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The February 5, 2012, issue of WIRED magazine has a useful article, "102 Essential Science Fiction Books for Your Kindle."
If you're looking to expand your understanding of the genre or build a solid
library but haven't yet seen our
Basic Science Fiction Library,
check it out!
Kij Johnson Reading at KU Monday, January 23, 2012
Lawrence, KS
Author Kij Johnson will visit the University of Kansas for a
whirlwind tour starting this Sunday through Tuesday, and she'll give a
reading in the Jayhawk Room of the Kansas Union on Monday at 4:00pm, courtesy of
the English Department (she is here as candidate for a fiction-writing associate
professor position in the Department).
Kij has won the Sturgeon, World Fantasy, Locus, and
Nebula awards, and has been nominated multiple times for the Hugo and others.
Kij is Associate Director of CSSF and teaches the summer
Speculative Fiction Novel Writing Workshop.
After the reading there's time for a Q&A, and a reception is
planned starting at 5:15pm. Come hear Kij read and talk about writing!
Click the image to the right to see the full-resolution version of the
flyer.
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Sheila Williams Article about the Center Appears in Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
New York, NY — December issue, 2011
For the December issues of
Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, editor Sheila Williams wrote
a
lovely article, "Sliding Doors" (click here to read), about her visit to the Campbell Conference in July, 2011, and
reminisces about what could have been if she had come to KU to study SF. Thanks,
Sheila! Part Two appears next month in the January, 2012, issue.
"The Gothic Imagination" Event Monday, Oct. 31, at KU
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Lawrence, KS — October 24, 2011
 Come to John C. Tibbetts' horror-themed book-release party next Monday! There'll be readings (from John, James Gunn, Ben Cartwright, and Chris McKitterick), costumes, video snippets, and more! Oh, and you can get books signed, too. No cost (unless you buy a book, of course).
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Kij Johnson Reading and Signing on Oct. 18 at Jayhawk Ink Bookstore
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Lawrence, KS — October 12, 2011
Author Kij Johnson read from "The Man Who Bridged The Mist" and signed books at Jayhawk Ink on Tuesday, October
18, from 1:30pm - 3:00pm.
Kij has won the Sturgeon, World Fantasy, Locus, and
Nebula awards, and has been nominated multiple times for the Hugo and others.
Kij is Associate Director of CSSF and teaches the summer
Speculative Fiction Novel Writing Workshop. |
Gunn, Healey, and Sturgeon Discuss Theodore Sturgeon Acquisition on
NPR
Lawrence, KS — July 26, 2011
CSSF Founding Director James Gunn, KU Special Collections Librarian Elspeth
Healey, and Sturgeon Trustee Noel Sturgeon appeared on
KCUR’s
Central Standard show tomorrow, Thursday, July 27, from 10:00am to 10:30am
to discuss our
newly acquired Sturgeon collection. The show aired on 89.3 FM; to
listen to the NPR interview with James Gunn, Noël Sturgeon, and Elspeth Healey
about the acquisition, see the
AboutSF audio archive here.
Theodore Sturgeon Award and John W. Campbell Award Winners Announced
Lawrence, KS — July 8, 2011
Irish author Ian McDonald’s
The Dervish House won the Campbell Award for the best
science-fiction novel of the year and Geoffrey A. Landis’s “The Sultan of the
Clouds” won the Sturgeon Award for the best short science fiction of the year in
a ceremony Friday at the University of Kansas.
The Campbell Award was presented to McDonald by Campbell Award juror
Elizabeth Anne Hull. The Sturgeon Award was presented to Landis by Noël
Sturgeon, Theodore Sturgeon’s daughter, trustee of his literary estate, and a
member of the Sturgeon Award jury.
McDonald was born in Scotland in 1960 but was moved to Northern Ireland
when he was five, and lived through the troubled years. He was turned on to
science fiction by childhood television programs and began writing at the age of
nine. He sold his first story at twenty-two and became a full-time writer in
1987. Much of his writing has focused on the developing nations of Africa,
India, and South America, and one commentator has suggested that his life in
Northern Ireland led him to consider that country a “developing-world” society.
