mentioned were SF to Horror Crime movies?), possibly because his last books and Horror to SF. Some must have few Sci Fi movies didn’t make money, (due made for disconcerting reading, as you to underestimating the SF interested public’s bought / borrowed the book for the taste?) and mentioned that there was one promise of the cover. Given the small SF story he has had the contract on for 30 number we discussed, it would be difficult years! He is willing to Produce the movie, to divide these into two streams, those but not direct it, or vice a versa. Drone where it seems the author intended the Movies and TV are likely to be filling the transition from the beginning, and the airwaves shortly. (Question: How do you other, less creditworthy stream, where the stop an imminent lethal Drone attack? writer just lost track / ran out of things to say Answer; you just send up a Queen Bee, and and so switched genres out of a urgent all the Drones will fight to the death to need to conclude and get on with impregnate her, then die!) Also mentioned something more credit worthy? in this vein is; that when reading a Richard In ‘The Stand’, by Stephen King, (who also Morgan book, it is very easy to see this being wrote SF before he made it big as a horror translated into a movie. A movie version of Writer), the story starts out as Apocalyptic Arthur C. Clarke’s ‘Childhood’s End’, is Science Fiction, with a weaponised plague currently being made in Melbourne (really? intended as a targeted weapon ‘going As a sequel to ‘On the Beach’?). Brian viral’. It was designed to be genetically / handed around a Print on Demand book racially targeted and it evolves so that that he has recently bought, ‘The immunity is only temporary. Then the story Singularity’, by Tony Thorne. The interesting turns to Supernatural Horror, survivors have feature of it being that it includes ‘new’ to pick a side, Good or Bad, the chief data, i.e. the text can be revised almost live baddie could be a real live Demon, or at and printed / delivered in a week, rather least an embodiment of Chuthulu like than the 18 month print / delivery cycle for older evil Ghods etc. This story ends with more formally produced books. the few survivors attempting to re-settle the Possibly? now uninhabited USA. The next new Slow PC Scandinavian Sci-Fi TV

26 TBS&E Number 65, April and May 2015 27 In the ‘Perelunda, out of the Silent Planet’ In Ian Mathieson’s story, ‘I am Legend’, trilogy by C.S. Lewis, there are three very made into three movies, ‘Legend’, ‘The different books. This series came about as Omega Man’ and the Vincent Price one, a bet between members of ‘The Inklings’ a the sole survivor of a plague experiences literary fellowship / drinking group, which first an apocalypse and then a Vampire / included C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, for Zombie type turnout, all different in theses Fantasy Writers to write a SF book emphasis to the original story? (Tolkien’s contribution is not well regarded, In ‘Herbert West, The Re-animator’, starts as clearly not his best work). C.S. Lewis’ a SF story, about bringing the dead back contribution starts off with a SF story, an to life via technology, but then Demons interplanetary journey to Earth, to find out show up, readily inhabiting the ‘blank’ re- why it is the ‘Silent Planet’ on the prayer animated and they try to take over the wavelength. Then it goes Fantasy for the process, to reanimate the dead wholesale, second book, before concluding with a as part of a Demonic plan for world Crime-on-Campus Thriller, where the culprit dominance. could be a Space Alien, or a Super-natural ‘Howard the Duck’, starts off with an Demon. Alternate Earth – where Ducks are people – and then swerves off to a Lovecraftian Crime - There are numerous Private horror story sub-plot. Investigator stories, where following Sherlock Mel Odam, is responsible for a SF noir Holmes dictum, elimination of the impossible detective, exiled by choice to Hawaii. His leads to the improbable, the pursuit of a Main Character is a 3 foot tall alien with a Science Fictional McGuffin (‘Chase the camel shaped head, in order to protect McGuffin’ is a story?) where usually a the reader from a book unworthy of mundane crime leads the investigator onto reading, I won’t even disclose the title. a Science Fictional World Threat (as in so many Bond movies?). The list of Crime / To this, on reflection, I would have to add Thriller writers who occasionally Genre Margaret Attwood’s ‘The Hand Maiden’s ‘trespass’, to occasionally borrow Science Tale’, which must be ‘Horror’ because she Fiction tools and themes from their genre famously declared that she does not write neighbour’s garage is long, Tom Clancy, Science Fiction, where at the very end of Michael Chrichton (Dec’d), Gayle Lynds, the book there is a science fictional closing Matthew Riley and Brad Thor come to mind. chapter, where at a conference of the For example, ‘Firefox’, made in the 1970s, world’s Scientific leaders, the until now features an attempt to steal a Russian fighter denied background of the story is plane, which needs Clint Eastwood, a revealed, in the form of a paper on the fighter jock with the Right Stuff, who can Republic of Gilead, as seen through the think in Russian! manuscript of the preceding story.

