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

This week's MT VOID contents :

Correction (comments by Mark R. Leeper)
Somehow I Am Not Convinced (comments by Mark R. Leeper)
Overcoming Failure to Communicate (comments by Mark R. Leeper)
Pi Is the Jesse James of Numbers (comments by Mark R. Leeper)
PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF 
     (film review by Mark R. Leeper)
SHUTTER ISLAND (film review by Mark R. Leeper)
STARSHIP: MUTINY by Mike Resnick (book review by Joe Karpierz)
Football (letter of comment by Pete Rubinstein)
Subversive Activities Registration Act 
     (letter of comment by Taras Wolansky)
Animal Calls (letter of comment by Tim Bateman)
This Week's Reading (LONE STAR, THE INVENTION OF LYING, 
     CITY OF TRUTH) (book comments by Evelyn C. Leeper)
Quote of the Week

Recent articles, trip logs, and convention reports:

• The Atlantic Provinces of Canada (July-August 2009) (124K)
• Anticipation (August 2009) (21K) (no panel descriptions yet)
• Denvention 3 (August 2008) (139K)
• Why Jorge Luis Borges Is Not a Magical Realist
• Review of Leopoldo Lugones's Strange Forces
• Canadian Rockies Trip (June-August 2007) (217K)
• 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!)
• Commentary on Jorge Luis Borges's Book of Imaginary Beings
• Commentary on Jorge Luis Borges's "Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius"

