News That's Warm...

and News That's Really Cool!

By David Brin, Ph.D.

The hot news appears on the main page. Occasionally, though, some not-so-hot news might be of interest...

The News That's Warm...

IT'S HISTORY (CHANNEL) AGAIN: I appear on several episodes of the new History Channel show "The Universe" starting with one on March 11.

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SKY HORIZON DEBUTS: Sky Horizon is the first book in a new series for young adults -- and for adults who feel young. Turning some SF cliches upside down, Sky Horizon starts with an alien visitor who is fought over by the cliques in a contemporary American high school. And from there, repercussions spread, encompassing the fate of both Earth and a brand new colony world. One reviewer said this book "channels Robert Heinlein at his very best. A real tribute in his centennial year."

     Read a sample of Sky Horizon here.

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SCIENCE FICTION IN ASIA: Starting August 30, 2007, the World Science Fiction Convention will be held in Yokohama, Japan. (I am the featured International Author.) It may be one of the most spectacular -- and generously hosted -- worldcons ever.

And to add spice, there will be science fiction events in China a week before: First an academic conference in Beijing and then a larger gathering in the exotic Sechuan city of Chengdu (near panda country), August 24-27, hosted by SF World, the largest-circulation science fiction magazine of all time.

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JACK WILLIAMSON, R.I.P.: So many of us had been rooting for Jack Williamson to reach his hundredth birthday. By far the "dean" of science fiction -- still writing great stories at 97 -- Jack did not quite reach that milestone. But I'm hoping the memorial page I've posted will repay some of the reading pleasure -- and friendship -- he gave me over the years. Also see the wonderful biography of Jack, entitled The Williamson Effect, edited by Roger Zelazny and prefaced by David Brin, published by Tor Books.

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SPANISH SCI-FI: Although science fiction novels don't seem to stay in print in Spanish very long -- most of my novels have dropped out of print -- there is a lovely new edition of GLORY SEASON issued by EdicionesB. People can always write to the publisher and demand they bring the others back! ;-)

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CENTURY FOR AMATEURS: Here's a podcast radio interview that I recently gave on NPR concerning the coming "Age of Amateurs."

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A NEW PROGRAM: Amazon Shorts now offers my latest essays, articles and stories for handy download (like iPod music files). "My latest "short" offers a controversial solution to the problem of a Mississippi River that's rebelling against human control. Thanks to these articles, Amazon ranked me along with Stuart Woods, David Niall Wilson and James Lee Burke, as one of the top ten short-subject writers of 2005.

Also in the nonfiction category is my essay on "Beleaguered Professionals vs. Disempowered Citizens" about a looming 21st Century power struggle between average people and the sincere, skilled professionals who are paid to protect us. Then "The Power of Proxy Activism" is about how busy people, although distracted by jobs and daily life, can still help make a better world.

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THE WORLD SF CONVENTION: The WorldCon in Anaheim was a lavish show, in many ways superbly well-done. Naturally, I'm positively inclined, since LACON II, way back in 1984, helped "make" me somebody in the SF field, in my own home town. That 1984 con was also (by any measure) the greatest science fiction convention in history.

Alas, in 2006 we see dropping attendance, slumping sales, and a disturbing swing to feudal fantasy, away from literature that explores the notion of change. Some blame society's "crisis of confidence." Yet, shouldn't we be spreading the literature of confidence? All SF fan organizations are chartered to do this. Alas, few try.

At this worldcon, the number of elderly people, many of them on scooters and wheelchairs, far exceeded the number of teens and tweens! As for kids? Our three made up a large fraction of those attending. (Fully 33% of those at the "SF for Girls" panel had the last name "Brin".) The literature of youthful, forward-looking openness... is graying, possibly dying, even as its tropes and glossy surfaces are embraced in mass media. Does anyone else find this disturbing? If so, consider helping to do something about it or at least discuss it openly.

Meanwhile, do look ahead to the next Worldcon, Nippon 2007, in Yokohama, Japan August 30-September 3! Despite being virtually ignored at LACON, these good people represent the Frontier of Fandom, and I expect they'll put on an unforgettable show!

