Cheap Truth

Last updated

Cheap Truth was a free series of one-page, double-sided newsletters (i.e., fanzine) published in the period between 1983 and 1986. [1] [2] Its headquarters was in Austin, Texas. [2] It was not-copyrighted and explicitly encouraged "xerox pirates" to circulate the zine for their own monetary gain or otherwise. [3] It was the unofficial organ of a loose group of authors. This group called themselves many things, including "The Movement" but was later known as the Cyberpunk movement.[ citation needed ]

The zine was edited by the American science fiction author Bruce Sterling under the alias Vincent Omniaveritas (as in vincit omnia veritas). There were several contributors such as "Sue Denim" (as in pseu-donym, in this case Lewis Shiner), but the real identities behind some aliases are still not commonly known. The newsletter was critical towards what its editors regarded, at the time, as the "stagnant state of popular science fiction".

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce Sterling</span> American author, speaker and futurist

Michael Bruce Sterling is an American science fiction author known for his novels and short fiction and editorship of the Mirrorshades anthology. In particular, he is linked to the cyberpunk subgenre.

A fanzine is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest. The term was coined in an October 1940 science fiction fanzine by Russ Chauvenet and first popularized within science fiction fandom, and from there the term was adopted by other communities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Science fiction fandom</span> Subculture of fans who enjoy science fiction

Science fiction fandom or SF fandom is a community or fandom of people interested in science fiction in contact with one another based upon that interest. SF fandom has a life of its own, but not much in the way of formal organization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zine</span> Collection of self-published work reproduced by photocopying

A zine is a small-circulation self-published work of original or appropriated texts and images, usually reproduced via a copy machine. Zines are the product of either a single person or of a very small group, and are popularly photocopied into physical prints for circulation. A fanzine is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest. The term was coined in an October 1940 science fiction fanzine by Russ Chauvenet and popularized within science fiction fandom, entering the Oxford English Dictionary in 1949.

<i>Factsheet Five</i>

Factsheet Five was a periodical mostly consisting of short reviews of privately produced printed matter along with contact details of the editors and publishers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Science-fiction fanzine</span> Fanzine on science fiction

A science-fiction fanzine is an amateur or semi-professional magazine published by members of science-fiction fandom, from the 1930s to the present day. They were one of the earliest forms of fanzine, within one of which the term "fanzine" was coined, and at one time constituted the primary type of science-fictional fannish activity ("fanac").

The Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society, Inc., or LASFS, is a science fiction and fantasy fan society that meets in the Los Angeles area. The current meeting place can be found on the LASFS website.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Punk zine</span>

A punk zine is a zine related to the punk subculture and hardcore punk music genre. Often primitively or casually produced, they feature punk literature, such as social commentary, punk poetry, news, gossip, music reviews and articles about punk rock bands or regional punk scenes.

Jack Melton Boardman, commonly known as John Boardman, is an American physicist. He is a former professor of physics at Brooklyn College; a noted science fiction fan, author and fanzine publisher; and a gaming authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steven H Silver</span> American writer, editor, and publisher

Steven H Silver is an American science fiction fan and bibliographer, publisher, author, and editor. He has been nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer twelve times and Best Fanzine seven times without winning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Nielsen Hayden</span> American science fiction editor and writer

Patrick James Nielsen Hayden, is an American science fiction editor, fan, fanzine publisher, essayist, reviewer, anthologist, teacher and blogger. He is a World Fantasy Award and Hugo Award winner, and is an editor and the Manager of Science Fiction at Tor Books.

The slipstream genre is a term denoting forms of speculative fiction that do not remain in conventional boundaries of genre and narrative, directly extending from the experimentation of the New Wave science fiction movement while also borrowing from fantasy, psychological fiction, philosophical fiction and other genres or styles of literature.

RE/Search Publications is an American magazine and book publisher, based in San Francisco, founded by its editor V. Vale in 1980. In several issues, Andrea Juno was also credited as an editor. It was the successor to Vale's earlier punk rock fanzine Search & Destroy (1977–1979), which was started with small donations, provided to Vale by Allen Ginsberg and Lawrence Ferlinghetti. RE/Search has published tabloid-sized magazines and books.

Void was a major science fiction fanzine. It was started in the 1955 by Gregory Benford and his identical twin brother James (Jim) Benford, when they were living in Germany; then later co-edited by Gregory Benford, Ted White, Terry Carr, and Peter Graham. It is described in one reference work thus: "Void was the fanzine with many heads. Its many editors covered all aspects of fanac — criticism, humor, history and commentary." The Benford brothers edited Void until 1958, when Jim retired and Ted White became co-editor. Pete Graham and Terry Carr later joined the editorial team. The fanzine was published regularly until 1962, with a final issue appearing in 1969.

GAFIA is a term used by science fiction fans. It began as an acronym for "Getting Away From It All", and referred initially to escaping from mundane activities via fanac.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">V. Vale</span> American writer

V. "Valhalla" Vale is an American editor, writer, interviewer, musician and, as Vale Hamanaka, was keyboardist for the initial configuration of Blue Cheer, before it became famous as a power trio. He is the publisher and primary contributor to books and magazines published by his company, RE/Search Publications. Vale is the host of the television talk show Counter Culture Hour on Public-access television cable TV channel 29 in San Francisco. The show is edited by his partner Marian Wallace. Vale is Japanese American.

John Bangsund was a prominent Australian science fiction fan in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. He was a major force, with Andrew I. Porter, behind Australia winning the right to host the 1975 Aussiecon, and he was Toastmaster at the Hugo Award ceremony at that convention.

<i>Red as Blood, or Tales from the Sisters Grimmer</i>

Red as Blood, or Tales from the Sisters Grimmer is a short story collection of dark fantasy retellings of popular fairytales by British author Tanith Lee. Contrary to what the title may suggest, it not only includes retellings of fairytales by the Brothers Grimm, but also by Charles Perrault, Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve or Alexander Afanasyev. The title story was nominated for a Nebula Award.

NorthAmeriCon '79 was the second North American Science Fiction Convention, held in Louisville, Kentucky, on August 30-September 3, 1979, at the Galt House Hotel. This NASFiC was held because Brighton, England, was selected as the location for the 1979 Worldcon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fahrenheit (fanzine)</span>

Fahrenheit is the oldest Polish literary e-zine which publishes literary works and literary criticism on science fiction, fantasy and horror fiction. It was established in 1997 by "Gin and Tonic", i.e., Polish authors Andrzej Ziemiański and Eugeniusz Dębski.

References

  1. "Cheap Truth. Vincent Omniaveritas. Bruce Sterling. Fanzine". Fanac. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Cheap Truth". SFE. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  3. Sterling, Bruce. "Cheap Truth 3". Cheap Truth. Fanac. Retrieved 2 January 2019.