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Mt. Holz Science Fiction Society
Club Notice - 11/05/93 -- Vol. 12, No. 19
MEETINGS UPCOMING:
Unless otherwise stated, all meetings are in Holmdel 4N-509
Wednesdays at noon.
_D_A_T_E _T_O_P_I_C
11/17 BRIAR ROSE by Jane Yolen (Nebula Nominee)
12/08 STAND ON ZANZIBAR by John Brunner (Classic SF)
01/05 A MILLION OPEN DOORS by John Barnes (Nebula Nominee)
01/26 Bookswap
02/16 Demo of Electronic Hugo and Nebula Anthology (MT)
Outside events:
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 MT 2G-432 908-957-5087 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. Well, we are back from India. One of the things a film guy like
me does when he visits a place like India is he starts think about
all the films in which people go to India or have experiences
similar to the ones he is having. Then he starts thinking "Boy I'd
really like to see _T_h_e _M_a_n _W_h_o _W_o_u_l_d _B_e _K_i_n_g or _H_i_g_h _R_o_a_d _t_o _C_h_i_n_a
again." So while riding my camel Morhia through the Great Thar--
the desert at Jaiselmer--I found myself saying to myself that I
needed more adventure in my life and on Thursday, November 11, at
7PM, our Leeperhouse Fest should be:
THE MT VOID Page 2
ASIAN ADVENTURE
HIGH ROAD TO CHINA (1983) dir. by Brian G. Hutton
THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING (1975) dir. by John Huston
I have yet to hear of one established critic who liked _H_i_g_h _R_o_a_d _t_o
_C_h_i_n_a but I have yet to find any personal acquaintance who saw the
film and didn't enjoy it a lot. I think some people were expecting
it to be a _R_a_i_d_e_r_s _o_f _t_h_e _L_o_s_t _A_r_k and instead got a more
traditional but good high adventure film. I think _H_i_g_h _R_o_a_d has a
good script and is a great deal of fun. It takes place in the
Roaring 20s and is the story of an heiress's chase from Egypt to
China, via biplane, to find her missing adventurer father before
his business partners steal the company. The heiress enlists the
aid of of a world-weary WW I flying ace. We have shown _H_i_g_h _R_o_a_d
once already, but I want to see it again. The film stars Tom
Selleck, Bess Armstrong, Jack Weston, Wilford Brimley, Robert
Morley, and Brian Blessed. The score is by John Barry.
We will save for second one of the great adventure adventure films.
Sean Connery and Michael Caine star in what I consider to be each's
best film ever, John Huston's _T_h_e _M_a_n _W_h_o _W_o_u_l_d _B_e _K_i_n_g. It was
great when Kipling wrote it and it may even be better in this
screen adaptation. Two adventurers leave the British army in India
and set out to make themselves the kings of Kafiristan. The story
is a great parable about pride and ambition, but just taken
literally it is a great story. In supporting roles are Christopher
Plummer as Rudyard Kipling and Saeed Jaffrey. The musical score by
Maurice Jarre is also considered classic.
===================================================================
2. If anyone recorded "Prisoner of Gravity" on New Jersey public
television on October 16, 23, or 30, and still has the tape, could
I borrow it? (A power failure during our vacation resulted in our
not getting most of what we set up to record.) Send e-mail to
ecl@mtgpfs1.att.com or call me at 908-957-2070 if you can help.
[-ecl]
Mark Leeper
MT 3D-441 908-957-5619
leeper@mtgzfs3.att.com
An invasion of armies can be resisted; an invasion of
ideas cannot be resisted.
-- Victor Hugo
ConFrancisco 1993
Con report by Evelyn C. Leeper
Copyright 1993 Evelyn C. Leeper
(Part 5 of 5)
Panel: MMMMaaaarrrrkkkk TTTTwwwwaaaaiiiinnnn aaaassss aaaa CCCChhhhaaaarrrraaaacccctttteeeerrrr iiiinnnn SSSScccciiiieeeennnncccceeee FFFFiiiiccccttttiiiioooonnnn
Sunday, 4:00 PM
Mark Twain, Jody Lynn Nye, Hayford Peirce, Bruce Holland Rogers (m)
"Twain has been a major character in many SF/F stories. Why?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using a well-known
person in fiction?": The advantages are somewhat obvious. The
author has a ready-made character, with a background that the reader
already knows, and does not have to do any of the work of filling
that character in. The disadvantages are perhaps less obvious.
With many characters, the reader will have pre-conceived notions
that are at odds either with history or with what the writer wants
the reader to think about the character. The example given here was
Richard III, who was nowhere near as evil as Shakespeare and others
portrayed him, but that image has become so firmly fixed in people's
minds that using him _a_u_t_h_e_n_t_i_c_a_l_l_y will probably not ring true with
the reader. Also, in fiction one cannot always stick strictly to
the truth about a historical character, especially if one wants him
or her to interact with fictional characters. So authors must
change some details, and picky readers (such as myself, I admit)
often object to this. Both of these relate to how one deals with
"the history we know that just isn't so." If everyone believes
George Washington chopped down a cherry tree and then told his
father he could not tell a lie, does an author write that, or does
he write what really happened (assuming that anything even remotely
similar to this did occur)? Robert Silverberg in _U_p _t_h_e _L_i_n_e has a
bit of fun with this, when some of his characters go back to hear
someone deliver a very pious line at the dedication of a Hagia
Sophia and instead hear him swear most colorfully at whoever left
the scaffolding up by mistake.
