April News

* Overheard in the Store:
"The Mayo Clinic? I just couldn't trust any clinic named after a condiment."

"No, please --- go ahead and shoutsplain Purim to the room. Sexy."

* The Editor-in-Chief of Strange Horizons has stepped down and will be staying on as a consulting editor. http://strangehorizons.com/non-fiction/azimuth/editorials/moving-on/

* Astronaut Dr. Kjell Lindgrenhas been chosen as Toastmaster for this year's Nebulas. http://www.locusmag.com/News/2017/03/dr-lindgren-named-nebula-awards-toastmaster/

* The SFPA has voted to change their name from Science Fiction Poetry Association to Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association, while keeping their acronym the same.  Voter breakdown here: https://specpo.wordpress.com/2017/03/21/sfpa-gets-a-new-name/

* Borderlands is saddened by the passing of Bernie Wrightson.  The television show "The Walking Dead" dedicated their series finale to his memory.  http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/the-walking-dead/news/a825139/walking-dead-finale-season-7-dedicated-bernie-wrightson/

* Marvel to follow DC's lead and produce a half-hour sitcom, although instead of focusing on unpowered people like DC's Powerless, it will focus on the young adult superhero group New Warriors, lead by fan-favorite Squirrel Girl.  Read all about it here: http://shadowandact.com/2017/04/05/marvels-new-warriors-is-heading-to-freeform-with-straight-to-series-order-the-second-to-do-so/

* "Invader Zim" is coming back to our TV screens!  Let the screeching about cupcakes begin! https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/04/invader-zim-will-return-to-tv-soon-ish-with-original-creator-cast/

* An excellent article on Margaret Atwood, science fiction, feminism and dystopias: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/mar/25/dystopian-dreams-how-feminist-science-fiction-predicted-the-future

* Article on the new Netflix Sci-Fi show starring Robert Redford, "The Discovery," and the way the afterlife is explored in the genre. http://junkee.com/the-discovery-review-sci-fi-afterlife/101194

* It started as an Instagram account celebrating black characters in science fiction, fantasy, and horror, and now the creator wants to turn it into a short film studio.  More information here: http://www.konbini.com/ng/inspiration/this-instagram-account-celebrates-black-characters-in-scifi-fantasy-and-horror/

* Get your official Bond villain name and location - original sexist Fleming style or Modern take, you choose. https://www.lovereading.co.uk/bond-villain/#

* A column on racism in science fiction in general and Veronica Roth’s Carve The Mark specifically. http://www.idsnews.com/article/2017/03/sci-fi-racism

* If you weren’t able to go to this series because you don’t live in New York or didn’t know about it, there's  a list of lesser-known Japanese sf/f films to check out.  http://screenanarchy.com/2017/03/beyond-godzilla-highlights-lesser-known-japanese-sci-fifantasy-films-gallery.html

* Marvel executive is backtracking as fast as possible after claiming people do not want female characters in comics. http://www.teenvogue.com/story/marvel-exec-backtracks-diverse-female-characters

* A debate on the current "Ghost in the Shell" movie and charges of whitewashing in Hollywood: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-ghost-in-the-shell-hollywood-whitewashing-justin-chang-jen-yamato-20170406-story.html

* St. Patrick’s Day is long past, but how can you resist a list of 25 important green figures in science fiction? You can’t. http://www.blastr.com/2017-3-17/25-important-green-figures

* Some interesting ruminations on the show "Westworld," the story of Job, and what power might lie in pain. http://jewishjournal.com/opinion/212380/finding-god-in-westworld-the-power-of-pain/

* Ranking the coolest science fiction weapons.  Can’t say we agree with the whole list, but there were definitely some things to think about.  https://www.inverse.com/article/29268-coolest-science-fiction-weapons-of-all-time-star-wars-star-trek-blade-runner

* Some of our favorite authors are contributing to an-until-now secret "Star Wars" anthology: http://www.tor.com/2017/04/07/a-bunch-of-your-favorite-authors-are-contributing-to-star-wars-from-a-certain-point-of-view/

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Award News
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* The 2017 Hugo Award Nominees have been announced: http://www.theverge.com/2017/4/4/15178480/2017-hugo-award-nominations-science-fiction-fantasy-books

* The winner of the 2016 James Tiptree Jr. Award has been announced, along with the honor and the long list.  Congratulations to Anna-Marie McLemore, whose novel WHEN THE MOON WAS OURS took home the prize.  The whole list is here: https://tiptree.org/2017/03/anna-marie-mclemore-wins-the-2016-tiptree-award-plus-honor-list-long-list-announcements

* Finalists for The Compton Crook Award, for the best first novel written in 2016, have been announced. http://www.bsfs.org/CCA/bsfsccnu2014.htm

* There are several finalists for the Audie Awards particularly of interest to speculative fiction fans.  Check out all the finalists here: https://www.audiopub.org/winners/2017-audies

* The Australian Horror Writers Association has announced the winners of the 2016 Australian Shadows Awards, which celebrate horror and dark fantasy.  Check out the winners and nominees here: http://australianhorror.com/index.php?view=191

* The This Is Horror 2016 Awards have announced their winners and runner-ups as voted by members of the website. http://www.thisishorror.co.uk/awards/

* The Carnegie and Greenway Awards for Childrens' books have announced their short lists.
http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/press.php?release=pres_2017_shortlists_announced.html

* The 29th Annual Lambda Literary Awards have announced their finalists for all categories including LGBTQ SF/F/H, which includes some titles speculative fans might have missed this year.  Check out all the nominees here: http://www.lambdaliterary.org/features/news/03/14/29th-annual-lambda-literary-award-finalists-announced/

* The 2016 finalists for the AnLab Readers Awards: http://www.analogsf.com/about-analog/anlab-readers-awards-finalists/

* The shortlist of the YA Book Prize has several books of interest to SF/F readers. http://www.thebookseller.com/ya-book-prize

* The longlist for the Bailey's Women's prize also has titles of interest to SF/F fans. http://www.womensprizeforfiction.co.uk/reading-room/news/announcing-2017-longlist

* The Spectrum Awards for art in science fiction and fantasy have announced their finalists for 2016. http://fleskpublications.com/blog/2017/03/06/spectrum-24-award-nominations/