The Australian Science Fiction Bullsheet #144 – June 2 2000
The gross issue 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 ELECTRONS
The Age Green Guide 25/5/2000 notes two electronically
published sf books City in the Sky by Nick Grant (Jacobyte
Books http://www.jacobytebooks.com) and Gravity's Force by
Ebony McKenna (http://www.Red-e2.com).
AntipodeanSF 27 http://purl.nla.gov.au/NET/antisf/ features
"Always" Derek Smith, "False Alarm" Simon Haynes and "History
Lesson" Adam Hodgkiss
DITMARS
Chris Lawson posted the following detailing the Rules for the
Australian Science Fiction Achievement ("Ditmar") Awards
1.0 Preamble
The Australian Science Fiction Achievement ("Ditmar") Awards
recognise excellence in Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror by
Australians.
2.0 Categories
Professional Categories: Best Novel; Best Novella or
Novelette; Best Short Story; Best Collected Work; Best Artwork
Fan Categories: Best Fan Writer; Best Fan Artist; Best Fan
Production Special Award for works not eligible in existing
categories: Best Professional Achievement; Best Fan
Achievement; William Atheling Jr Award for Criticism or
Review; Best New Talent
3.0 Eligibility Criteria
Timeliness: Works are eligible if they were first published or
released anywhere in the world in an edition dated in the
calendar year immediately preceding the year the award is
held.
Australianness: Nominees are eligible if they were Australian
citizens or permanent residents in the year their nominated
work was released.
Eligibility of committee members: Members of the current
Convention Committee will be ineligible for any award, unless
the committee appoints a wholly autonomous subcommittee to
administer the awards, in which case only the subcommittee
will be ineligible.
Novel: A Novel is any work of sf/f/h of more than 40,000
words.
Novella or Novelette: A Novella or Novelette is any work of
sf/f/h of 7,500 to 40,000 words.
Short Story: A Short Story is any work of sf/f/h less than
7,500 words.
Collected Work: A collected work is a sf/f/h collection or
anthology, magazine or journal, ezine or webzine which must
pay contributors in other than contributor copies and
incidentals, or is sponsored by an institution other than a
fan club, or whose editors declare themselves to be
professional. At least one edition of a collected work must
have been issued in the eligible calendar year.
Best Artwork: An artwork is a single work or series of related
works of art in any medium other than text.
Fan Writer and Fan Artist: These awards are made to writers or
artists for a work or body of work first published, released,
or made available for public viewing in the eligible calendar
year. The writer or artist must have received no payment other
than contributor copies and other incidentals (coffee mug,
t-shirt, poster, etc.).
Fan Production: This award is for work in any medium first
published, released, or made available for public viewing in
the eligible calendar year. The writer or artist must have
received no payment. Eligible works include: art, video, film,
periodical, journal, ezine, webzine, computer application, or
website.
Special Awards: Special awards recognise outstanding
achievements in science fiction,fantasy, or horror not
eligible in the existing categories.
The William Atheling Jr Award: The William Atheling Jr Award
is for the writing or editing of criticism or review
pertaining to the genres of science fiction, fantasy, and
horror.
Best New Talent: The Best New Talent award recognises
excellence of professional achievement in any field of the
genre by an individual who has not been nominated for a
professional award three or more years before the year the
award is held. An individual is only eligible for two
consecutive years.
4.0 Nomination Process
Eligible nominators and voters: Nominations will be accepted
only from natural persons active in fandom, or from full or
supporting members of the national convention of the year of
the award. Where a nominator may not be known to the Awards
subcommittee, the nominator should provide the name of someone
known to the subcommittee who can vouch for the nominator's
eligibility. Votes will be accepted only from full members or
supporting members of the convention.
Nominations: The nominator may nominate any number of works in
any category. However, the nominator may nominate any given
work only once in a category. All nominations must include the
name of the nominator. Where a nominated work does not meet
the criteria for its nominated category, the committee may
move the nomination to the appropriate category; or where a
work does not meet any criteria, refuse the nomination.
5.0 Final Ballot
Number of finalists: The five nominees with the most
nominations shall appear on the final ballot. In the event of
a tie for fifth place, up to seven finalists may appear on the
final ballot. In the event of a four-way tie (or more) for
fifth place, only the top four finalists shall appear on the
ballot.
Minimum nominations for finalists: To appear on the ballot, a
finalist must attract a minimum of four nominations in the
Professional and Best New Talent categories, or two in the Fan
and Special Awards categories (including Professional Special
Award and William Atheling Jr Award).
