"When Caesar, our lead ape, gets too big for James Franco's character to look after anymore, they have to put him into a facility. Brian Cox, who plays my dad, owns it, and I work there. Needless to say, I'm supposed to be looking after the apes, but I really don't do that job very well. I don't get on well with them and I'm not that friendly with them. I'm kind of what instigates Caesar's revolt against humans. Before that, he only knew James Franco's character. He thought all humans were going to be friendly and nice. It's through my father and my character that he learns the perils of humanity and how bad we really are."It is nice to see Tom Felton's career move on past the Potter films.
Sabtu, 30 April 2011
Malfoy Dooms Mankind?
In an article from MTV, it turns out Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) is in the latest Apes movie.
Jumat, 29 April 2011
David Gemmell Awards 2011
The shortlist is out:
Morningstar Award - Best Debut
CHARLTON, Blake - Spellwright (Tor US)
HINKS, Darius - Warrior Priest (The Black Library)
JEMISIN, N.K. - The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (Orbit UK/US)
PEHOV, Alexey - Shadow Prowler (Tor US)
VICTORIA, Mary - Tymon’s Flight (HarperCollins Australia)
Ravenheart Award - Best Fantasy Art Cover
Congratulations to all the shortlist and we here at SBR wish you the best of luck. Voting for the DGA opens Monday 2nd May 2011.
Legend Award - Best Fantasy Novel
BRETT, Peter V - The Desert Spear (Voyager)
HEITZ, Markus - War the Dwarves (Orbit UK/US)
JORDAN, Robert and SANDERSON, Brandon - Wheel of Time: Towers of Mi...
PEVEL, Pierre - The Alchemist in the Shadows (Gollancz)
SANDERSON, Brandon - The Way of Kings (Gollancz/Tor US)
WEEKS, Brent - The Black Prism (Orbit UK/US)
HEITZ, Markus - War the Dwarves (Orbit UK/US)
JORDAN, Robert and SANDERSON, Brandon - Wheel of Time: Towers of Mi...
PEVEL, Pierre - The Alchemist in the Shadows (Gollancz)
SANDERSON, Brandon - The Way of Kings (Gollancz/Tor US)
WEEKS, Brent - The Black Prism (Orbit UK/US)
Morningstar Award - Best Debut
CHARLTON, Blake - Spellwright (Tor US)
HINKS, Darius - Warrior Priest (The Black Library)
JEMISIN, N.K. - The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (Orbit UK/US)
PEHOV, Alexey - Shadow Prowler (Tor US)
VICTORIA, Mary - Tymon’s Flight (HarperCollins Australia)
Ravenheart Award - Best Fantasy Art Cover
Congratulations to all the shortlist and we here at SBR wish you the best of luck. Voting for the DGA opens Monday 2nd May 2011.
Kamis, 28 April 2011
A Dance With Dragons Is Slayed
It appears that George RR Martin has finally completed his highly anticipated fifth book, A Dance With Dragons, in the A Song of Ice and Fire series.
From Martin's Not a Blog, blog.
From Martin's Not a Blog, blog.
