Lambda Sci-Fi DC Area Gaylaxians PO Box 656, Washington, DC 20044 (202) 232-3141 - Issue # 297 – December 2014 E-MAIL: [email protected] WEBSITE: www.lambdascifi.org The LSF Book New Year’s Discussion Group Where: Rob & Peter’s home: Eve 1425 “S” St NW, Washington, DC Gaming Party Directions: announced by http://lambdascifi.lorg/club/PeterRob. Peter & Rob html Warning: Street parking is almost If you’re interested in lively Celebrate New Year’s Eve impossible to find on the weekends discussions of F&SF books (with an with LSF at Rob and Peter’s home. and holidays. Take Metro if you can. emphasis on elements of interest to Here are the details on how to join the The paid lot on the SW corner of 14th the LGBT community), we invite you fun! & “S” Streets NW costs whatever the to join the LSF Book Discussion Date: Wed., Dec. 31, 2014 attendants can get away with. Fixed- Group. Each month, we conduct Time: The doors will open at 3:00 price parking at the Reeves Center fascinating round-table discussions of PM. The potluck dinner and gaming Parking Garage, on the north side of works by significant F&SF authors. will begin in the 3:30 PM-to-4:00 PM “U” Street west of 14th St NW. The LSF Book Discussion range. We’ll toast in the New Year Bring: Your favorite table game Group usually meets on the 4th with champagne, sparkling wine, or two (cards, board, etc.). It’s a Thursday of every month, starting at and/or sparkling cider. potluck meal, so bring something to 7:00 PM, at Peter & Rob’s home: eat: appetizers (veggies, chips, etc.), 1425 “S” St., NW – for directions or Feb. 26, 2015 – Through the Woods main course item (enough to serve at more details, call 202-483-6369. The (a graphic novel), by Emily Carroll least 4-5 people), dessert, and/or non- next book discussion will be held on (moderator: Claire). alcoholic drinks (both regular and December 4th. March 26, 2015 – One-Eyed Jack, by diet). For the New Year’s toast, it’s Here are the details for the Elizabeth Bear (moderator: Carl). OK to bring some sparkling wine or next four book discussions: cider (champagne, if you’re feeling LYF Dec. 4 (1st Thurs., combined Nov./ generous). The hosts request that no Dec. discussion) – Blindness, by Jose one drink alcohol during the party Saramango (moderator: Walter). other than at midnight. Jan. 22, 2015 – Children of Kings: A For more information, call 202- Darkover Novel, by Marion Zimmer 810-4678 or send e-mail to: Bradley & Debra J. Ross (moderator: [email protected] Randy). LYF < < < < < < December LSF Meeting > > > > > > What’s Inside? The next LSF meeting will be held on Sunday, December 14th. The Page 2: Brief Minutes of the Novem- meeting will be held at Peter and Rob’s home, 1425 “S” Street NW, ber LSF Meeting; Anthologies, Ho! – Washington, DC. The business meeting will begin at 1:30 PM and the social Part 3 (book review). meeting at 2:00 PM. Please also bring some munchies or soft drinks, if you Page 3: Bent-Con 2014 can. Hope to see you there! LYF Page 4: Information About Lambda Sci-Fi: DC Area Gaylaxians and Con Calendar. Brief Minutes of the Anthologies, Ho! November LSF Meeting Part 3 taken by Scott a review by Carl Yes, I’ve been reading rather a lot of anthologies lately. As I said, LYF maybe it’s the siren call of that stack of unread, fascinating-looking anthol- [Ed. Note: This was a combined ogies. At any rate, finishing up the LSF meeting and Gaming Party. series with this final review… Everyone apparently had lots of fun!] Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells: An Anthology of Gaslamp Fantasy During the Business portion of the edited by meeting, LSF members voted to ap- Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling prove the resolution to stop paying (Tor Books, 2013) for the LSF post office box. manners written as an exchange of letters LYF This anthology of 18 all-new between Austen-esque dilettantes embroiled stories includes some really big-name in a magical mystery. Tanith Lee’s “Their contributors, including: Delia Sher- Monstrous Minds” is the story that most man, Maureen McHugh, Kathe Koja, closely approaches Steampunk, with a Elizabeth Bear, James Blaylock, Jef- Frankenstein-like mad scientist who exper- frey Ford, Ellen Kushner, Jane Yolen, iences a number of unanticipated problems with his Creation. Gregory Maguire, and Tanith Lee. A couple of these stories also Wow. include LBGT content – two more of my But what is “gaslamp fan- favorites in this anthology. In “Queen Vic- tasy”? It’s defined in