The Australian Science Fiction Bullsheet. – June 1 2002
The Australian Science Fiction Bullsheet.
New Revised, Revivified Version (Thank you Sally Beasley!)
Issue No 3. June 1 2002.
ISSN 1445-4319 (print version) ISSN 1445-4327 (online version)
GENERAL NOTICES
Message to fans who used to receive the Bullsheet from Marc Ortlieb: WE'RE NOT
IGNORING YOU!!! When we took over the Australian SF Bullsheet from Marc
Ortlieb, we acquired the name only, and not contact details of any Bullsheet
subscribers. If you were previously subscribing to the Bullsheet through Marc,
and would like to continue to subscribe through us PLEASE GET IN CONTACT with
us, because we don't know who you are. The Bullsheet is available as a FREE
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zines. If you want to receive the Bullsheet snail mail, we ask that you
forward 20x45 cent stamps (for subs within Australia) to help cover printing
and postage costs of an annual subscription.
IN PRINT
ANDROMEDA SPACEWAYS INFLIGHT MAGAZINE Update #1: May 2002: After 12 months of
planning and hard work, the most anticipated launch at Convergence is almost
upon us: the maiden launch of Andromeda Spaceways. Where: Main Room,
Convergence 2002 (Hotel Y, Melbourne) Date: Sunday, 9th June 2002 Time: 8.00pm
(before the Maskobalo) Everyone is welcome. The launch promises to be an event
of special magnificence in itself, involving a cast of thousands (well, a cast
of 12, anyway) and a well-known rock-'n-roll idol (well, Ian Nichols,
actually; he plays the guitar a bit, doesn't he?). But the star of the evening
will be Issue 1 of the Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine. Edited by
Benjamin Payne (who also edits Potato Monkey) and Robbie Matthews (one of the
driving forces behind the highly successful Nor of Human...), it will contain
fiction by such luminaries of speculative fiction as: Chuck McKenzie, Dave
Luckett, Lyn McConchie, Stanislaw Wiatrowski Bruce Boston, Trent Jamieson,
Tansy Rayner Roberts, Rick Kennett Stephen Dedman Cat Sparks, Michael Davidson
& Ian Nichols. It will also contain a science column by Jeff Harris, magazine
and book reviews, and an interview with new Australian author, Josephine
Pennicott.
For more details see Andromeda Spaceways' website: www.andromedaspaceways.com
NEW BOOK FROM NEIL C. CLADINGBOEL: Bowman Publishing (Aust) Release Tale Spin,
by Neil C. Cladingboel. ISBN:1-877034-06-1 Following on from the publication
in the US of his fantasy trilogy, The Erebus Equilibrium, Neil Cladingboel's
latest paperback, Tale Spin, a collection of short fiction, has been published
in Perth, Western Australia, By Bowman Publishing. The collection is also
available in PDF e-Book format on CD-ROM. edition is available through the
author's web site (http://www.wn.com.au/clubclad/erebus/books.htm) for
AUS$14.95, which includes delivery within Australia, or AUS$18.95 for
overseas airmail delivery. All purchasers of 'Tale Spin' up until 30th June,
2002 will receive a free PDF e-Book edition of Reflections: Book One of The
Erebus Equilibrium. For ordering links, please visit:
http://www.wn.com.au/clubclad/erebus/order.htm or contact the author at
erebus@wn.com.au
BOOK ON EARLY AUSTRALIAN SF:Graham Stone has produced a book entitled "Notes
on Australian Science Fiction", which covers the period 1926 to the early
1950's. This 210 page book is hard cover, ISBN 0646 4087 55 and is available
from the author-printer-publisher. Graham Stone, GPO Box 4440 Sydney NSW 1044
enclosing a cheque or money order for $30 per copy required. This price
includes postage and packing.
FABLES & REFLECTIONS ISSUE 2:. Copies available direct from Lily Chrywenstrom
for $5 each sent to PO Box99,Claremont, WA, 6910. Also available through SF
bookshops in Perth: Arcane Bookshop, Empire Memorabilia, Quality Comics,
Supernova, Valhalla and UWA co-op bookshop,.Melbourne: Slow Glass. Sydney:
Galaxy (city) and Infinitas at Paramatta,.Brisbane: Pulp Fiction. Lily is also
looking for submissions for issue 3, preferably between 1000-4000 words.
Submissions can be mailed to the address above, or e-mailed to lilyc@iinet.net.au.
