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03.19.08 by Doc @ 10:11 am  Another titan has departed the science fiction world. Arthur C. Clarke, author of more than 30 novels and inventor of the geostationary communications satellite, passed away earlier today at his home in Sri Lanka. As hard science fiction goes, there were none greater than Clarke, and his vision and tireless advocacy for human exploration and utilization of space may well be as important as any of his contributions to fiction. Among his many awards and recognitions, he was one of only two dozen SFWA Grand Masters, a Knight Bachelor, and a Commander of the British Empire. He also had an asteroid and a dinosaur named after him, and an Apollo command module named after one of his fictional spacecraft (Odyssey). Categorized as: Books
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03.16.08 by Widge @ 4:16 am  Rox writes in to let us know that the Luggage is up for auction. Not just any luggage, though. The Luggage from Sky One's adaptation of Colour of Magic. As I write this, it's currently at £2,150. And if you know anything about the exchange rates these days, that means it's roughly $10,000 in US currency. But the good news is that the Pratchett Nation continues its assault against Alzheimer's, and 100% of the purchase price goes to Alzheimer's research. Nice. On a side note, some of you on this side of the pond might be saying: "Colour of Magic? Sky One? Eh?" Yes, apparently. Check out the official site with the trailer. David Jason, Sean Astin, Tim Curry and Christopher Lee as the voice of Death. Wow, Christopher Lee as Death. What great casting. That airs on Easter in the UK. As Ken says after watching the trailer, it's possible to do a completely faithful TV adaptation of Hitchhiker's Guide. Somebody get on that, would you? Categorized as: Books
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03.14.08 by Widge @ 3:38 am  Terry Pratchett yesterday announced that he's donating $1M to research for Alzheimer's. This after he was diagnosed in December with an early onset version of the disease. He said, "Part of me lives in a world of new age remedies and science, and some of the science is a little like voodoo, but science was never an exact science, and personally I'd eat the arse out of a dead mole if it offered a fighting chance." He also said "I intend to scream and harangue while there is time." I've personally lost two grandparents to Alzheimer's, so I feel for him. And I'm sure his carrying on will help the cause. So scream on, Brother Terry. We're right there with you. In related news, the British Association for the Advancement of Dead Moles was quick to point out that there are no scientific studies linking them with Alzheimer's cures. They said this while remaining seated. And also dead. Thankee to Rox, who sent us this. Categorized as: Books
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02.29.08 by Doc @ 11:24 am  With a body of work that runs the gamut from the proto-cyberpunk Jerry Cornelius novels to the high fantasy melodrama of Elric to the madcap steampunk of the Nomad of the Time Stream, Michael Moorcock's writing chops have never been in doubt for fans of sci-fi/fantasy fiction. His more "mainstream" novels (and I use the term exceedingly loosely), like Behold the Man, Gloriana or Mother London, have received stellar reviews outside the sometimes cloistered confines of genre fiction (though my own thoughts on his more "serious" efforts run counter to the larger book-reviewing world). This April, at the Nebula Awards, he will join the hallowed ranks of the SFWA Grand Masters as the 25th member of that exclusive club. Categorized as: Books
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02.10.08 by Widge @ 12:27 am  Neil Gaiman (whom we just mentioned...funny that) has celebrated the 7th birthday of his blog by announcing he (and publisher Harper Collins) will place one of his books online for free for a month (initially, anyway). The voting for which one takes place over the next week, so get to it. The titles in question are: American Gods, Anansi Boys, Coraline, Fragile Things, M is for Magic, Neverwhere, Smoke and Mirrors, and Stardust. Rough choice. On one hand I say Coraline because it's the perfect scary book for kids and adults. On the other hand, I dig Neverwhere for the urban fantasy. And on the hand I borrowed from someone else (or maybe a Tom Lehrer song), there's Stardust, which is a much better book than it is a film...and it was a decent film. So...you're on your own. But make sure and vote, whatever your choice. Categorized as: Books
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