, the publisher of ISFiC Press, editor of three anthologies for DAW Books, and the author of several short stories. He recently edited a two volume collection of Lester del Rey's short fiction for NESFA Press.
It is easy to make fun of science fiction and especially science fiction fans (see, for instance, William Shatner on Saturday Night Live). Occasionally, Hollywood gets it right with loving satire on the genre and those who love it (see, for instance, Galaxy Quest) Falling firmly into the latter category is the film Paul, written by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. I went into the movie expecting to be mildly entertained, but both my wife and I quite enjoyed it. The casting was good, in addition to Pegg and Frost, Kristen Wiig plays a major role, Bill Hader, Jason Bateman, and Joe Lo Truglio provide Men in Black power and Jeffrey Tambour plays an arrogant SF author. The film asks the question "What if a couple of science fiction geeks actually were to find an alien?" which, of course, is something we all wonder about.
Next up is a short story that was published in the anthology Panverse 3, which I imagine most people missed, but it is certainly worth looking up. If there is any justice, Ken Liu will receive calls from the Nebula Committee and the Hugo Committee this Spring to let him know how appreciated "The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary" is. Liu explores the Japanese experimentation of Chinese prisoners of war during World War II, bringing a fresh sense of horror to what man can do to his fellow man. However, the story focuses more on the modern day reaction, from those who want to make sure the memories are kept alive to those who see the past, even when it can be experienced by time travelers, as something that should be left to lie.
After seemingly losing his way in his Thursday Next series, Jasper Fforde managed to recapture much of the excitement and humor of the first two books in the series with One of Our Thursdays Is Missing. In part, Fforde did this by reversing the basic thrust he established early on. Instead of looking at the "real" Thursday Next and her adventures in books, his protagonist is the Thursday Next who portrays Thursday Next in the books. Fforde's novels are at their best when he allows himself to indulge in metafictional hijinks and wordplay, and One of Our Thursdays Is Missing affords him plenty of opportunities to do so, while, at the same time, he is able to continue to flesh out their characters. Not the best introduction to the series, it does offer a return to the innovation with which Fforde first hit the scene.
Several Danish science fiction authors combined to published Sky City, which includes their short fiction in translation. The piece which stands out, and the Anglophonic reading public would be well served to see it reprinted in a more available location, is "Interrogation of Victim No. 5.," by Lars Ahn Pedersen. This story is, as the title suggests, an interrogation of the victim of an attack, possibly by a serial killer. Her memories of the attack may be used to give the first clue of the killer's identity, but as the interrogation goes on, Pedersen reveals more about the background of his civilization, the technological level they've achieved, and notes that even safe-guards aren't always deployed in the best manner. Even more difficult to find that Ken Liu's story mentioned above, Pedersen's is quite worth looking for.
Lynne M. Thomas and Deborah Stanish edited Whedonistas, a collection of essays by female fans of the various worlds of Joss Whedon. Although there is a tendency to read the collection as a series of love letters to Whedon (which is certainly appropriate), the book also serves to describe and define the community and fandom which has grown up around his work. The essays demonstrate the level of support finding the right fandom can provide, not just with regard to a person's hobbies, but also emotional and, at times, financial. As was also shown by the essays in Thomas's earlier work with Tara O'Shea, the specific fandom can merely be a jumping off point for providing individuals with what they need, whether it is a sense of belonging, friendships, or just the knowledge that their interests are shared.
Ever since I read Practical Demonkeeping, I've been a fan of Christopher Moore's. I was upset when I heard that his forthcoming novel, Sacre Bleu, had been delayed until 2012. Within twenty-four hours of learning that, however, I stumbled across his graphic novel, The Griff, co-written with Ian Corson, about which I had previously been unaware. The book eschews Moore's usual humorous style to tell a post-apocalyptic tale about a small group of survivors from New York and Florida who take it upon themselves to both survive and defeat the alien invaders who look like griffins of mythology. Moore and Corson offer some nice plot twists as well as interesting characters who have their own depth. Reading it didn't quite make up for the disappointment of Sacre Bleu's postponement, but it did give me another enjoyable book by Christopher Moore that I could recommend.
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