Rhode Island Science Fiction Club

Source: Scoop magazine

Robots apparently rock. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen shook off nearly universally horrible reviews to crush the competition at movie theaters for the June 26-28, 2009 weekend. According to BoxOfficeMojo.com, the bots brought in $112 million, to give the film a five-day, world-wide total of $387,346,000. The domestic total, $201,246,000, should put it solidly in the number two spot for all-time five-day openings, but it wouldn’t be enough to take down the record holder, The Dark Knight.

Rounding out the top five were The Proposal, The Hangover, Up, and My Sister’s Keeper.

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TwoMorrows Publishing, which produces some great comic genre magazines, including Alter Ego (focusing on Golden & Silver age comics) and Rough Stuff (pencil sketches, layouts from comic creators), is releasing a number of new comic-related products, including Marvel Comics in the 60’s, and Batcave Companion. They’re also releasing a hard cover update of Captain Action: The Original SuperHero Action Figure, for fans of the 1968 Ideal toy.
Check out their website at www.twomorrows.com

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Jay Kingston and Marc Morisseau, Club Historian and Chairman of the R.I. Science Fiction club respectively, were recently interviewed by the Providence Journal. Both had seen the movie two weeks prior to its May 8th release. Here’s the link to the article:

http://www.projo.com/sharedcontent/membership/join.jsp?fw=http://www.projo.com/lifebeat/content/lb_RI_Trekkies_05-08-09_MUE8N22_v15.17c1a30.html

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What is “Free Comic Book Day?”
Free Comic Book Day is a single day when participating comic book specialty shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely free to anyone who comes into their shops.
This year, Free Comic Book Day will be held on Saturday, May 2, 2009.

Large comic companies like DC, Marvel, and Dark Horse will be offering special titles, as well as a number of smaller, independent comic publishers. This is a great opportunity to introduce kids to comics, and you may even (gasp!) get them to start reading again!

So put down the remote and game controller, and get yourself over to your local comic book shop for Free Comic Book Day! Here’s the link to find a shop that’s participating: www.freecomicbookday.com

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Source: Scoop magazine

The Green Hornet, in the form of new comic books, has landed at Dynamite Entertainment. The legendary crime-fighting character created for a radio series in the 1930s by George W. Trendle and Fran Stiker, (Trendle also created The Lone Ranger, currently another Dynamite comic book series). A creative team has not yet been announced.

In addition to the successful radio series, Green Hornet appeared on television in the 1960s and introduced martial arts master Bruce Lee to audiences as Kato, the Hornet’s trusted companion.

A new Green Hornet movie which will star Seth Rogen is slated to be released in Summer 2010. In March 2009 Moonstone Books announced a series of prose collections featuring the character, and Electric Tiki released statues of the Green Hornet and Kato in 2008. The previous longest running Green Hornet comic book series was published by Now Comics from 1989 to 1995.

Always the source of at least one great trivia answer, in the original storyline newspaper publisher Britt Reid, who was The Green Hornet, was the grand nephew of The Lone Ranger.

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The Hugo Awards celebrate the best in the field of science fiction and fantasy.  Hugos are presented each year at the World Science Fiction Convention, by the World Science Fiction Society.

All members of Anticipation may vote to select the winners. The Hugos awarded at Anticipation will be for works released in 2008.

More information is on the official Hugo Award web site.

Nominations

A total of 799 nomination ballots were cast and the nominees are:

Best Novel
(639 Ballots / Bulletins)

• Anathem by Neal Stephenson (Morrow; Atlantic UK)
• The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (HarperCollins; Bloomsbury UK)
• Little Brother by Cory Doctorow (Tor Teen; HarperVoyager UK) — Free download
• Saturn’s Children by Charles Stross (Ace; Orbit UK)
• Zoe’s Tale by John Scalzi (Tor)

Best Novella
(337 Ballots / Bulletins)

• “The Erdmann Nexus” by Nancy Kress (Asimov’s Oct/Nov 2008)
• “The Political Prisoner” by Charles Coleman Finlay (F&SF Aug 2008) – Read Online
• “The Tear” by Ian McDonald ( Galactic Empires)
• “True Names” by Benjamin Rosenbaum & Cory Doctorow ( Fast Forward 2) — Free download
• “Truth” by Robert Reed (Asimov’s Oct/Nov 2008)

Best Novelette
(373 Ballots / Bulletins)