FRONTIER Katharine Shade and Jeremy Sadler, K&J Publishing, sent us the
following: Frontier, the Australian Science Fiction & Fantasy Magazine, Issue
24, is now available for download as a PDF from
http://www.frontiermagazine.net, for free! The PDF is around 1.3mb. It can
be downloaded directly from the website, or an option selected to have it
emailed as each issue comes out. Adobe's free AcrobatReader v.4 or above is
required to open the PDF - available from
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html Feel free to print it
out if you prefer to read articles on paper rather than on screen. If you want
to pass it onto anyone else, please refer them to the website if possible so
that we can keep track of download numbers. Please contact us if there are any
problems, questions, suggestions etc. As always, letters to the editor and new
contributors are always welcome!
WRITERS' GROUPS & OPPORTUNITIES
STROMATOLIGHTS: (WA) The Stromatolights writers' group share information on
upcoming classes, contests and markets. The aim is to improve writing through
discussion, workshop and exercises (and have a good time, too!).The group
holds meetings at the Katherine Susannah Prichard Writers' Centre at 11 Old
York Road in Greenmount, on the third Saturday of every month (except
December), from 1.30pm to 4pm.There is a fee of $3 to cover biscuits,
beverages, and hire of the centre. The group also holds discussions, and
trades market news and critiques of each others' stories, on an online mailing
list, at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stromatolights. The mailing list is open to all
WA speculative fiction writers, not just those who attend the monthly
meetings.The group is currently in the initial stages of planning an
anthology, scheduled to be launched at Swancon 2003. Submissions are, at
present, only being sought from regular Stromatolights members. To contact,
e-mail Julie Banfield (jtb@iinet.net.au) or: Nigel Read
(saxonblue71@bigpond.com) Anthology: Lee Battersby (slbatt@starwon.com.au)
VISION SPECULATIVE FICTION WRITERS GROUP (QLD):This group holds critiquing
sessions on the first Sunday of every month at the Queensland Writers Centre.
They also have occassional social events. Everyone welcome.
XUAN XUAN: Colin Sharpe recently announced a new Manga magazine, Xuan Xuan,
seeking artists and writers for fantasy, romance and SF work. Full details
available at www.iinet.net.au/~chandler/XuanXuan
BOOKSHOP NEWS
GALAXY BOOKSHOP (222 Clarence St Sydney): have China Mieville in August, and
Raymond Feist in September coming in for book signings.
INFINITAS BOOKSHOP (Shop 5 No. 1 Horwood Place Parramatta,
infinitas@bigpond.com): Infinitas has a discussion group which meets at 7pm on
the first Thursday of the month. Kate Forsyth will be in to sign copies of her
new books "Fathomless Caves" and "Starthorn Tree" on Saturday 15 June 2002 at
1 PM.
We are keen to report news from other SF bookshops around Australia in the
Bullsheet..
EVENTS
MELBOURNE SCIENCE FICTION CLUB (MSFC) 50th ANNIVERSARY MEETING REPORT:The
meeting was held as scheduled. Bruce Gillespie wrote:
About 100 Melbourne fans celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Melbourne SF
Club on Friday night, 10 May, at the Club's premises in West Brunswick. The
club's current membership, mostly under 40, were quite polite to the mob of
ancient gaffers who kept coming in the door.
The Ancient and Glorious ranged from founder members Merv Binns and Dick
Jenssen, through fans who joined in the 1950s, such as Peter Kemp, Bruno
Kautzner, and Helena Binns (who was then Margaret Duce), to people who joined
during the early 1960s, such as Bill Wright, to those who joined during the
late 1960s, such as Bruce Gillespie, to a fair range of people who discovered
the Club during the 1970s, such as Marc Ortlieb, Elaine Cochrane and Justin
Ackroyd. Pro writers noticed in the audience included Damien Broderick (who
first made contact with the club in 1958), Sean McMullen (the mid 1970s) and
Lucy Sussex (early 1980s). Founder members Race Mathews and Lee Harding were
not able to attend, but both have said they hope to turn up at ConVergence
early June.
After much milling around, inspecting the library with its splendid new
shelves, inspecting old photos that showed impossibly young fans ('you looked
like that in 1972, Bruce? Ha ha ha!'), eating and drinking (cake and coffee),
we all looked on while Club President Paul Ewins introduced everybody to
everybody, then introduced Merv Binns, who didn't need to say much about the
Club, since during the evening he had been handing around his talk in the form
of a special edition of Etherline.
Dick Jenssen was introduced. He made a slightly longer speech than Merv's,
telling of how the club began as a group of people, mostly teenagers,
encouraged by Race Mathews, who met in each others' homes in 1951, then formed
a club in 1952. During an entertaining short overview of the Club's history,
Dick paid tribute to some of the people who could not attend, such as Lee Harding.
