Inca 14 ------Incantations 14 – Rob Jackson ------

Incantations 14 Rob Jackson

Most of this editorial is really a loc on Banana clashed with Novacon more worthwhile). There are Wings 69. However I’m being terribly selfish and still a few ever-presents at all 47 Novacons to date, keeping it to myself as an editorial instead. The such as Chris and Pauline Morgan (nee Dungate), Fishlifters’ loss is Inca’s gain; or is that the other and Vernon Brown. If anyone else knows of any way round? Anyway, if they want to publish the other ever-presents at Novacon would they let me relevant bits as a loc anyway, they’d be most know? There are other loyalists from varying welcome – but those who read both fanzines from corners of fandom such as Dave Hardy, Peter cover to cover (hello, Robert in Oakland) would get Mabey and Greg Pickersgill, but no others with a sense of déjà vu if they did. 100% attendance records.

My brain cells whirred (spluttered) into action on But how many newcomers are there at Novacons reading Mark’s fine and rather elegiac report on nowadays? Mark suggests that the average age of Novacon 47. Mark laments the loss of many fine Novacon attendees is going up by about 11 months and lively features of Novacons past. We have lost each year, which sadly sounds about right to me. stalwarts such as Rog Peyton (who is still around, What he didn’t say is that the average age is brought but as well as having retired from Novacons seems down considerably by the fact that offspring of to have almost retired from fandom, let alone mature fans are now junior fans themselves, and bookselling) and Peter Weston (who before his still come to their parents’ cons out of family bonds. much-lamented death had in any case for years There was actually a panel featuring these offspring found selling doorknobs at a car parts con which at the last Novacon, at which they shared Inca 14, March 2018 Published by Rob Jackson, Chinthay, Nightingale Lane, Hambrook, Chichester, West Sussex PO18 8UH. Email [email protected] or [email protected]. All rights returned to the authors/artists upon publication. Cover: John Purcell in engine room of HMS Warrior, Portsmouth.

Availability: Paper version available for substantial & relevant paper fanzines in trade; significant letters of comment; contributions; other big favours; or friendship! PDF version online soon via www.efanzines.com through the kind offices of Bill Burns. If you prefer the PDF for space reasons, trade a small zine, an e-zine, loc occasionally, or are simply interested, this version is sent by email a few days ahead of the eFanzines upload.

Contents Page Art and photos Page

Incantations (editorial – Rob Jackson) 2 Rob Jackson (front cover) 1 Check The Gate! (Pat Bell) 4 Pat Bell (photos) 4, 5 Down to the Sea to See Sea Ships (John Purcell) 7 Tube passenger (photo) 6 Don’t Start Any Other Way (Dave Hicks) 14 Rob Jackson (photos) 7-13 A Barista’s Day (Mark Plummer) 15 except John Purcell (Victory, Send In Hash Browns (Doug Spencer) 16 Mary Rose, artefacts) Chicory-Dickory Do (Curt Phillips) 17 Clip Art 15, 16, 18, 31 The Wages of Beer (Sandra Bond) 19 Rob Jackson (photos) 21-27 Not a Corflu LA Trip Report (Rob Jackson) 21 John Constable (LP cover) 28 In Search of the Lost Ark (Rob Jackson) 28 Paul Skelton (photo) 35 Circulation (letters of comment) 32 Dave Hicks (back cover) 40

Contributors’ emails: Pat Bell: [email protected]; Sandra Bond: [email protected]; Dave Cockfield: [email protected]; Michael Dobson: [email protected]; Dave Hicks: [email protected]; Jerry Kaufman: [email protected]; Hope Leibowitz: [email protected]; Lloyd Penney: [email protected]; Curt Phillips: [email protected]; Mark Plummer: [email protected]; John Purcell: [email protected]; Paul Skelton: [email protected]; Doug Spencer: [email protected]; Milt Stevens (omitted in remembrance); Ian Williams: [email protected]. Huge thanks to all of you for your input. ------Inca 14 – page 2 ------Incantations 14 – Rob Jackson ------experiences of growing up fannish. I remember What I said above about Novacon’s clientele – um, Meriel Ameringen at Plokta.con 4 (2009) as a shall we say maturing? – applies to Corflu too. Cons primary school kid who had great fun helping carry for special interests such as Corflus (and let’s face it, round a big tetrahedral dice I made for a quiz on the fannish fanzine fandom is definitely a niche interest programme. Now she’s pretty much adult, has nowadays) will only keep going as long as, firstly, shortened her name to Emjay, and would, I’m sure, the interest that draws people in is a vibrant and hope for a bigger role than dice monitor. They grow developing community, or secondly, the social up fast, and we grow older fast alongside. group that grew up round the interest is still lively and committed to the con. That depends on the One of Mark’s main laments was the passing of a social group, and how active they are, physically and dealer’s room which was actually full of booksellers mentally – which, frankly, depends a lot on how old with real books, though now has vanity – er, self – they are. publishers, jewellers, con registration tables and, saddest of all, a large area of tables and chairs for Will cons for older fans die, or will they settle down use as a lounge simply because not enough people into a quiet old age? Is there a life-cycle for cons, in now find the Novacon membership worth selling to. which the old ones eventually fade out and new ones As readers of previous Incas will know, I have take their place to cater for younger fans and their offspring-related reasons for knowing about interests? A move along the Hertzsprung-Russell younger writers and artists with stuff to sell, and diagram of conventions certainly sounds like a where they find their audience. As an author, online suitable destiny for a con with a stellar name like publicist for a small press (Inspired Quill, who also Novacon, though it seems unlikely to go bang like a publish Hugo’s work), and cosplay designer, Hugo supernova. Might it become invisible to the rest of would I am sure like to get his books to a larger the fannish universe, like a neutron star or black target audience, and Venetia, whose T-shirt designs hole? Maybe we should call it Whitedwarfcon…. featured last issue, certainly wants to sell those. But the cons I go to are not their scene – Venetia sells The content of this issue of Inca reflects the stage of her T-shirts either online or at comic cons, and the life some of us have reached. I am delighted to have only “traditional” con Sara-Jayne Slack, Inspired a segment of John Purcell’s TAFF trip report, and Quill’s publisher, has been at that I know of is just as delighted that Coral and I hosted John and Loncon III four years ago. Eastercons and Valerie in the first place, which gave him something Novacons are a bit of a backwater to those who want to write about with personal meaning for Coral and to sell to a younger audience. me. And continuing the trip report theme, later on in the zine I muse about some mistakes (and some And the cons they go to are young people’s cons. fun) during my Corflu LA trip last spring. People who attend comic-cons, anthro cons, media cons, cosplay events and so on do read books – but In the middle of the zine is something of a Special they mainly do the other stuff, and they are a Culinary Supplement, starting with breakfast, where younger age group overall. The media cons are the Dave Hicks and Doug Spencer both look after the youthful events, the newly lit stars in the SF inner man. In between them is a wonderful little convention galaxy, and despite its name, Novacon is reprint from Mark Plummer who wrote IntheBar a no longer new. bit over 10 years ago about coffee and Claire; and another fantasy journey into coffee-land is from Does SF itself pass us by? I know I am a bit old and Curt Phillips, who writes about chicory. Or maybe read very little compared to my youth, but if even not. Read and find out. And then Sandra Bond has someone as well-read as Mark confesses to having a banging time with some beer…. read virtually nothing by a Novacon author GoH such as Adrian Tchaikowsky, then it means there In Search of the Lost Ark is where I round off a tale are a lot of us for whom even the written SF scene is I told first in two episodes in Plokta 15 years ago leaving us behind, let alone the other forms of SF about some detective work I did finding a rare such as graphic novels, TV, films, anime, cosplay, album, and how I have just found out I was right all gaming, filk…. along.

This isn’t the first time I’ve mused about the But before any of these, we have Pat Bell setting the diversification of fandom. In editorials here and in scene about graceful ageing with her piece about writings elsewhere I’ve strongly urged that the having played a part in A Song for Marion, which is existence of this vast theatre has to be accepted, but of course a film about a choir who are Getting On A it is now such a huge scene that it is just impossible Bit but haven’t lost their zest for life. Read on and to keep up with everything. Some larger cons such have fun – I’ve had fun putting this issue together. as Eastercons, and certainly Worldcons, make at least a passing nod at multiple strands of fandom, -- Rob Jackson, March 2018 though they can’t cater in detail for every taste.

------Inca 14 – page 3 ------Check the Gate! – Pat Bell ------CHECK THE GATE!

Pat Bell

How did I ever come to be in a film? it was the best part she had had. I still had some doubts as the director, Paul Andrew Williams, was I was taking part in some singing workshops run by pretty shambolic and the lead characters were still Richard, a local community choir leader as part of not cast. He gained my respect, however, after word the Gateshead International Jazz Festival in 2011. went round that a previous film of his, London To We were performing some jazz standards to Brighton, was on TV that night and I sat glued to entertain the punters on the concourse as they the box. This was a good film and is certainly worth supped their beers or coffee between concerts. At a look. It is a story of prostitution seen from the some point he announced that he had been asked to point of view of the prostitute, the young girl being arrange some songs for a film called Song For groomed and the pimp and how they are all caught Marion, featuring a choir and there would be in their own traps. He told us that our film was very auditions for anyone over fifty prepared to sing. personal to him, relating to the experiences of his grandparents. Marion, a woman with terminal Well, I have never auditioned for anything in my cancer loves being in the choir and Arthur her life; but I have never been someone to turn down an husband who worries that the choir is too much for opportunity to try something new, so along I went. her and is angry because being a bloke he cannot Fortunately, no solo singing was involved. There express his feelings. But still no one was cast, were a lot of us and we sang a bit, were filmed a bit names were bandied about, but nothing came of and mug shots were taken. The same thing them. happened at a second audition. The director and producer were present and neither one seemed very Then the assistant director breezed in one day and professional to me. I thought this must be some announced “We have our Marion, we have amateur community outfit, maybe students, and it Vanessa.” “Vanessa who?” someone asked. was unlikely to get off the ground. However the call “Vanessa Redgrave.” Wow, she of the flowing came that I was one of twenty chosen to take part tresses with a headband marching headstrong and I would be paid £2,000, so ok, I was in. against the war in Vietnam, who had been such a hero of mine would be in our choir! The next The next few weeks were spent rehearsing the session she told us that Terence Stamp would be songs. Doubts were setting in. We were a choir Arthur! Double wow!! I don’t think she realised called the OAPZ and we were singing about sex. what an icon he had been to those of us (well to ‘Let’s Talk About Sex’, ‘Love Shack’ and prancing about to ‘Ace Of Spades.’ At least the music arrangements were good, and we were all getting along and becoming friends. During this time we were joined by some actors who would be in the choir but also film characters. Ann Reid, well known from Coronation Street and Dinner Ladies, and the guy who was Pork Pie in Desmonds.

Gemma Arterton was to be our choir leader in the film and she needed to learn how to conduct a choir. She had recently been a St Trinian’s Girl and a Bond Girl so at least the men were happy! She turned out to be charming, friendly and more than a little nervous about her part. In fact, later at a screening of the film in London she brought her Mum and Dad to meet us and said Terence Stamp in the sun

------Inca 14 – page 4 ------Check the Gate! – Pat Bell ------the females anyway) who were young in the sixties. chairs. I am two chairs away so can see clearly her This film thing was starting to get more interesting! falling repeatedly, take after take. When we all showed concern later she shrugged it off, knowing The first day of filming we had to be at the base for how to fall safely. Between takes she quickly six in the morning. Fortunately we were not needed disappeared outside for a smoke, so I’m not so early every day. The base is where all the vans surprised that she now has emphysema. I did congregate. The catering vans, toilet blocks, manage a chat with her one time though. She told costumes, office and stars’ caravans are all here but me this was the first time she had been in the North this is not the same place as the location, or film East since the miners’ strike in the 1980s, and how sets. So, we turned up there for breakfast and different it all looked now. queued up with the crew. Surprisingly though when the guy in front of me grabbing his bowl of muesli We hardly saw Terence. We were told he wouldn’t turned around, it was none other than Terence talk to us until later in the film because he wanted to Stamp! “Good Morning,” I said cheerily, as if I keep in character. Between takes he sat alone on a encounter such people every day at six a.m. His chair outside, face to the sun. We, on the other eyes are very blue. hand had an old out of commission coach to sit in between takes. In fact we spent so much time on We had been told to bring in a selection of our that old bus we got to know each other really well, clothes, no stripes or spots, no bright colours. had some good laughs and a number of us still meet Beige, grey and blue were recommended, not my up regularly for coffee. colours really so it was a bit difficult and I was not at all pleased with my selection. I had a section of Another good memory of Vanessa was in a later hanging rail with my name. Each scene I changed scene. We, the OAPZ, were singing outdoors to an into the clothes I was given, regardless of whether I audience sitting on the grass. This was where we would have chosen that top to match with those had to sing Ace Of Spades. After we were filmed, trousers or jeans. I was then photographed, Paul, the director, wanted to film Gemma including rings, watch, shoes, in case that scene conducting us, so we had to sing it again for her to needed to be re-recorded at a later date. That first match her movements to our singing. The camera day, we were bussed to the location, a church hall wouldn’t be on us though so we could let rip. where the OAPZ were filmed rehearsing. Vanessa turned to those of us next to her, and shrugging off her character of frail sick cancer We sat where we were told whilst the camera crew victim we all had a good dance together as we sang assembled, setting up tracks for cameras to move our hearts out. She had a solo number in that along, marking things with various coloured tape, scene, singing ‘True Colours’ to Terence Stamp who and measuring distances from here to there, was sitting alone on a chair way over on the grass. sometimes from camera to someone’s nose. Before Her singing voice is not good but she is an actor and filming started someone from wardrobe came in to we couldn’t help but be moved. give us the onceover, looked at me, went off and came back with a beige anorak type jacket because Even though it was August we froze that day; we she said my top was too dark and stood out too were singing in a grassy place which caught the much. “Oh, I can’t wear that!” I said, “I would never wind in all directions and were dressed in flimsy wear a jacket like that, it’s like something my summer clothes. It was so cold someone was sent Mother would wear.” She glared at me, walked off and came back with a cream cardigan, a slight improvement. I felt a bit silly when a few minutes later Ann Reid came in with a very similar beige anorak. Later, just before filming started we were joined for the first time by Vanessa Redgrave. Her clothes were worst of the lot, shapeless, neutral colours, a bit too big and an awful woolly hat pulled down to disguise the fact that she did in fact have hair after supposedly going through chemo. They must have thought I was a right diva!

