WWWednesday: July 15, 2020

The Vanished Seas by Catherine Asaro

Obituary:

Grant Imahara, 49, was the cheerfully nerdy technogeek on Mythbusters. He also operated robots in the Star Wars franchise and worked behind the scenes on many SF blockbusters. I remember Imahara always smiling as he explained some wonderful high-tech thing. The early reports are that he died from an aneurysm. 

Conventions:

Here’s the San Diego Comic-Con At Home Edition program. This article provides some background on this year’s free online San Diego event.

Books, Writing and Other Things:

File 770 shared this pleasant, rambling blog post from the Little Red Reviewer.

Catherine Asaro answers the age-old question to writers: Where do you get your ideas?

The UK Guardian has some speculative fiction recommendations for you. I’m looking forward to reading Stephen Graham Jones’s book.

In the fall, we’ll be getting an original novella from Philip Pullman, one set in the HIS DARK MATERIALS universe.

File 770 found this entertaining screed. I chuckled at several points, which makes me think I’m not taking as seriously as the author does.

Poster for Wynnona Earp, Season 4

Games:

Zack Zwiezan ranks the Tony Hawk games from worst to best.

TV and Movies:

Entertainment Weekly has a list of upcoming summer movies, many of which will be available through streaming. The list is not limited to our genre.

Batman: a new TV series?

Batwoman: a new bat. Ruby Rose left the show suddenly after its first successful season. In this article she “breaks her silence…” but doesn’t say why she left. Javicia Leslie will assume the cape and cowl in the persona of Ryan Wild. (I only hope this doesn’t mean the show writes out Kate Kane’s stepsister Mary. She’s its best character.)

Wynonna Earp returns to Syfy on Sunday, July 26. The show managed to complete six episodes of Season 4 before having to suspend production because of the pandemic. The hope to be able to finish out the season later this year.

TV Insider has a list of cancelled shows. I’m sad to see Emergence go, but they finished up the story arc, and didn’t have a lot of places to go with it.

Here’s the trailer for Lucifer, Season 5, a little over 2 minutes long.

The World:

I’m revising my current work in progress based on an editorial letter and an aside  her led me to look up fermented mare’s milk, called kumis or sometimes airag. The beverage is only mildly alcoholic.

Warning: This one is gross, disturbing, and concerns rats. Frankly, they had me at the title; it’s like a horror novella. Hungry rats in New York City are joining outdoor diners in the city, and trying to steal food.

Science and Tech:

You know what we all need right now? More tetraquarks.

Contrary to the impression given in a New York Times article, the World Health Organization (WHO) has not changed its guidance on Covid, specifically with the possibility of airborne transmission.

Video:

This 5.44 minute video features kites. Ginny Rorby, outgoing president of the Mendocino Coast Writers Conference, provided this. Thanks, Ginny!