AMAZING NEWS: NASFiC Dead Dog Party Edition: 7/21/24

Of Special Note

Lloyd Penney (Amazing Stories Editor and his wife Yvonne (Uncredited Amazing Stories Editor) are doing duty in Buffalo this weekend and he sent along a shot of the Amazing Stories display in the H/u/c/k/s/t/e/r/’s/ Dealers Room.

AMAZING PEOPLE NEWS

David Gerrold and family visit with William Shatner on the bridge of the Enterprise

Eric Leif Davin shares a link and commentary on the only movie based on a Stanley G. Weinbaum novel

…and follows that up with a link to his interview  with Curt Siodmak from his book Pioneers of Wonder

Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, along with writing partner Joshua Ouchenna Omenga  shares the nomination of their novella Land of the Awaiting Birth as a NOMMO Awards finalist

Milton Davis’ Kickstarter for the Space Funk anthology has funded

Tom Easton celebrates his 80th birthday…most of them spent writing SF!

Phil Foglio recommends Michael A. Ventrella’s book Big Stick

Moshe Feder shares this Tom Gauld cartoon

Ron Miller shares this newspaper article about spaceflight – from 1896!

Allen Meuller uncovers some Amazing Stories issues from the 40s

Fandom

Robert Charles Wilson sent along a photo, hanging with Robert J. Sawyer and Peter McGarvey, each of them displaying one of their titles – (connect the title to  the author): Owning the Unknown, The Donnelley Curse and The Downloaded

Bruce Gillespie announces that the second part of SF Commentary, the 55th Anniversary issue, is now available

Pawel Dembowski identifies some Hugo Award flaws in previous eligibility decisions 

Awards

Frank Wu revives the Frank R. Paul Awards for SF illustration and hands out the first year’s awards at the Buffalo NASFiC!

Space

This planet has a cucumber-shaped orbit

A look at spaceflight over the next 25 years

Science

Plans are gearing up to visit an asteroid that will pass very close to Earth in 2029

Curiosity Rover reveals sulphur crystals on Mars

Cool animation of the formation of our Moon

Self-replicating artificial life

Industry

Skynet CrowdStrike takes out the internet worldwide (well, close to that anyways).  Hope you aren’t stuck in an airport…but at least you have this to read (maybe)

Literature

Jason Bleckly suggests reading Sheri S. Tepper (1929-2016) if you are into character-driven stories:  “Every book I’ve read of Sheri has been character driven. So if that’s your thing you can’t go wrong. “

Esquire has published a Top 75 list of The Best SF that has people talking.  As usual, some picks we agree with, others we don’t and most of them do not enjoy the placement they are deserving of.  With that said, go make your own nitpicks!

Pat Cadigan is a Scribe Awards nominee

Film & TV

Here’s a long lost film depicting space flight in the early days Spaceship Takeoff, A Technical Fantasy from Bavaria Films Company (1928)

Retro

This is a really cool video that matches video from the landing of Apollo 11’s Eagle on the moon with video from the Lunar Reconaissance Orbiter.

The Kravis Center (near Amazing HQ in FL) is hosting a 49th celebration of the Rocky Horror Picture Show (won’t be going, Kravis does not know how to run events)

Robert Robot, from Fireball XL5

Social Commentary

The LSE Review of Books shares a talk with Kim Stanley Robinson on ways in which SF can shape our future

J. Michael Straczynski has a few words to say about folks who are commenting on his Ellison’s Greatest Hits book

Just For Fun

Cemeterrariums:  Little cemetery scenes in a glass terrarium! (I wonder if they smell of methane…?)

And we call them “dumb animals”.  Watch this video of an owl utilizing human technologies to stay cool in the heat

Fantasy of a fantasy:  an AI creates a Star Trek themed bedroom layout

In the Future

Monday’s Free Story – Justice is Served by Andrew R.S. Jensen

Tuesday – The Big Idea: Cherie Priest

Wednesday – Unexpected Questions with Gustavo Bondoni

Thursday – Whatever Happened to LAND of the LOST?

Friday – Matt’s Reviews: The Kraken Project by Douglas Preston