XPost: uk.people.sf-fans
ANSIBLE(R) 447
OCTOBER 2024
From DAVID LANGFORD, 94 London Road, Reading, Berks, RG1 5AU, UK. Website news.ansible.uk. ISSN 0265-9816 (print); 1740-942X (e). Available for SAE
or any prophylactic against metaphoric deformation or Panzaism.
[NET NOTE. See
https://news.ansible.uk/a447.html for the nice HTML version;
https://news.ansible.uk/pdf/a447.pdf for a printable PDF. Mailing list subscribe/unsubscribe information appears below -- please don't send such requests to my own e-mail address. DRL]
### THE INEXORABILITY OF THE SPECIOUS ###
RAMSEY CAMPBELL quotes 'a literary agent's statement of his needs: "He
would specifically love to see a super smutty horror novel that addresses
big societal questions in a unique and compelling way." I should like to
think this is parodic, but my fear is great.' (Facebook, 31 August)
NNEDI OKORAFOR reports: 'The airport in Austin, TX has a gate for "Interimaginary Departures" and, Oomza Uni from the Binti Trilogy is on
there! How cool!' (Facebook, 28 September) Other destinations include
Lilliput, Moomin Valley, Narnia, Nessus, New Crobuzon and Pegana.
PAUL RIDDELL was once again in the news with his famous anecdote about
being investigated in depth by the FBI for joking -- while at Texas
Instruments -- about selling missile secrets to the Daleks. 'I told them I would never sell us out to the Daleks, anyway ...The Cybermen or the
Sontarans, sure! They pay more.' (_Dallas Observer_, 3 September) [AIP]
SOMTOW SUCHARITKUL is happy to be one of the three recipients of Thailand's 2024 Public Diplomacy Award, given for promoting the country worldwide
through his works. (Facebook, 19 September)
KURT VONNEGUT is again vindicated as a prophet! _The Sirens of Titan_
(chapter 6) features Schliemann Breathing, allowing humans to survive in
vacuum or 'inhospitable atmosphere' by absorbing oxygen through the
intestines. One of the 2024 Ig Nobel Prizes for offbeat science went to Takanori Takebe for finding that some mammals can actually do this.
### CONTRATABULAR ###
Until 6 Oct [] BIRMINGHAM ANIME FILM FESTIVAL, Mockingbird Cinema, Custard Factory, Birmingham. See www.baff.uk/schedule/.
3-6 Oct [] GRIMMFEST (film), Odeon Great Northern, Manchester. Full pass
for all screenings GBP79.99 plus fees at grimmfest.com.
5-6 Oct [] OCTOCON, Gibson Hotel, Dublin. Euro65 reg; concessions Euro40; YA/virtual/supp Euro20; under-13s free. See octocon.com.
11-13 Oct [] FANTASYCON, Queen at Chester Hotel, Chester. GBP85 reg. See britishfantasysociety.org/events-calendar/fantasycon-2024.
19-20 Oct [] FILM & COMIC CON CARDIFF, International Arena, Cardiff. GBP16; GBP32 early entry. See filmandcomicconcardiff.com.
24-27 Oct [] CELLULOID SCREAMS horror film festival, Sheffield. Weekend
pass GBP115; this and other tickets at celluloidscreams.com.
25-27 Oct [] FESTIVAL OF FANTASTIC FILMS, Pendulum Hotel, Manchester.
GBP110 reg. See fantastic-films.uk for day rates.
26-27 Oct [] BRISTOLCON, Hilton DoubleTree Hotel, Bristol.GBP65 reg; GBP50 under-18s, concessions, disabled; under-14s free; GBP20 supp. Day rates at www.bristolcon.org.
26 Oct [] COMIC CON HALLOWEEN, Haydock Racecourse. 10am-4pm. GBP11; ticket
link for junior rates at www.ljeventsentertainment.com.
