Star Wars with occasional sarcasm
The new Chalion book is finished. Working title is The Haunted Hunt, and while it’s set in the Chalion universe it’s not in Chalion itself.
An interesting interview with a bunch of women sf writers, including Ms. Bujold.
Obi-Wan fanfic is among the subjects discussed.
Fantasy author Michelle Sagara has a lengthy essay on writing tie-ins and work for hire.
Popular Science wonders if technology is moving too fast for sci-fi.
If that’s the case, where is my floating car? Sci-fi has always assumed that changes happen faster than they do in life – it’s the small things that change fast. We have cell phones that make Spock’s communicator look bulky, but we still haven’t managed to get a man on Mars. And every new invention breeds new possibilities. Could something like Cory Doctorow’s Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, a novel referenced in the article, be written before the internet? Doubtful.
J.K.Rowling did a reading and a Q&A session at the Edinburgh Book Festival today, and dropped many a tantalizing hint about her next book. Read the transcript. Watch for possible spoilers!
Time has an article on Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, which they’re describing as ‘Harry Potter for grown-ups:”
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell is set in an alternative version of early 19th century England, one in which magic is real but on the wane, to the point that there are only two practicing sorcerers left in England. The pair are a pleasing study in contrasts: Mr. Norrell is exceptionally learned but shy and fussy. “He is,” a character remarks, “at one and the same time, the most remarkable man of the age and the most tedious.” Strange is charming, young, fashionable and romantic. Clarke could have called the book Sense and Sensibility if the title weren’t already taken.
In related new releases, be sure to keep an eye out for the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 2. The first volume was the basis for a less than faithful movie adaptation in 2003, but don’t let that scare you away. It’s good stuff!
The three people who haven’t yet read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix might be interested to know that the paperback came out yesterday.
If you’re all HPed out, a list of sci-fi & fantasy books for August can be seen at Locus Online.
Joss Whedon on why he took the Astonishing X-Men gig. Includes a 5 page previeew of issue #4. If you’re not reading this, you need to motor to your local comic store ASAP, folks. Yes, X-Men continuty makes the Expanded Universe look like an issue of Martha Stewart Living, but it’s THAT GOOD.
Women in pop culture are getting more respect:
“What we understand is that a girl heroine isn’t just for girls,” Register says. “And in order for her to appeal to everyone, she has to be cool, smart, independent and strong.”
How to write a best selling fantasy novel. Cash in now!
Admit it. You go back and re-read, don’t you?
Apparently, you’re not alone. The American Library Association has released a study of the most re-read books.
Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings are on that list. Hmm…I’m so not surprised.