chuq@sun.UUCP (05/29/86)
OtherRealms
A Fanzine for the Non-Fan
"Where FIJAGH Becomes a Way of Life"
Volume 1, Number 5
June, 1986
Table of Contents
Part 1: The Features
The Fifty Page Factor
by Chuq Von Rospach, Editor of OtherRealms
The Care and Feeding of Journals
by Barb Jernigan
The Chronicles of St. Germain -- A Vampiric Look at the Past
by Chuq Von Rospach
Jack Vance the Marvellous -- Master of Science Fiction
by Gary A. Allen, Jr.
Review: The Kif Strike Back
by Alan Wexelblat
Review: Pawns And Symbols
by Kahless tai-Hazar
Part 2: The Columns
Pico Reviews
by Our Readers
Readers Survey: The Monthly Question to Our Readers
Letters to OtherRealms
by Our Readers
Editorial Notes and Comments on OtherRealms
by Chuq Von Rospach
Editorial -- The Fifty Page Factor
and Other Reviews
by
Chuq Von Rospach
Editor of OtherRealms
I've been working on a series of reviews for another zine and it once
again brings me to the question of how to tell if a book is good. It
is important to be able to tell, as objectively as possible, how good a
book is when you write a review of it.
I've found a couple of indicators that seem to be good indicators of
the quality of a book. I've used them for years, but I'm just now
sitting down and thinking about WHY they work.
The first is what I call the Fifty Page Factor. When I'm reading I hit
a point where I have to finish the book. Nothing will stand between me
and the ending, and if I do put the book down I think constantly about
how it will turn out. For an average book this happens between 40 and
50 pages from the end as the author starts building the climax. The
better the book, the earlier I decide I have to finish it. A good
alternative name would be the 3AM factor, named for all those people
caught reading a great book at bedtime.
Books that don't grab your attention hit the boundary later and later.
You're bound to run into books where you don't care if you ever finish
them, even after the last page is turned, and occasionally you'll run
into a book so bad you simply close it and refuse to finish it.
The second factor is the skip factor, and it comes in handy with
collections, anthologies, and other short fiction. A short work has to
grab you quickly. I find that if I'm a page or two into a story, and I
don't like it (or simply don't care) I just flip to the next work.
Most people already use these factors to some degree. I'm simply
trying to make you aware of them. Anything you can use to help judge a
work helps, and the more you become aware of how you are reacting to a
work, the better you'll be able to read and judge others writings.
THE CARE AND FEEDING OF JOURNALS
by
Barb Jernigan
oliveb!olivej!barb
Copyright 1986 by Barbara Jernigan
[MISS PRISM] I really don't see why you should keep a
diary at all.
[CECILY] I keep a diary in order to enter the wonderful
secrets of my life. If I don't write them down I
should probably forget all about them.
-- Oscar Wilde, "The Importance of Being Earnest"
How often have we been told the Importance of Keeping a Journal in
English classes? How many of us heeded that advice? Some perhaps had
the strength of will (or sheer perversity) to shape noting the details
of their lives into a daily habit -- the rest of us (if we tried at
all) proceeded nobly for a month or two, then allowed the urging to
slip back into the dark unknown from whence it crawled in the first
place. SHAME ON US, I say, SHAME ON US.
The language that never leaves our head is like colorful
yarn, endlessly spun out multicolored threads dropping into a
void, momentarily compacted, entangled, fascinating,
elusive. We have glimpses that seem brilliant but quickly
fade; we catch sight of images that tease us with
connections and patterns that too-soon flow on; we hold in
momentary view a comprehensive arrangement (insight) that
dissolves rapidly and disappears.
-- James Miller, "Discovering the Self"
I call this "Feeding the Ether" -- we've all experienced it. The flash
of insight, the brilliant turn of phrase, the exhilaration felt in the
spray of that giant waterfall. Yes, in our minds we waxed poetic --
maybe even attempted to scribe the the thoughts -- but then we were
distracted. The thoughts fled -- and we were left excusing ourselves.
"If it was _really_ important I'll be able to reconstruct it." Sure we
will, while the Ether grows fat on our cast off inspirations.
I'm as guilty as any. My best mind-time is the 45 minute commute to
and from work. In that particular instance, however, a journal isn't
quite helpful -- though sometimes I manage to hold a thought long
enough to write it down at journey's end. Often I get distracted upon
arrival, and the thought takes its leave. We can't salvage EVERYTHING
-- but it does challenge us to rescue what we can.
I must confess, I am an inconstant journal keeper. I tell myself that
I should spend at least half an hour every morning. My mornings should
be so organized. I compromise; half an hour every other morning. For
about three weeks. So, muttering about good habits, I squeeze a
paragraph or two here and there -- which is far better than nothing.
But you did not come to hear my excuses. Instead, let me discuss a bit
of the theory and practice of journal keeping.
The first question is obvious: "Why keep a journal in the first
place?" I have a chorus of responses. Two appear above; three others
echo the same sentiments.
I think we are well advised to keep on nodding terms
with the people we used to be, whether we find them
attractive company or not. Otherwise they turn up
unannounced and surprise us, come hammering on the
mind's door at 4 a.m. of a bad night and demand to
know who deserted them, who betrayed them, who is going
to make amends. We forget all too soon those things we
thought we could never forget.
-- Joan Didion, "On Keeping a Notebook"
Keep a journal... It keeps you in touch with your nether
regions... You'll find it useful after graduation to be
in touch with your arms, legs....
-- Robert Bly (poet), in lecture UCD
Begin by keeping a journal. Give your writing muscles
a vigorous daily workout. You'll also be compiling a
priceless source of ideas for later on. Record your
experiences and impressions, describe the people you
meet, capture bits of dialogue heard in passing, write
yourself notes on your greatest work-in-progress, your life.
-- Marshall Cook, "Training Your Muse"
WRITER'S DIGEST, March 1986
Yes, the pros stress the importance of journals. Your journal
chronicles your thoughts, your memories, that odd wisp of inspiration,
and, perhaps, a little history. You are not -- nor should you be, I
think -- limited to facts.
"Fine," you say, "so keeping a journal is important. Tell me something
new." There is nothing new to tell, except perhaps a bit of practice to
go with the theory, launching you on your way.
First, materials. Don't depend upon the electronic medium for your
journal. You are too dependent on a machine and the desk it sits
upon. I believe that there is some value in scribing your thoughts by
hand. The physical act of wielding pen to paper can give a sense of
weight to your words -- and it's highly portable. Thus material number
one is pen or pencil. Something that writes fairly smoothly -- you
don't want your ideas fighting clogged ink.
Material number two is, of course, the journal itself. There are a
great number of cutes journals commercially available -- from the
padded diaries (complete with key) of the adolescent girl to the latest
rash of illustrated, quote filled "blank books". I admit prejudice --
these things get in my way worse than a dried up pen. The first is a
bit too self-important, the others too much like writing in a Book with
my mother's voice telling me "Don't!" at every line. Spencer Tracy
used a day-timer calendar -- though that medium has severly limited
writing space. There are also real blank books. These are very nice
in that the hard binding provides a writing surface. I prefer a spiral
bound notebook. It lays flat, it has no delusions of grandeur, and it
is cheap. I've filled a couple theme-books as well -- a compromise
between the hard-bound blank book and the spiral notebook. But don't
let my prejudices dictate your personal taste -- just remember that the
medium should be an invisible partner to your entries. *Your*
thoughts, after all, are what the journal is about.
