Monthly Archives: August 2022

Montreal Area Event / Convention, Stop Motion

Stop Motion Festival: Short film screening calendar released!

Festival Stop Motion Montréal

Short film screening calendar released!

A selection of 75 films made using stop motion techniques will grace the big screen in 10 different curated short film competition screening programs, from September 16-18, 2022 at Concordia University’s J.A. De Sève Theatre. Fifty-eight animated works will premiere in Montreal for the first time. The Festival is delighted to have a number of local productions coming out of the pandemic pause, which includes a dozen Canadian shorts directed mostly by female filmmakers and emerging filmmakers. The upcoming event will make sure to celebrate this production boom.

Refer to the event page, so you don’t miss anything!
Calendrier des projections de courts métrage en ligne!

Une sélection de 75 films en stop motion seront portés à l’écran grâce à une dizaine de programmes en compétition, du 16 au 18 septembre 2022, au Théâtre J.A. de Sève de l’Université Concordia. Cinquante-huit oeuvres seront présentées à Montréal pour la première fois, dont une dizaine de projets canadiens réalisés majoritairement par des femmes cinéastes et de la relève. La Direction du Festival se réjouit du nombre de productions locales, au sortant de la pandémie, et compte célébrer cette vive activités le moi prochain.

Référez-vous à l’événement pour ne rien manquer !!

TICKETS & VIP PASS SALE

Festival VIP Passes presented by TONIC DNA offer priority access to the best in stop motion cinema with more than 10 hours of film screenings spread over seven regular short film competition programs, two family-friendly youth film programs, and one TNT program -Terrifying, Naked, and Twisted, for mature audiences.

Festival-goers can secure their VIP Passes at the Festival’s online box office for $65+tx.
Individual activities tickets aslo available. bit.ly/stopmobxo

BILLETS ET LAISSEZ-PASSER EN VENTE 

Les laissez-passer VIP du Festival, présentés par TONIC DNA, sont en vente et permettront d’accéder au meilleur du cinéma en stop motion via sept programmes réguliers de courts métrages en compétition, deux programmes de films jeunesse et un programmes TNT – Terrifiant, Nu et Tordu (pour public averti). Au total, plus de 10 heures de projections seront offertes au public.

Les festivaliers peuvent se procurer le laissez-passer VIP sur la boutique en ligne du Festival au coût de 65$+tx. Billets individuels également disponibles.  bit.ly/bilstopmo

Call for volunteers

Festival Stop Motion Montréal could use some extra helping hands for its upcoming 14th edition – check out the available volunteer opportunities here and fill out the form to get in touch!  FORM LINK

Appel à bénévoles 

Le Festival Stop Motion Montréal est à la recherche de bénévoles pour sa 14e édition! Consultez les opportunités de bénévolat disponibles et remplissez le formulaire pour nous contacted! FORMULAIRE

Movies, Stop Motion

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio

Post-production
Expected December 2022
A darker version of the classic children's fairy tale of a wooden puppet that transforms into a real living boy.

Fanzines

A whole lot of zines to share!

A whole lot of zines to share!

From Nic Farey: This Here 56

ThisHere56r

Interesting article about ancestry as Nic,  who was adopted, learns about his birth family. Footy column with the ubiquitous pictures of female soccer player waving her shirt around (It’s a sports bra, guys,  get over it), and lovely art by Ulrika. Lots of letters, including one from me.

From Joe Major, Alexiad 124.

Sad to hear of another fan-run convention dying due to lack of fans to work at it.

