© 1999 by Ernest Lilley

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No, that's not the evil editor of SFRevu, it's Ray Park (Darth Maul) making his first appearance since taking off the horns. Notice how redeye can add to a picture. I caught up with him at Chiller Con in NJ. But that's a story for another month.
- Darth Ern, Evil Editor of SFRevu

 
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Letter from the Editor

It's been a long strange trip this month, watching lines for Star Wars, hanging out with SciFiTalk at the Comic Con, and chillin' with SF word jazz in the city...

Star Wars dominated everyone's attention this month. Movie moguls stared into the heavens, watching the approach of Lucas's comet, certain that it would wipe all life off the planet when it hit. Now, as we watch it heading back into space, they can breathe a sigh of relief. The Phantom Menace made Lucas money, but a movie about an iceberg still holds the box office record.

I remember listening to the commercials for the first Star Wars movie. "Never has so much effort been put together just for fun," or something along those lines. Well, Episode I forgot to have fun. You may remember that Trek had much the same problem after the Wrath of Khan, until they rediscovered humor in The Voyage Home.

The Austin Powers sequel, on the other hand, is now positioned perfectly. Adults who felt left out by the seriousness and silliness of a nine year old Skywalker can claim their rightful places in theaters. I'll be going to a screening a few days before it opens. Oh, behave.

We have two interviews this month, one from SF artist Donato Giancola, courtesy of Wendy Mitchell, and the other from Homer Hickam, who you may remember from our reviews of Rocket Boys and October Sky earlier this year. Homer has written a fast paced Techno-Thriller about going Back To The Moon, and he has a lot to say about Americans in space. His interview provided a candid look at NASA from a former insider and is well worth reading.

William Shatner also turns out to have something to say in his new book, Get A Life. Much of which is spent poking fun at himself. He's so vain, he probably thinks the book is about him. Which it is.

You may have seen trailers for an animation film coming this summer called The Iron Giant. It was based on a 30-year-old children's book about a robot from space, and I've put in a review to suggest that you get your kids acquainted with it before the movie comes out.

Well, enough out of me for now. Thanks go to EJ, Steve, Paul, John, Wendy, Sharon and Elizabeth, our Goddess of Grammar, without whom this never would have gotten done.

Ernest Lilley - Publisher/Editor SFRevu
SFReviewer@aol.com

  SFRevu's contents may be reused with the following conditions: 1) credit SFRevu@aol.com and list our URL: http://members.aol.com/SFRevu 2) contents may not be changed without the permission of the Editor

Newsbits - Flash! - This Just In! ... French Aliens Sighted In NYC! ... UFOs Terrorize Earth ... Asteroid Collision Imminent ... This Is The End Of The World As We Know It (I Feel Fine)... Giant Insects Stalk City ... Robot Runs Amok ...Mutant Monster Missing From Zoo! ... Dinosaur Spotted In Central Park ... Incredible Hulk Spotted On Riverside Drive ... Martians Invade City... Extra, Extra, Read All About It ... Film At 11 ... Where's Kent Anyway? ... Send Parker, He'll Get The Pics - Newsbits

NewsBits -

SF Site: Interzone and Talebones come home to SF Site…

Although we won't make the official announcement for another 30 days, the SF Site will be welcoming two new major publications this summer: Interzone and TaleBones. Both magazines will be hosted by the SF Site and join our family of Science Fiction and Fantasy magazines at FictionHome.com (www.fictionhome.com) -- which already includes Asimov's SF, Analog, F&SF, Weird Tales, Tangent Online, and many others. Interzone, in fact, will be a complete re-launch, with a newly designed website with a lot more info and images -- plus a secure site to subscribe online.

We're really very proud of how many publications we've been able to bring online with professional design and a high speed server. Having so many major genre magazines together in one place on the Web has also helped spark a lot of interest, and a very active community of readers and writers who hang out at the site. We hope it continues to grow. Drop by and let us know what you think. - John O'Neil, Editor - SF Site

Talebones: More than a virtual move, they've changed digs too.

