Index

 

This is SKYRACK No.13, dated 5th February 1960 and published by Ron Bennett, 7 Southway, Arthurs Avenue, HARROGATE,Yorkshire, England. 6d per copy, 6 issues for 2/6d. 35 cents in USA (65cents for 6 issues by air), sub scription to Bob Pavlat, 6001-43rd Avenue, Hyattsville, Md. News of interest to fandorn gratefully accepted. Cartoon Ted Forsyth, Contributors: Ken Slater,Ted Carnell, Eric Bentcliffe, Ella Parker, Dick Schultz, Joy Clarke.

PRESS RELEASE ; SCIENCE FICTION CLUB OF LONDON. The 1st Annual General Meeting of the Science Fiction Club of London was held at Inchmery at 5pm on Sunday January 3rd, 1960: The main items on the agenda were the acquiring of club premises: the election of officers - all previous officers were confirmed in their positions: the discussion about a display for the Easter Convention and the production of a combozine for distribution at that Convention. The Combozine will contain new items by all members of the club and will be approximately 30-40 pages in length. Contents will comprise, amongst others, Fan-Bems by Atom, George Locke on certain aspects of book collecting, articles by Paul Enever, Vince Clarke, Ken & Irene Potter, Sandy Sanderson, etc. It will be edited by Ella Parker and will be slanted to be of interest to all types of fan and not solely the ‘fandom’ fan. The funds of the Club are in a gratifyingly healthy state and, as soon as Club premises have been obtained, the intention is to invite more members to join. A search party covered the Waterloo area on Saturday, 9th January and five possible places were discovered. Further research into the matter is being carried out by Vince Clarke.

TAFF CANDIDATES LINE UP FOR “PITTCON PUSH.” Although the TAFF Administrators bowed to fans who thought that not enough was allowed to collect nominations and extended the deadline for nominations accordingly, there were no additional names received after the original deadline of 15th Jan. All three candidates are being supported by 5 wellknown fans, 35/- bonds are in good order and all have signed declarations that they will travel if elected. The fight ís on and the candidates line up as
MAL ASHWORTH, Coeditor of the now defunct BEM. Member OMPA AND FAPA
ERIC BENTCLIFFE, Co-editor of TRIODE. First Secretary BSFA. Member of OMPA. Knight of St.Fantony. Ex-Chairman Liverpool Science Fiction Society (Honorary)
SANDY SANDERSON. Editor of APORRHETA, “Joan W. Carr.” Ex- Editrix FEZ. Treasurer OMPA, Ex-FAPA.

VOTE NOW!!!!!!

KEN SLATER’s January/February book catalogue runs the news from Ed Wood that Astounding is moving up into the 50 cents bracket and is thinking about a title change. Keeping the traditional “ASF” the intended title will be ANALOG SCIENCE FACT FICTION. A rose by any other and all that jazz. # From TED CARNELL comes the news that Nova are putting NEW WORLDS on to the American market. As Ted’s letter also mentioned SKYRACK in capitals, his entire letter follows: “Many thanks for SKYRACK No. 11 which was interesting as usual. It was nice to see that I had been publicly proclaimed as one of the Guests of Honour! Up to now I hadn’t agreed, but now that it is a fait accornpli there’s nothing I can do about it! I’m sorry that I forgot to send you the big news from Nova in time for SKYRACK. Commencing in January there will be an American reprint edition of NEW WORLDS selling  at 25cents, printed and published by Great American Publications Inc. of New York (the same publisher who has also bought FANTASTIC UNIVERSE). Four issues were in their hands for printing before Christmas. The American edition will be some months behind the British and will not run serials for the time being. Such American stories as we have published here will be stripped out and earlier British stories substituted.” Ah, it’s a proud and loncly thing to be a newszinc editor. I ran the news about Ted and Don Ford being Guest’s of Honour at the Convention in good faith. In addition to Ted’s surprise at the announcement, the recent issue of VECTOR made no mention of the fact that TAFF Delegate Don Ford is also Guest of Honour.

