Nebula Noms, Hunger Games, Minister of Chance and AM2

Tickets for The Hunger Games are on sale now.


Search #HungerGames50 on Twitter or visit the official The Hunger Games Facebook page for a list of 50 sites giving away tickets to the LA World Premiere on March 12. The Hunger Games hits theaters March 23rd!


I know my loyal readers are getting sick of me going on about the abfab sci-fi radio drama The Minister of Chance, but, well, deal. I love it! Here's an interview with cast member Jenny Agutter (I remember her from Logan's Run, one of the few good sci-fi films from my youth).

Nebula Awards Nominees have been announced. My friends are dominating in the Novella category and I see that a story from Panverse Three, for which I have a review copy languishing, is in that category as well. Guess I better bump it up in my queue. Or at least read the story, "The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary" by Ken Liu. Read the full list of nominees over at Locus.

Lookout for Lockout. New poster!


Haps to watch for at AM2 in Anaheim this June

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (February 15, 2012) The ever popular ACE ATTORNEY
(Gyakuten Saiban-2012/Mystery, Drama/Approx. 130 min) manga and video game
comes alive in this live action feature film to be screened EXCLUSIVELY at
this summer¹s most anticipated Anime, Manga and Music event AM2. Two
screenings will be available-one EXCLUSIVELY for Passport holders ONLY and
the second for Passport holders preferred (with general attendees as seating
permits). More info and attendee registration can be found at
www.am2con.org

SYNOPSIS
In 20XX, to prevent the rise of vicious crimes the government introduces
"bench trials" a new justice system where the defense and prosecutor go
head-to-head in open court. Within just three days, a guilty or not guilty
verdict is decided.

Talented attorney Mia Fey, who shows understanding for her junior lawyer,
Phoenix Wright (Hiroki Narimiya), is murdered. Arrested for the murder is
her spirit medium in training sister Maya Fey (Mirei Kiritani). Phoenix
believes in Maya¹s innocence and takes the case where he meets Prosecutor
Miles Edgeworth (Takumi Saito), a level-headed, prodigy attorney and
childhood friend. An intense courtroom battle unfolds as testimony and
evidence are presented.

After the trial, Phoenix receives word that Miles has been arrested for
murder! Phoenix steps forward to defend Miles. Opposing council is none
other than Miles¹s master, legendary prosecutor von Karma (Ryo Ishibashi)
who has been undefeated in court for 40 years. As the trial goes on, the 15
year old DL-6 case, where Miles¹s father Gregory Edgeworth was shot and
killed in the evidence room, is examined closely.

What will become of Phoenix, Miles and Maya? What dangerous truth lies
behind this mysterious case?

And
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (February 17, 2012) Celebrated character designer and
director, TOSHIHIRO KAWAMOTO, of such famed animes as COWBOY BEBOP, MOBILE
SUITE GUNDAM ZZ, MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM 0080, MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM 0083, TEKKAMAN
BLADE, BLOOD THE LAST VAMPIRE, ESCAFLOWNE, MOBILE ANGEL ANGELIC LAYER, WITCH
HUNTER ROBIN, FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, SCRAPPED PRINCESS, EUREKA SEVEN, OURAN
HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB, GHOST IN THE SHELL and outside of Japan as the
character designer and animation director for the beloved many more will
attend this summer¹s most aniticipated anime, manga and music convention AM2
(June 15-17, 2012; Anaheim Convention Center and Anaheim Hilton). More info
and attendee registration can be found at www.am2con.org

Writer's of the Future XXVI - Marvelous new ideas from new writers

Writers of the Future Volume XXVI
Edited by K.D. Wentworth
Galaxy Press (2010)

Reviewed by Clare Deming

Each new volume of L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future series of anthologies collects the winning stories from that year's contest. Started in 1983, it has gone on to become one of the most well-known contests for science fiction and fantasy stories. Entries from amateur or unpublished writers are accepted quarterly, with several levels of awards given. The first, second, and third place winners for each quarter earn publication in the anthology and a workshop with professionals in the field. Out of the four first place stories, one is granted the Gold Award, which comes with extra prestige and payment. A companion contest for illustrators is held concurrently, and the winners each illustrate one of the stories in the anthology.

This is the first of these anthologies that I have had the chance to read, and they may certainly vary from year to year. I found that this volume was weighted toward science fiction, with fewer fantasy selections. The stories are interspersed with short essays about the field from well-known authors and artists. Overall, I enjoyed this book and I thought that it was a solid collection of fiction. I'll highlight some of my favorite stories below.

"Living Rooms", by Laurie Tom, was the first story in the collection, and the Gold Award winner. Rill returns home after several years among ladies at court. Her father has died, but the animated personas of each room in his house have remained. Rill must confront the threat of a neighboring wizard while unraveling the secrets that her father left behind. This was a well-rounded story and a solid opening to the collection. While this was fantasy, with wizards and magic, the focus was different from many such tales.

In a unique look at androids, Alex Black brings us "Lisa With Child". Once manufactured as a bodyguard for one of the Agency's Clandestine Service members, Lisa manages to subvert her systems to become pregnant. However, the Agency will not likely allow a self-replicating weapon to exist, no matter what the reason.

"Exanastasis" by Brad R. Torgersen explores a world in which Earth's population has been eliminated to allow its ecosystems to recover. Atreus, caretaker for the project, is re-animated in a cloned body by his humanoid constructions built to resurrect the population from stored data. When his wife is also cloned, he has to decide what distinguishes a human from a monster.

When Izzy left Earth to work on the solar station, she found challenges amid the native Offworlders. Brent Knowles examines the differences of this environment in "Digital Rights". A ghost is lurking in the digital systems, and the exchange of knowledge carries a price.

In "Coward's Steel" by K.C. Ball, Tate struggles to survive in a difficult world. Armed with only a pistol and her long-lost mentor's collection of rules, she stumbles upon a village that seems a bit too inviting. What will be the cost of her visit?

Told from the point-of-view of a sentient tree-like species, "Written in Light" by Jeff Young was quite an engaging tale. Zoi'ahmets (the tree) finds a human girl, stranded in the wilderness of the planet's Dispute Zone. When the youngster's life becomes threatened, Zoi'ahmets must figure out how to save her without endangering the political situation or her own work.

My favorite illustrations were those by R. M. Winch and Jingxuan Hu. Many books don't offer any visual art other than the cover, so I enjoyed seeing these with each story. I think that one of the strengths of this collection is that there are always going to be fresh ideas and voices. I look forward to picking up another volume. More information about the contest can be found at: www.writersofthefuture.com.

No Man's Land - Now you, too, can go there

cover art by Mike McPhail

Defending the Future IV: No Man's Land is now available for pre-order at Amazon! This kick-butt military science fiction anthology written entirely by women comes to you from Dark Quest Books and is edited by Mike McPhail.

In my story, "Immunity Project," Donie is a pilot working for Allied Home Worlds Directorate, trying to make enough money to buy his own ship. He's on assignment monitoring the Immunity Project on the devastated world of Kradon. Rather than coming to their rescue, AHWD capitalized on their misfortune and continues to keep the survivors herded in six villages and their radiation levels constant to develop an immunity in the survivor's descendents. But the Krads don't know they're in a petrie dish. When a psionic fence goes down Donie's team has to land on the surface for repairs. That's when his world is turned upside down by a couple of the guinea pigs. (chapter icon also by Mike McPhail)