I’m pretty damn excited about July’s Book of the Month Club selection. The author is a supremely talented heavy hitter in the SF literary community, wrote one of my favorite scifi novels (Reveleation Space), and, oh yeah, also happens to enjoy Stargate (http://approachingpavonis.blogspot.com/2010/05/stargate-atlantis.html). Ladies and gentlemen, I give you…
House of Suns, by Alastair Reynolds
From Publisher’s Weekly: “It is 6.4 million years in the future and humanity has spread throughout the Milky Way. Some cultures have established transient empires across space; others, the Lines, have used relativistic travel to colonize deep time. Clone-siblings Campion and Purslane are delayed on their way to a Gentian Line reunion, a coincidence that saves them from a massacre. Allied with potentially hostile Machine People and an enigmatic post-human god called the Spirit, armed only with fragmentary records and hints that Campion’s research provoked the mysterious House of Suns, the Gentian survivors struggle to find and stop their enemies before the genocide can be completed. “
From The Guardian: “‘Reynolds injects a good old fashioned sense of wonder into his science fiction by combining a story of epic scale with a series of awe-inspiring revelations, each more breathtaking than the last. The finale is thrilling, moving and humane. This is Reynolds’ best novel to date.”
From Interzone: “”Reynolds has written a hugely entertaining extrapolation of contemporary mores: a far-flung comedy of manners, with fascinating precedents. This is warm hearted science fiction with big ideas that are easy to follow. House of Suns might well be the author’s most human novel to date.”
From The Times: “”Reynolds understands and uses hard science, giving an aura of plausibility to his wildest flights of fancy. As well as visionary brilliance, Reynolds also supplies a knock-your-socks-off ending. A thrilling, mind-boggling adventure.”
Intrigued? Then circle May 25th on your calendar because that’s when the paperback hits bookstores.
Discussion the week of July 12th with author Alastair Reynolds.
Anybody out there watching anime? I watch a couple of episodes of the odd series every morning during my workout, just to brush up on my Japanese. Some shows I’ve loved, some I’ve hated, while most have fallen somewhere in between. The series I’m watching now, Black Lagoon, is hovering near Love It territory! What’s it about? Mercenaries, mobsters, and mayhem. Highly recommended – unless you’re easily offended. Or, well, moderately offended.
Check out the series Funimation home page here: http://www.funimation.com/blacklagoon/
Mailbag:
DasNdanger writes: “Okay. I’m gonna be blunt. That’s Hollywood sex. And, I hate to tell ya…Hollywood sex is NOT REAL! It never happens that way! If you want me to believe that these people are really having sex, then I DEMAND THE FOLLOWING:”
Answer: In our desire to be as accurate as possible, we did include all of the various elements your mentioned. Unfortunately, they were cut for time and an abbreviated scene was aired. Wait for the director’s cut!
Kevin writes: “(1) The Senator’s death is known about on Earth. Did they just explain it away as a private plane crash or something to that effect? And if so, what was Chloe’s disposition? She obviously is missing as well.
(2) Which then brings a bigger question. Over the run of SG1, SGA, and now SGU, there have been ‘alot’ of deaths of Earth people. When you start adding them up, it easily adds up to the thousands. There are also ‘alot’ of people involved or who have knowledge of the Stargate program. Is there any plans for a big reveal of the program?”
1) I’m not sure what the official cover story was but, yes, something along those lines – possibly a heart attack followed by a closed casket funeral. As for Chloe – she’s probably attending a school out of state.
2) Depends who’s doing the planning.
Rex Carter writes: “Hi Joe this may sound like a stupid question but do you know if Stargate Universe will be picked up for syndication this fall on local tv stations to replace Stargate Atlantis?”
Answer: Sorry, Rex. No idea.
Ludo writes: “Do you look for new actors for the SGU season to come?”
Answer: We do cast locally. Each audition is script-dependent of course.
lkk222 writes: “@joe please kill someone important, pretty please?”
Answer: Hmmmmmm.
Robert writes: “Trought all the time I’ve been reading your articles, Fuel Restaurant as become an obsession. So for my first time in BC, I have to go there. Is it far from Howe Street ?”
Answer: You might want to cab it over to 1944 West 4th Avenue.
Major D. Davis writes: “Ive really been enjoying the Kino scenes, especially the most recent ones, will you guys be producing more kino scenes for season 2?”
Answer: Doesn’t look like it. 🙁
Erin Elizabeth writes: “The fact that the fans actually went through the trouble to make a site dedicated to allowing fans to speak their minds on this topic speaks volumes.”
Answer: Yeah, I think it speaks volumes about the people who spend the greater part of their existence endlessly wringing their hands and stomping their feet over a show they claim to hate and don’t watch anymore. When I first heard about it, I simply shrugged and thought “Hey, kids will be kids.” And then I learned that the organizers WEREN’T kids but (presumably functioning) adults. Holy crap! That’s both scary, sad, AND a little funny. I would think said “adults” could direct their effort to more constructive pursuits like getting cereal pitchman Sugar Bear his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame or organizing a nationwide boycott of tomatillos just for the hell of it. Oh, and I’ll respectfully call bullshit on your “site dedicated to allowing fans to speak their minds”. I’d add “so long as their opinion parrot that of the site’s organizers.” Hoowee! A Japanese word comes to mind. Hikikomori. Look it up. 🙂
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