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Get Your Teddy Bears Out of My Bookstore [5]
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Daily Science Fiction Website Launch [1]
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Fan Made Star Wars TV Show - Sandrima Rising [3]
REVIEW: Time Bomb #1; After Dark #1; Driver for the Dead #1 (Radical Comics) [1]
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Lost Rod Serling Video Interview [1]
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BOOK TRAILER: 'Shades of Milk and Honey' by Mary Robinette Kowal
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Recent Comments
Get Your Teddy Bears Out of My Bookstore [5]
SF Tidbits for 9/2/10 [1]
MIND MELD: What's The Next Big Trend/Movement in SF/F Literature? [19]
Tuesday Tune: Star Wars Ewok Gospel [2]
Daily Science Fiction Website Launch [1]
What is the Science Fiction Equivalent of Sword & Sorcery? [8]
SF Tidbits for 9/1/10 [1]
Fan Made Star Wars TV Show - Sandrima Rising [3]
REVIEW: Time Bomb #1; After Dark #1; Driver for the Dead #1 (Radical Comics) [1]
SF Tidbits for 8/31/10 [1]
The SF Signal Podcast (Episode 005): Interview with Karen Burnham [2]
Lost Rod Serling Video Interview [1]

This post is about book stores - I swear.

I don't go to BestBuy looking for advice. I know that BestBuy has spent a good deal of time and money attempting to brand themselves as being quite knowledgeable about the products that they sell and I salute them for that effort, but it has never been my experience that their general employees are particularly knowledgeable. This is not necessarily their fault, and I'm not trying to be mean or slam them - I know they try. But I liken it to multiple levels of tech support; you have your ground floor grunts who wander around the store looking quite aimless who are more than capable of pointing out to you where something is in the store or how much it costs, but beyond that, they aren't particularly helpful. Above them is the next tier, people who have a bit more knowledge and the power that comes with it. You rarely see them wandering the floor. Above them are the true techies and they are around but you will have to stand in line for a long time to chat with them (which I have done - don't get me wrong here!). They tend to be overworked and underpaid, which can make them grumpy. Just sayin'...

So, when I walk into a BestBuy and some random employee on the floor asks me if they can help me with something, I smile and tell them no and go about my business.I admit that I might be above the curve on technology stuff - just a bit. I also tend to do all my research before I ever step into one of their locations. Maybe that's why I don't feel these folks can help me.

Now, flip this and say I'm walking into a book store...

Read more...

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Comments (5) | PermaLink | Category: Books
Posted by Patrick Hester at Thursday September 02, 2010 at 12:25 AM


Phoenix Pick is continuing their "Free eBook-a-Month" promotion!

For the remainder of September, you can get an eBook copy of Arkfall by Carolyn Ives Gilman for free with the coupon code below!

As Phoenix Pick notes: "Arkfall was nominated for the Nebula this year. Carolyn Gilman is a not a prolific (or very well known author), but nearly everything she writes get outstanding reviews. Her novel Halfway Human is an outstanding study of gender issues and her novelette, "The Honeycrafters" won the nebula in 1993."

Here's a description of the book from Amazon:

Humans live deep within an apparently lifeless planet covered by massive ice sheets. Having to survive in confined spaces has bred a unique culture where deference and non-confrontation make co-existence possible. Osaji's opportunities are limited by the need to care for her aging grandmother. But all that is about to change as circumstances push her toward a journey like no other.
To get your free eBook, just head on over to the Phoenix Pick Catalogue, select the book, and use this Coupon Code: 9991426. (Note: Coupon code expires September 30, 2010.)

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Comments (0) | PermaLink | Category: Free Fiction
Posted by John DeNardo at Thursday September 02, 2010 at 12:20 AM


I like the artistic style of James Turner's Warlord of IO.

A slacker prince inherits a space empire and finds himself responsible for the lives of billions. Finally, the comic you did not get a chance not to buy becomes the graphic novel that you will ignore!

