Category: Member News

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Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows Published

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SF Canada member David Perlmutter is pleased to announce the release last month of his new book, The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Published by Rowman & Littlefield, the book “encompasses animated programs broadcast in the United States and Canada since 1948.”

From the blurb: “Once consigned almost exclusively to Saturday morning fare for young viewers, television animation has evolved over the last several decades as a programming form to be reckoned with. While many animated shows continue to entertain tots, the form also reaches a much wider audience, engaging viewers of all ages. Whether aimed at toddlers, teens, or adults, animated shows reflect an evolving expression of sophisticated wit, adult humor, and a variety of artistic techniques and styles…Each entry includes a list of cast and characters, credit information, a brief synopsis of the series, and a critical analysis. Additional details include network information and broadcast history.

The volume also features one hundred images and an introduction containing an historical overview of animated programming since the inception of television. Highlighting an extensive array of shows from Animaniacs and Archer to The X-Men and Yogi Bear, The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Series is an essential resource for anyone interested in the history and evolution of this constantly expanding art form.”

The book is available in both hardcover and ebook editions.

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New Middle Grade Science Fiction

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SF Canada member Sherry D. Ramsey’s newest book, the middle grade science fiction adventure Planet Fleep: A Science Twins Adventure, has just opened to pre-orders. The book will release on June 20th in all electronic formats, with a print edition to follow in September.

When a meteorite storm wreaks havoc on their family’s cargo ship, sort-of-twins Rudi and Trudy find themselves stranded on an alien planet. In their search for help, they uncover a fiendish plot against the friendly and mysterious alien critters the twins call “fleeps.” With only an overprotective robot for company, can they survive on their own, find their parents, and save the fleeps from a horrible fate?

Diverse young readers with an interest in astronomy, space travel, and science and technology will love Planet Fleep and the Science Twins, and have some laughs along the way. A free five-chapter preview is currently available for download.

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Hidden: Tales of Ryca, Book 1

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SF Canada member Shereen Vedam is pleased to announce the release of her newest title, Hidden. Hidden is an epic fantasy romance, and the first book in a new series, the Tales of Ryca.

Come out, come out, wherever you are…

A fugitive from an evil sorcerer, GILLY hides among shadows, tortured by memories of the family she lost. Her twisted leg is both a hindrance and a reminder of her tragic past. For twenty-three years, she disguises herself as an eccentric goat herder and lives alone at the edge of an idyllic village. Who would notice her here?

From a distance, she keeps a maternal eye on her only remaining sister, ANNA. But in a moment of crisis, her fantasy of safety is shattered. Her use of magic lifts the veil and now she and Anna must flee again. The evil sorcerer, and the malevolent King he serves, are on their scent.

A perilous journey across unknown terrain with family, friends and strangers, leads Gilly and Anna back to the beginning. To discover hidden secrets, earn forgiveness for past discretions and perhaps even find enduring love. If they manage to stay alive long enough.

Hidden is on sale for $0.99 for a limited time, and is free to read with Kindle Unlimited.

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Kickstarter for Mysterion 2

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Enigmatic Mirror Press–co-owned by SF Canada member Kristin Janz–has launched a Kickstarter to fund a 2nd volume of their anthology Mysterion.

Mysterion pays professional rates of 6 cents/word (US) for speculative fiction that engages meaningfully with the Christian faith. Submissions from authors of all backgrounds–Christian or otherwise–are welcome, and Volume 2 will open to submissions as soon as the Kickstarter is funded. Enigmatic Mirror Press’s mandate is to publish fiction that may not fit comfortably in either religious or mainstream publishing; stories that aren’t afraid to ask difficult questions, and that avoid simplistic answers.

Mysterion: Rediscovering the Mysteries of the Christian Faith (Volume 1) included stories by Beth Cato, Kenneth Schneyer, David Tallerman, and 17 other authors. The anthology received positive reviews from Fantastic Stories of the Imagination, Cemetery Dance Online, and Tangent Online; and 4 stories appeared on the Tangent Online 2016 Recommended Reading List.

Like Volume 1, Volume 2 will be available in print and ebook formats. Kickstarter rewards include copies of the anthology, posters of the cover art, and more!

The Kickstarter campaign will remain live through August 18, 2017.

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Petit Guide de la science-fiction au Québec

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SF Canada member Jean-Louis Trudel’s latest book is a non-fiction guide to science fiction in Quebec, from 1838 to 2017.  Provided with an index, a short bibliography, and lists of award winners and notable dates, it may serve as an introductory textbook.  The Petit Guide de la science-fiction au Québec is published by Alire and will be available for ordering in August.  For more details, please see: http://www.alire.com/Essais/PetitGuide.html

Jean-Louis Trudel voit paraître cette année un essai sur la science-fiction au Québec, de 1838 à  2017.  L’ouvrage inclut un index, une bibliographie sommaire, une chronologie et des listes de textes primés.  Utilisable comme ouvrage de référence ou manuel de cours introductoire, le Petit Guide de la science-ficiton au Québec est publié par Alire et sera disponible au mois d’août.  Voir : http://www.alire.com/Essais/PetitGuide.html

From the website:

Bien que la science-fiction compte deux siècles d’existence et que ses concepts, traduits en images percutantes, s’épanouissent sur nos écrans depuis des décennies, peu de gens connaissent la véritable genèse de ce genre littéraire… et encore moins son évolution au Québec. C’est cette lacune que vient combler le Petit Guide de la science-fiction au Québec.

En sept chapitres abondamment illustrés, Jean-Louis Trudel retrace le chemin parcouru par la science-fiction au Québec depuis sa naissance au XIXe siècle.

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“Our Villains, Ourselves: On SF, Villainy, and… Margaret Atwood?”

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SF Canada Member Greg Bechtel’s semi-autobiographical essay on Margaret Atwood, Sad/Rabid Puppies, and villainy appears in Issue 5 of the grad student journal The Word Hoard. The essay examines SF writers’ sense of ourselves as noble “outsiders” to mainstream culture and literature, and how our aggrieved frustration with this perceived outsider-ness–while not entirely imaginary–may also reveal something about us as both SF writers and an SF community. In it, he argues that our choice of imaginary villains (and how we respond to them), may reveal more about us than we might like to admit, and that it may be productive–even necessary–to recognize the ways that even our “real world” villains are often largely imaginary.

You can download the .pdf of Greg’s essay at this link.

To download and read other articles or the entirety of this issue of The Word Hoard, visit the website here.

Greg is currently busy reviewing submissions for Tesseracts Twenty-One with co-editor Rhonda Parrish. You can find his website at http://gregbechtel.ca/.