Sideshow

BOOM! Studios, in collaboration with 20th Century Studios today announced FIREFLY: BLUE SUN RISING #0, a special issue kicking off the first ever Firefly event, as Mal and the crew take on the shadowy organization that’s haunted their steps all along — Blue Sun Corporation.

I’m just thrilled to finally be able to make these announcements, probably just as thrilled as you are to hear them:

• We’ve launched a newly designed website
• We’ve added two deputy editors
• We have a brand new terrifying space monkey intern

Find out more

Space Westerns Magazine is hosting an evening with Marian Call at Lucy’s Hat Shop at 7pm on October 15th, 2010 in Philadelphia as a part of her 49>50 tour—featuring humorous and moving original songs plus some creative and unexpected cover tunes.

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On the electronic frontier, my article “The Emancipation of Bat Durston” is now appearing on Strange Horizons. I began writing it shortly after SpaceWesterns.com launched in 2007, and it is just now seeing publication.

For anyone who is at all interested in writing “Hard Science Fiction Space Travel stories” I highly recommend reading the blog of Charles Stross. I’m not saying that he’s right that people will never travel among the stars, I’m just saying that he brings up valid objections to space travel that should be addressed. Specifically you should read The myth of the starship and The High Frontier, Redux (including all the comments).

I have to give credit to Jason Andrew for his predictive powers in “Mathematics of Hunger,” one of the first works of fiction to appear on SpaceWesterns.com. We’re trying to solve the hunger crisis in Africa with Giant Snails.

FRY: Far out! So, there’s an infinite number of parallel universes?
FARNSWORTH: No, just the two.

An article appeared on New Scientist today: Mystery ‘dark flow’ extends towards edge of universe. Some scientists speculate that we may have a neighborverse.

Topless Robot has put up a list of the 10 greatest Sci-Fi Westerns. I disagree with some of their picks, but who am I to argue with their definitions, I put Alien on the 10 Most Influential Space Westerns list

Since running the 10 Most Influential Space Westerns article I’ve been contacted about a number of other works that should probably be included on the list (if not in the top 10, then at least in the top 20). Works have been recommended such as Heinlein’s Time Enough for Love, and Burroughs’ A Princess of Mars, as well as the movies Outland and Pitch Black, among others. So… if there were to be an expanded list of the Most Influential Space Westerns, which works would you nominate to be on it?

Fight Girl Battle World will be returning to the stage July 14-18, 2009. Read the our review of the original performance in our Fight Girl Battle World Two-headed Review with Darrell Schweitzer and N.E. Lilly.

Highly recommended, tickets are on sale HERE.