28 January 2005

Quill Awards Announced
NBC has announced the creation of the Quill Awards to be given out to books in fifteen categories including science fiction/fantasy/horror and graphic novel. The Quill nominees will be selected by bookseller and librarian subscribers to Publishers Weekly and the slate drawn from books reviewed in Publishers Weekly over the course of a year. The nominees will be announced in August and the public will be able to vote on their favorites from August 15 to September 15. The awards will be presented in a televised show in October.

Adams Honored
Science fiction author Douglas Adams has joined the list of individuals with asteroids named after him. Asteroid 2001 DA42 has been renamed for Adams in part because the original designation referenced Adams's year of death (2001), his initials (DA) and the number 42, which he popularized in the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. The day Adams died, an asteroid was named in honor of his character, Arthur Dent.

Obituary
German author and editor Walter Ernsting (b.1920) died on January 15. Ernsting co-founded the long-running Perry Rhodan science fiction series in 1961. The majority of Ernsting's fiction was published under the name Clark Darlton. During World War II, he was drafted into the Wehrmacht and spent time in Norway and on the Eastern front before being captured and sent to Siberia as a POW. Ernsting's first novel was Ufo am Nachthimmel

25 January 2005

Oscar Nominations
The nominations for the 2005 Academy Awards were announced on January 25. Only categories with films of genre interest are listed below. The awards will be presented on February 27 in a telecast hosted by Chris Rock.

Actor in a Leading Role
Don Cheadle in Hotel Rwanda
Johnny Depp in Finding Neverland
Leonardo Dicaprio in The Aviator
Clint Eastwood in Million Dollar Baby
Jamie Foxx in Ray

Actress In A Leading Role
Annette Bening in Being Julia
Catalina Sandino Moreno in Maria Full Of Grace
Imelda Staunton in Vera Drake
Hilary Swank in Million Dollar Baby
Kate Winslet in Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind

Animated Feature Film
The Incredibles
Shark Tale
Shrek 2

Art Direction
The Aviator
Finding Neverland
Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events
The Phantom Of The Opera
A Very Long Engagement

Costume Design
The Aviator
Finding Neverland
Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events
Ray
Troy

Film Editing
The Aviator
Collateral
Finding Neverland
Million Dollar Baby
Ray

Makeup
Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events
The Passion Of The Christ
The Sea Inside

Music (Score)
Finding Neverland
Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban
Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events
The Passion Of The Christ
The Village

Music (Song)
"Accidentally In Love" - Shrek 2
"Al Otro Lado Del Río" - The Motorcycle Diaries
"Believe" - The Polar Express
"Learn To Be Lonely" - The Phantom Of The Opera
"Look To Your Path (Vois Sur Ton Chemin)" - The Chorus

Best Picture
The Aviator
Finding Neverland
Million Dollar Baby
Ray
Sideways

Sound Editing
The Incredibles
The Polar Express
Spider-Man 2

Sound Mixing
The Aviator
The Incredibles
The Polar Express
Ray
Spider-Man 2

Visual Effects
Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban
I, Robot
Spider-Man 2

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
Before Sunset
Finding Neverland
Million Dollar Baby
The Motorcycle Diaries
Sideways

Writing (Original Screenplay)
The Aviator
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind
Hotel Rwanda
The Incredibles
Vera Drake

Lambda Literary Awards Finalists
Although Lambda Award for Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender Writing is presented in numerous categories, only the science fiction category is listed below.

Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror
Firelands, by Michael Jensen
Shadow of the Night: Queer Tales of the Uncanny and Unusual, edited by Greg Herren
The Ordinary, by Jim Grimsley
The Wizard of Isis, by Jean Stewart
With Her Body, by Nicola Griffith

Rowling Birth
J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter Series, gave birth to a daughter on Janaury 23. This is Rowling's third child. Her oldest daughter, Jessica, is eleven and helped inspire her to write Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Her son, David is 22 months old. The new baby's name has not yet been announced.

Razzie Nominations
In addition to the Oscar nominations, the 25th Annual Razzie nominations were announced today to warn against horrible filmmaking. In addition to the standard categories, this year will feature Razzies for a 25 year retrospective.

