Vector 251 ·tfj#i@'l.iiil,Ht\1ildj:Mffi¥l§iY.l·j*m,t¥4.14€hf.h! Contents The British Science Fiction Association 01 3 Officers Edltonal by Nlalt Harrison President F,lnt s ie Cl ~s 4 Vice President Wild. wonderful, vibrant, dangerous and eXCIting... Chair TonyCuDm To Travel lefully 9 (acting) t.YaduI'~lNllrom Stephen BaKter on Nevil Shute Treasurer ~bl1lnl'otlS 61lvyCroftiUYd, \\anc...~.... rT.m....orth The Human as Alien 17 ImOjJ By Ken Macleod mtpotl#room.co.ul L1ebniz's FiX-UpS 19 Membership PI'I",WmJ"""" Adam Roberts on Stephen Baxter Services 39 Clyn Av,..",.... N~ .... Ba''''-'I, I-I~n~ (UK 80. Europe) EN491'J Skin Deep Fiction 22 bsiarntmtb;:r,J"ptl'yahoo.,'O.u~ lames Bacon Interviews Anton MarkS US Agent CyChauv,n .a million Clutes screaming 24 14248 W,IIfrt!d Strt....'I. [h,1m1\. Ml4ll2l3, USA 'Haecceity!' Membership fees The Non-Fiction Award debate UK f2i>p.~.or£ll!-p... (um..gedl,or£28 l}otnt/fam,lv "",ntbornlhlp). LJfe 'chi I. go 31 ....-mb;,>rsh,pObO Nlall Hamson on the Bntish sf scene Europe 01 p.a. e 3 USA llSp..L(surf........ll by Graham Sleight !U5p..L(llIrma,l) Rest of the Worid 01 p.a. (>U.uc.. ......1) 07p.a.(~1 Cover: by gabc chouinard ©2007 U"andEur1lpt' .....wchequl!S~~uBSf.... lld.nd-.dlof..­ \\'lllm<on.I""'add""",,~.l'Sdw!q-uesp")'.ab6Iot«CvOlotu...n (!lSfA) Please note: The advertisement on page TlwBSf......·.I&lou.... "'I'l58And>S........-J"""lilm,t~~_ 18 (and the one on page 8). ,",lLM)'Sbflt'db)'unp"Id.'OiunteolrS.&l!t:I)bmpd,"E~LJrnllo.'db)' &'W~_,C<JmfM"yNo.9:!l5OOJ ~1St<'r«IAdd.--1....... Roo.'ae-..E'-..rdon..O"'.....lry~~II38E Vector websile: http;J/www,vector-magazinc,co.uk! Webslte ...-.""f•.co.ul Editor's blog: http://veclorooitors.\\Iordpress.com/ BSF.......wards lanSnclI BSfA.A"·~...... ,I ...,,,,, Vector OrbiterWrltlng Gi1h~nRoo~ Groups Soulhvil;'.., Pil~rims 1..>",-" Chilh;lm, KI'ItI. cnSAB Features, Editorial N\~II H~rm"" and Letters FI31f>,Ar""" 11O\lst'. 3 llo)"" HllIA"<,,,uC Other BSFA Publications Mald....""ad.B<-rl,>./"n·.5U.~f.T V""Ioo".~-dlh"""l;mall,rom Matrix: The new. m_,,_:dne of the BSF'" Book Review. Pald N BlllLn/(c. Commllllonlng Tom Hunl'" Editor <406 SooIn.e11Strt'<-'l. Lond,~ EI400L llongRoo.'~,Evcrdon.Oa.""t., maln,_ed,ton4I')·~.u~ ""N1I3B" poul bolbng"""5mallrom Fnturu • News CWre \\'~'\'f U1'~ed'....,..,.~.u1. Production and To.... Culkn Editor ..... Generill 16Weo'.....·~Wa\_c.tndfto.Ltondon Production. Medl_ \Wim Mcer.lIt """'1 OX" Editor -l.ll Spoo;JrIft5 On..... fulSlfft'l. SI AINns, \'Ktot.prnduet~~l.com A'-',",- PubI~bylIwBSFAC'2007ISSN05(l5lH-lS Focu.: The w~lter'"s m~_:tine-"""~of the BSF... AllUPO_·h'~oil"",ndl."'Id~ronlnbulQr!l"""$houlJnot MoUtinMcGrMh ~nll·bo, ...L.on","""'_."oItlwft!llonorl""'BSfA 48~Dn..... J'~,1.~"'An.n., rnntt'd t»' POCC~Il'\f'lU1,;T(GulklfO'r,ll, t-hddk Unit. 77--83 AU21Il Walnut Tn.'(' (")o,s(>, GUIldford, Surr"... Cl,;I-ll,;H focus.edltorftllli!')'O"der 00 Ill.. March/April 2007 • Vector 251 have this image in my head ofthe perfect editorial. fiction as a 'Leibnizian' genre,. in whidl the parts It sets up the relevant issue, but also looks recapitulate the whole. And since he explores this idea I outwards. It's both engaging and enIightertin& by looking at the nature of a fixotJp, which takes witty where appropriate but not grandstandi.ng it Stephen Baxter's recent book &splmdmt as its generates a response of some kind in the reader. 11 inspiration. And then there's a brilliant essay by romes out in one draft, in one sitting even. to exactly Stephen Baxter, expklrirlg the work of Nevil Shute. the righllength.lt'seasy. fifty years ~ the pubUcation ofOn tM &ldl. Much like the imag\> I have in my head of the But all that is more than a little fon.ro. so what I perfect issue of V«tor, I suspect that reality is never should really do is send you off into the issue to quite going to maldl. up_ CoId-start soap-boxing is expl<Xe it for yomseIve;.. I do want to talk about one of something "Ye never quite managed 10 get the hang of this issue's feabJ~ though. which is an extended -I feel much more comfortable when I have a hook to discussion of what the BSFA does or should do to hang my thoughts from. which is one of the reasons recognise non-fiction writing. The discussion - which I've been 50 keen on therned issues of Vtdm'. includes contributions from Paul Kinca.id, Farah Unfortunately. this time around