(1) NO, THANKS. Literary Hub remembers “How J.R.R. Tolkien Blocked W.H. Auden From Writing a Book About Him”.

Like many of us, W. H. Auden was a huge Tolkien fan in his day. In 1954, the celebrated poet raved about The Fellowship of the Ring in The New York Times, writing “No fiction I have read in the last five years has given me more joy.” Afterwards, the two corresponded frequently; Tolkien sent Auden advance copies of the next two installments and the two discussed Tolkien’s work at some length. (Auden thought, for one thing, that Tolkien should get rid of the romance between Aragorn and Arwen, though in the end, it didn’t seem to vex him much.)

But ten years later, when Auden proposed to write a book about Tolkien for the Christian publisher Eerdmans, as part of their “Contemporary Writers in Christian Perspective” series (subjects would include J.D. Salinger, John Updike, Saul Bellow, and C.S. Lewis), Tolkien flatly refused. And while Auden is often characterized as one of the people who legitimized Tolkien’s work in the literary world, and the two are often described as “close friends,” at least in 1966, Tolkien didn’t seem to agree (at least with the latter bit).

On March 9th, 1966, J. R. R. Tolkien wrote to Roger Verhlust at Eerdmans:

“Mr. Auden did, in fact, inform me that he had agreed to contribute to your series a book called J. R. R. Tolkien in Christian Perspective. For various reasons I did not reply immediately to him; but though I regret that my view may not please you, and I am of course grateful for the honor of your attention, it is necessary I think to quote to you now what I said to him.

“’I regret very much to hear that you have contracted to write a book about me. It does meet with my strong disapproval. I regard such things as premature impertinences; and unless undertaken by an intimate friend, or with consultation of the subject (for which I have at present no time), I cannot believe that they have a usefulness to justify the distaste and irritation given to the victim. I wish at any rate that any book could wait until I produce the Silmarillion. I am constantly interrupted in this; but nothing interferes more than the present pother about ‘me’ and my history.’

“I owe Mr. Auden a debt of gratitude for the generosity with which he has supported and encouraged me since the first appearance of The Lord of the Rings. At the same time I feel obliged to comment that he does not know me.* It is possibly unfair to judge him by the press reports (possibly garbled) about me and my views at a meeting of the so-called Tolkien Society. They at any rate, as reported, showed him to be entirely mistaken about my views on the topics he touched on….”

(2) EKPEKI MEDICAL UPDATE AND GOFUNDME INFO. Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki told the Sahara Reporters that in February he was seriously injured by a cyclist, and a friend was hurt too: “Lagos Company Rider Knocks Down Two Pedestrians, Victim Accuses Firm Of Negligence, Threats After Suffering Spinal Fracture”.

Lagos resident, Oghenechovwo Donald Ekpeki, has accused food delivery company Chowdeck of negligence, threat and intimidation after one of its dispatch riders knocked him and his friend down in Ikeja, leaving him with a spinal fracture that nearly resulted in paralysis.

Ekpeki, speaking with SaharaReporters, recounted how the accident occurred late at night on February 14, 2026, while he and his friend, Purity Adheke, were walking in the Ikeja Government Reserved Area (GRA) of Lagos.

According to him, the incident happened shortly after they left The Place restaurant on Isaac John Street and were walking near Reddington Hospital, Ikeja, when a Chowdeck delivery motorcycle lost control and rammed into them at full speed….

That’s why his publisher Shahid Mahmud has launched a GoFundMe appeal on Ekpeki’s behalf: “Help Award-Winning Author Ekpeki After Near-Fatal Accident”.

On the night of February 14, 2026, one of the most celebrated voices in African speculative fiction nearly lost his life — and came within inches of permanent paralysis.

Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki — the first African-born Black author ever to win a Nebula Award, and a winner of the World Fantasy Award, British Fantasy Award, and two Nommo Awards — was struck by an out-of-control delivery vehicle while walking near Reddington Hospital in Ikeja, Lagos. The rider slammed into him at full speed, launching him into the air and onto the pavement, then continued forward and struck the woman walking beside him before finally stopping.

When doctors finally examined him — after a nine-hour ordeal without medical attention — they delivered alarming news: Ekpeki had sustained a spinal fracture. The orthopaedic surgeon told him plainly that had the injury been even slightly worse, he would have faced permanent paralysis, lifelong deformity, or chronic debilitating pain.

What followed the accident made everything worse.

After lying injured on the roadside for hours, the company’s supervisor eventually arrived — and his first concern was retrieving the motorcycle. When Ekpeki, in pain, demanded medical assistance, the supervisor asked what his “means of mobility” was. When Ekpeki understandably lost his composure, the supervisor threatened him. Ekpeki sat in the delivery company’s office for another five hours — fractured spine, blood pressure spiking dangerously, having not eaten or taken medication for his bipolar disorder and hypertension all day — before anyone helped him.