Worst Picture
Alexander
Catwoman
Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2
Surviving Christmas
White Chick

Worst Actor
Ben Affleck in Jersey Girl and Surviving Christmas
George W. Bush in Fahrenheit 9/11
Vin Diesel in Chronicles Of Riddick
Colin Farrell in Alexander
Ben Stiller in Along Came Polly, Anchorman, Dodgeball, Envy and Starsky & Hutch

Worst Actress
Halle Berry in Catwoman
Hilary Duff in Cinderella Story and Raise Your Voice
Angelina Jolie in Alexander and Taking Lives
Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen in New York Minute
Shawn & Marlon (The Wayans Sisters) in White Chicks

Worst Screen Couple
Ben Affleck & either Jennifer Lopez or Liv Tyler in Jersey Girl
Halle Berry & either Benjamin Bratt or Sharon Stone in Catwoman
George W. Bush & either Condoleezza Rice or His Pet Goat in Fahrenheit 9/11
Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen in New York Minute
The Wayans Brothers (in or out of Drag) White Chicks

Worst Supporting Actress
Carmen Electra in Starksy & Hutch
Jennifer Lopez in Jersey Girl
Condoleezza Rice in Fahrenheit 9/11
Britney Spears in Fahrenheit 9/11
Sharon Stone in Catwoman

Worst Supporting Actor
Val Kilmer in Alexander
Ah-Nuld Schwarzenegger in Around The World In 80 Daze
Donald Rumsfeld in Fahrenheit 9/11
Jon Voight in Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2
Lambert Wilson in Catwoman

Worst Director
Bob Clark for Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2
Renny Harlin and/or Paul Schrader for Exorcist 4: The Beginning
"Pitof" for Catwoman
Oliver Stone for Alexander
Keenan Ivory Wayans for White Chicks

Worst Remake or Sequel
Alien V Predator (20th Century-Fox)
Anacondas: Hunt For The Blood Orchid (Screen Gems)
Around the World In 80 Daze (Disney)
Exorcist 4: The Beginning
Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed

Worst Screenplay
Alexander, Written by Oliver Stone, Christopher Kyle and Laeta Kalogridis
Catwoman, Written by Theresa Rebeck and John Brancato & Michael Ferris and John Rogers
Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2, Written by Steven Paul and Gregory Poppen
Surviving Christmas, Written by Deborah Kaplan & Harry Elfont and Jeffrey Ventimilia & Joshua Sternin
White Chicks, Written by Keenan & Shawn & Marlon Wayans and Andy Mcelfresh, Michael Anthony Snowden and Xavier Cook

Special "Worst Of Our First 25 Years" Awards

Worst Razzie Loser Of Our First 25 Years
Kim Basinger (With 6 Nominations Total)
Angelina Jolie (With 7 Nominations, including 2 for 2004)
Ryan O'neal (With 6 Nominations Total)
Keanu Reeves (With 7 Nominations Total)
Ah-Nuld Schwarzenegger (With 8 Nominations, including 1 for 2004)

Worst 'Drama' Of Our First 25 Years
Battlefield Earth (2000)
The Lonely Lady (1983)
Mommie Dearest (1981)
Showgirls (1995)
Swept Away (2002)

Worst 'Comedy' Of Our First 25 Years
Adventures Of Pluto Nash (2002)
The Cat In The Hat (2003)
Freddy Got Fingered (2001)
Gigli (2003)
Leonard Part 6 (1987)

Worst 'Musical' Of Our First 25 Years
Can't Stop The Music (1980)
From Justin To Kelly (2003)
Glitter (2001)
Rhinestone (1984)
Spice World (1998)
Xanadu (1980)

23 January 2005

Aurealis Awards
The Aurealis Awards were presented in Brisbane, Australia on January 22. The awards recognize achievement by Australians in speculative fiction.

Peter McNamara Convenors' Award: Cat Sparks
Novel, Science Fiction: Come to Daddy, by Brendan Duffy
Novel, Fantasy: (tie) Catabolic Magic, by Richard Harland and Weavers of Twilight, by Louise Katz
Novel, Horror: The Last Days of Kali Yuga, by Paul Haines
Novel, Young Adult: Singing my Sister Down, by Margo Lanigan
Novel, Children's: Beneath the Surface, by Gary Crew and Stephen Woolman
Short Story, Science Fiction: "Less Than Human," by Maxine McArthur
Short Story, Fantasy: "The Crooked Letter," by Sean Williams
Short Story, Horror: "The Black Crusade," by Richard Harland
Short Story, Young Adult: "Midnighters," by Scott Westerfeld
Short Story, Children's: "How to Live Forever," by Colin Thompson

BSFA Awards Nominations
The British Science Fiction Association has named the short list for the BSFA. The awards will be presented on Saturday 26 March 2005 in a ceremony at the Eastercon, Paragon 2, which will be held in Hinckley, Leicestershire. All members of Eastercon and BSFA members are eligible to vote.

