Death announcements for persons of note

Post by **CBJ** » Mon, 24. Jul 17, 13:31

Jericho wrote:It's a groundhog day rip-off...

The ripping off may have been the other way around. The creators of 12:01 certainly seemed to think so because they initiated legal action over it.

Cpt.Jericho · Post by **Cpt.Jericho** » Mon, 31. Jul 17, 22:38

Two new entries: Jeanne Moreau and Sam Shepard. Great actors, hard to replace.

Jericho · Post by **Jericho** » Tue, 1. Aug 17, 16:33

CBJ wrote:
Jericho wrote:It's a groundhog day rip-off...
The ripping off may have been the other way around. The creators of 12:01 certainly seemed to think so because they initiated legal action over it.

Ooh, I didn't know that. I assumed because I saw groundhog day first, and 12:01 was new to the video store after that, that it was after. I thought it was an old concept anyway. (Also loving Window of Opportunity in Stargate SG1).

Post by **Terre** » Wed, 2. Aug 17, 10:25

Kenneth Astill Wilkinson AE has died, aged 99 (29/06/1918 - 01/08/2017)
One of the last remaining of "the few".
Spitfire pilot 1940 (Oct.) - 1945

pjknibbs · Post by **pjknibbs** » Thu, 3. Aug 17, 19:55

Even true heroes have to go sometime, unfortunately.

On to people who are famous, but hardly true heroes. Two gone today--Robert Hardy and Hywel Bennett:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-40818839
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-40814843

pjknibbs · Post by **pjknibbs** » Wed, 9. Aug 17, 09:07

Glenn Campbell, probably most famous for singing "Rhinestone Cowboy" and "Wichita Lineman", has died:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-40870474

pjknibbs · Post by **pjknibbs** » Fri, 18. Aug 17, 17:49

Is anyone else actually reading these? Bruce Forsyth has died aged 89:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-40978576

I mainly remember him from "The Generation Game" in the 70s, but he's been in so many shows that everyone in the UK must surely have some memories of him. RIP, Bruce.

muppetts · Post by **muppetts** » Fri, 18. Aug 17, 17:52

Wow so that's him Terry Wogan and Ronnie Corbet all in the last 18 months, they were great and Bruce always made me smile even if the Generation game was so corny!

ERRRR TV SET, CUDDLEY TOY, BEACH TOWL!!!!

matthewfarmery · Post by **matthewfarmery** » Fri, 18. Aug 17, 17:57

He will be very much remembered and loved, he certainly did a lot.

RIP Bruce, we will miss you!

Praefectus classis · Post by **Praefectus classis** » Fri, 18. Aug 17, 17:58

Sad to hear that Bruce Forsyth has died. It's the Generation Game that I remember him best too.

RIP Bruce.

Cpt.Jericho · Post by **Cpt.Jericho** » Sun, 20. Aug 17, 20:43

Legendary entertainer and comedian Jerry Lewis died aged 91.

RIP Jerry and thanks for all the laughter.

Morkonan · Post by **Morkonan** » Sun, 20. Aug 17, 21:59

Damn... Jerry brought so much laughter to people. That being said, on the bright side, there's probably going to be some great old Jerry Lewis movies on tv in memorium!

RIP Jerry, and thanks for the laughs.

pjknibbs · Post by **pjknibbs** » Mon, 21. Aug 17, 19:05

The SF author Brian Aldiss has died:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41003085

I have his Helliconia series somewhere on my bookshelves--the guy knew how to write!

mrbadger · Post by **mrbadger** » Mon, 21. Aug 17, 19:46

Shame

I liked his science fiction, but lately I've appreciated his history of science fiction more, it's great work, used as a textbook a the US apparently.

My collection of Aldiss work is extensive, but more covering his short story work than his novels, I tend to prefer his shorter works.

Morkonan · Post by **Morkonan** » Tue, 22. Aug 17, 02:11

pjknibbs wrote:The SF author Brian Aldiss has died:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41003085

I have his Helliconia series somewhere on my bookshelves--the guy knew how to write!

Damn... He was an icon, a true master. He's not someone that casual sci-fans might know, but he's someone that really made a huge impact on science-fiction. I've heard his named mentioned in reverence many times by various science-fiction gurus, writers, critics, etc.

Damn, who's going to replace all the dying heroes? Maybe it's just me, but I can't seem to find the "new masters", the genre-defining writers that take science-fiction to its next level. IMO, and likely a singular one, many seem to be targeting the waves of the masses swimming in a continually shrinking pool of ideas. True, there's publisher and practical influences there, but where are the breakout writers that really inspire the next critically acclaimed "wave?"

Godspeed, Aldiss.

On shortstories: Does anyone else notice that it's usually the short-stories and novellas that seem to have had the most impact on science-fiction? Sure, the big Hard Science Fiction epics get a lot of attention, but it's the well-crafted short-stories, novellas, "little" bits of work that seem to ignite things. (All hail PKD) Is it something intrinsic to the format, perhaps? Something that only science-fiction does when writing for that format? Just a thought... (Some of it due to the old pulp science-fiction formats, to be sure. But, there's something "else" going on here, under the hood, in my opinion. It's... like there's more "story" there than in longer formats, likely due to the necessity of storytelling, itself, rather than a strict definition of writing science-fiction.)

Usenko · Post by **Usenko** » Tue, 22. Aug 17, 09:35

I'm not sure, but I have noted in the past that a short story is a better fit for being made into a movie than a Full-Length Novel (because to adapt a novel you have to leave an awful lot out).

pjknibbs · Post by **pjknibbs** » Tue, 22. Aug 17, 13:28

Usenko wrote:I'm not sure, but I have noted in the past that a short story is a better fit for being made into a movie than a Full-Length Novel (because to adapt a novel you have to leave an awful lot out).

Or, on the other hand, you can expand a 300-odd page novel into three three-hour movies and have to add in a load of irrelevant filler. (Yes, I *am* talking about the Hobbit movies, how did you guess?

).

Morkonan · Post by **Morkonan** » Tue, 22. Aug 17, 17:34

Usenko wrote:I'm not sure, but I have noted in the past that a short story is a better fit for being made into a movie than a Full-Length Novel (because to adapt a novel you have to leave an awful lot out).

There's no room for error in a short story. If you "don't do it right", there's nothing to distract the reader from the failure.

As pjknibbs points out, you can expand a short story. Or, bloat the heck out of it... And, as you point out, trying to contract or slim down what was originally a long-format epic tale might not work well, either.

There are some things that are written that are just plain "elegant." IMO, most of them happen to be short stories. Maybe that's because the author didn't have enough pages to take advantage of the opportunity to piss me off?

pjknibbs · Post by **pjknibbs** » Sun, 27. Aug 17, 16:55

Tobe Hooper (Texas Chainsaw Massacre director) has died:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41065552

pjknibbs · Post by **pjknibbs** » Mon, 11. Sep 17, 12:57

And so has Jerry Pournelle, the SF author:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/09/11 ... pournelle/

egosoft.com

egosoft.com

Death announcements for persons of note