Rabu, 27 April 2011
Daily Science Fiction May Schedule
Daily Science Fiction has announced its May 2011 line-up of free stories:
- May 2: "The Old Man" by Chuck Rothman
- May 3: "Starlight Cantata" by Brian Lawrence Hurrel
- May 4: "R is for Raffle" by Tim Pratt, Jenn Reese, Heather Shaw, Greg van Eekhout
- May 5: "Barb-the-Bomb and the Yesterday Boy" by Julian Mortimer Smith
- May 6: "Values, Vision, and Mission" by James Van Pelt
- May 9: "Unveiled" by Ron S. Friedman
- May 10: "Facts about Gel, Gloop, and Other Semi-Viscous Substance You May Have Encountered Recently" by Michael Canfield
- May 11: "S is for Solipsism" by Tim Pratt, Jenn Reese, Heather Shaw, Greg van Eekhout
- May 12: "Can't Stop" by K T
- May 13: "As Fast As You Can" by Nathaniel Matthews Lee
- May 16: "The Instructions" by Amanda C. Davis
- May 17: "Say Zucchini, and Mean It" by Peter M. Ball
- May 18: "T is for Terpsichore" by Tim Pratt, Jenn Reese, Heather Shaw, Greg van Eekhout
- May 19: "They Do it with Robots" by Eric James Stone
- May 20: "A Study in Flesh and Mind" by Liz Argall
- May 23: "Shades of Orange" by Caroline M. Yoachim
- May 24: "Men of Wealth" by Ross Willard
- May 25: "U is for Ubiquitous" by Tim Pratt, Jenn Reese, Heather Shaw, Greg van Eekhout
- May 26: "To Soothe Ravaged Throats" by Allison Jamieson-Lucy
- May 27: "Cloaks and Gloves" by Patricia Russo
- May 30: "Remember" by Will Arthur
- May 31: "Just Enough Time" by Douglas K. Beagley
Selasa, 26 April 2011
Ultimate Spider-man
Being in South Korea has its disadvantages. One thing is I am missing all the action going on in The Ultimate Spider-man series from Marvel Comics. While not a big fan of the title, I can tell you that I would be interested in the latest story line. Apparently Spider-man AKA Peter Parker has died. Someone else is now donning the tights and saving New York from the likes of Rhino and the Green Goblin. In addition to that the new Spidey is wearing a new costume which I have yet to decide whether or not I actually like (see below). The storyline continues into June with ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #160, the story unfolds this month with ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #153.
Senin, 25 April 2011
REVIEW: The Book of Jhereg (omnibus) by Steven Brust
The Book of Jhereg by Steven Brust
Publishing information: Paperback; 480 pages
Publisher: Ace Trade; 01 August 2009
ISBN 10: 0441006159
ISBN 13: 978-0441006151
Series: First three books in the Taltos series
Copy: Out of Pocket
Reviewer: Tyson
Back of the Book: "Vlad Taltos x 3! Three Steven Brust fantasy novels in one all-new edition-featuring intrepid assassin Vlad Taltos and his jhereg companion. A welcome addition to any fantasy fan's library, The Book of Jhereg follows the antics of the wise-cracking assassin Vlad Taltos and his dragon-like companion through their first three adventures-Jhereg, Yendi, and Teckla. From his rookie assassin days to his selfless feats of heroism, the dauntless Vlad will hold readers spellbound-and The Book of Jhereg will take its place among the classic compilations in fantasy.
--A pocket-sized dragon-what's not to love?
--A collectible 3-in-1 edition featuring one of science fiction's most memorable heroes"
When I found out there was a fairly famous series about an assassin I knew I had to run and grab a copy for myself. I love a good assassin novel. Unfortunately Taltos is not an assassin I will be returning to.
The book of Jhereg compiles the first three books in the Taltos series Jhereg, Yendi, and Theckla. While each is a separate story, I will give you a plot and then discuss the books as a whole.
Jhereg
Vlad Taltos, a mobster and assassin in the magical metropolis of Adrilankha, is given the largest contract of his career, but the job is even more complicated than he expects.
Yendi
Six months after he took control of his own territory in the criminal Organization, Vlad engages in his first turf war with a rival boss.
Teckla
Soon after the events of Jhereg, Vlad becomes embroiled in a struggle between the House of the Jhereg and a group of revolutionaries that his wife has joined.
Brust's world building is probably his strong suit. He has humans, dragons, and elves each with their own caste systems and clans. There is a rich history that is also brought up from time to time, but in this set we never get the entire picture just snippets here and there. The magic is also fairly decent. It is not mind-blowing or original but it works quite well in the world Brust has created. Most people can communicate mentally or can transport instantly to the destination of your choice.
