http://www.sfsite.com/ The new issue of the SF Site is now online. Copyright 1996-2010 SF Site en-us http://www.sfsite.com/images/sfspot1.gif http://www.sfsite.com/ http://www.sfsite.com/08b/sw326.htm Mon, 16 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT It isn't a particularly inspired title for an anthology of sword and sorcery stories but then speaking plainly is one of the virtues of the subgenre. This is a collection that does exactly what it says on the tin, with one exception. http://www.sfsite.com/08b/ic326.htm Mon, 16 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT In John Carpenter's movie, Escape from New York, every inch of Manhattan Island is a maximum-security prison. All the bridges have been blocked and, once you're incarcerated, you never get out. Incarceron is of the same concept but more. You may never get out of Incarceron but you may not even know you are in prison. Generations have lived and died within the walls of Incarceron and may have forgotten they are in prison as it is the only life they've known. http://www.sfsite.com/08b/lc326.htm Mon, 16 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT We begin with Ana Alvarado, an unemployed zookeeper taken on by a cutting edge software company to train up their latest developments: software objects who are meant to function as virtual pets. Meanwhile, Derek Brooks, an animator, is working for the same company designing the new creatures. http://www.sfsite.com/08b/jm326.htm Mon, 16 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT Continuing from the previous novel, Dragon in Chains, the author gives readers a wonderful story of feudal China in old times where a fight for the rightful owner of the throne is occurring and only a few men can prevent the evil-doers getting their hands on it and the power that comes with it. There are several who would overthrow the emperor, and those who would defend him, yet traitors are lurking in the midst. http://www.sfsite.com/08b/lh326.htm Mon, 16 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT Our hero is a 14-year-old boy who is the most deadly human in the world. Adopted into a monastery of fanatical warrior priests, he was trained from a very young age in the arts of combat. While there, his super-power which allowed him to predict and counter any other fighter appeared. Using his powers and genius like a sense of tactics (as well as a bunch of lucky breaks), he and his friends escape after discovering the festering evil that lies at the heart of the monastery. http://www.sfsite.com/08b/pw326.htm Mon, 16 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT This book is only 72 pages long and each page has only a couple of sentences on it. The rest of the page is filled with precise and fanciful illustrations by Nate Taylor giving us the details of the action described by Pat Rothfuss's words. Given this limited amount of content, it's hard to know how much to tell you about this book without giving anything away. http://www.sfsite.com/08b/be326.htm Mon, 16 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT Ethan begins the new school year with the anticipation of nothing new -- same old friends, same old attitudes. It's a typical small southern town where everyone knows everyone else's business and the usual prejudices reign. But this year there is a change in the air. This year there are a few surprises. Spooky old Mason Ravenwood, the town recluse, has a teenage niece that has just moved in and joined the student body. http://www.sfsite.com/08b/tb326.htm Mon, 16 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT Jason, Frank, Ronnie and Lizzy were all friends growing up in the small town of Random, Illinois. One Halloween they decided to visit a witch that lived in the woods, where they all sought to have their fortunes told by the town's legendary haunter of the woods. The only problem was that once they reached the witch's campfire, things went all wrong. http://www.sfsite.com/08b/ny326.htm Mon, 16 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT Nadya is a werewolf, living in the mid 1800s, born of a werewolf father from Poland and a werewolf mother, who was a harlot in New Orleans. When she strays one night during a full moon and kills a neighbor's sheep, the community goes out to hunt the wolves that they see as a danger, and Nadya must escape towards the west. http://www.sfsite.com/08b/dm326.htm Mon, 16 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT Welcome to a world where the gods are alive and well and dealing with humanity on their own terms. Everyone's got a personal god, who takes care of them according to the level of faith involved and sacrifices offered. Want that promotion? Sacrifice a calf to Baal. Looking for lower insurance premiums? Marduk's your deity. After years of holding out, Phil and Teri are fed up