BSFA Nominees So Far: Best Non-Fiction

Slightly later than planned, here’s the current list of works which have received at least one nomination in the Best Non-Fiction category.

The The Wonderful Future That Never Was: Flying Cars, Mail Delivery by Parachute, and Other Predictions from the Past by Gregory Benford (Hearst)
“Blogging the Hugos” parts 1-4 by Paul Kincaid (Big Other)
Review of With Both Feet in the Clouds: Fantasy in Hebrew Literature, edited by Hagar Yanai and Danielle Gurevitch, by Abigail Nussbaum
From Utopia to Apocalypse: Science Fiction and the Politics of Catastrophe by Peter Y Paik (University of Minnesota Press)
The Outer Alliance Podcast 1, Julia Rios
Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in Space by Mary Roach (Oneworld Publications)
Review of The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan, by Adam Roberts (Punkadiddle)
Red Plenty by Francis Spufford (Faber)
The Notes From Coode Street podcast, by Jonathan Strahan and Gary K Wolfe
Chicks Dig Time Lords ed. Lynne M. Thomas and Tara O’Shea. (Mad Norwegian Press)

Some interesting nominations there, notably Red Plenty and the podcasts. Wonder if any of them will make the ballot? But also a relatively small selection compared to some previous years. What’s missing? There’s still time to send your nominations to awards@bsfa.co.uk.

BSFA Nominees So Far: Best Artwork

With just a few days to go (midnight on Friday) until nominations close for this year’s BSFA Awards, the Awards Administrator Donna Scott has been diligently posting lists of the nominees so far on the BSFA forum. To provide an excuse to remind you all several times to email her with your nominations, I’m going to post one category per day here, starting with Best Artwork — for which you can find some additional suggestions here and here.

So, the list of all artworks that have received at least one nomination currently looks like this:

Cover of Conflicts, ed. Ian Whates (Newcon Press) by Andy Bigwood
Cover of A Capella Zoo 5 (“Acrobats”) by Martha Brouer
Cover of Silversands by Gareth L Powell (Pendragon Press) by Vincent Chong
Cover of Shine ed. Jetse de Vries (Solaris) by Vincent Chong
Illustration for “Flying in the Face of God” by Nina Allen (in Interzone)
Cover of Crossed Genres 21 (“A Deafened Plea for Peace”) by Ben Greene
Cover of Fun with Rainbows by Gareth Owens (Immersion Press), by Charlie Harbour
Cover of The Immersion Book of SF ed. Carmelo Rafala (Immersion Press), by Charlie Harbour
Cover of Engineman by Eric Brown (Solaris), by Dominic Harman
Cover of The Noise Within by Ian Whates (Solaris), by Dominic Harman
Cover of Cats Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut (Gollancz), by Dominic Harman
Cover of Zoo City by Lauren Beukes (Angry Robot), by Joey Hifi
Cover of Rigor Amortis (Absolute Xpress) by Robert Nixon
Cover of Elric: Swords and Roses by Michael Moorcock (Del Rey), by Jon Picacio
Cover of Clarkesworld 44, by Rodrigo Ramos
Cover of Go Mutants by Larry Doyle (HarperCollins), by Owen Smith
Cover of Crossed Genres 17 (“Our Hell”) by Tania Sousa Ribeiro
Cover of The Voyage of the Sable Keech by Neil Asher (Tor UK), by Jon Sullivan
Cover of How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu (Corvus), Unknown
Cover of The Holy Machine by Chris Beckett (Corvus), Unknown
Cover of Finch by Jeff VanderMeer (Corvus), Unknown
Cover of Lightborn by Tricia Sullivan (Orbit), Unknown
Cover of The Lifecycle of Software Objects by Ted Chiang (Subterranean), Christian Pearce
Cover of The Stories of Ibis by Hiroshi Yamamoto (Haikasoru), by Natsuki Lee
Cover of Music for Another World ed. Mark Harding (Mutation), Unknown
Cover of The Habitation of the Blessed by Catherynne M Valente (Night Shade Books), by Rebecca Guay, design by Cody Tilson.
Cover of Feed by Mira Grant (Orbit), Unknown
Cover of Version 43 by Philip Palmer, Unknown
Cover of Cthulhurotica (Dagon Books), by Oliver Wetter
Cover of The Future Fire 20, by Rebecca Whitaker
Cover of New Model Army by Adam Roberts (Gollancz), by Blacksheep

An interview with Shana Worthen

As promised, here’s a short interview with Shana Worthen, Vector’s incoming Features Editor, whose first issue, to which I am very much looking forward, should be out shortly after my last. You can find her current online home here. And many thanks to her for taking the time to answer my questions.

How did you get involved with the BSFA?

