Pixel Scroll 2/5/17 It Is Dangerous To Be Pixeled In Matters On Which The Established Scrolls Are Wrong

Today’s title will be longer than this abbreviated Scroll – many more pixels tomorrow.

(1) WHO IS NUMBER ONE? JJ promises, “This particular ranking is going to be heavily disputed by Filers.” Last May, Boston.com ranked “The Top 50 science fiction shows”.

Number 50 is Earth – Final Conflict. Number 1 is Battlestar Galactica (New).

(2) STILL HAVEN’T FOUND WHAT SHE’S LOOKING FOR. Donna Bond, editor of the planned Best of British Science Fiction 2016, has extended the deadline in hopes of receiving more stories by women.

A little appeal from me. The official deadline for submissions for this antho has passed, but only 23% of stories submitted have been by women. Because multiple submissions were allowed, when you look at the number of individual contributors this percentage goes down to 21%.

I feel that although we spread the word in all the usual places, this ratio is slightly lower than I would have expected. As I have started reading, it’s clear some of the stories some of the men have sent are not really within genre. So, is this about awareness, the available pool in 2016, or the willingness to be cheeky and chance it with a story you know isn’t really what we’re looking for? I’d rather not assume…

We are only taking stories that have already been published, I only want SF, and I only want the best, but also I don’t want to risk missing the best SF because people have been unsure about sending it to me. I don’t care if it’s space opera, near future dystopia, or alternate history. Although we had a really long submissions window and left it open until end Jan to catch late 2016 stories, I am going to leave that window open just a couple of weeks more for women writers. It might not seem fair, but I can’t believe that 21% is where we’re at, so I could well have missed an opportunity somewhere. Still same criteria, still same standards… but shall we say 19th Feb?

Newcon Press will publish the collection.

Newcon Press are proud to announce a call for submissions for BEST OF BRITISH SCIENCE FICTION 2016.

We are seeking reprints only of short stories from 2016, which have been first published during the year of eligibility.

The original publication of the story may have first appeared in print, online or audio, but must be written in English. The author should be a writer (or writers) of British or Irish nationality, or who has (have) permanent residence in either territory.

(3) A JEDI’S GRIEVANCE, Mark Hamill complains about his bit part in The Force Awakens.

(4) TODAY IN HISTORY

  • February 5, 1953 — Walt Disney’s Peter Pan premiered.

(5) TODAY’S BIRTHDAY GIRL

  • Born February 5, 2002 — Sierra Grace Glyer. <3 <3 <3

(6) INTERVIEW WITH A FICTIONAL PRESIDENT. At Den of Geek, “Malcolm McDowell Talks Science Fiction and Ruthless Facts”.

Roger Corman’s Death Race 2050 marks the latest lap across America in the Transcontinental Race that began in 1976. Death Race 2000, the campy original dystopian science fiction satire, predicted that people in the year 2000, the future for them, the past for us, would sit glued and brainwashed by some kind of competition TV show. Why, in a world like that, someone could become president after having a hit TV show. Well, that was before the actor Ronald Reagan became president and reality TV became the norm….

Do you think the well-adjusted malchick Alex from Burgess’s book A Clockwork Orange could have grown up to be the chairman of the United Corporations of America?

Well, it’s possible. Isn’t there a certain ruthless streak in all these guys who run these companies? There has to be. I asked Bill Gates, didn’t he tromp on a few people to get where he got? I’m sure he did. Of course, if you’re very successful there has to be a time in some point in your life where you have to make a decision about something which may affect somebody else in a different way. So, yes, most people who are really successful have to fight their way for it. I think that’s probably true.

(6) SOMEONE’S BEEN NAUGHTY. Kevin Standlee found it necessary to remind the world about the difference between “Hugo Award ‘Finalists’ and ‘Nominees’” at TheHugoAwards.org.

We have once again received word of persons who are describing themselves as “Hugo Award nominees.” The term “Hugo Award nominee” does not have any official meaning. The term for a person or work that receives sufficient nominations to appear on the final Hugo Award ballot is “Hugo Award Finalist.”

Historically, the works and people shortlisted for the Hugo Award were once called “nominees,” and you may still find people using the term in that way. However, in 2014, WSFS deprecated the term “nominee” except in the technical sense relating to the counting of ballots as defined in the WSFS Constitution. The only official terms are “finalist” and “winner.”

(7) NOMINATE THE PRINCESS? Here’s an interesting thought – since I haven’t read the book, that’s about all I can say.

(8) PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN. Batten down the hatches – another sequel is on the way!

[Thanks to JJ, Carl Slaughter, and John King Tarpinian for some of these stories.. Title credit goes to File 770 contributing editor of the day Steve Davidson.]