On Jerry Oltion ..

If you've been reading Analog recently, you've probably stumbled across an Oltion story.
Oltion (prn. OL-tee-un) has a prestigious publishing record, with more than 100 stories and 15 novels to his credit over the last 27 years.
I found his two most recent Analog submissions to be delightful. A quick briefing:

"Foreign Exchange" - On Earth, if a person leaves their car doors open with the keys in the ignition, it's a safe bet that vehicle won't be around in the morning. So let's take that idea and extend it. What about all these fully-fueled pods NASA plans to leave on the moon and Mars? Say you're just passing through the Milky Way and your ship breaks down. You're stranded and lost. No communication. Minimal food. Hope seems to be fading until, to your unexpected delight, you spot a spaceship parked on the horizon. Approaching you find it mysterious. You open the door and there's food and water. And and a blinking red "launch" light. Would you push it? And where would the journey really be your salvation?

"The Jolly Old Boyfriend" - Old Saint Nick appears in a "unique" way for this funny holiday tale. Short and sweet with lots of coal and pepper spray. Coal and pepper spray? How ISN'T that a winning combination? Check it out.

Books: Tuesday Toofer

In light of me having anything interesting to say, here's two short fiction previews:

• "In the Autumn of the Empire," Jerry Oltion. Analog: Science Fiction and Fact (Oct. 2009) - We all know that world leaders can be pretty stupid. But what if they had absolute power to correct all of their blunders? Oltion spells out a fun story chronicling an emperor who can't wrap his head around that axial tilt thing, and goes to extreme means to cover up his ignorance.
  

• "The Hanged Man," William Gleason. Analog: Science Fiction and Fact (Oct. 2009) - Moral of the story: don't leave a friend behind on a planet with sketchy natives and a propensity for revenge. They might convince your pal to, you know, hunt you down and kill you. Or something. Worth checking out, but I'm still not 100 percent sure what Gleanson was going for with this one ...
  

Books: Monday Musings

I know, "Monday Musings" doesn't have the same cowboy vibe as "Friday Roundup."
But go with me here ... I'm performing a public service, after all.

"To Climb A Flat Mountain," G. David Nordley - Analog, November 2009 - Starts off as your typical crash survivor on a mysterious world story, before changing into your typical crash survivor on a really mysterious world story.
It's a decent (if overplayed) premise, but Nordley does a commendable job at building a freaky world that's pretty darn engaging. And the mystery for the first few chapters is really well parsed out. It's a page turner.
Then Nordley introduces our hero to a bunch of other survivors and it gets ... well ... I'll let you be the judge.
Give the story a try. It's the first section of a two part serial, the conclusion to be released in December.

"Joan," John G. Henry - Analog, November 2009 - Ever looked up to someone in history? Wondered what it would be like to meet with them? Would you make a new BFF or just another frenemy?
Being a history nerd, I think a lot about this stuff.
In "Joan" we get to live out that fantasy, traveling back in time as Kate, a young woman obsessed with the legend of Joan of Arc.
The story goes something like this: girl meets girl. Girl saves girl from death at the stake by tossing a few flashbangs. Girl takes girl on ride through countryside whilst killing the British.
You know, it's your basic medieval romance.
Bottom line: It's a bit long, but the ending (kinda) makes it all worth it. The conclusion of "Joan" was one of those "well I feel pretty good for having read all of this" kind of moments.
And that's never a bad thing. Check it out.

Books: 2009 Hugo Award Winners

In case you missed it on Twitter ...

Winners are in BOLD.

Best Novel

• Anathem by Neal Stephenson (Morrow; Atlantic UK)
• The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (HarperCollins; Bloomsbury UK)
• Little Brother by Cory Doctorow (Tor Teen; HarperVoyager UK)
• Saturn’s Children by Charles Stross (Ace; Orbit UK)
• Zoe’s Tale by John Scalzi (Tor)

Best Novella

• “The Erdmann Nexus” by Nancy Kress (Asimov’s Oct/Nov 2008)
• “The Political Prisoner” by Charles Coleman Finlay (F&SF Aug 2008)
• “The Tear” by Ian McDonald (Galactic Empires)
• “True Names” by Benjamin Rosenbaum & Cory Doctorow (Fast Forward 2)
• “Truth” by Robert Reed (Asimov’s Oct/Nov 2008)

Best Novelette

• “Alastair Baffle’s Emporium of Wonders” by Mike Resnick (Asimov’s Jan 2008)
• “The Gambler” by Paolo Bacigalupi (Fast Forward 2)
• “Pride and Prometheus” by John Kessel (F&SF Jan 2008)
• “The Ray-Gun: A Love Story” by James Alan Gardner (Asimov’s Feb 2008)
• “Shoggoths in Bloom” by Elizabeth Bear (Asimov’s Mar 2008)

Best Short Story

• “26 Monkeys, Also the Abyss” by Kij Johnson (Asimov’s Jul 2008)
• “Article of Faith” by Mike Resnick (Baen’s Universe Oct 2008)
• “Evil Robot Monkey” by Mary Robinette Kowal (The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction, Volume Two)
• “Exhalation” by Ted Chiang (Eclipse Two)
• “From Babel’s Fall’n Glory We Fled” by Michael Swanwick (Asimov’s Feb 2008)

