Tag Archives: SF

Reading Lists: Urban Fantasy, Imaginary Cities, New YA, Women in SF & Fantasy

I’ve gathered together here four reading lists of interesting writing in the literature of the fantastic. The first, which ties in nicely with OGOM’s forthcoming conference The Urban Weird, is a guide by Chelsea Mueller to the genre of urban … Continue reading

Posted in Reading Lists | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Brian Aldiss, RIP

It’s sad news that Brian Aldiss has died at the age of 92. Aldiss was one of the most consistently intelligent writers of science fiction/fantastic literature, always innovating. He played an important part in the rise of ‘New Wave’ SF … Continue reading

Posted in News | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Forthcoming SFF Adaptations for Film and TV

Natalie Zutter, at the always useful Tor blog, has been looking at forthcoming adaptations of SF and fantasy books for film and TV. Some of these are very intriguing; I’m particularly interested in the coming to screen of Kendare Blake’s Anna Dressed … Continue reading

Posted in News | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

15 Most Anticipated Debut Novels of 2017

Here’s a list by Melissa Albert from the always-useful Barnes & Noble Teen Blog (now added to the Blogroll list of links on the right-hand side). These 15 debut YA novels all look very promising; many of them fall into … Continue reading

Posted in Books and Articles, Reading Lists | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ursula Le Guinn, The Left Hand of Darkness

One of the most important science fiction novels, Ursula Le Guinn’s  The Left Hand of Darkness is to be televised. The novel is a profound and moving exploration of the fluidity of gender; it’s also beautifully written, which is rare … Continue reading

Posted in News | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

An Interview with Ursula Le Guinn

Fascinating interview with the seminal fantasy and science fiction writer Ursula Le Guinn, author of the children’s YA Earthsea series, the classic SF novels The Left Hand of Darkness and The Dispossessed, and many others. Le Guin discusses world-building, the ‘soft’ sciences … Continue reading

Posted in Interviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Myth of Frankenstein and Scientific Hubris

Here’s an excellent essay by Phillip Ball, ‘“Frankenstein” Reflects the Hopes and Fears of Every Scientific Era‘ that challenges the oft-circulated idea that Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is directed against the hubris of scientists. Sometimes, this is framed as feminist critique, but … Continue reading

Posted in Critical thoughts, Events | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Works of H. G. Wells

This is an excellent blog devoted to reading through the work of H. G. Wells, with critical summaries of each text. I have added a permanent link in the Related Links section on the right-hand side of the Blog and … Continue reading

Posted in Critical thoughts, Resources | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Fantastika Journal

The first issue of Lancaster University’s Fantastika Journal is now available here–it looks really good, with interesting critical essays and a substantial review section. There’s a link to it in the Journals category on the right-hand side of the Blog … Continue reading

Posted in Call for Articles, Publications, Resources | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

CFP: Steampunk: Then, Now, and Then Again, Bishop Grosseteste University, Lincoln 25-27 August 2017

Not much time left to respond to this CFP for a steampunk conference, in conjunction with the Asylum Steampunk Festival–deadline 14 April 2017. Despite the development of both science fiction and Neo-Victorian studies, academia has been slow to engage with … Continue reading

Posted in CFP (Conferences) | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment