Facebook Report: Lots of Links to Speculative Fiction -- 7/16/11

Summer has everyone busy and few actually posting to Facebook. There have been some interesting conversations at David Brin's pages and Robert Sawyer has been busy with tours, conventions and such. However, I did not keep a sharp enough eye out so did not get to grab them. Visit Facebook and search for your favorite authors to see what they are doing. There are dozens of SF authors posting frequently.   ~Valerie C.

Reading For the Future Today is the birth date of our own Jim Gunn, American science fiction author, editor, scholar, and anthologist.
In his honor we are posting a link to AboutSF.
For more about James Gunn, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J?ames_Gunn_(author)
John C. Tibbetts donates rare interview materials to CSSF/AboutSF | AboutSF
http://www.aboutsf.com/main/forums/main-forums/official-news-and-announcements/john-c-tibbetts-donates-rare-interview-materials-
www.aboutsf.com
AboutSF is a resource center for speculative literature, science fiction, and education. We are a joint project of the University of Kansas, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and the Science Fiction Research Association, with generous support from Tor Books, The Heinlein Prize Tru
[7/12/11]
Comments
William Wood I wish Gunn's multi-volume "The Road to Science Fiction" would be Kindlized. I'd love to have a portable version of that collection!
[7/12/11]
Mary Rose James Gunn is a marvel and a HUGE influence on the field. He is such a modest man that he will never admit it, but he has jump-started the careers of many and inspired countless more.
[7/14/11]
Reading For the Future Reading For the Future I mentioned William's comment to J. Gunn via the RFF group on Yahoo! He replied, "Good idea! I'll suggest it to Scarecrow Press. Jim"~Valerie C.
[7/14/11]

Reading For the Future Robert Anson Heinlein (July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988)
Just a reminder - Heinlein Juveniles
Heinlein Society - Official Robert Anson Heinlein Estate Endorsed Website
http://www.heinleinsociety.org/
www.heinleinsociety.org
The Heinlein Society is endorsed by the Robert Heinlein and Virginia Heinlein Prize Trust, and exists to preserve and pay forward the legacy of author Robert Anson Heinlein.
[7/6/11]

Reading For the Future Andy Love sent this comment via the RFF Yahoo Group: "The old notion that science strips the world of wonder and joy rears its head in the NYT and is slapped down here (see link below). (I'm the Andrew in the comments quoting Poul Anderson, Isaac Asimov [who was quoting someone else], and XKCD, all in science's defense)." ~Valerie C.
Does it Spoil Anything to Know How the Tricks Are Done? : EvolutionBlog
http://scienceblogs.com/evolutionblog/2011/06/does_it_spoil_anything_to_know.php
scienceblogs.com
Writing in The New York Times, Tim Kreider wonders if the immediate availability of information has robbed us of the romance of not knowing: Instant accessibility leaves us oddly disappointed, bored, endlessly craving more. I've often had the experience of...
[6/27/11]
Comments
Ellen Albistegui DuBois All of the poets quoted are Romantic. The Romantic movement, a response to the burgeoning industrial revolution and a rebellion against Classicism and the Enlightenment, has always seen logic as something less human than instinct. This id...
[6/27/11]
Reading For the Future Agreed, Ellen - which is why I chose not to post this ~Cie
[6/27/11]


Reading For the Future satire –noun
1. the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc.
parody –noun,
1. a humorous or satirical imitation of a serious piece of literature or writing: his hilarious parody of Hamlet's soliloquy.
Are the genres of science-fiction and fantasy i... - justpaste.it
http://justpaste.it/ddv
justpaste.it
The question was raised recently in #scifichat on Twitter, whether the science fiction and fantasy genres were compatible with humor and satire. I have included the definitions of satire, parody and humor below.
[6/26/11]

Comment
Michael O'Brien I've read a lot of funny science-fiction, but I suspect it will be more difficult to write in future because there may not be the shared cultural background that makes it easy to share humour.
[6/26/11]

Reading For the Future NPR wants to know OUR favorites!
The Best Science Fiction, Fantasy Books? You Tell Us : NPR
http://www.npr.org/2011/06/24/137249678/best-science-fiction-fantasy-books-you-tell-us
www.npr.org
To help you chart any fantastic voyages you might take this vacation season, NPR Books is focusing our annual summer readers' poll on science fiction and fantasy. Share your favorite titles: Your votes will decide the titles that make our top-100 list of the best "SF/F" titles ever written.
[6/26/11]

FB Report: Lots of Links on Speculative Fiction -- 3/24/11

Reading For the Future Thank you Lawrence Santoro for this information.
Free Complete Works of H.P. Lovecraft for Nook and Kindle – Cthulhu Chick
http://cthulhuchick.com/free-complete-lovecraft-ebook-nook-kindle/
cthulhuchick.com
Presenting a free eBook (EPUB and MOBI) of the complete works of H.P. Lovecraft. eBook is compatible with Nook, Kindle, KOBO, Sony and more.
[3/24/11]

Reading For the Future They have a section for teachers.
Welcome to CritterZoom! Streaming video of critters and offering interactive, online animal classes!
http://www.critterzoom.com/
www.critterzoom.com
Critterzoom educational wildlife videos for schools and home. Responsible internet content. Welcome to CritterZoom! Streaming video of critters and offering interactive, online animal classes!
[3/22/11]

Reading For the Future Supreme Court Justice William Brennan tackled the issue of how people will govern themselves in space settlements in a 1988 speech.
The Space Review: The path to the future, from a voice from the past
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1804/1
www.thespacereview.com
The overarching goal of space advocates is to create “a spacefaring civilization.” A key aspect—some say a key precondition—will be the existence of a legal structure governing how people will live and work in space.
[3/22/11]

Reading For the Future In honor of World Storytelling Day, Michele Wilson is offering some of her fantasy short stories suitable for children of all ages from 8 to over 80.
Index
http://artbymichelewilson.com/storyindex.htm
artbymichelewilson.com
I am currently working on a collection of Fantasy short stories entitled Sean's Stories. Sean is one of my favorite characters to write. A huge shape-shifting elf, he is an excellent Bard and would much rather sing and tell stories then do that hero stuff. Unfortunately for him, he is also an excell...
[3/20/11]

Reading For the Future Here's another great eBook for only 99 cents. Tim Pratt, the author, says it's for ages 10 and up - the protagonist is age 13, too!
Remember, the great thing about cheap and free eBooks is that there are quite a few free apps for reading them on Smart Phones.
And that's cool.
The Nex
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0045JL56K
www.amazon.com
Teenager Miranda Candle finds a mysterious necklace and is suddenly transported to The Nex, the bizarre city at the center of all possible universes, where she falls in with a pair of would-be revolutionaries -- the skinshifter Howlaa and the bodiless Wisp -- fighting the oppressive regime of the ci
[3/15/11]

Reading For the Future Now you can watch Isaac Asimov’s unaired science show.
(and at a great price, too)
io9.com
http://io9.com/#!5782023/now-you-can-watch-isaac-asimovs-unaired-science-show
io9.com
In the two years before he died, Asimov was prepping a TV series about the thin line between science and science fiction - and how we need to embrace the future. Now you can see footage from it for free online.
[3/15/11]

Reading For the Future What can science fiction tell us about the future of social media?
io9.com
http://io9.com/#!5781908/what-can-science-fiction-tell-us-about-the-future-of-social-media
io9.com
Right now, you are reading a piece of social media. That means it's designed to be passed around on social networks - though it appears on io9.com, can easily be transplanted to Facebook, Twitter, Stumble Upon, and dozens of others.
[3/15/11]

Reading For the Future ‎Alex Knight is doing something amazing! Her new eBook, What Luck! is only 99 cents but royalties from all sales during the month of March (even the sales made before this disaster will count) will go to various organizations for earthquake & tsunami relief. (for ages 14+)

What Luck!
http://www.amazon.com
www.amazon.com
Margaret Anne and Maxwell Sinclair have lost their only son and one another. “I shall love you forever.” Her prophetic last words to Maxwell haunt him for what seems like an eternity. Reunited by a miracle, they have little time for bliss as their idyllic existence is once again threatened. When an
[3/13/11]

FB Report: Lots of Links on Speculative Fiction -- 3/9/11

Reading For the Future A series of 3 new blog posts based on the work of Rozalyn Mansfield was just posted: a puzzle, a book review, and a teaching with SF article. Enjoy!~Valerie

Reading for the Future Reflections: What SF Story for YA is This?
http://rff-reflections.blogspot.com/2011/03/what-sf-story-for-ya-is-this.html
rff-reflections.blogspot.com
[3/6/11]

Reading For the Future I asked Robert sawyer if the trilogy was suitable for YA. He said yes, but there is some mild profanity. He said that his American publisher was only marketing them to an adult audience, but his Canadian publisher was listing them as adult novels suitable for YA. Fans of Enderverse should like these.~Valerie

Start reading the WWW Trilogy now!
http://kobo.com/sawyer
kobo.com
Discover Wake, Watch and Wonder, a stunning and mind-bending trilogy from Canada's leading futurist Robert J. Sawyer.
[3/6/11]

Comments:

Reading For the Future. This comment is from one of R. Sawyer' friends:
Janet Wilson also commented on Robert J. Sawyer's link.

