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Reading for pleasure Issue 12
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* R E A D I N G F O R P L E A S U R E *
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* Issue #12 *
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* Editor: Cindy Bartorillo *
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* Featured Authors: George Alec Effinger / Evan Hunter *
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CONTACT US AT: Reading For Pleasure, c/o Cindy Bartorillo, 1819
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TABLE OF CONTENTS LINE
Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
What's News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Michener's CARIBBEAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Le Carre's CALL FOR THE DEAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
Genre Sections:
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Murder By The Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437
Loosen Your Grip On Reality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1245
Frightful Fiction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1890
The Laugh's On Us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2350
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Omnium-Gatherum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2497
Back Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2560
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EDITORIAL
Finally, here it is, the first of our new mini-mag issues. Science
Fiction, Mystery, Horror, and Humor now have their own sections,
making them easier to split off from the rest of RFP. While this isn't
all that big a change for the electronic edition, it has been a real
headache reorganizing the print edition. The compartmentalized RFP
will be easier to print in the long run, but creating four new headers
and redesigning the front and back of RFP has meant several late
nights slaving over a hot laser printer.
We've got two Featured Authors for you this time: George Alec
Effinger and Evan Hunter (aka Ed McBain). Add to that reviews by
Robert A. Pittman, Sue Feder, Cherie Jung, and all the other usual
group, and you're bound to find lots of ideas for your reading list.
By the way, it's just come to my attention that the mystery magazine,
The Armchair Detective, has a publishing arm, and they have done a
nice edition of the very first 87th Precinct novel COP HATER. It's $25
for the regular edition, $75 for the limited edition, $3 postage for
the first book, $.50 for each additional book. All copies are printed
on acid-free paper and are Smyth sewn. I'm not sure, but I think this
is the first time COP HATER has been in hardcover. In any case, write
or call:
The Armchair Detective Library
129 West 56th Street
New York, NY 10019
212-765-0902
Be on the lookout for our Lucky #13 Halloween Issue to be released on
October 1, 1990. We've got some great things in store, including a
special article on Haunted Houses, and an Special RFP Interview with
Featured Author Dan Simmons. You won't want to miss this one!
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AWARDS
Pulitzer Prizes
Fiction: THE MAMBO KINGS PLAY SONGS OF LOVE by Oscar Hijuelos
(Farrar, Straus & Giroux)
General Nonfiction: AND THEIR CHILDREN AFTER THEM by Dale Maharidge &
Michael Williamson (Random House)
History: IN OUR IMAGE: America's Empire in the Philippines by Stanley
Karnow (Random House)
Poetry: THE WORLD DOESN'T END by Charles Simic (Harcourt Brace
Jovanovich)
Biography: MACHIAVELLI IN HELL by Sebastian de Grazia (Princeton
University Press)
Golden Kite Awards
Presented by The Society of Children's Book Writers. The recipients
were:
Fiction: JENNY OF THE TETONS by Kristiana Gregory (Gulliver/HBJ)
Nonfiction: PANAMA CANAL: Gateway to the World by Judith St. George
(Putnam)
Illstration: TOM THUMB illustrated by Richard Jesse Watson (HBJ)
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Publishing legend Erle Stanley Gardner was born on July 17, 1889. His
first published novel was THE CASE OF THE VELVET CLAWS (1932). During
his career there were:
82 Perry Mason novels
29 Donald Lam & Bertha Cool detective novels
9 D.A. Doug Selby murder mysteries
8 "other" novels
12 travel books
3 book on criminal novels
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WHAT'S NEWS
* This MUST be the Year of Dan Simmons. After a brief pause following
the release of his first novel, SONG OF KALI, he has recently burst
into print with CARRION COMFORT (from Dark Harvest), PHASES OF
GRAVITY, HYPERION, and FALL OF HYPERION. A paperback edition of
CARRION COMFORT from Warner and a new hardcover novel called SUMMER OF
NIGHT from Putnam are being released this coming October. Around the
same time (October/November), Dark Harvest will publish PRAYERS TO
BROKEN STONES, a collection of short stories, as well as OBSESSIONS,
an anthology edited by Gary Raisor, which will include a short story
by Simmons. Further in the future, the Hyperion books, which were
thematically one novel published in two parts, will have a sequel (of
I don't know how many parts), and that and another undetermined SF
novel AND a "mainstream literary novel" have been sold to Bantam. I
hope you got all that, 'cause there will be a test later. We'll
straighten this whole mess out next issue, when Dan Simmons will be
the Featured Author. Look for #13 (lucky Halloween) around Oct 1.
* If you've enjoyed browsing through the Publishers Central Bureau
discount book catalogs, be prepared for a change. Random House, the
owner, has laid off 30 of the 75 employees at PCB and plans to
emphasize more expensive books, audio, and video.
* Collectors should know about The National Book Collectors Society,
dedicated to promulgating information about book collecting,
bibliography, book preservation, and related subjects. Membership is
$20. For more information, contact: The National Book Collectors
Society, Box 62, New York, NY 10101.
* John Irvin (TURTLE DIARY, HAMBURGER HILL, and NEXT OF KIN) has
optioned Joe R. Lansdale's COLD IN JULY for theatrical development.
Other optioned Lansdale works include: Awesome Productions has an
option on THE DRIVE-IN, and Jeff Walker, Inc., has recently renewed
their option on DEAD IN THE WEST. Summer Lansdale book releases
include: a hardcover edition of COLD IN JULY from Mark Zeising, a
new suspense novel in paperback from Bantam called SAVAGE SEASON, and
a Bantam paperback reissue of COLD IN JULY.
* The International Publishers Association, in an attempt to give
readers (and the act of reading) "a specific status within society",
is promoting the establishment of a "Readers Area" in all public
places such as post offices, railway stations, hospitals, airports,
town halls, supermarkets, etc. Sponsors of the areas--publishers,
libraries, booksellers--will get credit on uniform signs designating
the space.
* Simon & Schuster has had a completely finished, ready-to-publish
biography of Greta Garbo since 1976. The book was written by Antoni
Gronowicz, who was either a "long-time friend" of Garbo (according to
him and an investigation by S&S) or had absolutely no relationship
with her at all (according, at least at one time, to Garbo herself).
The book was sold to S&S with the provision that it would not be
released until after her death, which occurred recently. The author
died in 1985.
* Saying "It's later than you think!", Katharine Hepburn has finally
agreed to write her memoirs for publication. Random House hopes to
have her manuscript in hand this August for a spring 1991 release,
with a Ballantine mass market edition one year later.
* A new book from Ira Levin is an event, and there's one on the way.
It's called SLIVERS, and is, according to Levin, an "erotic thriller".
The title apparently comes from the shape of the new tiny living
spaces that they're building in New York. It's been quite a while
since the last Ira Levin title, so in case you've forgotten, here's a
list of his novels: ROSEMARY'S BABY, A KISS BEFORE DYING, THE BOYS
FROM BRAZIL, THIS PERFECT DAY, THE STEPFORD WIVES. He's also written
some classic plays; most recently DEATHTRAP, but also CRITIC'S CHOICE
and NO TIME FOR SERGEANTS.
* Motown Productions have optioned Rock Brynner's biography of his
father, YUL (Simon & Schuster), for TV.
* Warner Books has paid romance novelist Alexandra Ripley $4.9 million
for a sequel to Margaret Mitchell's GONE WITH THE WIND. It was
supposed to be released this fall, but the writing, editing, and
rewriting is taking longer than expected. They had to cancel a special
promotional party that had been planned for the recent American
Booksellers Association Convention, and the book has been rescheduled
for spring 1991. Warner says it will be "a huge book, big and lush
like its predecessor". Let's hope so.
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CARIBBEAN
by James A. Michener
(1989, Random House, Inc.)
Review by Robert A. Pittman
In writing CARIBBEAN, James A. Michener has supported the book with
his usual extensive research. The legitimacy of the research allows
him to take the reader far back in time to a plausible past in which
to begin the story. It starts in the year 1310 and describes the
inhabitants and the culture of the island presently known as
Hispaniola and shared by the countries Haiti and the Dominican
Republic. From that date, Michener moves the reader along on a trip of
almost seven hundred years through the islands of the Caribbean sea
and along the coast of Central and South America. It is a trip fueled
by the culture, religion and commerce that has shaped the human
dimension of this geographic area.
In tracing the history of the region (after its discovery by the
Europeans), the author uses the technique of following several
characters through several generations. Thus, the reader gets to know
various figures from Spain, France and England who were prominent in
the Caribbean as it was being conquered, settled and commercially
developed. For example, early in the book we are introduced to Don
Diego Ledesma who was appointed the Spanish governor of Cartegena,
Colombia in 1556. He spent much of his adult life in conflict with the
Englishman, Sir Francis Drake over control of the Caribbean. He leaves
a line of progeny who are consistently prominent in the social and
political circles of Columbia. Near the end of the book we meet Dr.
Carlos Ledesma, a respected Colombian professor whose specialty is
Caribbean history.
The span of Michener's chronicle is very broad. From indigenous
settlers he moves on to the discovery of the region by Columbus and
the efforts by him to colonize and exploit the islands. He then covers
the long years of struggle between the French, English and Spanish as
they seek positions of dominance and control. He covers the rise and
fall of slavery and clearly outlines its profound influence on the
social and political conditions which exist in the islands today.
Included is a riveting account of slave revolts in Hispaniola and the
resulting creation of the republic of Haiti. He also leads the reader
into current time as he tells of the independence movements in the
area and the ultimate formation of political unions within the
islands. His story is brought to the shores of this country in his
coverage of the Cuban exodus following the revolution led by Fidel
Castro. The integration of the Cuban refugees into the Miami area is a
fascinating tale which almost stands alone in the book.
The book closes with an imaginary trip through the Caribbean on a
cruise ship. It is a lecture cruise in which qualified Caribbean
scholars talk with the passengers and among themselves about
political, social and economic conditions of the area. They postulate,
analyze and debate, but do not reach conclusions or even a consensus
of views. Mr. Michener has therefore courageously resisted giving pat
answers. He leaves us with an important and beautiful area of the
world that is sometimes in turmoil, frequently troubled and still
facing an uncertain future.
At times, there is a secondary value that one finds in reading a book.
The story may provide some special insight, give the reader new and
useful information or even resolve standing dilemmas and enduring
questions. I found such a secondary value in CARIBBEAN.
Most of us have occasionally discussed or have at least wondered:
What is it that causes Canada and the United States to be so different
from the rest of the countries in North and South America and the
Caribbean? Why are their political systems more stable, their
economies stronger and their people better cared for? The only
physical separation between the United States and Mexico is the small
and placid Rio Grande river. Yet the "separation" in terms of social,
political and economic development is vast. European settlements were
established in the Caribbean and on the mainland of South and Central
America long before similar settlements were successfully established
in the United States or Canada. Brazil and Colombia, for example, had
thriving communities by the mid sixteenth century. Yet none of the
countries making up that area today have managed to put together a
sociopolitical system that provides its citizens the opportunity or
impetus to take them beyond their third world level of development.
This phenomenon is well illustrated by looking at Brazil. It is a
country with ample natural resources, perhaps the richest in all the
Americas, and with a population sufficiently large enough to develop
these resources. Somehow though, it has been unable to build the
public institutions, embrace political stability and foster the
national commitment that is needed for sustained progress.
Many reasons have been advanced for the differences in the degree and
the direction of development among countries. They range across such
things as climate, religion, natural resources and a variety of
cultural influences. Never is it a simple matter. Michener brings a
new viewpoint to this subject, and while it is not the principal focus
of his book, he makes his point quite well.
He lays the problem firmly on the shoulders of the Spanish families
that first settled the Caribbean area. It has a cultural basis, but
was not inherited or imported from Spain. It was a custom or cultural
practice which the Spanish families created as they spread through the
Caribbean region.
This is not the place to re-state Mr. Michener's entire theory on the
matter and I do not want to deprive the prospective reader of the
pleasure of discovering this "extra value." It is more appropriate and
more enjoyable to read it as you enjoy reading CARIBBEAN.
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CALL FOR THE DEAD
by John Le Carre
(1961)
Review by Cindy Bartorillo
CALL FOR THE DEAD is both the first novel published by Le Carre
(pseudonym of David Cornwell) and the first appearance of
"breathtakingly ordinary" George Smiley. On the first page we are
told:
Short, fat and of a quiet disposition, he appeared to
spend a lot of money on really bad clothes, which hung
about his squat frame like a skin on a shrunken toad.
This lets us know immediately that though Smiley is with British
Intelligence, he'll never be confused with James Bond. Which is a very
large part of George Smiley's attraction. Hideously evil villains are
constantly leaping out from behind trees to pounce on Bond, but he is
allowed to respond with equally unrealistic physical capabilities and
an array of gadgets that would be the highlight of any Sharper Image
catalog. George Smiley, on the other hand, faces more human foes, and
must overcome them with nothing more than his impressive mental
capabilities.
Smiley has recently conducted a routine security check and interview
when he is told that the subject of the interview has committed
suicide, apparently the result of Smiley's interview. What did Smiley
say to the man? Why, nothing out of the ordinary. As a matter of fact,
they rather liked each other; even took a walk together. Smiley's
superior wants to leave it with an "Oh, well, just don't do it again",
but George Smiley wants to know what happened. He discovers a few
clues at the dead man's house, then Smiley goes home to think. But
when he goes home, he finds that a stranger is there waiting for him.
