STATE OF FEAR - MICHAEL CRICHTON

I have just finished reading this book.

I liked it a lot but you have to appreciate non-luddite politics to appreciate it. He has quite deliberately written a dissection of the whole global warming case with a bit of plot thrown in & I have to say the plot, trying to stop some eco-terrorists faking a series of environmental disasters to prove that global warming is happening, doesn't really work. Apart from anything else you don't need to fake disasters - the media will do it for you anyway (as per Penny Marshall's "accidental" faking of a concentration camp video in Bosnia.

Crichton should read Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey - this was the book that vindicated Richard III of killing the princes in the Tower. I now think that Richard probably did it but was persuaded at the time - it is clear the princes WERE known to be missing at the time, tho' even then Henry VII's behaviour is suspicious.

In any case she managed to keep almost any trace of plot out of the book by breaking the protagonist's leg thus forcing him to stick to detective work on paper & thus unfolding the whole pro-Richard case. Chrichton could have done something similar.

Nonetheless his case that global warming doesn't exist & in particular that records in cities which haven't grown in the last century have demonstrated little or zero warming & sometimes cooling in the last century is persuasive.

HELLO THERE

This is to say that I now have a phone in the shop

FUTURESHOCK 0141 353 3975

& have net access here now. This means that I will be adding stuff on this site
futureshockbks.blogspot.com
fairly regularly.

I will also be able to let you know within a few minutes if something special you ordered comes.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL & TO ALL A GOODNIGHT.

NEW US PAPERBACKS

TITLE AUTHOR ISBN
THE HERO RINGO 1-4165-09143
WITCHES OF KARRES SCHMITZ 0-4165-0915-1
CURSE OF CHALSON BUJOLD 0-380-818604
PALADIN OF SOULS BUJOLD 0-380-818612
IN CONQUEST BORN FRIEDMAN ?
THE WILDING " 0-7564-0202-6
REFLEX GOULD 0-812-57854-6
DARK ASCENT HUNT 0-765-34982-5
BROTHERS PRICE SPENCER 0-451-46038-3
NYLON ANGEL DE PIERRES 0-451-46037-5
BONEBREAKER 0-765-34429-7
AIRBORN OPPEL 006-053182-7
TROLL FAIL LANGRISH 0-06-058306-1
ORACLE BETRAYED FISHER 006-057159-4
FORGE OF HEAVEN CHERRYH 0-380-82023-4
EVERY WHICH WAY BUT DEAD HARRISON 0-06-057299-X
YEARS BEST FANTASY HARTWELL 0-06-077605-6
SUPERNATURALIST COLPER PROPHECY OF STONES BUJOR
ARCANUM WHEELER
FIRETHORN MICKLEM
SCARDOWN BEAR
BRIGHT SPOT SYDNEY
LAST GUARDIAN OF EVERNESS WRIGHT 0-812-57987-9
THE KNIGHT WOLFE 0-765-34701-6
WELLSPRING OF CHAOS MODESITT
KING OF FOXES
RINGWORLDS CHILDREN NIVEN
CROWN OF SLAVES WEBER
SAINT VIDICAN TO THE RESCUE STASHEFF
THE DARE KEARNEY 0-765-35192-7
FLASH MODESITT 0-765-34992-2
FIREBIRD'S VENGEANCE ZETTEL 0-765-34726-1
SILENT HOUSE GREENWOOD 0-76534726-1
ABSOLUTION GAP REYNOLDS 0-441-01291-4
BRILLIANCE ON THE MOON HEARN
ACROSS THE NIGHTINGALE "
GRASS FOR HIS PILLOW "
GULLIVER ZONE BAXTER 0765-34941-8
STEEL MAGIC NORTON 0765-35297-4
SMOKE & MIRRORS HUFF 07564-0263-8
CHANGER OF DAYS ALEXANDER 006-0765755
YEARS BEST SF 10 HARTWELL 006-057551-1
ILLIUM SIMMONS 0380-817926
BLOOD OF WOLVES COLEMAN 0441-01292-2
CIMMERIAN RAGE "
SONGS OF VICTORY "
A FLAME IN HALI BRADLEY 07654-0267-0
FALL OF NESKAYA " 07564-0053-8
ZANDRUS FORGE " 07564-0184-4
TOWER OF RAVENS FORSYTH 0451-460324
TEARS OF THE FURIES GOLDEN 0441-01293-0
THE GOOD THE BAD & THE DEAD KIM HARRISON
PATH OF THE FURY WEBER
FACE OF APOLLO SABERHAGEN
SEDUCED BY MOONLIGHT HAMILTON
OUTLANDERS - EVIL ABYSS AXLER

