March 2014

SF/F Commentary

2014 Hugo Nominees Incoming: Criteria and Notes

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A lot of folks have been sharing their nominees.  I’m going to do the same, but woefully late, such that all the information I’ll provide will be completely useless to you in the end.  After all, you won’t have time to read any of the books I nominate.  Oh well! In any case, I do have criteria and notes to preface these selections: You may disagree with my selections, but I hope readers of this blog will understand that they are a reflection of a) what I was able to read/view/etc. from last year, and b) my personal taste.  There are enormous gaps in my reading.  However, if I missed a truly exceptional work, please share it with me! I will only nominate works that I believe were “the best.”  I don’t care how popular a book was in 2013; if it is not as good as a book that sold 1/100th the number of copies, then it will not get a nomination.  I believe the Hugos are an award to celebrate the best, not the most popular. Some of my sections will contain empty slots for various reasons, but the most obvious will be this:  I can only think of X number of things to nominate.  As I’ve noted above, I will only nominate works I consider to be “the best.”  If I liked a work, but I don’t think it’s award worthy, then it’s not getting a nomination.  In some cases, however, I may not have enough to nominate in a category.  As such, you’re free to suggest something (there isn’t much time, obviously, but I still appreciate the gesture). Some categories may be quite empty, such as fan artist.  Why?  Because I don’t follow that particular field and haven’t the foggiest what I should select anyway.  And I really don’t have the time to go through the Internet looking, either… There will be no pissing and moaning about what others are nominating in the upcoming posts on this subject.  I’m sure I disagree with what others have on their ballots, but I’m really not interested in pissing all over other people’s personal tastes this week.  That’s for later (not really :P). And that’s it, really.  Let the games begin!

SF/F Commentary

Fundraiser Updatery

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We’re almost one month away from the deadline for my Worldcon fundraiser for The Skiffy and Fanty Show and the World SF Tour.  And we’ve got a long way to go before the thing is fully funded.  As of the writing of this post, we’re $42 (ha!) $52 (aww) short of the 3rd Milestone and $1700ish from the goal. And that means I really need your help.  If you’re a reader of this blog, please consider donating a little bit to the fundraiser.  Even $5 goes a long way.  There are milestone perks, in case you’re looking for more incentive than “I’m moderately amusing on Tuesdays.”  Likewise, if you could spread the word, that would be amazing.  Noise is just as important, I’m told. Now back to regular programming on WISB…

SF/F Commentary

Note on Temporary Blog Silence of Doom

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It is currently rather quiet around here.  The main reason is a time limitation issue:  I am trying to finish last minute arrangements for ICFA (the International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts), where I am expected to present (on Makoto Shinkai’s The Place Promised in Our Early Days) and where I intend to conduct interviews and the like for The Skiffy and Fanty Show.  On top of that, I’m working on PhD dissertation stuff, which I want to complete before heading off to ICFA. So that’s why it’s quiet.  Things should resume again next week!

SF/F Commentary

Call for Review Copies: World SF Authors and Creators (Books, Comics, etc.)

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As you may know, my podcast, The Skiffy and Fanty Show, is hosting a year-long feature called the World SF Tour.  And because I’m dedicated to world sf in general, I want to do more than just post podcast episodes and reviews of foreign films for the “2010:  A SFF Film Odyssey” feature. So this is a call for review copies.  I’m looking for books, movies, comics, and other forms of media that fulfill the following: They are works of speculative fiction, broadly defined (and I do mean broadly defined; the only thing I won’t read is erotica, because I’m really not the right audience for it) They are works created by people from outside the United States (I will give special attention to works outside the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom) They are works which are professionally published (note:  this does not necessarily mean they must be published through traditional means) OR of professional quality (a subjective measure, I know) I cannot guarantee I can read and review everything under the sun.  As such, this is what I’m offering: Reviews of 1-2 titles a month (depending on the medium; I can review more movies than books, for example) Guest post slots on my blog and The Skiffy and Fanty Show for anyone whose work I cannot review due to time restraints (so you can talk about your book, your writing, etc.) That’s it.  Spread the word!