TED CARNELL has generously sent along five Nova cover originals for TAFF. These will be auctioned at the Easter Convention, but I’m meanwhile accepting postal bids. For those who don’t understand this weird system, such a postal bid will take an item if it is not augmented at the Convention. The five covers are all by Brian Lewis and Are from New Worlds 71, 74, 79 and 82 (Survival Problem) and Science Fiction Adventures 11 (Forgotten Knowledge) for which particular painting I’ll gladly make thc first bid of ten shillings.

THE LIVERPOOL SCIENCE FICTION SOCIETY’s annual New Year party took place at the home of Norman and Ina Shorrock in Higher Bebington, Cheshire during the weekend of 9th/10th January. The party gathered from several meeting points to the Hanover Bar and afterwards moved on for dinner at the Golden Palace Restaurant (which visiting fans have previously known as The Mandarin’s Palace). Those visiting the city for the first time were shown the LSFS Clubrooms. At the party headquarters vintage Chaplin films were shown amid general merrymaking and the Shorrock holiday films were highly applauded. Brag was played by half a dozen hardies throughout the night in the famed brag stadium, the Shorrock kitchen. Lesser mortals distributed their inert forms about floor (suitably mattressed) and bed. I won’t steal the thunder of Eric Bentcliffe who makes an outrageously true statement in Mi. Sunday morning saw a round table S&C discussion on the forthcoming convention, during which Harrogate fandom and Alan Rispin had to leave. A great party, during which the brag session realised l8/10d for TAFF. Attendees included Pat & Frank Milnes, Stan Nuttall, John Owen, John Roles, Nancy Pooley, Kitty Dowdall, Jeff Collins, Norman Weedall, Pete Daniels, Les Johnson, Eddie Jones, Alan Rispin, Dave Hall, Ken Cheslin, Mal & Sheila Ashworth, Elizabeth Humbey, Eric and Margaret Jones, Frank Herbert, Audrey Eversfield, Keith Freeman, John Humphries, Petcr Mabey, Eric Bentcliffe, Terry Jeeves, Geoff Arnold-Pinchin, Bob Parkinson, Tony Walsh, Wally Johnson and Brother Frank Jaros.

This issue run off whilst listening to UP HERE (BBC Home, 30th January) and mailed off in nine inches of snow.

NORTHLIGHT 8 (Alan Burns, Goldspink House, Goldspink Lane, Newcastle 2; 36 pages). This issue contains a guest editorial by Laurence Sandfield and much of the issue appears to be devoted towards the reopening of the London fan feuds that everyone had hoped were forgotten. Laurence is the latest fan to take arms against Inchmery fandom and speaking personally, I can but deplore the entire business; one of the most pleasant evenings I have spent at Inchmery was on my arrival there for a six week stay last summer - Laurence Sandfield was very much in evidence and it is disheartening, to say the least, to leam of such differences of opinion between people who wore friends of each other and most certainly friends of mine. They still are friends of mine, of course, which makes it all the more sickening. Also present in the issue is an article by Ted Tubb on fanzine editors (he generalises somewhat but makes several good points), a story by the editor and the usual letters. Art is by Jim Cawthorne and Ken McIntyre. In a column, Laurence Sandfield shows that as regards nuclear disarmament he can agree with Inchmery on some things.