One way to use real people without changing details is to use
the "missing periods" in their lives. For example, one panelist
suggested using the period of ten days that Agatha Christie was
missing in a story if you want to use Christie, because no one can
say that she was doing something else instead of what you say.
(Well, if you have her fly to Mars, they may object.)
Another disadvantage, especially in writing about current
figures, is that the references may be transitory, or local. A
reference to Jesse Helms may be meaningful in the United States now,
but it's not going to go very far in Europe now, or probably even in
the United States in twenty years. And references to people in the
entertainment media can be even more transitory. Would having
ConFrancisco September 6, 1993 Page 2
Marlene Dietrich as a character in a story do much for the average
reader under the age of thirty?
Regarding Twain, at any rate, one panelist (not Mr. Twain) said
that using Twain as a character at least guaranteed good dialogue.
Of course, it also guarantees cliches--Mark Twain as a character in
a novel will say all the things that everyone knows Mark Twain said.
Using Oscar Wilde as a character has the same benefit, and the same
drawback. If the reader _k_n_o_w_s when Twain (or Wilde) said a
particular thing, then reading him saying it at some other occasion
entirely is particularly jarring.
Of course, one reason we see Twain and Wilde and others
literary figures as characters is that authors like to write about
authors. John Kendrick Bangs used Twain in _T_h_e _L_i_t_e_r_a_r_y _G_u_i_l_l_o_t_i_n_e
and also wrote _A _H_o_u_s_e_b_o_a_t _o_n _t_h_e _S_t_y_x, a precursor to Philip Jose
Farmer's _R_i_v_e_r_w_o_r_l_d, which also used Twain. Twain (and others)
remain popular as characters, according to Nye, because the author
(and the reader) needs a "larger-than-life character, one who leaves
larger-than-life footprints."
Historical personages as characters can get tiresome. Ellen
Datlow has said that she never wants to see another story with a
famous person as a character unless it's written by Howard Waldrop,
and I have a similar feeling about all those Sherlock Holmes
pastiches in which Holmes has to meet Teddy Roosevelt, or Sigmund
Freud, or Lenin, or whoever. Still, it's possible to do a story
with a famous person as a character well even if you're not Howard
Waldrop, and so you should probably take this as a caution rather
than an outright ban. It would help if people wouldn't always pick
the _s_a_m_e historical people to write about.
Of course, with alternate histories or time travel stories it's
very easy to use historical figures. But you need something besides
the gimmick of the person to make the story work.
HHHHuuuuggggoooo ((((aaaannnndddd OOOOtttthhhheeeerrrr)))) AAAAwwwwaaaarrrrddddssss CCCCeeeerrrreeeemmmmoooonnnnyyyy
Sunday, 8:00 PM
And the winners are:
- Novel: _A _F_i_r_e _U_p_o_n _t_h_e _D_e_e_p by Vernor Vinge (Tor) and _D_o_o_m_s_d_a_y
_B_o_o_k by Connie Willis (Bantam) (tie)
- Novella: "Barnacle Bill the Spacer" by Lucius Shepard (_A_s_i_m_o_v'_s
July)
- Novelette: "The Nutcracker Coup" by Janet Kagan (_A_s_i_m_o_v'_s Dec)
- Short Story: "Even the Queen" by Connie Willis (_A_s_i_m_o_v'_s Apr)
- Non-Fiction Book: _A _W_e_a_l_t_h _o_f _F_a_b_l_e: _A_n _i_n_f_o_r_m_a_l _h_i_s_t_o_r_y _o_f
_s_c_i_e_n_c_e _f_i_c_t_i_o_n _f_a_n_d_o_m _i_n _t_h_e _1_9_5_0_s by Harry Warner, Jr.
(SCIFI)
ConFrancisco September 6, 1993 Page 3
- Dramatic Presentation: "The Inner Light" (_S_t_a_r _T_r_e_k: _T_h_e _N_e_x_t
_G_e_n_e_r_a_t_i_o_n) (Paramount Television)
- Professional Editor: Gardner Dozois (_A_s_i_m_o_v'_s, various
anthologies)
- Professional Artist: Don Maitz
- Original Artwork: _D_i_n_o_t_o_p_i_a by James Gurney (Turner)
- Semi-Prozine: _S_c_i_e_n_c_e _F_i_c_t_i_o_n _C_h_r_o_n_i_c_l_e edited by Andy Porter
- Fanzine: _M_i_m_o_s_a edited by Dick and Nicki Lynch
- Fan Writer: Dave Langford
- Fan Artist: Peggy Ranson
- John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer of 1991-1992
(Sponsored by Dell Magazines): Laura Resnick
- Special Committee Award: For building bridges between cultures
and nations to advance science fiction and fantasy: Takumi
Shibano
- Seiun Award for Best Novel Translated into Japanese: _T_a_u _Z_e_r_o
by Poul Anderson
- Seiun Award for Best Short Story Translated into Japanese: "The
Groaning Hinges of the World" by R. A. Lafferty
- Seiun Award for Best Non-Fiction Translated into Japanese; _T_h_e
_M_i_n_d_s _o_f _B_i_l_l_y _M_i_l_l_i_g_a_n by Daniel Keyes
- Big Heart Award: Marjii Ellers
- First Fandom: Ray Beam
Yes, they got all the winners' names correct.
