Ansible 465 -- April 2026
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Apr 1, 2026, 4:29:09 PM (3 days ago) Apr 1
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ANSIBLE(R) 465
APRIL 2026
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, or trade and traffic in riddles and affairs of death.
[NET NOTE. See https://news.ansible.uk/a465.html for the nice HTML version; https://news.ansible.uk/pdf/a465.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 CHARM'S WOUND UP ###
MIA BALLARD's horror novel _Shy Girl_ (Orbit UK, November 2025) was withdrawn from sale by Hachette Book Group and the scheduled US release cancelled, following online accusations that it was largely AI-written. This decision was taken 'after conducting a thorough and lengthy review of the text' (_NY Times_, 19 March), which old-timers thought was what publishers do _before_ buying a book. Ballard blames an unnamed 'acquaintance she had hired to work on an earlier self-published version', who against her will 'incorporated AI tools'. (_Ibid_; _Guardian_, 20 March) One online comment on an earlier Mia Ballard novel, _Sugar_: 'I called it quits when she called Farrah Fawcett "Farah Faucet".' (Reddit, January)
WESLEY CHU, however, is suspicious of AI tools claiming to detect AI usage. He fed Pangram -- used in the _Shy Girl_ case above -- with his own novel _Lives of Tao_ (written 2007, published 2013) and was told it has '73% AI content ... Most academic institutions and websites will not consider your text "The Lives of Tao" to be unique and ready for publication.' (Facebook, 25 March) Somehow reminiscent of a vanity press selling editorial services to fix your book, the Pangram report also includes a 'Remove AI' button which will supposedly humanify the prose. [F770]
OGHENECHOVWE DONALD EKPEKI suffered a fracture of the spine in Lagos when a Chowdeck food-delivery motorcycle went out of control and hit him 'at full speed', and then a woman walking with him. They were simply left there for about four hours before the arrival of a company rep more concerned to remove the evidence -- the bike was apparently unregistered -- than help the victims. Ekpeki is recovering, but needs weeks of bed rest. Chowdeck denies liability, saying the rider was an 'independent contractor' not an employee. (_Sahara Reporters_, 5 March) [FD] A fundraiser to cover his medical expenses has far exceeded its $3000 goal.
KARIN LUNDWALL, daughter of Sam J. Lundwall, active sf fan from an early age and CEO of Sweden's specialist SF Bookstore chain, was elected as chair of the Swedish Booksellers' Association on 19 March. [J-HH]
NNEDI OKORAFOR was enraged by a Threads report of a US schoolboy who came home crying after a teacher told him: 'Your book report on Nnedi Okorafor doesn't count. Pick a REAL author.' Parent complained vigorously to school principal. 'Principal sided with the teacher.' (Bluesky, 23 February) Genre snobbery or unashamed racism? You guess.
TRACY WOLFF, a New York judge ruled, did not plagiarise her 'Crave' fantasies from an unpublished MS by Lynne Freeman, whose expensive lawsuit claiming just this has run for years. From the ruling: 'Freeman's novel and Wolff's Crave novels are indeed similar, but only in the ways that all young adult romantasy fiction novels are similar to each other.' Also, 'hot, sexy, dangerous boys -- central to virtually all young adult romance novels -- cannot be copyrighted.' (_Publishers Weekly_, 16 March) [AIP]
### CONFRONTE ###
Until 19 Apr [] _THUNDERBIRDS_ AND _SPACE: 1999_ (exhibition), Museum of Brands, London. 10am (Sun 11am)-5pm. See museumofbrands.com.
Until 15 Nov [] INSIDE AARDMAN: Wallace & Gromit and Friends, Young V&A, Bethnal Green, London. See tinyurl.com/yjbeufnd.
3-6 Apr [] IRIDESCENCE (Eastercon), Birmingham NEC Hilton. _GBP110 reg at the door_; no concession/under-18 rates given; under-7s free. Day rates GBP30 Friday, Monday; GBP50 Saturday, Sunday. See eastercon2026.org.
11 Apr [] BEDFORD WHO CHARITY CON (_Doctor Who_), King's House, Ampthill Road, Bedford, MK42 9AZ. 10am-5:30pm. Tickets GBP49.50; under-14s GBP20. See bedfordwhocharitycon.co.uk.
11 Apr [] LIVERPOOL HORROR BOOK CON, Liner Hotel, Liverpool. 11am-4pm. Free. See indiehorrorchapter.uk/ournextevent.
11-12 Apr [] CONPULSION (games), The Pleasance, Edinburgh, EH8 9TJ. Tickets GBP28 or GBP18 for either day. See conpulsion.org.
12 Apr [] STARS OF TIME (comics), LC, Swansea. 9am-4:30pm. GBP11.55; under-14s GBP7.21. See www.starsoftime.co.uk/swanseacomiccon.
18-19 Apr [] FOR THE LOVE OF HORROR, BEC Arena, Manchester. Tickets at various rates from www.fortheloveofhorroruk.com.
23 Apr [] A CELEBRATION OF CHRISTOPHER PRIEST, Waterstones, Glasgow. See waterstones.com/events/search/author/92679.
24-26 Apr [] SPRINGMOOT (Tolkien Society), annual dinner and members-only AGM, Townhouse Hotel, Manchester. Room and dinner bookings at www.tolkiensociety.org/events/agm-and-springmoot-2026.
8-9 May [] NORNCON, Hilton Lanyon Place, Belfast. GBP35 reg; GBP20 concessions. Online registration at norncon.org.
20 Jun - 13 Sep [] CRACKING EXHIBITION GROMIT: 50 Years of Aardman in Bristol, M Shed, Bristol. 10am-5pm. See tinyurl.com/3eczs7kp.
25 Jul [] SMALL PRESS DAY, various events throughout the UK and Ireland, and online. See smallpressday.co.uk.
5 Sep [] SF, COMIC & TOY FAIR, New Ferry, Wirral. 11am-4pm. Tickets GBP2, children 50p. See www.mseevents.co.uk/.
19 Sep [] EDGE-LIT 12, QUAD Centre, Market Place, Derby. GBP35 reg plus GBP1 booking fee. See www.derbyquad.co.uk/events/edgelit12.
19 Sep [] INNSMOUTH LITERARY FESTIVAL, Kings House Centre, 245 Ampthill Rd, Bedford MK42 9AZ. 10am-5pm. GBP25 reg (early bird). Further details at innsmouthgold.com/innsmouth-literary-festival.
### INFINITELY IMPROBABLE ###
PREDICTION CORNER. _The Large Language Model of Laputa:_ 'Every one knew how laborious the usual method is of attaining to arts and sciences; whereas, by his contrivance, the most ignorant person, at a reasonable charge, and with a little bodily labour, might write books in philosophy, poetry, politics, laws, mathematics, and theology, without the least assistance from genius or study.' This is of course based on recombining fragments from existing works: '... and out of those rich materials, to give the world a complete body of all arts and sciences; which, however, might be still improved, and much expedited, if the public would raise a fund for making and employing five hundred such frames _[data centres]_ in Lagado, and oblige the managers to contribute in common their several collections.' (Jonathan Swift, _Gulliver's Travels_ Part III, 1726)
AWARDS. _Arthur C. Clarke Memorial:_ David Brin.
_Crawford_ (IAFA debut fantasy): _Call and Response_ by Christopher Caldwell.
_Lord Ruthven_ (vampire): FICTION _Hungerstone_ by Kat Dunn. MEDIA _Sinners_. NONFICTION _Killing the Dead: Vampire Epidemics from Mesopotamia to the New World_ by John Blair. MAGAZINE _Dracula Beyond Stoker_ #7. [F770]
_Oscars:_ _Sinners_ won in four categories and _Frankenstein_ in three; _KPop Demon Hunters_ was named as best animated feature film.
_Otherwise_ (formerly the Tiptree): _Luminous_ by Silvia Park. [L]
_SFWA Kate Wilhelm Solstice Award:_ David Langford. Yes, I was utterly boggled. Gosh wow. Thanks!
GATEKEEPING. 'If you don't know who the "Hugo" is named after, sf is not for you.' (John Sutherland, _Curiosities of Literature_, 2011) [PL]
HEADLINES OF OUR TIMES. 'Iranian Missile Strikes Cargo Vessel Carrying Fantagraphics Books'. (_Publishers Lunch_, 17 March) [MR]
R.I.P. _Glen Baxter_ (1944-2026), UK humorous artist whose surreally captioned drawings are collected in many volumes beginning with _Atlas_ (1979) and _The Impending Gleam_ (1981), died on 29 March aged 82.
_Joe Bergeron_ (1955-2026), US artist whose sf book covers -- often astronomical -- appeared from 1982 and whose several science-fantasies began with _The Bronze Portal_ (2004), died on 14 March aged 70. [MLO]
_Ed Bernard_ (1939-2026), US actor in _Blue Thunder_ (1983), _Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey_ (1993) and _Pinocchio's Revenge_ (1996), died on 23 January aged 86.
_Jamie Blanks_ (1971-2026), Australian filmmaker and composer who directed _Urban Legend_ (1998) and _Long Weekend_ (2008), and scored _Needle_ (2010), _Crawlspace_ (2012) and others, died on 16 March aged 54. [SJ]
_Nicholas Brendon_ (1971-2026), US actor in _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ (144 episodes 1997-2003), _Unholy_ (2007), _Coherence_ (2013), _The Morningside Monster_ (2014) and _On a Dark and Bloody Ground_ (2024), died on 20 March aged 54. [LP]
_Barry Caldwell_ (1957-2026), US artist and animator for _Animaniacs_ (18 episodes 1983-1988), _Pinky and the Brain_ (1995-1998), _Osmosis Jones_ (2001) and others, died on 28 March aged 68. [AIP]
_Philip Castle_ (1942-2026), UK artist for Andre Norton's 'Witch World' covers since 1970 and -- more famously -- film posters for _A Clockwork Orange_ and _Mars Attacks!_, died on 20 February aged 83. [AIP]
_Alina Chu_ (1956-2026), New York fan whose 1980s fanzine was _Nothing Left to the Imagination_ with Teresa Minambres, died on 27 February aged 69. [RH/BB]
_Matt Clark_ (1936-2026), US actor in _The Terminal Man_ (1974), _The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension_ (1984), _Back to the Future III_ (1999) and others, died on 15 March aged 89. [AIP]
_Len Deighton_ (1929-2026), bestselling UK thriller author whose fourth spy novel _Billion Dollar Brain_ (1966) has sf elements while his alternate-history _SS-GB_ (1978) is set in Nazi-occupied 1941 Britain, died on 15 March aged 97. [AIP]
_William C. Dietz_ (1945-2026), prolific US author of space opera and military sf beginning with _War World_ (1986, retitled _Galactic Bounty_) -- opening the 'Sam McCade' bounty-hunter series -- died on 15 March. [PDF]
_Paul R. Ehrlich_ (1932-2026), US ecologist whose influential predictions of imminent doom-by-overcrowding in _The Population Bomb_ (1968) were a little premature, died on 13 March aged 93. [JC]
_Carrie Anne Fleming_ (1974-2026), Canadian actress in _Supernatural_ (2006-2011), _iZombie_ (2015-2019) and other genre tv series, died on 26 February aged 51. [AIP]
_Nikolai Garo_ (1937-2026), Russian producer of and actor in the dystopian sf comedy film _Kin-dza-dza!_ (1986), died on 14 March aged 88. [AM]
_Tom Georgeson_ (1937-2026), UK actor in _Doctor Who_ (5 episodes 1975, 1981) and _FairyTale_ (1997), died on 18 March aged 88. [KM]
_Michael Hague_ (1948-2026), US illustrator of many children's fantasies including _Alice in Wonderland_, _The Hobbit_, _Peter Pan_, _The Wind in the Willows_ and _The Wizard of Oz_, died on 10 March aged 78. [F770]
_Judi Hodgkin_, Australian fan who worked on UK Eastercons -- as treasurer in 2006, chair in 2015 and initial chair for 2019 -- died in March. [CM]
_Sam Kieth_ (1963-2026), US comics creator who drew the early issues of _Sandman_ and both drew and plotted _The Maxx_ (35 issues 1993-1998) -- which became a 1995 animated TV series -- died on 15 March aged 63.
_Jane Lapotaire_ (1944-2026), award-winning UK actress in _The Asphyx_ (1972), _Murder on the Moon_ (1989), _Johnny and the Dead_ (1995) and others, died on 5 March aged 81. [SJ]
_Lee Martindale_ (1949-2026), US author active since the 1990s (including much work for SFWA), whose first of four story collections was _The Folly of Assumption_ (2001), died on 10 March. [F770]
_Chuck Norris_ (1940-2026), US actor in _Silent Rage_ (1982), _Invasion U.S.A._ (1985), _Forest Warrior_ (1986) and _Hellbound_ (1994), died on 20 March aged 86.
_Eric Ellis Overmyer_ (1951-2026), US writer/producer who was showrunner for and wrote episodes of _The Man in the High Castle_ (2018 tv), died on 16 March aged 74. [AIP]
_Judy Pace_ (1942-2026), US actress in _Frogs_ (1972) and several genre tv series including _Bewitched_ (3 episodes 1966), died on 11 March aged 83. [SJ]
_Corey Parker_ (1965-2026), US actor in _Friday the 13th Part V_ (1985), _Encino Woman_ (1996) and others, died on 5 March aged 60. [SJ]
_Ana Luisa Peluffo_ (1929-2026), Mexican actress whose very many films since _Tarzan and the Mermaids_ (1948) include the genre titles _Invisible Man in Mexico_ (1958), _Conquistador de la luna_ (1960), _Terror, Sex and Witchcraft_ (1968) and _El vampiro y la vedette_ (2010), died on 4 March aged 96. [SJ]
_Valerie Perrine_ (1943-2026), US actress in _Slaughterhouse-Five_ (1972), _Superman_ (1978) and _Superman II_ (1980), died on 23 March aged 82. [SG]
_Jennifer Runyon_ (1960-2026), US actress in _Ghostbusters_ (1984), _18 Again!_ (1988), _Carnosaur_ (1993), _Bloodsucka Jones vs. The Creeping Death_ (2017) and others, died on 6 March aged 65. [SG]
_Annabel Schofield_ (1963-2026), Welsh-born _Dallas_ actress whose films include _Blood Tide_ (1982) and _Solar Crisis_ (1990), died on 28 February aged 62. [AIP]
_Peeter Simm_ (1953-2026), Estonian director and writer of the children's fantasy film _Arabella, mereroovli tutar_ (_Arabella, Pirate's Daughter_, 1982), died on 12 March aged 73. [AM]
_Vasily Skromny_ (1964-2026), Ukrainian former child actor with a leading role in the children's sf tv mini-series _Priklyucheniya Elektronika_ (_The Adventures of Elektronik_, 1979), died on 11 March aged 61. [AM]
_James Tolkan_ (1931-2026), US actor in _WarGames_ (1983), _Iceman_ (1984), _Back to the Future_ (1985 plus sequels), _Robo Warriors_ (1996) and others, died on 26 March aged 94. [SJ]
_Slava Tsukerman_ (1939-2026), Russian-born US independent filmmaker who co-wrote, produced and directed the cult sf film _Liquid Sky_ (1982), died on 2 March aged 86. [SJ]
_Kjell Waltman_ (1960-2026), Swedish fan, member of Club Cosmos in Gothenberg and prolific translator (including sf by Michael Crichton, Lester del Rey, Harry Harrison and Fritz Leiber), died on 6 March aged 65. [J-HH]
_Vitaly Zabirko_ (1951-2026), Russian author of 13 sf novels since 1988, died on 23 March aged 74. [AM]
_Albert Zuckerman_, US literary agent who founded the New York agency Writers House in 1973 and represented Octavia Butler, F. Paul Wilson and others, died on 5 March aged 94. [SJ]
THE WEAKEST LINK. _Host:_ 'What does the letter m stand for in the equation E=mc2?' _Contestant:_ 'Marshmallows.' (ITV, _Tipping Point_) [PE]
AWARDS IN PROGRESS. _British Book Awards (Nibbies)_ shortlists have a new sf/fantasy category: _Brimstone_ by Callie Hart, _Onyx Storm_ by Rebecca _Yarros_, _Ice_ by Jacek Dukaj (trans Ursula Phillips), _Katabasis_ by R.F. Kuang, _The Devils_ by Joe Abercrombie and _Alchemised_ by SenLin Yiu. Philip Pullman's _The Rose Field_, presumably transcending mere genre, is a general Fiction finalist. Children's Fiction is mostly sf or fantasy, including _Sunrise on the Reaping_ (in the 'Hunger Games' series) by Suzanne Collins and _Skandar and the Spirit War_ by A.F. Steadman, also shortlisted for Author of the Year. Graphic Novel has _Who Killed Nessie?_ by Paul Cornell and Rachael Smith. (_The Bookseller_, March)
_Climate Fiction Prize_ shortlist: _Dusk_ by Robbie Arnott, _The Tiger's Share_ by Keshava Guha, _Awake in the Floating City_ by Susanna Kwan, _Hum_ by Helen Phillips, _Endling_ by Maria Reva and _The Book of Records_ by Madeleine Thien.
_Lambda_ (LGBTQ+) sf shortlist: _Beings_ by Ilana Masad, _Blood on Her Tongue_ by Johanna van Veen, _Cry, Voidbringer_ by Elaine Ho, _Two Truths and a Lie_ by _Cory O'Brien_ and _Volatile Memory_ by Seth Haddon.
_Nebula_ novel finalists: _When We Were Real_ by Daryl Gregory, _The Buffalo Hunter Hunter_ by Stephen Graham Jones, _Katabasis_ by R.F. Kuang, _Death of the Author_ by Nnedi Okorafor, _The Incandescent_ by Emily Tesh, _Sour Cherry_ by Natalia Theodoridou and _Wearing the Lion_ by John Wiswell. For all the Nebula categories, including the newly introduced Comic and Poem, see www.sfwa.org/2026/03/15/nebula-awards-finalist-announcement.
RANDOM FANDOM. _Sounds Fannish._ '... the Beer Survey Award shortlist is out. And you can vote on it if you're a member of the BSFA or a member of Eastercon.' (Transcript of _Octothorpe_ 155, March) This podcast also mutters inconclusively about whether it looks good that the BSFA Chair is shortlisted for best novel in the BSFA awards while the FAAn awards administrator won two FAAn awards in both 2025 and 2026.
GET WELL SOON! Ian Watson is skipping Eastercon owing to 'a "system reboot". Chemo treatment is under way successfully and I'm responding rather well to this. [...] I'll be back, as somebody metallic said.' (Facebook, 29 March)
Ted White had a fall while watering his basement plants and lay there for 12 hours before being found. After a hospital stay he's now in a rehab facility, with regular visits from friends. [SB]
THE DEAD PAST. _60 Years Ago_, a Hugo ruling: 'The Tricon _[Worldcon 1966]_ is not allowing votes for _The Lord of the Rings_ in the "Best Novel" category since it is eligible under two categories this year -- that, and "Best All Time Series".' It was felt that mere sf shouldn't have to 'compete with the greatest fantasy novel of all time.' (_Focal Point_ 21, April 1966) In the event, _LOTR_ lost Best Series to the 'Foundation' trilogy.
_30 Years Ago,_ James Wood wrote in _The Guardian_: 'Science fiction novels are historical novels in reverse, and both are properly despised. Both are archaeological -- so obsessed with discovery that the given is stinted. In both, world-mapping obliterates world-making; both attempt a kind of reconstruction, one backwards from the present, and one forwards. Specificity -- how the sewers worked in 1880, or how they will work in 2080 -- is so strategic that it wearies the reader....' (_Ansible_ 105, April 1996)
FANFUNDERY. _TransAtlantic Fan Fund:_ a final reminder that voting in the 2026 race from North America to the Berlin Eurocon (MetropolCon, 2-5 July), with candidates Lisa Hertel and Katrina 'Kat' Templeton, will close on 7 April. See taff.org.uk for the ballot, platforms and online voting form.
_European Fan Fund:_ the 2026 race to MetropolCon (as above) has _five_ contenders -- Haephestion Christopoulos (Greece), Marcel Gherman (Moldova), Paul Carrol (Ireland), Jan Vanek jr. (Czechia) and George Kharaishvili (Georgia). Voting runs from 2 April to 30 April at effund.github.io. [JP]
_GUFF:_ the 2026 race from Europe to Swancon (Perth, WA, 29 May to 1 June) was won by Farah Mendlesohn with 67 first-preference votes, a clear majority. (Misha Sumra 21, No Preference 9, Hold Over Funds 2; 99 ballots were counted.) See taff.org.uk/guff/ann-2603.html.
