Slashdot Mirror

Lawrence Person writes "Another speculative fiction magazine folds: Realms of Fantasy is ceasing publication. This comes hot on the heels of the announcement that the venerable Fantasy and Science Fiction will be moving from a monthly to a bimonthly schedule, and underscores what a tough environment this is for science fiction and fantasy magazines, all of which have suffered declining circulation for quite some time. This is a real problem, since short fiction is generally where new writers cut their teeth, appearing in print alongside their more famous peers. Given that a one-year subscription costs less than the average video game, those with an interest in science fiction might want to consider buying subscriptions to Asimov's, Fantasy and Science Fiction, and Analog. (Those in the UK might want to add Interzone and/or Black Static and Postscripts as well.)"

Lawrence Person writes "Another speculative fiction magazine folds: Realms of Fantasy is ceasing publication. This comes hot on the heels of the announcement that the venerable Fantasy and Science Fiction will be moving from a monthly to a bimonthly schedule, and underscores what a tough environment this is for science fiction and fantasy magazines, all of which have suffered declining circulation for quite some time. This is a real problem, since short fiction is generally where new writers cut their teeth, appearing in print alongside their more famous peers. Given that a one-year subscription costs less than the average video game, those with an interest in science fiction might want to consider buying subscriptions to Asimov's, Fantasy and Science Fiction, and Analog. (Those in the UK might want to add Interzone and/or Black Static and Postscripts as well.)"

Embedded Geek writes "The SFWA has announced the preliminary ballot for the 2003 Nebula awards. As has become standard over the past few years, the various magazines with short fiction nominees have placed the stories online to order to increase their exposure to voters (here and here for example). This year, the SFWA has helpfully linked all the online versions (as well as Amazon links for the novels and movies) on their ballot page. Those that aren't directly posted are available for free PDA download at fictionwise. Worth checking out, even if you aren't going to the banquet."

Argyle writes "I recently finished reading The Golden Transcendence by John C. Wright. A great novel that serious science fiction readers should pick up. The Golden Transcendence is the third book in The Golden Age trilogy. The first two books were The Golden Age and The Phoenix Exultant." Read on to see if this series might be for you; if so, you're just in time, because author John C. Wright (a retired attorney) is working on the next book, Orphans of Chaos. The Golden Transcendence : Or, The Last of the Masquerade author John C. Wright pages 350 publisher Tor Books rating Excellent reviewer Michael Pusateri ISBN 0765307561 summary Can the determination of an individual change the entire society?

The books are firmly in the space opera genre with a dash of Heinlein libertarianism tossed in for good measure. The story takes place in the far future when artificial intelligences (known as sophotechs) and humans live immortal lives in a libertarian society of near unlimited technology. The experience of real physical interaction is replaced in many cases by remote bodies, recorded experiences of others, and complete control of what a person perceives. Humanity has moved beyond the one body - one brain system and has adopted many different systems of thought and even physical form

Mr. Wright puts forth a brilliant vision of technology and society in the far future where wealth is measured in seconds of computer time and physical labor is non-existent. In this future, there is are still wealthy and poor people but in a different way. In a good interview, Mr. Wright explains:

There would still be rich and poor, even if the poorest of the poor were absurdly well off by our standards. No advancements can eliminate differences in the abilities of men, or the differences in how men value the abilities of their fellow man (which is what causes inequality of prices and hence of incomes). If only by comparison, there will be poverty, even in Arcadia. My characters Ironjoy, Oshenkyo, and the Afloats [...] are meant to represent this idea of future poverty; the Seven Peers represent wealth.

As an example as just one of the concepts presented, we can look at the idea of 'sensefilters.' Perception is no longer what organic senses directly tell the mind. The signals received by the body or remote bodies are processed to be acceptable to the person's particular preferences. If a person doesn't like to see advertising, their mind eliminates the advertising from their vision and fills in the scene with what would be there if the advertisement wasn't there. Consciously, the person isn't aware of this, only that they have requested not to see advertisements. Sensefiltering can be used to remove (or add) objects, people, and even ideas from an individual's perception. The plot devices are interesting stuff that Mr. Wright explores in just enough detail to keep you wanting more throughout the trilogy.

The protagonist, Phaethon, is the son of one of the most important people in the society (known as the Golden Oecumene). In the first two books, Phaethon struggles against first the realization that he is missing parts of his memory, his struggle against society, his fall into exile, and his return to strength.

The third book finds Phaethon poised to fight against the true enemy that has been revealed to him. Without spoiling too much, Phaethon is forced to fight for the very survival of his society (which tossed him out) or allow it to be destroyed.

The author, John C. Wright, obviously has a libertarian heart and embodies the attributes of individuality, resourcefulness, ingenuity and desire for progress in Phaethon, the hero. In the opening novel, we find a society content with things how they are, willing to simply stop progress to prevent anything from changing their utopia in any meaningful way. Phaethon is a man of action in opposition to the statist Golden Oecumene. The underlying theme is that without mankind's strive for exploration and new goals, it is doomed.

Overall, an excellent book and series for the science fiction reader looking for something more than blasters and evil six-legged aliens. Getting used to the terminology and concepts is slow at first but well worth the effort.

Final note: If you enjoy Iain Banks's Culture series, Peter Hamilton's Night's Dawn, or John Varley's Eight Worlds, you will enjoy the The Golden Transcendence and the entire Golden Age Trilogy.

You can purchase The Golden Transcendence from bn.com. Slashdot welcomes readers' book reviews -- to see your own review here, read the book review guidelines, then visit the submission page.

Hugo and Nebula winner, fantasy/sf author for nearly half a century, Poul Anderson passed away today. Among his works I really enjoyed were the classic Tau Zero and The Boat of a Million Years. CaptainCarrot passed along the sad news: "Word had gone out to the science fiction comminity a short time ago that Poul Anderson was very ill and was probably in his last days. Earlier today, Anderson's son-in law Greg Bear posted the following to a board at sff.net:

"Friends,

Poul Anderson passed away last night, July 31-August 1, around midnight. During the afternoon, he received hundreds of emails and messages from friends and readers and fellow writers, which Astrid and Karen printed out and read to him. He died knowing (and how!) that he was loved and valued, and hearing how much his work had entertained and moved so many. Though he was weak at the end, there was no loss of mental capacity, and my last conversation with him was slow but sparkling with the curiosity and deep-seated gentlemanliness that Poul always had, and which was, I think, built into his whole body and being.

He is survived by his wife and writing partner, Karen, his daughter Astrid, brother John, grandchildren Erik and Alexandra, nieces Janet and Cathy, and by millions of readers.'

Poul Anderson was an extraordinarily rare kind of man, a brilliant writer with an impressive intellect who was yet always open, friendly, approachable, and a downright decent human being. I had the pleasure of meeting him and his wife Karen on several occasions over the years at BayCon, and I will always treasure the experience. I extend my sympathies to Karen and condolences to his family.

You can look up Poul's impressive bibliography or read an interview he did for Locus a few years ago. You can also read an obituary at the Locus site, or this notice at SFWA."

Returning with another science fiction review, Duncan Lawie takes a look at Revelation Space. Written by Alastair Reynolds, this is the author's first book length effort - and it looks good. Revelation Space author Alastair Reynolds pages 470 publisher USA: To Be Published by Ace rating 8.5/10 reviewer Duncan Lawie ISBN 0575068760 summary Fiercely intelligent hard science fiction, bursting with ideas and rich with plot.

Alastair Reynolds is one of the breed of science fiction writers who is also a professional scientist. Originally from Wales, he has a PhD in astronomy from St Andrew's University in Scotland and lives in the Netherlands, where he works on scientific data analysis, primarily for the European Space Agency. He has taken the traditional route into publication through short story writing, having been published in magazines such as Interzone and Asimov's in recent years. Much of his work can be categorised as "radical hard science fiction", a style of writing which has helped revitalise the British science fiction scene. Revelation Space is his first novel.

As the book opens, Volyova is a senior officer on a lighthugger - several kilometres of malfunctioning, self-repairing starship capable of accelerating almost to the speed of light. She is experiencing a little local difficulty with her gunnery officer, who is trying to kill her. Khouri is a soldier who was frozen and shipped 20 light years away from her war and the only world she knew as a result of a clerical error. She has taken up assassination as an appropriate employment since she is "good with weapons". Sylveste is the leader of a scientific colony/expedition which has suffered rebellion and the departure of its only lighthugger. He is more interested in excavating the relics of an alien civilisation almost a million years dead.

