Ansible 437 -- December 2023
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Dec 1, 2023, 10:58:49 AM12/1/23
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ANSIBLE(R) 437
DECEMBER 2023
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 privileges of the Quantorsi, Tattermen or Clam Muffins.
[NET NOTE. See https://news.ansible.uk/a437.html for the nice HTML version; https://news.ansible.uk/pdf/a437.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]
### QUADRANTS OF THE SQUARED CIRCLE ###
BRIAN ALDISS is commemorated in a new award named for him, to be presented annually from 2025 for sf world-building in 'cultural artefacts (literature, games and film/TV)'. See brianaldiss.co.uk/the-aldiss-award.
MALORIE BLACKMAN of 'Noughts & Crosses' series fame has a current British Library exhibition devoted to her life and career (see below), which includes her inspirational folder of 82 rejection slips accumulated during the early days of struggle. (_Guardian_, 24 November)
OCTAVIA BUTLER features in the current Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery 'Recent Acquisitions' display of portraits created by or representing women. See npg.si.edu/exhibition/recent-acquisitions-3. [LL]
JOHN CLUTE's long-running Facebook posts on 'Annals of Vandalism at the British Library' have rung many changes on the message (illustrated with scans) that the BL's traditional stripping and discarding of dust jackets and flap copy destroys bibliographic context and is a Bad Thing. All this is to become a heavily illustrated volume titled _The Book Blinders_. Bets are being taken on how it will be treated at the British Library.
MARY SHELLEY is back in business, and not in a good way: 'Intrigued that my usual coterie of spammers are now using writers' names to inveigle me into clicking on their links for website design, SEO analysis, and so on. This morning Robert Frost and Mary Shelley were both sending me blandishments.' (Handheld Press on Xtwitter, 29 November)
### CONTRATEMPO ###
Until 25 February 2024 [] MALORIE BLACKMAN: THE POWER OF STORIES (exhibition), British Library, London. Free, with no booking required. Web presence expected when the BL recovers from a recent cyber-attack.
1-3 Dec [] STEAMPUNK CHRISTMAS WEEKEND, Weymouth. Various free and ticketed events as detailed at www.love-weymouth.co.uk/weymouth-steampunk-weekend-2023.
2 Dec [] DRAGONMEET (gaming), Novotel Hammersmith, London. 9am-11:30pm. Tickets GBP15.50 (under-18s GBP8) at www.dragonmeet.co.uk.
2-3 Dec [] FOR THE LOVE OF SCI-FI (media), BEC Arena, Stretford, Manchester. GBP49.50; under-10s GBP19.25. More at fortheloveofsci-fi.com.
15 Dec [] BSFA WINTER SOCIAL, Kings Arms, Tooley Street, near London Bridge. 7:30pm onward. Free; all welcome.
21 Dec [] LONDON XMAS MEETING (additional to First Thursdays), The Bishop's Finger, 9-10 West Smithfield, EC1A 9JR. All evening.
23 Jan 2024 [] A BILLION AND FIFTY YEAR SPREE (SFF symposium), Liverpool and online. See www.sf-foundation.org/fresh-about (26 Oct).
2-4 Feb 2024 [] CONTABILE 34 (UK filk), Palace Hotel, Buxton. GBP39 reg; GBP29 unwaged; other rates at www.contabile.org.uk/tripletime. _These rates are valid to 31 December and may rise in January._
2-5 Feb 2024 [] SCOTIACON (furry), Crowne Plaza Hotel, Glasgow. 'Prehistoric Panic' theme. GBP100 reg; GBP45/day. See www.scotiacon.org.uk.
16-18 Feb 2024 [] UK GHOST STORY FESTIVAL, Museum of Making, Derby. GBP105 plus booking fee. Also online 12-15 February, GBP40 plus fee. See www.ukghoststoryfestival.co.uk.
7-9 Mar 2024 [] FRIGHTFEST (film), Glasgow Film Theatre. Tickets on sale mid- or late January at frightfest.co.uk/tickets.html.
14 Apr 2024 [] STARS OF TIME (comics), LC, Swansea. 10am-4:30pm. GBP10 plus booking fee; other rates at www.starsoftime.co.uk.
8-12 Aug 2024 [] GLASGOW 2024 (Worldcon) Glasgow SEC.GBP210 reg; first Worldcon GBP150; concessions/Scots residents GBP140; YA (under 26) GBP125; under-16s GBP85; under-11s GBP50; under-6s GBP5. _Virtual attendance now available: GBP75, or GBP35 without WSFA membership (Hugo and site selection voting rights)._ See glasgow2024.org for further details.
3-6 Oct 2024 [] GRIMMFEST (film), Odeon Great Northern, Manchester. Full pass for all screenings GBP79.99 plus fees at grimmfest.com.
25-27 Oct 2024 [] FESTIVAL OF FANTASTIC FILMS, Pendulum Hotel, Manchester. GBP95 reg _until 21 February; then GBP110_. See fantastic-films.uk.
1-3 Nov 2024 [] ARMADACON, Future Inns, Plymouth. GBP45 reg; GBP35 concessions; single day GBP25. More at www.armadacon.org.
8-10 Nov 2024 [] NOVACON 53, Palace Hotel, Buxton. GoH Allen Stroud. GBP53 reg; under-16s GBP10, under-13s free. See novacon.uk.
### INFINITELY IMPROBABLE ###
THE RIFT WITHIN THE HYPERDRIVE. 'The fatal flaw of hard sci-fi is that it's not interesting to anyone except for fans of science fiction.' (Kusano Gengen, interview at teletype.in, 2019) [DS]
AWARDS. _Booker Prize:_ the near-future Irish dystopia _Prophet Song_ by Paul Lynch.
