@@@@@ @ @ @@@@@ @ @ @@@@@@@ @ @ @@@@@ @@@@@ @@@ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @@@@@ @@@@ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @@@@@ @ @ @ @ @@@@@ @@@@@ @@@ Mt. Holz Science Fiction Society Club Notice - 7/2/93 -- Vol. 12, No. 1 MEETINGS UPCOMING: Unless otherwise stated, all meetings are in Holmdel 4N-509 Wednesdays at noon. _D_A_T_E _T_O_P_I_C 07/14 SIGHT OF PROTEUS by Charles Sheffield (Human Metamorphosis) 08/04 Hugo Short Story Nominees 08/25 CONSIDER PHLEBAS by Iain Banks (Space Opera with a Knife Twist) 09/15 WORLD AT THE END OF TIME by Frederik Pohl (Modern Stapledonian Fiction) Outside events: 07/31 Deadline for Hugo Ballots to be postmarked The Science Fiction Association of Bergen County meets on the second Saturday of every month in Upper Saddle River; call 201-933-2724 for details. The New Jersey Science Fiction Society meets on the third Saturday of every month in Belleville; call 201-432-5965 for details. HO Chair: John Jetzt HO 1E-525 908-834-1563 holly!jetzt LZ Chair: Rob Mitchell HO 1C-523 908-834-1267 holly!jrrt MT Chair: Mark Leeper MT 3D-441 908-957-5619 mtgzfs3!leeper HO Librarian: Nick Sauer HO 4F-427 908-949-7076 homxc!11366ns LZ Librarian: Lance Larsen LZ 3L-312 908-576-3346 quartet!lfl MT Librarian: Mark Leeper MT 3D-441 908-957-5619 mtgzfs3!leeper Factotum: Evelyn Leeper MT 1F-329 908-957-2070 mtgpfs1!ecl All material copyright by author unless otherwise noted. 1. Something that has been bothering me is: what the heck is a pineapple? I think I like pineapple juice for breakfast as much as most people like orange juice. My problem with pineapples is that I don't know what they are. I mean, an orange is a citrus fruit. That is a nice comforting thing to know. Hey, when I get tired of oranges I can move on to tangerines or mandarin oranges if I want something sweeter. If I want something less sweet but bigger, there are grapefruits. Then there are lemons, which are great as a healthy spice or sweetened as a beverage. But what do you branch out to from a pineapple? Well, it turns out that there are a whole family of things that, like a pineapple, are a real pain to get THE MT VOID Page 2 into but once you do, they are worth the struggle. Scientists tell us that the closest living relative of the pineapple is the lobster. Both are cousins of a Puccini opera, some of which are very sweet inside if you get past the exterior. I have even heard it suggested that when you got past Mark Twain's mean exterior she was sweet inside. I prefer not to believe that. He was sour to the core. That's why I like him. I recently saw the film biography of Samuel L. Clemens. This was a pretty wretched and overblown Hollywood effort. But one thing they did have in the film was that Clemens was born with the coming of Halley's Comet. And he always claimed he would go out with Halley's Comet. And sure enough, he did. Well, now, I have tried to pattern my humor on his. (Now don't say you hadn't noticed.) And with lifespans I expect to have the edge. He was born with Halley's Comet and was able to hold on until it came again. The only thing I can find that happened when I was born was Harry Truman signing a bill giving parity to Wisconsin dairy farmers and I expect to hang on until Harry Truman signs one again. Mark Leeper MT 3D-441 908-957-5619 ...mtgzfs3!leeper Those who lack the courage will always find a philosophy to justify it. -- Albert Camus 7TH ANNUAL SUMMER FESTIVAL OF FANTASY, HORROR, AND SCIENCE FICTION Film Forum, 209 West Houston Street, New York City, NY 10014, 212-727-8110 VAL LEWTON FESTIVAL Fri-Mon Jul 2-5 THE GHOST SHIP; CAT PEOPLE; I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE Tue-Thu Jul 6-8 THE GHOST SHIP; LEOPARD MAN; ISLE OF THE DEAD Fri-Sun Jul 9-11 THE GHOST SHIP; CAT PEOPLE; THE BODY SNATCHER Mon-Tue Jul 12-13 THE GHOST SHIP; MADEMOISELLE FIFI; YOUTH RUNS WILD Wed-Thu Jul 14-15 THE GHOST SHIP; THE SEVENTH VICTIM; BEDLAM ED WOOD; JR. FESTIVAL Fri-Sun Jul 16-18 PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE; BRIDE OF THE MONSTER; NIGHT OF THE GHOULS Mon-Tue Jul 19-20 THE SINISTER URGE; THE VIOLENT YEARS; MARRIED TOO YOUNG Wed-Thu Jul 21-22 GLEN OR GLENDA?; JAIL BAIT MARIO BAVA FESTIVAL Fri-Sun Jul 23-25 BLACK SUNDAY; BLACK SABBATH Mon-Tue Jul 26-27 HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD; ERIK THE CONQUERER Wed Jul 28 LISA AND THE DEVIL; BARON BLOOD Thu Jul 29 PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES; CALTIKI, THE IMMORTAL MONSTER