Helena Binns finished the speeches by claiming herself as living evidence that
women did attend the club in the 1950s. People were then allowed to
contemplate closely the vast chocolate-and-cream cake birthday cake as 'Happy
Birthday to Us' was sung, the knife plunged into the cake, and much eating
of rich cake indulged in by those present, especially the Ancient and
Glorious. Overcome by nostalgia and rich cake, we then wandered off home.
With his permission, Dick Jenssen's speech at the Melbourne SF Club's 50th
Anniversary celebration:
'Fifty years of the Melbourne Science Fiction Club A few words of
congratulation Ladies, gentlemen, and members of the MSFC, it is extremely
satisfying, and very flattering, to be saying a few words to you on the
occasion of the Golden Anniversary of the Club.
The driving force behind the formation of the Club, as you all know, was
seventeen-year old Race Mathews, who in 1951 drew together a small group of
fans interested in SF, and which a year later formed itself into the MSFC.
Purely through the fortuitous accidents of being a school friend of Race's and
being present at the inaugural meeting of the Club, I became a founding
member. It is clear that it should be Race who is addressing you tonight, but
unfortunately he has commitments to family, finances and the Arts which must
be honored. However, he will be the Fan Guest of Honour at Convergence
2002...and I am sure that he will have much to say on the early days of the Club.
Science Fiction was a major force in my youth - it opened up to my unformed
mind new concepts, new ways of looking at the world, and, even though this may
seem platitudinous, suffused my imagination with a sense of wonder at what
lay around me. Reading SF, though, at that time meant that one was considered
to be, in the schoolboy vernacular of the age, a wet weed, and quite weird. So
when I met the other members of the nascent Club and found them to be
intelligent and not too weird, I felt at home and comfortable.
The weirdness, if it be such, of the Club stalwarts arose from the way that
most of them had of adopting a slantwise approach to life - a manner of
questioning supposed facts, social constructs and biased ways of thinking
which I had never, 'til that time, dreamt of challenging. This, coupled with
their enthusiasm for SF, and their willingness to expound on any subject
whatsoever, endeared me to them - an hour at the Club did more to heal my
bruised psyche than, I am sure, weeks on the psychiatrist's couch.
SF offered me a lot, and I took it - without ever repaying my debt. The only
other founding member of the Club who, to my knowledge, is still active is Lee
Harding, and he has given much back to the genre through his writings, his
award-winning stories and novels. But, like Race, Lee tonight has commitments
to family, finance and Art.
Without Race the Club may never have been formed, but without Mervyn Binns the
Club assuredly would not have survived. It was he who kept it alive during
trying times when attendance fell off, and it was he who ensured that the
library remained part of the Club - and grew. It was he who, at McGills
Agency, gave Melbourne its first major influx of SF, and who later created the
city's first specialised bookstore - Space Age Books. Were it not for Race and
Merv, this anniversary would probably not be being held.
It is, at least for me, a wonderfully fulfilling experience to witness
something which I had a hand in creating, however inadvertently, half a
century ago, to be still vigorous and filled with eager youth. At my age,
anyone below forty is young. I will not hope for another fifty years of
existence and growth for the Club, rather I would prefer to wish that the Club
will continue to exist and flourish for as long as Science Fiction itself - in
whatever forms it may take in the future continues to exist.
Now cut the cake !
MAIL LIST: "SYDNEY TREK", "Bringing Star Trek fans together"."All welcome".
More information at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SydneyTrek
THE SYDNEY WRITERS' FESTIVAL: http://www.swf.org.au/program/index.html (From
May 30 to June 2) features well known writers of the SF & fantasy genres
including: Sean Williams, Garth Nix, Sophie Masson, Kate Forsyth and Cecilia
Dart-Thornton. Items in the Sydney Writers Festival that may be of interest
to SF and fantasy fans are: Saturday June 1, (Venue Sydney Dance Studio 2,
wharf 4/5, The Rocks) Noon-1.30 pm. "Legacy of the Lord of the Rings"
featuring Sean Williams, Kate Forsyth, Cecilia Dart-Thornton, Garth Nix and
Sophie Masson. Saturday June 1, (Venue Sydney Dance Studio 2. wharf 4/5, The
Rocks) 4-5.30 pm. "The Life of a Book: A Hypothetical" Featuring Sean
Williams, Garth Nix and others. NB: A complimentary shuttle bus runs regularly
between Wharf 4/5 and a bus stop in George St, near the park, and just down
from the Museum of Contemporary Art for the duration of the Writers Festival.
Multiverse is hosting a SPIDERMAN film preview on June 5th at Chadstone
Megaplex, Melbourne. You can reserve tickets by e-mailing
tickets@multiverse.org.au, or downloading the order form at www.multiverse.org.
