Ansible 463 -- February 2026
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ANSIBLE(R) 463
FEBRUARY 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 the fate of any man who's once been set his tryst with Tristero.
[NET NOTE. See https://news.ansible.uk/a463.html for the nice HTML version; https://news.ansible.uk/pdf/a463.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 COURIER'S TRAGEDY ###
MARGARET ATWOOD told a _Wired_ interviewer that she was especially fond of the spurious 1960s/1970s rumour that she 'dressed up in pre-revolutionary French court dress, including the wig, and prowled the streets of Toronto at night in this getup.' She could only guess that 'the rumor was supposing I'd been alive since 1780, and was still wearing the same outfit while looking for my prey.' (_Wired_, 6 January) [F770]
J.G. BALLARD'S story 'Chronopolis', in which clocks are banned, was echoed in a competition to design a new time-of-day indicator thingy for UK railways: 'Network Rail has purposefully elected to use the generic term "timepiece" rather than "clock" for indicating and measuring time in a room, on the wall of a building, or on a computer screen. Network Rail wishes to avoid the conventions and connotations associated with referring to such instruments as "clocks".' (RIBA) [PE] Apparently that was just a guideline: the 'iconic' winner unveiled in late 2025 is called Rail Clock.
PATRICK NIELSEN HAYDEN announced his retirement from Tor Books -- except for 'a couple of projects I intend to finish' -- after 37 years as a full-time editor there. (Facebook, 5 January) What will he do next? John Scalzi: 'Maybe he will fight crime!' (Whatever, 5 January)
TERRY PRATCHETT was the subject of a Loughborough University research study that analysed the 'lexical diversity' of 33 Discworld novels and found that -- although 'To most readers, nothing would have seemed amiss.' -- their range of vocabulary had begun to narrow almost ten years before the sad diagnosis of dementia. (_The Times_, 27 January) [PF] Since this was the period of some of Terry's best books, it's not certain what the change implies: was he perhaps improving and writing more precisely?
J.K. ROWLING's lawyers may be interested in a news story headlined 'Boffins probe commercial AI models, find an entire Harry Potter book'. This reports that one Meta product '"entirely memorizes" _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone_' and that from various LLMs, cunning prompt design could extract 70.3%, 76.8% or even 95.8% of that novel's text -- figures which 'do not represent the maximum possible'. (_The Register_, 9 January)
SHEILA WILLIAMS of _Asimov's SF Magazine_ entered hospital in January following a brain aneurysm. She's doing well and a full recovery is hoped for; meanwhile, managing editor Emily Hockaday is acting as interim editor. [F770] The _Asimov's_ announcement on Facebook could perhaps have been better phrased: 'We are sad to share the news that editor Sheila Williams is recovering from a health episode.' (13 January) [PNH]
### CONSCRIBE ###
6-9 Feb [] SCOTIACON (furry), Crowne Plaza Hotel, Glasgow. Western theme. According to www.scotiacon.org.uk, _registration has closed._
8 Feb [] BSFA EGM, online. Sign-up details emailed to members.
13-15 Feb [] AKUMAKON (anime/manga), U of Galway, Ireland. Euro25 reg; students Euro20; under-18s Euro15. See www.akumakon.com.
14 Feb [] WREXCON (comics), Wrexham University, LL11 2AW. 10am-4pm. GBP11 adult; other rates via www.ljeventsentertainment.com.
27 Feb - 1 Mar [] UK GHOST STORY FESTIVAL, QUAD Centre, Derby. Also 6-8 February online. See www.ukghoststoryfestival.co.uk.
5-7 Mar [] FRIGHTFEST (film), Glasgow Film Theatre, Rose Street. Fri/Sat pass GBP88; for single tickets see frightfest.co.uk/filmsandevents/.
7 Mar [] PICOCON 42, Imperial College, London. Rates and online presence awaited. (Although it's been held in March for several years, the ICSFS home page still clings to the traditional February.)
19-22 Mar [] CAMP SFW, Vauxhall Holiday Park, Great Yarmouth. GBP95 Fri-Sat or GBP130 Thur-Sat at www.scifiweekender.com.
22 Mar [] SF, COMIC & TOY FAIR, Leigh Sports Village. 11am-4pm. Tickets GBP3, children GBP1. See www.mseevents.co.uk/.
27-28 Mar [] TFNATION (_Transformers_), Pendulum Hotel, Manchester. Adults GBP15 Fri, GBP40 Sat; under-18s GBP10 and GBP25; accompanied under-16s (up to 3 per adult) free. See tfnation.com/TFN-Manchester-2026.
29 Mar [] CHORLEY COMIC CON, Town Hall, Chorley PR7 1DP. 11am-5pm. See www.mseevents.co.uk/.
3-6 Apr [] IRIDESCENCE (Eastercon), Birmingham NEC Hilton. GBP90 reg; GBP50 concessions; under-18s GBP20; under-7s free; GBP40 supporting or virtual. See eastercon2026.org.
11 Apr [] AINMHICON (furry), Clayton Hotel, Liffey Valley, Dublin. Euro80 or perhaps Euro90 reg until 28 February. See ainmhicon.ie,
11 Apr [] LIVERPOOL HORROR BOOK CON, Liner Hotel, Liverpool. 11am-4pm. Free. See indiehorrorchapter.uk/ournextevent.
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.
16-17 May [] AMIKON (anime/manga), Dublin City University, Glasnevin Campus. Registration awaited at amikon.me.
27-31 Aug [] LACON V, Anaheim Convention Center, California. Now $250 adult reg; $200 first Worldcon; $125 YA (18-24); $100 teen (13-17); $85 virtual membership; $50 child (6-12); accompanied infants free. $50 WSFS membership only. See www.lacon.org.
28-31 Aug [] ASYLUM 16 (steampunk), The Lawns and other Lincoln venues. Tickets awaited at www.ministryofsteampunk.com.
3-6 Sep [] OXONMOOT (Tolkien Society), St Anne's, Oxford. GBP140 reg; other rates at www.tolkiensociety.org/events/oxonmoot-2026/.
