30 April 2005

Nebula Chat
There will be a live chat from the Nebula Awards, Saturday, April 30, starting at 6PM Central when the pre-dinner cocktail reception starts. Michael Erhart will be hosting. The awards will be sometime around 8:30. There are two basic ways to get to the Nebula Chat. One is to use by pointing your java-capable web browser to: http://www.sff.net/people/pff/chatpages/Nebulas.htm The other way to connect is via a dedicated IRC client on your computer. There will be staff available to help any folks who are unfamiliar with IRC.

25 April 2005

Psi-Phi Awards
The Psi-Phi Awards, given by the Psi-Phi website, recognize excellence in Star Trek fiction. The awards were announced on April 23 and 24.
Best Nonfiction Book: Just a Geek by Wil Wheaton
Best Series: post-finale Deep Space Nine fiction (represented by Cardassia: The Lotus Flower by Una McCormack and Andor: Paradigm, both in Worlds of DS9 Book 1), edited by Marco Palmieri
Best Cover: Tales of the Dominion War, art by John Blackford, design by John Vairo Jr.
Best Scene: the destruction of Lwaxana's home in "The Ceremony of Innocence is Drowned" by Keith R.A. DeCandido in Tales of the Dominion War
Best Miniseries: the A Time... series by John Vornholt, Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore, Robert Greenberger, David Mack, and Keith R.A. DeCandido, edited by John J. Ordover and Ed Schlesinger
Best Short Story: "The Ceremony of Innocence is Drowned" by Keith R.A. DeCandido in Tales of the Dominion War
Best New Character: Governor/President Nan Bacco, in A Time for War, a Time for Peace by Keith R.A. DeCandido
Best eBook: S.C.E. #44: Where Time Stands Still by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore
Best New Novelist: David Mack (A Time to Kill and A Time to Heal)
Best Novel: A Time for War, a Time for Peace by Keith R.A. DeCandido

Hall of Fame
Comic Book: The Modala Imperative by Michael Jan Friedman, Peter David, and Pablo Marcos, edited by Robert Greenberger
eBook: S.C.E. #23-24: Wildfire Books 1-2 by David Mack
Nonfiction Book: The Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual by Rick Sternbach & Michael Okuda
Cover: Dark Mirror, art by Keith Birdsong
Novel: Q-Squared by Peter David
Lifetime Achievement: Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens

Obituary
Sir John Mills (b.1908) died on April 23. The actor appeared in more than 100 films beginning in 1932. Some of his genre work included the title character in Quatermass and roles in Around the World in 80 Days and Frankenstein. In 1971, Mills received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his work in Ryan's Daughter. He was knighted in 1976.

Director George P. Cosmatos (b.1941) died during the third week of April. Best known for his work on Rambo: First Blood Part II, he also directed horror film Leviathan.

22 April 2005

EuroClarion
A European version of the venerable Clarion Writers Workshop is set to begin in 2007. Pat Cadigan, Liz Holliday, Leslie Howle, Gwyneth Jones, Farah Mendlesohn, Justina Robson, and Geoff Ryman are working to create the branch of the workshop which was begun by Damon Knight in 1968. Currently, the original Clarion has spawned a Clarion West and a Clarion South (the latter in Australia).

Shuttle News
Following the report that the return to flight for the space shuttle Discovery has been postponed for a week until May 22, NASA has now announced a loosening of standards for acceptable risk for the shuttle fleet. Despite this loosening of rules, the remaining shuttle fleet is considered safer than it has been in the past due to scores of upgrades since the disintegration of the Columbia on February 1, 2003.

DUFF Vote Changes
The final tally for this year's DUFF race have been amended after seven Australian ballots were discovered. The ballots were in the keeping of former DUFF delegate Julian Warner and not turned over to Norman Cates until after the deadline. The final totals for Australia are: Joe Siclari: 8, Chris Barkley: 2, Earl Kemp: 1. Totals are: Siclari: 65, Barkley: 19, Kemp: 1.

Going Down Under
A team of Ukrainian spelunkers have managed to set a record for descending the deepest into the Earth's crust at a depth of 2,080 meters. The achievement was made in the Krubera cave in Georgia. The team of nine carried more than five tons of equipment and intend to continue pushing the limit on future expeditions.

Obituary
Actress Ruth Hussey (b.1914) died on April 19. Best known for her role as photographer Liz Imbrie in The Philadelphia Story, Hussey also appeared in multiple episodes of "Science Fiction Theatre," including The Unguided Missile and 100 Years Young. Her first film was Madame X in 1937.

18 April 2005

New Doctor Named
The BBC has announced that David Tennant will replace Christopher Eccleston as Dr. Who in the second season of the new series. Tennant has previously appeared in "The Quatermass Experiment." In 2003, he provided voice work for the animated "Dr Who: Scream of the Shalka," in which he played the Caretaker.

Gunn Receives Collection
Amy and Gary Bennett of Philadelphia, have announced that they are donating an extensive collection of science fiction magazines dating back to the 1940s to the J. Wayne and Elsie M. Gunn Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas. The collection includes issues of Galaxy Science Fiction, Fantasy and Science Fiction, and Astounding Science Fiction, which is now known as Analog. The Bennetts chose the Gunn Center based on its reputation for preserving science fiction history.

