News Archive: April 2005

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy arrives at the Science Museum
28/04/2005. An exhibition of the new feature film 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' will open at the British Science Museum on 28th May 2005.

Connie Willis moves forward
28/04/2005. Author Willis interviewed in the April 2005 episode of Fast Foreward.

Visiting Genetopia
28/04/2005. A US release for this science fiction novel from the erstwhile editor of Infinity Plus.

A Mobile Utopia
28/04/2005. George zebrowsk's novel explores the meaning of space habitats for human history.

In Roosevelt's shadow
28/04/2005. Author Mike Resnick dips his toe into military science fiction for the adventures of the starship Theodore Roosevelt.

Explosions in Space May Have Initiated Ancient Extinction on Earth
27/04/2005. Scientists at NASA and the University of Kansas say that a mass extinction on Earth hundreds of millions of years ago could have been triggered by a star explosion called a gamma-ray burst. The scientists do not have direct evidence that such a burst activated the ancient extinction. The strength of their work is their atmospheric modeling - essentially a "what if" scenario.

The Jellyman commeth
27/04/2005. Jasper Fforde, author of the Thursday Next series, stretches his imagination in The Big Over Easy, available July 25th, 2005.

Golden Gryphon strikes Golden?
27/04/2005. Golden Gryphon Press recently acquired the trade paperback rights to the Lucius Shepard novel, The Golden.

Dungeons and Dragons arrives in China
27/04/2005. Shanda Interactive Entertainment, an operator of online games in China, has announced that it will be signing a deal to bring Dungeons & Dragons Online to China.

The Affinity Trap
25/04/2005. Martin Sketchley's first science fiction novel set for a Winter US release.

Constantine and Moorcock play tag team
24/04/2005. Authors Storm Constantine and Michael Moorcock join up for new fantasy novel, Stormheart.

New graphic novels for April 2005
24/04/2005. Four new science fiction and fantasy titles from the 2000AD team, including the oddly titled Lobster Random. Now that is random!

The New Masters of Fantasy 2005
23/04/2005. Epilogue will once again unveil their new edition of the "The New Masters of Fantasy" collection at DragonCon 2005.

AntipodeanSF Issue 83 published
23/04/2005. Another issue featuring the flash SF fiction from the antipodes and the podes.

Saving Trek through a PodCast
23/04/2005. In the latest Slice of Sci-Fi, the official podcast of TrekUnited and SaveEnterprise, show hosts Evo Terra and Michael R Mennenga provide listeners with the newest on TrekUnited and the science fiction world with two guest - Tim Brazeal, campaign leader of TrekUnited, and Chase Masterson.

PS goes a-Wandering
22/04/2005. PS Publishing has taken the delivery of The Wandering Soul, Jane Frank's volume of William Hope Hodgson material which they co-published with Tartarus Press.

The Pocket and the Pendant for your iPod
22/04/2005. Author Mark Jeffrey, together with SFF website DragonPage.com, has made Mark's novel, The Pocket and the Pendant into a PodCast.

Red Jacket sees Santa
21/04/2005. Red Jacket Press announces a new facsimile reproductions of a vintage SF and Fantasy novel: the 1948 Arkham House edition of "Roads" by Seabury Quinn, featuring illustrations by fantasy artist Virgil Finlay.

Indie genre films get their own mag
21/04/2005. Online Entertainment Magazine is a new print publication devoted to fan films, covering independent efforts as other magazines would cover major releases from Hollywood.

David Tennant confirmed as the tenth Doctor Who
21/04/2005. David Tennant is confirmed as the tenth Doctor Who, it was announced today by Jane Tranter, BBC Controller of Drama Commissioning, following the recommissioning of the second series.

Live! From Planet Earth
20/04/2005. Two new titles are now shipping from Golden Gryphon Press.

Rebellion and DC part ways
19/04/2005. Sadly, due to factors outside Rebellion's control, the DC line of 2000 AD graphic novels is no more.

Betsy goes hitchhiking
19/04/2005. There's no sense in trying to paraphrase the Hitchhiker Guide to the Galaxy series, says Del Rey editor Betsy Mitchell. It's much more fun to experience it straight from the beginning.

Del Rey forward feature list
18/04/2005. Upcoming SFF novels from Del Rey up to August 2005.

Del Rey buys into Stevenson
17/04/2005. Del Rey Editor-in-Chief Betsy Mitchell bought two original mass markets by Jennifer Stevenson, the author of trash sex magic.

Pressfield thinks Gemmell rocks
17/04/2005. Fantasy author Steven Pressfield is full or praise for UK writer David Gemmell's latest novel.

Premiere says its a science fiction Summer
17/04/2005. Premiere magazine tips the US box-office to be chock full of SFF movies.

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy The Tertiary Phase
15/04/2005. Don't Panic! Six new dramatized Hitchhiker's Guide to Galaxy radio shows on CD are available.

The pods are coming
15/04/2005. No, not aliens under the beds, but science fiction PodCasts.

Mervius to retire
15/04/2005. The Owner-Editor of FantasticaDaily.com becomes the latest of the old time science fiction web pioneers to retire. All is blooming gloom, gloom and more gloom.

Beam me to Mars
15/04/2005. It takes conventional rockets about six months just to get to Mars. Total roundtrip times can be as long as three years, because an extended stay on the Red Planet is required while the Earth and Mars progress in their orbits enough to be closely aligned again for the return trip. However, future astronauts may race to Mars up to six times faster by riding a beam of electrified and magnetized gas (plasma).

Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle recipients of 2005 Heinlein Award
14/04/2005. The Heinlein Society has announced that its panel of judges for the Robert A. Heinlein Award for outstanding published work in hard science fiction or technical writings inspiring the human exploration of space has chosen Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle to be the 2005 recipients.

Ilona on a promise
14/04/2005. Ilona Hegedus' sci-fi poem, 'Promise' hits the streets.

Money for old Jedi
13/04/2005. Millions spent on Star Wars memorabilia, but is it really 'collectible?' expert says: 'buyer beware!'

World's first Podcast-only novel is a SF tale
13/04/2005. Fiction author Scott Sigler recently released EarthCore as the first podcast-only novel. Sigler will release an hour of audio each week, creating a format similar to weekly television suspense shows with continuing storylines, such as 24 and Battlestar Galactica.

When Worlds Collide
13/04/2005. Old classic science fiction film to be remade.

Interaction Mails Progress Report no. 4
12/04/2005. Interaction, the 2005 Worldcon, released its fourth and final full Progress Report (PR4) on 6 April 2005.

End of the world at Telos
12/04/2005. Here comes The End of the World? The Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to Survivors from Telos Publishing.

Stoker Awards 2005
12/04/2005. Bram Stoker Awards final ballot for works published in 2004 are announced.

New Batman Begins trailers
12/04/2005. The dark knight's latest film excursion gets even darker.

Two Star Wars TV series planned
12/04/2005. George Lucas isn't planning to let the Star Wars legacy die with Revenge of the Sith after all. Let the money machine roll!

Would you like code with your sci-fi?
11/04/2005. Penguicon, the open source software and science fiction convention? No blooming way! Is this an event concept too far?

Science fiction goes academic
10/04/2005. The first subject portal for science fiction scholars is launched by The University of Liverpool Library.

European Space Agency Director to deliver keynote lecture in Interaction science programme
10/04/2005. Professor David Southwood to participate in Interaction science programme. The Science Director of ESA since 2001, he will deliver the keynote address.

Wiliam King trilogy sells to Piper Verlag in major German rights deal
10/04/2005. John Jarrold has sold German rights to a fantasy trilogy by Scottish author William King to editor Carsten Polzin, of Piper Verlag, a major German publisher, for a strong five-figure sum in Euros.

Distant super-starburst galaxies hide active black holes
10/04/2005. A team of European scientists has used Virtual Observatories to compare observations of distant starburst galaxies made at radio and X-ray wavelengths. This is the first study to combine the highest resolution and sensitivity radio and X-ray images which penetrate the dust hiding the centres of some of these distant galaxies.

'Earths' galore await discovery
10/04/2005. How many planets like the Earth are there among the 130 or so known planetary systems beyond our own? How many of these Earths could be habitable?

April 2005 issue of scifidimensions is online
10/04/2005. The line-up for the latest issue plus SESFA Award news and their latest short fiction contest.

New Revenge of the Sith trailer
10/04/2005. Some more new Star Wars trailers as Episode III draws closer to its theatrical debut.

Dragon*Con 2005
09/04/2005. Latest Dragon*Con 2005 art show status report.

Oasis 18
09/04/2005. The second progress report from the Orlando Area Science Fiction Society's annual event.

New Sin City trailer
09/04/2005. Frank Miller's noir master-piece comes to the big screen.

Luther Arkwright in Audio
09/04/2005. The three-CD audio set of 'The Adventures of Luther Arkwright' has been released by Big Finish, along with some new UNIT and Sapphire and Steel action.

Emerald City Issue 115 Out Now
08/04/2005. The latest issue of the big green 'un hits the virtual streets.

Doctor Who Spoofed Up
08/04/2005. More Doctor Who theme nights are planned, but it's Tachyon TV doing the reporting!

Watchmen movie in trouble?
05/04/2005. Is the Watchmen film in danger of sinking under its own weight?

Doctor Who - new series confirmed
05/04/2005. But Christopher Eccleston is not going to be the Doctor any more.

British Science Fiction Association awards 2005
05/04/2005. The results of the 2004 British Science Fiction Association awards were announced on 26th March 2005. The awards were presented during Paragon2, the British national science fiction convention (aka Eastercon), at the Hinckley Island Hotel in Leicestershire.

Curse of the Were-Rabbit
05/04/2005. The new Wallace and Gromit trailer is online.

Stars align at the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame
05/04/2005. Steven Spielberg, Philip K. Dick, Chesley Bonestell and Ray Harryhausen represent SFM's first Hall of Fame class.

2005 Hugo shortlist announced
05/04/2005. Voting for the Hugo Awards is open to all adult attending and supporting members of Interaction, the 63rd World Science Fiction Convention, which takes place in Glasgow from 4th to 8th August 2005.

Hickman and Youll sign up
05/04/2005. Professional science fiction and fantasy artists Stephen Hickman and Stephen Youll have joined the panel of artists to select winners of the L. Ron Hubbard Illustrators of the Future Contest, now in its 17th year.

War of the Worlds release date pushed back
05/04/2005. The Principals of Pendragon Pictures announce the push back of the theatrical release date of H.G. WELLS' THE WAR OF THE WORLDS from March 30th, 2005 to late April with the exact date yet to be announced.

Whedon finds Serenity
02/04/2005. The trailer for the new science fiction movie version of the TV series of Serenity hits the virtual streets.

Hello Earthling
01/04/2005. Two new titles were announced at the World Horror Convention this past weekend by Earthling Publications.