Out of the Woodwork 145. December 2008
Fantastic Literature - setting the standards for out of print on-line bookselling.

Welcome to our newsletter, it contains up to the minute news and gossip as well as awards details and items requiring help from the collective consciousness. If you wish to contribute please do so! We welcome your thoughts, your news items and any gossip! We do love a bit of gossip here at Fantastic HQ

Sad news from the World of Fandom - dear old Forry Ackerman passed away at the age of 92 at his home in Los Angeles on December 4th. Forry was a customer of ours and a thoroughly nice man, he will be sadly missed. The Ackermansion had some 300,000 pieces of SF memorabilia. SFWA, Classic Horror, BBC, LA Times

before the passing of Mr. Sc-Fi on Dec 4, 2008 at the time of two minutes to midnight. “Fangs for the memories, Forry! We will miss your wit & wisdom. Resto en paco monstro majstro.” (contributed by Paul Couper from an E Bay seller)

Dumarest news: I can definitely confirm that Ted Tubb's latest Dumarest book number 33 'Child of Earth' is being published in November or December by Homeworld Press, Chicago. It will have a trade paperback first, then a normal paperback will follow - assuming sales are good enough. Ted is also now working on Dumarest 34, no title yet

We are very pleased to hear that - thanks to Fay Shayol.

Sad news as well, for those a certain age, is the passing away of Oliver Postgate. Creator of such classics as Ivor the Engine and Bagpuss, but fondly remembered mostly here at Fantastic HQ for the classics, Noggin the Nog and The Clangers. Great SF and fantasy shows for those of a tender age! BBC story

The Triffids are coming to the BBC. A new television adaptation of classic sci-fi story The Day of The Triffids is being made by the BBC. The drama, about menacing plants taking over the world, will be shown in two feature-length episodes next year.

What do you think of the remake of The Survivors? Last week they found some chickens, weeks after the original decimation of the population by the plague, wouldn't savage packs of dogs have devoured the chickens, in fact we haven't seen one dog - very strange? and another thing! Why are there no crashed or abandoned cars on the motorways?

Dawn of the Dead Dames. In the forthcoming British horror movie Doghouse, a gang of Average Joes escape for a weekend in the country after one of them has his heart broken by an evil woman.
But the boys-on-tour vibe is somewhat dampened by the arrival of an army of psychotic female zombies, intent on devouring our hapless heroes. The film sees Danny Dyer (poster boy for the "birds and booze" bloke) and his ragtag team of friends fight the man-hating cannibals – branded "zombirds" – with boys' toys like remote control cars, golf balls and water pistols filled with nitro fluid. Harmless fun, you might think. But Doghouse is just one of a flurry of horror comedies (or "slashcoms") that form a worrying new trend. September saw the release of Zombie Strippers, featuring porn star Jenna Jameson as – yes – a man-eating stripper. And, on 20 March next year, we'll be treated to the charmingly titled Lesbian Vampire Killers. The film, starring cuddly James Corden and Mathew Horne, is pitched as a lighthearted jape, but it doesn't take Germaine Greer to spot the unsettling anti-female sentiment veiled in gags about boobs. So when did women become such a threat? Full Independent story

Holy Funeral Parlour! Batman fans are set to discover whether the Caped Crusader is going to be killed off in his latest comic issue. Batman RIP will see "the end of Bruce Wayne as Batman", the comic's Scottish writer Grant Morrison has revealed to avid readers. There are rumours Bruce Wayne may either retire from his duties or be killed by a mystery villain known as the Black Glove. Full BBC story

Do you lie about what you read?

Nearly half of all men and one-third of women have lied about what they have read to try to impress friends or potential partners, a survey suggests.Men were most likely to do this to appear intellectual or romantic, found the poll of 1,500 people by Populus for the National Year of Reading campaign.

The men polled said they would be most impressed by women who read news websites, Shakespeare or song lyrics.Women said men should have read Nelson Mandela's biography or Shakespeare. BBC Story

ASFA is pleased to announce the winners of the 2007 Chesley Awards.

Best Cover Illustration – Hardback Book
Donato Giancola, “The Outback Stars” by Sandra McDonald, Tor, 4/07

Best Cover Illustration – Paperback Book
Donato Giancola, “Crystal Dragon” by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller Ace, 11/07

Best Cover Illustration – Magazine
Cory and Catska Ench, Fantasy & Science Fiction, 3/07

Best Interior Illustration
James Gurney, “Dinotopia ;Journey to Chandara”, Andrews McMeel, 9/07

Best Gaming Related Illustration
Donato Giancola, “Vanguard: Saga of Heroes”, Sigil Games Online

Best Product Illustration
Todd Lockwood, “War of Angels”, poster for Bullseye Tattoo

Best Monochrome – Unpublished
Donato Giancola, “Season of Change”, Pencil and Chalk on Toned paper

Best Color Work – Unpublished
Donato Giancola, “Red Sonja”, Oil

Best Three Dimensional Art
Vincent Villafranca, “Conscious Entity and Its Maker”, Bronze

Best Art Director
Irene Gallo, Tor Books

Award for Artistic Achievement
Michael Wm. Kaluta

The other finalists were The Book of Joby, by Mark J. Ferrari; Bright of the Sky, by Kay Kenyon; Not Flesh Nor Feathers, by Cherie Priest; and Powers, by Ursula K. LeGuin. Thirty seven books were entered for the Award, which is for science fiction and fantasy works created by writers living in the Pacific Northwest. Endeavour awards

WORLD HORROR CONVENTION TO BE HELD IN BRITAIN
To celebrate its 20th Anniversary, The World Horror Convention will be held over March 25-28, 2010, in the historic Victorian seaside city of Brighton, on the picturesque south coast of England. This is the first time that the event will have been held off the North American continent.

The theme will be "Brighton Shock! - A Celebration of the European Horror Tradition from Victorian Times to the Present Day", and the convention will host numerous panels, talks, presentations, readings, workshops and displays devoted to horror, macabre, mystery and thriller fiction and art in all its varied and fearsome forms.

The World Horror Convention's prestigious Grand Master Award will also be presented at a sit-down Banquet during the weekend. Past recipients have included Stephen King, Dean R. Koontz, Anne Rice, Ray Bradbury, Clive Barker, Peter Straub, Brian Lumley and Ramsey Campbell.

The venue will be the historic Royal Albion Hotel, which dates back more than 180 years and is situated directly opposite Brighton's iconic Palace Pier and a stone's throw from the beach. There are plenty of alternative hotels and Bed & Breakfasts in the immediate surroundings, catering for all budgets, and Brighton is filled with restaurants, wine bars and clubs. Antiquarian shopping precinct The Lanes, the Sea Life Centre and the
world-famous Royal Pavilion are also within easy walking distance.

Brighton has direct transport links from Gatwick International Airport and the centre of London, and is easily accessible for overseas visitors, especially those from mainland Europe. And if you want to extend your stay, then Britain's annual National Science Fiction Convention, Odyssey 2010, is being held near to Heathrow airport the following weekend. Come for World Horror and stay for Eastercon!

Attending membership is currently just 50.00 UK pounds. This will rise incrementally during the run-up to the convention, so the sooner you join the cheaper it is! And with foreign exchange rates so strong against the pound at the moment, this represents a big saving for overseas attendees who book soon.

All information about the convention, hotel and location is available on our website <www.whc2010.org>, including an easy to use PayPal Registration Form (which will automatically convert your payment at the current exchange rate). Or you can print off the form and send it with a cheque (sterling
only) to: World Horror Convention, PO Box 64317, London NW6 9LL, England.

Over the coming months we will be announcing an exciting line-up of Guests of Honour and information about how to book hotel rooms, along with regular updates via the website and our exclusive RSS feed.

With numerous writers, artists, editors, publishers and booksellers expected to attend from all over the world, this is the one event that the dedicated horror fan, author or collector cannot afford to miss!

Wish you were here? . . . Well, now you can be.

WORLD HORROR CONVENTION.
MARCH 25-28, 2010.
BRIGHTON, ENGLAND.
www.whc2010.org

A screenplay for a James Bond film that was never made has been sold at auction in London for £46,850. The script for Warhead, written by Sir Sean Connery, author Len Deighton and producer Kevin McClory, had been expected to fetch no more than £3,000. In the 1976 script, Bond battles robot sharks attempting to plant a nuclear bomb in sewers underneath New York. Full BBC story

Harry Potter author JK Rowling has read from her newly released book of fairy tales to schoolchildren in Edinburgh. The Tales of Beedle the Bard were first mentioned in Rowling's previous book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The book was originally conceived as a limited edition, handwritten "labour of love" to be given to six close friends Full BBC story

Dept of smug self satisfaction (cont)

I just love your newsletter. It keeps me completely informed about what's going on in the horror genre. I already found new titles to add to my to-be-read books. I was wondering if you plan to have a copy of Ghost Story (Straub) anytime soon. I received my books today (Miranda and House on Borderland) and can't wait to read them!
Best,
Mayra Calvani

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Thank you so much for the quick and efficient delivery of my book, I'm well chuffed and look forward to ordering from you again. Simon Prodomuo

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Simon & Laraine, WOW! You really know how to pack books. I shall return when I have money again. Thanks SO SO much! add emoticon that is one better than a happy face.

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Hi there my book arrived today 3/12/08 in superb condition and very well packaged,i have your website in my favorites but you can still add me to your newsletter e mail list .Thanks once again for excellent service and a fab book from one of my top authors.My other favorites are Ray Bradbury,Richard Matheson and Fredric Brown . Stewart Green

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