BRUM GROUP NEWS April 1996 Issue 295 The monthly newsletter of the Birmingham Science Fiction Group (Honorary Presidents: Brian W Aldiss and Harry Harrison) G r o u p C h a ir m a n & New s l e t t e r Editor - M artin T u d o r , S e c r e t a r y - A n n e W o o d fo r d , T r e a s u r e r - S a r a h Fr e a k l e y , Pu b lic it y O fficer - S t ev e J o n e s , O r d in a r y M e m b e r - A lan W o o d fo r d , No v a c o n 26 C h a irm a n - Ca r o l M o rto n , No v a c o n 27 C h a ir m a n - M a r t in T u d o r . SimonThis month's R. speakerGreen will address the Group on Friday 19th April 1996, 7.45pm for 8pm, at the Prince Hotel, Station Street, (behind New St. Station, between the Electric Cinema and the Bus Station, Birmingham city centre). Admittance: Members: £2.50, Non-Members £3.75. (Under 18s, Full-time Students and other Unwaged £2.00, at the discretion of the Treasurer, on production of appropriate proof.) Simon Green first tried to break into print in the seventies but didn't succeed until the late eighties when, after using two years on the dole to polish his style and submit vast amounts of work to a number of publishers, US publishers Ace offered him a six-book contract - one week after he'd started a new full­ time job. The contract was for six books featuring .Hawk and Fisher, the sword-wielding peace officers of the magic-filled town of Haven (later published in the UK by Headline as NO H AVEN FOR THE GUILTY, DEVIL TAKE THE HINDMOST, THE GOD KILLER, VENGEANCE FOR A LONELY MAN and GUARD AGAINST DISHONOUR). Since then a veritable 'Green' flood has swept through the British publishing industry, as he has turned his hand to film novelisations (ROBIN HOOD. PRINCE OF THIEVES), fantasy (BLUE MOON RISING, BLOOD AND HONOUR, DOWN AMONG THE DEAD MEN, SHADOWS FA LL) and even science fiction - MISTWORLD, GHOSTWORLD and most recently the galaxy spanning DEATHSTALKER trilogy, the second volume of which is published this year. NB: CHANG E OF VENUE (AGAIN!), SEE PAGE 2 FOR M A P The BSFG meets at 7.45pm on the 3rd Friday of every month (unless otherwise notified) in the upstairs function room of the Prince Hotel, Station Street in Birmingham city centre (formerly Stephenson's Hotel, between the Electric Cinema and the Bus Station). The annual subscription rates (which include twelve copies of this newsletter and reduced price entry to meetings) are £10.00 per person, or £13.50 for 2 members at the same address. Cheques etc. should be made payable to "the Birmingham Science Fiction Group" and sent to the Treasurer, Sarah Freakley, c/o 121 Cape Hill, Smethwick, Warley, B66 4SH. Book reviews, review copies and other contributions and enquiries regarding the Brum Group News to: M artin Tudor, Newsletter Editor, 24 Ravensbourne Grove, off Clarkes Lane, Willenhall, WV13 MIX. the Prince Hotel Having eliminated the Queen's Colophon Head on Steelhouse Lane because ot the noise from the disco, we were The contents of this issue are left with either the Queen's Tavern copyright 1996 the BSFG, on behalf on Essex Street or the Prince Hotel of the contributors, to whom all on Station Street. rights revert on publication. The main advantage of the Personal opinions expressed in Queen's Tavern was that it cost this publication do not necessarily just £10.00; the main disadvantage reflect those of the committee or was that it was crowded with just the membership of the BSFG. 18 people! The disadvantages of All text by Martin Tudor the Prince Hotel were the cost (now except where stated otherwise. confirmed at £50.00 per night) and This issue was printed on the the slightly seedy clientele in the CRITICAL WAVE photocopier. For bar. details of WAVE'S competitive In order to facilitate our prices contact Martin Tudor at the decision I asked our Treasurer, editorial address on the cover. Sarah Freakley, to produce attend­ Many thanks this issue to ance figures for the last few years BERNIE EVANS for producing the (these are reproduced later in this address labels and transferring issue). Having examined these we files; SARAH FREAKLEY for producing discovered that 12 out of the last the statistics on previous meet­ 16 meetings exceeded 20 people, and ings; STEVE GREEN for his unsol­ seven of those had 25+ attendees. icited (but very welcome) reviews; (If we look further back meetings CHRIS MORGAN for