Now Smiley must hide until he discovers the key to the dead man's
puzzle.
This is a terrific mystery story, and a very short one. My paperback
edition is 148 pages, and there are exactly 148 pages of plot. This is
highly unusual today; most novels, few of which contain more bare plot
than CALL FOR THE DEAD, are padded out to at least 300-400 pages. But
this novel is absolute perfection, and wouldn't bear the adding or
deleting of a single word. If you haven't read Smiley's first puzzle,
you're missing a very good story.
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Murder By The Book is a division of Reading For Pleasure, published
bimonthly. This material is NOT COPYRIGHTED and may be used freely by
all. Contributions of information, reviews, etc. should be sent to:
Reading For Pleasure, 1819 Millstream Drive, Frederick, MD 21702.
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FEATURED AUTHOR:
EVAN HUNTER
"The city in these pages is imaginary. The people, the places are all
fictitious. Only the police routine is based on established
investigatory technique."
---printed in the front of 87th Precinct novels
Evan Hunter was born Salvatore A. Lombino in New York, 1926. Later he
changed his name legally to Evan Hunter and went on to write
critically-acclaimed novels, children's books, plays, and screenplays,
under the name Evan Hunter as well as a variety of pseudonyms. Some of
the names Hunter has used are: Ed McBain, Richard Marsten, Curt
Cannon, Ezra Hannor, Hunt Collins.
Despite all his other fine work, Evan Hunter will probably always be
best known for his novels about the 87th Precinct published under the
name Ed McBain. These novels have largely defined the mystery subgenre
of Police Procedural, and are much-loved by both readers and critics
(Julian Symons called Hunter "the most consistently skillful writer of
police novels"). Hunter says that he never plans a book, he just sits
down and types, which helps explain the extraordinary variety of
subjects and tones among the 87th Precinct novels. Some are more
horror story than mystery, some are very violent, and some are
outright comedies.
One of the hallmarks of the 87th Precinct novels is the multiple story
lines in each volume. As in a real police station, there are many
different stories unfolding, with a wide variety of characters
involved. This juggling act has afforded Hunter a great deal of
narrative freedom and has kept readers coming back for more than 30
years. By the way, even though Evan Hunter has repeatedly denied that
the island of Isola (Italian for "island") where the 87th Precinct is
located, is really New York, most readers have long ago decided
otherwise.
Here is a guide to this classic author's works. The name following the
title and date is the name under which the book was published, at
least to the best of my ability to determine it. Many of the books
have been published under Evan Hunter and Ed McBain, and it's often
difficult to determine which was first, or even most prominent. Thanks
to everyone who helped me with this list, most particularly Frank "The
Bibliographer" Young and Edwin Albetski.
EVERYTHING BUT THE 87TH PRECINCT NOVELS
FIND THE FEATHERED SERPENT (1952) Evan Hunter. A 16-year-old boy and
his companion travel by time machine to a Yucatan of more than a
thousand years ago to search for the origins of the Maya god,
Kukulcan.
DON'T CROWD ME (1953) Evan Hunter. This was a paperback original
about sex and murder in an upstate New York vacation resort.
THE BLACKBOARD JUNGLE (1954) Evan Hunter. Hunter taught at two
vocational high schools in 1950, which gave him the material for
this famous story of violence and racial tension in a New York
school.
CUT ME IN (1954) Hunt Collins.
SECOND ENDING (1956) Evan Hunter.
RUNAWAY BLACK (1954) Richard Marsten. About a young man from Harlem
on the lam from a murder he didn't commit.
MURDER IN THE NAVY (1955) Evan Hunter.
ROCKET TO LUNA (unknown) Richard Marsten.
THE SPIKED HEEL (1956) Evan Hunter.
THE JUNGLE KIDS (1956) Evan Hunter. A collection of short stories
about teenagers and crime.
VANISHING LADIES (1957) Richard Marsten. A cop is on vacation when
his fiancee goes missing.
I LIKE 'EM TOUGH (1958) Curt Cannon. Short stories told as
first-person accounts of a former private detective who is now a
bum.
I'M CANNON--FOR HIRE (1958) Curt Cannon. More about Cannon.
EVEN THE WICKED (1958) Richard Marsten. A paperback original that was
later reprinted under the Ed McBain pseudonym. It's about Zachary
Blake, who returns to Martha's Vineyard one year after his wife died
there, supposedly in a swimming accident. Zach thinks it was murder
and his poking around stirs up another murder and a kidnapping.
STRANGERS WHEN WE MEET (1958) Evan Hunter.
THE APRIL ROBIN MURDERS (1958) Craig Rice & Ed McBain. Hunter
completed Rice's mystery novel when she died suddenly.
BIG MAN (1959) Richard Marsten. The rise (and fall) of a small-time
hood.
A MATTER OF CONVICTION (1959) Evan Hunter.
THE LAST SPIN (1960) Evan Hunter. A short story collection.
THE REMARKABLE HARRY (1961) Evan Hunter.
MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS (1961) Evan Hunter.
THE WONDERFUL BUTTON (1961) Evan Hunter.
HAPPY NEW YEAR, HERBIE (1963) Evan Hunter. A short story collection.
THE BIRDS (1963) Evan Hunter. He wrote the screenplay for Alfred
Hitchcock's famous film made from a Daphne Du Maurier story.
BUDDWING (1964) Evan Hunter. An amnesia victim spends 24 hours in New
York City trying to piece his life together.
THE SENTRIES (1965) Ed McBain.
THE PAPER DRAGON (1966) Evan Hunter.
A HORSE'S HEAD (1967) Evan Hunter. "A wacky farce that rivals
anything written by Donald Westlake for comic invention, boffo
laughs, and sheer exuberance. It also has one element that
Westlake's novels generally lack (but Hunter's never do): plenty of
sex, including but not limited to a seduction in the stacks of the
New York City Public Library." (Bill Pronzini in 1001 MIDNIGHTS)
LAST SUMMER (1968) Evan Hunter.
SONS (1969) Evan Hunter.
NOBODY KNEW THEY WERE THERE! (1971) Ed McBain.
EVERY LITTLE CROOK AND NANNY (1972) Ed McBain. A comic crime novel
that has some fun with literary critics.
THE EASTER MAN (A PLAY) AND SIX STORIES (1972) Ed McBain. Contains:
"The Birthday Party", "The Sharers", "The Interview", "The
Intruder", "Terminal Misunderstanding", "The Beheading", and "The
Easter Man".
COME WINTER (1973) Evan Hunter.
STREETS OF GOLD (1974) Ed McBain.
WHERE THERE'S SMOKE (1975) Ed McBain. A Benjamin Smoke novel.
THE CHISHOLMS: A NOVEL OF THE JOURNEY WEST (1976) Evan Hunter.
GUNS (1976) Ed McBain.
ME AND MR. STENNER (1976) Evan Hunter. An 11-year-old girl learns to
live with her mother's divorce and remarriage.
GOLDILOCKS (1978) Ed McBain. The first of the novels about Florida
lawyer Matthew Hope. All have nursery rhyme titles and are mostly
about criminal deviants.
LOVE, DAD (1981) Evan Hunter.
RUMPELSTILTSKIN (1981) Ed McBain. A Matthew Hope novel.
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1983) Ed McBain. A Matthew Hope novel.
THE MCBAIN BRIEF (1983) Ed McBain. Twenty short stories by Hunter or
McBain originally published in magazines like Manhunt, Ellery
Queen's Mystery Magazine, and Playboy.
FAR FROM THE SEA (1983) Evan Hunter.
JACK AND THE BEANSTALK (1984) Ed McBain. A Matthew Hope novel. The
lawyer investigates the murder of a young man who wanted to buy a
bean farm.
LIZZIE (1984) Evan Hunter. A fictionalized retelling of the Lizzie
Borden story, complete with a very plausible solution.
SNOW WHITE AND ROSE RED (1985) Ed McBain. A Matthew Hope novel.
ANOTHER PART OF THE CITY (1985) Ed McBain.
CINDERELLA (1986) Ed McBain. A Matthew Hope novel.
PUSS IN BOOTS (1987) Ed McBain. A Matthew Hope novel.
THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT (1988) Ed McBain. A Matthew Hope novel.
DOWNTOWN (1989) Ed McBain.
THREE BLIND MICE (1990) Ed McBain. A Matthew Hope novel. The wife of
a wealthy Calusa farmer has been brutally raped. The resulting
police investigation leads to the arrest of three recent immigrants,
all Vietnamese. But the trial, surprisingly, results in their being
found innocent. After the verdict is announced, the husband of the
victim publicly vows to take justice into his own hands. A few days
later the three Vietnamese are found murdered and brutally
mutilated. The husband, the obvious and logical suspect, is arrested
and accused of the triple crime. At this point his wife turns to
Matthew Hope, who soon discovers that he has taken on a case far
more complicated--and more explosive--than he had imagined.
THE 87TH PRECINCT:
The Squad:
Detective Steve Carella --- He's an Italian-American with a beautiful
wife named Teddy (who is a deaf-mute). Hunter has admitted basing
this leading character of the 87th Precinct series on himself.
Lieutenant Pete Byrnes --- The respected chief of the squad.
Detective Cotton Hawes --- A huge man with a white streak in his red
hair marking the place where he was once knifed. He was named after
Cotton Mather, the witch-hunter, and is the sex symbol of the squad.
Detective Meyer Meyer --- A Jew brought up in a Gentile neighborhood,
his name is one of his father's jokes. He's the patient one.
Detective Dick Genero --- The dumbest cop in uniform. He once shot
himself in the foot.
Detective Bert Kling --- The youngest member of the squad, he learns
by making mistakes, many mistakes. Has very bad luck with women.
Detective Andy Parker --- The cop you love to hate. He's a braggart
and a sadist.
Detective Arthur Brown --- A large black man.
Alf Miscolo --- Head of Clerical.
Detective Hal Willis
Desk Sergeant Dave Murchison
Policewoman Eileen Burke
Policewoman Anne Rawles
NOTE: In 1961 and 1962, thirty one-hour episodes were televised about
the 87th Precinct. Detective Carella was played by Robert Lansing,
Gena Rowlands was his wife Teddy, and Gregory Walcott played
Detective Havilland.
The Novels:
COP HATER (1956) Was made into a film starring Robert Loggia.
THE MUGGER (1956) Was also made into a film.
THE PUSHER (1956)
THE CON MAN (1957)
KILLER'S CHOICE (1958)
KILLER'S PAYOFF (1958)
LADY KILLER (1958)
KILLER'S WEDGE (1959) Virginia Dodge holds the 87th Precinct hostage
with a bottle of what she says in nitroglycerin, waiting for Carella
to return so she can shoot him for his responsibility in the death
of her husband. Meanwhile, Carella is out trying to solve the
locked-room hanging murder of a rich old man. Great suspense. Highly
recommended.
'TIL DEATH (1959)
KING'S RANSOM (1959) Was made into a Japanese film by Akira Kurosawa
called HIGH AND LOW.
GIVE THE BOYS A GREAT BIG HAND (1960)
THE HECKLER (1960) The novel marks the first appearance of that
master criminal, the Deaf Man.
SEE THEM DIE (1960)
LADY, LADY, I DID IT! (1961)
LIKE LOVE (1962)
THE EMPTY HOURS (1962) A collection of three novelettes.
TEN PLUS ONE (1963) Was made into a film called WITHOUT APPARENT
MOTIVE.
AX (1964)
HE WHO HESITATES (1965) A grim and suspenseful story told entirely
from the point of view of a sexually disturbed criminal.
DOLL (1965)
EIGHTY MILLION EYES (1966)
FUZZ (1968) Was made into a film starring Burt Reynolds, with a
screenplay written by Hunter. The Deaf Man threatens to start
killing city officials if he isn't given a great deal of money,
Carella works undercover to find out who's been setting winos on
fire, and the squad room is being painted apple green.
SHOTGUN (1969)
JIGSAW (1970)
HAIL, HAIL, THE GANG'S ALL HERE! (1971) The star of this novel is the
87th Precinct itself, as we get a front-row seat for 24 hours of
precinct life. The whole squad shows up, and the arrest sheets and
other official paperwork interspersed in the book add
verisimilitude.
SADIE WHEN SHE DIED (1972)
LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE DEAF MAN (1973) Another Deaf Man appearance.
HAIL TO THE CHIEF (1973) There's a gang war brewing, and Carella and
Bert Kling have a pile of corpses in a ditch.
BREAD (1974)
BLOOD RELATIVES (1975)
SO LONG AS YOU BOTH SHALL LIVE (1976)
LONG TIME NO SEE (1977)
CALYPSO (1979)
GHOSTS (1980) The 87th Precinct meets the occult, and Hunter kills
off his friend Stephen King. (King in turn mentions Steve Carella
and the 87th Precinct on page 71 of the new, revised THE STAND and
on page 169 of THE DARK HALF.)
HEAT (1981) An alcoholic artist commits suicide (or was it murder?)
and Bert Kling's wife strays. The summer heat steams right off the
pages.
ICE (1983) You get everything in this story: robbery, murder, drugs,
rape. A long and complicated book, but Hunter manages to hold it all
together.
LIGHTNING (1984) Someone is killing female runners and hanging them
from lampposts, a serial rapist is raping the same women multiple
times, and Meyer Meyer has a new toupee.
EIGHT BLACK HORSES (1985) Another appearance of the Deaf Man.
POISON (1987)
TRICKS (1987)
MCBAIN'S LADIES: THE WOMEN OF THE 87TH PRECINCT (1988)
LULLABY (1989)
MCBAIN'S LADIES TOO: MORE WOMEN OF THE 87TH PRECINCT (1989)
VESPERS (1990) Not the best 87th Precinct novel. See the review in
this issue.
About the 87th Precinct:
THE BOYS FROM GROVER AVENUE: ED MCBAIN'S 87TH PRECINCT NOVELS
by George N. Dove
(Bowling Green University, 1985)
>*<->*<->*<->*<->*<->*<->*<
THE 1990 EDGAR AWARDS
The awards for excellence given out by The Mystery Writers of America
are:
Best Novel: BLACK CHERRY BLUES by James L. Burke
Best First Novel by an American Author: THE LAST BILLABLE HOUR by
Susan Wolfe
Best Original Paperback Novel: THE RAIN by Keith Peterson
Best Fact Crime: DOC: THE RAPE OF THE TOWN OF LOVELL by Jack Olsen
Best Critical/Biographical Study: THE LIFE OF GRAHAM GREENE, VOLUME
I: 1904-1939 by Norman Sherry
Best Young Adult Mystery: SHOW ME THE EVIDENCE by Alane Ferguson
Best Short Story: "Too Many Crooks" by Donald Westlake
Best Mystery Episode in a Television Series: "White Noise" (WISEGUY)
by Burke & Ruggiero
Best Television Feature or Miniseries: SHANNON'S DEAL written by John
Sayles
Best Motion Picture: HEATHERS written by Daniel Waters
Best Play: CITY OF ANGELS by Gelbart, Coleman & Zippel
Grand Master Award: Helen McCloy
Raven Award: Carol Brener
Reader of the Year: Sarah Booth Conroy
Ellery Queen Award: Joel Davis
Robert L. Fish Memorial Award: "Hawks" by Connie Holt
>*<->*<->*<->*<->*<->*<->*<
VESPERS
by Ed McBain
(Morrow, 1990)
"Carella told him they had a D.O.A. priest, stab-and-slash, weapon
unknown, housekeeper and secretary last ones to see him alive, wild
prints all over the church and the rectory, random latents lifted from
the papers here, but they were most likely the secretary's. He also
told Parker that the housekeeper thought the Devil had dusted the
priest and that in addition to the Devil the priest had also pissed
off some local youngsters as well as his own congregation."
---from VESPERS
The detectives of the 87th precinct are called in on May 24th when
Father Michael is killed in the garden of St. Catherine's, but they
soon become convinced that the key to the murder lies in the mystery
of what, exactly, happened in the church on the afternoon of Easter
Sunday, more than a month earlier. Everyone that Steve Carella
questions has at least a slightly different version of the time.
Everyone agrees that a young black man named Nathan Hooper burst into
the church that afternoon, bleeding from a head wound and being chased
by half a dozen local Italian youths. The motivation for the attack on
Nathan depends entirely on who you ask: Nathan's story differs
markedly from that of Bobby Corrente, leader of the Italian kids. Some
people say that when Nathan's entrance interrupted a violent argument
that Father Michael was having with an unknown person in an adjoining
room. Some say he was arguing with a man, some say a woman. Some say
that, as a result of the Easter Sunday incident, drugs were hidden
inside St. Catherine's.
The slow unfolding of the facts about Easter Sunday are a delight to
read, and very instructive. Just because a story sounds good, just
because it makes sense, doesn't mean that it is true. As I read
VESPERS, I kept jumping to conclusions, assuming people were telling
the truth to Carella, and I was continually surprised. There are some
very interesting side stories in VESPERS also. Detective Willis and
his girlfriend Marilyn Hollis become embroiled in a deadly game with
Argentinian hitmen when Marilyn's past comes back to haunt them. And
Cotton Hawes begins a relationship with Kristin Lund that has two
strikes against it from the start: one, she's an actress, and two,
she's a suspect in the murder of Father Michael.
Speaking of suspects, there's a great bunch in VESPERS. There's
Schuyler Lutherson, a Satanist who runs the Church of the Bornless One
only four blocks from St. Catherine's. There's Arthur Farnes, a
disgruntled parishoner and wife-beater. There's Andrew Hobbs, a gay
Satanist who painted an inverted pentagram on St. Catherine's garden
gate, and Abby, his over-sexed mother. What about Nathan Hooper and
the Italian kids? Did they hide drugs in the church and kill Father
Michael when he interfered? And if it's true that Father Michael was
having an affair, who was it with? The secretary Kristin Lund perhaps?
As in most mysteries, there is a considerable amount of educational
material in VESPERS. The reader gets to visit the nearby Church of the
Bornless One and witness several Satanist rituals, as well as meeting
a number of the people involved. There's also a fascinating lecture of
the creation, use, and dissemination of crack (and we get to meet a
few people involved in those processes too). On the whole, the
Satanists come off looking childish and pathetic, as do the drug
abusers. The force of the reader's anger is directed instead toward
those who manipulate the suffering of others for their own gain, and
Ed McBain points out several types for you to watch out for.
As a minor side issue, I was interested to note that Ed McBain chose
to present the speech of inner city blacks in dialect, using phonetic
spelling to indicate pronunciation. ("'I tole him basely d'troof,'
Hooper said.") This is always a mildly controversial issue: some
readers find phonetic spelling hard to read and disruptive, possibly
even insulting; others enjoy a book with a bit of a sound track. What
do you think? Before you say you like writers who work in dialect,
grab a few Sir Walter Scott novels (THE ANTIQUARY sticks in my mind
particularly). Scott's books often come with a glossary in the back,
and with good reason.
The solution to the mystery is nicely done, and if you were paying
attention you had plenty of opportunity to solve it yourself. The
depiction of inner city life, on the other hand, was grim and
depressing, with no real hope offered by the author for future
improvement. I generally prefer my fiction a bit more upbeat, but the
storytelling ability of Ed McBain carries the day in VESPERS.
>*<->*<->*<->*<->*<->*<->*<
This year's Bouchercon (XXI) is being held September 21-23 in London,
so I guess if you don't have your reservations by now you aren't
going. But if you'd like to make plans for next year, here's the
scoop. Bouchercon XXII will be held October 11-13, 1991 in Los
Angeles, CA. Guest of Honor will be Ed Hoch. Visual Media Guest of
Honor will be William Link. Fan Guest of Honor will be Bruce Pelz. If
you want more information, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to
Bouchercon XXII
c/o SCIFI
Box 8442
Van Nuys, CA 91409
>*<->*<->*<->*<->*<->*<->*<
September 15, 1990 will mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of
Agatha Christie. She wrote 78 crime novels, 19 plays, 6 romances
(under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott), and 4 works of nonfiction. Her
books have sold more copies than Shakespeare--as a matter of fact
she's outsold only by the Bible. If you want to talk numbers,
Christie's works have sold over a billion copies in English, and
another billion in 44 other languages around the world. In honor of
her centenary, the Free Press is publishing a new, unauthorized
biography called AGATHA CHRISTIE: THE WOMAN AND HER MYSTERIES ($22.50)
by Harvard lecturer Gillian Gill. Do you know who murdered Roger
Ackroyd? Do you know who was murdered in the vicarage? Maybe you need
to do some reading.
Agatha Christie Trivia: Did you know that Miss Marple titles outsell
Hercule Poirot titles by 15%? It's a fact.
>*<->*<->*<->*<->*<->*<->*<
By Michael Z. Lewin:
ASK THE RIGHT QUESTION (1971)
THE WAY WE DIE NOW (1973)
THE ENEMIES WITHIN (1974)
NIGHT COVER (1976)
THE SILENT SALESMAN (1978)
OUTSIDE IN (1980)
MISSING WOMAN (1981)
HARD LINE (1982)
OUT OF SEASON (1984)
LATE PAYMENTS (1986)
AND BABY WILL FALL (1988)
>*<->*<->*<->*<->*<->*<->*<
BOOKS BY SANDRA SCOPPETTONE
(aka Jack Early)
SUZUKI BEANE (1961) 96 pages, illustrated.
BANG, BANG, YOU'RE DEAD by Louise Fitzhugh & Sandra Scoppettone (1969)
32 pages, illustrated by Louise Fitzhugh. A group of children find
that while play war can be fun, real war is no fun at all.
TRYING HARD TO HEAR YOU (1974) 264 pages. Faced with the revelation
that her best friend is a homosexual, a sixteen-year-old tries to
cope with her own and her friends' reactions toward him.
THE LATE GREAT ME (1976) 256 pages. Having thought that drinking
would help her make and keep friends, a sixteen-year-old comes to
realize that she is no longer in control and seeks help.
SOME UNKNOWN PERSON (1977) 374 pages.
HAPPY ENDINGS ARE ALL ALIKE (1978) 202 pages. Small town prejudices
emerge when a love affair between two teenage girls is revealed.
SUCH NICE PEOPLE (1980) 284 pages.
LONG TIME BETWEEN KISSES (1982) 207 pages. A young woman living in
New York City's SoHo learns about love and honesty in the summer of
her seventeenth year.
INNOCENT BYSTANDERS (1983) 359 pages.
A CREATIVE KIND OF KILLER by Jack Early (1984) 214 pages.
PLAYING MURDER (1985) 217 pages. When one of the players in a murder
game is killed, seventeen-year-old Anna and her twin brother realize
that their circle of friends may conceal a real murderer.
RAZZAMATAZZ by Jack Early (1985) 331 pages.
DONATO & DAUGHTER by Jack Early (1988) 341 pages.
"He Loved Her So Much" (1989) In SISTERS IN CRIME from Berkley.
EVERYTHING YOU HAVE IS MINE (1991) Coming from Little, Brown.
NOTE: Sandra is working on the next Jack Early novel right now, and
it will be a sequel to the first (A CREATIVE KIND OF KILLER), starring
Fortune Fanelli, P.I.
>*<->*<->*<->*<->*<->*<->*<
SUE FEDER'S MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR
Boylan, Eleanor: MURDER OBSERVED (Henry Holt, 1990, $16.95, USA).
Format: Hardcover
Character: Clara Gamadge, 2nd appearance
Locale: New York City
Status: Amateur `little old lady'
Setting: Past misdeeds come back to haunt
Henry Gamadge's widow Clara is back in time to witness Anna, one of
her oldest friends, run down by a car. Anna had been talking about a
young German student and her Austrian friend, both of whom have a
strangely close relationship with Anna's long-ex-husband. Despite the
lack of interest by the police, Clara knows what she saw--and what she
saw was a murder. Although the ending is strangely choppy and the
motive is derived from an outdated morality, Clara is a great lady
who (along with Margaret Binton) shows positively that life doesn't
end at 60.
Hall, Parnell: CLIENT (Donald I. Fine, 1990, $18.95, USA).
Format: Hardcover
Character: Stanley Hastings, 5th appearance
Locale: New York City and Albany
Status: PI
Setting: Humorous softboiled
Stanley Hastings is back, and he finally has a paying detective job.
Hired to trail the estranged wife of his client, he ends up in a
small-town motel in upstate New York. After his quarry is tucked in
for the night he goes to sleep, only to be woken up by the
not-so-gentle tapping of local cops ready to arrest him for her
murder. Then he finds out she wasn't the wife, and his client
disappears--without paying his bill. Stanley investigates in his own
inimitable fashion, but what will he do about his unpaid bill?
Meyers, Annette: TENDER DEATH (Bantam, 1990, $17.95, USA).
Format: Hardcover
Character: Leslie Wetzon, 2nd appearance
Locale: New York City
Status: Amateur Wall Street headhunter
Setting: Financial dealings
When a wealthy, elderly woman falls out of her window, the police are
ready to call it accidental or a suicide. Wall Street headhunter
Leslie Wetzon, though, is nagged by the peculiar disappearance of the
deceased's home attendant. There's an unusual proliferation of people
with Russian accents which sends Wetzon into the alien world of Little
Odessa in Brooklyn's Brighton Beach; and the usual proliferation of
friends and colleagues who sometimes place the bottom line in front of
love and loyalty. (In fact, there are time I would like to see her
partner, Smith, as the next victim.) Meyers hits this particular side
of New York with unerring accuracy.
However, there is one very disturbing plot gap: one person knows the
name of a very important player in the situation and supposedly
reveals all he knows to the police, in Wetzon's presence. Yet later in
the book Wetzon has no idea who this person is and nearly gets killed.
I like Wetzon, but I find it hard to accept a person dealing with Wall
Street sharks being this naive. Also, those who get occasionally
annoyed at Carolyn Hart's name-dropping may feel similarly about
Wetzon's seeming acquaintance with everyone in the NYC entertainment
business.
Roberts, Les: SNAKE OIL (St. Martin's Press, 1990, $17.95, USA).
Format: Hardcover
Character: Saxon, 4th appearance
Locale: Los Angeles
Status: PI
Setting: Financial dealings, modern American hardboiled
As Roberts matures in his writing, Saxon matures as a character in
this most complex story to date. Asked to obtain proof of a wife's
infidelity, he is kept on to prove the lady innocent of murder. The
dead man worked in the wildcat oil business, where the risks are high
and the payoffs higher still. The supporting cast--his assistant Jo;
adopted son Marvel (who makes a significant reappearance); a wily old
oilman and his beautiful and brilliant granddaughter--is excellent. Sex
is kept discreetly behind closed doors; violence is engaged in
reluctantly and when no other options exist. Roberts' intimate
knowledge of Los Angeles is felt in full force; and while Saxon has
lost none of his sharp sense of irony, it is in the context of the
thoughtful and caring man we glimpsed in NOT ENOUGH HORSES. Highly
recommended.