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PARIS BURNING: The French, who love graphic novels almost as much as they adore pastry, have voted the translated, large format version of The Life Eaters a finalist for "best first album." Its title in France? D-Day, le jour du désastre. See also an interview (in French) in the January 2005 edition of the French magazine Phenix.

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NEW STORIES POSTED: Many efforts have been made to link science fiction stories to educational curricula. As part of my contribution toward these efforts, I recently posted a page to assist teachers interested in using science fiction to teach science, and added two new stories to this site -- the novella "Thor Meets Captain America" (the inspiration for my newest graphic novel The Life Eaters), and the short story "Tank Farm Dynamo" (my most extreme example of "techno-SF," in which a point of science is the real protagonist). Enjoy!

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THE SCIENCE FICTION MUSEUM -- created by Paul Allen under the Space Needle, in Seattle -- is stunning. We Advisory Board members were amazed by how closely it hews to the true heart of SF -- ideas. True, there's a lot of movie memorabilia eye-candy. That's fine. (In fact, I'd love to see the spiffy assault weapon that Gary Oldman showed off in The Fifth Element!) Still, the emphasis on SF books, along with deeper implications, exceeded all our expectations.

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FREE ONLINE READING: Among recent offerings, see a special story about news-gathering in the coming century, commissioned by the USC School of Journalism for the Annenberg School site. I will incorporate this story into an upcoming novel. Vernor Vinge has an online story, titled "Synthetic Serendipity," on the same topic.

Also, try a fresh look at some of the clichés that most hobble us, because we accept them so readily. Like the common belief -- shared across the political spectrum -- that the world is going to hell. Or the truism that "our wisdom hasn't kept up with technology." I reviewed a book that challenges this deeply treacherous truism. There's a world to be saved and those who spread either complacency or gloom aren't helping. We need confidence that our efforts can matter.

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REVIEWS AND ACCLAIMS: Last year my novel Kiln People came in second for the Hugo Award... and the Locus Award... and the John W. Campbell Award... not to mention the Arthur C. Clarke Award... in each case following a different first place finisher! Now, variety of winners is a good thing, expressing the will of four panels with different standards of what constitutes a great novel. Diversity is a strength of science fiction, the literature of exploration and wonder. So should I feel good that Kiln People was the universal second choice across a wide range? Sure! Look at it this way -- if you have time to read two science fiction novels this year, now you know which book is guaranteed! (Want a peek at some chapters? Look here!)

Meanwhile my Uplift series continues to get notice. Startide Rising was recently chosen as one of 25 "most popular paperbacks" in the SF category by the Young Adult Library Services Association of the American Library Association.

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CREATED AROUND the wonderful drawings of Minneapolis artist Kevin Lenagh, Contacting Aliens: An Illustrated Guide To David Brin's Uplift Universe vividly portrays many of the nonhuman species that appear in Uplift novels, like Brightness Reef, Startide Rising and The Uplift War. (Want a peek at the images? Look here!)

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MUSIC!: A number of talented musical composers avow they were inspired by my books. For more on these works, drop by my Games/Music/Media page. Those of you who like independent creativity might also drop by Indiespace.com, an excellent site where many independent artists and musicians offer samples and sell works directly to the public, bypassing the infamous "labels."

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SITE OF THE WEEK: Scifi.com (home of the Scifi Channel) named Contrary Brin "Site of the Week." I'm honored, though puzzled. A grumpy blogger, I post weekly (if that!) The site does feature terrific interlocutors and visitors, often far more interesting than yours truly. Topics range (according to SciFi.com) from "sanity and civilization to the nature of modernism. The legacy of the Enlightenment. Star Wars' fatal flaws, U.S. trade imbalance and the death of mercantilism." And soon? Possibly... "What Modern Science Can Tell Us About Theology." Dang. Noooo restraint.

