February 2000
Greetings From the Last Best Months of the 20th Century. Greetings
also to new members of our select group, Herb Focken from Tulsa
(Coweta, actually, just 35 miles southeast of Tulsa), Linda Brevelle
who from her secret fortress in LA is switching from a simple notice
to the emailed Info-Alert in all its glory (or what passes for it),
(at least that's what I think happened, it's kinda hard to tell for
sure), and Cat Henley, er, Cat Osborne that is, from here in Houston.
And now...
Fasten your seatbelt and bring your browser window to an upright and
locked position.
And we are off (mind the initial bumps)....
As always, how far off you have to determine for yourself.
Deaths and Other Fannish/Pro Disasters
A.E. van Vogt, 1912 - 2000
January 26, A.E. (Fans are Slans) van Vogt, author of Null A, the
writer who ruled the Sevagram, THE master of the wheels within wheels
style of plotting, SFWA Grand Master, and initial inductee of the
Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame has died of complications
of pneumonia. His writing career started in the 30's and continued
thereafter with occasional decade lapses. He was persistently rumored
to be a ghost writer for the dead L. Ron Hubbard in spite of suffering
from progressively worsening Alzheimer's for the last decade.
As a writer, van Vogt possessed some eccentric theories of writing,
sometimes writing a paragraph at a time, each on a separate index
card. He claimed that you should use all your best ideas immediately
rather than saving some for a rainy day and more quality ideas would
flow in to replace them.
He felt that each small group of paragraphs should make an appeal to
each of the senses in turn and that there should be a new concept or
plot turn every 800 words. To quote, if I can, Dave Langford in
Ansible (and I can), these theories "led to high-speed, dreamlike
narratives that had almost hypnotic force despite not always making
sense."
As I (Clif) recall, however, they usually did make some kind of sense,
though they frequently had to be interpreted with extensive inferred
background assumptions. As a trivial example, take the story where
the aliens who have been monitoring humanity decide at the end that
this is the race that will rule the Sevagram.
Now, do you know what a Sevagram is? On the basis of no evidence at
all, I always assumed it was the local assemblage of reality planes
(whatever in the heck that means) that includes our universe as a small
component. Maybe A.E. van Vogt meant our local stretch of the spiral
arm. More likely he never bothered to figure out just what it meant.
But that is OK. If he explained, would it be half as evocative?
But, yes, to enjoy his writing, your mind has to be willing to fill
in details. On the other hand, I don't know that I ever considered
his prose as hypnotic (except in the page turning sense) or even
as high quality. It was his intricate wheels within wheels plots I
admired. Different people - different reactions, I suppose.
Locus Obituary - http://www.locusmag.com/2000/News/News01e.html
Ansible 151 - http://www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/SF-Archives/Ansible/a151.html
Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Breaths Smoke
Back at the end of January, Maury Gibson referred us to a
Washington Times story
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/aponline/20000131/aponline191150_000.htm
titled "Kurt Vonnegut in Critical Condition".
It seems that Vonnegut, 77, was home with his wife and daughter at his
East 48th Street brownstone when an unattended cigarette left burning
in the fourth-floor study may have started a fire. Everyone initially
got out OK, but Vonnegut was doing what most of us would be doing in
similar circumstances, i.e. trying to save as many of his books and
papers from the fire as possible, when a saner neighbor intervened
(and probably saved his life).
Vonnegut's initial critical but stable condition from smoke
inhalation has continually improved and he will soon be back to normal
again (or at least as normal as you can be and still be Kurt Vonnegut).
Gil Kane Dies in Florida
Gil Kane, comic artist for Green Lantern, Hulk, Spiderman, Wildcat,
Johnny Thunder and many others and who was the creator of The Atom
died early in February from complications of cancer. He worked
for almost every comic company that was in the business, and besides
super-hero stories drew comics in the Western, science-fiction and
true crime tales genres. Gil Kane was 74 and died at home.
Los Angeles Times Story reprint
http://www.calendarlive.com/went/20000202/tCB00a4644.html
Gil Kane - http://www.comic-art.com/~herriman/bios-1/kanegil.htm
Random Fandom
This month, artist Panda is trying her luck in Las Vegas with her mum
and sis. Alison Parker made the Dean's List at UH (GAFIA will do that
for you). Anne and Owen Smith were interviewed by Christian Science
Monitor for an article on the supernatural on TV (see the Feedback
section down near the end). James Doyle and his magnificent obsession
with things Oz (and the original musical, no less) was the subject of
a very substantial article in the January 27 Houston Press, Goodbye
Yellow Brick Road (and the photo was a good one for a miracle).
For those that don't know, GAFIA (pronounced to rhyme with have-fee-uh)
is fannish for 'Getting Away From It All' (GAFIA) where 'it all' is
fandom. And the Houston Press is Houston's major Alternative Newspaper
(financed in part from the ads of lawyer Pat Bushman).
And though it has absolutely nothing to do with fandom, we are into
the March 6, 2000 anniversary of the fall of the Alamo, so this is a
good time to hit the video store and check out the John Wayne movie
(which as far as history goes, might as well be Science Fiction.
- See how it all fits in?).
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
http://www.houstonpress.com/issues/2000-01-27/feature2.html
Houston Press - http://www.houstonpress.com/
http://thealamo.org/
Forthcoming SF&Fantasy Books
February releases from Poul Anderson, Steve Gould, Allen
Steele, & Harry Turtledove.
