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OtherRealms Issue 12 Part 03
Electronic OtherRealms #12
February, 1987
Part 3
No Prisoners!
Reviews by
Laurie Sefton
lsefton@sun.COM
Copyright 1987 by Laurie Sefton
A few years back, PBS had a series of concerts with Danny Kaye as the
conductor. During one of these concerts, Kaye gave an example of "why
we have conductors -- even though the musicians know the music." He
started into a piece, and then left the conductor's stand to talk to
the audience. The orchestra started to lose time with the piece, each
musician appeared to have a slightly different sense of rhythm and
time. When Kaye came back to the stand, the orchestra came back into
time. The editor of a shared - world anthology has a role similar to
that of a conductor: if he loses control of the timing and rhythm of
the book, the work falls into a jumble of individual interpretations.
Wild Cards (Bantam Books, $3.95), edited by George R. R. Martin, is
an excellent example of how an editor holds together a shared - world
anthology, not only from individual viewpoints, but through the passage
of time.
The premise of the book (and promised series) is that a virus capable
of genetic manipulation is released on New York City. The virus, from
the planet Takis, is designed to give those who survive it, some sort
of "super - power." Earth has been chosen to be the testing ground for
the virus. Dr. Tachyon, also from Takis, is trying to intercept the
cannister containing the virus before it is unleashed on the
unsuspecting public. Since Dr. Tachyon is dressed in full Cavalier
period costume, the US government finds it hard to take him seriously.
The cannister is released, and chaos follows.
The stories are written in homage to the pulp heroes of the 40's.
Those of us who read Airboy will immediately recognize the character of
Jetboy. In the pulp tradition, Jetboy comes with the full complement
of evil villians.
However, if the stories had dealt with Jetboy clones, or had attempted
to give everyone who came in contact with the virus a "neat"
superpower, the book wouldn't have the impact it does. Ninety percent
of the people who come in contact with the virus die. Of the 10 % who
don't die, 9% are left with mutations that cause them to be named
"jokers." The mutations are disfiguring (noses are turned into trunks,
hands become claws) or potentially lethal (bleeding from all orifices,
or bruising at the slightest touch). The victims are herded into
ghettos, so that the "fine upstanding human beings" (called "nats" by
the "jokers") untouched by the virus don't have to see them (except
when they're looking for a cheap thrill). Only 1 of 100 who came into
contact with the virus develop useful mutations (telepathy,
telekinesis, super - strength). And even these powers are shown to
have the potential to be a liability.
The continuity between the stories shows just how tightly the book has
been edited. Characters who are the main focus in one story may be
mentioned as a side note in the next. They may even pop up as minor
characters in stories 5 years removed from their original debut. The
Wild Cards are integrated into a post - war society which parallels our
own. The fortunes of the "aces", those who have the useful mutations,
first rise with their novelty, and then fall with the paranoia of the
McCarthy investigations. The "jokers" replace blacks as cannon fodder
in Vietnam, and then discover their own civil rights movement. They
also discover pandering politicians, who are only interested in the
plight of the "jokers" as long as long as it furthers their careers.
The fit of the jokers into what is quite recognizable as our own
society is what makes this book work. Each one of the stories builds
upon the mythos presented by the previous stories.
Overall, I enjoyed the stories presented in Wild Cards. The rough
spots (during the McCarthy investigations) I found were more of my
reaction to history repeating itself, rather than flaws in the work.
That a story would have me despairing for its characters shows what an
impact the writing has. I was also, as I said earlier, delighted by
the editing. I was amazed at how well a shared - world anthology could
be put together, and how each story fell tougue - in - groove with the
next. I would recommend that you find this book on your next trip to
the bookstore. [****]
Unfortunately, the other shared - world anthology I read, The Blood of
Ten Chiefs (Tor, $6.95), edited by Richard Pini, Robert Asprin, and
Lynn Abbeyl, doesn't hold up as well. The Blood of Ten Chiefs, for
those of you who don't cross over into the comics medium, is an
anthology relating to the Elfquest characters, a recent 20 issue series
written, drawn, and edited by Wendy and Richard Pini. The book is an
attempt to show how the elves in Elfquest came to be. This is done by
tracing the group through its changes and evolution.
