Centuries of Fannish Friendship
There’s nearly 270 years of fandom history in this photo, with Bill Morse, James H. Burns, Dave Miley and Marcus Boas Continue reading →
Today In History 3/8
March 8, 1976: Composer Jerry Goldsmith began recording his score for Logan’s Run. (Coincidentally, it’s also the day in 1961 he started recording the music for the pilot episode of TV’s Doctor Kildare, but that ain’t sf…) Continue reading →
Road Block
By James H. Burns: Somehow, if I was “Andromeda Strained,” I never expected it to be happening almost entirely out of view, or, with nary a word…. Last night, around 6:30 p.m., I saw the siren lights bouncing off the … Continue reading →
Too Soon To Laugh? Harrison Ford Has Surgery
Harrison Ford, legend. https://t.co/Mn7LA2S4Rn — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) March 6, 2015 Harrison Ford underwent surgery to treat a broken pelvis and ankle sustained in yesterday’s crash of a vintage WWII training plane at an LA-area golf course. However, the prediction … Continue reading →
Ask Woz How Late the Late Late Show Is
All news blogs are reminding you to reset your clocks to Daylight Saving Time tonight. Regard this as File 770’s vaguely-related contribution along that line. Steve Wozniak wore his Nixie Watch the other night when he appeared on The Late Late … Continue reading →
1 by Mike Glyer / 17h
New Yorker Profiles Chinese SF Writer Liu Cixin
The fiction of Nebula nominee Liu Cixin is explored by Joshua Rothman in a New Yorker article, “China’s Arthur C. Clarke”. Last week, a team of astronomers at Peking University announced the discovery of a gigantic black hole with a mass … Continue reading →
Loscon Was Nearly the Answer
By John Hertz: (reprinted from Vanamonde 1125) Loscon XLI (Los Angeles local con; November 28-20, 2014); Writer Guest of Honor was J. Michael Straczynski, Graphic Artist Richard Hescox, Fans Colleen & Shawn Crosby; attendance 1,040. Bobbi Armbruster and Bruce Farr … Continue reading →
2015 Hugo Nominating Deadline Imminent
The deadline to nominate for the 2015 Hugo Awards is mere days away. Votes must be cast by March 10 at 11:59 p.m. PDT. Eligible to nominate are those who on January 31 were — Attending or supporting members of … Continue reading →
Reminder To Vote For 2015 FAAn Awards By 3/14
The voting deadline for the Fan Activity Achievement Awards (FAAns) is Saturday, March 14. The winners will be announced at the end of this month during Tynecon III: The Corflu, to be held March 27-29 in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. … Continue reading →
Jim Butcher Helping Dysprosium Pack Them In
Dysprosium, the 2015 British National Science Fiction Convention, to be held April 3-6 at Heathrow, reports they are close to selling out their maximum number of memberships but are releasing a limited number of dailies. With Jim Butcher of Dresden … Continue reading →
Harve Bennett (1930-2015)
Harve Bennett, who produced four Star Trek movies and numerous science fiction TV series, died March 5 at the age of 84. The Chicago native broke into show business as a young boy on the radio program Quiz Kids. He … Continue reading →
Harrison Ford Injured in Plane Crash
Harrison Ford is in fair to moderate condition after a vintage World War II training plane he was piloting crash landed on a Mar Vista, California golf course. NBC News reports he was conscious and breathing when rescue crews reached … Continue reading →
Dave Rike (1935-2014)
Dave Rike, who did his share to create the “wealth of fable” which inspired the title of Warner’s history of 1950s fandom, has passed away. A note from his son, Darius, in the latest newsletter of First Fandom reports Rike died … Continue reading →
Sci-Fest Adds Gaiman Adaptation
Neil Gaiman’s The Case of Four and Twenty Blackbirds, adapted by Michael Bernard, will be performed in May at Sci-Fest LA, the Los Angeles science fiction one-act play festival. So will an adaptation of Clive Barker’s short story The Departed. … Continue reading →
Three Laws of Hotel Robotics
Japan will open the world’s first robot-run hotel in July. I was thinking they will need their own Three Laws of Hotel Robotics: A robot must not, through inaction, lose the tip…. A robot must bring the orders requested by … Continue reading →