Going from Science Fiction ish (and Science This Month’s New ‘Science Fiction’ books at Fiction Parody to Horror are; the Sydney Mechanics School of Arts ‘The Ten Tigers of Canton’ a Dr Who Library, level 2, 280 Pitt Street Sydney ($15 Novelisation, where the Dr or a companion for full membership, $10 for a reader’s encounters a great Eastern Sage / Martial ticket) include; arts mentor, and the book shifts into being a ‘Red Century,’ by Joe Abercrombie – SF Kung Fu fight story. ‘Werewolf Cop,’ ‘The Dead Zone’ features a detective who by Andrew Klavan – Urban Fantasy can go into a scientifically induced coma, ‘Arrow’s Flight,’ into the ‘Dead Zone’, to view the future, but by Mercedes Lackey – Fantasy this soon involves Supernatural entities, ‘Something Coming through‘, Demons et al. by Paul J. MacAuley – SF ‘Fortunes Blight’ by Evie Manieri – Fantasy

27 TBS&E Number 65, April and May 2015 28 ‘Arms-Commander,’ by L. E. Modesitt – SF partnership with an advanced A.I. The ‘Cydor’s heir,’ by L. E. Modesitt – Fantasy realization is that it must be intelligent ‘Those Above’, by Daniel Polansky machines rather than flesh and blood ‘Fish Tales’, by Sheri S. Tepper humans that will be going out into space ‘The Iron Ghost’, by Jen Williams as representatives of human civilisation, ‘Time Trips, Various Authors, Anthology – SF boldly going etc. Back on Earth, progress is being made in A.I. design, and before Items received for the 2015 Freecon’s the main character’s death it is possible for Paradox Auction; his consciousness and life experiences to Book be uploaded and sent off to pioneer new ‘Strange Territory’, by Jean West Penna worlds. On Earth, control is gradually DVDs ceded by humans to the machines, ‘Battle of the Damned‘- Robots Vs Zombies redefining the nature of human life now ‘Blood Glacier’- ‘The Thing’ and ‘The Blob’ that there is an A.I. Ghod in charge of reconsidered, but on Ice? everything that matters. Out in the ‘Blood Suckers’ and ‘Blood Thirst’- Drive in universe, the A.I.s spread into a self- movie UK Horror Double feature directing galactic network of intelligences, ‘Ice Spiders’ – Giant Spiders and a Ski Resort the consciousness of the Universe and all ‘The Jupiter Menace’- Jovian Gravitational that! Apocalypse (that didn’t happen) Conclusion – This is a short review because ‘The Remaining’- Tribulations after ’The I do not think the book is good enough to Rapture’ deserve a longer treatment. The book suffers by its disjointed and episodic nature, clearly made up of parts, disjoint parts. It may well have been a brilliant original short story in 1995, but 20 years on, things have well and truly moved on. Best to see it as a Juvenile SF story, you would be better served reading Ian M. Banks’ Culture stories, where the humans and A.I.s are more ‘human’ and developed. © Garry P Dalrymple, May 18, 2015

‘Lincoln the Unknown’,

by Dale Carnegie (US, Dec’d) Books A to Z by Author or lead Editor A Biography of Abraham Lincoln, focussed ‘Genesis’, by Poul Anderson (US) on the events of his private life, © 1932, 256 ‘Lincoln the Unknown’, pages, Hardback, 24 mm. Read April 22 to 25, 2015. by Dale Carnegie ‘We’, by Yevgeny Zamyatin (Rus.) This book, a chance discovery at St. Vinnies caught my eye, not so much for its subject ‘Genesis’, by Poul Anderson (US) SF, and Author, but for its inner cover, which is © 2000 (from a 1995 short story), 253 pages, filled with the type of hopefully sincere Hard Back, a Library Discard, 35 mm, congratulatory notes that you expect to Read May 13 to 20?, 2015. see on a workplace retirement card. This book was awarded on completion of a This book starts with a boy under a Mid- West Dale Carnegie ‘Leadership Principles’ sky, wondering about his role in the Universe Personal Development course. and the future. He grows up to live the dream, as an explorer on Mercury, in The book details Lincoln’s origins, his youth, his frequently unsuccessful career