NEW US PAPERBACKS

TITLE AUTHOR ISBN
THE HERO RINGO 1-4165-09143
WITCHES OF KARRES SCHMITZ 0-4165-0915-1
CURSE OF CHALSON BUJOLD 0-380-818604
PALADIN OF SOULS BUJOLD 0-380-818612
IN CONQUEST BORN FRIEDMAN ?
THE WILDING " 0-7564-0202-6
REFLEX GOULD 0-812-57854-6
DARK ASCENT HUNT 0-765-34982-5
BROTHERS PRICE SPENCER 0-451-46038-3
NYLON ANGEL DE PIERRES 0-451-46037-5
BONEBREAKER 0-765-34429-7
AIRBORN OPPEL 006-053182-7
TROLL FAIL LANGRISH 0-06-058306-1
ORACLE BETRAYED FISHER 006-057159-4
FORGE OF HEAVEN CHERRYH 0-380-82023-4
EVERY WHICH WAY BUT DEAD HARRISON 0-06-057299-X
YEARS BEST FANTASY HARTWELL 0-06-077605-6
SUPERNATURALIST COLPER PROPHECY OF STONES BUJOR
ARCANUM WHEELER
FIRETHORN MICKLEM
SCARDOWN BEAR
BRIGHT SPOT SYDNEY
LAST GUARDIAN OF EVERNESS WRIGHT 0-812-57987-9
THE KNIGHT WOLFE 0-765-34701-6
WELLSPRING OF CHAOS MODESITT
KING OF FOXES
RINGWORLDS CHILDREN NIVEN
CROWN OF SLAVES WEBER
SAINT VIDICAN TO THE RESCUE STASHEFF
THE DARE KEARNEY 0-765-35192-7
FLASH MODESITT 0-765-34992-2
FIREBIRD'S VENGEANCE ZETTEL 0-765-34726-1
SILENT HOUSE GREENWOOD 0-76534726-1
ABSOLUTION GAP REYNOLDS 0-441-01291-4
BRILLIANCE ON THE MOON HEARN
ACROSS THE NIGHTINGALE "
GRASS FOR HIS PILLOW "
GULLIVER ZONE BAXTER 0765-34941-8
STEEL MAGIC NORTON 0765-35297-4
SMOKE & MIRRORS HUFF 07564-0263-8
CHANGER OF DAYS ALEXANDER 006-0765755
YEARS BEST SF 10 HARTWELL 006-057551-1
ILLIUM SIMMONS 0380-817926
BLOOD OF WOLVES COLEMAN 0441-01292-2
CIMMERIAN RAGE "
SONGS OF VICTORY "
A FLAME IN HALI BRADLEY 07654-0267-0
FALL OF NESKAYA " 07564-0053-8
ZANDRUS FORGE " 07564-0184-4
TOWER OF RAVENS FORSYTH 0451-460324
TEARS OF THE FURIES GOLDEN 0441-01293-0
THE GOOD THE BAD & THE DEAD KIM HARRISON
PATH OF THE FURY WEBER
FACE OF APOLLO SABERHAGEN
SEDUCED BY MOONLIGHT HAMILTON
OUTLANDERS - EVIL ABYSS AXLER

GLASGOW'S WORLDCON

Last week saw the 2005 Worldcon held in Glasgow, Scotland. About 4,000 people half with American accents. As such things go it was pretty well organised with a lot of varied programming, of which I attended the science/politics bits (see under), virtually all of which went to time tho' some items were to small to let in all the potential audience (a small crowded hall always gives a better atmosphere than a big empty one).

