Interesting discussion on Tor.com on who should win the Best Novel Hugo. And very gratifying to see how many people feel Brasyl
And hey, however the Hugos turn out, we’re thrilled to be in such distinguished company.
Handicapping the Hugos Read More »
From Rob’s Blog o’Stuff: “I posted my review of MultiReal
From POD People, TCM Reviews, July 21, 2008: “Pyr is a new, up-and-coming science fiction press, and David Louis Edelman is one of their hot new stars…[MultiReal] is full of Big Ideas, in the best tradition of science fiction…Edelman is a programmer in real life, and his understanding of the process informs the book. Multireal is a deep book, full of plots and counter-plots, with a stunning vision of the future. It manages what seems to be impossible, making the act of computer programming exciting, while reflecting on the nature of government and business. This is high science fiction at its finest. RATING 10/10
‘Nuff said.
On her blog, science fiction author Nancy Kress discusses, “The Point of Fiction.” She opinions, “It is: to decide what matters. Fiction explores this point through all sorts of subsidiary questions: What is worth expending effort on, struggling to obtain, sacrificing other things for, maybe even dying for?”
I am interested in this, and in how it can be applied to the specific Point of Science Fiction.
Meanwhile, Of Blog of the Fallen asks “Do SF/F authors have to be SF/F fans in order to be good writers?” Lots of interesting comments, and lots of names you may recognize in the comments as well – including Solaris book’s Mark Newton and The First Law trilogy scribe Joe Abercrombie. My own opinion, expressed a few times already therein, that while there is no point reinventing the wheel, a good book is its own justification. And a bad book, well…
Finally, speaking of Joe Abercrombie, here he is speaking to SFX. A sample, from his advice to writers: “The best thing I’ve found, if you’re not writing anything good, is just to sit in front of it and write something bad. Put in some chair time. Then when you come back later in a better frame of mind, you may find some gems in the rubbish you produced. You may even find what you wrote isn’t that bad, and with a bit of sharpening up you have pure gold…”
Heard Round the Web Read More »
Kay Kenyon is back from Readercon. She blogs the convention here. And here she is being blessed by Locus‘ Charles Brown, alongside Paolo Bacigalupi.
Just a quick email to say that both Stalking the Unicorn
And look, here’s another review comparing the series to Jim Butcher.
Tor podcasts just uploaded a panel discussion from last years Boskone (I think) on “What Makes a Cover Work” (Parts One and Two) with Yours Truly, Tor art director Irene Gallo, artists John Picacio & Tom Kidd, and Tachyon publisher Jacob Weisman. This was actually a pivotal moment in my own thinking about cover art, and Jacob’s comments about “judging a portfolio by its worst work, not its best” has stayed with me ever since.
Podcast: What Makes A Cover Work Read More »
Jill Maxick, Director of Publicity for Prometheus Books, and thus Pyr, is making her first ever sff convention appearance at World Con. She’s setting aside Saturday, August 9th, from 9am to 11am, for media meetings in the Pyr suite at the Sheraton Denver Hotel, 1550 Court Place (room number to be announced).
Media contacts, book reviewers, or bloggers interested in a meeting should contact her before August 6th to schedule a time. Please email jmaxick@prometheusbooks.com with the subject line: “Meet me at World Con.” (Provide your cell phone number if possible so she can ensure you know the suite number before your appointment.)
Jill Maxick @ World Con Read More »
Thanks to David Louis Edelman for pointing me to this article in Scientific American: Dark Knight Shift: Why Batman Could Exist–But Not for Long by E. Paul Zehr, author of the upcoming Becoming Batman: The Possibility of a Superhero.
“Batman can’t really afford to lose. Losing means death—or at least not being able to be Batman anymore. But another benchmark is having enough skill and experience to defend himself without killing anyone. Because that’s part of his credo. It would be much easier to fight somebody if you could incapacitate them with extreme force. Punching somebody in the throat could be a lethal blow. That’s pretty easy to do. But if you’re thinking about something that doesn’t result in lethal force, that’s more tricky. It’s really hard for people to get their heads around, I think. To be that good, to not actually lethally injure anyone, requires an extremely high level of skill that would take maybe 15 to 18 years to accumulate.”
He goes on to talk about the “reality-based training” that police officers undergo, because, “It takes years and years and years and years to have the poise to be able to perform when somebody is attacking you for real.”
As interesting as the article are some of the comments, which take issue with his 2 – 3 year period for how long someone could maintain as Batman before they wore down, and another broader debate on whether “fluff” articles like this help or hurt the cause of science.
Is Batman Possible? Read More »
Sean Williams, author of The Crooked Letter,
The Daily Dream is an LJ community created with the intention of capturing a
snapshot of the world’s unconscious musings–all its anxieties and desires,
and all that is just plain meaningless as well. Or is it?
Members post their dreams every morning, or whenever they wake up, in simple
one-sentence summaries. Whatever captures the mood and the message, with as
few clauses as possible. Slowly, we hope, a bigger picture will emerge.
If you’re interested in being part of this project, feel free to join up and
begin posting your own dreams. All are welcome. There’s no charge.
Tell your friends.
Who knows what currents flow at these depths, and what they might bring to
the surface?
This Sci Fi Weekly review of David Louis Edelman’s MultiReal,
MultiReal: Resonates With Past Classics Read More »