The 76th World Science Fiction Convention starts this week in San Jose, California, at the San Jose Convention Center. I am pleased to be a program participant. Here are the panels I've been invited to be part of.

The Myth of the Astronaut - Who Are the Space Cadets of Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow?

Friday Aug 17 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM (1 hour)
San Jose Convention Center - 210E

The current definition of an astronaut is someone who crosses the Karman line: 62 miles from the surface of the Earth. With Virgin Galactic selling trips over the line to more than 700 people already, let's start to ask ourselves: who have these idols of society been, really, and how are we going to re-shape our narrative of what an astronaut is and should be in the coming years?

Mary Robinette Kowal (Moderator), Wil McCarthy, Kjell Lindgren, Bill Higgins, Sheyna Gifford

So You Want To Build A Science Fictional Device

Sunday Aug 19 03:00 PM to 04:00 PM (1 hour)
San Jose Convention Center - 210G

Join us for an improv-technology panel - where the audience asks us to design a SFnal device, and the panelists have 5 minutes to come up with our best "non-handwavium" answers.

S. B. Divya (Moderator), Cory Doctorow, Sydney Thomson, Bill Higgins

[Challenging! This will get my adrenaline going, but I'm betting it will be fun.]

The Impact of Evolutionary Theory on Nineteenth Century Science Fiction

Sunday Aug 19 05:00 PM to 06:00 PM (1 hour)
San Jose Convention Center - 210A

A popular argument is that modern science fiction emerged as a consequence of the rise of modern science and the secular theory of progress, and rapid changes in human life brought about by technology and industry. But was evolutionary theory of equal, if not more importance, in triggering the development of modern science fiction in the nineteenth century? Was it only after Darwin and other key nineteenth century evolutionary writers that modern science fiction really blossomed? What important and essential themes and ways of thinking did evolution contribute into the creation of modern science fiction?

Tom Lombardo (Moderator), G. David Nordley, Bradford Lyau, David Brin, Bill Higgins

[Thomas Lombardo has recently published Science Fiction - The Evolutionary Mythology of the Future: Volume One, Prometheus to the Martians and this panel springs from that work.]

Here comes Capricon 37, this year again in the Westin Chicago North Shore Hotel in Wheeling, Illinois. It begins Thursday, 16 February, and runs through Sunday, 19 February. I'm participating in a number of program items.

Thursday, February 16

Conventions in the Social Media Age
Birch A (1), 3:30pm - 5pm
Track: Fan Interest

Liz Gilio (moderator), Meg Frank, William Frank, Neal F. Litherland, Bill Higgins

Social Media has allowed us unprecedented access to each other. While in many ways this is a good thing, it also allows anonymity and negativity to enter what many fans consider safe spaces. Has online fandom changed cons? For better or for worse? Has social media filled a void that cons used to fill? Are cons even necessary any more?

Friday, February 17

What Keeps You in Fandom?
Willow (1), 1pm - 2:30pm
Track: Fan Interest
Division: Programming
Dexter Fabi (moderator), Val Hoski, Jessica Guggenheim, Jason Betts, Bill Higgins

Every year you go to the same conventions, or you keep looking for that one author's books, or you dress as that character in the show you like.... what keeps your fandom alive? And what keeps you participating in your fandom at large?

Introduction to Classic Movies
Willow (1), 8:30pm - 10pm
Track: Media
Division: Programming
Dexter Fabi (moderator), Frank Salvatini, Bill Higgins

What classic SF movies are MUST see, and why?

Saturday, February 18

Return to Jupiter: NASA's Juno Mission
Botanic Garden Ballroom A (1), 10am - 11:30am
Track: Science
Division: Programming
Bill Higgins (a solo talk)

Last summer, a new spacecraft arrived at Jupiter. Juno's mission is to orbit the giant planet, studying its powerful magnetic field, intense radiation belts, and the intricate interplay of particles and energies surging through nearby space. Bill Higgins reviews Juno's role in gathering more clues to the formation and evolution of Jupiter.

Writing "Real" Aliens
Botanic Garden Ballroom B (1), 11:30am - 1pm
Track: Writing
Division: Programming
Richard Garfinkle (moderator), Phyllis Eisenstein, Martin L. Shoemaker, Michael Coorlim, Bill Higgins, Natalie Silk

Why do so many aliens look or sound like humans with prosthetics on their faces? Why does human sexual morphism/beauty codes carry across all species? Why aren't there more bugs and blobs?

