chuq@sun.UUCP (06/26/86)
OtherRealms
A Fanzine for the Non-Fan
"Where FIJAGH Becomes a Way of Life"
Volume 1, Number 6
July, 1986
Table of Contents
Part One
SF Magazines: Full of Great Hors D'Oeuvres
by James Brunet
Wizenbeak
by Danny Low
The Sorcery Within
by Chuq Von Rospach
A Jungle of Stars
by Alan Wexelblat
Guest Editorial: HR3389
by Leigh Ann Hussey
Part Two
Pico Reviews
by Our Readers
Part Three
Editorial -- Pros and Cons
By Chuq Von Rospach, Editor of OtherRealms
OtherRealms Lettercol -- July 1986
by Our Readers
Notes and Comments on OtherRealms
by Chuq Von Rospach
SF Magazines: Full of Great Hors D'Oeuvres
by
James Brunet
hplabs!hao!ism780b!jimb
Copyright 1986 by James Brunet
Have you ever enjoyed a meal, or snacked at a party, contenting yourself
splendidly with bite-sized bits of gourmet appetizers instead of a full-blown
meal? If so, you might also enjoy the contents of SF's magazines, which
provide a veritable delicatessen of science fiction and fantasy.
Many SF readers limit themselves to novels and indeed, there are many
fine novels published each year. But there are a number of reasons
that reading the SF magazines can bring great delight.
Variety. Each of the major SF magazines -- ANALOG, ASIMOV'S, F&SF, and
AMAZING -- has five to twelve stories. New authors and old, short
stories and novellas, stories with different themes and emphasises, all
in the same magazine. Do you find your SF reading habits getting into
a rut? Read a few issues of some of the magazines and you will add new
"favorite" authors to your list.
Catching the newcomers. I first read a David Brin novelette in
ASIMOV'S several years ago, long before STARTIDE RISING catapulted Brin
to fame. That novelette, along with a subsequent one, was the basis of
THE POSTMAN, which is on this year's Hugo ballot. By reading the
magazines, you can notice when a new author who bears watching comes on
the scene -- most writers begin learning their craft and business by
writing short stories before graduating to novels -- and seeing award
winning novels begin to take form.
Quality. Arguably, some of the best SF writing and story-telling is is
appearing in the magazines. The maturing of the field and the intense
competition may be responsible, but for whatever the reasons, any
reader who misses the magazines is missing a lot of good stories.
True, Sturgeon's law does apply, and in each issue there are several
stories that a reader may be indifferent about, but over the course of
the year you are also likely to encounter many outstanding pieces.
Miscellany. In addition to the stories, most magazines have features of
general interest. Con listings, giving information about SF conventions.
A good range of book and reviews; some of the reviewers include Harlan
Ellison, Norman Spinrad and my favorite, Algis Budrys. Science fact
articles. Puzzles. Editorials. All the grist of science and SF.
Which one? Okay, you've decided to give the magazines a try. Assuming
that reading time and money are limitations, which magazine is for you?
ANALOG is the linear descendant of ASTOUNDING, the John Campbell-edited
magazine that was the bedrock of the field in the 30's and 40's. Its
focus is hard science fiction, with very little in the way of stories
that do not contradict science as we now understand it. In some ways,
this limitation manifests itself in a moderate number of stories with
the same "feel," but it is the magazine that I breeze through most
quickly every month. Authors typical of those appearing in ANALOG
include Frederick Pohl, David Brin, Harry Turtledove, and Charles Harness.
ISAAC ASIMOV'S SCIENCE FICTION MAGAZINE (ASIMOV'S) is currently the
most literary of the magazines, publishing well-crafted ambitious
stories. The content ranges from hard science to fantasy to stories
that are at the broadest reaches that can be defined as SF. Roger
Zelazny, William Gibson, the ubiquitous David Brin, Lucius Shepard, and
Kim Stanley Robinson are among those who have appeared in ASIMOV'S
recently. My opinion is that many of the *best* short SF is appearing
here; certainly that opinion is supported by the number of stories from
ASIMOV'S nominated for Nebula and Hugo awards.
FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION (F&SF) is the now the grand old lady of the
field, being the magazine with the longest continuous publication with
the same name. F&SF tries for a mix of science fiction and fantasy but
seems to run more of the latter. The stories are always well written,
but of all the magazines F&SF seems to run into the "sameness" of feel
problem most often, e.g., lots of contemporary spooky stories. Brian
Aldiss, Greg Benford, Hilbert Schenk, and Ian Watson are some of the
authors who have appeared here recently.
AMAZING is the weak sister of the Big Four, having by far the lowest
circulation and a very erratic quality. AMAZING has no connection with
the AMAZING STORIES television series, save for the fact that they
rented their name. Owned by TSR, the wonderful folks who introduced
Dungeons and Dragons, AMAZING has traditionally aimed at SF readers in
their teens and early twenties, a fact that showed up in the flimsiness
and splashiness of a lot of their stories. Still, they seem to be
improving as of late and a recent editorial change may help further
still. Somtow Suchartikul, among others, has published in AMAZING.
A few words about other SF magazines. OMNI has one to three stories
per issue -- it's main orientation isn't fiction, though several of its
stories are on this year's Hugo ballot. Fiction editor Ellen Datlow
has promoted herself as the "queen of punk SF." FANTASY BOOK is a
semi-pro magazine that has also been on the rapid rise in quality. It
has featured the work Paul Edwin Zimmer, Esther Freisner, Leigh Ann
Hussey, and yours truly.
If you like good SF, I hope you will sample some of the magazines and
find at least one or two that are right for you. There's a lot of good
readin' in them thar pages.
Wizenbeak
by Alexis A. Gilliland
Blue Jay Books $8.95 279pp
[***]
Reviewed by
Danny Low
hplabs!hpccc!dlow
Copyright 1986 by Danny Low
Long before Gilliland became a very good professional author, he was a
very good fan artist whose cartoons appeared frequently in many
fanzines. One of Gilliland's favorite cartoon characters is a bumbling
wizard, Wizenbeak. This book is supposedly about that cartoon wizard
but the Wizenbeak of the book is quite a different character than the
Wizenbeak of the cartoons.
Nevertheless, this is a very good book. There are two plotlines in this
book that converge in the last third of the book. The first plotline is
about Wizenbeak's efforts to establish a colony in an arid portion of
the kingdom of Guhland. The second plotline is about the palace
intrigues over the succession to the throne as the king is quite old
and has not designated a formal heir. The palace intrigue is the more
interesting story lines. The Wizenbeak story, however, has more
sympathetic characters. The Guhland society is an eclectic mixture of
medieval European and medieval Japanese cultures. The book contains
some very nice Tim Kirk artwork.
The ending was too abrupt. It could have gone on for a couple of more
chapters. There should be a sequel because so many interesting things
are only hinted at in this book. What will happen to Princess Marjia?
What are the dragons like? This book leaves me yearning for more; a
sign of a well done book. Despite the high price, this book is
worthwhile reading.
The Sorcery Within (A First Novel)
by
Dave Smeds
[****+]
Ace Fantasy, 291 pages, $2.95
Reviewed by
Chuq Von Rospach
If this book is any indication Smeds has a long and prosperous career
ahead of him. This isn't just a good first novel, this is one of the
finest pieces of Fantasy I've read in the last few years.
Twins on a quest in the desert to the Holy City of Setan. An assassination
attempt in Cilenhrodel. A Kingdom besieged by the invaders of the Dragon.
These seemingly independent plotlines weave their way through the book,
and it is only when Smeds is ready to tell you do the interrelationships
become apparent and the plotlines merge. His manipulation of the time sense
and plot of the novel is superb, and the way he warps your expectations to
do his bidding would put a master storyteller to shame.