31 Oct - 3 Nov [] EDINBURGH HORROR FESTIVAL, Banshee Labyrinth and
Lauriston Castle. More at edinburghhorrorfestival.co.uk.
1-3 Nov [] ARMADACON, Future Inns, Plymouth. GBP45 reg; GBP35 concessions; single day GBP25. More at www.armadacon.org.
1-2 Nov [] FRIGHTFEST (film), London, Odeon Luxe, Leicester Square. Tickets
on sale early October: www.frightfest.co.uk/filmsandevents/.
1-3 Nov [] GLASGOW 2024, BACK TO OUR FUTURES, free online for Glasgow
Worldcon attending or virtual members: tinyurl.com/2earcc4d.
8-10 Nov [] NOVACON 53, Palace Hotel, Buxton. GBP53 reg; couples GBP106
(gosh); under-17s GBP12; under-13s free. Day rates at novacon.uk.
9 Nov [] CYMERA WRITERS' CONFERENCE, Edinburgh/online. GBP75; concessions/virtual at www.cymerafestival.co.uk/writers-conference.
9-10 Nov [] SURREY STEAMPUNK CONVIVIAL, Stoneleigh, Epsom. See bumpandthumper.wixsite.com/steampunkconvivials.
16 Nov [] WINTER HAUNTS 3 (Gothic etc), online. See
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/winter-haunts-2024-tickets-998430531597.
23-24 Nov [] CHRISTOPHER TOLKIEN centenary conference, online: www.tolkiensociety.org/events/christopher-tolkien-centenary-conference/
25-26 Nov [] DARKFEST 6 (film), Genesis Cinema, 93-95 Mile End Rd,
London, E1 4UJ. GBP55. See infinitymagazine.co.uk/product/darkfest-6/.
15-16 Mar 2025 [] DUBLIN COMIC CON, Convention Centre, Dublin. Various
ticket prices (extra for early entry, etc.) at dublincomiccon.com.
17-18 May 2025 [] HORRORCON UK, Magna, Sheffield. Ticket prices and sales awaited at horrorconuk.com.
6-8 Jun 2025 [] CYMERA: Scotland's Festival of SF, Fantasy & Horror
Writing, Edinburgh and online. See www.cymerafestival.co.uk.
18-20 Jul 2025 [] FANTASY FOREST (cosplay), Sudely Castle, Cheltenham.
Tickets at fantasyforest.co.uk, where a long countdown to the start of
sales at noon on 1 October ended with 'site is currently unavailable'.
16 Aug 2025 [] STARS OF TIME (comics), Winter Gardens, Weston-super-Mare. Ticket sales awaited at www.starsoftime.co.uk.
RUMBLINGS. _Reconnect (Eastercon 2025, Belfast):_ hotel booking is now open
for fans with access needs, and will be generally open to all members from
14 October.
_Worldcon 2028:_ the Brisbane bid changed its proposed dates from
24-28 August to 27-31 July, the weekend after a total solar eclipse that
will pass through Australia. (Xitter, 10 September)
### INFINITELY IMPROBABLE ###
AS OTHERS FEAR US. On book blurb/review terms that 'instantly make your
heart sink [...] Top of my list is "dystopian". The minute the word hoves
into view, that author and publisher have lost me. [...] Not unrelated to
my phobia for dystopias are: "futuristic" (even if the novel is set only as little as five years hence); "fantasy"; "supernatural"; "sci-fi"; "horror". Alas, it is almost impossible to find a contemporary novel that doesn't
boast one or more of these adjectives.' Also, this writer has never read
J.K. Rowling or Philip Pullman because 'I cannot stomach magical realism.' (Candida Crewe, _The Oldie Review of Books_, Autumn 2024)
AWARDS. _Booker Prize:_ the shortlisted novel closest to sf is _Orbital_ by Samantha Harvey, set on the International Space Station.
_The Arthur C. Clarke Award_ is now open to 2024 submissions (UK publications only).