A full nine hours after the accident, he finally received medical care.

The road to recovery is long — and costly….

More details at the GoFundMe link.

I am Shahid Mahmud, Publisher and CEO of Arc Manor, and Ekpeki is one of my authors. I have published his work through Arc Manor’s imprints and watched him become one of the most important writers working in speculative fiction today, particularly in bringing a much needed focus on fiction marginalized communities and non-Western cultures.

He has dedicated his career not just to writing extraordinary fiction, but to building the infrastructure for African speculative fiction — founding anthologies, mentoring writers, establishing awards for disability representation in the genre.

We are raising $3,000 to help cover Ekpeki’s immediate medical expenses and support him through his recovery period.

Ekpeki has survived what could have been a fatal night. Help make sure his recovery is one fewer thing he has to worry about.

(3) VINTAGE SPACE. Cora Buhlert watches German TV 55 years ago and reports about it at Galactic Journey: “[March 10, 1971] From the Far Side of the Iron Curtain to the Far Side of Space: Signals – A Space Adventure”.

…. The movie in question was the East German/Polish co-production Signale – Ein Weltraum Abenteuer (Signals – A Space Adventure), which is loosely based on the 1961 novel Asteroidenjäger (Asteroid Hunters) by East German-Brazilian writer Carlos Rasch. Though Stanley Kubrick’s 2001 – A Space Odyssey was as much if not more of an inspiration for the film as Rasch’s novel, as is evident in the lovingly extended scenes of spaceships gracefully floating, spinning or tumbling in space, while cosmonauts rotate in zero gravity. The influence of other recent western science fiction films and TV-shows such as Planet of the Apes, Barbarella, Raumpatrouille Orion and Star Trek is evident as well….

(4) TODAY’S BIRTHDAY.

[Written by Cat Eldridge.]

March 14, 1933 — Michael Caine, 93.

On my list of favorite British performers of all time, Michael Caine is near the top of that list. Both his genre and non-genre performances are amazing. So let’s take a look at those performances.

Caine portrayed Alfred Pennyworth in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. He was quite stellar in this role. And he was in The Prestige, a truly great film, as John Cutter, in Inception as Stephen Miles, Professor John Brand in Interstellar and Sir Michael Crosby in Tenet.

Did you see him in as Ebenezer Scrooge in The Muppet Christmas Carol? If not, go see it now. He’s wonderful and The Muppet take on the Dickens story is, errr, well actually touching. Really it is.

Definitely not genre is The Man Who Would Be King, based off the Kipling story, which starred him with Sean Connery, Saeed Jaffrey and Christopher Plummer. The two primary characters were played by Sean Connery — Daniel Dravot — and Caine played the other, Peachy Carnehan. A truly fantastic film. 

Michael Caine and Sean Connery.

In the Jekyll & Hyde miniseries, he’s got the usual dual role of Dr Henry Jekyll / Mr Edward Hyde. He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – in a Miniseries. He did win a Globe for Best Actor for playing Chief Insp. Frederick Abberline in the Jack Ripper miniseries airing the same time.

Nearly thirty years ago, he was Captain Nemo in a 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea miniseries. 

He’s in Austin Powers in Goldmember, third film in the franchise. He’s Nigel Powers, a British agent and Austin and Dr. Evil’s father. Can someone explain to me the appeal of these films? 

In Children of Men, he plays Jasper Palmer, Theo’s dealer and friend, Theo being the primary character in this dystopian film. 

He’s Chester King in Kingsman: The Secret Service. That’s off the Millarworld graphic novel of Kingsman: The Secret Service by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons.

I’m reasonably sure that’s all I need to mention about his career.

(5) COMICS SECTION.

• Arlo and Janis know how a credential appears.
• Dinosaur Comics registers a name change.
• The Argyle Sweater suits the contest to today’s date.
• Wumo has a strange idea about where to begin. 

(6) BUFFY NOW BOOTLESS. Deadline reports “’Buffy’ Reboot Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar Dead At Hulu”.

…The news comes a year after the streamer ordered a pilot for the project, tentatively titled Buffy: New Sunnydale, with Oscar winner Chloé Zhao, a self-professed lifelong Buffy fan, directing from a script written by Nora and Lilla Zuckerman (Poker Face).

The decision follows weeks of speculation about the fate of the pilot. Sources described it as “not perfect,” noting the Zhao’s sensibility may not have been the perfect match for the reboot. Zhao is now riding a wave of critical acclaim for her latest movie, Hamnet, which has eight Oscar nominations….

(7) MY CHOICES FOR THE MOST DESERVING OSCAR WINNERS 2026. [Item by Steve Vertlieb.] While I understand that political divineness and humanistic conscience too often play a significant role in the ultimate selection of Oscar winners with a few token nominations being offered to deserving actors and technicians who realistically have no chance of winning the annual coveted trophy, here are my choices for the most deserving winners at the Oscars on Sunday evening who, with few exceptions, have little to no chance of winning in their respective categories.

I have notably passed on categories and nominations that failed to capture either my interest or imagination this year.

BEST PICTURE

1. “Hamnet” … A tragic, heartbreaking examination of the creative process and the toll that it takes upon those in the sphere of the writer

2. “Train Dreams” … An utterly stunning look at life, love and haunting loss spanning half a century of American transition and growth

BEST DIRECTOR

“Hamnet” … Chloe Zhao

BEST ACTOR

Ethan Hawke in a career defining performance as famed lyricist Lorenz (Larry) Hart in “Blue Moon”

BEST ACTRESS

Jessie Buckley as the passionate wife of William Shakespeare in “Hamnet”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Sean Penn for his Joyously delusional performance in “One Battle After Another”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Amy Madigan for her nearly unrecognizable turn and frightening performance in “Weapons”

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

“Train Dreams” … Exquisite, breathtaking visualizations of the beginnings of the last century

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

“Blue Moon” … The sad, yet true decline of a uniquely influential Broadway lyricist

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

“Train Dreams” … A deeply poignant and melancholy portrait of a humble man vainly attempting to adapt to a changing American landscape through resignation and loss

VISUAL EFFECTS

1. “Avatar: Fire & Ash”

2. “Jurassic World Rebirth”

(8) CANNED BOOM! [Title by Mark Roth-Whitworth. Item by Steven French.] The Guardian article opens on a bit of a scary note, with its mention of the ‘one-tonne device’ but it does note later that the actual amount of anti-matter being transported is tiny, to say the least! “Please drive carefully: scientists plan to transport volatile antimatter for first time”.

When the truck pulls away from the building at Cern, the European particle physics laboratory near Geneva, all eyes will be on its precious cargo, a one-tonne device containing some of the most exotic material on Earth.

The 20-minute test run around the campus, pencilled in for later this month, will mark the world’s first attempt to transport antimatter, a substance so delicate that when it meets normal matter, both are consumed in a burst of pure energy.

To reach this moment has taken years. But if the test goes well – meaning the truck returns with the antimatter intact – it will pave the way for Cern to transport the material to other laboratories. In those facilities, researchers will perform precision measurements in the hope of learning why our universe is built from matter and not these bizarre mirror particles.

“A core question we want to understand is where did matter come from. And then, if you know about antimatter, it’s natural to ask, why is that not here? The process is not understood and we are hunting for clues as to why it happened,” says Dr Christian Smorra, a physicist on the Baryon Antibaryon Symmetry Experiment (Base) at Cern.

Antimatter, a name that implies an almost ideological opposition to the bedrock of our existence, is warmly embraced in science fiction. In Star Trek, it powers the Enterprise’s warp drive and photon torpedoes. In Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons, a canister containing a quarter of a gram of antimatter is stolen from Cern in a plot to blow up the Vatican.

The reality is reassuringly mundane. Antimatter emitters are readily available at supermarkets in the form of bananas, which emit antiparticles through the radioactive decay of potassium. Sadly, they have limited value for understanding the universe. The device on Cern’s truck will carry about 1,000 antimatter particles, weighing about a billionth of a trillionth of a gram. Should the containment fail, and the antimatter make contact with normal matter, the resulting pulse of energy would be so feeble, the load doesn’t even warrant a radioactive label….

(9) SCIENCE DENIERS. “Trump Administration Readies Plans to Dismantle Renowned Science Lab” reports the New York Times. (Article is behind a paywall.)

The Trump administration is reviewing proposals to break up one of the world’s leading climate and weather laboratories, transfer its work to universities and private companies, take away its aircraft, and sell its property in Boulder, Colo.

The laboratory, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, has been targeted for months by the Trump administration. In a social media post in December, Russell Vought, the White House budget director, called the Colorado center “one of the largest sources of climate alarmism in the country.”

The center, founded in 1960, is responsible for many of the biggest scientific advances in understanding of weather and climate. Its research aircraft and sophisticated computer models of the Earth’s atmosphere and oceans are widely used in forecasting weather events and disasters.

Scientists say the move to dismantle the center would weaken research that is crucial to understanding the atmosphere, space and oceans, air pollution and climate change. It would leave emergency officials and planners less prepared for extreme weather events, critics said.

The center’s staff includes about 830 employees working under the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, a nonprofit consortium of colleges and universities that oversees the center for the federal government.

The center also operates a massive supercomputer, known as Derecho, in Cheyenne, Wyo., that scientists use to predict the behavior of wildfires, space weather, hurricanes and other complex weather patterns….

(10) LA VINTAGE PAPERBACK SHOW SIGNING NEWS. Here’s the final revision of the autographing schedule for tomorrow’s Los Angeles Vintage Paperback Collectors Show which begins at 9:00 a.m. at the Glendale Civic Auditorium, 1401 Verdugo Rd, Glendale, CA.

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