May 1999

GNU Blood

All our new recruits this time around are from Texas. Welcome aboard to
Jan Jennings in San Antonio, Linda Carpenter from Refugio, David Bryant
from Princeton (still Texas), and Aiglos (of no particular last name),
and Carol Phillips here in
Houston (Hi Carol). Thanks for signing up! Fasten your seatbelts and
we're off.... (How far off you have to judge for yourself)...

GNU Boss

Friends of Fandom recently elected a new set of officers and the new
Vice President in charge of Publications is Dave Branda. Your editors
however are the same as always and you will probably see few changes,
though it is possible that Dave will actually give us some movie
reviews that he has already written (hint hint, Dave).

Forthcoming SF&Fantasy Books

1998 Nebula Awards were given May 1, 1999 in Pittsburgh, PA.

Joe Haldeman - Forever Peace - Novel
Sheila Finch - Reading the Bones - Novella
Jan Yolen - Lost Girls - Novelette
Bruce Holland Rogers - Thirteen Ways to Water - Short Story
Hal Clement - Grand Master
William Tenn - Author Emeritus

Bradbury Award
J. Michael Straczynski
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/art-main.html?1999-04/09/23.32.tv

For more information, including the transcript of the SF Weekly
Live Chat during the Nebula Banquet and a complete list of the
nominees, see our Nebula Awards listing at:
http://www.clever.net/cam/nebulanovels.html

Hugo Award nominees have been announced. Here are the novel
nominees for 1999:

Children of God
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=067945635X/fantasicfuturesbA
Mary Doria Russell
http://members.stratos.net/druss44121/sparrow.html

Factoring Humanity
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0312864582/fantasicfuturesbA
Robert J. Sawyer
http://www.sfwriter.com/

Distraction
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0553104845/fantasicfuturesbA
Sterling, Bruce
http://lonestar.texas.net/~dub/sterling.html

To Say Nothing of the Dog
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0553575384/fantasicfuturesbA
Connie Willis
http://www.starsend.com/authors/cw/cwhome.htm

Darwinia
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0312860382/fantasicfuturesbA
Robert Charles Wilson
http://www.magicdragon.com/UltimateSF/authorsW.html

For more information, see our Hugo Awards listing at:
http://www.clever.net/cam/hugonovels.html

May releases from David Brin, Terry Brooks, David Feintuch,
Mercedes Lackey, & Anne McCaffrey.

For more sf&f new book listings and more detail (updated monthly), see
http://www.clever.net/cam/forthcomingsf.html .

Forthcoming SF, Fantasy, & Gaming Cons

A bumper crop of cons/conferences are coming up Memorial Day Weekend.
Fans will have the 18th Annual International Space Development
Conference (May 27-31, 1999) and I Think Therefore I Con 1999 (May
28-May 31, 1999) to choose from in Houston and there's also ThunderCon 8

(May 28-30, 1999) in Oklahoma City with Project A-kon 10: The Convention
for Animation & Pop Culture in Dallas the next weekend, June 4-6, 1999.
Rounding out June, Conestoga 99 will be held in Tulsa, OK June 25-27.

If you've been paying the slightest bit of attention, then you know that
we will be enjoying the Space Development Conference. However, if you are
in Houston and not attending it, you really should consider supporting
I Think Therefore I Con, which may be our last best hope for a continuing
general Science Fiction Convention here in Houston. They have some
excellent guests, with Sean Stewart (who we are looking forward to seeing
in Austin in September), P.N. Elrod, and for those with a more media bent
Robert Trebor from the Hercules and Xena TV shows will be there.

See also our monthly What's Happening list at
http://www.clever.net/cam/concalendar.html .

THUMB WARS

The story of a restless young farm-thumb who goes on to destroy a
gigantic space station, killing untold thousands.

THUMB WARS

Featuring the latest in dazzling thumb effects technology, and an
all-thumb cast, THUMB WARS is the most exciting adventure in television
history to star only human body parts.

