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Tales of Beedle the Bard; why fairy tales matter; Half-Blood Prince trailer; site business You can subscribe to the Hog’s Head PubCast through iTunes, or Odeo, and VOTE for The Hog’s Head for the month of August (NEW MONTH!) at Podcast Alley. Pub Menu   Pre-order The Tales of Beedle the Bard G.K. Chesterton: The Ethics of Elfland  (Chesterton at The Hog s Head Bookstore) Half-Blood Prince Trailer StarShipSofa SpinnersCast  

This week Tony starts a new aspect of the show - The Editorial. Following in the footsteps of some of the great SF magazine editorials from the likes of John W Campbell, Ben Bova and Kristine Kathryn Rusch, join Tony for his once a month editorial as he plots the Sofa's route for world globalisation.

This week join Tony on the good ship StarShipSofa as he plummets into L Sprague De Camp. It s not a pretty site. One of the founding fathers of not just SF but Fantasy, Historical, Fact and Biography this guy has done it all. He even wins a Hugo for a biography he wrote all about himself! Get ready. Blast Off.

The Crystal Spheres by David Brin It was just a lucky chance that I had been defrosted when I was-the very year that far probe 992573-aa4 reported back that it had found a good star with a shattered crystal sphere. I was one of only twelve deep-spacers alive-warm at the time, so naturally I got to take part in the adventure.

StarShipSofa now comes upon Octavia Butler. A shy writer who had to battle stage nerves and who once said, while accepting an award, she became a writer to avoid these kinds of moments. A true write of characters - her books are deep and meaningful. They are not full of ray guns and lasers but they are full of emotion, race, and love - something not normally associated with SF. Get ready. Blast Off.

StarShipSofa aims her sights at one of the very first true hard science fiction writers. Join Tony has he pushes the StarShipSofa deep into the mind and books of this great golden age SF writer, Hal Clement. Get Ready. Blast Off.

The Second Coming of Jasmine Fitzgerald by Peter Watts What s wrong with this picture? Not much at first glance. Blood pools in a pattern, entirely consistent with the victim

This week StarShipSofa crash lands, bang in the middle of the book, Flowers for Algernon. Join Tony as he takes you on a in depth ride through this great novel, written by US author Daniel Keyes. And... if that's not enough...Tony invites his good friend Fred Himebaugh onto the StarShipSofa for his point of view. Something tells Tony, Fred 's not as keen on the book as he is. You decide. Get ready, Blast Off.

StarShipSofa comes in for a chat with Ciaran and Tony... Find out what the two Sofanaughts got for Christmas and what SF books they are looking forward to reading in 2008. Blast Off

THROUGH THE SHAVING MIRROR by Michael Moorcock HAS ANYONE noticed, Monsignor Cornelius spoke urgently hoping to divert Sir Perkin Float, on his third bottle of claret, from developing that familiar litany about discovering Chaos Math years before Mandelbrot, thus being cheated of his place in history and his video royalties, how cats can turn off time? With a suitable lens, of course.

A week late but the Sofa had to build herself up to this mighty beast. If it's sex in SF you'll find it here. Join Ciaran and Tony as they take you back to the very early days, then travel with them through the ages as we learn all about the comings and goings of sex in SF. Get ready. Blast Off.

And so StarShipSofa dusts down her interviewing skills to bring you an interview with none other than Spider Robinson, a SF writer who with the publication of Variable Star has made Sf fiction what it should be - a bloody good read. Also at the end, the SOFA has 20mins of Spider narrating from Variavle Star. Join Tony and Spider as they chat on the SOFA. Get Ready Blast Off.