Janet wrote,"I'd say, definitely YA-suitable! (And probably less such "language" than the YA reader uses)"~Valerie
[3/6/11]

Reading For the Future: Heather Borean also commented on Robert J. Sawyer's link.
Heather wrote, "As a parent of former YA's who has always been very careful about what her kids read I would absolutely recommend Wake and Watch for YA's They might even make the kids... reading them THINK. Nothing gratuitous about them whatsoever."~Valerie
[3/6/11]

Reading For the Future Teaching with Science Fiction: 10 Reasons for Use in a Science Class

Reading for the Future Reflections: Teaching with Science Fiction: 10 Reasons for Use in a Science Classes
http://rff-reflections.blogspot.com/2011/03/teaching-with-science-fiction-10.html
rff-reflections.blogspot.com
Like any good book shared among friends and associates, science fiction offers conversation starters. Class discussions often need an example to get the students thinking and talking. Examples from books can lead to examples from personal experiences and then to examples from the textbook or the tea...
[3/6/11]

Reading For the Future From David Brin -- Twenty-five years ago, just after finishing my thesis on comets, I collaborated with Gregory Benford to write Heart of the Comet. Here, we discuss how we went about writing the novel together, trading off with the main characters. A few moments of humor, as when Gregory specifies why he wrote the sex scenes and I wro...te the more technical ones. Plus why he never reads his own novels!See More

Comets in Fact and Fiction
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aj8ZXaJtnEA
www.youtube.com
Science fiction authors David Brin and Gregory Benford discuss their collaboration on Heart of the Comet. The novel, published in 1986, coincided with the last return visit of Comet Halley to Earth. Heart of the Comet tells the story of an ambitious manned mission to visit the comet and alter its or
[3/5/11]

Comments:

Reading For the Future I loved Heart of the Comet. When will we build a generation ship like this?~Valerie C.
[3/5/11]

Reading For the Future

Google Docs - Online documents, spreadsheets, presentations, surveys, file storage and more
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=gmail&attid=0.1&thid=12e80e1400a773e9&mt=application%2Fvnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmail.google.com%2Fmail%2F%3Fui%3D2&ik=328ed06f21&view=att&th=12e80e1400a773e9&disp=attd&realattid=f_gkujakly0&zw&sig=AHIEtbRg5fcp_v3__Xk1q7H5HoOe65ZE-w
docs.google.com
Reading For the Future Spotlight: People I want to see at Renovation - by David G Anderson
[3/4/11]

Reading For the Future Lindalee sent this out as an example of a Yu's illustrated Goodnight Dune. Compare to the previous post on Goodnight Dune. ~Valerie C.

io9.com
http://io9.com/#!5773911/good-night-dune-for-wednesday
io9.com Goodnight Dune, a children’s book straight from Arrakis - Were you impressed by the science fiction children's books Caldwell Tanner created a few months back?Artist Julia Yu was, so she illustrated an entire book based on Tanner's Goodnight Dune .
[3/4/11]

Reading For the Future Thanks to Moshe Feder for posting this earlier today. In his words:
'This portion of a recent show includes a segment no SF fan should miss. It's a conversation with a remarkably convincing Philip K. Dick robot who is much more than just audioanimatronic.'

Social Robots, NOVA scienceNOW, PBS Video
http://video.pbs.org/video/1801231960
video.pbs.org
Would you want a robotic friend who could chitchat, do chores, even take care of you?
[3/2/11]

Reading For the Future Something fun

Goodnight Dune
http://goodnightdune.com/
goodnightdune.com
[3/2/11]

Reading For the Future another new blog post~Valerie C.

Reading for the Future Reflections: Teaching with Science Fiction: 10 Reasons for Use in a Science Classes
http://rff-reflections.blogspot.com/2011/03/teaching-with-science-fiction-10.html">
rff-reflections.blogspot.com
[3/1/11]

Reading For the Future Lynda Williams reviewed this book for us. As it turns out, the book is suitable for youth and was actually listed on the ALA List of Best Books for Young Adults.~Valerie C.

Reading for the Future Reflections: Book Review: Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn
http://rff-reflections.blogspot.com/2011/02/book-review-summers-at-castle-auburn-by.html
[3/1/11]

[I included the Bradbury reference again for the comment on a book reference to the letter.]

Reading For the Future http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2011/02/28/love-what-you-love-ray-bradbury/

Love what YOU love – Ray Bradbury
http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2011/02/28/love-what-you-love-ray-bradbury/
www.geeksaresexy.net
This amazing letter was sent to a child by Fahrenheit 451 author Ray Bradbury back in October 1991. Unfortunately, we don't have the context in which the
[2/28/11]

Comments
Jack Lessovitz Someday very soon,very very soon, There will be a great starship named Bradbury.
[2/28/11]
Mary Rose Love this! He talks about this letter in one of his books - Zen maybe.
[2/28/11]

From Other Walls

Cie McCullough How do they get these shots?

Solar Observations from around the World
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=33207&id=118107518236480&fbid=170999999613898
There are many amateur astronomer and professional observatories also looking at the Sun. Here are some recent images from all over the world.
By: NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory (Little SDO)
Photos: 8

Welcome to WakeWatchWonder.ca | HOME
wakewatchwonder.ca
Blind from birth, Caitlin Decter received the gift of sight with the aid of a signal-processing retinal implant. The technology also gave her an unexpected side effect—the ability to "see" the digital data streams of the World Wide Web. And within the Web she perceived an extraordinary presence, and
[3/6/11]

Teaching with Science Fiction: Social Studies and Dickson's Space Winners

3 Post Sections:
Initial problem; book review; teaching with science fiction.

In her book review Rozalyn Mansfield has said that Space Winners "...would be a great book to use in school classes."

She went on to suggest how it could be used in social studies classes.

Rozalyn Mansfield's Teaching Suggestions
for Space Winners by Gordon R. Dickson

Space Winners can be used to relate to many aspects of history and civilization: the interaction of the Europeans with the native cultures in America beginning with Columbus, for example.

It would be wonderful to have a complete study guide for the book with questions and answers, related projects, etc.

Also, the "Lilo and Stitch" tie-in could be used with Space Winners to hook kids.

Others agree with the usefulness of science fiction in teaching social studies. Jan Finder, author and organizer of SF cons, has said,

"SF is an excellent resource for discussing subjects that are not easily
discussed in the here and now.

"The social sciences & humanities often overlook it as a valuable resource."

Related articles on using science fiction as metaphors for teaching social concepts has been written by Valerie both here and in my personal blog. Others have written similar ideas in the RFF Reflections series "Teaching with Science Fiction." In addition to the richness of concept examples in science fiction, the books should motivate students to read and learn.

Suggestions for Writers and Publishers

Rozalyn made suggestions specifically for Space Winners.

• Develop and publish a study guide with questions and projects for the novel.
• Reprint the book for students that includes the "Lilo and Stitch" stories for motivation and comparison.
• Use a book cover with the young characters and Peep a their pet.
• Describe the book in ways that would intrigue fans of "Lilo and stitch."

Teachers have made note of what they would like to see in classroom texts. Both Rozalyn and I have made such suggestions.

Says Rozalyn,

"I know a lot of people in RFF are doing a lot of good things with study guides and bibliographies. I've even seen there are beginning to be more published study guides on SF books, such as one I saw in an educational supply store on Lois Lowry's The Giver. So teachers are getting more and more receptive to study guides on SF.

"Also, the "Lilo and Stitch" tie-in could be used in a new YA edition of Space Winners to hook kids--do a new cover featuring the kids in the book with Peep as their "pet" and also have a cover statement that would describe Peep in a way that would intrigue "Lilo and Stitch" fans. Once they read and like Space Winners, there's a good chance they'd go on to read a lot more Gordon Dickson books, and other SF as well."

AboutSF lists study guides for many SF novels and stories.

I once wrote on Lee and Miller's Live Journal forum that I would like publishers to remove questionable sections from specific books and then publish the revised editions as YA. This would take care of the overt sex, extreme violence and unacceptable profanity that prevents teachers from recommending some of the more exciting stories of the SF genre.

My thoughts were to create an anthology of excerpts, novelettes, and short stories that could be published along with a study guide. Lo and behold, Julie Czerneda has been doing this for years with several co-editors and lesson writers.

RFF, Inc., and AboutSF are collaborating on a day-long workshop at WorldCon's Roadshow this August. Lessons and book lists will be presented for an audience that will include fans, parents, teachers and librarians. Yep, once again the team has met the Call for Papers requirements.

As Rozalyn Mansfield says, "It would be great to work out ways to get kids reading
this book." And, I must add, many other books of the genre, too.

