VANTAGE POINT NEWS

FEBRUARY 1990

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

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

Donell Meadows: Registrar of Householdings, (street address removed), Birmingham, AL 35222

Kerry Lindemann-Schaefer: Ambrov Zeor, (street address removed), Morehead City, NC 28557

Karen Litman: Companion In Zeor: (stree address removed), Pleasantville, NJ 08232

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

Marge Robbins: ed. Zeor Forum, CZ lettercol ed. & ed. of HCI, (street address removed), Cedar Rapids, IA 52403

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

Linda Whitten: Alternate Universes Welcommittee, (street address removed), Las Vegas, NV 89102

Kier Neustaedter, Out-of-print issues AZ & CZ, (street address removed), Santa Clara, CA 95051

Ruth Sacksteder, AZ lettercol ed. POB 12593, Berkeley, CA 94701

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.

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 small boldface caps.

The previous Vantage Point News was a long pink sheet dated April 1988. A lot has happened since then (NOTE THE CHANGES OF NAMES AND ADDRESSES IN THE BOX ABOVE.) The momentous delay was caused mostly by my acquisition of a new computer (but not a new printer - big mistake!). I have an IBM PS/2 Model 50Z which doesn't like my NEC 3510 serial printer. So, I had no way to print VPN's compacted format.

Now, with Pagemaker added to my Windows and Word programs, and with the help of fen, I can create a VPN and have it printed elsewhere on a laserprinter, then xeroxed in yet a third location. With luck, this should bring you VPN more regularly & more legibly.

THOSE OF MY BLOOD, the vampire/intrigue/espionage/love-story (that isn't supernatural or horror, but is designed to appeal to S/G fen) has been published by St. Martin's press (Oct. 1988), and is still available in hc. (Endorsed Books, $22.25) but not (alas) in paper. St. Martin's owns the pb rights, and I expect it will appear sometime, so I'm accepting SASEs for the paperback. (to be held for a couple of years.)

I envision THOSE OF MY BLOOD as one of a tetralogy. The second book, DREAMSPY has been published by St. Martin's press in hc, Dec. 1989. Endorsed books has copies in stock, $22.25. It has received smashing reviews in Kirkus, Publisher's Weekly, Booklist, Library Journal, the Chicago Tribune, and Locus. I've just learned it's in a second printing in hardcover, but there's no paperback sale yet. DREAMSPY tells the story of the galactic war that H'lim (one of the vampires in THOSE OF MY BLOOD) mentions to Titus, the pov character of BLOOD.

The third book would be FERAL VAMPIRE, set about 20 years before BLOOD. It tells how Titus helped hunt down a killer vampire and in the process broke away from the domination of Abbot, his father, the villain of blood. The first chapter of FERAL VAMPIRE has appeared as a short story in a 1989 quality paperback anthology published in England (and not available in the U.S. so Endorsed Books isn't stocking it) called TAROT TALES edited by Rachel Pollack and Caitlin Matthews, Legend, an imprint of Century Hutchinson Ltd. The story title is "False Prophecy." Titus goes to a Halloween party dressed as Dracula and meets a Tarot reader who saves his life.

I have an outline and 2 chapters of FERAL VAMPIRE in submission. Meanwhile, I've also done a 45 pg. outline for the 4th book, BLOOD JUSTICE, which tells the story of how Earth's legal position in the galaxy becomes regularized when the galaxy sends Kyllikki and a fleet to Earth where they discover the illegal Dreamer/luren crossbreeds we call vampires. All the characters from the first three books meet.

Last fall, MARION ZIMMER BRADLEY'S FANTASY MAGAZINE (POB 11095, Piedmont, CA 94611-9991) published my story "Aventura," the only humorous piece I've done in years. Now MZB wants more like it. Oy!

Since I finished DREAMSPY in Dec. '88, I've spent a total of 10 weeks on family nursing duties, & 3 months configuring my new computer system. I've appeared at so many cons they blur hopelessly together, and I've produced 4 long sf review columns for SF&F Forum, an article for a figure skating fanzine edited by Katie Filipowicz, over 200 pages of a giant occult historical called PATH OF THE HEARTHFIRE, 44 pages of a story, "Joshua's Trumpet" on invitation from an anthology that hasn't been sold yet, three more chapters of the interstellar adventure BOXMASTER, and an outline for a Sime/Gen short, "Willing Victim" about a group from a failed householding that goes to join Del Rimon Farris's House at the beginning of FARRIS CHANNEL.

