"How Did I Get Myself Into This?" BEING THE TRUE STORIES OF HOW SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE HOUSEHOLDING MET JL...

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Title:	"How Did I Get Myself Into This?" BEING THE TRUE STORIES OF HOW SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE HOUSEHOLDING MET JL...
Creator:	various fans of Sime~Gen
Date(s):	November 1978
Medium:	print
Fandom:	Sime~Gen
Topic:
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"How Did I Get Myself Into This?" (full subtitle: "BEING THE TRUE STORIES OF HOW SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE HOUSEHOLDING MET JL, WHAT IT DID FOR AND TO THEM, AND WHAT THEY"RE DOING BECAUSE OF IT") is a series of short essays by Sime~Gen fans.

The topic: testimonials on how some fans found Sime~Gen, and its creator Jacqueline Lichtenberg.

first page of the essays as they appeared in A Companion in Zeor #2

They were published in some issues of the zine A Companion in Zeor (#2 -- November 1978, #3 --February 1979, #5 -- May 1980). The ones from #2 and are online here.

1978: Anne G

From A Companion in Zeor #2.

You should only know from it. Not too long ago and even in this galaxy I was a nice practical materialist who happen to like Star Trek but didn’t get involved in fannish activities cause that was for kids. I was an adult. I was married and I had a house and husband to take care of and I had to get a job. I even used to ask permission of my husband to do things like, “May I make your dinner now, Dear.” I ain’t kiddin’.

The I met Jacqueline. Need I say more. I guess I need. Okaaaay. After a lecture at the local library given by JL, she was looking for people JOIN a ST fan club which implies there already was one, I got all fired up and lectured my poor husband on my right to have meetings of said club in my home. It was my home, too, and I was entitled to pursue my interest and woman’s lib blahblahblah for six hours. Poor husband had no choice. If he were to get any sleep he had to GIVE ME PERMISSION.

I called JL up very timidly and was invited to her home and was lectured at. I was and am a very willing pupil. Next thing I knew, I was the Founder of the ST club. Then I was the president. The worm had turned. By February of the next year I told repeat merely informed my husband that I was going to San Francisco for ST convention and that I was taking $500.00 to pay for the trip. His answer was “Okay.” By this time I started to write bits and pieces and JL gave me a manuscript of hers to edit. To my utter surprise and delight I knew how to. She then realized she had a tiger by the tail and started to intensify her efforts towards me. Ex: if I don’t win a Hugo in three years she better know the reason why.

By this time I was merely informing my husband of my actions and he was too shell-shocked to react. He still is. Anyways, I was hanging around the room when Lisa said she was quitting [the editing of Ambrov Zeor] and JL turned to me and said, “How nice of you to volunteer.”

I did? Oh, well, I am the Publisher. I am? I guess I am. Let me point out in all fairness that I live not more than a mile away from JL and that a phone call to her is not a toll call. I am exposed to her more than any other individual except member of her immediate family. That and only that is the reason that our relationship is closer than most of the other ones she has formed in fandom. I would also like to add that I am chauffer, babysitter, secretary, and reminder to screw on her head before leaving the house. But again this is only cause I live so close.

Anyway, I told you how I got into this, how my husband doesn’t know me any more and doesn’t know when I’m about to literally take off. If you want to know what happened to us, well, we started to find out how wonderful life can be. It’s addictive, life that is. And more than that, it’s not fattening and

it’s even legal. More than that you can’t ask.

1978: Penny Z

From A Companion in Zeor #2.

For most of my-life I read science fiction the way some people read por- nography—secretly, hidden under the mattress or behind the dust jacket of War and Peace or Medical Therapeutics or Ulysses or The Interpretation of Dreams. Not that I don’t live those books too, but sf was something no one else seemed to understand. So I kept it to myself. I had heard of fandom, of course. Flyer in the bookstore. Stories about large conventions in the news- paper, illustrated by photos of the authors mingling with strange aliens, Starship Troopers, and BEM’s. There was a distant attraction. (Those crazies are having a ball. Wish I had the nerve to do something like that.), but it all seemed a little inappropriate (What would people think?).

