Nominees Named for 2012 Hugo Awards and John W. Campbell Award
The 2012 Hugo Awards nominations are out, and amongst the typical gritty fantasy and zombie apocalypse novels are Jo Walton's Among Others, which sounds genuinely intriguing.
read moreChristopher Priest Whips Out Epeen, Engenders Clarke Award Controversy
Author Christopher Priest whips out his epeen and gets in a nerd rage over the 2012 Arthur C. Clarke Award shortlist. Is it because it's that bad? Or is it because he's not on it this year?
read moreU.S. DoJ Investigates Apple, Publishers for Alleged Antitrust Violations
The U.S. Department of Justice investigates Apple and five publishers for alleged collusion over ebook pricing, the Wall Street Journal reports. Also, Apple won't carry ebooks that reference other works sold by Amazon.
read moreAnthony Shadid’s Memoir, Truth vs. Fact and Life Imitates a William Gibson Novel
A lot of news in the book world recently, not the least of which is the appearance of journalist Anthony Shadid's memoir, House of Stone. Welcome to Random Book News, Volume V or so.
read moreLooking Back on Isaac Asimov’s Foundation
Isaac Asimov's Foundation books, including the sequels and prequels, bookend the author's career and illustrate how he grew as an author and changed with the times.
read moreErm, Fell Out of the Saddle again
Life happens, knocking you out of the saddle, and you don't always have time for books and hobbies. But as Bender would say, "I'm back, baby."
read moreBack in the Saddle: Thoughts on Connie Willis’ Blackout and All Clear
Having finished Connie Willis' Nebula-winning time travel opus, Blackout and All Clear, it seems to me that All Clear corrects Blackout's foibles, and makes them both worth reading.
read moreIn Which I Rubbish Sexism
The idea that authors' gender automatically renders their work inferior is rubbish. Literary sexism = rubbish. So much for V.S. Naipaul. And while we're on the subject, check out the SF Mistressworks list.
read moreV. S. Naipaul: Cranky Old Sexist?
Some call V.S. Naipaul the greatest living author of English prose. Does that justify his claim that all women authors are inferior to him? Or is he just a cranky, insecure old man?
read more¡Ay Caramba! Bring the Sci Fi and Fantasy
Ouch. After the reality check -- more like body slam -- of reading two historical nonfiction works back to back, I'm ready for the science fiction and fantasy of Connie Willis and Karen Lord.
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