Monthly Archives: April 2008

Genesis Effect

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Genesis probe after impactIn 2004, photos of NASA’s ruined Genesis probe were a depressing sight, crushed metal shards left half-buried in the Utah desert. Plans for helicopters to intercept the solar probe in midair went amiss because its parachute failed to open. I wrote about this for Trufen.net at the time. Now researchers say there was a (more or less) happy ending to the story after all.

The Genesis probe had spent over two years collecting oxygen from the outermost layers of the Sun. Charged atoms from the solar wind were captured on five collecting plates hung outside the spacecraft.

About half of the samples were recovered from the wreckage. Researchers were able to remove contamination from them by scrubbing the top 20 nanometers with a beam of cesium ions.

Scientists have been able to fulfill the probe’s original mission by measuring the composition of the Sun’s oxygen in a vacuum.

Make That Only 3 SF Clubs Owning Clubhouses

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Cheryl Morgan has posted an entertaining answer to someone who asked her whether it’s time for the Bay Area SF Association to start a Building Fund and get its own clubhouse. (Short answer: They’ve had a building fund for years.)

The fan, as part of his question, says “four science fiction clubs in the United States own their own clubhouse (NESFA, LASFS, BSFS and SFSFS).” That’s not correct anymore.

Many fans heard in 1997 about the South Florida Science Fiction Society (SFSFS) joining the ranks of sf clubs with their own clubhouse. Fewer heard that in 2001, due to a lack of funds, SFSFS moved out of its clubhouse and resumed a nomadic existence. Despite the Fanac.org site having posted that information, it doesn’t register because the main page on the history of the original 1997 clubhouse leaves readers with the impression that there is a clubhouse to this day.

A second fine point that should be made about the statement that four sf clubs in the U.S. own/owned clubhouses is that, in hindsight, there is doubt that SFSFS ever owned a clubhouse. The public perception in 1997 when SFSFS announced the original one-room clubhouse in Fort Lauderdale was that they owned the place, but if that was the case why did the club remain there such a short time?

Only two years later, in 1999, the group relocated to three rented rooms with a bathroom and kitchen, paying $400/month until June 2001 when the club left and moved its stuff into storage. Sadly, they could not keep up payment on the storage facility either, and in 2003 announced plans to sell off their library (see File 770 #142, page 21), reportedly 6000 volumes of fanzines and books.

It seems likely that only three sf clubs in the U.S. ever owned a clubhouse. Other groups have rented club facilities for a time. For just one of many examples, the New Jersey SF Society rented meeting space until 1998, then gave it up when they could no longer afford the rent. LASFS rented meeting places at times throughout its history before acquiring a clubhouse in 1973. Actual ownership of their clubhouses is what distinguishes LASFS, NESFA and BSFS from a lot of sf clubs that also have regular meeting places.

Update 4/9/2008: Further checking confirmed that SFSFS’ first clubhouse was taken under a 2-year lease rather than purchased.

Narniafans on Diana Glyer’s Hugo Nomination

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Narniafans posted Diana Glyer’s comment on the nomination of her book, The Company They Keep, for the Best Related Book Hugo:

“It is so rare for a book about Tolkien or Lewis to gain this kind of recognition,” said Glyer. “But this is about their interaction. I think there is a renewed interest in creative collaboration, even in business, science, and technology. We are in the age of Wikinomics: it’s not so much about being a solitary genius as it is about teamwork, relationships, and context.”

Help Pay for Ent Sculpture on Tolkien Trail

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“Leaves from the Ent” are being sold on eBay to fund a 20-foot-high sculpture of an Ent that will be placed along Brimingham City’s Tolkien Trail. The sculptor is Tim Tolkien, grandson of J.R.R. Tolkien’s younger brother, Hilary. You can purchase a leaf at the “buy it now” price of £500, or take your chances at auction.

Update 4/10/2008: Corrected spelling after Michael Walsh sent an e-mail pointing out, “It’s eBay, not Ebay. I know this from proofing the next Waldrop collection I’m publishing. Yeah, Waldrop and something online, not your ususal combination.”

Steve and Sue Back from Down Under

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Steve and Sue Francis are back from the Aussie NatCon and have very kindly sent along a preliminary DUFF trip report:

“We have just completed our trip to Australia as DUFF 2008 representatives. New friendships were made with fans from Perth, Sydney, Hobart, Adelaide and Melbourne. We also visited with people that we knew from our previous trip to Australia in 1999. One of the requirements of the DUFF representatives is to attend a major Australian convention during their trip Down Under. This year it was the Australian NatCon/Swancon 33 in Perth.

