Iota 09 August 2017
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
iOTA 09 August 2017 CONTENTS Thisish Cover - Australian SF Review 2 02 Editorial - of sorts - a couple of brief notes 02 1953 - The Sydney Futurians Get Down to Business - All the excitement of the 1953 AGM 03 1956 - The Fifth Australia SF Convention - The facts of the convention 05 1970 - Back to Sydney with John Foyster - John Foyster’s personal account of Syncon 70 09 Encountering Science Fiction - with John Bangsund 18 The Long and Winding Road to Aussiecon - Lee Harding reports on Ursula LeGuin’s arrival 24 1966 - Fanzine Review - Australian SF Review 2 26 Progress Report - more trawling, more cards 28 The Photo File - which convention was this? 29 Your Letters - John Tipper 30 1974 - Arthur Clarke in Brisbane - Denis Stocks reports on Clarke’s visit to Brisbane 32 Art: Keith McLelland, p.8; Don Latimer, p.25; Ken MacIntyre p.31. iOTA 09, August 2017, page 1 iOTA is the little efanzine put together by Leigh Edmonds Editorial - of sorts who can be contacted electronically, and in almost no other way, I’ve nothing heroic to report this time, and no great at [email protected]. thoughts about the deep meaning of stf or fandom. Instead, two This little efanzine is produced as a progress report on my short points. current project to research and write a history of Australian As I draft this the international stf community is gathering fandom, focusing on the period between 1956 and 1975. iOTA is for the 75th World SF Convention in Finland. For my ‘friends’ on a research tool and document, containing some of the material and Face book this appears to be something special and many of them thoughts that will be used in writing the history. It is also a place are making their way there. Some post the occasional picture and where I publish bits and pieces of the writing and art from a comment or two, others write long commentaries of their Australia’s fannish past to help introduce you to the rich vein of experiences traveling to Helsinki - one struggling with his luggage material that previous generations of Australian fans have left us. up the staircases of Gare de Nord in Paris and another having his If you want more details about this history project you’ll find them luggage destroyed by an airline and then going out to an excellent in the first issue of iOTA. restaurant for dinner in Helsinki. iOTA is more or less available for ‘the usual’ but two things It is a delight to read these posts as they appear, made more bring its editor the greatest fannish pleasure. One is great gobs of exciting by knowing that they are taking place on the other side of egoboo and the other is a contributions to the discourse of the world almost as soon as they happen. This is a kind of fanac understanding and writing a history of Australian fandom. If all we could not have imagined in Australia when fans set out to bid else fails, issues of iOTA are put up on efanzines.com fairly soon for the 1975 World SF Convention. In some ways it is a more after I’ve completed them. engaging form of fanac, but it is also more ephemeral. Which, it Thisish’s Cover seems to me, changes the time-binding mature of fandom. Australian SF Review is at the center of any history of When I decided on the material that is going to appear in Australian fandom. It sits in the middle of the 1960s when change this issue I discovered that it is going to be a Foyster, Bangsund was coming to Australia, not just in stf and its fandom but in many and Harding issue. This is not deliberate, though it is a very other ways with, among other things, the gradual lifting of happy coincidence. As individuals, and together in the pages of censorship that had crippled Australian culture and the beginning Australian SF Review, they helped give Australian fandom its of the erosion of the ‘cultural cringe’ which told Australians that character and energy. They showed us how to be serious and anything created locally had to be inferior to what came from entertaining and how to be critical and comical, all at the same overseas. In ASFR Australian fans began to see that they could time. Which, ironically, leads us directly to ... make their own contribution to the global culture of stf. iOTA 09, August 2017, page 2 1953 - THE SYDNEY FUTURIANS attendance of nineteen members. Those present included GET DOWN TO BUSINESS Director Ken Martin, Vice-Director Graham Stone, Treasurer The period around 1953 was one of the high points in the Arthur Haddon, the Secretary, Rosemary Simmons, and life of the Futurian Society of Sydney. After one of its recurring members Mrs Laura Molesworth, Vol Molesworth, Lyell Crane, bouts of inactivity the 1953 convention has reenergized it and the Rex Meyer, Kevin Dillon, Wally Judd, P Glick, Les Raethel, Don planning for next year’s event was helping to keep its attention Lawson, Clive Mellor, Bruce Purdey, Jack Leggett, Pat Burke, focused on that future goal rather than the dissension that seemed Mike McGuiness and yours truly. to be the group’s other main activity. The retiring Treasurer, (Mr Haddon) reported that the The unfortunate thing about the Futurian Society of Sydney financial year ended June 30th had been very successful. After is that the group is mainly remembered for its reputation for paying all expenses, the Society had a cash balance of more feuding. This was not helped by Vol Molesworth’s history which than £35. It was decided to repay the Thursday Night Fund the highlights the conflict between members rather than the group’s sum of £15 which had been borrowed to help pay for the 1953 achievement. Consequently, it is not easy to recall what the group Convention. did do, including publishing almost all of Australia’s first fanzines, Reporting on the Thursday Night Social meeting, of building up and maintaining a significant library, establishing links which he is manager, Les Raethel said that the attendance with overseas fans and holding Australia’s first sft conventions. averaged 29 per week, with up to 36 in recent weeks. The The other impression of the Futurians is that they seem to Thursday Night group was now firmly established at the Sydney have taken themselves very seriously. It may be that their Bridge Club, where the FSS library was available each week. Thursday Night gatherings were a great deal of fun, but the need The Thursday Night meetings had to date raised more than £60, they felt to present stf seriously means that little of the more frivolous side of fandom was recorded, so we are left only with the which was set aside in a special fund to provide furniture, etc impressions created by this report written by Brian Finch and for an official clubroom when suitable premises would be published in Etherline 13 on 17 September 1953. found. FUTURIAN SOCIETY OF SYDNEY The Library itself was in a flourishing position, he said. Annual Meeting There was at present 67 borrowers, and the Library contained By Brian Finch 180 hard cover books, and 465 magazines. A new catalogue The Futurian Society of Sydney held its Annual General was being prepared. Meeting on Monday, July 27th, 1953, with an all-time record Mr Glick, who had been appointed to prepare Australian representation at the next US Convention reported that a tape- iOTA 09, August 2017, page 3 recording would be made at the Albury Conference (? Ed). This accomplished. Despite severe handicaps the 1953 Convention would be airmailed to responsible partied for playing at the Con. had been a success, attracting no less than 84 fans from five He had received a considerable amount of cash and material states. During the year, we had seen the production of Doug towards a gift of professional and amateur Australian science Nicholson’s FORERUNNER, and activities had increased in other fiction publications, but the time factor would not allow this to states. While members might be divided as to the ultimate goal be sent to this year’s Convention. Instead, he would build up of fan activities, there was one goal at which we could all aim the size of the gift, and despatch it well in advance for the 1954 at - the location of our own permanent club room in the city, Convention. where the library could be installed. At present, we were Mr Wally Judd, organizer of the 1954 Australian renting premises for the official club meetings and the Convention, said that arrangements were well in hand. The Thursday Night social meetings, but ultimately we would want Social Committee, under the chairmanship of Mrs Laura our own headquarters. Molesworth, had conducted quite a number of raffles and Elections for the Executive Council for the 53-54 period guessing competitions, and these had raised no less that £11-11-0 were then held. Vol Molesworth was elected Director of the in just over eight weeks towards the expenses of the Society unopposed. New fan, Peter Burke, was elected Vice Convention. A Barbeque would be held in the near future, and Director. Les Raethal was elected unopposed as Treasurer. this would draw in more money. Don Lawson was elected the Secretary, winning a ballot against Mr Dillon told the meeting that the Official Report on the Mike McGuiness. Miss Simmons was elected Assistant 1953 Convention had been sub-edited, and was partly cut on Secretary. stencil.