Email

As you can see on the toolbar to the right, the email address for the blog has been set-up. It is speculativedispatches (at) gmail (dot) com

You just need to remove the spaces and replace the (bracketed) words with the appropriate symbols. Sorry for the extra trouble, it is just to stop spam harvesters from finding the address.

So feel free to email me anytime with news, tips, review feedback or anything blog related. Even just to introduce yourself!

What I'm...

Celebrating - the joy that is Book Mooch. How else could I get a copy of the Dragonlovers Guide to Pern sent to me all the way from the USA!

Investigating and planning involvement in - BookCrossing

Looking forward to - my new job which starts next week.

Dreading - my exams which start in just over 3 weeks. Aah!

Listening to - Volta by Bjork.

Playing - Animal Crossing, Viva Pinata, Forza Motorsport 2 when the demo has finally finished downloading.

Watching - Heroes, Lost, Torchwood - please Channel 10 treat this slab of genre programming better than you do Battlestar.

Reading - A Song of Ice and Fire - a complete series reread in preparation for A Dance with Dragons, whenever it sees the light of day.

Setting up - an email address for the blog so I can be easily contacted.

What I'm...

Reading/devouring - Reaper's Gale by Steven Erikson.

Playing - Animal Crossing, Crackdown & UNO.

Marvelling at - the Vision Camera and the whole Live experience.

Celebrating - my new job. Does a happy dance into the sunset...

It's here!

The postperson delivered my hardback yesterday afternoon, so I am now up to my elbows in Malazany goodness. Joy!

What I'm...

Waiting on - the results of a second interview for a new job with a good firm. Send positive thoughts my way!
Being impatient about - Reaper's Gale where are you? Hurry up Australia Post!
Reading - nothing new until Reaper's Gale turns up - see above.
Playing - Oblivion, Pokemon Pearl, Soul Calibur 2 (thanks for the back compat update Microsoft), Halo, Gears of War.
Watching - Lost, Heroes, Doctor Who S2 on DVD.
Listening to - Lior, Portishead, Triple J.

Micro Review: Sixty Days and Counting by Kim Stanley Robinson

Book Three of the Science in the Capital Series

Publisher's Synopsis

By the time Phil Chase is elected president, the world’s climate is far on its way to irreversible change. Food scarcity, housing shortages, diminishing medical care, and vanishing species are just some of the consequences. The erratic winter the Washington, D.C., area is experiencing is another grim reminder of a global weather pattern gone haywire: bone-chilling cold one day, balmy weather the next.

But the president-elect remains optimistic and doesn’t intend to give up without a fight. A maverick in every sense of the word, Chase starts organizing the most ambitious plan to save the world from disaster since FDR–and assembling a team of top scientists and advisers to implement it.

For Charlie Quibler, this means reentering the political fray full-time and giving up full-time care of his young son, Joe. For Frank Vanderwal, hampered by a brain injury, it means trying to protect the woman he loves from a vengeful ex and a rogue “black ops” agency not even the president can control–a task for which neither Frank’s work at the National Science Foundation nor his study of Tibetan Buddhism can prepare him.

In a world where time is running out as quickly as its natural resources, where surveillance is almost total and freedom nearly nonexistent, the forecast for the Chase administration looks darker each passing day. For as the last–and most terrible–of natural disasters looms on the horizon, it will take a miracle to stop the clock . . . the kind of miracle that only dedicated men and women can bring about.

MY REVIEW

The Science in the Capital series marks Kim Stanley Robinson's best work so far (for an author with the Mars Trilogy and The Years of Rice and Salt under his belt - that is saying something).

Sixty Days and Counting, picks up after the election of Phil Chase as President of the United States of America. All of the major characters from the previous books return - the Quibblers, Frank Vanderwahl etc.

The novel has the same engaging mix of smart science and excellent characterizations that has been the hallmark of the series. The portrayal of Frank Vanderwahl in particular, sticks with the reader and the conclusion of his story arc is very satisfying.

In contrast with the previous two books, which focused on the dramatic effects of abrupt climate change, Sixty Days and Counting has a much more optimistic tone, as the new President and his administration start to tackle abrupt climate change head on. Don't get me wrong, the hugely damaging impact of abrupt climate change is still felt heavily in this novel, but in Sixty Days and Counting if feels like the human race may actually have a chance of rising to the challenge.