However, it appears that there should have been some attempt to provide
a foundation for what the elves do and don't do. For example, while
Diana L. Paxson did an excellent job on the elf culture in The Spirit
Quest, this is the only place where a rudimentary religion for the
elves is mentioned. Nancy Springer's delightful Tanner's Dreams is
slightly marred by the supposition that the elves have forgotten how to
tan hides. Were hides cured previously only by magic? Was this a
talent only held by purebred elves? Especially since the elves showed
no problems in earlier generations in tanning hides, this would have be
interesting to know. The elves also seem to have indeterminate
lifespans. A purebred elf died only by accident or self - intent and
the elves with wolf blood appear to have wildly fluctuating lifespans:
logic dictates than since the wolf blood elves bred back into the
purebred population, the mean lifespan, as well as other traits, would
become fixed in the population.
What is holding this book back, then, is the inconsistencies between
the generations. Even Pini realizes that there are inconsistencies in
the book, as he presents two rules for reading the anthology:
1.) There are no inconsistencies.
2.) If an inconsistency is discovered, refer to Rule 1.
Unfortunately, it's just these inconsistencies that keep this book from
achieving what it could. I'm hoping that the second book in this
series will overcome this. [**]
The last book, The Hall of the Mountain King by Judith Tarr (Tor,
$15.95), isn't a shared - world anthology at all -- it's just one of
the best pieces of fantasy you're likely to read this year. This is
volume one in the Avaryan Rising trilogy, and it made me want the other
two books to be available immediately. It is such an elegantly written
work that I didn't want to read it all at once, it needed to be savored.
The book concerns the kingdom Han - Ianon, where the king has been
waiting for his daughter and heir to return from her ritual trip. The
daughter is years overdue, and the thought is that the son of the king,
Moranden, will become king after the death of the old king. However,
Mirain, who claims to be the son of the king's daughter and the sun god
Avaryan, shows up unexpectedly. The rest of the book covers the
struggle and ultimate conflict that ensues.
Judith Tarr has created a likeable and fallable character in Mirain.
He is able to charm almost everyone he meets, but he also suffers from
saddle - sores after riding a full day in a woolen kilt. He also
agonizes over the eventual outcome of his struggle for the throne, and
even though he is known to be the realization of a prophecy, he isn't
quite sure of it at times.
The rest of the court is lovingly painted, from the rowdy squires to
the court singer. The group of squires, and the squire Vadin, in
particular, reflect the populace's bewilderment, resistance,
acceptance, and then love for Mirain. The squires' drunken show of
alliance with Mirain, by shaving their prized beards off with their
knives, is both amusing and touching. Ymin, the court singer, is the
first of the court to accept Mirain. She is graceful, intelligent,
sure where Mirain is doubtful. Ymin reflects and complements Mirain's
godhood. The attention to detail, both in characterization and
setting, is what makes this stand above most fantasy novels.
In the past year, fantasy has been typified by visits to Celt - land,
or overrun with variations on elves. It is refreshing to read a work
which doesn't have either. You don't want to wait for this novel to
come out in paperback -- buy it now. [****+]
Words of Wizdom
Reviews by
Chuq Von Rospach
Copyright 1987 by Chuq Von Rospach
Steven Brust's third book about Vlad Taltos is out, and Teckla (Ace
Fantasy, January, 1987, $2.95) may be his best work yet. In this book,
Cawti gets involved with revolutionaries, Vlad gets into a battle to
the death with a rival crimelord, all hell breaks loose, and Vlad, an
assassin about three steps behind, finds a way to put everything back
together again. Sort of.
Teckla is a lot darker work than Brust has written before. Amid all
the chaos he normally throws at his main character, he also puts him
through the wringer emotionally -- Vlad has to deal with his own
mortality, his self-confidence, his marriage breaking up, and his
entire view of reality getting smashed to pieces. In this book the
main characters do a lot of growing up, and Vlad comes to realize that
there isn't always a correct answer, but an infinite series of
ambiguous ones.
