July 24, 2008 – 6:00 am
This summer I had solicited book recommedations from my friends, and was pleasantly surprised to have Cat’s Cradle recommended to me. I had previously only read Slaugherhouse Five by Vonnegut, and while I really liked it, I questioned whether or not I would really like to read other books in his oddly structured style. Well after reading Cat’s Cradle I can only say that those worries were unfounded. (Note to those who are intimidated by seeing a new chapter every other page or so: just ignore the chapter names and keep reading.) Other than what I just mentioned, I had no clue what I was getting into, and the name didn’t give me any hints.
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July 17, 2008 – 1:07 pm
The Apex Book Company announced July 13th that it was going to be upgrading itself once again. What started out as a short story literary magazine for dark science fiction grew to also include a line of books, and as of earlier this week its expanding its focus again. Why stay planted on the physical plane? What was on printed page yesterday is online today. Who said technology wasn’t wonderful?
The magazine, which used to pay authors semi-pro rates for their submissions, is now going to be paying submitting authors pro rates. What does this mean? Well one would hope this means that with the pay increase there shouldn’t just be an increase in the quantity of authors participating in the free online digest, but also the quality of those submissions. With easy and free access to stories by so many authors this is truly a treat for story lovers. After all, “it’s all about the stories” over at Apex!
With free science fiction at your fingertips, I hope you will all go out there and check Apex out. I know I am very interested in reading the stories they have to offer and I look forward to their future success. Good luck with your World Domination plan, Apex.
-Kelly Melcher
http://www.myspace.com/fandomaniakelly
July 17, 2008 – 6:00 am
Please welcome Kelly Melcher to our writing staff here at Fandomania. Kelly is a lifelong lover of books and will be bringing us her reviews and thoughts on all sorts of novels, writers, characters, and stories, beginning with this classic. –Jason
I thought I would start with a science fiction classic and one of my all time favorites. Robert Heinlein is an interesting study. While his books are indeed science fiction they also seem to highlight an interesting social issue, and this book is absolutely no exception. What may initially appear to be a story about a man who was stranded on Mars as a baby, raised my Martians and the potentials of space travel is really a poke in the ribs to conventional organized religion and questions the correctness of family structure and politics. While it has all of the science fiction aspects, of a man from mars, flying cars, space travel, high tech gadgets and gizmos, as well as a “futuristic” society, I would argue that it isn’t really science fiction at all.
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July 14, 2008 – 5:30 am
For a limited time, authors Rebecca Moesta and Kevin J Anderson are giving out FREE copies of the first book in their Crystal Doors fantasy trilogy. All you pay is shipping/packaging. Check out the details after the jump!
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May 1, 2008 – 9:00 am
I’ve been singing the praises of my new Amazon Kindle lately, and here’s even more reason to get one. From now through midnight May 13, you can download the e-book version of the first volume of Star Wars: Legacy of the Force for free! You can get the Kindle version with free wireless transfer to your device here, or you can get a variety of other formats (PDF, Sony Reader, etc) here.
And if you still don’t have a Kindle, go get one!
April 29, 2008 – 7:00 am
A new book all about the politics, themes, and impact of Battlestar Galactica is hitting shelves this week. It’s called Finding Battlestar Galactica: An Unauthorized Guide, and it examines BSG from some unique perspectives, including sections such as “Political Realities and the Culture of Fear” and “Battlestar and the Bush Era.” The book comes from writers Lynette Porter, David Lavery, and Hillary Robson, a team that previously has turned out several other books that critically examine television pop phenomena. Their earlier efforts include:
Finding Battlestar Galactica releases this week with a cover price of $14.95, but you can get it at Amazon for $11.51.
April 20, 2008 – 8:59 am
Why is there an article about the Amazon Kindle on your Fandomania? Because it’s the most awesome gadget I’ve gotten in a long time. My own Kindle arrived last week, and I’m in full swing of trading out my physical book collection for the digital versions. I really can’t recommend this thing highly enough, and there will be an article later this week about why it’s a great addition to the life of any fanperson.
The Kindle has been out of stock at Amazon since its initial release last year, with wait lists stretching out to more than a month. As of today, however, the Kindle is listed as being in stock now. So go grab your new reading buddy now, and you’ll even get free 2-day shipping on it!
Buy It: Amazon Kindle
