AMAZING NEWS: Post Tryptophan Edition

Le Guin’s Left Hand of Darkness gets the New Yorker treatment

Doug Ellis takes a look at the art in the SFBC’s bi-monthly Things to Come

Mandalorian Goof

Will Murry’s Tarzan on Barsoom is now available:  Tarzan:  Conqueror of Mars

Costume-Con has changed its dates

Now THAT’S the future!  Take a look at this Russian Cyberpunk Farm

DisCon III to award Gaming Hugo in 2021

Advance Notice:  Eclipse Path 2024

Marty McFly dealt with his own Trump in an oddly alternative timeline

Well, I admit it, I did laugh at Star Trek Discovery’s slime mold model of the universe, but, as Jeff VanderMeer knows full well, there’s many fungi amongi:  A strain of fungus discovered at the Chernobyl site EATS deadly radiation and could be used to create a radiation shield for deep spacecraft, like those needed to go to Mars.  Well, lets say it photosynthesizes hard radiation and an 8 inch thick layer of the stuff would provide adequate protection for humans on Mars.  And, Bonus, it’s self-replicating.

Adam Gaffen has sales for Cyber Monday

Jeffrey Ford’s story – Thanksgiving – is becoming a traditional read and its now being included in an anthology from Small Beer Press

Take a look at a space program that never was

Almost everything in Dr. Strangelove was true (and if you try any preversions in there, I’ll blow your head off…)

Craig Miller gets his WGA Award in the mail

Cool Brad W. Foster Fan Art

GalaxyCon Live Continues

Berlin SF Film Fest  will be online

May Not Be Suitable for All Audiences (but always suitable for the reads) Samuel R. “Chip” Delany photo

Prince of Cats Literary Productions Unveils McGyver Meltdown

Article addresses tech solutions for online cons to accommodate disabilities

Star Trek Themed X-Mas Tree

Behind the Scenes at Boskone:  Watch Fannish Sausage Being Made!

You can still catch some of the last day of Loscon 2020, online

SpaceX Rocket Returns – check out the visible sonic boom

More SpaceX:  Giant Rocket to have High Altitude Test this coming week

Naomi Kritzer shows off her Lodestar Award from ConZealand

Robert Asprin – revisited

The chocolate you don’t want to eat – German Irradiated Chocolate

Who Wrote the First SF in the US?  (To get the right answer, you need to define your terms first)

