AMAZING NEWS OF FANDOM: (Double Dose)

NEWS HEADER FOR FILE 770

Pratchett and Gaiman’s Good Omens on Radio 4 at Christmastime

The first-ever dramatization of Sir Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s classic Good Omens is on BBC Radio 4’s Christmas schedule. The six-part story begins airing December 22 and culminates with an hour-long episode on December 27. Once broadcast the installments … Continue reading →

Rotsler Award Display at Loscon

At Loscon 41 over Thanksgiving Weekend in November there was a display in the Art Show of cartoons and illos by Rotsler Award winners. One of the panels was devoted to the award’s history, and the other to work by its … Continue reading →

Alien in the Family Tree

Hallmark likes to market its bizarre Christmas tree ornaments with the phrase “What better way…” Their focus groups must tell them the phrase works magic on customers, triggers them to think, “What better way for me to spend every waking moment, … Continue reading →

Time For The Stars
The Tralfamadorians were pretty inefficient at getting their broken-down spaceship back on the starways because they didn’t have what this astronaut has — The Time Trap. Continue reading →

Jo Walton Headlines Balticon 49
When Balticon 49 kicks off next Memorial Day Weekend (May 22-25, 2015), Hugo-winning novelist Jo Walton will be Guest of Honor, on a slate that includes Artist Guest Ruth Sanderson, Music Guest Erica Neely, and 2014 Compton Crook Award Winner … Continue reading →

Another Saturday Night
Los Angeles was hit Friday by the Pineapple Express — the inundation accompanied by a tiny tornado in one neighborhood. If the remaining clouds scatter by tonight (Saturday), and the usual light pollution doesn’t prevent us from viewing the stars, we’re … Continue reading →

Holiday Traffic Update

Early Science Fiction Clubs: Your Mileage May Vary

Several fanwriters celebrated yesterday, December 11, as the anniversary of the first science fiction club meeting. Was it? Probably not. Eofan Allen Glasser made the claim that his New York club, the Scienceers, was “the first of all science fiction clubs” … Continue reading →

Marc Zicree Sings
Marc Scott Zicree’s latest Mr. Sci-Fi video features the Space Command producer vocalizing Tom Lehrer’s Christmas song behind old Santa-themed covers of Galaxy Magazine. He recorded the performance for Holiday Magic Coast Style, a CD issued by the Coast to … Continue reading →

Martine Beswicke’s Night is Young
By James H. Burns: I was first introduced to actress Martine Beswicke way back in 1968 when I saw One Million Years BC – Ray Harryhausen’s dinosaur-fest (and one of the very first times I had gone to a movie … Continue reading →

Lovecraft Research Fellowship Offered
The John Hay Library at Brown University is taking applications through January 31 for the S.T. Joshi Endowed Research Fellowship, an annual fellowship for research relating to H. P. Lovecraft, his associates, and literary heirs. The Fellowship, which provides a … Continue reading →

Ellison Video Has Health Update & Book Promo
Harlan Ellison talks about his October stroke, its effects, and the progress he’s making with his recovery in this video promoting his new collection Again, Honorable Whoredome at a Penny a Word. Harlan even gives a short reading from one of … Continue reading →

Bids That Draw Help From Around The World
By Crystal Huff: For the past few weeks, New Zealand in 2020 has been soliciting volunteers to go to their website and fill out a form indicating interest in helping staff the convention if they should win. Without a significant amount of … Continue reading →

Arthur C. Clarke’s 5 Most Astonishing Predictions

By Brandon Engel: Even the most casual fan of the science-fiction genre has probably heard of Arthur C. Clarke. His many works of literature remain immensely popular to this day, particularly his novel 2001: A Space Odyssey (which was written … Continue reading →

New Zealand in 2020 Achieves Critical Mass
When the NZ in 2020 Worldcon bid announced it could only continue if 200 NZ and Aussie volunteers committed to work the con if they won, fans around the world held their collective breath. Fortunately, the Kiwis got the response … Continue reading →

Terri Luanna Mountainborne Robinson da Silva (1974-2014)
By David K. M. Klaus: Terri Luanna Mountainborne Robinson da Silva, daughter of Spider and the late Jeanne Robinson, is now in The Undiscovered Country, occurring Friday, December 5, at the age of 40 years, due to Invasive Ductal Carcinoma … Continue reading →

Authorities Continue To Investigate Gas Release at Midwest Furfest
Little more has been revealed about the chlorine gas release that caused a Hyatt hotel to be evacuated in the early hours of Sunday during Midwest Furfest. Toby Murono, chair of 2014 Midwest Furfest, says the convention is withholding comment: “Our staff … Continue reading →

The Death of Captain Z-Ro
Pioneering television actor Roy Steffensen, who starred in the 1950s children’s space opera Captain Z-Ro, died in 2012 but without any particular notice taken in the sf community. Captain Z-Ro first went on the air in 1951 on San Francisco … Continue reading →

