FB Report: Lots of Links on Speculative Fiction -- 1/11/11

From the Wall of Reading For the Future page on Facebook

Reading For the Future This came to my wall via Lynda Williams. ~Valerie
BBC Book Nerd Challenge
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150119235341667&id=576430978&ref=mf

Have you read more than 6 of these books? The BBC believes most people will have read only 6 of the 100 books listed here. Instructions: Copy this into your NOTES. Bold those books you've read in their entirety, italicize the ones you started but didn't finish or read an excerpt....
By:Lynda Williams
[1/11/11]

Reading For the Future Just in case you want to read some classic SF in German, here are some German Vintage Science Fiction Posters.
kino-50er.de
http://www.kino-50er.de/filmplakatescifi.htm
www.kino-50er.de
[1/10/11]

Reading For the Future Apparently, today is 'National Science Fiction Day'. I was told this by an educational newsletter I subscribe too. Here is a sampling of some of their offerings.
CurrClick - Advanced Search
http://www.currclick.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=science+fiction&x=0&y=0&quicksearch=1&search_filter&filters&search_free&search_in_description=1&search_in_author=1&search_in_artist=1
www.currclick.com
The purpose of this Enrichment4You e-guide is to provide a brief overview of mutations in science fiction and real life. A special focus on 1950’s style science fiction featuring “The Creature From the Black Lagoon” and the real science of amphibians with massive mutations will be discussed. You wil
[1/2/11]

Reading For the Future I have been reminded that the Hugo Nomination Period has begun.
Locus Online News » Hugo Nomination Period Open
http://www.locusmag.com/News/2011/01/hugo-nomination-period-open/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
www.locusmag.com
Nomination ballots will be accepted from January 1, 2011, to Saturday, March 26, 2011, 23:59 PDT for the Hugo Awards and the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. Members of Renovation who join by January 31, 2011, and all members of Aussiecon 4, the prior year’s Worldcon, are invited to submi...
[1/2/11]

Reading For the Future Just wanted to tell everyone - we have reached 300 'likes' on this page :) Quite appropriately, it is Isaac Asimov's birthday today.
If you would like to become more involved with Reading For the Future, please check out our website www.readingforfuture.com or think about joining our Yahoo group - Talking RFF (lurkers welcome).
Reading for the Future
http://www.readingforfuture.com
www.readingforfuture.com
Reading for the Future is a grass roots group of parents, teachers and librarians that have banded together to help excite children, to inspire them to read, to study, and to learn by useing Science Fiction (SF, Sci Fi) in the classroom.
[1/2/11]

Reading For the Future Finalists for the 2010 Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards have been named. Here is the link for the Fantasy & Science Fiction nominees in the Young Adult category:
Cybils: 2010 Finalists Fantasy & Science Fiction (Young Adult)
http://www.cybils.com/2010-finalists-fantasy-science-fiction-young-adult.html
www.cybils.com
The Children's and YA Bloggers' Literary Awards
[1/1/11]

Reading For the Future Finalists for the 2010 Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards have been named. Here is the link for the Fantasy & Science Fiction nominees in the Middle Grades:
Cybils: 2010 Finalists Fantasy & Science Fiction (Middle Grade)
http://www.cybils.com/2010-finalists-fantasy-science-fiction-middle-grade.html#tp
www.cybils.com
The Children's and YA Bloggers' Literary Awards
[1/1/11]

Reading For the Future About 6 or 7 are SF.
11 YA Novels We Can’t Wait To Read In 2011
http://hollywoodcrush.mtv.com/2010/12/30/2011-ya-novels/?xrs=share_fb
hollywoodcrush.mtv.com
Now that we've decided which 2010 YA novel was tops, it's time to turn our attention to the plethora of books that will fill our shelves, nightstands, desks, coffee tables in 2011. Happily, many of our favorite authors will be back with sequels and spin-offs, meaning a year of guaranteed great reads...
12/30/10]

Reading For the Future Introducing young people to SF does not mean we have to limit ourselves to prose.
Science Fiction Poetry Association
http://www.sfpoetry.com
www.sfpoetry.com
Science Fiction Poetry Association, an international organization of speculative poets.
[12/28/10]

