Maggin, Hughes Are 2016 Bill Finger Award Winners
Elliot S! Maggin and the late Richard E. Hughes have been selected to receive the 2016 Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comic Book Writing. The award is given under the auspices of San Diego Comic-Con International. Each year the … Continue reading →
Lawrence Schoen on Linguistics, Hypnosis and Cuisine — With a Side of Buffalitos
Lawrence Schoen has been nominated for a Hugo for best short story, 3 Nebulas for best novella, and a Nebula for best novel, as well as a Campbell for best new writer. He is the editor-publisher of the Paper Golem … Continue reading →
Evolving Convention Art Shows
[Editor’s Note: I’m basically somebody who walks through art shows, and doesn’t know much about how they’re run or why cons might change sales policies, so RedWombat’s comment about art shows was very useful to me. I asked to reprint it as … Continue reading →
Pixel Scroll 6/11/16 The Incredibly Strange Scrolls That Stopped Living And Became Crazy Mixed-Up Pixels
(1) NEW HWA ENDOWMENT PROMOTES YA WRITERS. The Horror Writers Association (HWA) has launched a “Young Adults ‘Write Now’ Endowment Program” to fund teen-oriented writing programs at libraries. The Young Adults Write Now fund will provide up to five endowments … Continue reading →
2016 Russ Manning Award Shortlist
The nominees for the 2016 Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award have been announced by Comic-Con International. Daniel Bayliss, artist of Kennel Block Blues and Translucid (BOOM! Studios) Leila del Duca, artist of Shutter (Image) Dan Mora, artist of Klaus and … Continue reading →
Pixel Scroll 6/10/16 Sevenfives
(1) TURING POPCORN TEST. “Movie written by algorithm turns out to be hilarious and intense” promises Ars Technica, where it’s free to view. Knowing that an AI wrote Sunspring makes the movie more fun to watch, especially once you know … Continue reading →
The Lemonade Award
Nalo Hopkinson announced at WisCon 40 she is creating the Lemonade Award for kindness and positive change in science fiction. Strange Horizons has more about her plans: There are many people who do good in this field, who perform small and … Continue reading →
Mystery & Imagination To Close
Since Ray Bradbury’s 88th birthday party was held there in 2008, Mystery and Imagination & Bookfellows in Glendale has been the source of countless File 770 stories about its author signings and celebrations. Unfortunately, owners Christine and Malcolm Bell, who … Continue reading →
2016 Kurd Laßwitz Preis Winners
The winners of the 2016 Kurd-Laßwitz-Preis, the best-known sf award in Germany, have been announced. The award, named after early sf author Kurd Laßwitz (1848–1910), has been given since 1981 to exceptional German sf works and translations. For more information … Continue reading →
Pixel Scroll 6/9/16 I See All Good Pixels Scroll Their Heads Each Day So Satisfied I’m On My Way
(1) WHAT’S A FEW MILLION BETWEEN GEEKS? Wizard World will be scaling back conventions after posting a $4.25M loss in 2015. The comic convention franchise Wizard World is scaling back the number of conventions after filing a $4.25 million loss in … Continue reading →
2016 Sunburst Longlist
The Sunburst Award jury has selected its longlist for the 2016 awards. The Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic celebrates the best in Canadian fantastic literature published during the previous calendar year. The winners receive a … Continue reading →
2016 Prism Awards Finalists
The Fantasy, Futuristic, and Paranormal chapter of Romance Writers of America released the finalists for the 2016 PRISM Contest for Published Authors on May 25. The Prism Contest is a pay-for-play award that costs a fee to enter. The winners will … Continue reading →
Ghostbusters 2016 Character Vignettes
Sony released four new Ghostbusters character vignettes yesterday, and I’ve included the fifth (from April) to complete the set. GHOSTBUSTERS Character Vignette – Abby (Melissa McCarthy) If you want someone who’ll believe you, call Abby Yates. If you want someone … Continue reading →
Pixel Scroll 6/8/16 A Wrinkle in Tingle
(1) GEEK SERVICE. LA Times covers “Loot Crate”, a service that sends buyers a monthly package of mystery merchandise. In a single town, there might not be enough sci-fi and comics fans to sustain a shop. But across the world, they’ve got … Continue reading →
Apex Magazine #85 Released
Apex Magazine Issue 85 is filled with unsettling fiction and an excerpt from Apex Publications’ next release The Kraken Sea. The original fiction is by Mary Pletsch (“Folk Hero”) and Douglas F. Warrick (“Cuckoo Girls”). There is a reprint from … Continue reading →
Independence Day: Resurgence “Dog Fight” Clip… Continue reading →
2016 DUFF Race Voting
The Down Under Fan Fund election results have been posted by Lucy Huntzinger. Clare McDonald-Sims ran unopposed. A complete breakdown of votes by region, and second/third place votes, is on the Unofficial DUFF Facebook page. Just over AUD$400 was raised in … Continue reading →
