ANSIBLE(R) 440
MARCH 2024

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 latest IKEA manual for assembling a parapatterner.

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### THE WORM THAT FLIES ###

SUSAN COOPER has been named as SFWA's fortieth Damon Knight Grand Master
for life achievement. (SFWA email, 7 February)

CHINA MIEVILLE's coming novel collaboration with Keanu Reeves provoked a
comment deemed worthy of Pseuds Corner in _Private Eye_ (16 February): 'Put
it this way: remember when Eleanor of Portugal married Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick III, and they weren't an obvious fit, but created an empire that
held the throne continuously for the next 400 years? It's that order of
magnitude. Reeves and Mieville will wear the Weird Novel crown, conceivably
forever.' (Zoe Williams, _The Guardian_)

SAMANTHA MILLS feels that the 2023 Hugos are so compromised by recent
revelations (see 'Random Fandom' below) that she can no longer claim to be
a winner for 'Rabbit Test' as best short story, and has deleted this win
from her online biography. (Samtasticbooks.com, 17 February) Adrian
Tchaikovsky made the same decision about his announced win for 'Children of
Time' as best series. (adriantchaikovsky.com, 21 February)

JO FLETCHER is suffering the traditional fate of departed founding editors:
Quercus has mass-emailed past and present Jo Fletcher Books authors with
the 'exciting news' that JFB is being rebranded this month -- or rather,
absorbed into the parent company's existing imprint Arcadia.

### CONKY ###

7-9 Mar [] FRIGHTFEST (film), Glasgow Film Theatre. Tickets GBP83;
individual films GBP11.80 or GBP9.50 concessions. See
frightfest.co.uk/tickets.

7 Mar [] SF BY GASLIGHT (performance), Birmingham. 6:30-8:40pm. GBP10
(students GBP5) plus booking fee. Tickets at tinyurl.com/5n8fn4b8.

8-10 Mar [] MINAMICON (anime), Novotel Hotel, Southampton. GBP75 reg.
Further details at www.minamicon.org.uk.

9-10 Mar [] DUBLIN COMIC CON, Convention Centre, Dublin. Various ticket
prices (extra for early entry, etc.) at dublincomiccon.com.

14-17 Mar [] CAMP SFW, Vauxhall Holiday Park, Great Yarmouth. Weekend pass
GBP130; more options at www.scifiweekender.com.

16 Mar [] GOLLANCZFEST 2024, Leonardo Royal London, St Paul's, London.
9:30am-6pm. GBP63; concessions GBP42. See
www.gollancz.co.uk/news/2023/10/06/gollanczfest-2024/.

23 Mar [] DARKNESS IN THE FIELDS (folk horror film festival), QUAD, Derby.
GBP30 reg. See www.derbyquad.co.uk/events/darknessinthefields/.

23 Mar [] PICOCON 41, Blackett Lecture Theatre 1, Imperial College, London.
GBP5 for ICSF members, GBP8 for non-members, and (mysteriously) GBP10 for
alumni. See picocon41.carrd.co for further information.

24 Mar [] PAPERBACK & PULP BOOK FAIR, Holiday Inn Bloomsbury, Coram St,
London WC1N 1HT. 9:30am-3pm. GBP3 admission. Combined with the Bloomsbury
Ephemera Fair: see etcfairs.com/ephemera-fairs/.

29 Mar - 1 Apr [] LEVITATION (Eastercon), Telford International Centre.
GBP140 reg; GBP60 concessions; GBP35 supporting/virtual only; day GBP35
Friday or Monday, GBP50 Saturday or Sunday. See eastercon2024.co.uk. _The
Dealers' Room and Art Show are both fully booked._ (Email, 26 February)

30-31 Mar [] CONPULSION (games), The Pleasance, Edinburgh, EH8 9TJ. Tickets
GBP20 or GBP10 each day. See conpulsion.org.

6 Apr [] BEDFORD WHO CHARITY CON (_Doctor Who_), King's House, Ampthill
Road, Bedford, MK42 9AZ. 10am-5:30pm. Tickets GBP49.50; under-14s GBP20.
See bedfordwhocharitycon.co.uk.

31 May - 2 Jun [] FUNCON ONE, Palace Hotel, Buxton. GBP65 reg, _rising to
GBP70 after Eastercon_; GBP40 concessions. See funcon.lol.

7 Jul [] AINTREE COMIC CON, Aintree Racecourse. 10am-4pm. Adult tickets
GBP11; other rates at www.ljeventsentertainment.com.

8-12 Aug [] GLASGOW 2024 (Worldcon) Glasgow SEC. _New rates:_ GBP230 reg;
first Worldcon GBP165; Scots residents GBP150; under-26s GBP135 or GBP95
Scots; under-16s GBP90; under-11s GBP55; under-6s GBP5. Virtual GBP80;
GBP40 without WSFA membership (Hugo/site voting). See glasgow2024.org.
_Hugo nominations are still open but close for good on 9 March._

29 Aug - 2 Sep [] OXONMOOT (Tolkien Society), St Anne's, Oxford. GBP120
reg. See www.tolkiensociety.org/events/oxonmoot-2024/.

28 Sep [] INNSMOUTH LITERARY FESTIVAL, Kings House Centre, 245 Ampthill Rd,
Bedford MK42 9AZ. GoH Charles Stross. 10am-5pm. More details awaited at
innsmouthgold.com/innsmouth-literary-festival.

25-27 Oct [] FESTIVAL OF FANTASTIC FILMS, Pendulum Hotel, Manchester.
_Registration now GBP110._ See fantastic-films.uk for day rates.

26-27 Oct [] BRISTOLCON, Hilton DoubleTree Hotel, Bristol. GoH Peter F.
Hamilton, Joanne Harris. GBP60 reg; GBP45 under-18s, concessions, disabled;
under-14s free; GBP20 supp. Day rates at www.bristolcon.org.

16-17 Nov [] THOUGHT BUBBLE COMIC CONVENTION, Harrogate Convention Centre,
as part of comics festival. GBP33 weekend; GBP24/day; under-12s, over-65s
and carers free. See thoughtbubblefestival.com.

7-9 Feb 2025 [] CONTABILE 35 (filk), 'central UK' venue and membership
rates to be announced at www.contabile.org.uk/c35/.

7-10 Feb 2025 [] SCOTIACON (furry), Crowne Plaza Hotel, Glasgow. 'Magical
Mayhem' theme. More awaited at www.scotiacon.org.uk.

RUMBLINGS _Seattle Worldcon 2025:_ the 'January' price rise is _still_
delayed for technical reasons. See seattlein2025.org.
_Worldcon 2026:_ the Los Angeles bid at lain2026.org is unopposed; too
late for any rival bid now.
_Worldcon 2027:_ Montreal, Canada, at bid.montreal2027.ca (2-6
September) is challenging the Tel Aviv bid at worldcon.sf-f.org.il.

### INFINITELY IMPROBABLE ###

AS WE DO OUR OWN THING. What fan could not be inspired to cosplay glory by
the news headline 'I made my _Star Wars_ Chewbacca suit from 45 bags of
hair extensions'? (BBC Scotland, 17 February)

AWARDS. _BAFTA_ animated film: _The Boy and the Heron_.
_SFPA Grand Master_ (poetry) F.J. Bergmann. [F770]
_Skylark:_ belated 2023 presentation to John Scalzi; 2024, Ellen
Kushner and Delia Sherman.

AS OTHERS PROMOTE US. Once again, journalists are amazed by the wholly new
concept of fantasy novels that appeal to women: a _Guardian_ (2 February)
article on the 'romantasy' marketing category quotes various pundits
enthusing about the staggering innovations. 'The genre's appeal may also be
down to its "bold heroines" and "strong yet nuanced female characters",
says Kathleen Farrar at Bloomsbury. "These stories have attracted huge
numbers of female readers who may previously not have felt particularly
welcome or catered for in the fantasy market."' [JDN]

