Colony population kid kill control allowance.
3.5 out of 5
http://www.electricvelocipede.com/2011/08/08/a-taste-for-flowers/
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Guy Haley Interviews - Richard Morgan
"“One reviewer did confess to me yes, this is even slightly arousing, you know. Again that made me proud. The thing I would compare it to is there’s a fantastic book by Pete Dexter called Train, and it deals with golf. I am not interested in golf at all, it bores me rigid, and I certainly can’t see why anyone would be passionately interested in it. But you read Train, and for a while I can see why someone else might be interested in it. I am hoping that this is what works in the sex scenes in The Steel Remains, it isn’t going to make you think, ‘Ooh, maybe I should go out and shag a bloke’, but it’s going to make you think ‘Uh, I can see why gay guys would get off on this’. I suppose that is what all fiction is trying to do, it’s trying to take you to a place you wouldn’t go normally and show you something and say, ‘Yeah, how do you feel about that?’” We both laugh again. It’s funny, we have lots of violence in books, and nobody assumes a writer is a murderer, but chuck a bit of gayness in there…
“It’s true,” says Morgan, “you very rarely get someone asking authors the question: ‘So, have you ever killed anybody?’”"
4.5 out of 5
http://guyhaley.wordpress.com/interviews-2/richard-morgan-2008/
“It’s true,” says Morgan, “you very rarely get someone asking authors the question: ‘So, have you ever killed anybody?’”"
4.5 out of 5
http://guyhaley.wordpress.com/interviews-2/richard-morgan-2008/
A Box of Thunder - Lewis Shiner
Lying about the lack of guns in our post-crash city.
3.5 out of 5
http://www.strangehorizons.com/2011/20110919/thunder-f.shtml
3.5 out of 5
http://www.strangehorizons.com/2011/20110919/thunder-f.shtml
The Gurnard - Neal Asher
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
The Unknown: The Devil Made Flesh - TPB vol. 02
Doyle and Allingham have split for unknown reasons. Doyle tries to get a job as security for a company hiring extra staff for an event featuring Allingham, when he finds out she has a new assistant, and doesn't remember him. She also should be dead, having had a brain tumour and six months to live a year ago.
It all leads to a case in a small town of horror that neither of them can remember, and a setup.
4 out of 5
https://comics.comixology.com/#/issue/14830/The-Unknown-Vol-2-The-Devil-Made-Flesh-Collected-Edition
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Vs. Reality 1 - Blake Northcott
"Looking over his shoulder, the mugger notices the two looming figures that are now providing an unwanted audience. He turns to face them and tightens the grip on his weapon, leaving one hand on his victim’s throat has he pins her against the wall. “What is this shit?”
Cocking his head slightly to the side as a thin smile pulls across his lips, Goto offers a friendly reply in a proper British accent. “Divine intervention.”
Goto extends his arm and makes the slightest of gestures with his hand, slowly rotating his fingers as if he were adjusting an invisible valve. From close to forty feet away the mugger throws his head back in agony and he screams in pain. The knife falls to the ground and he collapses into the fetal position, convulsing in agony. He frantically claws at his temples as if he’s trying to scrape insects off the inside of his skull.
Goto approaches his now-disabled opponent, taking a knee and leaning down to sarcastically show concern. Mr. Heinreich stands behind him, expressionless.
“Ouch. I bet that feels like an ice pick twisting into your cerebral cortex. Or so I’ve been told. I’m sorry Mister Miller, but this evening you’ve chosen the wrong alley, and the wrong victim.”
The mugger tries to recover from the blinding pain, rolling on to his back and propping himself up. Thick streams of blood are trickling from his ears and nose. He tries to speak but the pain is overwhelming.
After a moment he begins to stammer. “What the f…y-you can’t do this to me…the goddamned cops can’t just attack people…I’m an American!”
Goto cocks his head again, ever so slightly, and makes deliberate eye contact with the mugger. He replies as if he’s addressing a small child, speaking slowly in a soft, even tone. “We’re not the police, Mr. Miller. Far from it. But we do tend to show up when laws are being broken.”
Goto stands upright, dusts off his jacket and turns his attention to Mr. Heinreich. “Since our patriotic friend here feels that he’s being treated unfairly, Mr. Heinreich, would you be kind enough to read him his rights?”
Mr. Heinreich reaches down and grabs the mugger by the head with one hand as if he’s palming a basketball. With a swift, violent motion, he drives Mr. Miller face-first into the brick wall, embedding him directly into the mortar. The sound travels down the alley like a powerful shotgun blast, startling a pair of pigeons near a dumpster.
The mugger is now dangling from the wall, being suspended by his pulverized skull. The woman opens her mouth to scream in horror, but she’s unable to make a sound.
Goto looks pleased, and responds with a hint of a smile. “Thank you Mr. Heinreich, that was very articulate.”
The victim, sobbing and disheveled, throws herself towards Mr. Heinreich in relief, wrapping her tiny arms around his massive torso. He remains expressionless, but cradles her loosely in his arms nonetheless.
She buries her tear-stained face into Mr. Heinreich’s chest and feels a sense of comfort and safety. Wiping her face and trying to regain her composure, she looks up at her savior and smiles weakly. “Thank you! Y-you saved my life! What can I do to repay you?”
Goto approaches her from behind. “You can start by relaxing and standing still.”
“What?” The girl has less than a second to process the information. Before she can react, Goto produces a long syringe and plunges it deep into her neck, pressing down hard on the plunger and injecting her with a red-colored liquid. Almost instantly she’s rendered unconscious."