Siclari Wins DUFF
Joe Siclari has been elected the 2005 DUFF candidate to represent North America with a trip to the 2005 Australian National SF Convention in Hobart, Tasmania. He defeated his competition, Chris Barkley with a total of 59-18 first place votes.

Phoenix and Rebel Awarded
The Phoenix Award for a science fiction author who have, at some point, resided in the South; whose professional work reflects on the South in a positive way; or who have demonstrated friendship with Southern fandom through support of regional fan activities and the Rebel Award for service to southern fandom were presented at DeepSouthCon. The Phoenix Award was given posthumously to Jack Chalker, who had been slated to be this year's DeepSouthCon toastmaster. The Rebel Award was presented to Naomi Fisher.

Obituary
Fan Bill Bowers (b.1943) died on the evening of April 17. Bowers was a long-time fanzine fan, who co-published Double Bill with Bill Mallardi in the 1960s. In the 1970s, he published Outworlds. Bowers was the Fan Guest of Honor at Iguanacon in 1978 and also chaired the short-lived Spacecon.

12 April 2005

Heinlein Award
The third annual Robert A. Heinlein Award will be presented to Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle at CascadiaCon, this year's NASFiC, in Seattle on September 4. The award is presented to recognize outstanding published work in hard science fiction or technical writings inspiring the human exploration of space.

Obituary
Author and fan John Brosnan (b.1947) was found dead in his flat, although the exact time and cause of death are unknown. Brosnan was the author of several science fiction novels, most recently Mothership. He published the fanzine Scab and also published fiction under the names Harry Adam Knight, Simon Ian Calder, and James Blackstone.

11 April 2005

Peter MacNamara Award Shortlist
The nominations for the Peter MacNamara Award have been announced. The award, sponsored by Altair, is presented for contributions to Australian SF and fantasy. It will be awarded at Thylacon in Hobart, Tasmania during the weekend of June 10-13.
Bill Congreve
Kate Eltham
Russell B. Farr
Robert N. Stephenson
Jonathan Strahan

Astrid Lindgren Award
British author Philip Pullman and Japanese illustrator Ryôji Arai shared the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. The awards will be presented on May 25 at Skansen in Stockholm by HRH Princess Victoria. This is the third year the award has been presented.

Arthur C. Clarke Awards
The First Arthur C. Clarke Awards for recognition of contributions to the advancement of space exploration have been presented. These are not to be confused with the Arthur C. Clarke Award given for fiction, although the new awards do have a written category. The awards were presented at the British Rocketry Oral History Programme annual conference.
Best Corporate Contribution: EADS Space
Best Individual Contribution: John Zarnecki
Best Student Contribution: Julia Tizard
Best Space Reporting: David Whitehouse
Achievement in Education: The National Space Science Centre
Inspiration Award: George Scoon
Best TV and Radio Presentation: Chris Riley : Space Odyssey - Journey to the Planets
Best Written Presentation: David A Hardy & Patrick Moore : Futures - 50 Years in Space
Outreach Award for the Public Promotion of Space: Colin Pillenger
Special Award: The British Interplanetary Society
Additional Award: Presented by the organizers to Sir Arthur Clarke, commemorating the 60th anniversary of his paper on global communication by satellite in the October 1945 edition of "Wireless World"

8 April 2005

Heinlein Collection
Meisha Merlin has announced plans to publish a definitive collection of Robert A. Heinlein's books, to be called "The Virginia Edition: The Definitive Collection of Robert A. Heinlein." The first book, I Will Fear No Evil, is scheduled for publication in the Fall of 2005, with subsequent books to follow every six weeks. The entire series will consist of 46 titles and be limited to a run of 5000 copies. No price has yet been set.

5 April 2005

TAFF Delegate Selected
Suzanne "Suzle" Tompkins has been selected as the TAFF Delegate to travel to Britain. She was victorious in a three-way race with Curt Phillips and Chaz Baden. A total of 186 votes were cast, with a final tally of Suzle: 83, Chaz: 57 and Curt: 35. Chaz was eliminated for not receiving 20% of the European vote and Curt was eliminated for not receiving 20% of the North American vote.

Filk Hall of Fame Inductees
Clif Flynt, David Hayman and Judith Hayman were inducted into the Filk Hall of Fame at FilkOntario over the weekend of April 1-3. The Filk Hall of Fame was established in 1995 with initial inductees Robert Asprin, Leslie Fish, and OffCentaur Publications. With this year's additions, there are 41 members of the Hall of Fame.

SESFA Nominations Deadline Extended
The deadline for the Southeastern Science Fiction Achievement Award nominations has been extended to April 30, 2005. SESFA honors accomplishments by individuals with ties to the Southern United States.

Writing Contest
Scifidimensions has announced a short fiction contest to be judged by Stephen L. Antczak and Bruce Gehweiler. Submission deadline is May 31, 2005. First prize will carry an award valued at more than $160. More information can be found at the scifidimensions website.

Girl Genius On Line
Studio Foglio has announced that beginning on April 18, it will move the main story of its quarterly magazine Girl Genius to a free three-times a week format online at http://www.girlgeniusonline.com. Annual print collections will be published for those who want the zine in a more permanent format.

Nickelodeon Awards
The 18th Annual Nickolodeon Kids Choice Awards were presented on April 2. Winners of genre interest are listed below.
Favorite Movie: The Incredibles
Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie: Will Smith ("Shark Tale")
Favorite Book: A Series of Unfortunate Events
Favorite Video Game: Shrek 2

4 April 2005

Stoker Nominees Announced
Winners will be presented at the HWA Annual Conference and Bram Stoker Awards banquet, to be held in Burbank, California, on June 25, 2005. In addition, the HWA has announced in advance this year's Lifetime Achievement Award Winner will be Michael Moorcock, and HWA's Specialty Press Award will be given to Delirium Books.

Novel
The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower, Stephen King
Deep in the Darkness, Michael Laimo
In the Night Room, Peter Straub
The Wind Caller, P. D. Cacek

First Novel
Black Fire, James Kidman
Covenant, John Everson
Move Under Ground, Nick Mamatas
Stained, Lee Thomas

Long Fiction
"Dead Man's Hand", Tim Lebbon
"Lisey and the Madman", Stephen King
"Northwest Passage", Barbara Roden
"The Turtle Boy", Kealan-Patrick Burke
"Zora and the Zombie", Andy Duncan

Short Fiction
"Guts", Chuck Palahniuk
"Hunting Meth Zombies in the Great Nebraskan Wasteland", John Farris
"Just Out of Reach", Gary Braunbeck
"A Madness of Starlings", Douglas Clegg
"Nimitseahpah", Nancy Etchemendy
"Singing My Sister Down", Margo Lanagan

Fiction Collection
100 Jolts: Shockingly Short Stories, Michael Arnzen
Demonized, Christopher Fowler
Fearful Symmetries, Thomas F. Monteleone
Fears Unnamed, Tim Lebbon
The Machinery of Night, Douglas Clegg

Anthology
Acquainted with the Night, Barbara & Christopher Roden, eds
The Many Faces of Van Helsing, Jeanne Cavelos, ed.
Quietly Now, Kealan-Patrick Burke, ed.
Shivers III, Richard Chizmar, ed.
The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Seventeenth Annual Collection, Ellen Datlow, Kelly Link & Gavin Grant, eds.

Non-Fiction
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Writing a Novel, Thomas F. Monteleone
Hanging Out with the Dream King, Joseph McCabe
Hellnotes, Judi Rohrig
Ralan.com, Ralan Conley
The Road to the Dark Tower, Bev Vincent

Illustrated Narrative
Aleister Arcane, Steve Niles
Graphic Classics: Robert Louis Stevenson, Tom Pomplun
Heaven's Devils, Jai Nitz
Lost Loves, James Lowder

Screenplay
Dawn of the Dead, James Gunn
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Charlie Kaufman, Michel Gondry & Pierre Bismuth
Hellboy, Guillermo Del Toro
Shaun of the Dead, Simon Pegg & Edgar Wright

Work for Younger Readers
Abarat: Days of Magic, Nights of War, Clive Barker
Oddest Yet, Steve Burt
Robot Santa: The Further Adventures of Santa's Twin, Dean Koontz
Witch Season: Fall, Jeff Mariotte

Poetry Collection
The Desert, Charlee Jacob
Men Are From Hell, Women Are From The Galaxy Of Death, Mark McLaughlin
Waiting My Turn to Go Under the Knife, Tom Piccirilli
The Women at the Funeral, Corinne De Winter

Alternative Forms
ChiZine, Brett Savory
The Devil's Wine, Tom Piccirilli
Flesh & Blood (magazine), Jack Fisher
The Goreletter, Michael Arnzen

Astronomers Photograph Extrasolar Planet
For the first time, astronomers have managed to take a picture of a planet in orbit around another star. The planet, believed to be about twice as massive as Jupiter, is in orbit around GQ Lupi, a Sol-type star at a distance of 150 AU. The planet is believed to take 1200 years to complete an orbit. GQ Lupi is about 400 light years away and is believed to be only one million years old.

NASA to Lose Hubble
NASA has announced that a recent review of servicing needs for the Hubble Space Telescope has prompted the agency to adopt the view that the only action to take with the telescope is to deorbit it. Although the telescopes batteries will probably survive until 2010, NASA believes the satellite will only be able to continue to perform good science through 2008. A date for deorbiting has not been announced.

1 April 2005

Who Will Be Who
Actor Christopher Eccleston has reportedly quit the television series Dr. Who after only a single episode aired. The first episode was seen by 10 million viewers and led the BBC to order a second season. Eccleston's episodes will air throughout 2005 with his last show airing around Christmas.

Obituary
Raelyn Moore (b.1928) died on February 27. Moore was the wife of science fiction author Ward Moore and an author in her own right, with stories appearing in F&SF, Orbit and other places. In 1978, she published the novel What Happened to Emily Goode After the Great Exhibition. She published a non-fiction book about the Wizard of Oz in 1974.