I liked it more than Howard did.
Archive for the ‘Fantasy’ Category
Howard Waldrop and I Review The Hobbit
Monday, December 17th, 2012Finally! Gene Wolfe Named Grandmaster!
Thursday, December 13th, 2012In a well-earned and long-overdue honor, SFWA has finally named Gene Wolfe a Nebula Grandmaster.
Congratulations to Gene for a lifetime of great work, and to SFWA for getting this one right.
(Hat tip: SF Signal.)
Vague Movie Descriptions
Sunday, December 2nd, 2012There was an amusing Fark thread on people giving vague but accurate (or correct but misleading) movie summaries, and people guessing the movie. I enjoyed it enough that I thought I would offer it up here with my own vague summaries. A good number of these are science fiction, fantasy, or horror.
Post your answers below.
Only 12 Hours Left for John Picacio’s Calendar Kickstarter
Tuesday, November 27th, 2012John Picacio ‘s Kickstarter for his 2013 art calendar only runs through noon on November 28, so if you want in, you better hurry up.
He’s already at $25,000, and his next stretch goal is at $30,000.
John Picacio Launches 2013 Calendar Kickstarter
Wednesday, November 14th, 2012Newly Hugo-minted artist and all-around good guy John Picacio has launched a Kickstarter for his 2013 art calendar. Actually, he launched it October 29, and it’s already met the initial goal, I’ve just been too backlogged with Other Stuff to put up a note until now.
Anyway, I’m sure it will be a swell calendar, and you still have until November 28 to get in before the Kickstarter closes.
Book Acquisition: Charnel House Edition of Tim Powers Hide Me Among the Graves
Tuesday, November 13th, 2012Powers, Tim. Hide Me Among the Graves. Charnel House, 2012. First limited edition, one of 124 signed, numbered copies in mica-flecked boards, a Fine copy, sans dj, as issued. The usual oversized, elaborate Charnel House production, ordered pre-publication.
Note: I have an additional copy I’ll be selling through Lame Excuse Books. Drop me a line if you’re interested. Sold
Lawrence Person’s Library: Reference Books (Part 5: Magill’s Sets)
Sunday, September 30th, 2012Back when I edited Nova Express, I tried to pick up all the important SF reference works I could afford that I could lay my hands on. Among those were two extensive Magill’s references sets: Survey of Science Fiction Literature and Survey of Modern Fantasy Literature. Each covers hundreds of key works, alphabetized by title, providing title, author, year of publication, type (novel, etc.), time, setting, key characters, a summary of the book that touches in some measure on its major themes, and a short secondary bibliography. Several notable science fiction writers, editors and critics contributed entries, including Brian Aldiss, John Clute, David Pringle, Brian Stableford and Jack Williamson.
In some ways, the material in these books have been superseded by the aggregate knowledge contained in the Internet. But it’s still a useful reference source. If i want to know, say, what Harry E. Martinson’s Aniara is about, I can read the short entry here rather than the entire book-length poem and be reasonably sure that it’s accurate.
I kept my eyes out for those sets, and picked them up off eBay when affordable copies appeared. I also picked up two more Magill’s sets at a library sale dirt cheap (I think $10 for each set) and those are on the same top shelf.
On the end of the row in the picture is an Ex-Library copy of the first edition of Neil Barron’s Anatomy of Wonder.
There are two other Magill SF/F reference sets I don’t own: Magill’s Guide to Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature from 1996, which culls and condenses the two five volume sets down to a single four volume set, and Classics of Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature from 2002, which condenses them down still further into a two volume set with still more additional material, including my own entry on Patrick O’Leary’s Door Number Three. I believe that Classics of Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature is the only thing I’m in for which I lack a contributor’s copy.
In Anatomy of Wonder 4, Neil Barron calls Survey of Science Fiction Literature “an essential tool, although its price will limit it to larger libraries.” Well, I guess mine qualifies…
Related Posts
Pictures from the 2012 Chicago Worldcon: Monday
Monday, September 17th, 2012And here’s the final set of picture from the Chicago Worldcon, taken on Monday before I left, including some book dealers.
Willis Siros, bookdealer and next year’s Worldcon Fan Guest of Honor:
Mike Walsh, owner of Old Earth Books (and if you’re looking for any of his Howard Waldrop books signed by Howard, I can hook you up).
Greg Ketter of Dreamhaven Books, along with a big of the dealer’s room. For some reason pictures that include large interior spaces always seem to come out orange on my camera.
Larry Hallock of Ygor’s Books.
Sheila Williams, holding her Hugo.
Stephen Haffner, of Haffner Press.
Mel Korshak, founder of Shasta Publishers and someone who attended the first Worldcon in 1939!
I’ve put up two crappy pictures of Charlie Stross, so finally here’s a good one, after he came over to join me, Pat Cadigan and Gardner Dozois for drinks.
And that’s all she wrote for the 2012 Worldcon! See you in San Antonio!
Pictures from the 2012 Chicago Worldcon: Saturday
Saturday, September 8th, 2012Dantzel Cherry, show us your buffalo!
As long as you’re not using it to flack for another science fiction writer named Lawrence…damnit!
Part of a big crowd (along with Beth Mechem and Willie Siros) in the Tor Party:
David Brin, caught mid-laugh:
A very sleepy Lawrence Watt-Evans:
One spins, one measures, one cuts.
I attended the Worldcon SFWA Business meeting at 9 AM that morning, which included a “breakfast” of fruit and bagels. For San Antonio, may I suggest breakfast tacos?
Joe Haldeman also attended.
As did Eileen Gunn.
Gardner Dozois and Eileen.
Elizabeth Bear. If Elizabeth Bear and Greg Bear ever meet, they have the power to transform into a giant grizzly.
A crappy picture from the totally awesome “Secret History of Worldcon” panel. George R. R. Martin (who I was finally able to get my Hugo Loser ribbon from), Mike Resnick, Joe Haldeman, Robert Silverberg. Gardner Dozois, who spaced on the time, joined later. I hope someone recorded that panel. It was epic!
Paolo Bacigalupi and his crying/vomiting cat t-short.
Night Shade Press publisher and infamous clothes horse Jeremy Lassen.
And I never knew he was a Texas Longhorns fan!
John Two-Time Hugo NomineeOne-Time Hugo WINNER DeNardo of SF Signal.
Sue Burke and hubby. I wanted to get pictures to remember them by after the Iberian cannibalism breaks out.
Scott Lynch, with nifty Lovecraft & Tesla T-shirt.
Up close and personal.
James Patrick Kelly must be going.
Gardner Dozois and Amy Sisson:
Janis Ian. Yes, that Janis Ian.
Pictures from the 2012 Chicago WorldCon: Friday
Thursday, September 6th, 2012The obligatory Stina Leicht picture:
Stina was a John W. Campbell Award nominee this year, and she moderated a panel that included Gene Wolfe, Martha Wells, and Joan D. Vinge (below).
After the panel I had lunch with Gene Wolfe, Gary K. Wolfe (below), Gene’s daughter Teri Goulding, and Gary’s girlfriend Stacie Hanes.
Gary ordered the Frank Gehry Sandwich, impressively postmodern and completely impractical.
Alaskan David Marusek:
Laura Ann Gilman. “Smile broadly! Drink heavily!”
Bookseller and Tiger Eye Press publisher Chris Edwards:
Allen Steele.
Jim Minz and Catherine Asaro. I trust you can guess which is which.
James Patrick Kelly, John Kessel and David Marusek. “Look into my eyes!”
Toastmaster and SFWA President John Scalzi:
