chuq@sun.uucp (Chuq Von Rospach; Lord of the OtherRealms) (09/24/86)
OtherRealms
A Reviewzine for the Non-Fan
Where FIJAGH Becomes a Way of Life
Issue #9
October, 1986
Table of Contents
Part 1
The Dream Years
by Dan'l Danehy-Oakes
Reviewing the Reviewers
by Chuq Von Rospach
Schismatrix
by Michael C. Berch
Books Received
Part 2
Pico Reviews
1986 Hugo Awards
OtherRealms Notes
Part 3
Words of Wizdom
Reviews by Chuq Von Rospach
Insufficient Transmission
Fiction by Jim Brunet
End Papers
by Chuq Von Rospach
The Dream Years
by
Lisa Goldstein
Bantam Books, $2.95, 195 pages
[****+]
Reviewed by Dan'l Danehy-Oakes
djo@ptsfd.UUCP
Copyright 1986 by Dan'l Danehy Oakes
This is not the easiest book in the world to read. It isn't
"difficult," in the sense of DHALGREN, but it keeps yanking the rug out
from under its readers -- the reader builds up a set of assumptions
about "what kind of novel this is," and then the damned thing goes and
violates those assumptions.
The first thing to notice about it is that nowhere on the cover is THE
DREAM YEARS marked with the term SF, Fantasy, or indeed any genre label
whatsoever. This is good, for reasons I'll come back to later. Things
become rather more problematic if one reads the blurb, which is both
misleading and egregious: it will tend to encourage the reader to think
they are in possession of a sf novel, which is not true.
We are introduced to our protagonist immediately; he is Robert St.
Onge, a novelist in the Surrealist movement in Paris, 1924. The reader
may thus begin to organize the data as if this were an historical novel
about that place and time.
By the end of Chapter 1, however, Robert has moved, with neither
intention nor explanation, to the Paris of 1968, and returned. The
reader who (whether because of the blurb, or because the book was found
in that section of the bookshop) was expecting science fiction now
believes that they have confirmed that expectation.
But, in the same sequence, the antagonist is introduced: a horned human
figure constructed mostly of fur and metal, with a droning, hypnotic
voice; in short, a mythic figure. The mythic nature of this creature
becomes more pronounced in subsequent appearances, jarring with the
science fictional elements until the reader may be forced to reorganize
his/her reception of the novel as fantasy.
THE DREAM YEARS is not, however, fantasy, any more than it is sf or
historical. Ms. Goldstein has succeeded in producing a true surrealist
novel, a novel whose images, actions, and characters derive from the
subconscious, not of the individual writer or reader, but of the
culture, and which, finally, transcend that culture.
You may have gathered by now that I liked this book. I did, very much.
It is NOT a perfect book. There are a few lines of dialogue
(particularly when the principal female character, Solange, talks about
"a love more powerful than time," or words to that effect) which struck
me as nothing more than heavy-handed cliche, and the one thing that a
book of this sort can not afford is cliche.
Nonetheless, THE DREAM YEARS overcomes what is, finally, a very light
dose of cliche.
THE DREAM YEARS is a very, very impressive book, a major achievement
from a writer whose first book (THE RED MAGICIAN) seemed to leave her
nowhere to go but down. (THE RED MAGICIAN, because of its "type,"
because of its extremely personal nature, and especially because of its
unusual (for a first novel) success, seemed to me to threaten a career
of endless repetition; and at the same time, I had some concern on
picking up TDY that, given her success at writing one type of novel, Ms
Goldstein might prove unable to make the "leap" into another. She has
skimmed very neatly indeed between this Scylla and that Charybdis.) I
recommend this one with no reservations.
Reviewing the Reviewers
by
Chuq Von Rospach
Copyright 1986 by Chuq Von Rospach
There are upwards of 100 titles published in the Science Fiction and
Fantasy genres a month. Trying to keep up with this number of books is
impossible, and no single person or publication, can hope to cover
everything. With a limited amount of time and money to spend on books,
everyone must set priorities on which books to buy and which to let
pass.
Helping a consumer make those decisions is the primary purpose of a
book review. Most magazines review books to some degree. In this
article I'm going to take a look at the magazines and their reviewers
to give you an idea of other places you might want to look for ideas on
what to add to your reading list.
First, though, a quick sidetrip. A distinction has to be made between
the job of a reviewer and that of a critic. A reviewer asks the
questions "What?" and "Is it good?" They try to put themselves in the
place of the reader and help the reader decide which books they want to
read and which they want to enjoy.
The critic, on the other hand, asks the question "Why?" They look at
the book as it relates to the genre and try to put it in some kind of
perspective. Reviewing is a practical, down to earth evaluation.
Criticism is an attempt to look at something from the point of view of
Art, to look beyond the words into their underlying importance, and to
spot the places that the field is going (or should be). Criticism
requires a strong knowledge of writing, of the genre, and of the people
in it.
Lets look at some of the people who look at the books for you. There
are five major fiction magazines: Amazing Stories, Analog Science
Fiction/Science Fact, Fantasy and Science Fiction (F&SF), Isaac
Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine (IASFM), and Omni. Of these, Omni
does not have regular book reviews, and Amazing stories is in process
of changing reviewers (prior to the November, 1986 issue reviews were
split between Robert Coulson and John Betancourt. November has no
review column, and I've heard that Charles Waugh will be taking over
the position).
The book column in Analog is written by Tom Easton. As fits the
strongly SF bent of the magazine, there is little Fantasy in his
column. He tends to be analytical, taking whatever length necessary to
put the book in perspective for the reader. He doesn't get overly
wordy, though, and rarely emotionalizes or hypes a book. For me,
Easton is the epitome of the reviewer. Art rarely rears its head in
his column, and he rarely misses the point in a book. I consider this
the best review column in the industry, and SF readers should have him
on their list every month.
At the other end of the spectrum, Algis Budrys writes the book review
column for F&SF. A.J. is a critic from the word go, and his columns
wander far and wide over the genre and life in general, using the books
he reviews as cornerstones for discussions of the wider ranging topics
that revolve around SF and Fantasy. If you are interested in seeing
those books put into perspective with the whole of SF, then A.J. is the
only game in town. A.J. happens to be indirectly responsible for the
existence of this magazine, since he was willing to sit and talk at
length about reviewing at Baycon a couple of year ago, and was silly
enough to suggest that a reviewzine might not be a bad idea. The
results you hold in your hand. I've decided I want to be A.J. Budrys
if I ever grow up; higher praise is not possible.
Baird Searles writes the column for IASFM. He is somewhere between
Easton and Budrys, writing what are primarily reviews with an
occasional sidetrack while putting things in perspective. He reviews a
lot more Fantasy than Easton, but I don't think he does quite the same
analytical work; he is more intuitive and emotional. I also don't
feel that he has quite the critical grasp as Budrys, but he doesn't
pretend to. His writing is quite accessible and he is fun to read.
Being third in this race is nothing to be ashamed of, it is almost a
photo finish for all.
All of the reviewers in the prozines do a fine job. You could read any
one of them and find books you probably would have missed otherwise.
For a serious reader, any of them would be a good reason to subscribe
to the magazine if you aren't already. My only real problem with the
prozines is that space is always at a premium, and the columns aren't
given enough space to do a thorough job. The books they review they do
fine, but they don't review enough of them. To some degree or another
they also tend to review works that don't need further comment at the
expense of the newer and lesser known works that deserve some
publicity. My belief is that Asimov or Clarke don't NEED another
review, especially when it means that Dave Smeds' or Katharine Kerr or
Marty Asher don't get any notice at all. The reviewers should spend
more time nurturing the next generation and new new trends in the
field, not creating more publicity for the old masters.
The second place to find reviews is in the semiprozines. Of these, the
two best known are Locus and Science Fiction Chronicle. Both are
monthly newsmagazine for the SF field and keep their readers informed
with what is happening in publishing and fandom. The magazine Fantasy
Review is less well known, but is a Fantasy and review oriented monthly.
Locus runs three review columns, by Faren Miller, Debbie Notkin, and
Dan Chow. Amy Thompson has also started reviewing short fiction, both
magazine and anthology published. There is no duplication between the
columns, so a large number of books get covered every month.
Of the three, Notkin is far and away the best reviewer. She tends to
review fewer books than the Miller or Chow, spending more time with
each one. She has a good mix of both SF and Fantasy, is strongly
analytical and at the same time has a good feel for criticism. I
consider her reviews, alone of the semipro group, to be on a par with
the pro magazine columns. Notkin is just one of many good reasons for
subscribing to Locus, but she is an important one.
Faren Miller reviews a lot more Fantasy than Debbie. She has a good
sense for Fantasy, less so for SF. My only problem is that she seems
to aim for criticism, but falls short, leaving some of her reviews
muddled and unclear. There is potential here, sometimes unrealized.
When she is good, she is good, but I find her inconsistent.
