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

This week's MT VOID contents :

A Tale of Two Spocks (comments by Mark R. Leeper)
Dilemma (comments by Mark R. Leeper)
Safety in (Prime) Numbers (comments by Mark R. Leeper)
IRON MAN 3 (film review by Dale L. Skran, Jr.)
THE PARTICLE AT THE END OF THE UNIVERSE by Sean Carroll 
     (book review by Greg Frederick)
Large Bill in a Small Town (letter of comment by Fred Lerner)
COLD CITY (letter of comment by Dale L. Skran, Jr.)
This Week's Reading (THE PENGUIN GUIDE TO THE UNITED STATES 
     CONSTITUTION) (book comments by Evelyn C. Leeper)
Quote of the Week

Featured articles, trip logs, and convention reports:

• Renovation (August 2011) (139K) (finally completed! [04/21/13])
• Costa Rica (January 2013) (53K)
• Annotations and Thoughts on Moby Dick (IN PROGRESS) (84K)
• Southern Africa (January-February 2012) (167K)
• Philcon 2011 (November 2011) (8K) (no panel descriptions yet)
• Anticipation (August 2009) (160K) (with panel descriptions)
• Italy (October-November 2010) (124K)
• Civil War Films Being Shown on TCM in April 2011
• 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 am currently 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

