THE MT VOID
Mt. Holz Science Fiction Society
09/21/07 -- Vol. 26, No. 12, Whole Number 1459
El Presidente: Mark Leeper, mleeper@optonline.net
The Power Behind El Pres: Evelyn Leeper, eleeper@optonline.net
All material copyright by author unless otherwise noted.
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Topics:
Yet Another Correction (comments by Evelyn C. Leeper
and Gerard Ryan)
Free Speculative Fiction On-Line
The Case of the Weeping Hunting Dog (comments
by Mark R. Leeper)
When Nature Reinvented the Dinosaur (comments
by Mark R. Leeper)
PLAGUES & PLEASURES ON THE SALTON SEA (film review
by Mark R. Leeper)
Classic Movies and AMC (letter of comment
by Andre Kuzniarek)
Reading Habits (letter of comment by Gregory Frederick)
Worldcons (letter of comment by John Purcell)
This Week's Reading (answers to religious literacy test,
UN LUN DUN, and THE CASE OF THE MISSING BOOKS)
(book comments by Evelyn C. Leeper)
===================================================================
TOPIC: Yet Another Correction (comments by Evelyn C. Leeper and
Gerard Ryan)
In last week's correction, I mistakenly referred to Gerald Ryan.
It should have been Gerard Ryan, as he writes: "It's Gerard Ryan,
not Gerald, but I go by Jerry, with a J. When someone says, 'Wow,
did you know that there is a Jeri Ryan on STAR TREK?", I always
answer this way: "Of course I do. It's me. On TV, I actually
look like a very attractive woman." [-gwr]
I hope to eventually get this right. :-( [-ecl]
===================================================================
TOPIC: Free Speculative Fiction On-Line
People can find a variety of free speculative fiction, both old
and new, at http://www.freesfonline.de/Home1.html. [-ecl]
===================================================================
TOPIC: The Case of the Weeping Hunting Dog (comments by Mark
R. Leeper)
If I am to explicate the charges made by the complainant, one
Mr. E. Presley, it is that the unnamed accusee is to be
classified a canine of a hunting variety, but one with persistent
proclivities toward weeping. In testimony directed at the
accusee Mr. Presley rules out for himself any other posture that
the accusee might assume. He further implies that said
proclivities to weep inhibit the accusee from rising above this
purported status of "hunting dog." It should be noted at this
point that though most hunting dogs are capable of whimpering,
few extend their emotional expression to actual weeping.
Mr. Presley then arguably further undermines his own
characterization of the accusee as a "hunting dog" by defaming
the accusee's actual hunting record as to be one inferior to that
one would expect of a hunting dog and also a supposed lack of an
expected affinity for Mr. Presley.
Mr. Presley goes on to defame supposed third parties, also
unnamed, stating that such parties represented the accusee as
being an individual of high social status. This contention, he
claims, was a blatant misrepresentation of the facts and the
characterization is presented as being purely specious.
Mr. Presley at this point returns to defaming the accusee's
hunting prowess and claims the accusee self-invalidates herself
from participating in a mutually advantageous relationship with
Mr. Presley.
One might continue with Mr. Presley's testimony, but what follows
is a transparent repetition of the foregoing and hence requires
no continued detailed analysis. [-mrl]
===================================================================
TOPIC: When Nature Reinvented the Dinosaur (comments by Mark
R. Leeper)
You may have heard that naked mole rats have a societal structure
that is very similar to that of hive insects. Nature seems to
recreate certain life styles in other animals. Of late I am
reading that there was a beast that lived like the old allosaurs
and tyrannosaurs and for a while it was thought that they lived
contemporary with man. If humans did live around phorusrhacids
it might explain our fascination with dinosaurs. Phorusrhacids
(colloquially called "terror birds") were not dinosaurs. (Okay,
all birds are technically dinosaurs, but they are no more
dinosaurs than are robins.). But they readopted the dinosaur
niche in nature. They clearly reached a level of nasty that
would have been impressive even in a dinosaur. Until recently it
was thought they lived up to about 10,000 years ago which would
have made them contemporary with man. Now it looks like they
died out two million years ago.
