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

This week's MT VOID contents :

Retro Hugo Finalists Available On-Line and in Print
New SF Podcast
You Cannot Believe Your Eyes
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (letter of comment by Jim Susky)
BAJA (film review by Mark R. Leeper)
YEAR 2018!, STAR WARS, MOBY DICK and Starbucks, Edgar Allan Poe, and FRANKENSTEIN 
     (letter of comment by John Hertz)
This Week's Reading (THE LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS)
     (book comments by Evelyn C. Leeper)
Quote of the Week

Featured articles, trip logs, and convention reports:

• Annotations and Thoughts on Moby Dick (IN PROGRESS) (247K)
• Road Trip to Utah (October 2017) (56K)
• Philcon 2014 (29K)
• Two-Day Trip to the Brandywine River Valley Art Museums (August 2017) (8K)
• Greece (and a Little Bit of Turkey) (April-May 2017) (62K)
• NorthAmeriCon '17 (NASFIC 2017) Convention Report (July 2017) (98)
• NorthAmeriCon '17 (NASFIC 2017) Photos (July 2017)
• 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

• 04/13/17, Vol. 36, No. 41: Links to Retro Hugo finalists on-line and in print, and to a new podcast; comments on eyes and on 2001: A Space Odyssey; film review of Baja; letters of comment on Year 2018!, Star Wars, Moby Dick and Starbucks, Edgar Allan Poe, and Frankenstein; and comments on books (The Left Hand of Darkness).
• 04/06/17, Vol. 36, No. 40: Announcement of Hugo Award finalists; link to blog on SpaceX 2018 goals; comments on obvious languages and on diseases; book review of Autonomous; and comments on books (comments on the Hugo Award finalists).
• 03/30/17, Vol. 36, No. 39: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in April; book reviews of The Freeze Frame Revolution and 1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed; letters of comment on squid, and on rules for film reviewing; and comments on books (What Unites Us and Norton Critical Editions).
• 03/23/17, Vol. 36, No. 38: Comments on the Locus recommended reading list, on extreme characters on films, and on Mark's rules as a film reviewer; book review of Binti: Home; film review of The Forgiven; letters of comment on Stephen Hawking, on shotgun marriages, on city names, on Kate Wilhelm, on Black Panther, on squid, on Frankenstein, and on gender pay gaps; and comments on books (Drowned Worlds).
• 03/16/17, Vol. 36, No. 37: Obituaries for Kate Wilhelm and Stephen Hawking; comments on a space force, on Florida marriage laws, and on squid; film reviews of Black Panther, Prodigy, and Madame; book review of Binti; letters of comment on Annihilation, on Ian Stewart, and on Frankenstein; and comments on books (Drowned Worlds).
• 03/09/17, Vol. 36, No. 36: Comments on squirrel sports and on gender pay gaps; book reviews of Frankenstein and Calculating the Cosmos; film review of Actors of Sound; film score review of Annihilation; letters of comment on sporting animals and Annihilation; and comments on books (The Complete Tales of Jules de Grandin).
• 03/02/17, Vol. 36, No. 35: Comments on AARP's movies for grownups and on squirrels; film review of Annihilation; letters of comment on Moby Dick; and comments on books (Essays and Reviews by Edgar Allan Poe and The Dispatcher).
• 02/23/18, Vol. 36, No. 34: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in March; list of Nebula Award nominees; film reviews of The Sect and The Millionaires' Unit; letter of comment on issue #2000, on mashed potatoes, on computer fonts, on The Berlin Project, on "By the Red Giant's Light", on My Journey to the Stars, and on Endurance; and comments on books (synchronicity, A Numerate Life and The Historical Film: History and Memory in Media).
• 02/16/18, Vol. 36, No. 33: Comments on restaurant ratings, and on arsonist birds; book reviews of Persepolis Rising and Raven Stratagem; film reviews of 7 Guardians of the Tomb and The Music of Silence; letters of comment on issue #2000, on Exapno Mapcase, on scientists and applications, and on mashed potatoes; and comments on books (Artemis and The Martian).
• 02/09/18, Vol. 36, No. 32: Comments on John W. Campbell's map and Fitbit; film review of Entanglement; letters of comment on immortal naked mole rats, on issue #2000, and on mashed potatoes; and comments on books (The Great Detective and The House of Unexpected Sisters).
