Frederik Pohl has died. If you’re reading this and wonder why this is important, there’s a clue or two here. Pohl started publishing in 1937, attended the first Worldcon in 1939, and was part of pretty much everything interesting in science fiction for the next 60 years.

As a writer he co-wrote some of the best satire the field has seen with C.M. Kornbluth, and one of the greatest space adventures too. His fiction was sharp and smart and dark and sometimes sly.  There’s a taste of what he could do in his short fiction. He was also an incredible editor, editing Galaxy and If magazines, the influential Star anthology series and novels like Samuel R. Delany’s Dhalgren and Joanna Russ’s The Female Man. He  was instrumental in publishing Cordwainer Smith, R.A. Lafferty and many others. Pohl was an influential literary agent, a Hugo Award winning blogger, and even wrote for the Encyclopedia Brittanica back when that really meant something.

I had a chance to talk to Pohl once. I was at the launch for Scot Edelman’s SF Age at the 1993 WorldCon in San Francisco. The event was held in a large room with big circular ottomans that people were sitting on.  I was sitting on one with Jeremy Byrne, when I noticed an elderly couple sitting on the other side of the ottoman (about six or eight feet away). It was Pohl. I was so overcome I couldn’t say anything. I remember whispering in an awed voice to Jeremy “that’s Fred Pohl!”. I couldn’t imagine actually talking to him. I wish I had, because then I could have thanked him for the many hours of pleasure his work gave me, how much I’d loved The Space Merchants and Gateway and Man Plus and The Years of the City. It’s a mistake I won’t make again.

My old friend Charles Brown said the thing that made Fred Pohl so impressive was that he constantly interested in and engaged by the world. He travelled extensively, often with Charles, and that was reflected in his work. With his passing, I think the first great Golden Age of Science Fiction has finally ended. Vale.

The 2013 Hugo Awards were presented at Lonestarcon 3 today.  The full results and the detailed statistics are now online. My enthusiastic, effusive and possibly slightly embarrassingly over the top congratulations to all of the winners and nominees. Special congratulations to the first Australian woman ever to win a Hugo, Tansy Rayner Roberts, who won for Best Fan Writer and to Pat Cadigan, whose Edge of Infinity story “The Girl-Thing Who Went Out for Sushi” won for Best Novelette. I’m very proud to have published the story.

My thanks also to everyone who nominated and voted for me for Best Editor, Short Form and for the Coode Street Podcast for Best Fancast. I can assure you very genuinely that every nomination and every vote is appreciated, and that it is an honour to have appeared on the ballot. Now, back to work!

There are many reasons that I love Bill Schafer and Subterranean Press.  As a book lover, I appreciate the well curated, sharply designed and beautifully produced books that they produce. As an editor who has worked with the press, I am staggered by their professionalism and generosity. Everything is done right, and if there’s a minor issue it’s resolved quickly and easily. And as a reader, I love what they choose to publish. Whether it’s Lucius Shepard’s The Dragon Graiule or the eight volumes of The Collected Stories of Robert Silverberg or their recent gorgeous Harlan Ellison reprints – they’re all essential.

And then there’s the magazine. I’ve guest edited an issue of Subterranean Magazine and appreciate the quality and variety of work featured by Bill in the magazine, as well as his excellent taste and careful curatorship.  The twenty eight issues published to date include some of the best short fiction published anywhere over the past five years. His support of K.J. Parker’s short fiction alone makes it essential reading.

The latest issue has just been published and it features:

• Doctor Helios by Lewis Shiner
• The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling by Ted Chiang
• Hook Agonistes by Jay Lake and Seanan McGuire
• What Doctor Ivanovich Saw by Ian Tregillis

A major new novella by Lewis Shiner and a terrific novelette by Ted Chiang make it a stand out. I recommend the issue heartily and suggest you take a moment to let Bill and the gang know how much you appreciate what they do. I will be.

Tickets went sale this morning. Bruce in Perth!! I lucked out and got tickets for the Friday show, but plans went awry so no tickets for Saturday. I’m not really optimistic about fixing that. Both shows seem totally sold out. It means I am going, but only to one Perth show and Marianne won’t be joining me. This is really disappointing. I know she’s not the world’s biggest Bruce fan, but she wanted to go and I wanted her to be there. I hope there’ll be a third show and another chance.

In amongst the madness I bought tickets to the second Melbourne show as well. Suddenly I’m going to the other side of the country with my brother for Broadtrip 2: The Bruce Continues…  Should be fun. Just need that third Perth show and all will be well.