A TRUE STORY OF KEEPER'S TOWER; A Weekend at the Lichtenbergs' or, An Experience in THREE Universes
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| Title: | A TRUE STORY OF KEEPER'S TOWER; A Weekend at the Lichtenbergs' or, An Experience in THREE Universes |
| Creator: | Catherine Filipowicz |
| Date(s): | November 1977 |
| Medium: | |
| Fandom: | Darkover, Sime~Gen, Star Trek |
| Topic: | |
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| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
A TRUE STORY OF KEEPER'S TOWER; A Weekend at the Lichtenbergs' or, An Experience in THREE Universes is a 1977 essay, almost a mini-con report, by Catherine Filipowicz.
This essay appeared in Darkover Newsletter #8.
It describes a visit by two fans to Jacqueline Lichtenberg's house.
The essay illustrates the cross-pollination of fans and fandoms of the time.
Some Excerpts
Who but an SF fan can live in three universes simultaneously—and actually be sane? Our three were Darkover, Jacqueline Lichtenberg's Simes/Gens, and STAR TREK. Oh, better make that four universes—the "real" world did manage to intrude occasionally.
The first thing we learned about visiting a writer's house is that a "book" is not necessarily a nicely printed and bound product of a publishing house, lovngly bought and catalogued by librarians like me. "Book" can exist in the author's head, as an outline, and as a thick wad of double-spaced typing paper resting in a beat-up typewriter-paper box. If the entity is halfway between author's mind and paper, it sits in its box backwards with page one on the bottom. At which point it becomes verrrry difficult to read, since you have to juggle box (top and bottom) and sheaf of unread material on your knees, anxiously hoping no one barges into you. Jacqueline has quite a few of these box-books in her office, and she presented us with some almost as soon as we came in the door. She gave a stack of several drafts of her upcoming novel UNTO ZEOR FOREVER to Jan, who is learning how to write. (Ever see someone's eyes roll?) Tucked up on a high shelf she also has boxes of MZB manuscripts, including STORMQUEEN! (*Sigh*) The burdens of conscience—I kept my eager scrabbling fingers OFF.
What did we read? Multiple universes! Jan absorbed STAR TREK fanzines and Joan Winston's new book on the Trek conventions, as well as additions to Jacqueline's own series. Among other things, I had the Gregg editions of SA and HH and sf fanzines. Naturally, a group of sf people can't get together and not talk. Jan & I both had business to discuss, so we took turns with Jacqueline. Friday night and Saturday morning was astrology time. This was gibberish to me, although not to Jan, and Jacqueline had to translate through several layers of terminology before I could understand anything. Then came discussion of our proposed Sime/Gen concordance, which threatens to become a Sime/Gen ENCYCLOPEDIA. Already! Finally, Jan and Jacqueline discussed the Sime gypsies, deducing their ceremonies and customs.
When Anne Golar and Lisa Waters came on Sunday morning, that constituted a very small meeting of Keeper's Tower and meant it was time for the Initiation. (Wait a minute. We went to talk Simes and they made us Friends of Darkover?) Anne silently delivered an accolade with the palm of her hand (which she says is more than she got), Lisa displayed her matrix jewel, and Jacqueline took a picture. We definitely could use a more moving ceremony! Then we adjourned to the kitchen for dinner, and a soothing round of trin tea. (Oh, oh, switched universes again...) Anne also brought with her two copies of the Kraith dictionary. (Isn't that STAR TREK? Of course, that TV program we all gathered to watch Saturday night. It's quite an experience, to watch ST with a Big Name Fan of ST fandom. But that's another universe, too.)