File 770’s Idea of a Tough Trivia Quiz

Question # 1: Ed Emshwiller helped Galaxy Magazine celebrate its second birthday by painting a wraparound cover featuring a bevy of writers, editors and staffers. What writer is the focal point of the front cover, surrounded by H. L. Gold, John Anderson, “Bug Eye” and W. I. van der Poel?  

Question # 2: On the night of the Apollo 11 moon landing, an sf author invited to appear on David Frost’s Moon Party grew so frustrated waiting backstage to talk about the historic event as guests like Englebert Humperdinck and Sammy Davis, Jr. went on the air ahead of him that he left the studio, took a taxi to CBS, and was interviewed by Mike Wallace. Who was the author?

Question # 3: This writer was investigated by the FBI due to his outspoken criticism of the U.S. government and the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), which was investigating real and suspected communists in America. In a full-page ad in Variety, he denounced the committee’s probes as “claptrap and nonsense.” Name that writer.

Question # 4: Who is the only sf writer ever to be the subject of a Hugo nominated music video?

Question # 5: Who was the first science fiction writer to be issued a Martian driver’s license?

Question: # 6: This science fiction writer who hated tea was invited to tea by Aldous Huxley. Who was that tea party pooper?

Question # 7: Which sf author sold a short story to a mainstream magazine because copy boy Truman Capote pulled his manuscript out of the reject pile and convinced one of the editors to publish it? (Another of the magazine’s “copy boys” was Harper Lee!)

Question # 8: Hollywood Insider Edition! Even though Musso & Frank’s didn’t list a hamburger on the menu, whenever this science fiction writer walked in and ordered a burger they always delivered. Who was the customer?

Question # 9: Name the sf writer who gave future Oscar-winner F. Murray Abraham his first paying acting job.

Question # 10: In 1971 the Apollo 15 crew named Dandelion Crater in honor of this sf author’s novel. Who was he?

Answer # 1: Ray Bradbury – the cover and identification key is posted on Bhob Stewart’s website here.

Answer # 2: Ray Bradbury. (See “Bradbury’s Run”.)

Answer # 3: Ray Bradbury. (See “Bradbury’s FBI File”.)

Answer # 4: Ray Bradbury. Rachel Bloom’s music video with the F-word and Ray Bradbury in the title made the 2011 Hugo ballot in the Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form category. (“V*** for Me, Ray Bradbury!”)

Answer # 5: Ray Bradbury. (See “Martian Chroniclers”.)

Answer # 6: Ray Bradbury.

Answer # 7: Ray Bradbury.

Answer # 8: Ray Bradbury.

Answer # 9: Ray Bradbury.

Answer # 10: Ray Bradbury. (See Dandelion Crater on this NASA Map in the lower right quadrant – an official name, not one of those phony baloney Uwingu deals!)

8 thoughts on “File 770’s Idea of a Tough Trivia Quiz

  1. I got one right, but should have figured it was a trick ten-questions. This is, after all, File 451.

  2. Mike: Do I get bonus points for knowing how to spell Engelbert HUMPERDINCK’s name?

  3. @Bill: I knew you would get a kick out of it.

    @Martin: Yes — your final score is 11 out of 10! And I fixed the spelling besides.

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