| CHECKPOINT 29 | 13th Jan. 1973 |
Checkpoint is a fortnightly news and reviews zine published by Peter Roberts, 87 West Town Lane, Bristol, BS4 5DZ, UK. Subs are 10/40p (2nd Class & Europe) and 6/$1 or 8/R1 (foreign airmail). Sample copy free.
Agents: (USA) Charlie & Dena Brown, 3400 Ulloa St, San Francisco, Calif. 94116; (Aus) David Grigg, Box 100, Carlton South, Vic. 3053; (RSA) Nick Shears, 52 Garden Way, Northcliff Ext. 4, Johannesburg, Transvaal.
News this issue from: Gerald Bishop, Malcolm Edwards. All news – sf or fannish – is appreciated and will, incidentally, get you a free copy of CP. Deadline for next issue is the 27th of January – letters can be sent direct to my present address: 8 Pratt St, Newcastle-u-Lyme, Staffordshire.
Restormel Press Publication: 73.
NO SF in 1975! "Jerry Jacks, of Sampo Productions which had been planning to bid for the 1975 World Sf Convention in competition with Melbourne, has now decided to withdraw. Officially the sire will be chosen at Toronto in early September 1973, but it now looks unlikely that a ballot will be necessary... So the Australia in '75 bid has won, in all but official terms, the right to run the 33rd Worldcon in Melbourne." (Norstrilian News) Reasons given for San Francisco's withdrawal include the usual time & money; the Stockholm in '76 bid, a possible contender with Australia, was withdrawn some time ago, you may recall. It's really too late for any other bid to be arranged for 1975 – the Vancouver in '75 bid never really materialized and any further contender must be from the West Coast region of America – so it really does look like Australia in '75. Good luck to all concerned and I should note that I'm the British Agent, should you want any further information.
HUGO NOMINATIONS: The third Progress Report for TORCON 2, the 1973 Worldcon in Toronto, has just arrived; it contains, amongst other things, a Hugo Nomination form (deadline: April 1st) on which all members of TORCON 2 or the 1972 LACon are eligible to vote. Pete Weston (31 Punewall Av, Kings Norton, Birmingham 30) is the British Agent for TORCON 2 and he'll sell you a membership for $4 (associate) – roughly £1.50. The Progress Report also has a nomination form for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Sf Writer (same eligibility, same deadline). Membership thus far has reached 900. A piece of legalese also circulated with the PR says, incidentally, that all references to the NASFiC (at the LACon) are "unconstitutional and ultra vires", since the World Sf Society is concerned solely with Worldcons... Doubtless there'll be more on this ever-recurring topic later.
LACon: I trust all British members have at last received their copy of the Programme Book? It's a fine publication, by the way, bound and printed like a paperback book – and about the same number of pages too.
Fanews 57/8 (16pp:A4:p) Ralf Kleinschnittger, 5868 Letmathe, Theodor-Hürth-Str. 61, Germany. (10/DM 4). Sf & fannish news from Germany, including fanzine reviews and so on; good, if you're interested in continental fandom. It's in German, however...
Forthcoming Sf Books 11 (6pp:A4:d) Joanne Burger, 55 Blue Bonnet Ct, Lake Jackson, Texas 77566, USA. (3/$1 – airmail) Lists of American sf books to be published from December to March and later.
Haverings 54 (8pp:A4:d) Ethel Lindsay, 6 Langley Av, Surbiton, Surrey, KT6 6QL. (6/40p) "Comments upon fanzines received." Haverings is in some ways more a loc substitute than a review column, but since Ethel covers just over fifty different fanzines it's useful as a market place. Unfortunately it tends to be full of errors, so I should always try to double-check addresses and suchlike before writing off to faneds mentioned in it.
Hell 7 (46pp:¼o:d) Brian Robinson & Paul Skelton, 9 Linwood Grove, Manchester, M12 4QH. (Loc & 3p) An OMPAzine, but without mailing comments, Hell has improved somewhat recently; it's still unexceptional, however. A lot of chatter from the editors, John Piggott on tree-felling, Pete Presford on a fannish incident, and Mike Meara continuing the story of the jazz guitar; these make up the contents, together with a poor letter column.