Smith, Janet: SEA OF TROUBLES (Perseverance, 1990, $8.95, USA).
Format: Trade Paperback
Character: Annie McPherson, 1st appearance, possible future series
Locale: Puget Sound, Oregon
Status: Amateur lawyer
Setting: Caper-gone-wrong, some romance
Seattle lawyer Annie McPherson finds herself on nearby San Juan
Islands for what she hopes will be a combination business
trip/mini-vacation. Pretty nearly everyone on the island is hiding
something, and Annie is compelled to sort things out after one person
ends up missing and another ends up dead. Although a major plot turn
is obvious far too early, Annie is a very likeable character (one is
tempted to say spunky) and there's enough going on to hold your
interest throughout.
Tapply, William: CLIENT PRIVILEGE (Delacorte, 1990, $16.95, USA).
Format: Hardcover
Character: Brady Coyne, 9th appearance
Locale: Boston
Status: Experienced amateur lawyer
Setting: Legal ethics
A lawyer is bound to completely protect the confidentiality of what
his client tells him. Suppose you are a lawyer and your client asks
you to meet someone on a confidential matter. Suppose that someone is
murdered shortly after the meeting. Suppose that respecting your
client's privilege makes you a prime suspect. And suppose you start to
suspect your own client set you up as a patsy. Brady Coyne must do
more than suppose in this latest and very strong entry in a generally
fine series.
Brady is also deepened as a character for us. Gone again his Hungarian
strudel of a girlfriend, although he mentions her once to let us know
she is not out of his life. Back for a touching, if ambivalent,
interlude is his ex-wife. Seen here for perhaps the first time in the
series is his sincere dedication to the basic moral and ethical
foundation of his chosen profession. I've enjoyed the entire series
(more or less), but Tapply seems to be taking his protagonist more
seriously in this book, and it shows.
>*<->*<->*<->*<->*<->*<->*<
THE AMERICAN MYSTERY AWARDS
Best Traditional Mystery: DIET TO DIE FOR by Joan Hess
Best Crime Novel: KILLSHOT by Elmore Leonard
Best Private Eye Novel: THE SHAPE OF DREAD by Marcia Muller
Best Espionage Novel: A SEASON IN HELL by Jack Higgins
Best Romantic Suspense: NAKED ONCE MORE by Elizabeth Peters
Best Police Procedural: A GOOD NIGHT TO KILL by Lillian O'Donnell
Best Paperback Original: TROUBLE IN THE BRASSES by Charlotte MacLeod
Best Fan Publication: THE DROOD REVIEW
Best Scholarly Work: A CATALOGUE OF CRIME by Barzun & Taylor
Best Movie: HEATHERS
Best TV Show: WISEGUY
Best Critic: Jon L. Breen
Best Short Story: "Afraid All the Time" by Nancy Pickard (in SISTERS
IN CRIME)
Best Editor: Kate Miciak
>*<->*<->*<->*<->*<->*<->*<
A LITTLE CLASS ON MURDER
by Carolyn G. Hart
(1989, Doubleday)
Reviewed by Cherie Jung
For fans of Annie Laurance Darling, the name dropping owner of the
mystery book store Death on Demand, another romp awaits you, complete
with Laurel, Miss Dora and Henny.
While I occasionally tire of the stream of real authors' names strung
along in the storyline, I do enjoy the rivalry and antics of the
sleuthing trio of Laurel, Henny and Miss Dora. I also enjoy Annie's
sense of self and sense of humor.
The mystery here occurs on the Chastain College Campus where Annie is
teaching a class entitled "The Three Great Dames of Mystery" (meaning
Rinehart, Christie and Sayers) and involves the struggle for power in
the journalism department. While Annie attempts to avoid becoming
embroiled in the matter, events have a way of changing her mind, as
the class decides to solve the mystery themselves. In Annie's race to
discover the identity of "Deep Throat" and reveal the murderer(s)
before her class disintegrates into total chaos, she is "assisted" by
Max, her husband, and the charming trio of Miss Dora, Laurel and
Henny.
There are three deaths. Two murders and one suicide. There were
several good suspects, including the killer, and lots of clue
gathering for the various participants. However, when the killer is
exposed (or deduced, as in my case), I'm not certain the motives of
the killer justified the brutal killings. On the whole, A LITTLE CLASS
ON MURDER was a quick, light read and for the most part, enjoyable.
If you haven't already become a fan of the Annie Laurance series, you
might want to pick up the other titles and read them from first to
last. Other titles include: DEATH ON DEMAND (one of my favorites),
DESIGN FOR MURDER, SOMETHING WICKED (another favorite - Laurel's plans
for Annie and Max' wedding are not to be missed! And the mystery isn't
bad, either.), and HONEYMOON WITH MURDER (another favorite, complete
with one of the most exasperating honeymoons I've ever read about!)
All are available from Bantam Books, pb $3.50 - $3.95 or check your
local used bookstores.
>*<->*<->*<->*<->*<->*<->*<
DIANE DOWNS: BEST KEPT SECRETS
Her Own True Story
Told by Diane Downs with the aid of police documents
and trial transcripts no one else will share
by Elizabeth Diane Downs
Danmark Publishing, Incorporated (May, 1989) $4.95
If you have already read the excellent book by Ann Rule called SMALL
SACRIFICES, then you will no doubt be aware of the sensational media
attention to this case. Ms. Downs was convicted in 1984 of shooting
her three children, one of which died of the wounds, one was partially
paralyzed and one was temporarily affected by aphasia and
complications suffered from a stroke following the shootings. Ms.
Downs received a gunshot wound to her left arm which was believed to
be self inflicted.
Meanwhile, Ms. Downs claimed that a scruffy looking man had flagged
down her car, demanded she give him the car and when she refused, he
shot her children and later shot her in the arm.
If you haven't yet read the Ann Rule book, or seen the television
interview of the Oprah Winfrey show when Ms. Downs was interviewed,
then I suggest you obtain copies and read/watch them in addition to
reading this book.
Words fail me, as the saying goes. I do not doubt that Ms. Downs has
convinced herself that she is the innocent victim here. However, her
interpretation does not reconcile the facts for me. The more I read of
her book, the more frustrated I became that I couldn't literally
interrupt and ask, "Ms. Downs, do you hear what you're saying? Do you
really expect me to believe this?"
On the back cover of her book, it reads, in part,"Ms. Downs gives a
chilling first-hand account of how she and her children were cut down
by an assailant's bullets only to find themselves further victimized
by the Oregon State legal system. She reveals alleged misconduct by
arresting authorities and gives detailed accounts from court
transcripts to substantiate her claim of innocence..."
It feels like something I might find in one of those tabloids that we
all pretend we don't read. Once I began to read her account of the
events, I kept thinking that this woman is seriously disturbed. I
don't, for a moment, believe that she is/was "crazy" in the sense that
she didn't know what she was doing, for I fully believe that she DID
know what she was doing - just that she pulled it off badly.
I do not recommend reading this book if you are not willing to spend
some time reading other accounts of the crime and if possible,
watching/hearing Ms. Downs speak. It is a chilling experience. The
phrase I have heard most often from laymen is a haunting, "She's one
sick puppy..."
--------------------------------------------------------------------
For a mysteriously good time, have your computer call Cherie's BBS,
Over My Dead Body! Mystery BBS at 415-465-7739.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
>*<->*<->*<->*<->*<->*<->*<
THE 1989 PRIVATE EYE WRITERS OF AMERICA (PWA) SHAMUS AWARDS
Best P.I. Novel: EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES by Jonathan Valin
Best First P.I. Novel: KATWALK by Karen Kijewski
Best Original Paperback P.I. Novel: HELL'S ONLY HALF FULL by Rob
Kantner
Best P.I. Short Story: "The Killing Man" by Mickey Spillane
(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)
<-*->:<-*->:<-*->:<-*->:<-*->:<-*->
< >
< LOOSEN YOUR GRIP ON REALITY >
< >
<-*->:<-*->:<-*->:<-*->:<-*->:<-*->
<< Editor: Darryl Kenning >>
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Loosen Your Grip On Reality is a division of Reading For Pleasure,
published bimonthly. This material is NOT COPYRIGHTED and may be used
freely by all. Contributions of information, reviews, etc. should be
sent to:
Darryl Kenning CompuServe: 76337,740
6331 Marshall Rd. or GEnie: D.Kenning
Centerville, Ohio 45459 HeavenSoft BBS 513-836-4288
The Annex BBS 513-274-0821
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RANDOM ACCESS
The answers are: Yes, all of them, most several times; and, Because it
stretches my imagination. You probably already know what the questions
are. 1. Did you REALLY read all those books?! and, 2. Why do you read
Science Fiction? IF the truth be known the real answer to question
number two is "because I really enjoy the creativity that a good SF
author must show". The other question that arises as two adults are
struggling to find a common ground with Science Fiction - somewhere
between "I saw a SF movie once" and a full time reader of the stuff,
is--Well, who is your favorite author?
Now a number of years ago I had a pretty pat answer to that one. I
would trot out Dr. Asimov, Arthur Clarke, and of course Robert H.
Heinlein. And that was about all that was required to prove you were a
REAL and fairly serious reader of Science Fiction. In spite of the
ongoing controversy revolving around the number of SF books being
published every year, there are so many outstanding authors that the
original question becomes almost meaningless. So already where do you
put Niven, Pournelle, Drake, and Bujold to name only a very few?
Instead I got to thinking the other day about which SF author had most
influenced my thinking over the years. You know, the author whose
books you read a half dozen times andeven today after umpteen years
you can remember the stories and the philosophies and the plot twists.
For me that was Robert A. Heinlein. From "THE ROADS MUST ROLL to
STARSHIP TROOPER, from FARNHAM'S FREEHOLD to THE MOON IS A HARSH
MISTRESS he proposed philosophies, tried governmental systems, and
forced us to examine ourselves and our cherished ideas.
Understand that I didn't always agree with his ideas, and found some
of his stuff disagreeable and in later years as he experimented a bit
I found I missed the "old" RAH writing. But it was all worth reading -
every single story, every single novel. By The way, If you're looking
for some interesting thoughts, read STARSHIP TROOPER and then read THE
FOREVER WAR by Joe Haldeman.
At any rate, He made a mighty contribution to the Science Fiction
genre, to the American body of literature, but most importantly to me,
Mr. Heinlein molded who and what I am (for better or worse I guess).
Bob and Ginny, Thank You both.
<< dkk >>
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
If you have a comment or a question or just an observation about the
comments in RANDOM ACCESS or anything else in this section...shoot it
off to me at the addresses listed above. Your feedback is welcome.
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
* I've just heard that Harlan Ellison sold something called RUN FOR
THE STARS to Tor Books. If anyone knows anything about this title, or
when it's due to be released, please drop us a note.
* We've heard that Jack Finney is now working on a sequel to TIME AND
AGAIN, arguably the greatest Time Travel story of all time. We will
definitely keep an eye out for this one.
----> BOX SCORES
.....................................
/: :
: : REDSHIFT RENDEZVOUS, J Stith....4 :
: : THE DEATH OF SLEEP, McCaffrey &.. :
: : Jody Lynn Nye.......4 :
: : THE DENNECKER CODE, J Pollock...3 :
: : BATTLE CRY, William Forstchen...2 :
: : BRIGHT STAR, Harold Coyle.......5 :
: : NINTH LIFE, Don Matheson........3 :
: : A LANDSCAPE OF DARKNESS, J Blair3 :
: : THE WHITE REGIMENT, J Dalmas....4 :
: : THE ECOLOGIC SECESSION, :
: : L.E. Modesitt, Jr...4 :
: : :
: : by darryl kenning :
: :...................................:
:..................................../
0 = ugh! to 5 = worth rereading!
----> From THE ARCHIVES..............
My idea here is that I'm going to pull something off the shelf that I
haven't looked at in a long time but that I think is worth reading
again and report on it for you. Most of this stuff will probably be
out of print but should still be findable as you browse your used
bookstore or maybe even thru your library.
A WORLD UNKNOWN
by John Clagett
Popular Library, 445-00275, Copyright 1975, original price $1.25
This is an alternate world story, written in what I would call the
"classic" style of such stories - an English teacher through a twist
of fate is catapulted to the year 2717. But in this world Pagan Rome
had never died and Christ had never been born. That premise is enough
to let your imagination run free. The key elements seem a bit stilted
by today's free flowing standards, but the world Clagett creates seems
plausible enough (at least on the surface). There is a nice twist at
the end and I freely admit that I never saw it coming. But it was good
enough that I immediately went back and reread the book to line up the
clues I missed. Any more will probably tell you too much of the story.
If you can find this one, grab it and let me know what you think.
<< dkk >>
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Have you heard about Slash Fiction? We hear that it is primarily
marketed through a magazine called DATAZINE, and they indicate this
particular brand of story with a "/". In any case, Slash Fiction takes
famous fictional male pairs and puts them in a homosexual love affair.