Best Related Book

• Rhetorics of Fantasy by Farah Mendlesohn (Wesleyan University Press)
• Spectrum 15: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art by Cathy & Arnie Fenner, eds. (Underwood Books)
• The Vorkosigan Companion: The Universe of Lois McMaster Bujold by Lillian Stewart Carl & John Helfers, eds. (Baen)
• What It Is We Do When We Read Science Fiction by Paul Kincaid (Beccon Publications)
• Your Hate Mail Will be Graded: A Decade of Whatever, 1998-2008 by John Scalzi (Subterranean Press)

Best Graphic Story

• The Dresden Files: Welcome to the Jungle Written by Jim Butcher, art by Ardian Syaf (Del Rey/Dabel Brothers Publishing)
• Girl Genius, Volume 8: Agatha Heterodyne and the Chapel of Bones Written by Kaja & Phil Foglio, art by Phil Foglio, colors by Cheyenne Wright (Airship Entertainment)
• Fables: War and Pieces Written by Bill Willingham, pencilled by Mark Buckingham, art by Steve Leialoha and Andrew Pepoy, color by Lee Loughridge, letters by Todd Klein (DC/Vertigo Comics)
• Schlock Mercenary: The Body Politic Story and art by Howard Tayler (The Tayler Corporation)
• Serenity: Better Days Written by Joss Whedon & Brett Matthews, art by Will Conrad, color by Michelle Madsen, cover by Jo Chen (Dark Horse Comics)
• Y: The Last Man, Volume 10: Whys and Wherefores Written/created by Brian K. Vaughan, penciled/created by Pia Guerra, inked by Jose Marzan, Jr. (DC/Vertigo Comics)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form

• The Dark Knight Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer, story; Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan, screenplay; based on characters created by Bob Kane; Christopher Nolan, director (Warner Brothers)
• Hellboy II: The Golden Army Guillermo del Toro & Mike Mignola, story; Guillermo del Toro, screenplay; based on the comic by Mike Mignola; Guillermo del Toro, director (Dark Horse, Universal)
• Iron Man Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby and Art Marcum & Matt Holloway, screenplay; based on characters created by Stan Lee & Don Heck & Larry Lieber & Jack Kirby; Jon Favreau, director (Paramount, Marvel Studios)
• METAtropolis by John Scalzi, ed. Written by: Elizabeth Bear, Jay Lake, Tobias Buckell and Karl Schroeder (Audible Inc)
• WALL-E Andrew Stanton & Pete Docter, story; Andrew Stanton & Jim Reardon, screenplay; Andrew Stanton, director (Pixar/Walt Disney)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form

• “The Constant” (Lost) Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof, writers; Jack Bender, director (Bad Robot, ABC studios)
• Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog Joss Whedon, & Zack Whedon, & Jed Whedon & Maurissa Tancharoen , writers; Joss Whedon, director (Mutant Enemy)
• “Revelations” (Battlestar Galactica) Bradley Thompson & David Weddle, writers; Michael Rymer, director (NBC Universal)
• “Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead” (Doctor Who) Steven Moffat, writer; Euros Lyn, director (BBC Wales)
• “Turn Left” (Doctor Who) Russell T. Davies, writer; Graeme Harper, director (BBC Wales)

Best Editor, Short Form

• Ellen Datlow
• Stanley Schmidt
• Jonathan Strahan
• Gordon Van Gelder
• Sheila Williams

Best Editor, Long Form

• Lou Anders
• Ginjer Buchanan
• David G. Hartwell
• Beth Meacham
• Patrick Nielsen Hayden

Best Professional Artist

• Daniel Dos Santos
• Bob Eggleton
• Donato Giancola
• John Picacio
• Shaun Tan

Best Semiprozine

• Clarkesworld Magazine edited by Neil Clarke, Nick Mamatas & Sean Wallace
• Interzone edited by Andy Cox
• Locus edited by Charles N. Brown, Kirsten Gong-Wong, & Liza Groen Trombi
• The New York Review of Science Fiction edited by Kathryn Cramer, Kris Dikeman, David G. Hartwell, & Kevin J. Maroney
• Weird Tales edited by Ann VanderMeer & Stephen H. Segal

Best Fanzine

• Argentus edited by Steven H Silver
• Banana Wings edited by Claire Brialey and Mark Plummer
• Challenger edited by Guy H. Lillian III
• The Drink Tank edited by Chris Garcia
• Electric Velocipede edited by John Klima
• File 770 edited by Mike Glyer

Best Fan Writer

• Chris Garcia
• John Hertz
• Dave Langford
• Cheryl Morgan
• Steven H Silver

Best Fan Artist

• Alan F. Beck
• Brad W. Foster
• Sue Mason
• Taral Wayne
• Frank Wu

The John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer

• Aliette de Bodard*
• David Anthony Durham*
• Felix Gilman
• Tony Pi*
• Gord Sellar*

*(Second year of eligibility)

Congrats to all the winners. How did you folks feel about the results? Pretty much what you expected? Any surprises? Let's hear it in the comments ...

Books: Good Reads ...

Well it's not Friday, but here's some quick recommends for ya anyway.
And now if you'll please excuse me, I swore I'd go for a jog today. Oh exercise! How I love to hate thee ...

"Snowfall," Jessie Thompson - Fantasy and Science Fiction Aug./Sept. 2009 - You'll be hard pressed to find a better short story anywhere. First published in F&SF in 1988, Harlan Ellison selected this story for a reprint from among nearly 1,800 submissions spanning 60 years. It's a winner. And it's definitely one of, if not the best, piece of short fiction I've ever read.
Ellison writes: "It is a small, perfect, as burning-bright wee piece, that (for me) towers over all the tsunamis and skyscrapers and Everests F&SF has raised ... When it was published in 1988 I wrote Ms. Thompson an unsolicited note that read, in part, ' ... having read ... a vast amount of the words available on this planet, it is not often one suffers the joy of having read a 'first published' story that can bring tears of pleasure. Ed Ferman spoke conservatively when he called it a 'superior story.' It is more than that. It is a jewel."

"Hunchster," by Matthew Hughes - Fantasy and Science Fiction Aug./Sept. 2009 - You've been through several jobs and can't hold one down. It's not really your fault -- just when you settle in there's a new technology that pops up and renders your skill set obsolete. You're outdated and, once again, unemployed. Sound familiar anyone?
Hughes explores the topic in "Hunchster" asking the question to what lengths would you go to protect your livelihood? And your family? It's a dark tale framed in a lighthearted fantasy and it's one I enjoyed. Check it out.

"The Bones of Giants," Yoon Ha Lee - Fantasy and Science Fiction Aug./Sept. 2009 - Giants. Zombies. Necromancy. Wizards. Yeah, it's a fantasy. And it's a pretty darn good one. Lee's novelette explores several themes, but focuses heavily on ideals of death and immortality. It's a quick, clean and elegant story that ends with a fun little twist. Worth checking out.

What are your thoughts? Have any recommendations for the good reads column? E-mail me, or sound off in the comments.

Whatever: Random Blatherations

In light of me having nothing coherent to say I've decided to spell out some things that have been cycling around in my head the past few weeks. And I'll do it all using the magic of bullet points!

• East of Eden is one of the greatest American books ever written. Hands down. And yeah, it's better than Grapes of Wrath. Shut up, it is. Now don't get me wrong, Grapes of Wrath is certainly an outstanding book. And if we're talking road novels here, it just might just be one of the best American books ever written. That being said, however, Grapes of Wrath is a bit overrated, especially when viewed in in light of the full spectrum of Steinbeck's later work. Steinbeck billed East of Eden as his epic masterpiece. The capstone of his career, and, well, it is people. It's his best writing. It's his best story. And the dialogue and characters are simply unforgettable. Thou mayest want to check it out, I think you'll enjoy it.
• Battlestar Galactica's ending didn't suck. (Spoilers ahead.) This statement is mainly prompted by Brad Templeton's ranting essay in which he makes the case that BSG's conclusion was, in fact, "the worst ending in the history of on-screen science fiction." I'm assuming Templeton said that just to incite tempers, and that's fine. But I mean really Brad? Really? The worst ever? Did you see Transformers? (To be fair, I didn't.) What about Hancock? Newsflash: They sucked hard. A lot harder than BSG. I'll even put my neck on the block and say BSG's ending was, in fact, pretty damn good. Yeah, you have to block a few things from your memory -- namely, the "150,000 years later" bit and the closeup cameo of Ron Moore's head. But here's some advice to all the haters: erase those scenes from your memory (I know it's tough). I'll always remember the show as ending with the panoramic shot of Adama atop the mountain surveying his new home and finally getting that much sought after rest. If you remember it there you'll have fond memories of the ending as well. Heck, you might even tear up a bit.
• Another TV thought -- season three of Heroes isn't as bad as everyone says. Let's get some perspective here. It's a show about people flying, shooting fire from their hands and sawing open heads using telekinesis. Stop taking it so seriously. Sure, some of the dialogue is cheesy. And the whole "But wait! (S)he's not really dead!" trope is annoying. But I'm still pretty interested in most of the characters. Well, okay, I really only care about Hiro, Sylar and HRG, but whatever. It's still a cool show. I'm glad it got renewed and I'm (sorta) excited about what's in store for season four.
  
• This month's edition of Fantasy and Science Fiction is one of the best I've read in years. I won't spoil any of the stories (I've posted a few blurbs about them here), but there's a lot of good writing this issue. Check it out.
• Summarizing random ideas in bullet points is a lot easier than trying to graft out a coherent narrative. I will remember this. Because I am lazy.
  

Books: Good reads ...

Why I've just noticed something terribly amiss! I forgot (i.e. willfully neglected) last week's Friday roundup!

So sorry! Here we go!

"The Art of the Dragon," Sean McMullen - Fantasy and Science Fiction Aug/Sept 2009 - What begins with one of the best leads I've ever read: "I was there when the dragon appeared - and ate the Effiel Tower" just gets better as the story progresses. McMullen puts forth a remarkably original fantasy that manages to squeeze in a ton of insightful commentary about the nature of art and humanity. But it's never hard-hitting, in fact, it's remarkably clever and, at times, downright fun. I wasn't huge on McMullen's last story in F&SF, "The Spiral Briar," but "The Art of the Dragon" is a keeper. Definitely earned it's place as the lead off story in this month's issue.

"Icarus Saved from the Skies," Georges-Olivier Châteaureynaud - Fantasy and Science Fiction Aug/Sept 2009 - Ever wonder what you do if you sprouted wings? I know I did, at least as a kid. Châteaureynaud's fable cleverly deals with the question and rises at a surprising conclusion. Translated from the original French by Edward Gauvin. Recommended. For more Châteaureynaud, check out his collection, Le kiosque et le tilleul, The Pavilion and the Linden.

"The Others," Lawrence C. Connolly - Fantasy and Science Fiction Aug/Sept 2009 - At first I didn't really know what to make of this story, but after a few days I've more or less come around. It's good. And I liked it. For those not in the know, "The Others" continues the journey of the many incarnations of Cara Randall who this time is exploring a strange planet with intelligent life. The story is a direct sequel to "Daughters of Prime," which first ran in July 2007 and can be viewed here.

