1991 - 10/1991 Meeting

Page Created: 09/25/10. Last Updated: 10/27/10. Last Google Group Page Update: 01/24/08.

SHELLY SHAPIRO

The website for Del Rey Books is: http://www.randomhouse.com/delrey/.

MEETING SUMMARY:

Meeting Date: October 12, 1991.

Meeting Site: Saddle River Valley Cultural Center, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.

Official Attendance: 29.

Meeting Program: Talk by Del Rey Books Editor.

Notes:

Meeting Memories:

Newsletter Account:

The following account is reprinted with permission from THE STARSHIP EXPRESS Copyright 1991 Philip J De Parto:

The October 12, 1991 meeting of the S. F. A. B. C. was conducted at the Saddle River Valley Cultural Center in Upper Saddle River. STAR TREK, THE NEXT GENERATION was set up in the side room. Guest speaker Shelly Shapiro, Executive Editor of Del Rey Books, spoke for a little more than an hour and one half.

Four items of new business were initiated at the meeting. Tickets for the $ 40.00 Barnes & Noble Gift Certificate were sold at a rate of $ 1.00 each or three for $ 2.00. As the club sold less than $ 40.00 worth of tickets (actually $ 29.00) tickets will again be sold before the November meeting. Absent winners will be notified by phone or mail.

The other items of new business included the formation of a Writers' Group, a change in the dues structure, and an alteration of the club's organizational structure. These will be explored in more detail in this or future newsletters.

Other announcements, etc. included John Upton's invitation to a Halloween Party on October 26, 1991, the proclamation of Paul Dellechiaie's birthday and attendant cake (furnished by Lori Denker), and the winners of the book doorprize: Bobbi Bauer, Joan Higgins, James La Barre and Christopher Nash. We had one more prize than usual as Ms Shapiro donated the hardcover edition of Anne Mc Caffrey's latest "Pern" novel.

Ballantine/De Rey has been one of the preeminent publishers of science fiction since the 1950s. The company has recently been undergoing a significant change of personnel and philosophy.

Personnel shifts include the elevation of Owen Locke into the administrative hierarchy, the retirement of Lester del Rey, the firing of long time art director Don Munson, editor Steve Sterns' transfer to another division and the assumption of the position of Executive Editor by Ms Shapiro. This means she is in charge of things.

There are two principal components to the editorial vision of Ms Shapiro. The first is a change in the perception that Del Rey is interested only in formula, play-it-safe sf and fantasy. The second is to convince the general public that much of what they read is really science fiction, Michael Crichton's JURASSIC PARK, for example, and that they can find plenty of other good stuff that they'd like on the science fiction shelves.

Among the changes resulting are the breaking down of the walls between fantasy and science fiction. In the past, some Del Rey editors handled science fiction, others fantasy, and never the twain did meet. If a fantasy writer were to decide to do a science fiction novel, the writer would have to establish a relationship with a new editor. This will no longer be the case.

After the meeting, 14 of us wandered over to the Horizon Diner. In recent years, the eatery has been less cooperative about seating our group together, a practice they had no problems with earlier in the club's existence. On this occasion, I had had enough. I told the manager that unless he sat us together, our group would go elsewhere. He relented, and we had a good time.