Well, that was certainly ... interesting.
And interesting is an understatement. This is the first year
there has been a tie for best novel since 1966 when Frank Herbert's
_D_u_n_e and Roger Zelazny's _A_n_d _C_a_l_l _M_e _C_o_n_r_a_d (a.k.a. _T_h_i_s _I_m_m_o_r_t_a_l)
shared the honor, with 702 ballots cast in this category. (841
people voted in all, down from last year's number.) _S_c_i_e_n_c_e _F_i_c_t_i_o_n
_C_h_r_o_n_i_c_l_e beat _L_o_c_u_s by _o_n_e point (out of 623 ballots cast in the
category)! This broke a very long streak for Charlie Brown, and
Andy Porter got the only standing ovation of the evening, and
wearing his formal academic garb, declared, "These are not the robes
of a Doctor of Divinity, but bless you all." Peggy Ranson won by
two points in a category where 361 ballots were cast. At the other
end, _D_i_n_o_t_o_p_i_a was a runaway winner, with 327 votes to the next
closest's 85. Warner's book had 203 points to the next closest's
100. (Please do not ask me to explain the preferential ballot
system!) Connie Willis got a big laugh in her thank-you speech for
"Even the Queen" when she said she had complained to Gardner Dozois
on winning the Nebula for it that she would now have to go home and
tell people what it was about--and she didn't know what to say.
"Tell them it's a period piece," suggested Gardner.
The Seiuns were moved back with the Hugos, leaving the rest of
the other awards flapping in the breeze. The Prometheus Awards (_T_h_e
ConFrancisco September 6, 1993 Page 4
_M_u_l_t_i_p_l_e_x _M_a_n by James P. Hogan for Best Libertarian Science Fiction
Novel of 1992, and _T_h_e _D_i_s_p_o_s_s_e_s_s_e_d by Ursula K. LeGuin for Hall of
Fame) were announced at "Speakers' Corner" in the Concourse, the
Electric SF Awards didn't seem to be announced except at the
ClariNet booth (I assume I would have been told, since I won the
Best Fan Writer award), and I have no idea when or where the other
awards were given out. (The Rhysling Award for Long Poem went to
"To Be from Earth" by William Daciuk; for Short Poem, to "Will" by
Jane Yolen.) Strong suggestion number something-or-other (I've lost
count): Worldcons should make provision for an alternate awards
ceremony, in a suitably festive room (not just an abandoned panel
room). If nothing else, they should be awarded at the opening of
the Con Suite in the evening (perhaps one or two a night), since
people do congregate there. While I'm suggesting, I would also
suggest a time limit on speeches be given the nominees (it has been
done before)--most speeches were short, but some were quite long and
I could hear the crowd getting restless. The planners did separate
the non-Hugos from the Hugos with a ten- or fifteen-minute
retrospective of the Hugos, which was similar to what was done last
year in Orlando. Ironically, during the retrospective, Toastmaster
Guy Gavriel Kay talked about the many Hugos _L_o_c_u_s had won, and
referred to Charlie Brown as "always a bride, never a bridesmaid"!
Kim Stanley Robinson holds the professional "Always a Bridesmaid"
record, by the way, having been nominated nine times without ever
having won. This, in my humble opinion, is grossly unfair, and it's
unfortunate in a way that he had such stiff competition this year.
The traditional "Hugo Losers Party" afterward, hosted by
Conadian, was remarkably under-attended, many of the pro nominees
having apparently decided to go to the big Dell party being thrown
in the Con Suite. However, they missed some great food: smoked
whitefish, cheese, fresh vegetables, pickerel cheeks in a sauce
being cooked to order by a chef, and fresh raspberries. Since I
hadn't had dinner, I was quite pleased with this arrangement.
And on a personal note, though I placed fourth in my category,
I did get the most nominations. And however much that surprises
you, trust me--it surprises me more!