The main plotline of the story centers on Elenya and her brother Alemar
on their quest for Setan. They are set upon by Bedouins for stealing
water and then adopted into the clan. Never fully a part of the clan,
they are trusted but watched, and watchful for the opportunity to move
on. The desert society is portrayed in great detail, the everlasting
struggle for survival at the edge of nothing.
The plot is never forced and never rushed. The book moves forward
quickly, but at a pace that is perfect for the story being told. The
characters are real and they never act differently than they ought to.
Smeds knows how to build tension into the work, and when to release is
with humor or tears. This book is as close to perfect as you are going
to find, and everything comes together in a perfect meshing of words.
Two minor problems tarnish the book. First, the cover shows two bedouins
riding a pair of beautiful horses. Nice as they are, there are NO horses
in the book -- the bedouins ride something that looks vaguely like a mule
deer. You can't blame Smeds for this one -- he'll happily point it out to
you. The artist, Kevin Johnson, didn't bother to read enough of the story
to do an accurate cover. Ace should have caught it.
The other is the ending. It isn't a true ending, but a stopping point,
crying for a sequel. This book is good enough that I'm looking forward
to the next one, but the climax really didn't and the reader is left
somewhat hanging. The finish isn't bad, but it could have been stronger.
Don't let that stop you, though. Read this book. It deserves your time.
A JUNGLE OF STARS
by Jack Chalker
Ballantine Books, 1976, 217 pages
ISBN 0-345-28960-9
[***]
Reviewed by
Alan Wexelblat
ut-sally!im4u!milano!wex
This book is actually three novellas woven together and it suffers some
as a result. The first novella is about the horrors of the Vietnam war
and what being there can do to people. The second is a detective story
with an SF twist about hunting down a parasite that can take over not only
its host's body but also the minds of others. The third story is about a
conflict between good and evil, neither of which is defined in human terms.
Protagonist Paul Savage is a soldier-turned-immortal-detective. He is
involuntarily drafted into an aeons-old conflict between the last two
members of a race called the Kreb. The Kreb have evolved into a higher
life form leaving behind a villain and a hero called The Bromgrev and
The Hunter. Savage is recruited by the Hunter but is not sure which is
the hero and which the villain. Much of the story revolves around how
he plays their game(s) and is used by them.
Many of the familiar Chalker themes are present: souls, people changing
bodies while retaining identity, games-within-games, etc. There's also
some good space-battle scenes and some fairly good aliens.
What's wrong with it, then? Lack of continuity, for one thing. The
stories are woven together poorly, with lots of jumps. In several
places we shift from following Paul to following others so that side
characters can get introduced and developed. This is confusing and
distracting. It also makes the book too long. From the detective
standpoint, the key clue is one sentence quite near the end of the
book, which always annoys me. It also needs some tightening; it's too
wordy in some places, too skimpy in others.
However, on the whole it's a good book, especially if you're a
confirmed Chalker fan. I tend to like the themes that Chalker deals
with, and the ending was fairly well done, which is important both for
the detective story and for the good/evil conflict story.
Guest Editorial: HR3389
by
Leigh Ann Hussey
lah@miro.berkeley.edu
Copyright 1986 by Leigh Ann Hussey
I would like to bring to your attention a certain bill now in the House
Ways and Means Committee. This is House Resolution 3389, also known as
the Walker Bill, a bill designed to deny tax exemptions to groups
involved (or purported to be involved) in Witchcraft. Since there are
already are safeguards to prevent the granting of tax-exemption to
dangerous groups, this bill serves no *legitimate* purpose. Rather, it
will give to the tax courts the power to judge what is a religion and
what is not, it will be a first step on the way toward designating a
state religion, and will be a staggering blow to the Bill of Rights.
The bill's history is fraught with underhanded dealing; suffice it to
say that only the title was read into the Congressional Record, and
Brad Hicks of St. Louis, MO, had a struggle in getting the text of the
bill from any source. The bill has been awaiting an opening on the
Ways & Means Committee schedule; as of 15 May, the two biggest items of
business for this session were finished. This means that HR3389 could
come up for debate and vote in committee any time now. Since Brad went
to so much trouble, let us have the content of the bill here:
``H.R. 3389. A bill to deny tax exemptions to, and income tax, estate
tax, and gift tax deductions for contributions to, religious organizations
having a substantial interest in the promotion of witchcraft.
(a) Section 503 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (relating
to requirements for exemption from tax on corporations,
certain trusts, etc.) is amended by adding at the end
thereof the following new subsection:
"(h) RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS SUBSTANTIALLY INTERESTED IN
THE PROMOTION OF WITCHCRAFT.--
"(1) IN GENERAL.--Notwithstanding subsections (b)
and (c) of section 501, any religious or apostolic
organization which has as it's primary purpose the
promotion of witchcraft or which has a substantial
interest in the promotion of witchcraft shall not
be exempt from taxation under section 501(a)."
"(2) DEFINITION OF WITCHCRAFT.--As used in this
subsection, the term "witchcraft" means the
purported use of --"(A) power derived from evil
spirits; "(B) sorcery; or "(C) supernatural powers
with malicious intent."
(b) The following provisions of such Code are each
amended by striking out "508(d)" and inserting in
lieu thereof "503(h), 508(d),": (1) Section
170(f)(1). (2) Section 2055(e)(1). (3) Section
2522(c)(1). (c) The amendments made by subsections
(a) and (b) shall apply with respect to taxable years
beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act.''
What this means is that any group that, in a judge's opinion, "worships
evil spirits", or "uses supernatural powers", any group that is even
ACCUSED of these things, will lose their tax status. Various groups
that have large areas of land dedicated to religious retreats, like
Circle Sanctuary, will be hit with huge property tax bills, and will
likely have to shut down.
In addition, this means that, for example, Catholics may come under
such a law -- after all, they use "supernatural powers" to engage in
ritual cannibalism, no? Of course, no Catholic would agree with such a
statement, and of course it could never happen in the United States.
But remember, we are not dealing with Catholics. Indications are that
the State Religion would be some form of Protestantism (after all, all
those Saints, and that Mary, they're just gods --er-- *devils* in
disguise, right?). And as for "it could not happen here"? Well, Jews
said that in Germany about the Holocaust just before WWII...
Following up the references to the Internal Revenue Code reveals that
this bill is making no attempt to disguise what it really is: an
attempt to restrict religious freedom. If the bill is reported out of
committee, it has a chance of passing on the floor. I think anyone who
values his/her "inalienable rights" should join with me in trying to
squash this thing before it even gets to the greater House. It is
important that we make a statement to our lawmakers: "We will not let
you treat our rights so nonchalantly, and we ARE paying attention!"
Here are some things to remember in writing to the Committee members,
and to Congresspeople. Handwritten letters are more impressive than
typed (and especially word-processed!) letters. They suggest to the
readers that the hand behind the letter really is an individual, that
the letters they are getting are really from thousands of people, not
just a noisy minority. Along these lines, be personal also. Don't
send petitions or form-style letters (though you can probably safely
send the same letter if you're sending one to every Committee member
and if the letters are handwritten; they are not likely to compare
notes), and use your own words.
It is best to be brief -- these folks are busy (or believe they are); a
couple of arguments stated clearly, firmly, and *politely* will have
more impact than five pages of documentation. Here are a few arguments
to get you started: it's unconstitutional, it's unconstitutional, and
it's unconstitutional! (Not to mention being immoral and ill-advised).
It is not necessary to mention that you are a pagan (if you are), nor
to point out the supposed long history of the religion, or even to
illustrate its harmlessness. Approach the Congresspeople as a constituent,
a voter, a well-informed citizen; this is much more impressive to them.
