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Tag Archive: non-fiction
Mar
31
Indy Magazine ‘Crikey!’ takes a close look at the British comics scene
Posted in: Press Room on 31st March 2008 by Sandy Auden
Did you grow up on British comics? Want to take a trip down Memory Lane and revisit some of your favourites? Remember TV21? Eagle? Sparky? Maybe Wham! Or Judy? Or the extremely spooky Misty?
If you're answering yes to any of the above then you should be getting the new Crikey! Magazine. Brought to us by Editor Brian M Clarke and Designer Glenn Fleming, Crikey! looks at a huge range of comics, their development, their artwork and their story content; and they even a look at how the comics influenced kids in France.
Mar
16
SFX Magazine invites you to vote for your favourite SF and Fantasy Authors
Posted in: Press Room on 16th March 2008 by Sandy Auden
SFX Magazine has just opened the voting for a major new poll in which you can vote for 'Your Favourite SF and Fantasy Authors of all time'. Voting is open to anybody who wants to join in, and each voter is invited to name their top five SF and Fantasy authors.
Polls and Awards are a regular occurrence in all aspects of media these days so we politely nailed down SFX Magazine's Dave Golder and asked why this poll was important.
Mar
16
Books Received March 2nd - 16th 2008
Posted in: Books Received on 16th March 2008 by UKSFBN admin
Another round-up of the books and magazines that have been sent in to UKSFBN in the past couple of weeks. As always, many thanks indeed to the publishers concerned for bringing these titles to our attention.
Click on any of the book covers for ordering information from either Amazon.co.uk or the book's publisher.
Feb
24
Editor Kate Lloyd on launching Titan’s Official ‘Supernatural’ Magazine
Posted in: Press Room on 24th February 2008 by Sandy Auden
Can't get enough of Dean and Sam Winchester, the sexy demon hunters in Supernatural? Want to find out more about the mythologies, stories and action at the centre of this highly successful TV series? Well, your wait is over: Titan will be indulging your senses and answering all your questions in their new Supernatural magazine.
With issue #1 released this month - featuring interviews with stars Dean and Sam, an in-depth article about the boys' Chevy Impala (even the cars can act in this show) and all the latest hot news from behind the scenes - the new magazine is sure-fire winner. So how did magazine head honcho, Kate Lloyd get such a plum of a job?
Feb
12
‘Basil Copper: A Life in Books’ launch, BFS Open Night, London, Feb 23rd
Posted in: What's On on 12th February 2008 by UKSFBN admin
Hosted by the British Fantasy Society and PS Publishing, the bio/bibliography Basil Copper: A Life in Books, compiled and edited by Stephen Jones, will be launched on Saturday, February 23rd at The Upstairs Bar, Ye Olde Cock Tavern, 22 Fleet Street, London EC4Y 1AA from 6.00 p.m. onwards.
Among those signing copies will be: Basil Copper, editor/co-designer Stephen Jones, artists Randy Broecker and Les Edwards, co-designer Michael Marshall Smith and publisher Peter Crowther. Special Guests (subject to commitment) will include legendary anthology editors Hugh Lamb, Michel Parry and David A. Sutton.
Feb
6
Books Received January 1st - 31st 2008
Posted in: Books Received on 6th February 2008 by UKSFBN admin
Another round-up of the books that have been sent in to UKSFBN in the past few weeks. As always, many thanks indeed to the publishers concerned for bringing these titles to our attention.
Click on any of the book covers for ordering information from either Amazon.co.uk or the book's publisher.
Jan
30
TTA Press announces TTA Con #9, London, February 9th
Posted in: What's On on 30th January 2008 by UKSFBN admin
TTA Press, the publishers of the UK's longest-running SF short fiction magazine, Interzone, as well as Black Static, Crimewave and The Fix, have announced that they'll be hosting the long-awaited TTACon #9 on Saturday February 9th.
