Frankenbook Launches

August 18, 2018July 26, 2018 locusmag 0 Comments

The Center for Science and the Imagination at Arizona State University, The MIT Press, and MIT Media Lab have launched a new interactive project called Frankenbook. Joey Eschrich, program manager for the Center for Science and Imagination, explains:

Frankenbook is a collective reading experience of the original 1818 text of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s Frankenstein. The project is hosted by Arizona State University’s Center for Science and the Imagination, The MIT ...Read More

Fan Awards at Worldcon 76

August 17, 2018 locusmag 0 Comments

Several awards for services to SF fandom were presented during opening ceremonies at Worldcon 76, August 16, 2018 at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center in San Jose CA.

First Fandom Hall of Fame Award

Robert Silverberg

First Fandom Posthumous Hall of Fame Awards

Len & June Moffatt

Sam Moskowitz Archive Award:

Hal W. Hall

David A. Kyle Big Heart Award

Mike Glyer

...Read More Read more

Awards News

1943 Retro Hugo Awards Winners

August 17, 2018August 17, 2018 locusmag 0 Comments

Winners for the 1943 Retro Hugo Awards, honoring work from 1942, were announced by Worldcon 76, during an award ceremony held at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center in San Jose CA:

Best Novel

WINNER: Beyond This Horizon, Anson MacDonald (Robert A. Heinlein) (Astounding Science-Fiction 4-5/42)

The Uninvited, Dorothy Macardle (Doubleday, Doran/S.J.R. Saunders)
Donovan’s Brain, Curt Siodmak (Black Mask 9-11/42)
Second Stage Lensmen, E. E. “Doc” Smith (Astounding Science-Fiction 11/41-2/42)

Features

SF in Scotland by Preston Grassmann & Chris Kelso

August 17, 2018July 31, 2018 locusmag 0 Comments

Scotland has always had a rich storytelling history and the predilections towards the fantastical are evident in even the earliest oral incarnations of social-sharing. The folk tales and mythologies of the seanchai, village storytellers who passed down their tales at ceremonies and community events, extolled the virtues of brave warriors and the mythical adversaries they had to overcome – take the Orcadian (pre-Lovecraftian) folktale “Assipattle and the Stoor Worm”, or ...Read More

Locus science fiction book review Point of Sighs by Melissa Scott

Books Reviews

Liz Bourke Reviews Point of Sighs by Melissa Scott

August 17, 2018July 12, 2018 locusmag 0 Comments Liz Bourke

Point of Sighs, Melissa Scott (Lethe Press 978-1-59021-645-3, $18.00, 276pp, tp) May 2018. Cover by Ben Baldwin.

Melissa Scott’s Astreiant is a city to conjure with. It shares some commonalities with Ellen Kushner’s Riverside, though the first book, Point of Hopes (co-written with the late Lisa A. Barnett) was initially published in 1995 to Kushner’s Swordspoint‘s 1987. (And it involves a little less duelling.) Astreiant is a rich, complex setting, ...Read More

Reviews Short Fiction

Rich Horton Reviews Short Fiction from Tor.com, Analog, and Asimov’s

August 16, 2018July 9, 2018 locusmag 0 Comments Rich Horton

Tor.com 5/18
Analog 5-6/18
Asimov’s 5-6/18

Just as I was preparing this month’s column I heard the stunning news of the hospitalization, rapid decline, and death, of my colleague here at Locus, Gardner Dozois. Gardner was not just my colleague, both as Locus short fiction columnist and as anthologist, he was a friend. He treated me from the first as an equal, as I surely was not; always happy to ...Read More

New & Notable New Titles & Bestsellers

New & Notable Books, August 2018

August 15, 2018July 31, 2018 locusmag 0 Comments

Rachel Armstrong, Origamy (NewCon Press 4/18) Science taken to extremes – with a hint of Italo Calvino – infuses this fascinating and thoroughly unconventional tale of Mobius, an adolescent being forced by an accident to re-learn the art of weaving spacetime, during which she uncovers something that threatens the fabric of the universe. “Origamy is larded thickly with real science – albeit speculatively extended along semi-gonzo vectors – it’s delivered ...Read More

Locus science fiction review Born to the Blade

Books Reviews

Amy Goldschlager Reviews Born to the Blade, Season 1

August 15, 2018July 9, 2018 locusmag 0 Comments Amy Goldschlager

Born to the Blade, Season 1, Episodes 1–6 (of 11), Michael R. Underwood, Marie Brennan, Cassandra Khaw & Malka Older; Xe Sands, narrator (Serial Box, $1.59 per episode, digital download, 1-1/5 hr. per episode), April–May 2018.

This new shared-universe effort created by Michael R. Underwood is a fun little exercise in political fantasy that boasts several sorts of magic. A somewhat contentious alliance of floating island nations practice diplomacy on ...Read More

News Obituaries

Michael Scott Rohan (1951-2018)

August 14, 2018 locusmag 0 Comments

Writer Michael Scott Rohan, 67, died August 12, 2018 in an Edinburgh, Scotland hospital.

His debut novel was Run to the Stars (1983), but he was best known for the Winter of the World fantasy series that began with The Anvil of Ice (1986) and continued with The Forge in the Forest (1987), The Hammer of the Sun (1988), The Castle of the Winds (1998), The Singer and the Sea ...Read More

Awards News

Dayton Literary Peace Prize Finalists

August 14, 2018 locusmag 0 Comments

Finalists for the 2018 Dayton Literary Peace Prize have been announced, including Exit West by Mohsin Hamid (Riverhead), Spaceman of Bohemia by Jaroslav Kalfar (Little, Brown), and Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward (Scribner) in the fiction category, and We Were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nehisi Coates (One World) in non-fiction.

The prize “honors writers whose work uses the power of literature to foster peace, social justice, and global ...Read More

Books Reviews Short Fiction

Rachel Swirsky Reviews The Underwater Ballroom Society Edited by Tiffany Trent & Stephanie Burgis

August 14, 2018July 12, 2018 locusmag 0 Comments Rachel Swirsky

The Underwater Ballroom Society, Tiffany Trent & Stephanie Burgis, eds. (Five Fathoms Press, $4.99, 330pp, eb) April 2018.

Around the turn of the last century, speculator and con man Whitaker Wright built an underwater aquarium and smoking room beneath one of the lakes stippling his mansion’s grounds. Due to its shape, the room came to be referred to as a ballroom. A description from a 1903 article in The West ...Read More

Awards News

First Book Award Nominees

August 13, 2018 locusmag 0 Comments

Nominees for the Edinburgh International Book Festival’s First Book Award have been announced and include several titles of genre interest:

Children of Blood and Bone, Tomi Adeyemi (Holt)
Leila, Prayaag Akbar (Simon & Schuster)
The House With Chicken Legs, Sophie Anderson (Scholastic)
Swansong, Kerry Andrew (Jonathan Cape)
Out of the Blue, Sophie Cameron (Roaring Brook)
In the Valley of the Sun, Andy Davidson (Skyhorse)
The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock, Imogen

Locus Science Fiction Martha Wells Interview

Features Interviews Slider

Martha Wells: Unburied Future

August 13, 2018July 31, 2018 locusmag 0 Comments Interviews

Martha Susan Wells was born September 1, 1964 in Fort Worth TX. She attended Texas A&M University, graduating with a BA in anthropology. She lives in College Station TX with her husband.