Where I have a problem with Brust is his characters. They are all the same. Everyone is sarcastic. Taltos is very sarcastic and his familiar, a small jhereg, or dragon, which may have taken on his personality I can understand as they are nearly the same. But then so is everyone else in the books. The villains are sarcastic. Taltos' right hand man is sarcastic. The elves in a floating castle are sarcastic. No one was different it was one character just a different sex or profession. There was no distinction between characters, everyone was smarmy.
The plot was decent but not that imaginative for any of the stories. Each story is relatively short and the pacing was good. But I found myself not caring about any of the situations that Taltos found himself in. Mainly due to the fact that every character was the same. Brust did a great job keeping the endings a mystery as I had a hard time figuring out how Taltos was going to get out of the trouble he found himself in until he unfolded his master plan.
The Book of Jhereg did not live up to my expectations which may be why I did not enjoy the book but, the fact that the characters were very shallow did not help either.
Plot 4
Characters 4
Style 5
Overall 4/10
Publishing information: Paperback; 480 pages
Publisher: Ace Trade; 01 August 2009
ISBN 10: 0441006159
ISBN 13: 978-0441006151
Series: First three books in the Taltos series
Copy: Out of Pocket
Reviewer: Tyson
Back of the Book: "Vlad Taltos x 3! Three Steven Brust fantasy novels in one all-new edition-featuring intrepid assassin Vlad Taltos and his jhereg companion. A welcome addition to any fantasy fan's library, The Book of Jhereg follows the antics of the wise-cracking assassin Vlad Taltos and his dragon-like companion through their first three adventures-Jhereg, Yendi, and Teckla. From his rookie assassin days to his selfless feats of heroism, the dauntless Vlad will hold readers spellbound-and The Book of Jhereg will take its place among the classic compilations in fantasy.
--A pocket-sized dragon-what's not to love?
--A collectible 3-in-1 edition featuring one of science fiction's most memorable heroes"
When I found out there was a fairly famous series about an assassin I knew I had to run and grab a copy for myself. I love a good assassin novel. Unfortunately Taltos is not an assassin I will be returning to.
The book of Jhereg compiles the first three books in the Taltos series Jhereg, Yendi, and Theckla. While each is a separate story, I will give you a plot and then discuss the books as a whole.
Jhereg
Vlad Taltos, a mobster and assassin in the magical metropolis of Adrilankha, is given the largest contract of his career, but the job is even more complicated than he expects.
Yendi
Six months after he took control of his own territory in the criminal Organization, Vlad engages in his first turf war with a rival boss.
Teckla
Soon after the events of Jhereg, Vlad becomes embroiled in a struggle between the House of the Jhereg and a group of revolutionaries that his wife has joined.
Brust's world building is probably his strong suit. He has humans, dragons, and elves each with their own caste systems and clans. There is a rich history that is also brought up from time to time, but in this set we never get the entire picture just snippets here and there. The magic is also fairly decent. It is not mind-blowing or original but it works quite well in the world Brust has created. Most people can communicate mentally or can transport instantly to the destination of your choice.
Where I have a problem with Brust is his characters. They are all the same. Everyone is sarcastic. Taltos is very sarcastic and his familiar, a small jhereg, or dragon, which may have taken on his personality I can understand as they are nearly the same. But then so is everyone else in the books. The villains are sarcastic. Taltos' right hand man is sarcastic. The elves in a floating castle are sarcastic. No one was different it was one character just a different sex or profession. There was no distinction between characters, everyone was smarmy.
The plot was decent but not that imaginative for any of the stories. Each story is relatively short and the pacing was good. But I found myself not caring about any of the situations that Taltos found himself in. Mainly due to the fact that every character was the same. Brust did a great job keeping the endings a mystery as I had a hard time figuring out how Taltos was going to get out of the trouble he found himself in until he unfolded his master plan.
The Book of Jhereg did not live up to my expectations which may be why I did not enjoy the book but, the fact that the characters were very shallow did not help either.
