Sfinx 4: The Authors

Maria Hamilton

computerzombie extraordinaire, was the motivating force behind the fourth Sfinx, which may explain why it took so long to appear. Her main identifying marks are "nose, hair and pallor", and her favourite pastimes are playing `Caterpillars' and doing penguin impressions. Her greatest interests are eating, sleeping and keeping warm, preferably all at once. She claims that her story came out the way it did because she changed the plot half-way through, which, knowing Maria, seems fairly plausible.

C. M. Holt

is the collective pseudonym of Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, John Varley, Robert A. Heinlein and David Langford, who we asked to collaborate on a story after they were unable to write anything meeting Sfinx's high standards on their own. (S/he is also, for reasons too complicated to go into here, Neal Tringham from the knees down.) At least, that's what s/he might have claimed had we been able to get in touch with him/her, though this is of course only a guess. An alternative theory is that "But I meant well..." simply evolved in the closed environment of the Sfinx back file between issues 3 and 4.

David Upshal

is an aging Trekkie and Zonie currently working for a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. At least his L.E.A. thinks he's working; in fact he is turning out Sfinx stories at a rate to delight the heart of any over-enthusiastic editor (we haven't even finished typing Sfinx 4 and already Neal is talking excitedly of Sfinx 5 in time for Conspiracy...). He lists his main influences as Ray Bradbury, Philip K. Dick, and George Orwell, and his main interests (outside sf) as politics and sociology. His stories don't seem to bear this out, but he assures me it's true.

Nick Penfold

wants to adopt a `mysterious stranger' image and consequently refused to tell us anything about himself other than name and college. Since one of the editors spent half-an-hour plus wandering the corridors of Regent's Park College trying to find out where he lived in order to return his birth certificate and Premium Bonds holder's card, we suspect that he has no properties other than name and college. Circumstantial evidence suggests that he may be a theologian and/or into discipline, but for the moment his main characteristic appears to be nonexistence.

D. P. Martin

was born in Spain and raised in Chicago; she did a degree there in Humanities before coming to Oxford and getting a Diploma in Social Anthropology. She is currently writing a D.Phil. on two years work in Japan among Japanese Diving Women (the capitals are hers). A normal, well-adjusted, intelligent post-graduate student, you might think. Nevertheless, she writes a lot of sf in her spare time and once almost fell into the clutches of the Oxford University SF Group; now fully recovered, she plans to write a book about her experiences.

Neal Tringham

has in many respects fallen under the spell of the (in)famous Max(TM) O'Connor since his arrival in Oxford in 1985, though he persists in having some ideas perhaps best described as `very silly indeed' - he wishes to stress, though, that the idea of sentient genitals was not his own. He is identifiable by his being excessively small and furry, and the gerbil (Bernadette) strapped to his chest. He is currently working on a story to be entitled `Revenge Of The Time Toilet' (plot ideas would be appreciated).

Ivan Towlson

has a reputation for being obsessed with depression, death and decay. This is, of course, a pack of lies, and the fact that his musical tastes run to Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel, Bob Geldof and The The is completely irrelevant. He prefers cheerful, upbeat films like The Wall or Brazil. His hobbies include sleeping, being depressed and waging unending war against the entire Christian Church. He is less small and furry than Neal, but can be identified by the fact that he is likely to insult you any minute now, you tasteless idiot. He was also fool enough to agree to write all this junk, so send the libel writs to him.