For more sf&f new book listings and more detail (updated monthly),
see http://www.clever.net/cam/forthcomingsf.html .
Steve Gould's new book, Blind Waves is reviewed by Mark Wilson at
http://www.scifi.com/sfw/current/books.html .
Terry Pratchett Signs and Signs Again
Terry Pratchett is signing in Houston at Murder By The Book on March 24
6:00 PM (during AggieCon) so if any Houston-area fans want to see him
but can't make it to the con this is an ideal time. Then Austin fans
get their chance on Sunday, March 26, 2-4 PM at Adventures in Crime &
Space Books. Adventures in Crime and Space will follow in April with
Sean Stewart and in May with Charles de Lint.
Houston fans are welcome to bring all of their earlier Terry Pratchett
books to be signed, but the new books must be purchased from Murder By
The Book. The new books are Fifth Elephant (HarperCollins, hbk $24)
and Carpe Jugulum (HarperCollins, hbk $24). In Austin, Terry
Pratchett will be signing Fifth Elephant. Fans who can't make it to
either can reserve an autographed copy of Fifth Elephant from Adventures
in Crime and Space or, if you don't need it personalized, you can likely
order from them after the fact. It's worth looking at the Adventures in
Crime and Space Web page to get an idea of the other authors for which
they have autographed books, as they do frequent signings.
While Murder By The Book also has frequent signings, they are primarily
mystery signings. If those of you in Houston would like them to add
more Science Fiction & Fantasy signings, it would probably be more
impressive if we could have a sizable showing at the SF&F signing they
are having.
Adventures in Crime and Space - http://www.crimeandspace.com/
609 A West Sixth Street, Austin, Texas 78701
Author Signing page - http://www.crimeandspace.com/events.html
Murder By The Book - http://www.murderbooks.com/
2342 Bissonnet St., Houston, TX 77005
Author Signing page - http://www.murderbooks.com/mbtbsgng.html
Schindler's Book List
Dallas Morning News' Dorman T. Schindler has a regular column that
reviews science fiction. An offering at
http://dallasnews.com/lifestyles/books/33475_SFCOL20.html covers books
by Kage Baker, William Gibson, Joe Haldeman, and even a reprint by
Jack Williamson. Quote - "Reading like a cross between Casablanca and
The Terminator, Mr. Gibson's latest is a pure hit of cyberspace
adrenaline."
A Conversation With Elizabeth Moon
The SF Site has now finished their two part interview with Elizabeth
Moon. Quote - "...it was after my first book got published that I
finally understood some portions of the Old Testament that I had never
understood before. It suddenly dawned on me that what God wanted was
appreciative readers, not critics."
Elizabeth Moon Interview - http://www.sfsite.com/02a/em74.htm
The SF site - http://www.sfsite.com/
Future Shock
For an interesting projection to the year 3000 see the Toronto Star's
"Future Shock for Body, Mind and Soul"
http://www.thestar.com/back_issues/ED20000101/toronto/999000101NEW01_CI-TO30001.html
Bruce Sterling in Newsweek weighs in with Learning to Love
Obsolescence, an intriguing look at the future of Junk.
Quote - "Tomorrow's garbage is very easy to predict: it's
everything that we love today."
http://newsweek.com/nw-srv/printed/us/st/a64690-1999dec19.htm
Newsweek also hosts commentary on the future (and desirability) of
ubiquitous, pervasive, wearable computing by Peter McGrath
http://newsweek.com/nw-srv/printed/us/st/a64686-1999dec19.htm
and the future of sex in Yahlin Chang's "Was It Virtually Good for You?"
http://newsweek.com/nw-srv/printed/us/st/a64687-1999dec19.htm
Differing somewhat is a look at Neuroplasticity developments which may
be the most promising and most dangerous technology of them all.
http://newsweek.com/nw-srv/printed/us/st/a64688-1999dec19.htm
Science Fiction Games
Wheel of Time is, by all accounts, an elegant 3D game of action and
strategy and is based on Robert Jordan's bestselling series of fantasy
novels. It comes only on CD, which is certainly understandable for
software of this size. The game uses an enhanced version of Unreal's
3-D engine technology and has 24-bit color (with MMX), complex
geometry, and smooth character animation. You need a Windows 95 or
Windows 98 machine and lots of free space (500M MINIMUM!) and more
to run it effectively.
Story-wise, the game is a prequel to the series. You are Elayna Sedai
(at least in single player mode - up to 4 can play) a member of the Aes
Sedai sisterhood dispatched on a 17-level quest to recover a stolen
artifact. You're deposited beside a fast-moving river with a palpable
tension in the air--a storm is about to break--and a mission: You have
to catch up to an assassin before he reaches the gates of the ruined
city of Shadar Logoth.
The newest (and just out) issue of New Media Review contains a full
review of the game that Linda Brevelle lists as one of the highlights
of this edition.
The Wheel of Time: True to Its Roots
http://nmreview.com/reviews/wheeloftime/index.htm
Other reviews, though not as detailed, are at Amazon.com but cover a
very wide range of opinion (from 2 stars to 5).
Amazon.com's Wheel of Time game page
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=B00001XDKL/fantasicfuturesbA
New Media Review - http://nmreview.com/
Science Fiction on TV
Farscape Season Two commences on March 17, 2000.