Minimum finalists for categories: If any category has two or
fewer eligible finalists, the category shall not appear on the
final ballot, excepting the Fan Awards, the Special Awards and
the Best New Talent Award. At the committee's discretion,
eligible finalists in the Novella or Novelette and Short Story
categories may be merged into a single category called Short
Fiction.
Order of finalists: Finalists shall appear in randomised
order.
No Award: "No Award" shall appear last on the ballot for all
categories.
6.0 Voting
Preferential Voting: Voting in each category shall take place
according to a preferential system.
Tied Winners: In the event of a tie for winner in any
category, all tied works will be deemed to have won the award.
Anonymous Voting: Unlike the nominations, final votes shall be
anonymous. However, all ballots shall be coded and sent to
each eligible member. The committee member responsible for
coding the ballots shall not be involved in counting the
votes.
7.0 The Physical Nature of the Trophy
Finalist Certificates: All finalists shall receive an A4
certificate honouring their achievement.
The Trophy: Ditmar winners shall receive a standard trophy.
8.0 Appendix: Possible Future Changes
Future amendments to this document were foreshadowed at the
Natcon Business Meeting of 26/4/2000.
Formalisation of Nomination and Voting Periods: It was
foreshadowed that formal rules should be laid down directing
the Ditmar committee to issue nomination forms and final
ballots in a timely fashion.
Withdrawal from Consideration: It was foreshadowed that formal
rules should be put in place to direct the Ditmar committee in
its response to requests by authors, artists, editors, or
publishers, that a work be withdrawn from consideration.
List of Eligible Works: It was foreshadowed that the
nomination forms may be accompanied by a list of eligible
works and that the list may be published on the Web prior to
the close of nominations.
Contraction of Short Fiction Categories: It is foreshadowed
that the current rules that allow committee discretion in
contracting the professional short fiction categories be
amended to provide firm criteria for the merging (eg. if fewer
than two works are eligible for the final ballot in either the
Short Story or Novella/ Novelette categories).
The Physical Nature of the Trophy: It is foreshadowed that in
future Ditmar awards, the trophies shall be of a physical form
that is constant from year to year. The design shall be in the
proportions of 1:4:9 (the proportions of the monolith in 2001)
and shall include a motif of the Southern Cross. One
possibility is to use the popular Lewis Morley design.
BULLSHEET MEDIA WATCH
Paul Collins' Cyberskin is reviewed in The Sunday Age
21/5/2000. Colin Steele has reviews of Horror and Fantasy in
the Canberra Times 9/4/2000 and 16/4/2000 respectively.
Included in the Fantasy reviews is Sara Douglass' Beyond the
Hanging Wall. The Age Green Guide 25/5/2000 steals an
article from The Guardian about yet another attempt to bring
skiffy out of the gutters where it belongs and into the
hallowed halls of acedeme. Damien Broderick reviews Germ
Warfare: Breakthroughs in Immunology in The Weekend Australian
27-28/5/2000
PERIPATETIC BOOKSHOPS
"Tantoblin" replies to "Loneroam's" report on Arcadia Unbound
in the previous Bullsheet "Arcadia Unbound is still in
business. It has relocated to a little store 140 Forrest Rd
Hurstville. I went there just the other day." Is this some
strange new advertising campaign?
PERIPATETIC FANS
Craig & Julia Hilton have been conferencing in Melbourne prior
to Julia joining Craig in Doomadgee. Jocko, Jeanette and
Genevieve Allen's new address is 261 Carrick Drive, Gladstone
Park 3043. The old West Brunswick Post Office box address is
gone and mail is being re-directed to Gladstone Park. This
means that mail for the Phryne Fisher club should also be sent
to 261 Carrick Drive, Gladstone Park. The club has been a bit
quiet of late; Jeanette and James have been very busy with
moving house.
FAN FUNDS
Phil, Frances & Renaldo have released a complete report on
their administration of FFANZ that will, I assume, be
available from them (It's a little too long to reprint in full
here, but can be found at
http://www.vicnet.net.au/~sfoz/ffanzrep.htm)
Included in the report are the voting figures and the fact
that 2000 winner, Paul Ewins, has been forced to postpone his
trip until 2001 due to work pressure. Phil also reports that
there is $2067.50 in the FFANZ kitty.