_Sir Arthur Clarke_ (not the novel award), Imagination in Service to Society category: Nnedi Okorafor. [L]
_Polari Prize_ (Irish LGBTQ+): _Our Wives Under the Sea_ by Julia Armfield [L]
_Rotsler Award_ for long-time achievement in fanzine art: James Shull. [F770]
BLURBISMO. 'Time ran out swiftly and mankind was threatened by its ingenuity' (A.A. Glynn, _Plan for Conquest_, Badger Books, 1963) [JH]
AS OTHERS COMMEND US. On including genre work in the school syllabus: ' Even a book like _Animal Farm_ can teach the little ones to love and care for animals.' (Shilpa Shetty, _Times of India_, 28 November) [DW]
R.I.P. _Joss Ackland_ (1928-2023), UK actor in _Watership Down_ (1978), _Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey_ (1991), _Hogfather_ (2006) and _Prisoners of the Sun_ (2013), died on 19 November aged 95. [LP]
_John Bailey_ (1942-2023), US cinematographer and director of photography whose films include _Cat People_ (1982), _Groundhog Day_ (1993) and _Over Her Dead Body_ (2008), died on 10 November aged 81. [SJ]
_Alan J.W. Bell_ (1937-2023), director of the tv _Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_ (1981), died on 19 October aged 85. [SF2C]
_Alexei Birger_ (1960-2023), Russian author of supernatural mysteries such as _Po tu storonu volkov_ (_On the Other Side of Wolves_, 1994), and translator of _Dracula_ and the _Dune_ series, died on 30 September. [AM]
_Michael Bishop_ (1945-2023), noted and widely loved US author, active since 1970, who won Nebulas for 'The Quickening' (1982) and _No Enemy But Time_ (1983), died on 13 November -- the day after his 78th birthday. He was one of the most distinctive humanist voices of sf, and a good man too; meeting him at OryCon long ago remains a happy memory.
_Robert Butler_ (1927-2023), Emmy-winning director of the tv pilots for _Star Trek_ (1966), _Batman_ (1966) and _Lois & Clark_ (1993), whose films included _The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes_ (1969) and _Out of Time_ (1998), died on 3 November aged 95. [AIP]
_A.S. Byatt_ (Dame Antonia Susan Duffy, 1936-2023), noted UK author whose most overtly fantastical work is the folk/fairytale collection _The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye_ (1994), and who later won the Hans Christian Andersen award, died on 16 November aged 87. [JJ]
_Tyler Christopher_ (1972-2023), US actor in _Raven_ (2010), _Max Winslow and the House of Secrets_ (2019), _Moon Crash_ (2022), _Thor: God of Thunder_ (2022) and others, died on 31 October aged 50. [SJ]
_D.G. Compton_ (1930-2023), critically acclaimed UK author whose sf novels began with _The Quality of Mercy_ (1965) and include _Farewell, Earth's Bliss_ (1968), _Chronocules_ (1970, with the splendid alternate title _Hot Wireless Sets, Aspirin Tablets, the Sandpaper Sides of Used Matchboxes, and Something that Might Have Been Castor Oil_) and _The Continuous Katherine Mortenhoe_ (1974; filmed 1979), died on 10 November aged 93. He was honoured by SFWA as Author Emeritus in 2007 and received the 2021 Cordwainer Smith Rediscovery Award.
_William B. Ellern_ (1933-2023), US engineer and author of stories set with permission in E.E. Smith's 'Lensman' universe, in particular _New Lensman_ (serialized 1975 in _Perry Rhodan_; book version 1976 UK), died on 18 November aged 89. [SJ]
_Evan Ellingson_ (1988-2023), US actor in _Time Changer_ (2002), died on 5 November aged 35. [SHS]
_David Elliott_ (1931-2023), UK director of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's _Four Feather Falls_ (1960), _Supercar_ (1961-1962), _Fireball XL5_ (1963), _Stingray_ (1964-1965), _Thunderbirds_ (1965-1966) and others, died on 10 November aged 92. [AIP]
_Peter S. Fischer_ (1935-2023), US screenwriter and producer who scripted _The Last Child_ (1971), died on 30 October aged 88. [SJ]
_Karl Fulves_ (1938-2023), US author of books on magic and card tricks whose one sf title was _Aftermath: Stories From the Rigel War_ (1976, also a gimmicked 'force book' for mentalist acts), died on 16 February aged 84. [BM]
_Andrey Galperin_ (1974-2023), Crimean dolphin trainer and author whose first fantasy novel was _Lezviye vlasti_ (_Blade of Power_, 2007), died on 7 November. [AM]
_Herbert Gold_ (1924-2023), US mainstream author with occasional short fiction in _F&SF_ and _Playboy_ 1953-1973, died on 19 November aged 99.
_Gabe Hudson_ (1971-2023), US author whose genre novel was the YA _Gork, the Teenage Dragon_ (2017), died -- reportedly by suicide -- on 24 November aged 52. [AIP]
_Douglas Ibold_ (1940-2023), US film editor for _The Capture of Bigfoot_ (1979) and genre tv series including _Xena: Warrior Princess_ (3 episodes 1995-1996), died on 8 November aged 83. [SHS]
_Pat E. Johnson_ (1939-2023), US stuntman/stunt coordinator whose genre credits include _The Ultimate Warrior_ (1975), _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ (1990 plus sequel), _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ (1992), _Batman & Robin_ (1997) and _Wild Wild West_ (1999), died on 5 November. [AIP]
_Marc Jones_ (1946-2023), US visual effects artist and creator of Robot Wars, whose credits include _The Empire Strikes Back_ (1980 plus sequel), _Raiders of the Lost Ark_ (1981 plus sequels) and _Poltergeist_ (1982), died on 24 November aged 77. [LP]
_Roger Kastel_ (_c_1931-2023), US artist known for the _Jaws_ and _Empire Strikes Back_ film posters plus various genre fiction covers, died on 8 November. [SJ]
_Nina Katerli_ (1934-2023), Russian author whose work includes fantasy/magic realism such as _Chervets_ (_Cochineal_, 1992), _Skazaniye o Gromushkinykh_ (_Saga of the Gromushkins_, 2006) with her daughter Yelena Efros, and _Kostylyov_ (2014), died on 20 November. [AM]
_Victor J. Kemper_ (1927-2023), US cinematographer whose many genre credits include _The Reincarnation of Peter Proud_ (1975), _Oh, God!_ (1977), _Eyes of Laura Mars_ (1978), _Magic_ (1978) and _The Final Countdown_ (1980), died on 27 November aged 96. [AIP]
_Marty Krofft_ (1937-2023), US puppeteer and producer who with his brother Sid created many genre tv series including _H.R. Pufnstuf_ (1969-1970), _Land of the Lost_ (1974-1976), segments of _The Krofft Supershow_ (1976-1978) and others, died on 25 November aged 86. [LP]
