Ansible 253 [long]
David Langford
ANSIBLE 253
AUGUST 2008
From DAVE LANGFORD, 94 London Road, Reading, Berks, RG1 5AU. Web
news.ansible.co.uk. Fax 0705 080 1534. ISSN 0265-9816 (print) 1740-942X
(e). Available for SAE, Snibbo or Bloggo.
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### A PLAGUE OF MASTERS ###
BRIAN ALDISS accepted his honorary doctorate from Liverpool U on 1 July.
His speech recalled 'how, during an era when drunkenness and prostitution
were absolutely _not_ to be found in the wonderful new Soviet Union, he
embarrassed someone who clearly was his KGB "minder" on the way back to
his hotel by talking to someone who was standing around under a bridge
in rather provocative mode. The next day, said "minder" saved the face
of the Soviet Utopia by casually mentioning that the woman they saw last
night, well she was the wife of the Japanese Ambassador who was out to
take the air. / What the Japanese Ambassador had to say about this is not
recorded....' [via AS]
RAY BRADBURY is this year's SF Poetry Association Grand Master. Other
nominees included Joe Haldeman and UK sf poet Steve Sneyd.
ALAN DEAN FOSTER was announced as a Grand Master of (wait for it) the
International Association of Media Tie-In Writers. [L]
HARRY HARRISON has been named as the 2009 SFWA Grand Master ('Damon
Knight Grand Master') for life achievement.
DORIS LESSING was interviewed yet again. Q: 'For the last two decades,
most of your fiction has veered toward science fiction, which has
disappointed literary critics like Harold Bloom.' A: 'I can't be bothered
with Bloom. A lot of people think some of my best writing is in science
fiction, and they are just as significant as bloody Bloom.' Q: 'When you
won the Nobel Prize in Literature last year, he described the choice as
"pure political correctness", presumably because you are female. A: 'Yes,
I remember. It was a very malicious thing. If he gets the Nobel Prize,
believe me, I won't be as bitchy.' (_NY Times_ magazine, 27 July) [MF]
STEPHENIE MEYER on her latest: 'It's science fiction because it's about
aliens, so there's no other way to categorize it. And I like science
fiction. But this doesn't feel to me like science fiction; once you get
past the basic premise, it's just about being human.' (_KC Star_, 1 Aug)
[MM]
TERRY PRATCHETT is the only author who's had more than one title in the
Neilsen Bookspan top 5,000 UK sellers ever since the list began in 1995.
He has three: _Colour of Magic_, _Light Fantastic_, and _Mort_. [B]
SALMAN RUSHDIE's fantasy _Midnight's Children_ was voted as the best of
all the Booker Prize winners on the award's 40th anniversary -- repeating
his 25th-anniversary 'Booker of Bookers' win. [PL]
PETER STRAUB is this year's International Horror Guild 'Living Legend',
the IHG's life achievement award.
### CONGRUMATE ###
6-10 Aug [] DENVENTION 3 (66th Worldcon), Colorado Convention Center,
Denver, USA. _Advance booking is now closed._ At the door: $225, child
$50, 'kid-in-tow' free. Day: Wed $55, Thu $75, Fri $85, Sat $85, Sun $35.
Contact Denvention, PO Box 1349, Denver, CO 80201, USA.
8-10 Aug [] WOLF GALACTICA (_BSG_), Thistle Hotel, Heathrow. Tickets
Pounds85, children Pounds35. Bookings (not 24-hour) 01327 878550.
9-10 Aug [] CAPTION (small-press comics), East Oxford Community Centre,
Princes St, Oxford. Pounds10 at the door or Pounds5/day.
21-25 Aug [] FRIGHTFEST (film festival), Odeon West End, London.
Bookings: www.frightfest.co.uk or 0871 224 4007.
22-25 Aug [] DISCWORLD CONVENTION 2008, Hilton Metropole, Birmingham
(NEC). 'Membership applications are now closed.' Contact PO Box 4101,
Shepton Mallet, Somerset, BA4 5XD, or www.dwcon.org.
27 Aug [] BSFA OPEN MEETING, Antelope, 22 Eaton Tce, London, SW1W 8EZ.
6pm on; fans present from 5pm. With Gwyneth Jones.
