Last week, I didn’t post a web-roundup because I was abducted by Martians and they wiped my brain. Sorry, everyone.
Library of the Ancients, by Te Hu
Writing, Editing, and Publishing:
Margaret Atwood has a new book coming out in September, set in the near-future world of her Positron short stories.
Cat Valente talks boy heroes vs. girl heroes as she discusses her upcoming book, The Boy Who Lost Fairyland, on John Scalzi’s The Big Idea.
Suvudu’s Cage Match of women warriors features some of our very favorites: Alice Quinn, Felurian, Irene Adler, Meg Murray, and Lyra Belacqua. I was sad to see that none of my home-girls from WHEEL OF TIME made it on the list, though; my money would have been on Egwene (yeah, I know Nynaeve is stronger, but I can’t stand her).
Jessamy Taylor writes for the Guardian about her top 10 castles in fiction, several of which will be very familiar to us here at FanLit.
Have you ever wondered who creates the covers of your favorite books, and what kind of thought goes into them? Lauren Panepinto, Orbit Books’ creative director, sounds off on several principles that underlie her design work.
One intrepid blogger walks the scenes from Murakami‘s Kafka on the Shore, taking pictures along the way.
Temple of River, by Te Hu
Film and Television
One thing I’m not confused about is the need for more X-Files. Fox has ordered 6 new episodes starring David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson.
Most people have harbored a crush at some point on a fictional character; Sara Goodwin, writing for the Mary Sue, tells us about hers. http://www.themarysue.com/fictional-character-crushes/
Disney is making another live-action reboot: Beauty and the Beast, featuring Emma Watson, Josh Gad, and Dan Stevens from Downton Abbey (Matthew!) and Luke Evans from The Hobbit. This casting is pretty incredible.
Maybe this documentary about Big Bird and the man behind the costume isn’t strictly SF/F related, but come on, in what world does a giant bird hang out in New York City? (tear-jerker warning)
Internet Stuff:
Russian witch Baba Yaga’s guide to feminism=very funny.
A lot more water has been discovered in our solar system; in just the past few weeks, scientists have announced findings of water on Jovian moons Ganymede and Europa, and on Saturn’s moon Enceladus and possibly Titan as well.
Finally, some disturbing reports about the Mars One mission.
Floating City, by Te Hu
Art Feature:
This week we are featuring speculative artist, Te Hu, whose fantastical landscapes I love. Here’s what he has to say to us:
My name is Te Hu. I was born in China, where my Computer Graphics dreams began. My Art was strongly influenced by my family, and I tried to combine it with what I studied in college, and that’s where I started to want to become a digital artist. To make this dream come true, I realized I had to learn more and gain more experience to find the truth about Digital Art. To further my path, I came to the United States to gain my Master Degree at Carnegie Mellon University, Entertainment Technology Center, and after interning at DIMG (Disney Interactive Media Group) and EA, I graduated as a Technical Artist, now working at Visceral studio at EA. I am Chinese, and I love my culture, which is the most important source of my inspiration. I have studied both western and oriental programming and traditional Art, and I find it extremely interesting to find new ways to combine these advantages. I feel being a digital artist is the perfect way to express the core aesthetic values in both worlds through cutting edge technology. For the next couple years, I want to learn from the industry and continue my crusade to find my own “Way of Art”, and try to contribute and inspire more to the society.
Thanks for sharing your art with us, Te Hu!
“–For example, the bones of your enemies can be constructed into a functional yet chic fence.”
Fortunately I wasn’t drinking anything as I read that line from Baba Yaga.
I liked all the Mars One stuff but to me it sounded like a stunt from the beginning.
I love Te Hu’s art!
Me too! So gorgeous. I get really inspired by places and landscapes. These are great.
I’d like to hear about your abduction, Kate. Glad you’re back, and with such a great column!
Oh, you know, standard abduction stuff. Bright light from overhead, fuzzy vision revealing bulbous-headed creatures, multiple cavity probes, and a steady diet PB&J and cans of Chef Boyardee. (Aliens haven’t advanced, gastronomically, past the level of your typical human 5-year-old.)
I’m still too perplexed over why people love Frozen so much, much less able to figure out the reasoning for a sequel. I guess people who like intelligent characters that also like to think of others from time to time, in addition to themselves, aren’t really Disney’s demographic.
Very interesting art!
Frozen is Tangled, but not as good.
I really enjoyed Frozen, never saw Tangled, and see no need for a Frozen Sequel.
I’m humored that Suvudu’s cage match is shaping up to have a final between Death (the Gaiman one, not the Pratchett one) and Susan Sto-Helit.
Death vs Death’s granddaughter, anyone?
I just saw that you referenced one of my articles! :-) Thanks, and glad you liked it!
Sara