May 1998

Update

NEWS

DEATH EQUINOX '98 has announced four different contests which will award books and free memberships, and either get the winning entries into the convention book or actualized at the convention itself. Each of the contests are open to everyone (you are not required to currently be a registered attendee of Death Equinox). The deadline for entries is 20 July 1998.
   Part I: the "obligatory fiction" contest: Entrants must submit a fiction story which could fall into any of the following categories (or, better yet, a variety of them plus more): most emotive, socially-challenging, psychotic, sadistic, perverse, transcendental, witty, mystical schizophrenic, chaotic, etc. The more captivating and disturbing the story, the better its chances for winning. Preliminary Judges: Brian Hodge, Michael Hemmingson, and Jeffrey A. Stadt.
   Part II: the "best picture of your own mutilated genitals" contest: Entrants must send a gif or jpg of their own mutilated genitals. The winning entry will be verified in the flesh at Death Equinox. Do not enter if you are too shy for this. The more creative/bizarre/disturbing your genital enhancement, the more likely you will be to win. Preliminary Judges: David Denney, Gordon Klock and Cherie Sailing.
   Part III: the "do-able panel" contest: Entrants must write a feasible panel; what it is, who will be on it, what directions the discourse will take, etc. This one will be eliminated if no original panels which could seriously be conducted at the convention are entered. If possible, check the web site for DE '97 and '98 panels to avoid repetition. Preliminary Judges: The Joey Zone, Bruce Young and Chris Yardley.
   Part IV: the "fictitious panel" contest: Entrants must devise a fictional panel which would be suiting for Death Equinox. Entries must name the panel and participants, then transcribe the imaginary discussion (including questions from the audience). The participants can be personalities from throughout history, but please be certain that their psyches are pertinent to the DE themes. Check the DE website for indication of interests in programming. Preliminary Judges: Don Webb, Edward Bryant and Lee Ballentine.
   The winners from each category will be in the Death Equinox convention book, with the exception of the do-able panel which will happen at the convention. The people responsible for them will receive four CPAOD books (Stealing My Rules by Don Webb, Snuff Flique and Nice Little Stories Jam-Packed With Depraved Sex and Violence by Michael Hemmingson, and Stigma: After World by Jeffrey A. Stadt) and a free membership for the convention.
   There is a $5 entry fee per submission, which should be made payable to Cyber-Psychos and mailed to Death Equinox, P.O. Box 581, Denver CO 80201, USA. For further information about these competitions and Death Equinox, visit
http://www.netonecom.net/~jsailing/con.htm or e-email jsailing@netonecom.net.

SHIPBUILDING, the trade paperback anthology of stories by Glasgow writers published specially for the 1995 WorldCon, can now be read on-line at http://www/btinternet.com/~shipbuilding/framed.htm.

THE MEMORY HOLE ANNEX is seeking to save for posterity all manner of SF convention publications and memorabilia from around the world, and to function as a clearing house for those who are interested in collecting and studying these artefacts of history. Documentation of archived material will appear progressively at http://www.cookie.demon.co.uk, starting with complete listings of the contents of Novacon Programme Books. If you have any souvenir programme books, progress reports and newsletters, or commemorative badges, flyers, t-shirts, beer coasters, etc., please send them to the Memory Hole Annex, c/o Pat McMurray, 28 Plaistow Grove, Bromley, Kent BR1 3PB, UK (e-mail: pat@cooky.demon.co.uk).

CHRIS BELL has published his short story collection THE BUMPER BOOK OF LIES on-line at http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/chrisbell1.

Two stories from Back Brain Recluse #23 – 'The First Man Not to Walk on the Moon' by Richard Kadrey, and 'Last Day of the Carnival – 36 Exposures' by Paul Kincaid – were shortlisted for the 1998 BSFA AWARDS for Best Short Fiction: our congratulations to both writers. The winner was 'War Birds' by Stephen Baxter (Interzone #126), and the other nominations were 'Thigmoo', Eugene Byrne (Interzone #120) and 'The Emperor's New Reality', Pat Cadigan (New Worlds).

Congratulations to Stepan Chapman and Ministry of Whimsy Press for winning the 1997 PHILIP K. DICK AWARD with The Troika. The other nominees were William Barton, Acts of Conscience (Warner Aspect); Susan R. Matthews, An Exchange of Hostages (Avonova); Richard Paul Russo, Carlucci's Heart (Ace); Denise Vitola, Opalite Moon (Ace); and Catherine Wells, Mother Grimm (DAW). The Philip K. Dick Award is presented annually for distinguished science fiction published in paperback original form in the United States.


