Science Fiction

Click for full image Piper Comments: Coughed-up hairball or sad attempt at a wookiee? Published 1984

For the past two and a half months, I have busy with two jobs that take up 13 hours of my waking days/nights during the weekdays. I have not written as much here or at Gogol's Overcoat as I would have liked due to prioritizing sleep (and to a lesser extent, some reading) over writing reviews and commentaries. Now while this will change for a couple of months this summer to some extent (only working/driving 10 hours/day compared to 13), it does take a toll on me now that I'm approaching 40 (weird to think that is less than 14 months away now). Lots of thoughts lately on what I've been reading that I haven't yet put to e-print. Memories of past selves, dreaming and envisioning things that have not yet come to fruition or have shifted with age and experience. Not as many speculative fictions read lately, not because I've suddenly become inveterately opposed to them, but more because what I am seeking involving more a turning inward, for a time at least, and that seems to be more the province of poetry and realist literature, although certainly there are some "weird" fictions that explore things that jibe with my current desires. So with these thoughts in mind, it was interesting to discover this weekend this post written about two weeks ago by Tobias Buckell in response to a book blogger's (n.b. I reject this term in describing what I do) lament about his change in reviewing focus. Buckell raises some interesting points about the "maturation" of online reviewers/book bloggers, particularly in regards to his first point: 1) When you get to a point where you’ve read an amazing number of books, you change. You’ve read so much that what may seem new or interesting to most (and even to the writer of the book you’re reading) is just a variation to you. Your expectations regarding the work change. Due to subjectivity being what it is, many writers can mistake what’s happening and view it as the books getting worse, not their own aesthetic changing. Two things can happen. One, despair at what they perceive is the dying of quality. You see this a lot with people who hit a certain number of books read: they begin to rail against the dreadfulness of everything. It can lead to bitterness, cynicism, and outright hatred of something they previously loved. There is certainly a lot of truth to this. Over the course of 21 years (since my high school graduation in May 1992), I have probably read a little over 10,000 different books. Histories, cultural studies, monographs, poetry, religious tracts, novels, short fiction – in aggregate, reading and, even more importantly, commenting on these disparate works has helped me mature not just as a reader but also as a person. But I do not fully agree with Buckell's comment that "what may seem new or interesting to most (and even to the writer of the book you're reading) is just a variation to you." This statement implies a static relationship on the part of the text in contrast to a dynamic paradigm shift for the reader. This does happen often, yes, but not necessarily always. At times, texts can seem to shift themselves due specifically to the reader's own maturation. For example, I just finished re-reading F. Scott Fitzgerald's Tender is the Night for the first time in at least 15 years. I recall thinking back in 1997-1998 that it was superior to The Great Gatsby and that it had to do with how the characters of Dick and Nicole Diver were drawn, but re-reading this weekend (and also having just watched the 1961 cinema adaptation of it) made me appreciate it even more. Due to 15 years' greater experience with reading and reviewing fiction, I feel as though I have a greater understanding of how Fitzgerald came to spend so much time working on this novel; it has a raw, visceral quality to it that The Great Gatsby mostly lacks. It is not a work that has "aged poorly" for me, but instead one that speaks at least as well to the 38 year-old me as it did to

Reviver by Seth Patrick Published by Pan Macmillan ARC - 409 pages Published June 2013 Review copy provided by publisher Before I set on my path as a die-hard fantasy fan, I was very much into the horror genre, especially stories dealing with the supernatural. I've not really read much horror in a long time, but after reading Reviver, I'm seriously considering having another crack at it. One of the key factors of being a Reviver is the emotional exchange between the Reviver and the person being revived - there is complete empathy between the two, and Patrick excels in portraying this emotional connection. He uses this to great effect when Jonah starts experiencing memories and emotions of people he's revived, long after he should. Patrick uses this emotion to ramp up the tension with great effect. Another thing I really enjoyed about Reviver is the mix of scientific procedure and supernatural elements. There was a point where I feared that the novel would take a harder, more sci-fi route, but I was pleased when it remained in the realms of fantasy and took an unexpected turn. Reviver does for ghosts what Blade did for vampires; it gives it a slight rationalisation that makes it believable but still retained an aura of mystery. My only issue with the novel was the pacing. I sped through the first third of the book due to the high tension that was built, and the finale was pretty explosive and pulled you along for the ride. The middle portion, however, sagged slightly and was more focussed on answering questions and filling gaps ready for the final scenes. If you're looking for a good fantasy/horror crossover with a bit of crime thriller thrown in there for good measure, then definitely check out Reviver. It's intense, a little creepy and a hell of a lot of fun. About the author Jamie Gibbs is the overlord of Mithril Wisdom as well as a terminal geek and great lover of sandwiches.You can follow him on his Google+ or Twitter profiles for a daily dose of fanboy rants.

http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/tv_club/features/2013/mad_men_season_6/week_6/mad_men_review_ted_eats_don_alive_in_a_man_with_a_plan.html As part of Slate's "TV Club," discussing last week's episode of Mad Men, writer Paul Ford parallels Don Draper with Angel as the "handsome brute with awful secrets."Ford draws the comparison based on the character arc in Buffy, rather than the extended portrayal of Angel the series - made in response to another writer's name-checking Draper as morphing into Christian Grey. [ edited by Whedonage on 2013-05-20 07:40 ]

One is near the end of his term! One’s term has yet to begin! Can you guess which is which? Photo by Catherine Shaffer.