We have moved! Effective May 28^th: Talebones Magazine/Fairwood Press, 5203 Quincy Ave SE, Auburn, WA 98092 - Patrick J Swenson

Billie Sue Mosiman: I've signed contracts for two vampire novels for DAW Books. The first one, due early in the year 2000, is titled Red Moon Rising. CNN online has set up an "Ask the Author" board for me on their site. It will open June 15. CNN plans to promote the site in releases to publishing houses, the top fifty magazines and newspapers, some on-air time when CNN promotes its interactive sites, and in my local newspaper. There will be a link from my web page to the site. Everyone is invited to stop by. http://www.sff.net/people/bmosiman

Event Horizon (Ellen Datlow): Don't suppose you'd like to mention Lucius Shepard's scathing commentary about the media finger-pointing after the Littleton, CO. massacre (it relates to SF--see my editorial)? - Ellen Datlow (Sure Ellen, we could do that. - Ern) http://www.eventhorizon.com/sfzine/commentary/shepard/0699.html

On Spec Magazine is very pleased and proud to announce: ConSpec - "breaking out of the box" a symposium on SF in Canada, September 17-19, 1999, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada GoH: John Clute (keynote), Michael Swanwick, Sean Stewart, Dave Duncan, Candas Jane Dorsey, Yves Meynard, Nalo Hopkinson, Peter Watts, and many more of our special guests.

There will be presentations, panel discussions, book launches and sales, dealers room, and a publishers & booksellers suite open throughout the weekend. Special Guest John Clute will deliver the keynote speech at Saturday's banquet.

And did we mention parties? We're pleased to help launch TESSERACTS8, the newest in the Tesseracts anthologies, edited by John Clute and Candas Jane Dorsey, and STARFISH by Peter Watts (Tor Books 1999). Come out and be a part of ConSpec and finish off your summer with a bang!! - Jena Snyder - General Editor, On Spec Magazine

For more details and to register: http://www.compusmart.ab.ca/clear/conspec.htm

From Ken Abner of Terminal Fright Press: The release date of Tom Piccirilli's 560 page collection DEEP INTO THAT DARKNESS PEERING has been changed to the end of August '99. A few know, though most don't, that I'm actually in the Air Force--for another 767 days when I retire, not that I'm counting. Never in the past five years has my military obligations interfered with any publishing projects. But all the craziness in the world has made my life rather hectic for several months now, and I've been away an awful lot. Though progress on all new projects came to a screeching halt, all orders for books already available have been filled as they came in, thanks to a very understanding wife. The good news is I think it's safe to proceed, and Tom's book goes to the printers just as soon as it can. If anyone has been trying to get hold of me via e-mail, I'm back, please try again. - Ken Abner kenabner@gisco.net

Will Fight Evil For Food by David L. Kuzminski was released this week at Oak Tree Publishing at URL http://www.previewbooks.com and was reviewed in Baryon Magazine. (I took a quick look at this online, and I rather liked it - Ern)

Bob Mayer - is that your real name?: Bob's latest novel, ATLANTIS, under the pen name Greg Donegan, is now in most bookstores, or available at barnesandnoble.com or amazon.com. It's the first book in a new series revolving around the legend of Atlantis and an ancient terror coming alive in our current world in places such as the Bermuda Triangle, Angkor Kol Ker in Cambodia, and the Devil's Sea off of Japan.

He's currently finishing the next Area 51 book: AREA 51 THE SPHINX. The last book, AREA 51 THE MISSION was featured on the USA Today Bestseller List this past January.

Send your NewsBits in to: SFRevu@aol.com for the July issue!

Do you know something the you'd like to share with the SF World? Stop passing notes in the back of the room and sent it to:  SFRevu@aol.com with the word NewsBits in the title.

1. NJ "Nick" - 1st in Paramus
6:20pm, Tuesday evening, 5/11/99
2. Midnight at the Ziegfeld - 300 strong...it looked like the 60s, but it smelled better. 3. Reach out with your cellphone Luke - it binds us and connects us... 4. Chllin' with friends of the force 5. About 300 people were there ... and 5 press crews. - lookin to score a major sound bite for drive time. 6. Nice Jedi - and they were, but around the corner, the Darth Maul/Highlander
duel was to the death.

We go to a 
ComicCon
1.  Madison Square Garden
2.  Richard Brindisi - not bad for a 
first show Richard. We'll come back.
3. The Dapper Tony Tellado and I 
went to a Comic Con...

Star Wars - 
4. Star Wars Undercover
Darth Vader, Boba Fett, Chewbaca, 
and R2D2's human counterparts lined 
up to meet the fans.
5. David (Darth Vader) Prouse
6. David (Darth Vader) Prouse
7. Jeremy (Boba Fett) Bullock
"I saw Boba Fett as sort of a Clint 
Eastwood character. A lot is done 
by not doing anything."
8. Peter (Chewbacca) Mayhew
"I thought about getting a haircut 
before the show, but I decided I 
was easier to recognize this way."
9. Kenny (R2D2) Baker
"Are you guys following me around?"
(We saw Kenny last month at I-CON.)

