The Australian Science Fiction Bullsheet 35 – February 2005
The Australian Science Fiction Bullsheet 35
February 2005
ISSN 1445-4319 (print version), ISSN 1445-4327 (online version)
GENERAL NEWS
Warner Bros are to produce "The Lions of Al-Rassan," an adaptation
of a Guy Gavriel Kay historical fantasy about the collision of
religions in Spain during the Middle Ages that melds fact and
fantasy. Vera Blasi ("Woman on Top") will write the script. (Reported
by Satima Flavell Neist)
THE GOODIES LIVE PERFORMANCES: John Pinder reports that there are a
few seats left for second shows in Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra,
and a final performance in Sydney's State Theatre on March 13th.
Check the biglaughcomedyfestival.com.au webside for full program
details.
IAIN IRVINE will be appearing at Avid Reader bookshop, 193 Boundary
St, Westend, Brisbane to autograph his books on (Reported by Jason
Nahrung on the Visions website)
AUREALIS AWARD WINNERS, 2004: Peter McNamara Convenors Award: Cat
Sparks, Golden Aurealis novel: Richard Harland, The Black Crusade,
(Chimaera publications) Golden Aurealis short story: Margo Lanagan,
Singing my Sister down, SF novel: Maxine McArthur, Less than Human,
SF Short Story: Brendan Duffy, Come to Daddy (Agog! Smashing
Stories.) Fantasy novel: Sean Williams, The Crooked Letter
(HarperCollins), Fantasy Short story: tied between Richard Harland,
Catabolic Magic (Aurealis 32) and Louise Katz, Weavers in the
Twilight (Agog! Smashing Stories) Horror Novel: Richard Harland, the
Black Crusade (Chimaera Publications) Horror short story: Paul
Haines, The Last Days of Kali Yuga (NFG #4), YA novel, Scot
Westerfield, Midnighters (Harper Eos), YA short: Margo Lanagan,
Singing My Sister Down (Black Juice, Allen & Unwin), Children's Long
fiction: Colin Thompson, How to Live Forever (Random) Children's
short story: Gary Crew and Stephen Woolman, Beneath the Surface
(Hodder Headline) (Reported by Jason Nahrung)
The Fantasy and Science Fiction Research Network e-mail list,
fantastic@arts.usyd.edu.au, previously run by Kim Selling has risen
like a phoenix from the ashes.
LES PETERSEN's website is now up at www.lespetersen.com.au
CHARLOTTE PROCTOR is trying to contact Marc Ortlieb. If anyone is in
contact with Marc, can they please pass this message on. (If Marc
wants Charlotte's e-mail address, he can contact Edwina.)
GILLIAN POLACK will be presenting a 2 day workshop on "Understanding
the Medieval World View" on Sat-Sun, 19/20 February from 10am-4pm at
the NSW Writers Centre, Rozelle Hospital Grounds, Rozelle. NSW.
TERRY DOWLING will be presenting a 1 day workshop on "Marvellous
Journeys" SF and fantasy writing pn Sunday 27rth February from 10am-
4pm at NSW Writers Centre, Rizelle Hospital Grounds, Rozelle, NSW.
BULLSHEET WEBSITE is currently being revised by Ted Scribner, who is
also in the process of relocating to the Blue Mountains, and doesn't
have as much spare time as he used to. Your patience is appreciated.
BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS
"Outside a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside a dog it's too
dark to read"- Groucho Marx
ANDROMEDA SPACEWAYS INFLIGHT MAGAZINE 16 features stories by Lee
Battersby, Douglas A van Belle, Lesleigh Force, Darren Goossens,
Tracina Jackson-Adams, Paul E Martens, Tansy Rayner Roberts, Valerie
Toh, Mikal Trimm and Wade Albert White. Current and new ASIM
subscribers will be receiving a complimentary issue of Envision
magazine with ASIM issue 17. For further details see
www.andromedaspaceways.com
ANTIPODEAN SF No. 80 featuring short,short stories (500 words) by
Susan Wardle, Jason Fischer, J.L. Cooper, Ashley Arnold, Sharon A.
