Category: GENERAL

The Quill Awards

Voting is open for the Quill Awards, a “consumers choice” award which celebrates the best adult and children’s books of the year in 20 categories. (Readers vote for the winners from among the five finalists in each category, which were selected by a nominating board comprised of approximately 6,000 invited booksellers and librarians. Voting ends September 30.)

The only actual SF/Fantasy category book that made the SF/Fantasy category was George R.R. Martin’s A Feast for Crows; the others are all mainstream imports. I think we should all rally behind the Martin in both the SF/Fantasy category and in the Book of the Year category to tell publishers that damn it, being labeled SF/Fantasy is nothing to be ashamed of. And since this is a mainstream sort of award, I would find it amusing and satisfying for a fantasy novel to win Book of the Year.

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World Fantasy, Here I Come

Man, I’ve been blogging a lot today. One other thing I wanted to mention: I’m officially going to World Fantasy this year. I didn’t think I’d be able to swing it, but since I’ll be covering the convention for SCI FI Wire (as I did for Worldcon), I can not only afford it, but will probably make money by going. And that’s a tough deal to beat, since I desperately wanted to go anyway.

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Fantastic Genres II

Fantastic Genres II:

Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror

and Children’s Literature

October 6-8, 2006

SUNY New Paltz

Following the success of the first Fantastic Genres conference in late April-early May of 2004, the second conference once again looks to bring together writers, editors, critics, and academics in dialogue about the fantastic genres.  Taking place over Columbus Day weekend of 2006, (October 6-8), the conference will host a range of programming including fiction and poetry readings, academic papers, and panel discussions on topics ranging from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein to the narrative elements of Role-Playing Computer Games.   

Keynote Writer:

John Crowley

From the beginning of his career, John Crowley has been among the most innovative and exciting writers working in the fantastic genres.  His Little, Big (1981) has achieved the status of modern classic, while subsequent works such as The Translator (2002) and Lord Byron’s Novel:  The Evening Land (2005) have solidified his accomplishment.  Crowley‘s four-volume Aegypt series (Aegypt (1987), Love And Sleep (1994), Daemonomania (2000), and Endless Things (forthcoming 2007)) is one of the major accomplishments in the literature of fantasy of the last quarter-century.  John Crowley has twice been awarded the World Fantasy Award, and is a recipient of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters’ Award in Literature. Link: John Crowley’s LiveJournal

Keynote Critic:

Joan Gordon

Reviews editor for Science Fiction Studies, Joan Gordon is the author of a critical study of Gene Wolfe, and co-editor of the anthologies Blood Read:  The Vampire as Metaphor in Contemporary Culture (1997) and Edging into the Future:  Science Fiction and Contemporary Cultural Transformation (2002).  She is Professor of English at Nassau Community College; her essays and reviews have appeared in publications including The New York Review of Science Fiction and Science Fiction Studies.  Link: Science-Fiction Studies                      

Other Scheduled Guests:

John Joseph Adams, Marleen Barr, Dave Belden, Rick Bowes, Chris Cevasco, Michael Cisco, Douglas E. Cohen, F. Brett Cox, Jeffrey Ford, Alexander Irvine, Sarah Langan, Nick Mamatas, Sarah Micklem, Kim Paffenroth, Helen Pilinovsky, Veronica Schanoes, Amy Tibbetts, Gordon Van Gelder, Ysabeau Wilce, Paul Witcover    

If you’re a science fiction/fantasy/horror professional, and you’d like to participate, contact conference administrator John Langan (langanj@newpaltz.edu).

Conference Fee:

Admission to the conference is $35.00, payable by check or money order to SUNY New Paltz.  Please mail payments to John Langan at the address below. SUNY New Paltz students with a valid student I.D. may attend the conference at no charge.

Lodging Options:

There are a number of lodging options available within a relatively brief drive to the SUNY New Paltz Campus.  The 87 Motel offers affordable rooms and rates; the area is also home to the Mohonk Mountain House and Minnewaska Lodge, both of which offer more deluxe accommodations.  For a complete list of local motels, hotels, and bed and breakfasts, please consult the New Paltz Chamber of Commerce.

For more information, contact:

John Langan (langanj@newpaltz.edu)

SUNY New Paltz

75 South Manheim Blvd.

New Paltz, NY 12561

845-257-2736

SUNY New Paltz Homepage

(includes driving directions)

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Hour of the Wolf




Doug Cohen on the air

Originally uploaded by slushgod.


In the wee hours of the morning today, Doug Cohen and I were guests on Jim Freund’s radio show, The Hour of the Wolf, which airs on WBAI in New York. I’ve got MP3s of the whole show up on my website, which you can access here: Part One and Part Two. The audio starts with about a half hour of music and then shortly after Jim Freund comes on and starts the show. [update: I edited that part out. Also, I wanted to mention that it sounds like at least part of the show wasn’t on the CD I have; part one ends in the middle of a sentence, so I’m not sure how much was lost.  I expect not much, as the interview is still pretty long. Somewhere between 15-20 minutes could possibly be missing.]

I only took a few photos while I was there, and all of them turned out pretty badly.  So you must content yourselves with this bad photo of Doug and this equally bad shot of Jim’s place in the control room.

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The Android’s Dream Contest, Apex Digest Raffle

First, David Louis Edelman announced he’ll be giving away five signed copies of his novel Infoquake , and now John Scalzi is also giving away a free signed ARC of his new novel The Android’s Dream (which I’m reading and enjoying at the moment).

And in related news, Mary Robinette Kowal has set up a raffle to help save Apex Digest, which includes some cool prizes. Here are the details, according to Mary:

I’ve set up an old-fashioned raffle with fairly staggering prizes to do some fundraising for Apex Digest. You can buy a ticket to put your name in the hat to win autographed copies of books, art, video and other strange goodies. Tickets are a dollar each. That’s nothing, right? You can afford that.

On Friday, September 29th, we’ll draw names and hand out the prizes.

You might win an autographed book by M.M. Buckner, Geoffrey Girard, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Kevin J. Anderson, Brian Keene, David Louis Edelman, and more. Or how about a copy-edited manuscript of a Ben Bova novel? Would you like a signed first edition hard cover of The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russel? Maybe you’d want to have your story professionally edited? Stop by and see which things you covet.

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Viking Swordfighting Techniques

As I mentioned in an earlier post, while I was at the Haffenreffer Museum for Viking Weekend, I shot a video with my digital camera of two of the guides demonstrating Viking swordfighting techniques.  It’s got sound and everything, so you’ll be able to hear them explaining the techniques as they demonstrate.  Probably good for you all out there who are writing epic fantasy or swords-n-sorcery stuff. 

Well, I’ve finally managed to get the video split up and posted to YouTube.  For some reason, I’m having trouble getting the playlist to work properly, so here (behind the cut) are direct links to all seven parts.  Enjoy!

(more…)

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Help Save Apex Digest

Apex Digest editor Jason Sizemore got laid off recently and has been publishing the  magazine despite this for several months now.  But now he needs your help.  If you like the magazine, and would like to see it continue, subscribe or encourage your friends to do so (or both!).

 

 

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