So what is a phorusrhacid? That is pronounced "FORE-us-*RASS*-
id." It was a very big, very mean bird. If you ever saw the
1961 version of MYSTERIOUS ISLAND you have the beginnings of the
idea. In the film the castaways are attacked by a very large
flightless bird. It may have been inspired by a phorusrhacid
for all I know, but they actually were bigger and meaner. But
the thing in that film looks much like is a phorusrhacid.
Imagine a bird along the lines of an ostrich but seven feet tall
and at least 330 pounds or more. It had a huge, sharp beak. The
beak is long so the head looks like a flamingo. Except its head
is the size of a horse head and massive enough it has been
described as being usable like a battering ram. And it was mean.
They are not called "terror birds" for nothing. They wandered
the Americas and probably were about the top of the food chain.
Just last year a new subspecies was discovered ten feet tall,
about one quarter ton in weight with a beak that could have
crushed coconuts. From the foot claws of some phorusrhacids we
get the idea that they used their feet in maiming or killing.
The claws are curved and sharp-tipped. Its throat was big enough
that it could swallow a medium sized dog in a single gulp. More
recently North American specimens have been found with strong
arms, not like an ostrich. It probably could use these arms in a
fight also.
There is quite a bit of debate about how fast the things must
have run. Some scientists think that it might have been slow and
ambushed its prey. Some think that it might run at about thirty
miles per hour, about the speed that an ostrich can run. An
older cousin, also called a terror bird, could probably manage
twice that speed. As they have been reconstructed it was thought
that they might stalk their prey from the cover of high grass.
They would jump out and attack using their feet to slash and kick
victim. Once the victim was disabled, they would attack with
their large sharp beaks over a foot long, ripping and tearing
their victims apart. They could use their arms to keep the prey
from goring them with horns or kicking them. They are thought to
have used similar hunting techniques to those used by
velociraptors.
Terror birds had ruled South America for about 27 million years.
They somehow spread to North America. There is some mystery as
to how they did that since the two continents were not yet
connected at the time. But they found their way to North
America, probably before there was a land bridge. South America
had been an island continent and they had ruled the roost, so to
speak. When they got to North America they were pitted (or
pitted themselves) against more formidable predators like saber-
toothed tigers. It was probably a fairly impressive battle
between the two. There are fossils of the menacing birds found
near Santa Fe and it is thought they also invaded the Florida
area.
Scientists studying the birds have suggested a sort of atavism, a
return to a body structure and behavior that mimicked earlier
dinosaurs. Terror birds in South America reinvented the dinosaur
way of life some 40 million years after the dinosaurs
disappeared.
See
http://discovermagazine.com/1997/jun/terrortaketwo1149 and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phorusrhacidae
For illustrations of the beasts and more information see
http://tinyurl.com/2ns8q7 and http://tinyurl.com/2398w8
[-mrl]
===================================================================
TOPIC: PLAGUES & PLEASURES ON THE SALTON SEA (film review by Mark
R. Leeper)
CAPSULE: The Salton Sea is a man-made monstrosity. Engineering
mistakes created the Salton Sea, turned it temporarily into a
tourist attraction, and then made it one of the ugliest places in
America. The documentary looks at the history of the region and
the people trapped in this environmental nightmare. This film is
fascinating like a slow motion road accident. Rating: high +1
(-4 to +4) or 6/10
My introduction to the Salton Sea was a 1957 sci-fi monster movie
THE MONSTER THAT CHALLENGED THE WORLD. In that film an
earthquake accidentally releases giant prehistoric mollusks into
the Salton Sea. A Navy research base next to the sea has to
eliminate the menace. It is a natural disaster. In fact, it
probably is no worse than what really happened in the history of
the Salton Sea. But most of the problems around the Salton Sea
are of human creation.