The next couple of weeks followed the same routine: singing snatches of songs and reacting to situations around us. In one scene Vanessa has to collapse into the Pat with The Doctor! ------Inca 14 – page 5 ------Check the Gate! – Pat Bell ------out to buy fleece blankets to keep us warm between prize. I did manage a chat with Terence at the takes. The ‘stars’ had down jackets! That was also theatre. My maiden name is also Stamp, and both the day I met Christopher Eccleston, who played our fathers were Tom Stamp. We compared brief Marion and Arthur’s son. Yes, I met a Doctor! He family histories but found no connections, didn’t disappear to a warm caravan at the end of the unfortunately. scene but came into the church hall with us lowly OAPZ and was more than happy to chat and put up So, what did I think of the film once it was ‘in the with our photo opportunities. can’ and out on general release? I think Terence Stamp was convincing as Arthur grieving for his We all had a break for a couple of weeks while other wife and being unable to express himself in any way scenes were filmed, and then we returned for a day’s other than anger. It was a very moving role. I feel filming outside a bungalow in Durham. Marion was the downfall of the film was our choir. Paul got it now sick at home with Arthur and missing her wrong in thinking it was slightly daring for us oldies choir. So we all went to sing outside her window. to sing about sex. I mean, come on, we were the Ironically as it turned out, we sang ‘You Are The Lady Chatterley trial and the Beatles First LP Sunshine Of My Life’... in the pouring rain! We generation. Surprisingly, it turned out to be quite sang, Vanessa waved from the window, fell onto the successful after being picked up for distribution by bed, and Terence shouted “Bugger Off”. We Harvey Weinstein (before his fall from grace) and buggered off. “Check the gate.” “Another take opened the Toronto Film Festival, under his revised please.” We sang, she waved, she fell; “Bugger Off”. title for the US market as Unfinished Song. We buggered off. “Check the gate.” “Another take.” And so on for umpteen buggerings off, getting Did I enjoy the experience? Certainly. It was hard wetter and wetter, until the final “Check the gate” work, but great to have the opportunity to see acting showed a successful take. at such close quarters. And to now have some idea of how a film production works. I made some good All that was left to do now was the final competition friends and I joined Richard’s choir, Heaton Voices, scenes. Yes, of course there has to be a competition. which has given me opportunities to get out there By this time Marion has died, Arthur works things and sing. out and joins the choir. So we perform on stage at a theatre in Newcastle filled with hundreds of extras, Editorial footnote: Pat is in the film’s cast list under who had assembled and walked down from St her surname at the time, Pat Mailer: James’ Park, Newcastle United’s football ground, including one Harry Bell. They try to chuck us out http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1047011/fullcredits?r because we are not like a ‘proper’ choir, but we ef_=tt_ov_st_sm storm the stage, sing Love Shack in our tie dye tee- shirts and the film culminates with Terence singing Here she is beside a poster of the film on Finsbury Billy Joel’s ‘Good Night My Angel’ while we “Aaah Park tube station: Aaah” behind him. And we come away with second

------Inca 14 – page 6 ------Down to the Sea to See Sea Ships – John Purcell ------Down to the Sea to See Sea Ships by John Purcell

In our last episode, the 2017 TAFF Delegate, John Purcell, and his wife Valerie, mightily wandered through the cobblestoned streets of Cardiff, Wales, with aside-trip through time and space in the Doctor Who Experience, and bathed in the wonders of the vowelless Welsh language. With the scent of the sea in their hair and two travel mugs filled with cheap coffee in hand, they boarded an eastbound train to take them even further back in time, back to when burly tribesmen resembling Liam Proven dragged knuckles, logs, and stones across treeless plains to erect a mysterious monument to their pagan gods – hail Roscoe and Great Ghu! – on the plains of Salisbury. Oyez, the Purcells were bound for an even more archaic and dangerous lair in a far-removed land of unknown peril: Chichester-on-Sussex.

We roused ourselves literally as the sun broke Jackson, who was to meet us at Salisbury Station, across the hills surrounding Cardiff because our about the change in our arrival time to 11:40 AM, train out of Cardiff was to depart at 8:30 AM. While and he said that was not a problem: he would be Valerie showered I went off to grab coffee and there waiting. In the meantime, the sun shone breakfast from the Youth Hostel’s dining room. brightly on a colourful landscape dotted by hamlets, There was a delightful selection of eggs, ham, juices, streams, and checker-board fields separated by and other delectable foodstuffs, so I carried a fully copses of woods. loaded tray back to our room. As we ate, my iPhone dinged. It was a notification that our train to “I’d live here,” I told Valerie. Salisbury had been cancelled. That pissed us off, but our train tickets were transferrable all day long, “I thought you wanted to move to Cardiff and teach and the next train eastward at 9:30 was a definite, at University there,” she said, imitating the British so thankfully we did not have to rush off with all of way of dropping the definite article before a proper our luggage to the train station, which was a fifteen- noun. minute walk away. So we ate a relaxed breakfast, checking out just after 9:00 AM on 25 July 2017, “Well, this kind of commute I would not mind at and thanked the folks at the front desk, telling them all,” was my reply. “Not at all.” We watched the that we will heartily recommend their Hostel to any scenery unfold and roll as our conversation drifted friends who might be visiting Cardiff. With that, we along like the clouds in the sky as our train began were off, arriving in plenty of time for our train. slowing down on its approach into Salisbury Station. We never did find out why the earlier train had been cancelled, but other passengers from that one Clambering off the train, our Drag Along speculated that it was probably a maintenance Methodology Needed (DAMN™) system working issue. There were still plenty of seats and storage wonderfully, I spotted Rob straight away: I had met space available on this one, though, and the carriage him at the Austin, Texas Corflu in 2007. Rob was quite spacious and comfortable. We definitely Jackson is a kindly, tall, gray-bearded gent with a enjoyed the scenery rolling by. I called Rob soft and upper-middle-class British accent. Even ------Inca 14 – page 7 ------Down to the Sea to See Sea Ships – John Purcell ------armed with the knowledge that we would be going to see Stonehenge, he was neatly dressed in slacks Hampshire Avon, this city being called New Sarum. and long-sleeved shirt. Compared to him, Valerie Construction on the new cathedral began in 1221, and I felt like slobs in our short pants and t-shirts, and the main body took a mere 38 years to build. but he did not seem to mind. Years of attending Its spire, which stands at 404 feet (or 123 metres), science fiction conventions throughout England and North America had attuned Rob to seeing slovenly Americans in their native costumes, so our attire may even have been a step up from what he had been exposed to at, say, LonCon 3, Corflu XXX, and elsewhere. At least we were all comfortably dressed for the day, which is all that mattered. So again we jammed our luggage into a car – we were getting very good at this – then before Rob took us over to Stonehenge, we walked through the village of Salisbury to visit its historic cathedral.

Seeing Salisbury Cathedral has long been on my personal “must see” list should I ever get to England. Years ago I read Sarum by Edward Rutherford, a massive 1000+ page tome sprawling across millennia from ancient prehistoric England and on up through the construction of Salisbury Cathedral. Despite its length, Sarum is a brilliant novel, paced extremely well, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Rutherford did a top-notch job in his research, and he donated a percentage of the novel’s sales to the restoration and preservation of the Cathedral. Ever since, I have wanted to see this historic place.

The cathedral is one of the most remarkable and beautiful engineering feats of all time. Its Salisbury Cathedral’s 1386 clock construction began in 1075 at the urging of the first Bishop of Salisbury, when the original settlement making this the tallest in the United Kingdom, was was known as Old Sarum, and the first cathedral actually built later. With royal approval, many of was finished in 1092. The cathedral was later the stones for the new cathedral were taken from moved to a new city (in 1220) located in a meadow the old one; other stonework most likely came near the confluence of the River Nadder and the fromChilmark, approximately 12 miles west. These were probably transported by ox-cart owing to the The modern font in Salisbury Cathedral obstruction to boats on the River Nadder caused by its many weirs and watermills. The cathedral is considered a masterpiece of Early English architecture. The spire's large clock was installed in 1386, and is the oldest surviving mechanical clock in the world. As if all this wasn’t enough history and engineering mastery to knock your socks off, Salisbury Cathedral houses the best preserved of the surviving four copies of the Magna Carta. Seeing that document was simply inspiring, and the docent talked to the three of us for nearly half an hour, pointing out details in the document and giving us a personal tour of that part of the Cathedral. We thanked him profusely, and left the Cathedral to walk back to Rob’s car. Next stop: Stonehenge.

------Inca 14 – page 8 ------Down to the Sea to See Sea Ships – John Purcell ------ground, plus each stone weighs about 25 tons. Not only that, but this particular kind of bluestone is not indigenous to this area and had somehow been transported 18 miles from the Marlborough Downs region. Numerous theories abound as to how a Neolithic culture accomplished building this structure, such as creating a track of logs on which these stones were rolled along. The visitors’ centre has all sorts of displays explaining these theories, and there is one stone outside the centre lying on a bed of logs with two large ropes attached to it. I had no intention of proving my manliness by tugging on one. A wrenched back is not a good thing to nurse on a month-long TAFF trip.

The trail up the hill affords a lovely view of the entire site, which includes burial mounds and other During the drive up to Stonehenge, Rob explained significant finds, such as postholes and the famous the geography of the Wiltshire region while we heel stone. We generally agreed that Stonehenge admired the hills and dales undulating before us. It was probably erected, as postulated by was a little windy, but not enough to be chilly to archaeologists, by a culture that knew enough about Valerie and I. The route we took was fairly direct: the seasons and their relationship to the sun to northward on the A360, a two-lane country road, figure out when to plant and harvest crops. That then we turned right onto the A303 that led to the makes sense. It also makes sense that this ancient Stonehenge entrance. As we walked towards the culture worshipped the sun, moon, stars, and other visitor’s centre, I asked Rob how far Ramsbury was natural phenomena, so this structure could easily from Stonehenge because that is where John and have also served a purpose as a holy shrine, ancient Audrey Nielsen-Hall live. “About thirty-five miles aliens notwithstanding. I observed that if that away,” he responded. While planning our trip, I culture had the manpower of the amassed Chinese really wanted to visit them, but since they were both tourists present, Stonehenge could have been built experiencing serious health issues at that time, we very quickly. Yes, just like Cambridge, those people decided not to impose, although in retrospect it were everywhere. would have been nice to contact them while we were nearby. This is definitely one of my big regrets of We wandered about, taking lots of pictures, the trip: a missed opportunity. I did wave in their eventually leaving late in the afternoon for direction, wishing them well.1 Chichester, where the Jacksons live. The twisting and turning roadways were heavily lined with trees. A steady stream of vehicles – cars, vans, buses – I was going a bit crazy because I kept wanting to tell poured in and out of the parking lot, which was Rob, “You’re on the wrong side of the road!”, which placed half a mile away from the famed megaliths in wasn’t true at all. It took me a long time to get used order to preserve the site. Rob had told us during to the traffic directions in England. We eventually the drive that if we were able to get close enough we learned that in Paris and other European cities, would see how pockmarked the surfaces of the traffic flow was similar to America: vehicles there stones had become, and that the worst of the drive on the same side of the road, and their traffic chemical erosion has occurred in the past fifty years. jams are just like Houston, Dallas, and other large “Bloody awful!” he exclaimed. “But at least it’s a American urban areas. But here in the southern tip nice day to walk up there.” Which we did – along of England, that was literally half a world away. with a few passing herds of Chinese tourists that Eventually Rob pulled into a lane that led to their were not as large as those blocking the sidewalks of home. Cambridge. The Jackson home is what I call a classic English Our immediate reaction on seeing Stonehenge was country style. The house looks it came straight out “This is it?” We thought the stone circle should of a late Victorian novel, with a nicely landscaped have been a lot larger than its reality, so at first we yard and a front entry way that smacks of posh felt let down by this place, but then it hits you that gentility. After warning us about the dogs, Rob these damned megaliths have been here for opened the door to a rousing chorus of barking. His thousands of years, are anchored deep into the lovely wife Coral warmly greeted us, as did their three dogs, Kiba, Taiko, and Cosmo, which were all barking away at these foreigners. Man, were they 1 Sadly, Audrey Nielsen-Hall passed away shortly excited to have visitors! From their point of view we after we returned home from the trip. were a potential source of more attention. Once ------Inca 14 – page 9 ------Down to the Sea to See Sea Ships – John Purcell ------again, Valerie’s gift with animals won them over as simple: since Valerie was not much interested in the canines settled down in record time. For the seeing old sailing ships and the maritime museums rest of our stay with the Jacksons, we would have at in nearby Portsmouth, she stayed home with Coral least two of their dogs curled up at our feet. and did some work on a pair of my slacks and her steampunk costume for the Worldcon: a couple However, first things first, once again I morphed items needed repair work, and Coral’s expertise in into my guise as a faithful Sherpa guide and lugged sewing and crafting would come in handy. Like all of our luggage up a wider set of stairs than we Valerie, Coral enjoys sewing and craft-making, had become used to at the homes of the Skeltons, which Val really wanted to see and discuss with her. Mowatts, and Fishlifters. This is probably because So the ladies settled in for a day of crafts and other this was a posh country home in Chichester – which lady-like things while Rob and I trundled off to it was, comparatively speaking – and the Jackson Portsmouth in the light rain. establishment is definitely very different mainly due, I believe, to location. Unlike Stockport and Rob expertly drove down twisty, tree-lined roads, Croydon, where there really is no room to spread where people raced along on the wrong side of the out, homes abutted next to each other; in road (geez, it is so hard to get used to that), to Cambridge, being a university city, the Mowatts Portsmouth on a cool, drizzly morning to visit the lived in a townhome/ condominium complex historic Portsmouth Harbour Shipyard and designed to accommodate mostly students and Museum. Now, I have always been a bit of a faculty. Claire Brialey told us she was dying to know military history buff. In fact, my undergraduate what the Jackson’s house looked like because she minor at Iowa State University was in Russian had never been there. Well, I can state Studies which included back-to-back courses in unequivocally that it is indeed a large and lovely two Tsarist and Soviet military history. Fascinating storey house. The bottom floor had rooms on either classes. Additionally, my father and his father – I side of the central entry, and yes, there was the was named after my paternal grandfather – both expected fannish decoration of multiple served in the United States Navy, granddad at the bookshelves in practically every room in the house. tail end of World War I and my dad throughout The guest room was at the top of the stairs, just to most of World War II in the South Pacific. Not the left, and even had its own wash basin! That was surprisingly I was looking forward to going aboard unique, and of a Victorian design. Our bedroom the ships in Portsmouth. window overlooked the backyard, replete with gardens and a lawn as equally lush as in the front The closest thing that America has to Portsmouth is yard. A posh home, indeed! Then again, we probably Newport News, Virginia, so as we travelled enjoyed every place we stayed. In my humble down those winding roads – in between my opinion, the first two and a half weeks of this trip involuntary flinches every time an oncoming car or had been a rousing success. truck zinged inches away from me – I told Rob of the one time I sat on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean After minimal unpacking for our two and a half day at Virginia Beach watching huge warships and stay, Rob and Coral gave us the tour of their aircraft carriers out at sea as they turned to enter “country estate,” which features a charming front the harbour at nearby Newport News. In short yard well shaded by lots of trees and flowering order – roughly half an hour – we arrived in shrubberies, and the backyard, which seemed larger Portsmouth, parked then walked into the shipyard. in size than the front but wasn’t. Outside the kitchen door was a charming patio adorned with a wide assortment of hanging and potted plants, and further out was a large vegetable garden, all surrounded by more trees and bushy shrubberies. Cosmo and Taiko trailed along, while Kiba mostly lounged on the patio. Back inside we relaxed and chatted with Rob while Coral, who is an excellent cook, prepared a delicious dinner, which disappeared quickly thanks to all of our outdoor walking that day. That night we contentedly settled into the big comfy bed in their guest room, with full tummies and dreamt posh English countryside dreams.