Locus 129 (10pp:A4:d) Charlie & Dena Brown, 3400 Ulloa St, San Francisco, Ca. 94116, USA. (10/$3.50 – airmail) UK Agent: Pete Weston. Locus is the big-circulation American newszine – good for sf and some fan news. This issue has four pages of book reviews and a Harry Warner, Jr, column as well.
Locus 130 (14pp:A4:d) (As above) Three pages of book reviews, two of Rotsler cartoons, a Locus Poll ballot, and an index to Locus for 1972... plus news.
Madcap 2 (40pp:¼o:d) Pete Presford & Pete Colley, 10 Dalkeith Rd, Sth. Reddish, Stockport. (20p) It's much better than the first issue, but has yet to reach even Hell's level, I'm afraid. There's a mess of contents – Ian Williams with his Dwarf saga, Pete Colley on art, David Britton (supposedly) on Brian mcCabe, poetry, record reviews, and a poor letter column – though I must commend the editors for their efforts which result in Tim Davey, the boy in the Turkish prison, sending a loc.
Norstrilian News 4/2 (4pp:¼o:d) Robin Johnson, GPO Box 4039, Melbourne, Vic. 3001, Australia. (5/50p – airmail) UK agent: me. Australian news with a column of fanzines received – good, if you're interested in Australian fans.
Philosophical Gas 12 (7pp:¼o:d) John Bangsund, PO Box 357, Kingston, ACT 2604, Australia. (5/$1) A FAPAzine, but also a personal one; it's brilliant, of course. Highly recommended.
Philosophical Gas 13 (18pp – as above) Just as good as the previous issue and probably better; editor takes 90%, Bruce Gillespie & Ursula LeGuin take the rest – some good cartoons too.
Scottishe 64 (24pp:A4:d) Ethel Lindsay (see Haverings). (15p) long-running general fanzine, Scot is noted for its hand-cut Atom illoes and its entertaining, though cut-down letter column; several pages of short book reviews appear in 'Nibblings' and a too short editorial in 'Natterings' – there's also Ella Parker on a Cape Kennedy experience and a voyage with Machiavarley. The A4 size, incidentally, is a one-off mistake.
Scythrop 26 (25pp:¼o:d) John Bangsund (see Philosophical Gas). (6/90p) UK Agent: Ethel Lindsay. This isn't SF Commentary 26, though you'd be forgiven for thinking it was, since it's a clever parody of Bruce Gillespie's fanzine, though done as a complimentary jest, rather than a cruel satire. Despite the impressive display of names on the cover (who turned out to be 'mentioned' in the issue), there's still a good list of contributors: Thomas Love Peacock, George Turner (talking about Bruce Gillespie & SFC), Stanisław Lem, and mad criticism from Mervyn Barrett and others; there's a brief, but fine letter column too. An unusual issue, naturally, but excellent nonetheless.
Scythrop 27 (24pp – as above). Another unusual issue, since this is more in the personal style of Philosophical Gas – just John writing and producing mailing comments on ANZAPA (readable ones too, unlike most). Recommended.
SF Commentary 28 (50pp:A4:d) Bruce Gillespie, GPO Box 5195AA, Melbourne, Vic. 3001, Australia. (9/£1.50) UK Agent: Malcolm Edwards. Another Australian faned decides to produce an unusual issue, since this SFC is a collection of reviews of 1971 from Leigh Edmonds, Bill Wright, Harry Warner, Jr, and Bruce himself; an unexpected offering and one that's good to read as well.
SF Commentary 29 (48pp:A4:d) (as above) A Special Violence Issue, more in SFC's normal style as one of the best serious sf fanzines in the world. Stanisław Lem writes an open letter to Phil Farmer, John Foyster writes on Atheling, Bruce writes on Aldiss (a particularly fine piece), and Barry Gillam considers Stanley Kubrick. Highly recommended.