29-31 Aug [] MECON 11/UNICON 22, Queen's University Belfast Student's
Union. Pounds15/Euro22 reg; Pounds10/Euro15 concessions; Pounds5 supp.
Cheques to 'QUB Sci-Fi Society'. Contact 115 Malone Road, Belfast, BT9
6SP.
29-31 Aug [] WADFEST (Discworld), Trentfield Farm Camp Site, Church
Laneham, Retford, Notts, DN22 0NJ. Adult campers Pounds15 (2 nights),
accompanied children 1p each. See www.wadfest.co.uk/2008/.
5 Sep [] BRITISH FANTASY SOCIETY OPEN NIGHT, Ye Olde Cock Tavern, 22
Fleet St, London, EC4 1AA. From 6pm. All welcome.
5-7 Sep [] ZOMBIECON (_Brainnnnnns!_), Quality Hotel, Bentley, Walsall.
Pounds45 reg until 31 August; Pounds50 at the door. Contact 54 Bridge Rd,
Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB8 2QP; info at zombiecon co uk.
25-28 Sep [] OXONMOOT (Tolkien Society), Christchurch, Oxford. _Now
Pounds49.50 reg (members Pounds42.50)_. Contact 29 Tockley Rd, Burham,
Bucks, SL1 7DQ; bookings at tolkiensociety org.
1-2 Nov [] UNCON 2008 (Forteana), University of Westminster, 309 Regent
St, London, W1B 2UW. Pounds36 advance reg, Pounds20 day. Booking on-line
only, it seems: http://www.wegottickets.com/f/319.
20-22 Feb 09 [] REDEMPTION 09 (multimedia sf) -- Britannia Hotel, Fairfax
St, Coventry, CV1 5RP. Pounds50 reg, _rising to Pounds55 on 1 Sep_.
Under-18s/supp: Pounds15. Contact 26 Kings Meadow View, Wetherby, LS22
7FX.
31 Jul - 2 Aug 09 [] CONSTITUTION (sf, fantasy, RPG), New Hall,
Cambridge. GoH: Steph Swainston, Henry Gee, others TBA. Pounds20 reg;
reductions for children; rates will rise before the con. Contact 207
Campkin Rd, Cambridge, CB4 2LE; info at constitution-con org uk.
6-10 Aug 09 [] ANTICIPATION (67th Worldcon), Palais des congres de
Montreal, Montreal, Canada. _Now $Can215/$US215/Pounds110/Euro135 reg_;
supp $Can55/$US55/Pounds25/Euro35; discounts for presupporters. Contact
PO Box 105, Station NDG, Montreal, QC, H4A 3P4, Canada.
_Rumblings_ [] James Bacon at Conrunner (June): 'One highlight of the
weekend was a presentation by ACC Liverpool, SECC Glasgow and Excel
London about potential venues for a future UK worldcon. All three sent
people and presentations, eager to engage with fandom.' With added news
of three possible Netherlands sites, this led to discussion of a UK or
Dutch bid for maybe 2014 or 2015: 'Vince Docherty and Colin Harris
setting pace with Steve Cooper doing groundwork. Not a dissenting voice
was heard. Could one imagine same in 1998?'
### INFINITELY IMPROBABLE ###
AS OTHERS SEE US. Traditional opening to a UFO news story: 'If you still
live with your parents, wear a zip-up cardigan over your collar and tie,
have enamel badges in your lapel and don't get out much because you're
too busy curating your collection of Star Trek memorabilia, it has been
quite a week. While the rest of the country has been fussing over such
trivia as Zimbabwe, you've been tabulating the latest activities of
forces beyond our galaxy.' (David Randall, _Independent_, 29 June)
AWARDS. _Campbell Memorial:_ Kathleen Ann Goonan, _In War Times_.
_Cordwainer Smith_ (out-of-print rediscovery): Stanley G. Weinbaum.
_Prometheus_ (libertarian): Harry Turtledove, _The Gladiator_, and
Jo Walton, _Ha'penny_ (tie). HALL OF FAME Anthony Burgess, _A Clockwork
Orange_.
_Rhysling_ (poetry): SHORT F.J. Bergmann, 'Eating Light' (_Mythic
Delirium_). LONG Catherynne M. Valente, 'The Seven Devils of Central
California' (_Farrago's Wainscot_).
_Shirley Jackson_ (suspense/horror/dark fantasy). Among the winners:
NOVEL Elizabeth Hand, _Generation Loss_. ANTHOLOGY _Inferno_ ed. Ellen
Datlow.
_Sturgeon_ (short): David R. Moles, 'Finisterra' and Elizabeth Bear,
'Tideline' (tie).
_International Horror Guild_ novel shortlist: Ramsey Campbell, _Grin
of the Dark_; Elizabeth Hand, _Generation Loss_; Sarah Langan, _The
Missing_; Natasha Mostert, _Season of the Witch_; Dan Simmons, _The
Terror_.
ASTRONOMY MASTERCLASS. 'In 2006, Pluto was classed as a minor planet.
Unlike the planets, it has an elliptical orbit.' (Helpful factoid from
HarperCollins at the end of Diana Wynne Jones's _The Game_, 2007)
R.I.P. _Chris Cooper_ (1959-2008), well-known and famously tall UK fan
sometimes known as Jolly Green Giant, died on 4 July after falling into
a coma in mid-June; he was 49. [BS]
_Frank Darcy_ (1959-2008), Irish fan who ran P-Con IV and V (he was
also working on the next two) and co-organized the New Irish SF
Association, died from cancer on 2 July. He was 49. [POM]
_Don S. Davis_ (1942-2008), former US Army captain who played Major
General Hammond in _Stargate SG-1_, died on 29 June aged 65. [DKMK]
_Thomas M. Disch_ (1940-2008), US author and poet who began
publishing sf in 1962 and gave us many darkly brilliant short stories and
novels, committed suicide on 4 July; he was 68. His finest novels were
_Camp Concentration_ (1968), _334_ (1972) and _On Wings of Song_ (1979);
the latter won the John W. Campbell Memorial Award. Brian Aldiss hailed
Disch's early work thus: 'A genuine pessimist of a new writer has come
along, to delight us with an unadulterated shot of pure bracing gloom.'
John Clute's _SF Encyclopedia_ entry called him 'the most respected,
least trusted, most envied and least read of all modern first-rank sf
writers.' His solitary Hugo was for the entertainingly contentious _The
Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of: How Science Fiction Conquered the World_
(1998); 'The Brave Little Toaster' (1980 _F&SF_) won a BSFA award and was
filmed. I admire his work very much indeed.
_Ann Green_, well-known UK fan, publisher of the 1990s fanzine
_Ormolu_ and wife of Steve Green, died on 29 July. [LK] All sympathy to
Steve, who is devastated.
_Lloyd Lamble_ (1914-2008), last surviving actor to have played The
Shadow in the golden days of radio, died on 9 April aged 94. He also
appeared in _The Avengers_, _The Prisoner_ and _Doctor Who_. [AIP]
_Bruce Purchase_ (1938-2008), New Zealand-born actor whose best-
known sf role was the cyborg villain in _Doctor Who_'s 'The Pirate
Planet', died on 5 June aged 69. [SR]
THOG'S MATHS MASTERCLASS. _Dept of the Easily Amazed:_ '... an
inconceivable fraction that can be written out as 1/10 preceded by 32
zeros ...' (Deepak Chopra, _Quantum Healing_, 1989) [PB]
OUTRAGED LETTERS. _Richard E. Geis:_ 'It appears that sci-fi is now a
put-down word, no longer of any use to us. What can we use to describe
ourselves? I haven't a clue. Create a contest to find a respectful
alternate. Non-muggles?'
_Martin Morse Wooster_ is full of hollow popcorn: 'At the beginning
of _Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D_, Brendan Fraser holds a copy
of the Jules Verne novel. "This isn't just science fiction," he says,
"it's _inspiration_!" / By the way, the words "Jules Verne" are never
mentioned in the film. And at the end, Fraser holds a copy of Ignatius
Donnelly's book on Atlantis....'
