Message-ID:

6 May, 2024: The networking issue during the past two days has been identified and appears to be fixed. Will keep monitoring.

ANSIBLE(R) 423
OCTOBER 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,
_Frobb_, or Morgenstern's _Colour Selection in Galactic Pantography_.

[NET NOTE. See https://news.ansible.uk/a423.html for the nice HTML version;
https://news.ansible.uk/pdf/a423.pdf for a printable PDF. Mailing list
subscribe/unsubscribe information appears below -- please don't send such
requests to my own e-mail address. DRL]

CHICON 8: YOU READ IT HERE LAST! The Chicago Worldcon had 6,500 members;
3,574 physically present. [F770]
HUGOS. NOVEL _A Desolation Called Peace_ by Arkady Martine. NOVELLA _A
Psalm for the Wild-Built_ by Becky Chambers. NOVELETTE 'Bots of the Lost
Ark' by Suzanne Palmer (_Clarkesworld_ 6/21). SHORT 'Where Oaken Hearts Do
Gather' by Sarah Pinsker (_Uncanny_ 3/21). SERIES 'Wayward Children' by
Seanan McGuire. GRAPHIC _Far Sector_ by N.K. Jemisin & Jamal Campbell.
RELATED WORK _Never Say You Can't Survive_ by Charlie Jane Anders. DRAMATIC
-- LONG _Dune_. DRAMATIC -- SHORT _The Expanse_: 'Nemesis Games'. EDITOR --
SHORT Neil Clarke. EDITOR -- LONG Ruoxi Chen. PRO ARTIST Rovina Cai.
SEMIPROZINE _Uncanny_. FANZINE _Small Gods_. FANCAST _Our Opinions Are
Correct_. FAN WRITER Cora Buhlert. FAN ARTIST Lee Moyer.
SITE SELECTION: to no one's surprise the unopposed Glasgow bid is now
the official 2024 Worldcon with 776 of 809 ballots (7 No Preference and the
rest joke write-ins) -- see listing below.
OTHER AWARDS. _Astounding_ (new writer): Shelley Parker-Chan. _Big
Heart:_ Mark Linneman. _First Fandom Hall of Fame:_ George W. Price and
(posthumous) August Derleth. _Lodestar_ (YA): _The Last Graduate_ by Naomi
Novik. _Sam Moskowitz Archive Award:_ Doug Ellis and Deb Fulton.
_Sidewise:_ LONG Laurent Binet, _Civilizations_ (translated by Sam Taylor).
SHORT "Gunpowder Treason" by Alan Smale (_Tales from Alternate Earths, Vol.
III_). _Special Chicon Committee Award:_ ISFDB.
COVID STATS: 60 attendees tested positive during or soon after Chicon.
FAN FUNDS. Chicon auctions, sales and donations raised $4,694.64,
which was shared between TAFF, DUFF, GUFF and FFANZ. [GS]

### THE SOLIMOES FACTOR ###

DOUGLAS ADAMS is now entwined in the myth of the 'stolen' 2020 US election,
thanks to such conspiracy theorists as 'Shiva Ayyadurai, a failed
Massachusetts Senate candidate who claims that Trump lost because every
state subtracted 4.2 percent of his vote share. (The figure, Ayyadurai has
said, is based on the significance of the number 42 in _The Hitchhiker's
Guide to the Galaxy_.)' (_The New Yorker_, 1 August) [MMW]

GREG EGAN offered wise advice: 'After dying, we strongly recommend that you
do _not_ disclose any personal information to superficially angelic-looking
interlocutors, as this is likely to be a phishing attempt. Type the URL for
paradise manually into your soul's browser, and double-check for a padlock
symbol.' (Twitter, 23 September)

NEIL GAIMAN seems to have become the official Twitter scapegoat for all
complaints about tv fantasy series, including _The Rings of Power_: 'I'm so
sorry. I have taken your hurt to heart and promise that I will no longer
make any kind of Lord of the Rings based television for any network ever.'

JOYCE CAROL OATES paraphrased part of Ted Chiang's Seattle Book Festival
talk, saying that he 'carefully distinguished between science-fiction
(impersonal, never "magical") & fantasy (personal, character-driven,
"magical".' And then helpfully tacked on her own conclusion: 'interesting &
convincing argument suggesting why fantasy as a genre is fundamentally YA.'
(Twitter, 19 September) Others disagree. What's more,
'mystery/detective/police or legal procedurals are antithetical to
horror/fantasy [...] because traditional mysteries MUST be realistic,
otherwise detection makes no sense.' (_Ibid_) Such a powerfully argued case
merits investigation by Carnacki, Lord Darcy or Samuel Vimes.

NNEDI OKORAFOR learned the dangers of being a Moomintroll fan when told by
a stern Swedish airport security officer, 'You have a huge knife in your
bag.' It was a Hattifattener-shaped night light. (Facebook)

### CONSENESCENCE ###

6-9 Oct [] GRIMMFEST (film), Odeon Great Northern, Manchester. Tickets
GBP110; concessions GBP92.50 (plus booking fee). See grimmfest.com.

6 Oct-4 May 2023 [] SCIENCE FICTION: VOYAGE TO THE EDGE OF IMAGINATION
(exhibition), Science Museum, London. Adults GBP20; other rates at
www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/see-and-do/science-fiction.

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.

20-23 Oct [] CELLULOID SCREAMS (horror films), Showroom Cinema, Sheffield.
Tickets GBP95 (GBP85 concessions) at celluloidscreams.co.uk.

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

26 Oct [] CLARKE AWARD CEREMONY, Science Museum, London. 6:45-8:15pm.
GBP13. No under-18s. See tinyurl.com/3chymd3k.

27-31 Oct [] EDINBURGH HORROR FESTIVAL, Banshee Labyrinth and other city
venues. Event tickets from edinburghhorrorfestival.co.uk.

28-29 Oct [] 15TH STARFLEET/KLINGON BANQUET, Peterborough Marriott Hotel.
GBP65 reg. See www.starbase24.co.uk/Banquet.html.

28-30 Oct [] FESTIVAL OF FANTASTIC FILMS, Pendulum Hotel, Manchester.
GBP105 reg. Day rates at the new website: fantastic-films.uk.

28-29 Oct [] FRIGHTFEST (film), Cineworld, Leicester Square, London. Ticket
details awaited at frightfest.co.uk/tickets.html.

29 Oct [] BRISTOLCON, Hilton DoubleTree Hotel, Bristol.GBP35 reg; GBP20
under-18s, concessions, disabled; under-14s free; GBP10 supp. Registration
at www.bristolcon.org. No more dealer bookings -- that room is full.

1-22 Nov [] WRITING SCIENCE-FICTION (online course by Alex Davis),
6:30-8:30pm Tuesdays plus one-to-one session. GBP55. See
eventbrite.com/e/writing-science-fiction-4-week-course-tickets-385656658447.

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

19-20 Nov [] STEAMPUNKS IN SPACE, National Space Centre, Leicester.
GBP16.95; child/concessions GBP13.95. See tinyurl.com/bdffvs3d.

7-10 Apr 2023 [] CONVERSATION (Eastercon), Hilton Metropole, Birmingham
NEC. GBP70 reg; GBP40 concessions; GBP35 supp/online only; under-18s GBP20;
under-13s GBP5. _Rates rise on 17 October._ See conversation2023.org.uk.

16-20 Aug 2023 [] WORLDCON 2023, Chengdu, China. Memberships on sale at
last: $70 reg (virtual $10); $50 first-timers ($2); $30 students ($2). Plus
$50 for here seemingly optional WSFS/Hugo voting rights. See the new
website at en.chengduworldcon.com for further details.

15-17 Sep 2023 [] FANTASYCON 2023, Jury's Inn Hotel, Broad St, Birmingham.
GBP71 reg; GBP66 student; under-16s GBP31 (BFS members GBP10 less);
under-4s free. _Rates rise soon._ See www.hwsevents.co.uk/shop-2.

8-12 Aug 2024 [] GLASGOW 2024, Glasgow SEC. GoH Chris Baker (Fangorn),
Claire Brialey and Mark Plummer, Ken MacLeod, Nnedi Okorafor, Terri
Windling. GBP170 reg; concessions GBP125; YA (under 26) GBP110; under-16s
GBP70; under-11s GBP45; under-6s GBP5. _These rates are scheduled to rise
on 1 May 2023_. See glasgow2024.org for further details.

### INFINITELY IMPROBABLE ###

AS OTHERS VALUE US. An AbeBooks vendor writes: 'There's also a small
paperback exchange store nearby, run by a sweet Lithuanian woman, who is
pleased as all hell to take genre romance, sci-fi, fantasy, all the
rubbish, which her customers love, but have no value online....' [BA]

AWARDS. _Booker Prize_ shortlist, genre titles only: _Glory_ by NoViolet
Bulawayo, _Treacle Walker_ by Alan Garner, _The Seven Moons of Maali
Almeida_ by Shehan Karunatilaka.
_National Women's Hall of Fame_ (US) 2022 inductees include Octavia
Butler.
_Scott O'Dell Award_ (children's/YA, $5,000): _Ophie's Ghosts_ by
Justina Ireland. [F770]
_SFPA Dwarf Star_ (short poem): tie 'Poem with Lines from My Son' by
Jen Stewart Fueston and 'What Trees Read' by Mary Soon Lee.
_SFRA Award for Lifetime Contributions to SF Scholarship_ (formerly
known as the Pilgrim Award): Roger Luckhurst.
_Sturgeon_ (short): 'Broad Dutty Water: A Sunken Story' by Nalo
Hopkinson (_F&SF_ 11/21).

AS OTHERS SEE US. 'Though long dismissed as the delusions of science
fiction, UFOs have emerged as a serious subject in the nation's capital.'
(Luke Mullins, _Washingtonian_, August 2022) [MMW]

R.I.P. _Martin Barker_ (1946-2022), UK scholar of media and cultural
studies whose books include _The Video Nasties_ (1984), _Comics: Ideology,
Power and the Critics_ (1989) and studies of audience/critic responses to
the films _Alien_, _Crash_, _Judge Dredd_ and the _Lord of the Rings_ trio,
died on 8 September aged 76. [SH]
_Margaret Basta_ (1951-2022), US fan who with her twin sister Laura
was active in early _Star Trek_ fandom -- fanzines, con-running, founding
the _Trek_ club S.T.A.R. -- was found dead at home on 4 September; she was
70. [GVG]
_Bo Brundin_ (1937-2022), Swedish actor in _Meteor_ (1979), _Late for
Dinner_ (1991) and genre tv series, died on 4 September aged 85. [SJ]
_Brian Catling RA_ (1948-2022), UK academic, poet, sculptor and much
else, whose novels include the magic-realist 'Vorrh' trilogy opening with
_The Vorrh_ (2012), died on 26 September. [PM-R]
_Tom Chmielewski_ (1952-2022), US author whose 'Martian Sands' sf
trilogy opens with _Lunar Dust, Martian Sands_ (2014), died in June aged
70. [F770]
_Coolio_ (1963-2022), US rapper and actor in _Daredevil_ (2003),
_Dracula 3000_ (2004), _Pterodactyl_ (2005) and genre tv series , died on
28 September aged 59. Soundtrack credits include two _Return of the Living
Dead_ films (both 2005) and _Love and Monsters_ (2020). [LP]
_Chandler (Chan) Davis_ (1926-2022), US mathematician, author and fan
active in Boston's 1940s Stranger Club (group fan GoH at the 1989
Worldcon), whose short sf appeared from 1946 and was collected in 2010,
died on 22 September aged 96. [F770]
_Vincent Deporter_ (1959-2022), Belgian artist who worked on comics
based on animated tv, including _Scooby-Doo_ for DC and _Spongebob
Squarepants_ for Nickelodeon, died on 27 September aged 63. [PDF]
_Louise Fletcher_ (1934-2022), US actress in _Exorcist II_ (1977),
_Mama Dracula_ (1980; title role), _Star Trek: DS9_ (1993-1999),
_Virtuosity_ (1995) and _The Devil's Arithmetic_ (1999), died on 23
September aged 88. [LP]
_Marsha Hunt_ (1917-2022), US actress in _Back from the Dead_ (1957)
and genre tv series, died on 6 September aged 104. [O]
_Jack Ging_ (1931-2022), US actor in _Sssssss_ (1973) and _The
Disappearance of Flight 412_ (1974), died on 10 September aged 90. [SJ]
_Jean-Luc Godard_ (1930-2022), famed French 'New Wave' film director
and screenwriter whose sf ventures are _Alphaville_ (1965) and _Weekend_
(1967), died on 13 September aged 91. [LP]
_Marva Hicks_ (1975-2022), US actress in _Alien Nation: Body and Soul_
(1995), _Virtuosity_ (1995), _The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars_ (1998)
and genre tv series, died on 17 September aged 47. [LP]
_Harry Landis_ (1931-2022), UK actor in _Quatermass II_ (1955), _Edge
of Sanity_ (1989), _Johnny and the Dead_ (1995), _The Discovery of Heaven_
(2001) and _Edge of Tomorrow_ (2014), died on 12 September aged 90. [SJ]
_Douglas McKeown_ (1947-2022), US stage actor who wrote and directed
_The Deadly Spawn_ (1983), died on 9 September aged 75. [SJ]
_Dale McRaven_ (1939-2022), US creator and producer of _Mork & Mindy_
(1978-1982; he also wrote several episodes) died on 5 September aged 83.
Other credits include _Almost Heaven_ (1978). [LP]
_Phillip Mann_ (1942-2022), UK-born author long resident in New
Zealand who published ten notable sf and fantasy novels from _The Eye of
the Queen_ (1982) to _The Disestablishment of Paradise_ (2013), died on 1
September aged 80. [AR]
_Dame Hilary Mantel_ (1952-2022), noted UK author best known for her
Booker-winning 'Wolf Hall' historical trilogy, whose novels with fantastic
elements include _Fludd_ (1989) and _Beyond Black_ (2005), died on 22
September aged 70.
_Igor Maslennikov_ (1931-2022), Russian film director whose _Filipp
Traum_ (1990) is a tv adaptation of Mark Twain's 'No. 44, The Mysterious
Stranger', died on 17 September aged 90. [AM]
_Matthew Mather_ (1969-2022), UK-born Canadian author of
technothrillers and sf beginning with _The Complete Atopia Chronicles_
(2012), died on 13 September aged 52. [L]
_Gary Nelson_ (1934-2022), US director of _Freaky Friday_ (1976), _The
Black Hole_ (1979), _Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold_ (1986) and
tv series including the 1960s _Get Smart_ and _The Ghost & Mrs Muir_, died
on 25 May aged 87 (announced September). [SHS]
_Irene Papas_ (1926-2022), Greek actress whose credits include _Moses
the Lawgiver_ (1974), _Ring of Darkness_ (1979) and two versions of _The
Odyssey_ (1968, 1997), died on 14 September aged 96. [LP]
_Gwyneth Powell_ (1946-2022), UK actress in _The Guardians_ (1971)
and_ Back to the Secret Garden_ (2000), died on 8 September aged 76.
_Henry Silva_ (1926-2022), US actor in _The Manchurian Candidate_
(1962), _Buck Rogers in the 25th Century_ (1979 film and tv), _Amazon Women
on the Moon_ (1987) and animated Batman/Superman tv series (1990s, voicing
Bane), died on 14 September aged 95. [LP]
_Maureen Kincaid Speller_ (1959-2022), UK fan, con-runner, editor
(BSFA _Matrix_ and _Vector_, _The Gate_, _Foundation_, others) and critic,
active in the BSFA and in APAs including her own very literary Acnestis
(1992-2005), died on 18 September aged 63. [PK] She was a 1996 Eastercon
guest of honour, 1998 TAFF and fan writer Nova Award winner, and 1999 Hugo
finalist as fan writer; as senior news editor at _Strange Horizons_ she
shared credit for three semiprozine Hugo shortlistings 2016-2021. Maureen
-- an old friend -- is survived by her husband Paul Kincaid, to whom much
sympathy.
_Venetia Stevenson_ (1938-2022), UK actress in _Island of Lost Women_
(1959) and _The City of the Dead_ (1960), died on 26 September aged 84.
[PDF]
[]_ Peter Straub_ (1943-2022), noted US horror author whose first major
success was _Ghost Story_ (1979; filmed 1981) and who co-wrote _The
Talisman_ (1984) with Stephen King, died on 4 September aged 79. Besides
many individual book awards he received the Bram Stoker, International
Horror Guild, World Fantasy and World Horror life achievement honours. [JC]
_Bruce Taylor_ (1947-2022), US magic-realist author whose _The Final
Trick of Funnyman and Other Stories_ (1996) was the first of many
collections, died on 31 August aged 75. [L]
_Nikos Theodorou_ (1956-2022), Greek sf fan, collector and fanzine
editor, was reported in early September as having died. [FR]
_Vladimir Vyshegorodtsev_ (1950-2022), Russian animator whose sf films
include _Dunno on the Moon_ (1997) and _Alice's Birthday_ (2009), died on 9
September aged 72. [AM]
_Jenny Wolmark_ (1948-2022), academic and sf critic who wrote _Aliens
and Others: Science Fiction, Feminism and Postmodernism_ (1994) and edited
_Cybersexualities_ (1999), died on 8 August aged 74. [FM]

Click here to read the complete article

Subject	Author
Ansible 423 -- October 2022 [long]	David Langford
Re: Ansible 423 -- October 2022 [long]	Gary McGath
Re: Ansible 423 -- October 2022 [long]	Peter Trei

6 May, 2024: The networking issue during the past two days has been identified and appears to be fixed. Will keep monitoring.

arts / rec.arts.sf.fandom / Re: Ansible 423 -- October 2022 [long]