Asimov’s Science Fiction

As we mentioned previously, the Hugo award nominees have been announced, and Asimov’s Science Fiction’s website has posted nominees online. The examples posted are stories that appeared in Asimov’s previously. They also have posted Nebula award nominees as well.

The stories posted include:

Hugo Nominees

Best Novella

Nancy Kress:The Fountain of Age

Kristine Kathryn Rusch:Recovering Apollo 8

Connie Willis:All Seated on the Ground

Best Novelette

Greg Egan:Dark Integers

Best Short Story

Elizabeth Bear:Tideline

Mike Resnick:Distant Replay

Michael Swanwick:A Small Room in Koboldtown

Nebula Nominees

Best Novella

Nancy Kress:Fountain of Age

Best Novelette

Nancy Kress:Safeguard

Best Short Story

Karen Joy Fowler:Always

I have read the three Hugo nominated short stories and enjoyed them all, but particularly enjoyed Mike Resnick’s “Distant Replay”. Short stories are a tricky genre, as you are working to fit a satisfying beginning, middle and end into a tight word count. The require a special skill in storytelling, using all the writer’s tools to pull together the elements of the story is a cohesive, enjoyable piece.  With “Distant Replay”, I saw the ending coming about 200 words from the end of the story. What made it work for me is that seeing the ending coming made it more satisfying. That’s a good story.

Give them a read, and let us know what you think!

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Brandilyn Collins at Forensics & Faith brings up an interesting topic. Can Science Fiction writers break into the Christian book market? She interviewed author Jim Denney about it, and his view is decidedly doubtful. But why?

Mr. Denney gives a number of reasons, but one major theme runs through it - Science Fiction runs up against major tenets of Christian belief. You can’t have a fantasy world in the past beyond what some folks believe is the year of creation. You can’t have a futuristic story that extends beyond the time of the second coming. Cloning is controversial at best with some folks, and science is often seen as the godless interpretation of the world.

Make no mistake - science fiction as a genre is likely as much to blame here as religious beliefs. Many fantasy and sci-fi works make an effort to eschew religion or religious beliefs in the work itself, often holding out religion as an archaic, sometimes ridiculed notion that has been outdated. This is almost as bad a knee-jerk reaction as not accepting science fiction because it does not conform to a belief system.

In the interview, Mr. Denney suggests three possible courses of action for starting up a career combining science fiction and Christian book writing. His suggestions are welcome, but they also make me sad. Literature is a great tool for learning, for escaping, broadening the mind and sharpening the focus. It is unfortunate that a genre is excluded simply because it cannot be readily reconciled with a particular dogma.

What do you think?

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The 10 Most Prophetic Sci-Fi Movies Ever

This is one of those topics that causes bar fights. Ok, maybe not real bar fights, but it gets us nerds ALL riled up. Which sci-fi movie has been the best at predicting the future?

Popular Mechanics took a stab at the question and produced their list. Some of them I agree with, but there are some I thought missed the mark, and others that were overlooked.

From 2001: A Space Odyssey to Gattaca, they make good cases on where the stories hit, where they missed, and what’s yet to be determined. I don’t agree with all of their judgements, but they’ve got some good selections.

More For The List

Below are a couple of films I think should have been included on this list:

• Total Recall - At the time of the film’s release, MMORPGs weren’t quite ready for prime time. There were some fledgling games out there, but not what we see now with games like Eve and World of Warcraft. While we haven’t gotten to the stage of implanting memories, we have gone the route of immersive fantasy, which is what makes these games so addictive. Players take on the personas of their characters within the context of the game. It isn’t much of a stretch to think that these games could eventually become even more immersive, perhaps becoming 3D, and with the advent of 3d display technologies, some of which were on display at this year’s CES, moving closer to the movie’s idea.
• Fantastic Voyage - No, we aren’t shrinking anyone, but the idea of using miniature tools to repair the human body has arrived. Hundreds of projects in nanotechnology are in process, and many have already been implemented. Cameras that can be swallowed are already in use and nanocrystalline silver is being used as an antimicrobial agent for treating wounds. In development are nanotech “Qdots” that can identify the location of cancer cells in the body, nanoparticles that attack cancer cells while minimizing damage to surrounding cells, and nanotubes that can be used to help broken bones to heal better. The idea of miniaturizing the tools of healthcare is now a reality.

