Origami Unicorn

Rowling and the "Former Fan"

J. K. Rowling apparently had a cordial non-relationship with fans who built an encyclopedic website of her Harry Potter world. Right up to the time when they had a book in press. At that point, the popular and wealthy author, who had used the site herself, balked. She feels "exploited."

Given she was aware of The Harry Potter Lexicon, and seemed comfortable with its existence, it's a little hard to sympathize with this. She does intend to produce her own book, but it's easy to guess that most people who would buy one would buy both. And given she was using the site as she wrote, was she—unconsciously, perhaps—thinking that it would be available for her own reference work?

Rowling is hardly the first author who has been fan-friendly and then been unhappy to find that friendly can involve some loss of control. Let's hope they reach a mutual understanding without rancor. However, the court case is scheduled for the fourteen of April and RDR books has posted a statement that doesn't suggest they're about to back down. Indeed, they see larger issues at stake, and they may be right.

Bone Movies Rights to Warner Bros.

Bone movies rights have been sold to Warner Bros. No decision on whether the film will be animated or live action. It's difficult to imagine Bone as a live action film. In an interview in New York Magazine, Jeff Smith commented on Bone and his current ventures. On his own site, Boneville, and more recently, Smith updates us on what it is like being him, what he hopes for the movie, and what he's doing now.

Sci-Fi-London

April 30th through May 4th, the Sci-Fi London Festival will be up and running, but their lavish website is already in place and loaded with goodies, including competitions you can enter now.

The Magic Pot

Once three witch children gave a little girl, who was out gathering wood, a magic pot that produced endless amounts of delicious kasha—until told to stop.

Kasha and cabbage soup are spoken of as the staff of life in Eastern Europe and Russia, much as an English speaker might speak of bread. So the young witches were kind; the little girl a bit naive; and as for the innkeeper, judge for yourself.

Gay Purr-ee

While I was searching for a better clip of Rooty Toot Toot I "discovered" Thurl Ravenscroft (1914-2005), who many of us know as the voice of Tony the Tiger—"They're GRRRREAT!" He was a bass who did a lot of voice acting in both films and commercials, but never made it as a solo singer. On his site was an m3u for a song he sang with the group he was most often bass for, The Mellomen. It was "The Money Cat."

I have vague aspirations of doing a little animation and this was an appealing song. However, a little research to find out exactly where it had been used seemed in order. Up came this clip on YouTube. I guess there's no disgrace in being beaten out by past master Chuck Jones. From 1962's feature length UPA animation Gay Purr-ee, "The Money Cat." Boost the sound a trifle to get the opening, spoken line, which the poster apparently made a point of including—and with reason.

"Evil is the root of all money."

The film stars a reasonably distinguished cast of voice talent, including Robert Goulet, Red Buttons, Hermione Gingold, Mel Blanc (the voice of Bugs Rabbit and many, many other characters) , Paul Frees and the Mellomen, and this singer:

Yes, that is Judy Garland as Mewsette, rolling off to Gay Purr-ee and adventure.

Leonard Rosenman, 83

Dead of a heart attack, composer Leonard Rosenman. He composed scores for everything from Rebel Without a Cause to the animated version of Lord of the Rings.

Stoker Ballot

HWA, the Horror Writers Association has announced the final ballot for the Stoker Awards. They will be presented Saturday, March 29th, at their banquet during the World Horror Convention in Salt Lake City.

Superior Achievement in a Novel: The Guardener's Tale by Bruce Boston (Sam's Dot Publishing); Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill (William Morrow) ; The Missing by Sarah Langan (Harper) ; The Witch's Trinity by Erika Mailman (Crown); The Terror by Dan Simmons (Little, Brown)

Superior Achievement in a First Novel: Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill (William Morrow) ; I Will Rise by Michael Calvillo (Lachesis Publishing) ; The Memory Tree by John R. Little (Nocturne Press); The Hollower by Mary SanGiovanni (Leisure Books)

Superior Achievement in Long Fiction: "Afterward, There Will be a Hallway" by Gary Braunbeck (Five Strokes to Midnight) ; "Almost the Last Story by Almost the Last Man" by Scott Edelman (Postscripts) ; "General Slocum's God" by Nicholas Kaufmann (Burning Effigy Press) ; "The Tenth Muse" by William Browning Spencer ; "An Apiary of White Bees" by Lee Thomas (Inferno)

Superior Achievement in Short Fiction: "The Death Wagon Rolls On By" by C. Dean Andersson (Cemetery Dance #57) ; "Letting Go" by John Everson (Needles and Sins) ; "The Teacher" by Paul G. Tremblay (Chizine) ; "There's No Light Between Floors by Paul G. Tremblay (Clarkesworld) ; "Closet Dreams" by Lisa Tuttle (Postscripts #10) ; "The Gentle Brush of Wings" by David Niall Wilson (Defining Moments)

Superior Achievement in an Anthology: "Five Strokes to Midnight" edited by Gary Braunbeck and Hank Schwaeble (Haunted Pelican Press) ; "Inferno" edited by Ellen Datlow (Tor) ; "Dark Delicacies 2: Fear" edited by Del Howison & Jeff Gelb (Carroll & Graf/Avalon) ; "Midnight Premiere" edited by Tom Piccirilli (Cemetery Dance Publications) ; "At Ease With the Dead" edited by Barbara & Christopher Roden (Ash-Tree Press)

Superior Achievement in a Collection: "Proverbs For Monsters" by Michael A. Arnzen (Dark Regions Press); "The Imago Sequence" by Laird Barron (Night Shade Books ; "Old Devil Moon" by Christopher Fowler (Serpent's Tail) ; "5 Stories" by Peter Straub (Borderlands) ; "Defining Moments" by David Niall Wilson (Sarob Press)

Superior Achievement in Nonfiction: "Encyclopedia Horrifica" by Joshua Gee (Scholastic) ; "The Portable Obituary: How the Famous, Rich, and Powerful Really Died" by Michael Largo (Harper) ; "The Cryptopedia: Dictionary of the Weird, Strange & Downright Bizarre" by Jonathan Maberry & David F. Kramer (Citadel Press / Kensington) ; "Storytellers Unplugged" by Joe Nassise and David Niall Wilson (Storytellers Unplugged)

Superior Achievement in Poetry: "Being Full of Light, Insubstantial" by Linda Addison (Space and Time); "Heresy" by Charlee Jacob (Bedlam Press [Necro Publications]) ; "Vectors: A Week in the Death of a Planet" by Charlee Jacob & Marge Simon (Dark Regions Press) ; "Phantasmapedia" by Mark McLaughlin (Dead Letter Press) ; "Ossuary" by JoSelle Vanderhooft (Sam's Dot Publishing)

Deed of Paksenarrion Series to Continue

King Kieri beginning in the aftermath of "Deed of Paksenarrion" series, has sold to Del Ray for publication in October 2009. Elizabeth Moon's three-book deal means this is likely to be the first book of a trilogy. Her website announces some story collections that will have to hold fans for this year.

Gary Gygax, 69

Dead, at the age of sixty-nine, the co-creator of Dragons and Dungeons, Gary Gygax. He had been in poor health for some time, suffering from strokes, heart problems, and circulatory near-failures, but continued to enjoy hearing from his fans. "I would like the world to remember me as the guy who really enjoyed playing games and sharing his knowledge and his fun pastimes with everybody else."

Science Fiction Hall of Fame Inductees

The Science Fiction Hall of Fame inductees for 2008 are William Gibson, Richard Powers, Rod Serling and Ian & Betty Ballantine. Although it is usual for only four inductees to be named each year the judges recognized Ian and Betty Ballantine as a dynamic duo. The induction ceremonies will take place at the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame in Seattle, Washington on June 21, 2008. Previous inductees are already a who's who of the field.