Wazzup in SF

Exciting news from the wide world(s) of SF ...

The Museum of Science Fiction recently staged a successful Escape Velocity event, featuring folks from NASA, academia, Hollywood, and -- not exclusive of the foregoing -- many fans. Check out "Scenes from Escape Velocity 2016."

A few evenings ago, I rewatched the James Cameron flick Aliens (1986). Great movie! I also loved the original, Ridley Scott franchise starter: Alien (1979). As it happens, Aliens just had its 30th anniversary, a milestone widely covered in the entertainment media. My favorite article on the subject is " 'Aliens' turns 30: Why It's the Best Sci-Fi Sequel Ever."

IMO, the subsequent sequels, Aliens 3 (David Fincher, 1992) and Alien: Resurrection (Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 1997), weren't nearly as good as Aliens. I'm looking forward -- amid experience-born trepidation -- to the 2017 release of Alien: Covenant. Ridley Scott is in the director's chair again.

A growing part of the science-fiction scene is in gaming. This makes the latest news out of SFWA (Science-fiction and Fantasy Writers of America) most appropriate: "SFWA to Admit Game Writers Starting August 1st, 2016."

I was delighted last year to find my latest novel was in the running for the inaugural Canopus Award, for "... the finest fiction and non-fiction works that expand our understanding of the challenges, opportunities, pitfalls and rewards of interstellar space exploration." I was more delighted of course, when InterstellarNet: Enigma took home an inaugural Canopus Award (see "Whoa! Tachyons!").

Of course, an award being inaugural implies follow-ons -- and now there will be. The 100YSS (Hundred Year Starship) organization recently announced the start of a new award cycle. See "2016 Canopus Awards" and its linked resources for details on what's eligible (among both original and previously published works) and the nomination process. Note that the deadline for nominations is August 30, 2016.

And for today, at least, that's all the SF news that's fit to keyboard ...