Which brings us to the gist of the matter, what to write? Everything!
Do not limit yourself to the dry retelling of the day's events --
though this is a useful exercise, it can become tedious, and our Muses
will retort, "Enough of that!" and distract us away. My journals are
scrapbook, diary, idea-database, story outline keeper, essay-book,
sketchbook, and whatever else fits my fancy at the moment. Some days I
meerly write, "I have nothing to say today, good bye!" An attitude
rebellious of the nature of the exercise, perhaps, but honest. Your
journal should not be drudgery -- if it is, give it up -- or rethink
what you're doing. Forcing yourself only builds resentment -- yours
and your Muses'.
[GWENDOLEN] I never travel without my diary. One should
always have something sensational to read in the train.
-- Oscar Wilde, "The Importance of Being Earnest"
You should never be without a journal -- or at least something to write
on. You never know when the Muse will strike -- and toilet paper is a
terrible writing surface. I've resorted to this; also napkins,
placemats, envelopes... -- believe me, proper paper is much easier.
You should read your journals periodically. Although the simple act of
writing things down gives them a measure of legitimacy, perhaps even a
more prominent position in memory, they remain Ether-food if you never
look at them again. Rereading is an exercise both pleasurable and
painful and rife with discovery. At worst, you now have a wonderful
character study; perhaps you learn something about yourself. But never,
never, never tear the pages, no matter how much you may want to. We are
none of us perfect -- our dark sides are as much a reminder of who we
would be as our light sides, and we must never forget that we have them.
[ALGERNON] Do you really keep a diary? I'd give anything
to look at it. May I?
[CECILY] Oh no. You see, it is simply a very young girl's
record of her own thoughts and impressions, and consequently
meant for publication.
-- Oscar Wilde, "The Importance of Being Earnest"
Finally, we have the matter of audience. Who has not read the diaries
of a famous person, such as Hugh Prather or Kahlil Gibran, and dreamed
a bit? Our journals should have so much substance, we think, and set
out to meet the high standard. WRONG! Remember that you're reading
highlights, polished by an editor's careful hand. That level of
self-consciousness cripples Muses. Creativity can be urged but never
forced. Even if you can't banish such thoughts of greatness entirely
from your mind, don't let them drive you. Your journal has one
intended audience -- you. You may choose to share it on occasion but
you must never forget who the journal is for. Like you, it will have
moments of absolute brilliance and days of unadulterated drivel.
That's okay. When writing in your journal, unless you have a specific
exercise in mind, don't even worry about spelling and grammar. Write
your ideas as they occur, go where they lead -- there will be plenty of
time for editing later. Strive for Honesty -- a goal more easily
attained if you don't expect anyone else to be reading your
meanderings.
To live an aware life, the individual must begin with
an awareness of self.
-- James Miller, "Discovering the Self"
That is the truest purpose of our journal keeping. Oh, our diaries
record, but through that record our journals track our emotional lives,
like footprints in the snow, for discovery and education -- or simple
sharing -- with ourselves, and, sometimes, with our fellow travelers
and those who come behind. More than memory, I see journal keeping as
a need to reach out from the isolation of experience -- if only to
ourselves through the ever-listening ear of the blank page. Our
journals should be our closest confidants, keepers of our dreams and
secrets, sharers of our hope and pain, chroniclers of our best (and
worst) ideas. Often, as children, we entertained an imaginary best
friend. Now, grown-up, our friend, too, has grown -- and is named
Journal. It is waiting to hear from you -- isn't it time you wrote?
FURTHER READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY
Borges, Jorge Luis. "Borges and Myself" in THE CONSCIOUS READER
Caroline Shrodes, Harry Finestone, and Michael Shugrue,
editors. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1974.
Cook, Marshall. "Training Your Muse". WRITER'S DIGEST,
March 1986 Didion, Joan. "On Keeping a Notebook" in
THE CONSCIOUS READER; Caroline Shrodes, Harry Finestone,
and Michael Shugrue, editors. New York: Macmillan
Publishing Co., Inc., 1974.
Gergen, Kenneth J. "Multiple Identity" in THE CONSCIOUS READER;
Caroline Shrodes, Harry Finestone, and Michael Shugrue,
editors. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1974.
Mallon, Thomas. A BOOK OF ONE'S OWN: PEOPLE AND THEIR DIARIES.
Thicknor & Fields (ref. "Reader's Report", WRITER'S
DIGEST, March 1986).
Marin, Peter. "The Open Truth and Fiery Vehemence of Youth."
in THE CONSCIOUS READER; Caroline Shrodes, Harry Finestone,
and Michael Shugrue, editors. New York: Macmillan
Publishing Co., Inc., 1974.
Miller, James E. "Discovering the Self" in THE CONSCIOUS READER;
Caroline Shrodes, Harry Finestone, and Michael Shugrue,
editors. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1974.
Proust, Marcel. "The Crumb of Madeleine" from SWANN'S WAY
in THE CONSCIOUS READER; Caroline Shrodes, Harry Finestone,
and Michael Shugrue, editors. New York: Macmillan
Publishing Co., Inc., 1974.
Wilde, Oscar. THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST. New York:
Signet Classic, 1985.
The Chronicles of St. Germain
A Vampiric Look at the Past
Chuq Von Rospach
Copyright 1986 by Chuq Von Rospach
All rights reserved
The Palace (St. Martins, 1978, 376 pages) [***]
Hotel Transylvania (St. Martins, 1978, 252 pages) [***]
Blood Games (St. Martins, 1979, 439 pages) [****]
Path of the Eclipse (St. Martins, 1981, 433 pages) [***]
Tempting Fate (St. Martins, 1982, 690 pages) [****]
The St. Germain Chronicles (Pocket, 1983, 180 pages) [**]
Certain myth structures can be found in almost any society. On the
side of light are the Gods and the myths of Creation. On the side of
darkness are those that cannot die, for whom the normal cycle of
humanity has been broken. This is the vampire, the undead,
immortalized by Bram Stoker in _Dracula_ as the penultimate evil --
that which steals the life from others to allow its own cursed
existence to continue. Worse, those that it steals the life force from
are then converted to its unholy existence, spreading this evil
further and further abroad.
Vampires seem to be returning to the limelight. Anne Rice is in the
bestsellers list with _Vampire Lestat_ and a number of other writers
have taken a crack at redefining the legend of the vampire. A very
well written series of books, not as popular as they deserve, is a
series of novels and stories about Count Ragoczy, Saint Germain.
In some ways, it isn't surprising that the books aren't more popular.
They aren't classical horror, they aren't supernatural books, and they
aren't really about vampires. The five novels (_The St. Germain
Chronicles_, the most recent book, is a collection of short stories)
are all historical romances that happen to have a vampire as the
protagonist. The books mix all three genre types quite well, but fit
in none completely. This makes the book set very difficult to market,
and is guaranteed to upset hard core readers in each.
The books, however, deserve to be read. Yarbro has taken a very
traditional form of the vampire mythos and humanized it. Stoker's
version of the myth was pure evil -- Dracula himself had no real
personality and little more cunning than a rabid wolf. St. Germain,
however, is flesh and blood, can love, can die, can fear death and can
inspire the reader to care about him.