Clarke Enters Best of Year Field
Neil Clarke will edit the first two volumes of The Best Science Fiction of the Year for Night Shade Books. The initial volume will appear in 2016 and contain science fiction stories originally published in English in 2015. Authors who … Continue reading →
Gerrold’s Trek and Who Mash-up Available as Comic
When David Gerrold mentioned online he had a comic script with no home, Amazing Stories’ Steve Davidson began his quest to publish that gem. Now the long-awaited mash-up of Star Trek® and Doctor Who® plus tribbles and Daleks is available for … Continue reading →
2015 Saturn Award Nominations
The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films has announced the 2015 nominees for the Saturn Awards. (The full list follows the jump.) Captain America: The Winter Soldier received 11 nominations, edging the epic space adventure, Interstellar, which got 10 … Continue reading →
Picacio Asks Help For A Doctor Who Fan
Artist John Picacio is calling on Doctor Who fans to answer a club organizer’s appeal for medical funds: Doctor Who fans: My friend Crystal D. Shedrock has cancer. She is one of the hardest-working Whovians that I know — a … Continue reading →
2015 Lambda Literary Awards Shortlist
Finalists for the Lambda Literary Awards were announced March 4. Now in their 27th year, the awards celebrate achievement in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) writing for books published in 2014. Winners will be announced June 1. The category … Continue reading →
How does Ultron plan to rout the superheroes opposing him? More clues in the new trailer for Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, coming to theaters May 1.
The Power of Positive Rudeness
What’s missing from Nancy Fulda’s “Moderating Panels: How To Be Rude in the Nicest Possible Way”? Oddly enough, it’s the word rude. Fulda offers 10 tips for keeping a handle on panels at conventions, yet she
Hollywood Revives Moon Is A Harsh Mistress Film Project
Twentieth Century Fox recently acquired the movie rights to Heinlein’s The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress and Bryan Singer has signed on. The adaptation will be titled Uprising and Arrow executive producer Marc Guggenheim will write the script. It has not … Continue reading →
Independence Day 2 Adds Stars
Independence Day 2 director Roland Emmerich announced March 3 that Liam Hemsworth and Jeff Goldblum will appear in the upcoming sequel, scheduled for release on June 24, 2016. Excited to Officially announce @LiamHemsworth and #JeffGoldblum as the next two pieces … Continue reading →
Sharknado 3 Stunt Casting
A full complement of celebrity hors d’oeuvres will be served up when Syfy airs Sharknado 3 in July. This time the storm sets down in Washington D.C. Plutocrat Marc Cuban of Shark Tank will appear as the President of the … Continue reading →
Stu Hellinger Protests Daily News’ “Captain Jerk” Headline
By James H. Burns: Our old friend, long time science fiction fan, Stuart Hellinger, has the headline piece in my old stomping grounds, The Daily News‘ “Voice of the People” editorial page, with this nice commentary on the alleged William … Continue reading →
#WeaselPecker Genre Highlights
Yesterday’s viral photo of a weasel riding a woodpecker has spawned today’s #WeaselPecker meme of everyone and everything else riding a woodpecker, including pro wrestler The Rock, John Travolta (in his white Saturday Night Fever duds), Miley Cyrus, Gandalf the Grey, … Continue reading →
Apex Magazine #70 Released
Apex Magazine #70 features original fiction by Shannon Peavey, Rati Mehrotra, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, and Thoraiya Dyer. Poetry editor Bianca Spriggs has selected four poems for the issue, by Steven Wittenberg Gordon, Jennifer Ironside, Jarod K. Anderson and Bath Cato. … Continue reading →
Snapshots 149 A New Song
Here are 19 developments of interest to fans. (1) Quite a few years ago, Lloyd Penney was the first person to show me how easy it is to turn the fellow on Canada’s $5 bill into a likeness of Spock. Awesome. #LLAP … Continue reading →