• 02/02/18, Vol. 36, No. 31: Comments on MT VOID issue #2000, on the history of illustration in THE MT VOID, and on mashed potatoes; television review of The Blackist (Season 5); film review of Casanova Variations; letters of comment on ionic moments, and on Ulysses S. Grant; and comments on books (A Doll House).
• 01/26/18, Vol. 36, No. 30: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on Ursula K. Le Guin, on "Game of Thrones" and Lucky Logan, on science fiction for beginners, and on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in February; film review of Hostiles; book review of Life in a Medieval City; letters of comment on Philip K. Dick television series, on Too Like the Lightning, on Navajo code talkers, on writing from 2312, on Sherlock Holmes, and on fonts; and comments on books and television (American Experience: Into the Amazon, Colonel Roosevelt, and Into the Brazilian Wilderness).
• 01/19/18, Vol. 36, No. 29: Correction; comments on Russian Sherlock Holmes series, and on hand-written computer fonts; film review of Opera; book review of Too Like the Lightning; letters of comment on the traveling money, on Edmund Wilson and J. R. R. Tolkien, on emoticons and Morse Code, and on writing from 2312; and comments on books (The First World War).
• 01/12/18, Vol. 36, No. 28: Comments on emoticons; film reviews of Abe and Phil's Last Poker Game, Crazy Famous; The Dinner, Victoria & Abdul, and Darkest Hour; book review of New York 2140; television review of The Gifted; letters of comment on the traveling money, on the NFA, on Mark's "Top Ten Films of 2017", and on Orphan Black; and comments on books (Letters on Literature and Politics: 1912-1972).
• 01/05/18, Vol. 36, No. 27: Comments on the NFA; Mark's "Top Ten Films" of 2017; answers to the puzzles from last week; film review of The Pirates of Somalia; television review of Orphan Black (Season 5); letters of comment on Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and The Flight of the Phoenix; and comments on books and films (The Third Man).
• 12/29/17, Vol. 36, No. 26: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on bread magic and on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in January, book review of It Devours; letter of comment on the MT VOID, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and The Left Hand of Darkness; and comments on books (Alice's Puzzles in Wonderland).
• 12/22/17, Vol. 36, No. 25: Correction; comments on Jupiter, and on the motorcycle gangs; film reviews of Molly's Game, In the Fade, Free State of Jones, The Infiltrator, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Ingrid Goes West, and UnAmerican Struggle; book reviews of The Left Hand of Darkness and Astrophysics for People in a Hurry; letters of comment on Testament of Youth; and comments on books (Finders Keepers).
• 12/15/17, Vol. 36, No. 24: Comments on a free science fiction anthology, on a Pjilcon 2014 convention report, on advertising, and on King Kong, Godzilla, and monsters in general; film review of 19th Animation Show of Shows and The Post; book review of The Stone Sky; letters of comment on the ME-163 and Hannah Reitsch, on sine wave length, on The Shape of Water, on Thus Spoke Zarathustra, and on The Wheel of Time; and comments on books (Testament of Youth).
• 12/08/17, Vol. 36, No. 23: Illustration; comments on Kirk and Spock, and on the ME-163; film reviews of The Shape of Water and The Post; letters of comment on Thus Spoke Zarathustra and "All You Zombies", on sine wave length, and on The Wheel of Time and "Reader's Digest Condensed Books"; and comments on books (Burning Paradise and From Holmes to Sherlock).
• 12/01/17, Vol. 36, No. 22: Correction; comments on The Wheel of Time, and on unwinding DNA; film reviews of Breathe and Gifted; letters of comment on The Wheel of Time, on "How Great Science Fiction Works", and on Hertz Van Rental; and comments on books (Unquiet Spirits).
• 11/24/17, Vol. 36, No. 21: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in December, book review of The Wheel of Time; course review of "How Great Science Fiction Works"; film reviews of Jane and First They Killed My Father; letters of comment on inhabitable planets, on convention reports, on Thor: Ragnarok, on Undeniable, and on Wonder Woman and comments on books (Beowulf on the Beach and Thus Spoke Zarathustra).
• 11/17/17, Vol. 36, No. 20: Pointer to a trip log for our trip to the Southwest; comments on the new Wonder Woman; film review of Thor: Ragnarok; book review of Undeniable; and comments on books (The Forever War and book sales).
• 11/10/17, Vol. 36, No. 19: Correction; pointer to Philcon convention reports and to a report on space developments; comments on the Bell Labs Science Fiction Club in Holmdel and on I Was a Teenage Werewolf; film reviews of Daguerreotype and Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992; letters of comment on motives, on Blade Runner 2049, on 1987, on The Ghost in the Shell, and on ethnicity in anime; and comments on books (Micro).
• 11/03/17, Vol. 36, No. 18: Comments on chain mail on on motives; film reviews of Blade Runner 2049 and The Ghost in the Shell; letter of comment on Benoit B. Mandelbrot; and comments on books (Moby Dick annotations).
• 10/27/17, Vol. 36, No. 17: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in November, book review of Tomorrow's Kin; letters of comment on 221B drabbles, on the World Leadership Correspondence School, Transformation, and Chiller; and comments on books (Star Beast and The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Civil War).
• 10/20/17, Vol. 36, No. 16: Correction; comments on leadership; a 221B drabble; book review of Transformation: A Novel; letters of comment on alternate realities, on Starlings, on Sherlock Holmes and the Shadwell Shadows, and on Ulysses S. Grant; and comments on books (Readings).
• 10/13/17, Vol. 36, No. 15: Comments on personal realities; book review of Starlings; letters of comment on ReaLive and on The Medusa Chronicles; and comments on books (Sherlock Holmes and the Shadwell Shadows and Hieroglyph: Stories and Visions for a Better Future).
• 10/06/17, Vol. 36, No. 14: Announcement of Nobel Prize for Kazuo Ishiguro; comments on Hertz Van Rental, on The Thing from Another World, and nine movies everyone should see; film review of ReaLive; book review of The Medusa Chronicles; letter of comment on alternate worlds; and comments on books (Greek Fire, Poison Arrows & Scorpion Bombs).
• 09/29/17, Vol. 36, No. 13: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on NASA flight directors, on alternate universes, and on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in November; film review of The 13th Friday; letters of comment on mathematics and taxes, on Artemis, and on infinity; and comments on books (Queen Victoria's Book of Spells and My Friend Mr Campion).
• 09/22/17, Vol. 36, No. 12: Comments on Wilmington and Brandywine River art museums, on Cassini, on King Arthur, and on infinity; book review of Artemis; and comments on books (Partners in Command).
• 09/15/17, Vol. 36, No. 11: Comments on lifespans, and on books; film reviews of The Lifehouse Golem and Cold Moon; book review of The Disappearing Spoon; and comments on books (The Shepherd's Life).
• 09/08/17, Vol. 36, No. 10: Comments on slow adopters and on the best films of the last decade; book review of Infinity Wars; and comments on books (Hollywood Enlists!, Counterfeit Worlds, The Best American Science and Fantasy 2015, The Best American Essays 2012, and Talking Back, Talking Black).
• 09/01/17, Vol. 36, No. 9: Announcement of trip and convention reports; comments on Aldi, and on kangaroos and self-driving cars; film reviews of Anti-Matter and Never Let Go; book review of The Collapsing Empire; letter of comment on 1977, on TAFF, on Worldcon, on television shows, on Harold and Lillian, and on The Martian; and comments on books (The Mysterious Island).
• 08/25/17, Vol. 36, No. 8: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in September; letters of comment on the Universal monster universe, on An Inconvenient Sequel, on The Martian, on time reversal stories, and on the shape of places to come; and comments on books (and film) (Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind).
• 08/18/17, Vol. 36, No. 7: Comments on Hugo Award winners and Worldcon 75, on insurance, on the mainstream film industry, on Hugo Award rules changes, on Hidden Figures and Hugo eligibility, and on relativity; film review of An Inconvenient Sequel; book review of The Holy Roman Empire; and comments on books (and film) (The Martian).
• 08/11/17, Vol. 36, No. 6: Comments on what to look for in the eclipse, on bottled water, and on cyber-crime; book review of Star-Begotten; film reviews of 1944 and 6 Days; letter of comment on "West Wing"; and comments on books (Sylvie and Bruno, Counter-Clock World, Cryptozoic!, Time's Arrow, and "What Has Passed Shall in Kinder Light Appear").
• 08/04/17, Vol. 36, No. 5: Announcement of NASFIC con report; comments on today's "West Wing", and on the shape of places to come; letters of comment on Greece, on Rhinoceros, and on henry Ward beecher; and comments on books (The Assimilated Cuban's Guide to Quantum Santería, and The Collapsing Empire).