Saunders, Jackie Hosking, R. Sarah Gardiner, Lee Moan, Phyllis Jean
Green and John Libertus can be viewed at http://www.antisf.com or
http://purl.nla.gov.au/NET/antisf/
AUREALIS MAGAZINE is once again open for submissions, and is now also
accepting submissions by e-mail. Full details at
http://aurealis.sf.org.au (NB. this is a temporary web address for
Aurealis.).
AUSTRALIAN SCIENCE FICTION FORUM can be viewed at
http://www.ozscififorum.com
BORDERLANDS magazine is still accepting submissions of fiction, non-
fiction and art. Issue Four will soon be released. Issue Five is
scheduled for publication mid 2005. Issues Two and Three are still
available for purchase. See (http://www.borderlands.com.au (Reported
by Julie Hunter.)
AMAZING STORIES magazine on hiatus, Jeff Berkwits, editor-in-chief of
the reinvented Amazing Stories magazine, recently announced the
monthly magazine will take a break from publishing, but has not been
shut down. The last issue before the break will be No.608. (Reported
on http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire2005/ and relayed by Ted Scribner)
THE PRISONER'S DILEMNA, by Jonathan Blum and Rupert Booth, is the
first of the new set of novels based on Patrick McGoohan's 1967 TV
series "The Prisoner". It is now available on pre-order for $14.95
($US? Edwina.) at the Powys Media website,
http://www.powysmedia.com. The novel will be released in the US in
late March. It will be available on import in Australia, with local
distribution plans currently being settled.
MERV BINNS perzine, Out of the Bin is available from PO Box 315,
Carnegie, Vic, 3163.
STEAM ENGINE TIME 4 available in PDF format from fanzines.com.
Printed copies available for cash, (Subscriptions $40 for 6 issues.)
written and artistic contributions or exchange of other fanzines from
Bruce Gillespie, 5 Howard St, Greensborough, VIC, 3088 :
BRUCE GILLESPIE"S BLOG can be viewed at appleblossomblues.blogspot.com
FOLCC BOOK SALES. "Friends of Linda Cox Chan" aim to raise money to
donate to Juvenile Diabetes Research, Australia by selling donated
books. New Tally $22. Books looking for new homes: "Dr Who: The
Scripts, Galaxy 4" by William Emms. "Honor Harrington: The Honor of
the Queen," by David Weber, "Harm's Way" by Colin Greenland, "The
Magic and the Healing" by Nick O'Donohoe, "Arthur" and "Merlin" by
Stephen Lawhead, "An Echo In Time" and by Traci Harding. Audio
Books: "Star Trek: Time for Yesterday" by A.C. Crispin, featuring
Leonard Nimoy and James Doohan, "Star Trek: Strangers From the Sky"
by Margaret Wander Bonanno Featuring Leonard Nimoy and George
Takei, "Journey to the Centre of the Earth" by Jules Verne featuring
John de Lancie and Leonard Nimoy. To buy books e-mail Edwina Harvey
at edwinafan@yahoo.com or snail mail Edwina, c/- 12 Flinders St,
Matraville, NSW 2036. *Make cheques payable to Edwina Harvey please,
FOLCC is an informal entity.) You can also pay via direct deposit.
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. (Thanks to Anne Devrell for donating the
audio books.)
COMPETITIONS, FAN FUNDS & AWARDS
AUSTRALIAN HORROR WRITERS ASSOCIATION inaugural short story
competition. Two categories:under1000 words (flash) and 1000-8000
words. Entries $5 for flash fiction, $10 for londer stories. All
entry money will go to the prize pool. Winning flash entries will be
published in Shadowed Realms, winning entries from the longer story
category will be published in Dark Animus. Full details at
www.darkanimus.com/hwa.html or e-mail martyyoung2002@yahoo.com.
SWANCON WRITING COMPETITION: Stephen Dedman recently reported that
the Australian SF Foundation has sponsored a SF and Fantasy Short
Story competition to be run in conjunction with Swancon XXX (q.v.)
The competition is open to all Australian residents. Entry is free
for Swancon members. Entry for non-members is $5. Entries must be
original fiction and not based on any existing series, properties or
characters, and must not have been previously published, nor
previously a prize-winner in any competition. Entrants must not have
sold more than 20,000 words to pro or semi-pro paying markets. Up to
3 entries per entrant, limit of 5,000 words per story. 1st Prize,
$150, 2nd Prize $100, 3rd Prize $50. Comp closes 5pm Fri 4th March. .
