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Science Fiction and Horror Updates

An alien with fangs and a large veined head.
Image Credit: PDClipart.org



I said last post that I would have an article about outdated science fiction here. I was working on it this afternoon but discovered that it was going to take a little more work than I had anticipated. So I decided to postpone it to next week. But I thought I would give you some updates on other things that are happening in science fiction and horror.

Preview of Coming Attractions


“Outdated” Sci Fi: I already mentioned my article on outdated science fiction. It will talk about how older sci fi that seems not to live up to today is really not outdated and why.

InterGalactic Expo [link]: If you’re in or near the Sacramento area, InterGalactic Expo is next weekend. This con is basically the reincarnation or, perhaps to use a better metaphor, the transformation of the past two years’ May the Forth Be With You event, only bigger and better. Why the change in name? Basically because this “Star Wars” con has occurred on May 4th which for the past two years has fallen on a weekend and the organizations putting it on want to keep it on a weekend. So a name like “May the Forth Be with You” would not work out too well since the fourth of May does not falls on a weekday this year.

Some interesting highlights of InterGalactic Expo are the following: panels on the anthropology behind Star Wars and Star Trek, by Western Nevada College instructor Daryl Frazetti; a panel on the science in science fiction; a table talk entitled “Hacking to Space!” by John Powell of JP Aerospace which sounds like it should be really big because the schedule says they may add more time slots for it if enough people show interest; a science fiction art show. 

Interview from Horror Addicts: Horror Addicts plans to interview me in light of my articles I contributed to their new book, Horror Addicts’ Guide to Life, which debuted only three weeks ago. I’ll let you know specifically when that’s coming up when I get more details.

Currently Reading


Short fiction from Strange Horizons: This speculative fiction online magazine has some great stuff. One short story I recently read is called “Moon for the Unborn” by Indrapramit Das, which combines paranormal fiction (the ghost story) and interplanetary science fiction plausibly and does really good with touching on the subject of future transgenderism.

Short story from vintage issues of Science fiction-Science Fact Analog: One I’m reading in particular is from a 1969 issue that I purchased at a used-book store a while back. The story is called “Extortion, Inc.” by Mack Reynolds. It takes a twist on the typical private eye character. But what I found interesting about this story is that it predicted today’s smart phones good. Only in this story they’re called “pocket phones”. That’s basically what they are today since nearly half the population (at least it seems like that much) carries them in their pockets.

I’ll leave you with that for now. I’ll have a little more on InterGalactic Expo in addition to my article on so-called outdated science fiction next week.


Until then . . . 

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