The Near Future May Be Quiet(er)
My second semester as a graduate student at the University of Florida is coming to a close, and that means I have a lot of things to do: papers, papers, papers, and grading. If things get rather silent around here, it’s because I’m busy as heck. Don’t worry. I’m not leaving forever (school ends at the end of April), just don’t expect massive amounts of posting over the next few weeks. And don’t forget to enter to win a copy of Rachel Ward’s Num8ers here!
Help Make “Other Worlds” Magazine Happen: Vote!
I think this idea deserves its own post, because it’s downright awesome. John Klima, the editor of the excellent Electric Velocipede, is trying to win a $25,000 Pepsi grant in order to produce Other Worlds Magazine, a science fiction magazine dedicated to representing underrepresented cultures! Here are the details: The “Other Worlds” project will work to bring in both an audience and a creative element from cultures that are not currently represented in traditional science fiction venues. There have been a number of instances in the past few years where publications and award nominees have been comprised of white males, which has angered a lot of people. This publication will work as a showcase of all the talent that is out there and not getting in front of readers’ eyes for a variety of reasons. Some of those reasons include publishers looking to work with existing prominent writers (who are traditionally white males and require less promotional investment) and the fact that new writers aren’t sending stories to publishers whose table of contents do not represent their culture. The money from this grant would be used to get the magazine started so that it could continue for many years to come. So what are you waiting for? Vote!
Book Review Up: This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer
I’ve finished my review of the third novel in Pfeffer’s young adult post-disaster series. A fantastic read yet again. I’m hopeful for more in the series now that the ending of this particularly book leaves the door wide open for a hell of a lot of narrative possibilities. We’ll see. You can read my review here. If you haven’t read her novels before, you really should. She’s a fantastic writer.
CSN Bookcases: The Bookcase and the Review (Plus Video)
So, you all remember a long time ago when I mentioned that I was reviewing a bookcase for CSN Bookcases? Well, I’ve finally got my bookcase built and settled into its new place in my apartment. Now I’m going to talk about it and review it, but not without a little silliness on my part. The bookcase I received for review was the ORE 4 Tier Book Shelf in Black (R597-4). It’s a medium-sized metal shelf with an open back, breathing shelves, and open sides. The shelf came in a fabulously bubbled-wrapped cardboard box that could probably be used as a flotation device if the Great Flood ever hits my part of Florida. I feel very reassured about my safety now. See for yourself:I have no doubt that it would float even with the materials for the shelf inside. I say this in jest because I find it humorous. The good news is that my shelf wouldn’t have experienced the full brunt of the surely brutal treatment UPS would have given it. Before I get into my review of the actual product, I have, for your viewing pleasure, a silly video I made of the assembly process. Watch at your own risk (and if you’re the kind of person who stops watching movies at the credits, I’ve intentionally put things in the credits and after to entice you). Enjoy: Now that that’s over with, I’ll get right to the review of the shelf and CSN Bookstores. The ShelfThe ORE 4 Tier Book Shelf is remarkably simple to put together. It comes with all the tools you need (a little Allen wrench) and a single page for the instructions. The instructions aren’t confusing either. They’re very simple and straightforward. I only occasionally hit a snag when a screw wouldn’t catch properly, but, for the most part, assembly was a cinch. This is probably its most practical feature. Visually, this particular shelf has one thing going for it, and one thing going against it. First: while the screws are black like the rest of the shelf, they are slightly noticeable on the outside of the supports. I’m not sure how this could be improved for future versions, but if you are more interested in the kinds of shelves where the connections are not visible, this one might not be for you. Second: despite the noticeability of the screws, the shelf does look quite nice, especially with books on it (though I may be a tad biased here). I’ve actually raised the shelf off the floor with a set of plastic bed-frame raisers, which creates a bit of space underneath the shelf and provides significantly more support (this particular shelf is a tad top heavy, so you shouldn’t put your biggest books on top if you can help it). All in all, I’m much more satisfied with this shelf than I was with the annoying mylar contraption currently holding a large quantity of my books. For one, this shelf doesn’t start bowing the second you put something on it, unlike mylar shelves. It also isn’t easy to break. The bars that act as supports for the shelves can bend, but because they are made of metal, they don’t do so easily. I’ve had a lot of books sitting on this thing for about a week and there is almost no bowing at all. I’d recommend this particular shelf to anyone who is on a budget, but doesn’t want to buy crap. I can’t speak to the quality of other ORE products, but in terms of holding up to punishment, this particular ORE does so just fine. That, to me, is more important than how a shelf looks. Some of the mylar ones have a nice look to them (artificial though they may be), but they fall apart when put to the test of a few dozen books. The ORE 4 Tier would also be a good fit for college students (you know, for all those college books we’re supposed to be reading). CSN BookcasesI’ve said a few things about these guys before. I’ll unfortunately be repeating myself a bit here. So be it. CSN is really a fantastic place if you’re looking for furniture. They don’t have everything, but they do have a very wide selection of shelves, tables, sofas, etc. And they have reasonable prices. Every time I look around for stuff I’d like to eventually put in my apartment I find things that are either the same price as on Amazon or Walmart, or cheaper (sometimes by as much as $30)(no, they aren’t cheaper or the same price all the time, but no store ever is). What makes them better than other websites, however, is that the price you see is the price you pay. Shipping is already factored in, so you already know from the start how much you’re going to have to pay. This isn’t true of Amazon or Walmart, who sometimes hide the shipping costs or won’t tell you until you get to the checkout section. CSN doesn’t do that. I don’t think much more needs to be said: good prices, great selection, and straight forward pricing. All good things in my book. So, thanks CSN for offering me a free shelf. I expect I’ll be doing business with you in the future (I have my eyes on a futon and a desk). In case all of you reading this haven’t seen the final product, here it is (with books!):
Pyr’s 5th Anniversary Essay Contest
This popped up in my email this morning and I thought I should share: Pyr Celebrates 5th Anniversary With Essay ContestGrand Prize Winner Embarks on a ‘Pyr and Dragons Adventure’ Amherst, NY — To celebrate their 5th anniversary, Pyr, the science fiction and fantasy imprint of Prometheus Books, will sponsor a contest that incorporates things they hold dear: creative and powerful writing, a passion for reading genre fiction, and this year’s special number, five. For their Pyr and Dragons Adventure 5th Anniversary Contest, Pyr invites readers and fans to submit a short essay on the theme: Five reasons why science fiction and fantasy is important to you. Eligibility requirements follow*. Any essay submissions that do not meet these guidelines will be disqualified:Entrants must reside in the Continental United States and be at least 21 years of age.Essays must be no longer than 1500 words.Essays must be emailed to publicity@prometheusbooks.com as a Word document attachment, with the subject line “Pyr and Dragons Adventure Essay Submission.”The body of the submission email must clearly identify the entrant’s full name, address (within the Continental United States), phone number and email address.All submissions must be received between April 1, 2010 and June 1, 2010.*For complete list of rules and regulations see http://www.pyrsf.com. All eligible essays will be read and reviewed by publishing staff at Prometheus Books. Not all of these preliminary readers will be science fiction and fantasy fans, so outstanding essays will likely be those that pique their interest in the genre and make them want to read it too. The top twenty-five essays as determined by these industry professionals will be read by Pyr Editorial Director Lou Anders, who will select the top three. The writer of the Third Place essay will win a commemorative Pyr 5th anniversary keepsake and five complimentary books of their choice from the Pyr catalog. The writer of the Second Place essay will win a complete set of Pyr books as published by the contest end date of June 1, 2010 (one copy of each title, without duplicating those that appear in more than one binding) and a commemorative Pyr 5th anniversary keepsake. The Grand Prize Winner will embark on a “Pyr and Dragons Adventure” that includes*:A round-trip flight to Atlanta, GA during Dragon*Con, one of the largest multi-media, popular culture conventions focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film in the US. Dragon*Con 2010 will be held September 3 – 6, 2010 (Labor Day weekend).Two nights hotel accommodation in Atlanta, GA, Sept. 3 and 4, 2010.Dragon*Con membership/entry badge.Dinner with Special Pyr Author Guests and Pyr Editorial Director Lou Anders-details to be announced!The grand prize winning essay will be posted at the Pyr-o-mania blog, and may be promoted by the publisher by other means, including but not limited to their other blogs, websites, e-newsletters and social networking pages. Prometheus Books-a provocative, progressive and independent publisher of nonfiction since 1969-launched Pyr in March 2005 to complement its strength in popular science. The imprint rather quickly earned acclaim, awards, and loyal fans, including Pulitzer Prize-winning author Junot Díaz, who called Pyr “the imprint to beat in the science fiction and fantasy fields.” With an emphasis on quality, Pyr helped to introduce readers to some authors then little-known in the U.S., such as John Meaney, Ian McDonald, Joel Shepherd, Justina Robson, and Joe Abercrombie. Pyr has also published such established authors as Mike Resnick, Robert Silverberg and Michael Moorcock. Pyr Editorial Director Lou Anders has been nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Editor Long Form for three consecutive years. In 2009, Prometheus Books and Pyr launched a major e-book initiative, with titles available on Kindle and programs with many different e-reader platforms in the works. In 2010, in addition to celebrating its five-year anniversary, Pyr will publish its 100th title. # # # For a complete list of contest rules and regulations see http://www.pyrsf.com. So, who’s going to enter? I’m considering it.
Book Review Up: Ray in Reverse by Daniel Wallace
Another review up over at SQT’s blog (not a book for children this time, though). The novel is by the same guy who wrote Big Fish, and it’s fantastic. You can read the review here.