Write to Congresspeople, the Committee members, your local newspapers;
bring this to the attention of local religious groups and churches (as
I pointed out, the bill's arguments could conceivably apply to many
religious groups, not just Wiccan ones). And write to Circle's Pagan
Strength Web with the texts of any letters you send, copies of any
responses you receive, and clippings of any local newspaper coverage
the bill may generate; they are maintaining a master file of Pagan Rights
activities and responses, for future reference (yes, similar legislation
will appear when this one has been forgotten, as it has in the past, and
we need to react with equal speed and firmness each time). Their address
is: Pagan Strength Web, c/o Circle, Box 219, Mt. Horeb, WI 53572.
Finally, here are the addresses of all 38 members of the House Ways &
Means Committee. I urge you all to write, to spread the word, to show
Congress that they can't play these kinds of games with us. Thank you.
THE SPONSORS OF H.R. 3389
CONGRESSMAN OFFICE ADDRESS
Robert S. Walker (D-Penn.) Rayburn, 2445
Author, 9/19/85
Joe Barton (D-Tex.) Longworth, 1017
Co-sponsor, 11/14/85
THE HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE
CONGRESSMAN OFFICE ADDRESS
Dan Rostenkowski (R-Ill.) Rayburn, 2111
Committee chairman
Beryl Anthony, Jr. (R-Ark.) Longworth, 1117
Bill Archer (D-Tex.) Longworth, 1135
Carroll A. Campbell, Jr. (D-S.C.) Cannon, 106
William J. Coyne (R-Penn.) Cannon, 424
Philip M. Crane (D-Ill.) Longworth, 1035
Hal Daub (D-Neb.) Longworth, 1019
Brian J. Donnelly (R-Mass.) Cannon, 438
Byron L. Dorgan (R-N.D.) Cannon, 238
Thomas J. Downey (R-N.Y.) Rayburn, 2232
John J. Duncan (D-Tenn.) Rayburn, 2206
Ronnie G. Flippo (R-Al.) Rayburn, 2334
Harold E. Ford (R-Tenn.) Rayburn, 2305
Wyche Fowler, Jr. (R-Ga.) Longworth, 1210
Bill Frenzel (D-Minn.) Longworth, 1026
Richard A. Gephardt (R-Mo.) Longworth, 1432
Sam Gibbons (R-Fl.) Rayburn, 2204
Willis D. Gradison, Jr. (D-Oh.) Rayburn, 2311
Judd Gregg (D-N.H.) Cannon, 308
Frank J. Guarini (R-N.J.) Rayburn, 2458
Cecil (Cec) Heftel (R-Hi.) Longworth, 1034
Andrew Jacobs, Jr (R-Ind.) Longworth, 1533
Ed Jenkins (R-Ga.) Cannon, 217
James R. Jones (R-Ok.) Cannon, 203
Barbara B. Kennelly (R-Conn.) Longworth, 1230
Robert T. Matsui (R-Cal.) Cannon, 231
Raymond J. McGrath (D-N.Y.) Cannon, 205
W. Henson Moore (D-La.) Rayburn, 2183
Don J. Pease (R-Oh.) Longworth, 1127
J. J. Pickle (R-Tex.) Cannon, 242
Charles B. Rangle (R-N.Y.) Rayburn, 2330
Marty Russo (R-Ill.) Rayburn, 2233
Richard T. Schulze (D-Penn.) Rayburn, 2201
Authored similar bill!
Fortney H. (Pete) Stark (R-Cal.) Longworth, 1125
William M. Thomas (D-Cal.) Cannon, 324
Guy Vander Jagt (D-Mich.) Rayburn, 2409
_________
NOTE: All of the above can be reached at the addresses shown. For example,
Dan Rostenkowski, Rayburn, 2111 becomes:
The Honorable Dan Rostenkowski
Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2111
Washington, D.C. 20515
====
Leigh Ann Hussey has published in FANTASY BOOK. She is an currently
working on a novel set in a maritime Shamanistic culture. She is
married and living in the Berkeley area.
This magazine is Copyright 1986 by Chuq Von Rospach. One time rights
only have been acquired from the signed or credited contributors. All
rights are hereby assigned to the contributors.
Reproduction rights: Permission is given to reproduce or duplicate
OtherRealms in its entirety for non-commercial uses. Re-use,
reproduction, reprinting or republication of an individual article in
any way or on any media, printed or electronic, is forbidden without
permission of the author.
--
:From the lofty realms of Castle Plaid: Chuq Von Rospach
chuq%plaid@sun.COM FidoNet: 125/84 CompuServe: 73317,635
{decwrl,decvax,hplabs,ihnp4,pyramid,seismo,ucbvax}!sun!plaid!chuq
Dessert is probably the most important stage of the meal, since it will be
the last thing your guests remember before they pass out all over the table.
-- The Anarchist Cookbookchuq@sun.UUCP (06/26/86)
OtherRealms
A Fanzine for the Non-Fan
"Where FIJAGH Becomes a Way of Life"
Volume 1, Number 6
July, 1986
Part 2
Pico Reviews
by
Our Readers
Ratings:
[*****] A classic, must read book
[****] Well above average, don't miss
[***] A good book, probably worth reading
[**] Book has its moments, but is flawed
[*] Not recommended, flawed
[] A book to avoid
ALWAYS COMING HOME by Ursula K. LeGuin [****]
Harper & Row, $24.95
Cultural anthropology of a small California society during a period
long after a nuclear holocaust (which is only strongly implied).
Tales, songs, poems, and tidbits, written as if the author was an
anthropologist contemporary with the setting. Well done, and certainly
quite novel work by the daughter of a famous anthropologist (K. is for
Kroeber). Not for the faint hearted; needs to be read in small
chunks. Also carries a hefty price tag (circa $20).
-- Jeff Myers
uwvax!uwmacc!myers
THE ANARCHIST COOKBOOK by William Powell [not rated]
Lyle Stuart, $19.95 (paperback)
If you can find a copy of this book, buy it. If you do, however,
you'll probably end up on the FBI subversive list. This book contains
step by step instructions for everything from growing marijuana and
purifying peyote to building bombs and blowing up bridges. The
politics are ludicrous, but the information is a godsend for an author
trying to figure out whether a character can make something that will
blow up. Almost everything in this book is illegal, and it was written
specifically to help foster an Anarchist Revolution (whatever that is)
but it can be a real hoot and a real help at the same time. (Kids,
don't try this at home....)
-- chuq von rospach
BEYOND SANTUARY by Janet Morris []
Ace Fantasy, $2.95
The first of the _Thieves' World_ novels, now out in paperback. The
first third is pulled almost verbatim from stories in the anthologies.
The second third is so slow and terribly boring I didn't read the third
third. By far the worst book in the series so far, readable only by
_Thieves' World_ completists and addicts. Avoid.
-- chuq von rospach
BEYOND THE VEIL by Janet Morris [***]
Baen Books [SFBC]
Much better than _Beyond Sanctuary._ Not really a sequel, you can read
and enjoy this without plowing through the first novel. Santuary is
left behind, and you follow Tempus into new adventures and intrigue in
a land called Tyse, which is just as nasty and disgusting a city as
Sanctuary was. An average book in the series.
-- chuq von rospach
THE BLUE SWORD by Robin McKinley [****]
Berkley Books, 248 pp., $2.75
THE BLUE SWORD is a marvelous fantasy adventure story set in a
non-existent land that I strongly identify with Kipling's
India/Afghanistan. The plot is actually very straight forward, with an
innocent foreigner caught up in events beyond her control, and
eventually becoming the hero of the day. Maybe it was the
characterizations, maybe it was the vivid descriptions, maybe it was
the use of animals as full-fledged characters. In any case, THE BLUE
SWORD is on of the best reads I've savored in a long time. Enjoy!
--Russ Jernigan
oliveb!olivej!barb
THE BLUE SWORD by Robin McKinley [****]
Berkley Books, 248 pp., $2.75
THE BLUE SWORD is a great read, though I'm not sure I'm as passionate
about it as Russ. McKinley's is an engaging style, full of likable,
believable, FUN characters (human and non-human). Her female
protagonists and I share the same soul (even if they're not _all_
red-heads)(!). The plots are the stuff of faery-tales, straight from
the bow to the target. No profundities here, just a rollicking good
tale well told. Enjoy!
--Barb Jernigan
oliveb!olivej!barb
THE BURNT LANDS by Richard Elliot []
The second novel by Richard Geis and Elton Elliot, this is the sequel
to _The Sword of Allah_. This is a post apocalyptic suspense novel
interesting mostly to those who appreciate excruciatingly bad writing,
obligatory sex, lame plotting, and pulpish characters. Authors should
definitely study this book as an example of what to avoid.
-- chuq von rospach
CIRCUIT by Melinda Snodgrass [**]
Berkeley 1986
Politics and politicians against a backdrop of Lunar and Lagrangian
colonies. The earthbound politicians do all they can to cramp the
free-living colonists so it's no surprise when even the patriots turn
their backs on Terra. This will probably be in the running for the
Prometheus award, solely on its consistent anti-government bias. The
writing isn't up to the award, though.
-- Hibbert.pa@Xerox.COM
COUNT ZERO by William Gibson [****+]
Arbor House, 1986
Set in the same future as _Neuromancer_, but with much better characterization
(Case was too depressing for me). One of the things I like most about
Gibson's stories are that things never work out the way the protagonists
planned. In _Count Zero_, three separate plots weave into one, and the
three protagonists get caught up in events beyond their control. Something
strange and ominous is happening in the grid, because of the seed planted
in _Neuromancer_. A strong candidate for the Hugo/Nebula.
-- Brian Yost
infopro!bty!yost
THE EARTH BOOK OF STORMGATE by Poul Anderson [***+]
Berkley, 1978
This is a collection of reprinted short stories from the Polesotechnic
League series with a narrator added to make it resemble a single story.
The quality is good with occasional stars. "Margin of Profit" and
"The Man who Counts" are classics, but then I like Merchant-Prince
Van Rijn's free market methods. If you like stories that depend on
reasoning out the point of misunderstanding between cultures or engineering
a solution to a complex problem, then this collection is for you.
-- Hibbert.pa@Xerox.COM
EMPRISE by Michael P. Kube-McDowell [***]
Berkley, 304 pages, $2.95
The writer's blurb concluding EMPRISE says this is the author's first
novel. All that I can say is that it sure was a good first try! The
book opens in the Post-Holocaust genre. It is not nuclear war in this case
but the collapse of technology. The remainder is a first Alien contact
story. Some interesting surprises throughout. By the way, the cover
reads "Book one of the Trigon Disunity", but fear not! No cliff-hanger
here. A good read.
--Russ Jernigan
idi!oliveb!olivej!barb
ENCHANTED APPLES OF OZ by Eric Shanower [****]
First Comics, $7.95
A graphic novel format book with an original OZ story about the apple tree
that contains the magic that sustains OZ. Art is based on early edition
woodcuts from Baum books, and is rather well done throughout with the
exception of Dorothy. The story is interesting and stays well within the
OZ universe and feel. Like most graphic novels, it is more graphic than
novel with a typically short storyline, but is enjoyable all the same.
-- chuq von rospach
FREE LIVE FREE by Gene Wolfe [**]
1985, Tor, 403 pp, $15.95
This is Wolfe's experiment at writing a comedy/detective novel, though
the cover blurb describes it as a "major work of science fiction" and
doesn't even hint that it's a comedy. The first 50 pages start out as
a serious mystery, with fascinating, sharply defined characters. It
gradually turns into a comedy, and the characters become less real as
it descends into slapstick. The ending is SF, and though far-fetched,
manages to tie everything together. This bears little resemblance to
Wolfe's other books, and I didn't find the comedy that amusing.
-- George Walker
tektronix!tekig4!georgew
FREE, LIVE FREE by Gene Wolfe [*]
Tor 1984
A Prometheus Award Nominee. This is not good Gene Wolfe. There's a deus ex
machina ending and it revolves more around the occult than SF. I did like
the characters though--they're probably the reason for the nomination.
-- Hibbert.pa@Xerox.COM
LIAVEK: THE PLAYERS OF LUCK by Will Shetterly and Emma Bull [****]
Ace Fantasy, $2.95
The second book in the Liavek series, a collaborative novel/anthology
in which different authors share the same universe in a tangled
storyline. As such, it is very similar to the _Thieves' World_ series,
but in my eye it is much better. _Thieves' World_ is very dark and
depressing; Liavek is a more balanced society and a lot more fun to be
part of. Definitely a series to watch for.
-- chuq von rospach
THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE by Phillip K. Dick [****]
A witty and thought-provoking novel about US society under the
assumption that the Axis won WWII. The interesting thing about this
one, aside from the excellent characterizations and Dick's terse style,
is that it is really a novel about two books: the ancient Chinese
oracle, the I CHING, and about itself! A good introduction to Dick if
you haven't read any.
-- Jeff Myers
uwvax!uwmacc!myers
MISS MANNERS' GUIDE TO EXCRUCIATINGLY CORRECT BEHAVIOR [*****]
by Judith Martin
Warner Books, $12.50 (paperback)
Miss Manners is truly from an Alternate Universe. This book is chock full
of the things you always wished Dear Abby would have the nerve to say.
-- chuq von rospach
THE MOTE IN GOD'S EYE by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle [****+]
Pocket Books, 560 pages, $3.50
MOTE may just possibly be the best treatment ever of the first contact
between mankind and alien. The alien culture and physiology is not a
form of slightly warped human but is... ALIEN. The human culture in
MOTE is equally interesting as the aliens'. For those of you who have
never read MOTE, do. For those that already have, it loses nothing
upon rereading. GREAT BOOK!
--Russ Jernigan
idi!oliveb!olivej!barb
MYTHAGO WOOD by Robert Holdstock [****+]
Arbor House, 1984. $14.95 (hardback, also in paperback)
Well written, with an original premise. A magic wood in England has
the ability to materialize mythic stereotypes from the subconscious of
those who explore it, but holds unexpected perils. Holdstock
skillfully weaves many strands from British and Celtic mythology into
something resembling a unified whole, with numerous intentional loose
ends. Not quite carried off to the point of greatness, but head and
shoulders over most of today's stereotyped fantasy.
-- Peter Reiher
reiher@LOCUS.UCLA.EDU
RE-ENTRY by Paul Pruess [*]
Bantam Books, 212 pp., $2.95
A "paradox of time travel" book. The protagonist figures out a way to
go back into the past in order to change his own past life.
Predictably, the results are not what he hoped for. A rather preachy
book with no outstanding plot or writing.
--Russ Jernigan
idi!oliveb!olivej!barb
RHIALTO THE MARVELLOUS by Jack Vance [**+]
Baen Books, 1984, 219 pp, $3.50.
A substandard Dying Earth book, advertised as a novel but actually composed
of two longish short stories (both weak) and a novella (fair). The main
character isn't very interesting, and the world is less vividly painted
than before. Looks like it was written solely because Vance knew it would
sell. But Vance still writes well, and it's amusing in parts.
-- Peter Reiher
reiher@LOCUS.UCLA.EDU
SCIENCE MADE STUPID by Tom Weller [*****]
Houghton Mifflin Company, $6.95
Hugo nominee for Non-fiction this year, it should win running away.
This is despite the fact that it doesn't really qualify as
non-fiction. It doesn't really qualify for any Hugo category, but it
should win something! A truly deranged look at the world around us, it
blows away everything from Astronomy ("Plane of the Eclectic") to
Archaeology ("The Cretinous Era"). Includes instructions for building
your own nuclear power generator to keep your hot tub warm, and the
definitive answer to Creationism versus Evolution.
