New short fiction: “How to Become a Mars Overlord” by Catherynne M. Valente

The third (August 2010) issue of Lightspeed Magazine, a new, free, online science fiction publication edited by John Joseph Adams, has several pieces related to Mars. First, is “How to Become a Mars Overlord,” a sweeping short story written by Catherynne M. Valente that features some stellar writing and casts Mars in a brilliant metaphorical light. Here are the opening lines:

WELCOME, Aspiring Potentates! We are tremendously gratified at your interest in our little red project, and pleased that you recognize the potential growth opportunities inherent in whole-planet domination. Of course we remain humble in the face of such august and powerful interests, and seek only to showcase the unique and challenging career paths currently available on the highly desirable, iconic, and oxygen-rich landscape of Mars....

Interestingly, “How to Become a Mars Overlord” is also available as a podcast, narrated by Robin Sachs (mp3, 32 minutes).

Second, is an excellent interview with Valente in which she discusses the specifics of “How to Become a Mars Overlord.” Indispensable for simpletons like me who have difficulty seeing beyond the literary glare of stories.

Third, a nice piece of nonfiction titled “Dead Mars” by Pamela L. Gay.

All worth reading!

Podcast of Mike Resnick’s 2004 short story “A Princess of Earth” nominated for Parsec

A recent podcast of seasoned SF&F writer Mike Resnick’s ERB-inspired, Hugo Award-nominated short story “A Princess of Earth” by audio fiction magazine The Dunesteef has been nominated for a 2010 Parsec Award. The story, in which an aging widower is visited by John Carter of Mars, was originally published in the December 2004 issue of Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine. The Parsec Awards recognize excellence in speculative fiction podcasting and will be announced at Dragon*Con in Atlanta on Labor Day weekend.

[via SF Site]

TOC for new YA anthology Life on Mars: Tales from New Frontiers

Australian editor Jonathan Strahan has announced the table of contents for Life on Mars: Tales from New Frontiers, a new Young Adult science fiction anthology of futuristic stories that "takes as its leaping off point that we do go to Mars in 2040”:

• “Attlee and the Long Walk" by Kage Baker
• “The Old Man and the Martian Sea” by Alastair Reynolds
• “Wahala” by Nnedi Okorafor
• “On Chryse Plain” by Stephen Baxter
• “First Principle” by Nancy Kress
• “Martian Chronicles” by Cory Doctorow (novella)
• “Goodnight Moons” by Ellen Klages
• “The Taste of Promises” by Rachel Swirsky
• “Digging” by Ian McDonald
• “LARP on Mars” by Chris Roberson
• “Martian Heart” by John Barnes
• “Discovering Life” by Kim Stanley Robinson

Solid line-up of authors! Let's hope the cover, which has not yet been revealed, looks as good!

Life on Mars: Tales from New Frontiers is being published by Viking and, according to Amazon, is scheduled to be released in April 2011. Meanwhile, listen to Cory Doctorow read a working draft of his novella “Martian Chronicles,” which he deposited in the Internet Archive several months ago.

Pictured: Cover art of the August 1953 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction magazine, depicting "Dome repairs on Mars." Artwork by Mel Hunter.

[via Tinkoo Valia of Variety SF]

Podcast of Sean Monaghan’s 2009 SF-horror tale “The Stone Goddess”

Lame Goat Press has produced an excellent podcast of science fiction, fantasy and horror author Sean Monaghan’s short story “The Stone Goddess” (mp3, 13 min.), which was originally published in the anthology Horror Through the Ages (Lame Goat Press, 2009). Read by writer Barry J. Northern with an eerie background soundtrack by Monaghan, this chilling tale features a Mars-based researcher reeling from the death of his lover but still intent on finding the ever-elusive “holy grail” of Martian microbial life.



A creative writing tutor based in New Zealand, Monaghan is the author of two other speculative fiction pieces set on Mars: “Jerry and Monica’s Falling Out” (2009) and “Can’t You Find Anything Up There?” (2010), both of which were published on the free science fiction story site 365 tomorrows. For more about Monaghan's writing, check out his website, Venus Vulture.

