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SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW Formerly THE ALIEN CRITIC^ P. O. Box 11408 COVER BY GRANT CANFIELD Portland, OR November, 1975 Volume Four, Number Four ALIEN THOUGHTS 4 97211 Whole Number Fifteen SPEC FIC AND THE PERRY RHODAN GHETTO RICHARD E. GEIS By Donald C. Thompson 6 Editor & Publ isher Commentary by R. E.G. With REV I EWS A Letter from Bob Silverberg ALL UNCREDITED WRITING IS A Ouote from Silverberg THE LAND LEVIATHAN And a Commentary by I RON CAGE BY THE EDITOR IN ONE GEIS Darrell Schweitzer Reviewed by Lynne Holdom- 10 OR ANOTHER THE CAMP OF THE SAINTS AN' INTERVIEW WITH Reviewed by Lynne Holdom- 16 PUBLISHED QUARTERLY L. SPRAGUE DE CAMP SPACE: 1999 17 Feb., May. Aug. Nov. By Darrell Schweitzer II ICE AND IRON 18

FOLLOW-UP INTERVIEW ANDROMEDA GUN 18 Single Copy $1. 25 By Richard E. Geis 14 SWAMPWORLD WEST 18 BORN WITH THE DEAD - 18 THE ALTER-EGO VIEWPOINT SERVING !N TIME SUBSCRIPTIONS A Dialogue 18 RENEGADES OF TIME HERDS UNITED STATES: $4. 00 One Year $7. 00 Two Years THGT8 CRASH LANDING ON IDUNA UFFM GATES OF THE UNIVERSE CANADA*: US§4. 50 One Year A Column by Ted White 20 WALLS WITHIN WALLS US$8. 00 Two Years Reviewed by Lynne Holdom- 23 •Canadians may pay with personal SMALL PRESS NOTES— —26 THE HERITAGE OF HASTUR cheques if the chequing acct. Reviewed by Lynne Holdom- 24 number on their cheques is printed in computer numerals. (Thus we be- PROZINE NOTES 27 ALMURIC 26 come slaves to the needs of the THE JAQE MAN’S EYES 27 Machine. THE GIMLET EYE LANKAR OF CALLISTO UNITED KINGDOM: £1.98 One Year Commentary On Science Reviewed by Frederick Patten- 30 £3. 43 Two Years Art To Agent: Wta. Dawsqn & Sons Fiction & ET I DO RHP Reviewed by Neal Wilgus 30 Cannon House By Jon Gustafson 42 Folkestone, Kent, TOMORROW MIGHT BE DIFFERENT CT19 5EE PLANET Unclassified Ads 46 AUSTRALIA and all other Foreign & Reviewed by Neal Wilgus* 31 Strange Places: US$4. 50 One Year THE INVESTIGATION US$8, 00 Two Years The Publ i shers 47 Reviewed by Bill Gibson 35 All foreign subscriptions must be paid in U. S. dollar cheques or BEST SCIENCE FICTION STORIES ALIEN CONCLUSIONS 48 money orders, except the U.K. OF THE YEAR: FOURTH ANNUAL COLLECTION (del Rey) LETTERS Reviewed by Frederick Patten- -38 BEST SCIENCE FICTION OF THE YEAR Robert Silverberg 9 COPYRIGHT 1975 BY — #4 (Carr) 0 Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. 10 Reviewed byPeter Mandler — -38 RICHARD E. GEIS FOR THE

Phil ip Jose Farmer 1 IN THE WAKE OF MAN CONTR I BUTORS Reviewed Buzz Dixon- -39 Charles Runyon 16 by Darrell Schweitzer 19 THE STOCHASTIC MAN 40 23 AT THE NARROW PASSAGE TUNNEL THROUGH THE DEEPS 23 James K. Burk THE WHENABOUTS OF BURR Yvonne MacManus 25 Reviewed by Lynne Holdom 40 Tim Whalen 27 OPTIONS

Rev i ewed by Mai Warwick •40 Robert Reginald 29 THE COMPANION- 41 Jerry Pournelle 31 SCIENCE FICTION BOOK REVIEW Warren 33 George INDEX 1923 - 1973 41 Ken Bulmer II I LLUMINATUS! 41 44 Jessica .Amanda Salmonson AMPHIGOREY 41 45-48 Pearl— THE PROUD ENEMY 45 Donald H. Tuck 48 SPECIAL FEATURE 46 Harry Warner, Jr,-- 49 Buzz Dixon 49

C. C. Clingan 49 is Arne C. Eastman 49 SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW IS AVAILABLE SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW published at 1525 N.E Ainsworth, Portland, OR David Haugh 49 IN MICROFICHE FROM: GEORGE HAY

38B Compton Rd, Appl i cation t o mail at second class Ken Bulmer 50 London. N. 21., postage rates is pending at Portland, Jean-Claude Zylberstein 50 UNITED KINGDOM Oregon. —

ALIEN THOUGHTS Thus I am finally seriously edging in- to the arena.

"The One Immortal Man" is just about

(in essense) what I would like to see more

of in science fiction. I think there is

a realism, an adultness in attitude, in philosophy, which is hungered for and sel- THE HUGO AWARDS were presented at Aus- dom satisfied. siecon, the 33rd World Science Fiction Con-

vention, held at Melbourne, Australia, in All this sounds arrogant as hell. An- August. other ten pounds of hubris to carry around. So be it. BEST NOVEL: THE DISPOSSESSED by Ursula K. the second Peter Weston edited ANDROMEDA Le Guin. series of original s-f collections. The BEST NOVELLA: "A Song for Lya" by George books will be published in England start- THE EDITOR MOANED TO ALTER-EGO: Damn it, R. R. Martin. ing in 1976. The publisher has a working five Where am BEST NOVELETTE: "Adrift Just Off the Islets I'm short pages this issue. arrangement with Dell, I understand, and I going to put The Archives? of Langerhans" by . it is expected that ANDROMEDA will appear BEST : "The Hole Man" by Larry in the United States in due time. "What. ..no more room? No Archives? Niven. Thank God! If you knew how bloody tired I The novelet is titled "The One BEST Immort- PROFESSIONAL EDITOR: Ben Bova, of am of organizing and typing those endless al Man" and there is a small tale behind ANALOG. columns of titles, dates, authors, prices, it. BEST PROFESSIONAL ARTIST: Kelly Freas. publishers..." BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION: YOUNG FRANKEN- I wrote it originally, on-stencil, in But—The Archives are Necessary, an STEIN. my 1972 personalzine, RICHARD E. GEIS #3. on-going record of books and magazines re- BEST FANZINE: THE ALIEN CRITIC. Its title then was, tongue-in-cheekily, ceived. They BEST FAN WRITER: Richard E. Geis. "Tomb It May Concern." "They're a waste of time and space, BEST FAN ARTIST: Bill Rotsler. Geis. Ditch 'em! 99$ of the readers Peter Weston remembered it, and when would rather have more commentary on cur- he was given the editorship of the ANDROM- Other awards given at the : rent stories and s-f happenings." EDA books earlier this year, asked if I'd : A. Bertram Little Men's "Invisible Man" Yes, I've read letters saying that, send him the manuscript. Chandler. but The Archives have been my conscience First Fandom A ward: Donald A. Wollheim. I had in the meanwhile rewritten the salver. By listing all books received I

"Big Heart" Award : Don Tuck. rough draft that had appeared in REG #3 felt better about my inability to review "Grand Master of Fantasy" (Gandalf) Award : and sent it to Virginia Kidd, my agent-in- them all. A listing is better than nothing. . waiting. She had liked it but was unable And the lits of publishers' addresses. ..I

John W. Campbell Award : P.J. Plauger. to find a market for it... it being still figured these were valuable, so readers Committee Awards : Donald A. Wollheim and too tough, sexy, violent for the straight could order books direct. Walt Lee. s-f markets. "I see your point, Guilty-One, but con- sider the option of printing the publish- Subsequently Virginia and I decided to Thank you to the many Hugo voters who er's address with each review! See, that end our relationship, mostly because to felt THE ALIEN CRITIC the best fanzine of way if a reader after reading a review or her frustration I insisted on publishing 197^, and who thought I was the best fan comment decides he wants to get that book THE ALIEN CRITIC and then SCIENCE FICTION writer. or magazine and can't find it down at the REVIEW instead of writing science fiction local store, he can still order it direct. But I warn you— I'll be impossible as I had told everyone I was going to. The address is right there with the review. to live with. You have no idea what win- I had the once-revised ms. of "The One No hunting through The Archives." ning two Hugoes in one year does to a pure, Immortal Man" in hand when Pete asked to Yesss... But I can't do that this is- innocent ego like mine. see it. I sent it. He and the publisher sue. Almost the whole magazine is already

As for Alter-Ego... He sits down in liked it very much. ..and wanted some chang- pasted-up on layout sheets. the dungeon fondling them, muttering, pol- es made. "Dum-dum, you've got room for the pub- ishing, chortling.... lishers' addresses this issue. I noticed I had to admit the changes Pete asked an empty page. ..there!" I have made some comments on the other were legitimate, and improved the story. I really hate to abandon The Archives. Hugo winners in my GALAXY column, scheduled They are minor, but necessary. The essen- The bibliographers will hate me. for sometime early in 1976. Not sure which tial toughness and adultness of the novel- "Listen, you've got five more books issue, since the publishers keep skipping ette remains. Some of the sex and graphic stacked up here waiting to be reviewed. issues. Last I heard the December and Jan- violence has been toned down. One action/ You've still to write the "Small Press uary issues would be combined, and that killing sequence "promised" by the story Notes" and the "Prozine Notes" for this probably another combined issue would hap- (but not delivered—cheating the reader issue. You have to have room to summar- pen in the Spring. and necessary to the story's resolution) ize and short-quote at least a dozen let- is added. The shocking final scene re- ters you want desperately to print in full, mains. so screw The Archives, Geis. You've got to It gives me great pleasure, truly, to And I've promised to write a sequel. be ruthless. Merciless. First priority let you know that I'll have a novelet in 4 must go to reviews and commentary and let- "

ters. Take my advice. Print the publish- I'll be doing my own interviews from

ers' addresses in this issue, then begin JAMES BLISH DIED Wednesday, July 30th now on, mostly, I think, three to six mon- the new addresses-with-reviews next issue." 1975» of cancer. ths before publication, to avoid long de-

Oh, easy for you to say, because you We've lost another good one. he'll lays and to ask the questions I want ask- have absolutely no conscience at all, the be best remembered for his Hugo-winning ed, and to insure exclusivity and fresh-

ethics of a goat in a field of flowers, novel, A CASE OF CONSCIENCE, his Cities ness.

the morals of a successful politician.... in Flight series, and his little-known, There will be a just-arrived "Noise

God, how I envy you, Alter. very fine historical novel, DR. MIRABIL- Level column by John Brunner. (You think "So if the lousy Archives are so prec- IS. writing is fun and games? Wait till you ious, send back all the full-page advertis- Everyone must die. The tragedy is read this one!) ing you've accepted. That would make room to die before one's work is . There will be a very readable, conver- — Our great loss is that Jim's best work for sational-style article on Philip K. Dick The Archives » had yet to be written. On the other hand are too by Terence M. Green. time-consuming... And the advertising is George Warren WILL send his review of making the heavy cover possible on this is- Bester's THE COMPUTER CONNECTION. ed for January appearance will be titled sue.... And wild horses couldn't keep Jon Gus- ODYSSEY. A fine title. I had thought all "I knew you'd find a way to see the tafson from sending his popular column. the good s-f titles were used up. The pub- wisdom of my advice, Geis. Your problem Also—inevitably—someone will send lisher is the same company that publishes is you're run-down, tired. ..you need a va- an article or column I can't refuse. I Why let me take SAGA. cation. don't you over already have a long, meaty letter from The quarterly schedule is (I am told) the forebrain for a few days? Close your Michael G. Coney. And Richard Lupoff is me tentative, so that if the first issue's eyes. ...let slide into the control pod. doing a double review... sales don't come up to expectations (on a Just let yourself sink down into the medula I have asked Stephen Fabian to do a spot-check basis, I presume), the project far a sweet rest. ..soothing. ...quiet...." cover. can be dropped with minimal loss. I may also have a surprise interview AKK! NO! Down! Get away from me! with a pseudonym. Keep your slimy tendrils off my buttons.

I am master here! I am in command. I am Back issues of THE ALIEN CRITIC are the Prime Self, and don't you forget it! dwindling... I've decided, since #5, #6, The 34th World Science Fiction Conven- I "Huh. Thought had you there for a and #7 (photo-offset 5 %. x 8% size) are in tion will be held in Kansas City, Sept. few seconds. Well, there'll come a time." their last 100 or so, it would be a good 2-6, 1976. The convention committee is No way, Alter. To prove my decisive- idea to paste them up in the 8y2 x 11 news- determined to keep the size of the Con ness, my superior will, I'll even make a print format of SFR #14 in printings of within bounds. They are being very tough further cut. The Keith Laumer interview 3000, for long-term availability. Same and professional. Observe the membership scheduled for this issue will have to go for TAC #8-9-10-12, the mimeograph edit- rates below and act accordingly. Frankly, the way of the Darrell Schweitzer article ions. #11 was a photo-offset 5% x 8% is- they boggle my mind. Latecomers will be so often postponed. sue, and it, too, in time, will go to the screaming bloody murder. "Why, Geis, your guts astonishes me." 8% x 11 format. Well, the interview is valuable and in- Eventually all back issues will be in teresting and worth, reading for the .Laumer the standard size, reprinted. comments on his work and the world, but it I am somewhat bemused to realize, after M€MB€RSHIPS is three years old, did first appear in a startled look in the other half of the The membership rates for MidAmeriCon are

THRUST, and since I am unable to update it basement, that I have only about 280 copies as follows : Attending Supporting or even find out if Laumer is still writing of SFR 14 left. ..out of 4000. Another re- until Dec. 31, 1975 $15.00 $5.00 (after recovering from his stroke). ..I'll print order. Jan. 1, 1976 to April 30. 1976 20.00 6.00

pull it and devote the space to more let- May 1, 1976 to July 31, 1976 25.00 6.00

After Aug. 1 1976 at the door 50.00 6.00 ters, reviews and such. I never seem to , & have enough room in this magazine for my- Andy Porter, editor and publisher of ALGOL, self, anyway. took exception to my statement last issue sMe************^************************** that SFR has twice as many words as the "You assume the readers would rather current issue of ALGOL. Count your words, read you and letters and reviews than warm- Geis, he challenges, and I'll have my ed-over Laumer, huh?" typesetter give figures and we'll see! Err. ..in this instance, yes. Besides, I estimated wordage. If it will make it's my magazine and I can do anything I Andy happier I will amend to say SFR has want with it! approximately twice the non-advertising "You are drunk with power and Hugo wordage of ALGOL. juice." You are correct, Alter. Say goodnight. "Goodnight, Geis. And thanks. Wow... no Archives to slave over...." SFR 16 will have the now-accumulating interview with Jerry Pournelle (who Larry

Niven describes as 'somewhere to the right My New York spy has informed himself me that of Gengis Khan.' Jerry describes I wonder if I could make it the new Roger Elwood s-f magazine schedul- as a twelfth century liberal). 5 with Alter? —

SPEC FI C AND THE PERRY RHODAN ted, some humiliated, and -some I think hon- that he is not getting out of science fic- GHETTO estly aggrieved, and while there was lots tion entirely: he will continue to attend of angry discussion still going on in the conferences and conventions and workshops By Donald C. Thompson workshops and panels the next day, I don't (especially if he's paid to do so), and he Commentary By R.E.G. With know of anyone who felt they hadn't gotten will continue with anthologies such as NEW Bob Silver berg A Letter From their money's worth. DIMENSIONS and ALPHA. A Quote From Silverberg And A Commentary by Darrell Damned if I'll try to summarize the dis- But he's made it just as clear that as Schweitzer cussion. My major impression of the even- soon as he's finished writing the novel ing is that most of the two hours was taken he's currently working on, about the first up with Silverberg and Harlan Ellison tak- of May, he does not intend to do any more ((REG NOTE: "Spec Fic and the Perry Rhodan ing turns saying the nastiest things they writing—definitely not any SF writing Ghetto" originally appeared in Donald C. could think of about science fiction, with for at least the next couple of years. Thompson's personalzine, DON—o—SAUR Al. The Tom Clareson interjecting occasional long spent quite of Darrell Schweitzer quote of Silverberg from monologues about James Fenimore Cooper and He a bit time trying to make his reasons clear, and I an interview, and the Schweitzer comment are Mark Twain and William Faulkner, and with was trying to LeGuin, comprehend them, but I'm still not certain from a letter in DON—o—SAUR A2. The Silv- Bryant and Brown being heard only I fully. I that I erberg letter is quoted from DON—o—SAUR 42. briefly and rarely. that do hope don't mis- interpret him in what follows. My indented comments are in my usual double Some very substantial issues were rais- parenthesis and as usual will probably get ed; some very valid grievances were aired. For one thing, Silverberg said, he has me into trouble.)) Someone can write a book or a doctorial been writing science fiction for a long

dissertation analyzing them all. I think time (more than twenty years) and he's tir-

I can get most conveniently to the points I ed. want to respond to by starting with Bob Mostly though he is discouraged Something like 500 people paid $3. each and de- Silverberg's reasons for quitting science pressed for reasons that have nothing to do on Friday evening, April 11, 1975, to hear fiction (or the writing of same), and then with his own efforts or accomplishments. Bob Silverberg, Harlan Ellison, Ursula Le taking a look at the responses of some of Guin, Ed Bryant, Tom Clareson and Charlie the other panelists. Brown discuss science fiction. It was the first of two public sessions of the SFRA Silverberg made it clear, if not at the Regional Conference. Friday night session, at least before the weekend was over, in private conversation, The event was billed as a "lecture and discussion." I don't know what most people were expecting. I don't even know what _I was expecting.

But after fifteen or twenty minutes of dumb questions from the audience and flip replies from the panel, some in the crowd were beginning to feel cheated, and were

saying so. Then somebody asked a serious question about regional influences on SF writers.

That issue was kicked around inconclu- sively, but Bob Silverberg somehow, in the process of insisting on being. taken serious- ly as he explained why he had moved from New York to California, "where the air is

fit to breathe" (a phrase that drew snickers from the largely Colorado crowd), swung the entire discussion around to the topic of his real concern — the reasons why he is,

as of May 1, retiring as a science fiction writer.

That announcement came as a genuine sur- prise to quite a number of people, includ- ing even me, though perhaps I should have been more prepared for it because, as I re- membered during the discussion, Ed Bryant had mentioned it previously.

Anyway, from that point on, there were no dull spots in the discussion. And while some people were infuriated, some exaspera- —

Silverberg definitely does not consider ence fiction, and so we reject that label!" It was definitely Silverberg who most himself a failure; in financial terms, on actively guided the discussion into its None of the members of the panel actual- the contrary, he acknowledges that he has anti-science fiction channel, and it was ly made quite that speech, but the senti- been far more successful than the average Silverberg who seemed to dominate the dis- ments reflected therein were expressed, in science fiction writer — so successful cussion, if only because he was the one varying degrees of vehemence, by Silver- that he can afford to quit writing. What planning the most definite action in sup- berg, Ellison and Bryant. it comes down to, if I understand him cor- port of his anti-SF views. rectly, is that Silverberg considers sci- ((This reminds me of the little boy But both Ellison and Bryant made it ence fiction a failure. who finds the rules of the game not clear that they agreed with his contention He considers that the field as a whole to his liking, so he takes his ball that science fiction is an unsavory ghetto. has failed him and all the other serious and goes home. "All right for you! "I rue the day that I sold my first writers who have tried to produce serious I won't like you anymore!" Or the story to a science fiction magazine and got works of adult literature within the sci- lover spurned. myself branded as a science fiction writer," ence fiction genre. He mentioned particu- ((But the argument implicit here Ellison proclaimed. "I've been fighting to larly J.G. Ballard, , Av- that "quality" writing doesn't sell, overcome that handicap ever since. Hell, I ram Davidson and Philip Jose Farmer. "hack" writing does—I find dis- don't write science fiction stories — never For many years Robert Silverberg was gustingly self-serving and self- have. I write Harlan Ellison stories!"

regarded as a hack (and presumably regard- pitying. These "quality" writers Ed Bryant, in his increasingly frequent ed himself as such), grinding out competent must know that to the extent they encounters with newspaper reporters and but undistinguished by the yard. abandon or neglect or abjure plot, during his appearances on radio and/or TV Then, less than a decade ago, he underwent traditional story elements, reader talk shows, has always been very careful to a sort of metamorphosis and began producing appeal, in any genre . ..to the ex- refer to himself as a writer of "speculative (at almost the same incredible rate of tent they avoid the conventions of fiction" and he takes as much time as neces- speed as before) some of the most notewor- commercial fiction... they reduce sary to explain the difference between that thy, intelligent, mature, sophisticated, their potential audience. They do and "science fiction." Among his friends, literate and just plain good science fic- it, not the evil publishers or the Bryant has been trying to popularize the tion ever seen. THORNS, A TIME OF CHANGES, 'stupid' and 'lazy' readers. It is term "spec-fic" as a first step toward re- SON OF MAN, THE WORLD INSIDE, TOWER OF their choice to write in such a way placing t.ne lamentable "sci-fi." GLASS, UP THE LINE, DYING INSIDE. ..the list that their work will appeal to a could go on and on. smaller audience. "I am willing to take my chances with

the critics as just a writer," Bryant told One of the things that has plunged Sil- ((The really literate readers they that Friday night crowd. "Science fiction verberg into a depression is that his pub- wish for may number fewer than fifty is a ghetto, and I want out!" lishers are keeping his old potboiler nov- thousand. It is ridiculous to con- els in print, but are not reissuing his demn the Perry Rhodan and Cap Ken- "adult” works. nedy and Laser readers for prefering ((Even the mainstream is a ghetto.

a different variety of sf. Probably as unsavory or moreso than It's a matter of economics. The reces- science fiction. And, horror upon ((As a matter of fact, these writers sion is being felt in the book trade too. horror, the competition is probably may suffer if their work is not lab- Publishers are cutting back. They're play- tougher, the knives longer and eled science fiction. 'Speculative ing it safe, studying the sales figures sharper. Lots of luck, Ed.)) Fiction' has an elitist, Literary very closely. The charts seem to show that smell to it and the sf reader who Silverberg's hack stuff sells; his quality Ursula LeGuin had less to say about isn't snobbish and self-consciously work does not. Therefore... this whole issue than any of the other intelligent will avoid it.)) three pro writers. She was not at all Well, therefore Bob Silverberg is going certain that her future books and stories to quit writing science fiction. Ellison did, in one of his tirades, would continue to fit neatly into the sci- "We have tried to upgrade this field; actually say that he wished all the Perry ence fiction category, but she was unable we have provided it with quality material Rhodan books could be burned, and that to work up any indignation over the exist-

that it can be proud of, but our efforts statement did actually elicit a burst of ence of the category. "I just write what

have been rejected. Science fiction read- applause from the audience. Silverberg, a I feel like writing, and I don't really ers don't want literary quality, they want little later, expressed sorrow that people worry about what it's called," she said. space adventure—Perry Rhodan and Cap Ken- with masters degrees should applaud such a nedy. That's what the public thinks of statement, but he did not himself disagree, ((Ursula's success as a science fic- when you say 'science fiction,' and that's with it. tion writer and her unconcern with what science fiction _is. And high school 'ghettoes' and 'labels' must be ter- teachers of science fiction may argue that ribly disconcerting to the self-sty- ((Harlan does tend to get carried Perry Rhodan serves a useful purpose by get- led "quality" writers who blame away in heated public rhetoric. I'm ting kids interested in SF and that once everything and everyone but them- sure he doesn't now really wish the for their lack of critical they get hooked on that they will eventually . selves reading desires of others be censor- develop enough taste to prefer the better recognition and readers.)) ed or the books they choose and pay fiction. But it isn't so. Most of them for burned.)) Charlie Brown pleaded with the authors never get beyond Perry Rhodan. We have not to leave the science fiction field, suffered by having our stories labeled sci- 7 that it was, after all, such writers as themselves who had helped to give science fiction some respectability.

L/NguTTOKj HER: ((I find this obsessive concern with { ! -BUXySE VSTor. ! Status and Respectability for science

fiction and its writers a symptom of ego, envy and conceit.))

It was a little hard to follow what Tom Clareson was saying, because one does tend to start yawning after Clareson has been think, that came closest to persuading me talking for a few minutes, but I think that that Silverberg is maybe justified in get- in his remarks about Cooper and Twain and ting out of SF; because it has infuriated

Faulkner and I don't remember who else he me for many years that so many really fine brought in, he was trying to make a point writers are systematically ignored by main- that I consider of crucial importance — stream critics (and therefore by some seg- namely that important writers, such as ments of the reading public) — simply be- There Twain and Faulkner (yes, I remember; Clare- cause what they write is called science ((Ho, ho. Idealistic crap. literate, son was using Cooper and Horatio Alger as fiction, and the critics know without hav- never has been a sane, examples of enormously popular writers of ing to think about it that science fiction truly civilized society, and I doubt there ever will, given the nature of no real literary merit — the Perry Rhodan is "oh, that Perry Rhodan stuff." the human animal. producers of their day) have always had a That many from science fiction difficult with publishers pinning labels ((May I suggest that time will bring would be famous? Wow. on them or not knowing how to promote tneir full recognition to those authors who I do not like the self-contempt books. Mark Twain's publishers thought he deserve it? The point has been made inherent in 'cult' of 'freaks.')) wrote funny books and they exploited him as time and again that the New York a humorist, and it wasn't until after he was Literary Establishment is a clique If my indignation makes it sound likf dead that, the critics discovered what a ser- of shrewish whores. Their opinions I'm agreeing with Silverberg, Ellison and ious writer he was. Faulkner spent most of are riddled with territoriality, Bryant, I apologize. his career in obscurity as far as the pub- greed, exclusiveness and snobbish- lic was concerned. And forth. so ness. A lust for their recognition On balance, I find that I do not agree and approval is understandable, but with them. The audience response to the discussion questionable.)) was, as I've indicated, varied but tended Oh, I agree with them that the plight sharply toward the angry. Yeah, that kind of willfully ignorant of the science fiction writer is a sorry one, that publishers are ruthless bastards, Several people pointed out that Silver- snobbishness does make me angry. Ellison more intent on turning a fast buck than in berg, Ellison and Bryant were at least able named just a few good neglected writers. I preserving literary values; and I also agree to get their stuff published, which was cai name a couple of dozen others without with them that Perry Rhodan is probably more than a good many struggling mainstream even taking a deep breath — and just for crud and that it's a damn shame that in the writers were aole to do, and that both the hell of it, I think I will. Here: public mind Rhodan should have come to sym- Silverberg and Ellison had made some pret- Poul Anderson, James Blish, John Boyd, bolize SF if indeed ty good money. — it does (and I'm not John Brunner, D. G. Compton, Edmund Cooper, all that sure that it does). Silverberg conceded that point and re- Sam Delany (but maybe he doesn't belong on peatedly stressed that the finances had here; Delany may have discovered that the In fact, several times during the dis- nothing to do with his decision to leave key to mainstream success is simply to write cussion, Silverberg and Ellison, particular- SF. Ellison conceded the point, too. "But an enormous book, obscure in meaning, with ly, seemed to be saying not that the public

I've made money because I'm a hustler and lots of kinky sex), Philip K. Dick, Thomas sees SF in terms of Perry Rhodan — but I always assume that anything that isn't Disch, Geo. Alec Effinger, R. A. Lafferty, that they do. nailed down is mine, and I take it." Fritz Leiber, Anne McCaffrey, Michael Moor- cock, Frederik Pohl, Joanna Russ, Bob Shaw, ((Of course Perry Rhodan is not But then Ellison listed some science Robert Sheckley, Clifford D. Simak, James selling well; Ace has cut back the fiction writers who he said were just as Tiptree, Bob Tucker, , Jack Wil- number of issues and has put aside talented as he but not as aggressive — liamson, Roger Zelazny... plans to publish the companion ATLAN Sturgeon, Davidson, Farmer —and who had series.)) achieved neither wealth nor critical ac- That's an even two dozen, isn't it? And claim. I'm sure that each of you can think of an- And there's the essense of my disagree- other dozen or so that should be added. So ment with them. They blame the nature of Because they bear the label "science could I. science fiction itself for their woes. I fiction writers" and their books are in the blame the stupidity of critics, publishers science fiction cf the stores, and because These are writers who, in any sane, and readers. the critics never give serious attention to literate, truly civilized’ society, would be science fiction books. famous. Their names would be known to all, One of the teachers in a workshop ses-

not to just a small cult of science fiction sion the next day summed up the indignation It was that point about the critics, I freaks. 8 that had been aroused in many of the educa- *

tors, and she came close to expressing some ious attention). ienating readers and deriding them, of my own sentiments: instead of wailing and moaning and On the other hand, if what Silverberg cry-babying around about how they "Here we've been working to get really wants is popular acclaim — like science are Artists, unappreciated, victims fiction accepted as a legitimate field of making the best-seller list. ..then, sure, of greed and stupidity, I always study, and we've finally begun to convince it is essential to shed the SF label. And wonder why they don't USE the system, administrators and parents that it's a tre- to go back to writing crud. write the best damn space adventures mendously wide field—it covers writers Actually, I don't seriously think that's (with their precious messages and from Kepler and Swift to Heinlein, Clarke, what Bob Silverberg wants. symbols and allusions built in, be- Vonnegut and Barth and now these people — tween the lines) it is possible to come along and tell us that science fiction I think he's just tired and wants to write; entertaining, gripping, is nothing but Perry Rhodan! How many take a vacation from writing, and maybe that thought-provoking... It can be teachers or even students here have ever is a good idea. done. It has been done. That is read any Perry Rhodan books?" But frankly I don't think he can stick quality writing. That is having