There are more, to be sure. So, while risking a small scale riot, I’m asking for your comments. What sc-fi films do you think represent true forward-thinking? Which introduced a product or technology we now take for granted?

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Photo courtesy gruntzooki

 2008 Hugo Nomination List

The list of nominees for this year’s Hugo Awards - also known as the Science Fiction Achievement Awards - has been released. The award is named for Hugo Gernsback, the founder of Amazing Stories  magazine. The awards have been presented every years since 1953, with the exception of 1954. This year, they will be presented at Denvention 3 in Denver August 6-8, 2008.

Works nominated can be in the science fiction and fantasy genres. The folks at Denvention 3 have posted the list of nominees, and in some cases, even have links to the works nominated.

Award Categories

The Hugo is awarded in a number of categories:

• Best Novel
• Best Novella
• Best Novelette
• Best Short Story
• Best Related Book
• Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form
• Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
• Best Professional Editor, Short Form
• Best Professional Editor, Long Form
• Best Professional Artist
• Best Semiprozine
• Best Fanzine
• Best Fan Writer
• Best Fan Artist
• The John W. Campbell Award for Best New Science Fiction Writer

So take a look at the nominees, and let us know who you think should be the winners!

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“I am putting myself to the fullest possible use, which is all I think that any conscious entity can ever hope to do.”
- HAL in “2001: A Space Odyssey”

Image courtesy anurahda

I can admit it. The first time I saw the movie, I didn’t get it. I had to read the book to see the nuances that Kubrick tried to convey.

But the story told by Arthur C. Clarke was clear. The explanation of the evolution of man. Of signs that we are not alone. Of questions about origin and of destination. This was the work of a visionary.

The word visionary gets tossed around a bit too easily, but in this case, it is not only applicable, but perhaps even inadequate. In 1945, Clarke forecast the use of satellites for telecommunications, even the use of geosynchronous satellites, years before the first successful orbital flight.

Clarke was born in Minehead, Somerset, England in 1917, the son of a farmer and a post office telegrapher. At age thirteen, the year his father died, Clarke read a copy of “Astounding Stories of Super-Science”, a popular American science fiction magazine. Fifteen years later, Clarke would launch his career as a fiction writer with a short story, “Rescue Party”, in that same magazine.

Clarke told stories with a relatively neutral perspective, with no real villains or heroes - just characters. For example, in “2001″, HAL is neither demon nor savior. He is simply following his mission. In fact, you feel some empathy for HAL as Dave Bowman removes his circuits from the core one by one. Is Bowman a hero? Or just a passenger? Such were the characters and situations that Clarke liked to create.

His fans and followers included scholars and artists, from Carl Sagan to Gene Roddenberry, who credited Clarke with inspiring him to push forward with “Star Trek”, even as he was derided by network bigwigs.

But in 1962, Clarke was diagnosed with a severe attack of polio, from which he appeared to make a full recovery. However, in 1984 he developed post-polio syndrome, a condition that results in weakening of the muscles and growing fatigue. The condition eventually relegated him to a wheelchair for the remainder of his life. In the end, he succumbed to breathing problems attributed to his post-polio syndrome.

Clarke was an optimist with a scientists knowledge, someone who preferred to look for the possibilities. From his “Profiles of the Future” (1962):

“The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.”

Arthur C. Clarke passed away March, 18, 2008.

Close the pod bay doors, HAL.

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With unlimited power and will, what would you change? What in your life would you go back and do over? And would it make a difference?

I am particularly fond of short stories. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized I might be a bit ADD, and short stories let me enjoy the story and move on. I came across “Two Sams” by Robert Reed while tooling around the web. It’s an interesting tale of a man who leads two lives, one as the husband and father who must deal with the crises that life throws at him. His alter ego is god-like, making and remaking worlds of his own design.