ANOTHER BOOK POLL. The Disinformation Company's 'alternative' survey of
all-time favourite books produced a very genre-oriented top ten: 1 George
Orwell, _Nineteen Eighty-Four_; 2 Douglas Adams, _The Hitchhiker's Guide
to the Galaxy_; 3 Hunter S. Thompson, _Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas_;
4 J.R.R. Tolkien, _The Lord of the Rings_; 5 Aldous Huxley, _Brave New
World_; 6 Kurt Vonnegut, _Slaughterhouse Five_; 7 J.D. Salinger, _The
Catcher in the Rye_; 8 Lao Tzu, _Tao Te Ching_; 9 Robert Shea & Robert
Anton Wilson, _The Illuminatus! Trilogy_; 10 Daniel Quinn, _Ishmael_.
[DVB] I didn't think anyone but John Clute even remembered the last,
winner of the one-off $500,000 Turner Tomorrow Award for sf back in 1991.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Rob Holdstock celebrated his 60th in July, while Chris
Priest turned 65 and began to receive the long-awaited state pension: 'At
last I am the old rope for which there is money.'
AS OTHERS ANALYSE US. 'The Frankenstein problem of technology run amok
is beloved by science fiction writers. The world may be taken over by
man-made objects, like robots, or mutations, like triffids. It may be
submerged in grey goo from nanotechnology. The fiction genre survives
because no one can say categorically that any of these things are
impossible.' (John Kay, _Financial Times_, 9 July) [MMW]
_METROPOLIS_ EXTENDED. The discovery of an _uncut_ 16mm print of the
classic sf film in a Buenos Aires archive attracted lots of media
coverage. One scene remains lost, at the end of a damaged reel. [JHB]
ROMANCE MASTERCLASS. 'Though I find this the greatest ecstasy ever
offered in life, I beg that you not bring your hips so hard against me,
nor torture so my flesh with the stirring beauty of rosebuds and cream
mounds, else I shall not leave, but drown again my lover's sword in the
velvet cloak of your body.' (Shannon Drake, _Ondine_, 1997) [via JG]
RANDOM FANDOM. _Terry Jeeves_ updates his _A252_ note: 'Am delighted to
say that Val's [cancer] operation was a success and she is now walking
and eating. [...] Not so good is the fact that I have been fitted with
a catheter because of prostate trouble.' [via MP/PW] Ouch.
_Elliot Shorter_, 1970 US TAFF delegate, is in the Providence VA
hospital (ward 6a) and unlikely to be released; it may still be possible
to visit him. [AIP]
_Barbara Stewart_ on Chris Cooper: 'He was part of fireworks fandom,
a computer geek, and advised many conventions and their hotels about
liquid supplies and how to order, look after and correctly serve real
ale. He helped design the art board system now used at British
conventions and regularly helped build it; worked as steward and tech;
and was a regular panel member for "So This Is Your First Convention".
He could weird out mundanes or fandom whilst sitting down being ordinary,
let alone in one of his "silly moods".... As one of his annoying little
sisters I know better than most that he will be a hard act to follow. The
family thanks fandom for all their kind thoughts.'
SERIOUS & CONSTRUCTIVE. The (US) SF Book Club, with other clubs owned by
Bertelsmann's North American Direct Group, is being sold off to the
investment firm Najafi Companies (Phoenix, AZ). [PL/DG]
Wizards of the Coast is cancelling its 'Discovery' line of original
(that is, non-game-spinoff) genre novels, which will cease after 2008.
AS OTHERS REMEMBER FANZINES. 'Originally published in hand-stapled
mimeographed pages called fanzines, collections of these fan fiction
stories were distributed in the early days as a kind of pop-cultural
samizdat -- undercover publications handed out from boxes under tables
at fan conventions or stuffed into envelopes and mailed to fan community
members from volunteers' basements. But fan fiction migrated to the Net
in the mid-1990s, where it has since exploded in size and scope.' (Grace
Westcott, _Literary Review of Canada_, July) [MMW]
THE DEAD PAST. _25 Years Ago_, Worldcon 1983: 'Highlight of the fan
program was the "Fans Are Slans" panel, wherein Steve Stiles extemporised
a remarkable account of Claude Degler's insanitary habits, John Shirley
exposed parts of his body nobody (except representatives of the French
media) wanted to see, and Charles Platt developed his "I love fandom" act
with glutinous sincerity.' (Malcolm Edwards, _Ansible 35_)
C.O.A. _Eclectic Games_, Thames Tower, Station Rd, Reading, RG1 1LX.
