Happy New Year to you all!
I’d like to take this moment to thank all of our readers, supporters, friends and family, and to wish you all a safe, healthy, financially stable if not prosperous, year. Or however many of those you and the vicissitudes of life can manage. In other words, we wish you all the best in the coming year!
Once again, we urge you to sign the Open Letter to the Board of Worldcon regarding their selection of Guests of Honor. (Uninspiring.)
Related: File 770’s coverage of Chengdu’s presentation to Smofcon 38
Also related: Winnipeg will be the location of the 2023 NASFiC.
Mini-Editorial: There is a non-zero percentage chance that, despite Ben Yalow’s assurances, Chengdu may not be able to pull off an actual Worldcon, based on what we are reading from the Smofcon report. The Winnipeg NASFiC crew should prepare themselves for a larger than normal NASFiC, perhaps the largest that has ever been. WSFS folks should give some serious attention, now, to contingency and picking up the pieces plans. Much of what might be suggested or desired will be curtailed by WSFS’ own rules, but that doesn’t mean that planning can’t take place. (Based on statements from the report in which it is revealed that Chengdu still does not have a secured hotel, still has not issued their first Progress Report and the website still can not process memberships, at least for Westerners, meaning that potential Hugo nominators are not currently eligible to nominate.)
All of our “square-jawed” heroes are probably unaware of the fact that humans are the only mammals with chins.
Two new minerals discovered in an asteroid (sciencefictionite?)
What lasted for 22,000 years was destroyed in seconds
CNN Wraps up the year with these stories that purport to be SFNal in nature: 1: crashing a spacecraft into an asteroid. Yeah, except in science fiction, the asteroid crashes into the spaceship.
Dr. Blackdeer writes on Twitter: Don’t want to watch the colonial glorifying blue people movie? Check out these films by indigenous people telling their own
Related: Avatar 2 taking heat from indigenous peoples
Travelers should be on notice: The TSA is beginning to test facial recognition programs. (You have the right to refuse, but that doesn’t mean they won’t still be taking your picture.)
It’s now passed, but on Monday, 12/26, the Earth made its closest approach to Jupiter since 1963. And its still pretty darned close, riding in the sky near the Moon. (Near the Moon in the sky, not near the Moon in actual space. Well, they’re both in space, actually. You know what we mean!)
The World Health Organization has issued concerns about the large number of Covid (Omicron) infections in China and is warning of further mutation of the virus.
John O’Neill displays artist Luis Royo on Black Gate
Adam-Troy Castro needs help finding a home for suddenly orphaned pets
Donald F. Glut featured in FVM Magazine
ChatGPT identified as a tool for cheating
Time is an Illusion according to scientists
The Vegan Revolution – with Zombies reviews Amazing Stories’ Cents of Wonder anthology
Tom Tomorrow on AI Comics
The Smithsonian covers fourteen discoveries on human evolution
The Guardian asks: After we discover aliens, what’s next?
What was “snowball Earth” like for animals?
Boskone 60 (!) announces its program line up for February
Lee Gilliland unveils these alternate definitions of common words from WAPO
Richard Graeme Cameron announces the release of the latest issue of Polar Borealis magazine
The Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette mistakenly identifies Robert A. Heinlein as the “Father of Science Fiction”
Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki‘s Africa Risen makes top 60 books of the year list
Michael Dean Jackson offers up this excellent illustration – Moonwalk – the cover for the latest issue of Polar Borealis magazine
Bert Edens wants you to know that personal injury lawyers are on the job for Star Trek Red Shirts
Dave Langford of Ansible Fame announces the release of Don Ford’s TAFF Trip Report TAFF BAEDEKER
