@@@@@ @ @ @@@@@ @ @ @@@@@@@ @ @ @@@@@ @@@@@ @@@
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @
@ @@@@@ @@@@ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @
@ @ @ @@@@@ @ @ @ @ @@@@@ @@@@@ @@@

Mt. Holz Science Fiction Society
Club Notice - 01/05/90 -- Vol. 8, No. 27

MEETINGS UPCOMING:

Unless otherwise stated, all meetings are on Wednesdays at noon.
LZ meetings are in LZ 2R-158. MT meetings are in the cafeteria.

_D_A_T_E _T_O_P_I_C

01/24 LZ: "The Borribles" Trilogy by Michael de Larrabeiti (Urban Fantasy)
02/14 LZ: Science Fiction and Romance (see below)
03/07 LZ: THRICE UPON A TIME by James Hogan (Affecting the Past)

_D_A_T_E _E_X_T_E_R_N_A_L _M_E_E_T_I_N_G_S/_C_O_N_V_E_N_T_I_O_N_S/_E_T_C.

01/13 Science Fiction Association of Bergen County: Victoria Poyser
(book cover artist)
(phone 201-933-2724 for details) (Saturday)
01/20 NJSFS New Jersey Science Fiction Society: James Morrow
(phone 201-432-5965 for details) (Saturday)

HO Chair: John Jetzt HO 1E-525 834-1563 hocpa!jetzt
LZ Chair: Rob Mitchell LZ 1B-306 576-6106 mtuxo!jrrt
MT Chair: Mark Leeper MT 3D-441 957-5619 mtgzx!leeper
HO Librarian: Tim Schroeder HO 3D-225A 949-5866 homxb!tps
LZ Librarian: Lance Larsen LZ 3L-312 576-3346 lzfme!lfl
MT Librarian: Evelyn Leeper MT 1F-329 957-2070 mtgzy!ecl
Factotum: Evelyn Leeper MT 1F-329 957-2070 mtgzy!ecl
All material copyright by author unless otherwise noted.

1. Well, after a pause for our vacation and the holidays the
Science Fiction Club film festival is restarting. The next fest
(at 7PM on Thursday, January 11) is going to be a novelty for the
science fiction club--the films will be _s_c_i_e_n_c_e _f_i_c_t_i_o_n! We got
two goodies from the magic island of Britain:

British SF Thrillers
UNEARTHLY STRANGER (1963) dir. by John Kirsh
DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS (1981) dir. by Ken Hannam

_U_n_e_a_r_t_h_l_y _S_t_r_a_n_g_e_r is a little-known thriller I saw on the bottom
half of a double feature. In college I listed it as my second
favorite science fiction film. For years I hoped it would show up

THE MT VOID Page 2

on television so I could get it on tape. A top secret research
establishment is working on space exploration through a form of
mental projection. Somebody is killing off key members of the team
through apparently impossible means. John Neville (_T_h_e _A_d_v_e_n_t_u_r_e_s
_o_f _B_a_r_o_n _M_u_n_c_h_a_u_s_e_n) and Jean Marsh (_U_p_s_t_a_i_r_s, _D_o_w_n_s_t_a_i_r_s) star.

_D_a_y _o_f _t_h_e _T_r_i_f_f_i_d_s is based on the novel by John Wyndham, but do
not confuse it with the poor 1961 film adaptation. This is a BBC
production close enough to the novel that you can follow along page
by page. This could be one of the best dramatic adaptations of a
science fiction novel ever done.

2. From my mailbox:
>
> Mark,
> Speaking of films released only on video, did you get a chance to see
> "The Wizard of Speed and Time" while your were at World Con? Have
> you heard anything about its wider release or even if it
> will come out on video?
>

WIZARD OF SPEED AND TIME will be coming out on video February 1
from SGE Home Video. There is a campaign sending mail to fannish
groups asking them to request their video dealers order it. If
people want more information let me know.

I have not seen the film and generally am not a big fan of Jittlov
after the first viewing. However, a lot of people seem interested
in this film, so I post this for general interest.