Alex124

 Table of Contents
Editorial. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Reviewer’s Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
FAAN Awards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
The Joy of High Tech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
O City of Byzantium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Unintended Consequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Worldcon News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Book Reviews
JTM Frankos, Broadway Revival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
JTM Campbell, Resolute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
JTM Turtledove, Three Miles Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Con Reports
LK InConJunction XLI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Random Jottings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
From the N3F:

The review of books (ToC below), and Mt Void

N3FReview202208 

MT VOID 2236

Fiction
2 … Absolution by Rick Partlow … Review by Graham Bradley
3 … The Breakroom of a Thousand Nightmares by Roy Griffis … Review by Michael Gallagher
5 … Body and Blood by Michael Gallagher … Review by Declan Finn
6 … Captain Trader Helmsman Spy by Karl Gallagher … Review by Declan Finn
8 … Cold As Hell by Rhett C. Bruno and Jaime Castle … Review by Graham Bradley
10 … Driven to the Hilt 1: The Deepest Cut by D.G. Lamb … Review by Jim McCoy
12 … Dusklight by NR LaPoint … Review by Declan Finn
14 … Ghost of a Chance by Dan Willis … Review by Jwstepanek
15 … Gun Magus by NR LaPoint … Review by Declan Finn
17 … In Another World I Must Defeat the Demon King by Miles English …
Review by Graham Bradley
18 … The Killing Moon by NK Jemisin … Review by Chris Nuttall
21 … The Mask Shop of Doctor Blaack by Steve Rasnic Tem … Review by Jim McCoy
23 … Ordinary Monsters: A Novel by J. M. Miro … Review by Bob Jennings
24 … Stand Against the Dark by Denton Salle … Review by Declan Finn
26 … Ten Thousand Skies Above You by Claudia Gray … Review by Mindy Hunt
28 … This Is Not a Game by Walter Jon Williams … Review by Graham Bradley
30 … Titan by Robert Kroese … Review by JE Tabor
Prose Bono
31 … Writer’s Groups Grouped by Type by Cedar Sanderson
32 … Inspirations by A.C. Cargill
Letters to the Editor
33 … Keven Trainor, Melody Friedenthal, Heath Row
FINIS

MonSFFA Website

REMINDER: CLUB BBQ IS TOMORROW!

Attention all MonSFFen: Join us tomorrow, Sunday, August 28, for a day of food, fun, and friends!

After three years of virtual summer picnics on the club’s Web site, we finally have the opportunity to hold an old-fashioned, in-person, Club Barbecue-in-the-Park, just as we used to pre-pandemic!

Tomorrow, Sunday, August 28, we plan to gather beginning at 10:00AM (so as to secure ourselves a good spot!) in our new picnic locale, Parc Maisonneuve, just across the street from the Olympic Stadium and next door to the Botanical Gardens!

The weather forecast is favourable—hot and sunny—we have acquired a propane barbecue in order to comply with the regulations in place at Parc Maisonneuve, and of course, we all crave a little face-time that doesn’t require a screen and an internet connection!

We welcome all club members and friends to join us for what promises to be an enjoyable, relaxing day in the park!—good food, good weather, good friends!

 

A Few Notes:

Parc Maisonneuve is accessible by car or on foot; the Pie IX and Viau Metro stations are nearby, and the park is on a number of major bus routes. Like Parc Angrignon, paid parking is available within the park, but get there early to be sure to secure a spot, as Maisonneuve is quite popular and populated on most days. Street parking is available along both Rosemont Boulevard and Viau Street, but again, get there early!

This will be our first foray into Parc Maisonneuve, so we’ll be feeling our way around and sizing up the park’s suitability for future outings. We plan to find ourselves a spot not far from the parking lot, within the area we’ve designated on the map above “Proposed Picnic Area.” Look for us in that area. If necessary, we’ll fan out further to find a spot, but we expect to set up within that “Proposed Picnic Area.”

You may want to bring along a folding chair, if you are able, as there seem not be as many picnic tables as at Angrignon. And, bring your own food and drink, and burgers or hotdogs if you wish to make use of the club’s new barbecue grill!

The park’s washroom facilities remain closed at this time, like those at Angrignon, but there are port-a-potties on site. We can only hope they are better maintained than those at Angrignon, poor sanitary conditions being the reason we abandoned that park for this one! In addition, the Botanical Gardens have available facilities just a short walk away.

