Giveaway! "Betrayer of Worlds" by Larry Niven and Edward M. Lerner

I'm trying to up my percentage of science fiction giveaways and, thanks to Tor Books, I have a copy of Betrayer of Worlds by Larry Niven and Edward M. Lerner to help me do just that.

Fleeing the supernova chain reaction at the galactic core, the cowardly Puppeteers of the Fleet of Worlds have---just barely---survived. They’ve stumbled from one crisis to the next: The rebellion of their human slaves. The relentless questing of the species of Known Space. The spectacular rise of the starfish-like Gw’oth. The onslaught of the genocidal Pak.

Catastrophe looms again as past crises return---and converge. Who can possibly save the Fleet of Worlds from its greatest peril yet?

Louis Wu? Trapped in the Wunderland civil war, all he wants is to go home---but the only possible escape will plunge him into unknowable danger.

Ol’t’ro? The Gw’oth ensemble mind fled across the stars to establish a colony world free from tyranny. But some problems cannot be left behind, and other problems---like the Fleet of Worlds itself---are racing straight at them.

Achilles? Despite past disgrace, the charismatic Puppeteer politician knows he is destined for greatness. He will do anything to seize power---and to take his revenge on everyone who ever stood in his way.

Nessus? The insane Puppeteer scout is out of ideas, out of resources, with only desperation left to guide him.

Their hopes and fears, dreams and ambitions are about to collide. And the winner takes . . . worlds.


Simply add your information to the form below to enter (all information is guaranteed confidential and will be discarded once the contest ends) and I will randomly pick one winner by Monday November 1st. No multiple entries please-- all multiple entries will be discarded. Open everywhere.

Good luck!



**Contest Closed**

Britney Spears Hot Sexy and Cute photo

Elitism-- or Just Self-Promotion?

It seems that every so often a blogger has to pick a fight with another blogger. There's really no doubt, when this occurs, that the instigator of this particular game is looking for attention. Sadly they get it all too often as the blog post is picked up by other review blogs amid a flurry of outraged tweets and Facebook updates.

Why is this such an easy game to get sucked into?

I guess we all like drama. If it isn't something that involves us personally we're only too happy to inject ourselves into the conversation as we madly dash over to the offending post and give our "I think" thoughts on the subject. I've done this more times than I'd like to admit.

But there's something very personal about review blogging. We all have our own take on how it should be done and when someone attacks us personally (though I have not been the recipient in this particular game of late), well, we take it personally. It's a strange phenomenon from my point of view. I know those who consider themselves the "elite" in our little fishbowl look upon my willingness to do giveaways with disdain; claiming that people like me are too eager to please the publishers and act as little more than advertising arms of those organizations. That's a tough critique for me to take because I fund almost all the giveaways I do here out of my own pocket. So it costs me money to be criticized... Tell me why I do this again?

I do get the hesitation to do reviews based on books sent to us by the publisher. Once the faucet is turned on and you start getting freebies, it's easy to get sucked into the desire-to-please cycle that keeps the books coming. I dance around this myself, though I have occasionally been known to tear-to-shreds a book that was sent to me. I've come to the conclusion that if I don't ask for a book (and I almost never do) then I don't have an obligation to be nice. I don't like to savage someone's work and I try to be respectful and honest; which is what I think almost all the reviewers in our circle are trying to do.

Another accusation that is frequently thrown at people like myself is that we're just not doing it right. I don't know whose rules we're supposed to be following exactly but I've repeatedly read that I should be writing more in-depth reviews-- with quotes and analysis of the subtext of the book. I hear that I'm not doing my job if the review is less than 1000 words long. To this I say-- are you kidding me? I've actually done reviews for print publications for years and I've been told repeatedly to keep it at 250-500 words because the reader doesn't have the attention span to read something longer. When I've been paid for the job I was told anything longer just meant I was wordy. I've taken it as a luxury as a self-made reviewer that I could be wordy if I want to. But let's be honest, who the heck has time to do a master's thesis every time they review a fantasy novel? I frequently hit the 1000 word mark and wonder if I lack the talent to make it more succinct. I guess you can't win in this particular game.

The rub in all of this is that the bloggers who have the most elitist attitudes make their own rules and feel they can enforce them on the rest of us. They make arbitrary declarations and put the rest of us on the defensive, and I'm left to wonder why. Whenever I see a post that piously outlines the criteria I should be following, whether on an author or reviewer site, I pretty much want to flip that person the middle-finger and childishly ask who made you God of all things blogging?