Sixty Days and Counting also has a much better pace than the other two novels in the series and feels more focused.

All in all, Sixty Days and Counting is a worthy conclusion to this series, which should be required reading for every climate change denier on the planet (particularly conservative politicians in the Western world).

9 out of 10.

Aussie Virtual Console Update

New to the Australian Wii Virtual Console this week is Open Tournament Golf for the NES. Come on Nintendo, that is a pretty lame selection even for the ugly stepsister that is the Aussie VC. Bring on the N64 games!

You learn something new everyday PART 2...

Zeitgeist:

The characteristic thought, preoccupation or spirit of a particular period.

Source

OR

a term used to describe the trend of opinions, morals, thoughts, unquestioned assumptions, and other influences on an individual that are understood to be part of a certain culture, science, or art at any point in time.

Source

The 30 Book Challenge

Lately I have been worrying that I have not be getting enough reading done.

So I thought I would adapt the '50 book challenge' internet meme that seems to turn up on most blogs sooner or later. I am setting myself the challenge of reading 30 books between now and the end of the year. Hopefully, by making myself post an update on my progress every few weeks, it will encourage me to stick with the challenge.

So here is my list so far:

1. Children of Hurin by JRR Tolkien.
2. Sixty Days and Counting by Kim Stanley Robinson (in progress).

SF/F Writers Who Blog

This post is rather self explanatory, the good folks over at SF Signal maintain a very useful resource - a list of Speculative Fiction authors who blog. You can find it here.

It's coming!

Amazon UK just shipped my hardback of Reaper's Gale and it has an ETA of 16th to 22nd of May. I can't wait!

Aussie Wii Virtual Console Update

New to the Wii Virtual Console in Australia this Friday, are Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle, Virtua Fighter 2 and Wonderboy in Monster World. All originally released on the Sega Mega Drive.

What I'm...

Hopeful for - even more job interviews lined up!

Reading - Sixty Days and Counting by Kim Stanley Robinson.

Watching - Lost and Heroes.

Playing - Pokemon Pearl - yes I am officially a geek!

Going to see - Spiderman 3 tomorrow.

Looking forward to - Reaper's Gale by Steven Erikson, which I am going to give into my impatience and order from Amazon UK.

Celebrating - the release of a Wii Opera browser specific version of Google's RSS Reader.

You learn something new everyday PART 1...

Retroactive continuity – commonly contracted to the portmanteau word retcon – refers to new information later added to "historical" material or deliberately changing previously established facts in a work of serial fiction. The change itself is referred to as a retcon, and the act of writing and publishing a retcon is called "retconning".

Source: Wikipedia

Via: this thread at the A Song of Ice and Fire forums

Mirco Review: The Children of Hurin by JRR Tolkien

Here goes for one of the review formats that I want to trial on the blog. The micro review - a review of a book in approximately 150 words. Hopefully the format will force me to convey my ideas in as concise a way as possible, in the hope that they are easier to understand. So...

The Children of Hurin by JRR Tolkien
Edited by Christopher Tolkien, Illustrations by Alan Lee.

The synopsis from the Publisher, Harper Collins' website:

Painstakingly restored from Tolkien’s manuscripts and presented for the first time as a fully continuous and standalone story, the epic tale of The Children of Hurin will reunite fans of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings with Elves and Men, dragons and Dwarves, eagles and Orcs, and the rich landscape and characters unique to Tolkien.

Turin is born into a Middle-earth crushed by the recent victory of the Dark Lord, Morgoth, and his monstrous army. The greatest warriors among Elves and Men have perished and Turin’s father, Hurin, has been captured. For his defiance, Hurin’s entire family is cursed by Morgoth to be brought down into darkness and despair.

But, like his father, Turin refuses to be cowed by Morgoth and as he grows so does the legend of the deadly hero. In a land overrun with marauding Orcs, Turin gathers to him a band of outlaws and gradually they begin to turn the tide in the war for supremacy of Middle-earth.

Then Morgoth unleashes his greatest weapon: Glaurung, Mightiest of Dragons, and he proves an unstoppable foe. As the Dragon carves a fiery swathe through Middle-earth there remains only one man who can slay him, but to do that he will first have to confront his destiny.