THUMB WARS premieres on UPN, May 18th. Check your local listings for
details.
(Thumb Wars will be aired in Houston by UPN Channel 20 KTXH between
8:30 PM and 9 PM)

THUMB WARS

On the eve of the globally anticipated "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace," UPN will present a twisted, all-thumbs spoof of the Star
Wars movie franchise from the demented mind of Steve Oedekerk.
The unusual, live action/computer animated "Thumb Wars" parodies
the memorable, dramatic moments from the Star Wars movie
franchise with a cast of extremely limber human thumbs.

Oedekerk claims "I loved 'Star Wars.' However, I must contend that there just weren't enough thumbs."

Among the cast are Loke Groundrunner, Princess Bunhead, Hand
Duet, Oobedoob Benubi, Crunchaka, Prissypeo, The Puppet and
Gabba the Butt, plus the notorious, menacing Black Helmet Man.
Don't miss this hilarious television event! May 18th, ONLY ON UPN.

THUMB WARS
THE POWER OF THE THUMB IS IN YOU.

Visit the Official Thumb Wars Homepage
http://www.upn.com/hmthumb.htm
After viewing the trailer, pay particular attention to the Ships of
Thumb Wars from the thumb databanks of the thumbpire and the thumbellion.
http://www.thumbwars.com/thumbwars/thumbtech.html
such as the vicious Finger-Wing Fighter propelled by Pure Heroics
http://www.thumbwars.com/thumbwars/stills/img_thftr.html
Digital Model at
http://www.thumbwars.com/thumbwars/stills/img_thftrbuild.html .

Star Wars Hysteria, What Star Wars Hysteria?

Fans in New Zealand brave the freezing chill of night for a chance to
buy tickets. http://www.press.co.nz:80/19/99051431.htm
Advance Ticket Sales are Breaking all records.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/990513/ga_radiant_1.html
People skipping work to get tickets has created the phrase "Star Wars Flu"
http://www.expressnews.com:80/pantheon/salife-ent/rat-feat/1409hrja.shtml
Terry Brooks novelization of The Phantom Menace has become a top selling
novel.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/990513/ny_barnes__1.html . Unprecedented
restrictions on showing the movies has met with unprecedented resistance
from some movie theaters resulting in a game of hardball between 20th
Century Fox and movie theater chains and the picture will likely screen at
some second-rank venues in the country's two biggest cities.
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/en/story.html?s=v/nm/19990514/en/film-starwarstheaters_1.html
College profs are queuing up to pontificate on the popularity of Star Wars,
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/990514/il_loyola__1.html .

Closer to home, Mark Hayes in Dallas emailed us that he was able to buy
tickets for The Phantom Menace for "next Wed, Friday, and Saturday
tomorrow" and so we announce the beginning of the great "How many times
have you seen TPM" competition. Who will see it the most times by the next
Info Alert?
Email us (fof@www.clever.net) and we'll post reported results here.

For those of you who just aren't sure if you will be able to get enough
"Star Wars", at least one movie theater will be going to 24-hrs. showings.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/990514/ca_irvine__1.html

And the Web... You could buy opening night tickets on Ebay up to $600
for a pair of tickets in Anaheim, California but for just $6 for a ticket in
Edwardsville, Illinois. ... But that was just for starters.
We follow the fireworks from our site: Star Wars in the News
http://www.clever.net/cam/news.starwars.html

Our big Brother is NewsDroid -- http://www.newsdroid.com/ -- billed as
"Headline News for Star Wars fans," it offer news tidbits for everything
from the films to comic books to collectibles and games.

There's that source of the Force, the official Star Wars Web site from
Lucasfilm. You can download the trailer for "Episode I," learn about
characters in the film and, of course, give George Lucas money online in
exchange for Star Wars baubles and trinkets. http://www.starwars.com/

If it has to do with any aspect of the Star Wars universe, you'll find
it in the Star Wars Database http://www.swdatabase.com/ with search
engine, message boards, chat rooms, rumors and daily news summaries
as "Episode I's" release came ever closer.

If you think "Star Trek" fans are obsessive check out
The Completely Unofficial Star Wars Encyclopedia
http://www.mindspring.com/bobvitas/swenc.htm
an incredible, work-in-progress online encyclopedia alphabetically
cataloging and lovingly documenting every single tiny factoid in the
Star Wars universe.

Then there's the Web zine, Force.net, generally considered one of the
best fan and news sites for Star Wars junkies, comes complete with news,
discussion forums, trivia, collectors' information, feature stories and
a humor area. http://www.theforce.net/

Too much Star Wars to Keep Track of? Looking for specific Star Wars
information? You know it's on the Net somewhere, but you just can't find
it? The Star Wars Search Engine at http://www.starwarsnet.com/ checks the
hundreds of Star Wars fan sites to bring you what you need.

Don't forget to take a look at Echo Station, the site for the serious
Star Wars fan. At http://www.echostation.com/ you can get free
Web-based e-mail with one of two Star Wars-related domain names.
While you're waiting for mail to arrive, you can play Squadron XWord,
a crossword game.

Die-hard collectors of, well anything Star Wars, will want to look at
http://www.swgeeks.com/ webpage of the Greater Gulf Coast Star Wars
Collectors. If you're young enough that your mother threw out your
Han Solo and Princess Leia action figures, then print out the web page
with the prices and mail it to her. (But not if she has heart problems.)

Keep track of the Star Wars related computer games from LucasArts, the
game-development arm of the George Lucas empire at JediKnight.Net
http://www.jediknight.net/ .

And finally if you have fond memories of steam irons battling waffle
irons in hyperspace you might consider ordering the classic Hardware
Wars from http://www.mwp.com/mwp/Hardwars.html . You'll laugh.
You'll cry. You'll kiss $9.95 plus shipping goodbye!

Theaters listed for `Star Wars' film (Copyright 1999 Houston Chronicle)

It's official: At least two dozen theaters in the Houston area are
getting Star Wars: Episode One -- The Phantom Menace on May 19, with
advance tickets going on sale at 2 p.m. Wednesday.

Most theaters will be showing the film on multiple screens and will have
separate prints and show times for each auditorium.

Creator George Lucas has required that a print can't run simultaneously
in separate auditoriums via connected projection systems. He's also
insisted that theaters show the film in their best and largest auditoriums
with the finest sound.

Houston-area theaters getting the film include:

Magic Johnson Theaters, Silver Cinemas in Missouri City and the Loews
Cineplex theaters at Fountains, Easton Commons, Bay Area, Baytown, River
Oaks Plaza, Memorial City Mall and Spring.

Also getting the film are the Cinemark theaters: Tinseltown at the
Woodlands, Tinseltown at 290, Tinseltown at Westchase, Tinseltown
Jacinto City, Hollywood 20 in Pasadena, Movies 12 in Texas City,
Cinemark Katy and Tinseltown in Beaumont.

Also showing Star Wars will be AMC's Studio 30, Gulf Pointe 30, First
Colony 24, Deerbrook Mall 24, Meyer Park 16, Willowbrook 10 and
Commerce Park 8.

Science Fiction on TV

Crusade needs YOU! The Babylon 5 spinoff series will premiere on
TNT Wednesday June 9, 1999 at 9 PM CST.
See the Crusade for Crusade at:
http://www.astro.umd.edu/~fleming/index.html

At least Crusade has fans scrambling to save it.

Kevin Sorbo is leaving Hercules to star in a new project backed
by Majel Barrett Roddenberry. Hercules' season finale, and suddenly
FINAL, episode is to air 5/17/99.

And a fond farewell to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. At least THIS series
finale we were EXPECTING!!! Final episode is to air 5/26/99.

For more information about Science Fiction on TV, see our listing at
http://www.clever.net/cam/sftv.html .

Internet, the Final Frontier

Though we don't usually think of it that way, for the first time our living
planet is developing a nervous system. The nervous system is the Internet
and the Internet never sleeps. The network connects the individual clusters
of nerve cells, our computers, around the globe. Our computers act as
gateways to tie our own nervous systems into the mix. Slowly we are
laying the groundwork of a planetary intelligence.