Panel: BBBBooooooookkkkssss YYYYoooouuuu SSSShhhhoooouuuulllldddd RRRReeeeaaaadddd
Monday, 12:00 noon
Janice M. Eisen, David Kyle, Eric M. Van
[written by Mark R. Leeper]
"Some personal recommendations, not limited to SF, of what the
well-read fan should read and why": This is a relatively commonly
given panel. In this installment the participants where Janice
Eisen, a reviewer for _A_b_o_r_i_g_i_n_a_l _S_c_i_e_n_c_e _F_i_c_t_i_o_n. Eric Van is a
co-founder of Readercon. Eric is famous for somewhat idiosyncratic
tastes, nearly the opposite of those of the third panelist David
Kyle, member of first fandom and author of _A _P_i_c_t_o_r_i_a_l _H_i_s_t_o_r_y _o_f
ConFrancisco September 6, 1993 Page 5
_S_c_i_e_n_c_e _F_i_c_t_i_o_n. Kyle's expertise is predominantly in the science
fiction of the pulp and sense of wonder days. Kyle arrived late.
Van started out the panel by distributing a sheet he wrote for
the occasion called "Books You Should Read." Included are such odd
choices as Graphic Novels: _C_e_r_e_b_u_s [_t_h_e _A_a_r_d_v_a_r_k], _D_a_r_e_d_e_v_i_l, and
_W_a_t_c_h_m_e_n. His humorous must-reads include _T_h_e _N_a_t_i_o_n_a_l _L_a_m_p_o_o_n _H_i_g_h
_S_c_h_o_o_l _Y_e_a_r_b_o_o_k _P_a_r_o_d_y, _F_i_r_e_s_i_g_n _T_h_e_a_t_e_r'_s _B_i_g _B_o_o_k _o_f _P_l_a_y_s, and
any collection of Bob and Ray. He includes a guide to rock 'n' roll
by Paul Williams. He also lists two baseball Must-Reads. Under the
category of "Change Your Worldview" he includes a Miss Manners
etiquette book. Let's be fair: some of his must-read list includes
some very good books, but it is clear his tastes are not necessarily
shared by most people.
Van began by picking a book at random from his sheet. "_A_r_s_l_a_n
[by M. J. Engh] _r_e_a_l_l_y blew my _m_i_n_d." It is about a despot who
wants to do terrible things. In reading it you will understand a
little better how a Hitler could do the things he did.
Eisen had made a list of the core of the best standard science
fiction books. Choosing at random she found Cordwainer Smith's
"Rediscovery of Man" series. Smith is an acquired taste. Nearly
all of his science fiction is in the book _T_h_e _R_e_d_i_s_c_o_v_e_r_y _o_f _M_a_n
being sold at the NESFA table. There is also a novel _N_o_r_s_t_r_i_l_i_a,
sold out because of Harlan Ellison's histrionics.
Van talked about "slipstream," a term applied to mainstream
writing that has fantasy elements. He said Kurt Vonnegut is epitome
of slipstream. He also recommended _K_r_a_z_y _K_a_t: _A _N_o_v_e_l _i_n _F_i_v_e
_P_a_n_e_l_s by Jay Cantor. He says the novel works on about four levels;
it is humorous, serious, it is poetic. The comic strip character
Krazy Cat witnesses events in history like the Trinity bomb.
Eisen said she did not like angst-ridden superheroes in comic
books, then she saw _W_a_t_c_h_m_e_n. She said she "was knocked over by
it." It did things she didn't think were done with super-hero
comics.
Van said he agreed with every word and strongly recommended
_W_a_t_c_h_m_e_n. The most ambitious thing in the comic book field is
_C_e_r_e_b_u_s _t_h_e _A_a_r_d_v_a_r_k. Each of the books is thick like a phone book.
Each ends with closure, but the next one picks up seemlessly. He
calls the books "mind-bogglingly ambitious." He suggested that
readers try to get the first one. It does not start profound but
gets so as it goes along. He also recommended Frank Miller's
redefinition of the Batman story with _T_h_e _D_a_r_k _K_n_i_g_h_t. He
attributes to Miller the current rebirth of popularity in Batman and
the resulting Batman films. Earlier Miller took over the comic book
_D_a_r_e_d_e_v_i_l, Marvel Comics worst-seller, and turned it into their
best-seller.
ConFrancisco September 6, 1993 Page 6
Eisen wanted to recommend two books of science fiction
criticism. She likes Damon Knight's _I_n _S_e_a_r_c_h _o_f _W_o_n_d_e_r. She
really likes Knight's writing style which could often be humorous
and perceptive at the same time. The book contains a complete
"dissection" of A. E. van Vogt, and not to van Vogt's advantage. He
can be cruel. She also recommended Ursula K. Leguin's _L_a_n_g_u_a_g_e _o_f
_t_h_e _N_i_g_h_t.
Van said he was going to recommend a book that sold three
million copies but never got respect, _N_a_t_i_o_n_a_l _L_a_m_p_o_o_n _H_i_g_h _S_c_h_o_o_l
_Y_e_a_r_b_o_o_k _P_a_r_o_d_y. He has read it cover-to-cover. The more you read,
the more you get out of it. It really captures the spirit of the
60's.
_B_r_i_d_g_e _o_f _B_i_r_d_s by Barry Hughart was Ms. Eisen's next
recommendation. It is hilarious. She also thought very funny David
Langford's _T_h_e _D_r_a_g_o_n _H_i_k_e_r'_s _G_u_i_d_e _t_o _B_a_t_t_l_e_f_i_e_l_d _C_o_v_e_n_a_n_t _a_t
_D_u_n_e'_s _E_d_g_e.... It seems like a parody of every popular
fantasy/science fiction novel within reach.
