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Mt. Holz Science Fiction Society
Club Notice - 04/25/97 -- Vol. 15, No. 43
MT Chair/Librarian:
Mark Leeper MT 3E-433 908-957-5619 mleeper@lucent.com
HO Chair: John Jetzt MT 2E-530 908-957-5087 jetzt@lucent.com
HO Librarian: Nick Sauer HO 4F-427 908-949-7076 njs@lucent.com
Distinguished Heinlein Apologist:
Rob Mitchell MT 2D-536 908-957-6330 rlmitchell1@lucent.com
Factotum: Evelyn Leeper MT 3E-433 908-957-2070 eleeper@lucent.com
Backissues at http://www.geocities.com/~ecl.
All material copyright by author unless otherwise noted.
The Science Fiction Association of Bergen County meets on the
second Saturday of every month in Upper Saddle River; call
201-933-2724 for details. The New Jersey Science Fiction Society
meets on the third Saturday of every month in Belleville; call
201-432-5965 for details. The Denver Area Science Fiction
Association meets 7:30 PM on the third Saturday of every month at
Southwest State Bank, 1380 S. Federal Blvd.
1. URL of the week: http://www.io.com/~lsc2/hugo/hugonom1.html.
List of Hugo nominees for 1997; links will gradually be added to
any on-line versions of nominated works. [-ecl]
I would like to start a Web page for club members (if you got this
in the mail, you're one) with links to their Web pages, either
internal or external. If you would like to be listed, send me
(eleeper@lucent.com) the URL. [-ecl]
===================================================================
2. This year's Nebula winners are:
Novel: SLOW RIVER, by Nicola Griffith
Novella: "Da Vinci Rising," by Jack Dann
Novelette: "Lifeboat on a Burning Sea," by Burce Holland Rogers
Short Story: "A Birthday," by Esther M. Friesner
===================================================================
3. The 1997 Hugo Nominations (429 ballots) follow:
Best Novel (356 ballots)
BLUE MARS by Kim Stanley Robinson (HarperCollins Voyager;
Bantam Spectra)
HOLY FIRE by Bruce Sterling (Orion; Bantam Spectra)
MEMORY by Lois McMaster Bujold (Baen)
REMNANT POPULATION by Elizabeth Moon (Baen)
STARPLEX by Robert J. Sawyer (Ace)
Best Novella (209 ballots)
"Abandon in Place" by Jerry Oltion (F&SF 12/96)
"Blood of The Dragon" by George R. R. Martin (Asimov's 7/96)
"The Cost to Be Wise" by Maureen F. McHugh (STARLIGHT 1)
"Gas Fish" by Mary Rosenblum (Asimov's 2/96)
"Immersion" by Gregory Benford (SF Age 3/96)
"Time Travelers Never Die" by Jack McDevitt (Asimov's 5/96)
Best Novelette (221 ballots)
"Age of Aquarius" by William Barton (Asimov's 5/96)
"Beauty and the Opera or the Phantom Beast" by Suzy McKee
Charnas (Asimov's 3/96) [Typeset note: accent over "e"
in "Opera"]
"Bicycle Repairman" by Bruce Sterling (INTERSECTIONS;
Asimov's 10/96)
"The Land of Nod" by Mike Resnick (Asimov's 6/96)
"Mountain Ways" by Ursula K. Le Guin (Asimov's 8/96)
Best Short Story (254 ballots)
"The Dead" by Michael Swanwick (STARLIGHT 1)
"Decency" by Robert Reed (Asimov's 6/96)
"Gone" by John Crowley (F&SF 9/96)
"The Soul Selects Her Own Society . . ." by Connie Willis
(Asimov's 4/96; WAR OF THE WORLDS: GLOBAL DISPATCHES)
"Un-Birthday Boy" by James White (Analog 2/96)
Best Non-Fiction Book (163 ballots)
THE FACES OF FANTASY by Patti Perret (Tor)
LOOK AT THE EVIDENCE by John Clute (Serconia Press)
SILENCE OF THE LANGFORD by Dave Langford (NESFA Press)
TIME & CHANCE by L. Sprague de Camp (Grant)
THE TOUGH GUIDE TO FANTASYLAND by Diana Wynne Jones
(Gollancz/Vista)
Best Dramatic Presentation (283 ballots)
INDEPENDENCE DAY (Centropolis Film Productions/20th Century
Fox Film) Directed by Roland Emmerich, Written by
Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich, Produced by Dean Devlin
MARS ATTACKS! (Warner Bros.) Directed by Tim Burton, Written
by Jonathan Gems, Produced by Tim Burton and Larry Franco
BABYLON 5 "Severed Dreams" (Warner Bros.) Directed by
David J. Eagle, Written by J. Michael Straczynski,
Produced by John Copeland
STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT (Paramount Pictures) Directed by
Jonathan Frakes, Story by Ronald D. Moore, Brannon Braga
& Rick Berman, Screenplay by Ronald D. Moore &
Brannon Braga, Produced by Rick Berman
STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE "Trials and Tribble-ations"
(Paramount Pictures) Directed by Jonathan West,
Written by Ronald D. Moore & Rene Echevarria,Story by
Ira Steven Behr & Hans Beimler & Robert Hewitt Wolfe,
Executive Producers Ira Steven Behr & Rick Berman
BABYLON 5 "War without End" and "Z'Ha'Dum" were
nominated but J. Michael Straczynski declined.
