SF-LOVERS Digest Tuesday, 9 Feb 1993 Volume 18 : Issue 85 Today's Topics: Speaking Uit - The Hugo Awards, Books - Brin & Delany & Edgerton & Herbert & Jeter & Kress & Modesitt (3 msgs) & Kim Stanley Robinson --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 9 Feb 93 08:31:25 EST From: sfl@elbereth.rutgers.edu (SF-LOVERS) Reply-to: sf-lovers-request@Rutgers.Edu Subject: The Hugo Awards In January 1992, I had planned to start writing monthly editorials on certain subjects that I had something to say in a regular column which later got called "Speaking Uit" - a name chosen to give it more of a world-wide flavor. Those editorials drifted off in the latter half of 1992 mostly due to other pressures and the volume of mail that has come in for the Digest since the start of the 1992-1993 television season. The flurry of new science fiction on television this year has kept mail flowing fast and furious and has kept me way behind on a number of projects I had originally planned. However, this is the start of another new year, and more than that, it is the time when Hugo nominations are due for the 1993 Hugo Awards to be presented in San Francisco during the 1993 Worldcon (ConFrancisco). And this is a subject on which I have a number of things to say. It is my opinion that the Hugo awards are the most important acknowledgement of achievement in the science fiction community today. Like most genres, the professional part of the field is driven by profit. But, that profit will not come if the fans - the readers of the fiction, the watchers of the films and television shows, the art connoisseurs, the gamers, the fan fiction writers and all the other fannish activity groups, are not satisfied with what the field is producing. It is only by means of the Hugo awards, nominated, judged and awarded by the fans at the (usually) largest gathering of fans each year, that the professionals in the field can truly gain any sort of understanding of what we, the fans, want from them. The writers, written works, artists, art and dramtic presentations that we select each year as the best from the past year, gives insight to what we consider to be quality in the field. The Nebula Awards, while also an indication of quality, are awarded by other professionals in the field and, while their choices often coincide with the Hugo choices, do not truly or completely represent the respect and admiration of the fans nor do the Nebulas serve as an accurate predictor of what we, the consumers, are likely to buy in the future. More important than the professional Hugo awards however, are the fannish Hugos - those awards given to the fans by the fans. These include awards for fan publications, fan writing and fan artists. Fans are the backbone of the science fiction industry and those fans who put time and effort, unpaid, into producing works of fiction, art or fanzines deserve recognition and encouragement. In fact, many of today's professionals started out as fans 10-20 years ago and are still fans today. I've been noticing of late that several of my friends from conventions have, in the last two years become published writers. One could say that fans grow up to be professionals, but that's highly misleading - they become professionals because they received the proper encouragement from their peers and other professionals and because they love the genre as fans. Keep in mind however, that the nominations themselves are as important as the choice of final winner, if not more so. The nominations represent an eclectic diversity from among all of the works selected by all of the fans who take the time to nominate. While there can be only one Hugo winner in each category, each nominee is a clear winner for his or her work has been recognized as among the best, the cream of the crop, if you will, from the year's choices. Those nominated receive encouragement and support (and egoboo if you will) from the very fact of being nominated. This year, for the first time, the Constitution of the World Science Fiction Society which governs the awarding of the Hugos and specifies the eligibility requirements, clearly allows for fan writers in the electronic medium to be nominated and to receive the Hugo award. And this is part of my reason d'etre for writing today - over the years that I have been doing SF-Lovers Digest, I have seen many quality writers here on the net, writing reviews, doing parodies, putting together fanzines and doing other fannish activities that, in my opinion, are worthy of mention. I have seen reviews in these pages that are at least as good in quality, if not better, than any review in any published magazine (professional or fannish). I feel that many of these fans on the net deserve notice, encouragement and support. If you were an attending or supporting member of the 1992 Worldcon (Magicon) or you are currently a member of the 1993 Worldcon (ConFrancisco) you are eligible to nominate for the Hugo awards this year. When you receive your nomination ballot, if you haven't already, I encourage you to nominate those professionals and fans, who, in your opinion, represent the high quality of professional or fannish activity that you would like to see more of in the future. It is with your support and mine that these people will continue to produce the type of product that we will enjoy for years to come. If you are not eligible to nominate, there is still time to become a member of ConFrancisco before the final Hugo ballot is determined if you wish to vote for the Hugo awards this year and I highly encourage you to do so. If you have questions about joining ConFrancisco or questions concerning the Hugo Awards, you can write to Confrancisco@TGV.COM for more