THE AUSTRALIAN SCIENCE FICTION BULLSHEET #126 – September 17 1999
An ingravescent newszine produced for the Australian National
Science Fiction Association by Marc Ortlieb, P.O. Box 215, Forest
Hill, Vict, 3131, AUSTRALIA
(e-mail: mortlieb@vicnet.net.au).
Postal subscriptions $6-00 for ten.(Cheques made out to Marc
Ortlieb please. Stamps accepted). Available for items of gossip.
E-mailed direct, a once off $10 fee. Free copy from aus.sf on
Internet or at http://www.vicnet.net.au/~sfoz/bullsheet.htm
IN PRINT
Jonathan Strahan notes two Australian SF debuts that I missed in my
comments on Aussiecon Three. "MP Books -- a collaborative small
press venture by Aphelion Publications, The Coode St. Press, Eidolon
Publications, MirrorDanse Books and Ticonderoga Publications --
launched ANTIQUE FUTURES: THE BEST OF TERRY DOWLING a big fat trade
paperback collecting the best of Dowling's stories with a stunning
cover by Nick Stathopoulos and a stirring intro by Jack Dann. The
book sold out its initial print run at the Convention and is going
back to press shortly.
The other one was a new critical magazine that Steve Paulsen and I
are doing: The Coode Street Review of Science Fiction. It's a new
quarterly review of OZSF, with columns by Russell Blackford, Simon
Brown, Justine Larbalestier, Chris Lawson, Dave Luckett, Robin Pen
and others. The debut issue did pretty well at the Con, though the
t-shirt seemed to be in more demand.
As an aside, the convention was a great success, and everyone I know
has said what a great time they had. So please pass on my thanks to
any members of the committee as appropriate."
DAMON DARK
Adrian Sherlock reports "Thursday, September 9, 1999 at 11 pm,
Science Fiction television history was made, when Channel 31 screened
Damon Dark Episode One, "Time Slip". Made entirely in Melbourne the
episode was definitive SF, featuring aliens and time travel. Unlike
other Australian sf, Damon Dark received an MA rating. (Mature
Audiences). This makes it the first adult hard-core SF series ever
produced in Australia. And it has already attracted the interest of
talented people who want to help it grow. Two local sf fan writers
are considering writing episodes. George Ivanoff who appears briefly
in Episode 2, has a script idea and is keen to reappear in the series
as an actor. Sian O'Neale is considering writing a possible vampire
episode. The next series has the commitment of a professional camera
man and editor. Series 2 will be completely digital. Six more
episodes, written by Adrian Sherlock, are being prepared for shooting
and the cast are keen to reprise their roles.Following the recent
Aussiecon Three screenings, the approach to the series will be
modified slightly, aiming for balance of humour and drama. The series
is available on video from Sherlock Productions. Contact us at
Straker2@Hotmail.com."
BULLSHEET MEDIA WATCH
Lucy Sussex reviews Mary Doria Russell's Children of God in the
Saturday Age 11/9/99. Unfortunately the text of the review suggests
that the article should have appeared in the previous Saturday's
issue, while Aussiecon was still on. (Mind you, one of the local
radio stations also announced that the con was on in the week after
it had occurred.) Eric Lindsay notes that Ali Kayn reviewed HDK 3
Virtual Media (a web page creator) in The Australian Computer
Section, August 31, 1999. There was an obituary for Colin Watson in
The Australian 14/9/99 but it made no mention of his involvement with
science fiction. There is an article on Graeme Base and his new book
The Worst Band in the Universe in Who Weekly 20/9/99
FAN FUNDS
Ian Gunn & Karen Pender-Gunn's GUFF trip report Oh, to be in England,
In the summertime, With my love is now available from Karen
Pender-Gunn P.O. Box 567 Blackburn Vic 3130 AUSTRALIA for $6.00 plus,
one assumes, postage. It's a delightful production and worth it for
both the writing and the artwork.
Karen also reports "The Ian Gunn Memorial Fund Inc is sending off a
$500 cheque to the Anti-Cancer Council.
WOULD-BE PERIPATETIC FAN
David Evans notes that, having found the time, post-Aussiecon, to
check his mail. he's got a "green card" interview in Sydney and will
be looking for work in Silicon Valley. Sigh. I know that I forgot to
mention him in my Aussiecon Three report, but that's rather an
extreme reaction. (Or could it be that, having run registration at
Aussiecon Three, David is angling to do the same at ConJose?)
UPCOMING CONVENTIONS
CONQUEST 99
Reflections October 1-3 1999 The Ridge Hotel 189 Leichhardt St.
Spring Hill, Brisbane.Special Guests Richard Arnold and Richard Hatch
ocp $170 GPO Box 1376 Brisbane Qld 4001. pbuddaaa@zip.com.au ph
0412-649-727
HIGHLANDER DOWN UNDER 3
April 14-16 2000 Mercure Hotel Brisbane GsoH Peter Wingfield,
Valentine Pelka & Anthony De Longis $165 P.O. Box 198 Brisbane Albert
St Qld 4002 ph (07) 3282 4220. sonjav@powerup.com.au
http://www.powerup.com.au/~sonjav/
SWANCON 25
39th National Australian Science Fiction Convention April 20th-24th,
2000. Ascot Inn, Belmont, WA. GsoH Connie Willis and Ian Nichols.
Gratuitous interstate guest "Mitch" Other guests include Stephen
Dedman, Sue Isle, Jack Dann, Janeen Webb, Sean Williams and Tess
Williams swancon25@megabyte.murdoch.edu.au
http://www.swancon.iinet.net.au Swancon 25 GPO Box G429 Perth W.A.
6892 $70 Aus until January 1st 2000 $20
CHICON 2000
The 58th World Science Fiction Convention August 31 to September 4,
2000 - Hyatt Regency Chicago IL GsoH Ben Bova, Bob Eggleton, Jim
Baen, Bob and Anne Passovoy, Toastmaster: Harry Turtledove $US135.00
for residents of North America $US150.00 rate for bona fide residents
of other continents P. O. Box 642057, Chicago IL 60664, fax:
312-946-3779 http://www.chicon.org/
SWANCON 2001 THE MASQUERADE,
40th Australian National Science Fiction Convention April 13-16 2001.
GsoH tba The Rydges Hotel Perth. P.O. Box 162 Nedlands W.A. 6909.
swancon2001committee@egroups.com http://www.sf.org.au/swancon2001
THE MILLENNIUM PHILCON
The 59th World Science Fiction Convention August 30 to September 3,
2001 The Pennsylvania Convention Center & Philadelphia Marriott Hotel
GsoH Greg Bear, Stephen Youll, Gardner Dozois, George Scithers
Toastmaster: Esther Friesner. Supporting $US 40 Millennium Philcon
Post Office Box 310 Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006-0310 U.S.A.
phil2001@unix3.netaxs.com http://www.netaxs.com/~phil2001
CON JOSE
The 60th World Science Fiction Convention August 29 to September 2,
2002 San Jos McEnery Convention Centre GsoH Vernor Vinge, David
Cherry, Bjo & John Trimble, Ferdinand Feghoot Toastmaster Tad
Williams. P.O. Box 61363 Sunnyvale CA 94088-1363 U.S.A.
ConJose@sfsfc.org http://www.sfsfc.org/worldcon/ Attending $A150.
Supporting $A50.
GoH = Guest of Honour
O.C.P. = Other Commitments Permitting
tba= to be announced.
CLUB NEWS
James Allen notes that reports of the demise of the Australian
Babylon 5 Club may be a touch premature and that there will be a
meeting in the near future to see if it will sleep in light or wake
up dark, or whatever.
EVENTS
Note that there is an annual calendar available on the Vicnet SF web
site at http://www.vicnet.net.au/~sfoz/1999cal.htm
N.S.W.
INFINITAS SF GROUP October 7 Infinitas Bookshop, Shop 5/1 Horwood
Place Parramatta NSW 2150 (02) 9633 5682
SOUTHERN SCIENCE FICTION GROUP October 9 12:30pm Matties Coffee Shop
Mortdale Postal Address 15 Shade Place Lugarno (02) 9534-3595.
elvey@mcme.com.au
FRIENDS OF SCIENCE FICTION October 10 Lidcombe Catholic Club, 24
John St Lidcombe fsf@nlc.net.au P.O Box 797 Fairfield NSW 1860
Phone/ Fax (02)9523 8385
BOBW7 October 23/24 1999 Sydney University Richard Biggs, Bruce
Boxleitner.Marjean Holden and Sandy Bruckner Contact (02) 9453 0290
SKYFORCE SYDNEY December 12 Christmas Party Lidcombe Catholic Club,
24 John St Lidcombe
QUEENSLAND
HIGHLANDER DOWN UNDER September 19 Red Cross Centre 409 Adelaide St
Brisbane PO Box 198 Brisbane Albert St Qld 4002 sonjav@powerup.com.au
VORTEX November 7 Red Cross Centre 409 Adelaide St Brisbane GPO Box
2004 Brisbane Qld 4001
CONQUEST December 5 Red Cross Centre 409 Adelaide St Brisbane GPO
Box 1376 Brisbane Qld 4001
NEW ALLIANCE December 5 PO Box 12083 Elizabeth St/BC Brisbane Qld
4002
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
CRITICAL MASS October 6 Damien Warman Patrick O'Brien and sensawunda
Writers Centre Adelaide PO Box 3355, Rundle Mall, Adelaide, SA 5000
dmw@pobox.com
VICTORIA
MSFC September 17 Dr Who Night , September 24 Women in SF October 1
Food Night Pancakes 8:00 pm St. David's Uniting Church Hall, 74
Melville Road, West Brunswick P.O. Box 212 World Trade Centre
Melbourne 3005
FRIDAY NIGHT MOB September 17, September 24 , October 1 6-7.30pm.
Informal eating and nattering. Myers Cafeteria Melbourne
MULTIVERSE September 18 Space 1999 Party 6:00pm sharp. Duxton Hotel,
328 Flinders Street Melbourne. $30 per person. September 19 Richard
Hatch one day convention Ella Latham Theatre located at the Royal
Children's Hospital, Flemington Road Parkville. 12:00 noon till
8:00pm $30 per person PO Box 355 World Trade Centre, Melbourne, VIC,
3005 http://www.vicnet.net.au/~multivrs/ or email
mailto:multivrs@vicnet.net.au
ENTERPRISE September 25 Merchandise Crawl Royal Melbourne
Show.Postal Address P.O. Box 466 World Trade Centre Melbourne 3005
enterprise@minerals.csiro.au Time Trekkers October 1 St Luke's
Sternberg St Support Centre, 46 Sternberg St Bendigo P.O. Box 934
Bendigo Vic 3552
AUSTREK October 2 2:00pm DS 9 Discussion St Mark's Church Hall Cnr
Canterbury & Burke Rds, Camberwell GPO Box 5206AA Melbourne 3001 03
9489 8743 http://www.vicnet.net.au/~austrek/ austrek@vicnet.net.au
NOVA MOB October 6 Chris Palmer (La Trobe University) on Phillip K.
Dick 13 Frederick St Brunswick.
SKYFORCE October 9 Melbourne Uni, Copeland Theatre, Economics and
Commerce Building 1:00pm to 5:00pm P.O. Box 427 Northcote 3070
kryten@werple.net.au http://www.imageworks.com.au/starwalking.htm
http://www.vicnet.net.au/~enterprise/(03) 9515 3226 (7pm to 10pm
only)
DANDENONG VALLEY SCIENCE FICTION GROUP October 13 Meeting Room
Dandenong Library Stuart St Dandenong Ann McGann P.O. Box 706
Frankston Vic 3199 Phone Daniel 9544 9775 e-mail luddite@hotmail.com
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
THE WEST LODGE October 2 Collins Street Centre, Collins Street
South Perth P.O. Box 190 Mt Lawley WA 6050
http://www.iinet.net.asu/~fizzgig/
FANZINES
THE INSTRUMENTALITY Aussiecon Three Edition September 1999 and
Chandler Award Issue September 199 Richard Hryckiewicz & Cath Ortlieb
for the Australian science Fiction Foundation P.O. Box 215 Forest
Hill Vic 3131
O.K. KEN? Tony Berry 55 Seymour Rd Oldbury West Midlands B69 4EP U.K.
DEADLINES
Bullsheet #127 September 28 1999.
ANZAPA 191 October 8 1998
This Fanzine Supports The Minneapolis in '73 WorldCon Bid and The
Toronto in 2003 WorldCon bid.
JOVE NODS BULLSHEET HAPPENS
David Bofinger notes that I stuffed up when I mentioned "David
Bofinger of the Sydney Science Fiction Foundation."As David points
out, what I should have said was "David Bofinger of the Futurian
Society of Sydney." Sigh. It was all those ex-members of the SSFF I
saw at the con. Put me into a sort of a time warp. "It's just a jump
to the right and then a step twenty year back..."
The Australian Press Council, in the person of Jack Herman also
picked me up on that point and added "'decaying Sydney fandom'
indeed. That's 'decadent' Sydney fandom. Besides which Warren and
Christine are from 'decaying Blue Mountains fandom' in any case.
It was good to see lots of the elderly Melbourne fandom as well, even
those being kept artificially young by hordes of young offspring.
Enjoyed the Bullsheet and your con report which, omitting all
Business Meeting material, bore virtually no resemblance to mine.
Maxine McArthur was another who provided me with evidence that people
read this rag. (What is the electronic equivalent of a rag? "I'd just
like to pick up on one point: in the 'In Print' para, you wrote that
Tansy Rayner Roberts launched 'Liquid Gold'. In fact, 'Liquid Gold'
is due to be launched later this month in Tansy's home state of
Tasmania; the book that was launched at Aussiecon was this year's
winner of the George Turner prize, Time Future, by yours truly."
Sorry about that.