Month of Joy: Favourite Photos of 2019
Well. 2019 sure was a year, wasn’t it? I must admit I found it a tough one. It was the kind of year that wore me away and built a wall between me and my words. So, I’m going to let my photos do most of the talking. Here are some of my favourite photos I took in 2019. Last January I went to the zoo to take photos with a family member on a special visit with the meerkats. Here is one of the sentinels keeping an eye on things.
Book Review: Children of the Different by S.C. Flynn
Stories dealing with those often-painful transitions of adolescence dominate mainstream young adult fiction. On the genre side of the fiction divide, post-apocalyptic settings contain characters constantly beset by external dangers, characters that simultaneously must struggle to adapt themselves to their civilization’s collapse. In both cases these tales combine peripheral threats with internal struggles, shaping varying degrees of character growth and/or plot development. Thus, it’s fitting that S.C. Flynn combined aspects from both sides of young adult fiction’s spectrum in his debut novel Children of the Different. Though comprised of many familiar elements, the novel is aptly named. Flynn’s story feels fresh and intriguingly different. With inspirations from analytical philosophy and biological metamorphosis, Children of the Different explores the transformation of his young characters into adulthood within post-apocalyptic settings that merge science fiction and mythical fantasy.
315. Foz Meadows (a.k.a. The Portalist) — An Accident of Stars (An Interview)
http://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFEpisode315InterviewWFozMeadows/Sandf–Episode315–InterviewWFozMeadows.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSPortal worlds, schoolyard bullies, and magic, oh my! In our second interview for the year, Shaun and Paul talk to Foz Meadows about their debut novel, An Accident of Stars. We explore the novel’s central premise, its feminist message, and so much more! 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! Here’s the episode (show notes are below): Episode 315 — Download (MP3) Show Notes:
Book Review: Use As Directed Review edited by Simon Petrie and Edwina Harvey (Peggy Bright Books)
Left over to review as part of last year’s World Tour of SFF, Use Only As Directed fits just as nicely into the Women and Non-Binary in SFF theme for Skiffy & Fanty this year. The latest anthology from Peggy Bright Books, edited by Simon Petrie and Edwina Harvey, Use Only As Directed features Australian and New Zealand authors – of whom over 50% are female – crafting short stories around the titular phrase that one commonly reads on instructions for everything from medicine to the latest gadget. The anthology’s predominant characteristic is its well-balanced diversity in authors and styles, with an array of female, male, and nonhuman characters and a range across genres from horror to fantasy to science fiction. Author nationality and the unifying theme bring the major constants — though given the Australian/New Zealand focus, racial diversity is not really present here.
254. Craig Cormick (a.k.a. Master of Library Cards) at CONvergence — The Shadow Master (An Interview)
http://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFEpisode254CraigCormick/SandF%20–%20Episode%20254%20–%20Craig%20Cormick.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSBurning libraries, walled cities, and Da Vinci, oh my! Craig Cormick joins us live at CONvergence to talk about The Shadow Master from Angry Robot Books. We talk writing alternate history, the library of Alexandria, and so much more! 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! Here’s the episode (show notes are below): Episode 254 — Download (MP3) Show Notes:. Craig’s Website Craig’s Twitter The Shadow Master (Angry Robot Books) 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.
195. Sons of Steel (1988): A Torture Cinema “Adventure” w/ Danny Oz
http://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFEpisode195TortureCinemaMeetsSonsOfSteel/SandF%20–%20Episode%20195%20–%20Torture%20Cinema%20Meets%20Sons%20of%20Steel.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS80s hair bands, nuclear submarines, and mutant grunts, oh my! In celebration of Australian cinema, we’re joined by Danny Oz to discuss his favorite terrible movie ever, Sons of Steel. Trust me, you won’t want to miss this episode… 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! Here’s the episode (show notes are below): Episode 195 — Download (MP3) Show Notes: Sons of Steel (1988)(IMDB) Sons of Steel Website Danny’s Twitter Danny’s Website You can also support this podcast by signing up for a one month free trial at Audible. Doing so helps us, gives you a change to try out Audible’s service, and brings joy to everyone. 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.
