This Week in Google Alerts: misc

Gwern Branwen · 21 Apr 2014, 17:18 · from 2014-April.txt.gz

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From: gwern at gwern.net (Gwern Branwen)
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2014 13:18:28 -0400
Subject: (urth) This Week in Google Alerts: misc
Message-ID: <CAMwO0gzexDQsVkQPgHo_L1MPyueA8-_2bA34BgWRceQXh9vm1w at mail.gmail.com>

- Wolfe-related books:
http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/blogcritics/article/Book-Review-Nebula-Awards-Showcase-2014-5402795.php
"Book Review: _Nebula Awards Showcase 2014_, Edited by Kij Johnson"

    > Every year since 1966, The Nebula Awards Showcase has presented
the award winning and nominated stories, novellas and poems for the
Nebula Awards, which are presented by the Science Fiction & Fantasy
Writers of America?. While Mike Resnick is the chair of the anthology
committee, a different editor is chosen each time. This year's editor
is Kij Johnson, author of three books and and associate director of
the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of
Kansas....Another favorite in the collection is by new Grand Master
Gene Wolfe. The Grand Master is a lifetime achievement award and Wolfe
certainly has earned it. The story he selected to represent his work
in the anthology is "Christmas Inn," and it has the layers of meaning
in a deceptively straight-forward narrative that one expects from
Wolfe...In addition to these entries, the anthology includes two
essays about Gene Wolfe by Neil Gaiman and Michael Dirda and several
poems which won specialty awards.
- A DJ names himself after _Latro in the Mist_:
http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/nightlife/hot-spots/2014/apr/17/jason-derulo-tao-beach-rockabilly-aloe-blacc-beer/
/ http://vegasseven.com/2014/04/16/holly-madisons-1923-premieres-chic-easy-vibe/

    > Seven Lions at Marquee Dayclub A group of lions is called a
pride; former metal drummer Jeff Montalvo is now called Seven Lions, a
name pulled from Gene Wolfe?s fantasy novel _Latro in the Mist_. The
DJ/producer (and _Game of Thrones_ fan) will bring his progressive
dubstep sound to a sunny setting this weekend at Cosmo?s party pool.
Bikinis + bass + fantasy-inspired electronic music, anyone? *April 19,
doors at 11 a.m., $30 men, $20 women.*
- TLA review https://opionator.wordpress.com/2014/04/18/the-land-across-by-gene-wolfe/

    > ...Although this has moments of obscurity and some of the
political subtext is slightly naive, this proves to be one of Wolfe?s
more accessible novels as we slowly discover more about this country
and its political system. There are some quite pleasing aspects to the
investigation itself and the process of deduction is moderately
rigorous. I suppose one more cynical responses to this narrative might
be to see it as a dream. Our hero falls asleep as the train approaches
the border and what happens after that is just the product of his
subconscious. This would help explain the sometimes quite arbitrary
way in which our narrator skips over events and sometimes refuses to
elaborate on the bare bones of description offered. Since no country
this backward exists in Europe (North Korea might approximate this
level of poverty both in political and material terms) and no-one
today seriously believes in vampires or supernatural devices such as a
hand of glory, we could safely treat this as an allegory. Yet, there
always comes a moment when our narrators wake. This could be when the
border guards invade his compartment on the train, or it might be as
the last page turns. You should read the book to find out. _The Land
Across_ really does hold interest and arrives at an intriguing ending.
- Reddit praises _Book of the New Sun_
http://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/23gqw2/what_are_peoples_opinions_of_gene_wolfes_book_of/
- likewise on TBotNS:
https://retrospeculative.wordpress.com/2014/04/14/retrospeculative-view-1980/

-- 
gwern
http://www.gwern.net

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