VANTAGE POINT NEWS

April 1986

PERTINENT ADDRESSES: Jacqueline Lichtenberg, PO Box 290, Monsey, NY 10952

Debbie Lichtenberg, Endorsed Books, PO Box 290, Monsey, NY 10952

Katie Filipowicz, Zeor Forum: (street address removed), Spring Valley, NY 10977

Kerry Schaefer, Ambrov Zeor, etc. (see below): POB 39, South Yarmouth MA 02664

Karen Litman, Companion In Zeor: (street address removed), Somers Pt., NJ 08244

Jean Lorrah, Empire Books, ST 'zines and prof. sf books: PO Box 625, Murray, KY 42071

Beth Ann Wempe, S/G Welcommittee, (street address removed), Redlands, CA 92373

Carol Lynn, ST/Kraith sales (street address removed), Grosse Pointe Park, MI 48230

Chandra Lee Morgan - located vaguely in OH/IN - will be publishing the next Zeor Forum. Since her address changes frequently, SASE Endorsed Books for Zeor Forum #6

SASE means SEND A SELF ADDRESSED STAMPED LEGAL SIZE ENVELOPE. If you can't get USA stamps, buy postal reply coupons at your post office and send TWO. VANTAGE POINT NEWS (VPN) is written by Jacqueline Lichtenberg about proffessional and fan activities; TO GET THE NEXT VPN sase Endorsed Books and put VPN on the outside of the SASE. Mention date of this issue. Mark any SASE with what you want returned in it.

"Aventura" is a short story in a magical universe I won't develop further. It'll be in the revived WORLDS OF IF MAGAZINE, (6 issues for $6.50 from Worlds of If, POB 93, Hicksville, New York 11802.)

I have no news of new book sales. I'll run a VPN addendum when I have news, so SASE Endorsed Books. There are 5 possibilities: Andrea Alton's new S/G novel, ICY NAGER, which is about Genrunners and friendship; my vampire novel, THOSE OF MY BLOOD, set on the moon; my interstellar spy novel; DREAMSPY, where astrogators use numerology, and telepaths are useful but distrusted; my quasi-Arthurian fantasy, COURT MAGICIAN, where a few humans have been interdimensionally kidnapped by aliens for breeding, but the humans rebelled; my contemporary occult murder mystery, CHARACTER ASSASSIN.

Jean Lorrah's solo S/G novel, AMBROV KEON, is NOW AVAILABLE from Empire Books. SASE Jean for an order fom. AK has word-substitution typos, AND our POB 290 is listed as POB 190. Urge any sf bookstore people you know to correct this in the book or to post a sign regarding it.

Don Wollheim has semi-retired and his daughter Betsy is now head of the company. Somehow, ZELEROD'S DOOM is now on their September '86 list. It may have a wonderful map of the Territories done by Gail Bennett. ZD may be the last S/G for awhile, as DAW has decided they want to publish something else by me before going on with S/G, but they haven't liked the other things I've shown them. DAW is very interested in where their books are NOT AVAILABLE. Send DAW the name and address of the store, the name of the manager, and what titles were unavailable. (Not just my titles - any DAW books.)

ZELEROD'S DOOM by Jacqueline Lichtenberg and Jean Lorrah, (NOTE BYLINE REVERSAL) an original DAW S/G, due out in Sept. '86, picks up 16 years after HOUSE OF ZEOR. Endorsed Books is accepting SASES for ZD.

RENSIME, DAW Dec. '84, cover price $2.95/$4.25 from Endorsed Books -- carries the update of the S/G chronology by Katie Filipowicz.

Volume II of the Book of the First Lifewave, CITY OF A MILLION LEGENDS. (non-S/G) Sequel to MOLT BROTHER is in print. So is MB. LAST PERSUADERS, Vol. III of the First Lifewave, is under contract.

Berkley plans to reprint their 4 S/G books, HoZ in June '85, Unto ($2.95) in Oct. '85, FCh Feb. '86, and Trinrose summer '86. Same cover art. MOLT BROTHER didn't get new art, just new overprinting.

THE DUSHAU TRILOGY: DUSHAU, FARFETCH, and OUTREACH are available from Questar and from Endorsed Books. It's a love story between a nearly immortal nonhuman male and a human woman as they struggle to found a multi-species colony. It was inspired by Dr. Who (Tom Baker), and by Andre Norton's STAR RANGERS. AWARD: I was named "Best SF Writer" of 1985 for DUSHAU by the Romantic Times Newsletter.

YOUR PREFERENCE: The clearest consensus is that horse-and-buggy era books are preferred. We are currently preparing to submit Andrea Alton's ICY NAGER, then Kerry Schaefer's ONLY GOOD SIME ..., and then we'll see what's next. THE FARRIS CHANNEL, the fourth book in the FIRST CHANNEL sequence, about the founding of the House of Zeor, is in outline. For the premise of ICY NAGER see PARTNERS in CZ #8 which introduces the main characters. For ONLY GOOD SIME ... see Kerry's story in AZ #13 which introduces Frevven, a nearsighted disjunct channel, one of the last to be trained by the Tecton. Along with these, Jean is still willing to write COMPANIONS the sequel to CHANNEL'S DESTINY as soon as DAW expresses interest. I still want to hear from you about what you want to see next.

NEW POLL: To develop new universes, I need information about you. What is your favorite reading matter? List authors, genres, magazines or subjects. List hobbies, vacation choices, or professional reading. I want to know what sorts of things you already know well, and what you don't know about.

ENDORSED BOOKS ERROR - "Operation High Time," the first S/G short story, is NOT IN GALILEO Magazine #2, but my non-S/G short story, "Recompense," is in #2. I have never developed that universe. "Operation High Time," was originally published in Jan. '69 IF MAGAZINE, and has been reprinted in AMBROV ZEOR. As that AZ is out of print, Kerry Schaefer can xerox copies for those willing to pay the price.

The S/G short story "Channel's Exemption," set far upwhen, during the interstellar period of the Tecton, is in Galileo Magazine #4. The two issues, Galileo #2 and #4, can be ordered directly from the publisher which still has back issues for $5 each; Avenue Victor Hugo Bookshop, 339 Newbury St., Boston, Ma 02115. Endorsed books also has copies for $6.50 each (we have to buy from them.)

RECOMMENDED BOOKS: There are some good books I hope to mention soon on RECOMMENDED BOOKS, a newsheet which I print out on my computer so it's a rapidly changing item. Anyone interested, either keep in touch with me, or send an occasional SASE labeled RECOMMENDED BOOKS, or recommend your latest favorite for the rest of us.

SIME/GEN WELCOMMITTEE. Contact Beth Ann Wempe (address above) to find new friends who like S/G or who are active in various sf fandoms. If you're new to sf fandom, Beth Ann can help you find 'zines and cons and other people with your same interests.

ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM KERRY SCHAEFER: SASE KERRY (ADDRESS ABOVE) for info on the expanded edition of the S/G Songbook, POSTSYNDROME (a fanzine about S/G sexuality), reprints of excerpts from an early draft of UNTO ZEOR, FOREVER, and all back issues of Ambrov Zeor. Kerry also has a new S/G (and other JL universe) Q&A department. Type double space and send questions to Kerry. Questions which she can't find answers to will be forwarded to me. Interesting new questions will be used in a Q&A column in one of the 'zines. Kerry also edits the AZ lettercol. Enclose SASE for direct answer.

FLASH: AZ #14 (with a new Frevven story by Kerry) has finally gone to press due to the generous contributions of readers. SASE Kerry, AZ ed., for price. AZ went broke due to underpricing as postage costs rose, so prices of back issues have gone up fifty cents to a dollar depending on the order.

Kerry has sold a short story, "Caring Shell," to WORLDS OF IF, her first professional sale! CS is set in Kerry's Sharn universe, in which she has already written a novel, THE WAY IN VARDUIN.

AZ COPYRIGHT AUTHORITY: KERRY SCHAEFER also holds this position. If you are planning to publish a newsletter or 'zine involving any of my universes, or if you want to get a free copy of AZ for letter-of-comment (LoC), write Kerry, address above.

UNTO ZEOR FOREVER EXCERPTS: long ago, we planned to print in AZ the material that was cut from the final published version of UNTO, with a guide so you could insert the material and have the original book. The plan got shoved aside, so Kerry has volunteered to make computer printouts for any of you who really want that VERY TECHNICAL heavy material. It includes a chapter dealing with Dane Rizdel and PR numbers, plus Digen's trial. Cost: btw $3.50 and $5.00. SASE Kerry for details.

ALSO ON TAPE: Much of the S/G fanzine material has been taped for the blind and handicapped readers. But the project head has retired. If anyone wants to take over, contact Katie.

REGISTRAR OF HOUSEHOLDINGS: Register your Householding with Pat Munson-Siter, (street address removed), Ellsworth AFB, SD 57706. This is a listing of fan-invented householdings (used by fans in writing stories, or sometimes as an activity group name) using as much authentic S/G heraldry as possible. If you suddenly can't reach her at this address, send for another Vantage Point News to get her new address. ATTENTION ALL REGISTERED HOUSEHOLDINGS: Pat has culled the list of Householdings.

