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Home , Cane Pace, Dragon Awards, Henry Worsley (explorer), Rodney Rothman

Vol. 18 No. 5 October 2019 ALEXIAD (!7+=3!G) $2.00 September is international month at the library. My Art: branch’s country this year is Spain, that land Hemingway Sheryl Birkhead ...... 11, 17 loved, and so I have begun studying Spain. At World Market Paul Gadzikowaski ...... 18 I discover only two things made in Spain, both costing more Alexis A. Gilliland...... 7 than I am willing to spend. Japan and India were easier in Trinlay Khadro ...... 2 that regard but I got attached to the little Japanese rice bowl Marc Schirmeister ...... 5, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 I bought for the display and selfishly kept it. Spain is the first country that I, according to my father’s grandfather, have The 94th Running of the Hambletonian (1st leg of theTrotting ancestors from and so has a special interest to me. I am not Triple Crown) was August 3, 2019 at preparing any differently than I prepared for Japan or India. in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Forbidden Trade won. Fortunately, I find a pretty little pitcher and saucer set at a The 65th Running of the (2nd leg of the Trotting thrift store and pay the store a quite reasonable three bucks Triple Crown) was August 31, 2019 at Yonkers Raceway in for it. It is a lucky find for me, because at Worldfest I find Yonkers, New York. Gympanzee won. nothing from Spain. The 126th Running of the (3rd leg of the Trotting Triple Crown) is October 6, 2019 at the Red Mile in On September 11 I watched the documentaries of 9/11 Lexington, Kentucky. Greenshoe won, while Gympanzee and I remembered. Joe calling me and telling me to turn on started well but faded. the TV and the images burned into my brain. The knowing my country was now at war with a savage, ruthless enemy. The 65th Running of the Cane Pace (1st leg of the Pacing Triple Crown) was August 3, 2019 at Meadowlands Racetrack in East — Lisa Rutherford, New Jersey. Captain Crunch won. The 64th Running of the (2nd leg of the Pacing Table of Contents Triple Crown) was August 31, 2019 at Yonkers Raceway in Editorial...... 1 Yonkers, New York. American Mercury won. Reviewer’s Notes ...... 1 The 74th Running of the Little Brown Jug (3rd leg of the Pacing Triple Crown) was September 19, 2019 at the Delaware The Disappearance of Amy Billig...... 2 County Fair in Delaware, Ohio. Southwind Ozzie won, after Awards ...... 10 coming in first in the first heat, while American Mercury, who Gender and the Hugo Awards ...... 8 came in second in the second heat, came in third. Horse News ...... 6 Hugo Awards...... 9 Printed on October 16, 2019 The Joy of High Tech ...... 7 Deadline is December 1, 2019 On Buying and Not Buying...... 7 Sidewise Awards ...... 10 Reviewer’s Notes Spiders...... 7 Dates...... 10 One of the hardest things to do these days, it seems, is to get up a meeting. If you set it up far in advance, half the attendees have Book Reviews something come up so they can’t make it. Working on the fly, as it JTM West, Codeword Overlord...... 6 were, means that no one is available to begin with. JTM Crean O’Brien and Sheppard, Honouring Tom Crean...... 4 And I think this is happening to actual physical get-togethers. Local JTM Hill, Harry Seven...... 3 clubs are fading away. Fan-run cons are being pushed out by profes- JTM Klehr, The Millionaire Was a Soviet Mole ...... 5 sionally run ones. (We saw this just the other day, where Imaginarium JTM Mendlesohn, The Pleasant Profession of Robert A. Heinlein 3 here had a huge attendance in spite of a bad venue.) JTM Preston, The Lost City of the Monkey God ...... 5 But the professional ones have problems. While Dragon*Con JTM Rodgers, Usurper...... 4 seems to be the new venue of choice, what I see are stories of huge JTM Stanek, How to Kill Hitler ...... 6 mobs being shuffled from one room to another, with no interaction. I have referred to this often enough, as the transition from participants to Con Reports consumers. SB 77th Worldcon ...... 8 Just as the growing experience of SF is superhero movies. In one sense that is a regression to the old pulp ways, with slam-bang action Random Jottings ...... 2 instead of the sort of speculation that the notorious editor Astounding Unperson strove for. Next is the latest academic trend, which will Letters ...... 11 become passé when it gets outmobbed. Sue Burke, Lloyd Daub, John Hertz, Robert S. Kennedy, Timothy Darrell Schweitzer has observed that we do not come again; there Lane, Lloyd Penney, AL du Pisani, George W. Price, John Purcell, are no longer young faneds. In comparatively recent times, you will Joy V. Smith, Taras Wolansky recall, there were APAs for editors under twenty. These days it seems Comments are by JTM or LTM the entire field is passing away; once upon a time there was an APA for people on the FAPA waitlist, and it had a waitlist. Now FAPA clings Trivia: ...... 17 to life. — Joe Page 2 October 2019 Alexiad

$9.99, but there is a Kickstarter to fund pre- sometime around the New Year. RANDOM JOTTINGS liminary costs and subscribers to that will be by Joe able to buy the ebook for $7.00. We regret to report the death of Alexei Arkhipovich Leonov on October 11, 2019 in Scott Christian Sava has rebooted The Moscow. Born May 30, 1934 in Listvyanka, Dreamland Chronicles, this time with hand- West Siberian Krai, RSFSR, USSR, Leonov drawn art. Book One of the original run was was commissioned in the Soviet Air Force in reviewed in Alexiad V. 6 #5. 1957. In 1960, he was chosen in the first group of cosmonauts, and in March of 1965 flew in http://www.thedreamlandchronicles.com the Voskhod-2 mission, being the first person to carry out an extra-vehicular activity (“walk Hugh Lupus continues his story of a diff- in space”). He then commanded the Soyuz-19, erent World War II in An Extra Knot: Part III the Soviet mission of the Apollo-Soyuz Test (2019; $4.99) and An Extra Knot: Part IV Project. He retired at the rank of Gen- (2019; $3.99). He continues to personalize the eral. war, with for example tales of the death of a Leonov was an accomplished artist, having salamander at Gibraltar. The style of many done sketches of his fellow space travelers short paragraphs may be a bit offputting, and during the ASTP, and painted a number of Buy my books. (All available on they all seem stuck in Spain for now. other astronautical portraits. Amazon.com for quite reasonable prices, It is an imaginative and one He was twice of the Soviet Union and except the Hugo-nominated Heinlein’s Chil- that deviates from the all too common trend of a commander of the Order of Saint Anna, dren, which can be bought from NESFA for a Victorious German Arms (by Gary Gygax and second degree, among many other honors. He reasonable price.) Terry Stafford, 1973). For example the striking was the last surviving Voskhod cosmonaut. defense by the U.S. Marines against a German https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B01BMIC4M coup de main . . . LITTLE GIRL LOST U?ref_=pe_1724030_132998070 Commentary by Joseph T Major on — Advt. The RRS Sir David Attenborough was WITHOUT A TRACE: christened by Katherine, Duchess of Cambridge The Disappearance of Amy Billig Operation Flash: Episode 2: Hinges of on September 26, 2019 at the Cammell Laird by Greg Aunapu and Susan Billig Fate, the sequel to Operation Flash: Episode yards in Birkenhead, in the presence of her (2001) 1: Knight’s Gambit Accepted: by Nitay Arbel namesake, along with the Duke. The ship was (2019; reviewed in Alexiad V. 18 #3) is now laid down in October 2016 and launched in July There are mamas at any Angel gath- out (2019; One Music as Before Press; Ama- 2018. Her assignment will be to provide logis- ering, large or small. They travel as part zon Digital Services; $0.99). The situation in tics support to the British Survey and of the troupe, like oxpeckers, fully Germany after the explosive death of Hitler further their researches. understanding what's expected: they are and several others, including Himmler, con- The underwater remote piloted vehicles on available at any time, in any way, to tinues to be chaotic, with a conflict brewing the Sir David Attenborough are named Boaty any Angel, friend or favored guest — between the Widerstand and the Nazis. Mean- McBoatface, so the Internet poll got something individually or otherwise. They also while, the Allies are having their own differ- anyway. understand that the minute they don't ences, over the decision to make peace or Across the sea, the U.S. Coast Guard still like the arrangement they can leave. pursue unconditional surrender. And there is can’t get a replacement for its only Antarctic Most hang around for a few months, a mole in the Widerstand . . . Ocean capable icebreaker USCGC Polar Star then drift on to something else. A few (WAGB-10), which is 44 years old. have been around for years, but this Apparently the German film-maker Wern- kind of dedication requires an almost er Herzog, director and writer of Aguirre, the On October 4 the German icebreaker RV preterhuman tolerance for abuse and Wrath of God, is in the new “west- Polarstern began its year-long drift in the Arctic humiliation. ern”, . Now if they could ice pack. The ship sailed from Tromsø accom- The term mama is all that remains have got Clint Eastwood: panied by the Russian icebreaker Akademik of the original expression “Let's go Feodorov, through the Northeast Passage. The make somebody a mama,” which was “I don’t think it’s nice, you laugh- drift will begin at 83E North 137E East, in the later shortened to “Let's go make a in’. You see, my bantha don’t like Lapatev Sea north of Siberia. It is estimated mama.” Other fraternities have different people laughing. He gets the crazy that the ship will exit the pack in September of ways of saying it, but the meaning is idea you’re laughin’ at him. Now if 2020, in the Fram Strait between Svalbard and the same — a girl who’s always avail- you apologize, like I know you’re Greenland. able. A widely quoted section of the going to, I might convince him that The expedition, known as MOSAiC (Multi- Lynch report says these girls are called you really didn’t mean it.” disciplianary drifting Observatory for the Study sheep, but I have never heard an Angel — Not from Star Wars: A Fistful of Credits of Arctic Climate), will have about 600 re- use that word. It sounds like the cre- searchers from nineteen countries (presumably ation of some police inspector with The Pursuit of the Pankera (NHOL shuttling in and out) studying the polar ice and intensely rural memories. G.183), the new title of the original version of the climate of the Arctic. It is led by the Ger- The mamas aren’t pretty, although The Number of the Beast (NHOL G.189), is man Wegener Institute, named for the pro- some of the newer and younger ones having publication problems and the release pounder of continental drift, who died during an have a sort of demented beauty that date has been pushed back to Spring/Summer expedition to Greenland. erodes so fast that you have to see it 2020. There are editing problems with the Not far away, Polar trekkers Børge Ousland happen, over a period of months, to feel manuscript, due to the manner in which it has and Mike Horn have begun their own traverse any sense of tragedy. Once the girls been created (from a number of varying of the Arctic Ocean, hoping to set a record for a have developed the proper perspective, drafts). winter traverse. They too hope to meet up with it's easy to take them for granted. One The ebook edition is tentatively priced at their support ship Pangaea in the Fram Strait, night in Sacramento the Angels ran out Alexiad October 2019 Page 3

of beer money and decided to auction scribed the beginnings of this effort in The spent the rest of their lives tracking down false off Mama Lorraine in a bar. The top Corpse Had a Familiar Face (1987). and unfounded leads. bid was twelve cents, and the girl There was no clear evidence of anyone laughed along with the others. On having seen Amy getting picked up. The police Amy’s father Nathaniel died in 1993; Susan another occasion, Magoo was packing and the Billigs began making enquiries among her mother died in 2004. The case is still open Mama Beverly on a run to Bakersfield the bikers. and there are a number of websites dedicated to when he ran out of gas. “Do you If they had consulted Hunter S. Thompson, tracing it. She is featured on the Charley know,” he recalls, “I couldn't find a they might have been better prepared. The Project (www.charleyproject.org) which dis- single gas-station attendant who would bikers boasted vaguely of having found a young cusses missing people. Amy had a brother, so give me a free gallon of gas for a go at woman, offered leads, and generally wanted there is a possibility of a DNA identification, her.” The public prints are full of testi- money and provided nothing. one way or another. Edna Buchanan believed mony by men who take pride in having Susan pursued leads for years, travelling that Amy had died the day she was kidnapped. sold their talents dearly, but people across the country, meeting people in remark- There may have been reasons for not approach- who understand that their only talent is ably unprepossessing venues. Nothing ever ing the Vidocq Society (see Michael Capuzzo’s not worth fifteen cents or a gallon of came through. She met with young women who The Murder Room (2010; reviewed in Alex- gas are not often quoted. Nor do they were in the same status, with depressing but iad V. 9 #5) for their story), even though it usually leave diaries. It would be inter- uninformative results. seems to have been their sort of case. Susan esting to hear, sometime, just exactly And there were the hoaxes. Some of them Billig continued to search until the end of her what it feels like to go up on the auc- even went so far as to try to get money, and a own life. tion block, willing to serve any pur- pair who went too far were arrested for it. pose, and get knocked down for twelve Under the stress, the Billigs deteriorated. For every mystery there is someone, cents. Susan’s husband Nathaniel had to give up his somewhere, who knows the truth. art gallery; they sold the house and moved into — Hunter S. Thompson, Hell’s Angels: A a smaller one, all the while afraid for Amy out https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/27219555/amy-billig Strange and Terrible (1966) there. And the calls began. Someone was calling HEINLEIN IN PROFESSION Amy Billig would have been 62 