Masquerade was a bit of a disappointment. Glasgow cons used to be very well known for swordfights. Various boys & girls would come on & do an enthusiastic & spectacular display of clanging swords from Marion Zimmer Bradley or John Norman. Fortunately our noble political leaders have produced the Health & Safety Executive to keep everybody safe. Ah well.

The Hugos went to time even with the presence of an alternate universe Frenchman
to represent the founder Victor Hugo. Winners were:

• Best Novel: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke Two other awards were also presented during the Worldcon ceremony:• John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer (not a Hugo Award): Elizabeth Bear.• Special Interaction Committee Award (not a Hugo Award): David Pringle.

Items I attended included a panel (Thurs) on how the rest of the world (well actually the English speaking world) is following the lead of Hugo voters by adopting proportional representation, slightly weakened by the fact that there are lots of other proportional systems which were not discussed.

Friday had a panel on whether space would inevitably be the scene of military conflict in which the general opinion was No because space is so really big that resources are virtually infinite (a fair point but I think optomistic). On Saturday there was a panel on Europe in which it turned out, by show of hands, the audience was overwhelmingly europhile.

Sunday had an interesting panel on comics involving a discussion on censorship. You can show demons destroying cities but you can't have the heroine kiss the teenage hero afterwards & Robocop can only use a stun gun! One creator said he thought comics were going to die (kids play computers) tho' graphic novels would survive (I think this is pessimistic but has a point).

Sunday's biggie was on a panel by people described as "rocket scientists" though they explained they were actually rocket engineers - rocket scientists are the ones who see what happens when you put fuels together, or even when you store them for a while. In answer to a question "when can we get transport to orbit at $100/LB or $10/LB or $1/LB" the answer was anytime we want it enough to pay for the development at ANY of these prices. These guys are the experts & if they say that then you can bank it. That is the sort of price that makes space as cheap as Australia.

3 downsides (1) Antarctica is a more similar environment & it hasn't been developed, tho' this may be politics as much as anything (2) the first X-prize has been badly designed - Rutan's Spaceship One is not a route to orbit - it would have been better to have given a prize to the first reusable ship of any size "putting a baseball bat in orbit" & then scaling up (but then there is no limit to the possibility of X-Prizes) (3) Government regulation: US rules on technology transfer don't have much effect on information (these guys all talk to each other) but does on hardware & selling a sub-orbital for intercontinental executive travel would reclassify it as a aircraft & add a zero to the cost.

As regards space elevators currently they are 50 years away but in 10 years may be only 25, in which case in 2020 starting engineering on them will probably look like a good investment".

Or to quote the media whenever something new happens "it isn't just science fiction any longer"