What's really silly in this whole exercise is that it would be incredibly boring if we all did it the same way. I could pour myself into the mold of the "intellectual" bloggers and follow their "rules." I could leave out the giveaways and take the fun out of everything and be dour and judgmental in my reviewing. I could declare paranormal fiction beneath me and scoff at anything that doesn't reek of erudition. How long do you figure that would last before my audience fled and I took the blog down due to my own lack of interest?

The thing is, I can do scholarly. I have a college degree and have a decent pedigree that includes study abroad and minor in Japanese. But after many years spent in classrooms and libraries pouring over assignments and drowning in academia, I'm not interested anymore. I like that my blog is on the lighter side. I don't get paid for this, so I might as well do what's fun for me. And something tells me there are a LOT more bloggers out there who can relate to my point-of-view than the high-brow stance.

The bottom line is that we are all masters of our own domain. Don't like the way we do things? Then you are welcome to leave and keep your opinions to yourself. The bald fact is that if you don't like my blog, chances are I'm not frequenting yours. Your snark might fill some needy corner of your soul but I'm pretty sure the rest of the world can read the insecurity and need for attention all that lashing out is really about. I think if the bloggers who like to engage in such back-and-forth were to stop and examine their motives before they posted-- I mean a real self-examination-- they'd be shocked at the self absorption going on. But I don't suppose this kind of thing grows out of self awareness and I'm sure the look-at-me kind of thing will never end as long as we have the safe anonymity of the internet.

But then, here I go. Having my look-at-me moment for the day.

But I'm not naming any names.

Sexy Sci-Fi Costumes: "Star Wars" Edition

I'd have never thought of going as Chewbacca for Halloween...I'm not sure I'm going to start now. But you gotta love that they're trying to offer a little sex appeal for the geeks.

"The Voyage of the Dawn Treader"-- International Trailer

New York Comic Con 2010 Preview

At the end of this week’s column, you’ll find a semi-review I did of the CrossGen comic TPB of Sigil vol 1 – but I honestly couldn’t find that much good or bad to say about it (mostly I was indifferent). So, I decided instead to use this week’s column to give a preview of the things I’m excited about New York Comic Con 2010.

I’ll be attending New York Comic Con (NYCC) as a reporter for http://www.njoe.com/, along with my kids (age 4 and 6) on Sunday, Oct. 10th. I’ve got a bunch of exhibitors I’m hoping to check out, my kids wish-list to try and fulfill (they’re looking for toys – characters from the Krypto cartoon from a few years ago; specifically Krypto and Batman’s dog Ace), one panel I plan to attend, and another that I’ll try to see.

On the Exhibitor front, there are some of the usual Star Wars suspects; Dark Horse comics, Del Rey, DK, Penguin, Her Universe and Titan - but most of the other major publishers will be there as well (EOS, TOR, Orbit). I'm planning on doing a series of articles next Friday; one here at F&SF Lovin' on any book news I find out, one at NJOE on any Star Wars news, and one at www.cosmicbooknews.com on any comic news. Aside from Star Wars comics at Dark Horse, I’m hoping to get some information on the resurrection of Dark Horse Presents (a comic I used to love) as well as news on Jim Shooter’s Gold Key Comics revivals (such as Solar and Magnus). Speaking of comics, Titan’s new The Clone Wars Magazine debuts this week – including a reprint of UK comics in each issue – and I’m hoping to pick up a copy at the convention, as well as talk to them about upcoming issues.

DK always has both fantastic kids related Star Wars books as well as more non-fiction oriented Guide books for adults. I’m going to try and ask about some of their upcoming titles (such as their Visual Dictionary of Characters and Mysteries of the Jedi), gush to anyone within earshot about Star Wars: Year by Year (review coming soon), and maybe pick up the Star Wars Blueprints: Rebel Edition while I’m there. Similarly, I’d like to ask Penguin about their upcoming Star Wars kids books (through their Grosset & Dunlap imprint) such as A Jedi Adventure in 3-D and Villains: A Pop-up Storybook.

At Her Universe, mostly I wanted my kids to meet Ashley Eckstein the voice behind Ahsoka in The Clone Wars series (the fact that Matt Lanter – voice of Anakin from the show – will also be there, makes me want to find a way to get these two together on the floor of the convention somehow).

Like many creators (artists and writers) Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (DnA) will be at NYCC, and I’m hoping to spend a little time going down artists alley to see Katie Cook (of The Clone Wars webcomic), Alex Irvine, Pablo Hidalgo, Jim Lee, Jan Duursema, Joe Schreiber – I’m not too sure which ones I’ll actually get to see, but I know the potential is there.

I also plan to stop by Atlas Comics (a revival of an old imprint, with some new scifi stories coming out) Boom! Studios/ POW Entertainment (Stan Lee’s new scifi comics), DC Comics (because my traitorous children prefer Superman and Batman over their father’s love of Marvel), Disney Publishing Worldwide (because we all love Disney), EOS and Tor Books (to see their upcoming scifi offerings), IDW Publishing (I still love the Transformers, and so does my youngest), Marvel Entertainment’s booth (they have a sampler comic as well as an Avengers ID my kids can get), Wizards of the Coast (D&D!) and I’ve got to drop by the guys at Midtown Comics, since that’s the store I shop in when I’m in NYC (plus they’re one of the likely places to find those Krypto toys).

Del Rey should be promoting a few books I’m already interested in, videogame tie-ins such as God of War 2 and Deus Ex: The Icarus Effect, but of course I’m hoping to find out more about any of their upcoming general science fiction books. Then there’s The Old Republic: Deceived by Paul Kemp – and maybe something about John Jackson Miller’s Knight Errant releasing early next year. Of course, one of Del Rey’s big events is the release of The Making of the Empire Strikes Back, which will be available at NYCC a few days before its official release, and the first 150 people who pre-order a copy receive a limited edition poster as well. Author J.W. Rinzler will be on-hand to sign the book, as well as to speak at a panel on the making of the book – one of the panels I hope to attend.

But the panel that I definitely plan on attending is Marvel’s The Next Big Thing. It’s here that I’m hoping to hear some information on the future of Marvel’s cosmic line of comic books, as well as what plans they might have for the revival of Crossgen. I’m a fan of what they’re currently doing with Avengers and Fantastic Four, and will certainly listen to their plans for X-Men and Spider-man – but having been introduced to the Guardians of the Galaxy and Nova through DnA’s work on various cosmic titles at Marvel, that’s what I’m really hoping to hear about. After the current miniseries The Thanos Imperative, other than another miniseries starring Guardians’ members Rocket and Groot, nothing else is known about what might be in store for these characters. I’m plugging for a Cosmic Avengers title personally, but any news would be welcome (I’d also like to hear about the cosmic characters being a part of the introduction of CrossGen into mainstream Marvel, but again – I’ll take any news).

Which brings me full circle to the announcement (at San Diego Comic Con) that Marvel will be doing something with the CrossGen comic properties Disney (which now owns Marvel) purchased some time ago. Since I was a fan of some of their titles (most especially Scion) this news gave me some incentive to seek out additional CrossGen comics I never got to read and see what they were like (see last week’s Negation for instance). CrossGen was a bit of a different type of comic company – branching out to cover non-superhero titles when Marvel and DC were focused only on that type of story. At CrossGen you got Fantasy, Steampunk, Kung-Fu, and Science Fiction titles like Sigil. This was one of the first titles CrossGen introduced, meant to be a cornerstone for the entire CrossGen universe, and this volume collects more than just the first story arc, it’s also a record of how this comic came to be – from plotting and art to the initial design and story concepts. How does it all work as a comic story?

Reading this book I got a strange sense of déjà-vu – at first I couldn’t place it, and then I realized Star Wars: Legacy is actually very similar to Sigil. Sam is Cade – a washed up pilot who’s given extra special powers (the Sigil - a design branded on him and marking him as a person of power) who doesn’t want the job and would rather turn his back on everyone – except his crew. Actually it’s also similar to Firefly, as a few newcomers join his crew – like the runaway wife (number 13, and all of the others are still alive) of a sultan type guy who leads one of the planets in this story as well as her bodyguard. Also, the ship’s holographic computer that has the personality of Sam’s dead partner/girlfriend… and I’m left wondering what’s really original here. Oh sure, this comic actually pre-dates Legacy and Firefly – but the real problem with this book is that there’s no great story to back it all up.