Van then revealed what he said was "the best book ever
written," John Crowley's _E_n_g_i_n_e _S_u_m_m_e_r. He had read the book and
then circumstances forced him to reread almost immediately after
finishing it. He discovered "all the stuff [he] missed." (One
wonders if he had been forced to read more books twice in
succession, if there would not be more "best books ever written.")
The book is "a utopian novel set after civilization has fallen
apart. That is only the tiny tip of iceberg."
The next books recommended by Eisen were Raymond Chandler's _T_h_e
_L_o_n_g _G_o_o_d_b_y_e and _T_h_e _B_i_g _S_l_e_e_p, and _K_i_m and _C_a_p_t_a_i_n_s _C_o_u_r_a_g_e_o_u_s by
Rudyard Kipling. She also suggests people read Dickens, but choose
one you didn't have to read in school.
David Kyle, just arriving, said Dickens is a pulp writer who
made it. He talked about the pulps and their precursors, the penny
dreadfuls. Many writers pre-SF writers used a great deal of
imagination. In _G_u_l_l_i_v_e_r'_s _T_r_a_v_e_l_s there are islands in air and
many strange worlds. Many of the classic fantasies are forerunners
of modern fiction. What many people think is dry and outdated is
not dry at all. The basis of much modern fantasy is right there.
Van seconded this testimonial for the classics. "_P_a_r_a_d_i_s_e _L_o_s_t
did not blow my mind but it was good. I got a real buzz from it."
The _I_l_i_a_d and the _O_d_y_s_s_e_y were Eisen's recommendation.
Someone from the audience recommended T. S. Elliot's "Four
Quartets."
Van suggested _S_i_r _G_a_w_a_i_n _a_n_d _t_h_e _G_r_e_e_n _K_n_i_g_h_t is great fantasy.
ConFrancisco September 6, 1993 Page 7
Kyle said that for more examples read _A _P_i_c_t_o_r_i_a_l _H_i_s_t_o_r_y _o_f
_S_c_i_e_n_c_e _F_i_c_t_i_o_n. Someone in the audience asked the author. Kyle
pretended to be searching his memory and then as if he found it said
brightly "David Kyle."
Van called David Pringle's _S_c_i_e_n_c_e _F_i_c_t_i_o_n: _T_h_e _1_0_0 _B_e_s_t _N_o_v_e_l_s
"a superb book." The same publisher published _1_0_0 _B_e_s_t _F_a_n_t_a_s_y
_N_o_v_e_l_s which Van said was good up to Tolkein, then not so good.
Pringle found a differest publisher for his hundred-best fantasy
novel list.
Eisen said that the one book she wanted to get to in this panel
was _H_o_w _t_o _S_u_p_p_r_e_s_s _W_o_m_e_n'_s _W_r_i_t_i_n_g by Joanna Russ. Kyle responded
to the earlier mention of T. S. Elliot. When you mention poetry
Tennyson comes to mind. His "Locksley Hall" is almost a song to
science fiction.
Eisen thought the best post-holocaust novels were Walter
Miller's _C_a_n_t_i_c_l_e _f_o_r _L_i_e_b_o_w_i_t_z and Edgar Pangborn's _D_a_v_y. (I
wonder how much consideration she has given to Leon Uris' _e_x_o_d_u_s.)
She recommended two publishers: the Collier Nucleus series and the
publisher Carroll and Graf are both putting good older works into
print. (I can second the opinion on Carroll and Graf. And with
that comment, my Worldcon came to an end. I rushed to the Huckster
room to buy one last book--published by Carroll and Graf, by the
way--and returned to my hotel.)
Panel: GGGGrrrriiiippppeeee SSSSeeeessssssssiiiioooonnnn
Monday, 12 noon
Much of what I learned or heard about different aspects of the
convention has been expressed in the appropriate section of this
report; most of my gripes have been expressed already as well. But
a few random items belong here, I suppose. Several people said that
they had been contacting the convention with program ideas and
offers to work, but never got any response, or got a response just a
few weeks before the convention (when they had first written over a
year earlier). One problem seems to be that it someone suggests
something that doesn't clearly fall into one particular section (for
example, something that isn't quite programming, and isn't quite
exhibit), then it gets batted back and forth and no one wants to
take responsibility to follow up on it.
The claim was made that using the larger hall in the Moscone
for the Masquerade and Hugo Awards Ceremony would have added at
least $20 to _e_a_c_h membership in the convention. This seems hard to
believe, but it underscores the fact that Worldcons are getting too
big to be handled in any reasonable and cost-effective way by more
than a handful of cities. (Exercise for some Worldcon historian:
how many cities which have previously hosted Worldcons are no longer
able to do so, from a facilities stand-point?)
