R-SPEC is a group of writers, readers and thinkers in the Rochester NY area, that exists to celebrate and create speculative literature. We hold public meetings once a month to discuss new ideas and critically examine the literature we care about. You can help by joining us at a meeting, or becoming a member.

Welcome To The Desert Of The Real

Hugos and Homework for July's Meeting

Submitted by eDave on Sat, 06/13/2009 - 09:09

Our next meeting is 7 July 2009 at the usual place, the Pittsford Barnes & Noble Community Room, and we'll be doing our own Hugo vote. Thanks to esteemed VP Craig DeLancey for posting the following to the listserv:

The next meeting of R-Spec will be our annual discussion of Hugo
nominated short stories.

What?  Homework!

No, I tell ye.  Here are ALL the Hugo nominated short stories, with
links to podcasts of them being read.  You can listen to them while
ironing or driving or laying on your back being fed grapes by your
slavebots.  Painless!

For all of the links Craig posted, as well as links related to ALL of the nominated works, click the title.

A Raimi ST Reboot? Jack Black as Mudd?

Submitted by eDave on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 13:03

io9 speculates and ruminates a bit on these questions. Click the title for more.

Member Nancy Kress on EscapePod

Submitted by eDave on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 09:24

Member and Award Winning Author Nancy Kress has a story on EscapePod this month. Her short story, Patent Infringement, is featured in the first release of the month as a Flash - a short short. Click the title for the link.

Borders Launches SpecFic Blog

Submitted by eDave on Fri, 06/05/2009 - 09:11

io9 reports that Borders has launched its own blog pitched as a sci-fi blog, but addressing much more as a result of miscategorization of the content creator's works. (Author Kim Harrison is the content creator of the blog.) Click the title for more, including links.

R-SPEC June Meeting

Submitted by eDave on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 06:30

Our next R-SPEC meeting is Tuesday, June 2, at 7pm, at the Pittsford Barnes and Noble. The topic is differences between books and movies based upon them, particularly in the horror genre, but also addressing "weird fiction" and other genre and sub-genre.

 

Future surface-LEO vehicle ideas

Submitted by eDave on Wed, 05/06/2009 - 11:49

Gizmodo posted information and pics of five different ideas for replacements for the Space Shuttle, et al. While NASA's Orion is among them, there are two Russian ideas and two coroporate ideas, too. The links in the Gizmodo story are worth following.

R-SPEC May Meeting

Submitted by eDave on Mon, 05/04/2009 - 10:01

Our next R-SPEC meeting is Tuesday, May 5, at 7pm, at the Pittsford Barnes and Noble. IP Attorney Katherine McGuire, Leader of Woods Oviatt Gilman's IP Practice, Licensing, & Technology Group, will speak to the group on the topic of copyright. She will cover the basics and address aspects of online publishing, DRM, and the Google book scanning project. Please spread the word to anyone you know who is interested in these topics and have them come along.

 

 

Russians Court Tail-Fire Landing Strategy

Submitted by eDave on Thu, 04/30/2009 - 10:25

Engadget relays a BBC News story about Russia's ideas for capsule landings. It's just like all those old science fiction movies where the rocket decends on its tail with engines blazing. Click the title for links, etc.

Use Bacteria to Slow Desertification and Create Housing in One Fell Swoop?

Submitted by eDave on Thu, 04/30/2009 - 07:15

Bacterium transforms sand into sandstone in proposal to stop the Sahara's growth. Could the cat be put back in the bag if used? Could this be used to terraform sandy planets? The bacterium in question is all around us and has been the subject of other proposals. Click the title for more.

Kindle 2 and iPod Shuffle Perform Bladerunner Scene

Submitted by eDave on Fri, 04/24/2009 - 08:47

Kindle 2 and iPod Shuffle do a scene from Bladerunner. Video included. :-) Click the title of the story to view and hear how these devices actually perform.