WWWednesday: February 8, 2023

The Chengdu WorldCon Committee announced that it can now take credit card payments for membership, but still has not opened the Hugo awards for nominations and voting. File770 notes that this means the period will open later than any WorldCon in the past 15 years.

The Horror Writers Association interviews Black horror writer Winifred Iker. I thought I would like Iker when I read the sentence saying she has “a robust collection of Tarot cards.” But the great-aunt who arrived each summer with a tote-bag full of books sealed the deal!

At Writer Beware, Victoria Strauss alerts us to another scam: Perpetual Eagle. With this one, it’s hard to see what the scam is, since they failed at setting up a way to take our money.

The planned 25^th anniversary edition of John Crowley’s groundbreaking work Little, Big is now the 40th anniversary edition. Tor.com describes this long, strange trip.

Also from Tor.com; Benedict Cumberbatch will star in a weird horror show from Netflix called Eric. Cumberbatch plays a puppeteer (it’s already creepy) with a successful kid’s TV show in 1980s New York, whose young son goes missing. The puppeteer ends up talking to Eric, the monster who lives under his son’s bed. Sounds Legit. No ETA from Netflix at this time.

In addition to the Locus Recommended Reading List, Locus reports on the American Library Association  Youth Media Awards for this year. (My novella made it onto the Recommended Reading list and I am excited.)

The Rockville, Maryland, Memorial Library is holding a Contemporary Conversations event on Thusday, February 23, with writer and editor Sheree Renee Thomas. In addition to her own writing, Thomas is the editor of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Go to this page to sign up for an in person seat or to livestream.

Horror Writers Association has expelled Thomas F. Monteleone for making extended statements on various social media platforms, including a podcast, which involved racial slurs and derogatory comments towards other writers. Monteleone was well-known for his work as an editor on the horror anthology series Borderlands.

There was a lot of uproar over an airborne device that was spotted drifting over Montana late last week. Eventually the device was identified as a balloon originating in China, and also eventually it was shot down by the USA. Ars Technica provided a thorough and calm report of the balloon on February 3, so I thought I’d share it.

Margaret Bonds was one of the first Black women in the USA to be recognized as a classical composer. Here is her piece “Troubled Water,” which draws from the traditions of gospel and blues.