Lynne M. Thomas's Blog, page 14
April 5, 2017
Extra! – AVAA (Ask Verity! Anything, Again!)
New Verity Extra!
It’s a life-induced Emergency Extra!, complete with help from you, the listener! Join Deb, Erika, Katrina, and Lynne as we answer listener questions! We talk about missing episodes, ones we wish were missing, podcasts, and non-DW obsessions. It’s great fun!
Do you have questions you’d like us to throw into the mix for next time we do this? Leave a comment or tweet them at us with the hashtag #AskVerity!
^E
Obsessive link:
Beginner’s Puck
Download or listen now (runtime 48:29)
April 4, 2017
Uncanny Hugo Nominations! I am completely floored.
For the record, I am humbled. Thank you to everyone that has supported the work of Uncanny Magazine.
{this post is cross-posted from the Uncanny Magazine blog}
Outstanding news, Space Unicorns! Two Uncanny Magazine stories are finalists for the prestigious Hugo Award! “Our Talons Can Crush Galaxies” by Brooke Bolander is a finalist for Best Short Story, and “You’ll Surely Drown Here If You Stay” by Alyssa Wong is a finalist for Best Novelette! As you may recall, these stories are also Nebula Award Finalists! Congratulations Brooke and Alyssa!
Even more excellent news! Uncanny Magazine (edited by Lynne M. Thomas & Michael Damian Thomas, Michi Trota, Julia Rios, and podcast produced by Erika Ensign & Steven Schapansky) is also once again a finalist for Best Semiprozine!
One more thing! Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas are finalists for the Best Editor- Short Form Hugo Award! This is their first time as finalists in this category. This is also the first time a couple has been nominated for an individual Hugo Award since Leo and Diane Dillon won the Best Professional Artist Hugo Award in 1971.
Finally, “Seasons of Glass and Iron” by Amal El-Mohtar from the Saga Press anthology The Starlit Wood (edited by Dominik Parisien and Navah Wolfe, who is also a Hugo finalist for Best Editor- Long Form), which we reprinted in Uncanny Magazine, is a finalist for Best Short Story, just like it was for the Nebula Award! Congratulations Amal and Navah!
It is an amazing list of Hugo Award finalists, many of whom are Uncanny authors and friends. CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYBODY!!!
All of this is only possible because of YOU! This is your magazine. Thank you, Space Unicorn Ranger Corps. ❤
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Below is the Hugo Award Press Release from Worldcon 75:
Hugo Award Finalists Announced
Worldcon 75 is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2017 Hugo Awards. With 108 finalists, this is the most extensive Hugo ballot on record. The Hugo Awards, first presented in 1953, celebrate the best in the field of science fiction and fantasy. Recipients are chosen by Worldcon members. The 2017 Hugos will be presented at the 75th World Science Fiction Convention in Helsinki, Finland, on 11 August 2017.
The convention officially announced the finalists via its social media feeds in a video featuring Guest of Honour Johanna Sinisalo; graphic novelist Petri Hiltunen; writer J. Pekka Mäkelä; translator Johanna Vainikainen; Worldcon 75 Chair Jukka Halme, and other members of the Worldcon 75 team.
2464 valid nominating ballots (2458 electronic and 6 paper) were received and counted from the members of the 2016, 2017 and 2018 World Science Fiction Conventions. The final round of voting will open in the week following this announcement and close on 15 July 2017. For more information about the awards and the voting process, consult our website at http://www.worldcon.fi/wsfs/hugo/.
The finalists are:
Best Novel
2078 ballots cast for 652 nominees.
Votes for finalists ranged from 156 to 480.
All the Birds in the Sky, by Charlie Jane Anders (Tor Books / Titan Books)
A Closed and Common Orbit, by Becky Chambers (Hodder & Stoughton / Harper Voyager US)
Death’s End, by Cixin Liu (Tor Books / Head of Zeus)
Ninefox Gambit, by Yoon Ha Lee (Solaris Books)
The Obelisk Gate, by N. K. Jemisin (Orbit Books)
Too Like the Lightning, by Ada Palmer (Tor Books)
Best Novella
1410 ballots cast for 187 nominees.
