Night Shade Books have released Alien Contact, an anthology of alien-inspired stories edited by Marty Halpern:

“We are not alone! From War of the Worlds to Invasion of the Body Snatchers… From ET to Close Encounters… creators of science fiction have always eagerly speculated on just how the story of alien contact would play out.

Editor Marty Halpern has gathered together some of the best stories of the last 30 years, by today’s most exciting genre writers, weaving a tapestry that covers a broad range of scenarios: from the insidious, to the violent, to the transcendent.

These twenty-six stories from extraordinary writers such as Harry Turtledove, Orson Scott Card, Molly Gloss, Michael Swanwick, Cory Doctorow, Elizabeth Moon, Adam-Troy Castro, Stephen King, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Neil Gaiman will captivate and intrigue. Separately they are enthralling, combined together into one anthology they will take you to another world.”

Full details on the website

Connie Willis has been announced as the winner of the 2011 Robert A. Heinlein Award which is given “for outstanding published works in science fiction and technical writings that inspire the human exploration of space.”

Previous winners of this award have included Anne McCaffrey, Greg Bear, Elizabeth Moon and Arthur C. Clarke.