~Valerie

Book Review: Space Winners by Gordon R. Dickson

3 Post Sections:
Initial problem; book review; teaching with science fiction.

Pardon the [editing]. This book review was part of a message that included the original problem. To separate the parts, I had to be heavy-handed with the editing.~valerie

Rozalyn Mansfield Reviews Space Winners

Peep,[the small furry pet of Space Winners] only superficially resembles Stitch [of Disney's "Lilo and Stitch"]. Although the description [previous post][of a furry pet] was accurate, there is quite a bit of difference between the characters. However, there is enough similarity to hook kids into reading the book.

Our daughter is reading it now and really enjoying it.

It's an excellent, thought-provoking book with one of the best defenses ever for the idea of the "Prime Directive." It shows a very interesting interaction between highly advanced and more primitive cultures; and also has extremely intriguing interactions between the characters, especially the kids in it who are chosen by extraterrestrials to be "space winners". The kids have differing viewpoints about interaction with aliens and how beings with higher levels of technology and knowledge should treat other less-advanced beings they know about.

There are a number of used copies available through Amazon and other sources, but unfortunately the book is presently out of print. If anyone out there has ideas about ways to get it re-printed, it would be a great book to use in school classes....

Rozalyn went on to make a few teaching suggestions. These are in a post in the series Teaching with Science Fiction.

As to getting copies of the book in the future, maybe someone will place it on Project Gutenberg or the owner of Dickson's estate will republish the story, maybe as an ebook. ~Valerie

What SF Story for YA is This?

3 Post Sections:
Initial problem; book review; teaching with science fiction.

Does this Story Sound Familiar?

Rozalyn Mansfield of Seeds of Discovery presented RFF with this problem that she got from a student.

"What science fiction story is about a small bad-tempered furry alien, who has super-strength, near-invulnerablility, and a super-dense molecular structure which makes it impossible for him to swim and which therefore makes him have a great dislike for water, and who has to disguise himself as a young person's pet in order to fit in on a lower technology planet?"

Answer, anyone? Choose one.

• Lilo and Stitch
• E.T.
  
• Space Winners
• Star Wars

Did you Choose Right?

Rozalyn offered this answer to her question.

"Actually the story is not "Lilo and Stitch," we found out, although "Lilo and Stitch" is one of our daughter's favorite movies-- "Lilo and Stitch" fits, but this is another, earlier story. The student gave us a copy to read; it's Space Winners by Gordon R. Dickson, which features a delightful alien being called Peep, who has the characteristics described."

Find out More

Read Rozalyn's book review of Space Winners Rozalyn Mansfield is the co-author of The Great Unicycle Race

FB Report: Lots of Link on Speculative Fiction -- 3/2/11

Reading For the Future Lynda Williams reviewed this book for us. As it turns out, the book is suitable for youth and was actually listed on the ALA List of Best Books for Young Adults.~Valerie C.
Reading for the Future Reflections: Book Review: Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn
http://rff-reflections.blogspot.com/2011/02/book-review-summers-at-castle-auburn-by.html
rff-reflections.blogspot.com

Reading For the Future
Love what YOU love – Ray Bradbury
http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2011/02/28/love-what-you-love-ray-bradbury/
www.geeksaresexy.net
This amazing letter was sent to a child by Fahrenheit 451 author Ray Bradbury back in October 1991. Unfortunately, we don't have the context in which the


Reading For the Future A nice bit of historic science
Space Shuttle Launch: Viewed From an Airplane
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GE_USPTmYXM
www.youtube.com
The captain can be heard over the loudspeaker saying, "Those on the right side can see the space shuttle. Those on the left side can probably see the people on the right side looking at the space shuttle." You gotta love airplane humor.

Reading For the Future' On November 30th and December 1st, 2010, at the TIME Conference Center in New York City, many of the most innovative people and organizations in the science and technology world came together for an historic gathering - the 2010 World Technology Summit & Awards, the eighth Summit and ninth Awards thus far!'
Does Sci-Fi Influence the Future?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJP-YqAJT9c
www.youtube.com
Tech Nation's Moira Gunn and science fiction author Paul Levinson explore the influence of sci-fi on technological breakthroughs of the future, from space exploration to time travel.

Reading For the Future A Program Designed For Teen Writers Interested in Today's Hottest Fantasy Fiction Genres.
SharedWorlds
http://www.wofford.edu/sharedworlds/
www.wofford.edu
Here there be monsters! And beasts! And fantastical creatures. The faculty of Shared Worlds creative writing camp has called on some of speculative fiction's most compelling storytellers to chase down and gather up all manner of wondrous beasts. Scroll through our Fantastic Bestiary and don't forget

Reading For the Future Some of my favorite authors publish with Baen, however a couple of their works were left off the list. But it is a start. Fledgling and Saltation, both by Lee and Miller were both left off the list, although Baen published them last year or so. At least the ones on the list were personally vetted by someone who has read each one. ~Valerie C.
Young Adult Reading List - Baen Books
http://baen.com/ya_list.asp
baen.com
This is a preliminary list of books published by Baen deemed by me, Toni Weisskopf, executive editor, (with help from editor Hank Davis) to be suitable for an intelligent young adult reader. These are the books I would have read (and in some cases did read) when I was in middle and high school.

Reading For the Future Good luck if you have been nominated! :)
SFWA announces the 2010 Nebula Award Nominees
http://www.sfwa.org/2011/02/2010-nebula-nominees/
www.sfwa.org
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America

Facebook Report: Lots of Links on Speculative Fiction -- 2/22/11

Reading For the Future Some of my favorite authors publish with Baen, however a couple of their works were left off the list. But it is a start. Fledgling and Saltation, both by Lee and Miller were both left off the list, although Baen published them last year or so. At least the ones on the list were personally vetted by someone who has read each one. ~Valerie C.
Young Adult Reading List - Baen Books
http://baen.com/ya_list.asp
baen.com
This is a preliminary list of books published by Baen deemed by me, Toni Weisskopf, executive editor, (with help from editor Hank Davis) to be suitable for an intelligent young adult reader. These are the books I would have read (and in some cases did read) when I was in middle and high school. I en
[2/23/11]

Reading For the Future Good luck if you have been nominated! :)
SFWA announces the 2010 Nebula Award Nominees
http://www.sfwa.org/2011/02/2010-nebula-nominees/
www.sfwa.org
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
[2/22/11]

Reading For the Future Three great books represented here, so it was a must share
(even though only two were SF) __this refers to an image posted by REading For the Future.

Reading for the Future: 'Admiral Richard Byrd said on the eve of his polar voyage "Jules Verne guides me."'
There are some great examples here. Answer the call for help, or use it as a jumping off point in a discussion.
Inspired By Science Fiction?: Science Fiction in the News
http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=3210
www.technovelgy.com
Inspired By Science Fiction? I'm doing a talk on science fiction and innovation at the Wharton business school, and I need a list of people who were inspired by science fiction in their careers. Also, I need more examples of modern-day scientists who have specifically stated that particular ideas we.....153 ImpressionsRaw number of times this story has been seen on your Wall and in the News Feed of your Fans · 0% FeedbackNumber of Comments and Likes per impression
[2/18/11]

Reading For the Future Futuristic Movie Timeline, also by Dan Meth.
Yes, these are movies, but most started out as great books.
Notes by the creator:
No one really pays much attention to what year sci-fi movies take place. I thought it would be interesting to arrange some classic films about the future into chronological order and see what we’d find. I’ve als...o charted the years in which they were released as well as the current year. This is by far the geekiest thing I’ve ever done.
* I only included movies in which Wikipedia knew the exact year.See More
[2/17/11]

Lynn E. Cohen Koehler
Today's Al's Book Club for Kids pick! Tony DiTerlizzi!!
The Search For WondLa
wondla.com
[reposted from 1/31/11]

The Fantasy World Map by Dan Meth (an image)
..270 ImpressionsRaw number of times this story has been seen on your Wall and in the News Feed of your Fans · 1.85% FeedbackNumber of Comments and Likes per impression
[2/17/11]

Reading For the Future Very interesting contest - Imaginary books!
Lost Pages’ Imaginary Book Contest :: ChiZine Publications
http://chizine.com/chizinepub/contests/lost-pages/
chizine.com
[2/17/11]

Reading For the Future
http://www.facebook.com/notes/reading-for-the-future/reading-for-the-future-encouraging-literacy-through-speculative-fiction/196939027000102
READING FOR THE FUTURE ~ ENCOURAGING LITERACY THROUGH SPECULATIVE FICTION
"IT IS THE MARK OF AN EDUCATED MIND TO BE ABLE TO ENTERTAIN A THOUGHT WITHOUT ACCEPTING IT." - ARISTOTLE Re....
[2/17/11]

Reading For the Future Who we are and how to reach us
(Link to Notes where information is kept for websites, blog and physical address of RFF,Inc.)
[2/17/11]