The hands of a few students did go up. it out for two years. I hope not. your cake and eating it. But you have to be a really good writer to Some of the teachers present indicated that ******* ****** they had never heard of Perry Rhodan before. do it. Which is more important; saying DARRELL SCHWEITZE R: '...I did an interview "Well, I just think it's narrow-minded with Silverbob for AMAZING (It'll be out in what you want to say to many, many and almost bigoted of Mr. Silverberg and maybe six months) in which he made this captivated, happy readers, or saying Mr. Ellison to say that science fiction is statement: it in a different mode to far fewer no good just because some of the things 'hardworking' readers?)) that are called science fiction are no "'I wouldn't mind making his (Harold good." Robbins') money, but I don't want to do stuff that's so accessible that millions 9-25-75 Them's my sentiments, pretty much. and millions of people all over the world 'Dear Bob:

And I don't know whether the Perry read it, because all important fiction, all I have Don Thompson's permission Rhodan books are any good or not; I've really powerful fiction, literary art, has to reprint his "Spec Fic and the Perry Rho- never read any of them. been an elite art. I thinx that anything dan Ghetto" from DON—o—SAUR Al, and would that is worthwhile is cither folk art or like permission from you to reprint your But even if they are terrible, and ev- elite but nothing in between. The gray loc from DON—o—SAUR A2. I'll be commenting en if they are the best sellers of the SF area of commercialism is useless and short here and there in the "Spec Fic..." article. field, I don't see the same significance in lived." the fact that Silverberg seems to see. 'Do you have any additional or revised 'The interview was done at Discon II thoughts you'd like included/substituted? Crud is always more popular than qual- last summer, and unless Silverberg has ’Best, ity. That's a corollary of Sturgeon's Law, changed his mind since, I can't see why isn't it? And it's just as true of the REG' he's so worried about Perry Rodent. The mainstream as it is of SF. masses read trash and always will, and the '9/27- Yes, reprint it. Nothing has hap- I don't know whether Silverberg really good stuff has to appeal only to a few. pened lately to alter my belief that there's thinks his books would be found by more in- Perry Rodent is for the otherwise non-read- little room in contemporary American SF for telligent readers or that a larger number er, and I don't think it seriously cuts in- the serious writer. I'm out of it for of intelligent readers would find his books to the adult market. If Silverberg still keeps. (But not entirely done with s-f, if they weren't labeled "science fiction," wants to write for the elite, the intelli- only with s-f novels and stories. I've just and I don't know whether Bryant thinks that gent adult reader, he has to realize that been hired to work on Paramount's Star Trek calling his stuff "" he will never be as widely read as the by movie!) will better breed of reader. KLANSMAN OF GORE, at least not in the near he attract a 'Bob.' future. But the chances of his work sur- They are deluding themselves, I , if viving are far greater than they are for their expectations really run along those the hack stuff. And in the meantime there ROBERT SILVERBERG '...In general you re- lines. The average level of intelligence is the satisfaction of knowing that he has Oakland, CA port me fairly, but among SF readers is almost certainly higher reached the discerning audience. Even if there is one aspect of by a significant degree than the average he had to resort to an Arkham House style your interpretation of my remarks that dis- fiction readers. No, I don't turbs me. I don't recall having said nasty- of mainstream , specialty press (as all SF writers did 25 have statistics to support that statement, years ago) this should be enough. And things about science fiction, nor trying to but does anybody doubt it? since he can also make a living, and has antagonize SF scholars and students, nor some chance for being read beyond his life- wishing my books were published as main- So if Silverberg wants the acclaim of time, what more can a writer ask?' stream novels. readers capable of appreciating his best work, it's my personal opinion that he'd do ************ 'I love science fiction. I love read- best to stay where he is. (And just paren- ((The core of my argument with the ing it, I love writing it. Most of what's

thetically I think he would be well advised writers of "quality" sf is my de- published disappoints me, because it fails to quit antagonizing the SF scholars and sire to see them stop trying to to live up to my ideal vision of what s-f students—the people who are trying hard- fight the realities of modern mass ought to be, but that's not the fault of est to persuade mainstream critics and read- market publishing. Instead of al- the genre, only of the authors. In my own

ers that science fiction j_s worthy of ser- 9 work I tried to create the sort of ideal — —

s-f I had in mind — books like SON OF MAN, MESSAGES MAKE MESSES telligent enough to count as "people" by TOWER OF GLASS, TO LIVE AGAIN, and the law. The ending is about what you'd expect. rest — because no one else seemed to be THE LAST LEVIATHAN by I hope this book has gotten the preach- writing it at the moment. Doubleday, $5.95 ing out of 's system so she can 'I have no wish to antagonize the s-f IRON CAGE by Andre Norton write the space fantasy and adventure she academic division. Those people are my Viking does so well.

most sympathetic and informed readers. I Reviewed by Lynne Holdom Her books about human/animal teams such was only trying to warn them of my own mel- as THE BEAST MASTER and THE DEFIANT AGENTS ancholy discoveries — that the bulk of s-f Ihis sequel to THE WARLORD OF THE AIR better make the message of respect for dif- readers prefer fast-paced simple-minded is a fascinating and repulsive book. In ferent life and intelligence. junk, and that the whole effort to make s-f it, Moorcock destroys the USA in time for a subject for academic study may be doomed ******************************************* the Bicentennial. The story is narrated by because nothing but Perry Rhodan may sur- LETTER FROM KURT VONNEGUT, JR. Bastable, who has stumbled into yet anoth- vive the present purge. They can't teach er parallel world in which a Chilean genius, Perry Rhodan except in pop-cult courses. Sept. 2, 1975 Manuel O'Bean, has enabled Man to live with-

out want, who then must turn his energies to 'I have read Philip Jose Farmer's'ac- 'The. problem I've faced is very simple. destruction. Utopia is intolerable. Aft- of his side of the VENUS ON THE HALF- I wrote well, and my best books went out of count er the initial bomb and plague wipe-out has SHELL affair. I am sorry that, as he says, print. I didn't want to outsell Harold swept away most of the Northern Hemisphere, he is left with a bad taste in his mouth. Robbins, or even Perry Rhodan; I just want- a black warlord named Cicero Hood seeks to ed to stay in print', to be able to reach my 'I never encouraged him in the project, destroy any remaining whites. Bastable audience. The publishers chose to cut me which contained nothing but risks for me. joins Hood, hoping to assassinate him, but off from my audience. In effect they penal- Still, he kept after me, and I at last gave soon becomes a staunch supporter. After ized me for writing too well. I discovered him permission to borrow my readers and my mopping up Europe, Hood turns to America. belatedly that to most publishers, s-f is a inventions and my reputation — with no Those whites left are enslaved. ..so that mere schlock category of commercial fiction, editorial or financial strings attached. perhaps Moorcocl|t can write a sequel which half a notch up the esthetic scale from You cannot find an equivalent act of gener- takes place in 1975 (this novel is set in nurse novels. To those publishers, an s-f osity in the whole history of the writing the alternate world's 1907) which has White writer who gets delusions of quality is a business. He was and remains a total stran- Power riots and White ghettoes. mere nuisance, and an expensive nuisance, ger to me, by the way. because s-f's sales at best are so marginal Personally, I can understand Cicero ’As for the wonderful idea of actually that a writer who loses readers through ex- Hood's motive for White genocide— revenge. Trout: I thought cessive literacy is a burden to his writing books by Kilgore publish- But Bastable I don't understand at all. er. When I of doing it long before Mr. Farmer did, and found out what was happening, I He's appalled by the White treatment of saw no recourse but to I may do it still. And Mr. Fanner did not quit, and I did, and Blacks in Washington (the Washingtonians after five have to labor to turn Trout into a hoax, weeks of joyous retirement I regard the Blacks as fifth columnists for either. I had already made Trout one of feel better and better about the decision Hood.. .which they are!). Both sides are the most famous hoaxes of our time. to get out. I was a very good s-f writer, out for naked power, but it is Hood who is yes, and I my was breaking health and spir- the invader. Later the Whites of the USA 'Now then: Mr. Farmer has earned royal- it continuing to write (slowly and with regard Bastable as a traitor, and I concur,, ties on more than one hundred thousand much difficulty) books that publishers and Of course Bastable is made an honorary books which most people at first thought most readers didn't seem to want. I have Black. were written by me. That is fine with me. no answers to the paradoxical problems that I don't crab about that to anybody. I said This book is very readable, if distaste- have impaled me. The cure, for me, is only from the first that the dough should all be ful. Bantustan, ruled by Ghandi, is as to go away. Books that aren't written his. I do wish, though, that he would not decent a place as the rest of the world is can't go out of print.' speak darkly of my being a multi-million- horrible. Perhaps Manuel O' Bean's support ********* aire, which isn't true. And I don't think of the Australo-Japanese navy—they con- he should present himself by contrast as a sider Hood a grave threat to World peace ((Books that aren't written will man of the people, gamely up against some- is Moorcock having second thoughts. But never be available to even a first thing like Standard Oil. He got every pen- don't bet on it. printing audience, and will never be ny of the swag in this case, an enormous **** available for eventual reissuing.)) boodle for only six weeks' work.

******************************************* IRON CAGE is a book that makes you want 'Mr. Farmer has also been able to to hit the dog and kick the cat—in retal- prove even to college professors, in a sort iation for being lectured by yet another of blindfold test, that he can write my

message book. This time about man's cruel- sort of stuff as well as I can any day. I

ty to other forms of life. But "preachy" am not surprised or mortified. That's life.

books turn me off, and I suspect that is 'All I have complained about so far is true for most people. the abuse I have received in the mails and

Jony, a young human, has escaped a lab in reviews for having written such a book.

run by the Big Ones and lives with the Peo- You might append your own review to this ple. Conflict begins when humans come to letter, Mr. Geis, to show the sort of thing the planet and decide the People aren't in- I mean. 'And this whole adventure has so muddied LETTER FROM my reputation and depressed me that I have PHILIP JOSE FARMER perfectly reasonably asked that my publish- ers not bring out any more books by Kilgore Sept. 16, 1975 Trout. 'Thanks for forwarding the petition to 'This still leaves Philip Jose Farmer me to finish the Riverworld series. (Mail- with Philip Jose Farmer, and, sad to say, a ed by James P. Mays, Jr.) I am writing on bad taste in his mouth. the third volume, now titled THE MAGIC LABY-

RINTH. If I get done in the expected time 'I thank him for the honor he did me, and Putnam's goes to work on it immediately and I congratulate him on writing a best- -f.KKitn unfit’ y0 <. Kirk on receipt of Ms., then it will come out in seller in only six weeks. It takes me hardcover late next year. However, I will years and years.' let you know when it is done and the publi- mandatory that he bumrap all American writ- ((My comment on the F&SF appearance of sher has a schedule for it. ers.' VENUS ON THE HALF-SHELL follows. It was in 'Re my interview in the last SFR, I ex- ((That must make his intellectual life SFR #12 (Feb. 1975). pect some will object to my scenario of the simpler.)) (('The magazine publishing "event" of the future, especially that part concerning the T***********^****************************#* month—F&SF's publishing in the December death of the phytoplankton and the conse- AN INTERVIEW WITH: L. SPRAGUE issue of VENUS ON THE HALF-SHELL by Kilgore quent decrease in atmospheric oxygen. They de CAMP Trout—was a dud as far as I'm concerned. will base their objections on recent indi- I couldn't finish the first half of Vonne- cations that there may be a vast oxygen By Darrell Schweitzer gut's satire of science fiction. I think generator (the workings of which are not

more of the genre than he does, and I think yet in reached of the understood) the upper L. Sprague de Camp is the author of some novel-length japes full of mocking, exagger- aerosphere. In other words, it is possible 75 books, including science fiction novels, ated cliches and conventions and themes are that even if all vegetation of land and sea fantasy, historicals, and much distinguish- inherently vulnerable: they bore easily and died, there would still be enough oxygen ed non-fiction such as THE GREAT MONKEY they please only the enemies of sf, those for everybody. (We'd starve, of course, so TRIAL, and SPIRITS, STARS AND SPELLS (the "superior" ones who like to sneer a lot. the end result would be the same.) This final word on magic and superstition). may be true; it's too early to say that it (('Vonnegut takes all the leading sf He has edited several anthologies, co- is a fact. But if it should be validated, writers and their fictional trademarks and authored and edited some of Robert E. How- and if we do have enough oxygen even if the makes fun. Perhaps gentle fun (to give him ard's famous stories, and is in gen- seas become poisoned and the phytoplankton the benefit of the doubt). eral one of the world's leading experts on die, then sea life would die. And the re- heroic fantasy fiction. He lives in Villa- (('Anyway, it bored me after twenty pag- sults would be disastrous for land animal where he works constantly on new books. es. Satire has got to be superbly done life.' nova (and must have more in it than snicker- Lately, he has been writing a biography ((So far, no one has objected—we are snicker) to survive at length. Very few of the great writer, H. P. all content to let our children and/or writers can sustain farce effectively be- Lovecraft, and on his desk are four-foot grandchildren asphyxiate. So it goes. Af- yond 5,000 words. ..and Vonnegut this time stack? of xeroxes of all the known Lovecraft ter us—the deluge.)) of them. It's also bit sad is not one a correspondence. Somehow having escaped (and delicious) to see him reduced to this 'Also, I may have made a false impres- blindness reading all those millions of kind of performance, he who scorned sf. At sion when I said I was giving up writing words of cramped script, Mr. de Camp is ed- the same time, from him, this is an insult, s-f'in about three years.' I do intend to iting a book of uncollected Lovecraft writ- since I don't think he has earned the write mainly in mainstream and mystery, but ings for the publisher Donald Grant. "right" to do this kind of tongue-in-cheek I love s-f too much to give it up entirely.

hatchet job. I will be writing occasional pieces of s-f, DS: Lately there has been a tremendous re- a short story or novel now and then, maybe ((I note that Vonnegut has applied to vival of stories about brawnily thewed he- one a year, maybe two. Of course, if the the Science Fiction Writers of America for roes, malevolent wizards and imperiled her- publishers should by then suddenly decide membership in the name of Kilgore Trout, — oines. Howdo you account for this great to make their advances and royalty percen- symbol of the Ultimate S-F his mocking barbarian revival? tages realistic, that is, in accord with Hack. It is a measure of Vonnegut's con- the wages of a truck driver or plumber of : Well, it's partly a matter of ac- tempt and hatred for sf that he has written De Camp I960 (see, I don't ask for much) instead of cident. The big revival seems to have been VENUS ON THE HALF-SHELL and had it publish- ignoring resolutely the inflation since sparked by the publication of Tolkien as ed in the most prestigious sf magazine us- I960 and insisting that s-f writers can get much as anything. Of course when Tolkien ing the Kilgore Trout pseudonym, so that he along on the same rates as then, then I came out in expensive clothbound volumes can join S.F.W.A. under that name. will write much more s-f. Is there a fat there weren't a great many of them printed, for this? (('And trust S.F.W.A.' to welcome Kil- chance so for years they were simply the enthusi-

gore with open arms, kissing Vonnegut's asm of a small circle of connoisseurs, as 'Since my interview came out I received 1 arse to get that Name in the organization. R. Eddison letter from Franz Rottensteiner. He says the Zimiamvian novels of Eric That's what is called playing the game.')) were some years previously. But when Tol- that he is actually a secret admirer of kien was issued in paperback, and dince it's **3(c+3t:**5f:*********************************** mine, but as a Central European critic he 11 an excellent story, it caught on, especial- has a public image to maintain, and it's ly with the college crowd. French in the early lffib Century, and the tion but it's still a viable and living

gothic tale of supernatural horror which genre which may go on for a long time. And another factor I think is that it’s originated in and was brought to a reaction against the period of the reign £S: Who do you think are the most import- England by Horace Walpole in his novel THE of the anti-hero which featured in a great ant contemporary writers of heroic fantasy CASTLE OF OTRANTO in 1765. Then Sir Walter deal of fiction in the 1950’ s and 60's. and why do you think they're important? Scott with his invention of the modern his- You know, this wretched little jerk who has torical costume romance in the early 19& De Camp : Well, that's very hard to say'. I neither brawn nor brains nor character and Century added another element, and in the could just list their sales figures, but can't do anything right. So he suffers and latter part of the 1880' s William Morris that wouldn't prove anything because some- suffers like Ziggy in the cartoons. Well, put all of these elements together into a body who is popular this year may drop out Ziggy is all very amusing and in fact there series of romantic novels laid in an imagin- of sight the next and somebody who has been are days whin I feel a little bit like Zig- ary world where magic worked but machinery struggling along just barely making a liv- gy myself, but nevertheless he's hardly what hadn't yet been invented. Then after him ing may have a sudden success. All I can you would call a hero, and when people read came Lord Ounsany, Tolkien, Eric Rucker Ed- do is tell you which ones I happen to like fiction they usually like a character with dison whom I mentioned, Robert Howard, and the best and that's my subjective opinion. whom they can identify. other practitioners of the art. But it's I think very highly of Tolkien, of co,urse.

The anti-hero, on the other hand, is only become what you might call really pop- I enjoy Fritz Leiber's stories of Fafhrd constructed on the theory that no matter ular in the last decade with the paperback and the Grey Mouser very much indeed and how poor weak or or stupid the reader is he publication of Tolkien's LORD OF THE RINGS grab for one whenever I see it. I think can always say to himself, "Well, at least very highly of Eddison although he's not a I'm better than that twerp." contemporary—he died in 19^5. I have also enjoyed in varying degrees the stories That sort of thing is all very well for in that field of Lin Carter, David Mason, a while, but people do get tired of it, so and others. And Andre Norton, too. I'd there arose a demand for people who really DO YOU GROK? forgotten about her for the moment. I are heroes with a capital H. And the sword- "Yes, Virginia, there is a CAW!" think very highly of her work in that play' and sorcery genre has done what it When you read Heinlein's Stranger in field. I'd put her pretty well on the top could to fill that demand. a Strange Land, you wished such a shelf. thing as the "water-brotherhood" or "Nest" called the Church of All £S: What are the origins of heroic fantasy? Worlds were possible. Well, not only PS : What about your own involvement in the What writers started it? is it possible, but it has been in exist- ence since 1961! The most unusual field? How did you discover it or it dis-

De Camp : If I knew the name of that writer new "religion" to emerge at this cover you? dawning of the Aquarian Age, the I’d have to be good for and go CAW is dedicated to the celebration De Camp : The way I discovered it was back back to the stone age. As far as written of Life, the maximal actualization of in 1939 when I was a relatively new free- literature goes it is ultimately derived Human potential, and the realization lance writer and I became acquainted with from ancient myths and legends, hero tales of ultimate individual freedom and . Pratt had the idea of do- like those of the Sumerian and Babylonian personal responsibility in harmonious ing -psychic relationship with the a series of stories in which a modern Gilgamesh, the tales of Homer and Vergil, eco total Bioshere of Holy Mother Earth. character by the use of symbolic logic pro- the medieval romances and so gn down. The Thou art God! For more informa- jects himself into various fantasy worlds, medieval romance of course met a horrible tion, send a stamped, self-addressed worlds of myth and legend. He wanted a fate. It was murdered by Miguel de Cervan- legal-size envelope (or 50$ to: POB collaborator so I undertook the job and we tes around the year. 1600. You see, Cervan- 2953, St. Louis, MO 63130. got started on the series, tes had led a pretty rough, adventurous which is, of course, heroic fantasy or life himself. He'd fought in the battle of swordplay and sorcery before those terms Le Panto where the Turks were beaten for series and the Conan stories of Robert How- came into use. And I've been at it one way the first time. He'd been captured and en- ard and several other persons, including or another ever since. slaved by the Barbary pirates, and he knew myself. from painful experience that adventures are I had never read any of Robert E. How- seldom so entertaining and sanitary as were DS_: Do you think this is a viable form of ard's Conan stories. In fact, I hardly the romances of gentle knights galloping writing, or just a passing fad? knew who Howard was until 1950, I believe around and rescuing maidens fair from vile it was, when CONAN THE CONQUERER was pub- De Camp ; It's impossible to say how long enchanters and all that, so he wrote a hi- lished in a clothbound edition and I read the present enthusiasm for it will last. larious burlesque, DON QUIXOTE, and that so it and was hooked at once and read all the These things always go up and down. Around effectively ridiculed the romance that for other stuff of Howard that I could get my the time of the Second World War it looked a couple of centuries nobody cared to write hands on and then I had a part in the dis- as if fantasy in general had become a casu- any. covery of a number of unfinished manuscripts alty of the machine age. There were prac- of Conan stories and some that had been Then in the 18tb and early 19tt centuries tically no magazines successfully published written but not sold in Howard's lifetime, fantasy gradually crept back into European in that field except for FANTASY AND SCI- and I edited and rewrote and completed these literature through the peasant fairy tales ENCE FICTION — No, F&SF didn't start un- various works and so I became more and more collected by Hans Christian Anderson and til around 1950, and for a while there was involved in the Conan business and am still the Grimm brothers and others, the oriental simply no market for fantasy anywhere. But in it. extravaganza in the form of the ARABIAN then it gradually revived and today it's a

NIGHTS which was first translated into 12 smaller market than straight science fic- PS : In the Conan stories you have written, I

what part of it is yours, what part is Lin these influences well enough so that they De Camp : I should like to. That is large- Carter's and what part is the original con- don't show. ly a matter of finding a publisher who ception? wants to publish it, because I don't write For example, in my younger days I went things on speculation anymore. But I should De Camp : When a story is by Carter and my- through a Hemingway period because in the like to write the third book of the Jorian self the way we work is we get together and late 1930' s Hemingway was the big noise. series, because the second was obviously hash out a plot outline. That means sit- So my stories tend to show a definite use left wide open for a sequel, and I have an ting in a room with a pad and pencil— of the Hemingway short sentence dilaogue idea for another trilogy laid in that same usually do it because I can write shorthand and things like that. My erstwhile col- world, which, if I could find a publisher I —and we try out various ideas, and one league, L. Ron Hubbard, once said, "Yeah, might very well do. will say, "Well how about this?" And the you know, the story runs like this: Jim other says, "No, no that's too imitative. walked down the street. He met Joe. He DS: What are the market conditions for Mike Moorcock's already done that." "Well shot Joe. Joe fell. Joe died. Jim walked fantasy now? then how about having him do this?" "Oh on. He walked into a saloon. He met Frank. De Camp : Oh, they go up and down. They that's too conventional. I tell you what, He said to Frank, 'I've just shot Joe.' are not so consistently favorable as why don't we turn it upside down and have Frank said, 'Oh yeah?' Jim said, 'Oh yeah.'" straight science fiction, let's say, but on him do just the opposite and see what hap- And it goes on and on like that. Well, I the otherhand I get more fun out of writing pens?" So we fool around that way for a of that I suppose too, and some did a bit fantasy. while and finally we get a pretty good out- of my other colleagues very definitely show

line. Then I take it home and add a few where they have been through a Lovecraft I have done three novelets in the genre within the last year or so. I did one for details and I type out an extended synopsis period or a Howard period or a—I don't of the whole story which usually runs to know, maybe somebody has been through a de Harry Harrison's Campbell memorial volume

several pages of single spaced typing, and Camp period by now. I haven't noticed any called "The Emperor's Fan." I did one for mail that to Carter. Carter's second FLASHING SWORDS volume call- ed "The Rug and the Bull," and I just did Then Carter does the rough draft, which another one for him called "Two Yards of since Carter knows I'm going to correct is Dragon." It's about a would-be noble young apt to be pretty rough, and sends that to knight who goes out and slays a dragon and me and I go through and do a second draft then is run in by the game warden. • and get his approval on it—he may make some further changes—then send it out to DS : While we're talking about your fantasy, a professional typist. who do you think has influenced your fanta- sy writing more than anyone else? When Pratt and I collaborated we did it

just the opposite: I did the rough drafts De Camp : A good many people, starting with and he did the final drafts. You see, Edgar Rice Burroughs. And Tolkien, and

there is a reason for doing it that way, Howard, and Thorne Smith who is not thought and that is that the younger writer is apt of much nowadays as a fantasy writer but he

to be more fertile with ideas but the older was one and a good one in his day. Such writer is apt to be more critical and can works as the one about the man who was turn-

spot the illogicality, the pieces of bad ed into various animals starting with a writing and things like that better than horse, and SKIN AND BONES in which the man the younger man can. And we have checked becomes an animated skeleton to the under-

that out, because when Pratt and I or Car- standable dismay of his wife and associates.

ter and I have tried to reverse the proce- And there are several other people I could DS.: Have you had anything to do with the dure it hasn't worked out so well and we dig up if I gave the matter some thought. Conan comic books? They seem to be about both have gone back to the system I have ready to make Conan as well known as Tar- described. zan. Do you think it's a good thing to get DS: About the writing of fantasy now, do DS: Do you think there's any danger that him that popular in that form? you think there is any inherent difference

the immense popularity of Conan will cause between the way you would write a fantasy De Camp : As far as I can make out the ef- the entire fantasy field to be overrun with story and the way you would write any other fects seem to cancel themselves out. I Conan look-alikes? kind? doubt if it makes any great difference, and they probably help more than they De Camp : Well, imitation is the sincerest on balance De Camp : No, not as far as I'm concerned. form of flattery, of course, if you don't hinder. The only dealings I ever had with In a fantasy you make certain assumptions

mind a clichd and, let's say that if other the particular comic book company in ques- which are contrary to what we believe to be people imitate Carter and me we must be do- tion is that they did make a comic book out actual material facts on this Earth as of ing something right. Actually, almost any of one of my stories which had nothing to now. In other words without supernatural " writer who makes any kind of splash is go- do with Conan, and that was A Gun For a elements. And if we write a realistic sto- ing to rouse up some imitators, and I try Dinosaur" and I thought they did a reason- ry we stick to the laws of nature as we not to imitate my own predecessors but I ably good job of it. I was rather pleased know them, and if we write a fantasy we know perfectly well that they're in there in other words. Also they paid me what make up a set of different laws. But we

influencing me. Everything a writer reads, they said they would which is always a help. must stick to them once they are made up, especially in his early years, is bound to so as to make the story internally self- influence him one way or another. And a DS: Are you planning to write any more consistent. No story that isn't internal- seasoned writer should have assimilated heroic fantasy in the near future? 13 ly self-consistent has much of . A

PS: What if the laws of nature as we un- who thought that a little "d" would have gratifying. I have seen some evidence of derstand them change? Suppose, for example, more social cachet. This caused some hard academic interest in Lovecraft. someone in the year 1000 A.D. were to feelings in the family. My great-uncle REG : Are you working on a book now? write a fantasy story in which the world Clarence De Camp, of Boonton, NJ, refused

was round? to open a letter addressed to him as "de de Camp : At the moment I am editing and