Best Novel:
Century Rain, by Alastair Reynolds
Forty Signs of Rain, by Kim Stanley Robinson
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke
Newton's Wake, by Ken MacLeod
River of Gods, by Ian McDonald
Stamping Butterflies, by Jon Courtenay Grimwood

Best Short Fiction:
"Delhi," by Vandana Singh
Mayflower II, by Stephen Baxter
"Point of No Return," by Jon Courtenay Grimwood
"The Faery Handbag," by Kelly Link
"The Wolf-man of Alcatraz," by Howard Waldrop

Best Artwork:
"Iguana," by Sebastiao Salgado
"Millau Bridge," by Eric Cabanis
Cover of Newton's Wake, by Stephan Martiniere
Cover of The Algebraist, by NASA
Cover of The Year of Our War, by Edward Miller

National Book Critics Award Finalists
The finalists for the National Critics Award have been named. The awards, presented in five categories, will be announced on March 18. Books of genre interest were named in the fiction category, listed below.

Fiction
The Dew Breaker, by Edwidge Danticat
The Line of Beauty, by Alan Hollinghurst
Cloud Atlas, by David Mitchell
Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson
The Plot Against America, by Philip Roth,

New News Editor at Chronicle
Ian Randal Strock has been named the new News Editor for Chronicle: SF, Fantasy, and Horror's Monthly Trade Journal. Strock welcomes any news for includion in Chronicle.

Sci-Fi Overdrive Changes Channel
Sci-Fi Overdrive, which has been broadast on Business Talk Radio Network is being transferred to sister station Lifestyle Talk Radio Network. Beginning Friday, January 28, Sci-Fi Overdrive will air on LTRN Friday nights from midnight to 2 SM Eastern time as well as on BTRN on Monday from 1am-4am.

21 January 2005

Gaiman at Nebulas
Neil Gaiman will be the toastmaster at the 2005 Nebula Awards to be held in Chicago from April 28-May 1. The weekend will include a one day seminar on legal issues in conjunction with the Illinois State Bar Association, an SFWA in the City reception focusing on science fiction in Chicago, a tour of Argonne and Fermilab, the Nebula banquet and awards, and two mass autographing sessions. For more information, see http://www.sfwa.org/awards/2005.

Stan Lee Wins
Marvel writer and editor Stan Lee, who is responsible for a large number of Marvel's iconic characters, has won a court case against Marvel in which a judge determined that Lee is entitled to 10 percent of profits that Manhattan-based Marvel made from movies, television shows and toys that use the company's characters. The judgment settles a lawsuit filed by Lee in 2002.

Changes at Wildside
John Betancourt has announced that Wildside Press will change it focus to more pulp-related projects and contemporary science fiction instead of the classic reprints it has been doing. In connection with this change, Alan Rodgers has left Wildside following several months of discussion with Betancourt.

Auctions
Jason Williams of Nightshade Books is holding an auction on Ebay through January 23 to help with a cash flow problem: http://tinyurl.com/5cjh4. Meanwhile, Clarion east is also holding an auction to help with funding since the Michigan State University cut its funding a couple of years ago. The auction will begin on January 28 and can be previewed at http://www.msu.edu/~clarion/auction/auctionpreview.html.

Magazine Publication Suspended
Paizo Publishing, which previously announced its magazine Amazing was going on hiatus, has now announced that Amazing, along with Undefeated will have their publication suspended. Paizo hopes to revive both titles and no automatic cancellations or transfers of subscriptions will take place, although subscribers may request those actions.

Fossils Unearthed
Scientists from Indiana University have uncovered the fossils of nine ancestors to humans, Australopithicus ramidus, at a location in Ethiopia. The species is one of the oldest forerunners to humans, more akin to chimpanzees than modern humans. The fossils, which are 4.5 million years old indicate that A. ramidus walked uprigth and ate a plant-based diet.

Martian Meteorite Discovery
The discovery of a meteorite on Mars by the Rover Opportunity has led to a variety of new lines of inquiries for astronomers. The specimen, named Heat Shield Rock, would be the first meteorite discovered on an extraterrestrial body. Its presence may lead to new information about Martian surface processes.

Call for Papers
The Department of Philosophy at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario, has issued a call for papers for an academic conference entitled "The Uses of the Science Fiction Genre: An Interdisciplinary Symposium" to be held October 20-22, 2005. Robert J. Sawyer will be the conference's featured speaker.