Reading for the Future~Valerie via EDGE Publishing
As you may already know, "Tesseracts Fifteen: A Case of Quite Curious Tales", edited by Julie Czerneda, and Susan MacGregor (Fall 2011) is the ONLY Tesseracts in the 16 edition all-Canadian speculative fiction series to be developed for a YA audience. So, in celebration of T15, our question for you today i...s: "What was your favorite fantasy story growing up?". Would you read it again now?See More
[2/16/11]

Comments
Laura Lind What got me into SF was _Black Cauldron_, but now I can't stand it.
February 16
Reading For the Future I loved the juvenile Heinleins. I no longer get surprised to have adults say certain books are boring and formulaic. After all, kids like different stuff. And although I love H. Beam Piper, who writes suitably for YA, I cannot make myself finish reading Fuzzy Sapiens even though I recommend it highly for YA and junior high along with a science class discussion of scientific method and a history discussion on colonization sociology and politics.
February 17

Reading For the Future
Mars Needs Moms by Berkeley Breathed, 2008 winner of the Golden Duck for Best Picture Book, now a motion picture from Disney
Mars Needs Moms | Disney
http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/marsneedsmoms/?cmp=dmov_dpic_mars_psg_Title_mars+needs+moms_extl
disney.go.com
Learn about Milo, Ki, Gribble, and the gang from Mars Needs Moms... with videos, games, character bios, and more.
[2/16/11]

Reading For the Future
Get ready for the 2011 Renovation, the WorldCon in Las Vegas this August. RFF will be there with this teaching workshop called Roadshow. ~Valerie C.
http://rff-reflections.blogspot.com/2011/02/announcement-rff-teams-with-aboutsf-for.html
rff-reflections.blogspot.com
Reading for the Future Reflections: Announcement: RFF Teams with AboutSF for Roadshow at Renovation
[2/16/11]

Reading For the Future This newsletter links to several new articles posted to the RFF blog. Enjoy!
Check back in a couple of days, too, because some articles mentioned are still in draft form. I plan to edit the newsletter with links as I get the articles completed.
Reading for the Future Reflections: Reflections Collections -- 2/15/11
http://rff-reflections.blogspot.com/2011/02/reflections-collections-21511.html
rff-reflections.blogspot.com.
[2/16/11]

Reflections Collections -- 2/15/11

What a busy few weeks! Some activities listed below will be discussed in this blog post, some in other blog posts. Watch for the links. (Check back in few days for some items that are not yet posted. I will edit this page by adding links when these are posted.)

Alien ©julien tromeur - Fotolia.com
Licensed for use only by Valerie Coskrey

• A committee is working on setting up the newly incorporated RFF, Inc. Mission, goals, bylaws, projects, officers--all must be finalized. Look for an official report on all this activity soon when the Board of Directors authorizes a press release.
• Dave Anderson took part in a couple of book give-aways to young readers. In one, he gave 40 books to a kindergarten class, commenting that it was hard to find this many quality books of speculative fiction for this age group. All in all, he has recently donated 119 books to 3 kindergarten classes. He claimed to have learned that a ratio of just slightly more than 2:1 books per child seems to work best.
• Links to lessons using science fiction are in the first post of the new series "Teaching with Science Fiction." To introduce the series, Andy Love sent links to his educational essays;  Michael Kingsley sent a link to a short paper on Steppenwolf, the Rogue Planet; and Dave Anderson instructs us in what not to ask during a lesson.
• Several conversations at the rff Yahoo! Group, called Talking RFF, produced additional information of interest, including a booklist, opinions on what to call science fiction, how to decide what to recommend to youth, and personal opinions on numerous books. Read about them in the linked individual blog posts.
• A friend sent in a book review on The Grandmother's' Hive, a book suitable for youth written by new member Donna Barr.
• A new series of blog posts called "To Share or Not to Share" continues the search for a rubric began last month.
• David Brin sent an excerpt from his new non-fiction book in a topic called "Skeptical Environmentalist".
• Facebook links were highly informative, as always. Read the FB Reports for 2/3/11 and 2/18/11.
• Review the stats for this blog and the RFF Facebook page.
• Finally, there are additional snippets of historical information contributed by Dave Anderson and by Andy Love and others.

Snippets of History

Dave Describes the Past and Present of RFF

Reading for the Future enters our sixteenth year. RFF, Inc is meeting on line working on bylaws and nonprofit status. RFF, Inc is made up of the old guard and the young turks.

In 1995, Dave Brin, Greg Bear and Gregory Benford were the Killer Bs or young turks who wanted kids to read science fiction. I joined RFF in 1997 when Dave was CONduit's writer guest of honor who asked us what were we doing to get science fiction to the kids. CONduit is Utah's spring sf convention.

RFF will always be a grassroots organization with a common mission. I am giving a Kindergarten 40 pass-it-along books Monday..Friday I gave two Earthsea books to a sixth grader. Not all books are sf. The first word in RFF is reading. So if a kid reads Ender's Game that I passed it along to him -- success. Will he read more sf? Chances are good.

David-Glenn Anderson

Andy Asks for another Hugo Award Category

Andy Love sent a copy of a letter sent to WorldCon a while back. He provided Talking RFF with a copy of the letter during a recent discussion.

Andy Love

Who was Hal Clement, Really?

Some of our members of Talking RFF attended sci fi conventions with Hal Clement, author of numerous SF books suitable for youth; some worked with him on convention projects; some know him personally. Some of these RFFers provided us with this information.

Hal [Clement] used a different name for his teaching life, his writing life and his art life.

Hal was once LGoH, FGoH, & AGoH at the same con using his different names. :-)

Hal's real name was Harry Stubbs.

George Richard was his name as an artist.

One of the organizations with which RFF works closely is the Golden Duck Awards committee of the organization Duckon. Along with the Golden Duck Awards presented annually by Duckon is the annual Hal Clement Award for YA science fiction.

In a message to the RFF member who is also active in Duckon, Dave Anderson offered this snippet of history:

"I presented the Golden Ducks at Conucopia, the 1999 NASFiC on Friday,Aug 27. [http://www.99.nasfic.org] The two real Golden Ducks advocates were at Aussicon Three, Mebourne Australia. Attendance at the presentation included Hal Clement."

Thanks to Dave, Jim, and others.

Stats

Reflections Collections Stats for 2/10/11

Pageviews for last month, January 1011: 160
Pageviews since creation, October, 2010: 889.
Most Popular Post: Wake, Far-Seer and their author Robert J. Sawyer (December 2010)
Second Most Popular Post: Reflections Collections -- 11/7/10 (November 2010)
Third Most Popular Post: Krysia Anderson, A YA herself, Writer and Poet... (November 2010)

Reading For the Future page on Facebook Stats for 2/11/11

214 monthly active users; 20 since last week
325 people like this; 7 since last week
20 wall posts or comments this week; 20 since last week
90 visits this week; 40 since last week

'Til next time~Valerie C.

FB Report: Lots of Links on Speculative Fiction -- 12/15/10

Traffic Report

This is the traffic report for the page during the first week of December for Reading For the Future page on Facebook:

213 monthly active users; 20 since last week
286 people like this; 3 since last week
22 wall posts and comments this week; 10 since last week
58 visits this week 13; since last week

From the Wall

Reading For the Future I just found this site. I believe they are still working on it and are continually looking for updates. An excellent resource, even before it's finished.
href="http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/index.cgi
The Internet Speculative Fiction Database
www.isfdb.org
The ISFDB is a community effort to catalog works of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. It links together various types of bibliographic data: author bibliographies, publication bibliographies, award listings, magazine content listings, anthology and collection content listings, and forthcoming bo...
[12/14/10]

Reading For the Future I like both - separately or together.
http://io9.com/5711775/theres-not-that-much-difference-between-mysteries-and-science-fiction-really
There's not that much difference between mysteries and science fiction, really.
io9.com
What's the difference between mysteries and science fiction? Not as much as you'd imagine, says Michael Marshall Smith who's written both.
[12/14/10]

Reading For the Future I personally doubt any son of Kurt Vonnegut could be 'average'.
http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Life-with-a-dad-called-Kurt-875899.php
Life with a dad called Kurt - Times Union
www.timesunion.com
A shy and socially awkward boy, Mark Vonnegut lived in fear of being the target of the most withering question possible that could be lobbed by his father, the famous author Kurt Vonnegut: "Do you want to be average?"
[12/13/10]

Reading For the Future Give the gift of SF! I am. My son is getting Mike Resnick's "New Dreams for Old", a series of short stories. If there is a young person on your list, give a book. If not, find a young person to add to your list :D
[12/13/10]

Reading For the Future Here is the reference to an author post mentioned below. Robert J. Sawyer writes books suitable for teens.
http://rff-reflections.blogspot.com/2010/12/wake-far-seer-and-their-author-robert-j.html
Reading for the Future Reflections: Wake, Far-Seer and their author Robert J. Sawyer
rff-reflections.blogspot.com
[12/9/10]