Pixel Scroll 6/7/16 Pixel Sally, Guess You Better Scroll That Pixel Down
(1) THE WAY TO LIVE IN FANDOM. In “A few post-Wiscon thoughts on being an ally” Sigrid Ellis covers several topics, and this segment speaks to fans far beyond the environs of WisCon. Here’s the thing: if the fates are kind, all … Continue reading →
Rivera Wins Working Writers Grant
Los Angeles writer Lilliam Rivera is the recipient of the 2016 Working Class Writers Grant from the Speculative Literature Foundation for her short story “Between Staying and Going,” which will be published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction … Continue reading →
British Fantasy Awards 2016 Nominees
The shortlist for the British Fantasy Awards 2016 has been released. Four nominees in each category were decided by the votes of BFS members, attendees of FantasyCon 2015, and attendees of FantasyCon 2016. Up to two further nominees in each … Continue reading →
Chesley Awards 2016 Nominees
The Association of Science Fiction & Fantasy Artists (ASFA) has announced the Chesley Awards 2016 nominees. Voting runs through June 26. ASFA members in good standing are eligible to vote. The awards will be given out at MidAmeriCon II in Kansas City. … Continue reading →
Pixel Scroll 6/6/16 You Don’t Send Me Pixels Anymore
(1) MIDWIVES OF THE CURSED CHILD. In “Why J.K. Rowling Endorsed ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ for the Stage” the New York Times presents edited excerpts from a conversation between Colin Callender and Sonia Friedman, producers; Jack Thorne, the … Continue reading →
Remembering Jim Burns
By Steve Vertlieb: My win for the 2016 Rondo Hall Of Fame Award the other night was, is, and always will be tempered by the heartbreaking news and realization that my beloved friend and brother, Jim Burns, has tragically passed … Continue reading →
Pixel Scroll 6/5/16 Scroll Sung Blue, Everybody Knows One
(1) D&D. Josh Kramer at the Washington Post created “An illustrated guide to why grown-ups are playing Dungeons & Dragons again”. With a jolt of popularity from its latest edition and a larger pop cultural footprint, Dungeons & Dragons might … Continue reading →
2016 World Fantasy Awards Nominations Accepted Until June 15
The nominating ballot for the 2016 World Fantasy Awards has been posted. Voters have been given an incredibly short turnaround time: the deadline is June 15. Eligible to nominate are those who were members of of the World Fantasy Con in … Continue reading →
What I Tell You Three Times
By John Hertz: Today being the fourth anniversary of Ray Bradbury’s death, I recall three of my contributions about him. Lest We Forget [File770.com 17 Jun 12] Tributes to Ray Bradbury continue. The ones I’ve seen have been wonderful and … Continue reading →
2016 SFPA Poetry Contest Opens
The Science Fiction Poetry Association’s annual Poetry Contest is taking entries from members and nonmembers through August 31. Unpublished poems only. Prizes will be awarded for the best poem in 3 categories: Dwarf (poems 1–10 lines [prose poems 0–100 words]); Short … Continue reading →
New Penric Story Is On The Way
Lois McMaster Bujold announced on Goodreads she has turned in a new Penric & Desdemona novella titled “Penric and the Shaman”. Some of my stories grow their titles organically somewhere along the way; others have to be wrestled out of them at … Continue reading →
Here in the Future with Ray Bradbury
(1) BRADBURY IN FUNDRAISER BOOK. William Wu Books is publishing Scales & Tales: Finding Forever Homes, an anthology edited by John Palisano, in time for Comic-Con. The proceeds will help animal adoption programs. This will be available at the San Diego Comic … Continue reading →
Pixel Scroll 6/4/16 Later on We’ll Scrollspire, as We Dream by the Fire
(1) SUPERHERO CONSUMER REPORT. The Verge warns “Thanos’ almighty Infinity Gauntlet defeated by above-average oven heat”. The most powerful weapon in the universe has a weakness: it cannot withstand the necessary heat to remove a cast iron pizza pan once … Continue reading →
James H. Burns Has Died
A day of mourning. Frequent File 770 contributor James H. Burns has died, found by his landlord on June 2. A month ago Jim was hospitalized for blood clots in his legs and put on blood thinners. After he was … Continue reading →
“Ed Wood’s Captain America Civil War”
This fake trailer is hilarious by any measure, and after spending countless LASFS meetings watching Charlie Jackson II screening Republic serials I really appreciate the parodists’ artful scene choices, editing, and instinct for silliness. (Also, “Timely Studios” — YES!) [Thanks to … Continue reading →
Pixel Scroll 6/3/16 Second Pixelscroll To The Right
(1) LATEST MOWATT RHINO RUN CUT SHORT BY INJURY. Jim Mowatt tried to follow his London Marathon triumph by running the Edinburgh Marathon but midway through his knee gave out. At around 15 miles Steve asked me for his Lucozade bottle. … Continue reading →
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