July 18, 2019

June News

*Overheard in the Store:

"You can't discriminate against someone based on their Hogwarts' House!"

"The clerks were whimsical and the customers were insane."

"You FOOL! We're all English teachers and there were BOOKS back there!"

"You care about something, and you're not an idiot."

"Well, when you put it THAT way, it is _definitely_ creepy."

* R.I.P. Dennis Etchison, acclaimed horror author and editor and recipient of the Bram Stoker Lifetime Achievement Award, who died at the end of May. https://locusmag.com/2019/05/dennis-etchison-1943-2019/

* Babylon 5 was one of the most innovative SF shows of its time, and here are 5 things that it did that changed science fiction forever. https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/5-things-babylon-5-did-that-changed-science-fiction-forever

* College writing classes have traditionally been hostile or dismissive of genre fiction writers, but this article argues that perhaps it now depends on the author's specific style. https://www.wired.com/2019/06/geeks-guide-college-fantasy-sci-fi/

* As you go through this list you realize most of the dads in the MCU are. . . . less than ideal: https://sciencefiction.com/2019/06/14/ranking-the-dads-of-the-marvel-cinematic-universe/
 
* A ranking of the classic Final Fantasy series games listed from the best to the worst: https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/all-final-fantasy-games-ranked-from-best-to-worst/

* Speaking of the classic Final Fantasy series, there is finally more news on the remake of FF7 that was announced four years ago and has been scantly mentioned since. https://www.dualshockers.com/final-fantasy-7-remake-vii-preview-e3-2019/

* Reviewing India's first all-female feminist SF anthology, MAGICAL WOMEN: https://factordaily.com/sf-anthology-magical-women/

* The idea of a "Gambit" movie has been floating around Hollywood for well over a decade now.  Rupert Wyatt reveals that when he was holding the reins the idea was for the Gambit film to be a 70's heist film. Which. . . actually sounds pretty great? https://sciencefiction.com/2019/06/14/rupert-wyatt-original-idea-for-his-gambit-movie-would-have-place d-it-in-the-70s/

* The anime classic "Akira" was set in the Neo-Tokyo of 2019, which is of course this year. SO, what if anything does Akira's vision of Tokyo have in common with the Tokyo of today?  A lot. https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/jun/16/the-year-of-akira-how-does-2019-neo-tokyo-compare-with-todays-city

* An excerpt of Annalee Newitz's new novel THE FUTURE OF ANOTHER TIMELINE which comes out this September. https://io9.gizmodo.com/weve-got-an-exclusive-first-look-at-io9-co-founder-anna-1832512608

* The first reveal is here for "Elden Ring", the game co-created by George R.R. Martin! https://www.2oceansvibe.com/2019/06/10/george-r-r-martins-developing-a-fantasy-game-now-video/

* It's Pride Month! Here's a list of 30 great LGBTQIA+ books, many award-nominated themselves or by award-nominated authors, for you to read not only this month but year round. https://www.bustle.com/p/30-lgbtqia-sci-fi-fantasy-books-you-should-read-this-pride-month-17940283

* There's a "Magic: The Gathering" fantasy series coming to Netflix, directed by "Avengers" directors the Russo brothers!  The middle school nerds in us are jumping up and down and clapping very excitedly right now. https://www.tweaktown.com/news/66110/magic-gathering-fantasy-series-coming-netflix/index.html

* A Victorian fantasy series with Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevingne - "Carnival Row" looks like an interesting hit or an excruciating miss.  Prepare some popcorn and prepare to love- or hate-watch this beautiful disaster. https://www.etonline.com/orlando-bloom-and-cara-delevingne-star-in-first-look-at-victorian-fantasy-series-carnival-row

* io9 provides valid arguments for why speculative fans should subscribe to Criterion; one of the most compelling being its deep library of Godzilla and other kaiju movies available. https://io9.gizmodo.com/6-reasons-why-genre-fans-should-check-out-the-criterion-1834765009
           
* Speaking of Godzilla, how about a deep dive into the philosophy of the king of the kaiju and environmental pessimism? https://merionwest.com/2019/06/15/godzilla-and-the-doctrine-of-environmental-pessimism/

* There have been a lot of critiques of the last season of "Game of Thrones", but were the real issues the hidden politics it only pretended to subvert?  (It wouldn't be the first time zombies were meant to represent fear of immigrants.) https://truthout.org/articles/the-real-monster-in-game-of-thrones-is-its-hidden-reactionary-ideology/

* Looking for something to stream?  Here's a list of the 17 most highly-rated fantasy shows available on Netflix.  https://decider.com/2019/05/07/best-fantasy-shows-on-netflix/

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Award News
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* The winners of the 2018 Bram Stoker Awards have been announced! Congratulations! http://horror.org/2018-bram-stoker-award-winners-nominees/

* The Sunburst Awards, which celebrate Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic, have announced their 2019 nominations longlist.  http://www.sunburstaward.org/2019-longlist

* The 2019 Nebula Award Winners have been announced!  Congratulations to Mary Robinette Kowal, Brooke Bolander, Phenderson Djèlí Clark and more!  Check out the full list here: https://locusmag.com/2019/05/2018-nebula-awards-winners/

* Finalists for the best science fiction novel John W. Campbell Memorial Award 2019 has been released: http://www.sfcenter.ku.edu/news/Campbell-Award_finalists-press-release-2019.pdf

* The 2019 Eugie Foster Memorial Award for Short Fiction finalists have been announced.  All of them are available online for free, so get to reading!  http://www.eugiefoster.com/eugieaward

* The Mythopoeic Awards Finalists for 2019 have been announced as well. Congratulations to Mishell Baker, Ruthanna Emrys and the others!  https://mythsoc-rohan.blogspot.com/2019/06/mythopoeic-awards-finalists-for-2019.html

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