Volume 17, Issue 1 February/March ConNotations 2007 The Bi-Monthly Science Fiction, Fantasy & Convention Newszine of the Central Arizona Speculative Fiction Society

A Conversation with Featured Inside Jewel Staite Regular Features Special Features By Catherine Book SF Tube Talk A Conversation with Jewel is, of course, the actress All the latest news about Jewel Staite in Firefly (TV series) and its Scienc Fiction TV shows by Catherine Book subsequent movie, Serenity, who plays Kaylee Frye, the ship’s 24 Frames Zuner or Later Microsoft mechanic. While I haven’t All the latest Movie News interviewed an actress before, Will Get It Right mostly due to lack of opportu- by Shane Shellenbarger nity, I was awfully glad of this Pro Notes opportunity. Jewel was the main News about An American in Canada Guest of Honor at a local genre authors and fans Part 3 convention, DarkCon, held by Jeffrey Lu January 4-7, 2007 and the Costume Closet convention was kind enough to Articles Covering Topics of interest invite me to facilitate her Q&A in the constuming field Plus sessions. So, this is the high- lights of those two hours during ConClusion CASFS Business Report the convention. She was a Convention News & Reviews delightful guest who seemed FYI News and tidbits of interest to fans genuinely happy to be talking to Screening Room her fans. She was funny, self- Reviews of current theatrical releases Club Listings deprecating and very, very personable. I cannot begin to NonGenre By Genre Convention List & convey her personality ad- Non SF/F books by SF/F Authors Generic Registration Form equately… contracted to appear in Stargate Atlantis I started by asking her what projects in a recurring role as a doctor. She jokes In Our Book she’s currently working on. She just that she’s moving up in the world – from finished filming the lead in a movie titled mechanic to doctor. I asked her if she Reviews of New SF/F Books The Tribe about five young adults stranded were a ‘good’ doctor or a ‘bad’. She on a desert island with savages. She plays answered ‘I’m good’ and the whole a ‘Ripley-esque’ role. Jewel describes it as audience laughed with her. She still an action-adventure and not a horror won’t say exactly how many episodes we movie. And, of course, Jewel has been ( Continued on page 8 )

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Volume 17 Issue 1 ConNotations Page 1 Pick up your copy of ConNotations at the following locations In This Issue Who Is Who This Issue BOOK STORES Comics, Legends & Heroes Managing Editor: Stephanie Bannon Bent Cover Bookstore 13560 W. Van Buren, Ste. B102, Goodyear, News & Reviews Assistant to the Editor: Gary Swaty 12428 N. 28th Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85029 AZ 623-932-3433 CASFS Business Report 2 Graphics Editor: Craig L. Dyer Film & Video Editor (602) 942-5932 Drawn to Comics SF Tube Talk 3 : Len Berger & Craig Book Adventure 5619 W. Glendale, AZ 85301 L Dyer 24 Frames 3 Promotions Directors: Len Berger, 660 N. Gilbert Rd, Suite B, Gilbert AZ (623) 847-9090 FYI 6 Richard Bolinski, Craig L Dyer Samurai Comics 85234 (480) 892-2120 Non-Genre by Genre 7 Advertising: Catherine Book Book Den 5024 N. 7th St, Phoenix AZ Proof Readers: Pro Notes 10 Catherine Book & Bob 15410 N. 67th Ave, Glendale, AZ 85306 (602) 265-8886 LaPierre & Gary Swaty (623) 486-2529 Stalking Moon Comics & Collectibles Costume Closet 16 Reporters: Craig L Dyer, Jeffrey Lu Book Exchange 5775 W. Bell Rd #B-6, Glendale, Arizona Screening Room 17 Staff Writers: Pam Allen, Stephanie L ConClusion 17 Bannon, Catherine Book, Shane Bryner, 4320 N. Miller Road #F, Scottsdale, AZ (602) 896-9992 Craig L. Dyer, Michael Griffin, Bob 85251 (480)990-8380 In Our Book (Book Reviews) 18 LaPierre, Jeffrey Lu, Shane Shellenbarger, Book Gallery GAME STORES Gary Swaty, Tom Tuerff, Lee Whiteside, 3643 E. Indian School Rd, Phoenix AZ Game Daze Special Features Randall Whitlock 85018 (602)468-0400 2140 E. 5th St #11, Tempe AZ 85281 A Conversation with Jewel Staite Layout & Design: Stephanie L. Bannon Book Rack Keeper of the Mailing List: Craig L. Dyer (480)317-9181 by Catherine Book 1 Contributors: 3539 W. Bell Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85053 Game Daze #1: Paradise Valley Mall, Zuner or Later Microsoft Will Get It Labeling Crew for Volume 16 Issue 6: (602) 843-3026 4550 E. Cactus Rd, #422, Phoenix AZ Right Cathy & Ron Book, Craig L Dyer, Mike Bookmans 85032 (602)494-4263 by Shane Shellenbarger 14 Griffin, Jeffrey Lu, Marguerite Murray, 1056 S. Country Club, Mesa, AZ 85210 Game Daze #2 Superstition Springs An American in Canada David Rood, Vik-Thor Rose, Walter (480) 835-0505 Center, 6555 E. 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Page 2 ConNotations Volume 17 Issue 1 Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie SF Tube Talk 24 Frames Vernon (Feb 14) - Just what we need for TV News & Previews Valentine’s Day, more horror! A Movie News documentary crew follows legendary By Lee Whiteside By Lee Whiteside horror actor Leslie Version. Things don’t go as expected. Starring Robert Englund We’re through the holiday doldrums Movies coming up in Feb/Mar and a as Doc Halloran, Zelda Rubinstein as Mrs and back in the middle of things with the rundown of movies to mark on your Collinwood, Scott Wilson as Eugene, current crop of SF & Fantasy shows on calendars for the rest of the year. There’s Nathan Baesel as the documentary’s the air. We’ve got new shows on the a good number of horror-tinged movies subject Leslie Vernon, and Angela networks as well as on cable over the next coming out over the next couple of Goethals as the filmmaker Taylor Gentry. couple of months, so there’s plenty of months. I guess there’s just too many to Bridge to Terabithia (Feb 16) A young new stuff to watch. release them all around Halloween. boy befriends the class outsider, a young First up on NBC is the big hit of the girl, and together they create their own year, Heroes. After a few weeks break The Messengers (Feb 2) - Horror season imaginary world of Terabithia, inhabited over the holidays, the show returned with continues in a film set on a run-down by trolls, giants and other magical episodes introducing Christopher sunflower farm. When a family moves in creatures. Based on the novel by Eccleston as Claude, an invisible man to bring the farm back to life, they notice Katherine Paterson, it stars AnnaSophia who has had his power for a while, and strange things going on including some Robb as Leslie, Josh Hutcherson as Jess George Takei as Hiro’s father. Reports © NBC Universal disturbing changes in their father’s Aaron, Zooey Deschanel as Miss are that Eccleston’s character will be a behavior. Stars Kristen Stewart as Jess Fuller in an online interview, they are Edmunds, Lauren Clinton as Janice regular or recurring character while Solomon, Dylan McDermott as Roy already making plans for the second Avery, Bailee Madison as Maybelle Takei’s appearance, for now, is limited to Solomon, Penelope Ann Miller as Denise season. He also indicated they have a Aarons, and Robert Patrick as Jess two episodes. The show is getting a lot of Solomon, and John Corbett as John definite ending to the first season. When Aaron’s Father. press and starting to get some recognition Burwell. asked if Charlie and Eden were really Ghost Rider (Feb 16) The latest Marvel with Golden Globe nominations for the Hannibal Rising (Feb 9) - The story of dead, he indicated that they were, He also hero to be brought to the screen stars show and for Masi Oka for supporting how Hannibal was made into who he said that none of the heroes will be a pure Nicolas Cage as Johnny Blaze, a actor. It has been doing quite well in the turned out to be (i.e. Hannibal Begins). good guy or bad guy, with all of them motorcycle stuntman who makes a pact ratings and NBC is making a lot of effort Gaspard Ulliel plays the young adult having some shades of grey to their with a dark force in order to save his to make sure fans can catch up on Hannibal Lecter, and Gong Li is Lady characters. Some of the non-powered girlfriend. When she isn’t saved and the episodes making them available for free Murasaki, the widow of his uncle who supporting characters will have major bargain goes bad, Blaze is transformed online on www.NBC.com as well as a takes Hannibal in. The story follows roles in how things turn out. Fuller also into Ghost Rider! Also stars Wes Bentley special catch-up DVD from Netflix. The Hannibal’s life from his days in a Soviet said that Hiro will meet himself from the as Blackheart, Eva Mendes as Roxanne only real threat to the show’s continuing Orphanage to his time at medical school future and have an adventure. Finally, Simpson, Matthew Long as Young popularity is the return of 24 to FOX in where he learns his craft that he will put when asked if the big explosion will really the same time slot. to use as a serial killer. ( Continued on page 5 ) As with the nature of the show, there happen, Fuller first answered “Yes.”, then are not too many details about the new backtracked to “maybe.” In an interview episodes coming up in February before it with Wizard Universe, show creator Tim likely takes a break for part of March and Kring gave a few more details about what April. We do know that Hiro will be on a to expect in the rest of the season. First of quest to find the sword he has seen in all, Sylar is not part of a conspiracy, just Isaac’s painting of him and the dinosaur. someone who got carried away with his Niki will be spending some time in prison powers. Claire’s dad wants to kill him, but and Matt will be on the trail of Claire’s whoever he is working for wants to find dad. We have been told another Hero will out more about how Sylar’s powers work. die and that Niki’s and Matt’s storylines Eccleston’s character will be a Yoda for will begin to merge with the overall one Peter and will help him learn how to use as the season progresses. One upcoming his powers more effectively, like pulling episode will deal with Mr. Bennet’s past, things out of a filing cabinet when serving as a “secret origin” episode for needed. There will be more revealed him. Claire will continue to search for her about who Mr. Bennet is working for and real parents in the wake of her realization what they are trying to accomplish. about her father’s involvement with all of NBC’s Medium has done OK since it the heroes. According to producer Bryan returned to the schedule but there’s not much advance buzz about upcoming CASFS Business episodes and storylines. About the only recent newsworthy bit of note was TV Budget - lots of discussion of CASFS Guide’s Michael Ausiello remarking that Finances ending with approval to increase one of his sources says the show is a mess ConNotations annual funding to $3000 on the set, with scripts getting updated Elections: and changed very last minute, causing the William Whitmore resigned from his board position due to work schedule so show’s production to be chaotic and going there was an election to fill the remainder over budget. NBC’s other paranormal of his term. show waiting for midseason, Raines, has Elections: had its order cut down to seven episodes President: Mark Boniece [Acclamation] from thirteen. It is slated to take over Las Vice President: Gary Swaty Vegas’ time slot on Friday night when [Acclamation] Vegas ends its season in March. Raines Board: [filling the remainder of Bill Whitmore’s term] Mike Willmoth stars Jeff Goldblum as Michael Raines, Board: Susan Uttke, Jeff George, J.B. an L.A. cop who imagines he is talking to Talbott [Acclamation] ( Continued on page 4 ) Volume 17 Issue 1 ConNotations Page 3 SF Tube Talk fanfare, though, or much advance notice. time? To say any more would go way into up include Hair of the Dog, where there’s ( Continued from page 3 ) Over on The CW, Smallville ramped spoiler territory. The Son Also Rises has a werewolf on the loose in Chicago, and things up as it came back from the holiday Lee Adama working to get the fleet’s Harry has to work around some FBI dead people to help him solve crimes. break with an appearance of the prototype legal system back on track and he argues agents who may or may not know that the Matt Raven is Raine’s boss, Captain Justice League and the Martian for a fair trial for Baltar instead of outright serial killer they are looking for is a Daniel Lewis, while Dov Davidoff and Manhunter (played by Craig Morris). execution. Ending the season is a two werewolf, and Rules of Engagement, Linda Park play his fellow officers. Also Starting off February is Crimson, where parter, Crossroads, where we will see where Harry is hired by a beautiful young starring are Nicole Sullivan as a civilian Clark once again is exposed to Red Baltar’s trial with Lee Adama heavily woman who wants to recover money employee and Luiz Guzman, who is Kryptonite and goes on a massive kissing involved with it. We will also learn more stolen from her Aunt. When Harry tracks Raine’s ex-LAPD partner and also serves spree with his inhibitions falling away and about the unseen other five cylon models down the culprit, he finds him murdered as his conscience. Look for it in late his emotions taking control. Other and more about Hera’s role in things to by a deadly supernatural force. Harry March or early April and don’t blink or episodes include Trespass, where Lana come. It will also probably leave viewers soon finds out that nothing the woman has you may miss it. and her baby are in danger, and Freak, anxiously anticipating the fourth season told him is true, and he has to risk his life Over on CBS, Jericho will return in where a young man who was blinded in with multiple cliffhangers. to save her from a similar fate. late February after a few months hiatus. the second meteor shower is able to detect The Dresden Files debuted in late Scifi is rebranding their Saturday night CBS has kept things warm for the series other Kryptonite infected people. Info on January on Sunday nights, paired up with movies as SCI FI Saturday: The Most online during the break and will air a other episodes is currently sparse, but Galactica. As with the novel series by Dangerous Night of Television. It will still “story so far” special on February 14th. expect to see some sort of followup with Jim Butcher, Harry Dresden is a wizard feature the same type of B-movie creature The first new episode back will be a Green Arrow, the Martian Manhunter and in present day Chicago, who makes a features, but with a new branding flashback to the day before the nuclear possibly more of the Justice League as the living as a private investigator when the campaign. Coming up in February is attacks started, giving viewers some season progresses. Supernatural will supernatural is involved. When there’s a Pumpkinhead: Blood Feud, the fourth background and some understanding of feature an episode where Dean and Sam crime with supernatural elements, movie in the Pumpkinhead series. The some of what they’ve seen so far. In meet up with a friendly spirit, for once, Detective Connie Murphy of the Chicago plot of this movie combines Romeo and regards to additional info about upcoming They have to confront a twisted priest Police Special Investigations team brings Juliet and the feud of the Hatfields and episodes, there’s not much floating who believes he is one of God’s soldiers. Harry on board as a consultant. Helping McCoys. “Romeo” summons the demon around. CBS has given it a full season In Tall Tales, the boys investigate what Harry out is his literal spiritual advisor, Pumpkinhead after the death of his sister order of 22 episodes and will run the appears to be a ruthless alien, when it is a Bob, a medieval wizard whose spirit is to wreak revenge on the “Capulets” of the remaining 11 episodes pretty much janitor inspired by the tabloids! bound to a skull that Harry keeps in his story. Also scheduled is Fire Serpent that straight through to the end of the season. Moving to the cable universe, SciFi is lab. Other characters we will be seeing are stars Nicholas Brendan and Robert CBS’s Ghost Whisperer does have a bit making a big change in their first run Harry’s Uncle, Justin, who was his mentor Beltran as firefighters fighting a major of info circulating for it on upcoming programming by moving Battlestar who turned evil that Harry had to kill, blaze that is caused by a fire creature episodes. First up in February is Speed Galactica to Sunday nights from their Harry’s dad, Colm, who died when Harry spawned by the Sun. Demon, dealing with two brothers and long time SciFi Friday setting. SciFi has was young, Susan Rodriguez, a reporter At the winter Television Critics Press their sister, who owns a family auto repair seen dwindling ratings all year on Fridays, friend of Harry’s, and Kirmani, Connie Tour, SciFi announced that they are co- show. When one brother is killed racing, a good amount of which can be attributed Murphy’s partner on the police force, and producing a new weekly series based on trying to win money to save the business, to viewers with DVRs recording the Butters, the mortician who is a big polka the Flash Gordon comics. It is planned to the other decides to take over for him. The shows and watching them later in the music fan. We will also learn about the debut in July, and will also appear in dead brother’s ghost enlists Melinda’s weekend. This has led to series lows for Wizard High Council and their Warden, syndication starting in Fall 2007 or Fall help to convince the living brother to live Galactica, and Stargate Atlantis. SciFi is Morgan. Three years prior, Harry used 2008. They indicated the series will be a his own life. In Mean Ghost, Melinda tries hoping the larger number of viewers on black magic to kill his Uncle Justin. The “contemporary retelling” of the classic to help a dead cheerleader cross over Sunday nights will equate to higher High Council ruled that it was in self- Flash Gordon adventures, but have not when another former cheerleader is overall ratings for their new episodes. defense, but Harry is on probation and yet announced any cast or creative team. casting spells on the other cheerleaders. In Battlestar Galactica returned on January Morgan is keeping a close watch on him. Reunion Pictures of Canada will be the The Cradle Will Rock, Melinda gets 21st on SciFi with the conclusion to the We will learn more of that back story and primary production company with RHI involved in a staged jewelry store robbery mid-season cliff hanger and will run see flashbacks to Harry’s life before then (Robert Halmi, Sr. & Jr) also on board. that went awry, Melinda has two ghosts straight through to the end of the season and growing up with his father. Some Reunion has been involved in the Masters associated with the robbery come to her in late March. characters and aspects have been changed of Horror, Masters of Science Fiction, for help and in the process she gets