Camp." "'Taint my name!" he said. I used abridging LOVECRAFT—A Biography for paper- De Camp : That would really be a science to hate my name as a boy, but when I got in- back publication. fiction story I think, because it doesn't to writing it came in handy, sounding more really involve a supernatural element, you REG : Who will be publishing the paperback like a pseudonym than most real pseudonyms see. No gods, demons, witches on broom- edition? do. With a name like mine, who needs a pen sticks, elves, gnomes, spells, astrological name? But it does cause trouble when I de Camp : Ballantine Books. prognostications or anything of that sort. travel abroad, since I never know whether REG : Do you have any major works planned? PS : Well, today many people believe in hotel clerks and such people will file my astrological prognostications. Would you mail under S, D, or C. de Camp : The next book for which I have still consider that fantasy? contracted is LITERARY SWORDSMEN AND SORCER- ERS, a set of literary-biographical sketch- REG : Has the book of uncollected Lovecraft De Camp : Well, let's say that's sort of es of the leading writers of heroic fantasy. writings been completed for the publisher, borderline. Astrology is a pseudo-science. Donald Grant?' Is it scheduled for release? REG : It was invented by the ancient Babylonians Who will be publishing it? And who are the leading writers of heroic fantasy? who didn't know any better and thought that de Camp : The book in question, TO QUEBEC

the heavens were a glass bowl, and the AND THE STARS, was finished over a year ago de Camp : Arkham House. Morris, Dunsany, earth was an island floating and should published on water in be soon. Lovecraft, Eddison, Barringer, Howard, the bowl, and the bowl kept turning over Pratt, Smith, Tolkien, T. H. White; with REG : Since you've spent so much time and and over. lived The gods in bright little Moore, effort accumulating the mass of material on briefer mention of Kuttner, Ball, movable houses on wheels on the inside of confining Lovecraft, do you plan any more books or Page, Hubbard, and Leiber. (I am the bowl, you see, which were the planets, writings about him? this to writers producing S&S before 19^0.) and so when a planet was rising obviously that god's influence would be strong. When de Camp : I have written 3 articles on Love- publisher for the REG : Have you found a Mars (or Nergal as they called it) was rising craft (2 published so far) & given one lec- third book of the Jorian series? because it was red and therefore suggested ture on him. I expect to rewrite the arti- blood and fire there was likely to be war, cle in FANTASTIC STORIES for inclusion in de Camp : No. and people have gone on that way ever LITERARY SWORDSMEN & SORCERERS. After that, another tri- REG : You mention an idea for since. it depends on circumstances & opportunity. logy using the Jorian background world. I will certainly get all the spin-off I can Well of course most people do enter- Would you give us a glimpse of what that from my work on him. tain pseudo-scientific or supernatural be- story would involve? liefs of one kind or another. There are REG : Is there material you've seen concern- adventures, the intract- very few conscientious materialists in the de Camp : Travel, ing Lovecraft since you finished the Bio- humanity in the mass, the pains world. But there is a fairly sharp dis- ability of graphy that would lead you to revise any intentions gone tinction in the fictional field. of learning better, good conclusions or value judgements you made in agley. £$: Do you think fantasy has to be written the book? market for fantasy changed in a way so that people at least half be- REG : Has the de Camp : Only in a few very minor details. Darrell asked you about lieve in it? When superstitions die out significantly since I hope to incorporate these in the paper- entirely will it still be possible to write it? back edition. For example, I meant to vis- fantasy? but I de Camp : Not that I have observed, it Father John T. Dunn in Portsmouth, Ohio, am not in a position to observe very keenly. De Camp : Oh of course. I mean hardly any- before I finished work on LOVECRAFT, but one believes in witches on broomsticks any- circumstances prevented. Father Dunn knew REG : In your view is there a need for more more, but it's still perfectly posssible to Lovecraft around 191^-17 in Providence, graphic realism in heroic fantasy, or is write a good story about them. when Dunn was a plumber and both he and HPL the genre unable or unwilling to sustain were aspirant amateur journalists. Last DS: Thank you, Mr. de Camp. the strain? Is more realism inconsistent May, Dunn told me his reminiscences of Love- with the fantasy element? Can a heroic craft - how at meetings HPL sat staring figure survive as a hero if he has a sex FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS BY RICHARD E. GEIS, straight ahead, save when he answered a life, if he goes to the bathroom and if he September, 1975. question; and how the sister of a member of genuinely bleeds and is fearful? the club once, as a joke, asked HPL to take

REG : I'm never sure how to type your name. her out on a date. He said he would have de Camp : It depends on the taste of the Is it DeCamp. ..De Camp.. .deCamp. ..de Camp? to ask his mother, although he was in his reader and how well the particular story is middle twenties at the time. done rather than on the precise degree of de Camp : The name is de Camp, spelled with realism in it. a lower-case "d" save at the beginning of a REG : How have the sales of LOVECRAFT— sentence. I suppose that Laurent de Camp, accomplishing Biography gone? Is the book REG : Thank you, Mr. de Camp. Island in the 1680s when he landed in Staten what you hoped it would? Is Lovecraft be- used a little "d" since he was a Frenchman. ing discovered or recognized in academe? The de Camp interview appeared first Later generations Anglicized it to De Camp, in the Aug. 13., 1974 DRUMMER. Copy- de Camp : Sales, in five figures, have been right 1974 by Tixeon, Inc. but my paternal grandfather married a wife 44 Owlswick Press

Box 8243 Philadelphia

PA 19101

Of the first edition of SCIENCE FICTION HANDBOOK, reviewers said:

“Let me say at once that de Camp’s Science Fiction

Handbook, to which I am thus calling attention, is an

immensely diverting volume; it is one of the most

entertaining textbooks I have read in years. ... For

embryo professionals the work is, I should guess, the Last Word in genial instructions and candid cautions.”

. . . Vincent Starrett, writing for the Chicago Tribune, 30 August 1953.

“After the pretentious (and usually inaccurate) analyses of The Place of Science

Fiction that have been springing up in all the intellectual periodicals, it’s a relief to read a book by a well-trained and proficient craftsman which treats science fiction simply as commercial entertainment. . . . Any writer will learn a few valuable items he didn’t know and the general reader should find it the most unassuming yet most satisfactory of the books published in this field of fiction.”

. . . Anthony Boucher, writing as H. H. Holmes for the New York Herald-Tribune, 6 September 1953.

“The aspiring writer is given straightforward and adequate information about markets and editors, readers and fans, science-fiction writers and their preparation for the work, sources of ideas, plotting, writing, and selling a story, a writer’s extracurricular duties, such as lecturing, giving advice and dodging fans, and even on how to be an author’s wife.”

. . . Book List, 15 September 1953.

Of this edition, SCIENCE FICTION HANDBOOK, REVISED, science-fiction writers say:

“ Science Fiction Handbook, Revised has all the value of the original handbook, but has also added many new features. A section on “The Business Side of Writing” should be must reading for anyone interested in any aspect of writing— science fiction or otherwise. I’d have been a richer man today if I’d had it when I began writing; and now that I’ve read it, I expect to profit from it for many years to come.”

. . . Lester del Rey, 29 July 1975.

“This may well be the best how-to book ever published

for writers of any kind. It is certainly far and away the best for writers of science fiction and fantasy. New-

comers will find it indispensable, old hands hardly less

valuable, while to the general reader it will give a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the profession.” SCIENCE FICTION . . . Poul Anderson, 1 August 1975. HANDBOOK, $8.50 REVISED ISBN 0 913896 03 9 by L. Sprague de Camp ft -

TAKE CARE OF US OR— LETTERS FROM CHARLES RUNYON Probably you saw it. It read: FULL EQUALI- TY FOR WOMEN.

THE CAMP OF THE SAINTS by Jean Raspail August 1, 1975 'Thus, the explanatory letter to MS. I Scribners, $8.85 'I fucked up in a couple spots in my don't know that they'll print it, or even

Reviewed by Lynne Holdom story, "Dancing On the Titanic" in SFR 14. believe my story. I am sending a copy to

According to the SFWA BULLETIN which arriv- Cogswell, but truthfully, I shiver with an- If you don't read any other book this ed today (a damn good job) the SFWA hospi- ticipation of what he'll do with it. year, read THE CAMP OF THE SAINTS by Jean tality suite was Room 2121. (All I know is 'Possibly you would like to print it. Raspail. It is probably one of the most I went to 2116)* Also, Audrey Gann for It would be a service to Truth, which gets important books of the decade as it asks some reason prefers to spell her name Genn. kicked around a lot in the FORUM, and would questions of the basic values we live by. This is- confirmed by the FORUM, so it's let your female readers know that I am not gotta be true. And third, the third member The book is not being marketed as SF the crude chauvinist pig that Cogswell of the editor's panel was Dave Hartwell. but it could be considered so as it takes would have them believe.' Kirby McCauley was chairman and not Harlan place about 20 years or so in the future. Ellison... though Harlan did a lot of talk- # It is a future in which the entire Third ing and was entertaining. World is a vast slum. Just before total LETTER TO MS MAGAZINE collapse, a million or so beggars in Cal- 'The enclosed letter to MS is an attempt 29 July 75 cutta seize whatever ships are in the har- to clear up an embarrassing situation for 'I'm sure you've experienced this sort bor and head for Europe and the good life. which you hold a certain blameless responsi- of thing many times and have learned to They anchor just off the French Riviera. bility. I'll explain it step-by-step be- take it in stride; however, this is the (To be honest, this is probably because the cause it's very complicated and difficult first time I have been victimized by the author is French—an American would prob- to track. chauvinist backlash, and I am a little in- ably have them off New York or Miami Beach.) 'STEP ONE: As a loyal SFWA-an I sent decisive about what to do. Now the point is that the French aren't the above-mentioned story, which we will 'The enclosed photo, with pasted-on doing so great either; nobody's starving call simply "Titanic," first to Ted Cogs- caption, appeared under my name in our as- but no one is well off, either. The French well at the FORUM. He sent it back telling sociation publication, the FORUM of the can't absorb or cope with these people with- me to retype it single-space and he'd use Science Fiction Writers of America. I had out destroying their own society and los- it. Well, you know ..."howcum Christopher nothing to do with it, and want to assure ing everything they have. How much do they Priest gets his double-spaced letters print- you it is totally alien to my viewpoint and owe these beggars? ed and _I don't?" does not represent my idea of humor.

There's a lot of naturalistic writing ((Let me break in here to note that to 'The reason behind this misrepresenta- to show exactly the degradation and squalor save work, Ted Cogswell prints letters in tion is, I think, that I supported one of in which the beggars live. Even French the SFWA FORUM as received and therefore , our well-known female members, Joanna Russ, poverty is wealth to them. It's also hint- prefers single-spaced letters to save during an open-letter debate with the es- ed that other poor nations and peoples are space. Of course, not all letters are teemed Arthur Clarke, an English Colonial waiting to see the French reaction to the printed in-toto.)) person now living in Sri Lanka. "invasion" before setting off themselves. 'I fully intended to do 'Attempts to clarify the matter in the Naturally the French have every reaction this, however — but re-typing is a task I FORUM are foredoomed,' insofar as Cogswell from "bleeding heart" liberal to "shoot place somewhat lower than carrying out gar- exercises a tyrannical control over the pub- them all" conservative. bage, so I thought, Well, maybe Geis has lication through the use of such techniques relaxed his standards to the point where it If someone breaks in and robs me or as manipulating deadlines, arbitrary cutting can be published in his 'zine. you, that's a crime. Is it any less a of letters, the use of false names, and in crime to rob a country or a civilization. 'STEP TWO: This point you should know some cases — such as the above —deliber- Just how far can a civilization go to pro- better than I; your four-figure check ar- ate misattribution of material. tect itself? This may become more than rived and I immediately applied it to my 'So you ask — why doesn't the member- just a speculation in the next few years. growing hoard. I also sent a letter to ship kick him out? The explanation lies in That's why I think this book is important. Cogswell explaing why I wasn't busy single- the fact that SFWA was originally organized So does the TIMES, but it accuses the auth- spacing the story, and enclosed a photo of as a men's drinking club, and many older or of racism as he seems to be suggesting Uschi Dansk, well-known cover girl and wet ; members feel a nostalgic pull toward the that France would be better off killing all nurse to a thousand dreams, in order that locker-room humor purveyed by Cogswell. these people. I don't think it's that sim- he wouldn't force me to stand at attention Clinically, Cogswell could be described as ple. holding my typewriter' at port arms during a repressed homosexual attempting to resolve the next SFWA business meeting. his personal conflicts through machismo and 'STEP THREE: He published the photo in alcohol. Many of his old friends maintain the FORUM under 'CHARLES W. RUNYON SAYS.' that his work in the FORUM is good therapy, Also he put the flag from MS on the photo. and probably the only thing that keeps him off skid-row, where many ageing science fiction writers spend their last years. *Actually I thought they were advertising

Arthur Clarke's one-hundred twentieth se- 'In addition there is the fact that

quel. editorship of the FORUM is a non-paying and difficult job, and the officers of S FWA are ' — Ted Cogswell wants it noted that he unable to find a reasonably literate person is not a repressed homosexual but a closet to take his place. Thus, the membership retrosexual. He says he will tidy up my are sort of stuck with Cogswell, and have public image in the next FORUM. I regard

learned to take him with a cupful of salt. this with the same apprehension as you might regard a service station attendant 'Therefore I will probably let the mat- approaching your windshiled -with a greasy ter lie. I just want you to know I had rag. Somehow I get the feeling he equates nothing to do with this gratuitous slur on retractions with softness on crime and per- a magazine to which I was a charter sub- missiveness in our public schools. scriber, and which I continue to read and enjoy.' 'Jack Chalker writes an interesting letter, and for more than two-thirds of it # maintains a fairly balanced, mature view-

5 Sept 75 point. Along about the time he gets into Joanna Russ he leaves the rails completely, 'Just finished SFR l*t and will give gut in my opinion. I haven't read her latest reaction before it perolates to the cere- book, but he seems to object on moral terms bellum and becomes sicklied o'er. I liked to the world she creates. I suggest that Fabian's cover — possibly the heavy border produced almost instant (but dramatic!) in- he merely apply the same standards he up- tumor in the brain and a robbed it of a central focus, but gave it a sanity and a giant holds in his next-to-last paragraph: "It's cppsulated dream quality which may have dull right eye. Curious that they couldn't her universe and she can do — or not do — been what you and the artist intended. Af- detect the radiation before people died and what she damned well feels like." ter reading the contents I thought an ap- the whole damn radiation waste dump(s) heat- explanation to why!) and went propriate motif might be a giant crow, bast- 'Personally I tend to agree with the ed up (no as ed and done up with ruffles on its drum- point that Philip Wylie made in his book to critical mass or something. sticks. (Arthur Byron Cover informs me he THE DISAPPEARANCE. A single-sex society And the blithe way they move the moon cooks his crow before eating; I regard this would be apathetic at first — at least out of orbit and up to incredible speed (the as deplorably effete. A true penitent eats for the majority of people, until they Earth is seen vi sibly dwindling in the dis- his crow raw.) found a substitute love-hate relationship tance!) by means of what seems to be at which now energizes our society. Assum- most fifteen or twenty minutes of radio- ing that humanity remains in its current 'Somehow, in my retyping ofJ'Titanic" active waste dump explosions. The moon or your unenlightened state, this would take the in typing, my active verb-form would have to be made of foam rubber for 'I Poul ..." form of status, with rigid prerogatives stating: accosted Anderson that to happen. got changed to the passive: "I was accosted assigned to each caste. Ihe natural out- I'll forgive the way the actors walk at by Poul Anderson." Harmless in this con- come of this would be autocracy — or as normal Earth weight inside the moon base, text, but you can see what might happen, Jack puts it "Sexual Naziism." Well, what but do accurate semi-float when outside on should a witness come to trial and state: the hell, we've tried everything else... the surface in spacesuits. Expense, tech- "I was raped by Linda-Sue", when he really 'I _am a little surprised that he used nical problems... meant, "I raped Linda-Sue." In Mexico, the the example of the Liberian Freedmen — reflexive form- is used to avoid admission since it seems to imply that in his view Ah, well, who cares? The moon is on of guilt; a houseboy who drops a glass on in- the women of today are on a level with the its way to a rendesvous with a strange, f the floor will say, se rompicf el vaso !" light black slaves of the old south. Of course I habited planet a few years away (but which means: "the glass went and broke it- KNOW he didn't mean it that way. Still the it won't take them but a few episodes to self". (He would also allege that Linda- cynical words) with its example proves nothing except that a soph- get there, mark my Sue raped herself, and that he was outside isticated minority will always rule a primi- involuntary colony of scientists. taking a leak when it happened.) tive majority. It was only natural that Martin Landau looked older than I re- the ex-slaves would institute the only sys- 'Along the same line of thought, I am membered him in MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, and his tem they knew, which happened to be the going to absent myself from the continental acting in this new series is very broad. southern plantation system.' U.S. Put me on hold for personal corres- Barbara Bain played the doctor like a robot,

pondence, and don't mess with your mailing s|e sjc ajc sjc * sf: ***$ $ *5)5 *$ sfc sf: ** ajc jf: jjc * * * jf: ** ** ** * * * *** with glacial emotion. And Barry Morse re- list. I'll send my new address written on of Zarkov of THE MOON IS A HARSH SPACESHIP minded me—forgive me— Dr. a coconut husk. . A Review of SPACE: 1999 'Yes, I Getting Out. Non-violence am SPACE: 1999 plays here at 6 P.M. on Sun- OPENING EPISODE is becoming hard work. My neighbors are THE day. arming themselves as if the Saracens were • Ihey always seem to make the same tech- sets and good special just over the hill and headed thisaway. It has excellent nical mistakes, don't they? Like the roar- effects I especially liked Rudy Gern- The sheriff is under indictment by the — ing of rockets and explosions in the vacuum with the colored sleeves prosecuting attorney for theft, and the reich's uniforms, of space... For dramatic effect, I guess. rank and specialty. sheriff is charging the PA with public denoting Unless it is assumed the 'sound is taken from drunkenness. The school board is headed the inside of the spaceship. (Except that Summing up: Lousy, contemptuous scripts. by a mortician who feels that a good stu- the POV is from the outside...) Juvenile TV, sf that would not be publish- dent is a dead student — or at least one able in a magazine or book. sickness that who knows how to act that way. 17 And that fishy radiation ******************************************* — " — — —

THE ALTER-EGO VIEWPOINT part of the ground, bushes, water, rocks, I hope an American pocketbook publisher etc. in its path. The picks up the softcover rights,. It has good A Dialogue bodies aid debris appear in the 'past' and are driving the cover and blurb possibilities—an alien kills government crazy." race that periodically runs amok and including hum n colon- And then body, #17 comes through still everyone in sight, a assure sales enough to alive, and ists—which would cover costs and a small profit, at least." "Whose review is this, Geis? Butt out!

1 do you think Perry's book deserves And, sure, the speculations thicken when ol Why American publication? #17 drops in half frozen and half dead from "It has meticulously worked-out alien radiation burns inflicted by the weapon. a ecology; the detailed alien flora and fauna The thing is, Tucker writes fine—realis- together and interact, and the intruding tic, true descriptions and dialog—makes fit human settlers are both a help and an evil you really believe. ..and also insists on a ...because what will happen when the intel- realistic ending—no solutions, no resolu- ligent natives find out what causes their tions. ..just abandonment of the base as the periods of amok and develop the advanced Alter, why don't you start reviewing ice encroacheth, as #17 is killed by #18 civilization and culture they are capable with Wilson (Bob) Tucker's latest sf novel, (one of the future women soldiers zapped by of? The natives-human conflict is inher- from Doubleday at 14.95 and now a Ballan- a stolen weapon) are moved to a southerly ent." tine paperback—24660, $1.50—name of ICE town, as Highsmith quits the team. ..and Maybe Perry has a sequel in mind? AND IRON. It's in his favorite mode, a meanwhile in the far future it looks ultim- "I wouldn't doubt it; authors always slice-of-Iife with no 'commercial' plot or ately bad for the remnants of the male have sequels in mind." cliches or stereotypes. primitives." "Isn't the dribble-off-the-page ending It's a morality tale dealing with the Okay, Alter, now it's time to live up

a cliche, Geis? The hero-^-" . virtues of 'natural' life versus the crimes to your reputation. Which book are you go- Central character, Alter. Fisher Yann and perversions of civilization. ..even a ing to demolish? Who are you going to send

Highsmith is in no way a 'hero'. woman-dominated civilization. It also "ex- screaming to the typer to pound out a fiery "That's part of my gripe. But the book plains" the strange, real incidents of fall- letter of protest to me? has a fine idea to hook the reader with: ing animal life, vegetation, and other "Bob Silverberg does not pound out fi- this scientist—Highsmith—is .with a debris which Charles Fort recorded in some ery letters protesting evil reviews. Maybe

small team of scientists who are sitting of his books. he flinches a bit now and then... Maybe he

nervously in southern Canada next to .the "I was just going to say that!" mutters under his breath a bit..."

leading edge of an oncrunching glacier a So, did you like it, Alter? The novel? You-you're going to attack a Silverberg couple of hundred years from now, waiting "Yes! Lots of action and killing in book? for more bodies of 'natives' to fall out of the far future. Lots of frustration and "They're sacred?" the sky from no-one knows where (or when), accurate speculation in the near future. No. ..but you liked his UP THE LINE very along with assorted ancient-type handmade Bob writes so good you can't skip paq«3 ." much, and you loved TO LIVE AGAIN, and ad- bricks, debris, crude weapons. ..and then mired DYING INSIDE and THE BOOK OF SKULLS. We'll have to move right along; that lo, a strange, laser-like weapon— Howcum you don't like... took a lot of space. Are you going to Alter, Canada has been absorbed by the "BORN WITH THE DEAD. Subtitled 'Three 'waste' the next novel? United States in this novel. Novellas About the Spirit of Man'. Rather "Geis, you're bloodthirsty. You prate "Yeah, and the new capital of the USA pretentious. I don't know if that can be of kindness and compassion, but deep down is 'Washington South' —moved because of laid at Bob's door or at that of the editor you want me to rend authors limb from limb. the inexorably approaching ice. The story of Random House who published this in hard- Now, I cou ld accuse John Boyd of writing a is told in alternate chapters of "Ice" and cover at $5-95. But that's a minor grump. potboiler, a two-finger fiction exercize, "Iron", using two time-frameso One ("Ice") Bob Silverberg has chosen a road, in fic- when he wrote ANDROMEDA GUN, recently pub- is the now of Fisher Highsmith, a gentleman tion, that seems to be leading him clear lished by Berkley in hardcover for $5.95. who has the hots for a sexually frigid Li- off the science fictional map. ..into the This is not a killer review, by the way. brarian female in his team. ...and the other swamps and boonies of Metaphysics and Deep It's a disappointed yawn review. John Boyd ("Iron") is in the now of a battle going on Significances and the Spirit of Man. Damn maybe wrote this story of an alien do-good- between an all-woman army advancing north it, he's trying to write Literature now, er intelligence taking over the mind/body as the ice retreats, and the male-dominated and he is trying to do it obviously; he's of a wild-west low-life and gunman name of primitives r who live on the northern fringe saying to readers and publishers, I'm in- Johnny Loco as a change of pace. The story of this matriarchal-fascistic civilization to heavy. thoughts now, boys and girls, and . largely drags as G-7 tries to steer the ." —about eight to ten thousand years later I'm not going to pretend otherwise. Love outlaw into a life of sainthood. The novel I thought it amusing that Tucker tied it or leave it.' He is not very much con- has its moments, but they're damn few." in the books of Charles Fort, postulating cerned to use the commercial fiction devic- So that's it on the Boyd book, Alter? that — es and structures and dynamics which built Blandsville? "Don't talk academic language, Geis. his reputation in the first place." "Yep. It's now out as a Berkley paper- And, yeah, Bob has this strange weapon the That is his affair, Alter. You should back: N2878, 950." future women have developed sending their limit yourself to the work, not the man. enemies, the primitive, free men. through I see the next book is "Okay, let me put it this way: I like time to the present of Highsmith, when the "Perry Chapdelaine's SWAMPWORLD WEST fiction that grabs me, that is primarily ice-age is creeping in. The beam kills the which was published in England last Decem- concerned with story and whose writing is men Elmfield Press. I want by making them disappear—along with is ber by the to say at the service of the story. When I sniff "

the unmistakable aroma of a writer of arro- three novellas in a cool, detached style to LETTER FROM D. SCHWEITZER gant, "superior" mein who is intent on in- go with the theme." structing me in the eternal verities and You think "Thomas the Proclaimer" is September, 1975 anguishes of human existence (which no one too cool? You have to admit that a story ’I got sufficiently tired of waiting but him has ever thought of before!), I re- wherein God really does exist and has prov- for responses on various mss. that I com- sent ito I get my back up. I do not like en it conclusively to mankind—that has a piled a list of how long it takes various being patronized, and I think that is what built-in excitement potential. editors to reply. You might want to pass is going on when writer "Yeah. ..a sad, bitter, despairing ex- a writes fictional the results on to your readers, both to sermons and self-consciously turns to Liter- citement, an examination of what happens to show what a reasonably unknown writer can ary ways of writing. In other words, the human tools of God, on Earth. Mankind Geis, expect (considering geography) & possibly when behaves with all the stupidity you'd expect m^ ego resents it he implies in his to grease up the Mills of the Gods a bit. if... Well, it follows, doesn't it, that writing that he is superior and is impart- The statistics: ing Truth and Insights. I'm supposed to if God proves His existence, He automatical- 'ANALOG: 10 days. pay my 950 or my $1.50 or my $5.95 in order ly proves the existence of Evil—of the AMAZING/FANTASTIC: 2-10 months. to be subtly put down?" Devil? And how perverse of a portion of

F&SF : 3 weeks-6 months. Alter, you are into a diatribe. Stop mankind, robbed of free will and king—of— GALAXY: 2-7 months. it. Bob is tired of writing for the majori- the-mountainhood, to decide to worship His ORBIT: 2 weeks. ty of science fiction readers, tired of Most Foulness, eh?" VOID (Australia): 6 weeks (Ms. sent commercial plots, tired of climaxes, tired So you liked the story? surface mail, reply was airmail. of black moments, or heroes and satisfying "It was interesting, but vaguel repel- They bought it.) 'win' endings—the whole bag. Now, are lant. All these three are interesting, but SF MONTHLY (British): A months. you going to talk about the three novellas turn-offs. The 'Spirit of Man' doesn't WHISPERS: 3 weeks - 2 months. in BORN WITH THE DEAD .OR NOT? show itself to be much to admire, according FANTASY & TERROR: 2-5 weeks. "Oh, sure. You know, death and the to Silverberg. As entertaining, emotional- ETERNITY: 3 weeks - 2 months. question of God and an afterlife are usual- ly involving fiction, these efforts are WYRD: weeks - months. ly of interest to everyone, and stories duds." 3 3 FICTION: 2-A months. dealing with these questions are usually What about the last novella, "Going"? sure-fire, but in these three novellas, Bob "It's about a famous composer in the 'Some of these are rather surprising, managed to bore more often me than not. future who at age 136 decides to Go—to like the difference between VOID and AMAZ- Somehow, and distant he is cool in this die—at one of the elaborate government ING. Ben Bova obviously reads mss. 26 fiction. The title novella, "Born With the installations set up for those who are too hours a day.' Dead," is about a future in which the re- tired of life and wish a kind of ritualis- sic*****************************************' cently, untimely, relatively undamaged dead tic, formal, approved suicide. After a lot can be revived if they have arranged for — of dull, boring soul-searching and delay, 'The state is the great fictitious it. It's called Rekindling. ..and afterward the man finally goes through with it. entity by which everyone expects to they are—different. They have no desire There are no great insights here, or daz- live at the expense of everyone else.' to socialize with 'warms'. They stay with zling concepts, but the future socializa- —Frederic Bastiat, their own kind." tion of suicide is. ..interesting. ..even "The State" Interesting, fascinating idea. though it strikes me as economically in- "Yeah. But Silverberg writes as if he credible—too costly." ******************************************* were Rekindled. Maybe it's because... Well, Alter, you've committed hari-kiri—the I won't speculate. The story concerns a blood on the floor is yours. Your effront- 'warm' man's obsession to see and talk to ery will soon bring you a lobotomy. Apolo- his beautiful, recently Rekindled wife. She gize to Bob Silverberg. Say you're sorry. avoids him, ignores him... Finally, her "I'm sorry he bored me this time. I'm Rekindled friends murder him to be rid of sorry he isn't into using strong story ele- him. ..and have him Rekindled. Does he win ments anymore. I'm sorry his characters her back in 'cold' land? No, they become are tools used to show the downer spiritu- casual friends and he finds other interests, al ideas he has now. There's a low passion other values." quotient. ..a low joy quotient. ..in these The resolution of the story sounds stories. There's a seeking. ..perhaps Bob reasonable. is on a longer voyage than even he sus- "Yes, Geis, there's nothing wrong with' pects." the plausibility of the story. Bob is not Alter, this gratuitous analysis has got a careless, casual writer. But I didn't to stop! I'll never let you review again! care about the characters, not even Jorge I'm leaving! Klein when he was hot to confront his dead/ "All right, Geis. Go! Lock me up! alive wife. Somehow, somewhy, Silverberg But I'll live to review again! The readers has seemingly, to me, lost his passion, his will force you down here! You'll see! narrative sparkle, his electricity... Un- You'll come crawling— less..." Unless? *SLAM*

"Unless I misread hint and 'feel' him ******************************************* wrong. Maybe he deliberately wrote these 19 —

UFFISi THGT8 be wrong. And this prefatory note exists Mayan (1938-39)). specifically to underscore that point. What The point I'm making is that I ab- A Column By TED WHITE follows is written out of respect for Philip sorbed Doc Savage into my personal con-

