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* R E A D I N G F O R P L E A S U R E *
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* Issue #14 *
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* Editor: Cindy Bartorillo *
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* HAPPY HOLIDAYS *
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* Featured Authors: Robert A. Heinlein / Ellis Peters *
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CONTACT US AT: Reading For Pleasure, c/o Cindy Bartorillo, 103
Baughman's Lane, Suite 303, Frederick, MD 21702; or on CompuServe
leave a message to 74766,1206; or on GEnie leave mail to C.BARTORILLO;
or call our BBS, the BAUDLINE II at 301-694-7108, 1200-9600 HST.
NOTICE: Reading For Pleasure is not copyrighted. You may copy
freely, but please give us credit if you extract portions to use
somewhere else. Sample copies of our print edition are available
upon request. We ask for a donation of $1.50 each to cover the
printing and mailing costs.
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DISTRIBUTION DIRECTORY
Here are a few bulletin boards where you should be able to pick up the
latest issue of READING FOR PLEASURE. See masthead for where to send
additions and corrections to this list.
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RFP Home Board (all issues available all the time):
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Any board that participates in the RelayNet (tm) email system can
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NOTE: Back issues on CompuServe may have been moved to a different
library.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
What's News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Gauntlet #2 Coming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Postcards From the Edge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
A Good Old-Fashioned Christmas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365
Lost In a Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424
Making the Most of Medicare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 471
The Dame in the Kimono . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 523
Trust Me On This . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 538
The Cuckoo's Egg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 618
Best Western Nonfiction Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 698
Passages To Freedom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 740
SoftServ Paperless Bookstore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 771
How To Read Paperless Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 998
Genre Sections:
.............................................................
Loosen Your Grip On Reality 1025
Murder By The Book 2631
Frightful Fiction 3495
The Laugh's On Us 4148
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Back Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4215
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EDITORIAL
The subject this time is Naming Names. To begin with, there is a
controversy right now about uncredited book reviews. Several powerful
review periodicals, including Publishers Weekly, don't put any byline
on the reviews they publish, and a growing group of authors are
steamed about it. Despite the fact that Reading For Pleasure is
neither powerful nor controversial, we understand the position of
authors against uncredited reviews, and we will try very hard to
remember to put a byline on any review that we publish. Up to now the
rule of thumb is that any review not credited to someone else was
written by me.
That's what we're doing--now for what you should be doing. First of
all, it would help everyone out if you would mention RFP whenever
appropriate. If publishers and retailers hear our name, they might be
a bit more inclined to keep us up-to-date with catalogs and book
announcements. And if they keep US informed, we'll keep YOU informed.
Also, let us mention again that if you have a BBS and you carry RFP
regularly, *please* let us know your information so we can list you in
our Distribution Directory. We know for a fact that there are a bunch
of you out there who aren't 'fessin' up.
Lastly, sprinkled around this issue are a few mini biographies of some
of the people involved with RFP. Sort of a Parade of the Guilty, I
guess you could call it.
Have the very best Holiday you've ever had, and be sure to buy lots of
books for gift-giving. There are lots of great ideas in this issue,
and there are even more at your local bookstore. See you again in
issue #15 (available February 1, 1991), when our Featured Authors will
be Jonathan Carroll and Chet Williamson.
Cindy
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WHAT'S NEWS
* Are you a writer who can't seem to get published? Why not join The
Society of Rejected Writers, a support group for unpublished writers.
Membership will cost you $10 and 30 rejection slips. For more
information, write to: Bonnie Kaufman, SRW, 225 Central Park West,
#11-17, New York NY 10024.
* Writers frequently complain that their publishers don't publicize
their books sufficiently. William L. Shirer, author of the 1960
National Book Award winner THE RISE AND FALL OF THE THIRD REICH, has
put his money where his mouth is. Little, Brown took out some
advertisements when his book, A NATIVE'S RETURN 1945-1988, first came
out in January 1990, but failed to publish further ads after all the
book reviews had come in. Shirer filled the gap by taking out ads in
the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times at his own expense. Nice
idea if you can afford it. Unfortunately, most authors can't.
* Jerry Biederman went on "a scavenger hunt for strangers' secrets".
In a city he won't name (even his publishers don't know where it is)
he approached people for their secrets; and got legal releases from
them to put these secrets in a book as long as they, and the town,
remain anonymous. A mailman confesses that he subscribes to Time
simply for show, that he can't really read that well. A trash
collector has a recurring dream of being a superhero's sidekick. And
so on. If you'd like to see if other people's secrets are as weird and
depraved as your own, watch for Biederman's book, SECRETS OF A SMALL
TOWN: THE EXTRAORDINARY CONFESSIONS OF ORDINARY PEOPLE, coming in
March 1991 from Pharos Books.
* Just in case you thought evolution was finally working, I'll repeat
a story I read in Publishers Weekly. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist
H.G. Bissinger has been forced to cancel a promotional tour to Odessa,
Texas, because he has received "bodily threats" from some of local
citizens. He would have gone to promote his new book, FRIDAY NIGHT
LIGHTS, which is about Odessa's obsession with high school football.
OK, granted the book is a tad critical of Odessa, but "bodily
threats"?
* As I type this, more than 200,000 paperback books are being sent to
U.S. military personnel serving in the Persian Gulf. Eleven paperback
publishers, under the guise of the Paperback Publishing Division of
the Association of American Publishers, have donated books which
should have begun reaching the troops in early November. Some 100,000
of the books will be distributed by the USO in "Oasis Packages", which
will also include M&Ms, toothpaste, toothbrush, razor and blades,
writing paper, audio cassettes, and sunglasses. The eleven publishers
contributing books are: Avon, Ballantine, Bantam, Berkley, Dell,
HarperCollins, Penguin USA, Pocket Books, St. Martin's Press, Warner,
and Zebra Books.
* What do you do if you enjoy Kevin Costner's movie, DANCES WITH
WOLVES, but missed the book's publication in paperback back in 1988?
Newmarket Press comes to the rescue with a new hardcover edition of
the original novel, with an introduction by Costner and an afterword
by author Michael Blake (who also wrote the screenplay). The same
publisher also has DANCES WITH WOLVES: THE ILLUSTRATED STORY OF AN
EPIC FILM by Kevin Costner, Michael Blake, and Jim Wilson (he's the
producer of the movie). This is a $14.95 trade paperback with 170
photos and drawings, portions of the screenplay, articles about the
film's costumes and sets, and bits of relevant history, legend, and
literature.
* Jay McInerney's THE STORY OF MY LIFE (about a character named Alison
Poole), is being made into a one-woman play and will open in London
with Ally Sheedy.
* There's a new British magazine starting this month. It's called
MILLION: THE MAGAZINE OF POPULAR FICTION, the brainchild of David
Pringle (best known for his science fiction magazine, INTERZONE).
MILLION will have 68 pages of articles about popular writers,
interviews with them, book reviews, short stories, novel excerpts,
news, etc. For more information, write to: Popular Fictions, 124
Osbourne Rd., Brighton BN1 6LU, UK.
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COMING SOON! GAUNTLET #2!
GAUNTLET: Exploring the Limits of Free Expression
The only general-interest magazine about censorship has its second
issue coming out in March 1991. There's a new format this time--it's a
trade paperback (6 x 9), perfectbound; and it's not too soon to
reserve your copy. Issue #2 is a Stephen King special and will
include:
* Stephen King commentary by Michael Collings, Stephen Spignesi,
George Beahm and Howard Wornom; the latest news on King projects; and
an index of work by King censored in 1990.
* TWO stories by Ray Bradbury
plus:
Graham Masterton
Karl Wagner
Nancy Collins
Piers Anthony
2 Live Crew
Kathryn Ptacek
Kelley Wilde
Ray Garton
Dan Simmons
Skipp & Spector
Rex Miller
Andrew Vachss
and much more.
Make a check out for $8.95 to Gauntlet, Inc. (make it $15 if you want
#1 and #2; make it $21 if you want #1, #2, and the following year's
#3; add $15 if you want a Gauntlet T-shirt and specify Adult L or
Adult XL). Mail your check to: Gauntlet, Inc., Dept. O, 309 Powell
Rd., Springfield, PA 19064. Tell them RFP sent you.
(Late breaking news: There is now a special $75 limited edition
version of GAUNTLET, signed by many of the contributors--including
Stephen King, Graham Masterton, and Andrew Vachss. Send your check
(plus $3 shipping & handling) to: Borderlands Press, PO Box 32333,
Baltimore, MD 21208.
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POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE
by Carrie Fisher
(1987)
review by Cindy Bartorillo
Actress Carrie Fisher (best know as Princess Leia of STAR WARS)
apparently had a good-sized drug problem at one time, and POSTCARDS
FROM THE EDGE is where she put a lot of the insights she gained from
the related experiences (being on drugs, being around people who are
on drugs, being in a rehab clinic, being off drugs, etc.).
I'm of two minds about this book. On the one hand, the characters are
all drawn from a limited section of our population--they're all rich,
self-involved southern Californians who make their living in the movie
industry. They're psychologically screwed up, but very, very
sophisticated about it. I don't know about you, but I don't know
anybody like this, and I'm damn glad about that. Here's a sample of
First Date dinner conversation from someone our heroine has an
almost-relationship with (this is all said dead-serious):
"I envy people meeting me for the first time," he said. "That first
meeting is everything, because I can watch their eyes and see it all
happen, and I want to BE them. *I* want to meet somebody like me."
Would you sit around listening to this kind of person? Would you
voluntarily spend time with this person? So, what I'm saying is that
the characters are difficult to sympathize with---because they're
alien, and because they're so obnoxious.
On the other hand, though, there's the writing, which is devastatingly
perceptive and enormously funny. Early in the book there's the
interior monologue of a cocaine user who decides to give it up and
then, within minutes, is consuming enough cocaine (and other drugs) to
wind up in the hospital. How he talks himself into his behavior is the
funniest and saddest few pages I've ever read.
Also, once we get away from the early emphasis on drugs, POSTCARDS
becomes more cheerful and more interesting. We see Suzanne Vale, our
heroine, on the job making a movie, shopping with a girlfriend, and
facing the terrifying possibility that, just maybe, she's actually
having an honest-to-God relationship. It's a fun trip.
On the whole, I give POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE a thumbs-up. I'm still
suspicious of Californians, but at least they're funny.
NOTES: As I'm sure you noticed, POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE was a major
motion picture of Fall 1990, directed by Mike Nichols and starring
Meryl Streep, Shirley MacLaine, and Dennis Quaid. Carrie Fisher wrote
the screenplay herself, which she will also do for her second novel,
SURRENDER THE PINK, the film to be co-produced by Ms. Fisher and
Steven Spielberg. Her third novel, DELUSIONS OF GRANDMA, is due to be
released in early 1992.
MORE NOTES: While I've got you here, I might as well pass along the
rumor that Carrie Fisher did not actually write POSTCARDS FROM THE
EDGE (the novel, that is). I have NO knowledge about this issue at
all, and mention this only as an interesting bit of trivia.
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CINDY BARTORILLO was given a copy of THE SECRET GARDEN by Frances
Hodgson Burnett at a very young and impressionable age, which explains
her fascination for secret doors. Another favorite volume of her early
years was EDWARD LEAR'S BOOK OF NONSENSE, a large collection of
limericks, which explains her interest in poetry. These first volumes
led inevitably to Nancy Drew mysteries, which led to Perry Mason
mysteries, and before long she was hooked on the hard stuff: Fredric
Brown and Cornell Woolrich. In school she learned that of all the ways
to waste your time, school is the most boring. One day she found
herself reading Theodore Dreiser for fun, and immediately quit going
to school and eating meat. Before long, Cindy had discovered the
Victorians, which soon led to gothic fiction and ultimately to modern
horror. Today, when asked what she "does", she replies "I read", which
satisfies her and tends to puzzle everyone else.
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A GOOD OLD-FASHIONED CHRISTMAS
by Robert Benchley
(1981, Ipswich Press)
review Cindy Bartorillo
What better way to celebrate Christmas than with a collection of
Robert Benchley's yuletide essays? This volume makes a great Christmas
gift and a very nice introduction to Benchley's humor. The essays
range from 1921 to 1949, and deal with such standard Christmas issues
as boredom, the tyranny of tradition, social obligations, and
children:
"One of the problems of child education which is not generally
included in books on the subject is the Visiting Schoolmate. By this
is meant the little friend whom your child brings home for the
holidays. What is to be done with him, the Law reading as it does?"
---from "The Stranger Within Our Gates" (1930)
Indeed, Benchley manages to put his finger on the true value of
children at Christmas:
"For, after all, we must keep in touch with the children, because some
day they will get all of Grandma's money."
---from "Here Come the Children" (1925)
If your bookstore doesn't carry A GOOD OLD-FASHIONED CHRISTMAS, you
can get it the same place I did--from A Common Reader, a terrific
catalog source of unusual reading material, or as they say, "A
selection of books for readers with imagination". You can reach them
at: A Common Reader, 175 Tompkins Avenue, Pleasantville, NY 10570;
914-747-3388. By the way, they have other Robert Benchley books too.
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WHO IS ROBERT PITTMAN
AND WHY DOES HE WRITE FOR RFP?
He lives in Glenview, Kentucky and for the past five years has enjoyed
the state and status of retirement. His work career spanned 36 years
with a single company, B.A.T. Industries, where he specialized in
marketing, public relations and political relations. Other than the
United States, interesting tours of duty included Costa Rica, El
Salvador and Panama. He is a native of North Carolina but departed
that delightful area immediately following graduation from North
Carolina State College and now considers himself a fully-qualified
Kentuckian. He is married and has four children, all young adults.
Reading has always been a favorite pastime and his range of interests
is wide with a slight leaning toward science fiction.
Contributions to Reading For Pleasure came about because of his son
Bill. Bill is a Macintosh maven and through his contacts in the
computer networks, found an early issue of RFP and formed a
communication with the editor. It was not long before Bill was saying,
"Pop, why don't YOU write something and contribute it to Reading For
Pleasure?" He wrote something, Cindy said, "Thanks", Bill said,
"More", and so it goes.
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LOST IN A BOOK
The Psychology of Reading For Pleasure
by Victor Nell
(1988, Yale University Press)
review by Howard Frye
Remember Masters & Johnson, the pair who published the huge study of
human sexuality? That was when we all found out for the first time
that everyone else is just as much of a pervert as we are. Well, LOST
IN A BOOK does the exact same thing for readers. The prose is on the
dry side, but it's a fascinating study of who reads, how they read,
what they read, and why they read. You'll particularly like the
discussions of "reading trance", a phenomenon that I bet you thought
nobody else knew about. Finally, someone who brings the literary focus
back where it belongs, with the reader.
"Traditional methods of criticism are fine if you're preparing a
museum exhibit, with the author, or his book, carefully pinned to
black velvet and positioned under glass, but what meaning can it
possibly have to readers?"
--from LOST IN A BOOK by Victor Nell
"Reading is creative...what any reader derives from the printed page,
therefore, is not exactly what some other reader would get or even
what the author had in mind, but to a certain degree at least a
personal recreation on the part of the reader."
--from BASES FOR EFFECTIVE READING by M.A. Tinker (1965)
and quoted in LOST IN A BOOK by Victor Nell
"When we hold a book in our hands, all we hold is paper. The book is
elsewhere."
--from THE BOOK REVOLUTION by R. Escarpit (1966)
and quoted in LOST IN A BOOK by Victor Nell
LOST IN A BOOK is now available in an economical ($14.95) trade
paperback from Yale University Press.
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ANNIE WILKES is a retired nurse who first discovered books while
working the 11pm to 7am shift. At first she preferred romance novels,
but she's since gone on to suspense and horror stories. Annie spends
her time doing volunteer work at the local Retirement Center, and in
the evenings she reads and avoids housework.
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MAKING THE MOST OF MEDICARE
by Arthur R. Pell, Ph.D.
(1990, DCI Publishing)
review by Cindy Bartorillo
Yeah, I know, Medicare is that idea they came up with for your
grandparents. Well, don't look now, but you're one year closer to
Medicare than you were this time last year, and next year you'll be
even closer. If you or your parents are within shoutin' distance of
65, you'll want to have a copy of this book. You can't win the medical
insurance game if you don't know the rules.
Dr. Pell starts with a thorough description of who's covered by
Medicare, how to apply, and generally what Medicare will do for you
once you've got it. An entire chapter is devoted to explaining what
Medicare will pay for if you receive medical care in a hospital, a
skilled-nursing facility, a hospice, or at home (and how to make
informed decisions if you have a choice about where to be sick).
Another chapter covers the bills you receive from your doctor, along
with many recommendations for managing your medical care for
economical efficiency.
Perhaps the most useful parts of this guide are the practical
chapters. Let's say you've determined that Medicare should pay you
$100, but *they* say they should pay you only $15. What do you do now?
Dr. Pell includes many pages of real-life examples with concrete
solutions. Let's face it, rules aren't much good if you can't enforce
them in your own behalf.
MAKING THE MOST OF MEDICARE also covers groups with specific
perspectives. Those with coverage from another company will find out
how to use both to their best advantage. Medicaid, veteran's benefits,
and HMO's also are covered at length. And for those with chronic
medical problems, there is an entire chapter discussing the insurance
aspects of nursing homes, hospices, and home care.
Rounding out the book with a more human element, Dr. Pell discusses
general strategies and common sense advice for dealing with medical
care professionals and hospitals. This is important and encouraging
material that will help in the empowering of patients. The idea is to
participate actively and aggressively in your own medical care,
improving the quality of your own life (and possibly improving the
quality of medical care in general).
MAKING THE MOST OF MEDICARE is an absolutely essential guide to the
maze that is medical insurance for the elderly, and I can't imagine
the subject being handled more lucidly. All the information is
presented clearly and arranged usefully. At $11.95, this is a Best
Buy.
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THE DAME IN THE KIMONO
Hollywood, Censorship, & the Production Code
From the 1920s to the 1960s
by Leonard J. Leff & Jerold L. Simmons
(1990, Grove Weidenfeld)
comment by Howard Frye
A good, if somewhat dry, account of movie censorship, and the eleven
movies that shaped the Production Code: DEAD END, GONE WITH THE WIND,
THE OUTLAW, THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE, THE BICYCLE THIEF,
DETECTIVE STORY, A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, THE MOON IS BLUE, THE
FRENCH LINE, LOLITA, WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?
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TRUST ME ON THIS
by Donald E. Westlake
(1988, Mysterious)
review by Cindy Bartorillo
JOGGING CAUSES NYMPHOMANIA
Have you ever wondered where those great headlines you see at the
supermarket checkout come from? "11-Yr-Old Gives Birth To Siamese
Twins During Gym Class" "Enraged Wife Feeds Husband To Dogs" "I Had
Bigfoot's Baby" How do these newspapers find all those crazies? How do
they generate so much nonsense week after week? Well, here's Donald
Westlake to the rescue, to tell us all about the inner workings of the
Weekly Galaxy. TRUST ME ON THIS does, however, bear the following
notice in the front:
A WORD IN YOUR EAR
Although there is no newspaper anywhere in the United States
like the WEEKLY GALAXY, as any alert reader will quickly
realize, were there such a newspaper in actual real-life
existence its activities would be stranger, harsher and more
outrageous than those described herein. The fictioneer labors
under the restraint of plausibility; his inventions must stay
within the capacity of the audience to accept and believe.
God, of course, working with facts, faces no such limitation.
Were there a factual equivalent to the WEEKLY GALAXY, it
would be much worse than the paper I have invented, its staff
and ownership even more lost to all considerations of truth,
taste, proportion, honor, morality or any shred of common
humanity. Trust me.
That has got to be the most eloquent preface I have ever read, as well
as being an incredibly clever twist of logic to tweak the nose of the
scandal sheets.
If a supposed real newspaper's activities are going to be "stranger,
harsher and more outrageous" than those of the WEEKLY GALAXY, they've
really got to work at it. Hilarious from first page to last, TRUST ME
ON THIS is a romp through the big issues of our day: morality, the
First Amendment, the power of the press, and the sex lives of
celebrities. On the way we meet some of the wackiest characters on
this side of the nuthouse. But let me get back to the beginning.
We begin with Sara Joslyn on her way to her first day of work as a
reporter for the WEEKLY GALAXY. On her way to the office she comes
upon a car on the side of the road with a dead body falling out of it.
The dead body has a bullet hole in the forehead. Like a good reporter,
Sara's main thought is what a great first day this will be; she will
arrive with her first story ready to be written up. She reports the
dead body to the guard at the gate, then rushes to meet her new
bosses. At the top there's Bruno DeMassi (appropriately called "Massa"
by his employees). He's the editor, publisher, and owner of the WEEKLY
GALAXY, and his office is in a large elevator so that he can pop up
amongst his employees unexpectedly, the better to instill terror in
the troops. Sara is assigned to work for editor Jack Ingersoll, a
ruthless, ambitious man who just might (or might not) have the
remnants of what used to be a conscience.
Sara joyfully presents him with her story about the dead body and
receives the response, "On what series is he a regular?" Which is
Sara's first lesson in WEEKLY GALAXY journalism, a lesson that shocks
and appalls her, but which she learns well, and soon Sara shows
promise of becoming a first-rate WEEKLY GALAXY reporter. (Westlake
makes it very clear that working for such a "newspaper" is two things
above all: tacky and terrifically fun.) Her dead body, however,
refuses to go away. First, the guard she reported it to is never seen
again. Then the paper on which she took notes about the body,
including the license plate number of the car, disappears. Even though
Sara is busy with her important assignments as a reporter: the
beer-and-potato chip diet, the 100-year-old twins, the marriage of a
Don Johnson-like TV star--still, the insignificant murder of one
unknown man continues to intrude on her life.
A typical bravura performance by Donald Westlake, and a particular
delight for the reader. Highly recommended.
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THE CUCKOO'S EGG
Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage
by Clifford Stoll
(Doubleday, 1989)
review by Cindy Bartorillo
Clifford Stoll is an astronomer by training, who, through the
capricious whim of fortune became an expert on computer security. The
loss of his grant at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories found him
accepting a job in the computer department, and on his second day on
the job he was given a busywork assignment: find out why the two arms
of the accounting software disagreed by 75 cents. You see, computer
time costs (at that time the cost was $300 an hour), so accounting and
billing are important parts of the computer department's life. Cliff
Stoll studied the computer log and discovered a user named Hunter who
didn't have a valid billing address, so no one was paying for his
time. And he had used exactly 75 cents worth of time.
The ominous fact that Cliff Stoll discovered was that 75 cents worth
of computer time was all that it took for "Hunter" to break into the
LBL computer and steal several legitimate accounts for use later. With
one brief call, someone had seriously compromised security at LBL.
More ominously, this same person had used the phone connection to LBL
to continue on out over a computer network, calling and breaking in to
computers all over the U.S., military computers mostly. On each
computer he'd take the password file, scan electronic mail for
interesting bits of information, and read any text files that seemed
to contain high-tech military information.
And only Cliff Stoll realized this computer thief was around. When
Cliff notified the systems managers at the various installations the
hacker visited, he invariably got one of two reactions. Either the
head computer person didn't realize there was a problem, and either
refused to believe it or didn't really care; or Cliff got total
rejection--the "Not here, buddy, we run a SECURE computer" song and
dance. Which, as Stoll proved, is entirely an illusion. Any computer
that is connected to the outside world is vulnerable and CAN be
infiltrated. If the good guys can get in, so can the bad guys.
In the course of this fascinating story, Cliff Stoll demonstrates that
ignorance can be very damaging. By ignoring or minimizing the problems
of computer security, systems managers insure that the problems will
continue. As we see in THE CUCKOO'S EGG, hackers are not the bored
overachieving computer geniuses that the media has painted them. They
are simply disaffected people with access to computers, and we are at
the mercy of their malevolence, or the motivations of the foreign
government that pays them.
Among the many rewards of reading THE CUCKOO'S EGG is the glimpse we
get of our government organizations at work, or not at work.
Organizations who appear to be using secrecy to hide the fact that
they essentially do nothing at all. And organizations that are avid
collectors of software loopholes, but won't tell anyone about them. As
Stoll shows, the bad guys are good at finding loopholes; the only
people who don't know about them are the good guys.
Wisely, Cliff Stoll doesn't make his book simply a high-tech thriller.
THE CUCKOO'S EGG is very much the personal story of a distinctive, and
charming individual. He bakes cookies, and gives us his recipe. He
dresses up like the Pope. He cooks sneakers in the microwave. No one
else could have told this story exactly like Cliff, and he has done an
excellent job of weaving his themes together. It's partly a detective
story, partly a personal odyssey, and partly a political statement.
And all of it makes great reading.
NOTE: THE CUCKOO'S EGG is now available in a mass market paperback
edition for $5.95 from Pocket Books.
************************
Reading for pleasure is often light reading, but not always: one of
pleasure reading's paradoxes is that for many sophisticated readers, a
wide range of materials, from the trashiest to the most literate and
demanding works, may induce reading trance, and such readers are
intrigued by the pleasure they derive from material they know to be
culturally worthless.
--Victor Nell (LOST IN A BOOK)
************************
BEST WESTERN NONFICTION BOOKS
(according to members of the Western Writers of America)
Abbey, Edward Desert Solitaire
Abbott, E.C. We Pointed Them North
Adams, Andy Log of a Cowboy
Bourke, John G. On the Border with Crook
Brown, Dee Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (biggest vote-getter)
Cunningham, Eugene Triggernometry
Dary, David The Buffalo Book
DeVoto, Bernard Across the Wide Missouri
DeVoto, Bernard Year of Decision, 1876
Dobie, J. Frank Coronado's Children
Dobie, J. Frank The Longhorns
Dobie, J. Frank The Mustangs
Fehrenbach, T.R. The Comanches
Fehrenbach, T.R. Lone Star
Graves, John Goodbye to a River
Gregg, Josiah Commerce on the Prairies
Grinnell, George Bird The Fighting Cheyennes
Haley, J. Evetts Charles Goodnight
Horgan, Paul The Great River
Lake, Stuart N. Wyatt Earp
Lavender, David Bent's Fort
Metz, Leon C. Pat Garrett: The Story of a Lawman
Parkman, Francis The Oregon Trail
Rollins, Philip A. The Cowboy
Rosa, Joseph G. They Called Him Wild Bill
Sandoz, Mari The Buffalo Hunters
Sandoz, Mari Cheyenne Autumn
Sandoz, Mari Crazy Horse
Sandoz, Mari Old Jules
Sonnichsen, C.L. Law West of the Pecos
Stone, Irving Men to Match My Mountains
Thrapp, Dan The Conquest of Apacheria
Twain, Mark Roughing It
Ward, Fay The Cowboy at Work
Webb, Walter Prescott The Great Plains
Webb, Walter Prescott The Texas Rangers
************************
PASSAGES TO FREEDOM: A Story of Capture and Escape
by Joseph S. Frelinghuysen
The honest, unpretentious story of a captain in the U.S. Army,
ambushed and imprisoned in Nazi German-occupied North Africa, and
taken to Italian POW camps.
On 23 September 1943 Joe Frelinghuysen escaped from the camp at Fonte
d'Amore and spent the next seven weeks in the Italian mountains,
running and hiding from the Germans.
PASSAGES TO FREEDOM is a suspenseful, touching story of a gentle,
compassionate American, set in a brutal epoch.
303 pages, illustrated, $17.95, from Sunflower University Press, 1531
Yuma (Box 1009), Manhattan, Kansas 66502-4228. Phone 913-539-1888.
************************
If you're handy around the house, or would like to be, you need to get
a catalog from The Taunton Press, 63 South Main Street, Box 5506,
Newtown, CN 06470-5506. They have beautiful, profusely illustrated
how-to guides and a comprehensive line of helpful videotapes too. Ask
for their Fine Homebuilding Books & Videos catalog for help with
flooring, stairbuilding, tilesetting, cabinets, trim, and
architecture. Ask for their Fine Woodworking catalog for help with
tools, methods, wood, furniture, and design. The books look great and
the prices are very reasonable.