put in Upcoming episodes for Battlestar for the series from the books, mostly to Legends of Earthsea, and Merlin’s jeopardy and held hostage. Galactica include The Woman King where make better television. Some stories will Apprentice. ABC brings back Lost in February, Helo finds out things are not well in one follow some storylines in the books, but SciFi will be doing a nationwide promising to have a nearly continuous run of the medical ships where a doctor is may not always be exact adaptations. casting call for the second series of Who through the end of the season. Episodes in making life and death decisions Producer Robert Wolfe has indicated that Wants to be a Superhero? including a February will focus on Juliet, Desmond, depending on which colony people are since the books tend to be more like big stop in the Phoenix area on February 3 Jack, and Hurley. Guest stars include Bai from. When Hot Dog and Hera, Helo’s action movies, the TV episodes will be and 4. Details will be available at Ling in a Jack flashback that will explain daughter come under that Doctor’s care, smaller stories with the occasional big www.whowantstobeasuperhero.com his tattoos, Mira Furlan returns as Helo decides he must take action. In A event story. They can’t have zombie T- SciFi announced a bunch of new shows in Frenchwoman Rousseau, and Cheech Day in the Life, Adama reminisces about Rex’s or a big vampire vs. ghouls bash development including a miniseries based Marin will appear as Hurley’s dad in the his wife on their wedding anniversary and every week on a TV show. on Neal Stephenson’s novel The Hurley flashback episode. In case you how his career ruined his marriage. It also Scifi opted to not start the series with Diamond Age, Avery House, a series were wondering what happened to Day includes a lot of Lee Adama and how their Storm Front, which was filmed as the about a mysterious mansion in New Break, the show that was supposed to fill breakup affected him and his brother, pilot movie and has since been trimmed England, Revolution, about a future space the time during the Lost hiatus, ABC Zak. In Dirty Hands, we find out more down to an hour episode. The debut colony having to defend itself from their pulled the plug on it after only six about Tyrol and his role as New Caprica episode, Birds of a Feather, they felt was homeland, Earth, Middletown, about a episodes. It may turn up online but at this union leader and it deals with issues of stronger for launching the series. Storm small town in the Midwest having to point ABC is acting like the show never labor and class, focusing on the people Front should air at the end of February. It defend the earth from a race of aliens who existed... ABC may also decide to air the who do the dirty work. Maelstrom has is based closely on the first book in the have made their town the first stop on limited series Masters of Science Fiction Kara knocked unconscious while on a Dresden Files series where Harry is their invasion of Earth, and Starcrossed, a sometime in March, especially if one of mission and has dreams and flashbacks of brought in to investigate a gruesome comedy series with David Hewlett their mid-season shows doesn’t perform her mother and life before the attacks murder that has ties to the vampire court (Stargate Atlantis) about the behind-the- well. They have committed to airing four while air is venting from her cockpit. Lee of Bianca and gets the Wizard High scenes life on a long running science of the episodes that have been produced Adama is searching for her and picks up Council involved via Ancient Mai and the fiction space opera, sort of Galaxy Quest so far. It will likely be done without much her distress signal, but will he reach her in Warden Morgan. Other episodes coming ( Continued on page 5 ) Page 4 ConNotations Volume 17 Issue 1 SciFi picking up Torchwood, but it would March. It is a more modern approach to Sky One had plenty of new stuff over the SF Tube Talk ( Continued from page 4 ) be sensible for them to air it before they the legend of Robin Hood and it has done holidays that should eventually show up meets the Larry Sanders Show. air the third series of Doctor Who. Stay well enough for the BBC that is has on screens in the U.S. Satellite channel In case you’ve been wondering what tuned for more details next time. already been picked up for a second Sky One aired a four hour miniseries happened to the Stargates, SciFi will USA Network has confirmed that series. Jonas Armstrong is Robin Hood, adaptation of Terry Pratchett’s bring them back to air in April to Billy Campbell will be returning to his who is Robin of Locksley, who has Hogfather, which ended up having the conclude their current seasons, Stargate role of Jordan Collier in The 4400 this returned home from fighting in the highest ratings ever for Sky One and non- Atlantis’ third and Stargate SG-1’s tenth summer as a series regular for the new Crusades to find that Nottingham is now terrestrial broadcast channels for a non- and final season. Episodes have already season. As with the last couple of seasons, under the tyrannical rule of Sir Guy of sports event, unseating BBC 3’s been airing in Canada and the UK, it will be a 13 hour summer series and Gisborne (Richard Armitage) and the Torchwood from the top spot which had leaving the U.S. about the last place to see should debut sometime in June, along new Sheriff (Keith Allan). When Robin set the record when it debuted in April. them. MGM has officially confirmed the with The Dead Zone. confronts the Sheriff about the state of The BBC concluded the first series of production of two Stargate SG-1 direct to In other direct-to-DVD news, post things, he makes an enemy and becomes both Torchwood and Robin Hood, DVD movies that will be produced this production is going on with the first an outlaw, banding together with a motley announcing that both series would return year and released in the Fall. The first, installment of Babylon 5: the Lost Tales. crew to fight the injustice happening. He next year, with Torchwood getting an Stargate: The Ark of Truth, will tie up Titled Voices in the Dark, it will feature first joins up with Will Scarlett, Alan A. upgrade to debuting on BBC2. Also the Ori storyline and see the Stargate team Bruce Boxleitner as Interstellar Alliance Dale, and Much and when he runs into screened by the BBC was a new travel to the Ori galaxy to obtain The Ark President Sheridan, Tracey Scoggins as Little John, they are captured and Robin is adaptation of Dracula, an adaptation of of Truth, an Ancient artifact that can end Colonel Lochley, and Peter Woodward taken to the Sheriff for the reward that has Phillip Pullman’s Ruby in the Smoke the threat of the Ori.. The second movie, as the technomage Galen. Also appearing been posted for Robin. When Little John’s (starring Billie Piper), the Doctor Who Stargate: Continuum, will have the SG-1 are Teryl Rothery as an ISN reporter, wife runs afoul of the Sheriff, Robin Christmas Special The Runaway Bride team take on the Gao’uld System Lord Keegan MacIntosh as Centauri Prince rescues her but has to surrender. Little (with an associated Doctor Who Ba’al in a stand-alone time travel story Regent Dius Vintari, and Alan Scarfe as John then bands together with the other Confidential as well as a broadcast of the where on the eve of his execution, Ba’al a priest. According to J. Michael outlaws and along with Maid Marian, Children in Need Doctor Who Celebration manages to have the Stargate program Straczynski, the first DVD “covers the rescue Robin from the Sheriff. With the concert), and the debut of The Sarah never exist and Carter, Daniel, and same 72 hour period of time as Sheridan group fully together by the third episode, Jane Adventures with Elisabeth Sladen Mitchell have to try to set the time line travels on board a Presidential Cruiser en they have to contend with various plans of reprising her role of Sarah Jane Smith, back. They have confirmed that series route to Babylon 5 from Minbar for a the Sheriff to get to Robin including saving the world from aliens planning on regulars Ben Browder, Amanda celebration marking the 10th anniversary staging some assassinations to frame taking over the Earth using a special Tapping, Michael Shanks, Christopher of the founding of the Interstellar Robin, threatening to kill the mother of brand of organic soda. The third series of Judge, and Claudia Black are all on Alliance. One part of the story follows one of the men if he doesn’t kill Robin. the new Doctor Who should begin in board and negotiations are in process with Sheridan as he picks up an unexpected Robin also breaks up a slave labour ring April on the BBC and sometime in the Beau Bridges and Richard Dean visitor on the edge of Centauri space, started by the Sheriff as a solution to a spring they are expected to air the second, Anderson. If the DVDs sell well, MGM Prince Regent Dius Vintari, and a warning miners’ strike and tries to steal some of and final, series of Life on Mars. hopes to make it an annual production to about what will come afterward delivered the tax money collected so he can return it On the animated front, Kids WB continue the Stargate franchise. by the techno-mage, Galen. The other part to the villagers. continues to slowly dole out new episodes There will be some changes in the of the story is set aboard Babylon 5, as BBC America has also started airing of The Batman and Legion of Super fourth season of Stargate Atlantis, with Colonel Lochley summons a priest from the BBC scifi comedy Hyperdrive on Heroes. Expect to see three or four new some new faces and less screen time for Earth space to deal with a problem that Friday nights as well as is continuing to episodes of each during February and the some of the current cast. The fourth may have dark supernatural overtones. air the first series of Doctor Who starring remainder of their current seasons in May. season finale will set things up to take the The two parts of the greater story intersect Christopher Eccleston on Tuesday The animated Fantastic Four’s short run show in a different direction, leading to at certain key plot and thematic points, so nights. Other genre shows on the channel, last fall on Cartoon Network has now more adventures away from the Atlantis that they overlap and complement each Hex, Afterlife, and Life on Mars, will been explained as a “preview” and that base. Cast member Paul McGillion other while telling separate, but return to the channel later this year for the series will return to the network (Carson Beckett) will be leaving the series simultaneous, stories.” Plans are for their second, and final (for all three), sometime this spring as a lead up to the late in the third season and Torri online promotional content to include a seasons. second Fantastic Four movie, being Higginson will be demoted to a recurring Moving across the pond, the BBC and released this summer. character. Joining the cast in a recurring director’s blog role will be Jewel Staite (Kaylee on by Firefly) as Dr. Keller, a brilliant young Straczynski as medical doctor. Staite wanted to make it well as clear to the fans that she is not replacing interviews and Dr Beckett; she is being brought on the other special show as a completely new character who features for the is quite different from her predecessor. As DVD release. those who attended DarkCon know, she is Current plans really looking forward to the role, are for the especially since it films in Vancouver DVD to be where she lives. She really enjoyed released the working with the Stargate Atlantis crew last week of when she played a Wraith in an earlier July. episode. It was also her first time doing Coming up any prosthetic makeup and she did not on BBC enjoy that aspect of it and wants to America is the continue playing humans, not aliens. debut of the Debuting on SciFi in April will be the new Robin Painkiller Jane series starring Kristanna Hood series Loken and according to a notice on their from the BBC. web site, SciFi plans to bring back Doctor Expect to see it Who for its third series in July, airing it on their only a couple of months after it airs on the schedule BBC. So far there’s been no word on sometime in Volume 17 Issue 1 ConNotations Page 5 24 Frames ( Continued from page 3 ) sun, but as they get closer to their entities and the Western powers send their destination, the mission, and their sanity, best agents to literally keep the cork in the Johnny Blaze, Peter Fonda as start to unravel. Stars Michelle Yeoh, FYI genie’s bottle. Absolutely fabulous Mephistopheles, Donal Logue as Mack, Cillian Murphy, Chris Evans, Troy Garity, CASFS Book Discussion storytelling.. and Sam Elliott as Caretaker. and Rose Byrne. The Astronaut Farmer (Feb 23) When Dead Silence (Mar 23) A young man has The CASFS Book Discussions are at The INTERESTING TIDBITS an astronaut quits NASA to save his gone home to attend to his dying father Bent Cover 12428 N 28th Drive on third family farm, he doesn’t abandon his when tongueless corpses start piling up. Tuesday of the month at 7PM DragonPage, Podio Books, dream of space travel and starts to build a He enlists the help of a former high If you haven’t read the book, stop by FarPoint Media space ship in his barn. The media latches school girlfriend to try to solve the anyway. Our discussions are rarely limited on to the story and the government isn’t gruesome murders. Stars Leigh Whannell, to just the book scheduled for that month. FarPoint Media, the newest go-to team for happy with him. Stars Billy Bob Amber Valletta, Ryan Kwanten, Donnie Email questions to [email protected] podcast entertainment and audio solu- Thornton, Virginia Madsen, Bruce Willis, Wahlberg, and Christina Cox. February 20 - Storm Front by Jim tions, received a huge boost in interest Bruce Dern, Tim Blake Nelson, and J. K. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Mar 23) Butcher. The first of the “Dresden Files” after the Parsec Awards ceremony at Simmons. The return of the Turtles in a new books, soon to be a TV series. A work- Dragon*Con 2006, and they’ve taken that The Number 23 (Feb 23) Jim Carrey is animated film. After defeating Shredder, ing-stiff wizard/private eye in Chicago. momentum and are running with it for Walter Sparrow, who comes across a the heroes have gone their separate ways. Harry Dresden is the best at what he does. 2007. Plans are underway for the 2nd book called Number 23. His life unravels When Tech-industrialist Max Winters Well, technically, he’s the only at what he Annual Parsec Awards to be held at as he reads the book and realizes it is begins to put together an army of ancient does. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case Dragon*Con 2007, and there’s so much based on his own life and predicts dire monsters to take over the world, Splinter that transcends mortal creativity or more in the works. After partnering with consequences for him. Also stars Virginia works to bring the team back together one capability, they come to him for answers. Hollywood production studio Earthbound Madsen, Danny Huston, Rhona Mitra, and more time. For the “everyday” world is actually full Entertainment, Michael R. Mennenga and of strange and magical things -- and most Logan Lerman. Meet the Robinsons (Mar 30) A new Summer Brooks joined forces with Jeffrey of them don’t play well with humans. The Hills Have Eyes II (Mar 2) A sequel animated Disney movie where a boy Willerth to expand podcasting’s reach into That’s where Harry comes in. Takes a the halls of the entertainment industry. to a remake or it is a remake of a sequel? genius creates a machine to recover the wizard to catch a -- well, whatever. An High profile projects such as A group of young National Guard trainees lost memory of the past and unlocks a awful lot of fun. ZombieChannel.com and are having a training session in the New future, a family and a world whose March 20 - A Secret Atlas by Michael StarshipSmackdown.com are just a few of Mexico desert. Things get nasty when survival depends on him. Stars the voices Stackpole. In a world where strong the new ideas being developed right now. they are attacked by flesh eating mutants! of Angela Bassett, Spencer Fox, Jordan enough talent can engender magic, the Also new for 2007, Chuck Tomasi of 300 (Mar 9) Based on the Dark Horse Fry, Tom Kenny, and Harland Williams. family of the Royal Cartographer stands ChuckChat.com adds his technology Comics limited series by Frank Miller, it The Reaping (Mar 30) Hillary Swank is a in a unique position. For these bold expertise to the FarPoint Media fold, tells the tale of the Battle of Thermopylae, myth debunker to tries to disprove that a relations not only draw the maps, but also adding his four podcasts and enhancing in which a small band of Spartan warriors small boy was not responsible for the explore uncharted territories, expanding the variety of shows to choose from for defended Greece from the massive armies supernatural devastation of a small, and updating the existing knowledge FarPoint Media’s overall audience. Now of the Persian Empire. It was filmed religious, Texas town. Also stars against green screen with all of the about the world. Only sometimes, at 25 shows and counting, the sky isn’t AnnaSophia Robb, David Morrissey, Idris drawing a new land can be enough to even close to being the limit! Evo Terra, backgrounds done in CGI. Directed by Elba, and Manolo Cardona. Zack Snyder, it stars Gerard Butler as bring it into being. And when tragedy former co-host at The Dragon Page, has Aqua Teen Hunger Force: The Movie strikes the family, the tormented dreams King Leonidas, Lena Headey as Queen launched into celestial territory of his own (Mar - TBA) One weekend in March, the of one young woman feed back to the Gorgo, Michael Fassbender as Stelios, with Podiobooks.com, a groundbreaking movie adaptation of Aqua Teen Hunger Royal Cartographer himself, sending him Dominic West as Theron, and Tom way to deliver audiobooks in podcast Force will be unleashed on the country. It slowly mad. And maybe also creating a form to anyone with an iPod or an MP3 Wisdom as Astinos. is “an action piece that leads into an origin new land where those dreams have player when it launched in October 2005. Fido (Mar 9) In the aftermath of a zombie story that unfolds in a very ‘Aqua Teen’ become a tangible reality... Still dedicated to providing top quality war, the zombies were defeated and way,” according to show creator Matt April 17 - A Princess of Roumania by audiobook entertainment for free, the domesticated. When 11-year-old Timmy’s Maiellaro. Paul Park. Miranda is a Romanian orphan selection of audiobooks and audio dramas mom brings home a zombie servant (that For the rest of the year, you can look raised in Massachusetts. And when she is increasing weekly, as are the number of Timmy names Fido), Timmy finds a new