Send submissions to: Swancon Short Story Competition, P O Box 276,
Bayswater WA 6933 and see http://www.swancon.com for full details
(Reported by Stephen Dedman.)
DITMAR AWARDS: Ditmar nominations are open now! The Australian SF
("Ditmar") Awards recognise excellence in Science Fiction, Fantasy
and Horror by Australians Nominations for the 2005 Ditmar awards can
be made in the following categories: Professional: Best Novel; Best
Novella or Novelette; Best Short Story; Best Collected Work; Best
Artwork. Fan: Best Fan Writer; Best Fan Artist; Best Fan Production;
Best Fanzine. 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.
You may nominate as many works as you wish. Eligible published works
must have appeared for the first time in 2004. Please email your
nominations to lenehan@our.net.au with the word `Ditmar' in the
subject heading. You can also post nominations to Ditmar, 16 Maweena
Pl, Kingston, TAS 7050 You do not need to be a member of Thylacon
(q.v.) the 2005 Natcon to nominate works. Nominations close on 1
March. Voting on Ditmars (for which you have to be either a
supporting or an attending member of Thylacon will open on 7 March
2005. Consult www.thylacon.com for further information.
BBB - BRING BRUCE BAYSIDE is a specialized fan fund aimed at raising
funds to get Bruce Gillespie to Corflu (Feb 25-27 see www.corflu.org)
and Potlatch (the following weekend) conventions in 2005 has been
embarrassed by a multitude of riches. Bruce flies out on Feb 17th,
his birthday.
DUFF AWARDS: Irwin Hirsh recently announced that nominations for DUFF
2005 are now open. The winner will travel from North America to
attend the Australian National SF Convention, June 10-13, Hobart,
Tasmania.(q.v.) To appear on the DUFF ballot, a candidate must
submit nominations from 3 North American nominators and two
Australian and/or New Zealand nominators. A $25 bond and a 100-word
platform statement is also needed. Nominations close February 15,
2005. Ballots will be downloadable from the DUFF website,
http://duff2005.blogspot.com. Or from P.O. Box 53092 NOLa 70153-3092,
USA
Ballots will be accepted until April 15th and must include a voting
fee of at least $4US or $6Aus.
HATCH, MATCH AND DISPATCH
BIRTHS: Aurelia Iris Finch, born to Tansy Rayner Roberts and Andrew
Finch at 1.48 pm on 21 January. (Right on time!) Mother and child
doing well. Father still recovering. (Another member of Andromeda
Spaceways – the Next Generation – Edwina)
DEATHS: FRANK KELLY FREAS. Hugo winning SF artist whose work graced
such pulp mags as Weird Tales, Planet Stories and Analog, as well as
Mad Magazine for almost 50 years. Passed away 2nd January. (Reported
on the Larry Niven List, relayed by Ted Scribner)
THE WALKING WOUNDED:
Sydney fan WOMBLE (aka Karen Warnock) is having chemotherapy.
(Reported by Gerald Smith)
Writer, ALINTA THORNTON has now finished radiotherapy. Her hair is
growing back, and she's really looking forward to the future. You can
check out Alinta's progress through her blog:
http://www.zip.com.au/~athornto//clarion/index.html
CLUBS & MEETINGS
MELBOURNE SCIENCE FICTION CLUB, Meet most Friday nights at 74
Melville Road, West Brunswick 3055.Annual membership to the MSFC is
$25 single, or $35 for a family For further details on the MSFC see
www.vicnet.net.au/~msfc. Meetings: Feb 4th, Food and Trivia Night:
Ice Cream Night. Feb 11th : Buy, swap and sell night. Feb 18th The
Making of Super Robot Happy Hour. Feb 25th Buckaroo Banzai video
appreciation.
SPACED OUT: a science fiction club for gays, lesbians and associated
communities. $5 joining fee, then $20 annual membership. ($15
concession.) 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) Two regular meetings each
month. Annual membership $15. The regular club meeting is held at the
Adelaide High School from 3pm-10pm on the 3rd Saturday of the month.
See http://www.sfsa.org.au/ for full details or write to PO Box 3227,
Rundle Mall, SA 5000.(Reported by Martin Dunne.)
The Doctor Who Club of Australia (DWCA) Membership $16 within Aust.
provides 6 issues of Data Extract, membership pack, access to the
club's member-only internet mailing list, discount prices on a range
of merchandise, admission prices to club functions (including
Whovention, discounts at selected retail outlets for Doctor Who
merchandise. For more information contact Dwayne Bunney -
corporate@doctorwhoaustralia.org or 0416 269 726 or check
www.doctorwhoaustralia.org
QUEST Queensland Star Trek club. Contact the club at PO BOX 2084,
Brisbane, QLD. 4001, or check www.conquestforever.com (Reported by
Kevin Sheehan.)
The Brisbane Babylon 5ers website is at www.geocities.com/bb5ers
(Reported by Erica Sharp, president of the Brisbane Babylon5ers )
INFINITAS GROUP now meet on the third Saturday of the month at
Infinitas Bookshop/Blokey Stuff, Parramatta, Sydney. Infinitas also
has a book review group that meets regularly. Details available from
bookshop@infinitas.com (Reported by Bill Congreve.)
SYDNEY FUTURIANS: Meetings in room 1615 (floor 16) of the Tower
Block, The University of Technology, Broadway, Sydney, at 7 pm 21.
Meetings for 2005 are: 18 February, 18 March, 15 April, 20 May, 17
June, 15 July, 19 August, 16 September, 21 October 18 November, 16
December. 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: New meeting arrangements will be posted
to the web site
http://members.optushome.com.au/aussff/Southern_SF&F.html. or e-mail
Bradley Row, bradleyrow@netspace.net.au or phone 9580 4369
SKYWALKING: http://sydskyforce.starwalking.net holds meetings af the
Lidcombe Catholic Workers Club, 24 John St, Lidcombe, opposite
Lidcombe Railway station on the third Sunday of some months.
Attendance costs $8 members, $10 nonmembers.
EVENTS
VORTEX: SF Events happening in Brisbane, can be found at
www.vortexevents.com
MAGIC CASEMENTS 3. SF/Fantasy readers and writers festival. Sat March
19, 2005 NSW Writers Centre, Rozelle
CONVENTIONS
GoH = Guest of Honour, OCP = Other Commitments Permitting, tba= to be
announced.
FIRST CONTACT (Now calling itself "Under Cardassian Occupation"), 6
Feb, Rydges Hotel, Melbourne. After several GoH line-up changes, GoHs
now seem to be Marc Alaimo (Gul Ducket) and Mike DeMerrit (Asst.
Director from Enterprise and Voyager.). There will now also be a wine
tour of the Yarra Valley on Sat 5th Feb, limited to 25 people only,
and costing $198 pp. Full details on
www.firstcontactconvention.com.au .
SciNut Conventions is holding a Lord of the Rings con in Melbourne in
March 2005. Some LOTR actors (no principal actors) and technical
people attending as GoHs. Con organisers currently calling for people
to run panels. E-mail OneliaH@iinet.net.au (Relayed to Bullsheet by
Tony Plank).
FRIENDS OF SCIENCE FICTION/ARMAGEDDON Pulp Culture Expo present a
Star Trek con with GoH's Walter Koenig, Connor Trinneer and John
Billingsley.(OCP) Sunday 24.April. Dooley's Lidcombe Catholic Club,
24 John St, Lidcombe, NSW. Members (of FSF) $80, non-members $100.
Phone bookings 02 9523 8385, Online booking www.fsf.com.au. Make
cheques money orders payable to Friends of Science Fiction , post to
P.O. Box 106, Caringbah. NSW 1495.
CONSENSUALITY – Swancon XXX. Perth, WA. Easter, March 24-28 2005.
Emerald Hotel, Perth Membership $75 until 1/5/04 GoH Charles de Lint,
Special Guest Grant Watson, Fan Guest Anna Hepworth, E-mail
Swancon30@westnet.com.au. Conveners Stephen Dedman and Elaine Kemp.
Progress Report One for Swancon XXX is now available online at
http://www.swancon.com/
ICON, New Zealand SF Natcon, 2005. Easter, March 25- 28. West Plaza
Hotel, Wellington. GoH Orson Scott Card. Full details available at
http://icon.sf.org.nz
CONFLUX 2: Fri 22 April – Sun 24th April, 2005. GoH Jennifer Fallon,
Special Guests Terry Dowling and Maxine McArthur. Artist GoH, Bob
Eggleton.