Plot 4
Characters 4
Style 5
Overall 4/10
2011 Hugo Finalists
The nominees for the 2011 Hugo Awards are:
Best Novel
Blackout/All Clear by Connie Willis (Ballantine Spectra)
Cryoburn by Lois McMaster Bujold (Baen)
The Dervish House by Ian McDonald (Gollancz; Pyr)
Feed by Mira Grant (Orbit)
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin (Orbit)
Best Novella
“The Lady Who Plucked Red Flowers beneath the Queen’s Window” by Rachel Swirsky (Subterranean Magazine, Summer 2010)
The Lifecycle of Software Objects by Ted Chiang (Subterranean)
“The Maiden Flight of McCauley’s Bellerophon” by Elizabeth Hand (Stories: All New Tales, William Morrow)
“The Sultan of the Clouds” by Geoffrey A. Landis (Asimov’s, September 2010)
“Troika” by Alastair Reynolds (Godlike Machines, Science Fiction Book Club)
Best Novelette
“Eight Miles” by Sean McMullen (Analog, September 2010)
“The Emperor of Mars” by Allen M. Steele (Asimov’s, June 2010)
“The Jaguar House, in Shadow” by Aliette de Bodard (Asimov’s, July 2010)
“Plus or Minus” by James Patrick Kelly (Asimov’s, December 2010)
“That Leviathan, Whom Thou Hast Made” by Eric James Stone (Analog, September 2010)
Best Short Story
“Amaryllis” by Carrie Vaughn (Lightspeed, June 2010)
“For Want of a Nail” by Mary Robinette Kowal (Asimov’s, September 2010)
“Ponies” by Kij Johnson (Tor.com, November 17, 2010)
“The Things” by Peter Watts (Clarkesworld, January 2010)
Best Related Work
Bearings: Reviews 1997-2001, by Gary K. Wolfe (Beccon)
The Business of Science Fiction: Two Insiders Discuss Writing and Publishing, by Mike Resnick and Barry N. Malzberg (McFarland)
Chicks Dig Time Lords: A Celebration of Doctor Who by the Women Who Love It, edited by Lynne M. Thomas and Tara O’Shea (Mad Norwegian)
Robert A. Heinlein: In Dialogue with His Century, Volume 1: (1907–1948): Learning Curve, by William H. Patterson, Jr. (Tor)
Writing Excuses, Season 4, by Brandon Sanderson, Jordan Sanderson, Howard Tayler, Dan Wells
Best Graphic Story
Fables: Witches, written by Bill Willingham; illustrated by Mark Buckingham (Vertigo)
Girl Genius, Volume 10: Agatha Heterodyne and the Guardian Muse, written by Phil and Kaja Foglio; art by Phil Foglio; colors by Cheyenne Wright (Airship Entertainment)
Grandville Mon Amour, by Bryan Talbot (Dark Horse)
Schlock Mercenary: Massively Parallel, written and illustrated by Howard Tayler; colors by Howard Tayler and Travis Walton (Hypernode)
The Unwritten, Volume 2: Inside Man, written by Mike Carey; illustrated by Peter Gross (Vertigo)
Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, screenplay by Steve Kloves; directed by David Yates (Warner)
How to Train Your Dragon, screenplay by William Davies, Dean DeBlois & Chris Sanders; directed by Dean DeBlois & Chris Sanders (DreamWorks)
Inception, written and directed by Christopher Nolan (Warner)
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, screenplay by Michael Bacall & Edgar Wright; directed by Edgar Wright (Universal)
Toy Story 3, screenplay by Michael Arndt; story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton & Lee Unkrich; directed by Lee Unkrich (Pixar/Disney)
Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
Doctor Who: “A Christmas Carol,” written by Steven Moffat; directed by Toby Haynes (BBC Wales)
Doctor Who: “The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang,” written by Steven Moffat; directed by Toby Haynes (BBC Wales)