3. And Kimiye Tipton had this to say in response to Evelyn Leeper's
article on Mike Resnick's "Kirinyaga" stories:
I have to comment on your thought-provoking review of the
Kirinyaga stories. I agree that the stories leave much to the
reader's interpretation. I had the chance to hear Resnick
read "For I Have Touched the Sky" at our Orlando con in May,
and I mentioned to him that he had done a fascinating job of
describing Koriba's reasoning. Mike replied, "He's a fanatic,
and all fanatics are dangerous." From this I'm guessing that
Koriba does not = Resnick. I plan to read "Bwana" this
weekend to see if it affects me the same way it did you.

Perhaps Resnick is falling too far on the side of making
Koriba plausible, and is making his ideas too convincing? We
should tell him if so, since I believe the author's intentions
are to show the destruction that fanaticism can bring. [-kt]

Mark Leeper
MT 3D-441 957-5619
...mtgzx!leeper

The degree of non-conformity present--and tolerated--in
a society might be looked upon as a symptom of its
state of health.
-- Ben Shahn

THE WORLD BEYOND THE HILL by Alexei and Cory Panshin
Tarcher, 1990, ISBN 0-87477-436-S, $29.95.
A book review by Evelyn C. Leeper
Copyright 1989 Evelyn C. Leeper

This study of science fiction from its origins through its "Golden
Age" is not just another standard reference work. It does not consist
of sections on each of the major authors, listing their works and
publication dates. What the Panshins have done instead is to examine
the trends and works of science fiction in the context of the social
events and philosophies of the time. The swing from science as devil to
science as savior and back again is reflected, they say, in the science
fiction being written through the years. And they help to dispel some
of the myth of John W. Campbell as monolithic creator and leader of the
Golden Age. Some of this is already known. For example, that
Campbell's insistence that in any human/non-human encounter human
supremacy must be demonstrated and Asimov's reluctance to support such
racist ideas led to Asimov's all-human universe is fairly common
knowledge. But the Panshins present their information in a strictly
chronological order rather than by author as is common in other works,
and this global rather than individual perspective sets this work apart.

This is not to say that I always agree with the Panshins's
conclusions or opinions. That this book is published by Tarcher is no
surprise--Tarcher is trying to build a line of "New Age" science fiction
books: science fiction books that emphasize the metaphysical and
transcendent instead of blueprints and spaceships. (I would question
throwing Olaf Stapledon into the "New Age" category, though.) Since the
main focus of _T_h_e _W_o_r_l_d _B_e_y_o_n_d _t_h_e _H_i_l_l is the metaphysical nature of
science fiction, or at least those aspects of science fiction that are
based in transcending this world, this makes it a perfect book for the
series. It does mean, however, that the Panshins give less space to
those works or science fiction that do not, in their opinion, form part
of this search for "the world beyond."

The only thing that prevents me from whole-heartedly recommending
this book is the price. Yes, it's a thick book representing a lot of
work, but there's something about a $30 pricetag that makes one
hesitate. But I would strongly suggest that if you can't afford this
book (or even if you can), you should encourage your local library to
purchase a copy.

CYBERBOOKS by Ben Bova
Tor, 1989, ISBN 0-812-50319-8, $4.50.
A book review by Evelyn C. Leeper
Copyright 1990 Evelyn C. Leeper

Ben Bova has been involved in the publishing industry as author and
editor, and his wife is a literary agent. Therefore he should have a
good idea of how the publishing industry works. And many other people
have said that the representation in this book is accurate. For
example, I know that what makes a best seller is the publisher deciding
that it will be a best seller. A book that has a print run of 250,000
and a publicity tour will be a best seller; the same book with a print
run of 2500 and no publicity will flop. But if all this is true my
question is, "Why would Tor publish a book about how stupid the
publishing industry is?"

The story is set in 2015 (or so). A computer whiz has developed a
"cyberbook"--an electronic book of the standard sort, consisting of a
reader and wafers for each book. (Think of the wafers as small mini-
disks.) He wants to sell it to a publisher so that books can be made
and distributed incredibly cheaply, and in addition, no forests need
die. (The question of what ecological damage occurs in the wafer-
manufacturing process is avoided entirely.) In the process he (and the
reader) learn "how the publishing industry really works."

