Elliot Shorter Back in VA Hospital

The Master-El Livejournal reports Elliot Shorter returned to the Providence VA Medical Center on March 17 for treatment of a persistent cough and chest pressure, possibly “another MRSA-type infection that is complicating his already existing cold.”

David Klaus comments: “I hope it’s not MRSA, or as it was known at my hospital, ORSA, which along with VRE and C.Diff. are the banes of modern hospitalization and long-term care, requiring patients to be contact-isolated: everyone entering the patient’s room must be gowned and gloved, which must be removed at the door upon leaving the room. (The idea is that anything you pick up in the room will be on the disposable gown/gloves, and shed with their removal at the door.) The patient must be gowned and gloved before leaving the room for therapy or any other purpose (a barrier against spreading outside their room).”

[Thanks to David for the story.]

Were You Confused?

Electric VelocipedeTo allay any surprise over Electric Velocipede’s Best Fanzine Hugo nomination, editor John Klima has posted some comments, beginning:

There tends to be some confusion as to whether Electric Velocipede is a fanzine or a semiprozine, as far as the Hugo Awards are concerned. Since I pay my contributors, people automatically assume that this means I am a semiprozine…

Electric Velocipede is a fiction publication that pays its contributors and enjoys a fine reputation among critics.

A publication belongs in the Best Semiprozine Hugo category if it meets two of five criteria in the rules, which are: (1) publishes more than a thousand copies, (2) pays contributors and/or staff, (3) provides more than half the income of any one person, (4) has at least 15% of its space occupied by advertising, and (5) announced itself to be a semiprozine.

Klima explains that Electric Velocipede meets only the second one listed. He wrote last year on Tor.com that the magazine appears twice a year and has about 150 subscribers. It accepts advertising, but presumably gets something less than the threshold amount.

Klima’s answer covers the bases and, besides, fair is fair. The Hugo Administrators have never asked me how many copies I publish, whether I pay contributors (no, guys, do not start sending your invoices!), or anything more than am I willing to accept my nomination — which I virtually always have, quite happily. I’m sure John Klima feels just as happy. Congratulations, John.

A Fan Writer Footnote

John Scalzi’s name was missing from the slate of nominees for the 2009 Best Fan Writer Hugo, an outcome he invested sincere effort to achieve, actively drawing his readers’ attention to the work of other fans during the nominating phase. Still, I’d thought it would be impossible for him to shed all the momentum produced by winning the Hugo in 2008 and falling just one vote shy of a victory in 2007.

So I posed the question, had he received a nomination and declined it? Scalzi graciously answered:

No. I was simply not nominated this year. I did spend a fair amount of time during the nomination window encouraging people not to nominate me and to instead nominate other folks who were new and/or had not previously won the category, so I can’t say that I was surprised not to be nominated. I can say that had I been nominated, I would have declined the nomination (although had I declined, I would not have commented until after the the awards ceremony).

2009 Hugo Nominees

The 2009 Hugo nominees have been announced by the Anticipation committee. In all, 799 nominating ballots were cast; the number of ballots in each category marked with at least one nominee is indicated in parentheses.

Best Novel (639 Ballots Cast)

  • Anathem by Neal Stephenson (Morrow; Atlantic UK)
  • The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (HarperCollins; Bloomsbury UK)
  • Little Brother by Cory Doctorow (Tor Teen; HarperVoyager UK)
  • Saturn’s Children by Charles Stross (Ace; Orbit UK)
  • Zoe’s Tale by John Scalzi (Tor)

Best Novella (337 Ballots Cast)

  • ‘‘The Erdmann Nexus’’ by Nancy Kress (Asimov’s Oct/Nov 2008)
  • ‘‘The Political Prisoner’’ by Charles Coleman Finlay (F&;SF Aug 2008)
  • ‘‘The Tear’’ by Ian McDonald (Galactic Empires)
  • ‘‘True Names’’ by Benjamin Rosenbaum & Cory Doctorow (Fast Forward 2)
  • ‘‘Truth’’ by Robert Reed (Asimov’s Oct/Nov 2008)

Best Novelette (373 Ballots Cast)

  • ‘‘Alastair Baffle’s Emporium of Wonders’’ by Mike Resnick (Asimov’s Jan 2008)
  • ‘‘The Gambler’’ by Paolo Bacigalupi (Fast Forward 2)
  • ‘‘Pride and Prometheus’’ by John Kessel (F&SF Jan 2008)
  • ‘‘The Ray-Gun: A Love Story’’ by James Alan Gardner (Asimov’s Feb 2008)
  • ‘‘Shoggoths in Bloom’’ by Elizabeth Bear (Asimov’s Mar 2008)

Best Short Story (448 Ballots Cast)

  • ‘‘26 Monkeys, Also the Abyss’’ by Kij Johnson (Asimov’s Jul 2008)
  • ‘‘Article of Faith’’ by Mike Resnick (Baen’s Universe Oct 2008)
  • ‘‘Evil Robot Monkey’’ by Mary Robinette Kowal (The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction, Volume Two)
  • ‘‘Exhalation’’ by Ted Chiang (Eclipse Two)
  • ‘‘From Babel’s Fall’n Glory We Fled’’ by Michael Swanwick (Asimov’s Feb 2008)

Best Related Book (263 Ballots Cast)

  • Rhetorics of Fantasy by Farah Mendlesohn (Wesleyan University Press)

  • Spectrum 15: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art by Cathy Fenner & Arnie Fenner, eds. (Underwood Books)

  • The Vorkosigan Companion: The Universe of Lois McMaster Bujold by
    Lillian Stewart Carl & John Helfers, eds. (Baen)

  • What It Is We Do When We Read Science Fiction by Paul Kincaid (Beccon Publications)

  • Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded: A Decade of Whatever, 1998-2008 by John Scalzi (Subterranean Press)

Best Graphic Story (212 Ballots Cast)

  • The Dresden Files: Welcome to the Jungle Written by Jim Butcher, art
    by Ardian Syaf (Del Rey/Dabel Brothers Publishing)

  • Girl Genius, Volume 8: Agatha Heterodyne and the Chapel of Bones
    Written by Kaja & Phil Foglio, art by Phil Foglio, colors by Cheyenne Wright (Airship Entertainment)

  • Fables: War and Pieces Written by Bill Willingham, pencilled by Mark
    Buckingham, art by Steve Leialoha and Andrew Pepoy, color by Lee Loughridge, letters by Todd Klein (DC/Vertigo Comics)

  • Schlock Mercenary: The Body Politic Story and art by Howard Tayler
    (The Tayler Corporation)

  • Serenity: Better Days Written by Joss Whedon & Brett Matthews, art by Will Conrad, color by Michelle Madsen, cover by Jo Chen (Dark Horse Comics)

  • Y: The Last Man, Volume 10: Whys and Wherefores Written/created by Brian K. Vaughan, pencilled/created by Pia Guerra, inked by Jose Marzan, Jr. (DC/Vertigo Comics)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form (436 Ballots Cast)

  • The Dark Knight Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer, story; Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan, screenplay; based on characters created by Bob Kane; Christopher Nolan, director (Warner Brothers)

  • Hellboy II: The Golden Army Guillermo del Toro & Mike Mignola, story; Guillermo del Toro, screenplay; based on the comic by Mike Mignola; Guillermo del Toro, director (Dark Horse, Universal)

  • Iron Man Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby and Art Marcum & Matt Holloway, screenplay; based on characters created by Stan Lee & Don Heck & Larry Lieber & Jack Kirby; Jon Favreau, director (Paramount, Marvel Studios)

  • METAtropolis edited by John Scalzi; Elizabeth Bear, Jay Lake, Tobias
    Buckell, John Scalzi, and Karl Schroeder, writers (Audible Inc.)

  • WALL-E Andrew Stanton & Pete Docter, story; Andrew Stanton & Jim Reardon, screenplay; Andrew Stanton, director (Pixar/Walt Disney)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form (336 Ballots Cast)

  • Lost: “The Constant”, Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof, writers; Jack Bender, director (Bad Robot, ABC studios)

  • Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog Joss Whedon, & Zack Whedon, & Jed Whedon, & Maurissa Tancharoen, writers; Joss Whedon, director (Mutant Enemy)

  • Battlestar Galactica: “Revelations”, Bradley Thompson & David Weddle, writers; Michael Rymer, director (NBC Universal)

  • Doctor Who: “Silence in the Library”/”Forest of the Dead”, Steven Moffat, writer; Euros Lyn, director (BBC Wales)

  • Doctor Who: “Turn Left”, Russell T. Davies, writer; Graeme Harper, director (BBC Wales)

Best Editor, Short Form (377 Ballots Cast)

  • Ellen Datlow
  • Stanley Schmidt
  • Jonathan Strahan
  • Gordon Van Gelder
  • Sheila Williams

Best Editor, Long Form (273 Ballots Cast)

  • Lou Anders
  • Ginjer Buchanan
  • David G. Hartwell
  • Beth Meacham
  • Patrick Nielsen Hayden

Best Professional Artist (334 Ballots Cast)

  • Daniel Dos Santos
  • Bob Eggleton
  • Donato Giancola
  • John Picacio
  • Shaun Tan

Best Semiprozine (283 Ballots Cast)

  • Clarkesworld Magazine edited by Neil Clarke, Nick Mamatas, & Sean Wallace

  • Interzone edited by Andy Cox

  • Locus edited by Charles N. Brown, Kirsten Gong-Wong, & Liza Groen Trombi

  • The New York Review of Science Fiction edited by Kathryn Cramer, Kris Dikeman, David G. Hartwell, & Kevin J. Maroney

  • Weird Tales edited by Ann VanderMeer & Stephen H. Segal

Best Fan Writer (291 Ballots Cast)

  • Chris Garcia
  • John Hertz
  • Dave Langford
  • Cheryl Morgan
  • Steven H Silver

Best Fanzine (257 Ballots Cast)

  • Argentus edited by Steven H Silver
  • Banana Wings edited by Claire Brialey and Mark Plummer
  • Challenger edited by Guy H. Lillian III
  • The Drink Tank edited by Chris Garcia
  • Electric Velocipede edited by John Klima
  • File 770 edited by Mike Glyer

Best Fan Artist (187 Ballots Cast)

  • Alan F. Beck
  • Brad W. Foster
  • Sue Mason
  • Taral Wayne
  • Frank Wu

The John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer (288 Ballots Cast)

  • Aliette de Bodard*
  • David Anthony Durham*
  • Felix Gilman
  • Tony Pi*
  • Gord Sellar*

*(Second year of eligibility)

Diane Lacey of the Hugo Administration Committee adds these insights: “Included amongst the many distinguished nominees this year is Neil Gaiman’s Newberry Award winning novel, The Graveyard Book, for best novel. The field is shared this year by two other YA novels, Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother and John Scalzi’s Zoe’s Tale. Completing the category are, Neal Stephenson’s Anathem and Saturn’s Children by Charles Stross. Also of note is the nomination of the audiobook METAtropolis, edited by John Scalzi, in the category of Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form. This is the first nomination for an audiobook in this category.”

And, John Scalzi has announced plans to put together another Hugo Voters package this year.

Postscript: With impressive speed, Jamie Grove at “How Not To Write” has rounded up links to all the nominees. Well worth a look: http://www.hownottowrite.com/writer-profiles/hugo-awards-2009-friday-link-love/.

Update 03/20/2009: Input Anticipation’s corrections to Best Novel publishers. Added link to Jamie Grove’s site.

Building a Better Zapper

Jordin Kare, noted filker and scientist, told the Wall Street Journal about his mosquito-killing laser project:

“We’d be delighted if we destabilize the human-mosquito balance of power,” says Jordin Kare, an astrophysicist who once worked at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the birthplace of some of the deadliest weapons known to man. More recently he worked on the mosquito laser, built from parts bought on eBay.

The scientists’ actual target is malaria, which is caused by a parasite transmitted when certain mosquitoes bite people. Ended in the U.S. decades ago, malaria remains a major global public-health threat, killing about 1 million people annually.

[Via Mike McMillan on Smofs]

2009 Prix Aurora Nominees

Nominees for Canada’s Prix Aurora have been announced. These awards recognize Canadian science fiction and fantasy artwork, writing, and fan activities.

Any Canadian citizen or resident may vote in the Aurora selection process. Mail-in or online ballots must be submitted before Wednesday, July 15th, 2009. The winners will be announed at Anticipation, the 2009 Worldcon in Montreal.

The full list of nominees appears behind the cut.

Continue reading

Courthouse on the Edge of Forever

Once more into the breach dear friends! Harlan Ellison filed suit against Paramount on March 13 for unpaid residuals from his Hugo-winning Star Trek episode “City on the Edge of Forever.” Ellison says Paramount owes him for spin-off merchandise and publications, explaining in a press release (quoted in full after the jump):

Mr. Ellison’s attorney, John H. Carmichael, points out that the 1960 collective bargaining agreement between the WGA and the Producers, as amended in 1966, assures to the writers of individual teleplays “a piece of the pie.”  Specifically, Mr. Carmichael states, “Writers under that WGA agreement are supposed to get 25% of the revenue from the licensing of publication rights.  From Dollar One.  Here, Paramount licensed its sister-corporation Simon & Schuster, through its Pocket Books division, the right to publish a knock-off trilogy of paperbacks – the ‘Crucible’ series – novels based on City, using Ellison’s unique elements: plot, specific non-Trek characters, prominently including The Guardian of Forever, singular conceptual uses of time travel, the sense of tragedy that propels the story, the mood and venue of the story in the 1930s Great Depression, and at the stories’ heart, pivotally, whether Edith Keeler lives or dies. 

TrekMovie.com shows merchandise derived from Ellison’s script. Their article also attracted a long, supportive comment by David Gerrold:

While I appreciate that everybody has an opinion on this, what’s really happening here is that the contracts of the Writers Guild have not kept up with the changing technology of entertainment delivery. Harlan Ellison’s lawsuit is a direct challenge to the status quo, but it is also a declaration that those who toil in the factories of Hollywood should be allowed to enjoy the fruits of their labors.

Ellison is turning down contributions to help pay the expenses of this suit:

To those of you who offered money to support my lawsuit…thank you ever so much but, unlike the AOL Piracy suit, which I did for ALL writers and thus sought supportive funds, long-since repaid, this one is for MY betterment and thus my burden. If the litigation helps other writers similarly screwed, all well and good; but that’s serendipity. If they’re too timorous to help themselves, that’s THEIR business.

Ellison’s complete press release follows the jump.

Continue reading

SyFy, *sigh*

The change has happened: SyFy is the new name of the SciFi Channel. Or as io9 put it, they’ve changed the name to a typo.

Will there now be lots of Abbot-and-Costello style comedy routines about SciFi-no-I’m-talking-about-SyFy? Are you kidding? First, fans will have to wear out the even more obvious joke. Advertising Age reports:

“According to research done exclusively for BNET Media by TNS Cymfony, syphilis jokes account for about four percent of all commentary about Syfy.” Ouch.

Proud to be numbered in that four percent is the Crotchety Old Fan, but I can’t fault his constructive and helpful approach. Click on the link and you’ll get the complete “CDC communiqué” for dealing with this new outbreak:

What is the treatment for SyFy?

SyFy is easy to cure in its early stages. A single intramuscular injection of penicillin, an antibiotic, A single blow to the head with a ballpeen hammer will cure a person who has had SyFy for less than a year. Additional doses blows are needed to treat someone who has had SyFy for longer than a year…

I predict Crotchety will be forced to post more medical advice assisting his readers who fall out of their chairs laughing.

The SyFy announcement also reveals why an independently-owned sf media site changed its name to Airlock Alpha:

In the 24 hours since NBC Universal announced it had a new name for SciFi Channel, it seems they have found themselves in a tug of war with Airlock Alpha founder and site coordinator Michael Hinman on where exactly the “Syfy” name came from. Last month, Airlock Alpha came into existence following a sudden rebranding of the site that had carried the name “SyFy” in some form or another for more than a decade. The move shocked many readers, and was described at the time as nothing more than a marketing move by the site as it prepares to launch Inside Blip…

Hinman has declined to disclose what he was paid for to give up the SyFy brand, but has made it clear that it was significant.

“All I can tell you is that the amount was far more substantial than anyone who was simply looking to get into the science-fiction news business would pay, even me,” Hinman said. “So we knew it was someone extremely well capitalized.”

[Thanks to David Klaus, Andrew Porter, plus Michael J. Walsh and Stu Hellinger via Smofs, for links used in this story.]