We have finalists in the Ignyte awards, Locus awards, some upcoming release dates for new Green Bone Saga stories and why our guest host Robb Dunewood rom the SMR podcast has stopped worrying and learned to love the Murderbot.
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WHAT ARE WE DRINKING?
Tom: Suntory All-Free
Robb: Curious Elixir Number 4
QUICK BURNS
Mark: Finalists for the 2021 Ignyte Awards were announced today, April 22, on Twitter by FIYAH Litererary Magazine
Silvana: FIYAHCon tickets on sale! The fringe event is free, though based on last year, going to the main event is worth every penny :) (FIYAH is a magazine of black speculative fiction)
Mark: LeVar Burton to Guest Host ‘Jeopardy!’ the week of July 26
John (Taloni) Fugitive Telemetry, the sixth Murderbot book, is now out!
Mark: The Locus Science Fiction Foundation has announced the top ten finalists in each category of the 2021 Locus Awards. The Locus Awards winners will be announced June 26, 2021, during the virtual Locus Awards Weekend.
Mark: Jade Legacy by Fonda Lee, the final chapter of the Green Boone Saga, has a release date: November 30 in the US and Canada, December 2 in the UK.
Ms. Lee will also release three Green Bone Saga prequel short stories in September, October and November And in April 2022, The Jade Setter of Janloon, a standalone noir mystery novella set in the Green Bone Saga world, will be published by Subterranean Press.
BARE YOUR SWORD
Trike had an excellent response on Goodreads regarding the question of the rise of the category of Young Adult. here's part of that response
"The first book targeted specifically at teens was Seventeenth Summer by Maureen Daly, in 1942. Publishers were split between calling teen-focused books “juveniles” and “teen reads” through the 40s and 50s, with Robert Heinlein’s 1947-1958 juveniles being among the few which weren’t either romance-themed (“teen reads”) for girls or sports-themed (“juveniles”) for boys.
The ALA created the Young Adult Services Division in 1957. Later that year publishers began calling their juveniles “Young Adult Novels”. Le Guin’s A Wizard of Earthsea (1968) is considered one of the first “modern” YA books, tackling mature themes but aimed at teens.
Look at sci-fi, being all up in there first."
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Joseph added "IIRC, the public library that I went to when I was growing up (so, 1970s into 1980s) had a children's room (with the picture books and the chapter books kind of split up from each other) and a section in a nearby room that was called "teen" but which was functionally the same as what would be YA these days -- kind of that junior high/high school range of books. "
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terpkristin: I liked how Jenny mentioned listening to the Murderbot novellas in the shower. In the before times, I would go to the gym and listen to podcasts while I worked out. There were TVs everywhere and music playing overhead, so I couldn't focus on books. But since covid lockdowns started, I workout on the elliptical in my basement and I listen to books. I wasn't really every super excited about the Murderbot books, but now that one is the pick, I'll probably listen to the novellas while I workout before I start the book. Of course, while I'm in the shower I usually listen to podcasts (but this podcast was while waiting to get bloodwork done this morning). ;) :P
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And if you're worried about Jenny electrocuting herself listenign to podcasts int he shower, rest assured. She clarified "I have the BOOM/Polk Swimmer duo that wraps around my shower caddy very well, and also has a fast forward feature to get through obnoxious commercials on podcasts. "
BOOK OF THE MONTH DISCUSSION
KICK OFF
Network Effect: A Murderbot Novel (The Murderbot Diaries)
Book briefing
MelissaMelody in Discord: This is the most recent book in the series tho, and having read the series it is rather dependent on the previous novellas....
Roberator in Discord: I dont' feel like you need to read ALL of the novellas, but I feel like 2 and 3 are pretty important. and if you're going to read those 2, you should read the first.. and if you've read the first 3...
BethMitcham in Discord: If you decide to go back and read the novellas you will have the pleasure of knowing where things are going, which is a joy those of us who read in order will never have. Swings and roundabouts.
SMR Podcast
ADDENDUMS
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