Votes for finalists ranged from 167 to 511.
The Ballad of Black Tom, by Victor LaValle (Tor.com publishing)
The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe, by Kij Johnson (Tor.com publishing)
Every Heart a Doorway, by Seanan McGuire (Tor.com publishing)
Penric and the Shaman, by Lois McMaster Bujold (Spectrum Literary Agency)
A Taste of Honey, by Kai Ashante Wilson (Tor.com publishing)
This Census-Taker, by China Miéville (Del Rey / Picador)
Best Novelette
1097 ballots cast for 295 nominees.
Votes for finalists ranged from 74 to 268.
“Alien Stripper Boned From Behind By The T-Rex”, by Stix Hiscock (self-published)
“The Art of Space Travel”, by Nina Allan (Tor.com , July 2016)
“The Jewel and Her Lapidary”, by Fran Wilde (Tor.com, May 2016)
“The Tomato Thief”, by Ursula Vernon (Apex Magazine, January 2016)
“Touring with the Alien”, by Carolyn Ives Gilman (Clarkesworld Magazine, April 2016)
“You’ll Surely Drown Here If You Stay”, by Alyssa Wong (Uncanny Magazine, May 2016)
Best Short Story
1275 ballots cast for 830 nominees.
Votes for finalists ranged from 87 to 182.
“The City Born Great”, by N. K. Jemisin (Tor.com, September 2016)
“A Fist of Permutations in Lightning and Wildflowers”, by Alyssa Wong (Tor.com, March 2016)
“Our Talons Can Crush Galaxies”, by Brooke Bolander (Uncanny Magazine, November 2016)
“Seasons of Glass and Iron”, by Amal El-Mohtar (The Starlit Wood: New Fairy Tales, Saga Press)
“That Game We Played During the War”, by Carrie Vaughn (Tor.com, March 2016)
“An Unimaginable Light”, by John C. Wright (God, Robot, Castalia House)
Best Related Work
1122 ballots cast for 344 nominees.
Votes for finalists ranged from 88 to 424.
The Geek Feminist Revolution, by Kameron Hurley (Tor Books)
The Princess Diarist, by Carrie Fisher (Blue Rider Press)
Traveler of Worlds: Conversations with Robert Silverberg, by Robert Silverberg and Alvaro Zinos-Amaro (Fairwood)
The View From the Cheap Seats, by Neil Gaiman (William Morrow / Harper Collins)
The Women of Harry Potter posts, by Sarah Gailey (Tor.com)
Words Are My Matter: Writings About Life and Books, 2000-2016, by Ursula K. Le Guin (Small Beer)
Best Graphic Story
842 ballots cast for 441 nominees.
Votes for finalists ranged from 71 to 221.
Black Panther, Volume 1: A Nation Under Our Feet, written by Ta-Nehisi Coates, illustrated by Brian Stelfreeze (Marvel)
Monstress, Volume 1: Awakening, written by Marjorie Liu, illustrated by Sana Takeda (Image)
Ms. Marvel, Volume 5: Super Famous, written by G. Willow Wilson, illustrated by Takeshi Miyazawa (Marvel)
Paper Girls, Volume 1, written by Brian K. Vaughan, illustrated by Cliff Chiang, colored by Matthew Wilson, lettered by Jared Fletcher (Image)
Saga, Volume 6, illustrated by Fiona Staples, written by Brian K. Vaughan, lettered by Fonografiks (Image)
The Vision, Volume 1: Little Worse Than A Man, written by Tom King, illustrated by Gabriel Hernandez Walta (Marvel)
Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form)
1733 ballots cast for 206 nominees.
Votes for finalists ranged from 240 to 1030.
