Theodora Goss Joins Realms of Fantasy
Theodora Goss has joined the staff of Realms of Fantasy, taking over the magazine’s “Folkroots” feature. Goss replaces Ari Berk and Kristen McDermott, who have been editing the column.
Constellation Awards
The Constellation Awards were presented at Polaris 24 in Toronto at a ceremony emceed by Gavin Stephens.
- Best Male Performance in a 2009 Science Fiction Television Episode: David Tennant, for Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars
- Best Female Performance in a 2009 Science Fiction Television Episode: Lena Headey, for Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: “Some Must Watch While Some Must Sleep”
- Best Science Fiction Television Series of 2009: Supernatural
- Best Male Performance in a 2009 Science Fiction Film, TV Movie, or Mini-Series: Karl Urban in Star Trek
- Best Female Performance in a 2009 Science Fiction Film, TV Movie, or Mini-Series: Zoe Saldana in Avatar
- Best Science Fiction Film, TV Movie, or Mini-Series of 2009: Star Trek
- Best Technical Accomplishment in a 2009 Science Fiction Film or Television Production: Weta Digital for Avatar visual effects
- Best Overall 2009 Science Fiction Film or Television Script: FlashForward: “No More Good Days”
- Outstanding Canadian Contribution to Science Fiction Film or Television in 2009: Bruce Greenwood
Sky Awards
The Sky Awards were presented on July 18 in Beijing, China. The Sky Awards are nominated by Chinese fans and selected by a mixture of fan voting and a jury. They honor science fiction published in China.
- Best Fiction Long Form in 2009: Once upon a Time in Shanghai, by Jiang Nan
- Best Fiction Short Form in 2009: “Dark Room,” by Han Song
- Most Popular Translated Fiction in 2009: The Girl Who Leapt through Time, Yasutaka Tsutsui, translated by Ding Dingchong
- Special Contribution Award: Odyssey of China Fantasy
Aussiecon Make Ready Winners
Aussiecon 4, this year’s Worldcon, has announced the winners of their short story contest around the theme “Make Ready.” The contest, which was sponsored by the Australian Science Fiction Foundation, was meant to encourage the creation and appreciation of Australian science fiction.
- Winner: “The Perforation,” by Helen Stubbs
- 1st Runner Up: “The Rise & Fall of a Fair Dinkum Superhero,” by Aidan Doyle
- Highly Commended: “The Promotion,” by Brooke Maggs
- Highly Commended: “The Bicycle Rebellion,” by Laura E Goodin
Obituary: Frank K. Kelly
Author Frank K. Kelly (b. 1914) died on June 11, one day shy of his 96th birthday. Kelly began writing stories in 1931 when “Light Bender” appeared in Wonder Stories. Kelly published a total of ten stories over the next four years, three of which he would publish in his only collection, Starship Invincible in 1979. Kelly became a reporter and served in World War II before working for Harry Truman. He published several non-genre books. In 1996, Kelly was inducted into the First Fandom Hall of Fame.
Wizard’s Tower Press Launches
Cheryl Morgan has announced the launch of Wizard’s Tower Press. Her new venture will focus on publishing quality e-books of long out-of-print authors, publishing anthologies by new and minority authors, and publishing an on-line literary magazine, Salon Futura, which will launch at Aussiecon 4, this year’s worldcon, in Melbourne. In addition, Wizard’s Tower Press seeks to help other e-book publishers successfully market their books. Their first publication will be Dark Spires, a collection by Colin Harvey, which will be launched in November at BristolCon.
Obituary: Vonetta McGee
Actress Vonetta McGee(b. 1940) died on July 9. McGee appeared in the films Blacula, Brother Future, and Repo Man. McGee believed that the term “Blaxploitation,” which was applied to many of the films she appeared in, hurt her career opportunities.
Pyr Essay Winners
Pyr has announced the winners of its fifth anniversary essay contest. First prize, which includes a trip to DragonCon, dinner with Lou Anders, Mike Resnick, James Enge, Jon Sprunk, and Sam Sykes, was awarded to Lisa Iriarte. Second place went to Robert Rhoades and third to L. Lambert Lawson.
Prix Rosny Nominations
Nominees for the Prix Rosny, presented by the French National Science Fiction Convention, have been announced. The winners will be announced at this year’s convention in Grenoble, the weekend of August 26-29.
Novels
- Le Déchronologue, by Stéphane Beauverger
- Tancrède. Une uchronie, by Ugo Bellagamba
- Outrage et rébellion, by Catherine Dufour
- La Loi du désert, by Frank Ferrik
- Suprématie, by Laurent McAllister
- Nuigrave, by Lorris Murail
Short Stories
- «Verre brisé», by Célia Deiana
- «Les Fleurs de Troie», by Jean-Claude Dunyach
- «Les Trois livres qu’Absalon Nathan n’écrira jamais», by Léo Henry
- «Trois singes», by Laurent Kloetzer
- «Terre de fraye», by Jérôme Noirez
- «Alice in Wonderland», by Martin Winkler
Obituary: Peter Fernandez
Actor Peter Fernandez (b. 1927) died on July 15. Fernandez is best known for his involvement with the 1967 anime series Speed Racer, providing the voicework for both Speed Racer and Racer X and writing scripts. Other shows of genre interest he worked on include Captain Video and His Video Rangers, Gigantor, and Space Cruiser Yamato and the films Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster and Mothra. He had a bit role in the live-action Speed Racer film.