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Top story: 24hr Flash Fiction NOW BEING JUDGED
And another update on our Flash Fiction challenge - the entries are now being judged and we'll have the results as quickly as our judges can assess them properly. We'll also be publishing the winning entries on this site AND we are looking into the possibility of publishing them in other ways. Stay tuned for more details. Our judging panel comprises the award-winning author of suspense, gore, vampires and zombies Sam Stone, Tom Hunter, the administrator of the Arthur C Clarke Award, SCI-FI-LONDON's literary editor Robert Grant, and Charles Christian, SF&F writer and founder of UrbanFantasist.com.
http://www.sci-fi-london.com/second-24hr-flash-fiction-challenge Chronicles
Exclusive interview with the futurist Ray Kurzweil
Here’s my exclusive interview with the American futurist Ray Kurzweil, while he was over here in the UK last month for the LawTech Futures 2013 event in London. This is the only interview Ray gave while he was in the country.
Writers' Day Programme - 1st June
I'm pleased to say I've been invited to attend the Reading Writers' Day, which takes place in Sonning on Saturday 1st June. I'm going to be running a one-hour talk and workshop in the afternoon (starts 3:00pm) on Creating a Credible World in fiction.
Working Lunch
In the course of doing some research on trademarks on the UK Intellectual Property Office website I spotted that lawyers fall into the same tradmark class as Tarot card readers!
No discernible increase in piracy with DRM-free ebooks
One of the topics that has been rumbling along in the background of the epublishing debate is the importance – or otherwise – of DRM (digital rights management) protection on ebooks.
The Weird - new one day conference
Here's some information about a one day conference taking place in London in November - if you want to pitch a proposal for a paper you have until 1st August.
Ray Harryhausen RiP
Sad to read about the death of Ray Harryhausen, the king of stop-motion movie making (back in the days bfore CGI). Here's a nice obiturary.
Postcard from Whitstable
The postcard says it all - tho we did have tea and cakes sitting at Peter Cushing's favourite table at the Tudor Tearooms in Whitstable.
The London Skyline
The London skyline (looking east) from the top of the Park Lane Hilton - that's Canary Wharf in the distance behind the Shard.
Me and Ray - we're just like that!
And here's me interviewing the American futurist Ray Kurzweil earlier this week - he's explaining how in the future 3D printing will mean a clone of me can do the work while the real me stays in bed and watches myself on YouTube.
Chris Beckett wins Arthur C Clarke Award
Congratulations to Chris Beckett, whose novel Dark Eden (the story of an alien planet where the incestuous offspring of two stranded astronauts struggle to survive) last night won the UK's top science fiction prize, the Arthur C Clarke award.
24-hour Flash Fiction Challenge starts THIS Wednesday
Listen up – here is your advance warning that the Second 24 Hour Flash Fiction Challenge, being run by the Sci-Fi-London Film Festival and UrbanFantasist.com, starts THIS Wednesday (1st May) at 5:30pm and closes at 8:00pm on Thursday 2nd May.
Ray Kurzweil interview ahoy!
I'm childishly excited that on Tuesday I'll be interviewing Ray Kurzweil, the Futurists' Futurist, in London as part of the LawTech Futures event.
Campaign to Stop Killer Robots
No, this is not a joke to promote a new Terminator movie, there really is a campaign to Ban Killer Robots !
Angel of Primark
Well I can't offer you the Angel of Harlem (old U2 track) but I can offer the Angel of Primark (Norwich branch). Impressive wings sir. Plus a smile and a thumbs-up from an angel!
The Future of Publishing is Digital seminar
Roll up tomorrow afternoon (Saturday 20 April) for a short seminar on epublishing. It is being organised by East Anglian Writers and runs from 2:00pm to 4:00pm and takes place at the Assembly House, Norwich
The Ultimate Reality TV Show
Welcome to the Ultimate Reality TV Show - your chance to live and die on Mars
Zombie (and living) Poets Wanted !
Calling all poets with an interest in the supernatural, the Gothic, horror, science fiction and fantasy. We're planning to crank up our coverage of poetry in the Urban Fantastic genre and we'd love to hear from you.
Ebook sales continuing to grow
Latest statistics from the Association of American Publishers (AAP) reveal that in 2012 ebook sales accounted for 22.55% of all revenue for US trade publishers. That's up from 16.98% in 2011, while in 2006 only 0.5% of revenues came from ebooks.
Famous Movies - remade in 30 seconds - by rabbits!
Last week we gave you a famous movie, Blade Runner, remade in 60 seconds. This week we up the ante with a famous movie remade in 30 seconds and acted out by bunnies! There are dozens of these movies out there but we're giving you their version of Die Hard
Tim Waterstone on ebooks & publishing
Here's a link to an interesting interview in the The Guardian with Tim Waterstone, the founder of the Waterstones bookshop chain, about publishing trends and ebooks http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/apr/09/tim-waterstone-reading-entirely-digital
Margaret Thatcher, Jaffa Cakes & Me
With all the World and his Uncle currently commenting on the late Margaret Thatcher, I thought I would add my own perspective on her motivations and rise to power…
If the Dead could communicate with us, would they now use social media?
Last week it was reported that some new Chinese gravestones are now being adapted to carry QR (quick response) codes. But if the Dead could communicate with us, what would they use today. For example would they use social media?
Very sad news from Iain M Banks
From the author of The Culture novels.
Done in 60 Seconds - Blade Runner
Here's the winner of this year's Jameson Empire (Magazine) Done In 60 Seconds competition for remakes of popular movies in just, er, 60 seconds. The winner is Philip Haskins with his version of "Blade Runner" reimagined as a 1940s film noir.
48-Hour Flash Fiction Challenge will be back!
I'm pleased to report that my UrbanFantasist.com website will be working with Sci-Fi-London Film Festival again this year to run another 48 hour flash fiction challenge. Details to follow.
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ISBN: 978-1844719235 (2011)
ASIN: B00ATPCAMW (2012)
ISBN: 978-1466437944 (2011)
ISBN: 978-1453892305 (2010) |