Though the morning of 26th July was grey and drizzly, everyone enjoyed a breakfast of coffee, toast and jam, and a small bowl of home-made yogurt topped with granola. The plan for the day was HMS Victory ------Inca 14 – page 10 ------Down to the Sea to See Sea Ships – John Purcell ------despite being a state of the art, iron-hulled, steam- The shipyard houses not only historic sailing ships powered, armoured sailing vessel. Launched in – like the HMS Victory and HMS Warrior, both of 1860, it was the pride of Queen Victoria’s fleet, built which Rob and I wanted to see – but dry docks, when Britain was expanding its empire and began slips, and assorted museums. I spotted a ship- to dominate world-wide trade and industry. The building workshop and observed craftsmen following description comes from the website for restoring a 47-year-old sculling boat, admiring their the HMS Warrior museum: workmanship. The skill of these builders was a joy to watch, and I marvelled at how neatly they shaped Powered by steam and sail, she was the largest, the hulls, listening attentively as a guide explained fastest and most powerful warship of her day and how wooden hulls were constructed five to seven had a lasting influence on naval architecture and hundred years ago, and that restoration work was design. Work and life on board reflected both the always done using the same kinds of tools and changes the Royal Navy experienced as it evolved materials of the original artisan. Accuracy was into a professional service and shifts in Victorian paramount, which makes perfect sense to me. From society. there Rob and I went into the Battle of Jutland Museum, which was fought in 1916 and quite Built to counter the latest French battleship, possibly turned the tide of sea power in favour of Warrior was, in her time, the ultimate deterrent. the British Royal Navy. The numerous Yet by igniting a new era in naval technology, she photographs, recordings, and artefacts recovered soon became outdated. After 22 years’ service, from British and German ships sunk during that Warrior’s hull was to be used as a depot, floating battle were incredible, plus huge, painstakingly school and an oil jetty. recreated models of these WWI warships stood proudly in cases throughout the Jutland Museum. Such a fate would have been extremely sad. Instead, the HMS Warrior has been berthed in After that we climbed aboard first the HMS Victory, Portsmouth since 1987 after undergoing extensive followed by the HMS Warrior, to explore the inner restorative work in Hartlepool (love that name!). As depths of each vessel. These historic ships have much as we enjoyed meandering through the been lovingly preserved and are open year-round to Victory and Warrior, the crown jewel of our visit the public. Topside on these vessels was interesting was next: visiting the HMS Mary Rose Museum. to be sure, especially the rigging and all the accoutrements of a wooden warship, but I found the Built in 1510, the Tudor warship Mary Rose served lower decks even more fascinating. The 34 years in the Royal Navy before being lost at sea accommodations for a hundred or so crewmen and in 1545. The ship’s remains were discovered in 1972 the storage facilities were my primary interest, and and then retrieved from the depths in 1982. I seeing all the multiple levels of cannons and remember watching the news reports detailing this ammunition simply – wait for it – blew me away. delicate operation – which took a long time, I might *rimshot* Admiral Nelson’s cabin was positively add – and the documentary that aired a few years luxurious compared to where the crew lived and later. A specially designed laboratory-museum was slept, and afforded an incredible view out the prow. constructed in Portsmouth so that visitors could

John channels Horatio Nelson in his cabin The Mary Rose as now preserved for viewing

Rob was eager to board and explore the HMS observe the work being done to the ship. It is Warrior because he had never been on that ship. mindboggling to think that these thousand-plus The Warrior never saw combat during its lifetime artefacts pulled out of the seabed had lain at the ------Inca 14 – page 11 ------Down to the Sea to See Sea Ships – John Purcell ------bottom of the Atlantic for 437 years, so it is not Portsmouth Harbour.” If that day had not been surprising to note the specific care needed to restore windy and raining, I definitely would have given

and preserve each item. Coins, cannons and shot, that a go. As it was… Oh, well. It was still a rope, tins, tools, and bones… simply an unbelievable splendid view from where we were, and since there assortment of artefacts. The skeletons of two sailors was probably some storage space left on my were on display, as was the skeleton of the ship’s cellphone, I took more pictures. *sigh* Already I dog! How awesomely cool is that? (Oh, mighod, I’m was fearful of using up all the storage space before starting to write like Chris Garcia!) Of course, I getting to Worldcon, but a quick check on the took at least a hundred pictures of whatever was on settings app revealed less than 20% of storage had display, and there were dozens of exhibits on each already been used, so no worries. After enjoying a of the four levels of the museum, which had glass cup of coffee in The Clouds, we descended and walls separating the ship itself from the rest of the headed back to Chichester for dinner and an museum and its thirty laboratories and storage evening of relaxing conversation with our hosts. facilities. Well, it was mostly a relaxing evening of The views of the multiple layers of the Mary Rose conversation with our hosts. Unbeknownst to me, were riveting. The ship is in remarkably good while I was off meandering through centuries of shape, a result of it lying on one side deep in the maritime history and tales of brave Ulysses – or mud under the cold water of the North Atlantic, and rather, Admiral Nelson and nameless British the presentation of the ship had its open side seafaring men – Valerie had wasted two to three towards the glass walls. Video screens in key hours trying to not only verify our Eurorail locations on each deck showed recreated scenes of reservations to Paris, which were set in place for our what life aboard was like on a mid-16th century departure from London in two days (July 28th), but vessel. The entire museum-laboratory is her main battle was trying to figure out the phenomenal, and neither Rob nor I wanted to leave, timetable and arrival points for our Eurorail travel but time was not on our side, so we reluctantly bade from Paris to our stopovers in Rotterdam, Balkbrug, farewell to the HMS Mary Rose, thanking her for and Amsterdam in the Netherlands in two weeks. filling us – and my iPhone – with unforgettable The Eurorail online schedule was very confusing, memories. unless you had experience in dealing with the extensive and convoluted tables that populated the We wandered a bit more along the quays, eventually Eurorail website. She was eventually successful, – at Rob’s insistence – going up the Spinnaker albeit frustrated by the entire process. Rob and I Tower overlooking the harbour, which has two patiently listened to Valerie’s impassioned primary observation decks at elevations of 100 and recitation, which helped her calm down. Let’s hear 105 metres above sea level. The view from the first it for expressive catharsis. level was spectacular, even in a drizzly fog. We did go to the second level, which has a small restaurant, Once again a delicious dinner sated our souls that called The Clouds, hanging out over the harbour, evening. Coral once again delivered a 5-Star but did not venture up to the Sky Deck because of restaurant quality meal. Rob is a lucky fellow to the weather. The Sky Deck is so named because it is have such an intelligent and talented woman as his an open-air, glass-bottom platform that juts maybe wife, who I think has gourmet ability. The dogs two metres outside of the Tower, exposing mostly lazed about, although Cosmo and Taiko did adventurous souls to the “full elements of get playful with a chewtoy that they kept stealing from each other. I didn’t help matters much by ------Inca 14 – page 12 ------Down to the Sea to See Sea Ships – John Purcell ------occasionally grabbing the toy and tossing it into So we bade goodbye to our gracious hosts, Rob and another room. Cosmo would tear off after it, using Coral Jackson, once again jamming our luggage into his bulk to block Taiko out of the way. Being the the boot of their car. Yes, their doggies also youngest of the Jackson dogs, Cosmo was full of received loving hugs and kisses, and I made a note energy besides being a rather stoutly built canine2. to ship over some Texas-sized chewtoys once we Kiba did play a little bit, but mostly lay nearby, returned home. Rob drove us to the Chichester watching the other two dogs acting like, well, dogs. depot, and once again we employed the DAMN™ “Idjits,” I could just hear Kiba harrumphing at system to get everything aboard and stowed. them. “Doggoned, dumb idjits,” and then lay his head on my foot. The train ride was uneventful, rolling smoothly through beautiful countryside with practically a Such is life in the posh Jackson household. castle every twenty miles or so. We passed Arundel Castle for one, then a few minutes later saw another The following morning (27th July) was to be our that lay in ruins yet still hosts renaissance events, as return back to Croydon Central. No doubt, a we were informed by an English businessman relaxing train ride from Chichester station back to commuting to London Victoria station. Our Croydon was definitely needed after dealing with conversation with him drew the attention of two the idiocy known as Eurorail. Urgh! Such a pain in young men – college students, it turned out – who the ass. Do not – I repeat, not – bother with getting joined us for a spell, commenting on how much they a Eurorail pass. More shall be elaborated on that in enjoyed hearing our American accents. That was a future segment of my proper TAFF trip report, funny to us since we love listening to the varied specifically the Paris to Netherlands portion. British, Scottish, Welsh, and Irish accents. So we relaxed, enjoying the ride and company, alighting at East Croydon station, and accurately navigated a John & Valerie in Salisbury Cathedral cloisters bus ride to Fishlifter Central, where Claire Brialey met us at the door.

So that night we kicked back, to redistribute and repack suitcases and carry-on bags to take with us the next day, on Friday evening of 28th July – not early afternoon as we originally planned (thank you, Eurorail bastards) – when we would take a Eurostar train to Paris. Thus somewhere in the neighbourhood of midnight on July 28th, our Parisian stay would begin. We did have a hotel room already booked and properly notified them of our late-night arrival, so that problem had been resolved. Now all we needed to do is confirm reservations in Riga, Latvia (an overnight layover while heading to Helsinki for the WorldCon), and two or three nights in Prague, Czechia, during our return leg of the TAFF trip to London.

Two weeks had elapsed on my 2017 Trans- Atlantic Fan Fund trip, with another three more weeks and three days to go. Oy, gevalt! I suspected my fershlugginer feet would be suing me for abuse. Not surprisingly, that evening the Dark Arts Surreal Stout Mark and Claire proffered was certainly the best way to unwind after the day.

We were back in Croydon. Only temporarily, though. Next up: the Purcells invade France!

2 Not stout: thick fur. – Ed. ------Inca 14 – page 13 ------Don’t Start Any Other Way – Dave Hicks ------If there’s no bacon it’s best to start a new life in Boise, Idaho. Don’t Start The British Science Fiction Convention breakfast is no mere utilitarian and functional provision of simple sustenance. It is, from the way people react Any Other to any interruption to this service, clearly some kind of God-damned human right. Did my forefathers die in two world wars so a budget hotel in the Way Midlands can serve me scrambled eggs with the texture and flavour of loft insulation? I think not.

At UK venues fans expect, nay, demand the Full English: beans, tomatoes, eggs, some sort of fried potato, bacon and sausages made from parts of the Dave Hicks pig whose names only occur in the larger veterinary dictionaries.

If there was an official guide book on how to write If you also wanted black pudding, take it up with one of SF fandom’s finest literary forms, the someone else… convention report, it would tell you that it is bad practice to tell the world what you had for breakfast. And mushrooms. People get very funny about It would go on to cite the finest exponents of the mushrooms. Their flavour, texture, size(?), even the craft who, if you read through their stuff carefully, quality of the juices at the bottom of the pan. They all told you what they had for bloody breakfast. The tell me about this. They seem to think the con exceptions never woke up before lunch time. committee must do something about it. I don’t even Furthermore, breakfast is a prosaic, everyday, even, like mushrooms. I spit on your mushrooms! Not to use an old fannish term of derision I dislike, literally of course, I haven’t interfered with anyone’s mundane thing. So where’s the interest in that? food since the incident with the carbonara sauce.

Some of the Novacon committee have been doing I would be willing to wager a small sum more the damn convention for so long that even we have people who attended Novacon last year can recall to look stuff up when trying to remember which the hotel had replaced hash browns with fried year it was that we had to deal with a particular butternut squash than what Adrian Tchaikovsky hotel/Guest of Honour/mad Swedish person. had to say for himself. To be honest, I was pretty Sometimes we still can’t narrow it down. miffed about that one myself (the butternut squash, not Adrian). It was one of the Walsall conventions. So with great certainty that I can say that sometime between 2001 I do sort of understand. There’s no denying the lip- and 2008 the Novacon hotel kitchen lost its gas smacking satisfaction of a cooked breakfast and supply one morning. There was no hot food. I’ve done well it’s my favourite meal of the day. The worked in building management and muttered a glorious hit of flavour from the final piece of freshly common phrase in the profession, about how one grilled bacon and egg, with all the juices mopped up prevents this sort of thing. By mid-day assorted with the last piece of bread. It stays with you. In a other fans had picked up on this. Despite having nice way. careers in abstruse academia or modelling defunct Eastern European steam trains out of pipe cleaners, No day is ever really good if it starts badly, no everybody else was suddenly a – highly voluble and matter how much fun may be on offer later on. For passionate – expert in Planned Preventive example, to enjoy a full evening after a committee Maintenance. meeting some time ago, we booked into a hotel near the Chair’s house. Cooked breakfast was an extra to What they were all really very vocal and upset about be ordered on the morning, which we had planned was, of course, breakfast. as a treat to start our Sunday. The chef was ill: no cooked breakfast. And there was only UHT milk for So, the interest is that if you’re on the committee of the cornflakes. UHT milk! We all felt so deprived a convention where, at the last minute and at no that I had to get all the pans out and do the lot when notice, you replace Kim Stanley Robinson with we got home, which meant deceiving Nana when we Bernard Cribbins’ stunt double people might be a visited on the way back or else she’d have wanted us bit miffed, but if the hotel cannot serve fried to have dinner there. No breakfast and I was mushrooms it’s best to hide until lunch time. reduced to lying to little old ladies and sweating over three gas rings and the grill.

------Inca 14 – page 14 ------Don’t Start Any Other Way – Dave Hicks; A Barista’s Day – Mark Plummer ------

So I don’t find people’s reactions totally unreasonable. I even find, having checked out what A Barista’s conventions they do have in Idaho, a con website advocating a minimum of two proper meals a day while at the event, and at least one with some protein. Day

Ah, protein. Eight rashers of bacon, six sausages and four fried eggs – that’s a proper protein rich breakfast. No, of course I don’t do that, and neither do you, gentle reader; but we’ve both of us watched Mark Plummer someone walk by with a plate that loaded haven’t we? Some of us are perhaps dedicated to the adage Claire explained: that one should breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper, combined with a spot “... four days a week I'm up at 5.30 to be in work of ‘I’ve paid for this so I’m going to get full value’. by 7 am. There's a reason I like coffee so much.”

And speaking of eating like royalty, do we all Whereas I get up at 2:30 am. I check my email to remember Mr. Egg from one of the last find Ms Brialey's coffee order for the coming day, Birmingham Novacons? ‘It was just round the which I then memorise. There is in fact little day- corner from Andromeda. ‘Eat like a king for a on-day variation – Ms Brialey likes her coffee like pound!’ said their signs, provided Her Britannic she likes her men, dark roasted and ground up into Majesty dines exclusively on egg and chips. a fine powder – but it is as well to be sure, and However at lunchtime and the early evening it was anyway we are all agreed that there must be no as packed with fans as a book launch with free repeat of the unfortunate incident of March 2005. booze. It was another fifty pee for sausages. At 3:30 I am waiting outside the farmer's market to Breakfast is also the least respected meal of the day. buy coffee for the coming day. I am usually able to How many times on Master Chef do they ever get enough in just the one trip. demand the contestants whip up a bunch of Michelin Star quality breakfasts? Not quite never, At 5:45 I load Ms Brialey onto the trolley and wheel but very rarely. And when they do, every contestant her to the bus-stop, thus allowing her to check her will, without exception, decide that fine dining BlackBerry and post messages to InTheBar while in demands that eggs must be poached. Poaching one transit. egg for yourself when nobody’s watching is easy (ish), but in a strange kitchen, under pressure, During the day I co-ordinate a range of carefully attempting to poach a dozen always results in selected coffee bars in the Victoria area of London, disaster. The eggs don’t stay together and as the dispatching coffee to Ms Brialey's office. hapless wannabe chef swirls the water they combine into a giant torus of egg white or collapse, Somebody needs to make sure that a new shift is underdone, into a pale yellow slurry over the ready as each is exhausted. organic, free-range, acorn-fed, artisan sliced bacon. I am reduced to screaming at the television “For I return home in time to cook Ms Brialey's dinner. God’s sake – just fry the fucking things!” The evening is devoted to washing, ironing and On reflection I find I might be as unbalanced about general housework. I also have to feed the goats, this as the rest of you, but after almost four decades and mop up the coffee spills before they stain. of convention breakfasts I need to reduce my cholesterol. Tomorrow’s breakfast? Muesli. At 11:30 I am allowed to watch television for 25 minutes.

Shortly before midnight, I begin the process of collecting up the assorted coffee cups, mugs, vases and buckets, washing them up and putting them away ready for the coming day. This is usually all done by 3am.