Explicitly. The most popular pair is reportedly Captain Kirk and his
long-time friend and colleague, Science Officer Spock, and stories
about them are designated "K/S". Further, we hear that most of these
stories are written by women and are desktop published in print runs
of around 500-1,000 copies.
The field of fiction continues to expand and evolve.
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
----> THE PAPERBACK BOOKSHELF
REDSHIFT RENDEZVOUS
by John E. Stith
(1990, Ace)
review by Cindy Bartorillo
I don't know about you, but I've always found relativity kind of
difficult to warm up to. Explanations always start out with phrases
like, "If you were travelling at nine-tenths of the speed of light,
and you had legs ten miles long..." I have trouble identifying with
those kinds of examples. Remember when Carl Sagan showed us that
nice-looking cottage by the side of the road, and said that if we
travelled past the front of it in a car going fast enough, we'd see
the back of the house? Did that make sense to you? Really?
And how about the rubber-sheeted pool table? Remember that? Billiard
balls that made indentations in it were supposed to show you how mass
warps space. That's all very nice for rubber-sheeted pool tables, but
I still have trouble picturing the reality of warped space. The
problem here is that relativistic effects are not accessible to the
average person. Nine-tenths of the speed of light has very little
meaning to people who live with a 55 mph speed limit.
All of that changes in REDSHIFT RENDEZVOUS. (You thought I forgot
about the book, didn't you?) With one stroke, John Stith drags the
theory of relativity out of the lab and dumps it right in our laps.
The spaceship the Redshift, you see, travels in the 10th layer of
hyperspace, and because of that the speed of light on board is only
ten meters per second. The speed of sound is approximately 6-2/3
meters per second. You turn on the light in a large dark room and you
can actually watch the room light up meter by meter. There are
noticeable delays when talking to people on the other side of the
room. And time travels faster at your head than at your feet. There
are small examples of relativity on almost every page of REDSHIFT
RENDEZVOUS, making it one of the most educational novels you'll read
this year. In its dozens of everyday examples, it's more helpful than
COSMOS, and it's certainly more intelligible than EINSTEIN'S UNIVERSE.
Astonishingly, the phenomenon of slow light is just the background
wallpaper to an exciting adventure story starring Jason Kraft, first
officer aboard the Redshift. The story begins with Jason interrupting
a passenger about to commit suicide. With friendly concern from Jason,
and some medication from the ship's doctor, she seems to be feeling
much better at dinner, so it's a surprise when she shows up dead the
next day. She apparently strangled herself around midnight, a couple
of hours after seeming reasonably content at dinner. Jason doesn't
want to believe she really gave up, and when one of the ship's crew
turns up missing he's actively suspicious. Jason checks the outside of
the hull, just in case the crewmember is hiding out there, then
reenters the airlock, takes off his helmet, sucks one breath of ship
air and falls unconscious to the floor. For the rest of the adventure,
you'll have to take a trip to the bookstore.
Between the charismatic central character of Jason Kraft and the
riveting hard science background, it's difficult to believe that this
is the last sight of the Redshift. There's plenty of room for sequels
from Mr. Stith, and a shared-world anthology would probably work very
well. Also, the extra material in the back of the book (an essay from
Stith and several charts) look an awful lot like the larval stage of a
role-playing game. In any case, I'm definitely looking forward to the
further adventures of Jason Kraft, first officer of the Redshift.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Stith Update: It seems that we're not the only ones who liked
REDSHIFT RENDEZVOUS--it's been getting excellent reviews and is doing
brisk business at bookstores. RFP asked John what he's been doing
recently and he said, "I recently turned in REUNION ON NEVEREND, about
a high school reunion on a distant planet, where one of the attendees
is no longer the person he seems to be. Not wanting to get in a rut,
I'm just starting a contemporary fantasy tentatively called MIDNIGHT
AT THE FANTASY FACTORY." RFP will keep you informed.
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
THE ECOLOGIC SECESSION
by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
TOR, 812-50348-1, July, 1990, $3.95
This is the third and presumably the culmination of the Ecolitan
trilogy. Mixing the "Empire", a super secret agent, the rebels and a
little romance has always been a good recipe for success in the hands
of a master chef. Modesitt has proven himself to be that chef. The
book is a tad slower than the earlier stories in the trilogy, but that
really didn't hurt the entertainment value a bit. We all love to see
the littler guy stand up to the bully, even when planets and empires
are involved. It won't hurt your enjoyment to know that the goods guys
win (more or less), how it comes about is the fun.
I enjoyed this one, and I must say that I generally like his books.
This one will provide good solid reading and will go into the
fun-reread stack. Add L. E. Modesitt, Jr's name to your list of
authors when you browse the used bookstores.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
The "secret" of writing is that there's no secret. Just sit down and
do it, instead of blathering about it. Attach the seat of the pants to
the seat of the chair. If you write two pages a day (about 20 minutes
work) at the end of a year you'll have a book.
--Marion Zimmer Bradley
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
----> FEATURED AUTHOR
Bibliography: George Alec Effinger
NOVELS
What Entropy Means to Me, Doubleday, 1972 (Nebula nominee)
Relatives, Harper & Row, 1973
Nightmare Blue (with Gardner Dozois), Berkley, 1975
Those Gentle Voices, Warner, 1976
Felicia, Putnam, 1976 (Non-SF crime thriller)
Death in Florence, Doubleday, 1978 (Paperback title changed to Utopia 3)
Heroics, Doubleday, 1979
The Wolves of Memory, Putnam, 1981
The Nick of Time, Doubleday, 1985
The Bird of Time, Doubleday, 1986
When Gravity Fails, Arbor House, 1987 (Nebula and Hugo nominee)
Shadow Money, Tor, 1988 (Non-SF crime thriller)
A Fire in the Sun, Doubleday Foundation, 1989 (Hugo nominee)
The Exile Kiss (Forthcoming from Doubleday Foundation in 1991)
Everything but Honor (Forthcoming from Signet in 1991)
NOVELIZATIONS
Man the Fugitive, Award, 1974
Escape to Tomorrow, Award, 1974
Journey into Terror, Award, 1975
Lord of the Apes, Award, 1976
Note: These were novelizations of the PLANET OF THE APES
television series, and I never want to be reminded of them
again.
Zork (Forthcoming from Avon in 1990)
SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS
Mixed Feelings, Harper & Row, 1974
Irrational Numbers, Doubleday, 1976
Dirty Tricks, Doubleday, 1978
Idle Pleasures, Berkley, 1983
The Old Funny Stuff, Author's Choice Monthly Issue 1, 1989
COMPUTER GAME
Circuit's Edge, Infocom
Note: Rather than adapting WHEN GRAVITY FAILS, I wrote an
entirely new SF-murder mystery that takes place between
WHEN GRAVITY FAILS and A FIRE IN THE SUN, with many of the same
characters and locations. The game will be released early in
1990.
SHORT FICTION
1. The Eight-Thirty to Nine Slot April, 1971 Fantastic
2. A Free Pass to the Carnival May, 1971 F & SF
3. All the Last Wars at Once Universe 1, ed. Terry Carr
(Hugo nominee)
4. Trouble Follows Clarion, ed. Robin Scott Wilson
5. The Westfield Heights Mall Clarion, ed. Robin Scott Wilson
Monster
6. Wednesday, November 15, 1967 Ruins of Earth, ed. Thomas M. Disch
7. The Awesome Menace of the December, 1971 Fantastic
Polarizer
8. Timmy Was Eight February, 1972 Fantastic
(as "Susan Doenim")
9. Early to Bed Clarion II, ed. Robin Scott Wilson
10. Sand and Stones Clarion II, ed. Robin Scott Wilson
11. Live, from Berchtesgaden Orbit 10, ed. Damon Knight
12. f(x)=(11/15/67) New Dimensions 2, ed. Robert
x=her, f(x)=0 Silverberg
13. Things Go Better Orbit 11, ed. Damon Knight
14. Rod Marquand's Jungle February, 1973 Fantastic
Adventure
15. Hard Times March, 1973 Amazing
16. Relatives Bad Moon Rising, ed. Thomas M.
Disch
17. Two Sadnesses Bad Moon Rising, ed. Thomas M.
Disch
18. The City on the Sand April, 1973 F & SF
(Hugo nominee)
19. Naked to the Invisible Eye May, 1973 Analog
20. The First Step June, 1973 Haunt of Horror
(as "John K. Diomede")
21. At the Bran Foundry New Dimensions 3, ed. Robert
Silverberg
22. The Ghost Writer Universe 3, ed. Terry Carr
23. The Jewel in the Ash August, 1973 Haunt of Horror
24. Dem Bones ("John K. Diomede") September, 1973 Fantastic
25. World War Two October, 1973 Vertex
26. Lights Out October, 1973 F & SF
27. And Us, Too, I Guess Chains of the Sea, ed. Robert
Silverberg
28. New New York New Orleans The New Mind, ed. Roger Elwood
29. Heartburn in Heaven January, 1974 Fantastic
("Susan Doenim")
30. Ashes All My Lust Fellowship of the Stars, ed. Terry
Carr
31. How It Felt Universe 5, ed. Terry Carr
32. The Horse with One Leg Worlds Near and Far, ed. Terry
Carr
33. Heartstop May, 1974 Haunt of Horror
34. The Mothers' March on Ecstasy New Dimensions 5, ed. Robert
Silverberg
35. Biting Down Hard on Truth Orbit 15, ed. Damon Knight
36. Paradise Last Wandering Stars, ed. Jack Dann
37. Curtains August, 1974 F & SF
38. Poets and Humans September, 1974 Fantastic
39. 25 Crunch Split Right on Two April, 1975 F & SF
40. Lydectes: On the Nature of December, 1975 Fantastic
Sport
41. Target: Berlin! New Dimensions 6, ed. Robert
Silverberg
42. Chase Our Blues Away New Dimensions 6, ed. Robert
Silverberg
43. B. K. A. The Master July, 1976 F & SF
44. Contentment, Satisfaction, Future Power, ed. Jack Dann & Gardner
Cheer, Well-Being, Gladness, Dozois
Joy, Comfort, and Not Having
to Get Up Early Anymore
45. Mom's Differentials New Voices in Science Fiction, ed.
George R. R. Martin
46. The Stuff of Legends February, 1977 Fantastic
("Susan Doenim")
47. Ibid. Universe 7, ed. Terry Carr
48. From Downtown at the Buzzer November, 1977 F & SF
49. The Exempt Ascents of Wonder, ed. David
Gerrold
50. The Last Full Measure May-June, 1978 Isaac Asimov's
51. The Pinch-Hitters May, 1979 Isaac Asimov's
52. The Depression of 1980 Vol. 39, No. 11 Galaxy
53. Breakaway January, 1981 F & SF
54. Terrific Park Proteus, ed. Richard S. McEnroe
55. Maureen Birnbaum, Barbarian January, 1982 F & SF
Swordsperson
56. My Old Man February, 1982 Twilight Zone
57. The Thing from the Slush April, 1982 Twilight Zone
58. In the Wings April, 1982 Isaac Asimov's
59. Opening Night June, 1982 F & SF
60. The Royal Annie September, 1982 Amazing/Fantastic
(as "O. Niemand")
61. The Wooing of Slowboat Sadie September, 1982 F & SF
("O. Niemand")
62. Born Yesterday The Berkley Showcase: Vol. 5,
ed. Victoria Schochet & Melissa
Singer
63. The Man Outside ("O. Niemand") April, 1983 F & SF
64. The World of Pez Pavilion July, 1983 F & SF
65. Afternoon Under Glass November, 1983 F & SF
("O. Niemand")
66. Mars Needs Beatniks January, 1984 Isaac Asimov's
67. White Hats April, 1984 Isaac Asimov's
68. Two Bits ("O. Niemand") June, 1984 F & SF
69. How F. Scott Fitzgerald August, 1984 Isaac Asimov's
Became Beloved in Springfield
70. The Artist Passes It By August, 1984 F & SF
("O. Niemand")
71. The Aliens Who Knew, I Mean, October, 1984 F & SF
Everything (Hugo and Nebula
nominee)
72. The Man Who Decided the Truth November, 1984 F & SF
about Todd and Adriana's Baby
73. The Day the Invaders Came Mid-December, 1984 Isaac Asimov's
("O. Niemand")
74. The Beast from One-Quarter April, 1985 Isaac Asimov's
Fathom
75. Unferno July, 1985 Isaac Asimov's
76. My First Game as an Immortal August, 1985 F & SF
(Poem)
77. "Writing Under Adversity" Inside Outer Space, ed. Sharon
(essay) Jarvis
78. The Bird of Time Bears Bitter December, 1985 F & SF
Fruit
79. Babes on Bawd Way Magic in Ithkar 2, ed. Andre
Norton & Robert Adams
80. Maureen Birnbaum at the January, 1986 F & SF
Earth's Core
81. The Funny Trick They Played Summer, 1986 Night Cry
on Old McBundy's Son
(with Jack C. Haldeman II)
82. The Wisdom of Having Money July, 1986 F & SF
("O. Niemand")
83. From the Desk Of Fall, 1986 Night Cry
84. Yesterday's Gone September, 1986 F & SF
85. Skylab Done It March, 1987 F & SF
86. The Man Who Devoured April, 1987 Twilight Zone
Literature
87. Maureen Birnbaum on the Art Friends of the Horseclans, ed.
of War Robert Adams & Pamela Crippen
Adams
88. So Shall Ye Reap August, 1987 Analog
89. Glimmer, Glimmer November, 1987 Playboy
90. Another Dead Grandfather December, 1987 F & SF
91. King of the Cyber Rifles Mid-December, 1987 Isaac Asimov's
92. Put Your Hands Together February, 1988 Isaac Asimov's
("O. Niemand")
93. Slow, Slow Burn May, 1988 Playboy
94. Schrodinger's Kitten September, 1988 Omni
95. Posterity November, 1988 F & SF
96. Talking Heads Tropical Chills, ed. Tim Sullivan
97. Everything but Honor February, 1989 Isaac Asimov's
98. Marid Changes His Mind May, 1989 Isaac Asimov's
99. Terminal Prophets in Hell, ed. Janet Morris
100. Irresistible August, 1989 F & SF
101. The Origin of The Polarizer The Further Adventures of Batman,
ed. Martin Harry Greenberg
102. CHESS.BAT THE OLD FUNNY STUFF
103. Maureen Birnbaum after Dark Foundation's Friends,
ed. Martin Harry Greenberg
104. Chopped Liver Pulphouse Fall 1989, ed. Kristine
Kathryn Rusch
105. No Prisoners Jan.-Feb. 1990 Aboriginal Science
Fiction
106. Double Dribble The Further Adventures of The
Joker, ed. Martin Harry
Greenberg
107. Fatal Disk Error May, 1990 Amazing Stories
108. Look Away Look Away, Axolotl Press, 1990
109. Shrunk Pulphouse Issue Six, ed. Kristine
Kathryn Rusch
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Editor's Note:
The preceding Bibliography was graciously prepared and provided by
George himself....and all of us thank you George.
