Ebook deal - "On a Red Station, Drifting" by Aliette de Bodard

I wonder if there isn’t a strange curse at work upon the reviews I intend to write for Aliette de Bodard’s fiction. Ever since I read “Servant of the Underworld”, the first novel in her “Obsidian and Blood” trilogy, I found myself attracted to Aliette de Bodard’s imagination, style and works. And that attraction grew with the other two novels of the “Obsidian and Blood” trilogy, “Harbinger of the Storm” and “Master of the House of Darts”, and especially with her short fiction which has been nothing but top notch. If with her novels I can set the guilt aside and excuse the postponement of the reviews with the early days of parenthood, but with “Scattered Among Strange Worlds” and “On a Red Station, Drifting” is not that easy. Even more difficult in the particular case of “On a Red Station, Drifting”, an amazing novella I had the chance to read at the beginning of this year and yet, for which I keep failing miserably to finish the review. I really need to find a solution for finally give Aliette de Bodard’s works the attention they truly deserve. No matter the outcome of my dilemma, you still have the chance to enjoy Aliette de Bodard’s “On a Red Station, Drifting” on ebook format at a very attractive price, 2,99$ on Amazon US or 1,97£ on Amazon UK. And with a far better cover artwork than the physical edition of her novella. Trust me, it is worth every single penny. Or if you need more assurance, trust all the judges of prestigious awards who rightfully nominated or awarded Aliette de Bodard’s work recently.

2013 Science Fiction & Fantasy Translation Awards finalists

The Association for the Recognition of Excellence in Science Fiction & Fantasy Translation has announced during the Finncon 2013 in Helsinki the finalists for the 2013 Science Fiction and Fantasy Translation Awards. The two categories are Long Form and Short Form and the winners will be announced in August. Each winning author and translator will receive a cash prize of 350 US$. The jury for the awards was formed by James & Kathryn Morrow (Chairs), Felice Beneduce, Alexis Brooks de Vita, Stefan Ekman, Martha Hubbard, Ekaterina Sedia, Kari Sperring and Aishwarya Subramanian. The previous winners of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Translation Awards are “A Life on Paper: Stories” by Georges-Olivier Châteaureynaud, translated from the French by Edward Gauvin, in 2011 and “Zero” by Huang Fan, translated from the Chinese by John Balcom, in 2012 for long form and “Elegy for a Young Elk” by Hannu Rajaniemi in 2011 and “The Fish of Lijiang” by Chen Qiufan, translated from the Chinese by Ken Liu, in 2012 for short form.

LONG FORM

“Atlas: The Archaeology of an Imaginary City” by Kai-cheung Dung, translated from the Chinese by Anders Hansson, Bonnie S. McDougall, and the author (Columbia University Press)

“Belka, Why Don’t You Bark?” by Hideo Furukawa, translated from the Japanese by Michael Emmerich (Haikasoru)

“Kaytek the Wizard” by Janusz Korczak, translated from the Polish by Antonia Lloyd-Jones (Penlight)

“Roadside Picnic” by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, translated from the Russian by Olena Bormashenko (Chicago Review Press) - The version of Roadside Picnic in question is a brand new translation of this well-loved work, and therefore eligible for the award despite the existence of a previous English language version.

“Seven Terrors” by Selvedin Avdić, translated from the Bosnian by Coral Petkovich (Istro Books)

“Three Science Fiction Novellas” by J.-H. Rosny aîné, translated from the French by Danièle Chatelain & George Slusser (Wesleyan University Press)

“The Whispering Muse” by Sjón, translated from the Icelandic by Victoria Cribb (Telegram)

SHORT FORM

“Augusta Prime” by Karin Tidbeck translated from the Swedish by the author (Jagannath: Stories, Cheeky Frawg)

“Autogenic Dreaming: Interview with the Columns of Cloud” by TOBI Hirotaka, translated from the Japanese by Jim Hubbert (The Future Is Japanese, Nick Mamatas and Masumi Washington (eds.), Haikasoru)

“Every Time We Say Goodbye” by Zoran Vlahović, translated from the Croatian by Tatjana Jambrišak, Goran Konvićni, and the author (Kontakt: An Anthology of Croatian SF, Darko Macan and Tatjana Jambrišak (eds.), SFera)

“The Flower of Shazui” by Chen Qiufan, translated from the Chinese by Ken Liu (Interzone #243)

“A Hundred Ghosts Parade Tonight” by Xia Jia, translated from the Chinese by Ken Liu (Clarkesworld #65)

“A Single Year” by Csilla Kleinheincz, translated from the Hungarian by the author (The Apex Book of World SF #2, Lavie Tidhar (ed.), Apex Book Company)

Congratulations and good luck to all the finalists!

