Book Trailer: StarShipSofa Stories

StarShipSofa plugs its upcoming anthology, StarShipSofa Stories Volume 2, with video by Dee Cunniffe and music by David Bradshaw. Unlike volume one, most of the stories in volume two have not yet aired on the Sofa's podcast. The collection includes stories by Tobias S. Buckell, Cory Doctorow, Stephen R. Donaldson, Neil Gaiman, Nancy Kress, and China Miéville.

Movie Trailer: Mrs. Peppercorn’s Magical Reading Room

Mrs Peppercorn's Magical Reading Room - Trailer from Black Lake Films on Vimeo.

I'm not sure if this is going to be a heart-warming family film or yet another throw-away special-effect loaded kid flick. The trailer kind of rides the line, so I'm withholding judge for the time-being.

Reading: Cover story

There’s a remarkable article over at the Boston Globe titled Cover Story, that documents the first couple of decades following the invention of the printing press.

Inventing the printing press was not the same thing as inventing the publishing business. Technologically, craftsmen were ready to follow Gutenberg’s example, opening presses across Europe. But they could only guess at what to print, and the public saw no particular need to buy books. The books they knew, manuscript texts, were valuable items and were copied to order. The habit of spending money to read something a printer had decided to publish was an alien one.

Read the entire article. Despite covering ancient history, they story it tells strongly parallels the current transition to the digital age of print. Definitely worth a read.

Humor: Can you spot a Book Slut

 

Interview: Terry McMillan

Terry McMillan, author of Getting To Happy, offers advice to young authors.

"I tell a lot of young writers that they should be more concerned about their stories and characters than being famous and even getting published, because when they're ready they will be published," she said in the final installment of our Media Beat interview. "Too many of them now all they think about is how much money they're gonna make, being famous, getting on The New York Times, that's their goal. And that's such a phony, superficial, shallow goal to have as a reason for writing."

Art: Gateway Drug

I'm not sure where this came from, but I love it.  If there were more movies left, I'd get it put on a t-shirt to wear to premiere and release nights.  Oh well.  I'm probably too old for that anyway.  Still...

Quote

I have no feelings of guilt regarding the books I have not read and perhaps will never read; I know that my books have unlimited patience. They will wait for me till the end of my days.
— The Library at Night by Alberto Manguel

Event: Hugo Awards Ceremony

2010 Hugo Awards Ceremony from Kevin Standlee

The 2010 Hugo Awards Ceremony held on September 5, 2010 at Aussiecon 4, the World Science Fiction Convention in Melbourne, Australia. The Hugo Award is the highest honor in the field of science fiction and fantasy literature, and is awarded annually by the members of the World Science Fiction Convention.

Cover Art: The River of Shadows

Dust Jacket Description: The latest novel in Robert V.S Redick's stunning and original fantasy epic is a taut race against time that takes the Chathrand across the seas in a desperate bid to stop the sorcer Arunis unleashing the Swarm of Night ...From the mysterious River of Shadows to the Infernal Forest, to the Island Wilderness Pazel and his companions face a phatasmogoric journey through altered relaities, a nightmare journey which offers glimpses of what might have been while taking them into the terror of what is to come. Will Arunis use the cursed Nilstone to end the world? This is a rich fantasy of nightmares and unexpected beauty and is proof positie that Redick is one of the most exciting new talents in fantasy.

The River of Shadows hits shelves on February 15, 2011!

Book Trailer: The Making of Star Wars

Nobody knows how to make a trailer like Lucas.

Cover Art: Personalized Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

 
To celebrate last October’s 30th anniversary of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, publisher Pan Macmillan commissioned a series of new DIY covers customizable with sticker sheets from Crush Creative. Charles from Faceout Books interviewed Carl Rush, the art director behind the new design.

Book Trailer: Warhammer 40,000 FireDrake

Quote