NEW BOOKS IN MID ATLANTIC

ISBN/TC TITLE
044661663X AUTUMN CASTLE
0441012183 DEAD TO THE WORLD ACE MASS MAR
0786014466 VENGEANCE IS MINE
0441012922 AGE OF CONAN HYBORIAN #01 AGE
0060765755 CHANGER OF DAYS
0765346494 DESTRUCTION OF THE BKS
078693770X TSR N-DL TALES LOVE & WAR
0765348381 EARTH LOGIC
0786937394 EBERRON CRIMSON TALISMAN
1416504559 CHRONICLES OF KINGS TRAMP BK02
0765348217 FAMILY TRADE
0786937688 TSR N-FR ELMINSTERS DAUGHTER
0786938080 TSR N-FR YEAR OF ROGUE DRAGONS
0553586742 FREEDOMS APPRENTICE
0756402859 GATEWAYS
037380220X GOSSAMYR
0553587080 HAUNTED
0756402905 HEARTWOOD
0060765704 HIDDEN QUEEN
045146026X JAGUAR & THE WOLF
0441012744 LIGHT AGES
0743499050 MAD MAUDLIN
0756402840 MAIDEN MATRON & CRONE
0765345455 NEW SPRING
0380818612 PALADIN OF SOULS
0373802226 SILVERS BANE
0743449134 SIR APROPOS OF NOTHING TONG LA
044101223X SWORD OF THE WHITE ROSE ACE MA
0441012930 TEARS OF THE FURIES
0743499093 THIS ROUGH MAGIC
0451460324 TOWER OF RAVENS 01 RHIANNONS R
0765348675 HYTHRUN CHRONICLES BK02 TREASO
0441012876 UNHANDSOME PRINCE ACE MASS MAR
0373802234 URBAN SHAMAN
0765342782 WAYFARER REDEMPTION BK04 SINNE
0451459741 WHISPERING NICKEL IDOLS
0312937725 HUNTED
1844161722 SUFFER THE CHILDREN
0373625804 DEATHLANDS #70 VENGEANCE TRAIL
0373643187 EXECUTIONER 318 CODE OF R -OSI
0373643195 EXECUTIONER 319 ENTRY POINT
0373615051 SUPERBOLAN 102 LETHAL TRI -OSI
0441012914 ABSOLUTION GAP
1416504427 BATTLESTAR GALACTICA -OS N/D
0441012124 CHILD GODDESS
0765346036 CRUCIBLE
0743499042 ENCHANTER COMPLETED
0451460332 END IN FIRE
0553587986 FINDERS KEEPERS
0756402670 FLAME IN HALI
0743499115 GODS & ANDROIDS
0446611034 HEAVEN
0446610593 SAGA OF SEVEN SUNS BK03 HORIZO
076534114X HOUSE OF REEDS
0743499107 LOGIC NAMED JOE
0345461274 LOST & FOUND
0441006353 LUCASFILMS ALIEN CHRONICLES BK
0451460340 MECH WARRIOR DARK AGE #16 MECH
0441012728 MEET THE THRADONS
1416504494 MEGA WAR OF THE WORLDS
1844161889 NECROMUNDA SURVIVAL INSTINCT
1844161897 NECROMUNDA SALVATION
0373638469 OUTLANDERS #33 CHILDREN OF THE
0743499069 PLAGUE OF DEMONS
141650403 SCORPIO V02 SCORPIO VOLUME 2
0765350483 SKINNER
0756402611 SPECIES IMPERATIVE #01 SURVIVA
0446612022 THOSE WHO WALK IN DARKNESS
055358717X TO CRUSH THE MOON
0345457137 WEAPONS OF CHOICE
0060575611 YEARS BEST SF #10
0060506768 ANCIENT LEGACY
1416504109 BLIND ARCHER
0765350041 BRIGHT SWORD OF IRELAND
076534159X BURIED PYRAMID
0765344238 EMERALD MAGIC
1416504001 FANTASY
0786935723 TSR N-FR SILVERFALL
0786935812 RITE
0765347083 GLASS DRAGONS
0060572973 GOOD THE BAD & THE UNDEAD -OS
0373802153 GUARDIAN OF HONOR
0441012094 IN THE KINGS SERVICE
0756402816 RENAISSANCE FAIRE
0345443594 SEDUCED BY MOONLIGHT
045146009X SISTER OF THE DEAD
0451460170 SOUL WEAVER
0441012574 13 PHANTASMS & OTHER STORIES
0743498895 THIS SCEPTERD ISLE
0451460103 WEATHER WARDEN BK03 CHILL FACT
0786016469 HOT BLOOD DEADLY AFTER DARK
0373632533 DESTROYER 138 NO CONTEST -OSI
0373638450 OUTLANDERS #32 EVIL ABYSS
0743498763 ANGUISHED DAWN -OS N/D
0812579909 SILENT WAR
0451459660 DEATHSTALKER RETURN
074349895X FORGE OF THE TITANS
0446611530 FURIOUS GULF
0446611530 FURIOUS GULF
0441012698 GEODESICA
0553587501 HAMMERED
0441012361 HAYDN OF MARS
0441010792 HUMAN RESOURCE ACE MASS MARKET
0765347490 KILLING OF WORLDS
0451460162 MECH WARRIOR DARK AGE #14 TARG
0765340593 MOONRISE
0345479211 PANDORAS STAR
1416504044 SCI FIC BEST OF 2004 -OSI
076534677X STAR DRAGON
0345406362 WOLF IN NIGHT

STRANGER THAN FICTION

I'm sure you have all noticed how comics tend to have silly give away names. After all what sort of city fathers decided to name their city Bludhaven (wonder what the tourist board said of that). Or all those groups of supervillians like the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Or the Kryptonian survivors who chatted up Supergirl & all the readers twigged that with names like E Vil they were leading the poor lass on.