4 out of 5
http://www.blakenorthcott.com/vs-reality-sample-chapter/
Cocking his head slightly to the side as a thin smile pulls across his lips, Goto offers a friendly reply in a proper British accent. “Divine intervention.”
Goto extends his arm and makes the slightest of gestures with his hand, slowly rotating his fingers as if he were adjusting an invisible valve. From close to forty feet away the mugger throws his head back in agony and he screams in pain. The knife falls to the ground and he collapses into the fetal position, convulsing in agony. He frantically claws at his temples as if he’s trying to scrape insects off the inside of his skull.
Goto approaches his now-disabled opponent, taking a knee and leaning down to sarcastically show concern. Mr. Heinreich stands behind him, expressionless.
“Ouch. I bet that feels like an ice pick twisting into your cerebral cortex. Or so I’ve been told. I’m sorry Mister Miller, but this evening you’ve chosen the wrong alley, and the wrong victim.”
The mugger tries to recover from the blinding pain, rolling on to his back and propping himself up. Thick streams of blood are trickling from his ears and nose. He tries to speak but the pain is overwhelming.
After a moment he begins to stammer. “What the f…y-you can’t do this to me…the goddamned cops can’t just attack people…I’m an American!”
Goto cocks his head again, ever so slightly, and makes deliberate eye contact with the mugger. He replies as if he’s addressing a small child, speaking slowly in a soft, even tone. “We’re not the police, Mr. Miller. Far from it. But we do tend to show up when laws are being broken.”
Goto stands upright, dusts off his jacket and turns his attention to Mr. Heinreich. “Since our patriotic friend here feels that he’s being treated unfairly, Mr. Heinreich, would you be kind enough to read him his rights?”
Mr. Heinreich reaches down and grabs the mugger by the head with one hand as if he’s palming a basketball. With a swift, violent motion, he drives Mr. Miller face-first into the brick wall, embedding him directly into the mortar. The sound travels down the alley like a powerful shotgun blast, startling a pair of pigeons near a dumpster.
The mugger is now dangling from the wall, being suspended by his pulverized skull. The woman opens her mouth to scream in horror, but she’s unable to make a sound.
Goto looks pleased, and responds with a hint of a smile. “Thank you Mr. Heinreich, that was very articulate.”
The victim, sobbing and disheveled, throws herself towards Mr. Heinreich in relief, wrapping her tiny arms around his massive torso. He remains expressionless, but cradles her loosely in his arms nonetheless.
She buries her tear-stained face into Mr. Heinreich’s chest and feels a sense of comfort and safety. Wiping her face and trying to regain her composure, she looks up at her savior and smiles weakly. “Thank you! Y-you saved my life! What can I do to repay you?”
Goto approaches her from behind. “You can start by relaxing and standing still.”
“What?” The girl has less than a second to process the information. Before she can react, Goto produces a long syringe and plunges it deep into her neck, pressing down hard on the plunger and injecting her with a red-colored liquid. Almost instantly she’s rendered unconscious."
4 out of 5
http://www.blakenorthcott.com/vs-reality-sample-chapter/
131 Days 1-2 - Keith C. Blackmore
"Baylus stood in a white tunnel, long and bare, leading upward to a thick portcullis. A gatekeeper stood a few paces in front of him checking his fingernails for dirt. A lever protruded from the wall over his left shoulder. Baylus ignored the gatekeeper and regarded the bench to his right. There for support, he had sat on it once before toward the end of his first tournament because he had been tired of it all and couldn’t wait to be finished, one way or another. That was five years ago. He had done that five years ago and vowed never to return. Made promises to dead men that he’d never return. Yet, here he was. And for what? When he hacked heads off brutes trying to do the same to him, he wished it was finished. He wished it was done, either with him winning it all or just dying in one short, spraying grunt. He had vowed he would never return to the hell of the Sunja’s Pit. But here he was, both ashamed and excited.
He had won it all five years ago. He won the title and the coin. He had a life of unwanted celebrity status and routine. He avoided people who wanted stories of the Pit. He got angry with them, got angry at the smiles when they told their tales of warriors, of gladiators, when really they didn’t know one damned thing. They were spectators watching men tear the guts out of each over and delighting in it for an afternoon. Or morning. Or whenever the bloodletting was scheduled. All believed they knew his strengths and weaknesses. They didn’t know anything more than what they saw from the stands high above, far away from harm. One time, a crazy Zhiberian had flung his spear into the masses and pinned two poor unlucky bastards through their gullets. That was the talk of the gladiators that day, and more than one wished they had come up with the same idea. Not that the Zhiberian got away with it. They dragged him out of Sunja’s Pit using meat hooks. Archers had cut him down right proper. But he had gotten his point across.
The crowds were both grand and… evil."
4 out of 5
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/80079
He had won it all five years ago. He won the title and the coin. He had a life of unwanted celebrity status and routine. He avoided people who wanted stories of the Pit. He got angry with them, got angry at the smiles when they told their tales of warriors, of gladiators, when really they didn’t know one damned thing. They were spectators watching men tear the guts out of each over and delighting in it for an afternoon. Or morning. Or whenever the bloodletting was scheduled. All believed they knew his strengths and weaknesses. They didn’t know anything more than what they saw from the stands high above, far away from harm. One time, a crazy Zhiberian had flung his spear into the masses and pinned two poor unlucky bastards through their gullets. That was the talk of the gladiators that day, and more than one wished they had come up with the same idea. Not that the Zhiberian got away with it. They dragged him out of Sunja’s Pit using meat hooks. Archers had cut him down right proper. But he had gotten his point across.
The crowds were both grand and… evil."
