T.J. Klune’s The House in the Cerulean Sea (Cerulean Chronicles #1). Daniel Henning (narrator) (Macmillan Audio, 2020)
By Lis Carey: Linus Baker is a case worker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, a..k.a. DICOMY. He’s been doing it for 17 years, is carefully attentive to the regulations, and believes that what he’s doing –including maintaining distance from the children in the orphanages — is helping to keep the children safe. The orphanages are generally rather stark and often rundown, but Linus’s inspection visits help keep them from being abusive. He has not hesitated to recommend closure of orphanages where he finds the children are being mistreated.
Linus isn’t popular at work, or for that matter anywhere. He lives a quiet life, is devoted to his work, loves his old record albums played on his even older Victrola, and cares for his rather cranky cat. It’s quite a surprise when, at work, he is summoned to a meeting with Extremely Upper Management, to be given a highly classified assignment. He is to visit the Marsyas Island Orphanage, where there are six very dangerous children.
He isn’t even given the files on the children ‘til he’s about to leave, and the files are very sparse. However, the children are a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, a were-Pomeranian, a green blob no one has been able to classify, and the Antichrist. Lucifer, a.k.a. Lucy.
Linus needs to determine if these children can continue to be kept safely, or if they are going to trigger the end of the world.
Then there’s their caretaker, Arthur Parnassus. There’s nothing about Arthur in the files Linus has been given. Arthur proves to be a charming, elegant man, fiercely devoted to his charges, and with a strange lack of any apparent background.
Oh, and there’s the ocean, which Linus has longed to see but never has seen, and which absolutely enchants him. As does Arthur, it should be mentioned.
Less appealing is the village on the shore just across from the island, where there’s a certain obvious hostility to magical children, homes for them, and those who work with them.
Linus and Arthur grow closer, while Linus also gradually finds that even with these children, he sees them as children, to be protected by him and DICOMY, not to protect the world from. But as he grows closer to Arthur, and learns more about the island and its residents, he realizes that Arthur also has secrets. Possibly a big secret. And that DICOMY may be less benign than he has long thought. That perhaps he has been attributing his own motives to DICOMY.
There’s also the little question of how dangerous Lucy really is.
It’s a story that really pulled me in, and where we find both magical creatures, and the magic of found family, along with the courage to be who you choose to be, not just who people tell you that you are.
Marc Vietor narrates a dark fantasy epic about a family of merchant bankers and the prince who is poised to take over the kingdom. Davico di Regulai, armed with an ancient dragon eye and his own wits, steps up to control a vast banking empire. He soon learns that kindness is a weakness that will get him killed. A slow build follows Davico from childhood to adulthood. As Vietor smoothly shifts from accented dialogue to intense narrative, he imbues Davico with earnestness, deep empathy, and a lack of ambition, despite his political position. Vietor maintains the dramatic irony as Davico heads blindly into complications the listener can see coming. Vietor’s narration illuminates an epic story of power and wealth in a dynamic world.
ALIEN CLAY
by Adrian Tchaikovsky | Read by Ben Allen (AudioFile Earphones Award)
Ben Allen performs a thought-provoking science fiction story about a political dissident who is trying to survive on an alien planet that serves as a tyrannical empire’s prison. Anton arrives on the planet nicknamed Kiln to discover humanity was not the first sentient lifeform to visit. Kiln’s ecosystem is chaotic, hungry, and hiding several enticing secrets. Allen makes the immersive and imaginative story one to get lost in.
THE STARS TOO FONDLY
by Emily Hamilton | Read by Vico Ortiz (AudioFile Earphones Award)
Vico Ortiz narrates a raucous space adventure rom-com with infectious energy. It’s 2061, and Cleo and her three best friends—all scientists—sneak aboard to explore the neglected rocket PROVIDENCE I. The friends grew up fascinated with the story of its failed launch 20 years earlier. But when Cleo inadvertently starts the dark matter engine, they’re launched into a seven-year mission with only Billie, the prickly holographic computer, to guide them. This lively story of friendship and queer romance is full of interdimensional danger and is heaps of fun on audio.
SOMEWHERE BEYOND THE SEA: Cerulean Chronicles, Book 2
by TJ Klune | Read by Daniel Henning (AudioFile Earphones Award)
Narrator Daniel Henning brings his signature versatility, emotional connection, and perfect comedic timing to the latest in the acclaimed Cerulean Chronicles series. The magical children cared for by Arthur and Linus on Marsyas Island are joined by a new child, the yeti David, who is voiced with a nasally growl. A new social worker is determined to find a reason that Arthur cannot safely care for his children, and he will need the help of his entire family, along with his community, to resist her.
JUMPNAUTS
by Hao Jingfang, Ken Liu [Translator] | Read by Catherine Ho (AudioFile Earphones Award)
Catherine Ho is an excellent storyteller for this first installment in the Folding Universe series. Set in 2080, this space thriller is steeped in Chinese philosophy. Archaeologist Yun Fan, military researcher Qi Fei, and astronomer Jiang Liu realize an alien race is returning to Earth. The trio join forces to meet the aliens in space before the organized governments of Earth can complicate matters. Ho creates complex personas for the three young people and conveys the tension in their relationships with each other and their families.
“AudioFile Magazine New Favorite SF and Fantasy Audiobooks” was curated by AudioFile. To subscribe to the AudioFile Magazine newsletter subscription click here.
Spain’s Festival Celsius 232 committee has revealed the 2024 winners of the Premios Kelvin 505.
The trophies are scheduled for presentation at Festival Celsius 232 which takes place July 18-22 in Avilés, Spain.
Mejor novela original en castellano publicada por primera vez en España / Best original novel in Spanish published for the first time in Spain
Teseo en Llamas, by Beatriz Alcaná
Mejor novela traducida al castellano y publicada por primera vez en España / Best novel translated into Spanish and published for the first time in Spain
Mi corazón es una motosierra, by Stephen Graham Jones. Translated by Manuel de los Reyes.
Mejor novela juvenil original en castellano publicada por primera vez en España / Best original juvenile novel in Spanish published for the first time in Spain
El verano en que llegaron los lobos, by Patricia García-Rojo
Mejor novela juvenil traducida al castellano y publicada por primera vez en España / Best youth novel translated into Spanish and published for the first time in Spain
Bajo la puerta de los susurros, by T. J. Klune. Translated by Carlos Abreu Fetter
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 in protest.
Tingle accepted the invitation and had it confirmed by the Texas Library Association several months ago. However, in December —
i get a call from my manager and agent and publisher saying ‘the TLA have rescinded their invitation.’
turns out some things had been going on behind the scenes
at some point the TLA asked chucks INCREDIBLE HEROIC BAD ASS PUBLISHER if chuck would be okay with not wearing the mask, to which tor/nightfire/macmillan said ‘what the heck are you talking about of course chuck is going to wear his mask. this is how chuck presents himself’ (NOT EXACT QUOTE)
as you all know, my pink bag way is a VERY IMPORTANT SPACE. as an autistic buckaroo it is a boundary that allows me to express myself freely and relieve my chronic pain from neurotypically masking all day. i have talked about this for years, and it is why i consider my private identity a SACRED THING. it is literally a health issue.
fortunately THE PINK BAG is never really a problem when making appearances. i have spent years going on television shows, doing interviews, speaking at other conferences and conventions, hosting book events on tour, and even MEETING WITH LAWYERS in my pink face covering. it is always respected and that is very validating to my way.
when arriving anywhere i always take precautions. i always warn buckaroos ahead of time that there is a masked man coming. i always have someone go in ahead of me JUST IN CASE. again, there has never been an issue. at a big conference where i am a special guest there is ESPECIALLY not an issue because my face and bio are printed IN THE DANG PROGRAM
PART TWO: RESCINDED
a few days ago TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION suddenly messaged my publishers and said that chuck tingle is no longer invited. my invitation was rescinded. the reason given was that people could possibly be uncomfortable with my mask
right out of the gate i would like to say this: it is absolutely the right of the texas library association to disinvite someone from their conference. it is their event, after all, and they can ban anyone they would like, for any reason.
of course, that doesnt mean other folks HEARING THIS NEWS wont have their own opinions the TLA choices. if the TLA disinvites someone, their reasoning for doing this can be discussed and analyzed. whether or not they follow their own guidelines can be questioned, and certainly their kindness and tact can be considered
As Tingle explains later in his post, the decision to revoke his invitation was made by the organization based on their unwillingness to host a masked speaker, not because of complaints from TLA members or the public (in contrast with the “disinvitations” tendered sff writers like Larry Correia and John Ringo after some members of an event where they were announced as guests of honor protested in social media.)
Tingle justifiably notes, “I just gotta say buckaroos, it is incredibly rude to invite someone to be a guest speaker at your event, have them confirm and mark off their calendar and turn down other offers, then rescind their invitation. this is maybe the simplest of the points, but it is an important one.”
He goes on to ask why his means of coping with neurodivergence would not be honored by the TLA when it is a practice he follows at every public appearance.
second, (DEEP BREATH HERE WE GO BUCKAROOS) i personally do not think of my autism as a disability very often, but i also KNOW that despite these feelings it ABSOLUTELY IS. autism is important to be listed as a recognized disability because of the help some autistic buckaroos need regarding government programs and things like that. ALSO just because my neurodivergence has helped me in some ways (hyperfocus and a unique artistic sensibility for example). i personally need to step back and remember my battle with stress and chronic pain from having to neurotypically mask all the time. for as much as i love being autistic it has made some things very difficult.
in other words, i am perfectly capable of speaking and interacting with folks without this pink bag on my head BUT WHEN I AM IN THE CHUCK TINGLE SPACE I REQUIRE IT. i can ONLY use this space while covering my face. is not a want. it is a need. holding this boundary is more important than i can ever say. i will not, and can not, let these spaces cross.
TLA not letting an autistic author wear the face cover theyve set up to express their neurodivergence in a safe, healthy way is–for lack of a better term–NOT A GOOD LOOK…
Meanwhile, Tingle wonders whether the objection to his mask is a stalking horse for objections to his queerness or political expression.
you MIGHT think chucks queerness and left leaning politics could be the issue with this organization, but they have had drag queens as past speakers (also featuring some GLORIOUS makeup and hair that covers almost all of their faces. VERY CURIOUS). regardless, the TLA do not seem like a conservative bunch.
if you are bisexual or an autistic person who is good at ‘passing’ you probably already know where this is headed, your dang spiderbuckaroo senses are tingling at FULL ALERT. i will say i do not KNOW the real reason why i was uninvited, and i do not have enough information to make any concrete statement of the real answer. there is only evidence that masks have been fine at TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION events in the past, but not much else to go on.
He also feels forced to consider another possibility:
… AGAIN, i do not know if this is the answer, but someone in my position might be VERY STRONGLY INCLINED TO THINK that a few well-meaning left leaning buckaroos think i am a joke and that this is a character, and that there is something problematic about my work because i am not really a real person.
any upstanding left leaning organization would OF COURSE allow a mask for a neurodivergent buckaroo with an unusual visual presentation, an autistic buckaroo who conquered his chronic pain ONLY by creating this important space… but what about a FAKE autistic buckaroo?
any upstanding left leaning organization would OF COURSE allow a mask for a queer LGBTQ activist standing up for gay and trans rights against a torrent of scoundrels hunting for his legal identity. its a matter of safety… but what about a FAKE queer activist?
let me be very clear for the 100th time: i am a real person. this is not a joke. i am not playing a character. i am really autistic and bisexual. tinglers are sincere and they are not ‘so bad theyre good’. they are just good. camp damascus is not ‘my first serious book’ because my queer erotica is serious. my art is important and real….