Her debut fantasy novel The Element of Fire (1993) began the Ile-Rien series, which includes The Death of the Necromancer (1998) and the Fall of Ile-Rien trilogy The Wizard Hunters (2003), The Ships of Air (2004), and The ...Read More

Legal News

Supreme Court Ruling Affects Online Retailers

August 12, 2018July 30, 2018 locusmag 0 Comments

In a 5-4 decision in late June, the US Supreme Court overturned Quill Corp v. North Dakota – the 1992 case that ruled states could only collect sales tax from companies with a physical presence in that state. Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in the majority opinion:

The physical presence rule has long been criticized as giving out-of-state sellers an advantage. Each year, it becomes further removed from economic reality and ...Read More

Announcements News

Dozois Memorial

August 11, 2018July 26, 2018 locusmag 0 Comments

A memorial service for the late Gardner Dozois was held at the Friends Center in downtown Philadelphia on July 7, 2018, with attendees including Ginjer Buchanan, Michael Capobianca, Neil Clarke, Jack Dann, John Douglas, Ellen Datlow, Claire Eddy, Scott Edelman, Gregory Frost, Joe & Gay Haldeman, Peter Heck, James Patrick Kelly, John Kessel, Kay McAuley, Shawna McCarthy, Michael Swanwick, Gordon Van Gelder, Janeen Webb, Sheila Williams, and others. Ellen Datlow ...Read More

Books Reviews

Liz Bourke Reviews Fire Dance by Ilana C. Myer

August 10, 2018June 29, 2018 locusmag 0 Comments Liz Bourke

Fire Dance, Ilana C. Myer (Tor 978-0-7653- 7832-3, $27.99, 368pp, hc) April 2018. Cover by Stephan Martinière.

I’m still not sure how I feel about Ilana C. Myer’s Fire Dance. Myer’s first novel, Last Song Before Night, left me feeling a little distant and disengaged from its action and characters. Fire Dance is its sequel, set a handful of months later. It has a few changes among its viewpoint characters ...Read More

Books Reviews

Amy Goldschlager Reviews Blackfish City Audiobook by Sam J. Miller

August 9, 2018June 29, 2018 locusmag 0 Comments Amy Goldschlager

Blackfish City, Sam J. Miller; Vikas Adam, narrator (Harper Audio and Blackstone Audio 978- 1538497173, $39.99, CD, 10.5 hr., unabridged [also available as a digital download]) April 2018.

After a variety of political and environmental disasters, most of the great nations of the world are either gone or on the verge of collapse. One of the few refuges remaining is Qaanaaq, a city floating on the waters of the Arctic ...Read More

Awards News

2018 WSFA Small Press Award Finalists

August 8, 2018August 13, 2018 locusmag 0 Comments

Finalists for the 2018 Washington Science Fiction Association (WSFA) Small Press Award for Short Fiction have been announced:

“Probably Still the Chosen One”, Kelly Barnhill (Lightspeed 2/17)
“Floaters Can’t Float”, Pip Coen (Compelling Science Fiction 4/17)
“A Vague Inclination to Please”, Brandon Daubs (All Hail Our Robot Conquerers)
“Oba Oyinbo”, Jonathan Edelstein (Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show 10/17)
“Through Milkweed and Gloom”, Wendy Nikel (Submerged)

Bestsellers New Titles & Bestsellers

Locus Bestsellers, August 2018

August 8, 2018July 30, 2018 locusmag 0 Comments

HARDCOVERS Months
on list Last
month 1) Head On, John Scalzi (Tor) 2 1 2) Noir, Christopher Moore (Morrow) 2 2 3) King of Ashes, Raymond E. Feist (Harper Voyager US) 1 – 4) Artificial Condition, Martha Wells (Tor.com Publishing) 1 – 5) Persepolis Rising, James S.A. Corey (Orbit) 5 8 6) Space Opera, Catherynne M. Valente (Saga) 2 4 7) The Poppy War, R.F. Kuang (Harper Voyager US) 1 ...Read More

Books Reviews

Katharine Coldiron Reviews The City of Lost Fortunes by Bryan Camp

August 8, 2018July 10, 2018 locusmag 0 Comments Katharine Coldiron

The City of Lost Fortunes, Bryan Camp (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 978-1-328-81079-3 $24.00, 367pp, hc) April 2018.

If Neil Gaiman wrote a post-Katrina novel about New Orleans, it just might be The City of Lost Fortunes. It’s stuffed with more-than-meets-the-mortal-eye cityscapes (Neverwhere), immortal schemes and meddling (American Gods), and historical myth and meaning (Norse Mythology). Although many of the novel’s fantasy elements are relatively familiar, the gumbo made from them by ...Read More

Awards News

2018 Dragon Awards Ballot

August 7, 2018August 13, 2018 locusmag 1 Comment

Dragon Con has announced the ballot for the 2018 Dragon Awards. Voting is open to the public at the Dragon Awards website; registration for voting is open until August 31, 2018, 11:59PM (EDT). Winners will be announced at Dragon Con, held August 30 – September 3, 2018 in Atlanta GA.

Best Science Fiction Novel

Persepolis Rising, James S.A. Corey (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
The Mutineer’s Daughter, Chris Kennedy &

Books Reviews

Carolyn Cushman Reviews The Defiant Heir by Melissa Caruso

August 7, 2018June 29, 2018 locusmag 0 Comments Carolyn Cushman

Melissa Caruso, The Defiant Heir (Orbit US 978-0-316-46690-5, $15.99, 515pp, tp) April 2018. Cover by Crystal Ben.

The second volume in the Swords & Fire fantasy trilogy finds Lady Amalia scrambling to stop a war with the Witch Lords of Vaskandar. Meanwhile, someone is killing Falconers and the magic-wielding Falcons they control, and reluctant Falconer Amalia and her powerful fire warlock Zaira are probable targets. Then Amalia meets a Witch ...Read More

Contests News

2018 BAME Short Story Prize Shortlist

August 6, 2018 locusmag 0 Comments

The Guardian announced the shortlist for the third annual Guardian and 4th Estate BAME short story prize, which offers “a chance to win £1,000, an exclusive one‑day publishing workshop and a taste of online publication.” The six authors shortlisted are Savannah Burney, Jason Deelchand, Kit Fan, Gurnaik Johal, Yiming Ma, and Varaidzo, and include short stories of genre interest.

“The prize is open to all black, Asian, minority ethnic writers ...Read More

Announcements News Publishing

SFWA Bulletin Goes Digital Only

August 6, 2018 locusmag 1 Comment

John Teehan announced August 1, 2018 via Facebook that the SFWA Bulletin will no longer publish in print:

End of an era. As production manager and occasional editor, I worked on 56 issues over 15 some odd years. The SFWA Bulletin is now going digital, and the current issue is the last print one I’ll be involved with. It was a great run—one of the best gigs ever. Had some ...Read More

Awards News

2018 Baen Fantasy Adventure Award Winner

August 6, 2018August 9, 2018 locusmag 0 Comments

“Dragon’s Hand” by David VonAllmen won the fifth annual Baen Fantasy Adventure Award, announced at the Writer’s Symposium during Gen Con, August 4, 2018 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis IN. Second place went to “Deny the World with a Thought” by Benjamin Scott Farthing and third place went to “The Lady of Pain” by Steve DuBois.

Other nominees were:

“Spun of Salt and Stone”, Deborah L. Davitt
“The

Commentary Features Kameron Hurley Slider

Kameron Hurley: So You Still Have A Day Job….

August 6, 2018July 26, 2018 locusmag 0 Comments Kameron Hurley

Welcome to the club. I’ve been writing and publishing novels for seven years now. I also have a robust Patreon following where I produce short fiction for members paying a monthly fee, and I am always hustling to re-sell projects, whether that’s short stories or foreign and film rights on novels. I still pick up the occasional freelance project and magazine column, because I still have a student loan and ...Read More

Conventions News

Readercon 29 Report

August 5, 2018July 26, 2018 locusmag 0 Comments

Readercon 29 was held July 12-15, 2018, in Quincy MA. Guests of honor were Ken Liu and Nisi Shawl; E. Nesbit was the memorial guest of honor. There were an estimated 740 attendees over the entire weekend. The focus of Readercon is “imaginative literature” – literary science fiction, fantasy, horror, and their intersections. Programming was, as always, carefully organized and curated, with topics ranging from casual book-club style discussions to ...Read More

Conventions News

Locus Awards Weekend

August 4, 2018July 26, 2018 locusmag 0 Comments

The Locus Awards were held June 22-24, 2018 at the Best Western Executive Inn in balmy Seattle for the thirteenth consecutive year. Connie Willis was MC, with Daryl Gregory presenting the awards. Willis and Yoon Ha Lee taught the Locus Writers workshops that book-ended the weekend. Attendance numbered 150. Events kicked off Friday with readings by Willis and Lee, followed by a Clarion West-hosted party in honor of first-week instructor ...Read More

Books Reviews

Ian Mond Reviews Tide of Stone by Kaaron Warren

August 3, 2018August 2, 2018 locusmag 0 Comments Ian Mond

Tide of Stone, Kaaron Warren (Omnium Gatherum 9780615827995, $14.99, 374pp, tp) May 2018.

When the Time Ball Tower is first mentioned in Kaaron Warren’s terrific new novel Tide of Stone, I thought it was an invention of the author. I had no idea they existed and that I’d been living near one my entire life. For those, like me, ignorant of this ancient time-keeping device, a Time Ball is an ...Read More

Books Reviews

Russell Letson Reviews One Way by S.J. Morden

August 3, 2018July 10, 2018 locusmag 0 Comments Russell Letson

One Way, S.J. Morden (Orbit 978-0316522182, $15.99, 391pp, tp) April 2018.

One Way is the first novel under the byline S.J. Morden, but not the first novel by the writer behind it, Simon Morden, producer of The Samuil Petrovitch Trilogy (winner of the 2012 Philip K. Dick Award) and a fistful of other SF and fantasy volumes. I’m not sure why the change in byline, since the tone and attitude ...Read More

Films

Because “Quantum!”: Arley Sorg and Josh Pearce Discuss Ant-Man and the Wasp

August 2, 2018 locusmag 0 Comments Arley Sorg, Josh Pearce

In this sequel to 2015’s Ant-Man, convicted felon Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) has only days remaining on his house arrest when he’s abducted by Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and her father Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) because they believe he holds the key to rescuing Hope’s mother Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) from the quantum realm where she disappeared 30 years before.

Josh: Hi! What were your initial impressions of ...Read More

Awards News

Steinacker Wins James White Award

August 2, 2018 locusmag 0 Comments

The James White Award Short Story competition has announced this year’s winner:

WINNER: “Two Worlds Apart”, Dustin Blair Steinacker

“A Sip of Pombe”, Gustavo Bondoni
“Imago”, Matthew Eeles
“The Big I Am”, E.M. Faulds
“My Fault”, Sarah Palmer
“Ms. Höffern Stays Abreast of the News”, Sarah Pauling

A special commendation was also given to Bondoni.

Steinacker receives £200 and publication in Interzone. This year’s judges were Anne Charnock, RJ Barker, ...Read More

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Commentary Cory Doctorow Features

Cory Doctorow: Why Should Anyone Care?

September 2, 2011 admin 85

One of my most important formative experiences as a writer was working in bookstores. I worked in three shops: a specialist science fiction store (Bakka Books in Toronto), an academic store near the University of Toronto campus, and a dreadful suburban mall bookstore. Going into my first bookstore job, I’d been supremely confident in my understanding of the bookselling trade: after all, I’d been spending all my pocket money and ...Read More

Features Interviews

Nancy Pearl: Elastic Realism

September 14, 2012 admin 1

Features Interviews

Daniel José Older: Crossroads

September 13, 2015 admin 0