The third Locus reviewer, Dan Chow, is hard for me to comment on,
simply because I stopped reading him months ago. Chow has a tendency
to fall into two reviewer traps: reading the authors motivations into
a book and using a book as an excuse to review or comment upon an
author. In my eyes, the only thing that matters is the word, and the
person behind it should be safe from attack. Chow has, on occasion,
stepped beyond the realm of good taste and gone after an author, and I
just won't tolerate that. I went back through recent issues for this
article, and he seems to have gotten this tendency under control to a
good degree, but I still don't think he has picked up a sense for
evaluating books and turning them into reviews. His columns have
little personality and little to recommend them.
Science Fiction Chronicle has one reviewer, Don D. Amassa. He seems to
have taken as his task reviewing everything in the world -- a recent
issue had 42 reviews in it, and he rarely reviews less than 20 a
month. He gets the completeness award, but there is always a tradeoff
between volume and quality, and he falls well short in the latter.
Most of the reviews are little more than a typical Pico review in
OtherRealms, and many of them are nothing more than plot summaries. In
a number of cases, it is impossible to tell what he thinks about a work
or whether it is worth reading from the review -- just what it is
about. I wonder if he really reads all of those things, or whether
he's cribbing from the cover notes. He would likely do everyone a
favor, and enjoy the books a lot more, if he would read less and
discuss them more completely. As it stands, though, his column is not
recommended.
Fantasy Review(FR) takes an approach similar to our Pico reviews. It
has a large section of reviews written by a number of different
people. Because of this, the quality is erratic, but in general FR is
a useful tool for finding a comment about most recent books. They try
hard to cover the entire field -- Fantasy, SF, Horror and non-fiction
entries. Overall, they do a very good job and, for me, do the best of
the semi-pro magazines. They have just been bought by a new publisher,
but the editor will remain with the magazine. All this is for the
good, as it looks like the chronic financial shortages will finally
end. On the negative side, the person running the review section,
Carol McGuirk, is leaving the magazine for a number of reasons, not the
least of which is getting stuck in the middle of an assinine political
battle with the Science Fiction Research Association. The SFRA is
being idiotic, and we're losing a serious genre resource because of
it. She's left a strong reviewing system, though, and
Finally, an honorable mention. Science Fiction Review, a Fanzine
published by Richard Geis, has been the premier review oriented fanzine
for a number of years, and a number of different authors have been
known to hang out there. There are quarterly review columns by Geis,
by Paulette Minare, by Gene DeWeese and Elton Elliot. Other people
also review works on an irregular basis, including Larry Niven, Dean
Lambe and Charles de Lint. Orson Scott Card does the Herculean job of
trying to review AND criticize the previous few months short fiction,
and does a great job of it.
SFR is what a reviewzine ought to be, and it is a lot more beside. I
would normally cajole all of you into subscribing, but Geis has
decided to end the magazine. A lot of very good voices, especially
Card and deWeese, will be stilled when this happens. I will miss my
quarterly SFR fix.
If you only want to read one reviewer, read Easton, and anyone serious
about SF should be reading Budry's column for the perspective it
brings. I also highly recommend subscriptions to Fantasy Review and
Locus, not just for reviews but for all of their material. The most
important thing, though, is to find the reviewers that match your style
of reading and stick with them.
Subscription Information
Here are the prices and addresses to subscribe to the semiprozines
mentioned in this article. The prozines can be found at most large
newstands.
Fantasy Review: $20/year (12 issues)
500 N.W. 20th Street
Boca Raton, FL 33431
Locus: $24/year (12 issues)
P.O. Box 13305
Oakland, CA 94661
SF Chronicle: $23.40.year (12 issues)
P.O. Box 4175, New York, NY 10163-4175
Schismatrix
by
Bruce Sterling
Ace, 1986, 288 pages, $2.95
[****+]
Reviewed by
Michael C. Berch
mcb@lll-tis-b.ARPA
Copyright 1986 by Michael C. Berch
At a recent con panel on the Cyberpunk movement, John Shirley called
this "the novel that should have won the Hugo" instead of William
Gibson's NEUROMANCER. I'm not sure I agree, but SCHISMATRIX is
nonetheless a very fine, absorbing, and complex book.
SCHISMATRIX is a novel painted on a very large canvas: the numerous
orbiting worlds of the solar system after humanity has expanded beyond
Earth. These worlds and their political and cultural movements dissolve
and re-form and Sterling traces their fulminations through the eyes of
Abelard Lindsay, a former diplomat and current revolutionary,
entrepreneur, and politician. Life extension and mental/physical
enhancement are available through various biotechnologies, but humans
have split into two factions: the Mechanists, who use prosthetics,
bioelectronics, and lots of drugs and the Shapers, who prefer genetic
engineering and physical/mental conditioning.
The two factions are at war, but the fighting is on many fronts
(military, commercial, technological), and the battle lines are
blurred. Indeed, Lindsay is himself a hybrid of the two factions, and
he is alternately drawn to one or the other, or as often as not to a
new faction that is an offshoot of both. The Mechanist/Shaper universe
will be familiar to readers of Sterling's other work, such as "Swarm"
and "Spider Rose"; in SCHISMATRIX we get to see what's really going on
underneath.
"Life moves in clades" is an aphorism that Lindsay repeats often, and
it forms the central idea of the book. "Clade" does not appear in my
Random House Unabridged, but "clado-" is a Graeco-Latin prefix meaning
"branch" or "offshoot", and Sterling's meaning is clear: throughout
SCHISMATRIX various cliques such as the Nephrine Black Medicals, the
Neotenic Cultural Republic, and the Cataclysts appear, become centers
of political and cultural attention, and either fade or become the
bases for new "clades" on newer orbiting worlds.
Partway through the novel some aliens show up. They're known as the
Investors, and some readers will remember them from the short story
"Spider Rose" (1983). Investor culture and artifacts mix with the
factions of humanity in flux; as one might expect, the result is murky
and unclear, and Lindsay's diffident involvement with the aliens
further obscures our view of his character and motivations. I grant
that this is by Sterling's design; Abelard Lindsay is the antithesis of
a Heinleinian or Asimovian protagonist: we do not really understand
him, and we suspect that he does not understand himself.
The novel begins (as does Gibson's NEUROMANCER) with a distinct
Japanese flavor -- an orbiting world that proclaims itself a Zaibatsu
[corporate republic], characters named Ryumin and Kitsune, and a
mysterious financial/sexual cartel called the Geisha Bank -- but by
midbook the flavor has essentially disappeared; perhaps because the
time span involved is longer than a normal human lifetime. The
cyberpunk movement has always had a preoccupation with Japanese tech
culture, and many of the the images from NEUROMANCER, SCHISMATRIX, and
works like BLADERUNNER seem pulled from the pages of contemporary
Japanese comics.
The political and cultural intrigues of SCHISMATRIX reminded me of two
other novels that I greatly enjoyed: Kim Stanley Robinson's recent
ICEHENGE, and TRITON by Samuel R. Delany, which appeared in the late
1970's. Robinson and Delany enthusiasts, as well as followers of the
cyberpunk movement (the core of which is formed by Sterling along with
William Gibson, John Shirley, and perhaps Michael Swanwick) will
appreciate SCHISMATRIX. It is clearly a major SF novel of the 1980's,
and is worth the time spent in exploring its complexities.
Books Received
Books Received lists copies of books sent to OtherRealms for review.
Since review copies are sent out near the time of publication it is a
notice that these books are now (or will soon be) on the shelves of
your bookstore.
Arbor House
Asher, Marty. SHELTER, 1986, 136 pps, $12.95 hardback.
Gibson, William. COUNT ZERO, 1986, 278 pps, $15.95 hardback.
Roberts, Keith. KITEWORLD, 1985, 288 pps, $15.95 hardback. First U.S.
publication of an English work.
Slonczewski, Joan. A DOOR INTO OCEAN, 1986, 403 pps, $17.95 hardback.
Baen Books
Allen, Roger MacBride. ROGUE POWERS, 1986, 401 pps, $3.50. Sequel to THE
TORCH OF HONOR
Henry Holt and Company
Asimov, Isaac. FUTUREDAYS, A NINETEENTH CENTURY VISION OF THE YEAR 2000,
1986, 96 pages (many color plates), $12.95 trade paperback.
Tor Science Fiction
Anthony, Piers. STEPPE, 1986, 252 pps, $3.50.
Bishop, Michael. ANCIENT OF DAYS, 1985, 408 pps, $3.95.
Bova, Ben. PROMETHEANS, 1986, 278 pps, $2.95.
Bova, Ben. VOYAGERS II: THE ALIEN WITHIN, 1986, 344 pps, $15.95 hardback
Dickson, Gordon R. PRO, 1978, 183 pps, $2.95. First Tor printing.
Modesitt, L. E. Jr. THE ECOLOGIC ENVOY, 1986, 287 pps, $2.95.
Tor Fantasy
Baker, Scott. FIREDANCE, 1986, 380 pps, $2.95.
Roberts, John Maddow. CONAN THE VALORIOUS, 1985, 280 pps, $2.95.
First mass market printing.