<< dkk >>
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
----> Quotes 'n Stuff
..and then the fun began - N. Bonaparte
..Bring order to your life, use random numbers.
..Call me Ishmael. I won't ANSWER, but..
..Call this number for illiteracy: 555-READ
..Constant change is here to stay.
..Easy as 3.14159265358979323846...
..Illiterate? Write for FREE HELP!
..In the demo derby of life I'm a Pinto....
..Myth quotes our speciality - Bros Grimm
.."LEVITICUS" a stones throw from heaven
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
The whole thing was obvious! So obvious that the only thing which
prevented me from seeing the solution was the trifling fact that
it was COMPLETELY IMPOSSIBLE.
--from DIRK GENTLY'S HOLISTIC DETECTIVE AGENCY by Douglas Adams
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
---> "ENTERPRISE: A History of the Gallant Ladies of Sea and Space"
by
Arnold E. van Beverhoudt, Jr.
Did you know that there have been at least 46 ships named
"Enterprise?" The name has been carried proudly by ships of: the Royal
Navy (12), the United States Navy (8), the Confederate Navy (1), the
French Navy (8), private companies (at least 9), NASA (2), and
Starfleet (6). Now you can own a complete record of that history!
"ENTERPRISE: A History of the Gallant Navy of Sea and Space" is a 76-
page, laser printed, fully illustrated, and spiral bound book which
details the history of each and every one of those 46 "Enterprises."
It also contains specification charts and profile drawings for all
British, American, and space "Enterprises"; a 2-page comparison chart
showing the British, American, and space "Enterprises" in scale; a
graphical "Enterprise" timeline; and a 3-page reference bibliography.
This manuscript was compiled over a 1-year period from official ship
histories maintained by the U.S. Naval Historical Center, the British
National Maritime Museum and Imperial War Museum, the French Musee de
la Marine, the Starfleet Academy Museum, and many other sources. A
draft of the manuscript was proof-read by officials of those museums
and the Commanding Officer of the "USS Enterprise" CVN-65. Their
comments and technical corrections have been incorporated into the
latest (Jan. 1990) edition. Here is a listing of the 46 "Enterprises"
covered:
THE BRITISH ENTERPRISES
"HMS ENTERPRISE" - 1705 to 1707 - 24-gun Frigate
"HMS ENTERPRIZE" - 1709 to 1740 - 40-gun Frigate
"HMS ENTERPRIZE" - 1743 to 1748 - 8-gun Sloop
"HMS ENTERPRIZE" - 1744 to 1764 - 44-gun Frigate
"HMS ENTERPRIZE" - 1775 to 1807 - 26-gun Frigate
"HMS ENTERPRIZE" - 1807 to 1816 - Frigate
"HMS ENTERPRISE" - 1848 to 1860 - Survey Ship
"HMS ENTERPRISE" - 1864 to 1886 - Ironclad Sloop
"HMS ENTERPRISE" - 1899 to 1919 - Screw Tug
"HMS ENTERPRISE" - 1914 to 1918 - Drifter
"HMS ENTERPRISE" - 1919 to 1946 - Light Cruiser
"HMS ENTERPRISE" - 1958 to 1979 - Survey Ship
THE AMERICAN ENTERPRISES
"ENTERPRISE" - 1775 to 1777 - 12-gun Sloop
"ENTERPRISE" - 1776 to 1777 - 8-gun Schooner
"USS ENTERPRISE" - 1799 to 1823 - 12-gun Schooner
"USS ENTERPRISE" - 1831 to 1844 - 8-gun Schooner
"USS ENTERPRISE" - 1877 to 1909 - Screw Sloop
"USS ENTERPRISE" - 1916 to 1919 - Motor Patrol Boat
"USS ENTERPRISE" - 1938 to 1947 - Aircraft Carrier CV-6
"USS ENTERPRISE" - 1951 to 2005 - Aircraft Carrier CVN-65
THE SPACE ENTERPRISES
"ENTERPRISE" - 1976 to 1986 - Space Shuttle OV-101
"ENTERPRISE" - 2003 to 2055 - Aerospace Plane
"ENTERPRISE" - 2123 to 2165 - Spaceliner
"USS ENTERPRISE" - 2188 to 2222 - Starship NCC-1701
"USS ENTERPRISE" - 2222 to 2242 - Starship NCC-1701A
"USS ENTERPRISE" - 2308 to 2343 - Starship NCC-1701B
"USS ENTERPRISE" - 2354 to 2361 - Starship NCC-1701C
"USS ENTERPRISE" - 2364 to Date - Starship NCC-1701D
THE FRENCH ENTERPRISES
"l'ENTREPRISE" - 1705 - Frigate
"l'ENTREPRISE" - 1759 - Frigate
"l'ENTREPRISE" - 1792 - Aviso
"l'ENTREPRISE" - 1796 - Chasee-Maree
"l'ENTREPRISE" - 1797 - Corsair
"l'ENTREPRISE" - 1798 - Felucca
"l'ENTREPRISE" - 1800 - Sloop
"l'ENTREPRISE" - 1917 - Trawler
THE PRIVATE ENTERPRISES
"ENTERPRISE" - 1814 - Stern-Wheel Steamboat
"ENTERPRISE" - 1816 - Steam Tow Boat
"ENTERPRISE" - 1818 - Steam Tow Boat
"ENTERPRISE" - 1825 - Schooner
"ENTERPRIZE" - 1826 - Side-Wheel Paddle Steamship
"ENTERPRISE" - 1847 - Steamship
"ENTERPRISE" - 1848 - Schooner
"ENTERPRISE" - 1850 - Side-Wheel Steamboat
"SS ENTERPRISE" - 1901 - Steamship
"ENTERPRISE" - 1980 - Airship
A CONFEDERATE ENTERPRISE
"CSS ENTERPRISE" - 1865 to 1866 - Iron-Hulled Screw Cruiser
If you would like to obtain a copy of "ENTERPRISE: A History of the
Gallant Ladies of Sea and Space," send $10 (to help defray research
and printing costs) to the following address:
Arnold E. van Beverhoudt, Jr.
P.O. Box 56
St. Thomas, Virgin Islands 00804
(SPECIAL DISCLAIMER: Please note that although officials of various
national maritime museums provided information for this history and
provided comments during the editing process, the history is not
officially sanctioned by any of those organizations. It represents the
interpretations of the author based on the results of his research.)
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
If there are infinite universes, then all possible combinations must
exist. Then, somewhere, EVERYTHING MUST BE TRUE..."
--from WHAT MAD UNIVERSE by Fredric Brown
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
----> ask
UNCLE HAL 9001
Test the enormous RAM database of UNCLE HAL, the new and improved
model 9001!
Q. My friend Larry said that the movie BLADERUNNER was based on a
Philip K. Dick story, but I've looked everywhere and can't find it. Is
Larry as dumb as I think he is?
A. He probably is, but unfortunately this time he's right. The trick
is that Philip Dick called the story "Do Androids Dream of Electric
Sheep?"
Q. My favorite author of all time is A.E. Van Vogt--his book SLAN is a
classic. Has he done anything recently.
A. Funny you should mention that, because he's at work on a sequel to
SLAN right now, fifty years after the original.
Q. Somebody told me that Murray Leinster was a pen name, is that true?
A. "Somebody" told you good! The author's real name was William
Fitzgerald Jenkins (1896-1975).His first SF story appeared in ARGOSY
in 1919 (anybody know the name of that one?). He was well known for the
slick mags like THE SATURDAY EVENING POST and also wrote under the
name of Will Fitzgerald.
(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
* *
* FRIGHTFUL FICTION *
* *
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Editor: Annie Wilkes
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Frightful Fiction is a division of Reading For Pleasure, published
bimonthly. This material is NOT COPYRIGHTED and may be used freely by
all. Contributions of information, reviews, etc. should be sent to:
Reading For Pleasure, 1819 Millstream Drive, Frederick, MD 21702.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
BLUE WORLD
by Robert R. McCammon
(1990, Pocket)
Robert McCammon is simultaneously one of our more brutal authors in
the horror genre, and one of the most hopeful. He delights in showing
us the inner strength and wisdom of the emotionally crippled, and of
the magic that exists in the filthiest corners of our world. He's also
developing into an important regional author. What Stephen King does
for Maine, what Joe R. Lansdale does for Texas, Robert McCammon does
for Alabama. Here's what you'll find in McCammon's first short story
collection:
"Yellowjacket Summer" -- Originally appeared in the October 1986 issue
of The Twilight Zone magazine. This is one of the Southern Gothic
stories that McCammon does so well. When you're driving through the
South, be sure to stick to the major cities and the larger highways,
because you never know what you'll run into in a small town.
"Makeup" -- Originally published in MODERN MASTERS OF HORROR (1981)
edited by Frank Coffey. It's difficult to believe, but this was
McCammon's very first short story. Calvin Doss is a small-time thief
who's made his last mistake. He was supposed to steal the makeup case
of actress Jean Harlow, but instead he winds up with the case of
horror movie star Orlon Kronsteen. Cal will soon discover the magic of
theatrical makeup. The story is just the right length, and the shock
ending is saved for the last sentence.
"Doom City" -- Originally appeared in the shared-world anthology
GREYSTONE BAY II (1987) edited by Charles L. Grant. Possibly the
ultimate nightmare: not the extinction of you, but of everyone else.
"Nightcrawlers" -- First published in MASQUES (1984) edited by J.N.
Williamson and was filmed, becoming a critically-acclaimed episode of
one of the new incarnations of TV's TWILIGHT ZONE. The Vietnam War is
over only for people who weren't there. This is an unforgettable story
of the war that lives on in the minds of veterans.
"Pin" -- Short, creepy interior view of a disintegrating mind.
"Yellachile's Cage" -- A haunting tale about the voodoo magic of
literature. Few stories have been able to capture the essence of what
reading means, at least what it means to me. THE NEVERENDING STORY was
one, this is another.
"I Scream Man!" -- Originally published in The Horror Show magazine,
1984. In SWAN SONG McCammon told of the horrors of nuclear war in 956
pages--here he does the same thing in 7 pages.
"He'll Come Knocking at Your Door" -- First appeared in HALLOWEEN
HORRORS (1986) edited by Alan Ryan. The "He" of the title is the
Devil, and when he goes Trick-or-Treatin', you don't want to be home.
"Chico" -- A horror story of inner-city poverty, but we find that
magic happens there too. Maybe it's a little twisted, but it's magic
all the same.
"Night Calls the Green Falcon" -- Originally published in SILVER
SCREAM (1988) edited by David J. Schow. A modern-day serial killer is
hunted by a old-fashioned serial hero. A touching story that was my
favorite entry in SILVER SCREAM, and it's my favorite here.
"The Red House" -- First appeared in GREYSTONE BAY (1985) edited by
Charles L. Grant. Bobby Deaken faces the choice we all must make: are
we going to live our lives in a red house or a gray house? The choice
is at once frightening and liberating.
"Something Passed By" -- The "something" that passed by stumps the
scientists and confounds all attempts at rationalization and
prediction, but it's as real as today's newspaper and it's coming for
us all. A short story that packs a big wallop. (And don't miss the
names of authors sprinkled liberally throughout. How many can you
identify?)
"Blue World" -- At 174 pages, this is more a short novel than a short
story. Father John Lancaster is a Young Priest With Doubts, and he
begins his ordeal by becoming obsessed with Debra Rocks, a porno queen
who's just had a friend killed by a loose psycho. When the psycho
closes in on Debra, Father John must confront an array of devils,
within and without. To put it another way, Father John must decide
what kind of priest he's going to be (is he going to live in a red
house or a gray house?). "Blue World" is a confusion of story types,
none of which is explored in the depth we usually expect, but
ultimately it succeeds by virtue of its carefully-drawn characters.
