John Flanagan has got quite a bit of press recently on the release of The Battle for Skandia in the US and news that the series has been optioned by director Paul Haggis.

Carissa's Weblog

From ABC RN's Breakfast Show:The Magic Pudding turns 90

"It is 90 years since renowned artist Norman Lindsay wrote the classic Australian children's book The Magic Pudding. The artist himself called the book a 'little bundle of piffle' and wrote it only to win a bet: whether children preferred stories about fairies or about food."

Available for streaming or download.

Carissa's Weblog

Speculative and fantasy fiction continues to grow in popularity with readers of all ages. How do writers create engaging and believable worlds? How do characters contribute to world-building and what cultural influences are at play?

This is what the focus will be at the Sydney Writers Festival event in Blacktown City on Tuesday, May 20 from 6.30pm.

The Sydney Writers Festival is in its 11th year and will see many of the world's greatest writers and thinkers converge in Sydney at the many events and activities taking place – including Blacktown City.

From ABC Radio's The Philosopher's Zone, a conversation with author Bernard Beckett about his novel Genesis in which Plato's philosophy is put into practice. It's available for download, streaming, or as a transcript.

Carissa's Weblog

Jack Dann's Wizards (called Dark Alchemy here and in the UK) that he co-edited with Gardner Dozois has just been shortlisted for the Shirley Jackson Award.

Mark S Deniz has a number of interviews with Australians in SF, including most recently Kaaron Warren, Martin Livings and Nathan Burrage. Check out the "Stars of Speculative Fiction" category on his blog for other interviews.

Carissa's Weblog

Voyager Online has an interview with K E Mills that appeared earlier in Bookseller + Publisher Magazine.

They are also featuring guest blog posts from authors such as Kylie Chan (also), Fiona McIntosh, and Sara Douglass.

Carissa's Weblog

From The Book Show on ABC Radio National, two recent episodes featuring interviews with Jeff Vandermeer on Steampunk and Ursula K. Le Guin on her new book Lavinia. Both episodes are available for streaming or download, but only for a limited time.

Carissa's Weblog

A series of new book reviews have recently been posted on the website.

Eos Books Blog has Greg Egan's Hugo-nominated story Glory available for download.

Carissa's Weblog