News Notes

Neil Steyskal has compiled a list of plays which he calls "A Libertarian Drama Kit," a concept he credits to Karl Hess. Included are twenty short plays, all short enough to "be presented at conventions, supper clubs, and demonstrations/rallies." Some are explicitly libertarian, others "oppose some aspect of the statist mentality." Also included, of course, are addresses from which to order scripts, plus a plot synopsis and character numbers for each play. The list can be obtained from Neil Steyskal, Literary Manager, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, 1317 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005.

Helping publicize the Prometheus Awards this year was a special LFS brochure designed especially for the Worldcon. Mixing a few amusing libertarian-oriented cartoons and illustrations with a short text, the brochure listed this year’s finalists, provided LFS membership information, and offered one possible explanation about why so much science fiction is written with libertarian/ individualist themes: briefly, because science fiction has its roots in American cultures with its Revolutionary birth and frontier spirit giving inspiration to SF’s predominantly optimistic, romantic themes that so often pit the individual against the oppressive state. More than 3,000 pieces of LFS literature were distributed at the Worldcon, many of them passed out as "programs" to the crowds of people attending the awards ceremony.