Evelyn C. Leeper's Home Page: Books, Travel, and More

This week's MT VOID contents :

Early Flying Saucer/UFO Books Covers
JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH (1959) (comments 
     by Mark R. Leeper)
Ellen Datlow (summary of presentation by Evelyn C. Leeper)
QUANTUM NIGHT by Robert J. Sawyer (book review 
     by Joe Karpierz)
SULLY (film review by Mark R. Leeper)
FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS (film review by Mark R. Leeper)
THE PEOPLE GARDEN (film review by Mark R. Leeper)
Prius (letters of comment by John Jezl and Charles S. Harris)
This Week's Reading (THE ANNOTATED HOBBIT) (book comments 
     by Evelyn C. Leeper)
Quote of the Week

Featured articles, trip logs, and convention reports:

• Notes on José Saramago
• Los Angeles (mostly foodie stuff) (August 2016) (17K)
• Cambodia and Vietnam (January-February 2014) (72K)
• Londinium in CMLIV A.U.C. (201 C.E.)
• Blog about Evelyn's Broken Hip (March-May 2013) (168K)
• Annotations and Thoughts on Moby Dick (IN PROGRESS) (84K)
• Wit and Humor in Moby Dick
• The International Legacy of Jorge Luis Borges (my class notes on a Comparative Literature course given at Penn State in 2007) (104K)
• Science Fiction Museum (Seattle) (April 2007) (35K)
• Ten Tips on Travel to Japan (updated for use by Nippon 2007 Worldcon attendees)
• What Is a Western?
• Time Travel on Television: The BBC/PBS "House" Shows
• Museum of Jurassic Technology (July 2005)
• Photo of restroom signs at L.A.con IV (trust me, you'll like it!)
• List of books read by the Old Bridge (NJ) Public Library's "Original" Book Group
• List of books read by the Old Bridge (NJ) Public Library's Science Fiction Book Group

Mark and I were Fan Guests of Honor for Windycon XXIX, November 8-10, 2002. Here are:

• My convention report
• A brief co-biography written for the Program Book by friend and seven-time Hugo nominee Bob Devney
• Further information on Windycon

What I do:

• I was for twenty years one of the judges for the Sidewise Award for Alternate History.
  • Click here for "AH 101," a quick introduction to alternate history.
  • Click here for a list of Jewish-themed alternate histories.
• I read books and write book reviews.
• I travel and write travelogues and science fiction convention reports.
• I maintain various lists and pages:
  • Lists of bookstores throughout the world
  • A Magical Realism page of discussion and links
  • A Harry Potter page: differences between the British and American editions of the first book (work in progress)
  • A Sherlock Holmes booklist
  • The rec.arts.books FAQ
  • The rec.arts.sf.written FAQ
  • The rec.arts.movies FAQ
  • The rec.arts.sf.movies FAQ
  • Recommended DVD commentaries

If you want to get some idea of my philosophy, check out my .sig quotes.

I have been nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer twelve times, most recently in 2001.

The MT VOID is a publication of the Mt. Holz science fiction club.

To subscribe, send mail to mtvoid-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mtvoid/.

Table of Contents

• 09/16/16, Vol. 35, No. 12: Comments on flying saucer book covers, on the 1959 film Journey to the Center of the Earth, and on Ellen Datlow; book review of Quantum Night; film reviews of Sully, Florence Foster Jenkins, and The People Garden; letters of comment on the Prius; and comments on books (The Annotated Hobbit).
• 09/09/16, Vol. 35, No. 11: Comments on the secret agent polka, on the Metropolis program book, on American SF/horror anthology series of the 1960s, and on the Prius; book review of Local Custom; film review of London Road; and comments on books (Moby-Dick as Doubloon).
• 09/02/16, Vol. 35, No. 10: Comments on frustration, on American SF/horror anthology series of the 1950s, and on the Beloit Mindset List; letters of comment on Suicide Squad, on Star Trek Beyond, on Hugos and Retro Hugos, on Seveneves and spoilers, and on Trumbo and A Man for All Seasons; and comments on books (12 Years a Slave).
• 08/26/16, Vol. 35, No. 9: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on Boris Karloff Day on TCM, on electrons, on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in September, on Hugo and Retro Hugo Award winners, and on infinite universes; film reviews of Killer Party and of Bad Moms; book reviews of five more Jack Reacher novels; list of various changes to Hugo categories and voting procedures; letters of comment on Star Trek Beyond and on the joys of self-immolation; and comments on books (Tales and Sketches and The Black Lizard Book of Locked Room Mysteries).
• 08/19/16, Vol. 35, No. 8: Comments on chamber music, on Star Trek Beyond, and on exo-planets; film review of Suicide Squad; and comments on books (A History of the English-Speaking Peoples).
• 08/12/16, Vol. 35, No. 7: Comments on irony, on gjetost, and on attitudes in old movies; book review of Seveneves; comments on animal intelligence and altruism, on Pinocchio, and on encores and the Proms; and comments on books and films (There Are Two Errors In The The Title of this Book and The Civil War).
• 08/05/16, Vol. 35, No. 6: Correction; comments on Tor eBook Club, and on the lessons of Pinocchio; film review of yHomeless?; comments on encores; and comments on books and films (Book Business and Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?).
• 07/29/16, Vol. 35, No. 5: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on encores, on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in August, on TCM's Halloween line-up for October, and on simulating chemical reactions with a computer; book review of The Fifth Season; film review of Sun Choke; comments on "The Stellar Legion" and military science fiction, on church invitations, on terrorism, and on The Girl with All the Gifts; and comments on books and films (Close to Shore, 12 Days of Terror, and Blood in the Water).
• 07/22/16, Vol. 35, No. 4: Comments on Tor's free ebook club, on an open invitation, and on the growing threat; book review of The Girl with All the Gifts; film review of Nuts!; comments on "The Roads Must Roll", on Lee Child's "Jack Reacher" novels, and on Michael Swanwick; and comments on books (the Retro Hugo Short Story and Dramatic Presentation finalists).
• 07/15/16, Vol. 35, No. 3: Comments on necks, and on the Retro Hugo Dramatic Presentation Short Form finalists; report on a talk by Michael Swanwick; film review of Outlaws and Angels; book reviews of Uprooted and of the first five "Jack Reacher" novels; comments on space development, on Slan, on quotes, and on Samuel Pepys and houses; and comments on books (The Diary of Samuel Pepys and the Retro Hugo Novella and Novelette finalists).
• 07/08/16, Vol. 35, No. 2: Comments on Worldcon plans, on car touchscreens, on the Retro Hugo Dramatic Presentation Long Form finalists, and on space and libertarians; book review of The Cinder Spires: The Aeronaut's Windlass; and comments on books (The Diary of Samuel Pepys and the Retro Hugo Novel finalists: Gray Lensman, The Ill-Made Knight, Kallocain, The Reign of Wizardry, and Slan).
• 07/01/16, Vol. 35, No. 1: Comments on Weird Tales, on memory foam, on commitments and the unknown; television reviews of iZombie, Supergirl, Limitless, Bitten, and The Magicians; film review of Rising Tides; letters of comment on Gypsy, on Aurora, on Turner Classic Movies, and on Samuel Pepys; and comments on books (The Diary of Samuel Pepys, The World of Lucha Libre, The Cutting Room, and Browsings).
• 06/24/16, Vol. 34, No. 51: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on more Retro Hugo changes, on airlines, and on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in July; film review of Southbound; book reviews of the "Magicians" trilogy and of Gypsy; letters of comment on reading communities, on fake movies, and on Samuel Pepys; and comments on books (The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Cranbury Bookworm, and used bookstores in general).
• 06/17/16, Vol. 34, No. 50: Comments on reflection, on "Radium Age" science fiction, and on differences of opinion; book review of Archivist Wasp; letters of comment on natures and dimensions, on fake movies, and on Samuel Pepys and calendars; and comments on books (The Diary of Samuel Pepys, The Collected Stories of Bertrand Russell, and The Time Traveler's Almanac).
• 06/10/16, Vol. 34, No. 49: Comments on windows, and on science fiction and legitimacy; film reviews of The Lobster and X-Men: Apocalypse; letters of comment on the Babel fish, on mathematics, Therapy for a Vampire, on The Diary of Samuel Pepys, on Muhammed Ali, on natures, and on "If This Goes On..." and "Blowups Happen"; and comments on books (The Diary of Samuel Pepys and "The Lottery in Babylon").
• 06/03/16, Vol. 34, No. 48: Comments on the Babel fish, on second nature, on re-inventing math, and on Retro Hugo availability; film review of Therapy for a Vampire; letters of comment on The Rocketeer, on The Martian, and on The God Cells and Eric Merola; and comments on books (The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Curiosities of Literature, and Around the World in 50 Years).
• 05/27/16, Vol. 34, No. 47: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups and of centennial event in Matawan; comments on piracy, on dieselpunk, on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in June, and on West Side Story; film review of The God Cells; letters of comment on hacking cars and on the eletoral college; and comments on books (When General Grant Expelled the Jews and The Martian).
• 05/20/16, Vol. 34, No. 46: Comments on the Western tradition, on strange cars, and on Presidential visits; book review of "Not So Much," Said the Cat; film review of Rushlights; letters of comment on Elon Musk and Iain M. Banks, on primary elections and delegates, and on history and the past; and comments on books (Assassination Vacation).
• 05/13/16, Vol. 34, No. 46: Comments on Hugo Award news and on Retro Hugo availability, on Elon Musk and science fiction, on history, and on super-delegates; letters of comment on Aurora, and on mathematics; and comments on books (and films) (Lost Horizon).
• 05/06/16, Vol. 34, No. 45: Comments on fiction, on Hugo Award news and on Retro Hugo availability, and on mathematicians; film review of The Curse of Sleeping Beauty; book review of Aurora; letters of comment on Space X, and on The Invisible Man; and comments on books (Third-Class Ticket and Twelfth Night).
• 04/29/16, Vol. 34, No. 44: Lists of Hugo Award and Retro Hugo Award finalists; announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on the English language, on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in May, and on the FANAC channel on YouTube; film reviews of Invisible Man Appears and Sacrifice; letters of comment on Passover, and on Project Breakthrough Starshot; and comments on books (Hugo Award and Retro Hugo Award finalists).
• 04/22/16, Vol. 34, No. 43: Comments on iTunes U, and on Project Breakthrough Starshot; film reviews of Dough and Love Thy Nature; letters of comment on AI authors, on Passover, and on films' recognition values; and comments on books ("The Whisperer in Darkness").
• 04/15/16, Vol. 34, No. 42: Comments on AIs writing novels, on big thefts,, on penny box crimes, and on Passover; book review of Invaders 22; letters of comment on the loneliness of numbers, on What to Think ABout Machines That Think, on Valerie Hobson, and on creativity; and comments on books (In the Heart of the Sea).
• 04/08/16, Vol. 34, No. 41: Comments on lonely numbers, and on creativity, and on cooking; film review of Q-Planes/Clouds Over Europe; letters of comment on the Founding Fathers and on identity; and comments on books (What to Think About Machines That Think).
• 04/01/16, Vol. 34, No. 40: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in April, on identity, and on possible Hugo nominations; film review of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice; letters of comment on planets; and comments on books (Bryn Mawr book sale, Rome's Revolution, and The Borrowed Man).
• 03/25/16, Vol. 34, No. 39: Comments on adaptors, on the Zimmerli Art Museum, on Planet X, and on time travelers; film reviews of Moments of Clarity and Camino; letters of comment on mass market paperbacks, on travel and adaptors, on Sherlock Holmes, and on entropy; and comments on books (Borges in "Sur").
• 03/18/16, Vol. 34, No. 38: Comments on headlines, and on bananas; film review of 10 Cloverfield Lane; book reviews of Nemesis Games and Ancillary Mercy; letters of comment on mass market paperbacks, on travel and adaptors, on Sherlock Holmes, and on entropy; and comments on books (The Cobbler of Ridingham and D.A.).
• 03/11/16, Vol. 34, No. 37: Comments on car defribrillators, and on Fukushima Daiichi; film review of A Country Called Home; book review of Dark Matter and Dinosaurs; letters of comment on digital backlash and on the discontents of travels; and comments on books (The Big Book of Sherlock Holmes Stories).
• 03/04/16, Vol. 34, No. 36: Comments on issue 1900, on time's arrow, on the Oscars, and on travel; letters of comment on digital backlash; and comments on books (Our Man in Havana).
• 02/26/16, Vol. 34, No. 35: Correction; announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in March; film review of Colliding Dreams; and comments on books (Manden flores a la luna and The Croquet Player).
• 02/19/16, Vol. 34, No. 34: Comments on digital backlash; film review of Admiral; letters of comment on "almost", on charitable investments, and on the Mars Rover; and comments on books (The Woman Who Walked in Sunshine and Seven Days in May).
• 02/12/16, Vol. 34, No. 33: Comments on archive.org, on settling space, and on charitable investments; film reviews of Forsaken and Hail, Caesar!; letters of comment on the Mars Rover and on The Blacklist; and comments on books ("The Greek Interpreter" and The Dark Forest).
• 02/05/16, Vol. 34, No. 32: Comments on health resorts; film reviews of Carol, Listen to Me Marlon, Animals, and Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine; television review of The Blacklist; book review of Central Station; letters of comment on impressment and on lights; and comments on books (The Pig That Wants to Be Eaten).
• 01/29/16, Vol. 34, No. 31: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on James Bond gadgets, on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in February, and on outdoor lights; film reviews of the Academy Award nominees for live-action and animated shorts; letters of comment on the pants zipper crisis, on Tabby's star, and on TheWhole Wide World; and comments on books (The American Revolution: Writings from the Pamphlet Debate 1764-1772, Submission, Luna: New Moon, and Galapagos Regained).
• 01/22/16, Vol. 34, No. 30: Comments on the "VOID Express" and on Tabby's Star; and comments on books (The Whole Wide World, "Red Nails", and "Pigeons from Hell").
• 01/15/16, Vol. 34, No. 29: Comments on a "Star Wars" quiz, on "Star Wars" ticket sales, on pants zippers, and on toleration; film reviews of JeruZalem and Durant's Never Closes; book reviews of A Borrowed Man, The Bone Labyrinth, Personal, Human Spaceflight, The Brain Electric, and Hero of the Air; letters of comment on choices, on Seveneves, on Trumbo, on He Named Me Malala, on , on The Man Who Counted, and on last week's puzzle; and comments on books (The Annals of Imperial Rome and She Nailed a Stake Through His Head).
• 01/08/16, Vol. 34, No. 28: Comments on produce, on ballet, and on the rules of movie car chases; Mark's Top Ten Films of 2015; film reviews of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Anomalisa; letters of comment on last seek's puzzle, on Sicario and Spectre, and on Siddhartha and Lord of Light; and comments on books ("Hate" and The Man Who Counted).
• 01/01/16, Vol. 34, No. 27: Puzzle; comments on Bell Works, on downtowns, and on Falcon 9; film reviews of The Big Short, Macbeth (2015), and Sicario; book review of Can and Can'Takerous; letters of comment on honesty in fiction, World of Ptavvs, and organic vs. ?; and comments on books (Death Comes for the Archbishop, The Call of the Wild, Siddhartha, and Seveneves).
• 12/25/15, Vol. 34, No. 26: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on hope, on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in January, and on choices; letters of comment on Dune, on anti-Mormon sentiment in classic novels, on Make Room! Make Room!, on the aurora borealis, on the OFCS awards, on verdicts, and on Ben-Hur; and comments on books (World of Ptavvs and Classics and Commercials: A Literary Chronicle of the Forties).
• 12/18/15, Vol. 34, No. 25: Announcement of the OFCS Film Awards; comments on Ernst Starvo Blofeld, on innocent until proven guilty, and on Ceres; film reviews of Spotlight, Racing Extinction, and Turbo Kid; book reviews of Dune and Meeting Infinity; letters of comment on George Méliès, on yogurt and blueberries, and on Sherlock Holmes, Jacques Futrelle, D'Ordel's Pantechnicon, and D'Ordel's Tactics and Military Training; and comments on books (The Cave, The Notebook, and Jose Saramago en sus palabras).
• 12/11/15, Vol. 34, No. 24: Comments on statistics and yogurt, on the oldest horror movie, on the Universal horror cycle, on Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics, on 11 December 1908, and on the Sherlock Holmes novels; an illustration; film reviews of The Dead Lands, A Sinner in Mecca, What Our Fathers Did, and Trumbo; letters of comment on Tabasco and sriracha sauces; and comments on books (The Gentleman in the Parlour and Make Room! Make Room!).
• 12/04/15, Vol. 34, No. 23: Comments on extreme solutions, on similar illustrations, on Tabasco and Sriracha sauces, on December decorations, and on Blue Origin and New Shepard; book reviews of Welcome to Night Vale and Persian Fire; film reviews of Brooklyn and Suffragette; letters of comment on Oscar-winning sports films, on governmental titles, on climate change proposals, on free computers, and on Flowers for Algernon, Charly, and Des fleurs pour Algernon; and comments on books (The Death of Ivan Ilyich).
• 11/27/15, Vol. 34, No. 22: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on the "Planet of the Apes" films, on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in December, and on the law of unintended consequences; book review of Cibola Burn; audiobook review of Flowers for Algernon; letters of comment on wine clubs, Mission: Impossible, subtitles, "The Marching Morrons", and on candidates; and comments on book-buying and the Cranbury Bookworm.
• 11/20/15, Vol. 34, No. 21: Comments on TCM's wine club, on film subtitles, and on the Mission: Impossible television series; film review of Flutter; letters of comment on "The Marching Morrons", on When Worlds Collide, and on "Wait. Wait. Don't Tell Me." and Poetry; and comments on books (Baltasar and Blimunda).
• 11/13/15, Vol. 34, No. 20: Comments on 23 and Me, on poetry, and on the film When Worlds Collide; film reviews of SPECTRE and Woman in Gold; letters of comment on candidates, on Air New Zealand safety videos, and on the shape of the earth; and comments on books (The Anatomy of Revolution, "The Ballad of Lost C'Mell", and "The Marching Morons").
• 11/06/15, Vol. 34, No. 19: Comments on Ukraine and Darth Vader, on Air New Zealand, on fundamentals, on Jupiter's Red Spot, and on candidates; film review of Bone Tomahawk; letters of comment on science fiction in the mainstream media, on lofgeornost, and on The Thief of Bagdad, Douglas Fairbanks, and silent films; and comments on books (Founding Brothers, Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72, and La Novia de Corinto).
• 10/30/15, Vol. 34, No. 18: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on limitations, on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in October, and on the film The War of the Worlds; film reviews of Rotor DR1 and Steve Jobs; television reviews of Continuum, Minority Report, Limitless, and Blindspot; letters of comment on the state of horror, on The Martian, and on William Goldman, Marathon Man, and Alfred, Lord Tennyson; and comments on books (Professor Borges: A Course on English Literature).
• 10/23/15, Vol. 34, No. 17: Links to comments about strange objects; comments on Marathon Man and on the state of horror; film reviews of Crimson Peak, Bridge of Spies, and Beasts of No Nation; film/book review of The Martian; letters of comment on The Wilhelm Gostloff, on The World Without Us, on church schisms, the ISS and Worldcon, and The Martian; and comments on books (Cicero's Selected Political Speeches).
• 10/16/15, Vol. 34, No. 16: Link to ISS/Worldcon videos; comments on a church schism, and on the Wilhelm Gostloff; letters of comment on The Martian, on religious laws, on Kevin McCarthy, and on Colm Feore; and comments on books (The World Without Us and Life After People).
• 10/09/15, Vol. 34, No. 15: Answer to puzzle; comments on Beetle Bailey and Dilbert, and on religious instructions; film reviews of The Martian and Reversion; letters of comment on aging and traveling, on The Metamorphosis, on Constantine, and on operas, operettas, and musicals; and comments on books (A Sherlock Holmes Devotional and Sherlock Holmes & The Veiled Detective).
• 10/02/15, Vol. 34, No. 14: Puzzle; announcement of Ellen Datlow lecture; comments on Pope Francis, on Metamorphosis, on ambiguous titles, and on proof we are living in the 21st century; film review of The Prime Ministers: Soldiers and Peacemakers; letters of comment on remakes, and on operas, operettas, and musicals; and comments on books ("What Has Passed Shall in Kinder Light Appear", and The Fictional Man).

Older back issues are available here and at fanac.org.

Here are some links to sites of interest:

• the incomparable Mark R. Leeper's Home Page
• The Internet Speculative Fiction DataBase
• Uchronia Alternate History List, Overview
• Steven Silver's Jewish Science Fiction Bibliography

Also available are: