This is SKYRACK number 75 published on 28th February 1965 by Ronald M. Bennett at 52 Fairways Drive, Forest Lane, Harrogate, Yorkshire, England. 6 issues 7 for 2/6d (35¢ in USA; 70¢ for 6 issues sent airmail). United States representative, to whom subscriptions may be sent, is Robert “Buck” Coulson, Route 3, Wabash, Indiana 46992. News of interest to sf fans is always most welcome. The cartoon this issue is by the only fan outside Liverpool who played brag with all picture cards wild and who lived to tell the tale. Skyrack is very short on sf-slanted cartoons and contributions are invited. Contributions this issue are by George Locke, Alan Dodd, Ethel Lindsay, Des Squire, Ratatosk, Gray Hall, Charles Platt, Ken Cheslin and Peter Weston. And yes, the cartoon is by Arthur Thomson.

DOCTOR ARTHUR ROSE WEIR MEMORIAL AWARD -----
VOTE FOR TERRY JEEVES

CHAS. PLATT THROWS PARTY – FANS LEAVE LONDON

CONGRATULATION ARE DUE TO ALAN RISPIN, British fandom’s leading travelling giant, who this week marries miss Linda Crowe in Newcastle-upon-Tyne where Alan, one-time fan representative of High Irlam, Manchester, is at present studying. Close friends of Alan, Bette Woodhead, Don Geldart and George Locke, drove up to Newcastle from London on Saturday 27th February for an impromptu overnight party, calling in to the  editorial offices en route before being frightened away by a wild and growling junior Bennett. By sheer coincidence on the same day Charles Platt was throwing a house-warming party in London’s Notting Hill area, all fans everywhere being invited. Which makes the above headline the most deliberately misleading of Skyrack’s existence.

FAPA USED TO BE CALLED “The place where old fans go to die.” Some members appear to be going to lengths to change this image. Recently Rick Sneary proposed that members and ex-members of the Cult be barred from FAPA, which left many fans wondering whether this was or was not a joke and which resulted in the Cult (the 13 strong .American apa with an editorially rotating fanzine) making all FAPAns honorary members, a very neat touch.

FOR SALE. 2/- each: Penguin Books: Three to Conquer (E.F.Russell), The Outward Urge (Wyndham & Parkes), Penguin Science Fiction (Aldiss): Also Arthur C. Clarke’s The Challenge of the Spaceship (Ballantine pb, slightly thumbed @ 1/6.

US editions of Fantasy & SF, all fairly good to good. June, July, Oct, Dec 63; Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, June, July, Aug 64. 2/- each.

SKYRACK’S ANNUAL COMPETITION produced a record number of entries, listing programme items for the 2065 Galactic SF Convention, the LonCon XVI. The price of a year’s subscription to Skyrack and 3½d in cash is awarded once again to Tony Walsh whose following entry was judged outstanding by the panel of experts (Colin Freeman and myself):

“The Convention Committee wishes to remind members that they are limited to the top seventy-one stories only of the hotel.
The Second Day’s Programme:-
9.30am. The Cruellest Crater. A one act play by the Lunar City SF Group.
11.00 am. Presentations of the Doc Weir Award, the Archie Mercer Award, the Ethel Lindsay Seal and the Ron Bennett Cup.
11.30 am. talk. The New Found Power of the Imagination by S. Claus.
12.00. Lunch.
12.05 pm. B.S.F.A. A.G.M. (Shareholders only)
2.30 pm. Speech. One Hundred Years a Fan. by G.O.H. Gavin Shorrock.
3.30 pm. Grand Auction. Items include the collected originals of the forty-seven major works of Brian Aldiss, a dirty bathrobe, one crate of Chateau Shorrock ’87, Lang Jones’ Typewriter (retaining price 17,500 new crowns).
? Dinner.
8.00 pm. Costume Carnival. This year come as: My Favourite Natural Phenomenon. (Note: Robot substitution forbidden)