The Dervish House is set in Turkey, specifically Istanbul,
five years after Turkey has been admitted to the European Union and offers, one
reviewer said, “a coalescence of order out of interacting possibilities.”
Landis came to science fiction through science. He was born in Detroit in
1955 but moved regularly throughout his childhood. He is a NASA scientist with a
Ph.D. in physics from Brown University after undergraduate studies at M.I.T. in
physics and electrical engineering. He has worked on several space missions,
including Mars Pathfinder and the long-lived Mars Exploration Rovers. He began
publishing science fiction in 1984 and attended Clarion in 1985, where he met
his wife, writer Mary Turzillo. Landis has won two Hugo Awards and a Nebula
Award for his short fiction. He is known as a writer of “hard science fiction,”
and “The Sultan of the Clouds” describes a possible way of living on Venus—or,
rather, living in floating cities in the upper atmosphere of Venus.
This is McDonald's second trip to the Awards ceremony. His “Tendeleo’s
Story” won the Sturgeon Award in 2001.
Campbell Award second place went to
How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe, by Charles Yu;
Chris McKitterick presented the award. Third place went to
The Quantum Thief, Hannu Rajaniemi; Jen Green presented the award.
Sturgeon Award second place went to "The Maiden Flight of McCauley’s Bellerophon," by
Elizabeth Hand; Nathaniel Williams presented the award. Third place went to "The
Things," by Peter Watts; Benjamin Cartwright presented the award.
The Awards are presented by the Center for the Study of Science Fiction
during the Campbell Conference, a four-day event held annually at the University
of Kansas. The Campbell Award is selected, from nominations by publishers, by a
jury composed of seven writers and academics. The Sturgeon Award is selected,
from nominations by reviewers and editors, by a jury composed of five writers
and academics.
Theodore Sturgeon's Papers Donated to the Science Fiction Special
Collection
at KU's Spencer Research Library
LAWRENCE, Kansas — July 8, 2011
A treasure trove of private letters, manuscripts and other papers by one of
the most influential writers of the "golden age" of science fiction — who’s
credited with inventing with Leonard Nimoy the “live long and prosper” Vulcan
phrase for “Star Trek” —
has been donated to the University of Kansas.
The definitive collection of late author Theodore Sturgeon’s books, papers,
manuscripts, and correspondence have been established at the Kenneth Spencer
Research Library at KU, home to the Center for the Study of
Science Fiction. The Sturgeon Award for the best short science fiction is given
annually at the center’s Campbell Conference, this year on July 7-10.
The collection includes:
- Original manuscript and multiple film script treatments of “More Than
Human,” Sturgeon’s best-known novel
- Sturgeon’s notes and outline for “Amok Time,” one of two “Star Trek”
episodes he wrote. In “Amok Time,” Spock returns to Vulcan to meet his
intended future wife.
- Correspondence, story ideas and drafts shared with noted science fiction
editors and authors, including John W. Campbell, Robert Heinlein, Edgar
Pangborn, Harlan Ellison, Isaac Asimov, Kurt Vonnegut, Gene Roddenberry, and
T.H. White.
- Sturgeon’s rewrite of a L. Ron Hubbard article submitted to Amazing
Stories magazine titled “Dianetics: Supermen in 1950 AD.”
- His adoption papers, in which his name was changed.
- And much, much more, to be increasingly catalogued and accessible over
the next several months.
Best known for transforming the pulp magazine short story into an art form,
Sturgeon’s writing had a strong influence on ’60s counterculture, including the
Grateful Dead and Crosby, Stills, and Nash. His lyrical and varied style
represented a turn from the hard science fiction of the 1940s to the socially
conscious topics more common in contemporary science fiction, including
sexuality, gender, pacifism, and the individual cost of social conventions. His
short stories ranged from science fiction and fantasy to comedy and horror.
