(date: 2024-11-02 18:00:59)
date: 2024-11-01, from: Interesting, a blog on writing
Okay, so we’re doing this…
https://inneresting.substack.com/p/223-the-race-is-on
date: 2024-11-01, from: John August blog
AlphaBirds — the fun, fast word game we make — is having its first-ever live event this month. We’re holding it at Village Well in Culver City, November 22nd at 6:30pm. Come have a drink and learn to play our game. Space is limited, so do get a ticket in advance. Not in the LA […] The post Play AlphaBirds with us first appeared on John August.
https://johnaugust.com/2024/play-alphabirds-with-us
date: 2024-11-01, from: Locus Magazine
Heartlines Spec
https://locusmag.com/2024/11/magazines-received-october-2/
date: 2024-11-01, from: Locus Magazine
The 13 finalists for the Barnes and Noble Book of the Year 2024 have been announced, and include historical novel The Women by Kristin Hannah (St. Martin’s), who sometimes writes fantasy; Huckleberry Finn reimagining James by Percival Everett (Knopf), who also writes SF; and fantasy novel Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell (Random House Children’s Books).
Shortlisted titles are nominated by Barnes and Noble booksellers. The winner will be announced on …Read More
https://locusmag.com/2024/11/bn-book-of-the-year-nominees/
date: 2024-11-01, from: John August blog
Weekend Read, our app for reading scripts on your phone, features a new curated collection of screenplays each week. This week, we look at how elections and politics can be used across genres to test a character’s true convictions, and how their choices affect the citizens they serve. Our collection includes: All The President’s Men […] The post Featured Friday: Politics and Elections first appeared on John August.
https://johnaugust.com/2024/featured-friday-politics-and-elections
date: 2024-11-01, from: Locus Magazine
Wish I Was Here, M. John Harrison (Serpent’s Tail 978-1-80081-297-0, £16.99, 224pp, hc) May 2023. (Saga Press 978-1-66806-304-0, 224pp, $26.99, hc). September 2024.
It’s hard to know where to start writing about a book that knows exactly what it is and knows that knowledge doesn’t help much. “When [a piece of writing] has been assembled like this one,” writes M. John Harrison, “from so many layers of your life… …Read More
https://locusmag.com/2024/11/wish-i-was-here-by-m-john-harrison-review-by-niall-harrison/
date: 2024-11-01, from: Locus Magazine
The November 2024 issue of Locus magazine has interviews with R.S.A. Garcia and Suzan Palumbo and a spotlight on artist Virginia Lee. News covers the 2024 World Fantasy Awards, Han Kang’s Nobel Prize win, Margaret Owen’s Endeavour win, the Cixin Liu Museum in Yangquan, the British Fantasy, SFPA, and Ditmar awards winners, and more. International reports look at SF in India and SF in Japan. Cory Doctorow’s column is entitled …Read More
https://locusmag.com/2024/11/issue-766-table-of-contents-november-2024/
date: 2024-10-31, from: Locus Magazine
We’ve got one last video for October for you to watch while prepping for Halloween! We’re excited to tell you about the best SF, Fantasy, and Horror new releases of the week of 10/29/2024! If you’re feeling generous, why not come by out YouTube channel and Subscribe to show your support for what we do! From everyone at Locus, we hope you’re all having an especially spooky Halloween!
https://locusmag.com/2024/10/weekly-youtube-video-for-10-29-2024-is-up/
date: 2024-10-31, from: Final Draft blog
If you want to learn how to write for animated films, there is probably
no better person to learn from than
Chris
Sanders.
He’s a veritable titan in the industry, with story
credits on Disney classics like Beauty
and the Beast, Aladdin, and The
Lion King—yes, those classics—along with screenwriting credits on
Mulan and Lilo & Stitch, not to mention
modern hits like How to Train Your
Dragon and The Croods.
His stories swell
with emotion and feature conflict that’s at times surprising in its
thorniness and complicated, grown-up themes; perhaps why his movies
resonate across ages. The lonely protagonist who needs to find their
place and gain their strength is a favorite in his repertoire, and his
latest film, The Wild Robot, is
a new take on this character.