Jan
15
Announcing the first issue of Jason Rennie’s ‘Sci Phi Journal’
Posted in: Press Room on 15th January 2008 by UKSFBN admin
Australian author Geoffrey Maloney - whose published work includes stories in Albedo One and the Pendragon Press anthology New Writings of the Fantastic, as well as a forthcoming Elastic Press mini-collection entitled Six Silly Stories - has been in touch to tell us about a new publication that he thinks will be of interest to UK readers and writers of F&SF.
Geoffrey tells us: "Editor Jason Rennie has just launched the Sci Phi Journal and Issue One is now available in a variety of formats, including audio book, with readings of the stories and articles professionally done by people such as Nathan Lowell (who is associated with www.podiobooks.com.
Jan
7
Coming Soon: Interzone #214 - Banks, Stoddard, Priest and more
Posted in: Press Room on 7th January 2008 by UKSFBN admin
The 214th issue of the UK's longest running and only pofessional short science fiction magazine, Interzone will be available at the end of the week from publisher TTA Press.
Interzone #214 contains the usual blend of original fiction and non-fiction articles, including a feature interview with leading UK sf author Iain M Banks.
From the mid-1960s onwards Haining edited or write over 200 books, the majority of which were genre fiction anthologies (see his bibliography at FantasticFiction.co.uk for more information), the most recent being the Mammoth Book of Modern Ghost Stories, published by Robinson in September 2007. He was awarded the British Fantasy Society's Karl Edward Wagner Award for services to genre fiction, in 2001.
There's a tribute to his life an work by friend and fellow bibliophile Steve Holland over at Holland's Bear Alley blog, which includes an interview he conducted with Haining in 1995, and Jack Adrian's obituary piece is online at news.independent.co.uk.
Source: Various
Nov
14
Out Now: Arthur Machen’s ‘Dreads and Drolls’ (Tartarus Press, UK)
Posted in: Press Room on 14th November 2007 by UKSFBN admin
Multiple World Fantasy Award-winning UK independent publisher Tartarus Press recently announced their latest volume of work by the great gothic fantasist Arthur Machen.
Tartarus' updated edition of Machen's Dreads and Drolls "contains sixty studies, mostly from real life, each of which, by its capacity for inspiring terror or causing amused wonder, qualifies as the 'Dread' or 'Droll' of Arthur Machen's general heading."
Nov
7
Out Now: ‘Spider-Man The Icon’ by Steve Saffel (Titan Books, UK)
Posted in: Press Room on 7th November 2007 by UKSFBN admin
Titan Books have just released a brand new compilation volume that charts the history of one of the great Marvel Comics icons: "From his debut in August 1962's Amazing Fantasy #15, Peter Parker - better known as the Amazing Spider-Man - has thrilled audiences worldwide in comics, movies, cartoons and much more!
"A spectacular, full-colour tome, Spider-Man The Icon [Amazon] charts the career of Spider-Man from his four-colour-comics days to his big-budget blockbuster present, taking in every aspect of the phenomenon. One of the most recognisable creations in comics history and in modern popular culture, Spider-Man has been a feature of toys, clothes, music, movies and even snacks!
Nov
6
Out Now: Chambers Dictionary of the Unexplained
Posted in: Press Room on 6th November 2007 by UKSFBN admin
No, not exactly genre fiction per se, granted, but we reckon that the recently-published Chambers Dictionary of the Unexplained [Amazon] must contain more than once rich vein of source material for fans of fantastical fiction and could therefore very well be of interest to the passing UKSFBN reader.
Here's the background info from the Chambers press release: "Popular subjects such as UFOs, ghosts, psychic powers, astrology, luck, fairies, Atlantis and life after death are all areas of interest which might be described as the paranormal, supernatural or simply 'the strange'. Today, belief in such unexplained phenomena has never been stronger!
Oct
16
Out Now: Issue #2 of free online ‘zine Serendipity
Posted in: Press Room on 16th October 2007 by UKSFBN admin
Issue two is sponsored by Aesthetica magazine and features stories from Patrick Samphire, Brendan Connell, Steve Redwood, Michael A Kechula and Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm. There's also an interview with Joanne Harris, reviews of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's latest and Indra Sinha's Booker shortlisted Animal's People, along with a suggested reading list for the coming All Hallow's Eve.
