Dragon Con Launches Its Own SF Awards
Dragon Con, the pop culture convention held annually over Labor Day weekend in Atlanta, has opened nominations for the newly-created Dragon Awards. The official press release sets the vision for the award: Dragon Award winners will be selected by all fans … Continue reading →
Benford Reviews Bandersnatch
Bandersnatch: C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and the Creative Collaboration of the Inklings by Diana Pavlac Glyer, illustrations by James A. Owen (Kent State University Press, 2016) By Gregory Benford: I recommend this excellent study, from which I learned much: about … Continue reading →
At NYRSF Readings, A Clockwork Melange
By Mark L. Blackman: On the still-wintry-cold evening of Tuesday, April 5 the New York Review of Science Fiction Readings Series, heading into the “home stretch” of its 25th Anniversary Season, hosted a launch party for the anthology Clockwork Phoenix … Continue reading →
Pixel Scroll 4/9/16 Little Old Lady Got Nominated Late Last Night
(1) HERE’S THE PLOT. Ursula Vernon cultivates history in her garden. Read “Sowing History: A Gardener’s Tale” at Tor.com. When people think of gardeners, many of them tend to picture little old ladies in straw hats with bright green gloves, pottering … Continue reading →
Alien Artifacts ToC Released
Joshua Palmatier has announced the Table of Contents for his Alien Artifacts anthology. The Kickstarter-funded book is coming out in August and can be preordered from the Zombies Need Brains Online Store. What might we run into as we expand beyond … Continue reading →
Mowatt Marathons To Save The Rhino on April 24
A fan who runs? That’s Jim Mowatt. And that makes him almost as rare as the rhinos he wants to save. Jim looks very buff after a series of training races pointing toward the London Marathon on April 24. Mowatt will … Continue reading →
Meg Rosoff Wins Lindgren Award
Meg Rosoff, known for novels like How I Live Now and Just In Case, is the 2016 winner of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, the world’s largest cash prize for children’s literature. The 5 million Swedish krona award honors the … Continue reading →
Pixel Scroll 4/8/16 “…And He Built A Crooked Mouse.”
(1) GALAXY QUEST BURIED TOO? Australia’s News.com says two Galaxy Quest stars are making contradictory statements about the sequel’s future. Sam Rockwell (“Guy Fleegman”) told The Nerdist podcast that it’s dead, Jim — IT APPEARS the untimely death of much-loved … Continue reading →
Rare SF/F Items Sold at Heritage Auction Event
The results are in from the April 6 Rare Books Signature Auction held in New York by Heritage Auction. Hogging (Hogwarting?) the headlines was the chair used by J.K. Rowling while writing Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Harry … Continue reading →
Pixel Scroll 4/7/16 Pixels On Earth, Fifth To All Mankind
(1) CALL ME KATSU. The Awl author Silvia Killingsworth declares “You Can’t Make Me Call It A Robopus”. “The researchers built another octopus-inspired bot called ‘Poseidrone’ that tackled the more difficult challenge of swimming. A few different tactics were employed … Continue reading →
Rogue One Teaser Trailer
Here’s your first look at Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, due in theaters in December. … Continue reading →
Pixel Scroll 4/6/2016 I Saw A Scroll Drinking A Pina Colada At Trader Vic’s, His Pixel Was Perfect
(1) APPRECIATION. At Fantasy Café, Stephanie Burgis thanks the women who blazed the trail into the fantasy genre. I wanted to write a very important thank you note to the women who first showed me the way into this field… … Continue reading →
The Awards Missing From Rowling’s Resume
One of the leading fantasy writers of her generation, the extremely popular creator of Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, has won — a Hugo (2001, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), a Locus Award (2000, Harry Potter and the Prisoner … Continue reading →
Tim Waggoner Named HWA Mentor of the Year
The Horror Writers Association has announced Tim Waggoner is the winner of its 2016 Mentor of the Year Award. HWA’s Mentor Program is offered to all members, especially new and aspiring writers. Applicants are matched up with experienced and knowledgeable writers who know what … Continue reading →
Apex Magazine #83 Released
Apex Magazine issue 83 offers two pieces of original short fiction: “The Laura Ingalls Experience” by Andrew Gray and “The Teratologist’s Brother” by Brandon H. Bell. The poetry selections are by John Yu Branscum, Michael VanCalbergh, Jeremy Paden, and Craig … Continue reading →
Pixel Scroll 4/5/16 If You Pixel Us, Do We Not Recommend? If You Scroll Us, Do We Not Read?
