444 – ALEX SCHOMBURG AND MOSCON 1
MosCon was a Northwest Fannish Legend (perhaps in its own mind), and Steve takes you back to those “thrilling days of yesteryear,” as The Lone Ranger used to say.
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JOHN C. WINSTON COVER ART
As a follow-up to his 2014 columns about the Winston “juveniles” SF series in the 1950s, Steve today looks at some of the significant covers and cover artists who helped make these books a commercial success, and which also helped spur many young people into reading science fiction.
HOW TO ATTEND A WORLDCON AND MISS EVERYTHING!
For Steve’s 50th year as a convention fan, he wanted to attend the closest one: Seattle 2025, the 83rd World convention. There is always a lot to do at a Worldcon, like panels, awards, parties, multi-track programming, films, get-togethers with old friends, etc. But Steve didn’t really do any of that. Read the column to find out why.
REVIEW — WRITERS OF THE FUTURE, VOL. 41
L. Ron Hubbard started Writers of the Future contest back in the 1980s as a way of encouraging new writers (and later, illustrators) into the genres of science fiction, fantasy and light horror. The 41st collection of stories gleaned from a year’s worth of entries is a really good one. Get it!
CON REPORT: NORWESCON 47
In three years, the venerable Pacific Northwest’s home convention Norwescon will be half a century old, and we attendees likewise fifty years older. Is it worth it? Dang right, it is! Steve describes what goes on there (except for programming. He missed all that stuff.)
BOOK REVIEW – WRITERS OF THE FUTURE VOL 40
It’s been a bit over 40 years since L. Ron Hubbard began the institution Writers of the Future to “pay forward” his success in writing science fiction. In that time, well over 800 writers (and illustrators!) have won awards, most going on to major careers in the field. This week, Steve reviews the 40th volume in the series. And finds it excellent!
THE LAST HARRISON FORD INDY… MAYBE
It is supposed that Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the fifth Indiana Jones movie, will be the last one Harrison Ford will star in. But it’s possible that it will not be. It’s almost certain that there will be more Indy movies, but who will star in them? Only Lucasfilm knows!
NAMETAGS REVISITED (Column 24 redux)
Ah, conventions… and nametags—they go together like ham & swiss cheese! I’ve bookended my convention experiences in a way by showing a 38-year-old Spokon nametag and a new Spocon 2022 tag! Read the column to find out more.
NOT AGAIN! REHASH COLUMN 29 from 2014!
Steve rewrites one of his earlier columns for Amazing (again!) just in case you want to know how he started in this whole “fannish” business. Do you care? Did you read it before?
BOND… THEMES BOND! (Part 2)
Steve finishes his list of, and rating of, 27 James Bond themes and theme songs, throwing in a bunch of related stuff about the films. Bet you can find at least one thing you didn’t already know!
MOSCON 40 (Part 1)!
Forty years ago, Steve (with more than A Little Help From His Friends) created MosCon. And It Was Good. But like the Living Dead, MosCon Returned! Is it Still Good? Read and find out! (Hint: You betcha!)
CONVENTION REVIEW (SORT OF): NORWESCON 42
This week Steve comments at length on a convention he missed most of. He hopes to obfuscate that fact with verbiage.
COLUMN 250 – COLUMN 23 REDUX (STEVE DOES DAVE BARRY)
This week Steve repurposes and re-edits an old column, hoping it will be new to at least some of you. It’s all about conventions and nametags, anyway, so if you’re not interested, go watch the snow or something.
(Ed’s inside joke: No orcas yet…)
R.I.P. REVIEW: “A BOY AND HIS DOG”
In honour of the late Harlan Ellison, Steve deconstructs—without major spoilers—the film “A Boy and His Dog.” It’s not a great film. See whether you agree!
STEVE DOES DAVE BARRY: IT’S COLUMN 29 ALL OVER AGAIN!
Steve rewrites and repeats one of his earlier columns for Amazing just in case you want to know how he started in this whole “fannish” business. Do you care?
OF BOOKS AND FLYING MEN…
This week Steve tells you where to get even MORE GREAT SF/F for next to nothing! And if you were reading this column four years ago you might have read the rest. Just sayin’.