Tor Horror
Masterson, Graham. DEATH TRANCE, 409 pps, 3.95
Walters, R. R. LADIES IN WAITING, 1986, 411 pps, $3.95.
Williamson, Chet. SOULSTORM, 1986, 307 pps, $3.95.
OtherRealms is Copyright 1986
by Chuq Von Rospach
All rights reserved
One time rights have been acquired from the contributors. All rights
are hereby assigned to the contributors.
Reproduction rights: OtherRealms may be reproduced only for
non-commercial uses. Re-use, reproduction or reprinting of an
individual article in any way on any media, is forbidden without
permission.chuq@sun.uucp (Chuq Von Rospach; Lord of the OtherRealms) (09/24/86)
OtherRealms
A Reviewzine for the Non-Fan
Where FIJAGH Becomes a Way of Life
Issue #9
October, 1986
Part 2
Pico Reviews
ALL THE MYRIAD WAYS by Larry Niven [*****]
Del Rey, $2.25, 1971, 181 pages
Classic Larry Niven. Not only very good hard SF stories, but three
essays on interesting topics (Superman's sex life, time travel, and
teleportation). Overall excellence. A must own book.
-- John Wenn
wenn@g.cs.cmu.edu
ANNALS OF THE BLACK COMPANY by Glen Cook [****+]
[Omnibus] The Black Company, Shadows Linger,
The White Rose Doubleday [SFBC], 1984, 1984, 1985
Impressive, realistic, gritty fantasy (if that isn't a contradiction in
terms). The Black Company is the last of the free companies of
Khatovar, and they have fallen on hard times. A bunch of tough
mercenaries in the service of the Lady, an ancient evil recently
returned. Here war is a tough, dirty business. Major characters die,
magic doesn't have all the answers. A good study of the possible forms
of evil, apocalyptic battles, and a satisfying final battle and
aftermath.
-- John Wenn
wenn@g.cs.cmu.edu
THE COMING OF THE QUANTUM CATS by Frederik Pohl [***]
296 pages, Bantam Books
What if there were infinite parallel worlds? What if some of them
figured out a way to move among the parallels? What if they showed up
in OUR world with weird weapons and plans to use OUR world as a way to
surprise attack their world? What if yet ANOTHER parallel world showed
up to attack OUR world? This is the confusion that Pohl unravels in
this most engrossing story. Very interesting. A bit of a pat ending,
but worth checking out.
-- Dave Taylor
hplabs!hpldat!taylor
THE COPPER CROWN by Patricia Kennealy [***]
Signet, $3.50
An interesting book, where the Terrans find a space empire started by
pre-Christian Kelts who fled St. Patrick. After getting past the
mechanism that got them there (I won't spoil it), the book is an
enjoyable read about the extension of a classic culture into an SF
setting, and the culture shock of the Terrans on finding them,
especially the Asian captain of the search vessel. The first in a
series (labeled the 'Keltiad'), but completely readable on its own.
-- Bob Halloran
topaz!caip!unirot!halloran
DARK OF THE MOON by P. C. Hodgell [***+]
Atheneum [SFBC], 1985, 370 pages
Sequel to her excellent book "God Stalk". This is ultimately less
satisfying since it doesn't include the most interesting character of
"God Stalk": the city of Tai-tastigon. This goes more into the
background of the characters and the world, and deals with the battle
against 'The Perimal Darkling'. The major problem is structural, the
chapters alternate between the story of Jame (heroine of the last book)
and her twin brother Tori (who is 12 years older). While this
technique has been used to good effect elsewhere, it doesn't really
work here. A worthwhile book, but read "God Stalk" first.
-- John Wenn
wenn@g.cs.cmu.edu
THE DREAM YEARS by Lisa Goldstein [***+]
Bantam Spectra, $2.95, 1985, 195 pages
I'm still not quite sure to make of this book. The basic story takes
place among the surrealists of Paris in 1924. But then there is the
elements of the Paris riots of 1968 and Paris of the 21st century.
This is more of a character oriented story than most of SF, and the
prose, characters, and dialogue are all first rate. The material
dealing with surrealism rings true, but I haven't the slightest idea if
it is accurate. This is worth reading, but I really couldn't say what
it's "about".
-- John Wenn
wenn@g.cs.cmu.edu
THE FOREVER MACHINE by Mark Clifton & Frank Riley [***]
(AKA THEY'D RATHER BE RIGHT)
GALAXY, 1954, 159 pages
Winner of the 1955 Hugo award. This remains a readable story of a
supercomputer and its use as an rejuvenation machine. The only trouble
is that to become rejuvenated, you must be willing to give up all
prejudices. And, of course, most people would rather be right and
dead. Cardboard characters (naturally), but not bad for the period.
-- John Wenn
wenn@g.cs.cmu.edu
GENE WOLFE'S BOOK OF DAYS by Gene Wolfe [***+]
Doubleday [Hardcover], $9.95, 1981, 182 pages
A short story collection with a theme (each story is connected with a
day of the year). This is a weak Gene Wolfe collection, but still has
several excellent stories. Some favorites are Lincoln's Birthday
(reinstatement of slavery), Valentine's Day (what if computer dating
**REALLY** worked?), and Mother's Day (a pregnant car). Even mediocre
Gene Wolfe is better than many other authors, so this is worth checking
out.
-- John Wenn
wenn@g.cs.cmu.edu
THE GREY MANE OF MORNING by Joy Chant [****]
Bantam, $3.50, 1977, 332 pages
A refreshing fantasy story. Instead of young heros battling evil
wizards for the fate of the entire universe; this is a quiet, pastoral
(but by no means dull) tale of a tribe of plainsmen, and how they
learned to war against the villages. There is no earth shattering
battles, but a well told story of a proud people and their way of
life. Recommended.
-- John Wenn
wenn@g.cs.cmu.edu
HALF PAST HUMAN by T. J. Bass [***]
Del Rey, $2.75, 1971, 279 pages
Interesting speculation on the far future. Trillions of four toed
near-humans live in computer controlled hives on an earth totally
converted to food production. And a few five toed genetic throwbacks
live on the surface, fighting for survival. The prose is nothing
special, but the plot and characters are adequate.
-- John Wenn
wenn@g.cs.cmu.edu
THE HAMMER AND THE HORN by Michael Jan Friedman [*+]
Questar, $2.95, 1985, 297 pages
The story of Vidar (Odin's bastard son), who has been on earth since
Ragnarok, and his reinvolvement with current Asgardian affairs. The
description of what really happened in Norse mythology is kind of
interesting, but doesn't make up for the standard fantasy plot devices. Yawn.
-- John Wenn
wenn@g.cs.cmu.edu
HARDWIRED by Walter Jon Williams [**]
Tor Books $15.95 343pp
This is basically a post holocaust shoot 'em up with lots of sex and
drugs and rock 'n roll. The Earth has lost The War with the Orbital
Corporate Blocs and is now being bled white by them. Sarah is a
dirtgirl whose dream is to get enough money to buy a ticket off-world
for herself and her brother. Cowboy is a smuggler who wants to bring
down the Orbitals. They meet, they fall in love, they triumph but then
you know all this by the seventh chapter. There is nothing original
about either the characters or the story. On the other hand, Williams
has written a sufficiently fast paced story that it is possible to
gloss over the cliches. Atmosphere is very important in a story of this
type and Williams has also done a good job of creating a suitable
electric punk rock feel. However, on the balance, this is not one
Williams' better works and one has to have a preference for this type
of story to like this book.
-- Danny Low
hplabs!dlow
HART'S HOPE by Orson Scott Card [****+]
Berkley, $2.75, 1983, 261 pages
What makes this book interesting is its prose style. Virtually every
book written today (at least nearly all SF&F) is written in a modern,
conversational style. "Hart's Hope", however, is written in the old,
allegorical style that brings to mind Arthurian legends and old myths.
The story itself is well suited to this approach, dealing with gods,
princesses, revenge, love and death. Also its refreshing to read a
fantasy novel that isn't part of an N-ology.
-- John Wenn
wenn@g.cs.cmu.edu
THE HIDDEN LAND by Pamela Dean [****-]
Ace Fantasy, $2.95, 1986, 202 pages
Continuation of "The Secret Country", this is a well written,
interesting fantasy novel. A group of children are mysteriously
transported to their make-believe land. But things aren't quite as
they imagined them, the people are more complex and the events have a
life of their own. I kept wanting to shout at the characters "What are
you doing? Don't you know that could be dangerous?" The children act
like children, not adults in small bodies. The major trouble is that
their are *LOTS* of loose ends still hanging around. This is just
crying for another book to resolve everything.
-- John Wenn
wenn@g.cs.cmu.edu
THE HUMANOIDS by Jack Williamson [****+]
Avon, $2.25, 1949, 259 pages
Forget Steven King, this is **SCARY**. A lone scientist creates (via a
newly discovered natural law) a race of robots (called humanoids)
instructed "To Serve and Obey, And Guard Men from Harm". The problem
is that the humanoids are *TOO* efficient and judge everything from
bicycles to unsupervised sex as potentially harmful. This is a classic
tale of technology gone wrong, close enough to possible that it scares
the daylights out of me. It has been taught at MIT as an example of
where technology can lead. My copy also includes the even better short
story "With Folded Hands".
