ANSIBLE(R) 422
SEPTEMBER 2022

From DAVID LANGFORD, 94 London Road, Reading, Berks, RG1 5AU, UK. Website
news.ansible.uk. ISSN 0265-9816 (print); 1740-942X (e). Available for SAE,
barbitide, or that bright moment where you learned your doom.

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### THE STAR PIT ###

OGHENECHOVWE DONALD EKPEKI, following heroic efforts by himself and fandom
at large, was all set to attend Chicon 8 as a multiple Hugo finalist --
only for the US Embassy in Nigeria, on the basis of an interview lasting
less than one minute, to refuse him a visa. Outrage ensued; many fans sent
pleas to US politicians. A surprise repeat interview on 29 August was
successful, with a last-minute visa issued. Then, thanks to the
incompetence of the travel agency TravelStart Nigeria, he missed his flight
and as _Ansible_ goes to press is waiting for another.... (Twitter,
_passim_)

ERIC FLINT's widow Lucille Robbins is closing down 1632 Inc., the holding
company for the shared world he created, which has an unsustainable load of
debt. 'We have not issued any new contracts for either Ring of Fire Press
or the Grantville Gazette since the day Eric died, and we cannot do so at
this time. If you have written a 1632 novel and published it through Ring
of Fire Press, you will likely be a creditor in the proposed bankruptcy of
1632, Inc. Reversion letters for rights to non-1632 works are being
prepared.' (Baen's Bar forum, 14 October) [MJL]

JAMES JOYCE is rarely credited as a science fiction prophet, but it seems
that he either predicted a major subfandom decades in advance or was
translating from the original Klingon: 'All the time he kept on treasuring
with condign satisfaction each and every crumb of trektalk, covetous of his
neighbour's word ...' (_Finnegans Wake_, 1939) [JH]

VONDA MCINTYRE (1948-2019) made a surprise appearance as an Alternate
History Novel finalist in the US Dragon Con's 2021-2022 Dragon Awards, with
_The King's Daughter_ -- a 2021 film-tie reissue of her 1997 fantasy _The
Moon and the Sun_, which won a Nebula as best novel in 1998.

PHILIP PULLMAN decreed: 'I don't care how many people enjoy it, fiction in
the present tense is an ABDICATION OF NARRATIVE RESPONSIBILITY. I resent
having to re-calibrate my entire attitude to time whenever I open a novel
in the present tense. Away with them!' (Twitter, 18 August)

SALMAN RUSHDIE was attacked and repeatedly stabbed when about to address an
audience in New York State on 12 August. He was flown to hospital and two
days later reported as out of danger, though with 'life-changing' injuries.
The would-be murderer Hadi Matar pleaded not guilty and admitted to having
read only two pages of Rushdie's offending (to some) novel _The Satanic
Verses_. (BBC, various reports from 12 August)

HARRY TURTLEDOVE was banned from Twitter in August for responding
forcefully and of course rudely to a Nazi troll who called this Jewish sf
author an antisemite. After many protests his account was restored.

### CONTEMNOR ###

1-5 Sep [] CHICON 8 (80th Worldcon), Chicago, IL, USA. Online registration
for physical attendance has closed. See chicon.org for day rates.

1-4 Sep [] OXONMOOT (Tolkien Society), St Anne's, Oxford. GBP100 reg
(members GBP90); child GBP50 (members GBP45); online GBP50 (members GBP40).
See www.tolkiensociety.org/events/oxonmoot-2022.

3 Sep [] WHOOVERVILLE 13 (_Doctor Who_), QUAD Centre, Derby, DE1 3AS.
Tickets GBP55; concessions GBP38; under-12s GBP10; online booking at
www.derbyquad.co.uk/Whooverville13.

6-7 Sep [] THE PAST AS NIGHTMARE (conference), U of Reading. See
research.reading.ac.uk/health-humanities/event/the-past-as-nightmare/.

CANCELLED. 10 Sep [] INTERNATIONAL COMIC EXPO (ICE), Edgbaston Stadium,
Birmingham. See internationlcomicexpo.wordpress.com.

10 Sep [] POPCORN (media), Magna, Sheffield. Tickets GBP10; under 17s GBP8;
family (2 adult, 2 children) GBP30. See popcorncon.com.

16-19 Sep [] FANTASYCON 2022, Radisson Red, Heathrow. Smaller replacement
for former 17-19 September event. GBP65 reg (BFS members GBP55). See
www.britishfantasysociety.org/fantasycon/fantasycon-2022.

24-25 Sep [] NOR-CON (media), Norfolk Showground Arena. GBP39 reg;
under-14s GBP19; other rates at www.nor-con.co.uk. _No tickets at the
door._

1 Oct [] COVCON (media), Sports Connexion, Ryton. Tickets GBP11; under-16s
GBP6; under-5s free. Details at covcon.uk.

6-9 Oct [] GRIMMFEST (film), Odeon Great Northern, Manchester. Tickets
GBP110 plus booking fee. See grimmfest.com.

14-16 Oct [] LAKES INTERNATIONAL COMIC ART FESTIVAL, Kendal, Cumbria.
Tickets GBP25 (GBP15 concessions) at www.comicartfestival.com.

15-16 Oct [] OCTOCON, Croke Park, Dublin. Euro60 reg; concessions Euro40;
YA or supp Euro20. Registration open at octocon.com.

22-23 Oct [] SURREY STEAMPUNK CONVIVIAL, Stoneleigh, Epsom. See
bumpandthumper.wixsite.com/steampunkconvivials.

4-6 Nov [] ARMADACON 2022, Future Inns, Plymouth. First GoH James Burgest.
GBP35 reg; GBP30 concessions. More at www.armadacon.org.

27 Nov [] STARS OF TIME (media), Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare. 10am-4:30pm.
GBP9; under-12s, OAP and disabled GBP5; under-4s free. Family of 2+2
children GBP22; 2+3 GBP24. See www.starsoftime.co.uk.

3-6 Feb 2023 [] SCOTIACON (furry), Crowne Plaza Hotel, Glasgow. GBP100 reg.
Registration opens on 4 September at www.scotiacon.org.uk.

CANCELLED. 24-26 Feb 2023 [] REDEMPTION (multimedia), was Royal Victoria
Hotel, Sheffield. See redemptioncon.org.uk for future plans.

25 Mar 2023 [] EAST OF ENGLAND COMIC CON AND GAMING FESTIVAL, East of
England Arena, Peterborough. 10am-4:30pm. Tickets from GBP13.75 (inc fee).
See www.facebook.com/events/732634787956163/.

28-31 Jul 2023 [] CONTINUUM (RPG), John Foster Hall, Manor Road, Leicester
University, Oadby. See continuumconvention.co.uk.

RUMBLINGS. In August, NI fans inspected The Hilton Lanyon Place in Belfast
and International Conference Centre next door as the likely venue for a
future Eastercon with 800-900 attendees. Updates to follow. [TF]
_Worldcon 2023,_ Chengdu: still only a bare minimum of information,
and no detectable way to buy a membership, at www.worldconinchina.com.
_Worldcon 2028:_ Kampcon 2028 is a bid to hold Worldcon in Kampala,
Uganda, with dates 23-27 August -- see kampcon.org for details.

### INFINITELY IMPROBABLE ###

AI RESEARCH NEWS. A CEO explains: 'There are a lot of people in our
industry who struggle to tell the difference between science fiction and
real life.' (_NY Times_, 5 August) [MMW] Can _Ansible_ readers do better?

AWARDS. _J.F. Gonzalez Lifetime Achievement_ (splatterpunk): Clive Barker.
[TM]
_Munsey_ (pulp): Rick Lai.
_Seiun_ (Japan) for translated novel: _Project Hail Mary_ by Andy
Weir, translated by Kazuko Onoda.

THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE. Agatha Christie still stalks the earth, with the
rapacious estate now issuing legal threats against Val McDermid's publisher
for book jackets describing McDermid as the Queen of Crime: 'We have
trademarked this expression.' (_The Scotsman_, 29 August) 'It's just
astonishingly pitiful,' grumbled She Who Must Not Be Described.

THE WEAKEST LINK. _Steve Wright:_ 'Johnny Weissmuller died on this day.
Which jungle-swinging character clad only in a loincloth did he play?' _
Contestant:_ 'Jesus.' (Radio 2, _Steve Wright in the Afternoon_) [JBu]
_Ulrika Jonsson:_ 'Who wrote _Lord of the Rings_?' _Contestant:_ 'Enid
Blyton.' (BBC1, _Dog Eat Dog_) [JBu]
Earlier in the year it had been revealed that the 1955-1956 radio
version of _LOTR_ -- duly erased by the BBC -- caused one listener to
complain, 'If we must occupy the Third Programme with fairytales then let
us have Enid Blyton.' (_Guardian_, 12 March) [AR]

R.I.P. _Aleksandr Bachilo_ (1959-2022), award-winning Russian sf and
fantasy novelist who also co-scripted three sf tv series, died on July 2.
[AM]
_Raymond Briggs_ (1934-2022), much-loved UK illustrator and graphic
novelist whose books include _Father Christmas_ (1973, a Kate Greenaway
Medal winner), _Fungus the Bogeyman_ (1977), _The Snowman_ (1978), _When
the Wind Blows_ (1982, filmed 1986) and _Ug: Boy Genius of the Stone Age_
(2001), died on 9 August aged 88. He was honoured as CBE in 2017. [PS-P]
_Jack Calvert_ (1941-2022), US Bay Area fan, long-time LASFAPA member
and Corflu regular, died on 14 August. [PC]
_Peter Davison_ OBE (1926-2022), UK academic who was an authority on
Orwell -- publishing a biography and editing the 1998 _Complete Works_ and
others -- died on 16 August aged 95.
_Charlbi Dean_ (1990--2022), South Africa-born actress in _Death Race:
Inferno_ (2013), _Don't Sleep_ (2017) and _Black Lightning_ (2018), died on
29 August aged 32. [SJ]
_Rosa de Castilla_ (1932-2022), Mexican singer and actress who
co-starred in _The Hell of Frankenstein_ (1960), died on 1 August aged 90.
[SJ]
_Joseph Delaney_ (1945-2022), UK author best known for the 'Wardstone
Chronicles' YA horror/fantasy series opening with _The Spook's Apprentice_
(2004), died on 16 August aged 77. [SF2C]
_Corrine De Winter_, US short-story author and poet active in small
press genre magazines since 1992, whose verse collection _The Women at the
Funeral_ (2004) won a Bram Stoker award, died in late August. [SJ]
_Denise Dowse_ (1958-2022), US actress in _Starship Troopers_ (1997),
_Dr. Dolittle 2_ (2002), _Killer Rats_ (2003) and various genre tv series,
died on 13 August aged 64. [SJ]
_Lamont Dozier_ (1941-2022), US composer and songwriter whose many
film soundtrack credits include _X-Men: Days of Future Past_ (2014), _The
Witches_ (2020) and _Last Night in Soho_ (2021), died on 8 August aged 81.
[LP]
_Ralph Eggleston_ (1965-2022), Oscar-winning US animator and designer
at Pixar, whose films include _Monsters, Inc._ (2001), _Finding Nemo_
(2003), _WALL-E_ (2008) and _Inside Out_ (2015), died on 28 August aged 56.
[SJ]
_Oliver Frey_ (1948-2022), Swiss-born UK artist whose genre work
included _The Trigan Empire_ in _Look and Learn_, book and _Fear_ magazine
covers, and _Dan Dare_ in the 1980s _Eagle_ revival, died on 21 August aged
74. [PDF]
_Graziella Galvani_ (1931-2022), Italian actress in _Ghosts of Rome_
(1961), died on 25 August aged 91.
_Cherie Gil_ (1963-2022), Filipino actress in _Bruka: Queen of Evil_
(1973), _Imortal_ (1989), _Darna: The Return_ (1994), _The 13th Chapter_
(2000), _Lastikman_ (2004), _Mana_ (2014) and _Magikland_ (2020), died on 5
August aged 59. [SJ]
_Vincent Gil_ (1939-2022), Australian actor in _Mad Max_ (1979), died
on 21 August aged 83. [PDF]
_Robyn Griggs_ (1973-2022), US actress in _Zombiegeddon_ (2003),
_2020: An American Nightmare_ (2005) and other low-budget horror films,
died on 13 August aged 49. [SJ]
_Clu Gulager_ (1928-2022), US actor in _Return of the Living Dead_
(1985), _Nightmare on Elm Street 2_ (1985) and Feast (2005 plus sequels),
died on 5 August aged 93. [LP]
_Anne Heche_ (1969-2022), US director, screenwriter and actress in
_Superman: Doomsday_ (2007), _Toxic Skies_ (2008), _The Legend of Korra_
(2014) and _Aftermath_ (2016), died on 12 August aged 53. [LP]
_Eric L. Hoffman_ (1944-2022), US fan and scholar of sf/horror/monster
films who wrote the 'Professor Gruebeard' column in _Famous Monsters of
Filmland_, died on 27 August after injuries in a house fire. [SS/F770]
_James G. Huckenpohler_ aka 'Professor Archimedes Q. Porter', US fan
and scholar of Edgar Rice Burroughs who appeared frequently in _ERBzine_
and compiled a Barsoom glossary, died in late August. [PDF]
_Alun Tegai Hughes_ (1960-2022), UK fan who was active in the
Cambridge University SF Society 1979-1981 as librarian and then chair, and
later involved in assembling the (Jack) Vance Integral Edition, died on 19
July. [DH]
_Gene LeBell_ (1932-2022), US wrestler and judo expert who did stunt
work for many productions including three _Planet of the Apes_ films
(1968-1972) and _Spider-Man 2_ (2004), died on 9 August aged 89. [SJ]
_Sombat Metanee_ (1937-2022), once hugely prolific Thai actor/director
seen in _Krasue Sao_ aka _Ghost of Guts Eater_ (1973), _Bionic Heroes_
(1977), _Kraithong_ (1980) and others, died on 18 August aged 85. [SS]
_Bruce Montague_ (1939-2022), UK actor in _A Connecticut Yankee in
King Arthur's Court_ (1970), _The Thief of Baghdad_ (1978) _Whoops
Apocalypse_ (1982) and _Olympus Force: The Key_ (1988), died on 16 August
aged 83. [SJ]
_Roger E. Mosley_ (1938-2022), US actor whose films include _Terminal
Island_ (1973) and _Cruise into Terror_ (1978), died on 7 August aged 83.
[LP]
_Marshall Napier_, New Zealand-born actor in _The Girl from Tomorrow_
(1991-1992), _Babe_ (1995), _Griff the Invisible_ (2010), _Little Monsters_
(2019) and others, died on 14 August aged 70. [SJ]
_Olivia Newton-John_ (1948-2022), UK-born Australian singer and
actress in _Toomorrow_ (1977), _Xanadu_ (1980) and _Sharknado 5_ (2017),
died on 8 August aged 73. [LP]
_Tom Palmer_ (1941-2022), US illustrator who was a long-time inker for
Marvel Comics (beginning with _Doctor Strange_ in 1968 and including
_Avengers_, _Star Wars_ and _X-Men_) and others, died on 18 August aged 81.
[PDF]
_Alexei Panshin_ (1940-2022), US author who won the fan writer Hugo in
1967 and the Nebula for his first novel _Rite of Passage_ (1968), died on
21 August aged 82. [GF] He was one of the pioneers of thoughtful sf
criticism with _Heinlein in Dimension_ (1968), the magnum opus here being
the Hugo-winning _The World Beyond the Hill_ (1989) with his wife Cory
Panshin, who survives him. The 'Anthony Villiers' sf comedies beginning
with _Star Well_ (1968) have many admirers -- including your editor -- who
wish the projected seven-book series hadn't stopped at three.
_Virginia Patton_ (1925-2022), US actress in _It's a Wonderful Life_
(1946), died on 18 August aged 97. [LP]
_Wolfgang Petersen_ (1941-2022), German director whose films include
_The Neverending Story_ (1984), _Enemy Mine_ (1985), _Outbreak_ (1995) and
_Bicentennial Man_ (1999, as producer), died on 12 August aged 81. [AIP]
_Gerald Potterton_ (1931-2022), UK/Canadian director and animator with
credits for _Yellow Submarine_ (1968), _Heavy Metal_ (1981), _George and
the Christmas Star_ (1985) and _Ghost Ship_ (1988), died on 24 August aged
91. [LP]
_Lily Renee_ (1921-2022), Austrian-born US Golden Age comics artist
whose titles included the supernatural series 'The Werewolf Hunter', died
on 24 August aged 101. [PDF]
_William Reynolds_ (1931-2022), US actor in _Cult of the Cobra_
(1955), _The Land Unknown_ (1957), _The Thing That Couldn't Die_ (1958) and
others, died on 24 August aged 90. [SJ]
_Richard Roat_ (1933-2022), US actor in _Westworld_ (1973),_ Almost
Heaven_ (1978), Heart and Souls (1993) and many genre tv series, died on 5
August aged 89. [MMW]
_Jeanne Steig_, US artist and author of retold myths and fairy tales
for children -- often illustrated by her husband William Steig (1907-2003)
of _Shrek_ fame -- died on 26 July aged 92. [PDF]
_John Steiner_ (1941-2022), UK actor whose films include _Dracula in
the Provinces_ (1975), _Yor: The Hunter from the Future_ (1983) and _Sinbad
of the Seven Seas_ (1989), died on 31 July aged 81. [AIP]
_Joe E. Tata_ (1936-2022), US actor in _Terror out of the Sky_ (1978)
and various genre tv series including _Batman_ (1966-1968), died on 24
August aged 85. [LP]
_Josephine Tewson_ (1931-2022), UK actress in _The Troublesome Double_
(1972), _The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It_ (1977)
and _Gabrielle and the Doodleman_ (1984), died on 18 August aged 91. [JBa]
_Dave Tompkins_ (1951-2022), UK fan who worked on many conventions
since Seacon '79 -- usually art show setup, teardown and storage of display
panels between events -- died on 8 August aged 71. He won the 2002 Doc Weir
award. [JHar/CM]
_Leon Vitali_ (1948-2022), UK actor in _Terror of Frankenstein_ (1977)
who was personal assistant to Stanley Kubrick for _The Shining_ (1980) and
others, died on 20 August aged 74. [PDF]