I started with the London pub meetings. I moved back to London from Toronto in early July of 2005 and my first BSFA pub night was later that month. After a year of attending, I became a member. It was shareware logic: pay for something after I have already had my money’s worth — not that memberships actually subsidize the meetings. How I first heard of the pub nights, I don’t specifically know, but I had been looking for regular fannish meetings here before I moved over. My inbox tells me that I started following Ansible in that May, so that’s a possibility.

What are your interests within sf?

Novels, poetry, and criticism, primarily. i also really like tie-in reference books! I have a small but growing accumulation of science fictionally-related cookbooks, for example. Movies, occasionally. I am very much interested in science fiction-related artwork, especially landscapes and maps, but can’t say I follow it in any systematic way at this point.

I often read through self-imposed projects, whether an award-related list or a friend’s set of recommendations. For the last several years, I’ve been getting to know the subgenre of science fiction romance in particular. I’m currently reading a short list of books recommended by a friend as a way of getting to know some of the more recent American science fiction publications.

Although I have caught at least one episode per season of Doctor Who, I don’t usually remember to watch television series. I grew up without a television and still have poor televisual instincts. iPlayer is useful, but only if I’m reminded in time to catch something. I did have a long spell back in Toronto of watching lots of anime, but most of it had not been broadcast locally in the first place.

And what do you do outside sf?

Professionally, I’m a historian of medieval technology. It still seems improbable that my day job is teaching online for a university on the other side of the ocean, but it’s true.

Food is my major hobby. I love eating good things, and will cook if need be to have them. I love trying new restaurants, and reading food criticism and related essays and blogs. I mostly read cookbooks rather than cook from them. This also explains my science fiction cookbooks, many of which are only partially designed to be cooked with. I’ve been thinking a lot in the last year about why science fiction and fantasy tend to be so conservative in its use of food technologies. I’ve been dabbling in related academic work too: I have an article coming out next year on smoked foods in fantasy literature.

I like seeing new places, whether industrial tourism, museums, or countryside. I like theatrical musicals, drawing with watercolour pencils, and photographing reflections.

What plans do you have for Vector? What can we expect from your first issue?

My plan is to try to live up to the standard set in the last few years! I will be trying for clusters of related articles rather than the entire themed issues, however.

I’m starting off with the usual year-in-review issue, so the majority of the content will be looking back at 2010. I am happy to report that there will also be two new columns appearing in my first issue. Paul Kincaid is writing one which will revisit older short stories. Terry Martin began a column on graphic novels and comics for Matrix which will now be appearing regularly in Vector. Also, Anthony Nanson has an article on an Arthurian trilogy by Stephen Lawhead.

Are you looking for any sort of submission in particular?

Although Vector‘s focus will remain primarily on text, I would love to see interesting and varied submissions which look at science fiction more broadly. For example, I would love to read more critical work on science fiction drama and science fictional art exhibits. I’d be interested in seeing articles on the relationship between original texts and their adaptations, whether to film or graphic novel. I am actively looking for more articles on science fiction poetry.

Any submission I can learn something from is a good one.

How can people contact you?

I’ll be taking over the vector.editors@gmail.com email address soon; sworthen@owlfish.com is my usual email address.

Vector 264

In other news, the latest issue of Vector should be arriving with BSFA members right about now (snow permitting, of course):

Torque Control — editorial
Chaoplexity: the science and science fiction of warfare by Lara Buckerton
Twenty years, one panel: a discussion of the BSFA and Mexicon surveys of British sf and fantasy writers, with Claire Brialey, Niall Harrison, David Hebblethwaite, John Jarrold, and Caroline Mullan
Look to Wasteland: TS Eliot’s The Waste Land as a template for the sf of Iain M Banks by Felix Danczak
First Impressions — book reviews edited by Martin Lewis
Foundation’s Favourites: Fungi from Yuggoth and Other Poems by HP Lovecraft by Andy Sawyer
Resonances #60 by Stephen Baxter
Progressive Scan: Star Trek: The Next Generation by Abigail Nussbaum

As ever, we welcome letters of comment, or feedback on the forum. We apologise for the delay in the arrival of this issue (you may notice that the editorial is, er, slightly out of date). The good news is that V265 is progressing handily along the path to readiness, being proofread and typeset as I speak.

London Meeting: Colin Harvey

The guest at this year’s final BSFA London meeting is Colin Harvey, author of Winter Song and Damage Time, and editor of the recent anthology Dark Spires. He will be interviewed by Dave Mansfield.

As usual, the meeting will be head in the upstairs room of The Antelope: 22 Eaton Terrace, London, SW1W 8EZ. The closest tube station is Sloane Square, and a map is here.

There will be people in the bar from 6-ish, with the interview starting at 7. The meeting is free, and open to any and all — not just BSFA members — and there will be a raffle with a selection of sf books as prizes.