Reading For the Future Great video of this morning's eclipse.
Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse 2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMw7yamP4Rw
www.youtube.com
Time Lapse Video of Lunar Eclipse on December 21, 2010 from Gainesville Florida. 1:10 AM EST (6:10 GMT) to 5:03 AM EST (10:03 GMT). Music is Claude Debussy Noctures: Sirènes
[12/21/10]

From Other Walls

David Brin Lovely! A video of Richard Feynman and the difference between knowing the name of something & knowing something. Great perspective on how to talk to kids about science. By the way, I met Feynman when I was a student at Caltech. I’ll tell that story another time…
R. P. Feynman and the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05WS0WN7zMQ
www.youtube.com
[1/11/11]

David BrinInstitute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies IEET Fellow David Brin muses about the challenge of governing a galactic civilization.
Isaac Asimov and Human Destiny
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/brin20110107
ieet.org
Ever notice how many futuristic authors toy, now and then, with the concept of a global overmind?
[1/7/11]

Science Fiction Book Club Congratulations to Paolo Bacigalupi, whose YA novel, SHIP BREAKER, has won the American Library Association's Michael L Printz award for literary excellence in Young Adult literature- a well deserved achievement! -Rome
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi, Science Fiction Book Club® - sfbc.com
http://www.sfbc.com/pages/nm/product/productDetail.jsp?skuId=1065626490
www.sfbc.com
Author: Paolo Bacigalupi, Publisher: Hachette Book Group USA, Price: $11.99 with Science Fiction Book Club® Membership, Length: 336 pages - sfbc.com
[1/11/11]

Science Fiction Book Club Get the tivo ready - Ridley Scott's on-again-off-again relationship with science fiction seems to be on again. We can now look forward to him profiling some of sf's brightest lights, including Isaac Asimov, Gene Roddenberry and others. No, it's not on Syfy (they really should have thought of it first), but on the Science channel. -Rome
Ridley Scott pays tribute to "Prophets of Science Fiction"
http://io9.com/5727097/ridley-scott-pays-tribute-to-prophets-of-science-fiction
io9.com
For a guy who felt that science fiction was dead a few years ago, Ridley Scott seems to have renewed his interest in the genre of late. He's producing a show for the Science channel paying tribute to scifi's creators.
[1/7/11]

FB Report: Lots of Links on Speculative Fiction -- 12/20/10

Reading For the Future Via Valerie's Wall, who received it from Vonda McIntyre: Free ebook to be given away for a limited time in multiple formats.
Book View Cafe - McIntyre - The Starfarers Quartet
http://www.bookviewcafe.com/index.php/McIntyre-The-Starfarers-Quartet
www.bookviewcafe.com
Book View Cafe - Because you can never have too many ebooks
[12/19/10]

Reading For the Future In the Broad Universe science fiction catalog are numerous novels marked as YA suitable. These are listed in the Discussions thread for YA suitables.
All authors listed are members of the organization. Also, there is a catalog of fantasy works and children's literature. Visit the webpage
http://www.broaduniverse.org/catalog/science-fiction
for ISBN, publisher, pub. date, and also awards and award nominations.~Valerie
Welcome to Broad Universe - Broad Universe | Promoting science fiction, fantasy, and horror written.
http://www.broaduniverse.org/
www.broaduniverse.org
Broad Universe is an international organization dedicated to promoting, encouraging, honoring, and celebrating women writers and editors in science fiction, fantasy, horror and other speculative genres.
[12/18/10]

Reading For the Future Reading IN the Future?
Color E-Readers Open Way for Picture Books
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/15/business/media/15ebooks.html?_r=1&hpw
www.nytimes.com
The abilities of devices like the iPad and the Nook Color are leading publishers to produce illustrated e-books, particularly picture books for children.
[12/15/10]

Reading For the Future Evelyn Perkins, RN,MS, PMH-BC, NE-BC, is a nurse who is fascinated with the emerging science of nanomedicine. She has written the first book in a trilogy of children's si-fi books, Nanorobots and the Hunt for H1NO1. It introduces nanomedicine concepts in a thrilling adventure where 2 virologists and their 4 kids risk everything in their hunt for the killer virus, H1NO1 and the evil scientist who genetically engineered
Evelyn Perkins
http://www.facebook.com/profile
[12/15/10]