Underwhelmed at the announcement that Avatar 2 has finished production

First Female Football Player in College’s Power 5

David Prowse – RIP

Through the Transom:  received in emails this week

Virtual Imagination
At the Clarke Center, we are focused on how to advance understanding of imagination itself. Virtual reality has long been one of our “laboratories” for understanding the workings of imagination; Director Erik Viirre has been working on VR as a neurophysiologist for over 25 years, and several Clarke Center projects have utilized techniques of cognitive neuroscience to assess the biopsychosocial aspects of how we use our capacity to imagine.
Ongoing research involves cutting-edge advances in virtual and augmented reality hardware and computing infrastructure, including laser-retinal AR — which “paints” an augmented reality image directly on the retina — as seen above being used in our lab by recent Nobel laureate Sir Roger Penrose.
Below are two VR-related events that are happening in the next couple days, in case you’re interested in exploring how virtual experiences engage the very real functioning of the imagination!
The Edgar Mitchell
Virtual Reality Experience:
Community Launch Event
November 20, 2020
11:00am – 12:15pm PST
Webinar; Register Here
Join Clarke Center Scholar-in-Residence Cassandra Vieten, producer of the Edgar Mitchell Virtual Reality Experience (EMVRX), just released on Steam! Including David Whelan of Immersive VR Education, Emmy-award winning Bristol Baughan of Inner Astronauts, Academy-award winning Loren Carpenter, Robert Alexander of Auralabs, and Executive Producer and IONS Chairman, Claudia Welss — brought to life by the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS).
Inspired by Captain Mitchell’s epiphany in space, the phrase “Overview Effect” signifies the awe and self-transcendent feelings of Oneness that many astronauts experience upon seeing Earth from space. Join us as we hear from members of the VRX project team about bringing Edgar’s legacy to life through this short space VR production, and about it’s promise and potential as a tool to evoke an Overview Effect — feelings of profound connection, compassion and self-transcendence — even while Earthbound.
Ghosts of Afterville: Beyond the Holographic Veil
November 21, 2020
4:00 – 6:00pm PST
WHERE: In Afterville2028, on AltspaceVR
FREE Online Event
Hosted by Pigeon Hole Productions &
Origami Airship Crew on Altspace
If you’ve been following the news from the Clarke Center, you’ll know we worked with the amazing crew at Pigeon Hole Productions and Origami Airship Crew this past summer to collaboratively envision a future in the year 2028 — a world that evolves with the ideas and input of a cohort of worldbuilders meeting in virtual reality.
We’re happy to invite you to come on out and join the collaboration of virtual pioneers from across North America to go “Beyond the Holographic Veil” in Afterville 2028 for a GHOST WALK!
Experience “The Ghosts Of Afterville” and our shared future in an immersive social reality on Oculus or 2D on AltspaceVR. Featuring 2020 Afterville Resident Storyteller (and UC San Diego alum and UC Speculative Futures Collective worldmaker) Jeanelle Horcasitas (seen above at the entrance to Afterville) and Rowan Ives, Keeper of the Spirit Grove, along with stories from advisors Lonny J Avi Brooks and Clarke Center Assistant Director Patrick Coleman.
EVENT INFORMATION:
The year is 2028, and life in our peaceful Cascadian community is not quite as it seems. The sins of the past soak through the landscape like the spilled blood of its ancestors. Amidst the tranquil scenery, branches from the underworld reach out of the ancient forest, yearning to capture all who dare pass. Join us in Afterville for a petrifying stroll that will chill you to your core and linger in the shadows of your soul.
This “walking tour” starts at the Chinook Community Center in Afterville2028:
4PM
CHINOOK COMMUNITY CENTER
Origami Air Ship’s Crew will host an Introduction pre-program ghosty-effects begin with cold-open entertainment.
5PM
The Pioneers of Afterville introduce their acting Archivist & Afterville Storyteller.
Section 1: Around Old Mill
Section 2: The Haunted Forests of Afterville
Section 3: The Spirit Grove.
Organized by the Origami Airship Crew: folding reality since 2028
Trisha “9key” Williams
Amy Winkler
Max Luthy
Joe “TILT” Unger
Developed in collaboration with Jeanelle Horcasitas
Special thanks to the Spirit Grove collaboration with Rowan Ives
Archived by Dione Surdez
In memory World Building and Games Professor Jeff Watson, author of “The School of Worldbuilding.” May your journey beyond the holographic veil bring you peace.
Other News and Events
Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy: The Local and National Movement
November 19, 2020
3:00–4:00pm, PST
Webinar; Register Here
Research on psychedelics has taken place for years at UC San Diego, but with the launch of the Psychedelics and Health Research Initiative earlier this year, a new phase in the clinical study of psychedelics—to understand their basic mechanisms and their potential uses to treat chronic pain and other ailments—joins the national resurgence under the leadership of Mark Geyer and Adam Halberstadt. David Bronner, CEO of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps (based in North County, San Diego), has been a longtime advocate and ally of the movement to re-examine the use of psychedelics, serving as a board member of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) among other activities.
We invite you to join us for a conversation between Mark, Adam, and David, hosted and moderated by Dr. Cassi Vieten, about how the field has developed over the last ten years through the collaborative efforts of academic and private institutions, and what the future of psychedelic-assisted therapies may look like in the next ten years.
The Psychedelics and Health Research Initiative at UC San Diego is a collaboration across the departments of Anesthesiology, Cognitive Sciences, Neurosciences, Psychiatry, Psychology; the Center for Pain Medicine; the Center for Mindfulness; the Center for Brain & Cognition; the Qualcomm Institute; Center for Human Frontiers; and the Arthur C. Clarke Center for Human Imagination.