Sometimes not so slowly.

One of the biggest barriers to any kind of global community has always
the lack of a common language. Take a look at BabelFish at
http://babelfish.altavista.com/ . (You know where the name comes from).
You can enter a URL or a paragraph or so of text. Then you can translate the
paragraph or web page with the click of a button. The languages (besides
English) include French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. If you
translate from English to another language and then back to English, you
would laugh and throw your hands in the air at how poor the translation
is. And yet it works. Recently a person who had seen one of our pages wrote
to ask Margaret and me a question. We used BabelFish, and while communication
wasn't perfect we could tell generally what he was asking. Margaret was
able to pull on her experience as a librarian to give him some suggestions.
And all this without sharing any common language.

The barriers are down.

In the past, we would know what our news media chose to tell us about
the situation in Yugoslavia. Now your browser will take you to the Serb
site and you can see their pictures of the dead bodies and the old man
staring at the ruins of his NATO-bombed house. You can read what the
visiting UN inspector had to say, and you can read the charges the Serbs
brought against NATO countries in the World Court. (We are refusing to
recognize the World Court's jurisdiction in this case). Without regards
to the merits of anybody's position, the barriers are down.

The significance of that will take a while to work itself out. Will we
begin to develop a global consensus? Will BabelFish lead, as in the
Hitchhiker's Guide, to new and bloodier wars? Either way the barriers
are down.

Are you now, or will you ever be, a citizen of Cyberspace?

Why?

The Other Final Frontier

Our access to space may be in some jeopardy. Three different Titan launches
have exploded, and now the Delta rockets are failing too. The worst part
is that they are not sure why.
See http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hangar/5816/spacenews.htm
One explanation proposed is insufficient government oversight.
http://www.nacomm.org/news/1999/qtr1/lmcotitan.htm

Deep Space 1, the first launch of the New Millennium Program designed
to test new technologies for use on science missions of the 21st century
continues its journey through space. The tests of the lighter, smaller,
lower powered, more radiation resistant electronics are going well.
The same applies to the intelligent switches, a very small,
lightweight set of on/off switches that reports to the
spacecraft's computer on how much current and voltage they are
controlling.

In the middle of March the important test was turning over the
spacecraft for the first time completely to the autonomous navigation system,
AutoNav. The combination camera and imaging spectrometer has a
ultraviolet detector not functioning properly, but as AutoNav turned the
spacecraft it was still able to control the camera to collect pictures of
asteroids and stars used to determine the spacecraft's precise location
in the solar system. It analyzed these images and other data and correctly
calculated its position, then predicted where the spacecraft would go if it
continued on its present course. The navigation system determined
what changes to make in the use of the spacecraft's ion propulsion system
to keep Deep Space 1 on course. AutoNav turned the spacecraft to point
the main antenna at Earth so that accumulated data on the health of the
spacecraft and the results of the various technology experiments could be
transmitted. Finally, AutoNav turned the spacecraft to point the ion
propulsion system in the desired direction and successfully fired up
the engine which had been turned off since early January except for
two brief tests. Every 12 hours during each week, AutoNav
updated the throttle level and the direction of thrusting, proceeding
with minimal human supervision, and early each week would go through
the complex sequence to determine its exact position and report to
Earth.

Then on Thursday May 6, about 10:33 p.m. Central time, more than
68 million miles from Earth (over 12 light minutes), something happened
and Deep Space 1 went into standby mode. AutoNav pointed the craft
to the Sun, disengaged its high-gain antenna, and reverted to its low-gain
antenna to communicate with Earth. By early afternoon on Friday, May
7, the Deep Space 1 operations team completed the return of the
spacecraft to normal cruise configuration. The cause of the standby
event that occurred is not yet known and is under investigation.

Mission controllers plan on loading of new software in the spacecraft's
main computer and a flyby of asteroid 1992 KD in late July. This
asteroid encounter will give the spacecraft's technologies an
opportunity to be tested on a scientifically interesting body.
During the flyby, AutoNav will attempt to guide the spacecraft to
within five miles of the asteroid's surface, making it the closest flyby
of a solar system body ever attempted.

Seven of the twelve new technologies on Deep Space 1 have completed
testing, including the ion propulsion system that has proved to be 10
times more efficient than conventional liquid or solid rocket engines.
To mark the occasion JPL issued a press release with the title "Exotic
Technologies Finish Road Test On Cosmic Highway" proving once
again that JPL is one of the less stuffy arms of NASA. Deep Space 1
will continue testing technologies until its prime mission concludes
on September 18. NASA is considering a possible extended mission
that would take the spacecraft on flybys of two comets in 2001.

The Mars Global Surveyor had its own share of problems. It began
its full-scale, two-year mapping mission of the red planet on March 9.
The night of April 18th it went into contingency mode and shut down
all the science instruments and initiated communications with flight
controllers through its smaller low-gain antenna. Contingency
mode is an intermediate step that is not as severe as when a spacecraft
goes into a safe mode. The reason for entering contingency mode was
a hinge that allows the spacecraft's high-gain telecommunications
antenna to point toward Earth stopped moving as planned.

The high gain antenna, though it must be aligned to point to Earth, allows
a much higher data rate and also allows communication to take place even
if Mars and Earth are themselves not favorably aligned. The gravitational
forces on the sensitive high gain antenna could damage it, and so the
on-board sequence commands the hinge to the "earth-tracking" position
before the daily communications downlink. At the end of the
communication session the sequence commands the hinge to the "parked"
position to minimize the gravity force on the antenna. In its deployed
and steerable position, the high-gain antenna allows the spacecraft to
simultaneously make measurements of Mars and communicate with Earth
without turning the spacecraft. Information from the science instruments are
recorded 24 hours per day on solid-state recorders onboard the spacecraft.
Then the data are transmitted to Earth once a day.

There are two hinges at the end of the boom that connect to the high-gain
antenna. One hinge, called the azimuth hinge, moves the antenna from
side to side; the other hinge, called the elevation hinge, moves the antenna
up and down. The azimuth hinge appeared to have stopped moving
midway between its "parked" position and its "earth-tracking" position.
The hinges functioned as planned since the antenna deployment on March
28, indicating to project engineers that the problem was not related to that
event.

On April 19, controllers took the craft out of contingency mode and turned
the entire spacecraft to point the high-gain telecommunications antenna
toward Earth. Then they used that antenna to playback complete telemetry
information for the period of time in which the hinge failed. They pored
through the information for clues. On April 21, they conducted a test that
moved the hinge one-half of a degree from side to side. The information
from the spacecraft showed that the hinge moved freely in one direction,
but its motion appeared to be obstructed in the opposite direction. The
tests were designed to help engineers determine if the obstruction is internal
to the motor mechanism, or external, such as a thermal blanket or cable
obstruction. On April 23, they tried a test to check the temperature of the
hinges on the high-gain telecommunications antenna in an attempt to
understand if part of a thermal blanket might be obstructing its movement.
They also tried moving the hinge back and forth a full degree.

Meanwhile, they planed to proceed with the mapping mission. The science
instruments were turned back on Wednesday,
April 28 and the next day the spacecraft began a one-week
mapping campaign with the antenna in a fixed position. On May 6,
with Mars and the Earth at favorable angles from each other,
the spacecraft returned to a normal mapping mission using the
antenna steered into the correct direction to send continuous data to
Earth. Unfortunately this trick will work only through February 2000,
when the geometry between Mars and
Earth again becomes unfavorable, with telecommunications limited
due to the restricted motion of the antenna hinge. Engineers are looking
at options for conducting the mission after
February so that there will be a minimal impact on how much
science data the mission can collect and send to Earth, but haven't
decided just what they are going to do yet.

The final analysis from the flight team was that there appears to be
an obstruction (probably not a thermal blanket) that
prevents the hinge from operating through its complete range of
motion. It's the kind of thing that an astronaut in position could
probably fix in an instant.