his wedding averaged far larger attendances - report; CRITICAL WAVE for the news. which is the situation we aim to return to this year!) A Few Words The committee decided that if From The Chairman we went to the Queen's Tavern we would effectively limit attendance at meetings to no more than 20-22 by Martin Tudor. people. And that if we did attract new people to a meeting and they Despite the underwhelming num­ found a tiny, packed room with poor bers who attended (just 18), the lighting and that they could only EGM proved a lively meeting and gain access by going behind the bar some decisions were made - although and negotiating a dark and very even more weren't! dodgy staircase - would they ever Both the minutes of this come back let alone join the group? year's AGM and the Treasurer's We decided they wouldn't and ruled Report from 1995/6 were accepted. out the Queen's Tavern; but could It was decided to keep subscription we afford the Prince Hotel? rates the same for this year to Close examination of the 1995 facilitate the membership drive the statistics show that income from committee is organising. attendances were around £832.50 After considerable discussion (£632.50 from members and £210.00 the committee's proposal that the from non-members) . If the group Group change the night of its had been paying £50.00 for the room meeting from the third Friday to back then the total cost pa for the the third Tuesday of each month (to room would've been £650.00 - facilitate finding a suitable venue leaving £182.50 for speaker's in the city centre) was withdrawn. expenses. As the average cost per I withdrew the motion because a year for speaker's expenses is preliminary show of hands indicated £177.74 this is, on paper at least, that almost half of those who had viable. (I have used the figures made the effort to attend the EGM from 1994 {quite a cheap year} and would be unable to attend meetings 1995 {an expensive year} to arrive on a Tuesday (and most had problems at this average.) with any night other than Friday). So, the new venue for the BSFG This, of course, left the is the Prince Hotel in Station committee with the sticky problem Street - at £50.00 per night. of which of the two less than We'll see how it goes - please desirable venues we should go with. bring a friend!. [Many thanks to Bernie Evans Hawdon; his word is his bond, for stepping in at the last minute geddit?) than it's consigned him to Chair the first part of the EGM to the sidelines, whilst a biz­ as our Legal Officer, Tim Stannard, arre race of semi-naked amazons arrived late.] stand- against the evil plans of arch-villains James Robertson Wedding Report Justice and Charles Hawtrey (real phone-in performances the former couldn't even be by Chris Morgan. bothered to hang around long enough to dub in his off-screen ANNE GAY (the Brum Group's dialogue, whilst the latter very own author of four sf novels) looks like he just fell off the married STAN NICHOLLS (a London- set Of CARRY ON MARQUIS DE based reviewer, journalist and SADE). author, mainly of sf and fantasy For a film which depends so subjects) in Birmingham on Saturday much upon its erotic content, 31 March. The service, conducted the nudity is oddly coy; former by a vicaress, was at Carrs Lane Hi-Karate vixen Valerie Lyon United Reform Church, followed by a manages to remain true to the reception at the Three Magpies pub title of her recent biography, in Hall Green. Anne looked EVERYTHING BUT THE NIPPLE, by stunning in an ornate full-length affixing a fetching pair of satin dress with a veil, in purple CDs to her breasts, magnolia or clotted cream (or whilst the brief full-frontal another of those shades that's just appearance by putative Hammer off-white)she was attended by starlet Yutte Stensgaard seems her daughter Marianne and a friend. bizarrely out of place, as Her Uncle Tom gave her away. His though spliced in from speech at the reception was lent a CONFESSIONS OF A SPACE DOXY. surreal twist by a barely audible Softcore, and soft in the head. commentary on the Grand National in the background. The guests were Book Reviews mainly family (from both sides), leaving room for very few sf people. But those who were present As I have only received ONE included David Gemmell (best man) book review I have held over the and Freda Warrington (best column until next month.