4 out of 5
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/80079
Dreams In the Witch House 1 - H. P. Lovecraft
"Turn down the lights and nuzzle up to your speakers – we’re sharing some Dreams in the Witch House with guest Kenneth Hite and reader Dave Stinton!"
4.5 out of 5
http://www.hppodcraft.com/podcasts/11_09_15_hppodcraft_ep090.mp3
4.5 out of 5
http://www.hppodcraft.com/podcasts/11_09_15_hppodcraft_ep090.mp3
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Deluge 85 - Brian Keene
"Novak frowned. “The hell is that?”
Six female figures broke the surface, surrounding the ship as they bobbed up and down in time with the waves. Sultry, full-lipped and full-bodied, their naked breasts seeming to float just above the water. Their blonde, brunette, and red hair was plastered to their shoulders and backs, dripping seaweed. Although they were only visible from the waist up, Sarah caught a shadowed glimpse of their fish tails thrashing beneath the water. Their mouths were open in song.
“Sirens,” Simon shouted. “The brides of Leviathan! Mister Novak, find something to stuff in your ears and block them right now. Have the crew muster inside the bridge. We’ll need them armed with every weapon you have on board this vessel. We have a fight on our hands.”"
3.5 out of 5
http://www.briankeene.com/?p=9095
Six female figures broke the surface, surrounding the ship as they bobbed up and down in time with the waves. Sultry, full-lipped and full-bodied, their naked breasts seeming to float just above the water. Their blonde, brunette, and red hair was plastered to their shoulders and backs, dripping seaweed. Although they were only visible from the waist up, Sarah caught a shadowed glimpse of their fish tails thrashing beneath the water. Their mouths were open in song.
“Sirens,” Simon shouted. “The brides of Leviathan! Mister Novak, find something to stuff in your ears and block them right now. Have the crew muster inside the bridge. We’ll need them armed with every weapon you have on board this vessel. We have a fight on our hands.”"
3.5 out of 5
http://www.briankeene.com/?p=9095
Friday, September 23, 2011
The Unknown Vol 1
A fun Weird Detective adventure by Mark Waid and Minck Oosterveer. The heroine is Sherlockian and ill - and has to find some help to solve this. The artist just died in an accident, so BOOM is releasing this is a tribute.
Definitely recommended.
4 out of 5
http://www.comixology.com/digital/14829/The-Unknown-Vol-1-Collected-Edition
Queen of the Iron Sands 7 1 Fifinella and the Invisible Men - Scott Lycn
""Flurrrrgh glarrrgh expostulate the rectal rod!" hollered Avila.
Oh, intermittently useful telepathic fungus.
I've learned a great deal about both Martian anatomy and Martian vulgarity in the years since this incident, imaginary reader. To this day I still have no idea what Avila was driving at.
Whoosh whoosh hiss. The spider-creature didn't bellow back at us. Silently fixated on the loss of three possible meals, it announced its presence only with the deadly sound of legs hitting sand. Whoosh whoosh hiss. "
3.5 out of 5
http://www.scottlynch.us/sandschapters/7.html
Oh, intermittently useful telepathic fungus.
I've learned a great deal about both Martian anatomy and Martian vulgarity in the years since this incident, imaginary reader. To this day I still have no idea what Avila was driving at.
Whoosh whoosh hiss. The spider-creature didn't bellow back at us. Silently fixated on the loss of three possible meals, it announced its presence only with the deadly sound of legs hitting sand. Whoosh whoosh hiss. "
3.5 out of 5
http://www.scottlynch.us/sandschapters/7.html
Dolly - Elizabeth Bear
Requiem Duet Concerto for Flute and Voodoo - Eugie Foster
Grim gris-gris.
2.5 out of 5
http://dailysciencefiction.com/story/eugie-foster/requiem-duet-concerto-for-flute-and-voodoo
2.5 out of 5
http://dailysciencefiction.com/story/eugie-foster/requiem-duet-concerto-for-flute-and-voodoo
Secret Identity - Paul Cornell
Big non-gay alter ego.
3.5 out of 5
http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.libsyn.com/starshipsofa/StarShipSofa_No_204_Paul_Cornell_Elizabeth_Bear.mp3
3.5 out of 5
http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.libsyn.com/starshipsofa/StarShipSofa_No_204_Paul_Cornell_Elizabeth_Bear.mp3
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
The Sultan of the Clouds 3 - Geoffrey A. Landis
3rd part of an audio serial.
3 out of 5
http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.libsyn.com/starshipsofa/StarShipSofa_No_203_Josh_Roseman_Geoffrey_A_Landis_Pt_3.mp3
3 out of 5
http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.libsyn.com/starshipsofa/StarShipSofa_No_203_Josh_Roseman_Geoffrey_A_Landis_Pt_3.mp3
The Epoch Index - Christian Cantrell
Your future self sent me to kill all these nuclear terrorists Agent Quinn.
4 out of 5
http://www.livingdigitally.net/books/epoch/epoch_index.html
4 out of 5
http://www.livingdigitally.net/books/epoch/epoch_index.html
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
The Big Time - Fritz Leiber
Now with a librivox audio version.
Stuck in a time war.
4 out of 5
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/32256/32256-h/32256-h.htm
http://librivox.org/the-big-time-by-fritz-leiber/
Stuck in a time war.
4 out of 5
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/32256/32256-h/32256-h.htm
http://librivox.org/the-big-time-by-fritz-leiber/
Friday, September 16, 2011
The Detachment 5 - Barry Eisler
"“Look,” Larison said, “no one can just disappear anymore. Everyone is findable. It’s a condition of modern life. You want total security? You have to disconnect. Live off the grid, remotely, no contact with the outside world. But if you like cities, and judo, and jazz, and coffee houses, and culture, all of which is part of your file, you don’t have a chance if someone like Hort is determined to find you. The only way is to make it so the people who are looking for you, stop looking for you.”
“How do you do that?” I asked, my tone casual.
He took another sip of coffee. “You wait for the right opportunity.”
“Or you make one,” I suggested.
He nodded. “Or you make one. And I’ll tell you one other thing. If you decide to accept Hort’s offer, whatever it is? Charge him for it. Charge him a lot. He can afford it.”"
3.5 out of 5
http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2011/09/detachment-by-barry-eisler.html
“How do you do that?” I asked, my tone casual.
He took another sip of coffee. “You wait for the right opportunity.”
“Or you make one,” I suggested.
He nodded. “Or you make one. And I’ll tell you one other thing. If you decide to accept Hort’s offer, whatever it is? Charge him for it. Charge him a lot. He can afford it.”"
3.5 out of 5
http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2011/09/detachment-by-barry-eisler.html
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Combat Jack - Gavin G. Smith
Anti-Hydra wank filmed? Capital, Them.
3.5 out of 5
http://www.orionbooks.co.uk/genres/sf-fantasy/gollancz-blog/brand-new-short-story-from-gavin-g.-smith
3.5 out of 5
http://www.orionbooks.co.uk/genres/sf-fantasy/gollancz-blog/brand-new-short-story-from-gavin-g.-smith
Clarkesworld 60 - Neil Clarke
Here's your garden variety 3.25 issue with a Fulda article of simulating intelligence.
Clarkesworld 60 : Clarkesworld 60 - Neil Clarke
Clarkesworld 60 : Pack - Robert Reed
Clarkesworld 60 : Signals in the Deep - Greg Mellor
Dog mess with tech.
3 out of 5
100AU Starfish message, mum.
3.5 out of 5
3.5 out of 5
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/issue_60
Clarkesworld 60 : Clarkesworld 60 - Neil Clarke
Clarkesworld 60 : Pack - Robert Reed
Clarkesworld 60 : Signals in the Deep - Greg Mellor
Dog mess with tech.
3 out of 5
100AU Starfish message, mum.
3.5 out of 5
3.5 out of 5
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/issue_60
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Meet - Gareth L. Powell
"Q: Your previous title, Silver Sands, appears to be an SF mystery. The world sounds quite noir – ‘a world of political intrigue, espionage and subterfuge; a world of retired cops, digital ghosts and corporate assassins’. Are you a film noir fan?
A: I have long been a fan of films such as The Maltese Falcon and LA Confidential, and have dipped into the world of the hardboiled detective through short stories and novels by Raymond Chandler and the like. However, I think I owe my real love of “noir” to the “tech-noir” look and feel of films such as Blade Runner, The Terminator, and Aliens; and the literary worlds explored by the Cyberpunks in the late 1980s—especially William Gibson’s “Sprawl” series of novels and short stories, including Burning Chrome and Neuromancer."
3.5 out of 5
http://rowena-cory-daniells.com/2011/09/14/meet-gareth-powell/
A: I have long been a fan of films such as The Maltese Falcon and LA Confidential, and have dipped into the world of the hardboiled detective through short stories and novels by Raymond Chandler and the like. However, I think I owe my real love of “noir” to the “tech-noir” look and feel of films such as Blade Runner, The Terminator, and Aliens; and the literary worlds explored by the Cyberpunks in the late 1980s—especially William Gibson’s “Sprawl” series of novels and short stories, including Burning Chrome and Neuromancer."
3.5 out of 5
http://rowena-cory-daniells.com/2011/09/14/meet-gareth-powell/
Author Spotlight - David Brin
"“Bubbles” was originally written in 1995. What inspired you to write this story?
Most of the universe is the regions between galaxies, yet no stories are ever set in that vast emptiness. I like a challenge."
3.5 out of 5
http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/nonfiction/author-spotlight-david-brin/
Most of the universe is the regions between galaxies, yet no stories are ever set in that vast emptiness. I like a challenge."
3.5 out of 5
http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/nonfiction/author-spotlight-david-brin/
Stealth - Kristine Kathryn Rusch
"Instead, he sighed and let his arms fall to his sides. “Salvage, Rose?”
It was her turn to shrug. “Once a cargo monkey, always a cargo monkey,” she said with less levity than she had planned.
“Still,” he said, “someone as brilliant as you shouldn’t work salvage.”
“I needed time off from being brilliant,” she said. “Being brilliant kills people.”
“And working salvage doesn’t?”
She thought back to the dive that had caused her to break up with Turtle, the dive that had cost the lives of two other divers because Boss hadn’t believed that Squishy had known what she was talking about. Squishy had known that the Dignity Vessel they had found was dangerous, and Boss wouldn’t listen. The deaths weren’t the worst of it. The deaths had simply been a symptom of the way that stealth tech—imperial stealth tech—seemed to drive everyone insane.
“Do you ever hate your life, Quint?” Squishy asked.
He studied her for a few minutes. She could see him trying out and discarding several answers, including the first one—the truthful one, whatever that may have been.
“No, I don’t hate my life,” he said. “Why?”"
4 out of 5
http://www.asimovs.com/2011_10-11/exc_story2.shtml
It was her turn to shrug. “Once a cargo monkey, always a cargo monkey,” she said with less levity than she had planned.
“Still,” he said, “someone as brilliant as you shouldn’t work salvage.”
“I needed time off from being brilliant,” she said. “Being brilliant kills people.”