The Children of Hurin was one of three Great Tales begun by J.R.R. Tolkien as he recovered from the horrors of the First World War, and he worked on refining and improving it for the rest of his life. This tragic tale of adventure, heroism, suffering and love stands as one of the finest expressions of his skills as a storyteller and the narrative is as powerful as anything contained within The Lord of the Rings. Painstakingly reconstructed by Christopher Tolkien from his father’s manuscripts, it can finally be enjoyed as the author originally intended.

MY REVIEW

It is fantastic to be back in Middle Earth and Tolkien's work can still weave a spell over the reader. The Children of Hurin has all that readers have come to expect from a work by Tolkien – great battles and landscapes, epic figures and a stirring (if in this case, rather tragic) story.

However, it also suffers from some of the negatives that can be associated with Tolkien’s work. Such as poorly drawn characters that are little more than sketches. The Children of Hurin also suffers from a wildly varying pace and tone.

Tolkien is Tolkien however. He is the father of the epic fantasy genre (If not its master anymore? I think the likes of Martin, Erikson and Bakker could challenge for that title). I would recommend The Children of Hurin to not only those who enjoyed any of Tolkien’s previous work but fans of the epic fantasy sub-genre of speculative fiction in general.

7 out of 10.

...159 words. Not bad. Any feedback on this review format (or the review itself) would be most welcome - feel free to leave some in the comments to this post.

Next Culture novel by Ian M Banks - Matter

Big Dumb Object reports that the next Culture novel by Ian M Banks is currently titled 'Matter' and is due out in February (in the UK at least).

Source: Big Dumb Object
Via: SF Signal

Night of Knives - 15/6/2007 in Australia

Did you think that was all the Malazany goodness we had to look forward to? Random House are also listing the release of the hardback of Night of Knives - the new Malazan novel from series co-creator Ian C. Esslemont as June 15, 2007. No word yet on whether or not we can expect a large format trade paperback release.

Here is the synopsis:

It gave the Empire its name, but the tiny island and city of Malaz is now a sleepy, seedy back-water port. However this night things are a little different. This night its residents are bustling about, barring doors and shuttering windows. Because this night a once-in-a-generation Shadow Moon is due and threatens the good citizens of Malaz with demon hounds and other, darker, beings...

And it was also prophesied that on this night the Emperor Kellanved, missing for all these years, will return. As factions within the greater Empire battle over the imperial throne, the Shadow Moon summons a far more alien and ancient presence for an all-out assault upon the island. Indeed the cataclysmic events that happen this night will determine the fate of the Malaz and of the entire world beyond.

Again, if you see either book out in the wild before the release date let us know in a comment on the blog.

Hopefully I can line up reviews of both of these new Malazan novels for Speculative Dispatches.

Reaper's Gale - 1/6/2007 in Australia

Random House are listing the release date for the trade paperback of the seventh book in Steven Erikson's acclaimed Malazan Book of the Fallen series for June 1, 2007 in Australia.

Here is the synopsis:

All is not well in the Letherii Empire. Rhulad Sengar, the Emperor of a Thousand Deaths, spirals into madness, surrounded by sycophants and agents of his Machiavellian chancellor, while the Letherii secret police conduct a campaign of terror against its own people. The Errant, once a farseeing god, is suddenly blind to the future. Conspiracies seethe throughout the palace, as the empire - driven by the corrupt and self-interested - edges ever-closer to all-out war with the neighbouring kingdoms. And the great Edur fleet - its warriors selected from countless peoples - draws ever closer. Amongst them are Karsa Orlong and Icarium Lifestealer - each destined to cross blades with the emperor himself. That yet more blood is to be spilled is inevitable... Against this backdrop, a band of fugitives seek a way out of the empire, but one of them, Fear Sengar must find the soul of Scabandari Bloodeye. It is his hope that it might help halt the Tiste Edur, and so save his brother, the emperor. Yet, travelling with them is Scabandari's most ancient foe: Silchas Ruin, brother of Anomander Rake. And his motives are anything but certain - for the wounds he carries on his back, made by the blades of Scabandari, are still fresh. Fate decrees that there is to be a reckoning, for such bloodshed cannot go unanswered - and it will be a reckoning on an unimaginable scale...
A brutal, harrowing novel of war, intrigue and dark, uncontrollable magic, this is epic fantasy at its most imaginative, storytelling at its most thrilling.

