To Arms!

Elston Gunn’s favorable review of the mystery web series Looking for Grace for Ain’t It Cool News is of extra interest to local fans — because the arm in the photo at the beginning of the article belongs to LASFSian Ed Green.

Ed has a recurring role in Looking for Grace, a series created by Nathaniel Halpern (who’s also the lead actor) and directed by Aaron Rabin.

As Elston Gunn describes the show:

LOOKING FOR GRACE centers on the story of a young man who discovers his memories have been replaced by those of a mysterious woman named Grace and his search to find her. Working with a small crew and tight budget, the resourcefulness with which they tell their story will hopefully capture the attention of producers and financiers in the future. If you’re looking for something to fill the void since THE WALKING DEAD wrapped up its season, check it out at www.lookingforgrace.com and see what you think. The final installment was posted last week.

P.S. I’m thinking I could use this photo to start a scrapbook for media-appearances-by-part-of-a-LASFSian. The next thing on my want list is a still photo of Tadao getting eaten by Godzilla (in the 1998 version). 

Baen Launches Redesigned Website

Baen Books has spiffed up its website — www.baen.com – and reloaded it with free fiction and other features aimed at people who work with YA readers.

“Space Hero” by Patrick Lundrigan is the first free story, winner of the Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Contest, co-sponsored by Baen Books.

Free tools for teachers, librarians and book groups also are available, to help them use Baen fiction to reach YA readers. There are author interviews, all-new teacher’s study guides and reading group discussion question topics. The first of these offerings is a guide to Robert A. Heinlein’s The Rolling Stones, written by Felecia McDuffie, PhD.

The full press release follows the jump.

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Blake Edwards (1922-2010)

Blake Edwards: screenwriter, director, died Wednesday aged 88. Early screenplays include the sf comedy The Atomic Kid (1954). He also directed and co-wrote the supernatural tv movie Justin Case (1988). Best known, of course, for the Pink Panther franchise.

[Thanks to Steve Green for the story.

Frazetta Family Resumes Feuding

The dispute between Frank Frazetta’s children over their father’s art erupted anew on December 15 when Frank Frazetta Jr. filed suit against his three siblings in Florida.

Frazetta Jr. claims they violated the terms of their settlement by failing to pay him the 25-percent share of the estate his father intended him to have. He alleges they have not provided an accurate accounting of the business dealings involving his father’s art and have not involved him in their decisions as agreed.

The agreement had been reached with the help of a federal mediator in April, not long before Frank Frazetta’s death on May 10.

In July, Frazetta’s painting, “Conan the Destroyer,” was sold to a private collector for $1.5 million, the highest price ever paid for one of his works.

[Thanks to Andrew Porter for the story.]

Neva Patterson Dies

Neva Patterson, who played an ambitious mother in NBC’s science-fiction movie V and its sequel, the miniseries V: The Final Battle, died December 14 at the age of 90:

Fan mail and unexpected visitors continued to show up at her door, her family said. Last month, five “V” fans from France brought gifts and a request for her autograph.

Her best-known role was playing Cary Grant’s fiancée in the 1957 movie An Affair to Remember.

Hugo Nominating Ballot
in Renovation PR#3

Renovation, the 2011 Worldcon, has mailed Progress Report 3 containing the Hugo Award Nominating Ballot and detailed information on convention hotels and hotel booking arrangements.

A download is available from www.renovationsf.org/progress-reports.php.

Opening and closing dates for the Hugo nominations are given in the PR:

The 2011 Hugo Award nominations open on January 1st, 2011, and close Saturday, March 26th, 2011 at 23:59 PDT. Members of Renovation who join by January 31st, 2011 and all members of Aussiecon 4 (the prior year’s Worldcon), are invited to submit nominating ballots. Nominations may be submitted for works first published in 2010, or for those works whose first US/English publication was in 2010.

Nominations may be cast online at our website (www.renovationsf.org) or by mailing in the paper ballot included in this progress report. The online ballot requires a personal identification number (PIN) located on the mailing label of the progress report. If you need a PIN, email your name and mailing address to [email protected].

The full press release follows the jump.

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Rebecca Neason 1954 – 2010

By Jim Fiscus: New York Times best selling author Rebecca Neason died August 31, 2010 in Auburn, Washington. She was 55, and is survived by her husband of 30 years, Stephen Neason, a sister, and several nieces and nephews. Neason had suffered from fibromyalgia for years. 
 
“She was a damn fine friend, as well as an accomplished author,” said writer Lenora Good. 
 
Neason will be remembered throughout the science fiction and fantasy community as a woman who generously gave of her time to encourage both new and established writers. She was a regular panelist at conventions in the Pacific Northwest. 
 
Remembrances may be made in Rebecca’s name to Enumclaw Fire Department, 1330 Wells St., Enumclaw, WA 98022 or Medic One, 7064 S. 220th St., Bldg. #9, Kent, WA 98037 
 
Bibliography of published novels: 
Guises of the Mind – ST:TNG #27, (NYT Best Seller List) (Sep 1, 1993) 
Highlander ™: The Path (Highlander, No 5, Aug 1, 1997) 
Highlander ™: Shadow of Obsession (Jun 1, 1998) 
The Thirteenth Scroll (Jun 1, 2001) 
The Truest Power (Dec 1, 2002) 

Neason is also cited as author of The Oak and the Cross, from Thomas Nelson, Inc, but publishing details were unavailable at the time this was written. She also published a number of short stories.

TAFF 2011 Needs Another Candidate

TAFF administrator Steve Green reminds everyone: “As previously announced, the deadline for nominations for the next westward TAFF race falls this Saturday. At present, I am aware of one candidate, who has the required five nominations. Unfortunately, unless a second steps forward, the race may have to be postponed or even cancelled. If you know anyone who’s interested, or wish to put your own name forward, please contact me as a matter of urgency.”

Steve Green can be contacted at ghostwords (at) yahoo (dot) co (dot) uk

John Coxon is the fan who has already declared for TAFF reports Ansible.

Eaton Conference 2011

Samuel Delany

The 2011 Eaton Science Fiction Conference that begins February 11 boasts a spectacular slate of speakers, beginning with authors Nalo Hopkinson, China Miéville and Karen Tei Yamashita. Hopkinson is the Jamaica-born author of Brown Girl in the Ring and The New Moon’s Arms; Miéville is the English author of “Perdido Street Station, The City and the City and Kraken; and Yamashita is an associate professor of literature at UC Santa Cruz and author of I Hotel and Tropic of Orange.

Samuel R. Delany and Harlan Ellison will receive the 2010 and 2011 Eaton Award for Lifetime Achievement in Science Fiction. Ellison, the 2011 recipient, is expected to attend the conference to accept the award.

Mike Davis, distinguished professor of creative writing at UCR, will deliver the keynote address. Other notable authors will participate, such as Greg Benford and Howard Hendrix.

Harlan Ellison

The conference will be preceded on February 10 by the Science Fiction Studies Symposium, which will explore the theme “The Singularity in SF Literature and Theory.” Scheduled participants include Neil Easterbrook, who teaches literary theory at Texas Christian University and is an editorial consultant for the journal Science Fiction Studies; Brooks Landon, professor of English at the University of Iowa and author of “Science Fiction After 1900: From the Steam Man to the Stars”; and Rob Latham, who is a senior editor of Science Fiction Studies.

Both the Eaton Conference and symposium are open to the public. Admission to the symposium is free. The conference will be held at the Mission Inn and Spa in downtown Riverside. Registration is $165 for the entire conference or $75 for a single day. Student admission is $55.

[Based on the Eaton Conference press release. Thanks to Andrew Porter for the story.]