News: September 2008 Archives
Jason Stoddard's Positive Science Fiction Manifesto has got me longing to read some uplifting Science Fiction.
Positive science fiction inspires people to act and influence positive change.I don't know about you, but I don't want to live in a world of slackers who can do nothing more than complain about "the man" and "the system." I want people to be inspired to get the education and do the work necessary to get us off the planet. To fix the environment. To figure out systems that don't need to go through destructive boom and bust cycles. To extend our lifespans. To discover wholly new frontiers. To create new life. To develop true artificial intelligence. To make workable nanotechnology. To create space elevators. We will not do this by wallowing in sorrow; we will not do this by bemoaning our fate; we will not do this by laying about on the couch.
Yes. Yes. Yes.
Time to reread Pacific Edge maybe?
The second issue of Fruitless Recursion, A Journal Devoted To Discussing Works of SF Criticism, is online and contains:
- Paul Kincaid's review of Mike Ashley's Gateways to Forever: The Story of Science Fiction Magazines from 1970 to 1980.
- Alvaro Zinos-Amaro's review of Gabriel McKee's The Gospel According to Science Fiction: From the Twilight Zone to the Final Frontier.
- Niall Harrison's review of Michael Chabon's Maps and Legends.
- Jonathan McCalmont's review of Studies in Modern Horror, edited by NGChristakos.
The second series of the Doctor Who spinoff, The Sarah Jane Adventures starts today on BBC1 at 4.35pm. Despite the first series being less than inspirational, and reusing Doctor Who villains rather than inventing anything original, the kids seem to watch it whilst waiting for a new series of Doctor Who.
The BBC site has full details of the Children In Need Doctor Who competition.
This autumn BBC Children in Need is offering you a fantastic prize. The BBC will take you and up to three friends or members of your family backstage at the BBC Wales studios near Cardiff on November 8th or 9th.
It's the home of Doctor Who, Torchwood and the Sarah Jane Adventures. You'll see what goes on behind the scenes and how the BBC brings all those other worlds to life, meeting set designers, costumiers, make-up artists and monster makers Millennium FX.
All you have to do is make a phone call to answer an easy question.
Jonathan McCalmont is closing his SF Diplomat blog if you haven't been reading it, well, you're too late now. Although didn't he close the blog before and come back? ;-)
BYE!
Anyway, instead of his blog check out instead Fruitless Recursion (A Journal Devoted To Discussing Works of SF Criticism).
Radio 1 DJ, Chris Moyles announced this morning that on Friday he'll be doing his breakfast show from the TARDIS. Yes, actually inside the TARDIS. It's a stunt to publicise the launch of this year's Children In Need, but he'll also be talking to Russell T. Davies, David Tennant and Billie Piper. And you never know, RTD might drop a few spoilers for the Christmas special.
UPDATE
The show will also have details of a competition, run as part of Children In Need, and the prize is to win a trip around the strictly guarded Doctor Who set in Cardiff, including the TARDIS. Sounds like it's worth a go, more details on Friday.
Via a press release, Eoin Colfer is to write the sixth book in the Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy trilogy.
Gareth L Powell has a new website www.garethlpowell.com that is rather shiny and groovy, with a great banner of artwork from The Last Reef.
File under the heading of GRRRRR!
After getting annoyed with my copy of Anathem not arriving from Amazon, Gav said that it was probably because the release date has slipped!
So I emailed Atlantic books to see what had happened, the answer was:
Yes - it has been [slipped] - to the 1st of October - there was a glitch with the ISBN number and some bookstores do have it already, but very few. All will be on course for the 1st though,
Hmm, how disappointing. I'll probably finish Saturn's Children and read Earth Ascendant next then.
In an effort to prevent me going mental because my copy of Anathem hasn't arrived yet, here's some videos of Neal Stephenson talking about the book. He talks about the origins of the novel, it's themes and also the definition of the word Bulshytt.
I'd also like to comment that he looks very smart in his jacket and tie!
The latest Mind Meld from SF Signal, SF with an Opposing Viewpoint includes a contribution from me. Oh and a few other people you may have heard of, like: Charles Stross and Lou Anders. Woah, that's cool.
Torchwood comes to Radio 4 in a specially-commissioned drama. Martha Jones, ex-time traveller and now working as a doctor for a UN task force, has been called to CERN. Wednesday 10th September, 2.15pm. That's today, soon. But it will be availble for download after.
How to make physicists groan. First Dan Brown, and now Torchwood. Argggh.
And as for the Big Bang day at the LHC, they're not even crossing the beams yet! That's when the world will end. The TV coverage of turning on the beam was hilarious, look how exciting physics is!
Thanks to Dave for mentioning it.
SFSignal has a good post summarising all the SF TV programmes starting in the US this Autumn.
I'm interested in seeing Heroes, The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Fringe.
Heroes is going to be shown on the BBC shortly. I thought they were aiming for the same week as the US but this seems to have slipped as the date now appears to be 25th September.
The Sarah Connor Chronicle will be shown on Virgin 1, although I can't find any mention of when it starts. (The Virgin 1 site is really rubbish).
Fringe will be shown on Sky One this Autumn.
Also worth mentioning is that ITV2 had the first series of Pushing Daisies and so will presumably get the second.
Shows not mentioned that I want to see are The Clone Wars and Dollhouse. Presumably The Clone Wars will be on the UK Cartoon Network? And I've no idea about Dollhouse yet.
Sky is a satellite, subscription channel. Virgin 1 and ITV2 are free digital channels. And of course the BBC is paid for by the mighty licence fee.
The standard Pan MacMillan email newsletter that I get is usually a bit dull, with very little mention of any Science Fiction. The most recent one however has a couple relevant offers.
Firstly 20% of a selection of books which includes: Prador Moon by Neal Asher, The Last Colony by John Scalzi and The Temporal Void by Peter F. Hamilton. P&P costs £1 to the UK and £2 elsewhere.
Secondly 3 for 2 on a selection of SF&F ebooks, including The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi, Ink by Hal Duncan and a selection of China Mievilee books.
I've no idea if this works out cheaper than the usual channels but I thought I'd pass it on. In fact the ebooks are the same price as the paperback which seems insane!
I'm not exactly sure what Jetse's official title at Interzone was, but to me he is their Slush Master, rejecting my stories with nice notes and apologies :-)
Anyway, he's resigning:
After four-and-a-half years, I am resigning as an Interzone co-editor. I do not take this decision lightly, but it is what I feel I must do. The reason is simple: like a rock band where one musician quits because she/he doesn't like the musical direction the band is taking (the well-known 'musical differences'), I am unhappy with the direction and tone the fiction in Interzone will be taking.
Hmm, I wonder what that direction is? Anyone know? Is it subtle or huge?
UPDATED
The Andy Cox and the Interzone team respond:
We are, however, a little perplexed at the idea that Jetse's departure has been caused by a change in Interzone's "direction and tone". No such change was identified or discussed at any time within the team. The three remaining fiction editors do not feel there has been any shift in our editorial process, quality standards, ethics or strategy.
Via SFSignal
The Dr. Horrible soundtrack is available for purchase on iTunes, and not just the US, but in the UK too! Rejoice!
Very tempted to buy it right now.
Also available on the website are the liner notes and lyrics so now you can check the words and copy and paste your favourite bits:
Laundry dayÂ
See you thereÂ
Under thingsÂ
TumblingÂ
Wanna sayÂ
Love your hairÂ
Here I goÂ
MumblingÂ
With my freeze ray I will stop the worldÂ
With my freeze ray I will find the time to find the words toÂ
Tell you howÂ
How you makeÂ
Make me feel
Alastair Reynolds sums up my attitude to the term "Sci-Fi"Â exactly:
So here's a suggestion. We get over the sci-fi thing. We can still keep talking about SF and science fiction, but we should give up the knee-jerk sense of insult whenever the sci-fi label is applied to what we do. To the outside world, we're like music bores getting upset with the term "hi-fi". It should be "high-fidelity", doncha know. If we still need a term to isolate the tacky end of the genre, I've got one right here. We can call it "crap sci-fi", like the rest of the world does.
Yes, yes and yes!
