Lost worlds and ports of call

Month: August 2006 (Page 1 of 2)

25 years ago

Today I came into possession of the full list of Prometheus Award nominees for the 1982 award, held that year at Chicon. Master of ceremonies that year was the late Robert Shea, who wrote a brilliant con report in the pages of Prometheus shortly thereafter, called “Hasta la vista, Chicon.” I bring up this tidbit as the LFS web page for the Prometheus Awards (of which I compiled the bulk of information), lists only the winner, L. Neil Smith’s The Probability Broach. At the time that was all that I had to go by, and despite several efforts I never found any documentation of the other books nominated that year. Until the LFS site is updated, here’s the complete list. Book followed by * were finalists, and ** denotes the winner. What a tough year to pick a winner! I gaze at the libertarian luminaries on this list in wonder – Erika Holzer, Kay Nolte Smith, L. Neil Smith, J. Neil Schulman, F. Paul Wilson, and more.

– Gary Bennett, The Star Sailors
– Lee Corey, Star Driver
– Samuel Delaney, Tales of Neveryon*
– Thomas Disch, On the Wings of Song
– Erika Holzer, Double Crossing
– Stephen King, Firestarter
– Ursula K. Le Guin, Malafrena
– Barry Longyear, Circus World
– Byron Preiss & Michael Reaves, Dragonworld
– Tom Robbins, Still Life with Woodpecker
– J. Neil Schulman, Alongside Night*
– Kay Nolte Smith, The Watcher*
– L. Neil Smith, The Probability Broach**
– Norman Spinrad, A World Between
– Norman Spinrad, Song From the Stars*
– Joan Sloanczewski, Still Forms on Foxfield
– Douglas Terman, Free Flight
– Kurt Vonnegut, Jailbird
– F. Paul Wilson, An Enemy of the State*

New Ken MacLeod book

A brief novel (contradiction?) released in the UK only at this point, The Highway Men, published by Sandstone Press. MacLeod describes it thusly, “typical MacLeod stuff: climate change, imperialist war, libertarian grouch, Highland romance and insurrectionary violence.”

Interview

All you ever wanted to know about yours truly, plus a little more. Sunni Maravillosa interviewed me for her July Salon. Not sure that I merit an interview, but I found the process fascinating and the interview gracious and considerate.

Books read/reading





Currently I’m burning through a stack ofPYR books at the moment, hoping to review at least four in the Fall issue of Prometheus. They’re a relative recent publisher on the sf scene, and luckily they send me a few review copies each year. I’ve already reviewed at least four books by them, and have yet to be disappointed in their offerings, even though the fare is far from uneven.

Recently read books include
David Louis Edelman, Infoquake. An sf novel about business and politics, with a fari number of mentions of libertarians and radical libertarians, though less so of said ideas.
Keith Brooke, Genetopia. Parallels slavery stories set in unknown environment (possibly far future) where genetic manipulation acts as divider akin to skin color.
Chris Roberson, Paragaea. Adventure tale in tradition of Edgar Rice Burroughs and Jack Vance (among others). At times quite fun, yet despite its length I never really bought into the characters as much as in ERB’s books.

Currently reading
Ian McDonald’s River of Gods Ye Gods. This is near future sf at its best. Complex and difficult to follow due to large cast of characters, but certainly the very essence of why I read sf.

Now, how do I squeeze in my other current books – Vernor Vinge’s Rainbows End and Tim Powers’ Three Days to Never?

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