This is SKYRACK 58, a September issue published on 2nd October 1963 by Ron Bennett, 17 Newcastle Road, Wavertree, Liverpool 15. 6d per copy, 2/6d. for six issues. 35cents for six issues in the USA (70 cents for 6 issues sent airmail) where subscriptions should be sent to Bob Pavlat, 6001-43rd Avenue, Hyattsville, Maryland. News of interest to sf fans always most welcome. Heading and cartoon are by Coming TAFF Candidate Arthur “Atom” Thomson, the man who told me to say, “This is my new address,” he said movingly.” Contributions by Max Jakubowski, Brian Aldiss, Joan Nicholson, Ethel Lindsay, FAPA, Starspinkle, Terry Jeeves, Tony Walsh, Bruce Burn, Harry Harrison, Ella Parker, George Locke, Lynn Hickman & Ted Ball.

BRIAN FOR JYTOCAWIJA ?

THERE IS A STRONG POSSIBILITY that BSFA President Brian Aldiss will miss next year’s Easter Convention at Peterborough. Brian has been commissioned by Faber & Faber to write a travel book on Jugoslavia, which merry little task will require his spending a six-month period in the Baltic country (or wherever Jugoslavia is). He will be travelling through the country as thoroughly as possible and whereas the actual time of departure has not yet been fixed, it seems likely that it will have to be early in March 1964, which means that Brian will in this case miss the Peterborough weekend which starts on Good Friday, March 27th. Nothing is yet definite and we (Brian and I) merely give you the picture as it stands at the moment. Watch this space for further developments. Brian of course was recently much in the news with the coincidental publication in the same week of Airs of Earth (a collection of his own shorts), The Male Response and the long-awaited anthology More Penguin Science Fiction with which publication Penguin gets up to date - the number of the book is 1963.

FOR THE FIRST TIME SKYRACK MISSED OUT ON REPORTING THE HUGO AWARDS. Ron Ellik’s Starspinkle (9 for 7/6d or 10/- airmail) neatly covered the DisCon and reported that this year Hugos were won by F&SF, The Dragon Masters, Man in the High Castle, artist Roy Krenkel and fanzine Xero. (Sincere congratulations you Lupoffs). There was no award for any drama presentation, but two special awards were made to P. Schuyler Miller and Isaac Asimov. The site for the 1964 WorldCon was won by a walkover by San Francisco and memberships already number nearly 300. Forry Ackerman will be fan Guest of Honour and Guests of Honour will be Ed and Leigh (Brackett) Hamilton. Didn’t  they write a Dean Martin western not so long ago?

NOMINATIONS FOR THE TAFF CAMPAIGN to take a European fan to San Francisco next year are now invited. Write Ron Ellik or Ethel Lindsay. Arthur Thomson has already been nominated, but expected runner Terry Jeeves has had to withdraw because of ill-health, a sad state of affairs. Next time perhaps, Terry...?

FROM THE NEW ADDRESS appearing on the outsides of this issue, it will be realised that we have finally taken up residence in Liverpool for our ten month stay on the west coast. It’s back to Harrogate next summer but in the meantime here we are amongst the bubbling Liverpool Group (anyone for brag?) and the new Mersey- side sound (leggo copper, you think you’re. in Z-Cars or something?). The honour of being the first visitors to our new home fell to Margaret Manson and Brian Aldiss who looked us up even before we arrived. Fred Hunter, from his Shetland pony, suggested that we form a beat group called The Bentles, or the Lizrons, or even the Skyrackets. One never knows.

ARTHUR C. CLARKE was in the Globe 5th September, en route to the States where he will receive on 16th October the 1963 Stuart Ballantine Medal of the Franklin Institute of Philadelphia for “the early concept of the Communication satellite.” Arthur had with him lumps of coral coated bullion salvaged from the coasts of Ceylon and a bag of silver coins from the same source. From Patrick Moore’s BBC TV programme on 10th September, we learned from Arthur that men will be circling the moon in all probability by 1968, perhaps to coincide with the 50th Anniversary of the October revolution. Man may well be on the moon, prophesied Arthur, by 1970 at the outside, should be orbiting Mars in 20 years and even be on Mars in twenty five.