A SLOW SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE SURREALIST SPORTING CLUB by Michael Moorcock I HAPPENED TO be sitting in the snug of the Strangers Bar at the Surrealist Sporting Club on a rainy Saturday night, enjoying a well mixed Existential Fizz (2 pts Vortex Water to 1 pt Sweet Gin) and desperate to meet a diverting visitor, when Death slipped unostentatiously into the big chair opposite, warming his bones at the fire and remarking on the unseasonable weather. ______________________________________________________________________________

LOST SORCERESS OF THE SILENT CITADEL by Michael Moorcock _______________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Homage to Leigh Brackett They came on the Earthling naked, somewhere in the Shifting Desert when Mars s harsh sunlight beat through thinning atmosphere and the sand was raw glass cutting into bare feet. His skin hung like filthy rags from his bloody flesh. He was starved, filthy, making noises like an animal. He was raving -- empty of identity and will. What had the ghosts of those ancient Martians done to him? Narrated by Steve Eley Escape Pod

So this week, we turn the StarShipSofa towards Mr Jerry Pournelle, a fantastic SF writer, who in his own right has blazed the skies of the SF world. Join Ciaran and Tony as they discover all about Mr Pournelle. Get Ready. Blast Off.

Michael Moorcock's London Bone kicks off the first of our StarShipSofa Presents. This is the first of five stories by Michael Moorcock. A man in some area's called the Cartographer of the Multiverse. StarShipSofa calls him a damn fine fellow. LONDON BONE by Michael Moorcock ______________________________________________________________________________ For Ronnie Scott l. MY NAME IS Raymond Gold and I m a well-known dealer. I was born too many years ago in Upper Street, Islington. Everybody reckons me in the London markets and I have a good reputation in Manchester and the provinces. I have bought and sold, been the middleman, an agent, an art representative, a professional mentor, a tour guide, a spiritual bridge-builder. These days I call myself a cultural speculator. Narrated by MCL at MCL Studios, Milton Keynes

StarShipSofa touches down on Larry Niven, creator of Ringworld and many more fine tales. Join the two SF Sofanaughts as they travel across Larry Niven's Knowns Space in search of wonder and glory. Niven is one of the ture living greats. Get ready for the science fiction show of your life. Blast Off.

StarShipSofa landed in France and this is what happen to its Sofanaughts! The night before and a couple of drinks to calm the nerves. Ciaran's miniature cider bottles! Ciaran in deep conversation... any guesses what about.... yep, Moorcock. It's 01:00 and Tony is Moorcocked out. The day of the shoot and the Boy Wonder is pumped and ready to go. The man himself - Mr Moorcock. And........ Action! Michael Moorcock explaining why he ate Tony's lunch. Errr.... Tony wanting to try France and all her delights. Hmmmmmmm! Again, hmmmmmmm! The full crew shot. Kenny Park in deep thought....... like what the hell have I got myself into? Alex Macro, sound man, photograph, interpreter, and part time Greek God! Tony gets his Coke in a flower vase... nice. Glass in hot chocolate... not nice... don't upset the Boy Wonder. 03:00am and Tony's peaked... just wants his bed.

Science fiction Sofanaughts, Tony and Ciaran finish off their part 2 homage to Walter M Miller Jr. In this fine and dandy show, find out how it all ended for Miller and the tale of how his unfinished book came into being. And, more than anything is Walter M Miller a one-trick-pony? A grand SF show if ever. Get ready. Blast Off.

Amazon.com Widgets Welcome to our special on the man who only wrote one novel in his lifetime, but what a book! The StarShipSofa is so very proud to give you Part 1 of the Walter M Miller story. Get ready. Blast off.

We come to our second science fiction special on Dan Dare and Ciaran is in heaven, Tony is learning fast. Follow the Sofanaught duo into Dan Dare Part 2. Blast Off.

A SF trip down memory lane for this 2 part show. Ciaran and his love for this comic hero clearly shows...Tony, having no idea who Frank Hampson and Dan Dare were, is learning fast! Join this duo on a round trip covering the life and times of Dan Dare. Get ready. Blast Off.

Well it's about time the StarShipSofa came upon the UK SF magazine, Interzone. It is with great pleasure and fond memories that we hit this fantastic short story magazine. Blast Off. Check blog for army address to send books.

StarShipSofa looks towards C M Kornbluth this week in her SF podcast. Kornbluth was a writer who in his very short live life turned out so many fantastic science fiction short stories and together with Frederick Pohl gave us the classic Space Merchants. Kornbluth was the youngest of the New York based science fiction writing group, The Futurians. He died young and this will always remain a great lost to the SF world. He was on route for an interview with the F

The science fiction podcast that we know and love, the good ship StarShipSofa, heads over to Mrs. Joan D Vinge this week. Once married to last week s author, Vernor Vinge, Joan D Vinge blazed across the skies with her novels, Cat's Paw, Snow Queen, and Summer Queen. In her own words, she once described herself as the token female writer for Analog. This writer is no token writer - winning award after award Joan D Vinge is up there with the greats and back on track with a new novel, Ladysmith.