_Janet Landgard_ (1947-2023), US actress in _Moonchild_ (1972), died on 6 November aged 75. [SHS]
_L. (Len) H. Maynard_ (1953-2023), prolific UK horror author and anthologist active since 1979 in collaboration with M. (Mick) P.N. Sims -- they also wrote together as Maynard Sims -- died on 11 November aged 70. [MS]
_Jan (James Albert) Needle_ (1943-2023), UK children's author whose many books include _Wild Wood_ (1981, a subversive retelling of _The Wind in the Willows_) and _Dracula_ reworked for young readers, died on 9 October aged 80. [AIP]
_Weston Ochse_ (1965-2023), prolific US author of horror, sf and supernatural fiction whose debut novel was the Stoker-winning _Scarecrow Gods_ (2005), died on 18 November aged 58. [F770]
_Piotr 'Raku' Rak_ (1962-2023), noted Polish fanzine editor, con-goer and club/award organizer who won special Eurocon awards in 1991 and 1993, died on 2 November aged 61. [JV]
_Taraja Ramsess_, US stuntman in Marvel's _Avengers: Infinity War/Endgame_ (2018/2019) and _Black Panther_ (2018 plus sequel), died in a car crash on 31 October, aged 41. [F770]
_Deborah Reed_ (1950-2023), US actress in _Troll 2_ (1990), died on 18 November aged 73. [LP]
_Lolita Rodrigues_ (1929-2023), Brazilian actress in 221 episodes of the Tarzan-like_ Uga Uga_ (2000-2001), died on 5 November aged 94. [SJ]
[]_ Nina Sadur_ (1950-2023), Russian playwright who combined the theatre of the absurd with supernatural horror in _Pannochka_ (1985, after Gogol's 'Viy'), _Devil in Love_ (1987, after Jacques Cazotte) and others, died on 12 November. [AM]
_Peter Spellos_ (1954-2023), US actor in _Freddy's Dead_ (1991), _Men in Black II_ (2002), _Transformers: Car Robots_ (2000) and others, died on 19 November aged 69. [AIP]
_Frances Sternhagen_ (1930-2023), Tony-winning US actress in _Outland_ (1981), _Independence Day_ (1983), _Communion_ (1989), _The Mist_ (2007) and genre tv series, died on 27 November aged 93. [AIP]
_Kevin 'Geordie' Walker_ (1958-2023), UK guitarist with the band Killing Joke, whose soundtrack credits include _Weird Science_ (1985) and _The Covenant_ (2006), died on 26 November aged 64. [LP]
_Mike Wathen_, UK fan and essayist active in the British Fantasy Society from the 1980s, who with his then wife Di chaired the 1989 and 1990 Fantasycons, died on 16 November aged 75. [SJ]
_Peter White_ (1937-2023), US actor in _Flubber_ (1997), _Armageddon_ (1998) and genre tv series, died on 1 November aged 86.
_Tim Woodward_ (1953-2023), UK actor whose genre tv series credits include _Jekyll and Hyde_ (2015), died on 9 November aged 70. [AIP]
AS OTHERS SAW US. 'You may say you can't read this stuff without laughing, but hundreds of thousands of teen-agers can, as well as half a million adult illiterates who defend, with a kind of locker-room machismo, what Harlan Ellison pretends is a "revolution" in science fiction today.' (Peter S. Prescott on sf, _Newsweek_, 29 November 1971) [TW/BB]
DESPERATELY SEEKING C'MELL. The SiegedSec collective of self-styled 'gay furry hackers' has again been breaching cybersecurity, this time at the US Idaho National Laboratory nuclear reactor centre, and posting some of the stolen information. 'We're willing to make a deal with INL. If they research creating IRL _[in real life]_ catgirls we will take down this post.' The news report demurely notes that creating cat-human female hybrids is not this lab's speciality. (_The Register_, 22 November)
COURT CIRCULAR. Although Jerry Pournelle is no longer with us and the service-mark protection of 'Jerry Pournelle's Chaos Manor' (title of his old _Byte_ magazine column and later his blog) has reportedly expired, using that name for a Facebook fan group still leads to a stern takedown demand from the lawyers of the Estate of Roberta Pournelle. The group name was nervously changed to XaosManor. [F770]
THE DEAD PAST. _20 Years Ago_, 'Neal Stephenson received an approving thumbs-up from _Word_ magazine (December 2003): "Neal Stephenson doesn't deal in science fiction -- what he writes is fiction with science in it."' (_Ansible_ 197, December 2003)
_60 Years Ago_, there was a great sigh of fannish relief: 'Henry Stine promised on 8 Dec 63 before seven witnesses not to write a book he had planned to title _The Sex-Fiends of Oz_.' (_Starspinkle_ 27, December 1963)
_80 Years Ago_, John W. Campbell reported a war casualty: 'I am afraid that _Unknown Worlds_ is finished, certainly for the duration. The paper shortage has become so great that a comparatively inefficient user of paper like _Unknown_ has been forced from the scene....' (_Fantasy Fiction Field_ 152, 28 December 1943)
FANFUNDERY. _TransAtlantic Fan Fund._ Nominations are open for the eastbound race from North America to the 2024 Glasgow Worldcon, and close on 7 January; voting will close on 2 April. Full details for nominators and candidates can be found in the fund newsletter _Taffluorescence!_ at taff.org.uk. [SB]
_TAFF Ebooks._ Rob Hansen's _Beyond Fandom: Fans, Culture & Politics in the 20th Century_, telling the stories of sf fans who in various ways made their impact on the mundane world, is now available for free download at taff.org.uk/ebooks.php?x=BeyondFan. There's also a trade paperback edition -- see link on the above page and in the list of books sold in aid of TAFF at ae.ansible.uk/?id=taff. Another newly added paperback there is Graham Charnock's UK convention report anthology _Running Amok in the Fun Factory_, one of the most popular TAFF ebooks.
NUMBER CRUNCHING. A timely comparison of Davids from the _Private Eye_ statistics slot: '71% Public YouGov says expressed approval of David Tennant, who made a surprise return to _Doctor Who_ this month / 18% Public YouGov says expressed approval of David Cameron, who made a surprise return to government this month.' (1 December)
RANDOM FANDOM. _2023 Hugo Voting Statistics_ are delayed by real-world complications; pressed to name the release date, administrator Dave McCarty crossly announced it as 19 January 2024, being 90 days after the Worldcon as laid down by the WSFS constitution. [CF]
_Sandra Bond_ will score a fannish first by releasing a segment of her TAFF report as part of a podcast, the upcoming _Octothorpe_ #98.
_World Fantasy Con 2025:_ the move to the Brighton Metropole has led to concern about that hotel's notorious accessibility problems, especially for wheelchair users. See worried note and committee reply at _File 770_, 27 and 28 November.
EDITORIAL. I was surprised to find one of my long-ago computer magazine articles (from 1987, referencing Fredric Brown's famous 1954 story 'Answer') cited in a Crooked Timber post irresistibly titled 'What OpenAI shares with Scientology'. Well worth a look despite the Langford taint: crookedtimber.org/2023/11/21/what-openai-shares-with-scientology.
_SF Encyclopedia:_ Autumn statistics include the revelation that John Clute's contributions are now over 3 million words of the current 6.9 million total. As a very late starter I have yet to notch up my first million....
THOG'S MASTERCLASS. _Eyeballs in the Sky._ 'Her troubled gray eyes touched Conan's face, then jerked away.' (Robert Jordan, _Conan the Magnificent_, 1984) [AR]
_She Shoots, She Scores._ 'Up and down the line she galloped, scoring men with her tongue.' (_Ibid_) [AR]
_Neat Tricks._ 'He's hit him above the shoulder but luckily didn't hit his neck or head.' (Alastair Eykyn, TNT Sports commentary) [PE]
_Translator on the Moon._ '... night so biting cold that a man's only protection was his specially designed double-ply Thermoslike space suit, which even in the Moon's thinner atmosphere weighed like holy hell.' (Stanislaw Lem, _Tales of Pirx the Pilot_, trans Louis Iribarne, 1979) [JV]
_Adventures in the Asteroid Belt._ 'In the first place the little planet had no orbit. By some curious freak of gravity it remained practically stationary in space. Secondly, it had ceased to revolve.' 'The next planetoid on Borron's chart was, in his own language, named Stontum. They did not reach it. They never saw it. It was one of the larger bodies on the outer edge of the galaxy, the most distant from Mars, and the turning point from which the return journey would begin.' At this point our heroes are distracted by sudden 'blinding white light' from a nova and get stuck in 'a zone of atmosphere caused by the explosion'. (Captain W.E. Johns, _Now to the Stars_ [i.e. the asteroids], 1956)
_Mobile Features._ 'Yeats's lips were like worms crawling across his face.' (John Blackburn, _Nothing But the Night_, 1968) [BA]
### GEEKS' CORNER ###
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### 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.
21 December 2023, evening: 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.' _This clashes with the extra Christmas physical meeting -- an extra Zoom session is tentatively planned for 14 December._
https://bohemiancoast.medium.com/first-thursday-london-sf-fan-virtual-drinks-5232021e961f
NO, MR BOND, I EXPECT YOU TO GRIT. Scottish winter road-gritter vehicles are named from the results of an online poll, with five currently honouring Sir Sean Connery. Brace yourself: Dr Snow, Coldfinger, You Only Grit Ice, On Her Majesty's Slippery Surface and TroonRaker.
https://swtrunkroads.scot/winter-service/meet-our-gritter-fleet/
R.I.P. II -- LATE REPORT. _Shane MacGowan_ (1957-2023), UK lead singer of The Pogues who appeared in _The Ghosts of Oxford Street_ (1991) and whose soundtrack credits include _The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special_ (2022), died on 30 November aged 65. [LP]
RUMBLINGS II. _Jodiworld:_ following the first event in June 2023, the next is planned for 2025. Further information to follow at www.jodiworld.org.
_Middle-earth Festival_, formerly at Sarehole Mill, Birmingham: _still_ waiting for some update to a website whose home page promises 'a brilliant, expanded, thrilling festival to remember' at a splendid new unspecified venue in September 2023.
https://middleearthfestival.wordpress.com/
SOME LINKS from the _Ansible_ home page.
BSFA Awards longlist nominations
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc_ox-ulD5oD_HsI1ob1nGUnyzcun71llMYgCiIPZ5YVrTuuw/viewform
Ken MacLeod on the Chengdu Worldcon
https://kenmacleod.blogspot.com/2023/11/chengdu-worldcon-meet-future.html?m=1
Adam Roberts: Robert Jordan's _Conan and the Self-Tightening Breasts_
https://sibilantfricative.blogspot.com/2023/11/robert-jordan-conan-chronicles-2-conan.html
_Taffluorescence!_ #1 -- TAFF newsletter
https://taff.org.uk/news/Taffluorescence1.pdf
THOG'S GOLDEN OLDIES from _Ansible_ 197, December 2003. _Sound Effects Dept._ 'The girl squawked and sputtered. Exactly, Peel noted, like a decapitated hen.' (Alfred Bester, 'Hell Is Forever', 1942)
_Deep Thoughts Dept._ '... pain, in Owen Atchison's philosophy, was weakness, but death was strength.' (Jeffrey Deaver, _Praying for Sleep_, 1994)
_Eyeballs in the Sky._ 'His eyes were hungrily fixed to the can of Maxwell House.' (_Ibid_)
_Life in Ancient Mu Dept._ ''Enormous birds as large as modern air liners were worshipped as symbols of the Old Ones. [...] Elephants and mastodons grew to a size that rivalled that of the dinosaurs of an earlier age. And in the sky hung an enormous moon, bluey white in colour, that counteracted the earth's gravity and caused the tremendous growth of all the living creatures of Mu.' (Colin Wilson, _The Philosopher's Stone_, 1969)
_Ansible_(R) 437 (C) David Langford, 2023. Thanks to Brian Ameringen, Sandra Bond, Bill Burns, Camestros Felapton, _File 770_, John Howard, Jane Johnson, Steve Jones,_Locu_s, Linda Lounsbury, Andrey Meshavkin, Bill Mullins, Lawrence Person, Andrew I. Porter, _Private Eye_, Adam Roberts, _SF2 Concatenation_, Steven H Silver, Mick Sims, Doug Spencer, Jan Vanek jr, Don Webb, Ted White, and as always our Hero Distributors: Durdles Books (Birmingham SF Group), SCIS/Prophecy and Alan Stewart (Australia).
1 December 2023
DECEMBER 2023
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 privileges of the Quantorsi, Tattermen or Clam Muffins.
[NET NOTE. See https://news.ansible.uk/a437.html for the nice HTML version; https://news.ansible.uk/pdf/a437.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]
### QUADRANTS OF THE SQUARED CIRCLE ###
BRIAN ALDISS is commemorated in a new award named for him, to be presented annually from 2025 for sf world-building in 'cultural artefacts (literature, games and film/TV)'. See brianaldiss.co.uk/the-aldiss-award.
MALORIE BLACKMAN of 'Noughts & Crosses' series fame has a current British Library exhibition devoted to her life and career (see below), which includes her inspirational folder of 82 rejection slips accumulated during the early days of struggle. (_Guardian_, 24 November)
OCTAVIA BUTLER features in the current Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery 'Recent Acquisitions' display of portraits created by or representing women. See npg.si.edu/exhibition/recent-acquisitions-3. [LL]
JOHN CLUTE's long-running Facebook posts on 'Annals of Vandalism at the British Library' have rung many changes on the message (illustrated with scans) that the BL's traditional stripping and discarding of dust jackets and flap copy destroys bibliographic context and is a Bad Thing. All this is to become a heavily illustrated volume titled _The Book Blinders_. Bets are being taken on how it will be treated at the British Library.
MARY SHELLEY is back in business, and not in a good way: 'Intrigued that my usual coterie of spammers are now using writers' names to inveigle me into clicking on their links for website design, SEO analysis, and so on. This morning Robert Frost and Mary Shelley were both sending me blandishments.' (Handheld Press on Xtwitter, 29 November)
### CONTRATEMPO ###
Until 25 February 2024 [] MALORIE BLACKMAN: THE POWER OF STORIES (exhibition), British Library, London. Free, with no booking required. Web presence expected when the BL recovers from a recent cyber-attack.
1-3 Dec [] STEAMPUNK CHRISTMAS WEEKEND, Weymouth. Various free and ticketed events as detailed at www.love-weymouth.co.uk/weymouth-steampunk-weekend-2023.
2 Dec [] DRAGONMEET (gaming), Novotel Hammersmith, London. 9am-11:30pm. Tickets GBP15.50 (under-18s GBP8) at www.dragonmeet.co.uk.
2-3 Dec [] FOR THE LOVE OF SCI-FI (media), BEC Arena, Stretford, Manchester. GBP49.50; under-10s GBP19.25. More at fortheloveofsci-fi.com.
15 Dec [] BSFA WINTER SOCIAL, Kings Arms, Tooley Street, near London Bridge. 7:30pm onward. Free; all welcome.
21 Dec [] LONDON XMAS MEETING (additional to First Thursdays), The Bishop's Finger, 9-10 West Smithfield, EC1A 9JR. All evening.
23 Jan 2024 [] A BILLION AND FIFTY YEAR SPREE (SFF symposium), Liverpool and online. See www.sf-foundation.org/fresh-about (26 Oct).
2-4 Feb 2024 [] CONTABILE 34 (UK filk), Palace Hotel, Buxton. GBP39 reg; GBP29 unwaged; other rates at www.contabile.org.uk/tripletime. _These rates are valid to 31 December and may rise in January._
2-5 Feb 2024 [] SCOTIACON (furry), Crowne Plaza Hotel, Glasgow. 'Prehistoric Panic' theme. GBP100 reg; GBP45/day. See www.scotiacon.org.uk.
16-18 Feb 2024 [] UK GHOST STORY FESTIVAL, Museum of Making, Derby. GBP105 plus booking fee. Also online 12-15 February, GBP40 plus fee. See www.ukghoststoryfestival.co.uk.
7-9 Mar 2024 [] FRIGHTFEST (film), Glasgow Film Theatre. Tickets on sale mid- or late January at frightfest.co.uk/tickets.html.
14 Apr 2024 [] STARS OF TIME (comics), LC, Swansea. 10am-4:30pm. GBP10 plus booking fee; other rates at www.starsoftime.co.uk.
8-12 Aug 2024 [] GLASGOW 2024 (Worldcon) Glasgow SEC.GBP210 reg; first Worldcon GBP150; concessions/Scots residents GBP140; YA (under 26) GBP125; under-16s GBP85; under-11s GBP50; under-6s GBP5. _Virtual attendance now available: GBP75, or GBP35 without WSFA membership (Hugo and site selection voting rights)._ See glasgow2024.org for further details.
3-6 Oct 2024 [] GRIMMFEST (film), Odeon Great Northern, Manchester. Full pass for all screenings GBP79.99 plus fees at grimmfest.com.
25-27 Oct 2024 [] FESTIVAL OF FANTASTIC FILMS, Pendulum Hotel, Manchester. GBP95 reg _until 21 February; then GBP110_. See fantastic-films.uk.
1-3 Nov 2024 [] ARMADACON, Future Inns, Plymouth. GBP45 reg; GBP35 concessions; single day GBP25. More at www.armadacon.org.
8-10 Nov 2024 [] NOVACON 53, Palace Hotel, Buxton. GoH Allen Stroud. GBP53 reg; under-16s GBP10, under-13s free. See novacon.uk.
### INFINITELY IMPROBABLE ###
THE RIFT WITHIN THE HYPERDRIVE. 'The fatal flaw of hard sci-fi is that it's not interesting to anyone except for fans of science fiction.' (Kusano Gengen, interview at teletype.in, 2019) [DS]
AWARDS. _Booker Prize:_ the near-future Irish dystopia _Prophet Song_ by Paul Lynch.
_Sir Arthur Clarke_ (not the novel award), Imagination in Service to Society category: Nnedi Okorafor. [L]
_Polari Prize_ (Irish LGBTQ+): _Our Wives Under the Sea_ by Julia Armfield [L]
_Rotsler Award_ for long-time achievement in fanzine art: James Shull. [F770]
BLURBISMO. 'Time ran out swiftly and mankind was threatened by its ingenuity' (A.A. Glynn, _Plan for Conquest_, Badger Books, 1963) [JH]
AS OTHERS COMMEND US. On including genre work in the school syllabus: ' Even a book like _Animal Farm_ can teach the little ones to love and care for animals.' (Shilpa Shetty, _Times of India_, 28 November) [DW]
R.I.P. _Joss Ackland_ (1928-2023), UK actor in _Watership Down_ (1978), _Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey_ (1991), _Hogfather_ (2006) and _Prisoners of the Sun_ (2013), died on 19 November aged 95. [LP]
_John Bailey_ (1942-2023), US cinematographer and director of photography whose films include _Cat People_ (1982), _Groundhog Day_ (1993) and _Over Her Dead Body_ (2008), died on 10 November aged 81. [SJ]
_Alan J.W. Bell_ (1937-2023), director of the tv _Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_ (1981), died on 19 October aged 85. [SF2C]
_Alexei Birger_ (1960-2023), Russian author of supernatural mysteries such as _Po tu storonu volkov_ (_On the Other Side of Wolves_, 1994), and translator of _Dracula_ and the _Dune_ series, died on 30 September. [AM]
_Michael Bishop_ (1945-2023), noted and widely loved US author, active since 1970, who won Nebulas for 'The Quickening' (1982) and _No Enemy But Time_ (1983), died on 13 November -- the day after his 78th birthday. He was one of the most distinctive humanist voices of sf, and a good man too; meeting him at OryCon long ago remains a happy memory.
_Robert Butler_ (1927-2023), Emmy-winning director of the tv pilots for _Star Trek_ (1966), _Batman_ (1966) and _Lois & Clark_ (1993), whose films included _The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes_ (1969) and _Out of Time_ (1998), died on 3 November aged 95. [AIP]
_A.S. Byatt_ (Dame Antonia Susan Duffy, 1936-2023), noted UK author whose most overtly fantastical work is the folk/fairytale collection _The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye_ (1994), and who later won the Hans Christian Andersen award, died on 16 November aged 87. [JJ]
_Tyler Christopher_ (1972-2023), US actor in _Raven_ (2010), _Max Winslow and the House of Secrets_ (2019), _Moon Crash_ (2022), _Thor: God of Thunder_ (2022) and others, died on 31 October aged 50. [SJ]
_D.G. Compton_ (1930-2023), critically acclaimed UK author whose sf novels began with _The Quality of Mercy_ (1965) and include _Farewell, Earth's Bliss_ (1968), _Chronocules_ (1970, with the splendid alternate title _Hot Wireless Sets, Aspirin Tablets, the Sandpaper Sides of Used Matchboxes, and Something that Might Have Been Castor Oil_) and _The Continuous Katherine Mortenhoe_ (1974; filmed 1979), died on 10 November aged 93. He was honoured by SFWA as Author Emeritus in 2007 and received the 2021 Cordwainer Smith Rediscovery Award.
_William B. Ellern_ (1933-2023), US engineer and author of stories set with permission in E.E. Smith's 'Lensman' universe, in particular _New Lensman_ (serialized 1975 in _Perry Rhodan_; book version 1976 UK), died on 18 November aged 89. [SJ]
_Evan Ellingson_ (1988-2023), US actor in _Time Changer_ (2002), died on 5 November aged 35. [SHS]
_David Elliott_ (1931-2023), UK director of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's _Four Feather Falls_ (1960), _Supercar_ (1961-1962), _Fireball XL5_ (1963), _Stingray_ (1964-1965), _Thunderbirds_ (1965-1966) and others, died on 10 November aged 92. [AIP]
_Peter S. Fischer_ (1935-2023), US screenwriter and producer who scripted _The Last Child_ (1971), died on 30 October aged 88. [SJ]
_Karl Fulves_ (1938-2023), US author of books on magic and card tricks whose one sf title was _Aftermath: Stories From the Rigel War_ (1976, also a gimmicked 'force book' for mentalist acts), died on 16 February aged 84. [BM]
_Andrey Galperin_ (1974-2023), Crimean dolphin trainer and author whose first fantasy novel was _Lezviye vlasti_ (_Blade of Power_, 2007), died on 7 November. [AM]
_Herbert Gold_ (1924-2023), US mainstream author with occasional short fiction in _F&SF_ and _Playboy_ 1953-1973, died on 19 November aged 99.
_Gabe Hudson_ (1971-2023), US author whose genre novel was the YA _Gork, the Teenage Dragon_ (2017), died -- reportedly by suicide -- on 24 November aged 52. [AIP]
_Douglas Ibold_ (1940-2023), US film editor for _The Capture of Bigfoot_ (1979) and genre tv series including _Xena: Warrior Princess_ (3 episodes 1995-1996), died on 8 November aged 83. [SHS]
_Pat E. Johnson_ (1939-2023), US stuntman/stunt coordinator whose genre credits include _The Ultimate Warrior_ (1975), _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ (1990 plus sequel), _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ (1992), _Batman & Robin_ (1997) and _Wild Wild West_ (1999), died on 5 November. [AIP]
_Marc Jones_ (1946-2023), US visual effects artist and creator of Robot Wars, whose credits include _The Empire Strikes Back_ (1980 plus sequel), _Raiders of the Lost Ark_ (1981 plus sequels) and _Poltergeist_ (1982), died on 24 November aged 77. [LP]
_Roger Kastel_ (_c_1931-2023), US artist known for the _Jaws_ and _Empire Strikes Back_ film posters plus various genre fiction covers, died on 8 November. [SJ]
_Nina Katerli_ (1934-2023), Russian author whose work includes fantasy/magic realism such as _Chervets_ (_Cochineal_, 1992), _Skazaniye o Gromushkinykh_ (_Saga of the Gromushkins_, 2006) with her daughter Yelena Efros, and _Kostylyov_ (2014), died on 20 November. [AM]
_Victor J. Kemper_ (1927-2023), US cinematographer whose many genre credits include _The Reincarnation of Peter Proud_ (1975), _Oh, God!_ (1977), _Eyes of Laura Mars_ (1978), _Magic_ (1978) and _The Final Countdown_ (1980), died on 27 November aged 96. [AIP]
_Marty Krofft_ (1937-2023), US puppeteer and producer who with his brother Sid created many genre tv series including _H.R. Pufnstuf_ (1969-1970), _Land of the Lost_ (1974-1976), segments of _The Krofft Supershow_ (1976-1978) and others, died on 25 November aged 86. [LP]
_Janet Landgard_ (1947-2023), US actress in _Moonchild_ (1972), died on 6 November aged 75. [SHS]
_L. (Len) H. Maynard_ (1953-2023), prolific UK horror author and anthologist active since 1979 in collaboration with M. (Mick) P.N. Sims -- they also wrote together as Maynard Sims -- died on 11 November aged 70. [MS]
_Jan (James Albert) Needle_ (1943-2023), UK children's author whose many books include _Wild Wood_ (1981, a subversive retelling of _The Wind in the Willows_) and _Dracula_ reworked for young readers, died on 9 October aged 80. [AIP]
_Weston Ochse_ (1965-2023), prolific US author of horror, sf and supernatural fiction whose debut novel was the Stoker-winning _Scarecrow Gods_ (2005), died on 18 November aged 58. [F770]
_Piotr 'Raku' Rak_ (1962-2023), noted Polish fanzine editor, con-goer and club/award organizer who won special Eurocon awards in 1991 and 1993, died on 2 November aged 61. [JV]
_Taraja Ramsess_, US stuntman in Marvel's _Avengers: Infinity War/Endgame_ (2018/2019) and _Black Panther_ (2018 plus sequel), died in a car crash on 31 October, aged 41. [F770]
_Deborah Reed_ (1950-2023), US actress in _Troll 2_ (1990), died on 18 November aged 73. [LP]
_Lolita Rodrigues_ (1929-2023), Brazilian actress in 221 episodes of the Tarzan-like_ Uga Uga_ (2000-2001), died on 5 November aged 94. [SJ]
[]_ Nina Sadur_ (1950-2023), Russian playwright who combined the theatre of the absurd with supernatural horror in _Pannochka_ (1985, after Gogol's 'Viy'), _Devil in Love_ (1987, after Jacques Cazotte) and others, died on 12 November. [AM]
_Peter Spellos_ (1954-2023), US actor in _Freddy's Dead_ (1991), _Men in Black II_ (2002), _Transformers: Car Robots_ (2000) and others, died on 19 November aged 69. [AIP]
_Frances Sternhagen_ (1930-2023), Tony-winning US actress in _Outland_ (1981), _Independence Day_ (1983), _Communion_ (1989), _The Mist_ (2007) and genre tv series, died on 27 November aged 93. [AIP]
_Kevin 'Geordie' Walker_ (1958-2023), UK guitarist with the band Killing Joke, whose soundtrack credits include _Weird Science_ (1985) and _The Covenant_ (2006), died on 26 November aged 64. [LP]
_Mike Wathen_, UK fan and essayist active in the British Fantasy Society from the 1980s, who with his then wife Di chaired the 1989 and 1990 Fantasycons, died on 16 November aged 75. [SJ]
_Peter White_ (1937-2023), US actor in _Flubber_ (1997), _Armageddon_ (1998) and genre tv series, died on 1 November aged 86.
_Tim Woodward_ (1953-2023), UK actor whose genre tv series credits include _Jekyll and Hyde_ (2015), died on 9 November aged 70. [AIP]
AS OTHERS SAW US. 'You may say you can't read this stuff without laughing, but hundreds of thousands of teen-agers can, as well as half a million adult illiterates who defend, with a kind of locker-room machismo, what Harlan Ellison pretends is a "revolution" in science fiction today.' (Peter S. Prescott on sf, _Newsweek_, 29 November 1971) [TW/BB]
DESPERATELY SEEKING C'MELL. The SiegedSec collective of self-styled 'gay furry hackers' has again been breaching cybersecurity, this time at the US Idaho National Laboratory nuclear reactor centre, and posting some of the stolen information. 'We're willing to make a deal with INL. If they research creating IRL _[in real life]_ catgirls we will take down this post.' The news report demurely notes that creating cat-human female hybrids is not this lab's speciality. (_The Register_, 22 November)
COURT CIRCULAR. Although Jerry Pournelle is no longer with us and the service-mark protection of 'Jerry Pournelle's Chaos Manor' (title of his old _Byte_ magazine column and later his blog) has reportedly expired, using that name for a Facebook fan group still leads to a stern takedown demand from the lawyers of the Estate of Roberta Pournelle. The group name was nervously changed to XaosManor. [F770]
THE DEAD PAST. _20 Years Ago_, 'Neal Stephenson received an approving thumbs-up from _Word_ magazine (December 2003): "Neal Stephenson doesn't deal in science fiction -- what he writes is fiction with science in it."' (_Ansible_ 197, December 2003)
_60 Years Ago_, there was a great sigh of fannish relief: 'Henry Stine promised on 8 Dec 63 before seven witnesses not to write a book he had planned to title _The Sex-Fiends of Oz_.' (_Starspinkle_ 27, December 1963)
_80 Years Ago_, John W. Campbell reported a war casualty: 'I am afraid that _Unknown Worlds_ is finished, certainly for the duration. The paper shortage has become so great that a comparatively inefficient user of paper like _Unknown_ has been forced from the scene....' (_Fantasy Fiction Field_ 152, 28 December 1943)
FANFUNDERY. _TransAtlantic Fan Fund._ Nominations are open for the eastbound race from North America to the 2024 Glasgow Worldcon, and close on 7 January; voting will close on 2 April. Full details for nominators and candidates can be found in the fund newsletter _Taffluorescence!_ at taff.org.uk. [SB]
_TAFF Ebooks._ Rob Hansen's _Beyond Fandom: Fans, Culture & Politics in the 20th Century_, telling the stories of sf fans who in various ways made their impact on the mundane world, is now available for free download at taff.org.uk/ebooks.php?x=BeyondFan. There's also a trade paperback edition -- see link on the above page and in the list of books sold in aid of TAFF at ae.ansible.uk/?id=taff. Another newly added paperback there is Graham Charnock's UK convention report anthology _Running Amok in the Fun Factory_, one of the most popular TAFF ebooks.
NUMBER CRUNCHING. A timely comparison of Davids from the _Private Eye_ statistics slot: '71% Public YouGov says expressed approval of David Tennant, who made a surprise return to _Doctor Who_ this month / 18% Public YouGov says expressed approval of David Cameron, who made a surprise return to government this month.' (1 December)
RANDOM FANDOM. _2023 Hugo Voting Statistics_ are delayed by real-world complications; pressed to name the release date, administrator Dave McCarty crossly announced it as 19 January 2024, being 90 days after the Worldcon as laid down by the WSFS constitution. [CF]
_Sandra Bond_ will score a fannish first by releasing a segment of her TAFF report as part of a podcast, the upcoming _Octothorpe_ #98.
_World Fantasy Con 2025:_ the move to the Brighton Metropole has led to concern about that hotel's notorious accessibility problems, especially for wheelchair users. See worried note and committee reply at _File 770_, 27 and 28 November.
EDITORIAL. I was surprised to find one of my long-ago computer magazine articles (from 1987, referencing Fredric Brown's famous 1954 story 'Answer') cited in a Crooked Timber post irresistibly titled 'What OpenAI shares with Scientology'. Well worth a look despite the Langford taint: crookedtimber.org/2023/11/21/what-openai-shares-with-scientology.
_SF Encyclopedia:_ Autumn statistics include the revelation that John Clute's contributions are now over 3 million words of the current 6.9 million total. As a very late starter I have yet to notch up my first million....
THOG'S MASTERCLASS. _Eyeballs in the Sky._ 'Her troubled gray eyes touched Conan's face, then jerked away.' (Robert Jordan, _Conan the Magnificent_, 1984) [AR]
_She Shoots, She Scores._ 'Up and down the line she galloped, scoring men with her tongue.' (_Ibid_) [AR]
_Neat Tricks._ 'He's hit him above the shoulder but luckily didn't hit his neck or head.' (Alastair Eykyn, TNT Sports commentary) [PE]
_Translator on the Moon._ '... night so biting cold that a man's only protection was his specially designed double-ply Thermoslike space suit, which even in the Moon's thinner atmosphere weighed like holy hell.' (Stanislaw Lem, _Tales of Pirx the Pilot_, trans Louis Iribarne, 1979) [JV]
_Adventures in the Asteroid Belt._ 'In the first place the little planet had no orbit. By some curious freak of gravity it remained practically stationary in space. Secondly, it had ceased to revolve.' 'The next planetoid on Borron's chart was, in his own language, named Stontum. They did not reach it. They never saw it. It was one of the larger bodies on the outer edge of the galaxy, the most distant from Mars, and the turning point from which the return journey would begin.' At this point our heroes are distracted by sudden 'blinding white light' from a nova and get stuck in 'a zone of atmosphere caused by the explosion'. (Captain W.E. Johns, _Now to the Stars_ [i.e. the asteroids], 1956)
_Mobile Features._ 'Yeats's lips were like worms crawling across his face.' (John Blackburn, _Nothing But the Night_, 1968) [BA]
### GEEKS' CORNER ###
SUBSCRIPTIONS. To receive _Ansible_ monthly via email, send a message to:
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ansible-news+unsubscribe [at] googlegroups.com
More details, and an ALTERNATIVE LIST subscription form for those averse to Google, on this page (which is also where to unsubscribe from the alternative list, hosted at ansible.uk):
https://news.ansible.uk/asubs.html
Home page -- https://news.ansible.uk/
RSS feed -- https://news.ansible.uk/rss.html
LiveJournal syndication -- http://www.livejournal.com/users/ansiblezine/
Back issues -- https://news.ansible.uk/aseries2.html
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 LINKS
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.
21 December 2023, evening: 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.' _This clashes with the extra Christmas physical meeting -- an extra Zoom session is tentatively planned for 14 December._
https://bohemiancoast.medium.com/first-thursday-london-sf-fan-virtual-drinks-5232021e961f
NO, MR BOND, I EXPECT YOU TO GRIT. Scottish winter road-gritter vehicles are named from the results of an online poll, with five currently honouring Sir Sean Connery. Brace yourself: Dr Snow, Coldfinger, You Only Grit Ice, On Her Majesty's Slippery Surface and TroonRaker.
https://swtrunkroads.scot/winter-service/meet-our-gritter-fleet/
R.I.P. II -- LATE REPORT. _Shane MacGowan_ (1957-2023), UK lead singer of The Pogues who appeared in _The Ghosts of Oxford Street_ (1991) and whose soundtrack credits include _The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special_ (2022), died on 30 November aged 65. [LP]
RUMBLINGS II. _Jodiworld:_ following the first event in June 2023, the next is planned for 2025. Further information to follow at www.jodiworld.org.
_Middle-earth Festival_, formerly at Sarehole Mill, Birmingham: _still_ waiting for some update to a website whose home page promises 'a brilliant, expanded, thrilling festival to remember' at a splendid new unspecified venue in September 2023.
https://middleearthfestival.wordpress.com/
SOME LINKS from the _Ansible_ home page.
BSFA Awards longlist nominations
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc_ox-ulD5oD_HsI1ob1nGUnyzcun71llMYgCiIPZ5YVrTuuw/viewform
Ken MacLeod on the Chengdu Worldcon
https://kenmacleod.blogspot.com/2023/11/chengdu-worldcon-meet-future.html?m=1
Adam Roberts: Robert Jordan's _Conan and the Self-Tightening Breasts_
https://sibilantfricative.blogspot.com/2023/11/robert-jordan-conan-chronicles-2-conan.html
_Taffluorescence!_ #1 -- TAFF newsletter
https://taff.org.uk/news/Taffluorescence1.pdf
THOG'S GOLDEN OLDIES from _Ansible_ 197, December 2003. _Sound Effects Dept._ 'The girl squawked and sputtered. Exactly, Peel noted, like a decapitated hen.' (Alfred Bester, 'Hell Is Forever', 1942)
_Deep Thoughts Dept._ '... pain, in Owen Atchison's philosophy, was weakness, but death was strength.' (Jeffrey Deaver, _Praying for Sleep_, 1994)
_Eyeballs in the Sky._ 'His eyes were hungrily fixed to the can of Maxwell House.' (_Ibid_)
_Life in Ancient Mu Dept._ ''Enormous birds as large as modern air liners were worshipped as symbols of the Old Ones. [...] Elephants and mastodons grew to a size that rivalled that of the dinosaurs of an earlier age. And in the sky hung an enormous moon, bluey white in colour, that counteracted the earth's gravity and caused the tremendous growth of all the living creatures of Mu.' (Colin Wilson, _The Philosopher's Stone_, 1969)
_Ansible_(R) 437 (C) David Langford, 2023. Thanks to Brian Ameringen, Sandra Bond, Bill Burns, Camestros Felapton, _File 770_, John Howard, Jane Johnson, Steve Jones,_Locu_s, Linda Lounsbury, Andrey Meshavkin, Bill Mullins, Lawrence Person, Andrew I. Porter, _Private Eye_, Adam Roberts, _SF2 Concatenation_, Steven H Silver, Mick Sims, Doug Spencer, Jan Vanek jr, Don Webb, Ted White, and as always our Hero Distributors: Durdles Books (Birmingham SF Group), SCIS/Prophecy and Alan Stewart (Australia).
1 December 2023
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