Horror author Clive Barker found himself in the hospital and a coma in late January after visiting the dentist. The dental visit released bacteria into Barker’s system leading to toxic shock and several days in intensive care.
Author Michael A. Burstein has announced the formation of an Exploratory Committee to consider seeking the Democratic nomination to represent Massachussett’s 4th Congressional District, currently represented by Barney Frank, who has announced his resignation at the end of his current term. Burstein, who has been nominated for 10 Hugo Awards, has served three terms as a trustee for the Brookline (MA) Public Library.
British fan and author Samuel Youd (b.1922) died on February 3. Youd, who published fiction under the name John Christopher among others, wrote “The Tripods” series and “The Sword of the Spirit” trilogy. He became active in fandom in the post-war years and began publishing fiction in 1949. He won the Guardian Award in 1971.
The Speculative Literature Foundation has announced that it is accepting applications for the 2012 Older Writers Grant. A grant of $750 is available to any writer of speculative literature older than 50 who is just beginning to work professionally in the field. Applications are due on March 31 with the winner announced on June 1.
The application deadline for Clarion West is March 1, although there will be a $10 discount for applications received before February 10. This year’s session will run from June 17 to July 27. Instructors will include Mary Rosenblum, Hiromi Goto, George R.R. Martin, Connie Willis, Kelly Link
and Gavin Grant, and Chuck Palahniuk.
Author Ardath Mayhar (b.1930) died on February 1. Mayhar, who won the Balrog Award for a poem that appeared in Masques 1. She wrote more than 60 novels, frequently using pseudonyms and spanning many genres. In the 1990s, Mayhar and her husband owned The View From Orbit Bookstore in Nacogdoches, Texas. In 2008, she was chosen by Science Fiction Writers of America as their Author Emeritus.
Genevieve Valentine’s debut novel Mechanique: A Tale of the Circus Tresaulti has been announced as the winner of the William L. Crawford Award. The Crawford Award is presented annually for a new fantasy author whose first book appeared during the previous year. It is presented at the International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts, which will be held this year from March 21-25 in Orlando, Florida.
Author Phyllis MacLennan (b.1920) died on January 8. MacLennan worked in Military Intelligence during World War II and began publishing science fiction in 1963 with the story “A Contract in Karasthan” in Fantastic. Her only science fiction novel, Turned Loose on Irdra, was published in 1970 and she published six more stories by 1980, including “Thus Love Betrays Us ,” which was reprinted in three different “Best of” collections.
SFWA has announced that the recipient of the Damon Knight Grandmaster Award will be Connie Willis. Willis will be honored during the 2012 Nebula Award Weekend in Arlington, Virginia the weekend of May 17-20, 2012. Willis is the author of Remake, Bellwether, Passage, and other novels and short stories. She has won 11 Hugos and 7 Nebulas, including both awards for her novels Doomsday Book, All Clear, Blackout, and the short story “Even the Queen.”
Italian author Carlo Fruttero (b.1926) died on January 15. Much of his work was done in collaboration with Franco Lucentini and the two men edited the science fiction magazine Urania from 1964 through 1985. The men also wrote science fiction, humor, and other genres. From 1972 to 1975 they also edited the comic Il Mago.