VOTING FIGURES
Paul Ewins: 20
Little Ted: 17
Murray and Natalie Maclachlan: 7
Justin Semmel: 4
Total votes received: 48
Votes were received from these countries: Australia: 36; New
Zealand: 11; United States: 1
CONVENTION NEWS
Cathy Cupitt notes "The first open programming meeting for
Swancon 2001 will be held right after our first event:The
Ice-cream Feast - June 4 at 2.00pm. The top of the Aboriginal
Art Gallery, Kings Park. Bring a bowl, a spoon, two dollars
and an appetite. Any ice-cream scoops you can bring along will
also be appreciated.Starting on July 2 the open programming
meetings will be held on the first Sunday of every month at
1pm at Fast Eddy's in Perth (the upstairs bit).For further
updates, see the Swancon
website:http://www.gu.uwa.edu.au/swancon/ Or email us
swancon2001committee@egroups.com"
UPCOMING CONVENTIONS
CON D'OR
The 2000 New Zealand National SF Convention June 3 to 5 2000
West Plaza Hotel Wellington GsoH Tad Williams Sean McMullen
and Maree Sole. Contact enquiries@condor.sf.org.nz or
http://www.condor.sf.org.nz
SINPOZIUM 2000
The Australian Slash Con June 10 to 12 2000 (Queens Birthday
Weekend). Sydney. Convener Bernice brussell@ozemail.com.au.
Official website
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~gabriani/sinpozium.htm Mailing
list http://www.onelist.com/community/sinpozium
OUT A SPACE
Hosted by Spaced Out the gay & lesbian SF Club of Victoria
June 11 1pm to 6pm GoH Kerry Greenwood Also Building, 1/35
Cato Street, Prahran Entry by donation P O Box 363, Preston,
Victoria 3072 9528-2457 (Alan or Stephen)
http://www.vicnet.net.au/~spaceout spaceout@vicnet.net.au
ARCANACON 1800S
Gaming Convention June 29 to July 2 2000 Collingwood Education
Centre Victoria Special Guest Shane Lacey Hensley
http://www.zip.com.au/~arcanacon
BOBW 9
Stargate July 1st & 2nd 2000 Sydney Guests: Christopher Judge
(Teal'c) Teryl Rothery (Dr. Janet Frasier)
http://www.bobw.com.au (02) 9453 0290.
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/
CONQUEST 2000
October 6 to 8 2000 Brisbane Convention Centre GPO Box 1376
Brisbane 4001. http://conquest2000.tsx.org
BOBW 10
Babylon 5/Crusade October 14th & 15th 2000Sydney Guests:Tracy
Scoggins, Peter Woodward Maggie Egan David Allen Brooks
http://www.bobw.com.au (02) 9453 0290.
NELCON A RELAXACON
17-19 November, 2000 The Country Comfort Motel, Port Stephens
N.S.W.. Membership $20 Accommodation $57 per night per person
Edwina Harvey by e-mail at e.harvey@unsw.edu.au or by snail
mail c/- 12 Flinders St, Matraville. 2036
ARMAGEDDON PULP CULTURE EXPO
10-11 February 2001 Auckland New Zealand
http://www.pulpexpo.com $7 entry Guests tba
SWANCON 2001
the Masquerade, 40th Australian National Science Fiction
Convention April 12-16 2001. GsoH Rosaleen Love, Marilyn
Pride, Lewis Morley, Kate Orman and Sue Ackerman The Rydges
Hotel Perth. P.O. Box 162 Nedlands W.A. 6909.Attending $60
until June 4; $80 after that. $100 at the door. Supporting $20
http://www.sf.org.au/swancon2001 P.O. Box 162 Nedlands W.A.
6909 swancon2001committee@egroups.com
FRIENDS OF SCIENCE FICTION
May 20, 2001 GoH James Marsters (Spike, Buffy the Vampire
Slayer) ocp Lidcombe Catholic Club Sydney.FSF Members $50
Non-members $70. email bookings@fsf.com.au or
http://www.fsf.com.au
ODYSSEY CON
The 2001 New Zealand National SF Convention Auckland.
enquiries@odyssey-con.sf.org.nz
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.
Attending $135 until 30/4/2000 then $145 Supporting $US40
Millennium Philcon Post Office Box 310 Huntingdon Valley, PA
19006-0310 U.S.A. phil2001@unix3.netaxs.com
http://www.netaxs.com/~phil2001
COSTUME CON 20
February 15-18 2002 Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre
$A50Daily Admission $100 until Dec 31st 2000; $A130 Jan 1st
2001 - Dec 31st 2001 $160 Jan 1st 2002 - Feb 15th 2002 The
Australian Costumers' Guild PO Box 322 Bentleigh Vic 3204
stilskin@netspace.net.au http://www.vicnet.net.au/~costume/
CONVERGENCE
41st Australian National Science Fiction Convention June 7 -
10 2002 GsoH Joe Haldeman, Sean Williams Lucy Sussex, Gay
Haldeman and Race Mathews Toastmaster Jack Dann Cato
Conference Centre Melbourne
Web:- http://www.vicnet.net.au/~converge/
email:- contact-convergence@egroups.com.