Doctor Who: “Vincent and the Doctor,” written by Richard Curtis; directed by Jonny Campbell (BBC Wales)
Fuck Me, Ray Bradbury, written by Rachel Bloom; directed by Paul Briganti
The Lost Thing, written by Shaun Tan; directed by Andrew Ruhemann and Shaun Tan (Passion Pictures)
Best Editor, Short Form
John Joseph Adams
Stanley Schmidt
Jonathan Strahan
Gordon Van Gelder
Sheila Williams
Best Editor, Long Form
Lou Anders
Ginjer Buchanan
Moshe Feder
Liz Gorinsky
Nick Mamatas
Beth Meacham
Juliet Ulman
Best Professional Artist
Daniel Dos Santos
Bob Eggleton
Stephan Martiniere
John Picacio
Shaun Tan
Best Semiprozine
Clarkesworld, edited by Neil Clarke, Cheryl Morgan, Sean Wallace; podcast directed by Kate Baker
Interzone, edited by Andy Cox
Lightspeed, edited by John Joseph Adams
Locus, edited by Liza Groen Trombi and Kirsten Gong-Wong
Weird Tales, edited by Ann VanderMeer and Stephen H. Segal
Best Fanzine
Banana Wings, edited by Claire Brialey and Mark Plummer
Challenger, edited by Guy H. Lillian III
The Drink Tank, edited by Christopher J Garcia and James Bacon
File 770, edited by Mike Glyer
StarShipSofa, edited by Tony C. Smith
Best Fan Writer
James Bacon
Claire Brialey
Christopher J Garcia
James Nicoll
Steven H Silver
Best Fan Artist
Brad W. Foster
Randall Munroe
Maurine Starkey
Steve Stiles
Taral Wayne
John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer
Award for the best new professional science fiction or fantasy writer of 2009 or 2010, sponsored by Dell Magazines (not a Hugo Award).
Saladin Ahmed
Lauren Beukes
Larry Correia
Lev Grossman
Dan Wells
Note: All Campbell finalists are in their 2nd year of eligibility.
Best Novel
Blackout/All Clear by Connie Willis (Ballantine Spectra)
Cryoburn by Lois McMaster Bujold (Baen)
The Dervish House by Ian McDonald (Gollancz; Pyr)
Feed by Mira Grant (Orbit)
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin (Orbit)
Best Novella
“The Lady Who Plucked Red Flowers beneath the Queen’s Window” by Rachel Swirsky (Subterranean Magazine, Summer 2010)
The Lifecycle of Software Objects by Ted Chiang (Subterranean)
“The Maiden Flight of McCauley’s Bellerophon” by Elizabeth Hand (Stories: All New Tales, William Morrow)
“The Sultan of the Clouds” by Geoffrey A. Landis (Asimov’s, September 2010)
“Troika” by Alastair Reynolds (Godlike Machines, Science Fiction Book Club)
Best Novelette
“Eight Miles” by Sean McMullen (Analog, September 2010)
“The Emperor of Mars” by Allen M. Steele (Asimov’s, June 2010)
“The Jaguar House, in Shadow” by Aliette de Bodard (Asimov’s, July 2010)
“Plus or Minus” by James Patrick Kelly (Asimov’s, December 2010)
“That Leviathan, Whom Thou Hast Made” by Eric James Stone (Analog, September 2010)
Best Short Story
“Amaryllis” by Carrie Vaughn (Lightspeed, June 2010)
“For Want of a Nail” by Mary Robinette Kowal (Asimov’s, September 2010)
“Ponies” by Kij Johnson (Tor.com, November 17, 2010)
“The Things” by Peter Watts (Clarkesworld, January 2010)
Best Related Work
Bearings: Reviews 1997-2001, by Gary K. Wolfe (Beccon)
The Business of Science Fiction: Two Insiders Discuss Writing and Publishing, by Mike Resnick and Barry N. Malzberg (McFarland)
Chicks Dig Time Lords: A Celebration of Doctor Who by the Women Who Love It, edited by Lynne M. Thomas and Tara O’Shea (Mad Norwegian)
