The Zine Dump #6
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The Great Cosmic Donut of Life no. 39-40 / Bruce Gillespie, see SF Commentary / Published for Acnestis, apparently an apa (otherwise, why would there be mailing comments?), these publications run photos of Aussie fans and cats, reprinted works of John Foyster, and Paul Kincaid's favorite reads and flicks of 2003. See also *brg* above, and note the B.B.B. Fund in progress, which I heartily endorse.
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Ibid 125 / Ben Indick, 428 Sagamore Ave., Teaneck NJ 07666-2626 / A hideous cover front Ben's zine for the horror-oriented Esoteric Order of Dagon, which may be appropriate. But who cares what's appropriate - in "Jimmy and Me" Ben pays homage to James Joyce, and the fact that on page 241 of Finnegans Wake the name "Indick" appears. (I read Ulysses for the first time when I was 18; Alfred Bester told me I'd outgrow it, but in this instance, the cosmic Alfie was wrong.) I want to reprint it. Ben's "Broadway Beat", sent separately, reviews theatre he has seen of recent, and fills me with admiration and envy. I wanna live in New York and see plays every night.
Instant Message 733-4 / NESFA, P.O. Box 809, Framingham MA 01701-0809 / info@nesfa.org / http://www.nesfa.org / The New England SF Association has nothing official to do with Noreascon 4, I'm told; Boskone is their event and debriefing the 41st such forms much of the discussion reported in this monthly newszine. But this is a group with its fingers in every fannish pie, and doesn't that sound gross ... Still, there's a lot of overlap and the worldcon is much discussed, also. Plus publishing: the magnificent NESFA Press. The list of their projects in #734 is mind-boggling. Bless NESFA: included with the April issue, TAFF and DUFF ballots.
Interstellar Ramjet Scoop Dec. '03-Feb. '04 / Bill Wright, 4 / 1 Park St., St. Kilda, Vict. 3182 Australia / Bill's ANZAPA zines are, like many great publications from downunder, bedecked with color Ditmar art. Amazing stuff. Within this issue, Dick Jenssen - who is Ditmar - pays tribute to Hal Clement in a unique manner: a scientific analysis of Mission of Gravity, complete with charts and graphs and equations and so forth. Mr. Stubbs would have loved it. Extensive natter follows on Jackson Pollack's "Blue Poles", a controversial Australian Art Museum purchase which now hangs in Canberra, the conclusion of Jeff McLean's tricycle trip across Africa, and a constant contributor named Stefan takes over for eight pages of rollicking commentary, poetry, and whatnot. I should know who this Stefan is, but I don't. The next issue's cover continues the tribute to Clement, being a Ditmar visualization of Mesklin. Inside, a tribute to the bonkers cartoonist Sidney Harris, and rejoinders to an ongoing debate about Pythagorean triples - more graphs, more numbers - what the hey is a "2-sphere"? Too much for a dumb lawyer, but dandy fanzine material, to be sure. I wanna go back to Australia.
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Jomp Jr. #22 / Richard A. Dengrove, 2651 Arlington Dr. #302, Alexandria VA 22306 / RichD22426@aol.com / http://www. geocities.com/Area 51/Rampart/7076 / t.u. / Rich's infrequent genzine is actually one long essay, an expansion of a piece on belief in extraterrestrials that appeared in Challenger #17. Dengrove researches his articles extremely well, and this one swims with references to such sources as Nicholas Oresme (1325-82), C.S. Lewis, and Whitley Streiber. I found the article extremely interesting and of course, comprehensive. Some personal LOCs follow - Harry Andruschack's account of the changes in his life post-orchiectomy is meant to reassure his friends, but it terrifies me. I'd rather hear Lloyd Penney and the editor discuss crab hats.
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The Knarley Knews #103-104/ Henry Welch, 1525 16th Ave., Grafton WI 53024-2017 / welch@msoe.edu or LethaWelch@aol.com / $1.50 @ / Issue 103 of Knarl's quarterly zine features a righteous b&w Alan White cover, all the more welcome because of Alan's recent burnout. (Too bad, too; I wanted to feature his work in the Noreascon program book.) Knarl natters about home improvements, Sue Welch describes a charity walk for breast cancer - or is it against breast cancer? I'm having a W moment - Rodney Leighton pens a disjointed reaction to Fosfax, and Gene Stewart, whom I wish would again contribute to Challenger, laments a Science Fiction Book Club polluted by fantasy and media. When I rejoined the SFBC after decades, I asked for and got my original membership number from when I was a teenager. The lettercol is graced by a fine memorial to Hal Clement by Eeb Frohvet, and by Lloyd Penney's splendid observation that "Gene Stewart has a fine grasp of unreality." #104 really tickles me; deciding to study intellectual property, Welch applies to law school, and is astounded by the complication involved in simply taking the LSATs. Welcome to my world, Knarley. Leighton's review of Alexiad describes it as a "Fosfax, Jr.", which is bitterly unfair. Stewart's piece - on having a pipe bomb found near his son's school - is bloodchilling; but it's also the best and most genuine writing I've ever seen from him, one of the finest and most humane pieces to be read in the Zine Dump this time.
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Let's Kiosk! / / Judith Hanna & Joseph Nicholas, 15 Jansons Road, South Tottenham, London N15 4JU U.K. / jehanna@gn.ape.org, josephn@globalnet.co.uk / I didn't know "kiosk" was a verb. Here's a fine collection of essays and anecdotes, mostly reprinted from LiveJournal on-line, rescuing excellent electronic natter to the sanctity of real print. The zine was distributed at Novacon. Emphasizing gardening, as is the editors' wont (their usual title is International Revolutionary Gardener), these are generally charming snapshots of pastoral life, frog porn and fox lore, cherries, salads, sunflowers, the slaughter of snails and the delights of dumpster diving - it's neat that Joseph has been written up in Gardener's World, but thrilling to learn that Judith is an Australian redhead, an awesome combination to be sure. Their many travels take them to the Baltic states, Tunisia (and Tattooine) and Medina, and they bring the sites to life on the page. A thoroughly entertaining piece on London folklore is the best writing in this zine, a showcase for two of the most adept and insightful writers in fanzines. And nary a convention nor another fan are mentioned. Fannishness comes, you see, from the observer, not the thing being observed.
A Letter, introductory thing / Rodney Leighton, R.R. #3, Tatamagouche, N.S. B0K 1V0 Canada / Rodney is still grieving on the loss of his parents in the past year. His shock at their passing caused him to read Mitch Albom's The Five People You Meet in Heaven, which sounds much more interesting here than it has in other reviews. Everywhere Rodney turns he finds only more reasaon to mourn. Whoever advised Rodney to speak of these matters with "priests, friends, therapists" was wise indeed.
Littlebrook: a Journal of the Fannish Arts & Sciences 3 / Jerry Kaufman & Suzanne Tompkins, 3522 N.E. 123rd St., Seattle WA 98125 / littlebrooklocs@aol.com / the usual, "in-person begging, the provision of a beverage, or $2" / I like this zine - the peaceful green paper, the charming art by Stu Shiffman and Craig Smith, Jerry's account of whitewater rafting - or whitewater screaming, which is what he did mostly. I like Andi Schachter's bad case of star-struckedness when confronted with Janis Ian, and her review of Janis' anthology with Mike Resnick. I like Terry Carey's piece on hummingbirds - one once flew a foot from my face, hovered there, and zipped off, in less time than it takes to go "YIPES!" I like Teresa Nielsen Hayden's satirical take on authors, and I really like the lettercol, featuring at least some people who've never written to Challenger. I like Littlebrook's tone and size and the quality that rules.
Lofgeornost #74 / Fred Lerner, 81 Worcester Ave., White River Junction VT 05001 / fred.lerner@dartmouth.edu / FAPA and trade / Fred laments about the degeneration of the Republican Party from men of genius like Theodore Roosevelt and men of character like Barry Goldwater to the religious zealots and sleazy hypocrites who own it - and America - today. I remember Eisenhower; how right Fred is. Proving himself a most atypical Republican, he next reviews a book on Trotsky, another on Disraeli, segueing seamlessly into a breezy stroll through letters of comment he's received to a charming anecdote, "Sundays at Jessica's", to the tune of Appalachian Spring, making one yearn for an America worthy once more of Aaron Copland's music and faith. I love to receive this zine with the incomprehensible title; like those quiet Sunday evenings, it's time spent with an intelligent spirit, to be savored.