Ken Weatherwax (1955-2014)
Ken Weatherwax, “Pugsley” in The Addams Family TV series, died of a heart attack on December 7. He was 59. The Addams Family aired form 1964-1966. Weatherwax also voiced his character in the 1973 Addams Family animated series, which lasted one season. He … Continue reading →

R.I.P. Spider-Man
Vale to Aaron Joseph Purmort, whose obituary in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune made a splash online last week for leavening mourning with humor. Purmort, Aaron Joseph age 35, died peacefully at home on November 25 after complications from a radioactive spider bite … Continue reading →

2014 Ignotus Award Winners
The winners of the 2014 Ignotus Awards were announced December 7 at Hispacon – MIRcon, the Spanish National Fantasy and Science Fiction Convention, in Barcelona. All nominees are listed below — the winner is in RED. NOVEL “Esta noche arderá … Continue reading →

Furry Convention Evacuates After Chlorine Gas Released in Stairwell
Nineteen people were treated at local hospitals and thousands of guests evacuated from the Hyatt Regency O’Hare including furries in costume who were present for the MidWest Furfest. The Associated Press reports the source of the gas was chlorine powder … Continue reading →

2015 Smofcon Goes To Fort Worth
Smofcon 33 will be held in Fort Worth, TX from December 4-6, 2015 at the Sheraton Fort Worth Hotel and Spa. The Texas bid was selected over rival Colorado Springs by a vote of attendees during last night’s Fannish Inquisition … Continue reading →

Almost The Final Frontier
Thirty-five years ago, today, Star Trek: The Motion Picture debuted around the nation. Frequent File 770 contributor James H. Burns recently found this short essay in his notes, written some time ago and offered it to commemorate the occasion. By James … Continue reading →

Three Days In History
Talk about your evergreens! December 6, 1964 Rankin/Bass’ Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer premiered on TV. December 7, 1969 Frosty the Snowman premiered on TV. December 9, 1965 A Charlie Brown Christmas premiered on TV.Continue reading →

Bradbury Auction Leftovers Migrate to eBay
The Nate Sanders auction house has put up on eBay unsold auction items from the Ray Bradbury estate. Offered for $500 is a picture of young Ray standing beside George Burns. Every time I see this photo I wonder “Why … Continue reading →

Snapshots 145
Here are a lucky 13 developments of interest to fans. (1) After the Jurassic World trailer went online paleontologists shed Sarcosuchus-sized tears to see that the movie is ignoring everything they’ve learned in the past 20 years about the way … Continue reading →

Verse and Verse
By John Hertz: Among the wonders of Loscon XLI (28-30 Nov 14) I saw a table in Ask Us Alley for next year’s Fandom Verse Expo, Lancaster. At that hour – 1 a.m. if I recall correctly – no one … Continue reading →

Peter Pan, for Better or Verse
James H. Burns provides a rhyming review of last night’s live telecast of Peter Pan. I once had dreamz of neverland, Weaned on Martin and Disneyland. I thrilled to Rigby’s ampersand, The best of all the Peter Pans. But this … Continue reading →

Attending Worldcon in a Robot Body: Brad Templeton Tells All
Brad Templeton and Kathryn Myronuk attended Loncon 3 using a mobile telepresence bot called a “Beam.” Physically, they were in Idaho the whole weekend. (Francis Hamit photographed them for his Loncon 3 report.) Brad has just written a detailed account of the … Continue reading →

Hamner Health Update
Twilight Zone and Waltons writer Earl Hamner announced on his personal Facebook page that he has been out of action due to a fall — Dear Friends and Family, If you are wondering where I have been, I had a fall … Continue reading →

2015 Clarion Writers’ Workshop
Applications are now being accepted for the famous Clarion Writers’ Workshop which has been training and encouraging aspiring science fiction writers since 1968. Writers in residence for the 2015 workshop will be Christopher Barzak, Saladin Ahmed, James Patrick Kelly, Karen Joy … Continue reading →

Journey Planet, That’s Who!
Journey Planet #19 is a 100-page homage to Doctor Who. Guest editors are Colin Harris and Alissa McKersie.The cover is by 2000 AD writer Michael Carroll who also provides an article. Other contributors include Al Reynolds, Mark Oshiro, Eoin Colfer, Linda Wenzleburger, … Continue reading →

NYRSF Readings Returns to Brooklyn for Annual “Family Night” Featuring Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman
By Mark L. Blackman: On the evening of Tuesday, December 2 the New York Review of Science Fiction Readings Series celebrated the December Holidays Season by continuing its tradition (its seventh commemoration) of “Family Night” with one of its favorite … Continue reading →

Apex Magazine #67 Released
Apex Magazine issue #67 contains stories by John Zaharick, Marie Vibbert, Brooke Juliet Wonders, and Rebecca Kaplan. Poetry is by Joshua Gage, Melanie Rees, and Elizabeth R. McClellan. There’s nonfiction by Andrea Judy and interviews with Marie Vibbert and cover artist Nello … Continue reading →

When Did Daleks Become Good Guys?
By Francis Hamit: Knightscope makes a 300-lb. security robot with artificial intelligence. It learns on the job and is autonomous. This is an advance in the state-of-the-art for security systems, but would be less disturbing if they did not look … Continue reading →