Reading For the Future Very interesting blog article about Mega-Scale Planet Engineering.
Dark Roasted Blend: Megastructures: Bigger-Than-Worlds
http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2010/12/megastructures-bigger-than-worlds.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheThrillingWonderStory+%28Dark+Roasted+Blend%29
www.darkroastedblend.com
Overheard in the future: "We already talked about how to add extra storage space to your continent by turning mountain ranges into bookcases, turning lakes into bath tubs, and continental shelves into decks (see also our popular Future Plate Tectonics article). Well, in this special episode we're go...
[12/15/10]

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.
The Internet Speculative Fiction Database
http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/index.cgi
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
[12/13/10]

Reading For the Future I like both - separately or together
There's not that much difference between mysteries and science fiction, really.
http://io9.com/5711775/theres-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.
[12/13/10]

Other Walls

via Valerie: Valerie Coskrey via David Brin: Reality games!
David Brin
Smash an asteroid into Earth on your computer – and calculate the resulting damage. Impact: Earth is an interactive website that allows you to enter the diameter, density & velocity of the incoming object, its angle of entry and target on Earth. Bam! Gives data on tsunamis, crater size, seismic effects, airblasts, ejecta, as well as global changes (will it shift earth’s axis?) Great for classrooms.
Impact: Earth!
http://www.purdue.edu/IMPACTEARTH
www.purdue.edu
Impact: Earth! written by Gareth Collins, H. Jay Melosh and Robert Marcus Developed by ITaP for Purdue University.View the text-only version. Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA, (765) 494-4600© 2010 Purdue University. An equal access, equal opportunity unive
[12/19/10]

Valerie Coskrey via David Brin:
Darryl Cunningham Investigates: Climate Change
http://darryl-cunningham.blogspot.com/2010/12/climate-change.html
darryl-cunningham.blogspot.com
Wow, excellent. That's one smart penguin!One very small typo I found: "The Kochs want to pay less tax, keep more profits, and be retrained by less regulation." I'm pretty sure you meant "restrained" not "retrained".
[12/19/10]

Valerie Coskrey via Cie McCullough: Merry Christmas to all.

THE DIGITAL STORY OF NATIVITY - ( or Christmas 2.0 )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZrf0PbAGSk
www.youtube.com
To see other great viral videos visit my facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/viral.videos.nr1 How social media, web and mobile tell the story of the Nativity. Christmas story told through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google, Wikipedia, Google Maps, GMail, Foursquare, Amazon... Times change, the
[12/19/10]

Valerie Coskrey via Pamela Sargent: Pamela writes both YA and Adult sci fi. Each is an exciting read.
After decades, 'Seed' bears fruit - Times Union
http://www.timesunion.com/entertainment/article/After-decades-Seed-bears-fruit-904477.php
www.timesunion.com
Almost 30 years after science-fiction author Pamela Sargent introduced audiences to a faraway planet that a sentient starship had populated with people, animals and plants to resemble Earth, she has finished her "Seed" trilogy. A character named Nuy, the daughter of original settlers of the planet,
[12/19/10]

Valerie Coskrey via Lynda Williams: I reviewed a book in a saga I hope to read more of.
Valerie's Soapbox
soapboxbyval.blogspot.com
I recently discovered a new science fiction universe to explore. The deftly built Okal Rel Universe is visited through the books of the Okal Rel Saga by Lynda Williams and her proteges. The central character of the saga is introduced in The Courtesan Prince as Von who is, well, a popular gigolo of t
[12/19/10]

Valerie Coskrey Free ebook that is suitable for YA
The Punishment of Phoebus Apollo, an Ebook by Brenna Lyons
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/8301
www.smashwords.com
Download "The Punishment of Phoebus Apollo" for free from Smashwords.com. From the ancient Greek myths... When Apollo forgets the tender art of mercy, his father arranges a lesson he'll never forget. Adapted by Brenna Lyons to expand on the original tale.
[12/18/10]