Pictured: Horror Through the Ages (2009)

BBC Radio 7 to re-broadcast adaptation of Stephen Baxter’s 1996 novel Voyage

BBC Radio 7’s Seventh Dimension programme will re-broadcast a stellar 1999 radio adaptation of British hard science fiction author Stephen Baxter's award-winning alternate history novel Voyage (1996), in which President John F. Kennedy survives his assassination attempt and the first manned mission to Mars blasts off in the year 1985. Adapted by Dirk Maggs and starring William Roberts and Laurel Lefkow, Voyage will be broadcast in five 30-minute segments, from Monday, March 29, through Friday, April 3, 2010, at 6:00 pm and Midnight (GMT):

• 1969-71 Decision. The first manned Mars mission awaits in this alternative history of the US space programme.

• 1972-80 Trajectories. Geologist Natalie York battles for a seat on the first manned Mars mission.

• 1980 Apollo N. The first manned mission to Mars hangs on the NERVA nuclear booster test flight.

• 1981-85 Approaches. Natalie York's hopes of a seat on the first manned Mars mission look bleak.

• 1985-86 Project Ares. The first manned Mars mission blasts off on a perilous voyage of discovery.

Presumably, the broadcast will be archived and available on-demand for a very limited time through BBC7’s Listen Again feature. In other words, plan ahead!

A podcast of Colin P. Davies’ 2009 novelette “The Certainty Principle”

In celebration of its 200th episode, science fiction podcast website Beam Me Up aired a reading of “The Certainty Principle” (mp3, 54 min.), a recent novelette written by British SF author Colin P. Davies. Published in the February 2009 issue of Asimov’s Science Fiction magazine, "The Certainty Principle" revolves around a space naval officer named John Hale, who checks into the Red Planet Low-Gravity Retreat on Earth after being dishonorably discharged because of a fatal incident on Mars. A tale about the political and cultural tension between mother-born humans and vat-born beings, there’s plenty of action, a bit of romance, and even a sleek maroon Porsche!

Colin P. Davies is the author of two other stories about Mars: “A Touch of Earth” (1995) and “The Girl with the Four-Dimensional Head” (2004), both of which were published in his collection Tall Tales on the Iron Horse (2008).

Podcast of Joshua Reynolds’s 2008 short story “The Strange Affair of the Martian Engine”

Cossmass Infinities, a British podcast focusing on science fiction and fantasy short stories, has an excellent reading of “The Strange Affair of the Martian Engine” (mp3, 40 min.), a 2008 Steampunk short story written by Joshua Reynolds that stars “the lovely, ubiquitous, daring and sometimes morally ambiguous Countess Felluci” (pictured). Here are the opening lines of the story, as read by Rachel Beveridge, a college student and aspiring actress:

"Venusian?" the woman asked, poppy smoke curling out of her nostrils. She took another drag on the cigarette and glanced over her shoulder at the spare, short man with a big nose standing respectfully behind her. He smiled, displaying blunt, nicotine-colored teeth.

"Martian, Countess Felluci."

"Of course. So easy to get those fellows confused, donchaknow." She looked up at the strange, metal mechanism hanging from the ceiling of the dirigible hangar and waved a gloved hand for emphasis. She wore military jodhpurs and a lavender Hussar's jacket, buttoned to the neck. Leather gloves and knee-high riding boots completed the ensemble. It contrasted sharply to the little man's own rather hum-drum appearance. He could've been a banker or a lawyer, rather than a scientist...

Joshua M. Reynolds is a freelance writer affiliated with Pulpwork Press. He lives with his wife in London and maintains a LiveJournal and the blog Hunting Monsters.

[via Joel Jenkins of The Vaults of Caladrex]

Free audiobook publisher LibriVox seeks funds

Dearest LibriVox listeners, volunteers, & supporters:

For four-and-a-half years, LibriVox volunteers have been making audiobooks for the world to enjoy, and giving them away for free. We’ve made thousands of free audiobooks that have been downloaded by millions of people; our site gets 400,000 visitors every month. To date, all our costs have been borne by a few individuals, with some generous donations from partners. However, these costs have become too big...

Learn more about LibriVox and find out how you can make a donation! Award-winning Canadian science fiction author and copyright activist Cory Doctorow sez he kicked in $100!

