Begonia, Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden
Awards:
File 770 posted this year’s Dragon Award winners. Brad R. Torgerson won best SF novel for A Star-Wheeled Sky, and Larry Correia won best fantasy novel for House of Assassins.
Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu won the Barry Ronge award in South Africa for her book The Theory of Flight. The award honors writers whose works “enthrall with their imagined worlds.”
Books and Writing:
BookExpo will return to an old format for its 2020 event. The convention will feature one full day of educational programming, followed by two days of exhibits.
This Kickstarter runs for one more day. It will give readers stories of powerful old woman in their own right, not just as the Witch of the Wood or the Wise Crone advising the youthful heroine.
File 770 posted a long column about the changing of the Former John W. Campbell award to the Astounding Award, and the movement to change the name of the James Tiptree Jr. award.
CBS News has an interview with Margaret Atwood talking about her new book The Testaments.
Speaking of Margaret Atwood, Amazon shipped several hundred copies of The Testaments one week ahead of the official release date. Those lucky customers were only in the USA apparently. This is actually a very big bad deal to the publishing business – not to mention the people who didn’t get their copy early.
The Science Fiction Foundation is calling for a new editor for Foundation, because Paul March-Russell has stepped down from that position.
Heather border, Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden
Conventions:
Kotaku shares some of the cosplayer pics from this year’s DragonCon, held last week.
I hadn’t known there was an actual convention devoted to the work of R.A. Lafferty, who definitely had a cult following. There is, though, and here’s a report on it.
TV and Movies:
More detail on the Walter Mosley editorial where he said he left a show’s writers room after HR called him to chastise him for using the n-word. (Mosley had told a story in which a cop, speaking to him, had used it.) Mosley originally didn’t name the show, but this article does. Here is the original op-ed.
Raven on a Fence, Mendocino Village
Internet:
The Walden Grove high school dance team went viral last year with a Harry Potter themed homecoming routine. They have outdone themselves this year with a long routine that outlines the stories of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. Thanks to File770 for this one.
Photography:
Yes, these are my vacation pictures. If you are ever in northern coastal California and anywhere near Mendocino or Fort Bragg, I encourage you to visit the Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden. It’s well worth the trip any time of year.
Lovely photos Marion!
Thank you. The garden is always a delight.