Archive for News

Charles Stross and Cory Doctorow London Charity Event, May 1st

Orbit’s very own Charles Stross, along with Boing! Boing! founder-member Cory Doctorow, will be taking part in a discussion entitled Resisting the All-Seeing Eye on behalf of the Open Rights Group on Friday May 1st at Crypt on the Green, St James’ Church, Clerkenwell, London.

The panel will discuss the growing need need to “resist surveillance and ensure the integrity of your digital personality”. Entry is by Open Rights Group membership or £10 donation-on-the-door. Visit www.openrightsgroup.org for more information.

Ken MacLeod @ Edinburgh International Science Festival

From Ken MacLeod‘s ‘The Early Days of a Better Nation’ blog:

At 6.30 p.m. on Monday 6 April I’m giving a talk on robots and AI in SF at Heriot-Watt University, as part of the Edinburgh International Science Festival.

The University of Edinburgh is hosting lots of cool events, including guest appearances over Saturday and Sunday by ASIMO, ‘the world’s most advanced humanoid robot’, at the McEwan Hall.

Follow the embedded links for more information.

In Their Own Words: Jaye Wells on RED-HEADED STEPCHILD

Jaye says:

Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye WellsI’ve always had a soft spot for outcasts and rebels. It’s no surprise then that I created a world populated by dark races, who have been literally forced to live in the shadows, hidden from the human race. And in this world, lives an outcast among outcasts. Her name in Sabina Kane, and her story is about what happens when the red-headed stepchild grows up and realizes she’s been betrayed by those who should have protected her.

All of that sounds very deep and dark, but Red-Headed Stepchild is also about how Sabina finds her own tribe of misfits in unlikely places. A mischief demon with a predilection for infomercial shopping. An idealistic nymph who used to work in faery porn. A roguish mage who introduces Sabina to the world of magic. Each helps Sabina navigate a world filled with blood-thirsty wine makers, charismatic cult leaders and hookah-smoking vampires. So really, when you think about it, there’s something in Red-Headed Stepchild for the whole family to enjoy.

Red-Headed Stephchild is out this month! [US|UK|AZ]

Six of the Best: Charles Stross’s Hugo Award Record

Fantastic news just in: the final ballot for the 2009 Hugo Awards has been announced and we are absolutely delighted to congratulate Charles Stross, whose Saturn’s Children is nominated in the Best Novel category.

As if having a book shortlisted for the premier award in the SF world isn’t enough, the unfeasibly talented Mr Stross becomes the first author to have a novel on the Hugo shortlist in six consecutive years!

Trying to predict the future is fraught with peril, but I feel quite confident in saying that it will be quite some time before that amazing achievement is matched or bettered. Even the great Robert Silverberg only managed four-in-a-row.

Many congratulations to Charlie from all at Orbit, and if you are eligible to vote for the Hugos, remember:

Vote early
Vote often*
Vote Stross!

*Actually, maybe you shouldn’t vote often. That would probably be bad.

Listen to The State of the Art

The State of the ArtBBC Radio is currently running Sci-Fi Season on Radio 3, Radio 4 and Radio 7, a worthy endeavour of which we heartily approve! What’s more, we’re delighted to inform you that if you happen to be near one of those new-fangled wirelesses this Thursday at 2:15pm, you can listen to an adaptation of the wonderful Culture story The State of the Art by Iain M. Banks, starring, among others, Sir Antony Sher.

And in the unlikely event that you need an even bigger incentive, The State of the Art has been adapted for radio by Paul Cornell, who some of you may know from the adventures of a certain Time Lord, so on Thursday 5th March at 2:15pm, we trust you’ll all be tuning your dials to Radio 4.

Ken MacLeod talks about Digital Evolution

Award-winning Night Sessions author Ken Macleod is set to host a discussion on how computer games inform our ideas of evolution at The Drill Hall, Edinburgh this Saturday 7th February 2009.

How life-like are games like Spores and Second Life and what can they teach us about human evolution?

Ken and synthetic biologist Dr Alistair Elfick will be leading this debate, hosted by The Skinny Magazine and the ESRC Genomics Policy and Research forum.

For more information on this free, ticketed event click here.

Ken MacLeod’s THE NIGHT SESSIONS shortlisted for BSFA Award

The Night Sessions UK HardbackFollowing on from Ken MacLeod‘s excellent showing on last year’s awards shortlists, we’re delighted to announce that 2009 has begun in similar fashion. We’ve just received news that his dark, near-future SF thriller, The Night Sessions, has been shortlisted for the BSFA Award for Best Novel!

Many congratulations to Ken and thanks to those who nominated The Night Sessions. The award will be presented over the Easter weekend at LX, the 60th National Science Fiction Convention, in Bradford. In the meantime, may I urge you to vote early and vote often!

Win Signed Karen Miller Copies

To celebrate the release of TWO amazing Karen Miller books this month, Hammer of God (US/UK), and, under the name K.E. Mills, The Accidental Sorcerer (US/UK), we’re giving you a chance to win signed copies of Karen’s first four books.

For the next four Mondays, we’re going to be giving away a series of signed books and all you have to do to enter is be a fan on Karen’s Facebook page.

Full details are on the fan page – hope to see you all there soon!