matrix Welcome, es_ we.'re still here. Maln"x seems to hO. ve the gravitotion?1 pull of Jupiter: we just can', escapel Rather than leave you Wllhout Yyour bl-monthly dose at news cnd reViews, we put together this issue. But Matrix needs new editors. MorI: is happy to stay on os bOOK editor and Martin will continue as "Media" editor. So we need 0 news editor. 0 production editor leven if only lor a couple 01 issues so Martin con write his thesis) and an editor-in<hief 10 chose everyone each issue. (Vou "now who you are!) Indeed, we could pelhops combine the production and editor in Chief role. bulwe need at least two more people to come on board. You'd be welcome. Just get in louch with either Mark or Marlin. who will let you know whot you are letting yourself in for. You'll enjoy it. Honest. Mark & Marlin commiSSioning Editor: Mar1I Greener The BSFA w.,s fuonded in lq58 ,tnd i., a nl",,-pmfir makinl[ oll'amsa(iun Sl Lam"- Lan.., Cottcnham, C,mbri,l!e, CIH 8TB cnmt.'ly '1.lltl:-J ry unpaid \'Oh,ml<.~~ Regl t<-'red in Engl.llld. Lim1f<:d !"I' ~l@lIal.~ gu.,rnnt"". Company N<l. 921500..1 roduction Editor: Martin McGralh RegL,t"rcd addr" 1 Lon.: RllW Close. Ewntnr'l, DJwr'ltl), NN I1 "1BE 48 Sprltme... Dnw. Park St~<:t, St A1h~n~, All 1I-Il /IlCIrli"mearaltt@atlworId(lllll BSFA Services Websile www.bsla.Cf).uk ConlributingEditors Web mistress TanyaBrown Fandom: Martt Plummer Aat 8, Century !-I"u~, Arm,lU....· RooJ. 14 Nouhw.,\' Ro~J, C~J"n, Sumy, eRO oJE WnJ"n.SER4IH [email protected]< blfaweb<Q'lOIllllrORth.01'iIIIor5.IlIt Rodefick Gladwish BSFAAwards Claire BMaley 27 Perth RnaJ, BriJl:cm,lf) ( f'<.,rt, H,'01Jlllhire 26 N"nhaml'«'n R, .I, l'nl\'d"n, ..;"lTt"'i,l Rt17HA I'O!10XX uwvrdt~l!erdernoR.ravk locMrid@olodwisbts."--.la,uk London meetings Farah Mendlesohn MartinSkelchley n Addtn 'tl,n Rna'!, R""Jm' RUI SIT ! 12 AJ\~hun;h RQ;l,I, Wc. I Ilcarh Ioroh@fjm3."'-,aJ..... Bmningham, B'11 WS OrbiterWnungGroup!>:GillianRooIIe msbtdIlet"@bI...,aadtI,aJ.• Sourh\'l<'w, rill:'tlnlS Lme.l·lulh1m, K<:nt, eT4 SAB 1IIlilIIorI@,-",.iIIIlIlra,vk 1n..!IYldU,11 LOP\Ti~hrs <Ire Ihc propc-rry vf th, "'ntributun .od Nu"r . Vle"'\\ Publications manager: Kalhy Tay\of o:>.l'n'S.>el.l hncin art: 1'1<>' n~'(e!i6atlly those "I th<: El<.;FA or BsFA ""mm,"·" [email protected]." mcmb..·",. Ern'n JI'l,1 oml,5.,iotb an' rhe ""f'<'n>lb,lil)' "I rh" EJIT,'n,1 Team. 1<;5)\;: 0143 7900 l\SFA 2003 Other BSFA Publications Vector. The Clilical journal of the BSFA Production TonyCulen BSFA Officers 10 W<-,.,,,,r' Way, L:amJ\'n. l ",1,,1'1. !'<'WI OXE Presidenl Sir ArItIur C C1artte. CBE "J.DI8In@&.gsi.lIll'.uk VtcePresidenl StephenBaxter Features Andrew M Buller Joint Chair: Paul &Elizabeth BilJlnger Departm"nt "f Me"!l ,' nJ An t' 1'1' 'rburv Chri 1 I L.lllll Row CI.>.'<". Ewnlun. D.,vcl'lrry, ~<mh ml~ Chun:h l'ni\l.'rJlt) vll!eg<., Nurtnllolmes Rl)ad. NNJI mE CanMhu....·• IQ1 billlllget'@enrerprnuel en Treasurer: Paul Hood IIIIIbvtIer@II'IItrP'lSIJllIf Book reviews Paul Billinger 112 Mcad,,"'''id,·. £lrh.,01, L"nJ )1'1, SE9 oRB 11.0."" Ruwl:l, ',b-.:n1.. 