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So far, BLUE WORLD is available in hardcover only from British
publisher Grafton Books.
As you can see above, McCammon has had a short story in each of the
first two GREYSTONE BAY anthologies. Well, the third volume is now out
(THE SEAHARP HOTEL edited by Charles L. Grant, Tor paperback) and it
also has a McCammon short story. It's called "Beauty".
The Robert R. McCammon Newsletter has moved. To subscribe, send $12
(payable to Hunter Goatley) for 4 quarterly issues to: Hunter Goatley,
Lights Out!, PO Box 30704, Knoxville, TN 37930.
According to Hunter Goatley, editor of LIGHTS OUT!, The Robert R.
McCammon Newsletter, the author is working on a new novel for 1991
that is tentatively called BOY'S LIFE. It's told from the point of
view of a 12-year-old boy growing up in the South in 1964, and it will
explore the changes that the Kennedy assassination made in the lives
of Americans and the fantasy world they lived in. It will consist of
episodes linked together to form a cohesive story, but it will be up
to the reader to determine what is real and what is imaginary.
According to McCammon, BOY'S LIFE is very autobiographical, being
written from his memories of that era.
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ASH WEDNESDAY
by Chet Williamson
(Tor, 1987)
In the course of one night, the dead return to the small town of
Merridale. They appear at the place where they died or a place they
were associated with. They're naked. They don't move or speak. And
they glow with a blue light. Suddenly the human history of Merridale,
normally the province of history books and memory, is now a seemingly
permanent public reality.
About halfway through ASH WEDNESDAY, Chet Williamson quotes from
Ambrose Bierce's DEVIL'S DICTIONARY:
"GHOST, n. The outward and visible sign of an inward fear."
And thereby hangs the tale. For you see, there are a lot of inward
fears in Merridale. Also a lot of guilt. The two major characters have
an overabundance of guilt: the source of one being the Vietnam War,
the other being the death of a son. Their similarities and differences
lead them both on a painful self-journey, climaxing in a head-on
collision that comes satisfyingly at the end.
What most impressed me about ASH WEDNESDAY was the way the author
showed us human pain from the inside, where it's not flashy or extreme
and therefore repellent, but where it's just a part of existence, a
leaden ache permanently engraved on the brain. Chet Williamson takes
two stock characters, the "crazed Vietnam vet" and the pathetic
creature who folds under pressure, and makes them so real you feel
like you've been there yourself.
Ultimately, the plot elements seem to be a little fragmented and
scattershot, but somehow the psychological interior of the story flows
beautifully and the whole winds up greater than the parts. Chet
Williamson is definitely an author to watch for.
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Doug Burg says there's a new newsletter dedicated to Clive Barker. For
more information write to: Mike Brown, DREAD, 455 Ocean Parkway
#17-A, Brooklyn, NY 11218. Thanks for the tip, Doug!
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Remember when we said that the first annual World Horror Convention
would feature Writer Guest of Honor Clive Barker? Well, cancel that;
the new GofH is now Chelsea Quinn Yarbro. In case you've forgotten,
the World Horror Convention will be held Feb 29 thru Mar 3, 1991 in
Nashville, TN. For additional information write to: World Horror
Convention, PO Box 22817, Nashville, TN 37202.
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
THE KILL RIFF
by David J. Schow
(1988)
David J. Schow (pronounced, I have been told, SKOW, rhymes with cow)
is normally hailed as a founding member of the Splatterpunk group of
modern horror writers, and this is his first novel. He's one of my
favorite writers, with a spritely and inventive use of the English
language that causes me to read excerpts of his writing aloud to
anyone who will listen (it's not just what he says, but the way he
says it).
Initially, THE KILL RIFF is a classic revenge story, right out of the
old EC Comics. Lucas Ellington's wife had recently committed suicide,
and when his daughter dies at a rock concert, the victim of "festival"
seating and a crowd that gets out of hand, he vows to make the rock
group pay. A year later he is out of the mental institution where he
has been "cured", and Lucas picks up the threads of his plan as if
there had been no interruption.
As I said, that's just where the story begins. Beyond that is a story
that is more psychological thriller than splatterpunk horror. To say
any more would risk spoiling some of the many surprises that Schow has
sprinkled like land mines throughout his story. He has many points to
make about rock music, the media, fame, psychiatry, and dependency,
and he has an already well-developed ability at verbal sleight of
hand. What the reader winds up with is a real page-turner of a book.
Highly recommended.
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I'm cut out to do one thing: I write stories. I can't fix your
plumbing. I can't fix your TV. I can't fly your airplanes. This is
really all I'm good for, good at. I'm sort of a chrome doo-dad on the
automobile of civilization, that's it.
---Stephen King
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Dark Harvest
Their Complete 1990 Publishing Schedule
THE LEIBER CHRONICLES by Fritz Leiber
REBORN by F. Paul Wilson (First-of-three sequel to THE KEEP)
FIENDS by John Farris (New Novel)
METHODS OF MADNESS by Ray Garton (Short Story Collection)
URBAN HORRORS edited by William F. Nolan & Martin H. Greenberg
(Stories by Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson, Joe R. Lansdale, Ramsey
Campbell, et al.)
REIGN by Chet Williamson (New Novel)
SHADOWFIRES by Dean R. Koontz (Previously published under his Leigh
Nichols pseudonym)
NIGHT VISIONS 8 (All-New Stories by John Farris, Stephen Gallagher,
and Joe R. Lansdale. Introduction by Robert R. McCammon.)
PRAYERS TO BROKEN STONES by Dan Simmons (Short Story Collection)
OBSESSIONS edited by Gary Raisor (Stories by Dean R. Koontz, Rick
Hautala, F. Paul Wilson, Joe R. Lansdale, Chet Williamson, Dan
Simmons, et al.)
DEAD LADIES OF THE NIGHT by James Kisner (New Vampire Novel)
Dark Harvest, PO Box 941, Arlington Heights, IL 60006
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All the fantasy writers I know have a way of dwelling on their
own fears and phobias. A writer spends his life being his own
psychiatrist.
---Charles Beaumont
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Mark V. Ziesing
His Complete 1990 Publishing Schedule
TRADE SECRETS by Ray Garton (New Suspense Novel)
A SHORT, SHARP SHOCK by Kim Stanley Robinson (New Fantasy Novel)
COLD IN JULY by Joe R. Lansdale (Hardcover edition of the 1989 Bantam
paperback)
SAVAGE SEASON by Joe R. Lansdale (New Suspense Novel)
THE OFF SEASON by Lucius Shepard (New Horror Novel)
THE HEREAFTER GANG by Neil Barrett, Jr. (Novel)
WETBONE by John Shirley (Novel)
ALARMS by Richard Laymon (Novel)
COLD BLOOD edited by Richard Chizmar (Anthology)
Probably in 1991:
LIVE GIRLS by Ray Garton (Revised and Expanded edition of the 1987
paperback from Pocket Books)
LOT LIZARDS by Ray Garton (New Vampire Novel)
GIT BACK SATAN by Joe R. Lansdale (New Short Novel)
THE SECOND COMING edited by Pat LoBrutto & Joe R. Lansdale (Anthology)
Mark V. Ziesing, PO Box 76, Shingletown, CA 96088 (916-474-1580)
:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:
A Brief Word With Dean Koontz:
James Parkman: In the front of some of your books and at the Part
divisions, you often quote from THE BOOKS OF COUNTED SORROWS. Who
wrote this book and where can I buy it?
Dean R. Koontz: Actually there is no such book. I made it up. The way
you made up footnote sources for fabricated facts in high school
English reports. Oh, come on, yes, you did. Sometimes, when I need a
bit of verse to convey some of the underlying themes of a section of a
novel, I can't find anything applicable, so I write my own and
attribute it to the this imaginary tome. I figured readers would
eventually realize THE BOOK OF COUNTED SORROWS was my own invention,
and I never expected that one day librarians would be writing from all
over the country, asking for help in tracking down this rare and
mysterious volume!
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* The paperback version of Stephen King's THE DARK HALF will be
different from the hardcover version. The original hardcover included
a number for the Maine State Police which turned out to be the REAL
phone number of the Maine State Police. Curiosity seekers have been
calling the number since the book was released. Stephen King has
apologized to the police and has promised to change the number when
the paperback edition is prepared.
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READING ON A BUDGET
First off, you're going to need $22.95 for the new Stephen King, which
is due out any minute now. It's called FOUR PAST MIDNIGHT (from
Penguin USA) and it's made up of four new novellas. The other major
horror fiction isn't due till January (possibly to appear in stores
shortly before Christmas). It's COLD FIRE by Dean R. Koontz ($21.95
from Putnam), and it's about "what happens to a man with extraordinary
powers to do good when evil comes to call".
If you have any fiction dollars left you might want to think about THE
OTHERSYDE by J. Michael Straczynski ($18.95 from Dutton), which is at
your bookstore right now. Also out now is a classic Best Buy: a
paperback edition of Ramsey Campbell's early short story collection,
DEMONS BY DAYLIGHT. It's $3.95 from Carroll & Graf (a good publisher
to watch for good fiction). You'll have to wait till just about
Halloween for Anne Rice's THE WITCHING HOUR. She's tackled vampires
and mummies, now she goes for witches. It's $22.95 from Knopf.
There are a couple of interesting candidates for your nonfiction
dollar right now. You can get a trade paperback edition of HORROR: THE
100 BEST BOOKS edited by Stephen Jones & Kim Newman for $8.95 from
Carroll & Graf (they're also a great publisher to watch for
nonfiction). Jones and Newman will steer you in the direction of some
really great horror fiction. If you're interest is more cinematic, you
should definitely check out John McCarty's THE MODERN HORROR FILM from
Citadel Press ($15.95). McCarty has been the most significant critic
on the subject of splatter films, and now he addresses the horror film
in general--should be good. And if you're more into research, look for
LUST FOR BLOOD: THE CONSUMING STORY OF VAMPIRES by Olga Gruhzit Hoyt
(Scarborough House, $8.95), which includes not only the complete
history of vampires but interviews with several modern American
vampires (and you thought you were just paranoid). Finally, if you've
got the $29.95 you might want to send it to Underwood-Miller for COLD
TERROR: THE WRITINGS OF DEAN R. KOONTZ edited by Bill Munster. Not
only will you get what is sure to be a great book about a great
writer, but if it's anything like Underwood-Miller's usual
publications, it'll be a beautiful volume for your bookshelf.
Hope you found some good information here. See you later!
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* J. Michael Straczynski is currently working on his third novel,
called IT'S GETTING DARK. His first was DEMON NIGHT, now available in
paperback, and his second was OTHERSYDE, now in hardcover.
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CHARLES L. GRANT UPDATE:
KENT MONTANA AND THE REALLY UGLY THING FROM MARS should be out about
the same time as this issue. Don't look in the Horror section under
"G"---this one will probably be in Science Fiction, and it's being
published under one of Grant's pseudonyms, Lionel Fenn. I don't have
any dates on these, but also coming in the near future: STUNTS, a
major horror novel from Tor; FIREMASK, a Young Adult novel in
hardcover from Bantam; and FROM PARTS UNKNOWN, a "wrestling/horror"
novel that Grant has written with Douglas E. Winter. When we get dates
on this stuff, we'll let you know.
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First, horror is like a roller coaster, pleasurable because it lets
you be frightened without being hurt; second, horror "pulls the
pop-top" off repressed urges to let them escape via the fizz of
fantasy; and third, the horror art plays out the "do's" and "don't's"
of adolescent sexuality explaining to the soon-to-be-reproductive
audience exactly how to avoid making horrible mistakes--namely
monsters.
---James B. Twitchell (DREADFUL PLEASURES)
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TALES OF THE CTHULHU MYTHOS
by H.P. Lovecraft & Divers Hands
(1990, Arkham House)
"The Call of Cthulhu" by H.P. Lovecraft
"The Return of the Sorcerer" by Clark Ashton Smith
"Ubbo-Sathla" by Clark Ashton Smith
"The Black Stone" by Robert E. Howard
"The Hounds of Tindalos" by Frank Belknap Long
"The Space-Eaters" by Frank Belknap Long
"The Dweller in Darkness" by August Derleth
"Beyond the Threshold" by August Derleth
"The Shambler From the Stars" by Robert Bloch
"The Haunter of the Dark" by H.P. Lovecraft
"The Shadow From the Steeple" by Robert Bloch
"Notebook Found in a Deserted House" by Robert Bloch
"The Salem Horror" by Henry Kuttner
"The Terror From the Depths" by Fritz Leiber
"Rising With Surtsey" by Brian Lumley
"Cold Print" by Ramsey Campbell
"The Return of the Lloigor" by Colin Wilson
"My Boat" by Joanna Russ
"Sticks" by Karl Edward Wagner
"The Freshman" by Philip Jose Farmer
"Jerusalem's Lot" by Stephen King
"Discovery of the Ghooric Zone" by Richard A. Lupoff
Illustrated by Jeffrey K. Potter
:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:
NIGHTLIGHT
by Michael Cadnum
(1989, St. Martin's Press)
"Transformations are inherently more fascinating to human beings than
static entities...we like dawn and sunset not simply because they are
attractive to behold, but because they are thresholds."
---from NIGHTLIGHT
I've been trying to think of the best way to give you an idea of what
this book is like. Have you ever seen the movie THE HAUNTING? The 1963
Robert Wise film made from Shirley Jackson's novel THE HAUNTING OF
HILL HOUSE? That movie and NIGHTLIGHT have a lot in common. Both are
subtle, poetic, suggestive rather than the usual in-your-face kind of
horror we've become accustomed to nowadays. NIGHTLIGHT is a truly
chilling story, and it's difficult to believe that it's Cadnum's first
novel.
Paul, a frustrated sportswriter who has become a locally famous
restaurant critic, is asked by his Aunt Mary to find her son Len, who
is a photographer. He rented a cabin somewhere and his regular weekly
calls stopped two months ago. Aunt Mary is worried, so could Paul
please just find him and ask him to call her? Oh, yes, and did she
mention that his special hobby is taking pictures of ghosts? No? Oh
well, don't worry about it, he just spends all his time hanging around
cemeteries at night taking pictures in the dark. It's not like there's
anything actually WRONG with him. Or is Aunt Mary telling all she
knows about Len? Before long Paul will be sorry he ever met his Aunt
Mary and cousin Len.
Michael Cadnum has written a scary, powerful story that you won't
soon forget. If you thought you needed gore to be scared, be sure to
pick up NIGHTLIGHT. It will definitely change your mind.
:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:
THE AMERICAN HORROR AWARDS
Best Horror Novel: MIDNIGHT by Dean R. Koontz
Best Horror Story: "Across the Cadillac Desert" by Joe Lansdale
Best Editor: John Silbersack
Best Publication: CEMETERY DANCE
Best Movie: HENRY: A PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER
Best TV Series: MONSTERS
Best Critic: Ed Bryant
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COMING UP!
The next issue of RFP will be the Lucky #13 Halloween Issue, and you
won't want to miss the RFP Interview with Featured Author Dan Simmons.
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(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)
HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa
a H
H THE LAUGH'S ON US a
a H
HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa
Editor: Name Withheld By Request
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The Laugh's On Us is a division of Reading For Pleasure, published
bimonthly. This material is NOT COPYRIGHTED and may be used freely by
all. Contributions of information, reviews, etc. should be sent to:
Reading For Pleasure, 1819 Millstream Drive, Frederick, MD 21702.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
"When I say no, I mean no. Why? Because. That's why."
"Don't come running to me if you fall out of that tree and break your
legs."
"We're not lost. I'm just not sure where we are."
"OK, you go hide, and I'll count to a million."
"I respect your opinion. Now shut up and listen."
Sound like anyone you know? Sound like someone you're related to? Now
that you're all grown up and Dad's not around to hassle you in person,
why not take a trip down memory lane with
DADS SAY THE DUMBEST THINGS
A Collection of Fatherly Wit and Wisdom
by Bruce Lansky & K.L. Jones
(Meadowbook Press, $5.95)
In this great collection you'll find just about all the weird and dumb
stuff your dad used to say (over and over and over), with space to
write in the few that they left out. If you've become a dad yourself,
don't be surprised if you find a few of your own gems printed here
too. What goes around comes around.
A great book for anyone who's a father, or who ever had one.
<<*>>*<<*>>*<<*>>*<<*>>*<<*>>
Did you know that....
*-* The "French Tickler" was invented by a Tibetan monk.
*-* The first condom was tried in Italy in 1564--and was made of
linen.
*-* The Marquis de Sade's mother was a nun.
*-* It takes 11 minutes for the average woman to reach orgasm.
*-* Surveys show that more women than men use pornographic books and
videos as a sexual stimulant.
How did I get so smart? Have I been hanging around the Playboy
Mansiion with the Happy Hooker? No, I've just been reading
STRANGE BUT TRUE FACTS ABOUT SEX
The Illustrated Book of Sexual Trivia
by David Smith & Mike Gordon
(Meadowbrook Press, $6.95)
Do you need this book? Take this test and see...
1) Which country's men, until the 20th century, preferred to have
their servants deflower their brides?
2) What world leader slept with nude women to test his celibacy?
3) What percentage of American men prefer to make love with the lights
on?
4) When was the first sex change operation performed, and upon whom?
5) What famous Hollywood leading man is said to have had more than a
thousand lovers in his lifetime?
6) What book describes orgasm as "the most religious moment in a
person's life"?
7) Which Pope became known as "The Honest" when he admitted having
sired several illegitimate children?
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ANSWERS:
1) Egypt
2) Gandhi
3) 45 percent (only 17 percent of American women)
4) In 1952 George Jorgensen became Christine Jorgensen
5) Cary Grant
6) THE JOY OF SEX
7) Pope Innocent VIII
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
DAVE BARRY SLEPT HERE:
A Sort of History of the United States
by Dave Barry
(Random House, 1989)
Dave Barry is, in my opinion, pound for pound, the funniest writer
working today. He was officially recognized with a Pulitzer Prize for
commentary in 1988, but he's managed to rise above that and here's
another volume of his craziness. The only problem I have with this
History is the frequency with which Barry's insights surpass those of
more "official" texts, which makes this even funnier or pretty sad,
depending on how you look at it. But why am I babbling on when you
could be enjoying U.S. History According to Dave Barry:
Then, fortunately, along came the invention of certain navigational
aids. Chief among these was a very realistic doll that, when you
inflated it, could...WAIT! Wrong kind of aid! Our mistake!
[The Monroe Doctrine:]
1. Other nations are NOT ALLOWED to mess around with the internal
affairs of nations in this hemisphere.
2. But we are.
3. Ha-ha-ha.
This separation of powers creates a system of "checks and balances",
which protects everybody by ensuring that any action taken by one part
of the government will be rendered utterly meaningless by an equal and
opposite reaction from some other part.
The First Amendment states that members of religious groups, no matter
how small or unpopular, shall have the right to hassle you in
airports.
After the Civil War came Reconstruction, a period during which the
South was transformed, through a series of congressional acts, from a
totally segregated region where blacks had no rights into a totally
segregated region where blacks were supposed to have rights but did
not.
The federal government had acquired assorted western territories like
Utah through treaties with the Native American inhabitants under which
the United States got the land and the Native Americans got a full
thirty minutes' head start before the army came after them.
Other than that the war accomplished all of America's major
objectives, and by 1919 Europe had been transformed, at a cost of only
several million dead persons, from a group of nations that hated each
other into a group of nations that REALLY hated each other.
[Teapot Dome Scandal:]
At this point President Harding, showing the kind of class that
Richard Nixon can only dream about, died.
By the mid-fifties, America was definitely in a Golden Era, an era of
excitement and opportunity for all citizens, regardless of race or
creed or color, unless the color happened to be black.
(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)
OMNIUM-GATHERUM
READING FOR PLEASURE IS PROTECTED BY THE LAWS AND STATUTES of no known
state, country, or commonwealth, so the reproduction of RFP, in whole
or in part, by any means whatsoever, no matter how conventional or
bizarre and high-tech, is strictly OK by us. As long as you give
credit where credit is due, of course. I mean, you can't pass off RFP
material as your own, or demons will come out at night and use your
toothbrush for something disgusting. Just make sure you mention the
material comes from Reading For Pleasure and retain any byline given.
This rule will be vigorously enforced to the full extent of our
attention span.
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DISCLAIMER: Reading For Pleasure shall not be held liable for:
* Frustration, migraines, or loss of income resulting from erroneous
information or demented opinions.
* Time wasted on worthless literature.
* The situation in the Middle East.
* Authors' names that no one knows how to pronounce, like Proust.
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GLAMOUR! EXCITEMENT! BIG BUCKS!
OK, so I lied. There's no glamour, no excitement, and no bucks at all,
big or small. If that sounds good to you, you're just the kind of
person we're looking for. Yes, you too can be an RFP contributor, and
the first step is to write to us for a copy of RFP Contributor
Guidelines. If Science Fiction is your field write to:
Darryl Kenning
6331 Marshall Rd.
Centerville, OH 45459
76337,740
All others write to:
Cindy Bartorillo
Reading For Pleasure
1819 Millstream Drive
Frederick, MD 21702
or have your computer call:
The Baudline II 301-694-7108 (300-9600 baud)
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WANTED: Copy of THE QUEST FOR THE WHITE DUCK by Lionel Fenn. Contact:
Cindy Bartorillo, Reading For Pleasure.
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SEND US $1.50 and we'll send you a print edition of the latest Reading
For Pleasure. Make copies and distribute to all your friends.
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CALL THE BAUDLINE II at 301-694-7108 with your computer and you can
download a copy of any (or all) issues of Reading For Pleasure.
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BACK ISSUES
ELECTRONIC EDITION: Check the BBSs in the Distribution Directory
first. If what you want isn't available, you can get any (or all)
issues directly from RFP. Disks you get from us will be formatted
using PC/MS-DOS (for IBM clones). Specify 3-1/2" or 5-1/4" floppy,
high or low density. Send $5 for one disk's worth (4 issues in low
density, all issues in high density), and add $2.50 for each
additional disk.
PRINT EDITION: We have print copies of all issues except #1 and #2.
Send $1.50 for each issue.
Checks: Make checks payable to Cindy Bartorillo.
Address: Reading For Pleasure, c/o Cindy Bartorillo, 1819 Millstream
Drive, Frederick, MD 21702. On CompuServe leave a message to
74766,1206. On GEnie leave a message to C.BARTORILLO. Best ofall,
call our BBS, The Baudline II at 301-694-7108 (1200-9600 baud HST)
where all RFPs are available for downloading on your first call.
ISSUES AVAILABLE:
#1: Premier issue: 1988 World Fantasy Awards; Books I'm Supposed to
Like, But Don't; Pronunciation Guide to Author's Names; Christie
Characters on Film; Featured Author: Richard Matheson; Baseball &
Cricket Mysteries; Stephen King Checklist; Time Travel Books
#2: Summer Reading Issue: Award Winners & Nominees; Beach Bag Books;
Featured Author: Stanley Ellin; Splatterpunk; Murderous Vacations; The
Psychology of Everyday Things; The Shining; SF Fan-Lingo; Pseudonyms
#3: Books About Books Issue: Two-Bit Culture; Christopher Morley; 84
Charing Cross Road; Assorted References; Bibliomysteries; Deep Quarry;
Featured Author: Harlan Ellison
#4: Hollywood Issue: Recent Awards; About Hollywood; Silver Scream;
Death of a Salesman; Joe Bob Briggs; The Hollywood Mystery; Featured
Author: Fredric Brown; The Dark Fantastic; Darryl Kenning Reviews
#5: Halloween Issue: Hugo Awards; Year's Best Horror Stories XVII;
Tracy Kidder; Supernatural Mysteries; Thomas Harris; Falling Angel
Heart; Ray Garton; New From Underwood-Miller; Featured Author: Robert
R. McCammon; The Modern Halloween Shelf; Darryl Kenning Reviews; The
Ultimate Stephen King Character Quiz
#6: Computers & Robots Issue: 1989 World Fantasy Award Nominations;
Donald M. Grant, Publisher; Cyberpunk & Neuromancer; Computer Books;
Digital Delights; Nightmare On Elm Street, The Comic; Banned Books;
Featured Author: Josephine Tey; Mystery Terminology; Darryl Kenning
Reviews; Books On A Chip; New From Carroll & Graf; Computer Cowboy
Reading; and the usual
#7: Happy Holidays Issue: New From Carroll & Graf; Featured Author:
Charles Dickens; A Christmas Carol; Religious Reading; An Incomplete
Education; Great Endings; New From Simon & Schuster; New From
Underwood-Miller; Christmas Mysteries and Other Yuletide Reading; On
Line With Steve Gerber; The Last Christmas Trivia Quiz; and the usual
#8: True Crime Issue: New Age Books; Amazing Stories; True Crim in
Paperback; Steve Gerber; Bluffers Guides; The Onion Field; Mysterious
Press; Lizzie Borden; John E. Stith; Darryl Kenning; Bestselling
Children's Books; Awards; Carroll & Graf; and more
#9: Time Travel Issue: Bestsellers of the Christmas Season; Obscenity
Ruling Reversed; The Turner Tomorrow Awards; Roc Books; Carroll &
Graf; Meadowbrook; Time Passes For Baby Boomers; Darryl Kenning; Time
Travel Reading List; Simon & Schuster; Featured Author: Jack Finney;
Reviews; and all the usual
#10: Earth Day Issue: Environmental Reading; Featured Author: Thomas
Berger; reviews by Darryl Kenning, Robert A. Pittman, Fred L. Drake,
Jr., Ollie McKagen; Book lists: The Civil War, India, The Middle Ages;
Sharing The Wealth; My Favorite Books of 1989; and the usual.
Supplemental Issue #1: Baseball Books of Spring 1990. Distributed
along with #10.
#11: Magazines: Special Coverage of Magazines; Featured Author: Dean
R. Koontz; reviews by Darryl Kenning, Fred L. Drake, Jr., Cherie Jung;
Rotten Rejections; Bram Stoker Awards Nominations; Recent Releases.
#12: Featured Authors: George Alec Effinger and Evan Hunter (aka Ed
McBain), with bibliographies; reviews by Cherie Jung, Sue Feder,
Robert A. Pittman. This is our first mini-mag issue, with separate
sections devoted to Science Fiction, Mystery, Horror, and Humor.
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See You October 1, 1990
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ÿ
