Ansible logo Older Home/Links: 2008

This page is the final repository for 2008 links from the ever-scrolling sidebar column at the right of the Ansible Links page. The editor has no intention of running regular checks on their continued validity.

December 2008
Clute on Ackerman (Independent, 31 Dec)
Donald E. Westlake (1933-2008) (NY Times)
Sir Terry Pratchett
US postage stamps 2009: Poe, Hitchcock, Twilight Zone
Obama as sf geek
As others see sf dystopias (Dissent, Fall 2008)
The 50 most ludicrous Britons 2008 (Independent, 14 Dec) -- spot the genre sneers
"Who needs a new Harry Potter?" (Independent, 12 Dec)
Oliver Postgate (1925-2008) (BBC)
Vera Nazarian/Norilana Books rescue fund
"Sci-fi" -- Heinlein claim exploded
Forrest J Ackerman (1916-2008) (LA Times); NY Times; SFWA; Mr Monster fan tribute; Guardian
Lexicongate: appeal withdrawn, revised Harry Potter Lexicon to appear
Aussiecon 4 (Worldcon 2010) rates rise 1 January 2009
Steve Holland on James Cawthorn (1929-2008); Ballardian; John Coulthart; Jahsonic
As Others See Quidditch
2009 Eastercon price rise now delayed to 29 December
Daily Mail froths with outrage after Doctor Who actor exposes himself on the radio! (2 Dec)
2009 Eastercon price hike warning
Neil Gaiman: "Why defend freedom of icky speech?" (1 Dec)
Doctor Who Advent Calendar

November 2008
Picking holes in Survivors (The Register)
Christopher Priest Cover Gallery
Another Pratchett interview (Independent, 29 Nov)
Cartoon Art Trust awards
2009 Westbound TAFF Ballot; also PDF version
GUFF results
Æon Speculative Fiction closes
Chesley Awards winners
New Scientist sf special (but they will call it sci-fi)
BBC report on science fiction, 1962
Nova Awards
Aetherica (Jun 09) cancelled
TAFF race 2009 (final line-up, 13 Nov)
Barrington J. Bayley: obit by Mike Moorcock (Guardian, 13 Nov)
Lexicongate: appeal filed; Fandom Wank links
Forrest J Ackerman: slightly better news (12 Nov)
"Help Michael Moorcock Keep Writing" (8 Nov)
The Original Frankenstein
BFS Ackerman death report was premature (7 Nov) [This was picked up by Locus, sff.net and Wikipedia.]
TAFF race 2009
Michael Crichton (1942-2008) (BBC, 5 Nov); CBS; NY Times; Yahoo; The Onion
"Forrest J. Ackerman ailing" (LA Times, 4 Nov)
"The Genre Formerly Known as Horror" (PW, 3 Nov)
Real science: "Forcefields will guard Mars ships from solar ion storms"
World Fantasy Awards
IHG Awards

October 2008
Another Doctor Who bites the dust (BBC, 29 Oct)
Cormac McCarthy vs Walter M. Miller? (Guardian, 27 Oct)
Barrington J. Bayley (1937-2008) (Locus); obit by John Clute (Independent)
As others see us: a good word for Eastercon 2009 (Bradford Telegraph & Argus, 17 Oct)
John Norman asks his favourite question
Peter David is detrimental to prison security
Jonathan Ross on Watchmen (Times, 17 Oct)
Skiffy installation at the Tate (BBC)
Innovative cover design
"Planet's loneliest bug revealed" (BBC)
Tor editor notices Interzone review
Andre Norton estate reassigned
Terry Pratchett on Alzheimer's again (Daily Mail, 7 Oct); Telegraph; Times; Mail
"The Bad Title Club" (NY Times)
Driving while under the influence of Battlestar Galactica (BBC)

September 2008
New GUFF race
Philip Pullman on censors
David Gemmell Legend Award
Latest TAFF newsletter
Helix webzine to close; William Sanders speaks out
Lexicongate: possible appeal?
David Foster Wallace (1962-2008)
Large Hadron Collider drinking game; "Has The LHC Destroyed The Earth?" real-time monitor site
Torchwood episode guide controversy
J.K. Rowling wins Lexicon court case; full decision (PDF); Scrivener's Error commentary
Ellison vs Paramount again

August 2008
Ken Campbell (1941-2008)
Geoffrey Perkins (1953-2008)
2009 westbound TAFF race
M.J. Engh, "Author Emerita"
Mythopoeic Award winners
"Cinema stole my favourite books" (Guardian, 18 Aug)
Aussiecon 4, 2010
Hugo winners (Langford off the hook at last!)
Denvention 3: LiveJournal and PDF Newsletter #1; #2; #3; #4; #5; #6; #7; #8; #9. Hugo rules changes,
British Fantasy Awards shortlist
World Fantasy Awards shortlist
Denvention vs Democratic National Convention
Chesley Awards shortlist
Pauline Baynes (1922-2008)
Transcriptase: after controversy concerning Helix

July 2008
Orson Scott Card gibbers again; one response of many
Another Doris Lessing interview (NY Times, 27 Jul)
Harry Harrison, SFWA Grand Master
International Horror Guild awards shortlist
Lust in space (NASA/Telegraph)
Thomas M. Disch (1940-2008) (Telegraph); Guardian; Guardian; New York Times; Independent (John Clute); Washington Post
Lost Metropolis footage found (BBC); more