George Takei Calls Galaxy Quest a Chillingly Realistic Documentary.
Sci Fi Wire news is carrying an exclusive interview with George Takei.
The proposals that were made by [Voyager executive producer] Rick
Berman to Paramount [for a series to follow Voyager], were all
rejected. Takei, seems to be taking a page from Roddenberry's book
by orchestrating a fan campaign for a series based on Captain Sulu
and the Starship Excelsior.
George Takei Is Ready To Beam Up
http://www.scifi.com/startrek/takei/takei2.html
Official Excelsior Campaign Website
http://excelsior.iftcommand.com/low/default.htm
Sci Fi Wire News - http://www.scifi.com/
Ragnarok-bert - End of Civilization Imminent
As a total shock to yours truly (both of us), the last regular season
episode of Dilbert aired February 22, 2000 (with Jerry Seinfeld, no
less, as guest).
This is not mentioned on the Official Dilbert Site so we are left to
wonder at Scott Adams' and Dogbert's reactions.
Who would guess that Dilbert would be replace by yet another cop show?
UPN Confirmation - http://www.upn.com/shows/dilbert/dillog.htm
Scott Adams' Official Dilbert Site - http://www.dilbert.com/
The following is courtesy Magrathea/SFTV Page at
http://www.sftv.org/sftv/sftvschd.txt
-----
Science Fiction TV Shows Upcoming Episodes (Feb 24th Update)
UPN gives Dilbert the Sack
UPN is officially putting Dilbert "On Hiatus" starting in March to
make room for their new cop show "The Beat". According to
Variety, UPN is not likely to order any additional episodes and
will probably burn off the remaining episodes during the summer.
FOX Green Lights Lone Gunmen Pilot
FOX has given the go ahead for Ten Thirteen productions to film
a pilot episode for a X-Files spinoff featuring the Lone Gunmen.
It will presumably feature the trio as well as a female conspiracy
theorist as a regular. As for the X-Files for next year, negotiations
are still going on and a decision should be announced in the next
couple of weeks.
10th Kingdom website online
The official website for the Hallmark Productions fantasy miniseries
"The 10th Kingdom" airing on NBC this month is now online at
http://www.t10k.com/ . More info is being added to the site as the
airdates approaches. It will be a 10 hour miniseries over five nights
starting February 27th through Monday, March 6th.
-----
For more information, see our listing at:
http://www.clever.net/cam/sftv.html
Profiles of Others Times
NBC will swap the time slots of its new supernatural drama The Others
and its longtime series Profiler starting March 11. The Others moves
to 9 p.m. Saturdays; Profiler moves to 10 p.m. The Others has seen
ratings decline from its Feb. 5 debut.
The Resurrection of Dr. Who
The BBC is bringing Dr. Who back with Sylvester McCoy as the Dr.,
reunited with Sophie Aldred as Ace. It's being produced by Dan
Freedman.
One idea for the first couple of episodes involves a trip to a future
earth, to an England that has been turned into a hell by the extensive
use of genetic engineering. According to Sylvester McCoy, they plan
on catering to the fans without worrying about scaring thousands of
children, one of the things that McCoy says brought him back to the
role. The writers will really be able to let rip with a cast of
millions of extras this time around.
Feel like you have dropped into an alternate universe???
Well you have, kind of, into an alternate reality called BBC Radio.
(Radio 4, to be exact). Anyone have friends across the big pond
with tape recorders?
In a Q&A session with SF Crowsnest, Sylvester McCoy said "Radio is
probably the last medium available to Dr Who, outside of Hollywood.
Special effects and viewer's expectations of what we should see in
televised science fiction has been pushed beyond the reach of Auntie's
humble purse strings.
Fans today have been trained by all those Star Trek episodes to expect a
lot more than a papier-m=E2ch=E9 mask and a romp through a forest in the
Lake District."
http://207.201.173.29/sfnews/newsb0300.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/news/index.shtml
Citizen's Information Bureau
by T'Pell, special Total Recall 2070 Reporter
>From the German magazine, "TV HIGHLIGHTS", Issue 5/2000 (53)
"After only one season, the series 'Total Recall 2070' was cancelled,
one reason being too high costs. But now there seems to be new hope
for the series. It is said that Alliance/Atlantis will restart
production in May.
New scripts are being written at the moment."
Thanks to Alpa Jopa for passing this on, and for the English
translation.
T'P
The one and only
President, Alphaholics Anonymous
More Citizen's Information Bureau -
http://www.terraforming.com/tr2070.htm
Science Fiction at the Movies
Fantasy Fantasy Fantasy!!!
Lord of The Rings
In New Zealand, filming continues on the monster project. Back in
October they were deserted by the Royal New Zealand Army who were to
appear in the scenes requiring thousands of extras. Due to the East
Timor conflict, the army has to be on call to fulfill its obligations
to the United Nations.
If you haven't seen the new upgraded, multimedia-heavy Lord of the
Rings Web site released in December, take a look at
http://www.lordoftherings.net .
If you use Windows 95/98/NT (or Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher) you
can download their special Lord of the Rings Trilogy browser which
will "transform your browser into The Shire" and "let you dive deeper
into Middle Earth. Custom skins will allow you to choose the appearance
as often as you like, from Moria to Mathom."
Gandalf (Ian McKellen) has his own Web page and claims to be using the
book as his bible as he plays the character, occasionally getting the
writers to slip back in a phrase from the book that seems essentially
Gandalfian.