These principal characters focus the large cast and the author's first objective is to get them all into the same time frame. This manipulation becomes apparent through the diverse range of settings and time periods in the early chapters - to the extent that it becomes a treatise on working within the boundaries that nature - or Einstein - has set. The complex machinations introduced set up the plot drivers for the book as a whole, though this does not mean that the story is simply revealed to the reader. Much of the intelligence of the novel is derived from the exposure of deeper plot motives as the book progresses. Some revelations are gently foreshadowed whilst others burst from the page. One of the central concerns of the book is the conundrum at the heart of the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence: if we are not alone, where is everybody else?

The story unfolds within a universe populated with enigmatic aliens, bizarre technology, conspiracies, death, world threatening weapons and post-human races. The definition of human has expanded away from the Homo sapiens norm, some becoming machine-human hybrids, others adapting to the new environments the galaxy has to offer. The technological background of the novel is creatively engineered and inventively described. This complex universe pervades the atmosphere of the book without Reynolds having to draw demonstrating the protagonists' limited views. Revelation Space develops as a product of interaction between characters and through increasing understanding of the external world and the history of the galaxy. Though the plot never begins to feel predictable, the central characters become increasingly well defined through development and disclosure. Reynolds' inventiveness combines with a fondness for science fiction tropes to produce a picture of a rich and true human universe five centuries hence.

Alastair Reynolds: home page

Do you enjoy the notion of alternative history, and the question of "What if?" Pasquale's Angel is a deftly written book by Paul J. McAuley, with a setting of renaissance Italy. Character development is strong, and the story is well told - both the reviewer, D.C. Lawie and I agree on this. Click below to learn more about the book. Pasquale's Angel author Paul J. McAuley pages 374 publisher AvoNova rating 7.5/10 reviewer D.C. Lawie ISBN 0380778203 summary Pasquale's Angel could be slipped into the lists of "steam punk" butit easily surpasses many alternate histories with its free flowing plot andeasy humour. Paul J. McAuley apparently made his first short story sale in the mid seventies to a magazine which immediately folded. He has been writing published science fiction for the last fifteen years, including many short stories and eight novels alongside regular reviews for magazines such as Interzone and Foundation. His success, including awards for three of his novels, has allowed him to switch from an academic career to full time writing. The scope and strength of his writing has been displayed through variation in subject matter and tone across his work.

In Pasquale's Angel, his fifth novel, McAuley's ability is such that he can carry off an alternate history of renaissance Italy with a light, sure touch. Like most "counterfactuals" he makes use of historical figures - Machiavelli is an investigative journalist, Lisa Giocondo is the lover of the painter Raphael. These are fully realised characters rather than the cheap name checks too common in alternate history. In fact, closer study of the historical period shows how well the author used the characters available and how accurately they have been drawn. Another distinction from many attempts at alternate history is the strength of the plotting, which has no reliance on comparison with our own history. Descriptive passages make no assumptions of the reader's knowledge either. It is made clear Michelangelo and Raphael are great artists and great rivals. In the course of the story, the reader learns about the mechanisms of renaissance art as well as achronic newspaper production.

The catalyst which leads to a changed reality is Leonardo da Vinci's decision to dedicate himself to engineering rather than art. The result is industrial revolution being folded into the already rich mixture of politics and machinations in the city state of Florence. This produces an environment where tossing a spent match leads naturally to a discussion on the fall of Lucifer and the possibility of Man's redemption, an environment which has room enough for action and for moments of contemplation.

The great Raphael is of Venice and arrives in Florence shortly before the Pope is due to resolve Rome's differences with the city. Pasquale is a country boy and a painter's apprentice, desirous of getting close to the famous painter when he is caught up in murder and intrigue. It is almost impossible to avoid describing the plot as Machiavellian, involving magicians, priests, riots and philosophy but the story also includes gunfights, stakeouts and chases in steam powered vehicles. At times there is a danger of losing track of who is doing what to whom and why but the ride is always enjoyable and the tangles mostly untie themselves.