Then I started reading Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Darkover series, and I started thinking about the stories, the characters, the ideas, and I started asking myself a lot of questions. With each new novel I read, there was a stronger need to share some of those questions with people who had also read the books and who might have the answers. I nagged my husband and a few of my classmates and (I was a senior in medical school at the time) into reading them, but although they enjoyed the stories they didn’t feel the same kind of com- pulsion I did about them. So I send $1.00 to the Friends of Darkover, and they send me Darkover Newsletter.

Katie Filipowicz had intriguing article in DNL #8 about a weekend she and Jan McCrossen had spent at JL’s house. Jacqueline Lichtenberg. Now where have I head that name before? It took a while to place it, in the dedication of MZB’s "Heritage of Hastur." I was even more intrigued.

My favorite sf bookstore is across the street from the hospital where I was working, and I usually stopped by for some serious browsing after rounds on Saturday. The manager is very knowledgeable about sf and fandom, and he loves to talk with customers. I decided to ask him about JL.

“Oh, yeah, she’s a big Trek writer,” he answered.

“As in ‘Star Trek’?” I asked, raising one eyebrow.

“Right. She’s also written a novel of her own that has done pretty well. Pretty far out story, though. About a post-holocaust type society where genetic mutation has divided the human race into two groups that are dependent on each other. Something about tentacles.” He handed me a copy of paperback edition of House of Zeor. I took one look at the cover and cringed, but I bought it anyway.

Of course I loved it. Sure, the basic premise required a huge suspension of disbelief, especially for someone with a background in genetics. I took it as a challenge to my powers of fantasy, and by the end of the book I found myself wondering if perhaps human beings could sprout tentacles from their forearms. But again, questions. There were so many things HoZ hinted at but didn’t finish, so many ideas that stretched the mind and demanded to be shared.

[going to a con, meeting Jacqueline Lichtenberg, learning about tarot cards, and how this all became part of her life and her psychiatry residency, snipped]

1979: Pat G

From A Companion in Zeor #3.

Let me refer to you Gribben's first law--"If you want a life of leisure, never ask Jacqueline Lichtenberg if you can help."

The third time I read MZB's FORBIDDEN TOWER, I succumbed to the Darkover Newsletter ad and sent away for a subscription. DN #7 arrived, and I read the Keeper's Tower column with interest and decided to send a SASE to Jacqueline to get it back "stuffed with Star Trek info." The flyers arrived, among them an ad for the Star Trek World Expo on Washington's Birthday Weekend in NYC. I wrote back to Jacqueline and began working on my husband. (Blank, unbelieving stare--"Go where? For what? You're kidding!") Finally he gave in, IF I boarded the dogs, found someone to feed the cats, and got a sitter for the kids, and promised that he could leave if he didn't like it. I wrote to Jacqueline and asked if she needed any help with whatever she was doing at the con. Of course she needed help! A gofer is always welcome,as is help at the AZ table. I called her as soon as we got to the Statler Hilton and went to her room to meet her. Her momentous first words? "You made your first mistake. You brought your husband to a Star Trek con." And I had! He left the next day, after buying me an extra suitcase and taking home a foot-high pile of fanzines.

The week before the Star Trek con, the back issues of AZ arrived, and I noticed a plea for someone with "secretarily experience" to do the general scutwork as assistant editor of the lettercol [of A Companion in Zeor]. (I had already noticed Jacqueline's creative spelling and punctuation in her letters.) The English teacher in me, dormant for eight long years, came surging to the surface. "They need me!" I thought, and informed Jacqueline and Anne that I owned a Selectric and if they needed anyone to type the ms of SIME SURGEON or edit letters, or whatever, I guessed I could try.

The first thing that arrived was a copy of AZ #4. It had to be typed to be reprinted. Only then, I was informed, could we begin work on SIME SURGEON. And that, kiddies, is how I spent my Passover vacation. Also, letters began arriving, envelopes full of them, with nothing but a few scrawled comments from Anne and Jacqueline, and no instructions about how to pick what letters to print. They also assumed I had laran, and could write to people for permission to print even though there was no return address, and in some cases, no signature on the letter!