My feeling is that Brust is going to upset a number of his readers
because this book isn't the light, easygoing Fantasy he's done so well
in his previous works -- in much the same way that people complain
about Woody Allen because he doesn't make funny movies anymore. Teckla
is funny, but a different kind of funny -- poignant and more human.
With Teckla, Brust proves that he has left his apprenticeship and taken
his place among the masters of Fantasy. This is a book you do not want
to miss. [*****]
The find of the month for me is Tailchaser's Song by Tad Williams (DAW
Fantasy, 1986, $3.95). I missed this when it came out in hardback, and
I now regret waiting. Tailchaser is Williams' first novel, and it
tells the story of Fritti Tailchaser, a young cat searching for a
missing loved one. One the way, he finds adventure, learns about
himself and the world around him, and finally finds a way to save the
Cat universe from total destruction.
This book will inevitably be compared to the classic Watership Down.
I'll refrain, because while there are similarities, this book
definitely stands on its own. Williams has built an entire culture
around the society of the cat, including a very detailed folklore and
history. The detail and skill that he weaves all this together shows a
maturity rarely found in a first novel.
This is a very good book, which at the time I'm writing this is
hovering on the brink of the paperback Best Seller lists. It deserves
to be there, and if you haven't already you should run down and buy it
as soon as possible. You won't be disappointed. [*****]
Artificial Things by Karen Joy Fowler (Bantam Science Fiction, December
1986, 218 pages, $2.95) is a gamble for Bantam, one I hope pays off
handsomely. This is Fowler's first book, and it is a collection of her
short work -- something almost unheard of in modern publishing. The
crossover between the magazine market and publishing is rather weak,
and collections don't tend to sell as well as novels. If you don't
have the name value of a novel to help carry the collection through,
there is the possibility that the book will sink from sight without a
trace.
Which would be a real shame. Fowler is one of the most innovative
voices to show up in the field in years. Every story in the collection
is a gem. Fowler's forte is people, rather than places or things. The
SF or Fantasy is incidental, sometimes only hinted at. She writes the
person, though, with the strength and vigor of John Varley, and it is
fascinating to see someone with the power of Varley but with a strong
feminine edge. It would probably be fascinating to see the results of
a collaboration of the two -- I almost think it would be hard to
survive the emotional enslaught.
Buy this book, read it, enjoy it. Fowler is the best new female voice
in the genre today, and may well be one of the best ever. These are
not the early stories of a writer with promise, but the polished words
of an author in control of their work. You won't be disappointed.
[*****]
Melissa Scott is the winner of last years Campbell award for best new
writer. Her new book, Silence In Solitude (Baen Books, November 1986,
313 pages, $2.95) gives a wonderful example why. This book continues
the story started in Five-Twelths of Heaven, as Silence studies her
Apprenticeship while awaiting a chance to continue her search for the
starship path to the long-lost Earth. Nasty people are still looking
for her, which forces her back into the spaceship and finally into the
palace of the sister of the Hegemon (the leader of everything, and one
of the prime nasties looking for her) to rescue the hostage daughter of
one of her allies.
This book is a sequel, but it doesn't depend on the first book -- you
can very easily read and enjoy it on its own. The material and
background necessary from the first book are woven in skillfully, and
there is none of the long winded (and boring if you read the last book)
expository, the "As you know, the stars are twinkling lights in the
sky" dialog that gets in the way of the story.
As with Karen Joy Fowler, I could say that Scott is the best new female
voice in the genre. I'd be right, but it would probably confuse some
people. They are both strong, mature, and wonderful writers, and
trying to choose a best between the two is impossible. Both are
writers that you should search out and read at every opportunity.