Reading For the Future There are two new RFF Reflections articles this week. One is a book review; the other is a reference to an author and his books. Here is the latest post.
http://rff-reflections.blogspot.com/2010/12/book-review-krysia-andersons-misfit.html
Reading for the Future Reflections: Book Review: Krysia Anderson's Misfit Leaves Home
rff-reflections.blogspot.com
[12/9/10]



Reading For the Future I came across a review of RFF member Lynda Williams' book Avim's Oath today. Turns out that it is considered a teen or YA book.
Visit this link to read the review.
http://www.umanitoba.ca/outreach/cm/vol17/no8/avimsoath.html
In the review, Ronald Hore recommends Avim's Oath (The Okal Rel Saga, Part Six ) by Lynda William...s for ages 13 and up; grades 8 and up. ~Valerie C.
See More
http://www.umanitoba.ca/outreach/cm/vol17/no8/avimsoath.html
CM Magazine: Avim's Oath. (The Okal Rel Saga, Part Six).
www.umanitoba.ca
Lynda Williams. Calgary, AB: EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing, 2010. 266 pp., pbk., $16.95. ISBN 978-1-894063-35-7.
[12/9/10]


Reading For the Future [in comment: posted by David-Glenn Anderson via the RFF Yahoo group]
http://www.facebook.com/notes/reading-for-the-future/have-you-given-away-a-book-today-by-kristen-lillvis/177651835595488
Have you given away a book today? by Kristen Lillvis
AboutSF Saving the world through Science Fiction   Have you given away a book today?...
[12/8/10]

Recent Activity:

Reading For the Future discussed Books Suitable for Youth on the Reading For the Future discussion board.
Reading For the Future discussed Books for Middle school on the Reading For the Future discussion board.
3 more similar stories
[12/8/10]

Reading For the Future A page of reviews of graphic novels.~Valerie C.
http://blog.patrickrothfuss.com/2010/12/delicious-webcomics-and-guest-appearances/
Delicious Webcomics and Guest Appearances
blog.patrickrothfuss.com
Before I talk about today’s donation, I need to mention that some of the auctions we’re running will be over soon. Most specifically, the signed ARC from Neil Gaiman and the signed collection of Girl Genius trades.
[12/8/10]

Reading For the Future A graphic novel give-away in support of Heifer International, a worthwhile charity.~Valerie C.
http://blog.patrickrothfuss.com/2010/11/worldbuilders-2010/
Worldbuilders 2010
blog.patrickrothfuss.com
Heifer International is my favorite charity. It helps people raise themselves up out of poverty and starvation. All over the world Heifer promotes education, sustainable agriculture, and local industry.
[12/8/10]

Reading For the Future [in comment: I have posted the entirety of my GeekMom article in the notes section, so there is a copy on hand for anyone who wishes to reproduce it.
~Cie]
Reading For the Future
http://www.facebook.com/notes/reading-for-the-future/reading-for-the-future-uses-scifi-to-spark-kids-sense-of-wonder/177002672327071
Reading for the Future Uses SciFi to Spark Kids’ Sense of Wonder
I love reading Science Fiction. Well, I love reading almost any type of Speculative Fiction, whether it be Science, Fantasy, Alternate History, Supernatural, maybe even a bit of Horror around Halloween...
[12/6/10]

Reading For the Future This is the first image ever taken of Earth from the surface of a planet beyond the Moon. It was taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit one hour before sunrise on the 63rd Martian day, or sol, of its mission. (March 8, 2004)
From the website www.lightsinthedark.com/
The image is a mosaic of images taken by the rover's navigation camera showing a broad view of the sky, and an image taken by the rover's panoramic camera of Earth. The contrast in the panoramic camera image was increased two times to make Earth easier to see.The inset shows a combination of four panoramic camera images zoomed in on Earth. The arrow points to Earth. Earth was too faint to be detected in images taken with the panoramic camera's color filters.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell/Texas A&M
Image: http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs611.ash2/156321_159513910759937_128034957241166_326773_1945219_s.jpg
[12/6/10]

Reading For the Future Now open for business. Large selection of -free- ebooks too :)
http://books.google.com/ebooks?uid=2278874564547928826&as_coll=1220&source=gbs_ws2_subj&as_brr=5
Science Fiction - Google eBookstore
books.google.com
* General * Adventure * High Tech * Military * Short Stories * Space Opera
[12/6/10]

Reading For the Future Many of the works of H. Beam Piper are available free as ebooks. His works are suitable for YA and can be used to support science concept lessons. For instance Fuzzy Sapiens is perfect for teaching response to environmental stress, carrying capacity, nutrients/nutrition, endangered species, and ecology for grades 6-10.
http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/p
Browse By Author: P - Project Gutenberg
www.gutenberg.org
33000+ free ebooks online
[12/6/10]

Reading For the Future Baen Books has listed its books for young adults. It is primarily a list of adult sci fi that most consider suitable for youth. Maybe a couple of the books are actually YA. It is incomplete, as stated by the editor of the list and as I know because I have read several Baen books not yet listed. Check it out and maybe help Toni complete the list. ~ Valerie C.
http://www.baen.com/ya_list.asp
www.baen.com
[12/5/10]

Reading For the Future VOYA reports on a Scholastic report on what motivates children to read.
http://www.voya.com/2010/09/29/new-study/
New Study on Reading in the Digital Age
www.voya.com
Scholastic surveyed 1,045 children age 6-17 and their parents (for a total of 2,090 respondents) in an online survey in the spring of 2010.
[12/5/10]

From other Walls

David Brin A one-word interview: Science fiction authors respond in 50 or fewer words to the word SPARK. Here is my response, along with those of Orson Scott Card, Nancy Kress, Jay Lake, Larry Niven and others.
http://emunderwood.com/2010/12/13/one-word-interview-spark/
One Word Interview: SPARK
emunderwood.com
Spark is the seed of a story, a flash of an idea...
[12/14/10]

Valerie Coskrey Just finished reading Lynda Williams' The Courtesan Prince. Enjoyed it immensely. Will be writing a review in my blog soon.
http://www.edgewebsite.com/books/courtesanprince/cp-catalog.html
www.edgewebsite.com
[12/14/10]
In comment:
Valerie Coskrey: To RFF group: Unfortunately I would not, as a teacher, recommend this to YA due to adult sexual situations and abuse referenced, although not explicitly depicted.
As a parent, Yeah, read it and learn about human nature--but my kids read and watched whatever interested them. It is a rousing beginning to a space opera.
[12/14/10]

Julie Czerneda I had to share. Wow!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11988466
Voyager near Solar System's edge
www.bbc.co.uk
The most distant spacecraft from Earth, Voyager 1, returns new data suggesting it is very close to leaving the Solar System.
[12/14/10]

Bobbie DuFault RustyCon is getting closer. Have you checked out the Web page? RustyCon doesn't run all on it's own. We need... http://fb.me/xvtLdMju

Book Review: Krysia Anderson's Misfit Leaves Home

Princess Victoria is barely old enough to leave home, but her sense of identity is not what her family desires it to be. So she frequently slips out of the house to sneak off to the spaceport to watch a world beyond her reach. One afternoon her trip to the ports lands her in a brawl and introduces her to a prince who both complicates her life and offers her a chance to travel to another planet and become the person she dreams of being.

Teen author Krysia Anderson perfectly captures the emotional intensity of the confusion, sibling-rivalry, breakdown of inter-family closeness, social awkwardness, and everyday frustrations of a young adolescent in this pre-coming-of-age novella. The action is swift, the emotions real and intense; get ready to relive teen angst when you read this. Along the way, social issues like class and race are touched on and treated with humanistic sensitivity, all taking place in another time and another universe, constructed beautifully with a few deft descriptions and references.

Anderson writes in the Okal Rel Universe of author Lynda Williams. I chose to read this short novella before reading any of Williams' books. Yet I found myself comfortably inhabiting a world not Earth among a people not my own of a societal structure not quite like ours. Still there was just enough allusion to the complex Okal Rel Universe constructs to make me want to read other books in this series. I want to read them not to explain this one, it needed no additional background to be understood; but because the characters and world-building were sufficient to make the Okal Rel Universe come alive and become a place I now want to visit.

Personally, I am impatient to read the promised sequel(s) of this storyline. Krysia Alexander is a gifted storyteller, with just the right mix of human motivations, frustrated emotions, comic relief, and goal-oriented action that overcomes setbacks. I truly believe the middle school and young adult audience will enjoy this one.

Teachers, this book, being 71 pages, is most useful for a book report for those students who like short books yet rich enough to provide thought-provoking questions on motivation, customs, social issues of class, social expectations and friendship. There is mention of genotyping and space flight enough to provide stimulus for a few science questions on genetics, the ethics of publishing personal genotypes, and space flight compared to atmospheric flight. These topics are part of the story, but the science is only marginally part of the book. In all cases, a lesson on one of the topics might be introduced by referring to the instances in the book.

For more information about the Okal Rel Universe as well as any other stories and books by Krysia Anderson in the series, visit the website of Lynda Williams.

This book is a bit hard to find. I had to order it from Amazon.com. The major book stores Barnes & Noble and Borders will order it for you, but probably will not have it on the shelf.

