The winners of the Aurora-Boréal, given out at the 30th Boréal convention in Montréal, were announced on May 5. The award honors speculative fiction works created by Canadians in French.
- Aurora-Boréal Award for Best Novel: Transtaïga, by Ariane Gélinas
- Aurora-Boréal Award for Best Short Fiction: “Le Chasseur,” [The Hunter] by Geneviève Blouin
- Aurora-Boréal Award for Best Related Work: Solaris, edited by Joël Champetier
- Boréal Award for Artistic and Audiovisual Achievement: Ève Chabot, for illustrations in the magazine Brins d’éternité
- Boréal award for Best Fan Publication: Brins d’éternité
- Boréal award for the one-hour writing contest at the convention (Professional): Geneviève Blouin for her short story “Trou noir de mémoire”
- Boréal award for the one-hour writing contest at the convention (Rising author): Dave Côté for his short story “Brouillard”
For more information…
Artist Dan Adkins (b.1937) died during the first week of May. When serving in the Air Force in the 1950s, he started the fanzine Sata as a way of getting rid of surplus funds each month. He later turned the zine over to his co-editor, Bill Pearson, but continued to provide illustrations for Amra, Vega, and Xero. In 1964, he got a job as Wally Wood’s assistant and went on to work on Doctor Strange, Aquaman, Batman, and numerous other titles for a variety of publishers, including more than 130 covers for Marvel.
The finalists for this year’s Locus Award, based on votes from Locus readers, have been announced. The winner will be announced in Seattle during the weekend of June 28-30, 2013.
Science Fiction Novel
- The Hydrogen Sonata, by Iain M. Banks
- Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance, by Lois McMaster Bujold
- Caliban’s War, by James S.A. Corey
- 2312, by Kim Stanley Robinson
- Redshirts, by John Scalzi
Fantasy Novel
- The Killing Moon, by N.K. Jemisin
- The Drowning Girl, by Caitlín R. Kiernan
- Glamour in Glass, by Mary Robinette Kowal
- Hide Me Among the Graves, by Tim Powers
- The Apocalypse Codex, by Charles Stross
Young Adult Book
- The Drowned Cities, by Paolo Bacigalupi
- Pirate Cinema, by Cory Doctorow
- Railsea, by China Miéville
- Dodger, by Terry Pratchett
- The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There, by Catherynne M. Valente
First Novel
- Throne of the Crescent Moon, by, Saladin Ahmed
- vN, by Madeline Ashby
- Seraphina, by Rachel Hartman
- The Games, by Ted Kosmatka
- Alif the Unseen, by G. Willow Wilson
Novella
- “In the House of Aryaman, a Lonely Signal Burns,” by Elizabeth Bear
- On a Red Station, Drifting, by Aliette de Bodard
- After the Fall, Before the Fall, During the Fall, by Nancy Kress
- “The Stars Do Not Lie,” by Jay Lake
- The Boolean Gate, by Walter Jon Williams
Novelette
- “Faster Gun,” by Elizabeth Bear
- “The Girl-Thing Who Went Out for Sushi,” by Pat Cadigan
- “Close Encounters,” by Andy Duncan
- “Fake Plastic Trees,” by Caitlín R. Kiernan
- “The Lady Astronaut of Mars,” by Mary Robinette Kowal
Short Story
- “The Deeps of the Sky,” by Elizabeth Bear
- “Immersion,” by Aliette de Bodard
- “Mantis Wives,” by Kij Johnson
- “Elementals,” by Ursula K. Le Guin
- “Mono No Aware,” by Ken Liu
Anthology
- After, edited by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling
- The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Twenty-ninth Annual Collection, edited by Gardner Dozois
- The Future Is Japanese, edited by Nick Mamatas & Masumi Washington
- Edge of Infinity, edited by Jonathan Strahan
- The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year: Volume Six, edited by Jonathan Strahan
Collection
- The Best of Kage Baker, by Kage Baker
- Shoggoths in Bloom, by Elizabeth Bear
- At the Mouth of the River of Bees, by Kij Johnson
- The Unreal and the Real: Selected Stories Volume One: Where on Earth and Volume Two: Outer Space, Inner Lands, by Ursula K. Le Guin
- The Dragon Griaule, by Lucius Shepard
Magazine
- Asimov’s
- F&SF
- Tor.com
- Clarkesworld
- Subterranean
Publisher
- Tor
- Subterranean Press
- Orbit
- Baen
- Angry Robot
Editor
- John Joseph Adams
- Ellen Datlow
- Gardner Dozois
- Jonathan Strahan
- Ann & Jeff VanderMeer
Artist
- Donato Giancola
- Stephan Martiniere
- John Picacio
- Shaun Tan
- Michael Whelan
Non-Fiction
- An Exile on Planet Earth, by Brian Aldiss
- Science Fiction: The 101 Best Novels 1985-2010, edited by Damien Broderick & Paul Di Filippo
- Distrust That Particular Flavor, by William Gibson
- The Cambridge Companion to Fantasy Literature, edited by Edward James & Farah Mendlesohn
- Some Remarks, by Neal Stephenson
Art Book
- Spectrum 19: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art, edited by Cathy Fenner & Arnie Fenner
- Trolls, by Brian Froud & Wendy Froud
- Tarzan: The Centennial Celebration, by Scott Tracy Griffin
- J.R.R. Tolkien: The Art of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, edited by Wayne G. Hammond & Christina Scull
- Steampunk: An Illustrated History, by Brian J. Robb
For more information…
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…
