Remembering Jim Burns

James H. Burns and Steve Vertlieb at Sardi’s.

By Steve Vertlieb: It was four years ago on June 2nd, 2016, that I lost one of my dearest, most cherished friends. What would normally have been among the happiest nights of my life … receiving a cherished life achievement award in Louisville, Kentucky … was tempered forever by the sobering reality that a friend and brother, who had for years championed and lobbied for my trophy, had passed away suddenly mere hours before I was to receive it. Here was my heart aching remembrance of Jim Burns as I wrote it four years ago today.

My win for the 2016 Rondo Hall Of Fame Award the other night was, is, and always will be tempered by the heartbreaking news and realization that my beloved friend and brother, Jim Burns, has tragically passed away at age fifty four of an undisclosed illness. Jim was one of the best friends that it’s ever been my honor to have. He was a cherished pal, confidante, and brother. Jim and I would speak for hours on the telephone, catching up on the latest news, talking, and always, always laughing.

When I nearly died just six or so years ago during major open heart surgery, Jim was ever on the telephone, and always sending me supportive e-mails and love. Jim pushed hard for my lifetime achievement award at the Rondo’s every year, and it was Jim who joyously announced my win for the Hall Of Fame by awaking me from a deep sleep just two months ago to inform me that I’d been elected to the Rondo Hall Of Fame.

My elation on Saturday morning in Louisville, Kentucky, was abruptly shattered when David Colton (the head of the Rondo Awards, and former editor of U.S.A. Today) gave me the terrible, terrible news that Jim has passed away on Thursday, June 2nd. Jim…I love you. I shall always love you. I cannot believe that I’ll never hear your voice, or your terrible jokes ever again. I cannot believe that I’ll never again know the happiness of reading your prolific commentary on the arts. Your work was sheer poetry. It was beautiful, haunting, and evocative. Your last years were tortured, and I hope that you found a degree of comfort in my love and respect for you, and in our profound bonding and friendship.

I dedicated my Rondo Award to you in my acceptance speech in Louisville Saturday evening. You always wanted to win a Rondo but never had an opportunity to do so. You were one Hell of a writer. May it bring you a degree of solace to know that David Colton dedicated this year’s Rondo Awards ceremony to you. I love you, Jim. I miss you…and I cannot believe that I will never have an opportunity to speak with you again. God Bless you, my friend. God Bless you, my cherished brother.

Sleep well, Prince Jim. Sleep throughout eternity in the knowledge that you shall always be loved….both by me, and by so many adoring friends and fans.

[Editor’s note: Here are links to all the posts Jim wrote for File 770 during the last six months of his life.]

JAMES H. BURNS POSTS

Pixel Scroll 6/16/19 You Always File The Pixels You Love, The Ones You Shouldn’t File At All

(1) FOR MY FATHER…AND FOR ALL OUR FATHERS. It’s a good day to reread Steve Vertlieb’s Father’s Day tribute to his dad — “My Father/Myself” (from 2017).

Here is a very special Father’s Day tribute that I wrote for my beloved dad, Charles Vertlieb. I hope that you’ll find it moving. Happy Father’s Day in Heaven, Dad. I love you, and I miss you more and more with every passing day.

And I also returned to the late James H. Burns’ “My Father and the Brontosaurus”

… The first dinosaurs we would have shared must have been at the New York World’s Fair in 1965, in Flushing Meadows, Queens (where the baseball Mets still play).  In the second, and final year of that unparalleled spectacular’s existence, we saw Dinoland,  Sinclair Oil’s famous “dinosaur garden.” (A small plastic stegosaurus soon became one of my prized possessions).

(2) NEW NEW NEW! Coca-Cola is the sponsor of today’s practically daily Stranger Things tie-in commercial. New Coke may go better with popcorn than on it.

(3) ADVICE FROM THE MASTER. Screencraft published a collection of “31 Must-Read Screenwriting Lessons From The Twilight Zone Creator Rod Serling” in 2016.

… Here we go to the great one for his wise advice on writing. We’ll elaborate on some of his most famous quotes on the subject to showcase how screenwriters can apply the wisdom to their screenwriting art and craft….

4. “You see. No shock. No engulfment. No tearing asunder. What you feared would come like an explosion is like a whisper. What you thought was the end is the beginning.”

Screenwriters wait and wait for that big inspirational moment to come, often leading to endless months and months of waiting. Sometimes years. The best ideas come like a whisper in the night. It could be a single visual, a single line of dialogue, a single moment, a single character trait or arc, etc. Don’t wait for some big explosion of inspiration. Listen.

(4) TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS.

[Compiled by Cat Eldridge.]

  • Born June 16, 1894 Mahlon Blaine. Illustrator whose largely of interest here for his work on the covers of the Canaveral Press editions in 1962 of some Edgar Rice Burroughs editions. He told Gershon Legman who would put together The Art of Mahlon Blaine “that he designed the 1925 film, The Thief of Bagdad, but Arrington says that his name doesn’t appear in any of the published credits.” He also claimed to have worked on Howard Hawks’ Scarface, but IMDB has no credits for him. (Died 1964.)
  • Born June 16, 1896 Murray Leinster. It is said that he wrote  and published more than fifteen hundred short stories and articles, fourteen movie scripts, and hundreds of radio scripts and television plays. Among those was his 1945 Hugo winning novella “First Contact” which is one of the first (if not the first) instances of a universal translator in science fiction. So naturally his heirs sued Paramount Pictures over Star Trek: First Contact, claiming that it infringed their trademark in the term. However, the suit was dismissed. I’m guessing they filed just a bit late. (Died 1975.)
  • Born June 16, 1920 T.E. Dikty. In 1947, Dikty joined Shasta Publishers as managing editor. With E. F. Bleiler he started the first Best of the Year SF anthologies, called The Best Science Fiction, that ran from 1949 until 1957. He was posthumously named to the First Fandom Hall of Fame in a ceremony at the 71st World Science Fiction Convention. (Died 1991.)
  • Born June 16, 1939 David McDaniel. He wrote but one non-media tie-in novel, The Arsenal Out of Time, but most of his work was writingThe Man from U.N.C.L.E. novels, six in total, with one, The Final Affair, which was supposed to wrap up the series but went unpublished due to declining sales but which circulated among fandom. He also wrote a Prisoner novel, Who is Number 2? (Died 1977.)
  • Born June 16, 1940 Carole Ann Ford, 79. Best known for her roles as Susan Foreman in Doctor Who, and as Bettina in The Day of the Triffids. Ford appeared in the one-off 50th-anniversary comedy homage The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot.
  • Born June 16, 1958 Isobelle Carmody, 61. Australian writer best known for her Obernewtyn Chronicles which she began at age fourteen. She’s rather prolific with I count at least twenty four novel and three short story collections to date. 
  • Born June 16, 1972 Andy Weir, 47. His debut novel, The Martian, was later adapted into a film of the same name directed by Ridley Scott. He received the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. Artemis, his second novel, has been optioned as a film.

(5) COMICS SECTION.

  • Bizarro devises emoticons for aliens.

(6) BY POPULAR DEMAND. Is there someone who hasn’t sent me a link to this photo?

(7) GETTING WITH THE PROGRAM. The Verge’s Adi Robertson says “Neal Stephenson’s Fall is Paradise Lost with brain uploading and weaponized fake news”.

Like many Stephenson novels, Fall features a huge, multigenerational — and in this case, periodically reincarnated — cast of characters. But at its center is Richard “Dodge” Forthrast, an aging game company CEO and protagonist of Stephenson’s earlier novel Reamde.

The broad strokes of the story: Dodge dies during a routine medical procedure, and his consciousness is uploaded to a quantum computer. This digital Dodge (known as Egdod) slowly gains self-awareness and constructs a mystical space called Bitworld, presiding over a growing number of newly uploaded “souls.” But the wealthy transhumanist Elmo “El” Shepherd is furious that Dodge has seemingly recreated an old, regrettably human social system. He throws Dodge out of his own paradise, setting up a power struggle that will shake Bitworld’s very foundations.

(8) CHUCKY’S BACK. NME tells why everyone should “Watch Snoop Dogg’s hilarious review of the ‘Child’s Play’ reboot”

The Child’s Play reboot is out in cinemas next week, and it’s already gotten the seal of approval from the one and only Snoop Dogg.

The rapper’s not one to mince his words, whether he’s reacting to the Game of Thrones finale or American president Donald Trump. So naturally, his quick-fire review of the new Chucky film, in a short clip for his Hot Box Office show on VH1, was filled with puns and quips.

(9) SCOUTING PARTY. Links to a cornucopia of recent reviews at Todd Mason’s Sweet Freedom: “Friday’s ‘Forgotten Books’ and more: the links to reviews 14 June 2019. (Reviewer’s name comes first, followed by title and author of work.)

  • Patricia Abbott: Landscape with Fragmented Figures by Jeff Vande Zande
  • Hepzibah Anderson and John O’Neill: Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner
  • Pritpaul Bains: The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth
  • Brian Bigelow: Journey through a Lighted Room by Margaret Parton
  • Les Blatt: A Knife for Harry Dodd by George Bellairs
  • Joachim Boaz: Seconds by David Ely; Daybreak on a Different Mountain by Colin Greenland 
  • John Boston: Amazing: Fact and Science Fiction Stories, July 1964, edited by Cele Goldsmith Lalli
  • Ben Boulden: A Talent for Killing (including Deadman’s Game) by Ralph Dennis
  • Brian Busby: The Black Donnellys by Thomas P. Kelley
  • Martin Edwards: Goodbye, Friend by Sébastien Japrisot (translated by Patricia Allen Dreyfus)
  • Peter Enfantino: Atlas (pre-Marvel) horror comics: June 1952
  • Peter Enfantino and Jack Seabrook: DC war comics, February 1975
  • Will Errickson: In a Lonely Place and Why Not You and I? by Karl Edward Wagner
  • José Ignacio Escribano: Maigret in Vichy by Georges Simenon (translated by Ros Schwartz)
  • Curtis Evans: Who wrote which of the “Patrick Quentin”/”Q. Patrick”/”Jonathan Stagge” novels
  • Olman Feelyus: Horizon by Helen MacInnes
  • Paul Fraser: Famous Fantastic Mysteries, August 1946, edited by Mary Gnaedinger (The Twenty-Fifth Hour by Herbert Best and a short story by Bram Stoker); The Great SF Stories 11 (1949) edited by Isaac Asimov and Martin H. Greenberg
  • John Grant: Summer of the Big Bachi by Naomi Hirahara; Silk by Alessandro Barrico (translated by Guido Waldman)
  • Aubrey Hamilton: The Cat Screams by Todd Downing
  • Rich Horton: Kate Wilhelm short fiction; The Accidental Time Machine by Joe Haldeman
  • Jerry House: Three by Kuttner by Henry Kuttner (edited and introduced by Virgil Utter)
  • Kate Jackson: The Strange Case of Harriet Hall by “Moray Dalton” (Katherine Dalton Renoir)
  • Tracy K: The Dusty Bookcase by Brian Busby
  • Colman Keane: Snout by Tim Stevens
  • George Kelley: The Golden Age of Science Fiction by John Wade; Best Seller: A Century of America’s Favorite Books by Robert McParland
  • Joe Kenney: Hickey & Boggs by Philip Rock (from the script by Walter Hill); Revenge at Indy by “Larry Kenyon” (Lew Louderback)
  • Rob Kitchin: London Rules by Mick Herron
  • Kate Laity: “Rabbit in a Trap” by Sandra Seamans
  • B. V. Lawson: The Saint in Europe by Leslie Charteris; Exeunt Murderers: The Best Mystery Stories of Anthony Boucher by “Anthony Boucher” (William White)
  • Fritz Leiber: “Try and Change the Past” (Astounding Science Fiction, March 1958, edited by John W. Campbell, Jr.)
  • Evan Lewis: A Badge for a Badman by “Brian Wynne” (Brian Garfield)
  • Steve Lewis: The Dark Kiss by Donald Enefer; Joy Houseby “Day Keene” (Gunard Hjertstedt) 
  • John F. Norris: The Sealed Room Murder by Michael Crombie
  • Matt Paust: The Everrumble by Michelle Elvy
  • James Reasoner: Tall, Dark and Dead by Kermit Jaediker
  • Richard Robinson: Starman Jones by Robert Heinlein
  • Janet Rudolph: Crime Fiction for Father’s Day
  • Gerard Saylor: Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke 
  • Steven H Silver: Heavy Metal magazine, edited by Sean Kelly, Valerie Merchant, Ted White et al.
  • Kerrie Smith: A High Mortality of Doves by Kate Ellis
  • Duane Spurlock: Santa Fe Passage by “Clay Fisher” (Henry Wilson Allen)
  • Kevin Tipple: Oregon Hill by Howard Owen
  • “TomCat”: Damning Trifles by Maurice C. Johnson 
  • Matthew Wurtz: Galaxy Science Fiction, August 1954, edited by H. L. Gold

(10) THAT’S CAT. ScreenRant invites you to step inside the pitch meeting that led to 2004’s Catwoman!

[Thanks to JJ, Andrew Porter, Carl Slaughter, Andrew Liptak, John King Tarpinian, Mike Kennedy, Chip Hitchcock, Cat Eldridge, and Martin Morse Wooster for some of these stories. Title credit goes to File 770 contributing editor of the day Ann Nimmhaus.]

Remembering Jim Burns

Burns and Vertlieb at Sardi’s

By Steve Vertlieb: Just thinking about my dear friend and brother, James H. Burns, who left us on June 2nd, 2016. Jimmy was a wonderful writer, journalist, avid sports fan, and film historian. He was also my friend. No one could make me laugh like Jimmy could. He’d tell me endless stories about his interaction with actors and sports legends. We’d be on the phone for hours. Jimmy’s infinite joy for life was both passionate and infectious. I miss the sound of his voice, and the gift of his friendship every day. Rest well, Jimmy. Thank you for gracing my years with the sweet gift of you.

Remembering Jim Burns on His Birthday

Burns and Vertlieb at Sardi’s

[Steve Vertlieb pays tribute to his friend and prolific File 770 contributor, the late Jim Burns.]

By Steven J. Vertlieb: James H. Burns was a professional writer, film historian, sports enthusiast, actor, and fan. More importantly, however, he was my friend. I guess he was one of my very best friends. This becomes more apparent, perhaps, with the passage of time. Jim is no longer with us. He died, sadly, almost two years ago on what would have been my mother’s birthday, June 2nd, 2016.

James H. Burns

Jimmy was a character. He was handsome, charming, smart, and funny. All of the ladies loved him. I loved him too. He could be cantankerous, irascible, and opinionated. Jimmy didn’t like to be wrong. It didn’t matter much because he was usually right. Jim appeared often on Broadway as an actor. He also became a popular guest on New York radio stations as a joyously zealous baseball critic, and loyal supporter of the city’s sports teams.

Jimmy loved life with an uncommon exuberance and passion. He embraced every fragment of his life with uncommon reverence. He was also among my biggest supporters. Whenever I’d feel down, unworthy, and unimportant, Jimmy was always there to remind me of my accomplishments over half a century, and offer himself as a one man cheering section. When I won a “Rondo” Hall Of Fame Award for lifetime achievement two years ago, it was Jimmy who pushed, shoved, and lobbied for me to finally win the trophy. When I told Jimmy that there was no way that I’d ever be remembered or recognized for my work, he enthusiastically telephoned me at an ungodly hour, waking me from a deep sleep on a work night, to inform me that I’d won. I think that Jimmy was as happy as I was about the win.

Jimmy was the picture of health and robust masculinity. The only problem was that he smoked. He smoked every day, morning, noon, and night. He couldn’t give it up. He always had a cigarette dangling from his lips. It was a part of his character and personality. It was a part of him. Jimmy took the train down from New York on December 15th, 2015, in order to be a part of my seventieth birthday celebration. I got him a room at a local motel, and cherished the hours that he spent with us in Philadelphia. We laughed, we talked, and we hugged. I think that it meant a lot to Jimmy to come down to Philly, and to be so surrounded by animated conversation and camaraderie. My brother, Erwin, was visiting from Los Angeles, and both he and Jimmy really hit it off. We spent a day and a night together, and Jimmy was in his glory. He told stories, listened, laughed, and shared reverent hours of conversation and hilarity.

That was the last time that I ever saw Jimmy alive. Several weeks after cheering me on for the Rondo Award in April, 2016, Jimmy began to develop and become cognizant of alarming health issues. He grew sick quickly. On the morning of Saturday, June 4th, 2016, I was walking through the corridors of our hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. I was there with my girlfriend Shelly to accept the Rondo life achievement award that Jimmy had lobbied so hard over so many years for me to win. I bumped into David Colton, organizer of the annual awards and Editor In Chief of USA Today. David smiled, shook my hand, and asked me if I’d heard the news. I stopped, and asked “What news?” It was then that David informed me that Jimmy had passed away two days earlier on Thursday, June 2nd. I hadn’t heard. I’d been busy working, packing, and arranging for my journey to Louisville. David told me that he’d seen a notice on Jimmy’s Facebook page that he’d succumbed to his illness. I went back to my room and told Shelly what had happened. We were both stunned and speechless. Jimmy had become so much an integral part of both of our lives.

That evening as I accepted my award from David, and offered my impromptu speech, recalling a lifetime of memories and friends, I broke down and began to cry. If it wasn’t for Jimmy, I probably wouldn’t have been there at all. I dedicated my hour of personal triumph to Jimmy. David, in turn, dedicated the ceremony to Jim. He was my friend, and he was my brother. Today, April 10th, would have been his birthday. Happy Birthday, Jim. Happy Birthday, dear friend. There isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t think of you, and miss the sound of your mischievous jokes, and sweet voice. Happy Birthday in baseball Heaven, Jimmy. I miss you. We all do.

[Editor’s note: Here are links to all the posts Jim wrote here in his last six months of life.]

JAMES H. BURNS POSTS

Happy 10th Birthday,
File 770 Blog

We’ve reached the second bookend of File 770’s 10/40 anniversary celebration.

As I said about the zine in the first post here on the File 770 blog

You never know how long a fanzine will be around. When the first pages rolled out of the mimeograph in January 1978, I decided it was premature to order personalized [File 770] license plates. But by now, the zine has outlasted 5 cars.

And just as surprisingly, the blog itself has reached the age of 10 today.

It might still be one of fandom’s best-kept secrets if not for John King Tarpinian’s January 2015 article “Viewing the Remains of Bradbury’s Home” and his photographs of the Bradbury home teardown that touched the hearts of all the fans who still hadn’t finished mourning Ray. John’s post became File 770’s most viewed up to that time (and is still in second place, behind “Sunday Business Meeting at Sasquan.”) It made more readers familiar with File 770 as a news source, preparing the way for the rapid audience expansion that happened when I started daily roundups of Sad/Rabid Puppy news.

I actually did those for only three months (and the titles people came up with launched another tradition). But the commenter community that grew out of them inspired me to invent the daily Pixel Scrolls, fan news and pop culture roundups, so we continue to have issues to discuss and ideas to play with.

Of the dozens of frequent contributors I owe thanks to, I especially want to remember John Hertz, who spans so many times and cultures in his writing; JJ, for vast review projects; Chris Barkley, a passionate fannish advocate; and Carl Slaughter, whose interviews help steer this blog toward its polestar interest in sff.

I’ll also never forget the late James H. Burns, who specialized in reminding us that fandom is fun. Usually his posts here were inspired by memories of “growing up fannish,” such as the very popular Once, When We Were All Scientists, and CLANKY!. But Jim was especially proud of a trio of posts that paid tribute to the influence of his father — My Father, And The Brontosaurus, Sons of a Mesozoic Age, and World War II, and a Lexicon in Time.

Thanks to all of you who contribute a review, a filk, a cat photo, or in some other way use your creative abilities to energize the conversation at File 770.

Lastly, thanks to Camestros Felapton for creating this birthday video —

Remembering James H. Burns Who Died A Year Ago Today

Burns and Vertlieb at Sardi’s

By Steve Vertlieb: With the late James H. Burns at Sardi’s in New York for dinner during a chilly Winter’s evening in December, 2014. Jimmy was one of my most cherished pals. He was my friend, my muse, my collaborator, and my brother. We would chat literally for hours each week into the proverbial “wee small hours of the morning.” We’d laugh, we’d argue, we’d celebrate the best and the worst in the arts and in life.

Jimmy was as “corny as Kansas in August,” but he could also challenge one’s core beliefs with spirited discussion, and overwhelming intellectual conviction. He was a passionate, tireless advocate of the arts, both in journalistic pride, as well as theatrical participation.

Jimmy loved baseball, and was its most inspired supporter. Whether arguing over the big leagues, or merely cheering on a tiny little league game on the corner of his block late one balmy Summer’s night, no one loved the game more than Jimmy.

His puns were terrible, and his laughter infectious. He could be maddeningly persistent in his sometimes self-righteous beliefs, and spirited interrogation, but Jim was never a phony. He stood by his own personal standards of equality and justice, and fought ferociously for his beliefs.

He was among the original writers and columnists for Fangoria Magazine, and a compelling contributor to Newsday, The New York Times and, in his final days, Mike Glyer’s Hugo Award winning File 770. Jimmy grew more introspective and, perhaps, melancholy in his later years, writing what amounted to sheer poetry in his brief, yet utterly charming and beautiful remembrances of days and years “past remembered”, but not forgotten.

He was among the most dedicated and creatively committed individuals that I’ve ever known. Jimmy was my conscience, and my shadow. When I nearly died seven years ago during major open heart surgery, he was my humorous cheerleader and spiritual angel, telephoning me often three or four times during a single day to make me laugh, and to remind me of just how special life could be.

I cherished our friendship, and revere his memory. I miss our infinite, often interminable telephone correspondence, conversations, and arguments.

Jimmy loved New York more than anyone I’ve ever known. It was during that sweet Christmas of 2014 when he enthusiastically “dragged” Shelly and I all over Manhattan to show off the vibrant city that he so loved.

He was a writer, an actor, a journalist, a film and baseball historian, and a deeply passionate human being. More than that, however, he was my brother, my champion, and my friend. I’m thinking of Jimmy today and always, but particularly on this poignant first anniversary of his untimely physical passing, and departure from this all too lonely planet, and remembering the wonderful James H. Burns. I miss you, dear friend. Rest well, Jimmy.

Remembering James H. Burns

James H. Burns and Steve Vertlieb at Sardi’s.

By Steve Vertlieb: With my dear pal and cherished friend, Jim Burns, over dinner at Sardi’s Restaurant in New York at Christmas, 2014. Jimmy was one of my closest buddies. He could always make me laugh. Jim was a gifted writer and actor, and could charm the ladies with just a mischievous smile. He was one of my greatest supporters and champions, and had pushed for years to get me a lifetime achievement award at the annual Rondo competition. He finally succeeded in his quest, and woke me from a sound sleep only a year ago to tell me that I’d finally been elected to the prestigious Rondo Award Hall of Fame. That was last April, 2016. Two months later Jimmy was gone. He died far, far too early, and too young on Thursday, June 3rd, 2016. Today would have been his birthday. I miss you every day, Jimmy. I miss the sound of your voice. I miss your incessant telephone calls from New York. I miss your terrible jokes, and I miss the sound of your laughter. I miss you. Happy Birthday in Heaven, Jim.

James H. Burns with Steve Vertlieb at Vertlieb’s 70th birthday party.

Together with one of my best pals at my 70th birthday bash here in Philadelphia on December 15th, 2015. James H. Burns was the picture of health when this photograph was taken. Jimmy was loved by men and by women alike. He was charming, and handsome. He was a gifted writer, film historian, and actor, and was one of the funniest men I ever knew. Just four months after this picture was taken, Jim grew ill. On June 3rd of last year, Jimmy passed away. He was a young man with everything to live for. Today would have been his birthday. I’m thinking of my friend, Jim Burns in Heaven just now. Happy Birthday, Jimmy. I’ll never forget you.

[Editor’s note: That image of a light shining brightest just before it goes out comes immediately to mind when I list all the posts Jim wrote here in his last six months.]

JAMES H. BURNS POSTS

OBITUARY

James H. Burns Has Died

Pixel Scroll 11/23/16 A Pixel On All Your Houses

(1) COVER GIRL. Maya Kaathryn Bonhoff continues her critique of the clothing (or lack of it) depicted on sff book covers in “There’s a Bimbo on the Cover, Verse 2: The Bimbo Wears Black Leather” at Book View Café.

I may be outvoted, but so far the winner of the award for Wardrobe Malfunction is the Dutch cover of Vonda McIntyre’s Dreamsnake (Droomslang in Dutch). Vonda assures me that she has no problem with full frontal nudity. She does, however, have a problem with full frontal nudity that is nowhere in the book.

(2) ELLISON KICKSTARTER. Jason Davis, needing to squeeze out another $17,000 to reach the Harlan Ellison Book Preservation Kickstarter’s $100,000 goal, sent an e-mail to his list reminding them about the donor perks. This one’s my favorite —

$300 — A Piece of the Puzzle, signed by Harlan: In the earliest days of HarlanEllisonBooks.com, Harlan entrusted to me an unusual item: a book of New York Times crossword puzzles. All the puzzles were completed between 2010 and 2011, and Harlan had signed and dated each page.

(3) HINES CONTINUES CHARITY AUCTION. Jim C. Hines fundraiser for Transgender Michigan is in its second day, auctioning a Tuckerization and Autographed ARC from A. M. (Alyx) Dellamonica.

Full details and bidding instructions at the site.

(4) BRANDON SANDERSON’S BOOK TOUR SCHEDULE. Tachyon Publications knows where you can find Brandon Sanderson on the road, from Seattle to Hoboken.

(5) THE SOUND AND THE FURY. The print edition is on the way for a novella that, unusually, was first offered as an audiobook: “Subterranean Press Announces Print Edition of John Scalzi’s The Dispatcher (Tor.com).

As promised, John Scalzi’s new novella The Dispatcheroriginally released as an audiobook from Audible, will also be available in print. Subterranean Press announced today that it will publish The Dispatcher in May 2017, in both trade hardcover edition as well as a limited signed hardcover edition.

Subterranean Press shared the cover, by Vincent Chong, who also handled interior illustrations. The trade edition is a fully cloth bound hardcover edition; 400 limited-edition versions are signed numbered hardcover copies, bound in leather.

(6) KOWAL’S LADY ASTRONAUT PROGRAM. Tor.com also brings word of a “New ‘Lady Astronaut of Mars’ Book Series Coming, Based on Hugo-Winning Novelette”.

Tor Books is happy to announce that author Mary Robinette Kowal will build on the universe of her Hugo Award-winning novelette “The Lady Astronaut of Mars” with two new books coming in 2018!

From Kowal: “I jokingly call the Lady Astronaut universe ‘punchcard punk’ because it’s rooted in the 1950s and 60s. It’s a chance to re-imagine the science-fiction of Ray Bradbury and Cordwainer Smith, where all of the science was very physical and practical.”

The novels will be prequels, greatly expanding upon the world that was first revealed in “Lady Astronaut”. The first novel, The Calculating Stars will present one perspective of the prequel story, followed closely by the second novel The Fated Sky, which will present an opposite perspective; one tightly woven into the first novel.

(7) THORNTON OBIT. From The Hollywood Reporter: “Ron Thornton, Emmy-Winning Visual Effects Guru on ‘Babylon 5,’ Dies at 59”:

Ron Thornton, an Emmy-winning visual effects designer, supervisor and producer who worked on such shows as Babylon 5 and Star Trek: Voyager, has died. He was 59.

Thornton, often credited with bringing the power of CGI to television visual effects, died Monday at his home in Albuquerque, N.M., after a short battle with liver disease, his friend, veteran VFX supervisor Emile Smith, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Thornton received his Emmy for the 1993 telefilm Babylon 5: The Gathering (the pilot for the series) and also was nominated for his work on episodes of Star Trek: Voyager and Buffy the Vampire Slayer and on the 2002 telefilm Superfire.

(8) TODAY’S BIRTHDAY BOLT BOY

  • Born November 23, 1887 – Boris Karloff

(9) THANKSGIVING DAY TV MARATHONS. The Los Angeles Times says “’Mystery Science Theater 3000′ returns with new blood for the Turkey Day marathon”:

Twenty-eight years ago the little science fiction show that could, “Mystery Science Theater 3000,” premiered on Thanksgiving Day. It all started with one Earthling, series creator Joel Hodgson, and his gang of lovable robot puppets. Together they drifted through space in the “Satellite of Love,”…

In Los Angeles, we also have KTLA’s annual 18-episode marathon of Rod Serling’s classic anthology series “The Twilight Zone.” 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

RETRO MARATHON MAN. This will be the first Thanksgiving since File 770 contributor James H. Burns passed away. If he were still with us I know he’d have come up with a brand new way for me to point to his trilogy of articles at The Thunder Child about the era when a New York City TV station persuaded whole families to park in front of the set on Thanksgiving and watch King Kong for the zillionth time.

King Kong in the City: A Thanksgiving Tradition: Burns tells about his father’s affinity for the famous ape movie, and his personal memory of discovering the film on Saturday morning TV in the Sixties. The station was New York’s channel 9 (the former WOR-TV) and in the next decade it broadcast the movie every Thanksgiving, before long adding the sequel, Son of Kong, and 1949’s Mighty Joe Young, another stop-motion animation picture from Kong’s creators. The annual tradition lasted until 1985.

Chris Steinbrunner: A Renaissance of Fantasy: Chris Steinbrunner, an executive with WOR-TV, is according to Burns “one of the great unsung heroes of fandom, who helped run many of his era’s conventions, was an Edgar-award winning author, wrote one of the very first books on science fiction and fantasy movies, published many books (with Centaur Press)… and produced what may well be a lost 007 special!…”  Burns says, “My old pal was a pretty neat guy, and a while ago, I was stunned that save for a short Wikipedia entry, there was virtually none of Chris’ history on the web.” Articles like this surely will keep him from being forgotten.

One of the great times Chris and I were together came early one morning in 1983 when we ran into each other high atop the Empire State Building, gathered on the Observation Deck for a special press party commemorating King Kong’s fiftieth anniversary. With the men in suits and the ladies elegantly attired, champagne was poured as we looked towards the bi-planes in the distance, booked especially for the event, that buzzed as though in a dream, above the shores of Manhattan.

When someone asked Chris about Kong Thursdays, he replied, as he almost always did, with a quick pause, a sudden smile, and said:  “King Kong on Thanksgiving…? Whoever would have thought of such an odd idea?”

Meanwhile, At the Empire State Building: The third installment is about the Empire State Building and Fay Wray.

(10) BANG BANG. Jonathan McCalmont of Ruthless Culture delivers two cheap shots for the price of one tweet.

(11) A BEASTLY MOVIE. Book View Café’s Steven Harper Piziks has seen it – “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them–An Extensive Review” (beware spoilers).

Is there good stuff?  Sure.  It’s fun to see the Harry Potter world in 1920s America.  The movie focuses on magical animals instead of spells and potions, a potentially fun new area to explore.  The effects are lovely.  Dan Fogler as Mr. Kowalski is a delight as the stand-in for the audience as he’s accidentally thrust into a wizardling world he can barely understand but gamely does his best to master.

But…

The movie has serious pacing problems.  Things take forever to get moving in the beginning. We  spend too much time dealing with unimportant issues, like the annoying niffler’s thieving and the preparation of food in a witch’s kitchen, and not enough time on actual plot points, like what the villain wants and how he intends to get it.  The latter is annoyingly muddled and confused.  Less time on special-effects creatures and more time on human character development would have been a better scripting choice.

(12) EVERYBODY NEEDS A HOBBY. “Mr. Night Has The Day Off,” on Vimeo, is a charming cartoon from Lithuania about what happens when Night wanders around during his day off and zaps things (cars, clothes) black.

(13) THE GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT. Is there anyplace where the grapes have more wrath than Westeros? Now you can buy Game of Thrones wine, albeit at Lannister prices.

Vintage Wine Estates announced that they’ve partnered with HBO to release three different officially licensed Game of Thrones wines—a Chardonnay (suggested retail $19.99), a Red Blend (suggested retail $19.99) and a Cabernet Sauvignon (suggested retail $39.99). We haven’t heard Tyrion mention a preferred varietal, but based on his wine habit it seems safe to assume he’d back all of these.

 

gotr-wine

(14) THE GHOST OF CHRISTMAS GIFT PAST. A computer that can fit in your pocket – if you’re Captain Kangaroo – and at such a reasonable price! Of course, that’s back when $169.95 really was worth $169.95…

tra80

[Thanks to John King Tarpinian, Martin Morse Wooster, Mark-kitteh, and JJ for some of these stories. Title credit goes to File 770 contributing editor of the day IanP.]

Pixel Scroll 11/11/16 Some Say Scrolls, It Is A Pixel, That Leaves Your Eyes To Bleed

(1) RELIGHTING FIREFLY. CinemaBlend’s Nick Venable has been listening to actor Alan Tudyk, who says “Nathan Fillion Has an Awesome Idea for More Firefly”.

[Alan Tudyk] “I’m always hopeful that it’ll come back in some form or fashion. I think as long as you have Nathan Fillion – truly, if you have the captain – he can put the crew back together. Some new faces, some old faces, and get back in the air. I think Nathan pitched an idea once to me, and I think he actually got it from some fan fiction: Now, out in some shack on some forgotten moon somewhere, somebody comes and knocks on [Mal’s] door and says, ‘We need you.’ And he answers the call.”

I know that you guys might not have gotten goosebumps like I did when Alan Tudyk was saying it, but I’m sure everyone pictured that potential opening scene accordingly. It’s the perfect set-up for an action narrative, with the unpredictable hero getting picked out of reclusion to head back out for one last mission. One. Last. Mission. Not that anyone said this would have to be the final mission for Mal Reynolds, who may or may not still have his Captain status, since there should never be a last mission for him.

I’m picturing Nathan Fillion with a big giant beard, and he’s complaining about the “gorram WiFi never working” on his moon. There’s probably some kind of a booze still behind his shack. And something happened that was so foul that he vowed never to get back out into the cosmos again, for either fun or profit. But then maybe Jayne or Zoe is in trouble – take that, Jayne – and only Mal can be the one to bring him/her/them/all the gold back. Combine that with the masterfully wild shot that Joss Whedon never got to bring to Firefly, and it all starts to write itself, though that’s only helpful if the project can also order itself to series and air itself.

(2) KC DISCOVERS SUSHI. Scott Edelman of the Eating the Fantastic podcast invites you to “Take a break for sushi with Kathleen Ann Goonan” in Episode 22 of the series.

Kathleen Ann Goonan

Kathleen Ann Goonan

I may have given you the impression, based on the three previous episodes of Eating the Fantastic, that all I ate while I was in Kansas City for this year’s World Science Fiction Convention was BBQ. Not true! This episode’s guest requested sushi, which led us Bob Wasabi Kitchen, giving me some respite from the meat sweats.

And who’s the guest this time? Kathleen Ann Goonan, whose first novel, Queen City Jazz, was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, and who won the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel for In War Times. And, I should add, who wrote the story, “The Bride of Elvis,” which I had the honor of publishing twenty years ago (yikes!), back when I was editing Science Fiction Age magazine.

(3) LIFE OF TOLKIEN. The Verge reports “J.R.R. Tolkien biopic Middle Earth will add new depth to Lord of the Rings”.

Earlier this week, Deadline revealed that New Line Cinema would be revisiting the worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien. Rather than adapting one of his many novels or stories, director James Strong will be helming a film about the author himself, which has the potential to give viewers an entirely new way of looking at the works that he’s most famous for.

Middle Earth is described as following Tolkien’s “early life and love affair with Edith Bratt,” as well as his service to the British Army during the First World War. The film, to be written by Angus Fletcher, is reportedly based on years of archival research on Tolkien’s life.

(4) VAUGHN OBIT. Actor Robert Vaughn (1932-2016) died November 11. His most famous role was Napoleon Solo in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. which aired from 1964-1968, and reprised in a 1983 reunion movie for television. When reruns of the late-1950s series Men Into Space began airing recently, Rich Lynch spotted a young Robert Vaughn in his first sf genre role, the episode “Moon Cloud.”  He appeared in episodes of dozens of TV series over the decades, and in several movies, notably Bullitt and The Magnificent Seven.

The late James H. Burns wrote several File 770 posts about Vaughn, whom he had interviewed for print articles.

When I chatted with Robert Vaughn a few weeks ago, there was a fascinating surprise…

…Vaughn had just spent, for the first time, I believe, a great deal of time watching “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.”!

When the U.N.C.L.E. marathon was on, a few months ago (was it on the DECADES cable channel?), Vaughn found himself checking in, within the coziness of his Connecticut home.

He had never really seen the episodes, and was now watching a number of the excellent first season shows.

Now, this isn’t unusual for any actor. In the 1960s, the schedule on television shoots could be overwhelming. (That’s been true, really, in any era of filmmaking.) Vaughn was also busy with his private education, and of course, civic pursuits….

 

We were at a tribute to Vaughn at the Players Club in Manhattan, and were chatting amiably afterwards:

Vaughn was I think I bit surprised and happy that there was someone to talk with who knew a bit about various aspects of his career… (Plus, I had just explained the ending of Bullitt  to him, something which had apparently eluded the both of us, for years!)

…In the early ’70s. Vaughn had signed to star in The Protectors, a syndicated, half-hour action adventure series about international detectives, from ITC and producers Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. The Andersons, of course, are well known to TV buffs and science fiction fans of a certain age for Supercar, Fireball XL5, Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet — all marionette shows, and the live-action series UFO, and Space: 1999.

The Protectors was a big deal for Anderson, his first major (and, as it turned out, last) mainstream–non-fantasy–endeavor.

The Andersons invited Vaughn and his then business partner to their London home for dinner, for a celebratory meal.

Vaughn and his business manager/pal had drinks in the living room, and then Gerry and Sylvia led them into the formal dining room…

It was only this small group, but the huge table was set for MANY:

And seated at each gilded chair was one of the Andersons’ famous Supermarionation figures!

(5) TODAY’S BIRTHDAY BOY

  • Born November 11, 1922 – Kurt Vonnegut

(6) VERTLIEB ON FILM HISTORY PANELS AT PHILCON. Steve Vertlieb wants you to know you can find him at Philcon 2016 in Philadelphia discussing Ray Harryhausen and Hammer Films.

The Convention of The Philadelphia Science Fiction Society at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, on Saturday, November 19th, 2016, presents…

THE CLASSIC HAMMER FILMS: AN OVERVIEW

[Panelists: Steve Vertlieb (mod), Richard Stout, John Vaughan, Tony Finan, Mark Leeper, James Chambers]

Hammer Films released numerous productions from the 50’s through the 80’s. From Frankenstein and Dracula with Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing to the astonishingly brilliant Quatermass films, these movies helped set up the future of Science Fiction media

Sat 5:00 PM in Crystal Ballroom Two (1 hour)

RAY HARRYHAUSEN: A LIFE

[Panelists: Steve Vertlieb (mod), Richard Stout]

An affectionate remembrance of a motion picture special effects pioneer, and a nearly fifty year admiration and friendship. Writer Steve Vertlieb recalls the Harryhausen legacy, and a profoundly moving personal relationship with a fantasy film legend

(7) SHATNER DRAMA. The Nate Sanders firm is auctioning a handwritten soliloquy “William Shatner Sincerely Wants to Know Why George Takei Doesn’t Like Him – ‘…Not so long after that very friendly time he began to say very mean things about me. – Why?’”

Fascinating account by William Shatner on his relationship with George Takei, where he seems to try to sincerely understand why Takei doesn’t like him, even perhaps using the account as a public question. Composed on Shatner’s personal stationery, autograph signed recollection reads in full, ”George Takei was living in a beautifully appointed apartment. I was there to interview him for a book I was writing. He was most gracious – kind, mannered even formal. He was the essence of an Asian gentleman. We talked memories of Star Trek, his very difficult childhood given that he and his family were put behind a wired fence – in effect a concentration camp. We were at war with Japan and American fears were such that the government put everybody with a Japanese background into those camps – what a terrible beginning of life. But George had overcome [by] working hard and with intelligence he had bettered himself – he had disciplined his body as a runner and he had done the same with his mind; he was running for office as well. His apartment showed all that discipline – it was ordered, it had character, it was immaculate and so was George. I had never really got to know him. He would come in every so often during the week while we were shooting Star Trek. I was busy learning lines and dealing with my life, so I really can’t remember a meaningful conversation – I’m sure that would be my fault – my lack of attention – Never the less when we all wrapped that last day of shooting it was all meaningfull [sic] – for all of us – Star Trek was cancelled. Until this moment in his apartment we had not spoken. Not so long after that very friendly time he began to say very mean things about me. – Why? / William Shatner”. Single page measures 7.25” x 10.25”. Near fine condition.

(8) BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE! Also on the auction bloc: “William Shatner Defends His Decision Not To Attend His Friend Leonard Nimoy’s Funeral – ‘…we’ll mourn Leonard, say his name and then pledge your money….’”

Very interesting handwritten signed recollection by William Shatner on the death of his friend Leonard Nimoy, who served as Shatner’s best man at his 1997 wedding, but with whom he was no longer speaking to in 2015 when Nimoy died. Shatner famously did not attend Nimoy’s funeral, which he explains here: ”Leonard was very sick – he was in the hospital. His health was difficult – he was in fact dying – but nobody but his family knew – certainly I didn’t. A month or so prior to his going into the hospital, the American Red Cross asked me to do their largest fundraiser. It would be a huge event, thousands of potential donors, millions of dollars. I enthusiastically said yes. I was to leave on a Friday night for a Saturday performance when the news of Leonard’s death was delivered – the funeral was to be Sunday – what to do? My immediate thought given the blinding news of his death, my appearance or non appearance would not be noticed – also what about the people who had given good money with the expectation of seeing me – heartbroken dilemma – I chose to go the Red Cross and as I said to the people there – all is dust – your name, my name, Leonard’s name will soon be forgotten – but the good deeds you do tonight will be long remembered – I meant those emphatically. Helping others ever reverberates through time – we’ll mourn Leonard, say his name and then pledge your money. / William Shatner”. Single page composed on Shatner’s personal stationery measures 7.25” x 10.25”. Near fine condition.

(9) COMPARING HORNBLOWER AND KIRK. The Nate Sanders house also is auctioning this handwritten anecdote: “William Shatner Describes Captain Kirk: ‘…the gravity of each decision, the mastery of everybody on board…riding a stud horse bareback, loving the ladies – sound familiar?…’”

Fantastic handwritten signed recollection by William Shatner, reflecting on Captain Kirk, his famous alter ego from ”Star Trek”. Composed on Shatner’s personal stationery, he offers an unexpectedly frank and humorous account of Kirk: ”’Horatio Hornblower’ – Roddenberry said in answer to my question ‘who is he like’ – so I read Horatio Hornblower. Horatio is a captain of a British ship plowing the unknown oceans of America in the 1600’s – the loneliness of command, the gravity of each decision, the mastery of everybody on board – awesomeness of command. Yes, very good I got it- and that was the basis of the character of Kirk – I had just, the year before, shot a movie of Alexander the Great, this marvelous, historical character who was one of the great and noble characters of history – using a sword, riding a stud horse bareback, loving the ladies – sound familiar? And those tight costumes!! I had been lifting weights and put on some muscle, I was ready to play Capt. James Tiberius Kirk. Now all I had to do is remember ten pages of dialog – a lot of those words had no basis in English – Scientific goblygook that required head pounding memorization. Memorizing is difficult, some actors, like James Spader, have a photographic memory – they glance at a paper and it’s there forever – me? I have to go over and over and over – it’s a source of great tension – what’s the next word? The eternal actor’s question. / William Shatner”. Single page measures 7.25” x 10.25”. Near fine condition.

(10) GENE FOUGHT FOR THE EARS. The fourth item of Shatner holography being auctioned by the Nate Sanders firm is — “William Shatner Reflects on Gene Roddenberry & the ‘Star Trek’ Pilot – ‘….there was some objection to Spock’s ears. ‘Too devilish’ somebody said – Gene fought for the ears….”

 Fantastic handwritten signed recollection by William Shatner on Gene Roddenberry and getting the ”Star Trek” pilot made, as well as his relationship with Roddenberry as the show progressed. Composed on Shatner’s personal stationery, in full: ”I met Gene Roddenberry over the phone – he had called me in New York to ask me to come see a pilot film he had just made for N.B.C. He was calling it Star Trek. I flew to Los Angeles and went to see this pilot film that N.B.C. didn’t want to buy. I thought it was terrific – I sat in Gene’s office and made a few suggestions – I thought the pilot was a little slow, a little ponderous. It could use some lightness, some humor – He looked at me from across the desk and after a silence said ‘Let’s do it’ – We shot the pilot film for the second time and we were rewarded by a sell. He told me later there was some objection to Spock’s ears. ‘Too devilish’ somebody said – Gene fought for the ears and like in a really good bullfight, he was awarded the ears. Gene was on the set in these early shows and we looked to him for guidance and counsel – which he freely gave. I would frequently go to the office and talk to him about the script, some item of dialogue, some thought that I might have – in these early years he was open – that slowly changed as time went on. / William Shatner”. Single page measures 7.25” x 10.25”. Near fine condition.

(11) HEIRESSES OF RUSS. A.M. Dellamonica posts the “Heiresses of Russ 2015 ToC Announcement”.

I am so pleased to announce the finalized line-up for Heiresses of Russ 2016, from Lethe Press, edited by Steve Berman and myself. This is my editorial debut and it’s the sixth, I believe in the HoR series. As the Lethe Press site says, Heiresses of Russ reprints the prior year’s best lesbian-themed short works of the fantastical, the otherworldly, the strange and wondrous under one cover.

Here’s the line-up:

(12) SECOND FIFTH ELEMENT. Sciencefiction.com invites us to “Check Out The First Trailer For Luc Besson’s ‘Valerian’”

Although Luc Besson has only occasionally ventured into the realm of science fiction, with films like ‘Lucy‘ and of course ‘The Fifth Element’ to his credit, he has nonetheless made a substantial mark on the genre. And now he is poised to do so once again, with his upcoming film ‘Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets‘.

Based on the long-running French comic ‘Valerian and Laureline’, created by Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mezieres (who collaborated with Besson, a longtime fan, on ‘The Fifth Element), the film follows Valerian and his partner/love interest Laureline, a pair of government operatives tasked with investigating Alpha, a vast, alien metropolis that may harbor a grave danger to human civilization….

 

[Thanks to John King Tarpinian, and Martin Morse Wooster for some of these stories. Title credit belongs to File 770 contributing editor of the day Jack Lint.]

Remembering Jim Burns

Jim Burns and Steve Vertlieb.

Jim Burns and Steve Vertlieb.

By Steve Vertlieb: My win for the 2016 Rondo Hall Of Fame Award the other night was, is, and always will be tempered by the heartbreaking news and realization that my beloved friend and brother, Jim Burns, has tragically passed away at age fifty-four of an undisclosed illness. Jim was one of the best friends that it’s ever been my honor to have. He was a cherished pal, confidante, and brother. Jim and I would speak for hours on the telephone, catching up on the latest news, talking, and always, always laughing.

When I nearly died just six or so years ago during major open heart surgery, Jim was ever on the telephone, and always sending me supportive e-mails and love.

Jim pushed hard for my lifetime achievement award at the Rondo’s every year, and it was Jim who joyously announced my win for the Hall Of Fame by awaking me from a deep sleep just two months ago to inform me that I’d been elected to the Rondo Hall Of Fame.

My elation on Saturday morning in Louisville, Kentucky, was abruptly shattered when David Colton (the head ot the Rondo Awards, and former editor of U.S.A. TODAY) gave me the terrible, terrible news that Jim has passed away on Thursday, June 2nd.

Jim…I love you. I shall always love you. I cannot believe that I’ll never hear your voice, or your terrible jokes ever again. I cannot believe that I’ll never again know the happiness of reading your prolific commentary on the arts. Your work was sheer poetry. It was beautiful, haunting, and evocative. Your last years were tortured, and I hope that you found a degree of comfort in my love and respect for you, and in our profound bonding and friendship.

I dedicated my Rondo Award to you in my acceptance speech in Louisville Saturday evening. You always wanted to win a Rondo but never had an opportunity to do so. May it bring you a degree of solace to know that David Colton dedicated this year’s Rondo Awards ceremony to you. I love you, Jim. I miss you…and I cannot believe that I will never have an opportunity to speak with you again. God Bless you, my friend. God Bless you, my cherished brother. Sleep well, Prince Jim. Sleep throughout eternity in the knowledge that you shall always be loved….both by me, and by so many adoring friends and fans.