SATIRE DEPT. A wicked claim that US politician J.D. Vance 'is turning the stories he has created on the campaign trail into a sci-fi trilogy. /
Called "Wokemare", the books depict "a dystopia ruled by a liberal elite,
where the human race faces extinction because women have selfishly chosen
to have careers," Vance said. "It's up to a federation of brave tech
founders to reestablish order."' (_The Borowitz Report_, 17 September) [GG]
TONGUESLIP. 'New cases of blue tongue have been identified in Norfolk ...
the disease, which is spread by midgets ...' (BBC1, _Look East_) [PE]
R.I.P. _John Ashton_ (1948-2024), US actor whose genre credits include
_King Kong Lives_ (1986) and _Reign of the Gargoyles_ (2007), died on 26 September aged 76.
_Franca Bettoia_ (1936-2024), Italian actress who co-starred in _The
Last Man on Earth_ (1964), died on 13 September aged 88. [SJ]
_John Cassaday_ (1971-2024), award-winning US comics artist and writer
who worked for DC (_Planetary_, _Superman/Batman_) and Marvel (_Astonishing X-Men_, _Captain America_, _Star Wars_), died on 9 September aged 52. [SH]
_Kenneth Cope_ (1931-2024), UK actor in _X the Unknown_ (1956), _The Damned_ (1962), _Night of the Big Heat_ (1967) and _Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)_ (1969-1971, as the ghostly Hopkirk), died on 11 September aged
93. [SJ]
_Kathryn Grant Crosby_ (1933-2024), widow of Bing and actress in _The Night the World Exploded_ (1957), _The 7th Voyage of Sinbad_ (1958), _1001 Arabian Nights_ (1959) and _The Initiation of Sarah_ (1978), died on 20 September aged 90. [LP]
_David 'Gryphon' Curry_, UK fan who was a stalwart of Eastercons and Redemptions, died on 26 September. [NW]
_James Darren_ (1936-2024), US actor in _Hey There, It's Yogi Bear_ (1964), _The Time Tunnel_ (1966-1967), _City Beneath the Sea_ (1971) and
_Star Trek: DS9_ (1998-1999), died on 26 August aged 88. [LP]
_David Stuart Davies_ (1946-2024), UK Sherlock Holmes expert who
published much nonfiction and fiction about Holmes -- pitting him against Dracula in _The Tangled Skein_ (1995) and the Giant Rat of Sumatra in _The Shadow of the Rat_ (1999) -- and edited _Return from the Dead_ (2006) plus other supernatural anthologies, died on 16 August aged 78. [SH]
_Nelson DeMille_ (1943-2024), often uncredited US author of technothrillers with Thomas H. Block -- the most science-fictional being _Orbit_ (1982) and _Airship Nine_ (1984) -- died on 17 September aged 81. [PS-P]
_Pierre-William Glenn_ (1943-2024), French cinematographer for _Death Watch_ (1980) and _The Prize of Peril_ (1983), died on 24 September aged
80. [SJ]
_David Graham_ (1925-2024), UK actor best known for voice work in Gerry/Sylvia Anderson puppet series -- _Four Feather Falls_ (1960),
_Supercar_ (1961-1962), _Fireball XL5_ (1962-1963), _Stingray_ (1964-1965)
and _Thunderbirds_ (1965-1966 plus spinoffs), died on September aged 99.
Other credits include _Timeslip_ (1970-1971), _Doctor Who_ (1973-1979) and _Peppa Pig_ (2004-2021). [CM]
_Taylor Grant_ (1970-2024), US horror author active since 2011, whose first collection was _The Dark at the End of the Tunnel_ (2015), died on 12 September aged 54. [SJ]
_Andrew C. Greenberg_ (1957-2024), US game designer who co-created the early role-playing videogame _Wizardry_ (1981 plus sequels) -- featuring
the evil wizard Werdna -- died on 28 August aged 67. [MR]
_Frank Griffin_ (1929-2024), US actor in _The Giant Claw_ (1957) and makeup artist for _Westworld_ (1973), _Demon Seed_ (1977), _Peggy Sue Got Married_ (1986) and many more, died on 4 September aged 95. [SJ]
_Geoffrey Hinsliff_ (1937-2024), UK _Coronation Street_ actor also
seen in _Doctor Who_ (1977, 1979) and _Jackanory_ (1980), died on 18
September. [CM]
_Fredric Jameson_ (1934-2024), US academic critic who wrote
extensively about sf, notably in _Archaeologies of the Future: The Desire Called Utopia and Other Science Fictions_ (2005), died on 22 September aged
90. He received the SFRA Pilgrim Award in 2006.
_Peter Jay_ (1937-2024), UK author with Michael Stewart of the sf
novel _Apocalypse 2000: Economic Breakdown and the Suicide of Democracy, 1989-2000_ (1987), died on 24 September aged 87. [JC]
_James Earl Jones_ (1931-2024), EGOT-winning US actor who famously
voiced Darth Vader in _Star Wars_ (1977) and many franchise spinoffs, died
on 9 September aged 93. Genre films in his long career include _Dr
Strangelove_ (1964), _Conan the Barbarian_ (1982), _Field of Dreams_
(1989), _The Lion King_ (1994 plus sequels) and _Robots_ (2005).
_Dmitry Krinari_ (1959-2024), award-winning Russian fan artist and
event organizer, died on 31 August. [AM]
_Kris Kristofferson_ (1936-2024), US musician and actor in
_Millennium_ (1989), _Blade_ (1998 plus sequels) and _Planet of the Apes_ (2001), died on 28 September aged 88. [LP]
_Nigel Lambert_ (1944-2024), UK voice actor in _Doctor Who_ (several episodes 1980-2001) and _The Adventures of Paddington Bear_ (39 episodes 1997-2000), died in September aged 80.
_Lee Hoi-sang_ (1941-2024), Hong Kong martial-arts film actor in _The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires_ (1974, uncredited), _Demon of the Lute_ (1983), _The Ghost Informer_ (1984) and others, died on 9 September aged
83. [SJ]
_Holly Lisle_ (1960-2024), US author of some 30 genre novels, whose
debut fantasy _Fire in the Mist_ (1992) won a Compton Crook Award and
opened a trilogy, died on 27 August aged 63. [F770]
_Chad McQueen_ (1960-2024), US actor -- son of Steve -- in _Death
Ring_ (1992), _Firepower_ (1993) and _Possessed by the Night_ (1994), died
on 11 September aged 63. [SJ]
_Roman Madyanov_ (1962-2024), Russian actor in the Bulgakov film adaptation _Rokovyie yaytsa_ (_The Fatal Eggs_, 1996) died on 25 September
aged 62. [AM]
_Bernie Mireault_ (1961-2024), Canadian comics artist known for work
on _Grendel_, _Madman_ and his own creations _The Jam_ and _Dr. Robot_ --
also a noted Gaiman-scripted Riddler story -- committed suicide on 2
September aged 63. [SH]
_Karl Moline_ (1973-2024), US comics artist who worked on _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ for Dark Horse and co-created the spinoff _Fray_ with Joss Whedon, died on 11 September aged 51. [SH]
_Obi Ndefo_ (1972-2024), US actor in _Stargate SG-1_ (2000-2005),
other genre tv series, and _Vampires in Venice_ (2013), died on 31 August
aged 51. [SJ]
_John Nielsen-Hall_, UK fan active in the late 1960s (publishing
_Zine_ 1969-1970) and 1970s, when he was part of London Ratfandom, and
again from the 1990s (in email lists and publishing _Motorway Dreamer_ 2005-2012, plus others), died on 8 September. [LK] 'Uncle Johnny' was a
good man and I'll miss him. A memorial collection of his fanzine writing is
in preparation.
_Leonid Okunev_ (1949-2024), Russian actor who starred in the urban fantasy film _Patrioticheskaya komediya_ (_Patriotic Comedy_, 1992), died
on 8 September aged 75. [AM]
_Heather Osborne_ (1981-2024), Canadian author active from 2008, whose
one novel was the fantasy _Songbroken_ (2002), died all too young on 20 September aged 43. [RJS]
_Graham Rawle_ (1955-2024), UK collage artist whose surreal 'Lost Consonants' series appeared in the _Guardian_ 1990-2005 and who won awards
for his profusely illustrated 2008 version of _The Wizard of Oz_, died on
16 August aged 69. [AIP] His novel _Overland_ (2018) is borderline sf.
_Peter Renaday_ (1935-2024), US actor in _The Computer Wore Tennis
Shoes_ (1969), _The Love Bug_ (1969) and others, with voice roles in the
_Star Wars_ and _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ franchises plus many
animated superhero series, died on 8 September aged 89. [SJ]
_Dame Maggie Smith_ (1934-2024), famed Oscar-winning UK actress whose genre credits include _Clash of the Titans_ (1981), _Hook_ (1991), the
Harry Potter films (2001-2011) and _Gnomeo and Juliet_ (2011), died on 27 September aged 89.
_Cleo Sylvestre_ (1945-2024), UK actress in _Paddington_ (2014),
_Forever Young_ (2023) and genre tv series, died on 20 September aged 79.
_Brian Trueman_ (1932-2024), UK screenwriter and voice actor who wrote
and performed in much animated tv including the legendary _Danger Mouse_ (1981-1993) and _Count Duckula_ (1988-1993), died on 2 September aged 92.
[O]
_Valery Voskoboynikov_ (1939-2024), Russian author -- mostly for
children -- whose adult fantasy _Voyna Vladigora_ (_Vladigor's War_, 2000)
is set in the Vladigor shared world, died on 6 September aged 85. [AM]
_Robert (Bob) Weatherwax_ (1941-2024), US dog handler who followed his father Rudd in training collies to play Lassie, died on 15 August aged 83. Other trainer credits include _The Thing_ (1982) and _Back to the Future_ (1985). [AIP]
_Lisa Westcott_ (1948-2024), Oscar- and BAFTA-winning hair and makeup artist whose genre credits include _Captain Zep -- Space Detective_ (1983), _The Wolfman_ (2010) and _Captain America: The First Avenger_ (2011), died
on 30 July aged 76. [AIP]
THE WEAKEST LINK. _Clive Myrie:_ 'The horror film villain Freddy Krueger,
who attacks his victims in their dreams, first appeared in what 1984 film?' _Contestant:_ '_Kramer vs. Kramer_.' (BBC2, _Mastermind_) [PE]
WITHOUT COMMENT. A.N. Wilson complains that rumoured candidates for
Chancellor of Oxford University are all dull politicians unworthy of the Magical Dream That Is Oxford. His unexpected punchline: 'If only J.K.
Rowling had stood! A person of deep intellectual integrity, she is also, of
all the great public figures of our times, the one who best understands the central part that magic still plays in our lives.' (_The Oldie_, October)
RANDOM FANDOM. _NaNoWriMo_ (National Novel Writing Month, every November)
was widely criticized for suggesting that it was fine to achieve the goal
of writing a novel in 30 days by having AI software churn out the words,
and indeed that it's ableist and classist to expect would-be writers to do their own writing. Is it coincidence that they have an AI-linked firm as sponsor? Three board members promptly resigned. [F770]
SCIENTIFIC COMPARISON. On wildlife in Kent: 'The bison will be able to roam
200 hectares of land after construction is finished, rather than the 50
acres they now have the run of.' (_i_ newspaper, 21 September)
MAGAZINE SCENE. _F&SF_ for Summer 2024 appeared in September with a note
from Gordon Van Gelder: 'Ongoing production problems have led us to skip
the Spring issue and to switch to a quarterly schedule.'
