Actor, writer, and director Bryan Forbes (b.1926) died on May 8. Forbes started his career as an actor, appearing in films such as Quatermass II: Enemy from Space and Satellite in the Sky. He went on to become a director, whose films included The Stepford Wives. He wrote The Man Who Haunted Himself and as a screenwriter may be best known for Chaplin. In addition to his work in films, Forbes was also a photographer and helped create the album sleeve for Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. Forbes also wrote several novels.
LoneStarCon 3 has announced that three bids have filed the appropriate paperwork to host the 2015 Worldcon. Helsinki in 2015, Orlando in 2015, and Spokane in 2015 are running for the Worldcon. Detroit and Phoenix are both running to host NASFiC in 2014 when the Worldcon is being held in London. All Adult, Military, and Young Adult Attending and Supporting members of LoneStarCon 3 are eligible to take part in the site selection process.
For more information:
LoneStarCon 3
Helsinki in 2015
Orlando in 2015
Spokane in 2015
Detroit in 2014
Phoenix in 2014
Author Deborah Miller died on May 7. Miller, who published under the name Miller Lau, founded and administered the David Gemmell Legend Award. A protege of Gemmell’s, she published The Last Clansman trilogy. More recently, she published the first volume of the Swarmthief Trilogy and the stand-alone novel The Sin Eater.
Special effects wizard Ray Harryhausen (b.1920) died on May 7. Harryhausen created a type of stop-motion animation known as Dynamation and used it in films ranging from The Clash of the Titans to Mighty Joe Young to The 7th Voyage of Sinbad. Harryhausen was inspired by the film King Kong and became close friends with Ray Bradbury and Forrest Ackerman, joining the Los Angeles Science Fiction League. In later years, Harryhausen wrote several books showcasing his techniques and models. Harryhausen was a Worldcon Guest of Honor in 1987 in Brighton and in 2005, Harryhausen was inducted in to the Science Fiction Hall of Fame, one of the first non-authors so honored.
The FAAN Awards were announced at Corflu XXX on May 5 in Portland, OR.
- Best Genzine: Chunga, edited by by Andy Hooper, Randy Byers, and carl juarez
- Best Personal Fanzine: A Meara for Observers, edited by Mike Meara
- Best Single Issue: Trapdoor #29, edited by Robert Lichtman
- Best Website: eFanzines.com
- Best Fanzine Cover: Dan Steffan, Banana Wings #50
- Best Fan Artist: Dan Steffan
- Best Fan Writer: Andy Hooper
- Harry Warner Jr. Memorial Award for Best Letterhack: Robert Lichtman
For more information…
The Shirley Jackson Awards were established to recognize outstanding achievement in the literature of psychological suspense, horror, and the dark fantastic. The winners will be announced on July 14 at Readercon 24 in Burlington, Massachusetts.
Novel:
- The Drowning Girl, by Caitlín R. Kiernan
- The Devil in Silver, by Victor LaValle
- Edge, by Koji Suzuki
- Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn
- Immobility, by Brian Evenson
Novella:
- 28 Teeth of Rage, by Ennis Drake
- Delphine Dodd, by S.P. Miskowski
- I’m Not Sam, by Jack Ketchum and Lucky McKee
- The Indifference Engine, by Project Itoh
- “Sky,” by Kaaron Warren
Novelette:
- “The Crying Child,” by Bruce McAllister (originally published as “The Bleeding Child”
- “The House on Ashley Avenue,” by Ian Rogers
- “Reeling for the Empire,” by Karen Russell
- “Wild Acre,” by Nathan Ballingrud
- “The Wish Head,” by Jeffrey Ford
Short Fiction:
- “Bajazzle,” by Margo Lanagan
- “How We Escaped Our Certain Fate,” by Dan Chaon
- “Little America,” by Dan Chaon
- “The Magician’s Apprentice,” by Tamsyn Muir
- “A Natural History of Autumn,” by Jeffrey Ford
- “Two Houses,” by Kelly Link
Single-Author Collection:
- Crackpot Palace, by Jeffrey Ford
- Errantry, by Elizabeth Hand
- The Pottawatomie Giant and Other Stories, by Andy Duncan
- Remember Why You Fear Me, by Robert Shearman
- The Woman Who Married a Cloud, by Jonathan Carroll
- Windeye, by Brian Evenson
Edited Anthology:
- 21st Century Dead, edited by Christopher Golden
- Black Wings II, edited by S. T. Joshi
- Exotic Gothic 4: Postscripts #28/29, edited by Danel Olson
- Night Shadows, edited by Greg Herren and J. M. Redmann
- Shadow Show: All-New Stories in Celebration of Ray Bradbury, edited by Sam Weller and Mort Castle
For more information…
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) has announced the results of their board election. The new board will be seated on July 1 and will serve a one year term. An * indicates that the person is an incumbent and was re-elected. A # indicates that a person was running unopposed.
- President: Steven Gould
- Vice President: Rachel Swirsky *#
- Secretary: Susan Forest
- Treasurer: Bud Sparhawk *#
- South/Central Regional Director: Lee Martindale*
- Overseas Regional Director: Tansy Rayner Roberts#
For more information…
The Ditmar Awards were presented at Conflux 9 – the 52nd Australian National SF convention. The winners are listed below.
- Best Novel: Sea Hearts, by Margo Lanagan
- Best Novella or Novelette: “Sky,” by Kaaron Warren
- Best Short Story: “The Wisdom of Ants,” by Thoraiya Dyer
- Best Collected Work: Through Splintered Walls, by Kaaron Warren
- Best Artwork: Cover art, Kathleen Jennings, for Midnight and Moonshine
- Best Fan Writer: Tansy Rayner Roberts, for body of work including reviews in Not If You Were The Last Short Story On Earth
- Best Fan Artist: Kathleen Jennings, for body of work including “The Dalek Game” and “The Tamsyn Webb Sketchbook”
- Best Fan Publication in Any Medium: The Writer and the Critic, by Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond
- Best New Talent: David McDonald
- William Atheling Jr Award for Criticism or Review: Tansy Rayner Roberts, for “Historically Authentic Sexism in Fantasy. Let’s Unpack That”
For more information…
Pittsburgh convention Confluence 25 has been cancelled due to a lack of hotel. Confluence selected a new hotel this year after their previous hotel raised their rates. Unfortunately, the new hotel has announced plans to close four days before Confluence’s scheduled dates. A quick look was unable to find an available hotel, so the committee has cancelled this year’s event and plans to continue the convention in 2014.
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The winner of the Arthur C. Clarke Award was announced during Sci-Fi-London 9: The Ninth Annual International Festival of Science Fiction and Fantastic Film. This year, the award included a prize of £2013. The winner is Chris Beckett for the novel Dark Eden.
For more information…