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.
EVENTS
Note that there is an annual calendar available on the Vicnet
SF web site at http://www.vicnet.net.au/~sfoz/2000cal.htm
CLUB NEWS
Gerald Croll reports "Another
WA SF fan club for you: MARS - Murdoch Alternate Reality
Society - www.mars.org.au Postal Address: MARS c/o Student
Guild, Murdoch University, South St, Murdoch, 6150"
NSW
FRIENDS OF SCIENCE FICTION June 11 Lidcombe Catholic Workmen's
Club 24 John Street, Lidcombe P.O Box 797 Fairfield NSW 1860
membership@fsf.com.au http://www.fsf.com.au
SKYFORCE SYDNEY July 23 12:00pm to 5:00pm Lidcombe Catholic
Workmen's Club 24 John Street, Lidcombe
QUEENSLAND
CONQUEST June 4 Committee Elections Red Cross Centre 409
Adelaide St Brisbane GPO Box 1376 Brisbane Qld 4001
QUEST June 11 Red Cross Centre 409 Adelaide St Brisbane GPO
Box 2084 Brisbane Qld 4001
STARGATE:SG1 June 18 Red Cross Centre 409 Adelaide St
Brisbane
BUFFY June 25 Red Cross Centre 409 Adelaide St Brisbane
BRISBANE DR WHO CLUB July 23 Red Cross Centre, 409 Adelaide St
Brisbane P.O. Box 10308, Adelaide St, Brisbane, Qld 4000
S.A.
CRITICAL MASS June 7 2000 Roman Orszanski title tba PO Box
3355, Rundle Mall, Adelaide, SA 5000 dmw@pobox.com
VICTORIA
MSFC June 2 Food Night Jaffles June 9 Anime Classic
Introduction to and discussion group June 16 SF Books
translated to the screen - successful or not? 8:00 pm St.
David's Uniting Church Hall, 74 Melville Road, West Brunswick
P.O. Box 212 World Trade Centre Melbourne 3005
http://www.vicnet.net.au/~msfc/
FRIDAY NIGHT MOB June 2 , June 9 ANZAPA Collected June 16
ANZAPA Distributed 6:00-7.30pm. Informal eating and nattering.
Myers Cafeteria Melbourne
MULTIVERSE AND STARWALKING 1st Anniversary Screening of The
Phantom Menace including a Jar Jar Binks Death Scene
Competition June 2nd 2000 9:00pm Hoyts Cinema Centre, 140
Bourke Street Melbourne$10.00 per ticket. Before the film:Fast
Eddy's Cafe, Bourke St Melbourne 6:30pm Jar Jar Binks Death
Scene Competition.
AUSTREK June 3 2:00pm "To BOWLdly go..." Northcote Bowl 166
Victoria Road, Northcote Contact Shane Campbell 9489 8743 by
Thursday 1 June GPO Box 5206AA Melbourne 3001
http://www.vicnet.net.au/~austrek/
NOVA MOB June 7 Kirsten McDermott on Michael Marshall Smith
13 Frederick St Brunswick
TAD WILLIAMS SIGNING June 8 12:30 Slow Glass Books 305
Swanston St Melbourne
SKYFORCE 2000 June 10 1:00 to 5:00pm Charles Pearson Theatre
ERC University of Melbourne P.O. Box 427 Northcote Vic 3070
http://www.starwalking.net
ENTERPRISE June 24 Winter Olympics P.O. Box 466 World Trade
Centre Melbourne 3005 enterprs@vicnet.net.au
http://www.vicnet.net.au/~enterprise/ 0418 56 1701
W.A.
SWANCON 2001 ICE CREAM PICNIC June 4 2000 2.00pm The top of
the Aboriginal Art Gallery Kings Park. (Followed by
programming meeting)
SWANCON 2001 ICE SKATING July 1 2000 1.00pm Mirrabooka Ice
Rink
FANZINES
THE RUBBISH BIN(NS) Number 7 Merv Binns and Helena Roberts
Binns P.O. Box 315 Carnegie Vic 3163
PHANEWS 29 Phantasia Bookshop P.O. Box 1255 Penrith NSW 2751
CONSCRIPT GPO Box 1376 Brisbane Qld 4001
ELECTRONIC FANZINES
EMERALD CITY 57 Cheryl Morgan cmorgan@ceres.wallis.com
http://www.emcit.com
DEADLINES
Bullsheet #145 June 13 2000.
