Art may imitate life but it rarely does so with realistic fidelity. As Naomi Pequette, Space Science Programs Specialist at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, argues in her essay "The Sounds of Contact" as part of The Science if Sci-Fi Cinema: Essays on the Art and Principles of Ten Films, being "based on a true story" doesn't exactly mean we're getting the whole story. McFarlandFrom The Science of Sci-Fi Cinema: Essays on the Art and Principles of Ten Films © 2021 Edited by Vincent Piturro by permission of McFarland & Company, Inc., Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640.How would you react if you found out we aren’t alone in the universe? Imagine the moment you discover a radio signal from another civilization had traveled billions of miles through interstellar space, had been detected by some of the most powerful radio telescopes in the world, and decoded by scientists. Would it matter if it was first detected by scientists from your home country? Would the content of the signal matter? Would you want the chance to be able to meet the alien civilization that sent the signal? These are all questions that the movie Contact explores.The opening sequence of Contact sets the scientific basis for the rest of the film. As the camera travels away from Earth, the audience hears a cacophony of sounds. These sounds, which are radio and television signals traveling out into space, get older and older as we zoom past planets and asteroids. Eventually there is silence as the audience... Continue reading at 'Engadget'
[ Engadget | 2021-09-04 15:30:43 UTC ]
A boy leaves Earth to rescue a cat in a short novel from ‘the Shakespeare of science fiction’ which has been unavailable in the UK for more than 20 yearsA boy and his family leave Earth on a “gentle” quest to save his cat, Horace – not the kind of manuscript you might expect from the... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-06-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Tom Doherty, president and publisher of Tor Books, worked his way up through the sales force ranks at Simon & Schuster and was mentored by Betty and Ian Ballantine when they launched the first science fiction and fantasy line in the country. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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With the ascension of the first pontiff from a Third World country, is liberation theology, suppressed under John Paul and Benedict, poised for a comeback? Missionary priest Claude Lacaille writes of his life dedicated to practicing "the preferential option for the poor," which has become a... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Two authors and a fanzine have withdrawn their work from the Hugo science fiction awards, claiming alleged right-wing activists are skewing the voting process. The annual awards honour the best science fiction and fantasy works and achievements of the previous year across a number of... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ann Leckie’s Ancillary Sword (Orbit), the sequel to her multi award-winning Ancillary Justice (also Orbit), is among the finalists for this year’s Hugo Awards. The annual awards honour the best science fiction and fantasy works and achievements of the previous year across a number of... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sir Terry Pratchett, the author best known for his Discworld series, has died aged 66. His novels weaved fantasy, science fiction, satire and whimsy to great effect -- more than 80 million Discworld books have been sold worldwide. Despite publishing ... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2015-03-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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You send a command from your smartphone and your house automatically decorates itself with a holographic Christmas tree complete with decorations and a suitably conifer-like smell. Sound like science fiction? Maybe, but this is among the predictions by the authors of a new book that looks at how... Continue reading at Betanews
[ Betanews | 2014-12-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In a passionate speech, writer takes aim at publishers who put profit before artUrsula Le Guin cries freedom as she is honoured for contribution to literatureTo the givers of this beautiful reward, my thanks, from the heart. My family, my agents, my editors, know that my being here is their... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-11-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Terraform, Brooklyn-based Vice Media Group's first standalone literary platform, will be dedicated to original pieces of science fiction. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-11-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kindle Scout is now taking submissions for titles in romance, mystery and thriller, and science fiction and fantasy genres. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Specs Who LeVar Burton Age 57 Claim to fame Emmy-winning actor (Roots, Star Trek: The Next Generation); host and producer of Reading Rainbow; author of the children’s book The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm (available Oct. 7) Base Los Angeles Twitter @levarburton What’s the first information you... Continue reading at AdWeek
[ AdWeek | 2014-10-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Ancillary Justice' is the first novel ever to win the science fiction 'triple crown' – the Hugo, the Nebula, and the Arthur C. Clarke awards – all in the same year. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-08-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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With integrity and vision as its publishing cornerstones since 1984, Baen Books, the second largest publisher of science fiction and fantasy and #1 in space opera and military science fiction, is pleased to be celebrating its 30th anniversary with special events, author signings, and giveaways... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Specs Who Harry Hamlin Age 62 Accomplishments Emmy-nominated actor on AMC’s Mad Men (Sundays at 10/9c); appearing in the upcoming film Shiva and May Base Los Angeles What’s the first information you consume in the morning? I am really old school. The first thing I do is read the Los Angeles... Continue reading at AdWeek
[ AdWeek | 2014-05-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's popular, long-running Best American Series is adding a volume on science fiction and fantasy. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-02-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kensington Publishing has acquired the ebook house, Lyrical Press. Lyrical, which was founded in 2007, and specializes in contemporary, paranormal and erotic romance; thrillers; and science fiction. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Science fiction has a long tradition in North Korea and SF authors enjoy greater freedom to explore edgy subjects, such as crime and violence, than their counterparts. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-12-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Nicola Griffith's radical departure from her previous fiction results in the 7th century epic 'Hild.'Author Nicola Griffith is as unpredictable and fascinating as one of her heroines. Her first two novels, "Ammonite" and "Slow River" (which won a Nebula Award), were science fiction. And from... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-11-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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It's 2050. Somehow we haven't joined the dinosaurs in extinction, succumbed to the Secret Society of Super Villains, or been raptured up to the clouds. And the robots are friendly, not evil. Futurologist and environmentalist Sir Jonathan Porritt's The World We Made: Alex McKay's Story from 2050,... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2013-10-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Suvudu, Random House's online destination for science fiction and fantasy fans, launched Suvudu Universe, an online community for SF and fantasy bloggers. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-08-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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