Start Reading Now! The Cassandra Project for September SF&F Literati

Do you have your copy?

The September Selection for the SF&F Literati is The Cassandra Project, by Jack McDevitt and Mike Resnick.

Overview from Barnes & Noble:

Two science fiction masters—Jack McDevitt and Mike Resnick—team up to deliver a classic thriller in which one man uncovers the hidden history of the United States space program…
 
“Houston, we have a problem…”
 
Formerly a cynical, ambitious PR man, Jerry Culpepper finally found a client he could believe in when he was hired as NASA’s public affairs director. Proud of the Agency’s history and sure of its destiny, he was thrilled to be a part of its future.
 
But public disinterest and budget cuts changed that future. Now, a half century after the first Moon landing, Jerry feels like the only one with stars in his eyes.
 
Then a fifty-year-old secret about the Apollo XI mission is revealed, and he finds himself embroiled in the biggest controversy of the twenty-first century, one that will test his ability—and his willingness—to spin the truth about a conspiracy of reality-altering proportions. 

The meeting is Monday evening, September 28, 2015 at 7:00 p.m., at the Oak Park Barnes & Noble Booksellers #2352, 2^nd Floor, 11323 W 95th Street, Overland Park, KS 66214, but it's not too early to start reading NOW! 

Also in September: Help pick the next four selections. Bring a list!

IMAGE: Many thanks to the Staffer’s Book ReviewBlog for the cover image.

Bring Down Civilization with the SF&F Literati, 8/31/15

Date: Monday, Aug. 31, 2015-7:00 p.m.

Title: Directive 51

Author: John Barnes

Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group

Available from: Fine booksellers, including Barnes & Noble

Meeting Location: Barnes & Noble #2352, 2^nd Floor
11323 W 95th Street, Overland Park, KS 66214

Overview from Barnes & Noble:

Part philosophic discussion, part international terrorist faction, and part artists' movement, "Daybreak" consists of a group of diverse people with radical ideas who are united in their desire to take down modern civilization. And when they strike, the government has no choice but to implement its emergency contingency program: Directive 51.

From Publisher’s Weekly:

"Daybreak"--an assault against modern civilization conceived and developed through the Internet--has begun. As plastics and other petroleum products deteriorate and bring the world crashing down, Heather O'Grainne, of the U.S. Office of Future Threat Assessment, is a leader in the government's efforts to stabilize the remnants of American society and prevent total anarchy. It's a sprawling and provocative apocalyptic epic improved by Susan Ericksen's riveting performance. Ericksen (whose voice will be familiar to J.D. Robb fans) sustains the suspense and produces believable regional accents and multicultural and generational characters. An Ace hardcover.

Didn’t read it? Come anyway! The conversation is always good!

Do you have your copy?

The September Selection for the SF&F Literati is The Cassandra Project, by Jack McDevitt and Mike Resnick.

IMAGE: Many thanks to the Strange Horizons website, for the cover image.

Laser Rangers 2015 August Meeting - Make Up Time

Those Damn Nazis!

Date: August 22, 2015
Time: 4:50pm
Location: David Sooby’s home theater with 51-inch Samsung HDTV, a 5.1 Surround Sound Dolby Digital sound system, a full set of audiophile-grade speakers, and upgraded seating for about 15 people without crowding.
Captain Laser: Jane B.
Food: German
Costume: Nazi

To learn more, please visit our Facebook Event Page.

Short features will be shown before each feature. Don't miss them!

Joseph Goebbels’ Titanic (1943)

(1943, 85 minutes) Directed by: Werner Klingler &amp Herbert Selpin

Starring: Sybille Schmitz, Hans Nielsen

The story of the sinking of the British luxury liner Titanic in 1912.-IMDB

Watch the movie here!







~~~~~
After the first feature, please join us for a potluck dinner. Bring something to share. It can follow the theme, or be something you prefer.
~~~~~

Feature Presentation!
Raiders of the Lost Ark

(1981, 115 minutes) Directed by: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronald Lacey, John Rhys-Davies, Denholm Elliott

Renowned archeologist and expert in the occult, Dr. Indiana Jones, is hired by the U.S. Government to find the Ark of the Covenant, which is believed to still hold the ten commandments. Unfortunately, agents of Hitler are also after the Ark. Indy, and his ex-flame Marion, escape from various close scrapes in a quest that takes them from Nepal to Cairo.-IMDB

Watch the trailer here!







The home of the Laser Rangers is located about four miles north of the Kansas Speedway, NW of the intersection of I-70 and I-435 on the Kansas side of the Greater Kansas City area.

IMAGE CREDITS: The information for all of these shows come from the invaluable IMDB. The movie posters come from Wikipedia or the movie's respected distributors. 

The movie screen frame image used for the Laser Rangers contact information is courtesy of Psychology Today Online. Many thanks to these websites!

Creative Corner Returns!

Here's what creative friends of KaCSFFS are doing!

Creative Corner, originally conceived by Bryan Thomas Schmidt, is a monthly feature to keep KaXFEN and friends of KaCSFFS informed about what the creative people in our circle of members and friends are doing professionally. 

Aaron Hollingsworth has released his "Supernatural Sequel to Romeo and Juliet," The Apothecary of Mantua, in e-book, paperback, and audible formats, available via Amazon. 