Colbert Takes on Light Saber Controversy
The teaser trailer for the next Star Wars movie dropped last week and among the myriad nitpicks were complaints about safety hazards in the new light saber design which has an extra pair of lightbeams coming out of the hilt. Steven Colbert explains very … Continue reading →

Feghoot Contest in the Washington Post
Surprisingly, someone at the Washington Post knows what a “feghoot” is – A little story that ends in an elaborate pun: It’s sometimes called a feghoot, named for a series of sci-fi tales by the pseudonymous Grendel Briarton, “Through Time … Continue reading →

WisCon Is Recruiting
“Come Build WisCon With Us”, posted December 1, invites fans to step up and fill the con committee’s vacancies. They are seeking an organizer for the writer’s workshop, a lead in at-con registration, and people to handle the after-con party, … Continue reading →

UCR Seeks Eaton Collection Librarian
Applications to be the Jay Kay and Doris Klein Science Fiction Librarian in University Library at UC Riverside are now being taken. Primary Responsibilities: The Jay Kay and Doris Klein Librarian for Science Fiction is responsible for all aspects of … Continue reading →

Skeletor Wishes You Happy Honda Days
By James H. Burns: I’m just a little too old for the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon series to have been part of my youth! But it’s intriguing to note that in the last era before video … Continue reading →

Why Bradbury Didn’t Write More Twilight Zone Episodes
Marc Scott Zicree, author of The Twilight Zone Companion, draws on that expertise for the newest “Mr. Sci-Fi” video, in which he repeats the things Ray Bradbury told him about helping Twilight Zone in the beginning and why, despite his and Rod Serling’s … Continue reading →

2014 Goodreads Choice Awards
The Goodreads Choice Awards for The Best Books 2014 have been announced. Here are the results of interest to sf, fantasy and horror fans. (Click through to see the books that finished in the top 20.) Best Fantasy of 2014 … Continue reading →

Sue Mason Wins 2014 Rotsler Award
Sue Mason from the United Kingdom has won the 2014 Rotsler Award, given for long-time artistic achievement in amateur publications of the science fiction community. Established in 1998, the award carries an honorarium of US$300. Mason is a widely-published pen-and-ink … Continue reading →

Context Board Reported Dissolved
Steven Saus announced in his December 1 post “A Short (but significant) Update About Context” — I learned late last night that the board met and dissolved itself. The convention is starting over, with Continue reading →

Top 10 Posts For November 2014
A beautiful new fandom may someday emerge like a butterfly, but right now the cocoon is filled with a lot of mess and spilled guts. Turnover in the WisCon and Context committees were top stories. As was the revelation that … Continue reading →

Today In History 11/30
November 30, 1964 – Shooting began on The Cage , the original Star Trek pilot. Jeffrey Hunter starred as Christopher Pike, captain of the USS Enterprise. He left the project after NBC rejected “The Cage.” By the time another pilot … Continue reading →

Welcome To The Library
The Librarians airs December 7 on TNT. The trailer is very clever – may the new series live up to it!  Continue reading →

Four Things That Belong Under A Trufan’s Tree
It’s not too late to spend gobs of money on that special fannish someone. Today on eBay you can get a 3-piece set of items postmarked at the 1978 Worldcon bearing the Viking mission to Mars stamp for a mere … Continue reading →

Steven Saus Comments on Resignation
While writing about the resignations of Steven Saus and Lucy Snyder from the Context committee yesterday I contacted Saus with questions I had about his decision. He provided these additional insights. File 770: I read your resignation post, and half a … Continue reading →

The George Lucas Edition Episode VII Trailer
It didn’t take long for a snarky fan to ask: What would the new Episode VII trailer look like if George Lucas tinkered with it the way he did the original Star Wars trilogy? Continue reading →

Edward Summer (1946-2014)
Edward Summer, who passed away November 13, may not have thought of himself as a fan but he had many friends in the SF and comics world and attended the occasional convention. He was best-known for starting the first Continue reading →

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Added archive issues from Kurt Erichsen: Endeavor #8 through #13
Added Taral Wayne’s Broken Toys #33
Added Wolf von Witting’s CounterClock #20
Added Opuntia #292 & archive issue 60.5, edited by Dale Speirs
Added Tom Sadler’s The Reluctant Famulus #101
Added page for Kent Pollard’s Coronal Mass Ejection
Added Journey Planet #19 edited by James Bacon and Chris Garcia with Colin Harris and Alissa McKersie for this issue
Added John Purcell’s Askance #32
Added Jean Martin’s Science Fiction/San Francisco #159
Added Fadeaway #44 edited by Robert Jennings
Added NFFF’s The National Fantasy Fan #73-3, edited by David Starkman
Added Opuntia #291 & archive issue 68.5A, edited by Dale Speirs
Added Rob Jackson’s Inca #11
Added BCSFAzine #498, edited by Felicity Walker

canadian fanzinesNo recent updates

 

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