“And working salvage doesn’t?”
She thought back to the dive that had caused her to break up with Turtle, the dive that had cost the lives of two other divers because Boss hadn’t believed that Squishy had known what she was talking about. Squishy had known that the Dignity Vessel they had found was dangerous, and Boss wouldn’t listen. The deaths weren’t the worst of it. The deaths had simply been a symptom of the way that stealth tech—imperial stealth tech—seemed to drive everyone insane.
“Do you ever hate your life, Quint?” Squishy asked.
He studied her for a few minutes. She could see him trying out and discarding several answers, including the first one—the truthful one, whatever that may have been.
“No, I don’t hate my life,” he said. “Why?”"
4 out of 5
http://www.asimovs.com/2011_10-11/exc_story2.shtml
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Edgar Rice Burroughs's Venus Part 3: Carson of Venus - Ryan Harvey
"Ye gods, Carson Napier, but are you ever going to do something proactive? The character’s passivity in Carson of Venus starts to get maddening. Perhaps it’s prudent to bide time within the enemy city of Amlot for the right time to act; but in an Edgar Rice Burroughs adventure, heroes should be bombastic and risk-taking, not sitting around knitting until it is almost too late. The satiric punches made at the pseudo-Nazis are funny, but I would rather see the hero make actual punches at them. Also, considering the level of intelligence Carson has shown before, he is the last person anyone would trust on a spy mission."
4 out of 5
http://www.blackgate.com/2011/09/13/edgar-rice-burroughs’s-venus-part-3-carson-of-venus/
4 out of 5
http://www.blackgate.com/2011/09/13/edgar-rice-burroughs’s-venus-part-3-carson-of-venus/
From Around Here 2 - Tim Pratt
From Around Here - Tim Pratt
Home is where the little island god is.
4 out of 5
http://www.castmacabre.org/2011/09/cm44-from-around-here-by-tim-pratt-pt-2.html
Home is where the little island god is.
4 out of 5
http://www.castmacabre.org/2011/09/cm44-from-around-here-by-tim-pratt-pt-2.html
From Around Here 1 - Tim Pratt
From Around Here - Tim Pratt
Home is where the little island god is.
4 out of 5
http://www.castmacabre.org/2011/08/cm43-from-around-here-by-tim-pratt-pt-1.html
Home is where the little island god is.
4 out of 5
http://www.castmacabre.org/2011/08/cm43-from-around-here-by-tim-pratt-pt-1.html
Wikihistory - Desmond Warzel
Wikihistory - Desmond Warzel
http://www.abyssandapex.com/200710-wikihistory.html
Removing your own ancestor not advisable.
4 out of 5
http://www.tor.com/stories/2011/08/wikihistory
http://www.abyssandapex.com/200710-wikihistory.html
Removing your own ancestor not advisable.
4 out of 5
http://www.tor.com/stories/2011/08/wikihistory
Monday, September 12, 2011
Author Interview - Guy Haley
"In this particular story, Richards and Klein are sort of bullied by the AI head of the European Police into investigating the death of Zhang Qifang, the world's foremost AI rights activist, who appears to have been murdered more than once. As they draw closer to solving this unusual homicide, they discover a plot that puts both the Grid (VR cyberland internet thingy) and the Real (er, the real world) in danger...
Theme wise, it's kind of about the Singularity. Some people have called this a Singularity book, which is close, but not entirely right, in a way I think of it as an Anti-Singularity book.
I don't really believe in the Singularity as such, technology may accelerate to dizzying levels of change, but people will remain people. What Richards and Klein are living through might well be referred to as The Singularity by historians in their future, but like our own constantly changing today, to them it's just everyday life, as all centuries and all times and all cultures are to those that exist within them. But I can say Reality 36 touches on what it means to be alive, with one of my heroes a machine that thinks it's a man, the other a man who was made into a machine, the technology of their day throws this question into stark relief."
3.5 out of 5
http://scififanletter.blogspot.com/2011/09/author-interview-guy-haley.html
Theme wise, it's kind of about the Singularity. Some people have called this a Singularity book, which is close, but not entirely right, in a way I think of it as an Anti-Singularity book.
I don't really believe in the Singularity as such, technology may accelerate to dizzying levels of change, but people will remain people. What Richards and Klein are living through might well be referred to as The Singularity by historians in their future, but like our own constantly changing today, to them it's just everyday life, as all centuries and all times and all cultures are to those that exist within them. But I can say Reality 36 touches on what it means to be alive, with one of my heroes a machine that thinks it's a man, the other a man who was made into a machine, the technology of their day throws this question into stark relief."
3.5 out of 5
http://scififanletter.blogspot.com/2011/09/author-interview-guy-haley.html
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Raga Six 1 - Frank Lauria
"When he came down the stairs, he saw Doctor Orient waiting for him outside the study.
He was so thin these days, even thinner than the time he had the trouble with the crazy girl. His dark skin was getting sallow from being indoors so much and his green eyes were washed out and dim.
Doctor Orient was tall and usually carried his frame with the alert poise of an athlete, but now his wide shoulders slumped and his long hands dangled unenthusiastically from his wrists. Even the white streak
in his long black hair seemed to have gotten wider in these last few months. He had always been a private man, but lately he'd become unreachable. Sordi dropped his bag and looked into his face. Six months ago the doctor had looked like a boy of twenty-five. Tonight the lines stretched deep under his jutting cheekbones, pulling down at the upturned corners of his mouth. He looked burned out.
But his hand was firm and, when he spoke, Sordi could hear something beyond the words of farewell. The sincere awareness of three years of friendship."