In Dec. '89, my older daughter N. Gail graduated from U. of Cal. Berkeley in computer science and is now looking for a job.

In the midst of all this, I've changed agents. I'm now a client of Richard Curtis, the one who writes the Agent's Corner in Locus. This process took about 2 months and caused a redirection of my efforts.

I've also become a hopeless fan of ALIEN NATION, just barely restraining myself from writing spinoff stories. Kerry Lindemann-Schaefer has in fact been writing some and is looking for ALIEN NATION fanzines (as am I!). And I wish BEAUTY AND THE BEAST had not been cancelled. There was good potential there.

THE SIME/GEN FANZINES: Kerry Lindemann-Schaefer puts out an annual AMBROV ZEOR/COMPANION IN ZEOR (AZ/CZ) newsletter available for SASE. It gives info on the current status of the 'zines.

AZ #18 is now being composed by Kier Neustaedter who has given AZ it's wonderful desk-top published look on her Mac. (She and her husband also produced the star map in the front of DREAMSPY. And Kier is now asst. ed. of AZ as well as the distributor of the out-of-print issues of AZ & CZ. Submissions for AZ #19 now being accepted.

ZEOR FORUM: Marge Robbins has passed the S/G Welcommittee to Linda Whitten while keeping publication of HOUSEHOLDING CHANEL INQUIRER, the Q&A 'zine in which I answer all sorts of S/G background questions. She has taken over distributing out of print ZEOR FORUM (ZF) as well as editing ZF with a new editorial policy. Chandra Morgan did one issue of ZF, #6, for which we have never had flyers, (so we haven't sold them all yet) though it has some dynamite fiction. Marge is now working on issue #7, and on flyers for it as well as the previous issues. She's had some trouble getting started as she also has begun running a computer bulletin board. SASE her for info on her board. She also needs to be urged to write more stories. (Have you noticed what a good writer she is? Kier, too! And Kerry! And just wait 'till you see what Ruth Sacksteder can do! They all need encouragement as it's very hard to keep slogging without it.)

SIME/GEN WELCOMMITTEE: Linda Whitten has given The Wel (as it is affectionately known) a new name, Alternate Universes Welcommittee, because it deals not just with S/G but introduces people to a wealth of related universes, some originated by me, but many by other authors we all love. To find new friends with the same reading interests or to decode our lingo, or to ask questions, contact The Wel. Linda puts out a newsletter called FIRST TRANSFER available from her. Note that I do a page in FT, usually describing my current projects. Often that material appears nowhere else.

COMPANION IN ZEOR: Karen Litman, one of the hardiest souls on Earth, has suffered yet another setback when her computer ate the disk with the CZ master almost finished - and she had no backup. Her big roadblock with CZ has been production facilities, and since that is what has delayed VPN, I have to sympathize. She has also been spending a lot of her time in a horseback riding project for the handicapped, and it has improved her overall health remarkably. So I do expect to see CZ #10 one of these days. Back issues of CZ are still available, as are those that are out of print. See above.

Each of the S/G 'zines has a different editorial slant. All letters sent to me are considered for publication unless marked otherwise, and go to a central file which is drawn on by all the 'zines. At the moment Linda Whitten handles most of that.

ON TAPE: Much of the S/G material, including the 'zines, and most of my books, have been read onto tape for blind and handicapped readers. Karen Litman heads this department, but she can always use your help.

SIME/GEN CONCORDANCE: this has never materialized, and I sorely missed it when outlining "Willing Victim." I know when I begin to write S/G again, contradictions will creep in. Anyone who wants to take this over, write Katie Filipowicz, address above.

DATABASE: Katie also has a database of what sorts of computers we all use. List your computer and SASE Katie for a copy.

ACADEMICS: two scholars are writing a series of books on women writers. Send them anything that might help: Dr. Jane Weedman, Texas Tech University Dept. of Eng., Box 4530, Lubbock, TX 79409-4530.

