Tuesday, May 30, 2006

New blog for Science Fiction and Fantasy Research Database

Hal Hall, of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Research Database, Texas A&M University, writes:

"When I dipt into the future far as human eye could see.."

Science Fiction and Fantasy Research database has been up on the web since July 2000. With some good fortune, it will remain up and running for 4 more years before change becomes inevitable. However...

Change is coming, and planning for change is an issue on my mind. Planning for a significant change also takes time, and planning is always best with good information, so I am coming to these participants of these listservs as sources of information, opinion, and advice.

To do so, I have embarked on an experiment in contemporary communication - a Web Log, or Blog. The blog, titled Science Fiction and Fantasy Research Database, may be used at:
http://sffrd.blogspot.com/

This tool will allow the capture of comments very effectively, and in a form I can use with the various administrators who may be involved in any decisions on the future.

There may be other options than the ones I have noted on the Blog; please feel free to propose any new ideas.

The other element of decision-making is the value of the Database to the community. Your comments regarding that matter will be of use to the administrators, also.

Thank you for your time. Hall

Monday, March 27, 2006

Science Fiction Book Club website

Gregory Pickersgill has started a website devoted to the history of the (British) Science Fiction Book Club. It's proving to be a useful and interesting resource. A remarkable amount of publishing history vanishes simply because people never get round to recording it, and in the discussions around the SFBC people began to discover how much they didn't know about an institution which introduced sf to many people who were not part of the established science fiction scene (and not a few who subsequently became so.

You can find the site at http://www.gostak.org.uk/sfbc/sfbcindex.htm

Friday, February 24, 2006

"About SF" resource centre

JIM GUNN, of the Center for the Study of Science Fiction, University of Kansas, writes:

"Through funds contributed by SFRA, SFWA, Tor Books, and a couple of individuals, we have implemented an idea proposed by David Brin to create a half-time graduate position here as a Coordinator of Volunteer SF Activities. The first person to hold that position is Thomas Seay, a graduate student pursuing an MFA. The first fruit of that project is the aboutsf.com website. The most complete part of the project is the Speakers Service. Any of you who are willing to give talks about SF, particularly at local schools but in statewide or national venues as well, can list your names on the site and indicate what topics you are qualified to address and a range of honoraria. You can read more about it on the site.

We also hope to make the site a repository for information about the teaching of SF at the primary, secondary, and university levels."