Page 14 of the SwanCon 17 January 1992 progress report was a full page advert for ‘Orion’. The top three-quarters of the page are the text reproduced below; the bottom quarter contains a graphic element consisting of the word ‘Orion’ in a large, bold font, above a faux-perspective grid (makes the editors think of TRON). Below that are contact details for JJ Adamson/Editor, of South Australia.
Your transcriber would like to reiterate a general policy against ALL CAPS; examples of such have not been reproduced.
A new venture from a desktop publisher, realising a life-long interest in science fiction and fantasy…
Published quarterly, or as material permits, ORION is planned as a high-quality illustrated book of around of around 150pp: large format, with computer graphics, half tone art, compacted type, book-bound in astonishing covers. A lot of reading for your dollar!
The first volume is complete but we are very interested in seeing your work for future issues. Naturally, submissions should be previously unpublished. Send a SASE for submission guidelines. ORION is semi-pro, with a combination of cash-reimbursement for one-time rights for brief material, and payment in one or more copies for longer pieces.
In the premier issue is a fine collection of fiction:
The City in the Storm, a novel by Robert Moore. Set in the Twenty Fifth Century in a region of space which has been taboo for over a decade after the implosion of a neutron star. The colony world of Emeraldia ceased to transmit…the warship Bellona, sent to investigate, vanished… Years later a space-faring rogue braves the forbidden zone to learn the fate of both and finds himself in the midst of a ‘Gothic horror’ in the ruins of the colony. (SF)
Fall of the Dark God by James Treece. A false god is born out of the sky and under the grinding tyranny of fear one man alone defies the wrath of the Great God Sho’tan (SF&F)
The Titan by Ron Lind. Lemurian ‘new spears’ ravage the Arctic land of Conalore. The chalice containing the sacred waters of Falmane has been returned from a distant isle, but the magical promise that should have saved Conalore turns to horror. (F)
Runes from the Ice by Kathy Williams. Chris Ryan is caught between the distant past and a forbidding future. It is feared that he is a victim of a strange hereditary condition, but Carmody, the psychic, is convinced the boy is the key to survival. (F)
Turn down an Empty Glass by Michelle Goddard. Many centuries in our own future, archaeologists search for the remains of the first intelligence to rise in our galaxy, a race which vanished without trace, leaving behind an intriguing secret. (SF)
Dark Encounter by Geoff Conrad. Extra-terrestrial contact in the jungles of Vietnam. An ‘Australian war story’ with a tremendous difference! (SF)
The pricetag of ORION will be in the region of $17.95, but please send no money now. A SASE will enter you to the mailing list. We hope to publish in June 1992, and in April/May will be seeking firm reservations or subscriptions before we go to press. To begin with, ORION is for subscription only; bookstore participation is not being sought at this time. This and all other collections under the ORION label are recommended for mature readers aged 16 years and over. Material is now being solicited for future issues, but please SASE for submission guidelines first. We would like to publish regularly, so top quality fiction and art submissions are very welcome. Ever effort will be made to respond personally, and quickly.
A bit of follow up indicated that this particular endeavour didn’t actually get published.