RECOMMENDED BOOKS: Science Fiction & Fantasy Forum has just resumed publication after a printshop disaster delay of 8 mos. 2 of my columns will appear in the March/April '90 issue. Then look for a column in which I identify a new genre that's emerged from sf which I called, in the Nov. 10, '89 Publisher's Weekly article on sf, Intimate Adventure. SF&F Forum POB 138, Woodbury, NY 11797-0138.

WRITERS!! "SF & Fantasy Workshop" runs a workshop by mail with a newsletter and magazine publishing stories (original universes only) with prof. writers' critiques. I do critiques occasionally. Info: Kathleen Woodbury, (street address removed), Salt Lake City, UT 84108.

KRAITH COLLECTED: (Kraith is my amateur STAR TREK fiction.) The 6 vols. are still available from Carol Lynn, (street address removed), Grosse Pointe Park, MI 48230, SASE her for current prices. Carol is also publishing Claire Gabriel's new, award winning, ST fan novels. Judy Segal, keeper of the STAR TREK WELCOMMITTEE Directory, ((street address removed), Pawling, NY 12564) still has copies of UNDERSTANDING KRAITH, the dictionary of the Kraith universe as well as PROTOCOLS a handy booklet on how to deal with fan & prof. editors.

REGISTRAR OF HOUSEHOLDINGS: Donell Meadows is taking over the keeping of the register of all fan invented Householdings (used by fans in stories or as a group name) using as much authentic S/G heraldry as possible. Contact Donell, address above, to register a House. This will insure your name, colors and motto are unique.

The fan groups called Householdings have a lot of activities including role-playing games in various universes, songwriting, costuming, and encouraging each other's creativity. Kerry Lindemann-Schaefer has even been inspired to make copies of one of her stories, "The Caring-Shell" available to fans. (Great story!)

Marge Robbins, head of Householding Chanel, has started an annual affair called a Faith Day Ceremony held at Darkover Grand Council where the con has been gracious enough to give us a program room for the weekend because my tarot workshop takes up so much time. (see below). With several householdings participating, we often have the head of house accepting new pledges, and last year we added an invocation for the givers of this our Ancient world - in particular the Red Cross disaster relief workers because Marge Robbins herself is one of them and was out on a job rather than with us at Darkover.

For Darkover in 1990, Kerry Lindemann-Schaefer is developing a series of panels for our program room on my various universes (and is always looking for volunteers). And Linda has begun plans for the Faith Day party.

THE CALENDAR: Cons I expect to attend.

Mar 16-18, LUNACON '90. Westchester Marriott, Tarrytown, NY Info: Box 338, New York, NY 10150. 201-696-9655.

June 1-3 I might be in Louisiana and Texas again, I don't know.

July 13-15, SHORE LEAVE XII, Marriott's Hunt Valley Inn, Hunt Valley, MD 21030. Info: Shore Leave, POB 6809, Towson, MD 21285-6809. Star Trek and media con.

July 27-29 ECUMENICON 3. A new con where I present Tarot and Qabalah. Mt. Vernon College, Wash. DC, Info: c/o Sally Page Byers, (street address removed), Takoma Pk., MD 20912.

Aug 30-Sep 3, CONDIEGO/1990, the NASFIC held in the U.S. because Worldcon is abroad this year. I don't know if I'll be there, but I've got a membership. San Diego Omni Hotel International, San Diego, CA. Info: ConDiego, Box 15771, San Diego, CA 92115.

Sept. 1-3, FAN-OUT IN NY, Airport Marriott, Newark, NJ. A multimedia con. If I'm not in San Diego, likely I'll make this one. Info: Fan-Out, Box 887, Edgewood, MD 21040.

Nov 23-25, '90, DARKOVER GRAND COUNCIL MEETING #13, Baltimore, MD. Info: Armida Council Box 8113, Silver Spring, MD 20907

Aug. 29-Sep 2 '91, CHICON V, Worldcon '91, Chicago. SASE me for info or see the listing in LOCUS or SF Chronicle.

VAMPYRICON: Tristan Alexander ((street address removed), Baltimore, MD 21229) is trying to start a con devoted to vampire literature and needs support. I expect to be a part of it once he has a date and place.