Valerie Coskrey via David Brin:
David Brin's Blog: Tomorrow Happens -
http://open.salon.com/blog/david_brin
open.salon.com
Tomorrow Happens - ...trends slamming at us from the dark
[12/18/10]

Valerie Coskrey via Bobby DuFault
Valerie Coskrey: sounds like a memorial for past fans and authors
The Celestial Convention - Star Ceremony
Location:RustyCon 2011
Time:12:
[12/18/10]

Valerie Coskrey I found this article when I was exploring criteria for children's literature. To me it is a humanistic approach to judging the multi-cultural value of a children's lit work. In other words, I personally agreed with it and and liked the way my values were expressed, even though I am not Jewish. It is an older article that I do believe is still relevant.

Assessing Children`s Literature
http://www.adl.org/education/assessing.asp
www.adl.org
Assessing Childrens Literature
[12/18/10]

Valerie Coskrey Found this item about 5 questions for evaluating your non-profit.
Charitable Advisors: Can Five Short Questions Change the Nonprofit World?
http://charitableadvisors.blogspot.com/2010/11/can-five-short-questions-change.html
charitableadvisors.blogspot.com
[12/15/10]

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

FB Report: Lots of Links on Speculative Fiction -- 11/21/10

This has been a quiet week on Facebook. 

Reading For the Future "The Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library in Indianapolis will include a replica of his writing studio, his typewriter, an unopened box of his Pall Mall cigarettes, and some rejection letters from publishers. He got lots of rejection letters."
Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library Opens in Indianapolis
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/20/us/20vonnegut.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=a23
www.nytimes.com
The author Kurt Vonnegut’s friends and family agree that his museum belongs in Indianapolis, the hometown with which he had a complicated and not always complimentary relationship.
[11/20/10]


Reading For the Future Teaching with Jules Verne
One of the great resources to be found at our Website!
Reading for the Future
http://www.readingforfuture.com/Jules%20Verne.htm
www.readingforfuture.com
Teaching with Jules Verne. Considered by some “The Father of Science Fiction”, in the 1800’s Jules Verne predicted many of the technologies that are reality today. Though Verne was not a scientist, he did have a passionate interest in it as well as a brilliant imagination. He was one of the few writ...
[11/20/10]

Reading For the Future In researching my next article I came across this site. GREAT books for teaching science including one of my all time favourite short stories Nano Comes to Clifford Falls by Nancy Kress.
10 Books that Prove Science Fiction Just Got Harder
http://io9.com/393397/10-books-that-prove-science-fiction-just-got-harder
io9.com
Why do so many books labeled "hard science fiction" actually contain technology that works pretty much like magic in a fantasy novel? Hard science fiction is supposed to be the branch of SF that's rigorously scientific, and doesn't gloss over difficult problems like faster-than-light travel.
[11/19/10]


Reading For the Future From Lynn E Cohen Koehler...looks like something good to get behind.
Captain Planet Foundation Home
http://www.captainplanetfoundation.org/
www.captainplanetfoundation.org
The mission of the Captain Planet Foundation is to fund and support hands-on, environmental projects for children and youths. Our objective is to encourage innovative programs that empower children and youth around the world to work individually and collectively to solve environmental problems in th...
[11/17/10]

Reading For the Future From Lynn E. Cohen Koehler
Lynn E. Cohen Koehler Anyone going to Philcon? This weekend!
Philcon 2010
http://www.philcon.org/
www.philcon.org
The 2010 Philcon Science Fiction Conference
[11/17/10]

Reading For the Future From Lynn E. Cohen Koehler
Lynn E. Cohen Koehler educational grants for environmental projects
Captain Planet Foundation Home
http://www.captainplanetfoundation.org/
www.captainplanetfoundation.org
[11/17/10]


Reading For the Future for those of you in the SFWA - Nebula Nominations are OPEN
SFWA’s 2010 Nebula Award Nomination period is open
http://www.sfwa.org/2010/11/sfwas-2010-nebula-award-nomination-period-is-open/
www.sfwa.org
SFWA’s 2010 Nebula Award® nomination period is open from November 15, 2010 to February 15, 2011 23:59 PST. Active and Associate SFWA members are eligible to submit nominating ballots. http://www.sfwa.org/nebula-nomination
[11/15/10]

