3RD MANCON
The Annual Convention of the British Science Fiction Association,
the "ThirdmanCon," Was held over Easter weekend, 12th/15th
April, at the St. Ann's Hotel, Buxton, Derbyshire. Registrations
hit a 215 peak and the 160 attendees included U.S. TAFF Delegate
Steve Stiles, Don Wollheim of Ace Books and Convention Commuter
Dave Kyle, as well as a Gerfan contingent of Tom Schluck, Waldemar
Kumming, Gary Klupfel, Walter Reinecke, Thea and Hans Auler and
Heinrich Arenz.
Organised by the Delta Film Group from Salford, the programme
was well weighted towards the cine aspect of sf and the Delta Group
showed a number of its own productions. There was also a discussion
on horror films. Eric Bentcliffe ran a highly successful fannish
slide show and Dave Kyle spoke about the long awaited Arthur Clarke
film, 2001-A Space Odyssey, which was due to open in London a fortnight
after the Convention. Alan Whittaker gave a lecture on Life in the
Solar System and Guest of Honour Kenneth H. Bulmer spoke in his
humorous fashion on old and new trends in sf.
The Costume Party saw many ingenious fancy dresses, costumes
of particular note being worn by Gavin Shorrock as the Doormouse
from Alice, Doreen Parker as the girl from Cordwainer Smith's Ballard
of Lost C'Mell and Tony Walsh as The Black Cloud!
The Noble Order of St. Fantony initiated into its ranks three
new members, Beryl Mercer, Doreen Parker and Ken McIntyre. Mary
Reed won the Doctor Arthur Rose Weir Memorial Award for her services
to British fandom.
BRIGHTON ARTS FESTIVAL later this year will have sf as
its central theme with Brian Aldiss, Michael Moorcock, John Brunner,
Langdon Jones, Charles Platt, Thomas Disch, Judith Merrill and Douglas
Hill amongst the official delegates and speakers.
EDITORIAL TIME-BINDER. I'm not really sure exactly what
we're doing here in Singapore, but at least I would like to re-establish
Skyrack as a fairly frequent newszine. There are of course attendant
difficulties. Since our arrival here last September I've had letters
from some half-dozen fans, which automatically means that I'm not
in the ideal position to gather news. Costs are high, too. Postage
alone is costing me some 10d per copy. So, dear readers, the decision
rests with you. Do you need Skyrack or have you learnt to live without
it? Does Skyrack continue or do I return your subscription money?
And, no, Archie Mercer, I do not intend to change the title to
Singaporack.
DEATH OF RON ELLIK. The tragic death in a January car
crash of Ron Ellik is still far too close to view impersonally.
Good looking and a witty conversationalist, Ron was truly a giant
on the international fannish scene. He was connected with numerous
conventions during the past twelve years, was a fan of note in FAPA
and the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society and had been the editor
of two highly successful fannish newszines, Starspinkle and the
highly acclaimed Fanac which won a Hugo for Ron and his co-editor,
Terry Carr. Ron was the 1962 TAFF Delegate to my home-town Convention
in Harrogate and was our first house guest after our marriage the
previous month. A welcome opponent in any brag or poker school,
Ron had also been the co-author of the authoritative Advent book,
The Universes of E.E.Smith, had been the author of the long-running
fanzine column, The Squirrel Cage, and was such a part and parcel
of my own fannish existence that even as I write about the death
of this twenty-nine year old Golden Boy I am shaking my head in
disbelief.
Our sincere and heartfelt sympathies to Ron’s fiancée,
Lois, to Mrs Ellik, and to Ron's many, many friends around the world.
PRO-NEWS. Due to hit the presses later this year is a
book titled Pop-Corn, written by James Sallis and Michael Moorcock.
Pop-Corn has been described as "a fierce attack on the world
of pop culture and the cults that surround it." Tolkien, James
Bond and Alfred Hitchcock are just three targets of the way of life
some of us hold dear. The book, not yet quite complete, is already
scheduled for joint publication by Gollancz and Penguin. It is to
be hoped that in attacking superficiality and commercialism the
authors do not become entrapped in the slick turn of phrase they
themselves decry.
Recently announced were the Science Fiction Writers of America
Nebula Awards, won by Michael Moorcock for Behold the Man (novelette),
Fritz Leiber for Gonna Roll Them Bones (novella) and Samuel Delany
who did a Zelanzy by taking two Nebulae, for Aye and Gomorrah (short
story) and Einstein Intersection (novel).
New Worlds hit a different kind of snag in its recent troubled
career when leading newsagency W.H.Smith refused to handle the magazine's
March issue because of "doubtful" material. Following
extensive newspaper support which included a notice in the Times
Literary Supplement, Smith’s relented and will continue to distribute
the magazine. Support also came from the Arts Council, which, during
the period of the Smith ban, renewed their New Worlds grant and
noted that they regarded the magazine to be “of extremely high literary
merit."
Due in London this summer are Samuel Delany (who should already
be a visitor), Robert Sheckley, Judith Merrill, Norman Spinrad,
Harlan Ellison, Kate Wilhelm and Damon Knight. Sorry, George Locke,
but now that Leeds United won't be at Wembley it's doubtful whether
I’ll be visiting the U.K. during 1968.