THE FOLLOWING EVENING SAW THE PARKER PALATIAL PENTHOUSE PENITENTIARY a little crowded, for this was the Evening of the Tubb, the MiniCon organised - and so very successfully - by Ted. It was possibly the quietest fannish party I’ve ever been to, with merely sufficient drink, no brag and nothing broken or startling. Intriguing conversation flowed like the martinis and personally I had a great time, Amongst those present were Ted & Iris Tubb, Ron & Liz Bennett, Arthur & Mrs Sellings, Mike Moorcock, Jim Linwood and Marion Lansdale, Jennifer Crowe, Chris Miller, Pat Kearney, George Locke, Peter Mabey, Ted Forsyth, Max Jakubowski, Fred & Ella Parker and several other million worthies whose names I forget. My apologies. I usually make a point of listing names at this sort of gathering but the company was too interesting to break away to hunt a pencil.

MAX JAKUBOWSKI, who has been in this country for the past three years, has suddenly been transferred to some small remote region of continental Europe called Paris. There must be something about the place - John Ramsey Campbell of Liverpool has just spent a week’s holiday there and Pierre Versins is shortly to move there from Switzerland. Max, who will carry on his BSFA work from abroad, has edited the first sf anthology to be published in France. Titled “Loin de Terra” (Donoel 8Frs) this will feature a story by Michael Moorcock and will include material by Harry Harrison, Brian Aldiss, Lee Harding, Ted Tubb, Colin Kapp, Robert Presslie, Jim Ballard, Ken Bulmer and George Locke. And the BRE, Max?

SF FROM THE OUTSIDE department. Simon Dare Award Winner (”The Sea Pearl”) Joan Nicholson from happy Harrogate attended the August Writers’ Summer School at Swanwick, Derbyshire and reports thusly on the BSFA President: “This year there was a strange animal who stood out even amongst the individualists that make up the annual Writers’ Summer School. He was frequently hunted into corners and talked at earnestly, but he didn’t seem to mind. Actually, he glowed with an electric enthusiasm, legs twisted round on chair, spectacles agleam - was it a B.E.M. or T--- B------- who crouched at his elbow? Brian had a marvellous philosophy to put before his audience of writers - if you can’t get rich by writing, get poor by writing and enjoy it. When he heard what some women’s magazines pay per thousand and had picked himself up from the floor, he still stuck to the creed of St. Brian, gave us chapter and verse and carried us along on a wave of personality.”

FAPANS INVADE! Lee Jacobs was in England this past week and Boyd Raeburn is now on a lengthy European tour. Lee, by the way, is merely touring the world.

HYPHEN 34 (Sept 63; Walt & Madeleine Willis, 170 Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast 4, N Ireland; 1/- or l5cents per; 7 for $1) The bacover Lighthouse symbol is a strong indication of what you will find in this issue. Printed on American quarto and accordingly there is little surprise to find the latest chapter, continued from the now defunct and lamented Axe, of Walt’s report of last year’s ChiCon. Of all reports by trans-Atlantic visitors of American conventions, this one ranks second only to that in The Harp Stateside. This issue of Hyphen, The Harp Statesize, is a collector’s must.

VECTOR 21 (Edited for the British Science Fiction Association by Archie Mercer, and published, without crinkly staples this time, by Michael Rosenblum) September 1963 will probably be remembered as a month of travel reports, for here we find Brian Aldiss reporting on the recent Trieste International Fantasy Film Festival. Philip Harbottle writes on the wonder of the hyper-space concept and there are the usual letters and thorough book reviews.

THE SCARR 2 (Aug 63; George Charters, 3 Lancaster Ave., Bangor, N. Ireland) In this the second issue of his anagrammical fanzine, George reveals that he recentIy spent a short time in the USA. Outside contributing punsters this time round are Ian McAulay and John Berry. I think that Ian’s piece was written just so that he could palm off the pun about Vassall.

DAFOE 7 (July-August 1963) comes from John Koning, 318 So. Belle Vista, Youngstown Ohio 44509 “at the ridiculous rate of 4/$1” with which rate I’m inclined to agree. There are few fanzines around these days whose editors can produce with a continued freshness. In a too-short editorial John offers $100 for a copy of Ploy 1, which seems a fair price to me. Len Moffatt writes on Tucker and Gary Deindorfer writes on Koning. Letters and upsidedown fanzine reviews make up a neat issue.

STEFANTASY 52 (Bill Danner, R.D.l, Kennerdell, Pa) The Reader’s Digest of~the fan world - well, it’s pocket sized and printed. Material by Michael Frayn and Colin Freeman (what a duo there) and oodles of humourous pieces which fit Stef into a category .. of one. More, please.

Paid Advert (6d. per line, address free: Circulation of 175)

FOR SALE: One Emgee Portable Rotary Duplicator in good working condition. Included are one box stencils & one tube Emgee ink. Nearest offer to £6 secures. Ethel Lindsay, Secretary SFCoL, 6 Langley Avenue, Surbiton, Surrey. (and, Archie and Colin, there is a full stop after the word “secures.”)

