Del Rey Internet Newsletter, Issue #101 Number 101 (June 2001)

WHAT'S NEW IN THE STORES REUNION: A PIP AND FLINX NOVEL by Alan Dean Foster. Hardcover. (CS) It all starts innocently enough. Well, almost innocently. So what if Flinx uses his enhanced empathic abilities to finesse his way into a top secret security installation on Earth? Once there, he bamboozles a sophisticated AI program into releasing classified information about the Meliorare Society, the sect of renegade eugenicists whose experiments with human beings had horrified the civilized universe more than twenty years ago. After all, as one of the few Meliorare experiments to survive, Flinx has a right to know about his past. Especially since his telepathic powers seem to be evolving. The question is, evolving into what? The excruciating headaches afflicting Flinx with increasing frequency make him wonder if he will be alive to find out. But headaches are the least of his problems. For the information he uncovers leads Flinx into AAnn space, and the reptilian AAnn are more likely to eat human visitors than welcome them. Awaiting Flinx is a planet brimming with hidden dangers and astonishing discoveries. But nothing so dangerous, or so astonishing, as the unexpected return of an old enemy: an enemy as evil as she is beautiful . . . STAR WARS: CLOAK OF DECEPTION by James Luceno. Hardcover. (SS) "The Chancellor has little real power... He is mired down by baseless accusations of corruption. A manufactured scandal surrounds him, " Senator Palpatine told Queen Amidala in Episode I. Tracing the thrilling chain of events that leads up to the Republic's current chaotic state, this exciting novel follows Chancellor Valorum as he struggles with his fall from power... and the dark forces who have benefited greatly from his weakened position. Hoping to stem the growing tide of unrest, Valorum convenes an emergency trade summit on the planet Eriadu. At his request, a group of Jedi Knights is sent to protect the delegates from possible terrorist attack. But what should have been a simple peacekeeping assignment turns out to be a mission into the heart of a political firestorm. For shadowy forces are at work, pulling the strings in a masterful bid for power that could leave the Republic reeling. And the Chancellor is only its most visible victim... Go to your local retailer for a special STAR WARS: CLOAK OF DECEPTION tear off poster while supplies last. THE HOBBIT: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL by J. R. R. Tolkien; adapted by Charles Dixon with Sean Deming; Illustrated by David Wenzel. Trade Paperback. (KYL) Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit, is a peaceful sort who lives in a cozy hole in the Shire, a place where adventures are uncommon--and rather unwanted. So when the wizard of Gandalf whisks him away on a treasure hunting expedition with a troop of rowdy dwarves, he's not entirely thrilled. Encountering ruthless trolls, beastly orcs, gigantic spiders, and hungry wolves, Bilbo discovers within himself astonishing strength and courage. And at the ultimate confrontation with the fearsome dragon Smaug, the hobbit will brave the dangers of dark and dragon-fire alone and unaided. The first-ever illustrated edition of THE HOBBIT. Warm and dusky colors predominate in the handsome full-color scenes. PROSPERO'S CHILDREN by Jan Siegel. Paperback. (CS) It began ages past in fabled Atlantis, when a mad, power-hungry queen forged a key to a door never meant to be opened by mortal man--its inception would hasten