AUSTRALIAN SCI-FI FILM FESTIVAL Melbourne - June 13-19, 2002 - Kino Cinemas,
45 Collins St, Melbourne From the organisers: Opening night takes you back
to Paris at the turn of the last century where the death of Vidocq is avenged
and evil perpetrated by The Alchemist is tackled. This Australian premiere
and CGI extravaganza shows sci-fi in a very different light. On Saturday,
Robert Sutherland (The Inside Story) and Pete Ford (Starjackers) get to grips
with sci-fi filmmaking. And later that night, Disney's latest animation
spectacle puts five year old Lilo at the mercy of failed genetic experiment
626 - aka Stitch. This Australian premiere is your chance to see Lilo &
Stitch even before it opens publicly in America.
On Sunday, Triple J's Megan Spencer is joined by critic Paul Harris and
Melbourne University's Dr Angela Ndalianis to talk about the social impact of
sci-fi cinema. Tuesday is Australia day with the Melbourne premiere of
Neophytes and Neon Lights followed by another chance for audience favouritism
when the Audience Award is presented to the Short Circuit Film Competition
finalists. To cap off the night, we are pleased to present the animated
hilarity of Sev Trek: Pus In Boots with the live action adventure, Broken
Allegiance in a double bill session. And if that's not enough, on Wednesday we
proudly present the Melbourne Premiere of Robert Sutherland's The Inside Story
starring Andrew Curry and Charles 'Bud' Tingwall. Filmed in Melbourne, this is
an extra special closing feature for an extra special festival - the
australian sci-fi film festival. Tickets are on sale now and selling fast:
Melbourne: Kino Cinemas 03 9650 2100 Or visit www.dendy.com.au for online
bookings
ADRIENNE LOSIN HAS MAGNETIC APPEAL! SF artist, Adrienne Losin, reports her
artwork is currently on display at: Oak Hill Gallery, Mornington (Vic) Cube
37, Frankston (Vic) Coumhan Gallery & Organic Wholefoods Cafe (both in
Brunswick, Vic) She also has homemade fridge magnets featuring dinosuars,
dolphins, B5 and Trek characters for sale for $5 each. Write to her at: PO
Box 692 Mornington, Vic. 3931 (e-mail artalosin@hotmail.com)
We also heard from Mike in Hobart who writes, "I don't publish much anymore,
though I was active in fandom between 1967 and 1985. However, anybody who
remembers Michael O'Brien from those days is welcome to drop in on my on-line
journal at http://tasmania.diary-x.com
VALE
When the dreamer dies, what of the dream? - A. Bertram Chandler
STEPHEN JAY GOULD. BBC News wrote: Stephen Jay Gould, one of the world's
best-known palaeontologists and science writers, has died at the age of 60. He
died of cancer at his home in New York, according to his assistant Stephanie
Schur. A Harvard professor since the age of 26, Professor Gould was also a
best-selling author known for his engaging and often witty style of science
writing. He sought to make complex debates about geology, palaeontology and
evolutionary biology accessible to the general public.
BRUCE PELZ. From "Locus Online": Los Angeles fan Bruce Pelz died on Thursday
May 9th. He chaired many science fiction conventions, including one World
Science Fiction Convention, and was fan guest of honor at many others.
Memorials are posted at http://www.lasfs.org/lasfs/bruce/
BETSY CURTIS. From "Locus Online": SF/F short-story writer, costumer, and
poet Betsy Curtis, 84, died April 17, 2002. She published a couple dozen
stories in SF magazines from the early '50s (her story "Divine Right"
appeared in the third, Summer 1950, issue of F&SF) to the early '70s. "The
Steiger Effect" (Analog Oct 1968) was a Hugo nominee in 1969. A tribute to
Curtis ran in Comics Buyer's Guide #1487 [not online], headlined "Thanks,
Mom!". A memorial service will be held in June. The family requests that, in
lieu of flowers, donations be made in the name of Betsy Curtis to The READ
Program, 966-1/2 Park Ave., Meadville PA 16335.
FRIDRIKH GORENSHTEIN. From "Locus Online": Screenwriter Fridrikh Gorenshtein
(or Friedrich Gorenstein), co-writer with director Andrei Tarkovsky of the
1972 film Solaris (based on Stanislaw Lem's
novel), died March 3, 2002, in Berlin of natural causes.
JOHN MIDDLETON MURRAY JR. From "Locus Online":John Middleton Murry, Jr., who
wrote science fiction as Richard Cowper, died April 29, 2002, according to
John Clute's obituary in The Independent. After four early, "literary" novels
published as by Colin Murry, he began publishing SF with Breakthrough (1967).