_Gary Farber_, 1416 Greenside Drive, Raleigh, NC 27609-9503, USA. _Terry
Jeeves_ (temporary), 101 Prospect Rd, Scarborough, YO12 7JX.
MAGAZINE UPROAR. Short version of controversy: a writer with an insecure
grasp of net etiquette made public his rejection letter from HelixSF.com
co-editor William Sanders, which categorized Muslims as 'sheet heads'.
Debate ensued. Some _Helix_ authors withdrew their work: the irritated
Sanders variously said they couldn't, asked $40 per removal, replaced
pages with 'Story deleted at author's pantiwadulous request' and informed
protesting contributor Yoon Ha Lee that hers was a story 'that never did
make any sense and that I only accepted because I thought it might please
those who admire your work, and also because (notorious bigot that I am)
I was trying to get more work by non-Caucasian writers.' Oh dear. Various
_Helix_ writers and ex-writers began a new on-line magazine for their
refugee works: Transcriptase.org.
GROUP GROPES. _FORTH_, the Edinburgh sf fan group, has now 'found a new
home after a few unsavoury experiences in dodgy pubs -- The Oxford Bar,
8 Young St, from around 8:30pm each Tuesday.' [JD]
_A252_ ADDENDA. _Michael Capobianco_ on that 'SFWA' fraud: 'The
perpetrator of the contest has been reported to both the US Postal
Inspector and the Office of the California District Attorney. You should
know that in the US, at least, it's quite difficult to get the
authorities to take this kind of scam seriously. SFWA's Writer Beware has
made intensive efforts to get much more egregious literary scammers
arrested, and has had a few notable successes, but, in general, if the
amounts scammed are only $10 a pop, as with this scam contest, the
authorities don't have time for it.' _Later, 31 July:_ 'I just heard from
the San Diego branch of the US Postal Inspection Service. They're going
to follow up on the complaint.'
_Jack Speer_ obituary clarification: he was the last surviving
founder member of FAPA _who was still a member_.
THOG'S MASTERCLASS. _Morning After Ray Bradbury Dept._ 'The green feather
of nausea blew through his intestines as if, during the night, he had
polished off a keg of dandelion wine.' (Jeffrey Ford, _The Cosmology of
the Wider World_, 2005) [MM]
_Dept of Dynamic Cartography._ 'The meridian drifted at a thousand
miles an hour across the Pacific ...'(Bill Napier, _Nemesis_, 1998) [CM]
_Planetary Colony Disaster Dept._ 'We found that all the planets
were being drawn quickly towards the sun, and the effect this extra-
sudden dash had on Mars was catastrophic. All the oxygen, we learned from
the one lucky space-ship crew who got back safely, was absorbed into
space by the action of a violent earthquake ...' (Terence Haile,
_Galaxies Ahead_, 1963)
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CONVENTIONS/EVENTS LONGLIST
Details at http://links.ansible.co.uk#cons
London meetings/events -- http://news.ansible.co.uk/london.html
Overseas -- http://news.ansible.co.uk/conlisti.html
[] 2008
Until 25 Oct 2008, Dan Dare and the Birth of Hi-Tech Britain, Science
Museum, London
6-10 Aug 2008, Denvention 3 (Worldcon), Denver, USA
8-10 Aug 2008, Wolf Galactica 4 (_BSG_), Heathrow
21-25 Aug 2008, Frightfest film festival, London
22-25 Aug 2008, Discworld Convention 2008, Birmingham
29-31 Aug 2008, Mecon, Belfast
5-7 Sep 2008, ZombieCon, Bentley, Walsall
12-14 Sep 2008, Reunion5 (media), Coventry
19-21 Sep 2008, Fantasycon 2008, Nottingham
25-28 Sep 2008, Oxonmoot (Tolkien), Oxford
4-5 Oct 2008, Birmingham International Comics Show, Birmingham
11-12 Oct 2008, NewCon 4, Northampton
17-19 Oct 2008, Festival of Fantastic Films, Manchester
18-19 Oct 2008, Octocon, Ireland
1-2 Nov 2008, UnCon 2008 (Forteana), London
7-9 Nov 2008, ArmadaCon XX, Plymouth
11 Nov 2008 - 4 Jan 2009, Science Fact & Science Fiction exhibition,
National Space Centre, Leicester
14-16 Nov 2008, Novacon 38, Bentley, Walsall
5-7 Dec 2008, Battlestar Starfury (_BSG_), Heathrow
[] 2009
20-24 Jan 2009, Wyrd Sisters: The Directors' Cut (play), Abingdon
6-8 Feb 2009, AXXIdental (filk), Grantham
20-22 Feb 2009, Redemption 09 (multimedia sf), Coventry
26-29 Mar 2009, Eurocon 2009, Fiuggi, Italy
27-29 Mar 2009, P-Con VI, Dublin.
