August News Roundup

* Overheard in the store:
"Your capacity for academia and smut exceeds my own."
"Did you ever get in a Facebook war with Anne Rice?"

*New writer's group starts at Borderlands Cafe.  From the orginizers, "The San Francisco Writers Coffeehouse is a bunch of writers sitting around talking about writing . . . with coffee. No agenda. Just chat about the latest trends in the industry, about the craft of writing, about markets, about pitching and selling, about conquering frustration and defeating writers block, and about all of the good things that come from the community of writers. No previous publishing experience necessary. The Writers Coffeehouse invites everyone from absolute beginner to award-winners and bestsellers. We're all writers.  We'll be meeting the 4th Sunday of every month from 5pm-8pm at Borderlands Cafe, 870 Valencia Street, in San Francisco. Our first meeting will be Sunday, August 23."  You can find more info at their facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/groups/385645044974572

* We're very sorry to hear that wonderful author (and dear man) Tom Piccirilli has passed away.  A winner of multiple Stoker Awards and finalist for both the Edgar Award & The World Fantasy Award, he was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2012.  http://www.locusmag.com/News/2015/07/tom-piccirilli-1965-2015/

* Michael Moorcock gives a hilarious and illuminating interview in The Guardian.  http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jun/12/michael-moorcock-my-family-values

* After decades of rumors and attempted adaptations, Philip K. Dick's alternate history novel THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE is finally getting a visual treatment, with the series set to premiere this fall.  Check out the trailer here: http://www.tor.com/2015/07/13/the-man-in-the-high-castle-first-trailer-sdcc-2015/

* John Kenn Mortensen draws Lovecraftian horrors by way of Edward Gorey -- most of his prints are now sold out but you can check out his gallery here: http://johnkenn.blogspot.com/

* Ursula LeGuin opens an informal writing Q&A over at Book View Cafe.  The submission form for questions has since been taken down, but she intends to post an answer to the questions already received every other week until she's gotten through them all, and once she's gotten through them, they will be open for more questions.  Keep an eye out for her wonderful replies and for the opportunity to submit your own question.  http://bookviewcafe.com/blog/tag/navigation/

* Spielberg's adaptation of READY PLAYER ONE now has a release date of December 15, 2017.  Not quite time to start popping the popcorn, but at least you can put it on your calendars.

* Speaking of adaptations and release dates, Stephen King's THE DARK TOWER, which has bounced from studio to studio and director to director, finally has a release date as well: January 13, 2017.  They are ambitiously talking about a movie franchise and a TV series and although they have a writer & director set up -- Nikolaj Arcel -- there is still no cast at all, so keep your fingers crossed this actually happens.

* The 2015 Mythopoeic Awards were announced at MythCon 46; congratulations to the winners!  http://www.mythsoc.org/news/mythopoeic-awards-2015-winners-announced/

* The Science Fiction Poetry Association has named two new Grand Masters: Marge Simon and Steve Sneyd. For more information and list of other SFPA Grand Masters check here: http://sfpoetry.com/grandmasters.html

* The British Fantasy Award Nominees have been announced and the full list is available here: http://www.britishfantasysociety.org/british-fantasy-awards/british-fantasy-awards-2015-the-nominees/

* The 2015 Manly Wade Wellman Award for a Science Fiction or Fantasy writer living in North Carolina has been given to Mur Lafferty for her novel GHOST TRAIN TO NEW ORLEANS.  http://ncsff.org/

* Though a lot of us have lost faith in J.J. Abrams' directing ability since "Star Trek: Into Darkness", he at least has one thing right in the new "Star Wars" film: there will be no midichlorians at all!  http://sciencefiction.com/2015/08/05/mediating-midi-chlorians-abrams-says-the-force-awakens-will-avoid-controversial-canon/

* The Sidewise Awards for Alternate History have announced their shortlist for this month's awards.  Some of the short-form nominees are available online; check them all out here: http://www.uchronia.net/sidewise/

* The Second Annual Baen Fantasy Adventure Award has announced their list of finalists.  The winner will be published on the Baen Books website along with receiving an engraved award and $500 worth of Baen Books.  Check out the list of finalists and rules here: http://www.baen.com/baenfantasyaward.asp

* The 2015 Will Eisner Awards were announced, and many of the winners and nominees had sf/f elements.  Winners include the titles "Saga," "Lumberjanes," "Through The Woods," and more.  The full list of winners and nominees is here: http://www.comic-con.org/awards/eisner-awards-current-info

* Remember when TV shows had crossover events all the time?  It has gone out of fashion in the last few years, but some unlikely shows are looking to bring it back.  The procedural "Bones" and the pre-apocalyptic genre show "Sleepy Hollow" are planning a number of crossover episodes this coming season.  http://tvline.com/2015/08/06/bones-sleepy-hollow-crossover-storyline-spoilers-plot/

* The full Red Band trailer for The Deadpool movie has finally been released and it looks amazing.  Ryan Reynolds wanted to make up for the awful portrayal of Deadpool in that Wolverine film and he is definitely doing it.  (Although it has been controversial that they've decided to delete his schizophrenia from the film, many advocates are pointing to him as a high profile character who is canonically schizophrenic.)  http://sciencefiction.com/2015/08/04/see-the-merc-with-a-mouth-in-full-hd-glory-in-first-red-band-trailer-for-deadpool/

* The 2014 Shirley Jackson Awards have been announced, and winners include Jeff VanderMeer, Daryl Gregory, Ellen Datlow and Allison Littlewood.  For the full list go here: http://www.shirleyjacksonawards.org/nominees/

* The knives have been out for the Fantastic Four remake almost since its announcement,  and everything from the plot to the casting to the effects has been dragged through the mud on the internet.  Director John Trank has basically disowned it, saying it was not the version he wanted to show and now his former collaborator for the film Chronicle is defending his friend on twitter.  http://sciencefiction.com/2015/08/08/chronicle-screenwriter-defends-josh-tranks-fantastic-four/

* Friend of the store and wonderful author, N.K. Jemisin, (whose new book THE FIFTH SEASON is out now,) was interviewed/profiled in The Guardian.  Read her thoughts about fantasy, race, society, gender, and writing, and the ways they all inform each other here: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jul/27/nk-jemisin-interview-fantasy-science-fiction-writing-racism-sexism