The BBC talks to Alastair Reynolds (The Prefect) about whether current technology has out-paced science fiction:

The common complaint now is that science fiction is already outmoded because we are living in a science fiction universe," says Mr Reynolds. "I've got some sympathy with that. Only the other day I was in Amsterdam airport and I noticed security guards nipping around on Segways with machine guns.

"If you had been transported from 1997 into this year, you would be incredulous and think of it as science fiction.

"But we accept it as part of the fabric of our world."

Mr Reynolds believes that the pace of change makes science fiction essential reading, now more than ever.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday April 30, 2007 at 12:35 PM
© 2007 SF Signal

Gwyneth Jones writes about how cyberpunk turned out to have some fairly accurate predictive powers:

In the 1980s, a new kind of science fiction emerged, like a supernova, blasting the old finned spaceships, streamlined Metropolis robots and tentacled aliens out of the sky. Called "cyberpunk", the manifesto went like this: in the foreseeable future there will be no aliens, and no trips to distant planets. Digital technology, however, will get better and better, throwing up fantastic new gadgets that will not remain in the hands of the wealthy. Every punk will have a supercomputer in his pocket (and this was before desktop PCs, mind you, when video-camera, wi-fi internet access phones weren't even a twinkle in a Finnish eye). And everything else in the world will get much, much, worse.

The science-fiction establishment hated cyberpunks. Science fiction was supposed to be about progress and how advances in technology would create a better world. But they were right, and the truth they told is highly relevant to this new century of sci-fi come true. If a child is told at the age of five that he has the cognitive scan of a delinquent, there's a very strong chance that he'll fulfil that prediction.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday April 30, 2007 at 12:22 PM
© 2007 SF Signal

• A set of first edition books of Isaac Asimov's Foundation Trilogy sold for $2,300. Wow!


• Talking Squid tells us why fanfic makes us stupid.


• Check out The Villanizer, a Steampunk Guitar. [via VCTB]


• Locus Online has posted the contents of the May 2007 issue of Locus magazine.


• James Patrick Kelly is podcasting his novel Look Into the Sun. Here's Part 12.


• File under: I Can't Believe This is the First Time I've Seen This: The Science Fiction Story of the Day website which offers free fiction online daily.


• Odyssey SF/F Writing Workshop podcasts Robert J. Sawyer talking about point of view in fiction.


• Finally...a label to attach to the people blocking the bookstore aisles: Manga Hoboes!


• Cory Doctorow reads from his forthcoming (May 2008) young adult novel, Little Brother, about San Francisco hacker kids who fight back against the Department of Homeland Security.


• Slice of SciFi interviews Morena Baccarin who played Inara in Firelfy and Serenity. [via Whedonesque]


• Iain Banks next Culture novel is titled Matter. [via James @ Big Dumb Object, who also has a report from Alt.Fiction 2007]


• Get it before it's yanked! Funny video for Monday: An SNL skit that lacked the cajones to be called Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Bone. (YouTube has already pulled this, as it were.) Speaking of The Harry Potter Outreach Program...HEL-lo!

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday April 30, 2007 at 12:40 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

"I'd be remiss as a Neil Gaiman fan if I didn't go see Stardust...but I can't wait for Spider-Man 3. Or Pirates 3. Or Harry Potter 5. Or...Or...Or... This list needs a "Resounding All Of The Above" choice, dag-nabbit!" - Pete Tz.

"Meh. I remain a SF snob. Nothing wrong with superhero movies, but I am unlikely to view them in the theater. (I have not seen the previous Spiderman or Fantastic Four in the theaters.) I am not a zombie/horror or fantasy fan knocking out four others on the list. I haven't heard of Stardust or the Invasion, but the titles intrigue me. I would not mind seeing about half of these in theaters, but given my sporatic theater attendance, I'm not likely to see any." - Kristen

"I hate to say it but Fido looks somewhat interesting to me. Sort of like the end of Shawn of the Dead taken to the next level plus all that Pleasantville type scenery. Just oozes shmultz.." - Tim

"I'd also vote for HP (I voted for Stardust). Shrek might be one for the family; we'll see. As for the rest? Meh." - Fred Kiesche

"I will probably see 8 out 10 of these movies.Looks to be an interesting and perhaps good summer for the movies." - Ed

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday April 30, 2007 at 12:00 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

REVIEW SUMMARY: Finishes off the story begun with Ports of Call with the perfect ending.

MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: Myron continues his trek about the galaxy meeting interesting people and having sometimes not so exciting adventures along the way.

MY REVIEW:
PROS: Vance continues to be unafraid to write however he feels like and I believe the reader is rewarded for the non-traditional approach.
CONS: The back half of a book-split that shouldn't have been done - the collection of this and the earlier book work best if read together.
BOTTOM LINE: Same as the previous novel: fun set of stories that chronicle the travels of a young man adrift in the big universe.

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Posted by Scott Shaffer at Sunday April 29, 2007 at 8:44 PM
© 2007 SF Signal

Andy Cox, editor and publisher of Interzone, has announced that the May-June issue next year will be a special issue devoted to Mundane SF, guest-edited by Geoff Ryman.

As per Ryman, the rules of Mundane SF are:

• no FTL travel or communications
• no aliens
• no time travel
• no parallel universes
• no immortality or telepathy

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Posted by John DeNardo at Sunday April 29, 2007 at 12:11 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

For those who are interested in the SCiFi Channel's non-wrestling programming, they have announced the U.S. start dates for series starting or retuning this summer.

Flash Gordon premieres Aug. 10. It puts a 21st-century spin on the SF classic. SCI FI's contemporized version stars Eric Johnson.

Destination Truth debuts June 6 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The one-hour weekly series invites viewers along on one man's search for the truth while investigating stories of the unexplained across the globe. Josh Gates stars.

The as-yet-untitled Derren Brown Project premieres July 25 at 10 p.m. The series stars British mentalist Derren Brown.

Among returning series, Ghost Hunters comes back June 6 at 9 p.m., Doctor Who July 6 at 9 p.m., Eureka on July 10 and Who Wants to Be a Superhero? July 25 at 9 p.m.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Sunday April 29, 2007 at 12:10 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

YouTube teams with Google to offer Google Author Talks. Here's one from John Scalzi:

"Author John Scalzi discusses "The Last Colony" as part of the Authors@Google series. This event took place on April 27, 2007 at Google Headquarters in Mountain View, CA. Bacon Cat also explained."

See also: videos with Neil Gaiman, Jonathan Lethem, Kelly Link and Karen Joy Fowler.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Saturday April 28, 2007 at 4:56 PM
© 2007 SF Signal

Cogmios points out that America Free TV has a science fiction channel. This is the same stream we pointed out before (with a larger display), but seeing it again prompted me to check it out once more.

There was no indication as to what video was being streamed, but it looked intriguing enough. There was a trial scene done with flashbacks in which a pilot was delivering medical supplies. The importance of keeping the total cargo weight low was emphasized, since there is a direct correlation to the consumption of precious fuel. Hmmm...that sounded familiar. Then the pilot discovers a stowaway.

Ding!

I was watching an adaptation of Tom Godwin's superb short story, "The Cold Equations". It looked like it might have been a Outer Limits episode. That was news to me. A Google later, I discovered that I was watching a 1996 made-for-TV movie version of the story. Cool! The acting was uneven and It ran a little long for the story, but damn, the central point of the story still rocks.

But here's the kicker -- it was filmed for the SciFi Channel. Funny, I don't remember any wrestlers in the story... :)

I never even knew there was an adaptation. Actually, it turns out there were two others! One for the 1962 British anthology series Out of This World and one for the 1985-1989 revival of The Twilight Zone.

I wonder what other sf treasures are waiting out there?

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Posted by John DeNardo at Saturday April 28, 2007 at 12:15 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

• Pat's Fantasy Hotlist interviews Richard K. Morgan, author of Thirteen (known as Black Man in the UK).


• Over at SFBC Blog, Editor Andrew Wheeler weighs in on Rick Kleffel's book cover rant.


• Gwyneth Jones on A Door into Ocean and feminist sf. [via Feminist SF] Oh, and Gwyneth Jones has been added to the list of sf/f authors who blog.


• Here's a collection of links about Eric Flint's take on on DRM and Copyright.


• $100 will buy you a replica of the Time Bandits map. [via Michael May]


• Humor: The Top 10 Things Overheard at the Science Fiction Retirement Village.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Saturday April 28, 2007 at 12:05 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

On our way down the elevator after work today, Tim voiced a question that has been bugging me for a while now:

Why aren't there more big time author book signings in Houston?

After all, Houston is the fourth largest city in the U.S. We have a very diverse population that includes many SF and F fans, so why don't we see more signings? For instance, SF Signal favorite John Scalzi is currently on a book tour. Just look at some of the cities on tour: Half Moon Bay, Novi, Kokom. I mean, what the heck? I'm sure they are nice places, but I'm guessing the population of just our area of Houston has as many, if not more, people. So what is that determines a site for the tour? I know Austin, with the popular Bookpeople store, is a good place for a signing, and its only a couple of hours from Houston. So, if I were to have gone to Austin to see Neal Stephenson (which I did), its most likely I would go to see Scalzi (which I would), even if we're talking a whole day trip.

So why not come to Houston? There are many areas that could easily host a signing, like The Woodlands or The Galleria just to name a few. All are much closer to us here at the big SFS, and we'd definitely go see our favorite authors (Tobias Buckell, Chris Roberson, Scalzi just to name a few). If anyone can shed some light on the apparently esoteric art of book signing tours, we would love to here from you!

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Posted by JP Frantz at Friday April 27, 2007 at 8:21 PM
© 2007 SF Signal

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Posted by John DeNardo at Friday April 27, 2007 at 2:34 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

Over at the Science Fiction Book Club Blog, Andrew Wheeler is posting a bunch of "Author Notes" where writers talk about their books.

Check out:

• Robert J. Sawyer on Rollback
• Allen Steele on Spindrift
• Joel Shepherd on Breakaway
• Kelley Armstrong on No Humans Involved
• Carrie Vaughn on Long-Time Listener, First-Time Werewolf

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Posted by John DeNardo at Friday April 27, 2007 at 1:14 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

The Summer 2007 issue of Concatenation is posted. In addition to numerous reviews, here's what's included:

• Newscast for the Spring 2007 - covering SF books, films and TV an more
• The Science in Science Fiction by Ian Hocking
• Redemption - UK convention reviewed
• SF Film Top Ten Chart and Other Worthies
• Annual whimsical SF and/or science snippets and exotica

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Posted by John DeNardo at Friday April 27, 2007 at 1:11 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

• Gail Martin (The Summoner) asks: Are SF/F Subversive to the Status Quo? "So in that venerable sense, I think Science Fiction and Fantasy are ideologically subversive--and that's a good thing. SF/F has always questioned the status quo, imagined alternatives, and looked at assumptions and prejudices in otherworld settings that let us see the absurdities."


• UK SF Book News looks at The Darkening Garden: A Short Lexicon of Horror by John Clute.


• Lynn Abbey and Jennifer Pelland have been added to the list of sf/f authors who blog.


• Worried about alien invasion? Perhaps you should read An Introduction to Planetary Defense. [via Gravity Lens]


• Humor: Chris Roberson points us to a Cat and Girl web comic that explains the point of reading fiction.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Friday April 27, 2007 at 1:03 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

MY RATING:

(For more Discworld reviews, see The Great Pratchett Review Table)

Thanks to our own lovely and talented Tim, I was able to get my hands on the coffee-table sized version of The Last Hero, the one with Cohen in all his geriatric glory on the cover. What a treat this book is. The Last Hero is the story of a group of unlikely heroes who attempt to stop an old threat, namely the Silver Horde, from destroying Discworld. It seems that Cohen and his gang want to give the gods what for, which, unfortunately, will also result in bad things for the rest of the Disc.

The Last Hero, clocking in at around 40,000 words, is very short book, more of a novella really. The story itself is rather fun, if short, being a conglomeration of parodies: the moon landing, fantasy evil overlords, and the lone hero against impossible odds are just a few of them. However, The Last Hero really requires some knowledge of the previous Discworld novels, as Pratchett doesn't wast time with character introductions or backstory re-hashes. Everything is in service to the plot, and the action move along at a brisk and humorous pace. We meet old friends such as Rincewind, Lord Vetinari, Cohen and Corporal Carrot. Of course there is the usual Pratchett word play, which reminds my of Jimmy from Airplane!, frequent use of footnotes, normal seeming situations that rapidly become comically unusual and, of course, Death.

But where this book really shines is in the artwork. Paul Kidby replaces the usual artist, Josh Kirby, and he brings a more 'realistic' style to the Discworld. His takes on the appearance of all the characters are refreshingly different yet still manage to capture the feel of each character. That being said, I think the best artwork in the book are the drawings of Leonard of Quirm, the Disc's version of Leonardo da Vinci. Kidby does an incredible job of mimicing da Vinci's artwork style while infusing it with typical Discworld insanity. My favorites would be the drawing on the Common Swamp Dragon, the painting of the Rimfall, and the sketches of the space ship, The Great Bird. In fact, The Last Hero is just chock full of great eye candy and I spent as much time just looking at the art as I did in reading the book.

While not the longest story in the Discworld canon, I have to say that the artwork alone in The Last Hero elevates this book near the top of the best Discworld novels. If you're a Discworld fan and you haven't read this book, do yourself a favor and get it. You won't be disappointed. I may have to 'lose' this book and, thus, not be able to return it to Tim...

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Posted by JP Frantz at Thursday April 26, 2007 at 10:11 PM
© 2007 SF Signal

Seth Green and Matthew Senreich, creators of Cartoon Network's Robot Chicken, will develop Robot Chicken: Star Wars, a 30-minute stop-motion animation for the network's Adult Swim programming block.

Here's the kicker: Not only does Mark Hamill as the voice of Luke Skywalker in one sketch, but also George Lucas, who will voice the animated version of himself!

Has the world gone mad? First he helps out Fanboys...now this? If only he could go back in time and eradicate all traces of Jar Jar, he'd be golden.

Other voices in Robot Chicken: Star Wars include in Conan O'Brien, Seth MacFarlane, Robert Smigel, Malcolm McDowell, Hulk Hogan, James Van Der Beek, Donald Faison, Abraham Benrubi, Breckin Meyer and Joey Fatone. The special will premiere at 10 p.m. June 17 on Adult Swim.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Thursday April 26, 2007 at 2:20 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

Just a reminder that we are still taking suggestions for Reader Challenge #6 - The Harry Potter Outreach Program!

This is a chance to sprad the word about all that is good and holy about the genres we love to the unwashed masses who flock to mainstream genre books like Harry Potter and The Road. Since Harry Potter in particular appeals to readers of all ages, we ask for suggestions for different age groups.

Head on over to the Reader Challenge post and give us your picks!

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Posted by John DeNardo at Thursday April 26, 2007 at 2:19 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

Top 10 Science Fiction Movies with the Highest Body Count

1. Equilibrium (2002) - 236
2. Dune (1984) - 186
3. Akira (1988) - 119
4. Bridge of Dragons (1999) - 109
5. Starship Troopers (1997) - 95
6. Ritana (2002) - 91
7. Fifth Element (1997) - 80
8. Children of Men (2007) - 77
9. Total Recall (1990) - 77
10. Serenity (2005) - 74

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Posted by John DeNardo at Thursday April 26, 2007 at 2:05 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

• SneakPeek has a picture of Iron Man in his iron suit.


• ChapterFeeds has samples Psion by Joan D. Vinge.


• Fantasy Book Critic interviews the Dabel Brothers, who adapted George R.R. Martin's "The Hedge Knight". [via SFBC Blog]


• Minister Faust (The Coyote Kings of the Space-Age Bachelor) interviews Robert J. Sawyer (Rollback).


• Guardian: Gwyneth Jones on how SF is becoming fact. [via Locus Online]


• The official site for The Golden Compass allows users to create their own daemon. [via Geeks of Doom]


• The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says Shrek is too fat to promote good health.


• MeeVee has some more Heroes trivia.


• Thursday YouTube: Blondie goes Giger. [via Table of Malcontents]


• Now posted: Calls for Cthulhu, Episode 5


• Coolest video of the week: C.O.D.E. Guardian, a WWII animation with a Robot Nazi. The only way this would be cooler is of he were a time-travelling undead robot Nazi...[via Cogmios]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Thursday April 26, 2007 at 2:00 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

Rudy Ruker has posted the 3rd issue of his webzine, Flurb. Here's what's in it:

"Postsingular Outtakes" by Rudy Rucker
"Special Guest Stars" by Kris Saknussemm
"That Certain Day With Magdalen" by John Shirley
"The Last Young Person Alive Writes a Memoir" by Charlie Anders
"No Place to Raise Kids" by Eileen Gunn
"Up Around the Bend" by Paul Di Filippo
"Four Milestones of Quantum Tantra" by Nick Herbert
"One Hundred Years" by Mac Tonnies
"Beloved Vampires of the Blood Comet" by Ian Watson and Roberto Quaglia
"Seized by Meat" by Th. Metzger
"An Evening's Honest Peril" by Marc Laidlaw
"How RU Sirius Slipped Into Another Dimension" - an interview by Frank Shook

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday April 25, 2007 at 6:26 PM
© 2007 SF Signal

NASA brings news of an amazing new discovery: a new extrasolar planet that could possibly harbor water and life:

An Earth-like planet spotted outside our solar system is the first found that could support liquid water and harbor life, scientists announced today.

Liquid water is a key ingredient for life as we know it. The newfound planet is located at the "Goldilocks" distance—not too close and not too far from its star to keep water on its surface from freezing or vaporizing away.

And while astronomers are not yet able to look for signs of biology on the planet, the discovery is a milestone in planet detection and the search for extraterrestrial life, one with the potential to profoundly change our outlook on the universe.

Gliese 581 C is the smallest extrasolar planet, or "exoplanet," discovered to date. It is located about 15 times closer to its star than Earth is to the Sun; one year on the planet is equal to 13 Earth days. Because red dwarfs, also known as M dwarfs, are about 50 times dimmer than the Sun and much cooler, their planets can orbit much closer to them while still remaining within their habitable zones, the spherical region around a star within which a planet's temperature can sustain liquid water on its surface.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday April 25, 2007 at 12:47 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

Irene Gallo gets way cooler email than I do.

While I'm wading through emails about huge investment opportunities and "\/|/|GR/\", Irene, an Art Director for Tor publishing, received the cover graphics for three upcoming novels from artist Stephan Martiniere. Take a look at these beauties.

The lucky books to receive these are Dragons of Babel by Michael Swanwick, An Autumn War, the next volume in Daniel Abraham's The Long Price Quartet and Elom by William H. Drinkard.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday April 25, 2007 at 12:15 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

Wofford College is holding a summer education program geared towards teenagers who are interested in the science fiction, fantasy and horror genres.