in Janu- them, mocking them with news of Amy. She Review by Joseph T Major of ary. The Boomer generation had many sub- was with bikers, she was in a harem, she was THE PLEASANT PROFESSION OF cultures; families parted from their old com- coming home again . . . the calls were always ROBERT A. HEINLEIN munities and set up in places where everyone from telephone booths, virtually untraceable. by Farah Mendlesohn was about the same age. They did not want Technology evolved and the calls now were (2019; Unbound; their children to suffer as they had, in the from a cell phone. A cell phone owned by the ISBN 978-1783526789; $32.95; Depression and the war, and strove to give U.S. Customs Office, which declined to reveal 2019; Amazon Digital Services; $6.04) them idyllic lives. who had it. In the end, the man slipped up and There were demons out there. Sometimes was caught. His defense was that he was doing Mendlesohn has undertaken a difficult task; the flower children would encounter them and it to get away from the stress of his job at Cus- she has analyzed the Heinlein body of work the results would not be pretty. toms, relieving his ill-feelings by stringing from a different perspective, and found many Amy was seventeen on that March day in along the Billigs with false statements and worthy and insightful comments. For example, Coconut Grove, Florida. She was a fey sort; expressions of hope for Amy’s rescue, and lurid she is quite explicit about his enlightening and a vegetarian who wrote faerie poetry, a sweet descriptions of her torments. For some reason uplifting portrayals of women. innocent girl who lived in a land of sweet in- the justice system failed to see the therapeutic She discusses Heinlein’s works in the nocence. There were terrible things out there value of this, but he only got two years in context of the era and of the constraints and in the world of 1974, but they were far away. prison. considerations of their writing. Some of her Her father was a wounded veteran; her conclusions will be surprising, as when she mother a devoted housekeeper. She had been “It is a capital mistake to theorize before one argues that in The Star Beast (NHOL G.124) their miracle child, born after a long struggle has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to Betty is the smarter and more focused of the with failed pregnancies. She was the sweet- suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.” two. ness and fulfillment of their lives. (“A Scandal in Bohemia”) While it was not The discussions of other works are enlight- It was a trusting world they lived in, she unreasonable to suspect bikers, the Billigs, their ening. Mendelsohn gives a detailed description lived in. So trusting, in fact, that if she wanted supporters, and the police apparently concen- of the point at which she believes Farnham’s a ride, she would hitchhike. She wanted to go trated on them to the exclusion of any other Freehold (NHOL G.154) went wrong. have lunch with some friends. They never theory. It is not unreasonable to question the We are seeing more insightful reviews and saw her, she never turned up. belief that a woman, even one as innocent and commentary of Heinlein’s work of late, taking There was a biker run going through trusting as Amy, would voluntarily go off with off from the opening up of his archives and the Coconut Grove. Thompson describes a simi- a biker. There are ones who mean well; but a discussion of his life. Whether this survives lar one in California, and even given his biker who styles himself an outlaw would be current trends is a matter for concern, since a predilection for the apocalyptic, it does not less likely to be in that category. field that loses its past loses its . seem to be the most forgiving of environments Yet there are those who give too much trust. for naïve and innocent seventeen-year-old There is a parallel with the first notorious kid- PADWAY REPEATED women. napping in America, the Charley Ross case Review by Joseph T Major of By the time Amy had not come home for (covered in We Is Got Him by Carrie Hagen HARRY SEVEN dinner, her parents had come to realize that (2011; reviewed in Alexiad V. 10 #6)) of 1874. by D. A. Hill something had gone deeply wrong. They Charley was picked up by two strangers who (2017; CreateSpace; began a search; after about a week, the police offered to take him to buy firecrackers. ISBN 978-1877756404; $16.99; became involved. There were community When the two kidnappers were killed in the 2017; Amazon Digital Services; $3.99) functions, questionings of various people, and course of a housebreaking, the one who lived a a stir began to grow. Edna Buchanan, the few minutes said that Charley had been handed Pete the cat was looking for a Door into Pulitzer Prize-winning crime journalist, de- over to a couple. Like the Billigs, the Rosses Summer that cold winter, but never found one. Page 4 October 2019 Alexiad

His slave Dan Davis, by way of contrast, the Fall of Rome as an age-long decline; which engenders its political collapse, is a found a Door into the Past . . . with some actually, the Western Empire was de- terrible lesson for the reader. What to do about startling surprises. stroyed in the seven years covered by it is less easy, but doing what one can is a start. Harrison Seely thought that with a nice this novel, and its destruction was as house in Princeton he could settle down. But sudden and unexpected as the fall of the Maximus bent down and then there was a Door into, not summer, but cold twentieth-century European Empires in straightened up, the sword resting in the damp wartime Britain, as he astoundingly Asia. crook of his arm. He raised his head found. and turned his eyes upwards to the sun. Alicia Rowntree was appalled by this — Alfred Duggan, The Little Emperors He said, “What is the end of it all? roughly dressed Yank who showed up on her (1951), “Historical Note” Smoke and ashes, a handful of bones, doorstep, but sought to instill in him proper and a legend. Perhaps not even a leg- behaviour. Yet there was something appeal- The Empire is, as always, under siege, with end.” ing about him, she thought. barbarians crossing the borders to take land and They watched him go through the In alternating stories, Hill tells of this obliterate the inhabitants. They built walls to broken gate, heard his feet, heavy on couple drawn together by destiny, and by fate. keep them out; but some struck by sea. And so the flint strewn path. “He is going to his For it seems that Harry is trying to shift the we begin this narrative with a junior officer of temple in the woods,” said the tall man. course of the war, which did not go at all well. the Legions hunting down a group of raiders. “Listen.” There is a proper understanding of the It is the consulship of Flavius Arcadius There was a long silence, and then a differences; selling tobacco at ten quid the Augustus (for the sixth time) and Anicius Petro- deep voice cried, “Mithras!” and the cry pound to get spending money up to more nius Probus, the year MCLIX of the City. In the echoed back across the hill. And after serious matters. And Lady Alicia has some Christian calendar it is A.D. 406. Marcus that the silence went on for ever. very well placed connexions. (Hill does slip Severus Cortinus is with a patrol attacking a up in having her dismissed so abruptly from band of marauding Saxons. (Informatively, if — Wallace Breem, Eagle in the Snow the Firm; having read the immense struggle perhaps anachronistically, he muses on the (1970) “Epilogue” they were at to push out Kim Philby, who was history of Rome in Brittania, and on the de- a lot more disposable (see Cold War Spy- velopment of legionary equipment; it’s nice to IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF master by “Nigel West” (2018, 2019) for that know that someone was aware that the legionary GRANDDA little do), the dismissal seems rather abrupt. of the fifth century was not armed like Lucius Review by Joseph T Major of Connections make for interesting results, Vorenus.) He violates orders to save a group of HONOURING TOM CREAN: as when Harry gives someone a drive through women who have been taken by the Saxons, and A Centenary Expedition with the Crean contemporary New Jersey and New York. gets called before the commander, Constantinus Family General Eisenhower was properly impressed. (in full, Flavius Claudius Constantinus). by Bill Sheppard and Aileen Crean O’Brien But he is “Harry Seven”. The time-line And so begins the brief rule and campaigns (2017; Antarctic Kerryman Publishing Co shifts need to be done over and over again. of the usurper Constantine III and his loyal son, Ltd, ISBN 978-1-83853-066-2; (Look out for a guy named “Richard Lee”, Constans. (They both are in The Little Emper- 2019; Amazon Digital Services; $2.99) Harry, and don’t let him get in firing range of ors and Eagle in the Snow.) http://www.tomcrean.ie you.) And as Harry influences the British to Over the next few years, Constantine rises to clean up the Scheldt properly . . . the Purple, crosses into Gaul, and strived against As you know, Bob, Thomas Crean, late Whatever will Harry Eight have to do? the inept rule of Honorius and the machinations Royal Navy, British Antarctic Expedition Maybe he should go over to Philadelphia and that brought down Stilicho. Perhaps he believed (Discovery), British Antarctic Expedition look up Lieutenant-Commander de Camp for that the Emperor did not make a man an officer (Terra Nova), Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expe- some advice. just to obey orders, for Corvus finds himself dition, was only here on a visit, and after his enrolled in Constantine’s personal bodyguard, supposed death he returned to the land of the EMPERORS IN THE SNOW his scholarii. For Constantine is going to be Tuatha de Dannan, where he spoke to the Lady Review by Joseph T Major of proclaimed emperor. of his noble and hazardous deeds in the cold USURPER: The period is so inadequately documented places of the mundane world. A Novel of the Fall of Rome that Rogers need not follow the careers of the But being in mortal flesh, he left behind by David Gray Rodgers hapless Sempronius Felix (of The Little Emper- childher. Who in turn had descendants, one of (2017; Amazon Digital Services; $2.99) ors) or the doomed Maximus (of Eagle in the whom was Aileen Crean O’Brien, a virtual Snow). Constantine is proclaimed Augustus and hyphenation. These are modern days, and after The disturbances which took place proceeds to consolidate his control of the five the disintegration of her marriage, Aileen took in Britain in the year 406 are not de- provinces of Britannia before heading across the up with Bill Sheppard. scribed in detail by any contemporary Channel. Having a family tradition is poorly honored historian; what is definitely known is The narrative is more focused on conflict these days, but Aileen and Bill decided to do it conveniently summarized in Oman’s than on political interaction, and the problems right proper. They would reenact Grandda’s England Before the Norman Conquest, of warfare in a decrepit and decaying state are traverse of South Georgia with the Boss and pp. 172, 173. Stilicho’s great victory all too painful. Gaul is torn among the invading Wuzzles ( and Frank Wors- over King Radagaisus is historical, and barbarians, the armies obeying Honorius, and ley). Alexandria Shackleton was unavailable, Niall of the Nine Hostages, High King the armies of Constantine, so nothing goes well Henry Worsley had his own matters to tend to of Ireland, was drowned off the Isle of for the invaders or for the inhabitants. (see David Grann’s The White Darkness (2018; Wight at about that time; the date can- Finally, when all those have fallen, Marcus reviewed in Alexiad V. 17 #6) for more on not be fixed with complete accuracy, Severus returns to a desolate and abandoned this), and they weren’t doing the Guinness ad and I have made the two events coin- Britannia, resolving to try to save something. so getting Lord Mountevans wasn’t on the cide to emphasize the fact that in 405 The burden is great but someone has to do it. table (and Sheppard confuses then-Lieutenant the Empire was in a flourishing condi- He has not been defeated, he still has both Teddy Evans with P.O. Edgar Evans). They tion, victorious over all its enemies. hands, and he is a soldier, not a bureaucrat who decided to go with Aileen’s two sons Cian and Misled by the scale of Gibbon’s great burns people alive for changing their jobs. Morgan. history, we are accustomed to think of Portraying the moral collapse of a polity, They had to be properly prepared, and did Alexiad October 2019 Page 5 training in Poland. A problem not encoun- leishmaniasis, also known as “white leprosy”. However, the specialists on the area who tered by the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expe- You don’t want to know about its symptoms, weren’t involved had the power of the Internet dition was the proliferation of permits re- believe me. to complain. Not surprisingly, the expedition quired. They were fortunate this was a British And of course the locals include a dispro- was condemned on every level. colony and not a third-world nation with portionate number of drug cartel people, who Then too, there was the prospect of pot dozens of bureaucrats each of whom would shoot first and don’t bother asking questions. hunting. Looters would be willing to get leish- need to wet his beak from the bottomless At this rate, the sensible person will wonder maniasis in order to loot the site, and the Hon- funds of these colonialist oppressors. why go there at all. But non-sensible people duran government stationed troops there — And then, in October of 2016, they were went, such as Theodore Morde, researcher who who got leishmaniasis. off. South Georgia has regulations set to later would meet with Franz von Papen regard- Lost civilizations have been a mainstay of preserve the wildlife, like most remote bio- ing an overthrow of the Nazi government. pulp fiction and its descendants. The fate of mes. These had to be adhered to, but as the While Morde was really looking for gold (that’s this lost city is an indicator of how optimistic walkers were going over ice, mostly, it wasn’t always a good excuse), he claimed he was such tales were. Without written records, all a problem. They made the usual tour of Gry- searching for the fabulous lost White City of that is left is often imposing, certainly impres- vitken, seeing the graves of Shackleton and ancient Mesoamerica. sive ruins; the signs of a