ConFrancisco September 6, 1993 Page 8
Ellison's panels were in such small rooms, according to the
committee, because Ellison came to the committee two and a half
weeks before the convention (after all the programming had been laid
out) to tell them that he was attending and what time-slots he
wanted to speak in.
There was a lack of intermediate-sized rooms: Larry Niven's
Guest of Honor speech was in a room holding about 140. The next
largest was one holding about 1500. It was decided that it was
better to have him speak to a crowded room than a half-empty one,
but future conventions should make sure they have at least one room
for mid-sized events.
The letters to people who volunteered to be participants but
were turned down was a point of contention. No matter how
delicately they are phrased, they still will sound like the
recipient is being told he or she is not important enough. As it
was, ConFrancisco said they had more participants than MagiCon, and
possibly more than Noreascon.
People were encouraged to volunteer; the committee claimed it
took 10-20% of the attendees to help run a Worldon. For their part,
committees are reminded to touch base with volunteers at least every
three months, even if only to say, "Yes, we have your name and will
be sending more specific information soon."
The daily newsletter should carry all the various awards
presented at the convention (see my notes on "other awards" above),
and obviously this means that the presenters of awards must have
press releases or the equivalent to give the editors of the
newsletter.
Various Media Presentations
[written by Mark R. Leeper]
Nearly each year Evelyn and I go to the World Science Fiction
convention. In 1976 at MidAmericon a then nearly unknown George
Lucas came presenting materials from his upcoming film _S_t_a_r _W_a_r_s.
While I would not rule out the possibility that it had been done
before, this was certainly the first example I saw of a filmmaker
using a science fiction convention like this. Starting that year
popular film seems to have changed a lot in its pacing and also how
it is merchandised. And one way is that more and more upcoming
films seem to have previewed at science fiction conventions.
Over the years I have seen two major changes in these
presentations. The first change is that rather than one filmmaker
at presenting his own film, there were package presentations at
which some "hired gun" who had sold his services to the studios
would be presenting a whole package of films--sometimes from
different studios. The other change was somewhat more subjective.
ConFrancisco September 6, 1993 Page 9
The films seem more derivative and--well, lets admit it--much less
exciting.
This year things are looking up ever-so-slightly. There is one
upcoming television show that looks decent--actually, better than
decent. But there is a lot coming up that I for one am going to be
less than excited about. You can read that to mean that they look
cheap, derivative, and way too much like things that have been bad
in the past.
In the media presentation there were several teasers for the
television series _L_o_i_s _a_n_d _C_l_a_r_k. So far the cleverest thing I have
seen about the series is the title, though I suspect some of the
audience will not recognize the allusion to the famous expedition.
Of course when I say that is the cleverest thing I have seen, it is
about all I have seen. The whole presentation was three teasers
implying that Lois Lane and Clark Kent would end up in bed with each
other. Presumably it should be obvious that there are logic
problems inherent in this inter-species coupling. Also poor Lois
would probably be badly damaged by the man whose flesh is harder
than steel. The same idea was explored in detail in the Larry Niven
story "Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex." My enthusiasm for the
concept of sexy Superman stories is highly bounded.
Similarly we saw little more than teasers about _s_e_a_Q_u_e_s_t _D_S_V,
an expensive new series set in the ocean starring Roy Scheider and
something that looks a lot like a rubber Flipper stand-in. There is
lots of nice looking hardware but no sign that anything of great
value will come from the program. Steven Spielberg is producing.
And speaking of famous people with initials S.S. (hey, I am
admired for my clever transitions) Sylvester Stallone looks like he
is aiming for _T_e_r_m_i_n_a_t_o_r with his _D_e_m_o_l_i_t_i_o_n _M_a_n, but it sounds like
he will end up closer to _F_r_e_e_j_a_c_k. The concept is that the worst
criminal in all the world (played by Wesley Snipes) is captured by a
reckless, but effective cop nicknamed the "Demolition Man" (played
by Sylvester Stallone). Unfortunately a bunch of innocent people
are killed in the process. So both criminal and cop are sentenced
to cryogenic suspension--freezing. (Moral: In a topsy-turvy world,
a good cop is treated like a criminal.) For Stallone the sentence
is just some fifteen years in the freezer which implies the
congealing of all that body oil into grease. For Snipes the
sentence is eternity. It is not entirely clear why waste the
freezer space on someone who is never going to thaw, but I guess
there are precedents. (Also I guess some of the stuff at the back
of our freezer at home is in pretty much the same state.) Flash
forward some long time to a pristine and crimeless future--don't ask
me how we got there from our present with ever-growing numbers of
criminals, bad inner cities, racism, and ever-increasing library
overdue incidents. Society is too effete to handle real crime, but
through a nasty freezer accident Snipes escapes and is terrorizing
ConFrancisco September 6, 1993 Page 10
utopia. Luckily were have a macho greaseball on ice in the fridge.
It's at times like this that society learns to value it's macho
greaseballs. (Incidentally, all of this was in a trailer I had seen
weeks earlier at my neighborhood theater, and there was nothing in
this tacky presentation I didn't already know.) This is not a film
to look forward too.
