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Page 4 - Editorials by Chris Garcia, Warren Buff, and James Bacon

Page 13 - 1939 by Ben Yalow

Page 18 - 1953: The Greatest Year in Science Fiction by Brad Lyau

Page 21 - Some Significant Years by Juan Sanmiguel

Page 24 - 1967 by Warren Buff

Page 30 - 1999 - The Best Year Ever by Chris Garcia

Page 35 - The Greatest Year by Chuck Serface

Table of Contents

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Journey Planet 21James Bacon, Warren Buff, Chris Garcia

~Editors~3

April 2015

Christopher J Garcia WarrenBuffcameupwiththeideafortheissue,andIhavetosayWHYDIDN’TITHINKOFTHAT?!?!?!It’ssuchanaturalfitforathemedzinelikeJourney PlanetthatIcan’tbelievethatwehadn’tcomeupwithit.It’sagreatconcept,andI’mgladthatwe’redoingitnow! What’s funny is that I’dbeen thinkingaboutyears. YearsandScienceFiction,tobeexact.IwasworkingwithSasquantodevelopahistoryexhibit.I’vedonethissortof thingbefore,butthistimeIhadaplan.IwasgoingtoshowtheHugoawardstatuesfromeachyear,andalongwiththem,asingleartifactrepresentingsomethingfromthatyearinfandom.Ispentweeksgoingthroughthehistoryof fandomandsci-encefiction,lookingateveryeventIcould.I’dmadeseveraldecisionsbasedon re-reading things likeAll Our Yesterdays andA Wealth of Fable. Tryingtofindasingleobjecttorepresentayearisnoteasy.Let’stake1978.You’vegotthethingmostdirectlyimpactingFandom,thatbeingthe release of Warhoon 28,RichardBergeron’s legendary collectionof WaltWillis’fanwriting.Thatonewouldbeano-brainer,right?Well,if youwanttomakethingsa littlebitbroader,youalsohaveHardware Wars,themostwidely-seenfanfilminhistory.Atheoreticaltrailertoanup-comingfilm,Hardware Warsmightbethebestparodyof Star Warseverproduced.BobWilkins,hostof theBayArea’sCreature Features,soldoffhisentirecollectionof filmsacoupleof yearsbeforehisdeath.HesoldeverythingEXCEPTforHardware Wars.Tome,that’saverygoodcan-didate.Then,abitbroaderintothesciencefictionfield,you’vegotJeffWayne’sWar of the Worlds,amusicaltellingof H.G.Wells’novel.It’ssomuchfun,andit’soneof thefewareaswhereIcouldeasilyincorporateaudio.Andyou’dalsohavenovelslikeIQ 83.Whichdoyouchoose? Of course,whenIfoundoutI’dbeaDadwithatwoweekoldwhenWorldConhappened, I dropped it to helpVanessa through thepregnancy,buttheidea’sthere,right? Then, you have a year like 1977. It’s the easiest year ever –1977isStar Wars. Notonlyinsciencefiction,notonlyinfandom,butinAMERICA,andvariousotherplacesaswell. It’salsoprobablythemost importantyear in sciencefictionoverall, really. Star Wars funda-

~Editorials~

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mentallychangedthewaythatfilmswereproduced,packaged,andmostimportantly,consumed.Itchangedsciencefictionforever,andevenes-tablishedanewfandom.Youhave1975,theyearof Mothership Connection byGeorgeClinton, aswell as the start of LaserBooks,whichhadallthoseincredibleKellyFreascovers.Italsohadareallyimportantimpactonhowbooksweresold,targetingmajorretailerslikeGoldCircle.TherewasalsoThe Female Man,andzineslikeJanus,whichrepresenttheintro-ductionof feminismintofandom. Yearsmatter.Evenif wecan’ttotallyagreethat1999isthebestyearinthehistoryof ScienceFiction(anditIS,nodoubt),yearsrepresentmomentsintime,andtheybleed.1975bledinto1976,andthenintothe80s.1999bledinto2000and2001,andthroughtotoday.Yearsrepre-sentmilemarkers,andtheymakeitpossibleforustobetterunderstandhow thingsblowup. Find the sourceof the explosionand follow theimpactsoutfromgroundzero.. Forme,2015willbeagiantturningpointinthestoryof mylife.2014,Ihadmymid-lifecrisis,gotengaged,ranafilmfestival,metsomeincrediblepeople,wentthroughsomeseriousmoneyproblems,movedtothemountains,learnedthatIloveKale,wasGoHatWestercon,andonandonandon.Inmylife,only2011comesclose(Moldbloomforcingmetomove,firstFanGoHgigs,theHugo,etc.)andI’mlookingforwardto2015beinganotherincredibleyear. Of course,withakidcoming,it’llbesleep-deprived. So,enjoythisissue,thefirst Journey Planet of 2015,andwe’resoexcitedtobenominatedforBestFanzineforthe4thtime.Ibelievethatmakesmea19-timeHugonominee!

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Warren Buff

WewereatJOFcon,walkingbackfromdinner,whenBenYalowmentionedhewasdisappointedtohearthatSasquanwouldn’tbedoingRetroHugos.WhenIaskedhimwhy,hequiteplainlystatedthatitwasbecause1939wasthegreatestyearinsciencefictionhistory.Thatgotmethinking. Whatwasthegreatestyearinthegenre’shistory?Wasthereeverquiteanannomirablisforourbelovedstoriesof whatcouldbe?DidIagreewithBen’sassessment,orfindanotheryearstronger? Ultimately,bothof ushaveour say in this issue, andmygreatdisappointmentwasthatIdidn’thaveenoughfocustosetareasonablydistantdeadlineandcheckbackinwithfolkstogetarticlesoutof them.Ididhearalotof suggestionsfromsomeveryknowledgeablefanswhodidn’thavetimetowriteapieceonashortdeadline (oranothershortdeadline,oranother),someof whichI’llsharehereforthesakeof reveal-ingsomeof whatwewereaimingfor. Manyfolksthoughtsomeonewouldsurelytackle1926.Inthatregard,Imustsaytheywereallwrong. BudWebstersuggested1949onthestrengthof twogreatanthol-ogiesfromMarguliesandFreund,Weinbaum’sA Martian Odyssey,andthefirstissueof Fantasy & Science Fiction. CurtPhillipssplitthedifferenceongreatness,calling1939sciencefiction’sbestyear,whileheconsidered1934itsmostimportantyear. TedWhitefelthischoiceswouldeitherbetooobvious(1926or1938)ortoopersonal(helistedseveralimportantyearsinhisrelationshipwithsciencefiction,muchlikeJamesBacon’sarticle). Ihadn’t thoughtabout ituntilbeginningtowrite thiseditorial,butall threeof thosescholarly fenreside inthestateof Virginia. I’mblessed tobea shortdriveaway from suchaknowledgeof ourfield’shistory. SamuelMontgomery-Blinnsuggestedthat1977shouldgetseri-ousconsiderationforthereleaseof Star Wars.MichaelWalshsuggested1941(andIsupposethedatainBen’sarticlecouldbeusedtoarguethatcase). Inshort,wegotsomereallygoodfeedback,evenif wedidn’toutwithareasonableplanforgettingsubmissions fromfolks. I’ll takethe

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April 2015blameforthat,havingneverworkedonaneditorialteambefore. Thedelayswerecompoundedbyacoupleof wonderful,distract-ingweekends.InFebruary,ChrisandVanessaweremarriedattheCom-puterHistoryMuseuminSantaClara.Giventheguestlist,itfeltalotlike a really good consuite,whichmeans it probably took asmuchof Chris’sbrainasplanningCorfludid. Thefollowingmonth,ImarriedMandyinRaleigh.Ourguestlistwasn’tquiteasfannish,thoughanum-berof goodfannishfriendswereamongtheassembly.Wedidn’thavenearlythelogisticalcomponentstoourweddingthatChrisandVanessadid(notech,forstarters),thoughitstillatemybrainfortheweeksleadinguptothebigday. Ultimately, we got enoughmaterial together for a small issue,whichmeansitcanseeprintrelativelyeasily.Hopefully,wecanstirupthisconversationabit,andget folks thinkingaboutwhatyears they’vefoundgreatinsciencefiction.Enjoy!

About the Artfrom Chris Architectureisamazing! WhenIknewthatweweredoingthisissuebasedaroundyears,IknewIwantedtoincludearchitecturalimages.Visionsof thefuturemustdealwithArchitecture,as it is themostvisibleexpressionof timeandplace.ThebuildingsanddetailsIselectedwereallgatheredtoexpressthetimesrelatedinthearticles...orthatIjustthoughtwerereallycool!

Buildings/Projects FeaturedPage 11 - Palace of the Soviets (Never Built)Page 12 - Detail of Chanin Building, New YorkPage 17 - La Corbusier’s Palace of the Assembly, Chandigarh, IndiaPage 22 - The Theme Building at LAXPage 23 - Sydney’s Tower at Australia SquarePage 27 - Montreal’s Habitat 67Page 28 - Proposal for the Golden Gate Water Desalination PlantPage 29 - Belgrade’s Masterplan (underway)Page 34 - Frank Lloyd Wright’s concept for a Grand Bouldevard for LABACover - The Atrium Lobby of the Hyatt Regency San Francisco

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Journey Planet 21James Bacon

1981 Memoriesarevague,andIamunsurewhatexactlywasgreataboutthisyear,butIwasachildandremembervividlyseeingoneparticularmoviewhichIloved: Flash Gordon. That’sright.IwasoblivioustotheStar Wars phenomenonthatwasgoingon; Ihadnot yet seen themovie, andwas instead enjoying sciencefictiononthetelevisionandmovies,mostlytheonesthatseemedtointerestDad.Flash Gordonwasamazing,andlaterwhenwegotaVHSplayer,alongwithStar Wars, The Great Escape, A Bridge Too Far andothers,wewouldwatchandrewatchFlash Gordon untilthetapewasworn. DadtookustoseeitinDunLaoghaire,attheCinema. IlovedQueenatthetime–Ithoughttheirmusicwasamazing,andwhenIgotmyfirstWalkman,Isoonhadacassettecopyof theirgreatesthitsandlistenednon-stop,alongwiththeactualalbumfromthemovie. Flash Gordon wasalwaysoninthehouse,weallknewthewordslinebyline,anditwashilarious,andevennow,if Ishoutout,‘Nottheboreworms,’mybrothersknowwhat’sgoingon. Itoutlasteditself,andwhenTedcamealongandfeaturedFlash Gor-donsomuch,weallunderstood,likeif youwereinvitedtoapartywhereSamJ.Joneswasat,everyoneinthewholeworldwouldunderstandyoubailingout,andwegotthat,alongwiththelaughter. Christ, we never laughed so much, everything – Shots, CocaineDeathtoMing,itwasourfamilyChristmasmoviein2012anditwasamaz-inglybrilliantcausewewereaFlash Gordonhousehold. Theyearof Flash Gordon.AndThe Fall Guy,andDiff’rent Strokes andThe Incredible Hulk. 1978. But1978musthavebeenabetteryearforme.Yeah.LikeBattlestar Galactica. IrememberdadensuringwesawtheTVmovie,andwewatchedtheseriesandalsotheonewithPegasus,whichwasgreat.Wehadbeansandbreadandeggsforlunchthatday.ItwasaSaturdayanditwasgrandstuff,wejustlovedthemilitaristicfeeltothesciencefiction.Andyouknow,Icanremembernowtheployof viperpilotstryingtopretendtheyweremultiplesquadrons,andPegasusjustdisappearinglikeshedid.

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April 2015 Therewasalso Battle of the Planets onBBC,abastardisedversionof Gatchaman,buthowwasItoknowandwasn’titutterlybrilliantinitsownway,anditwasaniméanditwasawesome. Grange HillaTVschooldrama,withTuckerandaloadof wonderfulgirls.WhoIimmediatelyfellinlovewith.Itwashighdrama,intheafter-noon,andclosetotheboneandIlovedit. TheCaliforniaHighwayPatrolintheformof PonchandJohnwereoneverySaturday,GodIlovedthat,thebeatof thedrumandthenthereallyheavybassandthenthesynth,itwasallsoexcitingandwarmandbigbikesandjustamazing.CHiP’ssidebyside,spirallingontotheFreeway, And the sleezybitof musicand theweavingandpatrolcars bullbars. ButohGod,The WaltonsandLittle House on the Prairie,Iprobablyhat-edthesethemost,anditwascausetheysoresembledIrelandintheirback-wardslavishtothechurchwaysandshittyliveswithfeckall,if everacoupleof placeswantednapalming,itwasWaltonMountainandthatDamnHouse.Ihatedthem.ButwehadDoctor WhoontheTellyanditwasagoodone. Wait.1979. Yeah1979hadBuck Rogers,thatsenseof spinningthroughtime,themusic so serious andbuilding andBuck Rogers coming back toEarth, andCaptainWilmaDearing.HolyGhod.Nowweweretalking.AndHawk,andDr.PrepostrousandDr.Huewart.ItwasnowhereasgoodasBattlestar buttherewasalotof timeintheweek. Andof course,thesoundof DixieandThe Dukes of Hazzard.Everyschoolboywouldscreamlikeahornwhenweleftschool,thesoundof TheGeneralLee,andvisionsof a1969DodgeChargerlaunchingintothesky,thehornblastingwithCletusinpursuit.Justthegoodoldboys,nevermean-ingnoharm,beatsallyou’veneversaw,beenintroublewiththelaw,sincethedaytheywasborn.Itellyoutherewasaninnocencethatislostnow,canyouimagineAmerica,givingusIrishkidsDixieandDaisyDuke. LateritwouldbetheA-Team. AndthisistheproblemIamfacedwith.ApartfromutterconfusionaboutbeingsureIsawStar WarsonTelly,anditwasbroadcastin1982intheUK,andknowingthatIsawReturn of the Jedi andthatwasintheCinema,meansIprobablyonlysawStar Warsin1984,whenitwasbroadcastatChrist-mas.ThatIwatchedithundredof timesaswevideorecordedit,isof littleinteresttopuritans.Wemayhaverentedit.Itishardtoknow.

Journey Planet 21

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SotheTVof theseventiesandeightiesareprobablythemostim-portantthingtome.Itintroducedmetosciencefiction,America,andAmer-icana.Ilovedit.1986wasabigyear,asIreadmyfirst2000AD.Ihadreadorhadcomicsreadtomefromtheageof 4.Warcomics. 1989wasperhapsavitalyear,asIwalkedintoacomicshopandmetfandom. YetIfinditreallyhardtopinpointagreatyear.MostlyasIwasn’tthereprobablyinthepayingattentionandalerttowhatishappeningway.Itisalsoverysubjective,andcontradictory.EverytimeIfindayearIlike,Irealiseitisonlypartof whatIconsidertobegreat. So,Iamleftinanunsualposition,butitleavesmewithasimplesolu-tion.They’vebeengrandtimes,andIhavelovedthem,andeveryminutewasgreat. ~ _~ _~ _~ _~ _~ _~ _~ _~ _~ _~ _~ _~ _~ _~ _~ _~ _~ ~ _~ _~ _~ _~

It’sbeenanamazingyetunusualexperience,hereinHeathrow,Lon-don.TheHugonominationswerepipedthroughandapackedroomwaited.EmmaNewmanandPeteNewmanwerethefirstpeopleintheroomtobenominatedforTeaandJeopardy,thenJourneyPlanetwithColinHarrisandmyself thereandNiallHarrisonof StrangeHorizons. TheHugo’saresuchawonderfulandamazingthing.,they’lloutliveme.I’msograteful.Itfeelssonicethatwedothesefanzinesonthingswelikeandthenpeople like it somuchtheynominateus.It’sahugehonourandmotivationalpatontheshoulderandyet. IwassadtonotseeotherzinesIenjoyandnominatedonthelist.SofromnowonIwanttoreccomendotherzineseachissue.Thisissuewe’llmentiontwobutlookattheminmoredetaillater.BananaWingsbyClaireBrialeyandMarkPlummerandBigSkybyPeteYoung. We’llwelcomesuggestions.We’lllistthem,letusknow-journeyplan-et@gmail.com Weareworkingonsomefutureissuesthemedasfollows;Art,DanDare,RichardIII,PenguinBooks,Epistolary&CorrespondenceandSuperHeroes.If youareinterestedinanelementandwouldliketowrite-letusknow. Fornowmythanks.Ifeellucky,thatmyhobbyisappreciated,invig-orated,humbledandhonoured.You’reagreatfeckingbunch!

http://teaandjeopardy.geekplanetonline.comhttp://journeyplanet.weebly.comhttp://www.strangehorizons.comhttp://efanzines.com/BananaWings/http://efanzines.com/bigsky/index.htmmailto:journeyplanet%40gmail.com%20%20?subject=Hey%2C%20we%27re%20writing%20to%20Journey%20Planet%21mailto:journeyplanet%40gmail.com%20%20?subject=Hey%2C%20we%27re%20writing%20to%20Journey%20Planet%21

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WhatdowemeanbythegreatestyearinSF?Ibelievethatthereareafewthingsthatgointoit. Thereneedtobeabunchof reallymajorstoriespublished–onesthatchange thefield,orarememorable longafterbeingwritten. Or,itcanalsobethebeginningyearof atrendthatchangesthefield,andleavesusdiscussingBefore-andAfter-asdifferenteras. AndIbelievethat1939definitelyfellintothelattercategory,andmightwellqualifyunderthefirstone,aswell. Theykeypartof 1939 is thatCampbellfinallywascompletelyinchargeof Astounding; therewasnogiantback inventoryof materialboughtbeforehetookovercompletelyinMayof 1938.Hestillhadn’tdeveloped / discovered the set of writers thatwould characterize theGoldenAge,buttheywerestartingtoshowupinhispages. And1939wasalsotheyearthatCampbellstartedUnknown–amagazine that changed fantasy, andmade it harder todraw the clearboundary between SF and fantasy, as well as introducing humor andrealismintofantasy.Unfortunately,thepapershortagesduringthewarmeantthatUnknown onlylasteduntil1943(itstartedasamonthly,thenwentbimonthlyin1941),butitwasresponsibleforexpandingfantasybe-yondthehorrorfictionthatWeird Talespublished.Solet’slookat1939,andthenextfewyearsof ASFand Unknown.

1939:ASF:Smith:beginningpartsof Gray Lensman(thefourLensmanbooksessential-lywereresponsibleforthegalacticcivilizationmemeinthegenre;Gray

~1939 by Ben Yalow~

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Lensman wasthesecondbookintheseries,andthefirsttostartbytellingyouthateverythingyouthoughtyouknewinthefirstwaswrong).Williamson:The Crucible of Power, One Against the LegionSimak:Cosmic EngineersCampbell:“Cloakof Aesir”(prettymuchthelastof theDonA.Stuartstories,inwhichCampbell,underapenname,setouttoshowthefieldwhatkindsof storieshe,asaneditor,wouldlookfor).DelRey:“TheDayIsDone”VanVogt:“BlackDestroyer”(hisfirststory),“DiscordinScarlet”Heinlein:“Life-Line”(hisfirststory),“Misfit”Sturgeon:“EtherBreather”(hisfirstgenrestory,followed,amonthlater,byanotherstoryinUnknown) AndAsimov’s“Trends”waspublishedinASF,aswellthatyear–notagreatstory,butAsimovwouldhithisstrideoverthenextfewyears,withhisbestwork.

Unknown: Russell:Sinister BarrierGold:“TheTroubleWithWater”DeCamp: “Divide and Rule”, “The Gnarly Man”, “Nothing In theRules”,Lest Darkness Fall(theclassicthatdefinedthealternatehistorysub-genre)Hubbard:Slaves of Sleep(yes,beforeDianetics,Hubbardwasagoodwriter,whohadahandfulof greatstories,aswell).Leiber:“TwoSoughtAdventure”(thefirstFafhrd and the Gray Mouser story–thosestoriescreatedtheurbanfantasygenre).

““In the time of your life, live - so that in this wondrous time you shall not add to the misery and sorrow of the world, but shall smile to the infinite variety and mystery of it.”

― William Saroyan in The Time of Your Life, 1939

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April 2015 That’squiteanimpressivelineupfor22issuesof twomagazines(UnknownstartedwiththeMarch1939issue).Andtheartworkexpandedthe tropes frommostly brass bikinis or strange horror, and artists likeRogers(ASF)andCartier(Unknown)hittheirstride. And let’s seewhatCampbellwasable to followupwith in thenextfewyears.

1940:ASF:Smith:finalpartof Gray LensmanHeinlein : “Requiem”, “If ThisGoesOn”, “TheRoadsMustRoll”,“Coventry”,“BlowupsHappen”Hubbard:Final BlackoutVanVogt:“Vaultof theBeast”,Slan Bates:“FarewelltotheMaster”(thestoryisalotlesswellknownthanThe Day The Earth Stood Still,whichwasthemoviemadefromit;I,personally,thinkthewrittenversionisbetter).

Unknown: Williamson:The Reign of Wizardry, Darker Than You ThinkDeCamp&Pratt:The Roaring Trumpet/The Mathematics of Magic(laterpub-lishedasThe Incomplete Enchanter)DeCamp:“TheWheelsof If ”Hubbard:Fear, Typewriter in the SkySturgeon:“It”Heinlein:“Magic,Inc.”

1941:ASF:Heinlein:“AndHeBuiltaCrookedHouse”,“Logicof Empire”,“Uni-verse”, “SolutionUnsatisfactory”, “Methuselah’sChildren”, “WeAlsoWalkDogs”,“Elsewhen”,“ByHisBootstraps”Sturgeon:“MicrocosmicGod”Asimov:“Nightfall”,“NotFinal”Smith:partof Second Stage Lensmen

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Unknown:Sturgeon:“ShottleBop”,“YesterdayWasMonday”DeCamp&Pratt:The Castle of Iron, The Land of UnreasonHeinlein:“They”Leiber:“TheHowlingTower”(Fafhrd)Brown:“Armageddon”Kuttner&Moorse:“AGnomeThereWas”Boucher:“Snulbug”

1942:ASF:Smith:finalpartof Second Stage LensmenAsimov:“Runaround”(thefirstrobotstory),“Foundation”,“BridleandSaddle”(thesecondof theshortworksthateventuallywerecollectedasFoundation)Heinlein:Beyond This Horizon,“Waldo”Clement:“Proof ”DelRey:“MyNameIsLegion”,“Nerves”Williamson:“CollisionOrbit”Kuttner&Moore;“TheTwonky”GeorgeO.Smith:“QRM—Interplanetary”(firststoryinVenus Equilateral)VanVogt:“TheWeaponShop”

Unknown:Brown:“EtaoinShrdlu”Boucher:“TheCompleatWerewolf ”Bester:“HellIsForever”Heinlein:“TheUnpleasantProfessionof JonathanHoag”Kuttner&Moore:“Complimentsof theAuthor”

So,inthefouryearperiodstartingin1939,CampbelldefinedtheGoldenAge,andthestableof writersthatwoulddefineSFforthenextseveraldecades.And,of course,heestablishedtheSFcareerstoH.L.GoldandAnthonyBoucher,whowouldestablishGalaxyandF&SF,thetwonewgiantsof thenextgenerationof SFpublishing. But1939waswhenitreallytookoff.

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Before I begin to argue for 1953, permit me to define what I mean by greatestyear. Idonotmeanthemosthistoricormostimportantyear.Anyonefa-miliarwiththeEnglish-languagepartof thefieldwouldrecognizequicklythesignificanceof theyears1516,1817,1895,1926,and1938. One familiarwiththeFrenchbranchof SFwouldidentifyreadilytheimportanceof 1752,1770,1864,and1968.Idonotthinkthismeaningof “greatest”iswhatDr.Garciaintendedwhensuggestingthisarticle.If hedid,thenallthatisneededisabrief historicaloverviewof thehistoryof SF. Ispeculatethathemeantwhatisthebestyear,thatis,whenthegreat-estamountof excellentworksappeared.Thisisparalleltomanyfilmcriticsselecting1939asthegreatestyearformovies(Gone with the Wind, Wizard of Oz, Wuthering Heights,etc.). So,hereismypitchfortheyear1953.First,let’sbeginwithfourclassicnovels: Fahrenheit 451byRayBradbury Childhood’s End byArthurC.Clarke The Space MerchantsbyFrederikPohlandC.M.Kornbluth More Than HumanbyTheodoreSturgeon

Thereisnodoubtastotheexcellenceandhistoricalsignificanceof thesenovels;theyaredefinitelytheclassof theyear,andwouldbeforanyyear. Thenthereareothernovelswhichareprettydoggonegoodandde-servenotice.

The Caves of Steel byIsaacAsimov(whichmanywouldplaceinthefirstgroup)Starman JonesbyRobertA.HeinleinOnebyDavidKarpThe Green MillenniumbyFritzLeiberBring the JubileebyWardMoore(alandmarkbookforalternatehistorybuffs)

~1953: THE GREATEST YEAR IN SCIENCE FICTION by

Brad Lyau~

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April 2015Ring Around the Sun byCliffordD.SimakLove Among the Ruins byEvelynWaughThe Kraken AwakesbyJohnWyndham Also:HalClement’sMission of GravitywasserializedinAstounding in1953,withitsfirstbookpublicationin1954.Soif youwanttocounttheseri-alizationasitsrealfirstappearance,then1953becomesevenagreateryear.

Besidesthehighqualityof novels,thereisalsothematterof quantity.Genresciencefiction,asmostof usknow,emergedfromthepulpmagazinesof thefirsthalf of the20thcentury.AfterWorldWarIIthepaperbackrevolu-tiontookoffandthepulpsof allgenresbegantodieoff,EXCEPTforsciencefictionmagazines.SFmagazinesactuallyincreased,peakingin–youguessedit–1953withover30titles.Besidestheinnovative‘BigThree’of Astounding, Galaxy, andFantasy and Science Fiction,therewereIf, Imagination, Beyond, Startling Stories, Amazing Stories, Fantastic,andUniverse.Of course,therewereotherti-tles–somecontaininggemsbywriterslikeSturgeon,Bester,Silverberg,Dick,Anderson,Budrys,etc.Notallcameoutmonthly,butthesheervolumeof storiesstandstothewidespreadpopularityof sciencefictionamongtheread-ingpublic. Of course,therearetheshortfictioncategories.Herearethefinalistsfromthe1954retroHugos (handedout in2004). Thetopstories listed ineachcategoryarethewinners.

BestNovella“ACaseof Conscience”byJamesBlish[If Sep1953]“ThreeHeartsandThreeLions”byPoulAnderson[F&SFSep,Oct1953]“…AndMyFearIsGreat…”byTheodoreSturgeon[BeyondFantasyFictionJul1953]“Un-Man”byPoulAnderson[AstoundingJan1953]“TheRose”byCharlesL.Harness[AuthenticSFMonthlyMar1953]BestNovelette“Earthman,ComeHome”byJamesBlish[AstoundingNov1953]“SecondVariety”byPhilipK.Dick[SpaceScienceFictionMay1953]“TheAdventureof theMisplacedHound”byPoulAndersonandGordonR.Dickson[UniverseDec1953]“SamHall”byPoulAnderson[AstoundingAug1953]“TheWallAround theWorld”byTheodoreR.Cogswell [BeyondFantasy

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Journey Planet 21FictionSep1953]BestShortStory“TheNineBillionNamesof God”byArthurC.Clarke[StarScienceFictionStories(Ballantine),1953]“It’saGoodLife”byJeromeBixby[StarScienceFictionStories#2(Ballan-tine),1953]“StarLight,StarBright”byAlfredBester[F&SFJul1953]“ASaucerof Loneliness”byTheodoreSturgeon[GalaxyFeb1953]“SeventhVictim”byRobertSheckley[GalaxyApr1953]

Whataboutmovies?The1950swerenotoriousforproducinghugevolumesof dreck in thisfield. However fewdid standout aspretty good.1953certainlyhaditsshare:War of the WorldsThe Beast from 20,000 FathomsInvaders from MarsIt Came from Outer Space Howabouttelevision,whichwasstillinitsinfancyin1953?InBrit-ainThe Quatermass Experiment wasbroadcastforthefirsttimeandstillreceivesreviewsasaclassic,stillholdingitsowntoday.InAmerica,viewerssawThe Adventures of Superman, Space Patrol, Tales of Tomorrow,andCaptain Video and His Video Rangers.Notthequalityof Twilight Zone or Star Trek,butatleasttheylaidthegroundworkforfutureattempts. Finally,therearethecomicbooks.Theearly1950switnessedanex-plosionof SF,fantasy,andhorrorcomics,whichwerecreatedandsoldwellasthelong-staplesuperherotitleswereexperiencinganebbininterest.Certain-ly1953canlayclaimtomorethanitsfairshareof comicbookexcellence:DCcomicshadStrange AdventuresandMystery in Space. Of course,itwasECComicsthatbrokegroundandproducedmem-orabletitlesinSF,fantasy,andhorror.If itweren’tfortheKefauverHearingsand the resultingComicsCodeAuthority in1954,whoknowswhatwouldhavedeveloped.So1953,unfortunately,standsasthelastyearof comicbookSFexcellenceforthe1950s. OK,that’sitfromme. Thereareotherequallycompellingyears,butIwouldstillplacemybeton1953.

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Chriswantedpeopletowriteaboutthebestyearof ScienceFic-tion.Iwasnotcomfortablewiththat.InsteadIchosetopicksomeyearswheresignificantthingshappenedinsomeof myfandoms. Inthemid-90s,ScienceFiction/Fantasytelevisionwaschanging.In1993,thePrimeTimeEntertainmentNetworkshowed“TheGather-ing”,theBabylon 5 pilotmovie.ThiswasalreadyonmyradarsinceIreadaboutitin Starlog.JoeStraczynski,thecreatorof theshow,wrotethear-ticle.Iwasalreadyafanof StraczynskifromhisworkonThe Real Ghost-bustersandthelastseasonof thenew Twilight Zone.Ididnotrememberthedetailsaboutthearticle,butanewshowwithStraczynskiwasenoughtointerestme.ItblewmeawaywhenTakashima,second-in-commandof thestation,tellingthehostilealiensto“getstuffed”.Afterfiveyearsof emotionalreservefromStar Trek: The Next Generation,itwasgreattoseeapassionatehumanresponsetoasituation.LaterthatyearatWorldconinSanFrancisco,StraczynskiexplainedthatBabylon 5 wouldbea5-yearmini-serieswithabeginning,middle,andend.ThiswasatimewhenanewScienceFictionshowwasluckytogetasecondseason.TheideathatStraczynskiwas takingachance like thiswasstaggering. Notonlydidtheshowsucceed,butalsoinfluencedfutureshowslikeLost andBattlestar Galacticatohavestoryarcs.

~Some Significant Years~ by Juan Sanmiguel

“The Golden Age of Science Fiction is twelve.”~Peter Graham

Oneof thebiggestchallengesof Hugovotingwasfindingtheshortfic-tionnominees.Novelswereeasy;youcouldeitherbuy,borrowfromafriend,orcheckthemoutof thelibrary.In1995,DavidGerroldreleased“TheMartianChild”online. Gerrold said thatheheard thatpeople

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Journey Planet 21wouldhavevotedfor“TheManWhoFoldedHimself ”fortheHugohadtheyreaditintime.Gerroldputthestoryonlinesomorepeoplecouldreadthestory.ItwonboththeNebulaandHugo.Asaresult,themag-azineswouldposttheirnominatedstoriesonline.LaterthiswouldleadtotheHugodigitalpacketsgivenouttoWorldconmembers.SincethenHugovotinghasincreased. Gettingnewanimewasachallengingproposition.OnehadtowaitforacompanytogettherightsandreleaseitonvideoorDVD.Thiscouldtakemonthsoryears. Someimpatient fansdidtheirownsubti-tlesandreleasedthosevideosfilesontheInternet.In2009,theonlinestreamingcompanyCrunchyrollbecamelegitimate.Afterafewyearsonthelegalborderline,Crunchyrollgotsomeinvestmentcapitalandmadedealswithmanyof themajor studios to stream their shows legally intheUnitedStatesandinothercountries.Fanscouldwatchnewanimeprogramsastheycameoutof Japanforasmallmonthlyfeeorfreewithcommercials.OthercompaniesfollowedCrunchyroll’smodelandnowmostanimeshowsareaccessibletotheUS.Wearenowinthegoldenageof animefandom. Whathappenedinthoseyearswereimportantandleadtobetterthings.Thebestisalwaysyettocome.

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In 1967, Science Fiction was in transition. The New Wave had advancedtothepointthatthebulkof fansacceptedit,butCampbellwasstillatthehelmof Analog.HarlanEllisonreleasedoneof themostimportantSFanthologiesever,whileFredPohltookhometheHugoforbestProfessionalMagazinewithIf.Theeraof professionalmag-azinesastheprimarymarketforSFwasdrawingtoaclose,andthatawarditself wouldbereplacedwithBestProfessionalEditorjustafewyearslater.Andyet,inthisnoman’slandbetweenthedominanceof themagazinesandthedominanceof theoriginalbook,somebeautifulfictionwaspublished. VisualSFwasalsointransition.Star Trekhititsstridein1967,releasingmanyof itsbestepisodes,whileSFfilmwasreachingtheendof theschlockera (andwouldn’tsee therapidexpansionof budgetsuntilthefollowingyear).Thesuperherocomicsworldwasconsolidat-ing,asmanyof thesmallerpublisherswerefallingbythewayside.YetMarvelwashittingitsexperimentalphase,andinFrance,someof themostbelovedSFcharactersinbandesdessinéesweredebuted.Inafewshortyears,Métal hurlantwouldtaketheworldbystorm. LookingatwrittenSFfromestablishmentfigures,1967offersusThe Past Through Tomorrow, thefirstmajorcollectionof Heinlein’sFuture Histories. It’s perhaps become too easy to discountHeinlein’simportance inrecentyearsashe’sbecomeaclub foroldwhitementowaveatfolkstheymightratherhaveofftheir lawns. Andyet,hisshortfictionisundeniablybrilliant.Thewholeideaof linkingaseriesof storiessetacrosshundredsof years inacommontimelineechoesdownto today. While seriesof storiesweren’tunheardof (see suchserialadventuresasthoseof DocSavage)orevenacommonsettingforanauthor’sfiction(asinLovecraft),theambitionof linkingsomanystoriesacross time,oftenwithout includingrecurringcharacters,haspavedthewayformanyof thesharedworldswe’veseensince.WhilefansknewHeinleinmeantthesestoriestobelinked,layingthemoutin

~1967 by Warren Buff~

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April 2015onecollectioninchronologicalorderwithatimelinehaspreservedthatunderstanding foreven theuninitiated. Youdon’thave togo throughtheoldgatekeeperwhoinsistsHeinleincoulddonowrongtoreadandunderstandthismaterial,andThe Past Through Tomorrowisaremarkablygoodplacetostart. Asimov,too,hadagoodyearin1967,evenif onlyforhisstory“TheBilliardBall”.It’sasatisfyingstory,evenif theNewtonianpremisedoesn’tholdupwellunderGeneralRelativity.Thestoryresonateswithhumanity,asthebestof Asimovsooftendoes. Buttoreallyfindthebestof 1967inprint,youhavetolooktothenewguard.Dangerous Visions producedfive1968Hugonomineesandtwowinners,andwouldhavescoredthetriplehaditseditor,HarlanEllison,not takentheBestShortStorycategorywith“IHaveNoMouth,andIMustScream”. Ellisonscoredanothernomination for“PrettyMag-gieMoneyeyes”, SamuelR.Delaney scored threenominations,RogerZelaznygotonewinoutof twonominations,andtheyear’stwoNovellawinnerswerePhillipJoséFarmerandAnneMcCaffrey(withoneof thefirstinstallmentsinthePernuniverse).Inthefirstyearof fourfictioncat-egories,allfivewinnerswereeitherfiguresof thenewguardorpublishedinDangerous Visions. It’sdifficulttooverstatehowstrongacollectionDangerous Visions is.Evenseeingthatitwasn’treallybreakingmuchnewground,asfictionmarketshadalreadyprovenwillingtotacklesex,drugs,andsocialcriti-cism,thebookisbasicallyanhonorrollof 1960sSF.Furthermore,thecoverandinterioraregracedwithwoodcutsfromLeoandDianeDillon,whichupendsomeof ourexpectationsaboutSFillustration.I’mmostenamored of itsmoody, allegorical pieces, such as “Evensong”, “TheDayAftertheDaytheMartiansCame”,“TheManWhoWenttotheMoon–Twice”,“Auto-da-Fé”,and“Faithof OurFathers”.They’renotnecessarilythebestof thework(andnoneof themisamongthethreethatwonHugoorNebulaawards),butthey’rethebitsthatsuitmytastebest.Andyet,theanthologyissolarge,andsorambling,thatit’slikelytosuitmanyothertastes,too.Itdoesn’t,ultimately,coverentirelynewgroundthewayEllisonintended,butitmakesuporthatminorfailinginquality. I’dalsoberemissif Ileftout1967’sbestSFnovel,RogerZelaz-ny’sLord of Light.WhileZelaznyhadpreviouslywonaBestNovelHugo

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Journey Planet 21for…And Call Me Conrad,itwasLord of Lightwherehereallyhithisstrideasanovelist.ZelaznydeliberatelywroteLord of Lightinthespacebetweensciencefictionandfantasy,takingadvantageof theblurredlinestotellastorywithsomedegreeof scientificjustificationinamythicalstyle.Theresultishands-downmyfavoritesciencefictionnovel. Looking to television,we can’t ignoreStar Trek,whichhadoneof itsbestyearsin1967.JustlookingattheHugoAwardballotforBestDramatic presentation in 1968,we see five episodes of Star Trek, eachwrittenbyanauthorwell-knowninsciencefiction–HarlanEllisonbeatoutTedSturgeon,JeromeBixby,NormanSpinrad,andDavidGerrold.Thefrighteningthingisthattherearefamousepisodesfrom1967whichdidn’tevenmaketheballot.Whilethenomineesincluded“TheCityontheEdgeof Forever”,“AmokTime”,“Mirror,Mirror”,“TheDooms-dayMachine”,and“TheTroubleWithTribbles”,thatstillleaves“SpaceSeed”,“Arena”,“TheDevilintheDark”,and“ThisSideof Paradise”.Thinkaboutthatforamoment–theyearwassogoodthat“SpaceSeed”couldn’tmaketheHugoballotinayearwhenTrekdominatedthenomi-nationsentirely.TheremayneverhavebeenabettercalendaryearforaStar Trekshow. Lookingalittlefartherafield,Englandwasalsoproducingsomeof itsfinestSFaswell. TheSecondDoctorhad justbeenintroduced,andwhilethere’splentyof diversityof opiniononthetopic,apanelatRenovationdeterminedPatrickTroughton’sDoctortobethebest.Onlyoneof theserialsfrom1967,however,isstillretainedinitsentirety– The Tomb of the Cybermen.It’shardtojudgethateraof theshowif youdidn’tlivethroughitinBritain,soI’lltrustthegeneralopinionontheSecondDoctor. Wedo,however,stillhavetheentirerunof The Prisoner. Itsfirstfourteenepisodesranin1967,andrepresentsomeof themostcerebraltelevisionof theera.Asameditationontruth,identity,andfreedom,itstillholdsup. Theoneplacewhere1967fallsdown,however,isinfilm.Thisistheendof aneraof schlocksciencefictionfilms,andwhatbettertoclosethateraonthanMars Needs Women?WhenI’doriginallystartedin-vestigatingyears,I’dmistakenlybelievedthat2001andDangerous Visions hadbeenreleasedinthesameyear.Andif I’dbeenright,andKubrick’sSFmasterpiecehadbeenshiftedbackayear,thecasefor1967wouldgo

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April 2015fromstrong to irrefutable. Unfortunately,hewas still cuttingfilmanddealingwitheffectsshots,oblivioustomydesiretohavetwolandmarkworksof sciencefictionlandinthesameyear. Comics,on theotherhand,providesa fewgems. Marvel’sex-perimentalphasewasinfulleffect,withJimSteranko’srunonNick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.Dreachingitstrulyweirdphase.Whiletheplotsaregenerallystandardissuespystuff,theygetmoresciencefictional,andtheartmorepsychedelic.ThisserieswasrunningintheStrange Tales anthol-ogyoppositeDoctorStrange,andtheymadeastrongpair.TheSilverSurferwasalsogivenhisfirstsolofeatureasabackupintheFantastic Four Annual.Whileallof thesecharacterswereintroducedpriorto1967,theartintheirbookswastakinganewdirectioninthatyear,andonewhichbenefitedcomics. OverinFrance,PierreChristinandJean-ClaudeMézièresbegantheirlong-runningcollaborationonValérian et Laureline.Atthetime,theyfeltsciencefictionwasunder-representedintheFrenchcomicsmarket,andmanagedtostartaserieswhichranthrough2013.Giventhevisualinfluenceof theserieson Star Warsanditsrootsinitscreators’loveforliterarySF (Asimov,Vance, andBrunner are among its influences), itsbeginningisanotablemilestone. Finally,I’dliketomakementionof anearlyinfluenceonmyownloveof sciencefictionfrom1967.JohnChristopher’sThe White Moun-tains. Myparents introducedmetotheTripodsbookswhenIwasoldenoughtohandlethem,andIhaven’tlookedback.WhenIchosetheyear,itwaslargelyonthestrengthof Star TrekandDangerous Visions,butIwashappytoseethatitalsocontributedoneof myearlyinfluences.

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Youcansayalotabout1939infilm.It’sagreatyear,withalotof moviesthathavestoodthetestof time.Infact,there’snootheryearthathasmorefilmsontheNationalFilmRegistrythan1939. Shameis,itain’tthebestyearforScienceFiction,Fantasy,orHor-rorfilms.Thatwouldbe,handsdown,1999.AddtothatsomeexceptionalwrittenSF,andareallygoodyearforSFtelevision,andyou’vegotthebestyearinScienceFictionHistory. Let’sstartwithbooks.Therearen’talotof sciencefictionbooksthatmynon-SFfriendshaveread,butthey’veallreadCryptonomicon. NealStephensonhassomegreatnovels,butif youreadonlyone,it’sgottabeCryptonomicon.Probablythesmartestnovelof thelastdecadeof thetwen-tiethcentury,andittrawlsdepthsthatareseldomexploredbysciencefic-tion,whichmaybewhyStephensondoesn’treallydigintoitasif itwereasciencefictionnovel.Instead,it’sfictioninwhichscience,intheformof cryptoanalysis,mathematics,andcomputerscience,playsasthebasisforthestory.ItwastheonlySFnovelIreadduring1999,soitwinsonthatcount. Afterthat,you’vegotafewgreatbooksthatIhavereadintheyearssince.Stardust,byNeilGaiman,mightbethemostadorableof them.It’sawell-toldstory,andIwishIhadencountereditbeforeIsawthemoviefrom2007.Darwin’s Radio,byGregBear,wasanothergreatone,andoneof thefewBearpiecesIreallycometoinabigway.TherewasVinge’s A Deepness in the Sky,whichisoneIreallyenjoyedonmysecondread.Of course,therewasaHarry Potterbookaswell. Shorterfiction?Lotsof greatstuff.Infact,asgoodas1999wasformovies,itwasalmostasgoodforshortfiction.“AncientEngines”byMichaelSwanwickwasrobbedof theHugobyabetter-than-really-good“ScherzowithTyrannosaurus”by...waitforit...MichaelSwanwick.ThosetwoaremyfavoriteSwanwickwritings.They’rebothgreat,andwhileIwaspullingfor“AncientEngines”,itwasn’tmeanttobe. Youhadoneof thebestnovelettesthatIdiscoveredcompletelybyaccident.“TheSecretHistoryof theOrnithopter”isasgoodanAlternateHistorystoryasyou’lleverfind,anditwontheSidewise(Ithinkitwasthe

~1999: Best Year Ever~by Chris Garcia

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April 2015firsttimeIwaseverawareof theSidewise)andwasHugo-nominated.Tome,itwasthebestthinginTheMagazineof Fantasy&ScienceFiction,anditwasthefirstgreatyearof F&SFunderthewatchof theawesomeGordonVanGelder. Asimov’shadagreatyeartoo,andoneof thegreathighlightsformeof oneof GardnerDozois’bestyearshadtobeIanMacLeod’sThe Chop Girl.Therearetimeswhenthefirstpersondictativevoiceisjarring,butinthiscaseit’ssoveryengaging.Itastorytoldtothereaderinaformthatnotonlydrawsyouin,butmakesyouguessaboutthingsthatarebothslowlyrevealed,andgentlyobfuscated.It’saremarkablestory,andaHu-go-nominatedstoryaswell. Ioftenpointto1999asoneof thebanneryearsinthedevelopmentof Steampunk.Mostfolksdon’tcottontothatidea,knowingaboutKWJeter,TimPowers,andJimBlaylock,butforgettingaboutthetransitionalperiodbetweenthemandCheriPriest,GailCarriger,andChinaMievillethatwasinhabitedbyfolkslikeStephenBaxter,PauldiFillipo,andJeter,Iguess.In1999,youhadsomegreatstuffshowingup,includingThe League of Extraordinary Gentlemen,buttome,itwasallaboutawebsitecalledWould That It Were.FocusedonAlternateHistory,thereweresomespectacularstories,and1999wasoneof itsbetteryears.Ireallystartedtodigintoitin1999,andtomethatwasitsbestyear.Iwishitwerestillaround,butalas,itwasnottobe. ConnieWillisisawriterwhosenovelsseldomconnectwithme,buthershorterworks,evenaslongasnovella-length,usuallyworkforme.Inthecaseof “TheWindsof MarbleArch”,it’sWilliswritinglikeConniedoes,onlysomehowshemanagedtoholdontomebypiecingitalltogeth-erwithahistoricalperspectiveandcoupleof funcharacters.Iseealittletoomuchof myself (andacertainco-editorfriend!)inTom,Connie’smaincharacteronatriptoacquiretheatreticketsonlytobedistractedbythingsonlyhecansee.It’sagreatstory,andaworthyHugowinner! LookingatComicsforasecond,therewasnoshortageof strongstufffromthemajors(I’dsaythatDChaditsbestyearwiththeirVertigolabelleadingtheway).100 Bullets debuted,andthoughittookmeagestoacquireatasteforitsflesh,Icertainlysnackedonitthroughtheearlypartof theyear,beforefull-ongorgingbyDecember.Strange Adventuresreturned,thistimeasaVertigotitle,anditreallymovedmewithearlyissues.Thereweretheimportanttitleslike A. Bizarro,oneof thebestserioustreatments

of theBizarroconcepteverdone,andBirds of Prey,whichmighthavebeenthebesttitleIwasregularlybuying.The Flashhadthe“ChainLightning”storyline,whichwasreallygood,and though it’s largely forgotten today,Fanboy,byEvanierandAragones,mighthavebeenthemostfunIhadincomicsinthepost-Ambush Bug/Pre-Batman ‘66timeframe. AndtherewasThe League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.If everacomicdeservedaplaceinthepantheonof literature,it’sAlanMoore’smaster-piece.Yes,IknowthatMr.O’Neil’sartisanimportantaspect,butMoore’sscriptsweremasterpieces.Thewaythestorywastold,theconstantliteraryallusions,thewaythatMooreplayswithtraditions,makeseventhetiniestdetailsmatter,thatissomeof thebestwritinginthehistoryof comics. TheBigBookseriesof graphicnovelsfromParadoxPresswereinfull-effect!Theyonlyreleasedonein1999,The Big Book of Grimm,butitwasawonderfullookatthefairytalesof theBrothersGrimm.It’snotmyfavoriteof theBigBooks(The Big Book of The Unexplained andThe Big Book of the Weird Westsharethathonor)butit’sareallygoodentry. Letuslookattelevision,shallwe?If Imadealistof themostim-portantsciencefictionandFantasytelevisionprogramsof thelast50years,itwouldstartwiththeStar Trek franchise,followedbythe X-Files world,andthentheBuffyverseshows.Allof thesehadshowsontheairin1999.TrekhadStar Trek: Voyager,whichwhilenotthebestof thefranchise’sentries,didsomeveryinterestingthings. The X-Fileswasstillon,anditwasstartingontheseriousdecline,buttheevenbetter(andmuchdarker)Millenium wasstillontheair,anditwasastrongseriesthatIwishhadgoneonlonger.Buffy The Vampire Slayerwasinits3rdseason,andstarteditsforthin1999.Itwasthetransitionseason,movingfromSunnydaleHightoUCSunny-dale.Andthoughithappenedin1998,wemeetFaithinSeason3,andsheplayedabigpartinalotof Season3. Theseweren’ttheonlythingsof Sfnalinterestontelevision,though.ThoughIHATEDitformuchof itsrun,3rd Rock from the Sun wasdrawinggoodnumbers,launchingthecareerof JosephGordonLevitt. Forfilms,yes,therewasThe Phantom Menace,whichwasonlyalittlebetterthantheotherreleasesinthe Star Warsprequels,butitwasalotof fun,andthepod-racingscenewasreallycool! Releasedaweekpriortothatmonsterwas A Midsummer Night’s Dream,withoneof StanleyTucci’sbestperformances.AlsoreleasedaboutthesametimeistheteenhorrorflickIdle Hands,andperhapsthemostfunfilmof 1999,The Mummy.Yes,I

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April 2015amawareitweren’tthebestfilm,Iwouldn’tcallThe Mummy‘cinema’,butIcan’tdenythatIsawitinthetheatreafewtimesandlovediteverytime!Samemonthsawthereleaseof The Thirteenth Floor,whichwasflawed,butstillaveryinterestingcyberpunk-influencedfilm. The Sixth Sensewasoneof therealfindsof 1999.Itwasn’tagreatfilm,thoughIthoughtthatToniCollettewasreallygreatinit.It’sabasicstory,ittwiststheaudience’sexpectationsaroundanditwaswell-delivered.ItlaunchedM.NightShaymalan,whichmaybeamixedblessing. Therewere twoversionsof theclassic storyThe Haunting of Hill Housereleasedin1999.Thefirst,The Haunting,wasawell-madeversionstarringCatherineZeta-JonesandLiliTaylor.Itwasapolishedpieceof filmmakingfromJondeBontandwhileitdoeslackalittleof theimpactof thestory,it’sagoodpopcornmovie.Theotherone,House on Haunted Hill,wasfromDarkCastle,anditwasfun.Maybenotgreatcinema,butitwasn’tcampeither,thoughattimesitmademotionsinthatdirection. Yes,therewerealsobadSF&Ffilms.Deep Blue Sea, Lake Placid, Uni-versal Soldier: The Return,andvariousothers,butthereweresomanygreatgenrefilmsthatit’shardtosaythatitwasn’tahighwatermark. Of course,Ihaven’ttalkedaboutthemostinfluentialfilmof thelast30years–The Blair Witch Project. Asafilm,it’sasimplehorrorfilmaboutamonster.Thewaytheyshotit,hand-held,withactorsworkingim-provisationally,wasinnovative.Wesawtonsof Blair Witchknock-offsintheearly2000s,andeversincethehand-heldcamerahasbecomeastandard.ItwasBlair WitchthatbroughtthattomainstreamcinemaaftertheDogmemovementbroughtittotheforefrontof Indycinema.Themostinnovativepartof Blair Witchnevermadeittothemoviescreen.Itwasthewaytheyusedaviraladvertisingscenariototurnitintothemostprofitablefilmof all-time.Theblairwitch.comwebsitetoldastorythatunfoldedoverweeks,andbuiltbuzz.IwashookedfromthemomentIheardaboutit,andwhenitfinallydropped,Iknewitwasahugedeal. 1999 changedfilm, for sure, and themost significant filmsweregenre.ThewrittenSFwastop-notch,thetelevisionSFwasgreat,thecom-icsweregreat.Howcouldanyotheryearcompete?

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April 2015

The Greatest Year Withsciencefiction,Gernsbackmadeitclear

Amovement’sunderway.WhocantellWhensciencefictionmetitsgreatestyear?

AmazingStoriesstirredinventiveseersToopenlywonderaboutourfutureselves.

Withsciencefiction,Gernsbackmadeitclear

We’vejustbegun.Whothenwouldbringusnearer?Thoughmanyhonoredauthorsthoughtthey’djelled

Whensciencefictionmetitsgreatestyear,

Theprocessneverends.Wewon’tsoonhearAnanswer.Finaljudgmentsfailtosell.

Withsciencefiction,Gernsbackmadeitclear

Thisquestion,likethewaveasurferdearlyPursueseternallythroughblissandhell,Whensciencefictionmetitsgreatestyear,

ContinuallyinspiresthedreamsandfearsAddressedbyfandomandtheartitself.

Withsciencefiction,GernsbackmadeitclearWhensciencefictionmetitsgreatestyear.

-- Chuck Serface