[*****]
Trying to be funny while telling a story has to be the hardest form of
storytelling. Many authors try this at some point in their career, but
few (Randall Garrett being the major exception) can be humorous
throughout an entire novel without either losing the funny edge or
getting in the way of the story. Mike Resnick's Stalking the Unicorn:
A Fable of Tonight (Tor Books, January, 1987, $3.50) travels this
tightrope without falling off either side. John Justin Mallory is a
hardboiled PI, a down and out investigator right out of Raymond
Chandler who is hired by an Elf to search for a stolen Unicorn in
downtown Manhattan.
There's a catch, of course. The Manhattan he is taken to is on an
alternate plane from our reality, and the unicorn holds the key to his
return. He has to find it before the Demon of this reality, Grundy,
finds it and puts the powers of the Unicorn to its own evil deeds.
Resnick never forgets that he is telling a story, which is the key to
why this book works. The jokes are there, but only when they can be
told within the context of the story. Too many funny books either turn
serious when the jokes run out or stop the story for an interlude of
slapstick. This does neither; rather, when you walk into an Irish bar,
Resnick takes a poke at all the Irish caricatures and still remembers
to give Mallory enough information to take him to the next point in the
story. I didn't giggle my way through this book like I do some books,
but Stalking the Unicorn is enjoyable on many more levels than a simple
gigglefest. [***+]
Mirror of Her Dreams (Del Rey Fantasy, 642 pages, $19.95) is the latest
from Stephen Donaldson, and is the first book of a new two book series
titled Mordant's Need. It is very well written, and I think that even
people (like myself) that just never were able to get into Donaldson
before will want to take a look at this book.
The main characters are both typical Donaldson protagonists -- not very
successful and with a low self-esteem. They are put into situations
where their survival (and that of those around them) depend on them
doing the right thing. One thing I really liked about this book was
the character development -- as things happen, the protagonists start
to realize that maybe they aren't rotten people after all, and start
growing into themselves and showing their potential.
On the production side, this is one of the prettiest books I've run
into. The binding is rock solid, and in general this is a book you
not only want the author to sign, but the book designer as well. In
an era of rip-away covers and fall-out pages, this book feels like a
limited production book, not one on the Best Sellers list.
The only major gripe I have about this book is that it is incomplete.
Be aware that this is not the first book of a two book series, but the
first half of a very long book. Donaldson and Del Rey literally take
you right to the point where all hell breaks loose and then drops in a
commercial, telling you to wait for book two. This is irritating even
in a bad book, but in this case I really want to know what happens, and
I don't want to wait. Unfortunately, like the serials in the
magazines, you don't have much choice (this is one reason I almost
never read the serials). If you're like me, you probably want to hold
off buying the book until the second part is published, just to save
yourself the hassle of having to wait. This cliffhanger costs Mirror
about a star and a half, since Del Rey could have gone to a thinner
paper stock and gotten the entire story in one volume if they had
wanted to -- It by Stephen King, for example, goes well over 1000
pages. I hope the second book comes out soon. [***+]
Windmaster's Bane by Tom Deitz [Avon Fantasy, October 1986, 279 pages,
$3.50] should be a strong contender for the World Fantasy Award. Earth
continues to encroach upon Fairie. David Sullivan, a human, sees the
Sidhe on a walk through the borderlands one night, showing the Power
that few humans retain. This puts him in the middle of battling
factions -- those that need him as an ambassador, those that wish him
dead, and his friends and family who don't quite understand any of this.
It's very well written, quite powerful in places. The characters are
quite real, and the actions and motivations move the story along
without looking awkward or floundering. Although you can guess the
final resolution, Deitz keeps you in suspense and doesn't make it any
easier for his people to get there. This is a good book, and it is a
first book to boot. Deitz is definitely someone to watch. If this
book is any guide, when he hits his stride he'll be one of the best. [*****]
The first thing you'll notice about The Walkaway Clause is the Tom Kidd
cover. There is a castle in the background, in the foreground a number
of knights (in shining armor, of course) on horseback. The next thing
you'll notice is that this is a Science Fiction book and not Fantasy.