VIEWS & REVIEWS: TV, BOOK and MOVIE (wish I had some news too!)
This week, Steve reviews an SF anthology about Trump’s presidency (!) and gives a hearty “meh!” to Despicable Me 3. Check out his reviews!
MY FANNISH HISTORY REDUX—WORLDCONS and NAMETAGS etc.
Steve tells you where to get a free SF book and revisits/rewrites an old column dealing with Worldcons and nametags and such.
RETRO: OF MOSCON AND HEINLEIN AND VERNA
This week, Steve continues his romp into his past by talking about Robert A. Heinlein, E.E. “Doc” Smith’s daughter, Verna Smith Trestrail; and MosCon 1, back in 1979.
NEW REVIEWS: WENDIG’S “INVASIVE,” SEPT/OCT F&SF and more!
A Book Review and a Magazine Review and a TV Review and an Exhibition Notice! Whoa! Lots going on in this week’s column by Steve! (And what’s with all the caps?)
MOSCON MEMORIES (Misty watercolour ones…?)
MosCon was a Northwest Fannish Legend (perhaps in its own mind), and Steve takes you back to those “thrilling days of yesteryear,” as The Lone Ranger used to say.
FAREWELL TO ANOTHER FRIEND, FANNISH MEMORIES… and STORYBUNDLES!
Another friend gone; Steve mourns Debbie Miller; also New Venture and MosCon reminiscences. And both fiction and non-fiction StoryBundles! Go get ’em!
TWO CLASSICS: H. BEAM PIPER and KEITH LAUMER
Is that a Fuzzy Bolo hanging from your rear view mirror, or are you just a fan of Piper and Laumer?
SECOND LOOKS: MARVEL’S DEADPOOL & ANT-MAN and SOME WORDS ON WRITING
This week Steve takes a second look at Marvel’s two most recent movies, Deadpool and Ant-Man, and finds one much better than the other… but YMMV! Also a couple of tips for writers who may be stuck.
VCON, HOWDERSHELT REVIEW AND MORE ON SELF-PUBLISHING!
This week, Steve hypes his local convention and talks to best-selling ebook writer Ed Howdershelt, plus there’s advice on writing and selling ebooks!
AN ANNIVERSARY and a FUN BOOK (Review): “JUSTICE GIRL”
After congratulating himself on his 40 years doing conventions, Steve discusses a quasi-SF-ish book about superheroes on TV in the 1950s. It’s fun!
BOOK REVIEW: Stephen King’s Mr. Mercedes
Steve examines Stephen King’s new–and unique!–novel, Mr. Mercedes.
MY YEAR IN REVIEW—Looking Backward and Forward!
Steve celebrates his first year of blogging for Amazing Stories online.
SOME OF THE BEST YA SF EVER: The “Winston Juveniles”—Part One
Back in the Good Old (or Bad, depends on your point of view) Days, fiction—especially SF—that was written for a teen audience was called “Juvenile” fiction; I don’t believe any disparagement was meant, or at […]
ACE Doubles and Some Amazing Illustrators Part One
The art work gracing the covers of (most) Ace doubles was credited, another debt we owe Donald A. Wollheim.
About Author
Steve has been an active fan since the 1970s, when he founded the Palouse Empire Science Fiction Association (PESFA) and the more-or-less late MosCon in Pullman, WA and Moscow, ID, though he started reading SF/F in the early-to-mid 1950s, when he was just a sprat. He moved to Canada in 1985 and quickly became involved with chairing or helping run Canadian cons, including ConText (’89 and ’81) and VCON. As a fan, he’s published a Hugo-nominated (one nomination) fanzine, New Venture, and he’s founded two writing groups (Writers’ Bloc and Writers of the Lost, Ink). He’s emceed and auctioned art at many West Coast and Northwest conventions including one Westercon. As a writer, he’s published a couple of books and a number of short stories (including one in Compostella [Tesseracts 20], and has collaborated with his two-time Aurora-winning wife Lynne Taylor Fahnestalk on a number of art projects. As of this writing he’s the proofreader for R. Graeme Cameron’s Polar Borealis and Rhea Rose’s Polar Starlight publications. He’s been writing for Amazing Stories off and on since the early 1980s. His column can be found on Amazing Stories most Fridays.
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