(Tor 978-1-250-17466-6, $25.99, 256pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, Feb 16, 2021)
Near-future thriller/SF novel. Scientist Evelyn Caldwell’s husband is having an affair with her own cloned replica.
Clones don’t seem quite as popular these days as they were back in the 1970s and ’80s, when we were treated on a fairly regular basis to stories about celebrity clones, spare-parts clones, hazardous-duty clones, doppelganger clones, identity-crisis clones, cheap-labor clones, ominous replacement clones, survivalist clones, posthuman clones,
tabula-rasa clones, and, inevitably, murder-mystery clones. Sarah Gailey touches upon that last in some ingenious ways in
The Echo Wife, a solidly written novel that gains more of its strength from the voice and conflicted character of its narrator than from its rather plot-contrived version of cloning technology.
Gina Carano says Lucasfilm pulled her from The Mandalorian press junket
February 16, 2021 by:
As the saga of Gina Carano continues, the actress wants to make sure that fans know her side of the story. It was just last week when it was announced that Carano, who played Rebel shock-trooper Cara Dune on
The Mandalorian, would no longer be employed by Lucasfilm due to a series of controversial social media posts. Since being let go from the
Star Wars spin-off show, Carano has been dropped by the UTA (United Talent Agency) and had her upcoming action figure canceled by Hasbro. Now she s has spoken with former New York Times writer Bari Weiss, revealing that she was given no warning about her firing and found out on social media that her relationship with Lucasfilm was terminated.
Shopping online is great, but nothing will ever beat going to the mall and trying out a massage chair at Sharper Image before stopping by Waldenbooks for the latest magazines.
Unfortunately, Sharper Image no longer exists. Neither does Waldenbooks. Teen clothing stores such as Delia s and Wet Seal are sadly also among the many memorable retail chains that have permanently shut their doors over the years.
So many of the once-beloved retail meccas that once occupied our suburban malls are now just nostalgic memories. While some companies have moved on to become online-only stores, others have barely left a digital trace, since they existed before the era of online shopping and social media.
Connie Willis has been awarded the 2021 Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. Service to SFWA Award, which “recognizes a member of SFWA who best exemplifies the ideal of service to his or her fellow members.” Willis has volunteered for mentorship roles in SFWA as well as the Emergency Medical Fund (EMF) and the Nebula Awards Rules committees. SFWA president Mary Robinette Kowal said:
Connie Willis is one of my favorite people. She’s been a tireless volunteer for SFWA for decades with clear, compassionate service. She makes every task lighter for those around her.
The award will be presented during SFWA’s 56th Annual SFWA Nebula Conference, to be held online June 4-6, 2021.
Graham Sleight (2015) by Francesca Myman
Publishing lead-times being what they are, the extraordinary events of 2020 largely weren’t reflected in the books that came out in the year – or at least, not intentionally. I managed to read a good deal of thought-provoking SF and fantasy this year, but some books seemed even more relevant than expected because of the pandemic-shuttered world they emerged into. How posterity will view them – let alone how it’ll view the books that’ll doubtless follow about COVID itself – is a question for another day.
Samit Basu’s
Chosen Spirits (Simon & Schuster India) offered a picture of India that was, its author insisted, both a dystopia and less bad than some alternatives. It certainly dug into the country’s culture and how it might change under the pressures bearing down on it.