Reading of Mike Resnick’s 2004 ERB-inspired short story “A Princess of Earth”

The most recent podcast from audio fiction magazine The Dunesteef includes a reading of SF&F author Mike Resnick’s Hugo Award-nominated short story “A Princess of Earth,” which was first published in the December 2004 issue of Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine. Here’s a synopsis of the story according to Fictionwise:

An aging widower is visited by John Carter, the main character from Edgar Rice Burroughs' A Princess of Mars, who delivers a cryptic message concerning the fate of his beloved wife.

Complete with music and sound effects, the reading of Resnick's “A Princess of Earth” starts at about the 1-minute mark of the podcast and runs through the 33rd minute.

[via Jesse Willis of SFFaudio]

Reading of Gustavo Bondoni’s 2008 flash fiction “The Elcano Syndrome”

Beam Me Up, a science fiction podcast website maintained by fan Paul Cole, recently produced Episode #193, which includes a reading by Argentinean author Gustavo Bondoni of his 2008 piece of flash fiction, “The Elcano Syndrome.” A story about a 21st-century gentleman explorer and his desire to scale Olympus Mons, the tallest mountain in the solar system, “The Elcano Syndrome” won the 2008 Marooned Award for Best Flash Fiction. Bondoni’s reading starts shortly after the 7:30 minute mark of the podcast.

[via John DeNardo of SF Signal]

Podcast of "Martian Chronicles," the new YA Mars story by Cory Doctorow (Part 9 of 9)

Thanks to Canadian blogger, copyright activist and SF author Cory Doctorow, you can listen to Part 9, the conclusion, of his podcast of “Martian Chronicles,” a new Young Adult short story that he is writing for Australian editor Jonathan Strahan's forthcoming YA Mars anthology, Life on Mars (2010). According to Doctorow, “It's a story about the colonization of Mars by free-market absolutists and the video-games they play.” Download Part 9 (MP3, 10 min) from Archive.org, or stream it through this toolbar:



In case you missed them, here are the links to download the MP3 files for Part 1 (7 min.), Part 2 (15 min), Part 3 (14 min), Part 4 (22 min), Part 5 (27 min), Part 6 (13 min), Part 7 (20 min) and Part 8 (15 min).

Podcast of "Martian Chronicles," the new YA Mars story by Cory Doctorow (Part 8)

Thanks to Canadian blogger, copyright activist and SF author Cory Doctorow, you can listen to Part 8 of his podcast of “Martian Chronicles,” a new Young Adult short story that he is writing for Australian editor Jonathan Strahan's forthcoming YA Mars anthology, Life on Mars (2010). According to Doctorow, “It's a story about the colonization of Mars by free-market absolutists and the video-games they play.” Download Part 8 (MP3, 15 min.) from Archive.org, or stream it through this toolbar:



In case you missed them, here are the links to download the MP3 files for Part 1 (7 min.), Part 2 (15 min.), Part 3 (14 min.), Part 4 (22 min.), Part 5 (27 min.), Part 6 (13 min.) and Part 7 (20 min.).

Podcast of "Martian Chronicles," the new YA Mars story by Cory Doctorow (Part 7)

Thanks to Canadian blogger, copyright activist and SF author Cory Doctorow, you can listen to Part 7 of his podcast of “Martian Chronicles,” a new Young Adult short story that he is writing for Australian editor Jonathan Strahan's forthcoming YA Mars anthology, Life on Mars (2010). According to Doctorow, “It's a story about the colonization of Mars by free-market absolutists and the video-games they play.” Download Part 7 (MP3, 20 min.) from Archive.org, or stream it through this toolbar:


In case you missed them, here are the links to download the MP3 files for Part 1 (7 min.), Part 2 (15 min.), Part 3 (14 min.), Part 4 (22 min.), Part 5 (27 min.) and Part 6 (13 min.)

BBC podcast of Robert A. Heinlein's 1947 short story "The Green Hills of Earth"

BBC Radio 7’s Seventh Dimension recently broadcast a reading of Robert A. Heinlein’s classic short story “The Green Hills of Earth” (1947), a tale about Rhysling, a poetic radiation-blinded spaceship engineer who travels the solar system writing and singing songs. The 30-minute broadcast will be available for the next few days as a streaming podcast through BBC7’s Listen Again feature.