MonSFFA Website

CLUB BBQ-IN-THE-PARK IS A “GO” FOR THIS SUNDAY!

Attention all MonSFFen: Join us this Sunday, August 28, for a day of food, fun, and friends!

After three years of virtual summer picnics on the club’s Web site, we finally have the opportunity to hold an old-fashioned, in-person, Club Barbecue-in-the-Park, just as we used to pre-pandemic!

On this Sunday, August 28, we plan to gather beginning at 10:00AM (so as to secure ourselves a good spot!) in our new picnic locale, Parc Maisonneuve, just across the street from the Olympic Stadium and next door to the Botanical Gardens!

The weather forecast is favourable for Sunday—hot and sunny—we have acquired a propane barbecue in order to comply with the regulations in place at Parc Maisonneuve, and of course, we all crave a little face-time that doesn’t require a screen and an internet connection!

We welcome all club members and friends to join us for what promises to be an enjoyable, relaxing day in the park!—good food, good weather, good friends!

 

A Few Notes:

Parc Maisonneuve is accessible by car or on foot; the Pie IX and Viau Metro stations are nearby, and the park is on a number of major bus routes. Like Parc Angrignon, paid parking is available within the park, but get there early to be sure to secure a spot, as Maisonneuve is quite popular and populated on most days. Street parking is available along both Rosemont Boulevard and Viau Street, but again, get there early!

This will be our first foray into Parc Maisonneuve, so we’ll be feeling our way around and sizing up the park’s suitability for future outings. We plan to find ourselves a spot not far from the parking lot, within the area we’ve designated on the map above “Proposed Picnic Area.” Look for us in that area. If necessary, we’ll fan out further to find a spot, but we expect to set up within that “Proposed Picnic Area.”

You may want to bring along a folding chair, if you are able, as there seem not be as many picnic tables as at Angrignon. And, bring your own food and drink, and burgers or hotdogs if you wish to make use of the club’s new barbecue grill!

The park’s washroom facilities remain closed at this time, like those at Angrignon, but there are port-a-potties on site. We can only hope they are better maintained than those at Angrignon, poor sanitary conditions being the reason we abandoned that park for this one! In addition, the Botanical Gardens have available facilities just a short walk away.

Astronomy News

AURORAS ON JUPITER

Space Weather News for August 23, 2022
https://spaceweather.com
https://www.spaceweatheralerts.com

AURORAS ON JUPITER: Yesterday, NASA released gorgeous new photos of auroras on Jupiter taken by the James Webb Space Telescope. Today’s edition of Spaceweather.com takes a deeper dive into the photos, explaining why Jupiter’s auroras are so much more than just oversized versions of our own. Spoiler alert: Volcanoes are involved. Full story @ Spaceweather.com.

Don’t miss the next solar flare: Subscribers to our Space Weather Alert Service receive instant text messages when strong solar flares are underway.
[] 
Above: Infrared auroras on Jupiter. Image credit: NASA/JWST

Fanzines

Zine to share

From the N3F:

TNFF202208

The sercon article is very interesting, being about Fawcett Publications beyond superhero comics.  The author, Jon D. Swartz,  puts to focus their limited runs and one-offs, such as Destination Moon, When Worlds Collide and Captain Video.

ToC

Laureate Awards
Swag!
President Reports — Your Volunteer Team
Letters of Comment
John Thiel —Bob Jennings
Treasury
Bureaus
Art Bureau — History and Research Bureau — Round Robins Bureau
Fan-Pro Coordinating Bureau — Correspondence Bureau — Anime & Manga Bureau
Pro Bureau — Writers Exchange — Book Review Bureau — Welcommittee
SerCon
Fawcett Science Fiction Comics
Nichelle Nichols
The Magazine of Fantasy
September Calendar

Fanzines

New on e-fanzines & Corflu Pangloss PR3

From Jerry Kaufman:

Corflu Pangloss PR 3

I’m attaching the third Corflu Pangloss Progress Report. This includes information on hotel rates and booking, our Fanthology, the Banquet Menu, updated Canadian Covid requirements, general instructions for using Discord, and the inside scoop on how Corflu started.

We plan to issue one more Progress Report, which I’ll send only to current members, Attending or Supporting. (Now would be a good time to join.)  I’ll continue to send special announcements, like the opening of our online shop, to everyone. Note: if you want to be left off our list, let me know. If you want to receive the final PR but haven’t joined (yet), also let me know.

Jerry Kaufman for the Corflu Pangloss Committee

CORFLU PANGLOSS: The best of all possible Corflus, under the circumstances

 

Added today at https://efanzines.com:

Bruce Gillespie’s SF Commentary #110

Ray Palm’s The Ray X X-rayer #166

Archive issues of Heath Row’s Telegraphs & Tar Pits #23-27 and Faculae & Filigree #14 and Snow Poster Township #5

Octothorpe #64, a regular fannish podcast by John Coxon, Alison Scott and Liz Batty, is now on line

John Thiel’s Meteor #3

—
Bill

Events and Conventions

Worldcon Bid Lineup Changes

Worldcon Bid Lineup Changes

Bidding to host the World Science Fiction Convention is a process which takes years of effort, which makes it unavoidable that plans will change and bids will occasionally be abandoned altogether. The current pandemic has helped to accelerate the churn. After multiple recent changes, this is how the lineup looks:

The only bid for 2024 remains Glasgow, UK, although recent moves toward another independence referendum have some asking whether it will still be in the UK by then. The current proposed date for the referendum is October 19, 2023 (subject to approval by the UK’s top court), making it unlikely that Scotland would be able to disentangle itself by the planned Worldcon in August 2024 even if the referendum is held and passes.

The only currently active bid for 2025 is Seattle, Washington, USA. A competing bid for Brisbane, Australia went silent last year and is widely believed to be aiming at 2028 now, though its website and Twitter feed still say 2025.

For 2026, a bid for Nice, France has dropped out and one for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia has retooled to bid for Cairo, Egypt instead (no website or social media available yet). It has now been joined by a new bid for Los Angeles, California, USA.

The lone contender for 2027 at this time is Tel Aviv, Israel.

In 2028, the rumored bid for Brisbane is joined by a confirmed one for Kampala, Uganda. If successful, it would mark the first Worldcon in sub-Saharan Africa­ in fact, if not for the sudden switch from Jeddah to Cairo for 2026, it would have been the first announced bid for a Worldcon anywhere in Africa.

2029 is occupied only by a marker for a return to Dublin, Ireland, the site of the 2019 Worldcon.

 

Fanzines

Two more zines to enjoy!

From the N3F:

OriginAugust2022

  • Editorial, “Look with Wonder Upon the World”, by John Thiel, page three
  • Genre Stories in the Little Blue Books, by Jon Swartz, page four
  • German Science Fiction, by Jeffrey Redmond, page eight
  • Galaxy Science Fiction recollected, by Martin Lock, page twenty-two
  • Science Fiction for Children, by Judy Carroll, page twenty-six
  • Afterwords, by John Thiel, page twenty-nine

FanAct202208

  • Editorial: George Phillies writes.
  • Letter of Comment (Lloyd Penney)
  • Fanfaronade
  • Science Fiction Club News
  • Television: Rabid Ears: Ravings of a TV Fiend by Cathode Ray
  • Motion Pictures: Celluloid Sentience By Cathode Ray
  • Conventions: Forthcoming Conventions by Mindy Hunt
  • Science Fiction Pro and Fan Birthdays from Heath Row
  • August 2022 Historical Article and SF Calendar from Bob Jennings