Author: Kate Lechler

On this day in 1968, the famous 300 million yen robbery took place in Tokyo, Japan. It remains unsolved to this day.

Writing, Editing, and Publishing:

At Suvudu, Robert Jackson Bennett talks about the various influences (George Smiley! The Third Man! The DISCWORLD series!) on his recent novel, City of Stairs. And in *incredibly exciting news,* it looks like RJB might be writing a sequel. What!?!

Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy recently hosted an interview with Ellen Datlow,

On this date in 1927, the first Laurel and Hardy film is released. It is called Putting Pants on Philip, and is about a man whose choice to wear a kilt causes him and his uncle great embarrassment.

Writing, Editing, and Publishing:

Leah Schnelbach at Tor.com penned this great tribute to C.S. Lewis, one of my favorite authors and perhaps the author whose work I know best. Although I gotta disagree with her at the end–Turkish delight is fantastic.

MitchWagner interviews Tim Powers on his writing process and fiction’s relation to history.

Here at FanLit, we want to wish all of our American readers (and anyone else, too!) a Happy Thanksgiving!

Writing, Editing, and Publishing:

In this Suvudu article, several SFF writers discuss writing advice they would give their younger selves.

Ursula K. LeGuin’s acceptance speech for the National Book Foundation’s Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters manages to fit inspiration and incisive cultural criticism into just a few paragraphs. This is one of the many reasons we love her.

Cory Doctorow talks about the way stories reach inside to push our empathy buttons,

In keeping with our space mission news this week, on this date in 1969, the Apollo 12 mission landed on the moon, making astronauts Pete Conrad and Alan Bean the third and fourth humans to walk on the moon.

Writing, Editing, and Publishing:

 A lot of fairy-tale news today: From SFSignal, Sarah Pinborough writes about what it’s like to rewrite fairy tales for grown-ups, anticipating her 2015 Snow White novel, Poison.

 The Guardian reviews Jack Zipes’ new translation of Grimm’s fairy tales,

On this day in 1933, Hugh Gray took the first known photos alleged to be of the Loch Ness Monster, who appeared again this past week in a photo taken by a Nessie-enthusiast.

Writing, Editing, and Publishing: 

On Sunday, the World Fantasy Award winners were announced. Congrats to all the winners!

From SFSignal, Scarlett Amaris and Melissa St. Hilaire discuss the process and the pros and cons of collaboration on their dark fantasy novel Saurimonde.

November 5 is a big day in world space history. On this day in 2007, China launches its first lunar satellite, Chang’e 1; also, on this date in 2013, India launches its first interplanetary probe, the Mars Orbiter Mission.

Writing, Editing, and Publishing:

Similar to the Maria Alexander post I shared last week, this week io9 featured 10 tropes involving fantasy weapons that need to die–preferably with a Valyrian-steel blade through the heart.

Check out this dark Soviet animation of Stephen King‘s short story,

On this day in 1969, the first-ever computer-to-computer link was established on ARPANET, the precursor to Candy Crush . . . I mean, the Internet.

Writing, Editing, and Publishing:

Just to remind everyone, National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, starts on November 1. For all you FanLitters out there with novels on the brain, this might be a good kick in the pants to get started. I’m going to do it; who’s with me? (And tell us about your writing projects in the comments, if you like!)

This New York Times article about Michel Faber reveals that his latest novel The Book of Strange New Things,