Filed in Authors, Awards, Conventions, Fan | Steven H Silver, February 23, 2012 10:47 pm | Comments (0)
Tags: Bob Deveny, Boskone, Gaughan, NESFA, Sharon Lee, Skylark, Steve Miller
At Boskone 49, the weekend of February 17-19, this year’s recipients of the Skylark award was announced. The Skylark Award is presented for significant contributions through work in the field of science fiction and by exemplifying the personal qualities which made the late “Doc” Smith well-loved by those who knew him. The Gaughan Award is presented to an emerging artist and no winner was announced this year. In addition, a new Fellow of NESFA was named.
Skylark Award: Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
Gaughan Award: no winner announced
Fellow of NESFA: Bob Devney
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Jane Yolen and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators have created a grant for mid-list authors to recognize those who “struggle to remain true to their personal vision and craft.” The first winner, announced at the SCBWI’s annual conference, is Mary Whittington, author of The Patchwork Lady, Troll Games, and Winter’s Child. Whittington received a grant of $2,000.
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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.
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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.
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Filed in Authors, Obituary | Steven H Silver, February 4, 2012 11:11 pm | Comments (0)
Tags: Anthony Rye, Christopher Youd, Hilary Ford, John Christopher, Peter Graaf, Peter Nichols, Samuel Youd, Stanley Winchester, William Godfrey
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