9-11 Oct [] FANTASYCON, Crowne Plaza, Glasgow. GBP90 reg; GBP60 concessions; GBP45 child. (BFS members GBP75, GBP45, GBP35.) Further details at britishfantasysociety.org/events-calendar/fantasycon-2026.
23-25 Oct [] FESTIVAL OF FANTASTIC FILMS, Pendulum Hotel, Manchester. Ticket sales awaited at fantastic-films.uk.
25 Oct [] STARS OF TIME (comics), LC, Swansea. 9am-4pm. GBP11.55 (under-14s GBP7.21) at www.starsoftime.co.uk/swanseacomicconautumn.
14-15 Nov [] THOUGHT BUBBLE COMIC CONVENTION, Harrogate Convention Centre, as part of comics festival. GBP42 weekend; GBP30/day; under-12s, over-65s and carers free. See thoughtbubblefestival.com.
RUMBLINGS. _Reconnect_ (Eastercon 2025, Belfast) released its financial report. There was a surplus of close to GBP22k; GBP10k has been divided between the 2026 and 2027 Eastercons as pass-along funds, and a remnant of about GBP10k -- after late-breaking expenses -- is held by the new Irish convention Norncon (Belfast, May). Some of this is intended for the even newer Belfast horror con Northern Dark, details to be announced. [TF]
### INFINITELY IMPROBABLE ###
AS OTHERS SEE US. Switchboard operator at the London publisher Chatto & Windus _circa_ 1980: 'a keen reader of science fiction, specializing in apocalyptic works about inter-galactic warfare and the imminent destruction of mankind, he referred to even our most eminent authors with a patronizing sneer, as if they were the fossilized remains of a frivolous civilization that should long ago have been consumed by fire and molten lava.' (Jeremy Lewis, _Kindred Spirits_, 1995 memoir)
AWARDS. _Golden Globe_ genre winners include _KPop Demon Hunters_ as best animated film and _Sinners_ for cinematic/box office achievement.
_The Nibbies_ (British Book Awards) are being expanded this year with three new categories for graphic novel, science fiction or fantasy, and romance. [PE]
_Oscar_ nominations: _Sinners_ has sixteen, a record for a single film, and the del Toro _Frankenstein_ nine. (_Bloody Disgusting_, 22 January) These films also have thirteen and eight BAFTA nominations respectively. [F770]
PUBLISHERS AND SINNERS. Tor has announced the new imprint Wildthorn, devoted to 'commercial stories' (including paranormal mystery and historical fantasy), as presumably distinct from the uncommercial fiction they've been publishing all these years. (_Reactor_, 21 January)
R.I.P. _Scott Adams_ (1957-2026), US cartoonist best known for the long-running _Dilbert_ strip whose satire of office life and corporate stupidity often used sf/fantasy devices, and who also published the sf or sf-adjacent books _God's Debris_ (2001) and _The Religion War_ (2004), died on 13 January aged 68. [LP]
_Roger Allers_ (1949-2026), US Disney animation writer/director who worked on _The Little Mermaid_, _Beauty and the Beast_ (1991), _Aladdin_ (1992), _The Lion King_ (as co-director, 1994) and others, died on 18 January aged 76. [AIP]
_Andrey I_ (Andrey Khoroshev, 1959-2026), Russian director of and actor in the avant-garde sf horror film _Nauchnaya sektsiya pilotov_ (_Scientific Section of Pilots_, 1996) died on 1 January aged 66. [AM]
_Sal Buscema_ (1936-2026), US comics artist (like his brother John Buscema, 1927-2002) active from the early 1950s, who worked on _Captain America_, _Hulk_, _Spider-Man_ and others for Marvel, plus some DC titles, died on 23 January aged 89.
_T.K. Carter_ (1956-2026), US actor in _The Thing_ (1982), _Turbo Teen_ (1984), _Space Jam_ (1996), _My Favorite Martian_ (1999 film) and others, died on 9 January aged 69. [MR]
_Thomas Causey_ (1949-2026), US sound engineer whose films include _Escape from New York_ (1981), _The Thing_ (1982) and _Star Trek: Generations_ (1994 plus sequels), died on 12 January aged 76.
_M. Christian_, author and anthologist whose works include erotic sf and horror, died on 1 January. [PS-P]
_John Cunningham_ (1932-2026), US actor in _The Marvelous Land of Oz_ (1981), _The Survivalist_ (1987) and _Starship Troopers_ (voice only, 1997), died on 6 January aged 93. [AIP]
_Gregory de Polnay_ (1943-2026), UK actor in _Doctor Who_ ('The Robots of Death', 1977), died on 1 January aged 82. [GC]
_Patrick Delahunt_ (1953-2025), former US literary agent for various sf/fantasy authors including Karen Joy Fowler and Kim Stanley Robinson, died on 23 December aged 72. [L]
_Marian Diamond_ (1936-2026), UK actress in _The Little Mermaid_ (1974), _The Lord of the Rings_ (BBC Radio 4, 1981) and _Tale of a Vampire_ (1992), died on 5 January aged 89. [SJ]
_Marcus Gilbert_ (1958-2026), UK actor in _Biggles_ (1986), _Chameleons_ (1989), _Army of Darkness_ (1992) and genre tv series including _Doctor Who_ ('Battlefield', 1989), died on 11 January aged 67. [SJ]
_Bret Hanna-Shuford_, US actor in Broadway productions of _Beauty and the Beast_, _Chitty Chitty Bang Bang_, _The Little Mermaid_ and _Wicked_, died on 3 January. [AIP]
_Mark Jones_ (1953-2026), US screenwriter whose credits include _Superboy_ (11 episodes 1989-1992), _Leprechaun_ (1992), _Rumpelstiltskin_ (1995) and _Night Man_ (1997), died on 16 January aged 72.