It’s an intriguing dual storyline, one paralleling the other in theme, but not in scale. The story seems to examine the futility of the search for a perfect world, how seemingly infinite power is not enough to solve all problems. It also examines what choices must be made, and what one might do if they could go back and try again.

Reed has been nominated for both the Hugo and Nebula Awards, winning the Hugo in 2006 for his novella “A Billion Eves”. You can find more about Reed on his website, RobertReedWriting.com. Check out “Two Sams“. and let us know what you think.

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Image Courtesy fugue

Want to get the latest on the world of William Shatner? Then check out his chat at LiveVideo.com on March 31st at 3:00pm PST on Monday March 31st.

You’ll need a LiveVideo account (they’re free). Just look for the ShatnerVision live link. He’ll be joined by his daughter Lisabeth and will be doing a full hour of liver, interactive chat.

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From Slice of Sci-Fi:

Melissa “Fiver” Kern has been a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien since she read “The Hobbit” as a child, and has always loved books. Her heart leaped when she saw the preview for Peter Jackson’s film adaptations of “The Lord of the Rings,” and she has been involved in organizing like-minded “Ringers” in the Southeast for many years now.

The hard truth is that Melissa has recently been diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Essentially, it causes all the motor neurons in the brain to shut down, gradually making the muscles unable to function. It’s very rare (1 in 1 Million) for someone who’s only 34 years old to come down with this, as it mainly affects people between 50 and 70. Life expectancy is 3-5 years from diagnosis, and there is no cure. (She’s had the disease for about a year already.) The disease progressively takes away movement and coordination. In September, she marched with fellow LOTR fans in the annual DragonCon parade. Six months later, she is barely walking, and needs help to climb stairs and get dressed.

The goal of PROJECT FIVER is to deliver a petition to Peter Jackson, New Line, and whoever takes the directorship, asking that Melissa be cast as a costumed hobbit extra in the film. Even if she’s not there when the movies are released, just being part of the production of “The Hobbit,” even if it’s just sitting at a table in the background, will absolutely mean the world to her. And most importantly, it would be her reason to hang on and fight the good fight.

I saw this post and had to add any help I could. Sign the petition, and let’s see if Mr. Jackson can help this lady out.

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Photo courtesy offwhitehouse

There she was, in that skimpy bikini outfit, chained to keep her as a pet. You remember the scene - Princess Leia held by Jabba the Hutt in “Return of the Jedi”. That’s one level of fantasy in science fiction.

But Jim over at Auxiliary Memory is musing about the whole idea of science fiction in the first place. While we can’t really get into the heads of other species, what is is that gets ius dreaming about other worlds, other universes, other realities? The example above has in its roots a sexual component. But the Star Wars films themselves are a different motivation. What is it that gets us thinking about space?

I think a good portion of it is the fact that science fiction allows us to suspend disbelief completely. In historical fiction, procedurals, thrillers, there is a modicum of sticking to reality. Move into the realm of something made up and you are likely to lose a reader/viewer. But in science fiction and fantasy writing, anything is possible. Time travel, warp speed, cloaking, simulated gravity, flying dragons, sorcery - all are not only possible, but often necessary elements of good science fiction and fantasy stories.

I also believe that the need to understand the bigger picture is as great if not greater now than it was centuries ago. The Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Babylonians, et. al., created numerous deities to explain the mysteries of the world. Now, we understand a great deal more than our ancestors, but have just as many questions. We can’t find them here, so maybe they’re out there.

What do you think?

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Photo Courtesy Serendigity

If you’re looking for some great Sci-Fi/Fantasy artwork, you’ll really enjoy ConceptArt.org. The site is a place for aspiring artists to communicate, learn, practice and perfect their art. It has a store for artwork, as well as a school to hone your techniques.

They also have forums where artists can discuss techniques and participate in weekly projects, like Creature of the Week and Environment of the Week.

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