AND SO TO THIS YEAR’S CONVENTIONS. First on the agenda is the BSFA National Convention which will be held over Easter Weekend at the Midland Hotel, New Street, Birmingam. Booking forms have now been distributed and copies (and/or further con details) may be obtained from Ken Cheslin, 18 New Farm Road, Stourbridge, Worcs. Single rooms run 52/6 per night (68/- with private bathroom).Double rooms are 90/- per night (117/6 with bath). But, nota bene, there will be thirty percent reduction on these prices if more than 75 conventioneers book. There will be a 10% service charge on top of these rates, and no tipping. Guest of Honour is Harry Deathworld Harrison and it is expected that the programme will include showing of When Worlds Collide, Forbidden Planet and 12 episodes of a Captain Marvel serial. It is extremely unlikely that the Skyrack editorial staff will be present at the Brumcon and in order to give the event the full coverage it deserves volunteer reporters are in urgent demand.

EUROPEAN FANDOM is expected to be present in force for the World Convention to be held in London over the August bank holiday weekend, the last weekend in the month remember - we’d hate you to have to wait four weeks in an empty hotel. Expected attendees are Axel Melhardt and ten fellow travellers from Austria, Tom Schluck, Wolfie Thadewald, Gary Klupfel, Horst Evermann, Waldemar Kumming, Mario Kwiat, Walter Ernsting, Thea Grade and Rolf Gindorf from Germany, from which country will also travel American exiles George Scithers, George O Smith and Dave Samuelson (at present researching on a Fulbright Scholarship) and from Czechoslovakia is expected Dr. Josef Nesvadba who gave at last year’s PacifiCon what was termed by many to be the most interesting talk of the weekend.

Ballot papers are rolling in steadily for the annual. assessment, the Skyrack poll. If you haven’t already voted then let’s be hearing from you....yes?

BUMBLIE 2 (John Barfoot, 212 Scrogg Road, Walker, Newcastle-upon-Tyne 6;) This 17 page PADSzine is entertaining enough with fiction, reviews and an interesting sf quiz.

SCOTTISHE 38 (Ethel Lindsay, Courage House, 6 Langley Ave., Surbiton, Surrey; 23pp; 1/9 or 50¢) I still don’t see why there is this fantastic different in rates between UK and US subscriptions on single copies (5 copies cost $1 or 7/6, a slight different with the favouring working in reverse), but Scotty is probably worth the higher price anyway. Outstanding is Brian Varley’s column, an inspiration to lesser fanzine writers in its object lesson of sheer entertainment and a brilliant item if only (but for much more) for the fact that it rates more highly than the very well continued Warblings fan history column by Walt Willis, no easy task. Walt and Brian are well backed up by the good lady Lindsay herself and by Athur Thomson’s usual qualitative artwork. now we only need to teach Ethel to spell words like “Existence,” “contributor,” and “its” for us to have a truly focal point.

HYDRA 5 (Nov 64; Peter Campbell, 3 Market Place, Cockermouth, Cumberland; 5/- per year or letters of comment; 20pp) Some interesting and lively letters take pride of place here, with some sensible book reviews by David Orme close behind.

CON 2 (Christopher M. Priest, “Cornerways,” Willow Close, Doddinghurst, Brentwood, Essex; 30pp; Free on request, an unusual state of affairs) When Con’s first issue appeared last year I mentioned it but briefly and did not review it, believing that it was possibly kinder not to do so. The first issue, I felt, was competent enough but it was slim and hackneyed a zine. I feel that it is only fair to mention this fact, for no lesser an authority than Walt Willis wrote of the issue in glowing terms when he reviewed it, which proves something. Very probably just how much reliance one can place on subjective judgment. I am certain that we shall agree that there is much that is enjoyable and worthwhile in this latest issue, particularly the very refreshing editorial personality of which we have many glimpses, a good if questionable story by Terry Bishop and excellent artwork by Dick Howett.

