O R A L H I S T O R Y A S S O C I A T I O N
Al Trestrail achieved an
oblique kind of fame in Science Fiction circles as the son-in-law of
the legendary E.E. "Doc" Smith and the husband of Doc's daughter,
Verna. He is, however, a distinguished gentleman in his own right.
He is a retired high school bandmaster, and in 1986 he added another
measure of distinction when he decided that he might as well find an
occupation for himself at the many science fiction conventions that
he and Verna attended. He bought a tape recorder, and over the
next few years he turned in the valuable and well-engineered cassettes
of the AT Series. The Trestrails attended conventions that were not
previously represented in the SFOHA collection--including Moscon, the
annual convention held at Doc Smith's alma mater, the University of
Idaho, in Moscow, Idaho. At Moscon, the Lensman Awards, named in Doc's
memory, are presented. Verna died suddenly in 1994, and Al's health
no longer permitted conventioning, so the AT Series is now complete
and stands as Al's own monument.
Both sides. Introduction to the "Talking
Book" series, "The Best of E.E. 'Doc' Smith," for the
Association for the Blind of Western Australia. Clifford J. Thomson,
narrator. This tape is principally concerned with the "Frontispiece,"
a comprehensive discussion of the writings of E.E. "Doc" Smith.
It begins on Side A and concludes on Side B. The script is by Walter
Gillings. Following the Frontispiece, the narrator begins reading
Skylark DuQuesne.
Both Sides. Thomas Clareson
talks about John Wyndham. Marcon XXI, May 18, 1986.
Side A Only. Panel, "Good,
Bad, and Formulative about Fantasy Today." Panel members
are: Valerie Steward, Moderator; Roger Zelazny, Maia Cowan, Joan Slonczewski,
Somtow Sucharitkul. Marcon XXI, May 17, 1986.
Side B. Blank.
Side A Only. Jessica Salmonson
reading her own work. Moscon 1, Moscow, Idaho, September 29, 1979.
Side B. Blank.
Both Sides. Artist
Alex Schomburg talks about his SF art in a slide show interview by Jon
Gustafson. Moscon 1, Moscow, Idaho, September 29, 1979.
Both Sides. Opening session
of Moscon 1, Moscow, Idaho, September 29, 1979, featuring Steve Fahnestalk,
Chairman, Alex Schomburg, Verna Smith Trestrail, Jessica Salmonson.
Side A Only. First Fandom
Meeting, held at Midwestcon 37, Glendale, Ohio, June 28, 1986.
Side B. Blank.
Side A Only. RiverCon XI
Banquet, held at Galt House, Louisville, July 26, 1986. Toastmaster:
Sharon Webb; Pro Guest of Honor: C.J. Cherryh; Fan Guests of Honor:
Dick and Nicki Lynch.
Side B. Blank.
Both Sides. Talk, From Nairobi
to Antares." Mike Resnick tells how he turned his recent African
trip to Science Fiction. RiverCon XI, Galt House, Louisville, July 26,
1986. Note: A group of elementary school children were expected at the
start of this program to show the costumes they had made to illustrate
Science Fiction characters. They were late, and the Resnick speech
was interrupted by this alien invasion at the end of Side A. Cf.
MISC-45.
Both Sides. Panel, "Your
World or Mine." The "Shared World" concept in story
telling explored by C.J. Cherryh and Michael Banks at Rivercon XI, Galt
House, Louisville, July 26, 1986.
Tapes 11-15 were recorded at Moscon VIII,
Moscow, Idaho,
September 19-21, 1986.
Side
A Only. Algis J. Budrys reading "What Befell Mariam," an unpublished
story that was at the time of the reading in the inventory at The
Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Moscon VIII, Moscow, Idaho,
September 21, 1986. Note: The reading starts 40 seconds into the tape.
Side B. Blank.
Both Sides. Panel, "Life
in the Hereafter--How to Survive when there is no Tomorrow." Side
B consists of a short concluding section. Dean Ing, moderator. A.J.
Budrys, John Dalmas, Mary Jane Engh, and Steve Fahnestalk. Moscon
VIII, Moscow, Idaho, September, 1986.
Both Sides. Panel, "Let's
Get Fiscal." Fiscal Responsibility and Conventions: They Do Go
Together! Jon Gustafson, Ed Beauregard, Beth Finkbiner, and Vickie Mitchell.
Note: Due to mike problem, recording starts four minutes into Side A.
Moscon VIII, Moscow, Idaho, Sept., 1986.
Side A Only, Panel "NASA
and the Shuttle: Can We Pick Up the Pieces?" Dr. Rob Quigley, Bill
Waren, Bill Johns, and Jon Potter. Moscon VIII, Moscow, Idaho, Sept.,
1986.
