Table of Contents, February 1986
This is the scanned Table of Contents for the issue, embedded as a PDF. It is searchable and includes all of the titles reviewed in the month. These issues are not available digitally yet, but most can be ordered by contacting the Locus offices. Locus-ToC-1986-02
1985s A Record Year in SF………. p.1
Book Summary
Magazine Report
Recommended Reading
Cinema Summary
Editorial Matters………………… 3
John Silbersack New NAL Editor……. 4
Greetings from China………………4
Philip K. Dick Award Nominees…….. 4
Radical Changes at Collins……….. 4
The Data File……………………. 4
Clarion Call West………………… 5
Alien Fungus & Invisible Ink……… 5
World Fantasy Awards Judges Announced.5
Aboriginal SF Magazine…………….5
1985 Preliminary Nebula Ballot……. 5
People & Publishing……………….7
Agent’s Corner, Richard Curtis……. 9
Moons & Stars & Stuff, Fritz Leiber..11
Locus Looks at Books, Faren Miller…13
Locus Looks at More Books,
Debbie Notkin………………….15
Locus Looks at More Books, Dan Chow..17
1985 Recommended Reading List……. 26
Convention Listings…………….. 28
Son of Along Publishers Row……… 30
Magazines Received— December…….. 31
Books Received— December………… 32
Classified Ads…………………..40
Bestseller Lists…………….. 44
Obituaries: Rene Barjavel,
Roy Hunt,
Christopher Isherwood,
Banks H. Mebane, Alex Austin,
Buddie Jacoby Eva n s ………… 46
Locus Letters……………………46
ISSUE #301 ‘ VOL 19, NO. 2 • FEBRUARY 1986 Mailing date: January 24,1986
ISSN-0047-4959
EDITOR & PUBLISHER
Charles N. Brown
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Faren Miller
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Donna Burriston
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Carolyn F. Cushman
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Norman Spinrad
Richard Curtis
Fritz Leiber
Debbie Notkin
Dan Chow
Locus, ISSN-0047-4959, The Newspaper of the
Science Fiction Field, is published monthly by LOCUS
PUBLICATIONS. Editorial address: 34 Ridgewood
Lane, Oakland, CA 94611; telephone (415) 339-9196.
Please send all mail to Locus Publications, P.O. Box
13305, Oakland, CA 94661.
Individual copies are $2.50. Individual subscriptions in
the U.S. are $24.00 for 12 issues, $45.00 for 24 issues
via second class mail. Individual subscriptions in
Canada are $27.00 for 12 issues, $51.00 for 24 issues
via second class mail. First class individual subscriptions
in the U.S. or Canada are $32.00 for 12 issues,
$61.00 for 24 issues. Individual overseas subscriptions
are $27.00 for 12 issues, $51.00 for 24 issues via
sea mail. Individual subscriptions to Europe or South
America via air mail are $45.00 for 12 issues, $85.00
for 24 issues. Individual subscriptions to Australia,
Asia, or Africa via air mail are $50.00 for 12 issues,
$95.00 for 24 issues. Institutional subscriptions are
$3.00 extra per year. Make all checks payable to
Locus Publications. All subscriptions, including
Canadian, are payable directly in U.S. funds only. When
converting from second class to first class delivery,
please convert all remaining issues on your present
subscription (75c per issue). The number after your
name on the mailing label is that of the last issue on
your present subscription. We do not send notices
when subscriptions are about to expire. If you change
your address, please notify us immediately. Second
class mail is not usually forwarded. It is either returned
or destroyed. We subtract one issue from your subscription
for each returned copy. We keep expired
addresses on file for one year, so tell us if your
subscription is a renewal or completely new.
British Subscription Agent:
Fantast (Medway) Ltd.
P.O. Box 23, Upwell
Wisbech, CAMBS PE14 9BU
Japanese Subscription Agent:
Takumi Shibano
700 Ninomiya Ninomiya-machi
Naka-gun Kanagawa-ken
259-01 Japan
Subscriptions accepted at current exchange rate.
Display advertising rates on request. Contact Donna
Burriston at (415) 339-3182.
Booksellers discounts available.
We take no responsibility for unsolicited submissions.
Contents copyright Cc> 1986 by Locus Publications.
Second class postage paid at Oakland, California.