R.I.P. _Alev Alath_ (1944-2024), Turkish author of the 'Schrodinger's Cat'
sf diptych -- _Kabus_ (1999) and _Ruya_ (2000) -- died on 2 February. [AM]
_Alan Brownjohn_ (1931-2024), UK author and poet whose sf novels were
_The Way You Tell Them_ (1990) and _Enjoyment_ (2016), died on 23 February
aged 92. [JC]
_Carlos Buiza_ (1940-2024), Spanish sf author and editor most active
1965-1972, whose first collection was _Un mundo sin luz_ (_A World Without
Light_, 1967), died on 27 January aged 83. [MVG]
_Tamas Deak_ (1928-2024) Hungarian composer who scored the animated sf
series _A Mezga csalad kulonos kalandjai_ (_Strange Adventures of the Mezga
Family_, 1969/1973/1978), died on 12 February. [AM]
_Charles Dierkop_ (1936-2024), US actor in _Invisible Dad_ (1998),
_Superguy: Behind the Cape_ (2000), _Reverse Heaven_ (2018) and genre tv
series, died on 25 February aged 87. [LP]
_Peter Fagan_ (1956-2024), Australian fan and Worldcon-goer active in
the Nova Mob and Melbourne and Canberra SF Clubs, died on 15 January aged
67. [MM]
_Greg Finley_ (1947-2024), US actor known for voice work in the US
_Robotech_ (1985 and spinoffs), _Starchaser: The Legend of Orin_ (1985) and
others, died on 1 February aged 76. [AIP]
_Ramona Fradon_ (1926-2024), US comics artist who worked on DC's 1959
_Aquaman_ reboot, co-created the DC character Metamorpho and entered the
Will Eisner Hall of Fame in 2006, died on 24 February aged 97; she had
retired in January. [PDF/O]
_Chris Gauthier_ (1976-2024), UK-born Canadian actor in _Freddy vs.
Jason_ (2003), _Watchmen_ (2009) and genre tv series including _A Town
Called Eureka_ (2006-2012) and _Once Upon a Time_ (2011-2018), died on 23
February aged 48. [AIP]
_Mark Gustafson_ (1959-2024), US writer, director and animator with
credits for _Claymation Easter_ (1992), _Fantastic Mr Fox_ (2009) and
_Pinocchio_ (2022), died on 1 February aged 64. [AIP]
_Michael Jayston_ (1935-2024), UK actor in _Doctor Who_ (The Valeyard
in 'Trial of a Time Lord', 1986), _Highlander III_ (1994) and _20,000
Leagues Under the Sea_ (1997), died on 5 February aged 88. [MY]
_Richard Lewis_ (1947-2024), US comedian and actor in _Robin Hood: Men
in Tights_ (1993), _The Maze_ (1997), _Vamps_ (2012) and genre tv series,
died on 27 February aged 76. [LP]
_Jackie Loughery_ (1930-2024), US beauty queen and actress in _Abbott
and Costello Go to Mars_ (1953) and _Son of Sinbad_ (1955), died on 23
February aged 93. [LP]
_Richard Mathews_ (1944-2024), US publisher (University of Tampa
Press) and critic whose books include _Fantasy: The Liberation of
Imagination_ (1997) and studies of Aldiss, Anthony Burgess, William Morris
and Tolkien, died on 3 January aged 79. [DAA]
_Steve Miller_ (1950-2024), US author of the popular 'Liaden Universe'
space operas (1988-present) with his long-time wife and writing partner
Sharon Lee, died on 20 February aged 73. [SL] Condolences to Sharon Lee.
_Kenneth Mitchell_ (1974-2024), Canadian actor in _Jericho_
(2006-2008), _Frequency_ (2016-2017), _Star Trek: Discovery_ (2017-2021)
and _Captain Marvel_ (2019), died on 24 February aged 49. [F770]
_Don Murray_ (1929-2024), US actor in _Conquest of the Planet of the
Apes_ (1972), _Radioactive Dreams_ (1984), _Peggy Sue Got Married_ (1986),
_Twin Peaks_ (2017) and others, died on 2 February aged 94. [LP]
_Paul Neary_ (1949-2024), UK comics artist, writer and editor who
worked for Warren, _2000 AD_, Marvel (both UK and US, on titles including
_The Ultimates_) and DC, died on 10 February aged 74. [POM]
_Mojo Nixon_ (1957-2024), US musician and actor in _Super Mario Bros_
(1993) and _A Four Course Meal_ (2005), with music credits for _Astro Loco_
(2021), died on 7 February aged 66. [LP]
_William O'Connell_ (1929-2024), US actor in _The Haunted_ (1991) and
several genre tv series including _Star Trek_ (1967), died on 15 January
aged 94. [AIP]
_John Powell_, UK BBC producer responsible for the first full radio
version of _The Hobbit_ in 1968, died in February aged 92. [AIP]
_Christopher Priest_ (1943-2024), UK author of great distinction whose
works appeared from 1966 to 2023 and include the hauntingly memorable
'Dream Archipelago' sequence, died on 2 February aged 80. Among his honours
are BSFA Awards for _Inverted World_ (1974) and others, Ditmars for _The
Space Machine_ (1976) and _The Affirmation_ (1981), the World Fantasy Award
and the non-genre James Tait Black Memorial Prize for _The Prestige_ (1995,
memorably filmed 2006), the Arthur C. Clarke Award for _The Separation_
(2002) and a shared John W. Campbell Memorial Award for _The Islanders_
(2011). _The Book on the Edge of Forever_ (1994), his unsparing analysis of
what went wrong with _The Last Dangerous Visions_, was a 1995 Hugo
finalist. On a personal note, Chris was my friend for over 50 years, my
partner in software and publishing ventures, my literary agent, and an
ever-entertaining correspondent. I miss him very much. All sympathy to his
widow Nina Allan, and to his twin children from an earlier marriage to
Leigh Kennedy.
_Romero_ (Enrique Badia Romero, 1930-2024), Spanish comics artist who
drew _Modesty Blaise_ 1970-1978 and contributed to _2000 AD_ and _Judge
Dredd Megazine_, died on 15 February aged 93. [SJ]
_Pamela Salem_ (1944-2024), UK actress in _Never Say Never Again_
(1983) and genre tv series including _Doctor Who_ (1977-1988) and _Into the
Labyrinth_ (1981-1982), died on 21 February aged 80. [AIP]
_John Savident_ (1938-2024), UK _Coronation Street_ actor whose
credits include _A Clockwork Orange_ (1971), _The Mystery of the
Disappearing Schoolgirls_ (1980) and _Hudson Hawk_ (1991), died on 21
February aged 86. [AW]
_Brian Stableford_ (1948-2024), hugely prolific UK author, critic and
translator active since the mid-1960s, whose first sf novel was _Cradle of
the Sun_ (1969), died on 24 February aged 75. [KS] His numerous series
included the 1972-1975 'Hooded Swan' space operas; he wrote many entries
for the _SF Encyclopedia_ (1979, 1993) and received the Eaton Award for his
nonfiction _Scientific Romance in Britain: 1890-1950_ (1985), plus the 1999
Pilgrim career award for sf studies; _The Empire of Fear_ (1988) notably
reworked the vampire myth in rationalized scientific-romance terms; more
recently he translated huge amounts of French sf and proto-sf not
previously available in English. I'm sad to lose an old friend and sometime
collaborator -- e.g. on _The Third Millennium: A History of the World AD
2000-3000_ (1985), where Brian was very much the senior partner. My
sympathy to his family.
_Matt Sweeney_ (1948-2024), Oscar-winning US special effects artist
whose films include _The Lost Boys_ (1987), _Arachnophobia_ (1990), _Galaxy
Quest_ (1999) and _The Time Machine_ (2002), died on 19 February aged 75.
[AIP]
_Ira von Furstenberg_ (1940-2024), Italian actress in _Matchless_
(1967), died on 18 February aged 83. [SJ]
_Carl Weathers_ (1948-2024), US actor in _Close Encounters of the
Third Kind_ (1977), _Predator_ (1987), _The Mandalorian_ (2019-2023), _Toy
Story 4_ (2019) and others, died on 1 February aged 76. [LP]
_Dan Wilcox_ (1941-2024), US tv producer and screenwriter who wrote 30
episodes of _Sesame Street_ (1969-1990), died on 14 February aged 82.

In message <ee24uille4c8fbqcem57pbkoq6gpqo2qbl@4ax.com>, David Langford
<ansible@cix.co.uk> writes
> _Christopher Priest_ (1943-2024), UK author of great distinction
>whose works appeared from 1966 to 2023 and include the hauntingly
>memorable 'Dream Archipelago' sequence, died on 2 February aged 80.
>Among his honours are BSFA Awards for _Inverted World_ (1974) and
>others, Ditmars for _The Space Machine_ (1976) and _The Affirmation_
>(1981), the World Fantasy Award and the non-genre James Tait Black
>Memorial Prize for _The Prestige_ (1995, memorably filmed 2006), the
>Arthur C. Clarke Award for _The Separation_ (2002) and a shared John W.
>Campbell Memorial Award for _The Islanders_ (2011). _The Book on the
>Edge of Forever_ (1994), his unsparing analysis of what went wrong with
>_The Last Dangerous Visions_, was a 1995 Hugo finalist. On a personal
>note, Chris was my friend for over 50 years, my partner in software and
>publishing ventures, my literary agent, and an ever-entertaining
>correspondent. I miss him very much. All sympathy to his widow Nina
>Allan, and to his twin children from an earlier marriage to Leigh Kennedy.

Sad news. I read and greatly enjoyed both "Inverted World" and "The
Space Machine".

> _Romero_ (Enrique Badia Romero, 1930-2024), Spanish comics artist
>who drew _Modesty Blaise_ 1970-1978 and contributed to _2000 AD_ and
>_Judge Dredd Megazine_, died on 15 February aged 93. [SJ]

And that's sad too. During the 1970s I used to read the Modesty Blaise
cartoon strip every day in my evening newspaper on the way home from
work. His art was a major part of the strip's appeal, and IIRC his
successor wasn't anything like as good.
--
John Hall
"Acting is merely the art of keeping a large group of people
from coughing."
Sir Ralph Richardson (1902-83)