The 2011 Nebula Award winners were announced by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America on 19 May 2012. Winners include Among Others by Jo Walton (Best Novel), the Best Novellette was What We Found by Geoff Ryman (The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, September/October 2011) and the Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation was given to the  Doctor Who episode The Doctor’s Wife written by Neil Gaiman.

For the full list of nominees and winners see the SFWA website HERE

The winners of the 2011 Aurealis Awards have been announced. These Awards recognise the achievements of Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror writers.

A full list of the winners is provided on SFScope HERE

CLAWS AND SAUCERS: SCIENCE FICTION, HORROR, AND FANTASY FILM: A COMPLETE GUIDE: 1902-1982 by David Elroy Goldweber, Lulu (Self-published), 630pp extra large p/back, £28.35 (also available in ePub format, £5.52), Will be available via Amazon and Kindle from 20^th June 2012

Reviewed by R A Bardy (@mangozoid)

I should say at the outset that I’m not usually the kind of person who goes for Film Guides of any description, although even I have an old Halliwell’s from the 80s (when I considered such an item to be a must have for any self-respecting genre editor/fan). Regardless, I recently had the opportunity to access a preview copy of Claws and Saucers, and chose to snap it up. I’m pleased to say that this proved to be an excellent decision, because Claws, or Claws and Saucers: Science Fiction, Horror, and Fantasy Film: A Complete Guide: 1902-1982 to give it its full not-so-easy-to-roll-off-the-end-of-your-tongue title, is a whopper… and a darn good one at that.

As mentioned above, I’m not big on knowing the ins and outs of all the blockbuster genre films that ever existed, and consider anyone who can name all the Dracula films by rote, or maybe list all the actors that ever played Flash Gordon on the big (and small) screen, as somebody who is a truly unique individual, and also probably: a). very very sad, b). short of friends, and c). a crazy madman/genius. That said, what the author has done here is present an alphabetical list of literally thousands of genre movies, all with their original release dates, approx. running time, appropriate director(s), and whether the film is in colour or black and white… So far, so good, so au-fait, and nothing you couldn’t obtain by searching the internet and/or the IMDb (Internet Movie Database), maybe? So… just why should you invest your time and money in this mammoth reference?

Well…  Not only does David Elroy Goldweber offer up a good summary of the action in every film listed (and yes, he personally watched every single one of them over the course of several years), and provide additional commentary if for example, there’s an accompanying documentary on the DVD; but he also applies his own truly unique take on each movie with a few brilliant one-liners, and it is these that really make this a must-have, in my opinion.

Every film listed has a one-line synopsis of the plot next to the ‘What’s happening?’ tag, as well as a ‘Famous For’ line detailing why this may or may not be a remarkable and/or important film, and there are a few other key ‘tags’ added: There is a ‘Don’t miss’ section, that quite rightly picks a stand-out part of the film, be it funny, controversial, or just plain bad; and finally, for the true would-be aficionado, the author has a string of varied and notable one-liners quoted directly from the film, usually providing amusing reference and/or a alluding to mirthful endeavour on the part of one of its characters.

All in all, it was the author’s original aim to provide an accessible work of ready reference that any reader could literally read from start to finish if they chose to, and in this I believe he’s succeeded admirably. The direct, casual style of the writing, and the manner in which the films are reviewed, makes this a veritable goldmine of nuggets and potential movie trivia questions, and it really does help to draw you in, making you think you’ve just met this guy down the pub and he’s telling you all about a movie he’s just seen.

The author freely admits he originally intended stopping at the year 1980 with this work, but various developments led him to stretch it through to 1982: a year that saw computer special effects technology start to work its way more extensively into movie studios (notably with Tron), and a whole decade that saw several masterpieces and breakthrough work that effectively re-defined films and genre boundaries back then.

On his website – www.clawsandsaucers.com – you can see a sample excerpt yourself (film entries under the letter ‘C’), but while you’re there, I really would recommend you click through and get your own personal copy, be it as an eBook or in a more traditional paper format. An excellent, massive resource, that comes with equally huge recommendation, and deservedly so.

Raven Waiting is a new British fantasy adventure film being made in the North West by fantasy film fans. Dan Rowbottom is the director and brains behind the film which he hopes will entertain people as well as provide opportunities for UK talent.

Dan is a comics book illustrator and filmmaker whose inspiration for Raven Waiting comes from his love of films like The Dark Crystal, Pan’s Labyrinth, Lord of the Rings and Brazil.

The story of Raven Waiting takes us within the confines of a decaying Dickensian town where the inhabitants live in fear of creatures attacking in the night. The film follows Juliette as she is drawn into a story of underground societies and creatures that protect the night.

“The film at first appears to be a Dickensian drama but quickly reveals itself to be a fantasy adventure full of creatures, sprites and adventurers,” says director Dan Rowbottom.

The film will work with local talent in the North West, and is currently featured on www.sponsume.com as part of a crowd funding campaign.

Check out the film’s blog HERE

The Locus Science Fiction Foundation has announced the top five finalists in each category of the 2012 Locus Awards. The winners will be announced during the Science Fiction Awards Weekend to be held in Seattle, USA in June 2012.

View the full list of finalists HERE

Wormwood Issue 18 (Spring 2012) – Tartarus’ magazine of writings about fantasy, supernatural and decadent literature edited by Mark Valentine – will be published on 30 April 2012. It contains articles on H.P. Lovecraft, William Sharp, Frances Oliver, Robert Aickman, Randolph Stow and F. Marion Crawford, with contributions from Joel Lane, Mark Valentine, Mike Barrett, Reggie Oliver and others.

Full details, including pre-order information, are available HERE

Gollancz has acquired a three-book fantasy series by Stephen Hunt.  The first novel is titled In Dark Service, while the trilogy is called The Far-Called.  The first volume will be published in 2013.

Stephen is the author of six fantasy novels published by HarperCollins Voyager in the UK and Tor in the US, as well as in various translation editions, and runs the SF Crowsnest news and reviews site.

Here is Stephen’s introduction to the world on which this series takes place:

“Plenas has two unique characteristics worth noting, the first – and most significant of which – is that it’s a world on a mind-boggling scale where peddler caravans can take a thousand years to complete a limited circuit of their trade territory, a land where the guild of radio signallers can relay messages between their stations for multiple lifetimes and still never make a clean circumnavigation of the globe.

It is a world where, should a youngster be gripped by wanderlust, they can simply head off and travel with merchant nomads for their entire lifetime, taking in thousands of exotic nations, strange races and mysterious wonders, while still only travelling across a minute fraction of the globe.

The second distinctive facet of Plenas is that the land has no mineral resources worth mining except around the stratovolcanoes dotted across the world, massive shield volcanoes that stand about three times the elevation of Mount Everest above sea level. These vomit out great gobs of ore-bearing rocks into the air for harvesting by sky mines, and this wealth is always jealously hoarded by the empires that rise to pre-eminence around the stratovolcanoes, growing rich with their monopoly over metals, crystals and coals.

Reliance on sustainable resources means that most societies, races and nations on Plenas are throttled somewhere between a Roman and Victorian level of progress, with only the great empires of the stratovolcanoes reaching a higher level of development.”

The deal for World Rights was brokered by the John Jarrold Literary Agency.

Brought to you by the FrightFest convention organisation team, issue 10 of FrightFest, the UK’s free online fantasy and horror magazine, is now ready to download.

This issue contains a feature on the much-hyped Cabin in the Woods, which hits UK cinemas on 13 April 2012. In the first of two reports from the sets of upcoming horror films, Alan Jones recalls his trip to Italy to the set of Dario Argento’s Dracula 3D, while Nina Romain looks at the Count’s popularity with moviegoers. Russ Gomm travelled to America to speak to the Blair Witch team on the set of their latest film Lovely Molly. There is also a preview of the upcoming Terracotta Film Festival, and many other articles of interest to fantasy and horror film fans.

Download a free copy HERE

New small press publisher Nightscape Press (established by Robert S. Wilson and Mark C. Scioneaux) will open to submissions immediately following the World Horror Convention on 2 April 2012. They are seeking quality novellas (15,000 to 50,000 words) and novels (50,000 to 120,000 words) in the following genres: horror; science fiction with a strong horror element; and fantasy with a strong horror element.

They will not accept submissions for short story collections, graphic novels or erotica.

Full details on how to submit your manuscript HERE

Pledges are sought for a Kickstarter project to fund a shared world fantasy anthology entitled Beyond the Black Gate. Part of the Tales of the Emerald Serpent project, this project will only be funded if at least $10,000 is pledged by Wednesday 18 April 2012.

Kickstarter describes itself as “the world’s largest funding platform for creative projects… On Kickstarter, a project must reach its funding goal before time runs out or no money changes hands.” This allows project creators to test the market without risk, since no project will be started without the necessary funds.

Regarding Beyond the Black Gate:

“This anthology takes readers to the Free City of Taux, a fantasy port of cursed stones, dark plots, and a core of rich characters who share space inside the infamous Black Gate District.

This rich anthology links characters and tales in an interwoven mosaic that helps draw the reader on, and with authors like Lynn Flewelling, Harry Connolly, Juliet McKenna, Martha Wells, Robert Mancebo and Julie Czerneda sharing characters with newcomer Michael Tousignant and iconic fantasy artist turned writer Todd Lockwood, the book plumbs the depths of dark city-born fantasy.

Editor and contributor R. Scott Taylor helps create the shadowed metropolis of Taux, where Razor Duelists and mailed and heavily armed Sturgeons try to hold back the tide of ghosts, Moon Cultists, and shadow magic that lurks inside the slithering coils of Wizard’s Mist.  Rogues, harlots, and merchant princes share the same streets, and all watch their backs as the stones of the city call out to the living in a never ending game of cat and mouse for the true ownership of the great port.”

If you would like to pledge funds to this project please visit the Kickstarter website HERE