I can't wait!

If you see Reaper's Gale out in the wild before the release date drop us a comment here at the blog and let us know.

For more information about Erickson's Malazan Book of the Fallen visit the semi-official forums here.

Repost - Review: Shriek: an Afterword by Jeff Vandermeer

ABOUT: As the title suggests this book serves as an afterword to one of the short works in Jeff Vandermeer’s collection, City of Saints and Madmen.

It details the lives of Duncan and Janice Shriek through war, scandal and tradgedy. Duncan is a once - famous historian who becomes obsessed with the mysterious grey caps, strange alien creatures who live underground, beneath the city of Ambergris, the book’s setting. He becomes afflicted with a fungal disease that slowly transforms him.

His sister Janice, the patron of the New Art movement, soars to the heights of success and then slides back down again.

FOR: - Fantastic characterisation, Duncan and Janice feel like fully realised individuals with many faults but also great strengths. Although there relationship is tested you can still observe the affection they feel for each other.

- A strong cast of believable, engaging supporting characters. Standouts are Monmot, Mary Sabon and Sybel.

- Ambergris is a fantastic setting reminiscent of Fritz Leiber’s Lankhmar or more recently, China Mieville’s New Crobuzon. There is a real sense of place and history developed in the novel.

- Interesting structure that has Janice narrating the story in the first person and Duncan adding his own thoughts to the tale as it develops.

AGAINST: - The structure of the book can also be frustrating at times. Janice is a very selective narrator and as the reader discovers, she skips many parts of her own life. Also it would be good to get even more of an insight into the underground world of the grey caps through Duncan’s explorations.

OVERALL: An extraordinary non-traditional fantasy tale with superb characterisation and setting. I can’t wait to return to Ambergris!

SCORE: 9 out of 10.

THE AUTHOR: Visit Jeff Vandermeer’s blog which has links to his ‘empire’ of other websites. It is a great source of news and interviews about the fantastic as well.

OTHER OPINIONS: Cheryl Morgan at Emerald City

Repost - Review: Newton’s Wake by Ken Macleod

ABOUT: In the year 2367, the colony Eurydice, thinking itself the last remaining outpost of humanity, is contacted by strangers who come through a wormhole gate. Other humans!

The Eurydicians are Runners (who prefer to be called Reformers), people who fled the Hard Rapture. A Singularity event on Earth which killed billions and resulted in nuclear Armageddon. They are the survivors of an internal human conflict against the Returners. A human faction who wanted to reclaim the Earth and ‘liberate’ the victims of the Hard Rapture.

Who is the sole representative to Eurydice of the other humans in the galaxy? Lucinda Carlyle. A member of the Scottish clan that is an equivalent to the Mafia. They control the wormhole skein linking all of humanity’s planets together.

Throw in contact with the other remnant civilizations of humanity and a renewed war machine threat and you are left with an intelligent, fun, modern space opera.

FOR: - Lucinda Carlyle is the central characterisation of the book. She is engaging, fun, gritty but also sensitive. She isn’t a woman I would want to cross. Other standouts include the resurrected folk singers Winter and Calder, the DK communist Ree and playwright Ben Ami.

- The setting of Newton’s Wake bristles with intelligent tech and original ideas. For example FTL ships, wormholes, runaway AI and resurrection and rejuvenation technology. I can see the Rapture F***ers as the natural evolution of today’s software nerds!

- The novel also features well developed political intrigue. The futuristic tech combines with the relatively familiar remnant human civilizations for some strange results. Such as the descendants of communist Koreans (the DK), terraforming a whole planet’s ecosystem for the remnants of capitalist America (the AO – America Offline farmers), to turn into homogenous farmland. It can make for a compelling mix though.

- The book has a great atmosphere with witty humour throughout. My personal favourites were Ben Ami’s re-imagined plays of human history (such as his version of the fall of the Soviet Union as a romantic tragedy) and the scene where Lucinda staggers onto the beach of an unknown world to find a sculpture gallery of the who’s who of communist ideology staring back at her.

AGAINST: - Newton’s Wake is a relatively short book (369 pages in my edition) that deals with big ideas. This can be a problem. Some parts of the book, such as the scenes on the pulsar planet, may have been better if they were expanded a little. Trust me, I’m not arguing for some formulaic fantasy bloat but it would have been fantastic to get a better impression of some of the funky post-human tech or to see some more of the settled galaxy.

- There is a similar problem with some of the characterization, which at times can be pretty patchy. I would have liked to gotten more in the head of the Rapture F***ers in particular, to really see what makes them tick. (Maybe they were speaking to my inner geek!).

- Also, the ending has the feeling of a book that has tidied up all the loose ends a little too well. At times it borders on the formulaic.

VERDICT: A smart, witty space opera with some compelling moments and great characters.

SCORE: 7.5 out of 10

AUTHOR’S SITE: Ken Macleod's blog can be found here.

OTHER OPINIONS: Can be found at Emerald City, Sfsite and Sfreviews.

Repost - Review: The Bonehunters by Steven Erikson

A Tale of the Malazan Book of the Fallen

ABOUT: The Bonehunters picks up various storylines from the fourth and fifth books in the Malazan Book of the Fallen sequence, House of Chains and Midnight Tides.

On the Seven Cities Subcontinent, the Fourteenth Malazan Army (the Bonehunters of the title), under the command of Adjunct Tavore Paran, pursue the remnants of Sha’ik’s Rebel Army (under the command of Leoman of the Flails) to the ancient city of Y’Ghatan.

Also, the Malazan Empire has its first contact with the Tiste Edur from Midnight Tides.

Apart from the soldiers of the Fourteenth and the Rebel Army, there is a huge returning cast in the Bonehunters including: Heboric Ghost Hands and Cutter (formerly Crokus) of Daurjhistan, Karsa Orlong, Icarium and Mappo Runt, Aspalar, Ganoes Paran, Master of the Deck of Dragons, and my favourite Ascendants Ammanas Shadowthrone and Cotillion: The Rope, Patron of Assassins.

FOR: - It has been said by many people, who are much more qualified than me to express the opinion, that no one except Steven Erikson writes sprawling tales that are more truly deserving of the title epic. Only a writer of Erikson’s standard can take so many storylines and weave them into a cohesive whole.

- As usual, the depth and execution of the world building in the Bonehunters is a standout. We get to see a much larger chunk of the Seven Cities Subcontinent and spend a lot of time on Malaz Island, the home of the Empire. The scenes in Malaz City and Y’Ghatan are particularly well realised.

- The characterisations in the Malazan books have tended to improve as the series has progressed (The clearest distinction can be seen between Gardens of the Moon and in my opinion, the superior books in the series so far, Memories of Ice and Midnight Tides). The Bonehunters is no exception. We gain new insights into familiar characters, such as the soldiers of Fiddler’s squad (particularly Bottle), and a new complexity is given to the formerly possessed Aspalar, the Tiste Edur Trull Sengar, Icarium’s companion Mappo Runt and the Master of the Deck, Ganoes Paran. Personally, I wish that Trull Sengar had had more screen time, but I am sure he is destined for a larger role in the upcoming books. There are several new standout characterisations in the Bonehunters as well, my personal favourite being the always amusing Hellian.

- The Bonehunters continues another trend of the previous books by revealing more of the magic system that lies at the heart of the Malazan series. We gain new insights into the relationship between the Warrens and the Holds and the ongoing (and more importantly upcoming) conflicts between the Ascendants. We gain a special insight into Shadowthrone and Cotillion, their relationship and motivations.

- A key part of Erikson’s success with the Malazan Book of the Fallen series is the characteristic convergences between gods and powers that each novel features. The Bonehunters features two standout set pieces. I can probably reveal that one is set in Y’Ghatan and the other Malaz City, without giving away too much information. These conflagrations are easily some of the best seen in the series so far.

AGAINST: - In the past, a feature of the Malazan books has been that each has featured a contained story, from beginning to end. They form a series (and it is definitely better to read them in order as a series) but each book could stand on its own. The Bonehunters has lost some of these characteristics, as it is clearly a bridging book between the Malazan storylines and the consequences of Midnight Tides. After reading the Bonehunters it is no surprise to learn that the next book in the series, Reaper’s Gale, will be set back in Lether.

- Has Steven Erikson become too epic for his own good? That is a question that I asked myself several times whilst reading the Bonehunters. A hallmark of the series is multiple story lines that interweave and converge, but at times I think the Bonehunters needed a little more balance. Several storylines were completed without a great deal of exposition, so much so that it became downright confusing at times. (SPOILER Heboric Ghost Hands, I am thinking of you and your giant green statues! SPOILER). At other times the book seemed to drag a little (SPOILER Did we really need to spend so much time crawling under Y’Ghatan with the survivors? SPOILER).

VERDICT: A few complaints aside, the Bonehunters is a fantastic addition to one of the few ongoing epic fantasy series that could be called, truly significant. The pieces of Erikson’s masterwork are slowly falling into place.

SCORE: 8.5 out of 10

OTHER OPINIONS: Other reviews of the Bonehunters will be added as I find them. If you know any reviews you would like to see mentioned here, leave a link in the comments.

AUTHOR’S WEBSITE: Visit the author approved, Malazan Empire Forums and Site here for a huge variety of information and ongoing discussions about the Malazan Book of the Fallen sequence.

Repost - Review: Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman

ABOUT: Fat Charlie Nancy is a man who is easily embarrassed. Despite this, he has managed to achieve something resembling a normal life. A Job with a boss he thinks he doesn’t really like and a fiancée with a mother he knows he definitely doesn’t like.

Fat Charlie’s greatest source of embarrassment though is his father, even more so when he dies of a heart attack at the beginning of a karaoke performance.

After the funeral, Fat Charlie learns that his father was in fact, the trickster God Anansi, and that he has a brother he knew nothing about, Spider.

His brother Spider inherited his father’s abilities, and when Spider turns up at Fat Charlie’s place in London, Fat Charlie’s life quickly spins totally out of control.

FOR: - The strongest attraction of Anansi Boys is a story that sparkles with charm, imagination and character. It is well structured and paced and Gaiman has inserted more than a few twists along the way to surprise and shock the reader.

- Gaiman’s characters are engaging and for the most part, likeable (except for Grahame Coats, who at times is downright creepy!). Fat Charlie is the nervous everyman that we can all relate too, and his brother Spider is like the cool kid at highschool we all wanted to be like. The supporting cast of characters are equally well realised and a clear evolution can be seen in every character’s path throughout the novel.

- The portrayal of families and relationships lies at the heart of Anansi Boys and it is something that Gaiman has done very well. I had to wince at some of the embarrassing memories of my own family that the novel evoked!

- Anansi Boys brims with humour. From gentle word plays and slapstick to laugh out loud moments (the line about the menopausal mafia comes to mind). More often, laugh out loud moments than anything else, as Fat Charlie tries to fix the mess he finds himself in.

AGAINST: - At times the humour could get a tad excessive and I was left hoping that there would be a little bit more meat on the bones (A cliché to make Grahame Coats proud!). At other times the humour could be a little hit and miss.

- Will I be the only one who felt a little disappointed by the ending? It seemed to tie things together a little too well. After all the mayhem that Fat Charlie and Spider endure, I guess I was expecting it to be a little bit more of a mess. Then again, the ending definitely suited the tone of the book.

VERDICT: A highly entertaining, intelligent, imaginative and witty book. It is well worth looking out for.

SCORE: 8 out of 10.

OTHER OPINIONS: Sf Reviews.net, Emerald City and Sf Site.


AUTHOR’S WEBSITE: Neil Gaiman's website (including an excellent web journal), can be found here.

Reposts

I have yet to decide on a review format for this blog, but I thought I might repost a few of my reviews from a previous blog that I was a part of.

The final format for speculative dispatches will probably be more informal than these reviews - more impressions really.

New Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass screens

Joystiq has posted a series of screens from the Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass for the Nintendo DS, hopefully due sometime in 2007.


Click over for the rest!

What are you consuming this weekend?

So everyone, the blessed time known as the weekend is upon us once again. What are you all consuming this weekend?

Personally, I am planning on finishing Children of Hurin and moving on to Sixty Days and Counting, playing my new obsession Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and revisiting a few old friends - either Crackdown, Oblivion and Gears - whichever takes my fancy. Throw in a few episodes of Dr Who, House of Flying Daggers, Casino Royale and a nice long walk (if the rain lets me) and my weekend is planned!


So what are you consuming this weekend?

Calling all Pokefanatics down - under!

DVDCrave has imported the US versions of the newest Pokemon games (Diamond & Pearl) for the Nintendo DS and is selling them for $A 56.95. Bargains compared to the RRP for the Australian versions of $69.95, which aren't due until the end of June. I just picked up a copy of Pearl. Can anyone else out there get over their embarrassment long enough to admit to picking either version up?

Virtual Console Friday

Today's update for the Virtual Console in Australia added Final Fight for the SNES and Mighty Bomb Jack for the NES. Anyone out there in intertube land planning on downloading either of these?

Calling all NiGHTS fanatics

To Sharn and all of the other Sega fanatics out there - this link is for you. The first official collection of screenshots from the upcoming NiGHTS sequel for the Nintendo Wii.

Source: Go Nintendo

What I'm...

Reading - Children of Hurin by J R R Tolkien, Un Lun Dun by China Mieville, Sixty Days and Counting by Kim Stanley Robinson.

Watching - Heroes, Lost, The Prestige, Casino Royale and Futarama.

Anticipating - Spiderman 3... enough said.
- Mass Effect - please don't be delayed until September!
- Reaper's Gale by Steven Erikson - another does of Malazany goodness.
- Harry Potter 7 - yes I am officially a geek but JK Rowling is one of the most effortless story tellers that I have ever read.

Playing - Crackdown, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Lylat Wars - who would ever think that a lawyer simulator could ever be so compelling.

Wondering? - why do Australia's conservative politicians seem so bent on casting our country in their own mean, small minded, 'tricksy' image?
- why are the best overseas magazines almost impossible to find in this country - I am looking at you Locus, Edge and Wired.

Sweating Over? - the results from a job interview with a really flash firm this afternoon. Wish me luck!

Virtual Console

As anyone who knows me in meatspace can tell you, I am a big fan of nearly anything Nintendo. My DS and my Wii take pride of place in my gaming set-up at the moment.

So I thought I would respond to a post made by Rawmeat Cowboy at the always entertaining Go Nintendo blog.

He was asking readers to identify what game available on Nintendo's Virtual Console service they would class as their treasure, which one they regret downloading the most and which game they want added most in the future. Here goes.

My Treasure


Without a doubt the game I have downloaded that I treasure most is Super Mario 64. Unlike a lot of people from my generation, for me gaming started with two games - Super Mario 64 and Mario Kart 64.

What isn't there to love about this game - a revolutionary leap into 3D handled masterfully by Miyamoto, fantastic level design, graphics that at the time were groundbreaking - which still look great today and some of the catchiest video game music in history. Most of all though this game had what Mario games have in spades that many other series have tried to capture over the years and failed - fun!

My other treasures - Mario Kart 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Lylat Wars/Star Fox 64.

My Regret


What can I say? I am a big fan of Sim City and the blurb on the Shop Channel made it sound so inviting. Beware though, you are in for shocking graphics (even for the SNES) and an extremely frustrating control system. I should have waited for the DS version.

My Dream


For me the game that I dream of being added to the VC is the one major Legend of Zelda release that I have never played - Majora's Mask. I am not sure why I missed this the first time around on the N64 but you can rest assured that I will be grabbing it the moment that it appears on the Virtual Console.

2007 Locus Awards

The 2007 Locus Award Nominees have been announced. In the major categories:

Best Science Fiction Novel

Blindsight, Peter Watts (Tor)
Carnival, Elizabeth Bear (Bantam Spectra)
Farthing, Jo Walton (Tor)
Glasshouse, Charles Stross (Orbit; Ace)
Rainbows End, Vernor Vinge (Tor)

Best Fantasy Novel

The Jennifer Morgue, Charles Stross (Golden Gryphon Press; Ace)
The Last Witchfinder, James Morrow (Morrow)
The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner (Bantam Spectra)
Soldier of Sidon, Gene Wolfe (Tor)
Three Days to Never, Tim Powers (Subterranean Press; Morrow)