Emperor Zoz of Io has retired, leaving his slacker son Zing in charge of the Ion Empire. After initiating sweeping social reforms to impress his friend, Moxy Comet, Zing upsets the army by cutting the military budget to pay for them. Can one slacker prince get up off his ass long enough to save the galaxy!

Written by Rex Libris creator James Turner, Warlord of IO is fun fast-paced action and adventure for the ADD generation.


Here's the book trailer...

Read more...

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Posted by John DeNardo at Thursday September 02, 2010 at 12:15 AM

Tony C. Smith of Starship Sofa writes in to let us know that he's finalized the table of contents for his new anthology StarShipSofa Stories, Volume 2

  1. "Bitterseed" by Ted Kosmatka (Illustrated by Leigh Gallagher)
  2. "Buddha Nostril Bird" by John Kessel (Illustrated by Rory Kurtz)
  3. "Conjunctions" by Neil Gaiman (Illustrated by Cliff Chiang)
  4. "I, Robot" by Cory Doctorow (Illustrated by Tom Kyzivat)
  5. "Into the Depths of Illuminated Seas" by Jason Sanford (Illustrated by Jef Murray)
  6. "Island Tales" by Jeff VanderMeer (Illustrated by Len Peralta)
  7. "The Mary Anna" by Adam Roberts (Illustrated by Jim Murray)
  8. "Jimmy" by Pat Cadigan (Illustrated by Anton Emdin)
  9. "Then, Just a Dream" by Lawrence Santoro (Illustrated by Daniele Serra)
  10. "Personal Jesus" by Paul Di Filippo (Illustrated by Boo Cook)
  11. "Art of War" by Nancy Kress (Illustrated by Andreas Rocha)
  12. "The Frozen Sky" by Jeff Carlson (Illustrated by Paul Rivoche)
  13. "Stars Seen Through Stone" by Lucius Shepard (Illustrated by Brian Thomas Woods)
  14. "Skin Deep" by Mary Rosenblum (Illustrated by Danijel Zezelj)
  15. "The End of Oil; in three acts" by Gwyneth Jones (Illustrated by Jouni Koponen)
  16. "The Soap Bubble" by Sean Williams (Illustrated by Bob Eggleton)
  17. "Tides" by Tobias S. Buckell (Illustrated by Evan M. Jensen)
  18. "Unworthy of The Angel" by Stephen R. Donaldson (Illustrated by Chris Butler)
  19. "Watching God" by China Miéville
The anthology also features pin-ups art by Neil D. Volkes, Ben Wootten, Staz Johnson, Ian Miller, Michael Cho, Nate Wragg, Chris Bachalo, and Jason Paulos.

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Comments (0) | PermaLink | Category: Books
Posted by John DeNardo at Thursday September 02, 2010 at 12:14 AM

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Posted by Charles Tan at Thursday September 02, 2010 at 12:05 AM

[Do you have an idea for a future Mind Meld? Let us know! This week's Mind Meld question was suggested by John Ginsberg-Stevens.]

Q: If you could pick the Next Big Trend/Movement in sf or fantasy literature, what would it be and why? Summarize a representative story for this movement.



Angela Slatter

Angela Slatter writes speculative fiction. Her short stories have appeared in Dreaming Again, Strange Tales II, 2012, Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet and Shimmer. Her work has had Honourable Mentions in the Year's Best Fantasy and Horror anthologies and has been shortlisted for an Aurealis Award three times. She blogs at AngelaSlatter.com

Next big trend, you say? My choice, you say? I'd really like to see a return to ghost stories and see people do some interesting things with hauntings ... or just the sorts of stories you can't quite explain - and that don't need an explanation of everything. The sort of short stories that leave you vaguely unsettled because they look like the surface of a lake and you can't see how deep it is, but you can see shadows of things moving beneath. Yeah, ghost stories. An example? Ah, China Miéville's "The Ball Room" in Looking for Jake is that perfectly creepy, ghostly, weird kind of story that doesn't explain everything and leaves you feeling uncomfortable. It channels the same kind of spirit as Henry James' The Turn of the Screw.