Books: Friday Roundup

Not much to report this week.
But here's one quick recommend and then I'm off to watch The Godfather. I've never seen it. I know, I know...

Peter Carlson, "Nikita in Hollywood." Smithsonian July 2009 - Humorous recap of Soviet Premier Nikita Khruschchev's strange visit to tinsel town in 1959. Some of Khruschchev's conclusions? Can-Can is pornographic, our pigs are too fat and our turkeys too small. Oh and he never got to see Disneyland. Sad, really.

Books: Friday Roundup

I finally finished reading The Stand, that not-so-little book by Stephen King.
And I liked it.
I'll say up front that this was my first King novel ever, so going in I wasn't quite sure what to expect. But I'd read On Writing and loved it, so I figured I'd dive in at the deep end of the pool and tackle this 1,000-plus page behemoth all in one gulp. Happily it went down with no real hiccups.
For those not familiar with The Stand, it basically runs like this: a government-funded virus gets loose, killing 99% of humanity and setting the stage for a post-apocalyptic battle between the forces of good and evil. We've got the devil in Las Vegas and a ragtag band of survivors united under a 106 year old black woman in Boulder, Colorado.
The novel tackles some pretty heavy and epic stuff, but King never gets lost in the book's wide breath. In fact, the tons of details and well-written characters ultimately turn out to be The Stand's greatest strength.
For all it's perks, however, the book suffered from a few problems. Namely, the ending, which i felt was over in a flash and didn't really serve to justify the 1,000+ pages of character and plot buildup. It's not like it was a bad ending by any means, just a quick one. But I suppose any wrap-up would seem shortchanged after 1,000 pages of buildup ...
The bottom line is that The Stand is a book that's worth your time. It's a great summer read and a must for anyone interested in post-apocalyptic fiction.

The Stand, by Stephen King: B+

BOOKS: Friday Roundup

Yeah, I know it's Monday. No, I'm not apologizing. Last week was insane, man. Just insane.

But I'm here now. And I haven't forgotten about the weekly recommends. You didn't think I actually would, did you?

"A Composer and His Parakeets," Ha Jin - The lead off story in the 2008 O. Henry Prize Stories anthology, Ha Jin spins a lovely tale about Fanlin, an up-and-coming musician who believes great art can happen only by accident, not by intention. That conviction (not surprisingly) is turned on its head with the arrival of Bori, a parakeet, who quickly steals Fanlin's heart and provides the unexpected inspiration for Fanlin's greatest work.

"Village 113," Anthony Doerr - "Village 113" chronicles the displacement of a settlement to make way for a new state-sponsored infrastructure project and provides a fascinating glimpse into the complex relationship between individuals and society. Doerr lays out impossible dilemmas for several characters, but manages to tie them up in a neat (and chillingly realistic) way. By the end of the story no one is truly happy, but that's progress, right? Bonus points to Doerr for his brilliant (and very subliminal) way of contrasting the emptiness of the city to the bustling life of the countryside.

"A Change in Fashion," Steven Millhauser - "After the Age of Revelation came the Age of Concealment." And we're not just talking burkas, here folks. We're talking about clothes the size of rooms. Dresses so big women congregate inside them for their own separate parties, socializing and enjoying themselves as the men anxiously mill about outside. Millhauser's award-winning short story is weird, I'll give it that, but it's also a startlingly comic take on beauty and the foibles of fashion.

"On the Lake," Olaf Olafsson - What happens when your boat capsizes with your son in it? Will you save yourself? Will you put it all on the line for your little boy? The answer might surprise you ...

Books: Friday Roundup

I'm still slogging through Stephen King's The Stand, which means I didn't really read anything else of note this week.
And that makes the Friday Roundup a tad pointless, doesn't it?
Ah well, no matter. I'll just fire off some lighthearted summer reading recommendations.
Hey, at least I can say I filled the space with something.

The New Space Opera, ed. Gardner Dozois and Jonathan Strahan - Do you like space? Are you a fan of the opera? Well, then you're going to love The New Space Opera, a collection of vast interstellar epics condensed into short story and novelette form. The sequel comes out at the end of this month, so be sure to down this badboy first!

The Truth, Terry Pratchett - The 25th entry in Pratchett's beloved Discworld series, The Truth traces the story of William de Worde, accidental editor of Discworld's first newspaper. My favorite character? The recovering vampire with a suicidal fascination for flash photography.

Sphere, Michael Crichton - Sure, the movie sucked (despite casting Sam Jackson), but Crichton's Sphere is one of his all-time classics. You know the story, underwater explorers find mysterious ship. Ship does mysterious things and mysterious fallout ensues. Fun times. If I have one regret its that I saw the movie before reading the book ...

Books: Friday Roundup

I've got bacon in my belly, a book on my lap and some blankets on my legs. Life is good.
So good, in fact, I almost forgot to write up this week's Friday Roundup. Gasp! We can't let that happen now, can we?
So without further ado we present this week's (admittedly) small list.

The Stand, Stephen King. Yup, it's the book readers either love or hate. King's epic novel about a post apocalyptic world struggling to get by in the wake of a deadly virus that killed off 99.6% of mankind.
Love it, hate it, whatever. At least we can all agree on one thing -- at 1,000+ pages, this book is a freakin' behemoth.
Not that that is really a bad thing. Like King says in the introduction, one could tell the story of Hansel and Gretel in a paragraph, but where's the fun in that? The life of a story is in the details, man. And The Stand has details galore.
I'm only a little over 300 pages in so as of right now I can't say yet whether I fall into the "loved it" or "hated camp." I'm a huge fan of King's short fiction, "The New York Times at Special Bargain Rates" (F&SF October/November 2008), being one of my favorite stories of the past year, but the jury's still out on whether the epic scale of The Stand is going to leave me feeling satisfied or really, really drained.
If nothing else, I will say that King's writing does make for great summertime reading. And despite the fact that The Stand took about 200 pages to really get rolling, I'll tenatively say that I'm falling more into the "loved it" camp, at least for now, anyway.

(UPDATE: I finished this over the summer. I loved it. What's that? You hated it? OK, cool. Move along.)

"The Motorman's Coat," John Kessel (F&SF, June/July 2009) - In a world without coats, one man ...
No seriously, that's the premise. Two hundred or so years into the future all the cool kids are chasing after relics from earth's renaissance and industrial ages to show off how awesome they are at being awesomely wealthy. One man specializes in procuring said items, but when business begins to falter, he takes it upon himself to save his shop of forgotten sundries by purchasing a Checzh motorman's coat crafted in 1911. Said purchase stirs the town into a frenzy, but *gasp* the sale may not be all that it seems. There's also an awkward love plot sandwiched in there somewhere.
I really didn't get this story. The plot, while mildly interesting all fell apart under what I considered to be a terribly underwhelming conclusion. I dunno, pick it up if you're a fan of speculative coat fiction, I guess. Does that genre even exisit? Probably.

"Corona Centurion™ FAQ," Terry Bisson (F&SF, June/July 2009) - Bisson's Q&A piece is too short for me to describe in any detail without spoiling, but suffice it to say it reminded me very much of Ruth Nestvold's "Mars: A Traveler's Guide." And since that story was nominated for a Nebula Award this year, I'd say Bisson's story is in good company. Concise and punchy, "FAQ" left me wanting more -- a lot more, actually ...

Books: Friday Roundup

This week we have two short stories featured in the June 2009 issue of Analog: Science Fiction and Fact and a recommendation for one of my favorite authors.

Monuments of Unageing Intellect, Howard V. Hendrix - I liked it. It's a play on the whole "If we were immortal would we pine to be mortal?" question, but it's a good one. Hendrix succeeds in connecting the ideas of immortality with the timelessness of artistic genius and he paints some pretty beautiful scenes while doing it. I'm not too familiar with Hendrix's work as a writer, but after reading this story I think I want to be.

The Affair of the Phlegmish Master, Donald Moffitt - A fun and interesting story advancing the question of what the super rich would do if the very fabric of space and time was their playground. Moffitt's speculation: spend lavishly on commissioned paintings from the world's most legendary artists. Probably not too far off. But are the paintings of these alternate artists "true" works? Is the beauty of an object derived from the object alone or the soul and essence of the artist invested in it? Moffitt juggles all these questions against a jaunty dialogue between three persons who travel back in time to hire out the services of the famed Dutch baroque artist Johannes Vermeer. Probably my favorite read of the week.

Recommendation of the week: Ilium/Olympos by Dan Simmons
If you've read any of Simmons's books, you know they are a commitment.
But they're nearly always worth it. The Ilium/Olympos cantos is no exception. In the 1000+ pages that the two novels span, Simmons paints a fascinating alternate reality pitting humans against the divine and sets the conflict against a remarkably vibrant interstellar backdrop. Part Greek myth, part space opera and part historical fiction, these are the two books that could stand up as Simmons's defining work. Essential reading for any fan of the space opera genre. Bonus points if you're a classics buff -- you'll fall in love with his depictions of the old Greek heroes and his humorous portrayal of the gods.

BOOKS: Friday Roundup - Metamorphosis, A Narwhal and 'Bare, Forked Animals'

Once again, I'm off to Philadelphia this weekend.
Which means I won't be posting much, if at all. You'll cope, I hope.
Before we get into this week's Friday roundup, I'd be remiss (and uncharacteristically modest) if I didn't report this was a banner week for Morning.
The number of unique hits per day peaked at 2,200+ on Thursday and the stream of visitors has steadily totaled in the 1,000-2,000 range for several days now.
Wow. I'm totally shocked and pretty damned happy with that. Nearly all of the hits were for this post, but hey, eyeballs are eyeballs. I'm not complaining.
So welcome all ya newbies! Glad to have ya!

Okay, enough about the site. Let's get to the good reads ...

The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka. Kafka tales are tricky. Really tricky. But that doesn't make them any less enjoyable. Sure, Metamorphosis gives no explanation as to why the main character, Gregor, is turned into a beetle, but Kafka tales aren't about exploring fantastical explanations, they're about symbolism. They're about human nature. They're about the soul. And yeah, they're also pretty sci-fi. Reading The Metamorphosis it's clear to see how Kafka laid the foundation for much of the 20th century's speculative fiction. This short novelette works around the central question "What If?" and from there, explores a legion of possibilities. Essential reading for any fan of the genre.

"Cold Testing," Eric Brown. "Cold Testing" was a story I didn't appreciate much the first time around. I gave it another go this week, however, and it's not entirely bad. Yeah, Brown's writing another story about a robot having an existential crisis. And, yes, there's a corny romantic tension between the human protagonist and his AI. But I'll give credit to Brown, he takes some pretty big-time sci-fi cliches and make them feel sorta fresh. The story picks up as it progresses and by the end of the second read I decided I didn't entirely dislike the story. I still don't love it, but it's definitely worth the read.