_Victoria Jones_ (1991-2026), US actress in _Men in Black II_ (2002), died on 1 January aged 34. [SG]
_Tim Kask_ (1949-2025), US games-industry editor and writer who was an early _D&D_ playtester, TSR's first full-time employee and editor of their _The Strategic Review_ (later _The Dragon_) until 1980, died on 30 December aged 76. [JDN]
_X.J. Kennedy_ (Joe Kennedy, 1929-2026), US fan active from the 1940s and author of two children's fantasy novels, better known as a poet and critic -- his co-edited anthology of bad verse _Pegasus Descending_ (1971) is much revered by Thog -- died on 1 February aged 96. [RH]
_Fruma Klass_ (1935-2026), US author of several genre stories since 1989 and widow of William Tenn (Philip Klass, 1920-2010), died on 24 January aged 91. [GVG]
_Johnny Legend_ (Martin Margulies, 1949-2026), US actor in _Prison Ship_ (1986), _Re-Animator 2_ (1990), _Children of the Corn III_ (1995) and others, who also directed the Bela Lugosi documentary _Mondo Lugosi -- A Vampire's Scrapbook_ (1987), died on 2 January aged 76. [SJ]
_Yvonne Lime_ (1935-2026), US actress who co-starred in _I Was a Teenage Werewolf_ (1957), died on 23 January aged 90. [AIP]
_Catherine O'Hara_ (1954-2026), Canadian actress in _Beetlejuice_ (1988), _The Nightmare Before Christmas_ (1993), _Monster House_ (2006), _Penelope_ (2006), _Where the Wild Things Are_ (2009), _Frankenweenie_ (2012) and others, died on 30 January aged 71. [SG]
_Con Pederson_ (1934-2026), US fan (active in the 1940s and 1950s) and special effects director whose credits include _2001_ (1968), _Impostor_ (2001) and _Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed_ (2004), died on 2 January aged 91. [SG/SB]
_Jean Rabe_ (1957-2026), US author, editor and game designer who wrote many novels set in shared worlds including the 'Dragonlance' fantasy franchise, and received the 2020 Scribe Grandmaster award for media-tie fiction, died on 19 January. [GVG]
_Tim Robertson_ (1944-2025), Australian actor in _The Cars That Ate Paris_ (1974), _Bliss_ (1985) and _The Time Guardian_ (1987), died in December aged 81. [GC]
_James Sallis_ (1944-2026), US author whose first story 'Kazoo' appeared in 1967 in _New Worlds_ (which he co-edited 1968-1969) and who continued to publish in sf venues up to 2026 -- though better known since the 1990s for crime fiction -- died on 27 January aged 81. [GVG] Genre anthologies include _The War Book_ (1969); the definitive collection is _Bright Segments: The Complete Short Fiction_ (2024).
_Sergey Slyusarenko_ (1955-2026), Belarusian physicist and sf author (writing in Russian) whose 13 novels are mostly in the 'S.T.A.L.K.E.R.' franchise, died on 6 January aged 70. [AM]
_Aleksey Ustimenko_ (1948-2025), Uzbekistani-Russian author of the sf novel _Za koltsami dalekogo Saturna_ (_Beyond the Rings of Distant Saturn_), 1989), died on 7 December aged 77. [AM]
_Erich von Daniken_ (1935-2026), Swiss author whose best-selling 'nonfiction' _Chariots of the Gods?_ (1968) and follow-up volumes claimed in defiance of actual historical evidence that ancient alien visitors were responsible for all significant human advances, died on 10 January aged 90. [LP]
_Dean Williams_, US still photographer for _Starman_ (1984), _Poltergeist III_ (1988), _Freejack_ (1992) and many more, died on 30 December. [AIP]
_Yuen Cheung-yan_ (1957-2026), Hong Kong actor, stuntman and martial arts choreographer whose many such credits include _The Super Inframan_ (1975), _Daredevil_ (2003), _The Matrix Revolutions_ (2003), _The Matrix Reloaded_ (2003) and _Vampire Cleanup Department_ (207), died on 1 January aged 68. He directed _Funny Ghost_ and other supernatural films. [SJ]
_Igor Zolotovitsky_ (1961-2026), Russian actor in _Antisex_ (2008) and the supernatural thriller series _Bibliotekar_ (_The Librarian_, 2023), died on 14 January aged 64. [AM]
PREDICTION CORNER. Long, long before _Monty Python and the Holy Grail:_ 'I once knew a man who was gored to death by an angry rabbit.' (A.A. Milne, _The Holiday Round_, 1912)
J.P. Martin's children's fantasy _Uncle and His Detective_ (1966) features a building which thanks to a House of Usher-like structural defect is prophetically known as Crack House.
AWARD SHORTLISTS. _Philip K. Dick:_ _Sunward_ by William Alexander, _Outlaw Planet_ by M. R. Carey, _Casual_ by Koji A. Dae, _The Immeasurable Heaven_ by Caspar Geon, _Uncertain Son_ by Thomas Ha, _Scales_ by Christopher Hinz, _City of All Seasons_ by Oliver K. Langmead and Aliya Whiteley.
_SF Poetry Association Grand Master:_ Denise Dumars, Geoffrey A. Landis, Joe Haldeman, Mary A. Turzillo and Ruth Berman. [F770]
_The BSFA Awards_ for 2025 work are at the longlist stage; members-only voting to choose the final shortlist opened in January and closes on 19 February.
FANFUNDERY. _TransAtlantic Fan Fund:_ nominations for the 2026 race from North America to the Berlin Eurocon (MetropolCon, 2-5 July) closed on 1 February. Two candidates have declared themselves; the ballot form and online voting are expected soon at taff.org.uk.
_European Fan Fund:_ nominations for the 2026 trip to MetropolCon (as above) opened in January and will close on 15 March, with voting from 23 March to 30 April. Details and sign-up form at effund.github.io.
_GUFF:_ the 2026 plan is reportedly to run a southbound race from Europe to Swancon (Perth, Western Australia, 29 May - 1 June) with nominations opening very soon and voting to close before Easter. More to come at taff.org.uk/guff.html.
THE DEAD PAST. _60 Years Ago_, celebrity syndrome had already set in: 'Arthur Clarke on TV, Sunday 6th Feb -- in advert for _Daily Express_!' (_Skyrack_ 86, February 1966)
_50 Years Ago:_ 'For the first time in the long history of TAFF both candidates have received the same number of votes. The final count was as follows: / BRITAIN: BOWERS 20, TACKETT 15 / AMERICA: BOWERS 52, TACKETT 57.' It was decided that both candidates should come to the 1976 UK Eastercon; in the event Bill Bowers couldn't make it and Roy Tackett could. (_Checkpoint_ 64, February 1976)
_30 Years Ago: '_Robert Rankin, nameless spies inform us, has heard about the BSFA Awards and dropped a subtle hint: "As a British writer of Science Fiction for the last sixteen years, who do you have to shag at your place to get an award? Yours hopefully...."' Meanwhile David Garnett reported: 'Looking through a copy of Michael Legat's _An Author's Guide to Getting Published_, I came to a section on the kind of books which can't be published commercially: "poetry or SCIENCE FICTION or treatises on unpronounceable compounds or a manual of Pig Sticking, or even an account of your package holiday ..."' (_Ansible_ 103, February 1996)
RANDOM FANDOM. _Fanzine Activity Achievement Awards (FAAns):_ voting in the usual categories for work published in 2025 opened in January and will close at 23:59 Pacific time on 14 February. Any interested fan may vote. Blogs and podcasts are still excluded. More in the latest _The Incompleat Register_ at efanzines.com/TIR/Incompleat2025.pdf.
MAGAZINE SCENE. Must Read Magazines (_Analog_, _Asimov's_, _F&SF_) has reportedly amended its standard contract to remove such objectionable clauses as the waiver of the author's moral rights and overreaching media/merchandise rights grabs. (_Locus_, 14 January)
But lifetime subscribers may be out of luck: John Lorentz, with a life subscription to _F&SF_, was ominously told that 'we are conducting a further review to confirm whether lifetime subscribers will continue to be honored'. [F770]
THOG'S MASTERCLASS. _The Penetrating Gaze._ '... the other guard drilled fretwork patterns in Monach's face with his eyes.' (K. J. Parker, _Shadow_, 2001) [BA]
_Neat Tricks._ 'In London, amid the fray of the summer party, I ran to find Richard Fletcher, _The Times_' business editor, whose astounded eyebrows disappeared up his forehead.' (Katie Prescott, _The Curious Case of Mike Lynch_, 2025) [NW]
_Acronym Watch (or, An Instalment That Didn't Appear in_ Analog_)._ 'After the Christmas battles between the People's Union for Righteous Excellence and the Friends Upholding Closer Kinship had run their bloody course ...' (Poul Anderson, _Tales of the Flying Mountains_, 1970)
_The Future of Farm Machinery._ 'Atomic power allied to my tractors could prove very interesting.' (Terence Haile, _Space Train_, 1962)
_Hard-Boiled Dept._ 'He felt as though copper-colored flames a foot long were shooting out of each of his ears.' '... you'll be so flat broke that a pancake with a harelip could spit right over you.' (James Blish, _The Quincunx of Time_, 1973)
### GEEKS' CORNER ###
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CONVENTION AND EVENT LINKS
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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/
https://ansible.uk/books/index.html
GROUP THEORY.
19 February 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
EDITORIAL. This, as I'm reminded by a terrifying communication from the UK Intellectual Property Office, is the year when I need to renew the
_Ansible_(R) trademark. (Where does the time go?) I can well afford it now, but am still grateful to all those who rallied round to help with the initial registration in 2016. Many thanks again!
Meanwhile, we mourn the traditional red pillar-box where so many _Ansible_s have been posted:
https://ansible.uk/images/ExPO-2601.jpg
R.I.P. II: LATE REPORT. _Bruce W. Ronald_ (1931-2024), US author of _Our Man in Space_ (1965), died on 28 April 2024 aged 92. [JC]
SOME LINKS from the _Ansible_ home page.
Bram Stoker Awards preliminary (not final) ballot
https://bramstokerawards.horror.org/front-page/the-2025-bram-stoker-awards-preliminary-ballot-announced/
BSFA Awards Longlist
https://www.bsfa.co.uk/bsfa-awards-longlist
_Locus_ Recommended Reading List for 2025
https://locusmag.com/2026/02/2025-recommended-reading/
Lord Dunsany Rotates in Grave
https://www.printmag.com/daily-heller/the-daily-heller-the-gods-are-restless-for-the-original-fantasy-lit-of-lord-dunsany/
Reconnect (Eastercon 2025, Belfast) financial report
https://easterconbelfast.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Reconnect_Financial_Analysis_Report_Final.pdf
_SF2 Concatenation_ Spring 2026 Newscast
http://www.concatenation.org/news/news1~26.html
Writer Beware: 2025 in Review
https://writerbeware.blog/2026/01/16/best-of-writer-beware-2025-in-review/
THOG'S GOLDEN OLDIES from _Ansible_ 223, February 2006. _No Matter Where You Go, There You Are._ 'Rafe was in Thendara. / That meant Kadarin and Thyra were -- somewhere. / And so was the Sharra matrix. / And so -- all the Gods of Darkover be merciful -- so was I.' (Marion Zimmer Bradley, _Sharra's Exile_, 1981)
_Mutant Insect Dept._ 'The sisters had found some chrysali _[sic]_ in the toolshed in spring, and watched over them as they became caterpillars, then butterflies; so she regarded them as she regarded her chickens, almost as offspring.' (Michael Moorcock, _Mother London_, 1988)
_Spare Parts Dept._ 'His feet slammed into Alayn's knees and knocked them both to the floor.' (Katharine Kerr, _Snare_, 2003)
_A Helix of Semi-Precious Stones._ 'On a busy European street, the killer serpentined through a crowd ...' (Dan Brown, _Angels and Demons_, 2000)
_Ansible_(R) 463 (C) David Langford, 2026. Thanks to Brian Ameringen, Sandra Bond, Claire Brialey, John Clute, Gary Couzens, Tommy Ferguson, _File 770_, Paul Fraser, Steve Green, Richard Horton, Steve Jones, _Locus_, Andrey Meshavkin, James D. Nicoll, Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Lawrence Person, Andrew I. Porter, _Private Eye_, Marcus Rowland, Phil Stephenson-Payne, Andy Sawyer, Gordon Van Gelder, Nick Watkins, and our Hero Distributors: Durdles Books (Birmingham SF Group), SCIS/Prophecy, and Alan Stewart (Australia).
2 February 2026
FEBRUARY 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 the fate of any man who's once been set his tryst with Tristero.
[NET NOTE. See https://news.ansible.uk/a463.html for the nice HTML version; https://news.ansible.uk/pdf/a463.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 COURIER'S TRAGEDY ###
MARGARET ATWOOD told a _Wired_ interviewer that she was especially fond of the spurious 1960s/1970s rumour that she 'dressed up in pre-revolutionary French court dress, including the wig, and prowled the streets of Toronto at night in this getup.' She could only guess that 'the rumor was supposing I'd been alive since 1780, and was still wearing the same outfit while looking for my prey.' (_Wired_, 6 January) [F770]
J.G. BALLARD'S story 'Chronopolis', in which clocks are banned, was echoed in a competition to design a new time-of-day indicator thingy for UK railways: 'Network Rail has purposefully elected to use the generic term "timepiece" rather than "clock" for indicating and measuring time in a room, on the wall of a building, or on a computer screen. Network Rail wishes to avoid the conventions and connotations associated with referring to such instruments as "clocks".' (RIBA) [PE] Apparently that was just a guideline: the 'iconic' winner unveiled in late 2025 is called Rail Clock.
PATRICK NIELSEN HAYDEN announced his retirement from Tor Books -- except for 'a couple of projects I intend to finish' -- after 37 years as a full-time editor there. (Facebook, 5 January) What will he do next? John Scalzi: 'Maybe he will fight crime!' (Whatever, 5 January)
TERRY PRATCHETT was the subject of a Loughborough University research study that analysed the 'lexical diversity' of 33 Discworld novels and found that -- although 'To most readers, nothing would have seemed amiss.' -- their range of vocabulary had begun to narrow almost ten years before the sad diagnosis of dementia. (_The Times_, 27 January) [PF] Since this was the period of some of Terry's best books, it's not certain what the change implies: was he perhaps improving and writing more precisely?
J.K. ROWLING's lawyers may be interested in a news story headlined 'Boffins probe commercial AI models, find an entire Harry Potter book'. This reports that one Meta product '"entirely memorizes" _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone_' and that from various LLMs, cunning prompt design could extract 70.3%, 76.8% or even 95.8% of that novel's text -- figures which 'do not represent the maximum possible'. (_The Register_, 9 January)
SHEILA WILLIAMS of _Asimov's SF Magazine_ entered hospital in January following a brain aneurysm. She's doing well and a full recovery is hoped for; meanwhile, managing editor Emily Hockaday is acting as interim editor. [F770] The _Asimov's_ announcement on Facebook could perhaps have been better phrased: 'We are sad to share the news that editor Sheila Williams is recovering from a health episode.' (13 January) [PNH]
### CONSCRIBE ###
6-9 Feb [] SCOTIACON (furry), Crowne Plaza Hotel, Glasgow. Western theme. According to www.scotiacon.org.uk, _registration has closed._
8 Feb [] BSFA EGM, online. Sign-up details emailed to members.
13-15 Feb [] AKUMAKON (anime/manga), U of Galway, Ireland. Euro25 reg; students Euro20; under-18s Euro15. See www.akumakon.com.
14 Feb [] WREXCON (comics), Wrexham University, LL11 2AW. 10am-4pm. GBP11 adult; other rates via www.ljeventsentertainment.com.
27 Feb - 1 Mar [] UK GHOST STORY FESTIVAL, QUAD Centre, Derby. Also 6-8 February online. See www.ukghoststoryfestival.co.uk.
5-7 Mar [] FRIGHTFEST (film), Glasgow Film Theatre, Rose Street. Fri/Sat pass GBP88; for single tickets see frightfest.co.uk/filmsandevents/.
7 Mar [] PICOCON 42, Imperial College, London. Rates and online presence awaited. (Although it's been held in March for several years, the ICSFS home page still clings to the traditional February.)
19-22 Mar [] CAMP SFW, Vauxhall Holiday Park, Great Yarmouth. GBP95 Fri-Sat or GBP130 Thur-Sat at www.scifiweekender.com.
22 Mar [] SF, COMIC & TOY FAIR, Leigh Sports Village. 11am-4pm. Tickets GBP3, children GBP1. See www.mseevents.co.uk/.
27-28 Mar [] TFNATION (_Transformers_), Pendulum Hotel, Manchester. Adults GBP15 Fri, GBP40 Sat; under-18s GBP10 and GBP25; accompanied under-16s (up to 3 per adult) free. See tfnation.com/TFN-Manchester-2026.
29 Mar [] CHORLEY COMIC CON, Town Hall, Chorley PR7 1DP. 11am-5pm. See www.mseevents.co.uk/.
3-6 Apr [] IRIDESCENCE (Eastercon), Birmingham NEC Hilton. GBP90 reg; GBP50 concessions; under-18s GBP20; under-7s free; GBP40 supporting or virtual. See eastercon2026.org.
11 Apr [] AINMHICON (furry), Clayton Hotel, Liffey Valley, Dublin. Euro80 or perhaps Euro90 reg until 28 February. See ainmhicon.ie,
11 Apr [] LIVERPOOL HORROR BOOK CON, Liner Hotel, Liverpool. 11am-4pm. Free. See indiehorrorchapter.uk/ournextevent.
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.
16-17 May [] AMIKON (anime/manga), Dublin City University, Glasnevin Campus. Registration awaited at amikon.me.
27-31 Aug [] LACON V, Anaheim Convention Center, California. Now $250 adult reg; $200 first Worldcon; $125 YA (18-24); $100 teen (13-17); $85 virtual membership; $50 child (6-12); accompanied infants free. $50 WSFS membership only. See www.lacon.org.
28-31 Aug [] ASYLUM 16 (steampunk), The Lawns and other Lincoln venues. Tickets awaited at www.ministryofsteampunk.com.
3-6 Sep [] OXONMOOT (Tolkien Society), St Anne's, Oxford. GBP140 reg; other rates at www.tolkiensociety.org/events/oxonmoot-2026/.
9-11 Oct [] FANTASYCON, Crowne Plaza, Glasgow. GBP90 reg; GBP60 concessions; GBP45 child. (BFS members GBP75, GBP45, GBP35.) Further details at britishfantasysociety.org/events-calendar/fantasycon-2026.
23-25 Oct [] FESTIVAL OF FANTASTIC FILMS, Pendulum Hotel, Manchester. Ticket sales awaited at fantastic-films.uk.
25 Oct [] STARS OF TIME (comics), LC, Swansea. 9am-4pm. GBP11.55 (under-14s GBP7.21) at www.starsoftime.co.uk/swanseacomicconautumn.
14-15 Nov [] THOUGHT BUBBLE COMIC CONVENTION, Harrogate Convention Centre, as part of comics festival. GBP42 weekend; GBP30/day; under-12s, over-65s and carers free. See thoughtbubblefestival.com.
RUMBLINGS. _Reconnect_ (Eastercon 2025, Belfast) released its financial report. There was a surplus of close to GBP22k; GBP10k has been divided between the 2026 and 2027 Eastercons as pass-along funds, and a remnant of about GBP10k -- after late-breaking expenses -- is held by the new Irish convention Norncon (Belfast, May). Some of this is intended for the even newer Belfast horror con Northern Dark, details to be announced. [TF]
### INFINITELY IMPROBABLE ###
AS OTHERS SEE US. Switchboard operator at the London publisher Chatto & Windus _circa_ 1980: 'a keen reader of science fiction, specializing in apocalyptic works about inter-galactic warfare and the imminent destruction of mankind, he referred to even our most eminent authors with a patronizing sneer, as if they were the fossilized remains of a frivolous civilization that should long ago have been consumed by fire and molten lava.' (Jeremy Lewis, _Kindred Spirits_, 1995 memoir)
AWARDS. _Golden Globe_ genre winners include _KPop Demon Hunters_ as best animated film and _Sinners_ for cinematic/box office achievement.
_The Nibbies_ (British Book Awards) are being expanded this year with three new categories for graphic novel, science fiction or fantasy, and romance. [PE]
_Oscar_ nominations: _Sinners_ has sixteen, a record for a single film, and the del Toro _Frankenstein_ nine. (_Bloody Disgusting_, 22 January) These films also have thirteen and eight BAFTA nominations respectively. [F770]
PUBLISHERS AND SINNERS. Tor has announced the new imprint Wildthorn, devoted to 'commercial stories' (including paranormal mystery and historical fantasy), as presumably distinct from the uncommercial fiction they've been publishing all these years. (_Reactor_, 21 January)
R.I.P. _Scott Adams_ (1957-2026), US cartoonist best known for the long-running _Dilbert_ strip whose satire of office life and corporate stupidity often used sf/fantasy devices, and who also published the sf or sf-adjacent books _God's Debris_ (2001) and _The Religion War_ (2004), died on 13 January aged 68. [LP]
_Roger Allers_ (1949-2026), US Disney animation writer/director who worked on _The Little Mermaid_, _Beauty and the Beast_ (1991), _Aladdin_ (1992), _The Lion King_ (as co-director, 1994) and others, died on 18 January aged 76. [AIP]
_Andrey I_ (Andrey Khoroshev, 1959-2026), Russian director of and actor in the avant-garde sf horror film _Nauchnaya sektsiya pilotov_ (_Scientific Section of Pilots_, 1996) died on 1 January aged 66. [AM]
_Sal Buscema_ (1936-2026), US comics artist (like his brother John Buscema, 1927-2002) active from the early 1950s, who worked on _Captain America_, _Hulk_, _Spider-Man_ and others for Marvel, plus some DC titles, died on 23 January aged 89.
_T.K. Carter_ (1956-2026), US actor in _The Thing_ (1982), _Turbo Teen_ (1984), _Space Jam_ (1996), _My Favorite Martian_ (1999 film) and others, died on 9 January aged 69. [MR]
_Thomas Causey_ (1949-2026), US sound engineer whose films include _Escape from New York_ (1981), _The Thing_ (1982) and _Star Trek: Generations_ (1994 plus sequels), died on 12 January aged 76.
_M. Christian_, author and anthologist whose works include erotic sf and horror, died on 1 January. [PS-P]
_John Cunningham_ (1932-2026), US actor in _The Marvelous Land of Oz_ (1981), _The Survivalist_ (1987) and _Starship Troopers_ (voice only, 1997), died on 6 January aged 93. [AIP]
_Gregory de Polnay_ (1943-2026), UK actor in _Doctor Who_ ('The Robots of Death', 1977), died on 1 January aged 82. [GC]
_Patrick Delahunt_ (1953-2025), former US literary agent for various sf/fantasy authors including Karen Joy Fowler and Kim Stanley Robinson, died on 23 December aged 72. [L]
_Marian Diamond_ (1936-2026), UK actress in _The Little Mermaid_ (1974), _The Lord of the Rings_ (BBC Radio 4, 1981) and _Tale of a Vampire_ (1992), died on 5 January aged 89. [SJ]
_Marcus Gilbert_ (1958-2026), UK actor in _Biggles_ (1986), _Chameleons_ (1989), _Army of Darkness_ (1992) and genre tv series including _Doctor Who_ ('Battlefield', 1989), died on 11 January aged 67. [SJ]
_Bret Hanna-Shuford_, US actor in Broadway productions of _Beauty and the Beast_, _Chitty Chitty Bang Bang_, _The Little Mermaid_ and _Wicked_, died on 3 January. [AIP]
_Mark Jones_ (1953-2026), US screenwriter whose credits include _Superboy_ (11 episodes 1989-1992), _Leprechaun_ (1992), _Rumpelstiltskin_ (1995) and _Night Man_ (1997), died on 16 January aged 72.
_Victoria Jones_ (1991-2026), US actress in _Men in Black II_ (2002), died on 1 January aged 34. [SG]
_Tim Kask_ (1949-2025), US games-industry editor and writer who was an early _D&D_ playtester, TSR's first full-time employee and editor of their _The Strategic Review_ (later _The Dragon_) until 1980, died on 30 December aged 76. [JDN]
_X.J. Kennedy_ (Joe Kennedy, 1929-2026), US fan active from the 1940s and author of two children's fantasy novels, better known as a poet and critic -- his co-edited anthology of bad verse _Pegasus Descending_ (1971) is much revered by Thog -- died on 1 February aged 96. [RH]
_Fruma Klass_ (1935-2026), US author of several genre stories since 1989 and widow of William Tenn (Philip Klass, 1920-2010), died on 24 January aged 91. [GVG]
_Johnny Legend_ (Martin Margulies, 1949-2026), US actor in _Prison Ship_ (1986), _Re-Animator 2_ (1990), _Children of the Corn III_ (1995) and others, who also directed the Bela Lugosi documentary _Mondo Lugosi -- A Vampire's Scrapbook_ (1987), died on 2 January aged 76. [SJ]
_Yvonne Lime_ (1935-2026), US actress who co-starred in _I Was a Teenage Werewolf_ (1957), died on 23 January aged 90. [AIP]
_Catherine O'Hara_ (1954-2026), Canadian actress in _Beetlejuice_ (1988), _The Nightmare Before Christmas_ (1993), _Monster House_ (2006), _Penelope_ (2006), _Where the Wild Things Are_ (2009), _Frankenweenie_ (2012) and others, died on 30 January aged 71. [SG]
_Con Pederson_ (1934-2026), US fan (active in the 1940s and 1950s) and special effects director whose credits include _2001_ (1968), _Impostor_ (2001) and _Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed_ (2004), died on 2 January aged 91. [SG/SB]
_Jean Rabe_ (1957-2026), US author, editor and game designer who wrote many novels set in shared worlds including the 'Dragonlance' fantasy franchise, and received the 2020 Scribe Grandmaster award for media-tie fiction, died on 19 January. [GVG]
_Tim Robertson_ (1944-2025), Australian actor in _The Cars That Ate Paris_ (1974), _Bliss_ (1985) and _The Time Guardian_ (1987), died in December aged 81. [GC]
_James Sallis_ (1944-2026), US author whose first story 'Kazoo' appeared in 1967 in _New Worlds_ (which he co-edited 1968-1969) and who continued to publish in sf venues up to 2026 -- though better known since the 1990s for crime fiction -- died on 27 January aged 81. [GVG] Genre anthologies include _The War Book_ (1969); the definitive collection is _Bright Segments: The Complete Short Fiction_ (2024).
_Sergey Slyusarenko_ (1955-2026), Belarusian physicist and sf author (writing in Russian) whose 13 novels are mostly in the 'S.T.A.L.K.E.R.' franchise, died on 6 January aged 70. [AM]
_Aleksey Ustimenko_ (1948-2025), Uzbekistani-Russian author of the sf novel _Za koltsami dalekogo Saturna_ (_Beyond the Rings of Distant Saturn_), 1989), died on 7 December aged 77. [AM]
_Erich von Daniken_ (1935-2026), Swiss author whose best-selling 'nonfiction' _Chariots of the Gods?_ (1968) and follow-up volumes claimed in defiance of actual historical evidence that ancient alien visitors were responsible for all significant human advances, died on 10 January aged 90. [LP]
_Dean Williams_, US still photographer for _Starman_ (1984), _Poltergeist III_ (1988), _Freejack_ (1992) and many more, died on 30 December. [AIP]
_Yuen Cheung-yan_ (1957-2026), Hong Kong actor, stuntman and martial arts choreographer whose many such credits include _The Super Inframan_ (1975), _Daredevil_ (2003), _The Matrix Revolutions_ (2003), _The Matrix Reloaded_ (2003) and _Vampire Cleanup Department_ (207), died on 1 January aged 68. He directed _Funny Ghost_ and other supernatural films. [SJ]
_Igor Zolotovitsky_ (1961-2026), Russian actor in _Antisex_ (2008) and the supernatural thriller series _Bibliotekar_ (_The Librarian_, 2023), died on 14 January aged 64. [AM]
PREDICTION CORNER. Long, long before _Monty Python and the Holy Grail:_ 'I once knew a man who was gored to death by an angry rabbit.' (A.A. Milne, _The Holiday Round_, 1912)
J.P. Martin's children's fantasy _Uncle and His Detective_ (1966) features a building which thanks to a House of Usher-like structural defect is prophetically known as Crack House.
AWARD SHORTLISTS. _Philip K. Dick:_ _Sunward_ by William Alexander, _Outlaw Planet_ by M. R. Carey, _Casual_ by Koji A. Dae, _The Immeasurable Heaven_ by Caspar Geon, _Uncertain Son_ by Thomas Ha, _Scales_ by Christopher Hinz, _City of All Seasons_ by Oliver K. Langmead and Aliya Whiteley.
_SF Poetry Association Grand Master:_ Denise Dumars, Geoffrey A. Landis, Joe Haldeman, Mary A. Turzillo and Ruth Berman. [F770]
_The BSFA Awards_ for 2025 work are at the longlist stage; members-only voting to choose the final shortlist opened in January and closes on 19 February.
FANFUNDERY. _TransAtlantic Fan Fund:_ nominations for the 2026 race from North America to the Berlin Eurocon (MetropolCon, 2-5 July) closed on 1 February. Two candidates have declared themselves; the ballot form and online voting are expected soon at taff.org.uk.
_European Fan Fund:_ nominations for the 2026 trip to MetropolCon (as above) opened in January and will close on 15 March, with voting from 23 March to 30 April. Details and sign-up form at effund.github.io.
_GUFF:_ the 2026 plan is reportedly to run a southbound race from Europe to Swancon (Perth, Western Australia, 29 May - 1 June) with nominations opening very soon and voting to close before Easter. More to come at taff.org.uk/guff.html.
THE DEAD PAST. _60 Years Ago_, celebrity syndrome had already set in: 'Arthur Clarke on TV, Sunday 6th Feb -- in advert for _Daily Express_!' (_Skyrack_ 86, February 1966)
_50 Years Ago:_ 'For the first time in the long history of TAFF both candidates have received the same number of votes. The final count was as follows: / BRITAIN: BOWERS 20, TACKETT 15 / AMERICA: BOWERS 52, TACKETT 57.' It was decided that both candidates should come to the 1976 UK Eastercon; in the event Bill Bowers couldn't make it and Roy Tackett could. (_Checkpoint_ 64, February 1976)
_30 Years Ago: '_Robert Rankin, nameless spies inform us, has heard about the BSFA Awards and dropped a subtle hint: "As a British writer of Science Fiction for the last sixteen years, who do you have to shag at your place to get an award? Yours hopefully...."' Meanwhile David Garnett reported: 'Looking through a copy of Michael Legat's _An Author's Guide to Getting Published_, I came to a section on the kind of books which can't be published commercially: "poetry or SCIENCE FICTION or treatises on unpronounceable compounds or a manual of Pig Sticking, or even an account of your package holiday ..."' (_Ansible_ 103, February 1996)
RANDOM FANDOM. _Fanzine Activity Achievement Awards (FAAns):_ voting in the usual categories for work published in 2025 opened in January and will close at 23:59 Pacific time on 14 February. Any interested fan may vote. Blogs and podcasts are still excluded. More in the latest _The Incompleat Register_ at efanzines.com/TIR/Incompleat2025.pdf.
MAGAZINE SCENE. Must Read Magazines (_Analog_, _Asimov's_, _F&SF_) has reportedly amended its standard contract to remove such objectionable clauses as the waiver of the author's moral rights and overreaching media/merchandise rights grabs. (_Locus_, 14 January)
But lifetime subscribers may be out of luck: John Lorentz, with a life subscription to _F&SF_, was ominously told that 'we are conducting a further review to confirm whether lifetime subscribers will continue to be honored'. [F770]
THOG'S MASTERCLASS. _The Penetrating Gaze._ '... the other guard drilled fretwork patterns in Monach's face with his eyes.' (K. J. Parker, _Shadow_, 2001) [BA]
_Neat Tricks._ 'In London, amid the fray of the summer party, I ran to find Richard Fletcher, _The Times_' business editor, whose astounded eyebrows disappeared up his forehead.' (Katie Prescott, _The Curious Case of Mike Lynch_, 2025) [NW]
_Acronym Watch (or, An Instalment That Didn't Appear in_ Analog_)._ 'After the Christmas battles between the People's Union for Righteous Excellence and the Friends Upholding Closer Kinship had run their bloody course ...' (Poul Anderson, _Tales of the Flying Mountains_, 1970)
_The Future of Farm Machinery._ 'Atomic power allied to my tractors could prove very interesting.' (Terence Haile, _Space Train_, 1962)
_Hard-Boiled Dept._ 'He felt as though copper-colored flames a foot long were shooting out of each of his ears.' '... you'll be so flat broke that a pancake with a harelip could spit right over you.' (James Blish, _The Quincunx of Time_, 1973)
### GEEKS' CORNER ###
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CONVENTION AND EVENT LINKS
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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.
19 February 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
EDITORIAL. This, as I'm reminded by a terrifying communication from the UK Intellectual Property Office, is the year when I need to renew the
_Ansible_(R) trademark. (Where does the time go?) I can well afford it now, but am still grateful to all those who rallied round to help with the initial registration in 2016. Many thanks again!
Meanwhile, we mourn the traditional red pillar-box where so many _Ansible_s have been posted:
https://ansible.uk/images/ExPO-2601.jpg
R.I.P. II: LATE REPORT. _Bruce W. Ronald_ (1931-2024), US author of _Our Man in Space_ (1965), died on 28 April 2024 aged 92. [JC]
SOME LINKS from the _Ansible_ home page.
Bram Stoker Awards preliminary (not final) ballot
https://bramstokerawards.horror.org/front-page/the-2025-bram-stoker-awards-preliminary-ballot-announced/
BSFA Awards Longlist
https://www.bsfa.co.uk/bsfa-awards-longlist
_Locus_ Recommended Reading List for 2025
https://locusmag.com/2026/02/2025-recommended-reading/
Lord Dunsany Rotates in Grave
https://www.printmag.com/daily-heller/the-daily-heller-the-gods-are-restless-for-the-original-fantasy-lit-of-lord-dunsany/
Reconnect (Eastercon 2025, Belfast) financial report
https://easterconbelfast.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Reconnect_Financial_Analysis_Report_Final.pdf
_SF2 Concatenation_ Spring 2026 Newscast
http://www.concatenation.org/news/news1~26.html
Writer Beware: 2025 in Review
https://writerbeware.blog/2026/01/16/best-of-writer-beware-2025-in-review/
THOG'S GOLDEN OLDIES from _Ansible_ 223, February 2006. _No Matter Where You Go, There You Are._ 'Rafe was in Thendara. / That meant Kadarin and Thyra were -- somewhere. / And so was the Sharra matrix. / And so -- all the Gods of Darkover be merciful -- so was I.' (Marion Zimmer Bradley, _Sharra's Exile_, 1981)
_Mutant Insect Dept._ 'The sisters had found some chrysali _[sic]_ in the toolshed in spring, and watched over them as they became caterpillars, then butterflies; so she regarded them as she regarded her chickens, almost as offspring.' (Michael Moorcock, _Mother London_, 1988)
_Spare Parts Dept._ 'His feet slammed into Alayn's knees and knocked them both to the floor.' (Katharine Kerr, _Snare_, 2003)
_A Helix of Semi-Precious Stones._ 'On a busy European street, the killer serpentined through a crowd ...' (Dan Brown, _Angels and Demons_, 2000)
_Ansible_(R) 463 (C) David Langford, 2026. Thanks to Brian Ameringen, Sandra Bond, Claire Brialey, John Clute, Gary Couzens, Tommy Ferguson, _File 770_, Paul Fraser, Steve Green, Richard Horton, Steve Jones, _Locus_, Andrey Meshavkin, James D. Nicoll, Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Lawrence Person, Andrew I. Porter, _Private Eye_, Marcus Rowland, Phil Stephenson-Payne, Andy Sawyer, Gordon Van Gelder, Nick Watkins, and our Hero Distributors: Durdles Books (Birmingham SF Group), SCIS/Prophecy, and Alan Stewart (Australia).
2 February 2026
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