with seeing everyone else get ahead through worship while they get left behind... so they're in the market for a god. http://www.sfsite.com/08b/ru326.htm Mon, 16 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT Not surprisingly, Thasha manages to escape the arranged marriage by employing a more successful variation of the Romeo and Juliet gambit. The Chathrand sets sail in unchartered waters to fake its own shipwreck as part of a plan to stealthily implement Arquali plans for world domination. Needless to say, our hearty band of heroes stands in their way. But since this is only the second volume of The Chathrand Voyage, they aren't quite successful. http://www.sfsite.com/columns/graphica326.htm Mon, 16 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT Mark London Williams is done with teaching comics. No, really, he is finished -- as in, the five week course he taught over the summer on comic book scripting is now concluded. He has mentioned elsewhere that he teaches writing -- one of the places is "in house," for the Disney folks. Mark fell into one of these as a creative writing teacher for one department running what amounts to an in-house community college, offering evening classes in a variety of subjects. He has taught various aspects of writing over the years but comic book scripting was a challenge. http://www.sfsite.com/columns/booknews326.htm Mon, 16 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT Tim Lebbon explains how writing can disturb your sleep as well as your wife, and Stephen James Walker's End of Ten delves deep into the real-life story behind the scenes as David Tennant bows out of Doctor Who. http://www.sfsite.com/columns/rick326.htm Mon, 16 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT In his mid-July column, Rick offered a list of the ten best sf movies before Stanley Kubrick's monumental sf trilogy, and wondered what modern moviegoers made of such ancient fare. These films still have some popularity, since all are available on DVD and can be ordered from Netflix. The response led him to wonder about the demographics of SF Site, and of science fiction generally. http://www.sfsite.com/08b/br326.htm Mon, 16 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT Science fiction and fantasy changes over time. Sometimes the changes are obvious such as when a novel like Neuromancer explodes on the scene. Other times, the changes are more subtle, like an authors whose work has been published steadily in the magazines looks back and sees the scope of their career. In 1989, Paul Kincaid conducted a survey in which he asked British science fiction and fantasy authors a series of questions to get a feel for the state of the genre. Twenty years later, Niall Harrison conducted essentially the same survey. http://www.sfsite.com/08b/rs326.htm Mon, 16 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT Edgar Allen Poe was once described by James Russell Lowell as "three-fifths genius, two-fifths sheer fudge" (and who reads James Russell Lowell today, one might ask?). It might be a stretch to call any segment of this book genius, but the second three-fifths certainly pass the fudge test. The first 130 pages, however, are gripping. "Gripping" is one of those over-used terms of critical praise, but every so often a piece of prose exerts a physical power to keep one reading. The Raw Shark Texts has this in spades. http://www.sfsite.com/08b/ad326.htm Mon, 16 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT Ten-year-old Vicky, is crushed when she receives a dusty, old doll house for her birthday instead of the shiny, new 10-speed bike she'd been hinting about so much. She rushes to her bedroom in tears. However the doll house soon begins to draw her interest and she soon begins play with it a great deal. Vicky then begins making the doll house people behave like the real people in her life. http://www.sfsite.com/columns/graphica325.htm Mon, 2 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT It's time for Mark London Williams to write again of Comic Con, and his double-foray (which sounds kinky though was, alas, anything but) into Con territories this year... He has been going to the Con for twenty years now -- and covering them regularly here for three. And it strikes him that much of what the Con has become is summed up here in a quote from Peter Hall (not the British director, one assumes!), writing for Cinematical... http://www.sfsite.com/08a/ap325.htm Sun, 1 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT "SF may have been called 'science fiction' in the 50s and 60s, but by then science-beyond-science was no longer being invoked in stories as the name of the transcendent wonders and marvels which distinguish SF from mundane fiction. At least, that's what Hugo Gernsback -- the inventor of the name 'science fiction' -- declared in 1963. I think