McKellen also talks more about the recent criticism he has received
as a gay actor playing the famous wizard. In response to a
correspondent who suggested that such critics be censored, McKellen
said, "Let the bigots be heard--then they can be answered. All my
correspondents have been positive."
McKellen also plays Magneto in Fox's upcoming feature film, X-Men.
Lord of the Rings Movie- http://www.lordoftherings.net/
Ian McKellen - http://www.mckellen.com/epost/index.html
Dungeons and Dragons
A movie that has been forever reaching the screen (starting in 1991
back before the Dungeons and Dragons game company was sold to Wizards
of the Coast, which was in turn recently sold to Hasbro) the Dungeons
and Dragons movie may actually be worth the wait.
Director Corey Solomon has NOT stayed true to the book, the rule book
that is, but has compromised or altered spells, particularly, while he
tried to maintain the D&D feel rather than strict adherence to the
detailed rules (kind of like the typical DM actually).
Solomon has not gone with one of the standard D&D universes. Instead
the film has its own (which will probably become one of the standard
universes).
Sumdall is a city of mages created by mages, and much of the film
revolves around the city of Sumdall and Empire of Izmer, a divided
land with the elite mage overlords and the powerless commoners.
Now Izmer's enlightened young Empress, Savina (Thora Birch), wants
equality and prosperity for all, but the evil Mage Profion (Jeremy
Irons) is plotting to depose her, and establish his own rule.
The Empress possesses a scepter which controls Izmer's Golden Dragons.
To challenge her rule, Profion must have the scepter, and tricks the
Council of Mages into believing Savina is unfit to hold it.
Knowing that Profion will bring death and destruction to Izmer, Savina,
must find the legendary Rod of Savrille, the film's McGuffin that
everyone is after, a mythical rod that has the power to control Red
Dragons, a species even mightier than the Gold.
Held to Sumdall to oppose the plans of Profion, the Empress turns to
a most unlikely set of allies. And so begins a convoluted tale full
of twists and surprises reaching from the deadly maze of the Thieves
Guild at Antius through an Elven Village, through secret grottos and
abandoned castles and then beyond.
According to Solomon, character is central to the movie, not special
effects, particularly the chemistry between the two thieves and between
them and the feisty Dwarf and the Empress and her Elvish tracker.
Though they did have a sizable special effects budget much of which
was spent on Dragons. Soloman has claimed that the movie surpasses the
depiction of dragons in movies up to now, both individually and in
the inevitable massive battle between armies with tens of thousands of
dragons that one way or another must take place in the skies over
Sumdall. But this is almost extra.
In an interview, Solomon said, "The goal was to reach a cross between
the characterizations and world building of Star Wars...what they
originally created...and the pacing and fun of Raiders Of The Lost Ark.
I also want to tell you that although the film has its fun and
adventure, there are also darker moments which keep the credibility of
the story and characters. Obviously, for commercial reasons we went for
a PG-13 rating in how we filmed certain sequences, however, it is by no
means geared for children, and certain scenes...as they pertain to
content...are very D&D, and are right at the edge between an R rating
and PG-13."
Noticeably missing from the film are D&D clerics, but this was done,
they claim, not from any fear of extremist religious reactions, but
due to the fact that in this first film of the planned trilogy the
action centers on a land of mages. Clerics will figure large in the
following films.
The film is currently in post-production. The novelization of the film
is to be performed by [dramatic drum roll] non other than Texas SF writer
Neal Barrett Jr. (see his note in the feedback section further down from
which it seems the novelization _has_ been done). (Congratulations, Neal).
Dungeons & Dragons Official Home Page for the Movie
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/movie.asp
Interview with Corey Solomon
http://www.dndmovie.com/corey.htm
Sword and the Crown
Not content with two major fantasy movies, Steven Spielburg may be
considering entering the fray with an adaptation of the award-winning
fantasy novel For The Crown and The Dragon. The 1994 novel by Stephen
Hunt takes place in an alternative reality 18th century heavy on Welsh
mythology but with steampunk touches.
According to Science Fiction Crowsnest, Spielberg is currently casting
about for suitably talented scriptwriters to pen the adaptation, and
interestingly enough, his minions have been spotted in New Zealand
last week.
That may or may not be significant, but New Zealand is certainly
becoming THE place to shoot fantasy films with first Xena Warrior
Princess and then Lord of the Rings.
Hunt, Stephen For the Crown & The Dragon (T-1) Green Nebula 1994 First
Edition Mass Market Paperback Fine / Our Book # 0000014777
[Note from Margaret- "Green Nebula" is listed as the name of the
publisher of this mass market paperback by Amazon.com and Bibliofind,
not to be confused with the Nebula awards in any way. W.H. Smith,
listed by SF Crowsnest as publisher, is a general retailer in the U.K.
with 28,177 employees. I'm thinking "Green Nebula" was one of its
imprints and that the original paperback must have been first issued
in Great Britain.]
[Note from Clif- SF Crowsnest worded it in such a way that you might
think that W.H. Smith was the writer (which certainly confused me).
I thought they had blundered even more than the occasion where they
altered a well known writer's sex. Three cheers for Margaret's
detective work!]
All in all it's pretty iffy, but remember, you heard it here first
(though the ultimate credit or blame must go to Crowsnest).