Sturgeon was also known for coining “Sturgeon’s Law,” which states that “90
percent of everything is crud,” and the credo “Ask the next question.”
During his career, Sturgeon (1918-85) won virtually every major award in his
field, including the Hugo, the Nebula, the World Fantasy Achievement Award, and
the Gaylactica/Spectrum Award for his groundbreaking story about homosexuality,
“The World Well Lost.” He also was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of
Fame.
The Sturgeon collection, valued at $600,000, had been privately held in two
parts: the Woodstock collection, from his widow, Marion, and the Sturgeon
Literary Trust collection managed by daughter Noël. Additional support came from
KU’s Center for the Study of Science Fiction, English department, and Spencer
Research Library.
In making the donation, Noël Sturgeon credits the work of CSSF Founding
Director James Gunn.
“Jim’s long dedication to the teaching and
scholarship of science fiction, and his particular interest in and support of my
father’s work, was the main impetus behind our choice of the Spencer Research
Library at the University of Kansas as the home for Sturgeon’s collection of
papers,” she said.
Beth Whittaker, head of Spencer Research Library, said, “This extraordinary
gift ensures that Sturgeon’s profound literary and cultural legacy will be
available to new generations of scholars, writers and readers.”
Keith Stokes, well-known fan and photographer, posted a wonderful
photo-essay of the event here.
To listen to the NPR interview with James Gunn, Noël Sturgeon, and Elspeth
Healey about the acquisition, see the
AboutSF audio archive here.
For more information about Sturgeon, stories, readings of his work, and more,
see the
Sturgeon Literary Trust website. You can also follow
Sturgeon news on Facebook.
In the news elsewhere:
6 News Lawrence: "Private papers of 'Star Trek' writer donated to KU"
Fox 4 News: "Papers of Legendary 'Star Trek' Writer Donated to KU"
Guardian UK: "Theodore Sturgeon's archive to live long and prosper in university archive"
I09: "University Library gets Theodore Sturgeon’s original notes for More than Human and "Amok Time"
Kansas City Star: "KU gets sci-fi author Theodore Sturgeon’s papers"
KU Libraries: "Gift establishes world's largest collection of author Theodore Sturgeon's materials at Kenneth Spencer Research Library"
L.A. Times: "Theodore Sturgeon's papers will live long and prosper at University of Kansas"
Locus: "Sturgeon Papers Go to University of Kansas"
Preternatural Post: "Sturgeon's papers will
'live long and prosper' at the University of Kansas Library"
SF Scope: "Theodore Sturgeon's papers to be united at the University of Kansas"
SF Signal: "Sturgeon Papers Donated"
Bradley Denton Joins CSSF Science Fiction Writers Workshop for 2011
Lawrence, KS
The Center for the Study of Science Fiction will again offer the
Science Fiction Writers Workshop on short-fiction
writing in 2011. SFWA
Science Fiction Grand Master
James Gunn, who
has led this workshop since 1985, is stepping back a little and will participate during the
second week; he will also join us for lunch each day.
Starting this year, author
Christopher McKitterick, who has co-taught the workshop since
1996, will lead the first week, and guest author
Bradley Denton
- another former Gunn student - will lead the second week. Denton's novel Buddy Holly Is Alive and Well on Ganymede, won the
John W. Campbell Memorial Award in 1992, and is now
in production to become
a film. His two-volume story collection
The Calvin Coolidge Home for Dead Comedians / A Conflagration Artist won the World Fantasy Award in 1995.
In July 2005, his novella "Sergeant Chip" won the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award.
Denton's music stylings have become a popular feature at SF events around the
country.
Multiple-award-winner Kij Johnson is also now
accepting pplications for her SF/F/H Novel Writing
Workshop, which runs concurrently with the short-SF workshop.
