When Jack (John) Hayden Howard, my stepdad, was a nominee for the Hugo Awards in 1967 for his novelette, he was in good company. The previous year, in 1966, nominees included Frank Herbert, for Dune, and J.R.R. Tolkien for Lord of the Rings. Isaac Asimov and Edgar Rice Burroughs were also nominees. Star Trek won best Dramatic Presentation.
That certainly was an exciting era in science fiction. It’s still exciting with the revival of so many of those titles in film, including the 2021 Warner Bros. Pictures film Dune. It’s amazing to realize it was released 56 years after the novel was written.
The movie trailer for Dune on YouTube has had a whopping 36 milllion views. I suspect that author Frank Herbert’s mind would have been blown about that; hopefully he’d have been pleased with the film adaptation. I’m not sure whether or not his fans have been. Thoughts on that?
As for 1967 Hugo award-nominated science fiction magazines: those were the same pubs Hayden wrote for: If, Analog, and Galaxy. Hayden Howard also had many of his stories illustrated by great sci-fi illustrators, including the Hugo 1967 award-winning artist, Jack Gaughan.
Here’s the cover of one Galaxy issue I own, giving you a taste of sci-fi art in the 60s. The image within the cover illustration looks strikingly like a smartphone, doesn’t it?
Many fans of 1960s sci-fi stories recognize the author name, Hayden Howard, listed in the The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. These 5 personal facts about him may surprise you.
Hayden wrote a Nebula Award-nominated novel, and over fifty short stories. Dozens were published in vintage SF magazines, while others were in mystery and sea story magazines.
More details about Hayden’s writing is on my 1960s Sci-Fi: Hayden Howard page, where I’ll add links to more posts about vintage science fiction. A short biography of him is at Wikipedia under Hayden Howard. However, you’ll learn much more about him here, since I knew him well the last 25 years of his life.
5 Little-Known facts about Hayden’s life between 1989 and-2014
I Still Matter, by Harlan A. Rector and Edward F. Mickolus
I Still Matter is a new book that encourages gratefulness. It was compiled by Harlan Rector, movie trailer voice-over artist, and Edward Mickolus, 33 years in the CIA and a prolific author. I’m pleased to have a story of my own, The One, in I Still Matter.
Sometimes we as authors have a story itching to be told. It’s a marvelous thing when, simultaneously, someone compiling a book asks if we happen to have a story to contribute.
When I first met Harlan at church, I was most impressed with his kind manner and the tenderness and care he shows his wife, who he’s been married to for 65 years. He is the epitome of gratefulness.
I had no idea at the time I’d met a famous voice-over artist. You can hear his recognizable voice in trailers for movies including Maleficent and Night at the Museum, and in a video game trailer for Harry Potter, PlayStation 2, Harry Potter. Harlan was the signature voice of The History Channel between 1995 and 1999.
He’s also been a caricature artist, and producer of a radio series and a musical. In movies, he’s the voice of The System in the short sci-fi film, EVT (Winner Best Film, St. Louis 48 Hour Film Project 2014) and narrator for the 1990 TV Movie and documentary, What’s Up, Doc? A Salute to Bugs Bunny (1990). You can hear more voice-overs at his website, HarlanRector.com. I instantly recognized his voice in commercials advertising Quaker Oats, Chevy, etc. His voice-over for Folgers coffee reminds me of “the best part of waking up”. It’s a strange sensation to know someone’s voice before ever meeting them!
Edward worked in the Central Intelligence Agency for 33 years (in analytical, operational, management positions), receiving CIA Career Intelligence and the Clandestine Service Medals. He’s the author of 40 non-fiction books and 100+ articles and reviews, including titles on topics related to international terrorism. Fellow writers will appreciate his title Spycraft for Thriller Writers: How to Write Spy Novels, TV Shows and Movies Accurately and Not Be Laughed at by Real-Life Spies. But he has a funny side too, contributing humor to 14 publications.
I Still Matter (and you do too!)
Their latest book, I Still Matter, is an anthology of stories from 35 authors about how people influence us for good, and how we can make a difference in others’ lives and inspire them.
My own story in it, “The One”, is about a miracle that connected me with a reader of my own parenting books on the other side of the world, in the Philippines. We have mutually encouraged each other for eighteen years since. I’ve had the chance to see–through Facebook–her children grow from preschoolers to college graduates. That story was a good fit for this I Matter book, showing how people can impact our lives in unusual ways. I feel not only gratefulness for the miracle that inspired that story, but also for my opportunity to connect with Harlan and Edward. They enrich my own life as I hear their unusual life stories.
Who has impacted you and how? Tell them, if you can. They may need to hear that today. You can also leave a comment below about someone who has affected you mightily.
Most likely there are many people grateful for you, too.
This thought-provoking book, 9/11 That Beautiful, Broken Day, was compiled by a group of North Carolina Christian authors known affectionately as “The Chicken Coop”, due to their many, many stories published in Chicken Soup books.
A young author in our mostly senior group suggested creating this 9/11 compilation as a way to show her own generation what it was like for everyday people. Many young people have no personal memory of that day, other than historical news replays.
How did that day affect you? Where were you? Is that personal memory still strong in your mind, even now — 20 years later? Tell us about it in a comment to this post.
All online sales profits of this book go to Military Missions in Action (MMIA), to help military members, current and retired veterans, and their families. Available in Kindle (including the Kindle for PC & phone app) and paperback.