Pasquale's Angel avoids the usual traps in alternate histories - pointlessly mixing periods and easy moralising by implicit or explicit comparison with our world. The premise leads plausibly to the technology available within the story. The characters, historically, were born into the dawn of a new age, so it seems reasonable that they should cope with change even on the scale presented. They are, generally, more interested in money and politics, in turning the new technology to their own advantage, than in the technology for itself. There may be a moral in this, but it is applicable to all human nature.

The storyline developed may seem thoroughly over the top but it is a large part of what makes the book work. McAuley makes excellent use of historical sources (from the age when the modern biography was invented) and mercilessly plunders technology from every page of da Vinci. This is a novel where entertainment is built up in layers of provocative ideas.

e-mail me.

• An Interview with McAuley
• PJM's Homepage
• Interzone
• Foundation

Purchase this book at Amazon.

I'd like to take a quick moment to welcome Duncan Lawie to our expanding list of book reviewers. Duncan comes from a background of professional book review, and has choosen one of the grand-dames of science fiction novels, Alfred Bester's The Stars My Destination. Click below to learn more about one of the most important works in modern science fiction. The Stars My Destination (also published as Tiger! Tiger! ) author Alfred Bester pages 220 publisher Vintage Books rating 8/10 reviewer Duncan Lawie ISBN 067976780 summary A strong novel which is fresh, readable and relevant over forty years after publication. Alfred Bester was first published in the S.F. pulps in 1939, moved into the comics industry, principally with DC (he created the "Green Lantern Oath"), and went on to radio, television and magazines. Through much of his life, he retained a part-time career in science fiction. He is widely considered part of the S.F. pantheon, with The Stars My Destination, published in 1956, being one of the works to confirm that position.

When the future of the future changes so rapidly it may seem surprising that this book is still in print. In fact, it has recently been republished in Britain with an introduction in which Neil Gaiman claims it as the perfect cyberpunk novel. It also fulfils H.G. Wells recommendation that the science fiction author one particular advance in science and chronicle what follows. In this novel, Bester accepts that faster than light spaceships are impossible and posits a future where individuals can "jaunt" i.e. teleport the self through the power of the mind. The discovery of this possibility as teachable to all, at a greater or lesser level, transforms the society of Earth. With a maximum jaunt in the region of 1000 miles, however, exploration and colonisation of the Solar System occurs in the "old fashioned way". Naturally enough, in the old fashioned way, war breaks out between the outer and inner planets.

So far, The Stars My Destination sits amidst the mainstream of fifties science fiction. John W. Campbell, the influential editor of Astounding (now Analog), felt that accentuated mental and psychic powers would mark the future of humanity; almost every science fiction reader believed that we would occupy the solar system in the near centuries; many in North America felt it inevitable that the history of Earth and her colonies would reflect that of Britain and her American colonies. What makes the book exceptional is the central character, Gully Foyle, "a man of physical strength and intellectual potential stunted by lack of ambition".

The story would not be possible without jaunting and interplanetary conflict but, while these are essential to the structure of the tale, character is the subject. Gully Foyle is a dull creature when the novel begins, who has reacted to life rather than taking part. When the Vorga leaves him to die he begins a transformation, powered by fear, anger and thirst for revenge. He studies the manuals and saves himself, developing into a convincing thug in his first attempts to destroy the Vorga. From this, via despair and continuing desire for revenge, he becomes a master criminal and, perhaps, the saviour of the human race. His actions are counterpointed by Central Intelligence and a radioactive private investigator. Foyle's associates become enemies and his victims become assistants. He is shaped and tempered by blows and adversity.

The book is full of ideas but Bester keeps tight control over them. He displays the broad canvas in the prelude and proceeds to fill it with telling detail - there is no point in putting fences around a spaceport, for example, when anyone can jaunt five miles. The elements of plot are exposed carefully, drawing the reader on as Foyle's fantasy of revenge grows so hugely that the possibility of planetary destruction is well within the bounds. The final revelations telescope the sense of the novel yet again.

There are a few pointers to the age of the book. The language is more formal than most writing today. Sex is implicit and implied rather than explicitly described. Nevertheless, Gully Foyle, unlike so many heroes of S.F.'s first decades, has not dated. He is archetype and individual and he has a tale which demands to be read.

Purchase this book at Amazon.

Related Links

• Analog
• Interzone
• More on Alfred Bester