To do this, Yarbro has humanized the mythos. A vampires bite no longer
turns you into a vampire, unless there are repeated exposures. The act
of taking nourishment is transformed from an act of horror to an act of
love and the blood is not the nourishment, the act is the nourishment.
Each novel stands alone, and each is a picture into a given time
period. Yarbro has done an amazing amount of research into each
society and makes it live well beyond the tale of the story or the
pages of the book.
Within the framework of the period, each story has a similar plot. St.
Germain is trying to do right for those around him and helping to make
things better. He falls in love with a mortal woman, the world falls
into chaos, he saves the day (to some degree), and disappointed with
short lived humans he moves on. No two plot twists are the same,
though, and Yarbro weaves a complex set of twists, subplots, and
complications so the books are never boring or repetitive.
Each book has its strengths, with _The St. Germain Chronicles_ the
weakest because it is set in modern times and the flavor of the
historical periods is missing. _The Palace_, the first book in the
series, is set in 15th century Florence, a time of Religious upheaval
and plague. This book is a study of the paranoia of the small, the
fear of different. His enemies fear him not for being a vampire, but
for being a newcomer. St. Germain, interested in peace and friendship,
is hounded by those who hate him and those who wish to use him simply
because he isn't one of them.
The second book, _Hotel Transylvania_, looks at decadent 18th century
France. Amid the conspicuous consumption of the upper class and the
terrible squalor of the poor, Yarbro weaves a fascinating tale of
horror as St. Germain tries to save a loved one from murder by a coven
of Satanists. A careful layering of the concept of evil is in place in
this book since the traditional vision of horror in the vampire is
shown to be significantly more human than most of the people around
him. This is a book that really sits you down and make you think about
your values. Many traditional thoughts and beliefs are turned upside down.
The third book in the series is _Blood Games_, set in ancient Rome
during the reign of Nero. This is the least accessible work in the
series; not because it is bad, but because it is almost too good. This
is the earliest work in the series timeline to date, and sets up a lot
of the background. The rendering of Rome and the decadence of Nero and
his citizens is gritty and detailed, realistic almost to the point of
nausea. You don't just read about the Coliseum. You experience it,
you can almost smell the death and see the blood and head the bloodlust
of the crowds. Yarbro has painted the picture of not just a person who
has lost his humanity (as in _The Palace_ ) but an entire society;
brutal, selfish, and less humane than the animals starved and thrown
into the ring for the satiation of the crowds. This is a very bleak,
depressing book with little hope. Getting through it is not easy, but
well worth the time.
_Path of the Eclipse_ is a change of pace. Set in China at the
beginning of the invasion by Ghengis Khan and the Mongols, Yarbro is
looking not at the decadence of surfeit or inhumanity, but of
stagnation. The Chinese culture has become so ritualized and formal
that it is dead. Things are done as they have always been done, and
the bureaucracy is there to guarantee it. As in the case when a
society faces change by ignoring it, this is a story of dissolution and
defeat. It is also a story of honor and courage, and an interesting
peek into the very different cultures of the East.
The final novel in the series is also the best. _Tempting Fate_ is set
in the time between World War I and World War II, in the ruins of
Germany. This is an area most history books and classes seem to
ignore, implying that WWI ended, Hitler sprung up and started WWII, all
in five pages of a single chapter. The truth is much different and
much more fascinating, and this book is a good introduction into the
foolishness of the Allies and the rise of the Nazis and their reign of
terror. Yarbro also breaks a major rule of writing and gets away with
it: she kills off a major character in a random killing.
By doing so, she puts St. Germain into a position she carefully avoided
through all of the previous books -- in the face of the inhumanity of
the Nazis, he becomes the traditional vampire; a machine of death,
motivated not by love or caring or the softer emotions of the previous
books, but by hate and pain and grief. It is a strong shift in
characterization, but it also underscores the true inhumanity of the
humans he fights.
Each of these books, and the society it portrays, presents a basic
fallacy of humanity: sloth, ambition, lust, greed. In each, Yarbro
uses the inhumanity of her focus, the vampire, to counterpoint the true
inhumanity of society. In this way, she is really making some
carefully hidden social commentary on all of us. On top of that,
though, are some really well written books; books that aren't really
fantasy, that aren't really horror despite the trappings. These books
that transcend any particular genre by choosing the best of each.
Jack Vance the Marvellous
Master of Science Fiction
Gary A. Allen, Jr.
ESG7@DFVLROP1.BITNET
Copyright 1986 by Gary A. Allen, Jr.
The following table is a list of all of the writings in book form by
Jack Vance. Included is my own rating for each book. Jack Vance has
been in the science fiction business for some time. He is widely
regarded as being in the top twenty of the world's best SF authors. In
the Netherlands, where Jack Vance has had the good fortune of being
well translated, he is the most popular science fiction author. Vastly
inferior authors have received far more acclaim than Jack Vance. This
is partially due to Vance himself. He is an intensely private man and
does not involve himself in much of the self promoting ballyhoo that
many of his science fiction colleagues have engaged in.
Those who have never read Vance and have no qualms about reading a
piece of pseudo-fantasy, should read _Rhialto the Marvellous_ , which
is his best book. In terms of straight science fiction his novel, _The
Dirdir_ is the best. However _The Dirdir_ is a component of the
_Tschai Series_ and should only be read in sequence with the other
novels of the series. His best nonfantasy work which is not a
component of a series is _The Last Castle_.
The most widely currently available novels by Vance are of the
_Lyonesse Series_. These novels are NOT recommended. Jack Vance is a
full-time professional author. The _Lyonesse Series_ represents an
unfortunate attempt at trying to cash-in on the current fad with
"swords and sorcery" fantasy. Jack is extremely good at writing novels
such as _The Dying Earth Series_, or the _Tschai Series_. Commercial
authors like Vance will continue to write things like _Lyonesse_ if
people buy them, so if you must read this sort of stuff please read a
used copy or a library copy.
A good book about Vance is: _Jack Vance_ by Tim Underwood and Chuck
Miller, Taplinger Publishing Co. 1980. I would also be interested in
establishing a dialog with other Vance fans on acquiring first edition
hard bound books by Jack Vance.
TITLE DATE PUBLISHED RATING (0-10, 10 = best)
(* = Not rated)
The Five Gold Bands 1953 3
The Languages of Pao 1957 8
Slaves of the Klau 1958 *
The Dragon Masters 1963 9
Future Tense 1964 *
The Houses of Iszim 1964 8
Son of the Tree 1964 7
Monsters in Orbit 1965 *
Space Opera 1965 5
The Blue World 1966 9
The Brains of Earth 1966 *
The Complete Magnus Ridolph 1966 4
Eight Fantasms and Magics 1969 *
Emphyrio 1970 9
Vandals of the Void 1970 *
The Gray Prince 1974 5
Galactic Effectuator 1976 6
Green Magic 1979 *
The Last Castle 1980 10
Big Planet Series
Big Planet 1952 *
Show Boat World 1975 9
The Alastor Series
Trullion: Alastor 2262 1973 8
Marune: Alastor 933 1975 7
Wyst: Alastor 1716 1978 6
The Durdane Trilogy
The Faceless Man (The Anome) 1973 9
The Brave Free Men 1973 7
The Asutra 1974 7
The Demon Prince Series
Star King 1964 8
The Killing Machine 1964 8
The Palace of Love 1967 6
The Face 1979 8
The Tschai (Planet of Adventure) Series
City of the Chasch 1968 9
Servants of the Wankh 1969 8
The Dirdir 1969 10
The Pnume 1970 9
The Dying Earth Series
The Dying Earth 1950 9
The Eyes of the Overworld 1966 10
Cugel's Saga 1983 9
Rhialto the Marvellous 1984 10
The Lyonesse Series
Lyonesse I: Suldren's Garden 1983 0
Lyonesse II: The Green Pearl 1985 *
On the rating system used a 6 or better is recommended.
