Start 2021 Right with Two Free Books from TAFF

Atom Abroad by Arthur Thomson and The Harpy Stateside by Ella Parker and others are available today in multiple formats at the Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund’s website, where they hope you’ll make a little donation to the fund if you please.

Atom Abroad by Arthur “Atom” Thomson

The popular fanzine illustrator Atom’s lively report of his 1964 trip to the USA and Pacificon II – that year’s Worldcon, held in Oakland, California – was published in 1968… Our hero’s adventures include crossing the USA in a noisily dysfunctional car that eventually burst into flames, driving on the wrong side of Route 66, and being robbed of all his cash in a California motel – all paling into insignificance beside the terrors of the Sam Moskowitz Speech From Hell.

Cover art and selected interior illustrations by Atom himself, plus photos from the Vince Clarke collection. 35,000 words.

The Harpy Stateside by Ella Parker and others

Ella Parker was a prominent, London-based British fan of the 1950s and 1960s who published the highly regarded fanzine Orion and made a long fannish tour of the USA and Canada in 1961. Mundane circumstances prevented the completion of her intended trip report, partly published as Parker‘s Peregrinations with the subtitle (nodding to Walt Willis) The Harpy Stateside.

Rob Hansen has expanded this account with writing by many other fannish hands, tracking Ella’s triumphal progress through North America as she visited various fan centres, stayed with fannish notables and attended two major conventions. 42,000 words, with cover artwork and interiors by Atom (Arthur Thomson).

Making books is better than what many idle hands are up to these days. Let David Langford start your New Year off right with his fannish additions to TAFF’s library of free downloads.

5 thoughts on “Start 2021 Right with Two Free Books from TAFF

  1. Thanks!

    PS. My wife is enjoying her Christmas present of Budrys’ Benchmarks from Ansible Press.

  2. You know what they say, Chris Rose: Great minds think alike. Glad it wasn’t just me.

    ATom may have been reading Marvel comics back then, because that’s clearly a vibranium-powered rocket.

  3. Chris Rose: That doesn’t look like a rocket.

    Somewhere in the report, Cele Lalli-Goldsmith admires Atom’s cartoons in the Worldcon art show but regrets that she couldn’t possibly use the very mildly risque one. Which inspired me to dig out that cartoon from an old old Ansible.

  4. Funny, but I don’t remember where I met Ella Parker, I just remember meeting her and how delightful she was. In contrast, I remember exactly where I hung out with John Berry, and chasing a blanched almond across the floor with a pickle fork.

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