the changeover point came in the middle 40s. By 1947, Robert A. Heinlein was suggesting 'speculative fiction' as an alternate name for SF. And by 1954, Forrest J Ackerman was calling SF 'sci-fi,' the popular name it's currently best known by." http://www.sfsite.com/07b/bestofcdl.htm Fri, 16 Jul 2010 11:00:00 GMT All of the finest stories of this popular pioneer of urban fantasy and creator of the mythical city of Newford have been chosen by the author -- and his fans -- and gathered in this collection. To celebrate, we decided to have a contest. You can win a copy of The Very Best of Charles de Lint, published by Tachyon Publications, which will be sent to you post-paid. All you need to do is to answer five questions. http://www.sfsite.com/08a/cl325.htm Sun, 1 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT Cherie Priest's entry into the world of steampunk has been spectacular and explosive, qualities that match the protagonists of her new short novel Clementine. The book proceeds from the events in its incredible predecessor Boneshaker, following a minor character in that novel, Captain Croggon Beauregard Hainey, an escaped slave on the hunt for those who have stolen his (previously stolen) airship, the Free Crow. http://www.sfsite.com/08a/to325.htm Sun, 1 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT Here we have twenty-seven new tales by renowned authors (and storytellers) such as Joyce Carol Oates, Roddy Doyle, Peter Straub, Joe R. Lansdale, Chick Palahniuk, Gene Wolfe, Jonathan Carroll, Michael Moorcock, and each of the two editors Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio. They provide twenty-seven stories, ranging from the fantastic to the horrific, from pulp fiction to fantasy. http://www.sfsite.com/08a/de325.htm Sun, 1 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT Darth Bane, the first and only true Dark Lord of the Sith, has acquired much knowledge, power and strength over the decades. But the Dark Side energy that feeds his thirst for control is slowly destroying his battered frame. As he continues to lose faith in his apprentice, Darth Zannah, Bane finds he must look for either a new apprentice, or a way to prolong his life... http://www.sfsite.com/08a/vp325.htm Sun, 1 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT The secret war between the Zodiac troops of Shadow and Light continues unabated, with Las Vegas as both battlefield and prize. As always, stuck right in the middle is Joanna Archer, whose uniquely mixed heritage casts her as a prophesied agent of change and destiny. Transformed into the exact likeness of her murdered socialite sister Olivia, she's living under the noses of her greatest enemies, one step away from discovery at all times. http://www.sfsite.com/08a/kr325.htm Sun, 1 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT China Mieville continues to be a word wizard of the first order. He doesn't ever use just any word where the perfect word will do, and every time reading a Mieville novel will expand your vocabulary exponentially. He is also a gifted observer and he is capable of sketching out things without dwelling on them, but in such a way that readers still find those things haunting their dreams days after they have put the finished novel down and had thought that they were done with it. http://www.sfsite.com/08a/ug325.htm Sun, 1 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT Tally is in school. Learning seems to be the primary task for Uglies whereas having fun and partying is for Pretties. Tally is a pro at sneaking out at night to cross the river and spy on the Pretty life style. She travels via her hoverboard upon which she is fairly skilled. Tally has some pretty (no pun intended) exciting adventures among the Pretties before she meets Shay. http://www.sfsite.com/08a/pd325.htm Sun, 1 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT The book is the story of a scientist in lust who travels through the plots of various science fiction movies that are now out of copyright. Normally John loves this kind of thing; a farcical mash-up playing with the tropes of classic science fiction cinema. http://www.sfsite.com/08a/ct325.htm Sun, 1 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT Not much happens in the backwater town of Old Mill, North Carolina. It's so quiet that Jasper, the local air-conditioner repairman, decides to let his customers swelter just one more day while he goes fishing. But on his arrival at his favorite fishing hole, Jasper discovers a partially submerged body in the middle of his fishing spot. The upper torso and head are hidden under the dark water and Jasper has no desire to see what lies beneath. http://www.sfsite.com/08a/gb325.htm Sun, 1 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT Things never slow down in the Nightside, the secret black heart of London