The Shared Worlds program is a "residential camp designed around a 'shared world' theme" where groups of students will learn and apply the skills of writing, illustration and game design, mentored by professionals. The curriculum includes classes in space travel and alien biology.

The list of visiting speakers includes Troy Denning, Jim C. Hines, Greg Keyes, Stephen Leigh, Jack McDevitt, Scott Nicholson, Laura Resnick and more. Faculty includes Jeff VanderMeer, Stephen Leigh, and Christie Golden.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday April 25, 2007 at 12:11 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

• Tobias Buckell has posted Chapter 1 of his upcoming novel Ragamuffin, set in the same world as Crystal Rain.


• Guardian chats with China Miéville, author of the young adult novel Un Lun Dun, about children's books. [via Locus Online and Solaris Blog]


• Aurealis Interviews Alastair Reynolds, author of Pushing Ice and The Prefect.


• At SciFi Wire, John Joseph Adams profiles Hugo-finalists Michael Flynn (Eifelheim) and Vernor Vinge (Rainbows End).


• Lyda Morehouse has been added to the list of sf/f authors who blog.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday April 25, 2007 at 12:05 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

Like last year, I undertook a project to read the short fiction nominees for this year's Hugo Award. (I undertook a similar Nebula short fiction reading project this year, too.) All the Hugo nominees were available online for free reading. Hooray for the Internets!

Overall, this was a fun project. However, I am still coming to terms with the fact that my tastes do not always mesh with those of the award-nominating populace. I guess I still have the misconception that award-nominated fiction represents the best of the best. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I expect all the stories to be 5-star knockouts. This just isn't the case.

That said, all but one of the stories were good or better. I was somewhat disappointed by the McDonald story, especially in light of how much I enjoyed River of Gods, but otherwise this is a strong batch of stories; stronger, I believe, than this year's Nebula nominees. Coincidentally, two of the Hugo-nominated novellas (by Melko and Shunn) are also 2006 Nebula nominees.

While I'm comparing, the 2007 Hugo nominees contain a much larger percentage of science fiction stories than the Nebula nominees, which is fantasy-heavy. Oddly, my usual indifference towards fantasy seems to have been overruled in the Hugo nominees. The few that are here made quite good impressions. The Nebula ballot had some stories that left something to be desired.

In a nutshell, then, here are my impressions of the stories in each category, sorted from most to least enjoyable, except where ties are indicated by rating. Linked story titles point to the online versions. My winning picks are the tops ones listed in each category.

NOVELLAS
"Lord Weary's Empire" by Michael Swanwick
"The Walls of the Universe" by Paul Melko
"Inclination" by William Shunn
"Julian" by Robert Charles Wilson
"A Billion Eves" by Robert Reed

NOVELLETTES
"All the Things You Are" by Mike Resnick
"Pol Pot's Beautiful Daughter" by Geoff Ryman
"Dawn, and Sunset, and the Colours of the Earth" by Michael F. Flynn
"Yellow Card Man" by Paolo Bacigalupi
"The Djinn's Wife" by Ian McDonald

SHORT STORIES
"Impossible Dreams" by Tim Pratt
"The House Beyond the Sky" by Benjamin Rosenbaum
"Kin" by Bruce McAllister
"How to Talk to Girls at Parties" by Neil Gaiman
"Eight Episodes" by Robert Reed

Reviewlettes of the stories follow....

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Posted by John DeNardo at Tuesday April 24, 2007 at 12:28 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

• New/Updated on Gutenberg: Beasts of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs.


• Wired has a gallery of stills from the book The Making of Star Wars, the Definitive Story Behind the Original Film, a 30th anniversary Lucas Love Fest. [via Fred K.]


• James Patrick Kelly is podcasting his novel Look Into the Sun. Here's Part 11.


• Pete Tzinski takes a final look at The Pantheon of Super-Heroes. "The invention of the graphic novel...really takes out the intimidation out of trying to get caught up on a comic..."


• Random Good Stuff has Hovercrafts from 1960.


• Planetary Radio has Kim Stanley Robinson talking about how science and government might be able to deal with global climate change.


• Free audiobook: Red Shadows by Robert E. Howard. [via Paul Jessup]


• Top 5 SciFI lists SciFi Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Flavors.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Tuesday April 24, 2007 at 12:05 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

The Hugo-nominated novel Eifelheim by Michael Flynn is now freely available as a PDF file. [via]

Is it me, or is anyone else wondering if the trend to put award nominated fiction online is spreading from short works to novels? Watts' Blindsight was already available but this is, I think, the first time a novel has been made available for free online reading after it was nominated for an award.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday April 23, 2007 at 8:19 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

The Time Traveler Show has an interesting podcast of Charles Stross, John Scalzi, and Tobias Buckell explaining why they give away so much of their work, recorded on International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day Eve at Penguicon in Michigan (4-22-07).

Along those lines...

• Subterranean Press has made Charles Stross' recent Locus Award nominee "Missile Gap" available online.


• John Scalzi offers "The Durant Chronicles: Crisis at Tlada"

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday April 23, 2007 at 12:16 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

Here are this year's pack of summer genre-related movies opening in the U.S.:
(U.S. release dates shown)

• Spider-Man 3 (May 4)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (May 25)
• 28 Weeks Later (May 11)
• Shrek the Third (May 18)
• Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (June 15)
• Fido (June 15)
• Transformers (July 4)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (July 13)
• Stardust (August 10)
• The Invasion (August 17)

• The Martian Child (June 29) which, although is not sci-fi per se, it is based on the sf author's David Gerrold's wonderful book.
• Ratatouille (June 29) - We love Pixar!
• The Simpsons Movie (July 27) - Finally!
• DOA: Dead or Alive (June 22) - based on the video game
• A batch of horror movies that includes Day Watch (June 1), Rise: Blood Hunter (June 1), Hostel: Part II (June 8), Black Sheep (June 22), 1408 (July 13), Joshua (July 6), Halloween (August 31)

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday April 23, 2007 at 12:14 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

• Elbakin.net interviews Alan Campbell, author of Scar Night. [via Pat's Fantasy Hotlist]


• The Agony Column interviews Jonathan Lethem.


• Locus online has interview excerpts from Kim Stanley Robinson and Mary Rosenblum.


• Jo Walton (Farthing) has been added to the list of sf/f authors who blog.


• L.E. Modesitt weighs in on E-Books and Print Books.


• The Phnom Penh Post interviews Geoff Ryman, author of the Hugo-nominated "Pol Pot's Beautiful Daughter".


• Heavy Reading: Popular Perceptions and Political Economy in the Contrived World of Harry Potter.


• Light Reading: The Star Wars Chibi Alphabet by Joe Wight. [via Club Jade]


• Pete Tzinski looks again at The Pantheon of Super-Heroes. "One of the trickiest thing to balance in a super-hero comic book is keeping your character toeing the fine line between being mythic and being human."


• Wikipedia has a list of books that won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards.


• Liz Williams has sold a new book to Macmillan titled Winterstrike, set in the same 'Martian' solar system as Banner of Souls but hundreds of years earlier. It's scheduled for publication in August 2008.


• Free fiction: "Europe" (PDF) by Alexander Irvine. [via author]


• LA Times Books launches a monthly web-only SF column by Ed Park, this week's covering Brian Aldiss (Harm) and Nick Mamatas (Under My Roof).


• Monday YouTube: A Family Guy/Star Wars compilation. [via ShowMeSciFi]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday April 23, 2007 at 12:05 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

"It's all-or-nothing for me. Either I'm not interested in the e-book and don't buy the book, or else I read part of the e-book and then definitely buy the book. There aren't any books I'd just be content to read as ebooks. (Although there are still shelves of books I'm just content to read in paper form.)" - Pete Tzinski

"In fact I bought Accelerando by Charles Stross and read it both in e-book and in hard copy. It was very convenient, cause I could keep on reading it in my mobile phone even if I had not my hard copy with me. I plan to do the same with Blindsight by Peter Watts." - odo

"Is the problem here that authors are giving away something that somebody thinks we should pay for? Not that I want to mention it, but isn't the decision to give away the book up to the author that wrote it? I also would like to point out that this has similarities how video games drive demand through the use of demos or previews." - Tim

"How about; 'I liked the free ebook and I liked reading on a computer screen so much I bought more ebooks.' Sorry but I like reading books on the PC more, physical books are now passé for me I guess?" - Trent

"I have purchased a significant number of Baen Books this way. First read as a free eBook, then bought the deadtree edition and then bought the eBook!" - Fred Kiesche

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday April 23, 2007 at 12:00 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

Thanks to a commenter in our own Klausner Post, I have learned that there is a bit of a backlash ensuing for Amazon's #1 reviewer. And the backlash might be having an impact:

So, what has happened since this little investigation was launched? Well, as of this moment, the prolific Harriet Klausner, has written only 2 reviews in the last 5 days. To put that number in perspective; Harriet has posted as many as 40 book reviews in one day in recent weeks. 2 reviews in 5 days is a significant reduction. Is this merely a coincidence? Hard to tell.