MAGAZINE SCENE. Rachel Cordasco plans to launch the free quarterly _Small Planet: The SF in Translation Magazine_ at www.sfintranslation.com.
THOG'S MASTERCLASS. _Mediaeval Geometry._ 'A pentagram had been chalked on the stone floor, and gold wires had been stretched between candle-holders of stained iron, forming a six-pointed star above the chalk.' (David Gemmell, _Waylander II: In the Realm of the Wolf_, 1992) [BA]
_Testing the 3,000 mph Rocket Locomotive in Your Own Back Yard._ 'Then there was a high-pitched whine, and the engine was away to the fence and back, almost before Mrs. Glyce's eyes could follow it. Again, this amazing process was repeated. Six times in all, each time seemingly faster than the previous one. The final journey in both directions was accomplished so quickly that the whole object was little more than a blur until it came to a dead stop.' (Terence Haile, _Space Train_, 1962)
_What Goes Around._ 'The heart sends fresh red blood to all the organs that need it, in the same way the engine sends fuel around the motorbike to make it work.' (M.W. Craven, _The Cutting Season_, 2022) [ABL]
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Overseas -- https://news.ansible.uk/conlisti.html [no longer updated]
### ENDNOTES ###
PAYPAL TIP JAR THINGY. Donate to support _Ansible_, cover website costs and keep the editor happy! Or just buy his books.
https://ansible.uk/paypal.html
https://ae.ansible.uk/
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GROUP THEORY.
16 April 2026, 6pm to late: London Zoom meeting, third Thursday of each month. 'Please share this with people who you know typically come to the Bishop's Finger, but aren't on Facebook.'
https://bohemiancoast.medium.com/first-thursday-london-sf-fan-virtual-drinks-5232021e961f
THE TROLLEY PROBLEM. Bob Devney shared a link to a librarian's blog which revealed that 'Members of the Access Team of bookslingers at Edinburgh's National Library of Scotland have given pet names to some of their collection trolleys. These include: Trolly Parton, George Orwheel, Wheeliam Shakespeare, Daphne du Trollier, Rene Descart, Cart Cobain, JRR Trollkein, Cart Vader, Mary Wheelstonecraft.' Bob was quick to add Orson Scott Cart, Lois McCaster Bujold, J.K. Rolling and others. _Ansible_ readers are strongly urged not to send their own suggestions.
CONVENTIONS CONTINUED.
24-25 Oct [] BRISTOLCON, Hilton DoubleTree Hotel, Bristol. GBP65 reg; GBP45 concessions/under-18s; under-14s free. See www.bristolcon.org.
30 Oct - 1 Nov [] STEAMPUNK HALLOWEEN, County Assembly Rooms, Lincoln. See www.ministryofsteampunk.com/halloween2026.
29 Dec - 1 Jan [] STEAMPUNK NEW YEAR, Belmont Hotel, Leicester. See www.ministryofsteampunk.com/steampunknewyear2027.
13 Feb 2027 [] TERATO CON (monsters), Widcombe Social Club, Bath. 10am-11pm. GBP35 reg (18+ only). See teratocon.wordpress.com.
12-14 Mar 2027 [] MINAMICON (anime), Novotel Hotel, Southampton. Ticket sales open in July/August at www.minamicon.org.uk.
RUMBLINGS. _Sci-Fi Weekender/Camp SFW_ (Great Yarmouth, 19-22 March) was cancelled at just three weeks' notice, unhappily for those with non-refundable travel tickets.
_Ainmhicon_ (Dublin, 11 April) belatedly confirmed to _Ansible_ that registration had closed on 28 February.
_Lacon V_ (Worldcon 2026, August): Hugo nominations closed on 28 March and the final ballot is expected imminently.
HEADLINES OF OUR TIMES II. 'Royal Navy warship that boasts "invisibility cloak" spotted off Isle of Wight'. (_Isle of Wight County Press_) [PE]
EDITORIAL. Jolly news for UK fanzines with print editions: Royal Mail postage costs rise yet again on 7 April. Second class from 87p to 91p, first class from GBP1.70 to GBP1.80, basic air letter from GBP3.50 to GBP3.60.
R.I.P. II: LAST-MINUTE REPORTS. _Alan Bostick_ (1959-2026), US Bay Area fan whose fanzine was _Fast and Loose_ (1979-1980), died on 26 March aged 67. [LB]
_Mary Beth Hurt_ (1946-2026), US actress in _D.A.R.Y.L._ (1985), _The Exorcism of Emily Rose_ (2005), _Lady in the Water_ (2006) and others, died on 28 March aged 79. [LP]
SOME LINKS from the _Ansible_ home page.
Aldiss Award longlist
https://thealdissaward.com/the-2026-aldiss-award-long-list/
British Book Awards (Nibbies) shortlists
https://www.thebookseller.com/british-book-awards-content/book-of-the-year
The Cruciverbal Inquisitor tiles the plane
https://www.fifteensquared.net/2026/03/17/inquisitor-1950-just-the-same-by-nathan-panning/
SFWA Kate Wilhelm Solstice Award
https://www.sfwa.org/2026/03/31/2026-solstice-award/
Robert Silverberg interviewed at Corflu 43
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4JvED3TnuE
THOG'S GOLDEN OLDIES from _Ansible_ 225, April 2006. _Dept of Heat Quanta._ '... The temperature in the oval control chamber started to climb rapidly, at first half a degree at a time, then in jumps of five and ten degrees ...' (Con Steffanson [Ron Goulart], _The Lion Men of Mongo_, 1974)
_Pathetic Fallacy Dept._ 'The air grew so thick with tension that even the wind outside backed off to a safe distance.' (Greg Vilk, _Golem_, 2005)
_Dept of Persistent Engrams._ 'Doug fought the memory. It had happened before he'd been born.' (Ben Bova, _Moonwar_, 1997)
_Arcane Similarity Dept._ 'Daren was as randy as Kero was discreet. _...We're too much alike_.' (Mercedes Lackey, _By the Sword_, 1991)
_Ansible_(R) 465 (C) David Langford, 2026. Thanks to Brian Ameringen, Lenny Bailes, Sandra Bond, Bill Burns, John Clute, Paul Di Filippo, Fran Dowd, _File 770_, Steve Green, Rob Hansen, John-Henri Holmberg, Steve Jones, Antonio B. Leal, _Locus_, Pamela Love, Kev McVeigh, Andrey Meshavkin, Caroline Mullan, Mark L. Olson, Joro Penchev, Lawrence Person, Andrew I. Porter, _Private Eye_, Mary Reed, SFWA, and as always our Hero Distributors: Durdles Books (Birmingham SF Group) and SCIS/Prophecy.
1 April 2026
APRIL 2026
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, or trade and traffic in riddles and affairs of death.
