As you will see there are big changes on the front page of the Aurealis website. Chimaera Publications are soon to publish a six book series of Classic Australian SF, which can be pre-ordered via the website. The most notable change will be found within the shopping cart, once you have ordered from the Aurealis website. We now accept online payment of orders only via PayPal. You can still make cheque payments (made out to Chimaera Publications) via mail.

PayPal is a safe, easy way to pay and get paid online in any way they prefer: via credit cards, bank accounts, buyer credit or account balances.

If you don't already have a free PayPal account you can join here.

 

As if inter and intra-galactic politics weren't enough, then there was Star Wars vs Star Trek, and now we find ourselves in an era of sci-fi spin-offs, remakes, revivals and reincarnations, from small screen to silver screen, live action to 3D.

Join the voyage through the Stargates, Star Treks, Battlestars and Dr Whos with Oscar Hillerström (Empire, Rotten Tomatoes, Popcorn Taxi and 'Captain' of SCI FI Channel Australia's website), Adam Richard (comedian, TV and radio personality) and Jane Badler (famed for her role as 'Diana' in the original series of V) as they answer the questions we don't dare ask.

ACMI, Studio 1 Federation Square Melbourne, Thursday 29 July, 7pm, tickets from ACMI Full $14 Concession $11.

 

The Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award for the best short science fiction of the year was established in 1987 by James Gunn, Director of the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas.

The Sturgeon Award Winners for 2010 are:
1st "Shambling Towards Hiroshima," by James Morrow
2nd (tie) "Things Undone," by John Barnes
2nd (tie) "This Wind Blowing, and This Tide," by Damien Broderick
2nd (tie) "As Women Fight," by Sara Genge

Australia's Damien Broderick's story can be found in Jonathan Strahan's The Best SF and Fantasy of the Year Vol. 4 (Night Shade Books).

 

ABC RN's Artworks on Nawlz, a near future sci-fi interactive online comic by Stu Campbell http://bit.ly/a6G7Xj   

"Out among the Red Men" ABC RN's Hindsight on 19th C literary trend of lost civilisations in the centre of Australia http://bit.ly/bMo96k   

TwelfthPlanetCast Ep 5 features Tansy Rayner Robert's upcoming story in Sprawl http://bit.ly/bAsPLf   

Writer on the Verge interview with NZ author Mary Victoria by Blake Charleton http://bit.ly/bRZsoM Also @VoyagerBooks http://bit.ly/dhpQgI   

"A different view" – MCV – Melbourne Community Voice for Gay and Lesbian Readers http://bit.ly/bN79vH   

All welcome at Worlds Next Door book launch, Aug 19 in Rockingham – details here: http://bit.ly/9K5XgA

In July's Good Reading Magazine (@GoodReading) "Steampunk. What is it?" by Michael Pryor. And it looks like the digital edition is now iPad friendly.

Says Trent Jamieson (@trentonomicon): "Think I missed the point with my book trailer" http://yfrog.com/mrx7dzj

From Solaris Books: Rowena Cory Daniells now has a twitter account! Go follow her, make her feel welcome! @rcdaniells (via @readinasitting)

Here's Tansy Rayner Robert's Creature Court Trilogy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-h18RVylmXw (via Kaaron Warren)

Melina Marchetta interviewed by her mentoree Jessica Flood for NSW Writers' Centre http://bit.ly/aCUrTT Also link to her class on July 24th.

Writing Graphic Novels with Chewie Chan at NSW Writers Centre, 15 August http://bit.ly/bUeC4Q

Weblog items appear first at our Twitter page: http://twitter.com/aurealisXpress

SpecFaction NSW co-convenor Nathan Burrage has announced that nominations are now open for the 2010 Aurealis Awards. Entry forms are available from the Aurealis Awards website.

 

NSW Writers Centre workshop "Writing the Fantastical" with Kate Forsyth. In the course, Kate will take participants through the many sub-genres of fantasy fiction along with practical techniques for creating fantasy fiction. The one-day course runs from 10am-4pm Sunday 8 August here at the NSW Writers Centre at Balmain Rd, Rozelle and costs $140 (full price), $100 (members) and $85 (concession members).

 

The Aurealis offices with be closed from 27 June – 4 July and will be open again from 5 July.

 

Weblog items appear first at our Twitter page: http://twitter.com/aurealisXpress
This is just a small selection of the items posted.

Check it out: Aurealis Magazine has a Facebook Page http://bit.ly/ax0oDx

Read Gary Kemble's Bug Hunt and other "One Book Many Brisbanes 5" winning stories http://bit.ly/bzMNU0

Big 4 Interviews at Burn Bright: Richard Harland, Isobelle Carmody, Alison Goodman, Kate Forsyth, Kim Wilkins  http://bit.ly/9owy6c and Margo Lanagan http://bit.ly/bLFWcB

Voyager Online reports that Maria Quinn, author of The Gene Thieves, has passed away http://bit.ly/dimGCC

Free wallpaper from Professional Artist Hugo nominee Shaun Tan at Tor.com http://bit.ly/abVpIt

Read Alert has details/links/video about the adaptation for film of Shaun Tan's The Lost Thing http://bit.ly/cAphs0

Email or tweet us details of your Oz SF-related events for our aurealisXpress Blog Calendar http://bit.ly/a0htl3

Garth Nix – "Adapt or perish: why authors need to prepare for the e-book era" http://bit.ly/aYQhoO

The following updates and details are now available at the Aussiecon 4 website.

* A Customs Broker has been appointed.

* The program participant and program ideas forms are now online.

* Art Show bookings are open.
        
* Dealers Room bookings are open.

* Fan table bookings are open.

* Short Story Competition closing 31 May.
       
* Site Selection voting open.

* Hotel Bookings.

* Disability Services: register your needs.

* See who else is attending other than the Guests of Honour.

 

After 15 years the Aurealis Awards, Australia's premier awards for Speculative Fiction, finally make it to Sydney. Chimaera Publications, the publishers of Aurealis magazine and owner of the Aurealis Awards and book imprint, have reached agreement for SpecFaction NSW Inc to administer the Awards for 2010.

The Awards’ founder, Dirk Strasser says, “Fantastic Queensland took the Aurealis Awards to a new level during its six years, and all the signs indicate that SpecFaction NSW Inc will maintain this standard of excellence. With Sydney now joining past hosts Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, we can truly claim the Aurealis Awards as fully national.”

To allow sufficient time for entries this year, the nomination period will extend to 31 December 2010 and the Awards ceremony will be late April/early May 2011.

The Awards website will continue to be at www.aurealisawards.com. The Co-convenors are Nathan Burrage and Susan Wardle, and general queries should go to nscrypt@gmail.com until the website has been updated. If you wish to register an expression of interest in being on one of the judging panels for this year, please email the Judging Coordinator, Keith Stevenson, at aajudges@optusnet.com.au.