John "Gunny" Matlock has admitted that his reviews were actually being produced by a consortium of 27 reviewers and he claims to be resigning as an Amazon reviewer. Grady Harp has suddenly started getting fewer votes of approval for his reviews.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Sunday April 22, 2007 at 12:29 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

The Science Fiction Book Club has put up the page for Best Short Novels: 2007 edited by Jonathan Strahan, a collection of eight novellas. Here's what's in it:

• "Where the Golden Apples Grow" by Kage Baker
• "A Billion Eves" by Robert Reed
• "The Voyage of Night Shining White" by Chris Roberson
• "Julian: A Christmas Story" by Robert Charles Wilson
• "The Lineaments of Gratified Desire" by Ysabeau Wilce
• "Lord Weary's Empire" by Michael Swanwick
• "After the Siege" by Cory Doctorow
• "Botch Town" by Jeffrey Ford

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Posted by John DeNardo at Sunday April 22, 2007 at 12:16 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

The finalists for the 2007 Locus Award have been announced. Winners will be announced in June at the Locus Awards Ceremony in Seattle, June 16th, during the Science Fiction Museum's Hall of Fame weekend.

Here are the nominees with review links. When available, title links to the online version.

BEST SCIENCE FICTION NOVEL

• Blindsight, Peter Watts (Tor) [See SF Signal review]
• Carnival, Elizabeth Bear (Bantam Spectra)
• Farthing, Jo Walton (Tor)
• Glasshouse, Charles Stross (Orbit; Ace)
• Rainbows End, Vernor Vinge (Tor) [See SF Signal review]

• The Jennifer Morgue, Charles Stross (Golden Gryphon Press; Ace)
• The Last Witchfinder, James Morrow (Morrow)
• The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner (Bantam Spectra)
• Soldier of Sidon, Gene Wolfe (Tor)
• Three Days to Never, Tim Powers (Subterranean Press; Morrow) [See SF Signal review]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Saturday April 21, 2007 at 12:10 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

Thanks to Jed Hartman, the final Hugo nominated story is available online.

The 2007 Hugo Award Nominees post has been updated and now contains links to all the short fiction stories.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Saturday April 21, 2007 at 12:05 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

The Tell-Tale Heart, narrated by James Mason, is a 1953 animated short film based on the Edgar Allan Poe short-story.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Friday April 20, 2007 at 1:03 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

Finalists for The Sidewise Award, given to works of alternate history and named after Murray Leinster's 1934 story "Sidewise in Time", have been announced:

LONG FORM

• Robert Conroy for 1862 (Presidio Press)
• Paul Park for The Tourmaline (Tor Books)
• Charles Stross for The Family Trade, The Hidden Family, and The Clan Corporate (Tor Books)
• Harry Turtledove for The Disunited States of America (Tor Books)
• Jo Walton for Farthing (Tor Books)

• Stephen Baxter for "The Pacific Mystery" (The Mammoth Book of Extreme Science Fiction edited by Mike Ashley, Carroll & Graf)
• Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff for "O, Pioneer" Paradox 8
• Gardner Dozois for "Counterfactual" (F&SF, June 2006)
• Chris Floyd for "History Lesson" (Moscow Times, February 22, 2006)
• Martin Gidron for "Palestina" (Interzone June 2006)
• Brian Stableford for "The Plurality of Worlds," (Asimov's August 2006)
• Andrew Tisbert for "The Meteor of the War" (Paradox 9)

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Posted by John DeNardo at Friday April 20, 2007 at 12:44 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

• John Joseph Adams profiles Robert Sawyer, author of the new book Rollback and Robert Reed, author of two Hugo-nominated stories, "A Billion Eves" and "Eight Episodes".


• Podcast fiction, Part 1: Beam Me up podcasts the H.G. Wells story "The Crystal Egg".


• Orson Scott Card talks to IGN about the Ender's Game film.


• John Marco has been added to the list of sf/f authors who blog.


• Podcast fiction, Part 2: Beam Me up podcasts the Jay Lake story "The Angle of My Dreams".


• I cringe whenever I see a book with a cracked binding. Imagine my horror when I saw the artwork of Georgia Russell who creates sculptures out of books. Cool looking stuff, but those poor books! [via Fun Forever]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Friday April 20, 2007 at 12:23 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

The University of Delaware Library offers an online exhibit From Verne to Vonnegut: A Century of Science Fiction.

There are several "rooms" to explore...

Early work opens with Sir Thomas More's Utopia from 1516 and showcases books by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (The Last Man, her first major work after Frankenstein), Edgar Allan Poe (Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque), Jules Verne (From the Earth to the Moon), H.G. Wells (Tales of Space and Time).

The Magazines room briefly covers Hugo Gernsback's Amazing Stories, Astounding Science Fiction, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Galaxy Science Fiction, and If.

Other rooms showcase other types of books. The Aliens and Others room shows samples relating to robots, martians and first contact. The Other Voices room profiles works by women, African American authors and books the deal with gender issues. Dystopias shoes the obvious, but also Alternate Histories and Disasters. There's also a Curator's Choice room offering exhibit curator Iris Snyder's best picks of the genre (standalone and series).

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Posted by John DeNardo at Thursday April 19, 2007 at 2:13 PM
© 2007 SF Signal

Over the years, I've refined the kinds of things we post about. Generally speaking, I avoid rumor posts and such minutia as casting calls, box office tallies, DVD releases, etc. I mean, do we really need to write a post every time George Lucas farts?

So it is with some trepidation that I submit this casting rumor about Kate Beckinsale being tied to a remake of Barbarella. But I owe Pete a favor. Pete's infatuation with Kate Beckinsale (some would call it a borderline stalking obsession) is legendary in these parts. Or those parts, if you know what I mean.

Enjoy, Pete!

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Posted by John DeNardo at Thursday April 19, 2007 at 12:56 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

• SciFi Weekly interviews Michael Flynn, author of the Hugo-nominated Eifelheim.


• ForeverGeek tells us that Spider-Man, The Musical is coming - For Serious. To quote Tim, "Is nothing sacred?"


• Check out this big-a$$ Vader-head hot air balloon. [via BoingBoing]


• Farkers photoshop this Battlestar Galactica scene with D'anna Biers and the Cylons.


• Adventures in Scifi Publishing interviews Kim Harrison, author of For a Few Demons More.


• James Patrick Kelly is podcasting his novel Look Into the Sun. Here's Part 10.


• William Shunn begins podcasting his Hugo and Nebula Award-nominated novella "Inclination".

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Posted by John DeNardo at Thursday April 19, 2007 at 12:33 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

Hugo and Nebula Award winning author Greg Bear has been writing professionally for forty years. His works range from memorable short fiction, like "Blood Music" and "Hardfought", to novels like Eon, The Forge of God and Darwin's Radio. His latest novel is a a near-future thriller called Quantico, available from Vanguard Press. (See SF Signal review.) SF Signal had the opportunity to talk to Greg via email about the Quantico, Eon and making books available online for free.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday April 18, 2007 at 12:28 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

The Spring 2007 issue of Subterranean Press Magazine has been posted online with the following offerings:

• Audio: "Rude Mechanicals" by Kage Baker
• Column: Bears Examine #2 by Elizabeth Bear
• Column: Me and Lucifer by Mike Resnick
• Fiction: "A Plain Tale from Our Hills" by Bruce Sterling
• Fiction: "A Season of Broken Dolls" by Caitlin R. Kiernan
• Fiction: "Deadman's Road" by Joe R. Lansdale
• Fiction: "Eating Crow" by Neal Barrett, Jr.
• Fiction: "The Leopard's Paw" by Jay Lake
• Review: Nebula Awards Showcase 2007 edited by Mike Resnick
• Review: The Last Mimzy by Henry Kuttner
• Review: The Best of the Best Volume 2, 20 Years of The Best Short Science Fiction Novels
• Review: Harlan Ellison's Dream Corridor Volume 2

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday April 18, 2007 at 12:15 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

Sad news...

Artist and Professor Jamie Bishop, son of SF author Michael Bishop, was among the victims of the recent Virginia Tech tragedy.

• See posts by Paul Di Filippo, Jason Erik Lundberg, Matthew Cheney
• Update Tuesday morning: Roanoke Times has this article..."He talked about changing the world with art"
• Bishop's website, memory39, with a portfolio of artwork
• Paul Di Filippo posts an excerpt from Michael Bishop's essay "A Reverie for Mister Ray" about reading Ray Bradbury to his then 9-year-old son Jamie
• Golden Gryphon has posted the wraparound cover by Jamie Bishop to Michael Bishop's 2003 collection Brighten to Incandescence.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday April 18, 2007 at 12:05 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

• Time magazine's Lev Grossman looks at the "new" Tolkien novel The Children of Húrin


• At Subterranean Press, Mike Resnick talks about his creation, Lucifer Jones.


• SF Diplomat answers a couple of remarks about genre reviewing.


• Tower.com interviews John Scalzi, author of The Last Colony.


• Douglas E. Cohen interviews Jay Lake about editing. [via SFBC Blog]


• The Sci Phi Show podcast-interviews Cory Doctorow.


• In the article Swords vs. lightsabers, Kristin Thompson notes that the current popularity of fantasy films was once the held by sci-fi cinema.


• Jamie Rubin examines why he writes science fiction. "Nearly 15 years have passed and I am still writing science fiction and I am proud of it."


• The Space Review continues profiling the life of a grandmaster. Read Heinlein's Ghost, Part 1 and Part 2.


• The Oxford University Press blog looks at Expletives & Profanity in Science Fiction (an excerpt from Brave New Words: The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction edited by Jeff Prucher).


• Chris Roberson has The Airship Link-o-the-Week: Zeppy the pedal-powered airship. I'll put this one list of things I want, right after my jetpack.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday April 18, 2007 at 12:03 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

(Note: The impetus for creating this post hit my while I was reading this over on Lou Anders' blog, right around the section talking about Michael Chabon and the Oprah Book Club).

