Fandom in the Pacific Northwest
The following are readings and signings in the Northwest that have come to my attention. Many are at the University Book Store in Seattle or Powells in Portland, but others are sited as we find them or others inform me of them. As always, you can explore your local municipal libraries to find intriguing readings and signings as well. So, enjoy those that are of interest and that are currently listed here. Barry Deutsch
Hereville
Thursday, November 4th @ 7:30pm
Powell's Books on Hawthorne
3723 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Portland, Oregon
(800) 878-7323
Friday, November 5th @ 7:30pm
Powell's City of Books on Burnside
1005 W Burnside
Portland, Oregon
(800) 878-7323
Saturday, November 6th @ 4pm
Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing
3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd.
Portland, Oregon
(800) 878-7323
For those in the Portland area that want a SF discussion group
Science Fiction Book Group
Tuesday, November 9th @ 7pm
Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing
3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd.
Portland, Oregon
(800) 878-7323
Dead Love
Wednesday, November 10th @ 7pm
Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing
3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd.
Portland, Oregon
(800) 878-7323
Sci-Fi Authorfest IV
Sunday, November 14th @ 5pm
Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing
3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd.
Portland, Oregon
(800) 878-7323
An armada of science-fiction and fantasy authors descends for one galactic booksigning event. Meet Lilith Saintcrow, Devon Monk, Barb and J. C. Hendee, Gail Carriger, Jay Lake, and many more. See Powells.com for a complete list of participating authors.
Blameless
Monday, November 15th @ 7pm
Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing
3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd.
Portland, Oregon
(800) 878-7323
Tuesday • November 16, 2010 • 7:30pmThe Amazing Story of Quantum Mechanics (W.W. NORTON)
Reading & Book Signing
Learn about Quantium Physics through a plethora of examples from pulp science fiction magazines.
Kevin James Breaux
Soul Born (Dark Quest)
Monday, November 22nd @ 7pm
Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing
3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd.
Portland, Oregon
(800) 878-7323
Adrienne Barbeau
Love Bites
Thursday, December 9th @ 7pm
Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing
3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd.
Portland, Oregon
(800) 878-7323
Science Fiction Book Group
Tuesday, December 14th @ 7pm
Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing
3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd.
Portland, Oregon
(800) 878-7323
Jackson is all but certain to direct
theonering.net is announcing that despite recent reports of labor issues and other road blocks to it, the two prequel Hobbit movies are about to become a reality. Quoting from the site "The New York Times is busting out major headlines today: First with the revelation that ‘The Hobbit’ films will be filmed in 3-D, and now, all but confirming Peter Jackson will direct the two ‘prequels." To get more details visit the onering article. We can all start planning to hit the IMAX 3D theatres in mid December 2012. And, as always, for the latest info visit the main page of one ring. Currently there are a plethora of videos hashing out the back and forth between the unions, Jackson, the producer, local unions, Australian unions and more. At any rate, bottom line, the film seems to be on track to go ahead and that is the good news. The one real question is where it will be filmed and that is a definite hot local political potato for certain countries down under.
Blastr is reporting that Lucasfilm is remastering the entire Star Wars saga in 3D and then release in theatres. Check out the Blastr site for details. For additional information check out the Hollywood Reporter article on the same subject.
Cameron going to the bottom of the Marianne's Trench
Seattle in 2015 Worldcon Bid Exploration Opened
Alexander von Thorn has posted information about SWOC possibly touching it toe back into the Worldcon Bid process and seeing if Seattle could possibly host a 2015 worldcon. If this is of interest, visit his facebook note and add your thoughts.
movie and television series of Dark Tower
comes to Seattle Center this October
According to Hollywoodnews.com " Matthew Lewis was on hand ... to announce that Seattle would be the final stop in the traveling tour known as Harry Potter: The Exhibition. The exhibit is currently in Toronto, and will makes its way back to the States to reside at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle from October 23 until January 30, 2011." For the Harry Potter fans in the spitting distance this should come as welcome news and something to look forward to just before Halloween.