her own death and the extinction of her vainglorious race. For millennia the key lay forgotten beneath the waves, lost amid the ruins of what had been the most beautiful city on Earth. But however jealously the sea hoards its secrets, sooner or later it yields them up. Now, in present-day Yorkshire, that time has come. And for young Fernanda Capel, life will never be the same again . . . DIRGE: BOOK TWO OF THE FOUNDING OF THE COMMONWEALTH by Alan Dean Foster. Paperback. Reissue.(CS) In the second half of the twenty-fourth century, diplomatic relations proceed cautiously between thranx and humans, who are slow to overcome their aversion to the insectlike beings. But the lowly thranx are nearly forgotten with the sudden discovery of an ideal planet to colonize--Argus V--and the startling appearance of a new race of space-faring aliens. People are dazzled by the beautiful, glamorous pitar. Then tragedy strikes. A cargo ship making a routine delivery to Argus V finds a scene of grisly carnage has replaced the bustling new world. The entire human population-600,000 men, women, and children--has been brutally slaughtered. Not one survivor or a single clue remains to identify the unseen executioners. Even the combined efforts of all alien species prove fruitless in the search for killers who have perpetrated planetary genocide on such a vast scale. But from a tiny inner moon of Argus V comes a faint, wavering signal--and on that insignificant chunk of rubble lies the key to the crime. The cataclysm that follows is replete with shock and deadly consequences for thranx, pitar, and human alike. For their worlds will change forever by the colossal space battle that is both in their future and their destiny. EMPIRE OF UNREASON by J.Gregory Keyes. Paperback. (SWS) hen Sir Isaac Newton uncovered the secrets of alchemy, he could never have imagined the incredible and tragic results. Dark sorcery rules: Europe is lost and the American colonists have been driven south by advancing ice. In an age of unreason, Benjamin Franklin and his secret society, the Junto, manage a precarious existence founded on the mutual trust and cooperation of Native Americans, whites, and freed blacks. But the demonic creatures known as the Malekim won't tolerate even a flicker of hope. For any who oppose them--Franklin, Voltaire, even the mysterious daughters of Lilith--will be swept away . . . Though Tsar Peter the Great of Russia has mysteriously vanished, his vast armies and dark magics remain. They strike where they are least expected, unleashing cyclopean forces unseen on Earth since before the fall of mighty Babylon. And even this is but a prelude to he who follows the living storm. As armies and alchemy clash in the southern colonies, the Choctaw shaman Red Shoes is drawn west by a vision of an ancient, implacable evil, and of a young boy who shines as brightly as an angel . . . the fallen, avaricious kind. PLANET OF THE APES by Pierre Boulle. Paperback. (SWS) In the not-too-distant future, three astronauts land on what appears to be a planet just like Earth, with lush forests, a temperate climate, and breathable air. But while it appears to be a paradise, nothing is what it seems. They soon discover the terrifying truth: On this world humans are savage beasts, and apes rule as their civilized masters. In an ironic novel of nonstop action and breathless intrigue, one man struggles to unlock the secret of a terrifying civilization, all the while wondering: Will he become the savior of the human race, or the final witness to its damnation? In a shocking climax that rivals that of the original movie, Boulle delivers the answer in a masterpiece of

adventure, satire, and suspense. THE MISTS OF AVALON by Marion Zimmer Bradley. Trade Paperback BRC edition. (CS) The legends of King Arthur come to life in the extraordinary stories of the women in his life--including his half-sister Morgaine, a high-priestess of the religion of the Mother Goddess, and his beautiful wife Gwenhwyfar, torn between her duty and her love for Lancelot. This is the Ballantine Reader's Circle Edition THE SILMARILLION by J. R. R. Tolkien. Reissue. Paperback . (KYL) Those interested in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth should not be without this grand volume that tells the tragic tale of the struggle for control of the Silmarils, a struggle that would determine the history of the world long before the War of the Ring. DEL REY NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS DOUGLAS ADAMS 1952-2001 We at Del Rey were saddened to hear of the passing of one of Science Ficiton's unique voices, Douglas Adams, who died Friday, May 11, in Santa Barbara, California, of a heart attack. Below is a note from Del Rey Associate Publisher, Kuo-Yu Liang. A little known fact: THE HITCHHIKERS GUIDE TO THE GALAXY was the first book I ever read in English. It probably explains who I am today. I was 15 and had been in America for less than 2 years. I had read a ton of text books in my ESL class and various short stories. Then one day an American friend handed me Hitchhiker and said I had to read it. It changed my life in more ways than one. It introduced me to the world of reading for pleasure. It introduced imagination with printed words, which led directly to my other readings in science fiction. It probably led to me working in publishing today. Among all the accolades that Douglas Adams received during his lifetime I would like to add one very important one: his contribution in leading young people into reading is unparalleled. I only met Douglas a few times (as a fan, he signed my books) and never had a chance to work with him directly. This is a terrible loss for his family, and for the world of books. I can only hope that his books will live forever and continue to inspire young readers. - Kuo-Yu Liang, Associate Publisher, Ballantine/Del Rey Books SNEAK PEEK AT THE VOYAGE OF JERLE SHANNARA: ANTRAX THE VOYAGE OF JERLE SHANNARA: ILSE WITCH ended on a shocking cliff-hanger--and we know you are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Book Two, ANTRAX. Since ANTRAX won't be available until Tuesday, September 18, 2001 we're offering you a sneak peak at: http://terrybrooks.net/novels/antrax.html For more news and updates on ANTRAX, sign up for the Terry Brooks e-newsletter at: http://www.randomhouse.com/features/shannara/email.html BE A READER-REVIEWER OF THE DRAGON CHARMER BY JAN SIEGEL Twelve years have passed since the traumatic events that took place in PROSPERO'S CHILDREN, and it seems that Fern Capel has almost succeeded in putting aside the memory of that magical, terrifying summer: she has denied the ancient heritage that will allow her mastery of the Gift. But the past is about to catch up with her. Fern is soon to marry Marcus Greig--some twenty years her senior--and they will return to Yarrowdale for the wedding. There, imprisoned in a time out of time, waits the one who has been searching out Fern for millennia. Now, Fern must make a choice: marry Marcus or embrace her Gift. With time running out, her only hope lies with the deadly, hypnotic, and legendary Dragon-Charmer. We're looking for ten people who would like to receive advance reader's editions of THE DRAGON CHARMER and send us a brief review. Reviews will be posted in the August issue of the DRIN so that other readers can see what real people like themselves--not just professional reviewers or other authors--think of the book.

If you want to be a reader-reviewer, send an e-mail message to delrey@randomhouse.com with the subject "THE DRAGON CHARMER-review request." Include your snail-mail address. We will choose ten readers randomly from all the requests we receive. The deadline to request an advance reader's edition is midnight on June 6; books will be sent out immediately thereafter. Reviews are due back to us by July 9. DEL REY DIGITAL WRITING WORKSHOP Science Fiction and Fantasy writers--sharpen your skills online. Join the FREE Del Rey Digital Writing Workshop: http://www.delreydigital.com DRIN IS ALSO AVAILABLE IN OTHER FORMATS The DRIN is available on your Palm Pilot, Visor, and Windows CE Devices. Go to http://www.randomhouse.com/partners/avantgo.html for more information, or visit http://www.avantgo.com and search for the Books@Random channel. The DRIN is available in HTML format. Send a blank e-mail to: join-ibd-dist@list.randomhouse.com

WORKS IN PROGRESS: Changes, Additions, Updates ALAN DEAN FOSTER will be writing 3 more books for Del Rey, a short story collection with a new Pip and Flinx story, a Commonwealth novel, and a Pip and Flinx novel. MICHAEL ROMKEY will be writing two books for Del Rey in the same vein as his new novel THE LONDON VAMPIRE PANIC.

SIGNINGS, READINGS, CONVENTION ATTENDANCE BY DEL REY AUTHORS MICHAEL REAVES will be attending A GATHERING OF GARGOYLES 5 June 22-25 in Universal City, California. For more information visit the Convention Web site at http://gathering.gargoyles-fans.org STEPHEN BAXTER will be attending PARAGON/EASTERCON April 13-16 in Leicestershire, England. For more info visit the Convention Web site at http://www.keepsake-web.co.uk/paragon ALICE BORCHARDT will be signing copies of THE WOLF KING at a special book party honoring her as Houston Author of the Month: Date: Saturday, June 16th Time: 2:00 PM Place: Barnes & Noble 7626 Westheimer Houston, TX 77063 713-783-1220 JEANNE CAVELOS will be reading from and signing copies of her book BABYLON 5: CASTING SHADOWS at the following locations: Date: Tuesday, June 26th Time: 7:30 PM Place: Borders Books & Music 90 Pleasant Valley Methuen, MA 01844 978-689-1999 Date: Thursday, July 12th Time: 7:00 PM Place: Stroudwater Books 896 Central Avenue Dover, NH 03820 603-742-6743 R. A. SALVATORE will be speaking about and signing copies of his new book

ASCENDANCE at the following locations: Date: Friday, June 1st Time: 7:00 PM Place: Waldenbooks #1303 Crystal Mall 850 Hartford Turnpike Waterford, CT 06385 860-442-8684 Date: Saturday, June 9th Time: 1:00 PM Place: Toadstool Bookshop Lorden Plaza Route 101-A Milford, NH 03055 603-673-1735 Date: Thursday, June 14th Time: 7:00 PM Place: Tatnuck Bookseller 335 Chandler Street Worcester, MA 01602 508-756-7644 Date: Saturday, June 16th Time: 2:00 PM Place: Waldenbooks #459 323 Maine Street Portland, ME 04106 207-772-8166 MICHAEL REAVES will be signing copies of his new book HELL ON EARTH and STAR WARS: DARTH MAUL: SHADOW HUNTER at: Date: Saturday, June 9th Time: 2:00 PM Place: Dangerous Visions 13563 Ventura Blvd Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 818-986-6963 GREG KEYES will be speaking about and signing copies of his new book THE SHADOWS OF GOD at: Date: Friday, July 6th Time: 7:00 PM Place: Waldenbooks #1082 1476-B Solano Mall Fairfield, CA 94533 313-913-1823 Date: Saturday, July 7th Time: 2:00 PM Place: Dark Carnival Books 3086 Claremont Avenue Berkeley, CA 94703 510-654-7323

LATEST EXCERPTS ONLINE

Sample chapters of most of our books since January 1995 are available online. This month's books are REUNION: A PIP AND FLINX NOVEL by Alan Dean Foster, STAR WARS: CLOAK OF DECEPTION by James Luceno, PROSPERO'S CHILDREN by Jan Siegel, DIRGE: BOOK TWO OF THE FOUNDING OF THE COMMONWEALTH, EMPIRE OF UNREASON by J.Gregory Keyes, PLANET OF THE APES by Pierre Boulle, and THE MISTS OF AVALON by Marion Zimmer Bradley. A sample chapter archive is available on the Del Rey Web site (http://www.randomhouse.com/delrey/sample/). Sample chapters for our more recent titles will be in the Books@Random online catalog (http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/).

DEL REY PUBLICATION DATA

JUNE 2001: REUNION: A PIP AND FLINX NOVEL by Alan Dean Foster (SF) 0-345-41867-0 Hardcover, 336 pp.; cover art by Robert Hunt; CS editor STAR WARS: CLOAK OF DECEPTION by James Luceno (SF) 0-345-44298-9 Hardcover, 352 pp.; cover illustrations by Steven D. Anderson; SS editor THE HOBBIT: The Graphic Novel by J.R.R. Tolkien; adapted by Charles Dixon with Sean Deming; Illustrated by David Wenzel (F) 0-345-44560-0 Trade Paperback, 144 pp.; cover art by Donato Giancola; KYL editor PROSPERO'S CHILDREN by Jan Siegel (F) 0-345-44143-5 Paperback, 352 pp.; cover art by Tom Kidd; CS editor DIRGE: BOOK TWO OF THE FOUNDING OF THE COMMONWEALTH by Alan Dean Foster (SF) 0-345-41863-8 Paperback, 304 pp.; cover art by Mark Harrison; CS editor EMPIRE OF UNREASON by J.Gregory Keyes (F) 0-345-40610-9 Paperback, 416 pp.; cover art by Terese Nielsen; SWS editor THE MISTS OF AVALON by Marion Zimmer Bradley (F) 0-345-35049-9 Reissue, 896 pp.; cover art by Braldt Bralds; CS editor THE SILMARILLION by J.R.R. Tolkien (F) 0-345-32581-8 Reissue, 480 pp.; cover art by Michael Dringenberg; KYL editor

JULY 2001: RAVENHEART by David Gemmell (F) 0-345-43226-6 Hardcover, 416 pp.; cover art by John Ennis; SWS editor

CHILDHOOD'S END by Arthur C. Clarke (Impact) 0-345-44405-1 Trade Paperback, 256 pp.; cover design by David Stevenson; CS editor THE SHADOWS OF GOD by J. Gregory Keyes (AH) 0-34543904-X Trade Paperback, 320 pp.; cover art by Terese Nielsen; SWS editor GREAT WAR:BREAKTHROUGHS by Harry Turtledove (AH) 0-345-40564-1 Paperback, 624 pp.; cover art by George Pratt; SWS editor STAR WARS: THE NEW JEDI ORDER: BALANCE POINT by Kathy Tyers (SF) 0-345-2858-7 Paperback, 384 pp.; cover art by Cliff Nielsen; SS editor BABYLON 5: THE PASSING OF THE TECHNO-MAGES: SUMMONING LIGHT by Jeanne Cavelos (SF) 0-345-42722-X Paperback, 368 pp.; cover art by Ashley Wood; SWS editor

AUGUST 2001: THE DRAGON CHARMER by Jan Siegel (F) 0-345-43902-3 Hardcover, 352 pp.; cover art by Tom Kidd; CS Editor AMERICAN EMPIRE: BLOOD AND IRON by Harry Turtledove (AH) 0-345-40565-X Hardcover, 512 pp.; cover design by Big Dot Design; SWS editor THE STAR WARS GALACTIC PHRASE BOOK & TRAVEL GUIDE by Ben Burtt (SF) 0-345-44074-9 Trade Paperback, 192 pp.; cover art by Warren Fu, ILM Art Department ; SWS editor STAR WARS: THE NEW JEDI ORDER: EDGE OF VICTORY: REBIRTH by J. Gregory Keyes (SF) 0-345-44610-0 Paperback, 304 pp.; cover art by Terese Nielsen; SS editor WIT'CH WAR by James Clemens (F) 0-345-41710-0 Paperback, 560 pp.; cover art by Alan Pollack; SWS editor

SEPTEMBER 2001: THE VOYAGE OF THE JERLE SHANNARA: ANTRAX by Terry Brooks (F) 0-345-39766-5 Hardcover, 384 pp.; cover art by Steve Stone; KYL editor SHADOWS OVER INNSMOUTH edited by Stephen Jones (H) 0-345-44407-8 Trade Paperback, 480 pp.; cover art by John Jude Palencar; SWS Editor THE VOYAGE OF THE JERLE SHANNARA: ILSE WITCH by Terry Brooks (F)

0-345-39655-3 Paperback, 480 pp.; cover art by Steve Stone ; KYL editor THE SCIONS OF SHANNARA by Terry Brooks (F) 0-345-37074-0 Reissue, 432 pp.; cover art by Steve Stone; KYL editor THE DRUID OF SHANNARA by Terry Brooks (F) 0-345-57074-0 Reissue, 384 pp.; cover art by Steve Stone; KYL editor THE ELF QUEEN OF SHANNARA by Terry Brooks (F) 0-345-37558-0 Reissue, 368 pp.; cover art by Steve Stone; KYL editor THE TALISMANS OF SHANNARA by Terry Brooks (F) 0-345-38674-4 Reissue, 464pp.; cover art by Steve Stone; KYL editor

OCTOBER 2001: THE DRAGON QUEEN by Alice Borchardt (F) 0-345-44399-3 Hardcover, 480 pp.; cover art by Scott McKowen; CS editor THE WORLD OF SHANNARA by Teresa Patterson with Terry Brooks (F) 0-345-43905-8 Hardcover, 256 pp.; cover art by Justin Sweet; SS editor THE BEST ALTERNATE HISTORY STORIES OF THE 2OTH CENTURY edited by Harry Turtledove with Martin H. Greenberg (AH) 0-345-43990-2 Trade Paperback, 560 pp.; cover design by David Stevenson; SWS editor STARS AND STRIPES IN PERIL by Harry Harrison (AH) 0-345-40936-1 Paperback, 352 pp.; cover art by Tom Freeman; CS editor THE AMBER SPYGLASS by Philip Pullman (F) 0-345-41337-7 Paperback, 480 pp.; cover art by Steven Rawlings; KYL editor THE GOLDEN COMPASS by Phil Pullman (F) 0-345-41335-0 Reissue, 368 pp.; cover art by Steven Rawlings; KYL editor THE SUBTLE KNIFE by Phil Pullman (F) 0-345-41336-9 Reissue, 304 pp.; cover art by Steven Rawlings; KYL editor THE HOBBIT by J. R. R. Tolkien (F) 0-345-33968-1 Reissue, 304 pp.; cover art by Ted Nasmith; KYL editor

This month we have two feature articles:

* Arthur C. Clarke's EGOGRAM 2001 * A letter from Diana L. Paxon, Marion Zimmer Bradley's sister-in-law, fellow author, and longtime collaborator ARTHUR C. CLARKE'S EGOGRAM 2001 Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." -- Clarke's Third Law Arguably the greatest science fiction writer ever to have lived, Sir Arthur C. Clarke is one of Del Rey's most talented and respected authors. With more than 80 fiction and non-fiction books under his belt, his thoughts and stories have inspired several generations of readers and, beyond all that, actually changed the world we live in. Most everyone has heard of 2001: A Space Odyssey, the groundbreaking movie from Clarke and Stanley Kubrick. But few are aware that Clarke was the first person to propose and design plans for a global system of geosynchronous satellites (back in 1945, in an article entitled, "Can Rocket Stations Give Worldwide Radio Coverage?")... he could legitimately be called the father of the modern telecommunications revolution. As far as this man's accomplishments go, that's really just the tip of the iceberg. Every year, Sir Clarke composes his famous "egogram," a listing of significant highlights and accomplishments in his busy and productive life, which he then sends off to a thousand or so of his closest friends and acquaintances. Recently, Del Rey asked permission to reprint an edited version, which Sir Clarke readily agreed to--along with agreeing to supply a new forward to his famous novel, CHILDHOOD'S END (Del Rey Impact; July 2001). We hope you enjoy it. EGOGRAM 2001 Well, I missed Egograms 1999 and 2000--which already seem to belong to a distant century. But obviously I can't fail to send out one on this year, of all years! When 2000 began, I had only recently returned from my visit to Johns Hopkins, where a team headed by Dr. Dan Drachman, and assisted by some charming nurses, probed and prodded me, but decided there was nothing much that could be done to affect the progress of my "Demyelinating Polyneuropathy" (fortunately described as `indolent.') During my stay at Johns Hopkins, I had the pleasure of visits from NASA Administrator, Dan Goldin and Apollo 11's Buzz Aldrin, who outlined his plans for Space Tourism. My partner Hector Ekanayake and valet Lenin Kumarasiri were with me all the time, so I was well looked after--not only at Johns Hopkins, but also in New York, where I was happy to stay in the dear old Hotel Chelsea of so many memories. There I was visited by the Sri Lankan Ambassador and Rupert Murdoch--both of whom were surprised to find out where I was staying. I also met most of my (surviving!) New York friends. But the most memorable encounter was with Woody Allen, who was filming in the Chelsea. He looked more like Woody Allen than I would have believed possible.... Running through my Diary for 2000, I am mortified to see how many meetings, filmings, interviews, etc. I have now completely forgotten. But here are the most important. In February, my Washington friends established the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Telecommunications and Information, (CITI) for which I feel deeply honoured. And INTELSAT gave me a splendid reception in their magnificent headquarters, where I was happy to see many friends I had never expected to meet again. In April, EUTELSAT launched a communications satellite dedicated to me, at 36* East. I should be able to see this through my telescope--when the skies are clear. May the 4th was the fiftieth anniversary of my very first television appearance

- plastered with horrible green paint in the BBC studio at Alexander Palace. I was live on camera for thirty minutes, talking about the Fourth Dimension. After that ordeal, no subsequent programme has ever caused me a moment's nervousness. On 26 of May, the U.K. High Commissioner, Linda Duffield, formally presented me with my Knighthood, and I was able to enjoy a pleasant meeting with Prince Charles. In August, I was presented with the four volumes of felicitations, which had been secretly collected by my friends over the previous months. This was really a most moving experience, and I must confess I couldn't recognize the person described in some of the more flattering documents. It took me weeks to acknowledge them all--I hope there were no omissions, and apologize to anyone who never received my thanks! In September THE LIGHT OF OTHER DAYS was published--my joint novel with Stephen Baxter (who did all the work). I really think this is my last fiction, apart from the COLLECTED SHORT STORIES, which are due out at any moment. Perhaps the most memorable event of the year was the visit of Jean Michel Jarre who arrived in late October, to film my commentary for 2001:Rendezvous in Space, which lit up the skies of Okinawa at New Year's Eve. It was a great pleasure working with JM, and despite my limited store of energy, I have ideas for future projects together. I did one SCUBA dive during the year, for the benefit of Stern magazine and wish I could do more, but the problem is getting in and out of the water: I need a mobile crane! In December, two days before my 83rd birthday, I opened the Arthur C. Clarke Model School at Beddegama in the deep south. This was again an honour, and I was delighted to meet so many enthusiastic young people. Although it is a long trip from Colombo, I hope to visit them at least once a year. The year ended with a remarkable coincidence--the Cassini spacecraft flew past Jupiter, receiving a gravitational boost which sent it on to Saturn--exactly the same manoeuvre which Discovery carried out in the first Space Odyssey! I enjoyed greeting my friends at JPL during this event. 2001 opened with an explosion of film related publicity--at one time I was receiving fifty e-mails a day from people wanting interviews etc. Thank goodness that is now over--and how sorry I am that Stanley Kubrick is not here to enjoy the praise he deserved. My Washington friends are planning an elaborate "Arthur C. Clarke Day" at the National Air and Space Museum on February the 7th. I wish I could be there - but I will be competently represented by brother Fred and hope to join the proceedings at least by telephone or even live video. Closer to home, Fred will also be handling the arrangements when the Arthur C Clarke Centre opens in Taunton. Altogether 2001 looks to be a very interesting year, and my main problem now is learning to say "No" as politely as possible. Though I am feeling fine, I am completely wheel-chaired, which does not stop me from playing an illegal form of table tennis, leaning on the table, so that my serves completely confuse any hapless opponent. The most important thing is that the family is fine. And my beloved "Pepsi"--my one-eyed killer Chihuahua--is warming my feet at this very moment. So what more could I ask for? Well, the Minister of Science has announced that the Cabinet is allocating $20 million for the development of the Arthur C. Clarke Technology Township. My greatest hope is that it will contribute to the economic growth of Sri

Lanka--and thus to its peace and stability. Arthur C. Clarke 18 January 2001

* A LETTER FROM DIANA L. PAXON Below is a letter from Diana L. Paxon, Marion Zimmer Bradley's sister-in-law, fellow author, and longtime collaborator. Her deep friendship with Bradley, who passed away in 1999, and respect for Bradley's writing shines through in her letter, shedding new light on the inspiration behind THE MISTS OF AVALON. Marion Zimmer Bradley died on September 25, 1999. During the week after her passing, my in-box filled to overflowing with messages from people who mourned her. They came from women and men, science fiction fans and pagans, Anachronists and people from all of the many other communities who appreciated her many novels; but above all, they came from readers who loved The Mists of Avalon. In Marion, I lost not only a favorite author, but a sister and a friend. I had known her for over thirty years, and when I married her adopted brother, writer Jon DeCles, I became part of her family. For many years my husband and I shared a house with her brother Paul Edwin Zimmer (also a fantasy writer) and his family, and her mother lived with us until she died. Marion read my first attempt at a novel, and read it again after I followed her advice and re-wrote it. We worked together as priestesses in the Women's Spirituality movement and founded Darkmoon Circle, which is still going strong today. Once I had become established as a writer, we traded ideas and manuscripts. When she wanted to do an anthology of work by people associated with our extended family and virtual writer's colony, she named it after my house, Greyhaven. But when Marion first announced her intention to do an Arthurian novel I was skeptical. Surely, after T. H. White and Rosemary Sutcliffe's modern treatments of the story, there was nothing left to be said. Nonetheless, she knew that I had specialized in medieval literature in graduate school, and when she came to me for resources, I was glad to give what help I could. Not that she needed much, for she had been steeped in the Arthurian tradition since childhood. I read the first chapters of what became The Mists of Avalon with a mounting excitement, for Marion had, indeed, found a new approach to the legend, one with particular relevance to the culture of the day. But I should not have been surprised--one of Marion's great gifts as a writer was to say something, at just the right time, that some group of people very much needed to hear. This time, it was an exploration of the role of the women in the legend of King Arthur--and in her hands, it became a deeply evocative story of women's struggles to survive in a masculine world. In particular, it was a story of a woman's spiritual quest. The spirituality of Avalon derives from the British Mystery tradition, especially as it was interpreted by the occult writer Dion Fortune, whose character, Miss LeFay Morgan, is both a progenitor and descendant of Morgaine. In addition, Marion drew upon Dion Fortune's non-fiction book, Avalon of the Heart. For a time, Dion Fortune lived in Glastonbury, home of the Glastonbury Tor and still a sacred center of pilgrimage for many. Although Marion traveled to the British Isles several times to visit Arthurian sites and do research, she realized early on that in order to be true to her vision she would have to abandon history, and instead, tell the truth of legend.