************************
SOFTSERV PAPERLESS BOOKSTORE
If you're interested in books-on-disk, be sure to fire up your modem
and call The SoftServ Paperless Bookstore BBS (213-957-1176 or
213-957-0874, 9600 baud HST Dual Standard). You can have the books
mailed to you on disk, or you can download them right while you're
online. Here's a list of what's available there, and what's on the
way.
CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ON SOFTSERV
AGBERG, LTD. [available only on SoftServ]
Capricorn Games, stories--Robert Silverberg
Parsecs and Parables, stories--Robert Silverberg
The Shores of Tomorrow, stories--Robert Silverberg
BANKS & LAMBE, PUBLISHERS
The Odysseus Solution, a novel--Michael Banks and Dean R. Lambe
CADENZA COMMUNICATIONS, INC. [available only on SoftServ]
The Rainbow Cadenza, a novel--J. Neil Schulman
The Robert Heinlein Interview and Other Heinleiniana--J. Neil Schulman
CONNECTED EDITIONS [Originals/available only on SoftServ & Connect Ed]
The Birdhouse Cathedral, poetry--William Dubie
Fellow Travellers--Sharon Lerch
Security, a Novel--Sharon Lerch
Essays on Cyberspace--Paul Levinson
Deuce of a Time, a novel--Paul Levinson
Onlines: Chronicles--Paul Levinson
Decisions--Donald B. Straus
The Loom & The Keyboard--Gail S. Thomas
The Age of Choice: Commentaries on Public and International
Affairs, 1987-1990--Harlan Cleveland
DISTANT EAGLE PUBLISHING COMPANY [Originals/available only on
SoftServ]
Seven Novels of the Last Days
Volume I The Voice of Day--James David Audlin
Volume II The Wings of the Morning--James David Audlin
Volume III The Productions of Time--James David Audlin
HEWW [available only on SoftServ and HEWW BBS]
The Harbinger Trilogy
Book 1: Not Against Flesh and Blood--J.H. Kent Lyons
Book 2: What Shall Be the Sign?--J.H. Kent Lyons
Book 3: The TIme of the End--J.H. Kent Lyons
The Jesus Case--J.H. Kent Lyons
Canadiana--J.H. Kent Lyons
The Short Form Bible--J.H. Kent Lyons
THE KILIMANJARO CORPORATION [available only on SoftServ]
The Beast That Shouted Love at the Heart of the World--Harlan Ellison
Paingod and Other Delusions--Harlan Ellison
The Glass Teat: essays of opinion on television--Harlan Ellison
KOPUBCO
The Jehovah Contract, a novel--Victor Koman
Solomon's Knife, a novel--Victor Koman
New Libertarian Manifesto--Samuel Edward Konkin III
LOOMPANICS UNLIMITED
Natural Law or Don't Put A Rubber On Your Willy--Robert Anton Wilson
SYNAPSE BOOKS [Originals/available only on SoftServ]
The Hawk Trilogy
Volume 1 Hawk's Last Case--Red Greene
Volume 2 Hawk Gets Liberated--Red Greene
Volume 3 Hawk Goes Hollywood--Red Greene
The Devil's Drainpipe--Keith Kirts
Space Sex, or Tricks For Goldfish--Keith Kirts
Trysts--William T.R. Mellon
Aids Inc--Jon Rappoport
ROBERT RODI, PUBLISHER [Original/available only on SoftServ]
The World in a Hurry Again, a novel--Robert St. Onge Rodi
COMING SOON FROM SOFTSERV
BENARES & CARR, PUBLISHERS [Original/available only on SoftServ]
The Crying Clown Celebration--Camden Benares and John F. Carr
BERKLEY PUBLISHING CORPORATION [available only on SoftServ]
The Rape of the A*P*E, humor--Allan Sherman
CADENZA COMMUNICATIONS, INC. [Originals/available only on SoftServ]
Alongside Night, a novel--J. Neil Schulman
The Second Remove and Other Departures--J. Neil Schulman
The Musician and Other Musings--J. Neil Schulman
No Strings Attached: A Screenplay--J. Neil Schulman
All The King's Horses and other Screen Treatments--J. Neil Schulman
Profile In Silver and other Teleplays--J. Neil Schulman
Alongside Night: The Screenplay--J. Neil Schulman
CONNECTED EDITIONS [Original/available only on SoftServ & Connect Ed]
Understanding In-Flight Radiation--Robert Barish
The Visual Plough, poetry--Ron Buck
Snapshots, poetry--Ron Buck
DISTANT EAGLE PUBLISHING
Seven Novels of the Last Days
Volume IV A Mirror Filled With Light--James David Audlin
Volume V A Stitch in Time--James David Audlin
Moths That Seek The Moon and Other Dreams--James David Audlin
After Creation and Other Poems--James David Audlin
GPG PUBLICATIONS [Original/available only on SoftServ]
Lines of Fire, a novel--Guy Giovanello
HEWW [available only on SoftServ & HEWW BBS]
The Adventures of Harbinger--J.H. Kent Lyons
Plain Upon Tables, autobiography--J.H. Kent Lyons
The Elders' Cookbook--grandmothers in Vancouver, Canada
Compuflu: Five Tales--H E W W writers
Northern Light Verse... Eh?--HEWW poets
THE KILAMANJARO CORPORATION [available only on SoftServ]
Approaching Oblivion--Harlan Ellison
The Web of the City--Harlan Ellison
The Other Glass Teat--Harlan Ellison
Memos from Purgatory--Harlan Ellison
Ellison Wonderland--Harlan Ellison
KOPUBCO
An Agorist Primer--Samuel Edward Konkin III
LOOMPANICS UNLIMITED
Native American Anarchism--E. M. Schuster (ed.)
The Eden Seeker's Guide--edited by William L. Seavey
ROBERT RODI, PUBLISHER [Original/available only on SoftServ]
Baleford House, a novel--Robert St. Onge Rodi
IN PROCESS OF CONVERSION TO ELECTRONIC TEXT
AGBERG, LTD. [available only on SoftServ]
Valley Beyond Time--Robert Silverberg
The Science-Fictional Dinosaur--Robert Silverberg (ed.)
Men and Machines--Robert Silverberg (ed.)
CONNECTED EDITIONS [available only on SoftServ & Connected Education]
Provocations-- Walter Orr Roberts: non-fiction essays by co-author
of the nuclear winter book.
DISTANT EAGLE PUBLISHING
Seven Novels of the Last Days
Volume VI The Stars Blindly Run--James David Audlin
Volume VII The Silence--James David Audlin
THE KILIMANJARO CORPORATION [available only on SoftServ]
Deathbird Stories--Harlan Ellison
I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream--Harlan Ellison
No Doors, No Windows--Harlan Ellison
Stalking the Nightmare--Harlan Ellison
KOPUBCO [available only on SoftServ]
Death's Dimensions--Victor Koman [Original/available only on SoftServ]
Saucer Sluts--Victor Koman [available only on SoftServ]
LOOMPANICS UNLIMITED
Free-Lance Writer's Handbook--James Wilson
The Complete Guide to Science Fiction Conventions--Erwin S. Strauss
How to Publish a Fanzine--Mike Gunderloy
How to Make Cash Money Selling at Swap Meets, Flea Markets, Etc.
--Jordan Coopers
How to Find Missing Persons--Ronald George Eriksen 2
The Resurrection of Aristocracy--Rudolph Carlyle Evans
Lucifer's Lexicon--L.A. Rollins
The Myth of Natural Rights--L. A. Rollins
How to Buy Land Cheap--Edward Preston
How to Survive a Nuclear Accident--Duncan Long
Surviving Major Chemical Accidents--Duncan Long
Survival Bartering--Duncan Long
Uninhabited and Desert Islands--Jon Fisher
The Last Frontiers on Earth--Jon Fisher
OFF-THE-WALL ENTERPRISES
Off The Wall, edited by Brad Linaweaver [Original/available only on
SoftServ]
UNDER CONTRACT BUT NOT YET IN CONVERSION
AGBERG, LTD. [available only on SoftServ]
The Aliens--edited by Robert Silverberg
The Best of New Dimensions--edited by Robert Silverberg
Car Sinister--edited by Robert Silverberg
Dawn of Time edited--by Robert Silverberg
Mutants--edited by Robert Silverberg
Lost Worlds, Unknown Horizons--edited by Robert Silverberg
Strange Gifts edited by Robert Silverberg
BLUE MOON PRODUCTIONS [Original/available only on SoftServ]
Stretch Marks, a novel--Christine Conlin
THE KILAMANJARO CORPORATION [available only on SoftServ]
The Deadly Streets--Harlan Ellison
An Edge in My Voice--Harlan Ellison
Gentleman Junkie and Other Stories of the Hung Up Generation--Ellison
Love Ain't Nothing But Sex Misspelled--Harlan Ellison
Medea: Harlan's World--Harlan Ellison
Partners in Wonder: sf collaborations with 14 other wild talents--Ellison
Shatterday--Harlan Ellison
Sleepless Nights in the Procrustean Bed--Harlan Ellison
Spider Kiss--Harlan Ellison (edited by Marty Clark)
The Starlost #1: Phoenix Without Ashes--Ellison (with Edward Bryant)
Strange Wine--Harlan Ellison
KOPUBCO [available only on SoftServ]
Firescar: The Screenplay--Victor Koman [available only on SoftServ]
Untitled New Novel--Victor Koman
Agent For Anarchy: The Rann Gold Stories--Samuel Edward Konkin III
[available only on SoftServ]
Perspective Inversion: Collected Essays of Samuel Edward Konkin III
[available only on SoftServ]
An Essay on Trial By Jury--Lysander Spooner
No Treason: The Constitution of No Authority--Lysander Spooner
The Best of New Libertarian Notes, 1971-1975
[available only on SoftServ]
The Best of New Libertarian Weekly, 1975-1977
[available only on SoftServ]
The Best of New Libertarian, 1977-1988 [available only on SoftServ]
************************
HOW TO READ PAPERLESS BOOKS
The best program I know of for reading long text files on your IBM
computer is David R. Grigg's Autoread. With Autoread you can set
chapter stops so that you can go directory to any chapter. You can set
bookmarks to return to any particular place in the file. And you can
search on keywords to find just the right paragraph. When a
character's name is mentioned, and you can't remember who it is, just
tell Autoread to search out all previous references to that name.
Shazam! Instant memory. On top of all that, every time you start
Autoread with a particular text file, it automatically goes to where
you were when you left the program the last time. I also like the fact
that screen colors are easily changeable on the fly, and the author
has some other good features planned for future updates (like mouse
support, 43- and 50-line screens, and shortened forms of the menu
commands).
Autoread is a $15 shareware program for IBM's and compatibles. Look
for it on BBSs near you, or you can download it from RFP's home board
(The Baudline II BBS 301-694-7108. At the moment the latest version
for download is called AUTOREAD.ZIP). Best idea of all: for $25 you
can get the very latest version sent to you from the author himself
(David R. Grigg, 1556 Main Road, Research, Victoria 3095, Australia).
************************
<-*->:<-*->:<-*->:<-*->:<-*->:<-*->
< >
< LOOSEN YOUR GRIP ON REALITY >
< >
<-*->:<-*->:<-*->:<-*->:<-*->:<-*->
<< Editor: Darryl Kenning >>
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Loosen Your Grip On Reality is a division of Reading For Pleasure,
published bimonthly. This material is NOT COPYRIGHTED and may be used
freely by all. Contributions of information, reviews, etc. should be
sent to:
Darryl Kenning CompuServe: 76337,740
6331 Marshall Rd. or GEnie: D.Kenning
Centerville, Ohio 45459 HeavenSoft BBS 513-836-4288
The Annex BBS 513-274-0821
---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------- RANDOM ACCESS ----------------------------------------------
Instead of my usual editorial, for this issue I am including remarks
made by Robert A. Heinlein. In some ways the style marks the speech as
older; it has not been particularly fashionable to be unabashedly
patriotic in recent years; and few people will profess to duty and
country. But every time I read this, from the very first time, I
confess to a lump in my throat and a stiffening of shoulders - because
I also believe - Thank You for saying it so well Bob.
Darryl Kenning
Centerville, Ohio
**********************
THIS I BELIEVE
Robert A. Heinlein
[This was originally broadcast on the Edward R. Murrow show, and read
by Mrs. Virginia Heinlein on the occasion of NASA's posthumous award
of the Distinguished Public Service Medal to Robert Heinlein, October,
1988.]
I am not going to talk about religious beliefs but about matters so
obvious that it has gone out of style to mention them. I believe in
my neighbors. I know their faults, and I know that their virtues far
outweigh their faults.
Take Father Michael down the road a piece. I'm not of his creed, but I
know that goodness and charity and loving kindness shine in his daily
actions. I believe in Father Mike. If I'm in trouble, I'll go to him.
My next-door neighbor is a veterinary doctor. Doc will get out of bed
after a hard day to help a stray cat. No fee -- no prospect of a fee
-- I believe in Doc.
I believe in my townspeople. You can knock on any door in our town
saying "I'm hungry," and you will be fed. Our town is no exception.
I've found the same ready charity everywhere. But for the one who says
"To heck with you -- I got mine," there are a hundred, a thousand who
will say "Sure pal, sit down."
I know that despite all warnings against hitchhikers I can step to the
highway, thumb for a ride, and in a few minutes a car or a truck will
stop and someone will say "Climb in Mac -- how far are you going?"
I believe in my fellow citizens. Our headlines are splashed with crime
yet for every criminal there are 10,000 honest, decent, kindly men. If
it were not so no child would live to grow up. Business could not go
on from day to day. Decency is not news. It is buried in the
obituaries, but it is a force stronger than crime. I believe in the
patient gallantry of nurses and the tedious sacrifices of teachers. I
believe in the unseen and unending fight against desperate odds that
goes on quietly in almost every home in the land
I believe in the honest craft of workmen. Take a look around you.
There never were enough bosses to check up on all that work. From
Independence Hall to the Grand Coulee Dam, these things were built
level and square by craftsmen who were honest in their bones.
I believe that almost all politicians are honest ... there are
hundreds of politicians, low paid or not paid at all doing their level
best without thanks or glory to make our system work. If this were not
true we would never have gotten past the 13 Colonies.
I believe in Rodger Young. You and I are free today because of endless
unnamed heroes from Valley Forge to the Yalu River. I believe in--I am
proud to belong to--the United States. Despite shortcomings from
lynchings to bad faith in high places, our nation has had the most
decent and kindly internal practices and foreign policies to be found
anywhere in history.
And finally, I believe in my whole race. Yellow, white, black, red,
brown. In the honesty, courage, intelligence, durability and GOODNESS
of the overwhelming majority of my brothers and sisters everywhere on
this planet. I am proud to be a human being. I believe that we have
come this far by the skin of our teeth. That we ALWAYS make it just by
the skin of our teeth, but that we will always make it. Survive.
Endure. I believe that this hairless embryo with the aching, oversize
brain case and the opposable thumb, this animal barely up from the
apes will ENDURE. Will ENDURE longer than his home planet--will
spread out to the stars and beyond, carrying with him his honesty and
insatiable curiosity, his unlimited courage and his noble essential
decency.
This I believe with all my heart.
**********************
As always, your comments, questions, or observations about RANDOM
ACCESS or anything else in LYGOR are welcome, get them to me at any of
the addresses listed on the masthead.
darryl
------- News 'N Notes ------------------------------------------------
* If there was a medical process that could take your aging, sick body
and transform it into a healthy, young body, and this process could be
repeated every 10-12 years, would you go through it? What if the
process cost one million pounds sterling? This is the basic idea
behind Joe Haldeman's novel, BUYING TIME, and it is on its way to
being made into a feature film right now. Joe Haldeman will create the
first step: a screenplay outline.
* In the beginning there was ENDER'S GAME. Then SPEAKER FOR THE DEAD.
And soon there will be XENOCIDE. (All by Orson Scott Card.)
* There's a new Elric novel on the way from Michael Moorcock: THE
REVENGE OF THE ROSE. Currently, Moorcock is working on JERUSALEM
COMMANDS, the third Pyat novel.
* Have you seen the special 25th Anniversary paperback reprint of DUNE
from Berkley Publishing? Did you know that there was a $1 refund offer
on it (and the other Dune novels)? You had to send in your cash
register receipt, the title page of each book purchased, and a
filled-in coupon. First problem with this deal: you've got to mutilate
your book to get one lousy dollar back. Second problem with this deal:
there were never any coupons printed, NONE. Nice trick, Berkley. To
placate the unamused masses, Berkley is extending the deal to December
30, 1990, and instead of a coupon you can use a 3x5 card or plain
paper (put you name, address, and the store name and address where you
bought the books).
* THE DISNEY/HEINLEIN CONNECTION: Disney has bought two Robert A.
Heinlein novels for production. FARMER IN THE SKY will be a TV-movie
and PUPPET MASTERS will be a theatrical release.
* AMAZING STORIES, in its present incarnation, will come to an end
with the March 1991 issue. If your subscription ends with the November
1990 or January 1991 issue, TSR (the new owner) will extend your
subscription through this March 1991 issue free of charge. The new
AMAZING STORIES will be a monthly of at least 96 pages, full size not
digest, and will begin with the May 1991 issue.
* The phantom printer that eats fiction at St. Martin's Press has
struck again! This time it was the last two paragraphs of Brian
Stableford's short story "The Magic Bullet" in THE YEAR'S BEST SCIENCE
FICTION edited by Gardner Dozois. The ending was missing from both the
hardcover and trade paperback editions, but they *promise* that the
UK, Book-of-the-Month Club, and Quality Paperback Book Club editions
will be complete. The missing text is as follows:
"They also began an intensive search for Lisa Friemann, but by the
time they found her, it was too late.
"By then, far too many people had seen the map, and the world was
already embarked upon its new era."
* Don't miss PACIFIC EDGE by Kim Stanley Robinson, a December 1990
release. It's not out yet as I write this, but I hear it's every bit
as good as the other two volumes of in the Orange Count, CA, trilogy
(THE WILD SHORE and THE GOLD COAST).
* If your interest in SF is on the scholarly side, you might want to
know about the Science Fiction Research Association, an organization
of academics, teachers, and anyone interested in the study of SF.
Membership starts at $45 a year and includes quarterly issues of
EXTRAPOLATION, 3 issues of SF STUDIES, 10 issues of the SFRA
NEWSLETTER. For information write: Tom Remington, English Dept., Univ.
of No. Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA 50614.
* Confusingly, Donald Hassler, of Kent State, edits an academic (but
not boring) journal that is also called EXTRAPOLATION. It has
articles, reviews, letters, and news in the SF field. Four quarterly
issues will run you $15. Write to: Kent State Univ. Press, Journals
Dept., Kent, OH 44242.
* William Shatner has written a sequel to his novel TEKWAR. The new
one is called TEKLORDS.
* The Sci-Fi Channel is NOT dead yet! It has bought the rights to at
least 114 episodes of DOCTOR WHO, all the episodes of MAX HEADROOM,
and all 1,225 episodes of DARK SHADOWS. There are even plans for a
Sci-Fi Channel Magazine. If anyone hears about an actual start date
for this cable channel, please drop me a line.
* Watch for it: THE WAR AGAINST SHADES, a science fantasy trilogy by
Lawrence Watt-Evans....LORD KELVIN'S MACHINE, a Victorian SF novel by
James P. Blaylock....STARSEED by Spider and Jeanne Robinson, a
20-years-later sequel to STARDANCE....MINING THE OORT CLOUD by
Frederik Pohl....THE SILENT STARS GO BY by James White....THE CATSWOLD
PORTAL, an adult fantasy by Shirley Rousseau Murphy....NIGHTSIDE THE
LONG SUN by Gene Wolfe....BY THE SWORD by Mercedes Lackey.
**********************
STARSTRIKE
by W. Michael Gear
(1990, DAW Books, Inc.)
review by Robert A. Pittman
At times it is good to read a Science Fiction story which merrily and
enthusiastically carries one along without dwelling extensively on
technical or scientific validity. That is the way STARSTRIKE is
written; big, bold ideas and concepts not at all restrained by mundane
practicability.
This is a "first contact" story but it differs significantly from most
that I have read previously. The contact occurs without any
preliminary signals or alerts for the people of earth and only a few
people are aware that it has taken place. As a result, the author has
an adventure that moves forward on two levels. The first and principal
level has to do with humans who have been conscripted by an alien
group and have been carried off planet. The second level concerns the
people of earth who have been affected but do not realize that a
contact has occurred.
The off-planet group is made up of highly qualified military
specialists (men and women) from Russia, Israel and the U.S.A. They
must deal with the shock of the alien encounter and cope with the
problems of space travel. An even greater problem is the trauma they
undergo in adjusting from an historically hostile and competitive
relationship among themselves to one of cooperation and trust. The
aliens put their human captors into a conflict which not only risks
their lives but also puts all of earth at risk. A good story develops
as human guile and ingenuity is pitted against the alien technical
superiority and their historical experience in space. At the same
time, earth is dealing with a perplexing problem. Nuclear weapons and
most other aggressive tools of war have been rendered inactive by an
unknown force. Major powers such as the U.S., Russia and China are
thrown into a state of confusion as they struggle to cope with the
loss of defensive and aggressive abilities.
W. Michael Gear moves both levels of the story along at a nice pace
and brings it to a logical and satisfactory conclusion. You will enjoy
reading STARSTRIKE.
**********************
EARTH
by David Brin
(1990, Bantam Spectra Books)
review by Robert A. Pittman
The novel EARTH left me tired--a reader's workout--and feeling
somewhat deceived by "packaging and brand identity" more alluring and
offering more promise than the contents delivered.
EARTH is constructed around the central issue of a billionaire
industrial leader and a young, dedicated scientist as they jointly
seek to control the effects of a microscopic black hole lodged deep
inside the earth. If this Beta singularity, as it is termed by the
author, is not dislodged, it will, over a span of about two years,
create a geophysical nightmare and ultimately consume the planet.
The story takes place about fifty years in the future on an earth that
is overpopulated and exhausted from overuse. The atmosphere no longer
effectively acts as a filter and as a result, we find a temperate
climate in Siberia, the tropical areas of the world turned into
deserts, and people wearing special glasses and body shields to
protect themselves. Animals no longer exist in a wild state but are
housed, fed and bred in massive "land arks". Humankind struggles
constantly to produce the food needed to meet its minimal requirement.
While the natural dimensions of life have deteriorated, the
technological side of life has improved. Communication and information
is available to all citizens through public networks, medical advances
have resolved many human ills with service available to all and
measures are in place for reduced crime and misbehavior.
Out of the conditions and concerns that arise from this environment,
the author has created some new and different social and political
groups. There are sun worshipers who deny the radiation, expose
themselves and die early. Others want strict birth controls and still
others look for solutions in the extension of humanity into outer
space. The message in this narrative is that the planet is a mess and
the human race is at fault!
When the story sticks to that central issue it is good reading and
intense adventure. It also develops some novel conjectures about
natural forces that can be harnessed and directed to fight the effects
of the ravaging singularity. The story unfolds with a level of
suspense that under other conditions would produce the anticipation
and the sustained interest that is expected in good reading.
The novel becomes tiresome as a result of extraneous material that the
author inserts throughout the book. These "inserts" are located at the
end of most chapters, are a half-page to one page in length and are
presented as quotations from history texts or other reference sources
including computer data base references. Maybe it is somewhat
inaccurate to call the material extraneous as it has been included as
a way to amplify understanding and provide background to what has been
read in the preceding chapter or to what will be read in the
forthcoming chapter. Even though we can understand the author's
intent, too often the content has no clear relationship to the main
story. The simple fact that these "inserts" exist is testimony to weak
construction and an erratic flow of thought that contaminates the
principal narrative.
At one point while reading EARTH, I was jolted and somewhat irritated
to run into a full chapter that was a verbatim repeat of a short story
that I had read in a Science Fiction magazine more than a year ago! It
was just dropped in the book with no prior rationale for its
inclusion--completely out of context! To be fair, later in the book a
somewhat vague link was provided, but not enough to erase the insult
of finding such blatant filler material.
David Brin is a renowned and reputable writer. He has been honored
with multiple Hugo and Nebula awards and has written the bestsellers,
STARTIDE RISING and THE UPLIFT WAR. EARTH therefore is not the result
of inexperience or a shortage of talent. I have to believe that the
book is constructed as the author intended and that it says what he
wanted to say as a contribution to Earth Day and his statement of
environmental concern. For this reader, it just did not succeed.
In summary, EARTH is a disappointment. The main theme of the novel is
exciting and unique. The "inserts" standing alone are at least
intriguing. The book, though, does not hang together. It reads as if a
good theme has been quickly written, extra material collected and
forced into a relationship with the central theme, the mechanical
assembly of both and the publication in time to take advantage of the
Earth Day movement. The publisher and the author owe more to the
reader.
------- BOX Scores ---------------------------------------------------
BOX SCORES
.....................................
/: :
: : MAN-KZIN WARS III, Niven +......4 :
: : FIRE ON THE BORDER,.............. :
: : Kevin O'Donnell Jr.......3 :
: : SPQR, John Maddox Roberts.......4 :
: : CHALLENGE MET, C Ingrid.........2 :
: : SINGULARITIES, W.T. Quick.......3 :
: : FUTURE CRIME, Ben Bova..........3 :
: : STARFIRE, P. Pruess.............3 :
: : INSURRECTION, Weber & White.....4 :
: : VOYAGE OF THE STAR WOLF :
: : D. Gerrold............4 :
: : :
: : by darryl kenning :
: :...................................:
:..................................../
0 = ugh! to 5 worth rereading!
**********************
WORLD FANTASY AWARD NOMINATIONS
Best Novel:
A CHILD ACROSS THE SKY by Jonathan Carroll (Doubleday)
IN A DARK DREAM by Charles L. Grant (Tor)
THE STRESS OF HER REGARD by Tim Powers (Ace)
CARRION COMFORT by Dan Simmons (Dark Harvest/Warner)
LYONESSE: MADOUC by Jack Vance (Underwood-Miller/Ace)
SOLDIER OF ARETE by Gene Wolfe (Tor)
Best Novella:
"Apartheid, Superstrings and Mordecai Thubana" by Michael Bishop
(Axolotl)
"Great Work of Time" by John Crowley (NOVELTY)
"On the Far Side of the Cadillac Desert with Dead Folks" by Joe R.
Lansdale (BOOK OF THE DEAD, Bantam)
"The Father of Stones" by Lucius Shepard (Asimov's 9/89)
"A Dozen Tough Jobs" by Howard Waldrop (Ziesing)
Best Short Fiction:
"Varicose Worms" by Scott Baker (BLOOD IS NOT ENOUGH, Morrow)
"A Last Sad Love at the Diner of the Damned" by Ed Bryant (BOOK OF THE
DEAD, Bantam)
"Mr. Fiddlehead" by Jonathan Carroll (Omni 2/89)
"The Illusionist" by Stephen Millhauser (Esquire 12/89)
"Edge of the World" by Michael Swanwick (Full Spectrum 2, Bantam
Spectra)
"Yore Skin's Jes's Soft 'N Purty...He Said" by Chet Williamson
(RAZORED SADDLES, Dark Harvest/Avon)
Best Anthology:
BLOOD IS NOT ENOUGH edited by Ellen Datlow (Morrow/Berkley)
THE YEAR'S BEST FANTASY: SECOND ANNUAL COLLECTION edited by Ellen
Datlow & Terri Windling (St. Martin's)
RAZORED SADDLES edited by Joe R. Lansdale & Pat LoBrutto (Dark
Harvest/Avon)
BOOK OF THE DEAD edited by John Skipp & Craig Spector (Bantam)
Best Collection:
NOVELTY by John Crowley (Doubleday Foundation)
HARLAN ELLISON'S WATCHING by Harlan Ellison (Underwood-Miller)
BY BIZARRE HANDS by Joe R. Lansdale (Ziesing)
BLUE WORLD & OTHER STORIES by Robert R. McCammon (Grafton/Pocket)
RICHARD MATHESON: COLLECTED STORIES (Scream/Press)
Best Artist:
Thomas Canty
James Christiansen
Don Maitz
J.K. Potter
Special Award--Professional:
Dark Harvest (Paul Mikol & Scott Stadolsky)
Ellen Datlow
Underwood-Miller
Mark V. Ziesing
Special Award--Non-Professional:
Richard Chizmar (Cemetery Dance)
Peggy Nadramia (Grue)
David B. Silva (The Horror Show)
Joe Stefko & Tracy Kokoman (Charnel House)
------- FEATURED AUTHOR Robert A Heinlein ---------------------------
Robert A. Heinlein (1907-1988) was not the most prolific writer in the
Science Fiction genre, but there is no doubt that he was one of the
most, if not THE most influential writer for the past several
generations of SF readers and hopefully for the next several as well.
I won't repeat my RANDOM ACCESS notes from RFP #12 but I will say that
his writing influenced my life in many ways. If you are a fan of RAH
you will want to read a copy of GRUMBLES FROM THE GRAVE, a collection
of letters and commentary edited by Virginia Heinlein, that is one of
the two best pieces to provide insight into RAH's life, times, and
thoughts (see my review below).
First, here's a copy of the message posted on CompuServe when Mr.
Heinlein's death was announced.
09-May-88 11:08:08
Sb: #R.A.H. obit
Fm: SysOp Wilma Meier 76701,274
To: ALL
Friends - Robert A. Heinlein has passed away. Word was passed through
the network that he died on Sunday morning - the 8th of May.
Mr. Heinlein was one of the biggest names in the Science Fiction
genre. Born in 1907, his writing career began when he was 32 (1939)
with the publication of "Life-Line" in Astounding magazine. His first
published book was _Rocket Ship Galileo_, a juvenile issued by Charles
Scribner's Sons in 1947. Heinlein married Virginia ("Ginny") in 1948;
they had no children.
He is the only man ever to win four Hugo Awards for best science
fiction novel of the year (for _Double Star_, _Starship Troopers_,
_Stranger In a Strange Land_, and _The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress_); he
has also received the Nebula Award for over-all achievement as a
science fiction writer.
In the mid/late 70's Mr. Heinlein had an operation called a "shunt" to
relieve pressure building up against his brain. After surgery and
recovery, he published his last works: _Friday_, _The Cat Who Walked
Through Walls_, _Job: A Comedy of Justice_ and _To Sail Beyond The
Sunset_. _Cat_ and _Sunset_ appeared to be the beginnings of a series
of which we will now never see the end.
His papers, correspondence, and memorabilia have been collected by the
University of California, Santa Cruz.
We have lost a true Master, friends. My grief knows no bounds.
In sadness, SysOp Wilma
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Heinlein, Robert Anson (July 7, 1907 - May 8, 1988)
Assignment In Eternity (1953). (2)
Reprinted in abridged form as: Lost Legacy (1960). (10)
(contains: "Gulf", "Elsewhen", "Lost Legacy", and "Jerry Was A
Man".)
Best Of Robert A. Heinlein, The (1973). (13) (contents unknown)
Between Planets (1951). (1)
Beyond This Horizon (1948). (2)
Cat Who Walks Through Walls, The: A Comedy of Manners (1985). (11)
Citizen Of The Galaxy (1957). (1)
Day After Tomorrow, The (1951) (4)
Door Into Summer, The (1957). (5)
Double Star (1956). (5)
Expanded Universe: More Worlds Of Robert A. Heinlein (1980) (14)
(contains: Foreword by Robert A. Heinlein, "Life-Line", "Successful
Operation", "Blowups Happen", "Solution Unsatisfactory", "The Last
Days of the United States", "How to Be a Survivor", "Pie From the
Sky", "They Do It With Mirrors", "Free Men", "No Bands Playing, No
Flags Flying--", "A Bathroom of Her Own", "On The Slopes of
Vesuvius", "Nothing Ever Happens on the Moon", "Pandora's Box",
"Where To?", "Cliff and the Calories", "Ray Guns and Rocket Ships",
"The Third Millennium Opens", "Who Are the Heirs of Patrick Henry?",
"'Pravda' Means 'Truth'", "Inside Intourist", "Searchlight", "The
Pragmatics of Patriotism", "Paul Dirac, Antimatter, and You",
"Larger Than Life", "Spinoff", and "The Happy Days Ahead".)
Farmer In The Sky (1950). (1)
Farnham's Freehold (1964). (11)
Friday (1982). (16)
Glory Road (1963). (11)
Green Hills Of Earth, The (1951). (7)
(contains: "Delilah and the Space-Rigger", "Space Jockey", "The Long
Watch", "Gentlemen, Be Seated", "The Black Pits of Luna", "It's
Great to Be Back", "'--We Also Walk Dogs'", "Ordeal In Space", "The
Green Hills of Earth", and "Logic of Empire".)
Have Spacesuit - Will Travel (1958). (1)
Heinlein's Works by C. K. Hillegass (1975). (18)
I Will Fear No Evil (1970). (11)
Job: A Comedy Of Justice (1984). (17)
Man Who Sold The Moon, The (1950). (7)
(contains: "Let There Be Light", "The Roads Must Roll", "The Man Who
Sold the Moon", "Requiem", "Life Line" and "Blowups Happen" in the
original publication. Current publications eliminate the last two
stories and an intro. by John W. Campbell, Jr.)
Menace From Earth, The (1959)
(contains: "The Year of the Jackpot", "By His Bootstraps", "Columbus
Was a Dope", "The Menace From Earth", "Sky Lift", "Goldfish Bowl",
"Project Nightmare", and "Water Is for Washing".)
Methuselah's Children (1958). (3)
Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, The (1966). (11)
Notebooks Of Lazarus Long, The (1973). (11)
Number Of The Beast, The (1980). (15)
Orphans Of The Sky (1963). (8) /Expanded from: Universe (1951). (9)/
Past Through Tomorrow, The (1967). (11)
(contains: "Introduction" by Damon Knight, "Life-Line", "The Roads
Must Roll", "Blowups Happen". "The Man Who Sold The Moon", "Delilah
and the Space-Rigger", "Space Jockey", "Requiem", "The Long Watch",
"Gentlemen, Be Seated", "The Black Pits of Luna", "'It's Great to Be
Back'", "'--We Also Walk Dogs'", "Searchlight", "Ordeal in Space",
"The Green Hills of Earth", "Logic of Empire", "The Menace from
Earth", "'If This Goes On--'", "Coventry", "Misfit", and
"Methuselah's Children".)
Podkayne Of Mars (Her Life and Times) (1963). (11)
Puppet Masters, The (1951). (5)
Red Planet, The (1949). (2)
Revolt In 2100 (1953). (7)
(contains: "The Innocent Eye: an Introduction" by Henry Kuttner,
"'If This Goes On--'", "Coventry", "Misfit", and "Concerning Stories
Never Written: Postscript".)
Robert A. Heinlein: Stranger In His Own Land by George Edgar Slusser
(1976). (19)
Robert Heinlein Omnibus, A (1966). (13) (contents unknown)
Rocket Ship Galileo (1947). (1)
Rolling Stones, The (1952). (1)
Reprinted as: Space Family Stone (1969). (8)
6 x H (1961). (12)
Sixth Column (1949). (3)
Reprinted as: The Day After Tomorrow
Space Cadet (1948). (1)
Star Beast, The (1954). (1)
Starman Jones (1953). (1)
Starship Troopers (1959). (11>
Stranger In A Strange Land (1961). (11)
Three by Heinlein (1965). (5)
Reprinted as: A Heinlein Triad (1966) (8)
(Contains: The Puppet Masters, Waldo, and Magic, Inc.)
Time Enough For Love (1973). (11)
Time For The Stars (1956). (1)
To Sail Beyond The Sunset (1987). (14/11)
Tomorrow, The Stars (1952). (5)
(contains: "I'm Scared" by Jack Finney, "The Silly Season" by C. M.
Kornbluth, "The Report On The Barnhouse Effect" by Kurt Vonnegut,
Jr., "The Tourist Trade" by Bob Tucker, "Rainmaker" by John Reese,
"Absalom" by Henry Kuttner, "The Monster" by Lester del Rey, "Jay
Score" by Eric Frank Russell, "Betelgeuse Bridge" by William Tenn,
"Survival Ship" by Judith Merrill, "Keyhole" by Murray Leinster,
"Misbegotten Missionary" by Isaac Asimov, "The Sack" by William
Morrison, and "Poor Superman" by Fritz Leiber.)
Tunnel In The Sky (1955). (1)
Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag, The (1959). (3)
Reprinted as: 6 x H (1961). (12)
(contains: "The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag", "The Man
Who Traveled In Elephants", "'All You Zombies'", "They", "Our Fair
City", and "'And He Built A Crooked House'".)
Waldo And Magic, Inc. (1950). (5)
Reprinted as: Waldo: Genius in Orbit (1958). (6)
Worlds Of Robert A. Heinlein, The (1966). (14)
(contains: "Introduction: Pandora's Box", "Free Men", "Blowups
Happen", "Searchlight", "Life-Line", and "Solution Unsatisfactory".)
UNCOLLECTED WORKS:
Beyond Doubt (collaboration w/ Elma Wentz) (1941).
Destination Moon (1950).
'My Object All Sublime' (1942).
Nothing Ever Happens on the Moon (1949).
Pied Piper (1942).
Tenderfoot in Space (1958).
SHORT WORKS PUBLICATION DATES:
A Bathroom of Her Own (1960)
"All You Zombies" (1959)
"And He Built A Crooked House" (1941)
Black Pits of Luna, The (1948)
Blowups Happen (1940)
By His Bootstraps (1941)
Cliff and the Calories (1977)
Columbus Was a Dope (1947)
Concerning Stories Never Written: Postscript (1953)
Common Sense (1941)
Coventry (1940)
Delilah and the Space-Rigger (1949)
Elsewhen (1941)
Free Men (1966)
Gentlemen, Be Seated (1948)
Goldfish Bowl (1942)
Green Hills of Earth, The (1947)
Gulf (1949)
Happy Days Ahead, The (1979)
How to Be a Survivor (1979)
"If This Goes On--" (1940)
Inside Intourist (1960)
"It's Great to Be Back" (1947)
Jerry Is A Man (1947)
Larger Than Life (1974)
Last Days of the United States, The (1979)
Let There Be Light (1940)
Life-Line (1939)
Logic of Empire (1941)
Long Watch, The (1949)
Lost Legacy (1941)
Man Who Sold The Moon, The (1950)
Man Who Traveled In Elephants, The (1957)
Menace from Earth, The (1957)
Methuselah's Children (1941)
Misfit (1939)
No Bands Playing, No Flags Flying-- (1967)
Nothing Ever Happens on the Moon (1949)
On The Slopes of Vesuvius (1977)
Ordeal In Space (1948)
Our Fair City (1949)
Pandora's Box (also as: Where To?) (1952)
Paul Dirac, Antimatter, and You (1975)
Pie From the Sky (1979)
Pragmatics of Patriotism, The (1973)
"Pravda" Means "Truth" (1960)
Project Nightmare (1953)
Ray Guns and Rocket Ships (1952)
Requiem (1940)
Roads Must Roll, The (1940)
Searchlight (1962)
Sky Lift (1953)
Solution Unsatisfactory (1941)
Space Jockey (1947)
Spinoff (1979)
Successful Operation (1940)
They (1941)
They Do It With Mirrors (1974)
Third Millennium Opens, The (1956)
Universe (1941)
Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag, The (1942)
Water Is for Washing (1947)
"--We Also Walk Dogs" (1941)
Where To? (1952)
Who Are the Heirs of Patrick Henry? (1958)
Year of the Jackpot, The (1952)
PUBLISHERS:
(1) Charles Scribner's Sons, New York
(2) Fantasy Press, Reading
(3) Gnome Press, New York
(4) Signet Books, New York
(5) Doubleday & Co., Garden City
(6) Avon Books, New York
(7) Shasta Publishers, Chicago
(8) Victor Gollancz, London
(9) Dells Books, New York
(10) Digit Books, London
(11) G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York
(12) Pyramid Books, New York
(13) Sidgwick & Jackson, London
(14) Ace Books, New York
(15) Fawcett Columbine Books, New York
(16) Holt, Reinhart and Winston, New York
(17) Ballantine Books, New York
(18) Cliff Notes, Lincoln
(19) The Borgo Press, San Bernardino
THE ROBERT HEINLEIN INTERVIEW
AND OTHER HEINLEINIANA
by J. Neil Schulman
(SoftServe Books)
review by Darryl Kenning
It is no great secret I suppose, that I really like the writings of
Robert Anson Heinlein, and consider him to be one of the all time
great Science Fiction authors of our times. THE ROBERT HEINLEIN
INTERVIEW AND OTHER HEINLEINIANA is a series of letters, book reviews
and the text of an interview that Mr. Schulman did with Mr. Heinlein
in 1973.
Once in a while you find a writer who says with almost perfect clarity
the things you have been thinking about and the things you would like
to say if you only had the skill and artistry. This series of writings
by and about RAH by J. Neil Schulman have done that for me. A very
articulate proponent of the libertarian philosophy in his own right
(read ALONGSIDE NIGHT by J.N.S. and of course anything by Ann Rand),
he sheds light on RAH's libertarian feelings and beliefs.
I particularly enjoyed the introduction to this book simply because in
JRN's description of the effect of the Heinlein writings on him, I saw
a mirror image of me, and I suspect from the ongoing popularity of
RAH's books and stories, a bit of most of the readers who were at an
impressionable age when we first had the incredible good luck to
stumble across his books.
Often I am put off by books about favorite authors - either they don't
do them justice at all, or they put every bit of imagery under a
microscope and in doing so destroy the beauty and soul of the story
and author. None of that is true when Mr. Schulman puts his
considerable talents to work in this book. The series of letters and
reviews have a powerful impact - more so when you realize the time
span that the material covers 1972-1988. The interview with RAH is the
crown jewel of the book.
