Katherine MacLean (1925-2019)
Katherine MacLean died September 1 her son, Carl Mason, reported on Facebook. She was 94. While she worked as a laboratory technician in 1947 MacLean began writing science fiction. Her first published story, “Defense Mechanism,” appeared in Astounding in 1949
Gunn Center Changes Name of Campbell Conference; New Name Will Be Chosen for Award
Chris McKitterick, Director of the Gunn Center for the Study of Science Fiction, announced on Facebook yesterday that their annual Campbell Conference has been renamed the Gunn Center Conference, and a new name will be forthcoming for the John W.
Tiptree Award Motherboard Decides to Keep Name
The administrators of the Tiptree Award are retaining the name after discussing the challenges to the name and requests for change raised in social media. Their decision is explained in-depth in “Alice Sheldon and the name of the Tiptree Award”.
Pixel Scroll 9/7/19 Two Thousand Million Or So Years Ago Two Pixels Were Scrolling
MOSLEY QUITS STAR TREK: DISCOVERY. Walter Mosley tells “Why I Quit the Writers’ Room” in an op-ed for the New York Times. His piece doesn’t name the show he quit. The Hollywood Reporter does: “Author Walter Mosley Quits ‘Star
2019 Royal Society Insight Investment Science Book Prize Shortlist
The 2019 Royal Society Insight Investment Science Book Prize recognizes the best of science writing for a non-specialist audience. The shortlist was announced August 27. The author of the winning book receives £25,000 and £2,500 is awarded to each of
Pixel Scroll 9/6/19 The Soylent Green Hills of Earth
EATING THE FANTASTIC. Scott Edelman invites listeners to chow down on chowder with the award-winning Jack Dann in episode 104 of his Eating the Fantastic podcast. Jack’s an old friend I see far too infrequently ever since he moved
2019 Inky Awards
The 2019 Inky Award winners were announced September 4. The award recognizes achievement in young adult literature – the Gold Inky given for Australian titles, and the Silver Inky for international titles. The Inky Awards are selected by teenagers, with
Pixel Scroll 9/5/19 You Don’t Scroll On Pixelman’s Cape, You Don’t File In The Wind
DID AMAZON CHEAT? The American Booksellers Association is on the warpath: “ABA Condemns Amazon for Breaking ‘Testaments’ Embargo”. The fallout from Amazon violating Penguin Random House’s September 10 embargo of The Testaments by Margaret Atwood continues to roil the industry. Late yesterday, the
2019 James White Award
The winner of the is: “Limitations” by David Maskill David wins £200, his story will be published in a forthcoming issue of Britain’s longest running science fiction magazine, Interzone, and his story will be translated into
Find Links to Carl Slaughter’s 140+ Interviews on New File 770 Page
File 770’s Carl Slaughter died August 11, 2019 in a car accident. The Murray, Kentucky fan had just moved back to the U.S. in March after years spent teaching English in China. Carl made his mark in fandom as an
Charlie Jane Anders Interviewed by Carl Slaughter
Charlie Jane Anders’ “The Minnesota Diet” is one of 14 stories in Future Tense Fiction: Stories of Tomorrow, to be published by Unnamed Press October 2. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America and Arizona State University that
Pixel Scroll 9/4/19 The Filer Who Climbed Mount Tsundoku, But Came Down From Mount Read
TIPTREE AWARD UPDATE. The Motherboard has added this note to their “Alice Sheldon and the name of the Tiptree Award” post: Update: Wednesday September 4, 2019. We’ve seen some people discussing this statement and saying we’re refusing to rename
NYRSF Readings Open New Season with Gregory Feeley and Michael Swanwick
By Mark L. Blackman: On the evening of Tuesday, September 3, 2019, the New York Review of Science Fiction Readings Series opened its 29th Season with the stellar line-up of Gregory Feeley and Michael Swanwick at its venue, the Brooklyn
CoNZealand To Host 1945 Retro Hugos
Co-chairs Norman Cates and Kelly Buehler have announced that CoNZealand, the 2020 Worldcon, will present Retro Hugo Awards for 1945, acknowledging notable works published in 1944. The Hugos are the most prestigious award in the science fiction and fantasy genres.
