Another writer notices the elements of freedom in Firefly. Some great comments, as well, and a link to a story that Tim Minear, the probable root of libertarian ideas in Firefly, is adapting Robert Heinlein’s novel, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.
Category: Uncategorized (Page 31 of 35)
At the 63rd World Science Fiction Convention in Glasgow, the Libertarian Futurist Society announced the 2005 Prometheus Award winners. Best novel went to Neal Stephenson’s The System of the World and the Hall of Fame Award went to A.E. van Vogt’s The Weapon Shops of Isher. Special awards were given to The Probability Broach: The Graphic Novel, written by L. Neil Smith and illustrated by Scott Bieser, and to two anthologies edited by Mark Tier and Martin H. Greenberg, Give Me Liberty and Visions of Liberty.
Via Wally Conger’s blog, an image of the second most anticipated sf movie this year, Aeon Flux. I watched all the MTV episodes year ago, and Charlize Theron does look superb. 
The second installment of the Serenity comic book came out this week (8/4/05). I picked up the Jo Chen cover edition today, featuring Book. Sadly, the Jo Chen cover, featuring an elfish Kaylee was sold out. The story appears to fill in space between the last TV episode and the forthcoming movie. Page count is small, only 22 total pages per comic featuring panels with Serenity action, so this is barely enough to whet one’s appetite while waiting for the movie.
A new short story magazine, Apex Science Fiction and Horror Digest recently published its first issue. I found issue number two at Barnes & Noble, and saw that it contains a novella by James P. Hogan. The novella, “The Falcon,” deals briefly with an individual sentenced by her government for having the wrong ideas, and the temerity to not back away from those ideas.
The first issue of Serenity, the comic book, came out last week. I still have not found the John Cassaday Cover, which no doubt is quite popular, as it features Capt. Mal Reynolds.
Over at Emerald City, Cheryl Morgan continues her bafflement with libertarians in a note about Charles Stross’ Accelerando nominated for the Prometheus Award. Stross mentioned this fact in a forum post on 7/21/05, and on 7/27, Ms. Morgan muses about how “a British Liberal can be nominated for writing Libertaran fiction.” The fact is that you don’t need to be a card-carrying member of the Libertarian Party (US), and the Libertarian Futurist Society is in no way associated with the LP. The LFS recognizes works of fiction that deal with liberty and challenges authority of any individual over other individuals. This is not the only criteria for the Prometheus Award. Even Ken MacLeod, an avowed Marxist, show greater intellectual honsesty towards libertarians: they’re not all crazed right wing lunatics…
Today I received in the mail a copy of Destroying Worlds by John David, published in the UK. There was no return address, so no way to get back in touch with the sender and/or author (for which there is no biographical information on the book). I plan on reviewing this book in the Fall issue of Prometheus, which is scheduled for early-mid October. I’d like to send the author some copies of the issue with the review. If anyone knows how to get in touch with the author, please let me know.
Today all issues of Prometheus, Vol. 23, No. 4 (Summer 2005) were mailed to members of LFS and subscribers. The issue includes an article on Kurt Vonnegut’s Player Piano, by Thomas Sipos; a review of F. Paul Wilson’s latest Repairman Jack novel, Infernal, and much more. Mailed along with this issue was a special print version of the Summer 2004 newsletter, which originally appeared only in email form.
From the New York Times, a great and inspiring story of Duong Thu Huong, a fiction writer in Vietnam who spits in the face of the regime, and refuses to leave while opposing and denouncing its very oppressive government.