this anthology’s toria’s Book of Spells” (by Delia Sherman), Preface as “stories set in a magical a modern-day young woman attempts to version of nineteenth-century Eng- “de-code” the spells hidden by a young land.” So how is that different from Victoria in one of her diaries. At one point Steampunk? According to the Preface in her first-person narrative, the young re- (again), Steampunk is “only one form searcher reveals her sexual preferences “We wish you a while thinking about unwanted advances of the diverse range of fiction that Merry Christmas… made to her by her male supervisor: “I’ve falls under the Gaslamp Fantasy la- we wish you a never seen the point of limiting myself to bel”. The stories in this anthology one gender when it comes to lovers. I do, Merry Christmas… owe more to Jane Austen, Charles however, limit myself to people I actually we wish you a Dickens, and Anthony Trollope than fancy.” And then there’s Kathe Koja’s “La Merry Christmas… they do to Jules Verne or H.G. Wells. Reine d’Enfer”: a story of love between two men in the Victorian London theatre scene, and a Happy New Year! There’s less “mechanical whiz-bang” and action-adventure to these stories combined with a tale of magical revenge. and rather more magic or dark Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling are renowned for the quality of the an- fantasy. thologies they assemble; and Queen Vic- The stories in Book of Spells toria’s Book of Spells is no exception. include a wide range of styles and LYF tones. Perhaps my favorite is “Phos- phorus” by Veronica Schanoes. Yes, it’s a magical tale that explores the lengths to which love will go; but it’s also a hard-hitting and gritty explor- ation of the horrific effects of phos- phorus poisoning actually suffered by the young women and girls (primarily Irish) who worked in English match Here factories during the Victorian Age. In comes contrast, another of my favorites is “The Vital Importance of the Super- 2015! ficial” by Ellen Kushner and Caroline Stevermer – a delightful comedy of As you’ve probably already Prelude to Axanar on YouTube: heard, in 2015 LSF will host Gaylax- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1W1 icon at Bent-Con, a five-year-old West _8IV8uhA Coast LGBTQ (“and friends”) conven- I even got a couple of auto- Sean Z tion. So I planned a trip out to Burbank graphs. I chatted for a while with Gary Maker this year to scope out the scene. Ri- Graham (who also played “Det. Sikes” chard Mandrachio came down from San in the Alien Nation TV series) and got Francisco for a couple of days, too; and him to autograph his book about acting. we both had an a lotta fun at Bent-Con. (It’s actually very well written.) Then I To get there, all you need to do talked with Wesley Eure – you might is fly into Burbank’s Bob Hope Airport remember him as the hunky young (BUR), which is literally across the “Will” in the old Land of the Lost TV And costumes, costumes ev- street from the con hotel. The hotel series – I bought an autographed picture erywhere!!! LOTS of nice spandex- shuttle continuously circulates back- and told him how I had such a crush on clad bodies to gawk at (male, female, and-forth all day long – and all you him in his LotL days. (And, trust me, and some I’m not so sure of) – hall need to do is wait in the outdoor bus he’s still a good-looking guy some 40 costumes, posing sessions, a mas- pick-up area for about 10-15 minutes. years later!) querade, stage routines – there was If you fly into Los Angeles International even a Sleestak designed as a surprise Airport (LAX), you’ll need to get Su- for Wesley Eure – as well as hunky perShuttle or something similar to get mermen and mermaids at the “Atlan- out to Burbank (about $30 one way). tean Pool Party” at Noon on Saturday. When you’re at the hotel, finding some- thing inexpensive – and delicious! – to eat is no problem. There’s a small mall just across the street with several decent chain restaurants and half a dozen nice Wesley Eure Gary Graham local joints: Italian, Japanese, Greek, fish. (Richard and I made sure to eat at There was small-but-nice art all of the local restaurants – they’re all show that included works by Joe Phil- quite good.) lips and Patrick Fillion (among others) – Bent-Con 2014 featured lots of and even a few original Tom of Finland interesting gay-themed panels and pre- sketches. (BTW, Patrick Fillion is a sentations. I didn’t attend anywhere really nice, friendly guy!) There was a near even half of them.