Sincerely,
Gib Van Dine
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Rajnar Vajra is a single individual with a fantastic range of viewpoints to his thinking. [Ed: The Rajnar Vajras made us say that.]
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Hi people,
The May issue has two Taras and two Amys, albeit from three authors. Do you think you could have staggered the stories to reduce confusion? Or irritation?
Yours,
Art O'Meara
Rockton, IL
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'Fraid not. Stories are typeset long before an issue is laid out, and there are many more important considerations in deciding what goes where than the names of characters. But I don't think a coincidence like this is likely to happen too often!
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Reader's Department: IN TIMES TO COME
Our September issue features a couple of decidedly unusual and decidedly different kinds of alien contact stories. David D. Levine's “Pupa,” as its name suggests, shows a highly charged incident in international politics from the viewpoint of someone too young—and otherwise immature—to participate in it in a conventional way, but uniquely placed to play a pivotal role. Stories told from an alien viewpoint are one of the hardest kinds to pull off, but I think you'll find this an outstanding and memorable example.
In Eric James Stone's “That Leviathan, Whom Thou Hast Made,” it would be even harder to write the alien viewpoint, because these are leviathans on a scale, and populating an “ocean,” that go far beyond the biblical kind.
Our fact article is “Bad Medicine: When Bad Medicine Goes Wrong,” by the versatile and professionally knowledgeable H. G. Stratmann. It's a subject of interest to everybody, and Dr. Stratmann, himself a cardiologist and medical researcher, is well positioned to understand both the dangers and why we can't completely avoid them.
And, of course, we'll have a wide variety of other stories, by authors including Sean McMullen, Jerry Oltion, Richard A. Lovett, and Kristine Kathryn Rusch (not in the Retrieval Artist series!).
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Reader's Department: UPCOMING EVENTS
by Anthony Lewis
27-30 August 2010
DISCWORLD CONVENTION at Hilton Birmingham Metropole, National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, B40 1PP, United Kingdom. Guest of Honor: Sir Terry Pratchett, OBE. Memberships: (British pounds)60 attending, (British pounds)20 supporting. Info: [email protected]; PO Box 4101, Shepton Mallet, Somerset BA4 9AJ, UK.
27-29 August 2010
AU CONTRAIRE (31st New Zealand national SF conference) at Quality Hotel, Wellington, New Zealand. (Stop in on the way to Aussiecon.) Guest of Honor: Sean Williams; Fan Guest of Honor: Paul Mannering. Membership: NZ$60, Supporting: NZ$15; Friday only NZ$20, Saturday only NZ$40, Sunday only NZ$40. Info: www.aucontraire. org.nz/; [email protected]; PO Box 10104, Wellington 6143, New Zealand.
2-6 September 2010
AUSSIECON FOUR (68th World Science Fiction Convention) at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Guest of Honor: Kim Stanley Robinson; Artist Guest of Honor: Shaun Tan; Fan Guest of Honor: Robin Johnson. Membership from 1 September 2009 until some later date (see website for latest details): AUD 275, USD 225, CAD 255, GBP 140, EUR 1165, JPY 22,500; supporting membership AUD 70, USD 50, CAD 50, GBP 25, EUR 35, JPY 4900. This is the SF universe's annual get-together. Professionals and readers from all over the world will be in attendance. Talks, panels, films, fancy dress competition—the works. Nominate and vote for the Hugos. Info: www. aussiecon4.org.au/, [email protected], GPO Box 1212, Melbourne, Victoria, AUSTRALIA 3001
4-6 September 2010
COPPERCON 30 (Arizona SF conference) at Windemere Hotel, Mesa, AZ. Guests of Honor: Stephen R. Donaldson, David Lee Summers, and Weston Ochse. Membership: $45 at the door. Info: www.casfs.org/cucon/index.html; [email protected]; PO Box 62613, Phoenix AZ 85082.
17-19 September 2010
FANTASYCON 2010 (British Fantasy Society annual convention) at Britannia Hotel, Nottingham, U.K. Guest of Honor: Lisa Tuttle; MC: James Barclay. Membership: (British pounds)75 after 1 July 2010. Saturday only (British pounds)45. Members of the BFS pay (British pounds)10 less in each case. Info: sites.google.com/site/fantasycon2010/; fcon@ britishfantasysociety.org.
Running a convention? If your convention has a telephone or fax number, e-mail address, or web page, please let us know so that we can publish this information. We must have your information in hand SIX months before the date of your convention.
Attending a convention? When calling conventions for information, do not call collect and do not call too late in the evening. It is best to include a S.A.S.E. when requesting information; include an International Reply Coupon if the convention is in a different country.
Copyright © 2010 Anthony Lewis
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Visit www.analogsf.com for information on additional titles by this and other authors.
Analog SFF, July-August 2010 Page 41
