• New trailer available for Studio Ghibli's Tales of Earthsea. [via Ian McDonald]


• 10 Things Teenage Writers Should Know About Writing by John Scalzi.


• The May "Young Adult Fiction" issue of Locus Magazine is shipping. Check out the contents.


• Jeff VanderMeer interviews Caitlin R. Kiernan.


• Trek fans: Play The Spock Market. [via Easter Lemming Notebook]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Sunday April 30, 2006 at 10:24 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

I'm finally getting around to reading the April 2006 issue of Locus Magazine. I would've started sooner but...oh, never mind.

In this issue, Harlan Ellison^®'s name comes up a few times in two places: his tribute to Octavia E. Butler (never leave off the "E", he warns) and in Gary K. Wolfe's review of The Best of Philip José Farmer, in which he talks about Farmer's "Riders of the Purple Wage" which first appeared in Ellison^®'s landmark anthology Dangerous Visions.

Do you know what all of these mentions of Ellison^® has in common? They are all followed by the Registered Trademark symbol.

Ellison^®, whose defense of his stories' copyrights are legendary, has apparently squeezed his copyrights so tightly that a trademark symbol popped out of his name. More power to him, I say. If Harlan Ellison^® wants all instances of Harlan Ellison^®'s name to be suffixed with the symbol, then Harlan Ellison^® should get exactly what Harlan Ellison^® wants. At the very least, it's fun to look at in print. It's like this decade's Prince Rogers Nelson name debacle, only this time its "The Author Formerly Known as Harlan Ellison."

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Posted by John DeNardo at Sunday April 30, 2006 at 9:56 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

Yet another TOC...

Jonathan Strahan has announced the (mostly complete) table of contents for his upcomingh anthology Best Short Novels: 2006 to be published by the Science Fiction Book Club.

1. "The Little Goddess" by Ian McDonald


2. "The Gist Hunter" by Matthew Hughes


3. "Human Readable" by Cory Doctorow (Now available in a seven part podcast.)


4. "Audubon in Atlantis" by Harry Turtledove (excerpt)


5. "Magic For Beginners" by Kelly Link


6. "Fishin' With Grandma Matchie" by Steven Erikson


7. "The Policeman's Daughter" by Wil McCarthy (excerpt)


8. "Inside Job" by Connie Willis


9. Not yet announced

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Posted by John DeNardo at Sunday April 30, 2006 at 3:19 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

Another TOC...

From Asimov's Forum here is the table of contents for The Year's Best Science Fiction #23 edited by Gardner Dozois.

1. "The Little Goddess" by Ian Mcdonald


2. "The Calorie Man" By Paolo Bacigalupi


3. "Beyond The Aquila Rift" By Alastair Reynolds


4. "Second Person, Present Tense" By Daryl Gregory


5. "The Canadian Who Came Almost All The Way Home From The Stars" By Jay Lake And Ruth Nestvold


6. "Triceratops Summer" By Michael Swanwick


7. "Camouflage [*Great Ship]" By Robert Reed


8. "A Case of Consilience" By Ken Macleod


9. "The Blemmye's Strategem" By Bruce Sterling


10. "Amba" By William Sanders


11. "Search Engine" By Mary Rosenblum


12. "Piccadilly Circus" By Chris Beckett


13. "In The Quake Zone" By David Gerrold


14. "La Malcontenta" By Liz Williams


15. "The Children of Time" By Stephen Baxter


16. "Little Faces" by vonda n. Mcintyre


17. "Comber" By Gene Wolfe


18. "Audubon in Atlantis" By Harry Turtledove


19. "Deus Ex Homine" By Hannu Rajaniemi


20. "The Great Caruso" By Steven Popkes


21. "Softly Spoke the Gabbleduck" By Neal Asher


22. "Zima Blue [*Carrie Clay]" By Alastair Reynolds


23. "Planet of the Amazon Women" By David Moles


24. "The Clockwork Atom Bomb" By Dominic Green


25. "Gold Mountain" By Chris Roberson


26. "The Fulcrum" By Gwyneth Jones


27. "Mayfly" By Peter Watts and Derryl Murphy


28. "Two Dreams on Trains" By Elizabeth Bear


29. "Angel of Light" By Joe Haldeman


30. "Burn" By James Patrick Kelly

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Posted by John DeNardo at Sunday April 30, 2006 at 3:11 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

Editor Jonathan Strahan has posted the udated tables of contents (see the old ones) for the two annual anthologies he formerly published through iBooks, but now (since iBooks went belly-up) will be published through Locus Press.

Some of the stories are available online and there are quite a few Hugo, Nebula and Locus Award nominees in the bunch - all noted below.

SCIENCE FICTION: THE VERY BEST OF 2005

1. "Triceratops Summer" by Michael Swanwick (Locus nominee)


2. "Little Faces" by Vonda N. McIntyre


3. "The Second Coming of Charles Darwin" by James Morrow


4. "Is There Life After Rehab?" by Pat Cadigan


5. "Understanding Space and Time" by Alastair Reynolds


6. "The Fulcrum" by Gwyneth Jones


7. "The Blemmye's Dilemma" by Bruce Sterling


8. "They Will Raise You in a Box" by Wil McCarthy


9. "Finished" by Robert Reed


10. "The King of Where-I-Go" by Howard Waldrop (Hugo and Locus nominee)


11. "The Calorie Man" by Paolo Bacigalupi (Hugo nominee)


12. "The Fate of Mice" by Susan Palwick


13. "I Robot" by Cory Doctorow (Hugo and Locus nominee)


14. "The Little Goddess" by Ian McDonald (Hugo nominee)

1. "Two Hearts" by Peter S. Beagle (Hugo and Locus nominee)


2. "Snowball's Chance" by Charles Stross


3. "Sunbird" by Neil Gaiman (Locus nominee)


4. "A Knot of Toads" by Jane Yolen (Locus nominee)


5. "Boatman's Holiday" by Jeffrey Ford (Locus nominee)


6. "The Language of Moths" by Christopher Barzak


7. "Anyway" by M Rickert


8. "The Emperor of Gondwanaland" by Paul Di Filippo (Locus nominee)


9. "The Pirate's True Love" by Seana Graham


10. "Intelligent Design" by Ellen Klages


11. "Pip and the Fairies" by Theodora Goss


12. "Leviathan" by Simon Brown


13. "The Denial" by Bruce Sterling


14. "The Farmer's Cat" by Jeff VanderMeer


15. "There's a Hole in the City" by Richard Bowes (Nebula nominee)


16. "Monster" by Kelly Link

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Posted by John DeNardo at Sunday April 30, 2006 at 2:19 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

REVIEW SUMMARY: Some well-tread sf tropes packaged into an entertaining story.

MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: Human ex-agent Frank Compton is hired by the mechanical Spiders to locate the threat to the Quadrail train system that allows alien races to quickly travel throughout the galaxy.

MY REVIEW:
PROS: Fun action-adventure; detailed plot; satisfying conclusion.
CONS: Reader kept in the dark too long; some events too coincidental.
BOTTOM LINE: A fun ride.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Sunday April 30, 2006 at 1:44 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: 99% of the Earth's population is wiped out in two weeks thanks to a pandemic plague (origin unknown.) The action centers around a survivor named Ish and his coming to grips with the new world he finds himself in - both the changes in technology and the changes in society.