MagazinesReceived

ALBEDO 1 #16, A4, 44pp, Ir£2:50 (4/Ir£10; Europe 4/Ir£16/$24; r.o.w. 4/Ir£20/$30) from Albedo 1, 2 Post Road, Lusk, Co. Dublin, Ireland (e-mail: bhry@iol.ie; http://www.iol.ie/~bobn). SF/F/H magazine with fiction by James Lecky, Hugh Cook, Noel K. Hannan, John Sexton, Todd J. McCaffrey, and Dermot Ryan, plus Chris Reed's Small Press GoH speech from the 1997 Eurocon in Dublin.

THE ALIEN HAS LANDED #6, A5, 36pp, free for SAE from SF Dept, Waterstone's Booksellers, 91 Deansgate, Manchester M3 2BW (e-mail: thealien@dial.pipex.com). Plenty of news, gossip and reviews from the big names of SF/F/H publishing, plus an excerpt from John Meaney's debut novel To Hold Infinity, and legendary SF editor John Jarrold talking about the new Earthlight imprint at Simon & Schuster.

ALTAIR #1, A5, 152pp p/b, Aus$8:95 (2/Aus$17; USA 2/$20) from Altair Publishing, P.O. Box 475, Blackwood, South Australia 5051, Australia (e-mail: altair@senet.com.au; http://www.ozemail.com.au/~robsteph/altair.htm). Although based in Australia, this new magazine has a specifically international focus with contributors from all over the world. Fiction is provided by Brendan Carson, Ian Watson, Mary Soon Lee, Ben Jeapes, Kurt Von Trojan, Jean-Claude Dunyach, Loren W. Cooper, Warren Lapine, Michael Morgan, James A. Hartley, Robert Black, and Leonid Reznick, and there are features on SF and writing SF by Joe Haldemann, Charles de Lint, Robert J. Sawyer and others.

ASTRONOMY & SPACE April 1998, A4, 64pp, £2.25 (12/£21:60; EC 12/£25:20; USA/Canada 12/£31:50; r.o.w. 12/£35:10) from Astronomy & Space Magazine, 1 Northumberland Park Industrial Estate, Willougby Lane, London N17 0SN. Glossy full-colour magazine for everyone interested in outer space, astronomy, or space exploration. It's packed with the latest news and pictures on scientific developments and discoveries, reports on special events, and features on topical issues such as water on the moon.

BANANA WINGS #9, A4, 62pp, and #10, A4, 34pp, available for 'the usual' from Claire Brialey, 26 Northampton Road, Croydon, Surrey CR0 7HA (e-mail: banana@tragic.demon.co.uk), or Mark Plummer, 14 Northway Road, Croydon, Surrey CR0 6JE. More musings in and around SF fandom from Claire and Mark and their regular columnists, presented as ever with their unique knack for dramatizing the moment. Issue #10 is a Manchester-themed all-reprint special issue for the 1998 Eastercon, including material from the earliest days of Mancunian fandom and Manchester Eastercons.

BLANKSPACE April 1998, A4, 10pp, enquire to David Stewart, 43 Eglinton Road, Dublin 4, Ireland (e-mail: dstewart@iol.ie). The newsletter of Science Fiction Ireland (a new organisation replacing the defunct Irish Science Fiction Association), covering news and developments especially in TV-related SF.

DRAGON'S BREATH #49, A4, 2pp, available for one SAE per issue (12/£2:50; EC 12/£3:50; rest of Europe 12/£4; r.o.w. 12/£5:50) from Tony Lee, Pigasus Press, 13 Hazely Combe, Arreton, Isle of Wight PO30 3AJ. Capsule reviews of SF/F/H small press and media-related publications from all over the world.

DREAMS AND NIGHTMARES #50, A5, 24pp, $2 (6/$10) from David C. Kopaska-Merkel, 1300 Kicker Road, Tuscaloosa, AL 35404, USA (e-mail: dragontea@earthlink.net; http://home.earthlink.net/~dragontea/index.htm). A poetry magazine that specialises in experimental forms and content, and fantastic horror in particular. Issue #50 sees the magazine now in its 13th year of publication, with poetry from Ann K. Schwader, April Lott, Tiffany Auxier, W. Gregory Stewart, Bruce Boston and others, plus short prose work from Judy Klass and J.W. Donnelly.

FARKY! #1, A5, 16pp, free for SAE from D. Hunter Bell, 29 Bavelaw Crescent, Penicuik, Midlothian, Scotland. A regained enthusiasm for fandom led editor Ranger Doug to create this new fanzine for Eastercon 98. There's a report from the Robotrix exhibition and an amusing send-up of 50s pulp fiction, plus features on The Misfits and Jean Cocteau, and a characteristically distinctive comic strip from John Miller.