And in a slightly different vein, Hollywood news reports others having seen J.K.Rowling plunking away on her laptop at a coffeeshop and speculate on what she might be working on. Our suspicion is only the author herself knows for sure :-) On a different note it appears she has made mention that she does not preclude doing something else in the Harry Potter universe, just that she does not think she will do so at this time. Fingers crossed that she will find a way to do so sometime in the near future.
now to be known as ConClusion
Bobbie DuFault reports that "We won the 65th Westercon in 2012 and it will be in Seattle" or, rather, the Seattle area :-) For more details check out their web page or their facebook presence. As a past bid chair for a westercon and vice chair for the actual westercon I bid for I more than fully understand the work ahead for them and wish them all the luck and support they can use, with the certainty that northwest fandom is some of the best around and this will be one of the best westercons yet :-
Further details were passed on a link on facebook: Westercon 65 is to be called ConClusion in honor of the whole 2012 end of the world thing. The convention theme is A Step Out of Time. Many traditions speak of an end of time as we know it, but we present it as an end of life as we know it and the dawn of a new age..."
GeekGirlCon In the Works
GeekGirlCon going through its creation period. Via both Twitter and a new web site it has been announced that a convention for, by and about girl geek fandom is in the works for Seattle. When they have a clear date beyond MonthXX, 2011, Seattle I will list them in Northwest Cons.
Being Human, Primeval, Doctor Who and More
Oh, if you missed Primeval you can find out where to see past episodes and get ready for new ones. Yes, reports of their demise/aka cancellation were premature. Blastr reports "Primeval, ITV1 - Season 4 premieres in Britain in January 2011.
No word on when we'll see this British series in the States, but we will see it at some point. Two additional seasons are in production and set to premiere in Britain in January 2011" This is truly good news inasmuch as they left the then cancelled series on one heck of a cliff hanger. Nice to hear we may find out what the writers came up with and see a happier resolution for an ending and maybe a continuation of the fascinating premise for a genre series continuing for a pleasure :-) While checking additional information about Primeval on the BBCAmerica site, discovered this bit from the Primeval Wikipedia Article including a movie and a Canadian spinoff series " Plans for a feature film version of Primeval have been revealed by ITV with Warner Bros. reportedly having acquired the screen rights with Akiva Goldsman and Kerry Foster named as the producers. In August, 2010, Jonathan Drake, Managing Director of Impossible Films, confirmed rumours of a spin-off series. According to Drake, Impossible has entered a franchising deal with Canadian independent company, Omni Film Productions, to produce a Canadian version of the series. Drake said, "We won't be replacing the UK show in the international market but complementing it. It will provide a positive glow for our catalogue of existing Primeval shows. And if something were to happen to the UK version, the brand still survives." Star Trek: Enterprise writers Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens are expected to deliver scripts for the new series."
And as far as that other BBC America series, Doctor Who, check out the web page set aside for videos and trailers and confidentials for the new Doctor as we wait for his return after finishing up this run on a rather cataclysmic turn of events aka the second big bang :-) Blastr has a bit to say about the Doctor as well, including the Christmas show. The following trailer includes the whole enchilada of BBC dramas that includes among other things snippets of Doctor Who, Men In the Moon as well as bits and pieces from the previous two Doctor Who's in other BBC productions. Without making too many comments except to say that it should instill a bit of curiosity about what might be coming.
Quoting from BLASTR where I found this, " There are two short scenes of interest in the trailer; one with Michael Gambon (whose character, "Older Kazran," seems to be standing in for Charles Dickens' most famous literary creation: Ebenezer Scrooge) by himself, and the other one toward the end where the Harry Potter actor asks, "Who are you?" of the Doctor (Matt Smith). The Time Lord, sitting comfortably in an old-style leather chair and holding up a bunch of old papers, answers back: "I'm the ghost of Christmas Past."
Along with Matt Smith, Karen Gillan (Amy Pond) and Arthur Darvill (Rory Williams), the Doctor Who Christmas Special stars Michael Gambon and opera singer Katherine Jenkins (the blond woman in the white dress), who has an undisclosed role in the episode. The Ghost of Xmas Future or Present, perhaps?
In the trailer, we can also see more of Matt Smith, who will star in Christopher and His Kind (that's the part of the clip that shows him with the Nazi flags) later in the year. Former 10th Doctor David Tennant will star in Single Father, a drama that will air on Oct. 10 in the U.K., while former Ninth Doctor Christopher Eccleston will star in Accused. "
And I again note the Men In The Moon bit that looks interesting and copiously steampunkish :-)
And it is announced, Doctor Who will be filming part of its next season in the US. Check out the BBC web page for details.
For the press release I quote: " DOCTOR WHO TO FILM IN THE U.S. FOR THE FIRST TIME
Upcoming season's first two episodes to be set in the U.S. The BBC announced today that season six of Doctor Who, which delivered record ratings for BBC AMERICA earlier this year, will open with a spectacular two-parter set in the U.S. and penned by 'Who supremo' Steven Moffat. In the special two-parter co-produced with BBC AMERICA, key scenes will be filmed in Utah for a story set in the late '60s in which the Doctor, Amy and Rory find themselves on a secret summons that takes them on an adventure from the desert in Utah - right to the Oval Office itself."