(1) NO MCKELLEN AUTOBIO AFTER ALL. In The Hollywood Reporter, “Ian McKellen Explains Why he Returned $1.4M Memoir Advance”. “It was a bit painful — I didn’t want to go back into my life and imagine things that I hadn’t … Continue reading →
MidAmeriCon II Addresses Chaotic Hugo E-mail Issue
MidAmeriCon II has released a “Hugo Nomination Update & Apology” message on Twitter and Facebook acknowledging the problems with voting update emails generated by its automated system. Hugo Nomination Update & Apology ????????? pic.twitter.com/ofOFLPNRzH — MidAmeriCon II (@MidAmeriCon2) April 5, 2016 … Continue reading →
James Herbert Award On Hiatus
There will be no James Herbert Award for Horror Writing given in 2016. Launched last year, the annual prize for horror novels written in English and published in the U.K. celebrates the life and career of author James Herbert, who died in March … Continue reading →
Import Clare McDonald-Sims!
By Andrew Porter: Since 1972 the Down Under Fan Fund, a fan-supported fellowship, has encouraged closer ties between Australasian and North American Science Fiction fans through the alternating exchange of representatives. DUFF delegates will time their travels to allow them … Continue reading →
Justin Leiber (1938-2016)
Sf/f author Justin F. Leiber, retired philosophy professor, and son of Fritz Leiber, died of cancer March 22 in Tallahassee, Florida. He was 77. The family obituary is here. He wrote the sf trilogy Beyond Rejection (1980), Beyond Humanity (1987), and … Continue reading →
Pixel Scroll 4/4/16 Do Not Scroll Gentle Into That Vile Hive
(1) HEAD OF THE CLASS. From Variety: “’Doctor Who’ Spinoff ‘Class’ Taps Katherine Kelly to Lead Ensemble Cast”. “Happy Valley” alum Katherine Kelly has been tapped to lead an ensemble of newcomers in the “Doctor Who” spinoff “Class.” Kelly will … Continue reading →
2016 LA Vintage Paperback Show
The 37th Los Angeles Vintage Paperback Show took place April 3 at the Glendale Civic Auditorium. I finally made it! It’s a great event. I really enjoyed it. Book dealers fill the exhibit hall, and at a row of tables … Continue reading →
GoFundMe Launched To Help Ro Nagey
Science author, long-time fan, and creator of Confusion, Ro Nagey, will soon be reliant on a wheelchair to get around and has started a GoFundMe appeal for help to move into an assisted-living facility and attend one last Worldcon. I am almost … Continue reading →
2016 Prometheus Award Finalists
The Libertarian Futurist Society has announced the Best Novel finalists for the 36th annual Prometheus Awards. Golden Son, by Pierce Brown (Del Rey) Apex, by Ramez Naam (Angry Robot) Seveneves, by Neal Stephenson (William Morrow) The Just City, by Jo … Continue reading →
Pixel Scroll 4/3/16 The Transatlantic Taste Gap – Hurrah!
(1) GUILLERMO DEL TORO. The Pacific Rim director admires this fan art: This piece of art by Quivery encapsulates EXACTLY the reason why I did the film. pic.twitter.com/WizRnzgzox — Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) March 30, 2016 (2) SHEIKH DJIBOUTI. I … Continue reading →