Arrival, screenplay by Eric Heisserer based on a short story by Ted Chiang, directed by Denis Villeneuve (21 Laps Entertainment/FilmNation Entertainment/Lava Bear Films)
Deadpool, screenplay by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick, directed by Tim Miller (Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation/Marvel Entertainment/Kinberg Genre/The Donners’ Company/TSG Entertainment)
Ghostbusters, screenplay by Katie Dippold & Paul Feig, directed by Paul Feig (Columbia Pictures/LStar Capital/Village Roadshow Pictures/Pascal Pictures/Feigco Entertainment/Ghostcorps/The Montecito Picture Company)
Hidden Figures, screenplay by Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi, directed by Theodore Melfi (Fox 2000 Pictures/Chernin Entertainment/Levantine Films/TSG Entertainment)
Rogue One, screenplay by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy, directed by Gareth Edwards (Lucasfilm/Allison Shearmur Productions/Black Hangar Studios/Stereo D/Walt Disney Pictures)
Stranger Things, Season One, created by the Duffer Brothers (21 Laps Entertainment/Monkey Massacre)
Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form)
1159 ballots cast for 569 nominees.
Votes for finalists ranged from 91 to 193.
Black Mirror: “San Junipero”, written by Charlie Brooker, directed by Owen Harris (House of Tomorrow)
Doctor Who: “The Return of Doctor Mysterio”, written by Steven Moffat, directed by Ed Bazalgette (BBC Cymru Wales)
The Expanse: “Leviathan Wakes”, written by Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, directed by Terry McDonough (SyFy)
Game of Thrones: “Battle of the Bastards”, written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, directed by Miguel Sapochnik (HBO)
Game of Thrones: “The Door”, written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, directed by Jack Bender (HBO)
Splendor & Misery [album], by Clipping (Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, Jonathan Snipes)
Best Editor – Short Form
951 ballots cast for 191 nominees.
Votes for finalists ranged from 149 to 229.
John Joseph Adams
Neil Clarke
Ellen Datlow
Jonathan Strahan
Lynne M. Thomas & Michael Damian Thomas
Sheila Williams
Best Editor – Long Form
752 ballots cast for 148 nominees.
Votes for finalists ranged from 83 to 201.
Vox Day
Sheila E. Gilbert
Liz Gorinsky
Devi Pillai
Miriam Weinberg
Navah Wolfe
Best Professional Artist
817 ballots cast for 387 nominees.
Votes for finalists ranged from 53 to 143.
Galen Dara
Julie Dillon
Chris McGrath
Victo Ngai
John Picacio
Sana Takeda
Best Semiprozine
857 ballots cast for 103 nominees.
Votes for finalists ranged from 80 to 434.
Beneath Ceaseless Skies, editor-in-chief and publisher Scott H. Andrews
Cirsova Heroic Fantasy and Science Fiction Magazine, edited by P. Alexander
GigaNotoSaurus, edited by Rashida J. Smith
Strange Horizons, edited by Niall Harrison, Catherine Krahe, Vajra Chandrasekera, Vanessa Rose Phin, Li Chua, Aishwarya Subramanian, Tim Moore, Anaea Lay, and the Strange Horizons staff
Uncanny Magazine, edited by Lynne M. Thomas & Michael Damian Thomas, Michi Trota, Julia Rios, and podcast produced by Erika Ensign & Steven Schapansky
The Book Smugglers, edited by Ana Grilo and Thea James
Best Fanzine
610 ballots cast for 152 nominees.
Votes for finalists ranged from 53 to 159.
Castalia House Blog, edited by Jeffro Johnson
Journey Planet, edited by James Bacon, Chris Garcia, Esther MacCallum-Stewart, Helena Nash, Errick Nunnally, Pádraig Ó Méalóid, Chuck Serface, and Erin Underwood
Lady Business, edited by Clare, Ira, Jodie, KJ, Renay, and Susan
nerds of a feather, flock together, edited by The G, Vance Kotrla, and Joe Sherry
Rocket Stack Rank, edited by Greg Hullender and Eric Wong
SF Bluestocking, edited by Bridget McKinney
Best Fancast
690 ballots cast for 253 nominees.
Votes for finalists ranged from 76 to 109.
The Coode Street Podcast, presented by Gary K. Wolfe and Jonathan Strahan
Ditch Diggers, presented by Mur Lafferty and Matt Wallace
Fangirl Happy Hour, presented by Ana Grilo and Renay Williams
Galactic Suburbia, presented by Alisa Krasnostein, Alexandra Pierce and Tansy Rayner Roberts, produced by Andrew Finch
The Rageaholic, presented by RazörFist
Tea and Jeopardy, presented by Emma Newman with Peter Newman
Best Fan Writer
802 ballots cast for 275 nominees.