Adapted from the book by Peter
Brown, The Wild Robot is “Roz”
(Lupita Nyong’o), who crash-lands on an island inhabited only by
woodland creatures. When she stumbles upon an orphaned gosling, she and
the fox Fink (Pedro Pascal) have to get him ready to fly south for his
winter migration.
When we got the chance to speak with Sanders
about his experience as a writer on this and other films, we of course
jumped at the chance. We asked him what was different about writing for
animation, handling thematic material for kids, and more.
The Wild Robot is now available to
watch at home digitally from Universal Pictures Home
Entertainment.
Editor’s note:
The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Spoilers for The Wild Robot below.
date: 2024-10-30, from: Locus Magazine
The Saltire Society announced the 2024 Scotland’s National Book Award shortlist during a livestreamed event in Edinburgh’s Old Town on October 30, 2024. Titles of genre interest follow.
Fiction Book of the Year
Fiction Book First Book of the Year
For more information, including the full shortlists, see the Saltire Society’s
https://locusmag.com/2024/10/2024-scotlands-national-book-award-shortlist/
date: 2024-10-30, from: Locus Magazine
Reactor compiled a list of “The Most Iconic Speculative Fiction Books of the 21st Century” in various categories.
Works in Translation
https://locusmag.com/2024/10/reactors-most-iconic-sf-of-the-century/
date: 2024-10-30, from: Interesting, a blog on writing
Slashers, sequels, and avoiding diminishing returns.
https://inneresting.substack.com/p/222-sometimes-they-come-back
date: 2024-10-30, from: Author’s Union blog
This post is by Maria Crusey, a third-year law student at Washington University in St. Louis. Maria has been working with Authors Alliance this semester on a project exploring legal claims in the now 30+ pending copyright AI lawsuits. In the recent spate of copyright infringement lawsuits against AI developers, many plaintiffs allege violations of […]
https://www.authorsalliance.org/2024/10/30/copyright-management-information-1202b-and-ai/
date: 2024-10-30, from: Final Draft blog
Writer/director Parker
Finn has mastered a specific brand of horror with 2022’s Smile and this year’s Halloween hit,
Smile 2. It’s dour, it’s
high-concept, it’s ghastly and gory and great. The story might lead
viewers to ask certain questions. How does he come up with such unique
scares, and write them visually on the page? How does a focus on
character influence the tension? Also, is he okay? (Just
kidding.)
Finn has tapped into something that is resonating with
horror
fans and everyday moviegoers alike, and is doing so with original
storytelling and deft direction that has landed him in the nation’s
number-one box office spot.
In this film, his smiley contagion
lands on Skye Riley (Naomi Scott), one of the world’s biggest pop stars
on the cusp of a comeback. The year before, she suffered a deadly
accident and heavy substance abuse.
As she preps for her tour,
she visits old friend Lewis (Lukas Gage), who has just had the curse
transferred to him. After he dies in front of her, Skye finds herself
rehearsing and handling appearances as everything crumbles around her.
She grows increasingly manic, not sure what’s real and who she can
trust.
https://blog.finaldraft.com/five-lessons-in-horror-writing-from-smile-2-filmmaker-parker-finn
date: 2024-10-30, from: Literature & a Latte blog
https://www.literatureandlatte.com/blog/how-to-establish-a-regular-writing-routine
date: 2024-10-29, from: Locus Magazine
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) has announced the results of its special election.
President: Kate Ristau
Secretary: Steven D. Brewer
The newly elected officers and directors-at-large will serve on the SFWA Board from November 1st, 2024, through June 30th, 2025.
Kate Ristau – President Anthony Eichenlaub – Vice President Jonathan Brazee – CFO Steven D. Brewer – Secretary Christine Taylor-Butler – Director-at-Large Phoebe Barton – Director-at-Large Noah …Read More
https://locusmag.com/2024/10/sfwa-special-election-results/
date: 2024-10-29, from: Final Draft blog
Warning - spoilers ahead for Monsters and Woman of the Hour.
https://blog.finaldraft.com/how-to-write-a-true-crime-drama-like-monsters
date: 2024-10-29, from: Locus Magazine
The City in Glass, Nghi Vo (Tordotcom 978-1250348272, $24.99, 224pp), October 2024.