All Change

As those who were at the BSFA AGM earlier this year may remember — for that is where it was first announced — my time as features editor of Vector is coming to an end. Specifically, I’m standing down at the end of 2010, which means there are two more issues with my name on left to go (the first of which should be printed this week, and the second of which is not far behind). I’m feeling pretty good about the run, on balance; it’s been a rewarding experience, a privilege to curate a journal with such a fine history, and I hope has produced some things worth reading. Of course, everyone else who’s worked on Vector during the last five years must get credit as well: reviews editors Paul Billinger, Kari Sperring, and Martin Lewis; production editors Tony Cullen, Liz Batty, and Anna Feruglio dal Dan; my co-editor for the first year, Gene Melzack; and everyone who wrote an article or a review or a letter of comment. My thanks go to all.

But, while I’m in no danger of challenging Andrew M Butler for the title of longest-serving editor, five years feels about the right point to stand aside and let someone else have a go. The incoming features editor will be known to many of you, and certainly anyone who regularly attends the London Meetings, and I have no doubt that Shana Worthen will do an excellent job. I’m certainly looking forward to reading her first issue.

Meanwhile, things are also changing in another part of my sf life. As of today, I take over from Susan Marie Groppi as editor-in-chief of Strange Horizons; you can read her announcement of the handover here.

I’m extremely proud to be part of Strange Horizons. It stands for a lot of things I believe in — say, for speculative fiction, rather than sf and fantasy narrowly; for new voices, both in fiction and non-fiction; for diversity of all kinds — and is produced by a group of people I respect and admire. It’s the longest-running online sf magazine out there, and it’s entirely volunteer run and donation-funded. (One week left in this year’s fund drive! Prizes to be won! Just for mentioning the fund drive!) It is, so far as I’m concerned, a Good Thing.

And so I’m proud to be taking over the organisation and running of the magazine, while being conscious that I’ll be following in big, World Fantasy Award-winning footsteps. As Matt Cheney eloquently describes, Susan’s presence has been a huge part of what’s made Strange Horizons what it is, and while she’ll still be around as fiction editor, it’s going to be different. Still, I have things I want to do, even things that could be described as plans, and I’m excited about getting down to them. I’m also excited to be able to say that my replacement as reviews editor will be Abigail Nussbaum, because I can’t imagine anyone I’d feel more comfortable leaving that department with, and I can’t wait to see how it develops with her guidance.

One downside of all this change is that, as things move on, I’ll be posting less here, since it’s a BSFA venue — although I won’t be scaling back until after the women and sf week in December, at the earliest. But I might well be posting elsewhere. Further updates, as they say, as events warrant.

London Meeting: NK Jemisin

The guest at tonight’s BSFA London meeting is NK Jemisin, author of The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, its forthcoming follow-up The Broken Kingdoms, and the Hugo- and Nebula-nominated short story “Non-Zero Probabilities.” I’ll be doing the interview — so I hope to see you there, but if you can’t make it and have a question you’d like asked, feel free to leave a comment here.

As usual, the meeting will be head in the upstairs room of The Antelope: 22 Eaton Terrace, London, SW1W 8EZ. The closest tube station is Sloane Square, and a map is here.

London Meeting: Diana Wynne Jones discussion

Tonight’s BSFA London Meeting is a discussion of the work of Diana Wynne Jones, featuring Charles Butler and Farah Mendlesohn.

As usual, the meeting will be head in the upstairs room of The Antelope: 22 Eaton Terrace, London, SW1W 8EZ. The closest tube station is Sloane Square, and a map is here.

London Meeting: Dan Abnett

The guest at tonight’s BSFA London meeting is Dan Abnett, author of a lot, including the “Gaunt’s Ghosts” series of Warhammer 40,000 novels, and the recent alternate history Triumff. He will be interviewed by Lee Harris.

As usual, the meeting will be head in the upstairs room of The Antelope: 22 Eaton Terrace, London, SW1W 8EZ. The closest tube station is Sloane Square, and a map is here.

Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy

BSFA members should be receiving the latest issue of Vector this week:

Torque Control — editorial
No Easy Choices: Some Thoughts of an Adult Reading Children’s and Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy by Andrew M. Butler
Writing a Ruritania in a Post-Colonialist World by Farah Mendlesohn
Taking Control of the World: Kristin Cashore interviewed by Nic Clarke
Nicholas Fisk: Ten Short Novels by Niall Harrison
First Impressions — book reviewed edited by Martin Lewis
Resonances 59 by Stephen Baxter
Foundation’s Favourites: Catseye by Andre Norton by Andy Sawyer
Progressive Scan: The Sarah Jane Adventures by Abigail Nussbaum

The smashing cover photo is by Tom Ryan. This is Martin’s first issue as Reviews Editor, and he’s instituted a few changes — not least of which is his opening column, which you can read here.

As ever, we welcome letters of comment, or feedback on the forum.

Also of note: you can listen to Jonathan McCalmont’s interview of Lauren Beukes (from last week’s BSFA meeting) on the BSFA website, here.