Neither is lying. John Dalmas (Tor Science Fiction, October, 1986, 253
pages, $2.95) has written an interesting SF yarn about the impacts of
advanced technology on backwards society. Barney Boru is a
professional assassin, sent to a backwards world to kill their King.
When he gets there, he finds himself in the middle of a major political
battle between competing bureaucracies throughout the Galactic
Confederacy. Does he carry through the hit, or does he invoke the
Walkaway Clause, allowing him to cancel the hit without repercussion if
things aren't kosher. If he does, how does he survive, and help the
Kingdom survive?
All these are answered, and more, with a few unforseen twists and a lot
of solid action. The end result is satisfying, but you'd never guess
it along the way. A good, solid, escapist book, it'll give you a good
time while making you ponder some difficult questions. [***+]
M.Y.T.H. Inc. Link (Donning/Starblaze, $7.95 trade paperback) is the
seventh book in the Myth Adventures by Robert Asprin and the first in a
new six book contract. It is also a change from previous books
because characters other than Skeeve are used as the primary point of
view. Future Myth books will continue to be about Skeeve, and the
M.Y.T.H. Inc. books will be from other viewpoints.
This isn't a bad book, but it is not as good as the earlier Myth books
-- writing funny is hard work, and writing funny through multiple books
about the same people is harder still -- you eventually run out things
to do to them. By bringing in the viewpoints of other characters,
Asprin may be giving himself the room to rejuvenate things. This
book, being a link between the two styles of books, is a bit uneven,
and some of the viewpoint characters are better than others (I
especially liked hearing about reality from Gleep's point of view, and
I'd like to see an entire book about Gleep someday). If you're a fan
of the Myth books, you'll want to read M.Y.T.H. Inc. Link. If
you're new to the series, look for one of the earlier books. [**+]
Can lightning strike twice in the same place? The Donning/Starblaze people hope
so, because Robert Asprin is trying to duplicate his success with Myth
Adventures in a new series called Duncan & Mallory ($6.95 graphic novel). The
story (with art by Mel. White) is about Duncan, a knight errant and klutz, and
Mallory, a Dragon with an eye to a quick buck.
Does it work? I don't think so, although I'm willing to wait for the second
volume (it is scheduled as a semi-annual graphic novel series) to be released
before really judging it. Duncan &Mallory just isn't that funny, and it
doesn't have the sharpness that the Myth Adventures series has. It is
derivative of Myth and some other works (namely "The Dragon and the George") and
I just don't know how well they are going to be able to keep from repeating the
gags here -- unlike Myth, this seems to be self-limiting. We'll see, though.
[**]
If you think comic books are for kids, then you haven't read Batman:
The Dark Knight Returns (DC Comics, $12.95 trade paperback). This is
the compiled edition of the four part mini-series written by Frank
Miller that re-examines the Batman in light of today's society and
morality.
The Batman has been retired for ten years, and Gotham City is falling
apart. Bruce Wayne still battles the ghosts of his past, and as the
Mutants begin an assault to take over Gotham, he loses the fight and
dons the costume once again.
This is not Batman the superhero. This is not Batman the Caped
Crusader. Miller has written Batman as vigilante.
Dark Knight is not a pretty book. Miller takes a very negative stand
on current society and lets it show throughout the story. The picture
of Batman is very different from that you are probably used to -- his
sanity is questionable, his motives dark and his actions clearly
illegal. There are no clear-cut solutions, in fact Batman's cure may
be worse than the diseases he is fighting.
If you think you are too old for comic books, you're wrong. If you
believe that you can't tell a solid story in a picture format, you're
wrong. If you think that comic books aren't a "serious" literary
form, you're wrong. This book will change your mind. You won't like
reading it, you won't enjoy the story, there isn't a happy ending.
But there is a strong tide of emotions that will pull your through and
force you to react in ways that will keep you thinking about it long
after you've put the book down. [*****]
Bridge of Birds, subtitled A Novel of Ancient China That Never Was (Del
Rey Fantasy, $2.95) is a first novel from Barry Hugart, who writes the
story of a boy and a wise man who travel through the Chinese universe
in search of the Great Root of Power, an herb needed save the children
of the village from a lingering death.