-- John Wenn
wenn@g.cs.cmu.edu
THE INITIATE by Louise Cooper [**+]
Tor, $2.95, 1985, 278 pages
A perfectly average fantasy plot, better written than most. An
interesting premise that in the war between law and chaos, law won
completely ages ago. Now the protagonist is being manipulated into
helping the return of chaos. Of course, its the first book in an N-ology.
-- John Wenn
wenn@g.cs.cmu.edu
THE KRAKEN WAKES by John Wyndham [*****]
240 pages, from Penguin
This is another wonderful Wyndham book. The storyline is that
mysterious asteroids show up in the sky (remember the beginning of "Day
of the Triffids"? *smile*) and crash into the sea. As time passes
strange things happen at sea, including ships mysteriously disappearing
without any warning... the really exceptional thing about the story is
the characterizations.
-- Dave Taylor
hplabs!hpldat!taylor
THE KUNDALINI EQUATION by Steven Barnes [***+]
Tor, $3.50, 1986, 348 pages
Another SF/Martial Arts book by Steven Barnes (the other being
"Streetlethal"). This time a man stumbles upon an ancient killing
discipline that makes Bruce Lee look like a paraplegic. Nice prose,
interesting characters, and nicely written gratuitous sex scenes.
-- John Wenn
wenn@g.cs.cmu.edu
LORD OF LIGHT by Roger Zelazny [*****]
Doubleday Science Fiction, 1967, [SFBC]
A Hugo winning novel, would you believe Zelazny tells a Science Fiction
story about the Buddhist Pantheon and gets away with it? A group of
people land on a planet and turn themselves into Gods, literally, with
technology. They rule their offspring with all the typical weaknesses
that the Gods of humans would be expected to show, and do everything
they can to hold back the progress of their minions. On the side of
Good, however, is Mahasamatman, but you can call him Sam. As the
Buddha, the Prophet, this unbeliever puts together the revolution that
will overturn Heaven itself. A fascinating book with insights into a
lesser known philosophy and about humanity itself.
-- chuq von rospach
LYTHANDE by Marion Zimmer Bradley [***-]
DAW, $3.50, 1986, 237 pages
A collection of short stories dealing with the Blue Star wizard of
Thieves World. Lythande was one of my favorite characters from the
first book. So it is really unfortunate that these stories don't fulfil
the promise of the character. While Lythande has several interesting
adventures, and we learn a bit more about her character, there is too
much of Fantasy Plot 217 (hero fights old adversary in unexpected
place) to be really satisfying.
-- John Wenn
wenn@g.cs.cmu.edu
THE MISTS OF AVALON - Marion Zimmer Bradley [****+]
This is yet another retelling of the Arthurian legend, though this time
from the point of view of the women in the story. They include
Gwenhwyfar, Igraine, Viviane but the main (and definitely the most
interesting) character is Morgaine - priestess of Avalon, half-sister
to Arthur and mother of his child who will destroy him. While I found
the start of the story somewhat slow, Igraine (Arthurs's mother) not
being a terribly interesting character, it soon became quite
engrossing. The book has a marvelous feeling of a world where the old
magic and ways are being replaced by a new religion (the author's
sympathies lying with the old religion). Being the Arthurian legend
the story ends in tragedy, though not quite the same tragedy as is
usual. It is the best fantasy I have read since 'Thomas Covenant.
Toivo Pedaste
seismo!effigy.oz!toivo
THE MULLER-FOKKER EFFECT by John Sladek [****]
213 pages, from Pocket Books,
This is a very Kurt Vonnegut style story with lots of strange and
irreverent things. Muller Fokker is a technique by which one can
capture the personality of a person on computer tapes... there are some
hilarious comments on religion, government, etc.
-- Dave Taylor
hplabs!hpldat!taylor
ON A PALE HORSE by Piers Anthony []
303 pages, Del Rey
This book was quite good, indeed surprisingly good considering the
dreck Anthony has been foisting on (a willing) public as of late.
Until about half way... then we started seeing the 'superhero' syndrome
rear it's ugly head. But even then it was okay until I got to the
"Authors Note". Okay, so maybe he has something interesting to say...
but Nooooo... The Authors Note (21 pages worth!) ruined the book. Don't
buy it. yech.
-- Dave Taylor
hplabs!hpldat!taylor
PARK: A FANTASTIC STORY by John Gray [****]
107 pages, Carcanet
Good luck finding this one. If you do, though, buy it! It's an
excellent philosophical story of a man who wakes up one morning
hundreds of years in the future. The comments on early 1900s' English
society are most interesting... and make for a good tale too! With an
afterward by Philip Healy, this might be more appropriate for a
Literature or Philosophy class in college.
-- Dave Taylor
hplabs!hpldat!taylor
THE RELUCTANT KING by L. Sprague de Camp [***]
[Omnibus] The Goblin Tower, The Clocks of Iraz, The Unbeheaded King
Doubleday [SFBC], 1968, 1971, 1983, 533 pages
On the whole, an average fantasy about Jorian, an former king trying to
keep out of the clutches of his subjects (you see, every 5 years they
behead their king and appoint a new one). What brings this up to 3
stars is the marvelous stories Jorian tells about the exploits of the
past kings of Kortoli (all of whose names begin with 'F'). The
exploits of Fusinian the Fox, Filoman the Well-Meaning, Forimar the
Esthete, and others are quite amusing (better than the main story in
most places). A readable light fantasy.
-- John Wenn
wenn@g.cs.cmu.edu
SILVERTHORN by Raymond E. Feist [****]
Doubleday [SFBC], 1985, 309 pages
Middle book of the Magician trilogy. It suffers from the standard
middle book syndrome: you don't have the thrill of learning about the
setting, and you don't have a satisfying climax. This is why it only
gets four stars instead of five. A smaller scope than the previous
book, this only deals with the quest for a cure for the princess in
enemy territory. Excellent book.
-- John Wenn
wenn@g.cs.cmu.edu
THE SPACE MERCHANTS by Frederik Pohl and C.M. Kornbluth [*****]
170 pages, from Penguin
This is a great story! Anything that pokes fun at Madison Avenue and
the games they play to manipulate us, the innocent public, into buying
things is good in MY book! In this vision of the future, the ad
agencies run the world, have armed military encounters with each other
to get new people, and have torture experts to kidnap and find out the
success of the 'other side'. Very funny. Very good. Buy it and read
it if you can!
-- Dave Taylor
hplabs!hpldat!taylor
THE STARMAKER by Olaf Stapleton [****] for imagination
[**-] as a novel
Berkley, $0.50, 1937, 222 pages
A travelogue on the history of intelligent life in the universe, and
its search for spiritual enlightenment. As a work of imagination, this
works very well, detailing all manner of strange and wonderful
creatures and civilizations. However, it has its problems as a novel.
Seeing so many different societies rush by doesn't give time to see any
but the most obvious features of any of them. There aren't really any
characters in the entire novel, just a vast panorama opening before
us. Still, it is an interesting an influential early SF book.
-- John Wenn
wenn@g.cs.cmu.edu
STEPPE by Piers Anthony [****]
1.25 U.K. pounds, Granada, 1976, 191 Pages.
If you like anything the Piers Anthony writes and if you can find this
book (I don't think there is a U.S. version), then it is well worth
reading. It is a fun techno/primitive adventure that doesn't fall prey
to any of Anthony's problems. The book reminds me in many ways of
Split Infinity and I expect that Split Infinity grew out of Steppe.
-- David Muir Sharnoff
muir@ucbvax
THE SUMMER TREE by Guy Gavriel Kay [*****]
Arbor House [SFBC], 1984, 311 pages
One of the best fantasies I've read this year. What distinguishes this
from most other excellent fantasies, say "Magician", is that five of
the main characters are from Toronto, and are transported to Fionavar
by Silvercloak the wizard. The contemporary characters give an
accessible point of view, and their personalities are both fully
developed and change through the story. Great setting, great prose,
great characters. Read it.
-- John Wenn
wenn@g.cs.cmu.edu
SUNFALL by C. J. Cherryh [**]
DAW, $2.50, 1981, 158 pages
The worst Cherryh book I've read. This is a collection of short
stories about the fate of cities in the far, far future. None of the
stories is terrible, but the entire collecting is unsatisfing. Both
Vance and Wolfe have done better with the same idea.
-- John Wenn
wenn@g.cs.cmu.edu
THIEVES' WORLD #9, BLOOD TIES [****]
edited by Robert Lynn Asprin and Lynn Abbey
Ace Fantasy, August 1986, $2.96, 238 pages
The latest collection in the THIEVES' WORLD series. After some
mid-series doldrums, the last few books have snapped back, and this
issue is as good as #1. The denizens of Sanctuary are learning a new
trick -- subtlety -- as they live and die (well, mostly die) and fight
for the survival of their city and themselves. This book injects
something missing in all the previous volumes: Hope. Since the total
despair of Sanctuary was my only real gripe about the series, this is
now on my buy regardless list. It is beginning to look like this
series will go on forever. I, personally, hope it will.
