Today’s word for Wednesday is egrimony, meaning intense sadness or sorrow. From the Latin, this noun was first listed in a lexicon or dictionary in 1626 according to the OED. It is obsolete now, but has real potential as a character name; you know, like “Egrimony Jones, Steampunk Detective.”

Awards

The Locus Award finalists were announced yesterday. This is a pretty competitive list. Aliette de Bodard manages to make both Best Fantasy Novel and best Short Story. Ann Leckie, Neal Stephenson and some other familiar names show up as well. First Novel looks like an intriguing category with Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Kai Ashanti Wilson.

The finalists for the Arthur C Clarke Award have been announced.

Here are some “not spoilery” comments from the Arthur C Clarke Award judges. These are funny and so familiar! I have said, “I could admire it, but I couldn’t bring myself to like it.” And I loved, “This books deserves to win all kinds of prizes, just not this one.”

And still more on the Clarke Award, because why the heck not?

And, the Shirley Jackson Award shortlist is out. I’m pleased to see Kelly Link’s Get in Trouble on the Collections list, and Ellen Datlow’s The Doll Collection under Anthologies.

Black and white illustration of The Wild Swans by Hans Christian Andersen

Illustration of The Wild Swans, by Hans Christian Andersen, for no reason

And without further ado, on to the Hugo shortlist. The Rabid Puppies managed to get a Chuck Tingle gay erotica (or, dinosaur erotica) story on the Hugo in the Best Story category (because they are all about good stories, people!) Inverse interviewed the reclusive nominee and the results are… well. This needs a Not Safe For Everybody notice; it’s satire (I mean, duh!) and in spite of myself I’m getting a soft spot in my heart for Chuck Tingle, whoever he/she/they is/are. (Wait, maybe that soft spot is my head.) Anyway, the book covers may offend some people—this is gay erotica. Be aware.

The Hugo Discussion Machine is revving up its engines again. George RR Martin’s comments aren’t as weird or funny as Chuck Tingle’s “interview”, but once again they provide perspective.

Black Gate has withdrawn from the Hugo Fanzine shortlist,  and George RR Martin has a response. (Both items courtesy of File 770.)

Books and Writing

Guy Gavriel Kay is one of this site’s favorite writers. At IO9, Kay talks about how he creates his fantasy worlds.

This is fun. Here is an infographic on how long it takes to read certain books, on average. Disclaimer: your mileage may vary. (Thanks to Ryan.)

Charlie Jane Anders is leaving IO9, a site she helped found. This is a good news/bad news situation. I love her columns and I will miss her movie reviews! On the other hand, she is going to focus on long fiction, and I’m thrilled about that.  Her final essay is a manifesto about the importance of science fiction. Who does SFF belong to? Everyone.

Bookriot put together a list of 100 SFF novels by women that thy recommend. Like any “you should read” list, it is a good starting point for a lively discussion.

Tor is offering a Michael Moorcock Jerry Cornelius Quartet sweepstakes here. The contest ends on May 5.

Doesn’t this sound interesting? At the Clarke Center, science fiction writers and architects meet to imagine “London in 2080;” positing a rising ocean and the proliferation of “megamalls;” but “before the singularity.” (Courtesy of File 770.)

Rick Riordan is offering a pledge match as part of Rosarium Publishing’s crowd-funding effort. This publisher is the one that brought two Cuban works to the US early this year.

Suvudu shares one of Giabattista Basile’s stories from The Tale of Tales before the movie opens in limited release this week.

Movies and TV

Wheel of Time may become a TV series after all. Harriet McDougal, Robert Jordan’s widow, made the announcement last week. Last year’s legal difficulties have been resolved and a new studio has acquired the rights to the series. McDougal cautions fans and reminds them that this does not mean there will be a show; only that one obstacle has been removed.

Arjun Gupta (Penny) and Olivia Taylor Dudley (Alice) in The Magicians

Arjun Gupta (Penny) and Olivia Taylor Dudley (Alice) in The Magicians

Molly Templeton points out that Quentin Coldwater in The Magicians is no hero, and then asks an interesting question… What if there isn’t a hero? Warning, if you haven’t seen the show, Spoilers. These aren’t really spoilers for the books as much, because the plot has diverged quite a bit from the source material.

Polygon reviews the upcoming Ratchet and Clank movie. Their bottom line is that some movies are better left as video games.

Frankie Adams who will play Bobbie Draper in The Expanse

Frankie Adams, who will play Bobbie Draper in The Expanse

On the Lizard Brain blog, Ty Franck noted that for Season Two of The Expanse, the part of kickass Martian Marine Bobbie Draper has been cast. We’ve all had the experience of watching a beloved character on the screen and being startled or even disappointed at the casting choices. How will Frankie Adams, a New Zealand actor, fill the role of Bobbie? Well, see for yourself.

Games

Polygon also has a nice article on the ways video games can help wounded warriors. Some are obvious; helping retrain hand/eye coordination, but the first story, about the two men who bonded over Final Fantasy 7, touched my heart and made me think.

Science

Spoiler Alert: This story does not end well for the weasel. Gizmodo reports a work-stop at the CERN Large Hadron Collider because of a weasel incident. Strangely, these kinds of stories help me understand chaos theory better.

BBC News reports on an article in Nature Journal, discussing the findings of DNA of Ice Age Europeans, those who lived in Europe between 45,000 and 7,000 years ago. The article shows that ancient migration patterns were as expansive and complicated as modern ones, and provide a few surprises along the way.

Giveaways

We have a few Giveaways active. Check here and comment to win a book! A reminder that several of us are participating in the Self Published Fantasy Blog Off.

May the Fourth be With You

And, finally, May the Fourth be with you on this Star Wars Day.

Author

  • Marion Deeds

    Marion Deeds, with us since March, 2011, is the author of the fantasy novella ALUMINUM LEAVES. Her short fiction has appeared in the anthologies BEYOND THE STARS, THE WAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE, STRANGE CALIFORNIA, and in Podcastle, The Noyo River Review, Daily Science Fiction and Flash Fiction Online. She’s retired from 35 years in county government, and spends some of her free time volunteering at a second-hand bookstore in her home town.