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

• 02/26/10, Vol. 29, No. 35: Correction; comments on spam, on animal advisors, and on pi; film reviews of Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and Shutter Island book review of Starship: Mutiny; letters of comment on football, on the Subversive Activities Registration Act, and on animal calls; and comments on books and films (Lone Star, The Invention of Lying, and City of Truth).
• 02/19/10, Vol. 29, No. 34: Comments on beautiful pulp art, on news of the week, and on the Subversive Activities Registration Act; film review of The Wolfman; letter of comment on thrillers; and comments on books (True Names, Dust Bowl Diary, Hiding the Elephant, and Around the World in Eighty Days).
• 02/12/10, Vol. 29, No. 33: Comments on science fiction discussion groups, on global warming, on William Tenn, on PONTYPOOL, and on the Wolf Man; book review of The Clan Corporate; film review ofPhyllis & Harold; letters of comment on bears, on Avatar, on thrillers, and on Pocahontas; and comments on books (Replay, Groundhog Day, and "Shadow Play").
• 02/05/10, Vol. 29, No. 32: Comments on mathematical conflicts and on thrillers; letters of comment on chopsticks, on bad starts, on The Hurt Locker, and on Avatar; and comments on books (Galileo's Dream, Acres of Diamonds, and niticking).
• 01/29/10, Vol. 29, No. 31: Comments on program items and on eating utensils; film reviews of The Lovely Bones, The Hurt Locker, and A Single Man; letter of comment on the Mayans and on Avatar; and comments on books (The Drunkard's Walk, Arcadia, and Serial).
• 01/22/10, Vol. 29, No. 30: Comments on bad starts and on utensils; film review of The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus; letters of comment on the Monty Hall problem and on linguistics problems; and comments on books (Linger Awhile, Island of Lost Souls, and The Island of Dr. Moreau).
• 01/15/10, Vol. 29, No. 29: Science fiction discussion groups; comments on a meta-problem; Mark's top ten films of 2009; book review of The New Space Opera; and comments on books (Cheap, And Less Than Kind, and Eye of the Crow).
• 01/08/10, Vol. 29, No. 28: Comments on things, on linguistic problems, and on writing memory; film reviews of Pontypool and Up in the Air; and comments on books (Questioning the Millennium ).
• 01/01/10, Vol. 29, No. 27: Comments on film releasing and on AVATAR; film reviews of Between the Folds; book reviews of The Accidental Time Machine and Newton and the Counterfeiter; letters of comments Myrrh, on AVATAR, on memory, and on Fantastic Mr. Fox; and comments on books (The Matrix and Philosophy and 2009 recap).
• 12/25/09, Vol. 29, No. 26: Comments on myrrh and on memory; film reviews of Avatar, 9, Crazy Heart, and The Young Victoria; and comments on books (Forty Signs of Rain and Land of the Dead).
• 12/18/09, Vol. 29, No. 25: Comments on science fiction and reality, on the Lake Peigneur disaster, and on who goes to college; film review of Invictus; letters of comment on logarithm and on steeplechases; and comments on books (Washington and His Colleagues, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, and film design).
• 12/11/09, Vol. 29, No. 24: Comments on a paradox and on logarithms; film reviews of Fantastic Mr. Fox and Bright Star; letters of comment on the MT VOID, steeplechases, and Motel of the Mysteries; and comments on books (The Manual of Detection).
• 12/04/09, Vol. 29, No. 23: Comments on the Atlantic Provinces, on the large hadron collider, on steeplechases, and on the MT VOID; film reviews of The Men Who Stare at Goats and The Second Best Science Fiction Movie Ever Made; book review of Paul of Dune; letters of comment on Kiva, on ravens, and on "Ode to Joy"; and comments on books (The Marriage Bureau for Rich People and The Motel of the Mysteries).
• 11/27/09, Vol. 29, No. 22: Comments on odes and on God; letter of comment on a mathematics problem and on 42; film review of Outrage; and comments on books (Foundation).
• 11/20/09, Vol. 29, No. 21: Comments on Heinlein timeslines, on favorite science fiction films, on a math problem, on a joke, and on 42; letters of comment on "The Twilight Zone" and on the Continental Op; and comments on books (The Way of Chuang Tzu, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, and The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy).
• 11/13/09, Vol. 29, No. 20: Corrections, comments on science fiction book discussion groups, on celebrity of the month, on subtlety, on health care, and on Roquefort; letters of comment on time-travel books, on digital conventions, and on "The Twilight Zone"; and comments on books (Gaslight Grimoire).
• 11/06/09, Vol. 29, No. 19: Comments on time-travel books, on science fiction and philosophy, on culture, and on "The Twilight Zone"; and comments on books (Wonderful Alexander and the Catwings
• 10/30/09, Vol. 29, No. 18: Comments on humvees, on sleep, on Germany, on radio drama, and on disassembly day; film review of World's Greatest Dad; and comments on books (Beyond Rice and Beans, Julian Comstock, and Sudden Fiction).
• 10/23/09, Vol. 29, No. 17: Comments on humvees, on a mistake, and on prime-time Westerns; film reviews of Where the Wild Things Are and The Stoning of Soraya M; letters of comment on digital science fiction conventions and on water on Mars and the moon; and comments on books (Edgar Allan Poe).
