Under the direction of HILOBROW editor Joshua Glenn, the MIT Press’s RADIUM AGE series is reissuing notable proto-sf stories from the underappreciated era between 1900–1935.
“If we look at the volumes in the Radium Age series, we quickly see how relevant these books are, and continue to be. There’s dystopia, there’s totalitarianism, there’s nuclear war, there’s population control, there’s violent nationalism. But there’s also love, and resistance, and hope and humor. So we are very much in the same space as these books now in our present. And these books, if anything, often tell us more about where we are now in our current societal development compared to contemporary science fiction, which tries to imagine our far tomorrows.” — Bodhisattva Chattopadhyay, interview with Strange Horizons (June 2024)
“I believe in the importance of science fiction and fantasy to inform, explore and challenge society: where it is now,where it has been, and where it might go.” Alexandra Pierce
Alexandra Pierce has been reading science fiction and fantasy since childhood. She did time as a book reviewer for ASiF! (Australian Speculative Fiction in Focus) and Strange Horizons, and currently reviews for Locus Magazine as well as on her own blog. For a decade she was one third of the Hugo Award-winning podcast Galactic Suburbia. Alex co-edited two award-winning books, both with Australian indie publisher Twelfth Planet Press: Letters to Tiptree and Luminescent Threads: Connections to Octavia E Butler.
In January 2024 Alexandra launched Speculative Insight, publishing two essays a month about issues and themes in science fiction and fantasy. Born in Adelaide, Alex grew up in Darwin, moved to Melbourne for uni, and now lives in Ballarat.
In person: we are meeting once more at Kappy’s, 1/22 Compton St, Adelaide. Turn up at 6:15 for a 6:30pm start on Wednesday, October 16th.
Zoom details for Critical Mass Oct 16, 2024 6:30pm Adelaide, 7pm Melbourne/Sydney
Simon & Schuster have started selling epubs of short stories in their Start Classics series, as we can see in their selection of Walter M. Miller shorts.
Stableford produced so much that it is worth looking at the bibliographies at the above sites. The Wikipedia entry has links to interviews with BMS. Because they are done at different times you get sketches of the development of his career at different stages. It also has an excellent bibliography.
Because there is so much, yes, I am suggesting you can do your own research.
E. PUBLISHERS:
Places where Stableford’s books can be found. Mainly e-books, some are only available in print formats.
Not the most easy access to find Stableford’s books. It’s a long way down to the letter ‘S’ and there are lots of other authors with names beginning with an ‘S’. This is where you can find Sherlock Holmes and the Vampires of Eternity (2009). Only available in paperback. But it’s worth it.
It also lists his anthologies and translations (which they call ‘adaptations’).
Snuggly Books:
Again you have to work down to S for Stableford. The only place for some of his last books. Plus anthologies and translations. A curiosity publisher. A title like Snuggly Tales of Femme Fatales feels simultaneously wrong and yet so perversely right.
F. A note about BMS:
Brian Stableford has been writing for fifty years. His fiction includes include eleven novels and seven short story collections in a series of “tales of the biotech revolution”; a series of metaphysical fantasies set in Paris in the 1840s, featuring Edgar Poe’s Auguste Dupin, most recently The Cthulhu Palimpsest; A Romance of Termination (2024); and a series of supernatural mysteries set in an artist’s colony, recently The Pool of Mnemosyne (2018). Recent novels independent of any series include Vampires of Atlantis (2016) and The Tangled Web of Time (2016). He also translates antique works from the French, with particular interests in the Symbolist and Decadent Movements, roman scientifique and the fantastique.
(Included to give a sense that Stableford was more than simply a science-fiction writer.)
G. Notes:
It is a quirk of my nature that give titles to talks like this; a way of putting things into one place conceptually. There are two jokes therein, well, sort of jokes. More like bits of irony. Another of my quirks.
“The impish demon known as Beetlejuice has been dead for centuries, but he’s enjoyed a pretty long life in popular culture….. Even so, I wasn’t hankering for a sequel to the Burton movie, which might have turned out to be just another fan-servicing, nostalgia-milking cash grab.
Fortunately, there isn’t a whiff of cynicism to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Burton shows real affection for the first film’s characters and genuine curiosity about how they’re doing three decades or so later. Winona Ryder is back as Lydia Deetz, who escaped Beetlejuice’s clutches as a teenager; now she’s a paranormal expert with her own talk show.
Lydia has long since buried the hatchet with her artist stepmother, Delia — the sublime Catherine O’Hara. But she’s having a tougher time with her own teenage daughter, Astrid — that’s Jenna Ortega from the show Wednesday, whose creators, Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, wrote this movie.
When Lydia’s father dies suddenly, the family reunites at their old Connecticut home for the funeral. It’s here that Lydia accidentally winds up summoning Beetlejuice, thanks in part to her sleaze of a fiancé, played by Justin Theroux. With a sudden whoosh, Beetlejuice is back — played by Michael Keaton with the same messy green hair, rotting teeth and mischievous streak as before.” — Justin Chang, from NPRs Fresh Air, writing about the movie in Beetlejuice is back, in a supernatural screwball sequel
“Juice … is a work of dystopian fiction, which is a sub-genre of science fiction. You heard that right: Tim Winton has written a science fiction novel. Moreover, he has embraced many of the genre’s conventions. It is exciting to see a writer of Winton’s longevity doing something new. His attempt to break new ground will be reason enough for many readers to pick up this book.