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Mimosa / Richard & Nicki Lynch, P.O. Box 1350, Gaithersburg MD 20885 / e-mail: fiawol@cpcug.org / website: http://www.Jophan.org/mimosa / $4 or / Nothing can keep Mimosa from the Hugo ballot, which it made again this year. Mazeltov, kids!
MOZ one / Murray Moore, 1065 Henley Street, Missisauga Ontario L4Y 1C8 Canada/ mmoore@pathcom.com / An ANZAPA zine from one of Chall's longest-term pals, introducing himself to the downunder apa. Could a DUFF run be in his future? He lists some of the Aussies he's met, gives a sprightly autobiography, chats about Canada, LotR (which,, he predicts, will not win the Oscar; ignore Murray's stock tips, ANZAPAns), and the war in Bosnia, of all things - if the point is to give the new apa a clue as to who he is, MM succeeds well here. It's been said that the second issue of an apazine is always the most difficult; let's see how does.
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The NASFA Shuttle Jan-April 2004 / Mike Kennedy, c/o North Alabama SF Association, P.O. Box 4857, Huntsville AL 35815-4857 / nasfa.shuttle@con-stellation.org / $1.50@, $10/year / The Con*stellation crowd produces a good clubzine well in touch with general fandom, with accounts of the Endeavour and British Fantasy Awards and nominees for the Philip K. Dick and Nebula honors. The 12th chapter of a perplexing fantasy finishes January. The February issue notes the passing of my main man, Julius Schwartz, and notes that he was twice a guest at their con. Curse me for missing those events! David Miller's review of Lord of the Rings' Trilogy Tuesday laments the changes made by Peter Jackson - yet exults in the film's critical success and what it means to the fantasy genre. In that I join. (Eleven Oscars! Seventeen for the trilogy! Awesome!) But I thoroughly disagree with the gripes, even though Miller has a minor in film-making - a book is a book and a film is a film, and Jackson's LotR succeeds almost as well as Tolkien's. Mike Kennedy follows with a review of The Butterfly Effect, and there's more awards news, including a cheery bit on one "honor" Frodo & Co. did not win, the Golden Raspberry! In the April number, Mike hails Sue Thorne's Rebel at the '04 DeepSouthCon, with a photo of the delighted lady (the late Dal Coger was also honored), and provides context with a long report on the event - and CostumeCon 22. Follows a list of Hugo nominees, which includes some names from these pages.
Noreascon 4 P.R. 5 / Joe Siclari, MCFI, P.O. Box 1010, Framingham MA 01701-1010 / info@mcfi.org / http://www.noreascon.org / Having morphed ourselves to attending status in the next worldcon, Rosy and I are now members # 1297A and 1296A. This informative and well-written progress report not only has gluts of info, but the Hugo and Retro-Hugo nomination ballots. I only hope that the program book Rosy, Geri Sullivan and I produce for these people lives up to these precursors.
Number One #5-6 / Mike McInerney, 83 Shakespeare St., Daly City CA 94014-1053 / elandem@att.net / Mike shyly re-enters the fanzine game with these short but enjoyable FAPAzines. I must take exception with one comment here by my welcomed NOLa visitor and DUFF competition: he claims that he is "not a good writer." Nonsense! His chatty prose is composed without a breath of self-consciousness or pretense and makes for warm and approachable reading. Here Mike chats about his recent employment woes (he's back at the airport after a short, short stint at the post awful) and fannish past. He laments that, at age 60 and with some 40 years of history in fandom, "there doesn't really seem to be any record ... that I was there." Thus his run for DUFF. His plaint is familiar - certainly I too try to use Sfdom to earn recognition of my virtues and write my name in the book of the world. But isn't this missing the point? Through fandom Mike has won staunch, long-lasting friendships with fine like-minded folks. Shouldn't such be the validation we seek in any social group? Isn't friendship - not Hugos, nor trips to exotic places - the pearl beyond price?
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The O'Neil Observor issue 5 / Bob Brodsky, 33 E. Normandy Dr. W., Hartford CT 05107 / brodskybob@attbi.com / $5 / Good-sized saddle-stitched zine devoted to one of the finest writers of comics' Silver Age, good and supportive company during my year in the bizness 30 years ago, and author of the legendary Green Lantern/Green Arrow run that revolutionized comics. I can't spend much time on it in a science fiction arena, but let me huzzah attention it devotes to the works of Curt Swan, a much-underappreciated artist, and Robert Kanigher. Editor Brodsky says he wants to interview me; God knows why, but I'm game.