forward to Spider-Man 3, 28 Weeks entrusts to a new friend a mysterious book dedicated subscribers to their offerings. best friend, even if he occasionally eats Later, Shrek the Third, and Pirates of the left by her parents, all that she knows For more information, visit: FarPoint someone. Stars Henry Czerny, Carrie- Caribbean: At World’s End in May, changes when he burns the book. She’s Media http://www.farpointmedia.net Anne Moss, Tim Blake Nelson, Billy Fantastic Four 2: Rise of the Silver left in a primeval Massachusetts where all The Parsec Awards http:// Connolly, and Dylan Baker. Surfer, Evan Almighty, Live Free or Die humans host an animal spirit, her friends www.parsecawards.com Podiobooks Captivity (Mar 16) In a unique love Hard, and Ratatouille in June, have changed, and they must battle two http://www.podiobooks.com story, a fashion model and a chauffer are Transformers, Harry Potter and the villains…one of which isn’t a typical kidnapped by a serial killer and held Order of the Phoenix, The Simpsons, and villain. Steve Jackson Games captive in a small room while the killer Stardust in July, a live-action Underdog, May 15 - Perdido Street Station by China terrorizes them. The victims fall in love as and a remake of Halloween in August, Mieville. An example of the “new weird” Steve Jackson Games has kicked off the they draw strength from each other to try Resident Evil: Extinction, The Dark is - not a typical fantasy. In a world of some year with a couple of blockbuster releases. to survive and escape. Stars Elisha Rising, and Mr. Bean’s Holiday in of the most bizarre creatures imagined, an First, another contribution to the world of Cuthbert, Pruitt Taylor-Vince, and Daniel September, Trick or Treat, The Martian overweight mad scientist type who loves a Munchkin - this time bringing looting and Gillies and is directed by Roland Joffe. Child, 30 Days of Night, and Saw IV in human-insect, whose unthinking actions leveling to the world of the super-spy. Premonition (Mar 16) Sandra Bullock is October, Beowulf, Mr. Magorium’s result in wreaking terrible havoc upon Change loyalties, expend “resources” and Linda Hanson, who has a premonition Wonder Emporium, and Enchanted in innocents, and Yagharek, an exiled outwit your nemesises, nemesai, uhh. about her husband being killed in a car November, and to finish off the year in warrior-bird whose wings were cut-off as nemeses. It was a huge hit at DarkCon. If crash. As she works to prevent his death, December, we’ll see His Dark Materials: punishment for a horrible transgression that’s not enough insanity for you, just other strange events start happening to The Golden Compass, I Am Legend, against his kind -- both seek redemption. wait... In March, Munchkin Cthulu will her. Julian MacMahaon is her husband, Alien Vs. Predator 2, The Eye, and And both achieve it, though in startlingly emerge from the murky shadows to poke Jim. Also starring are Mark Famiglietti, National Treasure 2. different ways. Lots of literary kudos to at the Mythos. February will see the long Kate Nelligan, and Nia Long. this one… awaited expansion to Illuminati. The Sunshine (Mar 16) Fifty years in the June 19 - Declare by Tim Powers. A cold Bavarian Fire Drill adds up-to-date cards future and Earth’s sun is dying and war espionage tale with a supernatural such as Bloggers, Reality Shows, and humanity with it. A space ship launches twist. A world where the Soviet Union is Intelligent Design. Is your conspiracy with a device intended to re-ignite the willing to bargain with unthinkable ( Continued on page 7 ) Page 6 ConNotations Volume 17 Issue 1 FYI ( Continued from page 6 ) Team Sci-Fi Book Group Feb 27, 7pm NonGenre by Genre ready for Artifacts? We’ll see. GURPS Mar 27, 7pm fans will rejoice at the release of GURPS Barnes & Noble, Surprise Marketplace Chad Oliver Ultra Tech, the sourcebook for sci-fi tech from the near future to the farthest reaches GAMING One of my favorite Authors has been Chad Oliver. As a child I read his Mists of of the imagination. Look for the Arizona Dawn which takes a teenager back to 50,000 B.C. where he survives by hooking up Men in Black at your local conventions. Strategy Gaming Night with the Cro Magnon. Later I read The Winds of Time in which a California Doctor I’d tell you when and where, but you’re Feb 3, 5pm encounters extra-Terrestrials who have been sleeping in a mountain cave for thousands not cleared for that. FNORD. Bookmans, Phoenix Central of years hoping that they would find spaceships to take them home when they awoke. (Not to mention Shadows in the Sun, The Shores of Another Sea, and several volumes ASU Distinguished Hero-Clix gaming of short stories.) Visitng Writer’s Series Sundays, 6pm Always his stories take you back to the sheer understanding of different cultures 480-965-6018 Bookmans, Mesa and different ways. That was the focus of everything he wrote. The two non SF Dungeons & Dragons RPG publications I located scream this theme and validate it. Walter Mosley Mondays, 6pm Oliver, Chad, Ecology and cultural continuity as contributing factors in the social Feb 24 Bookmans, Mesa organization of the Plains Indians / by Symmes C. Oliver, Berkeley : U. of California $10 admission fee Press, 1962 [Doctoral Dissertation] RPG night Oliver, Chad, The discovery of humanity : an introduction to anthropology / Chad Diana Gabaldon Tuesdays, 7pm Oliver, New York, Harper & Row, c1981. Feb 22 Bookmans, Flagstaff I think they will be worth a look. $10 admission fee Dungeons & Dragons Desert Nights, Rising Stars: 1st & 3rd Sundays, 6pm 2007 ASU Writer’s Conference Bookmans, Tucson on Speedway 480-965-6018 Feb 21-24 RPGA: Shield of Almor 1st & 3rd Sunday, 11am A literary celebration where you will have Imperial Outpost Games a chance to hone your craft in the class- room and ‘rub elbows’ with distinguished VSCCG Tournament writers during workshops, classrooms and Tuesdays 7:30 pm other events. Imperial Outpost Games http://www.asu.edu/piper/conference Hero Clix tournament EVENTS OF INTEREST Friday, 7pm Imperial Outpost Games AUTHOR SIGNINGS SCIENCE EVENTS David Morrell March 14, 7pm Arizona Science Center Poisoned Pen bookstore, Scottsdale Feb 28, 7pm UofA Evolution Series: Animal Evolution: Jim Butcher Recycling Ancient Genes for New Uses April 15, noon Mar 28, 7pm Poisoned Pen bookstore, Scottsdale Human Evolution: Tracing Our Origins with DNA Charlaine Harris Apr 21, 10am-10pm May 14, 7pm Astronomy Day Poisoned Pen bookstore, Scottsdale Apr 25, 7pm Disease Evolution: The Examples of HIV BOOK DISCUSSION GROUPS Challenger Space Center, Peoria Metaphysical Mondays discussion Stargazing Every Monday, 7pm Feb 10, 7pm Borders, Glendale Mar 10, 7pm Apr 21, 7pm Metaphysical Fridays discussion Starlab Planetarium Every Friday, 7pm Feb 24, 1130am and 1230pm Borders, Paradise Valley Mar 17, 1130am and 1230pm Apr 7, 1130am and 1230pm Manga Club First Tuesdays, 7pm Check the websites for confirmation, Borders, Chandler location and more information. www.azchallenger.org Manga Bookclub www.azscience.org Feb 17, 7pm www.barnesandnoble.com Mar 17, 7pm www.bentcoverbooks.com April 21, 7pm www.bookmans.com Barnes & Noble, Goodyear www.borderstores.com www.changinghands.com www.imperialoutpost.com www.poisonedpen.com Volume 17 Issue 1 ConNotations Page 7 Conversation ( Continued from page 1 ) down. He tried to take the head from it used on Serenity? That was a Joss After all, she says self-deprecatingly “I Jayne’s statue but Adam was like thing, she told us. He had a plan and he don’t have a lot of other skills.” It’s all can expect to see her in. “Dude...I don’t think so.” She was also didn’t want to use the same music. We’ll she’s ever done, it’s fun and satisfying and We all want to know: how much of happy that she got her waterbra. They have to ask him directly someday. an amazing job to be able to have. If she Kaylee is Jewel? She paused and gave it to her to make her boobs look big On the extras DVD with Serenity, we wasn’t an actor, she says she’d probably answered ‘depends on the day… and the (Jewel is actually a slim, petite woman). saw how the crew enjoyed using the set to be a party planner. moment...’ She thinks most actors put a She destroyed a lot of illusions with that relax when they weren’t working. How I asked with whom she’d like to work bit of themselves into the part. (Although revelation. was that? It was boring, she admitted, with in the industry. She likes actors who she hopes that’s not the case with What was her favorite episode in just sitting in her room. So, they would don’t take themselves too seriously and Hannibal Lector…) But she thinks Firefly? She loves watching either “Out tend to gravitate back to the set and just just see the part as a job. That’s all it is, Kaylee has more of a sense of wonder- of Gas” or “Objects in Space.” Her watch the others work – which was really she asserts, just a job – just make- ment than she has. She liked that Kaylee favorite one to film was “Jaynestown” cool. But it was not fun sitting in the believe...roleplaying… for money. She’d was a bit naive yet experienced in other where everyone did a lot of laughing. Her common areas. It turns out that there love to work with Meryl Streep – so I areas… without being skanky – just least favorite to watch was “Heart of were several cats living in the set and promised to be sure to mention that horny. She said most everyone had a bit Gold”…understandably. And least quite possibly using the couch as their here… Anthony Hopkins, Kevin Spacey, of their character in them…except Adam. favorite to film was “Objects in Space” litter box – it really stank. They’d all Kate Blanchett, and, of course, Matthew Adam was the father figure, she ex- which was really hard to do. I’ve always groan if the scene included sitting on the Fox. How about directors? Scorcese – plained. The audience had trouble been impressed with the scene where the couch – bring the Frebreeze… What absolutely. And it would probably be fun believing that one. No, really, she bounty hunter leaves her tied up in the happened to the set? Is it in to work with Christopher Guest (Best in insisted. He’s a very gentle man who’s engine room. I asked her how she storage…waiting? No, she said quietly Show.) And what part would she like to really wonderful with his three children. managed that scene. It’s Joss, really, she (the room groaned), they broke it down. do? I’ve always wanted to play a super- Nathan was the annoying little brother replied. He writes the dialogue and sets Was she a sci-fi fan before she started hero, she said, making the audience laugh. type. And Gina is a great source of gossip the scene. She felt a bit sorry for the actor acting? No, not really, she answered. She She’d like to play a really strong, sexy but and stories. Whenever she’s with Alan playing the bounty hunter who kept likes certain movies and actors. Has her smart, superhero who saves the world. Tudyk, she always seems to have the saying to her “I’m sorry.” Her favorite interest increased with exposure? No, not Even a supervillain would be fun. worst hangover and Alan is Wash. And, scene to watch is in Serenity when Simon really, she answered. It’s still just a job. How was that episode of Dead Like yes, he did keep the dinosaurs. And how got shot, and she really thinks Book’s Is it more fun to act in this genre than a Me? Not fun, she relates. It was too fast, was Michael Fairman who played the death scene was wonderful. typical drama or soap opera? Oh, yes, she no time to get to know anyone, and then character Niska (a particularly nasty bad And how was that scene where Mel is said – because of the cons. She had no she had to do that closet scene… And X- guy)? Oh, she said, he was so sweet, naked? Was it a closed set or did she get idea that these went on at all. After Files? Well, that was better. David happy-go-lucky and just awesome – to watch? She laughed with that one. Firefly, she was invited to a con in the UK Duchovny had to give her mouth-to- nothing like his character. When Morena or she had a scene where and had fun. She’s been to lots since so I mouth for hours but since she was only I always wanted to know if she got to they were partially naked, it was a very asked her – do you think we really are all 13, it was really gross. She says it was keep that frothy, pink ballgown from closed set. But… when Nathan had his, that weird? No, she protested, she loves really tough and emotional but after that Shindig. Oh no, she protested, she didn’t every woman from Production down us. “If you scared me, I wouldn’t come.” she wasn’t afraid to do anything else. want it – it was horribly uncomfortable. . showed up to watch. So, when he walks Funny enough, she confessed, Nathan What was she most proud of? Definitely She initially was so excited to wear up the gangway the crew and cast can see gets his butt pinched more than she does Kaylee. She says it’s not everyday that an something other than a jumpsuit…but 15 the nude thong. Well…after a few takes at cons. actress gets an opportunity like Kaylee. minutes later she was done with it. Every Nathan finds a picture of Joss Whedon Will we ever see our Big Damn She’s also very, very proud of her work time she had to use the bathroom, and tapes it to the front of his thong. As Trilogy (the other two movies)? She on The Tribe. It was difficult and dirty someone would have to unhook the hoop he walks up the gangway, the whole crew thinks there is hope. Whedon is currently and she got hurt everyday on the set. But underneath it and then she would have to is cracking up and they just kept rolling wrapped up in Wonder Woman but she she’s happy that she got through it and, shuffle to the bathroom holding yards of the camera. Jewel wasn’t sure but she hopes that after… And what happened at again, feels stronger and able to handle dress and hope she didn’t pee on it. What thought they might have used some of that Flanvention (the con in Burbank that was anything from here on. Wonderfalls was mementoes did she get to keep? She got take. cancelled)? No idea, she said. She wasn’t an awful lot of fun. Playing a bitch is her Kaylee’s room door sign and her What happened to that wonderful able to get there. always a lot of fun, she stated. And the hammock from the engine room. Nathan haunting music from Firefly? Why wasn’t And what about the Chinese that was clothes were so out-of-control… took everything else that wasn’t nailed spoken on the She was funny describing how it was Firefly show? to play a wraith on the Stargate Atlantis Does she ever episode. She apparently didn’t know how find herself still much was involved in “some prosthetics using it? Only required.” But the set was fun and sometimes she relaxed. When asked if she’d like to might say come back, she was fine with that - just Gorram…but not as a wraith. So she was real happy only some- they asked her back for this new role as a times. Maybe doctor…with no prosthetics. ‘shiny’ once in Someone from the audience wanted to a while. But know how she and her husband balance most of it was their time. They have a rule, she ex- just too weird plained, that they aren’t apart for more to say in public. than two weeks. She thinks that’s really, Will she really important. She thinks it’s nice always be an being married to another actor ‘cause he actress? Well, understands what she’s doing. she thinks Someone in the audience asked her she’d like to about the ‘bird-flipping’ contest she had write a with Nathan (Fillion). She doesn’t book…but remember how it got started, but she and she’ll probably Nathan would try to find creative ways to always do this. flip each other off. It started simple ( Continued on page 10 ) Page 8 ConNotations Volume 17 Issue 1 Charlaine Harris author of the Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire novels, Harper Connelly series, and the Aurora Teagarden and Lily Bard Mysteries is the Author Guest of Honor Music Guests at Artist Guest Heather Stern CopperCon 27 Sean Martin & Alison Stern September 7-9, 2007 Sponsored by the Phoenix Filk Cirlce Our Location Special Thursday Night Events Embassy Suites North 2577 West Greenway Room 602-375-1777 Pre-Registered Members ONLY Rates: Gaming - Barry Bard Memorial Moive Previews and Giveaways - Author Events $109 S/D plus tax Each extra person is $10 CopperCon 27 will feature up to 6 people per room Art Show Console Game Room Gaming Each suite is beautifully decorated with of all kinds! a private bedroom and spacious living Art Auction Dance room. All suites are fully equipped with LARPs two televisions, wet bar, a refrigerator, microwave oven, coffee maker, two Autograph Sessions Dealer Room telephones with data ports,iron with filled with the best dealers with Panels & Demos board, hair dryer, Neutrogena prod- Charity Auction all those special items you have We are planning both panels ucts, and a well lit dining/work table.. to benefit the been searching for! discusions and lots of hands on High Speed Internet Access is available for an extra charge. Thomas J Pappas School for demos. Rooms include made to order breakfast Homeless Children Hospitality Suite and Happy Hour! where you can sit and visit with and much much more!! friends, both new and old Memberships Rates Contact Info