Here are some lines from "The Grand Canal", a song about Mars, taken from Heinlein’s story:

Podcast of "Martian Chronicles," the new YA Mars story by Cory Doctorow (Part 6)

Canadian blogger, copyright activist and SF author Cory Doctorow is off on holiday, but he left us a present: Part 6 of his podcast of “Martian Chronicles,” a new Young Adult short story that he is writing for Australian editor Jonathan Strahan's forthcoming YA Mars anthology, Life on Mars (2010). According to Doctorow, “It's a story about the colonization of Mars by free-market absolutists and the video-games they play.” Download Part 6 (MP3, 13 min.) from Archive.org, or stream it through this toolbar:


In case you missed them, here are the links to download the MP3 files for Part 1 (7 min.), Part 2 (15 min.), Part 3 (14 min.), Part 4 (22 min.) and Part 5 (27 min.).

Podcast of "Martian Chronicles," the new YA Mars story by Cory Doctorow (Part 5)

Thanks to Canadian blogger, copyright activist and SF author Cory Doctorow, you can listen to Part 5 of his podcast of “Martian Chronicles,” a new Young Adult short story that he is writing for Australian editor Jonathan Strahan's forthcoming YA Mars anthology, Life on Mars (2010). According to Doctorow, “It's a story about the colonization of Mars by free-market absolutists and the video-games they play.” Download Part 5 (MP3, 27 min.) from Archive.org, or stream it through this toolbar:



In case you missed them, here are the links to download the MP3 files for Part 1 (7 min.), Part 2 (15 min.), Part 3 (14 min.) and Part 4 (22 min.).

Podcast of "Martian Chronicles," the new YA Mars story by Cory Doctorow (Part 4)

Thanks to Canadian blogger, copyright activist and SF author Cory Doctorow, you can listen to Part 4 of his podcast of “Martian Chronicles,” a new Young Adult short story that he is writing for Australian editor Jonathan Strahan's forthcoming YA Mars anthology, Life on Mars (2010). According to Doctorow, “It's a story about the colonization of Mars by free-market absolutists and the video-games they play.” Download Part 4 (MP3, 22 min.) from Archive.org, or stream it through this toolbar:



In case you missed them, here are the links to download the MP3 files for Part 1 (7 min.), Part 2 (15 min.) and Part 3 (14 min.) from Archive.org. Enjoy!

Old time radio: Adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s 1950 short story "Outcast of the Stars"

Back in January 1952, the radio program NBC Presents: Short Story broadcast “The Rocket,” a 30-minute adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s short story “Outcast of the Stars” (1950, variant title "The Rocket"), which was originally published in the March 1950 issue of Super Science Stories magazine. According to old time radio aficionado Bob Camardella, the adaptation is about “a poor man who runs a junkyard [and] wants nothing more in life than to travel to Mars." Enjoy!

Podcast of "Martian Chronicles," the new YA Mars story by Cory Doctorow (Part 3)

Thanks to Canadian blogger, copyright activist and SF author Cory Doctorow, you can listen to Part 3 of his podcast of “Martian Chronicles,” a new Young Adult short story that he is writing for Australian editor Jonathan Strahan's forthcoming YA Mars anthology, Life on Mars (2010). According to Doctorow, “It's a story about the colonization of Mars by free-market absolutists and the video-games they play.” You can download Part 3 (MP3, 14 min.) from Archive.org, or stream it through this toolbar:



In case you missed it, here are the links to download Part 1 (MP3, 7 min.) and Part 2 (MP3, 15 min.) from Archive.org. Enjoy!

Podcast of "Martian Chronicles," a new YA Mars story by Cory Doctorow (Part 2)

Thanks to Canadian blogger, copyright activist and SF author Cory Doctorow, you can listen to him read Part 2 (MP3, 14 min.) of his podcast of “Martian Chronicles,” a new Young Adult short story that he is writing for Australian editor Jonathan Strahan's forthcoming YA Mars anthology, Life on Mars (2010). According to Doctorow, “It's a story about the colonization of Mars by free-market absolutists and the video-games they play.”