June 2008
A classic "As Others See Us" opening paragraph (Independent, 29 Jun)
Science fiction vs sci-fi: the statistics
TAFF newsletters: Suzanne Tompkins's last and Chris Garcia's first (19 Jun)
Ballard interview (Guardian, 14 Jun)
L. Ron Hubbard -- Leaked!
Carry On Hammering (UK stamps)
Campbell Memorial Award finalists
Sturgeon Award finalists
Algis Budrys (1931-2008)
Terry Pratchett again (Times, 8 Jun); and with Neil Gaiman (Waterstone's Books Quarterly)
Mythopoeic Awards finalists (6 Jun)
"No to Age Banding"
"That's Doctor Gibson ..." (5 Jun)
John McCain's sf inspiration (5 Jun)
Philip K. Dick rules the Library of America (4 Jun)
"As Others See Us" in the TLS (4 Jun)
MTV Movie Awards
Gordon Brown: comics product placement

May 2008
Recommended fantasy, none of it by women (Guardian, 30 May)
Harry Harrison in Pravda (26 May)
Christopher Tolkien vs New Line, continued (Sunday Times, 26 May)
Large Hadron Collider petition
Ayn Rand's trilogy (via)
Reno in 2011: Worldcon bid
Robert Asprin (1946-2008)
"When Harry met sexism" (Guardian, 22 May)
Clarke Award in the Telegraph (10 May)
UK SF Book News in "hibernation" (8 May)
Michael de Larrabeiti (1934-2008)
Barbara Bauer vs Wikipedia (2 May)

April 2008
Clarke Award (30 Apr); Guardian
PW on Ursula Le Guin (30 Apr)
Nebula Awards (26 Apr)
Sidewise Awards finalists
Star Wars madness in Wales (22 Apr)
Remember the Hitch-Hiker text adventure game?
Terry Pratchett at Bookseller.com (18 Apr)
As Others See Us (Guardian, 16 Apr).
Lexicongate trial (FW); Day One (Leaky Cauldron); Day Two (also FW); more; more; Day Three (also FW); the Times misses the point; Techdirt; Troll film dispute; New York Times (17 Apr); various trial summaries
Minotaur-Squids of the Indigo Zone!
Hugo voting on line
A good word for sf fandom (Guardian, 10 Apr)
Newsweek vs Patrick Stewart

March 2008
"Lexicongate" yet again (Leaky Cauldron 24 Mar); more (AFP)
Independent on Eastercon (22 Mar)
Eastercon 2010: Heathrow again
2008 BSFA Awards (22 Mar)
2008 Hugo Nominations (21 Mar)
Arthur C.Clarke dies (18 Mar)
Terry Pratchett fights back; "Match It For Pratchett" now has its own website
SFX poll: your favourite SF and fantasy authors of all time (13 Mar)
Dave "Rocketeer" Stevens dies (10 Mar)
Clarke Award shortlist (10 Mar); John Jarrold grumbles again
"Lexicongate" trial date set (Leaky Cauldron, with story so far; 10 Mar); since rescheduled (LC 13 Mar); further commentary at Fandom Wank; RDR denies everything (including selling Lexicon rights in Australia and England -- so what exactly did Methuen buy?); the "denial" filing examined
Gary Gygax dies (4 Mar) (Guardian); XKCD comment; Times
Janet Kagan dies (29 Feb)

February 2008
"Lexicongate": summary of latest JKR/WB responses (Leaky Cauldron); full court filings (items #55-#63)
Nebula Awards shortlist (22 Feb)
Scrybe Press warning (19 Feb)
"A Gut Check Moment for SFWA" (18 Feb); furthermore (21 Feb)
Ken Slater dies (16 Feb)
Stoker Awards shortlist
PLR petition -- UK authors please sign
Tolkien estate sues New Line Cinema (11 Feb)
Steve Gerber dies (10 Feb)
British Animation Awards shortlist
The Iain-Banks-a-Rama
"Lexicongate" -- the saga drags on, and on (Leaky Cauldron), and on (Ibid), and on (NY Times), and on (court filings), and on (LC again)...
Dedalus Books vs the Arts Council
Ballard autobiography reviewed: Telegraph; Independent; Observer
"20 Things You [Allegedly] Didn’t Know About... Science Fiction" (Discover)

January 2008
"Science fiction's influence on technology: ideas made real" (26 Jan)
BSFA awards shortlist
The Shirley Jackson Awards
SF and the Bomb, 1944 (via)
J.G. Ballard: "time is running out" (Times, 20 Jan); Crash cover design competition
"Why Sci-Fi Is the Last Bastion of Philosophical Writing" (Wired, 18 Jan)
J.K. Rowling "should lose her copyright lawsuit" (Slate, 10 Jan)
Nebulas: preliminary ballot
Dick award finalists
FAAn awards ballot (PDF)
James Bond stamps (8 Jan)
"Why do critics still sneer at sci-fi?" (Guardian, 7 Jan)
Moorcock reviewed (Telegraph)
"The 50 greatest British writers since 1945" (Times, 5 Jan) Spot the genre authors!
Dedalus Books petition
George MacDonald Fraser dies (2 Jan)
Aeon Award 2008
Another new sf blog -- can you detect any mention of books? (Wired)
Hugo nominations open (1 Jan)