Category: Critical Mass News

A few elements come to mind:  

• Story has a beginning, middle and an end, with a resolution/catharsis  
• Suspension of disbelief: Story/world/characters must be believable and internally consistent 
• We care about the characters… either because they are likeable or a (macabre) curiosity as to who will survive  
• The world is viewed through the actions of the protagonist rather than (heavy) exposition 

Do you think these elements guarantee a good SF/fantasy story? What would you add to this list? Are there SF/fantasy books you would recommend even though they don’t seem contain these elements?

Share your experiences with books that you don’t think pulled it off even though they seemed to have followed a good formula. Does a good story in fact need to follow any “formula”?

Have the requirements changed from the early days (say, 30s or 70s) SF/Fantasy?

This meeting will be zoom only

Zoom details:

Critical Mass
Time: Jun 21, 2023 6:30pm Adelaide, 7:00pm Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86711562991?pwd=L0VoYjkrRlIwWU05QmxWU0tqaUZiZz09

Meeting ID: 867 1156 2991
Passcode: 535708

A new Doctor Who trailer revealed episode titles for 60th Anniversary Specials.
Moments before the Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final came live from Liverpool the new Doctor Who trailer announced the titles as:  

• Special One: The Star Beast
• Special Two: Wild Blue Yonder
• Special Three: The Giggle

As Yeine is also Arameri, he names her his heir — but he had already assigned that role to both his niece and his nephew. Traditionally the issue is resolved by a fight to the death. Yeine seems an unlikely victor, but there are background political ploys which may work in her favour…

If you’re in Adelaide, meet at kappy’s in Compton St (near the market).
Doors open at 6:15 for a 6:30pm start.

Zoom Details:

Time: Wednesday May 17, 2023 — 6:30 Adelaide, 7:00 pm Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86711562991?pwd=L0VoYjkrRlIwWU05QmxWU0tqaUZiZz09

Meeting ID: 867 1156 2991
Passcode: 535708

ReConnect is a 2023 convention for science fiction, fantasy and horror fans and professionals in Aotearoa New Zealand and beyond.
Two+ days of panels, discussions, talks, and socializing — all online to revitalize fandom in preparation for the 2024 national convention.

The convention is running online on the weekend of June 2nd.

For more info/membership details: ReConnect

Shades in Shadow

Three brand new short stories set in the world of the Inheritance trilogy.

A newborn god with an old, old soul struggles to find a reason to live. A powerful demon searches for her father, and answers. And in a prequel to the Inheritance Trilogy, a newly-enslaved Nahadoth forges a dark alliance with a mortal, for survival. . . and revenge.

The Awakened Kingdom

A novella which takes place after the events in Kingdom of Gods
As the first new godling born in thousands of years — and the heir presumptive to Sieh the Trickster — Shill’s got big shoes to fill. She’s well on her way when she defies her parents and sneaks off to the mortal realm, which is no place for an impressionable young god.

The Sci-Fi Exploration Bundle – curated by Adam Gaffen:

Exploration. It’s hardwired into humanity’s genes.

As far back into history you want to go, there have always been people who want to push the boundaries of what we know. Whether that was looking to the stars and wondering where those twinkling lights came from, or what was across that intimidating-looking ocean, or what the purpose of all that red stuff inside the human body, the questions never seemed to end.

That spirit of exploration has never stopped. It’s alive today, as we push boundaries in space, on the planet, and into the dreams of cyberspace. We’ve gathered ten notable authors to give you their takes on where humanity’s endless curiosity might take us.

— from Adam Gaffen’s description of the bundle.

Come with us as our voyage of exploration begins!

You can read more about the bundle here — the bundle is available until May 5th.

The BSFA awards are voted on by BSFA members and, more recently, members of the British science fiction convention, Eastercon. Their aim, according to the BSFA website, is to “seek to honour the most worthy examples in each category, but also to promote the genre of science fiction, and get people reading, talking about, and enjoying all that contemporary science fiction has to offer.”

To qualify, the work must have been released in 2022.