Tingle concludes:
i did not want to spend my whole family holiday worrying whether or not i should say something publicly or just lie down and shut my dang mouth. i had to consider HOW i should say it. i had to worry whether or not its worth standing up for myself in the face of the largest state library association in the country. i think buckaroos with differences are with me when i say: WE ARE SICK OF HAVING TO DO THIS WORK TO COVER FOR THE POOR BEHAVIOR OF LARGE ORGANIZATIONS WHO TREAT US BADLY
another option would just be to use kindness and common sense and happily accommodate artists with unique presentations to your conventions
Upon hearing about Tingle’s fate, sff author TJ Klune, who had also been invited to participate on a panel with Tingle at the TLA annual conference, turned down his own invitation.
And Tingle expressed thanks for the support:
to be very clear TJ has a huge platform and DOES NOT NEED TO DO THIS. these conferences are great for book sales and he is taking a hit out of pure solidarity. this is queer buckaroos standing up for eachother. i am floored by this kindness and love
AudioFile’s 2023 Best Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Audiobooks are packed with not-to-be-missed performances and unforgettable stories. Their selections will have you traversing far-off solar systems and fantasy realms and will give a new window into old classics.
AudioFile also will be featuring exclusive interviews with narrators across all the categories of Best Audiobooks 2023 on their podcast, Behind the Mic with AudioFile Magazine. Follow the podcast here. Daniel Henning’s interview will be airing on December 7.
BEST SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY & HORROR AUDIOBOOKSFOR 2023
GODKILLER by Hannah Kaner | Read by Kit Griffiths (AudioFile Earphones Award) [Harper Audio | 12.75 hrs.]
This fantasy with captivating world-building and characters requires an expert emotional performance—and Kit Griffiths delivers. Their narration is at once endearing and powerful, truly embodying characters of different ages, races, and genders. It’s a master class in inclusive narration within a highly engaging story.
HOLLY: Holly Gibney, Book 3 by Stephen King | Read by Justine Lupe, Stephen King (AudioFile Earphones Award) [Simon & Schuster Audio | 15.5 hrs.]
Justine Lupe brings a beloved Stephen King character, Holly Gibney, vividly to life with her narration. Listeners will feel like they are part of a true-crime podcast as Lupe transports them into a relentless nightmare.
IN THE LIVES OF PUPPETS by TJ Klune | Read by Daniel Henning (AudioFile Earphones Award) [Macmillan Audio | 15.5 hrs.]
Narrator Daniel Henning demonstrates perfect comedic timing and impressive vocal versatility in this queer/sci-fi retelling of “Pinocchio.” This laugh-out-loud, emotional audiobook asks listeners to question what it means to be human.
SILVER NITRATE by Silvia Moreno-Garcia | Read by Gisela Chípe (AudioFile Earphones Award) [Random House Audio | 13 hrs.]
Gisela Chípe’s skilled narration captivates in this immersive novel about childhood best friends, set in ‘90s Mexico City. Chípe’s excellent pacing and dynamic voice keep the tension high as events turn deadly.
TRANSLATION STATE by Ann Leckie | Read by Adjoa Andoh (AudioFile Earphones Award) [Hachette Audio | 12 hrs.]
Adjoa Andoh narrates a complex story about identity and belonging set in the Imperial Radch universe. She expertly navigates the emotional depths of the three main characters; her performance resonates in profound ways.
THE WATER OUTLAWS by S.L. Huang | Read by Emily Woo Zeller (AudioFile Earphones Award) [Dreamscape | 19.75 hrs.]
Emily Woo Zeller’s fierce narration perfectly suits Huang’s sweeping fantasy retelling of the Chinese classic “Water Margin.” Zeller voices glorious action-packed fight scenes with carefully intensifying pacing, and her kaleidoscopic voice enhances a large, dynamic cast of characters.
By Warner Holme: TJ Klune’s In the Lives of Puppets is a science fiction novel that formats itself much like a fantasy adventure. Dealing with a young man named Victor Lawson and his rather odd little family of machines and rescued robots, questions of tragedy and coming of age are key to this story in which rescuing a lost loved one seems like an impossible task.
Victor is depicted as functionally asexual fairly quickly in the story, with the basic mechanics of sex being described to him and others in the book a number of times in ways that might be explicit to some but are overall harmless and humorous. This supplies both to the information as given to Victor and later to Hap, an android jury-rigged and repaired by him towards the start of the book. Hap, who is pointed out as dangerous early on, is also depicted as asexual, finding the idea of penetration in particular undesirable.
Other major characters include a motorized vacuum who calls himself Rambo, a medical robot that is called Nurse Ratched, and a rather wise complicated AI entity referring to himself as Giovanni Lawson. Giovanni has told the story to Victor many times of his parents leaving him with the entity for safe keeping, along with suggestions they might return one day. However when a machine attack leaves Giovanni gone, and Victor puts together his little family in an effort to rescue his father figure.
Found family is not so much a theme of this book as a given, and that is greatly appreciated. No special magic or importance is given to one’s circumstance of creation, and while the idea of overcoming society as a whole and one’s place in it is depicted as difficult, impossibility is not suggested as a reality. Love, even the idea of romantic love without sexual love, is treated as a fascinating and delightful possibility. This is a rare combination in fiction, with the outright rejection of sex as part of a loving relationship being noticeably absent even in stories that fail to include a sexual element.
This volume, perhaps more than anything else by the author, well leave one feeling a certain evocation of the classic fairy tale. Interestingly, and intentionally or not the evocation may not be the one expected. While figures like the Blue Fairy are mentioned throughout the story, the merry band of adventurers and people on a journey to gain something quickly evoke L. Frank Baum instead. Indeed the quirky mix of Darkness and Light certainly feels like the man, and the noticeable queer text will appeal to those who have embraced the possibly accidental queer subtext of the Oz books.
TJ Klune is a well-known and already respected name in sff circles, and this book should only continue that trend. This volume will be a delightful read to existing fans. More than that, to anyone who has not previously read the author’s work it will be a welcome introduction, a strange bizarre and lovely look at a group of people and an adventure in a very classic vein told towards very current sensibilities.
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune, art by Chris Sickels / Red Nose Studio
The 2021 Mythopoeic Award winners were revealed October 17 in a virtual ceremony. The winners’ acceptance speeches (including an appearance from Oor Wombat!) can be seen in the video below.
Mythopoeic Scholarship Award in Myth & Fantasy Studies
Fantasies of Time and Death: Dunsany, Eddison, Tolkien by Anna Vaninskaya
Mythopoeic Scholarship Award in Inklings Studies
Tolkien’s Lost Chaucer by John M. Bowers
Mythopoeic Fiction Award in Children’s Literature
A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher
(1) INTERNATIONAL SERIES AWARD TAKING ENTRIES. The Sara Douglass Book Series Award judging panel welcomes entries for the 2021 award. The deadline to enter is September 30. See full guidelines at the link.
The third iteration of the Sara is underway in 2021, covering series ending (in original publication anywhere in the world) between January 2018 and December 2020.
The current judging year is deliberately excluded. This permits an earlier submissions deadline to allow adequate time for the judges to consider all works entered….
(2) REMEMBERING LOSS. In “The Grief in Memories”, a guest post at Stone Soup, TJ Klune frankly discusses personal experiences with death and grief and how they informed his new novel Under the Whispering Door.
… I know grief. I do. Chances are you do too. If you live long enough to learn what love is, you’ll know loss. Though no two people will grieve the same way, there’s still something universal about it, the way it changes us. It makes us feel like our hearts are being torn from our chests. It makes us furious, ranting and raving at the unfairness of it all. It’s all-consuming, this great thing that wraps itself around us and refuses to let go….
(3) FANAC.ORG. One of the fanzines now available at Fanac.org is a rarity mentioned in Ed Meskys’ obituary a few weeks ago. (“Peggy Rae McKnight (later Sapienza) began publishing Etwas in 1960; ‘We traded fanzines at the time, her Etwas (German for something) for my Niekas (Lithuanian for nothing).’”)
Etwas, Peggy Rae McKnight. Added the full 7 issue run of this early 1960s fanzine by Peggy Rae. Peggy Rae McKnight of course is Peggy Rae McKnight Pavlat Sapienza. Contributors include Harry Warner, Jr., Les Gerber, Ozzie Train, and others. The shorter issues may be more like perzines.
(4) PARTY LIKE IT’S 2010 AGAIN. As part of the Bradbury birthday commemoration, Phil Nichols produced a bonus episode of Bradbury 100 LIVE!In the 90th birthday video clip you can see all kinds of people, like the late George Clayton Johnson, Marc Scott Zicree, and John King Tarpinian (even though he’s trying to be invisible.)
On the eve of Ray Bradbury’s 101st birthday, I ran Bradbury 100 LIVE – a livestream version of my Bradbury 100 podcast. Joing me via Zoom was Steven Paul Leiva: novelist, friend of Ray Bradbury, and former Hollywood animation producer. This live show includes never-before-seen photos and video from Ray’s 90th birthday party, held in Glendale California in 2010. And we talk at length about one of Ray’s “lost” films, Little Nemo In Slumberland. We also discuss legendary animator Chuck Jones, who was a friend of Ray’s, and who was significant to the origin of The Halloween Tree and the abandoned Nemo project.
British comedy legend John Cleese will be exploring cancel culture in a new documentary series for Channel 4.
The series – which is to be titled John Cleese: Cancel Me – will see the Monty Python and Fawlty Towers star “explore why a new ‘woke’ generation is trying to rewrite the rules on what can and can’t be said”.
Throughout the series, the comedian will talk to a variety of people – including some famous faces who claim to have been ‘cancelled’ and others who have campaigned against comedians and programmes – to ask if it is possible to create comedy without causing offence….
Disney has filed a motion to settle a lawsuit brought by “Black Widow” star Scarlett Johansson behind closed doors.
The motion was filed to Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday afternoon by Disney attorney Daniel Petrocelli. In documents obtained by USA TODAY, Petrocelli argued that the contract between Disney and Periwinkle Entertainment Inc., the company representing Johansson, included an agreement to settle any disputes through “binding arbitration” in New York City.
Disney’s request for arbitration is the company’s first filing in the case since Johansson filed suit on July 29, alleging her contract with Marvel was breached when “Black Widow” was released on the Disney+ streaming service at the same time as in theaters.
In Friday’s filing, Disney argued the complaint put forth by Johansson and Periwinkle Entertainment has “no merit.”
“There is nothing in the Agreement requiring that a ‘wide theatrical release’ also be an ‘exclusive’ theatrical release,” Petrocelli wrote.
Petrocelli cited box office numbers, noting that the combined opening weekend revenue from ticket sales in theaters and Disney + Premiere Access receipts totaled more than $135 million. That surpassed other Marvel Cinematic Universe films that were released before the pandemic, including “Thor: The Dark World,”“Ant-Man and the Wasp” and “Guardians of the Galaxy,” Petrocelli wrote.
“Disney is now, predictably, trying to hide its misconduct in a confidential arbitration,” Johansson’s attorney John Berlinski told USA TODAY in a statement. “Why is Disney so afraid of litigating this case in public?”…
…SF authors have noticed this and written books about planets/planetesimals with different day lengths. Consider these five vintage works.
Mission of Gravity by Hal Clement (1953)
61 Cygni’s world Mesklin is sixteen times more massive than Jupiter. A day less than twenty minutes long means that the gravity at the equator is a measly three gravities. Thus, human starfarer Charles Lackland is able to briefly set down near the equator, where he is subjected to extreme discomfort (rather than immediate death). Too bad for Lackland that the object of his quest, a lost probe, is near one of Mesklin’s poles, where gravity is high enough to reduce a human to paste.
Conveniently for Lackland, Mesklin is not only life-bearing—it has natives. Rational self-interest being universal in Clement’s universe, Lackland strikes a deal with local trader Barlennan: retrieve the probe in exchange for services only someone with space flight can provide the trader. What follows is a glorious expedition through conditions quite alien to the human reader….
(8) MEMORY LANE.
1989 – Thirty-two years ago at Noreascon 3 where the Toastmaster was Frederik Pohl, C. J. Cherryh wins the Hugo for Best Novel for Cyteen. It had been published by Warner Books the previous year. Other nominated works that year were Red Prophet by Orson Scott Card, Falling Free by Lois McMaster Bujold, Islands in the Net by Bruce Sterling and Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson. Andrew Porter’s Science Fiction Chronicle would give it their SF Chronicle Award and Locus would award it their Best SF Novel Award. It was nominated for a BSFA as well.
(9) TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS.
[Compiled by Cat Eldridge.]
Born August 23, 1927 — Peter Wyngarde. Not one who was a lead actor in any genre series save Department S where he was Jason King but interesting none-the-less. For instance, he shows up in the two Sherlock Holmes series, one with Peter Cushing and one with Jeremy Brett. He’s in a series of Doctor Who with the Fifth Doctor, and he faces off against the classic Avenger pairing of Steed and Peel. He shows up as Number Two in The Prisoner as well. (Died 2018.)
Born August 23, 1929 — Vera Miles, 92. Lila Crane in Psycho which she reprised in Psycho II. On a much more family friendly note, she’s Silly Hardy in Tarzan’s Hidden Jungle, the very last of the twelve, count ‘em twelve, Tarzan pictures released by RKO. She has done one-offs on Buck Rogers in Twentieth Century, Fantasy Island, The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, I Spy and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Born August 23, 1931 — Barbara Eden, 90. Jeannie on I Dream of Jeannie. Her first genre role however was on Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea as Lt. Cathy Connors, and she’d show up a few years later as Greta Heinrich on The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm. She was Angela Benedict in The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao, the wonderful film version of Charles Finney’s novel, The Circus of Dr. Lao. Some thirty-five years after I Dream of Jeannie went off the air, she had a recurring role as Aunt Irma on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. Her latest genre was just two years ago, Mrs. Claus in My Adventures with Santa.
Born August 23, 1944 — Karl Alexander. Author of Time after Time which was filmed as Time after Time as directed and written by Nicholas Meyer. Cast includes Malcolm McDowell, Mary Steenburgen and David Warner. (A thirteen-episode series would happen in 2017.) His sequel of Jaclyn the Ripper is not as well known, nor is his Time-Crossed Lovers novel. Time after Time was nominated for a Hugo at Noreascon II, the year Alien won. (Died 2015.)
Born August 23, 1965 — Chris Bachalo, 56, Illustrator well known for his work on DC Comics’ Shade, the Changing Man and Gaiman’s two Death series, Death: The High Cost of Living and Death: The Time of Your Life.
Born August 23, 1966 — Charley Boorman, 55. He played a young Mordred in Excalibur which was directed by his father (and he was joined by his older sister Katrine Boorman who played Ygraine, Mordred’s grandmother) He was Tommy Markham in The Emerald Forest, and had an uncredited role in Alien.
Born August 23, 1990 — Jessica Lee Keller, 31. Lauren, Elise’s Best Friend, in The Adjustment Bureau from Philip K. Dick’s “Adjustment Team” story. She also shows up in Lucifer, Terror Birds and 12-24.
(10) COMICS SECTION.
Tom Gauld shows it’s not paranoia, if you’re actually being watched.
(11) OUT OF COSTUME. Comics writer Tom King, while signing at Awesome Con in Washington DC over the weekend, had to deal with a fan who refused to wear a mask. Fascinatingly, the fan was dressed as Rorschach. Thread starts here. The fan was removed by the concom.
Cutting the line, dude came up to us. We told him he had to mask before talking to us. He seemed confused by this, like kind of dazed or stunned. But finally he took out a thin Rorschach mask (nylon stocking with ink). But didn’t seem to know how to put it on. It was tangled.
…Mayim Bialik, who earlier this month was announced as host of the Jeopardy! primetime and spinoff series, will fill in as host of the mothership syndicated program following the abrupt exit of Mike Richards as host after one day of tapings. (He remains an executive producer of the franchise.)
Bialik, who guest hosted earlier this year in the wake of Alex Trebek’s death, is currently scheduled to tape three weeks of episodes (15 episodes) when production resumes this week. Additional guest hosts will be announced as search for a permanent host of the Sony Pictures Television program resumes.
(13) SCI-FI FOR STRINGS. CBS Sunday Morning did a piece on John Williams, with the news that he is rearranging some of his film scores for violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter.
John Williams is one of America’s most celebrated musical talents – the best-known creator of music for films. He has written the scores for such revered classics as “Jaws,” “Star Wars,” “Superman” and “Schindler’s List.” In a story originally broadcast September 22, 2019, Correspondent Tracy Smith talks with Williams, and with violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, who collaborated with the composer on an album of works for violin and orchestra adapted from his film scores, “Across the Stars.”
…McDowell’s character sings the iconic 1952 musical number during one of the most disturbing and graphic scenes in the 1971 Kubrick classic. Talking to the same room of fans, McDowell said the song was not in the script, the idea just came to him during a take and Kubrick loved it. “It was just instinctive,” he added.
It would not be until 40 years later when McDowell would learn why Kelly was so mad about the situation.
“I am telling this story to the Academy, and afterward this lady came up and said, ‘I’m Gene’s widow. Gene wasn’t upset with you, Malcolm. He was really upset with Stanley Kubrick because he hadn’t been paid.’ And I went, ‘My God, there’s quite a gang of us who haven’t been paid!’” he said to laughs.
…Star Trek Wines has just announced the addition of two more bottles to its now six-bottle lineup.
To recap, Star Trek Wines launched with two options — Chateau Picard Cru Bordeaux and United Federation of Planets Old Vine Zinfandel — produced in partnership with Wines That Rock. (If that name sounds familiar, it’s because they also make wines for The Hallmark Channel, NPR, and Downton Abbey, along with their namesake rock band-themed products.) A year later, in 2020, two more wines joined the mix: Klingon Bloodwine and United Federation of Planets Sauvignon Blanc.
Now, it’s 2021, and as any serialized TV show knows, you need fresh content, so say hello to your latest season of Star Trek Wines: United Federation of Planets Special Reserve Andorian Blue Chardonnay (at $50 per bottle) and Cardassian Kanar Red Wine Blend (at $60 per bottle)….
(16) ON THE STAGE. Michael Toman pointed out a couple of the latest sort-of-genre items available from Playscripts.
When a narrator displeased with her part tries to ruin the happy endings of five Grimm’s fairy tales, a talking lobster must save the day. A charming comedy full of enterprising animals and classic storytelling magic.
When Archer finds herself a captive audience for her dad’s latest masterpiece, it seems pretty familiar for a fantasy adventure screenplay at first. Wars, in the stars. Brides, of the princess variety. This story’s got such an incredibly absurd array of heroes, villains, robots, and romances, it’s total chaos. But once Archer gets pulled in to the mashup tale of a princess with a secret agenda and some space wizards destined for greatness, she starts to wonder: Could this be so much chaos it’s actually… genius? With all the special effects achieved by one actor hurling models and puppets, plus a flexible cast, an epic quest can come to any stage in this hilarious satire of beloved fantasy adventures.
(17) MIMEO MAKERS. In the Forties, when a couple of fans couldn’t afford a mimeograph, they figured out how to DIY – they made one from a paint can. Now that mimeos practically don’t exist anymore, this technique might come in handy again.
Join Olson Graduate Rich Dana and Curator of Science Fiction and Popular Culture Collections Peter Balestrieri as they explore the techniques created by Dale and Anita Tarr back in the 1940s of printing zines with a paint can.
[Thanks to JJ, Michael Toman, John King Tarpinian, Lise Andreasen, Dann, Cat Eldridge, Mike Kennedy, Andrew Porter, and Martin Morse Wooster for some of these stories. Title credit belongs to contributing editor of the day Jim Janney.]