Opuntia 53.1 & 53.1A / Dale Speirs, Box 6830, Calgary, Alberta, T2P 2E7 Canada / $3 @ or. / All of Dale's ".1" publications are reviewzines, and in these issues he concentrates on the fanzines he's received since the last installment. Many aren't fannish - mail art, politics, amateur publishing on any and all subjects. I salute his inclusiveness. There's one moment of unadulterated pleasure: his "K.T.F." response to something called Dsame, which invites faneds to publish reviews of their own zines - and pay $19 to see the result. Dale rails against this insane idea, and the somewhat clumsy fashion in which it is phrased. On he goes to note zines of a zillion different obsessions, from our SF nonsense to lexicography to politics. A long review of land/space, a book of Canadian SF set in the plains completes matters - fascinating to see how another country, so similar to America, so different at its core, views itself.
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Peregrine Nations Vol. 3 No. 4 / J.G. Stinson, P.O. Box 248, East Lake MI 49626-0248 COA / $1 or t.u. / Jan adorns her cover with a Trinlay Khadro photo of two critters that might be cats, and goes on to dedicate the issue to pets of all kinds. Our yorkie Jesse and the two felines, Boo and Malibu, thank her very much. The lettercol, which begins the issue (one of PN's charming peculiarities) contains at least one item with which I heartily concur, an endorsement of the marvelous BBC version of I. Claudius (inspiration for my greatest SFPA faan fiction, "I, Cloddius", but I digress). Is the Brother Guy Steve Silver mentions anyone I know? Couldn't be - I met Greg Benford long before Chicon. After the letter column - which consumes the first ten of the zine's 16 pages - Lyn McConchie reviews a book about echidnas (the cuddly Australian porcupine) and E.B. Frohvet adds a magnificent piece on hobbit cuisine and agriculture. Since tobacco is known to deplete fields of nutrients, one wonders where they grow all their pipeweed. Another trivia contest is announced. PN is a delightful perzine of a sort which we don't see enough of on this side of the Atlantic; warm & fuzzy ... or perhaps one should say downy, like baby falcon feathers.
Plokta of the Caribou (#30) / Steve Davies, 52 Westbourne Terrace, Reading, Berks U.K. RG30 2RP; Alison Scott, 24 St. Mary Rd., Walthamstow, London U.K. E17 9RG; Mike Scott, 2 Craithie Rd., Chester U.K. CH3 5LJ / locs@plokta.com / www.plokta.com / The most creative fanzine on the planet, a combo personal- and genzine that can sometimes baffle the reader unfamiliar with its in-jokes, but always amuses - even if you don't know who Christina Lake is. Subject matter here ranges from Sue Mason's Torcon Hugo (which Rosy and I presented) to British beaches to a Minicon (Minneapolis) trip report by Alison to a terrifying guide to London public transport ... interspersed - or marginalized, however you put it - with anecdotes and threaded through with humor. Speaking of which, Sue's cover displays gorgeous and subtle colors and a wicked fannish wit. The zine is on Noreascon's Hugo ballot this year ... Sue's Hugo was only the first for the Cabal; gaze upon the '05 results from the Plokta side of the Atlantic - perhaps even this year's, from ours - before you call me wrong.
Probe 122-3 / Liz Simmonds, P.O. Box 781401, Sandton 2146, South Africa / sfsa@newhorizons.co.za / "for sale and exchange" / Roberto Schima has done better covers for Probe than the illos that top these two issues, but the copy within is as good as ever. Probe runs frequent short story contests, cleverly gaining itself good material and drawing its readership into activity. #123 runs a number of "Wormholes", short-short stories written around a key phrase suggested by the editor. Good review of Torcon by Grant Kruger. As I've said before, I look for a South African worldcon bid before too many ticks of the cosmic clock.
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The Revenge of Hump Day / Tim Bolgeo, tbolgeo@att.net / "Uncle Timmy's" internet cascade of gags and gossip is one of the highlights of my e-week, and he's given me permission to hail it here. Some of the jokes are truly felonious, and Tim's politics are antediluvian (spelled that right on the first try), but this Rebel winner really knows how to tickle an audience.
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