Reading For the Future For the record, my 15 year old son thinks it's CGI
Hatsune Miku: Japanese HOLOGRAPH Plays Sold Out Concerts; Science Fiction Comes To Life (VIDEO)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com//2010/11/11/hatsune-miku-japanese-holograph-_n_782442.html
www.huffingtonpost.com
In what is surely a terrible omen not only for musicians but also the continued existence of the world as we know it, holographs are now playing sold out concerts in, where else, Japan. Holographic idol Hatsune Miku is the creation of the group Crypton Future Media, using software from Vocaloid, and
[11/14/10]

Reading For the Future From David Brin: What
if America lost its knack and desire to make things? My graphic novel,
Tinkerers, is set in 2024, a dystopian future where manufacturing has
declined precipitously; young people head into service careers, and
nearly all innovative products come from overseas. After a catastrophic
...failure, our protagonist searches for answers…Written with Jason Land; Available from Amazon in January. Join the Facebook page
See More
Forward | Graphic Novel
http://forward.msci.org/tinkerers/graphicnovel.html?sms_ss=facebook&at_xt=4cdebd83502448a7%2C0
forward.msci.org
[11/13/10]


Reading For the Future Hey, the first half of science fiction is science, right?
GeekMom » Blog Archive » Five Ways to Teach Science With Star Trek
http://www.geekmom.com/2010/11/five-ways-to-teach-science-with-star-trek/
www.geekmom.com
The class was taught by a man with a magical cabinet. Behind its doors were rows and rows of VHS tapes holding every episode of every season of every Star Trek series that had aired to date. And they weren’t just for rewards after a tough test or days we had a substitute–he used them to teach scienc...
[11/11/10]

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On valerie's wall from Lynda Williams
Libraries reinvent themselves as they struggle to remain relevant in the digital age
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-libraries-20101112,0,6514361.story
www.latimes.com
Kathy DeGrego's T-shirt lets you know right away she isn't an old-school librarian.
[11/18/10]

Outreach through Facebook : Counting the Ways

by Cie McCullough

with note of introduction by Valerie Coskrey, rff-blogmaster

In an RFF Yahoo Group email to Cie, David G. Anderson asked, "How can Facebook get people to support RFF not just 'like' it? DGA"

Now, Dave is the Founder of the RFF Yahoo Group, and the Trustee who spearheaded the incorporation of Reading for the Future, Inc., and is the prime mover in obtaining the organization's tax exempt status -- a work currently in progress and almost completed. So Cie, enthusiastic about the 200+ "Likes" for the Reading For the Future page on Facebook for which she is responsible, quickly answered, informing the group how Facebook can further the RFF mission. Can you count the ways? ~Valerie

Outreach through Facebook

Facebook is outreach. It's a commercial. People see the words "Reading For the Future" and want to know what it is. When I am on FB I look for articles that deal with Speculative Fiction in many ways. Writing, teaching, how it affects us, the history of it, where it is now. Banned Book Week just passed and I posted about banned books, especially Fahrenheit 451. I look for articles I would use in teaching, whether they are explicitly "teaching" articles or not. Maybe some pictures that could be used as writing prompts; maybe a website offering free audio books.

I then post the article, or whatever, to the RFF page. People who have liked the page will get them as 'News' or in their feed. If you are on Facebook, I encourage you to like those articles, or make a comment, start a discussion after a post. More comments means it is more likely that people will stop and look further. Whenever I post to the RFF page I hit "Share," which means it will go to my own page, but it will say 'via Reading For the Future'. Like a brand name, another commercial.

I would love to have people come on and write more about who we are and what we do. Specifics, not links to a webpage. Short, KISS, people know in a quick read. What are we doing NOW? or SOON? WHEN is the next Con? WHAT will we have there? HOW are we outreaching to schools? WHO gets our next book? Facebook has the ability to blog, maybe we can cross connect the two [the RFF blog Reflections].~Cie

Jargon

What is KISS?
In rff-Talking Reading for the Future (rff Yahoo! Group) jargon, KISS is "Keep it Simple" and is used to ask people to cut out the extraneous parts of their quotations of previous email messages in the replies.