where it's always the darkest part of the night and the shadows have teeth. And as always, where there's trouble, there's John Taylor, private detective and all-around go-to guy when things get weird. His latest job's unusual, even by his standards: escort the elf known as Lord Screech across the Nightside. Providing transportation for this little outing is Ms. Fate, the Nightside's very own transvestite superheroine. http://www.sfsite.com/08a/ex325.htm Sun, 1 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT One of the most abused cliches of reviewing a thriller is to describe it a "ride" -- or sometimes a "roller-coaster ride" or "roller-coaster." This is ne book that merits the tag, it is a fun blend of many speculative fiction subgenres -- the near future dystopia, the reality TV show satire, the hunt for "the most dangerous game" of them all -- man. Added to the mix is a witty send-up of the pomposity and greed of the movie world. http://www.sfsite.com/books/new325.htm Sun, 1 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT This time we're looking at the latest from Greg Egan, Laurell K. Hamilton, Whitley Streiber, David Weber, Harry Turtledove, Kelley Armstrong, and many others. Enjoy! http://www.sfsite.com/columns/audio325.htm Sun, 1 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT Recent audiobook releases received by SF Site include works by Paolo Bacigalupi, Charles de Lint, R.A. Salvatore, Ray Bradbury, Robert Sheckley and Lois McMaster Bujold. At times it's more convenient (and enjoyable) to hear the latest in science fiction and fantasy. http://www.sfsite.com/columns/derek325.htm Sun, 1 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT As Derek writes, Christopher Nolan's Inception has grossed over $165 million in United States domestic ticket sales. While not exactly the same level of success as his previous movie -- The Dark Knight grossed $351 million after its first two weeks -- it nonetheless bodes well for Nolan, who took what could have been an incomprehensible, self-indulgent mess and managed to find a successful blend of art-house indie flick and crowd-pleasing blockbuster. It may not be perfect but at least it managed to be one of the summer's top tier movies without asking its audience not to check its brain at the door. http://www.sfsite.com/columns/booknews325.htm Sun, 1 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT Sometimes a cup of coffee can change your life. For actor and general entrepreneur Todd Stashwick (Supernatural, Heroes) and comic writer/artist Dennis Calero (Heroes, Wolverine) a simple caffeine break together resulted in the launch of a brand new web comic called Devil Inside. http://www.sfsite.com/columns/rick325.htm Sun, 1 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT The current season of Doctor Who came to a satisfactorily mind-blowing end, with the threat that the universe would be, not just destroyed, but caused never to have existed at all. The Doctor faces down all of the villains he has ever encountered armed, as usual, with nothing more than his wits. http://www.sfsite.com/08a/in325.htm Sun, 1 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT Critical reaction has been mixed. Some critics didn't understand it, others didn't like having to think so hard, others sincerely believe that the only purpose of art is to reveal human character, and that cleverness detracts from the purity of film. And some critics liked it. http://www.sfsite.com/08a/rh325.htm Sun, 1 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT Sixteen-Year-Old Molly McClure must save her family in 2041. After severe oil shortages, the government has seized all remaining oil. This and the previous shortages have resulted in extreme poverty worldwide. Many large corporations and small businesses have failed. This life-changing event is referred to as the Collapse. Money still has value, there just isn't very much to go around and has lost much of its value. Most economic transactions are the result of the barter system. http://www.sfsite.com/08a/ec325.htm Sun, 1 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT Elric of Melnibone is a sorcerer, prince of a fallen kingdom, despoiler of women and sometime physically weak figure, if not for the herbs he consumes to keep him alert and ready to do battle later. It would be easy to hate such an individual, but Elric is not intentionally cruel, and constantly in mourning for Cymoril, his wife who just happens to be the only woman he has ever truly loved. http://www.sfsite.com/rssfeeds01.htm Sat, 1 Jan 2005 11:00:00 GMT After constructing our first RSS feed, it soon became apparent that the size of files could grow quickly. We decided to separate them into smaller ones, breaking them up by month. On this page you will find RSS feed files for all of our content beginning with January 2005.