The sea was created by an engineering miscalculation in 1905. A
dam had stood between the Colorado River and the Salton Sink in
the Imperial Valley of Southern California. When the dam was
washed away 90% of the flow of the Colorado was accidentally
diverted and filled the basin known as the Salton Sink. Suddenly
California had a new largest lake. The area between Palm Springs
and the Mexican border became a popular recreation area in the
1950s. It was even nicknamed "California's Riviera". However it
has suffered a string of disasters, mostly man-made. Runoff from
the surrounding agriculture has made the lake polluted and very
saline. The net result is a landscape of extraordinary
repulsiveness. How did the Salton area go from being
California's water play-spot to this seemingly ravaged, post-
holocaust environment? What sorts of people still live there and
why? These are the subjects of a documentary by Chris Metzler
and Jeff Springer. The visions of 1950s kitsch chic architecture
hunkering in silt and decaying makes John Waters a very
appropriate choice for the film's narrator.
In the course of the film the producers talk to many of the
prominent people living on the fetid shores of the Salton Sea.
These are people have become accustomed to the annual cycle that
includes the salt forcing the oxygen out of water. On a regular
basis this kills the fish that wash up on the shores in the tens
of thousands carrying botulism that poisons the birds that feed
on them. The film can only describe and not really convey the
smell.
Among the residents of the area is Hunky Daddy. He was at one
time a Hungarian freedom fighter, but has found his freedom by
the Salton Sea where he rants in a thick accent, drinks beer, and
pulls down his pants to embarrass passersby. Another local
wanders the beach waving at people wearing only tennis shoes and
a big smile. One resident has built Salvation Mountain, a hill
of junk and old tires dedicated to Jesus. (Jesus was not
available for comment.) This is a place where the tacky is about
as good as it gets.
The film looks at three communities living around the Salton Sea.
There is Bombay Beach (population 366), Niland (population 1143),
and Salton City (population 978). These places are ugly and
depressing. People seem to be trapped there because the land is
inexpensive and so moving in is a lot easier than moving out.
But the film makes one reflect: Is living in one of these
communities really any worse than living in a cardboard box in a
polluted Mexico City? Are these people really worse off than the
homeless in Manhattan are? The fact is that a good deal of our
planet has been made ugly and dismal. The Salton area is not
unique even in the fact that they live among the sad vestiges of
a past when their area was an attraction rather than a repulsion.
Many ugly places show the remnants of a better older age. The
strange collection of weirdos who try to make the best of life
are not so unique as the film might suggest. So the world turns.
PLAGUES & PLEASURES ON THE SALTON SEA is a sort of ecological
morality tale. If its history is not unique, it is certainly bad
enough. We learn that this place is an environmental disaster
happening in slow motion. It is one of many that really need to
be fixed and which probably will not. I rate the film a high +1
on the -4 to +4 scale or 6/10.
Film Credits: http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0438327/
[-mrl]
===================================================================
TOPIC: Classic Movies and AMC (letter of comment by Andre
Kuzniarek)
In his comments on Worldcons in the 09/14/07 issue of the MT
VOID, Mark wrote, "But no TV stations had or would show MAD LOVE
with Peter Lorre. It was a little too weird for general
audiences I would guess. A convention was where I finally caught
up with it in 1977. I don't think I got another chance to see it
until the 1990s." [-mrl]
Andre Kuzniarek responded, "I was happy to finally see MAD LOVE
in the mid-80s when I believe AMC showed it. I'm not sure what
AMC's programming is like now, I no longer have access to it, but
when it began in the mid-80s, it featured many classic as well as
obscure movies without commercial interruption. I was especially
happy to see great film noir and screwball comedies, and taped
many of them to create a library--on Betamax! I still have them,
and the machine that taped them, and it still works, but I have
not been able to watch them again for lack of time and too many
DVDs to get through..." [-ak]
Mark replies:
If you are interested I can bring you up to date on AMC, though
it is a sad story. In the days you saw it AMC competed directly
with Turner Classic Movies. Both showed classic films
uninterrupted. Both had a great deal of respect for their
material.
