Adventures in Scifi Publishing has an interview with Timothy Zahn. They also have a feature on Lone Star Stories. |MP3|
Or subscribe to AiSFP podcast via the feed:
http://scifipublishing.libsyn.com/rss
Posted by Charles Tan
Month: March 2008
CBC Radio’s Quirks & Quarks talks The Physics Of The Impossible
Star Trek‘s phasers, Star Wars‘s lightsabers, and ships that can travel faster than the speed of light… pure SF? Bob MacDonald, host of CBC Radio’s Quirks & Quarks, talks to Dr. Kaku about his book, Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration into the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel. Drawing from science fiction for his inspiration, and his training as a theoretical physicist for his analysis, Dr. Kaku tries to figure out what, if anything, is actually impossible. Have a listen |MP3|
Or get the segment via the Q&Q podcast’s segmented feed:
http://www.cbc.ca/podcasting/includes/quirks.xml
Posted by Jesse Willis
BBC 7: H.G. Wells, Brian Aldiss, Hergé’s Tintin and a promise of Arthur C. Clarke tales to come)
By the sheer volume of H.G. Wells stories airing this coming week on BBC Radio 7 you’d might think it was H.G. Wells who had just died, and not Arthur C. Clarke! But no, BBC7 is planning on playing some Clarke for they announced the following: “As a tribute to Arthur C. Clarke we will be repeating these programmes [four readings commisioned and broadcast in 2007] in the near future.” Good on them! Until then…
In typical Wellsian fashion (time travel used to be fantasy until Wells got his mitts on it) this 1901 tale transforms a Fantasy concept (the existence of past lives) into a SF theme, casting a future life (as of a dream), that is both vivid and recognizable – written before both of the World Wars it depicts a world in which tanks, airplanes and something that sound like a nuclear weapon exists…
A Dream Of Armageddon
By H.G. Wells; Read by Robert Bathurst
2 Parts – Approx. 2 Hours [ABRIDGED?]
Broadcaster: BBC7 / The 7th Dimension
Broadcast: Monday and Tuesday at 6.30pm and midnight
A tale of an advanced civilisation descending into mindless war was an uncannily close prediction of the horrors of WW2 when it was written in 1901.
This one, sounding more like Lovecraft than it has any right to, should be a treat for sailor and land lubber alike…
The Sea Raiders
By H.G. Wells; Read by Robert Bathurst
1 Broadcast – Approx. 30 Minutes [ABRIDGED?]
Broadcaster: BBC7 / The 7th Dimension
Broadcast: Wednesday at 6.30pm and 12.30am
Another classic tale of high adventure by sci-fi master H. G. Wells. Strange monsters from the deep start terrorising the horrified residents of Devon’s coastline.
Yep, you’ll find Wells was responsible for most of the well worn tropes of SF – this next one is described as the inspiration for the Star Trek (original series) episode “Wink of an Eye”…
The New Accelerator
By H.G. Wells; Read by Robert Bathurst
1 Broadcast – Approx. 30 Minutes [ABRIDGED?]
Broadcaster: BBC7 / The 7th Dimension
Broadcast: Thursday at 6.30pm and 12.30am
A friend of H.G. Wells is on the verge of making a scientific breakthrough which promises to revolutionise human life – so the two friends decide to road-test the new drug – with exciting but dangerous consequences.
And a Brian Aldiss tale, first broadcast back in May 2007…
Song Of The Silencer
By Brian Aldiss; Read by Nigel Anthony
1 Broadcast – Approx. 30 Minutes [ABRIDGED?]
Broadcaster: BBC7 / The 7th Dimension
Broadcast: Friday at 6.30pm and 12.30am
To establish universal peace, scientists have constructed a massive computer designed to mimic human thought and act as a guide to world decision making. But will flicking the switch signal the end of the human race?
First broadcast on BBC Radio 5 in 1993, here’s a treat of an audio drama…
The Adventures of Tintin
Based on the Hergé comic book series; Performed by a full cast
6 Broadcasts – 3 Hours [RADIO DRAMA]
Broadcaster: BBC7
Broadcast: Monday to Monday at 9am, 8pm and 1am
Famous boy reporter Tintin has been covering the return of the Sanders-Hardiman expedition from Peru. When all the participants fall mysteriously ill, Tintin is compelled to investigate.
All of the above will be available on the “listen again” page the day after they air.
Posted by Jesse Willis
StarShipSofa wants you to pick the BSFA Best Short Story of 2007 winner
StarShipSofa now puts her money on the line and tries to pick the winner of the BSFA Best Short Story 2007.
Join Tony and guest listener Fred as they blast off into the unknown and try and name the winner. Someone help them – please!
If you missed any of the other posts, here are all stories and links to mp3’s:
- Lighting Out‘ – Ken MacLeod (disLocations)
- ‘Terminal‘ – Chaz Brenchley (disLocations)
- ‘The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate‘ – Ted Chiang (F&SF, September)
- ‘The Gift of Joy‘ – Ian Whates (TQR)
- ‘The Sledge-Maker’s Daughter‘ – Alastair Reynolds (Interzone #209)
Pop over to the StarShipSofa forums and cast your vote. You can subscribe free via iTunes or direct from the StarShipSofa website.
Subscribe to the podcast via this feed:www.starshipsofa.com/rss
Posted by Tony C. Smith
Prisoners of Gravity on Robots and Artificial Intelligence
Here’s another episode of Prisoners Of Gravity uploaded to YouTube (and audio’d by SFFaudio). The three videos below make up the bulk of one episode from the 2nd season of PoG. The episode is titled “Robots & Artificial Intelligence“. In the show, Commander Rick and guests talk to and about, Douglas Adams, Gregory Benford, Karel Čapek, Isaac Asimov, Nancy Kress, George Zabrowski, Stanislaw Lem, Robocop, Frank Miller, Robert J. Sawyer, Donald Kingsbury, Brian Fawcett, Pamela Sargent, Lewis Shiner, Roger Penrose, Judith Reeves-Stevens, Garfield Reeves-Stevens, Star Trek and Judith Merril and William Gibson, John Varley. This is a terrifc survey of the cross’d subjects of robots and AI. Check it out…
Prisoners Of Gravity – “Robots & Artificial Intelligence”
1 |MP3| – 25 Minutes [AUDIO FROM VIDEO]
Broadcaster: TV Ontario
Broadcast: Thursday, January 24th, 1991
“This week’s topic is Robots… unfortunately, NanCy, Commander Rick’s computer, changes the topic on him to Artificial Intelligence; Commander Rick manages to discuss a little of both with his guests. Including clips from Hardware and Robocop 2.”
Part 1 of 3:
Part 2 of 3:
Part 3 of 3:
Posted by Jesse Willis
KAMN talk about Fred Saberhagen’s The Broken Lands
KAMN (aka The Kick-Ass Mystic Ninjas) are back, and in show #36 they tackle The Broken Lands by Fred Saberhagen, which is the first book in his “Empire Of The East” trilogy. To take down that monster the Ninjas have added a newcomer to their ranks, Jen Crawford. Jen joins David and Brian in a raucous chat about this 1968 Epic Fantasy which is set in a…
“…distant future, society has crumbled. Dark forces now rule the land, keeping all humans under their oppressive thumbs.In the darkness of the shadows and whispered on the winds, there is talk of a rebellion. In the swamps, a small band has formed. Determined to regain their freedom, the rebellion, heavily outnumbered, plans to overthrow an army of thousands . . . with the help of one incredible weapon.”
Have a listen |MP3| direct, or subscribe to the show, and never miss a match:
http://www.kickassmysticninjas.com/shows/feed/
Posted by Jesse Willis