IROSF Science Fiction News

Donato Sweeps Chesleys

marti@irosf.com ( Marti McKenna ) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:44:38 +0000

The Chesley Award winners have been announced, with Donato Giancola taking home five.

Best Cover Illustration � Hardback Book
Donato Giancola, �The Outback Stars� by Sandra McDonald, Tor, 4/07

Best Cover Illustration � Paperback Book
Donato Giancola, �Crystal Dragon� by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller Ace, 11/07

Best Cover Illustration � Magazine
Cory and Catska Ench, Fantasy & Science Fiction, 3/07

Best Interior Illustration
James Gurney, �Dinotopia ;Journey to Chandara�, Andrews McMeel, 9/07

Best Gaming Related Illustration
Donato Giancola, �Vanguard: Saga of Heroes�, Sigil Games Online

Best Product Illustration
Todd Lockwood, �War of Angels�, poster for Bullseye Tattoo

Best Monochrome � Unpublished
Donato Giancola, �Season of Change�, Pencil and Chalk on Toned paper

Best Color Work � Unpublished
Donato Giancola, �Red Sonja�, Oil

Best Three Dimensional Art
Vincent Villafranca, �Conscious Entity and Its Maker�, Bronze

Best Art Director
Irene Gallo, Tor Books

Award for Artistic Achievement
Michael Wm. Kaluta

Thanks to SFAwardswatch.com.

The End of an Aeon

marti@irosf.com ( Marti McKenna ) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:20:01 +0000

After four years of publication, Aeon Speculative Fiction, the quarterly electronic magazine published by Quintamid Publishing Inc., is suspending publication effective immediately. All submissions are being returned, and authors of the brilliant stories currently in inventory will have the option to be published in "The End of an Aeon" anthology, to be released in 2009. Editors Bridget and Marti McKenna would like to thank the SF community for making the last four years far more interesting for us and our readers than they otherwise would have been, and we look forward to continuing to work with all of you through The Internet Review of Science Fiction.

"It's been a great run. We've had a blast," said Bridget McKenna.

Endeavor Award Fundraiser

marti@irosf.com ( Marti McKenna ) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:25:40 +0000

According to SFAwardswatch.com, an ebay auction next week to raise money for the Endeavor Award will include two rare figurines that may be of interest to many fans.

SF Awards Watch

Mieville Suspected in UK Award Scandal

marti@irosf.com ( Marti McKenna ) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:11:16 +0000

IROSF previously reported that UK author and would-be parliamentarian China Mieville is chairing the judging committee for the Warwick Prize, a prestigious UK literature award. Today we learned that a science fiction novel has appeared on the ballot. Coincidence? You be the judge.

Stan Lee Brings Gay Superhero to Showtime

marti@irosf.com ( Marti McKenna ) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 02:45:00 +0000

Variety reports that Stan Lee will develop a series based on Perry Moore's book Hero, which follows the life of a gay superhero as he attempts to keep his own secrets.

Read the full story.

Hubble Photographs Planet Circling Star

marti@irosf.com ( Marti McKenna ) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 01:46:03 +0000

According to NASA:

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has taken the first visible-light snapshot of a planet circling another star. Estimated to be no more than three times Jupiter's mass, the planet, called Fomalhaut b, orbits the bright southern star Fomalhaut, located 25 light-years away in the constellation Piscis Australis, or the "Southern Fish."

Read the full story.

IROSF Needs Editors!

marti@irosf.com ( Marti McKenna ) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:32:11 +0000

The Internet review of Science Fiction (www.irosf.com) is looking for volunteer editors to head sections such as Essays, Reviews, etc. If you or someone you know wants to contribute to the SF/F community and work with non-fiction authors to publish great articles, please contact IROSF's Managing Editor Stacey Janssen at stacey_at_irosf.com.

Bradbury to Guest on TCM

marti@irosf.com ( Marti McKenna ) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 17:13:39 +0000

Legendary author Ray Bradbury has agreed to be Turner Classic Movies' guest programmer for the month of November. Bradbury has chosen several of his favorite films to air during the month.

Read the full story.

HBO to Play a Game of Thrones

marti@irosf.com ( Marti McKenna ) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:25:34 +0000

Variety reports that cable giant HBO has given the green light to a pilot for a new series based on George R.R. Martin's fantasy series, "A Song of Fire and Ice." The series will be called "A Game of Thrones" after the first book in the series.

Read the full story.

Mars Rover says Goodbye

marti@irosf.com ( Bluejack ) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 22:39:34 +0000

Damn, I'm such a sucker, I got teary. (bluejack)

Goodbye from Mars.

2009 Poll of Polls from SFAW

marti@irosf.com ( Marti McKenna ) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:35:25 +0000

Science Fiction Awards Watch has launched their 2009 Poll of Polls and are asking readers to vote early and often! (Well, early, anyway.)

As with last year we have pitted the top award winners of the year against each other, and you get to decide who wins.

Read more and vote!

Forrest J. Ackerman - Not Dead Yet

marti@irosf.com ( Marti McKenna ) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 15:51:30 +0000

Several news sources erroneously reported the death of editor and superfan Forrest J. Ackerman yesterday. Locus Online had this to say:

News last night of the death of Forrest J Ackerman was apparently premature, and Locus Online apologizes for the erroneous post.

Michael Crichton Succumbs to Cancer

marti@irosf.com ( Marti McKenna ) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 03:34:50 +0000

The AP reports:

Michael Crichton, the million-selling author who made scientific research terrifying and irresistible in such thrillers as "Jurassic Park," "Timeline" and "The Andromeda Strain," has died of cancer, his family said. Crichton died Tuesday in Los Angeles at age 66 after privately battling cancer.

Full story

World Fantasy Award Winners

marti@irosf.com ( Marti McKenna ) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 03:32:53 +0000

From SFAwardsWatch.com:

* Novel: Ysabel, Guy Gavriel Kay (Viking Canada/Penguin Roc)
* Novella: Illyria, Elizabeth Hand (PS Publishing)
* Short Story: �Singing of Mount Abora�, Theodora Goss (Logorrhea, Bantam Spectra)
* Anthology: Inferno: New Tales of Terror and the Supernatural, Ellen Datlow, Editor (Tor)
* Collection: Tiny Deaths, Robert Shearman (Comma Press)
* Artist: Edward Miller
* Special Award, Professional: Peter Crowther for PS Publishing
* Special Award, Non-Professional: Midori Snyder and Terri Windling for Endicott Studios Website

WSFA Small Press Awards Announced

marti@irosf.com ( Marti McKenna ) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 23:16:35 +0000

The Washington Science Fiction Association this week announced their 2008 award winner: "The Wizard of Macatawa" by Tom Doyle. The story appeared in issue 11 of Paradox magazine (Christopher M. Cevasco, publisher/editor).

Honorable mentions:

"Bufo Rex" by Erik Amundsen, Weird Tales, issue 347; John Gregory Betancourt, publisher; Ann VanderMeer, fiction editor

"Orm the Beautiful" by Elizabeth Bear, Clarkesw

Ridley Scott to Direct The Forever War

marti@irosf.com ( Marti McKenna ) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 23:04:18 +0000
According to MIT's The Tech:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation has acquired the rights to The Forever War, an award-winning 1974 novel by science fiction author and MIT writing professor Joe Haldeman. The film will be directed by Ridley Scott, whose last science fiction films were Alien and Blade Runner.

Read the full story.

Red Mars Coming to AMC

marti@irosf.com ( Marti McKenna ) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 02:11:56 +0000
According to the Hollywood Reporter, AMC is developing a new series based on Red Mars, by Kim Stanley Robinson.

Writer-producer Jonathan Hensleigh (Armageddon, Die Hard: With a Vengeance) will be in charge of adapting Kim Stanley Robinson's classic 1992 novel, which describes a team of humans as they attempt to colonize the planet.

Read more.

Helix Closes

marti@irosf.com ( Marti McKenna ) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:57:33 +0000
For those who missed it (like your IROSF news hound, who's been under the weather), William Sanders announced recently that Helix is closing.

As of the end of this year the magazine will no longer exist, except as a fond memory. (Anybody for whom the memory isn't a fond one can blow me.)

Lest anyone think otherwise, Sanders asserts (and folks on both sides of this summer's virtual debate confirm) that the magazine's closure was a foregone conclusion before the incident in question.

Read Sanders' announcement.

Depp and Burton Together Again

marti@irosf.com ( Marti McKenna ) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:03:16 +0000
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Johnny Depp will play the Mad Hatter in Tim Burton's film adaptation of Alice in Wonderland. Australian actress Mia Wasikowska will take the lead.

Read more.

Editor Thomsen Dead at 49

marti@irosf.com ( Marti McKenna ) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 15:55:25 +0000
Brian Thomsen, founding editor of Questar and editor of a number of anthologies, died Sunday of a heart attack.

Locus has more.