Kids Plan a Mission to Mars
Elm (1), 4pm - 5:30pm
Track: Kids
Division: Programming
Jason Palmer, Bill Higgins, Lisa Garrison

What would YOU do if you were planning a mission to Mars? What things do you think would be needed?

Once again, I'm heading to Novi, Michigan for the 2017 iteration of Detroit fandom's venerable convention Confusion-- this year named "Friendship is Confusion." I'm participating in three program events. Say hello if you encounter me there.

Fan Guest of Honor Induction
Saturday 1 PM
St. Clair Room

The Fan Guest of Honour Introduction and Induction is a traditional ConFusion event, wherein any attending Fan GoHs of years past welcome the new Fan GoH to the club.

(I was Moonbase Confusion's Fan Guest of Honor in 2007, the year after Chuck Firment and the year before The Roving Pirate Party. This year we'll be inducting Mark Oshiro.)

Return to Jupiter: NASA's Juno Mission
Saturday noon
Manitou Room

Last summer, a new spacecraft arrived at Jupiter. Juno's mission is to orbit the giant planet, studying its powerful magnetic field, its intense radiation belts, and the intricate interplay of particles and energies surging through nearby space. Bill Higgins reviews Juno's role in gathering more clues to the formation and evolution of Jupiter.

Pimp Your Mars Rover
Saturday 5 PM
Manitou Room

What would a vehicle need to traverse the unforgiving surface of Mars? A perfect panel for those interested in engineering the next buggy.
Panelists: Karen Burnham (moderator), Martin L. Shoemaker, Courtney Schafer, Bill Higgins

It's nearly time for the 74th World Science Fiction Convention, MidAmeriCon II, in Kansas City, Missouri. It runs from the 17th to the 21st of August at the Kansas City Convention Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Here are program items in which I'm participating. "Kansas City, here I come!"

WSH HH&O 1090x960

Jungian Mindscapes and Clement's Iceworld

Thursday 10:00 - 11:00, 2201 (Academic) (Kansas City Convention Center)

[I'm the second speaker in this academic session of two short talks.]

“The Red One” and Enduring Archetypes of Science Fiction’s First Golden Age:
The Jungian Mindscapes Campbell Inherited from the Writers of the Fin de Siècle
Charles Von Nordheim

The Search for Saar: Looking Back at Hal Clement's Iceworld with 21st-Century Science
William S. Higgins
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory

Some scientific aspects of Hal Clement's 1951 novel Iceworld are notable 65 years later. First, in 1951 not one exoplanet was known. Clement would live to see an abundance of new planets circling distant stars. Furthermore, rather than seeking Earth-like planets, one may search for worlds Clement's sulfur-breathing aliens might inhabit comfortably. The planet-hunting Kepler spacecraft has identified at least one planet, Kepler 42c, where conditions approximate those of the imaginary world Saar. Second, in detail unusual for SF of its time, Iceworld explores a planet with remotely-operated spacecraft, anticipating the methods of the coming Space Age.

Kaffeeklatsch: Bill Higgins

Thursday 12:00 - 13:00, 2211 (KKs) (Kansas City Convention Center)

An hour of conversation with a few people who wish to converse with me. Attendees must sign up in advance Wednesday afternoon for the limited seating. Signup instructions are here. (I doubt actual coffee will be served.)

Other kaffeklatsch hosts in the same room at the same time—at different tables—will be Kathleen Ann Goonan, Brianna Spacekat Wu, and Christopher McKitterick.

Edison's Concrete Piano

Thursday 18:00 - 19:00, 2206 (Kansas City Convention Center)

Bill Higgins (Moderator), Dr. Jordin Kare, Allan Dyen-Shapiro, Howard Davidson, andyvanoverberghe

Even the greatest minds have some pretty strange ideas. In 1911, Edison decided to create a concrete piano. What other great, or extremely bizarre ideas have found their way to the US patent office? A look at the oddities that people have imagined.

Note: This panel has moved forward one hour from the original timeslot.