Spielberg makes a Fantasy Movie -
http://207.201.173.29/sfnews/news0300.htm
http://www.pcisys.net/~glanducci/fts/books.html
http://www.hemscott.co.uk/EQUITIES/company/cd00579.htm
Mars at the Movies
Mission to Mars is set for a March 10, 2000 release!
http://movies.go.com/m2m/
The first of the Mars Movies to hit the screen, this one may be too
good to be successful. Reading between the lines, it has too much
science to satisfy the mindless entertainment crowd and too much
entertainment to strictly maintain plausibility everywhere. I
expect to enjoy it.
Entertainment Weekly's take on Mission to Mars
http://www.survivemars.com/m2m/articles/ew.html
Mission to Mars Official Site
http://studio.go.com/m2m/index.html
More Mars - Red Planet
There seem to be some serious problems with the production of the
special effects. The release date has been moved back to November.
http://www.survivemars.com/redplanet/articles/fx.html
Red Planet News - http://www.survivemars.com/redplanet/index.html
Yet More Mars - Mars Imax 3D
Not coming out for another two years, but Jim Cameron has released
some VERY nice images to whet the appetite.
Mars Imax 3D News - http://www.survivemars.com/IMAX/index.html
Just When You Thought It Was Safe to Go Back to the Woods
When reporting the small potatoes that Blair Witch creators Eduardo
Sanchez and Daniel Myrick received out of the tons of money made on
the Blair Witch movie, we pointed out that rather than suing or bad
mouthing everything in sight, they were planning on making their
money on the sequel.
The sometimes reliable SF Crowsnest reports that they have made a deal
with movie company Artisan for not one, but two sequels. The second
movie, Blair Witch II (would we lie) features the creative duo as
consultants while Joe Berlinger (Brother's Keeper) gets to actually
make the movie with a $10 million budget.
After he messes it up (they should be shooting now for a Halloween
2000 release), the boys get to take their own shot at it, to make a
prequel with their own $10 million budget (a considerable step up
from the $40,000 they raised for the first movie). The prequel will
probably shoot this winter and is slated for release somewhen in 2001.
The real payoff however is that the two then get to make the movie
they really want to make, a romantic comedy called "Heart of Love".
If anyone in a position to make decisions had any sense, they would go
right to work on the romantic comedy.
Interestingly, Joe Berlinger approached the Burkittsville, Md. (where
the first movie was filmed) town meeting for permission to film there
and received a less than enthusiastic response.
According to Sci Fi Wire, former city councilman Sam Brown reportedly
shouted, "We've already been raped. Now they want us to be prostitutes."
The town has been overrun with tourists (which include those who steal
city property (signs) as souvenirs) and even some nuts who have
vandalized tombstones in the local cemetery.
Blair Witch II - http://207.201.173.29/sfnews/newsd0200.htm
SF Crowsnest - http://www.sfcrowsnest.com/
Sci-Fi Wire Story
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/art-main.html?2000-02/16/13.35.film
The Blair Witch Project (paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=3D0451199669/fantasicfuturesbA
The Blair Witch Project (DVD) - B00001QGUM
Blair Witch Project : The Fotonovel - 0897520076
Curse of the Blair Witch (VHS) - B00001QGUL
Anakin Wars
There are now over 700 different names which have been reported as
candidates vying for the chance to play 19-year-old Anakin Skywalker
in Star Wars: Episode II.
Entertainment Weekly claims the following is the A-list:
Leonardo DiCaprio
James Van Der Beek
Joshua Jackson (Dawson's Creek)
Eric Christian Olsen (Get Real)
Erik von Detten (Odd Man Out)
Ryan Phillippe (Cruel Intentions)
Chris Klein (American Pie)
On the other hand, in December, Newsweek reported that General
Hospital soap star Jonathan Jackson had a lock on the role.
Lucas-the-Hutt spokeswoman, Lynne Hale, told Entertainment Weekly that
Lucasfilms has seen no fewer than 700 tapes and met with 300 actors.
Spielberg Turns Down Harry Potter
Steven Spielberg has declined Warner Brother's offer to make their
Harry Potter movie for summer 2001 release. He has released one of
those statements which contains words but doesn't really say very
much. Basically his directorial interests are taking him in another
direction, though he did say he was certain that the series of
Harry Potter movies will be phenomenally successful.
If you have been living in isolation (or, that is, under a rock), Harry
Potter is the hero of a British young adult fantasy series that has
become wildly popular in both the US and England.
Only four of the projected seven books have been written (the
fourth to be released this summer (July) - _Harry Potter and
the Doomspell Tournament_ ), though the author says she has
written the ending of the seventh and that the series becomes darker
as it progresses. Certainly she is making Harry Potter a year older
each time (as in the first three books) so that the younger readers
(who started the first book also at age 11 in 1997) are growing up
along with him.
We list a really neat chat link (below) to a chat with the author. For
fans who have not yet read all three Harry Potter books already
published (so, get with it already!! :) sayeth Margaret), be advised
that the link may contain some major SPOILERS! Though not nearly as
many as there would have been if Ms. Rowling hadn't repeatedly refused
to answer leading questions. So you may well not want to read it
unless you have completed through the third book first. And
maybe not even then if you would rather not know anything in advance
about Harry's evolving relationship with girls. (He gets a year older
in each book, remember? -Margaret.)