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ACHIEVE IMMORTALITY: Along with authors Stephen King, Amy Tan, Peter Straub and others, I have joined a fundraising auction to help the First Amendment Project, an online campaign to support free speech. Most of my peers are offering the highest bidder a chance to have naming rights for a character in a coming novel... or to be "killed" (in Stephen King's case, naturally). To be different, I am auctioning the right to have your name given to an alien race, a garish building, or a uniquely gruesome and inexplicable disease. Hey, it's for a good cause. Bidding opens Thursday Sept. 15, and runs through Sept. 25.

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WHY FEAR THE FUTURE?: See my review (originally published in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists) of Robert O'Harrow Jr's book about privacy, No Place to Hide. O'Harrow is informative about many ways that big data companies aim for Big Brother omniscience while avoiding all accountability. Too bad there's no suggestion how to make things better. O'Harrow knows there are methods. Perhaps his next book will mention some.

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SOON IN SOFT-COVER: The Life Eaters is a lavish 144 page graphic novel -- a dark but ultimately uplifting tale set in an alternate world, offering chillingly plausible insight to what the Nazis might have really been up to, during World War II. Called 'the best graphic novel since Watchmen. (And a huge hit in France!) Try ordering from Amazon.com... or consider a SIGNED first edition from Mysterious Galaxy.

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MY NEWEST STORY COLLECTION, Tomorrow Happens, contains nearly all of my short stories that appeared since Otherness, plus a number of provocative essays. Also, several items never before seen, including a little tale about Galileo, written just for the occasion. Since this was a special edition from NESFA Press, it may be hard to find. I will arrange a mass market version in my next contract, I promise.

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BLOGGING MODERNITY: Some people have been following a lively discussion on my weblog (blog) concerning Modernity and Its Enemies.

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MORE MUSIC: Composer Brian Carroll has created a very beautiful symphonic overture inspired by my novel Glory Season.

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JUST TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE 2004 ELECTION, I'm posting my big political salvo. I'm known for being contrary, poking at all rigid dogmas, from "right" to "left." But this time I just had to vigorously take sides, for the civilization I love. It's written especially for undecided and conservative voters who are worried that "neoconservatism" has veered off course, mutating in strange directions. (It has.) And for those who want to persuade that wavering conservative or two out there.

While "War In the 21st Century" is intended to address specific issues associated with the November 2, 2004, election, my newest essay Neoconservatism, Islam and Ideology makes the point in a more general way. Typically, I try to raise some unusual points outside of the loathed and useless "left-vs-right" political axis.

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ON OCTOBER 1, 2004, at UC Berkeley, I will speak at Sproul Plaza on the 40th anniversary of the famed Berkeley Free Speech Movement. It seems both cool and weird to be chosen. I plan to talk about "Our Freedom to Speak and Know in the 21st Century" before heading across the bay for that evening's Swissnex event.(See my events & appearances page.)

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FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, see an interview I gave the brash and pretty new online speculative fiction magazine IDEOMANCER.

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A BOLD NEW LOOK: Articles, stories and other items are still sorted by category in the main menu at left. But the most popular items are also noted individually to the right, including a box called "The Political Season." Through 2004 I'll use that slot as my personal soapbox, coming at things from a refreshing perspective, outside the dismally stupid "left-vs-right political axis." Can't we do better in the agile 21st Century?

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FUTURE READERS?: The new website Science News for Kids has a section devoted to encouraging middle schoolers to read and write science fiction.

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WATCHING THE WATCHERS: See my cover story in the August 2004 Salon magazine, about new surveillance technologies and some of the stark choices we face in the years ahead. (Government Technology magazine also ran an interview with me about government accountability and the proposal to establish an Inspector General of the United States.)

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TECHNOLOGY LIBERATES: Telephony Magazine featured a shortened version of my hotly-discussed suggestion that technology -- instead of leading us toward domination by Big Brother -- may embolden and empower a new kind of citizenship. The online edition also feature an in-depth interview.

