The nominees for the 2013 Hugo Awards were announced yesterday…here they are (with links when available if you want to check them out). The 2013 Hugos will be presented at LoneStarCon 3 in San Antonio, Texas, August 29-September 2, 2013 – the 71st Annual World Science Fiction Convention.

Best Novel:

2312, Kim Stanley Robinson (Orbit)
Blackout, Mira Grant (Orbit)
Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance, Lois McMaster Bujold (Baen)
Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas, John Scalzi (Tor)
Throne of the Crescent Moon, Saladin Ahmed (DAW)

Best Novella:

After the Fall, Before the Fall, During the Fall, Nancy Kress (Tachyon Publications)
The Emperor’s Soul, Brandon Sanderson (Tachyon Publications)
On a Red Station, Drifting, Aliette de Bodard (Immersion Press)
San Diego 2014: The Last Stand of the California Browncoats, Mira Grant (Orbit)
“The Stars Do Not Lie”, Jay Lake (Asimov’s, Oct-Nov 2012)
(continue reading…)

If you are at SXSW this weekend, you can get a look at that the town of Defiance looks like, chat with one of the stars – and even eat Defiance-style!

Syfy is taking over SXSW Interactive with the transmedia adventure of the Defiance Container Village (San Jacinto & 4th) – an immersive environment that recreates aspects of the futuristic world of Defiance in downtown Austin.

The Defiance Container Village will be live 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. from March 8 – 11. Some of the highlights of SXSW & the village include the following:

- Cast member Jesse Rath will live-tweet from @DefianceWorld. Tweet #DefianceSXSW to join the conversation & possibly win some swag, including a private happy hour in the village.

- SXSW GEEK Stage: The Making of Defiance, A Living Transmedia World

- A Need/Want Social Bar will allow visitors to express & share their personal needs & wants with an app that aggregates the collective results and posts them to the bar’s interactive wall & individual’s social feeds. Throughout the course of SXSW, Needs & Wants will be fulfilled for some lucky participants.

- Chi’Lantro, a Korean-BBQ food truck, will be dramatically transformed & serving its menu Defiance-style.

- One container in the village will be open for the public to relax, charge mobile devices & use the internet.

- Experience Defiance, play the game, mix with cast members, & party with DJs.

If you go say hi to Jesse for me!

The winners of the 2012 Hugo Awards were announced last night at Chicon 7, the 70th World Science Fiction Convention. Neil Gaiman, with several Hugos already, picked up another – but instead of getting Best Novel, he won the Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form award for the Doctor Who episode, “The Doctor’s Wife”.

Here is a list of the winners:
(continue reading…)

San Diego Comic-Con kicked off formally today (have I mentioned yet that I’m not there again this year? ) and so far, most of what I’ve seen is Twilight, Twilight, and Twilight. However, there are a few cool things to be seen. One of the best may be the “The Walking Dead Escape”, set up over at Petco Park.

THR has a video giving a glimpse of it before unleashing the “survivors” (and the walkers) in it (see below). It’s a post-zombiepocalypse obstacle course, where “survivors” can pay $75 and take a run at it, which could take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour to complete. Spectators can pay $15 just to watch. And it will include 650 “walkers” in full makeup done by The Walking Dead‘s own Greg Nicotero and his team.
(continue reading…)

Fancy the idea of taking up arms against some of your favorite heroes from SF film and television? Or fancy a blaster fight with a squad of Stormtroopers led by General Motti? (Hey, at least that last one should be easy…we know how well Stormtroopers shoot!)

Well, you might have your chance at Comicpalooza, in Houston May 25-27!

“The next best thing to being a sci-fi or action hero has to be shooting a sci-fi or action hero with a gun. Or maybe being shot by one,” says John Simons, founder and Chairman of Comicpalooza, the Texas International Comic Con. At least that’s the premise that led to the Badass Celebrity Smackdown, in which fans attending Comicpalooza May 25-27 will get their chance to pit themselves against stars of some of the biggest sci-fi and action franchises in Hollywood while helping US veterans at the same time.
(continue reading…)

Here is the complete list of Hugo Award nominees for 2012, announced yesterday.

The awards will be given out on September 2nd, 2012, at Chicon 7, the 70th World Science Fiction Convention, which takes place in Chicago August 30-September 3, 2012.

Pinks to purchase have been provided when possible.
(continue reading…)

Press release:

Space: 1999 Fans Celebrate the Past and Look to the Future

Producer of a re-imagining of the cult-classic television show joins convention roster of guests

Jace Hall, President of HDFILMS, Inc., and Executive Producer and Creative Lead of Space: 2099, a re-imagining of the British cult-classic television series Space: 1999, will give fans their first opportunity to hear his plans by joining an impressive roster of guests attending Alpha: 2012, a three-day convention to be held at the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel on September 14-16, 2012 in Burbank, California. Hall will be joining Australian actor Nick Tate and Glasgow-born Prentis Hancock, co-stars of the original series, as well as revered actors Roy Dotrice and Judy Geeson, both of whom made pivotal guest appearances in the series’ first season. More guests are likely to be added.
(continue reading…)

The 2011 Hugo Awards were given out this past weekend a Revelation, the 2011 World Science Fiction Convention. Here is a list of the winners:
(continue reading…)

[The following is a submitted article]

On the weekend of August 13 and 14, a new science-fiction event will be splashing down in London, and it will be presided over by Claudia Christian, who starred in “Babylon 5.”

The event will allow fans unrivaled access to all the genre stars that will be attending, many of whom are some of Claudia’s personal friends.

Proceeds from ClaudiaCon will go towards helping out BlESMA, that provides war veterans with prosthetic limbs and Guide Dogs, which provide seeing-eye dogs for the blind. Both of these are UK-based charities.
(continue reading…)

The list of Hugo Award nominees for 2011 are out, and will be given out at the 69th World Science Fiction Convention, taking place at Renovation in Reno, Nevada, August 17th-21st, 2011.

The full list is given below:
(continue reading…)