Life imitates art. Here is a rather sorry story from backwoods Montana about a kid expelled from school for having a gun. The kid was attending Hellgate Elementary School. Bet that looks good on the CV.

WANTS LISTS

I have a bit over 20,000 back issue comics in the shop. If you have a list of comics you are looking for send me an email to
crgn143@aol.com
& I'll see which ones I have & give you a price + P&P.

Neil Craig

CONTINUING CORRESPONDENCE IN THE SCOTSMAN ON COMICS

ON SATURDAY 16TH There is also a serious point here about the failure of today's schools to teach kids to read.

Comics as teaching aid


Kevin Schofield (12 April) was right on track regarding the value of comics as an aid to fluent reading. As a schoolboy during the war I was able to order from the local newsagent a copy of the Wizard, freed up as the subscriber had been called up. At 2d for the strictly rationed fortnightly issue, it was a sound investment, as careful trading in the playground meant one could read the Adventure, Hotspur and Rover without further investment.

Along with the majority of my peers I was, at 11 or 12, able to read aloud fluently thanks largely to the standard Scottish use of the phonetic tuition system (now being hailed as a recent breakthrough) and to the invaluable contribution of DC Thomson.

BILLY STEEL
St Inan’s Drive
Beith, Ayrshire

COMICS DON'T ROT YOUR BRAIN - IT'S OFFICIAL

From the Scotsman

Research finds a Dandy way to help young boys improve literacy

KEVIN SCHOFIELD
EDUCATION CORRESPONDENT


TRADITIONAL comics such as the Beano and the Dandy could be the key to encouraging more young boys to read, according to a new survey.

Research published yesterday revealed that while 17 per cent of boys aged between seven and 11 do not read books outside school, 60 per cent regularly read comics.

The survey also revealed that just 5 per cent of boys read for more than an hour a day in their spare time, compared to 17 per cent of girls.

Last night, experts said that encouraging youngsters to read comics could be a vital tool in the fight to improve literacy rates.

Dr Karen McGavock, an expert in children’s literature at Stirling University, said comics had "a wealth of things to offer" young people.

She said: "It is important to expose young people to a variety of different literature, including comics and other, more established, works of fiction.

"Too often comics are seen as a low form of fiction, but that is not the case and so we should be encouraging children to read no matter what the particular format."

The survey, which sought the views of children and parents, was carried out on behalf of the Beano and the Dandy by the research specialists BMRB Access.

It found that 13 per cent of boys fail to read at all during their leisure time, but that 76 per cent spend more than an hour a day watching television.

Ben Gray, of DC Thomson, the publishers of the Beano and the Dandy, said comics had a part to play in encouraging more young people to read.

He said: "Comics should be seen as a stepping stone to get children to enjoy reading in their spare time."

&

I was pleased, but not surprised, to read that research in Scotland has confirmed that comic book reading is a good idea (your report, 12 April). We have come to the same conclusion in the United States.

Joanne Ujiie and I published a study a few years ago showing that boys aged ten to 14 who were heavy comic book readers liked reading more, read more in general, and read more books than lighter comic book readers, who, in turn, read more than non-comic book readers.

(PROF EMER) STEPHEN KRASHEN
University of Southern California
Los Angeles
California, USA


Delivery formats for "Letters"
[more info]

Mind you a depressingly small proportion of my customers are kids. Most kids are sitting on the couch rotting their brains with computer games - or am I just an old fogey?

