Editorial
Hello and welcome to another fine issue of TBD. I am amused that following my complaints about fantasy last issue, this time we are pleased to bring you a hard SF story, very much in the style of the Golden Age writers, but with the benefit of modern insights into technology. Helioshock is on page 16 and is accompanied by two other fine stories: the Celtic-themed fantasy Encounter on page 14 and Slack Capital on page 19. Elsewhere in the issue, Mr SBP returns with more in-depth thoughts about a particular SF programme. This time he has the new Terminator TV series in his sights. Turn to page 24 for more.
Since our last issue, we’ve lost two more of the SF greats. First Arthur C. Clarke, one of the last of the great Golden Age writers died in March and then Charlton Heston, star of many great SF films, passed away earlier this month. Our obituary for Mr Heston can be found in Movie News starting on page 3 and we devote our Classic Author review on page 8 to Sir Arthur. Those who aren’t familiar with his work could use this as a springboard to discover it. Either way, let’s hope it’s a long while before we have to do another obit.
While not being to everyone’s taste, and sometimes seeming dated to the modern eye, the Golden Age writers certainly blazed a trail, and if it wasn’t for them, and the pulps of the era, there wouldn’t have been a New Wave and the massive variety in SF that we now take for granted. So I’m going to raise a glass to Asimov, Clarke, Heinlein, Silverberg and even E. E. ‘Doc’ Smith. Their efforts created one of the most vibrant and diverse areas of literature alive in the world today.