SF Tidbits for 1/21/09
- People asking questions:
- SCI FI Wire asks: Which SF writer has made us wait the longest for a sequel? Suvudu is feeling like it’s George R.R. Martin…
- At Tor.com, Heather Massey puts a new twist on an old question: Are Comic Books Dying?
- James Enge defines science fiction and fantasy.
- Jayme Lynn Blaschke asks about your experiences with The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. No, seriously!
- Awards News:
- Locus Online has the British Science Fiction Awards Nominees.
- Scott Edelman posts The 2008 Preliminary Stoker Ballot. [via Jason Sanford]
- Interviews and Profiles:
- @The Boston Review, John Crowley remembers Thomas M. Disch.
- SFF World interviews Joshua Palmatier (The Vacant Throne).
- SCI FI Wire profiles Jim Hines, author of The Stepsister Scheme.
- Free Fiction [courtesy of QuasarDragon]:
- James Maxon’s children’s fantasy “The Cat That Made Nothing Something Again” is available at his website.
- @The Scientific Indian: “Touchstone” by J Ramanand.
- Audio Fiction:
- James Patrick Kelly returns to his Free Reads podcasts with his Nebula-nominated 2007 story “Don’t Stop“.
- Starship Sofa features “The Vampire Kiss” by Gene Wolfe.
- @Podcastle: “Honest Man” by Naomi Kritzer, read by Ann Leckie.
- @Sci Phi Journal: “Requiem for a Silent Planet” by Stephen Dedman, read by TD-0013.
- Lists:
- Omnivoracious lists J.M. McDermott’s Best Books of 2008.
- PSDTUTS lists 40 Mind-blowing Digital Space Paintings. [Eyes glaze over…]
- SciFi Scanner’s SciFi Dept. looks at Post-Apocalyptic SciFi Films.
- Metropolis Mag goes Behind the Scenes of Coraline. [via Neil Gaiman]
- Wil Wheaton presents The Schwarzenegger Edition of Sci-Fi Guilty Pleasures, listing the good and bad points of Schwarzenegger’s SciFi films.
- Drawn! points us to Retro “I Can Read Movies” Book Covers Flickr gallery.
- John Scalzi’s Theory of a Film’s SciFi-ness: “Whether a movie counts as science fiction depends on whether the science fiction elements are crucial to the plot.” Sounds good to me. Does it also apply to TV? Can we all stop calling Chuck SciFi now?
John-san, thanks so much for linking to my Tor piece!
Longest sequel? I considered that (as well as announced books) previously. I think the record has got to be Jerry Pournelle, both for length and number of announced books and/or sequels that have not come to pass.
I am also waiting on George R. R. Martin. As a sign of faith, I’m reading the earlier books in the hopes by the time I get caught up (some are re-reads, some are first time reads) the next one will be out, the roadblock will be overcome, and the rest of the series will fall into place like clockwork. Hope springs eternal, etc.
Heather: No problem.
Fred: Of course! And how could I forget our own coverage of your list.
And let’s not forget io9’s link love! NOT!
“Whether a movie counts as science fiction depends on whether the science fiction elements are crucial to the plot.”
This is actually Stanislaw Lem’s theory – he said that if all science fiction elements can be taken out of a book and the book still makes sense, it’s not actually science fiction.
Forgot to mention – in Polish fandom this is commonly referred to as “Lem’s razor”.