Jose Farmer, if disagreement with a practice sciousness as an adolescent. He be- DISCLAIMER: Reading Philip Jose Farmer's in- of his, and is in no, fashion an attack upon came part of my fantasy world, the terview—which I found fascinating—in SFR him as a man or as an author. world I inhabited while bicycling the 19 was a jolt that was required for me to or- two miles to school and back each day, ganize the following material onto paper. # and during other moments when my mind The material has been in my head for a while, PERSONAL : When I was fourteen or had little to do but daydream. now, as I have tried to understand certain so, I discovered Doc Savage. I was already We each do this to some extent, basic "gut" reactions I felt on the subject; fans more than most. As kids we reading sf magazines and had one foot in fan- have it has been, voiced in conversation in various I to dom. I combed two Washington, C.C. used-book heroes— missed Tarzan due some contexts, but never organized with much co- stores for old sf magazines (ghod, they were coincidence, but many probably saw him herence. cheap in those days—pulps, irrespective of the way I did Doc Savage—figures who come However, due to the nature of the topic, topic, went for 100 each or three for a quar- alive off printed pages and enter and the fact that Farmer figures in it not ter) and in the process discovered Doc Savage. our fantasies.

only as a catalyst but as a prime example, I On another level, consider Oz. I It was 1952; DOC SAVAGE magazine had been feel that I should say something about him up found THE LAND OF OZ Oz dead for three years. I found the digest- (the second front, as it were, before getting to the top- sized issues first, tucked away in vertical book) in my church library before I was ic itself. stacks along with READER'S DIGEST, THE SHAD- old enough to read. The pictures fas- cinated I I first "met" Phil Farmer in 1952, when OW (which I also collected) and copies of a me (they still do) and demand- his "The Lovers" appeared in STARTLING STO- magazine known variously (according to the ed my mother check it out and read it to me. After I read I RIES. I was strongly impressed, and made it year) as 95, 96 or 97, in the basement of learned to check- a point to seek out his stories wherever they Central Books on 9th St., N.W. Later I be- ed it out many times to reread it. To- appeared thereafter. gan tracking down the pulps, enlisting the night I read a chapter of the same book (newer help of Dick Witter's F and SF Books on Stat- edition; paperbound) to my five- In the late sixties I had my first actual en Island via the mails. With Witter's help year-old daughter before putting her to contact with the man, .in the letter columns by 1956 I had a complete set of THE SHADOW bed; it's her second time through it. of an earlier incarnation of this magazine. and all but two or three issues of DOC SAV- Oz books have been as popular, It was not the best way to gain contact with AGE. surely, as Doc Savage ever was, albeit him: we seemed to find ourselves in conten- with probably younger readers. Oz was tious positions. Although he dropped me a I was fascinated by the series-character for years part of my interior land- congratulatory postcard during my first year pulps and I collected lots of others—THE scape, my fantasy world. I had read as editor of AMAZING and FANTASTIC, he was WIZARD, THE WHISPERER, THE AVENGER, THE PHAN- every Oz book then published by the soon on opposite sides of the fence with my TOM DETECTIVE, The Black Bat in BLACK BOOK time I was a teenager. publisher in a wrangle which persisted until DETECTIVE, etc., etc., etc. but Doc Savage — # 1973 or 1979. This put us several times in stood out head and shoulders to me then. In his interview, Phil Farmer talks the position of antagonists, most particular- I read of pulps, and es- about his researches into Doc Savage ly in the pages of OUTWORLDS during 1973o every one those pecially I DOC SAVAGE pulps. When I and Tarzan, his integration of their Subsequently I did something I should have read the new DOC SAVAGEs read I'd reread an two fictional universes, and his desire done much earlier: I wrote him a letter, a had no to one. to blur the distinctions between reali- personal letter, in an effort to get the old My favorites mostly, occurred in the ty and fiction. I have his biography thing off the public stage, where all partic- years 1933-35, with one or two from 36 and 37- At that time Doc's adventures were of Doc Savage on my shelf—along with ipants usually, and sometimes unwittingly, science-ad- ventures, my set of Bantam Doc Savage reissues, become actors, trying to score points with involving some super-science, and various which is complete. But I do not expect the audience and losing track of the basic hidden lands, peoples, or etc. Later on looked to ever read the book, just as I do not point, which is communication and understand- they like science-adventure, but intend ever to read his Doc Caliban ing. when the element of mystery was revealed in books. the last chapter, it turned out to have mun- Why? Because of my That letter went a long way, I think, to- dane origins. It weakened the stories for me. deep-felt con- ward clearing up what misunderstanding exist- viction that they would—if I allowed I day-dreamed about Doc Savage; I fanta- ed between us. And Phil's response to it them to—violate my personal fantasies. sized about him and his adventures. I also an equally long, equally candid letter—fin- To put it on a more basic level, I feel fantasized about a revived DOC SAVAGE maga- ished the job. This year (1975) he mentioned reading those books would be a form of zine; I filled pages of my school notebooks that we'd settled our differences in a letter rape. with designs for logos and portraits of Doc to OUTWORLDS, and I'd like to confirm that. To a friend I described them as ex- and his men. Of the various artists who had We've yet to meet face to face, but I hope we amples of "literary ghoulishness." depicted Doc in his magazine, I liked best do one of these days. For the same reason I strongly dis- Baumhoffer's early-thirties cover paintings liked the movie of THE DROWNING POOL Thus, although some of the readers of and Paul Orban's interiors, which came and (in which Paul Newman plays Ross McDon- this publication may automatically assume went throughout Doc's career. (Orban also ald's Lew Archer as badly as he did in that with our public background of conten- illustrated Shadow stories, HARPER several years ago) and I do not tion if not outright antagonism, anything I stories and Phantom Detective stories, but I intend to read Joe Gores' HAMMETT (in may write about Farmer would have an under- preferred him on Doc Savage. The Shadow was which Dashiell Hammett is the protagon- lying tone of hostility, such readers would better rendered by Edd Cartier and Earl (1937) ist). 20 What does all this add up to, you ask? style of what we enjoyed as kids to be What is really happening is this: my ex-

When we re,ad a book we form a mental pic- irritatingly bad, sometimes unreadably perience of OZ through the books was person- ture of the scenes and characters about which so.) al, subjective. It looked a certain way to ^ we are reading. If there are illustrations me. Each person's voice sounded a certain they may shape that mental picture, but not I saw the MGM movie, THE WIZARD OF way to my inner ear. And each event had emo- always—sometimes they vary so sharply with OZj when I was eight or nine. I had by tional significance to me, as I identified the way we picture the text that we reject then read all of Baum's Oz books and with the characters involved. They were my such illustrations as inappropriate bad cast- many of the Ruth Plumly Thompson's. I friends—closer than that: they were part of ing. was just a kid, but I was offended by jm. I absorbed them and their experiences, The communication is direct: from the the movie. made all of it a part of myself, my feelings. author's imagaination to ours. To mine. Noth- Most people I know saw the movie We each do this to varying degrees. But ing stands between Lester Dent's conception first—if they ever bothered to read we are each unique individuals: our reactions, of Doc Savage and my perception of that char- the book later; most didn't. They our subjective interpretations differ. Each acter. It does not matter to me that thous- think it a classic movie, charming, etc. of us experiences a book in unique ways, par- ands of others are also reading the same sto- To them the movie _is THE WIZARD OF OZ. ticular to us each. There is no reason why ries: the experience is, in every case, one- The reducto ad absurdum of this is the this should not be the case, and as long as to-one, uniquely intimate. recent publication by the Marvel Comics we each contain these separate experiences The degree of a character's popularity Group of a $1.50 large-sized comic book within ourselves, everything is fine. may have something to do with the success devoted to the movie's conceptualiza- with which the author bridges tie gap between tion of THE WIZARD OF OZ, with more is- But when, for instance, MGM decided to his imagination and that of his readers. That sues to follow. I found it disgusting, make WIZARD into a movie, that ended. Sub- is to say, the more direct and intimate and yet it is obviously the product of a jective impressions became objective realiza- immediate an experience of this sort, the group of people who feel affection for tions. Dorothy (whom I believe to be, when greater the audience. Long-term, mass popu- the story and what they are doing. she first appears in the Oz books, perhaps larity for characters like Tarzan and Doc There is a map in the back which had to five years old) becomes Judy Garland—a teen- Savage may simply come down to the fact that be drawn by someone who had read many, ager with her breasts strapped down playing a their authors had the right touch to reach if not all, of the Oz books, and who pre-teenager. The Cowardly Lion becomes a the fiery imagination of many adolescents, tried his best to reconcile Baum's slop- burleque comic (albeit one of the very best)

(it's almost always adolescents and pre- piness in sometimes changing the geo- in a tatty lion suit. Etc. Periodically the

adolescents; at that age one's critical abil- graphical locations of his countries. action stops for a song. Good as "Over The ities are unformed and one is largely style- So why am I offended? Because I Rainbow" has proven to be, it has nothing deaf. The concept is what communicates; the feel, basically, as if something private whatsoever to do with the Oz which my reading style need be little more than functional, at and personal had been trespassed upon. of the Oz books led me to experience. best. Later on, as adults, we often find the My fantasies have been raped again. What happened was that someone's subjec- tive impressions of the book became objecti-

fied. It became public . And although I did XWr'SAy 7 H4v/E not surrender my private interpretation of

WIZARD, I felt it battered by the movie. You can be sure I'll never bother with the newest rape of the book, THE WIZ.

What Farmer has done with Doc Savage is different only in degree. What he has done is take his own subjective impression of the

character, which I expect must be fully as intense as my own, and objectify it. Not by Siv\*£T continuing the Canon in the style of Dent, as Ron Goulart has done with The Avenger for CflAQC Warner, but by telling the "real story" of Doc S a vage—going behind the scenes in Doc Savage's life. (I infer this from what he has said about the books in his interview and

from reviews; as I said I refuse to read the books.) But the behind the scenes of Doc Savage came not from the Canon as realized by

Dent and the others who wrote as Kenneth ai-Vive Robeson; they come from Farmer's own fantasy- l5/xle>06>t4 imagination, from his subjective experience TO ho of Doc Savage. He is saying, "Here is the jvs r reality _I envision behind the character." Worse, he is saying, "Doc Savage's universe is also Tarzan's universe."

21 Now for Phil Farmer this must be true. —

He is twenty years older than I, and he must glimmering of what Stan may have felt. I wonder if Farmer is aware that his have experienced both Tarzan and Doc Savage use of Doc Savage (and perhaps of Tarzan, In the meantime, fan mail began coming at roughly the same time in his own adoles- too) has this effect on some people. I in. THE GREAT GOLD STEAL (Bantam's title for cence. For him—in his interior fantgsy- know he is not cynical in his use of Doc the book) drew more fan mail than anything world—Tarzan and Doe Savage are contempo- Savage—he is not exploiting the charact- else I'd done save the Oar books for Lancer. raries and must have known each other because er; he is realizing his own love of him But a few of the letters were upset, hurt. _he knew them both. but I wonder if it has ever occurred to him

I'd introduced a minor character in an that he has been tresspassing on others' re- But for me this is not true. I never en- early chapter, you see. An apish man who com- lationships with the character. I wonder, countered Burroughs as a child or adolescent. es to Capt. America to blow the whistle on too, why he wants to use others' characters (I read instead Kipling and when I heard of the bad guys and who is killed by laser just in his fiction instead of creating those Tarzan I assumed he was a ripoff of Mowgli.) as he gets to the Avenger (Marvel style) which would be purely his own. Speculation For me Tarzan does not exist to any real ex- headquarters where the good Captain is liv- is foolish, if not arrogant; I'll confine tent—and he certainly does not coexist in ing. He was, obviously, Monk Mayfair from myself to the supposition that these char- the same universe with Doc Savage. For me , Doc Savage. It is never explained what he's acters have so strong an existence in Farm- T said. For I see no reason to subject my doing in Capt. America's universe; this is a er's imagination that he feels them to be interpretation on anyone else: it is mine and walk-on part. 'real' in the same way he does Kilgore mine alone. Trout. To accuse him of literary ghoulish- What I had in mind, when I was writing Thus it disturbs me when Farmer objecti- ness is to ignore that supposition: it is the book, was to give insiders an acknowledge- fies his fantasies in print. But I can sym- simply an unthinking reaction born out of ment that I was using the Doc Savage style of pathize too—I'm guilty of the same thing, my own ander at the violation of my rela- prose and plotting. I had intuitively analyz- to a somewhat lesser extent. tionship with the characters in my imagina- ed the basic problem of translating a costum- tion. Yet it is indicative of the intens- In 1966 Bantam Books asked me to do a ed comic character into print and decided ity of feeling which can be provoked when novel around Captain America. .1 was recom- that the answer lay in realizing him in pulp one invades another's fantasies. mended by Stan Lee, and I set out to write a fiction terms. Doc Savage, after all, was

book that not only I could take pride in, but simply a pulp fiction version of Captain Am- Recently, at the request of Byron one Stan would like too. (Stan didn't create erica: aside from the fact that the Captain Preiss, for whom Farmer is also creating Captain Simon America—Joe and Jack Kirby wore a costume, their talents and abilities material, I created a character named Doc did that, back when Stan was not yet in his did not differ greatly. Neither was a genu- Phoenix. Phoenix is not Doc Savage under teens but I think sometimes he feels as like Superman; lixe Batman, — ine super-hero, another name—not a Doc Calliban. But he though he did: he holds that character in they were extraordinary men, but still men is in some respects like Doc Savage: the higher affection than most of those he has nonetheless. (I wanted to do a Batman novel stories are written in the style Lester created. Maybe he read the early Simon & in the same way, although I would have modi- Dent created as filtered through my own Kirby stories at an impressionable point in fied the style to suit the somber—even men- creative abilities and I have surrounded his life. acing—overtones I found in the early, and Phoenix with characters not unlike Monk and

best, Batman stories.) Ham and Long Tom and Rennie; I have even When I finished the book I gave a copy of introduced a Pat Savage-like character, al- the manuscript to Stan as well as delivering Unwittingly I had tresspassed on others' though not a cousin and with the hint of the original to Bantam—just so he'd have it fantasies. They were indignant. Who was I to read sooner. I was proud of the book. I to kill off Monk, Doc's righthand man? They

felt I'd made Captain America real in terms wrote to me in anguish and anger. And I had of cold print, that I'd successfully translat- no good answer for them because they were

ed a comic character to the print medium (I right.

maintain the belief that I am the only one In my arrogance I had assumed that since ever to do this successfully), and that I'd I had experienced Doc Savage so intensely, filled in a lot of details skipped over in absorbed him so completely into myself, I had the comics without negating what had appear- some sort of proprietory right over him that ed there. Stan never read the manuscript; he justified my borrowing Monk as I had. gave it to Roy Ihomas to check for errors in

conceptualization. It had never occurred to me that I was violating someone else's relationship with A year and a half later Bantam published Doc and his men. the book. I immediately picked up several copies and gave an autographed, inscribed In truth it didn't really hit home until

copy to Stan. I found out what Farmer was doing. He was

doing it bigger than I, gaudier than I, but He never read that, either. I don't be- he was no more guilty of the tresspass than lieve he has read it to this day. For a long I. Suddenly the shoe was on the other foot: time I felt hurt by his refusal to read the someone else had arrogated Doc Savage and his book. I had written it as much for him as milieu and it was m^ fantasy that was being for any one person. I'd dedicated it to him violated. I found, suddenly, much more sym- and to Jack Kirby. (I have no idea if Kirby pathy for those letter-writers who didn't ever even saw it.) It was only when I began like my killing off Monk. organizing my feelings about what Farmer had done with Doc Savage that I began to get a 22 ) — —

romance between the two. More importantly, flunk are tossed into the time void, an These books will probably have the same Doc Phoenix's adventures are unlike Doc idea to warm any history teacher's heart) uneven quality of the old Ace doubles and Savage's: they take place for the most part —before being sent into the past with two will give a lot of new writers a chanceo inside the minds and fantasies of Phoenix's other students for post-graduate work under There is plenty of action and most are com- client-patients. I'm not awfully happy an experienced Patrolman. Unfortunately petently written. Kelly Freas did all the with the in ductory story (in WEIRD HE- for Jan, those students are Gail Conrad, x covers. ROES Vol. 2; Pyramid. December 197$) but the smartest student and whose family has ******************************************* always beeh Patrol, and (after Arthur is the first novel (to be published by Pyramid LETTER FROM ROBERT BLOCH in 197$) I like a lot. Phoenix enters the killed on a mission) Kirk Rayburn who Jan fantasy-world of a catatonic ten-year-old instinctively distrusts. Worse, Kirk feels August 25, 1975 girl who is living in a perverted version the Patrol is not only observing history with an outstanding of Oz. but changing it even though Horatio, their 'Another good issue Patrolman, has explained this is impos- coverage of Philip Jose Farmer. I have What I like about this is that I am not sible. Yet it would explain some myster- just spent ((squiggle)) days with the ac- dealing directly with m^ fantasy-Oz, nor am ious events that have puzzled Jan. The tual P.J. Farmer at STAR TREK Chicago, I attempting to introduce Oz into the same crisis comes when Kirk and Horatio take a which offered 85$ humidity, 95° heat, universe as that inhabited by either Doc trip to 177$ to see the execution of George 15,000 fans and Harlan Ellison,, though not Phoenix or myself. I am allowing Phoenix to Washington, (if the reader gets this far necessarily in that order. The combination, enter an Oz which is warped by the person- into the book without realizing that Jan however, is quite overwhelming, and I'm now ality of the girl whose fantasy it is. In comes from an alternate future world, he ready for a nice long rest. That's what the it, the Shaggy Man is a villain, for in- deserves to be tossed into the time void funeral director said—just think of it as stance—with overtones which extend into rest. Eklund gives plenty of hints.) When Jan a nice long the girl's real life. I hope to use the and Gail go to report a seeming history ’William Nolan's piece on LOGAN'S RUN book to make some of the same points I've history change to the Patrol they end up in should answer lot of questions raised by made here about the sanctity of our private a the overwhelmingly dictatorial world of the fans as to "Why the movie was changed from fantasies. Watcher, conclude that they _are the Patrol the book." The answer is that some clown and try to change history back. Then they # or group of clowns decided to second-guess discover that this history is the original the stupid author: thus is one's work "im- suppose I must accept the fact that history and Kirk has merely restored it. I proved" by the artistic mentors of Holly- inasmuch as each of us is unique in his Perhaps he was caught in the last such wood. Watch for JAWS MEETS DEEP THROAT.' fantasies, Farmer has every bit as much switch. Do Jan and Gail have any right to right to continue writing and publishing interfere? ((How about JAWS MEETS THE HAPPY HOOK- the "real stories" as he sees them of oth- ER?)) One nice touch: Gail, superior student ers' fictional characters as I do to re- ******************************************* or not, depends on research, not memory. fuse reading them. Each of us is correct In fact, Jan and Gail do a lot of research LETTER FROM JAMES K. BURK in his own terms. All I am doing here, in the NYC Public Library where I did lots then, is registering a dissent in a some- of mine. August what less public arena than that in which 27, 1975 ****** he is publishing his. I am putting down 'I find myself forced to agree, in a on paper and in print feelings I have felt large part, with your assessment of the re- for some time now with an attempt to under- Briefly view I did for DELAP'S F&SF REVIEW on THE stand those feelings and to communicate Laser #1 . RENEGADES OF TIME by Raymond F. MOTE IN GOD'S EYE. This review was, in their import. In the end, how you feel Jones. Van Vogtian romance but makes a bit fact, an inferior piece of work, not up to about this matter is your business, a mat- more sense. Competently written. the usual high standards of DELAP'S. The ter of your fantasies. fault for this rests entirely with me. Mr. Laser #2 . HERDS by Stephen Goldin. Much Delap, the editor, and Mr. Patten, the pub- better than I thought it would be. The on- lisher, trusted me, and I have disappointed THE LASER EXPER I ENCEfSJ ly really adult novel so far. An alien con- them. I wish to apologize to them and, very tact story that solves a mystery. publicly, to Messrs. Niven and Pournelle. SERVING IN TIME by Gordon Eklund (Laser#6 Laser jfj . CRASH LANDING ON IDUNA by Arthur Reviewed by Lynne Holdom 'While I find the general negative tone Tofte. The Swedish Family Robinson of out- of the review warranted, the review itself er space. Two sons and two daughters but Gordon Eklund has always been fascinat- contained several errors in fact. Again, no sex or incest so a bit unrealistic. ed by variations on American history and in apologies to all concerned.' Again competently written. this book he has finally gained control of ******************************************* his plot rather than letting it control him. Laser #h . GATES OF THE UNIVERSE by Coulson 'The General Market embraces personal & deWeese. Didn't get past page AO. relationships as well as commercial ones. The story starts in 22nd century Ameri- All relationships are governed by market ca, a time of clan homesteads and very lit- Laser #5 . WALLS WITHIN WALLS by Arthur principles as individuals come together, tle technology. A world that is cozy and Tofte. Cruelty to mutants after WW3. One exchange or share as appropriate, and work above all, safe. Then Jan Jaroux who is grotch: a chap tells the hero as hero is toward the advancement of their own happi- vaguely discontented with life but has no- having trouble with the heroine that he ness. The same principles apply to finding where else to go in a world of sameness, is should beat her and/or rape her. Do we a friend that apply to finding a buyer for drafted into the Time Patrol. There he is need another John Norman? Yecch! . your1 product.' extensively tutored in history—(those who 23 —Harry Browne A WINNER FROM DARKOVER without laran . As it turns out, Regis does He feels constantly manipulated—manipula- have laran but he has blocked its develop- ted into becoming active head of the guards THE HERITAGE OF HASTUR by Marion Zimmer ment because it is linked in his mind with and into accepting Dyan Ardais as Cadet-

Bradley. DAW UW1189, $1.50 the memory of a homosexual affair with his Master even though Lew feels he is most un-

cousin, Lew Alton. (Lew refers to it ob- suitable. So when he is sent on a mission Reviewed by Lynne Holdout liquely in several spots.) Later he almost for the Comyn to rebel Aldaran, he is all dies from threshold sickness rather than too willing to hear Lord Kermiac's argu- Way back in the wilds of 1967, a friend admit he desires his friend Danilo Syrtis ments that Darkovans should combine the handed me a copy of STAR OF DANGER by Mari- because Danilo has endured disgrace rather best of their inheritance with the best of on Zimmer Bradley, and from then on I've than submit to the desires of the Cadet- Terra's. Then he discovers that all Dark- been hooked on Darkover. THE HERITAGE OF Master, Dyan Ardais. Regis does not want ovans are descended from Terrans; a fact HASTUR, her latest, is easily the best of to be thought of as like Dyan; also, Danilo his father surely knows and that the rest them all. is a sin of the Comyn probably know. Also, he falls is a cristoforo , so homosexuality Basically, it is the coming-of-age sto- to him though not to most Darkovans. (Re- in love with Marjorie Scott, another half— Hastur and Lew ry of two young men, Regis gis was educated by cristofo ro monks before Terran Darkovan. Of course the Sharra pow- stories are told Alton. Their intertwined becoming a cadet, though he is not of their er that the Aldaran circle unleashes does- first in alternating chapters—Lew’s in the faith.) It is Regis' resolution of all n't quite perform as they wish and seeufs to soci- person. Both feel alienated by their these elements of his heritage that forms be the master rather than the servant of ety and manipulated by it into accepting the core of his story. the circle, but... roles they do not want. Regis wants to Lew Alton is more a tragic figure be- Besides all this there is plenty of travel in space but is pressured into be- cause he can never really resolve his prob- action, lots of swordplay, a kidnapping, a coming a cadet in the guards; Lew must take lem: his lack of acceptance by Darkovans, trek across the mountains in winter, and command of those same guards due to his particularly the Comyn, because of his half- vast destruction once the Sharra matrix father's illness though he'd rather work in Terran ancestry. Never mind that he has gets out of hand. In my personal opinion a tower as a matrix mechanic. full laran including the Alton gift; never THE HERITAGE OF HASTUR is one of the two Regis' is mind that he has become an excellent matrix Of the two stories, more in- best books I've read, this year. teresting, but Lew's is the more tragic. mechanic; never mind that he has performed s^*********************** ******************* Regis has failed to develop laran the perfectly all the duties of a Comyn heir; , 'We are much beholden to Machiavel and telepathic gift of his caste and so feels he is still only grudgingly accepted be- other, that write what men do, and not what worthless; but his grandfather has been the cause his father had no proper Darkovan \ to do.' thev ouqht r . „ virtual ruler of Darkover for forty years sons and he is telepath enough to know ito —Francis Bacon

s)o|< s|e s|< ** sfc *%**% sf: sfc * ** sfc sfc * * * sf: * * sfe 5f: We’re Having Another LepreCon!