I get up at 2:30 am...

Mark, Barista

------Inca 14 – page 15 ------Send in Hash Browns – Doug Spencer ------Send in Hash Browns

Doug Spencer

Novacon hotel breakfast, 2017

Isn’t it rich? Temple to greed! Sausages, bacon and eggs, Take what you need ... But are there hash browns? Where's the hash browns?

Isn’t it bliss! Protein galore, Wish I did Atkins again, Then I’d eat more ... Where’s the hash browns? I wanted hash browns!

Just when I’d stopped filling my mug Working the coffee machine with my favourite drug, see, the hot counter has gained a pristine new bowl, fight through the scrum ... Mushrooms are here, Still no hash browns!

Don’t you love carbs! Brought you some here! I thought that you’d want what I want, Sorry, my dear; Croissants are nice, But they’re not hash browns, Quick, send in hash browns!

What a surprise! Isn’t it strange, Making us breakfast this year without their full range. Every time Novacon comes around, breakfasts will change; There’s no hash browns, Well, maybe next year.

Isn’t it rich? Isn’t it drear? Having no hash browns can make me feel queer, So where’s the hash browns? They don’t have hash browns. Don’t worry, there's beer.

------Inca 14 – page 16 ------Chicory-Dickory Do – Curt Phillips ------Chicory-ChicoryChicory-Dickory--Dickory DoDoDo

Curt Phillips

Recently some friends of mine were discussing possibly by one or more of the 4000 other chicory. You can certainly be forgiven if you’re not infantrymen camped around us, although as you'll familiar with this root-plant which is apparently certainly understand we could scarcely bring used today as a sort of gourmet additive to very ourselves to believe that our fellow comrades in fancy and expensive coffees. Back during the arms could stoop so low as to come a-thieving in the American Civil War the root was pressed into night. However, the chicory was unquestionably service as a substitute for coffee by southern gone and so we resolved to blame some passing soldiers whose supply of actual coffee had been cut cavalrymen and upon obtaining a fresh supply of short by Union blockades. Chicory grows wild in chicory we began the entire process over again. several parts of the country and is prepared by harvesting the root, cutting it into pieces which are Grinding the chicory was somewhat more difficult then roasted and ground into a rough powder, the second time around as we were all suffering the which is then used in exactly the same manner as effects of several bee stings now, but the task was ground coffee. Only the taste is said to be not only accomplished, the water boiled and our hard-won different from coffee, but decidedly an acquired honey added. We sat around the campfire for a taste. time, waiting for the steaming tin cups of chicory to cool enough to drink. It was only during this time of I've attended a chicory tasting event, though as it idleness that the doubts began. happened I didn't participate as fully as I might have. Some friends and I were at a Civil War I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that reenactment in South Carolina some years ago and our doubts should probably have begun sometime as we had earlier been discussing the fact that before we set that tree on fire and certainly those soldiers had sometimes used chicory as a substitute doubts should have been in full bloom at the for coffee, which had become all but unobtainable moment those bees came a-swarming out of the as the war ground on, we decided that in order to burning tree; their little bee-minds set unalterably edge closer to the true immersive Civil War to the task of finding someone to sting to death. I experience, we would need to prepare and drink will only say that it is one thing to sit at home chicory. contemplating the matter in bee-free comfort, and realize that ‘ah-ha! there was the flaw in their plan We prepared it in the traditional manner as used by all along,’ and quite another to actually think of that soldiers during the war. One of our comrades had particular point in time to take corrective action somehow obtained some local wild chicory, which before the bees attack. we then placed in the bottom of our rusty tin cups, and roasted somewhat indifferently over an open But I digress. You wanted to know about chicory. campfire. Then we ground it in those cups with the butt ends of our bayonets, added water from our We sat there, considering the infinite mysteries of canteens, and brought this mixture to a boil over the bees and such, when my friend Searle broke the fire. While allowing it to cool, we foraged for sugar silence with a question that was to have ponderous and milk, but being as we were in the middle of a repercussions. 4000 man “army” at the time we found neither, although we did manage with great difficulty to “Say guys, where did these chicory roots come from extract some wild honey from its natural habitat, anyway?” causing a small forest fire in the process, which – though exciting at the time – was quickly stomped “Oh,” replied Dewey – our First Sgt. and general out and thus does not figure significantly in this dog-robber. “I picked them up in those woods over story. there,” he said, gesturing vaguely downhill towards where the camping area gave way to scrubby trees Returning to our campfire we discovered that our and eventually to a swamp. “They’s all kinds of it chicory had been stolen during our absence, ------Inca 14 – page 17 ------Chicory-Dickory Do – Curt Phillips ------lying around over there. I think the wild hogs eat which – I was now convinced – had begun to exude them.” a pungent aroma that was more than a little bit suggestive of the barnyard. Or was that simply the Hmmm... Wild hogs. I grew up on a farm and was natural scent of chicory? I had no idea, having quite aware that hogs in general will eat just about never had the slightest desire to taste the beverage anything. Hogs are less interested in what they eat, before this night. And in fact I suddenly realized so long as there's plenty of it. But then I thought that any such desire I had possessed back when I about what else it is that hogs like to do aside from was flailing around in the woods, swatting angry eating. They like to defecate. In fact, based on my bees off of me had now vanished entirely. years of barn-yard observations, I think it fair to say that hogs may well be the champions and world I looked around the campfire. Some of my leaders at that bodily function. Over the comrades had already raised their mugs to their lips generations they have perfected the art, and if you and were gingerly sipping their brew. spend any time at all studying the matter – as I have – you will know that hog droppings have a certain “Shew! That's, that's... kind of strong, isn't it?” characteristic. They look very similar to wild asked Lance, our commanding officer.

“Strong ain’t the word for it,” said Searle. “It's nasty! Maybe we boiled it too long.”

“Yeah,” I said, my cup still untasted. “That's probably it.”

Dewey stood up and pitched the rest of his cup of chicory out into the darkness, eliciting a startled curse from a passing cavalryman, whom we ignored. “Well, we tried it,” he proclaimed, “and I don't like it. I need me a cup of coffee after that mess. Anybody want to ride into town with me? I saw a Starbucks on the way in this afternoon.”

As it happened, everybody but me suddenly thought a Starbucks run was chicory roots. about the best idea they’d ever heard, and they all headed off to the parking lot for the trip into town. “Say Dewey,” I called. “By any chance, did you I stayed behind to guard the camp, and as soon as happen to grow up on a farm?” the rest of them were out of sight I went into Dewey's tent, found the rest of the “chicory” that “Why no,” he replied. “I grew up in downtown he'd gathered that afternoon, and hurled it out into Knoxville. Why do you ask?” the darkness towards the swamp. Then I got a cold Coca-Cola from the cooler in my tent and settled “Ever visit a farm? Or ever been around farm back down by the campfire to watch the eternal animals for any length of time?” stars and to enjoy the night.

Dewey thought, as the campfire crackled and sputtered. “I visited the Knoxville zoo with my class back in the 4th grade. Does that count?”

“Did they happen to have a hog at the zoo when you were there?”

“No, but they did have penguins!” And with that thought the campfire conversation immediately turned to zoos and exotic animals and the behavior of the inhabitants of the Monkey House at any zoo in the world, but I did not add to that conversation. I was staring at my cup of chicory, ------Inca 14 – page 18 ------The Wages of Beer – Sandra Bond ------THE WAGES OF BEER by Sandra Bond ------

“You've got a rope, right?” A couple of days later, the complaints started coming in about that pale ale. It was cloudy. It I hadn't brought a rope, because nobody had told tasted wrong. Customers were dissatisfied with it. me I was going to need a rope. The manager rolled The loudest complaint came from the pub where his eyes heavenward. they came in one morning and found the cellar awash in hyper-fizzy pale ale which had forced its As all three regular readers of Inca will know, I way out of the cask. perform dray work. This is harder to describe in words than you might think; I'm not a drayman, I've There was nothing for it but to recall the whole gyle never heard the term ‘draywoman’ used, and ‘dray’ from as many pubs as wished to obtain refunds or suffers from the same issues as ‘chair’ in that it replacements. (Oddly enough, a couple of pubs already has a dictionary meaning, and some people were perfectly happy with it; I don't know whether get bent out of shape if you try to co-opt it to serve they got the good casks, or whether their punters as a job description. just enjoyed their beer with an extra kick.) So the next week, on my rounds, I had to collect not only A dray, says the dictionary, is a cart or wagon empty casks but full ones... without sides used for haulage. Oddly, none of the dictionaries I checked mention that the only sense Oh dear, here comes some more lingo which you’ll in which the word survives is in relation to be needing shortly. As anyone who has ever stolen a deliveries of beer and other alcoholic liquids. I go cask of ale to take to a student party will tell you, round in a VW Crafter van, rather than a horse and you cannot just drill a hole in the thing and start cart, but it's still referred to as a dray by the brewery pouring beer out. You need proper equipment I drive for. Like fandom, brewing has its own which the average student beer-bust, sadly, tends to esoteric lingo. lack.

I don't pretend to know anything about the actual See, a cask of beer has two holes in it (unless the brewing process. I’m often asked things about it students have been at it with a bradawl); a big one while delivering at a pub, or in private life, to the at the side, where the beer goes in, and a little one at extent that I've developed a stock answer: I drive the end, where the beer comes out. Both of these beer around, and sometimes – not infrequently, are stopped up by plastic devices after filling, for indeed – I drink it. I know nothing about brewing obvious reasons. Brewers call the big stopper a it, selling it, looking after it in the cellar, or how to shive, and the little one a keystone. When the pub fix it when something goes wrong with it. wants to serve the beer, a wooden peg – properly called a spile, though “peg” is beginning to displace Something had gone wrong with it in spades this the correct word – is hammered through the middle time. of the shive, a tap or other means of dispensation is shoved through the keystone, and a series of lovely, The brewery was working on a batch (or “gyle” – I refreshing pints is the result. In theory. warned you about the lingo) of pale ale, and as best I understand it, the yeast that was meant to ferment Also, full casks are heavy. This I knew already, but the stuff had got huffy and wasn't putting in a the more I had to hoist dodgy casks of pale back proper day's work at the anaerobic coal-face. This onto the van, the more that knowledge was meant that as well as not being ready to send out to underlined. pubs, the beer was taking up space in the brewing process and equipment that was needed for other Then I arrived at a pub which I shall call the gyles. So the head brewer added something to it Wildebeest. which serves as a kind of yeast steroid, and the yeast woke up and started blipping away nicely. Soon it The Wildebeest is a huge old Victorian public house was ready to be racked – which is not a mode of in a somewhat down at heel south London suburb. torture, but simply means to be decanted into casks Its architect, in a move for which I assume there – and I delivered it around the pubs in south and was a reason, placed the trapdoor to the cellar slap east London which we supply. bang in the middle of the double doors to the street, which means that the Wildebeest cannot take ------Inca 14 – page 19 ------The Wages of Beer – Sandra Bond ------deliveries while the pub is open. fountain slowly died back. Then we looked at each other with a shared bond of astonishment. It is a long way down from that trap door to the cellar, where three casks of the hyper-fizzy ale It probably contravened some law or other to up- lurked. Every other pub had got their casks up end the cask and pour the remaining beer down the ready for me to collect. Not the Wildebeest. nearest street drain, but that, gentle reader, is what we did. More than one passer-by offered to take the “Well, why didn't you bring a rope?” demanded the surplus beer off our hands. I couldn't be bothered manager, a hipster type with an Archie Mercer to explain to them why that would have been a bad beard and a lumberjack shirt. idea.

Several potential answers occurred to me, including “Lend us a hand before you go,” I said to the “Even if I had a rope I couldn't lift three casks out of manager, and we carefully – very carefully – your cellar on my own.” Fortunately, while I was inverted the remaining two casks from the still trying to decide which was the pithiest thing I Wildebeest in the back of the van, such that their could say without losing my job, some electricians keystones were pointing at the floor. I wasn't sure who were carrying out maintenance at the whether the metal roof of the van would withstand Wildebeest came over. Incredibly, they had a rope the impact of a keystone fired out at Christ knows with them. No, I don't know why electricians what speed, but I didn't want to find out. should need a rope. There's a classic film called La Salaire de la Peur, Between two electricians, the manager and myself that deals with the stress undergone by lorry drivers we managed to haul the three casks up the ten-foot who have to truck loads of unstable nitroglycerine drop from the cellar. I trundled them around the over bumpy mountain roads without it exploding, to corner on my little trolley to where I'd parked the the detriment of both nitroglycerine and driver. van, and arranged them by the door. I had a sheet Nobody in that movie could have driven with more of stickers to identify the dubious casks, and I leant care, suffered more breakouts of cold sweat, than I over each cask in turn to affix them; one, two, three. did for the rest of that day every time I went over a pothole or a sleeping policeman. The manager helped me get the first cask back onto the van. As we let go of it – I finally made it back to the brewery and reported to the head brewer. I regret to report that the bastard For a second I thought the explosion was a bomb. laughed at me, and my attempts to explain the Then I reasoned that the IRA no longer operates in situation from a legal viewpoint (if that woman had South London suburbs, even ones with a decent been hit in the eye and blinded, would it have been sized Irish community, and decided it must have ‘reasonably foreseeable’ in legal terms that a cask of been a gas main instead. fizzy ale might fire out its keystone and cause injury?) only made him laugh more. The manager and I both spun around, expecting to see Syria-like wrecked buildings, ready to flee for I had the last laugh, though. Next day one of the our lives. casks from the Wildebeest exploded in the brewery while he was standing next to it. There was no bomb and no gas main. The second cask – the cask that thirty seconds before, I had He tried to blame the assistant brewer for not been bending over to apply a label to – had, under hammering in the keystones sufficiently firmly. the force of the still-fermenting yeast inside, gone “You know,” I said, “you ought to hire a new hand to off pop. supervise that.”