SF Times 129 (52pp:A4:d) Hans-Joachim Alpers, 2850 Bremerhaven 1, Weissenburger Strasse 6, Germany. (DM 3) Yet another special issue, since this SFT is largely devoted to comics with articles on Underground, Marvel, and superhero comics (one on Chinese comics too); there's the usual review and news section too. The whole thing is liberally (in both senses) illustrated – mostly with Underground stuff, some very fine, others somewhat nauseating. Recommend – it's in German, though.
Siddhartha 1 (10pp:¼o:d) Ian Williams, 6 Greta Tce, Chester Rd, Sunderland, Co. Durham, SR4 7RD. (free?) A personal zine, and a fairly interesting one, though Ian isn't writing as well as he can; it also includes some fanzine reviews.
Speculation 31 (56pp:¼o:d) Peter Weston, 31 Pinewall Av, Kings Norton, Birmingham 30. (20p) Britain's top sercon fanzine reappears, the trend to a long fannish editorial stopped, but otherwise good and interesting as ever. There are some photopages from Eurocon, the Pohl speech from Chessmancon, a short whimsical piece of near-fannishness from Brian Aldiss, Brian Stableford on Silverberg, and a fine collection of reviews and letters. Recommended.
The Last Shot (22pp:A4:d) Doug Carroll, 1109 Paquin, Columbia, Mi. 65201, USA. (free) Subtitled 'Columbia Fandom – 1967-1972', this consists of nostalgic fannish pieces by the Luttrells, Chris Couch, Doug, and Terry Hughes. A one shot, it seems, but recommended.
Touchstone 1 (24pp:¼o:d) David Grigg, Box 100, Carlton South, Vic. 3053, Australia. (free) Dave reappears with a personal cum apazine, having folded The Fanarchist, and this first issue is mostly Dave's own, finely-written ramblings plus pieces by Christine McGowan, John Bangsund, and Leigh Edmonds. It's all enjoyable and probably better than TF ever was.
Vector 62 (40pp:¼o:d) Malcolm Edwards, 75A Harrow View, Harrow, Middx., HA1 1RF. (30p) The new, improved, and – god help us – regular journal of the BSFA. Articles are by John Sladek on pseudo-science, Joanna Russ, and Phil Strick on the cinema; letters and news as well – recommended.
Zimri 4 (49pp:A4:d) Lisa Conesa, 54 Manley Rd, Whalley Range, Manchester, M16 8RP. (20p) Improving all the time, this Zimri has an interview and a chat with old-time fan, Harry Turner, plus a Holdstock story, various other oddments, and a fairly lively letter column.
BOOK NEWS FOR SF FREAKS: (a column by Gerald Bishop, listing new British sf publications)
January: Hardback: Gollancz: The Time Masters (Tucker); Grey Matters (Hjortsberg).
Paperback: Corgi: Tomorrow is Too Far (White). Coronet/Hodder: Mindmix (Kelley). NEL: Ten assorted ERB Venus & Mars books. NEL/S&J: Tales From The White Hart & Lost Worlds of 2001 (Clarke). Pan: The Short Reign of Pippin IV (Steinbeck); Towards Infinity (ed. Knight); All Flesh is Grass (Simak); The Puppet Masters (Heinlein). Pan/Picador: Ice (Kavan). Panther: The Left Hand of Darkness (LeGuin). Penguin: Animal Farm (Orwell); Chocky (Wyndham); A Clockwork Orange (Burgess). Sphere: The Stainless Steel Rat (Harrison); New Worlds 5 (ed. Moorcock).
FORTHCOMING FABER SF TITLES: These are all for Spring or Summer release: Tony Hale, Space Detective; Passage to Pluto (Walters – both juveniles) Jack of Eagles; A Clash of Cymbals; Best Sf Stories of James Blish (Blish) Jack of Shadows; The Doors Of His Face & Others (Zelazny) Heart Clock (Morland)
PAPERBACKS RECEIVED: Two new Adult Fantasies have appeared from Pan/Ballantine, Deryni Rising and Deryni Checkmate (40p each), by Katherine Kurtz, an American writer who has been receiving considerable acclaim from connoisseurs of the fantasy genre – including, it seems, Lin Carter who's written the introductions to both these. The novels are set in a "world parallel to ninth century Wales" – a curious idea, perhaps, and one that hardly makes life easier for the authoress. Both are fantasies of the traditional, post-LOTR type and have nothing really new except for the addition of religion to sword & sorcery. For the fantasy addict only, I feel.
