Finalists for the 2017 Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award Nina Allan, “The Art of Space Travel,” Tor.com, 27 July 2016. Amal El-Mohtar, “Seasons of Glass and Iron,” The Starlit Wood: New Fairy Tales, eds. Dominik Parisien and Navah Wolfe, Saga Press, 2016. Carolyn Ives Gilman, “Touring with the Alien,” Clarkesworld, April 2016. Victor LaValle, The Ballad of Black Tom, Tor.com, February 2016. Ian R. MacLeod, “The Visitor From Taured,” Asimov’s, September 2016. Sam J. Miller, “Things with Beards,” Clarkesworld, June 2016. Dominica Phetteplace, “Project Empathy,” Asimov's, March 2016. Catherynne M. Valente, “The Future is Blue,” Drowned Worlds, ed. Jonathan Strahan, Solaris Books, 2016. Kai Ashante Wilson, A Taste of Honey, Tor.com, 13 October 2016.
A full house at the authors' panel, at the 2015 Campbell Conference.
The Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award recognizes the best science fiction short story of each year. It was established in 1987 by James Gunn, Founding Director of the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at KU, and the heirs of Theodore Sturgeon, including his partner Jayne Engelhart Tannehill and Sturgeon's children, as an appropriate memorial to one of the great short-story writers in a field distinguished by its short fiction.
Here's a glimpse of the 2015 Campbell Conference Banquet.
The Campbell Conference has been held each year since 1978, usually in Lawrence, Kansas. It includes a Friday-evening banquet where the annual Theodore Sturgeon and John W. Campbell Memorial Award are presented; a Saturday round-table discussion with scholars, scientists, and writers of science fiction; and other events.
Another view of the Campbell Conference held in June 2015.
For information about attending the Conference or Awards Banquet, see the Campbell Conference page.
Coming very soon! MONDAY Nov. 16! Bryan Thomas Schmidt invites everyone to a reading and book launch for Mission: Tomorrow,inside the KU Student Unionat Jayhawk Ink, 2nd Floor, 1301 Jayhawk Blvd., Lawrence, KS.
Hugo-nominated Editor Schmidt, and authors James Gunn,Robin Wayne Baileyand Chris McKitterick will be reading selections from the new Baen hard sf anthology, and signing copies.
The event is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 16, from 5:30-7:45 p.m. Refreshments will be served.
More News from Bryan Thomas Schmidt--and Friends
Robin Wayne Bailey
Bryan Thomas Schmidt and Robin Wayne Bailey
are putting finishing touches on the anthology Little Green Men – Attack!,a humorous Science Fiction
anthology for Baen Books. It will feature close encounter stories with a
humorous twist and includes new stories from James Gunn, Mike Resnick, Elizabeth Moon, Esther Friesner, Selina
Rosen, Seanan McGuire, Allen Steele, Jody Lynn Nye, and Kristine Kathryn Rusch,
as well as Robin and Bryan and many others. It’s expected
release date will be either late 2016 or early 2017.
Bryan Thomas Schmidt
Bryan Thomas Schmidt also sold a YA anthology,Decision Points, to WordFire Press
publisher Kevin J. Anderson. The
anthology includes new and reprint stories of science fiction, fantasy and
horror that revolve around character choices.
A never-before anthologized “Ender” story by Orson Scott Card joins stories by Mike Resnick, Robert Silverberg, Steven Gould, Cory Doctorow, Lois
McMaster Bujold, Jonathan Maberry, Alethea Kontis, Nnedi Okorafor, Robert J.
Sawyer and KC-area writer K.D.
McEntire, amongst others.
M.C. Chambers included in new Anthology
Author and KaCSFFS member M.C. Chambers has a new story in a just-released speculative fiction anthology from Hadley Rille Books, Ruins Excavation.
It consists of 17 stories built around the theme "Women of Color Archaeologists excavate ruins across the world," and it is available as either an e-publication or as a paperback.
Her story, “Uno Por Cada,” is about an archeologist and her sister, a puppeteer, in conflict with a time-traveling slave trader. Mitchell Bentley, Artist and Thespian
The lovely and talented artist, our friend Mitch Bentley, has announced a new cover, plus two acting projects and an upcoming appearance in Kansas City. The cover art is for Posh Bytes: BeautyWorld Tales of Whimsey and Woe by
C. Rose. The author has created a world wherein people
wear electronic body suits that are programmable fashions - connected via web
and neural implant, so one buys a new “dress” or even make-up program and they
flick through their library of stuff to change what they wear or how they look. Rose bought all rights, so there will be
one canvas, period. No prints.
He is in a play called Susquehanna
to Freedom (not sci-fi/fantasy), written by Dr. Dorothy King, a professor at Penn State
Harrisburg; she and Cathie McCormick (Mitch's wife) did the research for this
together and traveled to several locations to gather information and go through
archives.
John W. Jones Museum
This production is a fundraiser for the John W. Jones Museum in Elmira, NY. The story is
about the underground railroad and how abolitionists and others helped slaves
to freedom along the Susquehanna River. Mitch plays Dr. Howard Malcolm, the president
of Lewisburg University (now Bucknell), in scene 5. The play is being performed
in Elmira, NY. This is the 4th production of this play, which has been performed at
several locations along the Susquehanna; Mitch has previously performed in two earlier production.
Mitch's 3rd full-length feature film and IMDB entry is also about to be
released.The film is a comedy called Pretendagers, written and directed
by Hal Cramer. He appears in the last ¼ or so of the film as the store owner, Stewart
Eissen. He's not in the official trailer, but here it is:
Mitch and KaCSFFS' own Sherri Dean are slated to be the Artist GOH and Author GOH respectively, at the KC Cosmic Expo, Feb. 13-14, 2016. Mitch's wife Cathie McCormick is the Fan GOH at this event.
Randal Spangler Fantasy Art announces Holiday Open House
New print: "Tree of Enchantment"
Kansas City fantasy artist Randal Spangler will host his Annual Holiday Open House at his home on the first two weekends of December, on Dec. 5-6, 2015, and then again on Dec. 12-13. Hours for each of the Saturdays are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and on each of the Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Come enjoy the season with cookies, coffee, Christmas music, and a beautiful Christmas tree. There will be new artwork, older pieces, and some originals. You also might score some bargains among Randal's marked-down "travel worn" pieces that have been to several art fairs or Renaissance Festival booths en route to their new homes. For more information, please see his website.
New Print: "Adventures in Reading"
Ty Gephardt appears in a KC Steak Co. ad
Now airing on Time-Warner Cable channels, former KaCSFFS President and current member Ty Gephardt appears briefly in the ad "We Own the Fillet" by Kansas City Steak Company. Ty is represented by Hoffman International Model and Talent Agency of Leawood.
Late Updates!
Book Debut and Book-Signing, plus an additionalArt Open House The Curse of Jacob Tracy, the debut novel of Lawrence-based Holly Messingerthat has been getting very positive advance reviews, becomes available for saleDecember 1, in bookstores and online. Holly will be signing copies from 2-4 p.m. December 13, 2015 at the Topeka, KS Barnes & Noble, 6130 SW 17th St., Topeka, KS. Digital artist and jewelry designer Deb Pellicano has announced she will hold a Studio Open House and Art Sale December 13. Several prints and original jewelry will be available. Watch this blog for location and more details!