11 ",ntry, N,)nh.lnl", pau!rg>....6elIlalull.uk !'-1"11 HIE Membership Services: EstelleRoberts p111l1@mfllo1l,8IIrIfprist-pk.C()fJl (UK and Europe) 97 Sh. rp Srnxt, Nl"'\\hnd A\"Cn\ !-lull, HU5 2AE Focus: The writer's magazine of the BSFA tlleIIa@Jr!hande,tr.am.tD,uk Edrtor: Simon Morden US Agent Cy Chauvin I1E..:tl:mtntDtl)'(' 0;;1; rtIlrl-lili ,al· h, d,NE-J'iSE 14H~ Wlllf",,1 Street, o..'troit. M[ 4821'\. L'SA laars.editot@tiW,yolullrm.ul £21 p or £14 pa (un""" .1). lif m,mberl-hip. n90 £2bpa C2b 1"1 (surf,Kc m"Il) or rn p., (.Iil m 1;1) ~'\Uf ====~--- malrlx:165 RirGf Q9Qinsttlte... •••kneejerk reactions to genetic research lysonandMiChtUtWhitaker ltkIpolMlslMlIIowtlItochoowfhtpMtlc There's the idca Ihal some super plant were initially refused permission ......... af .....lChlldrnl maywipcoulordisplaceestabli$hed 10 havea designer baby by spccies.We're already doing this with IeHumanFtrtllisationand herbicides, and compared to what Embryology Authority. Apparently it the natun.1 world produces we are was'unlawful and uneU1ical' to savc amateurs. Do lhe hystericsvisuaJi5<' the life of their thra-yur-old son armiesoftriffidsmarchingacross with a bone-marrow transplant from theEnglishcountryside?~real. thisf«ondbaby.Thankful.ly,sanity \Vhat we·re having trouble W1th,IS finallypl'e\~i1ed.andnowthe~ whatnatureproduces.~tlheheU has b«n done. IS so frightening~Could GM produce PUlling asllk ~ionsabout polsonous plants. kiU« insects or who compri5e thiS 'Authority: wbetMr anImals, VIrulent and fatal diseasn .. or DO( Ihty wtre d«kd (or- another er, nature already S«mS to be domg a frn::king quango). and w~t right pretty good,ob in those dcpanments. thty haw to ma~ soch hfc-and­ Rt-ally, anyone who thinks that genctK dcalhd«lslOnl,thlsisoncofthc mocitfteation is going to produce siUier aampl« ofthe h)'$lcrial1 feu monsters that biUions ofyC1ln of that hasgnppt<! this country for evo!ullOnhas not ..lrcadyproduccd is. 100 long,of'inlerfamg with God's fn.nkly,anidiot. work/nature:The biggest bugbear is Nature ot'" God, however, do 'GM: though In the Whilaker C1~ all provide us with natural ..ndgodhke the parents were doong w.u ulKling things. There's famine, plague, and the right child. not altering its DNA. Olherdisasters that bclittle our p..ltry ·Unlolwfulandunelhi,... l'inaJl,~s PllemplsPI Ihe same. More spec1('$ such as this art Y.lguc terms modern have bcen wiped out by nature than hysterics have now tramposed with we are evcr likcly 10 wipe out. While thc vaguer 'against God or Naturc' we piddle about with out lillle wars Thucarcapplicdtoeverythingfrom and exterminations, nature comes human fertilisation to GM crops. But along and puts us in our place. In the fint, let's look at human DNA. first world war we kiUed miJlions. Asourmedkaltechnologics ThelluthatcamealongafterkiJlcd advance it is bccoming increasingly many millions more. GenCKide~ obvious that manyofthe di5<'ISCS We're rank amateuu, Black dealh killing us now Ire due to faulLli in kiUed twcnty-five million, which wn our own DNA, or m themselves need a third ofthe Earth's populalion at studying and tacklmg al a gen~ic that time. So, when you hear people IcvclCa.ncer,thoughinsomecl.SC$ ranting aboutl'lilture and how wt: are having I VIral or b.acterial came,arises commonly in my WJiting.as prefI.J:C$ potenl herbicidcs and ins«ticidcs are p1aymg God, ple..s<: point OUt to them from errors in thcgenctic blueprint. for thc ..