The workshops usually fill up, so if you're interested in applying,
please contact as soon as practical, and we can let you know about openings.
Percival's Planet
Lawrence, KS
Tuesday April 19
6:30pm - 9:30pm
University of Kansas Student Union Ballroom, Level 5
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Click the image
to see more about Pluto.
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Here's a don't-miss event tomorrow night at KU:
Author Michael Byers discusses his novel, Percival's Planet, which was inspired by the true story of Kansan and noted astronomer Clyde Tombaugh, discoverer of Pluto. Byers talk will be introduced by Steven A. Hawley, KU Professor of Physics and Astronomy and former NASA astronaut.
The Ballroom event will also feature a guided astronomy display including Tombaugh artifacts, presented from 6:30 p.m. by the KU Department of Physics and Astronomy. Following the talk, Michael Byers will sign his books. Click here to read a sample from his book, published in the New York Times.
The event will conclude with a telescope viewing session on the Kansas Union 6th floor deck (weather permitting).
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New Video: James Gunn on "Isaac Asimov: Science Fiction to Science Fact"
Keynote Talk from West Virginia University's
Festival of Ideas
Charles Beaumont Film Event: The Twilight Zone's Magic Man
Lawrence, KS
Tuesday November 9, 2010
6:00pm - 9:00pm
KU student union, Alderson Auditorium
Charles Beaumont was a principal writer for the Twilight Zone, mainstay of 1960s TV, wrote for Playboy and Esquire, and began a promising movie career. As the only child of an obsessed mother with an explosive temper, he endured hardships such as being dressed as a girl and seeing his pets tortured. Beaumont was the charismatic nucleus of a group of California writers including Richard Matheson, William F. Nolan, Harlan Ellison, and Ray Bradbury. His intensity and need to confront controversy influenced TV and science fiction; he understood the human condition, living at the edge in everything he did and created. At the height of his career, Beaumont exhibited strange and frightening symptoms: slurred words, balance problems, memory lapses. Was it alcohol abuse? Leftovers from childhood meningitis? Stress? He began to age, looking more like a man of 70 than one in his 30s. Beaumont seemed trapped in one of his own Twilight Zone stories. Whatever the cause, he would not live to see his 39th birthday.
The films "The Intruder" and "Charles Beaumont: The Twilight Zone's
Magic Man" are followed by discussion with Jason and Sunni Brock and author
William F. Nolan. Reception and autographing follow, and the book "The Bleeding
Edge" and DVD
will be available for sale in the KU Union Traditions Lounge.
Contact: cmckit@ku.edu
Ticket Cost:Free
Chris McKitterick Book Launch Event at KU
Lawrence, KS
Friday November 5, 2010
4:00pm - 5:30pm
KU student union, Jayhawk Ink Bookstore
Local author and CSSF Director Chris McKitterick's debut novel,
TRANSCENDENCE,
comes out today, and Jayhawk Ink is hosting the release party. McKitterick will
read from the book and sign copies, and will host an off-campus reception
afterward. If you can't make the event but would like a copy of the novel,
publisher Hadley Rille Books is also taking
pre-orders at a substantial discount here.
James Gunn Keynote Talk: "Isaac Asimov: Science Fiction to Science Fact"
at West Virginia University's
Festival of Ideas
Call for Applications: AboutSF Coordinator Student Position
LAWRENCE, KS - August 17, 2010
We are now looking for a new AboutSF Coordinator: Could that be you?
Click here to read the job description.
To apply, send us a resume and letter
(to Chris McKitterick at cmckit@ku.edu)
describing how you fit our vision and why you're passionate about science
fiction. Tell us how you understand the AboutSF mission and how you feel you can
extend our reach. Applications must arrive by 4:00pm on Monday, August 30.
