Monday, July 7, 2008

News and Blog Updates: July 07, 2008

Spcial Feature: Nicola Griffith: "why I love science fiction"(repost)

Nicola Griffith recently posted a blog entry titled "why I love science fiction", and with her permission I am posting the entry below in it's entirety:

"At the SF Hall of Fame induction last month, William Gibson said, "I am a native of sf, not a resident." I know exactly how he feels. I just did a blog post about it over at Ask Nicola. I also posted on my website and essay, first published last year, called Identity and SF: Story As Science and Fiction. Enjoy."

I found both the ASK NICOLA "quotes, an occasional series, #4: native of sf" blog post and "Identity and SF: Story As Science and Fiction" essay very interesting, and with respect to the essay, very inspiring. I think they are well worth your time to read and enjoy as I did. Also, below you will find links to Nicola's site, Blogspot blog, as well as MySpace profile and blog:

Thanks again to Nicola Griffith for allowing me to post the contents of the blog here ~ Jim


News Worth Reposting:
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Are We Alone - "Speaking Klingon"
Ever try talking to an alien? In the movies, they always speak perfect English. But what if we really made contact? Could we just whip out a universal translator - or even a babelfish - to understand one another? Let's say we do learn to communicate: what to say, what to say? We'll hear the protocol for just how to reply to ET. And, from Klingon to Esperanto: the recipe for creating a language from scratch. Plus, get ready to babble with your Blackberry: how computers are learning to recognize - and respond - to human speech.

h:qs:.p*. D5Q5=Q1=D3Q3 Q1=ql.px:n.k*. D5Q5=tr'.z*w What does this mean? Listen to the show to find out! Guests:
  • Terrence Deacon - Professor of anthropology and neuroscience, University of California, Berkeley
  • Douglas Vakoch - Director of Interstellar Message Composition, SETI Institute
  • Donald Boozer - Librarian, Coordinator of Cleveland Public Library's recent exhibit "Esperanto, Elvish, and Beyond...The World of Constructed Languages"
  • Jim Glass - Director of the Spoken Language Systems Group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory Systems.
    Ask MIT's Jupiter about the weather!
You can listen to this and other episodes at: http://radio.seti.org/ and be sure to check the Are We Alone Profile and Blog on MySpace.

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Clarkesworld Magazine / Wyrm Publishing - New Books from Wyrm Publishing (Gene Wolfe and Clarkesworld)
Now in stock and shipping from Wyrm Publishing:
  • Memorare by Gene Wolfe (signed limited edition hardcover)
  • Realms: The First Year of Clarkesworld Magazine (trade paperback and hardcover)
Details and ordering information available here.

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Next Steamcon Meeting! - Sunday July 27th at 3:00 - 4:45 P.M. at the Capitol Hill branch of the Public Library. 425 Harvard Ave. E. Seattle WA

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GUD Magazine - Special offer for NWSFS News Blog readers!
For the entire month of July, GUD Magazine ( http://www.gudmagazine.com/ ) will be offering 50% off for the PDF versions of Issues 0 and 1 for readers of the NWSFS Blogs. Go to: http://www.gudmagazine.com/subs/subscribe-nwsfs.php

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Phoebe Matthews - A note from Mudflat (and a free postcard)
Tarbaby Trouble, by Phoebe Matthews, first of the Mudflat series, is available through Bookstrand.com on July 2. Fantasy readers, check Phoebe's website at http://phoebematthews.com to read the first 2 chapters, plus blurbs and reviews. If you would like a free postcard from Mudflat, check the Mudflat page!


Headlines From SF News Sites:
io9, Locus Online, & SF Signal have news on the passing of Thomas M. Disch, and SFScope
posts of "Two contests to win more than 100 sf dvds"
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Clarkesworld Magazine and Wyrm Publishing: 2008 Locus Poll... Did we get the REAL results?