At 9:45 a.m., May 7. Central time, Global Surveyor fired its
small thrusters for about two minutes in order to fine-tune its
orbit around Mars. The mapping orbit was designed so that the
spacecraft does not fly over precisely the same swath of Martian
landscape, or "ground track," from one week to the next. The
spacecraft must fire its thrusters every few months to keep the
necessary ground-track separation. This is especially important
now since the science team is in the process of an intensive
four-week campaign to acquire stereo images of the planet.

Starry, Starry Sky

A colossal assortment of star-studded, galaxy-filled
pictures and information - enough to fill the hard disks on
hundreds of home computers - is contained in the first major data
release from a telescope sky survey sponsored by NASA and the
National Science Foundation. The current data release is
available at the following
website: http://www.ipac.caltech.edu/2mass/gallery/spr99/

For more information, see http://www.stsci.edu/

The Write Stuff (Pen and Ink Optional!)

Ever wish there were a search engine just for writers? There is now!
Try out Book Search Engine at http://www.booksearchengine.com/ .

For more information, see our listing at:
http://www.clever.net/cam/writers.html

FFFeedback

ANNE COLLINS SMITH WROTE:

Hi Margaret!

Just got my first "issue" of the FoF email newsletter. It was fun
to read! I liked the way you and Clif pull in such a variety of
information of interest to fans. Thanks so much for sending it to
me.

I really miss Adventures in Space and Crime. We don't have a lot
of bookstores, much less interesting specialty bookstores, here in
The Middle of Nowhere, Pennsylvania!

I enjoyed reading about REVELcon. If you'd be interested, I can
give you a link to put on the webpage:
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Styx/7246/elaine.html
This is a memorial webpage that I did for Ann McKannan, my former
singing partner at REVELcon, who passed away last November. It
includes lyrics to the songs we used to sing together (including
the one I did this year with the help of the audience) and some
funny tidbits from previous REVELcons.

Oh, and next time you're updating the REVELcon page -- don't go
in and change it just for this -- but could you fix the spelling
of my name? I'm Anne with an "e".

I'm also working on a REVELcon report of my own. I'd be happy to
send you a copy when it's done, and if you want to use any excerpts,
fee free!

Very best wishes--
Anne
Anne Collins Smith

Thank you for you kind words, Anne! We aims to please! Thanks
also for the lovely Ann McKannan Web pages. We have added a link
to them here:
http://www.clever.net/cam/revelcon.html

JANET JENNINGS WROTE:

Please add us to your index.
San Antonio Writers Guild
http://home.att.net/~janjenn/

A writers group located in San Antonio, Texas for writers in all
genres, both amateur and professional. We feature speakers, workshops,
critique groups and lively open meetings. Visit our homepage for
more information.

Thanks, Janet, and a hearty welcome to the San Antonio Writers
Guild. If there are any other writer's groups in Texas who would
like to also be added to our listing at:
http://www.clever.net/cam/writers.html
please just let us know!

And if that doesn't wrap up this issue, I don't know what will.

Send any email comments or suggestions regarding fannish
activities/events in the greater Houston area (or within Texas) or
regarding this Info Alert to fof@www.clever.net . If you received this Info

Alert as a sample and would be interested in receiving future editions
directly, email clifton@cs.uh.edu or click on "sign up" on any of our
Web pages as listed above and register. Alternately you can
register directly on http://www.clever.net/cam/register.html .
Be seeing you!

Margaret A. Fincannon, Friends of Fandom Info-Alert Staff
Clifton B. Davis, Friends of Fandom Info-Alert Staff
http://www.clever.net/cam/fof.html fof@www.clever.net

And now for the fine print you've been waiting for....
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The Friends of Fandom Information Alert is an official publication of
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furtherance of its tax exempt purpose. The information contained
therein reflects that believed to be true and accurate by its editors.
However, we make no guarantees. All opinions expressed are those of the
individual contributors and may not necessarily reflect either the
official position of Friends of Fandom or the opinions of the editors,
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Fandom is a nonprofit, literary, scientific, and educational 501(c)(3)
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