people who died in Wild, and learning that Henry Worsley would Preston was historian for an expedition to silence. soon be buried there too. find the White City. In this case, they had Then it was off to the landing site. The something a little more reliable to go on: air- original cave that the six guys off the James borne lidar. The security and availability of the Caird used is small and hard to find, which lidar equipment were stringent, and having it in makes the original effort seem even more a shabby plane may have been an attempt at amazing. Then it was on to the site of Peg- keeping it from drawing notice. The scans goty Camp, from which Shackleton, Crean, turned up some interesting-looking sites. and Worsley set off to traverse the island. Getting there was more than half the fun. Not long after they began, disaster struck. The expedition had to be directed by retired Aileen fell and broke her leg, multiple breaks. SAS men, and the list of precautions against She had to be taken back to the coast to be unfriendly animals was unnerving. Traveling sent to a ship, and fortunately HMS Clyde had through the jungle was an effort. The explorers a sick bay and a generous rescue policy. had to have their machetes marked with yellow (Clyde is the Antarctic patrol vessel and Falk- tape to help warn them of each others’ presence, land Islands guardship.) lest they slash people instead of plants. Their When Aileen was in good hands, Bill and hammocks had to be enclosed and everyone the boys finished the trek. They took doused themselves with DEET on a regular considerably longer than Great-Grandda, basis to keep off insects. (Foreshadowing: it Wuzzles, and the Boss, but that was the record didn’t entirely work.) Almost as soon as they crossing of the island. And so the rescue was arrived, they encountered an enormous fer-de- commemorated by descendants. Aileen re- lance, and others later on. It had to be snakes. counts her slow recovery from having had a Once they got there, however, there was HOW TO SUCCEED IN leg smashed. indeed an ancient city. The explorers found ESPIONAGE WITHOUT REALLY Such a legacy should be honored. carvings and the remains of what seem to have SPYING been buildings with great plazas. This was an Review by Joseph T Major of MOSQUITIA entire civilization, not Maya — and it disap- THE MILLIONAIRE WAS A SOVIET Review by Joseph T Major of peared around 1500. Why? MOLE: THE LOST CITY OF THE MONKEY Preston discusses in detail the immunologi- The Twisted Life of David Karr GOD: cal problem. It seems that while Columbus’s by Harvey Klehr A True Story first voyage was healthy, the second, which was (2019; Encounter Books; by Douglas Preston more of a colonizing effort, contained a number ISBN 978-1641770422; $25.99; (2017; Grand Central Publishing; of people who had various illnesses. Particu- 2019; Amazon Digital Services; $12.82) ISBN 978-1455540006; $28.00; larly smallpox, and Preston spares no effort at 2017; Hachette Book Group; $9.99) describing the symptoms. “This El Jannings,” said Mr. Mor- The indigenous population suffered over ros, “at foist I could not finding. Ve The first Nero Wolfe novel, Fer-de-Lance 90% death rates. At this level, a civilization sand out G-mans. No good. Ve chack- (1934), had to do with a golf club that was will disintegrate, as the means of carrying on the ing opp through incomm texis, susshel rigged to fire a poison dart into the golfer fundamentals of it cease to exist. security codds, but ve cannot find. One when he hit a ball. Wolfe might well read The It should be noted that someone was bound day valks into my uffus a men, turns Lost City of the Monkey God and even notice to bring over disease, anyway. How the Norse out to be El Jannings. He is a adwentur- the connection. The fer-de-lance of Mosquitia colonizers didn’t is an interesting question. ous type, not like I’m, spiritzel type. It in Honduras is Bothrops atrox, and it is a And disease struck back. Preston and sev- is fonny to sit leesten to El Jannings supremely poisonous and aggressive snake. eral other members of the group contracted tukk.” It’s not the only hazard of that region. leishmaniasis, and his description of the treat- Among the insects, including mosquitos, there ment is equally harrowing. — H. Allen Smith, Low Man on a Totem Pole are various types of fire ants, including ones Beyond that was the social context. Not the (1941) that swarm in trees and fall down on you if ancestral one, the modern one. Unusually for you incautiously grab the wrong vine. And such an expedition, they didn’t have to pay The various incarnations of the Soviet State chiggers, gnats, and the like. bribes and get a wilderness of permits; the new Security apparatus had an agent in the Holly- Not surprisingly, malaria is endemic there, president of Honduras was on their side, and wood movie industry, one who could provide also dengue fever. But the most horrific such obstacles vanished. (And the drug people cover for other agents. His code name was ailment to be encountered in Mosquitia is left them alone, too.) FROST. Page 6 October 2019 Alexiad

His name was Boris Morros, the man who he had saved Hammer’s life. Perhaps the KGB officers in the military command structure. told H. Allen Smith how he sand out G-mans felt that bourgeois exploiters were naturally like The deception effort was a significant to find El Jannings. He was also about as that. contribution to the success of Allied victory. useful to the Soviets, having been notorious as It seems almost beneath the skills of such a This overview of its creation and reception will a creator of various front enterprises that never renowned and informed scholar as Klehr to contribute to the understanding of the war as a quite worked as advertised. write about such an insignificant figure. The whole. Then, he became a double agent for the histories of influence and espionage are riddled FBI and worked in that field for a few more with such; Karr is perhaps useful as an exemplar GUIDE FOR THE WIDERSTAND years, finally writing a memoir, My Ten Years of failure. Review by Joseph T Major of as a Counter-Spy (1959). Presumably it was HOW TO KILL HITLER: edited by someone who knew Standard Eng- THE LISBON CANNON A Guide for Time Ttravelers lish spelling. Review by Joseph T Major of by Andrew Stanek This shows how desperate the State Secur- CODEWORD OVERLORD: http://eepurl.com/bhTc9H ity was for agents once the initial influx of Axis Espionage and the D-Day Landings ideological agents dried up. Boris Morros was by “Nigel West” [Rupert Allason] I have found a cartoon set in Berlin, on that no Julius Rosenberg or Alger Hiss. (2019; The History Press; epochal night of 30. Januar 1933. An officer is Neither did he get dragged into the muck ISBN 978-0750989930; $32.95; briefing the SS sentry outside the bedroom of known as McCarthyism. A man Tailgunner 2019; Amazon Digital Services; $15.99) the Führer und Kanzler, explaining how im- Joe did accuse of being an agent of the Soviet portant it is that Hitler gets enough rest. The Union was David Karr, a writer and investi- “Lisbon Cubed” by “William Tenn” [Philip sentry has mixed feelings; he is enthusiastic gator for the notorious Washington investiga- Klass] (Galaxy, October 1958) is about a clash about the new age for Germany but there are tive columnist Drew Pearson. Karr admitted of spies in a convenient neutral venue. Alien some problems — at that point a portal through to having been interested in Communism in spies, in disguise, fighting their war in the time opens up. The intruder paralyzes the the forties, but not any longer. neutral haven of Earth. Yet none invents a spy officer but the sentry is able to shoot him. From there, he went on to being a business ring. None bets $50,000 at a casino. None of Then he says, “IT’S THESE CONSTANT executive, managing the affairs of the crucial the spies is smuggled off Earth to be punished ATTEMPTS ON HIS LIFE BY TIME TRAV- defense industry Fairbanks-Whitney. Or for currency manipulation. ELERS!! I MEAN, YOU KIND OF HAVE perhaps mismanaging it; he was removed Just as neither Operation MINCEMEAT nor TO WONDER!!” from his presidency after several years of poor Operation FORTITUDE required sending an Stanek has produced a work which explains profits. All the same, it was alleged that How actual living person into the Germans’ hands to the opportunities and difficulties of this task. to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying break under interrogation and reveal the landing He lists all the times when Hitler was close to (book 1952, play 1961, movie 1967), the tale plans for the invasion of Sardinia or those of getting killed, the moral ambiguities involved of a window-washer who made himself CEO, Patton’s First Army Group. Thus Pohl’s and in killing him, and the practical obstacles to the was based on his career. Kornbluth’s semi-posthumous fling “The matter. From the homeless guy in the doss- Nothing amiss, he reinvented himself Quaker Cannon” (Analog, August 1961) was a house in Vienna down to the Greatest Military again, becoming a representative of various little off. Leader of All Times in the Wolf’s Lair, he other commercial enterprises, including in the This book explains not only what happened gives details on where and when and how. end the 1980 Summer Olympics. You know, during that real-life deception, but who was Elleander Morning of her eponymous book the one that got boycotted over the invasion of responsible. The opening may be a slog, as (by Jerry Yulsman (1984)) obviously hadn’t Afghanistan? Allason lists the German wireless intercept units read this book, since she went to Vienna when Along the way he became a publicity and their processing of the Allied messages they Hitler was in Munich. (She was also very agent for a time, and got embroiled with an intercepted, along with the Allied communica- clumsy, as she got arrested and executed for interesting set of people. He was represented tions (and deceptive communications) units. the murder.) Gero von Rengsdorf (of Nitay by Louis Nizer and faced Roy Cohn in court. Then the people we all know and love got Arbel’s Operation Flash (2019; reviewed in One of his business partners (who got out nvolved. IVAN/TRICYCLE (Dusko Popov) Alexiad V. 18 #3 & V. 18 #5)) seems to have before getting sucked dry) was Thomas continued his high living in unrationed Lisbon, done so as indicated by his choice of a trigger Lanphier, the man who shot down Yamamoto passing on his news from the exiled Yugoslav instead of a time fuze. Isoroku. government. ARABEL/GARBO (Juan Pujol And then, there is the Glöder problem And then he died in 1979, just too soon to Garcia) with his well-placed set of notional (Making History by Stephen Fry (2014)) of see the end of his plans. His estate was some- agents sent along hints and inductions, some super competent successor, a matter what disheveled, as he had five children, four (mis)leading the Germans on. considered in our time-line by the planners for ex-wives, and an outdated will. Far too much Other lesser agents had their moments. Not Operation FOXLEY. It should be noted that of the money went for legal expenses. to mention the original Blofeld, OSTRO (Paul the BBC panel which reviewed the matter And then, and then . . . it turned out that Fidrmuc), who was the target of some concern concluded that no Glöder was forthcoming (see after having been denounced by McCarthy as lest he guess right. the documentary Killing Hitler (2003; re- a Soviet agent, he became a Soviet agent! It’s The Germans were riven by strategic dis- viewed in Alexiad V. 8 #3). not clear that he could have passed informa- putes, whether to have the counterattack force Reading this book would make one think tion to the KGB (or GRU). John Walker he near the beach, ready to intervene, or well in we live in a very low-probability time line, wasn’t. But he was an agent of influence, reserve, to be sent to the most desperate part of given the inhuman luck with which the Führer though how much actual influence he had was the front. And whether to defend at the Pas de escaped death time and again. It is a reminder another matter. A shady businessman, always Calais, which had abundant ports and was of the evil that man can do. wheeling and dealing, may not be the best or closest to the enemy, or other, more distant most reliable source out there. But you go venues. HORSE NEWS with what you can get. It is noteworthy that the Germans never by Lisa Karr comes across as another one of the suspected any of their sources. Granted, there lousy businessmen who had KGB ties, up may have been incentive to overstate the Allied The Saddlebred World Championship was there with Armand Hammer and Robert strength but their lack of concern is in keeping held at the state fair here in Louisville. World Maxwell. Indeed, he claimed that at one point with the lower status given to intelligence Champion Five Gaited was Boucheron. Alexiad October 2019 Page 7

Last Sunday Joe and I head to Lexington the closest match I find to her are spitting spi- Being the occasionally interesting ramblings of to see the Futurity. It is a gray drizzly day but ders. To my relief they are not dangerous to a major-league technophile. even so we still get to see the fastest filly humans. That does not change the fact that she trotter and a magnificent colt named Green- is blocking my path to the backyard I am clear- Setting a Baseline shoe win the Futurity. Our admission to the ing out a little at a time. The problem resolved track is free and I wonder at this even as I itself. I went to her website last night and she Any competent engineer (or navigator, for enjoy it. It is not long before I discover what was gone. I am of two minds at this. She was in that matter) will tell you, in order to know is probably the reason for this. The track has the way and would have been so for the rest of where you're going you need to know where installed slot machines in a dimly lit area. The the summer because I could not have made you've been. That is, you need a frame of machines raise my hackles. I cannot help myself kill her. She was, though, an interesting reference. finding them repulsive and wondering if it is creature new to me and even had a subtle beauty If you're trying to measure the effect some- really good for mental health to sit in this dim quite unlike my favorites, the striking black and thing has, you are just guessing if you don't lighting and focus on mere machines. I remind gold argiopes. know what the situation was beforehand. Some myself that I am no psychiatrist and that the of the greatest blunders in history (not just in people do have a right to spend their time and science, either) resulted from people assuming money as they choose. Still, drizzle and all, I BUYING AND NOT BUYING that what they observed after taking some will take my day over theirs. It is quite possi- by Lisa action was an improvement, or any change at ble, however, that the slot machine players all. Because they hadn't bothered to confirm think it is crazy to be out in the drizzle watch- Last payday I failed to hold to my principles. what the situation was before making the ing horses circle around a track instead of I passed by the display of Dollar Tree wash- change. being warm and dry in front of a slot machine. cloths and could not resist one, even though As one example, during the Second World And perhaps they are right. they were made in China and I really did not War Germany kept increasing their output of need more washcloths. They have been the little aircraft, tanks and other implements of war. Death at the Bookdrop luxury I miss most. I did enjoy unfurling them Considering their early successes with what by Lisa in water. I liked also finding new ones and my they were building at the start of the War, for old favorites of Wonder Woman, Beauty and most of that period they should have been Last week I went out to get the bookdrop the Beast and Cinderella. They are also a neat constantly increasing their conquests! How- and there was a flash of black and red as texture for washcloths. ever, Great Britain increased their output even something scuttled back out of sight. I tilted Twice at the Hopkinsville Walmart I have more, and that was a shade of what the US was the bin up for a better look. The mysterious passed on Breyer models because they come doing, which pales in comparison to what the something is a black spider with an odd red from China. The first time I went home with a Russians were building! Once their opponents mark on its body. Unsure of its species I featuring an anchor and which got on a war production footing, the Germans sought pictures of black widow spiders on the reminded me of my father. The second time I were vastly outproduced, in spite of constantly net. My heart sank at what I found, for this went home with a pizza eating shark beach improving their own production. The German spider is a perfect match for those pictures. towel also from India but which did not remind command looked at how much they were And this deadly little creature has chosen to me of my father. This being September, though, producing and the increases there, and simply build her web right where I have to put my the season of beach towels has passed except didn’t understood just how much more than foot to push the bin back into its place. I know perhaps at thrift stores and Amazon. I am some- that the Allies were putting out. she is innocent of intent to harm me and that what leery of Amazon since I cannot see the It didn't help that the Germans often fo- she has no idea that by doing so she has made country of origin as I can at Walmart. cused on an unnecessarily high quality of it inevitable that I have to kill her. I am not In August Joe and I went to the State Fair. It production in many areas, wasting valuable about to risk a bite to capture and relocate her. was very hot that day and so we stayed inside as resources on things which didn't need to be that Nor do I dare put myself at risk to do it hu- much as possible. We looked over the exhibits. good. The Germans had a gas mask container manely. I acquired several inkpens for my inkpen collec- for foot soldiers which was made of corrugated When my shift is over I get a bottle of tion and we had our yearly ice cream. I looked sheet steel, with a complicated fastener. The spray soap and head out to the bookdrop, at some horse models but they were all Chinese. US used a canvas bag with simple snaps. The hoping that something has warned her of I instead bought some handmade Ugandan engines for German military aircraft were danger and sent her to a safer place. It has not. spoons for my silverware collection. They are exquisitely machined in places where that She is still where I cannot coexist with her. I wood, not stainless steel but they are pretty and wasn't needed for performance, yet they ran on harden my heart and began spraying her with sold by a local business. 80 Octane gasoline. (On the other hand, while the soap that will suffocate her. She made a each V2 rocket took about the same amount of break for the mall and I chased her, my heart The Joy of High Tech materials and manufacturing work as a medium pounding with fear that she will escape and by Rodford Edmiston bomber, by that time in the war the Germans get into the mall. She reverses direction and usually weren't getting the bombers back from runs in my direction. I kept spraying her with flights over Britain, either, and the planes were the soap and finally she stops running. Her taking vital aircrew with them.) little body convulses with her struggle to Part of the problem of finding a baseline is breathe but finally she is still. I lean against that a situation may be constantly changing. the bookdrop and fight the urge to throw up. It (During WWII rapid improvements in technol- was self-defense but still I have killed some- ogy even rendered some baselines obsolete. thing that had no intention of harming me and Once you have radar, you don’t need to keep which could not help being a threat. building improved audio aircraft detectors. No Saturday morning I discover that a mostly matter how much larger those giant concrete white or very clear gray spider with some dark reflectors are now vs then, radar renders them markings has built a web in our back passage- all obsolete.) Even the way a situation changes way. I find a spider guidebook at Main Li- may change. This is especially true with regard brary and look through it. I had hoped our new to natural phenomena. One of the greatest tenant was some variety of garden spider but revolutions in the human understanding of the Page 8 October 2019 Alexiad universe was accepting the depth of time, A large part of determining what your base- nation. closely followed by how that amount of time line is comes from determining when it is. I Problem is, as far as I can tell, most SF is expands what may happen. Mountains rise used to do trendline analysis of highway traffic still written by men. And I’ve encountered and wear away. Continents split, with oceans for a living. We knew to generally ignore traffic feminists online who say they will nominate filling the gap; then they crash together, count and composition data from before the late and vote only for women until some point of squeezing the water out, including down- Sixties. The development of the Interstate social justice is reached. wards. Even on the scale of human lifetimes, Highway System had so altered travel in the a single flood can change the course of a river, that the earlier information was * There is nothing to indicate that Nicoll’s shifting landmarks. Wars have been fought not only useless, but including it could distort posting has been closed to comment — because one party thought the old marker was the modern results. Add in the more local conse- except that no comments at all have been here and another thought it was there. quences of malls opening, drive-in theaters posted since September 12th. The Colorado River Compact of 1922 — closing and bypasses being constructed around a legal agreement on how to divvy up the towns, and finding a baseline for traffic be- 2019 Worldcon water in that area — was based on rainfall and comes very complicated, indeed. Con report by Sue Burke river level measurements which turned out to So, the next time someone declares victory have been made during one of the two wettest or success, try to find out the context. They may Future should be held in a 100 year periods in the past 1200 years. Over actually be going backwards. Tardis. Popular events could be put on a time most of the past several decades the law loop so anyone could attend even if they con- allocated more water than was in the river! GENDER AND THE HUGO flicted with other programming. More impor- Reservoirs in most places fluctuate from year AWARDS tantly, every room for panels, ceremonies, to year, with heavy rainfall years making up by Taras Wolansky readings, or other events could be bigger on the for drought years. However, in most of the inside than the outside so everyone would fit Colorado River watershed, reservoirs have I had been away from Tor.com for a while. in. been going down almost steadily in recent Recently I tried posting a comment — and got At the 77th Worldcon, held August 15 to 19 decades. Add global warming and the changes disappeared again. in Dublin, Ireland, space became the big issue, it is bringing to local rainfall and snowfall and The comment was in response to a Septem- as it has at some previous Worldcons. The you have a disaster in progress. ber 10th* article by the hitherto reliable James convention was sold out at about 5,800 people, Living things can also change the environ- Davis Nicoll, “Gender and the Hugo Awards, by which was a few more than the Convention ment, often in ways which aren't obvious until the Numbers”. Nicoll deploys statistics, appar- Centre Dublin (CCD) could handle. To accom- something causes the living things to change. ently trying to prove that nomina- modate that, the Spencer Hotel hosted chil- For thousands of years, bison were the tions have always discriminated against one sex dren’s programming. The Odeon Point Square, dominant large mammal over much of North or another, women for most of its history and a movie theater and unfinished commercial America. (In a bit of local history, this ex- men in recent years. space almost a kilometer from the CCD, hosted plains why there’s a road (and distillery) I caught a pretty fair copy of my comments the Art Show, book launches, acoustic con- named Buffalo Trace near where I live in before they evaporated. Here they are: certs, craft workshops, art projects, displays, Frankfort, Kentucky.) Because of what the autographs, some panels, and the academic bison ate, how they traveled, what seeds stuck In this kind of discussion, the problem program. However, crowds at Point Square to their coats or were left in their droppings, usually lies in choosing the wrong baseline. were bigger than that space could handle, too. they determined what grew. Not just the Let’s say we find that the Xenolinguistics Convention volunteers and venue staff did plants, either. The predators, the scavengers, faculty at Proxima U is 5% Andorians, when the best they could for crowd control and the entire ecology of much of North America Andorians make up 15% of the population of remained cheerful and efficient, but for me and was shaped by the vast herds of bison. Proxima b. Proof of discrimination in hiring? many others, it meant I attended less than I The bison themselves only achieved domi- Not if only 5% of xenolinguistics Ph.D.’s wished. I would pick an event I really wanted nance after their predecessors — which in- are Andorians. If there is any discrimination, to go to and get in line at least a half-hour in cluded great herbivores such as massive then it’s upstream from Proxima U. advance. Afterwards, I’d find the queue to the ground sloths and woolly mammoths and Of course, the real explanation may simply next favored event but forego any program- predators such as smilodon fatalis — died out. be that Vulcans are particularly interested in ming in the intervening hour. With the bison effectively gone (though they (and good at) xenolinguistics, and if they are Despite the inconvenience, the snaking have made minor comebacks in some areas) overrepresented, then other species must neces- queues became good places to meet new peo- the environment of the western US changed sarily be underrepresented. ple. dramatically. To apply this to the current case: in those The Auditorium held only 2,000, so events One of those minor comebacks of bison is days of yore when relatively few women were there required wristbands to get in, and we had in Yellowstone National Park. Reintroducing nominated for or won the Hugo Award, a) to line up in the afternoon to get them. I didn’t bison to Yellowstone caused systemwide women wrote relatively few attend the Opening Ceremony/1944 Retro changes in the environment, without humans stories, and b) the stories they wrote tended to Hugos, Masquerade, or Hugo Award Cere- doing anything else. New plants are growing, be or science . (Women SF mony. (During the Closing Ceremony, I was new animals thriving. The region is slowly writers with scientific or engineering back- standing in line at the airport). I wanted to get returning to the way it was before Europeans grounds were still very rare.) While Tanith Lee a wristband for the Hugo Awards, but the found it. Whether that return is what some and Marion Zimmer Bradley and Anne McCaf- queue was enormous and located outside, next individual human wants is irrelevant. The first frey produced much memorable work, they to the CCD, during a cold, windy rainstorm, so national park was created to preserve — and mostly chose to work away from what was then I abandoned that attempt. (In fairness to the in many ways restore — what used to be considered the core of the field. (Compare it to organizers, I’m not sure where else the queue there. Adding bison (and wolves) is helping the way that westerns and comedies rarely win could have been located. All available space fulfill that purpose. the Oscar.) inside the building was in use.) Sometimes it is safe to ignore data of more Similarly, if male writers had mysteriously Other than that, the convention was splen- than a certain age. In fact, you might have to stopped writing SF in the last few years, we did: well-organized and always on time. Events ignore it, if changes in circumstances render it could easily explain the shortage of male nomi- started at 9 a.m. with accessible yoga and a irrelevant. nees and winners without charging sex discrimi- “stroll with the stars” morning walk, and ended Alexiad October 2019 Page 9 in the wee hours at Martin Hoare’s Bar – the Bright Club Ireland, a stand-up comedy Best Fanzine known as Martin’s, named for the volunteer show. Steve Cross made an excessively deep who was to be Fan Bar Manager but who died textual reading of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Le Zombie, editor Wilson “Bob” Tucker a few weeks before the convention. Galaxy to determine the exact date that the Guests of Honour were Prof. Jocelyn Bell Earth is destroyed by the Vogons. (Listen to a Best Fan Writer Burnell, academic; Ginjer Buchanan, editor; version of it here on the BBC: Mary and Bill Burns, fans; Diane Duane, Forrest J Ackerman author; Steve Jackson, game designer; and Ian https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p05w5bkx) McDonald, author. They made themselves HUGO WINNERS available in interviews, panels, kaffeeklatches, ’s Saturday night “Dance Across Courtesy of File 770 and literary beers. Featured artists were Afua the Decades” turned one of the CCD halls into Richardson, Jim Fitzpatrick, Maeve Clancy, a three-hour writhing, rhythmic celebration of Best Novel and Sana Takeda. Special guests were artist fannish ecstacy. It may become legend. Its The Calculating Stars, by Mary Robinette Dr. Eleanor Wheeler, scientist Dr. Norah stomping, sweaty crowd no doubt broke at least Kowal (Tor) Patten, and astronaut Dr. Jeanette Epps. three distinct safety regulations, but the CCD The city of Dublin made visitors welcome staff wisely turned a blind eye. Best Novella with a good selection of hotels and other Artificial Condition, by Martha Wells accommodations, convenient trams and buses, RETRO-HUGO WINNERS (Tor.com Publishing) museums, sightseeing, restaurants, and bars. Courtesy of File 770 Like many people from overseas, I came early Best Novelette to tour the city and country, which was as Best Novel “If at First You Don’t Succeed, Try, Try green and beautiful as I’d been told. Again,” by Zen Cho (B&N SF and During the Worldcon, thousands of tempt- Conjure Wife, by Fritz Leiber, Jr. Fantasy Blog, 29 November 2018) ing events vied for attention. I was drawn to (Unknown Worlds, April 1943) panels, talks, readings, a couple of concerts, a Best Short Story medieval combat demonstration, a stand-up Best Novella “A Witch’s Guide to Escape: A Practical comedy show, and a dance; I wandered Compendium of Portal ,” by through the Art Show and Dealer’s area, The Little Prince, by Antoine de Alix E. Harrow (Apex Magazine, Feb- perused displays and fan tables, attended Saint-Exupéry (Reynal & Hitchcock) ruary 2018) parties, and spent a lot of time meeting friends from around the world. I could have also Best Novelette Best Series attended podcast recordings, plays, films, and Wayfarers, by Becky Chambers (Hodder & worships, gone on a treasure hunt, run through “Mimsy Were the Borogoves,” by Lewis Stoughton / Harper Voyager) the park, and joined in role-playing or board Padgett (C.L. Moore & Henry Kuttner) games: in the game room, 460 board games (Astounding Science-Fiction, February “Best Related Work” were loaned for play during the convention, 1943) Archive of Our Own, a project of the Orga- and Unstable Unicorns was most popular. nization for Transformative Works Convention organizers deserve praise for Best Short Story the volume, quality, and variety of program- Best Graphic Story ming, including some deftly made last-minute “King of the Gray Spaces” (“R is for Monstress, Volume 3: Haven, written by additions and changes due to crowds or popu- Rocket”), by (Famous Marjorie Liu, art by Sana Takeda (Im- lar demand. We never forgot for a moment the Fantastic Mysteries, December 1943) age Comics) delight of attending an Irish Worldcon and being wished a hearty fáilte (welcome) at Best Graphic Story Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form every turn. The convention newsletter, The Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Salmon of Knowledge, often included bits of Wonder Woman #5: Battle for Woman- screenplay by Phil Lord and Rodney local lore, such as the legendary origin of the hood, written by William Moulton Mar- Rothman, directed by , Giant’s Causeway. Good food and refresh- sden, art by Harry G. Peter (DC Comics) and Rodney Rothman ments were available at reasonable prices (Sony) throughout the CCD. Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form Like many people, I watched the Hugos in Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form the overflow viewing area, the Second Stage, Heaven Can Wait, written by Samson : “Janet(s),” written by with the ceremony live-streamed on a large Raphaelson, directed by Ernst Lubitsch Josh Siegal & Dylan Morgan, directed screen. The room had tables and a bar and a (20th Century Fox) by Morgan Sackett (NBC) rapt audience, so it wasn’t so bad. The cere- mony, with charming and enthusiastic present- Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form Best Professional Editor, Short Form ers, was marred only by a captioning Gardner Dozois system that we quickly learned to ignore after Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman, written it turned Ada Palmer’s references to Lord of by Curt Siodmak, directed by Roy Wil- Best Professional Editor, Long Form the Rings and to “bored with liam Neill (Universal Pictures) Navah Wolfe the rings” and “cream of thrones” during her introduction to the Campbell Award winner. Best Professional Editor, Short Form Best Professional Artist Of course there was a word or two by the Charles Vess evening’s recipients that ignited controversy, John W. Campbell but that’s a feature of the Hugos, not a bug, Best Semiprozine and it seems to have accomplished something. Best Professional Artist Uncanny Magazine, publishers For me, one of the many high moments of editors-in-chief Lynne M. Thomas and the convention came on Saturday evening at Virgil Finlay Michael Damian Thomas, managing Page 10 October 2019 Alexiad

editor Michi Trota, podcast producers Thrawn: Alliances by Long Form Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky, Mary Robinette Kowal, The Calculating Disabled People Destroy Science Fic- Best Horror Novel Stars, Tor tion Special Issue editors-in-chief Elsa Sjunneson-Henry and Dominik Parisi- Little Darlings by Melanie Golding Special Achievement Sidewise Award en Eric Flint Best Comic Book For his ongoing encouragement of the “Best Fanzine” genre of alternate history through his Lady Business, editors Ira, Jodie, KJ, Saga by Brian K. Vaughan, support of the community and writers Renay & Susan developed around his 1632 series. Best Graphic Novel Best Fancast WORLDCON BIDS Our Opinions Are Correct, hosted by X-Men: Grand Design – Second Genesis Annalee Newitz and Charlie Jane An- by Ed Piskor 2022 ders Chicago Best Science Fiction or Fantasy TV Series Mid-August — Labor Day Weekend “Best Fan Writer” https://chicagoworldconbid.org/ Foz Meadows Good Omens, Amazon Prime 2023 “Best Fan Artist” Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Movie Chengdu Likhain (Mia Sereno) August, 2023 : Endgame by Anthony Russo, Joe http://www.worldconinchina.com/index-e.html Best Art Book Russo The Books of : The Complete Memphis, Tennessee Illustrated Edition, illustrated by Best Science Fiction or Fantasy PC / Console August 23-27, 2023 Charles Vess, written by Ursula K. Le Game https://www.memphis23.org/ Guin (Saga Press /Gollancz) Red Dead Redemption 2 by Rockstar Nice, France John W. Campbell Award for Best New Games August 2-6, 2023 Writer http://worldconinfrance.org/en/ Jeannette Ng (2nd year of eligibility) Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Mobile Game New Orleans Eastasia is at war with Oceania. : Wizards Unite by , (On hiatus) Eastasia has always been at war with WB Games San Francisco Oceania. 2024 Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Board Game Glasgow Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult August 8-12, 2014 Book Betrayal Legacy by Games http://glasgow2024.org/ Children of Blood and Bone, by Tomi Adeyemi (Henry Holt / Macmillan Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Miniatures / 2025 Children’s Books) Collectible Card / Role-Playing Game Seattle Mid-August 2025 DRAGON AWARD WINNERS Call of Cthulhu: Masks of Nyarlathotep Courtesy of File 770 Slipcase Set by Inc. Perth, Australia (On hiatus) Best Science Fiction Novel OTHER AWARDS WORLDCON A Star-Wheeled Sky by Brad R. Torgersen EUGIE FOSTER AWARD 2020 Best Fantasy Novel (Including Paranormal) “When We Were Starless” by Simone ConNZealand Heller (Clarkesworld) Wellington, New Zealand House of Assassins by July 29-August 2, 2020 THE HANK REINHARDT http://ConNZealand.nz/ Best Young Adult / Middle Grade Novel AWARD 2021 Bloodwitch by Susan Dennard Edward Decree DisCon III Washington, D.C. Best or Fantasy THE JULIE AWARD August 25-29, 2021 Novel http://discon3.org/ George Perez Uncompromising Honor by SIDEWISE AWARDS NASFiC Best Alternate History Novel Courtesy of Amazing Stories https://amazingstories.com/2019/10/134755/ 2020 Black Chamber by S.M. Stirling Columbus, Ohio Short Form August 20-23, 2020 Best Media Tie-In Novel Oscar (Xiu) Ramirez and Emmanuel http://columbus2020nasfic.org Valtierra, Codex Valtierra Alexiad October 2019 Page 11

trotters. pened to them, or to my complete collection of Letters, we get letters — LTM state quarters. There’s an interesting tidbit about Philip I have undoubtedly read the Ann Rule book II’s brief consortship to Bloody Mary Tudor. already, but it doesn’t sound familiar. I have to At one point he advised the English to build up disagree slightly with the implication of the their navy. I’m sure he later regretted that conclusion of the article: they deserved a lot advice. worse than life in a penitentiary. I hope Joy Smith already realizes it, but I saw Destination Moon some months back Joseph’s anecdote about the Australian voter on TCM. It turns out that George Pal was a (Mawson) in Antarctica was fictional, applying good friend of cartoonist Walter Lantz, so when current law to a century-old historical example. they explain their plans to the potential inves- (The Mawon-Mertz story is an epic of Antarc- tors, it’s in the form of a Woody Woodpecker tic exploration. You can look it up on cartoon. wikipedia, or ask Joseph — he loves to dis- Captain Ahab was a monomaniac about course on such stories!) getting the White Whale, but he wasn’t the sort From: Timothy Lane August 17, 2019 to turn pirate. When the Parsee told him that Mawson’s Will: The Greatest [email protected] “hemp only can kill thee”, he thought that could Polar Survival Story Ever Written only refer to hanging, and he would never do by Lennard Bickel (1977, 2000). It’s interesting, and may be deliberate, that anything to earn that. — JTM your discussion of conspiracy theories was I wonder what Maxwell Knight thought of sent shortly after the death of Jeffrey Epstein, the hanging of William Joyce as a radio traitor I agree emphatically with John Purcell’s which has generated a few of its own. Given on the grounds that he started making Nazi take on How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I the phenomenally abysmal watch he received, propaganda broadcasts before formally expatri- can’t imagine anything ever replacing the it’s at least possible that someone made sure ating himself. This was probably inevitable, but original with the narration by Boris Karloff. that he would find it easy to commit suicide. I think a better alternative was to make him Elizabeth once got me a Grinch figure, which After all, there really are conspiracies. remain a German after the war. (As I recall, was left with nearly everything else we had in Cousin Abe was killed by one organized by something similar happens with Kim Philby in our now-sold house. (They just recently got John Wilkes Booth, and a conspiracy of Puerto Forsyth’s The Fourth Protocol.) my application for an absentee ballot for this Rican nationalists tried to get Harry Truman. I remember Grant explaining the plot of the year, and I pointed out that the nursing home is James Earl Ray’s escape after assassinating Skylark series and the way the villainous race now my permanent residence and the house Martin Luther King was, at the least, very (the Fenachrone) kept getting wiped out, and I’m officially registered at isn’t even ours suspicious. then recovering. (Something similar would be anymore.) Technically, the change in who holds the done with the villains in the Lensman series as I don’t think there were any actual white Bismarck title isn’t exactly monarchical news. well.) Perhaps Rod Smith has the right explana- slaves in America, but for a long time there The Iron Chancellor was never a monarch, tion, that he carried the series further than he were indentured servants. In addition, I will though he arguably played a larger role in originally intended. Grant noted similarly that note that the similarity of “Slav” and “slave” is running Prussia and then Imperial Germany after a certain point, each Lensman book could hardly an accident. than William I did, and certainly more than the have ended the series. I have a few comments on George W. moribund Frederick III. Would you also Well, the Dragon Awards do include one Price’s discussion of the Dred Scott case. First, report on whatever heirs there might be to book I’ve read (Weber’s Uncompromising the militia at that time meant all white males of Richelieu, Mazarin, and (especially) Colbert? Honor) and one I probably will read if/when I suitable age. Different states had different can get hold of a copy (Stirling’s Black Cham- levels of organization. In the slave states, The last Duc de Richelieu, ber). Amazing. militia could be called out in the event of a Marie Odet Jean Armand de la Taral’s colloquy with Joseph on the subject slave revolt, but that was rather rare. Chapelle de Saint-Jean de of SF/F today is one I can understand. There’s I will also note that a book I read on the Jumilhac, died in 1952. Mazarin probably a reason most of my SF reading is right to vote many years ago mentioned that, at had nieces who married into vari- alternate history of one sort or another. That’s the founding, voting restrictions were primarily ous noble families. Colbert’s el- basically the fictional equivalent of reading based on property. As a result, a few women der son was the Marquis de history (which I also still read). and free blacks were wealthy enough to qual- Seignelay, French Minister of the ify, and were able to vote in a few states. As navy; his younger son was Arch- But now, alternate history property requirements were eliminated, women bishop of Rouen. books are winning the Hugo, or and blacks were formally excluded even in whatever they’re going to call it those states that had previously allowed them. So let me get this straight. The first legs of after the next protest. There was That’s an interesting solution to vaccination the Trotting and Pacing Triple Crowns are at always The Man In the High Castle resistance, though it might be hard to link any the same track on the same day, and likewise (1963) but nowadays you’ve got particular unvaccinated person as a source of the second leg? That seems weird. I wouldn’t Jonathan Strange & Mr Norell infection. have thought the same track would have (2005), The Yiddish Policemen’s I think 300,000 black slaves actually taken trotting and pacing races, especially on the Union (2008), and now The Calcu- by Europeans as opposed to bought from black same day. lating Stars. slavers such as the Dahomey could be true. It should be remembered that more slaves went to Both trotters and pacers are Way back when, I accumulated a scattering Brazil than to the West Indies, and more to the and race on the of contemporary coins I got hold of (probably West Indies to North America. Not to mention same tracks, just in different races mostly when we were in Greece) from various the slaves the Boers held until Britain freed for each. Pacers tend to be faster countries. Most probably would now be consid- them. I doubt all of those were bought from so it is not considered fair for ered collectible rather than legal tender, though other tribes. them to compete with the slower not worth much. I have no idea what has hap- Page 12 October 2019 Alexiad

