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Every day, items of interest to you arrive in our email. Our bi-monthly format doesn't lend itself to daily updates. However, this is a small inconvenience to our Contributing Editor Steven H Silver. He's begun this column which will fill you in on recent news in science fiction. We'll be updating the page as he sends in new items. Did you miss something? Have a look at last month's news page.
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DUFF (Down Under Fan Funds) Administrators Julian Warner (Australia) and Guy & Rosemary Lillian (US) have announced the opening of the nomination period for DUFF Candidates. This years candidates will travel from Australia/New Zealand to the United States to attend Noreascon IV in Boston. Fans who are interested in standing for DUFF should have three Australian/New Zealand fans and two North American fans nominate them, write a 100-word platform, and send a A$30 bond to Julian Warner by February 15. For more information, see the DUFF 2004 website at http://www.duff2004.com/.
Jedinapping
Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology's joint lab with the University of Colorado have created a new form of matter, known as a fermionate condensate. This is the sixth form of matter known, along with gas, solid, liquid, plasma, and Bose-Einstein condensate, the last created in 1995. Scientists hope the fermionate condensate will lead to the next generation of superconductors.
John Trimble Home from Hospital
NASA Holds Day of Remembrance
The Golden Duck Awards are presented by SuperConDuckTivity, the parent organization of Duckon. The awards honor excellence in Young Adult science fiction. Winners will be announced during Duckon in Lincolnwood, IL during the weekend of June 4-6. The awards will be formally presented at Noreascon 4 in Boston over Labor Day weekend.
Picture Books:
Eleanor Cameron Award Middle Grades:
Hal Clement Young Adult Award:
MidSouthCon Education Seminar
Obituaries
Baltimore fan Patrick Kelly, Jr. was found dead on January 27. He apparently suffered an heart attack while retrieving wood from his backyard for the fireplace. Kelly was a founding member of the Baltimore Science Fiction Society and served as Chair of Balticon 16 in 1982. At the time of his death, he was a member of the BSFS Board of Directors. Kelly was the founder and president emeritus of the Baltimore Metro Chapter of the National Space Society.
Fan Earl Cooley entered the hospital in Austin, Texas for multiple bypass surgery. Following his recuperation, he will be moving in with his family in Schertz, Texas.
Life, The Universe, and Everything Date Change
Oscar Nominations
Actor In A Leading Role
Animated Feature Film
Art Direction
Costume Design
Directing
Film Editing
Makeup
Music (Score)
Music (Song)
Best Picture
Sound
Sound Editing
Visual Effects
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
Writing (Original Screenplay)
Comics editor Julius Schwartz has been hospitalized following a fall at his home. Schwartz, who is best known for his involvement with Superman, was recently hospitalized for pneumonia. Upon returning home, he fell and had to return to the hospital. Schwartz, who is 89, has been living alone since the death of his wife, but may have to move into a senior residence upon his release.
Noreascon Rate Increase Deferred
Golden Globe Winners
Science Fiction at Sundance
Rings Takes Chicago
Razzie Nominations Announced
Worst Actor:
Worst Actress:
Worst Director:
Following the initial success of the Mars Spirit Rover, NASA lost contact with the probe on January 21. Loss of signal lasted nearly two days, and although signal has been regained, full communications with the robot has not yet been reestablished, although NASA believes it has a make-shift solution. During the period of non-communication with Rover, the European Space Agency received a signal from their Mars Express orbiter which indicated the discovery of water ice on the planet, the first firm evidence of water on Mars. The Mars Global Surveyor, which has been in Martian orbit since 1997, took photos of the Spirit's landing site which show the lander's parachute, bounce marks, and heat shield. NASA's Opportunity Rover successfully landed on Mars on January 25 and began sending pictures. Opportunity landed on the opposite side of Mars from Rover.
Obituaries
Chicago fan Patti Lonehawk died on January 24 following a lengthy series of illnesses. Lonehawk was a member of the Star Trek fan club Queen to Queen's Three and before her illness curtailed her activities, could often be seen behind their dealer's table at Chicago-area cons.
NASA has announced that several months ago, a Native American tracker discovered a sheaf of charred papers in a field in Texas. Unable to read the writing on the papers, he turned them in. The papers turned out to be pages from a diary maintained by Israeli astronaut Ilon Ramon during the ill-fated Columbia flight last year. Ramon's widow, Rona Ramon, identified her husband's hand-writing and the criminal investigation unit of the Israeli Police used advanced technological techniques to fill in the lacunae which were caused by holes and burns in the manuscript. A film about the diary will debut in Israel on February 1, the anniversary of the Columbia disaster.
Dick Judges Named
The 3rd Alternative Revises Schedule
Obituary
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This year's Annual Williamson Lectureship will take place on March 11 at the campus of Eastern New Mexico University. Founded twenty-eight years ago, this year's event will include guests Frederik Pohl and Robert Silverberg, who will discuss "Space Opera—Then and Now" at 7pm at a free lecture. In addition, there is a luncheon which costs $7, payable at the door. To reserve your place for lunch or for additional information, please contact Patrice Caldwell at 505-562-2315 or Patrice.Caldwell@enmu.edu.
Poe Toaster Gets Political
Producers Guild Awards
BAFTA Nominations
Film:
The David Lean Award for Achievement in Direction
Screenplay (Original)
Screenplay (Adapted)
Film Not in the English Language
Actor in a Leading Role
Actor in a Supporting Role
The Anthony Asquith Award for Achievement in Film Music
Cinematography
Editing
Production Design
Costume Design
Sound
Achievement In Special Visual Effects
Make Up & Hair
Orange Film of the Year
In the wake of President Bush's announcement of a new Mars initiative, NASA is scrubbing a maintenance mission to the Hubble Telescope. Without the 2005 mission, Hubble, which was to have operated through 2010, is expected to stop functioning in 2007, although it should remain in orbit until 2011. All remaining shuttle missions will be to the International Space Station and the shuttle fleet will be retired upon completion of the space station.
Although the Tolkien estate refused Peter Jackson permission to open a Tolkien museum in New Zealand to display the props used in the creation of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the estate did allow him to create a traveling exhibit. Currently in the Science Museum of London, from August through October, 2004, the exhibit will be houses at the Museum of Science in Boston. This will coincide with Noreascon IV, this year's worldcon. Between London and Boston, the exhibit will be on display at the Singapore Science Center in March. Following the Boston stay, the exhibit will travel to Sydney, after which it will be dismantled.
Daleks Returned
Hevelin Fractures Wrist
Wright Hospitalized
Obituary
Mary Anne Mohanraj has announced the formation of the Speculative Literature Foundation (www.speculativeliterature.org) to promote literary quality in speculative fiction. The organization plans on creating a comprehensive resource website for outreach to schools and libraries. In addition, they are instituting the SLF Fountain Award for excellence in short fiction. The winner, who will receive a $1,000 prize, will be announced on June 1.
2005 NASFiC Looking for 1961 Veterans
Obituary
Red Deer Press has announced Robert J. Sawyer Books, a new imprint. Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author Sawyer will edit the line, which will contain an introduction by Sawyer and plans to release at least three books each year. The first novel published by Robert J. Sawyer Books will be Letters from the Flesh, by Marcos Donelly. The book will be a hardcover appearing in May.
Call for Papers
Earthsea for Sci Fi
People's Choice Awards
Science Fiction Romance has announced the nominees for the 2003 Sapphire Awards, presented for best science fiction romance novels and stories. This year received more nominations than any previous year. The winners should be announced in the April newsletter of SFR.
Novel Length Fiction:
Short Fiction:
Not Just the Moon, but Mars
Fan Forrest J Ackerman surprised the American Cinematheque with a $153,000 donation, which allows Ackerman to name 153 seats at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. In 1925, Ackerman first saw "The Lost World" at the Egyptian. Among those being honored by Ackerman are Veronica Carlson, Lon Chaney, Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Vicent Price, Claude Rains, John Landis, Peter Lorre, Lon Chaney, Jr., Elsa Lancaster, Willis O'Brien, Marcel DelGado, Jack Pierce, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Isaac Asimov, Charles Beaumont, Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Richard Matheson, Ib Melchior, Olf Stapledon, Stanley G. Weinbaum, Frank R. Paul, Hannes Bok, Virgil Finlay, Josh Kirby, Hugo Gernsback, John W. Campbell, Jr., Horace L. Gold, Anthony Boucher, Rick Sneary, Julius Schwartz, Walt Willis, and Harry Warner, Jr..
Triffids Invade
Astronomers Find Solar Twin
Planet Heats Sun, Man Bites Dog
Obituary
The SFWA has announced the preliminary Nebula ballot. This ballot represents all works which received ten recommendations from SFWA members within twelve months of their initial publication. SFWA members will vote on which items will appear on the final ballot and the three Nebula juries will have the option of adding an additional item to each category.
Novels
Novellas (All five novellas have qualified for the final ballot)
Novelettes (All four novelettes have qualified for the final ballot)
Short Stories
Scripts (All four scripts have qualified for the final ballot)
Obituary
The Philip K. Dick Award is presented to a paperback original. This year's awards will be presented on April 9 at Norwescon 27 in Seattle. The award is sponsored by the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society and the award ceremony is sponsored by the NorthWest Science Fiction Society. This year's judges include Stephen L. Burns, Suzy McKee Charnas, Craig Jacobsen, Richard Parks, and Janine Ellen Young.  Altered Carbon, by Richard K. Morgan
Clade, by Mark Budz
Dante's Equation, by Jane Jensen
Hyperthought, by M. M. Buckner
Spin State, by Chris Moriarty
Steel Helix, by Ann Tonsor Zeddies
The Hobbit Faces Negotiations
The Clarke Award, which has been presented at the London Science Museum since 1996 has found itself looking for a new home after the museum has begun charging for space rental. In 2003, the rental was £1,000, being raised to £7,000 in 2004. From 1996 through 2002, the museum provided the space for free. The Clarke Award Administrators are currently looking for a new venue and plan to present the award in May.
Stardust Success
Spirit Lands on Mars
Poet Sought
Author Philip Pullman, who wrote the "His Dark Materials" young adult trilogy, will be awarded a CBE (Commander of the British Empire) in this year's New Year's Honours list. Cartoonist Ronald Searle is also on the list for a CBE. Actor Peter Postlethwaite, who appeared in Jurassic Park: The Lost World and Dragonheart, will receive an OBE (Order of the British Empire). |
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Steven H Silver is a four-time Hugo Nominee for Best Fan Writer and the editor of the anthologies Wondrous Beginnings, Magical Beginnings, and Horrible Beginnings (DAW Books, January, February and March, 2003). In addition to maintaining several bibliographies and the Harry Turtledove website, Steven is heavily involved in convention running and publishes the fanzine Argentus.
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