Langford Issues Critical Assembly Reviews as Ebook
One hundred and one sf review columns written by Dave Langford for White Dwarf and other games magazines between 1983 and 1992 are gathered in The Complete Critical Assembly. Issued as an eBook for the first time, the volume contains … Continue reading →
Spectrum 22 Awards Finalists
The Spectrum 22: The Best In Contemporary Fantastic Art Award Finalists have been announced. All that gorgeous work is available for viewing at the website. Five finalists for a Silver or a Gold award in each of the eight categories were selected by … Continue reading →
2015 Rondo Hatton Award Voting Opens
Online voting has begun for the 13th Annual Rondo Awards — click the link to see the nominees for the best in the horror genre from 2014. I always enjoy browsing the Rondo website to see what’s been nominated in the … Continue reading →
Larry Niven Named SFWA Grand Master
SFWA has honored Larry Niven with the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award “for his invaluable contributions to the field of science fiction and fantasy.” “I’ve always wanted one of these,” responded Niven. “It does definitely mean I’ve gotten old. I’ve been … Continue reading →
Dwight Wins 2015 Service to SFWA Award
Jeffry Dwight is the winner of the 2015 Kevin O’Donnell Jr. Service to SFWA Award for his support and oversight of SFWA’s presence on the web. SFWA President Steven Gould said, “SFWA’s early days on the web started on GEnie but, … Continue reading →
Helsinki in 2017 Crafts
The Helsinki in 2017 is promoting itself with a wide variety of crafts using the bid logo, the items given as prizes when people support and friend the bid. Crystal Huff says, “There are a lot of people who can’t afford to … Continue reading →
Who Will Judge Kramer’s Lawsuit?
All ten Gwinnett County (Ga.) superior court judges have recused themselves from handling Ed Kramer’s lawsuit challenging his December 2013 guilty plea on child molestation charges. A judge from outside the county will be appointed to the case. The last … Continue reading →
Orson Scott Card GoH at ORU Conference on SF
Orson Scott Card will be guest of honor at the Oral Roberts University Conference on Science and Science Fiction: Science, Faith, and the Imagination on April 17-18 This two-day interdisciplinary conference – sponsored by the colleges of Arts and Cultural … Continue reading →
How To Win A Fan Fund
Kylie Ding, 2012 Get-Up-and-over-Fan-Fund (GUFF) delegate, has written “The Winners’ Guide to Winning a Fan Fund” (a Facebook link) for fans interested in being voted one of the subsidized travel funds like TAFF, DUFF, GUFF, CUFF, etc. The first of … Continue reading →
Night Terrors III Signing at Mystery & Imagination on 3/7
Night Terrors III contributors Taylor Grant, Eric J. Guignard, Kevin David Anderson, Dennis Etchison, Tracy L. Carbon and John Palisano will sign on March 7 at Mystery & Imagination Bookshop in Glendale. Kelly Dunn will also be on hand to … Continue reading →
The Bridge and the Fire
By John Hertz: I’m told that in Islam there’s an image of the Bridge (as-Siraat) to Heaven. On one side is credulity, undue willingness to believe. On the other is skepticism, undue willingness to doubt. The Bridge is a razor’s edge, and below … Continue reading →
Top 10 Posts for February 2015
In February readers returned day after day to follow developments in science fiction’s culture war. And what did I do in the war? Announced Brad Torgersen’s release of the Sad Puppies 3 Hugo recommendations. Reported that the author of a … Continue reading →
Nimoy Tribute on Syfy Sunday Morning
Syfy has announced it will honor the passing of Leonard Nimoy with a special five-hour block of programming on Sunday morning, March 1 beginning 9 a.m./8c. 9:00 a.m. The Twilight Zone S3.E15 “Quality of Mercy” – A lieutenant (Dean Stockwell) preparing … Continue reading →
Added issue 2.0.12 of Graham Charnock’s Vibrator
Added archive issues 27.1, 263, 271 of Opuntia, edited by Dale Speirs
Added issue 52 of SideTrekked the clubzine of Science Fiction London (Ontario)
Added Aharon Sheer & Leybl Botwinik’s CyberCozen – March 2015
No new updates this week.