28 TBS&E Number 65, April and May 2015 29 attempts, his eventual gravitation to Law heredity. As it was written in the 1920s, and thence to politics. Carnegie’s text while people who knew Lincoln in life, this leads the reader to a view that Lincoln text at times admits to exclusions of detail believed that the voice of his ‘Better and the names of those involved, to Angels’, were the result of his illegitimate protect the reputations of those then still descent from a Virginian Planter living, so there is a balance struck between grandfather who played no part in his life, immediacy and self-censorship which rather than from his father’s poverty and would not be the case if this book were Lincoln’s experiences of life on the social written today. I am reminded of the film and geographic margins of American life. footage of the 1938 ‘Gettysburg Reunion’, A point that emerges about the America of where still living veterans of both sides of Lincoln’s experience, and which was the civil war met once more in amity and perhaps very important and anodyne when recreated some aspects of the battle for this book was written, was that Lincoln, a the movie cameras. Rather more President of the United States, came from a informative than a movie. © Garry P background of continuing ‘Second Dalrymple, April 26, 2015 Chances’, a series economic failures and ‘We’, by Yevgeny Zamyatin (Rus. then re-locations to seek new opportunities Dec’d), © 1923, 232 pages, 21 mm. at the borders of the unrolling American Read April 26 to May 12, 2015. experience. I.e. that you the immigrant or the unemployed may still rise to prominence ‘We’ starts off as a journal by an obedient in this (1929) modern America. Carnegie subject of an austere mathematically documents the unusual path of Lincoln’s exact totalitarian regime, way beyond any unlikely rise to political prominence, in the North Korean fantasy, the state that was context of the inevitable conflict of that the only survivor of a worldwide civil war time, how can a ‘Free’ America be part some two hundred or so years before. It is slave holding? Again, the message for this inferred that this war involved nuclear book’s first audience might be seen as a weapons! Instead of names citizens have reflection on a then divided great a letter and a number, i.e. the main depression era America, between the character is D503. The regime is led by a economically ‘Free’ and the economically ‘Benefactor’, who occasionally purifies deprived. The major part of the book, and malcontents in mass public ceremonies, the major insight I drew from it was about where the malcontents admit their fault Lincoln’s marriage, and the consequences and gratefully accept their incineration. of his egregious wife. The Civil War is The main character is a citizen of the discussed briefly, mostly as it related to regime who is also the chief designer of Lincoln’s personal crises. Lincoln’s the Integral, the regime’s prestige project, assassination, and the travails of his assassin a spaceship that will take the gift of the receiving more coverage than the Civil War. regime’s philosophy to new worlds and to The story concludes with an ‘after-life’ new as yet undiscovered alien species. episode, the twilight of Mrs Lincoln and a His regimented life is described, all citizens surprising Presidential Body Snatching literally live in glass houses, work, recreation attempt! and even sexual relations are scheduled. He lives in a glass city / state with a green Conclusion – With its focus on the personal wilderness walled out by glass walls. rather than the broad canvas of the events Whether this wilderness is outside the state, surrounding the US Civil War and President or enclosed by it, is of no importance Lincoln’s public life it offers an interesting whatsoever to citizens. He is content, perspective, with an underlying message, I because he knows no other way to be. guess, that Lincoln’s political success was in He starts his journal as his contribution to a part propelled by an unsatisfactory private society wide call for Art to be carried on life, and in part by his experiences and the Integral to convey understanding of