$30 through 03/31/2007 Are you interested in being part of CopperCon? By Mail: $35 through 06/30/2007 CopperCon 27 $40 through 08/15/2007 CopperCon is always looking for new people. If you have an idea PO Box 62613 $45 at the door for a panel or demo, are intrested in being committee or staff, are On the web: Kids 7-12 half price* interested in space in our Art Show or Dealer room, want to run a www.coppercon.org Kids 0-6 Free* game or just want to make a suggestion of any kind, PLEASE By Email: * with Adult membership [email protected] Pay on-line with Paypal contact us. Volume 17 Issue 1 ConNotations Page 9 Conversation ( Continued from page 8 ) probably have to live in LA someday, if that the manuscript for “Stormed For- she ever gets picked up for a series that Pro Notes tress,” last in the Alliance of Light arc of enough but then got really complicated. doesn’t get cancelled…{more laughter} Happy New Year to everyone. I hope the LIGHT AND SHADOWS series is Once he made her a really beautiful But she’ll probably always have a home going in, finished, this month. (January) jewelry box, and presented it to her with a the blessings of your favorite holiday in Vancouver. She’s actually in a very were upon you all. I have a few new Hopefully, it will have a release date in pretty speech…the box was sitting on the good place right now. She’s waiting for 07. Two short stories related to that are palm of his hand…and he opened it…and names and lots of returning favorites. filming to begin again for Stargate – next From our wealth of local authors in coming out, the nearest to appear in he’d cut a hole in the bottom…well, you March. She sees several scripts a week – “Under Cover of Darkness,” edited by can imagine the rest. And then, Jewel few that are good – and is happy that she’s Arizona, I heard from Dennis Julie Czerneda and Jana Paniccia. Other made him a valentine card with a lot of able to wait for the next right thing. She McKiernan in Tucson who told me stories on a wide range of subjects came really creepy sentiments as if from a rabid says she’s worked before just for the that since last we talked, books three and out in 06, in the anthologies titled fan. Then she put it in his mailbox so it money and it really sucks; it doesn’t feel four of the five-book FAERY Series have “Liftport,” “Fantasy Gone Wrong,” and seemed like this fan knew where he lived. good and she’d go home feeling unin- been published—“Once Upon an Autumn “Elemental,” which benefitted the Save He was worried until he noticed another spired. Eve, and “Once upon a Spring Morn” - the Children Tsunami Relief Fund. On envelope inside that had a photo of Jewel Would she ever want to do Saturday with the final one yet to come: “Once the art front, Janny’s painting “Dragon’s giving him the finger… He framed it and Night Live? Oh, yes – in a heartbeat, she Upon a Dreadful Time” (due, sometime Run” (in the collection of the Delaware put it on his mantle. And then…Later, at enthused. She also wouldn’t mind being in 2007). Of the five books (published by Art Museum) is hanging in their Illustra- Serenity the wrap party for , as the film Wonder Woman… or, at least, her Penguin Putnam under their Roc imprint), tion wing, and was included in their credits are screening, the words come up: sidekick… And, she wants to be Elphaba each of the first four is based upon Night Kitchen project, where children For Jewel. Oh no, she thought at the time. in Wicked… Is anyone taking notes? known fairy tales, but the fifth and last write stories based on paintings. The next Sure enough: Nathan had a ‘Caleb’ doll novel is based upon the first four books major project coming to the easel will be someone had given him (Caleb was an in the series. In addition to that covers for British reissues of several Buffy evil character from a episode that An American in Canada “quintology,” Dennis’s collection of his more of her LIGHT AND SHADOWS Nathan played) and they put the doll in Part III: Fjord, Anyone? shorter works (21 stories, 3 poems, 3 series, and of course, cover art for the credits giving the finger. And short essays) “Reflections” is tentatively “Stormed Fortress.” finally…at DragonCon, she did a Q&A in by Jeffrey Lu set for a 2007 publication. Under the pen For fun side trips, Don gave her a front of thousands of people with Nathan. name of Tanner Grant he finished writing portable easel box to steal some time Peter David, a SF writer and friend of According to the Internet, Wikipedia, a ghost story set in the 1980s (even as outside painting, and a nice new bunch of Jewel, was there and decided that he had the free encyclopedia said, “A fjord (or you read this it is making the rounds of materials for drawing character portraits. to help her get back at him. So, they fiord) is a narrow inlet of the sea between publishers). He is currently working on a Stay tuned to the website at planned to print up a bunch of flyers to cliffs or steep slopes, which results from new MITHGAR novel, and he reports his www.paravia.com/JannyWurts for sneak distribute to the room that instructed the marine inundation of a glaciated valley. writers’ group (the Tanque Wordies) is peeks, excerpts of new stories, and the audience that at the planned cue, they Typical characteristics of a fjord include: still going strong, as is his gaming group. latest art. On the appearance calendar, would all stand up and give Nathan the a narrow inlet, a bottom that is glacially As a side note, when Dennis moved from Midsouthcon in Memphis March 23-25; finger. And it went beautifully – two eroded significantly below sea level Ohio to Arizona in 1995, he left behind a Fantasy Entertainment Expo/Valleycon in thousand fingers... Nathan was com- (allowing deep-draft vessels to navigate group of gamers, who, sniffing and Fargo, Sept 21 - 23, and Conclave in pletely shocked and apparently, indulged easily), steep-sided walls which continue scratching (withdrawal symptoms), Detroit Oct 12 - 14, with perhaps some in some inappropriate response. After to descend below the sea surface, greater contacted him a year or so later and asked pirate reenacting shoved in between. that? Well, there’s no getting past this depths in the upper and middle reaches him if he would host them for an annual Don also added that recently he received one, Jewel says “I won…” than on the seaward side, and role-playing marathon (arrive Friday, play a Gold Award in the Fine Art category of And the rest of the crew? She sees communication with the open sea.” Saturday and Sunday, sightsee Monday, Aphrodisia; a juried publication dedi- them as much as she can whenever she’s I know that’s a mouthful. Well, my play Tuesday and Wednesday, and leave cated to the art of the female form . The in LA. Morena was her maid-of-honor take is that the Saguenay Fjord was Thursday), and Dennis and his wife painting awarded is titled “Fire Rose.” and Nathan was the bestman at her breathtaking. It is hard to describe it in Martha Lee have done so every March The work featured Janny as the model. wedding. It’s not an act, she says, they words. The feeling was like in “The Lord since 1997. Dennis and Martha Lee are He also received an Award of Excellence really are that tight. She’s still amazed at of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” bracing once more, for the horde is due to from the 27th Annual International the fact that nine people got along so well. for the first time. The scene is in the river descend upon them again for the annual Marine Art Exhibition at the Mystic It’s just unheard of. She attributes it to when the crew saw the huge stone March event. Seaport Gallery. The painting awarded Joss Whedon’s casting ability. And every figurines? Well, imagine two cliffs that Our neighbor in Chandler, was titled “A Sheet to the Wind,” and once in a while, she gets a text message could be the foundations for those stone Jacqueline Lichtenberg doesn’t features a crew of drunken pirates sailing from Nathan that simply says: “finger.” figures. have any projects ready yet; however, she badly. This work appears in the second Jewel was picked out of a crowd in a Not sure if Canada want to put did want me to mention to you that she’s issue of Pirates Magazine which ran an shopping mall when she was five for a anything “modern art” on the fjord. looking for a fan who is a native speaker interview of Don and his pirate art. commercial. At first she said no, but Maybe in this century, nature will take its of Russian. Her sime-gen stories have Currently, Don has a 8’ painting hanging when her mother suggested she could course on this fjord. Maybe. sold in Russia! Contact her through her at the Mariner’s Museum in Newport make money for more clothes… And Next: Goofing off at Green Gables or website: www.simegen.com Her friend News, VA, titled “Forty Thieves”. It will shopping is still what it’s all about, Who is Anne at Prince Edward Island? travel on to Bradenton, Florida where it and co-author, Jean Lorrah, who according to her. Aside from shopping, will join some other of his piratical she enjoys reading, dancing and has lives in Kentucky, writes children’s books paintings as part of a pirate exhibit at the recently discovered cooking and the Food with Lois Wickstrom and they will be South Florida Museum from May- Network. And whose work has influ- available through the Amazon/ September. His work will show in enced her own? No one and everyone – Booksurge/Borgo project within the several shows, check their webpage for she really enjoys just watching good month. The books are “Nessie and the detail. Lastly, he and Janny invested in a actors work and being inspired by really Living Stone,” “Nessie and the Viking large format printer and will soon be able good movies. Trouble is, she says, she Gold,” and “Nessie and the Celtic Maze.” to produce decent quality reproductions just doesn’t take the work that seriously – These books have been best-selling of their art right from their studio. she doesn’t have much patience appar- ebooks at Fictionwise for several years, Moving up the coast to Massachu- ently for actors who obsess over their but this is the first time they’ve had a tree ‘craft.’ It’s just a fun job. publisher for them. {A tree publisher is setts, Christopher Golden just recently completed “The Lost Ones,” the Jewel lives in Vancouver which she one who still uses paper…} third book in THE VEIL trilogy. Book just loves and thinks is the most beautiful Don Maitz and his wife, Janny city she’s ever been to. She expects she’ll Wurts, who live in Florida, inform us ( Continued on page 11) Page 10 ConNotations Volume 17 Issue 1 Pro Notes ( Continued from page 10 ) two, “The Borderkind,” will be released from Bantam Spectra in trade paperback in March, while the first book, “The Myth Hunters,” {a really terrific book – cb} appears in mass market paperback at the end of January. No publication date has yet been set for “Baltimore, Or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and The Vampire” —the novel he’s co-written with HELLBOY creator Mike Mignola, and for which Mike has done 150 illustra- tions, but it will be out from Bantam in hardcover in Fall 2007. 2007 will be a special year for Canadian SF writer Julie E. Czerneda. It marks the tenth anniver- sary of her first published novel, “A Thousand Words for Stranger,” a book that ultimately led to the TRADE PACT UNIVERSE trilogy. To celebrate, Julie returns to this universe with the prequel “Reap the Wild Wind (Stratification #1),” release date September 07. “Reap…” shows the Clan as they were before first contact with humans — a big surprise awaits many readers who thought they knew or guessed the whole story. There will also be parties. Ten years, with all her titles still in print? Many parties… Earlier in 2007 saw the release of two anthologies – “Polaris, A Celebration of Polar Science” marks not only the International Polar Year, but also is the first title to be published under Julie’s new imprint with Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Star Ink Books. Look for “Polaris…” in January. In February comes “Under Cover of Darkness” from DAW Books, co-edited by Jana Paniccia. Jana’s conviction that no one does a secret society story better than SF and F writers turned out to be absolutely correct. Later in 07, Star Ink Books is proud to publish the long-awaited reprint of Doranna Durgin’s award-winning fantasy, “Dun Lady’s Jess.” Julie is currently busy at work on the second prequel to the TRADE PACT, “Riders of the Storm (Stratification #2),” while researching for her fantasy novel, “Turn of Light.” She’d like to inform fans of the blue blob that Esen will shift again in the near future. DAW has just bought the first of the new from Jacqueline Carey in Michigan and 3, and San Diego on March 4. 2007 by Putnam/Ace in the US and WEB SHIFTER Library titles, “Search who just finished reviewing the final page Details are up on her website at: http:// Orion/Gollancz in the UK. Meanwhile, Image.” proofs for “Kushiel’s Justice,” which www.elizabethmoon.com/ the idea of a “Lord Foul’s Bane” film Also from Canada, over in Quebec, is comes out in June 2007. She’s delivered conventions.htm In April, she’ll be in seems to have gone the way of all flesh, horror writer Nancy Kilpatrick the manuscript for “Kushiel’s Mercy,” the Australia for SwanCon—and she’s really but interest in a possible “GAP” film is whose novel “Hunted” is being final volume in Imriel’s trilogy. While looking forward to that. She remembers increasing incrementally. And, Stephen that her one previous trip to Australia was made his TV acting debut in “Heatherly delayed until March/April 2007. She has she awaits her editor’s notes, she’s doing wonderful. The fifth and final VATTA’S and Julie’s Fantasy Bedtime Hour” ( stories in the upcoming anthologies: research for a possible new project... but WAR book, will go in to the publisher www.fantasybedtimehour.com), Episode “Monsters Noir” from PostScripts nothing is ready to divulge yet! And, later in the spring. All she’ll say about 37 (not yet available). Of course, Publications; and “The Phantom from down in Texas, we were able to add that is “...having promised to do so years Stephen appeared on Fantasy Bedtime Chronicles: New Tales of the Ghost Who Elizabeth Moon to our contributors. ago, a lot of people I know and love are Hour once before (Episode 26) as an Walks!” And the recently released The next VATTA’S WAR book, “Com- going to a glorious death. ...” “expert,” but this time he had a chance to “Mondo Zombie” from Cemetary Dance. mand Decision,” is coming out at the end play one of his own characters: a Nancy will be one of two writer guests- Stephen Donaldson gave up of February, and she’ll be visiting four performance of near-Shakespearian of-honor at the 2007 World Horror that “Fatal Revenant,” Book Two of THE cities on the West Coast: Portland, intensity as Drool Rockworm. {Wow, Convention. Oregon on February 28, Salt Lake City LAST CHRONICLES OF THOMAS, has Cutting across the country, I heard on March 1, San Francisco on March 2 been scheduled for publication in October (Continued on page 14 ) Volume 17 Issue 1 ConNotations Page 11 Page 12 ConNotations Volume 17 Issue 1 Volume 17 Issue 1 ConNotations Page 13 Pro Notes ( Continued from page 11 ) Zuner or later, Stephen!!!} Also, in New Mexico, Suzy Microsoft will get it McKee Charnas is struggling with Hollywood, as well. Her “Vampire right Tapestry” has been optioned several times By Shane Shellenbarger but to no avail; however, the option was recently renewed. This could be a Very Picture if you will: a group of Good Thing … except for that the hardware and software technicians screenplay that was sent to her with listening intently as upper management ambiguous antecedents. But with a bit of gives them the following directive: build luck, maybe sometime in the next 5 or 6 an iPod-killer. The technicians retreat to years, we’ll see a horror movie about their respective laboratories (cubicles), Suzy’s vampire, Dr. Weyland, complete laboring from dusk till dawn, day after with crawling girls with hair hanging day, fueled by their passion (or Pepsi, over their faces. Coke, Starbucks, and Red Bull) to And from Colorado, James Van produce a superior product, a product they Pelt signs in with the news that his first themselves have yearned for, a product novel, “Summer of the Apocalypse”, will with a little luck “Summerlong” will PYAT novel, was published in January that will topple Apple from the 70% be released in time for World Fantasy by finally be coming out in 2007, from 2007 by Vintage in paperback, uniform market share-mountain it has built from Fairwood Press. His second collection, Conlan Press. In film, Peter says he’s with reissued editions of “Byzantium the sale of iPods. Then, one day the “The Last of the O-Forms and Other constantly schlepping his elderly body Endures,” “The Laughter of Carthage” technicians emerge from their dark lairs, Stories,” which came out last year, is down to many, many Hollywood meet- and “Jerusalem Commands” from the unveiling the fruit of their labors, and they currently a finalist for the Colorado Blue ings related to getting feature film same publisher. Pyr Books are to publish call it ZUNE. Spruce Young Adult Book Award versions of “Tamsin,” “Summerlong,” “The Metaphysical Detective,” featuring Since Microsoft’s Zune is going head- (although none of the stories were written and a live-action of “The Last Unicorn” Sir Seaton Begg, the investigator fre- to-head with Apple’s iPod, let’s compare specifically for young adults—they are off the ground. Most important to him - quently at odds with Monsieur Zenith, an their features. The Japanese company, reprinted from Asimov’s, Analog, Realms at least in the short term - is that he’d like albino with a black sword... This will Toshiba, manufactures the Zune and the of Fantasy and other for-adult markets). everyone to know about the new (and appear in Fall 2007. He recently signed a Chinese company, Inventec, produces the “The Last of the O-Forms and Other greatly improved) DVD re-release of the contract with Del Rey to produce a series iPod. Each comes in a 30 Gigabyte size, Stories” made Locus’s Recommended animated THE LAST UNICORN. It will of six ‘Collectors Edition’ ELRIC books, the Zune for $249.99 and the iPod for Reading list for this year. Also, a short be in stores on February 6th, 2007. containing previously uncollected $249.00, roughly $8.34 per gig. Apple story that appeared in Analog last year, Currently, Peter is still fighting to get the material and published in original also offers an 80 Gig version for $349.00, “The Inn at Mount Either,” is a finalist film’s owner, Granada Media, to pay him published order (as opposed to internal or about $4.36 per gig. The Zune comes for this year’s Theodore Sturgeon Award. what the contract says they still owe. chronology). They will be illustrated in black, white, and the very collectable {Big Congrats!} Which is a lot of money. And they still throughout by several artists including brown while the iPod is available in black And finally – from California - I’m aren’t doing anything about it. But John Picacio and Michael Kaluta. Del and white. The Zune is 4.4 inches high, thrilled that Peter S. Beagle joins us. Lionsgate - the American distributor - has Rey will begin publication in early 2008. 