25x52: Adventures in Sci Fi Publishing

Bringing you the authors of science fiction and fantasy.

- from the AISFP main page

Why I chose Adventures in Sci Fi Publishing:

A little over a year ago I discovered Adventures in Sci Fi Publishing via Lou Anders, editorial Director of Pyr Books. Lou or one of his authors was being interviewed and I decided to tune in. At that point, while podcasts were something I had known about for years, they were something I had never really listened to. After listening to that show, and browsing through some of the archives (along with the recent discovery of another fine podcast, If You're Just joining Us, at about the same time), I became a big fan of the format and of AISFP in particular.

Creator and host Shaun Farrell, along with his charming co-conspirator Sam Wynns, bring humor, love of subject and a truckload of invaluable information every time a new show hits the internet. There is a good-natured chemistry to the hosts, evident in their banter and obvious enjoyment of each others company. An aspiring writer himself, Shaun proves he is also an adept interviewer who honestly enjoys what he does and relishes the chance to learn something new during the time spent interviewing authors. Sam brings her lifelong passion for reading and all things science fiction and fantasy to the show, along with her quick wit and her other passion: teasing Shaun.

And while Shaun and Sam have a good time together, the real heart of AISFP are the interviews. Each episode brings such luminaries as Michael Moorcock, Robert J. Sawyer, Neil Gaiman and Larry Niven. Newer writers such as Tobias S. Buckell, Mary Anne Mohanraj and Thom Lloyd are also featured, as well as publishers, editors, retailers. And while the focus is on publishing, there are the occasional jaunts into other media with interview subjects such as musician Bear McCreary (Battlestar Galactica) and TV writer/producer Joseph Mallozzi (Stargate: Atlantis). Hey, I was even interviewed (briefly) for a project I'm involved in this past fall, which was very exciting for me. So, all in all a well rounded, well produced, and very fun program (my minor participation notwithstanding).

One of the reasons I began 25x52 was not only to give to charities who needed help, but also to support worthy personal and artistic endeavors that entertain and enrich our lives. AISFP fits that bill for me and many others. I have been given hours of enjoyment, and learned more about writing in the past year than I have since, well, probably the rest of my adult life. The show had a rough 2009, with Shaun Farrell moving and changing careers, and episodes more sporadic than in previous years. But friends have stepped into to help, and Shaun remains committed. So do I. 

I hope you will join us.

Donate to Adventures in Sci Fi Publishing

(The donation button is on the left side of the main page)

Tuesday's Ripe Pears

Haven't posted much of late aside from my 25x52 project. A short one with some old news to rectify that.

Recent movies I've seen: Up in the Air and The Book of Eli.

Verdict: I enjoyed both, but Up in the Air was the better of the two. Both are worth a watch if either appeals to you, though.

The sooper secret show I mentioned a while back, well it wasn't that secret, but it was apparently not well publicized and most people seemed to have had to win a contest to get into. And who did Catherine and I see? Well, Evelyn Evelyn of course. They were performing in a small showcase at the Slipper Room in Manhattan. It was ostensibly their first public performance, but I am skeptical of this. You can search them on YouTube and find a couple of clips. Supposedly they don't like being photographed or filmed (so alas, being the obedient boy that I am,  I acquiesced to their demands of no pictures so all I have to show you is the awning above the Slipper Room's side entrance), but you can see some early footage which I'm not quite certain they are aware of. The twins (for that's what they are, Siamese twins) are a bit sheltered. They didn't speak outside of whispers between each other, or to the host Sxip Shirey, but sang in clear and beautiful voices while looking frightened and lovely and not quite strange but mysterious (yes, mysterious).

The odd thing about it all was even though they don't like pictures, a camera crew was there shooting a documentary on them. Sure, they only shot them from behind, but still.... Catherine and I were briefly interviewed, don't know if we'll make the cut. I'll let you know if we do. (That's funny, too, since we don't like pictures much either, or at least I don't).

Neil Gaiman was in attendance as well, as the twins were the discovery of his fiancee Amanda Palmer and her friend (and my favorite musician) Jason Webley. We actually didn't participate in the contest to get a spot in the audience (which was to draw Siamese animals, or some such thing), I think we got the invite because of the series of flash stories I wrote recently based on Jason's song titles. But whatever the reason, we had a wondrous time, and were back home at a reasonable hour because the show was at 3pm.

You should follow the link to their MySpace page and listen to their songs, they are quite catchy. An album will be available in March, and if you get a chance, see them in action, they'll be touring this spring.

And that's all I have for you this evening. Good night.

25x52: United Way

From the United Way info page:

“United Way is a worldwide network in 45 countries and territories, including nearly 1,300 local organizations in the U.S. It advances the common good, creating opportunities for a better life for all, by focusing on the three key building blocks of education, income and health. The United Way movement creates long lasting community change by addressing the underlying causes of problems that prevent progress in these areas.”

Organization Homepage:

http://national.unitedway.org/

Why I chose the United Way:

The United Way helps provide people with the opportunity to live better lives. Through their three building blocks of Education, Income and Health they offer support and challenge everyone to do their part in making sure we are all afforded the chance to make it.

One of the best parts of the United Way is that it is a community based organization, with each of the nearly 1300 chapters across the country tackling the issues of its local neighborhoods. By establishing partnerships with local schools, businesses, governments, etc. they are able to serve the needs of the citizenry and bring the community together.

On the national level, the United Way has created partnerships with organizations such as the NFL, which gave them a visible presence in your living room during games--promoting the work they do with the players who come aboard to support them. The organization is also a part of the current efforts to raise funds and bring aid to those affected by the recent quakes in Haiti, which is just one more reason to support them.

Plus, my future sister-in-law works for them, and for me that right there was as good a reason as any to donate (she's good people).

Click here to donate to the United Way

25x52: American Red Cross

From the American Red Cross’ Info Page:

“As part of a worldwide movement that offers neutral humanitarian care to the victims of war, the American Red Cross distinguishes itself by also aiding victims of devastating natural disasters. Over the years, the organization has expanded its services, always with the aim of preventing and relieving suffering.”

Organization Homepage:
http://www.redcross.org/

 
Why I Chose the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross is well established and well regarded, offering a host of services to help those is need. I had already picked the Red Cross for week three when the earthquake hit Haiti the other day, so when I went to make my donation yesterday and the option to direct my contribution to relief efforts there came up, that is of course where my money went.

Normally I would only focus on the organization I’m giving to this week, but the situation in Haiti warrants further exploration, and the Red Cross isn’t the only organization out there marshaling its resources. If you plan to give elsewhere, make sure you aren’t being scammed by checking out the organizations credentials first. If you aren’t sure, ask a friend for a recommendation, or head over to Charity Navigator, an organization that tracks and vettes charitable organizations, they currently have a list of groups providing aid to those affected by the current crisis in Haiti.

Donation Page:
The American Red Cross' "Giving and Getting Involved" page

My Donation Receipt:

The 42 Challenge Review...

...will start next Thursday, January 21st 28th. [Because I can't get my act together, so I'll have two reviews then]

While I have finished the first book I was planning to review (Mary Robinette Kowal's debut story collection Scenting the Dark and Other Stories), my unexpected trip into New York City on Tuesday sort of knocked me for a loop, shifted my plans and further exacerbated my already wonky sleeping schedule. The concert we saw (that sooper-secret show I mentioned before, which may not have been as sooper secret as I assumed, more on that later) was well worth it, but trips into NYC always leave me tired and usually with headache, this one being no exception.

Rather than throw something together and possibly give a less than well thought out review, I've decided to hold off another week and get my balance back. In addition to Scenting the Dark I've already got a bunch of stuff lined up to absorb and review from various media (books, TV shows, music), and look forward to sharing them with you.

Don't be disappointed, the world isn't going to end because of this. I've delayed that, too.

Tuesday’s Unique Music

The week got off to an interesting start, as two music related events greeted me on Monday morning.

The first, which I don’t think I can really talk about (I’ll have to confirm with the person who made the offer), prompts me to visit New York City today with Catherine for a secret concert—which I should be attending shortly after this posts (the wonders of scheduled blogging, you know). I’ll let you know how it went later, and reveal the deal if it’s not a sooper-secret event and I’m allowed to tell you all. I know for sure I won’t have pictures to offer, as they have asked attendees to refrain form taking any. Bummer, but I only have my iPhone camera which isn’t all that great anyway for high quality pictures.

The other bit of news is that I won a contest. SF Signal, a great news site for all things SF/F related, ran a contest to giveaway three copies of John Anealio’s SciFi Songs CD. SciFi Songs is a collection of Anealio’s science fiction inspired music, among my favorites’ is “George R. R. Martin is Not Your Bitch” which if you don’t know who he is and why he’s not your bitch, is probably not all that amusing (I won’t go into the long backstory here, but it involves Mr. Martin, Neil Gaiman, and a bunch of angry fans). Sadly, that one is not on the album, but other cool cuts are. You can check out some of his songs on his site. I’ll most likely have a review for the 42 Challenge after I receive it, it should be fun.

The 42 Challenge

Back on my New Year's Day post I named two projects I was going to be undertaking this year (two of several, but what those others are among the unnamed will have to wait for now, they're not ready to play with you, Internet Peoples). The first was my 25x52 giving project, which has now has two weeks worth of goodness under its belt and is rolling along nicely. The second, also numerically inclined, is the 42 Challenge.

While 25x52 was my creation, the 42 Challenge was born of and is curated by Becky of Becky's Book Reviews (and a few other blogs; aside from leaving a comment on her blog announcing my participation, I haven't really made her acquaintance yet, but I will remedy that soon enough). I had heard of it last year and thought it was a neat idea, but didn't give any more thought to it until I saw a link to it again at the end of the year (or two weeks ago, take your pick), when I read her call for 2010 participants. I have been wanting to put up reviews here for a while (along with interviews, so far only one in that category, but hopefully more this year), and this seemed like a nice way to do it and hopefully get a little more traffic the Manifesto's way.

What is the 42 Challenge? Well, the short of it, borrowed from the Challenge's blog, is to...

Review 42 sci-fi related items: short stories, novellas, novels, radio show episodes, television show episodes, movies, graphic novels, comic books, audio books, essays about science fiction, biographies about sci-fi authors, etc. Adapted or abridged works are okay as well.

Keen, no?

Originally, my first entry was going to be a review of Avatar, but everyone's mother has already done one, and I have ever-growing mixed feelings about it to posit any kind of decent review. Instead, I just received a long-anticipated short story collection from Subterranean Press that I'm almost through and can't wait to tell the world about.

Starting next week the 42 Challenge reviews will post on Thursday afternoons, weekly, until I hit the magic number--and maybe beyond if I'm inclined. I'll keep my requisite running list as per the challenge rules on the sidebar somewhere with linked entries to each of the reviews (that'll go up when the first review does).

Until then...