Reviewed by Valerie Coskrey. 
Valerie Coskrey's Classroom Tools and Ideas and
Valerie's Soapbox

Previous mention of this book was made in another article of this blog.
Krysia Anderson can be visited on Facebook.

FB Report.: Lots of Links on Speculative Fiction -- 10/31/10

FB Report...10/31/10

To get a richer feel for the Facebook experience in advancing the mission of RFF, I have broadened my search for pertinent links to include a few friends.

And don't forget that the different items are altered for this blog post. Refer to the original Facebook site to see the unmodified version.

David Brin, "Science fiction can infect children with the dangerous mental habit of imagining things different than they are."
Contrary Brin
davidbrin.blogspot.com
An occasional online journal to handle discussions generated by "The David Brin Site" (http://www.davidbrin.com/ ) Courteous argument is welcome...
[10/20/10]

I asked several people who commented on this question if they could be quoted. They said yes. Some of their comments are to be included in an article later.

David Brin, "From memristors to artificial cells to the semantic web. Fifty ideas to change science forever: Cast your vote for which will most profoundly affect our future:"
Competition: 50 ideas to change science forever - 22 October 2010 - New Scientist
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19481-competition-50-ideas-to-change-science-forever.html
www.newscientist.com
Which of the 50 ideas presented this week and last do you think is most likely to change the face of science? Tell us, and you could win a tablet PC
[10/23/10]

David Brin, "It’s not quite Star Wars, but science fiction is changing the modern battlefield: with the advent of spy saucers, big dogs, stealth ships, nuke proof tanks, airborne lighsaber, and a flying humvee."
» WTF Weapons, From Spy Saucers to Flying Lightsabers
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/10/best-military-prototypes/?pid=90&viewall=true
www.wired.com
Admiral Gary Roughead, the Navy's top officer, is all about practicality these days. In a document he issued to his sailors earlier this week, he vowed that when it came to military gadgets, the Navy would "only develop those capabilities we need, not just want." In these tough economic times, Rough...
[10/23/10"

Reading For the Future, "Thanks to Cat Rambo (one of my favorite Escape Artist authors) for bringing this to my attention. National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30."
National Novel Writing Month
www.nanowrimo.org
www.nanowrimo.org
Thirty days and nights of literary abandon
[10/25/10]


David Brin, "For a bit of humor: an ordinary day obeying the laws of physics, like it or not"
Unpopular Science - NYTimes.com
http://niemann.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/25/unpopular-science/?ref=opinion%3Fhp
niemann.blogs.nytimes.com
One man's unhappy encounters with the laws of physics.
[10/25/10]

This post above reminded me of David Brin's book The Practice Effect, which I recommend as suitable for YA.~Valerie C.

David Brin shared a link.
Stories vs. Statistics - NYTimes.com
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/24/stories-vs-statistics/
opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com
How do the worlds of storytelling and scientific probability differ? A mathematician counts the ways.
Said David Brin, "A mathematician weighs in on the contrasts between stories and statistics. Stories tend to focus on atypical individuals, peculiar circumstances, random occurrences… and the occasional improbable coincidence (or even a deux ex machina). And yet the author tries to populate stories with realistic details and true-to-life characters – to help the reader suspend disbelief."
[10/25/10]


Reading For the Future, "#1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 9 are Speculative Fiction (and sound very interesting...)"~Cie
Top Ten Teen Reads | At Your Library
http://www.atyourlibrary.org/top-ten-teen-reads
www.atyourlibrary.org
Every year,as part of Teen Read Week, teens from all over the country vote for their favorite book published during the previous year. The winner from this year's ballots? Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins.
[10/26/10]

Vonda McIntyre' "I got interviewed at IO9 the other day.http://tinyurl.com/vondaatio9,(IO9's native URLs are very long and sometimes give away the punch line.)Vonda N McIntyre When I was in England in 1979, my British pb publisher showed me the cover (see thumbnail below) and I swear my heart nearly stopped. It's actually kind of pretty in a design sort of way, but I'm not squeamish about snakes and I still would not like them crawling over my face. I forget how many copies the book sold, but not nearly as many as they hoped, and I can't say I blame book-buyers.
Feminism, astronauts, and riding sidesaddle: Talking to Dreamsnake's Vonda McIntyre
http://tinyurl.com/vondaatio9
tinyurl.com
It's Dreamsnake weekend for Blogging the Hugos! Today, an interview with author Vonda McIntyre about writing 1979's Hugo-winning novel, how much things have changed for women in SF, and how she hopes you don't notice the trick she pulled.
[10/27/10]

Kevin J. Anderson Signed and presented a book to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed al-Qassimi today, was surrounded by a mob of paparazzi
 via Twitter  @TheKJA on Twitter
 [10/26/10] [reported on Facebook as part of the link below]
Kevin J. Anderson, "I presented him with THE MAP OF ALL THINGS last spring at the BEA, through an intermediary, which is why he invited me to come to Sharjah. This time, because he is a big supporter of the arts, we gave him a signed copy of the Writers of the Future 25 Year anniversary book.
http://www.facebook.com/TheKJA
[10/27/10]

From William Wood, "What's better than a 4-hour-long director's cut of Avatar? How 'bout two more of 'em. Gad.
James Cameron’s Next Movies: Avatar 2 and 3
http://www.wired.com/underwire/2010/10/avatar-sequels/
www.wired.com
James Cameron will take moviegoers back to Pandora in a pair of Avatar sequels that he promises will deliver the same visual and emotional impact of the original sci-fi smash.
[10/28/10]

Reading For the Future, "Ink Plots is at SVA’s Visual Arts Gallery (601 West 26 Street, 15th floor, New York City) though November 6."~Cie
GeekMom » Blog Archive » Ink Plots: The Tradition of the Graphic Novel
http://www.geekmom.com/2010/10/ink-plots-the-tradition-of-the-graphic-novel/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+geekmom%2FmhTP+%28GeekMom%29&utm_content=FaceBook
www.geekmom.com
If you’re a fan of graphic novels, or even if you’re just curious about the format, there’s a great show running right now at my alma mater, School of Visual Art. Ink Plots: The Tradition of the Graphic Novel shares the work of artists influential in the creation of the genre who just so happen to b
6 minutes ago · Comment · LikeUnlike · Share · Promote · Flag
[10/28/10]

REading for the Future, "Lynda Williams said I should share this poem of mine with you. Books are Masochists They call out ...by Krysia Anderson"
[10/30/10]

Reading For the Future, "This author of YA fantasy-horror puts book lists of children's and YA books, with abstracts and reviews, on her website."~Valerie C.
Children's and YA Science Fiction Novels for Children and Young Adults
http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/lit_resources/favorites/by_genre/science_fic.html
www.cynthialeitichsmith.com
bibliography of fantasy and science fiction books for kids and teenagers
[10/30/10]

Reflections Collection -- 10/25/10

Celebrate the Outreach

To date this blog has been viewed 184 times.

RFF, Inc.,  now has a Reading for the Future community on Live Journal as Reading4Future  administered by Julia.
http://community.livejournal.com/reading4future

Cie explained the power of Facebook in accomplishing the RFF mission in Outreach through Facebook.

The Facebook Report

Likes for the Facebook is growing and is now over 200.
Cie continues to locate interesting and informative links. Others are beginning to post links there, too. Read weekly summaries of activity on Facebook in the FB Reports. To date there are 3: Since the Facebook page is older than the blog, the initial FB Report does some catching up; after that the postings are done weekly, 10/10/17 and 10/24/10.

If you know of a link that suits the RFF mission, add a comment here and/or mention it to Cie. Another way to get your ideas about science fiction for youth is to become my friend on Facebook. Be sure to mention RFF or Reflections in the message when you Friend me. Also, I will want permission to quote you from time to time; if that is OK, add "Yes, quote me," so I can include comments you write, too. If you send me your website url I will reference it when you are quoted. Then add links and conversations about speculative fiction for children, effect of reading speculative fiction, children and reading, etc. Share it on the RFF page on Facebook or with me or Cie.

Foundations that Ground RFF

The Letter from the Killer Bees has been added as a page to this blog. Remember, this is the letter that encouraged David-Glenn Anderson to start the first RFF Yahoo! Groups to grow a collaboration of volunteers into the body of Reading for the Future that it is today.

In the Blog Pages

Among the new permanent pages added to the blog is a Newsletter page. This page will list links to the Reflections Collections and to the FB Report posts so you do not have to search the archives. The Resources page contains links to organizations with similar goals, Teacher workshops and lessons from RFF members, book lists, science fiction conventions of interest to RFF, and more.

Recent posts to Reflections

Our own Lindalee Stuckey, also of Golden Duck Awards, discusses media piracy in Comments from a Concerned Librarian.

Learn about what The Heinlein Society does for encouraging reading in youth, the Pay it Forward Blood Drive, the free CD/DVD for educators and librarians chock-full of teaching resources, and more.

