30 March 2004

Awards presented at the ICFA
The William L. Crawford Award and the Distinguished Scholarship Award were presented at the International Conference of the Fantastic in the Arts.
William L. Crawford Award for best new fantasy novelist to K.J. Bishop, author of The Etched City
Distinguished Scholarship Award to Spanish translator and editor Marcial Souto

Obituaries
Actor Sir Peter Ustinov (b.1921) died in Switzerland of heart failure on March 28. Although best known for his non-genre work in such historical epics as "Quo Vadis" and "Spartacus," Ustinov also appeared in "Logan's Run," "Blackbeard's Ghost" and "Around the World in Eighty Days." He provided the voice for Prince John and King Richard in Disney's animated "Robin Hood." He received a knighthood in 1990 and served as Chancellor of the University of Durham since 1992. He also served as an ambassador for UNICEF.

Actress Jan Sterling (b.1921) died on March 26. Sterling got her start in the film Tycoon in 1947. Nine years later, she portrayed Julia in the original film version of George Orwell's "1984." She received an Academy Award nomination in 1955 for her role in "The High and the Mighty."

British actor Hubert Gregg (b.1914) died on March 29 at his home. Gregg portrayed Prince John in the 1952 film "The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men" and went on the reprise the role in the 1955 television series "The Adventures of Robin Hood." In 2002, he received an MBE and in his later years worked as a radio announcer for BBC Radio 2 on the show "Thanks for the Memory" since 1972. He composed several songs and published two novels.

28 March 2004

Bradbury Honored
A tribute to Ray Bradbury will be held at the California ScienCenter in Los Angeles on April 3. Guests include Buzz Aldrin, Harlan Ellison and William Shatner. The event, which is open to the public, will include dinner, cocktails, and both live and silent auctions. Ticket prices begin at $300, but if you mention Locus, you can receive a 50% discount. Call (866) 976-8776 to make reservations.

Another Moon
Earth has acquired a wayward asteroid as a moon. Asteroid 2003 YN17, was apparently captured in 1996 and will orbit the Earth until 2006. In addition to the Moon, the earth is also orbited by Cluithne and asteroid 2002 AA29. Cluithne, and the two asteroids usually follow a strange horseshoe orbit, but occasionally will or orbit Earth for brief periods. 2002 AA29 is not expected to move into an Earth orbit again for another 500 years.

NASA Sets Speed Record
NASA has set a new air speed record by launching a jet that can attain speeds up to 5000 miles per hour, or seven times the speed of sound. The unmanned jet was launched from a Pegasus booster rocket and then plunged into the Pacific Ocean, as planned. The jet reached a height of 100,000 feet during the test.

Obituary
Author Katherine Lawrence, who was reported missing to Tucson police last week, was found dead by a group of hikers along the San Pedro River on March 27. Police place the time of death around sunset on March 25. Lawrence was the chairwoman of the Nebula Novel Jury in 2003. In addition to writing science fiction short stories, Lawrence wrote for the television show "Hypernauts," "Conan the Adventurer," the "Dungeons and Dragons" animated series, and many other series. Prior to 1990, Lawrence wrote under the name Kathy Selbert.

27 March 2004

James White Finalists
The finalists for the 2003-4 James White Award have been announced. The award is presented to a non-professional writer and is named in honor of the late James White. The award ceremony will be taking place at Concourse, the 2004 Eastercon, in Blackpool, on the weekend of the 9th to 12th April. This year's judges include Lois McMaster Bujold, Michael Carroll, Peter F Hamilton, Chris Priest, and David Pringle.
"One Sick Vampire," by Tim .P. Keating
"Growing Pains," by Brenden Whelan
"Lost Things Saved in Boxes," by Deirdre Ruane
"The Big Dave Special," by Matthew G Nelson
"The Tale of Pol Krage," by John Garrison