2010 Campbell and Sturgeon Award Winners Announced
LAWRENCE, KS - July 9, 2010
A dystopian novel about a near-future of energy shortages and bioengineering,
and a long satirical story that mixes the beginning of nuclear destruction with
the tradition of the Japanese monster films have won the 2010 Campbell and
Sturgeon Awards to be presented at the University of Kansas on Friday, July 16,
as part of the Center’s annual
Campbell Conference.
The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi has won the John W. Campbell
Memorial Award for best science fiction novel of the year. Bacigalupi is no stranger to the awards, his
story “The Calorie Man” having won the Sturgeon Award for the best SF short of
the year in 2006. The Windup Girl, like “The Calorie Man,” is set in a world in
which energy shortages have forced a return to mechanical work translated into
springs, and genetic manipulation has produced gigantic beasts of labor as well
as invisible cats and artificial humans. The Windup Girl has the additional
distinctions of having won the Nebula Award and the Compton Crook Award and
being nominated for the Hugo Award (winner yet to be announced), and being
Bacigalupi’s first novel.
“Shambling Towards Hiroshima”
by James Morrow has won the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award for the best SF short story of the
year. The story is a satire about a plan to end World War II with the production
of gigantic iguanas who breathe fire and the production of a film that features
an actor as a Godzilla-like monster in a rubber suit pretending to destroy a
miniature Japan in an effort to persuade the Japanese to surrender. “Shambling Towards Hiroshima” was written by a master satirist who describes himself as a
“scientific humanist.” His best-known novels are his “Godhead” trilogy composed
of Towing Jehovah (1994; Blameless in Abaddon (1996); and The Eternal Footman
(1999). His most recent novels are The Last Witchfinder (2006) and The
Philosopher’s Apprentice (2008). Morrow’s “Bible Stories for Adults, No. 17: The
Deluge” won the Nebula Award for 1988 and his “City of Truth,” for 1991.
Julian Comstock:
A Story of 22nd-Century America
by Robert Charles Wilson was chosen second by the seven-person jury in the
Campbell novel competition.
The City
& the City
by China Miéville
was chosen in third place. In the Sturgeon short-story competition, there was a
three-way tie for second and third places voted by the five-person jury: “Things
Undone” by John Barnes, “This Wind Blowing, and This Tide” by Damien Broderick, and “As Women
Fight” by Sara Genge.
Both Bacigalupi and Morrow will attend the Awards dinner. They pair a
short-story writer who has won the novel award for his first novel, and a
veteran novelist who won the short-story award. Both will participate in the
Campbell Conference on July 17-18, and the autographing session and the featured
readings of Theodore Sturgeon’s short stories in Oread Books on July 17.
Click here to see the finalists for the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award.
Click here to see the finalists for the John W. Campbell
Memorial Award.
World Literature Today "International Science Fiction" Issue:
Now Online
 World
Literature Today has published a special
science fiction issue for May/June
2010, edited by the Center's Director, Chris McKitterick.
The May/June issue is a first-time tribute to science fiction, and the
companion website that contains a lot of exclusive content is also a first for
this award-winning literary magazine.
Contributors to the print and Web issue include Paul Di Filippo,
James Gunn, Grady Hendrix, Kij Johnson, Paul Kincaid, China Mièville, Frederik Pohl, Pamela Sargent, Tom Shippey, George Zebrowski, and many more. The website also includes a number of references especially for teachers.
Check it out!
"Alien Hunter" Speaks at KU, May 9
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Seth Shostak, senior astronomer at the
SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence)
Institute and author of Confessions of an Alien Hunter
[Amazon|Powell's], will discuss the possibility of contact and what it would mean to the world in "The Scientific Search for ET" at 7pm this Sunday, May 9, at Alderson Auditorium in the KU Kansas Union. It's free.
Shostak was on the Cobert Report
last week. Check it out!
Also, he and Sara Seager (Associate Professor of Physics at MIT) were on KCUR's (Kansas City's public radio station) "Up to Date" program
yesterday; go to the website if you want to listen to the podcast!
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For the CSSF news archive, click here
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