1968 TRANS-ATLANTIC FAN FUND. This year’s campaign to
bring over an American Delegate to the ThirdManCon wound up successfully
with Steve Stiles being presented with $600 towards expenses and
Steve himself making a notable hit with the Buxton Convention attendees.
The voting campaign was especially notable in itself for the exceptionally
light European vote, altogether a disgracefully apathetic showing,
and for the fact that for the first time since the idea's adoption
in 1965 the Australian Ballot, with its automatic run-off, was needed;
The first ballot ended in a dead heat as follows:
US
Votes European Votes
Total
Steve Stiles 45
5
50
Ted Johnstone 49
1
50
Ed Cox 32
8
40
Hold Over Funds 1
1 Len
Moffatt (write-in) 1 1 Bob
Pavat (write-in) 1 1
Second place votes (where completed) decided the tie, as follows:
Steve Stiles 61
10
71
Ted Johnstone 58
4
62
Congratulations, Steve, on a well-deserved election and Ted -
very hard luck indeed. Next time, perhaps?
On the European front voters were: Heinrich Arenz, Alfred Baha,
Harry Bell, Ron Bennett, G.P. Cossato, Eddie Jones, Gary Klupfel,
Waldemar Kumming, Ethel Lindsay, John Owen, Walter Reinecke, Franz
Rottensteiner, Jurgen Thadewald, Wolfgang Thadewald and Arthur Thomson.
In addition, Ken Bulmer, Hans Alpers, Walter Ernsting, Archie Mercer
and Conrad Schaef contributed without voting and the 1967 Bristol
Convention donated £40.
At the time of writing there is some $500 in the TAFF Treasury,
virtually - but not quite - sufficient to take a European fan to
the 1969 World Convention in the USA. Whilst the nomination period
has not yet officially opened, names may be put before the Fund's
current administrators, Thomas Schluck, 3 Hannover, Georgswall 5,
W.Germany, or Steve Stiles, 1809 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10028,
USA.
UN-PAID ADVERT DEPT. In passing, it occurs to me that
Skyrack seems to have become a nine-monthly, with number 93 having
been published during November 1966, and number 94 during August
1967. Let's hope (or do you?) that the next issue will appear before
next February. In last August's issue I mentioned that I had been
establishing myself as a book and magazine dealer and that because
of my new job out in Singapore I hoped to be in a position whereby
I would be able to obtain material not normally freely circulated
in the U.K., particularly American pulps and older magazines and
pocketbooks. One difficulty always experienced by UK dealers is
the obtaining of sufficient US dollars as and when they might be
required. Well, having denuded Singapore and Western Malaysia of
sf, and having bought extensively from the USA, I can now offer
the hoped-for range of items, from prewar Astoundings to the harder-to-obtain
Ace doubles. In addition I have a large selection of American comics,
particularly precode issues, which might interest collectors. Also,
my prices have not risen because of the sterling devaluation. If
you would like to be added to my monthly mailing lists please drop
me a line. I’m also interested in obtaining older sf and comics
and can offer very attractive trade-in rates for these items.
HARRY HARRISON, who used to be mentioned weekly in Skyrack,
even when it a monthly, has resigned as editor of Amazing and Fantastic
after less than a year with the magazines. Barry Malzberg, late
of the Scott Meredith Agency and Escapade magazine, is taking over.
Malzberg tends to favour the more experimental type of writing and
it is interesting to speculate about the type of stories the magazines
will now run if publisher Sol Cohen has a hand in deciding policy,
a mixture, perhaps, of 1940 reprint space-opera and far-out "New
Wave" material.
SNIPPETS: Many thanks, Tom Schluck, for the very welcome
airmailed postcard from Buxton, signed by Heinrich Arenz, Jean Muggoch,
John Newnan, Archie & Beryl Mercer, Ted Tubb, Ethel Lindsay,
Norman & Ina Shorrock, Peter Mabey, Eric Bentcliffe, Keith &
Wendy Freeman, Waldemar Kumming, Norman Weedall, Dave Kyle, Don
Wollheim, Steve Stiles, Ken & Pamela Bulmer, Eddie Jones, John
Roles (Selamat!), Alex Eistenstein, Joan Newman and some dozen or
so worthies whose names were superimposed by a postmark reading,
"Buxton - Send For Guide." So it was that kind of con,
hmm? ::: Belated congratulations to Brian and Margaret on the birth
last summer of a young Aldiss ::: And congratulations, too, editor
Waldemar Kumming whose fanzine, Munich Round Up has just reached
its hundredth issue. One of the many races Skyrack didn't win :::
Our spy in infiltrated territory, Art Wilson, informs me of the
sudden and tragic death of long-time FAPAn and West Coast personality,
Lee Jacobs. This is a tenth anniversary of Jackpot Year with a vengeance.
::: And to close on a happy note, belated congratulations (these
are Skyrack's specialities), on their marriage to Frank Dietz and
Ann Ashe, two worthies to whom we wish loads of lengthy happiness.
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