Supermodels -
10. Manon Kelly - Supermodel 
- superhero, superperson.
Honest. 
11. Bagget Alley - Playboy's 
Lingerie "Model of the Year" 
1998-1999. (Ms. Alley reminds 
us that we may print pictures of 
her only with her express 
permission.)
12. Lisa

A Visit to the 
ArtAsylum
13. Lady in Red...ArtAsylum's 
superheroes stand out in a crowd.
14. ArtAsylum -  Psycho Toyz 
for Crazy Kids. I liked the booth..ok?
15. It's big and green and...
actually, it's small and green and 
also from ArtAsylum.
16. Director of the Asylum - 
aka "Digger"
17. Upcoming Heavy Metal 
Movie Hero: FAKK 2, 
modeled after Julie Strain, 
'93 Penthouse Pet of the Year.
18. Donna of ArtAsylum

Marvelous
19. WWWebslinger
20. Bart Sears draws the lines on 
Spiderwoman - I thought those out-
fits looked painted on. Nice work if 
you can get it.
21. Scott Hanna - Spidey inker

We wander around
22. Weird Indeed - Mike Carbonaro's
Comic Box Productions with 
T.C. manning the booth.

23. Display it and they will come 

24. Amazing (George) Hallak 

25. Yeah, we got stinking t-shirts 

26. Household products gone bad 

27. Peter David - famous author

28. Gus Vazquez - freelancer:
Martian Manhunter Annual #2 
pencilling.

29. Felix and Friends -
Felix the Cat, Geraldene Licata
and Robert Wetterauw Jr.
(behind the shirt)

30. Angel of Dreamercomics 
www.dreamercomics.com

31. Kevin Purcell prepares... 
32.... to spin for Wizard stuff. 

33. Those Rat Bastards
Crucial Comics
Cliff Galbraith (artist) see no
Ahn Onimous (colorist) hear no 
Tim Bird (writer) speakno
They are The Huja Brothers!

34. Visit scenic NJ...
35. meet local girls... 
35. ...and die horribly.
Catchy...but "I love New York" is 
still a better slogan.

37. Randy Bowen's 
38. ...metallic maiden 
39. ...and brawny thundergod. 

DC is Supercomics
40. DC killed Pinky and the Brain 
(actually they put them back with 
the Animaniacs)
41. but are starting up 
Dexter's Lab 
42. and are toying with mixed 
media - DC Comics' Jose Villarrubia 
(freelance artist) shows Veils - 
his new graphic novel. It's done 
with computer animation and photos.
(Our Ms. Stone has a copy of Veils 
and says it's really beautiful.)

43.The Fashion Police 
44. Arrest me..now!

45. Louis Small and models - 
Lisa and Sony 

46. Documentary Guy 

47. B5 Emperor for a day

48. Time to go

New York Comic and Fantasy Creators Convention -

Tony Tellado (Sci-Fi Talk) called me up the other day and asked if I'd like to cover a Comic Convention with him. Having just posted the last issue of SFRevu, and with nothing planned for a Saturday, I said: "What the heck," grabbed the trusty digital Nikon (new this issue) and headed into the heart of New York City - Madison Square Garden.

While you could never confuse a Comic Con with an SF Con, we had a great time walking around and meeting artists, Star Wars characters, dealers, and, um...models.

1. Madison Square Garden	2. Richard Brindisis - it's his show	3. Tony Tellado is Sci-Fi Talk
4. Star Wars undercover	5. David (Darth Vader) Prouse	6. ...and more Darth.
7. Jeremy (Boba Fett) Bullock	8. Peter (Chewbaca) Mayhew	9. Kenny (R2D2) Baker
10. Manon Kelly - Superhero	11. Bagget Alley	12. Lisa
13. Lady in Red	14. ArtAsylum	15. What's Big and Green...
16. Director of the Asylum	17. FAKK 2 debut	18. Donna of ArtAsylum
19. WWWebslinger	20. Bart draws the line	21. Scott Hanna - Spidey inker
22. Weird Indeed	23. Display it and they will come	24. Amazing (George) Hallak
25. Yeah, we got stinking t-shirts	26. Household products gone bad	27. Peter David
28. Gus Vasquez	29. Felix and Friends	30. Angel of Dreamercomics
31. Kevin Purcell prepares...	32.... to spin for Wizard stuff.	33. Those Rat Bastards

34. Visit Scenic NJ...	35. meet local girls...	35. ...and die horribly.
37. Randy Bowen's	38. metallic maidens	39. and brawny thundergod
40. DC killed Pinky and the Brain	41. but are starting up Dexter's Lab	42. and are toying with mixed media.
43.The Fashion Police	44. I'm turning myself in	45. Louis Small and models Lisa and Sony
46. Documentary Guy	47. B5 Emperor for a day	48. Time to go.