MY REVIEW:
PROS: Written in 1949, it is the seminal book on post-apocalyptic society, this book has an fantastic sci-fi insight on nearly every page.
CONS: The ending is a bit tedious and some parts are melodramatic.
BOTTOM LINE: If you've never read this book, you'll soon learn where all the other writers of post-apocalyptic fiction got their ideas from. The third person narrative is straight forward and easy to read, and the physical and emotional trials of Ish are presented in a powerful way.

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Posted by Scott Shaffer at Saturday April 29, 2006 at 11:11 AM
© 2006 SF Signal

From the April 2006 issue of SciFi Magazine:

10 Most Disgusting Movie Moments

1. Scanners (1981) - Exploding Head.


2. The Fly (1986) - BrundleFly, The Enzyme Guy.


3. Bad Taste (1987) - Massive Head Trauma.


4. Re-Animator (1985) - Zombies Running Riot.


5. The Thing (1982) - Defibrillator Scene.


6. The Blob (1988) - Digested Jock.


7. Starship Troopers (1997) - Brain Bug.


8. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) - Pod replication.


9. Alien (1979) - The Chestburster.


10. Dawn of the Dead (1978) - Assault on the housing project.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Saturday April 29, 2006 at 12:52 AM
© 2006 SF Signal

• Upcoming movies based on Marvel Comics: Iron Man and Hulk 2.


• Subterranean Press will be releasing a heavily-illustrated book written by Tim Powers: The Properties of Rooftop Air.


• An interview with original BG's Starbuck Dirk Benedict in which he discusses the new BG. [vi SciFi Brain]


• Ray Bradbury's The Machineries of Joy, a collection of four stories, has been adpated for the stage by his Pandemonium Theatre Company .


• John Scalzi unveils the cover for his upcoming novel, The Android's Dream.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Friday April 28, 2006 at 10:49 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: The generational ship But The Sky, My Lady! The Sky! is on a mission to colonize a new solar system for humanity. Upon arrival, they discover one of the planets is already inhabited by intelligent beings on the cusp of an industrial revolution. This discovery sets into motions various conflicts both between the crew of The Sky and on Ground.

MY REVIEW:
PROS: Interesting far future human society, intriguing alien planet cool ideas surrounding humans and the aliens.
CONS: I just can't get into Macleods writing style, ending seemed to be very rushed. Too much inter colonist politics.
BOTTOM LINE: If you like Ken Macleod's other works, you'll probably like this. Also, a first contact novel that devotes almost equal time to the stories of both sides.

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Posted by JP Frantz at Friday April 28, 2006 at 10:40 AM
© 2006 SF Signal

MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: Commander Wilson Cole, decorated hero of the Republic (not that one either), is transfered to the Teddy Roosevelt out on the fringes of the galaxy. He finds the war is out in that section and he continues to do what he believes is right. Unfortunately, that belief ultimately leads to mutiny.

MY REVIEW
PROS: The characters are personable and the action is well paced.
CONS: The events leading into this book are absent and some sort of summary would have been nice. I also felt that the story was a tad cliche.
BOTTOM LINE: A fun and quick read that starts off the Starship series of novels.

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Posted by Tim Zinsky at Friday April 28, 2006 at 12:03 AM
© 2006 SF Signal

A couple of Sci Fi Channel bits for you today.

First up, Sci Fi will be launching Pulse, their broadband-centered site for SF content. It looks like they will be taking the stuff they have done with BG, and expanding it in a big way. Every show on SciFi will have broadband content available, they will have an online film festival called Exposure, pilots for possible shows will be online (cool), and users will be able to submit their own videos, sort of a YouTube for SF. All this sounds cool. Let's hope they keep the science fiction part of their name in mind as they move forward.

Second, VXFWorld has a list of upcoming SciFi Channel shows,movies and mini-series. In the series, SNAP and PERSONS UNKNOWN sound intriguing. SNAP definately sounds interesting, if done right. I can't believe they're doing a CHARIOT OF THE GODS mini-series. Please. And the UNKNOWN SCIENCE SKETCH COMEDY show sounds interesting too. All the other stuff is typical big media crap, with focus on the supernatural and 'reality' shows. Still, they at least have a couple of SF themed shows. SciFi may have more definate recordings on my DVR in the future.

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Posted by JP Frantz at Thursday April 27, 2006 at 3:36 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

PKD seems to still be a hot commodity amongst the Hollywood types. Not only is A Scanner Darkly being released soon, now word is that Nic Cage will be starring in the movie Next, based on PKD's story, The Golden Man. Its being touted as a Science Fiction Action Thriller. As if Hollywood produces any other kind of SF movie. But I digress. I've never read the story, but the synopsis sounds kind off Dead Zone-ish. Anyone here read it? Should Hollywood move on to other SF authors?

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Posted by JP Frantz at Thursday April 27, 2006 at 11:26 AM
© 2006 SF Signal

An fun article at Burlington Free Press talks about books that have inspired heavy metal music. Headbangers, it seems, make ardent readers. Many of them base their music on the works of classic authors.

But which genre writers are most often echoed in the strains of heavy metal?

H.P. Lovecraft, for one, whose writings have inspired songs by Metallica and Dead Meadow. Led Zeppelin and Rush have songs based on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Iron Maiden even does a take on Frank Herbert's Dune.

I googled that last one and found this bit of interesting trivia on wikipedia:

Also on the Piece of Mind album, renowned author Frank Herbert came into conflict with the band when they wanted to record a song named after the book Dune. Not only did Herbert refuse to allow the song to be called "Dune", he also refused to allow a spoken quotation from the book to appear as the track's intro. Bass player Steve Harris's polite request was met with a stern reply from the agent: "No. Because Frank Herbert doesn't like rock bands, particularly heavy rock bands, and especially rock bands like Iron Maiden". This statement was backed up with a legal threat, and eventually the song was renamed "To Tame A Land" and released in 1983.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Thursday April 27, 2006 at 11:05 AM
© 2006 SF Signal

• InstaPundit's Glenn and Helen podcast-interview Vernor Vinge who talks about the Singularity and his new book, Rainbows End. [via PajamasMedia]


• Serenity's Morena Baccarin (Inara) will join the cast of Stargate SG-1. [via Whedonesque]


• Backstory: How Tobias Buckell came to write Crystal Rain. [via Buckell's blog]


• The BBC catalogues it's entire history, including science fiction programs. [via Big Dumb Object]


• Quiz: Name the book based on its Library of Congress Subject Headings.


• Mike Meyers will star in How To Survive A Robot Uprising, based on robotic expert Daniel H Wilson’s comedy manual. [via Empire Online]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Thursday April 27, 2006 at 10:18 AM
© 2006 SF Signal

[Updated with newly-available SciFi Channel link.]
The SCiFi Channel has announced a new prequel series to Battlestar Galactica. The prequel, called Caprica, is set 50 years before the events leading up to BG. From Zap2It:

"Caprica" will be set more than 50 years prior to the events of "Battlestar Galactica" and focus on the lives of two families -- the Adamas (ancestors of future Galactica commander William) and the Graystones. Humankind's Twelve Colonies are at peace and on the verge of a technological breakthrough: the first Cylon.