Nghi Vo is full of surprises. I suppose one could argue that her first novel, the Gatsbyesque The Chosen and the Beautiful, and her second, the very different Hollywood fantasy historical The Siren Queen, had a few things in common – like early 20th-century American settings and the classic themes of the need for acceptance …Read More
https://locusmag.com/2024/10/the-city-in-glass-by-nghi-vo-review-by-gary-k-wolfe/
date: 2024-10-29, from: John August blog
John and Craig make their triumphant return to the Austin Film Festival for a wild night full of Emmy winning writers. They welcome Shōgun co-creators Rachel Kondo & Justin Marks to look at their process for structuring a series-long adaptation, keeping translations eloquent and accurate, and writing together as a married couple. We then welcome […] The post Live in Austin 2024 first appeared on John August.
https://johnaugust.com/2024/live-in-austin-2024
date: 2024-10-29, from: Locus Magazine
Anderson, Kate: Lonely Places (North Star Editions/Flux 9781635831016, $14.99, 304pp, formats: trade paperback, ebook, 10/29/2024)
Young-adult horror novel. After a traumatic experience steals Chase’s younger sister’s voice, the family moves to an isolated fire lookout in Pando, a grove of Aspen tree clones connected by a massive underground root system. They moved hoping for stability, but Chase learns that something bad happened at the lookout, and Pando appears to be …Read More
https://locusmag.com/2024/10/new-books-29-october-2024/
date: 2024-10-28, from: Locus Magazine
Actor and literacy advocate LeVar Burton was one of 19 recipients of the National Humanities Medals. The 2022 and 2023 medals were presented by President Biden on Monday, October 21, 2024, in a private ceremony at the White House.
The recipients include writers, historians, educators, and filmmakers. Presentation of the medals was followed by a reception “with remarks by President Biden, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, National Endowment for the …Read More
https://locusmag.com/2024/10/burton-awarded-national-humanities-medal/
date: 2024-10-28, from: Locus Magazine
Diana Pho has been promoted to editorial director at Erewhon Books. Pho posted on social media,
Marking my upcoming 2-year anniversary at the company, I’m so, so thrilled to announce that I have been promoted…. Grateful to have the support from the Erewhon and Kensington Publishing teams as we level up!
Pho joined the company as executive editor in 2022. This promotion follows the departure of publisher Sarah Guan earlier …Read More
https://locusmag.com/2024/10/erewhon-news/
date: 2024-10-28, from: Locus Magazine
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) made the following announcement on October 28, 2024, regarding the removal of Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki from the board of directors.
On 10/27/2024, the Board met to discuss multiple ethics complaints regarding Director-at-Large Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki after hearing statements from various parties involved. Mr. Ekpeki was also given a chance to speak to the Board regarding these complaints. After due consideration, and in …Read More
https://locusmag.com/2024/10/sfwa-removes-ekpeki/
date: 2024-10-28, from: Locus Magazine
Updated 10/29/24 to add ASFS statement.
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) made the following announcement on October 28, 2024, regarding the removal of Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki from the board of directors.
On 10/27/2024, the Board met to discuss multiple ethics complaints regarding Director-at-Large Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki after hearing statements from various parties involved. Mr. Ekpeki was also given a chance to speak to the Board regarding these …Read More
https://locusmag.com/2024/10/ekpeki-allegations/
date: 2024-10-28, from: Locus Magazine
After 48 weeks on the bestseller charts, Christopher Paolini’s Murtagh is now out in a new deluxe edition, which ranks on three lists this week, at #1 on the New York Times‘ Young Adult Hardcover list.
Title Debut / #wks on any list NYT 11.03 LAT 10.27 USAT 10.20 PW 10.28 Amz (10.28) UK: Amz UK (10.28) Canada: Amz.ca (10.28)
Items on list -x- number of lists surveyed
10×3 10×2 …Read More
https://locusmag.com/2024/10/weekly-bestsellers-28-october-2024/
date: 2024-10-28, from: Final Draft blog
A Sympathetic Monster is
an
archetype that can be found in various “monster movies.” In addition
to
scaring
us, these monsters also tug at our heartstrings, and we find
ourselves caring about them despite the carnage they cause.
Over
the decades, there have been many Sympathetic Monsters that have
resonated with filmgoers, and some of them are still at the center of
several film franchises, remakes or modern reinterpretations. Because of
this, if you’re writing a script that features a monster of some sort,
it might be a more
emotionally-resonating
story if that monster is sympathetic.
https://blog.finaldraft.com/creating-a-sympathetic-monster
date: 2024-10-28, from: Locus Magazine
Carlos Hernandez, Edward Zuckerman, Rob Cameron, A.C. Wise read at the Barrow’s Intense Tasting Room in Industry City, Brooklyn NY on September 17, 2024 as part of the Brooklyn Books & Booze Reading series, hosted by Randee Dawn.
While you are here, please take a moment to support Locus with a one-time or recurring donation. We rely on reader donations to keep the magazine and site going, and would like …Read More
https://locusmag.com/2024/10/brooklyn-books-and-booze/
date: 2024-10-28, from: Locus Magazine
A Jura for Julia, Ken MacLeod (NewCon Press 978-1-91495-383-5, 220pp, £26.99, hc) August 2024. Cover by Fangorn.
I don’t think it’s entirely unrecognised that one of the most notable qualities of Ken MacLeod’s fiction is its dry humour, but I’m not sure it’s much discussed. So here’s a moment from “The Shadow Ministers”, one of a baker’s dozen of enjoyable stories collected in A Jura for Julia, that …Read More
https://locusmag.com/2024/10/a-jura-for-julia-by-ken-macleod-review-by-niall-harrison/
date: 2024-10-27, from: Locus Magazine
The Tongue Trade, Michael J. Martineck (Edge 978-1770532410, hardcover, 224pp, $34.95) October 2024
Michael Martineck has had the kind of respectable bubbling-under career that many writers enjoy—but which they also might ambitiously seek to surpass. (Has any writer ever been truly satisfied with his or her current status?) He sold his first story in 1999, then several novels, with the most recent being The Link Boy in 2017. Good …Read More
https://locusmag.com/2024/10/the-tongue-trade-by-michael-j-martineck-review-by-paul-di-filippo/
date: 2024-10-27, from: Locus Magazine
Ultra 85, Logic (Simon & Schuster 978-1-98215-827-9, $18.99, 304pp, tp) September 2024.
I’d never heard of the rapper Logic (AKA Sir Robert Bryson Hall II) or his work (both musical and literary) until I was sent a copy of Ultra 85. That’s not an indictment of Logic but instead speaks to my narrow, stunted musical tastes. Ultra 85 is Logic’s sophomore effort, the follow-up to his debut Supermarket …Read More
https://locusmag.com/2024/10/ultra-85-by-logic-review-by-ian-mond/
date: 2024-10-26, from: Locus Magazine
Nether Station, Kevin J. Anderson (Blackstone 979-8200688449, hardcover, 316pp, $27.99) October 2024
The crew of a small survey spaceship voyages out to investigate a spacetime anomaly, and encounters deadly supernatural (?) entities. Am I about to take a second pass at reviewing Adam Roberts’s recent Lake of Darkness? Not at all! But by phrasing the plot of that novel generically, I can point out that although certain adjacent …Read More
https://locusmag.com/2024/10/paul-di-filippo-reviews-nether-station-by-kevin-j-anderson/
date: 2024-10-26, from: Locus Magazine
Alien Clay, Adrian Tchaikovsky (Tor UK 978-1035013746, 400pp, £16.99, hc) March 2024. (Orbit US 978-0316578974 , $19.999, 432pp, tp) September 2024. Cover by Lauren Panepinto.
Sometimes the way into a story is through another story. Probably the most familiar route is through a genealogical relationship, in which a new story attempts to extend or argue with an old one: All those works unpicking the cold equations or attempting to …Read More
https://locusmag.com/2024/10/alien-clay-by-adrian-tchaikovsky-review-by-niall-harrison/