Phobos Award Winners
Publisher Phobos has announced the winners of the third Annual Phobos Fiction Contest. An anthology of the winning stories will be published in Fall 2004. The winners were selected by a jury which included Orson Scott Card, Jeanne Cavelos, Doug Chiang, Ken Perlin, Stanley Schmidt, and Eleanor Wood.
"And Cry the Name of David," by Virginia Baker
"Golden Town," by Daniel Conover
"The Big Shot," by Susan Fry
"The Man Who Murdered Himself," by Nancy Fulda
"The Second Chance of Cleavon Little," by Eric Griffin
"Dissident," by Julie Hyzy
"Veil of Ignorance," by David Barr Kirtley
"Earl Billings and the Angels of the Lord," by James Maxey
"Two Rooms and All the Electricity You Can Eat," by M.T. Reiten
"The Walls Within," by Lane Robins
"The Man Who Moved the Moon," by Eric James Stone
"All the Rage This Year," by David Walton

24 March 2004

Faan Awards
The Faan Awards were presented at Corflu during the weekend of March 19. In addition to the Faan Awards, the Guest of Honor for the convention was selected and next year's location was set as San Francisco in February.
Best Fanzine: Trapdoor
Best Fanwriter: Gordon Eklund
Best Fan Artist: Steve Stiles
Best Fan Humorist: Andy Hooper
Best New Fan: Pete Young
Special Fan Achievement: Bill Burns for efanzines.com
Corflu GoH: Ted White

22 March 2004

DUFF Campaign Underway
The DUFF Race to bring a fan from Australia or New Zealand to North America is underway with three candidates: Norman Cates, Erika Maria Lacey, and Danny Oz (neé Heap). Anyone who was involved in fandom prior to January 1, 2003 may vote by paying the US$4 or A$6 voting fee. Ballots must be received by May 1, 2004. For ballots or more information, go to http://www.duff2004.com.

Ordover to Phobos
John J. Ordover has been named Editor-in-Chief of Phobos Books. Ordover has spent the last fifteen years as Executive Editor at Pocket Books/Simon & Schuster, where he worked closely on the Star Trek line as well as non-Star Trek novels. Phobos began publishing in 2002 with the anthology Empire of Dreams and Miracles: The Phobos Science Fiction Anthology, edited by Orson Scott Card and Keith Olexa.

Magazine Launch
Continuum Science Fiction will launch this year as a print magazine, with three issues scheduled. Bill Rupp is the publisher and editor of the magazine which will have an emphasis on adventure. In the announcement of the magazine, Rupp cited the works of John W. Campbell, Jr., Robert A. Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Theodore Sturgeon, Murray Leinster, Lester Del Rey, Hal Clement, and Robert Silverberg to indicate the stype of work he is looking for.

Sarcophagus Unveiled
The sarcophagus of Rameses VI (1143-1136 BCE) has been pieced together from more than 250 fragment and has been placed on permanent display in the tomb of the Pharaoh. Ten Egyptian, American and Canadian experts spent two years on the reconstruction. Rameses VI was the fifth Pharaoh of the XX Dynasty.

EPPIE and Quasar Awards
The Electronically Published Internet Connection has announced the winners of the 2004 EPPIE and Quasar Awards. The EPPIEs are given for the finest electronically published books of the year and the Quasar is given for superior achievement in cover art.

EPPIE Winners:
Action/Adventure: The Mayan Glyph, by Larry Baxter
Anthology: Cosmic Sculpture, by Terri Branson
Children's: My Sister, the Ghost #1: Twin Again, by Linda Joy Singleton
Contemporary Romance: Summer Heat, by J.A. Clarke
Erotica: Holding the Cards, by Joey Hill
Fantasy: Dayspring Destiny, by Jeanine Berry
Fantasy/Paranormal/Science Fiction Romance: Just Believe, by Anne Manning
Historical: Challenge the Wind, by Debra Tash
Historical Romance: The Hungry Heart, by Elise Dee Beraru
Horror, Dance with the Dragon, by E.F. Watkins
Inspirational: All We Want for Christmas, by Polly Bolack
Mystery: Triple Threat, by Elizabeth Dearl
Non-Fiction–Philosophy: Aniko: The Stranger Who Loved Me, by Dr. Bob Rich
Non-Fiction–Self-Help: Millennium Moms Cooking on the Run, by Jamie Gardiner
Poetry: Brush Country, by Barri Bryan
Romantic Suspense: Judging Ellie, by Catherine Snodgrass
Science Fiction: The Friends, by Rick Sutcliffe
Single Title/Mainstream: e-ville, by K.T. Morgan
Thriller: A Flash of Emerald, by J.M. Taylor
Western: Shiloh, by Dusty Rhodes
Young Adult: McClellan's Bluff, by Mary Trimble

