The Drink Tank 265 [email protected] Iris D (http://wolkenpanther.deviantart.com) Editorial by James Bacon I love Worldcons. I loved them from afar a lot of the time, and in the last couple of years have been lucky enough to get along to them. I will be at Reno, and as is my wont, I have volunteered to help. I am helping to run the Fan Programme and also the Comic Programme and mentoring new people who are running the youth programme aspects. It’s fun and I have a good boss. I sometimes wonder, do the fans who see me, or decide to pass money over to a convention I am involved with, realise that I also have this Fanzine hobby, and if Fans who read and respond with letters, come along to cons I run or more likely help with. I expect they do, or some do and some don’t. So, I wanted to join these two aspects of my hobby within the community together, and by looking forward to Reno, and back at HUGO contenders from this year, I think I can do that with Chris. I hope that some personal reflections and considerations about what is ahead will excite you as it does me. I also hope that, with the holiday season upon us, our writers who look back at this year, also give you pause for thought, and that you may have time to prime yourself, for when it comes to Vote in the Hugo’s. A Hugo and Worldcon primer. I also was pleased to have Jim Mann give us a piece about Science Fiction. I often worry (for no reason obviously) about what the key people running Worldcons read and like. I do not mind the conrunners who enjoy the conrunning side, and perhaps do not read or watch as much SF as they would like, but continue to enjoy the hobby of conrunning, BUT, I do expect that people who want to run programme, know and enjoy Science Fiction, and tapping into what such a senior person likes, is fascinating to me. Also I am very excited about being at a convention where Tim Powers is the GOH. Now, Chris and I will want to look at the other GOH’s in a later issue, but we were super lucky to have some articles about Tim for this issue. As always, a big thank you to ALL the contributors, I do hope something here makes you think, or read, or especially write. Are we wrong about the comics, or books or covers or stories or films that have been mentioned – what did we miss – what is plainly a mistake a travesty. Also, we welcome hearing what YOU want to do and see in Reno. Finally, a merry Christmas to you all, I have just celebrated Chunkha here in London, but the festive season is just that, and I hope you enjoy it. Editorial can sit, chat, perhaps read a little, maybe work ballot again so that I can attend the pre-Hugos on a project, perhaps bust out a game of Jenga. party! That’s always great fun and it’s just about the by Chris Garcia You know, all those things that us fans do. We’ve only time I get to see folks like Bob Eggleton and also got a great set-up planned for the place, and Mike Resnick. It’s always good to hang around with Reno. I love Reno, not only because it’s got we’re going to be close to the bar! What’s better those folks. The price of admission is a nomination, all the gambling and cheap buffets that a guy like than that? and that’s always the hard part, isn’t it? me enjoys, but because it’s a beautiful part of the Plus, for me, a WorldCon is all about the And, of course, this is only the beginning. world, set in Sierra mountains with lovely water people. I’ve been lucky enough to meet some There are plans afoot for another Hugo for Best and so much goodness. great people. It’ spretty much only at WorldCon Novel issue, and I’m hoping we can do one for And then there’s WorldCon. Y’all know that I get to hang with James Bacon, Warren Best DramPres. What would it be without the how I feel about WorldCon. It’s like home, a Buff, Tim Miller, Chris Barkley, Guy Lillian, Handicapping the Hugos issue? I’m planning on home that travels around the world. Reno with a Steven H Silver and so on, plus M, SaBean, Jay doing that a bit differently this year, so there’s that. WorldCon will be amazing. and probaboy Judith are planning on coming, so Plus there’ll be a lot of talk just about Reno leading And that’s what led to this issue. it’ll be something of a family reunion! up to the con. This is the year of the West Coast We’ve set this issue up into two sections: And there’s always the Hugos. Con, so we’ll have all sorts of coverage! the first being articles about Reno and the I love them, have been fortunate enough So, this issue I’d like to dedicate to the WorldCon and the people who will be running to get nominated the last four years and am memory of len Moffatt. We lost another legend them. The biggest section is a look at 2010 which hoping that something I did ends up on the of First Fandom, one of the founders of Mystery we hope will inform your Hugo and other award fandom and a former TAFF winner. I always nominating. We’re really lucky to have some great enjoyed chatting with him at LosCon and will folks writing for us, including Guy Lillian, who I miss him when I’m back next year. He and June don’t think has ever appeared in The Drink Tank had shirts made out of the same fabric as the old before. Plus, Jon Vaughn (whose short films are Empire Strikes Back sheets I had as a kid. That was really good!) and several other folks debuting, just about perfect for a shirt. Every year, we lose including Lynda Rucker, who is just a delight! another few members of First Fandom, another What am I doing at Reno? I’ll be running touchstone to those days when WorldCons would The Fan Lounge. It’ll be a good time and I’m fit into a single hotel, fanzines were the tap-and- working on some great events, including what trade of Fandom and everybody wrote letters. I feel will hopefully be a great reading of Pros reading truly blessed that I got to chat with so many of the the writing of Fans and vice-versa. I think that old-timers over the years, even if only briefly. I just would be a great project. It’s always good to do wish I’d gotten to meet Harry Warner. Or Morojo. something new. I’m also excited about Art Night, Or Bill Rotsler. Or Claude Degler. Well, maybe not and I’m hoping we can do a community art project Degler... in the Lounge, perhaps with the results being And, of course, I want to say thank you to auctioned off for the Fan Funds or perhaps scan everyone out there who has been so helpful over it and use it as a cover for something. We’re also the six years that I’ve been doing The Drink Tank. thinking about Music night, and there’s a special There’s been, and will continue to be, something Randy Smith evening planned since he’s got a very of a slow-down, but if James and I can keep doing special birthday to think about and we’re excited to issues like this one, I hope you won’t mind too have him around! much! The most important thing to me about the Lounge is that it’s a place where folks can go and be. I love have a sort of soft space where you What I’m Going to Do on my the north and south sides of the lake, maybe even former theater major’s heart. (www.laketahoeshak a dip further south into Yosemite. Exploring one espeare.com) Summer Vacation or two of the many hiking trails in the Sierras and Spa! Both of Renovation’s main hotels, by Helen Montgomery around Lake Tahoe (I just have to find the easy the Atlantis and the Peppermill, have world-class ones!) Now I just need to decide if this will be the spas. I’ll be visiting both, no question about it. pre- or post-convention side trip… I envision myself dashing back and forth every Cars! As a Detroit native and a child of a other day to try some new relaxing and delicious “So Helen, will you write an article for us “Big 3” family, I was completely geeked out to see item on the spa menus. The “Cleopatra Milk about what you’re looking forward to about how many cool car-related things there are in Reno. and Honey Cocoon” at the Atlantis Spa? The Renovation?” I’m seriously considering coming into Reno a few Rosemary Vichy Scrub at the Spa Toscana at the days early so I can attend “Hot August Nights” – the Peppermill? The Bali Paradise Rasul Ceremony at Easy enough assignment, right? That’s Reno classic car festival held August 9-14, 2011 in the Atlantis Spa? Relaxing in the Caldarium at Spa what I thought, until I started to sit down and Reno-Sparks (www.hotaugustnights.net).