Dragons, and Puppies, and Innocent Bystanders, Oh My!
The nominees for the Dragon Awards were released August 3, and some authors who campaigned energetically for it succeeded in their quest to get on the ballot. Color-coded below are the nominations from three of the strongest marketing and promotion … Continue reading →
The New Science Friction
By Steve Davidson: Everybody is getting hung up on SF definitions, usually ending up by arguing over sub-genres. The problem is not with Science Fiction, the problem is to be found in the definitions themselves. They are inaccurate, do not … Continue reading →
How To Draw Superheroes in Six Easy Steps
Have you ever wanted the great power and responsibility of drawing Spider-Man? Do you look at the pages of Black Panther and wish you could draw a Wakandan king? How often have you been tempted to break the fourth wall … Continue reading →
Pixel Scroll 8/5/17 Nine Pinterests In Amber
I KNOW, YOU’RE FROM THE SIXTIES! Somebody may be slipping drugs into the coffee at the Arizona Opera Company. Coming in October is their production of Hercules vs Vampires. Hold on tight for an out of this world event! Hercules … Continue reading →
Live Coverage of 2017 Hugo Ceremony – Stay Tuned
Worldcon 75 Hugo Administrator Nicholas Whyte says: “We do plan to livestream, but won’t be able to share the link until the day of the ceremony.” At the Hugo Awards Web Site, Kevin Standlee has compiled the available information about … Continue reading →
Into the Unknown at the London Barbican
By Mark Hepworth: The events that London’s premier arts venue The Barbican is currently hosting include a production of The Tempest, a viewing of a David Lynch biopic, a display of paintings on the subject of Sufism and music…and an … Continue reading →
Expanded Dragon Stats: Total Reviews and Ratings on LibraryThing, Goodreads, and Amazon
By JJ: Introduction: [Quoted from JJ’s study of the award’s first winners] “The argument, from both the Puppies, and the Dragon Awards organizers (the Venn Diagram of which is unknown), is that the Dragon Awards, unlike the Hugos, truly represent … Continue reading →
2017 Royal Society Insight Investment Science Book Prize Shortlist
The Royal Society revealed the shortlist for the Royal Society Insight Investment Science Book Prize 2017 on August 3. The award, celebrating its 30th anniversary, recognizes the best of science writing for a non-specialist audience. Beyond Infinity: An Expedition to … Continue reading →
Has Goodreads Heard of the Dragon Award Nominees?
Nickpheas had an interesting idea – he charted how many Goodreads users have rated each of the novels nominated for the 2017 Dragon Awards. He posted these as comments and I asked his permission to turn his research into a … Continue reading →
Pixel Scroll 8/4/17 Is This A File Which I See Before Me, The Pixel Toward My Hand?
THE YOUTH ARE BACK. James Davis Nicoll kicks off Phase II of Young People Review Old SFF with a 1909 tale. In the hope of selecting more accessible works, I crowd-sourced my selections and now provide my readers with … Continue reading →
Montreal’s “What the Fur?” Ends Its Run
What the Fur (WTF?), a Montreal furry con, held its final event over the last weekend of July. The reason given was lack of volunteers to pick up the reins. That leaves Otakuthon as the city’s only non-commercial con. A … Continue reading →
2017 Dragon Con Awards Nominees
On August 3 registered voters received to their online ballots for the Dragon Con Awards (as the ballot calls them, versus the Dragon Awards on the website.) Dragon Con’s Twitter feed says fans can still register and vote on the … Continue reading →
Pixel Scroll 8/3/17 Hot Dog Stand On Zanzibar
ANN LECKIE’S NEXT BOOK. At Motherboard you can “Read a Mindbending Excerpt from Ann Leckie’s New Novel ‘Provenance’”. A transaction with a mysterious entity leads to trouble in the award-winning sci-fi author’s upcoming novel. … Now Leckie is returning … Continue reading →
Robert Hardy (1925-2017)
By Steve Green: Robert Hardy (1925-2017): British actor, died August 3, aged 91, best known to fans as Cornelius Fudge in the Harry Potter movies. Genre appearances include The Adventures of Sir Lancelot (one episode, 1957), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1959), Mystery and Imagination (one episode, 1966), Demons … Continue reading →
Hywel Bennett (1944-2017)
By Steve Green: Hywel Bennett (1944-2017): British actor, died July 25, aged 73. Made his screen debut in a 1965 episode of Doctor Who. Other genre appearances include Twisted Nerve (1968), Percy (1971), Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1972), Pennies from … Continue reading →
Bujold’s “Ask Me Anything” Today, 8/3
Lois McMaster Bujold will be doing an Ask Me Anything for Reddit today at 7 p.m. CST Welcome to my r/Fantasy AMA “Ask Me Anything” chat, which is now open to collect questions. I will be back around 7 PM … Continue reading →
Carey – Slaves of the Switchboard of Doom Review
Slaves of the Switchboard of Doom Tor Books, ISBN 9780765383297, June 2017 By Lis Carey: Retropolis is a city of the future as imagined in the first part of the 20th century. Robots walk the streets and work in many … Continue reading →
Pixel Scroll 8/2/17 What Rough Pixel, Its Hour Tick-Boxed At Last, Scrolls Towards Bethlehem To Be Born?