Quasar Award:
Best in Category–Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, and Paranormal Romance: Sometime, Somewhere, by JoLynne Hansen
Best in Category–Historical and Western: Windchance, by Ardy M. Scott
Best in Category–Horror: Graverobbers Wanted (No Experience Necessary) by Darrell King
Best in Category–Mainstream, Single-Title, Nonfiction and Poetry: Wild Nature, by Ed Janssen
Best in Category–Mystery, Suspense, Action-Adventure, and Thriller: Eyes of Betrayal, by Trace Edward Zaber
Best in Category–Romance, Contemporary Romance and Horror Romance: Lady of Two Lands, by Ariana Overton
Best in Category–Science Fiction & Science Fiction Romance: Macroscope, by Ariana Overton
Best in Category–Children's & Young Adult: Sambini, the Vegetarian Tiger, by ETS Design

New Russian Spacecraft
A reusable spacecraft which can hold up to six passengers, double the capacity of the current Soyuz spacecrafts, is being developed by the Russian Space Agency. The new spacecraft, to be called "Clipper," will have a launch weight of 14.5 tons, twice the weight of a Soyuz. Plans call for the vehicles to be used twenty-five times before being retired. Energiya expect to produce the first Clipper in 2009.

Return of the Doctor
The BBC has announced a revival of the "Doctor Who" television series in 2005. The Doctor will be portrayed by Christopher Eccleston, the ninth actor to portray the character in the television series. Eccleston, a classically trained actor, has previously had a bit role in the science fiction film "eXistenZ."

Allen Telescope
Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen has donated 13.5 million dollars to the California-based SETI Institute to help create an array of more than 200 radio telescopes for use in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. The plan calls for the array to eventually consist of more than 350 telescopes.

A New Resurrection
Horror Film "Dawn of the Dead" has unseated "The Passion of the Christ" as the number one film in the United States over the weekend of March 19-21. "The Passion of the Christ" had been in the number one slot since its premiere three weeks earlier, when it unseated "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" as the highest grossing film for a first weekend for a film opening on a Wednesday.

Italia Awards
The 2004 Italia Awards for best SF published in Italy were presented on 13 March at ITALCON 30/DeepCon 5 in Fiuggi, Italy. The winners were chosen by a jury of fans and members of World SF Italia.
Best Novel: Clipart, by Elisabetta Vernier
Best International Novel: Inversions, by Iain M. Banks
Best Artist: Giuseppe Festino
Best Comics Artist: Leo Ortolani
Best Editor: Silvio Sosio
Best Translator: Flora Staglianò
Best Short Story: "Effetto CRX" by Silvio Sosio and Luigi Pachì
Best Essay: "Enciclopedia della Fantascienza in TV 2", by Aleksandar Mickovic, Marcello Rossi, Nicola Vianello
Best Short Essay: "Sembrano sapere dove stanno andando. Note su fantascienza americana e diritti umani," by Salvatore Proietti
Best Book Collection: Urania Best Magazine: Corriere della Fantascienza
Best Fanzine: Alpha Quadrant
Best Website: HyperTrek by Luigi Rosa www.hypertrek.info
Best Fannish Short Story: "Modding X treme" by Elisabetta Vernier
Best Fannish Short Essay: "Temponauti e pasticcioni" by Lanfranco Fabriani

Obituaries
Fan Dave Gipe died of an heart attack while walking with his wife, Tish. Gipe was active in the SCA and ran a LARP for several years.

SCA member Maggie Warner has died. Warner, known as Gwendolyn of the Copper Beaches, was from the Oklahoma City area.

18 March 2004

Near Earth Asteroid Approach
A 100-foot asteroid will pass within 26,500 miles of the Earth tonight (March 18), marking the closest approach ever recorded. The asteroid was first spotted on March 15 and poses no danger to the planet. The approach of 2004 FH will occur at 1708 EST (GMT-5) and should be visible to southern observers through binoculars as it streaks over the South Atlantic.

Obituary
Actress Mercedes McCambridge (b.1918) died of natural causes on March 2. McCambridge did voice work in "The Exorcist" and "Amazing Stories" as well as guest appearances on "Lost in Space" and "Bewitched." She got her start as a radio performer before making her screen debut in 1949 as Sadie Burke in "All the King's Men," for which she received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar. She received a second nomination in that category in 1957 for Giant.

17 March 2004

Ditmar Nominations Announced
The 2004 Ditmar Nominations have been announced. The Ditmars will be presented at Conflux in Canberra the weekend of April 23-26. The Ditmars recognize excellence in Australian science fiction and fantasy. They were founded in 1969.

Professional Categories
Novel - Any work of science fiction, fantasy or horror of more than 40,000 words
The Etched City, K J Bishop, Prime Books
The High Lord, Trudi Canavan, Harper Collins
Abhorsen, Garth Nix, Allen & Unwin
Fallen Gods, Jonathon Blum & Kate Orman, Telos
Orphans of Earth, Sean Williams & Shane Dix, Harper Collins

Novella or Novelette - Any work of science fiction, fantasy or horror of 7,500 to 40,000 words
Alien Space Nazis Must Die, Chuck McKenzie (Elsewhere)
Sigmund Freud & the Feral Freeway, Martin Livings (Agog!)
Louder Echo, Brendan Duffy (Agog!)
Uncharted, Leigh Blackmore (Agog!)
Rynemonn, Terry Dowling (Forever Shores)
La Sentinelle, Lucy Sussex (Southern Blood)

Short Story - Any work of science fiction, fantasy or horror less than 7,500 words
The Mark of His Hands, Chuck McKenzie (Orb 5 April)
The Singular Life of Eddy Dovewater, Deborah Biancotti, Agog!
Kijin Tea, Kyla Ward, Agog!
Room for Improvement, Trudi Canavan, Forever Shores
The Truth About Pug Roberts, Kirstyn McDermott, Southern Blood
Frozen Charlottes, Lucy Sussex, Forever Shores

Collected Work - Any collection of science fiction, fantasy or horror (anthology, magazine, journal, ezine or webzine) which must pay contributors in other than contributor copies and incidentals, or is sponsored by an institution other than a fan club, or the editors of which declare the work to be professional
Agog! Terrific Tales-, Cat Sparks, Agog! Press
Elsewhere, Michael Barry, CSFG Publishing
Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine, ASIM Publishing Cooperative
Southern Blood, Bill Congreve, Sandglass Enterprises
Forever Shores, Peter McNamara & Margaret Winch, Wakefield Press

Best Artwork - An artwork is a single work or a series of related works of art in any medium other than text
Axis Trilogy cover by Greg Bridges (written by Sara Douglass)
Elsewhere cover by Les Petersen (edited by Michael Barry)
Agog! Terrific Tales cover by Cat Sparks (edited by Cat Sparks)
The High Lord cover by Les Petersen (written by Trudi Canavan)
Fables & Reflections 5 cover by Trudi Canavan (edited by Lily Chrywenstrom)

Fannish Categories
Fan Writer - For a work or body of work. The writer must have not received any payment other than contributor copies or incidentals
Bruce Gillespie
Edwina Harvey
Danny Oz (nee Heap)
Grant Watson
Paul Ewins

Fan Artist - For a work or body of work. The artist must have not received payment other than contributor copies or incidentals
Les Petersen, Battle Elf (Conflux) poster
Dick Jenssen, Extensive body of work
Phil Wlodarczyk, Cartoons in Ethel the Aardvark
Miriam English, Diverse Universe

Fan Production - For work in any medium. The author or artist must not have received payment other than contributor copies or incidentals
Swancon 2003 Opening Ceremony & Video, Swancon 2003 Committee
Spaced Out website, Geoff & Miriam
Elsewhere Book Launch, CSFG The Mega Panel, Aaron Jacks & Mitch (Continuum 2003)
Mondys's Perfect Match, Ian Mond (Continuum 2003)

Fanzine - For work in any medium. The writer or artist must not have received payment other than contributor copies or incidentals. Eligible works include, but are not limited to, a periodical, journal, ezine or webzine
The Australian SF Bullsheet, Edwina Harvey & Edwin Scribner
Three-Eyed Frog, Paul Ewins & Sue Ann Barber
Fables & Reflections, Lily Chrywenstrom
Dark Animus, James Cain
No Award, Russell B Farr
Fandom is my life, Danny Oz (nee Heap)

Special Award Categories
Special Awards recognize outstanding achievements in science fiction, fantasy or horror not eligible in the existing categories. The William Atheling Jr. Award - For the writing or editing of criticism or review pertaining to the genres of science fiction, fantasy and horror
Bruce Gillespie
Jonathan Strahan
Lee Battersby
Jason Nahrung
Grant Watson

Best New Talent - For excellence of professional achievement in any field of the genre by an individual who has not been nominated for a professional award three or more years before the year the award is held. An individual is only eligible for two consecutive years
K J Bishop
Ben Peek
Brendan Duffy
Glenda Larke
Anna Tambour
Monica Carroll

17 March 2004

The Magazine That Would Not Die
Paizo Publishing has announced that beginning in July, they will relaunch Amazing Stories. Amazing Stories was founded in 1926 by Hugo Gernsback and is widely considered to be the first science fiction magazine. Amazing has died and been brought back to life several times, most recently in an incarnation by Wizards of the Coast which attempted to appeal to media fans as well as its more traditional audience. Paizo is offering a special charter subscription rate at their website, www.paizo.com.

And the Bookstore That Would
Avenue Victor Hugo Bookstore, which opened in Boston in 1975, has announced it will be closing its doors in May. A 50% off sale will begin on April 1. Avenue Victor Hugo was a used book store and named the best used bookstore in Boston in 2003 by Boston Magazine.

Obituaries
William H. Pickering (b.1910) died on March 15 of pneumonia. Pickering spent 22 years as head of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He oversaw the launch of Explorer I, the USA's first satellite, as well as the Mariner flybys of Venus and Mars. He was also in charge of the Ranger lunar landers. Pickering was born in Wellington, New Zealand.

Computer programmer John W. Seybold (b.1915) died on March 14. Seybold was a pioneer in computerized typesetting and is credited with firs applying the term "What You See Is What You Get," later WYSIWYG to computerized layouts. Before Seybold's work, page and line breaks, as well as other typesetting features, needed to be added manually.

15 March 2004

New Russian Space Agency Chief
Russian President Vladimir Putin appointed Col. Gen. Anatoly Perminov to head the Russian Space Agency in a surprise move on the eve of the Russian elections. When Yuriy Koptev announced his retirement last year, Nikolay Moiseyev was tagged as the favorite to replace him. This appointment may indicate a move by the Russians to strengthen the military aspect of their space program. Until the United States begins flying shuttles in 2005, NASA relies on the Russian Space Agency to launch personnel and supplies to the International Space Station.

New Planetoid Announced
NASA has announced the discovery of a new planetoid beyond Pluto. The object, tentatively called Sedna, is believed to be about 2,000 kilometers in diameter, which makes it larger that 2004 DW. Still smaller than Pluto, at 2320 kilometers, Sedna was discovered by Mike Brown, Chad Trujillo and David Rabinowitz on November 14, 2003 and given the designation 2003 VB16. It has an orbit of about 10,500 years and its highly elliptical orbit varies from 850AU and 76AU. Sedna is believed to be the first object to be discovered within the Oort Cloud.

14 March 2004

TAFF Race Underway
The 2004 TAFF (Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund) race has begun. The fund, established in 1953 to bring North American fans to Europe and European fans to North America, will be bringing European fans to the US for Noreascon this year. This year's race is between Swedish fan Anders Holmström and Irish fan James Bacon. The voting deadline is June 5. Ballots and platforms can be found at:
http://www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/SF-Archives/Taff/taff2004.html.

Stephenson Named Toastmaster
Author Neal Stephenson has been named toastmaster for this year's Nebula Awards banquet, to be held in Seattle, Washington on April 17. A mass autographing will be held in conjunction with the Nebula Weekend on April 16 at the Barnes & Noble at Pacific Place.

Robot Race Finishes Early
A race sponsored by the United States Defense Department in the Mojave Desert ended without a winner on March 13. The department was offering a million dollar prize to the first robot-driven car to complete a 150 mile course within a ten-hour time frame. Fifteen vehicles entered, most of which traveled less than a mile before getting entangled in obstacles. The favorite, a converted Humvee, managed to go nearly seven and a half miles before snapping an axle.

Obituary
Jon White (b.1946) died from a cerebral hemorrhage on March 12. White published the fanzine Inside beginning in 1962, taking over the fanzine from Ron Smith. White also co-edited the Riverside Quarterly with Leland Sapiro. In more recent years, he worked as a bookseller.

10 March 2004

CascadiaCon Names Science Guest
Marc Abrahams has been named Science Guest of Honor for CascadiaCon, the 2005 North America Science Fiction Convention (NASFiC). Abrahams is the editor and founder of the Annals of Improbable Science, which presents the annual Ig Nobel Award.

Charles L. Grant Diagnosed
Horror author Charles L. Grant has been diagnosed with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). As a result, and probably for the rest of his life, he will rely on bottled oxygen to live. A medical fund has been established to help with the cost of Grant's treatment.

Spectrum Awards Announced
The winners of the eleventh annual Spectrum Awards were announced in Kansas City on February 29. The winners will be published in Spectrum 11 this fall.
Advertising: Gold Award: René Milot "The Pearl Fishers"
Advertising: Silver Award: William Stout "The Tanagra Theater"
Book: Gold Award: David Bowers "Twig Man" cover to The Darkest Part of the Woods by Ramsey Campbell
Book: Silver Award: Greg Swearingen cover to Deep Wizardry by Diane Duane
Comics: Gold Award: Stephan "Cricket" Martiniere "Para 2" cover
Comics: Silver Award: Phil Hale Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #168 cover
Dimensional: Gold Award: Thomas S. Kuebler "Cletus and Shorty Play Checkers"
Dimensional: Silver Award: Thomas S. Kuebler "The Puppeteer"
Editorial: Gold Award: Michael Gibbs "Blink"
Editorial: Silver Award: Peter de Sève "Pan"
Institutional: Gold Award: Todd Schorr "An Alien in the Land of Make Believe
Institutional: Silver Award: Brian Despain "Piscis Ex Machina"
Unpublished: Gold Award: Raymond Swanland "The Forgotten Mountain"
Unpublished: Silver Award: Patrick Arrasmith "Bagan"
Grand Master Award (presented by the Spectrum Board): Michael Whelan

Obituary
Mel Hunter (b.1929) died on February 20 of bone cancer. Hunter was an artist whose work appeared on magazine covers beginning in 1953. He produced a series of robot covers for the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.

9 March 2004

Obituaries
Actor Paul Winfield (b.1941) died of an heart attack on March 7. Winfield appeared in the film "Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan," "The Terminator," and "Mars Attacks!" and did voice work for the television series "Spider-Man" and "Gargoyles."

Fan Dee Willis died on March 8. Willis chaired the 2003 World Horror Convention in Kansas City. During her time as chair, she suffered from a massive coronary and hospital stays.

8 March 2004

Return of the King Release Date
The theatrical release of "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" on DVD and video has been announced for May 25. The extended version will be released later in the year, although an exact date has not yet been announced.

Atmosphere May Have Caused Beagle Loss
British scientists now believe that the cause of the loss of the Beagle 2 lander on Mars was a result of the atmosphere not being as dense as expected. The scientists said that the lander approached the planet too quickly for its parachutes to effectively activate. The Beagle was lost on December 25, 2003. American scientist also report that the atmospheric density of Mars was less than expected for the landing of the Spirit Rover in January.

Hobbit May Or May Not Be Made
Although Peter Jackson has announced his intentions to film "The Hobbit" following his release of a remake of "King Kong," production on the film may be delayed while New Line Cinema and MGM work out legal difficulties. New Line has secured the rights to make the film, but MGM owns the distribution rights.

Jarrold to Freelance Edit
John Jarrold, who previously was the editor at Earthlight, has announced that he is starting a freelance book editing service. Jarrold will work with authors to hone their manuscripts for submission to publishing houses. Rates are £100/$180 for the first four chapters and synopsis, up to 25,000 words; £350/$650 for a full typescript, up to 100,000 words (rates are negotiable above 100,000 words). Interested parties can inquire of Jarrold at j.jarrold@btopenworld.com.

King Dethroned
In the weekend when "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" received Oscars in all eleven categories, it was dethroned as the holder of the record for highest grossing first weekend for a film released on a Wednesday by the film "The Passion of the Christ." The film continued to do well and at the end of its second week has still brought in more than "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" had brought in at a similar point.

Dune Continues
Brian Hebrert and Kevin J. Anderson have signed a contract for two additional Dune novels based directly on the outline for a seventh Dune novel by Frank Herbert before his death. The contract also calls for the publication of a compendium of previously unpublished chapters from Dune and Dune Messiah, and a variety of short stories set in the Dune universe.

5 March 2004

High Hallack Contents Sold
High Hallack, Andre Norton's library for writers, will be closing. The contents of the library are currently being sold off to private collectors. On March 6 and 7, from 10-4, the remaining contents will be sold to the public for $2 for hardcovers or .50c for paperbacks. The proceeds of the sale will help found a scholarship for young writers. High Hallack is at 114 Eventide Drive, Murfreesboro, TN 37130

Asimov Stamp
The Stamp Development program of the United States Postal Service is currently considering issuing a stamp with the likeness of Isaac Asimov sometime after 2006. Americans can write letter in support of this proposal to Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee, C/O Stamp Development, 475 L'Enfant Plaza, SW Room 5670, Washington, D. C. 20260-2437

Obituary
British fan and author Peter Garratt (b.1949) died on March 2 after collapsing during a meal. Garratt published several short stories in Interzone and also published in Asimov's and Odyssey.

3 March 2004

Mars Wet Enough for Life
NASA scientists announced on March 2 that the rover Opportunity has landed in a region of the planet which at one time "liquid water once drenched the surface." This discovery means that the planet had a "good, habitable environment," although not necessarily life of any sort. The rover had detected evidence of sulfates and other minerals that form in the presence of water.

Comet Chaser Launches, Finally
The European Space Agency successfully launched its Rosetta Spacecraft on Tuesday, March 2, following multiple delays. The Rosetta will rendezvous with Comet 67P/Churymov-Gerasimenko in 2014 and release a lander.

Narnia On Film
Walt Disney has struck a deal with Walden Media to co-finance and distribute "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" based on C.S. Lewis's popular novel. The film, which will be directed by Andrew Adamson, is scheduled to be released at Christmas in 2005 and has a budget of $100 million. If the film performs well, Disney plans to film the remaining six books in the series.

Obituary
Playright Jerome Lawrence (b.1915) died on February 29. Lawrence was the co-author of the play "Inherit the Wind," based on the Scopes Monkey Trial of 1925. The play focused on the debate between science and religion in its examination of the teaching of evolution. The play was adapted for multiple television and film productions. Lawrence also wrote the play "Auntie Mame," which was turned into the film "Mame." Lawrence helped found Armed Forces Radio when he served during World War II.

