William H. “Bill” Patterson Jr., author of the Hugo-nominated Robert A. Heinlein: In Dialogue With His Century, Vol. 1 (1907-1948): Learning Curve, died April 21, only a month before the second and final volume of the biography will be released. … Continue reading
When Bill Patterson died on April 21, the sf field lost its best-known Heinlein biographer and fandom lost one of its most interesting raconteurs. Bill’s health problems dominated his Facebook page in his final days – he complained about a … Continue reading
The American Library Association (ALA) on January 22 announced the 2024 Youth Media Award winners — the top books, digital media, video and audio books for children and young adults – including the Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Newbery and Printz awards – … Continue reading
The Visual Effects Society released the nominations for the 2024 VES Awards on January 16. Disney’s The Creator and Sony’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse lead the field with seven nominations each; HBO’s The Last of Us tops TV series with six. The VES Awards recognize VFX artistry in … Continue reading
(1) CHENGDU WORLDCON ROUNDUP. [Item by Ersatz Culture.] Con reports: Arthur Liu (part 2) Arthur’s con crud is subsiding, and he was able to post the second (of a projected four) part of his con report. This one covers the setup … Continue reading
(1) IAFA 45 GUESTS. The 45th International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts will meet March 13-16, 2024 at the Orlando Airport Marriott Lakeside in Florida. Guests of Honor are Mary Turzillo and C. E. Murphy, and Guest Scholars are Woppa … Continue reading
(1) THOUSANDS SIGN AUTHORS GUILD LETTER CALLING ON AI INDUSTRY TO PROTECT WRITERS. Over 9000 authors, including genre-recognizable names like Margaret Atwood, Michael Chabon, Carmen Machado, Joe Hill, Edward M. Lerner, Brendan DuBois, Terri Windling, Matthew Kressel, Sean Wallace, and … Continue reading
(1) CALL FOR ACTION. Shepherd is looking for trans people to be supported by others refusing to participate in cons in states that are enacting these kinds of laws. A Twitter discussion of the proposed Missouri law and link to … Continue reading
The American Library Association (ALA) today announced the 2023 Youth Media Award winners — the top books, digital media, video and audio books for children and young adults – including the Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Newbery and Printz awards – during LibLearnX: The … Continue reading
Mystery Writers of America has named two new Grand Masters – Michael Connelly and Joanne Fluke — plus the winners of several other awards: “MWA Announces 2023 Special Awards – Grand Master, Raven & Ellery Queen Recipients”. 2023 GRAND MASTERS … Continue reading