SF/F Commentary

Link of the Week: “The Problem of Toni Weisskopf” by Foz Meadows

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Foz Meadows has some things to say about a recent post by Toni Weisskopf on all the debates going on in sf right now.  It is what I’d call essentially reading at this point. Here’s one of my favorite parts: “…intentionally or not, Weisskopf has begun by framing both SFF itself and the current tensions within the community as being a purely American concern, grown from American politics and American culture. The fact that much of what she’s observing stems rather from a deliberate rejection of this attitude – from the idea that SFF is a global community – seems completely to have escaped her…But in the age of international blogging and social media platforms, where it’s possible to communicate daily with fans and authors from all over the world; where Tor Books is about to publish Liu Cixin’s The Three-Body Problem, the first Chinese SF novel ever translated into English; where Japanese anime and manga have so long been staples of global fandom that it’s impossible to try and deny their relevance; where award-winning authors like Nnedi Okorafor, Aliette de Bodard and Helen Oyeyemi are writing (among other things) about cross-cultural politics through an SFFnal lens; where there are whole conventions dedicated to diversity and inclusivity, like WisCon and Nine Worlds; and where many of the field’s best writers are anything but straight, white and male, then acting as though every conversation and argument surrounding these issues is simply the result of Americans misunderstanding each other is, to put it bluntly, utterly wrongheaded.” Go on.  Read the whole thing.

SF/F Commentary

Great SF/F Books by Female Authors: A Massive Twitter List! #sffbywomen

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Earlier today, I posted seven sf/f books by women worth checking out for International Women’s Day.  This led to a tweet asking folks online to list a single sf/f work by a woman that they think is exceptional.  Folks promptly ignored the “single” part and sent me a lot of suggestions.  You can add your own suggestions in the comments here or via the #sffbywomen tag on Twitter. In any case, if you’re looking for something new to read and care about gender parity, here’s a massive list of great works of sf/f by women (note:  the list may be edited later; I may send the question to Facebook and Google+ to make things interesting). Enjoy! Alexander, Alma. Midnight at Spanish Gardens Alexander, Alma. Secrets of Jin Shei Alexander, Alma. The Worldweaver Books Anderson, Laura S. The Boleyn King Andrews, Ilona. The Kate Daniels Series Aquirre, Ann. The Perdition and Sirantha Jax Series Arakawa, Hiromu. Full Metal Alchemist Armstrong, Kelley. The Cainsville Series Armstrong, Kelley. Women of the Otherworld Series Asaro, Catherine. The Last Hawk Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid’s Tale Baker, Cage. The Company Novels Baker, Kage. The Anvil of the World Baker, Kage. The Garden of Iden Bear, Elizabeth. Carnival Bear, Elizabeth. Chill Bear, Elizabeth. Dust Bear, Elizabeth. Grail Bear, Elizabeth. Hammered Bear, Elizabeth. Range of Ghosts (and sequels) Bear, Elizabeth. Scardown Bear, Elizabeth. Undertow Bear, Elizabeth. Worldwired Bennett, Jenna. Fortune’s Hero Bernobich, Beth. Allegiance Bernobich, Beth. Passion Play Bernobich, Beth. Queen’s Hunt Bernobich, Beth. The Time Roads Beukes, Lauren. The Shining Girls Beukes, Lauren. Zoo City Bishop, Anne. Black Jewels Trilogy Bishop, Anne. Ephemera Series Bishop, Anne. The Others Series Bobet, Leah. Above Bodard, Aliette de. The Xuya Series Bond, Gwenda. Blackwood Bond, Gwenda. The Woken Gods Bradley, Marion Zimmer. The Avalon Series Bradley, Marion Zimmer. The Sword of Aldones Brennan, Marie. A Natural History of Dragons Brennan, Marie. Tropic of Serpents Briggs, Patricia. The Mercy Thompson Series Brook, Maljean. Heart of Steel Brook, Maljean. Riveted Brook, Maljean. The Iron Dukes Brown, Rosel George. Galactic Sibyl Sue Blue Bujold, Lois McMaster. Barrayar Bujold, Lois McMaster. Curse of Chalion Bujold, Lois McMaster. Komarr Bujold, Lois McMaster. Memory Bujold, Lois McMaster. Mirror Dance Bujold, Lois McMaster. Paladin of Souls Bujold, Lois McMaster. The Vorkosigan Saga Bujold, Lois McMaster. Warrior’s Apprentice Bull, Emma. War for the Oaks Butler, Octavia. Kindred Butler, Octavia. Parable of the Sower Butler, Octavia. Parable of the Talents Cadigan, Pat. Synners Caine, Rachel. The Weather Warden Series Carson, Rae. Girl of Fire and Thorns Series Cashore, Kristen. Bitterblue Cawkwell, Sarah. The Silver Skulls Books Cherryh, C.J. Downbelow Station Cherryh, C.J. Foreigner Cherryh, C.J. Fortress in the Eye of Time Cherryh, C.J. Pride of Chanur Chng, Joyce. Starfang Clarke, Susanna. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell Cooper, Brenda. The Creative Fire Cooper, Brenda. The Diamond Deep Cooper, Elspeth. The Wild Hunt Series Cooper, Karina. Tarnished Cooper, Louise. The Indigo Series Cooper, Louise. The Time Master Trilogy Cooper, Susan. The Dark is Rising Sequence Czerneda, Julie. A Thousand Words for Stranger Czerneda, Julie. In the Company of Others Downum, Amanda. The Drowning City Elgin, Suzette Haden. Communipath Worlds Elgin, Suzette Haden. Native Tongue Elliot, Kate. Crown of Stars Elliott, Kate. Cold Magic Engh, M.J. Arslan Eskridge, Kelley. Solitaire Files, Gemma. A Book of Tongues Fisher, Sharon Lynn. Ghost Planet Flewelling, Lynn. Luck in the Shadows Forsyth, Kate. Bitter Greens Foster, M.A. The Morphodite Trilogy Frohock, Teresa. Miserere: An Autumn Tale Gentle, Mary. Golden Witchbreed. Goldstein, Lisa. A Mask for the General Goldstein, Lisa. Red Magician Goldstein, Lisa. Strange Devices of Sun and Moon Goldstein, Lisa. The Dream Years Goldstein, Lisa. Tourists Goldstein, Lisa. Uncertain Places Goodman, Alison. A New Kind of Death Graham, Ellen. Lana’s Awakening Grant, Mira. The Newsflesh Series Griffith, Nicola. Hild Hall, Sarah. The Carhullan Army Hambly, Barbara. Dragonsbane Hamilton, Laurell K. Bite Hamilton, Laurell K. Carvings Hamilton, Laurell K. Never After Hamilton, Laurell K. Strange Candy Hand, Elizabeth. Winterlong Hartman, Rachel. Seraphina Henderson, Zenna. Ingathering: the Complete People Stories Hobb, Robin. The Liveship Traders Trilogy Hopkinson, Nalo. Sister Mine Hopkinson, Nalo. The New Moon’s Arms Höst, Andrea K. The Touchstone Series Jemesin, N.K. The Broken Kingdoms Jensen, Liz. The Rapture Jensen, Liz. The Uninvited Jones, Diana Wynne. A Sudden Wild Magic Jones, Diana Wynne. Black Maria Jones, Diana Wynne. Conrad’s Fate Jones, Diana Wynne. Deep Secret Jones, Diana Wynne. Homeward Bounders Jones, Diana Wynne. Islands of Chaldea Jones, Diana Wynne. Magicians of Caprona Jones, Diana Wynne. Ogre Downstairs Jones, Diana Wynne. The Dalemark Quartet Jones, Diana Wynne. The Merlin Conspiracy Jones, Diana Wynne. Wilkins’ Tooth Jones, Diana Wynne. Year of the Griffin Kane, Stacia. The Personal Demons and Magic Series Kellog, Marjorie B. The Lear’s Daughters Series Kennedy, Leigh. Journal of Nicholas the American Kerr, Katherine. The Deverry Series Kiernan, Caitlin R. The Drowning Girl Kittredge, Caitlin. The Black London Series Kowal, Mary Robinette. Glamour in Glass Koyanagi, Jacqueline. Ascension Kress, Nancy. Probability Moon Kurtz, Katherine. The Deryni Series L’Engle, Madeleine. A Wrinkle in Time. Larke, Glenda. The Last Stormlord Le Guin, Ursula K. Lavinia Le Guin, Ursula K. The Dispossessed Le Guin, Ursula K. The Left Hand of Darkness Leckie, Ann. Ancillary Justice Lee, Yoon Ha. Conservation of Shadows Leicht, Stina. And Blue Skies From Pain Leicht, Stina. Of Blood and Honey Lindholm, Mega. Cloven Hooves Link, Kelly. Magic for Beginners Loenen-Ruis, Rochita. “Alternate Girl’s Expatriate Life” Lord, Karen. Redemption in Indigo Lord, Karen. The Best of All Possible Worlds Lowachee, Karin. Burndive Lowachee, Karin. Cagebird Lowachee, Karin. Warchild Lowe, Helen. Heir of Night Lynn, Elizabeth. The Northern Girl MacAvoy, R.A. Damiano MacAvoy, R.A. Damiano’s Lute MacAvoy, R.A. Raphael MacAvoy, R.A. Tea with the Black Dragon Marks, Laurie. Fire Logic Marley, Louise. The Terrorists of Irustan Marr, Melissa. Carnival of Souls Marshall, Helen. Hair Side, Flesh Side Matthews, Susan R. The Jurisdiction Series Maurier, Daphne du. The House on the Strand May, Han. Star Sapphire McCaffrey, Anne. The Dragonriders of Pern Series McCaffrey, Anne. The Ship Who Sang McGuire, Seanan. One Salt Sea McIntyre,

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