Known for his literary novels, science fiction and personal politics, Iain M. Banks will be in conversation LIVE in Sydney via Skype on 6 October for the release of his new novel SURFACE DETAIL published by Orbit.

Iain M. Banks’ highly publicised political actions have included tearing up his passport and posting it to 10 Downing Street, in protest of England's invasion of Iraq. As a stand for the environment he sold off his extensive car collection (including a Porsche Boxster, Jaguar Mark II and BMW M5) and doesn’t travel by plane.

Fortunately technology enables this special live Iain M. Banks event to occur in Sydney via Skype, so be sure not to miss this one-off event!

Date: Wed 6 October
Time: 6pm for 6:30pm
Cost: $10/$7 conc
Venue: Gleebooks, 29 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe
Bookings: (02) 9660 2333

Join us for the following Aurealis events at WorldCon on Sunday 5 September:

Launch of the Classic Australian SF series
11.00 in Room 203 with Jack Dann master of ceremonies

Classic Australian SF Panel
12.00 in Room 217 with Lucy Sussex, Ian Irvine and Sean McMullen

20 Years of Aurealis Panel
3.00 in Room 217 with Dirk Strasser, Stephen Higgins, Michael Pryor, Keith Stephenson, Stuart Mayne

And come to visit us at the Aurealis table in the Dealer’s Room at any time during the WorldCon (Thursday 2 September to Monday 6 September).

Dan Sultan, Ursula Yovich, Maggie Noonan, Shane Howard and Megan Washington will play the second Songs for Stories benefit concert on Sunday 22 August at 7:30pm at the Melbourne Town Hall, Swanston Street.

Hosted by bestselling children’s author Andy Griffiths, Songs for Stories is a celebration of words and music to raise urgently needed funds for books and literacy resources in remote Indigenous communities.

Songs for Stories is an initiative of The Indigenous Literacy Project (ILP) in association with the Melbourne Writers Festival. Tickets are $65 and available now through the MWF Federation Square Box Office on 03 9999 1199 or online.

Have a look at the book trailer for Classic Australian SF http://www.youtube.com/user/MichaelJPryor

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).