More info: www.magicalrealism.co.uk
Source: Neil, Ben and Rebecca, Serendipity magazine
Oct
15
PS Publishing relaunches Website, holds 50% discount sale…
Posted in: Press Room on 15th October 2007 by UKSFBN admin
Award-winning, UK-based independent genre publisher PS Publishing has just re-launched its main website at store.pspublishing.co.uk and to mark the occasion is knocking 50% off the cover price of all its pre-2007 titles.
Oct
6
Out Now: ‘How to Fossilise Your Hamster’ (Profile Books, UK)
Posted in: Press Room on 6th October 2007 by UKSFBN admin
From the Profile Books press release: "How to Fossilise Your Hamster [Amazon] is a collection of wacky, witty, and wise experiments from Mick O'Hare and the New Scientist team behind the huge bestsellers Does Anything Eat Wasps? [Amazon] and Why Don't Penguins' Feet Freeze? [Amazon] - a perfect gift for armchair scientists everywhere..."
Jun
16
Mike Ashley on Gateways To Forever, SF magazines of the ’70s
Posted in: UKSFBN Talks To on 16th June 2007 by Sandy Auden
Author Mike Ashley hit a problem when he was researching Gateways To Forever, the 'final' title in his book series about the history of SF magazines - the 1970's were just too complicated to squeeze into one volume…
"The seventies were a time that had to cope with considerable change," said Ashley. "The sf field itself was starting to feel the full effects of the New Wave revolution and though critics today believe that it had dissipated itself by the early seventies that is far from true. The longer term effects continued to develop through the seventies and would eventually feed into the cyberpunk movement of the eighties.
Jun
15
Books Received May 8th - June 15th 2007
Posted in: Books Received on 15th June 2007 by UKSFBN admin
Another round-up of the books that have arrived at the UKSFBN offices since early May. Brand new titles and / or news editions and re-releases from the likes of Katherine Kerr, Trudi Canavan, Natashe Mostert, David Zindell, Steph Swainston, David Anthony Durham, Alastair Reynolds, Kelley Armstrong, Scott Westerfeld, Eric Brown, James Maxey, Martin Millar, Charlie Huston, James Patterson, Paul Kearney, Alan Steele, Richard K Morgan, Laurell K. Hamilton, James Patterson, Ian Irvine, and more.
As always, many thanks to the publishers concerned for bringing all these titles to our attention.
May
30
Anne Sudworth on her new Gothic Fantasies art collection
Posted in: UKSFBN Talks To on 30th May 2007 by Sandy Auden
Anne Sudworth's second collection of mesmerising paintings is available now from the Artists' and Photographers' Press.
Gothic Fantasies brings together over 80 of her pastel paintings of magic, ancient beliefs and, of course, nature and trees. The pictures are grouped together into haunting chapters like 'Darkness', 'Ruins', and 'Spirits' and each picture is accompanied by a short piece of poetry or prose.
"I wanted the book to be quite simple and uncluttered with a very minimal amount of text," said Sudworth. "I decided I only wanted one painting on each page with either a few lines by myself or a poem to go with a certain number of the paintings.
May
14
Stephen J Walker on Torchwood Companion Inside The Hub
Posted in: UKSFBN Talks To on 14th May 2007 by Sandy Auden
Want to know more about the first Torchwood series? Then look no further than Stephen James Walker's Unofficial and Unauthorized Guide to Torchwood: Inside The Hub.
Its six sections cover every single episode in series one, plus in-depth details about how the show was incepted, went into production and progressed, what the Torchwood format is, and includes profiles of each character.
Apr
29
Dalek I Loved You author interviewed by Cyberman
Posted in: Press Room on 29th April 2007 by UKSFBN admin
From an Orion Books press release: "Nick Griffiths' Dalek I Loved You [Amazon] is the hilarious and touching memoir of a love affair, not only with Doctor Who, but also with the evocative memories of a 1970s childhood, the pain of teenage years and culminating with stumbling into a career as a music journalist."
SFREVU said of the book: "Any British male genre fan hovering around the age of forty will come away from reading Nick Griffiths' delightful memoir with a nostalgic tear in his eye and a wry and knowing smile of recognition on his face...
Apr
26
John Clute on The Darkening Garden: A Short Lexicon of Horror
Posted in: UKSFBN Talks To on 26th April 2007 by Sandy Auden
In The Darkening Garden: A Short Lexicon of Horror, John Clute wields his considerable talents to give us an insight into the Horror genre, into what the genre does and why it is important. It's a significant book, small in dimensions but large in voice and captivating in content.
But how does a book that analyses the Horror genre come to be written?
Apr
19
Interzone #210 out in May from TTA Press
Posted in: Press Room on 19th April 2007 by UKSFBN admin
The new, May / June 2007 issue of the UK's longest-running science fiction magazine, Interzone will be available from May 10th from publisher TTA Press.
Mar
23
Heads-up from Steve Aylett: Lint invades Oxford Street
Posted in: UKSFBN Talks To on 23rd March 2007 by UKSFBN admin
Steve Aylett sent us a pic of a rather superb window display in the London Oxford Street branch of Waterstone's, promoting the succinctly-entitled Lint [Amazon], his recently-published biography of Jeff Lint; one of the truly great sixties beat-legends and all-round literary cult-figures.
Mar
22
Short story conference issues call for papers
Posted in: What's On on 22nd March 2007 by Sandy Auden
Short story fans should get their diaries out and book in for
The Story Shall Be Changed: Tales and Re-tellings in the Short Story an event that will take place on Saturday July 21 2007 at Edge Hill University. While the event is sometime away yet, the conference have issued a call for papers so if you feel moved to write a non-fiction presentation about fantastic short stories, here's the inside information from Edge Hill University…
Jan
16
Books Received Dec 3rd 2006 - Jan 16th 2007
Posted in: Books Received on 16th January 2007 by UKSFBN admin
UK SF Book News has received the following books during December last year and the first half or so of January, including new titles from Joe Abercrombie, Jonathan Barnes, Hal Duncan, Stephen Hunt, Stephen Baxter, Naomi Novik, and more, as well as a selection of top-notch novellas from PS Publishing. As always, many thanks to the publishers concerned for bringing these titles to our attention.
Our first quick selection of shorter news items for 2007:
Another quick selection of shorter news items, with links out to sources of further information.
Dec
11
Savoy Books presents the history of their house, part III
Posted in: Press Room on 11th December 2006 by UKSFBN admin
Mike Butterworth, co-founding publisher of one of the UK's most notoriously iconoclastic publishing houses, Manchester-based Savoy Books, has been in touch to let us know about the latest title from Savoy: Sieg Heil Iconographers, by Jon Farmer.
Dec
10
Paul Kane talks Hellraiser and the legacy of the Cenobites
Posted in: UKSFBN Talks To on 10th December 2006 by UKSFBN admin
British horror writer Paul Kane is currently celebrating the publication of his latest book, an examination of the cult cinema phenomenon that is the Hellraiser series of movies, entitled The Hellraiser Films and Their Legacy.
Dec
3
Books Received Nov 18th - Dec 2nd 2006
Posted in: Books Received on 3rd December 2006 by UKSFBN admin
UK SF Book News has received the following books towards the end of November 2006, including new titles from Mary Gentle, K.J. Parker and David Langford; paperback editions from Adam Roberts and Justina Robson; plus reissues from Dan Simmons, Joe Haldeman and Elizabeth Moon. As always, many thanks to the publishers concerned for bringing these titles to our attention.
Gareth Wilson, webmaster of Wolfshead, the David Gemmell website dropped us line to ask the world at large if anyone had any David Gemmell interviews on MP3 or audio CD…
Nov
30
Newsbites round-up Nov 30th 2006
Posted in: UKSFBN Talks To, What's On on 30th November 2006 by UKSFBN admin
Our latest selection of shorter news items, with the usual links out to sources of further information.
Nov
18
Forbidden Planet Signings - Guillermo Del Toro and Stan Winston
Posted in: What's On on 18th November 2006 by Sandy Auden
More signings at The Forbidden Planet Megastore, 179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London – this time director Guillermo Del Toro and artist Stan Winston - UPDATE 29.11.06 Due to unforseen circumstances, Stan Winston has had to cancel his visit to the UK.
Nov
17
Books Received, Oct 16th - Nov 17th 2006
Posted in: Books Received on 17th November 2006 by UKSFBN admin
UK SF Book News has received the following books during the second half of October and first half (ish) of November 2006 (once again, many thanks to the publishers concerned for bringing these titles to our attention). Do check out the list, just in case there's anything there that might have slipped under your radar.
Nov
14
Quicklinks round-up Nov 14th 2006
Posted in: Press Room on 14th November 2006 by UKSFBN admin
A quick selection of links to interesting, quirky and / or amusing stuff we've found, or have been sent; not necessarily news, but hopefully entertaining and informative enough in their own way...
Nov
12
Woolly Mammoth in Trafalgar Square, Wednesday November 15
Posted in: What's On on 12th November 2006 by Sandy Auden
One of those surreal events that sound like they should be in a Fantasy novel…
Oct
30
Steve Andrews on the 100 Must-Read SF Novels
Posted in: UKSFBN Talks To on 30th October 2006 by UKSFBN admin
Back at the end of September, the Bloomsbury Good Reading Guide series published 100 Must-Read Science Fiction Novels [Amazon], a tome co-authored by Steve Andrews and Nick Rennison. A brave venture; surely any attempt to narrow down the vast field of science fiction literature to a list of just 100 must-read titles was a venture that only the most thick-skinned and foolhardy editorial team would dare to undertake? We dropped Steve Andrews a line to ask a few pertinent questions about the book.
Oct
16
Brian J Robb talks about Philip K. Dick movies
Posted in: UKSFBN Talks To on 16th October 2006 by Sandy Auden
Brian J Robb's new book, Counterfeit Worlds: Philip K. Dick on Film [Amazon] is fascinating and insightful look at all those movies - like Blade Runner, Total Recall, Minority Report and A Scanner Darkly - that were inspired or based on PKD stories.
Oct
15
Books Received, Oct 1st - Oct 15th 2006
Posted in: Books Received on 15th October 2006 by UKSFBN admin
Oct
15
Carol Anne Davis talks to Couples Who Kill
Posted in: UKSFBN Talks To on 15th October 2006 by UKSFBN admin
Horror and dark crime author Carol Anne Davis dropped us a line to let us know that the paperback edition of her her latest true crime book, Couples Who Kill [Amazon] is in the shops now.
Oct
14
Two new titles - & launch events - from Elastic Press
Posted in: What's On on 14th October 2006 by UKSFBN admin
Andrew Hook of British Fantasy Award winning (Best Anthology 2006 for The Elastic Book of Numbers) independent publisher Elastic Press has sent details of their next two titles (and accompanying launch parties), both of which are due in early November.
Sep
30
Go on then, why don’t penguins’ feet freeze?
Posted in: Press Room on 30th September 2006 by UKSFBN admin
One of the best-selling popular science books of last year was Does Anything Eat Wasps? [Amazon], a collection of answers to those puzzling questions you've always wondered about but we're too embarrassed to ask. The follow up is published on October 5th, and is called Why Don't Penguins' Feet Freeze? [Amazon].
Sep
26
FP stands up for the comics small presses of the UK
Posted in: Press Room on 26th September 2006 by UKSFBN admin
Joe Gordon, head blogging honcho over at the Forbidden Planet Blog has dropped us a line to tell us about a new project that FP are working on to support the Independent Comics presses of the UK.
Aug
23
Terry Pratchett featuring in W&A Yearbook 2007
Posted in: Press Room on 23rd August 2006 by UKSFBN admin
This in from Colin Smythe, Terry's agent: "The 2007 edition of The Writers' and Artists' Yearbook [Amazon] - the 100th anniversary edition - published by A.& C.Black, contains an article by Terry (pp. 231-22) giving advice on how to write SF.