Works with a 10 either received a Hugo/Nebula or should have. ALL of
Jack Vance's works including _Lyonesse_ are better than 99.9% of what
one would typically find for sale as Science Fiction.
Prizes Won by Jack Vance
1958 nominated for the Hugo The Miracle-Workers
1962 BEST NOVELLA Hugo The Dragon Masters
1966 BEST NOVELLA Hugo The Last Castle
1973 nominated for the Nebula Rumfuddle
1974 nominated for the Hugo Assault on a City
1985 nominated for the Nebula Rhialto the Marvellous
The Kif Strike Back
by
C.J. Cherryh
SFBC Edition, 256 pages, Daw Books, copyright 1985
Reviewed by
Alan Wexelblat
texsun!milano!wex
Copyright 1986 by Alan Wexelblat
[Spoiler Warning]
This book is the second (or third) in a series of three (or four,
depending on how you count). It has the same characters as _The Pride
of Chanur_, but C.J. insists in the Author's Note that "Kif" is
actually the middle of a trilogy that starts with _Chanur's Venture_
and will end with _Chanur's Homecoming_. However, this note is
contradicted by the introduction titled "In Our Last Episode..." and
summarizes both "Pride" and "Venture". I highly recommend this Author's
Note; it clearly explains why there are so many trilogies.
This is an excellent, adventure-packed book. The action is fast, and
the tension is high. Do not start reading it at 10PM unless you enjoy
missing sleep. Cherryh's aliens are truly alien and yet are
understandable. There is a bit too much alien dialogue in some places,
but it's never overwhelming. And Cherryh's depiction of a member of a
female-dominated society trying to overcome her anti-male prejudices
provide bits of comic relief.
The plot of "Kif" is hard to review, as I don't want to spoil things
for people who haven't read "Venture" yet. To those people, I say
"Persevere"! "Kif" is much less obscure and much more fun than
"Venture" and made plowing through "Venture" worthwhile. Now you can
stop reading as I am going to spoil things below.
"Kif" picks up with Pyanfar going after Hilfy and Tully, and follows
her though their rescue and into a tangled web of kif/stsho/han/mahe
plots. C.J. writes intrigue better than any other SF writer I can
think of, and she is particularly good at using these situations to
develop characters. In "Kif" we see the maturing of Hilfy and get a
much better idea of the relationships among the Pride's crewmembers.
In addition, the secondary characters grow as well; we see new sides to
Tully, Goldtooth, and Jik. We also get meet and know the kif Sikkukkut
and another kif, Skkukkuk, who is "given" to Pyanfar.
One warning: _The Kif Strike Back_ REALLY is the middle of a story. Nothing
is resolved; all the threads are run through to the next book. Readers who
like to see stories progress in neat steps may be disappointed. [****]
Pawns And Symbols
by
Majliss Larson
Pocket SF, ISBN 0-671-55425-5 $3.50
Reviewed by
Kahless tai-Hazar
{ucbvax,dual,lll-crg}!ucdavis!samira!kahless
Copyright 1986 by Kahless tai-Hazar
We have all seen Star Trek novels which introduce one female character,
who then proceeds to be romanced by a personality from Star Trek.
Examples of this genre are _Vulcan!_, in which Spock becomes a Peeping
Tom, and _The Wounded Sky_, where Scotty falls for a jellyfish. While
I had hoped for more from Majliss Larson's _Pawns and Symbols_, I
didn't get it. Here, our female gets to have sex with Commander Kang.
The plot seems to be taken out of a Harlequin romance novel. Kang
rescues Jean Czerny, a Federation Ag specialist assigned to Sherman's
Planet. She was supposed to give the Empire a new version of
quadrotriticale, to help alleviate a famine in the Empire, but she
conveniently has some sort of amnesia that prevents her from
remembering that she is supposed to turn over the grain. Instead, she
is whisked off to a magical Klingon Empire in which everyone speaks
perfect English. In short, we have lots of action, but no plot.
And that seems to be the main problem with the novel. Lots of action,
but much of it is totally unrelated to the plot. I could describe
several examples, but the best would have to be the famous episode in
which we are told that Klingons can't see the color red. The entire
episode has absolutely nothing to do with the central story, but is
merely a cheap and unsatisfying filler, like the whipped lard and sugar
filling of a Hostess Twinkie.
These fillers seem to indicate a story which is quickly written,
without enough regard to the basic principles writing. The story is
full of boring technical details and sensory details, but details like
the color of every single character's clothing seem trivial and
confused, pulling us back from feeling the story. Often, the same
sentences are repeated over and over again. For an example of this,
look at the second to the last sentence of the fourth paragraph on page
52, and the second to the last sentence in the second paragraph on page
55. I found that the author also intruded into her own story. She
constantly footnotes Klingonese words, apparently lacking the skill to
let us know what the words mean without telling us blatantly.
Unfortunately, what might have been an interesting exploration of one
possible Klingon Empire turned into the expected and the typical. If
you're looking for an Imperial read, try "Final Reflection" instead.
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 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
The first rule of magic is simple. Don't waste your time waving your hands
and hoping when a rock or a club will do -- McCloctnik the Lucidchuq@sun.UUCP (05/29/86)
OtherRealms
A Fanzine for the Non-Fan
"Where FIJAGH Becomes a Way of Life"
Volume 1, Number 5
June, 1986
Part 2: The Columns
OtherRealms Pico Reviews for June, 1986
ADVENTURES by Mike Resnick [**+]
Signet, 1985, $2.95, 239pp
Not really sf, but a spoof of old fashioned African adventure stories
in the style of Vance's Cugel the Clever. Dr. Lucifer Jones, an
unprincipled clergyman, roams about Africa making himself unpopular,
luckily winning fortunes and foolishly losing them. Moderately
amusing, probably better in small doses than all at once.
-- Peter Reiher
reiher@LOCUS.UCLA.EDU
ARCHY AND MEHITABEL by don marquis [*****]
anchor press, 1973, 189 pages, $4.50
archy and mehitabel is a series of poems written by don marquis as a
poet who reincarnated in the body of a cockroach named archy who writes
by climbing to the top of the typewriter and jumping down on the keys
head first this is why he cant do capital letters or punctuation but
the works are fun and a must for anyone interested in the english
language as an innovative tool for good storytelling
-- chuq von rospach
THE BEST OF H.P. LOVECRAFT: BLOODCURDLING TALES OF HORROR
AND THE MACABRE by H.P. Lovecraft [*****]
Del Rey, 1963, 375 pages, $6.95 trade paper
If you like horror, you need to read this book. If you hate horror,
read it anyway, since Lovecraft is one of the people who defined the
genre, and his views leak into work everywhere. It this stuff doesn't
give you nightmares, you're already dead.