In addition to the publishing industry, Bova attacks New York, or
more specifically, Manhattan. Much of this part seems to be inspired by
Tom Wolfe's _B_o_n_f_i_r_e _o_f _t_h_e _V_a_n_i_t_i_e_s. Wolfe, for example, describes an
outfit worn by one woman as having a hat that is so wide that it
couldn't possibly stay on her head in even a slight breeze, so she can
never take more than a couple of steps outside with it on. Of course,
since one wouldn't dream of walking to a party, even a block away, and
since a taxi would mean having to stand outside after the party while a
taxi was hailed, people need to hire limousines for the evening to take
them to and from parties only a block away. The fashions in Bova's
Manhattan change every week rather than every month or year (well,
things are speeding up these days), but just as in _B_o_n_f_i_r_e, everyone is
always working on a different look to stay in step. And everyone has to
live in Manhattan for appearances' sake, but can't afford it on one
salary, so _e_v_e_r_y_o_n_e is moonlighting.

As a comic science fiction novel, this is excellent. As a serious
commentary on the publishing industry today, well, maybe the answer to
my question is that the publishing industry is so stupid that they _w_o_u_l_d
publish a book about how stupid they are. On the other hand, maybe it's
like the mud-eaters: I went to a Renaissance fair once in which there
were people who were, I believe, wrestling pigs in mud. At some point,
they offered to eat mud if the crowd would collectively pay $10. After
they had collected the money, they ate some mud, and then said, "You
think we're stupid for eating this mud for $10. But what about you?--
you paid $10 to watch us!"

Capsule review: Very substandard Lumet. A powerful
performance by Dustin Hoffman is not enough to save this
mismatch of story elements, but does raise it to a rating
of 0.

Sidney Lumet is one of the best of American directors. His record
includes films such as _T_w_e_l_v_e _A_n_g_r_y _M_e_n, _F_a_i_l-_S_a_f_e, _D_o_g _D_a_y _A_f_t_e_r_n_o_o_n,
and _N_e_t_w_o_r_k. It would be hard to match for intensity films such as
_E_q_u_u_s or what may be his most powerful film, _T_h_e _P_a_w_n_b_r_o_k_e_r. But
somehow something went very wrong with _F_a_m_i_l_y _B_u_s_i_n_e_s_s, a crazy-quilt
patchwork that falls apart at the seams.

The first and most unlikely matching is of Sean Connery, Dustin
Hoffman, and Matthew Broderick as three generations of the same family.
At least one review tells me the novel that the film was based on has
everyone being Irish-American. If that is true, and even if not, it
represents an appalling sacrifice of credibility for box-office appeal.
The whole story lies under the cloud of this initial foolishness.
Grandfather Jessie is Irish, his son Vito is Sicilian, and his grandson
Adam is Jewish. It was left ambiguous but Jessie's mother may have been
Cherokee. Jessie is a career criminal who led his son Vito into crime.
Vito, however, eventually broke with his father, married a Jewish woman,
ran a meat provision company that he not so secretly hated, and raised a
Westinghouse scholar, Adam. Adam, however, is rebelling from his father
and wants to follow his grandfather into crime, starting with the
unusual robbery of a biological research facility.

While the film is marketed as having substantial comedy, nobody
seems to have told director Lumet. _F_a_m_i_l_t _B_u_s_i_n_e_s_s is a crime drama
without very much comedy. Even then the actors are mismatched since
neither Broderick nor Connery is equipped or prepared to match the
intensity of a Dustin Hoffman performance.

Somewhere Lumet seems to have lost control of the theme of the
film. The film becomes a defense of crime. It is full of likable
criminals who hawk stolen goods at Irish wakes. The nasty people in
this film are people who deal in real estate and lawyers, and big
corporations, each of whom is made to look worse than the others. Lumet
seems to be saying that Adam should go into likable crime because legal
professions are all immoral.

In spite of Hoffman's performance--the only aspect that prevents
this film from getting a much lower rating--I would give this film a 0
on the -4 to +4 scale. _F_a_m_i_l_y _B_u_s_i_n_e_s_s is bad business.

THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT ALMOST BLANK