• 07/28/17, Vol. 36, No. 4: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on "up to", on Galaxy and Amazing magazines, and on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in Augus; film reviews of Valerian: City of a Thousand Planets and Dunkirk; book reviews of A Closed and Common Orbit and The God Wave; letters of comment on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, and on jumpers and pinafores; and comments on books (The Great God Pan, Vacation Guide to the Solar System, and The Novel of the Century).
• 07/21/17, Vol. 36, No. 3: Corrections; comments on the Newark Steam Man, on the National Parks Senior Pass, and on San Juan and the NASFIC; film review of War for the Planet of the Apes; letters of comment on tights, on Too Like the Lightning, and on the Scholastic Aptitude Test; and comments on books (Evolution and War for the Planet of the Apes).
• 07/14/17, Vol. 36, No. 2: Comments on James Bond, and on San Juan; book reviews of Too Like the Lightning and Death's End; letters of comment on Sikhs, and on the Scholastic Aptitude Test; and comments on books ("There Was a Crooked Man, He Flipped a Crooked House" and Limitless).
• 07/07/17, Vol. 36, No. 1: Comments on tights, and on academic cheating; film review of Under the Turban; and comments on books (book formats and "Your Life in 1977"),
• 06/30/17, Vol. 35, No. 53: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on remembrance, Little Free Libraries, and on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in July, film review of A Quiet Passion; letters of comment on minions, on An Economist Gets Lunch, and on Before the Dawn; and comments on books (Hugo novelette and short story finalists),
• 06/23/17, Vol. 35, No. 52: Announcement of the John W. Campbell Award finalists and winner; comments on Marvel movies, on what is science fiction, and on The Massacre of Mankind; book reviews of Ninefox Gambit and Mars: Our Future on the Red Planet; film review of The Midnighters; letter of comment on Mona Lisa; and comments on books (Hugo novella finalists: The Ballad of Black Tom, Every Heart a Doorway, Penric and the Shaman, A Taste of Honey, and This Census-Taker).
• 06/16/17, Vol. 35, No. 51: Comments on Adam West, on Val Lewton, on the Mona Lisa; film reviews of Aaron's Blood and Wonder Woman; letters of comment on Agatha Christie, on generation ships, on Greece, on Afterimage, on Matt Helm, on geography and the Martians, on The Warrior's Apprentice, on Hidden Figures, on Deadpool, and on Hugo finalists; and comments on books (Postern of Fate).
• 06/09/17, Vol. 35, No. 50: Comments on the WannaCry virus and the hacker century; film review of Be Afraid; letters of comment on Greece and comments on books (Lagoon, Wicked Wonders, and A Caribbean Mystery).
• 06/02/17, Vol. 35, No. 49: Comments on Greece; film review of Afterimage; letter of comment on spotting the ISS spotting tools; and comments on books (Last Year and The Martian).
• 05/26/17, Vol. 35, No. 48: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on Nebula Awards, on Ghosts, and on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in June; book review of The Asylum of Dr. Caligari and Spaceships; film review of The Women's Balcony; letters of comment on ISS spotting tools, on Fantastic Voyage, on issue numbers, on Hugo finalists, on Turner Classic Movies, and on rain and dogs; comments on Superman and the KKK, on imitation, and on Fantastic Voyage; and comments on books (Simulacron-3).
• 05/19/17, Vol. 35, No. 47: Correction, announcement of Hugo finalists change, pointer to tricorder invention, pointer to ISS spotting tool; comments on Superman and the KKK, on imitation, and on Fantastic Voyage; book review of Wicked Wonders; letters of comment on Stefan Zweig, on Horror of Dracula, and Fantastic Voyage; and comments on books (Breaking the Maya Code (Revised), and Rhinoceros).
• 05/12/17, Vol. 35, No. 46: Comments on Hammer films, on tricorders, on Fantastic Voyage, and on Curse of Frankenstein and Horror of Dracula; film review of Stefan Zweig: Farewell to Europe; letters of comment on All the Birds in the Sky and Latin@ Rising, paper, and fonts; and comments on books (Reel Terror).
• 05/05/17, Vol. 35, No. 45: Comments on a chart of the history of science fiction, and on the soap opera effect; book reviews of All the Birds in the Sky and A Night Without Stars; letters of comment on Davy Crockett, on Enceladus, and on Hidden Figures and The Rise of the Rocket Girls; and comments on books (New York 2140 and Latin@ Rising).

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