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io9: The Last Interview of Thomas M. Disch [Thomas M. Disch], True Tales from Beyond the Solar System [Voyager], Mutant Monster Chickens Stalk “The Farm of Tomorrow” (1954) [Retro Futurism], Andre Norton's Legacy Becomes A Battleground [Andre Norton], Bill Nye The Science Guy Tells Larry King He's All Alone [UFO Debates], Russell T Davies On Life Post-Who [Doctor Who], New "Earth Stood Still" Isn't Just Eco-Horror [The Day The Earth Stood Still], Are Mercury's Days as a Planet Numbered? [Mad Geophysics], Neal Stephenson Explains Who Should Play Spock [Neal Stephenson], Doctor Who's Midlife Metacrisis [Doctor Who Recap], & ABC Invites You To Get Lost In Books [Lost]

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Locus Online: Death: Thomas M. Disch

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RevolutionSF: Lost Book Club Gives Us Something To Do If The TV Is Busted or Something (News), Trailer Probe: Rock-afire Explosion (Feature), Trailer Probe : Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (Feature), & Trailer Probe : Day The Earth Stood Still (Feature)

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Science Fiction Awards Watch: Hugo Deadline Today

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SciFi Scanner: Masters of SciFi - Journey to the Center of the Earth Director Eric Brevig Trailblazes Into 3D, SciFi Power Ranking - July 7, 2008, & Daily Scan: 07.07.08 - Zach Snyder's Watchmen Video Journal; Neal Stephenson on the SciFi Genre

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SF Novelists: Making Cross-Promotion Fun

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SF Signal: Darth Vader Plays Golf, At The Trailer Park: Knowing, Mutant Chronicles, Dark Knight, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Books Received: June 2008 (Pick Your Favorite Cover!), SF Tidbits for 7/7/08, Tube Bits for 07/07/2008, & RIP: Thomas M. Disch,

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SFScope: Two contests to win more than 100 sf dvds, Asimov's September issue, Tor's New Freebies... and News, Top Box Office Grossers: Last Week of June, OSC's Intergalactic Medicine Show publishes issue #9, Author Thomas M. Disch Dies, & Comic book artist Michael Turner dies,

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The Website at the End of the Universe: Does Chad Vader know about this?, & Ultraman speaks to the press


Selected Blog Updates:
Check out the blogs from Dark Horse Comics, Donna Barr, Holly Cupala, Jodi Lee, Kelley Eskridge, Nicola Griffith, and Yasmine Galenorn.
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Bret Jordan - "SINISTER LANDSCAPES"

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Cornelia - "Cornelia Amiri’s Surf the Net Newsletter"

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Dark Horse Comics - "Buffy Needs Your Help (Hellboy too!)", & "Book Tour with Stainboy!"

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David Louis Edelman - "The Jump 225 Jumbo Mega-Bonanza Summer Giveaway, Week 2"

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Donna Barr: All Things Barr - Techno-hicks Forever

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Echelon Press, LLC - "The Secret of Fairy Dust, Self-Promotion, and Success!"

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HARPER PERENNIAL - "Att NYERS 2 Big Events Coming Up"

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Holly Cupala - "The Week in Pictures"

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Horror Library Blog-O-Rama - "A Writer’s Curse - by Dan Naden"

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Jeff Carlson - "Cover art for Fast Forward 2"

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Jenna Black - "I’m Alive!"

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Jodi Lee - "Spare Laptops for Clarion West Writers"

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John Scalzi's "Whatever" - Advance Warning: August = Head Down, Duck, Duck… Winner!, & Tom Easton on Zoe’s Tale

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Karina L. Fabian - "Dr. Who: Mourning Donna Noble"

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kelleyeskridge.com - Being human (1) — Where the hell is Matt?, & Dark Knight, Joker’s wild

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Melissa Marr - "Book videos (by Fazi Editore & by readers!)"

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Nicola Griffith: Ask Nicola - separate but unequal

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Paul Halpern - "A History of Prediction"

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Sakura Con 2009 "Cosplay Parade!"

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The Crotchety Old Fan - COF Review: The Great Romance, & Flea Markets

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Tor Books - "Releasing 7/8 from Tor Books"

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TREI Literary Magazine - TREI Literary Magazine....Launch Update

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Yasmine Galenorn - "My blog for today...", & "Luna ATE!"

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