Towards Infinity (Pan – 35p) is a straightforward anthology of sf stories, mostly from the forties, edited by Damon Knight. Thankfully there's a lot of better sf being written nowadays, but this is the over-popular stuff we all started on (Asimov, Bradbury, "Who Goes There?", "Witches of Karres", and so on); it would make a good gift, though, if you know any schoolkids with a fancy to read sf.
AMBASSADORIAL SF: There's to be a seminar and exhibition of American sf at the American Embassy, Grosvenor Square, London, on the 26th of January. Details from Robert Baker, Director of Student Affairs, US Information Service (01-499-6000 – extension 617). Gerald Bishop and the BSFA Tape Library will be recording this and Gerald will also have a tape of John Brunner reading sf poetry – as heard at the Poetry Society on January 11th.
ODDMENTS: Pete Weston has written essays on Asimov and Heinlein for a mammoth venture called Contemporary Novelists (St. James Press – £9!); other authors covered include Aldiss, Ballard, Bradbury, Clarke, Hoyle, Pohl, Vonnegut, Tolkien, Derleth, &c. // Malcolm Edwards notes that the ubiquitous Lord Longford, chairman of Sidgwick & Jackson, has vetoed Charles Eric Maine's new novel, Alph – too pornographic, of course. // Talking of freaks, Frederic Wertham's The World of Fanzines: A Special Form of Communications is to appear next September. Yes, he's seen Checkpoint, I fear.
FANZINES FOR SALE: I haven't sold off any fanzines for quite a while, so the pile has been building up – not unnoticed, either. A few are noted below; take 2p off each fanzine if you're buying more than one. Prices include postage and money, I assure you, will help to pay for Cp.
Vector 54, 55 @ 8p each. M31 2 @ 8p. Chao 10 @ 5p. Dzarmungzund 1 @ 8p. Middle Earthworm 18 @ 4p. Malfunction 1 @ 4p. 4M 3 @ 5p. Osfic 25 @ 8p. Hannes Bok Illustration Index @ 8p. Idiocy Couchant 1 @ 4p. Sol 42 @ 8p. Is 1, 2, 3 @ 8p each. Shadow 5, 14 @ 8p each. Hell 2, 3, 4, 5 @ 5p each. Madcap 1, 2 @ 5p each. Iseult 1 @ 5p. Cypher 7, 8 @ 8p each. Parafanalia 11 – 5p. Viewpoint 7, 8, 9 @ 5p each. Moebius Trip 12, 13 @ 8p each. The Fanarchist 5 – 5p. Skyrack 85 @ 4p. C20th Unlimited 3 @ 5p. Gegenschein 4, 5 @ 5p each. N (Jan Jansen, 1955) 1 @ 5p. Parallax 5, 6, 7 @ 5p each. Jazz Parade 2 (1957) – 5p. Maybe 20, 21 @ 4p each. Erg 35, 36, 37 @ 5p each.
GERMAN FAN-POLL RESULTS: These are just the top positions from the annual German Fan Poll: full lists appear in Fanews.
Best Fanzine: 1) Andromeda 2) Munich Round Up 3) Quarber Merkur 4) Andromeda-Nachrichten & Sf Times 6) Follow.
Best Fan Writer: 1) Helmut Pesch 2) Jürgen Maier 3) Folkert Mohrhof.
Best Fan Artist: 1) Helmut Pesch 2) Volker Diefenbach
Best Single Issue: Vienna Round Up.
Best Translation: 1) Test (Lem) 2) Lobgesang Auf Leibowitz (Walter Miller).
Best Film: 1) Willard 2) Der Omega-Mann 3) Odysseues.
