Unhinged about Books

Hugo Awards

doreenh — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:00:39 +0000

Best Novel: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (HarperCollins; Bloomsbury UK)

Best Novella: ”The Erdmann Nexus” by Nancy Kress (Asimov’s Oct/Nov 2008)

Best Novelette: ”Shoggoths in Bloom” by Elizabeth Bear (Asimov’s Mar 2008)

Best Short Story: ”Exhalation” by Ted Chiang (Eclipse Two)

John W. Campbell not-a-Hugo Award for Best New Writer: David Anthony Durham

Best Related Book: Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded: A Decade of Whatever, 1998-2008 by John Scalzi (Subterranean Press)

Best Graphic Story: Girl Genius, Volume 8: Agatha Heterodyne and the Chapel of Bones Written by Kaja & Phil Foglio, art by Phil Foglio, colors by Cheyenne Wright (Airship Entertainment)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form: WALL-E Andrew Stanton & Pete Docter, story; Andrew Stanton & Jim Reardon, screenplay; Andrew Stanton, director (Pixar/Walt Disney)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form: Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog Joss Whedon, & Zack Whedon, & Jed Whedon, & Maurissa Tancharoen, writers; Joss Whedon, director (Mutant Enemy)

Best Editor, Short Form: Ellen Datlow

Best Editor, Long Form: David G. Hartwell

Best Professional Artist: Donato Giancola

Best Semiprozine: Weird Tales edited by Ann VanderMeer & Stephen H. Segal

Best Fan Writer: Cheryl Morgan

Best Fanzine: Electric Velocipede edited by John Klima

Best Fan Artist: Frank Wu

250+ Killer Digital Libraries and Archives

doreenh — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:04:09 +0000

Hundreds of libraries and archives exist online, from university-supported sites to individual efforts. Each one has something to offer to researchers, students, and teachers. This list contains over 250 libraries and archives that focus mainly on localized, regional, and U.S. history, but it also includes larger collections, eText and eBook repositories, and a short list of directories to help you continue your research efforts.

10,000 Lakes Festival in Detroit Lakes MN July 22nd -July 25th, 2009

doreenh — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:10:38 +0000

Heads up it is 10,000 Lakes Festival in Detroit Lakes MN July 22nd -July 25th, 2009, including the Dave Matthews Band http://www.10klf.com/

Here is just a few of the artists ave Matthews Band Widespread Panic (2 nights)

Wilco

Umphrey’s McGee

Atmosphere

Ozomatli

Mason Jennings

Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings

Gomez

Railroad Earth

Tea Leaf Green

Steve Kimock Crazy Engine

Junior Brown

WookieFoot

Trampled By Turtles

Kathleen Edwards

doreenh — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:55:12 +0000

The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks
THE GRAPHIC NOVEL
by Max Brooks
Attacking October 6, 2009

ZombieSurvivalGuide.com

The Bram Stoker Awards

doreenh — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:35:19 +0000

The Horror Writers Association presented the 2008 Bram Stoker Awards for Superior Achievement at a ceremony on June 12-14 in Burbank, California. The Horror Writers Association was started by Alabama’s own Robert McCammon in 1987, and the award is named in honor of one of the first true kings of horror. As early as 1984 McCammon expressed a desire for a professional organization and support group for writers of horror. Stephen King’s Misery and Robert McCammon’s Swan Song tied for best novel in the award’s first year. The 2008 Stoker Winners Novel: Duma Key by Stephen King First Novel: The Gentling Box by Lisa Mannetti Long Fiction: Miranda by John R. Little Short Fiction: “The Lost” by Sarah Langan Fiction Collection: Just After Sunset by Stephen King Anthology: Unspeakable Horror edited by Vince A. Liaguno and Chad Helder Nonfiction: A Halloween Anthology by Lisa Morton Poetry Collection: The Nightmare Collection by Bruce Boston Lifetime Achievement: F. Paul Wilson and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

The World Digital Library will launch on April 21, 2009.

doreenh — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 19:34:47 +0000

The World Digital Library will launch on April 21, 2009.

The World Digital Library will make available on the Internet, free of charge and in multilingual format, significant primary materials from cultures around the world, including manuscripts, maps, rare books, musical scores, recordings, films, prints, photographs, architectural drawings, and other significant cultural materials. The objectives of the World Digital Library are to promote international and inter-cultural understanding and awareness, provide resources to educators, expand non-English and non-Western content on the Internet, and to contribute to scholarly research.

http://www.worlddigitallibrary.org/project/english/docs/World_Digital_Library_Demonstration.pdf

Beware

doreenh — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 17:36:29 +0000

Don’t say you weren’t warned http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2009/02/austin-road-sig.html

New Book “The Idle Parent”

doreenh — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 17:13:06 +0000

This is one of my favorite authors, he wrote the book titled “How to be Idle” a must read…And his new book is “The Idle Parent” http://idler.co.uk/

Ceding control of the larder

By Tom Hodgkinson

When illness strikes, it can bring with it a welcome dose of idleness. A 24-hour tummy bug recently felled each of us in turn, and I found much to recommend in the experience. First of all, an ill child makes a refreshing change from a well child. Apart from the odd pile of vomit to clear up, one finds that the child is simply less work. The ill child sits on the sofa under a duvet quietly brooding and looking cutely Dickensian while you bustle about. It does not demand to be played with and it does not break things, scream, fight, butt siblings, torture animals or up-end the furniture. It eats little and its temper is gentle. Your heart goes out to it with a pity that is almost pleasurable.