-- chuq von rospach
THE SNOW QUEEN by Joan D. Vinge [*****]
Dell books, 1980, $3.95, 536 pp
From the title and the cover blurbs, it's OBVIOUS this is just a
fantasy/romance, which I avoid like the plague. But Chuq gave it his
highest rating, so I decided to take a look. What can I add to Chuq's
review except "don't judge a book by its cover"? This has the plot
complexity of Herbert, the character development of of Le Guin, and the
imagery of Wolfe. Classic.
-- George Walker
tektronix!tekig4!georgew
SON OF IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT compiled by Scott Rice [***+]
Penguin Books, $4.95
The second volume of the best worst opening sentences written, this is
a collection of entries to the Bullwer-Lytton contest. This volume is
weaker that the first, mainly because it only had one year of the
contest to choose from. You have to read these things to believe
them. Truly bad, truly funny. Truly worth tracking down.
-- chuq von rospach
SPACE FOR HIRE by William E. Nolan [**-]
International Polygonics, Ltd. $4.95
This is an Edgar (Mystery Writers Nominee) by the author of _Logan's Run._
The lead character is Sam Space, private eye, which would lead you to
believe it is a SF parody of hardboiled detective novels. It is a good
parody of detective novels, but a lousy piece of SF, and I couldn't finish
it. Someone with a stronger stomach for SF cliches will probably love it.
-- chuq von rospach
SPEAKER FOR THE DEAD by Orson Scott Card [****+]
Tor, 1986
In this sequel to _Ender's Game_, Ender Wiggin, the hated Xenocide,
gets a chance to repay his debt to humanity. Ironically, Ender is also
the revered Speaker for the Dead, though no one knows his true
identity. Ender travels to Lusitania, the home world of the piggies,
the first sentient alien race contacted since the buggers, in order to
try to save them from humanity. Card's characters are so moving that
this book was an emotional experience for me. He'll have you crying
for the piggies... if you liked _Ender's Game_ (as I did), you'll
*love* _Speaker for the Dead_. There's also an interesting lead in for
the next Card novel. My choice for the Hugo (so far).
-- Brian Yost
infopro!bty!yost
STAR SURGEON by Alan E. Nourse [***+]
Ace, 170 pp., $2.95
This is a reprint of the 1959 novel. Basically intended for the young
adult market, the plot revolves around a young man trying to make his
career in an alien society. Racism and self- reliance are the
underlying themes. A favorite of mine when I was growing up, I found
it just as enjoyable after delightedly discovering the new edition in
the bookstore recently.
--Russ Jernigan
idi!oliveb!olivej!barb
STAYING ALIVE by Norman Spinrad [*****]
Donning, $5.95
This is the definitive practical guide to survival as a writer. A
collection of Spinrad's series of articles in Locus by the same name,
Spinrad tells you everything you need to know about the reality of the
publishing industry. It includes the model paperback book contract
that has been adopted by SFWA, and will tell you in gory detail exactly
how the publisher is mucking with you. A must for SF and Fantasy writers.
-- chuq von rospach
TIMESCAPE by Gregory Benford [****]
Pocket Books, 1980
Future scientists, faced by complete ecological collapse, attempt to
communicate with the past via tachyon emission. They hope to change
the past, and yet not create a "causal-loop" paradox... Excellent prose
and powerful characterization. I couldn't put it down. The resolution
to the paradox problem wasn't the one I'd have chosen, but the manner
in which it was revealed was simply brilliant.
-- Brian Yost
infopro!bty!yost
THE WARLOCK WANDERING by Christopher Stasheff [***]
Ace, 297 pp., $3.50
The latest in the WARLOCK series, detailing the adventures of Rod and
Gwen Gallowglass on and off the planet of Gramarye. A good read, if
not up to the standards of the first books in the series. It is worth
reading for the character of Gwen, if nothing else, who demonstrates
that a female character in fiction can be powerful and assertive while
still remaining every inch a lady. Hope you enjoy this as much as I did.
--Russ Jernigan
idi!oliveb!olivej!barb
WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE by Theodore M. Bernstein [**]
Atheneum, $4.95
Another grammar book for those serious about the English language.
This one is specifically oriented towards the world of newspaper
journalism, so it is less applicable than many, but if you are amused
by the many ways a reporter can muck things up (all examples are taken
from the New York Times) you can have a real good giggle.
-- chuq von rospach
WRITING AND SELLING SCIENCE FICTION by the SFWA [***]
Writers Digest Books, $7.95
A practical how to on writing good SF with pointers on how to sell it
once you have it written. A good general reference, most of the
material is going to be obvious to a serious reader. Two exceptional
articles worth the price of the book: Jerry Pournelle on logic and
consistency in building worlds and Tom Purdom on politics in SF.
-- chuq von rospach
THE YEAR'S BEST SCIENCE FICTION THIRD ANNUAL COLLECTION [****]
edited by Gardner Dozois
Blue Jay Books $10.95 624pp
This book contains 4 of this year's 5 Hugo nominees for best short
story, 2 of the 5 nominees for best novelette and 3 of the 5 nominees
for best novella. Those nine stories alone make this a worthwhile book
and there are 15 more very good stories in this book. The price is high
but considering the quantity and the quality of the stories, it is one
of the best buys in a book today.
-- Danny Low
hplabs!hpccc!dlow
This magazine is Copyright 1986 by Chuq Von Rospach. One time rights
only have been acquired from the signed or credited contributors. All
rights are hereby assigned to the contributors.
Reproduction rights: Permission is given to reproduce or duplicate
OtherRealms in its entirety for non-commercial uses. Re-use,
reproduction, reprinting or republication of an individual article in
any way or on any media, printed or electronic, is forbidden without
permission of the author.
--
:From the lofty realms of Castle Plaid: Chuq Von Rospach
chuq%plaid@sun.COM FidoNet: 125/84 CompuServe: 73317,635
{decwrl,decvax,hplabs,ihnp4,pyramid,seismo,ucbvax}!sun!plaid!chuq
Dessert is probably the most important stage of the meal, since it will be
the last thing your guests remember before they pass out all over the table.
-- The Anarchist Cookbookchuq@sun.UUCP (06/26/86)
OtherRealms
A Fanzine for the Non-Fan
"Where FIJAGH Becomes a Way of Life"
Volume 1, Number 6
July, 1986
Part Three
Editorial -- Pros and Cons
By
Chuq Von Rospach
Editor of OtherRealms
I spent Memorial Day at BayCon, the annual San Francisco Bay Area
Science Fiction Convention. Cons are a unique and fascinating part of
Science Fiction. Since most readers have never been to a Con I'll try
to explain what they are and help you decide whether or not to try it.
The first thing that you should know is that Cons have very little in
common with Fandom. A Con is a place where all the facets of SF come
together for a few days. Conventions vary greatly, but these are the
most common activities:
o Art: There is always an art show. Most of the art is for sale;
some of it is good, some of it is horrible. There is usually an Artist
Guest of Honor (also known as an AGOH). There are also a number of
other artists talking on panels and selling their work. This year, the
AGOH at BayCon was comics oriented (BayCon has a strong emphasis on
Comic Books as well as SF and Fantasy). Because of this there wasn't as
a strong Pro presence as usual, and I found it somewhat disappointing.
o Authors: Authors love Cons. Big authors come to the Con to talk to
other authors, publishers, sign autographs and go to parties. Lesser
known authors sit on panels, sign autographs, and talk you into buying
their books. Every Con has an author designated as a Guest of Honor (or
GOH) who is the Big Name. A second author, not quite so big, is named
Toastmaster (TM). The TM's job is to keep the crowds from getting restless
when the Costume Contest runs two hours late and to show up the GOH by being
funnier, friendlier and more accessible. The GOH is recognizable by the mob
of security guards protecting them from their numerous fans.
o Costumes: Convention goes love costumes. They'll spend months on a
something they will wear once. Costumes come in two flavors: hall
costumes designed to wear during the day and show costumes that are
reserved for the Costume Contest on Saturday night.
o Films: When things get boring, you go watch movies. In the Good Old
Days, these were normally 16MM wonders like _The Assassination Bureau_
or _Logan's Run_. Now, with the wonders of videotape you get to see
lots of really good movies, sometimes 24 hours a day. A recent fad in
cons is Japanese Animation. Great stuff, especially compared to the
bilge America puts out on Saturday morning.
o Hucksters: Otherwise known as the memorabilia room. This is the
place where your savings goes to die. You want it, you can get it --
for a price. The hucksters sell a wide range of material, from that
ancient autographed first printing of _The Martian Chronicles_ that you
can't afford through T-shirts, movie posters, art, jewelery, comics and
toy robots to things like armor, daggers, and SCA gear.
o Mundanes: These are all the people in the hotel who don't have a
clue what is happening. They see five Stormtroopers in full gear and
wonder if the Russians have landed. Much fun is taken at a Con
watching all the mundanes try to pretend they aren't staring.
o Panels: The main attraction of a Con, this is where groups of
authors, artists, and other invited guests sit down in front of the
audience and discuss (and sometimes argue) with each other and the
audience. The topics range from very serious discussions to silly and
trivial ones. Baycon had a large number of good panels; from serious
discussions on marketing SF and writing techniques to discussions of
Religion and Magic in Science Fiction and Fantasy. There are great
places to hear authors put their works in perspective and to pick up
new areas of interest and information.
o Parties: When you get up at 8AM, sit in on panels all day, go to the
Costume show in the evening, and generally run around until the early
hours, what do you do? You go to a party. Sleep is optional at Cons.
They are places to meet interesting people. They are sometimes the
only places you'll see the authors that are at the Con.
o The Society for Creative Anachronism: This is a group that is
peripherally attached to SF. They get together and pretend they are
living in ancient England by wearing period costumes, donning armor and
bashing each other over the heads with wooden swords out on the grass
in front of the Hotel.
Cons are great fun, and I don't get to enough of them. You can sit
down and talk with people who have the same interests and level of
intelligence, who understand SF, and who aren't judgmental about
reading material. It is a place to learn about new things in the
industry and in the world. For aspiring writers, the information
content in the panels is as critical as the contacts you can form by
talking to authors, agents, and publishers.
There are a few rules to remember when you go to Cons. First, everything
starts late. Everything also finishes later. The only exception to this
is when you are running late; then everything runs smoothly. A good trend
I've seen is switching to an hour and a half for a panel. You simply can't
get a good discussion going in 50 minutes, and the good cons (like Baycon)
are scheduling panels to go an hour but giving them an extra half hour
before the next panel starts. This keeps people from getting rushed around,
and keeps things on schedule -- Baycon had very few things start late, which
is quite amazing. This is a trend I hope becomes a tradition.
Second, never expect to see the Guest of Honor. The GOH usually hides
in the Con suite unless they are on a panel. When they are out there
are usually a number of stern looking people between you and them. This
is because everyone else is expecting to see the GOH, to ask them to read
a story, have their baby, or autograph their underwear and it is considered
bad form to have a GOH trampled by a mob. This is a necessary evil, and
if you realize it before going you won't be disappointed.
I've found that the other authors are a lot of fun. I met a number of
wonderful people at Baycon this year -- Ray Feist (_Magician_) was
utterly charming and more than happy to go into great detail about how
I misread a couple of interesting points in his book. Dave Smeds (_The
Sorcery Within_) and Clare Bell (_Clan Ground_) were both fascinating
people; Stephen Goldin and Jon DeCles (a co-founder of the SCA) are also
high on my list of people I'm looking forward to seeing again. Sydney
J. Van Scyoc is about as close to your grandmother as you'll ever find.
One thing that used to bother me was meeting an author and having to
admit that you haven't read their book yet. I've found that they don't
mind, and I've discovered a number of good books after meeting the
author in person. If you limit yourself to the 'known authors, you're
cutting yourself off from a lot of really interesting people.
The highlight of Baycon for me was meeting a God. Larry Niven attended
Baycon this year. Long time readers of the net will realize that Niven
is one of my favorite authors; his work turned me into the serious SF
reader I am today. It was a real thrill for me to finally screw up the
courage to go up, shake his hand, and watch my brain turn to
guacamole. Believe it or not, I was speechless, making such wonderful
comments as 'Gee, I liked your last book', 'Gleeble Blurp', and the
infamous 'Shit! I sound just like a fan!' I am, and Larry smiled his
way though the entire awkward encounter. I hope he enjoyed it as much
as I did. Next time I'll try English.
Only in SF can you meet the people who are so important in your lives.
You don't run into TV stars in the supermarket, you don't get to sit
down and discuss his latest book with Gore Vidal, and you don't see Sly
Stallone holding court in the lobby of a Hotel and swapping dirty jokes.
SF is a unique genre and the most amazing part is the accessibility of the
people. If you write to an SF author, chances are they'll write you back.
At Cons, you can talk to an author and they will talk back, person to person.
There is probably a Convention in your area. Most SF magazines carry
Convention listings -- the most complete is in _Locus_. If you are in
the SF Bay Area, I recommend Baycon highly. Every year it gets better
and better. If you can get to a Con, you should -- until you do, you
don't know what you're missing.
OtherRealms Lettercol -- July 1986
Chuq,
Recently I saw a copy of OtherRealms (Vol. 1, No. 4). This particular
copy had been sent to R.A. MacAvoy because it contained a pair of
reviews of her Damiano trilogy. She read the reviews and asked my
opinion. I read the reviews (as well as the rest of the zine) and felt
sufficiently moved (more like compelled) to write this response.
The reviews were written by Dave Berry. Each was about a page long,
but I was no further than the first paragraph in each before it became
apparent that both were going to be ugly little bits of fluff. I don't
intend to critique the reviews point by point -- there was little
enough content in them to allow a handhold. But there was a sour
feeling in my stomach regarding SF in general when I finished them, and
I can at least examine that.
First, Dave Berry is not a critic. I cannot apply that honorific to the
person who generated those reviews. Nor is he a reviewer, really, because
I don't feel he sufficiently described the feelings or plots of the books.
If he really wants to be a critic, I recommend that he study this
worthy art for awhile first. Learning literary criticism is a bit like
learning the violin or bagpipes. It is best done in private for
awhile, lest you lose your life to an annoyed neighbor. At its best, a
violin can pierce one's soul. At its worst, it holes one's eardrum. At
its best, literary criticism can distill the essence of a story and
rekindle the fire of the original as well point out interesting connections.
At its worst ... well, that's why I'm writing this.
In a nutshell, I feel the reviews were inadequately researched, badly
written, and calculated to sting the authors while illuminating Mr.
Berry. They were also transparent in their failings.
Mr. Berry criticizes Ms. MacAvoy for not adequately portraying the
"shittiness" of the world. Mein Gott, Herr Berry, are you so jaded
that your fundamental assumption is that the world is by nature
shitty? If so, then I am even more firmly of the mind that you have
nothing to say in your reviews that I care to hear. For me, the world
is a spectrum of all things, and though one cannot always have the
best, one CAN have it occasionally. If the world is anything at all,
it is balance. And one CAN explicitly choose what to read, what to
talk about, and who to count as friends. So in that way, one really
can choose the kind of world in which one wants to live. If the world
seems shitty, maybe you have sat too long on a dung heap. No?
But I am writing this response for 2 reasons, Chuq, and have only just
covered the first. The second are 2 questions I direct to you. Why did
you print it? And why did you send Ms. MacAvoy a copy?
