Free Science Fiction & Fantasy

L. Frank Baum: The Tin Woodman of Oz (Book 12)

2006-10-14T12:03:00.000-07:00

Title: The Tin Woodman of Oz
Author: L. Frank Baum
Publication Date: 1918

The Tin Woodman, Nick Chopper, is unexpectedly reunited with his Munchkin sweetheart Nimmie Amee from the days when he was flesh and blood. Along the way, Nick discovers a fellow tin man, Captain Fyter, as well as a Frankenstein-like creature made from their combined parts. (Wikipedia entry, showing the original cover)

Link: The Tin Woodman of Oz

Technorati Tags: speculative fiction, book, fantasy, novel, Baum, Oz

Nature's Futures

2006-10-13T13:39:00.000-07:00

Publication Date: 2005 - 2006
Synopsis: A series of one page science fiction stories published in the scientific journal Nature on the topic of "Futures" and reprinted by Science Fact & Fiction Concatenation. (story index).

Read the current stories:
Ted Chiang: What's Expected of Us (pdf)
Henry Gee: Are We Not Men (pdf)
Ellen Klages: Ringing Up Baby (pdf)
Robert A. Metzger: Perchance to Dream (pdf)
Charles Stross: MAXO Signals (pdf)

Technorati Tags: science fiction, futures, Nature, ShortStory

L. Frank Baum: The Lost Princess of Oz (Book 11)

2006-10-12T21:01:00.000-07:00

Title: Tik-Tok of Oz
Author: L. Frank Baum
Publication Date: 1917

Concerning the disappearance of Princess Ozma, the ruler of Oz. When she is discovered missing, four search parties are sent out, one for each of Oz's four countries. Most of the book covers Dorothy and the Wizard's efforts to find her. Meanwhile, Cayke the Cookie Cook discovers that her magic dishpan (on which she bakes her famous cookies) has been stolen. Along with the Frogman, they leave their mountain in the Winkie Country to find the pan. (Wikipedia entry, showing the original cover)

Read the Book: The Lost Princess of Oz

Technorati Tags: speculative fiction, book, fantasy, novel, Baum, Oz

Daikaijuzine

2006-10-11T21:43:00.000-07:00

New speculative fiction e-zine Daikaijuzine released its first issue September 21st (DAIKAIJUZINE Release 1.0 (Godzilla)).

From the editor Richard Crawford:

My goal with Daikaijuzine, then, was to create a single place where readers could find top quality speculative fiction. I didn't want to limit it to science fiction or to fantasy; I wanted writers to feel like they could contribute anything, and I wanted readers to feel like they could find high quality fiction, poetry, and essays all in one place, regardless of genre. And while the focus is definitely on speculative fiction, I think there's definitely room for mainstream fiction as well.

It definitely looks promising.

Technorati Tags: speculative fiction, science fiction, fantasy, short+story, poetry, horror

Ted Chiang: Seventy-two Letters

2006-10-11T13:37:00.000-07:00

Title: 72 Letters
Author: Ted Chiang
Original Publication Date: 2000

From a review in Fantasy and Science Fiction:

As he did in his Nebula-winning first published story, "Tower of Babylon," Chiang gives us a world in which the erroneous scientific notions of a past era are instead correct, and he develops the implications in delightfully convincing detail. In "Seventy-Two Letters," cabbalistic magic – the stuff that brought the Golem of Prague to life – combines with medieval biological theory to create an alternate Industrial Revolution and a weird shadow of genetics. Chiang conjures some wonderful images – factories powered by tireless ceramic statues, children playing with mini-golems like wind-up toys – but it's the rigor with which he has worked out the rules of this other science that amazes and amuses most. Next time you hear someone complain that there are no new ideas in SF anymore, hand 'em "Seventy-Two Letters" and a plate of crow.

Chaing won the Sidewise prize for alternative history in 2000 with this story.

Read the story: Seventy-two Letters

Technorati Tags: speculative fiction, science fiction, fantasy, novella

L. Frank Baum: Rinkitink in Oz (Book 10)

2006-10-10T11:57:00.000-07:00

Title: Rinkitink in Oz
Author: L. Frank Baum
Publication Date: 1916

Prince Inga of Pingaree and King Rinkitink and their companions have adventures that lead to the land of the Nomes and, eventually, Oz. This book only ends up in Oz at the end, because Baum originally wrote it as a non-Oz book, entitled King Rinkitink, and only rewrote it later. (Wikipedia entry, showing the original cover)

Read the book: Rinkitink in Oz

Technorati Tags: speculative fiction, book, fantasy, novel, Baum, Oz

Helix: A Speculative Fiction Quarterly

2006-10-09T21:10:00.000-07:00

Helix is a relatively new free online speculative fiction magazine. The Fall 2006 issue is out, with stories and poetry by Terry Bison and others. The only drawback: it only issues four times a year.