• 05/10/13, Vol. 31, No. 45: Comments on two Spocks, on a dilemma, and on cicadas; film review of Iron Man 3; book review of The Particle at the End of the Universe; letters of comment on a large bill in a small town and on Cold City; and comments on books (The Penguin Guide to the United States Constitution).
• 05/03/13, Vol. 31, No. 44: Comments on forces and on time travel; book reviews of The Human Division and Amped; letters of comment on required science fiction; and comments on books (Fancies and Goodnights and The Golem and the Jinni).
• 04/26/13, Vol. 31, No. 43: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups and of Renovation convention report; comments on Hugo nominations, on Game of Thrones, on science fiction in schools, and on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in May; film reviews of Oblivion and Desperate Acts of Magic; book review of The Radiant Seas; letters of comment on movie titles and on the MT VOID; and comments on books (A History of Warfare and Selections from the Essays of T. H. Huxley).
• 04/19/13, Vol. 31, No. 42: Comments on triathlons, and on Albert Robida; letters of comment on The Life of Pi, the poetry of writing, and The Divine Comedy; and comments on books (Simple Library Cataloguing).
• 04/12/13, Vol. 31, No. 41: Comments on wolfmen, on Polish film posters, on "Popular Science", on giant robots, and on Argentine ants; letters of comment on Iphigenia, on Star Trek into Darkness, and on The Vampire Diaries; and comments on books (The Aeneid, "The Gospel of John", The Divine Comedy, and Moby Dick).
• 04/05/13, Vol. 31, No. 40: Correction; announcement (with comments) of the Hugo nominations; comments on Star Trek into Darkness, on Frank R. Paul, on alternate history, and on 1960s spy shows; television/book review of The Vampire Diaries and The Hydrogen Sonata; letters of comment on puzzle answers, and on guns; and comments on books ("Oresteia").
• 03/29/13, Vol. 31, No. 39: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on the MT VOID, on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in April, and on technology and its discontents; interview with Jordin Kare; film review of Family Weekend; letters of comment on puzzle answers, on Boskone, and on guns; and comments on books (UCB Philosophy 6 and The Odyssey).
• 03/22/13, Vol. 31, No. 38: A math solution; comments on alien life, on the Second Amendment, and on flying and luggage; convention report of Boskone 2013; letter of comment on smoking in space; and comments on books (Up the Line, The New Cthulhu, Jorge Luis Borges, and Cloud Atlas).
• 03/15/13, Vol. 31, No. 37: A math puzzle; comments on tardigrades, on being real, on supernatural folk tales of Costa Rica, and on Asimov's predictions for the 2014 World's Fair; book review of Captain Vorpatril's Alliance; film reviews of Hava Nagila, and May I Be Frank Hill; letters of comment on the Argo dilemma, on Fred and Ginger, on George R. R. Martin, on the style guide, and on LoneStarCon3; and comments on books and movies ("Waldo" and Gods and Generals and alternate history).
• 03/08/13, Vol. 31, No. 36: Correction for Costa Rica logs; comments on mottos, on the Argo dilemma, and on the MT VOID style guide; television review of Game of Thrones (Season II); film reviews of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Columbiana, and From Up on Poppy Hill; book reviews of The Illustrated Man and Scratch Monkey; letter of comment on Josh Billings; and comments on books (Eric and alternate history).
• 03/01/13, Vol. 31, No. 35: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups, of Nebula Award nominees, and of Costa Rica logs; comments on Worldcon prospects, on Rameses III, and on wrestling and the Olympics; film reviews of Quartet, Coin Toss, and Inescapable; letters of comment on futurism and nuclear disarmament, on Side Effects, and on Quartet; and comments on books (The Stranger and alternate history).
• 02/22/13, Vol. 31, No. 34: Comments on obscurity, on an asteroid collision simulator, on Mars, on newspapers, on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in March, and on streaming video; film reviews of Side Effects, Silver Linings Playbook, and Superpower; television review of Continuum; book reviews of Cold City and Blind Descent; letters of comment on the Verninator; and comments on books (Postville: A Clash of Cultures in Heartland America and Postville, U.S.A.: Surviving Diversity in Small-Town America).
• 02/15/13, Vol. 31, No. 33: Comments on shoes, on the Verbinator, on Carnival of Souls, and on Arya Stark; book review of Degrees Kelvin; letters of comment on "all the love", on predictions, and on elegant formulae; and comments on books (The Cranbury Bookworm).
• 02/08/13, Vol. 31, No. 32: Comments on eSlide and on film reviews and the Internet; film reviews of Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters and Dirty Energy; book review of The Evolutionary Void; letters of comment on whether mathematics has a personality; and comments on books (This Craft of Verse).
• 02/01/13, Vol. 31, No. 31: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on semper fi, on the personality of mathematics, and on predicting the future; book review of 2312; and comments on books (The Mirage, Agatha Christie, and the "12 Byzantine Rulers" podcast).
• 01/25/13, Vol. 31, No. 30: Comments on green leaves, on early science fiction, and on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in February; film review of Koch; and comments on books (ebooks).
• 01/18/13, Vol. 31, No. 29: Comments on signs of the times, on a "Doctor Who" timeline, on Spirit, on "NASA Johnson Style", on "Jasper Morello", and on Godzilla; letters of comment on Wendy and on Life of Pi; and comments on books (Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, The Assassination of Lincoln: History and Myth, and 69 A.D.: The Year of Four Emperors).
• 01/11/13, Vol. 31, No. 28: Comments on the New World, on the OFCS film awards, on the Oscar nominations, and on Mark's top ten films of 2012; film review of Django Unchained; letter of comment on the eastern Roman Empire; and comments on books (Hope: A Tragedy, What We Talk about When We Talk about Anne Frank, and Borges' Travel, Hemingway's Garage: A Secret History).
• 01/04/13, Vol. 31, No. 27: Comments on the ISS, on robotic cars, on Congress, on Decay, on Things to Come, and on star travel and space colonization; film review of Uprising; book reviews of War Eagles; letters of comment on Les Misérables, on The Hobbit, on Turner Classic Movies, on science fiction talks, on space news, and on Death of a Salesman; and comments on books (Language: The Culture Tool and Ghosts of the Confederacy).
• 12/28/12, Vol. 31, No. 26: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on Congress, on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in January, and on keeping up with space; film review of Les Misérables; letters of comment on The Weans, The Hobbit, and King Kong; and comments on books (Death of a Salesman, The Great Gatsby, and The Hobbit).
• 12/21/12, Vol. 31, No. 25: Comments on a theme, on the weather forecast, and on King Kong; film reviews of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Impossible; book review of The Lights in the Tunnel; letter of comment on storms; and comments on books (Homer and American Presidents and British Prime Ministers as authors).
• 12/14/12, Vol. 31, No. 24: Comments on Paul Krugman and Asimov's "Foundation" and on Sandy; film reviews of Connected and Hitchcock; television reviews; book review of Primary Inversion; and comments on books (The Testament of Mary and Agatha Christie tropes).
• 12/07/12, Vol. 31, No. 23: Comments on the health crisis, on "A Christmas Carol", and on Sandy; film reviews of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn--Part 2 and Anna Karenina; book review of Redshirts; letters of comment on Sandy on on "ibid"; and comments on books (Getting into Guinness).
• 11/30/12, Vol. 31, No. 22: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on eternal questions and on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in December; film reviews of Life of Pi and Jiro Dreams of Sushi; book review of Steampunk III; letters of comment on Lincoln and on Sandy; and comments on books (Pyramids and Rights Gone Wrong).
• 11/23/12, Vol. 31, No. 21: Comments on the history of cinema, on the truth, on watching horror films, and on Sandy; film review of Lincoln; and comments on books (" A Wind Is Rising" and The Engines of the Night).
• 11/16/12, Vol. 31, No. 20: Comments on James Bond and on Sandy; film review of Skyfall; and comments on books (Triggers).
• 11/09/12, Vol. 31, No. 19: Announcement and corrections; comments on Sandy; film review of In the Family; letters of comment on psychology as a science and on supertasters; and comments on books (Amidst the Ripple of a Fleeting Moment and Other Stories, A Random Walk in Science Fiction, Worldcon Stories, Omne Ignotum Pro Magnifico, "Sail to Success" promotional booklet, and Lost Christianities).
• 11/02/12, Vol. 31, No. 18: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on realization, on entering the science fiction world, and on Carnival of Souls; letters of comment on duck and cover, on Harry Belafonte, and on what is science; and comments on books (The World Behind the Door and Fantasmas).
• 10/26/12, Vol. 31, No. 17: Comments on layout, on one-way, on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in November, and on extrapolation; book reviews of Digital Rapture and Why the West Rules; letters of comment on vampire blood, on duck and cover, on Wednesday's child, and on what is science; and comments on books (The Dream of Heroes, and The Dragon Waiting).
• 10/19/12, Vol. 31, No. 16: Comments on Wednesday's children and on tarantulas and duck-and-cover messages; film reviews of Frankenweenie and Argo; book reviews of The Temporal Void and Singularity Rising; letters of comment on Ozymandias, on science fiction, and on historical fiction; and comments on books ("The History of Rome" podcast; The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, The Kalahari Typing School for Men, "'Franz Kafka' by Jorge Luis Borges", and Moby Dick annotations).
• 10/12/12, Vol. 31, No. 15: Comments on seniors, on Turner Classic Movies, on flanges, on Ellen Datlow and publishing, and on names; film review of Simon and the Oaks; letters of comment on what is science fiction, on dictionaries, and on Quatermass; and comments on books (Under the Harrow and Tau Zero).
• 10/05/12, Vol. 31, No. 14: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups; answer to last week's puzzle; comments on humors and on "what is science fiction?"; film reviews of Looper, The Master, and Arbitrage; letters of comment on Turner Classic Movies, on AMC, on the Hugos, and on the puzzle; and comments on books (Cyberiad , Moby Dick: Ishmael's Mighty Book, and Moby Dick).
• 09/28/12, Vol. 31, No. 13: Comments on politics, on TCM for Halloween, on a nice puzzle, on The Road to the Stars, on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in October, and on lessons from Harry Potter; film review of Adventures in Plymptoons; book review of Shadows in Flight; letters of comment on the Hugo award; for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form; and comments on books (McSweeney's Enchanted Chamber of Astonishing Stories and Cold Comfort Farm).
• 09/21/12, Vol. 31, No. 12: Comments on faster-than-light drive, on the rich, on the Hugo for Dramatic Presentation Short Form, and on cataloging books; film review of Super Hero Party Clown; letters of comment on snowflakes and on body armor; and comments on books (Roar! A Christian Family Guide to the Chronicles of Narnia).
• 09/14/12, Vol. 31, No. 11: Corrections; comments on explosions, on the Regency, on life's mysteries, and on keeping America safe; film review of The Possession; letter of comment on snowflakes; and comments on books (Wyrd Sisters and Redshirts).