According to Entertainment Weekly, Warner Brothers is now considering
a list including directors Jonathan Demme, Rob Reiner, and Tim Robbins
to make the movie. The screenwriter will be Steve Kloves (Wonder Boys)
who has vowed to Salon Magazine that he is going to be true to the
books' characters and that the characters are the movie.
Kloves said "The picture has to be British, and it has to be true to
the kids. I'm speaking from my own experience, but I find that
children 7 [yrs.] and under respond less to special effects than to
characters and to what's happening to characters.
And Warner Bros. seems to be wholeheartedly embracing this approach -
that if you don't care about the kids in Harry Potter, you're not
going to care about the movie, no matter how remarkable the dragon
or the flying broomsticks."
Harry Potter and the Doomspell Tournament
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=3D0439139597/fantasicfuturesbA
Entertainment Weekly's Account of the Movie
http://www.ew.com/ew/daily/0,2514,2654,stevenspielbergsaysno.html
Sci Fi Wire's report on Steve Kloves Approach
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/art-main.html?2000-02/24/13.00.film
A Chat with J. K. Rowling WARNING - SPOILERS
http://teacher.scholastic.com/authorsandbooks/authors/rowling/tscript=
.htm
Forthcoming SF, Fantasy, & Gaming Cons
REVELcon will be here before we know it (March 17-19), followed
directly by AggieCon (March 23-26) with special GOH Harlan Ellison
and Author GOH Terry Pratchett, with Myhr as Master of Ceremonies.
For a more complete listing see our monthly What's Happening list
at http://www.clever.net/cam/concalendar.html .
Speaking of Harlan Ellison
Harlan has turned his spotlight on SFWA's Grand Master award (you may
recall us pointing out that AE van Vogt was one of SFWA's honored
Grandmasters) and found it wanting (huge surprise).
In particular, with Big Name Writers obviously deserving of the honor
starting to drop like flies, Harlan's suggestion is to start handing
out more than one Grand Master award per year, to increase the
chances of some of the deserving authors receiving the honors while
they are still alive and in sound mind to appreciate it.
If you or I made the suggestion, it would be like throwing a pebble
into the ocean, or a tree falling over in the forest with no one to
hear it but a few chipmunks.
But Harlan Ellison is, well, Harlan Ellison.
The trees that fall in his forest are notoriously hard to ignore. Not
that SFWA actually plans to change its ways mind you, but the
president of SFWA (Science Fiction Writers of America) has felt
impelled to issue a public reply.
Reading the reply, you should keep in mind that last I (Clif) heard
Harlan was not a member of SFWA (though that could have changed).
Harlan's Suggestion (er demand, exhortion, whatever)
http://www.galaxyonline.com/Contributors/Ellison_Harlan/WorkingWithoutANet_P1.htm
Paul (SFWA president) Levinson's Reply
http://www.galaxyonline.com/Contributors/Levinson_Paul/ResonseToHarlan_P1.htm
REVELcon
Margaret and Clif will be behind the desk of the Art show at REVELcon
if you care to stop and chat before/after perusing the art. (And
BIDDING, of course! :) --Margaret.)
Not making any promises, but there is a good chance we will have a
number of print copies of the latest Info-Alert, quite possibly this
one, and will definitely be signing interested people up for this
free newszine.
If you could bring your neighbor by (and twist their arm until they
sign), it would definitely be appreciated. Also buy art!
Artists should take note that Margaret has performed magic and
actually placed the standard Friends of Fandom artist paperwork on
the Web where extra copies can be printed out as desired.
http://www.clever.net/cam/artshow.html
The latest REVELcon Progress report is on the Web now. You should
also definitely keep in mind the Revelcon REQUIRES advance registration
(no just showing up) and is restricted to adults only.
REVELcon Art Show - http://www.clever.net/cam/artshow.html
REVELcon 11 - http://www.clever.net/cam/revelcon.html
REVELcon Tshirts, Totes, Etc. -
http://www.clever.net/cam/rteestotes.html
Science Fiction On the Web
If your email box isn't full enough, you can subscribe to TK421, a
free Star Wars ezine (with political leanings towards the Empire) by
sending a blank email message to tk421-subscribe@egroups.com .
TK421
|-o-|
[Don't be too proud of this monthly ezine you've constructed. The
ability to entertain readers is insignificant next to the power of
the Force.]
The Shadow Moves
Last issue we mentioned the series of Shadow stories by Kimberly
Murphy-Smith. Now there is a new one at
http://members.aol.com/hczine/curissue/hc07.html
titled Dangerous Minds. To find the older stories, check out the
Hot-Corner Archives at http://hcarchives.webjump.com/ .
Space, The Final Frontier.
The current Scientific American has three separate articles detailing
"better ways" to do a manned trip to Mars than the current plan.
One would establish the base in advance and have it generating fuel &
oxygen for the return trip and tooling around while you are there. A
second version uses a moon of Mars as the actual base, with only short
visits to Mars. A third possibility sets up an orbital bus system to
Mars which costs more up front, but saves a ton over the long haul.
This is nice companion reading to Greg Benford's Mars in Our Time
http://www.galaxyonline.com/Contributors/Benford_Greg/MarsInOurTime_P1.htm
Speaking of Greg Benford, in the latest Galaxy Online he reports the
discovery of what may be (but probably isn't) the wake of an
interstellar spacecraft.
