Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Hugo Nominations (Updated)

A recheck of the ballots made Pan's Labyrinth make the ballot and the Pirates movie drop off for Long Form Dramatic Presentation.

The Hugo Award Nominations have been released. They will be awarded in Japan at Nippon 2007.

Novel
Michael F. Flynn, Eifelheim (Tor)
Naomi Novik, His Majesty’s Dragon (Del Rey)
Charles Stross, Glasshouse (Ace)
Vernor Vinge, Rainbows End (Tor)
Peter Watts, Blindsight (Tor)

Novella
Robert Reed, "A Billion Eves"
Paul Melko, "The Walls of the Universe"
William Shunn, "Inclination"
Michael Swanwick, "Lord Weary’s Empire"
Robert Charles Wilson, "Julian"

Novelette
Paolo Bacigalupi, "Yellow Card Man"
Michael F. Flynn, "Dawn, and Sunset, and the Colours of the Earth"
Ian McDonald, "The Djinn’s Wife"
Mike Resnick, "All the Things You Are"
Geoff Ryman, "Pol Pot’s Beautiful Daughter"

Short Story
Neil Gaiman, "How to Talk to Girls at Parties"
Bruce McAllister, "Kin"
Tim Pratt, "Impossible Dreams"
Robert Reed, "Eight Episodes"
Benjamin Rosenbaum, "The House Beyond the Sky"

Related Book
Samuel R. Delany, About Writing: Seven Essays, Four Letters, and Five Interviews
Joseph T. Major, Heinlein’s Children: The Juveniles
Julie Phillips, James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice Sheldon
John Picacio, Cover Story: The Art of John Picacio
Mike Resnick & Joe Siclari, eds., Worldcon Guest of Honor Speeches

Dramatic Presentation, Long Form
Pan's Labyrinth

Children of Men
The Prestige
A Scanner Darkly
V for Vendetta

Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
Battlestar Galactica, "Downloaded"
Doctor Who, "Army of Ghosts" and "Doomsday"
Doctor Who, "Girl in the Fireplace"
Doctor Who, "School Reunion"

Stargate G-1 "200"

Editor, Short Form
Gardner Dozois
David G. Hartwell
Stanley Schmidt
Gordon Van Gelder
Sheila Williams

Editor, Long Form
Lou Anders
James Patrick Baen
Ginjer Buchanan
David G. Hartwell
Patrick Nielsen Hayden

Professional Artist
Bob Eggleton
Donato Giancola
Stephan Martiniere
John Jude Palencar
John Picacio

Semiprozine
Ansible
Interzone
Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet
Locus
The New York Review of Science Fiction

Fanzine
Banana Wings
Challenger
The Drink Tank
Plokta
Science-Fiction Five-Yearly

Fan Writer
Chris Garcia
John Hertz
Dave Langford
John Scalzi
Steven H. Silver

Fan Artist
Brad W. Foster
Teddy Harvia
Sue Mason
Steve Stiles
Frank Wu

John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer (not a Hugo)
Scott Lynch
Sarah Monette
Naomi Novik
Brandon Sanderson
Lawrence M. Schoen

Monday, March 26, 2007

Dresden Files Roundup - Bob & Jim


For those of you who have been following The Dresden Files on SciFi Channel and have also read the books by Jim Butcher, the episode coming up this week looks to be the episode featuring a cameo appearance by Jim Butcher. It also features a good amount of backstory for Bob, played by Terrence Mann. SciFi Channel has a video on their web site following Jim Butcher around when he visited the set earlier this year.
I also got a chance to talk to Jim for an interview to be published in the upcoming issue of ConNotations. Jim is about to embark on a book signing tour for the release of the ninth Dresden Files book, White Knight. For a list of locations, check out Jim's official web site. I'm looking forward to meeting Jim in person when he comes to Phoenix for a couple of stops here. I have things set up on my Amazon store so you can order any of Jim's books through there, but there's also a couple of opportunies if you act quick to order signed and personalized books online. Jim's local book store, Dog Eared Half Price books is doing a signing, but you need the order in by tomorrow. The Signed Page is also doing a virtual signing as well, and they have until April 3rd to get your order in.