KEEPER'S TOWER: Keeper's Tower, as most of you know, was the name under which I was keeping the register of Darkovan Councils. Keeper's Tower is disbanded. For further information, SASE FRIENDS OF DARKOVER, POB 72, BERKELEY, CA 94701.

KRAITH COLLECTED: (Kraith is my fanzine series of STAR TREK stories) Carol Lynn's ADDRESS FOR ALL KRAITH MAIL is (street address removed), Grosse Pointe Park, MI 48230. SASE there for current availability of Kraith Collected (they are still being reprinted regularly as demand indicates). Carol is pregnant - or just delivered, so be patient if mail is slow for awhile. Mary Ann Drach is still working on the next major Kraith story - (by the way, if I ever do a prof. ST novel, it won't resemble Kraith.)

UNDERSTANDING KRAITH: this dictionary of Kraith terms is a good introduction to the Kraith Series. $1.00 plus postage from Judy Segal, (street address removed), Pawling, NY 12564. SASE her for info. She's also written a STW booklet for new writers called PROTOCOLS. Excellent for the new writer.

SIME/GEN CONCORDANCE: Katie Filipowicz has made little progress on this due to lack of fannish interest. If you really want a S/G concordance write her and enthuse a little.

DATABASE: Katie now owns a Radio Shack portable plus modem, and is setting up my modem. She has put on databse, a listing of what sorts of computers are owned among us all. If you own a computer, list with her. SASE Katie for a copy of the list when you list your computer system.

ZEOR FORUM #5 is now available (100pp! $3.75). SASE Katie, address above, for order form. ZEOR FORUM has now found a new editor for #6. Chandra Lea Morgan has the fully edited master copy and is searching for typing help. SASE Endorsed Books and we'll send you a ZF #6 order form when its ready.

RATHOR RESEARCH: This is a division headed by Katie to make the power of our computers available to you. Katie has acquired the fancy, professional level astrology calculation program and can now take orders for astrological and biorhythm charts. We provide basic info. to the curious who want to see their charts, or to the semiprofessional who wants charts in several House Systems and different methods of calculation. We do comparison charts to determine compatibility between two people, and progressions to show how your personality matures with age. We'll soon have order forms available. SASE Katie.

KAREN LITMAN (address above) plans to have COMPANION IN ZEOR #9 available Nov. '86. Karen's now accepting contributions for CZs #9 & #10. CZ #9 and on are open for comments, articles and stories on or in any of my universes. (cross-universe items welcome). As 'zines are a labor of love, sold at cost of materials, all eds need to be told how loved and appreciated all their effort is - or they go into attrition and quit. Even if you can't contribute fiction tell the ed. thank you.

ACADEMICS: two scholars have decided women sf writers don't get enough critical attention and are writing a book on 4 women writers, Barbara Paul, Ann Maxwell, Sydney Van Scyoc, and me. The book will be part of the Starmont Press SF Writers Series. Please send them anything you think might help: Dr. Jane Weedman, Texas Tech University Dept. of Eng., Box 4530, Lubbock, TX 79409-4530.

SHORE LEAVE VIII: July 18, 19, 20, '86, Omni International Hotel, Baltimore, MD. Jean and I will be guests at this 20th anniversary of ST celebration. Limited to 1400. For info, SASE S.T.A.T., POB 6809 Towson, MD 21204. Jean and I are very excited about this one.

WORLDCON #44, will be in Atlanta, Georgia, Aug. 28-Sept. 1, '86. For info: CONFEDERATION 2500 N. Atlanta St. #1986, Smyrna, GA 30080 (tel: 404-GET-DXIE). Jean L and I plan to be there.

DARKOVER GRAND COUNCIL #9: '87 Thanksgiving weekend at the Radisson Wilmington, Delaware. Anne McCaffrey GoH, but MZB and I will be there too. I don't have a flyer yet and membership is VERY limited. SASE me and I'll give you an address to write to.

ESOTERICON IV, Jan. 16, 17, 18, 1987: A new committee for 1987 has invited me back to do my Tarot and Qabalah workshops. The con is devoted to serious study of real-world occult disciplines, (firmly excluding black magic) with workshops, seminars, and rituals. For info. SASE Esotericon '87, PO Box 22775, Newark, NJ 07101. Membership: $20 to June 30, '86; $25 to Dec. 31, '86, $35 at the door.

FOR OTHER CONS I plan to attend, a VPN addendum (off the computer) will be sent for SASE.

SCIENCE FICTION WRITERS OF AMERICA SPEAKERS BUREAU: If you know a group that wants to hire an sf writer to lecture, teach, or read, contact me. I head the SFWA Speakers Bureau.

Live Long and Prosper,

Jacqueline Lichtenberg