• “Alastair Baffle’s Emporium of Wonders” by Mike Resnick (Asimov’s Jan 2008) — Read Online
• “The Gambler” by Paolo Bacigalupi ( Fast Forward 2) — Read Online
• “Pride and Prometheus” by John Kessel (F&SF Jan 2008) – Free Download, also available as a two part podcast (part 1, part 2)
• “The Ray-Gun: A Love Story” by James Alan Gardner (Asimov’s Feb 2008) — Read Online
• “Shoggoths in Bloom” by Elizabeth Bear (Asimov’s Mar 2008) — Read Online

Best Short Story
(448 Ballots / Bulletins)

• “26 Monkeys, Also the Abyss” by Kij Johnson (Asimov’s Jul 2008) — Read Online
• “Article of Faith” by Mike Resnick (Baen’s Universe Oct 2008) – Read Online
• “Evil Robot Monkey” by Mary Robinette Kowal ( The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction, Volume Two) - Free download
• “Exhalation” by Ted Chiang ( Eclipse Two) - Free download
• “From Babel’s Fall’n Glory We Fled” by Michael Swanwick (Asimov’s Feb 2008)

Best Related Book
(263 Ballots / Bulletins)

• Rhetorics of Fantasy by Farah Mendlesohn (Wesleyan University Press) – Read an extract online
• Spectrum 15: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art by Cathy & Arnie Fenner, eds. (Underwood Books)
• The Vorkosigan Companion: The Universe of Lois McMaster Bujold by Lillian Stewart Carl & John Helfers, eds. (Baen)
• What It Is We Do When We Read Science Fiction by Paul Kincaid (Beccon Publications) - /Read online
• Your Hate Mail Will be Graded: A Decade of Whatever, 1998-2008 by John Scalzi (Subterranean Press)

Best Graphic Story
(212 Ballots / Bulletins)

• The Dresden Files: Welcome to the Jungle Written by Jim Butcher, art by Ardian Syaf (Del Rey/Dabel Brothers Publishing)
• Girl Genius, Volume 8: Agatha Heterodyne and the Chapel of Bones Written by Kaja & Phil Foglio, art by Phil Foglio, colors by Cheyenne Wright (Airship Entertainment) – Official Site
• Fables: War and Pieces Written by Bill Willingham, pencilled by Mark Buckingham, art by Steve Leialoha and Andrew Pepoy, color by Lee Loughridge, letters by Todd Klein (DC/Vertigo Comics)
• Schlock Mercenary: The Body Politic Story and art by Howard Tayler (The Tayler Corporation) — Free download
• Serenity: Better Days Written by Joss Whedon & Brett Matthews, art by Will Conrad, color by Michelle Madsen, cover by Jo Chen (Dark Horse Comics)
• Y: The Last Man, Volume 10: Whys and Wherefores Written/created by Brian K. Vaughan, pencilled/created by Pia Guerra, inked by Jose Marzan, Jr. (DC/Vertigo Comics)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form
(436 Ballots / Bulletins)

• The Dark Knight Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer, story; Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan, screenplay; based on characters created by Bob Kane; Christopher Nolan, director (Warner Brothers)
• Hellboy II: The Golden Army Guillermo del Toro & Mike Mignola, story; Guillermo del Toro, screenplay; based on the comic by Mike Mignola; Guillermo del Toro, director (Dark Horse, Universal)
• Iron Man Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby and Art Marcum & Matt Holloway, screenplay; based on characters created by Stan Lee & Don Heck & Larry Lieber & Jack Kirby; Jon Favreau, director (Paramount, Marvel Studios)
• METAtropolis by John Scalzi, ed. Written by: Elizabeth Bear, Jay Lake, Tobias Buckell and Karl Schroeder (Audible Inc)
• WALL-E Andrew Stanton & Pete Docter, story; Andrew Stanton & Jim Reardon, screenplay; Andrew Stanton, director (Pixar/Walt Disney)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
(336 Ballots / Bulletins)

• “The Constant” ( Lost) Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof, writers; Jack Bender, director (Bad Robot, ABC studios)
• Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog Joss Whedon, & Zack Whedon, & Jed Whedon & Maurissa Tancharoen , writers; Joss Whedon, director (Mutant Enemy)
• “Revelations” ( Battlestar Galactica) Bradley Thompson & David Weddle, writers; Michael Rymer, director (NBC Universal)
• “Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead” ( Doctor Who) Steven Moffat, writer; Euros Lyn, director (BBC Wales)
• “Turn Left” ( Doctor Who) Russell T. Davies, writer; Graeme Harper, director (BBC Wales)

Best Editor, Short Form
(377 Ballots / Bulletins)

• Ellen Datlow
• Stanley Schmidt
• Jonathan Strahan
• Gordon Van Gelder
• Sheila Williams

