The Australian Science Fiction Bullsheet 21: DECEMBER 2003 – December 2003
The Australian Science Fiction Bullsheet 21: DECEMBER 2003
ISSN 1445-4319 (print version), ISSN 1445-4327 (online version)
GENERAL NEWS
THAT WAS A QUICK MONTH, WASN'T IT? This month's Bullsheet is being distributed
early because the editor, Edwina Harvey, has to have laser treatment and an
operation to preserve her remaining sight following severe heamoraging in her
left eye. I'm effectively blind in that eye, though the operation will
hopefully reverse that, or at least halt any further deterioration of my
sight. And to think it was only a couple of weeks ago I thought new
multi-focal glasses would stop the bad eye strain I've had over the past few
months. Apologies for any news items I've missed in this issue, and thanks for
being so tolerant of the many typos of late, but I literally have trouble
seeing them. Ted Scribner will be keeping the Bullsheet web-site updated, and
checking the Edwinafan e-mail in my absence. With any luck things will be back
to normal next month. (q.v "Hatch, Match and Dispatch." ).
MSFC AND CONTINUUM have announced they're holding a one day mini-con on Sat,
Nov 29th from 10am – 6pm, St Davids Uniting Church, Melville Rd, West
Brunswick. For more details phone Danny Oz on 0422 342 680 for full details.
CLARION SOUTH 2005 is seeking expressions of interest from potential tutors.
(Jan-Feb 2005) For further details see http://www.clarionsouth.org. (Reported
on the Eidolist)
LILY CHRYWENSTROM has called for artists, writers and editors under 30 years
old interested in collaborating on a submission for a grant in order to fund a
new speculative fiction anthology. Contact lilyc@iinet.net.au for full
details. (reported on the Eidolist.)
DORON CALED has let us know what's happening with the Israeli Society for
Science Fiction and Fantasy www.sf-f.org.il In mid-October they had a
convention with Orson Scott Card as GoH, and will be holding Fantasycon in
early April. They have also started a project of publishing orignal Israeli
stories in English via a UK publisher
PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN 2: Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom have both signed to
reprise their roles in a second Pirates movie. (Reported on Science Fiction
weekly, relayed by Julie Townsend.)
HARRY POTTER CON: Lucy Zinkiewicz reported that there are plans to hold a
Harry Potter con in Britain in 2005 at a time that does not conflict with
either Tolkien 2005, or interaction (the 2005 Worldcon hosted in the UK.)
Anyone interested in joining a discussion group regarding this con should go
to http://groups.yahoo.com/HP-UK-Convention/
The JIM HENSON COMPANY is set to hold a press conference to announce
collaboration with the creator of FARSCAPE with a view of continuing Farscape
as a mini-series. (Reported on the Comm Centre.)
QUEEN OF LUST LIT: is the title of an article by Dermot Purgavie looking at
how successful romance author, Nora Roberts, has started writing a series of
books blending romance, drama and science-fiction, written under the pseudonym
JD Robb. The firswt book in the series is titled "Remember When." (p14 Sunday
Herald Sun, Sunday Magazine, Nov 2nd – spotted by David L Russell.)
HOLLY NOT BUFFY: Singer Holly Valance recently denied she was ever approached
to take over Sarah Michelle Geller's role in Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. ." (p9
Sunday Herald Sun, Nov 2nd – spotted by David L Russell.)
When British Star Trek fan, TONY ALLEYNE'S wife left him, he spent $40,000 and
invested most of his spare time fitting his Leicester flat out with a full
size mock-up of a transporter chamber and voice-activated lighting, The flat
was listed for sale on e-bay in April 2003, for $4.8 million, but failed to
attract a buyer. (p2, "Wired World" section Sunday Herald Sun, Nov 2nd –
spotted by David L Russell.)
LUCY IN THE SKY is a 2 page article on LUCY LAWLESS on the comeback trail by
Neala Johnson. (pgs 10-11, Sunday Herald Sun, Nov 15th – spotted by David L
Russell.)
BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS
"Outside a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside a dog it's too dark
to read"- Groucho Marx
FOREVER SHORES, the long-awaited anthology edited by Peter McNamara and
Margaret Winch will be launched Thurs, 4th December from 5.45-7pm at the SA
Writers Centre Atrium, 2nd floor, 187 Rundle St, Adelaide.
ANDROMEDA SPACEWAYS INFLIGHT MAGAZINE Issue 9, Now available. Featuring
fiction from William I Lengeman III, Howard Andrew Jones, G.Scott Huggins,
Robert Hood, Edwina Harvey, Sarah Prineas, Stephen Dedman, Jaleigh Johnson,
Dirk Flinthart, Renee Dillon and Robert Cox. Edited by Tansy Rayner Roberts.
Single copies can be bought for $7.95 in specialty SF bookshops around
Australia, or direct from PO Box 495, Bentley, WA 6982. Local and overseas
subscriptions also available. Check www.andromedaspaceways.com for full details.
SUPERLUMINAL 1 is a new SF anthology seeking submissions from Australian
writers. Stories should be strongly SF, with no fantasy elements. CORRECTION
Reading from November 2003 to October 2004 only. (Not November 2005 to October
2004 as previously published. All those authors who don't possess a time
machine can breathe a sigh of relief.)
Send stories as Rich Text Format to superluminal1@bigpond.com The anthology
will be launched at Swancon 2005.
SFSA Magazine 14 is open for submissions on the theme "Fantasy and Science
Fiction: Bizarre yet amicable bedfellows" until 6th December. Publication Date
20th December. Send submissions to editor@sfsa.org.au or PO Box 3227, Rundle
Mall, SA 5000 (reported by Martin Dunne.)
FOLCC BOOK SALES. The "Friends of Linda Cox Chan" aim to raise money to donate
to Juvenile Diabetes Research, Australia by selling donated books. Many thanks
to Geoff Allshorn who recently donated $20 to the FOLCC fund in Linda's
memory. Our tally for the year is currently $30.
Anyone wanting to donate directly to JDRF- Juvenile Diabetes Research
Foundation can do so via PO Box 2038, South Melbourne, VIC 3205.Their web site
is www.jdrf.org.au.
Books looking for new homes: "Honor Harrington: The Honor of the Queen," by
David Weber, "Harm's Way" by Colin Greenland, "Virtual Girl" by Amy Thomson,
"The Magic and the Healing" by Nick O'Donohoe, "Grunts" by Mary Gentle,
"Arthur" and "Merlin" by Stephen Lawhead, "Gun with Occasional Music" by
Jonathan Lethem, "Hell on High" by Holly Lisle, "Daggerspell" and "Darkspell"
by Katharine Kerr, "Phule's Company", "Phule's Paradise" and "The Cold Cash
War" by Robert Asprin,
"Echoes of the Great Song" (Lg Trade Paperback), "An Echo In Time" and "The
Ancient Future" by Traci Harding, "Silver Wolf" by Alice Borchardt, "This is
the Way the World Ends" by James Morrow, and "Buck Alice and the Actor Robot"
by Walter Koenig. $6 each, including postage within Australia. Discounts for
buying more than one book.. Thanks to Anne Devrell, Julie Townsend, James
Allen and David L. Russell for donating the above books. To buy books e-mail
Edwina Harvey at edwinafan@yahoo.com or snail mail Edwina, c/- 12 Flinders St,
Matraville, NSW 2036.
BOOKSHOP NEWS
COLLINS SUPERSTORE. Level 2, Broadway Shopping Centre, Cnr Broadway and Bay
St, Sydney. Leigh Blackmore, who runs the SF section of this store recently
called for any small press publishers, or authors with small press editions,
who do not currently have stock with Collins, Superstore Broadway to contact
him as Collins wants to support titles produced locally.
GALAXY BOOKSHOP: 143 York St Sydney. http://www.galaxybooks.com.au.
INFINITAS BOOKSHOP (Shop 5 No. 1 Horwood Place Parramatta, infinitas@bigpond.com)
FARENHEIT SF & Fantasy Bookshop cnr Bourke & William St, Melbourne.Ph 03 9600
4674, email anthologybooks@bigpond.com. Books freighted in from America
weekly, happy to mail order requests.
CRIME INK: 150 William St (Crn Bourke &William, Ph 03 9600 4674, e-mail
crimeink@bigpond.com Offer a monthly catalogue, happy to do mail order
requests.
KNOWN SPACE BOOKS: First Floor, 108 Gawler Place, Adelaide, SA 5000. Tel: (08)
8223-4304 Open: 12:00-6:00 Wednesday-Thursday; 12:00-10:00 Friday; 12:00-6:00
Saturday New and used books related to science fiction, film and TV. Also
comics and magazines. Now receiving American imports weekly.
SLOW GLASS BOOKS: a SF mail order catalogue. To join the mailing list write to
GPO Box 2708X , Melbourne Vic 3001 or see www.slowglass.com.au. Email:
justin@slowglass.com.au Phone: (03) 9639 1511 Fax: (03) 9639 1511.
RAVEN BOOKS: Second hand book service specialising in supernatural & occult
books. "From the Vault" catalogues are issued irregularly. If you'd like to be
added to this mailing list, write to Leigh Blackmore, Raven Books, PO Box
A281, Sydney South NSW 1235.
COMPETITIONS, FAN FUNDS & AWARDS
CONFLUX, The National SF Convention, Canberra, April, 2004, has announced a
writing competition. The competition will open on Jan 1, 2004, closing Feb 28
2004. Open theme, all areas of speculative fiction –horror, SF & fantasy -
welcome, 3,000 words maximum. Winning entry to be published in Andromeda
Spaceways Inflight Magazine. Entry to the competition is free to members of
the convention, and $5 for non-members. For more information e-mail
conflux@nicolermurphy.com, or by snail mail PO Box 85, Sussex Inlet, NSW 2540.
(Reported by Mark Loney)
PETER MCNAMARA ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS: Nominations are now being accepted for the
2003 Mac Awards. The nominees need to have contributed to the development and
support of SF in Australia or overseas. Nominations to date include Sean
Williams, Sean Williams and Shane Dix, Shaun Tan, Jack Dann & Bruce Gullespie.
Nominations should be sent to this year's judge, Richard Harland,
Richard@richardharland.net. Any cash donations towards the awards also
gratefully accepted. Reported by Jason Bleckly on the Eidolist. (No closing
date for nominations mentioned in the e-mail.).
NAFF: The fourth National Australian Fan Fund to assist fans traveling across
Australia to attend the National SF Convention is now open to assist the
winning fan's travelling expenses to Conflux, the Natcon in Canberra in 2004.
To be on the NAFF ballot, each interested fan must be nominated by 3 other
fans, including at least one from their state/territory and provide a bond of
$20. Each nominated fan is required to provide a 100 word description of what
they could bring to interstate fans and their fannish history. Nominations can
be sent to NAFF at PO Box 241, Flinders Lane Post Boxes, Melbourne Vic. 8009,
or given in person to Sue Ann Barber or Alison Barton (Vic) or Emma Hawkes
(WA). They can also be contacted via e-mail albarton27@hotmail.com.
Nominations must be received by Friday 28th November, 2003. Voting will be
open from the following Friday until 29 February, 2004. Please make cheques
payable to NAFF, National Australian Fan Fund. You must provide contact
details for the nominee and at least one nominator. (Thanks to Thomas Bull for
the updated version of the above.)
GUFF: This year's Going Under Fan Fund was won by Pat McMurray who will be
visiting Australia (and possibly also New Zealand) to attend conventions and
fannish events in 2004. (reported by Jean Hollis Weber.)
HATCH, MATCH & DISPATCH
There are of course many problems connected with life, of which some of the
most popular are Why are people born? Why do they die? Why do they want to
spend so much of the intervening time wearing digital watches? - Douglas Adams
RECOVERING: Melbourne fan, GEOFF ALLSHORN went into Warringal Private
Hospital, Heidelberg, Vic on Mon 17 November for open heart surgery scheduled
for 18th. It is expected Geoff will spend one week in hospital and then the
next 6 weeks recovering at home. He has requested that people do not send
e-mails to him over this time due to storage and answering difficulties. Sue
Bursztynski reported that Geoff's doctors are pleased with how he came through
the operation. Visitors were limited though.
RECOVERING: Sydney writer and editor, CHUCK MCKENZIE let us know he's up and
around, (though he's sending e-mails when he should be resting – Edwina.)
after being admitted to hospital for urgent eye surgery on 18th November.
COPING: (I think) Writer and editor, EDWINA HARVEY has had one session of
urgent laser surgery, will have more laser surgery on Wed 26th November, and
undergoes eye surgery on 1st December. (Hence the early delivery of this
Bullsheet.) Special thanks to David L Russell for the long distance support,
and to Julie Townsend for taking on the job of "Edwina Wrangler", and to all
my friends who've let me deal with stress by yakking their ears off – Edwina.
DEATHS:
KIM CAMPBELL: British fan and convention organiser. Anyone who knew KIM can
read and add to condolence messages at
http://www.interaction.worldcon.org.uk/cgi-con/kim/guestbook.cgi
MICHAEL KAMEN, music composer whose work included writing the scores Of the
I983 version of "The Dead Zone", "Brazil", "Amazing Stories", "Highlander",
"Lethal Weapn" and "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" among other films, died of
a heart attack. He is survived by his wife and 2 daughters. (Reported by Grant
Watson on the Eidolist on 19/11/03).
CLUBS & MEETINGS
MELBOURNE SCIENCE FICTION CLUB, 74 Melville Road, West Brunswick 3055.Meet
most Friday nights. Meetings for December 5th, Food Night & Christmas trivia.
December 12 Fantasy and Christmas meeting. Last meeting for the year.
SPACED OUT: a science fiction club for gays, lesbians and associated
communities. $5 joining fee, then $20 annual membership. ($15 concession.)
payed to Space Out Inc. PO Box 363, Preston, Vic. 3072.Non-profit SF club
offering monthly meetings, "Diverse Universe" newsletter and "Solar Spectrum"
annual anthology.
SFSA (South Australian Dr Who fan club) is also a generic science fiction club
with two regular meetings each month. Annual membership rises to $15 on
January 1 2004. The regular club meeting is held at the Adelaide High School
from 3pm-10pm on the 3rd Saturday of the month. On December 20th from 11.30am
there will be a picnic at The Botanic Park (opposite the Wine Centre) moving
to the Hope Valley Scout Hall for a video marathon after 4.30 pm. A social
gathering is held on the first Saturday of each month. In December it will be
held at The Rex Hotel, 172 Richmond Rd, Marleson. Phone 8443 8188 or see
http://www.sfsa.org.au/ for full details. (Reported by Martin Dunne.)
SYDNEY FUTURIANS: Meetings in room 1615 (floor 16) of the Tower Block, The
University of Technology, Broadway, Sydney, at 7 pm. Meeting December 19th.
Check http://members.optushome.com.au/aussff/Futurians.html or phone Garry
Dalrymple after 7 pm on (02) 9718 5827 for updates.
SYDNEY SOUTHERN SF&F GROUP: Convenor Brad Row will be absent from September to
December. New meeting arrangements will be posted to the web site
http://members.optushome.com.au/aussff/Southern_SF&F.html.
EVENTS
MULTIVERSE EVENTS: Upcoming Multiverse movie premiers December 8th UNDERWORKD
7pm, Hoyts Cinema Centre, 140 Bourke St, Melbourne. $10.50 adults. $8,50
children.Friday 26th December, LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING. Hoyts,
Chadstone.7pm approx, You can reserve tickets by emailing
tickets@multiverse.org.au then check http://www.multiverse.org.au.
The More Pork Players are producing Stephen Brigg's adaptation of TERRY
PRATCHETT's "Guards, Guards," from 25th-29th November, Fig Tree Theatre,
(University of NSW campus, Kensington, NSW) Tickets $15 (or $10 concession)
For more details see www.guardsguards.get.to
CONVENTIONS
GoH = Guest of Honour, OCP = Other Commitments Permitting, tba= to be announced.
MSFC AND CONTINUUM have announced they're holding a one day mini-con on Sat,
Nov 29th from 10am – 6pm, St Davids Uniting Church, Melville Rd, West
Brunswick. For more details phone Danny Oz on 0422 342 680 for full details.
CHRONOPOLIS - Swancon 29 Perth, Western Australia. Easter weekend Thu 8 to Mon
12th April 2004 Venue: Parmelia Hilton. GoH's: Chris Dickinson, John Long. Fan
GoH: Emma Hawkes. Shay Telfer, Convenor.
CONFLUX www.conflux.org.au 43rd Australian National Science Fiction
Convention, 23-26 April 2004. Guests of Honour: Greg Benford and Sean
McMullen. Special Guest, Harry Turtledove. Fan GOH's Karen Herkes UPDATES:
Rose Mitchell recently reported that details for the Conflux art show and a
short story competition will soon be posted on the convention web site.
Attending membership currently $143. Students (including secondary school
students) and Concession rates: $77. Primary school students and younger
admitted free. Supporting memberships $44. rates. All enquiries should be
directed to: info@conflux.org.au. Postal Address: PO Box 903, Belconnen, ACT
2616. (Please note that the Anzac Day weekend is a long weekend –i.e. Holiday
Monday – in all states of Australia except Victoria and Tasmania.)
CONTOUR 2004 New Zealand's 25th National Science Fiction Convention. REVISED
DATES: Easter 2004, not May 31 to June 3 2004 as previously published. GoH's
Harry Turtledove & Greg Benford. Princes Gate Hotel & Rotorua Convention
Centre, Rotorua. Attending membership $70(NZ$) or $40 (NZ) supporting. Web
site http://contour.sf.org.nz. Email: enquiries@contour.sf.org.nz. PO Box
74-93 Market Rd, Auckland, New Zealand.
CONSENSUALITY – Swancon XXX. Perth, WA. Easter 2005. Conveners Stephen Dedman
and Elaine Kemp.
THYLACON IV. National SF con for 2005. Hobart, Tasmania. 10-13 June, 2005
(Queens Birthday Long weekend in many states.) Supporting membership currently
available for $25 until 30 July, rising to $35 after then. (Supporting
memberships can be upgraded to attending memberships at any time for the price
of attending membership when the supporting membership was purchased.)
Attending membership $95 (Children under 12 $35) For membership forms e-mail
afinch@tassie.net.au, or write to Thylacon PO Box 345 Kingston TAS, 7051 To
join the Thylacon e-mail list send a subscribe message to:
Thylacon-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Their web site is http://www.thylacon.com.
INTERACTION: 63rd WORLD SCIENCE FICTION CONVENTION, GLASGOW, 2005.
Interaction, the 2005 Worldcon will be held at the Scottish Exhibition and
Conference Centre in Glasgow over the weekend of 4-8 August 2005.GoHs
Christopher Priest, Robert Sheckley and Jane Yolen, critic and fanzine editor
Greg Pickersgill and veteran Scandinavian fan Lars-Olov Strandberg.
Australian Agent, Ted Scribner, can be contacted at krenon@optushome.com.au or
12 Richmount St, Cronulla, NSW 2230.
CASCADIA con is the Nasfic (North American SF) con for 2005. (Nasfics are held
in the USA in years when the Worldocn is held outside the USA). 1 – 5
September, 2005, Seattle, Washington. Goh's Fred Saberhagen, Liz Danford,
Kevin Standlee, Toni Weisskopf. Full information on www.cascadiacon.org
LA CON IV, was recently voted the 64th Worldcon. 23-27 August, 2006. Anaheim
Convention Centre, Hilton & Marriott hotels, Anaheim. Goh's Connie Willis,
James Gurney, Howard De Vore, Frankie Thoman. Current membership prices appear
to relate to the number of patches you have – which won't be of much relevance
unless you were at Torcon this year. See the Bullsheet web site for full
details. New members can e-mail info@laconIV.org, Postal address LA Con c/-
S.C.I.F.I. inc, PO Box 8442, Van Nuys, CA, 91409. USA.
OTHER INFORMATION RESOURCES:
Ted Scribner's Australian SF&F home page is:
http://members.optushome.com.au/aussff/ and his list of SF oriented groups in
NSW is at http://members.optushome.com.au/aussff/SFNSW.html.
Coode St Review lists Australian publishing news and achievements by
Australian writers http://www.sf.org.au/coodestreetnews.
AUSTRALIAN WRITERS WEB, http://splints.customer.netspace.net.au lists
Australian and overseas markets and resources for Australian writers.
Maintained and updated by Tony Plank. (Great graphics, and a great resource.)
For links to books, movies and television shows see John Tippers homepage:
http://members.aol.com/opsbooks/terminus.htm
The Bullsheet is available as a FREE e-mail subscription, (Send a request to
edwinafan@yahoo.com) and we're happy to trade with other e-mail zines. If you
want to receive the Bullsheet snail mail, we ask that you forward 20x50 cent
stamps (for subs within Australia) to help cover printing and postage costs of
an annual subscription.
NEXT BULLSHEET: The deadline for submission of material for inclusion in the
January 2004 Bullsheet (22) is 25th December. Send your news e-mail to
edwinafan@yahoo.com, or snail mail to Edwina Harvey c/- 12 Flinders St,
Matraville NSW, 2036.
Visit Celestial Cobbler for custom made ceramic craft with a SF & Fantasy
bent. Special events: Birthdays, New Babies, Anniversaries, Special messages,
etc commemorated on a hand crafted mug or plate.
http://members.optushome.com.au/guests/Cobbler.html.
MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY CHANUKA, HAPPY SOLSTICE, HAPPY SUMMER HOLIDAYS,
SEASONS GREETINGS FROM TED AND EDWINA.
For no sufficiently explained reason this Fanzine still supports The
Minneapolis in 1973 con bid.