Postmaster: Send address changes to Locus Publications,
P.O. Box 13305, Oakland, CA 94661.
December is a quiet month. Nothing
much seems to happen and it should have
been a perfect time to catch up. Unfortunately,
the whole world, including
us, slows down in December, and January
started with us as far behind as usual.
The last issue went out a week late
because our printer closed before
Christmas. We got calls and letters
from people who were worried or annoyed
they didn’t get the magazine on their
usual day. It’s nice to feel wanted,
but please wait next time. The post
office works in uncertain ways. During
December, it took an average of a week
for first class mail to arrive from New
York. One of our subscribers got his
October issue in late December. We’ll
gladly replace second class issues if
they’re more than three weeks late and
first class issues if they’re more than
a week late. Our average mailing date
is the 24th of the month, with a three
day leeway on both sides.
This issue is shorter than usual.
The size is determined by the number of
ads we get — we add an extra page of
text for each one over our minimum. We
had fewer than usual (a common problem
in January) and had to cut text. There
were photo features on my October trips
to Europe which are now too dated and
will not appear. We had convention
reports from various correspondents.
We’ll try to run some next issue, but
others, including an interesting piece
on Bouchercon, will have to stay unpublished.
We have feature interviews on
hand on David Brin, Katherine Kurtz,
Dwight V. Swain and Howard Brown, and
Barbara Hambly.
LOCUS POLL & SURVEY
Please return the poll and survey by
April 1. We will give a free issue to
subscribers of record, if you attempt
to fill out both sides — you don’t
have to nominate in all categories, but
please don’t leave everything blank.
Photocopied forms are fine, and we’ll
count ballots from others who read your
copy, but only one free copy per subscriber.
HUGO AWARDS
Last issue, we ran two letters urging
readers to nominate and vote for Judy-
Mayfair Games…………………… 32
MGA Services…………………….38
Phantasia Press………………….14
Scream/Press……………………. 34
Signet………………………. 18,19
Stith, John…………………….. 36
Tor……………………. 10,35,37,52
Questar………………………… 21
Lynn del Rey for the editor’s Hugo. I
certainly agree. The editor’s Hugo has
always been dominated by magazine editors
even though others are eligible.
Don Wollheim of DAW also belongs on the
ballot, as does Lou Aronica for the
marvelous job he’s done at Bantam.
There are also a number of outstanding
editors of anthologies; see our recommended
list for these. On the magazine
side, Shawna McCarthy did a fine job in
her last year at Asimov’s and deserves
a nomination.
As for other categories, I hope you
vote for Locus. We think last year was
our best year yet. Locus gets accused
of unfairly dominating the semi-professional
Hugo because of its circulation,
which is higher than all the other
nominees combined. Obviously, we think
our circulation is high because we’re
the better magazine.
Unfortunately, I don’t get to read
much science fiction anymore. There
just doesn’t seem to be time. I start
a lot of books, get distracted, and
don’t go back to them. I have to be
caught up in the plot and ideas right
away. My favorites last year were EON
by Greg Bear and BETWEEN THE STROKES OF
NIGHT by Charles Sheffield for ideas,
FOOTFALL by Niven and Pournelle as a
page-turner, and THE CAT WHO WALKED
THROUGH WALLS by Robert A. Heinlein for
both. I’ve always been a sucker for
Heinlein, and I guess I’m too old to
change now.
CORRECTIONS
AFTER THE FLAMES, edited by Elizabeth
Mitchell (Baen), was not an original
anthology. The stories appeared earlier
in magazines.
Rebecca Meluch complained bitterly
that my offhand comment of “terrorists
in space” on her book JERUSALEM FIRE
proved I hadn’t read it. She’s right.
I only glanced through it. I apologize
for the cheap shot.
COLLATING
Mailing help was scarce last month —
it was the Friday after Christmas.
Special thanks to Carol Day, Connie
Buchanan, Ellen Leverenz, plus Carolyn,
Faren, and Donna, for last-minute help.
Proofreading was by Karen Haber.