Titan Magazines is closing _Star Trek Explorer_ (a market for fiction
as well as news, interviews, etc) with issue #14 in December 2024. [KD]
OUTRAGED LETTERS. _Caroline Mullan_ on the shockingly inadequate coverage
of Glasgow's vibrant food culture in _A446_: 'Sad that our haggis curry and black pudding dim sums did not make the cut.'
COURT CIRCULAR. As a result of that legal challenge (see _A446_) to DC's
and Marvel's joint trademark on the word "superhero" and its variations,
and both companies' mysterious failure to file a response, the US Patent
and Trademark Office announced on 26 September that 'the petition for cancellation is granted'. (Bleeding Cool, 27 September) [MS]
THE DEAD PAST. _40 Years Ago_, 'Bob Shaw's _Fire Pattern_ has roused speculation; the hero rings an aging John Sladek to ask about spontaneous combustion in people, and can only extract flip, joky, content-free
answers. Is Shaw needling Sladek, I was asked? Bob confesses: "John wrote
all his own dialogue for that scene."' (_Ansible_ 40, October 1984)
_30 Years Ago_, 'Nancy Kress described the least flattering invitation she'd ever received, to join the team for Robert Silverberg's _Murasaki_ anthology (featuring Anderson, Bear, Benford, Brin, Pohl): "We have to have
a woman, or we're going to get killed!"' (_Ansible_ 87, October 1994)
FANFUNDERY. _TAFF Books._ For those who prefer print: the 2017 ebook _The
Frank Arnold Papers_, compiled by Rob Hansen and now expanded by one-third
with more of Frank's nonfiction, is at last available as a trade paperback.
See ae.ansible.uk/?t=FrankArnold. Meanwhile my own ebook _Work for Hire_ scrapes the barrel of Langford contributions to long-ago genre reference
works: free download at taff.org.uk/ebooks.php?x=Work4Hire. It's hoped that
the TAFF library may soon host GUFF reports as well.
THOG'S MASTERCLASS. _Bullet Trajectories in the Reacherverse._ 'It struck
no obstacles, hit no buildings. It flew on straight and true until its
energy was spent and gravity hauled it to earth in the far distance ...'
(Lee Child, _Without Fail_, 2002) [JG]
_High-Tension Romance._ 'This stranger was unfolding in my arms,
roiling her thighs about the stiffened extension of my electrical being, sensations of her satin enclosure, the life pulsing in her coming out of
its damp hiding to embrace mine, feeling like -- this the picture in my
mind's eye replacing the bloody falling -- electrical arcs furling and unfurling about an electrode.' (John Shirley, _Dracula in Love_, 1979)
_Neat Tricks._ 'The blue eyes he'd inherited regarded him
thoughtfully, hungrily, from within his mother's face.' 'Alan glared and
did not open his mouth in return. He was too busy breathing through it.'
(Freya Marske, _A Power Unbound_, 2023) [LA]
### GEEKS' CORNER ###
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More details, and an ALTERNATIVE LIST subscription form for those averse to Google, on this page (which is also where to unsubscribe from the
alternative list, hosted at ansible.uk):
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Home page --
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LiveJournal syndication --
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Email the editor --
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CONVENTION AND EVENT LINKS
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London --
https://news.ansible.uk/london.html
Overseas --
https://news.ansible.uk/conlisti.html [no longer updated]
### ENDNOTES ###
PAYPAL TIP JAR THINGY. Donate to support _Ansible_, cover website costs and keep the editor happy! Or just buy his books.
https://ansible.uk/paypal.html
https://ae.ansible.uk/
https://ansible.uk/books/index.html
GROUP THEORY.
