AMAZING NEWS: Welcome to 2025 Edition! 1/5/2025

This Week’s News Is Brought To You By –

The Martian Trilogy:  John P. Moore, Amazing Stories, Black Science Fiction and the Illustrated Feature Section – the EXPANDED edition (also, the first edition) doesn’t want you to forget that it will be released in May of 2025, with additional content.

AMAZING PEOPLE NEWS

George Zebrowski has passed.  His lifelong partner, Pamela Sargent, shares her thoughts.

Steven Barnes shares a request from David Brin:  he is looking for suggestions for books for a High School  Library in Zambia

Fandom

In researching science fiction in South Africa, I came across this piece, which makes for an interesting read:  Why South Africa Needs Science Fiction

Ansible 450, for January, 2025

John Coker shares that long time fan Esther Cole has passed, writing “She was a long-time fan, reader, conventioneer, Treasurer for the 1954 Worldcon, fanzine publisher, author, wife, mother, and general enthusiast who was years ahead of her time during the repressive 1950’s.  She was a smart, funny, and gracious lady who was married to Lester Cole for 70 years.” “The members of First Fandom voted to elect a very appreciative Les and Es Cole to the Hall of Fame in 2017.”

Space

Before the next meteor shower you can now find out how active it will be with this Meteor Shower Flux Monitoring tool

Speaking of which, the Quadrantids shower is expected to last through January 16th (look towards the Big Dipper).

Half a ton of space junk fell in Kenya

Industry

The beginning of a new year brings with it – more works entering the public domain.  This website covers that.  And this post does as well.

New Releases

A new Spanish language anthology  – LA TUERCA ANDANTE – accompanies each story with a song.  A previously untranslated story by Paul Tremblay is accompanied by this.

Retro

In 1925, Professor Archibald Montgomery Low predicted what 2025 would be like.  Here’s what he got wrong, and what he got right. Thanks to John Bray for this piece.

Social Commentary

A new translation of the Odyssey is receiving pushback because it was translated by a woman, who has had the gall to remove sexist and misogynistic terms that never existed in the original. 

Just For Fun

Some new animation for the opening sequence of Fireball XL5
On Science Fiction Day, Ruby Kapture shares this potato chip commercial

In the Future

Monday:

Distance and Family and Death By Brian D. Hinson – FREE STORY
Noticias Literatura 29-12
A Science Fiction Club is Alive and Well in South Africa

Tuesday:

The Big Idea: William C. Trac

Wednesday:

The Last Orphan Stories (Last Dangerous Visions)
Unexpected with Dennis McKiernan

Thursday:
Whatever Happened to The DAY The EARTH STOOD STILL?
Excerpt: NORTH IS THE NIGHT by Emily Rath

Friday:
Matt’s Reviews: Light Raid by Connie Willis and Cynthia Felice

Featured Image

The cover of an old science fiction magazine from 1937 – Tales of Wonder.  Note the sub-title.