Christmas Gifts For 2010: Favorite SF/F Reads in 2010
I’ve already done a podcasting kit for authors and like-minded individuals, but no discussion of Christmas gifts in the SF/F world should leave out books and magazines. So, below are my favorite reads for 2010 (so far, anyway, what with there being another 15 days left). Here goes: Fiction — Top Picks The Reapers Are the Angels by Alden Bell Badass of the Year: Temple A lot of books came out this year, and at the top of my list is Alden Bell’s post-apocalypse literary zombie novel. Check out my review to see why I loved it so much. Oh, and we interviewed Mr. Bell here. This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer The end of the world always has tornadoes… I was sad to see this series end, but Pfeffer did a fine job pulling everything together in the third of her post-apocalyptic YA novels. Told in the form of journal entries, it follows a young girl and her extended family as they try to survive in world changed by a massive impact on the moon, which pushes it into a closer orbit around the Earth. My review can be found here, and I’ve interviewed her two times, in case you’re interested. City of Saints and Madmen by Jeff VanderMeer An oldie, but definitely one of the most enjoyable and fascinating books I’ve read this year. Whether you want to call VanderMeer a New Weird writer, or something else entirely, his fiction is fantastic. City of Saints and Madmen is a prime example of the man’s talent, moving through various literary styles and modes with a uniquely categorical attention to detail. The novel reads almost like a catalogue of Ambergrisian wonder. If you’re going to get an oldie for Christmas, this should be it. Graphic Novels — Top Pick Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 by David Petersen Better than Brian Jacques… A beautifully drawn animal fantasy tale with an entertaining story. It’s like Duncton Wood meets Narnia. Fun, adventurous, and cute (yes, cute, because even kickass ninja mice are adorable). Give it a shot if you’re up for a little adventure. Non-fiction — Top Picks Colonialism and the Emergence of Science Fiction by John Rieder Ew! Colonialism! If you’re going to choose a critical text about science fiction this year, then Rieder’s book is the one to go with. We read this book for my Utopia/SF course and it has become one of my favorite theoretical works in the class. If you’re interested in how colonialism informs and is tied into the very structure of SF as a genre, this is a book worth reading. Rogues by Jacques Derrida Will the real rogue state please stand up! Nothing like a little political philosophy to get your day going, right? The good news is that this is one of Derrida’s shortest and most coherent works, which deals specifically with the idea of the “rogue state.” And, of course, as Derrida always does, he deconstructs the term to explain its ambiguities, eccentricities, and so forth. There’s a lot of useful stuff in here for worldbuilding if you ask me. Magazine — Top Pick Interzone Magazine from TTA Press The only magazine worth subscribing to… Best. Magazine. Period. Subscribe. And there you go. Which books and magazines would you recommend for Christmas and why? Let me know in the comments!
Christmas Gifts For 2010: A Podcasting Kit For Authors/Editors/etc.
Christmas is almost here and one thing every SF/F author needs is the the ability to do interviews and online discussions without sounding like they’ve been living in a broken WW2 submarine in the Mariana Trench. Well, having spent a good portion of the year doing The Skiffy and Fanty Show, I have a good idea what would make the perfect podcasting gift for any author, editor, or blogger. And the best thing about the Podcasting Kit below is that it can all be used for a variety of things other than podcasting. So, without further delay, here is my podcasting kit for authors and other creative individuals: The Hardware 1. Freetalk Everyman Headset If you’re going to buy any headset on the low end of the price scale, this is the one to get. I’ve been using it for months and the audio quality is fantastic. It’s easy to use (plug’n’play via USB) and, in my opinion, the best low-cost headset out there. I look cute in black… Pro: Easy to use and great audio quality. Con: It is limited by your computer and ports. Some computers will create some barely audible fuzz, which can be cut out in post-production. Tip: Don’t put the microphone too close to your mouth or nose. Keep it above and away from your face. Why? Because when you make certain kinds of sounds (like hard Ss and Ps), your microphone will pick it up and leave an annoying breathing “pah” on your audio recording. Keeping it away from your face limits the impact of these sounds and makes it so you don’t have to buy or make your own pop filter (which professionals use). Cost: $29.88 + shipping (sometimes it’s on sale) 2. A Computer (Optional) If you’re a writer, you probably already have a computer. Depending on the computer you have, however, you might need to get a new one. Most desktops are pretty cheap these days, depending on what you want them to do. For podcasting, you don’t need much more than a basic unit. Every computer comes with USB ports, and you can get computers with any operating system you desire. I prefer Windows (though I can’t speak to anything after Vista), but if you’re a Mac person, that works too. Sexy computers are hard to come by. Pro: It’s a computer. Take your pick. Con: Ditto. Tip: Avoid overpriced computers and useless software packages. Do your research on the various brands. I’ve had good experience with HPs (desktops and notebooks), but all of my computers are over 2 years old, and, thus, might not represent HP quality today. Just do your research. Cost: $400-$1200 (depending on the specs and the type–notebook vs. desktop) The Software 1. Skype The majority of podcasts use Skype for all of their recordings, even when they call you via phone. Why? Because Skype is free between users, and it’s cheap or everything else. Plus, it’s a fantastic little piece of software that works almost perfectly almost all of the time, and because it’s common among podcasters, you absolutely need Skype if you want to do interviews. There is a logical reason for the blue logo. Liberals. Pro: Easy to use and good audio quality. Con: The program is limited by the Internet and PC power of the people using it. Tip: Turn off all non-essential programs that use the Internet, such as messenger programs, Tweetdeck, and even smaller programs that have automatic update checkups. Leave antivirus programs and the like on, though. The fewer Internet-using programs you have on, the greater your ability to avoid cylonifying yourself or others (i.e. when your voice or theirs goes crazy robot and comprehension drops to zero). Cost: Free (download at the link above) 2. Audacity If you’re planning to edit any recordings of your own, you’ll need Audacity to do so. The newest beta is one of the best versions so far released, and includes everything from noise removal to voice manipulators (you know, for making your voice sound like an alien or a robot). While Audacity takes a little time learning how to use, it does have a shallow learning curve compared to other kinds of audio editing software. Apparently it put radioactive audio waves into your brain… Pro: Relatively easy to use for most tools and very effective. Con: It is notoriously difficult to use as a recording device for conversations. It works great for recording yourself, though. Tip: Noise removal is a useful tool, but don’t go overboard. Removing too much “noise” can actually warp your audio. Try low pass and high pass filters, too (the latest beta comes with them pre-installed). Cost: Free (download at the link above) 3. MP3 Skype Recorder While the name is obviously not all that original, it is a very useful little tool for recording Skype conversations. It takes very little time to set up (you open it, you click the settings you want, and you press record) and usually only fails when you’ve done something wrong (like not pressing “record”). It’s like a malformed Mickey Mouse. Pro: Easy to use. Con: It’s a little annoying to close, since clicking the “x” doesn’t actually shut the program down. Tip: You know it’s recording if a little window temporarily pops up and tells you so. Cost: Free (download at the link above) Total $29.88 + shipping ($35, roughly) w/o new computer $429.88 to $1229.88 + shipping (varies depending on where you get your computer) w/ computer Likely cost? $35. Let’s face it: if you’re a writer, you probably have a computer, and if you don’t, then you probably aren’t going to be doing audio interviews online anyway–in which case, this whole post is meaningless to you. For the rest of you author types, you can see how easy it is to do podcast interviews for dirt cheap. $35 is very little to ask for from Santa, after all. Now I throw it out to all of you. What little