As "Battlestar Galactica" is about a lot more than space battles, "Caprica" will be as much family drama as sci-fi tale. Remi Aubuchon ("The Lyon's Den," "24") is writing the pilot script; "Galactica" veterans Ronald D. Moore and David Eick will executive produce it.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday April 26, 2006 at 11:39 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: Superman, Martian Manhunter and the intergalactic bounty hunter (all last sons of their respective races) all come together when confronted by an extremely power AI bent on domination of the universe.

MY REVIEW
PROS: Its a DC Universe book. Very good job on the characters, and smooth action.
CONS: There is violence and sexual innuendo, but mild language which had me confused about who this book is geared for. The ending seemed a bit abrupt and almost too easily resolved.
BOTTOM LINE: A solid book with some really good science fiction that could have expanded on the ending and either change some of the language or remove some of the innuendo.

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Posted by Tim Zinsky at Wednesday April 26, 2006 at 11:38 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

• Two updates on the latest adaptation of Richard Matheson's awesome book I am Legend: one from SciFiWire, one from Empire Magazine. [via Big Dumb Object]


• New animated series this September: Legion of Super Heroes.


• David Louis Edelman is podcasting the first seven chapter of his novel, Infoquake. [via Locus Online]


• Science Fiction Weekly interviews Kage Baker.


• John Scalzi joins mySpace. [via Whatever]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday April 26, 2006 at 12:42 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

MeetTheAuthor allows you to see and hear your favorite authors in short clips where they discuss one of their titles.

The science fiction selection is a bit sparse at the moment, offering up two authors in nine clips dated between April and December of 2005. Brian Aldiss is seen in six clips (where he discusses Greybeard, Non-Stop, Super-state, The Helliconia Trilogy, Trillion Year Spree and "Supertoys Last All Summer Long") while Neil Gaiman is seen in three clips (discussing Mirrormask, Neverwhere and Smoke and Mirrors).

The 65 clips of Children's authors includes Terry Pratchett (discussing A Hat Full of Sky and The Wee Free Men), Eoin Colfer (Artemis Fowl, Artemis Fowl:The Arctic Incident) and Diana Wynne Jones (The Merlin Conspiracy).

[via Forbidden Planet]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday April 26, 2006 at 11:27 AM
© 2006 SF Signal

The April 28/May 5 issue of Entertainment Weekly offers some brief reviews of fantasy books. Here's a snippet.

In the Eye of Heaven by David Keck
Lowdown: Though breaking no new ground, Keck creates fantastical drama from solid formula.
Grade: B-

Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik
Lowdown: The second book in Novik's trilogy is less revelatory but still beats with meticulously crafted wonder.
Grade: B+

The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue
Lowdown: An ingenious, spirited allegory for adolescent angst, aging, the purpose of art, etc., that digs deep.
Grade: A

Proven Guilty: A Novel of the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
Lowdown: A fast and furious adventure, with winking nods to Bugs Bunny and john Carpenter.
Grade: B+

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday April 26, 2006 at 12:03 AM
© 2006 SF Signal

• Robots photoshopped into fine art. (Not to be confused with Eric Joyner's Robot Art.) [via Boing^2]


• The latest issue of Emerald City features a great (and longish) article by Vellum author Hal Duncan on the relationship between style and substance. [via Chris Roberson]


• The latest episode of Fast Forward features editor Ellen Datlow.


• John F. Carr examines H. Beam Piper's fictional character Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen in the PDF paper Kalvan: The Genesis. [via CoreDump]


• Analog will serialize Robert J. Sawyers seventeenth novel, Rollback. [via Sawyer's blog]


• Locus Online has posted Locus Magazine excerpts of interviews with Justina Robson and Elizabeth Bear.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Tuesday April 25, 2006 at 9:50 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

In answer to Jeff VanderMeer's Essential Fantasy Reading List (for Writers), SFBC editor Andrew Wheeler has posted his Essential Fantasy List for Readers.

He outlines some rules for the list, too: books 10 years or older, one book per writer, etc.

Wheeler's list is more mainstream, I think. Which is to say, I've heard more from his list than VanderMeer's. Which is say further, I own but haven't read more books from the Wheeler list than the VanderMeer list.

Note to self: Post less, read more! :)

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Posted by John DeNardo at Tuesday April 25, 2006 at 9:41 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

Locus Online has tallied the votes and posted the nominees for the 2006 Locus Awards. Winners will be announced June 17th 2006 at the Locus Awards Science Fiction Weekend.

A sample of the nominees is shown below with links to free online reads (when available; more sure to follow) and any SF Signal reviews. Be sure to check out the full list of nominees or check out past winners.

BEST SCIENCE FICTION NOVEL

• Accelerando by Charles Stross


• Fifty Degrees Below by Kim Stanley Robinson


• Learning the World by Ken MacLeod


• Olympos by Dan Simmons


• Spin by Robert Charles Wilson [SF Signal review]

• Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman


• A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin


• The Hallowed Hunt by Lois McMaster Bujold


• Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town by Cory Doctorow [SF Signal review]


• Thud! by Terry Pratchett

• Counting Heads by David Marusek [SF Signal review]


• Hammered/Scardown/Worldwired by Elizabeth Bear [SF Signal review of Hammered]


• Old Man's War by John Scalzi [SF Signal review]


• The Strange Adventures of Rangergirl by Tim Pratt


• Vellum by Hal Duncan

• "Burn" by James Patrick Kelly


• "The Cosmology of the Wider World by Jeffrey Ford


• "Human Readable" by Cory Doctorow (listen)


• "Inside Job" by Connie Willis


• "Magic for Beginners" by Kelly Link [SF Signal review]

• "The Emperor of Gondwanaland" by Paul Di Filippo


• "I, Robot" by Cory Doctorow


• "The King of Where-I-Go" by Howard Waldrop


• "A Knot of Toads" by Jane Yolen


• "Two Hearts" by Peter S. Beagle

• "Boatman's Holiday" by Jeffrey Ford


• "I Live with You" by Carol Emshwiller


• "Some Zombie Contingency Plans" by Kelly Link


• "Sunbird" by Neil Gaiman


• "Triceratops Summer" by Michael Swanwick

• Harrowing the Dragon by Patricia A. McKillip


• Looking for Jake and Other Stories by China Miéville


• Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link


• Platinum Pohl by Frederik Pohl [SF Signal review]


• Tales by H.P. Lovecraft

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Posted by John DeNardo at Tuesday April 25, 2006 at 12:01 AM
© 2006 SF Signal

Well the Frappr spammers are at it again. Apparently, a new avenue of spam opened up when Frappr came onto the scene. Now spammers are leaving drive-by spam on Frappr maps. Clicking their map entry tries to post some data somewhere. Also, the "new member" entry on the forum is scanned by search engine bots to increase their search scores for the particular brand of drug/smut/insurance/site they are selling.

Your feedback to SF Signal is valuable to us because it let's us know when we are doing things right. Our Frappr map is one form of that feedback and just as important. Therefore, SF Signal's Frappr Map now has member moderation enabled. All new members who sign up will need to be approved before being accepted. This keeps out those darn spammers and sends them back to the sinister and unholy depths from which they emerged.

So, take a moment to fight the forces of evil and sign our Frappr map today! (I'm not sure, but it may be deductible on your tax return. Check with your financial advisor.)

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday April 24, 2006 at 7:58 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

My Rating
BRIEF SYNOPSIS: Before the Clone Wars fully erupt, the Jedi Master Jorus C'baoth wishes to lead an expedition (called Outbound Flight) beyond the Republic's borders and explore the unknown reaches of space, but Darth Sidious wishes that mission to fail. Meanwhile, we meet a new alien race (Chiss Ascendancy) with a charismatic and capable officer named Thrawn, and he finds himself crossing paths with Outbound Flight.
PROS: We learn about Thrawn and his background in the uncharted territories.
CONS: It had to include Obi-wan and Anakin in the story when it could have progressed fine without them.
BOTTOM LINE: The book really helps to round out some of the story elements in his previous Thrawn books, and is a solid Star Wars book.

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Posted by Tim Zinsky at Monday April 24, 2006 at 11:41 AM
© 2006 SF Signal

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday April 24, 2006 at 12:00 AM
© 2006 SF Signal

Last year, Filmforce listed The 10 Most Hideous Aliens on Film:

1. Humma Kavula (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy)


2. The Thing (John Carpenter's The Thing)


3. Alien (Alien)


4. Predator (Predator)


5. Jar Jar Binks (Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace)


6. Brain Bug (Starship Troopers)


7. E.T. (E.T. the Extraterrestrial)


8. ID4 Aliens (Independence Day)


9. The Blob (The Blob)


10. Jabba the Hutt (Star Wars)

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Posted by John DeNardo at Sunday April 23, 2006 at 10:50 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

As mentioned previously, I undertook a project to read the short fiction nominees for the 2005 Nebula Award since all of the nominees were available online this year - a fortunate effect of the Internet Age.

Overall, the experience was fun, but I must say I was less than impressed with some of the stories. While most of them were good or better, a few of the stories just simply failed to entertain. Then again, there were a fair number of fantasy stories here and I make no bones about my hit-and-miss track record with fantasy. Ultimately, I just expected more from stories that were nominated for an award.

In a nutshell, here are my impressions of the stories in each category, sorted from most to least enjoyable. Obviously, the winning picks are the tops ones listed in each category.

Novellas
"The Tribes of Bela" by Albert Cowdrey
"Identity Theft" by Robert J. Sawyer
"Left of the Dial" by Paul Witcover
"Magic for Beginners" by Kelly Link
"Clay's Pride" by Bud Sparhawk

Novelettes
"The People of Sand and Slag" by Paolo Bacigalupi
"Flat Diane" by Daniel Abraham
"Men are Trouble" by Jim Kelly
"The Faery Handbag" by Kelly Link
"Nirvana High" by Eileen Gunn and Leslie What

Short Stories
"Singing My Sister Down" by Margo Lanagan
"Born-Again" by K.D. Wentworth
"I Live With You" by Carol Emshwiller
"The End of the World as We Know It" by Dale Bailey
"There's a Hole in the City" by Richard Bowes
"Still Life With Boobs" by Anne Harris
"My Mother, Dancing" by Nancy Kress

Reviewlettes follow...

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Posted by John DeNardo at Sunday April 23, 2006 at 6:46 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

Jeff Patterson of Gravity Lens has graciously pointed out that the June 2006 issue of SciFi Magazine mentions SF Signal in the Web Guide section. Thanks, Jeff!

Not being one to fawn all over myself, I waited all of two-and-half minutes before acquiescing to my ever-inflating ego which demanded to be soothed. Who am I to argue? I went to Barnes & Noble to pick up a copy, but alas, they didn't have it out yet. (I did manage to get a blog post out of that visit, though.)

Tonight was the return trip and I was happy - OK, let's be honest, giddy like a schoolgirl - to find that they had the June issue on the shelf sandwiched between two other magazines that inexplicably did not mention our blog. (Letters to their respective editors are in-progess.) I picked up a copy of the one that did mention us and introduced it to my scanner, the results of which you can see here. You may now commence with the accolades. :)

This issue will go next to my other vanity items that I keep in a secret, not-too-fresh-smelling shrine in my closet: the two issue of Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine where James Patrick Kelly noted SF Signal as both a candidate for the "Digital Hugo" and as one of the Top 40 sf blogs.

You would be surprised to learn a well-guarded, industry secret that SciFi Magazine is available with...alternate covers! Because we like to provide our readers with the full facts, both are shown here...

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Posted by John DeNardo at Saturday April 22, 2006 at 9:54 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

Jeff VanderMeer has posted a fairly comprehensive Essential Fantasy Reading List. He also offers a clarification over at Andrew Wheeler's blog that this is essential reading for writers.

Reading lists are fun, but I tend to gravitate more towards sf-related lists, like those of Gardner Dozois and others.

Even so, I'd love to do the meme thing like Andrew and others are doing, but - not being a huge fan of fantasy - I'm not all that well-read in it. I will say that, in true biblioholic fashion, I own several of them anyway. Also, I had a failed reading attempt at Crowley's Little, Big. (See Kevin's review.)

However, don't let my fantasy failings stop you from posting your take on the list - meme style or otherwise!

[List link via Locus Online]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Saturday April 22, 2006 at 12:45 AM
© 2006 SF Signal

Here at SF Signal, we like to think we provide the science fiction community with a valuable resource, with posts ranging from insightful to controversial. However, nothing smacks you in the side of the head with the fist of realization like a peek at the search terms being used by the website's visitors. To wit (or witless):

The Top 20 Search Terms at SF Signal

1. wolverine


2. kate beckinsale


3. superman returns


4. darth maul


5. anjelina jolie


6. numa numa dance lyrics


7. star wars spoofs


8. numa numa kid


9. open source mmorpg


10. i poke badgers with spoons


11. bunny theater


12. triumph star wars


13. george takei soundboard


14. german forklift safety video


15. 2003ub313


16. wolverine wallpaper


17. 30 second bunny theater


18. frozone


19. new superman trailer


20. ass clown

The biggest surprise has to be #20. What makes people think "ass clown" when they come here? Oh. Yeah.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Friday April 21, 2006 at 1:14 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

• Fractal Matter interviews Susanna Clarke, author of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. [via Forbidden Planet]
• John Scalzi contemplates the cluelessness of a self-published author's unauthorized Star Wars novel. [via Club Jade]
• Those who play with dolls (or "action figures") can Dress Summer Glau (River from Firefly). [via Whedonesque]
• George Lucas, Publicist: George Lucas Books will release its first title, the coffee table book Cinema By the Bay by Sheerly Avni next month. [via Club Jade]
• There's going to be a remake of Jules Verne's classic Journey to the Center of the Earth. In 3-D. With Brendan Fraser.
• Anna Genoese, the paranormal romance editor at Tor, posted Part 1 of a very enlightening sneak peek into the publishing business using the Profit & Loss example of an original mass-market paperback. [via Media Bistro]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Friday April 21, 2006 at 12:45 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

The 11th Star Trek movie has passed the realm of rumor to become fact, or as close to fact as Hollywood can produce. Empire Magazine is reporting that Paramount, owner of the Trek franchise, has assigned director J.J. Abrams (Lost, Alias) to the film.