Russel T. Davies has been giving out interviews on we can expect from Season 4 of Torchwood sited in part in the US as well as Cardiff. Check out the Inside Treker's story on all the details about what we might expect. There is definitelly a lot a buzz and if you are not a fan you should be :-)
And with another account about possible Torchwood content and release dates for Series 4, check out the Den of Geek article where Davies reveals it will have a dark flavor springboarding off of Children of the Earth.(In my estimation this is a good thing. I was mightily overwhelmed by the mini mini series and what it portrayed. Oh, and dramatically the writing was extraordinary, but that could be only my opinion) Also, it will be a ten hour collaboration between BBC and Starz and will screen in summer of 2011, presumably locally here in the US on Starz. This actually gives me hope that some of the adult aspects of this fine series can shine again and the envelope stretched into interesting story lines. Fingers crossed. And for additional insights, check out the SyFy Blastr article about the Six Ways the New Season of Torchwood Will Change Everything. And Blastr has added additional info via STARZ about what the new US Torchwood team will look like and gives hints at what we can expect. Let us just hope Davies is given free reign to let Captain Jack be all he can be :-) and Gwen will be there as well. Knowing how well he writes I suspect a lot of surprises are waiting in the wings.
Well, Season 2 of the extraordinary BBC Production of Merlin has concluded on an interesting high note with Merlin meeting and losing his father and Morgana disappearing in a previous episode. The promise of Season 3 is spelled out in the closing credits and we can look forward to expanded elements of the story line to come to play. Take a look at the teaser/Trailer and wait with baited breath for Merlins return to SyFy. And for the more adventurous, browse through a plethora of youtube videos relating both to past events and upcoming events in the Merlin universe.
Lest you are living somewhere out of the loop, the new and improved and darker trailer for the upcoming Deathly Hollow Harry Potter movie Part 1 is now available. If you were not already salivating over this movie, this will seal the case for setting aside your gold for seeing this the next Harry Potter movie. Only one left after this one. The good news is that sequel, the final one, will be available eight months after this one on July 15, 2011 sandwiched between Transformers 3 and Captain America: The First Avenger. For this and other 2011 release dates visit the Filmonic schedule of 2011 summer releases. And as a bit of a positive comment on the part of the producers of the movies, it has been decided that the first movie will not be released in 3D due to time crunch and disappointing results in trying to get the whole first movie into that format. The second and final movie in 2011 is still scheduled to be in full blown and glorious 3D. Applause to those that decided that the fans deserved the best version available. Check out the Washington Post article for details on this.
HBO should be applauded for taking on the task of making a live action series from George R.R.Martin's Game of Throne. Here is a short featurette on the upcoming 2011 series and some of the actors who will play in it along with the reaction of George R.R.Martin when he was invited onto the set.
New Theatrical Trailer for TRON: Legacy
This new trailer for TRON: Legacy is possibly the best yet. Bear in mind that the the actual cinematic movie's 3D technology is similar to that used on Avatar. So, going beyond this being a followup of one of the groundbreaking movies of its time, it will be one hell of a ride and a must see by any stretch of the imagination :-)
A New Priest Trailer
Sucker Punch Trailer
This is an IGN Analysis about a trailer that debuted at ComicCon with some definitely interesting footage about a movie called Sucker Punch that is slated to arrive March 2011. Bottom line, the image footage suggests a goulash of geek video elements that make it a definite possible. This, despite there is very little known about this project except that this is from the director of 300 and the Watchmen, Zack Snyder . And as an added note of interest as Zack Snyder is finishing up Sucker Punch he has just been tapped to do the newest reboot of Superman. Check out the BLASTR announcement on this. Whatever your opinion on the wisdom of trying to do a reboot in the first place, if anyone could breath new life into it, this director is the one,
Bad Robot doing a Robot Movie
For those that ever wondered why Bad Robot never did a movie about a robot, well, the time has come :-) . Watch Blockbuster preview report about J.J.Abrams and Bad Robot doing a movie from Boiler Plate the Mechanical Marvel. And, in case you did not catch the gist, this looks definitely like a steampunk outing. If you would like to read more or make a comment as they suggest, visit their site or go to the facebook page for the Boilerplate Historical Society