Blasting off this week into a 2 part science fiction special, the StarShipSofa is proud to give you, the hottest property in SF literature at the moment. A man riding the wave of the Sci Fi Singularity. A man who owns the keys to that big ideas factory in the sky. Ladies and Gentleman, boy and girls, cats and dogs - we give you, Vernor Vinge. Blast Off. Essay by Vernor Vinge on The Singularity Vernor Steffen Vinge is a retired San Diego State University Professor of Mathematics, computer scientist, and science fiction author. He is best known for his Hugo Award-winning novels A Fire Upon the Deep (1992), A Deepness in the Sky (1999) and Rainbows End (2006), his Hugo Award-winning novellas Fast Times at Fairmont High (2002) and The Cookie Monster (2004), as well as for his 1993 essay The Coming Technological Singularity , in which he argues that exponential growth in technology will reach a point beyond which we cannot even speculate about the consequences.

Clifford Donald Simak (August 3, 1904 - April 25, 1988) was a leading American science fiction writer. He won three Hugo awards and one Nebula award, as well as being named the third Grand Master by the SFWA in 1977. Clifford Donald Simak was born in Millville, Wisconsin, son of John Lewis and Margaret (Wiseman) Simak. He married Agnes Kuchenberg on April 13, 1929 and they had two children, Scott and Shelley. Simak attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and later worked at various newspapers in the Midwest. He began a lifelong association with the Minneapolis Star and Tribune (Minneapolis, Minnesota) in 1939, which continued until his retirement in 1976. He became Minneapolis Star 's news editor in 1949 and coordinator of Minneapolis Tribune's Science Reading Series in 1961. He died in Minneapolis. Science Fiction is a better world because for Clifford D Simak. A SF writer who may not have been as big as Heinlein or as poetic as Bradbury but combine all of those two writers and you have writer that helped strengthen the backbone of the science fiction scene, right from the 30' until his death in 1988. He was still producing work well into his late 80's. Awards... Hugo Best Novelette winner (1959): The Big Front Yard Hugo Best Novel nominee (1962): Time Is the Simplest Thing Hugo Best Novel winner (1964): Way Station Nebula Best Short story nominee (1966): Over the River and Through the Trees Nebula Best Novel nominee (1966): All Flesh Is Grass Hugo Best Novel nominee (1969): The Goblin Reservation Hugo Best Novella nominee (1971): The Thing in the Stone Nebula Best Novella nominee (1971): The Thing in the Stone Hugo Best Short story nominee (1972): The Autumn Land Hugo Best Novel nominee (1973): A Choice of Gods Hugo Best Short story winner (1981): Grotto of the Dancing Deer Nebula Best Short story winner (1981): Grotto of the Dancing Deer Hugo Best Novel nominee (1982): Project Pope And we have a short story on the back of this show, entitled SOFAGOD by Fred Himebaugh Get ready... Blast Off with StarShipSofa

The StarShipSofa updates you on the winner of the 2007 Hugo award for best novel. Find out if either Tony or Ciaran know anything about SF.

Blasting off this week, the StarShipSofa hits science fiction and fantasy writer, Andre Norton. A winner of so many awards and a writer of so many novels - it s just not funny.She published her first novel in 1934 and in her lifetime wrote more that 130 novels. Get ready Blast Off Voodoo Planet mp3 Gary Hicks - Terra Incognita

StarShipSofa hits the big award of 2007 - yes it the HUGO. So, in it to win it this year are: Best Novel Eifelheim Michael Flynn (Tor) His Majesty's Dragon Naomi Novik (Del Rey) Glasshouse Charles Stross (Ace) Rainbows End Vernor Vinge (Tor) Blindsight Peter Watts (Tor) Just who are Tony and Ciaran picking as their winner for the 2007 Hugo award for Best Novel? Actually, can they come up with the winner... or is their SF life one big sham? Join the Sofanaughts for a trip into this years Hugo awards. Blast Off.