-- chuq von rospach
BROKEDOWN PALACE, by Steven Brust [****]
Ace Fantasy, $2.95, 270 pages
Legend-like fantasy tale, set as one age ends and another begins, this
is the story of a royal family and how each of the four princes deals
with change. Kept me anxious to find out what would happen next -
quite a good trick for a book that was actually very little "action".
-- Mary Anne Espenshade
umcp-cs!aplcen!aplvax!mae
mae@aplvax.arpa
CLAY'S ARK by Octavia Butler [*]
This is the kind of book you want to like but can't. A spaceman brings
back a terrible disease and ends up in the Arizona desert trying to
contain the contagion. The story breaks down into moralizing, cartoon
characters, shopworn plot devices, and predictability. Butler has shown
promise in her short stories, but not here. Had she spent a little more
effort on understanding people rather than the pathology of a fictional
disease, it might have succeeded. I'm surprised Michael Crichton
("Andromeda Strain") hasn't sued her for plagiarism.
-- Davis Tucker
ihnp4!dhuri!dht
DAMIANO, by R. A. MacAvoy [****]
Bantam, $2.95, 243 pages
The story of a medieval Italian alchemist, learning to play the lute
from the archangel Raphael and willing to bargain with the Devil to
save his town from war. As an early musician in a recorder ensemble, I
especially liked the emphasis on music and the development of musical
style in all three books of this set. It reads more like a story of
medieval life where what we would consider fantasy is accepted fact
than like a "fantasy" tale.
-- Mary Anne Espenshade
umcp-cs!aplcen!aplvax!mae
mae@aplvax.arpa
DAMIANO'S LUTE, by R. A. MacAvoy [***]
Bantam, $2.75, 254 pages
The second part of Damiano's story is about his travels as an almost
ordinary mortal, devoting himself to his music. This is a much darker
tale, about the reality of medieval life with its threat of the plague,
with only a few fantasy elements.
-- Mary Anne Espenshade
umcp-cs!aplcen!aplvax!mae
mae@aplvax.arpa
THE DARK TIDE by Dennis L. McKiernan [*-]
Signet, 1984, $2.95, 303pp
The worst 40 pages I've read in years. I couldn't force myself to go
further, despite being on an airplane with no other reading material.
The feeblest of the Tolkein ripoffs, it makes "The Sword of Shanarra"
look like "The Lord of the Rings". Avoid at all costs.
-- Peter Reiher
reiher@LOCUS.UCLA.EDU
DEATHBIRD STORIES by Harlan Ellison [***+]
Bluejay books (SFBC edition) 295 pages
I disagree with Chuq about this being the best of the best of Ellison.
In fact, it's stories like these that earn Ellison his rep as a
depressing writer. By all means buy it, but don't read it if you're in
a bad mood, and don't read more than one story at a time.
--Alan Wexelblat
wex@mcc.arpa
DOOMSTALKER by Glen Cook [***]
Questar, 1985, $2.95, 264pp.
I was extremely impressed with Glen Cook's Black Company books.
"Doomstalker" isn't nearly as good, but it's acceptable. At first it
seems fantasy, but it soon proves to be sf. An intelligent, non-human
race keeps a vast portion of its populace in primitive conditions,
while psionically powerful members go to the stars. But, in this first
volume of a trilogy (what else?), dangerous, disruptive forces are on
the move. Cook's fondness for increasingly cataclysmic battles is well
displayed (two in this volume, more promised).
-- Peter Reiher
reiher@LOCUS.UCLA.EDU
ENDER'S GAME by Orson Scott Card [**]
Very few short stories make good novels, just as very few pencil
sketches make good paintings. Card essentially includes the novella
that was his first sale and wraps it with more words, and not
particularly good ones. A letdown, especially from a writer who stands
so far above the crowd.
-- Davis Tucker
ihnp4!dhuri!dht
THE FALLING TORCH by Algis Budrys [****]
Written a long time ago, this book is still a fascinating twist on the
standard theme of "one man army saves Earth from invaders and becomes
leader" story. Budrys is well-known as a reviewer for F&SF, but not so
prolific as a writer, which is a shame. His grasp of characterization
is firm, and his sympathy for the weak-willed is strong without being
pitying. The main surprise in this novel is that he would have written
it in such a deliberately non-surprising mode. And yet it is not
disappointing as so many novels that begin with the death of the main
character are. His portrayal of Michael Wireman, the awkward, gangly
adolescent who becomes savior of Earth is first-rate, and certainly not
heroic as so many of these kinds of characterizations can be; no one in
this novel, not even the invaders, is heroic or unflawed. His
description of the society of Earth's government-in-exile, a group of
old men who are now waiters, chefs, and tailors, is cutting, precise,
and redolent of the society of White Russian emigres in Paris in the '20s.
-- Davis Tucker
ihnp4!dhuri!dht
FANTASY WARGAMING by Galloway et al [***]
Stein and Day, 1981, 291 pages
Fantasy wargamers and authors will enjoy this book. The book is a
series of articles and discussions that go through the mechanics of
building a dungeon -- a wargaming universe. A useful tool for anyone
who has to put together an entire society from scratch.
-- chuq von rospach
GALAPAGOS by Kurt Vonnegut [****-]
Delacorte, 1985, 184 pages
Vonnegut is a very frustrating writing. He intentionally manipulates
the English language, forcing you to not only deal with the social
satire of his work, but with the structure used to present it. Here,
the premise is that humanity's big brains are hindrances to survival.
He proves the point by sending some people to the Galapagos Islands
(where Darwin came up with evolution) and evolving them. He tells this
by talking about future events that haven't yet happened a million
years ago, using a narrator that doesn't exist. It works, but it isn't
easy for the reader, and the satire is much closer to the sledgehammer
of _Slaughterhouse Five_ than the scalpel of _Cat's Cradle_. You'll
like it, but you won't enjoy it.
-- chuq von rospach
GALAXY: THIRTY YEARS OF INNOVATIVE SCIENCE FICTION
edited by Fred Pohl et al [***]
Playboy Press, 1980, 490 pages including index to entire
series of Galaxy magazines
An instant remainder book, collecting in one place a lot of stories
well worth reading and probably familiar from one of the premier SF
magazines of its time. A real addition to SF fans is the index of
material from all of the issues of Galaxy.
-- chuq von rospach
IT CAME FROM SCHENECTADY, by Barry B. Longyear [***]
Popular Library, $3.50, 312 pages
Schenectady is, of course, where SF writers get their story ideas. The
dozen stories in this book don't bear any resemblance at all to
Schenectady, but instead tend more towards the cute or bizarre. In
these stories, Longyear shows himself to be a master of the cute ending
and shows imagination in handling situations that would boggle at least
my mind, but usually falls short when it comes to character development
and setting. A great book if you are looking for a fast read, but don't
expect richness or depth.
-- rick floyd
rochester!rick
IT CAME FROM SCHENECTADY, by Barry B. Longyear [**]
Popular Library, $3.50, 312 pages
Barry Longyear writes well, but I found myself more interested in his
commentary on the stories than the works themselves. None of them are
bad, simply none of them really interested me enough to care. He is a
writer I guess I just don't click with.