FREUDIAN VARIANT #1, A4, 60pp, £2:25 (3/£7:50, 6/£15) from D. Stone, 68 Bellevue Road, Ramsgate, Kent CT11 8DN. Describing Freudian Variant simply as the "Kent Fantasy Society Newsletter" is something of an undersell, for it's more a fully-fledged small press fiction magazine than what you'd normally expect from a local newsletter. Fiction in this inaugural issue comes from Nicola Caines, D.F. Lewis and Chris Pelletiere, Paul Pinn, Barbara Davies, Paul Bradshaw, Clifford Thurlow, David Murphy, and Ceri Jordan, and there's an interview with Ramsey Campbell.

HANDSHAKE #29, A4, 2pp, free for SAE from J.F. Haines, 5 Cross Farm, Station Road, Padgate, Warrington WA2 0QG. Market information and news of SF-poetry-related events, plus poetry from Giovanni Malito, Bryn Fortey, Richard Lung, Andrew Darlington, Steven J. Takle and others.

KIMOTA #8, A5, 92pp p/b, £2:50 (4/£9) from Graeme Hurry, 52 Cadley Causeway, Preston, Lancs PR2 3RX (e-mail: g.hurry@virgin.net; http://freespace.virgin.net/g.hurry/kimota.htm). Well-rounded selection of SF/F/H from Neal L. Asher, Joel Lane, Paul Finch, Ceri Jordan, Cherith Baldry, Mark Gale, Mark Asheton, Michael O'Connor, William Meikle, Steve Dean, and Hugh Cook, plus an interview with Peter Hamilton.

METALUNA #2, A5, 16pp, free for SAE from Metaluna, 5 Rhyber Avenue, Lanark, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. Lively pop situationist fanzine including articles on consumer processes, The Green Hornet, telepathy, and the 1996 Sex Pistols tour.

ODYSSEY #3, A4, 72pp, £3 (5/£15; Europe 5/£20; r.o.w. 5/£22:50) from Caliver Books, 816-818 London Road, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex SS9 3NH (e-mail: liz@gila.demon.co.uk; http://www.jeapes.ndirect.co.uk/odyssey) (USA 5/$35 from On Military Matters, 55 Taylor Terrace, Hopewell, NJ 08525). Glossy pro SF/F magazine going head-to-head with Interzone in the newsstand arena, with fiction by Ben Jeapes, Sten Westgard, Chris Paul, Roz Kaveney, Alex Stewart, Jason Tanner, Chris Amies, Kurt Roth, and Steve Rushbrook & Alex Stewart, plus interviews with Gabriel King and Tim Powers.

SCAVENGER'S NEWSLETTER #170, A5, 28pp, $2:50 (12/$17; Canada 12/$20; r.o.w. air 12/$26; r.o.w. surface 12/$17) from Janet Fox, 519 Ellinwood, Osage City, KS 66523-1329, USA (e-mail: foxscav1@jc.net; http://www.cza.com/scav/index.htm). Monthly newsletter for SF/F/H/mystery writers and artists with an interest in the small press. Market news, letters and reviews from USA, UK and elsewhere, plus Lisa Jean Bothell on self-promotion.

TALEBONES #10, A5, 72pp, $4:50 (4/$16; Canada 4/$20; r.o.w. 4/$24)) from Talebones Magazine, 10531 SE 250th Place #104, Kent, WA 98031, USA (e-mail: talebones@nventure.com; http://www.nventure.com/talebones). SF and dark fantasy in a smart digest format with full colour cover, and winner of the Genre Writers Association Award. Fiction in this issue comes from Stefano Donati, Trey R. Barker, David W. Hill, Uncle River, and Rhonda Eikamp, with Spider Robinson interviewed by Ken Rand.

ZENE #14, A5, 36pp, 4/£8 (Europe 4/£10; USA 4/$16; r.o.w. 4/£12) from TTA Press, 5 Martins Lane, Witcham, Ely, Cambs CB6 2LB (e-mail: ttapress@aol.com). Small press writers' magazine with guidelines from the UK, Japan, Australia, and the USA, plus poetry, book and small press news and reviews, and an interview with Tanjen's Anthony Barker.


Author CollectionsReceived

NOR NONE OF THIS WOE BE TRULY WASTED by Steve Sneyd, A4, 8pp side stapled, 70p from Ink Pot Press, 20 Radburn Road, Rossington, Doncaster, S. Yorks DN11 0RE. Slim publication containing one of Steve's darker SF/F verses.

THE CROXTON WITCH by Len Tate, ISBN 1-84039-010-7, 190pp p/b, £7:95 from Marionette Books, Belasis Hall, Coxwold Way, Billingham, Cleveland TS23 4EA. The profound and nebulous workings of a 450-year-old curse, spat out by a young woman burned at the stake for witchcraft, come increasingly to the fore as the scions of two of the families who conspired her death fall victim to the inexorable forces of Time, History and Nemesis.

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