What is Con?
To a sci fi fan, Con is a science fiction convention.

What is sci fi or scifi?
Science fiction.

FB Report: Lots of Links on Speculative Fiction -- 10/17/10

How many posts to Facebook can we read in a week?

This is the second in the series of Facebook links of interest from the Reading for the Future page on Facebook.

With over 200 people "liking" the page, Cie is celebrating by posting ever-more web resources of value to the RFF mission. Better yet, the sites are fun reads and great sites to visit. Also, from other Walls come a few more sites of interest. Did you catch the latest?


Note: This is not a verbatim report. Extraneous phrases were cut, some phrases were reworded, and info after the link is dropped. But you get the idea, right?

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Cie expressed sorrow in sharing that the developer of fractal geometry, Benoit Mandelbot, died.
www.washingtonpost.com
Benoit Mandelbrot, mathematician who developed field of fractal geometry, dies at 85 in Mass.
[10/16/10]

David Brin shared a link on how science fiction clarifies human rights, asking, "How will technology impact personal liberties? The ACLU is analyzing sci-fi plots to plan its future battles over individual freedom. Its report, Technology, Liberties and the Future, draws upon science fiction for worst-case scenarios to study possible civil liberties violations that may result from advances in technology: omni-surveillance, cloning, gene splicing, nanotech, cyborgs...,"
Humanoid Rights | The American Prospect  
www.prospect.org   
A few months ago I watched Moon, a 2009 indie science-fiction film, with a friend who works on public relations for the American Civil Liberties Union. The movie centers on Sam Bell, a solitary laborer who spends his days extracting helium from moon rocks and drawing comfort from correspondence with...
http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=humanoid_rights
[10/16/10]

Angela Lott posted to the RFF, sharing her enthusiasm for the Okel Rel Universe with these words, "If you like Comedy, Drama, Romance, or Action or even if you just like well written character driven fiction, you will like The Okal Rel Universe Saga by Lynda Williams. Vist the site and see for yourself."
Home of the Okal Rel Science Fiction Series
 www.okalrel.org
The ORU is a 10 novel series, published by Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy, set in a very different universe. The character-driven stories tackle themes of culture clash in a context where all-out war is so horrific it is all but obsolete, but passions still run high.
www.okalrel.org
[10/16/10]

 Admittedly, Angela knows Lynda personally, but I have read her wall often enough to know that she actually reads and enjoys these books and read them as a YA.  If a teenager enjoys the series, well, ...

Courtesy of Jan Howard Finder, the Wombat:
Astronomy Day 2010 at George Observatory - Houston astronomy | Examiner.com
www.examiner.com
George Observatory is operated by the Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS). The three observatories there (telescopes are 14", 18", and 36") offer the public a view of the diamond studded sky typically lost in the bright lights of the city. This Saturday is Astronomy Day 2010.
http://www.examiner.com/astronomy-in-houston/astronomy-day-2010-at-george-observatory
[10/16/10]

Ya'll be sure to ask her how it went!

From Reading For the Future" "Check out the site and then join the Facebook page so that you can get all the latest details!"
The Utah Humanities Book Festival
www.utahhumanities.org
What Kind of Idea Are You? Find Out at the 13th Annual Utah Humanities Book Festival! All Book Festival activities are free and open to the public...
http://www.utahhumanities.org/BookFestival.htm
[10/15/10]



On the Reading for the Future page, "Remember the classic black and white docudramas from school? I found this site, which is associated with others for each discipline of teaching. It offers older film clips and educational videos that are now in the public domain to teachers. Enjoy the one on this page on Why to Study Science. There is even a mention of sci fi in the video!~Valerie C."
Why Study Science
www.tvschoolhouse.com
Why Study Science? Dramatizations explain why science is important and the benefits of scientifice study.
http://www.tvschoolhouse.com/shows/Science/whyStudyScience.html
[10/15/10]

Yeah, it's a new site with a few typos still in place last time I checked. But the site is well worth the visit.  According to the comments posted with the link, a few homeschoolers think so too.