there's nothing to tie Mendlesohn, Adam Roberts, Graham Sleight,. and the contents of the issue together except Gabe many others - sprang up on the Vtdor blog -I Olouinard's rather fine cover. (http://vectoreditors.woropress.com/) after it was And [ have more to intl'Odure than usuaL since announc:ed that this year the BSFA was pre<iellting a you'll notice - or may already have noticed - that this Recommended Reading Ust of non-fiction, but no o issue we don't hilve any book reviews. There's an overall award. ll\e category has been in flux for a few Archipelago essay (my review of 90me British short years now: it was first introduced, as a voted award,. in ..., fiction magazines, held over from last issue).. but no 2001; declining voting numbers led to its suspension in .c full reviews rolumn. 'The reason is simply that the 2004; for 2005, a combined nominations-frortl'members magazine schedule slipped slightly at the end of last and decision-by.judged-paneI approach was tried. year; to get back on track w({ve put together two selecting a winner and a companion recommended C issues more or less in panlIeJ. but (alas) reviewers can reading list; and this year, as I already mentioned. only review so fasl there's a recommended reading list based on Originally, this was going lo be an issue about nominations from members, but no overall winner. tD Cities. From Trantor to Midgar to Hay, the dties of sf Why this last change? largely because of the and fantasy have fascinated me £of years, and these criticisms levelled .. t the 2005 award. I'm not going to days the pickings seem to be as rich as they've ever by to summarise the discussion it provoked here. since been. In 2006 alone I travelled to Kl!vin Brockmeier's it explores many and varied topics more thoroughly city of the dead,. Jeft Vand~5 Ambergris, Will than I have space for here, but what it comes down to n Selfs present and future Lcndons, Alan Campbelfs are two key questions:. should the BSFA be recognising Detopgate, Scott Lynch's Camorr, M. John Hani9on's non-6ction ..bout sn And if so, how? As you'd expect. 0 Saudadc, and several others. (I even acquired an many suggestions are thrown out in the course of the album by a band called Cities. It wasn't great.) And discussion. but - to be blunt - most of them come from they offer, at least to me, a wide variety of topics to people who have a dog in the fight. We need more .... write about. But the best·laid plans, and all that. a feedback,. from as many people as possible, so please ~ couple of artides fell by the wayside, and a couple read the discussion and send your thoughts to more fell into my lap, and in the end all that remains of vector.editors@gtnaiLcom, evCrl if it's just a note in r1­ Plan A is a fascinating transcript of a panel from favour or ..gainst an Award. J hope to be ..ble to Interaction. featuring Jeffrey Ford, Michael Swanwick. :"~::::'iSCUSSion in a letters column in a couple ..., !an R MacIeod. and Oaire Weaver discussing 'Fantastic Cities'. To a large extent I've resisted getting dIawn into 0 I suppose. if I really wanted 10, I could draw some the discussion myself. largely because I don't think I sort of line from 'Fantastic Oties' through James have any original ideas to put on the table. I'd love to _ Baron's interview with Anton Mans - whidl discusses see the BSFA recognise norl-'fiction in some way - both a future London. and some things that sf should although bear in mind that I also have .. dog in the be doing but isn't - to Ken MacLeod's essay 'The fight, at Imst technically - but I'm damned if I can Human as Alien', whidl. was first aired as his Guest of work out what thebirest solution is. I'm sure there is a Honour speech at last year's Novacon. and whidl. perled system out there, to go with my perkct Vtdor makes an argument not just for what sf should be and my perfect editoria~ and I'm sure all three are doing, but for what only sf am do. And then I ooukI unattainable; but I also think all three are worth trying Editorial direct you to Adam Roberts' argumett for sdenre ro.. by Niall Harrison Vector 251 • March/April 2007 MS: It's the feeling that there was greatness in our past, but it's over and gone. That was an 18th a!ntury discovery, made when they started going to look at all the Roman ruins. And that's melancholy, but also strangely satisfying.