The internal pressure had fired the keystone out of “?” the cask like a bullet from a gun. I’m no more versed in physics than I am in brewing, so I won’t “A keystone cop.” speculate at the speed it came out at, but I'm very glad indeed that it missed the woman who was I don't know how I’m still working for him, I really walking past at that moment. After the keystone don’t. came a perfect fountain of beer, describing a sparkling arc in the air across the pavement and But one of these days, I swear, I’m going to write a splashing on the wall of the building opposite. It murder mystery in which a pub cellarman is might, in other circumstances, have been seen as discovered mysteriously dead from blunt force decorative, even beautiful. trauma next to an open cask of ale, and Roald Dahl- like, neither murderer nor weapon can be found We watched, the manager and I, as the beer anywhere... ------Inca 14 – page 20 ------Not a Corflu LA Trip Report – Rob Jackson ------Not a Corflu LA Trip Report Rob Jackson

Topics not to discuss: How cranberries can be the focus of an entire tourist destination, complete with theme park, Snacks I ate on my own museum, gift shop and coach tour parties. (Don’t believe me? Casa de Fruta Orchard Resort, on 152 Which roads were the straightest and dullest west of the Pacheco State Park. It even has its own RV park.) Anti-fungal creams I bought, and where How not to take a selfie in Yosemite National Park: How you can get a wheeled suitcase maxed out to the weight limit by being half full of fanzines up and down concrete stairs in a motel with no lift. The answer: a bit like Christopher Robin carrying Pooh Bear upstairs – going clunk clunk clunk, up the stairs behind him

Which town has most to be Modesto about (there, now you know) – apart from traffic jams, I drove straight through what looked like utter dullsville

On the other hand, just how hipsterish Santa Barbara seemed How big the How a 66-year-old consultant psychiatrist can be sequoia cone as messy as a four-year-old child if the pistachio was that I ice cream chosen instead of a proper lunch is big photographed for Coral, who collects pinecones as enough and drippy enough (well, it was a rather they are good kindling for our wood-burning stove warm day, and places like Stearns Wharf pier at Santa Barbara – see panorama view above – can Just exactly how long it might take to locate the turn into Nirvana and remove all inhibitions) (The catch to open the bonnet (US: hood) when your woman in the photo was OK with being included, hire car’s oil warning light has come on and you by the way.) want to give it a nice present of half a bottle of newly bought oil How I did my right sacro-iliac in by lifting my foot into a washbasin to wash it, and gradually worked Exactly how long it took to set up a live streaming (and walked) it off by determinedly keeping going link for fans not at Corflu, even with Bill Burns’s and keeping my tummy muscles moderately taut help while walking Just how many of Karl Lembke’s cookies I ate Which motels didn’t have compulsory Fox News over breakfast, for a change All the famous compulsory tourist traps in or near LA I didn’t go to – Hollywood, the Walk of Fame, The importance of ignoring all the notes about Sunset Strip and many more what I ate Whether the wonderful atmosphere of Santa Places I might have dropped my phone into the sea Barbara was karma which led to the area being visited by fire, flood and mudslides since I was How I squashed and split a newly bought tube of there (May everything be repaired as quickly as toothpaste, and what you can do with tape to possible; though sadly nothing can be done for repair it lives lost)

------Inca 14 – page 21 ------Not a Corflu LA Trip Report – Rob Jackson ------Topics probably worth talking burger and other eats joint. A bit noisy with mostly youngish crowd but then this is Saturday about, if I’d felt like it: night. I've not tried their website, but I bet they have one. If the burger I am waiting for proves When I was travelling, just for the record. I flew as good as their other food looks I'd say any fans into LAX at the end of April 2017 on the Saturday passing through Ventura should stop here. I am before Corflu 34 in Woodland Hills, west of LA, having a local pale ale with it, MadeWeat, brewed then had a 5-day road trip via Ventura, San Luis in Ventura. A bit high in bitterness which is of Obispo, the Yosemite National Park (2 nights in course a thing just now, but good. Burger here Groveland), then one night at Grant Grove in now: mustn't drip mayo on the iPhone.” Sequoia National Park, at John Muir Lodge. Then back to Woodland Hills on the Thursday for Corflu It is possible to sleep through on an eight-hour- 34, and back to LAX to fly back to Heathrow on the late first night if you are tired enough – here is Monday immediately after the con. another post the next morning:

The best free satnav to use on a smartphone, “Have slept through till nearly 7 am, which for an without needing to use downloaded data while on 8-hour time shift is my best first night ever. the move. (It’s still Navmii, just as it was last Doing some press-ups at 4 am helped. The year.) aerobic exercise gets me physically tired and sends me to sleep. If I have failed to get much How it is possible to stay awake when picking up a exercise I am not physically tired enough. Beep hire car at 8.40 pm Pacific time, otherwise known Do you remember the beep thread about animals as 4.40 am UK time, after a 10-hour flight from being spooked by funny beep noises? Our dog Heathrow, and then driving for an hour at night in Kiba beep dislikes smoke alarm low battery an unfamiliar part of California to get to a motel in warnings, so he beep would have had a blue fit in Ventura. No, I’m not quite sure how I managed it here last beep night. I still beep slept OK beep as either, but I guess that sheer excitement kept me it was a beep quiet beep.” awake. Advance rehearsal of the important junctions on Google Street View is quite good too, Sunday night was at Apple Farm Inn in San Luis especially of the last half mile to the motel. Obispo. SLO is big on twee hotels, as the Apple Farm Inn is the other end of town from the What Navmii can do to help on leaving the car hire Madonna Inn where Mike, Pat and I had stayed 6 depot if you miss the (rather small and years previously. The Madonna Inn outdoes Apple inconspicuous) turning from W. Manchester Blvd Farm in weirdness and eccentricity, but Apple onto I-405 north towards (eventually) Ventura. It Farm wins on sheer twee – here is the car they trot insisted we do three rights and a left, then a right out for weddings, and the whole place is like this: again when we got to the freeway again. (By “we” I mean Navmii, the car and me, of course.)

It is possible to get lucky when you arrive in an unfamiliar town (Ventura, an hour from LAX) at 10 pm on a Saturday night, hungry and very tired, to find a welcoming and convivial place to eat. I set out from the motel without much real guidance from the lady at Reception (she was helpful, but there was no evening catering in the motel) and found Barrelhouse 101 within quarter of a mile. While waiting for a burger I posted this on the IntheBar list from my phone:

“Landed LAX at 7 but not out of airport till 7.50, then shuttle bus to Dollar car rental place. Drove away in Chevy compact about 8.40, & after a few missed turns (LA street lighting is crap, which Soon after I arrived they ran a wine tasting, which means finding turns in a strange city in the dark was free, with nibbles such as mini cheese breads. is also crap) got onto I-405 then 101 “north” as I was spoilt. The bedrooms are all in small blocks, per Marty's recommendations. All exciting motel-style (you did need to put the gas fire on), enough that I think I only yawned twice while and they have a gift shop with their own brands of driving here. The Best Western is a plain motel, jams and other delis, at least some of them apple- no food. But I think I have lucked out in solving themed. the lack of food there by walking 1 block to Barrelhouse 101, which is a great real ale and ------Inca 14 – page 22 ------Not a Corflu LA Trip Report – Rob Jackson ------Some stretches of road which were pretty enough that I’d love to drive them again: I-101 through Gaviota State Park west of Santa Barbara, especially the bit where it leaves the sea and starts winding north through the hills; another hilly bit of I-101 as it climbs quite sharply north of San Luis Obispo; 152 over the Pacheco Pass then round the San Luis Reservoir.

As you approach Groveland and the Yosemite area from due west, you go through the Red Hills Area of Critical Environmental Concern (it’s probably called that because there seem to be no loos and it’s where I had to have a comfort stop in a secluded spot down an embankment); then my satnav took me up a fearsomely steep and winding road called Old Priest’s Grade to get up to Groveland itself. It turned out that the main road, Hotel Charlotte, Groveland 120, is a newer and much wider, flatter, and safer gradient but about three times as long, but the Another IntheBar post written at the time: “Am satnav chose the older, short, dangerous route as it just back from having a beer at Iron John’s, a was quicker. Here is the scary road as saloon which claims to be the oldest in California, photographed from a layby on the safe road on the and burritos at the Mexican restaurant next to the other side of the valley, which I chose later: hotel, whose own restaurant is only open at peak parts of the week till the various passes are fully open. At Iron John’s I made the mistake of ordering an O’Doul’s, thinking it would be a signature beer – but it is non- alcoholic, and I was informed everyone there knew that except me! But a Lagunita’s proved good if as usual a bit high in bitterness.”

If you want to stay in Groveland but visit Yosemite, try and do it in May or later, when the route over the pass via 120 is likely to be snow-free and open. As it was shut I had to go the long way round, via Mariposa, two hours each way. That adds to my Pretty Roads list, with the Golden Chain Highway from Moccasin past Coulterville and Bear Valley to Mariposa (even Groveland is a funny little town whose Main Street the names are wonderful) and the whole of is very Wild West in appearance. I’d booked two Yosemite Valley itself, which you reach by turning nights at the Hotel Charlotte, where the Wild West north-eastwards from Mariposa. The park itself theme continued with a failure to run to such was sunny and very photogenic with magnificent recent innovations as a chair or a plug for the mountains, but busy, and expensive. I had to buy washbasin in the bedroom. The staff were very very pricey gas at a station on the way out – not as helpful though, and provided a plastic basin for me costly as British petrol, but starting to remind me to wash in which looked as if it had started life as a of home. You aren’t getting any photos of the tub of fertiliser. The choice of protein at the DIY valley from me here, as other people’s are better. buffet breakfast was hard-boiled eggs or peanut butter. The Mexican restaurant next door, La Visiting a scenic area for only one night is only Cocina Michoacana, did very good burritos, and worth it if you arrive there early enough to see the the next evening a pizza place half a mile’s walk sights. I did get to John Muir Lodge in Grant away, Two Guys Pizza Pies, was worth the hike. Grove, Sequoia National Park early enough to visit ------Inca 14 – page 23 ------Not a Corflu LA Trip Report – Rob Jackson ------both the Big Stump and the General Grant Tree. to LA, 245 which twists and wiggles its way The Big Stump is 24 feet in diameter; one of the downhill for all of 33 miles. It eventually reaches notices says a cross-section of it was sent back East the valley floor and straight lines of orange groves and exhibited but disbelieved as a California hoax. before joining 65, which gets you to Bakersfield – To get to it you walk 500 feet downwards in the another dullsville, relatively speaking. You are full knowledge that you must climb back up again now half-way back to LA. One final scenic bit was to get to the picnic area; it’s like climbing a hill in I-5 which cuts a spectacular swathe through the reverse. mountains past the Castaic Lake State Park before you come down to San Fernando and more urban The General Grant Tree is also a bit much for a rush. tree-hugger to manage, at 40 feet in diameter at the base. It is the third biggest tree in terms of Arriving at Corflu 34 was a total change of pace total weight in the world – look at the teeny after five days of solo adventuring. The Warner human by the fence for comparison: Marriott Hotel is in the north-western Woodland Hills suburb of LA, big and well-appointed. Though Corflu 34 had less than 40 members who might have been lost in a big hotel, it wasn’t difficult to find fans and, on the Thursday afternoon, pros. First I bumped into Michael Dobson, and soon after there was a group in the lobby bar which included Greg Benford and Larry Niven. Larry was there for some meeting or other rather than the con – but Greg was very much a con member throughout.

Soon after, a group coalesced with Michael, Ted (you know which Ted I mean), Milt Stevens, Sandra Bond, Pete Young as Corflu Fifty winner, and Andrew Ivamy, a NZ fan brought over by enthusiasm for his LASFAPA membership. That may give him the record for the longest flight ever A big log you can walk through: to a Corflu. Andrew was an enthusiast for everything he did, sometimes in a slightly puppyish way, but generally very good company. Here are Milt and Pete Young:

If you want to visit the Sequoia National Park, John Muir Lodge is highly recommended – very comfortable and well-appointed with an excellent restaurant. A bigger one in the centre of the village Soon the consuite room number was made known, was nearing completion but the lodge itself was which is always a big event at a US Corflu. Marty very good. had the great support of Karl Lembke, a LASFS fan who is a past master at consuite organising and More pretty roads: east of Fresno, the beautifully stocking. With wonderful home-made supplies of engineered Kings Valley Canyon Road which rises all sorts of goodies such as cookies, the consuite from the flatlands past Squaw Valley going higher was one of the best stocked at recent Corflus. and higher, and gradually becoming more and Many thanks to Karl for his hard work. more winding till eventually you reach Grant Grove; and south from there, on the day I returned ------Inca 14 – page 24 ------Not a Corflu LA Trip Report – Rob Jackson ------Consuites notwithstanding, a trip out to dinner is mall. So on the Friday when some of us realised compulsory. A party formed with Ted, Greg the gap in Karl’s shopping list for the con suite Benford, Gordon Eklund, Michael Dobson, Sandra needed filling, it was boringly easy to head out Bond, Pete Young and myself with the intention of there on the Friday and do a bit of shopping. Eight seeing what was available in one of the local malls. months on, my memory of who I went with is a bit We ended up at the local branch of Jimmy’s woolly. Usually at Corflus, this wine shopping trip Famous American Tavern, whose website has the involves Spike and Tom Becker, but this one might memorably apt address of www.j-fat.com. The also have involved Bill and Mary Burns. Sadly it website boasts they provide comfort food, which is didn’t involve Mike and Pat Meara, enthusiastic about right. I managed to be slightly healthy and past Corflu wine shoppers who have now opted out had a seared salmon salad, but there were plenty of US Corflu trips – possibly till there is a change of calories on offer, and to add to the air of of US President? Let’s see. naughtiness it felt like we were in a red-light district: The con programme started at 2 pm on the Friday with a couple of panels, followed by a dinner break. A large party of us went to Sharky’s Woodfired Mexican Grill, where you have to stand in line for your order and then sit where you can find a table. It was very hectic, so it was as well the weather was decent; the outdoor tables were mostly full too. We finished up being about six parties of between two and four each, which was in a way no worse than trying to have one huge get- together. I had a pleasant chat a deux with Rich Coad, presumably about fannish politics, I guess.

After the dinner break, there was a major piece of serendipity at the Opening Ceremony. There was huge pleasure that Randy Byers, who had been courageously battling a glioblastoma (a very nasty brain tumour) for a couple of years, was able to make it to Corflu. He was in a way many people’s Guest of Honour just by being there. So when his name came out of the traditional hat as this year’s choice for the actual Guest of Honour role, there was a huge and heartfelt cheer.

After Randy’s much-lamented death around seven months later, I told Coral his name had come out of the hat and everyone had been pleased. She asked: “Was his name on all the bits of paper?” I am sure it wasn’t, and it was a genuine piece of good luck, but I don’t think anybody would have minded if Marty had loaded the dice in Randy’s favour.

And we have Randy’s GoH speech on video. Top: Gordon Eklund, Michael Dobson, Ted White, Despite the tech glitches which I won’t bore you Greg Benford. Lower: Pete Young, Sandra Bond with, and which we were still battling during the first two Friday afternoon, panels, Bill Burns and I On the way to the restaurant Greg and I talked did manage to get most of the Corflu programme about post-traumatic stress disorder, as he was from the Opening Ceremony onwards onto video, working on a novel with a traumatised soldier as a and the semi-private videos are available here (and central character. Look forward to seeing it. (I with no link to them anywhere else on the web). don’t suppose that brief fact will be too much of a The other panel which didn’t get saved is the spoiler when the novel appears.) Numbered Fandoms panel on Saturday afternoon, featuring Ted, Greg, Mike Glyer and Sandra Bond. It is not normal for the con suite organiser to Sorry, folks. The programme was listed accurately provide much wine; that is left to the con in Progress Report 2: members. While scouting for somewhere suitable to eat just as we were arriving at Jimmy’s, I had http://corflu.org/Corflu34/Corflu34-PR2.pdf seen there was a branch of Total Wine in the same ------Inca 14 – page 25 ------Not a Corflu LA Trip Report – Rob Jackson ------Corflu 34 videos, recorded onto Livestream by Bill even if it fails and the remote viewers moan like Burns via his laptop from a webcam, except for hell and can’t contribute to the fun from afar, they those recorded on an iPad by Rob Jackson: can at least watch it later. Secondly, set up whatever live broadcasting app is currently good Corflu 34 opening ceremony: value, ensure it is functioning well, and publicise it https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B74owyPfcO1yb widely among the fannish fanzine community kw4QXBsa2g5cU0/view?usp=sharing before you travel.

Corflu 34 awards ceremony (Rob J video): Some consuite photos now, just for fun: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B74owyPfcO1ya GhOWVEyU3FhbHc/view?usp=sharing

What If fandom panel (Rob J video): https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B74owyPfcO1yM TU3ZFlMSDdzbVU/view?usp=sharing

Corflu 34 Derogation quiz: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B74owyPfcO1yQ ThGelp1OHBMV00/view?usp=sharing

Corflu 34 auction: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B74owyPfcO1yT 0pWOUpPYXp0T1U/view?usp=sharing

Corflu 34 If I only Published a Genzine panel: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B74owyPfcO1ye XdPdDB1cnZadE0/view?usp=sharing

From Chiflu, revised link to awards ceremony: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B74owyPfcO1yN m1OX1l1S0VnTTQ/view?usp=sharing

------

These links should work from the pdf version on eFanzines, if you are reading this on paper but want to save yourself from having to re-type the links. They certainly work from within the Word document as I am typing this.