Best Editor (248 ballots)
Gardner Dozois (Asimov's)
Scott Edelman (SF Age)
Patrick Nielsen Hayden (Tor)
Kristine Kathryn Rusch (F&SF)
Stanley Schmidt (Analog)
Best Professional Artist (226 ballots)
Thomas Canty
David Cherry
Bob Eggleton
Don Maitz
Michael Whelan
Best Semiprozine (223 ballots)
INTERZONE edited by David Pringle
LOCUS edited by Charles N. Brown
NEW YORK REVIEW OF SCIENCE FICTION edited by Kathryn Cramer,
Tad Dembinski, Ariel Hameon, David G. Hartwell and
Kevin Maroney [Typeset note: accent over "e" in "Hameon"]
SCIENCE FICTION CHRONICLE edited by Andrew I. Porter
SPECULATIONS edited by Kent Brewster
Best Fanzine (224 ballots)
"Ansible" edited by Dave Langford
"File 770" edited by Mike Glyer
"Mimosa" edited by Dick & Nicki Lynch
"Nova Express" edited by Lawrence Person
"Tangent" edited by Dave Truesdale
Best Fan Writer (202 ballots)
Sharon Farber
Mike Glyer
Andy Hooper
Dave Langford
Evelyn C. Leeper
Best Fan Artist (177 ballots)
Ian Gunn
Joe Mayhew
Peggy Ranson
William Rotsler
Sherlock
Brad Foster and Teddy Harvia declined their nominations.
John W. Campbell Award (not a Hugo) (156 ballots)
(Award for the best new science fiction writer of
1995 or 1996, sponsored by Dell Magazines)
Michael A. Burstein (second year of eligiblity)
Raphael Carter (first year of eligiblity)
Richard Garfinkle (first year of eligiblity)
Katya Reimann (first year of eligiblity)
Sharon Shinn (second year of eligiblity)
===================================================================
4. It is with some sadness that I note the passing of Tomoyuki
Tanaka. The vast majority of good Japanese films that I have seen
have come from Toho Studios. Of these, the vast majority were
produced by Tanaka. Among the films produced by Tanaka was YOJIMBO
(1961) which introduced the grubby but unbeatable swordsman
Sanjuro. YOJIMBO was remade in Italy as A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS, a
film that made a star out of Clint Eastwood. Eastwood's Man With
No Name was just a Western version of the character created in
YOJIMBO. Tanaka produced many of the best Samurai films directed
by Akira Kurosawa including my personal favorite Samurai film,
KAGEMUSHA (1980).
Also as far as I have been able to tell Tanaka produced every Toho
science fiction film. I cannot honestly tell you I think that most
of Toho's science fiction output was really good films or good
science fiction, but they were a heck of a lot of fun. Included
were films like THE MYSTERIANS (1957) and BATTLE IN OUTER SPACE
(1959). But it would be understating the situation to say that the
centerpiece of Toho's science fiction films was Godzilla (or
Gojira, as he was known in Japan). I cannot defend the Godzilla
series. After the first film it went into a series of mediocre
sequels that quickly devolved into the most juvenile silliness.
Even Toho realized that they had driven the series into the ground
(or perhaps more appropriately into the sea). They got the idea to
start over making sequels starting with a direct sequel to the
original film, GODZILLA 1985 (1984) unfortunately with an
opportunity to remake their series they quickly returned to all the
same mistakes they made the first time around, pitting Godzilla
against ridiculous monsters, most just more elaborate versions of
monsters they had already created. Eventually they decided to kill
off Godzilla in GODZILLA VS. DESTROYAH (1995) and no longer make
monster movies.
Tanaka's kaiju films (the name given to the monster film genre)
were fun but little for him to be proud of, with one major
exception. The very first film, GOJIRA (1954) really is a great
film. Much of the impact was destroyed when the film was re-edited
by Joseph E. Levine with scenes added starring Raymond Burr, to
make the film GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS (1956). GOJIRA is
just about as intelligent and as bleak as any science fiction film
that has ever been made. It had really two inspirations. One was
the American film THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS (1953), the other
was a real-life disaster. A fishing boat, the Daigo Fukuryu Maru
(Lucky Dragon 55) drifted too near to Bikini atoll where the
Americans had recently tested the Hydrogen Bomb. Not knowing that
anything was wrong the crew returned home, sold their fish, then
slowly started dying of radiation poisoning. Radioactive fish from
the boat sickened many others. The Japanese had recently lost a
war their leaders told them they could not lose. The conclusion of
that war saw two inhuman weapons used against Japanese cities.
Life was very hard in Japan as their economy struggled to rebuild.