2.4 inches wide, 0.58 inches deep, and Recent short material included “The Peter is finishing up a short story called astonishingly agreed to make Conlan weighs 5.6 ounces. The iPod is 4.1 high, Floating Forest” (a Rakhir story) in “We Never Talk About My Brother,” and Press a retail web outlet! So if you buy 2.4 inches wide, 0.43 inches deep, and CROSS PLAINS UNIVERSE; “Cake” another from his INNKEEPER’S either the autographed or unautographed weighs 4.8 ounces. The 80GB iPod is 4.1” and “The Third Jungle Book” (a Mowgli WORLD series, called “The Tale Of version through Conlan Press (http:// H, 2.4” W, 0.55” D, and weighs 5.5 story) in Paraspheres, published by Zivinaki.” After that he’s got six or seven www.conlanpress.com), more than half ounces. Omnidawn; “Forbidding Planets” in other short pieces to work on between the money will go straight to Peter, to aid Forbidden Planet ed. Peter Crowther. now and fall, including a spring-themed in the legal battle with Granada. So, to “The Affair of the Bassin Les Hivers” in podcast story for The Green Man Review, any fan who wants a copy of the new Tales of the Shadowmen, Volume Three. a darker story called “Warm Letters,” and DVD - PLEASE keep that in mind. “A Portrait in Ivory,” an ELRIC story, a piece for Marvin Kaye’s “Wizards and Michael Cassutt is actually will appear in the anthology “Logorhea.” Enchanters” anthology. Also, any day involved in one Do Not Tell project, Mike’s review of Thomas Pynchon’s now he’ll be receiving the art from Lisa complete with an 8 page Non-Disclosure “Against the Day” recently appeared in Snellings-Clark that he’s supposed to use Agreement, as well as a negotiation he is the London Daily Telegraph. Most of his as inspiration for two stories for “Strange loathe to jinx by announcing before recently published non-fiction can be Roads,” which will appear in the chap- signature. In the past few months, found at his website http:// book series she’s doing with Michael saw the shelving of his collabo- www.multiverse.org/ “Mervyn Peake: DreamHaven Press (Gene Wolfe and Neil ration with David “Farscape” Kemper on the Man and his Work” has also recently The audio formats include Windows Gaiman are the other writers in the series, a Sci-fi Channel miniseries version of appeared, featuring two pieces by Mike Media Audio, MP3, and AAC. The iPod so far.) They are hoping to have that one Clarke and Baxter’s TIME’S EYE and on Maeve and Mervyn Peake. The text plays AAC, MP3, Audible, Apple out at this year’s ComicCon. Peter is also the non-filming of his adaptation of John for Peake’s “Sunday Books,” to be Lossless, AIFF, and WAV. wrapping up a YA fantasy novel called Varley’s “Persistence of Vision” for published first in French, will be pub- As for video, the Zune plays “I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons” - MASTERS OF SCIENCE FICTION. He lished this fall by Denoel; accompanying WMVideo, H.264, and MPEG-4 while the Firebird will publish it in hardcover this recovered his creative equilibrium by some wonderful previously unseen Peake iPod plays H.264, M4v, MP4, MOV, and summer - and continuing work on serving as writer for the 16-hour webcast drawings. Gallimard, also of Paris, will MPEG-4. The iPod has a 2.5-inch another, a 1950’s baseball fantasy called of the WIREFLY X-PRIZE CUP in late be reprinting Mike’s WARLORD OF THE (diagonal) QVGA transflective, over “Sweet Lightning Strikes.” That one will October. Among other projects, he is AIR series in France 65,000-color liquid crystal display with be out from Tachyon Publications in the currently developing an SF feature with That’s it for this month. I hope you white LED backlight at a 320 x 240 in spring of 2008, just in time for the start of David S. Goyer. enjoyed yourselves. And, as always - if resolution. The Zune has a 3-inch screen the major league season. And then, of And finally, I was also very pleased to anyone wants to contribute or knows at 320 x 240 in resolution with portrait course, he’d like to work on the full novel hear from Michael Moorcock in someone who knows someone…please and landscape viewing. The Zune sequel to “The Last Unicorn,” the one California. He tells us that “The Ven- write to ConNotations or email me at supports JPEG images while the iPod that follows on from “Two Hearts,” but geance of Rome,” the final COLONEL he hasn’t started on that one yet. And [email protected] – Catherine Book. ( Continued on page 15 ) Page 14 ConNotations Volume 17 Issue 1 Zune Pass, an “all-you-can-eat” Zuner or later, subscription service similar to Napster or ( Continued from page 14 ) Rhapsody is available, and if you have audio from those other services or iTunes forget about playing them on the Zune. The Zune will not play any material that contains digital rights management (DRM) other than its own. DRM protects material downloaded from the Zune Marketplace, including material “squirted” between Zunes. Microsoft claims it has over 2 million tracks available. The Zune comes preloaded with both audio and video files, which will be supports JPEG and BMP. deleted by most people to utilize the hard Currently, Zune does not work with drive space. Independent music and video Mac’s Operating System or Microsoft’s production companies appear to be the OS Windows Vista (!), and it does not principal content providers. natively support podcasts, although you For you Xbox 360 owners, connect can use such software as Doppler, your Zune to the Xbox 360 and use audio iPodderX, Juice, WinAmp, and TvTonic tracts from the Zune in your Xbox 360 to retrieve podcasts and then sync the game play, so you can play “Need for Zune to the downloaded audio file. The Speed” and create your own soundtrack. Zune has built-in FM radio reception, Microsoft sometimes does things while the iPod requires a separate differently, but one of the odd things they accessory. The Zune control disc is not a are doing is giving Universal Studios a cut touch-sensitive wheel as on the iPod, but for each Zune sold. Reports are that is instead a 5-position tactile click Universal Studios and Microsoft have controller. Both players use a built-in reached an agreement in which Universal rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Early will receive revenue from Microsoft for reports put the battery life for the Zune at songs downloaded through their Zune 11-12 hours of audio playback, with the Marketplace, which is an industry video playback length yet unknown. The standard. The weirdness enters into the 30GB iPod has 14 hours of audio equation when Microsoft agreed to pay playback and 3 ½ hours for video, the Universal a flat fee of $1.00 (some reports 80GB iPod has 20 hours of audio and 5 ½ state it’s more) for each Zune that ends up hours of video playback. in a customer’s possession. Who agreed to Both the Zune and the iPod connect to this? Microsoft and Universal are treating a computer using USB 2.0, and the Zune each Zune customer as if they have is 802.11b/g Wifi enabled. The Zune Wifi already stolen from Universal Studios. is crippled in that it cannot be used to surf How long will it be before other music the Internet, it cannot be used to connect industry producers come to Microsoft to the Zune Marketplace, it can only be with their hand out? used to “squirt” songs among other Zune Another oddity occurred during the uses within range. If you are in range or in week of the Zune launch when Bill Gates a Wifi-enabled area and your Zune shows said the iPod was “phenomenal, other Zunes with songs you may want you unbelievable, fantastic” - something the need to seek out the owners, ask them to public had taken to heart. Gates stated portable-media/microsoft-zune-gets- watch?v=7XL_EiQHqJ4&NR send you a song, accept the song when Microsoft’s goal with the Zune is “more officially-announced-200641.php http://www.youtube.com/ they send it, and then the song is only modest” than replacing the iPod. “It’s a http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/portable- watch?v=u6o0tNa6FbA&NR (Caution: available to play for three times or three growing market... we can get some of the media/zune-website-podcast-downloads- Language) days, whichever comes first. Can new users and some of the switchers. We almost-229599.php http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/14/ need to excite people about the concept - http://www.podcastingnews.com/topics/ zune-marketplace-to-keep-your-zune- the idea of sharing music and video Podcast_Software.html player-happy/ through Zune’s built-in Wifi,” he said. It http://www.dvdtozune.com/ http://www.youtube.com/ sounds like Gates is prepared to accept http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/11/16/ watch?v=24TzefHPgjM Steve Jobs leavings. gates_innovation_interview/ http://www.youtube.com/ The Zune had great potential. It might http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=T10L9ybstps&NR have been a real challenge to Apple’s watch?v=aTcGJwLvp48&NR http://www.google.com/ iPod, but when Microsoft made odd http://www.youtube.com/ search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF- choices for the transfer of files, for watch?v=PjajT9wf91I 8&rls=RNWG,RNWG:2005- revenue participation choices, for DRM http://youtube.com/ 12,RNWG:en&q=zune+Bill+gates+stanford+ipod and Zune points, turning control over to watch?v=wjaSxeDg3WY http://www.google.com/ lawyers and the Recording Industry http://www.youtube.com/ search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF- Microsoft add any more barriers to usage? Association of America (RIAA) they watch?v=nLvMhoS940s 8&rls=RNWG,RNWG:2005- Yes, they can! The Zune Marketplace slapped the face of every customer they http://www.youtube.com/ 12,RNWG:en&q=zune+universal+studios requires you to buy “Zune Points” in sought to gain and then turned their backs watch?v=jpHzQYKDlWU $5.00 blocks, with 79 points equal to 99 on them. I, for one, will not turn the other http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H- cents, thereby attempting to make the cheek. SMBEqPcAo customer think they are getting more for http://www.zune.net http://www.youtube.com/ less. For $14.99 per month, you can buy a http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/ Volume 17 Issue 1 ConNotations Page 15 string channels by tucking under the raw Sew up the sides of the pack. edges. You may need to cut one-half inch Install the two drawstrings in the slits at the ends of the channels to enable drawstring channels. Each string passes the fold-under. Use quarter-inch seam into one end of the channel, out the allowances for the rest of the pattern. opposite end, then back through the other channel to wind up back where it started. The quarter-circle arcs cut out of the lower corners of the bag are gussets to provide fullness to the pack bottom. pull on the opposite sides of the arc to collapse it into single, straight line with the pack’s The Costume Closet side seam in the middle. Insert the ends of the pack strap/drawstring into the end of Randwulf’s Swag Bag this line. Choose the end that will be by Randall Whitlock toward your back when the pack is worn. Sew along the line to close the gusset. One of the coolest things about SF This seam takes quite a bit of tension conventions is FREE STUFF! There are when the backpack is carried, so make the books, comics, posters, t-shirts, and seam extra strong by double-sewing it. collectible cards out on tables for the taking. Add that to your purchases from The back pocket will consist of two overlapping half-circles. the dealer room and art show, and it does Your pack is finished. For Make your pocket pattern by scribing not take long for your arms to be over- storage, turn the pack inside out an 8-inch diameter half-circle, then loaded. through the opening in the extending the flat side 2.5 inches away Back in the 1970s, one could find pocket. small collapsible backpacks that would from the half circle. Cut out two of these fold up into a pocket set into their back D-shapes of fabric. Turn under and sew panels. I haven’t seen a new one in years, one inch of the flat edge of the D. though I grab them whenever they turn up Apply the Velcro to the middle of each at garage sales. finished flat edge. The hook side of the Earlier this year, I was given a clever Velcro goes on one panel while the loop promotional item. It’s a simple, flat side goes on the other. The Velcro wraps drawstring bag, printed with the logo for completely over the edge. This way, it will the company that makes my employer’s be able to close the pocket in both stationery supplies. The drawstrings unfolded backpack and folded pocket extend beyond the sides of the bag and configurations. terminate at its lower corners. When the Place the two half-circles together so bag is closed, these drawstrings form their flat sides overlap by one inch and the HELP WANTED straps that allow the bag to be worn as a Velcro patches match up. Finish the outer backpack. edges of the circle. I use a serger for this, These bags two ideas that belong but you can simply turn the edges under. Do you enjoy CopperCon? HexaCon? Any of the other together. Attach the circle to the middle of the local volunteer, fan-run conventions? CopperCon and Presenting Randwulf’s Swag Bag: back panel of the pack (the side that will HexaCon and the others are staffed completely by unpaid You’ll need face outward from your back when worn) --One-half yard of fabric. The fabric by sewing all around the circle. If you volunteers, from the chair person to the volunteer that should be strong enough to carry your finished its edge by turning under, run a helps for only one hour. swag, but thin enough to fold up tightly. second row of stitching inside from the The fabric should not have significant edge to conceal the raw edge when the stretch. Nylon is a good choice. Trouser- pack is in the folded pocket configuration If you enjoy our events and want them to continue then weight twills and poplins will work too. You can sew a loop of cord into the please consider helping any or all of Arizona’s fan run The bolt width should be at least 45 outer seam of the pocket. When the pack inches. is folded up, this will provide a conve- events. --Four yards of cordage. Since the nient carrying strap. When the pack is drawstrings will double as pack straps, a unfolded, this strap will be inside the thick macramé cord is best. pocket. For information on available CopperCon positions please --About two inches of Velcro. contact us at [email protected] or www.coppercon.org --Thread (Match the fabric color). Directions: Cut out a rectangle of fabric about 40 For information on available HexaCon positions or to inches long and 18 inches wide. Fold the volunteer to run a game please contact us at fabric in half to form an 18 by 20-inch rectangle. You can adjust this size and [email protected] or www.hexacon.org proportion for different-sized bags. I chose this size for a good fit to my back. Our parent organization, the Central Arizona Speculative Scribe two quarter-circles, each three inches in radius and centered at the ends Fiction Society (CASFS) is also looking for new of the fold. members. Check our web site at www.casfs.org for Form drawstring channels by folding over about 1.5 inches of the top edges of information on meetings and upcoming events or contact the bag and sewing them down. us at [email protected] Your bag will be more durable if you finish the ends and edges of the draw- Page 16 ConNotations Volume 17 Issue 1 Arya and on to the first victory in the war The housekeeper is the sister of a Screening Roomagainst the Evil Monarch. rebel. She sends supplies and information ConClusion Recommended. — Gary Swaty to the rebels. Eragon The Doctor is also a rebel supporter Discovering DarkCon 2007 released by 20th Century Fox. Pan’s Labyrinth [Labirinto del Fauno] who sends supplies and provides medical by Jeffrey Lu Running Time: 104 minutes Running Time: 120 minutes aid when he can. His main assignment Three times was the charm. Rated: PG Rated: R from the Captain is the safety of the Child I had twice received my check back Director Stefan Fangmeir Directed by Guillermo del Toro, soon to be born. for the membership. I hoped the DarkCon Screen Play by Peter Buchanan from Starring Ariadna Gil, Ivana Baquero, As the daughter and her mother 2007 will make it. I had high hopes to the novel by Christopher Paolin Sergei Lopez, Maribel Verdu, Doug traveled to join the Captain, the mother meet someone from the original game Staring Edward Speleers as Eragon, Jones, Alex Angulo. Language Spanish had to stop to throw up and the girl got players and maybe meet Jewel Staite, Jeremy Irons as Brom, Sienna Guillory with English subtitles. out of the car, found an eyeless Nordic- “Kaylee” from “Firefly” and “Serenity.” as Arya, Robert Carlyle as Durza and looking statue, picked the eye up off the Right, and pigs can fly... John Malkovich as King Galbatorix. Pan’s Labyrinth is two tales running in ground and replaced it. Thus began the Well, the last football did make it to parallel. In one, a fairy princess whose magic. A fairy, in the form of a large the Superbowl. I did that and more. Any criticism of this film based on it soul has been trapped in successive insect, followed her to the Captain’s and Luckily, I had a membership with being eclectic in its sources can also be human bodies for centuries undergoes lead her into the Labyrinth where a faun United Federation of Phoenix. The club applied to the novel. I confine my trials to prove she is worthy of returning told of her of the three trials which she had a chance in meeting Jewel first for discussion to the film itself. to her kingdom. In the other there is a must complete before the full moon. only half an hour. She was cool and The film is an excellent conversion of grim battle in the aftermath of the Spanish The dark tone of the events verges on charming. Hope there will be a sequel for the novel to film. The character of the Civil war between Communist holdouts Horror. The dark grimness of the “Serenity.” farm boy Eragon, the imprisoned princess and a sadistic Spanish Captain and his Labyrinth is juxtaposed with stark horror What was a bonus is to met a Wookie. Arya, the former Dragon Rider Brom and small force. of the Captain’s torture of captives and his Yep, Chewie from “Star Wars” was there. the other important characters are well The Spanish Captain is a self-taught callous disregard for human feeling. Even Peter Mayhew was there signing drawn. Eragon is a coming-of-age torturer who enjoys his work and cares the rebels with their killing of wounded in autographs for a small fee. I obtained two. adventure story. only for the son his wife is about to bear. the field are corrupted by the Went to the Dark Ones party on The backdrop is a country ruled by an The wife is an empiricist who has environment. Saturday. Found out the Dark Ones are Evil King, a Dragon Rider who betrayed survived by attaching herself to the Both plots move towards a grim end, really just a bunch of gamers who like to and murdered his fellow Dragon riders Captain. but, at the last, ends on note of hope. The party. Also, ate my fill of sushi at the Anime and has ruled the land with cruel tyranny Her daughter is a lover of tales who princess comes into her kingdom and the party on Saturday. for many years. Eragon and his Dragon survives personally by closing out the grieving rebels show mercy to the Talked to one of the friends of the are the hope of a new bright future. grim reality with tales. She even tells her newborn son of their enemy. original Dark Ones. He seemed happy in The movie is a fine romp carrying brother-to-come tales while leaning I recommend this film, but it is not for getting his life in order. Hope him well. from the find of the dragon egg, to his against her mother’s stomach. children and some scenes will distress Overall, I enjoyed my first DarkCon. education as a Dragon Rider, to the rescue sensitive adults. – Gary Swaty. Look forward to the next one.

