LOC for Tightbeam #331

The following is a letter of comment sent to George Phillies, editor of Tightbeam, commenting on #331.

Dear Mr. Phillies:

Jose Sanchez’s cover to Tightbeam #331 (April 2022) is amazing! Between this cover and Alan White’s recent cover for Eldritch Science, we’re really pulling out all the stops in terms of cover art in recent months. The back cover, while an older piece, is also impressive. Wonderful book ending, and what a joy to behold. I look forward to seeing more of Jose’s work.

    I like your use of the phrase “N3F Revival.” We are indeed enjoying fine days in terms of fanzine and apa activity. The migration of some material from Tightbeam to FanActivity Gazette makes total sense thematically, and we now have a proper newszine. I was sorry to hear that Silver Empire shut up shop. Hopefully, if rights to the works they published weren’t already held by the writers, the rights have reverted so we can see other publishers reprint and distribute their former catalog. I wasn’t familiar with them previously, so I don’t even know what I was missing. But “heroic, wondrous adventure fiction” sounds up my alley.

    Graham J. “GrayJay” Darling’s letter of comment on the mistaken origin of the unicorn and its cultural importance goes beyond my brief comments in response to Tightbeam #330, and I resonated with his reference to Physiologus and T.H. White’s consideration of the unicorn as an “ur-wild beast that could only be tamed by a gentle maiden.”

    While I was somewhat familiar with the recent scandal involving comic book and fiction author Warren Ellis, I was unaware he’d penned an anime, FreakAngels, as reviewed by Jessi Silver. Interestingly, it started as a Web comic and was later collected and published by Avatar Press, which has published multiple Ellis comics over the years. I might have to look for the Avatar edition before checking out the animated series.

    Thomas E. Simmons’s comic book reviews are a welcome addition, and we get reviews of three issues of Shogun Warriors! I have the third issue and another in storage and will have to return to the series based on Simmons’s comments. I hope to see more of his writing in the future.

    I appreciated Jon D. Swartz’s bio-bibliography of Frederik Pohl. His origins in the Futurians, fandom, and sf magazines are fascinating, and Mr. Swartz’s profile makes me want to return to his writing. I have a handful of his books cataloged in my personal library, including Alternating Currents, Shadow of Tomorrow, Space Merchants, and the anthology Star Science Fiction Stories No. 3. Which do you recommend I dip into first?

    Will Mayo’s short reviews are always welcome, and we end the issue with your recipe for Greek stew. I’ve yet to make any of the recipes offered in Cedar Sanderson’s column. Have any Neffers made anything in particular that they’d recommend?

    Thanks to all who submitted content to this ish of Tightbeam. It was well worth reading.