Side B. Blank.
Both Sides. Awards Ceremonies
at Moscon VIII, Moscow, Idaho, September, 1986. Presentation of Lensman
Awards, Art Show ribbons, the Golden Gopher Awards, and introduction
of 1987 Moscon Chairman.
Both Sides. Art Panel, "From
Words or Less to Pictures or More. Allen (?) Wold, Hawkins, Kelly
Freas, Michael (?) Flynn. RoVaCon XI, Salem, Va., October, 1986.
Some forenames were not given but were inferred.
Both
Sides. Panel, "The Spice of Life." What's it like to
live with an SF nut? D. Flynn, S. Hawkins, Polly Freas, J. Foster. Side
B contains only a short concluding section. Panel members are wives
of SF pros. RoVaCon XI, Salem, Va., October, 1986.
Side A Only. Alan Dean Foster,
GoH Speech. RoVaCcon XI, Salem, Va. October, 1986.
Side B. Blank.
Both Sides. Panel, "The
Craft of Writing S.F." Alan Dean Foster, Lloyd Eshbach, Hal
Clement, Allen (?) Wold, Tom (?) Maddox, David (?) Poyer, Chet
Williamson. RoVaCon XI, Salem, Va., October, 1986. Some forenames
were not given but were inferred.
Both
Sides. Lloyd Arthur Eshbach, interviewed by Verna Trestrail.
Highlights of Lloyd's life up to 1986. RoVaCon XI, Salem, Va., October,
1986.
Both
Sides. M. J. Engh reads from her novels Wheel of the Winds
and Arslan. Incidental comments by Verna Trestail.
MosCon 9, Moscow, Idaho, Sept. 18, 1987. Turn to Side B when side
A stops. Side B: 19 minutes.
Both
Sides. John Dalmas reads from his novel The General's President.
MosCon 9, Moscow, Idaho, Sept. 18, 1987. Side B: 10 minutes.
Both
Sides. John Dalmas reads from his works: "Delicate Stiff"
and "Three Things the Fermi Paradox Probably Isn't."
MosCon 9, Moscow, Idaho, Sept. 18, 1987. Side B: First 5
minutes blank, then 18 minutes.
Side
A. Kristine K. Rusch reads her stories "Children" and
"Spare the Rat and Spoil the Child" MosCon 9, Moscow, Idaho,
Sept. 18-20, 1987. 32 minutes. First 2 minutes are preliminary
chatter before the reading begins.
Side
B. Blank.
Jack
Williamson interviewed by Verna Trestrail. Recorded at MosCon
9, September 18-20, 1987 where he was Guest of Honor. Interview
was not a program item. Includes Jack Williamson reading from
a story, apparently a revision of his first published story, "The
Metal Man" that appeared in the December 1928 Amazing Stories.
45 seconds into the tape there is a 35 second blank spot. The
entire tape is 25 minutes long.
Side
A. Previews of forthcoming novels and stories by Bob Shaw and
Charles Fontenay and discussion of science fiction in general.
Questions and Answers. Rivercon 12, Louisville, Kentucky, August
1, 1987. 41 minutes.
Side
B. After Banquet Presentations. Michael Banks, Tostmaster,
Ken Moore, Fan Guest of Honor, Bob Shaw, Pro Guest of Honor. Incidental
comments by Verna Trestrail. Tape ends before talks do.
Side
A. "The Legacy of E. E. 'Doc' Smith" discussed by Frederik
Pohl and Verna Smith Trestrail (Doc Smith's daughter). ConVergence,
Purdue University, Fort Wayne, Indiana, November 21, 1987. Tape
begins while Mrs. Trestrail is talking and ends before the discussion
does.
Side
B. Blank.
Both
sides. "Fifty Year Retrospective" Guest of Honor talk
by Frederik Pohl, mostly questions and answers. Several questions
from Verna Trestrail. The talk is preceded by announcements, introductions,
etc. by Charles Miller [Chairman? He says he is President
of something, probably the sponsoring club.] ConVergence,
Purdue University, Fort Wayne, Indiana, November 21, 1987. 71
minutes.
Side
A. Dialog with David Brin, Guest of Honor. Interviewer:
Tom Clareson. Marcon 23, Columbus, Ohio March 29, 1988.
A few questions from the floor. Tape runs out while people still
are talking. Approximately 65 seconds blank space at the beginning
of the tape.
Side
B. Blank
Both
sides. "Robert Heinlein: The Legacy." Panel
on Heinlein's contributions and influences. Buck Coulson, moderator,
Arlan Andrews, Mike Resnick. Tape introduced by Verna Trestrail,
who also makes incidental remarks during the panel. Rivercon 13,
Louisville, Kentucky, July 30, 1988. Side B. 5 minutes.