Randy’s short but heartfelt GoH speech is historic. Catch it in the Awards Ceremony video from 24.30 (Marty’s intro) to 29.10. You may need to turn the Top: Bill Burns, Suzle Tompkins, Jerry Kaufman, volume up fairly high, but thankfully most of the Mary-Ellen Moore, Ted White; (in rear) Karl speech is audible. The volume in that improved as Lembke, Greg Benford. Lower: Andy Hooper, I moved with my iPad closer to Randy at the Marc Schirmeister, Randy Byers lectern. Strangely, the mike on the iPad I was using gives clearer speech than the ones Bill The programme was variable in quality. Writing 8 recorded with the webcam I lent him, but you can months later, I have very little memory of any of still hear the conversations. the panels, which might mean they were forgettable. The fact that I was on two of them Apologies to Greg Benford for his head being cut probably didn’t help; it certainly doesn’t help me off while he was talking about Grania Davis’s death judge if they were any good or not. If you want, at the beginning of the What If? video. As I was in you can watch them again, or at least those of camera shot on the panel, I wasn’t in the right them we successfully recorded, via the links above. place to be a cameraman. But one item I did enjoy and found quite memorable was Andy Hooper’s What’s My Two final tech PS’s for future reference: Firstly, Derogation quiz. The format was both original and whatever else you do, at least ensure the panel is effective; Andy had 20 quality quotes from some of recorded to your iPad or laptop. The wi-fi link to the best historic fanzine writing he could find and the hotel and the outside world is important, but got audience participation going by getting a different audience member to read out each one. ------Inca 14 – page 26 ------Not a Corflu LA Trip Report – Rob Jackson ------Two teams of three, captained by Jerry Kaufman to mention having his help to operate the satnav and Ted White respectively (with other team app on his phone to guide us safely to the depot members being Milt, Rich Coad, Randy and rather than me use mine and risk getting Sandra Bond respectively) answered multiple- distracted. choice questions firstly on who had written the quote, and then on some related topic. I enjoyed More great and unexpected company at the it. Watch the panel, not least as it is one of your airport, as Pete Young was also due to fly out via last chances to see Randy or Milt having fannish Virgin Atlantic, and I managed not only to find fun before they were lost to us. But please ignore him in the melee but to get him into the Upper my big stupid forehead getting in the way of the Class lounge as a companion and let him have a webcam a few times early in the video. couple of extra hours there waiting for his later flight after mine had been called. Pete told me a After the Banquet and Awards Ceremony, I have lot about the work of airline flight attendants. You often let myself get dragged kicking and screaming may think they’re there to serve you, but all that to some bar or other in which to sample yet more stuff they do to keep the customer satisfied has a real ales. This certainly happened in Seattle in higher purpose – safety. A happy passenger is a 2009, in Henderson in 2012 and in Chicago in safe passenger, generally, who is less likely to do 2016, all three of which seemed by some strange anything dangerously stupid. coincidence to involve Claire and Mark; but in Richmond in 2014 we didn’t even get that far and I did do something a little stupid on the flight just hung around in the con suite as far as I can back, though it wasn’t dangerous, even to me remember. But this year a few of us had an attack really. I confess to flying business class on of the cultures, and Bill and Mary Burns, Nigel eastbound red-eye return flights nowadays, as I am Rowe and I decided to dig my hire car out of the often due to go back to work within a day or so of garage to head to the Getty Villa on the coast at landing and want to avoid being completely brain- Castellammare at the east end of Malibu Beach, dead when I am interviewing patients or taking in a fine scenic drive over the hills and something important like that. I find I just can’t through the Topanga Canyon to Topanga Beach. sleep in anything like an upright position, and I really value being able to lie down. But I am not This contains an obsessive collection of Roman art yet an experienced business class traveller, and including statues; some of them are in such some of the little perks they give you are a bit pristine condition that they must surely be unfamiliar. In the pack of sleep requisites, along reproductions. And talking of reproduction, there with a toothbrush and toothpaste, was a little were rather a lot of male nudes, many in highly bottle of lavender oil which you are supposed to polished black marble. The architecture is very use to spray on your pillow to help you relax. formal – here are Nigel and Bill at the south end of the outer peristyle: So after the attendants manoeuvred everybody’s seats into the flat configuration, which almost seems to involve folding the whole thing upside- down before it magically flattens out and they unroll your mattress topper thingy, pillow and blanket and the lights were lowered, I was lying there listening to the steady roar of the engines and waiting for the next occasional random jolt of turbulence. And waiting for sleep. And waiting. And waiting. This flying lark is just a bit too stimulating still.

Anyway, I remembered the little bottle of lavender oil and wondered if it might relax me, or at least be a bit of a distraction. Now I know I’m a doctor, but this little vial didn’t come with any dosage instructions, at least not that I could read as it was too dark. So I just upended the whole thing onto We drove back along the Pacific Coast Highway various bits of my pillow, glug glug glug. Poo did it westwards a bit to see a bit more of Malibu itself, stink. In a vain attempt to stifle the pong, I turned before heading back to the hotel. the pillow over, but to no avail – it had probably soaked all the way through the lining of the thing. On the Monday I was due to return my hire car but One of the perks of business class is an interesting was able to give Nigel a lift to the airport, or at breakfast menu, but they didn’t tell me I was going least the rental return depot – great company, not to have lavender-flavoured porridge for breakfast.

------Inca 14 – page 27 ------In Search of the Lost Ark – Rob Jackson ------In Search of the Lost Ark

Rob Jackson

Re-edited from original publication in Plokta, issues 25 (January 2002), and 32 (November 2004).

I am currently on a journey of timebinding, but I So when a space-themed concept album appeared, don’t yet know if the end will be rewarding or unheralded, by a previously unknown band called disappointing. There will be a postscript to this Flaming Youth, entitled Ark 2, I just fell in love article with the answer by next issue – but as I with it. It had a gatefold sleeve featuring a write just now, the answer may or may not be on cellophane mock stained glass window in an its way from Japan via the United States. otherwise plain black front cover, which at the We’ll just have to wait and see. time stunned me.

In my first year at Oxford University (1969/70) I The lyrics described the launch and journey of a was pretty much omnivorous for anything with a spaceship rescuing a few chosen humans from an science-fictional theme. Though I didn’t at that Earth destroyed by greed, environmental stage go much on fantasy, I was a real sucker for catastrophe, or nuclear war, and their thoughts on anything with space references. (We like to think what they had left behind and how they would that with hindsight we become more have to change. discriminating as we grow older – I’m not sure how true that is.) Any rock or pop music with a After umming and ahhing for a couple of days in space theme was likely to hit the jackpot. typical impoverished-student fashion, I bought it. The music was somewhat cheesy, with a typical ------Inca 14 – page 28 ------In Search of the Lost Ark – Rob Jackson ------late-Sixties poppy production, and bouncy none of the songs on Ark 2 was a hit, and the melodies. Song titles included Guide Me Orion, project didn’t go anywhere thereafter. Pulsar, and From Now On. Some of the cheesier lyrics were comments on late twentieth-century To cap it all, at the beginning of the summer term fads, such as psychoanalysis: “Trick-cyclist take me of 1970 (called the Trinity term in Oxford) my with for the ri-i-ide…” (sic) which rhymed with mother was bringing me back down from “…something insi-i-ide…” Newcastle to Oxford when her car was stolen from outside the South Yorkshire motel at which we Nevertheless, I still thought it was enormous fun, stopped overnight. The LPs (including Ark 2) and and I was surprised I didn’t hear much of it on the other items left in the boot were never recovered, radio. thought the car was found a week or so later, minus wheels, battery etc. A month or so later bill posters appeared announcing a gig at the Oxford Union cellar club Despite my fondness for the LP, due to lack of by a group called Orion. I’d never heard of this money I never got round to buying another copy band, but the name might be more than a while it was still available. As well as a little thing coincidence. I decided to go along to see if they called Finals, my later discovery of the OUSFG had anything to do with the LP I had just bought. (Oxford University Speculative Fiction Group, featuring such luminaries as Dave Langford, Kev Yes, they did. They played most of the songs on Smith, Diana Reed, Allan Scott, Chris Morgan, and the LP. It was a tiny venue with the stage at the Mike Scott Rohan) rather took over my life. same level as the audience, so it was easy to talk to the band. It interested me that they hadn’t used Ark 2 became a sort of one-hit wonder in my head, the same name as on the LP, so at the end I went a fond memory. The memories are not as clear as and spoke to the drummer, who was a little chap they were, which is why I now can’t remember (for with a round face. He confirmed that there was a example) the pen-name Howard and Blaikley proper launch planned for the spring and this was used, nor all the track titles. a rehearsal gig. However, I never lost interest in it, and about five As I was interested in the lyrics, we got talking years ago in a local W.H. Smith I was idly leafing about the songs. Though the lyrics were by people through a price guide to second-hand LPs and I hadn’t heard of, I told him there was something made two interesting discoveries. One was that it familiar about the song-writing style, and for some had been re-released on CD. reason told him they reminded me of stuff by Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley. The other was that its second-hand value was even at that stage £20, because of its historical value in “How on earth did you guess that?” he asked. the career of its drummer, Phil Collins. He had later returned to the group that made From Digression for those unfamiliar with some aspects Genesis to Revelation – which later shortened its of late 60’s U.K. pop: Ken Howard and Alan name to Genesis. Blaikley were behind a considerable number of successful bands in the late 60’s, notably Dave Coo. So that’s who the little chap I was talking to Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich, whose most was. memorable hits for me had been The Legend of Zanadu, and Zabadak. That made me more determined to find a copy. I asked in our local MVC if the CD could be ordered Though I don’t remember seeing this confirmed – but it had already been deleted! Every now and anywhere else, it seems logical to me now that then I would leaf through the F’s in any reasonably Flaming Youth were one of their next Big Projects large record store (new or second-hand) either for after Dave Dee et al. lost their popularity. It’s not the vinyl or CD version, without luck. surprising they wanted to escape their recent past: Zabadak’s most memorable lyric is the immortal I did find it again – but only in a later edition of line “kallakakora kakallakak.” the price guide: its value had gone up to £40.

I also gathered later that they wrote a number of Someone I know in Bognor who was a finalist on the songs on the first Matthews’ Southern Comfort the last ever Mastermind1, one of whose specialist LP, under the pen-name Steve Barlby. subjects was Genesis, confirmed my memories were accurate. So I kept hankering after it, still I may not be able to sing or play an instrument, without success. but this seemingly accurate guess was a small triumph for my musical gut instincts. However, 1 Now revived, of course ------Inca 14 – page 29 ------In Search of the Lost Ark – Rob Jackson ------for a part of my past in the forms of a now-deleted However, the arrival of online shopping provided LP with an SF concept – a spaceshipful of refugees new avenues of exploration. Our family have from Earth reminisce about the ruined planet they become very used to online shopping, not least as leave behind – by a group called Flaming Youth. our sixteen-year-old2 son Hugo is currently majoring on Pokemon soundtrack CDs, many of I had met this band at a small rehearsal gig they which are only available on Japanese import, and did at the Oxford Union when I was a student on selling unwanted but rare toys on Ebay for there, and got talking to the drummer. It was surprisingly vast sums. Ark 2 on Ebay, though? – more than 20 years later when I was thinking no luck. A Google search revealed a fan or two about getting a replacement for my stolen copy, with loads of info, but no copies for sale. Amazon’s that I looked through a price guide to deleted LPs Z-Shops – no luck. and consulted a Genesis expert I knew, that I found out the drummer I had been talking to However, just yesterday, I think I may have struck became quite well known – he was (and still is) a lucky. CDNow’s “rarities” corner has a Japanese bloke called Phil Collins. import digitally remastered edition available on back-order for $31.75. Go for it! The order has But where to find a copy of this thing? been placed and accepted. A couple of years ago, I gathered it had been reissued on CD and deleted, but then that it was However, I have no less than four unanswered also available in Japan. I ordered it, but was questions. worried. Would it be in stock? Would the flash artwork (with a see-through mock-stained glass 1. Will the Japanese distributors still have it cover) have the same impact? Would I have to get in stock, or will they have deleted it? Will it turn my language student daughter to translate the up safely? Japanese sleeve notes? Most importantly, would the music be cheesy and disappointing 30 years 2. Will the artwork have anything like the later? same impact? If most LP-to-CD transfers are anything to go by, the answer must be no. Just Well, the CD never turned up. Dud. Drawn a look at the CD of Sergeant Pepper for a start. blank. Phut. Failure.

3. Will the sleeve notes be in Japanese? If so What else to try? I will have to rely on our eldest daughter Dulcie, who is doing French and Italian at university with Cut to Brighton, August 2002. Coral and I both a side order of Japanese. wanted to look through shops in the North Laine area, a long thin genuinely Bohemian quarter 4. Most importantly, as musical tastes have formed of a string of four streets in succession moved on: will the music now sound utterly which run north-south from almost up by Brighton cheesy, Sixties and disappointing? station to the Lanes, which is more of a mock- Bohemian quarter with little tourist traps – er, I’ll let you know if the journey into the past is shops – just off the seafront. worth it (next issue, if Your Esteemed Editors let me). Whether Phil Collins would thank me for it if Coral’s agenda: anything to do with fibrecraft and he knew is another matter. the preparation and care of textiles. Weaving, spinning, dyeing – she is an avid collector, learner -- Rob Jackson, 28 December 2001 and teacher of techniques, anything from Roman drop-spindles to American great wheels, via tablet- weaving, herbal dyeing and everything in between. If you want to know what a lucet, a rigid heddle, a niddy-noddy, a nostepinne, a charkha, a Navajo Ark 2 Part 2 ply or an inkle loom is, ask her, but be prepared for a long answer. Rob Jackson returns with a timebinding coda My agenda: Ark 2, and anything generally interesting or calorific. Discriminating Plokta readers (aren’t you all, ahem) may remember that I shocked people We parked at the top end near the station. The slightly a couple of years ago by returning from first shop you could see looking down the road near-gafia in these pages, with a piece about a hunt from the car park entrance was a classic record shop called The Wax Factor, with windows full of rock, jazz, soul and other collectable LPs. However 2 Now thirty-two: time flies ------Inca 14 – page 30 ------In Search of the Lost Ark – Rob Jackson ------we didn’t look in there to start with as we wanted to see more of the North Laine area itself and see However, none of the record shops had any sign of what else there was. Also, Coral probably said Ark 2. Until… something like: “If they do have your LP you won’t want to risk damaging it by carrying it around all Eventually, back where we started at The Wax day.” She has a tendency towards sensible advice Factor, at a cost of £27, with a slightly battered like that. sleeve but (I was assured) fully playable, was a copy of Ark 2. After all that effort, deciding The flower-power experience really started round whether to have it was a no-brainer. the corner. Nearly all the shops on Sydney Street are to do with music, dance gear, arts, crafts, food Yes, it does play fine – exactly what it said on the – or marijuana. One hash equipment shop tin. featured the very best polycarbonate herb grinders. Even an optician’s shop was late 60s – Were the songs cheesy and disappointing? Maybe there was a mosaic in the pavement of a pair of if they hadn’t been imprinted in my memory from specs with all the spectacular taste of a mid-period years ago, so that listening was like re-confirming Dame Edna Everage or early Elton John, and a old grooves – but the messages are still there as bespectacled papier-mâché hippy sun-god in the before. Most relevant of all is Mars, Bringer of window. War in which the group sing a marching-style song in unison as Vietnam GI’s: “So we’re lying here/Cold with sweat and fear/Answering liberty’s call/But while you bloody rotten bastards threaten our way of life/You’re gonna get it in the balls.”

