George R.R. Martin has been named USA Today‘s 2011 Author of the Year. The honor comes, in no small part, thanks to the increase in popularity of his Song of Ice and Fire series after the HBO series Game of Thrones. The books, already hits, have skyrocketed to bestseller fame thanks to the HBO publicity; [...]

The 2013 World Fantasy Convention has announced writers Richard Matheson and his son Richard Christian Matheson as the first author guests of honour for the convention, to be held October 31 – November 3, 2013 in Brighton, England. For more information, see the World Fantasy 2013 website.

Long-time fan James “Rusty” Hevelin, 89, died December 27, 2011 at the VA Hospital Hospice Center in Dayton OH. Hevelin was born February 16, 1922, and became active in fandom beginning in the 1930s, and remained involved for the rest of his life. He was a fanzine publisher (notably of H-1661), contributor, collector, and huckster. He was fan guest [...]

French science fiction writer Richard Bessière died in his hometown of Béziers December 22, 2011, at the age of 88. Bessière began publishing in 1951 with a series of pulpy SF stories, Conquérants de l’Univers [Conquerors of the Universe]. He went on to publish other adventure series, and a number of stand-alone novels blending horror [...]

Louis Thirion, French science fiction writer, died December 9, 2011 in Paris. He was 88. Thirion was born October 25, 1923, and published his first novel, Waterloo, morne plaine [Waterloo, Sad Plain] in 1964. During his 40-year career he wrote over 30 novels characterized by their humor and surrealist aesthetic, several radio dramas for Théâtre [...]

The 70th World Science Fiction Convention, Chicon 7, has extended the submission deadline for its Hugo Award Base Design Competition to January 15, 2012. The winning entry, which will feature the iconic Hugo Award Rocket on a base with a design that reflects “a theme appropriate to Chicago and the Midwest,” will be introduced by [...]

The Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society (LASFS) has selected Mike Glyer as this year’s recipient of the Forry Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Field of Science Fiction. The award, named for Forrest J Ackerman, long-time fan and “Mr. LASFS,” has been presented annually since 1966. Previous winners include such eminent figures as Isaac Asimov, [...]

The Science Fiction Awards Watch website has returned after a short hiatus during which previous owners Cheryl Morgan and Kevin Standlee transferred ownership and maintenance of the site to fan and blogger Steve Davidson. Davidson has announced that he plans to bring the listing of awards and nominations on the site back up to date [...]

Thomas J. Bassler, 79 who wrote SF as T.J. Bass, died December 13, 2011. He began publishing as Bass with “Star Itch” in If (1968), and in addition to several stories, he wrote two novels nominated for Nebula Awards: fix-up Half Past Human (1970) and The Godwhale (1974). He ceased writing SF in the ’70s, [...]

Writer Russell Hoban, 86, died December 13, 2011 in London. Hoban was a celebrated children’s author, best known for his series of books about Frances the Badger (beginning with Bedtime for Frances, 1960), and for his classic The Mouse and His Child (1967). He also did many adult works of SF interest, particularly post-holocaust novel [...]