Where Science Fails

Friday 15:00 - 16:00, 2502B (Kansas City Convention Center)

Brother Guy Consolmagno SJ (Moderator), Bill Higgins, Anna Kashina, Dr Helen Pennington, Mr. Donald Douglas Fratz

Although scientists are supposed to follow the scientific method, sometimes that allow their human side to get ahead of them. What caused the crisis of replication in social psychology, the false alarm on cosmic inflation detection, or the announcement of cold fusion? How can these errors be avoided, and how do they damage the reputation of science?

Ask a Scientist

Saturday 15:00 - 16:00, 2210 (Kansas City Convention Center)

Mx Rachael Acks, Bill Higgins (Moderator), Dr. Claire McCague, Dr. Lawrence M. Schoen, Dr. Geoffrey A. Landis

Do you have a pressing question about the earth's warming, worm holes, advances in communication technology, cloning? A panel of scientists in varied areas of expertise are here to answer your scientific queries. Answers will be timed out at five minutes each, so don't ask for a detailed explanation of General Relativity! Please keep questions brief and specific.

Fizz and Fuse, the Reactor Brothers

Saturday 16:00 - 17:00, 3501H (Kansas City Convention Center)

Dr. Jordin Kare, Bill Higgins

In this humorous ad-lib chat, Jordin Kare and Bill Higgins diagnose people's spaceship (and other SF) problems in the style of "Car Talk."

Playback from Pluto

Sunday 15:00 - 16:00, 2502B (Kansas City Convention Center)

Bill Higgins

There's a treasure at the edge of the Solar System, a data recorder aboard the New Horizons spacecraft, sending Earth several gigabytes acquired during last summer's flyby of Pluto. The excitement of the initial encounter still lingers. Downlinks in recent months continue to illuminate the mysteries of Pluto, and 2019 brings us all new data. What will we learn?

We're attending Sasquan. K and I have a reservation for a room in the Doubletree from the 19th to the 24th. It has two queen-size beds. It would be nice to share the cost of the room with one or two others.

What's the best way to find potential roommates?

K and I are headed for Minicon 50 (yeah, fifty Minicons!) this weekend, 2 through 5 April. I love Minneapolis fandom and I love Minicon-- but this is the first time I've been able to attend in a few years. Here are the program items I'm doing. Can't wait!

Inappropriate (Mis)uses of Astrophysical Matter
FRI 8:30 PM Krushenko's

Forget about using the universe for good! That's not the human way of doing things! Murder by black hole was used as a plot device by Larry Niven in his Hugo award-winning "The Borderland of Sol." Dominic Green postulated using a Penrose accelerator as a waste management "solution" in his Hugo-nominated story, "The Clockwork Atom Bomb." A discussion of the Pandora's Box aspect of particle physics and astrophysics within SF.
Chris Beskar
Bill Higgins
Larry Niven
Michael Kingsley

Almost There
SAT 4:00 PM Veranda 3/4

So, we don't have flying cars. What "technology of the future" is actually right around the corner? A discussion of technologies that we almost have licked including nuclear fusion, anti-gravity, cloaking devices, and teleportation.
Bill Higgins
Bill Thomasson
Chris Beskar
Ctein
Neil Rest
Tyler Tork

Battlefields of Tomorrow
SAT 7:00 PM Veranda 5/6

Powered and unpowered - a discussion of various battle armors in Sci-Fi and the corresponding reality of what is being fielded, under development, and what is to come. Also, find out about the real world development and deployment of lasers, particle beam weapons, rail guns and other directed energy weapons.
Bill Higgins
Chris Beskar
John Stanfield

[Looks like I'll need to get a quick dinner between about 5 and 6:30, or wait and have a late dinner after 8.]

Dawn of the Asteroid Belt: Exploring Vesta and Ceres
SUN 1:00 PM Edina

Asteroids are relics of the ancient Solar System. NASA's Dawn spacecraft orbited Vesta for a year. Now its ion thrusters have propelled it across the Asteroid Belt to Ceres, the largest asteroid, where Dawn has again entered orbit. Join Bill Higgins to explore Dawn's findings at Vesta and its plans for doing science at Ceres.
Bill Higgins

I don't think I've met Chris Beskar, but it looks like I'm going to be seeing a lot of him in the next few days...