 

How to Astronaut
with Commander Terry Virts
November 24, 2020
6:00pm PST
Webinar; Register Here
Join NASA astronaut and International Space Station commander Colonel Terry Virts in conversation with Dr. Erik Viirre, Director of the Arthur C. Clarke Center for Human Imagination. How to Astronaut covers everything from training through launch, orbit, spacewalking, deep space, and re-entry. Colonel Virts and Dr. Viirre will discuss the science, emotions, and philosophies that an off-the-planet perspective can grant.
__
Colonel Terry Virts earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics from the United States Air Force Academy in 1989, and a master of aeronautical science degree in aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Selected by NASA in 2000, he was the pilot of STS-130 mission aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour. In March 2015, Virts assumed command of the International Space Station, and spent over 200 days on it. Virts is one of the stars (and photographers) of the IMAX film, A Beautiful Planet, released in April 2016. He is also the author of View from Above. He lives near Houston.
Co-organized by Creating Conversations independent bookstore.
Into the Impossible:
Janna Levin
Janna is back (previous episode) to discuss her wonderful new book, BLACK HOLE SURVIVAL GUIDE.
Keep your distance and enjoy the ride! Several Topics are on the menu on our voyage, including:
  • Black Hole basics
  • Stephen Hawking and Roger Penrose
  • Are singularities real?
  • What is your favorite BH?
  • Black Hole Batteries!
Janna Levin is the Claire Tow Professor of Physics & Astronomy at Barnard College. She earned a PhD in theoretical physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1993, and a Bachelor of Science in astronomy and physics with a concentration in philosophy at Barnard College in 1988, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa. Much of her work deals with looking for evidence to support the proposal that our universe might be finite in size due to its having a nontrivial topology. Other work includes black holes and chaos theory. She joined the faculty at Barnard College in January 2004. She is also the Chair and Director of Sciences, Pioneer Works.
And let us know, on TwitterFacebook, or via email:
What science fiction do you turn to in times of crisis?
For more information, follow host Brian Keating:
Janna Levin: How to Survive A Black Hole Encounter!
We are grateful to all of our supporters, including:

 

Orbit Books New Releases Out Now

This month’s new releases!

In order to reclaim her throne and save her people, an ousted queen must join forces with a young warrior in THE FIRES OF VENGEANCE, the epic sequel to THE RAGE OF DRAGONS.
Learn more
Read an excerpt
Add it on Goodreads
When a young man’s planet is destroyed, he sets out on a single-minded quest for revenge across the galaxy in NOPHEK GLOSS, the first book in this epic space opera trilogy debut — perfect for fans of Revenger and Children of Time.
Learn more
Read an excerpt
Add it on Goodreads
Warfare, myth and magic collide in LEGACY OF STEEL, the spectacular sequel to Matthew Ward’s acclaimed fantasy debut LEGACY OF ASH.
Learn more
Read an excerpt
Add it on Goodreads
In a world with dragon-fueled magic, master con artist Ardor Benn must infiltrate a centuries-old secret organization to find a missing royal heir in THE SHATTERED REALM OF ARDOR BENN, the second book in this action-packed epic fantasy series.
Learn more
Read an excerpt
Add it on Goodreads
A brilliantly imagined epic fantasy of honor, glory, and warfare, CALL OF THE BONE SHIPS is the action-packed sequel to David Gemmell Award-nominated RJ Barker’s THE BONE SHIPS.
Learn more
Read an excerpt
Add it on Goodreads
The lady-in-waiting to the princess of a conquered kingdom must navigate a treacherous imperial court, in THE POISON PRINCE, the second book in this medieval East Asia-inspired epic fantasy trilogy.
Learn more
Read an excerpt
Add it on Goodreads
From our friends at Redhook:
Bram Stoker Award-nominated author Craig DiLouie brings a new twist to the cult horror story in THE CHILDREN OF RED PEAK, a heart-pounding novel of psychological suspense.
Learn more
Read an excerpt
Add it on Goodreads
Want live updates when our books go on sale?
Follow us on social media
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Books available for pre-order!
On sale December 1st
PRE-ORDER NOW
On sale January 19th
PRE-ORDER NOW
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Copyright © 2020 Hachette Book Group, All rights reserved.

 

2021 Nebula Conference Online Registration is Now Open!

Were you one of the lucky passengers that got to experience SFWA’s first virtual convention? Did you miss out only to scroll through social media and wish you had attended?