Votes for finalists ranged from 80 to 152.
Mike Glyer
Jeffro Johnson
Natalie Luhrs
Foz Meadows
Abigail Nussbaum
Chuck Tingle
Best Fan Artist
528 ballots cast for 242 nominees.
Votes for finalists ranged from 39 to 121.
Ninni Aalto
Alex Garner
Vesa Lehtimäki
Likhain (M. Sereno)
Spring Schoenhuth
Mansik Yang
Best Series
1393 votes for 290 nominees.
Votes for finalists ranged from 129 to 325.
The Craft Sequence, by Max Gladstone (Tor Books)
The Expanse, by James S.A. Corey (Orbit US / Orbit UK)
The October Daye Books, by Seanan McGuire (DAW / Corsair)
The Peter Grant / Rivers of London series, by Ben Aaronovitch (Gollancz / Del Rey / DAW / Subterranean)
The Temeraire series, by Naomi Novik (Del Rey / Harper Voyager UK)
The Vorkosigan Saga, by Lois McMaster Bujold (Baen)
John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer
(937 ballots) 933 votes for 260 nominees.
Votes for finalists ranged from 88 to 255.
Sarah Gailey (1st year of eligibility)
J. Mulrooney (1st year of eligibility)
Malka Older (2nd year of eligibility)
Ada Palmer (1st year of eligibility)
Laurie Penny (2nd year of eligibility)
Kelly Robson (2nd year of eligibility)
March 30, 2017
Book review: Ghost Talkers by Mary Robinette Kowal
Ghost Talkers by Mary Robinette Kowal
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book made me cry. Twice.
The setup: World War I setting. Ginger Stuyvesant is an American who is part of the Spirit Corps. They function like the USO as a cover for their activities in taking reports from the ghosts of soldiers who have died on the front.
Not all of the deaths are from the war part. A mystery needs to be solved.
This is a novel about perseverance in wartime, after terrible things have happened, and will continue to happen. It’s about understanding the importance of the folks in your life while you can, not overlooking people who can help where it’s needed, and honoring their presence when it fades–especially when that is completely beyond your control.
May I have the grace and perseverance of the London Branch. Always.
:sniffling:
March 29, 2017
Extra! – Doctor Who Noveltunes
New Verity! Extra! featuring NOVELTY MUSIC
Did someone order a silly Extra!? Because we’ve certainly got one for you! Join Deb, Erika, Katrina, and Liz as we talk about Doctor Who novelty music. Some of it is fun, some is painful. You be the judge of which is which.
Which are your most and least favorite DW novelty songs? Did we miss any? (Note: We tried to mostly stick to novelty songs and avoid Trock.) Let us know what you think in the comments!
Extra-special thanks to Steven Schapansky of Castria for doing a bang-up job of editing this special, musical Extra!
^E
New podcast link!
Start the Music!
Musical links:
“The Ballad of Doctor Who” by Bullamakanka
“Call Me During Doctor Who and I’ll Kill You” by Mitch Benn
“The Colin Baker Song” by Mitch Benn
“Doctor in Distress” by… everyone
“Doctor Who Girl” by Mitch Benn
“Doctorin’ the TARDIS” by The Timelords/KLF
“Don’t Cancel…
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March 22, 2017
Book Review: Three Parts Dead, by Max Gladstone
Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
First book in a series, which means there is a lot of ground to lay, and Max Gladstone does a great job of doing so. This novel is heavier on worldbuilding than character development at first, but the characters gain in connection as we get further along (he needs to put them into more and more danger).
By the end of the book, I was firmly Team Tara and Team Abelard, and I’m especially intrigued to read book 3, which is apparently Elaine’s story. Our villain (revealed at the end, I won’t spoil) is thoroughly villainous with their own motivations, and gets a fitting comeuppance for their numerous crimes.