Best Music: 1) Echoes (Floyd) 2) Alpha Centauri (Tangerine Dream) 3) In Search of Space (Hawkwind).
BENELUXCON 1: (Julien Raasveld)"SFANCON 4 is now also BENELUXCON 1, thanks to cooperation between the Belgian club, SFAN, and the Dutch NCSF (Nederlands Contactcentrum voor Sf). Beneluxcon will take place each year alternately in Belgium and the Netherlands. SFANCON 4/BENELUXCON 1 seems to be growing rapidly into a mini-Eurocon, since amongst the attendees there will now be fans from Austria, Belgium, Germany, France, Britain, Holland, Italy, and Spain." Details of SFANCON 4 have been given in earlier issues of Checkpoint, incidentally. Julien also adds that SFANCON 5 will be incorporated in the second Eurocon in Brussels (1974), "so no more worries about Eurocon being too serious; a combination of bheer and Flemish fandom will see to that."
DEATH BY GARLIC: Sad news in a recent local paper – a Polish immigrant in Stoke-on-Trent choked to death on a garlic leaf whilst asleep. Apparently he was terrified of vampires and had strewn his room with garlic, salt, wolfbane, and such like. Horror fans take note.
AMERICAN SF BOOKS: (Courtesy of Joanne Burger – listed alphabetically)
February: Cities in Flight (Blish – SFBC); Among the Dead... (Bryant – McM.); Sky Pirates of Callisto (Carter – Dell); The City & The Stars (Clarke – Signet); The Fallible Fiend (de Camp – Signet); Gods & Golems (del Rey – Ballantine); The Charwoman's Shadow – Ballantine); Beyond The Resurrection (Eklund – Doubleday); And Walk Now Gently Through The Fire (Elwood – SFBC); The Man Who Folded Himself (Gerrold – Random H.); The Fellowship Of The Hand (Hoch – Walker); The Overlords Of War (Klein – Doubleday); The Vonnegut Statement (Klinkowitz – Delta); The Natural Stars (Morgan/Kippax – Ballantine); A Spaceship for the King (Pournelle – DAW); A Pride of Monsters (Schmitz – Collier); Cemetery World (Simak – Putnam).
::::: : : : : ::::: | Last issue if crossed or marked 'S' (sample) or 'R' (review within); a number indicates the last issue before your sub expires. |
NEW GROUP IN STAFFORD: "Stafford now has an sf group, mainly students, but some out-of-town activities. Enquiries and suchlike to: Stephen Pitt, 15 Silkmore Lane, Stafford. The Group would be glad to receive book catalogues, fanzines, and similar ephemera." (Vector)
AND A NEW GROUP IN NOTTINGHAM: "Nottingham University Sf Discussion Group is primarily a society for students at Nottingham University, but any fan in the area will be made extremely welcome. Provisional agenda includes weekly meetings – on and off the campus – annual dinner and a brewery visit. Membership is 25p for the entire academic year. Contact Pete Wilde, Hugh Stewart Hall, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2QX." (also from Vector, goddamit)
A FANNISH NEWSPAPER: Malcolm Edwards draws my attention to The Chelmsford Independent, "Essex's trendiest new newspaper-cum-fanzine. Apart from boring local news about rabbits and food prices, it has cartoons by our own Dick Howett (who just happens to be one of the editors), reprints of his Vector and Quicksilver articles (without a word of acknowledgment .... I'll sue!), awful record reviews by John Hall, pseudonymous book reviews by me, and film reviews by Penny Grant, a friend of Chris Priest's. What more could you want?"
FANZINE NEWS: Since David Grigg says that he's folded The Fanarchist, I can probably assume that my role as UK agent is over; don't send any further subs, anyway. Subscribers will be receiving David's new fanzine, Touchstone. // With The Mentor dormant, the only Australian fanzine that I'm now agent for is Robin Johnson's Norstrilian News – the local equivalent of Checkpoint; it's 50p for ten issues – sent airmail. // Belgian fan Simon Joukes is to issue a new fanzine, Muirgheal (in English, I think); 15p to Simon (Haantjeslei 14, B-2000 Antwerp).
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