• 09/07/12, Vol. 31, No. 10: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups and Hugo Award winners; comments on snowflakes; film review of Serving Up Richard; letter of comment on Gabriel over the White House; and comments on books (The Astonishing Hypothesis and Alien from the Stars).
• 08/31/12, Vol. 31, No. 9: Announcement of speculative fiction lecture series; comments on James Bond title songs, on reasons to know math, on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in September, and on the Beloit College mindset list; letters of comment on True Blood and on Jane's guides; and comments on books ("The Analytical Language of John Wilkins").
• 08/24/12, Vol. 31, No. 8: Comments on dramatization of R.U.R. and THREE SKELETON KEY, on "Jane's" guides, on Hammer SF/horror/fantasy films, and on turkeys, science, and religion; DVD review of True Blood; book review of Triggers; letter of comment on The Bourne Legacy; and comments on books (Castro's Bomb, Wake Up and Dream, and the "Romanitas" trilogy).
• 08/17/12, Vol. 31, No. 7: Comments on uranium and on Hammer SF/horror/fantasy films; film reviews of The Bourne Legacy, Total Recall (2012), and Sedona; letters of comment on Stan Lee's Superhumans and echolocation, on liking, on Mort, and on The Fabulous Clipjoint; and comments on books (Why Read Moby Dick?, In the Heart of the Sea, In Search of Moby Dick, and Moby Dick).
• 08/10/12, Vol. 31, No. 6: Comments on the future according to films, on liking people, and on Hammer SF/horror/fantasy films; film reviews of The Dark Knight Rises, True Wolf, and It Is No Dream: The Life of Theodor Herzl; television review of Stan Lee's Superhumans; and comments on books (Mort, The Mysterious Island, and The Fabulous Clipjoint).
• 08/03/12, Vol. 31, No. 5: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on France in 2000, on PORTRAIT OF JENNIE, and on Hammer horror and science fiction films; annotations to "The Red-Headed League"; letters of comment on EMP; list of Saturn Award winners; and comments on books (The Frankenstein Archive and Little America).
• 07/27/12, Vol. 31, No. 4: Comments on Comic-Con versus Worldcon, on Limaugh and the Dark Knight, on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in August, and on the Hugo Dramatic Presentation candidates for 1988; film reviews of The Dark KNight Rises and The Intouchables; letters of comment on Barbra Streisnad, on cels, on The Long Goodbye, on streaming the restored Metropolis, and on the colophon; and comments on books (A Week at the Airport, "My Stephen King Problem", "Mars Is Heaven!", "A Sound of Thunder", and "The Murderer").
• 07/20/12, Vol. 31, No. 3: Comments on the physics of Batman, on Redshirts, on the look of high tech, on the restored Metropolis, on Wah Ming Chang, and on the Hugo Dramatic Presentation candidates for 1992; book reviews of Leviathan Wakes and The Hidden Reality; film review of The Detective's Lover; letter of comment on how to vote the Hugo ballot; and comments on books (The Long Goodbye, A Tangle in Slops, The Book of the Unknown, and From the Earth to the Moon).
• 07/13/12, Vol. 31, No. 2: Correction; comments on the beautiful bookstores, on Barbra Streisand, and Star Wreck, on magazine donation, on The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, and on the ancient Greeks' color sense; film review of Patriocracy; letters of comment on problems with e-books and on how to vote the Hugo ballot; and comments on books (An Economist Gets Lunch, Dead after Dark, The Meowmorphosis, and If Chins Could Kill).
• 07/06/12, Vol. 31, No. 1: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on the Higgs boson, on science fiction as mainstream, on prophecy, on The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, and on computers; film reviews of Source Code and Captain America; letter of comment on Bach's Chaconne; and comments on books (Of Men and Monsters, The Jungle Book, and After the Fall Before the Fall During the Fall).
• 06/29/12, Vol. 30, No. 53: Apology; comments on space art, on Curiosity, on women in science, on Micronite filters, on test tube meat, on a typo, on Hugo on the Hugo ballot, on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in July, and on problems with e-books; book reviews of Among Others and Jar Jar Binks Must Die ...; book and film reviews of Hanna, Gemini Man, and Th1rte3n; letter of comment on Robin Hood; and comments on books (the Hugo Nevelette and Short Story nominees).
• 06/22/12, Vol. 30, No. 52: Comments on the Hugo Dramatic Presentation nominees; report on the International Space Development Conference; film reviews The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Mary Pickford: The Muse of the Movies; and comments on books (the Hugo Novella, Novel, and Related Works nominees).
• 06/15/12, Vol. 30, No. 51: Comments on EMP, on tuna, and on chimpanzees; film reviews of Prometheus and Portrait of Wally; television/book review of The Game of Thrones; letter of comment on Robin Hood; and comments on books (Of Men and Monsters, The Jungle Book, After the Fall Before the Fall During the Fall, How to Disappear, and book sales).
• 06/08/12, Vol. 30, No. 50: Comments on homogenous series, on The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), and on cataloging one's books; film review of Extraterrestrial; book review of Deadline; and comments on books (Brandwashed and "Fidelity").
• 06/01/12, Vol. 30, No. 49: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on life in the fast land, on robots in the movies, on the New Yorker science fiction issue, and on the film industry; film review of Normal; letter of comment on Twelve Angry Men, on Holocaust films, and on Marvel Comics; and comments on books (Civilization: The West and the Rest).

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
• SF-Lovers Archive
• Uchronia Alternate History List, Overview
• Steven Silver's Jewish Science Fiction Bibliography

Also available are: