At least once a year we publish in VECTOR the entire Membership list; it will be in the next issue. Being on the committee, I have had an advance peek and I notice there are quite a few members living within easy reach of each other. This seems like a good time to come up with an idea I had two years ago with disappointing results and see if anything comes of it. When you see the list, take special note of the addresses; at least three of you live in Leeds, two in Glasgow and there are some new members in London, Leeds and Glasgow: If you’d like to meet another member, try dropping a note suggesting a meeting with one another. You may live near enough and like each other well enough to want to meet frequently. It’s worth trying, isn’t it? London: Every Friday night from 7.pm. I hope Open House at my home. Tea, coffee and biscuits are provided as well as plenty of talk that I’m sure you’d find interesting as well as entertaining. Do try and come, won’t you? My address is on the contents page here. We’d love to meet you, really.

Ella Parker

As the years go by, most sf writers, instead of maturing, unhappily degenerate into hacks. […] This may be because they think and are encouraged by their audience to think mainly in terms of conjuring up something nevl – never mind how absurd, how affronting to possibility – instead of bringing increasing experience to bear on translating human fears and aspirations into new forms. In other words, the years tell against them, instead of telling for them as they should. For sf always to be youthful is fine; for it always to be juvenile would be death. […] This need for maturing sf authors may have been expressed crudely. If so, I ask readers to bear with me, for the subject has hardly been broached before.

Brian Aldiss