 

We have some exciting news!

 

The SFWA Airship Nebula will be returning in June 2021, and we’d love if you could join us. Due to the ongoing pandemic and in the interests of safety of all our attendees, members, staff and their families, we have decided to plan another fully virtual event. We completely understand that this news may be bittersweet. Many of us miss seeing our friends and colleagues in person. We do hope to once again host a hybrid event should the situation improve in the future.

 

For now though, we’d love if you could embark on another journey in our truly fantastic virtual airship. The best thing about an all-online conference is that you can join from anywhere in the universe!

 

Captaining the ship this year, SFWA is also very pleased to announce that L.D. Lewis is joining the Nebula Conference team.

Lewis is an award-winning SF/F writer and editor, and serves as a founding creator, Art Director, and Project Manager for the World Fantasy Award-winning and Hugo Award-nominated FIYAH Literary Magazine. She primarily writes stories of ordinary Black women and femmes with extraordinary powers in equally extraordinary worlds.

Coming off the success of helming FIYAHCON last month, L.D. will be acting as the project manager for all of the exciting year-round events associated with the Nebula Conference. We hope you join us in welcoming L.D. aboard.

With smaller events leading up to our main conference, the team is working on elevating our content and offerings again this year, and celebrating the best that science fiction and fantasy have to offer with our annual Nebula Awards ceremony.

 

So, please join us for another weekend full of professional development, workshops, and opportunities to network in one of the coolest virtual spaces there is. There will be more dance parties, karaoke, and social meet-ups around special interests. We’ll also be bringing back our conference-specific mentorship program and office hours.

 

We had it all last year, and we’ll be doing it all again in 2021.

 

Cost: $125.00

Dates: June 4th – 6th, 2021

Where: Entirely Online

Register: events.sfwa.org

 

We’ll be announcing so many great things in the coming months and we hope you’ll join us for what will be another amazing weekend among the stars.

 

Important Note: If you are registering for the 2021 Nebula Conference Online only, you will not have access to the remaining 2020 events. We have lowered the price if you’d like to still get involved and attend! Please visit events.sfwa.org for more information on how to register for 2020 content. For 2021 registrants, your access will begin in May.

 

Hoarfrost to Roses Writer’s Progression

Posted by D.L. Gardner, 2 min

“The fool keeps hanging on. Look at him. He thinks the world is a playhouse, and everything he touches turns to gold,” Grai laughed slightly, but a sadness came across his face. “Miracles that no one can see, that need to be hidden. It’s real, but it isn’t.”I am currently 3/4 of the way through my first draft of Hoarfrost to Roses. This paranormal romance with a mystery subplot is actually taking shape quite nicely. Whereas I thought it would be much more of a thrille…

J. Michael Straczynski

To Those Who Upgraded to Last Dangerous Vision
I’ve heard now from several folks who upgraded to TLDV from their previous tier and found that some items here that they had access to before were now unavailable.

I think what’s happened is that since the TLDV tier is new, it doesn’t retroactively grant access to all the stuff from before, only the stuff going forward.

So if you’re new here, you’re clear going forward. If you’ve been here a while, it might be better to switch to Grey Council, which is the same amount, which will give you access to all that you had before and then some.

Meanwhile, I’ll look into finding a way to retroactively give TLDV tier members access to all the came before at that level without having to hand-toggle every post.

Joe

ReAnimus Press News

Black Friday / CyberMonday 30% off!

JUST RELEASED! HURRAH!

STATION IN SPACE by James Gunn

…and lots more…

Book cover for Station in Space

 

Black Friday / CyberMonday 30% off!

ALL ebooks 30% off! Use coupon code THX20 in the “apply coupon code” box BEFORE you do “add to cart.”

 

STATION IN SPACE by James Gunn

Station in Space

    • ReAnimus Press store:

www.ReAnimus.com/1648

    • Amazon:

www.Amazon.com/dp/B08L4S9M2J/?tag=reanimus-20

    • Also available in paperback

 

 

Sign on as mankind conquers the last frontier, the final challenge to human ingenuity. Here is a novel of danger, despair, and pleasure as men and women begin to populate the first… Station in Space.

 

And lots more…

See the list of our newest books here. Lots of stuff you’ll love!