Best First Novel

Crystal Rain, Tobias S. Buckell (Tor)
The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters, Gordon Dahlquist (Bantam; Viking UK)
The Green Glass Sea, Ellen Klages (Viking)
The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch (Gollancz; Bantam Spectra)
Temeraire: His Majesty’s Dragon/Throne of Jade/Black Powder, Naomi Novik (Del Rey; Voyager); as Temeraire: In the Service of the King (SFBC)

Best Young Adult Book

The Keys to the Kingdom: Sir Thursday, Garth Nix (Allen & Unwin; The Chicken House)
Magic Lessons, Justine Larbalestier (Penguin/Razorbill)
Spirits That Walk in Shadow, Nina Kiriki Hoffman (Viking)
Voices, Ursula K. Le Guin (Orion Children’s; Harcourt)
Wintersmith, Terry Pratchett (Doubleday UK; HarperTempest)

Best Novella

“Botch Town”, Jeffrey Ford (The Empire of Ice Cream)
“Lord Weary’s Empire”, Michael Swanwick (Asimov’s 12/06)
“Map of Dreams”, M. Rickert (Map of Dreams)
“The Mars Girl”, Joe Haldeman (Escape from Earth)
“Missile Gap”, Charles Stross (One Million A.D.)

Best Novelette

“I, Row-Boat”, Cory Doctorow (Flurb 1, Fall ‘06)
“The Night Whiskey”, Jeffrey Ford (Salon Fantastique)
“Pol Pot’s Beautiful Daughter (Fantasy)”, Geoff Ryman (F&SF 10-11/06)
“The Singularity Needs Women!”, Paul Di Filippo (Forbidden Planets [Crowther])
“When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth”, Cory Doctorow (Baen’s Universe 8/06)

Best Short Story

“How to Talk to Girls at Parties”, Neil Gaiman (Fragile Things)
“In the Abyss of Time”, Stephen Baxter (Asimov’s 8/06)
“Nano Comes to Clifford Falls”, Nancy Kress (Asimov’s 7/06)
“Sob in the Silence”, Gene Wolfe (Strange Birds)
“Tin Marsh”, Michael Swanwick (Asimov’s 8/06)

Best Anthology

One Million A.D., Gardner Dozois, ed. (SFBC)
Salon Fantastique, Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling, eds. (Thunder’s Mouth Press)
The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror: Nineteenth Annual Collection, Ellen Datlow, Kelly Link & Gavin Grant, eds. (St. Martin’s)
The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Twenty-Third Annual Collection, Gardner Dozois, ed. (St. Martin’s)
Year’s Best SF 11, David G. Hartwell & Kathryn Cramer, eds. (Eos)

Best Collection

The Best of Philip José Farmer, Philip José Farmer (Subterranean Press)
The Empire of Ice Cream, Jeffrey Ford (Golden Gryphon Press)
Fragile Things, Neil Gaiman (Morrow; Headline Review)
Galactic North, Alastair Reynolds (Gollancz)
The Ladies of Grace Adieu and other stories, Susanna Clarke (Bloomsbury)

Best Editor

Jim Baen
Ellen Datlow
Gardner Dozois
David G. Hartwell
Gordon Van Gelder

Best Artist

Bob Eggleton
Donato Giancola
John Picacio
Charles Vess
Michael Whelan

Personally, I think the most interesting category is best first novel. I would have a hard time choosing between Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series and Scott Lynch’s Lies of Locke Lamora. The results are announced in mid June. Via SFSignal.

In the Beginning

Hello everybody, is this thing on…

Welcome to the launch of my new blog, Speculative Dispatches

It will cover, well, nearly anything - speculative fiction, movies, tv, gaming, culture, science and technology. In otherwords a pretty large chunk of life!

Let me begin by introducing myself. I am Matt F - a twentysomething from Australia whose interests vary pretty wildly and whose career spans both science and commerce. It is probably safe to say that most people would classify me as a bit of a geek.

This blog will be a way for me to practice my writing, to develop a few ideas I have been hatching and most of all, to express things in which I have an interest to the world.

So bear with me over the next month or two, as I iron out the format and content of this blog, hopefully we are about to start an interesting journey together.