"Bare, Forked Animal," John Alfred Taylor. A creative play on the "Matrix," Taylor's story focuses on the struggles of an unplugged man working to survive in a world where his only salvation lies within the technology that betrayed him. You'll find it in Asimov's June 2009 issue. Not only is the story very short, it's really, really good. Probably my favorite short story of the issue. Taylor used to teach English literature at Jefferson College, so there's Shakespeare references aplenty for all you English-major types.

"The Monsters of Morgan Island," Sandra McDonald. Fun read about a remote island plagued by ... ah ... monsters. Are you a monster? If so, don't go to Morgan Island, because the mean natives are going to parade you through town and toss you in a pit. That is, of course, unless the sympathetic Mary Voltz can find you first. But will the love of one human satiate the monsters's communal desire for revenge? Check it out in the June 2009 issue of Asimov's.

"In Search of the Mysterious Narwhal," Abigail Tucker. I don't give nearly enough love to Smithsonian on here, which is a shame because it's definitely one of my favorite magazines. Anyway, Tucker's piece on narwhal whales -- they've got that gigantic tooth (yes, it is a tooth, not a horn) on their head -- explains a lot about the habits and history of the mysterious beast. Fun facts include a tidbit about how narwhal tusks were sold as unicorn horns during the Middles Ages. Physicians believed the powdered tusk cured a variety of aliments and ground narwhal teeth were used for all sorts of homemade cures, including poison detection. Records also indicate the tooth may have even been an early precursor to Viagra! You'll find all the exciting details in the May 2009 Smithsonian.

And on that Narwhalian note, we'll end this week's Friday roundup. As always, if you have any suggestions for the column or just want to leave a general comment, drop a line below or hit me up via e-mail and/or Twitter @pat3001.

BOOKS: Internet and the Publishing Industry

I know, I know, the Internet and its effect the publishing industry has been hashed and rehashed with a side of stirred tomatoes hundreds of times.
Yet Gordon Van Gelder, editor and publisher of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction still doesn't seem to get it.

In a recent interview with Tor, Van Gelder talks about the relationship between online and printed fiction and calls out several noted SF/F writers including John Scalzi, Charles Stross and Cory Doctorow, arguing that while these three succeeded in building strong online communities and translating that online base into printed sales, hundreds of other authors failed.
It's a simplistic argument that ignores one main point -- Scalzi, Stross and Doctorow work hard on their Web sites and **gasp** their fiction is actually pretty damn good.
Check out Scalzi's none-too-happy response to the interview, where he addresses some of Van Gelder's comments, particularly the idea that Fantasy and Science Fiction would suffer horribly if it gave away printed copies for free.

Scalzi writes:

Moreover, I’m not 100% impressed with Gordon’s logic regarding how giving away 42,000 copies if F&SF would be the financial ruin of the magazine. As it stands now, it almost certainly would be, but that’s because the magazine’s in an ill-advised format for advertising and appears from the outside to rely significantly on its subscription base for revenues. But it’s entirely possible that, in a format that was actually ad-friendly (and with an ad sales staff that knew how to work it) F&SF could give away copies and make revenue in other ways, primarily through ads.

Scalzi continues:

The problem I have with print people blaming the Internet for their troubles is that blaming the Internet allows them to ignore — and indeed, actively avoid – taking responsibility for their own acts that have contributed and are contributing to their current bad times. This happens with all print media, but SF is really hot on it. And it’s bunk. Long before the Internet could have been an active threat, subscriber numbers at the science fiction magazines were dropping. If the Internet is a dire threat to them now, it’s in no small part because they made themselves sick enough to be picked off by one major threat or another, and it just happens it will be the Internet that will deliver the coup de grace (in fact it’s rather more likely it’ll be problems with magazine distributors, but hey, why not blame the Internets anyway?).

I’ve no doubt Gordon will note that his real world issues as a publisher are more complicated than I’ve made them out to be here, and I’ll grant this is almost certainly correct. But at the end of the day SF magazines are where they are today not just because of the Internet but because a series of choices their publishers made, reaching back decades, some of which do involve the Internet but many more of which do not.

Internet stuff aside, Van Gelder does get a lot of stuff right. He's right when he says the Internet lends itself more readily to innovative marketing models rather than publishing models, but Van Gelder has to realize the two are not mutually exclusive. That, I think, is the biggest ideological problem in the publishing industry today.

BOOKS: Friday Roundup

This week shaped up to be another slow one for getting reading done. I have to drive down to Philadelphia tomorrow for the day, so I'm hoping to at least catch up on some of the Hugo nominees via audiobook.
In the meantime, get your read on with these two diveregent classics:

Darksaber, Kevin J. Anderson - From the acclaimed author of the Jedi Academy Trilogy, this lesser-known expanded universe novel focuses on the Alliance's conflicts with Hutt crimelords in the wake of the Galactic Civil War. Fans of the movies will enjoy Luke's action-packed return to Hoth and his showdown with the Wampa whose hand he cut off in The Empire Strikes Back. Mild spoiler - the Wampa's pretty damn pissed and out for some brutal revenge.

Franny and Zooey, J.D. Salinger - There's just something about a Salinger book. Be it the extremely human chartacters, the offbeat humor or the absolutely stellar dialogue, Salinger always manages to teach me something different even after a dozen re-reads. Undoubtedly The Catcher in the Rye is Salinger's most widely-known work (selling some 250,000 copies per year), but many argue Franny and Zooey, two short stories originally published in The New Yorker in the 1950s, are his masterpiece. Zooey's "revelation" to Franny at the conclusion still gives me chills. If you're in the mood for a nice little lecture on the books, check out this talk by Yale Professor Amy Hungerford.

Not books, but some music to check out ...

"Volume One," She and Him - She and Him are M. Ward and actress Zooey Deschanel (Elf, Almost Famous, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy). "Volume One" is a really fun album mixing pop, jazz and classic Americana into a tight, punchy and exquistely produced record. Get working on Volume 2 guys! Highly recomdended.

"A Real Diamond in the Rough," Buckethead - The masked guitar virtuoso is back with yet another album and it's his best in years. Playing mellow riffs in place of his usual psychotic brand of shred, Buckethead's newest album harkens back to such classic releases as Electric Tears and one of my all-time-favorite records, 1998's Colma.

Books: Friday Roundup

This week was a lot of things -- hot, cold, rainy, dry and very, very busy, which is probably the reason why I couldn't get any reading done. There's just too much going on, man.
Anyway, I did manage to get a few stories under my belt, including the first entry in this week's Friday Roundup, which isn’t even remotely Sci-fi, but was enjoyable.

Uncle Tom's Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe - Oddly enough it was none other than Tracy Morgan who inspired me to read this book. In a Season One episode of NBC's 30 Rock, Tracy, referred to as "Tracy Jordan" on the show, called "Toofer," one of the show's black writers, an "Uncle Tom" during a heated debate about race. Toofer, in typical Harvard fashion, responds, "You can't say that unless you've read the book!" A remark Tracy naturally brushes off with a scoff and a dismissive wave of his hands. (The two eventually reconcile and write their own skit about race, but the sketch gets cut when Tracy decides to perform a slapstick routine about Star Jones.)
I'd never read Uncle Tom's Cabin, but I was familiar with the Uncle Tom stereotype of the "submissive black," which as it happens developed thanks to some misguided vaudeville interpretations of Stowe's famous work.
Reading Uncle Tom's Cabin, it is readily apparent Uncle Tom is no such submissive black, in fact he's the hero of the work who ultimately ends up being the character responsible for the liberation of dozens of slaves.
I'll leave the "hows" and "whys" behind that up to you. Stowe's work is a long one, but more than 150 years after its initial publication it still holds up and essential reading if you are interested in the literary history of the American Civil War.

"A Song Before Sunset," David Grigg. Wastelands, ed. John Joseph Adams - The first story Grigg ever published, "A Song Before Sunset" chronicles the adventures of a post-apocalyptic pianist struggling with the irony of being a performer without a civilization to listen.

"Episode Seven: Last Stand Against the Pack in the Kingdom of the Purple Flowers," by John Langan. Wastelands, ed. John Joseph Adams - Langan's work concludes the Wastelands anthology and forms an optimistic counterpoint to the downcast tone featured in Dale Bailey's "The End of the World as We Know It," which Langan cited as a huge influence. “Episode Seven” follows the tribulations of a young couple seeking escape from a pack of mutated animals after a deadly virus wiped out their entire city.

That will do it for this week's Friday Roundup. As always, I'm constantly on the lookout for suggestions and new material. If you would like your story to be reviewed and/or featured in the Friday Roundup feel free to contact me.

BOOKS: 2009 Locus Award Finalists Announced

Courtesy of Locus SF/F News:

Science Fiction Novel- Matter, Iain M. Banks (Orbit UK); City at the End of Time, Greg Bear (Gollancz, Del Rey); Marsbound, Joe Haldeman (Ace); Anathem, Neal Stephenson (Atlantic UK, Morrow); Saturn's Children, Charles Stross (Orbit, Ace).

Fantasy Novel- The Shadow Year, Jeffrey Ford (Morrow); Lavinia, Ursula K. Le Guin (Harcourt); The Bell at Sealey Head, Patricia A. McKillip (Ace); The Dragons of Babel, Michael Swanwick (Tor); An Evil Guest, Gene Wolfe (Tor).

First Novel- Thunderer, Felix Gilman (Bantam Spectra); Black Ships, Jo Graham (Orbit US); Pandemonium, Daryl Gregory (Ballantine Del Rey); The Gone-Away World, Nick Harkaway (William Heinemann, Knopf); Singularity's Ring, Paul Melko (Tor).

Young-Adult Novel- Little Brother, Cory Doctorow (Tor); The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman (HarperCollins, Bloomsbury); Tender Morsels, Margo Lanagan (Knopf); Nation, Terry Pratchett (Doubleday UK, HarperCollins); Zoe's Tale, John Scalzi (Tor).

Novella- "The Erdmann Nexus", Nancy Kress (Asimov’s 10-11/08); "Pretty Monsters", Kelly Link (Pretty Monsters); "The Tear", Ian McDonald (Galactic Empires); Once Upon a Time in the North, Philip Pullman (Knopf); "True Names", Benjamin Rosenbaum & Cory Doctorow (Fast Forward 2).

Novelette- "Pump Six", Paolo Bacigalupi (Pump Six and Other Stories); "The Ice War", Stephen Baxter (Asimov’s 9/08); "Shoggoths in Bloom", Elizabeth Bear (Asimov’s 3/08); "The Things that Make Me Weak and Strange Get Engineered Away", Cory Doctorow (Tor.com 8/08); "Pride and Prometheus", John Kessel (F&SF 1/08).

