Author: Marion Deeds

Hack:

We have probably not heard the last of last week’s Twitter hack. At first it was funny, especially when Twitter blocked all verified (blue-check) accounts while they worked to solve the problem; now that we learn that there was a data breach as well, it’s slightly less laughable. Here’s what NPR knew as of last Friday.

Obituaries:

The son of sharecroppers, John Lewis was a champion of equality and justice even when it meant risking his life, a voice for all Americans and a model of integrity,

Obituary:

Grant Imahara, 49, was the cheerfully nerdy technogeek on Mythbusters. He also operated robots in the Star Wars franchise and worked behind the scenes on many SF blockbusters. I remember Imahara always smiling as he explained some wonderful high-tech thing. The early reports are that he died from an aneurysm. 

Conventions:

Here’s the San Diego Comic-Con At Home Edition program. This article provides some background on this year’s free online San Diego event.

Books,

Conventions:

DragonCon will convert to an online convention in 2020.

Books and Writing:

Verso and Feminist Press are turning 50.

Nerds of a Feather interviews Hugo fan artist nominee Iain J Clark.

Mary Robinette Kowal hosted Brandon McNulty who talks about his new book, Bad Parts.

NPR really likes Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s new horror novel, Mexican Gothic.

Horror fans,

Locus awards:

Here’s the list. Charlie Jane Anders’s The City in the Middle of the Night won the Locus Award for best science fiction novel. Best fantasy novel is Middlegame, by Seanan McGuire, best horror novel is Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James (horror, though?). and Tamsyn Muir won the Best First Novel category with Gideon the Ninth.

Books and Writing:

Publishers Weekly is putting out a call for fiction addressing race and equity,

Books and Writing:

The Catholic Culture site devoted a 1hour 40 minute podcast to Gene Wolfe, Catholic Sci-Fi Legend (Sci-Fi is their term, not mine). I’m posting this link having only read the outline and listened to a minute or two of it. Fascinating topic, though.

A positive story: DreamHaven, a comic book store that was vandalized during the protests and social unrest, has replaced its glass door and “really looks open” now! (Thanks  to File770.)

Camestros Felapton offers a detailed and slightly wonky analysis about the Hugos,