Little Brother by Cory Doctorow: Get It

Before I begin: you’ve all got copies of Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother already right? It recently won (jointly with Ian MacLeod’s “Song of Time”) the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel of 2009, and the Prometheus Award for libertarian SF; it has also been shortlisted/nominated for the Locus Awards and the Hugo Awards; it’s been praised by Neil Gaiman, Elizabeth Bear, Brian K. Vaughn, John Scalzi and Scott Westerfield.

And oh, did I mention you can get the ebook for free?

I’ll be working on a more detailed review for POC, but for now I just want to let people know (or remind them if, like me, knowing it’s there and free makes them keep putting it off) and encourage everyone to give it a read. I wouldn’t place its craftsmanship and prose on my “Top” lists, but it is a stimulating, galvanizing read. As fiction it’s adequate, but as speculation, manual, manifesto and catalyst–it’s high, high up indeed.

Oh, and while we’re on the topic of Cory Doctorow, don’t forget that his latest book, Makers, is being serialized online free of charge by the good folks at Tor.com.

Filipino Fantastic – Link Roundup (19 April 2009)

Some news and opportunities for fans and creators of the Filipino Fantastic:

FICTION:

Coffee Black – a new story is up at Tales from the Diabolical (where writer-creator Budjette Tan releases fiction set in the Trese universe. This one featuring bar tender Hank.

(taken from the story page, copyright to sirs Budjette and Kajo)

Sunday Inquirer Feature on A Time for Dragons – (via Village Idiot Savant and PGS): Hurray for main stream press coverage! The article is by Ruel S. De Vera and features a bit of an interview with editor Vin Simbulan.

KOMIKS:

The Ancient Age: Speaking of A Time for Dragons, the ever-talented artist of that anthology, Mr. Andrew Drillon, has been hard at work on a contribution to a Free Comic Book Day anthology called the Ancient Age from Wide Awake Press.

Wilson Tortosa’s Wolverine Manga - (via Komiks News Now) Marvel seems set to make a new attempt at a manga-version of wolverine, and this time it will be drawn by one of our very own, Mr. Wilson Tortosa (whose deviantart page we previously featured).

Darna Museum Rises in Laguna -(via Komiks News Now) Whoa. Apparently Mr. Herbert Chavez has put up a museum (Museuo Adarna) devoted to the most famous of Pinoy Superheroines (no, you’re not quite up there yet Zsa Zsa).

OPPORTUNITIES:

I found two good ones over at Looking for Juan - the official blog of Canvas, the publishing house.

Goethe Institute Seminar/Workshop: the Goethe Institute has invited some illustrators to give a three day seminar/workshop on children’s books illutration and design here in Manila, in connection with the  Zeitgenössische Bilderbuchillustration,” an exhibition of contemporary illustration in picture books touring through Goethe Institutes all over the world which will travel to Manila in June to mid July 2009.

Pacific Rim Friendship Park: Canvas is looking for someone who can help document the building of the Philippines’ Pacific Rim Friendship Park. You can learn more about the project here and here, but Canvas describes the Park rather succinctly as Survivor-Meets-Habitat-for-Humanity.