The Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association has named its 2013 Aurora Award winners. Top honors for best novel go to Tanya Huff for The Silvered.
Neil Gaiman’s novel Neverwhere has been banned by a New Mexico school after a single complaint about its alleged “sexual innuendos and harsh language.” I’ve read the novel, and had no such reaction to it at all. In fact, I’d think that Coraline would be a far more disturbing novel for teens to read. What are your thoughts?
The BBC suggests the science fiction never gets the science right, relying on the new film “Gravity” to make its point. Me, I’m planning to see “Gravity” in IMAX 3D this coming weekend. I love Neil deGrasse Tyson (and understand his complaints), but sometimes a movie is just a movie. Heck, even he says that his criticisms are a tribute to the high quality of the movie.
io9 lists the 11 most prolific science fiction and fantasy writers. I was surprised that Isaac Asimov wasn’t the first on the list!
With new subgenres popping up in fantasy, science fiction and horror almost every day, it’s hard to tell one from another. If you’re looking for a new book to read, how do you tell paranormal romance from urban fantasy? You might be disappointed in your purchase if you want one and wind up with the other. Here’s how to distinguish the two.
I was just at the library today, and I got some pretty strange looks from other patrons as I perused the Young Adult shelves. But there is some mighty fine writing being done in YA these days, and I’m not going to pass it by just because it has a teenage protagonist, which seems about the only real identifier of the genre. How old do you have to be before you’re denied YA altogether? It better not be younger than 50-something, or I’m in big trouble.
And just for fun, the grand finale of this column: cute book-related items. I want those shoes, myself — and pretty badly! What’s your favorite?
Glad to see World Wide Wednesday back — I’ve missed it. :-)
Terry, Mark and I at the bookstore have an ongoing discussion of how to differentiate urban fantasy from paranormal romance. This link will be helpful — except they put Anita Blake in UF? What? Have they read anything by her? The first one or two, maybe, but since then…
I’m also glad to see world-wide Wednesday back!
Hi, Terry
Yay, this is one of my favourite weekday features, glad to see it back!
It’s sad about the Gaiman book banning. What do I think? I think they never learn. And I find it shocking these days, in this and many other areas, that the complaint of a single person can impinge on the many. It gives vocal minorities undue weight and influence over the silent majority.
Young adult? I’m still catching up on some of the children’s titles I missed out on! I just pretend to be someone’s respected (or possibly oddball) elder relative… ;)
As for the urban fantasy / paranormal romance distinction — the covers pretty much give it away. I get bored with the latter’s focus on, um, the smoochy, while the former has attracted some exceptionally good writers in recent years.
Yay! World Wide Websday! Woot! My online presence has been scattered and minimal recently but I’m very glad to see this even though I missed its return day.