Starships in the Night?
http://www.galaxyonline.com/Contributors/Benford_Greg/StarshipsInTheNight_P1.html
Left Handed Blessings of the Mars Debacle
As you may recall, I was fairly reliably informed that the reason that
Galileo was set to end its mission at the end of 1999 because the part
of the Deep Space network used to navigate and communicate with
Galileo had Y2K problems.
In fact, there was a fly-by scheduled for after the new year but it
required no new navigation, only recording and playing back the data
from the Europa fly-by.
Which left us with a perfectly good craft in the vicinity of Jupiter,
still perfectly capable of doing science.
Apparently the software was fixed or replaced in the subsequent
interval and then the loss of two Mars craft left quite a bit of open
time on the Deep Space Network.
So now we are benefiting from the Galileo Millennium Mission, (even
though, all together now, the millennium doesn't start till next year)
an extension that NASA agreed to in principle back on January 3, 2000,
though they had to scrounge around for funding for a while.
The Europa flyby used the magnetometer to provide the strongest
evidence yet that there is a liquid sea under the ice.
Galileo's magnetometer observed directional changes consistent with
the type that would occur if Europa contained a shell of electrically
conducting material, such as a salty, liquid ocean.
Based on the detailed magnetometer readings, it appears that the
ocean lies beneath the surface somewhere in the outer 100 kilometers
(60 miles), the approximate thickness of the ice/water layer!!
On previous Europa flybys, Galileo identified a magnetic north pole,
but did not determine whether its position changes with time in
response to relative changes in Jupiter's field.
As part of the Millenium Mission, there will be a similar check for
Ganymede on two fly-bys this year.
Recently Galileo completed a fly-by of Io, the closest yet with a
wealth of pictures and other observations, which it started to send
back starting on the 25th.
Though there were three computer resets due to the intense radiation
around Io's position, the improved software prevented the loss of
substantial data. Galileo's computer has now stood up to several
times as much radiation as it was designed for, and still the plucky
spacecraft, launched in 1989, continues to return new results.
Galileo home page - http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/
Stardust is now well beyond Mars and has begun to collect interstellar
dust for return to Earth. The dust can be selectively collected as
the motion of the dust clouds in the milky way is directly opposite
relative to material orbiting the sun at that part of the orbit.
Stardust home page - http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov/
Orbiting Eros, the NEAR craft is getting an eye-full.
Latest photos are available on the NEAR home page. The asteroid Eros
shows quite a bit of variation with craters, grooves, layers,
house-sized boulders and other complex features such as a heart shaped
rill. It forms a 21-mile-long, potato-shaped asteroid. Most exciting
of all is extensive stratification. Geological stratification such as
this can only come about in a gravitational field sufficient to allow
the different materials to settle.
The stratification observed is consistent with what you would see in
an object the size of the Moon (i.e. Luna) (!), though in fact the
parent body could have been significantly less massive than that,
lending credence to the theory that a significant number of asteroids
were members of a large body that collided or blew up.
It is clear from the cratering patterns that Eros is older and
considerably different than the previous asteroid which the NEAR probe
photographed.
On Feb. 24, NASA sent instructions to the craft to move to a closer
orbit for a better look.
Near Home Page - http://near.jhuapl.edu/
For more information, see our In the News pages for NASA,
Space Station, etc. at http://www.clever.net/cam/news.html
The Write Stuff (Pen and Ink Optional!)
Writing Science Fiction
Ideas and Applications to Story Plots: a Chapter in Storycraft by GF
Willmetts...
Imagination is creating ideas. Creativity is putting ideas into
practice.
With that promising beginning GF Willmetts launches into a how-to
examination of creating, using, structuring, and fixing plots. The
only thing is, the writing in a text on writing seems remarkably
muddy. Doesn't sing. Isn't 100% clear and seems to meander slightly.
Mind you, the actual subject matter seems to be well covered and the
actual advice seemed sound to me (though what do I know. I'm not a
selling writer).
http://207.201.173.29/sfnews/newsf0300.htm
DC. Fontana has an interesting counterpoint article to that dealing
with where writers can get their ideas in Galaxy Online.
http://www.galaxyonline.com/Contributors/Fontana_Dorothy/StoryTime.htm
While Margaret and I are having fun at REVELcon, there will be a
Writer's Conference held here in Houston by the Houston Writer's
League. The Houston Writers Conference 2000, held March 16-19 bills
itself as a writers conference to remember and as the Southwest's
major Spring multi-genre literary event.
Guest Speakers include Stephen Coonts, Rita Gallagher, and Shirley
Hailstock. The writer's workshop is run by Christopher Vogler,
Shirley Hailstock, and Robert Vaughan.
Meet agents, editors, and publishers. Learn the in's and out's of
writing, from creating an initial book outline to finding the right
agent. Suggested dress: Business casual for workshops and
Agent/Editor Breakfast; Semi - formal for the Awards Banquet.
Register online with Visa or MasterCard 'til March 1.
Houston Writers Conference 2000 =96
http://www.houstonwrites.com/conference.html
Also, mark your calendars for the "First Annual Manuscript
Contest" in conjunction with Agents! Agents! Agents! & Editors Too! to
be held July 22-23,2000 at the Red Lion Hotel in Austin, TX, sponsored
by the Austin Writers League.
First Annual Manuscript Contest
http://www.writersleaague.org/
Last, but not least, I'm (Margaret) happy to say that my Writers Web
page seems to have reached critical mass. That is, I have enough
links which people are evidently finding useful that I have had yet
another request to add a new link, which I have done. Check it out!
