2012: the Raygun Gothic Rocketship, Pier 14, San Francisco.
- Sid
Comments and observations on science fiction and fantasy.
On my last day at my job before starting retirement, my direct supervisor asked me if I had any parting words, specifically from my perspective as a science fiction fan.
I instantly said, "Oh, Douglas Adams, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - DON'T PANIC. Best possible advice going forward."
He chuckled and replied that he had been expecting "So long and thanks for all the fish" from the book of the same name, also by Douglas Adams - I agreed, also a good genre goodbye.
Hindsight being what it is, I woke up this morning and realized that I could have given him Agent Smith's classic speech from The Matrix:
I ... hate this place. This zoo. This prison. This reality, whatever you want to call it, I can't stand it any longer. It's the smell, if there is such a thing! I feel saturated by it. I can taste your stink and every time I do, I fear that I've somehow been infected by it. It's -- it's repulsive! Isn't it? I must get out of here. I must get free...
On the other hand, perhaps not the ideal farewell - telling them not to panic was definitely a more diplomatic choice.
- Sid
Without very much fanfare, the World Science Fiction Association has released the slate of nominees for the 2025 Hugo Awards, which will be presented at the upcoming Seattle Worldcon, taking place in August. The full list of nominees can be found here:
https://seattlein2025.org/wsfs/hugo-awards/2025-hugo-award-finalists/
As a member of the WSFA, I'm able to vote on this year's awards, although I have to admit that I'm not familiar with all the nominees. I've chosen to address this shortcoming by concentrating on the Best Novel category, simply because it's probably easiest to obtain copies of the books that have been nominated, rather than trying to chase down all the short fiction or fanzines. (Although I should be able to research the Best Artist category online.) The nominees for Best Novel are:
Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Orbit US, Tor UK)
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley (Avid Reader Press, Sceptre)
Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Tordotcom)
Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell (DAW)
A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher (Tor)
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett (Del Rey, Hodderscape UK)
I'm not sure when voting will open, but fortunately I'm a bit of a speed reader, so I should be able to run through all six of the nominees this week without much difficulty, especially now that I'm retired. I'm familiar with Adrian Tchaikovsky and T. Kingfisher, but the other authors are new to me - regardless, it should be an enjoyable reading session!
- Sid
"Revolution is everywhere, in everything. It is infinite. There is no final revolution, no final number.
- Yevgeny Zamyatin