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[This is part THREE of FIVE of Volume 1, Issue 6 of CYBERSPACE VANGUARD: News and Views of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Universe. If your site did not receive all five parts, or if you would like the entire thing sent to you in one large chunk, write to cn577@cleveland.freenet.edu. CV is registered with the United States Copyright Office. Permission is granted to repost the issue IN IT'S ENTIRETY. For other reposting, contact the above address.] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE OF CONTENTS --!1!-- Ramblings of a Deranged Editor (& a few deranged readers ...) --!2!-- Within the Realm of Extreme Possibility: Creator CHRIS CARTER on the X-FILES --!3!-- The Highlander's Heart: An Interview with ADRIAN PAUL End of PART ONE --!4!-- The Art and Science of Leaping Tall Buildings --!5!-- A Writer's Guide to STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION --!6!-- Reviews by EVELYN C. LEEPER --!7!-- THE OLD COMIC CURMUDGEON: R-E-S-P-E-C-T ... End of PART TWO --!8!-- The Infamous Reply Cards and What You Said --!9!-- SF Calendar: What's Coming Up in the Near Future --!10!-- All The News That's Fit To Transmit End of PART THREE is in the middle of --!10!-- PART FOUR is the rest of the news --!11!-- Spoilers Ahoy! Including TWILIGHT ZONE Episode Guide --!12!-- Contests and Awards --!13!-- Conventions and Readings --!14!-- Publications, Lists and the like --!15!-- Administrivia --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --!8!-- The Infamous Reply Cards and What You Said --------------------------------------------------------------------------- compiled by Linda E. Smit Utopia and dystopia are two sides of the same coin. But, according to most of our readers, they aren't really a possibility. Even the majority of the ones who felt we are moving toward a dystopia don't feel that we will ever make it there. The major reason given for moving to dystopia is that the world is overpopulated and we don't know how to deal with the crowding. "There is no way that I see humans will be able to fix this horrible problem in the immediate future. The global doubling rate is at something like sixty years. We are running out of many of the Earth's natural resources, and continue to deplete them at an amazing rate." Extra-terrestrial colonization was suggested as a way to combat overcrowding. And, although no one offered a Swiftian Modest Proposal, I must admit that it crossed my mind as I read reply after reply choosing dystopia because of overcrowding. Although the majority of answers included an often grudging choice of dystopia, almost as many replies were of the neither category. "Neither. I don't think there is such a thing as a perfect society and yet I don't think we are going to fall into oblivion any time soon . . . There will be worse things, more crime, more violence and better things, longer life expectancy, better healthcare. It evens itself out." A few brave souls said that both were possible, depending on how we act right now. "I think that at the moment the trend is dystopia, but I also think we are in the midst of the point where that trend can be reversed. The potential is certainly here for a utopia." And several others agreed. Only a handful of responses supported the idea of utopia. Most of the responses stressed that utopia is only a concept or ideal that is unrealizable in the real world. And one response stressed, "Utopia. I hate this question. We can influence reality with our thoughts . . . the more people who say we're heading toward dystopia, the more likely it is that we will end up with one! I believe we will eventually overcome this, but it is going to take a long time. A VERY long time." Finally, my favorite response is one with a definite tongue-in-cheek attitude. "Either of the two options is preferable to the present situation. We are neither heading towards Utopia or Dystopia . . . we're heading towards Myopia." All together, you readers of Cyberspace Vanguard sound as though you wish for something better than we have, but are guarded in your hopes that we will find whatever answers may be available. Oh, and the numbers ran something like this : Utopia : 7 Dystopia : 31 Both : 5 Neither : 28 and one very honest "I don't know." Tune in next time, when we will look at the question of paranormal realities. Do ghosts exist? Is there such a thing as psychic energy? Do extraterrestrials walk the Earth? Can we read each others minds? Think about it. Until next time, this is Linda E. Smit, signing off. Note : For the sake of anonimity, I have not listed names to accompany the quotations. If this concerns you, please pester me, and not the editor. He has enough to deal with. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --!9!-- SF Calendar: What's Coming Up in the Near Future --------------------------------------------------------------------------- .................... BOOKISH .................... If you have a favorite small press that you'd like us to keep track of, drop us a note with the company's name and address and we'll see what we can do. OCTOBER: DAW: WHEN TRUE NIGHT FALLS - CS Friedman DEL REY: UPLAND OUTLAWS (Book 2 of A HANDFUL OF MEN) - Dave Duncan; THE STRICKEN FIELD (Book 3 of A HANDFUL OF MEN) - Dave Duncan; THE GUNS OF THE SOUTH - Harry Turtledove; THE EARTH SAVER (Sequel to CHILDREN OF THE EARTH) - Catherine Wells; MORNINGSTAR - David Gemmell ROC: WILD BLOOD - Nancy Collins (England -- US markets June 1994) TOR: THE SHADOW RISING - Robert Jordan, THE FIRES OF HEAVEN - Robert Jordan ------------ NOVEMBER: PEGUNIN/ROC: SHROUD OF SHADOW - Baudino Gael BANTAM: STAR WARS: THE TRUCE AT BAKURA - Kathy Tyers BANTAM/SPECTRA: GROWING UP WEIGHTLESS - John Ford DEL REY: THE CHRONICLES OF PERN: FIRST FALL - Anne McCaffrey; WANDERER (Sequel to WARRIOR) - Donald E. McQuinn; JACK THE BODILESS (First book in THE GALACTIC MILIEU trilogy) - Julian May; SORCEROUS SEA (Third book in the ISLAND WARRIOR series) - Carol Severance; THE PERSISTENCE OF MEMORY (First book in the SLOW WORLD trilogy) - Karen Ripley; CHIMERA - Mary Rosenblum; THE CHANGING LAND - Roger Zelazny; DILVISH THE DAMNED by Roger Zelazny ------------ DECEMBER: POCKET: STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION: DARK MIRROR - Diane Duane DEL REY: KING JAVAN'S YEAR - Katherine Kurtz; THE BLACK LYNX - Elizabeth Boyer; PENNTERRA - Judith Moffett; THE BIG EMPTY - James Luceno ------------ January 1994: BANTAM: STAR WARS: TRUCE AT BAKURA - Kathy Tyers ------------ February 1994: BANTAM: STAR WARS: THE LAST COMMAND (P) - Timothy Zahn ------------ March 1994: KNOPF: DIAMOND MASK (Second book in THE GALACTIC MILIEU trilogy) - Julian May ------------ April 1994: BANTAM: STAR WARS: JEDI SEARCH (First book in the JEDI ACADEMY trilogy) (P) - Kevin Anderson ------------ May 1994: BANTAM: STAR WARS: THE COURTSHIP OF PRINCESS LEIA - Dave Wolverton ------------ June 1994: BANTAM: STAR WARS: DARK APPRENTICE (Second book in the JEDI ACADEMY trilogy) (P) - Kevin Anderson ------------ August 1994: ?: THE DISCWORLD COMPANION - Stephen Briggs and Terry Pratchett ------------ Summer 1994: GOLLANCZ: SOUL MUSIC - Terry Pratchett DEL REY: THE WARDEN OF HORSES (Second book in the SLOW WORLD trilogy) - Karen Ripley ------------ October 1994: BANTAM: STAR WARS : (title to be announced) (Third book in the JEDI ACADEMY trilogy) (P) - Kevin Anderson ------------ Fall 1994: DEL REY: THE ALCHEMIST OF TIME (Third book in the SLOW WORLD trilogy) - Karen Ripley ------------ December 1994: BANTAM: STAR WARS: CANTINA STORIES - edited by Kevin Anderson .................... Upcoming MOVIES .................... This is not really the "Upcoming Movies" list that Bryan D. Jones (bdj@engr.uark.edu) puts out over Usenet every week or so. It's actually a pared down version that he was kind enough to let us print. We thank him and remind you that if you have any updates or corrections, please send them on to him. (Especially if you have access to the National Association of Theater Owners listings ...) All dates are US wide release dates. -Bryan D. Jones (bdj@engr.uark.edu) Oct 29: Ghost in the Machine, Philadelphia Experiment 2, Return of the Living Dead III Nov 5: Robocop 3 Nov 12: A Dinosaur's Story, The Three Musketeers, We're Back Nov 19: Addams Family Values Nov 24: Annie and the Castle of Terror, Die Hard 3 Fall : The Fantastic Four Dec 10: Shockwaves, Sister Act II Dec 15: Schindler's List Decemb: Godzilla (American) 1994 Spring: Blankman, Cartooned, The Lion King(animated, was King of the Jungle), The Muppet Treasure Island, Thumbelina Summer: Aliens vs. Predator: The Hunt, Clear and Present Danger, The Flintstones, Getting Even With Dad, Decemb: Godzilla (American), Spiderman, Batman III, Star Trek VII Winter: With Honors 1994 : Ed Wood, Interview with The Vampire, The Lawnmowerman 2, The Mask, Tremors II -1995- Dec : Catwoman Full Moon Entertainment will be releasing the following films directly to video. The numbers in parentheses refer to the day of the month they expect to release the film. Remember, these dates are EXTREMELY tentative: December: Puppet Master 4 (8), Beach Babes from Beyond (16) January: Trancers 4 (26) February: Arcade (23) March: Subscpecies III (16), Dragonworld April: Invisible May: Puppetmaster 5, Pet Shop June: Lurking Fear July: Trancers 5, Prehysteria II August: Dark Angel September: Shrunken Heads, Beanstalk October: Doctor Mordrid II November: Shadow Over Innsmouth, Genie December: Quadrant They will also be doing two THEATRICAL releases next year: Shrunken Heads in February 1994, and Oblivion in December 1994. These dates are, like the others, extremely tentative. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --!10!-- All The News That's Fit To Transmit --------------------------------------------------------------------------- .................... NEWS OF SF IN FRENCH AND FRANCOPHONE SF .................... by Jean-Louis Trudel The twentieth French National Convention was held in Orleans/la Source, on August 27-29. Its theme was "Woman in SF" and its guests included France's Joelle Wintrebert and Canada's Elisabeth Vonarburg. The finalists in the novel category for the 1993 Prix Rosny Aine, which are the closest francophone equivalent to the Hugos, were Ayerdhal for LE CHANT DU DRILLE (THE DRILLE'S SONG), Jacques Barberi for LA MEMOIRE DU CRIME (RECALLING THE CRIME), Serge Brussolo for LE SUNDROME DU SCAPHANDRIER (THE DREAMDIVER SUNDROME), Alain le Bussy for DELTAS, Daniel Sernine for CHRONOREG, and Elisabeth Vonarburg for CHRONIQUES DU PAYS DES MERES. Ayerdhal, Barberi, and Brussolo are French, le Bussy is Belgian, and Sernine and Vonarburg are from Canada, thus making for one of the most diverse group of finalists in recent years. Vonarburg's novel has been translated and published in English---as THE MAERLANDE CHRONICLES in Canada and as IN THE MOTHERS' LAND in the United States. The final vote was held on-site at the French National convention. In the novel category, the winner was Alain le Bussy, for DELTAS, an efficiently written adventure on an oceanic planet. In the short story category, the winner was Switzerland's Wildy Petoud, for her short story "Accident d'amour" (Accident of Love) in the 1992 anthology TERRITOIRES DE L'INQUIETUDE. The next French National convention will take place in 1994 in the "science city" of Sophia-Antipolis, just off the French Riviera. If all goes well, it should see the launch of a new professional SF magazine in France, filling a vacuum that has lasted for at least four years. Current information suggests that it would not be affiliated with any pre-existing publisher, that it would be run by a collective with each member having a well-defined task, and that it would print both translated and French original fiction. On the other hand, over in Canada, Quebec's two SF magazines, IMAGINE... and SOLARIS, are alive and kicking. After a transition year during which several issues were delayed, SOLARIS has managed to catch up thanks to an accelerated publication schedule. Covers have been generally gorgeous. SOLARIS 105, the late spring and early summer issue, featured stories by Yves Meynard, "Le sang et l'oiseau" (Blood and Bird), and Jean- Louis Trudel, "Un papillon a Mashak" (A Butterfly in Mashak), and an interview of Daniel Sernine, as well as non-fiction and the usual assortment of book and zine reviews ranging over two continents, four countries and two languages. Meynard's story combined three densely poetic reveries on the twin themes of the title, with only some subtle echoes to link the intertwined plots, which moved in that borderland between science fiction and fantasy. Trudel's text was a science fiction tale mixing chaos theory, history, and the fraternization attempts of a soldier on a world of conquered aliens. SOLARIS 106 just came out; it is a special theme issue on utopias and counter-utopias, featuring scholarly articles and an interview of Elisabeth Vonarburg. It featured two stories. One, by Stephane Langlois, was a competent space adventure tale, called "Ceux qui viennent d'en bas" (Those Who Come From Beneath). The other, by newcomer Guillaume Demers, was called "Le monde est un parc ou la folie est le dernier plaisir" (The World is a Park where Madness is the Last Pleasure). It offered the story of a man's madness, as told to him, and inspired by another man's. But was it really madness? SOLARIS 107 is announced as a special theme issue on time, with stories by Alain Bergeron, Yves Meynard, and Jean-Louis Trudel, and interviews of the illustrious French author Michel Jeury and of Canadian author Jean Dion. Over at IMAGINE..., covers have been no less handsome. IMAGINE... 63, the spring issue, was a special issue entirely devoted to SF in Switzerland, with stories by Chantal Delessert, Nicolas G. Doegun, Georges Panchard, Wildy Petoud, and Francois Rouiller. The stories by Panchard and Petoud were the more memorable ones of the lot. H. R. Giger and John Howe contributed short art portfolios. Jean-Francois Thomas sketched a historical survey of SF in Switzerland, while Roger Gaillard presented the MAISON D'AILLEURS, or House of Elsewhere, Europe's first SF museum, of which he is director. IMAGINE... 64 was a regular issue. Guy Bouchard's story, "Si la vie vous interesse" (A Life in the Forces), won the Septieme Continent award and headlined the issue. It was published simultaneously in the Belgian periodical MAGIE ROUGE 38-39, in spite of the reservations of that magazine's editor. Bouchard's story tells of a future Quebec where women join the army to contribute to a new revenge of the cradle... French writer Micky Papoz and Canadian writer Sylvie Berard contributed two other short stories, while another Canadian, Danielle Tremblay, signed the first episode of a four-part serial, involving a non-violent, non-military space academy, which reads like the result of miscegenation between Heinlein and STAR TREK. In other Quebec publishing news, Daniel Sernine's fiction collection LES PORTES MYSTERIEUSES (The Mysterious Doors) was released by Heritage as a young adult book. Charles Montpetit's young adult novel COPIE CARBONE (Carbon Copy), based on an earlier short story which appeared in SOLARIS, was put out by Quebec/Amerique. The Editions Quebec/Amerique also announced the upcoming release of CONTES DE TYRANAEL (Tyranael Tales) by Elisabeth Vonarburg in their juvenile fiction line. Another young adult novel, TU PEUX COMPTER SUR MOI (You Can Count on Me), by Jean-Francois Somain, originally published in 1990, will appear this fall in Japanese translation. Major novels await the opening of the fall season, and especially the November Salon du Livre in Montreal. Earlier, Jean-Pierre April's novel BERLIN-BANGKOK, which actually came close to predicting the fall of the Berlin Wall, was reissued by J'ai Lu in France in a somewhat revised edition, four years after its original publication in Canada. The fanzine scene remains fairly sedate in Quebec. Old-timer SAMIZDAT continues to appear sporadically, emphasizing well thought-out reviews over fiction. Issue 24 had a story by newcomer Julie Martel as well as a long- delayed one by Jean-Louis Trudel. The young and energetic Christian Martin continues to pump out TEMPS TOT on a bi-monthly basis, favouring fiction over reviews. So far, issues 22 to 26 have come out this year, with the end of Jean-Louis Trudel's SF serial, a cadavre exquis by Laurent McAllister, and stories by a medley of mostly new writers, including Claude Bolduc and Francois Escalmel. Issue 25 was a special issue devoted to newcomer Hugues Morin. Issue 26 offered an international medley of stories, with Belgian author Alain le Bussy headlining the issue, while the three other stories came from France, Rumania, and Canada. In other news, Benoit Girard, who, after attending Chicon, launched an English-language fanzine called THE FROZEN FROG, has spearheaded the birth of a Quebec APA, called APAQ and including several SF writers. There have also been rumblings of new magazines coming onto the scene, such as CITE CALONNE. The first two issues of a cinema and horror magazine called LE REVEUR FANTASTIQUE have actually appeared, with a heavy dose of reviews and a cluttered layout. Whether it will last is still unclear, but it bears witness to the continued vitality of the scene in that Canadian province. Jean-Louis Trudel .................... Japan Report .................... by David Milner GODZILLA VS. MECHAGODZILLA (GOJIRA VS MEKAGOJIRA), the twentieth Godzilla film, opens in Japan on December 11th. The film features not only Godzilla and an entirely redesigned MechaGodzilla, but Rodan and a new baby Godzilla as well. A special preview screening of the film was held at the Tokyo International Film Festival on Sunday, Sept. 26th, where it received mixed reviews. The Godzilla film TriStar Pictures is getting ready to produce will be set in either New York or San Francisco, and feature a woman whose father was killed by Godzilla. The special effects will be done almost exclusively with computers. Although TriStar has yet to choose a director, it will not be either Tim Burton or Terry Gilliam. A December 1994 release date had been announced for the film, but sources inside TriStar now say that a summer 1995 release date is much more likely. The Daiei Motion Picture Company Ltd. has announced that it intends to release a new Gamera film in Japan sometime in 1994. Daiei, which produced all eight of the previous Gamera films, was recently purchased by the Toho Company Ltd., the studio which produces the Godzilla films, and so Daiei will produce the film, but Toho will distribute it. A remake of the 1959 film JAPAN BIRTH (NIPON TANJO), which tells the mythological story of the creation of Japan, is going to be released by Toho in 1994. The title of the remake will be YAMATA BECOMES FURIOUS (YAMATA TAKERU). A new Ultraman television series called ULTRAMAN: THE ULTIMATE HERO just finished shooting in Los Angeles. The series, a Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd. and Major Havoc Entertainment, Inc. co-production, stars Kane Kosugi, the son of Japanese martial arts star Sho Kosugi. Kosugi plays Kenichi Kai, an armory specialist with the Worldwide Investigative Network Response Team (WINR) who becomes Ultraman. Updated versions of the monsters created for the first Ultraman series, ULTRA Q, are being used in the series. ULTRAMAN: THE ULTIMATE HERO will be released on home video in Japan in November and be available for broadcast in the United States in March 1994. GRIDMAN, a television series similar to ULTRAMAN featuring a superhero created on a computer, is now airing in Japan. It has received mostly unfavorable reviews. .................... Books, Stories, and SF Literature in General ..... .................... CHAD OLIVER, author of MISTS OF DAWN, SHADOWS IN THE SUN, and other novels, died of cancer on August 9, 1993. He was a friend and inspiration to such other Texas writers as Howard Waldrop and Bruce Sterling. Dr. Symmes C. Oliver taught Antropology at the University of Texas for 38 years. The Library of Tomorrow has been "at least put in indefinite hold" due to low interest following limited announcements. The project was to be an "electronic SF library" available for a flat fee. Presupporting members have not been charged. Writers should contact Brad Templeton (brad@clarinet.com) "for contract arrangements and more info." TERRY PRATCHETT has said on the net that the major part of the Discworld companion out next year will be a sort of "Discworld Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable." It's written by STEPHEN BRIGGS "with some assistance by" Mr. Pratchett. He also said he liked the drawings he's seen from MORT: The Big Comic by GRAHAM HIGGINS. It'll be out mid-to-late 1994. TERRY PRATCHETT, responding to a neo's request on alt.fan.pratchett for a biography: "Born 1948. Still not dead." According to KEVIN ANDERSON, STAR WARS: TALES FROM THE CANTINA is due out for Christmas of 1994, though Bantam is still listing it as a "work in progress." Anderson is editing the collection of short stories, where various writers were assigned a creature from the original cantina scene in SW: A NEW HOPE and told to write a story about how they came to be there. The stories will be interlaced. The same basic idea is in place for TALES FROM JABBA'S PALACE. Several other anthology titles, such as TALES FROM THE ROUND TABLE and BESPIN ANECDOTES, have been thrown around on the net, but we have confirmed that they were in fact a prank, and DO NOT EXIST. According to the Del Rey Internet Newsletter, DAVID EDDINGS' next books will be BELGARATH and POLGARA, stand alones set before the saga of Garion the King. NANCY COLLINS' upcoming DC comic, WICK, will reportedly be set in the same world as her SUNGLASSES novels. Word is also that Dark Horse may adapt the SUNGLASSES books and IN THE BLOOD. ROBERT ANTON WILSON (THE ILLUMINATUS!, SCHRODINGER'CAT) is available for lectures. Contact moksha@cats.ucsc.edu for information and booking. Word is that Larry Niven will be writing a RINGWORLD vampire story, and that he came up with the idea a week before mentioning it at the New Zealand natcon. Part of this third Ringworld book is already written. According to the Del Rey Internet Newsletter, Del Rey is planning to publish two more books set in ALAN DEAN FOSTER's Humanx Commonwealth universe, a Pip & Flink book in 1995, and a Commonwalth Universe book in 1996. ............... Movies ............... VINCENT PRICE has passed away at the age of 82. The star of more than 100 films, he has said that he didn't mind being remember for his role as a master of horror, but he was also a well known artist and gourmet cook. He died of lung cancer in his home the night of October 25, 1993. Some movies we haven't seen on the net yet ... In November, look for THE THREE MUSKETEERS, starring KIEFER SUTHERLAND (THE LOST BOYS), CHARLIE SHEEN, CHRIS O'DONNELL, OLIVER PLATT, REBECCA DEMORNAY, and, as our favorite notion of Cardinal Richelieu, TIM CURRY. It's directed by STEPHEN HEREK. (This Disney version beat TriStar to the starting line, so that one's been scrapped.) And STEVEN SPIELBERG will roll out the animated WE'RE BACK: A DINOSAUR'S TALE, a kid flick about dinosaurs in New York on November 12. Cast includes JAY LENO, WALTER CRONKITE, and JOHN GOODMAN. Upcoming from Troma: TOXIC CRUSADERS, A NYMPHOID BARBARIAN IN DINOSAUR HELL, SGT. KABUKIMAN N.Y.P.D., and MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO. Anime fans may want to look for GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES, a Japanese animated film based on AKIYUKI NOSAKA's story. It's subtitled in english, and is supposed to be a "testimony of the human spirit." The live action X-MEN film is scheduled for summer 1995 release from 20th Century Fox. ANNE RICE has told the press that she is unhappy with the choice of TOM CRUISE as Lestat in the upcoming film version of her book INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE, saying that he's too "mom and apple pie." Her choice? Well, she had apparently envisioned the role more like RUTGER HAUER. Also, there are rumors that much of the homoeroticism present in the book will not appear in the script, but it is unclear if this is at Cruise's request or if it's just the realities of big- budget filmmaking. According to director STUART GORDON (RE-ANIMATOR) his latest film, FORTRESS, was originally planned for ARNOLD SCHWARZNEGGER, not current star CHRISTOPHER LAMBERT. He told UPI that it was changed partly because "You never worry Arnold is the hero becase you know he can and will escape in one piece." He also said that part of the research for the film included a trip to Pelican Bay Prison, where they were given stab-proof vests and "had to sign releases that said if we were taken hostage they would not try to save us." While parts of Europe will be seeing the $300 million grossing JURASSIC PARK only this month, a pirated version has ALREADY been shown on Russian television. While illegal copies of US films dominate the Russian video market -- to the point where the Motion Picture Association of America boycotted the Moscow film festival in protest, and new foreign releases almost NEVER go to Russian theaters -- the August television showing was unexpected because the film hasn't been shown on television or released on video anywhere. It was apparently shot with a video camera in a US, Asian, or European theater (at one point you can see a member of the audience leave his seat) and shown in the town of Yekaterinburg, Russia. Yekaterinburg, coincidentally, happens to be Boris Yeltsin's home town. (Incidentally, the Russian film scene may change. The Samuel Goldwyn Company agreed to allow a showing of MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING at a Western hotel in Moscow -- on the condition that the print have it's own 24-hour guard. The price was $10(US), about a week's wages for the average Russian worker. (Russian friends here say that's a VERY generous Russian wage.)) Terminator comes to New York: The New York City Transit Police Department has been testing a laser sighting system for use in the dark subterranean world of the New York City Subway System. They think that it will be both a deterrent and a help, causing criminals to think twice and helping police officers to hit their targets even in a darkened environment or a situation where the gun can't be raised to eye level. The sights are made by LaserMax Inc., of Rochester, N.Y. and can be inserted right into the Glock 9mm handguns the department already uses. GALE ANN HURD (ALIENS, THE ABYSS, TERMINATOR (1 and 2)) has signed a 3 year first-look contract with Paramount. Hurd owns her own production company, Pacific Western Productions, formed in 1982 to make THE TERMINATOR. Following complaints from independent theaters in England that major film distributors were holding back hot films, the Monopolies and Mergers Commission has been asked to investigate. JURASSIC PARK has surpassed the worldwide box office record previously held by ET: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL, earning over $704 million. ET still holds the domestic record by around $75 million. Imagine, for a moment, owning stock in the film JURASSIC PARK. OK, now stop salivating over your bank account. Obviously it's too late for that, but according to Clarinet and UPI, the next PAUL HOGAN film, LIGHTNING JACK, is being financed by a public stock offering on the Australian Stock Exchange. American investors should check with the Bank of New York about availability. Hogan's CROCKADILE DUNDEE films brought in over $800 million worldwide, so this is likely to be a successful test, and nothing breeds success like success, so we may see other films financed in a similar manner. STEVEN SPIELBERG'S World War II drama SCHINDLER'S LIST will open December 15 in order to qualify for this year's Academy Awards. MORTAL KOMBAT will follow SUPER MARIO BROS. and DOUBLE DRAGON in the arcade- game-turned-movie field. LARRY KASANOFF will produce the film for Lightstorm Entertainment. He will also set up a deal for a television series. RIDLEY SCOTT (ALIEN, BLADE RUNNER) and his brother TONY (BEVERLY HILLS COP II) are negotiating a deal with 20th Century Fox, Italy's RCS Video, and England's Majectic Films International to produce up to 8 films. The brothers would direct a minimum of four. When THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW first sneak-previewed, all but 13 people had walked out before the third reel. It wasn't until a few theaters decided to take a chance showing the "bomb" at midnight on the weekends and a theater owner noticed that it was the same 50-60 people who showed up every weekend that producer LOU ADLER decided to push it as a cult film. The rest, as they say, is history. Since then the film has taken in about $175 million on a $900,000 investment. The then unknown stars, such as TIM CURRY, BARRY BOSTWICK, SUSAN SURANDON, and MEATLOAF, have since gone on to fame. The film will finally be shown on television October 25 on Fox. But what about it's future in the theaters? Three years ago it finally broke into Brazil, Mexico, and Spain, and next the producers are shooting for Russia and China. The prospects for a wide release? Adler told UPI that "Eight years ago Fox tried to distribute it widely and it bombed again. You can't surprise people with this film. It frightens them. They don't know what to think." JUDGE DREDD is turning out to be one of those movies where you just can't pin down the star. Rumors had named CLINT EASTWOOD and ARNOLD SCHWARZNEGGER, but apparently 2000AD has confirmeded that it will be SYLVESTER STALLONE. We'll see. It will be directed by DANNY CANNON. The nostalgic might want to swallow their pride and see a matinee of ERNEST RIDES AGAIN -- for the short that comes with it, MR. BILL GOES TO WASHINGTON. The clay Mr. Bill hasn't been seen much since his misadventures on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. STAR WARS: (With the next movie approaching it's beginning to look like we're going to need a separate section for SW news. (And it's still a few years off yet!) Part of the resurgence in SW merchandising is the STAR WARS ADVENTURE JOURNAL from West End Games. Beginning in February 1994, it will be published quarterly -- 288 pages, 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches, perfect bound with a color cover -- and will go for $12.00 in hobby and book stores, with $35.00/year subscriptions available from WEG. Now. Having said that, there is opportunity here. Many of today's writers honed their teeth on other people's characters and universes, writing "fan fiction" often without even knowing it, and certainly without getting paid. Now's your chance to use that talent to your advantage. WEG is looking for writers for the JOURNAL. While it is oriented towards the SW role-playing game, there are different sections, from short (1000-1500 words) columns such as "Rebel's Field Guide" to longer articles on rules, new characters, or one-act adventures. They can run from 3000 to 10000 words, but anything over 5000 words should be preceeded by a proposal. There will also be interviews -- the first issue features TIMOTHY ZAHN, who also provides the story "First Contact," about the first meeting of two characters from his novels. (Interviews for following issues are already set.) The details: First of all, while they welcome new writers, you MUST be professional about it if you expect them to work with you. It's still a business. Second, the pay is 3.5 to 4 cents per word, but there are three catches: 1) They pay on publication, at least when they first work with you. 2) That's a flat rate -- don't expect royalties. And worst of all: 3) You sell ALL rights. Anything written for the SW universe must be approved by Lucasfilm (WEG takes care of that) and they then own all rights to the piece, the characters, the places, etc. This isn't just WEG, it's anything that uses the SW universe. For more information on the JOURNAL and/or writer's guidelines, write to West End Game Ltd., RR 3 Box 2345, Honesdale, PA 18431-9560. Be sure to get the guidelines first, because they include the release form that must accompany your manscript or proposal if they are going to look at it. In other news, as we reported in an earlier issue, Lucasfilm is planning to follow the ZAHN books with a series of novels set in the New Republic era. The first of these is STAR WARS: THE TRUCE AT BAKURA, by KATHY TYERS, which deals with the Empire and the Rebellion uniting to fight an alien threat. It's due in November. Also, KEVIN ANDERSON will be writing a trilogy centered on Luke reestablishing the Jedi Knights set 7 years after RETURN OF THE JEDI. (For more, check out the Book section.) Also due in November is NEW VISIONS: THE ART OF THE STAR WARS GALAXY, which features more than 70 full page illustrations, a George Lucas intro, and writings from the artists involved with the trading card projects. On the musical front, Fox Records will be releasing a four CD set of music from the movies, ALMOST completing all of the scores. The first three will be most of the music from each film, IN ORDER, unlike the records Polygram put out, and the fourth will include MOST of what's left. The rest may be released on a fifth disc, but that isn't definite. The music has been remastered and supposedly sounds incredible. The set, called "The Star Wars Trilogy: The Original Soundtrack Anthology," will include a 50-75 booklet featuring an essay by director NICHOLAS MEYER and previously unreleased color plates from Lucasfilm. It also includes track-by-track liner notes from fellow net surfer Lukas Kendall, and will cost between $60 and $70. Lukas calls it "money well spent." And finally, TALES OF THE JEDI #2 is due in comics stores by November 19th. As for the release date of the next STAR WARS film, here's what we have: An Entertainment Weekly sidebar listing the release of the first film as May 25, 1995 with the rest of the films in the following 5 years, and a USA Today report that Lucas "hoped to begin production in the next four years," and that he was working to get the costs down because "the development of the technology was just as important" as the films. We've been saying (privately) for a while that we believe we will see the films May 25, 1995. The evidence bears us out. The rumors that he's been working on it for a while seem to be true, for one thing. For another, the new slew of books that are hitting the stands are slated to stop in 1995, which makes sense if new movies -- and hence characters and situations -- are going to be on screen. And, for those of you who say, "But wait, 1997 makes more sense because that's the 20th anniversary," you're half right. It is the 20th anniversary, but it doesn't necessarily make more sense. The films will be made together (ala BACK TO THE FUTURE) and released in successive years. That puts the last film right smack on the 20th anniversary. Of course, we could be wrong. As always, we encourage you to examine the evidence yourself. Meanwhile, after saying for years that he felt the character was played out, HARRISON FORD will be back in his role as INDIANA JONES. The film will be written by JEB STUART, who wrote the script for Ford's enormously successful THE FUGITIVE, and (of course) directed by STEVEN SPEILBERG. Hints have been floating around since the release of THE FUGITIVE when Ford told interviewers that he and his wife, MELISSA MATHESON, had been toying with a couple of ideas for another Indy film. There is no word as to whether any of those ideas will be the basis for Stuart's script, or if SEAN CONNERY will be reprising his role as Dr. Henry Jones Sr.. -- CYBERSPACE VANGUARD MAGAZINE Editor: TJ Goldstein, tlg4@po.CWRU.Edu News and Views from the Science Fiction Universe Send submission, question, and comments to xx133@cleveland.Freenet.Edu or cn577@cleveland.Freenet.Edu