The brilliant device of placing Avalon halfway between our world and Faerie allowed her to adorn it with structures and a society unknown to archaeology. The Arthurian legend holds a unique place in the literature of the English language and seems to be capable of infinite reinterpretations. My own version, Hallowed Isle, is more faithful to history, but The Mists of Avalon casts a long shadow, which I avoided only by placing my priestesses in the Lake Country in the north of England! For years after Mists was published, women continued to come to Darkmoon Circle looking for the College of Priestesses on Avalon. They were not misled, for the quality of interaction among the women, as well as much of the spirituality, reflects the atmosphere in the circle. It was a time of great excitement, as we realized that it was possible to create a religious practice that would meet our needs, and that the Goddess, far from being confined to ancient mythology, was alive, well, and eager to communicate. What Marion was describing in the new book--which she had originally wanted to call Mistress of Magic--was what we were experiencing every time we came together. But no one expected what happened when The Mists of Avalon was published. Some of its success was no doubt due to the editorial and promotional genius of Judy Lynn Benjamin Del Rey, who got the book reviewed in the New York Times. But the rest has to be put down to Marion's ability to resonate with the zeitgeist. Glowing reviews certainly helped, but what made the book a bestseller was word-of-mouth publicity, and that's what keeps it selling today. People bought and read and loved it, then bought copies for their friends. Suddenly Marion found herself world-famous. This was not what she had expected, especially when people began to phone her in the middle of the night wanting spiritual counsel. Morgaine herself could not have fulfilled all the expectations being laid upon the author of The Mists of Avalon. Marion continued to write, but she began to withdraw from public life. Her health was also beginning to fail. To the heart trouble from which she had suffered for many years was added diabetes, and then a series of strokes. She managed to complete the first draft of The Forest House, a story based on the opera Norma that she had wanted to tell for many years, but it showed the effects of her illness, and she asked me to help her revise it. We were both pleased with the result, even though there was not much we could do to make Gaius nicer--his character, after all, is based on the opera's tenor role. As I discussed the book with Marion, I came to understand the place of the Avalon mythos in her work much more clearly. Not only were the characters in Forest House ancestral to the later people of Avalon, but Marion considered several of them to be reincarnations of the major characters in her early occult novel, which was eventually published as The Fall of Atlantis. That suggested a further development of the mythos, and we proposed a new project, Lady of Avalon, which takes the characters through three incarnations; the first section being a continuation of the story line in The Forest House, while the third tells of the youth of Viviane and helps explain how she got that way. Our last collaboration, Priestess of Avalon, surrounds the middle section of the previous book with the story of Helena the mother of Constantine. In Priestess of Avalon, I have taken the opportunity to try and show not only Helena's spiritual quest, but Marion's religious position, which was that of a student of the Mysteries who could find truth and inspiration in both Christianity and paganism. The vision at the end of Mists in which the Goddess takes the form of the Virgin Mary expresses a truth beyond dogma. --Diana L. Paxson March 26, 2001

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