THYLACON IV. National SF con for 2005. Hobart, Tasmania. 10-13 June,
2005 (Queens Birthday Long weekend in many states.) Attendance rates
$120. GoH fantasy author, Anne Bishop. Australian GoH Marianne de
Pierres, Fan GoH Merv Binns. Wrestpoint Casino convention complex.
For full details see www.thylacon.com or write to Thylacon PO Box 345
Kingston TAS, 7051 To join the Thylacon e-mail list send a subscribe
message to: Thylaconsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.
CONTINUUM 3.15-17 July 2005. Hilton on the Park Hotel, 198 Wellington
pde, East Melbourne, Vic. GoH's Richard Harland, Neil Gaiman, Poppy
Z. Brite and Robin Hobb. Fan GoH James Allen. Membership $110
(Rising on 1/1/2005.) Concession/Student/First convention
$80.Children 5-16 Accompanied by an adult $25. To reserve special
accommodation rates ($170 twin/double) e-mail
hotel@continuum.org.au GPO Box 603, Melbourne, Vic 3001.
www.continuum.org.au or e-mail info@continuum.org.au
CONCLAVE: 30 Sept- 3 October, 2005. Holiday Inn, 65 Hindley St,
Adelaide, SA. GoH's: Jack Dann, Ian Irvine, Fiona McIntosh, Karen
Miller, Tony Shillitoe, Sean Williams. Membership $80 if paid before
26th January, then $100. (Supporting m/ship $20) E-mail,
conclave@westnet.com.au or see www.conclave.asn.au
WHOVENTION 7, 14-16 October, The Rydges Hotel, 54 Maclarn St, North
Sydney (Short walk from Norh Sydney railway station. GOHs Louise
Jameson (Leela) and David Warwick Early Membership $120 until 28th
February (?) Then incremental rises until $170 "at door" price. (Pay
$50, non-refundable, to lock in your membership at the current price.
DWCA and Friends of SF members get a $20 discount. Family rates and
day rates available on request ) Friday night trivia, and banquet on
Sat. night available to convention attendees at extra cost. Make
cheques and money orders payable to WHOVENTION, and post to PO Box
148, Gladesville, NSW 2111. See
www.doctorwhoaustralia.org/whovention for full details. (Reported by
Dwayne Bunny)
The First Australian Discworld Convention will be held in January
2006 in Melbourne. For details see www.ausdwcon.org
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 Agents Zara Baxter, PO Box 616
Marrickville, NSW 2204. Voicemail: 0423121, and Ted Scribner 12
Richmount St, Cronulla, 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
CONJURE. National SF convention, Brisbane, 2006. More details to
follow, or check www.fantasticqueensland.com.
CONCUSSION: 57th British National SF convention. 14-17 April, 2006,
To be held at The Moat House, Congress Rd, Glasgow. See
www.eastercon.2006.org for full details.
LA CON IV, 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. e-mail info@laconIV.org,
Postal address LA Con c/- S.C.I.F.I. inc, PO Box 8442, Van Nuys, CA,
91409. USA.
Yokohama Worldcon 2007. Details at www.nippon2007.org .
Geneva Convention a civilised worldcon bid for Switzerland in 2008.
http://www.thegenevaconvention.org/
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://www.inkspillers.com. Maintained and
updated by Tony Plank.
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 by
subscribing to the AUSSFBULL mailing list by sending a blank e-mail
to AUSSFBULL-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. ( Alternatively, if you'd
prefer to talk to a human, send an e-mail to edwinafan@yahoo.com).
The Bullsheet web page, which is updated throughout the month can be
found at http://members.optushome.com.au/aussfbull.
The Bullsheet is also available as a snail-mail subscription for
20x50 cent stamps (or $10) sent to Edwina Harvey c/- 12 Flinders St,
Matraville, 2036.
NEXT BULLSHEET: Send your news e-mail to edwinafan@yahoo.com,
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.
For no sufficiently explained reason this Fanzine still supports The
Minneapolis in '73 Worldcon Bid