I also discovered another peculiarity of the AZ staff—hence, Gribben's Second Law, "Everybody thinks everybody else knows everything, when in reality, nobody knows anything anybody else does." And Gribben's Third Law--"Bring the Harvey's Bristol Cream Sherry whenever you go to a con with Jacqueline!"

I woke up to a revelation—I had been spending all of my time for the last 8 years doing other people's things'—keeping a husband happy, raising two kids, keeping track of two great Danes and two cats, running a house, and for the last year, working 18 hours a week as a typist for some not-so-sane psychologists in the Pupil Services Department of our school district and also being president of a brand new Friends of the Library organization. I would grit my teeth and mutter when my husband went hunting or took off for a week fishing in Canada leaving me with one child with chicken pox and another who got it while he was gone. I buried myself in books. Working for AZ and getting to know Jacqueline and Anne has changed me quite a bit. Now I have something for myself—I can get away for a weekend to do something that interests me. I have rediscovered myself as a person.

A whole new world has opened up. I would gladly type for days (and I have) for the chance to listen to Jacqueline expound on the art of writing; for the opportunity to correspond with people who have given me a chance to stretch mentally, something that has been lost in the chaos of raising kids; for the thrill of having an article published in DN because I had been mentally stimulated enough to write it; for the discovery that there are many, many people out there who have the same reading tastes that I do; for learning about SF conventions and my warm memories of Balticon; and, maybe most importantly, for the opportunity to make friends total strangers, people I haven't met (yet) but who are warm and welcoming. I feel as if I've found home.

1979: Mary Jo D

From A Companion in Zeor #3.

What happened was that I bought a paperback copy of HoZ in Toronto, put it in my bookcase unread, and forgot about it. Then, one day I was scrounging for something to read and grabbed it again. This was about 10PM one night and I hoped to read myself to sleep. Wrong, I stayed up half the night reading it twice, and was into the third time when my husband came downstairs and screamed "You have to work tomorrow, come to bed!" So the next day I sat down and wrote Jacqueline a letter telling her how much I loved the book. This was, incidentally, the first time I had ever written to an author. I figured that she would get my letter and never bother to answer. Wrong again. About 2 weeks later I got a package of about a zillion flyers from about every zine in the world. And I literally cleaned out the checking account ordering one of everything.

After reading all of the AZ's, it occurred to me that I might be able to help out on the zine because of my job. So I wrote to Anne Golar, and bingo, I had arrived.

1979: Karen M L

From A Companion in Zeor #3.

I don't know if I should trace my first "meeting" with Jacqueline to my attendance at the last Tellurian Star Trek Con in New York (February 1976) where Jacqueline was a speaker ... or should it be traced to our actual meeting at Star Trek Philadelphia (July 1977) at an after-hours room party. I was a co-editor of another Trek-oriented zine and thought it an interesting idea to interview Jacqueline for an issue (the interview never saw publication), since she was one of the authors of Star Trek Lives! At this party I handed JL a copy of my zine and asked her to contact me if she would consent to an interview. My being a Cadet/Helper made the contacts a little easier.

The next day I met Jacqueline for the interview. Her many and varied interests came to light--including her Tarot and astrology interests—as well as her early writing attempts. It was here I was formally introduced to House of Zeor (though I remember hearing about it someplace before), and to Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover series. Later that day I was "drafted" to work the Star Trek Welcommittee table for Jacqueline and AZ, as well as run some errands here and there. The following day I was invited to lunch with Jacqueline, her husband, and the rest of her entourage. That evening I attended a Kraith Affirmation as well.

Jacqueline then requested for me to be her "go fer" at the following convention (Star Trek America) in September of the same year. It was during this convention that the idea for CZ was born, and where I also met Katie Filipowicz. Needless to say, CZ is here, and I have also done other stints at the dealer's tables for us, and also the same "go fer" duties at other conventions.

I wouldn't trade any of it for the worldl I've lost my heart to the Lady Lichtenberg, and I love it. Thanks Jacqueline!!

1980: Deborah L

From A Companion in Zeor #3.

