Frank Johnson (1953-2019)
By Joel Zakem: [Reprinted from FB with permission] This is a post I hoped to never write. In terms of longevity, Frank Johnson was my oldest friend. I believe that we first encountered each other in 1966 or 67, when
People’s Vote March Features SFF Iconography
By James Bacon: I attended the People’s Vote March today in central London, which seeks to have a referendum about Brexit and whatever deal the country ends up with. A political matter not normally of interest here to Filers.
Ellen Vartanoff (1951-2019)
By Martin Morse Wooster: Ellen Vartanoff, long-time fan, art teacher, and contributor to DC and Marvel Comics, died on March 17. She had ovarian cancer for several years. Ellen was a long-time member of four area clubs in the Washington,
Pixel Scroll 3/23/19 Pixelon File Was Dream Given Scroll
OUT OF SCHOOL. Eighties throwback comedy series Schooled did an episode last week about the premiere of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. LA fan Shawn Crosby made an appearance, and several 501st and Rebel Legion members were extras, portraying
2018 James Tiptree Jr. Award
The James Tiptree, Jr. Literary Award Council has selected Gabriela Damián Miravete as the winner of the 2018 Tiptree Award for her short story “They Will Dream In the Garden,” translated by Adrian Demopulos and published online by Latin American
Pixel Scroll 3/22/19 Dial P For Pixel
LABORS OF LOVE. The Hugo Award Book Club has completed its series of articles on the depiction of labor unions in science fiction. Olav Rokne sent the links with a note, “I welcome any feedback, and appreciate being informed
2018 HWA Specialty Press Award
The Horror Writers Association (HWA) has named Raw Dog Screaming Press as the recipient of the 2018 Specialty Press Award. Each year the HWA recognizes the accomplishments of a noteworthy small press. The Specialty Press Award brings recognition to an
Ms. Marvel Digital Director’s Cut Deal Offered Til 3/26
[From the press release.] Ms. Marvel is BACK! But it’s not business as usual in Jersey City. Aliens are wreaking havoc in Kamala’s corner of the world, and they seem weirdly interested in Ms. Marvel…and her family. Eisner Award-winner Saladin
Cats Sleep on SFF: The Pleasant Profession of Robert A. Heinlein
Never mind the headline, Farah Mendlesohn’s new book is obviously keeping these cats awake! Michael J. Walsh snapped the photo of his purrfect pair. “On the left, the black-and-white cat, is Scooter. Cat on the right is Sally, aka Danger Cat.”
Pixel Scroll 3/21/19 I’ll File You, My Pixel, And Your Little Scroll Too!
MCINTYRE. Followers of CaringBridge learned today that Vonda N. McIntyre has finished work on her book. Jane Hawkins announced: Vonda has finished Curve of the World! Be ready for a great read in a while! (No clue about publication
RWA Announces 2019 RITA & Golden Heart Finalists
Romance Writers of America (RWA), the trade association for romance fiction authors, has announced the finalists for the 2019 RITA® and Golden Heart® Awards. The RITA recognizes excellence in published romance novels and novellas. The Golden Heart recognizes excellence in
Women Hold Up Half the Sky
By John Hertz: (reprinted from No Direction Home 2) It’s Women’s History Month in the United States. Here are some people and events worth thinking about. Ruth and Esther are the only two women with books named for them in
“Ray Bradbury Live (forever)” Stage Portrayal to Debut 3/22
By Steve Fjeldsted: The first public performance of a new touring stage tribute to iconic author Ray Bradbury is scheduled for Friday, March 22 at 7:00 p.m. in the South Pasadena Public Library Community Room. Ray Bradbury Live (forever) is a tour de force officially authorized by the Ray Bradbury estate and features
2019 Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival Winners
The 2019 Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival has announced the award winners for its seventh annual event. The festival was held as a bi-coastal gathering in New York and California with 11 films recognized for their distinctive filmmaking
Pixel Scroll 3/20/19 You Can Do Such A Lot With A Pixel. You Can Use Every Part Of It Too