Volume 17 Issue 1 ConNotations Page 17 the third in a trilogy; and granted, due to In Our Book the size of each book, it’s a lot to read. But if you’re looking for some new, Airs Beneath the Moon original, adult fantasy – this is worth the by Toby Bishop effort. Ace Fantasy; $6.99, 326 pp. Phedre is a woman of many gifts, not all welcome. She was trained by the best This is a tale about an elite Academy to be a courtesan of surpassing talent and that trains young women to ride winged a spy. And she was chosen by the gods – horses. Horses whose wings are fleshy several of them – to be their avatar. The webbing between bones and not feathered gift from the gods that most defines her like Pegasus. These winged horses are and gives her both her greatest joy and exclusive to the Duchy of Oc and are used sorrow is from Kushiel. Phedre is an by its Duke to not only do graceful “airs anguissette – one to whom pain and above the ground” but to defend the pleasure are the same. She has used this duchy’s borders and provide swift trait to both seduce and betray enemies of transport for messengers. The animals can her Queen. And she will need all of that only be ridden by women and are nervous experience to survive what she now faces and fidgety around men, no matter their – at the behest of all her gods. She must intent. save the son of her most deadly enemy, Enter Larkyn Hamley, a young woman topple an evil empire and find the Word of of the rustic Uplands who finds a wingless God that will save her oldest and most mare starved and abandoned in the hills beloved friend from an eternity of and about to give birth. And once settled immortality with aging. at Larkyn’s farm, she soon drops a winged Carey has created some of the most colt. (The poor mare dies.) Larkyn names fascinating gods I’ve ever encountered. the colt Tup—the name of a two-penny Her characters are so well defined they coin because Larkyn’s brother didn’t think leap off the page into my dreams. And the foal had a tuppence’s chance to live. her plots…are just wonderful and And now Larkyn’s adventures really enthralling. And I don’t use these begin. excessive descriptions lightly… – The officious prefect of the nearby Catherine Book town sends to the Academy for a Horsemistress to come and see the Mistral’s Kiss unusual winged colt. A colt that should by Laurell K. Hamilton have never been born beyond the confines Ballantine Books, New York 2006, 212 of the Duke’s stables. The intelligent and Pages, Hardcover. no-nonsense Larkyn, who has bonded “neomage” whose existence has remained “abomination” who should be destroyed. hidden in Mineral City in the Carolinas. The Darkness has proliferated throughout deeply with the foal, as all riders of Gloom! I find myself unable to Mages are highly regulated and must live underground. And they, of course, will winged horses do with their mounts, soon appreciate what Ms. Hamilton is doing in specific enclaves. Thorn St. Croix is a attack and eat anything human after dark. finds herself amongst an interesting array here. The novel covers less than one day, stone mage: all rocks, from jewels set in Humanity’s only defense against this evil of mostly highborn women to train at the is filled with tempestuous sex and not rings to giant granite boulders, respond to spawn is the mages—which are called the Academy. She also, of course, finds much else. The Meredith Gentry story her and give her magic-wielding strength. “First Unforseen” because they are the herself boot-deep in intrigue and sus- arch from the last book is not advanced results between matings between human pense. detectably. In short, the novel has far too and seraphs and then there is the “Second Toby Bishop, a nom de plume for the much sex (well written, I admit) and far Unforseen” who are very similar but are excellent Louise Marley writes an too little plot. Not recommended. – Gary engrossing and well-detailed story. This Swaty mostly considered “mules” for they was a quick read. It charts not only usually cannot reproduce. These folks are Larkyn’s progress with Tup, but the Bloodring an unforeseen result of the Apocalypse. dastardly plot by the ruling Duke by Faith Hunter The seraphs remove themselves Frederick’s creepy son William to take ROC Books; $14; 337 pp. mostly from human affairs and rarely over the kingdom. William also has a appear, even though the Darkness has made its appearance. Humans, after all, particularly ugly plan to take control over It’s a good hundred years after the have souls and because they are innocent the winged horses. biblical Apocalypse has arrived---without they will go onward either to heaven or Oh, and there is a missing princess in the Rapture. The seraphim appeared all hell. However, mages are considered the mix as well. over the world and the plagues came and soulless. And because they have no hope The tale ends practically in the middle millions died. The world is still dealing of an afterlife, they may call upon the help of a scene so it is real obvious there will with the effects of a nuclear winter. of seraphs when they are in “dire” need be more to this story and more books Electronics and mechanical things are just and threatened with death. about the wonderful winged horses of the beginning to be more common. (Most Thorn St. Croix of course, gets into Duchy of Oc and their fascinating riders. - people get about by horseback and the trouble. Sue Martin occasional train). No appearance from This is a wonderful, strange tale. St. God, or Jesus. Just the warrior angels Croix is a town jeweler who runs a Kushiel’s Avatar referred to as “seraphs” here. business with several friends. She was by Jacqueline Carey (And interestingly enough, Hunter sets married once to Lucas who cannot keep TOR, $27.95, 702pp it up so there are people who actually And strength is needed, because not his hands to himself. They are now believe that the seraphs are part of an only are there prickly and distant seraphs Although this story is three years old divorced. But now Lucas has been alien invasion. And there are some living in enclaves called “Realms of now, I felt it worthy of a review to, attacked by the Darkness (his abduction interesting hints near the end of the book Light” but there are, of course, very strict perhaps, convince more of you to read was caught on a security camera) and has concerning this). religious folk who consider mages or a this wonderful new writer. This book is The story here centers on a rogue “witchy-woman” in Thorn’s case—an ( Continued on page 19 ) Page 18 ConNotations Volume 17 Issue 1 In Our Book ( Continued from page 18 ) Harte, a giant white Albino, is the royal crazy, we can turn to this excellent Grandmaster in 1955 (near the creative tutor. The nobles are suited as Diamonds, anthology to guide us through. - Mike peak of his young adult fiction period) gone missing. Clubs and Spades. Redd has mostly Griffin was discovered among his papers a couple And then, a half-breed “kylen” (a eliminated the Hearts. Hatter Madigan is of years back. The principals of the result of mages and seraphs mating) obvious. Variable Star Heinlein estate presented the outline to Thaddeus Bartholomew comes to town to The story is consistent, fast-paced and by Robert A. Heinlein and Spider Robinson to complete. Are you investigate Lucas disappearance. The wonderful. Recommended. - Gary Swaty Spider Robinson familiar with the phrase, “Right man for author has decided that the seraphs and the job?” mages have an almost unstoppable The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror, They say dead men tell no tales. That Joel Johnston is a talented young compulsion to mate. So Thorn has to fight Nineteenth Annual Collection might work for ordinary men, but not for musician from the Ganymede colony and the urge to fling herself on the detective Edited by Ellen Datlow, Kelly Link, and the immortal Robert A. Heinlein. who does not really know he’s part seraph Gavin J. Grant It seems a novel outline written by the ( Continued on page 20 ) because a ring he wears (which he has had forever) damps down his magical heri- St. Martin’s Griffin tage. Pub., cxxiii + 480 pp., And that’s one of the very nifty things $19.95 about this novel: all the magics that are used or not used. The fact that the seraphs Forty stories from as are unearthly beauties—but not particu- many authors and almost larly kind or interested in humans, except as many sources; repeats if they break the rules (mostly established I noticed were five from by the Bible—but there are still Muslims F&SF Magazine and and Jews and Hindus—so it is not solely a three from SCI FIC- Christian world). That mages have sprung TION. Plus, almost a up and help in the fight against the hundred pages of genre Darkness. overviews in 2005: This is great fun. I found it enticingly fantasy, horror, media, different. comics and graphic The characters are very interesting and novels, anime and so is the story. manga, music, obituaries, And more importantly: undoubtedly honorable mention there will be more. stories not in this Can’t wait. (Especially to see if Thorn anthology. finally gets together with the oh-so- This has got to be the compelling Thaddeus Bartholomew!) - one anthology you can Sue Martin read to keep up to date on the best in both genres – The Looking Glass Wars arguably the two oldest By Frank Beddor forms of storytelling in Dial Books/Penguin Group, Hardcover, all of history. Think $17.99, 358 Pages. about it. Did Poe really invent the horror short Her Aunt Redd murdered her parents. story? How’s about all Her friend Dodge hides her under a those scary tales told banquet table and her protector, Hatter about the campfire before Madigan, bears her away and jumps with civilization existed? And her into the Pool of Tears, a gate to many as for fantasy, that places on our world. She lands in central predates mainstream London, he in Paris. Now Princess Alyss psychological realism by Heart, small child and heiress to the about as long an epoch. Wonderland throne is stranded alone on Imagine a fine realistic Earth. She must survive the streets, endure tale told around the an orphanage, deal with an adoption and campfire in prehistoric cling to the memories of her Wonderland times. What would it Heritage. consist of? A report on She confided her problems to the the day’s hunt, or a Reverend Dodgson who writes badly squabble between those distorted version which angered her who remained in the greatly, but did eventually attract the caves that day? This is attention of Hatter. But her problems get not a story, it is a report. worse. The Redd’s Assassin Cat is seeking Do you know what her and she and Hatter flee back to drove Don Quixote Wonderland where she meets again her crazy? He read two childhood friend Dodge, now a rebel hundred fantasy books against Redd. printed in his time and Can Alyss, still a young person, rally finally came to believe supporters, defeat Redd, and rebuild that they were true. It Wonderland to its former glory? seems one of the early The novel is a marvelous skewed uses of the printing press version of Lewis Carrol’s tale. All of the was for fantasy literature. old characters are present. The multi-lived The trend continues to [Cheshire] Cat is the Assassin. Bibwit this day. Rather than go Volume 17 Issue 1 ConNotations Page 19 In Our Book ( Continued from page 19 ) novels, but don’t worry. You don’t really Bloodstone have to any homework. If you must by Barbara Campbell he’s deeply in love. At least he thinks so. choose only one Heinlein book to read Daw, 566 pp, $7.00 When his fiancé reveals she is the scion of beforehand, I’d recommend “Revolt in the solar system’s most powerful indus- 2100,” which includes the short novels “If Bloodstone is book two of the Trick- trial family, it’s more than he can take. This Goes On” and “Coventry.” These tell sters Game These folks can buy you, sell you, and the story of the fall of the theocratic It has been years since Darek’s world manipulate the price. Joining that clan dictatorship founded by Prophet had almost been condemned to endless would mean being remolded into a Nehemiah Scudder and the rise of the winter. He is now the memory Keeper, his completely different person, and not one Covenant, a peaceful constitutional wife is the tribe’s healer. Now, the oldest Joel would like. He bolts. government that rises from its ashes. Mr. son, apprentice to the tree father, has used Joel volunteers for a one-way trip on Robinson cannot help but relate those his power to fly with an eagle, an act the starship Sheffield, bound to found a events to today’s world situation. It’s eerie forbidden by tribal law. He loses his colony on the newly discovered planet when you consider that the Future History apprenticeship and runs to warn the Brasil Novo. On the Sheffield, Joel learns was outlined more than fifty years ago. village of slavers but is captured by them. to fit into the flying-small-town filled with So is this a Robert Heinlein novel or a Darek is on the trail immediately. This is fascinating persons with 20 subjective Spider Robinson novel? You decide. You the first step toward their worst night- years to kill before they can expect to take can’t lose either way. mare. up their real jobs. The characters are Proceeds from Variable Star go to This is a complex tale with good drawn as Spider does best. Callahan fans support the annual Robert A. Heinlein world building and plenty of plot and will enjoy the free-flowing dialog. Expect Prize for accomplishments in commercial action told from several viewpoints. Well something to hit the fan. space activities. - Randall Whitlock don’t think the average teen has the level written, it is another hard-to-put-down The story starts out firmly in Robert book that holds your interest till the end; Heinlein’s “Future History” continuity, of self-awareness that do these children. Variable Star On the other hand, by the time you’re my you will want to add this book to your but goes down its own emotional roller by Spider Robinson & library. - Pam Allan coaster of a fiction from there. Mr. age, youth has the musty flavor of Robert Heinlein distance and remembered emotions are Robinson explains in his thoughtful Cursor’s Fury afterword that those plot elements were dimmed – so what do I know…? I placed Spider’s name ahead of The title gives it away…really. Even I by Jim Butcher inspired by speeches given by Mr. Heinlein’s deliberately. Although the Ace, 442 pp, $24.95 Heinlein during the final year of his life. remember where Peter Pan lives: second book has a decidedly Heinleinesque star on the right and straight on ‘til There are numerous references to flavor, it is definitely a Spider story. It Cursor’s Fury is Book three of the events and characters in other Heinlein morning. Golden mashes together the was a typical Heinlein plot with typical gentle story of Peter Pan and more dire Codex Alera. Heinlein archetypes but with darker The power-hungry Lord of Kalare has SORCERESS SEEKS stories of faery folk and shapeshifters. characterizations. I loved the beginning, It’s an entertaining story but lacks the launched a brutal rebellion against the APPRENTICES got bored in the middle (too much depth and complexity Golden has shown aging First Lord, Gaius Sextus. Caught off science) and was entertained but not more lately. It lacks originality and has guard, Gaius must fight for the survival of Those of you who have particularly surprised at the ending. – strong hints of a couple of Stephen King the realm. Countess Amara, cursor for the caught my act at Pagan Pride Catherine Book stories: Stand By Me and IT. - Catherine First Lord, is tasked with the rescue of Book valuable hostages taken by Kalare with Day, or the Witches’ Ball, or Straight On ‘Til Morning the Countess of Aquitaine, who may have various local ceremonies, take by Christopher Golden Childe Morgan her own agenda that does not include the note: I will teach all my knowl- $14.00, Roc Books, 320 pp by Katherine Kurtz First Lord. Sent away for his protection, edge of Bardic Magick - music, ACE, 279 pp, $24.95 Tavi of Calderon joins a new unit of poetry, psionics, and the rela- Christopher Golden is doing well Legionaries who are sent to guard far enough these days that he can reprint his Childe Morgan is a new novel of the away from the fighting. But Kalare has tionships between them - to any earlier work – this story was originally allied with the Canim, and after treachery qualified person willing to rent Deryni. published in 2001. This is always a good Alaric Morgan has been pledged to the takes out the command the untrained unit a room in my house in west thing for authors but not always for King’s service since birth. For his Deryni will have to fight the Canim and their Phoenix. The house is in a readers. However, I think I can say that blood makes him ideal to ensure that version of sorcerers in overwhelming quiet residential neighborhood the reader will not feel cheated. While Prince Brion shall have the protection of numbers with a green troop legion and this story does not show the sophistication treacherous men in his own ranks. They th his hereditary Haldene magic. But the near 59 Avenue and Thomas that his more recent work does, it does are the only barrier to the forces that Road, within walking distance fear of the populace is fostered by entertain. members of the Church; especially Bishop could save the kingdom. of a shopping center and within We see one summer through the eyes Oliver de Noir, who has made it his Good world building. Full of engag- easy bus-ride of two commu- of Kevin, a 13-year-old, his brother and personal crusade to wipe out the Deryni ing