Reading For the Future:  This link is the Introduction and First Chapter of 'Teaching Fantasy Novels' by Phyllis J. Perry. It is the synopsis and Lesson Plan for teaching Lloyd Alexander's The High King.
www.teacherideaspress.com
http://www.teacherideaspress.com/media/pdfs/sample_chapters/LU9874_1-9_chapter1.pdf
[10/14/10]

Reading For the Future, "Found some interesting sites while doing some research online. This first one lists good Fantasy short stories for use in modeling Fantasy writing. The entire list is available online, either in text or audio."
Teaching Fantasy « Torque Control
vectoreditors.wordpress.com
Since so many smart critics frequent here, I’d like to pitch a question to y’all: I’ve been teaching undergraduate creative writing for years (am an English MA/ poetry MFA) but this semester for the first time I’m teaching a course focused on writing fantasy fiction.
http://vectoreditors.wordpress.com/2010/09/03/teaching-fantasy/
[10/14/10]

This entry brought a few few comments. One from Philippa Ballantine, http://www.pjballantine.com, an author of what she calls "adult high fantasy and steampunk" fiction, which she wrote me were probably a bit too violent and sexually explicit for RFF to recommend for teens, even though she knows of many fans who are teenagers.  She also reads books for pod casts.

Anyway, Philippa did suggest a book for the Reading for the Future book lists. At Cie's request, on 10/14/10, she commented, "For older children I love Garth Nix's books."

Valerie asked, as Reading For the Future, "Has anyone seen the commercial for The Dead Zone that features the nine lives of a cat? I laughed so hard at that one."  I, Valerie, posted the question in response to the Cat Poster from Cie's wall, which I shared with the RFF page.
"Found this on Cie's page, which she titled, 'Wanted Dead and Alive'"
http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs809.snc4/68982_159202910769692_100000399518144_377235 photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net
Unfortunately, I was unable to copy the photo. Try to visit the page. If not there, try the Links. It is a riot!

 On 10/13/10, David Brin put out a call for books on manufacturing in a status comment on his page, "I need references/links for and SCI FI NOVELS about *manufacturing*... especially about its decline in America and /or prospects for better manufacturing in the near future." 

Read the comments for a new book list. How many are suitable for youth? At least a teaching concept is identified.

On the RFF page, "Science in Sci Fi Recommended by member Lynda Williams" 
Orbiting Frog | Astronomy, Space and Science 
 orbitingfrog.com
Andre Geim, an Ig Nobel laureate and physicist working at the University of Manchester has been jointly awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in physics. He is joined by Konstantin Novoselov, his former PhD student and research partner in ground-breaking work on a substance called Graphene, which forms the b...
http://orbitingfrog.com/blog/2010/10/05/graphene-nobel-for-manchester/
[10/12/10]

I visited orbitingfrog.com and discovered that the blog author is asking readers to suggest a quote that he can use on the blog's home page. Help him out, Somebody.

That's all to report for the time span Oct. 13, 2010 - Oct. 16, 2010 as of my last visit to Facebook. Do you have a few authors or other contributors that you want followed? Not yet a member of RFF? Send suggestions through the comments. RFF members, you may send comments to Valerie C. in a group email.



Did you read the first Facebook Report? Now's your chance. FB Report: Lots of Links on Speculative Fiction -- 10/12/10

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

 After only a few months, the Reading for the Future page on Facebook is approaching 150+ Likes.  In the Discussion threads are dozens of books categorized by reading level.

And there have been some really interesting links posted. Most were introduced by Cie, the page's main admin lady (or, as David A. called her in a recent email, our RFF-FB "missionary"). Did you catch these on your visits to rff on fb?

Note: This is not a verbatim report. Extraneous phrases were cut, some phrases were reworded, and info after the link is dropped. But you get the idea, right?

 ---

Said physicist Stephen Hawking, “Science fiction is useful both for stimulating the imagination and for defusing fear of the future.” Sigma Xi the Scientific Research Society recently surveyed its members, asking: '"Did science fiction influence you?"  10/7/10
www.sigmaxi.org 
Sigma Xi: The Scientific Research Society: Member Newsletters: Did Science Fiction Influence You?

