Sci-Fi Storm

J.K. Rowling will finally write another book – but not only will it not be part of her massively successful Harry Potter franchise – it won’t even be a kids book.

It was announced today that the writer as signed a new deal with publisher Little, Brown, who will publish her next book, for an adult audience, in both the U.S. and U.K. The Harry Potter books were published by Bloomsbury in the U.K. and Scholastic in the U.S.

Details about the book are being kept secret, but Rowling’s statement only mentions that it “will be very different to the Harry Potter series.” We don’t know if she’ll still draw on the fantasy genre, or if it will be something more mainstream, but it will be interesting if she can at least recapture the “magic” of her previous efforts in a whole new direction.

Our friends over at TheThunderChild have posted a new review by Damon Blalack on the latest Star Wars novel, Star Wars: Darth Plagueis by James Luceno: Damon Blalack, author of the Clone Wars Examiner column, has written an exhaustive study of the new novel by James Lucarno, Darth Plagueis. All fans of the book series will enjoy reading this insightful account. Read it here.

Can any sci fi and/or horror genre fan not know who Forrest J Ackerman, aka The Ackermonster, is?

You’ve doubtless heard of him – the editor of Famous Monsters of Filmland from 1958-1983, cameos in dozens of science fiction films, collection of sci fi props, posters and other material on display, first at the Ackermansion and then at the Ackerminimansion, one of the three amigos along with Ray Harryhausen and Ray Bradbury.

McFarland has recently brought out a biography of Forry by a long-time friend, Deborah Painter, and The Thunder Child reviews it at Forry: The Life of Forrest J Ackerman.

According to a tweet from SF writer Robert J. Sawyer, along with a great many other tweets, as well as some independent reports, fantasy writer Anne McCaffrey, best known for her Dragonriders of Pern series of books, passed away yesterday at the age of 85.

Update: Media Bistro/GalleyCat confirmed it with Random House, her publisher.

William Gibson introduced the world to the term “cyberspace” and cyberpunk to the world in 1984 with his Hugo, Nebula and Dick award-winning novel [asin=0441012035]Neuromancer[/asin], which has been a focus for movie development for many years but just never seems to find traction. Now producer Peter Hoffman may have found a foothold and apparently lined up backers for the film, and the rumor is that Bruce Willis may star – however, Willis is not currently attached to the film, with CAA only confirming that he is reading the script. And it seem Willis’ name gets bandied about for various movies for sale, whether or not he is involved…

What do you think? Can Willis pull off the drug-addicted former computer hacker?

Syfy Films, created last December as an offshoot of Syfy Ventures in partnership with Universal Pictures, made it’s first rights acquisition for George R.R. Martin’s anthology series Wild Cards, announced today by Syfy Films Senior Vice President of Production Gregory Noveck. Melinda Snodgrass (The Outer Limits, Star Trek: The Next Generation) will write the script, with herself and Martin exec producing.
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Universal had some cold feet regarding the massive The Dark Tower project, putting it on hold back in May, but producers Brian Grazer and Ron Howard still had hopes of working out a budget and schedule with the studio. Well, apparently Universal felt the cold creeping in and has now scrapped the project completely. Reportedly after reviewing the script from writer Akiva Goldsman for the first film and series, the studio balked and would only commit to the movie, but the producers really wanted to film the series in tandem with all the sets available.

Envisioned as a trilogy of movies as well as two limited TV series, the project certainly presented a big risk for the studio. Grazer and Howard are presumably free to shop the project around to another studio.

With the buzz about Harry Potter likely to begin to die down after the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 next month (at least after the subsequent Blu-ray/DVD release), and J.K. Rowling promising Daniel Radcliffe that no more stories about Harry would be published, what is the writer to do? Well, for the past week the new buzz has been around the word Pottermore, which was hinted at through a form of online scavenger hunt that led to the Pottermore web site, which promised more info today.

Well, the wait is over, and J.K. herself announced via video what it is about (which you can see below). The simple description on the web site says, “Pottermore is an exciting new website from J.K. Rowling that can be enjoyed alongside the Harry Potter books. You can explore the stories like never before and discover exclusive new writing from the author. It is FREE to join and use, and is designed to be safe for people of all ages.”

From her own description, it sounds like it is going to be a Harry Potter-themed social networking site, which will include ways to interact with the story itself by placing you in it, and will include things like the Sorting Hat and wand selections for each person, and even additional content. J.K. also says she will be participating as well. In addition, an exclusive Harry Potter store which will include digital audio books and ebooks will be attached.

Pottermore does not open publicly until October, but you can submit your email now (Ed: it doesn’t appear to be working at press time) and be notified when full registrations open sometime in July, and word is that a just a lucky few (if a million or so is a few…) might get early access and help the site before it publicly launches.
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The Thunder Child science fiction webzine is proud to announce the first science fiction novel published by its creator, designer, and all around cook and bottle washer. (i.e., me).

The Coldest Equations (The People Out There) is now available for Kindle readers (and in a couple of days will be available for Nook readers.)

Simply go to Amazon, select the Kindle store, and type in The Coldest Equations. [Ed: or follow this [asin=B0052NSRKK]direct link[/asin]] (Don’t have a kindle? Download a kindle emulator for free.)

Have you ever wondered where writers get their ideas? Is there some alternate universe where events are happening, which writers tap into? No! But once a writer here, on Earth, creates a story — in particular, let us say, a TV series, and it is committed to celluloid, the world created by that series does surge into life as an alternate Earth…and there are millions of them.

And there are People Out There who have devised a method for transporting actors on Earth into the bodies of the real characters that now exist in these alternate earths…and vice versa.

Tracy Karlovassi is the star of the near-science fiction TV series, The Coldest Equations. In the future, the civilian space companies have become the power in the world, as they vie for control of the moon, the asteroids, and the near planets. Each corporation has a variety of security teams – teams that keep their own scientists and inventions safe from spying eyes, and teams that spy on and attempt to kidnap the scientists or inventions of other corporations. Tracy Karlovassi plays Miranda Rainbird, head of a security team for the Capablanca Corporation – one that spies on other corporations.

Season 3 of The Coldest Equations features a season-long arc in which Miranda Rainbird has been framed for a crime she did not commit, and is on the run from both friends and foes. As Miranda Rainbird, she would doubtless be able to prove her innocence and track down the real criminal with ease…but The People Out There have transported Tracy Karlovassi into her body, and what can a mere actress do?

(Especially, of course, when the people she meets may, or may not be, her fellow actors.)

This book is a lot of fun (*I* think, anyway) wth plenty of homages to classic SF TV, movies and books.

Take a look at either Amazon – Kindle Store, or Barnes and Noble’s Nook Store.

And visit the website at:
http://volcanoseven.com/TheColdestEquations/

Looks like [asin=0812550706]Ender’s Game[/asin], the short story that became a novel that became a series by Orson Scott Card, last seen at Warner Bros. as a potential movie, is now headed to Summit Entertainment and appears to be on the fast track to begin production early next year. Gavin Hood (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) is set to direct, with Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (via their K/O Paper Products company) and Gigi Pritzker and Linda McDonough (Odd Lot), along with Card and Lynn Hendee (The Tempest) as producers.

It appears that they are eying this to be the next Harry Potter-esque franchise with an epic story aimed at the younger audience.