After each child had expelled the bug, it was the turn of our four Easter holiday guests – a recently divorced dad and his three children – to succumb. Again, this was convenient as the ill guests required no meals and barely any attention, beyond the odd dose of Calpol. The dad even stopped drinking wine for a 36-hour period, producing a considerable financial saving.

Finally it was my turn and the sickness overtook me on the afternoon of my 40th birthday. I immediately went to bed and Victoria brought me fruit and hot drinks, an unusual but not unpleasant state of affairs: somehow the birthday combined with being ill produced in her a greater degree of solicitude. Clearly, the invalid was also spared any household duties. I picked up a copy of Pepys’s diary and read a few pages before letting it fall from my hand as I moved in and out of a colourful hypnagogic swoon.

The following morning, Victoria departed for a London trip and our guests also went home. I was left alone in the house, bed-ridden, with three children to take care of. I followed what seemed to me the sensible course, which was to do absolutely nothing. Rest was what I needed.

From time to time, the children wandered in to ask for something. I told them that I was ill and they would have to look after themselves. Arthur brought me a plate of fruit, proving once again that idle parenting produces useful children. Do nothing for long enough and they will start to fend not only for themselves but also for you.

After a few hours of this, I realised that I had nearly recovered. But it was 4pm. Had the children eaten anything all day? Arthur came in.

“Arthur,” I asked. “Have you kids had any lunch?” “Yes.” “Well, what did you eat?” “Henry had 13 Space Bars, I had seven and Delilah had five.” “I see.” In case you didn’t know, Space Bars – flat, sticky things made of pulped fruit – are what faddish parents like us substitute for crisps and suchlike. In everyday life, we severely limit intake of these treats. So it seemed that the children had taken the opportunity of my illness to indulge in a Space Bar binge.

They’d also had five hours of freedom to do what they chose without the admonishing presence of a parent. From their point of view, my being ill had been a great laugh. So: another great success for idle parenting.

The only downside was clearing up 25 Space Bar wrappers.

Being ill may be good these days but it was even better in the 18th century. The common prescription for any illness was laudanum and rest – a great combination, I imagine. This at any rate was supposed to be the secret of the success of Dr Erasmus Darwin (1731-1802), Charles Darwin’s eminent grandfather, according to the historian Roy Porter.

Where have all the laudanum-prescribing doctors gone? Now, we have to put up with cures that have had all the pleasure removed: Calpol and Benylin both proudly announce that they are non-drowsy, when surely drowsiness is just what is required?

I suppose that these medicines are designed to mask symptoms so we can carry on with “life” – ie go to the office or school -whereas I think the clever thing to do when ill is to take a well-earned break and give the children some self-sufficiency training into the bargain, all achieved by simply staying in bed.

Kevin Smith Has Seen J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek, Too?!

doreenh — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:51:47 +0000

Star Trek 08

From FirstShowing.net:

I hate to sound like a broken record, but in Kevin Smith we trust! Just last week we heard that everyone’s favorite comic book geek / filmmaker had seen an early cut of Zack Snyder’s Watchmen, calling it “fucking astounding.” Now we hear today that he might have seen J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek, too! Or so he makes it seem in a radio chat with KROQ’s Kevin and Bean as transcribed by TrekMovie.com. And if he gets to see McG’s Terminator Salvation or X-Men Origins: Wolverine as well, then he’ll have already seen every big highly anticipated 2009 movie (damn him!). But back on the subject of Star Trek, his praise for this, albeit via some indirect statements, is equal to if not greater than what he had to say for Watchmen.

You can read all the jargon yourself, but here’s the just of what he had to say. He starts off with “I saw a movie last night that I cannot talk about.” But his response: “It was phenomenal.” And that’s not even the best part. The crafty hosts finally get him to speak about the film with very veiled statements. Here’s the best part for anyone who is excited to see Star Trek – this should leave you foaming at the mouth…

“The stars absolutely trek in this film. It is fantastic. Anybody who was worried doesn’t need to be worried–about this film I cannot talk about…It was in very capable hands. The director did a phenomenal job–the director and his crew. Top notch cast and the guy that plays the lead is an instant star. That dude is going to be so famous. He is so wonderful. He picked up a role that I would say is pretty challenging for someone to step into the shoes of, because it is a role that has been played before many times by the same guy.”

If we can believe that Mr. Smith did indeed see Star Trek and is indeed talking about Chris Pine as Captain James T. Kirk, then this is some awesome news. I’m as big of a believer in J.J. Abrams as I am Kevin Smith. And I know that it seems like the new trend amongst us online journalists to report everything Kevin Smith says as big news, but he’s honestly a reliable source. So ignore our infatuation with Kevin Smith and take this as some solid hype for Star Trek next summer. We’ll probably have to wait another few months until we see an actual trailer and can start buzzing about it again, but I know this will hold some of us over until then. Is this not frickin’ exciting to hear or what?!

Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest 2008

doreenh — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:40:44 +0000

Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest

2008 Results

Theirs was a New York love, a checkered taxi ride burning rubber, and like the city their passion was open 24/7, steam rising from their bodies like slick streets exhaling warm, moist, white breath through manhole covers stamped “Forged by DeLaney Bros., Piscataway, N.J.”

Garrison Spik
Washington, D.C.