ANZAPA 195 June 9 2000
Hugo Awards July 31 2000
Swancon 2001 Short Films August 20 2000
James White Award August 23, 2000
Chandler Award Nominations September 30 2000
GUFF 2001 November 13 2000
This Fanzine Supports The Minneapolis in '73 WorldCon Bid The
Toronto in 2003 WorldCon Bid. and the Australia in 2007
WorldCon Bid Warman & Woods for GUFF!
LETTERATURE
Clive Newall notes in connection with last issue's
advertisement for ConSensual, A Collection of Meaty Erotic
Stories. Inspired by Grant Stone's famous Freudian slip at
Swancon 2000.
"I find it difficult to classify something as "famous" when
only those actually in attendance (or subsequently on the
EIDOLIST?) know what happened. It may well become famous (if
anyone actually bothers to tell those not in the know what was
said, and supply a little context) but such a claim is surely
premature at the moment."
Sandra Bond notes that I typoed her e-mail address, which
should read sandra bond: sandra@ho-street.demon.co.uk
Cheryl Morgan notes, re the Tad Williams signing at Slow
Glass Books on June 8. "And hopefully speaking as well, he's
wonderful. Go see him if you can." She also comments, re
Janeen Webb's comment, regarding Nick Stathopoulos: "We
couldn't get the bugger to come." (22/04/2000 5:10pm) "Words
fail me, largely because I was laughing so much. :-)"
OTHER STUFF
DNA PUBLICATIONS BUYS SCIENCE FICTION CHRONICLE
May 19, 2000, New York, N.Y. -Science Fiction Chronicle
Editor/Publisher Andrew I. Porter, 54, has sold SFC to Warren
Lapine, whose DNA Publications already publishes and/or
handles the business end of several small press
SF/fantasy/horror magazines -- Aboriginal SF, Absolute
Magnitude, Dreams of Decadence, Fantastic Stories (formerly
Pirate Writings), and Weird Tales. Porter remains with SFC as
news editor.
BULLSHEET UNCLASSIFIEDS
jan howard finder notes that he publishes a small zine on
Arthur Upfield, the Australian mystery writer, and is looking
for articles relating to him, his work & related Australian
subjects. Lucy Sussex has evidently already contributed. jan
can be contacted at 164 Williamsburg Court, Albany, NY
12203-5506, USA +1-518-456-5242 wombat@sff.net
In addition jan is looking after production of the Antifan
Movies, as noted below:
The Anti Fan Films - Yours to own on Tape
Jan howard finder is prepared to make copies of the two
Aussiecon bidding videos, commonly referred to as the Anti-Fan
Films, on tape from a master tape that is based on a 1991
film-to-tape transfer with some digital remastering done in
1998. He describes the master tape as follows:
"I had transferred the films to tape in about 1991 or so.
This was for the abrotive 1995 Sydney Worldcon bid. In 1998, I
believe, I sent my tape of the films to a fan in Winnipeg. He
was working with a public TV station on a series on science
fiction and fandom. They used a few bits from the films. He
also had the tape digitalized to clean up some of the
yellowing and attached the Canadian TV segment in which the
films appeared."
"The two films run about an hour or more all together. The
first film has the "trailer" I had made up to promote the 2nd
film. I later found out that by hyping the film as THE
ANTIFAN STRIKES BACK, I was parodying the current Star War's
film, they were sort of "forced" into calling it that. For
all I know they were planing on calling it MELBOURNE II."
If you are interested in getting a copy of Jan's tape, you
should contact him directly by the 15th of June. This will
give him time to have the tapes made before Chicon 2000. The
idea is to save on shipping costs by having the tapes brought
back to Australia by Australian fans attending Chicon. Jan's
email address is wombat@sff.net. Tapes are available in both
NTSC or PAL, if that is important to you. The cost should be
approximately NTSC = US$20 and PAL = US$35
The original films, complete with soundtrack, are winging
their way back to Oz where they are to be preserved as part of
the Oz-Fan History project, courtesy of Victorian Science
Fiction Conventions - the group that brought you Aussiecon
Three. The films were thought to have been lost, but copies
were recently found in the US by jan.