I think AMC found it was more profitable to abandon most of the
older classics and usually any film in black and white. I think
they are more willing to edit for television. They also put
their irritating logo on the lower right of the screen, though
they have not (yet) gone to moving ads as a distraction. They
are not as bad as some stations for commercials, but they do
interrupt frequently with longer ads. All this frequently puts
them on basic cable because they are no longer (as?) viewer-
sponsored and the advertising pays their way. They are doing
better by aiming at a less discriminating audience. Real cinema
fans still have, if they can get them, Turner Classic Movies and
to a lessor extent the Fox Movie Channel.
In our household, apparently like yours, DVDs have more or less
taken both AMC's and TCM's place. Ironically, now that I can see
some of these films whenever I want, I see them less frequently.
(Though MAD LOVE is probably an exception to the irony. I have
watched the DVD multiple times. [-mrl]
And Evelyn adds:
And AMC pans-and-scans the movies as well. They in fact changed
so much that they lost a law suit over it. Time Warner Cable
dropped them in 2003 (or earlier), and AMC sued for "breach of
contract". Time Warner Cable countered that they had agreed to
carry a station of classic movies and AMC was not that station
any more. Time Warner Cable won. [-ecl]
===================================================================
TOPIC: Reading Habits (letter of comment by Gregory Frederick)
In response to Mark's article on Worldcons in the 09/14/07 issue
of the MT VOID, Greg Frederick writes:
I read your comments in the recent MT VOID fanzine about how the
average age is increasing at the Worldcons. You are probably
correct that since today's youth are not reading as much as our
generation and that would reduce their attendance at a
literature-oriented Con. I tend to read more (non-fiction)
science fact and history books these days and, except for a few
friends from my past who read some of this subject matter, I have
not run into many others (especially younger individuals) who
like to read these subject or even like to read any other
literature. It's even difficult to find science books at a
number of bookstores. I have to go to a large Barnes and Noble
or a large Borders store to find a decent selection. These days
I order them online at Amazon too. I have seen where some (non-
franchise) bookstores that have been in business in Metro-Detroit
for many years are closing due to poor sales. The auto economy
down-turn isn't helping them but the owners indicated that they
see a trend where younger customers are just not buying non-
fiction and fiction literature books as in years past. Comics
probably still sell well but I am not referring to them. As you
stated the youth of today prefer media as in movies, video games
and probably easy to read comics. I do read comics sometimes
myself but I do like reading non-fiction books too. It's not a
good trend. [-gf]
===================================================================
TOPIC: Worldcons (letter of comment by John Purcell)
In response to Mark's article on Worldcons in the 09/14/07 issue of the
MT VOID, John Purcell writes (with Mark's replies interspersed):
Well, Mark, your opening commentary will probably provoke a lot of
response. It worked on me.
I have only attended two WorldCons: MidAmeriCon (1976) and IguanaCon
(1978), and loved them both.
[Mark says: Those are among the best I remember also. -mrl]
They were definitely full of that indefinable "verve" you mentioned:
lots of energy, and I felt very connected to the programming, people,
and events. Your musings that WorldCons are becoming less pleasurable
due to the media and gaming influence--call it "pop culture" since that
is what it is--makes perfect sense to me. The cost of attending
WorldCons has been prohibitive to me over the years, even during my
first active period in fandom.
[Mark says: That is a very bad sign. You are the type of fan Worldcons
need. -mrl]
But when I peruse the web sites of recent WorldCons, I have to agree
with you that there really isn't much in the way of programming--films
included--that catches my interest. Perhaps that is because I am more
literary oriented and definitely fanzine fanac oriented, but I do enjoy
stfnal movies a great deal. You are right in that many panels cater to
sub-genres and political agendas (e.g., feminism, LGBT issues, the
handicapped, etc.),and those don't interest me much either. That does
not mean I don't care about those issues. Far from it. It is just
that, like you, I would go to any science fiction convention to escape
political issues and pressures of the daily world. After all, fandom
is supposed to be a fun thing to do.