GoH RogerZelazny Toastmaster F.M. Busby

12,13,14 March 1976

Ramada Inn $5 at the door 380 , p Van Buren

LeperConll. RO. Box 1749 Phoenix AZ. 85281 LETTER FROM YVONNE MacMANUS Bond type; nothing too intellectual or 'Individual wishes, conflicts, and Senior Editor, Manor Books difficult to follow. defenses have undergone a remarkable

' Gothics and/or romantic-suspense : socialization. We are a society which 5 August, 1975 Please do not involve the occult unless bolsters the withdrawal of men and wom-

you really know what you're talking a- en from each other and provides social 'Dick, how about a poll of what sf read- bout, or have a new twist. defenses against sexual war. The wom- ers prefer for cover art, the kinds of ti- en's movement has offered a way of tles they are drawn to (should it be vague- 'Westerns: Traditional shoot'em ups, handling problems by objectifying them. ly sf or aggressively blatant), and so on. good guys vs. bad guys; no sprawling Women band together not merely to In short, if you've never heard of the au- sagas. Hard-riding action is the key- achieve greater control of social, per- thor. ..what attracts your attention? How note; plenty of brawls, gunfights, and sonal, and political life but for mut- important are the blurbs front and back? so forth. ual support against male hostility. C(SFR readers are invited to send 'Science-fiction: Spaceships and inter- Men become brothers to each other in their answers to these questions to: galactic warfare; space opera or "Star mistrust of women. What unites men to Yvonne MacManus, Senior Editor, Trek" revisited; no fantasy, monsters, men and women to women are shared prob- MAJOR BOOKS, , etc. lems, the anger and fear they find in- 21322 Lassen St. communicable across the gulf of sex. 'We do hope to expand upon these needs Chatsworth, CA 91311.)) as soon as possible; query first if you 'Society is now moving further to- 'I am trying to find solid original sf wish to submit material which veers from ward the politicization of feeling. The rather than reprinting the standards the above. tendency is for individuals to make (though my predecessor already had several their problems collective, to find oth- 'Manuscripts accompanied with a good reprints in the works). I would like to ers with similar problems, and to blame synopsis or outline will receive faster at- provide an open market for new writers, the cause of all their woes on others. tention; otherwise, please allow approxi- but , must impose certain limitations with Anguish thus becomes converted into a mately six weeks for a decision. regard to the topic only to assure us the series of rallying cries. If growing broadest possible sales within the genre. 'If possible, enclose a brief bio with up in your family has been a nightmare, So lost continents, monsters, and even all submissions. Indicate previous publi- do away with families! If intimacy is sword & sorcery are out for now. I'm en- cations, when, and with which publisher; frightening, let us h a ve open marriage! closing a copy of our poopsheet, but this along with any information which might aug- If children seem like a curse, let ev- is what I send out to unknown writers (to ment the sales potential of your work.' eryone stop having them!' me). In other words, I'm not being all ****************************************** that strict about space operas; the object is cover lot of that space opera does a Science Fiction Poetry Contest 'American society virtually encour- bad-writing sins which philosophical in- ages the forces that lock men and women trospection headlights.' out of passionate sexual and intellect- CTHULHU CALLS, a quarterly review devoted ual committment. No matter what her ex- 'MAJOR BOOKS to horror, science fiction and fantasy lit- perience in growing up, the young woman AUTHOR'S REFERENCE SHEET erature, edited by Robert J. Barthell and today is subject more and more to the published at Northwest Community College, 'Major Books are distributed by Kable social and cultural pressure of peers Powell, Wyoming, is sponsoring a science News, wherever paperbacks are sold, in- who regard vulnerability with contempt fiction poetry contest. cluding supermarkets and dimestores. Ed- and love for a man as weakness. More A first prize of $50. and a second prize itorial content should be competitive with frequently than young women, the young of $25. plus publication in the April, 1976 the original novels published by Berkley, men incline to be romantic about the issue of CTHULHU CALLS will be awarded for Ace, Pyramid, and so on. opposite sex, but the romance attaches original, previously unpublished s cience 'As. a fledgling company, we must re- to the far-off, unavailable woman. fiction poems dealing with the genetic rev- The strict our inventory. This results in scoring syndrome, always in the culture, olution. Other cash prizes may be awardedo many books being rejected which may well is more pronounced than ever, and stu- Poems dealing with genetic 'engineering, be of interest at a later time. MB pays dents today have no difficulty appreci- test-tube babies, "Celebrity Seeds," partho- an advance against royalties from $750. to ating Inamorati Anonymous, Thomas Pyn- genesis, the hybridization of human with $1,000.; the royalty rate is A-6l of re- chon's fantasy THE CRYING OF LOT A9 other animal life, cloning, the manufactur- in tail price, breaking at the 150M point. of an organization ing of specialized human mutants, artific- dedicated to helping people kick the love habit. Students 'Our preferred manuscript length is ial creation of life, etc. will be consid- who have achieved between ered. Poets are cautioned that material maximal detachment 50-60,000 words. Ide a lly, west- from feeling are, in the new youth cul- erns and detective/espionage books should submitted must be suitable for junior high ture, admired for being unshakable.' be on the shorter side. The subjects cur- school as well as adult audiences.

rently sought are the sure-selling cate- A brief autobiographical sketch should —"The Revolution Against Love" gory books such as: accompany submissions. An S.A.S.E. must by Herbert Hendin

' for return. Suspense and/or espionage : Murder accompany manuscripts their HARPER'S, Aug. '75. mysteries need not involve a detective, Closing date: Jan. 1, 1976. Send po-

but the protagonist should be a Bogart- ems to: Peter Dillingham, Poetry Editor, esque sort, tough guy, with plenty of CTHULHU CALLS, 2272 South Bannock, Denver, •That was no typo, that was my life.’ two-fisted action and fast pace. Esp- CO 80223. —Steve Fahnestalk ionage should be akin to the James ****************************************** 25 Dave Truesdale is a fan who, by his is Jonathan Bacon. He askes (and will get!)

own admission, I helped into fandom. Now $4. for a copy of this double issue. Send This* he edits TANGENT. And for my help he mocks to Box 147, Lamoni, IA 50140. me and Alter-Ego in an editorial in #3. # Publication Ah, sharper than an alien's tooth is the is Available in ingratitude of... TWO SMALL PUBLISHER BOOKS: MICROFORM In TANGENT #3 are THREE excellent in- ALMURIC by Robert E. Howard. Grant, $7.00 terviews: Harry Harrison, Lester and Judy— ...from Here are all the reasons Howard's fic- Lynn del Rey, and William Tenn. Each dif- tion survives: Powerful basic story struc- ferent in emphasis, each fascinating for Xerox ture, action, suspense, a strong, truly the informed opinion of current sf and heroic central male character, vivid nar- University fantasy, the direction of the genre, other rative, and (I think) an unselfconscious, writers... A must-read issue. Microfilms naked enjoyment by Howard of the battles,

They want $1.10 for a copy. From: the rugged survivals against great odds, 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 David A. Truesdale, 611-A Division St., the creation of the bizarre, exotic, Xerox University Microfilms Oshkosh, WI 5*1901. strarge. He had a zest, a lustiness in his 35 Mobile Drive stories. ..and the readers know it, love it, Toronto, Ontario, # Canada M4A 1H6 drink it in like mead. University Microfilms Limited Mike Glyer is back (with co-editor and Almuric is an Earthlike planet. Esau St. John’s Road, publisher Milt Stevens) with PREHENSILE #14. Tyler’s Green, Penn, Cairn is a fugitive on Earth and is trans- Buckinghamshire, England Prime stuff here, including the well-writ- ported to Almuric by a scientist who, in ten editorials and other material by Glyer PLEASE WRITE FOR the Foreword, is evasive of how this trans- COMPLETE INFORMATION and Stevens, plus an interview with Mr. and port is accomplished, and of how the first- Mrs. Ray Bradbury. The standout item is person story from Esau is returned to Earth. "Original Story Anthology Panel: Westercon" It is a Device to. lend some credence to a —a transcription of what Terry Carr, Rob- fantastic adventure on a wild, alien world. SMALL PRESS NOTES ert Silverberg and Steve Goldin had to say about their crafts and about s-f, each oth- Esau survives the strange wilderness More of a fanzine review column this time, er and others. Absorbing. encounters and toughens to steelly muscles than a true small press review. But of and raw courage. He comes upon ape-like Sent $1. to Milt Stevens, 14535 Saticoy, course the categories are so fuzzy by now humans who father lovely, pure-human wom- who #105, Van Nuys, CA 91405. can tell what is strictly small press en, becomes (by challenged combat) a chief and what strictly amateur? And does it # in one of their nation-state cities, bat- matter? If a zine has a price on it and I tles raiding winged aliens of humanoid form FANTASY CROSSROADS continues to amaze think it has something exceptional in it (who are ruled by a seductive, willful Em- worth me. A double issue (#4/5) it is 126 pages noting, I'll mention it and hope to press), leads a force of allied ape-men a- of 8% x 11 photo-offset on various shades hell the editor/publisher has a few copies gainst the towering, almost impregnable of lovely, heavy, colored paper. This left over (o sell. citadel home of the winged ones.... zine is an act of love. Material by Rob- For instance, SYNDROME #4 from Frank ert E. Howard, Harlan Ellison, L. Sprague It is patterned in the Edgar Rice Bur- lunney, wild, irreverent, earthy zine a de Camp, Roy Krenkel, Algernon Blackwood, roughs/Otis A. Kline tradition. (And how which has an absolutely hilarious article Stephen Fabian.... The mainiac workaholic many derivative novels and series are by Grant Canfield titled "Work Is Four- a who edits and publishes FANTASY CROSSROADS there today, in the same tradition? It Letter Word." Grant is a fine cartoonist/

illustrator/artist and may be a better -vo writer. Where does he get off being so VOfZ<2UAAL--?>7 MOTHS* ship... good in two fields? e&TA&UfcHE-P UT rru eM2.TH ^™®p,; SYNDROME #4 costs |1. from 715 11th WECfc2£ 1 DOH'T THlMH. Av., Bethlehem, PA 18018.

#

NEW VENTURE #1 was a so-so new fanzine.

NEW VENTURE #2 is a hell of an improvement —suddenly it is a class zine with excel- lent material: a self-revealing new inter- view with Roger Elwood (he asked for it!),

and part one of a new Doctor Eszterhazy story by . That's not exact- ly chopped liver.

Send a dollar to: Rt2, Box 135, Pull- • man, WA 99163. t—t speaks to the strength and appeal of the there goes my plan to write one more porno We don't know anything for sure! form.) novel to stave off the snurfling wolf at Cop-out!

the door. Ah well, I'll be a happy church- If only Howard hadn't suicided so Listen, if there isn't a sequel in the . mouse. young! But that's easy wishful thinking. works that does answer all these dangling If only Lovecraft had.... If only Kuttner To ingratiate myself with Jim I managed questions (which the authors spent much .... If only Blish.... to read Jerry Pournelle's"Tinker" in the time promoting!), I'll.. .I'll.... July GALAXY. I've got my next question all set for # Good, solid story and not too predict- the Pournelle interview. THE JADE MAN'S EYES by Michael Moorcock. able. Good science lends realism. # Unicorn Bookshop, 750 I also read Robert Sheckley's "Syncope is inci- and Fugue" in the same issue. It an Now, you see? Even after having cut THE JADE MAN'S EYES is a novella of dent between a bill collector disguised as The Archives I find myself out of room. sword & sorcery, part of Moorcock's long Sheckley a tree and Mishkin and his robot. And four of my own book reviews still not saga of Elric the Necromancer, the "trait- writes with an insane brain and a jaundiced in the issue. Disgusting. 52 pages and or" to his race and people, possessor of eye. I liked it. here it is short hairs time. the terrifying magic sword, Stormbringer. Then, somehow, I found myself on page 1 did read in the other magazines, and 91 of that same July GALAXY, reading the The story grabbed me, held me, made me I promised certain reviews... I am chron- very willing to read more about the ad- opening lines of the Conclusion of Arsen ically frustrated. ventures of this tortured, seeking, haunt- Darnay's HELIUM. I read: 'He stirred, rose ONE MORE TIME: ne xt issue I'll do bet- man. up to his knees brushing dry hay f rorp his ed ter . leather tunic and beard.' Moorcock displays marvelous invention *****************^*****************^******* I thought: he's got a leather beard? and imagination. He's one of our finest Aha. Darnay didn't know enough to write it: fantasy writers and is likely not yet ful- LETTER FROM TIM WHALEN ...dry hay from his beard and leather tun- ly appreciated. ic. My opinion of Darnay's writing re- A—28—75 Unicorn titles are available in the U,. mains low. 'As Chairman of the first U.S. PERRY S. from R.P.M. Distributors, 5862 Wicomico THEN, because I am interviewing Jer- RHODAN Convention and Chairman and Founder Av., Rockville, MD 20852, it says in the ry Pournelle for SFR I read the Larry 16, of Rhocom, the PERRY RHODAN Fan Society, I back of the book. Or write Unicorn Book- Niven-Jerry Pournelle collaboration serial have come in contact with many PERRY RHODAN shop, 50 Gloucester Road, Brighton, Eng- that ran in the Aug-Sept.-Oct. GALAXY: IN- fans. There seems to exist a "generation land. FERNO. I awaited the final installment gap" between fans of the PERRY RHODAN series **:M<*************************************** with great interest and anticipation. I and the majority of the SF fans who do not squalled with rage at the last scene. Rip- PROZINE NOTES read PERRY RHODAN. I believe that I can off! Cheaters! To Hell with them! All straighten out somei of this mess, or at Jim Baen, in the course of a recent through the novel this "dead" science fic- least shine a light on it. telephone conversation, told me (with out- tion writer, apparently in the Hell as 'First of all, SF fans who do not read rageous accuracy) that I only 'sniffed' created by Dante, speculates on this Hell: PERRY RHODAN (let's assign name to them, the prozines. My eyes dilated with shock artifact? Real? Aliens? Purpose? And a say non-PR fans) seem to assume that PERRY and I sputtered in weak protest. The an- NONE of these questions are answered! The RHODAN fans, or at least the majority of cient excuse of lack of time won't wash goddamned noble viewpoint character, Carp- them, do not read anything except PERRY after this issue of SFR, I fear. I've con- entier, stays behind in Hell as Benito RHODAN. This is utterly false. It is true, cluded I do actually indeed no shit have Mussolini (a changed man) apparently escap- however, that there do exist PR fans who to devote myself full-time to SER, and es. But we don't KNOW he really escapes,. don't read other SF, but they are the great minority. Many PR fans, myself included,

enjoy a wide range of Science Fiction, PER- RY RHODAN included.

'Secondly, many non-PR fans just can't

seem to understand why the PR fans enjoy the series. They, the non-PR fans, seem to feel that PERRY RHODAN is "juvenile", "stu- pid", "science fiction for mental midgets"

and others. I could name names of well- known fans who have said similar things,

but since I don't desire to be sued for

slander, I think I'll skip it. Well, I won't admit to PERRY RHODAN being juvenile, or any such thing. It is in fact "light science fiction". Remember that? PERRY

RHODAN isn't "heavy", like a good deal of

modern SF is. Instead it plays with a cast of characters that are well-known to the 27 readers. The readers understand how these ) —

ASTRONOMICAL ART "IMPRESSIONS OF THE UNIVERSE’ Very likely you have seen my paintings of other worlds at many sf con- ventions in this country—I've done over 1400 of them in the past 25 years I never seem to win any great prizes for them, but the biggest prize of all is selling over $30, 000 worth of paintings to fans in the past six years since I have been working at it full time. (Not a really great living, but the slides are now paying their way and making a profit finally. Convention members have been responsible for most of these sales, but with the greatly increased costs of rent and materials (over THREE times

a year ago! ! !), I can no longer send art out to those gatherings that cannot be expected to sell at least $200 of art. The only solution seems to be selling paintings direct, and I have sent out in the past 3 or 4 years a number of one-page catalogs (with color film insert) of a dozen new paint- ings each time, with very satisfying results. 16x20" paintings sell for $30 to $75, a few 8x10" pieces for about $15 each. Price for the catalog is $1, tho actual cost is near 3 times this. Next one for early Nov. 75.

COLOR SLIDES from paintings An illustrated catalog of 208 subjects exploring space, and symbolic art, many with the good old fashioned streamlined space ships of the Destination Moon era, is available at $1, with a sample slide. Slides are 2x2" Ektachrome in cardboard mounts, at 35?;less, in quantities.

A second catalog is planned, but I cannot find the 300 hours to do it in, so for the present, two subscription plans are available: Each consists of 100 slides per month, at $25 per set—the sequential series, to be about 1000 slides of the solar system and other worlds and beyond, binaries, multiple suns, etc. starting in the first set with Mercury and part of Venus; second, rest of Venus, Earth, Moon, etc. (All will be differ-

ent from the above catalog, without any symbolic art. ) The other sub- scription series will consist of 100 slides of mixed subjects thruout the range of all planets, and other galaxies. The second series, and third, etc., will also be mixed, but different. You can start or stop either series at any time. Write for further information; enclose 10? stamp or S.A.S.E.

Science Fiction Radio Play §A descriptive catalog of hundreds of plays available for custom copying on tape reels or cassettes is $1. Dozens of Ray Bradbury plays and talks, old classic sf stories of other authors, conventions.

I have hopes of getting the lithographing setup properly in the next few months. Then the long-awaited ARTS AND INFINITY magazine may become a reality. If interested, send a 10? stamp for sample copy of the next NEWS version to be out soon.

There is even a possibility of a printing of the legendary Dogstar book announc- ed many years ago--started some 30 years back--now evolved into my own auto- biography- -if interested in this combination of art, photography, and poetry, send a 10? stamp for, announcement later this year. Sorry, no greeting cards or bookplates this year -- not enough time. Maybe next year.

MORRIS DO L LENS, P.O.Box 69 2, Gateway Stn., Culver City, CA 90230

or: 4354 Coolidge Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90066. PH 1 (213) 398-9097

28 people think and will act in a certain situ- the immature reader, the uncritical reader. popular demand, it'll prosper; if it's a ation. The main characters therefore do ((From the opening pages of these two piece of schlock, it won't. And the good'll drive bad. I'm prepared accept not have to be introduced for fifty pages novellas I could tell that while the basic out the to each book, so that the reader knows him. story lines would be interesting, the plain the verdict of the marketplace. This lightens up the plot some. awful painful to read writing could not , 'Mr. Price is, I know, a gentleman at be endured. Almost every line begged to be 'Now I would prefer to speak of myself, heart, and I presume that the inclusion of rewritten, edited. ..saved! since I find it easier to understand myself the paraphrase without permission was inad- better than other people (a trait that is ((Space adventure can be written with vertent. I hope that an apology will be getting rarer). I can tell you that I skill, talent, and respect. Once in a while forthcoming. If it isn’t, I would be more would prefer to read one Larry Niven, or it is. These PERRY RHODAN 'book-a-zines' than happy to defend my (now) public utter- Heinlein, or Norton, or Dick, than £ne PER- are an insult to that ideal.)) ances with carefully prepared critiques of RY RHODAN, since I will generally find one *********fc**^***************************** Mr. Tuck's work, despite the fact that I of the afore noted author's books to be LETTER FROM ROBERT REGINALD would rather not do so.' more enjoyable than one PERRY RHODAN. But ((Ah, Robert, methinks thou dost protest the idea is not £ne PERRY RHODAN, but rath- 6 June 1975 too much.)) er the whole series. Very complicated 'I read Barry Malzher's review of Tuck': 'Ah, Dick, I can see that you 'and Bruce plots can be developed, but over a period ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY of time. Arthurs have not yet seen the shining true Vol 1, with great interest and in looking light of faith. I speak, of course, of the 'The misunderstanding arises when the over the responses from Messrs. Lien, Price Church of the Holy Toad, recently founded non-PR fan is talked into reading £n£ PERRY and Wood in SFR 13, I was disturbed and (where else?) in the outback of Southern RHODAN. Usually he will not like it, and rather irritated to find that Mr. Price had California by myself, my brother Steve, and in many cases will not hesitate to let me paraphrased a comment I made in a private my friend and colleague, Doug Memville. know. If some non-PR fan were to pick up letter to Mr. Tuck without seeking my per- Our basic tenet is that the Toad was fried five or six consecutive books, he may actu- mission first. I've always felt that it for your sins (not mine), that he gave up would be ally find himself enjoying the books! What highly inappropriate for me to his legs to save mankind. We urge our par- comment many non-PR fans need is "Three painless publicly on any reference works ishioners one and all to leap for the Lord, that might be lessons to Perry Rhodan ." Perhaps many who in direct or indirect compe- to wart off eveil by being baptized in toad- tition with my own, since anything I might have tried it, but didn't like it might now al immersion. As the scripture says, "Eat say, good or ill, could like to try it again, perhaps not. be interpreted in a live toad first thing in the morning, and ways not intended by their author. There's worse will happen to you the rest of 'Another thing: from my own personal nothing an obvious conflict-of-interest. And while the day." Among our earliest prophets was views, I hate to finish a book. I hate to I have strong opinions regarding most of the well-known author Stephen Crane, who read pages on a character, get to know 223 the bibliographies currently available in wrote: him and his world, and then be suddenly the science fiction field, those opinions "Think as I think," said a man ripped away from it at the end of book. a are private, and are not meant for public "Or you are abominablv wicked; This may account for my great interest in consumption. I wrote to Don when he sent . You are a toad." Niven's work. Although he doesn't, use the me a form letter last year, asking me for same characters all of the time, he uses assistance with proposed supplements to the And after I had thought of it, the same space. And this I imagine accounts ENCYCLOPEDIA. In that letter, I pointed I said, "I will, then, be a Toad." for the many fans of PERRY RHODAN, who feel out that while his basic set tended to BR XLVII similarly to myself. — complement my book, and vice versa, this hidden scriptures are 'Most non-PR fans will still not read would not be the case with supplemental ’Other hitherto Already we have a the series. They will continue to think of materials, and that I would not be able to being revealed daily. provide Ribitian Heresy, whose PERRY RHODAN as being juvenile. There may the same kind of assistance I did native seism in the with state that the Toad not be any hope, but perhaps this has con- the initial volumes (some biographical blasphemous converts ribit," when, as every- vinced some people to try PERRY RHODAN a- material from STELLA NOVA, a redesigning went "ribit, ribit, rigit, gain.' of his paperback index format, suggestions one knows, he actually went " rigit, for the revision of his bibliographic para- rigit." I won't even mention the Frogians. Toadie!' ((Tim... I tried to read PR 18 and -PR meters regarding paperbacks, etc.). I felt Get the faith, brother: become a 20. One by Kurt Mahr and one by Clark Darl- that his supplements would be uneconomical, since we would both be doing the same kind ton. I was stopped by Wendayne Ackerman's ((I reject the guilt implied that The of updating, and Gale has superior wooden translation of what I take to be distribu- Toad croaked in my behalf. And whether tion. My thoughts are still initially bad writing. I don't think that, the same, but "ribit" or "rigit", He was really saying: obviously that's just one man's for all her years in America, Mrs. Ackerman somewhat "Hey, any broads out there with nice long biased opinion. What I think of Don Tuck's is yet fully at home with English, and I green legs want to hop over to my pad?" work is irrelevant; my own book, THE SCIENCE doubt that she has any native writing tal- (The Toad was a UUU hoppie at heart, and FICTION INDEX, will be available ent. soon e- no amount of rewriting the scriptures will nough, and then Price, Wood, or (shudder) ((After that the calculated Ackerman convince me otherwise. even Geis can say what they wish about it, Juvenalia Hype (which I find patronising ((As for becoming a Toadie... There is and compare the two for the rest of their and insulting and which I hope even an altogether too much toadying going on in if they so desire. I'm a firm believ- eight-year-old would resent) turned me off! days, this world as it is. Although I do confess free enterprise system: if a work The editorial approach is to the less-intel- er in the to practicing the Secret Art of the Tongue has a little quality in it, and fulfills a ligent stratum of the reading public, and to now and again. 29 ((I'll finish with the Toad Benediction: returns to Earth with a wait 'til I tell Mysterious Being known only as I-Am-The-Man. hay a fat grasshopper LEAP into your mouth . and Sprague de Camp about Putting a new twist on a theory that was

And my best advice is: Stay in the middle this ! anticipation. already old in 1895, Lloyd's hero begins of the. pond!)) his Remarkable Journey in a cave near Padu- Unfortunately, all this is told in a- Ky and cah, . , eventually learns that our bout as boring a manner as possible. Car- planet originated as a huge bubble of en- CARTER'S HEROIC SLOW BALL ter affects a rambling gosh-wow style heav- ergy which has gathered a coating of space- ily larded with asides of "...looked like LANKAR OF CALLISIO by Lin Carter dust some 800 miles thick. Somewhere near something out of a Cecil B. De Mille movie the top of this crust I-Am-The-Man passes Dell W04MA8, 95b (1975) ..." or "The garment they selected for me the "line of " and thereafter he Reviewed Frederick Patten was ... like that worn by Ming the Merciless by continually loses the sensation of weight in the old 'Flash Gordon' serials". This until, reaching the underside of'the dust- This is the sixth volume in Carter's rapidly becomes tiresome. Indeed, when he film, he weighs nothing and is able to con- "Jandar of Callisto" series, which has been describes his costume in detail and then tinue the mind-boggling journey only by frank remarks that he "felt ready to walk into a imitation of Edgar Rice Burroughs' floating effortlessly into the central en- the costume ball of any world science-fic- "John Carter of Mars" books, up to now. ergy sphere. Carte r-the-hero fell while fighting Ameri- tion convention and carry off first prize", one wonders Well, there's a lot more to it than can Indians in ERB's original 1912 tale, to what extent this novel is a ploy to that. Written in an old-fashioned style and was astrally projected to Mars, where enable Carter, a frequent sf con- vention attendee, with a double-narrator framework, this he rescued princesses, ray-gunned and to do just that? "metaphysical" novel touches lightly sword-dueled villains, and slugged it out on the The novel ambles along at a dead-slow occult, proposes a number of seemingly bi- with monsters for eleven volumes which he speed. Lankar falls into a giant ximchak zarre theories about physics and biology "recounted" to Burroughs during the remain- spider's web but escapes before the mon- and good ing years of that author's life. includes a bix of psionics and 38 ster's return. The Mind Wizards' lair is psychedelics which were way ahead of their discovered mostly by accident, and Jandar Carter-the-author's hero is Capt. Jon time. Sexless, humorless and slow-moving, and Lankar are released in a "bloody bat- Dark, a U.S. soldier in Indochina who fell the book is interupted continually by argu- into tle* scene which is so clean that the most a sacred well in a jungle-shrouded ments between the two narrators and even lost concerned parents' group would not hesitate temple and emerged on Jupiter's moon tne story itself is mostly a running debate to approve it as suitable juvenile fare. Callisto, where he has been rescuing prin- between I-Am-The-Man and his faceless guide. The characters are all even more cardboard cesses, etc., since 1972, sending back a Lushly illustrated by J. Augustus Knapp, than usual for pulp fiction of this type - manuscript diary which Carter has been edit- this is a facsimile of the second edition Carter himself included. ing for Dell Books. of the 362 page novel so it also contains The Jandar books are reportedly good the preface to the second edition and 20 The first five titles followed the usual sellers around campus bookshops (so are pages of reviews of the first... hackwork formula in trailing Jandar as he super-hero comic books). LANKAR OF CALLIS- led his life of perpetual derring-do. LAN- ******************************************* TO should be accepted there by Carter's KAR OF CALLISIO is something different. It fans as an enjoyable change of pace, espec- begins with Carter relating in the first ially since it's particularly easy to vi- person how he and his wife went on vacation cariously identify with the protagonist in to Cambodia (during the balmier days of the this case. The book might conceivably Lon Nol regime) to visit the miraculous be considered by teachers and librarians serv- source of these manuscripts. Carter slips ing writing and falls into the well, just as Jandar did high-school classes, since Car-

ter does make writing seem like fun ! in volume one, and hey presto! he's on Cal- listo, too. Naturally everybody assumes Some fun was also had by cover artist he's another super-warrior like his compa- , who depicts a cratered triot, so naturally he's drawn into jthe lunar plain upon which a vaguely Grecian rescue armada about to set out in search of sword-wielding warrior is creeping up be- Jandar, who was left in a particularly das- hind an exotic hawk-shaped aircraft bear- tardly situation at the close of MIND WIZ- ing the blue-white-blue roundels of the El ARDS OF CALLISTO. Salvadoran Air Force. This adequately cap- spirit of the novel, even if it LANKAR OF CALLISTO is told with a cheery tures the has absolutely nothing to do with the plot. insouciance which lifts it above the usual ******************************************* pallid imitations of ERB. .Lankar, as Car- ter is immediately dubbed, stumbles through HOLLOW LAUGHTER the adventure trying to bear himself as he ETIDORHPA by imagines Errol Flynn would have done. He's Sun Books, $7.50 not so gauche as to, depict himself as any hero. Instead he gets captured by the Mind Reviewed by Neal Wilqus Wizards and tossed into the same cell with ETIDORHPA, Jandar, and they're both rescued by the John Uri Lloyd's which has recently rest of the search party. Jandar is prop- been reissued in a facsimile edi- A383, erly appreciative of Carter's turning him tion by Sun Books ($7.50 paper, Box Albuquerque, NM is the story of a into a paperback hero back home, and Carter 87106), 30 LETTER FROM J. POURNELLE was done by telephoning about a dozen peo- gree—and before the story is over he makes ple, including most of the past presidents, it graphically with the luscious Russian her- September, 1975 and listening to what they thought we should oine, founds a religion of moderation design-

do, or their reactions to what I thought we ed to keep the Russkies at home and is con- ’One additional comment, on Farmer's should do; I then acted on my own authority. sulted by the mysterious leader of the Sovi- comments ((in SFR 14)). et Complex about another tourist invasion 'The alternative is endless debate in 'The Ace matter was negotiated by Fred looming on the horizon. FORUM; and nothing whatever is done, either Pohl, and the settlement was announced by because the debate took so long that the AMAZON PLANET (Ace 01950, $1.25) begins him; but I was and remain, for my sins, the issue is moot, or the officers have changed well with the story of a male visitor to a acting chairman of the Grievance Committee and the new set aren't interested in _H]is female-dominated planet, Amazonia, which is for the Science Fiction Writers of America, problem (they'll have others), or everyone apparently an oddity in a largely male-domin- and Phil at no time told me he had an out- has just lost all the energy they had put ated galactic federation called United Plan- standing complaint regarding Ace. We even into the matter and after the consensus of ets. Reynolds plays a bit with the idea of had an exchange of letters regarding anoth- all members is reached, the action isn't a society which uses the hour as a medium of er matter; but Ace was not mentioned. done because no one takes the initiative to exchange and hints at a vaguely utopian world

'I'm pleased that Phil has at long last do it. Which is better? This is not a with no sex roles and no military, but such

straightened out his problems with Ace, and smart-aleck answer or defense; I sincerely themes are confined to awkward lectures which

that I didn't have to get into the act; but wish I knew how to get out of the dilemma are poorly integrated with the action. Aft- I do not think it is relevant for him to of fast action and accusations of arrogance er 150 pages the action takes over complete- point out that this was done by his agent vs. slow or no action at all by democratic ly and the book degenerates into a shoot-em- and not SFWA. If he never sent us a com- means.' up spy story with the hero asking, "Are you plaint, we could hardly work on the matter. drivel-happy?" on every other page. The book ((More and more, over the years, I sus- is also marred by an incredible number of 'In general, it is FAR better for a pect the best course for SFWA is to provide typos. writer to straighten out his problems with information to its membership: a model con- a publisher without involving SFWA, because tract, lists of agents, up-to-the-minute Reynolds is a watered down legacy of the when a writers' association gets into the news of sf markets and conditions, as much old psychological SF of the 1950s GALAXY, act, no matter how careful we are, and no info as possible on the meanings and conse- and appropriately Ave advertises him as "vot- matter how polite we try to be, there is a quences of some critical legal wordage in ed trie most popular science fiction author by good chance that there will remain at the contracts, advice on tax matters (new rul- the readers of GALAXY and IF." But despite the veneer. of sociopolitical publishing house an impression that the ings, etc.), and advice in general from the examination of writer involved is a "troublemaker" and grizzled veterans of the free-lance wars. a variety of social systems in these assembly- line novels, best not dealt with again. That doesn't ((A monthly 10-page (one ounce) FORUM Reynolds' books are little more mean we won't get involved; but I often mailed first class, even with the upcoming than space opera or extended jokes. The he- councel writers make further efforts in .roes, who are almost indistinguishable and to 13d rate, would cost under flOO. per issue their own behalf before turning to us. and would be vastly appreciated. are given to expressions like "Great Scott," (And incidentally a matter is NOT a legiti- ((I think SFWA should not be involved "Zoroaster" and "Wizzard," are cardboard op- mate Grievance for SFWA until the writer in writer-editor or writer-publisher dis- portunists, forgotten as quickly as the un- has made some attempt to straighten it out putes. And the money saved would be enor- likely plots they're maneuvered througho himself; we are not agents nor do we make , mous, the time saved marvelous. SFWA prob- It's too bad, too, because something first inquiries for people.) ably could even cut its dues.)) really could have been done with the idea of