3 out of 5
http://ereads.com/ecms/books.php?id=1719#
He was so thin these days, even thinner than the time he had the trouble with the crazy girl. His dark skin was getting sallow from being indoors so much and his green eyes were washed out and dim.
Doctor Orient was tall and usually carried his frame with the alert poise of an athlete, but now his wide shoulders slumped and his long hands dangled unenthusiastically from his wrists. Even the white streak
in his long black hair seemed to have gotten wider in these last few months. He had always been a private man, but lately he'd become unreachable. Sordi dropped his bag and looked into his face. Six months ago the doctor had looked like a boy of twenty-five. Tonight the lines stretched deep under his jutting cheekbones, pulling down at the upturned corners of his mouth. He looked burned out.
But his hand was firm and, when he spoke, Sordi could hear something beyond the words of farewell. The sincere awareness of three years of friendship."
3 out of 5
http://ereads.com/ecms/books.php?id=1719#
Friday, September 09, 2011
Lovecraft Country - 1 Return to Arkham
Miskatonic University says my brother is dead, crazy and who knows what else?
3 out of 5
http://www.lovecraftcountry.com/comic/return/index.php
Chris Foss: The Joy of Starships - Sumit Paul-Choudry
"British science fiction paperbacks of the time frequently had covers decorated with little more than abstract swirls. So Foss's ability to paint distinctive, yet convincing, spaceships, robots and planets was seized upon by publishers. "Suddenly, I revolutionised book covers," says Foss (who does not come over as a man who believes in hiding his light under a bushel).
Demand ran high: at his peak, Foss was turning out three covers a week, totalling more than a thousand over his career. And he was also doing illustrations for advertising agencies and concept art for movies including Ridley Scott's Alien, Alejandro Jorodowsky's unproduced Dune and Richard Donner's Superman."
4 out of 5
http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/culturelab/2011/09/chris-foss-the-joy-of.html
Lightspeed 15 - John Joseph Adams
Here's a first. An issue where the original work outstrips the reprints which are good and very good themselves. So pretty much as high as you can realistically get issue at 4.00.
Also a fun alien article from Jeremy Tolbert.
Fantastic issue.
Lightspeed 15 : Lightspeed 15 - John Joseph Adams
Lightspeed 15 : Defenders - Will McIntosh
Lightspeed 15 : Just Another Perfect Day - John Varley
Lightspeed 15 : The Nearest Thing - Genevieve Valentine
Lightspeed 15 : Non-Stop to Portales - Connie Willis
Are crazy AI made to kill starfish alien invaders. Plus they wanted Australia. And apparently moved Sydney so that it is only 400 miles from Adelaide, too. So enemy of my enemy and all that.
4.5 out of 5
Multi-dimensional Martian memory loop man for the job.
3.5 out of 5
Galatea black market remnant Vestige closest thing to human.
4 out of 5
The Williamson time tour.
4 out of 5
5 out of 5
http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/issue/august-2011-issue-15/
Also a fun alien article from Jeremy Tolbert.
Fantastic issue.
Lightspeed 15 : Lightspeed 15 - John Joseph Adams
Lightspeed 15 : Defenders - Will McIntosh
Lightspeed 15 : Just Another Perfect Day - John Varley
Lightspeed 15 : The Nearest Thing - Genevieve Valentine
Lightspeed 15 : Non-Stop to Portales - Connie Willis
Are crazy AI made to kill starfish alien invaders. Plus they wanted Australia. And apparently moved Sydney so that it is only 400 miles from Adelaide, too. So enemy of my enemy and all that.
4.5 out of 5
Multi-dimensional Martian memory loop man for the job.
3.5 out of 5
Galatea black market remnant Vestige closest thing to human.
4 out of 5
The Williamson time tour.
4 out of 5
5 out of 5
http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/issue/august-2011-issue-15/
Deluge 84 - Brian Keene
"“I already know,” Simon said, throwing back his hood. “I sensed our impending arrival a little while ago. You can be sure that others have, as well.”
“What kind of others?” Novak asked."
3.5 out of 5
http://www.briankeene.com/?p=8587#more-8587
“What kind of others?” Novak asked."
3.5 out of 5
http://www.briankeene.com/?p=8587#more-8587
Thursday, September 08, 2011
The Nearest Thing - Genevieve Valentine
Galatea black market remnant Vestige closest thing to human.
4 out of 5
http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/the-nearest-thing/
4 out of 5
http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/the-nearest-thing/
Five Ways to End an Alien Invasion - Jeremiah Tolbert
"They strike from the heavens and rain down fiery death. They infiltrate us secretly, replacing us with doppelgängers. Their evil plants strangle our children and livestock. They impregnate our women with creepy telepathic children. Their terrible death machines burn our cities into ash. They affix to our brain stems and control us like meat puppets. They practice terrifying experimentation on their captured human slaves, transplanting Sarah Jessica Parker’s head onto the body of a poor, innocent Chihuahua. Their methods are many. Nearly the only common element between the alien invasions depicted in our films, books, and video games is that humanity appears doomed from the start."
3.5 out of 5
http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/nonfiction/five-ways-to-end-an-alien-invasion/
3.5 out of 5
http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/nonfiction/five-ways-to-end-an-alien-invasion/
Defenders - Will McIntosh
Are crazy AI made to kill starfish alien invaders. Plus they wanted Australia. And apparently moved Sydney so that it is only 400 miles from Adelaide, too. So enemy of my enemy and all that.
4.5 out of 5
http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/defenders/
4.5 out of 5
http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/defenders/
Author Spotlight - Will McIntosh
"Will you tell us about the origins of the Luyten and the Defenders?