Now they went through the indignity of having a foreign power
occupy their country and what was worse, they saw that power as
being responsible for once again visiting radioactive death on
their country. In quiet rage the story of Gojira was told in which
something radioactive--but much larger and more lively than a dead
fish--came to the shores of Japan. This huge beast was what the
Americans were visiting on Japan now. Like from the bomb at the
end of the war, Japan trembled not knowing where the walking atomic
disaster would strike next. In the story a scientist has the
secret for destroying the beast, but he knows that using the weapon
will mean making it available to people who might use the weapon
against humans. Japanese scientists has the scruples to be certain
their discoveries are not used against humans, unlike their
American counterparts. Eventually a means is found to use the new
weapon but at the same time keep it secret.
Because of the re-editing to make GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS,
and because of the series that followed it, the film GOJIRA has
never gotten the recognition it deserved as one of the best and
most important Asian films ever made. It was Tanaka's project and
Tanaka was rewarded with a popular series of films, but never with
the respect he deserved for this one fine film. [-mrl]
===================================================================
6. CHASING AMY (a film review by Mark R. Leeper):
(WARNING: This film is structured so that it is nearly impossible
to discuss the themes of the film without revealing aspects of the
plot that are left as plot twists. I will spoil nothing that is
not spoiled by the trailer for the film.)
Capsule: A pair of 20-something buddies who
co-author a comic book are split over one's
interest in a gay woman. Kevin Smith takes
what could have been rather trivial and self-
important material handles it with a light
touch, making a film that is both engagingly
serious and genuinely funny. Fans of Kevin
Smith will not be surprised that the film is
also at times fairly raunchy. The frank and
often sexual dialog is realistic, but will be a
turnoff to some. Rating: +2 (-4 to +4)
New York Critics: 9 positive, 3 negative, 3
mixed
CHASING AMY is the third film form writer/director Kevin Smith and
is set in his native central New Jersey. While his first two were
nearly purely comedies, this time around he mixes in some serious
themes with his raunchy brand of comedy. It is about how fallible
is the procedure of finding the right relationship and how delicate
that relationship can be once it is found. Holden McNeil (played
by Ben Affleck) and Banky Edwards (Jason Lee) are two Red Bank, New
Jersey comic artists who create the popular comic book BLUNTMAN AND
CHRONIC. At a comic convention in New York a friend introduces
them to Alyssa (Joey Lauren Adams). Alyssa is cute, bright, and
funny and Holden immediately feels they have a mutual attraction
and are perfect for each other. It even turns out she comes from
Middletown, a neighboring town to his. He tells the incredulous
Banky that he and Alyssa "shared a moment." Anxious to share more
than just a moment he goes to a club where his friend tells him he
can find Alyssa only to discover in an embarrassing moment that
Alyssa is a lesbian. In spite of knowing that his relationship
cannot become mutually romantic, he continues his friendship with
Alyssa, hoping to somehow convince her somehow to be interested in
him. He hopes to win her in spite of her orientation. The story
becomes an odd sort of a love triangle with Banky afraid of losing
the friendship, now also a professional relationship, he has had
since childhood with Holden. Banky finds Holden's love is even
starting to affect their professional relationship. The other
vertex of the triangle is the free-thinking Alyssa with her own
history. In the end, Kevin's story has returned to a theme he
covered, albeit more lightly, in CLERKS.
All three of the main characters are veterans of other roles in
MALLRATS and of course writer/director Kevin Smith has played the
wise Silent Bob in all three of his films. Ben Affleck as Holden
is a bit confused by it all and at the same time nicely witty.
There may be a bit of Albert Brooks in his role and of Jason Lee's
Banky. But the actor who shines the most is Joey Lauren Adams who
does a terrific job going through a wide gamut of emotions and
always comes up genuine. Smith has a good ear for dialogue and the
words seem to come out very naturally from the actors' mouths. The
one problem that perhaps could have been better handled in a higher
budget production is that they do not enunciate so that their
dialogue is distinct.
Kevin Smith has a sense of humor to match better-known comic
filmmakers like Woody Allen and Albert Brooks. He fills his script
with some hilarious send-ups of popular films. Early on the film
he give us a militant African-American appraisal of STAR WARS that
is as funny as anything I have seen in a film in the last twelve
months. Later he has a terrific send-up of a familiar scene from
JAWS. And at the same time Smith treads the boundary near
political incorrectness by implying that sexual orientation is
really a matter of choice. Alyssa's has logical reasons for being
lesbian rather than having her orientation come from an internal
compulsion. It seems like a small thing, but it is a fairly
radical departure from what we have seen before in films.
CHASING AMY is well-acted and directed and proves to be a very
moving and personal film. After the critical misfire of MALLRATS,
it looks like Kevin Smith is back on target. I give it a +2 on the
-4 to +4 scale. [-mrl]
Mark Leeper
MT 3E-433 908-957-5619
mleeper@lucent.com
The basic fact about human existence is not
that it is a tragedy, but that it is a bore.
-- H. L. Mencken