As we are all aware, July 21st, 2007 is P-Day (Potter Day) for the book publishing industry. At 12:01 AM, the newest, and last, Harry Potter book will be made available for sale. Undoubtedly there will be many book stores staying open, or opening there doors, to allow fans to purchase the book as soon as humanly possible. Now we, as science fiction fans, could sit back and grumble at how a 'kids' book, and fantasy at that!, is getting all the attention while SF gets the short shrift. Or, we can do something positive about it. Just think of all the people who read Harry Potter who haven't tried anything else fantasy or science fiction related, or maybe they've read something in the field but didn't like it. In either case, Harry Potter has a tremendously huge number of readers who maybe willing to try something different. We, as fans, have a huge opportunity to try to reach out to the Harry Potter readers and introduce them to other worthwhile reads available in Fantasy and Science Fiction. Thus, I bring you:

This program is our attempt to raise the awareness of non-genre readers about the many good books they are missing if they only read Harry Potter and nothing else. It will work like this. On this site, I'd like to see us come up with a list of books that might appeal to Harry Potter readers. There will be six categories: (SF) 12 and Under, (SF)Young Adult, (SF) Adult, (F)12 and Under, (F)Young Adult, and (F) Adult. I ask that you list up to three books in each category. About two weeks or so before the release of the last Potter book, the results will be tabulated and the result will be a PDF file listing the top 3 books in each category suitable for printing on a 4x6" index card. Something along the lines of: "You like the wonders of Harry Potter, you may like to read some of the following books..." This will be open to discussion as well.

You can then, if you so choose, print these out and take them to your local bookstore to hand out to those people waiting in line. There will also be a link on the card pointing back to this post showing that there are a lot more choices than just the ones presented on the card. I think this is a good time for us in the SF community to actually do something to spread the word about the Science Fiction and Fantasy community. I'll create a permanent link on the right hand side of the main page pointing back to this post, and I'll try to have weekly, if not more often, reminders about the program. To kick things off, here are my choices:

SCIENCE FICTION
12 AND UNDER: Larklight by Philip Reeve, City of Ember by by Jeanne DuPrau
YOUNG ADULT: Mortal Engines, Tanglewreck by Jeanette Winterson
ADULT: Old Man's War/Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi

FANTASY
12 AND UNDER: Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer, Endymion Spring by Matthew Skelton
YOUNG ADULT: Here There Be Dragons by by James A. Owen
ADULT: A Song of Fire and Ice series by George R.R. Martin

I'm not expecting to change the minds of the adults, but I bet we can reach some of the kids, who, after all, we will need if SF is to gain new readers.

Also, if you do go out, take a camera and send us your pics. We'll find a place to host them so we can all see the magic in action!

Now, have at it!

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Posted by JP Frantz at Tuesday April 17, 2007 at 3:30 PM
© 2007 SF Signal

REVIEW SUMMARY: My first foray in Martin's well-regarded fantasy series.

MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: A squire named Dunk carries on the tradition of his dead master and enters a jousting tournament to begin his career as a knight.

MY REVIEW:
PROS: Exceptional storytelling; excellent pencil work and coloring.
CONS: Too many characters, houses and relationships to keep track of.
BOTTOM LINE: A fine introduction to A Song of Ice and Fire.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Tuesday April 17, 2007 at 1:17 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

• Cormac McCarthy, whose novel The Road was recently chosen by Oprah Winfrey for her book club, has won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. A special citation went to Ray Bradbury for his distinguished, prolific and deeply influential career as an unmatched author of science fiction and fantasy.


• New site discovery: Fanboy.com! Check out this recent post of an excerpt from The Science Fiction Book: An Illustrated History, Why There is No Sex in Science Fiction.


• Stan Nicholls received a lifetime achievement award.


• SFX interviews Alastair Reynolds.


• The Sci Phi Show Outcast #37 has a podcast interview with Kim Stanley Robinson.


• Today marks the 10th anniversary of Locus Online, run by Mark Kelly.


• Graham Sleight's "Yesterday's Tomorrows" column from Locus Magazine looks at classic works by Frederik Pohl & C.M. Kornbluth.


• GalleyCat has a poll similar to ours this week: Free Books on the Download?


• SFF Audio points us to the Zombie Astronaut website (love the name) who, in turn, points us to two audio versions of Fritz Leiber's classic short story "A Pail Of Air".

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Posted by John DeNardo at Tuesday April 17, 2007 at 1:07 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

More Monday YouTube....

Cthulhu answers your calls in Calls For Cthulhu! Call 1-800-SOL-EATR...

See also: Episodes two, three and four.

[via raincoaster]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday April 16, 2007 at 1:08 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

• John Clute reviews Four Novels of the 1960s by Philip K. Dick.


• Monday YouTube, Part 1, shows us that sometimes music and sci-fi don't mix: "Future Brain" by Den Harrow. "Future brain you great computer, it's insane to program everybody's love." [via Mind Hacks. Thanks, JP, he added sarcastically]


• BoingBoing points us to Well-Told Tales podcasts. The good news, they have sci-fi stories. The bad news, that category does not have an archive so you can access them easily.


• A group of soldiers in Iraq are putting together an RPG convention, and they are desperately in need of materials.


• John C. Wright has doubts about the upcoming Iron Man movie.


• The Brisbane Courier Mail talks to Jonathan Strahan, Marianne de Pierres and others about space opera.


• Nancy Kress speech: Women in American Sci Fi, a transcription of the guest of honour speech held at ConFuse 93.


• Monday YouTube, Part2: The Powerpuff Girls vs. Lex Luthor and the Legion of Doom.


• Technovelgy interviews Greg Bear, author of Quantico.


• SciFi Weekly interviews Christopher Moore.


• Karl Schroeder shows us some visualizations of the Virga town wheels from his book Sun of Suns.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday April 16, 2007 at 12:15 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

"I realize Serenity may not be the most hugely popular choice, but I like that it gave me powerful characterization and great dialog as well as really gorgeous special effects. And the opening scene where we first see the ship is gorgeous." - Pete Tzinski

"Metropolis Metropolis Metropolis!!!! This movie is the birth of true Sci-Fi flicks. All other Sci-Fi movies need to lick Metropolis's's'ses ;-) boots for paving the way for them." - Trent

"Event Horizon" - James

"Fritz Lang's 'Metropolis' Chilling in its vision. yet hopeful in the spirit of triumph shown. The robots/androids are still among the best, paving the way for Asimov and Data. Blessings" - Richard Novak

"The Day the Earth Stood Still, because it's solid science fiction and thoughtful social commentary as well as a darn good story." - Alexandra

"My vote goes to DARK CITY directed by Alex Proyas." - John C. Wright

"I voted other. My personal fav is "The Abyss". It's a great first contact movie; it's jut too bad it did not take place in outer space." - Kristin

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday April 16, 2007 at 12:00 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

A: You get the 1979 train wreck that is Star Crash!

I cannot believe this is the first time I'm finding this out. I've struggled for years (years!) over ways to integrate mentions of David Hasselhoff into my science fiction blogging. (Tim and JP can attest to this.) Then, as if in answer to my prayers, along comes a post from Look at This that shows me the way.

What makes this even better is that the movie - and I use that term loosely - stars Marjoe Gortner. For the reason why this is the icing on this particular cake, see my previous moment of surrealism with crazy-eyed Marjoe Gortner.

Here's a video clip from the movie. Sure, the Hoff has a long way to go before he exhibits the consummate acting skills he portrayed in "Jump In My Car", but I think you'll agree that the seeds are there even then.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Sunday April 15, 2007 at 12:15 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

Issue #930 of Entertainment Weekly offers some brief reviews of science fiction and fantasy books. Here's a snippet...

White Night by Jim Butcher
Bottom Line: After nine Dresden books, Butcher's supernatural Chicago holds little mystique, only endless rules and relationships explained ad nauseam in his hero's irksome inner monologue.
Grade: C

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Bottom Line: This fast-moving, vivid, and unpretentious debut roots its coming-of-age fantasy in convincing mythology.
Grade: A-

Season of the Witch by Natasha Mostert
Bottom Line: Mostert creates a taut, sexy thriller from disparate sci-fi and fantasy ingredients.
Grade: B+

Zig Zag by José Carlos Somoza
Bottom Line: Zig Zag could've been a bad Chrichton tech-thriller knockoff, but the Spanish author displays an unhurried style and a refreshing appreciation for advanced science.
Grade: B

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Posted by John DeNardo at Sunday April 15, 2007 at 12:11 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

Just a reminder that tomorrow (April 15, 2007) is the deadline to vote in the 37th annual Locus Poll.

You don't have to be a subscriber of Locus to vote, but if yo are you get a free issue for doing so.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Saturday April 14, 2007 at 8:15 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

Will Shetterly has posted a rant from Howard V. Hendrix, SFWA's current V.P. and author of Spears of God:

I'm also opposed to the increasing presence in our organization of webscabs, who post their creations on the net for free. A scab is someone who works for less than union wages or on non-union terms; more broadly, a scab is someone who feathers his own nest and advances his own career by undercutting the efforts of his fellow workers to gain better pay and working conditions for all. Webscabs claim they're just posting their books for free in an attempt to market and publicize them, but to my mind they're undercutting those of us who aren't giving it away for free and are trying to get publishers to pay a better wage for our hard work.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Saturday April 14, 2007 at 12:45 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

• SciFi Pundit has Spock on the Brain, which is a helluva lot better than "Spock's Brain". ("Jim...his brain is gone!")


• Tamara Siler Jones been added to the list of sf/f authors who blog.


• Paul DiFillipo comments on the 25th anniversary of Science Fiction Eye magazine.


• Black to the Future: Afro-Futurism. "Why do so few African-Americans write science fiction, a genre whose close encounters with the Other---the stranger in a strange land---would seem uniquely suited to the concerns of African-American novelists?" [via WinterMute]


• Mmmmmm...Atomic Rockets...


• Stainless Steel Droppings looks at the artwork of Virginia Lee.


• An idea I wish I had thought of: A Cthulhu iPod Cozy.


• The Top 10 Diet Crazes of the Future.


• John Joseph Adams profiles Scott Westerfeld, author of Peeps.


• Sci-Fi Science Blunders Hall of Infamy looks at The Rules of Time Travel.


• Wild River interviews Neil Gaiman, author of the Hugo-nominated short story "How to Talk to Girls at Parties".


• Kay Kenyon (Bright of the Sky) offers her reflections on the craft of fiction.


• If I can't have a jetpack, then I want a Rocket Car! [via Look at This]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Saturday April 14, 2007 at 12:41 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

REVIEW SUMMARY: Surprisingly engaging read that I honestly couldn't put down.

MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: Will Laurence is a British navy captain during the time of Lord Nelson and when Napoleon was threatening to engulf all of Europe. But in a bit of alternative history, dragons are real and take (multiple) riders into battle. Laurence ends up a rider through what he considers bad luck, but ends up making the friend of a lifetime in his dragon Temeraire. The two then ride for the King in defense of the islands from the might of the French.

MY REVIEW:
PROS: Very fun story, sympathetic characters, a setting that isn't at all fantasy save for the dragons (strange, but true.)
CONS: Some of this has been done before by Ann McCaffrey
BOTTOM LINE: If you want a quick read, this book will hook you in and end up well worth your time.

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Posted by Scott Shaffer at Friday April 13, 2007 at 7:39 PM
© 2007 SF Signal

This one for Scott. :)

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Posted by John DeNardo at Friday April 13, 2007 at 11:06 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

From the Wired article Writers, Directors Fear 'Sci-Fi' Label Like an Attack From Mars:

Even when clearly appropriate, film studios and publishers avoid the phrase "science fiction." So do the novelists, film directors and editors in their employ. McCarthy's book [The Road], which is about to become a blockbuster -- Oprah Winfrey will tout it on an upcoming TV show as part of her book club -- is just another example of how the powers that be dodge the term, especially when it applies to "serious" fiction or cinema.

You won't find the words "science fiction" in Random House's bio of Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning author China Miéville. Instead, he's called the "edgiest mythmaker of the day." Michel Gondry's The Science of Sleep? It's classified as comedy, drama, romance and fantasy, but not sci-fi, at Amazon.com.

Even Battlestar Galactica, the flagship show of (hello!) the Sci Fi Channel, keeps a distance. "It's fleshed-out reality," explains executive producer Ronald D. Moore in the sci-fi mag SFX. "It's not in the science-fiction genre."

The nose-thumbing is nothing new. In the '50s, Robert Heinlein dismissed the term, opting for "speculative fiction." (What fiction isn't?)

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Posted by John DeNardo at Friday April 13, 2007 at 12:24 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

• There's a Barbarella remake in the works. No, seriously.


• Cool steampunk Comic: Girl Genius


• Pat's Fantasy Hotlist interviews Malazan co-creator Ian Cameron Esslemont, author of Night of Knives.


• Do you know the difference between scifi and science fiction? [via Frank Wu]


• Jess Nevins previews his book The Pulp Magazine Holdings Directory.


• An Eastercon panel report: Is UK SF publishing overly masculine?


• Phil Foglio, Dave Freer, Sarah Hoyt, Laura Ann Gilman, L.E. Modesitt, Jr. (added feed), C.E. Murphy and Dean Wesley Smith have been added to the list of sf/f authors who blog.


• Science Fiction Is Not a Literature of Ideas. "SF is really now about the human condition as much as any other form of literature, and if you can't show how your ideas impact the lives of people, then you've failed as a writer."


• Happy Friday the 13th!

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Posted by John DeNardo at Friday April 13, 2007 at 12:11 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

Here's an 8-part documentary on Kurt Vonnegut, profiling the man and his work.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Thursday April 12, 2007 at 2:16 PM
© 2007 SF Signal

From the The NYT: Kurt Vonnegut, Novelist Who Caught the Imagination of His Age, Is Dead at 84.

Kurt Vonnegut was the author of such works as Player Piano (1952), The Sirens of Titan (1959), Slaughterhouse-Five (1969) and Timequake (1997). Although often noted as a science fiction author, he has frequently expressed disdain at being labeled as such.

See also:
Wikipedia entry on Vonnegut
VonnegutWeb (unofficial)
A 1965 Vonnegut article: On Science Fiction

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Posted by John DeNardo at Thursday April 12, 2007 at 12:02 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

• CJ Writer lists 5 post-apocalyptic books everyone should read.
• John Joseph Adams profiles SF author Paul Melko, whose novella "The Walls of the Universe" (Read it for free!) is a current finalist for both the Hugo and Nebula awards.
• Free fiction from Subterranean Press: "A Plain Tale from Our Hills" by Bruce Sterling.
• Cynical-C unearths a 2004 Fortean Times profile of H.P. Lovecraft.
• The BBC announced a Life on Mars sequel, set in early '80s. [via UK SF Book News] [See the SFSignal review of the first season of the first series. - Ed.]
• Entertainment Weekly offers signs you might be a sci-fi geek.
• Andrew Wheeler offers Barry Malzberg's list of writers who did not appear in Campbell's Analog from 1960 through his final issue in December 1971.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Thursday April 12, 2007 at 12:00 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

Author S. Andrew Swann has out-geeked us.

He's taken SF Signal's list of SF/F Authors Who Blog and used Yahoo Pipes to create a stream of sf/f all author posts. This stream will be automatically updated when we update our post. Cool!

Take heed to his warning though..."Subscribing to this feed is the digital equivalent of drinking from a fire-hose."

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday April 11, 2007 at 12:49 PM
© 2007 SF Signal

REVIEW SUMMARY: A non-traditional book that was very fun to read.

MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: Myron has been cast about on a sea of change. He floats from place to place encountering very different points of view and a story in every port.

MY REVIEW:
PROS: Vance's command of the language is subtle and fun. Non-traditional conventions, interesting characters, and good storytelling. Almost reads as a collection of short stories.
CONS: Neither a linear story nor a character study, this book may turn some readers off. Booksplit somewhat by accident (according to the author.) Light on sci-fi elements.
BOTTOM LINE: Fun set of stories that chronicle the travels of a young man adrift in the big universe.

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Posted by Scott Shaffer at Wednesday April 11, 2007 at 8:49 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

Neil Gaiman has posted an audio version of his Hugo-nominated short story "How To Talk To Girls At Parties".

The NOMINEES: 2007 Hugo Award post has been updated.

[via SFFAudio]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday April 11, 2007 at 12:25 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

• John Joseph Adams profiles Peter Watts, author of the Hugo-nominated Blindsight.


• Hollywood North Report is reporting that there's a remake in the works for The Day the Earth Stood Still. [via Fred K. via Coming Soon.net]


• Robert J.Sawyer reviews the remastered Star Trek episode "The Immunity Syndrome".


• Parody magazine site Crack'd lists The Top Ten '80s Robots (We Expected to Exist By Now).


• Hub Magazine is moving to an all-electronic format. [via UKSFBookNews]


• There's a big-screen version in the works for the fantasy novel Here, There Be Dragons by James A. Owen.


• News to me: There was a 1990 film version of Frederic Brown's satire Martians Go Home starring Randy Quaid.


• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone tops USA Today's list of The Most Memorable Books of the Last 25 Years.


• My Elves are Different lists 10 Signs Your Messiah Might Not Be the Real Thing. [via Geekend]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday April 11, 2007 at 12:08 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

John and JP experimentally dispense with the usual review format to discuss Karl Schroeder's latest book, Sun of Suns.

Sun of Suns is set in the world of Virga, an air-filled balloon three thousand kilometers in diameter whose major artificial light source is named Candesce, the sun of suns. There are smaller suns that exist to provide light to the many cylindrical habitats around Virga, which are spun up to create their own artificial gravities. Virga is low tech and the towns, built of wood and rope, are strung together to form nations. The story concerns Hayden Griffen, citizen of Aerie, whose parents were killed when they tried to assert their freedom through the creation of their own sun. Years later, Hayden seeks revenge on the man responsible: Chaison Fanning, head of the fleet of Slipstream, the nation that conquered Aerie.

John's Rating
JP's Rating

John: Cool book! This gets big points for sensawunda. The world Schroeder created is amazing...even if its unique physics took some getting used to. Fortunately he frequently works it into the story through things like floating water spheres, ropes and wires to pull yourself along, etc. That reminder was always there just in case you become too wrapped up in the human story of Hayden's quest for revenge.

JP: Yup, this has sensawunda by the bucketfuls. And while the built world of Candesce is extremely cool, I was reminded of the following: The Integral Trees, Last Exile, and The Amazing Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello, and that is a good thing.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Tuesday April 10, 2007 at 12:22 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

Subterranean Press is offering a free audiobook version of Kage Baker's short novel Rude Mechanicals, set in her Company universe.

The Company series is one I've been meaning to read since I started reading the short stories in various "Best of..." anthologies. My recent reading of Baker's Gods & Pawns got me stoked even more. This is cool!

[via Locus Online]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Tuesday April 10, 2007 at 12:14 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

• David Louis Edelman (Infoquake) looks at the science of Infoquake.


• James Patrick Kelly is podcasting his novel Look Into the Sun. Here's Part 9.


• Beam Me Up is podcasting the 2007 Hugo nominees.


• Hyperpat's Hyperday talks about The Future of Futuristic SF.


• Carl @ Stainless Steel Droppings begins his Once Upon a Time Challenge with the graphic novel adaptation of Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser


• The Space Review profiles the life of a grandmaster beginning with Heinlein's ghost (Part 1).


• Glenda at Tropic Temper talks asks What is "literary"' anyway? [via Bibliobibuli, whose post calles it "Book Snobbery". Been there. Done that.]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Tuesday April 10, 2007 at 12:06 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

Winners of year's British Science Fiction Association Awards have been announced:

• NOVEL: End of the World Blues by Jon Courtenay Grimwood
• SHORT FICTION: "The Djinn's Wife" by Ian McDonald
• ARTWORK: Angelbot (cover of Time Pieces, edited by Ian Whates) by Fanghorn

See also: Previous BSFA Awards winners.

[via Locus Online]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday April 09, 2007 at 12:22 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

• Irene Gallo @ The Art Department completes her profiling of the Hugo nominees for Best Pro Artist with Stephan Martiniere.


• Author (and Vietnam War veteran) Joe Haldeman has a small part in a new PBS documentary film called Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience, about what returning Iraq war veterans are writing. [via SFScope]


• E.E. Knight shows off the cover art for Dragon Outcast.


• Jerry Pournelle responds to Charles Stross' responding to Pournelle's article on the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. "Stross's original essay takes my column on DCMA and uses it to derive positions I don't have and don't defend..."


• Stainless Steel Droppings profiles Terri Windling.


• The Bat Segundo Show podcasts China Miéville and Ellen Klages.


• Genre fiction gets little respect ... except from readers. "They are the Rodney Dangerfields of the publishing industry: Readers love them, but critics give them no respect."

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday April 09, 2007 at 12:16 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday April 09, 2007 at 12:00 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

An Easter treat for science fiction/fantasy/horror fans...

Here's a collection of links to Angry Alien's versions of genre movies. Rre-enacted by a troupe of bunnies. In 30 seconds.

Enjoy!

1. Alien
2. The Exorcist
3. Freddy vs. Jason
4. Highlander
5. King Kong (1933)
6. Night of the Living Dead
7. The Ring
8. The Rocky Horror Picture Show
9. Scream
10. The Shining
11. Spiderman 1 & 2
12. Star Wars
13. Superman: The Movie
14. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
15. The War of the Worlds (1953)

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Posted by John DeNardo at Sunday April 08, 2007 at 12:15 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

The winner of this year's Philip K. Dick Award, given for best original paperback published in the US in 2005 2006, is Chris Moriarity's Spin Control. A special citation was given to Elizabeth Bear for Carnival.

See also: Previous winners.

[via Locus Online]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Saturday April 07, 2007 at 1:34 PM
© 2007 SF Signal

• Irene Gallo @ The Art Department continues profiling the Hugo nominees for Best Pro Artist with John Jude Palencar and Bob Eggleton.


• Table of Malcontents continues Cthulhu Cthursday.


• When SciFI Chick isn't listing The Best Pilots in the Galaxy, she's interviewing the folks behind BBT Magazine. [via SFBC Blog]


• New/Updated at Gutenberg: Islands of Space by John Wood Campbell.


• At SCI FI Wire, John Joseph Adams profiles Guy Gavriel Kay, author of Ysabel.


• NextBook interviews Eliot Fintushel, author of "DikDuk" and Breakfast with the Ones You Love.


• Hyperpat's HyperDay analyzes the science fiction infodump.


• Fiona Avery, Paul Cornell, A.M. Dellamonica, Paul Hutchinson, Kay Kenyon, and Louise Marley have been added to the list of sf/f authors who blog.


• Smart people know their zombies. [via Optical Popitude]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Saturday April 07, 2007 at 12:48 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

This is Pixar-funny. How many sci-fi movie references can you count?

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Posted by John DeNardo at Friday April 06, 2007 at 12:22 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

Patrick Rothfuss, author of The Name of the Wind, has something interesting to say about "genre fiction" in his interview at FantasyBookSpot:

Q: Do genre books play a more central role than others?

A: Actually, I'm going to be irritating and answer your question with a question. What do you mean by genre books?

As time goes on I grow increasingly irritated at the term "Genre Fiction." It seems to imply that one type of fiction, "Literary" fiction, is the only real fiction, and everything else is its ugly bastard cousin-in-law.

I say unto you. Literary fiction is a genre just like everything else. It has its rules and its foibles just like every other genre. And, like all other genres, 85% of literary fiction is pure shite. Pretentious, self-involved, artsy bullshit that neglects the things that make stories worthwhile. I'm talking about good language, good plot, good characters, and, hopefully, some sort of worthwhile content mingled throughout.

Now, lest people accuse me of being prejudiced, I'd like to say that the same is generally true of the fantasy genre. The difference is that literary fiction tends toward boring, empty stories that are either preachy or vapid. Fantasy, on the other hand, tends towards cliché stories about evil sorcerers trying to destroy the world. About young princes whose coming was foretold by prophecy. Elves with bows, magic swords, broody vampires, unicorns....

Q: Hold on. Unicorns are cliché crap? I thought I read somewhere that The Last Unicorn was your favorite novel.

A: It is, or at least one of my favorites. In fact, that novel is probably the reason unicorn stories have become a little cliché. When someone writes something as dazzlingly brilliant as that novel, people want to imitate it. The result is a lot of less-than-brilliant knock-offs.

Elves, Dwarves, Goblin army, cursed ring, evil sorcerer. Tolkien did it. It rocked. Let's move on. Let's do something new.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Friday April 06, 2007 at 12:11 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

Free Reads!

I've just updated the 2007 Hugo Nominees post to include a bunch of links to online stories that Asimov's Science Fiction website has made available.

There are only 2 left on the list right now that do not have online versions as far as I can tell. I plan to undertake a 2007 Hugo Short Fiction Nominee reading pjoject similar to the 2006 Nebula Short Fiction Nominee reading project. Time to get reading!

[Hat-tip to Tim Pratt]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Thursday April 05, 2007 at 5:32 PM
© 2007 SF Signal

• Irene Gallo @ The Art Department continues profiling the Hugo nominees for Best Pro Artist with this post about Donato Giancola.


• Wil McCarthy tackles the science of The Last Mimzy.


• Robert J. Sawyer-thon (Part 1): Adventures in Scifi Publishing has part 1 of a podcast interview with Robert J. Sawyer.


• DataJunkie serves up early A.E. van Vogt illustrations.


• Escape Pod podcasts Isaac Asimov's classic story "Nightfall".


• ChapterFeeds has Chapter 1 of The Assassin King by Elizabeth Haydon.


• John Joseph Adams profiles Stan Nicholls, whose latest novel The Diamond Isle concludes his Dreamtime trilogy.


• Frederik Pohl and Arthur C. Clarke are collaborating on a novel called The Last Theorem.


• Tor has posted excerpts from John Scalzi's The Ghost Brigades (chapter 1) and The Last Colony (first part of chapter 1). [via Scalzi]


• Robert J. Sawyer-thon (Part 2): The Ottawa Citizen contains an op-ed piece by Robert J. Sawyer on atheism and the Modern Skeptical Movement. [via Sawyer]


• Filmmaker Joel Silver (The Matrix films) said he is planning a remake of the 1976 Oscar-winning science fiction classic Logan's Run.


• Cover pr0n: Jonathan Strahan shows off the cover of The New Space Opera.


• A Timeline of the Planet of the Apes.


• Human Computer Interaction in Science Fiction Movies. [via everywhere]


• Over at the Asimov's forum, they are discussing The Saddest Science Fiction/Fantasy Story.


• From Forever Geek: Own a piece of Hasselhoff! One of the four K.I.T.T. cars is up for sale. (Tim and JP are wise enough to know they should NOT click on any Hasselhoff links.)

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Posted by John DeNardo at Thursday April 05, 2007 at 1:11 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

Not satisfied with the recent SFX poll that listed Serenity as the favorite sci-fi movie, Geek Monthly came up with a rebuttal list:

12 Sci-Fi Films Better Than Serenity
(I know...there are 15 on the list)

• Five Million Years to Earth (1967)
• A Clockwork Orange (1971); or 2001: A Space Odyssey(1968)
• Blade Runner (1982)
• Dark City (1998)
• The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)
• Forbidden Planet (1956)
• The Matrix (1999)
• Twelve Monkeys (1995); or Brazil (1985)
• Planet of the Apes (1968)
• The Andromeda Strain (1971)
• Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970)
• eXistenZ (1999), or The Fly (1986)

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday April 04, 2007 at 12:52 PM
© 2007 SF Signal

The second issue of Darker Matter, the new online science fiction magazine, is out. Here's what's in it:

• INTERVIEW: Douglas Adams (Part 2 of 3, from 1979)


• ARTICLE: Is There Life Out There?


• FICTION:
  • "All for One" by Steven J. Dines
  • "Avatar" by Lou Antonelli
  • "Dearest Etruria" by Toiya Kristen Finley
  • "The Fame Game" by Neil Ayres
  • "Terms of Service" by Jason Stoddard

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday April 04, 2007 at 12:22 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

Simon Owens article, The Creative Commons Confound: Whether releasing your book for free will help boost your sales, talks about the effect of releasing a book under the Creative Commons License, using Nick Mamatas' Move Under Ground and Peter Watts' Blindsight as exmaples.

But in this case, one blog didn't give [Mamatas] the link that he was hoping for: Boingboing. And both Watts and Mamatas agreed that the success of a book released under a CC license hinges off this crucial factor.

"The thing is, there's a confound here," Watts explained. "It wasn't the CC release per se that gave me the boost; it was all the people talking about it. Boingboing doesn't pimp every novel that comes down the pike. It has to be newsworthy in some way, and an author giving his work away is, for the time being, newsworthy. It attracts attention."

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday April 04, 2007 at 12:20 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

As per Google Analytics, here are The Top 10 SF Signal Posts for March 2007:

1. REVIEW: The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction edited by George Mann
2. REVIEW: 2006 Nebula Award Short Fiction Nominees
3. REVIEW: The Last Colony by John Scalzi
4. Name That Action Figure!
5. What's the Most Underrated Space Opera Novel?
6. Thoughts On the BSG Episode, "Maelstrom"
7. INTERVIEW: Andrew Wheeler
8. REVIEW: Deadstock by Jeffrey Thomas
9. Spoilery Thoughts on Heroes
10. What SF/F Series are you Dying to Read?

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday April 04, 2007 at 12:10 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

• Irene Gallo @ The Art Department has begun profiling the Hugo nominees for Best Pro Artist, starting with John Picacio, author of Cover Story.


• Dave Langford has released Ansible 237 for April 2007.


• Phantastik-Couch.de has interviews with Neil Gaiman and Tad Williams. [via Locus Online]


• Publishers Weekly covers science fiction and fantasy when asking: Is the Universe Expanding or Contracting? [via Locus Online]


• ActuSF interviews Martha Wells. [via Locus Online]


• James Patrick Kelly is podcasting his novel Look Into the Sun. Here's Part 8.


• Jennifer Fallon has been added to the list of sf/f authors who blog. And check out her SciFi Alphabet.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday April 04, 2007 at 12:04 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

While many are thinking that the end is nigh for Battlestar Galactica, I personally think the universe is due a video game or two. An obvious first choice is a flight sim type of game that follows in the legacy of X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter or Wing Commander, and that is exactly what Beyond the Red Line is. It is a fan created game that builds upon the Freespace 2 engine that was released to the public by Volition and Interplay. They have released a demo this last week that is multiplatform (PC, Mac and Linux) and I had a chance to take a quick flight in a Mark VII viper. I will be honest in saying these folks are doing a fine job. The game will be free, but I would probably pay for this game. I loved the original Freespace and Freespace 2 games and one thing that engine handled really well was the scaling of ships. When I played it - I have fond memories of attempting to fly a fighter through some nasty point defenses while two capitol ships were slugging it out... So go out and give this demo a shot, and support these guys. I hope that a publisher sees what they have created and gives them a shot.

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Posted by Tim Zinsky at Tuesday April 03, 2007 at 10:28 PM
© 2007 SF Signal

UK science ficton magazine SFX has posted the results of their "What's the best SF film ever?" poll. The result is not good news for the Star Wars fanboy:

1. Serenity
2. Star Wars
3. Blade Runner
4. Planet of the Apes
5. The Matrix
6. Alien
7. Forbidden Planet
8. 2001: A Space Odyssey
9. The Terminator
10. Back to the Future

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Posted by John DeNardo at Tuesday April 03, 2007 at 3:52 PM
© 2007 SF Signal

REVIEW SUMMARY: A good example of why I love reading short fiction.

MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: The first volume of a new original fiction series - this one containing 19 stories and 2 poems.

MY REVIEW:
PROS: 15 stories good or better; good sampling of the literary range sf has to offer.
CONS: 4 stories mediocre or worse. 2 short poems that escape me.
BOTTOM LINE: A promising start to a hopefully long-running series.

Fast Forward 1 marks the beginning of a bold, new, annual science fiction anthology series; bold because it is often said that the number of anthology offerings is already high, yet here it is. Its goal is to provide original, sf-only stories that offer "windows on the future", as Editor Lou Anders' insightful, reference-laden introduction puts it. Or, as the book's subtitle puts it: "Future fiction from the cutting edge." This first volume does indeed have some great contenders to add to the sf field, blasting the series off with a promising start. Take that, crowded anthology field!

It helps that Anders has assembled some of the field's brightest stars, mostly veterans, and some newer voices, too. Having a cool John Picacio cover to get passersby to notice that is also a great help. The collection of visions depicted here is indisputable proof that science fiction is the literature of ideas.

Not all the stories worked for me, but it's rare for any anthology to do otherwise. (Insert YMMV disclaimer here.) Even "Best of..." anthologies are hit and miss. But on the whole, Fast Forward 1 has lots to offer. Standout stories here include "The Something-Dreaming Game" by Elizabeth Bear, "p dolce" by Louise Marley and "Wikiworld" by Paul Di Filippo.

Reviewlettes follow, except for the reviews of Robyn Hitchcock's two poems, "They Came From the Future" and "I Caught Intelligence". Look, I've been a fan of Robyn Hitchcock ever since "Balloon Man", but not even he can make me like poetry. On the bright side, anthology-rating-wise, the poems' short-short length had no impact on the book's rating.

On with the reviewlettes!

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Posted by John DeNardo at Tuesday April 03, 2007 at 12:40 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

REVIEW SUMMARY: A fine movie for kids, but adults, particularly adult science fiction fans, will find this mediocre at best.

MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: Two children discover "toys" from the future sent back to save future civilization from environmental catastrophe. Based on the Henry Kuttner and C.L. Moore short story "Mimsy Were the Borogoves".

BOTTOM LINE: Stick with the story.

MY REVIEW:
I saw this movie last week and have been meaning to write a full review. Instead I am going to punt and point you to this review by Howard Waldrop & Lawrence Person, who not only cite my own problems with the film, but they also say it way better than I ever could. And with bigger words.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Tuesday April 03, 2007 at 12:14 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

• The remains of James Doohan are heading into space this month.


• From AbeBooks Blog: The Times of London looks at how author websites have advanced leaps and bounds - from being mostly rubbish to now being key sources of information for hardcore fans. And...let's not forget sf/f authors who blog!


• The introduction to Best American Fantasy: Fantasy and the Imagination.


• BookSquare dissects Netflix for Books.


• Guy Dammann @ The Guardian Blog says Don't feel bad about abandoned books.


• Locus Online has posted the contents of the April issue of Locus magazine.


• Oprah's Book of the Month Selection, Cormac McCarthy's post-apocalyptic novel The Road, is headed for the big screen.


• Here's some free fiction by member of the Science Fiction Writers of America. [via SFWA LiveJournal]


• YesButNoButYes has Ten Terrible Star Wars costumes.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Tuesday April 03, 2007 at 12:03 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

Stephen King's column in issue #928 of Entertainment Weekly takes the publishing industry to task over what he sees as the inefficient marketing of a worthy book, Fieldwork by Mischa Berlinski (published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux):

If this is such a good read, what's the bad news? That's easy. As of March 26, Fieldwork was No. 24,571 on the Amazon best-seller list, and not apt to go much higher. The reason why is illustrative of how the book biz became the invalid of the entertainment industry, and why fiction sales are down across the board (with the possible exception of chick lit). Critics, with their stubborn insistence that there's a difference between "literature" and "popular fiction," are part of the problem, but the publishers themselves, who have bought into this elitist twaddle, are also to blame.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday April 02, 2007 at 12:28 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

Paizo Publishing has announced the creation of a new line of classic science fantasy novel reprints called Planet Stories.

From the press release:

Planet Stories brings back some of the long forgotten classic inspirations for much of today's science fiction and fantasy genres. Planet Stories will be available at your local book or hobby store and will retail for around $12.99 each.

Edit: fixed broken hyperlink

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday April 02, 2007 at 12:10 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

• John Joseph Adams profiles Richard Bowes, author of From the Files of the Time Rangers, at SCI FI Wire.


• Jeff VanderMeer interviews Jonathan Strahan.


• Tobias Buckell interviews Derryl Murphy.


• It's Robert J. Sawyer Interview Day! Both SciFiWeekly and SF Revu interview Robert J. Sawyer, author of Rollback.


• Critical Mass has a conversation with Julie Phillips, author of the biography James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon.


• IEEE Spectrum profiles "Lord of the Geeks", Joss Whedon.


• Paul Levinson latest Light On Light Through podcast, "Galactica Dylan" covers the season finale of Battlestar Galactica.


• The Time Traveler Show podcast has a 1977 conversation with SF Grand Masters Jack Williamson and Frederik Pohl on the "the art, science and combat of collaboration".


• Parody: John Glenn Installed In Smithsonian.


• Hugo Awards Nominations Correction: Nippon 2007, the 65th World Science Fiction Convention to be held in Yokohama, Japan, has announced a correction to this year's Hugo Awards nominations, adding Pan's Labyrinth to the Dramatic Presentation, Long Form category, and removing Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. [via Locus Online] Also: Nippon has finally posted the nominees online.


• Guess which 2 books by female authors sparked a great discussion at a book club? Eleanor Arnason has the answer.


• Free online fiction: The Star Conquerors by Ben Bova. [via Specualtive Fiction Online]


• FreeTube offers SciFi Free TV, a live movie station that is devoted to playing classic older SciFi films.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday April 02, 2007 at 12:04 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday April 02, 2007 at 12:00 AM
© 2007 SF Signal

This isn't meant to be a daily feature, but there do seem to be a lot of YouTube discoveries this week.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Sunday April 01, 2007 at 12:15 AM
© 2007 SF Signal