29 TBS&E Number 65, April and May 2015 30 the perfection of life that the regime Four’ imagined in the era of Fritz Lang’s promises. ‘Metropolis’, ‘We’ does with logic and He imagines that a daily account of his life philosophy what drugs were able to do in and thoughts will show the untutored aliens ‘This Perfect Day’, and ‘Nineteen Eighty the contentment that they have to look Four’ reflected Nazi and Soviet methods of forward to, then things start to go wrong for WW2. It is I feel an important book to him. His sex partner (weekly sex coupons read, but at times I found it difficult to are prescribed weekly, allowing the follow. The version I read was translated opaquing of glass walls for the prescribed into English in 1972, (as through a mirror hour, and child care worker O90 wants to darkly?) and expect that this would explain have an illegal baby, the dissent that this some of the difficulties I experienced in represents being a capital crime. And reading it. then he meets his Julia, I330 an attractive, rule breaking woman, who leads / seduces © G. Dalrymple, May 18, 2015 him to a realization that there are dissidents within the state, that there the outer world is populated. He falls in with their plans, to take over the Integral. Part of their plan is Garry’s Reading during 2014 an act of public dissent and defiance, on Seeing other ANZAPANs tally of last year’s unity day, the results of which are deeply reading, while preparing TBS&E 65mco, I disturbing for C503. The regime’s response thought I’d have a look at my own track is to cancel public education and instead record, as reconstructed from diary entries. start a society wide process, by radiation to There were many blank spaces, weeks of the brain, to eliminate imagination from the active distraction or passive inattention, so population. my actual reading tally for 2014 would As the structure of this society breaks down, have to at least 5 to 10% higher than the C503 goes to the Benefactor to apologise suspiciously convenient total of ’50 ea’ for his role and seek purification, where he books that I could document. discovers that the Benefactor was ‘in’ on the plans of the dissidents. C503 takes the So What did I read during 2014? treatment. Well, 50 books, plus 12 issues of The Fortean Comment and conclusions – ‘We’ was Times (UK) and 4 of The Skeptic (Aust.) written in Russia, during 1920 and rather presciently, it was almost immediately Data banned by the Bolsheviks. “Republican Party Reptile”, Having read this book, it throws into a by P. J. O’Rourke completely different light George Orwell’s “John Tebbutt”, by Ragbir Bhathal ‘Nineteen Eighty Four’ (1947) and Ira Levin’s “Earth is Room enough”, by Isaac Asimov ‘This Perfect Day’ (1960s?), as the DNA of ANZAPA Mailings #276, #275 and #274 both books about, Dystopian life under “Prince of Australia” by Kevin Childs Totalitarianism is there to see, a meek “Non-Stop” by Brian Aldiss character turning from conformity by “Letters from America“, by Alistair Cooke thinking too much, the temptress as the “Bride Price”, by Cat Sparks door opener to a world within a world of the “The Beekeeper’s Lament”, by H. Nordhaus small dissident underground, the uncertainty “Dude, Where’s my Country”, over the morality of dissent and the final by Mike Moore revelation, that ‘The Man’ knew about the “Stepsons of Terra”, by Robert Silverberg underground’s plans, before they did. The “Longitude”, by Dava Sobel difference in the three books is that of style “Them Bones,” by Howard Waldrop reflecting the era in which they were “Blue Beard,” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. originally written, ‘We’ is ‘Nineteen Eighty “An utterly exasperating History of the UK,”