From: Joy V. Smith August 20, 2019 next is Wellington, New Zealand. I guess we benefit that came from it is that my insomnia is 8925 Selph Road, Lakeland, FL can keep track of where Worldcon is going, for the most part gone. Yvonne’s assignment 33810-0341 USA even if we can’t go. with her former employer has only four weeks [email protected] left in it, to her relief, and I will be going in for http://www.joyvsmith.com/ Steve Francis had had qualms a second interview with an advertising agency about both the Dublin and the New next week. When Yvonne finally retires, I hope Thanks for all the reviews; it saves me a Zealand Worldcons. The Dublin to be bringing in some income, just in time. lot of time! Ah, it’s been a while since I’ve one, he said, didn’t have a large The event in Ottawa was tremen- thought about the Skylark of Space series — enough facility, and reports agree dous fun, but was a one-off gala event. not in my library now; I wouldn’t mind read- with that. He wondered if New My lack of optimism on fan funds stems ing the first one at least again. Thanks to Zealand fandom had enough people from some of the response we got about CUFF Rodford Edmiston for the background. to properly run a Worldcon. (we raised about Can$1000 for the fund while Lisa, it sounds like you had a good time at not really touching any of the money already in the Breyer fest. (Btw, I have a friend with a The loccol… I love cats, but I’d take a it), and the reaction I got when making inqui- fantastic collection of Breyer horses, which puppy, too. They are so social and potentially ries about our own TAFF candidacy. I think the she’s been collecting for years!) affectionate, and for some people I know, that is fan funds have their purpose, and they help to I enjoyed the con reports too and thanks to more than they deserve. I often think dogs are spread smiling faces around the world, but I Taral Wayne for the movie reviews: Aquaman, more than we all deserve, but I am glad they are think we were not considered optimal candi- Mary Poppins Returns, and Early Man. Saves there, for they are usually our unconditional dates for TAFF, given we rarely if ever drink. me more time. (I usually google movies that I friends, and they will love you when no one else That shouldn’t be a reason, but… come across on TV, which saves me time — wants you. 106… I have many of the central fannish and mental anguish.) texts as either hardcovers or e-files, and I hope Nancy Kress has a story you that they will remain available as e-texts, long Mary Poppins has a bag which would probably like. I can’t after publishing paper books becomes a curios- is bigger inside than outside and remember its title but it’s in the ity. she takes crazy adventures with collection titled The Best of Nancy The locol…I am glad that Taral is noticing adoring companions. She is a Kress, along with a good story how many letters I write, but I must be the only Time Lord. (Just wait until she about Anne Boleyn. one who gets all the fanzines I do receive. I can regenerates into Fran Fine of — LTM report that I wrote a total of 185 locs in 2018, The Nanny.) and so far this year, I have written 90, which — JTM You are right about the fan Hugo nomi- means I am still falling behind. I still have a nees…by the looks of it, changes in the award pile of locs to write on the zines I have, but More info and reviews in the LOCs. Thank definitions now means that we no longer qualify these days, time seldom allows. When the cool you all! (I would like to read the Murderbot to win those awards. Same goes for the Aurora weather returns, perhaps I can catch up. Taral sequel: “Artificial Condition.” Should put it on awards, too. I guess we do what we do for the and I are both proof that when the interest my Amazon wish list.) sake of doing it, and keeping busy. wanes, and it has done for many of us, we find something else that also has a fandom within it. From: Lloyd Penney August 23, 2019 It’s not just that. With two We need the interaction with others. (Taral’s 1706-24 Eva Road, Etobicoke, ON superb books on the history of the graphic… 11 Hugo nominations and one Au- M9C 2B2 CANADA field to consider, the “Best Re- rora nomination. Mine is quite opposite…1 [email protected] lated Work” was a website that Hugo nomination and 18 Aurora nominations. http://lloydpenney.livejournal.com/ published fan fiction. At least I won that twice.) I realize that the August 1 deadline for Fannish history is replaying, Alexiad 105 blew right past me, and I also now the second time as farce. We’ve have issue 106. As usual for me, these days, it already had an attempt to redo is time to catch up and so here is a loc on both the Boondoggle, now we’ve got the issues. Futurians all over again. 105… It is difficult to not buy Chinese —JTM because it truly is everywhere. China is giving Canada a hard time because we detained a John Purcell’s letter…I do hope the fan Huawei executive per our agreement with the funds can be better run in the future, and that US. It is making life difficult, but not impossi- everyone can participate. I can report that ble. I do not accuse John Scalzi of anything, CUFF has sprung to life again, with Fran but the Fan Auroras awards here are now Skene being this year’s CUFF delegate at usually won by people who are either pros CanCon in Ottawa, which I believe is also the doing nonpro stuff, or friends of the pros. As annual Canvention this year. a result, fans don’t really participate any more, Sue Burke, my flip phone is just that, my which kinda seals the deal. phone. I also have a Samsung tablet that may Well, with what’s happened…Washington need replacing soon. Together, they are my did get its Worldcon, and Discon III will take smartphone. At least, when one fails, or is place in 2021. The idea of a Chinese World- My loc… Indeed, why are the things that replaced, I am not entirely out of the loop, or con in 2023 is causing some discussion, espe- taste good so bad for you? If we could get inconvenienced. Al du Pisani… Yvonne is cially with the current US/China trade war, Brussels sprouts to taste like chocolate, we’d retired by now, and I am about five years away. and the fact that China is holding two Cana- have it made. But, we are of the age where we I know that as the most expensive city in Can- dian businessmen in exchange for the Huawei must watch our weight and food intake, and I ada, I know that once we are both retired with executive being held for the US in Vancouver. will admit that everything fits much better now. limited income, we simply won’t be able to The Dublin Worldcon is recently done, and Our trip to England was spectacular, and one afford to live in Toronto any more. We can Alexiad October 2019 Page 13 barely do it now. We’ve never been able to flooding around Houston and the lowlands over Station, Texas at the Hilton Hotel and Conven- afford to buy a house, and rents are becoming to Louisiana is extensive. Fortunately Imelda tion Center over the March 13-15, 2020 week- insane. SFFSA continues to put out wonderful has now pretty much petered out, but the dam- end. The membership list is growing, and issues of Probe, and they continue to send age is done. I hope all of our friends in that area information regarding memberships and room them to me. I hope I am not a financial burden are safe. reservations, etc., is easily found at on the club. Ah, I see you and I have yet another thing in www.corflu.org, If any Alexiad readers wish to There we are. Sorry that I missed that common: dunning phone calls and junk mail join us, we look forward to seeing you there. August deadline, but I won’t miss the October selling Medicare insurance and extended auto That should do it for today. I have some one. Thank you for these two issues, and I warranties. Recognizing them for what they are online grading to do today, so I had best get on wish us all improved health as the birthdays — a waste of time, paper, and money — I don’t with it. pile up. Take care. bother answering phone calls that display as In the meantime, thank you for the re- “unknown caller” and promptly delete those minder email to write before the deadline hits. From: Robert S. Kennedy Sept. 17, 2019 messages, and the paper waste of not only those I bruise so easily. 5301 East Warm Springs Avenue, Apt. ads coming in through the snail mail but also the B306, Boise, ID 83716-6205 USA auto warranty mail all gets shredded and dump- [email protected] ed into the recycling container. It is entirely possible that what we shred might eventually My thanks for Vol. 18 No. 4 (June 2019, end up back in our mailbox as reconstituted Whole Number 106). extended auto warranty mail. The cycle contin- Thank you for your book reviews, espe- ues. cially TRIUMPHANT: The Genesis Fleet by Your note about the inter-relatedness of “Jack Campbell” (John G. Hemry) and Queen Elizabeth II and Boris Johnson — who AGENT M: The Lives and Spies of M15's might not be prime minister much longer, one Maxwell Knight by Henry Hemming. I’ll try can hope — is something that is very common and obtain them from the library. to ruling classes in Europe, or anywhere in the The convention reports by Leigh Kimmel world, for that matter. It happens in America, are enjoyed. too: witness the Kennedy, Roosevelt, Harrison, The continuing movie reviews by Taral and Bush clans, or the families that inhabit the Wayne are very much appreciated. It would top 5% income earners. They love to keep it, be nice if he could have a review or reviews of even it means marrying cousins. Just the some movies that he really liked. thought of that makes my stomach hurt. George W. Price: Thank you for your response to my question regarding the new The only case I can think of mayor of Chicago, Lori Lightfoot. there was that Franklin and Elea- Sue Burke: So you’re 64 years old, but nor Roosevelt were fifth cousins. From: George W. Price September 25, 2019 you don’t feel old. That’s good. I’m 86 and Eleanor was Teddy’s niece by his 4418 N. Monitor Avenue, Chicago, IL sometimes I feel old, but not always. I hardly alcoholic brother Elliott. 60630-3333 USA remember 64. Anyway, you’re just a young- — JTM [email protected] ster. There are people here in the CCRC where I live who consider me a youngster. Some very interesting books reviewed in August Alexiad: this issue. The one titled Agent M I am likely Joe’s “Reviewer’s Notes” discusses con- From: John Purcell September 22, 2019 going to check out of our local public library — spiracy theories, and how they are usually 3744 Marielene Circle, College Sta- if it’s on the shelves, that is — which is reopen- framed in a way that makes them impossible to tion, TX 77845 ing tomorrow morning (Sept. 23rd). Even before refute. Indeed so. Arguing with conspiraphiles [email protected] their extensive 16 month remodeling/expansion is useless. began, the Larry J. Ringer Library had a good As I think I’ve said before, when someone Good morning, Joe and Lisa. I hope the selection of Jack Campbell books. In fact, the offers a conspiracy theory, I like to test its fall season is treating you well now that it has SF section there has always been extensive, so likelihood by asking him two rather obvious arrived. Here deep in the heart of I am very much looking forward to going in to questions: SouthCentralEastern Texas this has happened renew my library card next week and spend only in name: summer weather essentially some serious browsing time while there. They (1) If this is such a deep secret, how did lasts until Thanksgiving weekend, and re- have enlarged their holdings and shelving areas he find out about it? sumes around Easter. There is never a real a lot. (2) For this conspiracy to work, how “winter” here. A nice selection of con reports this issue many people would have to be in on makes me realize that I need to write up it, and is this a small enough num- We had nasty heat until just a ArmadilloCon 41, which Valerie and I attended ber to be trusted to keep the secret? few days ago. Overnight we went at the beginning of August. We had a good time from running air conditioner to there, meeting and chatting with assorted writers It often turns out that the conspiracy was running heaters. and artists (Joe Lansdale, John Picacio, Sarah not leaked to him — no, he figured it out by — LTM Felix, William Ledbetter, etc.), and fan friends himself, and it just has to be true “because such as John Gibbons, Matthew Tepper (he was nothing else makes sense.” Weather related news: Valerie and I are there promoting the upcoming LosCon he is A deeper question is why so many people fine here. Tropical Storm Imelda has pum- chairing this year), Charles Tolliver, and many are so eager to believe these concoctions. I meled the far southeast region of Texas, from others. It was a pleasant weekend, and we look suppose part of it is a desire to be one-up on the Houston metro area and over into Louisi- forward to returning next year. other people: “I know something you don’t ana. The heaviest hit area is around Beaumont, Speaking of conventions, as you probably know.” which may never dry out: in some locations know, I am chairing Corflu 37, the fanzine fan’s However, I strongly suspect that a more over three feet has fallen