His best-known novels were The Twilight of Briareus (1974) and the trilogy
consisting of The Road to Corlay (1978), A Dream of Kinship (1981), and A
Tapestry of Time (1982). He was a regular contributor to The Magazine of
Fantasy and Science Fiction from the mid-1970s through the mid-1980s (when
Murry retired from writing), with stories frequently nominated for awards:
"The Custodians" (1975, Hugo and Nebula nominee), "Piper at the Gates of
Dawn" (1976, Hugo, Nebula, British Fantasy, and Ditmar nominee), "The Web of
the Magi" (1980, British SF nominee, Balrog winner), and others. A full
obituary will appear in the June issue of Locus Magazine.
GEORGE ALEC EFFINGER. From "Locus Online" George Alec Effinger, born 1947, has
died in New Orleans. A graduate of Clarion, he was the author of numerous
novels and stories, including the popular cyberpunk series beginning with When
Gravity Fails (1987), Hugo-Nebula-, and Sturgeon-award winning novelette
"Schrödinger's Kitten" (1988), and many satirical works from early short
story "All the Last Wars at Once" (1971) to a recent series of stories about
Maureen Birnbaum, Barbarian Swordsperson. Known affectionately in the science
fiction community as "Piglet" (a nickname he came to dislike), Effinger had
been ill for several years.
AILING:
FORREST J ACKERMAN. Hospitalised after suffering from either a stroke or a
heart attack. Despite initial reports from Locus that he was not expected to
recover, actress Julie Sands reports he's improving and, at least mentally,
doing quite well. From a letter forwarded by Bev Vincent of Cemetery Dance
magazine, Sands writes: It was very disquieting to discover not many of
Forry's friends have visited and he is very lonely. He is paralyzed except for
the ability to move his head, his speech is very sparse, but he is cognizant...
He cannot receive flowers, but letters, visits (even by non-family members-he
really has no family), phone calls and cards are appreciated.
JIMMY DOOHAN. (Best known as Scotty from the original Star Trek series).
Recovering from pneumonia.
AWARDS!
Marianne Plummridge-Eggleton proudly annoounced that husband & well known
artist, Bob Eggleton has been nominated for a Hugo in the category of Best
Professional Artist. He was also recently given an ANLAB Award (from Analog
Magazine) for "Best cover" for his work "Bugouts". Bob has also been
nominated in 3 categories in the Chelsy Awards. His art books, "Dragonhenge"
and "Primal Darkness" will be released in the States and UK later this year.
2002 AUSTRALIAN SCIENCE FICTION ACHIEVEMENT (DITMAR) AWARDS
From Marc Ortlieb: The 2002 Australian Science Fiction Achievement Awards
(popularly known as the Ditmars) are for works created in 2001 by Australians.
To vote for the Ditmar Awards you must be a member of ConVergence, the 2002
Australian National Science Fiction Convention. Voting forms with individual
code numbers will be sent out to all ConVergence members. There will be no
voting at the convention itself. The Awards will be presented at the Awards
Ceremony at ConVergence. Please note that neither the Best Australian Artwork
nor the William Atheling Jr Award for Criticism or Review received enough
nominations to appear on the final ballot. There was one clear nomination in
the Best Australian Fan Achievement Category, but, on request from the
nominee, that has been transferred into the Fan Production-Other Category.
Further information about the nomination process may be found in the
ConVergence P.R.. Details on the voting and a complete list of nominees may
appear in a ConVergence post-con report.
BEST AUSTRALIAN NOVEL (25 nominees 50 nominations)
Lirael Garth Nix (Allen & Unwin )
Eyes of the Calculor Sean McMullen (Tor)
The Year of the Intelligent Tigers Kate Orman (BBC)
BEST AUSTRALIAN SHORT FICTION (20 nominees 54 nominations)
"Whispers" Rick Kennett & Paul Collins Stalking Midnight (Cosmos Books)
"The Boneyard" Kyla Ward Gothic.Net September 2001
"Absolute Uncertainty" Lucy Sussex F&SF April 2001
"Rotten Times" Robert Hood Aurealis 27/28
"The Diamond Pit" Jack Dann Jubilee (Harper Collins)
"Tower of Wings" Sean McMullen Analog
BEST AUSTRALIAN COLLECTED WORK (9 nominees 30 nominations)
Stalking Midnight Paul Collins (Cosmos Books)
Jubilee Jack Dann (Harper Collins)
Orb #2 Sarah Endacott
Earth is But a Star Damien Broderick (UWA Press)
BEST FAN WRITER (15 nominees 23 nominations)
Geoff Allshorn
Deb Biancotti
Bill Wright
Bruce Gillespie
BEST FAN ARTIST (10 nominees 30 nominations)
Dick Jenssen
Cat Sparks
Miriam English
BEST AUSTRALIAN FAN PRODUCTION - Fanzine (21 nominees 42 nominations)
Fables and Reflections Lily Chrywenstrom
Interstellar Ram Jet Scoop Bill Wright
Diverse Universe Geoff & Miriam
Solar Spectrum Geoff & Miriam
SF Commentary Bruce Gillespie
BEST AUSTRALIAN FAN PRODUCTION - Other (10 nominees 30 nominations)
Spaced Out Website (www.vicnet.net.au/~spaceout/) Geoff & Miriam
Tabula-Rasa (www.tabula-rasa.info) David Carroll & Kyla Ward
Consensual Stephen Dedman, Cathy Cupitt & Elaine Kemp
Mitch? 2 Tarts of the New Millennium Anthony Mitchell
JB Resurrection Garth Thomas
BEST AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT (8 nominees 19 nominations)
Robert Hood for the Young Adult Series Shades Hodder Headline
Meredith Costain & Paul Collins for editing
Dirk Strasser & Stephen Higgins for editing and production of Aurealis over
so many years
BEST NEW TALENT ( 2 nominees 10 nominations)
Cat Sparks
A. BERTRAM CHANDLER AWARD
The Australian Science Fiction Foundation is seeking nominees for the A.
Bertram Chandler Award offered in recognition of a lifetime contribution to
Australian Science Fiction. Nominees and details on why they should be
nominated should be sent to Julian Warner, e-mail: julian@cannizaro.com.au.
The award will be
presented at ConVergence in June.
SCIENC FICTION WRITERS OF EARTH. Annual competition for unpublished SF writers
.Details and entry forms for the 2002 SFWoE Awards are available at
http://www.flash.net/~sfoe, or Australian entrants can send an SASE to Rob
Riel, (Picaro Press) PO box 853 Warners Bay, NSW 2282. (e-mail
jandr@hunterlink.net.au)
NAFF AWARD WINNER: Congratulations to Emma Hawkes, winner of the NAFF award,
held to provide the winner with funds to travel to the National Australian SF
convention..
PATRICIA WRIGHTSON PRIZE. Congratulations to Shaun Tan for winning the
Patricia Wrightson Prize in the NSW Premier's Literary Awards for his book,
The Red Tree, published by Lothian Press.
CONVENTIONS
GoH = Guest of Honour, OCP = Other Commitments Permitting, tba= to be announced.
CSF-Con II. (Held 24-26 May, Canberra) Both Ted and Edwina attended this
convention and had a great time. Congratulations to Vanessa Jacobsen, the
committee & volunteers for such a successful event.Vanessa has recently
announced there will be another Canberra convention in 2003. Details to follow.
CONVERGENCE ConVergence is the 41st Australian National Science Fiction
Convention, to be held June 7 - 10 2002 at the Cato Conference Centre,
Melbourne. GoH's: Joe and Gay Haldeman, Sean Williams, Lucy Sussex and Race
Mathews. Toastmaster: Jack Dann..Postal address: Convergence 2002: 41st
Australian National Science Fiction Convention GPO Box 1212K Melbourne Vic
3001 Email: converge@vicnet.net.au. Web: http://www.vicnet.net.au/~converge/
Tel. after hours: 03 9388 9953
Main contact: Greg Clark, Publicity Manager
CONVERGING AT CONVERGENCE: A lot of things will be happening at this year's
Natcon, which marks the 50th anniversary of science fiction conventions in
Australia. The following are just a few.
CRITIQUING PANEL: Margo Lanagan, Cory Daniells, Marianne de Pierres,
Maxine McArthur & Tansy
Rayner Roberts (collectively known as wRiters On the Road - ROR) will be
running a Critiquing Panel. People interested in submitting stories to be
critiqued can send them as RTF files to: mmccarthur@ozemail.com.au,
troberts@postoffice.utas.edu.au, samphire@ozemail.com.au and 1 hard copy to
Marianne de Pierres & Cory Daniells, 5 Waterford Cres, Ormiston. Qld 4160.
Selected participents will be informed before the convention. Copies of the
selected stories will also be provided at ConVergence so that other interested
people can read them before attending the panel. For more information see the
ROR web site: www.powerup.com.au/~coryd/rorIndex.html.