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ATTENTION NPR FANS!: On June 18, 2004 (11am Pacific time), I will talk about The Future on a special edition of ""NPR Talk of The Nation: Science Friday with Ira Flatow." This radio broadcast will begin just one hour after the grand opening of the new Science Fiction Museum in Seattle. After the broadcast, I will appear at the University of Washington for a book signing. (Note: This broadcast can be heard by visiting this NPR page.)

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LOOKING AT MOVIES: An article of mine (reprinted on this site) about the film The Matrix recently appeared in Exploring The Matrix: Visions of a Cyber Present, a book of essays about the popular film series, edited by Karen Haber and published by iBooks. Yes, The Matrix is filled with "up yours" messages against some brutish authority. You cannot bond with a modern audience without those. Tolkien and Lucas do it with straw man baddies with red glowing eyes. That doesn't make 'em enlightenment tales. Demigods rankle me, naturally. Chosen ones. It can be done in a way that is pro-people. But rarely.

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VISIONARY: Do you think the era of space flight is over? Think again. I've written the intro to a new book -- A Vision of Future Space Transportation by Tim McElyea -- showing just how wonderful some of the prospects may be. Yeah, it's proving harder than we expected. So? Just like seeking justice and saving the planet, anything worth doing is worth persevering.

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LORD OF THE RINGS: The December 2002, release of Peter Jackson's THE TWO TOWERS prompted Salon Magazine to run another of my articles about popular culture. This one focuses on J.R.R. Tolkien's epic fantasy, Lord of the Rings, and how that famous trilogy has played an important role in the long struggle of romanticism against the modern world. The version on Salon was abridged. The full-length article can be viewed here.

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GET UPLIFTED: For Uplift fans, I've just posted a short story, called "Aficionado," which details the very beginnings of the Uplift Project. Take a look at my other online stories (including "Temptation," also set in the Uplift universe) as well.

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GET GURPLIFTED: The new edition of GURPS Uplift, the famous game system based on my universe, is finally nearing completion, at almost twice the original length, with lots of new material by author Stefan Jones. See the Steve Jackson Games site for more details.

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SEE MY INTERVIEW: See an interview about matters of openness at Global POV's "Homeland Security vs. Privacy.

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LIBERTARIAN PARTY: More than a dozen organizations, spanning a wide spectrum of interest, have lately engaged me for my specialty -- questioning deep-seated assumptions. (An SF author is paid to jab clichés!) One of these 'unconventional' consultations finally was transcribed -- a keynote speech for the Libertarian National Convention (7/02). Beyond some specifics aimed at that group, you may find the general perspectives (e.g., about the way people view past and future) unusual and thought-provoking.

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FORGIVEN: I've posted sample images of my graphic novel Forgiveness, set in the famed Star Trek universe and featuring characters from Star Trek: The Next Generation, which can be purchased at Amazon.com.

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IT'S NUMBER TWO!: Kiln People came in second for this year's HUGO AWARD, an honor voted annually by members of the World Science Fiction Convention -- the real readers and fans. This year the Worldcon was held in Toronto, August 28 - September 1, 2003. The other excellent novels nominated are: Hominids by Robert J. Sawyer [winner of the HUGO], The Scar by China Miéville, The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson, and Bones of the Earth by Michael Swanwick. What good company to be in! Go read them all.

Kiln People also came in second for the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, after a wonderful Nancy Kress novel entitled Probability Space. Robert Sawyer's excellent Hominids came in third. And amazingly, Kiln People also came in second for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, in the category of Best Science Fiction novel. The Clarke Prize is specifically for a notable SF novel published in the United Kingdom during the previous year.

Warning: Now that the paperback edition of Kiln People has come out, you have only limited time to order the hardcover directly from me. (Want a peek at the first couple of chapters? Look here!)

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TOMORROW HAPPENS: Announcing the arrival of my 3rd short story collection, Tomorrow Happens. This special edition by NESFA Press contains nearly all of my stories that have appeared in magazines since Otherness, plus a number of provocative essays. Also, several items never-before seen, including a little tale about Galileo, written just for the occasion!