In an industry suffering from Celtic mythos overkill, Bridge of Birds
is a wonderful breath of fresh air. This is a very hard book to
describe -- it is written sort of as a Chinese Fable, sort of as a
novel, with a lighthearted touch of whimsy and a very serious plot.
It is basically a travelogue, as Lu Yu, who is called Number 10 Ox, and
Li Kao, a wise man who has a slight flaw in his character, travel from
place to place, meeting interesting and strange people and having
interesting and strange adventures. Death is always chasing them down
the road, but never quite seems to catch up, and they finally
accomplish their quest with the seeming ease given only to those who
never quite realize how impossible their goals are.
This is a lot of fun, and a great relief from the druids and elves and
unicorns that are flowing out of the publishing houses these days. It
isn't a new book, but my only wish is that I could have gotten around
to reading is a little sooner. [****+]
Letters to OtherRealms
About Australian voting...
I can imagine you getting a lot of mail from this side of the world
rather like this. The Australian preferential voting system is
probably the fairest invented yet when there are more than a couple of
candidates.
Sure it's complicated, and even worse to try to explain quickly, that
is certainly its biggest fault. Another fault is that its quite easy
to make superficial criticisms if your favoured candidate doesn't win!
But then again, you should examine the voting method used to elect the
Senate here, that makes preferential voting seem childs play!
The mistake that you have made in understanding it, I think, is in
assuming that the voter lists the candidates in the order that he
prefers them (best, second best, etc). That's close, but not exactly
it. They should be listed with first being the one you want to win
most, second being the one you want to win if your first choice doesn't
win, etc.
You can think of it that way though -- first there are 5 candidates.
Everyone votes. The candidate with the least number of votes is
eliminated, clearly that one isn't going to win. Then everyone votes
again, the voters who selected the now eliminated candidate select from
one of the remaining four. Iterate this until there are just two
candidates, and the one with the most votes wins.
Holding a ballot with all those iterations is impractical in most
cases, so instead of doing it that way, voters are asked to choose who
they would vote for in the next round if their primary candidate is
eliminated, and number that candidate 2, and then continue that for the
3rd and following rounds.
If you're just choosing 1 winner from a largish (more than 2 probably)
field, this way just has to be fairest.
I suspect that the only really fair way to hold an election (any
election) is to get all the voters together in a room, and then let
them change their votes as often as they want until one candidate has a
clear majority (all schemes I know of award a win to anyone with more
than 50% of the vote). This is my (maybe wrong) impression of the way
the US presidential candidate conventions work.
If you can't do that, then preferential voting, which tries to simulate
that, is next best.
[Ignorance can make you look silly with the best of
intentions. Thanks to many Australian readers, I now know how
the preference ballot works, and can see the logic behind it.
The only real problem is that most Hugo voters are American, as
I am, and American schools are notorious about not talking
about things that weren't born in the USA.
One thing that is obvious is that there are no easy solutions,
if solutions exist at all. Taking pot shots is easy,
rebuilding the mortar hole after is not...] -- chuq
About Steppe:
Also, I disagree with your review of Piers Anthony's Steppe, I thought
that was one of his better early works. The books of his that I really
felt were below standard were the TAROT series, which I thought were
probably rather self indulgent. I haven't yet read some of the most
recent ones though.
Robert Elz
Melbourne, Australia
More Hugo
In your December issue you editorialize agains the Australian ballot.
What you said is: There are a number of ways that the Hugo can be
improved, though. First and formost, to me, is the silly Australian
ballot preference system used for counting votes. Your objection to
the Australian ballot is apparently that as the losing candidates are
eliminated and their votes distributed, the candidate with the early
lead can lose on the basis of second and third place votes.
There are thus two possibilities open to you. The first is to reduce
the candidates to two instead of the present five. In this manner, you
are virtually certain to have a winner, as the most votes is
automatically a majority. The second is to have the votes select only
a single candidate, thereby eliminating the problems of ranking their
choices and award the Hugo on the basis of a plurality. In a candidate
field with Noah Ward making a respectable showing it would be possible
to win with a plurality of 17 percent.
Neither of these suggestions is flawless. In the first case,
nominating campaigns for one of the two places on the ballot would be
encouraged, and bloc voting would become the rule rather than the
exception. In the second case you are trading off a winner having a
majority of the vote for the ease of tallying the count. A more subtle
objection is this: when you like Smith a little bit better than Jones,
but Jones has an even chance of winning while Smith is a long shot, do
you let your perception of winning chances influence a vote which ought
to be purely on artistic merit? Deciding what you like is bad enough
without having to handicap your choices.
The present system is not perfect, but a perfect system does not
exist. I may be biased in favor of the Australian ballot, having come
from behind on more than one occasion, but you ought to think about
what you want to replace it with before telling us to throw it out.
If you really must make a reform in the Hugos, however, why not
eliminate the semi-prozine category and replace it with Fanzines,
Journeyman (less than three Hugos) and Fanzines, Master (three Hugos or
more)? Nobody except Geis and C. N. Brown have more than two Hugos
for fanzines, and Geis has dropped out as of the end of this year. Or
if you long for controversy, advocate the eliminations of the fan
category Hugos entirely, whilst combining the novella and novelette categories.
[Since I've seen the light on the balloting system, is there
anything we CAN do about the Hugo?
My answer is a definite maybe. It is possible that we could
adopt Robert's suggestion of locking everyone in a room, but
that limits Hugo voters to people rich enough to travel to
Worldcon. Not good. Another possibility is to remove the
membership requirement to Worldcon for Hugo voting and pass
ballots around in any way we can think of -- via fanzines,
Locus, in paperback books, whatever it takes to make the Hugo
representatie of the general readership. Which creates an
enormous administrative load and lots of neat new problems.
Solution? I'm not sure, but perhaps a pilot program can be put
together to see how it works.
One thing I do agree wtih Alexis on is the Fanzine and Semi-pro
Hugos. The people who vote for Hugos aren't really oriented
towards these awards, and the total number of votes is very
low. Rather than eliminating them completely, though, I think
the voting for these awards should be done through a Fan
oriented con, or through ballots distributed at a number of
conventions and in different fanzines. Again, before we leap,
a lot more discussion is needed.] -- chuq
About Fortune of Fear
I have to disagree with Nelson's review of Hubbard's Fortune of Fear,
which rates [**] at most. Hubbard is funny like the Three Stooges are
funny, and at a tediously greater length.
Alexis A. Gilliland
Arlington, VA.
Piers Anthony and Etc...
Dear Up-chuq (gawd, I'm sorry. But when am I ever going to have an
opportunity like that again?).
If nothing else, Anthony's letter reminded me of why I dropped out of
fandom and stopped subscribing to fanzines after our brief flirtation
in the `70s. With the possible exception of comicdom, SF is the only
genre I know of where some of the writers show a level of immaturity
equal to -- if not exceeding -- some of the fans. I'm old enough now
to realize that many of the authors I put on pedestals when I was
younger really have feet of clay.
But they don't have to go out of their way to *prove* it to me.
Okay, having got *that* off my chest, I thought #11 was the most solid
OR I've read yet. Dan'l's review and guest commentary were both
excellent.
All the reviews were of much higher quality than the last few issues.
Words of Wizdom was the standout, as always. BTW, I'd like to see more
Small Press reviews from you, too.
[So would I, and there will be as I track them down. If you
know of a small press publisher out there, please let me know!
One of the problems iwth the small press is finding them. They
rarely get into the major bookstores. I'm trying to put
together a resource book of magazines and sources for
information that people might want to use for keeping up with
the genre -- if you have something that you think should be in
it, drop me a note.] -- chuq
I noticed a few Picos by Ray F. Nelson. While I totally disagree with
him about the latest in Elron's "dekology" (I found the book more
laughable than satirical), I'm glad that Nelson is doing stuff for
you. Looks like he's your first cross-over from SFR. Hope to see some
larger pieces from him.