details. Saul ------------------------------ Date: 7 Feb 93 20:53:10 GMT From: solovay@netcom.com (Andrew Solovay) Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Rutgers.Edu Subject: Brin: Progenitors a mugwump? Here's an idea I had about the Uplift series. I'm been thinking that the fleet of ships found by Creideiki et al. probably isn't connected with the Progenitors at all; just a fleet of some powerful Patron race that, owing to some mischance, got stuck off in the cosmic boonies. In other words, the "progenitors" issue is a mugwump; something which spurs plot action, but turns out not to be relevant in and of itself. The significant thing would be this: Streaker found a lost fleet, and broadcast a message about it. A number of the most powerful patron-lines promptly went into a religious fervor, convinced that the Progenitors had returned. Some of these patron-lines committed graver offenses against Galactic propriety, because they believed that Big Things were happening, and that the only important thing was getting to the Fleet first and they decided this based on the say-so of an infant species which was client to wolflings! To me, this indicates that the Galactic civilization was on the verge of upheaval already. I think we're going to see massive civil war in the Five Galaxies. Terragens will end up as a big player, not least because of the fleet. After all, while I don't think there are Progenitors on those ships, it's still a huge fleet of powerful Galactic ships, which is enough to make Terragens a lot more respectable. Andrew Solovay ------------------------------ Date: 7 Feb 93 20:56:21 GMT From: amerika@spot.colorado.edu (AMERIKA MARK) Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Rutgers.Edu Subject: Samuel R. Delany's Black Ice Connection For those interested in Delany's new work check out the latest Black Ice Book anthologized by Larry McCaffery (author of "Across The Wounded Galaxies: Interviews With Contemporary SF Writers"). It's called "Avant-Pop: Fiction For A Daydream Nation" and I have info on how to get it (bookstores are balking at the chance to stock the book because of its contents. When will they get it?). ------------------------------ Date: 8 Feb 93 22:43:00 GMT From: IBC6HSR@mvs.oac.ucla.edu (hari ramachandran) Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Rutgers.Edu Subject: Re: Theresa Edgerton SXC3@psuvm.psu.edu (Sabrina Chase) writes: > Yes indeedy, Theresa Edgerton writes good stuff. I have not come across > anything other than the ones mentioned, (the three Ynys Celadon, the two > Goblin moon books, plus "Silver Wheel"), and I agree for the most part > with your assessment. What I admire in her writing is the completely > different _feel_ she produces in her two different worlds. Characters > think and speak differently, etc. > > I don't think there is any Arthurian retelling in the Ynys Celadon > books, though. There seems to be a slight Celtic flavor, perhaps some > hint of the Mabinogion, but the story is entirely new. The blurb describing the third Celydonn book claimed it was retelling Arthurian legends ;^> There were two inconsistencies I couldn't help noticing in her latest book (Silver Wheel). First, Tryffin tells the old witch that he knows that his fate and Gwenlliant's are bound inseparably but, how does he know that? It is Garanwynn who is given this knowledge, and his two cousins are chased out of the room before the prophesy. Second, Tryffin chases all round to find out about the truth of his great-grandfather's murder and gets the truth from Diaspad's giant. Who learnt it from ... Bron! Which meant that Tryffin's papa knew the truth all along. Makes no sense. How could the true story about Mochdreff treachery come from one who is not even a native of Mochdreff, but only a spy, in the service of Tir Gwyngelli (sp?) ? The true pleasure of reading fantasy books lies in picking at the nits! Hari ------------------------------ Date: 6 Feb 93 18:09:32 GMT From: mike@maths.tcd.ie (Mike Rogers) Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Rutgers.Edu Subject: Re: The White Plague, was Re: Frank Herbert Sandra_M_Lowe.Henr801B@XEROX.COM wrote: >lenny@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (Christopher J. Lentz) writes: >>I'd suggest "The White Plague". It's about a genetic engineer that >>creates a plague in response to the IRA's killing of his family. > >[...] even close to real. In fact the women were silly, insipid and >lifeless. To So were the Irish characters. Everyone, *everyone* I know who has read it and happens to be Irish finds it demeaning, degrading, patronising, and facile. Mike Rogers Box 6, Regent Hse TCD,EIRE mike@maths.tcd.ie ------------------------------ Date: 7 Feb 93 19:40:18 GMT From: pete@minster.york.ac.uk Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Rutgers.Edu Subject: Re: K.W. Jeter jjfink@skcla.monsanto.com wrote: >lichter@oahu.cs.ucla.edu (Michael I. Lichter) writes: >> I bring this up mainly because I was curious about _The Glass Hammer_. >> I have _Farewell Horizontal_ by Jeter, but haven't been able to locate >> _Hammer_. Does anybody know if it's any good, and worth continuing to >> scour used book stores for? > > _The Glass Hammer_ is mediocre. I thought Dr. Adder to be far superior > (but much sicker, definitely. If a book offends my sensibilities, it > makes me aware of what they are.) > > It's somewhat slow-paced, and just doesn't hold together all that well. > There's some memorable stuff in it, but not enough. I got lucky and got > the book for nothing, the wonderful "Stars Our Destination" bookstore in > Chicago gave away remaindered trade paperbacks at the first few cons they > attended. Frequent