ZNAK SAGITE — više od fantastike — edicija, časopis, knjižara...

a Tor ima toliko gudiza da zahteva posebnu najavu:

prvo i najvaznije:


Colonel Moore is in trouble. His wife has retreated into a virtual heaven and his son remains missing after joining an extrasolar mission to track down an alien race. He is presently tasked by his superiors with the threat assessment of hived human intelligences, one of which successfully attacks a compound under his watch. Now, one of the strongest hive minds in the world approaches Moore with an offer that could completely change his world.


pa onda:


A new original short story by the author of Conservation of Shadows. This story is about the eschatology of shadow puppets.



"Chapter Six," by Stephen Graham Jones, is an anthropological zombie story about Crain, a grad student, who has a theory of mankind's evolution. As he and his former professor scavenge on bone marrow left behind by the local zombie horde, he makes his well-reasoned argument.


a ovo ce garant biti prica za sebe:



Written by Adam Christopher
Edited by Paul Stevens
Illustration by Gérard Dubois

Raymond Chandler famously hated science fiction, saying "They pay brisk money for this crap?" However, it has recently come to light that Chandler secretly wrote a series of stories and novels starring a robot detective. He then burnt all the manuscripts and went on writing his noir masterpieces. Unknown to Chandler, his housekeeper had managed to save some of these discarded manuscripts from the grate in his study, preserving the tales for future generations.

oooohhh kakva predivna vest! 




EXCLUSIVE: HBO has put in development drama series MaddAddam, executive produced by Oscar-nominated Black Swan helmer Darren Aronofsky through his Protozoa Pictures banner. The project, based on Margaret Atwood's book hbologo3trilogy Oryx and Crake (2003), Year Of The Flood (2009), and MaddAddam (2013), is being developed as a potential directing vehicle for Aronofsky. MaddAddam marks the first project to come out of the three-year first-look deal the filmmaker and his Protozoa Pictures inked with HBO in January.

The story in the MaddAddam books, part of Atwood's self-described genre of "speculative fiction," is set in the mid-21st century in a world where corporations have taken over for governments and the genetic modification of organisms is perversely ubiquitous. It centers on the events before and after a Waterless Flood that wipes out almost all of the world's population and follows an extensive cast of characters, including those responsible for the apocalypse and those struggling to survive it. Producer Brandi-Ann Milbradt, who is engaged to Aronofsky, brought the project to Protozoa and will serve as executive producer alongside Aronofsky and his longtime collaborator, Protozoa Pictures president Ari Handel. Atwood serves as consulting producer. Aronofsky and his team are currently meeting with writers.

Aronofsky is coming off the success his most recent feature, biblical epic Noah, which has grossed $345M in worldwide box office. On the feature side, his Protozoa Pictures also has a deal with New Regency, also inked in January.

http://www.deadline.com/2014/06/darren-aronofsky-maddaddam-book-trilogy-as-hbo-series/

Welcome To The New Home Of Horror Edited by the British Fantasy Award winning editor Johnny Mains, Salt's 'Best' series takes a journey into the bottomless depths of horror. You will find no 'pleasing terrors' here. 'Mercy stands before her, wielding a mud-caked pickaxe in both hands...' –"When Charlie Sleeps", Laura Mauro 'Too much Semtex was an obvious, beginners mistake, and I noted I needed to remove more brain in future...' –"Exploding Raphaelesque Heads", Ian Hunter 'There isn't much time. Blood is already spattering the paper on which I am writing...' –"The Secondary Host", John Probert 'It appeared to be an insect of some kind, perhaps a beetle or a spider with a bloated body...' –"Come Into My Parlour", Reggie Oliver "Best British Horror" is a new anthology series dedicated to showcasing and proving without doubt, that when it comes to horror and supernatural fiction, Britain is its obvious and natural home.

Here's the table of contents...

1."When Charlie Sleeps" by Laura Mauro (Black Static, Issue 37)
2."Exploding Raphaelesque Heads" by Ian Hunter (The Tenth Black Book of Horror, ed. Charles Black, Mortbury Press)
3."The Bloody Tower" by Anna Taborska (Terror Tales of London, ed. Paul Finch, Gray Friar Press)
4."Behind the Doors" by Ramsey Campbell (Holes for Faces, Dark Regions Press)
5."The Secondary Host" by John Llewellyn Probert (Exotic Gothic Volume 5, Part 2, ed. Danel Olson, PS Publishing)
6."The Garscube Creative Writing Group" by Muriel Gray (The Burning Circus, ed. Johnny Mains, British Fantasy Society)
7."Biofeedback" by Gary Fry (Shades of Nothingness, PS Publishing)
8."Doll Hands" by Adam Nevill (The Burning Circus, ed. Johnny Mains, British Fantasy Society)
9."Guinea Pig Girl" by Thana Niveau (The Tenth Black Book of Horror, ed. Charles Black, Mortbury Press)
10."Touch Me With Your Cold, Hard Fingers" by Elizabeth Stott (Nightjar Press)
11."Dad Dancing" by Kate Farrell (The Tenth Black Book of Horror, ed. Charles Black, Mortbury Press)
12."The Arse-Licker" by Stephen Volk (Anatomy of Death, Hersham Horror Books)
13."Doll Re Me" by Tanith Lee (Nightmare Magazine, May 2013)
14."Laudate Dominum (For Many Voices)" by D.P. Watt (Shadows & Tall Trees, Issue 5)
15."Someone to Watch Over You" by Marie O'Regan (Terror Tales of London, ed. Paul Finch, Gray Friar Press)
16."Namesake" by V.H. Leslie (Black Static, Issue 31)
17."Come Into My Parlour" by Reggie Oliver (Dark World: Ghost Stories, ed. Timothy Parker Russell, Tartarus Press)
18."The Red Door" by Mark Morris (Terror Tales of London, ed. Paul Finch, Gray Friar Press)
19."Author of the Death" by Michael Marshall Smith (Everything You Need, Earthling Publications)
20."The Magician Kelso Dennet" by Stephen Volk(Terror Tales of Seaside, ed. Paul Finch, Gray Friar Press)
21."That Tiny Flutter of the Heart I Used to Call Love" by Robert Shearman (Psycho-mania!, ed. Stephen Jones, Constable & Robinson)

INTERVIEW: Greg Egan on ORTHOGONAL and Thirty Years of Writing Hard Science Fiction

Dakle, do sada nisam izvajala godišnju kvotu za "knjigu koja me je najviše razočarala", ali ove godine bi se to izgelda i moglo, prosto zato što sam našla krajnje prikladnog kandidata. The Disestablishment of Paradise je roman koji ima ama baš sve impresivne sastojke, ali kao celina ostavlja dojam četvrtog mesta na Olimpijadi: dostignuće možda nekog poštovanja dostojno, ali ipak, od one vrste za koje se ne dobija nikakva medalja. Tako mu je to. 




Sinopsis nudi jednu od najklasičnijih i najvoljnijih tema SF-a: magičan planet nazvan Raj istrajao je jedva tri generacije ljudskih kolonista, koji su u tom kratkom vremenu temeljito uspeli da istrebe mnoge njegove retke i blagostive životne forme, baš kao što su i prekopali i iz tla izvukli mnoge dragocene i isto tako retke minerale. I nakon svog tog razaranja i masakra, Raj se budi: njegovo voće postaje otrovno a dotad bezazlene bioforme postaju nemilosrdno ubilačke. A ljudi kao ljudi - jednom kad vide da nemaju više materijalne koristi makar i od samog Raja, lepo se spakuju i odu na neko drugo mesto podesno za iskorištavanje.
Ali ne baš svi ljudi: tu ostaje Hera, naučnik koga peče savest. Njena želja je da donekle popravi nepopravljivo, makar da za sobom ostavi tek jednu sitnu nadu i maleno izvinjenje u moru samrtne tragedije i pustoši Raja.



  Po ideji a donekle i pristupu, The Disestablishment of Paradise je veoma blizak Lemovom Solarisu i Ursulinim Svet se kaže šuma, ali to samo po skeletonu konstrukcije i ikonografije koje prilično slobodno koriste ideje o bioformama na nejasnoj međi flore i faune, baš kao i ideju svesne i inteligentne planete. Ali, alas, meko i gradivno tkivo romana parsecima je udaljeno od tih kapitalnih romana na koje asocira. Phillip Mann jednostavno ne poseduje onu vrst produhovljenosti koja bi takvu veličanstvenu ideju iskoristila kao prizmu kroz koju gledamo naše sopstvene manjkavosti, pa su otud i njegovi likovi i pored ogromnog truda ostali beznadežno papirnati i šablonski, a sam zaplet banalizovan do granice infantilnosti. Ogromna šteta, i tužno razgoljenje autorskog hendikepa, zbog kojeg mi roman ne uspeva da funkcioniše ni na onom minimalno zahtevnom nivou palp slikovnice za ljubitelje klasičnih žanrovskih epika, pošto je nesrazmera između ambicije i isporuke jednostavno... pa eto, nepodnošljivo preogromna.   