By now you have no doubt, gotten the idea (I'm not often accused of
being overly subtle) that I am recommending this book. On my scale of
0 to 5, this is a 5. Worth reading, worth rereading, and worth keeping
to read again.
--------- Quotes 'n Stuff --------------------------------------------
Diplomacy is the art of saying "nice doggie" until you can pick up a
rock!
One should forgive one's enemies, but not until after they are hanged.
Experience teaches you to recognize a mistake when you've made it
again.
If the phone doesn't ring...it's me
(a song title by Jimmy Buffett)
---------- ASK UNCLE HAL 9001 ----------------------------------------
Test the enormous RAM database of UNCLE HAL, the new and improved
model 9001.
Q. What was the the REAL name of the author of ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN
WONDERLAND?
A. Best known by his pen name Lewis Carroll was really The Rev.
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, a noted mathematician who wrote extensively
on symbolic logic.
Q. SF art is a little known field to most readers. I heard that a
husband and wife team once won a Hugo for SF art---do you know who
they were?
A. In 1972 Leo and Diane Dillon won a Hugo as a team. They are best
known for the original Ace special covers and several Harlan Ellison
book covers.
---------- THE HUGO's ------------------------------------------------
The HUGO AWARDS were first presented in 1953 at the 11th World Science
Fiction Convention held in Philadelphia, PA. The HUGO was not
presented in 1954 at the 12th World SF Convention (San Francisco, CA).
Only literary works are listed, at least until the brand new 1990
awards.
1953 - Philadelphia
Novel: The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester
1955 - Cleveland
Novel: They'd Rather Be Right by Mark Clifton and Frank Riley
Novelette: "The Darfsteller" by Walter M. Miller, Jr.
Short Story: "Allamagoosa" by Eric Frank Russell
1956 - New York
Novel: Double Star by Robert A. Heinlein
Novellette: "Exploration Team" by Murray Leinster
Short Story: "The Star" by Arthur C. Clarke
1957 - London
No literary works awarded.
1958 - Los Angeles
Novel: The Big Time by Fritz Leiber
Short Story: "Or All the Seas with Oysters" by Avram Davidson
1959 - Detroit
Novel: A Case of Conscience by James Blish
Novelette: "The Big Front Yard" by Clifford D. Simak
Short Story: "The Hell-Bound Train" by Robert Bloch
1960 - Pittsburgh
Novel: Starship Trooper by Robert A. Heinlein
Short Fiction: "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes
1961 - Seattle
Novel: A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr.
Short Story: "The Longest Voyage" by Poul Anderson
1962 - Chicago
Novel: Stranger In A Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
Short Fiction: the "Hothouse" series by Brian Aldiss
1963 - Washington, D.C.
Novel: The Man In The High Castle by Philip K. Dick
Short Fiction: "The Dragon Masters" by Jack Vance
1964 - Oakland
Novel: Way Station by Clifford Simak
Short Fiction: "No Truce With Kings" by Poul Anderson
1965 - London
Novel: The Wanderer by Fritz Leiber
Short Fiction: "Soldier, Ask Not" by Gordon R. Dickson
1966 - Cleveland
Novel: (tie) ...And Call Me Conrad by Roger Zelazny
Dune by Frank Herbert
Short Fiction: "'Repent, Harlequin!' Said The Ticktockman" by Harlan
Ellison
1967 - New York
Novel: The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein
Novelette: "The Last Castle" by Jack Vance
Short Story: "Neutron Star" by Larry Niven
1968 - Oakland
Novel: Lord Of Light by Roger Zelazny
Novella: (tie) "Weyr Search" by Anne McCaffrey
"Riders of the Purple Wage" by Philip Jose Farmer
Novelette: "Gonna Roll the Bones" by Fritz Leiber
Short Story: "I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream" by Harlan Ellison
1969 - St. Louis
Novel: Stand On Zanzibar by John Brunner
Novella: "Nightwings" by Robert Silverberg
Novelette: "The Sharing of Flesh" by Poul Anderson
Short Story: "The Beast That Shouted Love at the Heart of the World"
by Harlan Ellison
1970 - Heidelberg
Novel: Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
Novella: "Ship of Shadows" by Fritz Leiber
Short Story: "Time Considered as a Helix of Semi-Precious Stones" by
Samuel R. Delany
1971 - Boston
Novel: Ringworld by Larry Niven
Novella: "Ill Met in Lankhmar" by Fritz Leiber
Short Story: "Slow Sculpture" by Theodore Sturgeon
1972 - Los Angeles
Novel: To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip Jose Farmer
Novella: "The Queen of Air and Darkness" by Poul Anderson
Short Story: "Inconstant Moon" by Larry Niven
1973 - Toronto
Novel: The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov
Novella: "The Word for World Is Forest" by Ursula K. Le Guin
Novelette: "Goat Song" by Poul Anderson
Short Story: (tie) "The Meeting" by Frederik Pohl and C.M. Kornbluth
"Eurema's Dam" by R.A. Lafferty
1974 - Washington, D.C.
Novel: Rendezvous With Rama by Arthur C. Clarke
Novella: "The Girl Who Was Plugged In" by James Tiptree, Jr.
Novelette: "The Deathbird" by Harlan Ellison
Short Story: "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" by Ursula K. Le
Guin
1975 - Melbourne
Novel: The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
Novella: "A Song for Lya" by George R.R. Martin
Novelette: "Adrift Just Off the Islets of Langerhans: Latitude 38
Degrees 54' N, Longitude 77 Degrees 00' 13" W" by Harlan Ellison
Short Story: "The Hole Man" by Larry Niven
1976 - Kansas City
Novel: The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
Novella: "Home Is the Hangman" by Roger Zelazny
Novelette: "The Borderland of Sol" by Larry Niven
Short Story: "Catch That Zeppelin!" by Fritz Leiber
1977 - Miami Beach
Novel: Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang by Kate Wilhelm
Novella: (tie) "By Any Other Name" by Spider Robinson
"Houston, Houston, Do You Read?" by James Tiptree, Jr.
Novelette: "The Bicentennial Man" by Isaac Asimov
Short Story: "Tricentennial" by Joe Haldeman
1978 - Phoenix
Novel: Gateway by Frederik Pohl
Novella: "Stardance" by Spider and Jeanne Robinson
Novelette: "Eyes of Amber" by Joan D. Vinge
Short Story: "Jeffty Is Five" by Harlan Ellison
1979 - Brighton, England
Novel: Dreamsnake by Vonda McIntyre
Novella: "The Persistence of Vision" by John Varley
Novelette: "Hunter's Moon" by Poul Anderson
Short Story: "Cassandra" by C.J. Cherryh
1980 - Boston
Novel: The Fountains Of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke
Novella: "Enemy Mine" by Barry Longyear
Novelette: "Sandkings" by George R.R. Martin
Short Story: "The Way of Cross and Dragon" by George R.R. Martin
1981 - Denver
Novel: The Snow Queen by Joan Vinge
Novella: "Lost Dorsai" by Gordon R. Dickson
Novelette: "The Cloak and the Staff" by Gordon R. Dickson
Short Story: "Grotto of the Dancing Deer" by Clifford D. Simak
1982 - Chicago
Novel: Downbelow Station by C.J. Cherryh
Novella: "The Saturn Game" by Poul Anderson
Novelette: "Unicorn Variations" by Roger Zelazny
Short Story: "The Pusher" by John Varley
1983 - Baltimore
Novel: Foundation's Edge by Isaac Asimov
Novella: "Souls" by Joanna Russ
Novelette: "Fire Watch" by Connie Willis
Short Story: "Melancholy Elephants" by Spider Robinson
1984 - Anaheim
Novel: Startide Rising by David Brin
Novella: "Cascade Point" by Timothy Zahn
Novelette: "Blood Music" by Greg Bear
Short Story: "Speech Sounds" by Octavia butler
1985 - Melbourne
Novel: Neuromancer by William Gibson
Novella: "Press Enter []" by John Varley
Novelette: "Bloodchild" by Octavia E. Butler
Short Story: "The Crystal Spheres" by David Brin
1986 - Atlanta
Novel: Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Novella: "24 Views of Mount Fuji, by Hokusai" by Roger Zelazny
Novelette: "Paladin of the Lost Hour" by Harlan Ellison
Short Story: "Fermi and Frost" by Frederik Pohl
1987 - Brighton, England
Novel: Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card
Novella: "Gilgamesh in the Outback" by Robert Silverberg
Novelette: "Permafrost" by Roger Zelazny
Short Story: "Tangents" by Greg Bear
1988 - New Orleans
Novel: The Uplift War by David Brin
Novella: "Eye for Eye" by Orson Scott Card
Novelette: "Buffalo Gals Won't You Come Out Tonight" by Ursula K.
LeGuin
Short Story: "Why I Left Harry's All-Night Hamburgers" by Lawrence
Watt-Evans
1989 - Boston
Novel: Cyteen by C.J. Cherryh
Novella: "The Last of the Winnebagos" by Connie Willis
Novelette: "Schrodinger's Kitten" by George Alec Effinger
Short Story: "Kirinyaga" by Mike Resnick
1990 - The Hague, Holland
Best Novel: Hyperion by Dan Simmons (Foundation/Spectra)
Best Novella: "The Mountains of Mourning" by Lois McMaster Bujold
(May Analog/Border of Infinity, Baen)
Best Novelette: "Enter A Soldier. Later: Enter Another" by Robert
Silverberg (June Asimov/Time Gate, Baen)
Best Short Story: "Boobs" by Suzy McKee Charnas (July Asimov)
Best Nonfiction Book: The World Beyond the Hill by Alexei & Cory
Panshin (Tarcher/Elephant Press)
Best Dramatic Presentation: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Best Professional Editor: Gardner Dozois
Best Professional Artist: Don Maitz
Best Semi-Prozine: Locus, edited by Charles N. Brown
Best Fanzine: The Mad 3 Party, edited by Leslie Turek
Best Fan Writer: Dave Langford
Best Fan Artist: Stu Shiffman
------- Trekology ----------------------------------------------------
STAR TREK'S FUTURE HISTORY -- A GUIDE
by Jim Lyon
(Based on additional material by Joe Sewell)
The historical dates presented within this document are based upon the
history of the USS Enterprise. For further reference please see the
Starfleet Spaceflight Chronology, an earlier publication from Pocket
Books. The dates presented within have been adjusted precisely 64
years positive from dates printed in such references as the
Chronology, FASA's ST RPG, the Best of Trek and other sources due to
the revelation in the episode "The Neutral Zone" that the missions of
NCC-1701-D take place in 2364. (Since the date of the aforementioned
sources presents ST-IV in 2222 and ST:TNG following 78 years later,
the adjusted date for ST-IV is now 2286, fitting in nicely with movie
references.) Where those dates have been adjusted, the original has
been provided in parentheses.
2252 The USS Enterprise, NCC-1701, is the second Constitution-class
starship commissioned -- under Captain Robert April. (2188)
2254 The Enterprise finishes a shakedown cruise. April's ship embarks
on its first five-year exploratory mission. (2190)
2259 After the first five-year mission's completion, April steps down
and Captain Christopher Pike assumes captaincy.
First and only official contact with the planet Talos IV. (2195)
2271 Christopher Pike is promoted to Fleet Captain; James T. Kirk,
fresh from the USS Lydia Sutherland, is given command. (2207)
2272 First face to face contact with the Romulan Empire since the
Romulan War of 2170-2173 (2106-2109).
Enterprise involved in only suspension of General Order Seven,
requiring zero contact with Talos Four.
Organian peace treaty is forced upon the Federation and the Klingon
Empire. (2208)
2275 USS Enterprise is the sole survivor of the original 13
Constitution class ships. Enterprise returns to Earth for refit.
James T. Kirk is promoted to Commodore. (2211)
2277 James Kirk promoted to Admiral following the highly successful
Corinth negotiations which bring the Gorn Alliance to the
negotiating tables.
Internal problems begin in the Klingon Empire when the human- and
Romulan fusion races are looked upon by the Imperial Klingon
society as sub-Klingon. (2213)
2278 Enterprise is assigned to Captain Will Decker. (2214)
2279 The V'Ger Incident. The Enterprise deals with the alien invader
and is granted another five-year mission. Kirk accepts temporary
reduction to Captain to accept command. (2215)
2281 Records discovered on the colony planet Sumarik IX lead to the
conclusion that the Romulans migrated from Vulcan. This decision
does not settle well on Vulcan. (2217)
2282 An internal Klingon war begins against the fusion races, which
were originally created by genetic manipulation as a better way to
deal with the Federation (who look upon humans as BEING the
Federation) and the Romulans. Enterprise rescues a group of fusion
fugitives. (2218)
2283 The First Vulcan Secession affair becomes a major UFP concern
when the planet considers withdrawing from the Federation. All is
resolved during talks, but many Vulcans believe that their world
should take a lesser role in the politics of the Federation.
(2219)
2284 Following the political crisis on Akkadia, the Enterprise is
returned to Earth on orders of Admiral James Kirk. The Enterprise
is given to Starfleet training command, where it becomes a cadet
vessel. (2220)
2285 The Warrantors kidnapping crisis, where several Warrantors of
Peace are kidnapped on Vulcan. Enterprise is temporarily
commandeered in order to lead a rescue mission. (2221)
2286 The Genesis Incident. The USS Enterprise is destroyed in related
circumstances.
Earth is attacked by an extragalactic probe during the Cetacean
Incident.
USS Ti-Ho is rechristened Enterprise, NCC-1701-A. (2222)
-----CURRENT Star Trek Time Frame-----
2292 The Kinshaya, the so-called "demon race" which has plagued the
Klingon Empire for centuries, stage their second major attack
against that civilization. The Kinshaya begin a frontal assault
which soon pervades the Triangle, the wedge of space between the
three major space powers.
2294 A temporary pact, later known as "Pax Unificatum," unites the
Federation, Romulan Star Empire and Klingon Empire for the only
time in recorded history, from which the Kinshaya Realm is dealt
with. Troubles behind, the Romulans subsequently turn on the
others, severing communication.
2296 Captain James T. Kirk is killed on the Enterprise. Commander
Spock retires from Starfleet and Dr. Leonard McCoy is promoted to
Commodore and offered post at Starfleet Medical. Hikaru Sulu
becomes the ship's fifth Captain. (He serves with First Officer
Nyota Uhura, Captain of Engineering Montgomery Scott and Security
Chief/Second Officer Pavel Chekov.)
2298 The principles of Superwarp technology are discovered at the
Deneva Warp Research Facility but scientists realize the
application will take many years.
2301 One of the only known outposts from the long-dead Vegan Tyranny
is discovered on Selene GF-184, a dead planetoid in the Atarsis
region, by the Enterprise under Captain Sulu. The Vegan Tyranny
died out many years before the Federation was formed (indeed, the
last race to encounter them was the Andorians, in their first days
of interstellar exploration) and was believed to be cybernetic in
origin. Records indicate this correct, and the Enterprise is
publicly commended for its advances in the scientific community --
Vegan scripts answer a good many questions concerning the galactic
governments before the Federation in this region, and indicate the
planet Rigel has been a trading colony for at least a million
years.
2303 Outcries at Rigel over their little-known history eventually
reaches the seat of the Orion Colonies government. Many scholars
demand that the Rigellians open their planet to exploration -- the
surface of Rigel IV is largely paved over but its cities extend
many miles deep into its crust on almost the entire world. Rigel
holds steady, but two years later a group of Federation scholars
is led many miles down in one part of the planet to a vault where
records answer a great many questions about the early recorded
history of our Galaxy.
2306 Enterprise-A is retired from service and is installed at the
Starfleet Museum at Memory Alpha.
2308 USS Enterprise, NCC-1701-B, is commissioned. The latest
Enterprise is of the Destiny class, the newest stage of the
now-popular Excelsior-class design.
First contact with the Zhaunnir Dominion occurs when the starship
USS Carolina is ambushed.
2309 The Zhaunnir War with the Federation begins after this
newly-contact race of insectoids attack and destroy Outpost 41
without warning and level the Beta Gamelus IV colony. Starfleet
mobilizes its fleet cautiously, insuring both Klingon and Romulan
empires that it will still protect its borders.
2310 Date recorded as the official year the Zhaunnir War ended, but
with no specific conclusion. Following numerous Federation
victories, the insectoids seemed to break off and flee to their
homeworlds, as if mobilizing for another threat. Clues as to the
existence of the Ferengi Alliance are left behind the only
captured Zhaunnir marauder ship.
2311 The existence of the Ferengi Alliance is proven when military
experts examine the ruins at Castenzarus, a Federation colony
planet attacked by Zhaunnir marauders. It is discovered that the
Zhaunnir fled to defend themselves against this race, which they
refer to as the 'dread pirates'.
The Tomid Incident occurs when the Neutral Zone treaty is violated
in the Tomid system, located inside that section's borders, where
Romulan forces attack a Federation freighter. Following this act,
all contact is again lost with the Empire and ships flee from the
Zone borders. (It is discovered later that the Romulans had been
attacked by the Zhaunnir, who were fleeing Ferengi borders in a
last-ditch effort. The Federation freighter attacked was presumed
to be a Zhaunnir scout cruiser.)
Superwarp is tested on the vessel USS Swifteagle, a small scout
ship. Tests are positive, and small scale refits are ordered by
Starfleet Command.
2312 The planet Betazed first contacted by USS Melbourne. Betazed
wishes to remain neutral with sister worlds Zamoyed and Saxxirr.
Dr. Noonian Sung, a scientist whose work with artificial
intelligence has been ridiculed to date, mysteriously disappears.
2314 The Great Warp Disaster; the USS Enterprise-B discovers a network
of planets in the galactic core responsible for creating the
Galactic Energy Barrier, is crippled by automatic defenses and
crashes, destroying the barrier mechanisms. The subsequent EM wave
overload causes almost every ship in the Klingon Empire and
Federation to stop abruptly, halting standard warp technology.
Superwarp ships, constructed upon a different principle, still
functions, but is limited to only about a hundred ships. Subspace
radio is not affected.
Scientists determine that the pulse of the destruction of the
barrier will last for two years. Afraid of the huge terror this
will cause, plans for superwarp technology is broadcasted to all
Federation worlds, and is picked up by the Klingon Empire.
The "Great Galactic Dark Age" begins, as it is called in UFP media.
Starfleet orders an incredible amount of energy be put into refit
and construction of superwarp -- thankfully not a heavy refit
operation in space vessels.
The Romulans, who have already stumbled onto the principle of
superwarp, begin their own refits. The Zhaunnir Dominion retreats
once again for the time being, their own starships useless.
2315 Over 1000 Federation ships now have superwarp technology due to
incredibly good luck.
Superwarp technology assists the Federation's rescue of a Klingon
delegate party in the Triangle. The delegates, which include many
members of the Klingon Emperor's senate, are brought home.
2316 The interference from the Great Warp Disaster dissipates and warp
technology becomes functional. Damage from the GWD is extensive --
many planets have fallen into incredible decay and some have
attained considerable death due to lack of supplies. Aarda Dzorn,
an Andorian Starfleet consultant, is awarded both the Nobel and
Z'Magnees peace prizes, the only time both prizes are awarded to
the same person in Federation history, for her exhaustive work in
overseeing the effort to supply needy Federation worlds.
2317 The term "Great Galactic Dark Ages" is lifted when supply and
lifelines are completely restored, but the effects will linger on
for decades. During the next few years, exploration of the
Federation frontiers is very limited, but soon it is back in full
swing.
2320 Project Gamma, a special Federation espionage operation
concentrating on deciphering Klingon political information, is
formed. Gamma's concentrated information is eventually used during
the Great War in determining the validity of intelligence. For
now, it concentrates on learning the impact of the Great Warp
Disaster upon Klingon forces. A similar operation, Project
Theta-7, is also launched to determine the impact upon the Romulan
Star Empire, but this produces extremely little information.
2324 The Betazed Concordat signed; Beta worlds join the Federation
Internal strife begins on Mordan IV; Starfleet Ambassador Mark
Jameson departs after talks break down. The war will last forty
years.
2325 The Urselrope Wars involve a good number of planets in the
Lorenze Cluster on the Federation border, spearheaded by a colony
of refugees on Urselrope Seven. The wars come about due to
colonial disagreements and is supplied by Minos, "the Arsenal of
Freedom", which is destroyed by its own technology. The wars end
when the factions heed the Minos example and decide that enough
killing is enough.
2327 USS Enterprise, NCC-1701-C, an Ambassador class cruiser, is
commissioned with superwarp drive, and begins a ten-year mission.
2328 (It is discovered later that the Romulan Empire, which was
affected by the Great Warp Disaster about as much as the
Federation, defeated the Zhaunnir Dominion in this year. The
Zhaunnir were caught between the encroaching Ferengi Alliance and
the forces of the Empire. The Dominion is completely wiped out,
the final remaining forces choosing mass suicide. The destruction
of their frontier brings the Ferengi Alliance closer, yet the
Ferengi fail to see the importance in dealing with the Romulans.)
2329 The Alveda III disaster; medical supplies and food runs out and
the colony is saved by its own occupants. Jenette Crusher, a
botanist, saves many lives, including her own granddaughter
Beverly's, with her knowledge of local flora.
2330 The involvement of the Organians is seen to wane when the Klingon
outpost Khitomer, in Treaty territory, is neutralized. It is
subsequently discovered that Romulan pirates were responsible.
The Romulan Empire begins a massive reconstruction project,
including full development on superwarp battlecruisers.
2331 Although there are increased Klingon/Federation relations due to
the rescue and cooperation during the Great Warp Disaster, a
quarrel between ships of the two factions at Rigel soon turns into
a bloodbath -- and no Organian warnings arise.
It is discovered by the Federation Council that rival factions in
the Klingon Empire calling for all-out war with the UFP are slowly
becoming a dominant force there.
2332 Though Federation President Daniel McQuinn and Klingon Emperor
Khetas epetai-Subaiesh are negotiating, skirmish after skirmish
takes place.
Graham Attenborough and T'Mariak, the Federation Ambassadors to the
Empire, are recalled due to hostilities taking place on Klinzhai.
The Federation embassy is closed.
Starfleet issues a mobilization alert to all forces.
Shortly after Federation personnel leave Klinzhai, Emperor Khetas is
deposed. "Marak the Berserker" usurps the throne.
The Klingon-Federation joint outposts at Gibraltar and Sheliak II
are closed and Klingon forces withdraw from the border K-stations.
Marak the Berserker declares war against the Federation by having
three D-7 cruisers destroy Federation Outpost Seventeen.
The Great War begins.
2333 The Calstry Prime disaster -- six Federation ships are crippled
over that planet when a Klingon L-13 battlecruiser explodes after
its weapons overload.
The Orion Colonies declare themselves off limits to both Klingon and
Federation forces. Rigel sends out a declaration of neutrality.
Sherman's Planet razed by massive fires.
2334 The Battle of Rigel -- USS Enterprise and IKV Battlequeen II
combat each other over Rigel following the Enterprise's attempts
at sending a peace agreement. Though Battlequeen II is destroyed,
a message does get through to Klingon border defense posts --
though it is ignored.
The "Day of Reckoning" occurs in the late part of the year --
Federation scientists universally determine that the combat will
eventually destroy the Klingon Empire but will cripple the
Federation seriously.
President McQuinn killed when an anti-Federation terrorist unit
assassinates him on Alpha Centauri.
2335 Marak begins to lose many of his forces when he orders his
soldiers into useless deaths.
Kazak epetai-Subaiesh, the nephew of Khetas, begins a personal
challenge to destroy Marak.
The Subaiesh clan, using government-stolen systems, contact Outpost
81 on the Federation Border in order to solidify peace talks.
Kazak is behind the attempt, though uses it as an excuse to order
the death of an anti-peace leader and gain Marak's respect.
Kazak assumes the Klingon throne after assassinating Marak the
Berserker and calls for an end to the war. Shortly thereafter,
attacks against the Federation cease, and internal strife
overcomes the Empire.
Ambassadors Attenborough and T'Mariak journey under Kazak's
protection to Klinzhai, territorial seat of the Empire, aboard the
Enterprise to conduct talks directly.
Kazak's loyalist forces overcome the rebel units of the Empire and
war is halted. Kazak pronounces the change of the name of the
Empire and the new name, the Free Worlds of Klinzhai, is adopted.
Enterprise ferries Attenborough and T'Mariak along with the Klingon
ambassador, Koritarg, and a Klingon delegation to Babel, where the
Babel Peace Accord is signed.
2337 The Enterprise vanishes when its superwarp technology is
sabotaged by remnants of the rebel Klingon forces and speeds away
out of the galaxy.
2338 Six Federation worlds and fourteen Klingon planets, all along
remote frontiers, are subjugated by terrorists now known as
Ferengi.
2339 Emperor Kazak proposes unity against the Ferengi invaders, which
is met with much skepticism.
The Briolis Hearings begin between Federation and Klingon
representatives.
The Romulan Empire, which up until now has watched the
Federation/Klingon war with great interest, is suddenly caught up
in its own civil war begun by Romulans who believe their Empire
has taken a turn for the worse into barbarism. All set to deal
with the Klingons, the Romulans must turn unto themselves. Their
civil war will last 21 years and the preservationists, as they are
called, will lose to the warmonger Praetor.
2340 The Great Treaty of Unity is signed at the Briolis affair and the
Federation Grand Alliance begins. The United Federation of Planets
and the Free Worlds of Klinzhai will act as the United Nations
sought to act on Earth, only stronger.
Historians and scientists generally agree that the disappearance of
the planet Organia three days following the signing of the Great
Treaty and the earlier disappearance of the Organians themselves
from their their world were linked to their prediction of
Federation/Klingon peace, and indeed their disinvolvement with
relations a means to an end in the cause of peace.
2342 USS Tripoli discovers the deserted Omicron Theta IV colony and a
single occupant -- an android that comes alive to the Tripoli
scout party. The android, code named DATA, has no memory of the
colony occupants. (It is later determined that Data, who becomes
part of Starfleet, was created by Dr. Noonian Soong, and the
colonists were all destroyed by the Crystal Entity.)
2344 The Second Vulcan Secession Crisis. After reviewing the facts
concerning the Zhaunnir War, the Kinshaya affair and the Great
War, Vulcan's leaders decide that it would be more beneficial to
withdraw from political structures within the Federation. The
disaster is barely averted; Vulcan is convinced to remain a
member, though acting on an associate status, while fully
retaining its scientific and cultural prosperity and position.
Many Vulcans choose to return home during the affair, some to
their own colony worlds. Starfleet sees a radical drop in the
number of Vulcan officers it retains.
2345 First contact with the planet Bynaus. The Bynars will make
radical improvements in Grand Alliance computer systems over the
next 20 years.
Contact is finally established with the Tholian Assembly for the
first time since the days of the original Enterprise. The
Tholians, who have long rejected any sort of contact with the
Federation because they wished to keep all forms of barbarism away
from their scientifically minded citizens, have come to realize
the Federation's true intent in their long-distance study of the
Great War. Negotiations begin.
2347 The Tholian Assembly joins the Grand Alliance in an associate
status, preferring to retain their own defense and political
structure yet open to all forms of trade and communication.
Tholian advances with dilithium improve superwarp capabilities
beyond belief, and within a few years all forms of original warp
travel (of the kind rendered inoperative during the Great Warp
Disaster) have dwindled to almost nonexistence.
2348 Federation and Free Worlds borders reorganized in a fashion to
please both parties. Exploration zones are set up for both
governments for equal development. Problems with the setup will
result in the Altarian Conference nine years later.
2349 USS Stargazer is commissioned under Captain Jean-Luc Picard. It
becomes the first vessel to contact the Benzites, who will later
revolutionize superwarp science on practical application yet
reject (until 2364, when the first Benzite, Mordok, tests in the
Academy) any affiliation with Starfleet.
The Triangle Unification Affair -- the major governments of the
Triangle band together (excluding the Imperial Klingon States, a
segregated group of Klingons who severed ties with their home
Empire at least a century before) to decide exactly what their
position will be when dealing with the Grand Alliance.