This is a secondary world fantasy where at least part of the magic system is… well… accountancy. No, seriously. The magic system is, in part, about the ability to follow patterns of financial transactions between gods and humans, digest and rework information, and use that information as leverage. Also, with engineering. It’s pretty neat. The main characters have to split up and pool information to solve the mystery of Why A God Is Suddenly Dead.
While the first half of this felt a little slow because the groundwork was being laid, the second half of the book takes off at full throttle because everything was built well. Very worthwhile read.
Episode 131 – Steven, Leavin’
New Verity!
This week’s “last” is a goodbye to a companion we’re all quite fond of, Steven Taylor (not to be confused with Steven Tyler). Join Deb, Erika, Liz, and Tansy as we marvel at the excellence of this story, the excellence of Dodo in it, the excellence of Steven’s reason for leaving the TARDIS, and the total lack of excellence in the general amount of fandom discussion surrounding this story. Why have we heard so little about this one?
Have you watched/read/listened to “The Savages”? Did you love it? Tell us in the comments!
^E
Also covered:
Liz reads the fab excerpt from Paul Cornell’s new novelChalk (available now!)!
Tansy
enjoys Deb’s interview with Anneke Wills!
can finally share her Blake’s 7 fan art dollies now that Down and Safe has reached “Gambit”!
adores a Teefury shirt featuring Hayley Atwell as the 13th Doctor!
Erika
recorded…
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March 15, 2017
Extra! – Trivia! with No Da-luck
New Verity! In which we are bad at Doctor Who Trivial Pursuit and puns.
It’s time for another gametastic Extra! Join Deb, Erika, Katrina, and Lynne as we battle it out for most Trivial Verity of 2017. We fully admit, this is not our skill set. But golly do we have fun!
^E
Download or listen now (runtime 42:10)
March 14, 2017
Book review: Hammers on Bone by Cassandra Khaw
Hammers on Bone by Cassandra Khaw
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is an excellent horror novella. Set in London, it’s written in the style of noir crossed with Lovecraftian Old Ones on either side of the law. Beautifully written, with lots of pathos for the characters who need it, and an even more twisted ending.
March 13, 2017
Book review: Roses and Rot by Kat Howard
Roses and Rot by Kat Howard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
There are lots of books that I enjoy for a number of different reasons. They are well crafted, they are beautifully written, I love the characters, the setting, the themes, the plot.
And then there are the books of my heart. They do all of the things above, :and: they have that special something that makes me want to scream “EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS” from the rooftops while hugging the book tight. Total, irrational love.
This is a book of my heart. Fortunately for you, this is also well crafted, beautifully written, with excellent characterization, a fantastic setting, resonant themes and good plotting.
Two sisters: Imogen, a writer, and Marin, a dancer. They both compete for entry into Melete, an exclusive artists colony/fellowship from which some of the most renowned artists have come. They both get in.
And then things get :really: weird. Because Melete has a deal with Faerie. There are tithes. There are costs to making art, and choices to be made about just how badly one wants what they want, or how to avoid things they don’t want at all cost.
This novel is about the costs of making art. It’s about sisters finding their way, especially in light of an abusive parent. It’s about the dark side of getting what we want (or not). It’s about sacrifice, it’s about love, it’s about relationships, and it’s about how all of those things feed into one another and the art we make. It’s about finding your voice, developing your voice, and what you will (and will not) do to keep your voice, once it’s truly yours.
If you loved Pamela Dean’s Tam Lin, you need. to. read. this. novel. Even if you didn’t, it is absolutely worth your time, even if I’m struggling to articulate why I loved it so much.
:goes back to hugging book:
March 10, 2017
Book Review: Borderline by Mishell Baker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This urban fantasy was so excellently paced that I read this in just over a day. LA, the film industry, the fey, and a smart-mouthed disabled protagonist, Millie, who is really over pretty much everything. This is really excellent first-person storytelling, with a supporting cast that you root for, understand, and really enjoy seeing them work (and not).
Kinda reminded me a bit of Leverage in terms of the tightness of the plotting and the character interactions. And I absolutely mean that as a compliment (I love that show).