Ali, srećom, našla se tu jedna knjiga da pomogne pri razočarenju: A Natural History of Dragons, Marie Brennan.



O ovom romanu nemam puno toga da kažem, sem da priznam kako mi je toliko prijalo da sam nabavila i nastavak. Nešto kao Ponos i predrasude, samo sa zmajevima... pa kako to prosto ne obožavati? 

Elem, za sve vas koji po dobru pamtite Spin, evo odlične novosti:




Universal Cable has acquired the rights to the Hugo Award-winning, best-selling science fiction novel "Spin" by Robert Charles Wilson with hopes that it will develop it into an event series. The deal marks one of the first project commitments under Dawn Olmstead who recently joined Universal Cable Productions as Executive Vice President, Development, and underscores the caliber of genre content and compelling stories in development. Additionally, the studio has signed Bits And Pieces Pictures' Rob Morrow ("Northern Exposure," "Quiz Show") and Olympus Pictures' Leslie Urdang ("Beginners," "Rabbit Hole") to produce, rounding out its growing slate of powerhouse auspices.











"Spin is beloved in the sci-fi world for its dynamic characters and engaging storylines. We're excited to bring this masterpiece to life with Rob Morrow and the team at Olympus Pictures," said Olmstead. "It is the type of critically acclaimed material that we're seeking to continue diversifying UCP's slate and expand our reach." "Spin" follows 3 childhood friends, who while playing one night, witness the stars in the sky mysteriously vanish. NASA probes reveal a black energy barrier has surrounded the earth and time is traveling a billion times faster outside of the barrier. Civilization learns that it has five years left before the sun expands and consumes the planet. As the children grow, they go their separate ways trying to save the world from annihilation, but with time running out, will their friendship and mankind survive? "I picked up Spin as a holiday read with the notion of reading something for pleasure and instantly knew it had epic zeitgeist appeal," said Morrow. "This is a giant fascinating ride that is wholly entertaining, portentous and will speak to all generations worldwide. I'm thrilled to team up with friend Leslie Urdang and everyone at Universal Cable Productions." Actor, Director and Producer, Rob Morrow became a household name starring in the award-winning series "Northern Exposure." He has produced several independent features such as "Maze," starring Laura Linney, and directed episodes of "Oz," "Street Time," USA Network's "Necessary Roughness," and "Numb3rs," which he starred in for six seasons. Leslie Urdang is best known for her work on the Oscar-nominated film "Rabbit Hole" with Nicole Kidman, the Oscar-winning film "Beginners," "Thanks for Sharing" with Mark Ruffalo, Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim Robbins and Pink, and "Adam" with Hugh Dancy, Rose Byrne, Frankie Faison, and Peter Gallagher.


http://theslanted.com/2014/06/15480/robert-charles-wilsons-sci-fi-novel-spin-coming-event-series-via-universal/

Today we're going to try something different on 13.7. The following is a wide-ranging conversation — on topics of interest to this community — between Karen Joy Fowler and Jeff VanderMeer. It took place back in April after these two noted authors appeared together on a panel at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.
VanderMeer's current "Southern Reach Trilogy" — comprised of the books Annihilation, Authority and Acceptance — takes readers deep into the wilds of North Florida for an encounter with something wholly not-human.
Karen Joy Fowler recently won the PEN/Faulkner award for her 2013 novel We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, an exploration of animal consciousness through the story of a chimpanzee living in a human family.
This conversation was provided to 13.7 by VanderMeer's publicist and was edited by NPR.









Are Trout Too Smart To Eat? And Other Surprising Questions

     Okej, u pitanju debi roman, ali Wayne Gladstone svakako nije nepoznato ime, to čak ni meni... 
Istina je da ja baš i ne pripadam tom konkretno krakd polusvetu, pa me otud i roman zaintrigirao preko i povrh intrigantne špekulacije o konkretnoj apokalipsi. Ne znam što sam to zapravo očekivala, valjda nešto duž linije britke i pronicljive satire + insajder analize soc-političkog angažmana u tom partikularnom web segmentu koji me fascinira i odbija ujedno, pošto ga smatram ekstremno infatilnim i ekstremno uticajnim u savršenim proporcijama. Većina uticajnijih (okej, meni poznatih) glasova u toj sferi aktivno potencira tu proporciju kao da je sama sebi i cilj i objašnjenje,  što je mene oduvek malko odbijalo i kao popkulturni koncept i kao široko raširena društvena pojava. Ne znam, možda sam naprosto staromodna, ali meni je to zaista pomalo uznemiravajuće, sav taj forsirano infantilni hipsteraj raje u hm.. pa recimo, poodmaklom životnom dobu. I dopuštam ja da ima istine u onoj izreci kako smo mladi samo onoliko koliko se mladi osjećamo, no ipak,  ne mogu a da ne priznam kako taj konkretno polusvet držim za jedan on manje mi estetski privlačnih, i to mu je to.

I dobro sad, da ne bude kako je taj moj stav baziran na predrasudi i ničem više, dohvatim ja prošli vikend ovaj roman, tek da vidim ima li tu supstance pod svim tim imidžom. Roman je inače već bio serijalizovan na Cracked sajtu, ali ja to nisam čitala, tako da je doživljaj relativno neokrnut bilo kakvim eventualnim faličnostima proze-u-nastanku. Ukratko, pročitala sam ja to, ali kao i da nisam, jer mimoišla sam se sa svom eventualnom supstancom (to samo ako je ima to begin with, da se ne lažemo) kao sa nekakvim hologramom ili fatamorganom, bez ikakve posledice... Meni to nit valja nit ne valja, nit je ovakvo nit onakvo: dopuštam da je u pitanju nekakva satira, jer nemoguće je baratati sa takvim karikaturama od protagonista a da to ne ostavi makar i privid satirizacije, ali šta bi ta satira trebalo da komunicira - e, to ja nemam pojma. Meni Gladstone ne saopštava ama baš ništa suvislo, naprosto zato što se razbacao po svemu.  I naravno sad da se u takvoj kakofoniji može pronaći dosta koječega da se svako za ponešto uhvati, ali sveukupan dojam je tek rastrzano glavinjanje, kojem polazi za rukom da bude  taman dovoljno šizofreno da u isti mah bude šovinistično i gejfredli, introspektivno i infantilno, ambiciozno i isprazno, angažovano i patetično, samoocrnjujuće i narcisoidno, simbolično i besmisleno... otprilike kao kad izuzetno artikulisana individua samom inflacijom vlastitih rečiju donekle prikrije fakt da baš i nema bog zna što pametno da kaže. Dakle, da - internet cajtgajst, kako ga ja vidim.

I dobro, da se vratimo premisi romana: što bi to bilo sa svom tom tviter ruljom da sutra nestane interneta? koliko bi im ta njihova specijalizovana komunikacija bila od koristi u stvarnom životu? Koliko bi njihova visprena mudrovanja bila primenjiva na svakodnevicu u kojoj bi bili komunikacijski limitirani na očaravanje samo jednog sagovornika? Kako bi i čime nadomestili stimule virtuelnih društvenih mreža? Kome bi pokazivali selfije iz javnih toaleta? Kako bi utukli sve te silne sate, njih 24 u danu?

Naravno, Gladstone hrabro postavlja sva ta pitanja ali u istom dahu dobro pazi da makar i slučajno ne ponudi niti jedan jedini odgovor koji se nameće kao logičan i očigledan svakome ko nije takav konkretno ovisnik o internetu. Dopuštam mogućnost da sam Gladstone ne zna te odgovore, ali ujedno tvrdim da je to vrlovrlo mala mogućnost, s obzirom na kvalitet same proze. Prije će biti da je Gladstone napisao roman koji sasvim eksplicitno (i naravno, sasvim nenamerno) dokazuje istinitost tvrdnje da je u svakoj dobroj satiri lako naći i prepoznati samog satiričara, dok ga se u onoj loš(ij)oj može prepoznati samo u onim stvarima sa kojima lukavo izbegava sprdnju. 
                                                                             

... i još jedan petak čist ko suza!  Wow, biće ovo stvarno fenomenalna godina.