The sultan wants his wife back, the Reptilian race wants its revenge on Sam for the usual host of reasons, Sam wants to get his girlfriend back, they get a super-powerful new ship (why they couldn’t have started with this ship, I don’t know) they hop around a few planets, get into some trouble and beat up the bad-guys. Unfortunately, there’s not too much here to recommend. The art is pretty good, there’s some decently cool looking tech designs and alien creatures – but the problem is it’s rather forgettable. I’m a fan of a number of other CrossGen properties and I’ve read a fair share of duds as well from them. While I wouldn’t say Sigil is bad, it’s not up to the level of the best of what this CrossGen has to offer. If you’re looking for a semi-decent sci-fi read, this could suffice – but frankly there are a host of other better choices out there that I’d suggest before bothering with Sigil.

Ghosts

You should be in bed, but the baby didn't stop crying until two in the morning. It was just so much easier to grab the afghan that was carelessly thrown over the back of the couch, and curl up on the recliner and just sleep. The baby will probably be up in an hour anyway.

It's cold in the front room and that ratty old blanket doesn't offer much protection against the chill. Your sleep is fitful at best, but you just pull your meager covering up to your chin and try to cling to the brief moments of sleep you've managed to steal for the night.

But there's a weird feeling that keeps sleep at bay. Maybe you feel a tingle on your arm. A shiver down your spine. Turning over doesn't help; recliners are made for napping and this one is old enough to list to one side and trying to readjust your position only makes you more uncomfortable. You reluctantly allow your consciousness to return.

You sit for a minute in that half-sleep state that is so comforting before you have to look at the alarm clock and deal with the awareness that you have to get up in fifteen minutes. But the cold is biting, almost like you left a window open, and then you realize you feel a breeze across your face.

Damn. Left the window open after all.

You open your eyes, but instead of seeing the dim outline of the couch in front of you, you see see shadowy face, a silhouette really, hovering less than an inch from your own.

One of the first things that comes to mind when I think of Halloween is ghosts.

Being an avid reader the word "ghost" comes up so often; a ghost of a chance or a ghost of a smile and whether you believe in them or not -- and I do -- the very idea of a wandering soul can't help elicit feelings of both excitement and dread.

And ghosts, regardless of the season, are hot these days.

A quick search of reality shows currently filming that feature our spectral friends includes Ghost Adventures (Travel Channel), Ghost Hunters (Syfy), Celebrity Ghost Stories (Bio),  Ghost Lab (Discovery), and Paranormal State (A&E), and there are easily twice as many shows of this nature that continue to air well past their cancellation date. Paranormal Activity 2 also makes its way to theaters this month for the ghost-hungry masses.

When you get right down to it, ghosts may be as prevalent in the culture as the debate over whether vampires should sparkle or not (NOT!).

I'd ask what gives, but I think I know why ghosts have captured popular interest so decidedly.

Almost everyone either has, or knows someone who has, a real-life ghost story. The story at the top of this post happened to my sister-in-law.

As much as I'm a believer, I'm also a bit of a skeptic. I think most ghost stories belong to the imagination of the person who relates the tale. How many stories have we heard that begin with I was sleeping and...? Who hasn't seen or heard something strange in the fugue state of sleep? Normally I'd brush off my sister-in-law's ghost story (not to be ungracious) but the ghost sightings in her house are pretty firmly established. Friends and family are declining invitations to stay over and maybe one or two people have left the house rather abruptly. I'm intrigued but not planning on visiting.

Ghosts are part of the supernatural world that we can actually attempt to grab hold of (metaphorically speaking) while vampires and werewolves are generally accepted as part of our folklore. Some overenthusiastic people might have fangs veneered to their teeth-- but we know they're faking it.

What I really love about all the shows that are on right now are the hoops our fearless ghost-hunters are jumping through in some vague hope of proving our dearly-departed are still hanging around. The knocks and screeches they catch on tape frequently sound like distant machinery that has been radically amplified. The voices they supposedly hear can easily be attributed to the power of suggestion.

But we still tune in.

Ghosts are also a reminder of history. In America it's not unusual to hear of stories surrounding the sites of great Civil War battles, while Britain has a 900-year-old history with the Tower of London.

Ultimately it's the stories themselves that are the draw-- more so than the spirits. Don't you think? Whether it's a more commonplace story like my sister-in-law's or one that's set in a place that steeped in national history, we want to know who these people might have been. Did they die a tragic death? Or do they just have unfinished business? The eerier the story, the better.

To tell the truth, I hope we never find a way to prove, or disprove, the existence of ghosts. Some things are better when they remain a mystery.