SOUNDS LEGIT. Newsweek’s Hannah Osborn reports “Nasa Is Hiring a Planetary Protection Officer to Save Earth from Aliens”. If you want to protect earth from space aliens and have the qualifications, NASA is hiring, on a three-year contract with … Continue reading →
Dublin in 2019 Presupport Deadlines
Dublin in 2019 Worldcon bid chair James Bacon has announced on their website that midnight BST on August 6 is the deadline to presupport or upgrade support levels using their online facility. Dublin is running unopposed, and site selection voting … Continue reading →
2017 Munsey Award
Philip Stephensen-Payne is the winner of the 2017 Munsey Award, announced at PulpFest 2017 on July 29. The award is presented annually to a person who has worked for the betterment of the pulp community. Philip Stephensen-Payne is a prolific … Continue reading →
Pixel Scroll 8/1/17 The Magic Fileaway Tree
BESIDES CONFEDERATE. Deadline tells about another post-Civil War alternate history in development: “‘Black America’: Amazon Alt-History Drama From Will Packer & Aaron McGruder Envisions Post-Reparations America”. Another alternate history drama series, which has been in the works at Amazon … Continue reading →
The 2017 Down Under Fan Fund Report
Paul Weimer’s 2017 Down Under Fan Fund report, detailing his adventures in New Zealand and Australia, is now available here for a donation to DUFF. Paul Weimer details, with numerous pictures, his adventures in New Zealand and Australia as the … Continue reading →
Top 10 Posts for July 2017
People steamed about the Shadow Clarke jurors who felt A Closed and Common Orbit was unworthy of being shortlisted for the Clarke Award, combined with others annoyed by the low number of European creators represented in NPR’s list of “100 … Continue reading →
Sci-Fi Clippings & Video Roundup 7/31
Curated by Carl Slaughter: (1) Reckless Disagreement says Rogue One ruined Star Wars: (2) In episode 3 of Season 7 of Game of Thrones, Littlefinger delivers to Sansa some classic, poetic advice: Fight every battle, everywhere, always, in your mind. … Continue reading →
Pixel Scroll 7/31/17 I’ll Get You, My Pixel, And Your Little Scroll, Too
FANDOM FEST AFTER ACTION REPORT. Randall and Anne Golden decided they’d go to Louisville’s Fandom Fest despite “Weird Al” Yankovic’s cancelling his appearance. They lowered their expectations and lived to tell the tale in a two-part conreport. “FandomFest 2017 … Continue reading →
Where Are We?
By John Hertz: (reprinted from Vanamonde 1234 – which is, he notes, “the last sequentially numbered issue until the year 2038”) Troubling me about fandom these days is not so much young folks’ failing to heed old folks and old … Continue reading →
Jeanne Moreau Passes Away
By Steve Green: Jeanne Moreau (1928-2017): French actress, screenwriter and director, found dead July 31, aged 89. Genre appearances include The Trial (1962), Hu-Man (1975), Until the End of the World (1991), the Cinderella remake Ever After (1998).… Continue reading →
Sam Shepard Dies
By Steve Green: Sam Shepard (1943-2017): American actor, director and playwright, died on July 27, aged 73. Appeared in the horror movie The Return (2006), was among the contributors to the 1972 film of Oh! Calcutta! and both… Continue reading →