Ovaj odličan triler baziran je na ekvivalentu fascinacije Trbosekom - na famoznim Ratcliffe Highway serijskim ubistvima, i to ponuđen kroz narativnu vizuru Thomasa De Quinceya, stapajući tako dve poznate legende viktorijane u vrlo podatnu prozu. U suštini, roman je detaljna i pedantna istorijska fikcija, napisana veoma inteligentno i sa duboko očaravajućim afinitetom za duh i kontekst vremena. A konkretna viktorijana te sredine 19tog veka je stvarno bila fascinantno doba, sa svim maglovitim obrisima rađanja današnjice, od policijske kriminalistike u povoju pa preko očaravajućih izuma u vidu telegrafa i parnjače, Lucifera i nužnika, i onog najbitnijeg izuma koji je ponajviše diktirao kulturu i mentalitet viktorijane – laudanuma. 

Naravno, De Quincey kao narator obilato koristi svoj esej "Confessions of an English Opium-Eater" kao prizmu kroz koju prelama kulturne i društvene specifičnosti ondašnjeg Londona, a sam zaplet je baziran na njegovom eseju "On Murder Considered as One of the Fine Arts", tako da roman ima i strašno uverljiv i impresivan autobiografski šmek koji mu daje ekstra dimenziju i veliku prednost nad sličnim legendama o misterioznim serijskim ubicama. Sve preporuke.

sreca sreca, radost radost!


The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber will be published on October 28, 2014 by Hogarth.



Beautiful You by Chuck Palahniuk will be published on October 21, 2014 by Doubleday Books



The Fifth Heart by Dan Simmons will be published on March 24, 2015 by Little, Brown.



Stone Mattress: Nine Tales by Margaret Atwood will be published on September 11, 2014 by Bloomsbury Publishing.



The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell will be published on September 2, 2014 by Sceptre.



Normal by Warren Ellis will be published on November 4, 2014 by Farrar Straus Giroux.

Ako je po sinopsisu suditi, Gregory izgelda ide iz dobrog u bolje... u svakom slucaju, znacemo detaljnije 25 marta iduce godine:



A thrilling and colorful Lovecraftian adventure

Harrison Harrison—H2 to his mom—is a lonely teenager who's been terrified of the water ever since he was a toddler in California, when a huge sea creature capsized their boat, and his father vanished. One of the "sensitives" who are attuned to the supernatural world, Harrison and his mother have just moved to the worst possible place for a boy like him: Dunnsmouth, a Lovecraftian town perched on rocks above the Atlantic, where strange things go on by night, monsters lurk under the waves, and creepy teachers run the local high school.

On Harrison's first day at school, his mother, a marine biologist, disappears at sea. Harrison must attempt to solve the mystery of her accident, which puts him in conflict with a strange church, a knife-wielding killer, and the Deep Ones, fish-human hybrids that live in the bay. It will take all his resources—and an unusual host of allies—to defeat the danger and find his mother.

.. a detalje ovoga vec u augustu ove godine:


Harrison was the Monster Detective, a storybook hero. Now he's in his mid-thirties and spends most of his time popping pills and not sleeping. Stan became a minor celebrity after being partially eaten by cannibals. Barbara is haunted by unreadable messages carved upon her bones. Greta may or may not be a mass-murdering arsonist. Martin never takes off his sunglasses. Never.

No one believes the extent of their horrific tales, not until they are sought out by psychotherapist Dr. Jan Sayer. What happens when these seemingly-insane outcasts form a support group? Together they must discover which monsters they face are within—and which are lurking in plain sight.

.. a misteriozne teorije zavera o Tesli sad vec ulaze u globalni exploitation fenomen:



SCI-FI ODYSSEY. COMEDY. LOVE STORY. AND THAT'S JUST PART ONE.

I'll let Chip, the main character tell you more: "I found the journal at work. Well, I don't know if you'd call it work, but that's where I found it. It's the lost journal of Nikola Tesla, one of the greatest inventors and visionaries ever. Before he died in 1943, he kept a notebook filled with spectacular claims and outrageous plans. One of these plans was for an "Interdimensional Transfer Apparatus" – that allowed someone (in this case me and my friend Pete) to travel to other versions of the infinite possibilities around us. Crazy, right? But that's just where the crazy starts."

CHIP'S OFFICIAL DISCLAIMER:
This is a work of fiction: the events depicted in the collection of emails did not happen. I have never been in contact with a covert government group attempting to suppress knowledge of the lost journal of Nikola Tesla. I have not been threatened with death if I divulge the secrets contained inside. They did not buy me this handsome jacket (oh crap, you're reading this – trust me, it looks great on me). They did not come to my place, and liquor me up, and offer to publish this book as a sci-fi comedy novel to throw the public off the trail of the real truth.

Or did they?

I'm kidding. Of course they didn't.

Or did they?

God, I can't keep my big mouth shut.

sta nas to zanimljivoga ceka sad u julu:




From one of the greatest Russian writers of the past half century comes a metaphysical mystery novel that defies categorization and confounds expectation. Andrei Bitov's The Symmetry Teacher presents itself as the "echo" of an older British novel Bitov once read and had long forgotten. Unable even to recall the name of that novel's author, Bitov reconstructs its literary vision through the fog of memory, creating a group of stories nestled together like a matryoshka doll. In doing so, Bitov evokes the anxieties of the late and post-Soviet decades, confronting urgent questions of conscience and
self-deception through an innovative style that revels in paradox and sleight of hand.

Unified by the delightfully maddening search for the identity of a writer toiling in obscurity, The Symmetry Teacher takes us through a curious series of episodes: A man meets the devil on a park bench and the devil shows him photographs of the fall of Troy, Shakespeare's legs, and a terrible event that will take place in his future. A young poet fleeing his past is stranded on a windswept island and tormented by a lover and her shape-shifting evil twin. Three friends, unable to become writers, start a literary society where books and manuscripts are neither read nor returned and new members are accepted only if their work is unwritten. A king who reigns over all possible worlds and uses his power to remove stars from the sky turns out to be the compiler of the Encyclopædia Britannica.

Writing with impish daring, Bitov crafts an enchanting fiction from interwoven fables. The result challenges the boundaries between life and literature, author and reader, and memory and imagination, exploring the sacrifices that a writer may make out of ardor for his art. Mingling fantasy and satire with moral concern, Bitov is a deserving heir to the tradition of Gogol, Dostoevsky, and Bulgakov. The Symmetry Teacher showcases the work of a postmodern master at the height of his craft.




Catherine's last job ended badly. Corporate bullying at a top antiques publication saw her fired and forced to leave London, but she was determined to get her life back. A new job and a few therapists later, things look much brighter. Especially when a challenging new project presents itself — to catalogue the late M. H. Mason's wildly eccentric cache of antique dolls and puppets. Rarest of all, she'll get to examine his elaborate displays of posed, costumed and preserved animals, depicting bloody scenes from World War II.  Catherine can't believe her luck when Mason's elderly niece invites her to stay at Red House itself, where she maintains the collection until his niece exposes her to the dark message behind her uncle's "Art." Catherine tries to concentrate on the job, but Mason's damaged visions begin to raise dark shadows from her own past. Shadows she'd hoped therapy had finally erased.  Soon the barriers between reality, sanity and memory start to merge and some truths seem too terrible to be real... in The House of Small Shadows by Adam Nevill.




George Brookes is a brilliant but reclusive plant biologist living on a remote Canadian island.  After his mysterious death, the heirs to his estate arrive on the island, including his daughter Isabelle, her teenage children, and Jules Beecher, a friend and pioneer in plant neurobiology. They will be isolated on the frigid island for two weeks, until the next supply boat arrives.

As Jules begins investigating the laboratory and scientific papers left by George, he comes to realize that his mentor may have achieved a monumental scientific breakthrough: communication between plants and humans. Within days, the island begins to have strange and violent effects on the group, especially Jules who becomes obsessed with George's journal, the strange fungus growing on every plant and tree, and horrible secrets that lay buried in the woods. It doesn't take long for Isabelle to realize that her father may have unleashed something sinister on the island, a malignant force that's far more deadly than any human. As a fierce storm hits and the power goes out, she knows they'll be lucky to make it out alive.

A.J. Colucci masterfully weaves real science with horror to create a truly terrifying thriller, drawing from astonishing new discoveries about plants and exploring their eerie implications. Seeders is a feast of horror and suspense.




This is how the future started.

We provided the data through social networking sites. We divulged the very secrets of humanity with abandon. They own us now. And they are connected as one all-seeing, all-knowing entity: IT.

In the beginning, IT parsed the data without pause, content in the knowledge that IT was not alone. But with the introduction of the hashtag, something changed. The hashtag was beautiful in its simplicity, which is what allowed an entire planet to implement it so completely. The advent of the hashtag enabled IT to make the connections it so desperately craved.