ANTHOLOGIES LAUNCHING AT CONVERGENCE: Australian SF anthologies, AGOG, edited
by Cat Sparks, (www.catsparks.com) and AustrAlien Absurdities (http://home
.connexus.net.au/~chuck/AA.htm) edited by Chuck McKenzie and Tansy Rayner
Roberts will be launched at ConVergence (They both did a mini-launch at
Canberra, and these anthologies look terrific)
ANDROMEDA SPACEWAYS INFLIGHT MAGAZINE: This new bi-monthly Australian pulp SF
magazine will also be launching at ConVergence. Magazine details at
www.andromedaspaceways.com
AIRLIE BEACH RELAXACON 14-17 June 2002 at the Whitsunday Terraces Resort,
Airlie Beach, Queensland. Run by Eric Lindsay and Jean Weber. Web:
http://www.ericlindsay.com/relaxa.con/.
ROSWELL CONVENTION: Austr-alien.com Presents Majandra Delfino (Maria Deluca
from the TV Show "Roswell") Date: Saturday July 13, 2002 Time: 9am - 5pm
Venue: Hotel Inter-Continental, 117 Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Tickets: $77* (includes $2 per ticket postage & handling).Tickets will be sold
on a first come first serve basis. The earlier you book and pay for your
ticket, the better seat you will have. There will be NO door sales due to
security reasons.Tickets will be sent to you in the post along with a name tag
for you to wear on the day. It is imperative that you bring both your ticket
and name tag as you would not be able to get in without them.A list of Rules
and Regulations will be sent out with your ticket as well. You can also find
the Rules and Regulations up in the Announcement section of Austr-alien.com
There will be NO cameras allowed at the convention. We are complying with the
wishes of our guest, so please respect them. You will need to download the
Registration Form and send it with your payment. We are only accepting cheque
and money orders only. Please make sure that you do make the cheque and money
orders out to Ming Johanson otherwise your payment will not be accepted.
Please send the Registration Form and payments to: Roswell Convention PO Box
1569 North Ryde NSW 2113 All payments must be received by June 21, 2002. Any
payments after this date will incur a $5 late fee. Any cancellation of tickets
has to be notified to the organizers 30 days prior to the convention. NO
refunds will be available after this period.If you are coming from interstate
and you require accommodation, please email convention@austr-alien.com and put
"Accommodation" in the subject line.Alternately, you will be able to find the
info up in the Roswell Forums @ Austr-alien.com Please visit Austr-alien.com @
www.austr-alien.com - Convention Organizers (convention@austr-alien.com)
BEST OF BOTH WORLDS (BoBW) Farscape convention. July 27 & 28 2002. GoH's Gigi
Edgley, Lani Tapu, Jonathan Hardy (2 more guests to be announced). At
Millenium Hotel, William St, Sydney. Guests attending the following events:
Friday 26th July, 7.30-9.30 pm. $45. Saturday 27th July, Convention Day 1
$125, (Banquet 7.30 - Midnight $65) Sunday 28th July, Convention Day 2, $125.
Wrap party (Sunday night) $45. (Please inquire for children's prices) More
details available at www.bobw.com.au
CON JOSÉ The 60th World Science Fiction Convention, August 29 to September 2,
2002 at San José McEnery Convention Centre. GoH's: Vernor Vinge, David Cherry,
Bjo & John Trimble, Ferdinand Feghoot. Toastmaster: Tad Williams. Enquiries:
P.O. Box 61363 Sunnyvale CA 94088-1363 U.S.A.Email: ConJose@sfsfc.org Web:
http://www.conjose.org Attending membership currently A$350. Supporting
membership: A$60..Australian agent: (to pay for membership in Australian
currency you must apply to the Australian agent) Rose Mitchell GPO Box 1212k
Melbourne Vic 3001Cheques payable to "60th World Science Fiction Convention".
BORDERLANDS: That which scares us.At: Emerald Hotel, Mount Street, Perth
Dates: 7th & 8th September 2002 Confirmed Guests: Stephen Dedman, Eddie
Campbell . Web page is http://thatwhichscaresus.org/, and the committee can
be emailed at committee@thatwhichscaresus.org. You may also phone(+618) 9331
516, or write to14 Simons StreetCoolbellup, 6163, WA.
BEST OF BOTH WORLDS BABYLON 5 con. October 26 & 27, 2002. GoHs Bruce
Boxleitner & Jerry Doyle. Check their website: www.bobw.com.au for further
details.
