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Book Review: Binary by Stephanie Saulter

Several years after the events of Gemsigns (see my review here at Skiffy and Fanty), the integration of Gems into society has continued. The violent spasm of reaction to Gems in the form of the godgangs has given way, some years later, to society seeking methods to harness the talents the Gems have in modern society.  It hasn’t always been smooth, or easy, but society and people have started to move on and grapple with the consequences of the aftermath of the fateful Conference and the Declaration arising from it. As in Gemsigns, however, both Aryel Morningstar, leader of the Gems, and the industrialist Zavcka Klist find their paths crossing. However, rather than being overt adversaries, Klist has a proposition for Morningstar, an offer of a collaboration of talents and skills. Klist’s  proposition is  to use the power of a certain Gem to explore the infotech technologies that had been abandoned in the wake of the Syndrome over a century ago. That Gem, Harran, with extraordinary power to connect to computers on a fundamental level, might be just the Gem to lead the effort into exploring infotech, and safely.  However, when delving into computers, and ancient records, sometimes dark and long forgotten secrets are discovered. Secrets of the past of Aryel Morningstar … and secrets of Zavcka Klist as well.

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Podcasts

Episode 2. The Wages of Fear (1953): Playing Genre, Masculinity, and the Post-War World

http://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/TotallyPretentiousEpisode002TheWagesOfFear/TotallyPretentiousEpisode002–TheWagesOfFear.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSPlaying Genre, Masculinity, and the Post-War World! In our second episode, we open by discussing what we’ve been watching, how films “stand the test of time,” and the supposed problem with the Hollywood blockbuster.  Plus, there’s a little bonus conversation about the state of horror films since 2000. The main event involves Henri-Georges Clouzot’s suspense thriller, The Wages of Fear (1953).  We cover some of its history, the underlying politics, the film’s play on genre and suspense, and much more. Enjoy!

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Podcasts

#31. The Middleman (Eps. 1-4) — A Shoot the WISB Subcast

http://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/ShootTheWISB31TheMiddlemaneps14/ShootTheWisb31–TheMiddlemaneps1-4.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSMobster gorillas, squid monsters, and training wheels, oh my!  Mike and Julia present a Shoot the WISB squeeful discussion of the 1st four episodes of ABC Family’s The Middleman, which may be the most wildly enjoyable show we’ve watched for the podcast to date. We hope you enjoy the episode! Note:  If you have iTunes and like this show, please give us a review on our iTunes page, or feel free to email us with your thoughts about the show! Spoiler Alert:  the following podcast contains spoilers for the film being reviewed; if you wish to see the film without having it ruined for you, download this podcast and save it for later. Download the Episode here. Show Notes:. The Middleman (IMDB) Our new intro music is “Time Flux” by Revolution Void (CC BY 3.0). That’s all, folks!  Thanks for listening.  See you next week.

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Guest Post: N.P. Griffiths on the Lasting Impact of Ellen Ripley

When I was asked to write a blog post about my top female influences in the sci-fi/fantasy arena, I had to think about who it was I wanted to write about. There’s Kathryn Bigelow, a woman who is best known now for Zero Dark Thirty and The Hurt Locker but who cut her teeth on Near Dark and Strange Days; Anne McCaffrey, a Hugo and Nebula award winning writer whose Dragonriders of Pern series has recently been optioned by Warner Brothers; and JK Rowling, a woman who needs no introduction here. All of these women have influenced me over the years. For me, though, when it comes to a lasting impact there is one name that comes shining through. And that name? Ellen Ripley

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Around the Podosphere #8: Podcasts of Note for 3/30/2015

Here are some of the exciting things we’ve been listening to in the past few weeks: On Awards Paul Weimer joins the new crew at Adventures in Sci Fi Publishing to discuss the Sad Puppies and the Hugos. Justin Landon, henceforth known as The Guy Who Talked About Hugos, brings in Renay and TheG to discuss, well, the Hugos. The fine folks at Galactic Suburbia host a special Galactic Suburbia Award episode!  Take a listen! On Science StarTalk Radio brings on Elon Musk to talk about the future of space travel and humanity!

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