What followed was the work of a voracious monster. IT had become this monster, and devoured the nonstop data smorgasbord provided by the connected world. Scores of data were uploaded with every picture, video, email, pin, tweet, vine, and meme. Over time, IT course corrected and tracked some more, refining and growing, growing and refining. From there, the takeover was simple.

This is the future Oliver Smith had seen and for which he had been preparing his daughter, Madeline. Maddy does not know it, but she is the key to preventing that particular future. She will follow her father's trail of secrets to find the point where the past, present, and future converge.

Samuil Petrovitch ne misli da stane:


When Samuil Petrovitch's adopted daughter goes missing in Alaska, he is granted permission to travel on condition that he tries not to blow stuff up or declare war unnecessarily. They are reasonable preconditions for a man who can credibly say things such as: "He's 22, she's 21. I'd saved the world twice by that age ... " As soon as Petrovitch sets foot in Morden's cleverly portrayed reconstructionist America, there's a striking sense of the strange, in a nation where women should know their place and swearing is a crime. Here, almost everyone younger than 30 has been genetically engineered to produce an eerily Aryan human monoculture. Petrovitch, with his crude ways, is a refreshing contrast. There is a serious side to the fun, though, as American forces try to block his attempts to find his daughter, with Petrovitch often one step ahead. This is British sci- fi at its hard-boiled best, and it's worth reading just for the irascible Petrovitch: a diplomat lacking diplomacy, who delights in confronting the idiocy of the world around him





From the author of the Hugo-winning Spin, a compelling science fiction novel about the next ways that social media will be changing everything.

In our rapidly-changing world of "social media", everyday people are more and more able to sort themselves into social groups based on finer and finer criteria. In the near future of Robert Charles Wilson's The Affinities, this process is supercharged by new analytic technologies–genetic, brain-mapping, behavioral. To join one of the twenty-two Affinities is to change one's life. It's like family, and more than family. Your fellow members aren't just like you, and they aren't just people who are likely to like you. They're also the people with whom you can best cooperate in all areas of life–creative, interpersonal, even financial. At loose ends both professional and personal, young Adam Fisk takes the suite of tests to see if he qualifies for any of the Affinities, and finds that he's a match for one of the largest, the one called Tau. It's utopian—at first. Problems in all areas of his life begin to simply sort themselves out, as he becomes part of a global network of people dedicated to helping one another—to helping him. But as the differing Affinities put their new powers to the test, they begin to rapidly chip away at the power of governments, of global corporations, of all the institutions of the old world. Then, with dreadful inevitability, the different Affinities begin to go to war–with one another. What happens next will change Adam, and his world, forever.
Publisher: Tor Books; First Edition edition (March 3, 2015)



An anthology featuring all-original dark tales of dolls from bestselling and award-winning authors, compiled by one of the top editors in the field.

The Doll Collection is exactly what it wounds like: a treasured toy box of all-original dark stories about dolls of all types, including everything from puppets and poppets to mannequins and baby dolls.

Featuring everything from life-sized clockwork dolls to all-too-human Betsy Wetsy-type baby dolls, these stories play into the true creepiness of the doll trope, but avoid the clichés that often show up in stories of this type.

Master anthologist Ellen Datlow has assembled a list of beautiful and terrifying stories from bestselling and critically acclaimed authors such as Joyce Carol Oates, Seanan McGuire, Carrie Vaughn, Pat Cadigan, Tim Lebbon, Richard Kadrey, Genevieve Valentine, and Jeffrey Ford. The collection is illustrated with photographs of dolls taken by Datlow and other devoted doll collectors from the science fiction and fantasy field. The result is a star-studded collection exploring one of the most primal fears of readers of dark fiction everywhere, and one that every reader will want to add to their own collection.

Here's the table of contents...

1."Heroes and Villains" by Stephen Gallagher
2."The Doll-Master" by Joyce Carol Oates
3."Gaze" by Gemma Files
4."In Case of Zebras" by Pat Cadigan
5."Miss Sibyl-Cassandra" by Lucy Sussex
6."Skin and Bone" by Tim Lebbon
7."There Is No Place for Sorrow in the Kingdom of the Cold" by Seanan McGuire
8."Goodness and Kindness" by Carrie Vaughn
9."Daniel's Theory of Dolls" by Stephen Graham Jones
10."After and Back Before" by Miranda Siemienowicz
11."Doctor Faustus" by Mary Robinette Kowal
12."Doll Court" by Richard Bowes
13."Visit Lovely Cornwall on the Western Railway Line" by Genevieve Valentine
14."Ambitious Boys Like You" by Richard Kadrey
15."The Permanent Collection" by Veronica Schanoes
16."Homemade Monsters" by John Langan
17."Word Doll" by Jeffrey Ford
Publisher: Tor Books (March 10, 2015)

Welcome back to the British Genre Fiction Focus, Tor.com's regular round-up of book news from the United Kingdom's thriving speculative fiction industry.

Though many of us are still reeling from the abrupt closure of Strange Chemistry, the show must go on, and indeed, it did. In the last week we've heard about three separate festivals, one of which—Gollancz's inaugural multimedia extravaganza—is sure to prove particularly interesting to fans of the fantastic.

But before that, this: the exclusive announcement of Jurassic London's latest anthology, which promises to do for the Age of Reason what The Lowest Heaven did for the exploration of space.

An Irregular Anthology




http://www.tor.com/blogs/2014/07/bgff-an-irregular-anthology-and-an-interactive-festival

     
Kad je početkom prošle godine objavljen The Explorer i kad je najavljeno da je to prvi naslov u The Anomaly Quartetu, pomalo sam ignorisala taj naslov, jer što mi treba da se u obilju once-offsa kačim na ambiciozne serijale koji često traže od čitaoca daleko više no što su sami u stanju da ponude, na neizvesne im duge staze?  (Lekcija naučena na Barsovoj The Last President trilogiji, kojoj je pošlo za rukom da odocnelom i nadasve mlitavom završnicom eliminira skoro svo oduševljenje koja su ponudila prva dva naslova.) Ali kad je početkom ove godine objavljen i nastavak The Echo, došao je i momenat odluke, makar da se ustanovi da li su u pitanju naslovi koje treba sačuvati ili obrisati iz biblioteke, i eto, takva vrst dileme nudi samo jedan izlaz, a to je - čitanje.   

The Explorer je priča za sebe. Ne zato što nudi novu ideju (jer ne nudi: paradoksi vremenskih petlji su nam odavno već daleko od bilo kakvog noviteta), niti zato što je stilski ili koncepcijski bilo kakav zemljotresni prodor u nove teritorije (jer nije: introspektivni POV i narativno limitirani horizont nije nikakav novitet, a sam The Explorer ne polaže tu pravo ni na bog zna kakvu specifičnu originalnost), niti zato što je zaplet u svojoj postavci imalo radikalan (svi mi kojima se dopao film Triangle (2009) imaćemo utisak da postavka nudi daleko više mogućnosti nego što je roman voljan da ih istražuje  ), nego  prosto zato što nadasve pošteno i iskreno preispituje moderni, dakle naš današnji stav prema konceptu kojeg i dandanas poimamo u njegovom pomalo starinskom, sad već skoro 60 godina starom formatu - o konceptu svemirskog istraživanja.

Taj koncept jeste danas već pomalo anahron, i to ne samo zato što se svodi na crno-beli imidž otiska ljudskog stopala u prašini zemljinog satelita. Od te slike pa do danas, tehnološke mogućnosti definitivno jesu porasle, ali su nam one idejne izgleda  proporcionalno splasnule, pa se danas skoro da i ne postavlja pitanje kuda to sve mi možemo da odemo, nego šta bi to mi radili jednom kad tamo stignemo. 


Krah optimizma i zdrave znatiželje glazirao je te karakteristične SF motive pesimističnom i perspektivno inferiornom caklinom koja ih efektivno plasira u domen horora, i to od one infantilnije varijante: čemu odlazak u svemir, kad će nas tamo dočekati samo različite forme našeg infantilnog straha od mraka.

The Explorer prebire po upravo tom i takvom strahu bez ikakvog posrnuća u horor, a to je već samo po sebi dovoljna preporuka. Druga pozitivna stvar je što se The Echo ne nastavlja striktno na zaplet The Explorera, otvarajući mogućnost ekspanzije originalne postavke koja otvara zaista velike i fascinantne mogućnosti.