-- chuq von rospach
THE TRANSVECTION MACHINE BY Edward Hoch [*]
176 pages, from Pocket Books,
Perhaps the best review (he says tongue firmly in cheek) is to quote
the review on the back cover; "A beautifully plotted and clued
detective story that just happens to take place in the twentyfirst
century... hanky-panky in high places, sex, threats of torture, escape
attempts and a shoot-out at the end... perfect!" Uh huh...
-- Dave Taylor
hplabs!hpldat!taylor
VISIBLE LIGHT by C. J. Cherryh [****]
DAW, $3.50, 1986, 348 pages
A good short story collection. A good balance of fantasy and SF, old
and new stories. There isn't a bad story in here. Also entertaining
is the meta-story, which forms as the introduction to the individual
tales and as a platform for Cherryh to expound on all manner of ideas
on literature, art, history, and the universe. And a nice cover
picture that's a fairly good likeness of the author.
-- John Wenn
wenn@g.cs.cmu.edu
VOYAGER IN NIGHT by C. J. Cherryh [***+]
DAW, $2.95, 1984, 221 pages
Interesting speculation on *ALIEN* aliens and how human beings could
relate. And I absolutely refuse to give away any of the plot, since
finding out what in the world is going on is much of the fun.
-- John Wenn
wenn@g.cs.cmu.edu
WAVE WITHOUT A SHORE by C. J. Cherryh [***+]
DAW, $2.50, 1981, 176 pages
Could you build a society that *REALLY* believed in existentialism?
Something doesn't exist unless you believe it exists? The problems
this poses, as well as the struggle between art and politics is the
basis of some interesting speculations.
-- John Wenn
wenn@g.cs.cmu.edu
THE WORTHINGTON CHRONICLE by Orson Scott Card [***]
Ace, $2.75, 1983, 264 pages
This is largely based on two previous books: "Hot Sleep" and "Capitol".
These three books deal with the earth empire built on controlled
suspended animation, telepathy, the fall of the empire, and its
aftermath. This book is how the entire history is told to a young boy
in a small village of an obscure planet. As with all Card, it is well
written and the story is nice hard SF.
-- John Wenn
wenn@g.cs.cmu.edu
OtherRealms Salutes the 1986 Hugo Winners!
Best Novel
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Best Novella
24 Views of Mount Fuji, by Roger Zelazny
Best Novellette
Paladin of the Lost Hour, by Harlan Ellison
Best Short Story
Fermi and Frost, by Frederik Pohl
Best Non-fiction book
Science Made Stupid, by Tom Weller
Best Dramatic Presentation
Back to the Future
Best Professional Editor
Judy-Lynn del Rey*
Best Professional Artist
Michael Whelan**
Best Semi-Prozine
Locus, Charles Brown, editor
Best Fan Writer
Mike Glyer
Best Fan Artist
joan hanke-woods
Best Fanzine
Lan's Lantern, George Laskowski, editor
John W. Campbell Award
Melissa Scott
* Lester del Rey refused the award on the grounds that if Judy-Lynn had
not died, she would not have won, and that she would not have wanted it
under these circumstances.
** Michael Whelan removed himself from Hugo contention next year
OtherRealms Notes
This issue is, by far, the most difficult one to put together yet.
This issue introduces an entirely new format, thanks to the Macintosh
and MacPublisher II, a desktop publishing program. The people reading
the electronic version can't appreciate it, but with a new font and
entirely redesigned format, I think OtherRealms is significantly more
readable than in the past. It is a big improvement, and the time it
took learning the new software and starting over with the display
decisions is worth it.
Beyond the cosmetic, there are a lot of other changes to this issue.
I've published the first OtherRealms cartoon, which is the first piece
of art to go into the magazine. Again, I'm using advanced technology,
digitizing the art into the Mac and laying it into the issue
electronically. The results are not as impressive here, and if I can't
get the quality up in the next issue or so, I'll go back to traditional
paste-up. We'll see if it is the technology or the operator once I get
some time to really work on it. Thanks to Alexis Gilliland for
suggesting that OtherRealms use art and acting as initial guinea pig.
Jim Brunet is the author of the first piece of OtherRealms fiction,
"Insufficient Transmission" and a good piece it is. Jim is a long time
contributor to the zine, and this story is a good example of the
quality of fiction I'm striving for.
One feature that is taking a rest this issue is the lettercol.
Preliminary results of the Readers Survey last issue show that the
space I was giving it was way out of proportion to the interest. Since
I'm tight for space this issue anyway, I'm going to take some time to
rethink how I want to handle letters. I feel strongly that a lettercol
is important to help everyone get their views heard, but I need to be
more selective in what and how much gets printed. I do read
everything, and the letters I get affect the future directions of
OtherRealms, so don't stop writing!
Another thing I've decided to do is consolidate is my writing. Looking
back on previous issues, my writing was scattered all over the place.
I'm consolidating everything into a single review column where I can
tie things together a little better, do a little more commentary and
practice my A. J. Budrys impersonation. I feel more comfortable in a
column format and I think it will help me keep from dominating an issue
by spraying lots of little things all over the place. "Words of
Wizdum" premieres this issue.
"Books Received" is the last new feature. OtherRealms is getting a lot
of support from many publishers in the form of publication schedules,
press releases, and review copies. I'm going to start dedicating some
space to getting this information out to you, and "Books Received" is
the first part of this. It lists all the review copies that
OtherRealms has gotten since the last issue. This serves two
purposes. First, it will let you know to expect a book at the store
even if it doesn't get reviewed, and it also lets you know which books
that DO get reviewed came directly from the publishers. Getting a
review copy doesn't guarantee a good review; it doesn't even guarantee
a review, for that matter, but this is one way I can help you keep us
honest by giving you a list of the freebies. I definitely give review
copies priority on my reading list, but that is because these are the
new books and the books that should be reviewed. In future issues, I'm
going to start printing the lists of upcoming books as I
The flow of review copies has gotten to the point where I can't even
try to read all of them anymore, much as I'd like to. This gives you
the opportunity to get "paid" for writing for OtherRealms. I want to
set up a network of people that I can send books to and get a review
from in a timely manner. In return, you get to keep the book. I'm
looking for both a Pico Review and about a 500 word review on each book
I send out, within 30 days after you get the book. I'll use one or the
other depending on interest and space. If you're willing to make room
in your reading list on short notice and want to write reviews, drop me
a line and tell me your interests. (If you're in the Bay Area, so much
the better, as I can save postage on the mailing!) Please don't sign up
if you can't read the book quickly, that isn't fair to me, the readers
of the magazine, or the publishers who sent us the book.
OtherRealms is Copyright 1986
by Chuq Von Rospach
All rights reserved
One time rights have been acquired from the contributors. All rights
are hereby assigned to the contributors.
Reproduction rights: OtherRealms may be reproduced only for
non-commercial uses. Re-use, reproduction or reprinting of an
individual article in any way on any media, is forbidden without
permission.chuq@sun.uucp (Chuq Von Rospach; Lord of the OtherRealms) (09/24/86)
OtherRealms
A Reviewzine for the Non-Fan
Where FIJAGH Becomes a Way of Life
Issue #9
October, 1986
Part 3
Words of Wizdom
Book Reviews by Chuq Von Rospach
Copyright 1986 by Chuq Von Rospach
It isn't often that you run across a true gem. It is quite rare when
that gem is shaped by a first-time author. RATHA'S CREATURE, by Clare
Bell [Atheneum/Argo books, 1983, $12.95 hardback] is such a book. The
real pity is that this book was published by a house not known for its
fiction, and published an a juvenile. It is definitely not juvenile,
but a powerful adult Fantasy set in prehistoric times.
Ratha is a precursor of the Saber-tooth tiger in a story set some 25
million years ago. She and her clan are intelligent cats, with
language and learning and a structured society. They are also herders,
keeping their meat animals and guarding them from the Un-Named,
clanless cats without the spark of thought.
We meet Ratha as she learns the art of herding. We follow her
development until disaster strikes -- lightning sets their forest
afire. In the aftermath, Ratha discovers that she can control and
manipulate fire. For this, she is kicked out of the clan. During
this, she loses her fire and leaves clan territory an exile. She picks
up with Bonechewer, another exile from the clan, who teaches her how to
survive in the wilderness. She unwillingly participates in the winter
raids that decimate her ex-clan, but finally returns to them, only to
be rebuffed again. Another lightning strike returns the power of fire
to her, and she challenges, and bests, the clan leader with it.
Finally, the clan uses the power of fire to turn the tide against the
Un-Named and win the critical battle against them to protect their flock.
This is a very powerful book. Obviously, someone at Atheneum was
impressed enough to publish something that didn't really fit into their
line very well. Unfortunately, this means that it hasn't been pushed
towards the readers that could most appreciate it, and it is not well
known and hard to find. Both are crying shames. This book could have
been an award winner if it had been given some publicity. You will
probably need to special order this book, but you won't be
disappointed. Do it. Bell has succeeded at something many have tried
and failed with in the genre -- a solid first person account from a
truly alien viewpoint; that of an intelligent cat.
This is a stunning gem, hidden in the rough at the edge of the road. I
hope this book makes it to paperback soon, with a publisher willing to
give it a push. It would have been a serious award candidate, if we had
only known about it.
There is a new Amber book out, and it is simply great. BLOOD OF AMBER,
the latest by Roger Zelazny [Arbor House hardback, September 1986,
$14.95]. I panned TRUMPS OF DOOM, mainly because Zelazny deliberately
withheld known information from the reader. BLOOD is good enough,
though, to make up for that and they both get a recommendation now.
BLOOD takes up where DOOM left off, with Merlin stuck in a cave of blue
crystal. He, of course, escapes, but not before a rather long-winded
soliloquy that summarizes the plot to date. Once we get past that,
however, the plot starts moving. For every question Zelazny answers in
this volume, he creates dozens more to draw you into the final volume.
The stopping (the book doesn't end, it just waits for the final third
of the trilogy) is bizarre and unsuspected enough to make the blue cave
seem like a Sunday outing. Very little is resolved, there is no real
crisis, but the book builds to what promises to be a real blockbuster
ending of the trilogy with an energy I ha
When an author gets paid a lot of money to write a sequel beyond the
logical end of the story, I find that the quality of the story
suffers. DOOM was disappointing enough to make me believe that the new
Amber trilogy would follow the paths of such books as RINGWORLD
ENGINEERS, but BLOOD OF AMBER is proof that Zelazny has found the
inspiration to carry Amber forward. I enjoyed the trip thoroughly, and
I can't wait for the final volume. Highly recommended. [****]
My find of the month is another Arbor House book, SHELTER by Marty
Asher [Arbor House Hardback, 1986, $12.95]. This book has everything
going against it. The book is small, 136 pages. Each page is only
about half filled with text, usually only a paragraph or two. Marty
Asher is Director of the Quality Paperback Book Club. The blurbs
mention Brautigan and Vonnegut, definite warning signs of impending
mediocrity. When you first see this book you'll think that somebody
owed a favor, and that it has to be rotten.
You'd be wrong, too. Frankly, I'd never have looked at this book if
Arbor House hadn't sent it to me, and I'm very glad they did. The book
is as good as the best of Vonnegut. Asher has a strong sense of
language and writing, and uses it with a strong sense of restraint.
Be aware that this is NOT SF or Fantasy, really. It is much closer to
experimental fiction. This is primarily a story of the idealism of the
1960's running head on into the 1980's, as Billy, professional bumper
sticker writer, tries to come to grips with the upcoming Armageddon.
This book really isn't a novel, but a charming character study and
exposition on our society. If you like Vonnegut or Ellison, you'll
love Asher. Definitely not a book for everyone, but highly
recommended. [*****]
KITEWORLD by Keith Roberts (Arbor House hardback, 1986, $15,95) is a
Fantasy of a different flavor. Roberts is a British author, and this
is the first U.S. publication of a 1985 British book. The book is
written as a mainstream novel written in the world that Roberts
creates. The upshot of this is that a lot of material is taken for
granted, and few of the things that are normally explained away in a
Fantasy are mentioned except peripherally.
Roberts builds a full and fascinating society where the kite plays a
central role in life. It is a religious icon, man sized kites are used
to patrol the borders of civilization as protection from the Demons
beyond, and houses fly kites for safety from unnatural forces.
Very little of this is explained. You don't know where the kites came
from, what the Demons are (except for sideways glances), and the only
view you get of the society is that you would get from being in the
society. In lesser hands, trying to write a story like this would
collapse in upon itself. Roberts carries it off almost flawlessly, and
even though it is a bit confusing at first, once you settle into the
story you'll enjoy it. I found myself wondering when he was going to
stop telling the story to explain what was going on -- once I figured
out he wasn't planning to, everything fell in place. This book
requires an active reader. It doesn't explain anything and you'll have
to figure it out for yourself. Some people won't like this book, but I
found it refreshing. [****]
WIZENBEAK (Bluejay Books, 1986, $8.95 trade paperback) is the latest
from artist/author Alexis Gilliland. Slightly dotty wizards seem to be
in these days and Wizenbeak, a water wizard, well qualifies. He is
interested in settling the deserts by finding underground water and
digging wells. Toss in an aged, dying King, a sorcerous (but not evil)
Queen, two chafing Princes, a step-prince, and a slew of troll-bats
(whatever they are) and you're in for a good read. It starts out
funnier than it ends, as though Gilliland wanted to write a funny
Fantasy that got away from him, but that didn't bother me. Solid
Fantasy, worth reading. [***]
AFTER MAN: A ZOOLOGY OF THE FUTURE (Granada Publishing, 1981, oversize
paperback) showed up on the remainder table. Written by Dougal Dixon,
this is a look life will look on earth 50 million after man has left
the world. You meet a wide variety of animals, the Rabbuck family
(deer sized herbivores based on Rabbits), the Chirrit (a tree dweller
somewhere between a chipmunk and a ferret) and the wooly Gigantalope
(something that looks like a Bison crossbred with an Antelope). What
makes this book interesting is the thought that went into it. Dixon
has looked at what animals are likely to survive and how they will
adapt to changing ecological niches. There are a lot of illustrations
of the various animals, and they are all well done. You won't agree
with all of his choices, but I don't think we'll be around to find out
who is right. This could be a useful tool for people who want ideas on
how evolution works. [***+]
TAKEOFF [Starblaze/Donning, trade paper, $7.95] is a 1986 re-release of
a 1979 book. It is a collection of pastiches, parodies, and homages of
various Famous Works by Randall Garrett. Garrett sharpens his pencil
and his wit to write a series of satirical stories set in the Universes
of famous authors, attempting to write the same way the author does.
This he does, with great success. The worst of the pastiches is simply
wonderful, the best, such as "Backstage Lensman" and "On the Martian
Problem" (E.E. "Doc" Smith and E. R. Burroughs, respectively) are in
many ways better than the original. The latter part of the book are a
series of "Reviews in Verse" where Garrett reviews famous books in
rhyme. They are less successful, but don't detract from the book at
all. This book should be a must read, if you have a sense of humor at
all. [****]
Insufficient Transmission
Fiction by Jim Brunet
jimb@ism780c.UUCP
Copyright 1986 by Jim Brunet
At Schrodinger Station, drifting in a lonely orbit a full tenth of a
light-year out from Earth, fourteen men and women were hunched over
consoles or laboratory equipment, conducting research on causality,
temporal gradients, and the properties of space beyond the
gravitational singularity of Sol. Three others were off-duty, making
love in one of the recreational lounges. Roger Z. Briarton, the
station's eighteenth and final inhabitant, peered cautiously into the
communications room and then quickly stepped inside. Working swiftly
yet carefully, he removed the cover to the tachyon resonator's input
module. Roger looked over his shoulder and then reached inside his
overalls and withdrew the storage chip containing the document he had
created in the utmost secrecy. Roger pressed a button and the
contents of the chip were dumped into memory, joining the queue of
reports and other documents bound for Earth.
He checked his watch when he had finished and then crossed his arms as
he waited, watching the machinery. Two minutes later, the resonator
started humming, followed after thirty seconds by a soft rumble. There
came a second, shorter, hum and then silence.
Roger smiled. All the documents, including his secret, were now
inbound for Earth. Whistling a soft and springy tune, Roger Briarton
left the Com Room and sauntered down the corridor in the direction of
the Rec Lounges. Maybe I can get someone interested in a good game of
Monopoly, he thought.
"Oh, Loo-TEN-ant! Ansible's ringing!" Lieutenant Brady Entwhistle,
communications officer of the Niven Colony on Titan, sighed and put
down the tech manual he had been reading. Ansible indeed! Brady was
fighting a hopeless battle to maintain proper technical designations
for all equipment. Tachyon resonator, for instance, instead of
ansible.
Brady swiveled himself out of his chair and walked from the duty office
into the Com Room. Outside, beyond the stellarium window, Saturn
filled half the sky. It's the damn planet's fault, thought Brady as he
flicked on the monitor and began to scan the incoming communications.
Even the most straight-laced service officers developed a poetic
temperament as they were slowly seduced by the ringed world.
That train of thought evaporated as Brady began to flash through the
documents. From Schrodinger Station, most were due to be
re-transmitted to Earth. He dumped out to local memory and printed
hardcopy of a report addressed to the Deep Space Psychological
Institute (Titan) and a letter addressed to the Titan field office of
the Interplanetary Revenue Service, appealing the IRS decision deeming
living quarters on Schrodinger Station as a "...taxable benefit,
supplied in lieu of salary for alternate arrangements." The rest....