A primary activity in promoting the mission of RFF is the presentations by members at science fiction conventions. Read the Call for Papers to plan how you can participate, know which convention to attend, or even what questions to ask RFF members about what RFF can do for you. Currently, this information is updated in the comments. Eventually this could become a regular feature like the FB Report. A word of caution: to be sure that you miss nothing, join RFF and get the ongoing discussions as they are created.

Cybils: Another Site with a Similar Mission

Cybils offers an annual award to authors of children and young adult books. There are numerous book reviews on the Cybils site, too. Look for a future article on this effort. Look for the link to the newest Cybils awards in the 10/25/10 Facebook Report.

Notes from the rff-blogmaster

Cie sent a list of royalty-free images, mostly from NASA this time, to use to spice up Reflections.

David Brin keeps tossing provocative question out to his Facebook friends. In response, they comment enthusiastically. Look for an article on last Wednesday's discussion to be posted, hopefully, later this week.

Regretfully, no one sent in a book review during the last two weeks. Many RFF members are currently busy getting lessons and such together for upcoming teacher workshops at a couple of sci fi conventions and for an RFF databank. Plus their day jobs keep them busy. However, I ran across this blog that has reviews of children's fiction. Check out , although the archive seems to indicate a long period of inactivity. And there are plenty of book reviews on Cybils to keep you busy for a bit.

So much to write about, so little time! There were some interesting discussions in the rff group. There are plans for future articles based on several of these discussions. How will you know where to find them? Keep reading the blog. Click that Feedburner button and get the Reflections by RSS feed.

And don't forget, you can write an article, too. Just send it to me. Or send me your ideas and data and I, or one of the others on the blog committee, will work it up.

Quotes from the Group

What have you done for RFF today?

"I give general SF talks all the time and I always mention RFF and what we do."
~Turnshek, 9/26/10 message to rff Yahoo! Group.


"Tor.com, the blog for the publisher Tor, is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the publication of Ringworld with a series of blog posts about the book. Here's my post about using Ringworld to learn about and teach about physics - in the comments, I provided links to RFF and AboutSF.
"http://www.tor.com/blogs/2010/10/ringworld-physics"
~Andy Love, 10/19/10 message to rff Yahoo! Group.

Note from Valerie: Join the RFF Effort

Join RFF in our efforts to donate speculative fiction--science fiction, alternative history, and fantasy--for grades K-12 to schools and libraries. Give a book or two today. Leave a comment here and on the Reading For the Future page on Facebook that tells us what books inspired you to read, stay in school, and study for your chosen career! Join others with this mission. Join RFF, a collaboration of volunteers.

FB Report: Lots of Links on Speculative Fiction -- 10/24/10

This week reports a Featured Event, children's book award nominations, a book list, and lots more.

Quote of the Week:  "Remember that a story with worldwide wireless communication was fantasy 150 years ago, scifi 100 years ago, and is not scifi today. "  by Sean OBrien 
[October 18, 2010 on http://www.facebook.com/thedavidbrin in a discussion concerning the definition of hard science fiction.]

Want your link to be listed? Share it to the Reading For the Future page on Facebook or make me your Friend and post links on your Wall that you share with Friends. If you think I will overlook it, send me a message with the link attached and the remarks you want to say in introducing the link. Be sure to include your personal website url.

This is the third in the series of links of interest found on Facebook from the Reading For the Future page on Facebook and a few Walls of various friends.

Please note the spelling is corrected now in that the word "For" is capitalized. Cie named the page this way to distinguish it from other RFF sites online. Me, I noticed it once, then promptly forgot and misspelled the page for weeks of blog posts and rff group emails--even after someone remarked on how I had a typo in place. There are none so blind... My apologies.

Remember, the Note.

---

Reading For the Future, "...article at the bottom of the page entitled 'Notes on Writing Weird Fiction'. [essay by] H.P. Lovecraft...1933,...published...[in] June 1937 issue of The Amateur Correspondent."
Flash Fiction Online
flashfictiononline.com
Flash Fiction Online is a free source of professional flash fiction -- complete stories of 1,000 or fewer words. It includes stories from award-winning authors as well as first-time publications. Check us out!
http://www.flashfictiononline.com
[10/22/10]

From David Brin, "Every instance of First Contact in human history resulted in pain for the less advanced culture. I believe we should exercise caution before allowing a few individuals to beam messages into space."
David Brin Wants Us To Keep A Low Galactic Profile | KPBS.org
www.kpbs.org
From An interview with Tom Fudge of KPBS. In the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence, called SETI, people point powerful radio telescopes at distant stars in hopes of hearing radio signals from other civilizations. But the problem comes when humans stop listening and begin to shout.
http://www.kpbs.org/news/2010/oct/21/david-brin-wants-us-keep-low-galactic-profile/
[10/22/10]

Reading For the Future, "Saw this... and had to share with fellow Spec Fiction fans....[for]Lovecraft's 120th birthday."
H P Lovecraft Cthulhu necklace in black stainless by FableAndFury
www.etsy.com
An homage to one of the most influential horror writers of the 20th century, Howard Phillips Lovecraft. This framed silhouette pendant is detailed with sprawling tentacles... a nod to Lovecraft's cosmic creature, Cthulhu.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/58943078/h-p-lovecraft-cthulhu-necklace-in-black
[10/22/10]

On Valerie's wall from Science Fiction Book Club, "...movie news...PJ's Hobbit movies...casting of Bilbo Baggins...-Rome
Peter Jackson officially announces the cast of The Hobbit (Yes!) | Blastr
blastr.com
The Hobbit is moving out of New Zealand to Australia. Or to London...[Peter] Jackson does know...who'll be starring in the long-delayed movie.
http://blastr.com/2010/10/peter-jackson-announces-t.php
[10/22/10]

On Valerie's wall from David Brin's Uplift Universe "Dolphins uplifting themselves? In Australia, a group of river dolphins has learned to walk on water...[and] taught others."
BBC - Earth News - Dolphins learn to 'walk on water'
news.bbc.co.uk
Wild dolphins in Australia are naturally learning to "walk" on their tail flukes, a rare example of playful behaviour being culturally transmitted among animals.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9116000/9116120.stm
[10/23/10]

On Valerie's Wall from Bobbie DuFault, "Hey how cool!"
About « Do Nothing But Read Day
wp.me
On December 3, 2009, Amanda Lanyon-LeSage said something on Facebook that could possibly change the world. She merely wished that she could take a day off and do nothing but read. Her idea was seconded–and thirded and fourthed–and then it happened for real.
http://wp.me/PKnH7-2[10/22/10]

On Valerie's wall from West Wing Week is a link to a video of the 2010 National Science Winners meeting with President Obama. Believing it is important to share any activity that motivates children to read and learn, I share this with you.
West Wing Week: "The White House Science Fair"
www.youtube.com
This week, walk step by step with the President as he holds the first ever White House Science Fair, signs an Executive Order renewing the Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isTXGUONgcQ
[10/22/10]

David Brin shared this link.
Considering Cryonics | Lightspeed Magazine
www.lightspeedmagazine.com
From submarines to robots, much of the technology we take for granted today was originally conceived, not by scientists or inventors, but by that biggest of dreamers: the science fiction writer. Once thought wildly impossible, cryonics—the freezing of the recently dead, to be revived and repaired
 http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/nonfiction/considering-cryonics/
[10/22/10]

Reading For the Future, "2010 Nominations: Fantasy/Science Fiction for the Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards"
Cybils: 2010 Nominations: Fantasy/Science Fiction
www.cybils.com
The Children's and YA Bloggers' Literary Awards
http://www.cybils.com/2010-nominations-fantasyscience-fiction.html
[10/22/10]

Bobbie DuFault shared, "How about a Peter Parker toilet seat?"
The 6 most awful comic book toys and action figures EVER | Blastr
blastr.com
We all love toys,... love comics....But we don't love ALL toys, because all toys don't deserve it.
http://blastr.com/2010/10/the-7-most-awful-toys-and-action-figures-ever.php
[10/22/10]

David Brin, "Science fiction can infect children with the dangerous mental habit of imagining things different than they are."
Contrary Brin
davidbrin.blogspot.com
An occasional online journal to handle discussions generated by "The David Brin Site" (http://www.davidbrin.com/ ) Courteous argument is welcome...
http://davidbrin.blogspot.com/2010/10/astronomy-seti-science-transparency-and.html
[10/21/10]

On Valerie's wall was the remarks of Lynda Williams sharing Valerie's link (Yep, that's me.) to her own blog post.
Said Lynda,"Valerie of RFF wishes for Okal Rel Universe paper dolls near the end of this delightful description of her encounter with artist Tom Tierney."
Wonderful Paper Dolls of Tom Tierney
http://soapboxbyval.blogspot.com
(After describing a visit to the Tom-Kat Paper Dolls store, I speak of the conversation I had with Tom Tierney and the books I looked at. I speak of using paper dolls to motivate children to read and then wonder if science fiction characters in Tierney's fashions would foster reading of science fiction.)
http://soapboxbyval.blogspot.com/2010/10/wonderful-paper-dolls-of-tom-tierney.html
[10/21/10]

To which Valerie asked," Will beautifully illustrated paper dolls of literary characters encourage kids K-12 to read?"

In an answering comment, 10/21/10, Bobbie DuFault said,"Of course they will! And cut out action figures for the boys with lots of swords."

Reading For the Future quoted David Brin, "[F]iction is one of the most 'American' literary genres, because, like America itself, SF has a relentless fascination with change. In fact, I believe that this trait - rather than technology - is what most distinguishes SF from fantasy." Astronomy, SETI, science, transparency and wonders!
Contrary Brin
http://www.davidbrin.com An occasional online journal to handle discussions generated by 'The David Brin Site' (http://www.davidbrin.com/ ) Courteous argument is welcome..."
http://davidbrin.blogspot.com/2010/10/astronomy-seti-science-transparency-and.html
[10/20/10]

Reading For the Future "From Valerie C comes a great SF reading list for SF!  thanks for all the hard work Val :)"
Valerie's Memos: Suggested Readings for K-12 From the Golden Duck Reading List
vmemos.blogspot.com
Last month,I posted a book list at a local library in TX while visiting my parents, Smithville Public Library. The book list was based on the Reading List provided by DucKon the sponsors of the Golden Duck Awards and the Hal Clement Awards.
http://vmemos.blogspot.com/2010/10/suggested-readings-for-k-12-from-golden.html
[10/20/10]

To which William Wood commented that very same day,"Glad to see "George's Secret Key to the Universe" on the list. I finished it with my 6 year old a couple weeks ago and we are now reading the sequel. Well suited to this age and yet still packs a lot of cutting-edge space-related concepts."

Reading For the Future~Valerie,'From James Sawyer comes this update on ereaders and a new source for his book Iterations. The article goes on to say, "To get things started, famous science fiction writer Robert Sawyer has graciously contributed his short stories to the mix which will be free for all jetBook owners, now how about that? Ectac...o has also invited writers to send in their own written material in order to have a chance for their writings loaded to every jetBook sold"
Ectaco introduces jetBook mini » Coolest Gadgets
www.coolest-gadgets.com
Once you’ve taken a look at the title, do not groan and say “Oh no! Not another e-book reader that has descended upon us!”. Well, that might be the case, but you need not worry about Ectaco’s latest offering as the jetBook-mini will be an extension of the world’s leader in portable language learning...
http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20101019/ectaco-introduces-jetbook-mini/
[10/20/10]

Also on 10/20/10, I asked James whether the reader showed colored pictures. Unfortunately, no, he he told me.

Reading For the Future from Lynn E. Cohen Koehler, "Educator's workshop at the MICHENER ART MUSEUM Doylestown, PA
Saturday, November 13, 9:30 am to 12:30 pm
$45 Registration deadline: November 2, 2010
James A. Michener Art Museum: Events and Programs: Teacher Workshop: Graphic Novels in the Classroom
www.michenermuseum.org
An introduction to the popular literary art form, the graphic novel, and its benefits for your curriculum.This three hour workshop led by artist, Scott Hanna, will introduce, LitGraphic:The World of the Graphic Novel, followed by a hands-on workshop focused on the visual elements in the graphic nove...
http://www.michenermuseum.org/events/event.php?id=1200
[10/19/10]

The above link refers to our Featured Event. Read more below.

Reading For the Future, "Teaching Physics With Niven [Ringworld] Wow that would be fun :)"
Ringworld 40th Anniversary—Learning Physics with Ringworld
www.tor.com
The Physics of Ringworld by Andrew Love, part of the Ringworld 40th Anniversary celebration on Tor.com
http://www.tor.com/blogs/2010/10/ringworld-physics
[10/19/10]

Reading For the Future, "Check out the RFF Reflections Blog for a great article on The Heinlein Society!"
The Heinlein SocietyReading for the Future Reflections
rff-reflections.blogspot.com
The Heinlein Society. Sharing common goals, some RFF members have worked closely with The Heinlein Society, http://www.heinleinsociety.org/, on projects in the past. The two organizations even have members in common. Expect more collaborative efforts from these two organizations
http://rff-reflections.blogspot.com/2010/10/heinlein-society.html
[10/18/10]

Reading For the Future,"Spooky Legends Event: Oct 18th-31st; 2 supernatural blogs + 14 spine-tingling days + 28 frighteningly talented authors & characters, creepy cool urban legends, and the most chilling new releases of the season = Spooky Legends"
All Things Urban Fantasy: Spooky Legends Event: Oct 18th-31st
allthingsurbanfantasy.blogspot.com
I’m teaming up with...Angela from Dark Faerie Tales, for this wickedly wonderful event that will feature some of the biggest names in paranormal fiction writing...
http://allthingsurbanfantasy.blogspot.com/2010/09/spooky-legends-event-oct-18th-31st.html
[10/17/10]

Reading For the Future From Mike Resnick -
Just went into the self-publishing biz. (Bear with me; it's not a vanity
press.) I have 29 stories and about 270,000 words worth of Hugo-winning
and Hugo-nominated stories...so I put together 5 e-books, THE HUGO
STORIES Volumes 1 through 5, with a cover photo of me standing next to
...the trophy case, and uploaded them to... the Barnes & Noble web
page. (They'll be on the Amazon Kindle page in another day or two.)
Below is a link to volume 1
The Hugo Stories -- Volume 1
search.barnesandnoble.com
The Hugo Stories -- Volume 1 by Mike Resnick eBook at the World's Largest eBook Store. Download eBooks and free samples within seconds from Barnes & Noble.
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/books/e/2940011883330/?itm=1&USRI=THE+HUGO+STORIES%2CMike+Resnick%2Cmike+resnick
[10/17/10]

Reading For the Future, "Good blog post about writing"
What is Great Fiction About? | Creed_of_Kings on Xanga « A. R. Travis's Blog
artravis.wordpress.com
When they say there is nothing new under the sun, that is correct. It has all been done. This is what I’ve tried to be mindful of when creating my book.
http://artravis.wordpress.com/2010/10/17/what-is-great-fiction-about-creed_of_kings-on-xanga/

Featured Event

This event was shared by Lynn E. Cohen Koehler. She reminds us to RSVP directly to the Michener Art Museum (contact link below) not to Reading For the Future page on Facebook. Using the RFF page on FB rsvp link will allow you to network with RFF members, but will NOT notify the museum or Workshop organizers of your intentions.

Featured Event from Reading For the Future

Lynn E. Cohen Koehler Educator's workshop at the MICHENER ART MUSEUM Doylestown, PA
Saturday, November 13, 9:30 am to 12:30 pm
$45 Registration deadline: November 2, 2010

For more information, contact jamam1@ michenerartmuseum.org
James A. Michener Art Museum: Events and Programs: Teacher Workshop: Graphic Novels in the Classroom
www.michenermuseum.org
Copyright © 2001-2010, The James A. Michener Art Museum. All rights reserved. James A. Michener Art Museum | 138 S. Pine St. | Doylestown, PA 18901 | 215.340.9800 Contact us at jamam1@michenerartmuseum.org

Quoted from the link above, this abstract tells what the workshop is about.
"An introduction to the popular literary art form, the graphic novel, and its benefits for your curriculum.This three hour workshop led by artist, Scott Hanna, will introduce, LitGraphic:The World of the Graphic Novel, followed by a hands-on workshop focused on the visual elements in the graphic nove[l]..."

More information on the Workshop was provided by Cie, admin of Reading For the Future.

An introduction to the popular literary art form, the graphic novel, and its benefits for your curriculum.This three hour workshop led by artist, Scott Hanna, will introduce, LitGraphic:The World of the Graphic Novel, followed by a hands-on workshop focused on the visual elements in the graphic novel. In this session, ...K-12 educators focus on the elements of the design process concentrating on visual techniques to construct a world and deliver a story.This will include: how to express a time frame, how to convey emotions and retain a reader’s interest, utilize various types of perspective, emphasizing line quality to create form and texture, the use of color, adding value to enhance mood/atmosphere, utilizing expressions and body language, and more. Visual examples will draw from graphic novels as well as video games, movies, animation, cartoons, etc. Supplies will be provided.

The instructor, Scott Hanna, is one of the most published inkers in the industry today. His drawing/ inking work has appeared in over 100 books to date. He currently works for both Marvel & DC Comics. His comic and graphic novel pages have been exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution and at MOCCA, the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art in New York City.Topics in Scott's work cover a vast range of Superhero themes, including many of the Hollywood movie adaptations, such as “Iron Man” (the first movie),“The Hulk,”“Daredevil,”“Batman Forever,”“Spiderman 3,” and “X-Men.” Scott received the 2005 Wizard Fan Award for “Best Inker” and the 2002 Eisner award for “Best Serialized Story.”

Does your event fit the mission of RFF? Share it with RFF, Cie and me.