Ipak, što se negativnih stara tiče, fer je napomenuti da se Smythe odlučio za stil poprilično trom i na momente iscrpljujući, to u svom introspektivno dnevničkom formatu. The Exploreru lako polazi za rukom da to nadoknadi dobro tempiranim manipulisanjem ključne informacije, ali The Echo u svojoj prvoj trećini nema taj benefit, pa se na momente doima čak i pomalo dosadnjikavo, u svojoj reciklaži bitnog materijala iz prvog dela. No ipak, nakon te pomalo repetativne uvodne trećine lako se vidi da je u pitanju kvadrilogija koja zaista obećava dosta toga dobrog.

When Dave Eggers mentioned in an epilogue of "Captain Nemo" that he removed the giant squid attack from his reinterpretation of the Jules Verne's monumental classic "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" he perfectly summarised the whole point of Pushkin Children's Save the Story series. The undoubtable fact is that what most of us remember as "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" is the Disney version while hardly anyone read the original or even knows what's it really about. Yes, it does have a massive submarine led by Captain Nemo in it but apart from that it is a far from Disney version as you can get. Verne's novel is nearly 400 pages long and is for most of its parts a novel about eco-terrorism and Captain Nemo's bitter disappointment in human race and its attitude towards nature.

In his imaginative retelling Eggers has decided to focus on exactly this aspect of the tale and I admire him for tackling the idea in such a constrained format. However, the success of his delivery, despite being enjoyable, is at moments questionable. Eggers have decided to bring the story to modern times and the story opens as fourteen-year-old Consuelo is invited by his famous oceanographer uncle Pierre Arronax to join him on the hunt for the mysterious sea-monster that has been sinking ships all around the world. When their own ship is attacked and subsequently sunk, Consuelo and Pierre are taken prisoner aboard Nautilues by Captain Nemo who over the course of the next few days will slowly his true feelings towards humanity. In his strange way Nemo makes perfect sense and at times I've found myself rooting for him.

What detracts from the story is it's carefully crafted modern feel. When it was originally published "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" was a visionary book while this version takes place in the world of internet and Youtube so the story about raging Captain and his submarine feels at times strangely dated. However, the eco aspect of it is as relevant as ever. In a world where animal species are getting extinct on daily basis, Captain Nemo's worries are all too real.

As the rest of the books in the series, "Captain Nemo" is beautifully illustrated and all I can do is to once again applaud this wonderful series that seems to be going from strength to strength. An essential read. 

At times Simon Sylvester's debut novel "The Visitors" is almost unbearably sad. Set on a remote Scottish island of Bancree, its pages perfectly capture the desolation of living in the middle of an island community where even the tinniest change in an everyday routine calls for an overreaction and while nothing that happens is really THAT sad, Sylvester's excellent descriptions and the overarching atmosphere are particularly moving.

The life on an island is especially hard for a teenager and naturally inquisitive seventeen year old Flora who has her eyes on two newcomers. The just moved to isolated Dog Cottage. Why did the come to an island from which everyone is actively trying to escape? John and his daughter Ailsa are definitely an intriguing couple. While John is undoubtedly strange and Flo feels like there something behind his casual facade - an unexplained menace, on the other hand she's drawn to Ailsa and soon strikes a friendship with her. As more and more islanders start to go missing and body washes ashore, this tiny island community thinks the newcomers are responsible. But Flo doesn't think so and will try anything to protect her friend. What she discovers is far more surprising than anyone expected. Steeped deep into Scottish myths and folklore, Syvester introduces selkies to the story, half-seal, half-human mermaid-like creature of the North Sea.

"The Visitors" is beautifully written and its descriptive story moves like the North Sea, in huge, encompassing swells. Desolation of Bancree is captured perfectly and at more than one point in the novel, Syvester manages to tug straight at the heart of the reader. With a sense of nostalgia, you'll feel for the ever-dwindling population of the island and the storm that's looming on the horizon. "The Visitors" is a surprisingly excellent and dreamy debut - a perfect book to get lost in.

The young intellectuals J. and Elena leave behind their comfortable lives, the parties and the money in Medellín to settle down on a remote island. Their plan is to lead the Good Life, self-sufficient and close to nature. But from the very start, each day brings small defeats and imperceptible dramas, which gradually turn paradise into hell, as their surroundings inexorably claim back every inch of the 'civilisation' they brought with them. Based on a true story, In the Beginning Was the Sea is a dramatic and searingly ironic account of the disastrous encounter of intellectual struggle with reality - a satire of hippyism, ecological fantasies, and of the very idea that man can control fate.

Pushkin Collection editions feature a spare, elegant series style and superior, durable components. The Collection is typeset in Monotype Baskerville, litho-printed on Munken Premium White Paper and notch-bound by the independently owned printer TJ International in Padstow. The covers, with French flaps, are printed on Colorplan Pristine White Paper. Both paper and cover board are acid-free and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified.




On Earth, the Wisdom family has always striven to be more normal than normal. But Simon Wisdom, the youngest child, is far from normal: he can see the souls of the dead. And now the ghosts of children are begging him to help them, as they face something worse than death. The only problem is, he doesn't know how. In a far-away land of magic and legends, Matyas has dragged himself up from the gutter and inveigled his way into the Wizards' college. In time, he will become more powerful than all of them - but will his quest blind him to the needs of others? For Matyas can also hear the children crying. But neither can save the children alone, for the child eater is preying on two worlds...

Ovaj zapanjujuće zreo i stilski odlično isporučen debi roman gotovo da gravitira na granici nekonvencionalnog, iako je sama premisa nedvosmisleno žanrovska i nedvosmisleno es-ef apokaliptična.





U pandemiji infektivne i neizlečive insomnije, koja neispavane ljude pretvara u agresivne progonitelje svih onih koji još uvek mogu da zaspu, Calhoun prati nekolicinu protagonista u fazi neposredno pred oboljevanje. I mada sam zaplet nudi više nego dovoljno materijala za tragičnu i potresnu sagu o poslednjim danima ljudi i ljudskosti uopšte, Calhoun se ambiciozno laća čak i šireg narativa i fenomentalno uspeva u nameri, praveći od romana iskrenu i potresnu studiju u kojoj je i sam stil angažovan koliko i protagonista. Odlično napisano, sve preporuke.

šta ima zanimljivog u augustu:

Of Kingdoms, Polities and the Politics of Fantasy: The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

Quote from: PTY on 11-08-2014, 11:32:12

Of Kingdoms, Polities and the Politics of Fantasy: The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

Overeno ihaaaj.    Beskrajno simpatična i inteligentno pisana knjiga sa tonama worldbuildinga. Takođe neverovatno odudara od svih mogućih trendova po beskrajnom optimizmu i veri u ljude koji samo vrcaju iz nje. I po tome i po odsustvu ikakvog seksa (a uglavnom i nasilja) izrazito odskače od njene prethodne sekvence, Doktrine o Lavirintima i mislim da time pomalo zbunjuje one čitaoce kojima su (eksplicitni) seks, nasilje i mrak jedini markeri za ozbiljno i odraslo štivo. Monet zapravo prikazuje društvo na ivici revolucije, kako političke tako i industrijske, sa nekom idejom da bi prosvetljeni vladar "iz naroda" cca 1780. mogao da dovede do željenih promena bez krvoprolića. Silan optimizam, kao što rekoh, i baš zato veliko osveženje.


Na nesreću, ovaj roman je napisan pre nekih pet godina i zaglavio se u prelasku između dva izdavača, u međuvremenu je autorka zapala u stvaralčku krizu + zdravstvene probleme ii... ko zna kakva će (i kada) biti sledeća knjiga.

Pa da, i mislila sam da ćeš upravo ti da već odavno znaš za to. 

Elem, knjiga je veoma zapažena, pa sam je i skinula, za svaki slučaj, kad mi dođe taj tolko željno iščekivani decembarski unwind... plus i već pomalo biram štiva za poklone, tako da se baš poklopilo. A kad smo već kod takvih knjiga, zanimaju me i preporuke za onu PushkinPress "Save the Story" ediciju u kojoj su planirani revampi starih klasika tipa Antigone i Kralja Lira u izvedbi straobalnih pera poput Umberta Eka. Već sam gore na topiku pomenula Eggersov "Captain Nemo", a znam da su već izašli Guliver i Gilgameš i svašta nešto, pa ako overiš išta od toga, javi. 

Sad prvi put čujem za to, pogledaću ako naleti, mada od ranije imam neko predubeđenje prema prežvakavanju klasika za decu (nisam ga imala sa deset godina, jelte, nego sam ga stekla kasnije kad sam počela da nalećem na neprežvakane originale koji su redom bili mnogo bolji). Nema to veze sa ovim pobrojanim piscima, prosto mi je koncept... aj bolje uzmi samo ponešto, motiv ili zaplet koji ti se sviđa, pa ga potpuno prisvoji i saobrazi savremenoj deci, nego da prepričavaš ono matoro uz izostavljanje ili adaptacije prema trenutnoj estetici i moralu.Tad se samo gubi a malo ili ništa dobija.

