A new steampunk event with Abney Park

Steam Ball featuring Abney Park is a steampunk inspired music/dance event in Port Angeles, WA and takes place on August 13.  Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, alternate history, and speculative fiction that involves an era where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century—that incorporates prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy.   

Works of steampunk often feature anachronistic technology or futuristic innovations as Victorians may have envisioned them.  This technology may include such fictional machines as those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne or real technologies like the computer but developed earlier in an alternate history.   

Tickets are $20 prepaid and $25 at the door if there are any left.  Event starts at 9pm; doors open at 8pm, no lining up before 4pm.  The address is 622 South Lincoln Street Port Angeles, WA.  Tickets and other information are at nwperformingarts.com.

Gregory Frost Reading & Signing on 4/20

Gregory Frost Reading and Signing
Monday, April 20th, 2008 • 7:00 p.m.
What: Gregory Frost Reading as part of the NW MediaArts Fantastic Fiction Salons
Where: Richard Hugo House Cabaret • 1634 11th Avenue, Seattle, WA
When: 7:00 PM

$5 suggested donation

SNW Media Arts and the University Book Store invite you to join us each month as we present critically acclaimed writers from across the US whose work showcases the finest of speculative literature. Please join us on April 20th for a reading and conversation with author Gregory Frost as he reads in Seattle for the first time. Greg is also teaching a terrific one-day writing workshopon April 19th and there are still a few openings. See our website for details.

Gregory Frost is a writer of fantasy, science fiction, and thrillers. He has been a finalist for every major award in the SF and fantasy genres. His latest work is the fantasy duology, ShadowbridgeLord Tophet, from Del Rey. Booklist gave it a starred review. The Fantasy Book Critic called it “one of the few must-read fantasies of the year.” and

His previous novel was the historical thriller, Fitcher’s Brides, a re-imagining of the fairy tale of Bluebeard that was a finalist for both the World Fantasy and International Horror Guild Awards for Best Novel. Publishers Weekly called his short story collection, Attack of the Jazz Giants and Other Stories, “one of the best fantasy collections of the year.” He directs the fiction workshop at Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, PA.

The Fantastic Fiction Salon series is co-sponsored by NW MediaArts, Richard Hugo House, and the University Book Store, who will be on site to sell books.

For more information about our workshop series and salons go to:
nwmediaarts.com or email events@nwmediaarts.com

Location:The Black Hole in the basement

Gorgantis to stomp through Northwest

Like a gigantic, fire-breathing, proto-Godzilla (no, wait, that's the blurb from the book cover) author James Morrow (Towing Jehovah, The Last Witchfinder) tours the Northwest with his new book Shambling Towards Hiroshima (2009, Tachyon).

Set in 1945, the book features the travails of Syms Thorley, a Hollywood horror actor based on Lon Chaney. So, in addition to the usual readings, Morrow's stomping book tour/film fest “From Hollywood to Hiroshima," will also include screenings of Chaney's Ghost of Frankenstein (1942) and The Mummy’s Curse (1944). Morrow will introduce and provide commentary on the films.

Known for satire, Morrow is the author of 11 books from The Wine of Violence (1981) to The Philosopher's Apprentice (2008) and Shambling. He's also written three short story collections (the most recent of these is The Cat's Pajamas (2004)). His works have received two World Fantasy Awards, two Nebula Awards, the Prix Utopia, and the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire. Shambling Towards Hiroshima tells the story of the U.S. Navy’s attempts to make the Japanese surrender using a Godzilla-esque biological weapon — "the merciless Gorgantis."

In Seattle: Morrow reads 2 p.m, Sun., March 16 at University Book Store and presents “From Hollywood to Hiroshima," 7 p.m., Mon., March 16, at NW Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave. $5 donation suggested. Co-sponsored by NW Media Arts, Tachyon Publications, and the University Book Store.

In San Francisco: See “From Hollywood to Hiroshima," 6:30 p.m., Wed., March 11 at the Variety Preview Room, The Hobart Building, 582 Market St. Free. This is an SF in SF event sponsored by Tachyon Publications. Morrow reads 7 p.m., Thurs., March 12 at Clayton Books, 5433 D Clayton Road, Clayton CA.

Speaking of Tachyon, other recent releases from this San Francsico-based publisher, include short story collections: Thomas M. Disch's The Wall of America, WisCon 33 Guest of Honor Ellen Klages' Portable Childhoods, Michael Stanwick's The Dog Said Bow-Wow, and Susan Palwick's The Fate of Mice; and anthologies: The New Weird, Rewired: The Post-Cyberpunk Anthology, and Steampunk. There are also novels out by Peter S. Beagle, Nancy Kress, and Carol Emshwiller and a collection of essays Content: Selected Essays on Technology, Creativity, Copyright, and the Future of the Future by Cory Doctorow (whose novel, Little Brother, (Tor, 2008) is up for a Nebula).