17 October 2024, evening: London Zoom meeting, third Thursday of each month. 'Please share this with people who you know typically come to the Bishop's Finger, but aren't on Facebook.'
https://bohemiancoast.medium.com/first-thursday-london-sf-fan-virtual-drinks-5232021e961f
EDITORIAL. With the _SF Encyclopedia_ website update of 30 September, the statistics thingy reports that my own contributions come to over 800,000
words. Small beer, of course, compared with John Clute's three-million-plus
or the total wordage of 7.1 million. In my copious free time I'm working on that John Nielsen-Hall memorial collection.
R.I.P. II -- LATE AND LAST-MINUTE REPORTS: _Gavin Creel_ (1976-2024), US
actor in the Broadway production of _Into the Woods_ and the forthcoming
film version, died on 30 September aged 48. [SHS]
_Bill Desmond_ (1941-2024), a founder of NESFA who was important in
the early days of modern Boston fandom (though since long gafiated), died
on 11 August aged 83. [MLO]
OUTRAGED LETTERS II. _Lawrence Person_ complains about _Ansible_
non-coverage of his big win in the prestigious Bulwer-Lytton competion for deliberately bad opening lines. Alas, space is always tight and Thog has
little enthusiasm for the contest -- feeling that true badness should be sublimely unintentional -- but you can read all about it in _File 770_:
https://file770.com/2024-bulwer-lytton-contest-winners/
SOME LINKS from the _Ansible_ home page.
_The Byte_ finally catches up with 'AI slop' submissions
https://futurism.com/the-byte/editors-sci-fi-magazine-disgusted-ai-slop
On disabled access at the Glasgow Worldcon
https://marikness.wordpress.com/2024/09/22/glasgow-2024-a-worldcon-for-our-futures-though-perhaps-not-disabled-futures/
SF2 Concatenation Autumn 2024 Newscast
http://www.concatenation.org/news/news9~24.html
Jason Sanford: "What the Hell Is Going On With SFWA?"
https://www.patreon.com/posts/what-hell-is-on-110587141
THOG'S GOLDEN OLDIES from _Ansible_ 207, October 2004. _Genealogy Dept._
'When a hot-air balloon crashes on a remote island, the crew discovers Dr. Frankenstein's ancestor carrying on the family work ...' (IMDB on
_Frankenstein Island_)
_Dept of Annoying Your Proofreader._ 'Aenea was excellent at chess,
good at Go, and terrible at poker.' 'I'd spent ten months dealing blackjack
and had watched a lot of gamblers; this eleven-year-old _[Aenea]_ would be
one hell of a poker player.' 'Aenea [...] playing cards in the evening (she
was a formidable poker player) ...' _Aenea speaks:_ 'Just an old pre-Hegira book that Uncle Martin used to read to me. He used to say that proofreaders have always been incompetent assholes -- even fourteen hundred years ago.'
(all from Dan Simmons, _Endymion_, 1995)
_Sirius Cybernetics Dept._ 'ENTER, the door chimed, as it slid open soundlessly.' (C.S. Friedman, _The Wilding_, 2004)
_Ansible_(R) 447 (C) David Langford, 2024. Thanks to Brian Ameringen, Lise Andreason, John Clute, Keith DeCandido, _File 770_, Glenn Glazer, John
Gribbin, Steve Holland, Steve Jones, Leroy Kettle, Andrey Meshavkin, Chris Moore, Mark L. Olson, Omega, Lawrence Person, Andrew I. Porter, _Private
Eye_, Marcus Rowland, Robert J. Sawyer, Mark Shainblum, Steven H Silver,
Phil Stephensen-Payne, Nik Whitehead, and our Hero Distributors: Durdles
Books (Birmingham SF Group newsletter), SCIS/Prophecy and Alan Stewart (Australia).
1 October 2024
--
David Langford |
http://ansible.uk/ |
http://news.ansible.uk/
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