October 15, 2008 Links and Plugs

Just when you're out of links...

• Ian McDonald on New Dreams for Old: "Those who argue that understand little about what SF, as a division of fantastic literature is about. Technological projection and future prediction is one of the least of its strengths; at it's best it's a visionary literature. It's all about our hopes and our fears."
• It's a steampunk SF in SF with photos and coverage by Matt Staggs.
• Congrats to those who made it to Talebones #38 (TOC at the link).
• There's a couple of interviews: Lavie Tidhar, Mary Turzillo, and Lawrence Watt-Evans.
• And for killing time, here's a PETA-cruel (the Datlow will kill me...) flash game: Don't Shoot the Puppy.

And here's some plugs:

A Whisper of Blood: A Collection of Modern Vampire Stories edited by Ellen Datlow

This got released last August but it's still value for money (this actually collects the anthologies Blood is Not Enough and A Whisper of Blood) and makes a great gift for either Halloween or Christmas (perhaps even Thanksgiving?).

Weird Tales #351 September/October 2008 Issue

I am obligated upon pain of death to plug the latest issue of Weird Tales because it features stories from two Filipino expats, Rochita Loenen-Ruiz and Chiles Samaniego. But seriously, enjoy its International Fiction spotlight with authors like Zoran Zivkovic.