Fandom, Entitlement and Toxicity
By Hampus Eckerman: On the second day of the Dublin 2019 Worldcon, I went to a panel with the promising name of “With fans like these, who needs enemies?” I hadn’t really read the description, instead going by the idea
Pixel Scroll 9/3/19 The Scrolls of Doctor Pixel And Other Files
MAKES CENTS. The SFWA Blog reminds everyone that the “SFWA Minimum Pro Rate Now in Effect”. The new rate of eight cents a word, announced in January, became effective September 1. Writers applying for SFWA membership qualify on the
Jack Weaver (1926-2019), Retired Fanac.org Webmaster
Jack Weaver (Dec. 30, 1926 — Sep. 2, 2019) By Edie Stern: Florida fan Jack Weaver was primarily known for his work as webmaster of FANAC.org, a role he held from 1995 until 2016. He was the designer, programmer and content manager of the
Trent Wins Year’s Best Military and Adventure SF Readers’ Choice Award
Brian Trent has won the fifth annual Year’s Best Military and Adventure SF Readers’ Choice Award sponsored by Baen Books. Trent won for his short story “Crash-Site,” which originally appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. The story
Buhlert: Dublin 2019 Worldcon Photos — Part 3: Raksura Colony Tree
By Cora Buhlert: Here are my pics of the Raksura Colony Tree project at the Dublin 2019 Worldcon. The pictures are mostly pretty self-explanatory. There is a before picture, several pictures of people working on the tree in the craft
Buhlert: Dublin 2019 Worldcon Photos — Part 2: The Hugo Losers Party
[Editor’s Introduction: Cora Buhlert shares her photos from the Hugo Losers Party at Dublin 2019.] By Cora Buhlert:
Buhlert: Dublin 2019 Worldcon Photos — Part 1: Hugo reception
[Editor’s Introduction: Here, Cora Buhlert is sharing the photos she took of the pre-Hugo Awards reception at Dublin 2019.] By Cora Buhlert:
Spikecon Spoonfuls
By John Hertz: Spikecon combined Westercon LXXII (regional) and the 13th NASFiC (North America S-F Con, since 1976 held when the Worldcon is off-continent – this year’s Worldcon was in Dublin, Republic of Ireland), plus a 1632 Minicon (fans of Eric Flynt’s 1632 series) and Manticon 2019 (fans
Pixel Scroll 9/2/19 File Me A Scroll, You’re The Pixel Man
ASTOUNDING AWARD. CoNZealand will use the new name immediately. (At least one very well-known business meeting regular has been trying behind the scenes to convince other conrunners they don’t have the authority to make the change, and failed.) And
GRRM: More Hugo Losers Party History
By George R.R. Martin: Tammy Coxen’s history of the Hugo Losers Party was informative, even to me. I was at almost all of those conventions, and a good many of those parties, but the precise details of when the next
Pixel Scroll 9/1/19 I Have Pixeled The Scroll Less Tickboxed, And That Has Made All The DIfference
TIPTREE BIOGRAPHER WEIGHS IN. Julie Phillips, author of James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon, shared her research about the death of Tiptree and her husband. Thread starts here. (2) STOKERCON UK ADDS GUEST. Mick Garris
2019 Dragon Award Winners
The 2019 Dragon Awards ceremony was held September 1 – here are the winners. Best Science Fiction Novel A Star-Wheeled Sky by Brad R. Torgersen Best Fantasy Novel (Including Paranormal) House of Assassins by Larry Correia Best Young Adult /
2019 Eugie Award
The winner of the 2019 Eugie Foster Award was announced by Matthew Foster September 1 at Dragon Con: “When We Were Starless” by Simone Heller (Clarkesworld) The award is for original speculative short fiction stories no longer than 20,000 words
A Brief History of the Hugo Losers Party
By Tammy Coxen: 1976 – GRRM holds the first Hugo Loser’s Party, an unofficial event in his hotel room 1976-1985 – GRRM continues to run the HLP as an unofficial event “usually teaming up with a publisher” 1985 to 1987
Top 10 Posts for August 2019
The Campbell Award doesn’t usually make a lot more news than the Hugos, however, the news this August was that the Campbell didn’t make it to the end of the month before being rechristened the Astounding Award. And in the