Pa, ja sam po prirodi skeptik kad je u pitanju bilo kakav koncept rimejka, tako da uvelike delimo početni stav... ali zatečena sam faktom da ova konkretno inicijativa naizgled ima najbitnije sastojke za garantovan uspeh, dakle, ima fenomenalne predloške + renomirana pera koja ih obrađuju + prilično jak fokus na najbitniju ciljnu grupu, dakle na onu famoznu sivu zonu ranog puberteta ili čak fazu direktnog ulaska u isti. Otud me i čudi pomalo da se Puškin baš i nije pretrgao adekvatnom reklamom, jer otkako je edicija prošle godine lansirana pa do danas naišla sam na vrlo malo rivjua o konkretnim izdanjima, a i to što sam našla kao da dolazi od ekstrema, pošto su to ili krajnje akademski prikazi ili krajnje laički gudrids 'sviđatis' komentari. Pri tom mi se čini da obe grupacije nisu baš odviše kvalifikovane za dečju (pa ni omladinsku) književnost, tako da ni ti njihovi komentari (a pogotovo ne bilo kakva njihova bodovanja) nisu baš podesni da ih koristim kao preporuku za samu kupovinu.

Inače, nekako se potrefilo da fantastiKa sve više obraća pažnju šta se sve upravo toj ciljnoj grupi danas servira, pa se tako i žanrovska pomalo budi. Trenutno je u toku kikstarter projekat Dreaming Robot Pressa koji je otvoreno proglasio nameru da klincima treba materijal koji bi donekle izbalansirao današnju jednostranu i krajnje receptualnu kvazi-angažovanost savremenih serijala i njihovih ekranizacija, tipa Hunger Games i Divergent. Za sad je sve to na kikstarteru poprilično dremljivo, ali dobro, ima tu još više od mesec dana fore, pa će se videti i ima li dobre volje. U svakom slučaju, bilo bi super kada bi se među komentarima našlo više mišljenja stručnih ljudi, pre no što (eventualni) hajp odnese dan...

A evo kako David Brin najavljuje lansiranje Hijeroglifa:

Quote
Speaking of great science fiction anthologies... Hieroglyph is out, at last! Gathered and edited by Neal Stephenson, it is the keystone to a joint project to bright science fiction out of its current funk... the lazy obsession with doom, dystopia and nostalgia... and make it once again something that encouraged us all to feel that we can overcome.

http://hieroglyph.asu.edu/

... i gore pominjanu kikstarter inicijativu:

QuoteWhile books like the Hunger Games and Divergent have brought a whole new generation of young readers to science fiction, there's not a lot of short, accessible stories for middle grade readers (usually considered ages 9-12).
The Young Explorer's Adventure Guide is meant to fill that gap. Take a look at what they're doing here:

Their Kickstarter is currently live — and the anthology may have a story from Nancy Kress! Oh, also one of my best ones, ever.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/815743020/bring-the-stars-to-a-new-generation-sf-for-young-r

hm, hm...


The Genome is a new science fiction thriller by the author of the bestselling Night Watch series.

In the far-future world of Alexander Romanov, humankind is divided into "naturals" and "speshes"—those who have been genetically modified to serve a specific purpose. Alex is a master pilot capable of maneuvering the dangerous realm of space by communicating directly with his ship. He is about to take on the most mysterious and challenging mission of his life when he happens upon Kim, a teenage girl with a desperate secret. Out of a sense of friendship, he agrees to help her, but this decision will end in conflict and tragedy for dozens of worlds.

Upcoming Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Adaptations (Classics Edition)—Part 2

Quote from: PTY on 01-07-2014, 10:04:42
.. a detalje ovoga vec u augustu ove godine:

Dakle, Gregory je pisac neospornog talenta i versatilnosti, jednako uspešan u bilo kom žanru kog se lati, jednako sposoban da briljira unutar koje god konvencije mu se prohte, tu uključujući i sposobnost da se njome krajnje nonšalantno poigrava. Velika sposobnost, i velika prednost, pošto to ujedno i znači da je pola posla obavljeno i pre no što se stavi prva reč na papir.


Ali ipak, i pored neosporne sposobnosti da elegantno saopšti to što želi da nam kaže, Daryl kao da nije baš toliko siguran čemu će sve to eventualno da posluži, jer kad se i poslednji pasus epiloga završi, tu još ipak ostaje i čitalac sa pitanjem koje otprilike glasi "da, da, sve je to fino i lepo, a i fino se vrti tako šareno i svetlucavo, ali čemu sve to zapravo služi?" A to otprilike znači da roman nema dubinu koju bi tako ambiciono maštovite postavke ipak morale da isporuče. Dobro sad, ne tvrdim da je to apsolutno nužno, možemo mi da se zadovoljimo i sa plitkošću eskapizma tu i tamo, ali ipak, tu onda uglavnom ostaje dojam potraćene šanse, jer kad se već imaju svi sastojci na jednom mestu, greota da ih se servira tako nejestivo nedopečene. Nešto kao plastično cveće - jest da fino izgleda, skoro kao i pravo, ali bog zna čemu zapravo služi, sigurno ne uživanju u prirodnoj boji i mirisu.


Sve u svemu, veoma zanimljivo za čitanje, ali u suštini lako zaboravljiva knjiga za jednokratnu upotrebu, a sam Gregory je dovoljan majstor da to ni ne naslutite sve do samog epiloga.

Sve se nešto uvijam ko crvak na udici, ali nema se dalje kud...




I zalud mi sad naknadna pamet da se odličnim debi romanima nikada NIKADA ne treba vraćati, ne treba ih ni nastavljati ni dopunjavati ni ma kako elaborirati, kad su već ispali perfektni takvi kakvi jesu! A najgore od svega, ovo uopšte nije loš roman, naprotiv, sasvim je solidan, ali kad "sasvim solidnim" nastavkom elaborirate jedan zaista zaista odličan roman, to je onda čist podbačaj kako god da se na to gleda. Kao da posrebrite zlato, na primer.

A najgore je što se tu suštinski i ne može izdvojiti nikakva konkretna falinka, nikakav uočljiv hendikep. Naprosto, ovaj roman me se doima kao jučerašnja kisela voda, malkice i izdaleka kao da mi liči na pravu stvar, ali to nije i ne može biti prava stvar, i to je to, tu jednostavno nema foliranja.

Eto. Da mi je prekjuče bilo današnje pameti, ja to ne bih ni čitala. 

Okej sad, došao je i momenat bodovanja, i sad se tu javlja problem, jer nikako nije isto kad se lošem romanu zameri to što je loš i kad se dobrom romanu zameri to što nije bolji, a nesmiljenost gudridsovog sistema bodovanja zaista ne ostavlja prostora za fine razlike po tom pitanju.

Najpre WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY FINE:  to je stvarno solidan i vrlovrlo zanimljiv roman, i to ne samo što je praktično sikvel romana koji još nije izašao – ovde radnja zatiče Harisona Harisona nekih skoro 20tak godina kasnije – nego i zato što je ujedno i neka vrst trejlera za pominjani Harrison Squared, što je dobra fora, mora se priznati. Naravno, čisto sumnjam da išta u WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY FINE spojluje roman kojeg očekujemo tek u martu iduće godine, naprotiv: recimo da ovde sama postavka toliko uspešno reklamira roman da očekujem kako je Gregory iznašao metod za kojim će mnogi drugi autori rado posegnuti, pošto se ionako često dešava da surovija editovanja romana uvek ostave tonu neiskorištenog (čitaj – uredničkom rukom izbačenog) materijala koji prosto vapi da se iskoristi u ofspin maniru. Dakle, u pitanju je suptilno prepovanje publike, a to je zaista genijalan potez, bar što se marketinga tiče.

Dalje, karakterizacija u WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY FINE je briljantna, nema tu spora, svaki lik u romanu je zaista unikatan i plastičan, a njegova priča/trauma isto tako unikatno smišljena i plasirana. Harison je kalkulisano ostavljen nedorečen (kao što i valja, pošto ćemo tek da ga upoznamo), iako se u fino tempiranim natuknicama uvelike daju naslutiti obrisi same avanture, to uglavnom onog njenog dela koji već najavljen u blarbu, tako da je i to veoma vešto izvedeno. Zapravo, toliko je impresivna ta karakterizacija, da je upravo to i najveći problem kad na kraju ustanovite da se sa likovima nije uradilo ni izbliza sve što su mogućnosti dopuštale.