Robert A. Heinlein: In Dialogue with His Century, Volume 1: (1907–1948): Learning Curve, by William H. Patterson, Jr. (Tor)
Writing Excuses, Season 4, by Brandon Sanderson, Jordan Sanderson, Howard Tayler, Dan Wells
Best Graphic Story
Fables: Witches, written by Bill Willingham; illustrated by Mark Buckingham (Vertigo)
Girl Genius, Volume 10: Agatha Heterodyne and the Guardian Muse, written by Phil and Kaja Foglio; art by Phil Foglio; colors by Cheyenne Wright (Airship Entertainment)
Grandville Mon Amour, by Bryan Talbot (Dark Horse)
Schlock Mercenary: Massively Parallel, written and illustrated by Howard Tayler; colors by Howard Tayler and Travis Walton (Hypernode)
The Unwritten, Volume 2: Inside Man, written by Mike Carey; illustrated by Peter Gross (Vertigo)
Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, screenplay by Steve Kloves; directed by David Yates (Warner)
How to Train Your Dragon, screenplay by William Davies, Dean DeBlois & Chris Sanders; directed by Dean DeBlois & Chris Sanders (DreamWorks)
Inception, written and directed by Christopher Nolan (Warner)
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, screenplay by Michael Bacall & Edgar Wright; directed by Edgar Wright (Universal)
Toy Story 3, screenplay by Michael Arndt; story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton & Lee Unkrich; directed by Lee Unkrich (Pixar/Disney)
Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
Doctor Who: “A Christmas Carol,” written by Steven Moffat; directed by Toby Haynes (BBC Wales)
Doctor Who: “The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang,” written by Steven Moffat; directed by Toby Haynes (BBC Wales)
Doctor Who: “Vincent and the Doctor,” written by Richard Curtis; directed by Jonny Campbell (BBC Wales)
Fuck Me, Ray Bradbury, written by Rachel Bloom; directed by Paul Briganti
The Lost Thing, written by Shaun Tan; directed by Andrew Ruhemann and Shaun Tan (Passion Pictures)
Best Editor, Short Form
John Joseph Adams
Stanley Schmidt
Jonathan Strahan
Gordon Van Gelder
Sheila Williams
Best Editor, Long Form
Lou Anders
Ginjer Buchanan
Moshe Feder
Liz Gorinsky
Nick Mamatas
Beth Meacham
Juliet Ulman
Best Professional Artist
Daniel Dos Santos
Bob Eggleton
Stephan Martiniere
John Picacio
Shaun Tan
Best Semiprozine
Clarkesworld, edited by Neil Clarke, Cheryl Morgan, Sean Wallace; podcast directed by Kate Baker
Interzone, edited by Andy Cox
Lightspeed, edited by John Joseph Adams
Locus, edited by Liza Groen Trombi and Kirsten Gong-Wong
Weird Tales, edited by Ann VanderMeer and Stephen H. Segal
Best Fanzine
Banana Wings, edited by Claire Brialey and Mark Plummer
Challenger, edited by Guy H. Lillian III
The Drink Tank, edited by Christopher J Garcia and James Bacon
File 770, edited by Mike Glyer
StarShipSofa, edited by Tony C. Smith
Best Fan Writer
James Bacon
Claire Brialey
Christopher J Garcia
James Nicoll
Steven H Silver
Best Fan Artist
Brad W. Foster
Randall Munroe
Maurine Starkey
Steve Stiles
Taral Wayne
John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer
Award for the best new professional science fiction or fantasy writer of 2009 or 2010, sponsored by Dell Magazines (not a Hugo Award).
Saladin Ahmed
Lauren Beukes
Larry Correia
Lev Grossman
Dan Wells
Note: All Campbell finalists are in their 2nd year of eligibility.
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