(1) WONKA EVENT SCAM, WITH AI ‘HELP’. [Item by Tom Becker.] A Willy Wonka-themed event closed immediately upon opening due to complaints from disappointed customers. UK correspondent Mark Plummer says there is a long-standing tradition of disappointing special experiences. A … Continue reading
Mystery Writers of America today announced the nominees for the 2024 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, honoring the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction and television published or produced in 2023. The 78th Annual Edgar® Awards will be celebrated on May 1, … Continue reading
(1) USE THESE EMAILS FOR SUBMISSIONS TO WSFS BUSINESS MEETING. Donald Eastlake III, Presiding Officer of the 2023 WSFS Business Meeting, announced that if anyone is having trouble sending email to businessmeeting (at) chengduworldcon.com, there is an alternative email address … Continue reading
(1) MARK HAMILL ZOOMS WITH UKRANIAN DEFENDERS. Mark Hamill answered Ukranians’ questions about the Star Wars saga. (2) A NICHE IN THE ECOLOGY. WIRED tells “How Bookshop.org Survives—and Thrives—in Amazon’s World”. “DO YOU REMEMBER what kind of beer it was?” Andy … Continue reading
(1) INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING AT ITS MOST. The news media covered the London Worldcon of 1957. They asked, “Do extraterrestrial things have much of a sex life?” Here’s a clip of the report: ITN’s Lynne Reid Banks spoke to various creatures … Continue reading
Mystery Readers International announced the finalists for the 2022 Macavity Awards on July 25. The Macavity Award is named for the “mystery cat” of T.S. Eliot (Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats). Each year the members of Mystery Readers International nominate and … Continue reading
(1) CAT RAMBO AT FUTURE TENSE. The new entry from Future Tense Fiction, a monthly series of short stories from Future Tense and Arizona State University’s Center for Science and the Imagination about how technology and science will change our lives. Cat … Continue reading
Another pair of crime fiction awards have announced their shortlists in the past few weeks. DASHIELL HAMMETT AWARD The finalists for the 2021 Dashiell Hammett Award for Literary Excellence in Crime Writing have been named by the International Association of Crime … Continue reading
The Peabody Awards 2022 nominations were released today, a total of 60 covering the categories of entertainment, documentaries, news, podcast/radio, children’s & youth, public service and arts. “Following yet another turbulent year, Peabody is proud to honor an array of … Continue reading
(1) BIG GREEN NUMBERS. Brandon Sanderson shares a lot of information about his successful Kickstarter and his progress on other projects in “Some FAQs You Might Enjoy”. Also includes a long analysis of Amazon’s effect on his business. How Are … Continue reading