Next SFF Author: Ben Aaronovitch

Author: Marion Deeds

WWWednesday: February 3, 2021

Awards:

The Infected by Art winners are announced. Some very nice stuff here! (Thanks to File770.)

Writers, Reading, Writing, Books:

Read Bill Capposere’s personal essay on the judgments we make, and the things we don’t know.

Paul Weimer, known as Prince Jvstin on Twitter, had his account deleted last week, after right-wing activists filed spurious complaints. The SFF community rallied around and managed to get his account reinstated. Weimer shares more detail on his Patreon page.

This site looks like lots of fun!

February 3rd, 2021. Marion Deeds | World Wide Wednesday | no comments |

Thoughtful Thursday: Favorite speculative fiction soundtracks

Television and streaming services have given us a wealth of speculative fiction content the past several years.

HBO, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and even Syfy have delivered interesting, thoughtful programming with high production values, including outstanding soundtracks.

Which show has your favorite sound track? Why? Tell us in the comments.

One commenter with a USA mailing address will win a book from our Stacks or a $5 Amazon gift card.

January 28th, 2021. Marion Deeds | Giveaway!, Thoughtful Thursday | 15 comments |

WWWednesday: January 27, 2021

Amanda Gorman wowed a lot of us last Wednesday. PBS interviewed her earlier, and this video addressed her preparation for the inauguration.

Obituaries:

Mila Furlan, who starred on Babylon Five, passed away after a long illness. Her character Delenn’s comment, that “we are made of star-stuff,” seemed like a fitting observation for this hardworking actor.

The New York Times published a tribute to a pioneering Black speculative fiction writer, Charles Saunders, who died last May.

Writers, Writing, Reading,

January 27th, 2021. Marion Deeds | Giveaway!, World Wide Wednesday | 8 comments |

WWWednesday: January 20, 2021

In the USA a new administration takes office today. Yesterday, President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Harris held a service for the more than 400,000 people in the USA who have died of Covid. The service included lighting the lights around the reflecting pool at the Lincoln Memorial.

Writers, Writing, Reading, Books:

Locus published an obituary for Storm Constantine, who died last week. Constantine’s work embraced the weird. She was an expert in Tarot and the occult, and worked to amplify the voices of new writers.

January 20th, 2021. Marion Deeds | World Wide Wednesday | no comments |

The Left-Handed Booksellers of London: Selling books and fighting evil

The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix

1983-era London, with a half-twist toward the fantastic, mingles with ancient British mythology in Garth Nix’s new urban fantasy, The Left-Handed Booksellers of London (2020). Art student Susan Arkshaw, a punkish eighteen-year-old from rural western England, takes leave of her loving, vague mother and heads to London to try to find the father she’s never met. She starts with an old family acquaintance, “Uncle” Frank Thringley, but Frank turn out to be, in rapid succession,

WWWednesday: January 13, 2021

Awards:

The Endeavor Committee is suspending the 2021 Endeavor award for various reasons, many associated with Covid 19.

The Washington DC Science Fiction Committee is accepting submissions for its small press award.

The Critics Choice awards were announced on January 10.

The Speculative Literature Foundation announces its $1000 grant to a South Asian or South Asian diaspora writer.

Writers, Writing, Reading, Books:

From the Washington Post, some satire.

David Weber was hospitalized last week,

January 13th, 2021. Marion Deeds | World Wide Wednesday | 1 comment |

Marion chats with M.A. Carrick (giveaway!)

Marie Brennan is the author of the LADY TRENT series and before that the ONXY COURT secret history fantasy series. Alyc Helms is best known for the MISSY MASTERS superhero urban fantasy trilogy set largely in San Francisco. These two accomplished writers are long time friends who collaborated on this year’s second world fantasy The Mask of Mirrors. Both writers live and work in the San Francisco Bay Area, and they agreed to give us an interview about their new series, worldbuilding, conventions and fashion.

January 12th, 2021. Marion Deeds | Author Interviews, Giveaway! | 11 comments |

WWWednesday: January 6, 2021

Happy 2021, everyone. Congratulations on making it this far.

Conventions:

The Baltimore Science Fiction Society reported out on the findings of an investigation into the behavior of Eric Gasior, Vice Chair of the Virtual BaltiCon 54.

Giveaway:

One commenter will get the trade paperback version of Leigh Bardugo’s Ninth House.

Tech and Fun:

From Boston Dynamics, the famous dancing robots.

Books and Writing:

Daniel Jose Older gets some help from Tik Tok to demonstrate why he thinks there’s no reason to put non-English words in italics in English text.

January 6th, 2021. Marion Deeds | Giveaway!, World Wide Wednesday | 15 comments |

WWWednesday: December 30, 2020

2020 is nearly out the door. Vaccines are on their way, and positive change is in the air as the days grow (infinitesimally) longer. Wishing you all a joyous 2021 and a safe, healthy New Year’s Day to those who celebrate.

The city of Nashville experienced a shocking bombing on Christmas Day. Here is one site that helps direct donations to the residents of that city.

In 2020, people who never imagined they would need a food bank found themselves depending on one. The crisis is not over. If you are looking for a last-minute 2020 donation for your taxes,

December 30th, 2020. Marion Deeds | World Wide Wednesday | no comments |

Ninth House: Black magic in Yale’s secret societies

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

Galaxy “Alex” Stern (the name courtesy of her hippie mother) seems an obvious misfit at prestigious Yale University. Wealth, athletic talent and academic stardom are nowhere to be found in Alex’s life. Instead she’s a high school dropout with a history of dead-end jobs and drug use, and the survivor of a traumatic multiple homicide. But she has a rare talent that to date has brought her nothing but grief: Alex sees the ghosts of dead people.

As it turns out, that talent is highly useful to Yale’s eight elite secret societies,

Next SFF Author: Ben Aaronovitch

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