With Age of Conan making a name for itself in the world of MMOs, some fans may want to immerse themselves in the written words of Robert E. Howard, creator of Conan. You may not realize it, but the works of Howard are now in the public domain and freely available, allowing new Conan fans to sink their teeth into the original source material for Funcom's new game.
Not only will you find Conan novels and stories, but you'll also find Solomon Kane works and El Borak stories.
You can grab every published work by Robert. E. Howard here.
When people ask me what I consider to be great science-fiction movies I only have a few titles I rattle off, namely 2001, Blade Runner, Alien and Brazil. Of those four films, Ridley Scott has directed two, which by my math makes his one of the best science-fiction directors of all time. Unfortunately, Ridley hasn't tackled the genre in over 20 years, which is sad and depressing. All that is about to change.
Eclipse Magazine recently conducted an interview with Ridley Scott where the following exchange occurred:
QUESTION: You directed Blade Runner and Alien, which are seminal science fiction films. Why have you not done more science fiction films?
RIDLEY SCOTT: I am going to do one. I waited for a book for 20 years and I have got the book. I am not going to tell you what the book is but that film is going to probably be written within the next month. That will definitely be what I do next after Nottingham, the Robin Hood film that I am doing now in England.
So Ridley has the rights to some mysterious science-fiction book. It could be a classic or it could be something relatively recent. Or, he could have the rights to a book that hasn't been published yet. Whatever it is, I can't wait for the old Ridley Scott to deliver another visual masterpiece.
Neil Gaiman's next book is called The Graveyard Book and will feature extensive illustrations by Dave McKean. It's scheduled to release late in 2008. If, like me, you're impatient, hit up the newly launched website where you can find several illustrations by the great McKean, as well as a character breakdown and plot synopsis.
Orson Scott Card, popular science fiction writer and known rabble-rouser, is stirring it up yet again, this time calling J.K. Rowling out in his latest blog post. Not only does he think Rowling lacks a brain, but he even goes so far as to insinuate that Harry Potter is a rip-off of Ender's Game.
A young kid growing up in an oppressive family situation suddenly learns that he is one of a special class of children with special abilities, who are to be educated in a remote training facility where student life is dominated by an intense game played by teams flying in midair, at which this kid turns out to be exceptionally talented and a natural leader. He trains other kids in unauthorized extra sessions, which enrages his enemies, who attack him with the intention of killing him; but he is protected by his loyal, brilliant friends and gains strength from the love of some of his family members. He is given special guidance by an older man of legendary accomplishments who previously kept the enemy at bay. He goes on to become the crucial figure in a struggle against an unseen enemy who threatens the whole world.
This paragraph lists only most prominent similarities between Ender's Game and the Harry Potter series. My book was published in England years before Rowling began writing about Harry Potter. Rowling was known to be reading widely in speculative fiction during the era after the publication of my book.
Del Rey, a division of Random House, is allowing fans to download Star Wars: Legacy of the Force: Betrayal, which is available in PDF, a free audiobook, free Amazon Kindle e-book and Sony Reader e-book. That's awfully nice of Del rey to offer so many formats, and you can't be the price.
If you happen to be in or near Austin, texas and love science-fiction, then you'll want to head over to the Omni Hotel where the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America organization will be holding the Nebula Awards ceremony over the weekend.
Scheduled for April 25th and running from 5:30-8 p.m., fans of science fiction books will be able to have their books signed by a veritable whose who of notable writers, including:
Bertelsmann, the mammoth German publisher, has announced plans to publish a hardbound version of Wikipedia, set for release in September. The German-language edition will include 50,000 entries that represent the most common searches over the last two years.
The book is slated to cost 19.96 euros ($31), with a single euro from every copy sold donated to Wikimeda.
So let me get this straight: a free online reference, written by volunteers, is now going to be profited from by a publishing giant? I sense an impending outcry.
Terry Pratchett, long known for his witty fantasy novels, has described some of the emotions that consumed him when he was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
"I didn't know where to go and what to do and there was a lot of flailing around and shouting really. I'm a humanist, which means I'm an atheist, the trouble with being an atheist is that it lets God off the hook. You really want someone to blame."
Symptoms of the horrible disease are beginning to manifest, forcing Mr. Pratchett to give up his driver's license in the interest of safety.
"It's weird stuff like I can look for my mobile phone on the desk, and not see my mobile phone. Then I'd say, 'where's my mobile phone I put it down, ah there it is'. If you can't see your mobile phone, you can't see the girl on the crossing."
Terry has donated $1-million to Alzheimer's research and his legion of fans around the planet have taken it upon themselves to match it. If you would like to help, please head to MatchItForPratchett and offer what you can.
For my money, Dan Simmons has been the best science fiction writer of the past 15 years. No one else writes such complex and fascinating books, able to shift conceptual gears and genres as if he's possessed by several spirits. I'm currently enjoying the hell out of Ilium, have Olympos waiting in the wings with The Terror soon to follow.
I got my start with Simmons way back when Hyperion was was first published and wasted no time pushing it on friends and family, all who loved the heck out of it. All of Simmons work would make for great cinema, albeit a challenging task probably beyond reason...and budget. Well, someone is apparently crazy enough to try, as the rights to the Hyperion Cantos have been purchased by producer Graham King, who recently produced Martin Scorsese's The Departed and the forthcoming Bangkok Dangerous.
I'm hoping for the best, but fearing the worst...just like any book-lover should.