We saw a trailer and little more for _R_o_b_o_c_o_p _3 and what we saw
made it look like little more than the mindless shoot-em-up that
_R_o_b_o_c_o_p _2 was. This time the evil system is against Robo and has
made him a criminal. (Moral: In a topsy-turvy world, the good
robocop is treated like a criminal.) I don't expect much here.
Incidentally, Peter Weller is replaced by someone I could not
recognize under the makeup, but he wasn't Weller or probably anyone
else well-known.
One of the longest running of the great super-heroes is Lamont
Cranston, who learned in the orient the ability to cloud people's
minds so that he is essentially invisible. When he is invisible he
is his alter-ego, The Shadow. Now nobody ever really knows what The
Shadow really looks like since he was a hero of radio and pulp
magazines. All you ever see is an artist conception of a man with a
long crooked nose under a big concealing hat. It's enough to give
you the willies. It is tough to judge who would make a good Shadow
on the screen in the upcoming Shadow film. Basil Rathbone is pretty
close, he might give you the heebie-jeebies if he was hiding
somewhere in the shadows. Maybe they should get some unknown for
the part in the film. But an unknown would give you no marquee
value I guess. So instead got the modern equivalent of Basil
Rathbone, the man with the commanding presence, with the deep voice,
with the slightly scary looks. Yes, they cast as Lamont Cranston...
Alec Baldwin??? (Oh barf! Well I guess he would be marginally
better in the role than Julia Roberts.) We did see some production
sketches on this one and the production seems to be in the hands of
people who would rather emulate successful films about Batman than
to try to understand the persona of the Shadow. At least one
mistake: in the long-running radio show, which is where the Shadow
became best known, all of his powers and all of his tools came from
between his ears. He had no special cars or gas pistols.
Everything he did was by mental powers. Well we saw a sketch of his
office where an iris opens up and his chair sinks down when he wants
to make a getaway unseen. As if he couldn't walk out right in front
of his secretary and simply cloud her mind. He is, after the
Shadow. Or he was before they started the film. Mechanical
gimmicks are right for Batman but all wrong for the Shadow.
Oh, and speaking of weird casting, Stan Winston, an Oscar
winner for special effects like those of _J_u_r_a_s_s_i_c _P_a_r_k was on hand
to defend the casting of Tom Cruise as the Vampire Lestat in
_I_n_t_e_r_v_i_e_w _w_i_t_h _t_h_e _V_a_m_p_i_r_e. He talked for a long time about the
film but at the same time said very little. He had brought a slide
ConFrancisco September 6, 1993 Page 11
of what Cruise will look like as Lestat, but could not show it since
it might be videotaped and of course it must be kept in extreme
secrecy for whatever reason filmmakers always like extreme secrecy.
I guess there is some danger that some other filmmaker will cast
Cruise as Lestat in some other film and use the same makeup. In any
case we heard how _g_r_e_a_t Cruise was as Lestat, but learned little
else of value.
Lest it sound like there was nothing good to look forward to in
upcoming productions, J. Michael Straczynski was present to show
what was coming up for _B_a_b_y_l_o_n _5. I want everyone to remember that
after the pilot was broadcast, it was me who said that I was willing
to trade two episodes of any _S_t_a_r _T_r_e_k series for any one episode
_B_a_b_y_l_o_n _5. Reactions to the pilot were very mixed, but I was really
impressed by what I was seeing. I am already preparing to say "I
told ya' so." I would now say that the two for one trade underrates
"_B_a_b_y _5" (as I have nicknamed the series, without loss of respect).
We saw about twenty minutes from one of the episodes and forget the
series, I really want to know how the episode will come out. It
involves a conflict between two species, one good, one evil. The
problem is that you can only determine which is the good species and
which one is evil if you know if the spirit dies with the body or if
souls are somehow reincarnated to live again. And _B_a_b_y _5 isn't
going to tell you. It seems like a lot of the episodes are going to
hinge on philosophical principles that the viewer is going to have
to decide for him/ herself. Straczynski says his goal is to start
arguments and perhaps a few good bar fights with his series. It has
been a while since we have seen science fiction sophisticated enough
to do that. The British do that at least on occasion, but American
SF in film and television seems to have the flash of effects but
rarely the spark of any real intelligence.
Of course _B_a_b_y _5 will have its "toaster graphics" which
certainly are impressive. They substitute a sort of artistic
feeling for the realism of effects that the current _S_t_a_r _T_r_e_k shows
seem to use. The effects in _B_a_b_y _5 look more like animations of the
book covers use, particularly British ones. They are imaginative
and for the time being it is very impressive to see sights like
spaceships unfolding solar sails like giant metallic insects. I
would say, however, that the novelty of that sort of effect is bound
to wear off over the projected five-year run of _B_a_b_y _5. This is
particularly true since "video toaster graphics," the kind used in
_B_a_b_y _5 are a lot cheaper than those created by Industrial Light and
Magic, and _B_a_b_y _5 has no exclusive on them. That means we are
probably going to see similar effects very commonly. The special
effects are not going to be that much of a draw after the first six
months, but I think that the story will be. I am just a little
concerned about a series that is going to be hard to join in the
middle because of what the viewer has already missed. For now I
intend to watch faithfully and I suspect that once the series gets
going, I will not be alone.
ConFrancisco September 6, 1993 Page 12
Miscellaneous
At each of the last three conventions I've gone to, someone has
mistaken me for Connie Willis. I almost got through ConFrancisco
without this happening, but just as we were leaving the convention
center for the last time, someone passing us asked his friend, "Do
you have _D_o_o_m_s_d_a_y _B_o_o_k?" and when she handed it to him, held it out
to me. I probably just should have signed it, but instead I said,
"I am not Connie Willis. I am not as tall as she is, I do not have
the same hair color as she does, and I didn't win two Hugos last
night." Maybe I'll have a button made!
The WSFS Business Meeting was at noon instead of the
traditional 10 AM on the days it was held, and at the ANA Hotel,
making it very difficult to get to. As a result, attendance was
down. The Northwest Territories Division Amendment, the amendment
clarifying the best fan writer definition (making it clear it is for
work in the previous year), and the amendment reducing NASFiC lead
time passed. These had previously been approved at MagiCon, so are
now adopted. Passed and passed on to Conadian is an amendment
authorizing retrospective Hugos for 50, 75, or 100 years previous to
a given convention, so long as Hugos were not awarded for that year
already.
The hotel had an automatic check-out through the television,
but we couldn't use it when we were checking out at 5:00 AM.
Luckily, there was no line. :-)
The Information Desk was not always helpful. In particular, a
friend of ours asked them about parking on Sunday and Monday,
because the Moscone Center Garage which was recommended in the
Pocket Program was closed those days. First the person he talked to
said he should look in the book. When he pointed out that he had,
and that it was wrong, they basically told him to try checking with
some other garages, at which point he thanked them for their help
(no doubt somewhat sarcastically). As he was walking away, the
person behind the desk (who must have thought he was out of earshot)
said something extremely uncomplimentary about him. The Information
Desk should have information, or be willing to find it, perhaps
asking the person to check back later. It should under no
circumstances be rude and offensive. (This applies even if the
"customer" is, though knowing the person involved here, I doubt that
was the case.) I would like to think this was a single individual
rather than a constant problem at the Information Desk, but a
convention should make sure that only people who have the right
personality for that job work at the Information Desk.
Panelists were signaled with a "YIELD" sign when there was
fifteen minutes left, and a "STOP" sign when time had run out. This
was confusing--many panelists thought the "YIELD" sign meant they
had to yield the room. It was a good idea to keep panels to fifty
ConFrancisco September 6, 1993 Page 13
minutes instead of an hour, because that gave people time to get to
the next item and maybe even have a bathroom break.
ConFrancisco did not provide a free drink to participants at
the "Meet the VIPs" party as had been done by previous conventions.
Frankly, this is probably a good thing. It seems a better use of
the money to spend it on something for the con at large, and I doubt
anyone's attendance or non-attendance at the party is determined by
whether they get one free drink.
As is traditional, I'll list the Worldcons I've attended and
rank them, best to worst (the middle cluster are pretty close
together, and it's getting harder and harder to fit the new ones in,
perhaps because the cons of fifteen years ago are hard to remember
in detail):
Noreascon II
MagiCon
Noreascon III
Noreascon I
Midamericon
L.A.con II
ConFrancisco
Chicon V
Discon II
Seacon
Confederation
Chicon IV
ConFiction
Conspiracy
Iguanacon
Suncon
Nolacon II
Constellation
This con report runs about 24,000 words, due in large part to
the abundance of interesting programming. (At Chicon V I went to
twelve panels; at MagiCon I went to sixteen; this year at
ConFrancisco it was twenty-four plus two lectures.) I will also
admit to a certain verbosity.
Unlike the last couple of years, the site selection was _n_o_t a
hard-fought battle, Los Angeles (Anaheim) being uncontested. 1286
votes were cast, compared to last year's 2541. James White, Roger
Corman, Takumi and Sachiko Shibano are the Guests of Honor. Connie
Willis is Toastmaster (their word, not mine). Elsie Wollheim is the
Special Guest. (The Fan Guest of Honour for Intersection (Glasgow
1995) was supposed to be announced at ConFrancisco, but wasn't--at
least not that I heard.) The convention with be called L.A.con III
(this is what is know as the "typography from Hell") and will be
August 29 to September 2, 1996. In spite of the uncontested nature,
it was apparently decided that people could _n_o_t buy attending
ConFrancisco September 6, 1993 Page 14
memberships at voting time (as was done with MagiCon), so on Monday
there was quite a long line of people wanting to upgrade to
attending membership. Bruce Pelz found himself working alone for a
while until help arrived, but I'm surprised that the LA committee
didn't realize their table would be swamped. (Contact address in
the United States is L.A.con III, c/o S.C.I.F.I., P. O. Box 8442,
Van Nuys CA 91409.)
Next year in Winnipeg!