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GETTING CLOSER TO TRUTH: The "Closer to Truth" television series may be coming to a PBS station near you, featuring fascinating interviews with unusual people about unusual ideas. The first episode features a round-table discussion among science fiction authors Michael Crichton, Octavia Butler and David Brin.

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CHESS MASTERS: An interesting article by Dr. John Nunn about "Chess in Science Fiction" goes on to pose a fine reading list... though my opinion is not unbiased.

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LIFE EATERS: Just finished editing (NOTE: It's now for sale!) my huge new graphic novel, The Life Eaters. It has grown into a 144 page hardcover. DC/Wildstorm is calling this work 'the biggest thing since Watchmen!' It's been an exhausting experience, writing the script, then supervising artists (like the great Scott Hampton) and producers, designers, letterers... very much like directing a mini-movie! Look for it in November.

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UPLIFTING STORIES: For Uplift fans, I've just posted a short story, called "Aficionado," which details the very beginnings of the Uplift Project. Take a look at my other online stories (including "Temptation," also set in the Uplift universe) as well.

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GURPS UPLIFT: The new edition of GURPS Uplift, the famous game system based on my universe, is finally nearing completion, at almost twice the original length, with lots of new material by author Stefan Jones. See the Steve Jackson Games site for more details.

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CONTACTING ALIENS: Now published by Bantam Books, Contacting Aliens: An Illustrated Guide To David Brin's Uplift Universe is a fun tour of the many alien races people enjoyed in books like Startide Rising and The Uplift War. (Want a peek at the images? Look here!) Orders can be placed at Amazon.com.

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FORGIVENESS: Look for my new graphic novel, entitled Forgiveness and set in the famed Star Trek universe (which can be purchased at Amazon.com). With approval from Paramount Pictures and DC Comics, Wildstorm Entertainment asked me to script this canonical look at an adventure of the USS Enterprise that fans should find vivid, exciting, fun... and maybe a little stimulating to the mind, as well. Also, there's one more quirky little feature. It turns out that the core notion for this story first occurred to me way back in 1965, as a teenager in Los Angeles watching the original Star Trek series, when a really weird idea occurred to me....

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I SPEAK: I've been doing a lot of public speaking and consulting lately. In addition to my purported expertise about "the future," quite a number of organizations -- private, commercial and governmental -- have discovered a keen interest in getting out-of-the-box views on matters of transparency, security, privacy, investment and defense... part of life in this new, uncertain age.

I find all this speaking and consulting to be a rather taxing yet exciting blend of my old and new careers in both science and science fiction.

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AND I GIVE INTERVIEWS: I've also noticed an increase in the number of interviews I'm asked to do. Privacy Watch, a privacy advocacy journal, did a fair and intelligent interview with me about transparency. This interview sparked an intense online discussion at Slashdot, in mid February 2002.

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TECHNOLOGY IS POWER!: Telephony Magazine featured a shortened version of my hotly-discussed suggestion that technology -- instead of leading us toward domination by Big Brother -- may embolden and empower a new kind of citizenship. The online edition also feature an in-depth interview.

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... and the News That's Really Cool!

WEBS OF WONDER: David Brin offers Cash Prizes for Web Sites that help Teachers and Kids! In conjunction with Analog Magazine, I launched the Webs of Wonder (WOW) Contest, offering up to $1,000 in prizes for quality web sites that vividly link good Science Fiction stories or novels to school curricula used by teachers, struggling out there to teach a new generation. To learn more about this exciting contest, go to the WOW Contest site.

Also see another idea that's causing a stir in philanthropy circles: the EON: the Eye of the Needle Foundation.

David Brin is a scientist and best-selling author whose future-oriented novels include Earth, The Postman, and Hugo Award winners Startide Rising and The Uplift War. (The Postman inspired a major film in 1998.) Brin is also known as a leading commentator on modern technological trends. His nonfiction book -- The Transparent Society -- won the Freedom of Speech Award of the American Library Association. Brin's newest novel Kiln People explores a fictional near future when people use cheap copies of themselves to be in two places at once. The Life Eaters -- a graphic novel -- explores a chilling alternative outcome of World War II.

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