this past week. The convention, which will be held here in College compelling reason is that to certain people the Page 14 October 2019 Alexiad existence of conspiracies is actually comfort- — which is even closer to the famous news ing that each crime was its own offense, and ing, because it helps make sense of the world. anchor. But in 1955 when Anderson must have did not deserve more punishment than it had It terrifies them to think that world-shaking written the story, Walter Cronkite had only just the first time. Leland McLemore was a very events like Kennedy’s assassination can have started his career at CBS. He hosted “You Are fair man—he wasn’t concerned with winning trivial causes. They just can’t believe that a There” 1953-1957, and didn’t become the top or losing, only in getting us to think about our worthless sack of shit like Oswald could, all news anchor until 1962. So the similarity of views and examine them for flaws. But the by himself, bring down the leader of the Free names was probably just wild coincidence. For class debate was only punishment or rehabilita- World. There just has to be more to it than what it’s worth, “Krankheit” is German for tion. I strongly doubt either of the perps in the that. “sickness.” examples here would have benefitted from That Secret Masters are running things either and changed their ways. But protecting behind the scenes — even though the masters In his notes on the story in The us from them makes perfect sense, I think. are wicked — is far less scary than having to Best of Poul Anderson (1976), An- Re: Musk and companies: Anyone thinking believe that no one at all is in charge. That derson said that was the origin of that the failure of Tesla means SpaceX is a would leave the conspiraphile staring into the the name, and praised Walter for fraudulent fund-raiser (I think that’s the point abyss. And that is horrifying. his Apollo coverage. being suggested in the Destination Moon segment) needs to also consider his Boring * * * * * * * * * * company. Hyperloop or not, the company is succeeding in getting public money to have I notice that Lisa’s comments are now in a governments take a look at its projects. larger and much more readable type face. Thank you for the change. https://www.boringcompany.com/projects * * * * * If not Musk, someone else — note the long record of thrilling Taras Wolansky takes exception to my space ventures (Pournelle and figure of 300,000 as an upper limit for the Heinlein were both charmed by number of black Africans captured by European OTRAG) that never got anywhere. and American slave raiders. He puts it closer to I’ve mentioned the Artemis Pro- zero percent: “the white slave traders barely got ject before, not to mention Ro- off their ships, much less invaded the interior, tary Rocket. and merely waited for the black kings of the — JTM Slave Coast to bring the slaves to them.” Well, Taras is very likely right. I did not remember an RE: Agent M — it should surprise no one exact figure, and guessed at “300,000” as a that the kind of person who engages in the spy generous upper bound to the uncertainty. business has no business being trusted by If the current push for “reparations” gets anyone. I am reminded of a Georgette Heyer serious, should we demand that part of the novel, where the gentleman of Bonnie Prince reparations be paid by the descendants of those Charlie’s era has a portfolio of documents to be African kings who actually captured and sold hauled out at need. He only needed one to Rodford Edmiston’s “Joy of High Tech” the slaves? ‘scape whipping, and so the rest of the file was discusses the pseudoscience used by Doc stored away. He should, of course, have turned Smith in his “Skylark” stories. Slavery existed since ages over everything. Or destroyed everything. But Alas, on occasion Doc also got the real agone, among almost every people. he’s not like you and me. He’s like MI5, the science wrong. Unless you are a woke Twitter CIA, or the FBI. For all the information that I particularly remember several scenes in mobster, for whom slavery is gets turned over to the PM, there’s always the Lensman series in which frigid-blooded unique to Faschist AmeriKKKa. something held back. Nadreck visits humans in their natural envi- — JTM Arriving soon: A Republic, If You Can Keep ronment, which to him is extremely hot. Most It, by Neil Gorsuch notably, when Nadreck and other From: Lloyd Daub September 29, 2019 Arriving someday: Interference: a novel frigid-blooded Lensmen attend Kinnison’s 6535 W. English Meadows Drive D205, (Semiosis Duology) by Sue Burke; The wedding, their “fiercely-laboring refrigerators Greenfield, WI 53220-3995 USA Andromeda Evolution by Michael Crichton; chilled the atmosphere for yards around” [email protected] The Best of Jerry Pournelle by Jerry Pournelle. (Second Stage Lensmen, Chapter 23). At this point, these and yours truly are the Well, no, that could not happen. Refrigera- Thank you for keeping me on the mailing only SF authors I am reading. My apologies to tors transfer heat from the inside to the out- list. Sometimes I don’t have time to do justice all the hundreds of others. I am a print-reader, side, so all that refrigerated armor would be to an issue, and other times I am stumped for not an e-reader. heating the air for yards around, not chilling it. anything to say that others won’t say better. Health and good days to all. As a chemical engineer, Doc certainly knew RE: the true crime stories. Richard Pryor that, so this just has to be counted as a lapse. has it right. I take another opportunity to point From: Sue Burke September 30, 2019 out that the real purpose of prison is neither 5415 N. Sheridan Road, Apt. 1711, * * * * * punishment nor rehabilitation (although either Chicago, IL 60640-1971 happening on the side is fine with me). The [email protected] Timothy Lane mentions Poul Anderson’s purpose is to protect society from predators, sueburke.site stories, saying, “He insisted that the barbarian whether they are violent or not. semiosispax.com Krankheit (I think that’s the spelling) had I came to this conclusion too late to try it out nothing to do with news anchor Walter.” on one of political science professors, who was Thanks for the latest issue. I enjoyed it a I checked the original story (“The Barbar- trying to get us to debate the topic of sentencing lot, including tales of ancient gold coins and ian,” F&SF, May 1956), and it is “Cronkheit” repeat offenders to longer terms. He was argu- thrift shop finds. Alexiad October 2019 Page 15

My Worldcon report is elsewhere in this corruption, while Houston has done fine without bers. issue, editor willing, and I’d add to it that my zoning. I used to live in Texas. The state and its I could go on. husband and I had a lot of fun the week before municipalities are notoriously corrupt, and The past was a different country. It had the con touring southwest Ireland. (Except for politicians have found lots of ways to offer quid Forbidden Zones. the part where he was thrown off a horse pro quo about real estate without zoning. What To close on a cheery note, I’d like to Killarney, but he had the prescience to land in the lack of zoning has accomplished is deprive retweet a tweet from Angry Robot Books that a soft, deep mud puddle.) (Also flight back Houston of tools to deal proactively with sprawl now has my imagination churning: “We obvi- home was cancelled, which resulted in return- and flooding, which are becoming onerous ously love a good Space Opera, but we’d love ing home a day late after an overnight layover problems. to hear from any budding authors currently in ’s Heathrow.) WWII buffs may George also offers a compromise on vacci- working on a Space Dancehall, Space Dubstep, recall that Killarney was home to Monsignor nations: parents can sue if an unvaccinated child Space Flamenco, or Space Boogie-Woogie.” Hugh O’Flaherty, the “Scarlet Pimpernel of causes an illness. The problem is finding and Space Flamenco! That would be fun. the Vatican.” They’re rather proud of that – in proving the infectious culprit. A person can start fact, the Killarney Brewing Co. makes a shedding the measles virus four days before the Scarlet Pimpernel IPA to celebrate his “altru- rash appears. If that person passes through a ism and courage.” room, the viruses shed into the air can infect We also visited the castle of Lord Dunsany someone else who enters that room for up to (that is, Edward Plunkett, the fantasy writer) two hours later. Symptoms of the illness won’t and were welcomed by the current Lady Dun- show up for the newly infected person for a sany. I learned that several generations earlier, week or two. By then, how can you figure out the family begat Saint Oliver Plunkett, an whom to sue? As the legal axiom goes, you archbishop executed in 1681, framed by the have no right without a remedy – that is, if you Popish Plot. I got to hold two of his relics (am could sue someone to remedy your harm but I more blessed now?), and to inspect some of you can’t identify the defendant, you don’t have Dunsany’s manuscripts. an effective right to sue. Taras Wolansky asks what legal privileges And you didn’t go to the South men had that I didn’t have when I was growing Pole Inn? up. I’m glad to answer. When I started high school in 1970, in some http://www.southpoleinn.com/ states women couldn’t serve on juries. Men could get a credit card or start a business with- When Joe asked if anyone had heard of the out their wife’s permission, but a wife needed Best Fan Writer Hugo nominees, I thought it her husband’s permission. Most Ivy League was a rhetorical question. Foz Meadows, who universities didn’t admit women. Women could won, has a high profile and a well-read blog. get fired for becoming pregnant, and in some These days, writers often follow each other’s states, single women couldn’t get birth control blogs and communicate with each other pills. Although women were safer drivers, they through comments; blogging platforms (and paid more than men for auto insurance. Women Twitter) encourage that. Fan writers also often could legally be paid less, and some published write for other sites that are essentially online pay schedules openly listed different rates for magazines. The times, they are a-changin. men and women for the same job. Female flight Much communication now comes to us on attendants were fired at age 32 or if they got From: Taras Wolansky October 1, 2019 screens rather than paper. married or put on weight and stopped looking Post Office Box 698, Kerhonkson, NY sexy. Women weren’t allowed to run in the 12446-0698 USA In other words, there’s been a Boston Marathon. Schools didn’t have to offer [email protected] paradigm shift and we are no sports for girls, and mine had no intramural longer relevant. teams until Title IX was passed, and then it had Thanks for number 106, August 2019. — JTM a team for track and field, and that was all. Joe: We were discussing the proposed Girls weren’t admitted to the Milwaukee Worldcon in China offline. In fact, I received a sales report for my Trade and Technical High School; electrician The rationale, if it even deserves the dignity novel Semiosis. Fully half the sales were e- wasn’t a career I could prepare for. Newspaper of that designation, seems to be that if we books, one-fourth were audiobooks, and only job listings were “Help Wanted: Men” and pretend China is not a fascist dictatorship, it a fourth were hardcover and paperback sales. “Help Wanted: Women.” Women’s applications will magically become a liberal democracy. As I’ve been hand-selling the novel, I’ve met weren’t accepted for jobs deemed unsuitable: It’s like when the international community a few people who had read the e-book or heard long hours, dangerous, unpleasant, specialties gave Russia the Olympics. Treat Russia like a the audiobook and now wanted the signed reserved for men, or involving too much respon- member in good standing, and it will behave paper book as sort of a souvenir. Young’uns – sibility – although some women were (and still like one. And it even seemed to work — brief- what will they think of next? are) eager for those jobs. Women were allowed ly. Until the Games were over, that is, and On another subject, does anyone know in the military only in limited numbers and as Russia went back to its old habit of invading its who is the literary executor of Susan Allés support staff or nurses. neighbors. Blom? I know someone who has the manu- Speaking of nurses, because women could Thinking about the Sochi Olympics re- script of her second Inca novel, in case there’s be paid less, some jobs became pink-collar minds me of what else they featured: Russia a publishing interest. ghettoes, and to this day nurses remain under- cheating on a massive scale. For the record, I’m relieved to say I’m not paid despite difficult jobs that require extensive Now, imagine opening up the final Hugo related to Alderman Ed Burke of Chicago (I education and training, and long hours. Women ballot for the Chinese Worldcon, and discover- did a little checking to make sure). I was aspired to be doctors, but until the mid-1970s, ing that all the nominees are works published surprised by George W. Price’s assertion that medical schools and professional organizations in China. (This could happen even without Chicago’s zoning laws might exist only to fuel could limit or ban women as students or mem- Chinese government involvement.) Page 16 October 2019 Alexiad