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This is an interesting article, possibly some hints to reach some Romance readers who think SF is not for them? 10/6/10
www.geekmom.com GeekMom » Blog Archive » Science Fiction Romance: Not an Oxymoron

 ---

Of course we all know this is by no means complete. They didn't even mention War of the Worlds' laser beams and chemical warfare. 10/4/10
http://mashable.com 11 Astounding Sci-Fi Predictions That Came True

To this on 10/5/10, William Wood commented, "Not to poo-poo the idea that 'one of the most important reasons for reading and teaching SF' is it's ability to anticipate technology, but..." He continued, "What gives sf its literary potency is not that it anticipates tech but that it provides a way for u...s to envision possible worlds. Some sf worlds are offered as cautions; others as options we may wish to choose. In either case, the thing is this: we need to take responsibility for bringing about the future, and sf is the genre that gives us a laboratory for envisioning our choices."
To which Cie responded, "But it does illustrate one of the most important reasons for reading and teaching SF. "

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'Looking for the Science in Fiction' Thank you David Brandt!  10/3/10 www.hardsf.org Hard SF: Free Audio SF - Story Readings, New Additions

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Why is this here? Read the fine print...
The Echo Park Time Travel Mart helps support 826LA, a non-profit organization “dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write”.   10/3/10
www.laughingsquid.com Echo Park Time Travel Mart

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To commemorate Banned Books Week, the Internet Archive lets you read & download 74 banned books, and they're all FREE.
~Cie   10/2/10
www.archive.org Banned Books : Free Books : Free Texts : Download & Streaming : Internet Archive

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Attention Librarians! Here is a great resource for using SF in your Libraries. Please leave some feedback, your thoughts are important.
(Note, the link below is to the download page.~Valerie)
Said AboutSF, "We are currently beta testing a Librarian's Portable Teaching Workshop. Please feel free to download this material and add any comments about usability, effectiveness, or suggestions for change in the comments below. We look forward to hearing from you about our newest project."   9/30/10
www.aboutsf.org  Beta Test the Workshop for Libraries (Download) | AboutSF www.aboutsf.com

 ---

Below is a series of statements and links that represent a combined, shared link. Eventually, at the bottom of the set, you get to the link to the actual statement by Walter Mead. Enjoy the conversation!

David Brin shared this link. Said David, "This is essentially a blog post about Walter Russell Mead's article, but the more important point here is:
READ SCIENCE FICTION
"Thanks to C. J. Cherryh for bringing this to my attention and for having such a great cover for Cyteen: The Betrayal - seen below :)
Read science fiction to understand the things that mainstream pundits won't talk about.(sic)"
io9.com
"'Why should you be reading more science fiction? Not just for the thrills or awesome science. You should read SF to explore ideas about society that academics and pundits won't talk about,'(sic) writes Walter Russell Mead in The American Interest."   9/23/10   
laughingsquid.com

Then there was a second share; and the same conversation continued.

Cie added, "Thank you David Brin for bring this to our attention!"
blogs.the-american-interest.com
Literary Saturday: Science Fiction is a Genre That Everyone Should Read - Walter Russell Mead's Blog
David said "I have read a lot of science fiction. I started reading this stuff when Sputnik was still in the news; the first satellites were spooking through the sky when I was turning the pages of novels by Andre Norton, Robert Heinlein and A. E. Van Vogt. I read everything in the genre that the Glenwood Ele..."   9/23/10
http://blogs.the-american-interest.com/wrm/2010/09/18/literary-saturday-science-fiction-is-a-genre-that-everyone-should-read/

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Another conversation on fb that made the rounds of friends and ended up on emails in Talking RFF, the rff Yahoo! Group. The original source was Al MacAlister. and it became part of the dialog on appreciating alternative history as speculative history, speculative fiction, and a learning motivator--that is, once we had wiped our eyes and otherwise recovered from the pain of laughing so hard! In that dialog, Valerie reminded the group that many a space opera series has become what someone once called "future history." Be sure to learn about World War II in this article. Priceless.

www.collegehumor.com

OMG WWII on FACEBOOK!