'Regarding policy and annual meetings: ******************************************* a Russian tourist invasion or a society freed I remain unrepentant. When there is a good DRIVEL HAPPY of sexual roles... cross section of SFWA present at a meeting, Holy Zen, Reynolds, you can do better with representation, of most of the "schools" than this! Are you a flat? Are you a clod- and views within SFWA, and the consensus at Two Reviews by Neal Wilgus dy? Are you drivel-happy?' the meeting is unanimous (as it was in the ********************************************* Cohen case) or nearly so, then I believe Mack Reynolds should know better. At the officers are justified in taking the least if he's really the world-traveling, recommended action. socioeconomic-extrapolating think-tanker his INTERIOR ART publishers project him to be, he must know 'But note: those actions are taken by TIM KIRK 3, 4, 18, 48 that his present flood of paperback titles is the officers and the Directors of SFWA; the RANDY MOHR 5, 36 just not delivering the goods. consultation with the membership at the MIKE GILBERT 6, 16,41 meetings is advisory only. We have never TOMORROW MIGHT BE DIFFERENT (Ace 81670, ALEXIS GILLILAND 8, 13, 19, 33 used the consensus of an annual meeting as $1.25) is a prime example of Reynolds' bad DOUG LOVENSTEIN 10 the authority to take an action which we execution of a good idea. Briefly, the book T. KLEIN II couldn't have taken without that vote. But concerns a near-future world in which the JIM MCQUADE 17, 22, 30,39 SFWA being what it is, nothing we do will Western economy remains in a slump because a BILL ROTSLER 21 work unless there's widespread agreement suddenly affluent Russia floods the world GRANT CANFIELD 26, 27 within the organization to support our ac- markets with cheap commodities and rich tour- VIC KOSTRIKIN 34 tion; thus it is essential that we take ists. "Holy smokes," says our American trav- JON GUSTAFSON 45 counsel from as representative a group of el-agent hero who happens also to be the SHARI HULSE 46 members as we can. In my presidency that youngest man ever to take an Academician de- 31 :

INIORSTRILIA PRESS

PHILIP K DICK ELECTRIC SHEPHERD

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SLICES OF GEORGE WARREN kind in the world, any genre.) paid so poorly (except for Luros and such) that they all got the hell out as soon as 'Erica Jong I cannot abide on any terms, August 11, 1975 they could.' you already know why. I am unselective a- Heinlein the other night 'Reread some bout my antifascism. She also can't write, ((Yes, yes. .. effective writing vs. in- STARSHIP TROOPERS CITIZEN OF THE GALAXY and but I haven't got around to calling that a effective writing is a good measure of (which last brought GI basic training back lynching offense. (Although in the case of prose, fiction... Generally, I'd say the in all its gory reality — guys getting Gay Talese ... well ...) Henry Miller, poor rules: Be Clear, Be Specific, and Be Brief blown off by grenades, guys their hands ould poop, is senile, and before that had are applicable to all writing. How clear a forced march, my- dropping dead during blown it all by starting to read his re- and how much specific and how brief are self taking seven- weeks of basic and then views and believing them — worst of all, all matters of technique and style and a by a drunken Army having 14 teeth pulled the shameless encomia by drinkin' buddies given scene or instance. Obviously. And dentist and hemorrhaging and getting double and other good ole boys: Rexroth, Durrell in fiction another rule might be: 8e Plaus- pneumonia in the hospital only to have my- et al. (He seems to have forgot that most ible. self sent back to do four more weeks of of SEXUS is purest Barclay House or worse, ((I'm not sure if it's a matter of in- catch up with my basic; they sent me out to or Durrell almost broke off their that nocent readers having their buttons pushed unit on a 20-mile hike an hour after they'd friendship over it.) Pomp. Ugh. Miller by (implied) manipulative publishers, ed- catch up with them on left and I had to to me — the part that counts — is main- itors, and writers, so much as it is read- foot, 65-pound pack and 10-pound bearing ly that first gasp of freedom in TROPIC Of ers seeking out and buying material that there, still with rifle, and when I got CANCER; one short story, "The Alcoholic Vet- fits their conscious or unconscious emo- them driving Feb- pneumonia, I reached in a eran", which is one of the finest things tional and intellectual lusts. Of course ruary no tent partner and had to rain with I've seen in the language in this century MY lusts are superior to YOURS. And we sleep on the ground in the rain in my pon- — an absolutely inspired improvisation; will reward those who most effectively to shelter my rifle from cho, trying mainly some sort of status as the Bard of the l4tt pleasure us, satisfy our lusts. Upon that Macho? Up yours, Jack) and was the rain. Ward (and the farther he got away from bottom line the cultural and commercial astonished to notice how utterly un-visual Brooklyn the worse he got); and a couple of and political world turns, so to speak. a writer Heinlein was. At the end of each delightful fragments like the dithyramb on Add a lot of ego, a lot of money and a lot what looks story you have no idea anybody bread and his retelling of DOLDILOCKS ... of power and let the fun begin. the looks like or what- like or what planet and you certainly have to wade through a ever. like reading radio script. effective It’s a lot of shit to find that, and some of the ((And I suppose that the most Just show if you have a good curve goes to shit is pure, unadorned porno, whether he writing (of its kind) endures, in a free and changeup and can hit the corn- a good admits it these days or not. I agree: god- market, all other things being equal.)) ers by without fastball. My you can get a damn all hypocrisy....' grammar-school pal Ken Johnson (6'5" and # 270) got by for 15'years in the majors on 'AND ... part of my agreement with you August 25, 1975 junk pitches, even threw a no-hitter once is based on my conviction, which I think

only to have the Braves lose it for him. I you thought mildly heretical once (how do 'SFR 14 received & better than ever.

guess Heinlein has to qualify as- some sort you feel now?), that the compulsions of the When I opened the package I didn't like the of super junk pitcher ....' people who buy porno are not to be distin- format but got used to it before I finished guished in any quality vs. nonqualify sense reading it. Which of course was virtually # from the compulsions of the people who buy non-stop;’ the magazine is the only thing on August 21, 1975 political tracts, Faire Poesie, sf, West- the market except COMMENTARY which I always erns, tough private-eye stuff, Irving Wal- 'I have this fantasy about the best of lace, or Proust. They are all getting the fanzines being the avant garde of a new their buttons pushed, -and it's still an literary populism ... after all, what god- open question which button is classier than damn university-dominated Little Mag looks another. I don't think there is, in that as well as ALGOL, or is as readable as SFR? moral sense, good writing and bad writing: What prozine (and I'm not limiting this to just effective writing and ineffective wri- sf mags)? But of course I don't have to ting. The standards vary according to convince you of that, (in a strange way genre, and what I do in a Beeline would be you and Porter are the two halves of the reprehensible if I put a tough private-eye JWCJr of the future. I can't help think- cover on the book, but in a Beeline they ing: Porter for visuals, Geis for content. fit and may be effective. Same with one Sharing Hugos ((last year)) is another P. Swenson & family. Hell, my only real proof of the fans' wisdom.) complaint against hardcore stuff is that it

'(There is no JWCJr of the pros now. doesn't pay better. The bad stuff did not Baen is quite good but not that good, al- drive out the good; the low advance did,

though I hope he gets a fair shot at the pace Malzberg. EVERYBODY has written smut.

cup. I agree he's the best thing since The list of editors alone who worked at

Gold left. Bova? No story sense that I American Art is a list of some of the best can detect. But his mag is better to look commercial writers of the last thirty years at than it ever was, by my lights — even —including guys like Wilbur Peacock, during the year of the flat-size ANALOG. Jerry Bixby, Stuart Palmer (remember Hildy Withers?) Merwin. But it all It's one of the best-looking mags of any , even Sam /

read cover-to-cover without stopping. For, shit you can get by with in NEW YORK REVIEW WESTERN, TRIPPLE MYSTERY, TRIPLE ROMANCE strangely enough, much the same reasons. OF EACH OTHER'S BOOKS or the NEW REPUBLIC — and this might well work, particularly will just lie there on the page and die, with the diet of some reprints, some orig- ’There is less Geis (of the unbuttoned and, one by one, all of us who contribute inals that Leo has in mind. REG variety) here than sometimes in past in any way to SFR get shown in exactly our issues; appears to give some backing to my 'Maybe you and I ought to do up a lit- true colors and get our just deserts. (I guess that the stance of REG was something tle discussion of Wither Fiction Magazines, calls that a triumph of editorial flair & you do not, at this exact time, find as com- developing on the squib on p. A6 of SFR lA. expertise, Richard: it accounts for the fortable as once you did. ((True.)) Okay; I think it's at least in part the periodic- distinctive flavor of the sheet. I would you'll go in and out of that, I think. I ity angle that killing 'em, and maybe we like you as an editor even if I thought you kind of miss some of the REG stuff — not can get some good quotes from this person a jerk personally, and personally I think the Sexy Revelations, just the rare-in-all- and that in the racket .... The purpose you are a fine fellow. So there. You too, centuries attempt at utter honesty (which being to see if we can stir up some reaction Norman Podhoretz, wherever you are.) in turn sometimes demands the pornographic from the pros. And then perhaps use those or the scatological or what the hell ever).' 'Do I detect a bit of pomp in one B. reactions in getting someone to try some Bova? A bit of I'm-wearing-the-big-cheese's bookazines (ugh! A typical ASJ neologism) ((I find in me a severe conflict: yes, -hat-and-don' t-you-forget-it arrogance? on, perhaps, another level than Rhodan — I would love to write REG again, but it Hmmmmm .... not that I disapprove of Rhodan, or of any- demands that total honesty which would in- thing that is actually cutting it on a real- volve people I know and who, I know, would 'You scared the shit out of me about ly-pleasing-the-readers-directly level. be shocked and hurt if/when they read what GALAXY not paying writers: they are owned What do you think?' I would write about them. There is also a by UPD which owns Award, who just bought my matter of time; I would have to regiment Nick Carter outline and whose check I am

myself like a robot to do all I would like still waiting for. Then of course I thought to do, and from experience I know my lim- the good people there will have a separate Hey Kid c'merc its. Ghod knows I'd love to publish a com- bank account for GALAXY, and if they are \jJfwNpt 6oy f] panion magazine: BOLD SCIENCE FICTION; and turning off the tap there (*sob*) little a DIR T-y FtiNZlHEf love to write straight science fiction (in at a time it may just mean they are phasing order to show everybody how it should be out magazines — which seems likely.' done *cough-cough*); and do another porno ((The latest word I have is that a novel (because, damn it, I like to write threat of legal action is probably suffic- porno now and then). ...but to do that I retaining would have to have a dedicated, full-time ient to bring a check. Actually (preferably adoring young woman) helper, an attorney in NY to make a phone call or and that circumstance is highly unlikely write a letter may not be necessary.. .or a given my anti-social mein and loner charact- last-resort tactic. Having to report such er. Some problems—if they are problems things is unpleasant. My opinion of the —are beyond solution, short of the grin- people who treat writers this way is too ning grim reaper, who manages to solve ev- low to describe adequately. Let me make it ery problem, in the end. clear that Jim -Been is in no way responsible £ for this UPD policy. He is the victim as ((Back to you, George.)) much as the writers.)) ((If you agree that the trend of fic- 'Anyhow, the editor takes over in this 'Much to my horror, Larry Shaw has just tion magazine deaths began when the pulps one, and shows some class. And congrats on lost his magazine again, since Eddie Gold- started to fail, and that the attrition has the two Hugos in one year, both well deserv- smith was talked out of it by PDC, his dis- inexorably continued... that the magazine ed — although I kind of go along with tributor. Apparent thinking in NYC is that racks are now the home of specialized non- Charlie Brown on the question of whether fiction mags have had it: ELLERY QUEEN MYS- fiction periodicals. ..that most pocketbooks there ought to be a separate fan-critic TERY MAGAZINE, for instance, actually pick- are fiction. ..then it follows that the place ghetto.' ed-up type on one reprint this month instead to go is into the category-fiction pb racks. 'I will take the kind words in SFR as of resetting, which looks lousy as one page ((The obvious problems are distribution:

the gentle kick in the ass I deserve and is wide one-column format and the next is could a follower of, say, a pb GALAXY be

get to work on the Bester review. I have two-column. They didn't useta save money sure of finding it every month, or even

been ruminating on that for some time, that sort of way. And our friend Leo Mar- every two months, on a given rack in a giv-

stewing in love-hate for Alfie for letting gulies says flatly he'll never run another en supermarket? I'd like to think so. I

me down, and have come up with a sort of magazine after MIKE SHAYNE is phased out notice new DAW and Ballantine, Dell, Avon,

rationale, which may stand a test of some (an action for which he has no present etc. releases all the time.

kind. The rationale, or, better, proposi- plans, but which seems inevitable in the ((Some editorial changes would be re- tion goes beyond the book itself and the next couple of years, given the thinking in quired. Serials probably would be dropped.

book's mainly a case in point ... but it the distribution trade; the two Leonard Columns and articles could easily he retain- will get reviewed, amid very, very mild Ackerman mags — ED MCBAIN'S and THE EXECU- ed, and even letter columns. The key would controversy, I think. Trouble is keeping TIONER — folded recently, having had 85$ be easy availability of back issues by mail all traces of pomp out of the theorizing. returns. Leo's idea, which has some hefty order, and continuation of subscriptions.

The thing I really love about both SFR and nibbles from big money at the moment, is It might be possible to build up subscriber

COMMENTARY is that professorish pomp won't pocket books, marketed category-wise, each sales past 100,000 if a good enough price go down, either place, at all. The sort of one containing three novelettes: TRIPLE 34 saving is offered. A pb GALAXY could charge $1.50 and perhaps offer a subscription copy ean" science fiction hasn't really come to paraSites have been secretly milking us of at $lo00. grips with what Fort was all about. our violent emotions for years. Russell

((Sooner or later a pb publisher is go- builds a framework to support a certain Having recently read Stanislaw Lem's ing to put out such a package. The experi- amount of Fort's "damned" flata, and’ (nan- THE INVESTIGATION (197V), a novel which ment will be watched with intense interest. kind is victorious in the end. RusSell, seems to me to be perfectly and truly For- ((But even in the advantageous pb for- in effect, has done exactly what Fort did; tean, I'd like to bring it to your atten- mat, sf editors are going to have to enforce Fort deliberately constructed consciously tion. I'm also motivated by an intuition a recognition that readers buy what they absurd theories to contain the legion o-f that this is a book which will, in spite of like, not what they ought to like.)) oddities he dredged up from the world's Lem's growing popularity among readers of libraries and newspaper files. ******************************************* English, drift away into the hard-cover

LEM'S FORTEAN NOVEL limbo of library-land. It's a book which Both Gardner and Knight agree that Fort makes me grateful for the term "speculative did not "believe" in his own theories, but

THE INVESTIGATION by Stanislaw Lem fiction", a term I usually dislike. felt that they were no more absurd than the Seabury Press theories of established science; they were (it's very easy for me to see STARSHIP his way of thumbing his nose at science. TROOPERS, Reviewed by Bill Gibson THE MAN WHO WAS THURSDAY, THE But Russell's story, like the bulk of For- NAKED LUNCH, and GRAVITY'S RAINBOW as dif- tean science fiction, makes the totally Martin Gardner's, history of the pseudo-, ferent aspects of the same continuum, but anti-Fortean assumption that there is an sciences, FADS AND FALLACIES IN THE NAME OF few seem to agree with me, so I wind up "answer", or a "plot", or a "reality" which SCIENCE (1957), deserves a place in the juggling science fiction, science fantasy, can be discovered and comprehended. "I be- reference section of any good science fic- fantasy, and all the rest, like everyone lieve nothing of my own that I have ever tion library; not only for the accounts of else.) written", wrote Fort, "I cannot accept that the Shaver Mystery, of John W. Campbell, THE INVESTIGATION falls perfectly into the products of minds are subject-matter Jr.'s novel Martian canal theory (they are the treacherous gap between genres which for beliefs." the well-beaten tracks of migratory herds Silverberg described so well in his Vcon IV moving from one water-hole to the next), Gardner feels that Fort's whimsical adflress. Even Darko Suvin (who is, after and of the wonderful (Patent No. 2,482,773) cosmology was too "mundane" to have impress- all, Lem's agent), in his afterword to SOL- Hieronymous Machine, but simply for the com- ed the more serious science fiction writ- ARIS, can think of nothing better to call fort it can afford the reader in these days ers. True, Fort's rotating star-sphere and THE INVESTIGATION than a "borderline SF when pseudo-science seems to proliferate al- Super-Sargasso Sea could have hardly found mystery". most as rapidly as the genuine article. comfortable homes in even the sleaziest Aside from the obvious marketing prob- space opera pulps. The densest kio on the Having failed to dissuade an ailing lems (how about a borderline SF western?), block wouldn't have been able to fall for neighbor from buzzing down to Manilla for a meaning that mystery customers will resent it; "Hey, Lonny, Buck Rogers went to the weekend's psychic surgery, you can restore the science fiction aspect, and science moon and guess what?— It's just painted your sense of the absurd by contemplating fiction customers will resent the lack of on this enormous crystal sphere !" No, it iridiagnosis, zone therapy, and the Bates same, there is the added difficulty of the wouldn't have sold. Nobody was ready for ("Throw away those glasses!") metnod of eye book presenting, as Suvin delicately puts THRILLING ANTI-SCIENTIFIC TALES, least of exercise. it, "a number of ... hypothesis without any all Fort. And wedged among the outrageous rogues' clear final solution." That is, you don't His philosophy was essentially Hegel- gallery of outright quacks and well-meaning learn "who done it"; you aren't even sure ian, and his universe an homogenous unity oddballs assembled between those covers, what it is that keeps getting done . which, since we are part of it, we may nev- you eventually come to Charles Fort (1874- THE INVESTIGATION followed SOLAR- While er know in its entirety., This led him to 1932), whose sense of humor was so great IS in book was into print English, the an understanding of the paradigmatic nature that he probably wouldn't mind that company SLEDZTWO in first published in Poland as of the sciences, and these paradigms (I use at all, though even Gardner seems a bit 1959- (the English translation is by Adele the word in the sense defined by T. S. Kuhn apologetic about having placed him there. Seabury Press, New Milch, published by the in THE STRUCTURE OF SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTIONS Fort has often been cited as a major in- York,, hardcover, 216 pages.) — "universally recognized scientific fluence on modern science fiction, but Gard- achievements that for a time provide model Damon Knight, in his biography CHARLES ner feels that this is an exaggeration. problems ana solutions to a community ,of FORT, PROPHET OF THE UNEXPLAINED (1970), (Gardner seems to know his science fiction, practitioners." —quoted by Knight), rath- tells us that the first Fortean story was especially at those points where the field than the sciences themselves, were his George Allan England's "The Thing From Out- er has over-lapped the half-world pseudo-sci- targets. side", in the April 1922 issue of SCIENCE ence — as it has on a number of occasions.) AND INVENTION. "Every science," he wrote, "is a mutil- He argues that while "about a dozen novels ated octopus. If its tentacles were not and scores of short stories" have had some Eric Frank Russell's SINISTER BARRIER, clipped to stumps, it would feel its way Fortean basis, these have usually been chosen by Campbell to kick off the first into disturbing contacts." And paradigms "weird tales" rather than serious science issue of UNKNOWN WORLDS, serves as a more are at once the tentacles and the clippers. fiction. familiar example for what has previously passed for Fortean fiction. Various odd For us, in the Fortean universe, as While I suspect that a great many writ- things happen, most of them lifted (with Gardner puts it, "there are only the brok- 'twenties on, have .been jui- ers, from the all -due credit; Russell was a Big Name For- en lights, the half truths and the phantom fluenced Fort's stimulated by by bookstand tean) from Fort. What, asks our hero, the realities." them, I agree with Gardner, that most "Fort- hell is going on? Answer: alien super- 35 !

Until I read THE INVESTIGATION, I would have considered Malcolm Lowry's OCTOBER Was the FERRY TO GABRIOLA the best example of a fictive Fortean universe, and that on the om.1 Hutf/WE basis of a minor sub-plot in an otherwise Ttf/NG LEFT mainstream novel. 06 Lem's familiarity with Fort's writings To (or his lack of familiarity) has little bearing on the matter of THE INVESTIGATION being a Fortean novel. When Lem's Inspect- or Gregory confronts his Chief Inspector with the following argument, wnich might be dropped into an edition of THE BOOK OF THE DAMNED without creating even the slightest i^iizLEr^N ripple, he presents Fort's universe perfect- ly:

"What if the world isn't scattered a-

round us like a jigsaw — what if it's like a soup with all kinds of things floating around in it, and from time to time some of tnem get stuck together by chance to make some kind of whole? What if everything that exists is fragmentary, incomplete, aborted, evenis with ends but no beginnings, events that have only middles, things that have fronts or rears but not both, with us constantly making categories..." The reader should be warned that Milch's clearly defined guidelines for the future,. somewhat over-literal translation can be For Inspector Gregory of the Yard has taken the foreseeable future." rather unnerving. London is filled with a case seemingly concerned with a number of If Lem hasn't read Fort, and I doubt Buicks and Studebakers, rather than Vaux- temporary resurrections of the dead. Evi- somehow that he has, since I understand and are nam- dence indicates that the cadavers have ris- halls Minis, provincial towns that he prefers to read French transla- Engender, Spittoon, and worse, and the en, made an attempt to clothe themselves, ed tions of American and English science fic- Yard detectives speak a sort of B-movie and walked away, but the case is being tion — although the man's reputation is all of which would be treated as one of multiple grave-robbing. hard-guy Americanese; certainly that of a polymath — the simi- much less jarring in the original Polish, Gregory's superiors at the Yard call in a larity in thought between Font's books and all strange old statistician, Dr. Sciss, who I suppose. On the other hand, it may THE INVESTIGATION is very striking. I im- further disorient the reader and gives opinion of tne case. serve to his agine that the book has its origins both heighten the novel's surreal tone... Sciss demonstrates his methods, explain- in Lem's grasp, as scientific historian, Gregory, who lives in a house out of ing the geographical distribution of the of the paradigmatic nature of science (and Edward Gorey, with "rooms so high they seem case and showing that the product of the by extension, of our minds) and from what to have been designed for some sort of fly- times and distances between consecutive in- Suvin refers to as "his pet horror. ..a ing creature," is kept up nights by regular cidents, multiplied by the temperature dif- claim to final, static perfection." concerts of bizarre and incomprehensible ferential, is a constant. ****3»:s(c5|<**3t:***********3i«|e**5t:*5t:**3»c*5|c*>t:***5|(3je3te+* sounds, "performed with a certain amount of Pressed for more information, he refus- technical finesse," which issue from his es: "A close relationship can easily be landlord's bedroom. Too shy t’o ask about demonstrated between eggs, bacon, and the these nocturnal outbursts, Gregory attempts ’"Debtor" is more than a game. In America stomach, to name only one example, or a to work out a logical explanation, but it tends to become a script, a plan for a distant relationship, with somewhat more fails. Like Fort's "damned" data — rains' whole lifetime, just as it does in some of difficulty, between, for example, a coun- of little frogs, thousand-pound hailstones, the jungles of Africa and New Guinea. try's political system and its average green children — the sounds threaten the There the relatives of a young man buy him marical age. But regardless of the degree paradigms of Gregory's reality (or his san- a bride at an enormous price, putting him of difficulty, there is always a definite ity, if you lixe). in their debt for years to come 0 Here the correlation, a valid basis for a discussion After Gregory's speech to the Chief In- same custom prevails, at least in the more of causes and effects." spector, which I've quoted in part and civilized sections of the country, except Sciss' argument will particularly de- which is, in its entirety, as brilliant as that the bride price becomes a house price, light readers of Knight's book on fort, who Snow's argument against the possibility of and if there is no stake from the relatives, know that tree-ring widths in Arizona, in- alien contact in SOLARIS, the Chief produc- this role is taken on by the bank.' ternational battles, and the ozone content es a last-minute scape-goat who would have —Eric Berne, M.D. of the atmospheres of London and Paris all delighted Fort. Though reality as we know GAMES PEOPLE PLAY fluctuate simultaneously in 9.6.-year cy- ic has been saved (?) in the nick of time,

cles, along with eighteen other known (and he enlists Gregory in a project to "set up seemingly unconnected) phenomena. 36 Coming Up In F&SF

(a partial list)

Frederik Pohl - Man Plus, a three-part serial of the new Pohl novel, ten years in the writing, concerning a cyborg and his desperate mission to Mars

Damon Knight - a special Knight issue, featuring his first fiction in many years, an extraordinary story entitled / See You

L. Sprague de Camp - two new stories, The Coronet and Balsamo's Mirror

John Variey - In the Hall of the Martian Kings and The Funhouse Effect, two novelets from one of sf's best new writers

Ron Goulart - Lunatic At Large

Marion Zimmer Bradley - Hero's Moon

Tom Reamy - The Detwiller Boy and Insects in Amber two novelets (sf this time) from the author of San Diego Lightfoot Sue and Twiiia.

Manly Wade Wellman - Where the Woodbine Twineth, macabre fantasy, from a master

Ursula K. LeGuin - The Barrow

Robert Bloch - But First These Words

Barry N. Malzberg - Seeking Assistance, the last sf story from sf's most controversial writer, along with an explanation of why he's getting out of sf

Robert Thurston - two novelets, The Aliens and The Mars Ship

Robert Aickman - The Hospice

Richard Cowper - Piper at the Gates of Dawn

Michael Bishop - The Samurai and the Willows, a novelet

R. Bretnor - The Ladies of Beetlegoose Nine, a new Papa Schimmelhorn story

Edward Wellen - Goldbrick, a wild new novella from the author of Hijack, Mouthpiece and Deadpan

Avram Davidson - Manatee Gal Ain't You Coming Out Tonight, something completely different, even for Davidson

Department of fictional authors - The Volcano by Rex Stout's Paul Chapin; It's the Queen of Darkness Pal by Richard Brautigan's Rod Keen; The Doge Whose Barque Was Worse Than His Bite by Kilgore Trout's

Jonathan Swift Somers III Plus, of course, our regular departments: on Science; Algis Budrys on Books; Baird Searies on Films and TV; 's cartoons; the F&SF Competition, starring Bob Leman and many other wits, and other odds and ends too numerous to fit on this page...

