The Adelphi Coracle

Newsletter 7
Sunday 3 April
Suppertime


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Inside the Whale

BSFA Special Award 'It isn't very often that the BSFA Committee decides to present a Special Award. The last time one was presented, it went to Brian Aldiss for Billion Year Spree. The award, therefore, is a very rare honour. • This year the committee has decided that there is one book which clearly deserves this honour. It is a book which almost instantly established itself as the key reference work in the field. It is a work which combines impeccable scholarship and intellectual rigour, yet it remains a delight just to browse from one entry to another, uncovering surprises, unexpected juxtapositions, and sometimes the downright bizarre. It is, without doubt, the most reliable book about science fiction, in all its manifestations, to have been published since -- well, at least since 1979. • This year, the BSFA Special Award goes to the second edition of The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, edited by John Clute and Peter Nicholls, with Contributing Editor Brian Stableford and Technical Editor John Grant.'

Eastercon Awards: Long Text, The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction edited by John Clute and Peter Nicholls; Short Text, 'The Time-Lapsed Man' by Eric Brown; Artwork, The Streets of Ankh-Morpork by Stephen Briggs and Terry Pratchett; Dramatic Presentation, The Wasp Factory by ?????, based on the novel by Iain Banks.

BSFA Awards: Best Novel, Aztec Century by Christopher Evans; Short Fiction, 'The Ragthorn' by Robert HoIdstock and Garry Kilworth; Best Artwork, Jim Burns, for the cover of Red Dust by Paul McAuley (Jim's 10th BSFA Award -- the mind boggles); Special Award ... see above, gloats the Technical Editor.

Doc Weir Award: Tim Broadribb. • Phlosque Award: Dave Mooring. • Ken McIntyre Award: Barbara Mascetti for the Stratmann wedding invitation.

Masquerade Awards: Child Winner Rachel Bell, 'Cloak of Midnight Sky with Moonbeams', self-made costume from Chaos Costume Workshop; Best Newcomer Bobby Maclaughlan, 'The Trouble with Gran', self made costume with dance; Best Experienced Jette Golde, 'Female Dress Uniform' from Classic Trek, self made and -designed; Best Performance anonymous group, 'Servants of Avanthe'; Best Legs Teddi for 'Tech Fashion'.

Bastards! Shards! Bastards! Forget the broken-glass warning for the Hypostasis, rants Chris Bell: hotel staff hoovered the place under her personal supervision (so that's where Inconvenience's leather and cat o'nine tails went). The real message is, DON'T LEAVE GLASSES ON THAT MARBLE FLOOR, AND ESPECIALLY NOT ON THE EDGE OF A STAIR! Signed: Chris Bell, Supreme Ruler of the Universe ('Elect me? I never resigned.').

Monday 1pm: The Knights Templar -- cancelled.

12-2pm (1 hour earlier than Read Me says): DIY Colonization workshop. Note extension to 2 hours.

Seven Minute Novels!

The winner of Saturday's competition to write a novel in 7 minutes was Jane Killick. Runners-up: filthy pro Stephen Marley (Within) and unregenerate fan Abigail Frost (The Curse of the Scouser's Tomb -- A Rippin Yarn). Now, in living Techniblack'n'whiteTM, here is JANE KILLICK's award-winning (and © 1994) ...

A Bullet's Life

CHAPTER ONE

Bang!

The gun exploded with a sound so feeble, it seemed impossible that it was going to kill me.

CHAPTER TWO

My gun was in my hand, where now it seemed redundant. This symbol of death, this destroyer of life was powerless to save me. I could fire back, but all that would do is take another life.

Shouldn't I be dead by now?

Shouldn't the bullet have penetrated my heart?

No, there it is -- a little black dot, powered by gunpowder, speeding towards me -- at a rate slower than I had ever known.

If what they say is true and your life flashes before you -- it should be happening now. Where are they? Where are my memories?

CHAPTER THREE

I have no memories.

They are stored on computer disk -- somewhere.

They said it would make me a better fighting machine. Instead, it's made me a better dying machine.

My God, There's Bears On It!

TAFF Administrator (luscious pouting, short-skirted) seeks car space from anyone willing to take home some left-over auction material and either (a) hand it over to her in London after 6 May, or (b) bring it to Mexicon (Stevenage, 20-22 May, £9.50, see Bernie Evans at almost any con desk).


Credits: Odysseus: Dave Langford. Proteus: Paul Barnett. Circe: Jilly Reed. Scylla: Chris Bell. Charybdis: Abigail Frost. Oxen of the Sun: BSFA Award voters. Lotus Eaters: Ops. Polyphemus: the IBM PC. Nausicaa: Jane Barnett. Cave of the Winds: Room 269.

• Copyprinting courtesy of Gestetner Ltd, Lincoln House, 100 Broadway, Salford, M5 2UW. Contact Peter Maddocks: 061-872-8511. •