Endless possibilities with science fiction
Science fiction author and keen diver Arthur C. Clarke passed away in Sri Lanka last month. In a cosmic coincidence, the same day the NASA satellite SWIFT observed four gamma ray bursts (1Mb pdf file). Gamma ray bursts are the massive blast of energy that accompanies the end of the life of a star. Never before had four bursts been observed in a single day.
Clarke's short story The Sentinel was made into the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, Clarke authored over a hundred books. Gene Roddenberry credited Clarke with inspiring him to create Star Trek. Many of Clarke’s other works are in the library catalogue. He is one of many authors in an ever expanding genre that continues to excite and inspire with ideas of what humankind's future could hold.
Best known as a poet, Christchurch writer James Norcliffe also writes science fiction. He won the Sir Julius Vogel Award last year for The Assassin of Gleam.
He says: "When I was in Dunedin I picked up a project that I’d had in the back of my mind for a long time, and I ran with it. The Assassin of Gleam was a much darker book, which had adult protagonists and deaths, torture, lepers – but no bonking… It was such fun I went ahead and wrote the second one The Mistress of Yewfire, and when I was in Iowa I finished the third The Witch of Aboraxus."
Read the full interview.
Science, technology and imagination collide in the world of science fiction. If aliens, time travel and mutants are your cup of Martian tea, this list is for you. Teleported to your inbox every second month, have a taste of what's on offer.
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Young people aged 13 to 18 can win some fantastic prizes in the pulse digital photo competition. There’s two vodafone cellphones with $500 credit and three Telecom cellphones with $50 credit up for grabs – plus airtime vouchers as consolation prizes.
Just send us a photo of your favourite place – where you went on holiday, a park, a beach – and go in the draw to win. It’s that easy!
Visit the pulse flickr to get ideas.
We recommend: Science fiction resources
Our online resources:
Our Internet Gateway recommends:
Science Fiction websites, including:
Browse the resources in our libraries:
Other resources for science fiction and fantasy readers include:
We recommend: Online resources
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The Christchurch City Libraries blog is written for people who love books, movies and music and want to know about the latest developments and trends in the book world. Regularly updated and constantly fresh, the blog has plenty to offer avid readers and music fans. Recent posts include:
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Next week: something beginning with ... d
Dancing with the Stars is again filling our TV screens with grace and glamour. Next week we take a look at dancing resources at Christchurch City Libraries and other ways to stay active as the weather turns towards winter. |
Christchurch author wins Sir Julius Vogel Award
