Ansible 403 -- February 2021

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Feb 1, 2021, 11:51:29 AM2/1/21
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ANSIBLE(R) 403
FEBRUARY 2021 

From DAVID LANGFORD, 94 London Road, Reading, Berks, RG1 5AU, UK. Website news.ansible.uk. ISSN 0265-9816 (print); 1740-942X (e). Available for SAE, Geistzones, or the flight of a bird into an unknown region.

[NET NOTE. See https://news.ansible.uk/a403.html for the nice HTML version; https://news.ansible.uk/pdf/a403.pdf for a printable PDF. Mailing list subscribe/unsubscribe information appears below -- please don't send such requests to my own e-mail address. DRL]


### THE BONE FOREST ###

BRIAN ALDISS has been added to the _Oxford Dictionary of National Biography_. Mainstream recognition at last! (_Oxford Mail_, 14 January) [DD] Wendy Aldiss's photobook _My Father's Things_ has now been published.

ANDY COX of TTA Press has stepped down as editor of _Interzone_, which he took over from David Pringle in 2004. The new owner is Peter Crowther's PS Publishing, with Ian Whates as editor. PS has announced an August relaunch with issue 290, moving to a quarterly rather than bimonthly schedule and (to the horror of some) digital-only publication.

WILLIAM GIBSON had a prophetic vision back in the 1990s: 'The Bomb, so long awaited, is gone. In its place came these plagues, the slowest of cataclysms.' (_Virtual Light_, 1993) [NWW]

URSULA K. LE GUIN is to appear (with a scene from _The Left Hand of Darkness_) on a coming US postage stamp. (USPS, 15 January) [JDN]

ANDY SAWYER, who selected the essays reprinted in Routledge's massive _Science Fiction: Critical Concepts in Media and Cultural Studies_ (in four volumes, special introductory price GBP680), was horrified to find that the publisher's promise to arrange all permissions had not been kept. Bodhisattva Chattopadhyay, John Clute, Istvan Csicsery-Ronay, Paul Kincaid, Farah Mendlesohn, Gillian Polack, Adam Roberts and no doubt others learned of their inclusion only after publication, from a badly proofread contents list online. [PK] Complicating matters, it emerged that the _Science Fiction Studies_ managing editor had given blanket permission for use of _SFS_ material without consulting or informing the contributors. Routledge have reportedly been responding to complaints with an initial brush-off and then, if pressed, an offer of modest compensation.


### CONGLOBATION ###

ONLINE. 4 Feb [] VIRTUAL FIRST THURSDAY, 6-10pm, replacing the usual London pub meeting. See tinyurl.com/uow6hqn.

ONLINE. 5-7 Feb [] LONG PLAY, '33 (and 1/3)rd UK Filk Convention'. Free on Zoom. Further information at www.contabile.org.uk.

ONLINE. 13 Feb [] TOLKIEN SOCIETY SEMINAR. Details at www.tolkiensociety.org/events/tolkien-society-seminar-2021-no-1/.

ONLINE. 5-7 Mar [] FRIGHTFEST (film) -- UK access only. Tickets GBP9.99 per film from www.frightfest.co.uk/filmsevents.html.

MOVING ONLINE. 19 Mar [] FUTUREFEST (futurology), Tobacco Dock, London. Virtual event details still awaited at www.futurefest.org.

ONLINE. 9-11 April [] CONPULSION (gaming). GBP5 'early bird' reg, rising to GBP8 at some time not currently specified at conpulsion.org.

POSTPONED AGAIN. 10 Apr [] BEDFORD WHO CHARITY CON (_Doctor Who_), The King's House, Ampthill Road, Bedford, MK42 9AZ. _Now 16 October 2021_. More at bedfordwhocharitycon.co.uk.

2-5 Sep [] OXONMOOT (Tolkien Society). Announced, with details to follow, at www.tolkiensociety.org/events/oxonmoot-online/.

15-17 Oct [] LAKES INTERNATIONAL COMIC ART FESTIVAL, Kendal, Cumbria. Further details awaited at www.comicartfestival.com.

21-31 Oct [] EDINBURGH HORROR FESTIVAL, with expected venues (Banshee Labyrinth, Edinburgh Dungeon and Lauriston Castle as usual) still to be confirmed. See www.edhorrorfest.co.uk.

RUMBLINGS. _Hugo Nominations_ opened in January at discon3.org and will close on 19 March. [] _International Comic Expo_ (Birmingham, ?September) continues to hope for a physical 2021 event: date and other details to follow at internationlcomicexpo.wordpress.com.


### INFINITELY IMPROBABLE ###

AS OTHERS SEE US. Astrophysicist Adam Frank has new hopes for SETI: 'If the trend continues, the search for intelligence in the universe may finally escape the giggle-factor that for so long left it associated with bad sci-fi shows and generic UFO nuttiness.' (_Washington Post_, 31 December)

AWARDS. _Costa Book of the Year_ GBP30,000 award: _The Mermaid of Black Conch_ by Monique Roffey.
     _Kate Wilhelm Solstice Award:_ Ben Bova, Rachel Caine and Jarvis Sheffield.
     _Philip K. Dick_ shortlist: _Failed State_ by Christopher Brown; _The Book of Koli_ by M.R. Carey; _Dance on Saturday_ by Elwin Cotman; _Bone Silence_ by Alastair Reynolds; _Road Out of Winter_ by Alison Stine; _The Doors of Eden_ by Adrian Tchaikovsky.

FOUR LEGS GOOD, THREE LEGS BAD. The Royal Mint's H.G. Wells commemorative GBP2 coin depicts the little-known Martian _tetra_pod from _The War of the Worlds_, and an Internet-sourced quotation -- 'Good books are warehouses of ideas.' -- that according to Wells scholars should be 'Good books are the warehouses of ideals.' (_Guardian_, 8 January) There was also much mockery of the Invisible Man's topper, a little unfair since Wells himself once sketched his antihero wearing just such a hat.

AS OTHERS CITE US. Paul Davis, the Texas lawyer who lost his job after taking part in the 6 January Capitol riot, filed an impressively daft lawsuit claiming that _every_ vote cast in the 2020 election was illegal and that Congress must be dissolved. Instead he's 'proposing a restructuring of the United States government in the fashion of Gondor, a mythical realm from The Lord of The Rings.' (Salon.com, 22 January) Presumably a wise steward called Paul Davis would take on the Denethor role and govern the USA until the return of the one true heir to George III.