• 10/16/09, Vol. 29, No. 16: Comments on humvees, on science fiction discussion groups, on the future Internet, on seeing it coming, and on the future of horror; answer to the puzzle; film reviews of Mary and Max and Guns on the Clackamas: A Documentary; and comments on books (Anchorwick and The City of Dreaming Books).
• 10/09/09, Vol. 29, No. 15: Comments on humvees, on convention reports; on dinosaurs, on Mark's first science fiction;, and on diabetes; a puzzle; film review of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs!; letter of comment on The Informant! and comments on books (Red Planet).
• 10/02/09, Vol. 29, No. 14: Announcement; comments on humvees, on prayer, on visions, and on water; film review of The Informant!; letters of comment on alphabetical order, on mirror neurons, on the OED, and on pi; and comments on books (The City & the City).
• 09/25/09, Vol. 29, No. 13: Comments on humvees, on politics, and on numbers; letters of comment on Great Books of the Western World, on the Worldcon, on the speed of light, on thunderstorms on saturn, and on genes and altruism; and comments on books (Reading the OED, Mad Professor, and on alphabetical order).
• 09/18/09, Vol. 28, No. 12: Correction; comments on humvees, on science fiction discussion groups, on fantastic art, on Saturn, on mirror neurons and on free will; report on the Worldcon; letters of comment on corkage and on units in physics; and comments on books (Why You Should Read Kafka Before You Waste Your Life and Eat My Globe).
• 09/11/09, Vol. 28, No. 11: correction; comments on humvees, on the Beloit College Mindset for the Class of 2013, on the Internet, on the Viking way, on the TCM Halloween films, and on magnetic monopoles; report on the Worldcon; book review of Fragment; letters of comment on the Worldcon art show, on Christmas, on overtaking technology, and on multiverses; and comments on books (Plastic Fantastic and A Great Idea at the Time).
• 09/04/09, Vol. 28, No. 10: comments on humvees, on a safe bet, on essential fantasy reads, and on changing the past; report on the Worldcon; film reviews of Ponyo and Inglourious Basterds; book review of WWW:Wake; letter of comment on stereoscopic effects; and comments on books (The Best of Frederik Pohl).
• 08/28/09, Vol. 28, No. 9: Comments on humvees, on a puzzle painting, on science visualizations,on prehistory, on upcoming films, and on zombies and mathematics; report on the Worldcon; film reviews of In the Loop, Cold Souls, and Broke: The American Dream; book review of Anathem; letters of comment on the Halifax explosion, on vanishing money, and on perpetual motion macines; and comments on books (Tea Time for the Traditionally Built).
• 08/21/09, Vol. 28, No. 8: Comments on humvees, on retro art, on confusion, on the Halifax Explosion, and on the UMass Science Fiction Scoiety; film reviews of Fissure, District 9, and I Sell the Dead; letters of comment on perpetual motion macines, on reason and the dinosaurs, on novels, on genetic diversity, on vanishing money, and on 3-D television; and comments on books (Merton of the Movies and Pathfinder).
• 08/14/09, Vol. 28, No. 7: Comments on humvees, on science fiction discussion groups, on the Enceladus calamity, and on ants; letter of comment on hydrothermal vents; and comments on books (The Greatest Minds and Ideas of All Time and the Vinland sagas).
• 08/07/09, Vol. 28, No. 6: Comments on humvees, on song lyrics, and on exo-biology; letters of comment on sex and on birds; and comments on books (the connectivity of the Library of Babel [part 2]).
• 07/31/09, Vol. 28, No. 5: Comments on humvees, on sex, and on birds and dinosaurs; letters of comment on units in physics, on perpetual motion machines, on General Motors, and on fuel economy; and comments on books (the connectivity of the Library of Babel [part 1]).
• 07/24/09, Vol. 28, No. 4: Comments on humvees, on automobiles, and on units in physics; letters of comment on Mangal Pandey, on A Dog in Flanders, time travel; and comments on books (Borges ante el espejo).
• 07/17/09, Vol. 28, No. 3: Comments on humvees, on science fiction discussion groups, on Charles N. Brown, and on Buzz Aldrin; film review of A Dog of Flanders: letter of comment on time travel; and comments on books (The Affinity Bridge and A Year Without Made in China).
• 07/10/09, Vol. 28, No. 2: Comments on humvees, on history, and on political chain emails; film reviews of Lovely by Surprise, Dog Days, and Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg; letters of comment on the Iranian elections, on translations, on Pianism, on movie rating scales, on 3-D television, and on Mangal Pandey; and comments on books (Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar).
• 07/03/09, Vol. 28, No. 1: Comments on humvees, on musical parallels, on the Iranian election, and on Bernie Madoff; film reviews of Off Jackson Avenue and The Brothers Bloom; book review of The Beginnings of Western Science; letters of comment on 3-D films and on The Rising: Ballad of Mangal Pandey; and comments on books (Middlemarch).
• 06/26/09, Vol. 27, No. 52: Comments on humvees, on Powder River; on radio drama, and on 3-D in films; film review of The Rising: The Ballad of Mangal Pandey; book review of The Beginnings of Western Science; letters of comment on sports films, on translations, on IFC in theaters, and on Rocky; and comments on books (short novels) and Hugo-nominated short stories).
• 06/19/09, Vol. 27, No. 51: Comments on humvees, on science fiction, on translation, on sports films, and on Sir Christopher Lee; film review of Dead Snow; book review of Zoe's Tale; letters of comment on copyright, on sports films, on Suzanne Somers, on chili, and on Paul Erdos; and comments on books (This Island Earth and Hugo-nominated short stories).
• 06/12/09, Vol. 27, No. 50: Comments on humvees, on Oprah, on sports films, and on chili; film reviews of Drag Me to Hell and Rip! A Remix Manifesto; book review of Saturn's Children; letters of comment on sequences and on age; and comments on books (The Last Cow on the White House Lawn and The Sequel to Appomattox).
• 06/05/09, Vol. 27, No. 49: Comments on humvees and on mathematics; film review of Up; book review of Saturn's Children; letters of comment on grades, on NASA gross-outs, on measure, on WiFi, on taxation, on This Island Earth, on The Teaching Company, on age, and on the Hugo-nominated novellas; and comments on books (AIG publications, dictionaries, Latin literature, library book sales, and Hugo-nominated novelettes).
• 05/29/09, Vol. 27, No. 48: Comments on humvees, on NASA, on age, and on netbooks and WiFi; film review of Unmistaken Child; letter of comment on SF book discussions and on grades; and comments on books (Hugo-nominated novellas and Teaching Company (and other) courses).
• 05/22/09, Vol. 27, No. 47: Science fiction discussion groups; comments on humvees, on missing links, and on grades; and comments on books (The Red Tent).
• 05/15/09, Vol. 27, No. 46: Comments on paleontology, on an optical illusion, and on the liberal tug; film reviews of Star Trek, Under Our Skin, and A Grin Without a Cat; letter of comment on Bill Nye; and comments on books (The Elephant and the Tiger and All the Wonders We Seek).
• 05/08/09, Vol. 27, No. 45: Comments on derivatives and on prehistory documentaries; letters of comment on Bill Nye; and comments on books (magical realism).
• 05/01/09, Vol. 27, No. 44: Apologies; comments on prehistory, on Bill Nye, and on playing cards; book review of The Graveyard Book; letters of comments on hiding in plain sight, on the lifecycle of a star, and on the sense of wonder; and comments on books (Little Brother, The Last Chinese Chef, The Professor and the Madman, and The River of Doubt).
• 04/24/09, Vol. 27, No. 43: Comments on award nominees online, on hydrogran, and on age and the sense of wonder; letters of comments on "Crystal Spheres" and on hyperbolas and parabolas4 and comments on books (Rhys Hughes).
• 04/17/09, Vol. 27, No. 42: Science fiction discussion groups; comments on reversion; fiction; film review of Repo!: The Genetic Opera: letters of comment on kinship terms, on large-print books, and on steganography; and comments on books (Tide of Death, Remarkable Creatures, and Swiftly).
• 04/10/09, Vol. 27, No. 41: Correction; comments on puns and on the price of film reviewing; Book review of Starship Troopers; film review of Forever: letters of comment on Monsters Vs. Aliens, on Knowing, on The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, on Alien Trespass, and on hiding in plain sight; and comments on books (book sales).
• 04/03/09, Vol. 27, No. 40: Solution to math puzzle; comments on faster-than-light travel and on numbers stations; film reviews of Knowing, Monsters Vs. Aliens, and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas; letter of comment on library classifications; and comments on books (Sherlock Holmes and the Giant's Hand, Sherlock Holmes and the Disappearing Prince and Other Stories, and Sherlock Holmes: The Ghost of Baker Street).
• 03/27/09, Vol. 27, No. 39: Correction of math puzzle; listing of Hugo nominations; comments on the hadron collider, on the Syfy Channel, on the inflatable Wolverine, and on A.I.G.; film review of Sita Sings the Blues; book review of Blonde Roots; and comments on books (Steinbeck's Ghost, Redcoats' Revenge, and 44 Scotland Street).
• 03/20/09, Vol. 27, No. 38: Listing of Turner Classic Movies science fiction festival; announcement of science fiction discussion groups; math puzzle; comments on depression, on Jackie Mason, on doppelgängers, and on sales; book review of Watchmen; film review of Fermat's Room; letters of comment on Watchmen, on Journey to the Far Side of the Sun, on "Star Trek" fragrances, on Barbie, and on Rush Limbaugh; and comments on books (Shambling Towards Hiroshima, Planet of the Apes, and translations).
• 03/13/09, Vol. 27, No. 37: Comments on "Star Trek" perfume, on the economics of the film industry, on Barbie, on doppelgängers, and on Rush Limbaugh; film reviews of Watchmen and Skills Like This; book reviews of City at the End of Time and Deep Storm; letter of comment on evolution and on the Histriones; and comments on books (Adventures in Unhistory, The Book of the Unknown, and The Explosionist).
• 03/06/09, Vol. 27, No. 36: A math puzzle; comments on the rich and on project Steve; letter of comment on Slumdog Millionaire; film reviews of Forbidden Lie$ and Hearts and Minds; and comments on books (The Enemy Stars, Kali, Borges and other Hispanic authors, and Kafka).

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: