WCSFAzine The Fannish E-zine of the West Coast Science Fiction Association Dedicated to Promoting the West Coast Science Fiction Community #13 September 2008 ‘BOREALIS’ Vol 1 #1, Summer 1978. Faneds: John Bell & Alain Chabot. Cover Art ‘My Preciouss” by Tim Hammell 1 WCSFAzine Issue # 13, September 2008, Volume 2, Number 9, Whole number 13, is the monthly E-zine of the West Coast Science Fiction Association ( founded 1993 ), a registered society with the general mandate of promoting Science Fiction and the specific focus of sponsoring the annual VCON Science Fiction Convention ( founded 1971 ). Anyone who attends VCON is automatically a member of WCSFA, as is anyone who belongs to the British Columbia Science Fiction Association, a social organization ( founded 1970 ) which is the proud owner of the VCON trademark. Said memberships involve voting privileges at WCSFA meetings. Current Executive of WCSFA: President: Palle Hoffstein. Vice-President/VCON Hotel Liaison: Keith Lim. Treasurer: Tatina Osokin. Secretary, & Archivist: R. Graeme Cameron. Member-At-Large: Danielle Stephens (VCON 33 Chair ). Member-At-Large: Deej Barens. Member-At-Large: Christina Carr. Since WCSFAzine is NOT the official organ of WCSFA, the act of reading WCSFAzine does not constitute membership in WCSFA or grant voting privileges in WCSFA. Therefore you don’t have to worry about WCSFA policies, debates, finances, decisions, etc. Unless you want to. Active volunteers always welcome. WCSFA Website: < http://www.user.dccnet.com/clintbudd/WCSFA/ > IMPORTANT STUFF THAT IS VERY COOL Your membership fee: Nothing! Send your subscription fee to: Nobody! Your responsibilities: None! Your obligations: None! Membership requirements: None! Got something better to do: No problem! WCSFAzine IS a fannish E-zine publication sponsored by WCSFA to promote and celebrate every and all aspects of the Science Fiction Community on the West Coast of Canada. You can download the latest issue ( and past issues ) from < http://efanzines.com > or contact the Editor at: < [email protected] > and ask me to email you a PDF version of each issue as soon as it is ready. WCSFAzine is not intended to be an information newswire service, or an industry promotional outlet, but rather an eclectic ongoing anthology of bits and pieces of nifty rumours and misinformation as viewed through a fannish lens. You can expect the focus to be on the West Coast, but with a peripheral vision including the entire world of fandom. Anticipate info on upcoming books, fannish events, local clubs and conventions, film reviews, short essays, weird cover art, spin doctor publicity announcements, peculiar speculations and astounding bits of trivia to put you in touch with your fannish heritage. You, and I mean YOU (!) are invited to submit short ( VERY short – say 2 to 3 paragraph ) articles, mini- essays, letters of comment, art fillers ( small pieces of art ) and/or cover art to the Editor at: R.G. Cameron, Apt 72G – 13315 104 th Ave, Surrey, B.C., V3T 1V5. Or submissions in both electronic text and B & W line drawing in jpg form to: < [email protected] > Particularly interested in personal experience/view/opinion/review articles, preferably light in tone. Also any interesting news. No pay, but plenty of egoboo. Cheers all! The Graeme 2 CONTENTS: 01………. Cover art: Tim Hammell 02………. Important Stuff. 03………. Contents & Editorial. 04………. Hidden History of VCON III, Part Three 06………. Typical CUFF Trip Report: Part Five 09………. Pre-reg Now for VCON 33! 13………. Pre-reg for VCON 34 at VCON 33! 13………. Retro Cdn Fanzines: BOREALIS 18………. OSFIC Revisited: a 1979 History of the Ontario SF Club by Taral Wayne 23………. Ask Mr. Science! 24………. Zinephobia: Alexiad / BCSFAzine / The Drink Tank / Impulse 27………. Hugo Awards 2008 28………. Ongoing Saga of Promoting Alyxandra J. Shaw’s Fantasy Novel Trilogy 30………. Author Happenings of Local Interest 36………. Retrofilm Review: Robot Monster 1953 38………. Upcoming Nifty Film Projects 38………. A Pocketful of Histories: Coin Notes by Taral Wayne 39………. Locs from Samuel McDonald, Garth Spencer, Chuck Davis, Al Betz & Lloyd Penney 44………. Local Events 45………. Local Clubs 47………. Non-Local Canadian Clubs 49………. Canadian Sci-Fi Facebook Sites 50………. Canadian Sci-Fi Sites of Interest 50………. Upcoming Conventions 53………. Adverts Note: All uncredited articles are by the Ghod-Editor. ART CREDITS: Cover: Tim Hammell Clip Art: 3, 24 Barry Kent Mackay: 5, 12 Brad Foster: 7 William Rotsler: 10, 14, 16 Pluto: 28 EDITORIAL Well, once again I put another monthly issue of WCSFAzine to bed. In the previous issue I mentioned that Susan Wood named the Zine under review GENRE PLAT while staring at a giant box of toothpicks, but I forgot to explain why. On the right is a copy of the illustration which was printed on the side of the box. In the upper left it says “Flat style”, and in French “Genre Plat”. Thus the origin of the title of one of the better genzines of the 1970s. The illustration in question was reproduced on the final page of the first issue of GENRE PLAT to make everything clear to the reader, and now I’ve done the same for you! I should have the next issue finished by October 1st. Many thanks to Bill Burns at < http://www.efanzines.com > for hosting. Please send me feedback! < [email protected] > Cheers! Ghod-Editor The Graeme 3 CONVENTION STUFF THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF VCON 3: PART THREE THE 3 rd VANCOUVER SF CONVENTION - FEBRUARY 22 nd – 24 th , 1974: by The Graeme SATURDAY, 23RD FEBRUARY, 1974: Though there was but a single track of programming, it was a busy one! As I wrote in my diary: "A remarkable day, an excellent day, interesting, stimulating; I would have more like it." At 10:00 AM Frank Herbert delivered a talk titled "SCIENCE FICTION AND PREDICTION." His central theme was that SF was too conservative, often failing to predict important social trends or technological developments. As an example of the former, he cited the rise of the Women's liberation Movement. As an example of the latter, he quoted Edgar Allan Poe who wrote in 1857: "Someday, within a hundred years, New York will have buildings ten stories tall." Herbert then proceeded to offer a few predictions of his own: that money would disappear as a medium of exchange within fifty years, and that computers would soon be influencing us more and more. Hmm, pretty cautious himself, or as he put it: "Difficult to write Science Fiction today as technology advances so quickly." After the talk, which was well received, he had to leave quickly in order to catch a plane. Though he was present for only a part of the convention, he had made himself freely available to the fans while he was there, which was greatly appreciated. At 10:30 AM Mildred Downey 'Bubbles' Broxon moderated an authors panel titled "IS SEX NECESSARY IN SCI-FI?" In general, the authors -- whom I believe included Michael G. Coney, F.M. Busby and Eileen Kernaghan -- all seemed to think it was very necessary indeed. Unfortunately I neglected to record any stories by the panel, but I do recall the audience roared with laughter from time to time. I did write: "The talk was too general...I was hoping for specifics..." but I don't know if I was referring to 'writing' or to 'sex'..... "FACISM IN SCIENCE FICTION" was the title of a lecture delivered by well-known writer Crawford Kilian beginning at 11:15 AM. Mike Bailey had promised this talk would "raise a few hackles" and he was right. Kilian introduced himself as being of "middleclass bourgeois Marxist origin" which was a giveaway the talk would be political in nature. I'll say. According to him SF largely dealt with individuals (heroes) who triumph over the will of the majority and are therefore to be considered fascist. He also condemned many Fantasy worlds as fascist because they were either great empires or based on feudal orders. I agreed with virtually nothing he said, but found his perspective fresh and intriguing. Audience discussion at the end was quite lively, not to say heated. After a lunch break (which I spent with John Park, getting reacquainted and talking -- as we did in 1971 -- about how bad my writing style is...sigh), the infamous "CLARION WORKSHOP PANEL" began at 1:30 PM. This was moderated by 'Bubbles' Broxon and included Michael G. Coney as one of the judges (executioners?). Three stories had been submitted anonymously and been printed in full in the program book so that the audience could share in the fun. As Bubbles put it: "The essence of the Clarion method of critique is, each person has a turn, and no one else may speak during that turn. The Author must keep his/her lip zipped until rebuttal, acknowledgement, explanation, or lame excuses time -- his turn is last...." Rather than describe each story I will simply quote the first paragraph of each -- which captures the flavour rather well -- and record the judges' response. I will also reveal, perhaps for the first time in print, the true identities of the luckless souls who submitted to this torment. The first story, titled -- simply enough -- "STORY #1" begins: "Milton Snider's eyes popped open and blinked anxiously at the ceiling. There was too much light there. His face already wreathing itself into a shape appropriate for whimpering, he turned his head slowly and looked at 4 the alarm clock. For a long, clenching moment he realized the horror of his predicament. He had overslept. The alarm clock had not rung." Alas, this effort was torn to shreds. "A shaggy dog story.... Too many modifiers....Repetitive..." were some of the kinder opinions offered.