307 lines
18 KiB
Plaintext
307 lines
18 KiB
Plaintext
|
||
+-+ +-+ +-+
|
||
+-+--+-+--+-+ VOLUME ONE NUMBER FIVE
|
||
| | ==========================================
|
||
+___________+ FFFFF SSS FFFFF N N EEEEE TTTTT
|
||
| ++ | F S F NN N E T
|
||
| ++ | FFF SSS FFF N N N EEE T
|
||
| | F S F N NN E T
|
||
|_________| F SSS F N N EEEEE T
|
||
/___________ ==========================================
|
||
| | BITNET Fantasy-Science Fiction Fanzine
|
||
___|___________|___ X-Edited by 'Orny' Liscomb <NMCS025@MAINE>
|
||
|
||
<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>
|
||
|
||
CONTENTS
|
||
Editorial Orny
|
||
Narret Chronicles 10 Mari A. Paulson
|
||
Featured Author: JAMES KAHN Orny
|
||
Backing Jim Owens
|
||
FSFnet Survey For you to send to me...
|
||
|
||
<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>
|
||
|
||
Editorial
|
||
Well, here at last is issue 5 of FSFnet. As the summer approaches, a
|
||
number of userids will be changing, and many numbers which are sent FSFnet
|
||
will be eliminated. I would ask people who will not be around to remember to
|
||
cancel their subscription by sending me a mail file or message. FSFnet will
|
||
continue to be printed throughout the summer, and I would like those people
|
||
who will be staying throughout the summer to spread the word to others who
|
||
might be interested in the zine, as many of our subscribers and contributors
|
||
will be leaving for summer break.
|
||
Both subscriptions and submissions have slowed to a trickle. I must remind
|
||
you that FSFnet is more your venture than mine, and that it must receive
|
||
submissions to continue to work. Please spread the word and encourage others
|
||
to join the membership list, and try to get something written. I know that
|
||
many of you are writers of quality...
|
||
The CSNEWS server at MAINE now supports a bulletin board service which many
|
||
users might be interested in investigating. For general information on CSNEWS
|
||
send it a message HELP. For info on the bulletin board service, say SENDME
|
||
CSBB HELPNET. Files you might wish to request can be requested by sending
|
||
SENDME COMICS CSNOTICE, SENDME STARTREK CSNOTICE, and/or SENDME SCIFI
|
||
CSNOTICE. Maine users, of course, can get these files by sharing CSNEWS' 192
|
||
disk.
|
||
Well, enjoy, and spread the word. And remember, contributions are needed!
|
||
Orny <NMCS025 @ MAINE>
|
||
|
||
<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>
|
||
|
||
The Narret Chronicles
|
||
Book The Tenth
|
||
"With all undue disrespect to His Recruitship, what in the heavens are we
|
||
all doing here?"
|
||
"Yes, Yes, what ARE we all doing here?"
|
||
"Rudemen, rudemen please, come to chaos will you." The voice of the
|
||
commander of the Narret System's Interplanetary Society boomed over the
|
||
loudspeakers. "You've all been called here out of an emergency situation
|
||
which has occured on our counter-planet in the Terran System. But after I get
|
||
to that, it is unimportant that you remain ignorant of the other Scientists
|
||
here. Most of them you already won't know, as their infamity follows them .
|
||
Some of them may be familiar, so allow me to introduce them to you now. To my
|
||
far right is Cpl. Dr. Zark, an ignorant on counter-universal structure and
|
||
geography; to my right Cpl. Stado, an ignorant on daytime observation of
|
||
white-holes; to my far left Sgt. Dr. Guilp, an ignorant on the construction
|
||
of darktron-wave warp engines and their incorporation into spacecraft; and
|
||
finally my left hand man on matters of this kind, Sgt. Dr. Samo Ht, the
|
||
system's foremost ignorant on Trivia-Antitrivia reactions. Sergeant Dr. Ht
|
||
comes to us from the Institute for Regressive Presearch on Amrif."
|
||
"Fine, now that we're all ignorant of one another, lets get up to the
|
||
matter at hand." Said Dr. Zark, wishing to get the blue tape over with.
|
||
"Alright, rudemen, may I detract your attention to the Vidscreen you see
|
||
before you. What you are seeing is the product of a bottom secret trans-
|
||
counter-universal communications presearch project that NSIS has been working
|
||
on for the last several Losar Cycles. The images which you see are
|
||
computational composite images of the most probable counter-universal sources
|
||
for white-body radiation in our universe. Note specifically the chronograph
|
||
in the lower left corner of the Vidscreen. The sources change from one low
|
||
energy body to another, and the fluctuation between bodies has an upper limit
|
||
of no longer than one On. Now note the following: For the last ten Ons, the
|
||
source has remained constant. An image of it should come up right about..."
|
||
"Oh no." blurted Zark
|
||
"Just beautiful!" exclaimed Ht
|
||
"Sorry rudemen, but the image has been confirmed and I assure you there has
|
||
been no mistake. The white-body radiation increase in our universe over the
|
||
last ten Ons has been caused by none other than the build-up and launch
|
||
readying of enough nuclear weapons on Planet Earth to blow the whole Terran
|
||
System to the sixth physical dimension."
|
||
"(Screens down) That's why you men are here. Clearly something must be
|
||
done to make them realize that if they succeed in blowing themselves off the
|
||
dimension scan, they will also be blowing us off it with them. Somehow,
|
||
someway, before this conference is adjourned we must devise a method for
|
||
letting the Earthlings know that they are not alone."
|
||
"Yes but how?" Queried Guilp "The humans can't receive darktron wave
|
||
communications any more than we can receive their photon laser
|
||
communications."
|
||
"Yes, and if they could, it would take trillions of Losar Cycles just to
|
||
get there," added Stado.
|
||
"Actually, it would take quintillions, 4.57289 quintillions to be a little
|
||
less exact." said Samo. "I was afraid it would come to this, but then again,
|
||
it always does."
|
||
"What in the heavens are you talking about Ht?" asked Zark. "You sound as
|
||
if you've been there before."
|
||
"Commander with your permission I would like to raise the security
|
||
clearance of this meeting to the bottom-most level."
|
||
"What is he talking about Commander Valtrep? I thought that an Omega Class
|
||
security clearance WAS the bottom-most class." said Stado.
|
||
"It is, for Sunaru. But not for NSIS. There are several lower classes in
|
||
NSIS." The commander explained. "In anticipation of your request, I took the
|
||
liberty of having that level security check done, merely a formality, of
|
||
course, and you all passed. Here are your Class Omega-Alpha:Alpha-Omega
|
||
security passes. Dr. Ht would you please be mean enough to explain the future
|
||
of these security level passes?"
|
||
"Sure," said Ht. "This is not the first time the Humans have tried to do
|
||
away with themselves..."
|
||
Mari A. Paulson
|
||
|
||
<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>
|
||
|
||
Featured Author: JAMES KAHN
|
||
James Kahn is neither prolific nor well-known in the vast fantasy market.
|
||
He has written a mystery novel named "Diagnosis: Murder", and has contributed
|
||
to other works as well. His works of fantasy are limited to a series known as
|
||
the "New World Trilogy". The first volume is entitled "World Enough, and
|
||
Time" and is a unique and provocative work set in a more-than-half mythical
|
||
future California. It is an excellent tale, and Kahn has succeeded in
|
||
bringing a refreshing newness to old mythical creatures and the typical post-
|
||
cataclysm Earth stories.
|
||
The second book of the trilogy, "Time's Dark Laughter", is a much more
|
||
mature book, with more ominous plots and more involved implications. However,
|
||
the main characters remain the same, and their honesty and goodness do not
|
||
change. In "World Enough", the characters are interested only in saving
|
||
themselves, while in "Laughter" they are forced into action to stop a threat
|
||
to the entire area. The third book, to the best of my knowledge, has not been
|
||
released as yet, but, believe me, I'm looking!
|
||
Kahn's style is very good. The books are excellent for readers who enjoy
|
||
light (but far from mindless or dull) reading. The books are exceptional in
|
||
style, as the author brings a new richness to old beasts and situations. Kahn
|
||
is an excellent fantasist, and these books are well worth the effort to find.
|
||
Which brings up a point. They may very well prove hard to find. Published
|
||
by Del Rey in 1980 and 1982, respectively, there are few copies left on
|
||
bookstore shelves, and Kahn's relative anonymity has hampered volume sales.
|
||
The books are, nonetheless, excellent works, and are well worth the effort to
|
||
find. Perhaps when the third volume is issued there will be a renewed
|
||
interest, and old volumes will again be stocked.
|
||
Orny <NMCS025 @ MAINE>
|
||
|
||
<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>
|
||
|
||
Backing
|
||
Greg looked out on the massed faces. The road was rough, and the sheet
|
||
metal cart he was in bounced and boomed over the potholes. He was often thrown
|
||
against the sides of the cart, scraping his hands. He would have sat down, but
|
||
then he wouldn't have been able to avoid the occasional thrown rock. The scene
|
||
looked so much like the old movies he had seen of the French Revolution that
|
||
had he not been the one in the tumbrel, he would have laughed.
|
||
He felt little anxiety over his impending execution. He had been expecting
|
||
it for some time. In fact, it was almost a relief, after the days of running
|
||
and hiding, constantly fearing that someone would turn him in. He felt more
|
||
sorrow for his young companions in the cart. They stood back to back, their
|
||
arms tied together. They were close friends in life, and their captors had
|
||
decided that they would be close friends in death. One of them turned to him.
|
||
"You'd think they were angry with us or something." He had to raise his
|
||
voice to be heard over the angry sound of the mob.
|
||
"Yeah, like we'd been trying to change their whole way of life or
|
||
something."
|
||
Greg's reply rang true. Even as he said it, Greg thought back to that day
|
||
when he had first set eyes on this planet.
|
||
"What!?" He couldn't believe his ears. "I'm going to tell them what!?"
|
||
"You must tell them that they had better straighten up their act, because
|
||
the new world order is coming, and it won't tolerate the way they are
|
||
presently living."
|
||
"You can't be serious. What is this new world order business? And who's
|
||
going to be running it?"
|
||
"We are."
|
||
Greg couldn't believe his ears. He had been sent to the planet by the
|
||
Paixians, a group that had suddenly appeared on the galactic scene only five
|
||
years previously, with technology and power that put everything else in space
|
||
to shame. Yet they had consistently used their power only to help other
|
||
planets, to build the new, to repair the old, to help where help was needed.
|
||
True, they weren't a real major force in the economic market, nor did they
|
||
enter into any alliances, but they were always on the minds of the major
|
||
policy makers, as an unknown and possibly influential factor. But in no way
|
||
did they fit the description of empire builders.
|
||
Yet, here was one of them,telling him in all seriousness that he had to
|
||
tell the people of this planet,of all planets, that they were about to become
|
||
someone else's subjects. That was sheer suicide, by any standards. He was at
|
||
the time standing on Arelite, the home planet of the Arelites, known galaxy
|
||
wide for their short tempers and hard hitting shock troops. No people had a
|
||
greater planetary pride.They had, before the arrival of the Paixians, totally
|
||
sterilized half of the populated bodies in their system in a war that lasted
|
||
three days and which had started when their ambassador had been insulted at a
|
||
state dinner held on their sister planet, Buccus. And he had to tell them...
|
||
"Right."
|
||
He had been told to recruit 5,000 Arelites to help with his announcement
|
||
plans. He was not given ambassadorial status. In fact, the Arelites didn't
|
||
even know he was on the planet. Fortunately.
|
||
"But don't worry. You have our full backing."
|
||
Elein, his traveling mate, stood beside the Paixian.
|
||
"You'll love it Greg. You always liked public speaking."
|
||
He hated public speaking.
|
||
He had been given money, and the names and locations of the major
|
||
broadcasting facilities, so that was no problem. Recruiting Arelites to,
|
||
effectively, betray their own planet, was something entirely different, or so
|
||
he thought. To his surprise, for about 2 weeks solid, every person he talked
|
||
to, or so it seemed, was discontented, upset with the government, anxious for
|
||
a better life, or somehow mentally prepared for the concept of a new
|
||
management, so to speak. They were quickly added to the ranks of his small but
|
||
growing cadre, and in turn started feeling out prospective members. At first
|
||
he wondered at the surprising amount of turncoats, but soon realized that it
|
||
was no coincidence that they had happened to be in the area the same time he
|
||
was. It seemed that the Paixians were using every means at their well stocked
|
||
disposal to throw him the best possible combination of recruits. They came
|
||
from every walk of life, and yet they seemed to fit together like a glove.
|
||
With the gentle philosophy of the Paixians flowing through the group at the
|
||
instruction of Greg, they soon had enough people to cover all the bases, the
|
||
contacts to get into the studios, the men to create the tapes of the
|
||
broadcasted message, the managers to combine all the efforts. With great
|
||
anticipation, they set a date, and spun the tapes.
|
||
The result was spectacular, but predictable. Most of the group had gone
|
||
underground the week before the broadcast, but Greg and a few hand selected
|
||
aids stayed behind, so that had the reaction been more favorable there would
|
||
have been someone readily available to lead the throngs. The throngs came all
|
||
right, carrying nooses. The only reason Greg et al had not died outright was
|
||
that the secret police were faster than the raging lynch mobs.