-- chuq von rospach
THE MAGAZINE OF FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION -- A 30 YEAR
RETROSPECTIVE edited by Edward L. Ferman [***]
Doubleday, 1980, 310 pages
An "instant remainder" book, this is a collection of some of the best
short works to be published in the magazine Fantasy and Science
Fiction. Many of these are already familiar to you; the real advantage
of this kind of book is that it collects them all in one place until
you need them to read or reference.
-- chuq von rospach
MAGIC KINGDOM FOR SALE: SOLD! by Terry Brooks [*]
Del Rey, 1986, 324 pages, $16,95
Terry Brooks' first non-Shannara story. Hopefully his last.
Lackluster and underexecuted plot about a rich person who buys himself
a kingship in a fairy wonderland where the plumbing doesn't work and
the followers don't follow. Very slow to start, since fully a third of
the book is simply getting the guy into the kingdom, and at the end
(with the obligatory opening for a sequel) the best I could come up
with was a hearty "who cares?" I certainly don't.
-- chuq von rospach
MAGICIAN: APPRENTICE
MAGICIAN: MASTER
by Raymond E. Feist [*****]
Bantam, 1982, 689 pages total, $3.50 each
These two books comprise the paperback version of the book _Magician_.
They do not stand alone, so read them together. They are the single
best piece of Fantasy I have read in many years, and are the first book
in a trilogy. These books are on a par with few other works and can
hold their heads up to _Lord of the Rings_ with pride. A must read for
ANY Fantasy reader.
-- chuq von rospach
MYTHICAL BEASTIES edited by Asimov et all [***]
Signet Fantasy, 1986, 343 pages, $3.50
Number six in Isaac Asimov's Magical World of Fantasy anthology set, it
holds a collection of good (but not necessarily great) works involving
different fantastic animals. Good light reading. Nothing classic, but
nothing rotten, either.
-- chuq von rospach
NERILKA'S STORY -- A PERN ADVENTURE by Anne McCaffrey [****]
Del Rey, 1986, $12.95
This is a rather short (40,000 words) work that takes a closer look at
one of the minor characters of _Moreta_. If you haven't read that
book, this one will make no sense; it doesn't stand alone, and is much
closer to an epilogue than a story of its own. Still, it is a very
warm and well written story, it tells a very small part of a very big
story in a close and personal way, and it really made me care and like
for Nerilka. A very fine addition to the world of Pern, and a good
appetizer for the upcoming Dragonrider book.
-- chuq von rospach
NEUROMANCER by William Gibson [****]
Good, maybe even great. Reminds one of the mature John Brunner, without
the preachiness, and of the Bester of "The Stars My Destination".
Gibson captures that grittiness that made film noir popular, portraying
the seamy underside of technological advance in a manner that would
make Raymond Chandler proud. But more than that, beyond his obvious
talent at writing crackling dialogue and fascinating plots and creating
wonderful characters at the drop of a hat, is the ring of utter,
terrible truth in his writing. This society takes no effort at all to
believe, because it is so wonderfully extrapolated, so well thought
out. It's also very depressing, but then so is the real world, often.
It is rare in science fiction circles these days to deal with the
immediate, forseeable future; Gibson has brought the relevance back.
-- Davis Tucker
ihnp4!dhuri!dht
NEXT OF KIN by Eric Frank Russell [****]
"Next of Kin" is the original, novel-length version of a story more
commonly known as "Plus X" (and to confuse things further, an expanded
version of "Plus X" entitled "The Space Willies" was also published).
Our Hero, John Leeming, takes off on a spy mission equipped with: an
experimental long-range spaceship; a wrongminded collection of survival
supplies (including the most dubious handweapon I've every heard of);
an extremely inventive imagination; and absolutely no respect for
authority (human or otherwise). When captured, his only chance for
escape is to completely bamboozle his captors, and he does a dilly of a
job. My fiancee could tell I liked the story: she poked her head into
the room every few minutes to find out what I was giggling at. Highly
recommended for an evening's light reading!
-- Dave Platt
Dave-Platt%LADC@CISL-SERVICE-MULTICS.ARPA
NORSTRILLA by Cordwainer Smith [**+]
Ballatine, 1975, $2.95, 275pp
Smith wrote great short stories, but a mediocre novel. Lots of ideas
floating around, not too well integrated. The story is only moderately
compelling. The prose is ambitious beyond Smith's talent, in places; in
others, very standard sf writing.
-- Peter Reiher
reiher@LOCUS.UCLA.EDU
THE POSTMAN, by David Brin [****]
Spectra/Bantam, $15.95, 294 pages
In my mind, David Brin's best novel to date. The U.S. has degraded
into a dark age after a limited nuclear war. One man posing as postman
creates a myth of a "Restored United States" and attempts to pull
together fragments of civilization. A fast paced, thinking book. My
choice for the awards this year.
-- Mike Rossow
ihnp4!umn-cs!rossow
THE PRINCESS BRIDE, by the Immortal S. Morgenstern [****]
"abridged" by William Goldman, 1973, Ballantine
WHAT HAPPENS when the most beautiful girl in the world marries the
handsomest prince in the world -- and he turns out to be a
son-of-a-bitch? Fencing (my favoritest fencing scene in all the world
is in this book). Fighting. Torture. Poison. True love. Hate. Revenge.
Giants. Hunters. Bad men. Good men. Beautifulest ladies. Snakes.
Spiders. Beasts of all natures and descriptions. Pain. Death. Brave
men. Coward men. Strongest men. Chases. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passion.
Miracles.... A MUST-READ for anyone who enjoys a good yarn -- and loves
to chuckle, chortle, guffaw, and belly-laugh.
--Barb Jernigan
idi!oliveb!olivej!barb
RADIX by A. A. Attanasio [NO RATING]
A very difficult book. Inconsistent, and his themes are very obtuse and
in the final analysis have very little to say about the human
condition. But his initial concept is very, very different - that at
some point in the not-too-distant future, Earth and the solar system
come into the focus of a light source from the center of the galaxy
which alters space-time and is also the main highway for all kinds of
beings who are creatures consisting of light only. Attanasio has
written a post-relativity novel - he really does internally understand,
without blinking, the ramifications of quantum theory and relativity on
the day-to-day world. He also has quite a flair for the wild, and
incorporating the trappings of the existing world in this essentially
magical novel. The novel unfortunately spends too much time being "New
Age" and preachy about the universality of the All to be highly
recommended, but it has some very obvious and definite strengths.
-- Davis Tucker
ihnp4!dhuri!dht
RAPHAEL, by R. A. MacAvoy [****]
Bantam, $2.75, 230 pages
The third part of Damiano's story includes him in only a small role,
concentrating instead on Raphael's battle with Lucifer and the
sacrifices he makes for his mortal friends. I liked this one better
than Damiano's Lute; though the story contains many negative events, it
never gives in to the defeated tone of the second book.
-- Mary Anne Espenshade
umcp-cs!aplcen!aplvax!mae
mae@aplvax.arpa
RED AS BLOOD, OR TALES FROM THE SISTER GRIMMER
by Tanith Lee [****+]
Daw books, 1983, 186 pages
A collection of stories that rewrite the traditional fairy tales.
Little Red Riding hood with a werewolf for a grandmother? There are
all very well thought out and pay homage to the original tale without
ruining it. Well worth finding and reading.
-- chuq von rospach
RETIEF AND THE PANGALACTIC PAGEANT OF PULCHRITUDE
by Keith Laumer [*-]
Baen Books, 1986, 278 pages, $2.95
Another bad book from Baen, a publishing house rapidly becoming known
for works to avoid. This isn't only bad Retief, it isn't even NEW
Retief. Most of the book is recycled from _Retief's Ransom_. If you've
read much Retief, you've probably read this already. Avoid.
-- chuq von rospach
SAILING TO BYZANTIUM by Robert Silverberg [****-]
Underwood-Miller, 1985, 114 pages.
Silverberg demonstrates the value of conciseness. The 114 pages use
big type, so the book is only about 40 normal pages. The story is set
in the far future, when, for pleasure, the inhabitants of Earth
recreate cities of the past. Many authors would produce 300
overstretched pages, Silverberg gives us 40 interesting ones. Well
written, good plot, poor value for $12.95, though. Get it from a library.
-- Peter Reiher
reiher@LOCUS.UCLA.EDU
THE SECOND SELF by Sherry Turkle [***+]
Simon and Shuster, softbound
While not a Science Fiction book (indeed not a fictional book at all!)
this is nonetheless quite fascinating reading for people who are
interested in how people react to, deal with, and learn to accept
computers. Dr. Turkle (of MIT) did extensive research into a number of
different areas of computing, including seeing how young children
accept and react to computers and computer-based toys (quite
fascinating and revealing), how older children use computers as either
an outlet for their creativity or desire for social 'ranking', to how
college students become "midnight hackers" and the peculiarities of
that particular subculture and finally the future directions of
computing, specifically AI, and how that will affect our ethical and
moral views of life and intelligence. To be honest, it does read a bit
slowly at places, but overall it's well worth reading.
-- Dave Taylor
taylor@hpldat.arpa
SO LONG, AND THANKS FOR ALL THE FISH, by Douglas Adams [*+]
Pan, 191 pp, 1.95 UK pounds
When Doyle wanted to stop writing Sherlock Holmes stories, he tried
killing off Holmes. This did not work. Perhaps Adams is trying another
approach to the same problem: he brings back the characters, and the
earth (and we meet the girl in the cafe in Rickmansworth), and after that,
there is a lot of mostly nothing. There are flashes of the HITCH-HIKER
trilogy style that we know and love, but they are too dispersed.
-- Mark Brader
ihnp4!utzoo!lsuc!msb
THE SONGS OF DISTANT EARTH by Arthur C Clarke
ISBN 0-345-33219-9
Not as substantial or inspiring as some of his better books. I found
it a bit disappointing. There are several plot features that are just
left hanging, and the story would have been just as good had they been
omitted. It is a repeat of the meeting of cultures that has occurred
in South Pacific and elsewhere, in a new setting. The cultures and
characters are believable and interesting, and the writing (vs editing)
is good, so enjoy this as light entertainment reading.
-- Rob Horn
decvax!wanginst!infinet!rhorn
Snail: Infinet, 40 High St.,
North Andover, MA
STARQUAKE by Robert L. Forward [*-]
Del Rey, 1985, 246 pages
A very bad sequel to a very good book, Forward forgets all that made
_Dragon's Egg_ a winner and forgoes the hard SF for social commentary.
The Cheela build a society with all the faults and foibles of humanity
and make all the same mistakes. Unfortunately, I simply couldn't buy
it, since the Cheela got too human for my tastes, and put it down
without finishing it. Forward should stick to what he is good at --
gadgetry and hard SF, and leave the real characters for the experts.
-- chuq von rospach
TEA WITH THE BLACK DRAGON, by R. A. MacAvoy [****]
Bantam, $2.95, 166 pages
Computers, music and eastern mythology wrapped into an adventure,
wonderful! A dragon reading Knuth - no wonder this book got such good
reviews on the net. MacAvoy's skill is in giving a conventional story
a fantasy flavor with almost no traditional "fantasy" elements. As the
Damiano books are stories of medieval life with a little fantasy
included, this is a present day detective story with the fantasy found
only in whether you believe what the main character says about himself.
-- Mary Anne Espenshade
umcp-cs!aplcen!aplvax!mae
mae@aplvax.arpa
TIK-TOK by John Sladek [****]
I picked this up somewhat randomly, always on the lookout for a book
dealing with computers/etc in an intelligent fashion and this turned
out to be quite an interesting offering from a new British author!
There is a considerable amount of metaphysical rambling hidden in this
book in a pleasing, readable form. Tik Tok is a robot that questions
his value in society and, amusingly enough, deliberately breaks the
"three laws" equivalent to see what it's like.... so we have this
bizarre robot wandering around lying, murdering people and generally
wreaking havoc all the while thinking about his 'sensations' during the
events. It's really highly original and quite recommended!!
-- Dave Taylor
taylor@hpldat.arpa
WITH A TANGLED SKEIN by Piers Anthony [***]
Del Rey, 1985, 280 pages
The third Incarnation in Immortality book, it looks at Fate and its
interactions with Satan and the mortal world. Significantly better
than the previous _Bearing an Hourglass_ but not as good as _Riding a
Pale Horse_, my biggest gripe is that the latter part of the book tells
the same plot as the first book. Once this becomes obvious, a lot of
suspense is lost and the ending comes off flat.
-- chuq von rospach
UNIVERSAL TRANSLATOR, ed. Susan Bridges
$2.75/issue, quarterly
Universal Translator is an indispensable resource for the zine
collector. Nominated for a fanzine Hugo this year, UT is a ~50 page,
quarterly listing of internationally available and proposed zines in
~30 SF/media categories. It also lists upcoming conventions,
"classified ads" on fannish topics, public statements from zine editors
and readers and has a zine review section. Most of the zines listed
here primarily print fiction, but there is also a column listing
letter/information zines. The current issue is #30, I've been a
subscriber since #4. If you're looking for a particular zine or have
some fan fiction you want to publish, this is a great place to get
information, if you just want to find out what zines are, browsing
through an issue will tell you a lot about the variety available.
-- Mary Anne Espenshade
umcp-cs!aplcen!aplvax!mae
mae@aplvax.arpa
WRITERS OF THE FUTURE, VOLUME 2 edited by A. J. Budrys [****]
Bridge, 1986, 390 pages, $3.95
The second volume of winners from the Writers of the Future contest
sponsored by the late L. Ron Hubbard, the stories are just as good as
those in the first book and most are very professional works. All of
the authors show great promise, and should be watched for in the
future. Least successful were the commentary by the famous authors
used to spice up the cover -- most were short and trivial, and the
space could have been better used by another unknown.
-- chuq von rospach
Reader's Survey for June, 1986
I'm going to take a break from asking specific questions this month.
The standard questions apply as always, though: What do you think was
best about the issue, and what was the worst?
* * *
Reader's Survey Report for May
1) Should OtherRealms publish fiction?
2) If so, what percentage of the magazine should be used for fiction?
3) Assuming that OtherRealms stays the same size, what parts would you
remove to make room?
4) Would there be interest in a second magazine for fiction?