“The second task that falls to the current DUFF representative is to prepare and distribute a trip report for the year in which travel is completed. That report is now a work in progress. We hope to have it finished before the end of the year. Copies will be available for $5.00 wherever you find us or by mail.

“The third task we will be undertaking is to raise funds during the next two years thru auctions, table sales and by collecting any donations from fans who are willing to support the DUFF fund. To that end we will be attending the following conventions around the country:

ConGlomeration Louisville KY April 18-20
MidWestCon   Cincinnati OH June 26-29
WesterCon   Las Vegas NV July 3-6
Denvention   Denver CO  Aug 6-10
Armadillocon    Austin TX Aug 15-17
The FranHurst Family Reunion Relaxacon  Louisville KY Oct 3-5
SmofCon 26    Columbus OH Dec 5-7
ConCave 29.5 (New Year’s Eve Party)  Horse Cave KY Dec 26-28

“There will be a DUFF table at Denvention next to the Australia in 2010 bid table and the Xerps in 2010 table. You might hear some tall tales of our Australian fannish tour at the table, so come by and say G’day Y’all. — Sue and Steve Francis 2008 DUFF Representatives.”

Weddings at Science Fiction Conventions

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Chaz Baden has posted some interesting thoughts about the challenges for conrunners when a wedding is held at a science fiction convention.

I don’t know who did it first, but the medieval-style wedding of Stephen Goldin and Kathleen Sky was the highlight of Saturday morning at L.A.con I in 1972. The ceremony ended with a recessional between rows of fans in period attire.

Fans also held weddings at L.A.con III and IV, real weddings, in contrast to the admirable efforts of Janet Wilson Anderson, Jim Fox and company to stage the Red Lensman’s “Wedding on Klovia” in less than two minutes to begin L.A.con III’s masquerade.

And for those who, in hindsight, wish their wedding had paid tribute to their love of science fiction, I recommend the photo of 1977 newlyweds Jim and Laurie Mann, he in his blue tux and she in her wedding gown, with Chewbacca posing behind the happy couple.

PaintShopPro worked that magic for Laurie, who explains: “I took a photo from the day we got married and popped Chewie in behind us. It’s probably completely illegal, but the photo’s been online for nearly seven years and LucasFilms hasn’t come to get me yet.”

Well, it’s such a convincing image that til now LucasFilms may have just assumed Peter Mayhew showed up in costume at your wedding.

Jack Williamson Centennial Tribute

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Stephen Haffner, publisher of The Worlds of Jack Williamson: A Centennial Tribute (1908-2008) plans to have copies back from the printer in time for the book’s April 11 debut at the 2008 Williamson Lectureship, given at Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, New Mexico. Speakers at this year’s Lectureship are Steven Gould, Christopher Stasheff, and Connie Willis. (Click to see photos of the 2007 Lectureship.)

Haffner announces that all copies paid-for in advance of publication will be shipped with a 12-page booklet by Jack Williamson, The Cat That Loved Shakespeare, originally written as his holiday contribution for his local writer’s group.

At the Lectureship regents at ENMU will receive a check from Haffner Press for proceeds earned from the sales of their 2007 memorial tribute to Jack Williamson, In Memory of Wonder’s Child. Copies are still available of the 112-page perfect bound chapbook, which includes tributes from some of the major SF writers with their thoughts on the passing of Jack Williamson.

Behind the cut is the text of the Haffner press release, with The Worlds of Jack Williamson table of contents. Thanks to Andrew Porter for the information.

Continue reading →

Pirate Novels Reach Estonia

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Eve Ackerman, the Florida fan who writes historical romance as Darlene Marshall, is pleased to announce the publication of her books in Estonian. She’s also looking for someone who reads Estonian to tell her how they turned out, because it looks to her like they put in way too many vowels.

The Estonian editions are Kapten Sinisteri armuke (Captain Sinister’s Lady), Salakaubavedaja pruut (Smuggler’s Bride) and Piraadi saak (Pirate’s Price), available at fine Estonian bookstores (and from the publisher, Odamees.)

When Eve searched for an Amazon.ee bookselling website she found that URL is for an Estonian body building site that includes the “Arnold Classic.”

“One can only imagine why ‘Amazon’ is the link there,” says Eve, who must have the requisite imagination because the next thing she did was click on the link from Amazon.ee to the Swedish Body Building site. “Oh my…I think my monitor just exploded.”

She’s also pleased to report that the Darlene Marshall novels Captain Sinister’s Lady and Pirate’s Price tied with each other as winners of the 2007 Eppie Award for Best Historical Romance.