______________________________ — C .N . Brown
LOCUS February 1986 / 3
THE NEWSPAPER OF THE SCIENCE F IC T IO N FIELD
Ace………………………….. p.48
Baen………………………… 43,45
Bantam………………………….. 2
Berkley………………………… 12
Bluejay………………………… 16
Capitol City Distribution……….. 39
DAW………………………………………………………………………..6 , 5 1
Del Rey…………………………. 8
Locus ………………………… 50
Book Summary
Magazine Report
Recommended Reading
Cinema Summary
Editorial Matters………………… 3
John Silbersack New NAL Editor……. 4
Greetings from China………………4
Philip K. Dick Award Nominees…….. 4
Radical Changes at Collins……….. 4
The Data File……………………. 4
Clarion Call West………………… 5
Alien Fungus & Invisible Ink……… 5
World Fantasy Awards Judges Announced.5
Aboriginal SF Magazine…………….5
1985 Preliminary Nebula Ballot……. 5
People & Publishing……………….7
Agent’s Corner, Richard Curtis……. 9
Moons & Stars & Stuff, Fritz Leiber..11
Locus Looks at Books, Faren Miller…13
Locus Looks at More Books,
Debbie Notkin………………….15
Locus Looks at More Books, Dan Chow..17
1985 Recommended Reading List……. 26
Convention Listings…………….. 28
Son of Along Publishers Row……… 30
Magazines Received— December…….. 31
Books Received— December………… 32
Classified Ads…………………..40
Bestseller Lists…………….. 44
Obituaries: Rene Barjavel,
Roy Hunt,
Christopher Isherwood,
Banks H. Mebane, Alex Austin,
Buddie Jacoby Eva n s ………… 46
Locus Letters……………………46
ISSUE #301 ‘ VOL 19, NO. 2 • FEBRUARY 1986 Mailing date: January 24,1986
ISSN-0047-4959
EDITOR & PUBLISHER
Charles N. Brown
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Faren Miller
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Donna Burriston
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Carolyn F. Cushman
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Norman Spinrad
Richard Curtis
Fritz Leiber
Debbie Notkin
Dan Chow
Locus, ISSN-0047-4959, The Newspaper of the
Science Fiction Field, is published monthly by LOCUS
PUBLICATIONS. Editorial address: 34 Ridgewood
Lane, Oakland, CA 94611; telephone (415) 339-9196.
Please send all mail to Locus Publications, P.O. Box
13305, Oakland, CA 94661.
Individual copies are $2.50. Individual subscriptions in
the U.S. are $24.00 for 12 issues, $45.00 for 24 issues
via second class mail. Individual subscriptions in
Canada are $27.00 for 12 issues, $51.00 for 24 issues
via second class mail. First class individual subscriptions
in the U.S. or Canada are $32.00 for 12 issues,
$61.00 for 24 issues. Individual overseas subscriptions
are $27.00 for 12 issues, $51.00 for 24 issues via
sea mail. Individual subscriptions to Europe or South
America via air mail are $45.00 for 12 issues, $85.00
for 24 issues. Individual subscriptions to Australia,
Asia, or Africa via air mail are $50.00 for 12 issues,
$95.00 for 24 issues. Institutional subscriptions are
$3.00 extra per year. Make all checks payable to
Locus Publications. All subscriptions, including
Canadian, are payable directly in U.S. funds only. When
converting from second class to first class delivery,
please convert all remaining issues on your present
subscription (75c per issue). The number after your
name on the mailing label is that of the last issue on
your present subscription. We do not send notices
when subscriptions are about to expire. If you change
your address, please notify us immediately. Second
class mail is not usually forwarded. It is either returned
or destroyed. We subtract one issue from your subscription
for each returned copy. We keep expired
addresses on file for one year, so tell us if your
subscription is a renewal or completely new.
British Subscription Agent:
Fantast (Medway) Ltd.
P.O. Box 23, Upwell
Wisbech, CAMBS PE14 9BU
Japanese Subscription Agent:
Takumi Shibano
700 Ninomiya Ninomiya-machi
Naka-gun Kanagawa-ken
259-01 Japan
Subscriptions accepted at current exchange rate.
Display advertising rates on request. Contact Donna
Burriston at (415) 339-3182.
Booksellers discounts available.
We take no responsibility for unsolicited submissions.
Contents copyright Cc> 1986 by Locus Publications.
Second class postage paid at Oakland, California.
Postmaster: Send address changes to Locus Publications,
P.O. Box 13305, Oakland, CA 94661.