Dora Furlong has launched the e-publication of her SF novella, One of Our Own, in Kindle format, available on Amazon. Dora also recently attended GlitchCon in Springdale, Arkansas, as a guest and panelist. 

Holly Messinger recently received Advanced Review Copies of her gothic western novel, The Curse of Jacob Tracy from Thomas Dunne Books. Release date is December 1, 2015, in hardback, e-book, and audio formats. Reviewers interested in obtaining an ARC should contact Holly, or Thomas Dunne Books.

Fantasy artist Lucy A. Synk recently landed a new job working as an illustrator At T. S. Shure in Chicago, a maker of toys, games, and books.

Lucy may soon be creating illustrated toys such as this Dinosaur Tin Play Set, for T. S. Shure.

Keith Russell's That Certain Inner Radiance.

Keith Russell has three original paintings on exhibit at Noir Arts & Oddities, 1609 W 39th St., Kansas City, MO 64111 (816.533.4589), open each week Wed.-Sat. His artwork also can be found at Synthetic Sky Studios.

Bradley Denton has four new backlist books that have appeared in new versions. His novels Blackburn and Lunatics, and also his story collection, One Day Closer to Death, were released as Macmillan e-books, in all the usual e-book formats from all the usual e-book outlets. They have covers from earlier editions.

Macmillan recently released three of Bradley Denton's titles as e-books.

Also recently released as a new Dreamscape Audiobook is Denton's novel Buddy Holly is Alive and Well on Ganymede, with a new cover by Mitch Bentley, read by Kirby Heyborne. This novel also is available as an e-book from Manybooks.

Recently released as a Dreamscape Audiobook, with a new Mitch Bentley cover.

And speaking of Mitch Bentley, he has several new things in the works.  He will be Artist Guest of Honor at Fencon in late September, and also appear as a panelist at Archon the weekend after that. 

Two of the new trade paperbacks with Bentley covers, from Sky Warrior Books.

Bentley also has announced several new book covers from Sky Warrior Books. These include the recently released Gate of Souls: Book One of a Familar's Tale by Verna McKinnon (as both trade paperback and e-book).

M.H. Bonham's Prophecy of Swords and sequel Runestone of Tiewas with Bentley covers.

Also, in time for Sasquan, the 73rd World Science Fiction Convention in Spokane, WA, August 19-23, 2015, Sky Warrior will release three M.H. Bonham trade paperback titles: Samurai Son, Prophecy of Swords, and its sequel Runestone of Tiewas, with Bentley covers. 

Watch in September for announcements about upcoming Yard Dog Press titles with new Bentley covers. 

Sarah Clemens has announced she will be exhibiting three new originals at the Sasquan Worldcon. Each is unique in its own way.

Sarah Clemens's new original Busted! features a frame that opens to reveal the painting.

Sarah Clemens's Frost is painted on zebra marble. 

Sarah Clemens's Blue Crested Dragon is painted on a palm fossil.

Science fiction poetry by Karin Frank,
illustrations by Jan S. Gephardt

A Meeting of Minds, a trade paperback of science fiction poetry by Karin Frank, illustrated throughout by Jan S. Gephardt, is now available via WolfWeyr.

And finally, Susan Satterfield reminds everyone in advance to mark their calendars for the 2015 MCC-Longview Literary Festival, to be held on the campus of Longview Community College in Lee's Summit, MO on October 23. Organizers are still seeking local and regional authors who would like to participate in panels, readings, and/or by having a table for selling your work. If you are interested, please contact Susan. 

These are the notifications we've received so far this month. Please support the talents of KaCSFFS's circle of creative people!

Who's in our "Circle of Creative People"?
The stated purpose of KaCSFFS (which is promoting and educating about our favorite genre) gives us a lot of reasons to help encourage the careers of the creative folk among us. 

Our "Circle" includes:
Creative KaCSFFS Members--authors, artists, musicians, filmmakers, and others--who work in the SF, Fantasy, Speculative, Horror, Paranormal, or related genres, are definitely in the "Creative Circle"! 

We also include creative people working in our genres who live our region (Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Iowa, primarily), even if you don't belong to our club. 

Participants in ConQuesT also count. If you've been on programming, offered creative work in our Dealers' Room, or exhibited artwork in the ConQuesT Art Show, you're part of our circle, too, and we want to help promote your work.

Do you count as one (or more) of these? If so, we want to hear about your "career milestones," such as conventions attended, awards won, stories sold, major works finished, readings, exhibitions, book-signings, e-publications, book launches, and the like. 

IMAGES: 
Many thanks to Amazon.com for the cover photos for The Apothecary of Mantua and One of Our Own. 
The photo of The Curse of Jacob Tracy Advance Reader Copies is by Holly Messinger, and was obtained with her permission via her Facebook Page. 
The "Dinosaur Tin Play Set" is courtesy of T.S.Shure. 
The image of Keith Russell's painting, That Certain Inner Radiance is from the index page of his Synthetic Sky Studios website. 
The cover artwork for Bradley Denton's new e-book and audiobook releases are courtesy of the author. 
One of the Mitch Bentley cover images is courtesy of Bentley's Atomic Fly Studios Facebook Page: Gate of Souls Book One. The three M. H. Bonham cover images are courtesy of the artist, and used with his express permission.
The images of Sarah Clemens's three new originals are courtesy of the artist and used with her express permission. 
The cover for A Meeting of Minds is from WolfWeyr.
We are grateful for the use of all of these images.