Writer's Insite
http://www.writersinsite.com/
For more information, see our Houston and/or Texas Writers page at:
http://www.clever.net/cam/writers.html
FFFeedback
We heard from Neal Barrett, Jr.:
hi, Clif--thanks for the latest message. My two novels, THE
HEREAFTER GANG, first published in hardcover in l991, is now here
in trade paperback, along with an original trade paperback,
INTERSTATE DREAMS. Got a great review in the Chronicle
yesterday (Jan 20). These both from Mojo Press.
Also out right now is my hardback short story collection,
PERPETUITY BLUES, from Golden Gryphon Press.
Coming soon (summer or fall?) I've done the novelization of the
movie, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS.
Working on a two-book series for Bantam, featuring Finn, the
lizard-maker, based on my characters from the DRAGON
short story of last year, THE LIZARD SHOPPE.
Take care, and best to all.
---
We also heard from (Dr., scholar, philosopher, fan, & wife) Anne Collins
Smith
Dear Margaret & Clifton:
As you may know, I teach a course here at Susquehanna University on
Philosophy in Science Fiction; my husband, who is also a sci-fi buff,
specializes in Philosophy of Religion. We were recently interviewed
for an article on the increasing popularity of science-fiction
television shows incorporating supernatural elements in the
_Christian Science Monitor_.
The article can be found at
http://www.csmonitor.com/durable/2000/02/04/fp13s1-csm.shtml
We were very pleased with how our comments were used! They appear in
the final segment of the article.
---
Since we have only interacted with you as a fan, not only did I not
realize you had a PHD and taught philosophy, I didn't even know you
were married! We've just enjoyed your filking and performing.
Hmm, my eye was caught on the first reading by an apparent
contradiction between your and Owen's statements. "Science fiction
sometime comes true," says Dr. Anne Collins Smith of the philosophy
department at Susquehanna University... "Truth is beyond science ..."
Owen Smith says.
Then I realized on a rereading that the contradiction wasn't just
apparent. You really are saying two very different things.
If I understand your point, you are saying that the supernatural
sneaks into Science Fiction because the Science component of Science
Fiction gives it increased credibility and the increased credibility
gives the supernatural components increased impact from a story-
telling point of view.
On the other hand, your husband feels that dehumanizing science is
inherently limited, that the world is richer and has a spiritual
structure beyond what science can possibly show us and that the
appeal of stories of the supernatural and science fiction are
naturally linked because the power of both comes from their homage
to (and bypassing of) the inherent limitations of science.
In other words, you are a rationalist and your husband is a mystic.
Given your different fields, I suppose that kind of makes sense.
But I have to wonder if the difference arises out of the impact of
your differing areas, or if the difference in viewpoints arises out
of who the two of you are (which would of course have an influence
on your chosen fields).
I disagree with both of you (did we see that coming or what?).
I suspect your husband is right about the natural limitations of
science, but I suspect that if (when?) we understand the supernatural
aspects of that-which-is we will find that humans are even more
insignificant on a total level than we could have imagined or even
comprehended, and the result would be (will be?) even more dehumanizing
if we are foolish enough to allow it to be.
The actual reason for the increase in the depiction of the
How do you test which of us is correct?
While Anne is pondering that, the rest of you can check out her con
- Clif
---
We also heard from Patrick Carey:
Dear Fans:
Hit your page from Google and enjoyed it...
Got a question - read a short story as a child which involved things
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Patrick Carey
---
No idea, Patrick. It doesn't sound familiar at all. But I will
Sometimes I wish I could smash things for dramatic effect. I bet
(Clif smashes computer screen for dramatic effect, thereby shortening
Be seeing you!
Margaret A. Fincannon, Friends of Fandom Info-Alert Staff
Since this newszine is from Texas (where, of course, everything is
To be removed from this Mailing List, please send a remove request to
supernatural is the combination of the influence of three factors:
economic, conspiratorial and demonic (all these extra-dimensional
beings that archeologists have been unintentionally releasing from
their bound state amuse themselves with feats such as Jonestown,
Columbine, and are known to hang around post offices and corporate
offices of TV networks
reports at http://members.aol.com/~gnomones/index.html .
vanishing and a small girl who brought them back in part by smashing
a bystander's watch "for dramatic effect". Any ideas?
include your letter in our next Info-Alert newsletter to see if it
jogs the memory of any of our readers. (Note from Margaret: this
is the type of question librarians dread getting. If you don't
already know the answer, I don't know how to tell you to look for
it!!)
it would be a great tension remover. :-)
the Info-Alert to semi-reasonable size).
Clifton B. Davis, Friends of Fandom Info-Alert Staff
http://www.clever.net/cam/fof.html fof@www.clever.net
BIGGER and BETTER), even the following fine print is of readable
size ...
*************************************************************
The Friends of Fandom Information Alert is an official publication of
Friends of Fandom, distributed in electronic and print form in
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,
nor the officers or board of directors of Friends of Fandom. Friends of
Fandom is a nonprofit, literary, scientific, and educational 501(c)(3)
corporation committed to encouraging and facilitating interest and
activities pertaining to science fiction, fantasy, and science fact in
its various forms. If it is called chili, why is it served hot?
*************************************************************
fof@www.clever.net