Can’t for the life of me think how relevant that is. (Are you listening Dubya? – not bloody likely!) I’ve in fact got it on tape for the car now, as the nucleus of a whole selection of anti-war songs – everything from Nena’s 99 Red Balloons to Pete Atkin and Clive James’s Driving Through Mythical America.

However, the whole process of rediscovering a part of my past has been one of the best £27’s-worth I The shops have names like Sparki, Affinity, have ever spent. Penetration, Crystals, Infinity Foods, Saffron and Klik Klik Whirly Beep Beep. The second street -- Rob Jackson, August 31 2004 down, Kensington Gardens, is pedestrian-only and full of cafes. However, the Sixties aura fades slowly as you go further south – by the time you get to the bottom of New Road you are back to normality, with Costa Coffee, and round the corner 2018 coda, reprise: on the main road, North St, you are in anonymous English-city-centre land. The infinite Of course in these days of virtually infinite improbability generator that was working information, nowadays you can get the whole thing brilliantly as we left the car park and went past The on iTunes and watch/listen on YouTube: Wax Factor had gently whirred to a stop. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ3321eTeho So back up the time machine we went, retracing our steps into the Sixties. Coral hunted down a At the bottom of the YouTube credits it now says heap of specialised textiles, while deputing me to “Producer: Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley.” find interesting textile-related books in the craft Touché! Vindicated, 48 years on! section of a second-hand bookshop. I must have been fairly effective – she bought three of the ones -- Rob Jackson, March 14 2018 I had found. ------Inca 14 – page 31 ------Circulation – locs on Inca 13 ------Circulation 13

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((Starting off with what will sadly be the last loc heck of a party. People were literally dancing in here from one the most faithful loccers of this and the street at Sunset and Vine. I was sort of small at many other fanzines – who will be much the time, and I was being carried lest I be trampled missed:)) by the merrymakers. Years later, I learned that fan Ben Indick was at the same place at about the Milt Stevens In Inca #13, the train trip same time. Fans show up in the strangest places. you describe in your trip report looks like fun. I realize it wasn’t entirely ------fun, but it looks like one of those fannish adventures that make other fans envious. I think Michael Dobson I’ve never been good all fans want to have adventures, so they have about letters of comment, something to talk about in the next issue of their though I often have imaginary conversations with fanzine. fanzine editors and writers as I read, offering insightful comments and witty asides with In recent years, I’ve thought about trying rail abandon. Unfortunately, I haven’t yet found a way travel, but I haven’t gotten around to actually to make them mysteriously appear as properly doing it. This is largely due to the increasing formatted emails, so all that brilliant repartee goes problems of air travel. With air travel, it isn’t the to waste. taking off that bothers me, it isn’t the fling that bothers me, and it isn’t the landing that bothers I hope it’s not too late to comment on Inca 13, but me. It’s the distance between connecting flights even if it is, I hope the egg o’boo will be that bothers me. On my way to Chicago last year, I appreciated nonetheless. To me, the most was informed that my connecting flight was 1.8 important (and personal) part of the fanzine was miles away, and I had to get there in 30 minutes. your description of the veteran’s mental health On the way back from Chicago, I had to actually conference. With a son at West Point and a father catch a train to get to my connecting flight. who spent the latter years of World War II as an Somehow, the airlines don’t seem to realize this is “honored guest of the German government,” I’ve a problem. been exposed to a lot of this at least indirectly. As I understand it, Prince Harry did go to Afghanistan Sandra Bond picked up some extra work driving a as a combatant until the press got wind of it and beer truck! Wow, what a great entry to have in they had to pull him out, so he also had some your resume. Anybody can get a routine PhD in direct knowledge to draw on. ((Correct.)) theoretical physics, but it takes something special to drive a beer truck. You have to be tenacious, I always enjoy your travelogues, especially with all versatile, and physical to drive a beer truck. the photographs. I want to do something similar Employers couldn’t say no to an applicant with for the 2019 Corflu I’m bidding on; my idea is to those qualifications. do a proceedings volume for the following Corflu and get individual attendees to write con reports Early memories: I remember getting yelled at for not on the entire con, but on a particular segment, messing with the blackout curtains. Yes, we had and take lots of pictures to go with it. I owe the blackout curtains in Los Angeles. Everybody else inspiration to you. had them at the time, so I guess we had to have them too. Once when I was inside the curtains ((Gosh – I didn’t realise I set that much of an something was happening. Sirens were going off example to others!)) and searchlights were tracking. We didn’t get bombed, so it must have been a false alarm. We ------had lots of left over searchlights after the war, so they were commonly used for supermarket Jerry Kaufman Many thanks for the copy openings. of Inca you pressed into my hands at Corflu. I was much taken with Steve I remember VJ Day in Hollywood. I didn’t know Stiles' front cover – just another walk in the park. what V was or who the J might be, but it was a I wonder if the tall green creature with the ------Inca 14 – page 32 ------Circulation – locs on Inca 13 ------astronauts is a local guide or maybe an agent of the (Oh look - it's a boring paragraph you can cut!) local government, meant to keep the humans ((Done. Thanks for the guidance.)) focused on the small pink guy and not the many menaces in the trees. I actually voted in the FAAN Awards this year, so I can comment without guilt. Here's a few remarks. Your back cover was quite an attractive mix of round things. It looks very galactic. ((Which is Online Activity: I believe this should not include why I photographed it!)) discussion lists. The efforts like websites in this category are open to all; discussion groups are I liked your anecdote about meeting Prince Harry. private, so not everyone in fandom can see them. I don't expect I'll ever have the chance to meet a All the categories should be for fanac available to real Prince, although it's within the realm of everyone. possibility (though unlikely) that I might meet a former US President. I donate, in small amounts, I disagree with Bill Burns that “four of the awards to the Democratic party. So maybe someday I'll go are for writing of one kind or another.” Although to some rally or gathering that Obama could be Best Genzine and Best Perzine would include speaking at. writing as an element, their artwork, design, and editing are also important parts of what makes ((I didn’t meet Prince Harry personally, but was them “best.” in the audience at a conference where he was on stage. As this issue of Inca is a year later, I can Two paragraphs later, Nic Farey says that “all the confirm he was also at the March 2018 contenders are known by January 1 [of the year conference; he was there for the whole morning after the qualifying period].” I think this and gave the most inspiring speech of the contradicts the earlier discussion of when a morning at the end.)) fanzine mailed in late December (like Trap Door) might be seen by recipients. I would suggest the I read “Little Big” when you sent it to Suzle pre- voting period begin at the end of January instead Corflu, and read it once more in the context of of the beginning. Inca. I'm still not sure what relevance it had to your panel topic, but I still enjoyed Rob's contrasts ((Good points both, in fact inarguable. between LonCon and InthebarCon. (It also made me think that maybe I'd like to join Inthebar.) The question of public accessibility to fanac has only become as clear as it is, now that nearly all ((I sent it to Suzle and our other fellow panellists fanzines are available on eFanzines, which allows because some of the changes in fandom Rob unrestricted access. Back when fanzines were described might be seen as unwelcome and worth only mailed to a set mailing list, the opposite was reversing in an alternate fannish history.)) largely true, especially for those which weren’t made available to enquirers on request or for Here's a couple of random responses to Rob. I’ve sticky quarters.)) seen chalkboards in bar restrooms in the States. Something else I've seen, that might be new to Moving on, I commend you for being so open to Rob, is the practice of posting pages from learning lessons as you tell it in your Corflu report. newspapers above the urinals. It's not a I wondered, seeing your remark about a SFWA widespread practice – I imagine really interesting conference in Chicago at the same time as Corflu, stories tend to make bottlenecks in the Men's. Not whether there were any dual SWFA/Corflu sure if the same place also put pages on the inside members? of the Women's stalls. ((There was a dual SFWA/Corflu couple, in the I had not heard about the incidents relayed by form of John D. Berry & Eileen Gunn. John Mark Plummer to Rob in which women at LonCon would qualify if he also joined the SFWA event, made complaints about swear words and reference but I don’t know if he actually did, or just popped to the Astral Leauge pole. (I can't remember the in there. Of course, this year’s Corflu in LA proper wrong spelling of “league.” Did I get it featured Greg Benford & Gordon Eklund; not sure right?) ((Yes.)) I wonder what age the if either of them were at last year’s SFWA event.)) complainants were. On the whole, this kind of sensitivity used to be associated with the elderly, Venetia's artwork is quite pretty, and has enough but today it seems to reside more with the young. curves and symbols to keep both mind and eyes Of course, there are also the young who don't mind busy. I also liked Sandra's report on her beer at all including “fuck” or a derivative in every delivery job. I would certainly enjoy riding along sentence. with her someday.

------Inca 14 – page 33 ------Circulation – locs on Inca 13 ------The rest of the issue varied in interest – good more aware of other fanzine fans around the world letters, but the InTheBar childhood memories will require some outreach. I for one would didn't keep my attention. But overall, this was embrace such an effort. quite a good issue. This tribal line of thinking reminds that back in ------2007 at Corflu Quire, I was one of the top three nominated Best Letterhacks, and still have that John Purcell I see this is the March badge. I thought that was a nice touch. It is 2017 issue of Inca, so nine definitely nice to be appreciated – there’s that months later isn't too bad, I don't think. In this egoboo again – and feel like you are accepted. particular issue I enjoyed it all, finding the Perhaps the FAAns need to reflect this sense of commentary about the FAAn Awards interesting (I acceptance and appreciation. I dunno. They do will probably return to that later on), but also already, but it does get tiresome with the same enjoyed Venetia's art gallery – which is quite people “winning” these awards year in and year extraordinary in colour; she is very good – and out. Then again, our numbers are dwindling, so also liked Sandra Bond's article about delivering that invariable will happen. ‘Tis a conundrum. beer, plus the “Early Memories” culled from the InTheBar listserv. I learned a lot about everybody ((Totally support all that; there is a feeling that from reading that, so thank you for running the the current FAAn Award voter base, publishing transcription. base, and the fanzine-publishing community as a whole, is shrinking. New blood and a broader Rob Hansen’s dual con report deserves separate outlook would help hugely – but the next thing we mention because it reminds me that I will be have to think about is the linguistic barriers in sending you something in the next couple months getting to know all those increasing numbers of a write-up of when Valerie and I stayed with you Eurofans and the hopefully interesting and and Coral during my TAFF trip this past summer. stimulating things they have to say. Do they In separate cover you will be receiving some publish in English? Some do, such as Wolf von photos we took to whet your publishing whistle. Witting – but to keep in touch with those that Again, we thank you and your lovely wife for don’t, do we have to rely on their own translating hosting us. We enjoyed visiting you and seeing the skills, or those of Google Translate? Or do we environs, and really hope your gardens are doing ourselves learn a range of other languages? well. We wish we could have an extensive and beautiful garden like that, but the Texas climate is In the meantime, don’t forget Nic’s incredibly nowhere near as conducive to growing flowers and useful service in listing the current qualifiers for vegetables like a more temperate clime such as the relevant year’s awards as known to him, in yours can. We are envious. Oh, well. We do what his online listzine The Incompleat Register – the we can. second issue of which is now available, along with the actual FAAn Awards ballot, now that Nic has ((From the second half of his emoc:)) accepted the role of Administrator for the 2018 After re-reading Nic Farey’s “Towards a FAAn awards which will be given out at Corflu 35 in Awards Manifesto,” which I found quite Toronto: interesting since the InTheBar conversation http://efanzines.com/TIR/index.htm happened long before I joined that listserv group, I have to say that I definitely think the FAAn Awards And if you are reading this, you are by definition serve a purpose, that being they provide not only a potential FAAn Award voter – so vote for egoboo, but also an acknowledgement of whoever you like, but please do vote! belonging. This might sound weird, but people enjoy belonging to a particular group or groups, if Actually, by the time this issue appears, I should they have multiple interests (happens a lot), perhaps say you jolly well ought to have because there is a tribal instinct in all of us. voted….)) Unfortunately, the fanzine tribe we English speaking fans know is dwindling in numbers, but ------my recent experiences in Europe, especially at the Helsinki Worldcon, taught me that there is a Dave Cockfield What a wonderfully sizeable growth in fanzine activity in Finland, colourful issue of Inca #13 Sweden, Germany, Serbia, and Czechia. Most of Rob. I’ve always thought of Inca as being very this is online, naturally, but it made me feel like professional looking, but all those colour there is hope that fanzine fanac is on the upswing photographs and full-page colour artwork makes it across the Atlantic, and I think that’s a good thing. very easy on the eye. To start there is a typical fun Problem is, most of our tribe is comprised of Steve Stiles cover. I’ve seen his work so often in British and American fanzine fans, so becoming the UK (Vibrator) that I assume that he has now

------Inca 14 – page 34 ------Circulation – locs on Inca 13 ------been declared an honorary British fan. Four Unfairly when my mother found out she wouldn’t excellent designs by Venetia that affect me let me keep it as a pet. Maybe that’s why I became differently every time I look at them with Art of the a Gannet in later life. Night, even though less colourful, being my favourite. And of course, there is your own mind- Keep up the good work as I need a cheerful blowing piece for the back cover. optimistic fanzine such as yours to cheer me up these days. I know bugger all about FAAn Awards so will avoid commenting. Equally Con reports tend to leave ------me bemused but yours was informative and Rob Hansen’s amusing. Paul Skelton Dave Cockfield’s remarks about misreading stuff The highlight for me was Sandra Bond’s Beer Run threw me an immediate wobbly when I came to Diary. This is not surprising as I diligently LoC this issue. When I’d first read it my reaction maintain my jolly rotund appearance by quaffing was simple puzzlement as to how this could large quantities of Real Ale. Unfortunately, recent happen. However, in the interim Cas and I had illnesses have restricted me to 15 pints a week. been on a 16-mile walk along the Peak Forest I’d love to know which pub she was going to in my canal. Actually it was an 8-mile walk from area, Woolwich. Brabyns Park in Marple; along the canal to the Bugsworth Basin in Buxworth (they changed the ((Hope you enjoy her explosive tale this time village’s name to Buxworth in Victorian times, out round. You might even be prompted to do a bit of of embarrassment I guess), lunch there at the research into which pub she was at….)) Navigation Inn, then an 8-mile walk back. On the way we saw this sign... I don’t know the particular brand of beer she was delivering, Voldens, but the only decent pub around the pedestrian precinct I can think of is The Prince Albert (Roses). The liveliest occupant in there tends to be the big, usually stationary, lizard in a glass tank at the back. Just like me after 15 pints. It must be good beer because it obviously aids in the lifting of casks of ale. Not something I’d be very good at, if capable of, these days.

I enjoyed her story about the 78’s. As a child, and this impinges on the Early Memories anecdotes, I loved listening to my Uncle Alfie’s 78’s on a radiogram. Frankie Laine and Tennessee Ernie Ford come to mind along with “All I Want for Christmas is Two Front Teeth.” Years later I made a big profit on a job lot of 78’s from a Car Boot sale. They were a bit scratched but I turned £2 into £40 because they included Joe Loss, early Tommy Steele, and best of all Charlie Parker.

My earliest memory is when I was a baby in my pram and I was clawed by my grandmother’s grey cat that for some reason was called Sooty. At the age of 6 I got my revenge by throwing it into the fireplace where it got singed a bit.

About the same time I decided to demonstrate my intelligence by riding my tricycle down the stairs. I bust up all of my teeth and the vividness of the ...which for some unaccountable reason I read as memory comes from having the shit scared out of ‘Danger – Beware Giant Hedgehog’. When I me at a dental hospital where they thought mentioned this to Cas she laughed with relief and terrorizing children with a clown would take their responded that she’d misread it in exactly the minds off where they were. same way.

When I was about 9 I remember that I caught a rat I enjoyed Rob Hansen’s piece though I had to down by the River Tyne, and hid it in my bedroom. Google the Barbie/Ken/G I Joe joke. When I told

------Inca 14 – page 35 ------Circulation – locs on Inca 13 ------it to Cas she laughed like a drain, having also with them because I’d fallen out with my parents. obviously not heard it before. Apparently neither They accepted me gladly and I had tea with them, of us is at the cutting edge of Barbie humour and I spent some of the evening there, but there (always assuming that Barbie humour has such an were behind-the-scenes diplomatic manoeuvres edge). His comments about the toilet seat hanging which had me back home and happily abed by from the ceiling of the Coach & Horses pub in eventide. There are no photos of this episode, Norwich sort of reminded me of one of the trips though I suspect my parents were secretly proud of we’d taken with Mike Glicksohn and Susan my independence of spirit. Not many kids leave Manchester during their 1996 holiday visit with us. home before they are five, even if it doesn’t stick. We’d been to Hay-on-Wye and our return took us via Welshpool where we stopped for lunch at a pub ((They may also have been pleased that you chose whose name I do not recall. The reason I can to go somewhere sensible where you would get remember these details so well is that I recorded looked after!)) them (except, alas for the pub’s name) for posterity, Xeroxed them as a series of four 4-page Your back cover was an example of the fact that art episodes to send to mutual friends, and stuck a often depends upon context. My first reaction was copy in the album alongside the photographs. I that it was just a pretty design, signifying nothing shall quote a couple of brief sections... much, and I wondered why you had included it. Quite what it does signify I cannot say, but the fact ...before settling on a nice-looking pub. We found that somebody took the trouble to do this as a a table and Mike and I sat behind it, with our mosaic on the ceiling of a relatively minor backs to the window, whilst Cas and Susan sat underground station is something that beggars across from us, looking out. Susan’s eyes lit up as belief today. Also, having since seen other photos she sat down and gazed over our shoulders, out of of the station, where this decorative approach is the window. “Look!” she cried, “A Fuchsia”. “I carried forward throughout, I can only wonder at can’t see it dear,” I replied, “I’ve got my back to the triumph of an artistic vision coupled with what the Fuchsia”. must have been an utter disregard of financial consequences. Shortly afterwards Mike went to the toilet, but returned in high dudgeon. “There was no toilet Thanks for another interesting issue Rob. seat” he confided. “So you didn’t do squat,” I riposted. We decided though that this meant that ------everyone in the pub was a tourist, because obviously regulars would have brought their own Hope Leibowitz Another fantastic cover. I toilet seats with them. voted for Steve for another Hugo, but there were some other excellent Clearly the main reason I recall the incident is artists nominated too. I put in a two and three because of my brilliant pun in the first section, vote, so we shall see. This will be my first which is sadly nowhere near as topical as it was in Worldcon in nine years and I’m out of the habit. I 1996. still haven't received the e-mail for the last novel I intend to read. There is way too much fantasy in This blurring segue from a con-report to a trip the short fiction. I just don’t get that. And that report is a perfect point for me to move on to say I last novel, (“Ninefox Gambit” by Yoon Ha Lee), also enjoyed your convention+trip report, which I finally got from the library though it took a especially its conceptual approach. This is whole month, was horrible. The writing was good something I suspect I really should try myself, but UGH! I should have stopped after the first possibly as early as next year. chapter. Some reviewer for Tor said he or she (don't remember) had the same impulse but The piece on Early Memories reminds me that I carried on and liked it, though it was very have very few, none of which I vouchsafed when confusing. I never understood what was going on, this subject was raised InTheBar. This latter fact mostly, and it was incredibly icky. “Amputation just proves what a far-seeing person I was because, gun?” Gross. unlike all the contributors to the piece, who are now all played-out, I still have something new by Editorial – great dogs always steal the show. My way of comment. building has some fantastic dogs. A Great Dane puppy, seven months old, whom I met outside the I was certainly pre-school when I first left home. I close(ish) Starbucks. Lying down, head was loaded up my fort with its toy soldiers (it had a enormous. And then, a seven-WEEK-old puppy, storage compartment in the base) and lugged it already the size of a medium dog. Dappled. And across the road to my mate Gary Charlesworth’s his companion (same household), a miniature place and told his mum and dad I was moving in

------Inca 14 – page 36 ------Circulation – locs on Inca 13 ------Dachshund, fully grown. A puppy at least three times bigger than a fully-grown dog. Chiflu 16? That was a while ago. I cannot even remember if I went but I do have a list of Corflus Chuckled about ((Rob Hansen)) using the wrong and Dittos and Worldcons in Word. bathroom. I've done that a few times but it usually was empty. Someday all will be unisex like, finally, On the FAAn Awards: Sadly, the entire thing is Starbucks. Same exact room, one person only, no getting rather tedious. I’ve listened to many Taral big deal. (no urinal) rants about it and he is sort of right. With so few voters, why bother? And nominating and voting ((In Chichester, there is a new public convenience this year was the worst EVER! I almost didn't where most of the doors, which all open out onto vote. Graham C. said he wasn't going to, and I was a car park, are direct into single unisex cubicles. so tempted, but I did. I had hoped Taral would There are also a couple of booths with urinals, finally win a FAAn award but nope. And he is an though, which of course are male only. It excellent writer and artist. Shortly after the obviously helps that most of the facilities are list came out, I'd already forgotten who had won. cubicles, which makes it much easier for women At least he appears to be recovering from his who otherwise are at risk of having to wait far stroke. Whew! too long.)) On Earliest Memories: I don’t have a lot of I'm glad you can still walk a lot. We are going to memories of my early childhood. But once my Helsinki (and Stockholm and Copenhagen) mother must have been annoyed with my father although my guy isn't an SF fan. He said we’d go for some reason and slammed shut the door to the if they won the bid, and he's already booked all the kitchen so hard that we were locked in the kitchen flights, an overnight ferry from Helsinki to all day until my father came home. But I don't Stockholm, a jazz show, two dinners and a train, at remember anything about why. I don't remember least! I don't know how I will be able to handle all them fighting, ever! None of my subsequent the museums and art parks and the other walking apartments have had doors, though I doubt that required. I hate the thought of needing a mobility was a factor. “Open Concept” now – I don’t have a device, but my feet are worse than my knees, kitchen, just an appliance area with (nice!) which aren't good despite my right one being counters. My table is in the living room. One gets titanium. And steel, concrete and plastic. No, I used to it. never put a comma before that and – don’t like it at all. It would be great if you were going to Worldcon, Rob, and lots of other BritFen too. So far I know But I like your repartee to Renee, “dickheads”. Did of only a few people going, like Ed Meskys and his you tell her that? ((That was Rob Hansen wife Sandy, and Dave Romm. And some people on writing, not me. Perhaps Rob can rack his the progress reports, but that is never a definite memory for his actual response.)) thing. I'd like to meet Cixin Liu – amazing writer!

Indeed, PC has gone too far! Very surreal. I didn't ((Sadly I had other priorities in summer 2017, but know that regarding U.S. schools. ((Rob Hansen from within the fannish fanzine fandom orbit you reported there are some schools where swearing will have had the chance to meet Rich Coad, as is banned.)) There are certainly situations that well of course as John and Valerie Purcell as this call for profanity. And I find it funny that PC also year’s TAFF winners. Also quite a lot of Britfen, means personal computer and President's Choice including Claire Brialey, Mark Plummer, (a brand of Loblaws, a supermarket chain here Christina Lake, Doug Bell, Alison Scott, and Jim that also does NN – no name.) ((In the UK, Police and Carrie Mowatt, all with connections in the constable too, of course.)) fannish fanzine/Corflu orbit.))

When I was a programmer I used PMS a lot – Well, I've proofread, and now I have to leave my problem management system. I don't miss those computer for a while and get other stuff done. days except the people and the income. Thanks so much for sending me an Inca!

As usual, I enjoyed Sandra Bond's article a lot. She ------is such an excellent writer, and funny in person too. There are so many fen whom I wish lived in Lloyd Penney I might have heard of that the same city as me! And (perhaps fewer) some conference on mental I'm glad don’t live here. Not sure what “legal health for veterans. Our own government minister locum work” means. ((Short term work in a is Kent Hehr, and he’s been a good representative solicitor’s office.)) And I jotted down “Insoc?” but for veterans, certainly better than his predecessor now I don't even remember the context. in the previous Conservative government here.

------Inca 14 – page 37 ------Circulation – locs on Inca 13 ------Glad you got to go to it. I’ve never met any of the next two weeks, I will have some good royal family, but I do know personally one of the employment news I can share with all, fingers previous lieutenant-governors of the province. tightly crossed.

To be honest, I haven’t read many reports of the ((Good luck with the job-hunting – a bit of cash 2014 Worldcon in London. Yvonne and I were always helps, not least with travel, and we all saving for that, but simply didn’t have the $€£ to know that travel broadens the mind! go. We saved for another couple of years, and we did get to the UK, last year around August time. Later: two predictions in your loc that haven’t We spent a week in London, and a week in come to pass – not only are the FAAns actually Lincoln. We figured that Worldcon may have being administered by Nic Farey rather than passed, but London is still there, and we saw so Murray, but also I now hear via other branches of much…we are now saving to return, and perhaps the grapevine that you now have gainful we will have the time and geography to visit with employment once again, so with luck will be at all at a First Thursday. Corflu 35.))

The FAAn Awards…I know not everyone was ------pleased with how Murray Moore administered the FAAn Awards this year, so sure, give it a shot. Ian Williams Unusual to see a piece on Seeing that Corflu will be coming to Toronto, this a member of the Royal job might fall to Murray again. Even with Corflu Family in a fanzine (I assume as I don't see too being local in 2018, the Can$100 initial many) but then there isn't really any reason for preregistration price makes it a little dear for me. there to be any. I also imagine that most British I am still job hunting, so I may have to just find fans, such as an ardent socialist like myself, aren't out what happened at it afterwards. exactly monarchists. Still it was a little heartening to find out that at least one member of this useless I do like VIA trains in Canada, mostly for the huge bunch of parasites is actually a human being with a windows. I’ve been cross-country on a VIA, and brain and a heart. the ride was half the experience of the whole trip. Amtrak trains are a little worn, and have smaller Pleasingly attractive artwork from Venetia. I note windows. I have only taken Amtrak as far as a definite influence of Japanese cartooning in it, Rochester, New York, but that is far enough. I particularly in the third image. must admit that when we took the train in the UK, Virgin First Class was a great ride. Bacon baps lost ((Too right. She is a big anime fan.)) their appeal rather quickly, though. Good discussion about aliens, or lack of them, on I recognize the wonderful artwork on page 25 as Kevin's piece from the previous issue. I'm minded being from one of oldest animated movies I of the recent film Arrival which I described as remember, The Secret of NIMH. Wonderful being one of the finest SF films ever and on the reminder of a great little movie, too. Compliments same level as Metropolis and 2001 were for their to Venetia on all the artwork. eras.

((Well spotted about the rat from The Secret of Um, no, I'm not using hyperbole should you ask. NIMH: hence the title The Art of Secrets, of It is a perfect and pure Science Fiction film that course. Venetia reports that a lot of film works on the level as the best of written SF. It companies are OK about the re-use of images does everything that good SF should do. It such as this, as they see it as not only fair use, but concerns First Contact. But with aliens that are also perhaps a bit of good publicity – especially genuinely incomprehensible to humanity in terms when it is well done, which I certainly think of their mental processes. The story is the quest to applies to Venetia’s artwork. But I am biased, of communicate. They also look like giant hands so course. The one company who deluge you with body language is no giveaway. The film shows the cease-and-desist solicitors’ letters are of course effects of their arrival on humanity, even though Disney, who are quite viciously proprietorial they don't do anything, just remain in their 12 about images from their movies.)) large space ships (assuming they are space ships), just hanging a little above the ground and admit My loc…that time of being unemployed is now up groups of scientists to meet them. The protagonist to a year and a third, although I will admit to being is a linguist (superbly played by Amy Adams) and some telemarketing (was laid off), some paid trade the focus of the film is her attempt to show registration work, and some voice work to communicate with them and the resulting effect on bring in at least a little money. I have some hot her as a person and how her perceptions of...but irons in the fire, and I am hoping that within the no spoilers. The ending is just perfect because it is

------Inca 14 – page 38 ------Circulation – locs on Inca 13 ------both human and makes you see everything that Toronto. So really four of interest from a list of 87. has gone before with a new perspective. Don't Proud and lonely, that’s me. read too much about it, just go see it/ get the DVD. Which is also what I feel after reading Kevin ------Williams’s “Life, the Universe, and Nothing.”

((And finally, an issue late, but raising the same ((Kevin’s scepticism fascinates me, but I am still issue as I do in my editorial, here’s…)) not entirely convinced by the gloomy conclusion of his article. There has been a lot of excitement Murray Moore Once again, late to the about exoplanets in the astronomical community party, i.e. Inca 12. since he wrote the article; whether ever more sophisticated spectroscopic analysis will I cannot decide which Steve Stiles’s cover I prefer, eventually reveal evidence of life on planets in the Easter Island statues rocking colourful boxer other star systems, or alternatively probes to shorts or the kinda-Moebius alien and butterfly Europa or Enceladus will show us there is that is a homage to the annual anniversary issue primitive life in oceans under protective ice in our cover of The New Yorker. Inca would deserve own solar system, only time will tell.)) printing alone for being adorned by these snazzy Steve Stiles stylings. Sandra Bond’s “A Ballade of Facebook” made me smile. Sumner Hunnewell’s “My Meth Definitely the number of fanartists has dwindled in Neighbours” made me shake my head; OK, not successive decades starting from the 1970s. As for literally. I can see Dulcie’s Wounded Dragon what we agree to be fanzine fandom, my opinion, picture being purchased for a professional, Rob, it is dwindling because it no longer is needed, commercial, picture book. serves a purpose. ((I am afraid that I wasn’t all that surprised by Social groups rise and disappear. My parents lived the incident Sumner described in his piece about in a village of a population, when I was young, of having drug users as neighbours, as I work with 1,200. Within their church they were members of drug users in my professional life, and know that Couples’ Club. The club’s monthly meeting rotated this sort of thing goes on in any part of pretty from home to home. The meetings stopped, after much any country. You know it if you either keep decades, when an insufficient number of members your ear to the ground or are unlucky enough to could attend/host, because the remaining have neighbours who make it obvious. members either were no longer alive or were too advanced in age. Fanzine fandom, its Corflu, is a Thanks for the compliment to Dulcie. She is Couples’ Club. It too shall pass. The difference is, training herself to sell her book art fanzine fandom is leaving a lot of artifacts, i.e. professionally.)) fanzines. ------Yvonne and Lloyd Penney publish a Pub Nites and Other Events list. The list for March 2018 lists 87 We Also Heard From: Jack Calvert; Steve events in the Province of Ontario, March through Green ((“Bit puzzled why Rob Hansen was so December 2018. The most common event is reluctant to wrap himself with toilet paper in the comics, also toys, and gaming. manner of a pharaoh as a way of escaping unrecognised from a women's public convenience. Of 87 events, the five that interest me are Corflu After all, surely no one would be surprised to see a (not annually here, as you know, Rob); Fantastic mummy in a Ladies’ lavatory?”)); Earl Kemp; Pulps Show and Sale (one day only, at The Merril Mike Meara; Murray Moore (again, briefly Collection), Toronto; Ad Astra 37, suburb of about Inca 13); Ulrika O’Brien. Toronto; Can-Con, Ottawa; and SFContario,

------

And finally….

There has to be a reference to science fiction somewhere in this fanzine. I think Dave Hicks’s back cover may be it….

------Inca 14 – page 39 ------