I realize you sent this issue to Ms. MacAvoy as a courtesy to keep the
writer informed. That sounds like responsible journalism. But consider
the whole picture, and ask yourself whether you would have appreciated
being on the receiving end. Imagine that some stranger solicits (or
receives unsolicited) a very ugly review of something you did. This
stranger graces that review with publication so that many people can
see that review, and then sends this thing to your door so that you
can't help but see it yourself.
Does not that sound vaguely like prying open someone's mouth to pour in
medicine on the grounds that "it's good for you?" I was recently told
that any advice or criticism (or any unsolicited information) must fit
into at least 2 of the following 3 categories:
(1) True
(2) Kind
(3) Necessary
Certainly, reviews cannot, strictly speaking, be true or false So by
these guidelines, the issue you sent her should have been both kind and
necessary. It was neither.
Ron Cain
Cain@SRI-AI.ARPA
[This is just one of a number of letters I received on the double set
of reviews I published in Vol 1 #4. It was a difficult decision whether
or not to publish those reviews. On one side, they didn't conform to the
OtherRealms review standards (see "How to Write a Review" in V1 #2 or the
OtherRealms Writers Guide). On the other side, they portrayed a viewpoint
that was very different than mine. I enjoyed the _Damiano_ trilogy and am
quite enthusiastic about MacAvoy's work.
Because of this, I was unsure whether my unhappiness with the review
was because of the viewpoint or because of the writing. Since I'm trying
to create a magazine where people speak their mind (as opposed to mimicing
what I would want them to say) I want to be very careful about censoring
opposing viewpoints. The end result was that I published the articles
because I wanted to see what the readers felt -- I needed the guidance on
whether that flavor of material was appropriate.
Very clearly it isn't. The mail and the Pico reviews that followed
those publications shows that most readers disagreed with Dave's views
and, more importantly, with how he said it.
The fault, though, isn't with Dave, but with me. I should have
enforced the standards, and I should have requested rewrites of all the
reviews. Because I didn't, I published a bad issue with #4.
It is VERY important that reviewers take a close look at their words.
Not just because the author involved is going to see it, but because
all of the readers are going to see it. The readership of OtherRealms
is somewhere around 2,500 and growing. To put that in perspective,
Amazing Stories has around 10,000 subscribers, so the words you write
have a large audience. With visibility comes responsibility, both on
your part and on mine, to turn out a professional product. In this
situation I blew it.
My review standards are not there to be arbitrary, they have been
developed out of my experience writing reviews (and my occasional hack
job) as a guide for inexperienced writers around the pitfalls of
writing a review. Reviews are hard work. I plan to be more vigilant
about the tone of reviews in the future; you are welcome to disagree
with me, but be prepared to back up your opinions. -- chuq]
Chuq;
The June 1986 issue of OtherRealms contained a Pico Review of Harlan
Ellison's _Deathbird Stories_ by Alan Wexelblat. Wexelblat spent the
first two thirds of his review making the point that _Deathbird Stories_
couldn't be a high quality collection because of the sense of utter
depression conveyed by the contained stories.
I find the idea of anyone holding such a notion utterly fascinating.
While the nature of "good" writing is of course highly subjective, it
seems to me that one reasonable heuristic for determining the quality
of a given piece of writing is to examine how well the writing achieves
the author's goals. Since Ellison six times prior to the first story
explicitly stated that the contained stories where meant to be very
depressing, I submit that Wexelblat's review is a self-contradiction!
Kevin LaRue
kevin%logic.dec@decwrl.dec.com
Chuq,
In Other Realms Vol 1, # 4, you gave the results of suggestions that
people gave you for books to use in a fantasy course. You said that
you were surprised that no horror was included, as horror was a
subgrouping of fantasy. I feel that for a significant portion of
fantasy, the reverse is true.
Both fantasy and horror have a common source: mythology. The line
between the two is very frequently murky, so perhaps it would be a good
idea to look at the history of both genre. There have been horror
magazines around since the beginning of the century, and the first
"modern" works of fantasy (Conan) etc. were printed in these magazines.
Barring children's fantasy (which I tend to prefer) and the works of
Tolkien and his clones (I like Tolkien, but have liked very little that
other people have put out in this vein.), fantasy is stylistically
identical to most modern horror. You can see this in the works of Fritz
Leiber, and it is impossible to miss in the works of Karl Edward Wagner.
I understand that this is a sort of "chicken-egg" argument, but when
one examines horror and fantasy stylistically and historically, it is
plain to see that a significant portion of fantasy is derived from horror.
I do understand that there is a signifigant body of thought that all
horror (Dracula, etc.) is fantasy, but this is a literal interpretation
of the WORD fantasy, not a stylistic interpretation of the genre Fantasy.
Matthew Saroff
SAROFF@UMASS.BITNET
[It can be argued that SF, Fantasy and Horror are all the same genre.
From the point of view of bookstores that lump them all together it is
certainly true. On the other hand the three forms are distinct in that
few authors cross over from one to another.
Using a very broad set of definitions, I tend to see SF deals mainly with
Things, Fantasy with Motivations, and Horror with Fears. Many things
straddle these lines. Ben Bova once claimed the SF was anything that he
pointed at and called SF. I tend to agree. Genres are useful only to the
uninformed who need to pigeonhole things they don't understand. --chuq]
Dear Chuq,
I noted a number of omissions in Allen's bibliography. The one glaring
omission was the fifth, final Demon Prince novel, _The Book of
Dreams_. So, I hied to my bookshelf, and discovered the following:
The Book of Dreams 1981 DAW
To Live Forever 1956 Ballantine
Maske: Thaery 1976 Berkeley
Best of Jack Vance 1976 Pocket
Monsters in Orbit 1965 (1952)
(Ace Double with _The World Between_)
_The Moon Moth_ was placed in the _SF Hall of Fame, Vol 1_, by SWFA.
While I do not disagree with Gary's recommendations for which books to
read, I find the lack of any mention of what makes Vance's works
special dismaying. How can someone discuss Vance's works without
mentioning his footnotes?
One reads Heinlein for a world to live in. Hal Clement, Larry Niven,
or James Hogan delivers hard science. E. E. 'Doc' Smith, Edmund Hamilton,
or early John Campbell smash galaxies. A similar broad stereotype of Jack
Vance is that he writes a travelogue in which the male protagonist overcomes
adversity by using his brains and sometimes his fists.
The excellence in Vance's writing is due to the poetry of his
descriptions. His footnotes are an integral part, giving the reader a
brief glimpse into the fast world backing up his stories.
I, too, am failing to give a explanation of the fascination Vance's
writing have for me. I also disagree with Gary's appraisal of
_Lyonesse_. While it is totally unlike *all* of his other works it is
not half as bad as the schlock coming out of the paperback houses.
Carl Hommel
{allegra, bellcore, cbosgd, decvax,
gatech, ihnp4, seismo, tektronix}!masscomp!carlton
Chuq;
==>On "The Care and Feeding of Journals" by Barb Jernigan:
I don't generally keep a journal, but Mark and I always keep them when
we travel. Even more than pictures, they help capture the way you
feel. In this case, though, they *are* for "publication," or at least
for handing out to family and friends who ask "How was your trip?" The
only problem one might have is if one is traveling in a country where
negative journals might be confiscated on the way out.
Some extra tips: if you're traveling, stay away from felt-tip pens. The
ink will run if the journal gets wet. Something that will fit in a
back pocket works well--a spiral notebook is not suitable for this. I
agree on the "blank books"--too much like writing in a "real" book, and
somehow I feel I would have to be profound to do justice to it.
==>On "The Chronicles of St. Germain" by Chuq Von Rospach:
My feeling was that there was perhaps an over-emphasis on period costume to
the detriment of the rest of the novel (at least in HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA).
