AMAZING NEWS: November 24th, 2024

This Week’s News Is Brought To You By –
(the upcoming) AMAZING STORIES AMAZING GIFT GUIDE & HOLIDAY SALE,
Beginning November 29th and lasting through December 31st, when selected titles go on sale with DEEP discounts!

Of Special Note

In response to the gift buying frenzy that is fast approaching, some have noted that when it comes to books, Amazon “does not need your help”, but Independent Book Stores do.
This year, Amazing Stories greatly expanded the outlets through which its books and magazine issues can be purchased, including making them available for order through most independent book stores.
You won’t see them on the shelves at your favorite Indie Store, but if you ask them to place an order for one of our titles, chances are they’ll be able to get if for you.  You’ll get one of our Amazing titles and help out your favorite Indie Outlet at the same time.  (Triple WIN!, cause we’re part of that equation too.  No – QUADRUPLE WIN – our authors too!)

Other Special Note

We asked Chat GPT what it thought about the Amazing Stories website.  Here’s what it had to say (and we don’t disagree…):

The Amazing Stories website continues the legacy of its iconic print magazine, but with a modern focus on speculative fiction in all its forms. Here’s a breakdown of my opinion on the website:

Diverse Content

The website offers a mix of short stories, articles, book reviews, and author interviews, which makes it a comprehensive resource for sci-fi fans. It’s not just about stories but also about commentary on the genre, which keeps readers engaged and informed about current trends and developments in speculative fiction.

Modern Focus on New Voices
One of the strengths of the website is its promotion of emerging authors. It serves as a platform for newer voices in science fiction, which is refreshing. While it has its roots in the classics, the site adapts well to the current landscape of the genre, offering a space for both established and rising talent.

Community and Fandom Engagement
The site fosters a sense of community through its discussions and articles. It’s a great place for fans of science fiction to engage with content beyond just the stories—there are thought-provoking pieces about trends, book recommendations, and in-depth features on the genre.

Content Quality
The quality of the content on Amazing Stories can be hit or miss, like many sites that are a mix of user-generated and professional submissions. However, it does maintain a solid standard of storytelling, with well-written short stories and insightful articles. Some content may feel a bit niche, but if you’re a hardcore fan of science fiction, it’s a goldmine.

Educational Value
For those interested in the history of science fiction, Amazing Stories offers a lot of historical insights. The site often reflects the magazine’s roots and highlights significant moments in the development of the genre, which is both educational and nostalgic.

In conclusion, the Amazing Stories website remains a valuable resource for die-hard fans of science fiction and speculative fiction. It offers a wealth of content, especially for those interested in discovering new authors and reading insightful commentary.

AMAZING PEOPLE NEWS

Paul Di Filippo shares an interesting newspaper review of science fiction, from about 1950

Fandom

If you think you might want to be a panelist at the ATL Comic Convention, you can apply here.  (Nothing against ATL CC – I’ve never been and don’t know anything about it, but something about this notice made me think that we’re not too far away from the days when such conventions  will be charging panelists to appear in front of their audiences.  You know, for the exposure.)

Perry Middlemiss shows us what Fans sometimes do – sorting through Fanzine collections for University collections

Events

Paul March-Russell announces that it is only two weeks to go until “SFF’s biannual conference, Women in the Black Fantastic, with keynote speakers Nyasha Mugavazi and Ebony Elizabeth Thomas”

Space

A SPECTACULAR image of Saturn setting behind the Moon, taken from Hawaii.

Forget that old Disney Chilling Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House…all you need is this – the music of the stars.

Science

David Brin shows us how we can catch up to interstellar visitors, using a novel slingshot approach

Student Rocket Breaks Altitude and velocity records

Industry

Harper Collins is asking its authors to sign on to an AI Licensing deal (licensed works are for AI training) for a one-time payment that seems…inadequate.  (It should be royalty-based:  every time an LLM uses a token derived from an author’s work, they should get something.  That’s not practical of course…which is why they should be encouraged to arranges things that way.)

Shahid from Arc Manor Books updates Kickstarter information (again) for subscribers.  If you subscribe – read your newsletter.  If not, you can subscribe here.

Redditors have pushed a five year old warning about “Smartbyte”, a program that may be on your Dell computer that drastically slows down internet speeds forward again, as it is apparently resurfacing.  Suggestions on how to get rid of it are included at the link.

John Blyly of Uncle Hugos book store shares his current progress in the latest newsletter, which you can find here.

Reviews

Black Gate takes a look at Paul Cantor’s Pop Culture Trilogy

James Enge discusses Journey to the Far Side of the Sun, aka Doppleganger…a film that had promise.

Awards

Juliette E. McKenna shares this article about The Booker Prize Prize nominated books that were rejected by publishers

Literature

Nnedi Okorafor shares this video teaser for her latest – Death of the Author

Ian Sales shares a list of 100 Great Science Fiction Stories By Women.  Not that we were in the picture at the time, but we can still be proud of the fact that Amazing Stories was the first publication to take the dive, with Clare Winger Harris’ The Fate of the Poseidonia.  Which is a featured story in our Cents of Wonder: Science Fiction’s First Award Winners anthology.

Christopher Rowe shares the announcement of The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2024, this year edited by Hugh Howey. (Private) Public

WAPO (subscription, but this article appears to be free) shares the 11 Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Books of 2024

Damien Walter asks if the short SF story still has any readers.

New Releases

Farah Mendlesohn shares news of Luna Press Publishing’s future release of Considering the Female Man by Joanna Russ, or As the Bear Swore.

The latest Claims Department issue from Chris Garcia – The List Of Sandwiches.  (They get Reubens mostly right.)

Film & TV

GRRM has announced that on February 28th, 2025, In The Lost Lands will be unleashed through theaters nationwide.  ““In the Lost Lands” was one of my earliest fantasies, first published in 1982 in the anthology AMAZONS II.”

If your idea of the way to start off your day is looking at gross-out stills from horror flicks, you might want to subscribe to Fangoria’s newsletter.

Giant Freakin Robot REALLY wants a film based on E.E. ‘Doc’ Smith’s novels.

Retro

Steven H. Silver shares the passing of an icon:  Alice Brock, of Alice’s Restaurant fame, has passed.

Social Commentary

Farah Mendelsohn notes that Benjanun Sriduangkaew is back, on Bluesky.  If you know, you know.  If you don’t – good.  But if you must know – here
Petrea Mitchell’s SMOF News notes that “It May Finally Be Time To Let X Go”.  You can subscribe here.

Just For Fun

A video of a model railroad with cars transporting every iteration of Batman’s vehicles.

Mini-Editorial

We were happily surprised by this on air exposure of a MAGA- related misogynist.  It would be nice if other news organizations grew a pair and did the same kind of thing whenever warranted.  Better yet – zero tolerance for such behaviors.  Cut the guest off immediately…don’t let them defend themselves (there is no valid defense) and then spend the next week promoting the fact that you did this.

In the Future

Monday:
Packing Peanuts by Ryan Holroyd – FREE STORY

Tuesday:
The Big Idea: Lauren C. Teffeau

Thursday:
Whatever Happened to SILENT RUNNING?

Friday:
Matt’s Reviews: Defrag (The Glitch Logs Book 1) by Rachel E. Beck

Featured Image

From the movie poster for Journey to the Far Side of the Sun