The movie will focus on the early days of Kirk and Spock. (Perhaps shedding some light on their mutual attraction to each other that I read so much about on the Internet? Not that there's anything wrong with that.) A Starfleet Academy-based movie has been talked about for years and it looks like someone finally listened.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Friday April 21, 2006 at 7:01 AM
© 2006 SF Signal

Nebulous is a funny BBC sci-fi radio comedy described thusly:

The year is 2099. Professor Nebulous returns with his team of inept eco-trouble shooters in the second series of this hilarious sci-fi sit com.

NEBULOUS 2 continues the adventures of K.E.N.T. - the Key Environmental Non-Judgemental Taskforce in their struggle against alien threat and eco-logical disaster.

Like some strange collision of Doctor Who, Quatermass and Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy, series two beams back in with more monsters, more mayhem and more bizarre and inventive plots.

[via Curufea]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Friday April 21, 2006 at 1:27 AM
© 2006 SF Signal

The annual Free Comic Book Day is coming on Saturday, May 6th 2006.

The selection of comics includes those from Gold sponsors (Star Wars/Conan Flip-Book , Justice League Unlimited # 1, X-Men/Runaways, Future Shock and The Transformers/Beast Wars Special among others) and silver sponsors (The Preposterous Voyages of IronHide Tom!, Comic Genesis: Generations 2006-FCBD 2006 Edition, Superman/Batman #1 and Liberty Girl #0, among others) . Stop by a store near you!

I missed last year's Free Comic Book Day. Maybe my daughter would like to go and pick one of the tamer titles.

5/5 UPDATE: Reminder!

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Posted by John DeNardo at Thursday April 20, 2006 at 10:47 AM
© 2006 SF Signal

• Locus Online celebrates its 9th Anniversary!


• In 2007, Prime Books will publish a new annual anthology called Best American Fantasy which will be guest edited by Ann & Jeff VanderMeer with Matthew Cheney serving as series editor. [via Locus Online]


• SciFiWire profiles Geoff Ryman, author of the James Tiptree Jr. Award-winning book Air.


• The X-Men 3 website is now up and running. [via About]


• Furniture for book-lovers: The Bibliochaise. [via BookNinja]


• Fark Photoshopping: Star Wars vs. Star Trek.


• John Joseph Adams (The Slush God) reviews the first three episodes of Doctor Who Season 1. [via SlushGod]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Thursday April 20, 2006 at 12:02 AM
© 2006 SF Signal

The UK site This is London offers the 50 Greatest Film Adaptations. Here are the genre-related entries (10 of them):

• Different Seasons (one story anyway: "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption") by Stephen King


• Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? (filmed as Blade Runner) by Philip K Dick


• The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling


• 1984 by George Orwell


• Alice In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll


• A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess


• Day Of The Triffids by John Wyndham


• Watership Down by Richard Adams


• Charlie And The Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl


• Sin City by Frank Miller

[via Cynical-C whose comments also cite The Wizard of Oz and Lord of the Rings as notable omissions.]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday April 19, 2006 at 2:44 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

I Was in Barnes & Noble tonight, loitering in the Science Fiction section while my daughter was waiting (not so patiently) to go to the Kids section, and I spotted a customer with a handful of Dune prequels. Since Dune was mentioned in our recent Poll, I struck up a conversation (beware of bloggers in book stores!) and asked him what his favorite sf novels were. His reply was that he only reads Dune novels. Interesting, I thought. I asked why. He really likes to read non-fiction with a particular interest in history, and he liked the way that Dune portrayed themes and trends that occur in history; the way cultures change; things of that nature.

I thought that was interesting. My first impression of the guy was that he was a fellow science fiction geek. Not true. It made me wonder about what draws people to read science fiction. I know I'm speaking to a sf-fan audience, but I still have to ask:

Why do you read (and/or watch) science fiction?

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday April 19, 2006 at 12:58 AM
© 2006 SF Signal

• George P. Dvorsky offers Bald Women in Science Fiction. [via Gravity Lens]


• Swimming in Champaign lists a few openings from science fiction shows available from YouTube.


• Cory Doctorow reviews John Varley's Red Lightning, sequel to Red Thunder.


• A rather lengthy biography of Robert A. Heinlein. [via Asimov's Forum]


• More Star Wars humor: Darth Vader vs. the Japanese police. [via The Feed]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Tuesday April 18, 2006 at 3:53 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

• Heinleinblog has uncovered the cover art for the new Robert A. Heinlein/Spider Robinson novel Variable Star.


• Afterburn SF interviews George R.R. Martin. [via Fantasy Bookspot]


• Dragon Page interviews George Zebrowski.


• Star Wars humor from G4TV: An Imperial news conference and the Emperor's job interview. [via About]


• Australian ABC Online profiles Conjure 2006 guests Bruce Sterling, Cory Doctorow , and Jonathan Strahan. [via Locus Online]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday April 17, 2006 at 7:56 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday April 17, 2006 at 12:00 AM
© 2006 SF Signal

The winners of the 2005 British Science Fiction Awards were announced. The award honors novels and artwork published in the UK and short fiction that appears anywhere.

BEST NOVEL: Air by Geoff Ryman
SHORT FICTION: "Magic for Beginners" by Kelly Link
ARTWORK: Cover of Interzone #200 by Pawel Lewandowski

Here's the list of this year's nominees and the list of previous winners.

[via Forbidden Planet blog]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Sunday April 16, 2006 at 10:11 AM
© 2006 SF Signal

The winner for the 2006 Philip K. Dick Award Winner has been announced: War Surf by M. M. Buckner. A special citation was given to Natural History by Justina Robson.

See also: winners from previous years.

[via Locus Online]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Saturday April 15, 2006 at 7:11 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

During our discussion of The Worst SF/F Book Ever, many of us (myself included) learned of the...unique...writing style of the Pel Torro, whose real name is Lionel Fanthorpe. We proceeded to have some fun reveling in some unintentionally humorous verbiage, all the while wondering why anyone would write like that. Now there's a reason.

Emerald City brings word of The R. L Fanthorpe Write-Alike Contest to benefit the Susan C. Petrey Clarion Scholarship Fund. The object is to create an original work or rewrite an existing work in the style of Fanthorpe. Winners get cash, with the bulk $10 entry fees going to the scholarship fund.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Saturday April 15, 2006 at 12:46 AM
© 2006 SF Signal

Inspired by Abigail at Asking the Wrong Questions and others who have read all the 2005 Nebula Award Nominees for short stories, novelettes and novellas, I plan to undertake a similar task, hopefully finishing before they are announced on May 6th.

It shouldn't be too difficult as I've got over 3 weeks to finish and I've already read about 5 of the nominees. Fortunately, all of the nominees are available online. And, not counting the ones I've already read, I stand to gain 28 SF-POINTS^©! Yay me.

I'll post my impressions and picks for each category in the coming weeks.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Friday April 14, 2006 at 12:22 AM
© 2006 SF Signal

• The Shazam! movie gets a director: Peter Segal.


• Charles Stross is writing a third book in his Eschaton sequence (the first two being Singularity Sky and Iron Sunrise).


• Scott Westerfeld has optioned his book So Yesterday.


• Here's a two-hour radio dramatization (in a four-part set of MP3s) of Samuel R. Delany's first short piece of SF, "The Star-Pit" with narration by Delany himself. [via Boing^2]


• MemeTherapy has a brief interview with Neal Asher.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Friday April 14, 2006 at 12:17 AM
© 2006 SF Signal

First there was email spam. Then there was blog spam. Now the a@@-clowns have found a new avenue for their intrusive ways...

SF Signal's Frappr Map was spammed today. Either that, or we have three new readers named "Online Directory" who live in California. Is it legal to ask for a bounty on a spammer's head? Not some nebulous information leading to their true identity, but their actual, physical head? Jus' wonderin'.

<cry4attention type="blatant">

Show the world how much you hate spam and sign our Frappr map! Take a stand, monkey boy!

On the bright side, at least the new Movable Type is doing an outstanding job filtering spammy trackbacks which, by the way, are doing their best to increase my pr0n vocabulary.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Thursday April 13, 2006 at 10:39 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

A relatively new site profiled today in CNet (via The New York Times) is Zunafish, which is a service that allows it's members to trade between them various types of media; CDs, Movies (DVDs and VHS), video games and books (paperback and audio).

How it works is simple: You enter a list of all the things you want to trade, offer them as trade for like items (books for books, CDs for CDs), then, if the trade is accepted by the other member, each member pays $1 plus shipping for the item. They even calculate the cost and allow you to print a shipping label.

I like this idea. It seems like a great way to turn unwanted stuff into wanted stuff. (Not that I would ever part with a book!) It's gotta beat selling them on the used market - for higher priced items anyway.

A couple of potential downsides. First, the trading is limited to like items. This assumes that people want to trade like items which may not always be the case. Secondly, the trade is a bit inequitable. That Highlander Season Three 8-disc box set counts as a fair trade with, say, Porky's. Of course, both parties must still agree on the trade so I suspect that's not likely to happen. Another potential downside I foresee is dishonesty amongst members. You just can trust the internets. The planned member ratings system will help with that somewhat, I guess.

As Holtzbrinck Online notes, as the site becomes popular it will be interesting to see if publishers cry foul or, with only a weak stick (ahem) to lean on, at least whine a little.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Thursday April 13, 2006 at 8:01 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

The SciFi Channel website has launched SCIFIPEDIA, a science fiction wiki. Oddly, they didn't grab the scifipedia.com domain name. Although I can't seem to see the RSS feeds, other functionality is there, like categorized wiki browsing and This Day in History (on the main page). Like all wikis, content can be updated by anyone.

It'll be interesting to see how this compares over time with Wikipedia which, right now, has way more content. As an example the Isaac Asimov Wikipedia enrty has much more information the Scifipedia Asimov entry.

[link via Locus Online and Slush God]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Thursday April 13, 2006 at 9:30 AM
© 2006 SF Signal

• An art gallery showcasing Boris Vallejo.


• Casting has begun for the adaptation of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy.


• Farsector interviews Vernor Vinge. [via Amygdala]


• The Dada Detective reminisces when sf authors have let him down.


• Is nothing sacred? It's Battlestar Galactica, the Collectible Card Game.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Thursday April 13, 2006 at 12:53 AM
© 2006 SF Signal

REVIEW SUMMARY: Did not quite rise to the level I hoped it would.

MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: Six far-future novellas written in 2005

MY REVIEW:
PROS: 3 stories ranging from good to superb.
CONS: 2 mediocre entries and one just not very entertaining.
BOTTOM LINE: A mixed-bag balanced evenly over the "slightly-better-than-mediocre" tipping point.

One Million A.D. edited by Gardner Dozois collects six stories set in the far, far future by some of my favorite authors.

Reading anthologies has always been something of a mixed bag for me. (A ultimately enjoyable one, I might add!) Rare is the anthology that can capture surefire winners with every entry. It's less likely with an original anthology than with a "best of" anthology because the former's stories have not stood the test of time. The original stuff might be good, but with the already-written stories you can be sure - subject to one's own version of quality, of course.

Even so, when I saw the author lineup included in the selection - some of whom have provided 5-star stories in the past - I had high hopes. Alas, some of these stories failed to overly excite me the way good sf should.

That said, I should say that four out of the six stories are good and "Mirror Image" by Nancy Kress was near-perfect. Altogether, the book sits balanced evenly over the "slightly-better-than-mediocre" tipping point.

Reviewlettes follow.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday April 12, 2006 at 11:58 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

• According to Wikipedia, it's James Patrick Kelly's birthday today. Give yourself a gift and go listen to one of his stories.


• Entertainment Weekly offers a superhero quiz.


• Sci-Fi Brain's Top Ten Greatest Sci-Fi Romances.


• Jeff VanderMeer interviews new genre publisher Solaris Books.


• Green Integer article: E.T. Go Home: Spielberg's Really Bad Aliens. [via Mumpsimus]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Tuesday April 11, 2006 at 9:23 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

I'm not exactly sure what to make of theJedi Chefs. Aside from a bunch of people with too much time on their hands and a penchant for accosting B-list celebrities that is. Still, its rather impressive they managed to persuade several of those celebrities to 'join' their order. And you have to love the hat.

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Posted by JP Frantz at Tuesday April 11, 2006 at 1:39 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

Well, I'm all caught up on the U.S. airings of Doctor Who on the SciFi Channel. It's...interesting. I was surprised to see that camp factor remained as I always thought (having seen only glimpses years ago of the Tom Baker version) that it was just the result of a low budget. Am I to understand that the camp is part of the charm? I haven't made up my mind on that score yet. It's sometimes funny and sometimes painful. I mean, come on, what's with the guys in the rubber suits? Bah!

Still, I plan to keep watching, at least for another couple of shows. I've always liked the idea of space/time travel. I've intentionally stayed away from most reviews of the SciFi UK airings, mostly because I want to keep a spoiler-free open mind. I'm trying to give it a chance. Still, I fear it's one of those shows that will lose my attention before season's end. (Can you say Stargate: Atlantis?)

Has anyone else seen it? If not, why not? If so, what do you think of Doctor Who?

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday April 10, 2006 at 7:51 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

The Horror Writers Association has announced the nominees for the 2005 Bram Stoker Awards:

NOVEL

• Creepers by David Morrell


• Dread in the Beast by Charlee Jacob


• Keepers by Gary Braunbeck


• November Mourns by Tom Piccirilli

• The Hides by Kealan Patrick Burke


• Scarecrow Gods by Weston Ochse


• Siren Promised by Alan M. Clark and Jeremy Robert Johnson

• "Best New Horror" by Joe Hill


• "In the Midnight Museum" by Gary Braunbeck


• "Some Zombie Contingency Plans" by Kelly Link


• "The Things They Left Behind" by Stephen King

• "As Others See Us" by Mort Castle


• "Haeckel's Tale" by Clive Barker


• "Times of Atonement" by Yvonne Navarro


• "We Now Pause for Station Identification" by Gary Braunbeck


• "Invisible" by Steve Rasnic Tem

• Corpse Blossoms by Julia and R.J. Sevin


• Dark Delicacies: Original Tales of Terror and the Macabre by Del Howison and Jeff Gelb


• Outsiders by Nancy Holder and Nancy Kilpatrick


• Weird Shadows Over Innsmouth by Stephen Jones

• Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk


• Looking for Jake by China Mieville


• Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link


• Twentieth Century Ghosts by Joe Hill

• The Bradbury Chronicle by Sam Weller


• Horror: Another 100 Best Books by Stephen Jones and Kim Newman


• Morbid Curiosity number nine by Loren Rhoads


• More Giants of the Genre by Michael McCarty


• Why Buffy Matters: The Art of Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Rhonda Wilcox

• Freakcidents by Michael A. Arnzen


• Seasons: A Series of Poems Based on the Life and Death of Edgar Allan Poe by Daniel Shields


• The Shadow City by Gary W. Crawford


• Sineater by Charlee Jacob

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday April 10, 2006 at 7:23 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

D'oh! As John L. pointed out, the recently posted poll (SF Signal Reader Challenge #1) was broken. It seems that all the votes went to Simmons' Hyperion. (How's that for ballot-stuffing, eh?)

The poll has been reset. If you have already voted this week, please re-vote.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday April 10, 2006 at 2:52 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday April 10, 2006 at 12:00 AM
© 2006 SF Signal

• The official website for Spiderman 3, opening May 4th 2007 (!), is now live. [via Cinema Blend]


• X3: Extreme Wolverine - Hugh Jackman's take on the character of Wolverine. [via Sci-Fi Brain]


• The Scotsman profiles article on Neil Gaiman whose The Wolves in the Walls is now a scary 'Musical Pandemonium' with lyrics! [via Alien Online]


• Star Wars Kid settles out of court.


• Iain Emsley of Interzone interviews David Marusek, author of Counting Heads. [via Futurismic]


• Asking the Wrong Questions reviews the 2006 Hugo novellette shortlist.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Sunday April 09, 2006 at 11:51 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

SF author group blog Electric Velocipede reports about the development of a new anthology called Logorrhea: Good Words Make Good Stories. It's based on words that have won spelling bees. (Bzz!)

My first thought is: Boy, are they running out of ideas for original anthology theme, or what? What's next? Robotic monkeys?

Then I thought: Why not? Hal Duncan's entry, "The Chiaroscurist", it turns out, is very good. (And worth 2 points, thank you!) They've lined up some other fine authors in addition to Hal Duncan, including Daniel Abraham, Paolo Bacigalupi, Alex Irvine, Jay Lake, Kelly Link, Michael Moorcock, Tim Pratt, Lucius Shepard, Jeff VanderMeer, Liz Williams and more.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Sunday April 09, 2006 at 12:36 AM
© 2006 SF Signal

Based on the Playstation game of the same name, and from the trailer, appears to follow the story line of that game, as well as the awesome theme song, sound effects, demon nurses and evil child puppet things.

I'd put the Silent Hill Playstation game (the original) on my very short list of favorite video games of all time. It's really the only game I've ever played that I found frightening to the core.

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Posted by APEGamer at Saturday April 08, 2006 at 1:02 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

• SF or Pr0n? See a PDF preview of Five Fists Of Science by Matt Fraction and Steve Sanders. [via Boing^2]


• The April 2006 issue of Ansible is up.


• Science Fiction image slideshow.


• Asking the Wrong Questions reviews the 2006 Hugo short story shortlist.


• A one-man re-enactment by a guy named Brandon Hardesty of a climactic scene from Star Trek: First Contact. [via Incoming Signals who comments that Hardesty has "zeroed in on one of the worst moments of unintentionally hilarious thespianism from Patrick Stewart."]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Friday April 07, 2006 at 12:24 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

SciFi Friday is a weekly podcast that rebroadcasts old science fiction radio dramas. Some of the works listed there include Earth Abides by George Stewart (Parts 1 and 2) and The Time Machine by H.G. Wells. Most of the episodes are replays of the old radio show Dimension X and X Minus 1.

[link via Cynical-C]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Friday April 07, 2006 at 12:12 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

At his website, Dan Simmons posted an entry called April 2006 Message, a short story about current events. In it, a time traveler from the future comes back to warn about the impending Century War with Islam.

Even though I'm not a fan of politics in sf, I still found this to be a good read. There's also a reference in it to Ken Grimwood's awesome book Replay. Here's an excerpt of the story:

The Time Traveler appeared suddenly in my study on New Year's Eve, 2004. He was a stolid, grizzled man in a gray tunic and looked to be in his late-sixties or older. He also appeared to be the veteran of wars or of some terrible accident since he had livid scars on his face and neck and hands, some even visible in his scalp beneath a fuzz of gray hair cropped short in a military cut. One eye was covered by a black eyepatch. Before I could finish dialing 911 he announced in a husky voice that he was a Time Traveler come back to talk to me about the future.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Thursday April 06, 2006 at 11:12 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

• Ian MacLeod Ken MacLeod talks to SciFi Wire about his award-nominated book Learning the World.


• Andrew Wheeler re-posts an old but interesting piece on space opera.


• Asking the Wrong Questions reviews the 2006 Hugo novella shortlist.


• New SF reference book explores "Old West" themes in sf: Science Fiction And The American West. [via patahistory]


• Michael A. Burstein has created LiveJournal communities for the sf magazines Analog, Asimov's and Fantasy and Science Fiction.


• Nick Sagan's favorite drama TV shows. [via Chris McLaren]


• From 1975: Stanislaw Lem on Philip K. Dick. [via Cynical-C]


• Wired gives an update on the missing head of the Philip K. Dick android. [via Gravity Lens]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Thursday April 06, 2006 at 12:45 AM
© 2006 SF Signal

I've just learned (through Pyr editor Lou Anders' blog) that next month will see the release of a new science fiction art book called Cover Story : The Art of John Picacio. I've said before (and even recently) that Picacio is one of my favorite recent artists. Something about the artistic style just sits right with me.

So if anyone is looking for a gift idea for a certain blogger...

I'm just sayin'. :)

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday April 05, 2006 at 8:53 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

CNet reports that recent announcements have given e-books a second chance. Among the announcements is a $300 - $400 Sony e-book reader to be sold through Borders bookstores. Also publisher Bloomsbury (publishers of Harry Potter) will begin offering e-book titles.

It looks like major issues remain; the same ones that stalled the market some years ago. Specifically: title selection, price and the ever-dreaded digital rights management. Gregory Newby, director of Project Gutenberg, sums up my thoughts quite nicely:

"When you buy a book, you have it forever," Newby said. "With these electronic books, you often are prevented from doing those things that you can do with regular books. What happens when my device breaks?...Books aren't just words on a page. They are things you can trade, share and store for later."

My own personal experiences with e-books have been lukewarm. I've read lots of short fiction and only two full-length novels in e-form. Although the experience did somewhat change my mind - I like some of the digital only features like word lookups and searches - I still prefer the physicality of a book. Time will tell if the e-book market will finally take-off.

What about you? Do you read e-books? What is your experience with them or why won't you go near them?

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday April 05, 2006 at 8:41 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

REVIEW SUMMARY: The most annoying book I ever forced myself to finish.

MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: A narc goes undercover to spy on himself.

MY REVIEW:
PROS: Um, er...
CONS: Disjoint, frenetic narrative; uninteresting story; way too much "what is reality?" theme; characters you don't care about.
BOTTOM LINE: Disappointing.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday April 05, 2006 at 12:40 AM
© 2006 SF Signal

• SciFiWeekly interviews James Morrow, author of The Last Witchfinder and This is the Way the World Ends.


• Jeff VanderMeer interviews John Scalzi. [via Locus Online]


• Far Sector's Shaun Farrell interviews Vernor Vinge. [via Locus Online]


• New MemeTherapy episode on Transhumanism featuring Dr. James Hughes, the executive director of the World Transhumanist Association.


• A list of fictional diseases, many from science fiction. [via Gravity Lens]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Tuesday April 04, 2006 at 11:44 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

James Patrick Kelly, no stranger to podcasting himself, has an Asimov's article called Adventures in Podcasting. In it he envisions a "talknet" of podcasters - much like an audio version of the blogosphere - that will be realized when podcasting comes of age. He also goes on to list some of his favorite podcasts. My favorite bit:

It's been my personal experience, alas, that it's a hell of a lot easier for me to say something stupid than it is to write something stupid; rarely can I listen to an interview I've given without cringing. On some podcasts I've listened to, the quantity of chatter seems to matter more than the quality of thought. Oftentimes these shows will consist of two or more speakers who seem to be modeling themselves on drivetime shockjocks. They interrupt and insult one another, often in the process losing their train of thought. They crack wise about sex and beer and skiffy flicks and reward each other with guffaws in a kind of grotesque comedic codependency.

Note to self: If we ever do a podcast, fill the airtime with sensuous supermodel-sounding babes to cover any lack of podcasting skills.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Tuesday April 04, 2006 at 8:12 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

Over at Asimov's forum, Sean Wallace (of Prime Books) has posted a schedule of the "Best of..." anthologies due out in 2006.

1. March: Nebula Awards Showcase: 2005, Gardner Dozois ed.


2. March: Best Short Novels: 2006, Jonathan Strahan ed.


3. April: Horror: The Best of the Year: 2006 Edition, John Gregory Betancourt and Sean Wallace, ed.


4. April: The Year's Best Australian Science Fiction & Fantasy, 2006, ed. Bill Congreve ed.


5. April: Best of the Rest, Brian Youmans ed.


6. May: Science Fiction: The Best of the Year: 2006 Edition, Rich Horton, ed.


7. May: Fantasy: The Best of the Year: 2006 Edition, Rich Horton, ed.


8. June: Year's Best Science Fiction, David G. Hartwell & Kathryn Cramer eds.


9. Summer: Science Fiction: The Very Best of 2005, Jonathan Strahan, ed.


10. Summer: Fantasy: The Very Best of 2005, Jonathan Strahan, ed.


11. Summer: Australian Dark Fantasy and Horror: The Best of 2005, Shane Jiraiya Cummings ed.


12. July: The Year's Best Science Fiction #23, Gardner Dozois ed.


13. July: Best New Fantasy, Sean Wallace, ed.


14. August: The Year's Best Fantasy & Horror #19, Ellen Datlow, Gavin Grant & Kelly Link eds.


15. September: Year's Best Fantasy, David G. Hartwell & Kathryn Cramer


16. September: Best New Noir, Allan Guthrie, ed.


17. October: Best New Paranormal Romance, Paula Guran, ed.


18. October: The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror, Stephen Jones ed.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Tuesday April 04, 2006 at 10:29 AM
© 2006 SF Signal

• Markosia Comics is publishing his Starship Troopers: Blaze of Glory, a four-issue miniseries based on Robert A. Heinlein's classic SF novel Starship Troopers. [via SciFiWire]


• Casting suggestions for Wonder Woman: Top 5 Choices to Play Wonder Woman by GeekZine and 7 Actresses who Should Not Play Wonder Woman via Cinematical.


• Counting Heads author Dave Marusek will be getting a collection of short fiction published.


• A survey from Claw of the Conciliator blog: "Science Fiction, Fantasy and Faith" parts one, two and three.


• A couple of SF/F articles from Publisher's Weekly: Fantasy Goes Literary and Too Geeky for Its Own Good? (this second one on the Itzkoff flap) [Links via Mumpsimus]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday April 03, 2006 at 12:51 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

Empire Online has listed The 50 Greatest Independent Films. Some entries of note for genre fans:

2. Donnie Darko


3. The Terminator


6. Night of the Living Dead


22. Nosferatu


23. The Evil Dead


27. Dark Star


35. THX-1138


45. Mad Max


46. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre


48. Cube

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday April 03, 2006 at 12:42 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

Not the Vernor Vinge version of a singularity, but the free (yes, free) podibook version of Singularity, as read by the author himself, Bill DeSmedt. Podiobooks is a site that releases audiobooks in a serialized format, complete with RSS feeds for you to consume. You do need to register, but once you do, the books are free. Did I mention free?

And, really, what could be better than to hear Singularity, which is a favorite of the staff (well, John and myself) of SFSignal. The podio version has rocketing up the charts with a bullet, hitting the Podiobooks Top Ten. What I would like to see happen, is that the powers that be see how popular Singularity is among internet denizens and decide to go ahead and make a mini-series, just as we proposed in our 'Studio President For A Day' post!

So get downloading, because I want to see this on my TV. In High Def even!

Thanks to the man himself, Bill DeSmedt, for the heads up on the podibook release.

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Posted by JP Frantz at Monday April 03, 2006 at 10:56 AM
© 2006 SF Signal

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday April 03, 2006 at 12:00 AM
© 2006 SF Signal

• SciFi Dimensions profiles Harlan Ellison.


• SF Crowsnest interviews Peter F. Hamilton.


• The April 2006 Runcible Ansible.


• William Shunn sees some parallels between sf and Steinbeck's East of Eden.


• How to write alternate history like Harry Turtledove.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Sunday April 02, 2006 at 1:39 PM
© 2006 SF Signal

• Superman goes 3D-IMAX.


• First there was the parody called the The Mootrix. Now there is the educational/propagandish The Meatrix. [via Future Fire]


• Legendary visual-effects guru Ray Harryhausen will receive the George Pal Memorial Award at the upcoming 32nd annual Saturn Awards. [via SciFi Wire]


• Website exhibit: 2001: A Space Odyssey.


• John announces that he's given up on his New Year's reading resolution, instead deciding to devote himself to planting as many plants as possible. He'll get 1 point for an annual, 2 points for a perennial, and 3 points for a shrubbery.


• SF Author Tobias S. Buckell wants to know your favorite book title.


• More Buckell news: he serves as editor to the health-related blog Health Tracker. [via PR Web]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Saturday April 01, 2006 at 12:01 AM
© 2006 SF Signal

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Posted by John DeNardo at Saturday April 01, 2006 at 12:00 AM
© 2006 SF Signal