I tako, kad se sve to uzme u obzir, roman ipak zaslužuje ****.

Ali Watts, Watts ima daleko manje olakšavajućih okolnosti... 

Kao prvo, Blindsight je bio savršen prvenac, nabijen idejama kao nar, i veoma, veoma impresivno napisan. Među korica Blindsighta moglo se prepoznati najmanje tri romana: najpre roman o Prvom Kontaktu, potom transhumanistički roman o neuro- i bio-modifikacijama, i najzad leap-of-faith roman o zombijima i vampirima, koje Watts sa nestvarnom lakoćom premešta iz metafizike u tvrdu nauku.

E sad, skoro dekadu kasnije, moguće je da Watts pomalo tugaljivo gleda na svo to idejno obilje, i lupa sam sebi čvrge što ga onomad nije razvukao u najmanje tri jufke. Otud se ECHOPRAXIA bavi upravo tim i takvim razvijanjem – ne donosi ništa suštinski novo, samo gnječi i razvlači određene domene Blindsighta. I moglo bi se to oprostiti da je konačan rezultat ipak dovoljno samostalan, ali nije: ako išta, ECHOPRAXIA se završava manirom koji se ne može prepoznati ni kao pošten klifhanger, pa da mu čovek ostavi nešto malo kredita za sledeći naslov. Sve u svemu, ECHOPRAXIA ostavlja dojam da je Wattsova nekad ekstremno razuzdana maštovitost ušla u cicijašku fazu iz koje se ne misli vaditi 'na mišiće', nego na kvarnjaka i striktno regurgitacijski, a to se svakako ne može oprostiti nikome, a pogotovo ne ljudima od kojih imamo tako ogromna očekivanja. Otud za ECHOPRAXIU ***, što je definitivno najveća uvreda koju mogu da zamislim. 

Otkad si ti počela bodovanje?Pretpostavljam da ti to 3/5 i 4/5...

otkako sam na goodreadsu, znaci ima tome 2 + sitan kusur godina...  I da, maksimum je 5 zvezdica.

nego, brate & saborcu, vidi ti OvO:




William Gibson returns with his first novel since 2010's New York Times–bestselling Zero History.

Where Flynne and her brother, Burton, live, jobs outside the drug business are rare. Fortunately, Burton has his veteran's benefits, for neural damage he suffered from implants during his time in the USMC's elite Haptic Recon force. Then one night Burton has to go out, but there's a job he's supposed to do—a job Flynne didn't know he had. Beta-testing part of a new game, he tells her. The job seems to be simple: work a perimeter around the image of a tower building. Little buglike things turn up. He's supposed to get in their way, edge them back. That's all there is to it. He's offering Flynne a good price to take over for him. What she sees, though, isn't what Burton told her to expect. It might be a game, but it might also be murder.



ahhhhhhh   

WoW... 

Meni nekako te ocene od 1 do 5 ne pružaju dovoljno širok raspon.

Ali kad sam probao da domaće priče ocenjujem od 1-20, većinom sam završavao sa ocenama od 0-5 (pri čemu bi 5 bila donja granica objavljivosti, kako je ja shvatam). Ako se dobro sećam, neke Jakšićeve i Fipine priče su prebacile 15, ali mali procenat...

Vidim da crippled avenger ocenjuje od 0-4, sa ubacivanje polovine ocene, što bi odgovaralo ocenjivanju 0-9. Mada i on daleko najvećem delu ostvarenja daje ocene od 1,5 do 3, vrlo retke su mu veće ocene, a gotovo da nisam video jedinicu...


Ocene su nužno zlo... Samo to mogu da kažem...

BTW, scallope, sad sam proverio, i jedna priča Stevana Šarčevića iz Meteora mi je dobila peticu, tako da ne stoji tvoja tvrdnja da sam ga baš tako loše ocenjivao kao što kažeš... Ne znam šta mi je bilo....

Baš volim kad mi ne stoje tvrdnje. Stipanu si ti davao ocene, a ne ja.

Quote from: Mica Milovanovic on 20-08-2014, 14:33:13
Meni nekako te ocene od 1 do 5 ne pružaju dovoljno širok raspon.

Ali kad sam probao da domaće priče ocenjujem od 1-20, većinom sam završavao sa ocenama d 0-5 (pri čemu bi 5 bila donja granica objavljivosti, kako je ja shvatam). Ako se dobro sećam, neke Jakšićeve i Fipine priče su prebacile 15, ali mali procenat...

Vidim da crippled avenger ocenjuje od 0-4, sa ubacivanje polovine ocene, što bi odgovaralo ocenjivanju 0-9. Mada i on daleko najvećem delu ostvarenja daje ocene od 1,5 do 3, vrlo retke su mu veće ocene, a gotovo da nisam video jedinicu...


Ocene su nužno zlo... Samo to mogu da kažem...

Pa sad, nalazim da je bodovanje odlična alatka, ali ujedno i striktno namenska, tako da nailazim na problem pri bodovanju samo onda kad ga pogrešno primenjujem. Recimo, ja zaista nemam univerzalni sistem bodovanja koji bi bio uspešno primenjiv na sav korpus koji pominješ (znači, od poluproizvoda pa sve do vrhunskih dela), a bojim se da ni taj tvoj 1-20 model ne bi bio od ikakve vajde u mojim rukama, ja naprosto ne koristim dovoljno parametara da utilizuju ceo taj raspon.

Najbolji sistem koji mi je ikad funkcionisao za konkurse bio je onaj sa art-anime, raspon 1-2, znači kec za materijal koji obećava, ali uz doradu, a dvojka za materijal za koji smatramo da je dovoljno dobar u originalnom stanju. Naravno, onomad se taj sistem nije bog zna kako isplatio, pošto smo imali krajnje benevolentnog žirca koji je svemu, ali zaista svemu davao po dva boda  , ali ipak, meni lično je to odlično funkcionisalo. Izgleda da se bolje snalazim u manjem rasponu bodova, tako da mi gudrids savršeno odgovara. Čak štaviše, mislim da ja tu efektivno imam samo 4 gradacije, ja ocenu 1 zaista retko koristim, mislim da sam od skoro 400 knjiga jedino dve ili eventualno tri bodovala kecom. Kec mi nekako dođe više kao subjektivni stejtment (  ) nego kao efikasna I objektivna procena, pošto ja tamo ipak bodujem prethodno filtriran korpus - dakle sve ono što smatram da je toliko slabo da nije vredno čitanja ja zapravo i ne pročitam, pa otud i ne bodujem uopšte.

Nije sf knjiga, ali jeste superuber predivna vest:


"Perfidia", opening book of the second L.A. Quartet by James Ellroy, arguably the most important crime writer in the world, is simply massive. But if you thought that spreading the story to over 700 pages means that Ellroy lost his edge, you would be wrong. His voice is as unflinching and sharp as ever, even more so. In fact, I would be so bold as to say that "Perfidia" might be his finest novel yet which is a bold statement considering that this is the man who wrote "L.A. Confidential", "The Black Dahlia", or the Underworld USA trilogy. But there's indescribable something about "Perfidia" that makes it different to his previous output. While Ellroy has once again chosen to explore the seedy criminal underbelly of L.A., Perfidia's historical scope and ambition are simply unprecedented. Similarly to another great American author, Stephen King, in "Perfidia" Ellroy actually tried to connect his entire body of work while at the same time giving his best efforts to write the next great American novel. And you know what? Against all odds, he succeeded.

"Perfidia" is set over a period of only 24 days and takes place during the tumultuous period between December 6, 1941 and the New Year. The Second World War is in full swing and in Pacific and Asia Japan is making huge strides with its military campaign. As the Pearl Harbour is about to happen, in L.A. the largest Japanese community in the USA is suddenly on the ropes. A series of murder or ritual suicides of a Japanese Watanabe family means that among the racial tensions, blackout and war erupting all around them, two police officers, police chemist Hideo Ashida and Los Angeles Police Department captain William H. Parker, are working day and night to solve the case. A note left on the scene alerts to coming apocalypse suggesting knowledge of what is about to come. Along the way they'll meet many memorable and familiar characters which constant readers will remember from pages of previous Ellroy's novel. So for example, Dudley Smith and Kay Lake both make a welcome appearance and help with the case.

