This is SKYRACK no. 25, dated 31st October 1960 and edited by Ron Bennett, 7 Southway, Arthurs Avenue, Harrogate, Yorkshire, England. 6d per copy, 2/6d for six issues. USA subscriptions are 35 cents for 6 issues(6 issues airmailed for 65cents), money to be sent to Bob Pavlat, 6001 43rd Avenue, Hyattsville, Maryland. Cartoon above is by Michael Evans. News of interest to sf fans always welcomed.
FEZ GOES WILD. Ethel Lindsay, fandom’s representative at Surbiton’s Royal Eye Hospital, has relinquished the editorship of the all femme fan fanzine, FEMIZINE. FEZ will now be in the hands of Bobbie Grey, 14 Bennington Street, Cheltenham, Glos.
VARGO STATTEN DEAD? The “Liverpool Echo” recently reported that a Mr J.R. Fearn. of South Shore, Blackpool, had collapsed and died suddenly, aged 52, whilst attending chapel. Eric Frank Russell first saw this report and tried to check with Ted Carnell who tells me that the age is about right and that the sf Fearn was a methodist. As things go, the report in the Echo may or may not have referred to our John Russel. Fearn.
KEN & IRENE POTTER HAVE MOVED. And have joined carafandom, it seems. New address is Roydon Mill Caravan Centre, Roydon, Essex. *** Chris Miller now studying at Oxford. Address until Xmas: Christ Church (Peckwater 4-2), Oxford. That an address or a phone number, Chris?
Recently, Pete Campbell, late of the Lakeland. Circle and ANDROMEDA. (Wonder how many people remember the “Every Issue Bigger”slogan?) has recently circulated a “Sectional Directory of Members of the Federation of East & West” containing names and addresses of several well known sf fans. I would have it known that I objected in strong terms to being included in this Directory and that Pete has apologised handsomely. I have been asked, however, to insert in SKYRACK a disclaimer to the effect that neither Archie Mercer or Ella Parker beside myself has applied to join the Federation nor has each any intention of doing so.
AND MY APOLOGIES,TOO! Both Buz Busby and Boyd Raeburn have written to say that the Seattle group which is promoting the 1961 Worldcon had nothing whatsoever to do with the raising of the confee to $3 and that the matter was decided at the PittCon Business Meeting. Both parties, however, miss the point I was trying to make last issue. If anyone from outside the U.S. attends the con the difference to be paid in initial fees (if you like the “attendance fee”) is two dollars as against the dollar paid by Americans. Which doesn’t seem right to me. But, most certainly, apologies to all the Seattle Committee for blaming the cockeyed decision on them.
A LITTLE LATE IN SEEING PRINT is the report sent by Rolf Gindorf on the August EUROTOPIA Convention, held in Vienna. Amongst attendees were Paul and Eleanor Turner and amongst the conducted business there was the inauguration of the first German-language apa, the Futurian Amateur News. Membership is forty.
LYNN HICKMAN says that there are still copies of the JD-A 10th Annish for sale. 3/6d. in Britain to Ron Bennett.
THERE APPEAR TO BE SEVERAL ONE SHOTS either coming on the market or due in one way or another. These include four TAFF reports. Bob Madle’s A FAKEFAN IN LONDON is well on the way towards completion with Atom illos. Probably for sale at $1.50 but no orders as yet.
My own report, COLONIAL EXCURSION, is also (at last) some steps towards seeing daylight in a completed form. Rewritten this will appear before the end the year. Pre-publication price is 5/- or 75 cents (US orders to Bob Pavlat). The kindly trusting souls who have already paid a dollar will have their two bits returned.
The Don Ford report is being mailed out by Don (Box 19-T, RR-2, Wards Corner Rd, Loveland, Ohio) at $1.25 in two halves. The first half is ready and the 2nd half will be mailed free of charge to those taking the first half. This 2nd portion should be ready late next month.
Eric Bentcliffe is working on his report, which will be published by Norman Shorrock. Further details as they become available.
Dick Eney made a mistake, he writes, in announcing that the additions and corrections addenda to FANCY II was 2/-. It is 1/6d and is available from Archie Mercer, 434/4 Newark Road, North Hykeham, Lincoln.
Ella Parker is still casting round for Atom illos to appear in. the ATOM ANTHOLOGY. Rush! This may be your last chance. Much material is already on stencil.
FEMIZINE 15 (Ethel Lindsay, Courage House, 6 Langley Ave, Surbiton, Surrey). With this issue of the all-femmefan fanzine FEZ, Ethel, who has had a hard time soliciting material of a high enough standard to ensure her own enthusiasm, has decided to retire from the editorial chair. This issue ties up the loose strings with a number of interesting letters but also contains an article on women in fandom by Daphne Buckmaster and an outstandingly worthwhile article by Joyce Slater. Also from Ethel come two issues of a fanzine review substitute, HAVERINGS.
LES SPINGE 3 (Ken Cheslin, 18 New Farm. Rd, Stourbridge,Worcs. 46pp. 1/-) The organ of the Stourbridge & District Circle seems to have passed entirely into the property box of Ken Cheslin, who makes a pretty good job of this improved issue. There are still many typos and signs of the magazine being flung together without thought of layout but the material is readable and quite entertaining. Worth the price of the zine in itself is the opus by George Locke which combines the post-bomb world of WORLD,FLESH & THE DEVIL with the London Symposium of last. If it’s late in making an appearance, that is my fault - I sat on the piece for over 6 months before passing it to Ken. Mike Deckinger and Dick Schultz are other outside contributors and Ken writes another episode in the SADO Saga.
VECTOR 9 (Jim Groves, 29 Lathom Rd, East Ham, London E.6). This is the September issue of the official organ of the BSFA and once again Jim shows that he is an able editor. Once again the magazine has improved and now ranks with the Bentcliffe-Jeeves VECTORs for the first time since that pair left the BSFA editorial chair. Apart from official news and reports, this issue contains a news-from-l5l column by Ella Parker, a letter from Joe Patrizio, an item on index compiling by Doc Weir, book news from a Ken Slater who is sadly missed here in SKYRACK, a reprint of an Arthur Clarke story, book reviews and letters....oh, a real hatful of goodies. (Does one get goodies in a hat, Jim?)
ESPRIT Vol 2 No.2 (Daphne Buckmaster, 8 Buchanan St., Kirkcudbright, Scotland. Oct 60. 42pp. 1/3d). ESPRIT has very quickly stepped into mature spot left vacant by NEW FUTURIAN. In addition to several thoughtful letters on advertising, status seeking, wonder, solitude and intelligence there are also equally thoughtful (and thought provoking) articles on The Futue of SF (by John Rackham), History, Fandom & SF, Psychosomatics and the senses. Highly recommended.
I would like, when space allows, to mention an occasional Stateside zine which is worthy of recommendation. First off is the extremely neatly produced I PALANTIR, the official publication of the Fellowship of the Ring. This is edited by Ted Johnstone in the USA and is obtainable in Britain from Ken Cheslin (address above in LES SPINGE review), 1/9 per issue or 5 for 7/-. Contains material by Doc Weir, Dick Eney, Ted Johnstone & George Heap. Definitely recommended to Tolkein fans. *** SPECULATIVE REVIEW has just seen its 4th issue, an up to date listing of the latest in sf with a break down and criticism of each story. Definitely indispensable, obtainable from. Dick Eney in the US or by sending 2/- to Archie Mercer, 434/4 Newark Rd., North Hykeham, Lincoln. *** Also indispensable of course is FANAC,now completely in the hands of Terry & Miri Carr. Also obtainable from Archie Mercer. Sub now @ 2/- for 4 before the rates increase.
LONDON HAS BEEN REASONABLY QUIET LATELY but the weekly BSFA social evenings at Ella Parker’s have been moving along nicely and there was a SFCL party at the Penitentiary over the weekend 22/23 October to celebrate Fred Parker’s birthday. Arthur Thomson brought along a specially written verse-card and Bill Temple brought cigars. Joe Patrizio brought Ted Forsyth and other attendees were Ethel Lindsay, Elizabeth Humbey, Don Geldart, Jim Groves, Bruce Burn, Ron Bennett, George Locke and Brian Burgess. The party broke up about noon on Sunday and needless to say AGTWHBA. **** Other SFCL news is that Brian Burgess, Bruce Burn and Joe Patrizio are new members, that the club has purchased a Gestetner for members’ own personal use and that next Easter will see a second club Combozine. Edited by Ethel, this will include items by all members. Honorary members, I’m. told, will not be pressed to contribute, but material from them would neverthless be welcome.
TONY KLEIN recently spent a week and a half demonstrating Tec Tools in a Leeds store. He spent some time at the home of Michael and Betty Rosenblum and I managed to get to see him one evening before I travelled down to the Smoke. These demonstrators are a fandom in themselves. Poor Tony was dead on his feet and we kept his eyes open with beer bottle tops.
ALAN RISPIN and JIM LINWOOD are still marching in the CND cause. 15th October saw them tramp from Coleby to Lincoln (actually Alan had missed his hitch-hiking connection, writes Archie Mercer, and he joined the march for the last couple of hundred yards. A pity Felix isn’t around these days; he’d come in useful. Jhim, incidentally, states that Nottingham fandom is now three, Bob Parkinson and John Dyke having enrolled at Notts.University. They are meeting every Wednesday at the Bell on King Street.
LATE NEWS is that Don Franson has also jumped in to champion the It’s Not Seattle’s Fault cause, so I’ll apologise once again. Don also supports the RON ELLIK FOR TAFF cause which makes him a member of the In Group *** Liverpool group sent card from Italy mentioning that Audrey Eversfield has been sold on the installment plan. Norman Shorrock has had Croatian flu but this is now clearing.