|
||
A sudden stop brought Greg back to the here and now. He looked around and
|
||
saw that they were stopped in front of a large white marble building. He and
|
||
the two others were herded inside, where they were whisked five stories up to
|
||
where a wide balcony opened out. There the government had, just for them,
|
||
erected a large steel guillotine, complete with basket. As he stepped into
|
||
view, the crowd below started a chant. As they were pulling the blade up, he
|
||
was able to hear the words floating up from the assembled masses.
|
||
"Kill them! Kill them!"
|
||
How original.
|
||
There was no ceremony. He was roughly forced onto the steel table. He saw
|
||
out of the corner of his eye a gaudily clad general raise his arm. The
|
||
chanting ceased. The general paused dramatically,and dropped his arm. He heard
|
||
the sliding of the blade, then there was a blow like a sledgehammer, and
|
||
everything went blinding white.
|
||
And stayed that way. He felt no pain. He did, after a moment, get annoyed
|
||
with the strain of holding his head up. Then he realized that he should no
|
||
longer have to hold his head up, much less be able to. He realized that his
|
||
hands were now free. He cautiously raised his body, and found that he was no
|
||
longer locked in by steel. The light dimmed, and became normal. He opened his
|
||
eyes, and looked around.
|
||
"Good job, Greg."
|
||
"I think I've asked this before. Elein, Why aren't I dead?"
|
||
Behind Elein stood the Paixian who brought him to Arelite.
|
||
"What were you worrying about? I told you you had our backing."
|
||
Greg looked back. The crowd below was running, in every direction but
|
||
towards the building. The guillotine still stood, from the table top down.
|
||
Where the blade guides had been there were now two, shining square patches,
|
||
sliced off flush, polished to a mirror surface.
|
||
"I blew the rest of it into orbit. That's the flash you saw." The Paixian
|
||
was grinning widely. "I enjoy grandstanding. Don't get to do it very often.
|
||
The guys in upstairs said it was one of the greatest starting guns they ever
|
||
saw."
|
||
"Actually you blew it further out than just orbit. You might have actually
|
||
given it escape velocity."
|
||
Greg looked around. He saw his two companions, grinning and rubbing their
|
||
bruised wrists. He saw Elein, listening with an amused expression. He saw the
|
||
Paixian. But none of them had spoken.
|
||
"Who said that?"
|
||
"That's Michael. You'll be meeting him soon, after we finish mopping up."
|
||
"Mopping up?"
|
||
"Yes. You can relax. The invasion's over. We won. Of course."
|
||
Jim Owens <J1O @ PSUVM>
|
||
|
||
<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>
|
||
|
||
FSFNET SURVEY
|
||
Fill in and return
|
||
|
||
Rate authors: (6=best,1=worst,0=haven't read)
|
||
( ) Anderson ( ) Clarke ( ) Lee ( ) Niven
|
||
( ) Anthony ( ) Donaldson ( ) Lem ( ) Norton
|
||
( ) Aspirin ( ) Eddings ( ) Lewis ( ) Pournelle
|
||
( ) Bradbury ( ) Heinlein ( ) Lovecraft ( ) Saberhagen
|
||
( ) Bradley ( ) Herbert ( ) McCaffrey ( ) Tolkien
|
||
( ) Cherryh ( ) LeGuin ( ) Moorcock ( ) Zelazny
|
||
|
||
Are there any other authors you feel are particularly noteworthy?
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Rate the FSFnet zines (6=best,1=worst,0=did not read)
|
||
( ) Vol 1 No 1: Dune, 'Ornathor's Saga', Brisingamen, MAR Barker
|
||
( ) Vol 1 No 2: 1984 poem, Larry Niven, 'Close Encounter'
|
||
( ) Vol 1 No 3: 'Flyby', Tanith Lee, 'Narret Chronicles'
|
||
( ) Vol 1 No 4: Lovecraft, Cthulhu game, 'the Book', Cthulhu Mythos
|
||
( ) Vol 1 No 5:
|
||
|
||
Rate the importance of the following in FSFnet. (6=most,1=least)
|
||
( ) Roleplaying Games News and Reviews
|
||
( ) Science Fiction News and Reviews
|
||
( ) Fantasy News and Reviews
|
||
( ) Letters of Comment
|
||
( ) Original Science Fiction
|
||
( ) Fantasy Fiction
|
||
|
||
Is there anything you feel FSFnet has been weak on or needs more of?
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Have you submitted any articles to FSFnet? (Y/N) ( )
|
||
|