10-13 Apr 2009, LXcon (Eastercon), Bradford
19-21 Jun 2009, Aetherica (fantasy), Chester
CANCELLED: 26-29 Jun 2009, Sectus 2009 (Harry Potter), North Wales
25-26 Jul 2009, Satellite 2, Glasgow
31 July - 2 August 2009, Constitution (sf, fantasy, RPG), Cambridge
6-10 Aug 2009, Anticipation (67th Worldcon), Montreal, Canada
[] 2010
2-5 Apr 2010, Odyssey 2010 (Eastercon), Heathrow
### ENDNOTES ###
APPARITIONS.
[] 7 Aug 2008: Richard Morgan signing, Forbidden Planet, 179
Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2H 8JR. 6-7pm.
[] 8 Aug 2008: Brum Group. Summer Social meal at Black Eagle pub
(advance booking only).
[] 9 Aug 2008: Raymond Briggs & Bryan Talbot, ICA, London. 2:30pm.
Pounds10, Pounds9 concessions, Pounds8 members. Box office 020 7930
3647. [Originally announced for 2 Aug and postponed.]
[] 22 Aug 2008: Alan Grant & Bryan Talbot, Edinburgh
Literary Festival. 8:30pm.
[] 6 Sep 2008: Sarah Ash, Chaz Brenchley, Deborah J. Miller & Jessica
Rydill Saunders at the West London Literary Festival, Main Tent,
Walpole Park, Ealing, London W5. 1pm-2pm.
[] 12 Sep 2008: Brum Group, Briar Rose, Bennett Hill, Birmingham city
centre. With James Barclay. 7.45pm. Pounds4; members Pounds3. Contact
07845 897760 or 4bhamsfgroup at yahoo co uk.
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ORSON SCOTT CARD sees 'the end of democracy in America' and very
nearly urges the overthrow of the US government and the country's
'insane Constitution', for reasons not all of us may share:
http://mormontimes.com/ME_blogs.php?id=1586
RANDOM FANDOM II. _Moshe Feder_ has started an email list for fannish
cat-lovers, subtly named The Bastion. 'Any reader of _Ansible_ interested
in joining may write to me at moshe at feder dot name.'
_David A. Hardy_ reports stunning upheavals at the ASFA (Association
of Science Fiction & Fantasy Artists): 'I am the new Vice President --
the first time this has been a European, or Brit even.'
_Marcia Illingworth_ (and Tim) have the wanderlust: 'Bell House, the
home of the annual Illingworth barbie for the last ten years, is for
sale, and we would love to see it stay in fandom. The asking price at the
moment is Pounds350,000. Drop us a line if interested, to marcia at
bellhouse org uk. Our plans are to return to the States by the end of the
year, for a variety of reasons.' That's Coveney, Ely, Cambs.
_Terry Martin_ sends a late plug: 'Low Energy Day (30 August) is a
really laid back grass roots comic and graphic strips "convention". A
mixture of garage publishers and slick productions. No-one gets to have
their own table like at a proper convention (four dealers to a table!)
... but best of all you don't have to pay as a visitor -- it's totally
free! Plus you get the attractions of the rest of Camden Lock Market (the
"original" Camden market) with its bars and eating places, and in a great
location.'
EDITORIAL. Envious best wishes to all of you who'll be at the Denver
Worldcon (which I can't afford) and the Discworld Convention (which I
... um, it's complicated). As usual, Martin Hoare will be the official
Langford-surrogate at Worldcon, with full power to refuse drinks on my
behalf. Try offering him one, and see for yourself.