Obituaries
Swedish author Sven Christer Swahn (b.1938) died on January 15. Swahn was the author of numerous novels and six collections. His writing covered a variety of areas and he also translated the works of authors like Philip K. Dick, Ursula Le Guin, and Brian Aldiss into Swedish.

Actress Virginia Mayo (b.1920) died on January 17 of pneumonia and heart failure. Best known for her roles as Danny Kaye's love interest in his MGM films, she eventually appeared in a few minor genre movies including "The Haunted" and "Evil Spirits."

17 January 2005

Obituary
Anthony Sterling Rodgers (b.2004) died in an accident on January 11. Anthony was the new-born son of Alan Rodgers and Amy Sterling Casil. Alan was injured in the same incident and is in the hospital, although the doctors do not know how long he will be staying there. All projects Alan has been working on for Wildside Press should be considered to be on hold.

15 January 2005

Huygens Lands on Titan
The Huygens space probe safely landed on Titan on January 14 and began transmitting images of the moon, Saturn's largest and the only moon in the solar system with an atmosphere.

Editorial Move
Jim Minz has announced he will be leaving Tor books and taking a position as an editor at Del Rey Books. His last day at Tor will be on January 21, and he'll begin work at Del Rey one week later.

Obituary
Author Kelly Goldberg, who wrote as d.g.k. goldberg, died of cancer on January 14. Goldberg published the novel Skating on the Edge. Goldberg also published numerous short stories in various anthologies. She was diagnosed with cancer in late 2004.

13 January 2005

Deep Impact Launches
NASA launched the Deep Impact probe on January 12. The probe is expected to make rendezvous and impact with Comet Tempel I on July third. The impact is expected to make a crater 14 stories deep and 300 feet in diameter. The comet is nine miles long by three miles wide. Scientists expect to be able to watch the impact through telescopes around the Pacific Ocean. Shortly after launch, the craft went into safe mode, although it is not believed to be a major malfunction.

Mammals Ate Dinosaurs
Scientists in China have announced the discovery of a 130 million year old mammal fossil that shows remains of a dinosaur in its belly, indicating that mammals may have hunted dinosaur despite previous belief. The Repenomamus robustus was two feett long while the dinosaur, a Psittacosaurus, was five inches long. Another Repenomamus found at the site is the largest early mammal found to date.

SAG Nominations
The Screen Actors Guild has announced the nominations for the eleventh annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, to be presented on February 5. Categories with nominees of genre interest are listed below.

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Don Cheadle in "Hotel Rwanda"
Johnny Depp in "Finding Neverland"
Leonardo Dicaprio in "The Aviator"
Jamie Foxx in "Ray"
Paul Giamatti in "Sideways"

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Annette Bening in "Being Julia"
Catalina Sandino Moreno in "Maria Full Of Grace"
Imelda Staunton in "Vera Drake"
Hilary Swank in "Million Dollar Baby"
Kate Winslet in "Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind"

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Thomas Haden Church in "Sideways"
Jamie Foxx in "Collateral"
Morgan Freeman in "Million Dollar Baby"
James Garner in "The Notebook"
Freddie Highmore in "Finding Neverland"

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
The Aviator
Finding Neverland
Hotel Rwanda
Million Dollar Baby
Ray
Sideways

Obituary
Bollywood actor Amrish Puri (b.1932) died of a brain hemorrhage on January 12. Puri is best known to Western audiences for his role as the evil Mola Ram in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom." Most of his more than 200 films were made in India, beginning in 1971 with "Reshma Aur Shera." At the time of his death, he was working on the film "Mumbai Express."

12 January 2005

Sapphire Nominees Announced
The Science Fiction Romance newsletter has announced the nominees for the Sapphire Award. Nominations were made, by the newsletter's subscribers and selected, by a panel of five judges.