Quoting from an announcement from Sasquan, the 73rd World Science Fiction Convention, to be held this August in Spokane, Washington:

From: Marah Searle-Kovacevic
Subject: Announcing new Special Guest!
Date: March 14, 2015 5:07:42 PM CDT

We are proud to announce that NASA Astronaut Dr. Kjell Lindgren is a Special Guest of Sasquan!

Dr. Lindgren will be participating in Sasquan while serving as a flight engineer on the International Space Station during NASA Expeditions 44 and 45. Yes, for the first time in Worldcon history, we will be in direct communication with a member of our community - out of this world!

[Full announcement here.]

Marah Searle-Kovacevic

Hospitality Division Head, Sasquan
Social Media Head, Sasquan

As one of the Usual Suspects where Worldcon space programming is concerned, I welcome Dr. Lindgren to the conversation. May he find his participation in our 76-year-long tradition as rewarding as we do!

Capricon is once again at the Westin Chicago North Shore in Wheeling, Illinois this weekend, 12 through 15 February. And it will keep me pretty busy, conversing with some delightful people.

Re-starting the Manned Space Program
- Thursday, 02-12-2015 - 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm - Ravinia A
The shuttle program is gone, so what are we going to do next to get back into space? Will NASA be leading the charge, or private companies? Explore the state of re-starting the manned space program.
Chris Gerrib
Bill Higgins
James Plaxco (M)

Rise Up!
- Friday, 02-13-2015 - 11:30 am to 1:00 pm - River AB (Programming - Media)
Aerospace - balloons, zeppelins, airplanes, rocket ships. Fans remain fascinated with flight so let's get together and geek out about it!
Bill Higgins (M)
Emmy Jackson
James Plaxco
Henry Spencer

Rosetta and Ramifications: The Future of Robotic Space Missions
- Friday, 02-13-2015 - 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm - River AB (Programming - Media)
November 2014 saw new milestones in robotic space exploration with the Rosetta mission to comet 67P and the dramatic landing of the Philae probe on its surface. Observational science of Pluto has already commenced with the New Horizons probe that was sent to investigate the Kuiper Belt and will fly-by of the dwarf planet this July. Where do we fly to next, and what should the primary science objectives be for future missions? What new technology do we need to get there?
Bill Higgins (M)
Henry Spencer

Where in the Universe are We?
- Saturday, 02-14-2015 - 2:30 pm to 4:00 pm - Elm (Kids Programming)
Bill Higgins talks to us about outer space and where we, as Earth dwellers, fit into the universe.
Bill Higgins
Lisa Garrison-Ragsdale

Random Panel Topic
- Sunday, 02-15-2015 - 10:00 am to 11:30 am - Botanic Garden A (Special Events - Programming)
What happens to the panel ideas that get rejected? They are reborn here as random panel topics! Our panelists will choose a topic (at random, of course) and speak expertly on them for 5 minutes each. You'll be rolling on the floor with laughter!
Sondra de Jong (M)
Peter Heltzer
Bill Higgins
Mary Mascari
Mark Oshiro

Rocks & Rockets: Dawn of the Asteroid Belt
- Sunday, 02-15-2015 - 11:30 am to 1:00 pm - River AB (Programming - Media)
Asteroids are relics of the ancient solar system. NASA's Dawn spacecraft orbited Vesta for a year. Now its ion thruster is propelling it across the Asteroid Belt to Ceres, the largest asteroid, where this spring it will again enter orbit. Join Bill Higgins on an exploration of Dawn's findings at Vesta and its plans for Ceres.
Bill Higgins (M)

Capricon encompasses four holidays this year: Lincoln's Birthday, Friday the Thirteenth, Valentine's Day, and (according to Bob Trembley) Chelyabinsk Day. Reason to celebrate.

I've attended every Windycon, but one, since Windycon 3. And I'm looking forward to Windycon 41, which starts tomorrow at the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center in Lombard, Illinois.

I'll be giving a talk Saturday afternoon; there's another panel I'd like to join, but I'll need to talk to Program Ops first.

The Alien in the Human Imagination

3:00 PM Saturday
Grand Ballroom GH
1 hour

Extraterrestrial life has yet to be found, but aliens have been lurking in the human mind for millennia. The idea that other worlds may have inhabitants of their own goes back to antiquity. Renaissance philosophers debated it. 19th century science suggested an inhabited Mars. Science fiction and the Space Age contributed new speculations and new data. Join Bill Higgins to become part of the "plurality of worlds" conversation.

I regret to say that we won't be attending Loncon 3. We have two memberships for sale at $192 each.

They include voting rights for the Hugo Awards and 2016 Worldcon site selection. The right to download the Hugo Voter Packet is also included.

The 73rd World Science Fiction Convention is LonCon 3, in London, England, 14-18 August 2014.

If you know anyone who might desire a membership, please pass this along.

To contact me by e-mail: higgins at fnal dot gov.

I am with Chris Olsen, his daughters, and

jonsinger.

Chris is making daguerreotype portraits of Jon. This requires a blazing array of lights, including multiple banks of bright blue LEDs. There are, of course, several steps of treatment with wet chemicals. It is helpful to have the assistance of daughters.

These pictures look very nice.

Daguerreotypes. In 2014.

These are the kinds of people I run around with.

I am a lucky guy.

In his long, weary journey to Minneapolis,

jonsinger paused here at the Nuclear Arms to rest. His car pulled up at the curb, and began to disgorge instrument after instrument.

I have played each of the Fakeleles he brought along. Jon is teaching himself how to play a uke.

Todd Johnson showed him Fermilab, and he was able to commune with fellow tinkerers.

We bid him farewell this morning. My phone tells me he made it to the other end.

This coming weekend, I'll be involved in a number of program items for Duckon 23, a science fiction convention held in the Westin North Shore Hotel in Wheeling, Illinois. They're also planning for a Zeusaphone performance by the Masters of Lightning at sundown on Friday (if it rains, Saturday).

The theme this year is "What If?"-- but isn't that the implicit theme of every SF and fantasy convention, ever?

Saturday, 7 June

2:00-2:55 P.M. Ravinia A
The Science of Hal Clement’s Iceworld--Special Science Presentation

The late Hal Clement, who often attended DucKon, was celebrated for weaving stories out of scientific fact. In his novel Iceworld, characters who breathe hot gaseous sulfur confront the mysteries of Earth, to them an unbelievably frigid planet. Among other things, the legendary master of “putting the science in SF” foresaw robotic interplanetary exploration in a unique way. And the new science of exoplanets sheds light. Join Bill Higgins in exploring the chemistry, physics and astronomy behind the classic story.

4:00-4:55 P.M. Con Suite
Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream Party

Join Bill Higgins and friends as he and his helpers make fantastic, tasty ice cream the DucKon way!

[Another source says this happens at 5 PM. I don't know which to believe. Check when you get to the con. I also don't know who the friends are. I trust the concom will be coming up with suitable utensils and ingredients.]

9:00-9:55 P.M. Ravinia E
Hey, Hollywood, You Ruined My Book

Have you ever loved a book so much that you just couldn’t wait for the movie? And then when it finally came out, it left a lot to be desired. Come and share your tales of dismay and horror at what Hollywood did to your favorite book.
(Rebecca L. Frencl, David Gerrold, Bill Higgins, Jeffrey Liss, Virginia Massetti (M))

10:00-10:55 P.M. Ravinia A
Are We Ready For The What If?

What do we do when the future comes and we are not ready for it? How do we prepare ourselves for the future advances and reactions?
(John Higgins, Bill Higgins)
[Yes, there is a local fan named John Higgins. No relation so far as I know.]

Sunday, 8 June

12:00-12:55 P.M. Ravinia E
Evolution of Battlefield Weapons

From swords to laser pointed guns, many of us are fascinated by the variety of weapons developed in history to the present. What are the next models of military or home defense? Will the manufacturers go to phasers some day?
(Walt Boyes, Lee Darrow (M), Chris Gerrib, Roland J. Green, Bill Higgins)

Long ago, in recounting his own genesis as a science fiction fan, Patrick Nielsen Hayden wrote:

In 1971, I actually managed to find a Phoenix chapter of the Tolkien Society, and attended one of their meetings, where, being twelve, I was mostly ignored by all, save for a large fellow named Bill Patterson who talked to me almost as if I were human.

Bill had no way of knowing that kid would one day publish fanzines.

Bill had no way of knowing that kid would one day be a Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund winner.

Bill had no way of knowing that kid would go on to win the Hugo Award for Best Professional Editor, Long Form. Multiple times.

But Bill Patterson was a gentleman. Instinctively, he treated a twelve-year-old stranger with respect.

And for all the decades afterwards, Patrick remembered that.

William H.Patterson, Jr. passed away last week. I will miss him. Nobody alive knew more about Robert Heinlein. He was a kind man.

I valued Bill's friendship-- though we didn't know one another well-- and was grateful for the warm encouragement he gave to my own research. In addition, he was always generous in sharing his hard-earned knowledge.

Before I met him, he'd already co-authored The Martian Named Smith: Critical Perspectives on Robert A. Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land with Andrew Thornton. In 2010, Bill published Volume 1 of his much-anticipated biography of Heinlein, Learning Curve.

Here's more about Bill.

Here's an obituary at Tor.com.

If you'd like to see Bill in action, here's video and audio of a talk about Heinlein he gave at the Cato Institute in 2010.

Adding to the sadness is the realization that Bill died just before his new book was to be published. Robert A. Heinlein, Vol 2: In Dialogue with His Century Volume 2: The Man Who Learned Better, known to some as ISBN 978-0765319616, can be ordered from Amazon, to be published on 3 June. I want to read it.

Bill Patterson labored long and hard to make good books.

As you may know, Fred Pohl passed away last September. He was a giant of science fiction. And a friend.

I've just found an announcement from his wife, Elizabeth Anne Hull:

Plans are under way for a celebration in memory of Fred, to be held August 2, 2014, at the Wojcek Conference Center at William Rainey Harper College in Palatine, Illinois.

Please save the date and join us if you can. If you’d like to participate in the program, please let me know as soon as possible.

I'm looking forward to it.

Fred's blog, The Way the Future Blogs, continues. Professor Hull and the blog team post there, and Fred left behind a considerable backlog of writings that have yet to appear.

There's a new con in Chicago. Chi-Fi has postponed their first full-weekend con until March 2015, but for a taste of what's to come, they've organized Chi-Fi 0, a one-day event this Saturday, 29 March, from 3 PM to 3 AM at the Palmer House Hilton downtown. Events cover science fiction, gaming, cosplay, concerts, elements of the Bristol Ren Faire, fannish diversity, and much more. They even have SMOFfing: a panel on "Con Harassment Policies: Nuts and Bolts."

And a Higgins talk. According to the schedule for Chi-Fi 0, I'm speaking Saturday night at 10:30. I thought it might be fun to tell the attendees what I know about a beloved symbol of paleofuturism.

I Know Where Your Jetpack Is: The Rise and Fall of the Bell Rocket Belt

10:30 PM
Grant Park Room

The cry "Where's my jetpack?" is often heard in the 21st century. Long ago, seen on TV, at the World's Fair, and at the Olympics, the Bell Rocket Belt delighted millions and became an icon of the Space Age. After this "jetpack," descended from X-plane technology, made its first flight in 1961, Bell Aerospace struggled and failed to find a market for it—but a handful of enthusiasts have built new rocket belts and are flying them today.

I'm looking forward to the event, and hoping it's a success. (And it's a chance to deploy my rarely-seen Livejournal rocket belt icon.) See you downtown...

My friend Fred Pohl passed away last weekend. There are appreciations of him sprouting up all over the Net. Some that have come to my attention include Jo Walton's, Joe Haldeman's, and one on his own blog site by Leah Zeldes.

Fred connected us to the age of pulps, when science fiction was still forming itself, and to the first decade of SF fandom. He had innumerable tales to tell, about those days, and about all the years in between.

I'd like to share a few links, in particular audio and video where you can hear Fred tell stories and converse with his colleagues.

Frederik Pohl reminisces at Windycon in 2012 (MP3), courtesy of Leigh Hanlon's Chicagoscope .

Fred and Jack Williamson discuss “The Art, Science and Combat of Collaboration”, a 1977 panel at Confusion, from The Time Traveler Show and the Science Fiction Oral History Association.

SFFaudio page rounding up audio of Fred's fiction.

Also from SFFaudio, a 1972 interview with Isaac Asimov and Fred Pohl together:
Part 1 (MP3). Part 2 (MP3).

Video of Fred's 2004 talk at the Library of Congress (Realplayer format).

Mentions of Fred in my own blog. "Eponymously Yours, W. Skeffington Higgins."

(Prose) interview with R. K. Troughton at Amazing Stories.

Edited to add: Another audio track by Fred Pohl exists, but as far as I know it's not available online. In 2002, celebrating Windycon XXIX, ISFiC Press created A Walk on the Windy Side, a compact disc containing comedy, songs, and stories.

On this CD, Fred reads his 1949 story for Planet Stories, "Let the Ants Try." It's a 28-minute track. Each person attending Windycon was given a copy, but no further copies were sold, so the album is rather scarce.*

On the theory that two nonagenarians are better than one, the StarShipSofa podcast interviewed Jack Vance and Fred Pohl together in 2010.

In the 1960s, Fred was also a regular guest on Long John Nebel's late-night radio talk show. Some tapes of this show are floating around the Net, but I can't lay hands just now on any episodes that may feature Fred.

* I'm on it too, performing Jeff Duntemann's filksong "Our Space Opera Goes Rolling Along." Maybe I should put it online somehow. The tune is public domain, and I could probably get Jeff's blessing.

Andy Ihnatko, whose work I frequently admire, writes about the collection of pulp science fiction magazines Roger Ebert kept all his life.

Hugh Daniel has passed away. He was a good friend for more than three decades.

I have spoken to a member of his family; they haven't yet made funeral plans.

Hugh was known among hackers, among science fiction fans, among privacy advocates, and, no doubt, among people in many more circles beyond I'm not aware of. He was a walking bundle of enthusiasm. This morning, Eric S. Raymond wrote, "World will be a duller place with Hugh gone." Amen to that.

Here's my 2011 essay about Hugh.

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Page Summary

My Schedule for Worldcon 76 in San Jose
My Schedule for Capricon 37
My Schedule for Friendship Is Confusion
My Schedule for Worldcon: Midamericon II
Worldcon: Best Way to Seek Roommates?
My Schedule for Minicon 50
Worldcon 2015 to Be Held in Spokane, Washington and Low Earth Orbit
My Schedule for Capricon 35
My Schedule for My Thirty-Eighth Windycon
For Sale: Two Worldcon Memberships
Blogging (As WHL Says) from an Undisclosed Location
Jon Singer Sighted
My Schedule for Duckon 23
About Bill Patterson (1951-2014): Part 2
About Bill Patterson (1951-2014): Part 1
Celebration of Frederik Pohl Next Summer: 2 August at Harper College
At Chi-Fi 0 This Saturday Night: I Know Where Your Jetpack Is
Man Minus: The Voice of Frederik Pohl (1919-2013)
"Roger sent me a box just a couple of weeks before he died."
RIP Hugh Daniel, Hacker

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Eponymously Yours, W. Skeffington Higgins

Entries tagged with fandom

My Schedule for Worldcon 76 in San Jose

The Myth of the Astronaut - Who Are the Space Cadets of Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow?

So You Want To Build A Science Fictional Device

The Impact of Evolutionary Theory on Nineteenth Century Science Fiction

My Schedule for Capricon 37

My Schedule for Friendship Is Confusion

My Schedule for Worldcon: Midamericon II

Worldcon: Best Way to Seek Roommates?

My Schedule for Minicon 50

Worldcon 2015 to Be Held in Spokane, Washington and Low Earth Orbit

My Schedule for Capricon 35

My Schedule for My Thirty-Eighth Windycon

The Alien in the Human Imagination

For Sale: Two Worldcon Memberships

Blogging (As WHL Says) from an Undisclosed Location

Jon Singer Sighted

My Schedule for Duckon 23

About Bill Patterson (1951-2014): Part 2

About Bill Patterson (1951-2014): Part 1

Celebration of Frederik Pohl Next Summer: 2 August at Harper College

At Chi-Fi 0 This Saturday Night: I Know Where Your Jetpack Is

Man Minus: The Voice of Frederik Pohl (1919-2013)

"Roger sent me a box just a couple of weeks before he died."

RIP Hugh Daniel, Hacker