Brady's eyes widened as he saw the address of the last document in the
queue: Com Duty Officer, Titan. Brady shook his head and press the
hardcopy button. He didn't know anyone in Deep Space.
The first sheet was a cover letter. Ten minutes minutes later, Brady
exhaled softly as the inbound laser facsimile transmission toward Ceres
was completed. Brady had complied with the requests of the cover
letter, but unusual as they were, he was unhappy. It was against all
regulations, it really was. Mis-appropriation of government
communications channels for unofficial business. Brady shook his head.
Better not to think about it. Instead, he stuck his tech manual back on
the gray metal bookshelf and signed out of the duty office. Maybe that
craft class on ice sculpture was still open.
K.T. Dooley hunched over his drink and glumly watched the desultory
social interactions among the clientele of the Gay Caballero. K.T.
wasn't gay or bi -- which marked him as something of an oddity in the
asteroid belt, given the scarcity of women -- so the social maneuvers
of the other patrons were of only academic interest to him. The drinks,
however, were the cheapest on Ceres, and Gus, the bartender, had even
been known to be generous on occasion to a down and out single-ship
prospector.
K.T. checked his watch and then swirled his drink moodily, trying to
stretch out the time before he would order one more, depleting his
finances by another half credit. Two more hours until his ship was
refueled, two more fucking hours until he spaced again. He would have
to hit this time, even a modest strike. Hit or go down the hole.
This last time out he had come up hard-vacuum empty, without even a
lousy kilogram of usable ore. K.T. swirled his glass again and then
drained it, setting it down on the table with a clunk. Things couldn't
get any worse.
He started to raise his hand to order when a movement at the door
caught his eyes and he saw the silver-overalled figure of M'lumba
Nsanzi striding purposefully toward him. "Oh, shit," said K.T., burying
his face in his hands. Things had just gotten worse.
"Hey, Kay-Tee, old man. Just who I was looking for."
K.T. spread his fingers and peered out, hoping desperately to find that
he was the victim of an illusion. Instead, he saw black, bald-headed
M'lumba grinning as he pulled up a chair. K.T. groaned as if his
eternal soul had just been consigned to the flames. All Government
Service officers were bad news, and this one-- this one was with the
belt's Provost Department, worse yet -- and this particular one NEVER
smiled unless the news was going to be excruciatingly bad.
K.T. lowered his hands from his face and forced a smile. "What's the
matter, M'lumba? Run out of government clerks to bugger and figure
you'd try the private sector?"
M'lumba's smile only broadened as he shook his head. "You said that as
a joke, thinking it funny, no? No matter. No, friend Dooley, I came
seeking you for a different, but less--" The provost officer flicked
his eyes over Dooley's scrawny frame and ragged dress a moment,
"--unappetizing favor."
"Favor?" K.T.'s voice fairly squeaked. "What are you talking about?
I don't do favors for any government snooper scumbag--" His voice
broke off as M'lumba's smile vanished and the officer pressed his hands
together, slowly tapping his fingertips against each other.
"It's only the delivery of a package," said the officer, quietly,
reaching inside his overalls and placing a flat, foil-wrapped package
on the table between them. K.T. breathed easier for a moment. Perhaps
a small favor wouldn't be such a bad idea. You never knew when it
might be nice to have someone in the provost's office who owed you one
and might be persuaded to overlook a minor indiscretion....
"That's right," repeated the officer, "just one small package. An
inbound facsimile mail parcel from Deep Space, to be delivered to an
inbound ship at Marsport."
"Marsport!" bellowed K.T. "Marsport! Are you crazy? Do you know what
kind of orbit I'd have to burn to get to Marsport? And what sort of
chance I'd have of running across any decent ore on the way?"
"As a matter of fact, I do. Nobody, ah, more reliable is in port and
heading that way. So I'm afraid you will have to do."
"The hell I will. There ain't no way I'm going to Marsport, so you can
just kick in your jets and roll right now."
"Oh, but I think you will," said M'lumba softly. "Oh, yes, indeed, I
think you will. Because it would be rather more unpleasant for you if
you were to be officially detained in my office to discuss the little
matter of changing the frequency of a Survey Service navigation buoy
and then nudging it into a different orbit for your own personal use."
K.T. blanched. That had been six months ago and he had been so careful
to avoid detection. Damn, he thought, I was sure I was radar masked.
If the provost's department had hard evidence and could make it
stick.... K.T. stared and M'lumba and tried to fight back the panic.
"You're just prejudiced at me because I'm an independent," he whined.
M'lumba stood up and grabbed K.T.'s tunic at the throat, pulling him
half out of his chair. "Wrong," he snarled. "I'm prejudiced against
you because you're stupid." He threw K.T. back down in his chair. "I
figure you might just barely be smart enough to get this packet to
Marsport and get it on an inbound ship. It's either that, or I'll nail
your ass. If not now, then the next time. Now, is it a deal?"
K.T.'s head bobbed up and down. Whatever M'lumba had on him might not
hold up before a magistrate, but then why take chances. The provost
officer scowled at him and then spun on his heel and left.
K.T. exhaled deeply and slumped back in his chair. Marsport. Christ.
How was he going to stay in business? He shut his eyes and moaned and
then opened them as a glass clunked on the table. "Here you go, big
guy. Anyone who gets harlanned like that, get's one on the house from
me."
K.T. looked up bleakly at Gus's compassionate face. Gus was okay, even
if he did wear a dress. "Thanks, Gus," he said, taking the glass in
hand. "And I'll pay you for another one, right away." He spent the
next two hours drinking and staring at the address label on the
package.
Brin Garrett stared curiously through the armored windows of the taxi
as it made its way through the congestion on Lexington Avenue. It was
his first visit to New York, for he was a west coast boy and normally
took leave in L.A. or San Francisco on the earthbound side of the
*Clarion*'s run.
Though it was near noon, the sun cast a diffuse wan light through the
haze. On a clear day, you can see half a block, or so the song ran.
He shook his head. And they complain about L.A. He watched approvingly
as an elderly, white haired lady dispatched three would-be purse
snatchers with a couple of well-aimed electrostatic jolts from the
stunner concealed in her umbrella. Technology being used for the
improvement of social conditions, he thought. That's the way it should
be.
Brin momentarily checked the address on the foil package on his lap and
then compared it to the numbers on the buildings that he was passing
by. The business of the package was the reason for his presence in New
York, and a curious one it was.
He had been having lunch at the Nip-and-Tuck at Marsport when a crazy
single-ship pilot had burst into the lounge, buying drinks for everyone
in the house, a grand if economical gesture as the house was
three-quarters empty. It seemed as if the pilot had made a strike on a
hefty chunk of high-grade iridium ore while on transit between Ceres
and Mars, chancing upon a bulky rock in a lonely orbit.
Brin was only to happy to enjoy the hospitality of another, but after
the second vodka and tonic, the time came to pay, as the belter pilot
staggered over to Brin's booth, insistent upon striking up a
conversation. Brin had inwardly shrugged; there was, after all, no
such thing as a free drink.
The fellow was ge-snockered to the gills and had rambled on about some
"perverted prick of a provost officer" and the need to deliver a
package to an inbound ship or his ass would be occupied by a navigation
buoy. Who's ass, Brin wasn't sure, as the prospector's slurry speech
left his pronoun antecedents in doubt, but the pilot had pulled out a
foil wrapped package with an Earthbound address on the outside.
Brin had accepted it -- it was the kind of simple favor that crewmen
often did -- mainly in hopes of the pilot going away quickly, but the
man had been so grateful that he had insisted on buying Brin another
drink and staying until he finished it.
The cab pulled over to the side of the street and the robot-driver
beeped through a speaker set in the grill dividing the front seat from
the passenger compartment and announced "Your destination, sir. Please
insert your credit chip in the slot provided." Brin did so and moments
later the driver released the door locks.
Brin re-pocketed his credit chip and exited. Little did he realize that
the robot-driver had debited twenty percent extra from his chip,
proving that after three centuries, New York cab drivers still held the
upper hand and the so-called laws governing robotic behavior toward
humans were as theoretical as ever. Brin again checked the address
label on the package against the number of the building in front of him
and then walked inside to look for the designated office.
The Editor finished reading the manuscript and then contemplated the
mess in the far corner of his office -- six feet away -- for a moment
before buzzing the intercom for his assistant. He was known simply as
The Editor to almost everyone (except his wife, who called him The
Husband), simply because he had held his present job as editor of one
of the world's most prestigious science fiction magazines for well over
a century. Rejuvenation treatments were wonderful.
Someone had once asked him about getting bored after so many decades in
the same job, and he had replied, "Bored? Bored, when every day the
future is unfolded before me as I read dozens of brilliantly written
stories based on solid scientific extrapolation?" The response had had
two effects. First, it had confirmed a general suspicion that the
rejuve treatments did nothing to give one a more mature perspective on
the world. Secondly, no one ever asked him the question again.
