From the Editors: Sharing the Journey

"The Universe is not only queerer than we imagine,
but it is queerer than we can imagine."
J. B. S. Haldane.
As we reach the twelfth issue of our club newsletter, we celebrate other recent club achievements:

• Spaced Out was short-listed for six Ditmar Award nominations: our website, newsletter and anthology, and three individuals.
• The club established its own domain name website on the Internet (thanks, Will!)
• Trudy's club survey gave many members a chance for feedback. Thanks, folks!
• Alan and Stephen have led an army of social butterflies to run successful social events.
• The club participated in Convergence, the 41st Australian National Science Fiction Convention, including an opening night visit by some of our members.
• Our anthology, "Solar Spectrum #2" was launched at the opening night of Convergence.
• A panel entitled, "The Forever Taboo?", also on the opening night of Convergence, featured some local, national and international SF authors, who examined the issue of sexuality in science fiction.
• We welcomed a number of new members to our club (hi, folks!)
• Spaced Out's website won a Ditmar Award!

Three years ago, a small number of SF fans gathered togather and decided to start Spaced Out as an avenue for people to enjoy, celebrate and promote diversity. In that time, we have been victim to a small number of outside folk loudly commenting that they don't wish to support "that" type of club or person.

More significantly, in the same time period, we have received overwhelming support, help and friendship from the wider science fiction community in Melbourne and across Australia. We have been made welcome at Aussiecon 3 (September 1999), Multiverse 4 (June 2001) and Convergence (June 2002). The Melbourne Science Fiction Club and Frontier magazine have also been particularly supportive, as has the Australian SF website. A number of other heterosexual authors have contributed to our publications.

When J. B. S. Haldane spoke the words we quote above, he undoubtedly had another meaning for the word 'queer' than the one we claim today. But the spirit of his quote takes on a special relevance as we celebrate our recent achievements as a club. This is because these achievements are not just ours alone. Our Ditmar Award perhaps signifies a "coming of age" for Spaced Out - but we like to think that it also signifies the maturing of the wider SF community in sharing our desire to respect and encourage diversity.

We are fond of saying that Spaced Out is a club that allows us to boldly go where no fan has gone before. We thank all our members and friends for sharing that journey with us, and we invite them to become actively involved in seizing the opportunities provided by the club. Let's have fun exploring the future together!

-The Editors