I hate to thank Oprah Winfrey, but her recent recommendation of Ken Follett's amazing 1989 novel Pillars of the Earth has seen the book enjoying newfound popularity. So much so that Munich-based Tandem Communications, in conjunction with Ridely and Tony Scott acting as producers, has been greenlighted for a limited television series.
I read Pillars back when it was first released and it's one of those books that you really can't put down, despite its mammoth size. I have the newly released sequel, World Without End, sitting on my shelf and it's next in my reading queue.
Zucker said Scott Free would be finalizing a deal with an American writer within the next week or so, and depending on the scripter's conception of the story line, the company would decide whether the series should be the normal eight episodes or more. He would not name the writer in question, because negotiations are not complete, but he is, Zucker said, someone the company has worked with before.
Zucker said the budget for the limited series is "similarly ambitious" to that for "The Tudors," which was in the $2 million an episode range.
A marriage of this book and Ridley Scott is a match made in heaven. If you've never read Pillars of the Earth, then you've truly missed out on something special. Don't let Oprah's belated recommendation sway you!
Stephen King filed a lawsuit in Maine federal court this morning, seeking plagiarism damages against himself.
“It dawned on me that I haven't written anything original in over 20 years, despite having published numerous novels in that time. There is only one way that's possible: I've re-written all of my old material and simply changed the name for each book, which is outrageous and illegal. I can't believe I'd do something like that so I'm taking legal steps to ensure I never do it again.”
How will this effect King's forthcoming novel, Charlene?
“Well, instead of writing about a possessed car I'm going to write about a possessed big-rig.”
When informed that he's already written about possessed big-rigs, namely, Maximum Overdrive, Mr. King simply said, “Shit. How about a Prius? It's barely a car.”
The New York Times has posted an interesting essay by Rachel Donadio that explores how your taste in books may influence potential relationships, especially as it relates to profiles on MySpace and Facebook.
Let’s face it — this may be a gender issue. Brainy women are probably more sensitive to literary deal breakers than are brainy men. (Rare is the guy who’d throw a pretty girl out of bed for revealing her imperfect taste in books.) After all, women read more, especially when it comes to fiction. “It’s really great if you find a guy that reads, period,” said Beverly West, an author of “Bibliotherapy: The Girl’s Guide to Books for Every Phase of Our Lives.” Jessa Crispin, a blogger at the literary site Bookslut.com, agrees. “Most of my friends and men in my life are nonreaders,” she said, but “now that you mention it, if I went over to a man’s house and there were those books about life’s lessons learned from dogs, I would probably keep my clothes on.”
I only have a few deal-breakers that find me running for the hills. If you have an abundance of self-help books, especially written by vile people like Dr. Laura and Dr. Phil, I lose all interest in your mental faculties.
Today we present to you our picks for the greatest time travel stories ever created. All mediums were considered, including film, television, print, and video games. Some of them are timeless (no pun intended) classics and known by all, but we've got a couple of surprises in store for you as well. Tell us your favorites that we might have left out in the Comments section! Let's get the ball rolling with a film that falls in the former category, and is definitely a safe choice.
Back to the Future
Ask anyone who followed pop culture in the 80s to name their favorite time-traveling story, and chances are they'll say Back to the Future. This classic film by Robert Zemeckis and Steven Spielberg manages to define two separate generations, one being the youth of the 1980s, and other being the baby-boomers of the mid-1950s, when teenagers began to develop a culture all their own.
The story follows Marty McFly as he travels back in time 30 years via his friend Dr. Emmett Brown's time-traveling DeLorean. Leaving his original time of 1985, Marty is lost and confused in an era that seems completely incongruous to the world he left behind. Not only is the culture alien to him, Marty struggles to avoid changing historical events, including the catalyst moment of his parents' relationship. In a perfect example of the grandfather paradox, Marty must figure out a way to return to 1985, but at the same time ensure that his parents meet, fall in love, and later have him as a child. Otherwise his entire existence is in danger. Back to the Future received two sequels, and though some will argue the quality of the films, the series remains entertaining throughout. -mb
For the 30th year in a row, The Bookseller's Diagram Prize has been awarded, a prize that celebrates the oddest book title of the year.
This year's illustrious winner is "If You Want Closure in Your Relationship, Start With Your Legs" written by the equally odd-sounding Big Boom. Runner-ups include "I Was Tortured by the Pygmy Love Queen" and "Cheese Problems Solved".
The If You Want Closure title was spotted by Nicholas Hoare, who runs Canadian bookshops specialising in British books. In fourth place was How to Write a How to Write Book, followed by Are Women Human? And Other International Dialogues and finally People who Mattered in Southend and Beyond: From King Canute to Dr Feelgood.
The BBC has put together a great compilation of predictions offered by Arthur C. Clarke throughout his career, some of which came true, some which we're still waiting for. It covers everything from space elevators to earthquake prevention and makes for a great read.
#7. Brain Backup
It was an idea he thought would be useful for people wanting to pass their memories and personalities on at the end of their lives.
"When their bodies begin to deteriorate you transfer their thoughts so their personalities would be immortal," he told the BBC in 2005. "Just save it on a CD-Rom and plug it in - simple!"
Although scientists have not quite reached this stage yet, projects are starting to lay the foundations.
A CD-Rom? Surely we'll need a larger storage medium. Then again, considering the current state of humanity, perhaps a floppy-disc would suffice.
Ask anyone who followed pop culture in the 80s to name their favorite time-traveling story, and chances are they'll say Back to the Future. This classic film by Robert Zemeckis and Steven Spielberg manages to define two separate generations, one being the youth of the 1980s, and other being the baby-boomers of the mid-1950s, when teenagers began to develop a culture all their own.