As a side note by a grumpy old woman, I'd also love to see a return to some of the traditional forms but using rules and lore that actually exist instead of making it up - e.g. vampires can't cross water and they stink coz they're basically dead meat and they drink blood! No matter much Obsession cologne you pour on it, a vampire is going to stink and isn't sexy and it's supposed to be scary not cuddly. Rules! Limitations! That's how you challenge your characters.

Read more...

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Comments (19) | PermaLink | Category: Mind Meld
Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday September 01, 2010 at 12:29 AM

The website Daily Science Fiction goes live today. The website is structured around delivering free original short fiction to your email inbox every weekday.

Here are the stories lined up for September 2010:

  • Wed. Sept. 1: "An Adventure in the Antiquities Market" by Jeff Hecht
  • Thurs. Sept. 2: "Mark and Shelly's" by Steven R. Stewart
  • Fri. Sept. 3: "Butterfly and the Blight at the Heart of the World" by Lavie Tidhar
  • Mon. Sept. 6: "Fiddle" by Tim Pratt
  • Tues. Sept. 7: "Ezra's Prophecy" by Deborah Walker
  • Wed. Sept. 8: "Hobo Signs" by Ree Young
  • Thurs. Sept. 9: "Tag, You're It" by Melissa Mead
  • Fri. Sept. 10: "Seeking Nothing" by Cat Rambo
  • Mon. Sept. 13: "Chameleon" by Colin Harvey
  • Tues. Sept. 14: "On the Sweetness of Children" by Michelle Muenzler
  • Wed. Sept. 15: "Mercury in Hand, " by Amanda M. Hayes
  • Thurs. Sept. 16: "Azencer" by Rigel Ailur
  • Fri. Sept. 17: "American Changeling" by Mary Robinette Kowal
  • Mon. Sept. 20: "Flint's Folly" by J. Chant
  • Tues. Sept. 21: "Picture in Sand" by Susan A. Shepherd
  • Wed. Sept. 22: "The Man who Said Goodmorning" by Ralph Gamelli
  • Thurs. Sept. 23: "The Jug Game" by Jennifer Moore
  • Fri. Sept. 24: "The Fosterling" by Therese Arkenberg
  • Mon. Sept. 27: "Long Pig" by Matthew Johnson
  • Tues. Sept. 28: "Sparks" by Mari Ness
  • Wed. Sept. 29: "Small Differences" by Tim Patterson
  • Thurs. Sept. 30: "A Little-Known Historical Fact" by Tim McDaniel

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday September 01, 2010 at 12:20 AM

From YouTUbe: "A version of a famous tune by Flanders and Swann, with lyrics by Danuta Orlowska. Interpreted by CERN Choir, performing in the CERN Control Centre."

[via The Great Geek Manual]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday September 01, 2010 at 12:15 AM

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Posted by Charles Tan at Wednesday September 01, 2010 at 12:05 AM

This week's SF Signal podcast asks the question: What is the SciFi equivalent of Sword & Sorcery? I was delighted to see this topic strike a cord with the podcast panel and thought it would make a good topic to throw at you, dear reader.

Sword & Sorcery has been getting a lot of press thanks to high-profile anthologies like Swords & Dark Magic edited by Lou Anders & Jonathon Strahan. But what, if anything, equates to this genre in the pure science fiction realm?

Jay Garmon, I think, said it best: "Sword & Sorcery is the gritty, personal down and dirty alternative to epic high fantasy. It might be useful to analogize: High Fantasy is to Space Opera as Sword and Sorcery is to...?"

Several people had thoughts on this over on the podcast, but I want to know what you, the reader of this blog, thinks.

So take a minute, listen to the podcast and the come back, tell us your thoughts and point us at a book that embodies your take on this.

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Comments (8) | PermaLink | Category: Books
Posted by Patrick Hester at Tuesday August 31, 2010 at 11:29 AM

Hunger no more for podcast excitement. Line up Signal-file for your free steaming bowl of Beware The Hairy Mango! Sate your belly with a magical tale of love and water-skiing. Hear the Oz that never was. With only two sentences I've pretty much given the entire episode away but humor us, please, and give a listen to "Joe the Larry" anyhow.