Short Story- "King Pelles the Sure", Peter S. Beagle (Strange Roads); "Boojum", Elizabeth Bear & Sarah Monette (Fast Ships, Black Sails); "Exhalation", Ted Chiang (Eclipse Two); "The Kindness of Strangers", Nancy Kress (Fast Forward 2); "After the Coup", John Scalzi (Tor.com 7/08).

Magazine- Analog; Asimov's, F&SF; Realms of Fantasy; Subterranean.

Publisher- Ace; Baen; Night Shade Books; Subterranean Press; Tor.

Anthology- The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror 2008: 21st Annual Collection, Ellen Datlow, Kelly Link & Gavin Grant, eds. (St. Martin's Griffin); Galactic Empires, Gardner Dozois, ed. (SFBC); The Year's Best Science Fiction: Twenty-Fifth Annual Collection, Gardner Dozois, ed. (St. Martin's); Eclipse Two, Jonathan Strahan, ed. (Night Shade Books); The Starry Rift, Jonathan Strahan, ed. (Viking).

Collection- Pump Six and Other Stories, Paolo Bacigalupi (Night Shade Books); The Drowned Life, Jeffrey Ford (HarperPerennial); Pretty Monsters, Kelly Link (Viking); The Best of Lucius Shepard, Lucius Shepard (Subterranean Press); The Best of Michael Swanwick, Michael Swanwick (Subterranean Press).

Editor- Ellen Datlow; Gardner Dozois; David G. Hartwell; Jonathan Strahan; Gordon Van Gelder.

Artist- Bob Eggleton; John Picacio; Shaun Tan; Charles Vess; Michael Whelan.

Non-Fiction/Art Book- Spectrum 15: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art, Cathy Fenner & Arnie Fenner, eds. (Underwood Books); What It Is We Do When We Read Science Fiction, Paul Kincaid (Beccon); Rhetorics of Fantasy, Farah Mendlesohn (Wesleyan University Press); P. Craig Russell, Coraline: The Graphic Novel, Neil Gaiman, adapted and illustrated by P. Craig Russell (HarperCollins); Shaun Tan, Tales From Outer Suburbia (Allen & Unwin; Scholastic '09).

For more information on the June awards ceremony, check out the official site.

BOOKS: 2009 Nebula Winners

Courtesy Locus SF/F News:

Novel: Powers, Ursula K. Le Guin (Harcourt)
Novella: "The Spacetime Pool", Catherine Asaro (Analog Mar '08)
Novelette: "Pride and Prometheus", John Kessel (F&SF Jan '08)
Short Story: "Trophy Wives", Nina Kiriki Hoffman (Fellowship Fantastic)
Script: WALL-E, Andrew Stanton & Jim Reardon. Original story by Andrew Stanton & Pete Docter (Pixar)
Andre Norton Award: Flora's Dare, Ysabeau S. Wilce (Harcourt)

Congrats to all the winners!

BOOKS: Thursday Roundup

Since I don't think I'll be getting any more reading done this week (and I dare not cheat you out of the weekly "Friday Roundup") here are a few books/short stories I stuffed down my gullet and happened to enjoy:

Best book I read: Complicity: How the North Promoted, Prolonged and Profited from Slavery, Anne Farrow, Joel Lang and Jenifer Frank.
A compelling look into firsthand accounts of slavery, Complicity illustrates how the tentacles of the slave trade wrapped their influence around nearly every aspect of American colonial life. Surprisingly, some of the most brutal slave traders hailed from the north and Complicity convincingly details how many northern businessmen had a tolerance for, if not an outspoken desire to preserve, the slave trade up to and even following the American Civil War. Entertaining and eye-opening, Complicity is a novel look into the darkest chapter in American history. Highly recommended.


I'm still reading all about the apocalypse. The economy's in shambles, it'd be un-American not to. It's been a few weeks and I still haven't finished the Wastelands anthology (2008 Night Shade Books). I'm getting there. Don't get me wrong, I'm loving the book, but I have a lot of reading on my plate right now and unfortunately, not all of it is as exciting as apocalyptic mutants and Ragnarok. Dang. Here's some recent stories from Wastelands that you should check out:

-"Artie's Angels," Catherine Wells
-"Judgment Passed," Jerry Oltion
-"Inertia," Nancy Kress

Nebula Nominees. The audio-sci-fi Web site StarShipSofa has generously posted all the 2008 Nebula Nominees for the short story. Go download them now. They are available as podcasts as well, so take 'em with you on the way to work, it's well worth it. Some of my favorites:

-"Don't Stop," James Patrick Kelly
-"Mars: A Traveler's Guide," Ruth Nestvold
-"26 Monkeys, Also the Abyss," Kij Johnson
-"The Dreaming Wind," Jeffery Ford

If I had to venture a guess, I'd say either Kelly or Johnson will win, but I was honestly floored by all four of the stories above.

Other stuff:

-Backup: A Story of the Dresden Files, Jim Butcher.
Illustrated by Mike Mignola of Hellboy fame, Backup tells the story of Thomas Raith, one of those cooler-than-ice White Court Vampires from Butcher's Dresden universe. The story follows Thomas's efforts to save his younger half-brother, Harry Dresden, (who happens to be a wizard private investigator) from certain doom at the hands of an evil magic sorceress. Part fantasy, part mystery, Backup is a short read -- it's only about 70 pages -- and is well worth the time. It's also quite funny. I loved the character of Bob, an air spirit living in a skull in Harry's basement, who continuously cracks wise with Thomas as the vampire desperately pumps the disembodied voice for clues to save Harry.

Alrighty, so that'll do it for this week's roundup. As always, if you have any comments or suggestions for good reads, let me know.