(1) 2026 HUGO FINALIST ANNOUNCEMENT SCHEDULED. LAcon V today told readers to “Tune in right here on April 21 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time to find out who the finalists are for the 2026 Hugo Awards for Science Fiction.”

If “right here” means the social media platforms where this announcement appeared, which was on Facebook, X.com, Bluesky, and Instagram , then you know where to go.

(2) SFWA MEMBERS NEBULA VOTING DEADLINE TOMORROW. The Nebula ballot closes on April 15 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific. SFWA members who haven’t filled their out already will find it waiting in their Membership Portal.

SFWA also has a new Nebula Finalists page, complete with “cards” about the finalists and their works, to help members learn more about all the options this year – including the inaugural awards for Best Poem and the writing that goes into Best Comic.

(3) FAKE NEWS. “George R. R. Martin’s publisher debunks The Winds of Winter ‘supposed leak’ as ‘false'” reports Entertainment Weekly.

…A tweet featuring a screenshot from an anonymous leaker suggested that George R. R. Martin‘s long-awaited sixth entry in the Song of Ice & Fire saga is secretly set for release later this year, with an announcement forthcoming. This alleged intel fueled quite a bit of conversation, especially on X, with many finding it hard to believe. It received additional pickup from select media.

To help clear up the confusion, Bantam Books, the U.S. publisher of Martin’s Westeros-set book series, is debunking the claims.

“The online chatter you are seeing regarding a supposed leak is false,” a representative from Bantam Books tells Entertainment Weekly….

… The most recent update Martin gave on The Winds of Winter came in a January cover story interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “I do think if I can just get some of these other things off my back, I could finish The Winds of Winter pretty soon,” he said. “It’s been made clear to me that Winds is the priority, but… I don’t know. Sometimes I’m not in the mood for that.”

The author made it clear that he wants to finish the books and that he “would hate” it if another writer stepped in to do it for him. He also mused on the ending of A Song of Ice & Fire versus how the show concluded.

“I was going to kill more people,” Martin said. “Not the ones they killed [on the show]. They made it more of a happy ending. I don’t see a happy ending for Tyrion. His whole arc has been tragic from the first. I was going to have Sansa die, but she’s been so appealing in the show, maybe I’ll let her live.”…

(4) CELEBRATE AMAZING STORIES 100TH ANNIVERSARY. The Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Speculation & Fantasy at the Toronto Public Library will host “An Amazing Evening with Lloyd Penney” on Wednesday, April 29, from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Join us for an interview with local editor, proofreader and science fiction fan Lloyd Penney.  Lloyd is the current editor-in-chief of Amazing Stories Magazine, the first science fiction-only magazine.  We will discuss the editing process, the 100-year legacy of Amazing, and the joys of science fiction.  A Q&A and booksale will follow the talk.  

Free.  Everyone is welcome.

 (5) A PREFERENCE FOR PAPER. “Pew Survey Finds Readers Still Prefer Print Books” reports Publishers Weekly.

A new paper released last week by the Pew Research Center found that print books continue to be American adults’ preferred reading format, though digital formats continue to make inroads.

According to a survey of 8,046 U.S. adults conducted last year from October 6–16, 64% of respondents said they had read at least part of a print book in the last 12 months, down from 72% in 2011. During the same time span, the percentage of respondents who read an e-book rose to 31% from 17%, while audiobook usage jumped to 26% from 11%.

The number of e-book readers has seen only a small increase since 2014, when the percentage of adults reading e-books rose to 28%. Audiobook readership, however, has had stronger gains since 2014, when 14% of readers preferred an audiobook. Adults favoring print books was at 69% in 2014….

(6) IAN WATSON TRIBUTES. Peter Tyers, Jonathan Cowie, and Mike Allen shared their thoughts about Ian Watson, who died April 13.

PETER TYERS.

Ian had long been a friend and, like so many others, I shall miss him. Indeed, I’d been hoping to see him next year if I managed to get to Celsius 232 (in Aviles, not far from his home in Gijón), having enjoyed myself so much when I hung out with him there a few years ago.

I first met Ian when he was the GOH at the only convention ever run by the Norwich Science Fiction Society (so long ago in the ‘70s that I can’t quite remember when), held at the University of East Anglia. I particularly remember his complaints when some “kind souls” decided to move the barrel of Abbot Ale from one room (where it had been settling for a couple of days) to another where it would be “more convenient”, thus rendering it undrinkable for the weekend.

He also attended the BECCON conventions that a bunch of us ran in the ‘80s and he added to their success. At BECCON 87 he gave a speech from our Ghost of Honour, H. G. Wells.

A touch later in 1987, at the Worldcon in Brighton, he introduced me to Ken Livingstone, who would later become the first directly elected Mayor of London. Being very politically minded, he had asked Ken to come to the con and join him on a panel (politics of the future, or some such); as they sat chatting for an hour beforehand in the green room, he asked me to join them. It was a fascinating conversation. Whatever your politics, these were two guys who were very well worth listening to, and who listened to others, people who thought deeply and had an understanding of people and political systems – an afternoon I’ll never forget.

But alas no more. It seems I’ve had my last session sitting round a table, drinking beer and discussing the world with Ian. But I shall remember the sheer pleasure of doing so in years gone by.

JONATHAN COWIE.

Just heard about Ian Watson. I think it was Novacon 9 (1979) that Ian sidled up to me in the gents lavatory saying I’ll be your college Shoestringcon next GoH….

And he was.

Bumped into him regularly at the UK con scene 1980s – ’90s back when proper SF cons were run (before today’s panel fests).

And he was a guest at our (SF2 Concatenation) dinner at the Loncon 3 Worldcon.

(Scroll down a little for a picture here. Ian is far right.)

And I remember at the 1999 Dortmund Eurocon on day 1 Harry Harrison coming up to me and saying Jon, your job at this con is to keep Ian away from Brian Aldiss and my job is to keep Brian away from Ian….

Another gone into the night.

MIKE ALLEN sent the link to his Facebook tribute.

Picture a trio of wide-eyed young American artist-writer types following along behind the dapper, puckish figure of Ian Watson as he strode with determination across the Oxford University campus. He wanted to show us the Percy Bysshe Shelley memorial statue, not because he admired it, but because it was bizarre and ridiculous — consistent with the offbeat whirlwind tour he’d organized for his guests from the States.

Dangling from the lanyard around his neck was a badge designating him as an Oxford Fellow — a badge which, he cheerfully informed us, had expired years ago.

We arrived at the building containing the statue, which was cordoned off by crime scene-like tape because of ongoing construction. “Better to ask forgiveness than permission!” Ian quipped, popping open the door and lifting the tape for us to duck under.

Inside the building, we beheld the statue, which was gigantic and utterly ludicrous. As we emerged a security officer came up, eying us balefully. “It’s okay, I’m a Fellow,” Ian chirped, flashing his expired badge in the guard’s direction before hurrying us off to the next stop.

Ian and I started corresponding back when I edited his first poetry chapbook, THE LEXICOGRAPHER’S LOVE SONG, for Warren Lapine‘s DNA Publications. This led to Anita and I and my fellow writer and friend Cathy Reniere (best buddy from Hollins University days) flying to the UK to spend a week with Ian at Daisy Cottage, his home in Moreton Pinkney.

My correspondence with Ian also led to several collaborations: a novelette, a flash fiction, and a double fistful of poems. In an earlier version of this post, as a nod to National Poetry Month, I included the entire text of what I believe was our best poem, “TimeFlood,” published in Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine in February 2005….

…I’m hardly the most important Ian Watson collaborator (Hello: Stanley Kubrick!?!?!?! Plus he and Roberto Quaglia got up to some hilarious mischief…) but this was still an astonishing ride for me start to finish. At the time, I was just a baby writer with a few obscure poetry credits to my name; but he still saw something there worth encouraging and drawing inspiration from. In terms of the places my career has gone, my debt to him is incalculable.

I’m so glad Anita and I managed to connect with him in person once more at Worldcon 75, where he brandished his infamous Cthulhu scepter at me, and we got to meet his wonderful wife, Cristina Macía. Thirteen years after that trespass on the Oxford grounds, it made for a fitting coda, though I absolutely wish there could have been more.

We’re gonna miss him.

(7) TODAY’S BIRTHDAY.

[Written by Cat Eldridge.]

April 14, 1925 — Rod Steiger. (Died 2002.)

Let’s start with Rod Steiger’s best-known genre role as Carl in The Illustrated Man. The film is based off of three short stories from Bradbury’s The Illustrated Man released first seventy-five years ago, “The Veldt”, “The Long Rain” and “The Last Night of the World” with all three having been published elsewhere previously. 

Need I say that I madly, deeply love this collection?  I have it as an audiobook from Audible with the narrator being Scott Brick who does the Philip Marlowe series. 

Steiger gives his usual commanding performance though I do think he was a bit much at times. Hostile and violent, it’s hard to feel any sympathy for him. That of course is the role. And setting aside the role, there’s that illustrated body. I wasn’t sure if it was his body that got illustrated or not until I actually found the image below which indicates that indeed he got inked before every filming session. Cool.

Let’s not forget the other two principal actors, Claire Bloom and Robert Drives, who put on magnificent performances as well.  It was nominated for a Hugo at Heicon ’70.

He had several genre roles after that, all interesting. 

A decade after this film, he’s in The Amityville Horror as Father Francis ‘Frank’ Delaney, a rather great role. 

He’s Dr. Phillip Lloyd in The Kindred. Hey, it has a tentacled baby in it. Need I say more? 

In Tim Burton’s Mars Attacks! he is a United States Army General who did not trust the Martians, and advised nuclear warfare against them, an action which that is not allowed by President Dale.

He sank his teeth, no I couldn’t resist, into his next role as Dr. Van Helsing, leader of Van Helsing’s Institute of Vienna in Modern Vampires (also known as Revenant). 

Finally he’s in an Arnold Schwarzenegger film, End of Days, a horror film about a young woman who is chosen to bear the Antichrist. He’s Father Kovac here. 

(8) COMICS SECTION.

• Bizarro fact checks a fable.
• Close to Home seeks a leader.
• Dogs of C-Kennel know who’s to blame.
• Herman shows the problem with a swinging lifestyle.
• Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal makes things easier – for some.

(9) CENSORSHIP NEWS. The Guardian says “Victoria & Albert censored catalogues after demands by Chinese printer”. “Victoria and Albert Museum has deleted maps and images deemed sensitive by Beijing censors from exhibition publications.”

One of the UK’s leading museums has accepted demands by a Chinese firm that publishes its catalogues to remove images that fall foul of the country’s censorship laws.

The Victoria and Albert Museum has agreed to requests by the Chinese printing company to delete maps and images from at least two recent exhibition catalogues, according to documents released to the Guardian after freedom of information requests.

Like other prominent institutions, including the British Museum, Tate and the British Library, the V&A often uses Chinese printers because they can produce catalogues at half the cost of British or European companies.

But in doing so, they have to accede to censorship requests relating to any topics or images deemed sensitive by the Chinese government, such as Buddhism, Taiwan, Tibet, Tiananmen Square and pro-democracy activities.

The disclosures from the V&A lay bare the detailed scope of China’s censorship on museum publishers. They show how Beijing’s red pen even extends to historical maps and photographs on seemingly unrelated subjects such as Fabergé eggs and British Black music.

They also show the apparent willingness of a publicly funded UK institution to agree to Chinese suppression despite the problems it can cause in the production process.

For the catalogue of the Music is Black exhibition, which opens this Friday, the V&A wanted to use a 1930s illustration of trade routes of the British empire. But an email from the V&A’s Chinese printers sent last November said it had fallen foul of Beijing’s censorship body, the General Administration of Press and Publication or GAPP.

The email from the Chinese printers, C&C Offset Printing, said: “There is a map on p10 relates to China (there is China border here and we need to use the standard maps from Chinese Government) and GAPP rejected it. Our suggestion is to delete this map or use another image.”

The V&A agreed despite bafflement at the decision. An internal email exchange between V&A colleagues revealed the censorship had caused a delay in printing the catalogue. It said: “It’s a historic map showing British colonial rule so nothing to do with China – just shows China on the map and that seems to be enough to warrant rejection! Printing paused while we amend files … SORRY.”…

(10) ‘ROCKET MAN’ INSPIRATION. “’I began writing a song in my head about the drudgery of being an astronaut. An entire verse fell out of my mind and onto the page’: The classic song that transformed Elton John into a global superstar” at MusicRadar.

… the song that cemented his success and helped transform him from a respected artist into a global superstar was Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going To Be A Long, Long Time) in 1972.

Rocket Man is a gloriously emotive and melancholic masterpiece on which Taupin’s theme of intergalactic isolation is melded with John’s sublime melodic prowess and top-tier production. It’s arguably Elton John’s best-loved song and one that has become a timeless and enduring classic.

The song was assumed to be directly influenced by David Bowie’s 1969 hit single Space Oddity. But whereas Bowie placed his character Major Tom floating in space, Bernie Taupin added an extra element of humanity, looking to a future world where inter-galactic travel would become commonplace and envisaging his Mars-bound astronaut’s mission as a regular, run-of-the-mill business trip.

In a 2023 interview with Elton John and Bernie Taupin, the latter explained what first inspired the song.

“The interesting thing about Rocket Man is people identify it unfortunately with David Bowie’s Space Oddity,” he said, “and it actually wasn’t inspired by that at all.

“It was actually inspired by a story by Ray Bradbury from his book of science fiction short stories called The Illustrated Man and in that book there was a story called The Rocket Man, which was about how astronauts in the future would become sort of an everyday job, so I took that idea and ran with it.

All of which came as a surprise to Elton John. ”I never knew that,” said John, while sitting next to Taupin….

(11) SPIDER-VERSE PREVIEW. Variety is there when “’Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’ Unveils First Look at CinemaCon”.

…The footage, shown to CinemaCon attendees, boasted the vibrant, phantasmagoric imagery that made the previous “Spider-Verse” adventures so singular. The footage showed Miles tied up to a punching bag while being interrogated by Uncle Aaron and Prowler Miles creeping above on the ceiling. He jumps down and coldly introduces himself to Spider-Man Miles, who tries to explain that he needs to return to his original universe to save his father’s life. The two alternate versions of each other trade insults, but Spidey Miles charges up an electric venom shock and frees himself. He battles evil Miles and his uncle, and his allies from the previous two movies assemble to save him. They include Spider-Gwen, Spider-Ham, Spider-Noir, Peter B. Parker, Spider-Punk and two new men driving a getaway van over a rising bridge….

(12) STREAMING LEADERS. JustWatch – The Streaming Guide today released its latest report on the US streaming industry, following changes in the subscription video on demand (SVOD) market throughout the first quarter (January-March) of 2026.

Key Takeaways:

• Amazon and Netflix’s market dominance narrows: Both longtime leaders in the U.S. streaming market saw their shares decline in Q1 2026.
• Mid-tier players surge ahead: Apple TV+, Disney+, and Peacock Premium outpaced larger rivals with +2 to +4 pp gains.
• Disney+ emerges as the clear No. 3: Now firmly the closest challenger to Netflix and Prime Video, continuing to close the gap.
• Apple TV+ ties HBO Max for No. 4 spot: Apple TV+ made significant gains in Q1 2026, seeing +4pp growth from last quarter.

The top two leaders in streaming this quarter are:

• Netflix – 19%
• Prime Video – 17%

Followed by Disney+ (16%), Apple TV+ (12%), HBO Max (12%), and Hulu (11%) Peacock Premium (4%), Paramount+ (3%), PBS (2%), and other services (4%).

MARKET DEVELOPMENT OVERVIEW

Netflix (19%) and Prime Video (17%)

• Quarterly development (Q4 2025 → Q1 2026): Netflix lost 1 pp this quarter, while Prime Video lost 4 pp.
• Annual development (Q1 2025 → Q1 2026): Both Netflix and Prime Video lost traction over the year (-1 pp and -4 pp respectively).
• Market context: Netflix’s most popular titles this quarter include Bridgerton Season 4 and One Piece Season 2 . Prime Video’s most popular titles this quarter included Fallout Season 2, Young Sherlock, and Scarpetta.

[Thanks to John King Tarpinian, Cat Eldridge, SF Concatenation’s Jonathan Cowie, John Coker III, Mark Roth-Whitworth, Kathy Sullivan, Steven French, Mike Kennedy, and Andrew Porter for some of these stories. Title credit belongs to File 770 contributing editor of the day Andrew (not Werdna).]