[I'm glad he's here, too. I miss Science Fiction Review
already, and while I don't expect to replace it (I'm not Dick
Geis, by a long shot) I am more than happy to make room for
people who have something to say] -- chuq
Fred Bals
bals@nutmeg.DEC.COM
Campbell Award Snafu
In the Books Received section, you write that Karen Joy Fowler won the
Campbell award. Nope, she was only nominated. Melissa Scott won the
award this year.
[I caught that coming back from the printers. I'm sorry for
any confusion, but frankly BOTH women deserve the award, and
both of them are authors you should be on the lookout for.]
-- chuq
Tom Galloway
GALLOWAY@VAXA.ISI.EDU
Missing Diadem
I'd rate the series as a whole and some of the parts higher than it was
given credit for, but the descriptions and explanations of what goes on
in each book were quite good. However, why was Quester's Endgame
omitted? It has been out in paperback for some time now.
I'd say that it ties up the loose ends rather better than most
end-of-the-series books, and handles the anticipation of the encounter
with the super-race quite well, as well as pulling off the inevitable
letdown when it turns out they are mortal after all.
Wayne Throop
mcnc!rti-sel!dg_rtp!throopw
Electronic OtherRealms
Reviewing the worlds of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror.
Editor
Chuq Von Rospach
Associate Editor
Laurie Sefton
Contributing Editors
Jim Brunet
Dan'l Danehy-Oakes
OtherRealms #12
February, 1987
OtherRealms is Copyright 1987
by Chuq Von Rospach.
All Rights Reserved.
One time rights have been acquired from the contributors.
All rights are hereby assigned to the contributors
Reproduction rights
OtherRealms may be reproduced only for non-commercial purposes. With
the exception of excerpts used for promotional purposes, no part of
OtherRealms may be re-published without permission.
OtherRealms is published by:
Chuq Von Rospach
160 Pasito Terrace #712
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
usenet: chuq@sun.COM
Delphi: CHUQ
Review copies should be sent to this address for consideration.
Electronic OtherRealms
Electronic OtherRealms is a text-only version of this magazine that is
available on a number of computer networks throughout the world.
On the ARPA, CSNET, BITNET and UUCP networks, send E-mail to
chuq@sun.COM for information on subscribing.
On the usenet network, Electronic OtherRealms is available in
mod.mag.otherrealms.
Electronic OtherRealms is also available in the Science Fiction section
of the Delphi timesharing system, and on numerous Bulletin Board
Systems throughout the country.
Submission Policy
OtherRealms publishes articles about Science Fiction, Fantasy, and
Horror. The main focus is reviews of authors and books that might
otherwise be missed in the crowd, but OtherRealms will publish anything
of interest to the serious readers of the genres.
Pico Reviews are solicited on any genre book. Duplicate the format
in the magazine, and limit your comments to one paragraph.
Your comments are solicited! Letters to OtherRealms are always
welcome -- tell me how I'm doing, what I'm missing, or where I've
goofed. All letters will be considered for publication unless
otherwise specified.
If you have an idea for an article you would like to see covered in
OtherRealms, drop me a line. I'm always looking for new and
interesting things to bring before the eyes of my readers.
Book Ratings in OtherRealms
All books are rated with the following guidelines. Most books should
receive a three star rating Anything with three or more stars is
recommended. Ratings may be modified by a + or a - to for a half star
rating, so [***-] is better (slightly) than [**+].
[*****] One of the best books of the year
[****] A very good book -- above average
[***] A good book
[**] Flawed, but has its moments
[*] Not recommended
[] Avoid at all costs
Subscriptions:
OtherRealms is available at Future Fantasy bookstore, Palo Alto,
California and through the mail. A single issue is available for
$2.50. Subscriptions are for $11.00 for five issues and $21.00 for 10
issues. Please make checks to "Chuq Von Rospach." Fanzine trading
rules apply. Publishers are welcome to a free subscription upon
request. SWFA members -- contact me about professional discounts.