And what about guests and attendees who Robert S. Kennedy: Interbreeding between that none of the filmmakers noticed anything have criticized China in the past? Will they Neanderthals and modern humans, migrating off. They even edited in shots of the children even be allowed to attend, or will they have from northeast Africa, probably didn’t occur on being especially delighted by the risqué humor. mysterious problems with their visas? a “massive scale”. The populations involved were tiny; it’s just that all modern Europeans From: AL du Pisani July 31, 2019 Would it be safe for such peo- and Asians are descended from them. 945 Grand Prix Street, Weltevreden- ple to set foot in China? George W. Price: Abraham Lincoln, among park 1709, REPUBLIC OF SOUTH —LTM others, blasted Chief Justice Roger Taney for AFRICA simply getting the facts wrong in the Dred Scott [email protected] Anyway, I friended both of the rival bids, decision. He apparently didn’t know that the Nice (France), and Memphis (Tennessee), so rights of free black citizens to own property and Lisa spoke about her sense of place, and the you can guess my opinion. to vote had been recognized in northern states strange places that sometimes work themselves Apparently World SF frowns upon nega- from the beginning. into our imagination as maybe a second home, tive campaigning, so the rival bids are not Come to think of it, it’s likely that people even though it is nothing like your own – From allowed to point out obvious facts; for exam- with African ancestry had been voting all along reading I found a kinship with Arthur Upfield’s ple, that China is a fascist dictatorship that even in the South, in places like New Orleans. Outback Australia, even though he was chroni- dissects political prisoners for their organs. Sue Burke: I enjoyed hearing you read at cling a place that was becoming lost in time. Admittedly, setting a Worldcon in just the Worldcon. And with Tony Hillerman’s Navaho Rez. Both kind of dystopia SF has been writing about for The late William F. Buckley used to talk of them alien to me, yet with a call of familiar- a hundred years would add a certain piquancy! about “the zoo section of the dictionary”. Many ity. Review of Henry Hemming’s Agent M: queer and timorous beasties live there. (I think Wish I know why. Sometimes I wonder if “His agents had discovered and identified I’m misquoting Robert Burns.) they will still call to me, if I read them now. Melita Norwood, the atom-bomb spy at the The one book I have read of Rebecca heart of the British effort—yet nothing was Roanhorse’s had something of that kinship, done about it!” I thought Norwood was re- even though it is taking place in my least loved vealed by the Mitrokhin Archive, ca. 2000. SF setting – The overpopulated, poverty How much earlier was this? stricken hellhole. (With an environmental disaster, to boot.) Yet the setting is drawing me This was in the thirties. back, and I will probably end up reading some Knight had got an infiltrator to more by her. work as the CPGB Chairman’s sec- retary, and she found Norwood’s Angrygirl Unlikelyname needs a name on a list of those who would setting designed to make teens do spy work. He reported it, and angsty. the senior man at MI5 decided it wasn’t worth following up. It has been a very mild Winter in Johannes- burg – with maybe a week of real cold. Even Of course, she got away without even a then it rarely went below freezing – In fact, I slap on the wrist. But I think about the averaged one less blanket on my bed than Rosenbergs and feel a little better. Spying for usual, maybe even two. So it was never quite Stalin was a very safe job (aside from the risk as cold as it have been in previous Winters. I of being purged and killed by your own side) am just hoping that the rains will start soon. but it was not totally safe. We have had a day of rain in late August, but Leigh Kimmel (Windy City con report): the rain season is supposed to start about 10 “On Sunday we woke up to an unseasonably October. late snowstorm hamstering away.” I love that From my desk at work I can look towards expression, but what does it mean? The way it seems to be sorting out is the the South and see the tallest building in Africa. Rodford Edmiston (NASFiC con report): Hugo Awards mostly for women authors, and Mostly completed. It is the fourth tallest build- I was in the same hotel you were. I’d come the Dragon Awards mostly for men. That’s if ing in Johannesburg, and was not originally down in the elevator and, for all practical China doesn’t simply run off with the Hugo planned to be so tall. Apparently the builders purposes, I was already in the convention Awards, as I speculate elsewhere. got enough interest that they extended the center. Sweeet! Taral Wayne (review of Aquaman): “what building. Timothy Lane: “When the British begin was the Justice League doing during all this? Of the ten tallest buildings in Africa, four closing down the slave trade, the King of Were Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are in Johannesburg. I know about the Carlton Dahomey… [pointed] out if he didn’t sell having a poker night while the undersea world Centre and Ponte, and suspect the last of the prisoners of war as slaves he would have to attacked the surface world?” The DCU as well buildings is the Hillbrow Tower. All of these kill them.” I recall reading an account of a as the MCU filmmakers like to have their cake were built in the 1970’s. Each of them in some mass human sacrifice. Apparently this was and eat it, too. In one film, the fate of the world way or another a pale shadow of what they the fate of enemy captives who weren’t sold as depends on a single superhero and the others were designed to be. slaves. don’t seem to exist. In the next film they’re all The Hillbrow Tower is a TV and Radio working together. transmission tower. At one stage it had a res- That was called a Grand Cus- Review of the Mary Poppins sequel: I taurant on one of the top floors, where you tom. Since it was indigenous, thought it was inappropriate for Mary Poppins could look out over the city. Terrorism threats instead of imposed by outsiders, to engage in a sexually suggestive vaudeville closed that down in the late 1970’s, and it have it was apparently an acceptable act, especially with her child charges in the never re-opened. form of behavior. audience. I suspect children would not have The Ponte was a mixed residential and — JTM been admitted to a show like that at the time. commercial building. As far as I know it was But I guess our media are so sexualized today also a victim of the terrorism threats in the late Alexiad October 2019 Page 17

1970s and 1980s – I read that one management there is the problem of finding sions of slavery..., if any slave-holder company tried their best, but it was designed something to one’s tastes. Some- believed it dangerous [for] his slaves to before security became paramount, and had times I have to write them myself. learn that all slavery is unjust and op- too many entrances. A colleague of mine had — JTM pressive, and persuaded himself that a flat there years ago, when he was a student. they would not, of themselves, be able And he said that you could see the faded to make that discovery, it was in his elegance in the flats. From: John Hertz October 10, 2019 power to prevent them from attending. And the Carlton Centre is in the middle of 236 S. Coronado St., N. 409 Los An- the Johannesburg CBD, and businesses have geles, CA 90057 USA Nor was that all. fled from there. The new building, the Leonardo, is built in Perhaps you are the Newer Christy Min- We are prepared to maintain the Sandton, the new hot location for businesses – strels. same principles, and to use, if neces- except for those like my firm who have gone The Royal Manticoran Navy, mentioned by sary, the same language here..., the evil even further North, towards Midrand. Leigh Kimmel in connection with Inconjunction of slavery.... is a blot on our national XXXIX, were a big help at Spikecon. Alas, I character. left them out of my con report, which the elec- tronic may see at Samuel Tyler’s Memoir of Roger Brooke Taney (1872) ends its report of the Gruber http://file770.com/spikeconspoonfuls/ case, “Upon such grounds did Mr. Taney rest ... before a slave-holding jury and before (and others may .have on paper from me for the slave-holding judges” (p. 131). asking). Thanks to Rodford Edmiston for his photos; they would have been more useful if labeled. About the fan-category Hugos, I keep saying WAHF: the outstanding difficulty is that we don’t nomi- Martin Morse Wooster, with various nate. The ballot is then dominated by choices of items of interest. people who do. I’ve looked at this year’s num- Patrick McCray, with thanks. bers. They are the same. I’ve been published in fanzines about this — Banana Wings; what better could you ask? — for six years that I recall. SEEN ON THE WAY The plaint is that the blogger by Lisa hints that a Hugo nomination would Ironically enough, no other city in South be nice, and her followers proceed We were heading down Bardstown Road Africa contains any of the rest of Africa’s to do so. when I saw a hilarious sign. It read: tallest buildings. And the planned tallest — JTM building in Kenya, does not currently have any building activity. If the building is ever com- Even George Price misstates the Dred Scott Hello! My name is Inigo Montoya. plete as planned, it will be significantly higher decision. Justice Taney (pronounced as if There is a yardsale on Rufer Avenue with than any of the buildings in Johannesburg. spelled “tawny”) never “asserted” that “free great cheap stuff. In the mean while it is just politics as blacks should never become citizens”. He was Prepare to buy! usual. Eskom is still a black hole sucking up not saying what he wanted. He was analyzing money, and the unions are still not interested what the law required. He had freed his own in any remedial action which will cost jobs. slaves. Years before being placed on the Su- I spent the next few minutes laughing in Looks like the country will have to collapse preme Court he had spoken against slavery. appreciation. That was as good as my two before they will take things seriously – and I like, mostly, V. Hopkins, Dred Scott’s favorite TV commercials. In the first a family maybe not even then – people can be wilfully Case (rev. 1967). Hopkins says he means to is standing in front of a vacation machine with blind if they really want. And we have a lot of treat the case sine ira et odio (Latin, “without various choices. They choose St. Petersburg wilfully blind people out there, not all of them anger or hatred”), and does, in 200 pages. This and materialize to snow and buildings with politicians or in union leadership. is short. By the time the case came to the Su- strange spires. One of the kids remarks that he For some reason I find Pam Uphoff’s Wine preme Court there were many complications. doesn’t think they’re in Kansas anymore. of the Gods and The Directorate series fasci- Much more has been written, before and since. The second commercial is Flo from Pro- nating – have to read the books as soon as I In 1819 Taney defended a Methodist minister gressive. She has traveled back in time to 1460 get hold of them, and I am willing to reread (Taney himself was a Catholic) who at a England. A woman sitting on a throne con- some favourites after a very short time. camp-meeting in Maryland attended by three demns her to standard treatment of the time for Otherwise I am keeping my head down, as thousand of whom four hundred were blacks; witches. I continue to live and work in South Africa. the minister had condemned slavery, was in- Sadly neither commercial ever got aired I hope you will always find a readable dicted for inciting rebellion. Taney, pointing to enough for me to tire of them. book when you need one. the freedom of speech, got an acquittal: but he said more. Thank you for your concern. “Finding” is the problem. There Mr. Gruber is a minister of the Meth- used to be a dearth of SF out odist Episcopal Church.... No slave- there; now there is a plethora, holder is allowed to be a minister of that and between the lack of filtering church. Their preachers are accustomed and the proliferation of agendas ... to speak of the injustice and oppres- Page 18 October 2019 Alexiad

Mutiny and counter-mutiny flourish among WALT DISNEY PRESENTS the abandoned expedition, separated from any Co-Editors: Lisa & Joseph Major STAR WARS starship and in a desperate trek through hazard- Co-Publishers: Joseph & Lisa Major ous forests, empty deserts, and ruined cities to Writers, Staff: Major, Joseph, Major, Lisa Star Wars: Aguirre, the Wrath of the Force reach a ship that is rumored to have landed. Directed and written by Werner Herzog Under the strain and pressure of the expedition, This is issue Whole Number One Hun- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2585410/ Aguirre becomes slowly mad, ranting and dred and Seven (107). declaring that Palpatine is betraying the Sith, Art: What we are mainly looking for is In this thrilling new tale set in the Star randomly killing men for being turncoats. His small fillos. Your fillo will probably be scann- Wars Universe, Herzog tells a tale of the dark daughter Yenna (Nicole Kidman) is his helpless ed in and may be reused, unless you object to days of the . Grand Moff puppet, having come on the expedition as Chief its reuse. Aguirre (James Franco) is dispatched by Scientist and found herself trapped. Contributions: This is not a fictionzine. It Emperor Palpatine to explore the dangerous Ambushes take many of the party, and in a is intended to be our fanzine, so be interesting. and mysterious Manaus Sector, with an aim of climactic grisly scene, Aguirre kills his daugh- Material in Alexiad is copyright © 2019. discovering a new source of kyber crystals. ter, crying as he does, “You will not be the child All rights reserved. Upon publication, all Their ship breaks down on the planet of a failure!” rights revert to the original contributor, but we Cynsky, a wretched hellhole of scum and In the terrifying finale, with all the other reserve the right to use any item more than villany. Stranded and beleaguered, the ill- members of the expedition dead, Aguirre stands once, unless otherwise specified by the contrib- equipped expedition disintegrates into hellish on the deck of a wrecked spaceship, surrounded utor. All letters sent to Alexiad become the squalor and chaos. by Ewoks. He declares, “I, the Wrath of the property of the publishers. Any material by the Isolated and becoming increasingly with- Force, will marry my own daughter, and with editors is available to other fanzines if they drawn, Grand Moff Aguirre begins enforcing her I will found the purest dynasty the Galaxy provide proper credit and send a copy. discipline with ruthless and unpredictable has ever seen. Together, we shall rule this entire Available for The Usual (letter of comment, cruelty. In an ultimate act of rebellion, the sector. We shall endure. I am the Wrath of the trade, contribution). Sample issue available unstable Aguirre proclaims his dim-witted Force . . . who else is with me?” upon request. Back issues $1; subscription sparkly underling Ferdinand (Robert Pat- Herzog has taken the Star Wars saga in a $10/year. Alexiad is also available by email in tinson) Emperor and declares war upon Palpa- new and darker course. Five stars, four avoca- Adobe Acrobat .pdf format. tine and all his Sith. dos, and two thumbs up. ALEXIAD c/o Lisa & Joseph Major 1409 Christy Avenue Louisville, KY 40204-2040 USA [email protected] http:/efanzines.com/Alexiad/index.htm