-ords 51ug,snu,anl.llnd poured onlo our land every yur. GM ttu.t we are not playing.Weare Irymg To truly defnt it wt: nccd 10 learn llphld. Whllt, you uk.has this got to cropsnccdf~ofthem,thciryickli$ to solve some serious probknu iIlld how to corrttt thoK errors; straighl do with the GM d~le~ In rcpIy I grealer,thcrcforc lcssland has to bc take control. ofour own emteDCe. As clKmicalinlcrvcntionmostlyjusl can Idl you ttut I recently took put uscdtoproc!ucelhe$aIllClmountof for n..ture we live in a world that u dcbys the proceu. The most likdy m the .liaughtcr ofthe innoren!$. Two food, When are the hysterics going 10 completdy unnatural and, in rnltty, ~ythiswil1bcdoncisbycrutinga handfuls ofslug pdlct:l yielded me rcaliscttu.tin this case we are a!ready theonly~Yllnyofusisgoingtogel VlrusthatpsmlothefaultyceUslikc two litres ofdud snllils, which I duly in a d«p and poisonous hole out of ~ktol'liltureiswhenwt:·reburicdin a nanO$Coplc lechnician, and repairs tn.nsferred,10 mycouncil-subsidi5<'d which GM just might dn.g us~ .. papcrcoffin under a tr«, Ihefaulry$lrand.Cutling~cdgcgen~ic composter. My gardcn,l1I have you The arguments against GM range rcscarchisthelIlsw«-notreliance know, is JUst about big enough to from the apparcntlycogem to the on God Of Nature, get the Qu«n's hud on, Beyond it plain siUy, Tampcring with Ihe human ;/,/.C: OjO; >st the ... The subject ofGM crops is isa field in which il would fil many genetIc code will produce Midwich Gol someth rig to say? Don t hold another onc to gel people banging thousands of times. A friend of mine CuckQC» who'll take over, and consign back lelus krrow leners are atways their tambourines. Along with my isa farmer and he applics slug pellcts old humans to the waste bin. Rubbish: welcome or 1I you re really arlgry acquisition ofa garden camc the from a spreader on Ihc back ofa it will result, in ycars to come, in the let rpwllh your own Rageagalnst quad bikcand my few handfuls, [ eradicalionofheredilarydiseases, beginningofawholenewvocabulary. whate~er you loalhe In SF In 75010 IcannowuscthewordshelJcbore know, translate inlo sackfuls for this offaults,ofpeopledyingyoungor 1000words and send 11 to Markal the and aquilegiaand know what fm purpose. The environmenta! cost livinglive$ governed by pill bottles, addressopposte Get 11 off your chest talkingaboul.lnowalsohavea ofthis is but a small proportion of injeetionsor the nut pul] on an 1111 do you good u5<'forepithets,which I uscless the whole. Thousands ofgallons of inhaler, and it will bca slow prCKe". oplnlon:3 matrlx:165 Magazine woes In 2003 the short-lived 3SF crashed. SpeCI11Wl SF failed to produce a single issue and l111er=ol1e announced that it is shifting production to a bi-monthly schedule.