News and Blog Updates: June 10, 2008

News Nibbles for this posting:

• This Weeks Special Feature: Michael G. Munz - "Playing with Hubris," appears in the June-July issue of NexGen Pulp Magazine
• SF News Headlines: BSF: "BFS Awards 2008 - Time to vote", io9: "William Gibson Talks to io9 About Canada, Draft Dodging, and Godzilla", Locus Online: "Death: Algis Budrys", Science Fiction Awards Watch: "Klima on WFAs", & "Clive Staples Award", SF Novelists: "Book launch: Midnight Never Come", SFScope: "William Gibson radio interview; call-in questions welcomed", & "Editor/Author Algis "A.J." Budrys Dies: full obituary
• Blog Updates including: Horror! Fullmoondirect.com ROAD SHOW Seattle, WA, Kevin J Anderson, Kung Fu Grindhouse, Rosemary Jones, Tor Books, & Yasmine Galenorn

Special Feature
Michael G. Munz: "Playing with Hubris," appears in the June-July issue of NexGen Pulp Magazine
The latest short story by Seattle based speculative fiction author Michael G. Munz is now published in the June-July issue of NexGen Pulp. Munz's story, "Playing with Hubris," is a humorous tale of a man who meets the god Apollo in a modern cafe. The story was referenced in a recent interview by Crystal's Book Reviews. Below is a little teaser/excerpt from the story:

"You're saying you're Apollo. The god."
He smiled disarmingly. "Well, not 'god' in the sense that people use the word these days, but…yes."
I gave him a couple more blinks of cynical disbelief. He certainly seemed a well-dressed psychotic. "God of music…of medicine…drives the sun across the sky and all that?"
"None other than," he agreed. "Though I don't actually drive the sun anymore. They've got that whole thing all automated now. Upkeep on the chariot got to be too much of an expense. Progress, you know."
"Right…"
"You don't believe me," he said, unsurprised.
"Does that bother you?" I asked.
He laughed once and waved his hand in dismissal. "Oh, certainly not. I've had temples built in my honor. I don't need your approval."
"Oh? I thought you guys were supposed to be all ego. And shouldn't you be appearing in the form of a bull or something?"
"Hey, don't be confusing me with my dad. That whole 'carry off the maiden in bull form' was his favorite pastime." He rolled his eyes. "Every Wednesday night."
(special feature and below)


News Headlines:
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Are We Alone - "Building Better Brains"
Forgot your own birthday? Misplaced your Shih Tzu? Did you put the milk in your backpack and the iPod in the fridge? Age may bring wisdom but - alas - not a boost in RAM. But there's hope - scientists are discovering that the brain is more malleable than thought. We'll hear about the science of neuroplasticity and what you can do to slow that cerebellum slide. Ever been to a brain gym? Plus, why the brains of London cabbies are bigger than those of your average commuter. Guests:

• Michael Merzenich - Professor Emeritus Neuroscientist, University of California, San Francisco
• Gordy Slack - Science journalist and author of The Battle Over the Meaning of Everything: Evolution, Intelligent Design, and a School Board in Dover, PA
• Sam Wang - Associate Professor of Neuroscience and Molecular Biology at Princeton University and the author of Welcome to Your Brain: Why You Lose Your Car Keys but Never Forget how to Drive and other Puzzles of Everyday Life
• Lisa Schoonerman - Co-founder, VibrantBrains
• Jan Zivic - Co-founder, VibrantBrains

You can listen to this and other episodes at: http://radio.seti.org/

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Are We A Blog? - Sam Wang writes about appearing on the show, & Bad Alien Evidence -- The Denver Video


Headlines From SF News Sites:
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British Fantasy Society News: BFS Awards 2008 - Time to vote, Cult show Survivors to be remade, & Marvel To Adapt Stand

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io9: William Gibson Talks to io9 About Canada, Draft Dodging, and Godzilla [William Gibson Interview], Charles Stross Explains Why Science is Integral to Fiction [Charles Stross], You Owe Doctor Who To Blackberry [Doctor Who], In 1986, Futuristic Cold Pills -- Without Poison! [Retro Futurism], "Comic Books Unbound" Leaps Over History In Single Bound [Comic Books Unbound], Ray Bradbury Shills for Prunes in 1969 [Retro Futurism], Writer Confirms Pixar's 'John Carter' [John Carter Of Mars], & A Surprise Twist From Joss Whedon's New Show Dollhouse [Morning Spoilers]

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Locus Online: Death: Algis Budrys

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MurkyDepths.com NEWS: Murky Depths' publishing arm signs Sam Stome

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Pantechnicon.net: The Incredible Hulk

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Science Fiction Awards Watch: Klima on WFAs, Clive Staples Award, & BFS Long List Posted

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SciFi Scanner: Site of the Week - Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings, Why Green Lantern Could Be the Next Iron Man, Daily Scan: 06.10.08 - Serbia's First Zombie Movie; He-Man Script Reviewed, SciFi Power Ranking - June 9, 2008, & Daily Scan: 06.09.08 - Pixar to Take on Princess of Mars; Captain America to Appear in Hulk?

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SF Novelists: Book launch: Midnight Never Come

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SF Signal: MEME: What Book Are You Reading Right Now?, REVIEW: Jim Baen's Universe #12, REVIEW: Escapement by Jay Lake, Will The Sci Fi Channel's TV Show/MMO Program Be Successful?, SF Tidbits for 6/10/08, RIP: Algis Budrys, At The Trailer Park: X-Files, Hellboy II, Wall-E, Incredible Hulk, Allen Steele's Coyote Website Goes Live, SF Tidbits for 6/9/08, & Tube Bits for 06/09/2008

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SFScope: Tom Piccirilli sells Shadow Season to Bantam Dell, Jeannie K. Holmes sells two vampire novels to Bantam Dell, Cory Doctorow seeking input for British Little Brother, Allen Steele launches Coyote web site, Rachel Caine sells Glass Houses in Germany, Aeon #14 now available, Orbit Books / Midnight Never Come $500 giveaway, William Gibson radio interview; call-in questions welcomed, N.K. Jemisin sells first three books to Orbit, Editor/Author Algis "A.J." Budrys Dies: full obituary, NASA announces art, essay contest winners, Aeon temporarily closed to submissions, &
Phyllis Gottlieb receives SF Canada's first Lifetime Achievement Award,

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The Website at the End of the Universe: Hollywood is looking for more barrels to scrape for movie ideas, & Ridley Scott mum on which science fiction book he's filming


Selected Blog Updates:
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Alethea Kontis - "Of Mice & Angels"

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Cynthia Leitich Smith -"Author Interview: Franny Billingsley on Big, Bad Bunny", & "Author Interview: Neal A. Lester on Once Upon a Time in a Different World"

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David Louis Edelman - "Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist “MultiReal” Giveaway"

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David Thorpe - "Drug (poem)"

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Di Francis - "dear potentially dead character"

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Erica Spindler - "Memories.."

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Grendels Den Design Studio - "Midwest Haunters Convention"

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HARPER PERENNIAL - "Tony O’Neill - Video, Links, etc. "

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Horror Library Blog-O-Rama - "WORLDS OF HORROR - by Michael A. Arnzen, Guest Blogger", & "A Voice in Their Heads - by Dan Naden"

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Horror! Fullmoondirect.com ROAD SHOW Seattle, WA - "50% Off Father’s Day Sale this Weekend!!! Free shipping!!!", & "DUDES!!! KILLER FATHERS DAY DEAL THIS WEEKEND!"

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Kevin J Anderson - "MAJOR UK DEALS FOR HELLHOLE AND NEW DUNE"

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Kung Fu Grindhouse - "Above the Law"

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Marianne De Pierres - "Resident Evil v Mad Max"

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Planet Pride - "Do Pluto and its moons feature cosmic graffiti?", "Broken Ice", "Where Is the New Horizons Spacecraft?", "Dynamics of Planetary Systems in Star Clusters", "How to Find Faraway Moons", "Scientists to Launch Missle Attack on the Moon -Will Jupiter’s Europa Follow?", & "Clouds of Venus"

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Rosemary Jones - "Those Weeping Ghosts Cost Me!"

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Sherrilyn Kenyon - "June News"

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Tor Books - "6/10 Releases from Tor Books"

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w1n5t0n - "Podcast wtih Cory Doctorow", & "Little Brother: Features, Interviews, Reviews, Extras"

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Willie Meikle - "Discount for my readers"

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Writer's Digest - "Short Short Story Competition Winner"

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Yasmine Galenorn - "A Typical Workday", "Blogging at the Witchy Chicks today...", & "Six Questions With Iris Kuusi (and update on Luna)"