VANTAGE POINT NEWS

November 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, POB 33, South Yarmouth MA 07664

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

Jean Lorrah, Empire Books, ST zines and prof 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 - (street address removed), Cleveland, OH 44120 - will be publishing the next Zeor Forum. Her address changes frequently.

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 a send TWO. VANTAGE POINT NEWS (VPN) is written by Jacqueline Lichtenberg about prof. 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.

S/G is the abbreviation for the Sime/Gen Universe novels, a creation of Jacqueline Lichtenberg. The Simes and Gens are two mutant strains of humanity, and the stories are set in a hypothetical future Earth where the characters must learn to find the strengths hidden within their weaknesses.

Titles of short stories are in quotation marks, novels in caps.

"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, NY 11802.) Kerry Schaefer has sold 2 short stories to WORLDS OF IF, her first proffessional sale! "Cloudscape" is in issue #1 which was given away at the World SF Con in Atlanta this year and is available as above.

I have sold a story to Andre Norton for her Witch World anthologies. "THROUGH THE MOON GATE" introduces a vampire (good variety) to the Witch World, and we see how some of the laws are different there than here.

I have no news of new book sales. I'll run a VPN addendum when I have news, so SASE Endorsed Books.

DAW is not currently interested in doing any more S/G novels. Write them about it, not me.

Andrea Alton's new S/G novel ICY NAGER, which is about Genrunners and friendship has now been submitted to Doubleday in outline form. Doubleday is not currently buying because their sf line was cut in half and they are still overstocked, so the IN manuscript is sitting in an unread stack.

YOUR PREFERENCE: The clearest consensus is that horse-and-buggy era books are preferred, so we have submitted Andrea Alton's ICY NAGER. Next will be 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.

Meanwhile, I've been having the time of my life working up some new universes: 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. And most recently, ASSIMILATION, a ghost story set in modern Louisiana, and BLACKHORN a pure fantasy about a tribe that is cursed to grow black horns and to succumb to lust under the full moon. I read some of this at Earthcon Cleveland this year when I substituted for C. J. Cherryh (on 48 hours notice.) I have 5 more ideas I'm playing with.

Jean Lorrah's solo S/G novel, AMBROV KEON is NOW AVAILABLE from Empire Books. SASE Jean for an order form. 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.

ZELEROD'S DOOM by Jacqueline Lichtenberg and Jean Lorrah is now available. It has a wonderful map of the Territories done by Gail Bennett. DAW is very interested in where their books are NOT AVAILABLE. Send DAW (not me) the name and address of the store, the name of the manager, and what titles were unavailable. (Not just my titles - any DAW books.) ZD picks up 16 years after HOUSE OF ZEOR. Look in the back for character list and glossary which contains all the S/G words I could find.

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 has just been declared out of print, as has MB itself. Vol. III, is under contract.

Berkley has reprinted 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. Now they are letting them go out of print.

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. There has been some interest in doing a German translation, and there may be more German editions of S/G.

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 Avenue Victor Hugo Bookshop, 339 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02115, for $5 each. 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. (SORRY I HAVEN'T DONE ONE OF THESE FOR A WHILE; I STILL INTEND TO.)

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 de-code our jargon and find 'zines, cons and other people with your same interests.

AMBROV ZEOR lettercolumn editor is now: Ruth Sacksteder, (street address removed), Berkeley, CA 94704

ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM KERRY SCHAEFER: SASE KERRY (ADDRESS ABOVE) for info on the S/G Songbook POSTSYNDROME (a fanzine about S/G sexuality), AZ #14, all back issues of Ambrov Zeor, plus out-of-print issues of AZ, CZ, and ZF. AZ #15 is due out in March, 1987. Kerry has a new S/G (and other JL universe) Q&A department. Send questions to Kerry, typed double spaced on individual pages. Anything she can't answer will be forwarded to me. Interesting new questions will be used in a Q&A column in AZ. Kerry is also the S/G copyright coordinator, so if you are planning to publish a newsletter or fanzine involving any of my universes, please contact her.

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 Karen Litman.

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.

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 has a new baby girl, 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 proffessional 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 has set up my modem. She has put on database, 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 Chandra or Endorsed Books for an order form.

RATHOR RESEARCH: This is our Astrology project. Katie has retired from doing this, and we're looking for someone else to take it over. Anyone interested let me know.

KAREN LITMAN (add. above) plans to have COMPANION IN ZEOR #9 available by mid-1987. 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)

ACADEMICS: two scholars have decided women sf writers don't get enough critical attention and are writing a book on 3 women writers, Barbara Paul, Ann Maxwell, Sydney Van Scyoc. They were going to include me, but ran out of space. They still intend to get me into another volume which 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 4580, Lubbock, TX 79409-4530.

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.

CONSPIRACY, 45th Worldcon, Aug 27-Sept. 2, 87. I currently do not plan to go to this one.

CACTUSCON, (Nasfic '87), Sept 3-6, Phoenix AZ Hilton. I have tentative plans to go to this one; SASE me if you must know. Info. CACTUSCON, Box 27201, Tempe, AZ 85282; 602-968-5673.

For cheap '88 and '89 Worldcon membership rates, SASE me in Oct. '86. Prices go up every couple of months.

DARKOVER GRAND COUNCIL #10, Thanksgiving weekend, '87, at the Radisson in Wilmington, Delaware. Not yet certain, but I usually make this one.

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

Live Long and Prosper,

Jacqueline Lichtenberg