[NET NOTE. See https://news.ansible.uk/a465.html for the nice HTML version; https://news.ansible.uk/pdf/a465.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 CHARM'S WOUND UP ###
MIA BALLARD's horror novel _Shy Girl_ (Orbit UK, November 2025) was withdrawn from sale by Hachette Book Group and the scheduled US release cancelled, following online accusations that it was largely AI-written. This decision was taken 'after conducting a thorough and lengthy review of the text' (_NY Times_, 19 March), which old-timers thought was what publishers do _before_ buying a book. Ballard blames an unnamed 'acquaintance she had hired to work on an earlier self-published version', who against her will 'incorporated AI tools'. (_Ibid_; _Guardian_, 20 March) One online comment on an earlier Mia Ballard novel, _Sugar_: 'I called it quits when she called Farrah Fawcett "Farah Faucet".' (Reddit, January)
WESLEY CHU, however, is suspicious of AI tools claiming to detect AI usage. He fed Pangram -- used in the _Shy Girl_ case above -- with his own novel _Lives of Tao_ (written 2007, published 2013) and was told it has '73% AI content ... Most academic institutions and websites will not consider your text "The Lives of Tao" to be unique and ready for publication.' (Facebook, 25 March) Somehow reminiscent of a vanity press selling editorial services to fix your book, the Pangram report also includes a 'Remove AI' button which will supposedly humanify the prose. [F770]
OGHENECHOVWE DONALD EKPEKI suffered a fracture of the spine in Lagos when a Chowdeck food-delivery motorcycle went out of control and hit him 'at full speed', and then a woman walking with him. They were simply left there for about four hours before the arrival of a company rep more concerned to remove the evidence -- the bike was apparently unregistered -- than help the victims. Ekpeki is recovering, but needs weeks of bed rest. Chowdeck denies liability, saying the rider was an 'independent contractor' not an employee. (_Sahara Reporters_, 5 March) [FD] A fundraiser to cover his medical expenses has far exceeded its $3000 goal.
KARIN LUNDWALL, daughter of Sam J. Lundwall, active sf fan from an early age and CEO of Sweden's specialist SF Bookstore chain, was elected as chair of the Swedish Booksellers' Association on 19 March. [J-HH]
NNEDI OKORAFOR was enraged by a Threads report of a US schoolboy who came home crying after a teacher told him: 'Your book report on Nnedi Okorafor doesn't count. Pick a REAL author.' Parent complained vigorously to school principal. 'Principal sided with the teacher.' (Bluesky, 23 February) Genre snobbery or unashamed racism? You guess.
TRACY WOLFF, a New York judge ruled, did not plagiarise her 'Crave' fantasies from an unpublished MS by Lynne Freeman, whose expensive lawsuit claiming just this has run for years. From the ruling: 'Freeman's novel and Wolff's Crave novels are indeed similar, but only in the ways that all young adult romantasy fiction novels are similar to each other.' Also, 'hot, sexy, dangerous boys -- central to virtually all young adult romance novels -- cannot be copyrighted.' (_Publishers Weekly_, 16 March) [AIP]
### CONFRONTE ###
Until 19 Apr [] _THUNDERBIRDS_ AND _SPACE: 1999_ (exhibition), Museum of Brands, London. 10am (Sun 11am)-5pm. See museumofbrands.com.
Until 15 Nov [] INSIDE AARDMAN: Wallace & Gromit and Friends, Young V&A, Bethnal Green, London. See tinyurl.com/yjbeufnd.
3-6 Apr [] IRIDESCENCE (Eastercon), Birmingham NEC Hilton. _GBP110 reg at the door_; no concession/under-18 rates given; under-7s free. Day rates GBP30 Friday, Monday; GBP50 Saturday, Sunday. See eastercon2026.org.
11 Apr [] BEDFORD WHO CHARITY CON (_Doctor Who_), King's House, Ampthill Road, Bedford, MK42 9AZ. 10am-5:30pm. Tickets GBP49.50; under-14s GBP20. See bedfordwhocharitycon.co.uk.
11 Apr [] LIVERPOOL HORROR BOOK CON, Liner Hotel, Liverpool. 11am-4pm. Free. See indiehorrorchapter.uk/ournextevent.
11-12 Apr [] CONPULSION (games), The Pleasance, Edinburgh, EH8 9TJ. Tickets GBP28 or GBP18 for either day. See conpulsion.org.
12 Apr [] STARS OF TIME (comics), LC, Swansea. 9am-4:30pm. GBP11.55; under-14s GBP7.21. See www.starsoftime.co.uk/swanseacomiccon.
18-19 Apr [] FOR THE LOVE OF HORROR, BEC Arena, Manchester. Tickets at various rates from www.fortheloveofhorroruk.com.
23 Apr [] A CELEBRATION OF CHRISTOPHER PRIEST, Waterstones, Glasgow. See waterstones.com/events/search/author/92679.
24-26 Apr [] SPRINGMOOT (Tolkien Society), annual dinner and members-only AGM, Townhouse Hotel, Manchester. Room and dinner bookings at www.tolkiensociety.org/events/agm-and-springmoot-2026.
8-9 May [] NORNCON, Hilton Lanyon Place, Belfast. GBP35 reg; GBP20 concessions. Online registration at norncon.org.
20 Jun - 13 Sep [] CRACKING EXHIBITION GROMIT: 50 Years of Aardman in Bristol, M Shed, Bristol. 10am-5pm. See tinyurl.com/3eczs7kp.
25 Jul [] SMALL PRESS DAY, various events throughout the UK and Ireland, and online. See smallpressday.co.uk.
5 Sep [] SF, COMIC & TOY FAIR, New Ferry, Wirral. 11am-4pm. Tickets GBP2, children 50p. See www.mseevents.co.uk/.
19 Sep [] EDGE-LIT 12, QUAD Centre, Market Place, Derby. GBP35 reg plus GBP1 booking fee. See www.derbyquad.co.uk/events/edgelit12.
19 Sep [] INNSMOUTH LITERARY FESTIVAL, Kings House Centre, 245 Ampthill Rd, Bedford MK42 9AZ. 10am-5pm. GBP25 reg (early bird). Further details at innsmouthgold.com/innsmouth-literary-festival.
### INFINITELY IMPROBABLE ###
PREDICTION CORNER. _The Large Language Model of Laputa:_ 'Every one knew how laborious the usual method is of attaining to arts and sciences; whereas, by his contrivance, the most ignorant person, at a reasonable charge, and with a little bodily labour, might write books in philosophy, poetry, politics, laws, mathematics, and theology, without the least assistance from genius or study.' This is of course based on recombining fragments from existing works: '... and out of those rich materials, to give the world a complete body of all arts and sciences; which, however, might be still improved, and much expedited, if the public would raise a fund for making and employing five hundred such frames _[data centres]_ in Lagado, and oblige the managers to contribute in common their several collections.' (Jonathan Swift, _Gulliver's Travels_ Part III, 1726)
AWARDS. _Arthur C. Clarke Memorial:_ David Brin.
_Crawford_ (IAFA debut fantasy): _Call and Response_ by Christopher Caldwell.
_Lord Ruthven_ (vampire): FICTION _Hungerstone_ by Kat Dunn. MEDIA _Sinners_. NONFICTION _Killing the Dead: Vampire Epidemics from Mesopotamia to the New World_ by John Blair. MAGAZINE _Dracula Beyond Stoker_ #7. [F770]
_Oscars:_ _Sinners_ won in four categories and _Frankenstein_ in three; _KPop Demon Hunters_ was named as best animated feature film.
_Otherwise_ (formerly the Tiptree): _Luminous_ by Silvia Park. [L]
_SFWA Kate Wilhelm Solstice Award:_ David Langford. Yes, I was utterly boggled. Gosh wow. Thanks!
GATEKEEPING. 'If you don't know who the "Hugo" is named after, sf is not for you.' (John Sutherland, _Curiosities of Literature_, 2011) [PL]
HEADLINES OF OUR TIMES. 'Iranian Missile Strikes Cargo Vessel Carrying Fantagraphics Books'. (_Publishers Lunch_, 17 March) [MR]
R.I.P. _Glen Baxter_ (1944-2026), UK humorous artist whose surreally captioned drawings are collected in many volumes beginning with _Atlas_ (1979) and _The Impending Gleam_ (1981), died on 29 March aged 82.
_Joe Bergeron_ (1955-2026), US artist whose sf book covers -- often astronomical -- appeared from 1982 and whose several science-fantasies began with _The Bronze Portal_ (2004), died on 14 March aged 70. [MLO]
_Ed Bernard_ (1939-2026), US actor in _Blue Thunder_ (1983), _Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey_ (1993) and _Pinocchio's Revenge_ (1996), died on 23 January aged 86.
_Jamie Blanks_ (1971-2026), Australian filmmaker and composer who directed _Urban Legend_ (1998) and _Long Weekend_ (2008), and scored _Needle_ (2010), _Crawlspace_ (2012) and others, died on 16 March aged 54. [SJ]
_Nicholas Brendon_ (1971-2026), US actor in _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ (144 episodes 1997-2003), _Unholy_ (2007), _Coherence_ (2013), _The Morningside Monster_ (2014) and _On a Dark and Bloody Ground_ (2024), died on 20 March aged 54. [LP]
_Barry Caldwell_ (1957-2026), US artist and animator for _Animaniacs_ (18 episodes 1983-1988), _Pinky and the Brain_ (1995-1998), _Osmosis Jones_ (2001) and others, died on 28 March aged 68. [AIP]
_Philip Castle_ (1942-2026), UK artist for Andre Norton's 'Witch World' covers since 1970 and -- more famously -- film posters for _A Clockwork Orange_ and _Mars Attacks!_, died on 20 February aged 83. [AIP]
_Alina Chu_ (1956-2026), New York fan whose 1980s fanzine was _Nothing Left to the Imagination_ with Teresa Minambres, died on 27 February aged 69. [RH/BB]
_Matt Clark_ (1936-2026), US actor in _The Terminal Man_ (1974), _The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension_ (1984), _Back to the Future III_ (1999) and others, died on 15 March aged 89. [AIP]
_Len Deighton_ (1929-2026), bestselling UK thriller author whose fourth spy novel _Billion Dollar Brain_ (1966) has sf elements while his alternate-history _SS-GB_ (1978) is set in Nazi-occupied 1941 Britain, died on 15 March aged 97. [AIP]
_William C. Dietz_ (1945-2026), prolific US author of space opera and military sf beginning with _War World_ (1986, retitled _Galactic Bounty_) -- opening the 'Sam McCade' bounty-hunter series -- died on 15 March. [PDF]
_Paul R. Ehrlich_ (1932-2026), US ecologist whose influential predictions of imminent doom-by-overcrowding in _The Population Bomb_ (1968) were a little premature, died on 13 March aged 93. [JC]
_Carrie Anne Fleming_ (1974-2026), Canadian actress in _Supernatural_ (2006-2011), _iZombie_ (2015-2019) and other genre tv series, died on 26 February aged 51. [AIP]
_Nikolai Garo_ (1937-2026), Russian producer of and actor in the dystopian sf comedy film _Kin-dza-dza!_ (1986), died on 14 March aged 88. [AM]
_Tom Georgeson_ (1937-2026), UK actor in _Doctor Who_ (5 episodes 1975, 1981) and _FairyTale_ (1997), died on 18 March aged 88. [KM]
_Michael Hague_ (1948-2026), US illustrator of many children's fantasies including _Alice in Wonderland_, _The Hobbit_, _Peter Pan_, _The Wind in the Willows_ and _The Wizard of Oz_, died on 10 March aged 78. [F770]
_Judi Hodgkin_, Australian fan who worked on UK Eastercons -- as treasurer in 2006, chair in 2015 and initial chair for 2019 -- died in March. [CM]
_Sam Kieth_ (1963-2026), US comics creator who drew the early issues of _Sandman_ and both drew and plotted _The Maxx_ (35 issues 1993-1998) -- which became a 1995 animated TV series -- died on 15 March aged 63.
_Jane Lapotaire_ (1944-2026), award-winning UK actress in _The Asphyx_ (1972), _Murder on the Moon_ (1989), _Johnny and the Dead_ (1995) and others, died on 5 March aged 81. [SJ]
_Lee Martindale_ (1949-2026), US author active since the 1990s (including much work for SFWA), whose first of four story collections was _The Folly of Assumption_ (2001), died on 10 March. [F770]
_Chuck Norris_ (1940-2026), US actor in _Silent Rage_ (1982), _Invasion U.S.A._ (1985), _Forest Warrior_ (1986) and _Hellbound_ (1994), died on 20 March aged 86.
_Eric Ellis Overmyer_ (1951-2026), US writer/producer who was showrunner for and wrote episodes of _The Man in the High Castle_ (2018 tv), died on 16 March aged 74. [AIP]
_Judy Pace_ (1942-2026), US actress in _Frogs_ (1972) and several genre tv series including _Bewitched_ (3 episodes 1966), died on 11 March aged 83. [SJ]
_Corey Parker_ (1965-2026), US actor in _Friday the 13th Part V_ (1985), _Encino Woman_ (1996) and others, died on 5 March aged 60. [SJ]
_Ana Luisa Peluffo_ (1929-2026), Mexican actress whose very many films since _Tarzan and the Mermaids_ (1948) include the genre titles _Invisible Man in Mexico_ (1958), _Conquistador de la luna_ (1960), _Terror, Sex and Witchcraft_ (1968) and _El vampiro y la vedette_ (2010), died on 4 March aged 96. [SJ]
_Valerie Perrine_ (1943-2026), US actress in _Slaughterhouse-Five_ (1972), _Superman_ (1978) and _Superman II_ (1980), died on 23 March aged 82. [SG]
_Jennifer Runyon_ (1960-2026), US actress in _Ghostbusters_ (1984), _18 Again!_ (1988), _Carnosaur_ (1993), _Bloodsucka Jones vs. The Creeping Death_ (2017) and others, died on 6 March aged 65. [SG]
_Annabel Schofield_ (1963-2026), Welsh-born _Dallas_ actress whose films include _Blood Tide_ (1982) and _Solar Crisis_ (1990), died on 28 February aged 62. [AIP]
_Peeter Simm_ (1953-2026), Estonian director and writer of the children's fantasy film _Arabella, mereroovli tutar_ (_Arabella, Pirate's Daughter_, 1982), died on 12 March aged 73. [AM]
_Vasily Skromny_ (1964-2026), Ukrainian former child actor with a leading role in the children's sf tv mini-series _Priklyucheniya Elektronika_ (_The Adventures of Elektronik_, 1979), died on 11 March aged 61. [AM]
_James Tolkan_ (1931-2026), US actor in _WarGames_ (1983), _Iceman_ (1984), _Back to the Future_ (1985 plus sequels), _Robo Warriors_ (1996) and others, died on 26 March aged 94. [SJ]
_Slava Tsukerman_ (1939-2026), Russian-born US independent filmmaker who co-wrote, produced and directed the cult sf film _Liquid Sky_ (1982), died on 2 March aged 86. [SJ]
_Kjell Waltman_ (1960-2026), Swedish fan, member of Club Cosmos in Gothenberg and prolific translator (including sf by Michael Crichton, Lester del Rey, Harry Harrison and Fritz Leiber), died on 6 March aged 65. [J-HH]
_Vitaly Zabirko_ (1951-2026), Russian author of 13 sf novels since 1988, died on 23 March aged 74. [AM]
_Albert Zuckerman_, US literary agent who founded the New York agency Writers House in 1973 and represented Octavia Butler, F. Paul Wilson and others, died on 5 March aged 94. [SJ]
THE WEAKEST LINK. _Host:_ 'What does the letter m stand for in the equation E=mc2?' _Contestant:_ 'Marshmallows.' (ITV, _Tipping Point_) [PE]
AWARDS IN PROGRESS. _British Book Awards (Nibbies)_ shortlists have a new sf/fantasy category: _Brimstone_ by Callie Hart, _Onyx Storm_ by Rebecca _Yarros_, _Ice_ by Jacek Dukaj (trans Ursula Phillips), _Katabasis_ by R.F. Kuang, _The Devils_ by Joe Abercrombie and _Alchemised_ by SenLin Yiu. Philip Pullman's _The Rose Field_, presumably transcending mere genre, is a general Fiction finalist. Children's Fiction is mostly sf or fantasy, including _Sunrise on the Reaping_ (in the 'Hunger Games' series) by Suzanne Collins and _Skandar and the Spirit War_ by A.F. Steadman, also shortlisted for Author of the Year. Graphic Novel has _Who Killed Nessie?_ by Paul Cornell and Rachael Smith. (_The Bookseller_, March)
_Climate Fiction Prize_ shortlist: _Dusk_ by Robbie Arnott, _The Tiger's Share_ by Keshava Guha, _Awake in the Floating City_ by Susanna Kwan, _Hum_ by Helen Phillips, _Endling_ by Maria Reva and _The Book of Records_ by Madeleine Thien.
_Lambda_ (LGBTQ+) sf shortlist: _Beings_ by Ilana Masad, _Blood on Her Tongue_ by Johanna van Veen, _Cry, Voidbringer_ by Elaine Ho, _Two Truths and a Lie_ by _Cory O'Brien_ and _Volatile Memory_ by Seth Haddon.
_Nebula_ novel finalists: _When We Were Real_ by Daryl Gregory, _The Buffalo Hunter Hunter_ by Stephen Graham Jones, _Katabasis_ by R.F. Kuang, _Death of the Author_ by Nnedi Okorafor, _The Incandescent_ by Emily Tesh, _Sour Cherry_ by Natalia Theodoridou and _Wearing the Lion_ by John Wiswell. For all the Nebula categories, including the newly introduced Comic and Poem, see www.sfwa.org/2026/03/15/nebula-awards-finalist-announcement.
RANDOM FANDOM. _Sounds Fannish._ '... the Beer Survey Award shortlist is out. And you can vote on it if you're a member of the BSFA or a member of Eastercon.' (Transcript of _Octothorpe_ 155, March) This podcast also mutters inconclusively about whether it looks good that the BSFA Chair is shortlisted for best novel in the BSFA awards while the FAAn awards administrator won two FAAn awards in both 2025 and 2026.
GET WELL SOON! Ian Watson is skipping Eastercon owing to 'a "system reboot". Chemo treatment is under way successfully and I'm responding rather well to this. [...] I'll be back, as somebody metallic said.' (Facebook, 29 March)
Ted White had a fall while watering his basement plants and lay there for 12 hours before being found. After a hospital stay he's now in a rehab facility, with regular visits from friends. [SB]
THE DEAD PAST. _60 Years Ago_, a Hugo ruling: 'The Tricon _[Worldcon 1966]_ is not allowing votes for _The Lord of the Rings_ in the "Best Novel" category since it is eligible under two categories this year -- that, and "Best All Time Series".' It was felt that mere sf shouldn't have to 'compete with the greatest fantasy novel of all time.' (_Focal Point_ 21, April 1966) In the event, _LOTR_ lost Best Series to the 'Foundation' trilogy.
_30 Years Ago,_ James Wood wrote in _The Guardian_: 'Science fiction novels are historical novels in reverse, and both are properly despised. Both are archaeological -- so obsessed with discovery that the given is stinted. In both, world-mapping obliterates world-making; both attempt a kind of reconstruction, one backwards from the present, and one forwards. Specificity -- how the sewers worked in 1880, or how they will work in 2080 -- is so strategic that it wearies the reader....' (_Ansible_ 105, April 1996)
FANFUNDERY. _TransAtlantic Fan Fund:_ a final reminder that voting in the 2026 race from North America to the Berlin Eurocon (MetropolCon, 2-5 July), with candidates Lisa Hertel and Katrina 'Kat' Templeton, will close on 7 April. See taff.org.uk for the ballot, platforms and online voting form.
_European Fan Fund:_ the 2026 race to MetropolCon (as above) has _five_ contenders -- Haephestion Christopoulos (Greece), Marcel Gherman (Moldova), Paul Carrol (Ireland), Jan Vanek jr. (Czechia) and George Kharaishvili (Georgia). Voting runs from 2 April to 30 April at effund.github.io. [JP]
_GUFF:_ the 2026 race from Europe to Swancon (Perth, WA, 29 May to 1 June) was won by Farah Mendlesohn with 67 first-preference votes, a clear majority. (Misha Sumra 21, No Preference 9, Hold Over Funds 2; 99 ballots were counted.) See taff.org.uk/guff/ann-2603.html.
MAGAZINE SCENE. Rachel Cordasco plans to launch the free quarterly _Small Planet: The SF in Translation Magazine_ at www.sfintranslation.com.
THOG'S MASTERCLASS. _Mediaeval Geometry._ 'A pentagram had been chalked on the stone floor, and gold wires had been stretched between candle-holders of stained iron, forming a six-pointed star above the chalk.' (David Gemmell, _Waylander II: In the Realm of the Wolf_, 1992) [BA]
_Testing the 3,000 mph Rocket Locomotive in Your Own Back Yard._ 'Then there was a high-pitched whine, and the engine was away to the fence and back, almost before Mrs. Glyce's eyes could follow it. Again, this amazing process was repeated. Six times in all, each time seemingly faster than the previous one. The final journey in both directions was accomplished so quickly that the whole object was little more than a blur until it came to a dead stop.' (Terence Haile, _Space Train_, 1962)
_What Goes Around._ 'The heart sends fresh red blood to all the organs that need it, in the same way the engine sends fuel around the motorbike to make it work.' (M.W. Craven, _The Cutting Season_, 2022) [ABL]
### GEEKS' CORNER ###
SUBSCRIPTIONS. To receive _Ansible_ monthly via email, send a message to:
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More details on this page:
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Printable PDFs -- https://news.ansible.uk/pdf/
Email the editor -- https://news.ansible.uk/contact.php
Books Received -- https://ansible.uk/books.php
CONVENTION AND EVENT LINKSS
British Isles -- https://news.ansible.uk
London -- https://news.ansible.uk/london.html
Overseas -- https://news.ansible.uk/conlisti.html [no longer updated]
### ENDNOTES ###
PAYPAL TIP JAR THINGY. Donate to support _Ansible_, cover website costs and keep the editor happy! Or just buy his books.
https://ansible.uk/paypal.html
https://ae.ansible.uk/
https://ansible.uk/books/index.html
GROUP THEORY.
16 April 2026, 6pm to late: London Zoom meeting, third Thursday of each month. 'Please share this with people who you know typically come to the Bishop's Finger, but aren't on Facebook.'
https://bohemiancoast.medium.com/first-thursday-london-sf-fan-virtual-drinks-5232021e961f
THE TROLLEY PROBLEM. Bob Devney shared a link to a librarian's blog which revealed that 'Members of the Access Team of bookslingers at Edinburgh's National Library of Scotland have given pet names to some of their collection trolleys. These include: Trolly Parton, George Orwheel, Wheeliam Shakespeare, Daphne du Trollier, Rene Descart, Cart Cobain, JRR Trollkein, Cart Vader, Mary Wheelstonecraft.' Bob was quick to add Orson Scott Cart, Lois McCaster Bujold, J.K. Rolling and others. _Ansible_ readers are strongly urged not to send their own suggestions.
CONVENTIONS CONTINUED.
24-25 Oct [] BRISTOLCON, Hilton DoubleTree Hotel, Bristol. GBP65 reg; GBP45 concessions/under-18s; under-14s free. See www.bristolcon.org.
30 Oct - 1 Nov [] STEAMPUNK HALLOWEEN, County Assembly Rooms, Lincoln. See www.ministryofsteampunk.com/halloween2026.
29 Dec - 1 Jan [] STEAMPUNK NEW YEAR, Belmont Hotel, Leicester. See www.ministryofsteampunk.com/steampunknewyear2027.
13 Feb 2027 [] TERATO CON (monsters), Widcombe Social Club, Bath. 10am-11pm. GBP35 reg (18+ only). See teratocon.wordpress.com.
12-14 Mar 2027 [] MINAMICON (anime), Novotel Hotel, Southampton. Ticket sales open in July/August at www.minamicon.org.uk.
RUMBLINGS. _Sci-Fi Weekender/Camp SFW_ (Great Yarmouth, 19-22 March) was cancelled at just three weeks' notice, unhappily for those with non-refundable travel tickets.
_Ainmhicon_ (Dublin, 11 April) belatedly confirmed to _Ansible_ that registration had closed on 28 February.
_Lacon V_ (Worldcon 2026, August): Hugo nominations closed on 28 March and the final ballot is expected imminently.
HEADLINES OF OUR TIMES II. 'Royal Navy warship that boasts "invisibility cloak" spotted off Isle of Wight'. (_Isle of Wight County Press_) [PE]
EDITORIAL. Jolly news for UK fanzines with print editions: Royal Mail postage costs rise yet again on 7 April. Second class from 87p to 91p, first class from GBP1.70 to GBP1.80, basic air letter from GBP3.50 to GBP3.60.
R.I.P. II: LAST-MINUTE REPORTS. _Alan Bostick_ (1959-2026), US Bay Area fan whose fanzine was _Fast and Loose_ (1979-1980), died on 26 March aged 67. [LB]
_Mary Beth Hurt_ (1946-2026), US actress in _D.A.R.Y.L._ (1985), _The Exorcism of Emily Rose_ (2005), _Lady in the Water_ (2006) and others, died on 28 March aged 79. [LP]
SOME LINKS from the _Ansible_ home page.
Aldiss Award longlist
https://thealdissaward.com/the-2026-aldiss-award-long-list/
British Book Awards (Nibbies) shortlists
https://www.thebookseller.com/british-book-awards-content/book-of-the-year
The Cruciverbal Inquisitor tiles the plane
https://www.fifteensquared.net/2026/03/17/inquisitor-1950-just-the-same-by-nathan-panning/
SFWA Kate Wilhelm Solstice Award
https://www.sfwa.org/2026/03/31/2026-solstice-award/
Robert Silverberg interviewed at Corflu 43
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4JvED3TnuE
THOG'S GOLDEN OLDIES from _Ansible_ 225, April 2006. _Dept of Heat Quanta._ '... The temperature in the oval control chamber started to climb rapidly, at first half a degree at a time, then in jumps of five and ten degrees ...' (Con Steffanson [Ron Goulart], _The Lion Men of Mongo_, 1974)
_Pathetic Fallacy Dept._ 'The air grew so thick with tension that even the wind outside backed off to a safe distance.' (Greg Vilk, _Golem_, 2005)
_Dept of Persistent Engrams._ 'Doug fought the memory. It had happened before he'd been born.' (Ben Bova, _Moonwar_, 1997)
_Arcane Similarity Dept._ 'Daren was as randy as Kero was discreet. _...We're too much alike_.' (Mercedes Lackey, _By the Sword_, 1991)
_Ansible_(R) 465 (C) David Langford, 2026. Thanks to Brian Ameringen, Lenny Bailes, Sandra Bond, Bill Burns, John Clute, Paul Di Filippo, Fran Dowd, _File 770_, Steve Green, Rob Hansen, John-Henri Holmberg, Steve Jones, Antonio B. Leal, _Locus_, Pamela Love, Kev McVeigh, Andrey Meshavkin, Caroline Mullan, Mark L. Olson, Joro Penchev, Lawrence Person, Andrew I. Porter, _Private Eye_, Mary Reed, SFWA, and as always our Hero Distributors: Durdles Books (Birmingham SF Group) and SCIS/Prophecy.
1 April 2026
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