NEW US BOOK DELIVERY TODAY

I got these new titles in today:
ANCIENT LEGACY
BLIND ARCHER
BRIGHT SWORD OF IRELAND
BURIED PYRAMID
EMERALD MAGIC
FANTASY
F.R. EXTINCTION
F.R. THE RITE
GLASS DRAGONS
THE GOOD THE BAD & THE UNDEAD
GUARDIAN OF HONOR
IN THE KINGS SERVICE
LAIR OF BONES
MIDNIGHT HARVEST
SEDUCED BY MOONLIGHT
SISTER OF THE DEAD
SOUL WEAVER
THIRTEEM PHANTASMS & ORS
SCEPTR'D ISLE
CHILL FACTOR
DEADLY AFTER DARK
DESTROYER 138
OUTLANDERS 32
ANGUISHED DAWN
THE SILENT WAR
DEATHSTALKER RETURN
FORGE OF THE TITANS
FURIOUS GULF
GARDENS OF THE MOON
GEODESICA ASCENT
HAMMERED
HAYDN OF MARS
HUMAN RESOURCES
KILLING OF WORLDS
MECH WARRIOR TARGET OF OPPORTUNITY
MOONRISE
PANDORA'S BOX
SCIENCE FICTION
STAR DRAGON
STORYTELLER
WOLF IN NIGHT

MINISTRY OF SPACE - Warren Ellis (8.99)

This isn't so much a story as a delineation of an alternate history. At the end of WW2 Britain went into space & half a century later we have all those things (solar power satellites, wealth, settlements on Mars, peace on Earth under the benevolent protection of ERII) which we were promised by Dan Dare, Robert Heinlein & Gerald O'Neill. The way we get it isn't very nice (tho' not as nasty as the real world where we got Nigerian oil by helping starve Biafra) & the hero Sir John Dashwood is an out & out bastard & unapologetic about it.

The homages to Dan Dare are numerous & worth it on there own - I love the full page devoted to 2 boys with helicopter backpacks flying above a monorail & past Parliament.

There are faults. The last 2 panels are clearly in to avoid PC controversy & are against the whole spirit of the show. There is a reference to artificial gravity on the space station which is there only to allow the characters to walk rather than float, indeed Ellis, instead of having Sir John retire in England & travel to orbit for the denouement should have had him living in orbit & travel to Earth. But who cares.

This is a wonderful book in the original sense of evoking a sense of wonder about how the world we were promised in the age when Man going to the Moon was still an achievement for the future not the past.

TEDDY BEAR'S RAVE UP

For music fans this bit of silliness deserves to be widely known:

Teddy Bears Rave Up

If you go down in the woods today you better go in disguise.
If you go down in the woods today you're sure of a big surprise.
'Cos every bear that ever there was is gathered there for certain because
today's the day the Teddy Bears have their Rave Up.

There's Angel Bears who've come on their bikes dressed up in their leather gear.
There's gallons of Scrumpy all green with lumps and 'orrible Watney's beer.
Yogi downed a pint of it quick, was very promptly 'orribly sick
and filled up both of Paddington's brand new wellies

Rave Up time for Teddy Bears.
The little Teddy Bears are having a lovely time today.
Grooving to those heavy sounds
that only Status Quo know how to play.
Cresta Bear is freaking out.
He's frothing Man, he's blown his little brain.
Rupert's spaced, he's on a trip. Winnie the Pooh is doing the strip.
They reckon he's on The Game.

Now every bear that's ever been good is sure of a treat today,
for Mummy and Daddy and Baby bear have found a new game to play.
Beneath the leaves where nobody sees there's Goldilocks tied down on her knees
You bet your life she's getting more than porridge.

So if you go down in the woods today you better not go alone.
It's lovely down in the woods today, but safer to stay at home.
'Cos it's a really kinky scene, a big butch bear is playing the Queen
and they don't call him Sugar Puff for nothing.

Rave Up time for Teddy Bears.
The little Teddy Bears are having a lovely time today.
Groping in the undergrowth,
Oh what would Enid Blyton have to say?
See them gaily stagger round, collapsing on the ground,
they haven't got any cares.
At 12 o'clock the coppers are coming to take them all away,
'cos they've been naughty little Teady Bears