2350 The Triangle Unification Affair ends with the declaration of the
participating worlds as territories. The Baker's Dozen, the
thirteen allied worlds that have withstood outside pressure for
nearly 150 years, becomes a protectorate with the full security of
Starfleet.
2351 A join Federation-Free Worlds force reseeds Sherman's Planet,
which was all but destroyed during the Great War. Sherman's Planet
becomes a symbol of unity between the two governments, and becomes
not only an agricultural planet but a territorial seat. Its single
moon, long an independent meeting point, is reconstructed as a
neutral conference site on the order of Babel and is christened
"Parliament".
2353 A lost freighter, the SS Firesprite, returns to Starbase 84 after
visiting a planet in the Texorith Cluster that Federation probes
have as yet not found. It is the fourth sighting of the mystical
planet of "Aldea", where the Firesprite held orbit for three hours
before departing. Aldea is later found (in 2364) in the Epsilon
Minos system by the Enterprise.
2355 The Stargazer is destroyed when it combats an unidentified ship
in the Maxia Zeta system. It is discovered nine years later that
the ship was a Ferengi scout cruiser.
2356 The Alcyones are presumed to have destroyed the last of the
plague-ridden Tarellians. In actuality, a single ship did survive
and made its way to the planet Haven eight years later.
Rear Admiral Savar is promoted to Starfleet Commander. Once he
begins his post, he promises to endorse more scientific and
exploratory duties for Starfleet rather than military. His
groundwork for an exploration-based Fleet eventually leads to
Vulcan's decision to reverse its political "hands-off" within the
Federation. Savar is killed in 2364; his policy continues, though
Vulcan's "re-entry" is slow.
2357 The Altairian Conference takes place to ground out differences
between the Federation and the Free Worlds of Klinzhai. It
involves many ship captains and delegates on both sides. All
differences are resolved.
2358 Operation Hawkeye is launched by Starfleet Intelligence. Its
purpose is to send reconnaisance missions to the Alliance borders
in an attempt to encounter Ferengi traders or other
representatives of this increasingly active new threat.
2360 The Romulan Civil War ends with the destruction of the
preservationist factions. Four years of reconstruction will see
the development of a number of capital warships and expansion
toward the Federation.
2361 The Velara terraforming endeavor, known as the "Gardeners of
Eden" project, is established.
2362 The Starfleet facility at Altair III, where the Altarian
Conference was a huge success five years before, is overcome by
the People's Abolitionist Front, which seeks to rid the Federation
of the "Klingon scourge". Lt. Commander William Riker prohibits
Captain Frank DeSoto of the USS Hood to beam down to talk to the
PAF leaders, who are waiting to kill him as a sign of their
seriousness, saving his life. Instead, security teams from the
Hood, Potemkin and Alliance take the leaders into custody.
The planet Haven becomes the 1500th member world of the Federation.
The Micromius disaster -- colonists settled here unaware that they
were destroying the indigenous population, a creature whose
natural form is in liquid state. When she becomes head of
Starfleet Medical, Dr. Beverly Crusher, along with Dr. Terence
Epstein, presents a practical solution that will prevent the
problem happening elsewhere.
2363 Benzite principles applied to superwarp, greatly increasing their
power capacity. Second-generation superwarp drive is set for the
next Enterprise ship.
The principles of holodeck technology are perfected at the Deneva
Test Facilities. Installation of the newest advances will also
come on the next Enterprise.
The Bandi of Deneb IV open up their rapidly-created spaceport to
Federation ships. Christened "Farpoint", the new station will
allow the current exploration zone to be expanded by its use as a
way station.
Operation Hawkeye's first success comes on Zeta Reticuli V, where a
scout party encounters a Ferengi patrol cruiser. Though no actual
face to face confrontation is recorded, it is the first real proof
that the Ferengi have penetrated Federation borders.
Rumors from the Alliance Alpha Exploration Zone intelligence section
say that Ferengi cruisers may even have penetrated as far as
within 200 parsecs of the Terra-Vulcan-Alpha Centauri home
cluster.
2364 USS Enterprise, NCC-1701-D, commissioned and departs Earth. It is
the first ship equipped with second-generation superwarp drive and
the "continuous loop" phaser banks. It is commanded by Jean-Luc
Picard.
First contact with the "Q".
First official contact with the Ferengi Alliance in the Zendi Sabu
system within the Alliance Alpha Exploration zone by the
Enterprise. The encounter also clears up mysteries surrounding the
long-dead Tkon Empire.
USS Stargazer returned after being discovered by the Ferengi, Bok.
Starfleet Code One Emergency, as it is later called, is quelched and
Fleet admirals, including Grand Admiral Savar, are killed after
being possessed by strange parasitic life forms.
Contact reestablished with Romulan Star Empire on the border of the
Neutral Zone after several Romulan and Federation outposts are
destroyed. Enterprise arranges a temporary information treaty with
a Romulan ship.
* * * *
This timeline was written by Jim Lyon (72571,3002) based on material
by Joe Sewell as presented in ENTHIS.TXT. This document may be
reproduced so long as FULL text remains intact.
Other sources for this document include SPOCK'S WORLD by Diane Duane,
DEEP DOMAIN by Howard Weinstein, MEMORY PRIME by Gar and Judith
Reeves-Stephens, THE FINAL REFLECTION by John M. Ford, DWELLERS IN THE
CRUCIBLE by Margaret Wander Bonanno, the ST:TNG OFFICERS MANUAL and
many other products from the FASA Corporation (the creators of Star
Trek: The Role Playing Game), the four ST movies and of course the
series Star Trek: The Next Generation. Also adapted from
presentations in the BEST OF TREK series from Signet.
************************
#:#:#:#:#:#:#:#:#:#:#:#:#
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editor: Cindy Bartorillo
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FEATURED AUTHOR:
ELLIS PETERS
Sue Feder's name is familiar to anyone who pays attention to the
bylines on book reviews, and she is also the woman behind the Ellis
Peters Appreciation Society, as well as the editor and publisher of
the Society's official journal, MOST LOVING MERE FOLLY. To get a copy,
write to: Ellis Peters Appreciation Society, c/o Sue Feder, 7815
Daniels Avenue, Parkville, MD 21234. (She doesn't insist on being
paid, but it would be polite to include a couple of dollars to pay for
repro and mailing costs. Make any checks payable to Sue Feder.)
Watch for the third edition of 20TH CENTURY CRIME AND MYSTERY WRITERS.
It includes a completely new essay about Ellis Peters written by Sue,
and to show that she does read other authors from time to time, Sue
has articles on Richard Barth and Les Roberts in the book too.
ELLIS PETERS SAYS
by Sue Feder
Luckily for us, Ellis Peters graciously consented to take some time
out of her busy schedule to give us an interview. She once said, "I do
love talking to people, but it takes up so much time. I've had to tell
my publishers not to arrange much for me in case I start enjoying it
more than writing!" Some quotes were taken (with the permission of EP
and her agent) from ELLIS PETERS WRITES, an article which has appeared
elsewhere.
Edith May Pargeter was born the youngest of three in the village of
Horsehay, Shropshire, on September 23, 1913. Her father was the head
clerk at the local ironworks. Her elder brother, Edmund Ellis, had
become an engineer, and her middle sister married--both are now
deceased. There's a nephew, and some cousins locally and in Cornwall
with whom she remains close.
She recalls a very happy childhood. "We were all bright at school and
had no difficulties holding our own, plenty of friends, the company of
dogs, all the things country children enjoy, miles of countryside in
which to roam." Her little village is now part of Telford and "a lot
of the meadows I used to know are now built up with housing estates
and industrial enclaves. But go west an hour into Wales, and it's pure
hill country. Eastward you move into the flatter and more industrial
midlands."
Educated at Dawley Church of England Elementary School, and then on a
scholarship at Coalbrookdale High School for Girls, she always knew
she wanted to write. "You might say that was settled from the start."
Deeply influenced by her mother, who had written poetry but gave it up
to raise three children, and further encouraged by Miss Harvey, a
fondly-remembered English teacher, she adds "In my time I have also
sung in a choir, acted in school plays, danced as a solo act in local
concerts, and painted quite well while I was at school. But writing
was always my aim."
Her mother's experience may have had other influences--she has never
married, believing that she's better at friendship, and felt she
couldn't properly run a marriage and a career at the same time--and
for her the writing came first.
Although she obtained an Oxford Higher School Certificate and first
class honors in English, Edith didn't want to remain in school or
continue on to a university. Instead, at age 20, she took up on an
offer to become a chemist's assistant at a shop in Dawley--"both
serving...and dispensing, experience which has sometimes been useful!
I learned about medicinal drugs, including those of botanic origin."
Over the next seven years she began to write seriously--in
longhand!--selling short stories and a short novel. "My first earnings
were actually in newsprint. Back before the war there were many
regional newspapers which carried serial stories, and agencies
commissioned such stories on the strength of a full synopsis and one
first installment. Length was laid down, thirteen installments, the
introductory one longer than the rest, and the stories were syndicated
round the regions, so might appear in four or five different
newspapers. Nothing like it exists now. Quite independently, some of
these were taken up by popular publishers, and lengthened--by me, the
copyright after serial publication was mine--into full-scale novels
and published under another name. Odd copies turn up occasionally."
She now looks at these early efforts at mysteries as "rather
juvenile".
Just before the war she published her first full-length novel, THE
CITY LIES FOURSQUARE (1939). When the war began she attempted to join
the Women's Air Force. Rejected because she was in a reserved
occupation, she resigned from her job with the chemist and applied to
the Women's Royal Naval Service--this time listing her occupation as
author. "Authors were clearly expendable, because I was accepted
without question, and drafted off to Plymouth to joining the staff at
Western Approaches Command. A year later the command moved to
Liverpool, to be better placed as covering the convoy route across the
Atlantic."
Working in the service didn't deter her writing, and SHE GOES TO WAR,
about the WRNS, was published in 1942. It is due to be reissued in
England, for the first time in 47 years. The first volume of a trilogy
about a common soldiers war, THE EIGHTH CHAMPION OF CHRISTENDOM, also
came out while she was still in uniform (1945), with the second book
arriving just after (RELUCTANT ODYSSEY, 1946).
On VE Day in 1944 Edith received the British Empire Medal,
"recommended probably by the naval signals officer we worked under.
For zeal and whole-hearted devotion to duty, the citation says. It was
usual each year on the honours list for some such service awards to be
recommended and awarded. I was a teleprinter operator, and after about
a year and the move to Liverpool had a watch of perhaps nine girls
under me. We had probably about thirteen printers in the room, plus
telex, cable and wireless, and a direct transatlantic line to the
other end of the convoy route in Newfoundland."
Timing continuing to be everything, Edith was demobilized as Petty
Officer on VJ Day, 1945.
But the war years were important for another reason. Her lifelong
connection with Czechoslovakian people, language and culture began as
a direct result of her outrage at the 1938 Munich Agreement, that
infamous agreement amongst Britain, France and Germany, in which the
two former agreed to parcel Czechoslovakia out to Germany in the vain
hope of avoiding war. Calling the agreement "shameful", she
"personally regarded our declaration of war as a relief and a
reparation. So when the war was over I took the first opportunity of
visiting the country. I had a few wartime contacts with Czechs
fighting with us, and had the greatest respect and liking for them. I
went with my brother in the summer of 1947 to an international summer
school held at a resort about 30 miles from Prague. Many such schools
were held that year in other European countries. We took a party of
students, with university lecturers on British institutions and
history, and they brought Czech students and lecturers to meet us.
Thus we made a considerable number of friends at one go, and have kept
many of them lifelong. I continued my visits whenever I could, grew
closer to one family in particular, but also made professional
contacts among writers there, and became very interested in the
language, and especially in the classics in the language, the books
all my friends had on their shelves, many of them 19th century works,
when the language was being studied and revived. Some had no
translations. I began to read them with the help of dictionaries and
written grammars, and finding that inadequate, started making my own
translations as I went along. Translations from both poetry and prose
have been published, and in time I began to be asked to translate
works such as a life of Comenius, during his celebratory year among
educationalists, and even modern novels. I go to Prague every year if
I can, value my relationships there like gold, and feel myself in a
sense Czech, with all their hopes and needs. They are a people I not
only love, but admire. THE COAST OF BOHEMIA (1950) was an account of
three months spent in Czechoslovakia in 1948, a light travel book.
"It was through diplomatic personnel in Prague that I got to know
India, and finally went there for a prolonged visit which later
provided the background to two Felse novels [MOURNING RAGA, 1969, and
DEATH TO THE LANDLORDS!, 1972]. I loved and hated India; the pressures
of class division and riches and poverty there are devastating, but
love predominates. I have two families and scattered friends there,
mainly in Delhi, but south also, and wish I had the stamina to tackle
it again. Maybe I'll make it some day yet, but it does take stamina."
It wasn't until 1951 that she tried her first thriller, FALLEN INTO
THE PIT, which introduced the Felse family. In 1959 she developed her
`nom-de-crime' upon completion of her second thriller, the non-Felse
DEATH MASK, in order to keep these works separate from her mainstream
work. The Felse family finally reappeared in 1961, in the
Edgar-winning DEATH AND THE JOYFUL WOMAN. From here on out, Detective
Sergeant George Felse (later promoted to Detective Chief Inspector),
his wife Bunty, and teenage son Dominic, cheerfully took turns solving
a dozen mysteries from their hometown of Comerford to such exotic--but
hardly unexpected, given the predilections of their creator--locals as
Czechoslovakia and India. Another of Edith's loves, music, featured in
several non-Felse thrillers.
In the meantime, she continued to write historical novels. "The book
which came nearest to what I wanted it to be is undoubtedly the HEAVEN
TREE TRILOGY. It set out as an attempt to create a really great artist
and set him in his own society, whenever that might be. For me it was
the period of Early English known to us as `stiff leaf', in church
building, which the heaven tree itself illustrates--the braced leaves
that hold up the vault, as of the church, so of the heavens." Indeed,
it had to be that period--1200 AD and the early En