 

You are invited to Pre-Order The Artist’s Edition of Tarzan of the Apes, a companion edition to The Manuscript Edition of A Princess of Mars , with over 100 illustrations will be limited to 600 numbered sets signed by the artists and contributors.

This is the sixth and most elaborately illustrated title in The ERB Limited Edition Collection published by Edgar Rice Burroughs Inc. since 2015.

PRE-ORDER NOW by going to www.ERBbooks.com  or by filling out the attached  pre-order form.  

**** NOTE FOR SUBSCRIBERS: With your pre-order, we’ll reserve the same number set for you for this new limited edition and the next new limited edition that you received for A Princess of Mars – The Manuscript Edition.

Each Artist Limited Edition Set Includes:

  • Book and Clamshell Box handcrafted in leather with letterpress title page, color illustrated endpapers and printed on 80# Finch archival paper.
  • Fine Workmanship: Double gold stamped titles and decorations, Symth-sewn binding, hand built box, heavy stock color plates – printed and bound in the U. S.
  • Two Wraparound Dust Jackets fitted on each book featuring a new original Tarzan painting by Sanjulian or Daren Bader and the first edition dust jacket designed by Fred Arting.
  • (25) Tipped in Color Plates – featuring artwork by Frazetta, Brom, Manchess, St. John, Jones, Adams, Miller, Arting, Yeates, Pettee, Grindberg, Jusko, Eggleton, Hogarth and many more.
  • (75+) Black & White Illustrations throughout the text by a host of artists and featuring 16 full-page illustrations for Tarzan of the Apes by Zdenek Burian and a 16-page Tarzan Artist’s Sketch Section.

Bonus items in each boxed set:

  • Tarzan of the Apes Artifact Portfolio (1912-1914)  includes exact replicas of editor letters, manuscript pages, Munsey’s check to ERB, the ALL-STORY Oct. pulp cover, contents and title pages (1912), the illustrated first installment of the first Tarzan of the Apes newspaper serialization (1913) & the A. C. McClurg advertising postcard, illustrated order form & first edition book contract. (1914)
  • Vintage Pen – with gold grip and gold-plated Esterbrook nib – replica of the pen used by ERB to create Tarzan of the Apes.
  • Die Cast Color Stamp (2” x 3”) Reproduction in metal of the rare 1914 advertising stamp designed by ERB to promote the first edition of Tarzan of the Apes using Fred Arting’s dust jacket art and design.

$249.99 FREE SHIPPING ON PRE-ORDERS        ***EXPECTED TO SHIP Feb./March 2021

 

PRE-ORDER NOW by going to www.ERBbooks.com  or by filling out the attached  pre-order form.  

 

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving in this crazy world we live in now.

We are doing our first ever Black-Friday/Cyber-Monday sale. As you know we do our monthly ebook specials but paper books do make nice packages, so we are doing something different for this sale.

We have curated a number of hardcovers and paperbacks which includes all the books issues by our new imprint, CAEZIK SF & Fantasy, and also some select titles from other publishers. We have included titles from authors like N.K. Jemison, Brandon Sanderson and Arkady Martine. All of CAEZIK titles (hardcovers and trade paperbacks) are offered at a discount of 50%, while those from other publishers are discounted by 25%.

      

Our ebook-only readers have not been forgotten; we also have a number of our ebook titles for sale. Unfortunately under the arrangements we currently have, we cannot sell ebooks published by other presses, but we have created a selection of our own titles. All the ebooks are offered at a discount of 50%.

Finally, for those of you looking for a very special Christmas treat or present, we have discounted the leather bound edition of Heinlein’s Pursuit of the Pankera. Remember, this is the numbered limited edition (limited to 400 copies) and requested numbers are being assigned on a first-come, first served basis.

You can look at all the deals at:

https://www.arcmanorbooks.com/blackfriday

Please note that:

1. There are some discounted pre-orders offered. These are CLEARLY marked. Do note that these will not be delivered before Christmas.

2. Unfortunately our ebook and paper delivery partners are different companies, so you will have to check out twice if you are buying both ebooks and paper books.

Happy reading.

Thank You and have a Good Evening,

Shahid

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