Best Novel
Day of Fire, by Kathleen Nance
Dead to the World, by Charlaine Harris
Heart Duel, by Robin D. Owens
Jane's Warlord, by Angela Knight
Raven's Shadow, by Patricia Briggs
The Scarlet Empress, by Susan Grant

Best Short Fiction
"Dead Girls Don't Dance," by MaryJanice Davidson
"The Night Owl," by Emma Holly
"Originally Human," by Eileen Wilks
"Stained Glass Heart," by Catherine Asaro
"The Trouble with Heroes," by Jo Beverly
"Winter Born," by Sherrilyn Kenyon
"Winterfair Gifts," by Lois McMaster Bujold

11 January 2005

Critics Choice Awards
The tenth annual Critics Choice Awards were presented on January 10. Categories in which films of genre interest won are listed below.
Best Animated Feature: The Incredibles
Best Family Film: Finding Neverland
Best Popular Movie: Spider-Man
Best Young Actor: Freddie Highmore in Finding Neverland

10 January 2005

Author Stabbed
British science fiction author and dentist Roger Levy was stabbed by Ismail Dogan, a former mental patient, on December 23 while the Dogan was on a rampage. Five people were injured and one killed in the attack. Levy, the author of Dark Heavens and Reckless Sleep, was last reported in stable condition, although the wounds were life threatening at one time.

Philip K. Dick Nominees
The 2004 Philip K. Dick Award nominees were announced. The award recognizes works originally published in paperback and is presented by the Philadelphia SF Society at Norwescon, to be announced on Friday, March 25 at the Doubletree Seattle Airport Hotel, SeaTac, Washington..
The Coyote Kings of the Space-Age Bachelor Pad, by Minister Faust
Stable Strategies and Others, by Eileen Gunn
Life, by Gwyneth Jones
Apocalypse Array, by Lyda Morehouse
Air, by Geoff Ryman
City of Pearl, by Karen Traviss
Banner of Souls, by Liz Williams

SFRA Graduate Award
Peter Briggs has announced that Melissa Colleen Stevenson won the Graduate Paper Award from the 2004 SFRA Conference held in Skokie, Illinois.

CascadiaCon Student Science Fiction and Fantasy Contest
The 2005 Student Science Fiction and Fantasy Contest sponsored by the Baltimore Worldcon 1998, Inc. and CascadiaCon is now open. All entries must be postmarked by March 31, 2005. Contest rules are available at http://www.bucconeer.worldcon.org/contest/2005Contest.pdf. The winners, finalists and semi-finalists will be honored at CascadiaCon, the 2005 NASFiC.

People's Choice Awards Announced
Works of genre interest which received awards at the People's Choice Awards on January 9 ar elisted below.
Comedy motion picture: "Shrek 2"
Animated motion picture: "Shrek 2"
Favorite sequel: "Shrek 2"
Animated movie star: Donkey in "Shrek 2" (voiced by Eddie Murphy)
Movie villain: The Fairy Godmother in "Shrek 2" (voiced by Jennifer Saunders)

Obituary
Fan Anna Vargo died early in the morning on January 9. Vargo had been ill for some time. In October, she underwent surgery for cancer. Vargo was a west coast fan who was a long-time convention attendee.

7 January 2005

Jennifer Garner Injured
Alias actress Jennifer Garner had bowed out of a publicity tour for her new film Elektra causing speculation she may have been pregnant, although her publicist stated she was suffering from a virus. It turns out that she suffered some nerve damage performing a stunt for the television show "Alias." She is recuperating and expected to be able to resume her full schedule in the near future.

Directors Guild Nominations
The Directors Guild has announced the nominees for the annual Directors Guild Award, to be presented in Los Angeles on January 29.
Clint Eastwood for "Million Dollar Baby"
Marc Forster for "Finding Neverland"
Taylor Hackford for "Ray"
Alexander Payne for "Sideways"
Martin Scorses for "The Aviator"

Dog Writers Nominations
The 2004 nominations for the Dog Writers Association of America has announced nominations in 52 categories. The categories with nominees of genre interest are listed below.

Short Fiction
"The Healer," by Emelise Baughman
"Sergeant Chip," by Bradley Denton
"Help Me Make it Through the Night," by Lexiann Grant-Snider
"A Christmas to Remember," by Kristina Jacobs
"Losing Lexi," by Meri Weiss

Book: Fiction
Bride and Groom, by Susan Conant
Sirius, edited by Martin Greenberg and Alexander Potter
Autumn Leaves, by Annie Smith

5 January 2005

Producers Guild Nominations
The Producers Guild has announced the nominations for their annual award, to be presented on January 22. The only category with nominations of genre interest is the motion picture award, listed below.

Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award (for Theatrical Motion Pictures)
Finding Neverland
Million Dollar Baby
Sideways
The Aviator
The Incredibles

Romantic Times Critics Choice Nominations
The Romantic Times has announced the nominations for its critic's choice awards. The awards include several categories which cross the border from romance to science fiction and fantasy and the nominees in those categories are listed below.