Best Editor, Long Form
(273 Ballots / Bulletins)

• Lou Anders
• Ginjer Buchanan
• David G. Hartwell
• Beth Meacham
• Patrick Nielsen Hayden

Best Professional Artist
(334 Ballots / Bulletins)

• Daniel Dos Santos – Official Site
• Bob Eggleton – Official Site
• Donato Giancola – Official Site
• John Picacio – Official Site
• Shaun Tan – Official Site

Best Semiprozine
(283 Ballots / Bulletins)

• Clarkesworld Magazine edited by Neil Clarke, Nick Mamatas & Sean Wallace
• Interzone edited by Andy Cox
• Locus edited by Charles N. Brown, Kirsten Gong-Wong, & Liza Groen Trombi
• The New York Review of Science Fiction edited by Kathryn Cramer, Kris Dikeman, David G. Hartwell, & Kevin J. Maroney
• Weird Tales edited by Ann VanderMeer & Stephen H. Segal - Year in Review

Best Fanzine
(257 Ballots / Bulletins)

• Argentus edited by Steven H Silver
• Banana Wings edited by Claire Brialey and Mark Plummer
• Challenger edited by Guy H. Lillian III
• The Drink Tank edited by Chris Garcia
• Electric Velocipede edited by John Klima
• File 770 edited by Mike Glyer

Best Fan Writer
(291 Ballots / Bulletins)

• Chris Garcia
• John Hertz
• Dave Langford
• Cheryl Morgan
• Steven H Silver

Best Fan Artist
(187 Ballots / Bulletins)

• Alan F. Beck
• Brad W. Foster
• Sue Mason
• Taral Wayne
• Frank Wu

The John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer
(288 Ballots / Bulletins)

• Aliette de Bodard* – Official site
• David Anthony Durham* – Official site
• Felix Gilman – Official site
• Tony Pi* – Official site
• Gord Sellar* – Official site

*(Second year of eligibility)

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source: Scoop magazine

Farscape #1 - Third printing Farscape #2 - Third printing

Boom! Studios announced earlier this week that Farscape #1, the first issue of their initial mini-series based on the cult hit science fiction television series, will get a third printing. The first printing debuted on Christmas Eve 2008 and sold out in five days. This new printing should be in stores on April 29, 2009.

“We were blown away by the reaction to the first printing of Farscape #1,” Mark Waid, Boom’s Editor-in-Chief, said. “So when we went to a second print, we were pretty darn happy. We cannot believe that we have sold completely out of all of that now!”

Now Boom has announced that Farscape #2 will also get a third printing. With Farscape #3 on sale and the concluding issue of the first story on its way, it looks as if fans of the TV series have definitely embraced the comic book incarnation of the show.

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United Fan Con, Inc., the people behind the Anime Kaiju Experience cordially invite you to this one day Anime gathering being held Easter Weekend in Boston at the Courtyard by Marriott Tremont.

The gathering with be Saturday, April, 11th from Noon to Midnight at the Courtyard by Marriott on Tremont Street which is located in the historic theatre district and is convenient to the Orange line.

Admission is just $12 (Pre-Reg online only) and $15 at the door for the entire day.

There will be a Fan Judged Art Show (2-D art only), Cosplay photo booth, Hall Cosplay contest, panels, and Cosplay dance amongst other activities available to attendees.

There will also be a merchandise area for those who would like to stock up for the busy anime con season or buy a gift for someone special.

For more information visit: http://animekaijuexperience.com

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Source: Scoop magazine

The Star Wars universe has produced some nasty monsters, unsavory characters, and highly destructive villains. They’ve tortured, kidnapped, and murdered in a battle over power and the Galactic Empire. With three decades worth of films, games, novels, TV shows, and fan fiction, Star Wars’ first horror novel is on the way.

Brought to sci-fi and horror fans by LucasFilms and Del Rey Books, it will be available days before Halloween on October 27, 2009. Author Joe Schreiber, of No Windows, No Doors and Chasing the Dead will helm the story. Details on the novel have not been revealed, though cover art is available. In his blog, Schreiber said that it’s the style of book a child of the 1970s would want to read about the Star Wars universe.

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Boskone 46 will be held this weekend, February 13-15, at the Weston Waterfront Hotel in Boston MA.

Guest of Honor is novelist Jo Walton, Official Artist Stephan Martiniere.

For more info, check out their website: http://www.nesfa.org/Boskone/

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The Providence Biltmore in downtown Providence will be hosting one of the best gaming cons in New England! Check out their website for more information!

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source: www.scifi.com

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