2 March 2004

Lord of the Rings in Concert
Academy Award winner Howard Shore, who won Oscars for Best Score and Best for "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" and Best Score for "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowshop of the Ring," has announced that he will conduct a Toronto Symphony Orchestra in a performance of excerpts from the films. The piece will be scored for a 100 piece orchestra and 100 member choir. The piece will be performed at the Hollywood Bowl.

Razzies Inflicted
Even as fantasy films did well at the Oscar, the night before, they were practically shut out at the Razzies, given for Hollywood's worst. Ben Affleck took home a Razzie, in part, for his role in Daredevil, Sylvester Stallone received a Razzie for his roles in Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over, and "The Cat in the Hat" received a Razzie in the newly created Worst Excuse for an Actual Movie category. The complete losers are:
Worst Picture: "Gigli" (Sony-Columbia/Revolution) produced by Casey Silver & Martin Brest
Worst Actor: Ben Affleck / "Daredevil," "Gigli," and "Paycheck"
Worst Actress: Jennifer Lopez / "Gigli"
Worst Supporting Actor: Sylvester Stallone (Playing 5 roles, all badly!) "Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over"
Worst Supporting Actress: Demi Moore / "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle"
Worst Screen Couple: Ben Affleck & Jennifer Lopez / "Gigli"
Worst Excuse for an Actual Movie (All Concept/No Content!) (New Category): "The Cat-In-The-Hat"
Worst Remake or Sequel: "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle"
Worst Director: Martin Brest / "Gigli"
Worst Screenplay: "Gigli", written by Martin Brest
Governor's Award for Distinguished Under-Achievement in Choreography: Travis Payne for his work on "From Justin To Kelly"

Obituary
Comic Book inker Rudy Lapick died on February 27. Lapick inked numerous Archie and Marvel Comics in the 1950s.

1 March 2004

Fantasy Sweeps Oscar
Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" won Academy Awards in all eleven categories in which it was nominated, including Best Director and Best Picture. It is the first time a genre film has won Best Picture. With the film's eleven wins, it tied "Titanic" and "Ben-Hur" for the most Oscars won. Below are the results in all categories which had genre films nominated:
Best Picture: "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"
Best Actor: Sean Penn
Best Director: Peter Jackson: "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"
Best Original Screenplay: Sophia Coppola: "Lost in Translation"
Best Adapted Screenplay: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson: "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"
Best Film Editing: James Selkirk: "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"
Best Score: Howard Shore: "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"
Best Sound Editing: Richard King: "Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World"
Best Sound Mixing: Christopher Boyes, Michael Semanick, Michael Hedges and Hammond Peek: "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"
Best Make-Up: Richard Taylor & Peter King: "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"
Best Visual Effects: Jim Rygiel, Joe Letteri, Randall William Cook and Alex Funke: "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"
Best Song: "Into the West," by Fran Walsh and Howard Shore and Annie Lennox "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"
Best Animated Short Film: "Harvie Krumpett"
Best Costume Design: Ngila Dixon & Richard Taylor: "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"
Best Animated Feature: "Finding Nemo"
Best Art Direction: Grant Major, Dan Hennah & Alan Lee: "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"

Laurie Marks Injured
Author Laurie J. Marks was injured on February 24 when the porch she was standing on collapsed, dropping her eight feet. She suffered a broken leg, cracked ribs and a fractured vertebra. She underwent surgery on her leg on February 26 and the doctors say there will be no lasting head or spinal cord damage. Donations to the Laurie Marks Medical Fund may be made at http://www249.pair.com/klages/lauriemarksfund.html.

SF Hall of Fame Inductees
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame has announced its inductees for 2004. Entering the Hall this year will be Harry Harrison and Brian Aldiss, along with posthumous inductees E. E. "Doc" Smith and Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. The SF Hall of Fame was established in 1996. The induction ceremony will take place at the Campbell Conference in Lawrence, Kansas, on July 9th. After this year, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame will be incorporated in to the Experience Science Fiction Museum, opening in Seattle in June, and be renamed the Science Fiction Hall of Fame.