R.I.P. _Michael Apted_ (1941-2021), UK director and producer whose credits include _Bram Stoker's Dracula_ (1992), _The World Is Not Enough_ (1999) and _The Voyage of the Dawn Treader_ (2010), died on 8 January aged 79. [MMW]
     _Richard Arnold_, Canadian assistant to Gene Roddenberry and archivist of _Star Trek_ (with cameos in two films), died on 26 January aged 66.
     _Dale Baer_ (1950-2021), Disney animator whose many films since 1971 include _Who Framed Roger Rabbit_ (1988), died on 15 January aged 70. [PDF]
     _Walter Bernstein_ (1919-2021), US screenwriter for _Fail Safe_ (1964; remake 2000), died on 22 January aged 101. [MMW]
     _Perry Botkin Jr._ (1933-2021), US composer with genre credits for _Mork & Mindy_ (1978-1982) and _Dance of the Dwarfs_ (1983), died on 18 January aged 87. [AIP]
     _Jackie Cassada_, US role-playing games designer and fantasy author whose novels include the Immortal Eyes trilogy (1995-1996), died on 29 December aged 71. [MR]
     _Storm Constantine_ (1956-2021), UK author whose career began with the gender-bending Wraeththu trilogy opening with _The Enchantments of Flesh and Spirit_ (1987), died on 14 January. She had been a cheeringly flamboyant presence at conventions, and in 2003 founded Immanion Press to publish her own work and that of authors she admired, in particular Tanith Lee.
     _Charlotte Cornwell_ (1949-2021), UK actress in _Ghosts of Mars_ (2001), _Dante's Inferno_ (2010) and _Dead Space: Aftermath_ (2011), died on 16 January aged 71. [SG]
     _Kellam de Forest_ (1926-2021), uncredited continuity adviser to the original _Star Trek_ and inventor of 'stardates', died on 19 January aged 94. [MMW]
     _Nathalie Delon_ (1941-2021), French actress in _The Monk_ (1972) and _A Whisper in the Dark_ (1976), died on 21 January aged 79. [SJ]
     _Aiki Flinthart_, Australian author whose 'Ruadhan Sidhe' urban fantasies began with _Shadows Wake_ (2018), died on 31 January. [PDF]
     _Mira Furlan_ (1955-2021), Croatia-born actress who played Ambassador Delenn in _Babylon 5_ (1995-1998) and spinoff films, died on 20 January aged 65; other genre credits include _Lost_ (2004-2010) and _Space Command_ (2020). [SG]
     _George Gerdes_ (1948-2021), US actor in_ Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman_ (1993) and _Bats_ (1999), died on 1 January aged 72. [SJ]
     _Kathleen Ann Goonan_ (1952-2021), US author whose first novel _Queen City Jazz_ (1994) opened her well-received 'Nanotech Quartet', and who was shortlisted for three Nebulas and a Clarke Award and won the Campbell Memorial Award for _In War Times_ (2007), died on 28 January aged 68. [F770]
     _Lail Finlay Hernandez_, daughter of US genre artist Virgil Finlay, who contributed memoirs to Finlay collections and helped publish _The Collectors' Book of Virgil Finlay_ (2019), died on 13 January aged 71. [SJ]
     _Jael_ (Jael Ashton, 1937-2020), US sf/fantasy artist and art teacher active since the 1980s and nominated for eight Chesley awards 1985-2002, died on 17 November aged 83. [L]
     _Remy Julienne_ (1930-2021), French stuntman and stunt co-ordinator whose credits include _Who?_ (1974), _Sheena_ (1984), _Solarbabies_ (1986), _A Witch's Way of Love_ (1997) and various Bond films, died on 21 January aged 90. [SJ]
     _Bruce Kirby_ (1925-2021), US actor in _Holmes and Yoyo_ (1976-1977), _The Muppet Movie_ (1979), _Turnabout_ (1979) and others, died on 23 January aged 95. [SJ]
     _Vladimir Korenev_ (1940-2021), Russian actor who starred in _Amphibian Man_ (1962), died on 2 January aged 80. [SJ]
     _Tim Lane_ (1951-2021), US fan under whose editorship and co-editorship _Fosfax_ had seven fanzine Hugo nominations (1988-1996), died on 12 January aged 69. [MMW]
[]_ David Larkin_ (1936-2020), UK art director at Panther, Granada, Picador and Pan Books, and from 1980 publisher at David Larkin Books (USA) including such titles as _Fantastic Art_, _Faeries_ and _Giants_, died on 2 December aged 84. [AIP/DP]
     _Cloris Leachman_ (1926-2021), Oscar- and Emmy-winning US actress whose many credits include _Young Frankenstein_ (1974), _High Anxiety_ (1977), _The Muppet Movie_ (1979) and _American Gods_ (2017-2019), died on 26 January aged 94. [PDF]
     _Steve Lightle_ (1959-2021), US comics artist for DC (_Doom Patrol_ revival, _Legion of Super-Heroes_) and Marvel (_Classic X-Men_ covers), died on 8 January aged 61. [PDF]
     _Christopher Little_, UK literary agent who sold J.K. Rowling's first, much-rejected Harry Potter novel and whose agency represented her until 2011, died on 7 January aged 79. [AIP]
     _Philip Martin_ (1938-2020), UK writer and actor who scripted the _Doctor Who_ serials 'Vengeance on Varos' (1985) and 'Trial of a Time Lord' (4 of 8 parts, 1986), died on 13 December aged 83. [FM]
     _Diana Millay_ (1935-2021), US actress in _Dark Shadows_ (1966-1969) and the spinoff film _Night of Dark Shadows_, died on 8 January aged 85. [SJ]
     _Ivo Niederle_ (1929-2021), Czech actor in _Howling II_ (1985), died on 8 January aged 91. [SJ]
     _Darroll Pardoe_ (1943-2021), UK fan who published many fanzines from the 1960s to the late 1990s -- including single issues of _Dark Horizons_ and _Vector_, and 16 of _Ansible_'s predecessor _Checkpoint_ -- died on 28 January aged 77. He is survived by his wife Rosemary (Ro) Pardoe, to whom all sympathy. [AS]
     _John 'Grandad' Philpott_ (1944-2020), UK fan who was a former committee member of ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha and various general sf and media cons, died on 9 December aged 76. [CB]
     _Marion Ramsey_ (1947-2021), US _Police Academy_ actress in the animated _Addams Family_ (1992-1993) and _Lavalantula_ (2015; also sequel), died on 7 January aged 73. [LP]
     _John Richardson_ (1934-2021), UK actor whose genre films include _She_ (1965), _One Million Years B.C._ (1966), and _War of the Planets_ (1977), died on 6 January aged 86. [SG]
     _Peter Mark Richman_ (1927-2021), US actor in _Friday the 13th Part VIII_ (1989), _After the Wizard_ (2011) and many genre tv series, died on 14 January aged 93. [AIP]
     _Tanya Roberts_ (1955-2021), US actress in _The Beastmaster_ (1982), _Sheena_ (1984) and _A View to a Kill_ (1985), died on 4 January aged 65. [RH]
     _Antonio Sabato Sr_ (1943-2021), Italian-US actor in _Barbarella_ (1968) and _War of the Robots_ (1978), died on 10 January aged 77. [AIP]
     _Olle Sahlin_ (1956-2021), Swedish fan since the early 1980s and translator of Donaldson, Pratchett and Pullman, died on 9 January aged 64. [J-HH]
     _Gregory Sierra_ (1937-2021), US actor whose films include _Beneath the Planet of the Apes_ (1970), _Honey, I Blew Up the Kid_ (1992) and _Vampires_ (1998), died on 4 January aged 83. [SJ]
     _Julie Strain_ (1962-2021), US actress ('queen of the B movies') and film-maker whose many star credits include _Heavy Metal 2000_ (2000) and _Battle Queen 2020_ (2001), died on 11 January aged 58.
     Late report: _Patrick Tilley_ (1928-2020), UK artist and author whose first sf novel was _Fade-Out_ (1975) and who wrote the post-holocaust 'Amtrak Wars' sequence opening with _Cloud Warrior_ (1983), died on 25 May 2020 aged 91. [A/MA]
     _Stacy Title_ (1964-2021), US filmmaker who directed _Hood of Horror_ (2006) and _The Bye Bye Man_ (2017), died on 11 January aged 56. [AIP]
     _Cicely Tyson_ (1924-2021), noted US actress whose genre credits include _Duplicates_ (1992), _Ms. Scrooge_ (1997), _The Haunting in Connecticut 2_ (2013) and guest roles in various tv series, died on 28 January aged 96. [PDF/LP]
     _Peter Vere-Jones_ (1939-2021), UK-born NZ actor in _Bad Taste_ (1987), _Meet the Feebles_ (1989), _Dead Alive_ (1992, aka _Braindead_) and _The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug_ (2013), died on 26 January aged 81. [SJ]
     _Woody Welch_, US sf, fantasy and horror artist who created covers for _Space Monster_ magazine and worked on _Halloween: Resurrection_ (2002), died on 15 January aged 68. [SJ]

THE WEAKEST LINK. _Q._ 'Which planet takes 88 days to orbit the Sun?' _A._ 'The Earth.' _Q._ 'Which is the only celestial body apart from Earth upon which man has set foot?' _A._ 'The Sun.' (ITV, _Tipping Point_ New Year special) [PE]
     _Q._ 'King Gidorah, Megalon and Mothra are among the creatures to have fought which enduring film character in films made between 1964 and 1992?' _A._ 'Lassie.' (BBC2, _University Challenge_) [PE]

BACK TO THE WORDMILL. The _Oxford English Dictionary_ sf citations website that fuelled Jeff Prucher's _Brave New Words_ was relaunched in January by its creator Jesse Sheidlower, as the Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction (no longer affiliated to the _OED_). This is an ongoing project at sfdictionary.com -- with mentions of me and even _Ansible_!

AS OTHERS SUB US. A _Guardian_ 'Prove Me Wrong' feature subheaded 'Science fiction is just a bunch of loud noises, special effects and unbelievable plotlines, argues Alison Rourke.' was notable for Rourke's conspicuous failure to mention either loud noises or unbelievable plotlines in her 'sci-fi movies are a waste of time' polemic. (3 January)

WOO-WOO UP NORTH. Who would have thought that Blackpool's greatest need was for a GBP300m theme complex promoting the long discredited 'ancient astronaut' claims of Erich von Daniken? The council plans to use compulsory purchase powers to seize land for its Chariots of the Gods Entertainment Park. (_Manchester Evening News_, 23 January)

RANDOM FANDOM. _Brian Ameringen_ announced the end of another era: his February 2021 Porcupine Books mail-order catalogue is the last ever, though sales will continue online at porcupinebooks.co.uk.
     _Benford Day_ was celebrated on 30 January as the twins Gregory and (ten minutes older) Jim attained a combined age of 160.
     _Paul Dormer_ was hospitalized for over two weeks following a heart attack and stroke on 11 January, but is now recovering at home. [RR]
     _FAAn Awards:_ efanzines.com/TIR/Incompleat2020.pdf includes the voting form and a rough eligibility guide; the deadline is 12 March.
     _David Speakman_, long-time member of the US National Fantasy Fan Federation (N3F) who had just been awarded a rare life membership, broke his ties with the N3F after nearly 40 years when 'I discovered the group has decided to recruit membership from the ranks of Parler and Gab -- both havens for extreme alt-right fanatics, including those who attacked and planned assassinations in Congress on Jan. 6.' (_File 770_, 27 January) [NF] Bill Burns will no longer announce and link to N3F zines at eFanzines.com.

COURT CIRCULAR. Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis dropped their $10m lawsuit against Wizards of the Coast (see _A400_) for cancelling their new Dragonlance trilogy; details of the presumed settlement were not revealed. (Polygon.com, 11 January) The trilogy is now in progress. (Tor.com, 25 January) I still shudderingly remember the first one.

THE DEAD PAST. _60 Years Ago_, a familiar note in a review of_ Vector_ 10: 'George Locke shows how sf has been ingrowing into a rut.' (_Skyrack_ 29, February 1961)
     _80 Years Ago_, the important war news: 'During the City of London "Fire-blitz" last month, British publishers suffered badly. About half of London's famous book publishers had their premises or warehouses destroyed, so that repercussions on the fantasy book field will no doubt be great. One estimate says that about 6,000,000 books total went up in flames.' (_Futurian War Digest_ 5, February 1941)

EDITORIAL. In January I was cheered to find Ansible Editions in the BSFA Awards nonfiction longlist -- for Chris Priest's introduction to _The Jonbar Point_ by Brian Aldiss, and again for my own unserious collection _Beachcombing_. Thanks, voters! See bsfa.co.uk/awards-longlist/.
     TAFF ebook library news: _A Budrys Miscellany_ (Budrys), _Challenging Moskowitz_ (ed. Rob Hansen), _TAFF Tales_ (Bulmer), _Then Again_ (ed. Hansen) and especially _Temple at the Bar_ (Bill Temple) were all expanded in January. For the most recently updated titles, see taff.org.uk/eupdates.php.

LAST ORDERS. The Lamb and Flag pub in Oxford, famously frequented by C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and their circle, has closed down after more than 450 years because of financial problems caused by the pandemic. (_Evening Standard_, 26 January)

C.O.A. _Mike & Pat Meara_, 29 Rue de Godineau, 79200 Parthenay, France. (Far from new, but not widely publicized until now.) _Pete Young,_ 375 Walton Lane, Walton, Liverpool, Merseyside, L4 5RL.

HUGOS THERE? DisCon III (Worldcon 2021) opened its Hugo policy announcement with: 'Presenting the #HugoAwards is one of the most joyful parts of every #Worldcon, so we understand the desire to share the glory with as many people as possible.' The plan was to ration the glory for teams with five or more members, by listing no more than four names on the final ballot and trophy plaque, and by implication presenting a maximum of four Hugo rockets per team. (Twitter, 11 January) Much tweeted outrage ensued, and the limit was abolished next day.

THOG'S MASTERCLASS. _Blindsight Dept._ 'The veil prevented him from seeing it, but he knew that she was smiling. Somewhere, he thought, I have seen that smile before.' (Bernard King, _Vargr-Moon_, 1986)
     _Dept of Delicate Euphemism._ '... no male may enter the School House. As the girls there were much valued for their ephemera they were much protected against its premature bestowal.' (Sheri S. Tepper, _Wizard's Eleven_, 1984) [BA]
     _Up to One's Neck._ '... an out-of-depth feeling lapped at Markriss's chin.' (Courttia Newland, _A River Called Time_, 2021) [AR via KS]
     _Sexy Dept._ 'The woman's legs stretched gantry high.' (_Ibid_)
     _The Tell-Tale Twitch._ 'He still wanted her, I by now could see it and she uneasily fascinated as she was could not, with every hourly twitch of his testicles.' (Jane Gaskell, _Some Summer Lands_, 1977)


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CONVENTION AND EVENT LINKS
     British Isles -- https://news.ansible.uk
     Overseas -- https://news.ansible.uk/conlisti.html [no longer updated]


### ENDNOTES ###

PAYPAL TIP JAR THINGY. Support _Ansible_, cover website costs and keep the editor happy! Or just buy his books.

VIRTUAL MEETINGS.
     2 February 2021, from 10am: Handheld Book Club. Free.
     4 February 2021, evening: Alison Scott has set up this alternative to the physical London First Thursday meeting: 'Please share this with people who you know typically come to the Bishop's Finger, but aren't on Facebook.'
     21 February 2021 (and every other third Sunday of the month), afternoon/early evening: Sheffield SF and Fantasy Society online meeting using Zoom. For access details contact Fran Dowd, thesofa [at] gmail dot com.

EDITORIAL II. After the immense relief of ditching the _Ansible_ overseas conventions web page -- a huge and thankless time sink -- I'm unwilling to be lured back to the treadmill by arguments that all online events happen everywhere and must be listed here. The usual policy of British and Irish listings only continues, with the usual exception for Eurocons and Worldcons. Thus spake the curmudgeon.
     In the wake of _Beachcombing_, I've been obsessively preparing a trade paperback edition of _Don't Try This at Home_ (collected Langford convention reports). This makes no commercial sense since the 2015 ebook is still freely downloadable, but it's been a welcome distraction.

SOME LINKS from the _Ansible_ home page.
     _Beachcombing_ review at _Amazing Stories_
     Bram Stoker Awards longlists
     BSFA Awards longlists
     James Gunn (1923-2020)
     _Troll Bridge_: Terry Pratchett story filmed

THOG'S GOLDEN OLDIES from _Ansible_ 163, February 2001. _Dept of Prehensile Bosoms:_ '"Good Night, Farder Coram," she said politely, clutching the alethiometer to her breast and scooping up Pantalaimon with the other.' (Philip Pullman, _Northern Lights_ aka _The Golden Compass_, 1995)
     _Dept of After-Dinner Conversation:_ 'But at this point their hostess firmly put an end to the morbid discussion by collecting the ladies' eyes.' (Nicholas Blake, _The Corpse in the Snowman_, 1941) 


_Ansible_(R) 403 (C) David Langford, 2021. Thanks to Ahasuerus, Brian Ameringen, Mike Ashley, Claire Brialey, Paul Di Filippo, Dermot Dobson, Nic Farey, _File 770_, Steve Green, Rob Hansen, John-Henri Holmberg, Steve Jones, Paul Kincaid, _Locus_, Fiona Moore, James D. Nicoll, Lawrence Person, Andrew I. Porter, David Pringle, _Private Eye_, Adam Roberts, Roger Robinson, Marcus Rowland, Andy Sawyer, Kevin Smith, Nicholas Wynn Watkins, Martin Morse Wooster and as always our Hero Distributors: Durdles Books (Birmingham SF Group), SCIS/Prophecy, and Alan Stewart (Australia).

1 February 2021
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