08.08.03

Yet another 'As Others See Us' submission, striking unexpectedly close to home since the source is, um, my brother: 'Your Life Is Science Fiction, In A Flash You'll be gone.' -- from Walking on Hell's Roof Looking At The Flowers, The Waco Brothers, written and sung by Jon Langford. Naturally I disclaim all responsibility.

Mythopoeic Fantasy Awards:

  ADULT: Patricia A. McKillip, Ombria in Shadow

  CHILDREN'S: Michael Chabon, Summerland

  SCHOLARSHIP (INKLINGS) Michael D.C. Drout, ed., Beowulf and the Critics by J.R.R. Tolkien

  SCHOLARSHIP (GENERAL) Graham Anderson, Fairytale in the Ancient World

Sshh! Ray Bradbury is 83 on 22 August, and The Planetary Society hopes to surprise him with the world's largest birthday card. Enter your greetings at https://planetary.org/bradbury/ by the 20th, and I assume they will be transcribed to some suitable medium, such as Mars.

Seiun Awards for work translated into Japanese, 2002:

  NOVEL Robert J. Sawyer, Illegal Alien, trans Masayuki Uchida

  SHORT Greg Egan, 'Luminous', trans Makoto Yamagishi (Well, it's an honour even to lose to the great Egan, this rival nominee mumbles unconvincingly.)

As Others See Us. Or, More Things That Aren't SF: 'The point of the dystopian satire, of course -- as opposed to pure science-fiction -- is that its imagined world is both recognisable and chillingly possible ...' (The Observer, reviewing Max Barry's Jennifer Government, 27 July)

Harlan Ellison's piracy suit against AOL has progressed (following a Californian court's adverse ruling in March 2002) to the Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals -- one level below the Supreme Court.

Ten Years Ago. 'Who Are The 50 Most Powerful People In SF?' asked Paul Di Filippo in SF Age, and awesomely gave his choices. In my British way I was particularly interested in the five earth-shakers of UK origin or address: J.G.Ballard, Arthur C.Clarke, John Clute, David Garnett, and an exultant David Pringle. (Ansible 73, August 1993) I wonder whom Paul would pick now?

Thog's Masterclass. Literality Dept. 'Dr. Runnicels, Immaculate's chief of staff, literally dripped Southern courtesy.' • Theology Dept. 'Catholics as a rule avoid divorce -- unless one of them dies.' (both Frank Corsaro, Kunma, 2003)

David Langford is an author and a gentleman. His newsletter, Ansible, is the essential SF-insider sourcebook of wit and incongruity. His most recent books are Different Kinds of Darkness, a new short-story collection of horror, SF, and fantasy, Up Through an Empty House of Stars: Reviews and Essays 1980-2002, 100 pieces of Langfordian genre commentary, and He Do the Time Police in Different Voices, a short-story collection that brings together, all of Dave's SF parodies and pastiches. (This is a scary thought. Are you ready to laugh that hard?)

Dave lives in Reading, England with his wife Hazel, 25,000 books, and a few dozen Hugo awards. He continues to add books and Hugos.