Given the various Herculean efforts going on around here in terms of moving due to the foreclosure (not to mention finding somewhere to move to) while simultaneously working on getting thish of BEAM out, and trying to get the COR31U Progress Report #1 to translate itself into some kind of reality from its current imaginary existence, this edition of “Eminence Front” was going to resemble a This Here… “Egotorial” as much as anything else.
However, I rather reasonably concluded that such a writing would be much better in… er… This Here…, with the long-delayed #16 still in a state of part-finish, while more energetic faneds like that Trash bloke punt all sorts of fanac, putting me to utter shame.
Suffice to note my CoA : (3342 Cape Cod Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89122, USA, email : fareynic@gmail.com) which we’re hoping will be at least semi-permanent, and differs from the old one only by the house number (and at that in only one digit).
We hope some of you will be receiving/reading thish at Novacon, and just in case the COR31U PR isn’t also out by then, here’s a reminder that the basic info for sorting your membership is in this pdf here. We’ve also got a live hotel booking page, which automatically gets you the convention rates and, in case you’re in any doubt that you’re in the right place, displays the stylish Kinney/Farey logo, and has been thoroughly tested by that nice Uncle Johnny, honest guv’nor!
So, on to wax joyfully about what Jim might describe as the “nuggetisms of deliciously piquant wonderfulness” herein, were he not quite so shagged out from his TAFF trip, and having left a considerable store of unusual nouns, adjectives and various other parts of speech somewhere in Texas. Whence, perhaps, they will find their way into some future issue of Askance.
I recall saying in the one-and-only long-ago ish of nichevo that I wasn’t a particular devotee of “fanhistory”, but did make the observation that it can be a worthwhile read if you know, or are at least interested in the characters who populate any given piece, hence my personal enjoyment of John Berry’s ‘Tales of Irish Fandom’. What I’ll perhaps quirkily (or even obstreperously) call “reminiscences” rather than “fanhistory” have, however, appeared to find a place in various ishes of this fine fanzine. Rather selfishly, maybe, these pieces do hold a personal interest for me, but then what’s an editor for eh Archie?
Michelle Drayton-Harrold, known familiarly to most as “Cuddles”, has been a long-time convention cohort, and we had in fact worked together on a Trek con many, many years ago. Here she shares some happy, if occasionally smelly memories of the rather legendary Albacons of years past.
Given his chosen profession of punting jolly tunes to the masses via the steam radio machine, you’d expect Alan Dorey to look at most things in terms of musical references, and his look back at his time in the Leeds fandom of the late 70s certainly doesn’t disappoint.
From the past to the immediate present, we’re pleased to be able to include a conrep of this October’s Swecon (‘Fantastika’) from Ahrvid Engholm. I’ve personally been wanting to get some representation of Swedish fandom in these pages for a while, and I hope this is a good omen for future contributions.
Readers may recall Curt Phillips’ superb Corflu Zed conrep, when he was the popular choice for the Corflu 50 award that year. Readers may also recall how mightily I moaned about how bloody late he was with it! No such problem with Rob Hansen, this year’s worthy recipient, who not only had his trip report all done about 90 seconds after he got home, but also created a piece so substantial that it could only be shared between Chunga, Banana Wings and BEAM. We’re exceptionally grateful to get a piece of another C50 delegate (so to speak), and even now we wonder what we can screw out of Dan Steffan for next year (ahem).
Staying nicely contemporary, and getting onto the topic of fanzines, we’d asked Joseph Nicholas for a review column, expecting some good old-school KTF (ahem, again), but instead we have a very thoughtful and provocative philosophical essay, which ought to generate some spirited discussion for the loccol.
Speaking of which, our correspondents thish once again excel, and we’re very pleased at the level of engagement we’re getting, although of course a few more locs would always be nice, wouldn’t they?
Oh, and there’s some more Jim, and some more me, but you can’t have everything. Where would you put it?
Nic Farey
Member fwa and Unusual Suspect
Las Vegas NV, October 2013