So, Disney bought Lucasfilm today, for $4bn. Crazy, right? And then there’s the announcement, midway through the press release: a seventh Star Wars film, with a working title of Episode 7, presumably taking place after the close of Return of the Jedi.
Kathleen Kennedy, current Co-Chairman of Lucasfilm, will become President of Lucasfilm, reporting to Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn. Additionally she will serve as the brand manager for Star Wars, working directly with Disney’s global lines of business to build, further integrate, and maximize the value of this global franchise. Ms. Kennedy will serve as executive producer on new Star Wars feature films, with George Lucas serving as creative consultant. Star Wars Episode 7 is targeted for release in 2015, with more feature films expected to continue the Star Wars saga and grow the franchise well into the future.
Uh, wow.
The full press release can be read on The Walt Disney Company’s press site.
Publisher: Night Shade Books -
Pages: 288 -
Buy: Book/eBook
Beginning with Paolo Bacigalupi’s The Windup Girl three years ago, Night Shade Books has made a concerted effort to produce meaningful debut novels. 2011 was a bold year in that regard. God’s War by Kameron Hurley, subsequently nominated for a Nebula Award, was the mother ship of that movement. It’s the kind of novel that plants a flag, making a statement about the deficiencies of genre fiction and challenging societal perceptions as a matter of course.
Nyxnissa is a bounty hunter. She’s rather good at her job, mostly because she manages to chop off the heads of anyone dumb enough to get in her way. She’s got an unlucky team around her, headlined by the not so talented magician, Rhys, whose good looks and steady hands make up for his deficiencies. Once a government sponsored bel dame (assassin), Nyx has been down her luck for a while when she’s called before the Nasheen Queen to hunt down an alien who might have access to genetic technology that could end the never ending war between Chenja and Nasheen. Of course, her team isn’t the only one looking. Conflict ensues.
What makes God’s War such an accomplishment has little to do with plot. It is, in fact, somewhat of a failure as a narrative. The novel is littered with disjointed blanks that demand filling and the first fifty pages are more of a novella than the opening to a novel. Other details, like why Nyx’s team is so loyal to her and the relationships between Nyx and the various arms of the government, lack an equal amount of lucidity. What rescues the novel is Hurley’s unremitting authentic voice, the sheer audacity of her ideas, and brilliantly conceived and executed characters. Read More »
Ellen Datlow, a decorated short fiction editor known for her various award-winning anthologies, has been hired on as a Consulting Fiction Editor for Tor.com, the website announced today. She joins Ann VanderMeer, who joined the Tor.com team several weeks ago, also as a Consulting Fiction Editor.
Since 2008, Tor.com has been a leading market for science fiction and fantasy short fiction. Several of our stories have been Hugo and Nebula finalists, Charlie Jane Anders’ “Six Months, Three Days” won the Hugo Award for Best Novelette in 2012 and Kij Johnson’s “Ponies” won the Nebula in 2011. Since the beginning, much of our fiction has been acquired and edited by Patrick Nielsen Hayden. In 2010, Liz Gorinsky began buying and editing for the site, and earlier this year, Ann VanderMeer also joined our team.
Now, we’re pleased to announce that Ellen Datlow is joining us as a Consulting Fiction Editor!
You probably recognize Datlow’s name, but for those who don’t, you can probably look out your window on a dark and see the halo emanating from her trophy shelf, which includes a few Hugos, a Bram Stoker award, and a record-setting nine (9!) World Fantasy Awards. She’s edited more anthologies than you, me and that other guy combined, and is one of the most respected short fiction editors in the business. As with the hiring of VanderMeer, this is a good sign for those who are looking to submit short fiction to Tor.com, who has, in the past, had infuriatingly long wait times for submitted fiction. Not only is the team expanding, but the talent is growing significantly. One wonders what Tor.com is gearing up for by hiring these big name editors. Whatever it is, it’ll be good news all around for those who like to read (or write) short fiction.
You can find more about Datlow and her works on her official website.
Another solid effort from Daniel Dociu, Kirk Benshoff and Orbit Books. I’m glad to see them keeping continuity between covers, ’cause man, this series will look mighty fine on my bookshelf. Too bad there wasn’t a hardcover release…
Abaddon’s Gate is set for a June 2013 release.
Huh. Some interesting news out of NYC Comic Con:
The other big announcement was the reveal of a third book in the upcoming “Rebels” standalone novels, all of which focus on the main characters in the original trilogy and which take place between Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back.
The new book, focused on Han Solo, will be written by James S. A. Corey, otherwise known as Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, the authors of the well-received space opera Leviathan Wakes (and its recent sequel Caliban’s War).
Han Solo, Chewie, Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck all combining forces? Will this be the third Star Wars novel that I ever read? Maybe.
