(1) YOU CAN CHECK IN ANY TIME YOU LIKE. Brian Keene sends greetings from “Hotel Hell” in Letters From the Labyrinth 466.

…Greetings from The Verve, a hotel on the outskirts of Boston that is part of The Tapestry Collection by Hilton. The hotel’s full, official name is The Verve Hotel Boston Natick Tapestry Collection by Hilton which is an unwieldy mouthful of mish-mash, but oddly suitable for lodging that feels like it was designed by a bunch of TikTok influencers using AI while micro-dosing on some new hallucinogenic drug nobody over the age of 25 has ever heard of.

It is 4am on Saturday morning as I write this, and I am unhappy because there is no coffee to be found in the hotel, except for the coffeemaker in my room, which I dare not use because the latest TikTok lifehack trend involves young people putting their dirty underwear inside their hotel room coffeemakers and then running hot water through them to clean the soiled item of clothing. And this has the vibe of the type of hotel such a person would be attracted to, so I’d be a brain-damaged fool to use the hotel room coffee pot.

The hallways and corridors are filled with random kitsch and pop art, but again, it all distinctly feels one step removed from any sort of human design. There are random candle shrines devoted to Ozzy Osborne and Hulk Hogan, complimented by framed print-outs of their Wikipedia pages on lime green and neon pink copier paper. There is a random Honda motorcycle in the lobby, along with framed pictures of James Dean, Evel Knievel, and Batgirl hanging behind it (all posed on motorcycles which are not, in fact, the Honda), and a sign advertising the bike as a ‘Selfie Zone’….

(2) BUJOLD AND KRITZER EVENTS. Don Blyly announced two upcoming signings at his Uncle Hugo’s/Uncle Edgar’s Minneapolis bookstore.

Lois McMaster Bujold will be signing at the Uncles on Saturday May 16 from 1-2 pm for Penric’s Intrigues, an omnibus reprint of Assassins of Thasalon + Knot of Shadows.  A lot of people have already ordered The Adventure of the Demonic Ox, the next Penric book, which is a signed numbered hardcover at $48.00 that was supposed to be a February release.  In late March I e-mailed to the publisher to ask when he thought I would receive this “February” title.  He said that his printer has been having production problems and has been late on lots of books.  He is hoping to see the book sometime in April, but might not have it until May.  Another new Bujold book is Two Tales, a collection of two Vorkosigan stories that had previously been published.  “Winterfair Gifts” is a short story that appeared in Irresistable Forces edited by Catherine Asaro in 2004.    Flowers of Vashnoi is a novelette that Subterranean Press published in hardcover in 2019 and has been out-of-print for years, and goes for high prices on the internet.  I haven’t yet received Two Tales but have received the e-mailed invoice and will probably see the book in the next two or three days, and expect the price to be $13.50.

Naomi Kritzer will be signing at the Uncles on Saturday June 27 from 2-3 pm for Obstetrix, a thriller about a OB/GYN who is kidnapped by a fundamentalist cult in the west to provide medical services to their pregnant population.  Doctor Liz tries to find a way to escape while also dealing with her patients’ medical needs.

(3) SPACE JUNK MAGAZINE. The New York Times recommends “A Magazine for Earthlings Who Dream of Outer Space”. (Link bypasses the NYT paywall.)

As Artemis II lifted off last week, sending NASA astronauts on a 10-day swing around the moon, another cosmic venture was preparing to launch: Space Junk.

It bills itself as the first magazine to look at the culture of space travel — not just astronauts and prospective space tourists, but meteor hunters, stargazing communities and sci-fi fans.

The timing seems right. The first issue will come out in May, shortly after the Artemis crew’s scheduled return from its exploratory mission. China is also aiming for a moon landing, as is the next Artemis mission, and the billionaires Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk are also reaching for the stars with their rocket companies….

… Space Junk is not a science magazine like Air & Space from the Smithsonian but rather a kind of art book, planned to be published annually. It’s more interested in aesthetics and emotional experiences than, say, recent findings in quantum mechanics….

(4) RALLY ROUND KURTZMAN. “Starfleet Academy Actor Defends Star Trek Producer Alex Kurtzman” reports Sci-Fi and Fantasy Gazette.

With speculation mounting that Alex Kurtzman may soon be out of a job as main creative leader of Star Trek, Starfleet Academy actor Karime Diane has come to the showrunner’s defense. In a post on Instagram, Diane, who plays queer Klingon cadet Jay-Den Kraag in Starfleet Academy, posted about his experience working with Kurtzman the past two years, and how the showrunner helped bring his character to the forefront of the series.

“In the context of this character, Jay-Den, the fact that Jay-Den is a gay Klingon is not an accident. It was the result of very thoughtful processes,” Diane said in his video, defending the idea that Star Trek has always pushed boundaries with its characters. “It is because there are people behind the scenes, including Alex Kurtzman, who really believe that Star Trek should continue to expand. Star Trek has existed for 60 years. It’s always believed in pushing things forward. In the 60s, that looked one way. In the 90s, pushing things forward looked different. And today, pushing things forward, again, always looks different in every single decade.”