[Mark says: You where there when Worldcons were politicized I think.
Harlan Ellison got in front of the audience and complained "what had
fandom ever done for the world? Fandom should be working for
feminism." That seems to me to be the point that it really got
political and it has been so ever since. I may have agreed with his
politics but not his tactics of politicizing fandom. I always cared
more that someone was interested in the SF I was and not that they
voted the same way I did. For a while it really got bizarre. They had
special areas for women where they did not have to be around men and
claimed that this was fighting sexism. That sort of thing eventually
went away, but there is still a lot of political rhetoric on panels.
The convention committees did not take a stand against politicizing
conventions so conventions were politicized. -mrl]
I suspect that the changing demographic of WorldCons has a lot to do
with this. Most of the folks in fandom that I know and enjoy hanging
out with are at least my age and upwards. There are younger fans, of
course, that I enjoy being with and would love to meet and greet more
fresh blood into the clan, but for the most part, the folks I prefer to
hang with don't really go to WorldCons much. Some do, but most would
prefer Corflu if given a choice. That would be my choice, too.
[Mark says: I am more likely to pick people by interests. There is
always the situation when I am with a friend and I tell him how old I
am and get "REALLY??? You know you're just a year younger than my
father" or something similar. -mrl]
Plus the foreign WorldCons definitely would put the financial crunch on
younger fans who might drive, bus, or fly to a major regional con in
America, but could not afford trips to Japan, England, Australia, or
where-ever else. Heck, I think the Montreal 2009 WorldCon would not be
as well-attended as if Kansas City had won the bid simply because it is
not as centrally located. Canada really isn't that big of a jump to
get to, but simply being in another country is going to nudge that con
out of the pocketbook range of a number of fans, myself included.
Yes, I miss going to WorldCons, but not really that much. I miss being
with the people more than anything, and them I can get together with at
assorted conventions here in the States. It is a conundrum. I really
don't have future WorldCon attendance plans in store, even with Denver
only a two-day's drive from home. For some reason, I simply am not
interested anymore. Maybe it's because a lot of the authors I loved as
a young man have died or don't write anymore due to their age and
health. Fans are getting up there in age, too, and that puts another
crimp on enjoying a con nowadays. I dunno.
[Mark says: We are much in agreement. -mrl]
So I really don't miss attending WorldCons. It's an interesting
development in my fannish lifestyle. Well, all I can say is: it
happens.
[Mark says: I have not given up on them, but for some it is probably
going through the motions. -mrl]
Thanks for the zine. [-jp]
And later, John replies to Mark's comments:
Like you, I also get that "Geez, you're older than my folks" from
my students all the time. *sigh* But then they say things like
"You don't look/act like you're in your 50s" or "You're not a
couch slug like *my* dad," which makes me feel good, I guess.
Talk about your left-handed compliments! And I really am
left-handed!
Yeah, I remember Harlan's politicization of Iggy. Things--as in
WorldCons, that is--really haven't been the same since. I tend to
avoid political/special interest panels at cons unless, of course,
I really am interested in the subject and want to hear what the
distinguised panelists have to say. Quite often I personally know
the panelists, which is another factor to add into the con-going
equation.
So WorldCons need me there, eh? Eeewww.... Things have gotten
bad, haven't they? [-jp]
===================================================================
TOPIC: This Week's Reading (book comments by Evelyn C. Leeper)
Here again is Stephen Prothero's religious literacy test, this
time with the answers:
1. Name the Four Gospels. (1 point each)
2. Name a sacred text of Hinduism. (1 point)
3. What is the name of the holy book of Islam? (1 point)
4. Where, according to the Bible, was Jesus born? (1 point)
5. President George W. Bush spoke in his first inaugural address
of the Jericho road. What Bible story was he invoking?
6. What are the first five books of the Hebrew Bible or the
Christian Old Testament? (1 point each)
7. What is the Golden Rule? (1 point)
8. "God helps those who help themselves." Is this in the Bible?