Ansible 253 Copyright (c) Dave Langford, 2008. Thanks to Paul Barnett,
David V Barrett, The Bookseller, James H. Burns, Jim Darroch, Janice
Gelb, Dan Goodman, David K.M. Klaus, Linda Krawecke, Locus, Chris
Moore, Murray Moore, Padraig O Mealoid, Marti McKenna, Mark Plummer,
Andrew I. Porter, Publishers Lunch, Steve Rogerson, Andy Sawyer,
Barbara Stewart, Peter Weston, Martin Morse Wooster and Hero
Distributors: Vernon Brown (Brum Group), Janice Murray (NA),
SCIS/Prophecy, and Alan Stewart (Australia).
2 Aug 08
--
David Langford | http://ansible.co.uk/
Read Ansible at http://news.ansible.co.uk/
mark
>
> ANSIBLE 253
> AUGUST 2008
<snip>
> most of your fiction has veered toward science fiction, which has
> disappointed literary critics like Harold Bloom.' A: 'I can't be bothered
> with Bloom. A lot of people think some of my best writing is in science
> fiction, and they are just as significant as bloody Bloom.' Q: 'When you
And some of us don't. I read about 40 pages of the first Chronicles of
Canopus in Argus, and closed it. I've read pretty much the same thing,
years before, in my bound pulp collection... of the Shaver Mysteries.
mark
Dan Goodman
Yes, but how does it compare with her other fiction?
--
--
Dan Goodman
"I have always depended on the kindness of stranglers."
Tennessee Williams, A Streetcar Named Expire
Journal http://dsgood.livejournal.com
Futures http://clerkfuturist.wordpress.com
Mirror Journal http://dsgood.insanejournal.com
Mirror 2 http://dsgood.wordpress.com
Links http://del.icio.us/dsgood
William December Starr
mark <whit...@rcn.com> said:
>> DORIS LESSING was interviewed yet again. Q: 'For the last two
>> decades, most of your fiction has veered toward science fiction,
>> which has disappointed literary critics like Harold Bloom.' A: 'I
>> can't be bothered with Bloom. A lot of people think some of my
>> best writing is in science fiction, and they are just as
>> significant as bloody Bloom.'
>
> And some of us don't. I read about 40 pages of the first
> Chronicles of Canopus in Argus, and closed it. I've read pretty
> much the same thing, years before, in my bound pulp
> collection... of the Shaver Mysteries.
I've never had any desire to read any of Lessing's writing either,
but anybody who kicks Harold Bloom in the nuts can't be all bad.
-- wds
Jan Vanek jr.
> Neilsen Bookspan top 5,000 UK sellers ever since the list began in 1995.
> He has three: _Colour of Magic_, _Light Fantastic_, and _Mort_. [B]
Um, it's *Nielsen Bookscan*.
And I was rather bemused by the news - I mean, would "top 5,000
UK sellers ever since ... 1995" consist of Pratchett and 4997 authors
each with a single book? However,
<http://www.thebookseller.com/news/64233-pratchett-crowned-evergreen-
king.html>
makes it clearer: There are only 12 titles that have never fallen out
of
the weekly chart, and 3 of them are by Pratchett.
With all due respect, and admission of my language inadequacies,
I don't think your formulation says quite what is meant (at least
unequivocally). Of course it's hard to compress such a convoluted
definition into a sentence, but for example <http://file770.com/?
p=382>
managed better.
Anyway, the main "in-depth feature"
<http://www.thebookseller.com/in-depth/feature/64194-the-12-books-you-
must-stock-.html>
(linked from the above "headline" that appeared first in Google only
through a blogpost) notes not only that books "would have to shift
at least 100 units per week in order to remain in the TCM's top 5,000"
(now does this mean that the "top 5000" actually contains more
or fewer titles?), but first of all that it is put together on the
basis
of ISBNs of a particular edition (as apparently adding the same
titles from the same author would be too much work), which they
themselves admit leads to many omissions like the LOTR.
So I find it another media bubble without any useful information
content.
BTW, has anybody been able to understand at least from which
of the two this idea of a publicity stunt came? The articles speak of
"Nielsen BookScan's 'evergreen' listing" which sounds rather
proprietary, but "the features editor of The Bookseller" writes
in the blogpost "I was helping to compile our feature on Nielsen's
'evergreen' books"...
--
Jan Vaněk jr.