Warning: Adult situations for immature audiences!



BTHM-Episode40-JoeTheLarry.mp3

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Posted by Matthew Sanborn Smith at Tuesday August 31, 2010 at 11:25 AM

This week, I read a trio of comics from Radical Publishing, a relative newcomer to the field but no less unable to attract top talent. (Current notables in their lineup include Warren Ellis, Nick Sagan and Wesley Snipes.) The titles we've received to date are mostly marked for mature audiences, and rightly so; they are rife with language and situations that are easily intended for older audiences. (Looks at self.) The enjoyment level of the following titles varied from mediocre to outstanding, but nevertheless the premises offered have me wanting to see what happens next.

Each of these titles is the first issue of a three-issue run...

Read more...

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Posted by John DeNardo at Tuesday August 31, 2010 at 12:29 AM

Star Wars and gospel go together like, well, Star Wars and gospel but in this case it works exceptionally well. I know what you're thinking, "Ewoks? Ewoks?! Who the hell likes those guys?!" And yes, the only thing even more reviled amongst most fans than Ewoks is Jar Jar but Billy Dee lays out the Ewok righteousness for all to hear. Can I get an Amen!

It's enough to make you like the Ewoks again.

For a little bit anyway.

Bonus Bill Dee Williams commercial after the jump!

Read more...

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Comments (2) | PermaLink | Category: Humor, Music
Posted by JP Frantz at Tuesday August 31, 2010 at 12:20 AM

Now that it looks like the proposed live action Star Wars TV show is on hold, something about an intergalactic TV series with spaceships and aliens and lasers being too expensive to produce, I know! right?, maybe it's time for the fans to come up with something. Well this group of fans did back in 2008 and produced Sandrima Rising. Sure the acting is bad but some of the effects are decent and really, is this worse than any SyFy original movie? No, I don't think so.

The vibe I get from watching this is Serenity set in the Star Wars universe, which intrigues the hell out of me. Instead of going wide scope, perhaps Lucas needs to narrow things down and go for a more personal approach. Heck, if he wanted to go dark, how about following the exploits of a team of Jedi hunters? I'd watch that!

[H/T Quiet Earth]

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Comments (3) | PermaLink | Category: Movies, Star Wars
Posted by JP Frantz at Tuesday August 31, 2010 at 12:15 AM

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Posted by Charles Tan at Tuesday August 31, 2010 at 12:05 AM

The winners of our Matthew Hughes contest have been randomly chosen and notified.

Congratulations to:


  • Caitrin C. from NV (Prize Pack Winner)

  • Jeffrey H. from FL

  • Andrew W. from Ontario

  • David H. from Washington, DC


Thanks to everyone who entered.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Tuesday August 31, 2010 at 12:04 AM

In the fifth episode of the SF Signal podcast, Patrick Hester is joined by John Anealio, Jay Garmon, Karen Burnham, JP Frantz and Matt Sanborn Smith to discuss the science fiction equivalent of Sword & Sorcery.

Later, Patrick Hester sits down with Karen Burnham who talks about blogging at SF Signal and writing reviews. She also reveals her upcoming, previously-unannounced, super-secret project.


Download The SF Signal Podcast (Episode 005)

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Posted by Patrick Hester at Monday August 30, 2010 at 12:29 AM

John Joseph Adams has just launched the website companion for his new zombie anthology, The Living Dead 2. Like the websites done for his previous anthologies, the site is incredibly comprehensive, offering tons of supplemental and related material.

For starters, you can view the hi-res cover image featuring David Palumbo's awesome artwork, the first of many upcoming contributing author interviews, Adams' introduction to the anthology, and the Table of Contents (with links to each story's intro).

Not enough? How about this juicy selection of free fiction stories and pointers (also available as an eBook sampler):

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Comments (0) | PermaLink | Category: Books, Free Fiction, Web Sites, Zombies
Posted by John DeNardo at Monday August 30, 2010 at 12:20 AM

Even though the original Halo video game trilogy has run its course, there are still stories (and money!) to be made from the Halo universe. Earlier this year saw the release of Halo: ODST and on Sept. 14th, the latest game, Halo: Reach, will ship. It's been interesting to see the TV ad campaigns for the later games forgo using in game footage and instead focus on using 'live action' shots. They've become very effective at presenting the sweep of the stories and the cinematic quality of the games. The latest Halo: Reach trailer, dubbed "Deliver Hope", is no exception. According to the press release, "the short is a riveting, action-packed production that offers an emotional look at the courage and sacrifice of Noble Team in their defense of the planet Reach from a crushing Covenant invasion."

The trailer itself looks incredible and it's a shame the 'live action' Halo movie never got off the ground. Take a look:

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Comments (1) | PermaLink | Category: Games
Posted by JP Frantz at Monday August 30, 2010 at 12:15 AM

In the interest of full disclosure (because we all know how painful partial disclosure can be), here's the stuff we received this week.

Read more...

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday August 30, 2010 at 12:11 AM

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday August 30, 2010 at 12:05 AM

The annual ArmadilloCon convention is being held in Austin this weekend and I had the pleasure of attending on Saturday. One of the nice things about this particular con is that it's book-focused, so it's a chance to mingle with like-minded people and talk about all things bookish, which is exactly what I did.

The programming, as usual, was interesting and I often found, as usual, that there were many panels that I wanted to attend that were simultaneously scheduled. I caught the last half of a panel on the ties between gaming and storytelling. That was followed by a fascinating short fiction panel. Sanford Allen's comment about the one-sitting short fiction reading session being the perfect vehicle with which to build up a continuous atmosphere of horror stuck with me because I think that continuity (as afforded by as few reading sessions as possible) lends to the enjoyment of a story. I also attended Sanford excellent reading of his fantastic story, "The Circus" (great stuff), and the tail end of a cross-genre fiction panel.

As much fun as the panels were, that's not where I get the most enjoyment out of Armadillocon...

Read more...

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Comments (1) | PermaLink | Category: Events
Posted by John DeNardo at Sunday August 29, 2010 at 12:25 AM

From the YouTube description:

In 1970 University of Kansas professor James Gunn interviewed a series of science fiction authors for his Centron film series "Science Fiction in Literature". This footage from an unreleased film in that series featuring an interview with Rod Serling, which wasn't finished due to problems with obtaining rights to show footage from Serling's work in television. This reconstruction is based on the original workprint footage that was saved on two separate analog sources since the audio track was separate. Re-syncing the footage was a long involved process as the audio track didn't match the film and there was substantial sync drift. While not perfect, there's a lot of interesting information on writing for television in the dialogue with Serling as well as a prophetic statement about his health at the beginning.

Part 2 follows...

Read more...

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Posted by John DeNardo at Sunday August 29, 2010 at 12:20 AM

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Posted by John DeNardo at Sunday August 29, 2010 at 12:14 AM

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Posted by John DeNardo at Sunday August 29, 2010 at 12:05 AM

Dan Abnett has written numerous comics for 2000AD and Marvel and has written many Warhammer 40k novels for Black Library. His latest novel is Triumff, an alternate history fantasy adventure.

The Spectre of the Pun

Johnson who, let's face it, ought to know, called puns the lowest form of wit. He should try coming down here sometime. Wilde, on the other hand, once boasted he could compose a pun on any subject. Some bloke in the audience suggested, "Queen Victoria!" Wilde returned that he couldn't, because she was the Queen and therefore not an appropriate target for puns of any kind.

Or something.

People often come up to me and say, "Dan, do people really come up to you?" Also, they ask what it is with me and puns. Call me paranomasiac, but I love 'em, god help me. Homophonic puns, homonymic puns, homographic puns, Homer Simpson puns, I can't get enough. I love graphological puns and morphological puns, logical puns and illogical puns, polysemic puns and metonymic puns, old school puns and current puns and, at the risk of fracturing myself, I love compound puns. I can't have too many multiple puns and as for double entendres, woof! get a load of the double entendres on that, if you know what I mean. I enjoy a good feghoot and adore a fine eggcorn. Recursive puns have made me swear more than once. I like big loud puns like the Puns of Navarone, I like hard rocking puns like Puns and Roses, and I like quiet, relaxing puns like a late Punday afternoon in high summer. I cannot, furthermore, help but admire the following:

Read more...

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Posted by Dan Abnett at Saturday August 28, 2010 at 7:00 AM

There is still some time left to enter our Matthew Hughes contest , but hurry!

See the original post for the details on how to enter. Or else.

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Comments (0) | PermaLink | Category: Contest
Posted by John DeNardo at Saturday August 28, 2010 at 12:20 AM

M. Night Shyamalan parodies his own trailer for Devil with this one for Escalation. Bonus points for the appearance of Stephen Lang from Avatar.

For a comparison, the original trailer for Devil follows...

Read more...

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Posted by John DeNardo at Saturday August 28, 2010 at 12:15 AM

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Posted by John DeNardo at Saturday August 28, 2010 at 12:05 AM

Carmelo Rafalá has journeyed across the globe, and has lived and studied in both the US and South Africa. His own fiction has appeared in Neon Literary Journal, Jupiter SF, Estronomicon, and the British anthology, The West Pier Gazette and Other Stories. He lives on the south coast of England with his wife and daughter. He is the editor and publisher of Immersion Press.



Charles Tan: Hi! Thanks for agreeing to do the interview. First off, what made you decide to start Immersion Press?

Carl Rafala:
Hi! You're welcome. And thanks for asking me!

I was sitting with some friends in the field and we were lamenting what appeared to be the near extinction of the small press. Small presses are the life-blood of the genre, they are places where you can find good stories that bigger houses are afraid to touch. Moreover, bigger houses insist their titles be outrageously fat. In reality, some of the best speculative fiction has been of the short novel variety, and it was time to help bring some of that work out there today into the world.
Read more...

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Posted by Charles Tan at Friday August 27, 2010 at 12:25 AM

Today is a joyous day indeed for today is the day that all you poor schmucks who missed out on the most totally awesomest movie ever, the movie that incites depression and suicidal thoughts on its fans, the movie that steamrolled it's way to $2.7 billion worldwide (thanks to overpriced 3D and IMAX tickets), today is the day you get a second chance to see Avatar. In 3D even, if you're 'lucky' enough to live near a theater that is showing that version. Sadly for me (not!), the closes theater is 45 minutes away on the south side of Houston. No thanks James!

I saw Avatar on DVD and yes, I missed out on all the 'golly gee whiz' visuals, but really, 3D gives me a headache and while the movie looked impressive, even on a small screen, the story was one long trip down mediocrity lane. A wise man once said, "Nuke 'em from space, it's the only way to be sure." If only the humans had done so.

Not even the promise of 8 more scintillating minutes is enough to get me back in the theaters to see it.

How many of you are are planning to go (or go back) and help make Cameron king of this world (and others)?

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Comments (10) | PermaLink | Category: Movies
Posted by JP Frantz at Friday August 27, 2010 at 12:20 AM

"Bidi-bidi-bidi...you said it, Buck."

[via The Retroist]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Friday August 27, 2010 at 12:15 AM

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Posted by Charles Tan at Friday August 27, 2010 at 12:05 AM

The winners of our Dust giveaway have been randomly chosen and notified.

Congratulations to:


  • Isaac B. from Brooklyn, NY

  • Hurshel D. from North Richland Hills, TX

  • Kathleen K. from Fort Collins, CO

  • Jake L. from Chittenango, NY

  • Andrea M. from North Pole, Alaska


Thanks to everyone who entered.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Friday August 27, 2010 at 12:04 AM

You may be wondering what I mean when I use the term 'meta'. In the context of this post, I use 'meta' to mean 'a conversation/dialogue about X', where X is any particular show. In other words, the things that are about a particular show, rather than of that show. But to begin, we must go back to 1993.

Picture a time where the Internet as we know it today didn't exist. That's right, a mere 17 years ago and the tangled World Wide Web + Intertubes of today were just a glimmer in the eye of Sir Tim Berners-Lee. Instead, if you wanted to talk with other fans of science fiction fans, you had to brave the wilds of USenet, if you were lucky enough to be on a college campus, pay to join a service such as CompuServer or GEnie, or dial up (yes, dial up, at 9600 baud if you were lucky) your favorite FidoNet based BBS. It seems primitive today, and it was, but the level of connectivity between people could be quite high, even without email. Into this world, on February 22nd, 1993, a show called Babylon 5 aired its pilot episode. Because of the Usenet and CompuServe, not to mention Starlog, I was aware of the show and eagerly awaited the premiere. It did not disappoint. Well, me at least. Babylon 5 did several things that a SF series before had rarely, if ever done: it had a planned out 5 season story arc, it was aimed squarely at adults, it attempted to show realistic space flight, and it used CG for the external visuals. But its creator, J. Michael Straczynski, also did something unprecedented for the time; he turned to Usenet (rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated) to interact with the fans and spread the word.

Read more...

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Posted by JP Frantz at Thursday August 26, 2010 at 12:29 AM

This latest trailer (see the previous one) gives another sneak peek at Games Workshop's upcoming animated (straight-to-DVD) film Ultramarines, set on the Warhammer 40K universe. What's shown here looks to be true to the @$$-kicking military sf action that I've come to expect from these stories. Bonus: the voice talents of Terence Stamp and John Hurt. The expected release date is this Fall.

What do you think?

[via gammasquad]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Thursday August 26, 2010 at 12:15 AM

A new batch of juicy and free fiction is up at Free Speculative Fiction Online:

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Posted by John DeNardo at Thursday August 26, 2010 at 12:14 AM

The contents of Interzone #230 have been posted:
Stories

  • "Love and War" by Tim Lees
  • "Age of Miracles, Age of Wonders" by Aliette de Bodard
  • "The Insurance Agent" by Lavie Tidhar
  • "Camelot" by Patrick Samphire
  • "The Upstairs Window" by Nina Allan

Features
  • Ansible Link by David Langford
  • Book Zone by Jim Steel and the team
  • Laser Fodder by Tony Lee
  • 25 Years of Nick Lowe's Mutant Popcorn film reviews
[Cover Art by Warwick Fraser-Coombe is the 5th panel of 6-panel larger image]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Thursday August 26, 2010 at 12:11 AM

I liked this scene from the upcoming Resident Evil Afterlife the first time I saw it...in The Matrix.

[via SFX]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Thursday August 26, 2010 at 12:10 AM

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Posted by Charles Tan at Thursday August 26, 2010 at 12:05 AM

Update: Added John Joseph Adams' thoughts.

Update #2: Added Bob Dierks' response.

Update The Third: Added Adam Callaway's response. My apologies to Adam for completely missing his email. Bagels on me.

One of the good things about reading SF and F is that it allows the author to create as mundane or as wild a setting for a story to take place in. And with innumerable stories to choose from, the range of settings, and a reader's favorite, is limitless as well. We asked our panel this week to answer this question:

Q: What are some of your favorite science fiction and fantasy settings and why?
Angela @ SciFiChick
Life-long SciFi fan, portrait artist, and avid reader of all genres. I have a fulltime job at a Fortune 500 company. I do drawings on commission and volunteer for my local Humane Society and church. I like dogs, but love Shar Peis. I'm addicted to too many TV shows. And I read every chance I get. Can be found blogging at SciFiChick.com.

My favorite setting would have to be deep space, out exploring new worlds. This is why I loved Star Trek and Stargate so much. They were able to encounter new worlds and alien races each week. The mystery of the unknown, exotic aliens, and advanced technology - these are what I love most about science fiction. So space operas and adventures will always be my first love.

Read more...

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Posted by JP Frantz at Wednesday August 25, 2010 at 12:29 AM

It's about time we had a weekly zombie series on television. Here's hoping it doesn't suck. The trailer gives me high hopes. Oh, Halloween, you cannot arrive soon enough...

[via Topless Robot]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday August 25, 2010 at 12:15 AM

There is still some time left to enter our Dust giveaway , but hurry, before the zombies get you!

See the original post for the details on how to enter. Or else.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday August 25, 2010 at 12:11 AM

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Posted by Charles Tan at Wednesday August 25, 2010 at 12:05 AM

The nominees for the 2009 World Fantasy Awards have been posted:

NOVEL
  • Blood of Ambrose, James Enge (Pyr)
  • The Red Tree, Caitlín R. Kiernan (Roc)
  • The City & The City, China Miéville (Macmillan UK/ Del Rey)
  • Finch, Jeff VanderMeer (Underland) [See SF Signal review]
  • In Great Waters, Kit Whitfield (Jonathan Cape UK/Del Rey)
Read more...

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Posted by John DeNardo at Tuesday August 24, 2010 at 12:58 PM

SF Signal has lots of cool Matthew Hughes books to give away!

One grand prize winner will receive a signed, slipcased hardcover edition Template and a signed copy of Quartet & Triptych, both published by PS Publishing! These editions are rarer than the signed limited editions; they're not numbered among the limited editions...they are extra "Publisher's Copies" of which only a few are produced. Also, they're from the Matthew's personal "author's copies".

Three more winners will each receive a copy of the Paizo publishing edition of
Template with a signed label!

Here's a photo of the actual prizes that will be sent.

Read on to learn more...

Read more...

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Posted by John DeNardo at Tuesday August 24, 2010 at 12:25 AM

REVIEW SUMMARY: A good clockwork fantasy that bites off more than it can chew.

MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: An automaton named Mattie struggles for her true independence against the backdrop of social and political change.

MY REVIEW:
PROS: Intriguing world-building; sympathetic protagonist.
CONS: Weak personal interrelationships between characters; some weighty issues are raised but never fully explored.
BOTTOM LINE: A good novel with much more potential.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Tuesday August 24, 2010 at 12:20 AM

A long time ago, when Disco ruled the radio airwaves, a little movie called Star Wars was released on an unsuspecting public. One man, Domenico Monardo (Meco), saw his chance to take destiny by the horns and combined the Star Wars with the smooth funk sounds of disco to produce the following incredible aural deliciousness. You may not know, but this single even hit #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart in 1977. If you need any more indication on my age, I remember hearing this on the radio while being ferried around town by my parents. And yes, it rocks just as much now as it did then.

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Posted by JP Frantz at Tuesday August 24, 2010 at 12:15 AM

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Posted by Charles Tan at Tuesday August 24, 2010 at 12:05 AM

Gord Zajac's crazy-awesome novel Major Karnage is available in a free e-book edition until August 25th. (Note: Access to PDF requires "liking" the Wowio Facebook page.)

Here's the synopsis:

DON'T TALK TO HIM ABOUT THE WAR!!!!!!!!! It has been 20 years since The War, and Major John Karnage has finally settled into retirement: locked up in an insane asylum, with an explosive device embedded in the back of his neck to curb his violent tendencies. Karnage and his troopers have been deemed unfit to live in normal society. Like a bit of old chewing gum stuck under a coffee table, the world has left The War and its scarred, unstable veterans behind. The military has been disbanded and World Peace has descended upon the Earth. Its inhabitants live happy, profitable lives under the global rule of the benevolent Dabney Corporation. All is tea and roses in this new, sanitized world . . . until a terrifying threat from beyond the stars rears its squiggly head! An invading armada of aliens threatens to destroy the Earth, and it's up to Major Karnage to stop them -- as long as he doesn't accidentally blow his own head off first.
And here's Gord reading the first chapter for your decadent pleasure:

Read more...

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Posted by Matthew Sanborn Smith at Monday August 23, 2010 at 11:29 AM