I’ve always found starfish kind of creepy. They just don’t seem like they could be alive, given their appearance. So when I wanted to create an alien race that would be repulsive to Lila, starfish came to mind. I got the name of their species—Luyten—from a star chart. I wanted a name that didn’t seem made up, so I looked at names of stars until I found one that had the right ring to it."
3.5 out of 5
http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/nonfiction/author-spotlight-will-mcintosh/
I’ve always found starfish kind of creepy. They just don’t seem like they could be alive, given their appearance. So when I wanted to create an alien race that would be repulsive to Lila, starfish came to mind. I got the name of their species—Luyten—from a star chart. I wanted a name that didn’t seem made up, so I looked at names of stars until I found one that had the right ring to it."
3.5 out of 5
http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/nonfiction/author-spotlight-will-mcintosh/
A Vector Alphabet of Interstellar Travel - Yoon Ha Lee
But not the full space.
3.5 out of 5
http://www.tor.com/stories/2011/08/a-vector-alphabet-of-interstellar-travel
3.5 out of 5
http://www.tor.com/stories/2011/08/a-vector-alphabet-of-interstellar-travel
Netherworld - 1
No beating out my bartender on a break, otherwise my drinks get to be slower. Turning into a monster could be a problem though.
3.5 out of 5
http://www.mydigitalcomics.com/product.aspx?id=5adfc1b9-2fe1-48f3-a164-448f180aefb4
Wednesday, September 07, 2011
The Sultan of the Clouds 2 - Geoffrey A. Landis
Second part of an audio serial.
3 out of 5
http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.libsyn.com/starshipsofa/StarShipSofa_No_202_Geoffrey_A_Landis_Pt_2.mp3
3 out of 5
http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.libsyn.com/starshipsofa/StarShipSofa_No_202_Geoffrey_A_Landis_Pt_2.mp3
La Malcontenta - Liz Williams
La Malcontenta - Liz Williams
Shorn woman is torn between foxy pursuits.
3 out of 5
http://www.strangehorizons.com/2005/20050307/malcontenta-f.shtml
Shorn woman is torn between foxy pursuits.
3 out of 5
http://www.strangehorizons.com/2005/20050307/malcontenta-f.shtml
Tuesday, September 06, 2011
Resistance: A Love Story - Zachary Jernigan
Immortals humans, let's do something!
3.5 out of 5
http://zacharyjernigan.blogspot.com/2011/05/resistance-love-story.html
3.5 out of 5
http://zacharyjernigan.blogspot.com/2011/05/resistance-love-story.html
Friendly - David Tallerman
No humans at the victory dismemberment, sorry.
3.5 out of 5
http://www.feedbooks.com/userbook/9129/theaker-s-quarterly-fiction-31
3.5 out of 5
http://www.feedbooks.com/userbook/9129/theaker-s-quarterly-fiction-31
All My Ghosts - Zachary Jernigan
Father immortality son survival switch decision.
3.5 out of 5
http://www.feedbooks.com/userbook/9129/theaker-s-quarterly-fiction-31
3.5 out of 5
http://www.feedbooks.com/userbook/9129/theaker-s-quarterly-fiction-31
Stories Don't Write Themselves - Zachary Jernigan
Character understand.
3.5 out of 5
http://zacharyjernigan.blogspot.com/2011/05/stories-dont-write-themselves.html
3.5 out of 5
http://zacharyjernigan.blogspot.com/2011/05/stories-dont-write-themselves.html
An Interview with Anarchist - Norman Spinrad
"So that’s what led me to write Welcome To Your Dreamtime. The McGuffin, the science fiction of it, is a device which allows you to put a net on your head and a “dreamchip” in a player and experience a dream created for you by a dreamwriter."
4 out of 5
http://www.sfwa.org/2011/09/an-interview-with-norman-spinrad-anarchist/
4 out of 5
http://www.sfwa.org/2011/09/an-interview-with-norman-spinrad-anarchist/
Monday, September 05, 2011
Deluge 83 - Brian Keene
"“Let me tell you something.” Sarah’s voice was low and dangerous. “I killed my best friend to survive. He was infected with the fuzz, so I shot him. I’ve done a lot of other things, too, since the rain started. I’m not proud of them, but I’m alive. Do not judge me, and do not cast dispersions at me. From where I stand, you were pretty worried about your own fucking skin when you and Novak first met me and Henry in the tower.”"
3.5 out of 5
http://www.briankeene.com/?p=8305
3.5 out of 5
http://www.briankeene.com/?p=8305
The Mark of Zorro Part 9 - Johnston McCulley
"There is no escape for Zorro this time. After a final confrontation with Captain Ramon, every avenue of escape is cut off. The governor and all his troops have trapped the masked highwayman, and now Zorro must make his final stand against an entire score of troopers."
4.5 out of 5
http://traffic.libsyn.com/classictales/CT_225_Zorro_9of9.mp3
4.5 out of 5
http://traffic.libsyn.com/classictales/CT_225_Zorro_9of9.mp3
Friday, September 02, 2011
On the prevalence of US tropes in storytelling - Aliette de Bodard
"In short, I’m tired of being invaded by US culture. I’m tired of US tropes being cited as the norm (even when it’s obvious that the rest of the world doesn’t follow such tropes), of bookshelves featuring translations from US writers and movies following standard Hollywood fare–of the one-way street which means the US sets the tune for the rest of the world, and that anything that looks remotely worthy from non-US countries is given a local remake for those who can’t stand to watch dubbed or subtitled movies (guess what–we watch dubbed/subtitled US movies all the time in France). I’m tired of the way US culture and tropes have so pervaded popular culture that we no longer even question them, or even recognise them–and, worse, that people outside the US are actively aping them in search of the so-called “universal stories” [1].