http://www.trienaldelisboa.com/pt/

*You’ll know this is a thing when certain cities start boasting about their “smart-free zones.” http://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2013/05/18/the-too-smart-city/q87J17qCLwrN90amZ5CoLI/story.html?s_campaign=8315 (…) “But as political leaders, engineers, and environmentalists join the smart-city bandwagon, a growing chorus of thinkers from social sciences, architecture, urban planning, and design are starting to sound a note of caution. Building a new, intelligent urban infrastructure could be every bit as momentous as building a water supply, or roads, or a subway system—setting development patterns for decades. Though they share enthusiasm for what a smart city could do, they also point out that smart-city programs could—with little public oversight—put us on track to a kind of urban future that not everyone thinks is ideal. “Behind the alluring vision, they argue, lurk a number of troubling questions. A city tracking its citizens, even for helpful reasons, encroaches on the personal liberty we count on in public spaces. The crucial software systems and networks that underlie city services will likely lie in private hands. And the more successful smart-city programs become, the more they risk diverting resources into the problems that can be solved with technology, rather than grappling with difficult issues that can’t be easily fixed with an app. “Networks and software could reshape city life as permanently as highways did. ” “We’ve had a very good debate in the technology community and business community about the benefits, but very little assessment of the risks,” says Anthony Townsend, an urban planning researcher at New York University and the Institute for the Future, who has spoken and written critically about smart cities. “Cities are focal points for human civilization, the places where people live, work, and create. And they may well be on the verge of new transformation, one that not only alters how they run but what their residents’ lives are like. As they move forward, there’s not just one inevitable path: Different ways of implementing technology could create very different cities, not all of them desirable places to live. *** “TODAY, SMART-CITY programs tend to be limited and fairly granular, though people might be surprised to know exactly which parts of their cities are already sensing and analyzing information. Boston is wired with a system called ShotSpotter, which uses acoustic sensors to detect and pinpoint the location of gunshots. The MBTA has been building an extensive network of thousands of surveillance cameras throughout the subway system, monitored from an operations center, and has also installed sensors to detect biological weapons. Equipment on the Prudential Tower and other buildings tracks greenhouse gas emissions; analytical software even helps predict maintenance needs in parts of the sewer system. “Other cities are testing more extensive projects….”

About A. Lee Martinez: A. Lee Martinez is a writer who enjoys juggling, origimi, skulking, and time travel. While he’s a likable enough guy, he really isn’t very interesting and mostly plays video games and writes. Links: A. Lee Martinez (website) A. Lee Martinez on Twitter A. Lee Martinez on Amazon An A. Lee Martinez Short Story Collection on Kickstarter © 2013 SFSignal.com Featuring original music by John Anealio Download The Hugo Nominated SF Signal Podcast (Episode 190) Tell us what you think – leave us a voicemail! Can’t see the widget above? That’s okay – just call 720-277-9082 or shoot us an email at: voicemail@sfsignal.com Related posts: The SF Signal Podcast (Episode 002): Interview with A. Lee Martinez The SF Signal Podcast (Episode 109): Interview with Author David D. Levine The SF Signal Podcast (Episode 130): An Interview with Hugo-Nominated Author Ken Liu

LoneStarCon 3, the 71st World Science Fiction Convention, has made available the 2013 Hugo Voter Packet, an electronic package of nominated works graciously made available to voters by nominees and their publishers. The 2013 Hugo Voter Packet is available to Supporting, Attending, Military and Young Adult members of LoneStarCon 3 to help inform them about the works under consideration before voting. The packet will remain available until voting closes on Wednesday, July 31, 2013 at 11:59pm CDT. Members can login here. You will need your name (as recorded in the LoneStarCon 3 membership database) and your unique Hugo PIN to access the Hugo Voter Packet content. PIN reminders will be sent out at regular intervals during the final ballot period. Instructions on how to recover lost or forgotten PINs can be found on the download page. If you are not yet a member you can register online for immediate access to the Hugo Voter Packet and the chance to help select this year’s Hugo and John W. Campbell Award winners. You do not need to attend the convention to participate in the Hugo Awards. Related posts: NOW AVAILABLE: The 2012 Hugo Voter Packet! Hugo Award Nomination Period Is Now Open REMINDER: Deadline For Hugo Award Nominations is March 11!

Tachyon has posted the cover art and synopsis of the upcoming collection In the Company of Thieves by Kage Baker, due out later this year. Here’s the synopsis: The employees of Dr. Zeus Incorporated travel through (and meddle with) history in Kager Baker’s final collection of six stories of espionage, capers, and important affairs gone terribly wrong. The Company, a powerful corporate entity in the twenty-fourth century, has discovered a nearly foolproof recipe for success: combining time travel and immortal employees. They specialize in retrieving extraordinary treasures out of the past, gathered by cybernetically-enhanced workers who pass as ordinary humans. Whether a client wants a jewel worn by Cleopatra, an original Shakespeare folio, or to make a baby with the genes of Socrates and Marilyn Monroe, Dr, Zeus can make dreams come true. But there is one major rule that must not be broken: the recorded particulars of history cannot be changed. The operatives of the Company must function with extreme stealth and caution, since avoiding the curiosity and greed of everyday mortals proves much more difficult—and sometimes ridiculous—than anyone had foreseen. Included in this exciting collection are four previously uncollected stories, “Mother Aegypt” (a classic tale of Transylvanian intrigue), and one brand new story from a collaboration with Kage Baker’s sister, Kathleen Bartholomew. History awaits, though not quite the one you remember Book info as per Amazon US [Also available via Amazon UK]: Paperback: 288 pages Publisher: Tachyon Publications (October 1, 2013) ISBN-10: 1616961295 ISBN-13: 978-1616961299 Related posts: TOC: ‘The Best of Kage Baker’ RIP: Kage Baker Support for Kage Baker