VECTOR 30 ( Jan 65; the official organ of the BSFA, edited by Roger Peyton). Roger keeps up his attainment record in producing readable and attractive Vectors and in addition to the usual official business, reviews and letters, there is a welcome, return column from Ken Slater and an interesting but rather sketchy review of sf concepts. Ed Mackin contributes to the “Author's Lot” series and Dr. Peristyle produces his most mature offering to date. With Vector comes:
TANGENT 1, a fanzine of fiction by fans. Available to non-BSFA members at 1/-. No further comment from me here. When it comes to fan fiction I am prejudiced.

ALIEN 12 (Jan 65; Charles Partington, 2 Matlock Ave., and Harry Nadler, 5 South Mesnefield Rd., both addresses being followed by: Lower Kersal, Salford 7, Lancs. 1/3; 6 issues 7/6) The mixture very much as before from this fanzine of horror, the macabre, monster movies and allied subjects. Such, perhaps, as the flying saucers, which appear here both in print and in one of the most fascinating fanzine illustrations seen for years.

THE GRYPHON 14 (Dec/Jan; John Foyster. Address overleaf) Some thirty pages of Australian news, views and chitchat in a fanzine which improves steadily issue by issue. With this issue is a 42 page flier, Canto 1, edited by ex-fan-turned-pro-turned-ex-pro-turned-fan, Lee Harding, Olinda Rd., The Basin, Victoria, Australia, a fanzine of very varied interests with a good quality of style and reproduction. Undoubtedly the best fanzine to emerge from Australia for some time.

CHANGES OF ADDRESS:
Keith and Wendy Freeman, 2 Walmer Close (off Servern Way), Tilehurst, Reading.
John Foyster, PO Box 57, Drouin, Victoria, Australia.
Bob Lichtman, Box 1226, Berkeley, California 94701, USA.

SNIPPETS: John Phillifent has published a non-sf novel, The Lonely Man, in the Boardman crime series ::: Colin Freeman thinks that I should have been disqualified from the 8th Nov 1964 centenary celebrations competition as I was the only competitor actually there on 8th November 1864. Oh, come now; I get enough of that gag at school. Surely I’m too young for it to have permeated into fandom? ::: Following time lost because of snow, secretary Charles Smith’s move to Bury St. Edmund (as George Locke would say, “We come to bury St. Edmund, not to ....”) and an accident which laid low director Ivor Mayne, the London cine enthusiasts Group ’65, have shelved their Worldcon feature film, Nightworld. There is the possiblity of a shorter epic being made for the Worldcon. This rounds off a fairly ghastly time for the younger London element (younger as an element and not necessarily as individual members, please note), considering their recent ill-fated venture concerning the renting of a club house. Let’s trust that their bubbling enthusiasm can be well harnessed to other, more successful, ventures. ::: Ratatosk, Bruce Pelz’ up and coming newszine, recently reported that Dorothy “Rory” Faulkner suffered a stroke on 28th January. She has recovered sufficiently to sit up but parts of her mouth and tongue are paralyzed. Her many friends in this country will, I am sure, join in wishing Rory a rapid and complete recovery ::: Following the ground-work put in by A.E. van Vogt last mid-summer on the idea of a sf writers’ protection society, there now seems to be getting off the ground,  reports our inside man Gordon Walters, a body known as the Science Fiction Writers of America. An introductory circular has appeared from Damon Knight informing would be members of a bimonthly bulletin and urging them to join the society. Subs are $3 per year. ::: John F. Burke was interviewed on the BBC’s Light Programme Roundabout on 10th Feb, revealing that to write a book of the film, of which he has produced several of late, takes him all of a fortnight ::: A group flight to the August LonCon II is being planned for those Statesiders who wish to get together on the project. Heralding the idea is Judy Blish who may be asked from details at 202 Riverside Drive, New York City 10025. ::: This issue is for Rory, a young and zestful femme-fan extraordinaire, who, in 1957, gave us a new slant on life.