If so, where? (2 points)
9. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of
Heaven." Does this appear in the Bible? (2 points)
10. Name the Ten Commandments. (1 point each)
11. Name the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism. (1 point each)
12. What are the Seven Sacraments of Catholicism? (1 point each)
13. The First Amendment says two things about religion, each in
its own "clause." What are its two religion clauses?
(1 point each)
14. What is Ramadan? In what religion is it celebrated?
(1 point each)
15. Match the Bible characters with the stories in which they
appear. Some characters may be matched with more than one
story or vice versa.
Characters: Adam and Eve, Noah, Paul, Moses, Jesus, Abraham,
Serpent.
Stories: Exodus, Binding of Isaac, Olive Branch, Garden of
Eden, Parting of the Red Sea, Road to Damascus,
Garden of Gethsemane.
(1 point each)
Answers:
1. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
2. Vedas, Brahmanas, Aranyakas, Upanishads, Puranas,
Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, Yoga Sutras, Laws of
Manu, or Kama Sutra
3. Quran
4. Bethlehem
5. Good Samaritan
6. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
7. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." (Matthew
7:12), or a similar statement from Rabbi Hillel or Confucius.
"Love your neighbor as yourself" is not the Golden Rule.
8. No, this is not in the Bible. In fact, it is contradicted in
Proverbs 28:26. "He who trusts in himself is a fool." The
words are Ben Franklin's.
9. Yes, in the Beatitudes of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Matthew
5:3).
10. No other gods before me; you shall not make yourself a graven
image; you shall not take the name of the Lord in vain;
remember the Sabbath and keep it holy; honor your father and
mother; you shall not murder; you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness against
your neighbor; you shall not covet.
11. Life is suffering; suffering has an origin; suffering can be
overcome (nirvana); the path to overcoming suffering is the
Noble Eightfold Path.
12. baptism, eucharist/mass, reconciliation/confession/penance,
confirmation, marriage, holy orders, anointing of the
sick/last rites
13. "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of
religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof"; the
words before the comma are the Establishment Clause, the
words that follow are the Free Exercise Clause.
14. Ramadan is a Muslim holiday characterized by a month of
fasting.
15. Adam and Eve + Garden of Eden; Serpent + Garden of Eden;
Abraham + Binding of Isaac; Moses + Exodus/Parting of the Red
Sea; Noah + Olive Branch; Jesus + Garden of Gethsemane; Paul
+ Road to Damascus.
UN LUN DUN is China Mieville's first YA (young adult) novel
(ISBN-13 978-0-345-49516-7, ISBN-10 0-345-49516-0), and it is on
my list of novels to nominate for the Hugo. Mieville takes the
conventions and tropes of fantasy, and of literature, and turns
them on their head. For example, reading this I got to a point
where I suddenly decided that Mieville had been strongly
influenced by the opening line of Charles Dickens's DAVID
COPPERFIELD ("Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own
life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these
pages must show."). And it also seems as though he used Diana
Wynne Jones's A TOUGH GUIDE TO FANTASYLAND as a cautionary work.
In addition to these elements, there is a lot of wordplay--in
addition to Un Lun Dun, we have Parisn't and Lost Angeles, and
the river in Un Lun Dun is the Smeath. If the threat in the
novel is a bit more topical than the usual evil wizard sort of
stuff, well, that's okay too.
THE CASE OF THE MISSING BOOKS by Ian Sansom (ISBN-13
978-0-06-082250-7, ISBN-10 0-06-082250-3) is "A Mobile Library
Mystery", which makes it sound like a later book in a series, but
in fact it is the first book in a series. It is billed as
"expertly comic", and I suppose of you find the notion that
people who live in rural Northern Ireland act and talk as though
they are brain-damaged comic, you will laugh a lot. It struck me
as of the same ilk as Stella Gibbons's COLD COMFORT FARM, but not
as funny. [-ecl]
===================================================================
Mark Leeper
mleeper@optonline.net
A common mistake that people make when trying
to design something completely foolproof is
to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.
-- Douglas Adams