Sir Arthur C. Clarke has released (a little early) his birthday greetings.

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 10:18 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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An article implies that Robert A. Heinlein's influence is declining. The evidence? That the literati don't take him seriously anymore. Is being compared to Heinlein a help or hindrance to a new science fiction writer? One such writer speaks up (and to be honest, the main reason I picked up John Scalzi's books was because of the comparison to Heinlein!)

Looks like it is time to trot out this 1980 essay by Spider Robinson again! more...

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Balefires; David Drake (Night Shade Books, 2007, ISBN 978-1-59780-071-6, cover by Richard Pellegrino).

The review can now be viewed here.

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Virgil Finlay's Strange Science; Virgil Finlay (Underwood-Miller, 1992, ISBN 0-88733-154-8, cover by Virgil Finlay).

The review can now be found here.

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 09:44 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Sometimes you need to unplug the internet connection in order to finish a book. Sometimes you need to stop playing games to do the same! SF author Iain Banks found his gaming habit overcoming his book writing habit recently.

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 11:23 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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...but you can't take the physicist out of the writer. Via SF Signal, SF writer (and all around nice guy) Alastair Reynolds is interviewed by Physics World on science fiction, science and writing.

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 11:10 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Combined review can now be found here.

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Expedition: Being An Account in Words and Artwork of the 2358 A.D. Voyage to Darwin IV; Wayne Barlowe (Workman Publishing, 1990, ISBN 0-89480-629-7, cover by Wayne Barlowe).

The review is now found here.

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 11:51 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Frank Kelly Freas: As He Sees It; Frank Kelly Freas and Laura Brodian Freas (Paper Tiger, 2000, ISBN 1-85585-848-7, cover by Frank Kelly Freas).

The review can now be found here.

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 08:40 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Fantastic Science–Fiction Art: 1926–1954; Lester Del Rey (Ballantine Books, ISBN 345-24731-0-595, cover by Frank R. Paul).

The review can now be found here.

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 08:02 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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...Ansible 245!

The Way We Live Now. Radio Clyde Breakfast Show presenter: 'What famous detective features in the Agatha Christie novel The Hound of the Baskervilles?' Contestant: 'Is it Harry Potter?' (Private Eye, 23 Nov)

...and much more amusing stuff!

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 06:50 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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My friend Pete Young's pictures in various categories at Flickr. Various subjects, including SF author's with pending Big Works A'Coming.

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NASA's PlanetQuest website allows you to keep track of the discovery of exoplanets. Need a new setting for that epic space opera you are writing during November's novel in one month project?

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 10:17 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Omnibus review can now be found here.

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 10:13 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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The John Grimes tales of A. Bertram Chandler.

Omnibus review can now be found here.

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Illusion TV interviews Syd Mead, an artist that gave much of the "look" to films such as 2010: Odyssey Two, Blade Runner and more. With the ultimate fanboy edition of Blade Runner coming later this year and a documentary on his work in release, maybe we'll see a comprehensive print edition of his work soon?

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Via Dark Roasted Blend, a great collection of space art from Russian, America and more!

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 11:57 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Just like to point out that Baen Books is offering a whole pile of fine works of science fiction, fantasy and more in their Free Library. Just in case you think Amazon has invented the world of electronic books. (And while you're at it, surf past the media hype and also look at Project Gutenberg, Memoware, Manybooks and other folks who have been on the frontier far longer than the Amazon effort. Heck, I recall downloading Project Gutenberg works for my Apple Newton!)

(There's no reason, by the way, to spend several hundred dollars on a poorly designed, hard to hold comfortably, overpriced, DRM-crippled reader. Some smart shopping in second-hand outlets can get you a perfectly capable laptop, eBook reader or PDA for far less.) more...

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 11:27 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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A review of a direct-to-DVD film that sounds like it has a lot of promise. I'm seeing echoes of Clifford D. Simak's Grotto of the Dancing Deer as well as stuff by Lester del Rey and others here. The screenplay author, Jerome Bixby, was no slouch, either.

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"Those pygmy Grays, though, the ones who keep trying to lasso you with piano wire whenever you do ketamine? Those little guys are bad mojo."

(William Gibson)

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