139. Hugo/Clarke Award Roundtable w/ Stina Leicht and Liz Bourke
http://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFEpisode139AHugoClarkeAwardRoundtable/SandF%20–%20Episode%20139%20–%20A%20Hugo%20%252B%20Clarke%20Award%20Roundtable.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSAward “controversy,” fiascos, and discussions, oh my! In this special episode of SandF, we invited Stina Leicht and Liz Bourke to talk about the Hugo and Clarke Award shortlists. We cover the controversies surrounding this year’s finalists, our own thoughts about the lists, and the rhetoric that has kept the fires burning (and more, of course). We hope you enjoy the episode! Note: Some of the audio is not as clean as normal. I did my best to fix the problem. I hope it does not annoy too much. 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 139 — Download (MP3) Intro and Discussion (0:00 – 1:48:06) Liz Bourke’s Website Clarke Award Shortlist Hugo Award Finalists “Can we stop talking about the Hugos now?” by Staffer’s Book Review 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.
Question of the Week: Who are the five greatest science fiction writers of all time?
I’m bringing back the “Question of the Week” feature with a vengeance. And to start it off, I’m asking you all a rather large question: Who do you think are the five greatest science fiction writers of all time? I’m putting a lot of emphasis on you think. Whatever your criteria for inclusion, the most important thing is that your list is your list. So — who would you include?
Eric Brown to Head Abaddon's Weird Space Series
Abaddon Books has announced a new shared-world space opera series called Weird Space. The series is set to begin in Summer 2012 with Eric Brown’s The Devil’s Nebula as the opening installment. Here’s the synopsis for the series and Brown’s introductory novel: Starship Captain Ed Carew and his crew of two – ex-marine Lania Takiomar and ex-convict Gord Neffard – lead a carefree life of smuggling, gun-running and other illicit pursuits in a far future ruled by the fascistic Expansion Authority. But when an Expansion judiciary ship captures Carew and his crew leaving the planet of Hesperides, an out-of-bounds world governed now by the fearsome Vetch extraterrestrials, Carew, Takiomar and Neffard are sentenced to death… Unless they agree to travel through Vetch territory in pursuit of an human colony vessel which set off for the Devil’s Nebula one hundred years ago. But why are the Expansion authorities so eager to track down the ship, will Carew and co. survive the journey through Vetch territory – and what might they find when they arrive at the Devil’s Nebula? The Devil’s Nebula is the first book in a thrilling space opera series, Weird Space. An evil race is threatening not only the human Expansion, but the Vetch Empire, too – an evil from another dimension which infests humans and Vetch alike and bends individuals to do their hideous bidding. And only if humans and Vetch cooperate to fight off the fearsome Weird do they stand a chance of ensuring their survival… Sounds interesting, no? And the cover is bloody gorgeous! Good on Abaddon for taking a shot at space opera!
Book of Interest: The Office of Lost and Found by Vincent Holland-Keen
We’ll be posting about things like this every once in a while (i.e., promos for interesting books). Since we’ve already read one book from Anarchy Books (Serial Killers, Inc. — we loved it!), we figured it wouldn’t hurt to let you all know about another monstrosity to appear from their wicked coffers (of wickedness, no doubt)! Here you go: Thomas Locke can find anything. You know the hurricane that hit a while back? Word is he found the butterfly that started it. So, when a desperate Veronica Drysdale hires Locke to find her missing husband, it makes perfect sense. Except the world of Thomas Locke doesn’t make sense. It puts monsters under the bed, makes stars fall from the sky and leads little children to worship the marvels of road-works. This world also hides from Veronica a past far darker and stranger than she could ever have imagined. To learn the truth, Veronica is going to have to lose everything. And that’s where Locke’s shadowy business partner Lafarge comes in… FOCUS ON –
Terry Pratchett Has Begun the Doctor-Assisted Suicide Process in Switzerland
Take this news how you will. Pratchett has been a fervent defender of doctor-assisted suicide in the last year or two, spearheaded, we can assume, by his diagnosis with Alzheimer’s. The Guardian reports that Pratchett received the forms from Dignitas, a clinic in Switzerland: Pratchett, whose BBC2 film about the subject of assisted suicide is to be shown on BBC2 tomorrow, revealed he had been sent the consent forms requesting a suicide by the clinic and planned to sign them imminently. “The only thing stopping me [signing them] is that I have made this film and I have a bloody book to finish,” he said during a question-and-answer session following a screening at the Sheffield documentary festival Doc/Fest. I can’t speak for everyone who has been on this show, but I’m sure we all wish Pratchett the best, whether he goes through the process or not. Let’s hope that no more fantasy icons have to experience the same similar things and that a cure is found (sooner rather than later).