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37 HOME ON THE SF RANGE to realize their imaginations. Stan Nod- the stereotypical scientists, bureaucrats vik's short "The Postponed Cure" shows that and newscasters are just too typically pre- STORIES OF THE YEAR: BEST SCIENCE FICTION while medical technology may march on, its dictable to be interesting. FOURTH ANNUAL COLLECTION, Edited by Lester ideals — and frustrations — are ageless. There are nine better stories alongside del Rey, Dutton, $8.95 (1975). R. A. Lafferty's "And Name My Name" is a "Tempunauts," including three remarkable wry fantasy in which God, at a strange Reviewed by Frederick Patten novellas. Silverberg's Nebula-winner "Born Judgement Day, rules that man has muddled With the Dead" is a beautiful and subtle long enough and the earth is to be entrust- This anthology is a selection from the twist on the Orpheus legend, a man pursuing ed to another species. sf short fiction of 197^. The blurb says his woman beyond the grave, the twist be- that "the fourth annual collection of BEST Lester del Rey introduces the volume ing that she has been rekindled to live a SCIENCE FICTION STORIES OF THE YEAR ... with a brief foreword warning against the second life apart from ordinary humans and will set a new standard for the 'best.'" trend in recent sf to discard the basic yet to walk in their midst. Michael Moor- It won't really, but it is a good represent- sense of wonder along with the crudities cock's "Pale Roses" is the latest in his mod- ative volume that shows the range that of old-fashioned pulp writing. ,He closes "Dancers at the End of Time" cycle, a deli- ern sf spans. it with a summary of sf events in 197^: cate tale of a far-future immortal in

market report, list of awards, authors' search o.f sin. Her name is Catherine Mach- Harry Harrison's "Ad Astra" and Gordon necrology. ine-Shop-Seven Gratitude and she is four- R. Dickson's "Enter a Pilgrim" are old- teen years old. Greg Bedford and Gordon fashioned melodramas of noble, brave human- This is certainly a fine anthology, but Ekiund describe a sect of sun-worshippers ity struggling beneath the domination of is it one that sets new standards? No. who worship other people's suns (one of the extraterrestrial invaders, while Harvey The quality of the stories is generally a- most original themes to appear in a long Jacobs' "Dress Rehearsal” spoofs this theme bove average, but there are really no out- time) in "If the Stars Are Gods." and Harlan Ellison's "Sleeping Dogs" pre- standing works among them. Of course there sents man as the ruthless dominator of the are years in which outstanding stories sim- William Tenn and Frederik Pohl have galaxy. In John Brunner's "What Friends ply are not written. For what it's worth, emerged (to varying degrees) from retire- Are For", the alien Friends serve as psy- these fifteen stories do not include any of ment and successfully, to judge from their chiatrists to a sick mankind. "The Birch the 197( Nebula or Hugo award contenders, stories. Pohl's "We Purchased People" tells Clump Cylinder", by Clifford D. Simak, and though in this reviewer's opinion several of two human rejects sold to Yisiting Ali-

"If This Is Winnetka, You Must Be Judy", by of del Rey's choices are superior to some ens as slaves. They're Qiven just enough F. M. Busby, both show the effects of time of those award nominees. spare time (Visiting Aliens aren't always travel upon people, but in totally differ- Mean and Nasty) to fall in love with each ent treatments. Carolyn Gloeckner's "Earth This book is recommended reading to all other— the kernel of an indescribable gem, sf enthusiasts. It recommended Mother" is humorously horrific gem about is a pur- a perhaps the best of these best. The Tenn chase for libraries a eugenically-purified, birth-controlled that want to keep up story is "On Venus Have We Got a Rabbi," with the best sf short fiction as well as future in which Mother Love still finds a which just about sums it all up, except way. Alan Dean Foster's "Dream Done Green", the novels. At $8.95, it should be consid- that on Venus they also have hundreds of ered a luxury purchase by individual buy- about a worn-out Earth In a galactic civil- tentacled races claiming to be Jews. ers, though it will be well worth adding to ization of the far future, mixes schmaltz personal bookshelves in a less expensive and flip humor in a blend which is light- There are also two standard stories paperback edition. weight but a surprisingly tasty confection from authors whose "standard" stories make for all that. standard stories read like telephone books, SAME TRACK, a scientific Hugo-winner by Larry Niven "The Man Who Came Back", by Robert Sil— ("The Hole Man") and a romantic heart-win- DIFFERENT HAND I CAPPER verberg, is a human interest puzzler: when ner by Roger Zelazny ("The Engine at Heart- a man returns to Earth after eighteen THE BEST SCIENCE FICTION OF THE YEAR #k. spring's Center"). A third "standard" sto- years to renew an old love affair, does he Edited by Terry Carr ry would be "The Autnor of the Acacia seek romance or revenge? Vonda N. McIn- Ballantine 2A529, $1.95. Seeds..." if Ursula LeGuin could write any- tyre's "The Mountains of Sunset, the Mount- Reviewed by Peter Mandler thing standard. "Acacia Seeds" is a series tains of Dawn" eschews mankind but not hu- of extracts from the JOURNAL OF THE ASSOCI- manity in a bittersweet tale of an alien Yes, it can be done: an open-minded, ATION OF THEROLINGUISTICS, an august publi- matriarch seeking to escape her brood's reader-oriented editor £an pick a represen- cation in which scientists describe their brisk march toward progress, in order to tative selection of "best" science fiction communications with ants, penguins sunflow- die with old-fashioned dignity. stories. The proof of this lies in Terry ers and licnen. The ants' contribution, a Carr's fourth poetical (and political) diatribe which ex- Mildred Downey Broxon shows the medieval annual comilation of THE BEST SCIENCE FICTION OF THE YEAR. Nine of horts us to "Eat the Eggs!”, may come to evolution of astronomy by presenting it in the ten stories (culled from a variety of mar- stand with DAS KAPITAL in the ranks of revo- an alien setting in "The Night Is Cold, the kets) lutionary literature. Stars Are Far Away". Erederik Pohl and C. included therein bear the admittedly vague mark of a "Best." M. Kornbluth tell a similar story in "Mute "Dark Icarus" is left for last, al- Inglorious editor del Rey ad- Tam", which Even the exception is debatable: Phil though not because Bob Shaw has slipped up; mits is not really sf: a Saxon serf of the Dick's "A Little Something For Us lempu- editor Carr has slipped up. The story is early 1300s has dreams that his social pos- nauts." It is an entertaining time-paradox credited as being from SCIENCE FICTION MON- ition will not allow him to develop, which story framed in Dick's usual "unreality THLY, Britain's largely reprint sf maga- is a parable of all dreamers in all ages trip". treatment. Unfortunately, the auth- zine. However, "Dark Icarus" was published who, due to mundane pressures, are unable or does not succeed at what he attempts; in IF (August) as "A Little Night Flying." —

One would think that an American anthology The Royal Pop Historical Society (a city. He outwits a giant, kills a dwarf,

would credit the American appearance, which front for a non-human group) changes histo- and picks up three friendly robot traveling was probably che original publication in ry by wiping out anything not splendid e- companions.

any case (IF claims/claimed "All Stories nough. The non-humans want mankind eradi- Wolfe puts a perverse twist on the Original"). Let the attendant controversy cated so they can graft human history to Quest theme by having the protagonists sim-

not distract you from the virtues of the their own culture ("It was necessary to de- ply not give a shit anymore. Some Qestors story, for it is a fine, fast-paced whirl stroy the village to save it," etc.). are defeated, some discover their goals to through a world of airborne cops and rob- The story is talk, talk, talk, talk, be unworthy, but "Tracking Song" is the on- bers (with, incidentally, two appropriate talk. Nothing happens until the last third ly story I've ever read where everybody los- titles). of this 86-page story. es interest. Finally Cutthroat drops out and lies in If you haven't the time to read a lot 's "Tracking Song" takes the tracks of the Great Sleigh, waiting to of short fiction, read this anthology. It place along the tracks of the Great Sleigh, die as the planet is terraformed into a includes a lot of good writing, and some a city-sized vehicle criss-crossing a froz- much warmer place (who does this and why is of the best science fiction of the year. en planet. The culture and pseudo-relig- never explained). Then, anti-climacticly, ious beliefs of the barbarian cannibal the Great Sleigh comes over the horizon. tribes (each believes itself to be the only A Among the humans on board is a marl with HOLDING WAKE true humans on the planet, all others are wings (alien? angel? demon?). IN IHE WAKE OF MAN: A Science Fiction Iriad animals. Someday other true humans would "Tracking Song" could have been an ex- rationalize by R. A 0 Lafferty, Gene Wolfe, and Walter appear, but until that day they cellent stf story, which is what makes me Moudy. Bobbs—Merrill, $7°95 (1975) their slaughter of each other) are very so angry with Wolfe's handling of it. His well done. The story style is more suita- Reviewed by Buzz Dixon pulp plotting, cutesy-symbolic names, and ble for fantasy than science fiction (i.e., increasing indifference leaves a sour taste. the hero blindly accepts everything, never Ihere's a valid reason for the eight questions anything). The late Walter Moudy's "The Search for buck price tag. Only librarians, compuls- The hero, named Cutthroat after a birth- Man" reminds me of a poor Ace Double. This ive collectors, and grandmothers looking mark, is found after apparently failing off is science fiction at its worst. for Christmas presents will buy IN IHE WAKE the Great Sleigh. Stricken with amnesia, After Man died out, his androids' (call- OF MAN. he sets out to catch up with the Great ed 'humanoids' in the story) go looking for

R.A. Lafferty's offering is "From the Sleigh and discover who he is. Him. Eventually they find Him. Thunder Colt's Mouth." It isn't science So far, so good, the beginnings of a The hero, who just happens to be born

fiction. It isn't a story. It isn't much potentially good noveiia. Then Wolfe forc- with a superbrain, looks for Man. He be- of anything. es a hackneyed plot instead of letting the comes Anti-Man to force the Priests of the The characterizations are telegraphed story develop naturally. 2000-year-old Man worshipping religion to

in poetically brilliant prose, but Lafferty The hero picks up a girl in his travels. let him see the old records. They buckle lost my interest by page 20 when it became She is kidnapped. Cutthroat follows her under and he discovers Man died at the

apparent he was repeating himself. abductors to a cavern containing an ancient hands of an android chemist who developed a poison to kill all the insects in the

world (the poison acts more like a disease and who could be so stupid as to decide the elimination of all insect life is desira- ble).

He then marries a sub-Pope's daughter (No sex, mind you. Androids got gonads but

they don't use them.), checks out a 2000 year old spaceship from his local museum,

and searches for a human colony on Mars.

There's no need to describe further. Besides the illogical plot, faulty science, one-dimensional characters, and the unbe- lievable android culture, tnere is very, very bad writing.

Only two parts of the story stick in my mind: the hero's conversations with an arch- eologist android, and the Man-worshipping androids meeting android-worshipping humanso There's no conflict in the story; every- body is super-polite and super-nice to each other, even when they disagree. And there's no given reason for the hero's marriage it's just written in.

The stories were purchased ((and copy- righted)) by Roger Elwood. He and Barbara

Norville, a Bobb—Merrill house editor, put a

it together. Nobody's name appears as ed- HISTORY THROUGH THE MIXMASTER our world and then shifts to one in which itor on the book. Hamilton was the fourth president. It

AT THE NARROW PASSAGE by Richard Meredith seems our Constitution was stolen and re- It’s a bad anthology. What more can be placed with an exact duplicate except that Berkley N2730, 95

Lew Nichols is married to a lovely, society. As a resident in one of the It's all too easy to conclude from the sensuous wife who turns to the new Transit towns named after Mad Anthony, I appreciat- cover copy and the hilarious opening chap- religion which is dedicated to renunciation, ed that touch. However, the action doesn't ters that OPTIONS is the story of one Tom of cause and ef- the loss of self, the loss stay in that world, but hops all over until Mishkin, grounded on a hostile planet amid fect; counterpoint to Lew's the an interesting plot is a mess of spaghetti. There are a typically bizarre and charming cast of Yet, maybe the inner need for certainty. two kinds of aliens, a mysterious message Sheckley' s insane creations, but in fact Transit religion isn't so much different from the future, a plot to steal an atomic it's Sheckley's story, not Mishkin's, and toward, hmm? from what Lew is moving bomb and all sorts of crosses and double- the book soon proves to be a self-conscious crosses. Alice-in-Wonderland for the neurotic New Nichols has a kind of logical blindness One grouch: There is a lot of antisep- Yorker. Mishkin's misadventures in search up till near the end; he hopes/believes tic violence, as well as the other kind; of a missing spaceship part become obscured that once he knows the future he can change but I suspect individual lives wouldn't in a forest of sour asides and pretentious it, somehow. But after the first flush of matter much in an infinity of alternate anti-intellectual digressions, so that joy and hope and confusion when seeing fin- worlds. Aside from that I recommend this ally comes to him on New Year's Eve, 2000 Sheckley is forced to ask midway through, book as a good action-adventure. A.D.... "What's going on around here? Why isn't # anything working out?" The core of the novel is God. Nichols "Of course," he answers, "I could put is by character attracted to knowing, to TUNNEL THROUGH THE DEEPS takes place in an it all in order, and we could dance a minu- certainty, to power and to the serenity alternate world in which the Revolution was et. I do want to amuse you, but really, that an unalterable future implies. If the put down and Washington hung. The hero is there's a limit. Do you really want a future is fixed, if fate is true, if there Gus Washington who is building a tunnel guided tour through the formal gardens is a Plan. ..relax! You are not responsible. from Long Island to Land's End, and trying promised in the prospectus? Maybe that Whatever happens _had to happen. Someone or to clear his ancestor's name. This novel would be OK for you, but how about me? I'm something has set these events on their has a curiously static quality, as if time supposed to have some fun. too." unalterable course. God. were arrested in the Edwardian era.

Since many historians regard our Revo- Unfortunately, Sheckley gives the im- THE STOCHASTIC MAN is a novel which, if lution as the cause of the French Revolu- pression that he isn't having much fun as you think about it, will lead you to think tion which in turn caused all tha later on- he plods along the shadowy paths of the Pop about it. ..and think about it,... es; perhaps this Edwardian society has a Zen Buddhism that seems to be responsible And THE STOCHASTIC MAN is a first bite, lower level of violence and vulgarity. for much of this confusion. He would have a preamble, to what might be an excellent Harrison makes this point obliquely in the been well advised to chuck Huang Po and re-

sequel—the story of the war between the novel when a medium contacts our universe read his own books instead, or take a clos- Nichols-founded religion of true what-will- and is almost driven insane by the violence er look at Vonnegut, to whom his debt for be-will-be, and the old ways of government, of our thoughts. OPTIONS, whether he knows it or not, is morality, culture. ..the stubborn, slow This is Georgette Heyer crossed with also embarrassingly large. Vonnegut can death of the illusion of free will and of play with that concept of "synchronicity" ego. But I doubt Bob will write it. (Har- he uses to justify his excursions onto per & Row, $7.95) alien worlds and have most of us rolling on sir*******:,:*,:****** I*********************** THE WHENABOUTS OF BURR starts off in the floor with him, but when Sheckley takes — !

us to the planet Harmonia by means of this His 197^ supplement is now out: 3608 strip, not cartoon... Something Else. same device, we can't help conclude, as Meadow Oaks Ln., Bryan, TX 77801. No I especially loved "The Unstrung Harp" does one of his characters, that "The beast price listed. Photo copies of earlier (which should set novel writing back fifty that kills by boredom... is also found in yearly volumes: #1-#A are 15.00. years) and "The Hapless Child" (which will

these parts." The Gale Research SCIENCE FICTION send any five-year-old into a galloping BOOK REVIEW INDEX 1923-1973 is $A5.00. paranoid trauma—keep the book away from What makes this conclusion so painfully Books sent on 30 day approval. children !). sad is that, in a more tractable mood,

Sheckley could clearly have made OPTIONS a ****************************************** ****************************************** book that was both revealing and funny de- MAKING FUN OF THE TRUTH! spite his unsuccessful attempt to tinker (How Dare They?) with the form of the novel. He is one of

those writers who cannot construct a bad ILLUMINATUS sentence, and the first few chapters of OP- Part One: THE EYE IN THE PYRAMID TIONS are infused with that demented sense LETTER H. K. Part Two: THE GOLDEN APPLE FROM BULMER of humor that makes so much of his earlier By Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson work such a delight to read. The humor 26 Sept. 1975 goes sour, however, and the self-revelation Dell 4688, $1.50; Dell 4691, $1.50 becomes self-mockery, because Sheckley 'I much s a y that I much approve of'the They blew not the world he creates—will not allow it. Instead of writing this superior newsprint you are using now, and three-part (two parts released thus Tom Mishkin to live a life of his own. far) it gives the zine a most impressive look extended novel Preoccupied with some purpose he never as straight fiction about of authority that, for we love and cherish the ancient and all-embracing clearly reveals, Sheckley chokes him to conspiracy the mimeo paper of fmz and would not knock of the true, ultimate Secret death inside a plastic bag of self-justify- Masters of it, a mimeo-paper zine does not have. the World... instead ing pseudo-Oriental jive. of bringing all the 'I have read the Farmer interview thru plot and conspiracy elements ******************************************* gradually and and it is vastly entertaining and enlight- tellingly together until, in the third ening. Philip Farmer comes over here as a EVERYTHING YOU'D EVER WANT TO. volume it would be so inevitably prepos- much nicer man altogether than the author- KNOW terous and incredible that their underly- ial 'Farmer' I have so far encountered in ing satire was hellishly devastating... few I If Ray Bradbury is a god to you, you'll those books of his have read. This Instead of doing that, Shea and Wilson want THE RAY BRADBURY COMPANION, a Brucco- kind of piece must enhance the reputation started immediately with their tongues ob- li Clark book published by Gale Research of SFR and, also, give you a thumping boost viously deep in their cheeks, and made Co. to the editorial ego.' plain instantly they were writing a Mock- It is, succinctly, 'A life and career ery and a Derisive Satire (with some Black ((The credit must go to Phil; the qual- history, photolog and comprehensive check- Comedy) on the conspiracy mentality and ity of any interview depends on the time list of writings with facsimiles from Ray its manifestations. and effort the interviewee is willing to Bradbury's unpublished and uncollected give to the questions.)) work in all media.' As a paranoid, I resent this. It has a very detailed Index. 'I am most interested in the work of I didn't read much beyond page fifty It is by William F. Nolan and has an your illustrator, Jim McQuade, for, de- of Part One. Why read on? They made Introduction by Ray Bradbury. spite the comic-book-art tendrils clinging their case by page two; all the rest is un- It is a monster of a book, endlessly to it, it is clean and powerful work and believable, variations of caricature and fascinating and instructive. It is about as I do not know this illustrator maybe he jape. It's sicksville and snickersville, 7" x 10", quality hardbound, slipcased, is already into the field 'somewhere; if he if you like that kind of making-fun-of- approx. V4' thick, and expensive: $28.50. isn't he ought to be.' with-cheap-shots. Gale Research Co., Book Tower, Detroit, ((Jim is a professional, of course, MI A8226. they could have suckered everybody — and I first ~became aware of his work in ****************************************** all the conspiracy buffs, all the uncertain, his Sherbourne Press book, MISTY ('An adult all the vaguefy discontented —could have HIGHLY SPECIALIZED REFERENCE fantasy in visuals'.), $6.50. I am very set the hook of Belief deep and sure. ..and happy that he is willing to do occasional then could have reeled them, all into the Would you believe H. W. Hall went back drawings for SFR. His address is available good ship Gotcha! to 1923 and started indexing science fic- for professional inquiries.)) tion book reviews? Yes, and he issues sup- They blew it.. .and I'm disappointed. 'The other writer in the postcardset plements to keep up to date. ****************************************** from George Hay in Harry Harrison. As The major accumulation, 1923-1973, is THE GOREY TOUCH usual most of the best material in SFR is published by Gale Research Co. and is in by REG or Alter.' the quality hardbound format they usual- I can't let an appreciation of Edward ly use; it is meant to be a long-lasting Gorey's new collection of 19th Century-ish ((I thank thee. Alter worships you from reference work and they don't put out grue-and-satire go unsaid any longer. It afar. I should here mention that the Le ill-made, cheap-materials volumes. is AMPHIGOREY, published by Putnams, dis- Guin and Asimov postcards I published last Hall indexed from 250 or so magazines tributed by Berkley (E2867, $A.95). It is issue are copyrighted in their author's and accounts for 6900 books. Included are fifteen of his "books". It is Sly Mockery name. I goofed in not adding that notice reviews listed from current leading fan- of a high order in the artistic form of last time.)) zines. 41 story-telling he has mastered: not comic **********y**^e************^:**************** THE GIMLET EYE the correct color. His being the hand This is an exceptionally fine example Commentary On Science Fiction that feeds, the art editor usually gets his of airbrush technique, a technique Stern- And Fantasy Art way. The result is a rotten work of art. bach excells in. It's especially demanding (I know from experience) and Sternbach is By Jon Gustafson The second problem is one of payment for one of the best I have ever seen. My admir- work rendered unto Caesar. The payment of ation for the man grows every time one of and one artists for their work is meager at best in Westercon 28. My first con his works appears. that will hang in ray thoughts for a long the science fiction field. There are very Back to the cover. The satellite dom- time to come. As an illustrator and a sci- few artists who can live solely on the in- inates, occupying the upper right portion ence fiction fan, it was a double treat, come they receive from science fiction il- of the cover, and is rendered in fine de- for not only could I meet and talk with the lustrations; most of them have some other tail by airbrush. I think the whole cover leading science fiction writers of our day, income (such as a steady job) to tide them is done by airbrush, although so much de- but I could also meet and talk with some of over until their next commission. Many of tail is hard to get by that means. To the the better science fiction illustrators in the artists count on sales of their origin- left and slightly below satellite the field. al artwork at conventions and through the the is mails to supplement their food stamps. the core of a comet, surrounded by the The I and and talked with the two met soft, multi-hued streamers of the coma and most in crowded hotel in Oakland, I do not have exact figures on what the the hot, tail, curving off in all directions. The were Tim Kirk George Barr. various markets pay for artwork; this is and major color is hard to determine, but the something I plan to have in the future, and We discussed science fiction illustra- overall impression is of blue; there are at that time I hope to explore the problem many other colors, including tion, and some of the problems in the field ''Sternbach more thoroughly. The artists who work so purple". The orange of that have happened over and over again to the satellite con- diligently to make your reading more pleas- trasts pleasingly with of all of the artists and will probably occur the rest the pic- urable are not paid enough for their work. ture, and aids in creating again in the future. visual interest. They earn nowhere near what artists in oth- I can't get over incredible My perennial favorite—the failure to er fields do, and this is definitely unfair. the skill Sternbach displays with his airbrushes; communicate properly; in this case, between not # only does he have great technical skill, the author and the artist. In most cases in putting his lines and shapes precisely this is the fault of the art editor, who in Well, on to the critiques. where he wants them, but also in impressive his haste to get a cover or an interior il- Rick Sternbach is a young technical il- color control. The streamers change colors lo gives the artist only a hazy (or inaccu- lustrator currently working for Space Mer- so subtly and so well the effect is rate) idea of what the story is about; almost Ltd. In what spare time he has, he chants, photographic. rather than let the artist read the story This technique is very hard does some of the best SF illustration in to for himself, or better, talk to the author. master, but master it he has. I can on- many a year. His cover for the September ly hope he stays with for many There are exceptions, to be sure, but there us years; ANALOG is an excellent example of his work. the field needs people of his seems to be enough of this non-communica- calibre. Ihose at ANALOG should feel proud they have tion to give the industry as a whole a bad name. his services; I only hope they pay what he- is worth. ANALOG seems to be one of the except- ions in the magazine field and DAW Books in # the paperback field is another. But these The next worthwhile cover is on the two are not enough; there has to be more September AMAZING. It's one of the best rapport between the artist and author. covers I have seen in the past several months, and it shows what can It is ludicrous to illustrate a blue be done with flat colors if one alien with big brown eyes when the author is determined. In a way I am is telling his tale of brown aliens who anticipating the possible objections of people I don't even have eyes. The message is lost who thought was too rough on Mazey and the artist is often blamed for what was and Schell in the last issue of SFR because of their flat likely the art editor's misreading of the colors. But the flatness story (or color blindness, or lack of care, of color does not impair this ex- cellent work or whatever) or his misreporting of that by Mike Hinge, an illustrator with whom I'm not story and the aliens in it. The result is as familiar as I should be. He is very an artist with egg (brown, with yellow good and, if this is a sam- ple of his average speckles) on his face, an author who is work, should be commis- sioned more frequently. forever teased/queried about the mistake,

and an art editor who is busy making the The cover illustrates the Jack Vance same mistakes with the next story and next story as near as I can tell—the contents artist. page doesn't inform us. The painting shows

a spaceship racing towards a star depicted

Another part of this problem is the It shows a satellite taking readings on the by a large circle of plain yellow, and con- relatively common practice of the art edi- core of a comet. It illustrates (for a trasting strongly with the rest of the il-

tor having an illustration already in his change) a fact article in this issue, in- lustration, which is convoluted with a head, and having the artist connect the stead of the usual lead (or most important) great many swirling colors. The overall dots and fill in the numbered areas with 42 story. A refreshing change for ANALOG. cast is to the red spectrum, and the paint- !

wmimi¥imwiimmmE the way Frazetta signs his work. Boas even miirismmwsmmiijimm?iiynnmin seems to use Frazetta's "touch of scarlet"

nimmunmmaipa in a painting (to provide an extra tidbit The Science in Science Fiction by Gregory Benfnrd of visual flavor). There are many other © AMAZING similarities. What I don't understand is how the cov- science fiction er can be so far off, when the interior il- lustration accurately depicts the bear with two heads. Art Editor J. Edwards has some explaining to do.

Back to the painting. The main human

figure is a T-arzan-like specimen who appears

to suffer from a couple of deformities; his

left leg seems to be only about half the size of his right leg, and his right arm appears to be growing directly out of the

base of his neck, a peculiar place for an arm. The bear, even if it only has one of

its- heads, is the only pleasing part of the painting, looming large and fierce above the puny humans. ing is an eye-catcher. The spaceship races ALL STORIES NEW & COMPLETE away from the observer, its exhausts spew- A . * er for the Worst SF Cover of the Year. The ing a trail of fumes. Sparsely scattered JJjS only competitor is another cover by Mazey about the picture are small convolutions of " ~ : Stories and Schell (July F&SF), the one I chewed up dark blue which provide sharp contrast to in my last column. Avram Davidson:The Case of the Mother-in-Law of Ftearl the reds, predominant oranges, yellows and Clark Ashton Smiths Lin Carter: The Scrollof hkrioc white. Mike seems to favor this technique Robert ThurstortThe Haunted Writing Manual The picture shows a nude man, swathed GraniaD. Davis:ToWhom It May Concern... of in flames, grabbing the right arm of some breaking up the field into separate, and more!