Somewhere about February 1979 I wrote to 'Jacqueline Lichtenberg, the famous sf author, with great timidity, to ask for information on the Cleveland ST Con. I got an answer back! (I'm writing this about the way I felt at the time). Well, I said to myself, okay, let's go. And let's try t'get the second issue of the zine but in time to take it, okay? So, though I had earlier written Anne about Ambrov Zeor, I didn't think much more about it, right? Two days later, a letter from Anne arrives. "Would you share it (the table) , and the cost, with Ambrov Zeor?" First of all, I looked for a chair, because fainting on the floor is messy, and hurts, besides, ME, share a table with Ambrov Zeor and Jacqueline Lichtenberg? I couldn't write "Yes" fast enough! And then Anne thanked ME???

So, for two weeks ahead of time, I'm walking around saying "What'll I say to her?" Mac, who has a smart mouth, tells me "You could always say, 'Oh, are you Jacqueline Lichtenberg? Can I touch you?"' I kicked her. That I didn't need.

[snipped]

Cleveland. Dealer's table. Start to set up. Found someone in charge and actually managed to say that I was supposed to share a table with Jacqueline Lichtenberg, and if she saw her, could she tell her I was here. I went to walk around the room and look at the other hucksters. I came back and there is this medium-height ( was wearing heels and she looked short to me, but —) slender woman standing there looking around and talking to Cayte. Jacqueline Lichtenberg, 'as large as life and twice as natural'! I went over and said, (brilliantly), "Uh, hello..." Mac says, "This is Deb!" Jacqueline said, "Oh, so you're Deborah! I'm glad to meet you. Let's move this table..." And we were off and running.

It's been a very long time since I felt like I belonged to a group. And JL may not know it, but that weekend, she gave me a very great gift -- the sense that I was somebody and I belonged to something.

1980: Bruce L

From A Companion in Zeor #3.

I went to my first convention August Party 1978 in Silver Springs, Maryland. I stayed at the convention site - the Sheraton Hotel. I really enjoyed myself. I saw uncut movies, and sold "CZ's, (as well as the other books and zines that Jacqueline and Jean Lorrah are involved in) at one of the dealer's tables with my girlfriend (now my wife), Karen. And I met one of the greatest (in my opinion) authors of Science Fiction, Jacqueline Lichtenberg.

I loved so much of August Party, and I hope I will enjoy the next convention I attend, and all the rest to come (when I can get away from work so we can go). I also enjoyed seeing all of the costumes (such as Darth Vader and others from Star Wars and Star Trek, and many other characters from the realm of ]]Science Fiction]]).

I love to help my wife put this zine together, and to sell them at the conventions, as well as just being involved in fandom.

1980: Lori T

From A Companion in Zeor #3.

"How did I get myself into this?" I've often asked myself that, but never really thought about it until now. Well, okay, now let me see... I guess it all really started when I'd first heard of Jacqueline Lichtenberg's House of Zeor. I'd read Star Trek Lives!, and I knew who JL was, but I didn't really know WHO she was until Karen (Sr. Ed. of this zine) approached me with: "I have this book that you absolutely HAVE to read!! It'll blow your everlovin' MIND!" So, I read it. And I was so moved by it that I actually cried. I NEVER cry!! Not only did it move me enough to make me weep, but it touched something even deeper inside me: my musical nerve. I sat down and wrote a song about it, and later on, in its final stages, Karen worked with me.

The name of the book, of course, is House of Zeor, previously mentioned, and the name of the song is "Unto Zeor, Forever" (published in CZ#1)

Karen persuaded me and my husband to attend August Party 78 with her so that I could "perform" the song for Jacqueline, and that's when I actually met her for the first time, although I'd seen her at other cons at which Mike and I had worked. Both of us were absolutely taken with Jacqueline the minute we spoke with her, and there's the beginning of my involvement, although I didn't know it at the time. Somehow, I found myself working on A COMPANION IN ZEOR, in a minor capacity, and as time went on playing a larger and larger part in the make-up of this zine. And somehow my husband found himself in the same boat!

But, the bottom line of the whole thing is this: both Michael and I are extremely independent and quite oblivious to "crowd following" and "fads" and the like, and therefore, obviously do nothing unless it is of our own volition. And both of us enjoy the time spent with and for Jacqueline Lichtenberg, including the work done on CZ.

So, that's "how I (we) got into all this," and I (we) love each and every minute of it!