TOC - "Fearie Tales: Stories of the Grimm and Gruesome" edited by Stephen Jones

Original art for the book cover by Alan Lee

My eyes opened to the universe of reading with the fairy tales. In different shapes and sizes all these stories from different corners of the world are an important brick in the foundation of my passion for reading. For certain, one of my cherished books will always be a certain heavy tome of fairy tales that I used to leaf through every time I got such a chance. Of course, with the passing of time these stories reveal in the fullest their true nature, a darker side and a not so pleasant face. But that didn’t work against them in the least, it only made them more appealing and the memory of them stronger. There is no wonder then that I have a very weak spot for the stories that reinterpret these fairy tales, adding them newer and darker twists. This September, a new opportunity to read such stories will arise when Jo Fletcher Books releases another fabulous project, an anthology, “Fearie Tales: Stories of the Grimm and Gruesome”, edited by Stephen Jones gathering brand new fairy tales or reinterpreting the familiar ones. After the excellent “A Book of Horrors”, the team formed by Stephen Jones and Jo Fletcher Books comes with another appealing collection, illustrated by the amazing artist Alan Lee, and with a very strong list of authors, this time their stories interspersed with the classic fairy tales that inspired the new stories, in an attempt to enchant the readers once again. Or to give them yet another fright.

In 1884 Margaret Hunt's translation of the Brothers Grimm's Kinder-und Hausmärchen was published as Grimm's Household Tales—and since that day those stories have inspired writers, artists, poets, songwriters, playwrights and movie-makers the world over.

Now, following in the grand tradition of the Brothers Jacob and Wilhelm, some of today's finest fantasy and horror writers have created their own brand-new fairy tales-but with a decidedly darker twist.

Fearie Tales is a fantastical mix of spellbinding retellings of classic stories such as 'Cinderella', 'Rapunzel', 'Hansel and Gretel' and 'Rumpelstiltskin', amongst others, along with unsettling tales inspired by other childhood classics, all interspersed with the sources of their inspiration: the timeless stories first collected by the Brothers Grimm.

These modern materpieces of the macabre by Neil Gaiman, Garth Nix, Ramsey Campbell, Joanne Harris, Markus Heitz, John Ajvide Lindqvist, Angela Slatter, Michael Marshall Smith and many others, are illuminated by Oscar-winning artist Alan Lee, who has also provided the magnificent cover painting.

But be warned: this stunning volume of frightening fables is definitely not suitable for children!

“Introduction: Don’t Scare the children” by Stephen Jones

“The Wilful Child”

“Find My Name” by Ramsey Campbell

“The Singing Bone”

“Down to a Sunless Sea” by Neil Gaiman

“Rapunzel”

“Open Your Window, Golden Hair” by Tanith Lee

“The Hare’s Bride”

“Crossing the Line” by Garth Nix

“Hansel and Gretel”

“Peckish” by Robert Shearman

“The Three Little Men in the Wood”

“Look Inside” by Michael Marshall Smith

“The Story of a Youth Who Went Forth to Learn What Fear Was”

“Fräulein Fearnot” by Markus Heitz

“Cinderella”

“The Ash-Boy” by Christopher Fowler

“The Elves #1”

“The Changeling” by Brian Lumley

“The Nixie of the Mill-Pond”

“The Silken Drum” by Reggie Oliver

“The Robber Bridegroom”

“By the Weeping Gate” by Angela Slatter

“Fräu Trude”

“Anything to Me is Sweeter, Than to Cross Shock-Headed Peter” by Brian Hodge

“The Elves #2”

“The Artemis Line” by Peter Crowther

“The Old Woman in the Wood”

“The Silken People” by Joanne Harris

“Rumpelstiltskin”

“Come Unto Me” by John Ajvide Lindqvist

“The Shroud”

2013 Chesley Awards nominees

The nominees for the 2013 Chesley Awards, the 28^th edition of the award offered by The Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists in celebration of science fiction and fantasy art, have been announced. The winners will be announced at LoneStarCon 3, the 71^st World Science Fiction Convention taking place between August 29^th and September 2^nd, 2013 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas. Galleries of the nominated works and suggestions that didn’t enter into the final selection can be found by following the links for each category.

BEST COVER ILLUSTRATION – PAPERBACK BOOK

Dehong He - Lance of Earth and Sky by Erin Hoffman, Pyr, April 2012

Todd Lockwood - The Dusk Watchman by Tom Lloyd, Pyr, August 2012

John Jude Palencar - The Palencar Project edited by David G. Hartwell, Tor ebook, February 2012

John Picacio - The Creative Fire by Brenda Cooper, Pyr, November 2012

Elena Vizerskaya - Flying in the Heart of the Lafayette Escadrille by James Van Pelt, Fairwood Press, November 2012

BEST COVER ILLUSTRATION – HARDBACK BOOK

J.K. Drummond - Deadhouse Gates by Steven Erikson, Subterranean Press, March 2012

Bob Eggleton - Gods of Opar by Philip José Farmer & Christopher Paul Carey, Subterranean Press, June 2012

Donato Giancola - Range of Ghosts by Elizabeth Bear, Tor, March 2012

Todd Lockwood - The Wild Road by Jennifer Roberson, DAW, September 2012

John Picacio - Hyperion by Dan Simmons, Subterranean Press, April 2012

Sam Weber - Quantum Coin by E. C. Myers, Pyr, October 2012

BEST COVER ILLUSTRATION - MAGAZINE

Ken Barthelmey - Clarkesworld #74 November 2012

Julie Dillon - Clarkesworld #73 October 2012

Bob Eggleton - Famous Masters of Filmland #262 July/August 2012

Martin Faragasso - Clarkesworld #71 August 2012

David Palumbo - Creepy #9 Dark Horse, July 2012

Craig J. Spearing - Dragon #418 December 2012

BEST INTERIOR ILLUSTRATION

Brom - Krampus by Brom Harper, Voyager, Oct. 2012

Sam Burley - “Brother. Prince. Snake.” by Cecil Castellucci, Tor.com, July 2012

J. K. Drummond - Deadhouse Gates by Steven Erikson, Subterranean Press, Mar. 2012

Bob Eggleton - Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs, MBI/Easton Press, Dec. 2012

William O'Connor - Dracopedia The Great Dragons: An Artist's Field Guide and Drawing Journal by William O'Connor, Impact, June 2012

BEST MONOCHROME – UNPUBLISHED

Larry Elmore - “By the River,” oil

Travis Lewis - “Deep,” oil & mixed media

Joāo Ruas - “Sides,” graphite

Raoul Vitale - “Last of His Kind,” pencil

Allen Williams - “Fawn,” graphite

BEST COLOR WORK – UNPUBLISHED

Julie Bell - “A Passion for the Future,” oil

Donato Giancola - “Joan of Arc,” oil

Lucas Graciano - “Guardianship,” oil

Michael C. Hayes - “Procession,” oil

Mark Poole - “Waiting on a Memory,” oil

Soutchay Sougpradith - “Peacock Prophecy,” oil

Raoul Vitale - “Safe,” oil

BEST THREE-DIMENSIONAL ART

Dan Chudzinski - “Gus Gets a Jetpack,” mixed

Michael Defeo - “Octopus,” resin

David Meng - “Sashimi,” mixed

Michael Parkes - “Startled Sky Nymph,” half life-size bronze

James Shoop - “Ramautar,” bronze

Vincent Villafranca - “Spaceman on the Verge,” bronze

Cindy Wynn - “Alien Chair,” steel

BEST GAMING-RELATED ILLUSTRATION

Lucas Graciano - “Dragon Swarm” (Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Artifacts & Legends) Paizo, October 2012

D. Alexander Gregory - “Chandra the Firebrand” (2013 Core SetMagic card) WotC, July 2012

David Palumbo - “Ereshkigal, Death Mistress” (“Legend of the Cryptids”) Applibot Inc., April 2012

James Ryman - “Princess of the Underworld,” (“Legend of the Cryptids”) Applibot Inc., April 2012

Sverlin Velinov - “Thundermaw Hellkite” (2013 Core Set Magiccard) Wizards of the Coast, July 2012

BEST PRODUCT ILLUSTRATION

Jim Burns - “The Wanderers” (IlluXCon 5 promotional art) Munchkin Press, November 2012

Dan Dos Santos - “The Dragon Empress” (Dragon*Con promotional poster) August, 2012

John Harris - “The Search” (Illuxcon 5 promotional art) Munchkin Press, Nov. 2012

Iain McCaig - Concept and character design for John Carter, Disney, March 2012

John Picacio - La Sirena Loteria card 2012

BEST ART DIRECTOR

Lou Anders for Pyr Books

Irene Gallo for Tor

Lauren Panepinto for Orbit Books

William Schafer for Subterranean Press

Jon Schindehette for Wizards of the Coast

AWARD FOR LIFETIME ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT

Brom

Larry Elmore

David Hardy

John Harris

Gary Lippincott

Congratulations and good luck to all the nominees!