characters, plot twists, a new kind of nity colleges. $360 per month their friends. Kevin and his friends are and especially Lady Alycede Morgan, magic and ACTION. In some ways it’s tormented by a group of older boys; one Alaric’s mother, whose testimony lead to David Weber goes Fantasy. Hard to put plus a share of the housework of which is currently dating the love of his down. Enjoy! - Pam Allan covers rent and utilities, includ- the execution of the Bishop’s younger life, Nikki. Nikki is a wild child who brother. ing phone, cable TV and cable already has a history of dating the wrong The Camberion Counsel despises Hinterland Internet connection. Yes, I’m sort of guys and Kevin has never had the Alaric’s mixed blood, but he has the by James Clemens willing to teach complete nerve to tell her that he loves her. But King’s protection and his future mapped Roc, 462 pp, $24.95 when Nikki is taken by the boy she out if he grows up since Alaric is only beginners. Applicants must believes she loves; it’s Kevin who will do Hinterland is book two of the tolerate cats, smokers, and four years old. anything to save her; and Kevin’s brother Katherine Kurtz’s writing is fluid, Godslayer Chronicles. musicians who keep odd hours. and friends will do anything to save him. characters moving and Human. The Following the Battle of Myrrwood, If interested, phone me at 623- I remember being thirteen…kinda. I medieval world of Gwynnedd is seamless darkness stirs and all of Myrillia is 247-7809 evenings. just don’t remember being as sophisti- and true with the characters. I look struggling with unease. In the south, an cated as these children. I know young forward to new volume like a child at artifact is found, a skull of a god cor- teens experience their first emotional rupted by dark graces. The work of the Leslie the Bard Christmas. Isn’t it time to treat yourself, reactions to the opposite sex (otherwise friends and family? - Pam Allan Cabal, a faction of daemonic naethryn known as ‘love’) very intensely but I ( Continued on page 21 ) Page 20 ConNotations Volume 17 Issue 1 In Our Book shadowknights whose grace has been Odyssey suggests a future in space politics that is ( Continued from page 20 ) turned to the dark. by Jack McDevitt all too apparent. One to buy - Pam Allan To save the nine lands, Tylar and Ace, 407 pp, $24.95 intent on destroying the Nine Lands. friends must enter the Hinterland a Princess at Sea Tylar, former knight and the new regent of desolate land in which is filled with rogue Odyssey is a stand alone novel by the by Dawn Cook Chrismferry must unravel the mystery of gods, dark graces and traps from which no author of Chindi and Omega. Ace, $7.99 the skull, before Mtrilla is destroyed. But shadowknight has ever returned. Space has not been profitable. The that is not the only threat: To mend a Hinterland is a compelling book, well Academy, [read: NASA in the future] is Princess at Sea is the sequel to the growing rift with Tashijan, Tylar returns written, with well-drawn characters, and under budgetary fire and looking at major Decoy Princess to the home of the Shadowknights to more plot twists than Heinz has pickle cutbacks that will cripple it. The long- One day Tess was the Crown Princess regain his knighthood. He is trapped by varieties. Save some uninterrupted time as ignored greenhouse effect is taking its toll of Costenopolie. The next day she found the ravening forces of Ulf, the god of ice, it is hard to put down. You’ll want to on Earth. And mitigation takes money. In a beggar’s child, a decoy to keep the real and the rising dark forces from the depths collect the series for your library. - Pam an effort to revive public interest in the one from assassins. Her flair for politics, of Tashijan, an order of corrupted Allan program, a mission is sent to find out self defense and shopping, along with about the moonriders, newly discovered magic defeated strange lights seen in a Costenopolie’s enemies and restored the nearby system. Along real princess to her throne. for the ride are Gregory Now, as ambassador, she must keep McAllister, famed the new princess from tripping over her journalist against the feet or putting them in her mouth. As program, the chaperone for the honeymoon voyage, Academy’s public queen Contessa and her new husband, she relations director, and must also referee the royal battles. When the fifteen-year-old they are captured by pirates and held for daughter of the Senator ransom, she must free them and get them who wants the program to the capitol city. to be shut down. But This is a fun young adult with com- along the Blur Route, is plex characters, and some creative world the tourist Path for building. So get ready to get your feet Orion Tours. The moon wet. - Pam Allan riders have made no attempt to communicate Runner with any ship but by William C. Dietz appear to be harmless. Ace, 424 pp, $24.99 Then the Orion resort under construction is Runner is a stand-alone, but could be destroyed and they the first of a series of Runner stories. appear to be targeting In the distant future, humans have an occupied planet. immigrated to the stars, using portals [star The mission to spot gates] to travel between systems. But moonriders has more Earth is now a myth, technology crumbled significance when and few even know where the remaining aliens give a warning portals may exist. Interplanetary travel about a scientific depends on a few AI ships who are program that can tear a unreliable; vanishing without warning as hole in space/time and systems fail. Only the foolhardy and the destroy the universe runners of the Interstellar Couriers Guild and gives a deadline to travel, delivering valuable assets and stop. It is given to a messages from place to place. teenager who is Jak Rebo is a courier delivering a ignored. When the small boy to take a test to determine the academy goes, one next religious leader. But two different ship, out there as the temples wish to control the faith and one academy finds the sends assassins in droves to pursue and threat of the project to kill the red temple’s candidate, Twa Lee, the universe is possible. before he can contest the leadership with The scientist won’t their candidate. Add to this: a beautiful believe till the collider “sensitive” a medium who channels the towers are destroyed. spirit of the man who built the star portal Academy flight director system, and who wants to start humans is scrambling every ship back on the road to technology without she can find to rescue his mistakes. The technos want his the scientists. Can they knowledge for power. He will only get there in time? And manifest through Norr. They want to whose agenda is this capture him and kill the others. The anyway? runner is, indeed, running for their lives as Well written, with he delivers those who will change the shades of Arthur C. future. Clark. It is a winner. Full of fast paced action with great One that every hard SCI world building, characters, and plotting. I FI reader will want. It couldn’t put it down. Time to charge to ( Continued on page 22 ) Volume 17 Issue 1 ConNotations Page 21 In Our Book action is fast paced. His world building is The King Imperiled desire, as she ascended the throne, ( Continued from page 21 ) solid and reflective of a love of the sea by Deborah Chester untrained, unprepared for her destiny. the book store for a great hard sci-fi and true friends. This series continues to Ace, 363 pp, $ 7.99 Amenkor was facing starvation, and more. action adventure. - Pam Allan please. I trust you are reading and The invasion of the past was almost in the collecting. Because I suspect that you’ll The King Imperiled is one of her harbor. Varis must save the city and it’s This Forsaken Earth want all ten that have been written to date. untitled series. people from the vision she and Eryn by Paul Kearny - Pam Allan Twelve years ago, King Faldane and shared and prevent the death of Amenkor. Bantam Spectra, 316 pp, 12.00 his beloved warrior-wife, Queen Alexeika This intense fantasy, well written with The Tower of Shadows rescued their two daughters kidnapped by good plotting and characters you care This Forsaken Earth is book two of by Drew C. Bowling the Grethori. Since that time, he has about. You will have difficulty putting it the Sea Beggers. Del Ray, 286 pp, $19.95 warred against the tribe, seeking the down as you wonder how the gutterscum Rol Cortishane is now a ruthless pirate chieftain who killed his son on that tragic assassin can save the world.. roaming the lawless sea preying on The Tower of Shadows is both the day, and the sorceress behind him. As the Fantasy lovers will mark this as a warships and Slavers. But the truth is debut novel and beginning of a series. war ends, the captured sorceress strikes “gotta have,” getting both it and the first more dangerous and complicated than Eons ago, vainglorious spirits battled with a powerful life-threatening curse one as well. - Pam Allan even Rol can guess. As he begins to learn the three gods for dominion over the sealed with her life. She has also left a of his destiny, Canker, the self titled King lands. Defeated, they were banished boy to take her place when the time Spears of God of Thieves is back and has a proposition below the earth. Eventually, one broke comes. by Howard V. Hendrix he is forced to take. As he joins with his free and destroyed a village in Ellynrie. The king struggles home surviving Del Ray, 416 pp, $14.95 half sister, Canker has already sold them Few survived. Corin was saved by the only by drinking from the chalice of life. out to rule Rowen’s kingdom, and at the wizard, Dale, his brother Cade was Meanwhile, his talented but arrogant Spears of God is a stand alone novel same time, rid it of any legitimate abandoned to the flames. Mercenary daughter becomes the student of the dark The world’s oil resources have pretenders. Rol escapes and with his side of magic. The king will be betrayed dwindled. The rich are richer and the steadfast followers, they cross the by one closer to him than he might powerful more ruthless. The US and mountains in winter reaching Ganesh in imagine. China are engaged in a new cold war. The time to find that Canker has brought a Chester writes an entertaining novel human race does not appear to have fleet to kill them all. Rol must take the for a wide age range from young adult to evolved at all. Two scientists searching ships and save as many as he can as he a more mature reader looking for pleasant for meteorites and a lost people find the flees toward a destiny to save the world as afternoon read. - Pam Allan tribe slaughtered and their sacred stone his enemies will try to destroy it. stolen. At first, they thought there were no Kearny writes a gritty fantasy, visceral The Cracked Throne witnesses, but discover four children who and full of well-written characters. The by Joshua Palmatier don’t speak. Daw, 436 pp, $24.95 On the international scene, the arms race is on again. The competitors include WITCH CATS The Cracked Throne is the second a double-crossing NSA director, a book of an untitled trilogy. Book three is vengeance seeking meteor hunter, For more than 20 years I’ve been due in 2007. shamans, zealots, and madmen all trying breeding Oriental Shorthair cats for Fifteen hundred years ago, Amenkor intelligence, disease-resistance, and turned back an unstoppable invasion by psychic ability - and my current combining magic, and created the Skewed collection of cats has them all. For Throne. tales of the adventures of some of my cats, see http://www.kayshapero.net/ FishTale.htm

The Oriental Shorthair breed was Wren Tident saved his daughter Kayla derived primarily from the Siamese, from the fate that claimed his wife with so these little imps have the faces, the help of Dale. voices, slender body-builds and When Cade reappears, he dives into personalities of Siameses, but they the black arts and the dance of destiny also come in other colors. At present, begins to exact retribution on the demon. my cats are either “colorpoint” - Cade will employ sorcery, a dagger of Siamese style - or coal black. They unearthly power, and the blood of his have eyes ranging in color from pale brother Corin. But all the magic and blue to chartreuse-green. Yes, they’re anger is no match for the demon and the beautiful creatures. evil set free upon the earth. It is left to a fledgling wizard, a tormented warrior, and Right now I have a bunch of these a young girl to save the world. super-intelligent cats who need This is a fast paced exciting adventure to discover the secrets that fell to earth. homes: kittens from four to eight Then, a thousand years ago, the city, with spare elegant prose that lets the But the key to survival lies with children months old, and some young adults caught in “ the white fire,’ came through reader participate in the adventure. This is who unwittingly hold the secret to earth’s from 10 months to two years old. I’ll leaving madness, famine and disease in its hard to put down, and I can’t wait for the survival or destruction. give them free, along with their passing. Amenkor started its descent, the next. It has not only the characters you A thriller of a near future full of pedigrees, biographies and instruc- second fire swept through and Varis, a care about, and the action to keep the intrigue and action. Episodic in nature, it tion manuals, to any serious cat- child of the slums, survived, changed by reader curled up with it till it is done. is still fast paced and well-drawn. Worth loving Pagan who’s willing to take the fire. Eryn, the current mistress of the Bowling is another young author we can a place in your library. - Pam Allan one. Please get hold of me at throne, reigned on but Amenkor’s slide continue to enjoy for years. This is a [email protected] or 623-247-7809, accelerated. Eryn, herself, seemed to be keeper. - Pam Allan afternoons and evenings. going mad. Powerful people saw Varis’s potential. After a confrontation that most Leslie <;)))>< could not survive, Varis became Mistress of the throne, a position she did not

Page 22 ConNotations Volume 17 Issue 1 once a month for discussion of various sci-fi A GATHERING OF PLAYERS-Find Your Director—480-969-4049 Web page: news regarding several mediums to include: Adventure www.mvdghostchasers.com or Club television, movies, video, books, comics, Our club is running into our fourth year. Join [email protected] magazines, collecting, and so forth. The us for games and adventure set in the meetings are comprised of news, review and Dungeons and Dragons realm. We offer ORANGE COUNTY SCIENCE FICTION Listings comment, BBS/computer news and help, Living Greyhawk and Xen’drik Expeditions. CLUB meets last Wednesday of every month ACROSS PLUS - So you live in North meeting new members, video presentations, Visit http://www.warhorn.net/gathering, to see (except Dec.) in Fullerton. The meetings are Phoenix and are interested in anime? Well games, and socializing fun! Food and drinks what we have coming up. built around guest speakers. We’ve had there is a club out there available for you are provided, via a $3 munchie fee (per We will have character creation sessions to authors such as Octavia Butler and Greg people. meeting) to compensate the host. (No other get you started and answer all questions. Our Benford. Non-members are welcome. For Across Plus is a social club that discuses fees are involved.) The electronic home of the group has been together, and growing, for details of current events and location see our anime, video games, manga, other animation, Away Team, is the Lightspeed Space Station four years. We’re a good group of friends that website www.ocsfc.org or email and the Japanese culture. We meet at BBS at (520) 325-6674.... Member ages for believe in gaming fun first. Our member [email protected] Bookman’s on 19th Ave and Northern On the group range from 13-40-something with group’s ages range from 13 to 49. Sundays at 7:00pm until 9:00pm. both male and female members. Other We welcome both new and experienced PAReX is a non profit organization dedicated In general, we explore anime, manga, and activities include null-modem link gamefests, players. to building and promoting Autonomous other styles of animation, creative educative group theater movie viewings, convention 10:00 a.m. Character Creation - We will have robotics. The club has been in existance since demonstrations, participate in interactive trips and more. Have sci-fi fun in a relaxed, a session to create characters for all of the 1998. Meetings are currently conducted twice discussions, attend local Arizona conventions, low-structure environment. NO RUBBER campaigns we run. AGoP will have all books a month at two different Phoenix, Arizona and make cosplay. EARS ALLOWED!! For questions, you can available for reference. We encourage you to locations., http://www.parex.org/ We are willing to gain any new members out call the BBS, or write to: LSS c/o R. Martin; purchase the books if you like the game. All meetings.shtml. Club dues are on an annual there who are interested. Dues are only $2 per 2522 N. Sparkman Blvd.; Tucson, AZ 85716 character materials are provided; character basis: Regular members $20 Student members month. Our members are very friendly, sheets, master item logs, adventure records, $15 Of course visitors are always welcome respectful, and fun. We welcome any and all. BASFA Local Tucson science fiction group etc. Dice will be loaned to you if you don’t because we know you will eventually become For more information, contact Shane Bryner that puts on TusCon. Contact us at PO Box have any yet. In other words, all that is a member anyway Web page: http:// at [email protected] 2528, Tucson AZ 85702-2528 or needed for the first day is for you to join www.parex.org/ E-mail Contact: John [email protected] us and have fun. Kittelsrud, [email protected] ADRIAN EMPIRE A medieval and renais- our website at http://home.earthlink.net/ If you have any questions email us at sance recreationist club. Sword-fighting, arts, ~basfa/ [email protected]. THE PHOENIX FANTASY FILM SOCI- banquets, masquerades, dances. meets every ETY A Phoenix based club interest-ed in the Wednesday night from 7-10pm at Encanto CENTRAL ARIZONA SPECULATIVE THE JEDI KNIGHTS (Founded 1977) entire realm of SF, Fantasy and Horror film. Park. All are welcome. Free. FICTION SOCIETY, INC. (CASFS) The Meetings are the 3rd Sunday of each month. PFFS has been in existence for 30 years, non-profit corporation that puts on For more information call Carol Alves, meeting every 6 weeks in member’s homes. AERIAL MIRAGE JUGGLERS. Meets CopperCon conventions, SmurfCons, Publicity, (760)244-9593 or write Jedi Dues are $10 per year. Membership includes Wednesday 7-10pm in Encanto Park, 15th HexaCons, occasional regional cons, and Knights, c/o Carol Alves 8038 “I” Street, newsletters, an annual film awards and Avenue, south of Encanto. No dues, everyone publishes Con-Notations. Best described as Hesperia CA, 92345-7066. various outings. For information, contact welcome. All levels skill exchange in many SF/F generalists with a strong bent towards PFFS, P.O. Box 34023, Phoenix, AZ 85067 or areas of object manipulation Dave Davis literary SF/F. Guests welcome - meets at 8pm LEPRECON, INC. One of the two Phoenix call David Storck at (602) 274_7404, e-mail: , 602-955-9446; on the last Friday of each month in January area corporations that put on yearly conven- [email protected]. or Ron Harvey , 480- thru September and the second Friday in tions. Best described as SF/F generalists with 775-4690 for more info or impromptu October, November and December at JB’s a main thrust into SF/F art. Guests are RAGE ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST A juggling sessions. Restaurant, 2560 W. Indian School in welcome. The meetings are quarterly on the Live Action Theatre Troupe based out of the Phoenix, AZ. For information: write PO Box second Saturday of February, May, August & ASU campus in Tempe, AZ. It is dedicated to ANIZONA ANIME CONVENTION INC 62613, Phoenix, AZ 85082-2613 or email November unless otherwise notified. August the game Werewolf: The Apocalypse by The group that sponsors Arizona’s premiere [email protected] Web www.casfs.org is the annual meeting where board positions White Wolf publishing. Contact Mike Anime convention each year. Monthly are deter-mined. For more information, write McLaughlin at (602)461-5842 or write 1730 meetings alternate between the east and west *****C.R.O.F.T. Celtic Reenactment of PO Box 26665, Tempe, AZ 85285; call Mike W Emelita Place #2025, Mesa AZ 85202- valley at Bookmans. If you are interested in Fellowship and Trades is Phoenix based Willmoth, 480-945-6890, Email 3144 or [email protected] Anime and conventions this is the group for Reenactment group specializing in the [email protected] Webpage: you! Visitors welcome. For more information western European renaissance. We research www.leprecon.org RAW GAMES (Role-players & check our website at www.anizona.org or lifestyles and trades concurrent with the Wargamers, Inc.) Role-players & email to [email protected] Celtic Peoples from 400 BC until 1746 AD. MIB The Men in Black is the official global Wargamers, Inc. is the Valley’s oldest role- We emphasize Scots, Irish or Welsh crafts and organization of field operatives for Steve playing and wargaming club. Currently ARIZONA LANBASHERS LEAGUE A do Celtic re-enactment. We open participation Jackson Games. We attend local conventions meeting at 8159 W. Weldon in Phoenix every collaboration of computer gaming enthusiasts, to anyone with an interest in period crafting to demonstrate and promote products of Steve Sunday from 3pm-9pm (except during the Arizona LANbashers League throws and entertainment. Demonstrations occur at Jackson Games. We also schedule demos in conventions and other special events). Open quarterly LANparty events. Between parties, the Highland Games, Scarborough Fair, and local gaming stores as well as community to new members - call (602) 849-9515. support is given to local groups who wish to the Arizona Renaissance Festival. Web page service events. If you have a gaming store, www.rawgames.org advertise their own gatherings. We have no http://www.crofters.org We meet in Tempe at convention, or community service that you set genre of games and play anything from the Pyle Adult Center SW corner of Rural and would like to have official Steve Jackson SHIELD OF ALMOR The Shield of Almor strategy games to first-person shooters to Southern on the 2nd Saturday of every month, Games representation at, please contact the is a RPGA club located in the greater Phoenix driving/flying simulations. No annual phone number (480)350-5211. The Board MIB Arizona Cell area. If you are interested in Living Greyhawk membership is required and admission to an meeting will be at 2:00 pm with the General Leader at [email protected]. We are also catch one of our meetings the 1st Sunday of event ranges from $5-$15. See our webpage meeting starting at 2:30 pm. recruiting new MIBs in some areas of every month at Imperial Outpost Games for current events. Email: Arizona. If you’re interested, contact us. You (www.imperialoutpost.com) in Glendale. If [email protected] Web: THE DARK ONES (Dark-wunz) n. 1) An can find additional information about the you are interested in Living Arcanis or Living www.lanparty.com/all/ VoiceMail: 602-306- organization formed for the expression and Arizona MIB at our website http:// Spycraft catch us on the 3rd Sunday of every 9339 exploration of various cultural themes members.cox.net/mib.6361/ month also at Imperial Outpost Games. The including, but not limited to, the Dark Ages Shield of Almor hosts RPGA events at the ARIZONA PARANORMAL and the Renaissance through forms of art MVD GHOSTCHASERS—The MVD local Phoenix conventions. For more INVESTIGATIONS We are a highly including, but not limited to, painting, Ghostchasers are a paranormal team information visit us at trained, non-profit paranormal investigation drawing, writing, photography, spoken word, established in 1995. This band of ghost games.groups.yahoo.com/group/AZ_RPG/ or group, registered with the state of Arizona, and acts of characterization. 2) a member of hunters conducts regular investigations of you can sign up for games at providing service to Arizona and the this organization. 3) Information available at haunted, historical locations throughout www.nyrond.org. Or you can just stop by the Southwest since 1994. Having served the www.darkones.org Arizona. They also research and investigate 1st Sunday of the month. Meeting starts at public for 12 years, we are one of the oldest, “house call” hauntings for the public. The 10am. Hope to see you there. most respected paranormal investigation THE EMPIRE OF CHIVALRY AND MVD Ghostchasers lead Spirit Photo groups in Arizona. We are primarily science STEEL, INC. The Empire of Chivalry and Workshops/Tours to various haunted locations THE SOCIETY FOR CREATIVE based and don’t go on an investigation Steel specializes in the general recreation of across Arizona. These workshops give ghost ANACHRONISM The kingdom of Atenveldt looking for ghosts, we go looking for the culture of the Middle Ages including all of hunters, paranormal team members and folks doth lie in the state of Arizona. Within the fair answers. There is never a charge for an the Art Forms, Events (Feasts, Tournaments, wanting to learn the art of ghost hunting a kingdom can be found six Baronies: investigation. Contact us at by e-mail at Ceremonies and Wars) and Combat Arts chance to work and learn techniques together. Atenveldt, Mons Tonitrus, Twin Moons, [email protected] or covering the years of 800AD up to 1650AD The MVD Ghostchasers team are guest SunDragon, Tir Ysgithr and Ered Sul. For visit our website at: http:// and any location within Europe or its explored speakers at many venues and have appeared more information on any of these or for www.arizonaparanormalinvestigations.com/ territories. For more information contact on TV news reports and the subject of several general information on contact the Kingdom Leonard Byrd (Tucson) (520)742-2432 Web: newspaper stories. For more information Seneschal. Email: [email protected] THE AWAY TEAM: The Away Team, is a www.galandor.org contact: Web www.atenveldt.com general sci-fi appreciation group that meets MVD Ghostchasers—Debe Branning, ( Continued on page 24 ) Volume 17 Issue 1 ConNotations Page 23 Club Listings 10/31/98. As of 11/29/98 there were 32 featuring the largest SF/F Art Show in the ( Continued from page 23 ) What is CASFS? members. There are no dues other than the Southwest! Guests: Artist - Jael, Author - What is really behind putting on a $15 for joining Star-fleet Intl.. Members are Karen Traviss Membership: $30 thru 10/ SOUTHWEST COSTUMER’S GUILD The convention? What are the funds raised by scattered world wide but the primary clusters Southwest Costumers Guild is a loose a convention used for? Why not attend a are in Tucson, AZ and Plano, TX. They don’t 31/06, $35 thru 1/31/07, more later Kids organization of persons interested in all facets meeting and find out? We’re the sponsor meet on a regular basis since they are a 7-12 half price, Six and under Free with of historical, cultural, science fiction, fantasy, of ConNotations, CopperCons, HexaCons, correspondence chapter. Their web site is: Adult Membership Hotel: Phoenix and humor costume. Members are often seen SmerfCons and other conventions. We are http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Vault/9505/ Marriott Mesa Contact: LepreCon 33 PO on stage and behind the scenes at local and and their contact/CO is Capt. Dave Pitts, a charitable, non-profit organization that regional Science Fiction Convention [email protected] Box 26665 Tempe, AZ 85285 Phone(480) masquerades. They meet on the last Sunday of exists to further science fiction, fantasy 945-6890 Email: and science fields in Arizona. CASFS each month at various members’ homes in the Z-PHILES are the ariZona x-PHILES. We [email protected] Web: currently meets at the JB’s Restaurant at greater Phoenix area. For details. Southwest maintain a mailing list for news and get- www.leprecon.org/lep33/ Costumers Guild, PO Box 39504, Phoenix, 2560 W Indian School Rd in Phoenix (NW togethers of fans of the X-Files living in AZ 85609 or Randall Whitlock at corner of I-17 and Indian School). The Arizona. We get together in both the Phoenix [email protected] or meetings begin at 8PM and are held on the and Tucson areas. To subscribe, send an PHOENIX CONGAMES (June 14th - www.southwestcostumersguild.org last Friday of the month Jan. through Sept. empty message to z-philes- 17th 2007 ) Mesa AZ Mesa Convention and on the second Friday of the month Oct [email protected] Center & Phoenix Marriott East in Mesa SPACE ACCESS SOCIETY Space Access through Dec. Everyone is invited to attend Arizona. Membership $20 thru November Society’s sole purpose is to promote radically two meetings as a guest (non-member). WESTERN SCIENCE FICTION ASSO- 30th, 2006, $25 thru January 31st, 2007, cheaper access to space, ASAP. We think it’s Membership rates are $12/year plus an CIATION (WesternSFA) A non-profit possible within ten years, with a little luck initial $3 application fee and rates are pro- corporation that sponsors the ConRunners $30 thru April 30th, 2007, $35 at the door and a lot of hard work. Join us and help us rated for the amount of the year remaining. seminars and sponsored the 2004 Westercon. http://www.conevents.com/page/phx/ make it happen! SAS membership is $30 for Dedicated primarily to educational activities For more info: Webpage: www.casfs.org main.asp one year, which gets you emailed Space relating to literature, music, and visual and Email: [email protected] Access Updates the instant they pass final performing arts, especially in the genres of edit, plus discounts on our annual conference science fiction, fantasy, costuming, gaming on the technology, politics, and business of regular mail only and the newsletter and and science. Applicants for membership in radically cheaper space transportation, materials will not be reproduced electroni- WesternSFA must be sponsored by a current featuring leading players in the field. Email cally. To join the action and initiate your active WesternSFA member. Dues are $10 us at: [email protected] annual membership, make check or money yearly plus a $5 non-refundable application Web page: www.space-access.org/ order out for $12.50 to: Official TekWar Fan fee. General Meetings are held on the first Club (Membership section), 2522 N Friday of February, May, August and SUPERSTITION SPACEMODELING Sparkman Blvd., Tucson AZ 85716-2417 November, at the Bookmans located at 19th SOCIETY is Arizona’s club for builders of ave. and Northern in Phoenix Guests are model and high-power rockets and those who T.H.E.M. is ASU’s science fiction and welcome. For more info contact Craig Dyer at love to see them fly. Launches are held on the fantasy club. Weekly meetings are held on the WesternSFA, PO Box 67457, Phoenix AZ second Saturday morning of each month in Arizona State University campus, with dates 85082, (602) 973-2341, Email: Rainbow Valley. SSS hosts the annual G. and places to be announced after the semester [email protected] Webpage: Harry Stine Memorial Rocket Launch every starts. For more information, Email www.westernsfa.org October. Visit www.sssrocketry.org for [email protected] Web membership information, directions to the www.themonline.org launches and meetings, and to read the Convention monthly newsletter, “Newton’s Minutes.” TUCSON FAN ALLIANCE E-Mail Address is [email protected] or TARDIS is a Phoenix-based General SF/ [email protected] Listings Fantasy Fan Club, specializing in Interna- WORLD HORROR CONVENTION tional media SF/Fantasy since 1983. TARDIS UNITED FEDERATION OF PHOENIX A meets every two weeks at different locations Phoenix area Star Trek and general SciFi fan 2007 (Mar 29-Apr 1 '07) Toronto around the valley. Activities include watching club. We are a social club that meets every Marriott Downtown Eaton Center, videos, discussions, parties, games, and two weeks at various locations around the Toronto, Ontario, Canada. GoHs: occasional outings with more to come now Phoenix area. The UFP has been meeting for Michael Marshall Smith, Nancy that Doctor Who is returning from hiatus. over 30 years of continuous activity. Dues are Kilpatrick. AGoH: John Picacio. MC: Many members maintain an active presence at $15/per year prorated when you join; no conventions. You can contact us at 2243 W restrictions. Membership includes member- Sephera Giron. Publisher GoH: Peter Wagon Wheel Dr, Phoenix, AZ 85021, Voice ship roster and monthly newsletter. Come to Crowther. Editor GoH: Don Hutchison. Mail at (602) 864-0901, E-mail TARDIS- any two meetings at no obligation. For Info: email: [email protected]; [email protected] or visit us at http:// information, write the UFP at PO Box 37224, website: www.whc2007.org members.cox.net/tardisaz/tardis.html Phoenix, AZ 85069, or call Jim Strait at (602) 242-9203. Web page: http://www.U-F-P.org Mailing/Subscription Information TEKWAR FAN CLUB Sanctioned by the or Email to [email protected] ANIZONA 3 (April 5-8,2007) Mesa AZ - series’ production companies and the USA Arizona’s First Anime Convention - ConNotations is sent free of charge to Network! It is THE information conduit USS STORMBRINGER The Stormbringer is Guests include Kaite Bair, Jodon between the fans and the series! Fan club those who have attended a CASFS a correspondence Star Trek fan club chapter Bellafanto, Michael McConnohie, membership will bring you the following 1) of Starfleet, Intl. based out of Tucson AZ. sponsored convention in the past subscription to the info filled Tek Informer The chapter was commissioned as the USS Melodee Spevack and Arizona calendar year (currently 2006). Attend- newsletter; 2) official TekWar Fan Club Stormbringer NCC-74213, attached to Shinkendo. Wendee Lee, Haruka Miyabi, ees of CopperCon 26 or HexaCon 16 membership card and kit. Membership is by Division 31, Starfleet Covert Operations, on Amanda T , Kenyth Mogan, Yoko will receive ConNotations Volume 17 Molotov, Greg Ayres, Katie Bair, David Issues 1 thru 6. Generic Convention Registration Form Beaty, Jodon Bellofatto, Michael McConnohie, Melodee M. Spevack and ConNotations updates it’s mailing list each December. Name:______Midnight Mirage Location: Phoenix Marriott Mesa Individual subscriptions are available for Badge Name:______Membership is capped at 2000 and there $20 for 6 issues beginning January 1, Address:______will be NO memberships sold at the door. 2007. $40 thru March 31, 2007. Mail check or City/State/ZIP:______money order to AniZona 3, PO Box Some non-CASFS groups give their Phone:______Email:______67641, Phoenix AZ 85082 Web: membership lists to CASFS and www.anizona.org Email: purchase a bulk corporate subscription Enclosed is $______for ______memberships for [email protected] so their attendees may also receive ConNotations ______convention. LEPRECON 33 (May 11-13, 2007) (See individual convention listing for mailing address) Currently these groups are: Mesa AZ Arizona’s Annual Art Oriented More info on __ Masquerade __Art Show __Volunteer __ Other Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention Page 24 ConNotations Volume 17 Issue 1