Technorati Tags: speculative fiction, science fiction, fantasy, short story, poetry

L. Frank Baum: Scarecrow of Oz (Book 9)

2006-10-07T23:55:00.000-07:00

Title: Scarecrow of Oz
Author: L. Frank Baum
Publication Date: 1915

Cap'n Bill and Trot journey to Oz and, with the help of the Scarecrow, overthrow the cruel King Krewl of Jinxland. Cap'n Bill and Trot had previously appeared in two other novels by Baum, The Sea Fairies and Sky Island. Based in part upon the 1914 silent film, His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz. (Wikipedia entry, showing the original cover)

Book Link: Scarecrow of Oz

Technorati Tags: speculative fiction, book, fantasy, novel, Baum, Oz

David Brin: Those Eyes

2006-10-06T14:42:00.000-07:00

Title: Those Eyes
Author: David Brin
Publication Date: 1994
A late night talk radio host confronts UFOs head on.

Link: Those Eyes

Technorati Tags: speculative fiction, science fiction, short story, novella, novelette, Brin

L. Frank Baum: Tik-Tok of Oz (Book 8)

2006-10-04T13:47:00.000-07:00

Title: Tik-Tok of Oz
Author: L. Frank Baum
Publication Date: 1914

Betsy Bobbin, a girl from Oklahoma is shipwrecked with her mule, Hank in the Rose Kingdom. She meets the Shaggy Man there and the two try to rescue the Shaggy Man's brother from the Nome King. This book is partly based upon Baum's stage musical, The Tik-Tok Man of Oz, which was in turn based on Ozma of Oz.

(Wikipedia entry on the Oz books, showing the original cover)

Link: Tik-Tok of Oz

Technorati Tags: speculative fiction, book, fantasy, novel, Baum, Oz

Ted Chiang: Understand

2006-10-03T14:09:00.000-07:00

Title: Understand
Author: Ted Chiang
First Publication Date:1991
Synopsis: A man gains intelligence and perception after hormone injections stimulate neuron growth and connections in his brain, ultimately resulting in a completely different way of viewing the world. In introducing the story Chiang says:

The initial impulse to write "Understand" arose from an offhand remark made by my roommate in college; he was reading Sartre's Nausea at the time, whose protagonist finds only meaninglessness in everything he sees. But what would it be like, my roommate wondered, to find meaning and order in everything you saw? To me that suggested a kind of heightened perception, which in turn suggested superintelligence. I started thinking about the point at which quantitative improvements -- better memory, faster pattern recognition -- turn into a qualitative difference, a fundamentally different mode of cognition.

What will happen when such an enhanced human meets another with similar mental powers but different motives and outlook?

Link: Understand

Technorati Tags: speculative fiction, science fiction, Ted Chiang, novelette

L. Frank Baum: The Patchwork Girl of Oz (Book 7)

2006-09-30T13:45:00.000-07:00

Title: The Patchwork Girl of Oz
Author: L. Frank Baum
Publication Date: 1913

A Munchkin boy, Ojo, has the help of a Patchwork Girl to free his Uncle from a magical spell.
(Wikipedia entry on the Oz books, showing the original cover)

Link: The Patchwork Girl of Oz

Tags: speculative fiction, book, fantasy, novel, Baum, Oz

2006 Hugo Award Winners

2006-09-28T19:42:00.000-07:00

The Hugo awards were passed out at the World Science Fiction Convention, held in near-Los Angeles (AKA Anaheim) in August. Several of this year's Hugo award-winning stories are available free online.

2006 Hugo Award-Winners Online:

• Best Novella: Connie Willis, Inside Job. This was originally published in Asimov's Science Fiction. Willis is one of my favorite authors, and this story is as entertaining as usual.

• Best Novelette: Peter S. Beagle, Two Hearts. This was originally published in Fantasy & Science Fiction. Beagle is best known for his novel, The Last Unicorn.

• Best Short Story: David D. Levine, Tk'tk'tk. This was originally published in Asimov's Science Fiction.

As a bonus, the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction links to stories by Kelly Link and Paolo Bacigalupi that were on the Hugo ballot.

It's not clear if these will be permanently online or not, so read them while you can!

Technorati Tags: speculative fiction, science fiction, fantasy, short story, novella, novelette

L. Frank Baum: The Emerald City of Oz (Book 6)

2006-09-25T13:43:00.000-07:00

Title: The Emerald City of Oz
Author: L. Frank Baum
Publication Date: 1910

Dorothy and her aunt and uncle move to Oz. At the same time, the Nome King is preparing to invade Oz.

Links:
• Wikipedia entry on the Oz books, showing the original cover
• Full free text of Dorothy and the Emerald City of Oz

Technorati Tags: speculative fiction, book, fantasy, novel, Baum, Oz

Back to Blogging

2006-09-25T00:17:00.000-07:00

After a year-long hiatus, I'm finally getting my act together to start this blog anew. I have a collection of links to go through, so, while I won't be posting every day, it should certainly be more often than once a year. I'll try to keep the mix of old classics and new writing, and start posting about web sites that are companions to science fiction and fantasy novels.

The sidebar is also under (re)construction, so please don't mind the dust.

L. Frank Baum: The Road to Oz (Book 5)

2005-10-20T01:40:00.000-07:00

Title: The Road to Oz
Author: L. Frank Baum
Publication Date: 1909

While trying to find the road to Butterfield, Dorothy meets the Shaggy Man and they get lost on an enchanted road. As they travel they meet the rainbow's daughter, Polychrome, and a little boy, Button Bright. They have all sorts of strange adventures on the way to Oz.

(Wikipedia entry on the Oz books, showing the original cover)

Link: Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz

Technorati Tags: speculative fiction, book, fantasy, novel, Baum, Oz

Bob Shaw: Light of Other Days

2005-10-19T15:00:00.000-07:00

Title: Light of Other Days
Author: Bob Shaw
Publication Date: 1968

This classic short story involoves "slow glass" that transmits light so slowly you can make windows that see the past.

Link: Light of Other Days

Technorati Tags: speculative fiction, science fiction,short story

L. Frank Baum: Dorothy and the WIzard in Oz (Book 4)

2005-10-18T01:35:00.000-07:00

Title: Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz
Author: L. Frank Baum
Publication Date: 1908

Dorothy visits her cousin, Zeb, in California. She and her cousin, their horse and cat are swallowed up in an earthquake (disasters follow Dorothy around). They meet up with the Wizard, and make their way back to Oz.
(Wikipedia entry on the Oz books, showing the original cover)

Link: Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz

Technorati Tags: speculative fiction, book, fantasy, novel, Baum, Oz

Audio book: Cory Doctorow's Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom

2005-10-17T02:17:00.000-07:00

Title: Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom
Author: Cory Doctorow. Book read by Jill A. Smith.
Publication Date: 2003

If you aren't in the mood to read "Down and Out", you can listen to it instead.

Link: Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom

Technorati Tags: speculative fiction, science fiction, fantasy, novel

L. Frank Baum: Ozma of Oz (Book 3)

2005-10-16T01:27:00.000-07:00

Title: Ozma of Oz
Author: L. Frank Baum
Publication Date: 1907

Dorothy is swept overboard while traveling to Australia. She ends up in Ev, a country across the desert from Oz. With her new friend TikTok, she saves Ev's royal family from the Nome King. She is returned to Oz with the help of Ozma. This is my favorite book in the series, particularly because of Princess Langwidere and her head collection (read it and find out more).

Links:
- Wikipedia entry on the Oz books, showing the original cover)
- Free text of Ozma of Oz

Technorati Tags: speculative fiction, book, fantasy, novel, Baum, Oz

Cory Doctorow: Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom

2005-10-15T02:11:00.000-07:00

Title: Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom
Author: Cory Doctorow
Publication Date: 2003

Doctorow's story is set in a future where reputation (Whuffie), not money, is the only currency.

Link: Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom

Technorati Tags: speculative fiction, science fiction, fantasy, novel

L. Frank Baum: The Marvelous Land of Oz (book 2)

2005-10-14T01:25:00.000-07:00

Title: The Marvelous Land of Oz
Author: L. Frank Baum
Publication Date: 1904

A little boy, Tip, escapes from his evil guardian, the witch Mombi, with the help of a walking wooden figure with a jack-o'-lantern head named Jack Pumpkinhead (brought to life with the magic Powder of Life Tip stole from Mombi), as well as a living Sawhorse (created from said same powder.) Tip ends up on an adventure with the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman.

(Wikipedia entry on the Oz books, showing the original cover)

Link: The Marvelous Land of Oz

Technorati Tags: speculative fiction, book, fantasy, novel

Diana Paxson: When Coyote Came to Town

2005-10-13T01:16:00.000-07:00

Title: When Coyote Came to Town
Author: Diana Paxson
Publication Date: 1998

Every Westrian child knows the story of the Cataclysm, when the old powers of the Earth rose up in wrath against the destruction caused by men and reclaimed their sovereignty. They know how some of the survivors eventually learned how to speak with those powers and made a Covenant with them. But few stories about the first generation, the ones who had to make the transition from the old world into the new have survived. This is one of them.

Link: When Coyote Came To Town

Technorati Tags: speculative fiction, fantasy, Short Story

L. Frank Baum: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

2005-10-12T02:50:00.000-07:00

Title: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Author: L. Frank Baum
Publication Date: 1900

Dorothy is swept into the Land of Oz, where she meets a cowardly lion, a tin man, a scarecrow and the Wizard himself.

(Wikipedia entry on the Oz books, showin the original cover)

Link: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Technorati Tags: speculative fiction, book, fantasy, novel

Diana Paxson: The Name of A King

2005-10-11T01:12:00.000-07:00

Title: The Name of A King
Author: Diana Paxson
Publication Date: (see below)

A novella written in the early 1980's, a shorter version was published in The Book of Kings in 1995. The story takes place in Westria, "four years before The Earthstone (or, if you prefer, sixteen years into Silverhair the Wanderer."

Link: The Name of A King

Technorati Tags: speculative fiction, fantasy, novella