The Editor buzzed for his assistant again, and this time she looked up
from her desk in the far corner of the office -- six feet away -- that
they shared. "Yeah, boss?"
The Editor sighed. His assistant really was very good, but he wished
that she would indulge him by using the intercom, so that at least he
could pretend that he had a large spacious office of his own. "It's
about this story, 'The Hyperspace Bordello and Other Conundrums,' by
this guy Roger Briarton."
The assistant editor nodded her head. (She was not known as The
Assistant Editor, she was called Ellen, which is most peculiar, because
her name was Shelley.) "Uh, uh. I remember it. It was one of three
out of this week's slush pile that I thought might be passable."
The Editor nodded. "Almost, but not quite. Still, it's promising
enough that I'd like to ask for a re-write. The only thing is, the
return address on the manuscript is a general credit number. Is there
an SASE?"
The assistant editor grimaced and shook her head. "Nope. It was
delivered in a foil space-pac by an off-duty Ansonline officer -- not
the author. No self-addressed return envelope. The general credit
number belongs to an unlisted account at a Zurich bank, I already
checked."
The Editor riffled the pages and skimmed a few lines here and there.
No, it wasn't quite good enough. And no way to even send an
encouraging rejection note. The assistant editor was already back to
work, so The Editor shrugged and tossed the manuscript into the gray,
round waste can. Why couldn't writers take the trouble to make a
proper submission?
Have You Joined the Conspiracy?
Have you joined the 1987 Worldcon yet? A supporting membership gives
you the right to nominate and vote for the Hugo, SF's most prominent
award. Many people complain that the Hugo is a popularity contest.
Complain all you want about the award, but the publishing industry and
the buying public watch the Hugos and reward them with sales. If you
aren't voting for the Hugo, your voice isn't heard and you have no
right to complain. Joining isn't expensive, and a few votes can make
a difference in the outcome. Supporting membership is only $15 It
gives you a say in the outcome of the awards. There is no reason not
to get involved except laziness. To get a membership in the Worldcon,
send your money to: Conspiracy 87, C/O Bill and Mary Burns, 23
Kensington Court, Hempstead NY 11550. Do it today, and make your voice
heard.
End Papers
Editorial Comments
by
Chuq Von Rospach
Copyright 1986 by Chuq Von Rospach
There is a disturbing trend in publishing these days. Publishing
houses are getting very fast and loose with the word "original."
LYTHANDE by Marion Zimmer Bradley is a "Daw Original." It contains
stories from THIEVES' WORLD #1, from the anthology GREYHAVEN, from
Fantasy and Science Fiction Magazine.
Baen announces THE COLLECTED STORIES OF TEMPUS by Janet Morris, an
original anthology. Tempus is another character from Thieves' World.
My question on both of these is "What is original?" True, they've
never been published together before. The art is original. The ISBN is
original. The stories? Well, they don't matter.
There has always been controversy as to whether an anthology of
material published in magazines can be considered original. Magazine
material is seen by a very small percentage of the SF readers. First
book publication gives a work life with a new and much larger audience.
Original means new, or at least not published in book form. Anything
less is an attempt to mislead the buyer, and I feel it is an unethical
and unacceptable marketing ploy. In the future, my reviews will
reflect such attempts, and will have a more negative rating than I
might otherwise give. If you find such deceptive marketing practices,
let me know. You should also let the publishers the authors know by
writing letters to them or voting with your pocketbooks. This practice
is detrimental to publishing in the long term, because it removes any
value to the word original and devalues the original material.
*******
This is the first year the Hugo for Best Professional Editor went to a
book publisher, the late Judy-Lynn del Rey. Her husband, Lester, also
properly turned down the award because, in his words, she wouldn't have
gotten it if she hadn't died.
He's right and its a shame. Judy-Lynn deserved the award years ago,
and she is just one of a number of highly talented book editors who
have been ignored over the years because their work is behind the
scenes. The Ballantines and the Wollheims all deserve recognition for
what they've done for the genre and the publishing industry. Beth
Meacham seems to be doing amazing things with the Tor lists, and the
people at Ace and Bantam are publishing a lot consistently good books.
Part of the problem is simply figuring out who does what behind the
scenes. It is becoming a standard procedure to credit cover artists.
Will anyone seriously question whether an editor is any less
important? Let's get the editor name on the credit page with everyone
else, and start giving them some of the recognition (and appropriate
catcalls) they deserve.
Masthead
OtherRealms is Copyright 1986
by Chuq Von Rospach
All rights reserved
One time rights have been acquired from the contributors. All rights
are hereby assigned to the contributors.
Reproduction rights: OtherRealms may be reproduced only for
non-commercial uses. Re-use, reproduction or reprinting of an
individual article in any way on any media, is forbidden without
permission.
OtherRealms is published monthly, except for December, by:
Chuq Von Rospach
160 Pasito Terrace #712
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
UUCP: sun!chuq
ARPA: chuq@sun.COM
CompuServe: 73317,635
Delphi: CHUQ
Publishers: Review Copies should be sent to this address for consideration.
Submission Policy
Material about Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror books is solicited
for OtherRealms. The main focus is reviews of newer, lesser known
works and new authors. Anything of interest to the serious reader of
the genre is welcome. First serial on all articles is requested.
Pico reviews are welcome on any book. Use the format used in this
issue. Comments are limited to one paragraph.
OtherRealms accepts fiction up to 10,000 words. Fiction must be
unpublished, and first serial rights are requested.
Book Ratings in OtherRealms
All books are rated with the following guidelines. Most books should
have a three star rating, anything three or above is recommended. Two
stars is a qualified recommendation. Stars may be modified with a + or
a - to indicate a half star in either direction. [***-] is considered
slightly better than [**+].
[*****] Classic, Hugo quality
[****] Hugo Nominee quality
[***] Average book, recommended
[**] Somewhat flawed, has its moments
[*] Not recommended
[] Avoid at all costs
Subscriptions
OtherRealms is available in two forms: electronic and printed. The
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Publishers are eligible for a free subscription upon request. SFWA
members: write for the reduced rates for members. Group discounts for
bookstores are available.chuq@sun.uucp (Chuq Von Rospach; Lord of the OtherRealms) (09/26/86)
Due to Unix's tendency to truncate long lines silently, there were a couple of paragraphs that got lopped off arbitrarily. Here is a set of diffs that should show you what the missing material is. Of course, there is one in each of the three sections I sent out, so simply reposting isn't feasible. chuq ------- *** 9.1 Mon Sep 22 14:50:19 1986 --- 9.1+ Thu Sep 25 22:35:45 1986 *************** *** 268,274 **** least of which is getting stuck in the middle of an assinine political battle with the Science Fiction Research Association. The SFRA is being idiotic, and we're losing a serious genre resource because of ! it. She's left a strong reviewing system, though, and Finally, an honorable mention. Science Fiction Review, a Fanzine published by Richard Geis, has been the premier review oriented fanzine --- 268,275 ---- least of which is getting stuck in the middle of an assinine political battle with the Science Fiction Research Association. The SFRA is being idiotic, and we're losing a serious genre resource because of ! it. She's left a strong reviewing system, though, and hopefully someone ! will step in and carry it forward. Fantasy Review is highly recommended. Finally, an honorable mention. Science Fiction Review, a Fanzine published by Richard Geis, has been the premier review oriented fanzine *** 9.2 Mon Sep 22 14:53:42 1986 --- 9.2+ Thu Sep 25 22:37:44 1986 *************** *** 592,598 **** honest by giving you a list of the freebies. I definitely give review copies priority on my reading list, but that is because these are the new books and the books that should be reviewed. In future issues, I'm ! going to start printing the lists of upcoming books as I The flow of review copies has gotten to the point where I can't even try to read all of them anymore, much as I'd like to. This gives you --- 592,600 ---- honest by giving you a list of the freebies. I definitely give review copies priority on my reading list, but that is because these are the new books and the books that should be reviewed. In future issues, I'm ! going to start printing the lists of upcoming books as I get the ! information. There are a lot of good books coming out between now and ! Christmas, and I hope to start telling you about them next month. The flow of review copies has gotten to the point where I can't even try to read all of them anymore, much as I'd like to. This gives you *** 9.3 Mon Sep 22 15:30:14 1986 --- 9.3+ Thu Sep 25 22:38:59 1986 *************** *** 68,74 **** of the trilogy) is bizarre and unsuspected enough to make the blue cave seem like a Sunday outing. Very little is resolved, there is no real crisis, but the book builds to what promises to be a real blockbuster ! ending of the trilogy with an energy I ha When an author gets paid a lot of money to write a sequel beyond the logical end of the story, I find that the quality of the story --- 68,75 ---- of the trilogy) is bizarre and unsuspected enough to make the blue cave seem like a Sunday outing. Very little is resolved, there is no real crisis, but the book builds to what promises to be a real blockbuster ! ending of the trilogy with an energy I haven't seen in Amber since SIGN OF ! THE UNICORN. When an author gets paid a lot of money to write a sequel beyond the logical end of the story, I find that the quality of the story