SF² Concatenation

Calling authors who adapt films/TV to novels

This is a bit unusual for us but we have an appeal and -- should you know writers who adapt TV programmes and film to books -- ask you kindly alert such writers to the Disney must pay campaign.  Disney, reportedly, has broken/terminated author contracts despite continuing to sell their works.  Disney covers many franchises, including: LucasFilm (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, etc.);  20th Century Fox (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Alien, etc.);  and Marvel WorldWide (SpiderMan, Predator, etc.).  The Science Fiction Writers of America asks that writers affected complete this form. They can then campaign on behalf of a bigger collective or writers and also ensure that no writers are left behind.  Thank you for your attention.  This seems a rather good cause.

If you're a fan, use the hashtag #DisneyMustPay  Check out what is going on (and here is a good place to start www.writersmustbepaid.org).  Blog about it. Write about this issue. The Task Force asks that you not boycott, as this would disproportionately affect creators who are being paid. But getting the word out, shining a light on the issue, is hugely important. Public pressure works: Disney is taking notice, as the resolutions reached by the author Alan Dean Foster and others show.

Current state

Our news and reviews editor's digital lockdown has largely ended with, still limited but now regular, internet access assured. Much thanks to team members who had been sending in contributions on USB memory sticks, and friends paper copies of fanzines, during the CoVID-19 lockdown year.

Thanks also to all regular site visitors that have stuck with us.

Meanwhile, there has been much SF news. More below...

New up...

New up we have another in our 'Best of Nature "Futures" short stories' before a final one in the run up to the Christmas/New Year festivities. Enjoy.

For details of / links to the new content, scroll down to beneath 'Most recently added' below.

Forthcoming

Up mid-January 2022 our spring* season edition with its full news page. There will also be an article on the Trigan Empire, one on a major space mission due in 2022, and an updated convention and film diary (if you are running a national-level convention then do let us know). Plus there will be a tranche of stand-alone book reviews. Something for everyone.
* 'Spring' season here being the northern hemisphere, academic year spring.

Christmas is coming so if you are seeking to buy new books as a present (or for yourself) then you could check out our SF books and fantasy books listings. These are from the major UK genre imprints and all are available in N. America through specialist bookshops or can be ordered online.

And a reminder, for the few of you who can't wait, that we provide some early access to new content as well as notifications of seasonal posting through Twitter @SF2Concat.

                ☺

Most recently added

v31(5) 2021.11.15 -- A new story from the Nature Futures series

• Press Play (1-page PDF short story) - Marissa Lingen
  War was coming, but we could protect our children by putting them in stasis. But there is a cost...
• The index to all of the Concatenation selection of Nature 'Futures' stories.
• The guidelines for prospective 'Futures' SF short stories authors.

v31(4) 2021.9.15 -- New Columns & Articles for the Autumn2021

• Newscast for the Autumn 2021. This includes within it many key sections. See also the master newscast link index that connects to all its SF/F genre and science news sub-sections.
   
• Getting Published -- From MS to print – Sue Burke
• My Top Ten Scientists – Ken MacLeod (zoologist & SF author)
• Fictionalising Science and CoVID -- Will politicians be held to account? – Jonathan Cowie
• The Solar System’s First Interstellar Visitor ’Oumuamua Revisited – Duncan Lunan
• Universes all the way down (1-page PDF short story) - Matt Tighe
  The aliens are more advanced and occasionally like to give a helping hand with things like, say, understanding the nature of the universe...
• Ten years ago. One from the archives: How long? -- Should there be really thick SF novels? – Peter Tyers
  (Autumnal edition's Twitter alert and Facebook notification.)

v31(4) 2021.9.15 -- Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Reviews

• What Abigail Did That Summer - Ben Aaronovitch
• Doctor Who: At Childhood's End - Sophie Aldred
• Doctor Who: At Childhood's End (2nd review) - Sophie Aldred
• Clay's Ark - Octavia Butler
• Mind of My Mind - Octavia Butler
• Patternmaster - Octavia Butler
• The Searching Dead - Ramsey Campbell
• Maker's Curse - Trudi Canavan
• Day Zero - C. Robert Cargill
• Whisper Down the Lane - Clay McLeod Chapman
• The Stitcher and the Mute - D. K. Fields
• American Gods - Neil Gaiman
• Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman
• Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman
• Stardust - Neil Gaiman
• The Sunken Land Begins to Rise Again - M. John Harrison
• The City We Became - N. K. Jemisin
• The Space Between Worlds - Micaiah Johnson
• Dare to Know - James Kennedy
• All Good Things: The Last SFX Visions - David Langford
• The Wandering Earth - Christopher Bec & Stefano Raffaele
• A Desolation Called Peace - Arkady Martine
• Radio Life - Derek B. Miller
• Notes from the Burning Age - Claire North
• Lycanthropy and other Chronic Illnesses - Kirsten O’Neal
• We Are Satellites - Sarah Pinsker
• The 2084 Report - James Laurence Powell
• Purgatory Mount - Adam Roberts
• Doctor Who: Dalek - Robert Shearman
• The Dying Squad - Adam Simcox
• The Lamplighters - Emma Stonex
• Shards of Earth - Adrian Tchaikovsky
• The Doors of Eden - Adrian Tchaikovsky
• The Best of World SF - Volume 1 - Lavie Tidhar (editor)
• Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir
• The Ion Raider - Ian Whates
• The End of October - Lawrence Wright

v31(4) 2021.9.15 -- Non-Fiction SF & Science Fact Book Reviews

• On the Fringe: Where science meets pseudoscience - Michael D. Gordin
• The Ministry of Truth: A biography of George Orwell's 1984 - Dorian Lynskey
• How Norwich Fought Against The Plague - Frank Meeres

v31(3) 2021.7.15 -- A new story from the Nature Futures series

• The Game (1-page PDF short story) - Michael Adam Robson
  Being chased by the robots is a bit of a pain considering they were not exactly rebelling...
• The index to all of the Concatenation selection of Nature 'Futures' stories.
• The guidelines for prospective 'Futures' SF short stories authors.

v31(2) 2021.4.15 -- New Columns & Articles for the Summer 2021

• Newscast for the Summer 2021. This includes within it many key sections. See also the master newscast link index that connects to all its SF/F genre and science news sub-sections.
   
• My Top Ten Scientists – Alastair Reynolds (astrophysicist & SF author)
• Moonrock 2021: a review prior to China's sample return mission – Duncan Lunan
• CoNZealand – The 2020 SF Worldcon – Simon Litten
• 2020/21 (12 months to Easter) SF Film Top Ten Chart Deferred!
  (All archived annual film charts are indexed here)
• Gaia 2021 - Annual whimsical SF and/or science snippets and exotica
• Ten years ago. One from the archives: Top 10 (and worst 10) Horror Films of the 20th Century – Tony Chester

Full 'What's New' list