Another historical period series that might interest readers is by Les Daniels
and comprises of THE BLACK CASTLE, THE SILVER SKULL, and CITIZEN VAMPIRE.
==>Comments on "Pico-Reviews":
"GALAPAGOS": Strong disagreement with Chuq. I liked it, and *enjoyed*
it. I even nominated it for a Hugo.
"THE POSTMAN": Strange, I found this Brin's *worst* (rather than best)
novel to date. Well, so it goes.
"TIK-TOK": One quibble with Dave Taylor--John Sladek is hardly a "new"
British author, having had books published in this country fifteen years ago.
Evelyn C. Leeper
...ihnp4!mtgzy!ecl
(or ihnp4!mtgzz!ecl)
Notes and Comments on OtherRealms
by
Chuq Von Rospach
Editor of OtherRealms
OtherRealms has mutated further. What I'm trying to do is find the
tradeoff between readability, accessibility and the drudgery of putting
all of this together. The more pieces I use for OtherRealms, the
easier it is to find any single article. At the same time, splitting
things up creates complications for some of the networks; it creates
Copyright problems; it makes it harder to create a hard copy of
OtherRealms and it makes putting an issue together more complicated.
I've decided to try the three part format. The first part will contain
the articles, the second part will contain Pico reviews and perhaps one
article, and the third part will contain the editorial, letters and associated
administrivia. The idea is to simply keep things small enough that you can
skip through the material you aren't interested in without being overwhelmed.
Please tell me what you think. I recently went back to check something
in the first issue. Needless to say, I'm glad the magazine is where it
is instead of where it was.
* * *
A couple of comments on my St. Germain piece from last month. First, I
got two books backwards: _Hotel Transylvania_ was the first book, _The
Palace_ was the second. Also, I somehow neglected to mention the FULL
name of the author: Chelsea Quinn Yarbro.
I got a number of requests for information on availability. The bad
news is that most of the works seem to be out of press at the current
time. The good news is that they ARE available from the Science Fiction
Book Club. Also, All of the books (except _Tempting Fate_, which is still
owned by NAL) have been sold to Beth Meacham at Tor books. Yarbro has also
been contracted for three more books using Olivia as the main character.
The first, _A Flame in Byzantium_ is based in the 6th century and is due to
go to the publisher in August. The other two are to be about the time of
Richard the Lion-Hearted and Louis the XIII of France.
* * *
Two issues keep popping up in my mail, and since I'm chronically short
of time, I'd like to put them to rest here. First is the "problem" of
formfeeds in OtherRealms. I seem to get two or three letters an issue
on this. OtherRealms is formatted for three distinct reading environments:
hardcopy is one, because I want OtherRealms to look as good on paper as it
does on a screen. I send copies of OtherRealms to featured authors and to
various interested parties. Many readers print it out for reading and their
bookshelves. The other two programs are "rn" and Berkeley "Mail," both of
which use the "more" program to handle screen pagination. "More" does the
intelligent thing when it finds a formfeed. It stops.
If your system doesn't, I suggest you fix it. Most readers I've talked
to are happy with the way things are. So am I, and I don't plan on
changing this. Formfeeds are a feature, not a bug.
The other question that comes up is whether to split each item in OtherRealms
into a separate posting for mod.mag.otherrealms. The answer to this is no.
Why? From a philosophical standpoint OtherRealms wouldn't be a magazine
any more. It would be a moderated group and it would have to be handled
differently. It would be significantly different from the real OtherRealms,
both in flavor and format. From a legal point of view, it creates problems
with Copyright. From an administrative view, it would be a royal pain for
me because I'd be supporting two magazines with the same material. I'd
rather support two magazines with different material.
I also think, that the old formats, while familiar, don't work. OtherRealms
is a magazine about SF and Fantasy, but it is also an experiment in new
technologies. I try things, and they work or they fail. Either way we
learn something. Perhaps what we learn here will be useful to the network
at large. I think it is a great improvement on what we used to do.
* * *
This issue of OtherRealms has the first guest editorial. Leigh Ann
Hussey, a SF and Fantasy writer from the Berkeley area, talks to us
about a very important bill now before Congress. I urge you to get
involved and help kill this affront to the Bill of Rights. This is
part of a concerted attack on our personal freedoms by a small group of
Fundamentalist types who firmly believe it is their right to tell us
what to think. The bill is clearly unconstitutional, but it could
create havoc for many before it is proved so. You don't need to be
involved in witchcraft or support it to be against the bill -- the way
it is worded, it is quite possible for the Catholic Church to fall victim,
as it performs exorcisms and other acts involving demons. It is poorly
worded, poorly thought out, and a waste of taxpayers money. It is the
first step towards a state religion, where you are allowed to believe in
only what They deem is acceptable. This was tried before, with very bad
results. If you don't believe me, look up the Inquisition. Or Salem.
OtherRealms is always looking for people to write a point of view that
is of interest to its readers. I'm glad Leigh Ann took me up on it,
and I hope she won't be the last.
Masthead for OtherRealms
Volume 1, Number 6
July, 1986
This issue is Copyright 1986, by Chuq Von Rospach
All Rights reserved
OtherRealms is edited and published on a monthly schedule by:
Chuq Von Rospach
160 Pasito Terrace #712
Sunnyvale, CA 84086
USENET: {major_node}!sun!plaid!fanzine
ARPA: fanzine%plaid@sun.COM
Fidonet: 125/84, user chuq vonrospach
CompuServe: 73317,635
Associate Editor: Laurie Sefton (lsefton@sun.COM)
Submissions: Submissions are welcomed at any of the above addresses.
Electronic mail is preferred, Macintosh format disks through U.S. Mail
will allow me to publish your work MUCH faster (returned with SASE).
Hard copy is accepted but will get keyed into the system when I get time.
A writers guide is available. If you want to write for OtherRealms,
please ask for a copy. Pico reviews are welcome from everyone. Duplicate
the format used in this issue and limit your comments to one paragraph.
If you are on a BBS or other system that does not have access to the
above electronic addresses, contact your SYSOP about making arrangements.
Letters to the Letter column should be mailed to the above address. Letters
to an author should be mailed directly to the author where possible. All
letters will be considered for publication unless requested otherwise.
This magazine is Copyright 1986 by Chuq Von Rospach. One time rights only
have been acquired from the signed or credited contributors. All rights are
hereby assigned to the contributors.
Reproduction rights: Permission is given to reproduce or duplicate
OtherRealms in its entirety for non-commercial uses. Re-use, reproduction,
reprinting or republication of an individual article in any way or on any
media, printed or electronic, is forbidden without permission of the author.
Subscriptions: OtherRealms is available through the newsgroup
"mod.mag.otherrealms" on the USENET network. For those on the UUCP,
ARPANET, BITNET and CSNET computer networks without access to this group,
a mailing list subscription is available. Send mail to the appropriate
address above to be placed on the mailing list. Subscriptions are not yet
available on CompuServe. Please write me for the latest status.
OtherRealms is also available through the following bulletin boards:
SCI-FIDO, (415) 655-0667.
The Terraboard, Fidonet number 14/341, (612)721-8967.
Dim_Sum Fido, Fidonet number 146/5, (503) 644-6129
Other BBS systems or computer networks are welcome to make OtherRealms
available on their systems. Either copy it from an available location
or contact me to make arrangements. If you do make it available, I
would appreciate hearing about where it is being distributed.
--
:From the lofty realms of Castle Plaid: Chuq Von Rospach
chuq%plaid@sun.COM FidoNet: 125/84 CompuServe: 73317,635
{decwrl,decvax,hplabs,ihnp4,pyramid,seismo,ucbvax}!sun!plaid!chuq
Dessert is probably the most important stage of the meal, since it will be
the last thing your guests remember before they pass out all over the table.
-- The Anarchist Cookbook