The actor acknowledged that not everyone may agree with Kurtzman’s creative decisions, but expressed admiration for his passion for the franchise and recognized that being a showrunner for a franchise as big as Star Trek is no easy job.

“I understand not every single person is going to agree with every single creative decision,” he continued. “That’s fair. Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. But what I can say for a fact is this: Alex Kurtzman is a hardcore Trekkie. Like, he’s a huge fan. I’ve seen it with my own two eyes. And he has one of the hardest jobs of being the captain of this ship, whose goal is to keep this universe alive for a completely brand new generation.”…

(5) SAMURAI ON DISPLAY. [Item by Steven French.] Filers who happen to be in London might want to check out this exhibition at the British Museum which I am told (I haven’t visited it myself) also includes Darth Vader’s costume: “Samurai”.

The modern mythology of the ‘samurai’ emerged gradually across the 20th century through interactions between Japan and the wider world, with idealised images of the historical warriors increasingly consumed by foreign visitors. 

The story of the evolution of the samurai is told through battle gear such as the suit of armour sent by Tokugawa Hidetada to James VI and I, as well as luxury objects such as an intriguing incense connoisseurship game. From a Louis Vuitton outfit inspired by Japanese armour, to the popular, loosely historical videogame Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, the exhibition explores the samurai’s enduring legacy in games, fashion and film.

This major exhibition is a candid look at the real men and women whom we know as samurai, from the battlefields of medieval Japan to the global pop culture of today.

(6) DESSERT FIRST. Michael Chabon holds forth on the topic of “Having One’s Cake” at Tragic Magic.

…Anyway, when I came downstairs to see about dinner, I found myself unable to rid myself of the idea that a nice piece of cake might be just the thing. And I knew, to my core, that if I were jonesing this hard for cake, my wife must be in a very bad way, indeed. But the neighborhood bakeries had all closed by now, and outside it was pouring down rain, and though the exact nature of the cake whose surprise appearance had just been applauded by the characters in our book had been left to the imagination— “chocolate” was the lone detail provided—the imagination was pretty sure that it had not been Doordashed from Safeway, in a polyethylene clamshell.

The imagination and I reviewed the available alternatives. I could bake a nice layer cake—a “sandwich,” as they were known on the British baking show—but I knew from experience that even the most powerful yearning for a piece of cake rarely survives the time needed to bake one from start to finish, cooling times and all. Also: no matter what kind of cake I decided on, I knew, I was likely to be missing or running low on some needed ingredient or other: pecans, say, or dutch-process cocoa.

Cake mix? suggested the imagination, a little plaintively.

Now, I am not a mix-cake snob—far from it. Mr. Duncan Hines and I are old friends, and I will never say no to a slice of the man’s basic Yellow (though I will have no truck with his frosting, the kind that comes in a tub and can be used, in a pinch, to lubricate the rails of a rocket launcher). I have known the arcane thrill of practicing that essential trick of twentieth-century industrial food alchemy, immortalized in the lyrics to Steely Dan’s “Kid Charlemagne,” of adding pudding mix to the cake mix….

(7) TODAY’S NIGHT.

“Yuri’s Night” – April 12 — is explained at Days Of The Year.

During the 20th century, space travel was considered to be the final frontier for the billions of humans living on Earth. Space exploration included sending humans into space, putting men on the moon, and eventually creating space shuttles and space stations.

This day, also known as the International Day of Human Space Flight, reflects on the progress made in space exploration and its benefits for humanity’s well-being and sustainable development​​​​​​.

Beyond the headline moments, it also nods to the quieter wins that come from learning how to live, work, and solve problems in an environment that does not forgive mistakes: better materials, safer engineering practices, improved medical monitoring, and a deeper understanding of Earth itself through satellites and observation.

One of the most significant accomplishments of the “space race” was when an astronaut became the first human to enter space. But that’s not all!

From Gagarin’s pioneering orbit around Earth to the numerous missions that followed, including the first woman in space, the first moon landing, and the first international space mission, this day celebrates them all! Yuri’s Night tends to hold two ideas in the same gloved hand: genuine awe at what humans can build and a playful sense that space is for everyone, not just people with flight suits, acronyms, and carefully practiced radio voices.

(8) TODAY’S BIRTHDAY.

[Written by Cat Eldridge.]

April 12, 1973 — J. Scott Campbell, 53.

J. Scott Campbell is a comic books artist best known for his work on Wildstorm Comics. Scott actually got hired by Wildstorm by submitting a package that included a four-page WildC.A.T.S  story. Before that however his first work was on Homage Studios Swimsuit Special at age twenty. It’d get a PG-13 rating today.

So did you know that Marvel did a Swimsuit issue as well? It was an annual magazine-style publication from 1991 to 1995. One issue said “Take Wakanda Wild Side” on the cover. Really it did. 

His subsequent work for Wildstorm included  some illustrations in WildC.A.T.S Sourcebook and Stormwatch #0. I love the idea of #0 issues. Why so? 

Now do you remember Gen13? He created the series along with Jim Lee and Brandon Choi as the series came out of Team 7, a series that Lee and Choi created. The series involved a group of spandexed clothed metahuman teens. I like that series but it wasn’t nearly as fun as Danger Girl, his next series.

That series followed the adventures of a group of female secret agents, made the most of Campbell’s talents which involved very well-endowed women,  in the firm of three sexy female well weaponized secret agents — Abbey Chase, Sydney Savage and Sonya Savage and over the top action sequences.  

Twenty years ago I read Danger Girl: The Ultimate Collection, which is a bit of an overstatement as it’s only two hundred and fifty-six pages long, but it’s still a lot of a fun. Yes, it’s still available.

Danger Girl has been continuously published since it was first came out twenty-six years ago, so there’s a lot of it now. I’ve read quite a bit of it over the years and it’s been pretty consistent in its quality. However only the first seven-issue series is illustrated by Campbell. 

Campbell illustrated the covers to the Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash six-issue limited series.

Eighteen years ago, Marvel Comics announced that he had signed an exclusive contract to work on a Spider-Man series with writer Jeph Loeb. Yes, he did just covers, not interior work. 

(9) COMICS SECTION.

• Bizarro offers a two-for-one deal.
• Brewster Rockit’s phone receives targeted ads.
• Free Range has a spot that’s already taken.
• Herman needs a lift.
• Mother Goose and Grimm says a crime has been committed.
• Pearls Before Swine reveals its author’s superstitions and rituals.
• The Argyle Sweater features Star Wars accessories.

(10) OH HOW I HATE TO GET UP IN THE MORNING. NPR chronicles “The history of the out-of-this-world playlist NASA uses to wake up mission crews”.

It’s become a tradition: NASA’s ground control plays music to wake up the astronauts on a mission. NASA’s chief historian Brian Odom shares the history of the practice….…LEILA FADEL, HOST:

This is “Sleepyhead” by an artist who goes by the name Young & Sick. It was the crew’s first wakeup call of the mission. A few Earth days later, it was this hit by Chappell Roan.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “PINK PONY CLUB”)

CHAPPELL ROAN: (Singing) I can hear your Southern drawl a thousand miles away, saying, God, what have you done?

MARTÍNEZ: “Pink Pony Club” was a wakeup song this weekend, but apparently the recording cut off after a minute or so. Ground control could hear that commander Reid Wiseman was audibly disappointed….

(11) ASTROFELINE REMEMBERED. “Félicette has landed! Memorial for first cat in space unveiled in France” – Space.com has details.

A new memorial for the first and only cat to go to space has arrived at its permanent home. 

A bronze statue of the space cat now stands at the International Space University (ISU) in Strasbourg, France, two years after Matthew Serge Guy, a creative director and space cat fan in London, launched a Kickstarter campaign and raised about $57,000 to fund the project.

The memorial honors a French feline named Félicette who launched on a brief suborbital spaceflight in 1963. Although the space cat survived the 15-minute mission, she died about two months later when scientists removed electrodes from her brain to investigate how spaceflight affects the brain. 

(12) THE SHAPELESS THINGS TO COME. [Item by Steven French.] For some reason this reminded me of a certain Terminator movie! Here’s the summary: “Liquid metals for the booming of space exploration” at Cell Press Blue.

Liquid metals (LMs) are becoming central to tackling many extreme technical bottlenecks facing space exploration. The unique microgravity and vacuum environment of space also poses big challenges and is an unprecedented laboratory to explore unknown sciences. This perspective presents an overview of the fundamentals and practical issues and envisions future opportunities for LMs in space exploration, focusing on their roles in energy systems, deep space propulsion, thermal management, flexible electronics, reconfigurable machines, additive manufacturing, life support systems, and space optics, among others. Beyond practical engineering, we further outline the potential to exploit the space environment as a unique and indispensable platform to probe LM interfacial physics and chemistry free from gravitational constraints. Prospects for disclosing microgravity-related self-organization phenomena and thus enriching fundamental breakthroughs are interpreted. Collectively, these insights establish LMs as not only generalist materials but also transformative enablers for the booming of future space science and technology…

(13) VIDEO OF THE DAY. Live, from the wrong side of the moon, it’s Saturday Night!!!! – “Artemis II”.

[Thanks to Mike Kennedy, Andrew Porter, John King Tarpinian, Daniel Dern, Cat Eldridge, SF Concatenation’s Jonathan Cowie, Mark Roth-Whitworth, Kathy Sullivan, and Steven French for some of these stories. Title credit belongs to File 770 contributing editor of the day Steve Green.]