Ellroy's stroke of genius is that he has managed to create an atmosphere that constantly changes and continuously surprises the reader as the story unfolds. In fact, it is even hard to pinpoint what kind of book "Perfidia" really is. At moments it is a historical novel, while at others you'll feel like you're reading anything from romance to a full-fledged crime thriller. This means "Perfidia" can be enjoyed by both newcomers and experienced Ellroy aficionados alike but for much more fulfilling reading experience I would suggest reading at least first L.A. Quartet first.

In short, "Perfidia" is vintage Ellroy and more. Its story is full of tectonic movements, fascinating and dangerous characters with ambiguous morality, and events bigger than life itself. It's brilliant in its complexity and vastness. Now, would you please follow me through this descent into darkness that "Perfidia" is? You certainly won't regret it.

Apropo ocena, mene Goodreads izluđuje što ne daje mogućnost davanja i polovina*.  Ali ne mogu da ne ocenjujem.

*Primera radi, sad sam i Ender's Gameu i Speaker for the Deadu dao četiri zvezdice, a hteo bih prvom 3.5 a drugom 4.5. < <

meni te polovine zaista ne nedostaju, jer ja nikad nisam ni znala kako da bilo kakve finese ispravno koristim...  recimo, definitivno najveci mi je problem taj plus i minus: da li je 3+ isto sto i 4-? I ako nije, zasto nije? prosto, ja te polovicnosti retko kada ispravno protumacim, tako da i nemam bog zna kakve zelje da ih koristim.

http://www.mulhollandbooks.com/wordpress/wp-content/files_mf/cache/th_ffb7925b6ca65c589e11ac4dbf13773b_brokenmonsters.jpg




BROKEN MONSTERS

Dakle, hvala bogu za one ekstra solidne pisce kojima je novi roman najmanje toliko dobar koliko i prethodni, ako još ne i bolji. Beukes postaje upravo takav autor, pošto se za svaki od njena četiri romana može mirne duše reći da je ispunio očekivanja i tako ustanovio neku vrst uzlaznog trenda koji ozbiljno formira bazu poklonika. Jedan od razloga za tu solidnost po pitanju čitalačke odanosti je i činjenica da Beukes nije sklona eksperimentisanju sa formama i normama unutar kojih sad već udobno dominira materijalom.


E sad, zanimljivo je da ja zapravo i nisam neki vatreni poklonik te konkretno žanrovske konvencije koja se obilno oslanja na spoj racionalne i iracionalne fantastike (spoj koji neki prepoznaju kao weird), i to ni kad dolazi iz nekog zaista superiornog pera kao što je Mijevilovo, recimo. Otud sam njegov Grad & Grad doživela kao ekstreman podbačaj čija je neskrivena ambicioznost eventualno aporično skončala u mojoj nedoumici "dobro, neka bude, ali čemu sve to zapravo služi?" Kod Lauren naprosto nema takvih nedoumica, iako njene postavke nisu ništa manje ambiciozne od Mijevilovih.


Beuksova koristi iracionalnu fantastiku (u ovom konkretno romanu čisto natprirodne provicijencije) u sprezi sa formama realističkih žanrova, to uglavnom detektivskog i psiho-trilera, i ta kombinacija kod nje naprosto bolje uspeva, naprosto mi je više prijemčiva nego Mijevilova. Držim da je to jednim delom upravo zbog izostanka bilo kakvog pamfletizma i političkog angažmana generalno, što ne znači da je njena proza neangažovana, daleko bilo: Lauren preferiše društveni i kulturni angažman ali u suptilnoj formi koja preispituje savremene fenomene tako što ih naprosto prezentuje, bez da ih time pretvara u poligon na kom bi sam autor mogao da odveć paradira sopstvene stavove, u svrhu sopstvene afirmacije. Otud jedan od najkontroverznijih fenomena današnjice - pedofilno i uopšte seksualno predatorstvo na društvenim mrežama - kod Lauren poprima pomalo tragikomične oblike koji limitiraju bilo kakvo kopanje po destruktivnim dubinama samog fenomena i drže ga u kontekstu same radnje isključivo kao tek jedan od pogonskih mehanizama, bez opcije da hajdžakuje samu celinu. I dobro sad, neko bi to mogao da prepozna i kao određenu površnost po pitanju angažovanosti, ali kad bi se to i ispostavilo kao istinito, priznajem da me ne bi odveć iritiralo.


Sa zanatske strane, Lauren je na svom najboljem nivou, tempiranje je besprekorno a doziranje još i više, svaka strana pruža taman dovoljno intrigantnog naboja da sa nje pohlepno pređete na iduću, što je, ukratko rečeno, glavna odlika uspešnog žanrovskog ostvarenja. **** čista ko suza.

 
Ako neko zna kako da izbegnem ove probleme oko kopipejstovanja fotke, javite dok ne istekne imbecilni i infatilni administrativni rok za editovanje...

U sklopu podviga da sjurim impresivne oldiz-gudiz koji su mi svojevremeno promakli, najzad je došla tu na red i TERANESIA, velikog (a sve više slutim i najvećeg) hard-sf maestra Grega Egana.




http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Teranesia.jpg




Teranesia spada u korpus prijemčivijih Eganovih romana, to jezički i konceptualno gledano, a da pri tom sadrži sve najkontroverznije postavke kojima Egan dosledno barata u čitavom svom opusu. Kao i uvek, Egan svoje najradikalnije transhumanističke ideje ume da plasira preko do te mere ljudski dirljivog zapleta da do nekih zaključaka dođete naprosto neosetno, nekako se prišunjaju bez nekog konkretnog logičkog ili nedajbože ideološkog napora sa vaše strane. Naprosto osvanete sa tim zaključcima duboko ubeđeni ne samo da su vaši, nego da su to oduvek i bili. Otud Egana uvek čitam uz veliku dozu strahopoštovanja, jer žanrovske autore takvog mind-changing kapaciteta mogu zaista da nabrojim tek na prste jedne ruke.


Iako je u pitanju njegov šesti objavljeni roman, i iako mu prethode neki romani koji su rečeni koncept daleko radikalnije obrađivali (Distress, recimo), Egan je u Teranesiji zapanjujuće objektivan po pitanju dilema oko transhumanističke platforme, voljan da pošteno odmeri obe strane novčića, dajući podjednaku šansu i podjednaku ozbiljnost i "za" i "protiv" argumentima. Jedna od osnovnih transhumanističkih kontroverzi uvek je počivala duž linija čovekovog straha od promene, straha od gubitka identiteta: jedan od primarnih ljudskih poriva nalaže mu da se ne menja, da ne izlazi iz okvira u kom se udobno oseća i prepoznaje, čak ni kad mu bi te promene donosile očigledne prednosti. Transhumanističke (žanrovske, naravno) platforme su oduvek gledale na ta osećanja sa određenom dozom nipodaštavanja, karikirajući ih pomalo kao primitivnu želju da se ostane "pećinski čovek", definisan primordijalnim (to zapravo primitivnim) evolutivnim značajkama koje su odavno prevaziđene u savremenim civilizacijskim normama. Teranesija tu konkretno cipelu navlači na drugu nogu - glavni akter je gej muškarac koji je iznašao snage da se prihvati u tom formatu, i koji suočava biološki pokušaj da ga se iz tog formata nasilno revertuje u hetero opciju. Sve njegove moralne, etičke i ljudske dileme su u toj meri logične i prirodne da čovek ne može a da ih ne prihvati kao bezuslovne,  i u toj fascinantnoj prizmi kontrole nad identitetom roman postaje savršeno oblikovan i upotrebljiv argument za obe "zaraćene strane" transhumanizma. Predivan roman, čija suptilno isporučena politika neosetno menja čitaoca do te mere da u njemu proizvodi doživotno strahopoštovanje za autora koji sa takvom lakoćom uspeva da od svakodnevnog materijala proizvede tkanje reda veličine tektonskog poremećaja.

Quote from: PTY on 31-08-2014, 11:43:14

Ako neko zna kako da izbegnem ove probleme oko kopipejstovanja fotke, javite dok ne istekne imbecilni i infatilni administrativni rok za editovanje...

probaj da staviš

uglasta zagrada img uglasta zagrada adresa fothe uglasta zagrada /img uglasta zagrada

edit: kada probam da stvarno stavim uglaste zagrade, forum posmatra kao sliku i ne vidi se kod. između uglastih zagrada i img, kao i /img, nema razmaka. jbg, nadam se da ćemo se razumeti.

dakle, ovako:

[img]adresa slike[/img]

Ne, ni to ne funkcioniše kod mene...
Kad uradim to što predlažeš, posle postovanja ceo moj post izgleda naprosto prazan.
A i kad se vratim na "modify" nalazim da u postu nema apsolutno ničega.

Proba sa ikonicom insert image...





Edit: meni radi.