Best Science Fiction Novel:
A Lunatic Fear, by Barbara Chepaitis
The Child Goddess, by Louise Marley
Apocalypse Array, by Lyda Morehouse
Califia's Daughters, by Leigh Richards
Angel-Seeker, by Sharon Shinn

Best Fantasy Novel:
The Mountain's Call, by Caitlin Brennan
Heat Stroke, by Rachel Caine
Dead Witch Walking, by Kim Harrison
The Buried Pyramid, by Jane Lindskold
Alphabet of Thorn, by Patricia McKillip

Best Epic Fantasy Novel:
Elegy for a Lost Star, by Elizabeth Haydon
Fool's Fate, by Robin Hobb
Shield of the Sky, by Susan Krinard
The Fairy Godmother, by Mercedes Lackey
Wellspring of Chaos, by L.E. Modesitt
The Firebird's Vengeance, by Sarah Zettel

Obituary
Humphrey Carpenter (b.1946) died on January 4. Carpenter was a scholar who wrote J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography in 1977. Carpenter was given complete access to Tolkien's papers as well as interviews with family and friends.

4 January 2005

Nebula Preliminary Ballot Announced
The preliminary ballot for the Nebula Awards have been announced. The membership of SFWA will vote on these and decrease each category to five items. The Nebula juries may then add up to one additional item per category. The Nebulas will be awarded during the Nebula Weekend in Chicago from April 28-May 1.

Novels:
Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, Cory Doctorow
Omega, Jack McDevitt
Perfect Circle, Sean Stewart
Conquistador, S.M. Stirling
The Knight, Gene Wolfe

Novellas:
Walk in Silence, Catherine Asaro
Off on a Starship, William Barton
Time Ablaze, Michael A.Burstein
The Tangled Strings of the Marionettes, Adam-Troy Castro
Sergeant Chip, Bradley Denton
Arabian Wine, Gregory Feeley
The Cookie Monster, Vernor Vinge
The Green Leopard Plague, Walter Jon Williams
Just Like the Ones We Used to Know, Connie Willis

Novelettes:
Zora and the Zombie, Andy Duncan
Paying It Forward, Michael A. Burstein
Basement Magic, Ellen Klages
The Voluntary State, Christopher Rowe
Dry Bones, William Sanders
The Gladiator's War: A Dialogue, Lois Tilton

Short Stories:
The Strange Redemption of Sister Mary Anne, Mike Moscoe
Travels With my Cats, Mike Resnick
Embracing-The-New, Benjamin Rosenbaum
Shed Skin, Robert J. Sawyer
In the Late December, Greg van Eekhout
Aloha, Ken Wharton

Scripts:
The Incredibles, Brad Bird
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Charlie Kaufman & Michel Gondry
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson

4 January 2005

Baker Arrested for Drunk Driving
Actor Kenny Baker, who is best known for his work inside R2-D2 from the Star Wars series, was arrested for drunk driving on December 17. When Baker refused a breath test, he was locked into a cell for two hours until a doctor performed a blood test. Baker says he was unable to take the breath test because his asthma would not permit it. Baker has stated that the blood tests will exonerate him.

Birth
Belfast fans Mark McCann and Elaine Campbell became the parents of a baby boy on December 30. Rowan was born at 9:23 pm and weighed 8 pounds, 12 ounces.

Obituaries
Los Angeles fan Michael Mason (b.1960) died unexpectedly near the end of 2004. He was found on the evening of January 3 when friends entered his apartment after growing concerned over him. Mason served as the librarian for LASFS and chaired Loscon in 2002.

Comic book artist Will Eisner (b.1917) died on January 3 following heart bypass surgery. Eisner created "The Spirit" in 1940. He received the 1995 Milton Caniff Lifetime Achievement Award and the 1998 Reuben Award as cartoonist of the year from the National Cartoonists Society. Eisner was instrumental in established the graphic novel in the 1970s.

2 January 2005

Obituary
Award winning artist Frank Kelly Freas (b.1922) died in the morning of January 2. Freas was the artist guest of honor at Torcon III in 2003, but was unable to attend the convention after suffering a fall. His career spanned several decades during which he produced numerous iconic covers and illustrations, perhaps the best known for Fredric Brown's "Martians, Go Home." Freas was the recipient of ten Hugos and a retro-Hugo as well as three Chesley, five Locus and a Skylark Award. He was an official NASA artist and created the mission patch for Skylab-1.