Fri-Sat Jul 30-31 KILL, BABY, KILL; HATCHET FOR THE HONEYMOON Sun-Mon Aug 1-2 BLOOD AND BLACK LACE; THE EVIL EYE Tue Aug 3 BEYOND THE DOOR II; THE HOUSE OF EXORCISM Wed-Thu Aug 4-5 DR. GOLDFOOT AND THE GIRL BOMBS; DANGER: DIABOLIK; I VAMPIRI THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT ALMOST BLANK DEPARTURES by Harry Turtledove Del Rey, 1993, ISBN 0-345-38011-8, $4.99. A book review by Evelyn C. Leeper Copyright 1993 Evelyn C. Leeper While Turtledove is perhaps best known for his alternate history stories, and while many of the stories in this collection are alternate histories, the back blurb lies when it says, "Here Harry Turtledove explores such 'what-ifs' in twenty alternate history stories ranging from ancient times to the far, far-different future." Even counting stories with werewolves or vampires as alternate histories, only eleven of the twenty stories here are alternate history. But all twenty are good. Perhaps because of the historical nature of Turtledove's writing, the stories are arranged chronologically (by when the story takes place, not by when it was written). In fact, this collection was originally to be titled _P_a_s_t_s, _P_r_e_s_e_n_t_s, _a_n_d _F_u_t_u_r_e_s. And this historical bent is evident even in the non-alternate-history stories, as you will see. "Counting Potsherds" takes place in the early second century B.C.E. and _i_s an alternate history story. What if the Persians defeated the Greeks and democracy never developed? Turtledove has done his research on the Near East (his degree is in Byzantine history and he has also used the near East as the setting in his set of alternate history stories collected in _A_g_e_n_t _o_f _B_y_z_a_n_t_i_u_m, about which I will say more later), and the world here is as well- developed as a reader could hope to find. "Death in Vesunna" is about history, and books, and the mistake of under-estimating one's opponents. Although reminiscent of Poul Anderson's "Time Patrol" stories, it focuses more on the residents of the period to which the time travelers go than on the time travelers themselves or their time--and this is the whole point. Turtledove's best known alternate history stories are his "Agent of Byzantium" stories, and "Departures" is a prequel to that series. 'Nuff said. "Pillar of Cloud, Pillar of Fire" is a regular "Agent of Byzantium" story which takes place between "Strange Eruptions" (a.k.a. "Etos Kosmou 6816") and "Unholy Trinity" (a.k.a. "Etos Kosmou 6824"). Turtledove has at last gotten away from having Basil Argyros invent or discover something famous, although the story does center around a very modern problem. "Islands in the Sea," by its placement here, reads as an alternate alternate history from "Departures" and the entire "Agent Departures July 2, 1993 Page 2 of Byzantium" series--not only does Mohammed _n_o_t convert to Christianity, but the Muslim Arabs successfully invade southeastern Europe much sooner than they actually did. There is something odd, however, about reading a theological argument between a Christian and a Muslim written by a Jew. Well, at least no one can claim he is biased. If the existence of werewolves makes a story an alternate history, then "Not All Wolves" is an alternate history. A young boy who is actually a werewolf is fleeing from an angry mob in Twelfth Century Cologne. Cornered and desperate, he finds help from a most unexpected ally. Though the message is perhaps a bit unsubtle, the story is effective. "Clash of Arms" is _n_o_t an alternate history story, but a story of a heraldic duel. I suspect one needs to know heraldry better than I do to appreciate the story, though even I found it mildly interesting. "Report of the Special Committee on the Quality of Life" is not, strictly speaking, alternate history. Rather, it's a parody of government feasibility studies by having Jaime Nosenada ("I know nothing" in Spanish) write up all the reasons why Spain shouldn't bother to follow up on Columbus's journey. Cute, but more than a little preachy--I'm sure all the pro-space groups love it. An alternate history story only under the most liberal of definitions, "Batboy" is a baseball story, but probably wouldn't appeal to the average baseball fan--it's primary focus is fantasy rather than sports. "Designated Hitter" is another baseball story, but it is a straight science fiction story rather than alternate history. It didn't work as well for me as "Batboy" did, probably because it requires more knowledge of the techniques of baseball than I have. "The Last Reunion" is definitely not alternate history, though it recalls _T_h_e _G_u_n_s _o_f _t_h_e _S_o_u_t_h in its story of a Confederate captain returning to Richmond in 1932 for a reunion of the Forty- seventh North Carolina. Turtledove recognizes the conflict between the nostalgia of the old soldier and the horrors of war, and my only complaint is that he doesn't do an entirely successful job of reconciling the two. If there's such a thing as an alternate future story, "Gladly Wolde He Lerne" is one. Unfortunately, it's a bit predictable (especially after the introduction Turtledove wrote) and a bit preachy. In fact, while I like Turtledove's introductions to the stories, I would recommend reading them _a_f_t_e_r you read the respective stories. Departures July 2, 1993 Page 3 We're on the receiving end of time traveling in "The Barbecue, the Movie, and Other Unfortunately Not So Relevant Material," an amusing story and a good change of pace from some of the more serious stories in the book. "In the Presence of Mine Enemies" is set in one of the more common alternate history worlds, one in which Germany won the Second World War. It's about survival under adversity and if it seems unlikely, one merely has to look at the recent revelation that large numbers of Catholics in the Southwest are descended from Jews who fled to the New World to escape the Inquisition. Just as "In the Presence of Mine Enemies" might have been inspired by news that post-dated it, but wasn't (of course-- Turtledove is a good writer but not a fortune-teller), so might have been "The R Strain." In the latter case, it is the report of the babirusa, a cud-chewing pig, that could have generated this story of a genetically altered pig that just might be kosher. There has been much discussion on Usenet lately as to why pork is the ultimate non-kosher meat, even more so in people's minds than shellfish or anything else. And Turtledove's story acknowledges this by having its Conservative rabbi more concerned about whether the animal is prohibited than whether it has been killed in the kosher manner. To the non-Jew this may not matter, yet to a Jew reading this story there will remain the nagging feeling that if the rabbi is so blase about the manner of killing the animal, his opinion on its kosher status may also be suspect. I liked "Lure" for its use of Cenozoic mammals, a newly found interest of mine. Everyone is interested in dinosaurs, so I have to be different, I guess. Of course, this somewhat outre interest means I picked up some errors, such as Turtledove's having _C_y_n_o_d_e_s_m_u_s, _D_i_c_e_r_a_t_h_e_r_i_u_m, and _S_y_n_d_o_c_e_r_o_s, all early Miocene North American mammals, in late Miocene Italy (my reference is _T_h_e _M_a_c_m_i_l_l_a_n _I_l_l_u_s_t_r_a_t_e_d _E_n_c_y_c_l_o_p_e_d_i_a _o_f _D_i_n_o_s_a_u_r_s _a_n_d _P_r_e_h_i_s_t_o_r_i_c _A_n_i_m_a_l_s). But what the heck--we have dinosaur movies with cavemen and dinosaurs co-existing, and those are considerably further apart in time, if not in space. And "Secret Names" is a perfect follow-up to "Lure," even though it is set in a post-holocaust future and at first appears to have nothing in common with a tale of prehistoric mammals. In fact, "The R Strain," "Lure," and "Secret Names" form a nice biological triptych. "Les Mortes d'Arthur" is primarily a science fiction murder mystery, with some sports thrown in. I found it similar to some of Isaac Asimov's "Wendell Urth" stories, and wonder if it isn't an homage of sorts to Asimov. The only story I have a real problem with in this collection is "Last Favor." Its evolutionary premise is interesting--and has to some extent been proposed as a model for certain groups here on Departures July 2, 1993 Page 4 Earth--but I think there are major problems in assuming its conscious self-application, particularly as described here. Then again, I'm sure if I'm wrong, some biologist will tell me. The final story is "Nasty, Brutish, and ...." It's a bar story, and also a "So there!" to H. G. Wells (in a manner of speaking). Unlike the five stories preceding it, this one at least has some chance of being an alternate history, or at least a secret history. (There is also an excerpt from Turtledove's _G_u_n_s _o_f _t_h_e _S_o_u_t_h, but since it's more an ad than a story, I won't review it here. I do recommend the book, though.) _D_e_p_a_r_t_u_r_e_s is a must-buy for alternate history fans, and highly recommended even for the general science fiction fan.