them!!! Dr Adder was wonderful - quite probably sick, but definitely unforgettable and very strongly imagined. Definitely a novel worth reading. PKD rated it (and K W Jeter) very highly and it's easy to see why... (particularly like the radio station KCID in Dr Adder - nice reference to Phil and a veiled acid joke?) Unfortunately The Glass Hammer was almost unreadable. I can remember almost nothing of it, despite having ploughed through it twice. It seemed to be an attempt to do a sort of Cyberpunk version of Barry Malzberg... didn't work, unsurprisingly... Peter Fenelon University of York York, Y01 5DD (+44/0)904 433388 pete@minster.york.ac.uk ------------------------------ Date: 7 Feb 93 17:13:12 GMT From: write@lamar.colostate.edu (Glen Cox) Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Rutgers.Edu Subject: Re: Forward the Foundation Release date is March 19. YANJUNA@YaleVM.YCC.Yale.Edu writes: > I was at the local Dalton's today, picking up the entire set of >McMaster Bujold books (which order should I read them in?) and the new >George Turner book, and I picked up one of their promotional flyers, which >lists Asimov's _Forward the Foundation_ to be released on Mar. 19. If it >turns out that this message is wrong, blame Dalton's, not me. > > (Among other releases: _Beggars in Spain_ by Nancy Press !!! :) [sic > :::::: >; It's Kress] >Does anyone know if this is just the novella; a short story collection; or >an expansion of the novella?) In the Jan., 1993 LOCUS (Newsmagazine of the Science Fiction Field), Kress says that the book is an expansion of the novella. I'm interested, as well. Glen E. Cox write@lamar.ColoState.Edu ------------------------------ Date: 5 Feb 93 20:01:25 GMT From: blakeley@student.msu.edu (Christopher Blakeley) Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Rutgers.Edu Subject: Recluce etc. Despite any comments to the contrary by critics, Magic of Recluce has been the only (yes, ONLY!) fantasy book that I have been able to not put down. The characters were believable, as was the setting. The fact that magic wasn't an instant event (as in "he was hurt, but then he healed himself"), and there WAS a definite good and evil. As for the written sound effects, well I guess that some people are too *ding*ing held to their ways that this isn't possible. The FX worked, people! Chris blakeley@studentb.msu.edu ------------------------------ Date: 5 Feb 93 20:55:18 GMT From: julie@eddie.jpl.nasa.gov (Julie Kangas) Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Rutgers.Edu Subject: Re: Recluce etc. blakeley@student.msu.EDU (Christopher Blakeley) writes: >Despite any comments to the contrary by critics, Magic of Recluce has been >the only (yes, ONLY!) fantasy book that I have been able to not put down. >The characters were believable, as was the setting. The fact that magic >wasn't an instant event (as in "he was hurt, but then he healed himself"), >and there WAS a definite good and evil. > >As for the written sound effects, well I guess that some people are too >*ding*ing held to their ways that this isn't possible. The FX worked, >people! Yes, I felt Magic of Recluce was one the best fantasy books I've read. The sound effects didn't bother me at all, and in many places, such as Gairloch's whinneys, I thought they worked quite well. The magic system was extremely interesting and well thought out. It's one of the very few books I read in paperback and then went out and bought in hardcover. But. There always has to be a but. The Towers of Sunset, a prequel to Magic of Recluce, was horrible. The sound effects were annoying and the story stunk. I'm being very harsh here, but it just doesn't compare with MoR. I *would* like to see a sequel when Lerris goes back to Recluce. Or find out just what the Brotherhood knows. One of his instructors mentions things like "police state" and "universes" which neither Lerris nor anyone has ever heard of. Julie ------------------------------ Date: 7 Feb 93 23:26:12 GMT From: chris@morningstar.com (Chris Miller) Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Rutgers.Edu Subject: Re: Recluce etc. blakeley@student.msu.EDU (Christopher Blakeley) writes: >As for the written sound effects, well I guess that some people are to >*ding*ing held to their ways that this isn't possible. The FX worked, >people! If you liked this, then I suggest that you try some of Modesitt's other books. The sound effects would seem to be a personal style-signiture of his. Chris chris@MorningStar.Com ------------------------------ Date: 7 Feb 93 13:26:33 GMT From: pnh@panix.com (Patrick Nielsen-Hayden) Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Rutgers.Edu Subject: Re: Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson al@iris.claremont.edu (no label) writes: >Anyway, my argument is that Robinson did indeed do a fine job of creating >a multi-faceted political and social situation on the newly colonized >planet. Complaints about him not showing more support for the Reds seem a >bit odd. No disagreement here. In fact, it's quite ironic to see people suggesting that Robinson slights the "Reds'" arguments in RED MARS, since the analogous position in the present day - radical environmental preservationism, is the one that Stan tends the most toward in temperament. But temperament isn't everything. A lot of writers use SF as a stage to set up overdetermined morality plays in which People Like Them are always right, and everyone else gets tossed out of the airlock _and deserves it._ A lot of SF writers need to grow up. Stan Robinson is a grownup. Patrick Nielsen Hayden senior editor Tor Books pnh@panix.com ------------------------------ End of SF-LOVERS Digest ***********************