Side
A. Anne McCaffrey interviewed by Verna Smith Trestrail.
Recorded at MosCon 10, Moscow, Idaho, September 24, 1988, but not a
program item.
Side
B. Blank.
Both
sides. Guest of Honor speeches. Banff International Convention,
Banff, Alberta, Canada, 1989 (Officially MosCon for 1989) Several
minutes of announcements from Deloris Booker and Beth Finkbiner, of
the committee, and Verna Trestrail. Fan Guest of Honor Mike Glicksohn
spoke on the nature and variety of fandom. Pro Guest of Honor
Brain Aldiss told anecdotes. Side B. 30 seconds of blank
tape followed by the last 5 minutes of Aldiss' talk.
Side
A. Brian Aldiss talks of the making of the movie Roger Corman's
Frankenstein Unbound from his novel Frankenstein Unbound
and narrates slides from the movie. After a few questions and
answers he reads his poem "Cat Improvement Company" and his
short story "Bill Carter Takes Over." Banff International
Convention, Banff, Alberta, Canada, 1989 (Officially MosCon for 1989)
October 7, 1989.
Side
B. Blank
Both
sides. Guest of Honor speeches. MosCon 13, Moscow, Idaho,
September 22, 1991. Announcements, thanks, etc. by Bob Barnes,
chairman, then anecdotal talks by Tim Powers, Author GoH, Julia Lacquement-Ker,
Artist GoH, Dr. Roger Fouts, Scientist GoH, then Verna Smith Trestrail
presenting Lensman Awards. 53 minutes.
Both
sides. Talk by A. J. Budrys: "Everything You Need to Know About
Writing in 55 Minutes or Less." Moscon XIII, Moscow, Idaho,
September 20-22, 1991. Side A is only 30 minutes. Turn over
the tape immediately to hear the remaining six minutes on side B.
F.M.
Busby reading at Moscon XIII, Moscow, Idaho, September 20-22,
1991.
Side
A. "Eden Regained" from March 1991 Analog followed
by excerpts from Arrow from Earth .
Side
B. Approximately three minutes of silence followed by eight minutes
of continued reading.
Early
science fiction fans John Millard and Margaret Keifer interviewed by
Verna Smith Trestrail about the early days of fandom.
Diann
Thornley, Lois McMaster Bujold, and Nicholas Pollotta read from their
works at Connect-A-Con, held at Toledo Hilton, February 14-16, 1992.
Side A. Nicholas Pollotta reads from his works at
Connect-A-Con, held at Toledo Hilton, February 14-16, 1992 "Initiation"
from his novel Bureau 13 followed by "Turnabout" from
Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Magazine
Side
B blank.
Both
sides. Verna Smith Trestrail (daughter of E.E. "Doc" Smith)
interviewed by Valerie Stewart concerning Japanese copyright infringement
of his Lensman series. Marcon XXV, Ohio Center, Columbus, Ohio,
May 18-20, 1990. There are about two minutes of silence at the
beginning of Side A. Most of Side B is answers to questions from
the audience.
Both
sides. Panel of authors discuss Shared Universes - Writing with
another author's world and characters. Stephen Leigh, John J.
Miller, Ted Reynolds, Walton Simons, Verna Smith Trestrail. Marcon
XXV Hyatt Regency, Columbus, Ohio, May 19, 1990. Side B is 15
minutes. Questions and answers.
Side
A. Hal Clement slide show "Triton. The Near View" about discoveries
made by Voyager.
Side
B. A few minutes of the continuation of the slide show, followed by
Clement reading from a novel tentatively titled Outspread, a
sequel to his Still River. Incidental comments by Verna
Smith Trestrail. Questions and answers.
These
four "Portraits in Slow Glass" are from "Slow Glass,"
radio columns about science fiction by Bill Glass that were broadcast
on the radio program "Hour 25." They are undated but
would seem to have originated in the period 1993-94. The reference
to "Slow Grass" is a pun on the commentator's name based on
an invention described in Bob Shaw's 1966 story, "Light of Other
Days." This tape was part of Verna Trestrail's collection
concerning her father, E.E. Doc Smith, and Al has donated it to SFOHA.
Side
A. A discussion of Theodore Sturgeon's novel, "More Than
Human." This is actually a summary and appraisal of Sturgeon's
career. It is followed by a discussion of Fritz Leiber's long
career with detailed comments about individual works.
Side
B. Detailed discussion of Olaf Stapledon's novels, "First
and Last Men" and "Starmaker," with references to other
Stapledon works. This is followed by a discussion and appraisal
of the career and works of E.E. "Doc" Smith. It contains
a detailed discussion of the Lensman saga and a comparison of Smith's
and Stapledon's works.
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