December is a quiet month. Nothing
much seems to happen and it should have
been a perfect time to catch up. Unfortunately,
the whole world, including
us, slows down in December, and January
started with us as far behind as usual.
The last issue went out a week late
because our printer closed before
Christmas. We got calls and letters
from people who were worried or annoyed
they didn’t get the magazine on their
usual day. It’s nice to feel wanted,
but please wait next time. The post
office works in uncertain ways. During
December, it took an average of a week
for first class mail to arrive from New
York. One of our subscribers got his
October issue in late December. We’ll
gladly replace second class issues if
they’re more than three weeks late and
first class issues if they’re more than
a week late. Our average mailing date
is the 24th of the month, with a three
day leeway on both sides.
This issue is shorter than usual.
The size is determined by the number of
ads we get — we add an extra page of
text for each one over our minimum. We
had fewer than usual (a common problem
in January) and had to cut text. There
were photo features on my October trips
to Europe which are now too dated and
will not appear. We had convention
reports from various correspondents.
We’ll try to run some next issue, but
others, including an interesting piece
on Bouchercon, will have to stay unpublished.
We have feature interviews on
hand on David Brin, Katherine Kurtz,
Dwight V. Swain and Howard Brown, and
Barbara Hambly.
LOCUS POLL & SURVEY
Please return the poll and survey by
April 1. We will give a free issue to
subscribers of record, if you attempt
to fill out both sides — you don’t
have to nominate in all categories, but
please don’t leave everything blank.
Photocopied forms are fine, and we’ll
count ballots from others who read your
copy, but only one free copy per subscriber.
HUGO AWARDS
Last issue, we ran two letters urging
readers to nominate and vote for Judy-
Mayfair Games…………………… 32
MGA Services…………………….38
Phantasia Press………………….14
Scream/Press……………………. 34
Signet………………………. 18,19
Stith, John…………………….. 36
Tor……………………. 10,35,37,52
Questar………………………… 21
Lynn del Rey for the editor’s Hugo. I
certainly agree. The editor’s Hugo has
always been dominated by magazine editors
even though others are eligible.
Don Wollheim of DAW also belongs on the
ballot, as does Lou Aronica for the
marvelous job he’s done at Bantam.
There are also a number of outstanding
editors of anthologies; see our recommended
list for these. On the magazine
side, Shawna McCarthy did a fine job in
her last year at Asimov’s and deserves
a nomination.
As for other categories, I hope you
vote for Locus. We think last year was
our best year yet. Locus gets accused
of unfairly dominating the semi-professional
Hugo because of its circulation,
which is higher than all the other
nominees combined. Obviously, we think
our circulation is high because we’re
the better magazine.
Unfortunately, I don’t get to read
much science fiction anymore. There
just doesn’t seem to be time. I start
a lot of books, get distracted, and
don’t go back to them. I have to be
caught up in the plot and ideas right
away. My favorites last year were EON
by Greg Bear and BETWEEN THE STROKES OF
NIGHT by Charles Sheffield for ideas,
FOOTFALL by Niven and Pournelle as a
page-turner, and THE CAT WHO WALKED
THROUGH WALLS by Robert A. Heinlein for
both. I’ve always been a sucker for
Heinlein, and I guess I’m too old to
change now.
CORRECTIONS
AFTER THE FLAMES, edited by Elizabeth
Mitchell (Baen), was not an original
anthology. The stories appeared earlier
in magazines.
Rebecca Meluch complained bitterly
that my offhand comment of “terrorists
in space” on her book JERUSALEM FIRE
proved I hadn’t read it. She’s right.
I only glanced through it. I apologize
for the cheap shot.
COLLATING
Mailing help was scarce last month —
it was the Friday after Christmas.
Special thanks to Carol Day, Connie
Buchanan, Ellen Leverenz, plus Carolyn,
Faren, and Donna, for last-minute help.
Proofreading was by Karen Haber.
______________________________ — C .N . Brown
LOCUS February 1986 / 3
THE NEWSPAPER OF THE SCIENCE F IC T IO N FIELD
Ace………………………….. p.48
Baen………………………… 43,45
Bantam………………………….. 2
Berkley………………………… 12
Bluejay………………………… 16
Capitol City Distribution……….. 39
DAW………………………………………………………………………..6 , 5 1
Del Rey…………………………. 8
Locus ………………………… 50
