Author Daniel Pearlman (b.1935) died on February 18. Pearlman began publishing short fiction in 1988 and had stories appear in Amazing, Nemonymous, and several anthologies. His short fiction was collected in three collections between 1995 and 2011. In 2003, his only novel, Memini was published by Prime Books. Pearlman taught creative writing at the University of Rhode Island for 25 years
Science fiction fan and singer Janis Ian won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word on February 10 for the audio version of her autobiography Society’s Child: My Autobiography. She beat former President Bill Clinton, First Lady Michelle Obama, Rachel Maddow, and Ellen Degeneres to take home second Grammy Award (she has been nominated nine times). In addition to her music, Ian has written short stories and edited an anthology, has performed at the Nebula Awards and has attended the Worldcon multiple times.
Nancy A. Collins and others have called for a boycott of Dragon*Con, the Atlanta multi-media convention held over Labor Day weekend, due to shareholder Ed Kramer receiving a reported annual dividend from the company of more than $150,000. Kramer, a founder of the convention, was first arrested in 2000 on child molestation charges which have yet to come to trial.
SFWA has announced that it will rename the Service to SFWA Award presented during the Nebula Award Weekend in honor of Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. The Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. Service to SFWA Award will be presented to members for their outstanding work on behalf of the organization. O’Donnell, who died on November 7, 2012, received the award in 2005.
Edward E. Marsh has donated of the collection of science fiction and fantasy to San Diego State University’s Love Library. The first portion of the collection is valued at more than $2.25 million and contains movie props, original book cover art, literary contracts, and autographs. Most of the books are signed first editions. A new room to house the collection will be built.
Karin Tidbeck’s collection Jagannath: Stories 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.
Italian SF critic Antonio Caronia (b.1944) died on January 30. Caronia joined the Ambiguous Utopia, a Milanese science fiction group, in 1978. Caronia went on to publish several studies of science fiction, most notably Il Cyborg, and a biogrpahy of Philip K. Dick. He was responsible for translating several anglophonic authors into Italian, including the works of J. G. Ballard.
French editor Jacques Sadoul (b.1934) died on January 18. Worked as an editor for Editions Opta and J’ai Iu, working to bring Anglophonic science fiction to France as well as publishing French authors. He founded the Prix Apollo and also published Histoire de la science fiction moderne in 1973.
Author Steven Utley (b.1948) died on January 12, hours after lapsing into a coma. Utley had been battling cancer. A member of the Turkey City writers group, Utley has published numerous short stories an poems, many of which have been collected in book form. He has frequently collaborated with other Turkey City writers, including Howard Waldrop, Joseph F. Pumilia, Lisa Tuttle, and Michael Bishop. Utley and Waldrop were nominated for a Nebula Award for their collaboration
“Custer’s Last Jump.”
Science fiction author Steven Utley has lapsed into a coma. Utley was recently diagnosed with stage four cancer and a lesion on his brain. Utley, whose short fiction has been collected in five volumes, is one of the original members of the Turkey City writing group.