The series has only three episodes left to air in the first season, and according to the SciFi website (although not yet reflected in their online schedule), the last two episodes will air an hour later, with a repeat episode airing in the regular time slot. Best to double check your PVR timers once it gets closer. Hopefully the ratings last night with Claudia Black as a guest star perked up to help give the show a boost. I'd really like to see it get picked up for a second season to see more of the show. If you've missed episodes, SciFi has them all available to view online on the The Dresden Files web page, plus iTunes has them all to download as well.
According to producer Robert Hewitt Wolfe, SciFi has until late June before actor options run out to make a decision on a second season. The question is now becoming what can fans mail in to SciFi to request the show get picked up? Drum sticks? Hockey sticks? Skulls?
Lee

Friday, March 23, 2007

SciFi News - Full Galactica, Getting Mental, & O.Z. Casting

SciFi Upfront

The annual cable upfronts are in full swing and SciFi held theirs this week. The main news is that they extended the Battlestar Galactica fourth season renewal to the full 22 hours, which includes a two hour movie that will air this fall before the fourth season proper starts in January 2008. Read the full press release here.

One of the reporters from CHUD made it to SciFi's party and has a report on it, including a short chat with Bonnie Hammer about the Galactica renewal and how many people watch it via DVR.

You can read all of the SciFi Channel Press Releases at the NBCU Media Village's SciFi Page. Other bits of news with links to the full press release:

Tin Man - Full casting has been announced for SciFi's big December Miniseries, currently titled Tin Man. SciFi describes it as follows (with casting noted):

A sometimes psychedelic, often twisted and always outrageous take on the book, SCI FI's Tin Man is the epic tale of DG (Zooey Deschanel), a young woman plucked from her humdrum life and thrust into The Outer Zone (the O.Z.) – a fantastical realm rife with wonder, but oppressed by dark magic. In the adventure of a lifetime, DG discovers her true identity, battles evil winged-monkey-bats, and attempts to fulfill her destiny. Her perilous journey begins on the fabled Old Road that leads to a wizard known as the Mystic Man (Richard Dreyfuss). Along the way, she is joined by a decidedly strange trio of companions – "Glitch," (Alan Cumming) an odd man missing half his brain; "Raw," (Raoul Trujillo) a quietly powerful wolverine-like creature longing for inner courage, and "Cain," (Neal McDonough) a heroic former policeman (known in the O.Z. as Tin Men, for their tin badges) seeking vengeance for his scarred heart. Ultimately, DG's destiny leads her to an emotional and terrifying showdown with the scintillatingly wicked sorceress Azkadellia (Kathleen Robertson), whose ties to DG are closer than anyone could have imagined. DG's life, as well as the very future of the O.Z., hangs in the balance.

It has the potential to be a fun take on the OZ mythos and will likely do better than The Lost Room did last year.

Ghost Hunters - SciFi announced a fourth season of Ghost Hunters already, including another all night Halloween special. They still have 12 episodes left in the current season, six this spring and six in the fall according to the press release.

Phenomenon - They team up with Keifer Sutherland for a two hour movie (i.e. a pilot) for a series described as "a fast-moving and enigmatic thriller, Phenomenon follows a crack team of experts, lead by a mysterious young female prodigy, as they investigate bizarre and supernatural anomalies of nature." Read the full press release here.


In the reality genre, they will have a new series this summer with British mentalist Derren Brown and online on SciFi Pulse they will have a Super After Show hosted by Major Victory following each episode of Who Wants to be a Superhero?. Note in the CHUD report that both Major Victory and Feedback were on hand at the party. When I saw "Feedback" aka Matthew Atherton at the Phoenix Cactus Comic Con, he said he was in talks to be involved with the new series. . Check out his official website.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Jayhawks & SFTV Tidbits

Rock Chalk, Jayhawk, Go KU!!
For the full effect, visit this page, which has been resurrected since the Jayhawks have made it to the sweet sixteen in the NCAA tournament.

What does KU have to do with Science Fiction? Lots, actually. The Science Fiction Hall of Fame was started there (and is now part of the Science Fiction Museum in Seattle), the Center for the Study of Science Fiction is located there, and Professor James Gunn has been named the latest SFWA Grand Master. When I went to school at KU, one of my English electives was a science fiction class. I can't remember if it was Gunn that taught it, though, but it definitely made me much more aware of the genre at the time. Whether any of the basketball players are aware of it, I have no clue...

SFTV Schedules

I've gotten the schedules update and online, use the links on the right to get to them.

More Heroes stuff from Wizard World Los Angeles

Comic Book Resources has a report on the Heroes panel with Tim Kring, Jeph Loeb and other writers at Wizard World Los Angeles last weekend. SciFi Wire also got a chance to talk to Tim about the show and has a couple of new articles here and here. Note, there are some spoilers in all of the articles.

Lee

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Heroes at the MTR Paley Festival - Report & Links

I atttended the Heroes presentation at the William S. Paley festival on Saturday night (thanks to Diet Pepsi turning some tickets back in) . I've put up my full report on the panel on the main SFTV.org web site.

Here are some links to other reports on it that have appeared so far. I'll add others as they turn up. Chances are that Access Hollywood and E! will report on it on their Monday news roundups.

Pictures on wireimage.com (you can see all the thumbnails at least).

A Variety Report

Comic Book Resources - Detailed report on the clip screened from the next new episode. Pretty powerful stuff with Nathan Petrelli and Linderman. Full Report on the Panel.

TV Addict Report/Transcript of most of the panel (but not all of it).

The Futon Critic's blog/report on the panel.

A report by IFMagazine (who got the whole exchange with Hayden and being tied like a chicken)

E! Online's Report by Kristin including some video interview bits before the panel.

Give Me My Remote reports on the press activities before the panel

The MTR Website has a couple of photos and should have a video highlight soon.




Lee

Friday, March 9, 2007

Blood Ties debut, Babylon 5

Blood Ties Debut This Weekend

Blood Ties debuts this weekend on Lifetime on Sunday night with a two hour opener. You can download the first hour on iTunes for free to get a head start. Lifetime has a lot of new content on their Blood Ties web site for the series including a blog by the creator of the original novels, Tanya Huff.

Babylon 5: The Lost Tales CGI Article
The online magazine for the CG Society has the first of several planned articles on the CGI being done for Babylon 5: The Lost Tales. Some spoilers are contained, but it is a neat look at how the series is being made.

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Some Fun Spam!





The trick is to get the chickens and the cows rolling over the attackers.




Tim the Enchanter is tough.

A well placed shrubbery will take care of the Knights who say Ni!

Thursday, March 1, 2007

Awards Nominations - Hugos and Nebulas

Its getting into the awards season for Science Fiction achievements of various types.

Nominations for the SFWA 2006 Nebula Awards have been announced that will be handed out in May. These are voted on by SFWA members and with having run the 2006 Nebula Awards Weekend held in Tempe, AZ last year, I have a much better appreciation of the whole process.

This year in the best script category, there are four things on the ballot as opposed to last year when there were only two. What this means is enough SFWA members made recommendations to put three scripts on the ballot this year as opposed to the one (Serenity) last year. The script jury can add one item and last year it was a two-part Battlestar Galactica script and this year it is the script for the "Unfinished Business" Galactica episode. The other three nominations this year are Batman Begins, Howl's Moving Castle, and Steven "Hugo" Moffat's "The Girl in the Fireplace" script for Doctor Who. I got a chance to talk with Steven about the nomination at Gallifrey One and he is excited to be nominated and I think his Hugo rocket would look even better with a Nebula award next to it (the picture is last year's, won by Joss Whedon and guarded by Puppet Angel before I shipped it off to Joss).

Some people may be confused by Batman Begins being on the ballot for this year when it came out in 2005, several months before Serenity, which won last years award. SFWA does a recommendation process to get nominated and recommendations can be given for up to a year after a book or script has been published or released. Serenity got enough recommendations before the end of 2005 to make the ballot in 2006. Batman Begins didn't have enough recommendations at that time, but did get enough before its eligibility period was up so that it ended up on the ballot in 2007.

It is also time for Hugo award nominations. As a member of LA Con IV, I'm eligible to nominate for this year's awards to be handed out at the Nippon WorldCon in Japan in August. I'm not going to attend, but I may get a supporting membership to vote for the Hugos and to vote in the site selection. The Hugos have two Dramatic Presentation awards, one for "Long Form" and one for "Short Form", having split the category a few years back to essentially have movies compete with movies and TV shows compete against TV shows. This has now sparked a debate this year on how to handle something like Heroes, which some people would like to nominate the entire season under the Long Form category instead of nominating individual episodes. I think there will be a lot of fans nominating the pilot and one or two other of the episodes. I could see the series make it onto the ballot next year for the first season as well as individual episodes. I guess it will be up to the Hugo administrators to determine what is allowed or appropriate.

I was pleased to see three different Doctor Who scripts nominated last year in the Hugo short form category with The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances getting the award. This year, there's plenty of strong TV episodes, again from Doctor Who as well as some from Battlestar Galactica and a few other series. On the movie front, there weren't near as many genre movies that seem worthy. I still have until midnight Saturday to figure out what I'm going to nominate. Last year, Serenity won the Hugo award for the Long Form.

Then there's all the other categories, the various fiction ones, fan writer, semipro zine, Campbell Award, etc. I guess I've still got some thinking to do.....

Lee