VECTOR 6 (This ís the Official Organ of the British Science Fiction Association, which may be joined by sending a year’s subscription, one pound, to the Treasurer, Archie Mercer, 434/4 Newark Road, North Hykeham, Lincoln). Whilst I don’t like to pan a fanzine which has a lot of good points about it, particularly a fanzine produced by the BSFA which has probably had more than its share of criticism during the past 21 months, I must say plainly that the layout of this issue is lousy. There are one or two illustrations from Jim Cawthorne which are up to his usual high standard but otherwise the eye-catching appeal of the issue is not a good advertisement for the Association. Apart from official reports the issue contains an article on de Camp by Mike Moorcock, more first rate analytical reviews by Terry Jeeves on current magazine sf and Doctor Arthur Weir on off trail science fantasy, a short item on sf in Portugal, a film review by Mike Moorcock and an anti-psionics article by Eric Bentcliffe. The issue has its points but it is not up to the standard of previous Vectors.

ORION 24 (Ella Parker, 151 Canterbury Road, West Kilburn, London NW6; 1/; 42 pages). My, but O is rolling in almost as frequently as it did in the Enever days! This issue suffers from overinking in parts (the cover is still wet) and uneven inking in others, but it is still the best of the three fanzines which have so far been produced in British fandom this month. The issue is worth reading for Ella’s editorial alone, but there are also present are a Ken Bulmer TAFF tale, a report of a trip to Russia by Keith Elliot, a John Berry Sergeant story, a personal experience recounted by Archie Mercer, short pieces from Rory Faulkner, Paul Enever and Alan Rispin. Arthur Thomson contributes artwork and blossoms as a fanzine reviewer. There are bits and pieces of excellent Ellania and another good letter column.

Distributed with this issue of SKYRACK are the second issue of Eric Bentcliffe’s mi , a TAFF voting form and a SKYRACK ballot form. It will probably be necessary to leave out the voting form from copies travelling airmail. Please bear with me. Please do vote in the SKY ballot - the more who vote, the truer the representation of opinion. It will interesting to see how British fandom rates in the FANAC poll, also currently being distributed. My thanx to Ella Parker, Eric Bentcliffe and Sandy Sanderson who are also distributing SKY forms. # TRIODE ready to mail out any day. LES SPINGE due 1st March. # The British Museum has a new Principal Keeper of Printed Books, Mr R. A.Wilson. # TAFF voting percentages were Ford 44.65%, Carr 29.60%, Wells 25.75%. # For Eastercon, U.S.fen are invited to send brief taped messages to Eric Bentcliffe to play back in London (47 Alldis St. ,Great Moor, Stockport, Cheshire ) # Miss Elizabeth Humbey, well known attendee of London Symposium and Liverpool New Year party, flew from Manchester 24th Jan to take up residence in USA (c/o Stage Coach Inn, Valrico, Tampa, Florida) # Other moves: Peter Mabey, 10 Wellington Sq., Cheltenham.  Phil Rogers, 5 First Ave., Ashfield, Scunthorpe. Terry & Miri Carr c/o Karen Anderson. Rick Dalton, 70 North Lane, Leeds 8. Bill Donaho 1441 8th St., Berkley 10, Calif. Bruce Pelz & John Trimble  Apt 2, 970 Marview Dr., LA 12. Ron & Daphne Buckmaster, 8 Buchanan St., Kirkcudbright, Scotland. # Ella Parker is compiling an Anthology of ATOM’s work. She asks you to to nominate your favourite cartoon/series/front cover/or filler. Where possible please send original sketches which will be returned after use.Otherwise name source of item, name of zine, date of issue and name and address of editor concerned. Date of publication and price will be announced later. Ella asks that all fnz copy this notice, please. # Dick Schultz sends along a couple of stills from the film JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH which is now on release in London. Blurb reads “fine performances by James Mason as the good and Thayer David as the mad scientist...and it never lets scientific verisimilitude get in the way of telling a good adventure tale" Gee, all that and Pat Boone too. # Ted Forsyth of Edinburgh will be visiting London shortly.His sidekick Joe Patrizio says there is no liklihood of his doing a Barbara Moore to reach the capital. # Cheltenham party 13th Feb. # DIRECTORY OF l959 SF FANDOM - 500 fan addresses 1/9d or 25 cents from Bennett or Bob Pavlat.