R. I. P. Joanna Russ

Locus reports the sad news that Joanna Russ has died. Although she hadn't written much in recent years, she was an important voice in sf during a turbulent and transformative time.

She is the author of a number of works of science fiction, fantasy and feminist literary criticism such as How to Suppress Women's Writing, as well as a contemporary novel, On Strike Against God, and one children's book, Kittatinny. She is best known for The Female Man, a novel combining utopian fiction and satire. It used the device of parallel worlds to consider the ways that different societies might produce very different versions of the same person, and how all might interact and respond to sexism.

The Song of Phaid the Gambler (1981)

Cover by Tim White

Rebel leader and rock 'n' roll roué Mick Farren is offering fans a free download of his novel The Song of Phaid the Gambler (1981). So treat your eye-bulbs to some counterculture coolness as Phaid pursues the psychedelic odyssey that seems to be the fate of so many of Farren's protagonists. "Witty, unique, hard-boiled." - Norman Spinrad

Science Fiction Dictionary

Cover art by Ric Binkley

"Special thirteen-page feature published in Travelers of Space: An Anthology of Life on Other Worlds (Gnome Press, 1951), edited by Martin Greenberg."

A short but handy sf lexicon from the 1950's by Martin Greenberg, David A. Kyle and Samuel A. Peeples. Here are some sample entries.

Blaster — SF term for hand weapon. Also descriptive of tools for mining operations on alien worlds employing atomic energy or disintegration. The variety of hand weapons is endless, mostly described as "ray guns" ranging from deadly "rays" (usually hard radiation) to sonic disturbance. A sonic-blaster destroys the molecular balance, adjustable to kill or maim; a heat-blaster employs direct or sympathetic radiation; a disintegrator totally destroys matter by molecular dissemination. Particulary [sic] vivid use of ray guns is found in Maza of the Moon by Otis Adelbert Kline (Chicago 1930) and in the "Lensmen" series by Dr. E. E. Smith. (See: DISINTEGRATOR; WEAPONS)

Space-Warp — An SF theory of space divided into strata or vectors. With such overlapping divisions artificial fields of force in opposition are created. By draining the energy of one while in the other, a vehicle might theoretically achieve stupendous propulsion, and by shifting from one field to another gigantic leap-frog maneuvering might be feasible, thus exceeding the speed of light by reducing the normal light distances. Details of space-warps in free flight are dealt with by Dr. E. E. Smith in his "Skylark" series. (See: FORCE-FIELD)

Time Travel — In SF, the transportation of any person or thing into the past or future. An extremely popular SF theme, filled with paradoxes. The methods of travel involve everything from machines and chemicals to incantations. A unique study of various time theories in SF form is offered in The Omnibus of Time by Ralph Milne Farley (Los Angeles 1950). Examples of time travel stories are collected in Travelers in Time edited by Philip van Doren Stem (N.Y. 1947). Portrait of Jennie by Robert Nathan (N.Y. 1940) is a poetic time travel story without explanations— yet explainable by "overlap ping time phases." (See: DIMENSIONS; DOPPLER EFFECT; LORENTZ-FITZGERALD CONTRACTION; PREHISTORIC; TIME MACHINE)

[via the Internet Archive]

Final Countdown

Chernobyl Catastrophe

Even as we arrive at the 25th anniversary of the the catastrophic failure of the Chernobyl reactor, it is reported that the concrete storage containers holding the damaged nuclear fuel rods from the 1979 disaster at Three Mile Island are crumbling. The danger from nuclear power spans generations, as this Democracy Now! report makes clear.. If you live in the US you can use this interactive Nuclear Reactor Accident Evacuation Zone map to see if you live in a danger zone. I'm afraid it will take a disastrous failure near a major metropolis, which might well be rendered uninhabitable, before our society quits playing this deadly game of nuclear roulette.

Mystery Science Radio #17

"This one is epic. We're joined by Reality's Frank live in the control room at the Yellow Submarine."

Drycleaning Episode


This is one of the best episodes so far. Highlights include an 80's Doctor Who song, a Jazz Age-style cover of "MacArthur Park," a quiz involving Cthulhu, and King Missile performing "Detachable Penis," which of course made me think of that unforgettable first line from John Varley's Steel Beach (1992). '"In five years, the penis will be obsolete," said the salesman.'

The Adventures of Superman

The Atom Man Part 17
The Atom Man Part 18
The Atom Man Part 19
The Atom Man Part 20