Poor Trufan’s Almanack:
1978 FAAn Awards

This post inaugurates a new category, “Poor Trufan’s Almanack.” These fanhistorical articles will bring to the net information I’ve found that fills in gaps in the electronically-available research.

Commonly, this will be data I happen upon in paper fanzines that simply never made it to the web. I will park the data here and extend an open invitation for fans to copy it to the appropriate long lists. Less commonly, I will examine a controversial bit of fanhistory and make my case for interpreting it a certain way.

The initial posts in this category are the noncontroversial kind.

I noticed some time ago that Corflu’s FAAn Awards history page lacks entries for the 1978 winners of the two artist categories. The awards were given out at Autoclave 3, held from July 21-23, 1978 in Southfield, MI. The complete data was published in various issues of the old newzine DNQ, edited by Victoria Vayne and Taral, which I recently reread.

The data appears following the jump.

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“30” Is Not the End of This Story

While rereading DNQ #16 I came across the announcement of Patrick and Teresa Nielsen Hayden’s marriage on March 23, 1979. Being a whiz at basic arithmetic, I promptly realized they recently celebrated their 30th anniversary. Needless to say, they marked the date. Congratulations! And the same to those other March 1979 newlyweds, Bruce Gillespie and Elaine Cochrane. Many more joyous years to you all.

New, Improved CSLewis.com

HarperOne has revamped its C. S. Lewis website where over 20 top Lewis scholars and writers offer original insights about the author’s stories, theology, and world.

Currently featured on the front page of the new site are the leads of three posts by Michael Ward, David Downing and (hooray!) Diana Glyer, with links to the full text at at the forerunner site. Diana’s post about “C. S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and the Inklings” begins:

There’s a rumor going around that C. S. Lewis was an irritable introvert, isolated and lonely and scared to death of girls. Maybe it all comes from some grim stereotype of smart people or college professors or, maybe, published writers. That whole image is completely wrong.

You should also know that Lewis, like all self-respecting authors, now has his own official Facebook group.

[Thanks to Diana Glyer for the story.]
   

Canadian YA SF/F on Schwartz Shortlist

Science fiction and fantasy novels made the shortlist of the Ruth & Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Awards in the YA/Middle Reader category.

Included among the five finalists are Starclimber by Kenneth Oppel and The Shadow of Malabron by Thomas Wharton. I highly recommend a visit to Starclimber’s wonderful website to see the animated space elevator.

These awards for Canadian children’s literature are co-administered by the Ontario Arts Foundation, the Ontario Arts Council which manages the jury process, and Canadian Booksellers Association whose members choose the short list of books. Awards are given in two categories (the other category is Children’s Picture Books). The winners, selected by juries of young readers, each receive $6,000. The results will be announced on May 20, 2009.

[Thanks to John Mansfield for the link.]

Ackerman Auction April 30

The April 30 auction of Forry Ackerman’s remaining treasures is the subject of Alicia Lozano’s latest post to Hero Complex blog online at the LA Times. She spoke with Joe Maddalena, president of Profiles in History, who estimates that Ackerman’s collectibles will fetch around $500,000 at auction. The proceeds are to be distributed among 17 beneficiaries in Ackerman’s will:

[The] beneficiaries aren’t famous. Among them is a waitress from his favorite restaurant, House of Pies in Los Feliz, said friend and estate trustee Kevin Burns.

The Dracula/Lugosi items are expected to attract the highest bids, the black cape in the range of $15,000 to $20,000, and the ring, $20,000 to $30,000 or more.

A writer for the Criterion Collection has his own favorite items:

The myriad of marvels to be sold this week include a monocle worn by Fritz Lang during the making of Metropolis (1926), prosthetic teeth from Lon Chaney Sr.’s makeup kit, and a first American edition of Dracula, signed by Bram Stoker, Bela Lugosi, and Christopher Lee.

It’s possible to bid online – see LiveAuctioneers.com Hollywood Auction – Day 1.

[Thanks to John King Tarpinian for the links.]

Update 04/29/2009 Corrected Times writer’s name. Thanks to Mark Kruskol for the pointer.

Senter Busted for Keeping the Con in JumpCon

Shane Senter, the 36-year-old owner of JumpCon LLC, has been indicted on felony theft and consumer fraud charges in New Hampshire.

JumpCons were projected as a series of celebrity-studded media conventions. But the Boston event was canceled last July and the rest of the series never materialized. A couple of the actors disclaimed JumpCon’s announcements that they’d been the ones to cancel first. Fans acrimoniously demanded refunds, and some Adrian Paul fans contacted authorities in New Hampshire where the LLC is registered.

The Nashua (N.H.) Telegraph will have more coverage in the April 28 edition.  Only the headline is accessible as I write this on April 27. Perhaps this link will work later on Tuesday. Or not.

[Via Isaac Alexander.]

Update 04/28/2009: The link now works and the latest report says:

According to the state attorney general’s consumer complaint search, there have been 44 complaints lodged against JumpCon from July 2008 through March, most of which remain open and unresolved.

Senter was indicted on two, class B felony theft charges, each of which carries a maximum of up to 3-1/2 to seven years in prison, and four misdemeanor counts of “unfair or deceptive business practices,” in violation the state’s Consumer Protection Act.

Bradbury at the Festival of Books

Ray Bradbury speech at Festival of Books

Michael Prichard as Captain Beatty Ray Bradbury views Powell Library plaque Dennis Etchison, Richard, and Ray Bradbury at Festival of Books M. G. Lord introduces Bradbury at Festival of Books  Ovation for Ray Bradbury at Festival of Books Patricia Rogers listen to Ray Bradbury at Festival of Books Ray Bradbury by Powell Library plaque 

By John King Tarpinian: The crowds at the L. A. Times Festival of Books appeared to have been a little sparser than in recent years past but the spirit and enthusiasm of the crowd was a big as ever. My main focus was with assisting Ray Bradbury. Ray signed on Saturday at the Vagabond Books booth from 12:30 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. stopping only because the line never went away and UCLA security said his time was up. 

Ray was then escorted by Cathy Brown, a UCLA Library Publicity, Events and Exhibits Coordinator, over to where the plaque was installed commemorating his having written Fahrenheit 451 in the basement of the Powell Library on the UCLA campus…using $9.80 of dimes. (The reason he calls himself a true “dime novelist.”) Anybody wishing to view the plaque can do so during normal library hours. It is down the east stairwell from the main rotunda and is outside room 60. The former typing room is now a research lab.

Mr. Bradbury then went over to the Ackerman Union Hall (no connection to his dear friend Forrest J Ackerman) to give his lecture. Ray had a surprise in store for the crowd after being introduced by M.G. Lord, who had the quote of the day: “We know that books burn at 451 degrees Fahrenheit, but at what temperature does a Kindle melt?” After Ms. Lord left the stage a Captain Beatty was invited onto the stage by Mr. Bradbury. Michael Prichard, a member of Ray’s Pandemonium Theatre Company came on stage dressed as the fire captain. Beatty gave his speech about the dumbing down of the people. Ray then equated this to newspapers in general and the L.A. Times specifically having gotten rid of their book review sections. Ray asked the crowd to let the Times know of their displeasure at the reduced emphasis of books. Only Ray Bradbury could have done this in such a venue while being recorded by C-SPAN’s BookTV.

Photos by John King Tarpinian.

Wednesday In The Zone With George

George Clayton Johnson has one of the biggest hearts in the sf field and he’s proving it once again by offering a free eight-week writing class at Mystery & Imagination Bookstore in Glendale, CA. He’ll start the ball rolling Wednesday, May 6 at 7:30 p.m.

Johnson, the author of classic Twilight Zone episodes, the original Ocean’s Eleven movie and Star Trek’s “The Man Trap,” will be joined by several other well-known writer guests – for names, see the full press release after the jump.

[Thanks to John King Tarpinian for the story.]

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2008 Nebula Award Winners

From SFWA’s press release

Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. (SFWA®) presented the winners of the 2008 Nebula Awards and Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy in Los Angeles, California on April 25, 2009.

Novel
Powers – Le Guin, Ursula K. (Harcourt, Sep07)

Novella
The Spacetime Pool – Asaro, Catherine (Analog, Mar08)

Novelette
“Pride and Prometheus” – Kessel, John (F&SF, Jan08)

Short Story
“Trophy Wives” – Hoffman, Nina Kiriki (Fellowship Fantastic, ed. Martin H. Greenburg and Kerrie Hughes, DAW Books Jan08)

Script
WALL-E –  Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, Original story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter (Walt Disney June 2008)

Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy
Flora’s Dare: How a Girl of Spirit Gambles All to Expand Her Vocabulary, Confront a Bouncing Boy Terror, and Try to Save Califa from a Shaky Doom (Despite Being Confined to Her Room) – Wilce, Ysabeau S. (Harcourt, Sep08)

Also honored during the Nebula Award Weekend were:

  • A. J. Budrys — Solstice Award
  • M.J. Engh — Author Emerita
  • Marty Greenberg — Solstice Award
  • Harry Harrison — Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master
  • Joss Whedon — Ray Bradbury Award
  • Kate Wilhelm — Solstice Award

SFWA’s press release links to this video of Joss Whedon accepting the Bradbury Award.