(1) NEVER GIVE UP HOPE. That’s Sultana Raza’s advice in an “Essay on writing life” at Facebook. If people see someone giggling away on a bus for no apparent reason, they tend to back away, wondering how crazy that person … Continue reading
By Mike Glyer: It’s Bob Madle’s 100th birthday tomorrow, when File 770 will have more to say about his days in fandom. One contribution I’d like to discuss right now is his naming of the Hugo Awards, first conceived in … Continue reading
CoNZealand, the 78th World Science Fiction Convention, announced the finalists for the 1945 Retrospective Hugo Awards today. As previously reported, CoNZealand received Retro Hugo Awards nominations from 120 members. Best Novel The Golden Fleece, by Robert Graves (Cassell) Land of … Continue reading
By John L. Coker III: Lester Hines Cole (1926–2019), the long-time beloved husband of Esther Cole, was a Bay Area SF fan who co-chaired SFCon, the 1954 Worldcon held in San Francisco that had John W. Campbell, Jr. as its … Continue reading
(1) SETTING THE SCENE. For the premiere of First Man they turned the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood into the moon. (2) TERRESTRIAL RAYS. The versions available today are much too big to work as phasers, however, Cosmos assures readers that … Continue reading
(1) CASE DISMISSED. In May 2018, Fur Affinity, winner of the 2012 and 2013 Ursa Major Awards for Best Anthropomorphic Website, banned several dozen accounts for Code of Conduct violations — Section 2.7 “Do not identify with or promote real … Continue reading
(1) HERALDRY. The former astronaut, now Governor General of Canada Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, has an official Coat of Arms. Arms A symbol of exploration and liberty, an open wing embodies our desire to reach higher and … Continue reading
(1) YA AWARD NAME. Annalee Flower Horne makes a preemptive strike. All I want out of the Worldcon YA award is for them not to name it after Heinlein. Or any dude, actually, but especially not him. — Annalee (@LeeFlower) … Continue reading
(1) Just finished Ancillary Mercy tonight. What a cast of characters! “Ohg, lbh xabj, lbh’er nyy bhg bs svfu fnhpr. Naq V qba’g guvax V’ir rire frra n jne orsber!” “V’z tbvat gbb,” fnvq Fcurar. “Rkpryyrag!” ercyvrq Genafyngbe Mrvng. “V’yy … Continue reading
Roy Scarfo, a pioneer in space art, died December 8 of pancreatic cancer at the age of 88. Many people who knew his art didn’t necessarily know his name because his work was used in commcerce and mass media. Scarfo went to … Continue reading