DON’T BLAB. Mary Robinette Kowal dispenses some wisdom in “Debut Author Lessons: So you’ve been nominated for an award…” Over the years, I’ve learned a few things and so here’s the stuff that I’ve told new Nebula, Hugo, and
2019 British Academy Games Awards Nominees
The British Academy Games Awards nominees are out, and the front-runners are evident from their appearances across multiple categories: 10 nominations for God of War, the action adventure game and the eighth instalment in the series. Six nominations each for
2019 Darrell Awards
The winners of the Darrell Awards for 2019 were announced at Midsouthcon in Memphis on March 16. The annual Darrell Awards support Midsouth Literacy by recognizing the best published Science Fiction, Fantasy and/or Horror in Short Story, Novella, Novel, Young
Pixel Scroll 3/19/19 The Society For Putting Broken Pixel Scrolls In Ponds
A FAMILY AT WAR. Kameron Hurley backgrounds her new novel The Light Brigade in “The Big Idea” at Whatever. …I have stories like these and so many others to share. I’ve used first-person accounts from soldiers – my friends,
Wandering Through the Public Domain #9
A regular exploration of public domain genre works available through Project Gutenberg, Internet Archive, and Librivox. By Colleen McMahon: I’ve had some upheaval in my personal life in the last month, and I haven’t been keeping up with this column
2019 Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award
Matt McHugh of New Jersey has won the grand prize in the 2019 Jim Baen Memorial Award competition for his short story “Burners.” The Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Contest has been held annually since 2007 and is focused on
The Tolkien Society Awards 2019 Shortlist Announced
The Trustees of The Tolkien Society have released the shortlist for The Tolkien Society Awards 2019. Members have until March 29 to cast their votes. The shortlist for the Awards is as follows: Best Artwork “Winter in Rivendell” by Soni
Norman Hollyn (1952-2019)
I was crushed to read that Norm Hollyn passed away this weekend. He and Lou Stathis were among my first friends in fandom. We connected through fanzines while in college at opposite ends of the country, USC for me, SUNY
Pixel Scroll 3/18/19 I Needed Pixels Coz I Had None, I Filed The Scroll And The Scroll Won
MCINTYRE. CaringBridge readers received a saddening update about Vonda McIntyre’s status: Vonda has been told she has somewhere between two weeks and two months. She’s doing well enough right now that she will probably last longer than the short
Premio Italia 2019 Shortlist
Congratulations to Cixin Liu, Ian McDonald, Lavie Tidhar, Robert Charles Wilson, and Walter Jon Williams who (along with the late Arthur Machen) are nominees in the International sf novel category of the 2019 Premio Italia. The awards will be presented
2019 Lord Ruthven Awards
The winners of the 2019 Lord Ruthven Assembly Awards, presented for the best fiction on vampires and the best academic work on the study of the vampire figure in culture and literature, were announced at this year’s International Conference on
Pixel Scroll 3/17/19 To Say Nothing Of The Cat
DANK DAIRY. Nature gets into the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day in its own idiocyncratic way with publication of this research: “Four millennia of dairy surplus and deposition revealed through compound-specific stable isotope analysis and radiocarbon dating of Irish
Comic Artist Sana Takeda and Playwright Rosaleen McDonagh Coming To Dublin 2019
Hugo award-winning comic book artist Sana Takeda and Irish playwright Rosaleen McDonagh will be featured at Dublin 2019 – An Irish Worldcon. “It is important to us that we share all aspects of Irish culture and brilliance with our members,”
Nominations Wanted for 2019 A. Bertram Chandler Award
The Australian Science Fiction Foundation (ASFF) is seeking nominations for the 2019 A. Bertram Chandler Award . To nominate someone whom you believe has made a significant contribution to Australian science fiction and/ or Australian fandom, write or email to
Pixel Scroll 3/16/19 Hit Me With Your Pixel Stick, One Weird Fandom Click Click Click
FANS LOSE THEIR SHIRT OVER ELLISON DESIGN. A Harlan Ellison Facebook Fan Club member pointed out that a Hawaiian shirt seller on Etsy was offering a colorful fractal collage of Ellison images. The first fan to respond