30 TBS&E Number 65, April and May 2015 31 by John O’Farrell 3 ea or 6 % and 4 ea ‘Other’ or 8 %. “The Martian Ambassador” by Alan K. Baker By Authorship this breaks down to; “Who let the dogs in?” by Molly Ivens By Gender, Male, 42 ea, or 84% and “The Outcasts of Heaven’s Belt” Female 8 ea or 16 %. by Joan D. Vinge “The corrupting of Dr Nice,” by John Kessel By Nationality, USAsian 33 ea or 66%, UK 12 “Dearly Devoted Dexter,” by Jeff Lindsey ea or 24% Aust. 4 ea or 8 % and 1ea Italian “Flashman”, by George MacDonald Fraser or 2 %. “Mentats of Dune,” by Kevin J. Anderson & Brian Herbert I would note though, that both the Fortean “Why Do Men have Nipples”, Times and the Skeptic are each nearly a by Mark Leyner & Billy Goldberg M. D. book length reading commitment, so if you “Made in America”, by Bill Bryson include these as ‘books’ it does dilute the “Nova Swing”, by M. J. Harrison American-ness of my reading … a bit. “The Time Ships”, by Stephen Baxter While writing this it occurred to me that an “1632,” by Eric Flint equally significant figure, which I do not “1633” by David Weber have to hand is an estimate of the “1634” by Eric Flint & David Weber average age of me reading, I.e. as most of “1634, The Galileo Affair,” the books I prefer to read are older, by Eric Flint & Andrew Dennis bought second hand or gathered as library “1635, Cannon Law, discards, my ‘average book’ would be by Eric Flint & Andrew Dennis closer to Retro-Hugo than Hugo or current “O’ Pioneer”, by Frederic Pohl year’s Ditmar, perhaps something to focus “Thuvia, Maid of Mars”, on when recording this year’s reading. by Edgar Rice Burroughs “Saladin in his Time,” by P. H. Newby “Robots uprising.” A collection, by Various “The Comic Book Bible” by Ghod “The Great Freeze,” by Robert Silverberg Oh the Humidity! – Each year I seem to “Total Eclipse”, by John Brunner experience two seasons, gunked up ear “Fire of a Thousand Suns” season and split heels season, both due to by George R. Caron & Charlotte E. Meares. the variability in humidity that Sydney “Livid” by Francesco Verso enjoys. “The Stuart’s Secret Army, English Jacobites” Over recent warm months the humidity by Evelyn Lord rarely dropped below the eighties, “The Ring of Rintonel” by ?? currently it is down to the mid-forties, “The Weapon Shops of Issur”, except for afternoon showers. Split heels by A. E. Van Vogt are a pain, and the bane of any plans for “Pendulum” by A. E. Van Vogt a Winter get-fit / walk the dogs more “Gateway”, by Frederic Pohl initiative. “The Wall around Eden”, by Joan Slonczewski Local Developments – Clemton Park, “The Prisoner of Abkazan” by J. K. Rowling Bexley Road and William Street intersection “The Germ Breeders”, by Potter is undergoing an extreme makeover, the “The Darwin awards III,” by Wendy Northcutt Supreme Pizza place has moved from next “1603”, by Christopher Lee door to the O.E.S. flats to the corner store corner, while across the road the Analysis Greenhouse Lighting shop has been By Genre my reading was; SF, 30 ea or 60%, gutted and the hot chicken shop is being Historical 9 ea or 18 %, Non Fiction (not extended. The same bloke owns all counting Historical) 4 ea or 8 %, US Political, three food outlets. The Pizza shop is

31 TBS&E Number 65, April and May 2015 32 something to see, up to fifteen people up with a beef stock cube and they will behind the counter, earning wages in a eat it, after all the ‘proper’ dog food is relatively narrow shop, that is, when it is gone. open, it has to take in at least $3,000 an Mother – Nothing much like progress to hour, just to make wages! report, Mother is in bed ~20 hours a day. She gets up for pills / breakfast / lunch, Walking to the Railway Square busses after then goes back to bed. It usually takes the May Futurian Meeting I espied the her about 30 minutes to work herself into a coppery hues of a 2 cent coin on the rage from a good morning wake up. pavement. Very unexpected! So I picked it up and it proved to be a New An Index to Garry’s Book Reviews Zealand 10 cent piece! How the mighty contained in this issue, organized A have shrunk! All this while the NZ dollar to Z by Author, starting on page 28. advances and recedes towards parity with the Australian Dollar, but their coins will still ‘Genesis’, by Poul Anderson (US) be half sized! ‘Lincoln the Unknown’, by Dale Carnegie ‘We’, by Yevgeny Zamyatin (Rus.)

While taking Amber and Rusty to the vet to get their C5 vaccinations, an essential prerequisite for dog boarding, itself a prerequisite for my ticket of leave to go to SF conventions, Rusty’s collar broke, the leather giving way. We have had these collars, since the first basenjis arrived in 1988.

They are converted greyhound collars, being as wide as a Peter Hamilton book is thick. Replacement cost, three for $50, All finished. Now time for bed and delivery paid, ordered off the internet. The dreams of friendly mailing comments? point of these collars is that they are so wide that no matter how hard a Basenjis pulls it can’t do it’s throat any damage. To make these work though, I did have to drill out some additional holes, as Basenjis necks are slimmer than Greyhound ones, and as they age, Basenjis get slimmer still, requiring additional notches for a safe fit. Another advantage of these wider collars was on the occasion my then elderly Basenjis was attacked by a pit bull, it went for Mystiques throat, which fortunately was protected by the width of the collar.

An odd thing happened recently, someone left a 25 kg bag of Chickpeas propped up against a telephone pole outside a neighbour’s house. It was left out in the weather for a week until I decided that it might do as supplementary dog food for the inclined to be vegetarian Basenjis. Boiled it

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I bet you yawned when you saw the puppy, didn’t you?

This has been TBS&E #65, an ANZAPA newsletter written and edited by Garry P. Dalrymple © May 23, 2015.

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