The news magazine ofthe British Science Fiction Association £2.25 Matrix Issue 145 Sept/Oct 2000 Olaf Stapledon remembered American Movie &; Alphaville Book &; Media News PULPitations letters 2 -Matrix Issue 145 Matrix BSFA Officers BSFA Publications Issue 145· ScptlOct 2000 President: Matrix 11Jebi-mOl1thlynewsmagazineoflhc Sir Arthur C. Clarke, CBE British Science Fiction Vice President: Editor: Andrew Seaman Association Stephen Baxter- 128 Pickhurst Rise, West Wickham, Kent, BR4 OAW Rqislenld in Engl:llld. Lirniled by Sccrelary: Vikld Lee [email protected] GU:lr1llllee. Company Nurrber: 921 jOO 44 While Way, Kkllington, RegiSlered Address: I Long Row Ck:ls.e. Oxon.OX52XA Contributing editors: Evt:rdon. Davenlry. NNll 3BE peverel@aoLcom Books: Janel Barron TheBSFAw;asfOtlndedinI9nandisalKlll­ Treasurer: Eliubtth Billingtr 3 Ullswater Road, Bames, London. profil making orpnisalion, staffed I Long Row C'ose, Everdort. SW139PL enhrdybyunp.aidvolunleeB. Davcntry. NorthantS, NNll 3BE [email protected] [email protected] ISSN:OI4J7909 o BSFA 2000 Membership Services: Paul Billingtr Fan news: Creg Pickersgill I Long Row Oose. EvtnIon, 3 Bethany Row, Narbenh Road, copyrighls Individual 3fCtheproper1yoflhe D~venlly, Nonll3llls. NNll 38E herein Haverfordwesl, Pembrokeshire. SA61 2XG conlribulors and edilon. VteWS expressed [email protected] :m': not necessarily those ofthe BSFA or BSFA [email protected] • UK membenlUp: £21 paor £14 pa (unwagcd). Commilloemembers life membership £190. Europe: £26 pa. Rest of Enonandornissionsan:lheresponsibililyofthe Film/media news: Cary Wilkinson World: £26 p<t surfaoe mail, O:!. paair mail. Editorial Team. Cheqllell pay;lble 10: BSFA LJd. 18 Water Lane, SoUlh Witham, Granlham, Lincs., NG33 5PH Prilll.edby;POCCopyprinl.11 kffries US Agent: Cy Chauvin [email protected] ~Guilford.GUI4AP 14248WilfredStreeI,Detmit.MI48213.USA • USsubsaiption:SJ7surfaccor$47airmail. l>eadline for submiuiom for nexl ~ue: Magazines: Glenda Pringle payable 10: Cy Chauvin (BSFA) 4th Oclobl'r 2000 22 Mead Way, Kidlington, Oxon., OX5 'BJ BSFA Services chris@kidlington66,freeserve.co.uk Contents Webllnlemel news: Avril Brol'n BSFA Awards: Chris Hm Cover: Jojms R~I,jsjr~d by $elin Russell [email protected] TIle Bun~. 27 Lower Evingar R~. Friend. WhilChwcll. Hanu, RG28 7EY aw:ud,[email protected]·plc.ccm Editorial, T AfT Ballot Vector Results London Meetings: Paul Hood The Crilical Jourlllll ofthe BSFA 112 Meadowsidc, Eltham, London, 4 - 5 Book & Publishing News SE96BB Production: Tony Cullen 6 - 7 Media News [email protected] 16 Weaver's Way. Camden, London, 8 Amuican MOI'i~ review, NWIOXE GaryWilkinson Orbiter Writing Groups: Chris Rogtrs [email protected] Alph'lI'jlf~ review. lan 98 Greenland Ave:nue, Maltby, Rotherham, Simpson S. Yorks S66 7EU Features: Andrew M Butler 10 DVD reviews, Gary S. [email protected] cJo Dept. ol Arts & Media. 028 - ASSH Faculty, Bucltinghamshire Chilterns University Dalkin Publicity & Promotions: College. High Wycombe, Bucks., HPII 2JZ II Olaf Stapledon Symposium, ClaireBrialey [email protected] Andy Sawyer 26 Nontwnploo Road, Croydon. Surrey. CRO 12 Bllffy/Urban Gothic, Gary 'HA """GaryDalkin Wilkinson [email protected] j Lydford Road, Bournemouth, Dcnet. BHI 13 Guesl Column. Stephen Baxter SSN Mark Plummer 14- 15 Forthcoming Books, """ gsdalkinfi}totalise.co,uk (- Note change) 14 Northway Road. Croydon. Sum:y. Janet Barron CR06JE Book Reviews: Skve Jerrrey 16-17 PULPitalions IcHcrs 44 White Way, IGdlington. Oxon.. 18-19 laic News; Obituaries; Publications Manager. Vikld Lee OXj2XA Morri.rbackissucs 44 While Way, Kidlingtoll. [email protected] 20 Web review, Avril A. Brown OxollOX52XA [email protected] 21 BSFA Awards, Chris Hill Focus Writus' Magazin~ 22 Club Corner BSFA Web Site: 23 Forthcoming EvenlS & http://members.aoLcomfutmaranthl Editor. Simon Morden Conventions M:llntalned by Tany. Brown 13 Egrel'l'lOntDriY'C.SberiffHillGatesbead. 24 Competition, Mail Order E7J DuCane Court, BaIham High R~. NE9jSE Catalogues, Credits London,5WI77JL [email protected](-Note [email protected]:nI,CO.uk change) Issue 145 insults (along with claims to have drunk mobile phone, computer and television 14 pints of beer a day in their youth). technology in ways that even a few years ago would have appeared science­ Still. if yoo want to look for them, there fictional to mosl people. are clear signs that we are moving into the kind of future that we've all been All meat and drink to sf readers. of reading about for so long. 1be recent course, but in the everyday world life completion of the initial stage of the goes on and BSFA mailings continue 10 Human Genome Project and, as I write, roll off the production line. The world is Editorial the licensing of limited therapeutic undergoing potentially seismic social. cloning of human stem cells, point to the political and technological changes, but, Goodness. How time flies. August kind of biotech-driven future imagined as I have been since lasl January, I'm already (September by the time you read by writers like Paul McAulcy and Greg counting out my life in issues of Matrix this!) and my fourth issue of Matrix. Bear. and moving into the future at a steady Earlier this year, as the calendar rolled six issues a year! over to that magic figure of 2000 few of Elsewhere, the number of planets known us could, 1 suspect, suppress a slight to orbit nearby stars continues to Now, when was the next deadline frisson of excitement. The future had increase. Within the next decade NASA again...? arrived! Well, as Gary Wilkinson points plans to launch the Terrestrial Planet out in his piece on the rise of the occult Finder - a space-based telescope able to in TV programming later in this issue, dctect earth-sized planets up to 50 light Finally, just a reminder that the BSFA is the world didn't end and, over half a years away and study their spectra for looking for a new treasurer and a year later, it's becoming difficult to signs of life. that greatest dream of sf advenising sales person; please sce the imagine exactly what all the fuss was writers (and readers). ads on the back page and page 19 about, as the Dome flounders in the mud respeclively. Do get in touch if you can of the Greenwich peninsula and our And back here on earth the IT revolution help! politicians gear up for another general continues apace with the convergence of election with the same: dreary trading of Maureen Kincaid Speller, European The final number of votes for each TAfF Adminsitrator. has announced the candidate was therefore: TAFF 2000 results of the TAFF 2000 Ballot. Tommy Fergsuson 44 votes Ballot The voting figures, broken down by candidate and region, are shown in the Results table below Sue Mason 140vOlcs Tabes Valois 34 votes Europe North America Holdover Funds 3 votes Tommy Ferguson 22 22 No PreJerence 8 VOles Sue Mason 88 52 1berefore. after the first round of counting. Sue Mason has more than 50% of votes cast on both sides of the Atlantic, so there is no need 10 proceed Tobes Valois 30 10 a second round of counting. Maureen writes: "On behalf of myself Holdover Funds and Ulrika O'Brien, 1 hereby declare thal Sue Mason has won TAFF and will be attending Chicon in August. No Preference Congratulations to Sue, commiserations to Tommy and Tobes, and thank you to all three candidates for a lively and Total 14' 87 entenainingrace". 4 -Matrix Issue 145 News Hooks. p(·npl... and (" ('Hts HUlking th... h...adlin('s Phoney gets Goodkind's goat "We have a chance to become Big ...And More Slow An impostor posing as S....ord of Truth Publishing's worst nightmare", said King. Ben BoYa hll$ recently launched a new novelist Terry Goodkind on Amazon.com bdore the launch. section displaying both classic and new caused the incensed author to demand that science-fiction stories in Galaxy Online. bogus messages be deleted. The post Publishing giants have, however, been 'The Wriler'S Corner" features works of announced that Goodkind planned to change sceptical about the venlure. Greg Voynow, fiction, essays and discussions of the craft of a major character in his fantasy series. The senior VP of Time Warner Trade writing penned by well-known science­ fake message said: "Feedback is a welcome PUblishing's e-book division, iPublish, fictionaulhors. thing, because it gives me an idea of what commented: "It gets people used to the pUblic expects and wants of me. I was downloading something..,But I don't think "In the months ahead, we plan to publish surprised by the amount of negative it's going to open a noodgate of authors new stories and classic reprints from many comments. I figure some of )"Ou have gOllen leaving their publishers and going online". of the most respected authors in science a lillle tired of the same old Richard". fiction", says Rick Wilbur, editor of The Writer's Corner. "But we're also very 'These people have set up a system which List Chosen AtRandom interested in new writers, and plan to have invites fraud", fumed Goodkind. "It Random House have joined the Publishing onlinc areas where they can learn from the embraces deception, and there's no interest On Demand (POD) bandwagon. They pros, sharpen their skills and perhaps gel in integrity, The Internet is like the Old announced AtRCUldom a new electronic their stories published". West, and Amazon's the lynch mob", publishing imprint that will offer a complete editorial list of original electronic books. During its first few weeks, 1be Writer's British science fiction author John commissioned expressly for the electronic Corner was to offer classic short story Christopher was similarly embarrassed when publishing fonnat.. AIRcmdom's first list of reprints from Robert Heinlein, Robcrt he found fake hype in his name flaunting his books will comprise twenty titles to be Silverberg, Harlan Ellison, Brian Aldiss.