Climate change and the future
The novel is set hundreds of years in the future. Climate change has rendered large parts of the globe uninhabitable. The narrator lives with his mother in a remote outpost halfway up Australia’s west coast, where it is too hot to go outside during the day, so most activities are conducted during the night or early morning. In the summer, they must live underground for months at a time.
Much of what we would regard as modern technology has been erased by the collapse of civilisation, for reasons now mostly forgotten. However, the narrator learns that some of the powerful families from the 21st century have retained this technology and used it to retreat into hidden fortresses. He joins a resistance movement with the mission to wipe these families from the earth.”
Jeff Goldblum plays Zeus in this take on Greek Gods in the modern world. There is love, justice and vengence in this story of Riddy (Euridice, played by Aurora Perrineau) and Orpheus (Killian Scott). You’re probably familiar with the story, but this version includes bars, pubs and modern times — Orpheus is a rock star! Not to mention Poseidon, who’s known to turn up unexpectedly in your bathtub!
The September Nova Mob meeting will be a shared general discussion about the WorldCon experiences for all members, especially those who travelled to Glasgow and including those who plugged in, to share stories, insights, and highlights from the convention.
That’ll be on Wednesday, 4 September.
4 Sep 2024 – Nova Mob discussion: Glasgow Worldcon
Mob discussion in person and on Zoom, recapping the Glasgow WorldCon by some who were there and others who followed events from afar.
Hoping some of the Mob members still travelling after WorldCon and Eurocon can dial in too.
Invitation – Nova Mob discussion recapping the 2024 WorldCon
Please share this invitation with like-minded friends and fans
Face to face: You are invited to an in-person Nova Mob meeting at: Wednesday 4 September 2024 8.00pm – 9.15pm Melbopurne or so (7:30pm Adelaide time), first floor Conference Room Kensington Town Hall 30 – 34 Bellair St, Kensington Melbourne VIC 3031
By Zoom – simulcast For those who prefer not to travel or are unable to attend face-to-face. Zoom session broadcast from the Kensington Town Hall. Questions or comments typed into the Zoom chat will be discussed and you’ll have as much airtime as the other Mob members at the venue. Wednesday 4 September 2024 8.00pm – 9.30 pm Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney time 7.30pm – 9.00pm Adelaide time Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4177583193?pwd=VjdPL1BhSTBNclN2YnRsejN3Y1hlUT09 Passcode: nova Meeting ID: 417 758 3193
Pre-Mob dining – at the Doutta Galla Hotel
The usual pre-Mob location in Newmarket Doutta Galla Hotel, 339 Racecourse Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3031, Australia
Table for 8 booked under the name of the Nova Mob Book Discussion group also Murray, 6.15pm for 6.30, through to 8.00pm
💥 💥 💥
Reflections on the August meeting
Terry Frost’s talk on the Marvel Cinematic Universe had 15 people at the discussion, 7 in person and 8 in the Zoom videoconference mode. Terry had full notes because he’s decided to re-use his talk at a forthcoming Terry Talks Movies. For those who missed it or want to re-live the experience, here’s the link to Terry’s Youtube channel at which his talk will appear Real Soon Now: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG3hwNZQ6FyrJVyE50fUqRQ
With 34 movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Terry’s Honourable Mentions included Thor, and the Guardians of the Galaxy, and it turns out each of the various phases has a “strongly recommended” movie, and across the MCU are found films of most genres and styles. Thanks again Terry!
On technical matters, we tried a different room layout – which worked well – and the new audio system also worked well, it was a much more pleasant listening experience.
SF Commentary
Bruce Gillespie reports – “The response to SF Commentaries 115 to 117 has been so satisfactory that I’ve received five new articles in the last two weeks, with another promised (but probably not for a while). With incoming letters of comment and a packed reviews column from Colin and Anna Steele, I really should produce the next issue right now. I had been hoping for a fan-editor’s holiday!”
The Internet Archive has several collections of pulp and other magazines. Here is a link to their collection of F&SF, which has almost 600 items. Why is 1959’s Vol 17 No 2 the most-read issue?
Friends, out-of-town guests, and new arrivals – you are always welcome and have an open invitation to the Mob’s face-to-face and Zoom meetings. First time arrivals – free. Otherwise a $5 donation for expenses please. Face-to-face meetings are at the Kensington Town Hall: https://activemelbourne.ymca.org.au/venues/kensington-town-hall Face to face, the Kensington Town Hall has ample parking and excellent disability access. Newmarket Railway Station is 15 minutes travel from Flinders St Station on the Craigieburn line. By tram it’s via the Route 57 and by bus it’s the #83. Other bus routes via Metlink Journey Planner. Please don’t attend if you have symptoms that could be SARS-2 COVID 19. Our COVID-safe Plan is available, please email me for a copy.
The Adelaide Fan Review 
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