Best Novel (defined as a work greater than 40,000 words)

• Winner: City of Last Chances by Adrian Tchaikovsky
• Stars and Bones by Gareth Powell
• The Coral Bones by E.J. Swift
• The Red Scholar’s Wake by Aliette de Bodard
• The This by Adam Roberts

Best Short Fiction (defined as work less than 40,000 words)

• “A Moment of Zugzwang” by Neil Williiamson
• Luca by Or Luca
• Winner: Of Charms, Ghosts and Grievances by Aliette de Bodard
• Ogres by Adrian Tchaikovsky
• “Seller’s Remorse” by Rick Danforth

Venessa Armstrong, Tor.com for details of all awards

Molly Templeton at Tor.com writes:

When Amazon Studios bought the legendary movie studio MGM last year, they bought a huge catalog of movie and television properties. Obviously, they weren’t just going to sit on those new acquisitions—not when there are always remakes and reboots to create!
According to Deadline, executives have been combing through that catalog, deciding which bits of intellectual property are best suited to being further developed—and sorting out the rights to said projects.

A handful of projects have been chosen for movie or TV development—and Stargate is among them.
[…]
The future potential of Stargate has been discussed for years and years, but the last related project to come to fruition was the brief web series Stargate Origins in 2018. Before Amazon bought MGM, there was talk of a Stargate revival featuring members of the Stargate SG-1 cast. Once upon a time, there were plans for a Stargate Extinction movie.

Stargate’s Future at Amazon May Include Movies and Series

The Weird West Bundle – curated by Tammy Salyer:

Okay, you may be saying, but what do you mean by Weird West? Oh boy, here’s where things get REALLY good. Weird West is a subgenre of speculative fiction that combines bits of traditional Western stories with supernatural, science fiction, steampunk, or even horror elements. In other words, it turns the good ole standby of cowboys and Indians firmly on its head, and throws in a dash of shamans and sorcerers, a spritz of steampower and magic (and sometimes steampowered magic!), or a sprinkle of zombies and Fae, and nearly every goldurn one of ’em is a gunslinger!

Tammy Salyer

You can read more about the bundle here

https://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/1967-hugo-awards/

Here are the Hugo nominees for novels and fanzines, 1967:

Best Novel

• The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein [If Dec 1965,Jan,Feb,Mar,Apr 1966; Putnam, 1966]
• Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany [Ace, 1966]
• Too Many Magicians by Randall Garrett [Analog Aug,Sep,Oct,Nov 1966]
• Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes [Harcourt, Brace & World, 1966]
• The Witches of Karres by James H. Schmitz [Chilton, 1966]
• Day of the Minotaur by Thomas Burnett Swann [Ace, 1966]

Best Fanzine

• Niekas ed. by Edmund R. Meskys and Felice Rolfe
• Australian Science Fiction Review ed. by John Bangsund
• Lighthouse ed. by Terry Carr
• Yandro ed. by Robert Coulson and Juanita Coulson
• Habakkuk ed. by Bill Donaho
• Trumpet ed. by Tom Reamy
• Riverside Quarterly ed. by Leland Sapiro

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Meeting details Nova Mob Wednesday 5 April 2023 – “1966 and all that” – Best Short Sf – Perry Middlemiss

Please share this invitation with like-minded friends and fans

Face to face 

You are invited to an in-person Nova Mob meeting at: Wednesday 5 April 2023 8.00pm – 9.15pm or so, first floor Conference Room

Kensington Town Hall

30 – 34 Bellair St

Kensington Melbourne VIC 3031

 By Zoom – simulcast

You are invited to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Wednesday 5 April

8.00pm – 9.30 pm Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney time
7.30pm – 9.00pm Adelaide time
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4177583193?pwd=VjdPL1BhSTBNclN2YnRsejN3Y1hlUT09

Passcode: nova

Meeting ID: 417 758 3193

This is the standard web link. It doesn’t change. Maybe add it to your bookmarks.

💥 💥 💥

Pre-Mob dining – at the Doutta Galla Hotel 

The usual pre-Mob location in Newmarket

Doutta Galla Hotel, 339 Racecourse Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3031, Australia

Table for 8 booked for 5 April under the name of the Nova Mob Book Discussion group also Murray, 6.00pm for 6.30, through to 8.00pm.