(1) DEAD PLASTIC. [Item by SF Concatenation’s Jonathan Cowie.] What would you do if the world suddenly ran out of digital money? With some parts of Worldcon fandom (such as publications policy increasingly becoming digital myopically to the exclusion of … Continue reading
By John Hertz (reprinted from Vanamonde 1575): Marilyn Wisowaty Niven (1940-2023) was “Fuzzy Pink” to me and perhaps to you. She and Larry Niven met in 1967, and were married in 1969, until death did them part. She left us … Continue reading
(1) FUNERAL FOR CACHED WEBPAGES. Ars Technica says “Google will no longer back up the Internet: Cached webpages are dead”. That will make reporting controversial social media – where people sometimes take down posts that have attracted attention — rather … Continue reading
Dr. Chuck Tingle told readers today that the Texas Library Association has rescinded his invitation to be a featured speaker at the organization’s annual conference, slated for April 16-19. Another invited speaker, TJ Klune, is following him out the door … Continue reading
Editor John R. Douglas, who is being honored with a World Fantasy Lifetime Achievement Award this year, died August 3. Douglas, an influential editor in the sff field for several decades, began his career at Berkley in 1978. He later … Continue reading
By Steve Vertlieb: It had been a dream of mine for fifty-five years to finally meet iconic film composer David Amram. This ninety-one-year-old powerhouse classical, jazz, and motion picture composer is among the last of a remarkable breed. Still composing … Continue reading
(1) CULTURAL INSIGHTS INTO A MULTIVERSE. [Item by Soon Lee.] This terrific article by S. Qiouyi Lu explores many aspects of Everything Everywhere All at Once from a Chinese-American perspective that might not be immediately apparent to a Western viewer. … Continue reading
(1) STAR TREK SPOILER WARNING. Let that be said right up front. Anybody that doesn’t want Picard Season 2 spoiled, please skip to the next item. Okay. Now for the rest of you: “Star Trek Producers Fought Over Which New … Continue reading
(1) MAKING MAUS AVAILABLE. Shelf Awareness says one Tennessee bookseller is crowdfunding the means for local students to read Maus in the wake of a school board decision: “Tenn. Comic Shop’s Maus Fundraiser Garners $90K”. After the McMinn County Board … Continue reading
(1) A NEW QUIZ. “The Sky National General Knowledge Test”. Only 80 out of 100 for me. How come I still can’t tell the difference between a watt and an amp? At least I got both genre literature questions right. … Continue reading