5) Should the Pico reviews be split out into a separate magazine to make
room for other stuff, or should they be cut back (or left alone)?
All of these questions are inter-related, and so I'm going to look at
them that way. Almost everyone expressed an interest in seeing fiction.
Actually, most people specifically mentioned that they were interested
in seeing GOOD fiction. At the same time, few people wanted to see some
part of OtherRealms go away to make room for it. Most of the answers
were some variation of "Well, if I HAVE to..."
The offshoot of all of this is that there is a lot of support for a new
OtherRealms fiction magazine. From my point of view, though, I want to
wait on a second magazine for a number of reasons. First, and
foremost, is the simple fact that I don't know if there is enough
publishable fiction to support it. Another reason is that there is a
fair amount of work creating and maintaining a zine, and I don't want
to go through that until I'm sure that it is worth it (twice, that is.
I did it happily on faith with OtherRealms, but I'd rather build on
what I have if I can). A final reason is that I believe the prime
distribution net for OtherRealms (USENET and the UUCP networks) is
quite unstable and about to go through a number of significant changes
over the next few months, and I don't want to commit to something that
might get washed out by these changes until I see what happens.
I am still interested in fiction, though, and I plan to start using
fiction in a special section to OtherRealms as soon as I work out the
details. Please don't submit fiction yet! I'll let you know when I'm
ready for it.
I think we are in a position where everyone can win. The new
OtherRealms format gives me a setup where I'm not constantly trading
everything off each other for space, I can bring in fiction without
giving anything else up, and I'm not forced to go through the hassles
of a second publication setup. All of this is possible in great part
because of the feedback and suggestions I've gotten from people out
there -- the readers. Thanks, and keep up the good work. Remember, no
matter how good the magazine, the articles and the reviews, without the
readers they're nothing.
6) What about OtherRealms on paper?
The interest was mixed to negative here -- as I expected the market for
a paper version of OtherRealms is a different one from the electronic
version. I may well do this anyway (dreams of being the next Locus...)
but not for a while. There is still enough to learn about doing a good
magazine on the networks that I don't need any new challenges.
7) Anyone interested in an OtherRealms T-Shirt?
More Yes votes than I expected, frankly. I may well do one, when I can
track down a good idea and a good artist to help out. A piece of
obscurity to wear to the next Worldcon!
Favorite/Least Favorite articles.
There wasn't a clear cut favorite this month, although both the
editorial and my delRey piece got a lot of favorable comments. The
four Dave Berry reviews were, in retrospect, overkill in a single
issue, and a number of readers nicely pointed out that I should have
spread them out over a number of issues. With hindsight, I agree, and I
should have substituted something else.
OtherRealms Lettercol -- June 1986
Chuq,
Was the adaptation of Lord of the Rings the BBC one with Ian Holm as
Frodo? If not, there's another for you. The BBC have done several
enjoyable SF/fantasy productions. The adaptation/reading of Foundation
was, for me, more enjoyable than the book. The Hordes of the Things
was an amusing spoof of the genre. Earthsearch (somewhat hackneyed,
with self-serving computers) had a nice twist at the end that I didn't
suspect till the final episode, but then I never identify the murderer
in Agatha Christie stories...
Stephen Withers,
ACSnet: stephenw@murdu
UUCP: {seismo,mcvax,ukc,ubc-vision}!munnari!murdu.oz!stephenw
ARPA: munnari!murdu.oz!stephenw@seismo.css.gov
CSNET: stephenw%murdu@munnari.oz
Chuq,
Had a chance to chat with Robert Asprin at a recent tiny con here in
Austin. He said that he's contracted to do 6 more Myth books, and
hinted that the new ones will be quite different. He's grown
dissatisfied with Aahz and Skeeve, claiming that they're "dangerously
close to being not funny any more." So he's going to switch around to
other characters; at least one of the new ones will be told from
Gleep's point of view. Personally, I think he can pull it off. The
Myth books are short, and the topic is broad. By and large he also
manages to avoid the repetition and cuteness that turned me off of
Xanth several books back.
--Alan Wexelblat
wex@mcc.arpa
Chuq;
Issue 1.4 of OtherRealms contained two pairs of reviews, each covering
a book and a sequel to it. In one case, it happens that I have already
read both books. Because I have, I know that the second of the pair of
reviews contains a major spoiler of the first of the pair of books. I
would ask the reviewers to be more careful about such cross-spoilers in
the future. I would ask Chuq for a policy statement about spoiler
reviews in general.
Mark Brader
{ decvax | ihnp4 | watmath} !utzoo!lsuc!msb
[I agree with Mark that spoilers should be avoided whenever possible.
They aren't always possible, as my editorial on Callahan's Bar in V1.4
showed -- there was no way to get my points across any other way coherently.
Spoiler reviews should be (and will, from now on) marked as such so
that those haven't read the books yet can skip them. That is part of
my function, and I'll do what I can to make sure that you are warned in
the future. In general, I think a review that summarizes plot is a
lazy review, and if you find yourself doing that you should take a step
back and rethink what you are doing. It doesn't mean it is wrong, just
that you have to be aware of what you are doing. I'll be watching for
this more carefully in the future, and if I think a review can have the
spoilers removed, I'll ask the author for a rewrite.
-- chuq]
Editorial Notes and Comments on OtherRealms
The More Things Change Dept:
OtherRealms has mutated again. Between the comments I've gotten from
various people and my growing frustration with the enforced 50Kbyte
size limitation I've done some re-arranging. OtherRealms now comes in
two pieces: the first part contains the articles and other one time
editorial material, and the second part the columns.
This gives me more room and a lot more flexibility. I can now fit in
one or two more articles a month without having to squeeze things. I
don't have to worry about Pico Reviews pushing out the rest of the
magazine. I can worry more about the information in the issue than the
number of bytes I use to send it to you.
This also paves the way for other special features. I have a few
projects on the burner that would have potentially taken the editorial
space of an entire issue before; now I can simply make that a special
addition to an existing issue without taking away space from other
things. The Pico Review Index will be a special section. I expect
OtherRealms will average between 65 and 80,000 bytes for the forseeable
future, but some issues may well push 150,000. We now have in place a
way to deal with that kind of growth choking OtherRealms.
* * *
One of my hesitations in doing this before now is the issue of
protecting Copyrights and allowing the author to retain control of
their work. I now feel confident that a work published in OtherRealms
has an enforceable Copyright, and so I'm going to remove the
restriction on publishing fiction.
* * *
Errata: In the last issue, I accidently renamed Carl Gutekunst when
attributing his Pico review. My apologies to him and his parents, I
think his spelling is much superior to mine.
Masthead: The Necessary Administrivia
Masthead for OtherRealms
Volume 1, Number 5
June, 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
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. Multiple Pico reviews for the same work are welcome.
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 for a submission policy.
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. If you can't reach an author, I'll do what I can to get the
letter forwarded. All letters will be considered for publication
unless requested otherwise.
Deadline for submissions for the next issue is June 15, 1986. Survey
responses will be taken to about June 25, 1986.
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, Fidonet number 125/84, (415) 655-0667.
The Terraboard, Fidonet number 14/341, (612)721-8967.
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
The first rule of magic is simple. Don't waste your time waving your hands
and hoping when a rock or a club will do -- McCloctnik the Lucid