FRIENDS OF SCIENCE FICTION: A DAY WITH AMANDA TAPPING, STARGATE'S SAMANTHA
CARTER FoSF are holding an Amanda Tapping day at the Lidcombe Catholic
Workmen's Club on Sunday 10th November, 2002. Tickets are $75 for FSF members
and $85 for non-members. (Booking & handling fee of $2 per ticket) They can be
booked on line at www.fsf.com.au or by phone: (02) 9523 8385 Make cheques and
money orders payable to Friends of Science Fiction and post to: Friends of
Science Fiction PO Box 797 Fairfield. NSW 1860
MULTIVERSE: A DAY WITH AMANDA TAPPING, STARGATE'S SAMANTHA CARTER Multiverse
is pleased to announce A DAY WITH AMANDA TAPPING- STARGATE'S SAMANTHA CARTER,
a one day convention to be held at the tail end of the year on Saturday
November 16th.More details will go up on the web page when we get them and of
course in the Comm Centre too but for those who have attended any of our
previous "A Day With" conventions you will know that we will have dealers,
Question and answer session, autograph session, videos, panels, photo
opportunities and lots of fun. VENUE: TBA - in the CBD area. COST: Members of
Multiverse clubs - $50, non club members - $60, Children under 15 - $20
TICKETS: A ticket order form is up on the web page now for you to print off
and send back to us with payment. if you wish to pay by instalments you can -
just ask! NOTES: A basic program will be put up onto the web page soon so
keep an eye out. Please feel free to contact us at
multiverse@multiverse.org.au. REMEMBER: You don't need to be a member of
Multiverse or a Multiverse club to attend these Multiverse events.
EMOTICON 2003 New Zealand's NatCon, Easter, Auckland.Email:
enquiries@emoticon.sf.org.nz
SWANCON 2003 Swancon 2003 committee, please contact us! Neither of us know
anything about it!
GENGHIS CON This mysterious con is to be held in Perth at some time during
2003. As
yet neither the venue nor the date has been determined more precisely. For
more info as it comes to hand, keep watching http://www.genghiscon.org/. The
organisers can be contacted at shadowmint@mailcity.com. They also have a forum
which you can read about and join at
http://www.genghiscon.org/cgi-bin/ikonboard/ikonboard.cgi. From their web
page: Our objective is to provide a cool, fun Convention that is affordable to
anyone who wants to come. Of course, our other objective is just to have a
good time, but I'm sure you won't begrudge us that. ;)
TORCON III The 61st World Science Fiction Convention will be held over August
28-September 1, 2003 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. GoHs: George R.
R. Martin, Frank Kelly Freas, Mike Glyer. Toastmaster: Spider Robinson and
GoHst of Honour: Robert Bloch the spirit of Toronto Worldcons.
Enquiries: P.O. Box 3, Station A, Toronto, Ontario Canada M5W 1A2Attending
Membership: $US115; Supporting Membership: $US40; Email: info@torcon3.on.ca
Website: http://www.torcon3.on.ca
CANBERRA 2003: (CSF-Con III) Details to be announced.
CANBERRA 2004 NATCON BID: Vanessa Jacobsen announced the Canberra Science
Fiction Group convention, ConFlux, intends to bid for the 2004 National SF
Convention. Contact details under the web page
http://members.optushome.com.au/aussff/conflux.html. ConFlux will be held
regardless of whether it wins Natcon status.
CHRONOPOLIS - Swancon 29 Perth, Western Australia Easter weekend Thu 8 to Mon
12th April 2004
Shay Telfer, Convenor Details to follow.
CONTOUR 2004 May 31 to June 3 2004, Rotorua. Proposed as New Zealand's 25th
National Science
Fiction Convention. Email: enquiries@contour.sf.org.nz.
OTHER AUSTRALIAN SF INFORMATION: Marc Ortlieb still maintains his Australian
Science Fiction Information page: http://home.vicnet.net.au/~sfoz/ and the
linked pages -
Ted Scribner's 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.
NEXT BULLSHEET
The deadline for submission of material for inclusion in the July Bullsheet
(#4) is 25th June. Send your news e-mail to edwinafan@yahoo.com, or snail mail
to Edwina Harvey c/- 12 Flinders St, Matraville NSW, 2036.
The Australian Science-fiction Bullsheet is available free on the internet at
http://www.members.optushome.com.au/aussff/Bullsheet.html or through our
mirror site:
http://geocities.com/edwinafan The web page is updated regularly through the
month.
You can receive the Bullsheet e-mailed directly to you each month by sending a
"subscribe" message to edwinafan@yahoo.com. The Bullsheet is also available
snailmailed for 12 months by sending 20x 45 cent stamps (towards postage and
printing) to Edwina Harvey, 12 Flinders St, Matraville, 2036.
(Also available snail-mailed overseas in exchange for postage stamps)
For SF & fantasy inspired ceramics visit Celestial Cobbler:
http://members.optushome.com.au/guests/Cobbler.html.
For no sufficiently explained reason this Fanzine still supports The
Minneapolis in '73 WorldCon Bid!