1 1 I kind of devil, also with flames leaping meandering sections o,f colors. I notice the same thing in his color cover for the around it. The right arm of this demon is latest issue of the fanzine ALGOL. This actually a snake or dragon; the left arm seems to be can be a good technique if handled careful- a normal scaly arm. The shapes ly and thoughtfully. Hinge does. in the painting are too simple, too repeti- tive, to be used effectively with the flat # colors. The way the story is extremely dumb, since the story Out come the knives. I sometimes feel is about Fion Mac Cumhaill, an I should have a special outfit to wear when Irishman; the painting appears to be depicting a scene from one of the I cut up a piece of crummy art, perhaps Hindu legends, complete with magic something like Vincent Price would wear in eye. I don't know if this is another one of his Gothic horror movies. Must be case of the publisher/editor not letting the artists the sadistic streak in me. (I use the term loosely, obviously) know The first cover to bieed is the October what the story is about, or giving them the FANTASTIC. Done by Marcus Boas, another Boas is an artist who might improve, wrong impression as to the actual contents artist with whom I am not yet familiar. but he must let his own style develop and of the story, but in any case the illustra- uncon- not appear to copy (consciously or tion doesn't even come close to any of the The cover shows a bear being attacked sciously) others. I hope he does. I will scenes described in Randall Garrett's sto- by three humans, and is a perfect example watch for more of his works. ry. of lack of communication. The bear in the picture has one head but the bear described ((REG Note: It is an open secret that It seems to me that F&SF needs two heads. in' the story has _two "J. Edwards" is editor Ted White. Ted, of things, both of which would improve the necessity, must wear many hats in the of- magazine immensely. The first is an art This artist may have some talent hidden fices of AMAZING and FANTASTIC.)) editor and the second is some interior il- somewhere in his mind and soul, but he un- lustrations. Good writing is fine, but the fortunately hasn't yet gotten beyond hack # eye needs some relief; this is one of the

work. The cover also suffers because it functions of interior art. The eye needs AAAAAARGH ! ! Another Mazey and Schell appears to be a copy of 's something other than those "funny little cover! I don't believe it! How can such a bugs" running across the pages. I hope style. The seeming imitation fails because respected, prestigious magazine as The Maga- that Mr. Ferman wakes up to these neces- it hasn't been done well, but the main zine of FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION con- Frazetta's style occur: from sities in the near future. elements of tinue to do these things? This cover is on the chiaroscuro to the way Frazet- strong the September issue and is a strong contend- ((REG NOTE: F rom the beginning the ta's works fade near the edges. Even to 43 publishers of F&SF decided a no-interior- ’

art policy was best for the impression of LETTER FROM three of the four were really beautiful literary quality they wished to project to JESSICA AMANDA SALMONSON women, and I really dig "diking it." The the buyer. They'll probably stick with it. guys were "eh." Do you know what a woman

With only a cover to buy, an Art Director has to contend with to be openly lesbian? 'Early on in September' does not seem required.)) I sure never guessed, and it's somewhat 'No, FANTASY AND TERROR isn't dead. irritating to realize I cannot, like most # Surgery, and the resultant notoriety I had transsexuals after surgery, vanish happily

around here (television interview, address- into the straight community as a middle- Ballantine Books is now putting out a ing classes in community colleges), not to class housewife. After an affair I have a series of new, large, colorful art books mention the Lesbian Community (I'm showing very hard time dealing with things like called the "Peacock" line. At Westercon, I video tapes at the YWCA and at my women's Fear and Loneliness and Wondering where saw one; a portfolio of the works of Frank rap group, of feminist interest), and par- this perverse interest in my own sex (my Frazetta, and I was very impressed. Very ties thrown by television people and photo- new sex) is going to lead me. I do through impressed. I didn't have the time I wanted graphers and lawyers and artists who want terrible bouts of despair, depression, to look at the book, but recently ran across That Neat Transsexual to attend, assorted streams of tears. I've gotten incredibly another in this line. hedonism which is now quickly wearing ms emotional. The positive emotions are

The book was a large paperback of the thin, disillusioning me, and causing some wondrous, it's fantastic to be able to western works of James Bama. For those of degree of boredom and emotional turmoils, love so hard and deeply. But the negative you who don't know who James Bama is, just have all worked against getting F&T out emotions are a real bummer, and I have no dig up your early copies of the Doc Savage even close to shortly on time. control over them. I am, for all my re- paperback series. Bama illustrated those cent activity, very much afraid of my new 'It is printed however, and MIDNIGHT covers, and a fine job he did, too. It is freedom (canary turned loose in the woods FANTASIES editor Bill Pugmire is going to a shame that he stopped doing them. Any- —what's the poor thing to do) and though help collate it, fold it, back-stitch it. way. ..this book is of his western works, I'm surrounded by all manner of people, who It shouldn't be too dreadfully much long- for Bama is a Montanan at heart (and home), are into literature, or who are gay, or who er, all hunnert pages of it. And the sec- and doesn't have any of his commercial are important in some way in Seattle the ond hundred page issue is mostly compiled — works in it. His skill at realism is flab- full spectrum—I remain intolerably and and being typed by co-editor Phyllis. So, bergasting! He out-Kodaks Kodak in some of horribly lonely. Sometimes, even when in as this fleeting notoriety fades, I sink his paintings. One portrait of his wife the arms of some far-out lezzy, it just back into fannish endeavors, and literary leaps out of the page like. ..well, there is suddenly occurs to me how physically iso- endeavors et.al. —I've been visiting old really no adequate simile. At first glance lated I am, how utterly alone. Frankly, WEIRD TALES writer H. Warner Munn (MERLIN'S you are positive it is a photograph, until I'm having a very hard time. It doesn't RING now from Ballantine) for weekly read- it strikes you that no camera could ever always show. Apparently I'm a delight at ings of his unpublished LOST LEGION, a capture all there is in this startling parties, but after I can't remember having vast half-a-million word historical novel painting. In another picture, an old man a good time (except once, going home pig- comparable to SHOGUN only set in Europe- sitting in his chair is wearing a leather gy-back on my drunken date's shoulders, on-the-way-to-China in Roman times rather jacket that looks so real that you would down the middle of toe street, singing than in Medieval Japan. It's quite amaz- swear you could pick it up off the page. "Whiskey Man's My Friend." That was far ing really, the scope of it, the careful Ihe leather is so real it puts the man into out. But that was after the party). I'm research. FMBusby is "getting to know me" the realm of a cardboard cutout. doing a lot, feeiing a lot, meeting every- so he can make of my psyche a believable body, very busy, and n;t in the least hap- I could go on describing all these character for a new novel, and Elinor has and probably won't be until I'm really paintings and expressing my amazement at invited me to join THE NAMELESS ONES, the py, stable with someone I can rely on for a the realism (or super-realism) shown in oldest fan and literary circle around here lot of needs and desires. these creations, but I won't. You should I'm told. These latter socializings don't

try to find one of these books and see for interfere so heavily as the ego-tripping 'I saw my Shrink today. She's kind of yourself. The quality of the reproductions Society thing. (Although I'm tempted to neat because she thinks it's really fascin-

is excellent and I hope Ballantine can stick around in this miniature northwest ating that I ended up lesbian, and she keep it up. version of High Society long enough to thinks it's all right. And she thinks I find someone willing to help pay the rent. flirt with her, she said so today, but I In the future, in addition to my cri- A married fucker did offer a nice proposi- think it's either her ego or wishful think- tiques of magazine covers, I plan to cover tion, only I don't think I could stand his ing. She's only about five feet two, and the art of other sources, .such as paper- touching me. ..if a mellower gent perchance being a short-person bigot I really don't backs and book club editions, and to review asks...)' think I've been flirting with her like she books on art of all kinds (not all of which says. I perceived, however, that the idea will be science fiction art). 'I'm afraid the most I can iay claim to of my flirting with her appealed to her, so ******************************************* just now is an article on lesbianism & me, I didn't deny it.' "To Sapho With Love", in the upcoming DI- VERSIFIER. Ought to cause some small stir ******************************************* ‘I never see a toddler without in that very f mily-rated fanzine. ‘Sacrifice of the ego is not easy. It experiencing the desire to a It is frightening to let go of the poke my thumb through its 'You're quite wrong about me having no self-- _as frightening as death, for soft spot. Those palpitating psychosomatic repurcussions from my "sex- what creates ’ that anticipated loss is crania drive me wild. ual identity" problem. Liking women is the fear of death. REALLY, mixing me up some of the time. Four —Chris Walker — THE JUDOKA 44 out of six lovers since June were women, by W. D. Norwood, Jr PEARL'S FOOD FOR THOUGHT that her heroine is a well-married matron TALK THE ALIENS TO DEATH! and accomplished cellist who's only doing Buzz, I have to say this. In THE 'Book review time: I'm still reading this to overcome her shyness at performing ENEMY your characters, especially Barton, or so lately I've in public! Well, I suppose she had to my usual 5 a week but talk too damn much. In CAGE A MAN the been pulling a few sweet plums out of the justify her stint as just such a dancer in first section was taut, gripping, a novelet melange of bad apples and tasteless pears. just such a place. Like, "See people, worthy of an award. After that, once Bar- even though I showed my pussy to the world, 'HEALING by Wm. Nolen, M.D. is one of ton got away from the Demu and back among I'm really a class dame and academically those plums. He showed a definite flair humans, he started to yap and yap and yap, inclined besides*". Still. ..worth reading for getting it down on paper even in his and he hasn't stopped! and fun for porno buffs. first book but now, the man has developed This second novel, this sequel, has a

into a WRITER. His style is as smooth as 'If Shepherd Mead's HOW TO GET TO THE rather formula plot (at least to page 90,

butter cream frosting, his treatment of FUTURE, ETC. and St. John's SOME ARE BORN where I stopped). But I can live with his subject matter (psychic healing) as GREAT qualify as blackened bananas (and formula plots if the writing is good enough. satisfying as devi;'s food cake. His they do) in this fruit salad of reading When I'm expected to plow through yards evolvement reminds me of Joseph Wambaugh matter, Tom Scortia's collection of short of superfluous dialog I get bored (more

who faltered through THE NEW CENTURIANS, stories entitled STRANGE BEDFELLOWS and easier and quicker as I grow older and more

then hit a glorious stride in the powerful sub-titled Sex and Science Fiction, has to cranky) and fretful, and resentful, and

BLUE KNIGHT. Admittedly, Wambaugh went be a bruised cantaloupe. I had to peel finally I say, "Fuck it!" and I throw the lame in THE ONION FIELD —I never did most of it away to cut out the edible sec- book across the room... to The Pile (which figure out what that was all about— but tions which were by Silverberg, Reginald grows larger each month). I don't think Nolen can do anything but Bretnor, Aldiss, Scortia and Farmer, res- I wanted to read of the Earth strike surpass himself. He is the genuine arti- pectively. Silverberg, of course, would force against the Demu planets, the battles,

cle. be a writer in any prose genre, Bretnor is etc. I dig that scene. But that damned

a name that's new to me, but Aldiss was a mouth in your typewriter has got to be dis- 'STRANGER AT THE PARTY is a remarkable surprise. It seems to me that you let me ciplined. This business of telling the autobiography by Helen lawrenson (she wrote read a book of his stories a long, long same info to two and three people. ..indulg- LATINS ARE LOUSY LOVERS). Mistress to time ago—it had a romantic, almost poet- ing in polite, lovey-dovey chit-chat.... Conde Nast and Bernard Baruch, among oth- ic title, as I recall— and I was under- The dialog straw that broke my reading ers, she was free and female at a time whelmed. Howsomever, the man is a fine back was the stretch in and around pages when I was just being born into a culture writer and I'll be looking for his name on 86-91. You go into too much repetition and where subjugation of women was the rule. my next trip to the library. Theodore unncessary detail. I kept growling, "GET Unhampered by even the tiniest packet of Sturgeon's contribution to this collection, 'ON WITH IT!" emotional garbage, she presents a life "The World Well Lost" was another kind of Cut your dialog to the bone, please! style and way of thinking as clean as a surprise. I'd always thought he was in (THE PROUD ENEMY by F.M. Busby; Berk- carbon-free, chromium plated engine. tie top echelon of scifi writers but if ley N28A6, 95$) 'A rich, fruitcake of a novel is FE- this is any example of the kind of work he MALE FRIENDS by Fay Weldon. It's almost turns out, I can understand why his wife too rich. Her characters are so fully is into saving money and stockpiling food.' limned, their relationships so complex, the situations so intricate that she forc- es you to pay attention. It's certainly

not a rea-through-at-one-sitting book.

You have to put it down every once in a

while to take a few deep breaths and let your brains settle back into place. But even with this minor criticism: WOW!

'Slick and seductive is Wm. Goldman's

MARATHON MAN. Somewhere, in the first few

pages, he hypnotizes you into suspending credulity and once that happens, you're

putty in his masterful hands. A delight.

'A not quite ripe nectarine is THUNDER LA BOOM by Ann Stein(way?), about the world of topless/bottomless dancing. Her

mistake, I think, was in telling the story tnrough the young guy who works the door. She should have used the omniscient view- point because Obie's Place, where all the snatch bumping and tit twirling takes place, is the real protagonist of the novel. The

book, in fact, is pure pleasure except when she seems constrained to let us know 45 j s

PRIME GULLIBILITY? 'Man is born free, but one of the first UNCLASS I FED ADS things he learns is to do as he is told, 7 $ per word, $1. minimum In SPECIAL FEATURE by Charles V. DeVet, and he spends the rest of his life doing the super powers of the two aliens-on- that. Thus his first enslavement is to his WANTED: Karen Anderson's Henry Kuttner Sym- Earth (invisibility, shape-changing, tele- parents. He follows their instructions posium. Wish to buy or borrow a copy. pathy) and the premise that a powerful TV forever more, retaining only in some cases Ulf Bennetter, Hildingavagen 13, S—182 62 network could preempt federal and local the right to choose his own methods and Djursholm, Sweden. government and police forces in order to consoling hemself with an illusion of aut- initiate and sustain a prime, continuing onomy, If they want to raise him to feel TANSTAAFL! New SF fanzine. Articles, re- Special Feature TV program as their cam- inadequate, they can start by requiring views, fiction. Quarterly—500, 2/$1.03, eras track and monopolize and interact with him to produce square bowel movements and A/12.00. Write: Rod Nygaard, 130A6 Pebble- the superior cat-like beings—even past refusing to be satisfied with anything brook, Houston, TX 7702A. the point of the murder of a man—strain- less. Whatever conditions they impose on ed, then broke my credulity. him he will spend the rest of his life try- Se her, alle skandinaviske sf-fans! I skan- Yet... I continued reading on because ing to meet, and they can let him know dinavia finnes det over 10 sf-fanzines og Charles V. DeVet is a good writer and I from the beginning that he is not supposed disse har intet imot kontakt med utflyttede was interested in the alien viewpoint and to succeed. In that way he will end up skandinaviske fans! Skriv til: MADORE, imperitives. with a good collection of inadequacies to Ringveien 9, N-AAOO Flekkefjord, NORWAY. Predictable ending, but well done. cash in according to their instructions. Da fSr du informasjoner!

Lousy cover. (Avon 2A562, 95$) If he has a streak of independence, he may HVA FANDEN N0LER I EFTER???

****************************************** change the subject and geometry of his ef- HVA FANDEN N0LER I EFTER??? forts, but seldom its essence. He may 'The third wave of popular gothicism shift his striving from square bowel move- NEW VENTURE: offset fanzine, #2 out in Nov. appeals to the fear of the future, and is ments to pear-shaped orgasms, but he will with Gerrold speech, Elwood interview, a based on a fundamental ambivalence towards still make sure that he ends up feeling previously unpublished story by Avram Dav- science, which is shaping that future... inadequate. If, on the other hand, they idson, and more. Sub rates are A for 13. (Science Fiction's) politics is reasonably raise him to succeed, then he will do that, until Jan.l, 1976, when they will be A for liberal, which is to say, it generally fav- using whatever methods he has to to hew his $A., or $1.25 each (includes postage). ors strong social controls though only for ends to the shape required by this destiny. Send money orders to Rt.2, Box 135, Pullman, the most unselfish ends... most of its WA 99163. writers are if not anti-utopian, at least 'In order to break away from such suspicious of utopias; ...in their thorough- script programs, he must stop and think. AUCTION o SCIENCE FICTION TIMES #' 291, ly rational universe, all the traditional But he cannot think about his programming 293-30A, 305a, 306, 309-312, 314, 317-335» feats of magic for which respectable sci- unless he first gives up the illusion of Starts with March 1958 issue and runs thru entific terms can be found are accepted as autonomy. He must realize that he has not March I960. Taking offers on single is- a matter of course... Chiefly, however, been up to now the free agent he likes to sues or entire lot. Send bid to Gerald L. it is the dissolution of the earth in fire, imagine he is, but rather the puppet of Blucher, POB 1309A, Portland, OR 97213. which so haunted Poe, a vision of the apoc- some Destiny from generations ago. Few alypse, which obsesses the writers of sci- people have the courage or the elasticity Wholesale sources for all kinds of pulps, ence fiction... Science fiction, on its to turn around and stare down the monkeys digests, paperbacks, hardcovers, comics, upper-middlebrow levels, at least, does on their backs, and the older they get, etc. Old or new, full cover issues. Few not admit that it is essentially terror the stiffer their necks become.' or quantity orders. Build a collection of fiction... (insisting) its ends are insight Eric Berne, SEX IN HUMAN LOVING reading material for as low as 50 each, or and morality.. .implicit on all levels of -get copies to trade. New guide lists over science fiction: a loss of faith in the 300 of the best wholesale sources in the potentialities of humanity itself and a U.S. In the case of a source going out of prevision of its destruction, a masochistic business, send us a stamp and we will' send delight in imagining a future in which mu- you a new one. Guide is only $1.50. tants, robots, extra-terrestrials, dogs, Bruce A. Williams, 8A26 North Christiana or simply nothing takes over... The hope Ave., Skokie, IL 60076. on the surface and the terror beneath: it ^^jp*************^******-?:****^***^:********* is a customary enough American pattern, not untrue fundamentally to the life we live; 'One of the most important moments in yet it has turned much science fiction into a person's life can come when his Adult sees what he is doing when he is doing it hypocritical horror-pornography, and stands , in the way of its ever being converted into and is 'able to say, in effect, "This is my literature of real worth...' Child." This is the very first step to continuous personal autonomy.' —Leslie A. Fiedler, LOVE AND DEATH IN THE AMERICAN NOVEL —Jut Meininger, SUCCESS THROUGH TRANSACTIONAL ANALYSIS

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LETTER FROM PEARL ered clientele; you don't get the feeling ALIEN CONCLUSIONS

that anyone there is a shy flower just July 25, 1975 waiting to be turned out. I mean, even the

youngies who have to show ID to get a 'After I wrote to you last, I had a drink, have been around the block, around blessed week's relief from my sewing mania the world, and have the jaded eyes to which I used to advantage by reading 12 prove it. So, Miss Scott, still using the books. Aside from couple of neat tomes a same book of numbers that used to wow on banishing back pain and one fascinating them back in 1949, trotted out her Naughty (although questionable) expose of subver- Song (remember Party Records?) and treat- sive practices in advertising called SUB- ed us to "Hot Nuts" with lyrics of this LIMINAL SEDUCTION someone named Key, I by ilk: can barely recall what volumes passed See that man all dressed in green He's got the biggest nuts I've ever through these hands. I have come to the Elsewhere in this issue you will find seen. conclusion that at age 50, writers should a letter from Charles Runyon in which he See' be prohibited from either fictional or non- that man whose head is bald says he will be out of touch in the wilds fictional commentary on contemporary social He ain't got no nuts at all. of overseas lands.... conditions, prevailing morality and the in- So today (10-23-75) I receive a post- 'Now, here is this crowd of blase fag- tellectual processes of people under 25 card from him: gots who've been bending each other over years of age. 'My surfboard went out of control motorcycles and reaming each other's ass- and cast me up on the shore of this 'As horrible examples of obsolete at- holes since puberty, spooning cocaine in- remote fishing village. Write when titudes trying, to get a fix on the mercur- to their penes to insure all-night engorge- you get time. Aloha.' ial NOW, I offer Elia Kazan's THE ASSAS- ment, and tattooed bull dykes with promin- The man is in HAWAII! Slothing it up in SINS, Irvin Faust's A STAR IN THE FAMILY, ent pubic bones listening to this broad the sun! And I rode through the rain on and Masters. & Johnson's THE PLEASURE BOND. sing about two sacs of tissue like it was my bicycle to the post office to get this There is something obscene about running some big deal and wondering, no doubt, from my box! your eyes over the type in these books; it where her head was at. is like watching some arthritic old lecher 'I should carry a scarf with me to trying to embrace a squirmy young girl veil my face when the wicket gets this (who has probably -been on the pill since sticky so that I can't be identified as a- A short airletter from Donald H. Tuck she was 14), attempting to quiet her by member of the out-of-step generation.' flew in on the 6th of Oct. He comments: gasping, "Don't worry honey, I won't get you pregnant." ((I'm so far out of step I'm not even 'I've had many champions for my ENCY- in the parade, by choice.)) CLOPEDIA and don't feel it is now necessary 'I am very much aware that the world to comment on Malzberg suffice to say I do around us is in a state of liquid change ' ROLLERBALL : the concept had possibil- agree with Panshin that my job is issential- at any given moment and I'm constantly try- ities that were completely blown by the ly 'bibliographic' rather than 'biographic'. ing to absorb the variances by osmosis low I.Q. of the director. A totally for- Actually I'm expecting a lot of criticism I don't think you can do it by reading be- gettable experience. In one scene, James when the GENERAL SECTION appears as there cause the rate of change is so fast, by Caan is watching a multi-screen cassette are sure to be areas which can have peas the time something is published, it's old of his ex-wife and removing his jacket. I shot through... Still (and I feel this is hat—and I do wonder sometimes how much asked David, "Do you suppose he's going to the basic premise) I will have dome some- slips by me unnoticed because of mental take off all his clothes and masturbate?" thing for other people to chew on.' sets which are beneath my level of con- "No," he answered, "that would be too in- sciousness. I'm not anxious about any of teresting.".' Donald praises The Archives. He will this mind you, but I feel that going with ********-:********************************* probably not appreciate the Decision to the changes is the most exciting form of devote their space to more reviews and let- entertainment available in our society and ters. certainly more rewarding than watching buffoons in clown suits perform upon a BACK ISSUES stage. And there are times I feel that # I, #2, #3 were a personal Telling the SFR readership that the I'm the only person in the mid-forties age journal titled RICHARD E. latest on the- GALAXY situation is that the group who didn't shut down their sensory GEIS. All are sold out . writers will be paid in' six months or so... impression/intellectual cognizance func- is not a happy chore. Jim Baen is probab- tions at some point in 1952. THE ALIEN CRITIC #4 is ly suffering from an unofficial boycott by sold out . 'For instance, last .night I went to a the better known professional writers, and THE ALIEN CRITIC #5, #6 #7 club in Hollywood, THE GASLIGHT, where Da- is having to search through the slush pile #8, #9, #10, #1 1 are vid is working with a very easy jazz group for publishable stories to fill out his up- aval 1 able. and backing a singer named Dahle Scott who was evidently a headliner in 1949. This SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW is not to denigrate her talent. ..she still from #12 are available has good vocal equipment, nice appearance, BACK ISSUES ARE $1.00 EACH. I hear more incidents of author dis- etc. THE GASLIGHT is a gay bar (both sex- satisfaction with Roger Elwood's editorial

es) with a very funky although well-mann- 48 practices and contractural provisions. 'The topper, however, is the way the three small moons are grouped together. George Hay writes of his (and the H.G. My Ghod! They look like Mickey Mouse! Wells Society's) attempt to have a 50 foot What filth!'

replica of a Martian fighting machine (from Now the cunning manipulation of book- WAR OF THE WORLDS) erected on Hampstead store browsers is exposed! I am without Heath as a memorial to Wells. The steel conscience. and concrete memorial would cost a bit ov- er $A,000.

I think it would be nice if a fan group Here's something from C.C. Clinqan for financed a water fountain somewhere and the question of Who Writes The Cap Kennedy dedicated it to Robert Heinlein with a Books? plaque saying, "Never Thirst." 'Ron Fortier (who is an expert on the Cap series, and who had one of them dedi- cated to him) and myself who is equally S teven L. Goldstein writes a tale of well read on E.C. Tubb's Dumarest series, woe about the cancelled UNICON II which have almost conclusive evidence that E. C. was to have been held Oct. 11-12 at the Tubb wrote one, and possibly two of the Cap Ramada MD. Inn in Lanham, Kennedy books. The Inn backed out and there are now 'Read "Daw Book Nook" in issue #10 of legal steps being taken by the con commit- THE DIVERSIFIER, and let me know what you tee. A sad story. Steve is sorry if any- think of our assumptions. one showed up and was met with a blank 'The identical description of a man stare. being impaled on a cone of polished glass The group hopes to try again next year 0 appears in THE WINDS OF GATH, the first

book in the Dumarest series, and in THE MIMICS OF DEPHENE, the most recent of the Harry Warner writes that he likes the Cap Kennedy books. All of this, and know- SFR 1A format very much but suggests: ing the style of a certain writer such as E. C. Tubb, Ron 'One thing you might do is recommend has led and I to feel that we to your readers storing SFR in an envelope are on the right track.' or folder or some such place where it will E.C. Tubb prefers not to comment on be protected to some extent from direct the matter at this time. light, particularly sunlight. Pulp paper will yellow and grow brittle with the

greatest of eagerness if it's exposed too Arne C. Eastman (65 Winter Av., Staten much for a year or two.' Island, NY 10301) asks:

That advice applies to all the zines 'Can anybody out there provide me with which use the inexpensive "fibretint" mimeo a bibliography of the works of Jack Vance? papers. ... This m a n does for sociology what Ardrey did for anthro- Harry says: 'Jon Gustafson may over- pology. I suspect that if our Command and value effect that a cover has on the the General Staff College made Vance required potential purchaser of a prozine. The av- reading Viet Nam might have ended up some- erage magazine browser doesn't recognize what differently. Read enough Vance and imbalance of composition or incorrect col- you'll be able to get along ANYWHERE with or or any of the other rules combinations ANYBODY. ...too many people read and re- are to follow to win that artists supposed view him as a conventional writer instead the critics' approval. What counts is of as a very subtle sociologist and philo- whether the cover grabs his eye or excites sopher.' his curiosity.' *Sigh* I'll have to read Vance with

that in mind, I see. So much to read....

Buzz Dixon said of the cover on SFR lA: 'I don't like the style of the cover David Haug h of We^ Graphics (Sue Haugh (heavy lines) but I did enjoy spotting the is the other half) feels Jon Gustafson in sexual symbolism. Rocket-penis, temple "The Gimlet Eye" has missed a few points. door-vagina, temple dome-breast, phallic pillars blending into roof with fancy de- 'First there are not that many excel- sign- intercourse with semen leaking out, lent SF artists around. And the reason is hill contours-legs, squatting demon-anal very simple, MONEY. You have to like SF and/or copraphilic interest, toadstool- to do the work, because it doesn't pay

drug or is it a foot-fetish? worth a damn. I'll cite some examples. / /

Ultimate Publishing Co. (AMAZING/FANTASTIC) the subscription rate is $10. (not $12.) Ah, let me give Jean-Claude' s address: pays an average rate of $10. for a spot or per year. He says the magazine is break- 16, rue Pierre Nicole, 75005 - Paris, half-page drawing, $50. for a cover. (From ing even. France.

ARTIST'S MARKET, page 3Alj) Ted White him- self said in the editorial for the May 'lb Willis Conover, loooong-time fan and FANTASTIC that the scale of payments for By the way, there is no advantage to of L0VECRAFT AT LAST, writes that artists To of, author was poor. the best my know- sending mail to my home address. I get he is going to publish a new magazine name ledge the rest of the SF magazines are the mail from my P.0. Box every morning pretty of SCIENCE-FANTASY CORRESPONDENT, starting much in the same area, except for around nine, and the carrier delivers to Dec. '75° A magazine in book format. 'An ANALOG which pays a little better.' the house around three in the afternoon. extension of L0VECRAFT AT LAST.' Contribu- Besides, the house mail slot is small, and I GALAXY am informed that pays $200. tors include Clarke, Aldiss, de Camp, Leib— wider letter per anything than a standard is cover» But back to David. er, Howard, Russell, Lovecraft, Wilson, folded, bent, mashed, crushed, creased and many others. 'Now, taking it for granted that the shredded on the way in and down the wall Expensive for Send same time is going to be required to do an —3 issues $25. chute. I call it Jaws. Be warned. for details from Carrollton— illustration for one magazine as for anoth- Clark, 9122 Rosslyn, Arlington, VA 22209. er, we find the following: for a spot draw- ing COSMOPOLITAN pays $50.; ESQUIRE $75; I have most of a column now to indulge FORTUNE $50.; LADIES HOME JOURNAL ’4page in current event comment and prediction. LAMPOON PENTHOUSE Ken Bulmer reports: 'NEW WRITINGS IN $200.; NATIONAL $75.; It's the Reality Teating Syndrome I suffer SF goes on very well and I've been unearth- $175.; VIVA $150. Full color interiors run from: let's keep in mind what I write and ing a lot of new talent lately. Cherry from $200. minimum for ESQUIRE to $1500. see if it comes to pass. for LADIES HOME JOURNAL. (From the May Wilder, an Australian lady, first publish- ed in NW has been doing very well in other June 'lb issue of PRINT.) In short, other This is the year the money stopped for sf outlets, altho' she'd done work as a magazines pay around five times the amount New York. That shock (and others) will for If mainstream writer before, I understand. the same work. you're a good il- splatter through the world and the nation And she went over well at the Aussiecon, lustrator can't afford to do SF. Or you like a cold shower after an all-night par- too. The old regulars still contribute, the pressure is on to "rush" the job. ty. Britain is beginning to feel the icy which is nice. The emphasis of the series of the SF magazine pub- spray, too. 'Second, most is changing very slightly but I like to are no the easy way out. East Coast, and Deficits longer lishers are located on the put in one or two of what are sometimes relationships with Hell, in a few years the interest on the prefer face-to-face called 'old-fashioned' stories when they national debt insurance that (paid to banks, com- their artists. The rationale being are well done. The balance thus created panies, etc.) will be 100 BILLION DOLLARS. in case there are sudden changes needed, is beneficial all around, I find.' And the debt will be ONE TRILLION DOLLARS. the artist is available. So if he/she Ken's address is: 19 Orchard Way, But that'll be okay... because our mon- doesn't live on the East Coast, the chanc- Horsmonden, Tonbridge, Kent, TN12 8LA, ey won't be worth 25(S on the dollar, any- es of an artist contributing are lessened England. way. Umm..make that 10(S. Unless— Unless the current minor but pervasive taxpayers revolt focuses on Jean-Claude Zylberstein, editor of (say) George Wallace and/or Ronald Reagan Martin Last, editor of THE SCIENCE Editions Champs Libre in France, asks: and expresses itself in the coming primar- FICTION REVIEW (New York), the monthly all— ies as an eye-opening protest vote. review-zine, wants me to make it clear that 'Do you think you could give some kind I suspect Wallace's primary delegate of notice in 3FR regarding this series of strength will cause a scream of terror to SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW books entitled "Chute Libre" for which I rise from the Liberals. Having idealistic- Subscription coupon. am looking for sexy-SF books and where I ally changed the delegate-choosing rules have already published THE TIDES OF LUST All you have to do is fill it toward greater democracy, the Liberals will in with your name (or someone by Delany, Farmer's IMAGE OF THE BEAST, you wish to destroy), enclose turn white with fear at what democracy de- BLOWN and A FEAST UNKNOWN, as well as Spin- money, and your life (or that livers to them. of the other victim) will nev- rad's MEN IN THE JUNGLE and AGENT OF CHAOS. er be the same. One ‘fix’ of What fun it will be to observe. Where we shall also publish some of P.K. SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW and In the meanwhile: Watch gold sneak up you’ 11 be hooked. Dick's novels considered here as "marginal" in price. Watch and see if the Dow Jones and which so far had been rejected by oth- How else can you become so Industrial Average breaks through 900. If pleasurably addicted as inex- er publishers (as all the previously men- pensively? it does, we will have a few years of boom tioned books). I hope that authors who prosperity. If it sinks below 750 or so... $4.00 One Year / $7.00 Two Yrs. eventually keep some novels in their sec- look out. ret drawers would rink to send them to me. Name The books might also be termed "tough SF" or "radical SF" if this Address has any meaning.' "Hey, Geis, whatcha gonna qet me for my birthday?" Sounds like a perfect market for Alter- .-You have no birthday, Alter. Get below. Ego. ...Hark! Is that his typer I hear "I have too! December 25th. My Father is a City faintly through faintly tapping, tapping " very strange alien with a beard— the wall? Quoth the Alter: "Forever more!" State Zip OUT! *Slam!* 50 COME ADVENTURING! with Nickelodeon, the fanzine that explores uncharted territory.

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