TAFF: The following donations have been made to the present TAFF carnpaign: 1963 Convention Committee £13 0 3d; Peterborough Convention raffle £2 0 6d; Michael Rosenblum £2; Peter Mabey £1 1 3d.; Ted Forsyth £1; Auction, Penitentiary Mini Con l8/9d; Ellis Mills l6/6d; Don Geldart 15/-; Claire Beck, Ken Cheslin 14/- each; Archie Mercer 11/-, Skirt naming competition at 196 3 Convention 11/-; 10/- each from Peter Singleton, Archie Mercer, Anon, Brian Aldiss, Chris Miller, Ella Parker, Dave Barber, Jim Cawthorn, Terry Jeeves, Jimmy Groves, Val Jeeves, Keith Otter, D.G.Small;Ted Carnell 8/-; Ken Slater, Rory Faulkner 7/6 each;Dick Schultz 7/-; SFCoL 5/6d; 5/- each from Bill Banner, Ian McAulay, Ron Bennett, Elizabeth Bennett, E.R.James, Joe Navin, Bruce Burn, Arthur Thomson, Terry Overton; Ellis Mills 2/9d; Anon 2/6 d; Gary Deindorfer 2/-; Pat Kearney 6d; Alan Rispin 2d. The latest TAFF Progress Report is included with this issue of Skyrack as a flier. Note that the deadline for votes in the present campaign is drawing close. October 31st is the day on which votes will be counted (at midnight, mind you!) and on their result depends whether we shall see at next Easter’s convention Marion Bradley, Bruce Pelz or Wally Weber. If you have not already voted, you are urged to do so as soon as possible. VOTING FORMS ON APPLICATION!

ADDRESS CHANGES:
Ted Ball, 324 Bitterne Road, Southampton (until 13 Dec) Lynn Hickman, 500, North St., Hannibal, Missouri, USA.
Maxim Jakubowski,. 22 rue Robert Houdin, Paris 11eme (Seine).

SNIPPETS: Tom Boardman appointed sales manager for publishers in the Purnell group. This includes the "suspended-animation” sf firm Grayson & Grayson. :::: Cinerama’s The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm was scripted by Charles Beaumont :::: Bruce Pelz will pay ca$h for issues of Private Eye. Requires, Jhim &.Jonesy, nos 1-4,6,8,9,12,16,30 & 39. :::: Archie Mercer visiting Yorkshire fans shortly :::: A.J.Budrys, ex-editor of Regency Books in Chicago is now with Playboy. :::: Roberta Rambelli (editor of Galassia) working on anthology of best European sf. Anyone know of Greek or Hungarian stories? :::: Untouched in USA, Harry Harrison’s story from New Worlds and More Penguin SF, The Streets of Askalon will be anthologised in Best British sf collections in France and Italy :::: Part 1 of the Astounding-Analog Index (1930 – 39) is now available from Terry Jeeves (30 Thompson Road, Eccleshall, Sheffield) @ 4/6d :::: SFCoL has a new Ten Pin Bowling Champion. Norman Sherlock beat Ted Forsyth into 2nd place in a two game match in which Don Geldart (ex-champion), Alan Rispin and Ron & Liz Bennett also took part.:::: U.S. Travel Service in London is running 15 days of unlimited air travel in the States for £36 :::: Congratulations mothers and fathers! Ken & Pamela Bulmer recently added to their family with an 8lb boy. Michael & Hilary Moorcock took heart and immediately produced, on 3rd Sept at 10pm, a 6lb 12 oz girl, Sophie.:::: George “Gordon Walters” Locke recently sold 17,000 words to Ziff-Davies :::: Terry Overton paid 10/-. for the copies of Aporrheta recently auctioned here. 50% went to TAFF :::: A few copies of the Fan Directory remain. As of course do copies of Colonial Excursion. Your suggestions on what I do with these latter things would be appreciated.:::: Peterborough 64 registrations now number over 90 :::: Thanks Val & Terry Jeeves for the Eisteddfodcon card. How did the locals enjoy your singing? :::: Strip version of Michael Moorcock’s Elric planned by Fleetway, possibly by Jim Cawthorn :::: SF has hit the bubble gum card world. Wonderful stuff, depicting insects eating people, men burning alive, burning cars falling off the Golden Gate Bridge, men charred by Martians, men crushed to death, giant flies, a tidal wave, removing victims etc etc. All good clean fun. :::: We are greatly indebted to the makers of Cutex Fire Dance nail varnish who provided the stencil correctine for this issue.