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From: David Langford <ansible@cix.co.uk>
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Subject: Ansible 448 -- November 2024
Date: Fri, 01 Nov 2024 16:47:13 +0000
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ANSIBLE(R) 448
NOVEMBER 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 secret plans hidden by Erihsibrad under the Wollip.

[NET NOTE. See https://news.ansible.uk/a448.html for the nice HTML version;
https://news.ansible.uk/pdf/a448.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 FURTIVE FEASTERS ###

OGHENECHOVWE DONALD EKPEKI was removed from the SFWA Board of Directors --
a recent 'Director-at-Large' appointment on 1 July -- after public
complaints regarding his professional ethics. (SFWA, 28 October; _File
770_, 26 October; see also Erin Cairns, ethicsreport.tiiny.site)

ALAN MOORE can see both sides of the issue: 'I believe that fandom is a
wonderful and vital organ of contemporary culture, without which that
culture ultimately stagnates, atrophies and dies. At the same time, I'm
sure that fandom is sometimes a grotesque blight that poisons the society
surrounding it with its mean-spirited obsessions and ridiculous, unearned
sense of entitlement.' (_Guardian_, 26 October)

ELON MUSK, along with Tesla and Warner Bros Discovery, is being sued by the
makers of _Blade Runner 2049_ (Alcon Entertainment) for allegedly using
AI-generated imagery based on that film at the launch event for Tesla's
robotaxi -- after Alcon 'specifically denied a request from Warner Bros to
use material from the film'. (BBC, 22 October) [SF2C]

KATHERINE RUNDELL revealed the secret of making children's books 'shine' by
pruning unnecessary detail. 'The greatest children's books pull off this
balancing act, per Rundell: To this day, she can recount, exactingly and
with absolute confidence, the hair color of the Pevensies of Narnia, "but
they are never described in the book."' (_Washington Post_ interview, 10
September). Bibliophiles are now eagerly seeking the rare edition of _The
Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe_ without the mentions in Chapter 17 of
Susan's long black hair and golden-haired Lucy. [AL]

ROBERT RUNTE had a soul-searing insight: 'You know you're taking too long
to finish your novel when you started at the same time as _Last Dangerous
Visions_ and it comes out first.' (Facebook, 5 October)

BRAM STOKER is in the news for 'Gibbet Hill', a rediscovered short story
from a Christmas supplement to the Dublin _Daily Express_ on 17 December
1890. (BBC, 19 October) A 'first' book edition was announced for November,
but Wildside Press released their version in October.


### CONDYLOTOMY ###

Until 4 Jan [] THE LOST WORLDS OF RAY HARRYHAUSEN, Lauriston Gallery,
Waterside, Sale, Manchester. See tinyurl.com/2jbbwxcw.

1-3 Nov [] ARMADACON, Future Inns, Plymouth. GBP45 reg; GBP35 concessions;
single day GBP25. More at www.armadacon.org.

1-2 Nov [] FRIGHTFEST (film), London, Odeon Luxe, Leicester Square. Two-day
ticket GBP79; more at www.frightfest.co.uk/filmsandevents/.

1-3 Nov [] GLASGOW 2024, BACK TO OUR FUTURES, free online for Glasgow
Worldcon attending or virtual members: tinyurl.com/2earcc4d.

8-10 Nov [] NOVACON 53, Palace Hotel, Buxton. GBP53 reg; couples GBP106;
under-17s GBP12; under-13s free. Day rates at novacon.uk. _The hotel no
longer accepts cash in the bar or restaurants -- card payments only._

9 Nov [] CYMERA WRITERS' CONFERENCE, Edinburgh/online. GBP75;
concessions/virtual at www.cymerafestival.co.uk/writers-conference.

9-10 Nov [] SURREY STEAMPUNK CONVIVIAL, Stoneleigh, Epsom. See
bumpandthumper.wixsite.com/steampunkconvivials.

9-10 Nov [] WOMEN IN HORROR WEEKEND, Waterstones, Nottingham. GBP18; day
rates GBP10 Sat, GBP8 Sun. See tinyurl.com/mr3spmz2.

16 Nov [] WINTER HAUNTS 3 (Gothic etc), online. See
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/winter-haunts-2024-tickets-998430531597.

16 Nov [] WRITING AND MENTAL HEALTH (BFS event), online with panels,
interviews and readings. See tinyurl.com/bfs-mental-health.

23-24 Nov [] CHRISTOPHER TOLKIEN centenary conference, online:
www.tolkiensociety.org/events/christopher-tolkien-centenary-conference/

25-26 Nov [] DARKFEST 6 (film), Genesis Cinema, 93-95 Mile End Rd,

London, E1 4UJ. GBP55. See infinitymagazine.co.uk/product/darkfest-6/.

30 Nov [] DRAGONMEET (gaming), Novotel Hammersmith, London. 9am-11pm.
Tickets GBP15.50 (under-18s GBP8) at www.dragonmeet.co.uk.

7-8 Dec [] WOMEN IN THE BLACK FANTASTIC (SFF conference), online. GBP30;
GBP15 unwaged. See www.sf-foundation.org/fresh-about.

29 Dec - 1 Jan [] STEAMPUNK NEW YEAR, Belmont Hotel, Leicester. See
www.ministryofsteampunk.com/steampunknewyear2025.

21-23 Feb 2025 [] UK GHOST STORY FESTIVAL, Museum of Making, Derby.
In-person ticket sales awaited. Also online 14-16 February, GBP50 plus fee.
See www.ukghoststoryfestival.co.uk.

18-21 Apr 2025 [] RECONNECT (Eastercon), Hilton Lanyon Place Hotel and ICC,
Belfast. _Now GBP90 reg, rising to GBP100 on 1 January and GBP120 at the
door_; GBP40 discounted (under-18s, concessions, Eastercon first-timers and
fans living in Ireland, _with the last two rising to GBP70 on 14
November_); GBP25 supporting. Hotel bookings have opened. See
easterconbelfast.org.

26-27 Apr 2025 [] SCI-FI SCARBOROUGH (multimedia), The Spa, Scarborough.
GBP30 reg; students GBP20; 'kids' GBP10. See scifiscarborough.co.uk.

8 Nov 2025 [] PICTCON1, Salutation Hotel, 30-34 South St, Perth, Scotland.
_Date changed from 18 October 2025._ GBP30 reg; GBP20 concessions. See
www.facebook.com/events/1186045639366253/.

RUMBLINGS. _Worldcon 2025 (Seattle):_ hotel bookings are open; members have
been emailed. See www.seattlein2025.org.
     _Worldcon 2030_ now has a bid from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
(Bluesky, 30 October)


### INFINITELY IMPROBABLE ###

SF PREDICTIONS DEPT. 'A large statue in green marble loomed [...] He
recognized it as belonging to the Progress of Man series which lined the
tenth-floor main corridor. This one represented John W. Campbell.' (Poul
Anderson & Gordon Dickson, _Earthman's Burden_, 1957)

AWARDS. _British Fantasy._ HOLDSTOCK (fantasy novel) _Talonsister_ by Jen
Williams. DERLETH (horror novel) _Don't Fear the Reaper_ by Stephen Graham
Jones. NOVELLA _The Last Dragoners of Bowbazar_ by Indra Das. SHORT 'The
Brazen Head of Westinghouse' by Tim Major. COLLECTION _Jackal, Jackal by_
Tobi Ogundiran. ANTHOLOGY _Out There Screaming_ ed. Jordan Peele.
INDEPENDENT PRESS Flame Tree. NONFICTION _Writing the Future_, ed. Dan
Coxon & Richard V. Hirst. MAGAZINE _Shoreline of Infinity_. ARTIST Asya
Yordonova. AUDIO _The Tiny Bookcase_ by Nico Rogers & Ben Holroyd-Dell.
BOUNDS (newcomer) Teika Marija Smits. KARL EDWARD WAGNER Ramsey Campbell.
LEGEND OF FANTASYCON (non-BFS) Debbie Bennett.
     _Rhysling_ (poetry): LONG 'Little Brown Changeling' by Lauren Scharhag
(_Aphelion_). SHORT 'No One Now Remembers' by Geoffrey Landis (_F&SF_ ).
     _Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize:_ _A City on Mars_ by Kelly
and Zach Weinersmith.
     _Ursula K. Le Guin Prize:_ _It Lasts Forever and Then It's Over_ by
Anne de Marcken.
     _World Fantasy:_ NOVEL _The Reformatory_ by Tananarive Due. NOVELLA
'Half the House Is Haunted' by Josh Malerman (_Spin a Black Yarn_). SHORT
'Silk and Cotton and Linen and Blood' by Nghi Vo (_New Suns 2_). ANTHOLOGY
_The Book of Witches_ ed. Jonathan Strahan. COLLECTION _No One Will Come
Back for Us_ by Premee Mohamed. ARTIST Audrey Benjaminsen. SPECIAL/PRO Liza
Groen Trombi, for _Locus_. SPECIAL/NON-PRO Lynne M. Thomas and Michael
Damian Thomas, for _Uncanny_.

AS OTHERS SEE US. '_Playground_ [by Richard Powers] belongs in the
commercial sci-fi tradition, where outsiders can see themselves reflected
in the characters and enjoy the warm glow of wish fulfilment. [...] These
are the syrupy consolations of genre fiction, a category usually overlooked
by prestigious literary prizes but cleverly laundered here by judicious
engagement with weighty themes.' (_Sunday Times_, 22 September) [VS]

R.I.P. _John Amos_ (1939-2024), US actor in _Dance of the Dwarfs_ (1983),
_Hologram Man_ (1995), _Dr. Dolittle 3_ (2006) and _Voodoo Moon_ (2006),
died on 21 August aged 84. [LP]
     _Roger Browne_ (1930-2024), US actor in _Vulcan Son of Jupiter_
(1962), _Venus Meets the Son of Hercules_ (1962), _Argoman the Fantastic
Superman_ (1967) and others, died on 11 October aged 94. [SJ]
     _Pierre Christin_ (1938-2024), French comics writer best known in
English for the _Valerian_ space opera saga created with Jean-Claude
Mezieres in 1966 and adapted as a 2017 Luc Besson film, died on 3 October
aged 86. [JA]
     _Scott Connors_, editor of critical anthologies on Lovecraft and Clark
Ashton Smith -- also, with others, Smith's collected fantasies, letters and
definitive bibliography -- reportedly died in October. [LP]
     _Robert Coover_ (1932-2024), noted US author of much literary fantasy,
metafiction and fabulation including _The Universal Baseball Association
Inc., J. Henry Waugh, Prop._ (1968) and stories in his first collection
========== REMAINDER OF ARTICLE TRUNCATED ==========