And before you ask, yes, I know those are tropes, and I know that not *all* US books/movies/series follow them, just like not all French books feature, say, bumbling bosses or people going on strike–and that not all groups or minorities in the US agree with those tropes. I’m just commenting on something that, for good or evil, the US has managed to export abroad (thank you, Hollywood) and therefore is the perception of US storytelling from my window, and the window of a great deal many people in the world."
4.5 out of 5
http://aliettedebodard.com/2011/08/31/on-the-prevalence-of-us-tropes-in-storytelling/
And before you ask, yes, I know those are tropes, and I know that not *all* US books/movies/series follow them, just like not all French books feature, say, bumbling bosses or people going on strike–and that not all groups or minorities in the US agree with those tropes. I’m just commenting on something that, for good or evil, the US has managed to export abroad (thank you, Hollywood) and therefore is the perception of US storytelling from my window, and the window of a great deal many people in the world."
4.5 out of 5
http://aliettedebodard.com/2011/08/31/on-the-prevalence-of-us-tropes-in-storytelling/
On writing science and language - Aliette de Bodard
"The first time I read about her was on the SFWA website. She was the featured author and she instantly drew my attention because here was a young, very talented writer, whose mother tongue was French but who wrote in English. Well, turns out, that's not the only amazing thing about Aliette de Bodard. A Hugo, Nebula, and Campbell nominee, Aliette has won the BSFA Award for Best Short Fiction, as well as Writers of the Future. Her short fiction has appeared on Asimov's, Interzone, and other prestigious magazines, and her novels, Servant of the Underworld, Harbinger of the Storm, and the forthcoming Master of the House of Darts, are published by Angry Robots."
3 out of 5
http://chimerasthebooks.blogspot.com/2011/08/aliette-de-bodard-on-writing-science.html
3 out of 5
http://chimerasthebooks.blogspot.com/2011/08/aliette-de-bodard-on-writing-science.html
One of the Rising Stars of Fantasy Fiction - Aliette de Bodard
"TP: What’s next for Aliette de Bodard?
AdB: Several things are in the pipeline: I have a novella I hope to finish one day, and then I’ll move to editing the Xuya novel, Foreign Ghosts, as well as planning its sequels. Then we’ll see; I reckon that should keep me busy for a bit."
3.5 out of 5
http://www.toonaripost.com/2011/08/life-style/aliette-de-bodard/
AdB: Several things are in the pipeline: I have a novella I hope to finish one day, and then I’ll move to editing the Xuya novel, Foreign Ghosts, as well as planning its sequels. Then we’ll see; I reckon that should keep me busy for a bit."
3.5 out of 5
http://www.toonaripost.com/2011/08/life-style/aliette-de-bodard/
The Idler - Wayne Barlowe
"Barlowe’s Guide to Extraterrestrials was the product of a hungry youth with something to prove. I had just left Cooper early and was more than ready to go out and conquer the world. I came up with the idea over a beer with my parents — it was the perfect merging of what they did with what I wanted to do in the world of science fiction. I probably could not come close to producing it as quickly as I did way back then. And, I’m not so keen on the quality of it these days. I was a kid and it was the perfect project for me back in 1979."
4 out of 5
http://idler-mag.com/2011/08/31/wayne-barlowe/
4 out of 5
http://idler-mag.com/2011/08/31/wayne-barlowe/
Free Sf Reader Guide To The Best Science Fiction Fantasy And Horror Updated
Otherwise known as my 5 star, 4.5 star and 4 star Favorite Books and Stories :-
http://freesf.strandedinoz.com/Beststarstories.txt
http://freesf.strandedinoz.com/Beststarstories.txt
Free SF Reader List Updated
For August
Note changes :
Free SF Reader List updated :-
http://freesf.strandedinoz.com/freesflist.html
Not Free SF Reader List updated : -
http://freesf.strandedinoz.com/notfreesflist.html
Note changes :
Free SF Reader List updated :-
http://freesf.strandedinoz.com/freesflist.html
Not Free SF Reader List updated : -
http://freesf.strandedinoz.com/notfreesflist.html
Combined Free SF Reader and Not Free SF Reader List By Author updated
Combined Free SF Reader and Not Free SF Reader List By Author updated :-
For August
http://freesf.strandedinoz.com/
For August
http://freesf.strandedinoz.com/
Swords and Sorcery at its Pinnacle: A Look Back at The Fantastic Swordsmen - Brian Murphy
"Although many of its foundational writers had already sailed into the west, swords and sorcery reached a Weird peak in the 1960s. In 1961 Fritz Leiber coined the term “swords and sorcery” in the journal Ancalagon. The Swordsmen and Sorcerer’s Guild of America (can I get a membership, please?) began the first of its secretive meetings. And the Lancer published, L. Sprague De Camp and Lin Carter-edited Conan series with its splendid Frank Frazetta covers was everywhere. These were heady times for the genre. Although the mass-produced works of the era can still be readily found and enjoyed today, I can only imagine when books like The Swords of Lankhmar could be found in drugstore wire spinner racks and the like."
4 out of 5
http://www.blackgate.com/2011/09/01/swords-and-sorcery-at-its-pinnacle-a-look-back-at-the-fantastic-swordsmen/
4 out of 5
http://www.blackgate.com/2011/09/01/swords-and-sorcery-at-its-pinnacle-a-look-back-at-the-fantastic-swordsmen/
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