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Offworld
Report - SF&F: November 2003
Interviews with author Wil McCarthy, the cast of Alias, and the
Director of Underworld. Plus criticism of this year's Worldcon in
Toronto, the return of Dr Who, and a short science fiction history
of the Middle East.
 November's
news and content roundup of all that is worthy and good in the world
of science fiction and fantasy, found living offworld the 'Nest.
INTERVIEWS
Steve
Westcott Interviewed
The new fantasy author chats about his first novel and plans for
his second.
Wil
on Himself
Wil McCarthy peers under the bonnet of his own books.
Alias
Alas
The cast of Alias are interviewed about the third season of the
spi-fi series.
Who's
Afraid of The Big Bad Wolf?
The film Underworld's Director, Len Wiseman, interviewed about vampires
and werewolves.
ARTICLES
Taking
the Blue Pill
SF author Steve Aylett on matters Matrix-related.
Where
No Truth Has Gone Before
Rather silly plot for a SF movie by an obvious non-fan of the genre.
A
Science Fiction History Of The Middle East
Parallel universe Arab histories are considered … and let's face
it, almost any history is better than the current mix of carnage
and self-serving autocracies, theocracies and crapocracies..
A
Collision of Science and Fiction
A look at why the SFF editor John W. Campbell was up to his neck
in the great Cartmill affair.
Oh
That Anderson
A classic look at the even more classic works of Anderson.
Saving
Sladek
The otherworldly works of John Sladek come under the microscope.
A
Postmodern What …?
Repost of a classic Michael Swanwick article on matters cyberpunk.
The
Perils of Publishing
Author Jay Russell tells how he climbed out of rejection letter
hell in his battle to get his novel published.
The
Magazine Menace
Locus brings you an excellent bumper crop of magazine reviews including
Analog, Asimov's, Interzone, Mythic Delirium, and The New York Review
of Science Fiction.
Simmons
and the Ditty
Author Dan Simmons ruminates on the similarities between scribing
poetry and science fiction.
Hugo-a-Go-Go
2003
This year's Hugo novel nominees are analyzed in a Booker-like act
of criticism.
Why
MP3s Are Not Agents of Beelzebub
The great science fiction author Orson Scott Card cries over the
screwed up state of copyright in our digital age.
CONS
And
You Thought Conrunning was Easy?
The implausibly named Pádraig O Mealóid brings you
the Dummies Guide to Running a Decent Convention.
The
Fandom Menance
Odd look at this year's Australian-based 'Friends of Science Fiction
Convention'.
Do
You Know the Way to …
More on November's Alabama-Cuba Week conference to be held in Tuscaloosa.
Crash
and Burn
Critical look at the mistakes made at this year's Toronto-based
World SF Con.
Due
North
A much happier look at the japes at this year's Canadian-hosted
World Con.
LITERATURE
Advanced
Vance
Look at Jack Vance's 'The Dragon Masters' and 'The Last Castle'.
Fahrenheit
451
Why Cassandra-ism still gets the applause as the only literate form
of SFF.
Catherine
Asaro on Space Opera
Look at the SFF works of Asaro.
Dystopia
Myopia
Is Margaret Atwood's speculative fiction a rather scary thing?
Giggles
with Terry
Terry Pratchett and his ever-popular Diskworld series get another
visit. Groan.
Kapa
Kalpa
Angélica Gorodischer's 'Kalpa Imperial' is reviewed (as translated
by Ursula K. Le Guin).
Tipples
with Tepper
The SFF passions of author Sheri S. Tepper.
Scanning
for Rhysling
The Science Fiction Poetry Association (SFPA) informs us of the
winners of their 2003 Rhysling Award for speculative poetry.
NEWS
DragonCon
Founder Trial Date Set
The trial date has been set for November 3rd 2003 for
Ed Kramer, SF editor and founder of the largest SFF con in the world,
DragonCon (it drew nearly 60,000 this year). The prosecution alleges
he molested two teenage brothers in separate incidents in 2000.
UCSC
and Heinlein
Robert Heinlein’s literary estate comes to UCSC as gift from his
late widow.
UCSC’s new Heinlein Scholar now plans to write an authorized biography
of the SF author legend.
MEDIA
Spielberg
Goes Sci-Fi
An impressive hat-trick for the SciFi Channel, as - after the success
of Taken - they sign up Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Bryan
Singer to produce three new mini-series for the network. As they
might say in the 'hood', Bonnie Hammer, you go girl!
Time
for Who
Yes, all-new Doctor Who is set to return to the BBC in 2005. How
will we wait?
Dr
Who, We Miss You
Doctor Who voted the TV series people would most like to see back
in a massive Radio Times poll.
The
Mania, The Mania
Here comes Mania Fest, which aims to be the Sundance Festival of
the slasher, sci-fi and fantasy flick world.
About
Time
Brian Courtis gets all nostalgic about his love for Doctor Who.
The
Matrix Revolutions
Sneak peak at the last Matrix movie in the trilogy.
Filmmaker
Save Thyself
He resurrected the flagging careers of Travolta and Willis, but
can Tarantino save his own career with the fantasy assassin adventure
flick Kill Bill?
SHORT FICTION
At
the Mouth of the River of Bees
Kij Johnson brings you a little short fiction to warm your heart
this chilly November.
The
Cleansing Fire of God
Jay Lake's tale of someone jailed for receiving messages from the
moon.
The
Memory of Water
David Moles asks why, when surrounded by ten thousand kilometers
of desert, the corpse had drowned?
Shadow
Christ
Martin Cowap brings you a little art dressed up as SFF.
The
Birdcatcher
Erika Peterson's tale of whimsy and weirdness.
African
Shadows
Nick Wood leads in with another superlative piece of short fiction.
TRAILER TRASH
As always, make sure you've got the latest version of Apple's QuickTime
multimedia plug-in (downloadable free) humming in your web browser
to view these movie trailers.
The
Incredibles
The
Punisher
Kill
Bill (Volume I)
Ridley
Scott Interview (on Alien)
Alien:
The Director's Cut
Timeline
Gothika
Scary
Movie III
Underworld
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