Robert J. Sawyer

Hugo and Nebula Award-Winning Science Fiction Writer

Archive for the 'Uncategorized' Category

Actual fill-it-in Aurora ballot now available

Monday, September 10th, 2007

The actual fill-it-in-and-mail-it ballot for the Aurora Awards is now available online as a PDF here. If you’re an attending member of VCon in Vancouver, voting is free; otherwise, it’s Cdn$6.00 to vote — the fees go entirely to pay for the Aurora Awards trophies (which are gorgeous and are designed and built by the […]

Another example of how not to do it

Sunday, September 9th, 2007

This query, with attached manuscript, showed up in my email box today, and, yes, it was in all-caps: DEAR SIR/MADAM I AM A MEMBER OF WINNING WRITERS , USA. I PICKED YOUR CONTACT DETAILS FROM ONE OF THE WIINING WRITERS WEBSITES RECENTLY.. What did our hapless wannabe do wrong? 1. “Dear Sir/Madam” — No. Address […]

Cathy Palmer-Lister and On-Site Aurora Voting at Con*Cept

Sunday, September 9th, 2007

Cathy Palmer-Lister, the chair of Con*Cept, the Montreal regional SF convention, agreed several days ago to having on-site voting for the Auroras this year at Con*Cept (in addition to the on-site voting at VCon in Vancouver, the actual venue for the Aurora ceremony this year). The world should note that having on-site voting at Con*Cept […]

I was not in Japan this year

Sunday, September 9th, 2007

So, now there’s a rumor that a fan saw me in Kyoto around the time of the Worldcon in Yokohama. I was NOT — absolutely not — in Japan at any time this year. Jeepers, if I was in Japan, you think I’d pass up the chance to go to Worldcon? Besides the fact that […]

CanadianSF.com has links to Aurora nominees

Saturday, September 8th, 2007

The final ballot of the Aurora Awards is now available, at long last. I’ve added a wiki version of the list of finalists to the Canadian SF Works Database that Marcel Gagné and I created earlier this year. If you know of a nominated work that is available online, go there and add a hyperlink […]

Jet-Lag Sucks!

Saturday, September 8th, 2007

After two weeks in China, Carolyn and I are struggling mightily with Jet-lag. It’s 15 hours earlier here in Dawson than it is in Beijing, and our internal clocks are not adjusting. We finally got to sleep at 7:00 a.m. this morning and got up at almost 2:00 this afternoon — which would have been […]

100th Award Nomination

Friday, September 7th, 2007

With the just-announced nomination of my short story “Biding Time” for Canada’s Aurora Award, I’ve hit a major career milestone: my 100th award nomination. It’s a number that astonishes and delights me, and it breaks down thus (the number in brackets is actual wins): Analog Analytical Laboratory Award: 1 (1) Aurora Award: 33 (9) Barry […]

Astronomicon canceled?

Wednesday, September 5th, 2007

It looks like Astronomicon, the wonderful little SF con in Rochester, New York, has been canceled for this year. It was to have been November 9-11, 2007, but that info is gone from their website, which now says “Our next convention will be held in November, 2008.” I was guest of honor at Astronomicon 5 […]

Back at Berton House

Tuesday, September 4th, 2007

After a wonderful two-week trip to China, Carolyn and I are back at Berton House in Dawson, Yukon. We’ll be here for 24 more days. I still plan to get more pictures and commentary up about the Chengdu SF conference, but for now — back to work on my novel! The Robert J. Sawyer Web […]

A Call for On-Site Aurora Voting at Con*Cept

Monday, September 3rd, 2007

A Call for On-Site Aurora Voting at Con*Cept We now face a major crisis — yet again — related to the credibility of the Aurora Awards, thanks to the tardiness of release of the final ballot. The facts: 1) For good or ill, VCon, the convention at which the Aurora Awards will be presented in […]

Dennis Mullin rescinds his promise

Sunday, September 2nd, 2007

Yup, that’s right: Dennis promised — his word — that he’d FINALLY have the Aurora Ballot done by Labor Day. But apparently that’s not to be; the promise has disappeared from the Aurora website, to be replaced with: “Apologies for the delays. 2007 voting ballot will become available later this week. As well as mail-in […]

Paleozoological Muesum of China

Sunday, September 2nd, 2007

Today, Sunday, September 2, was our last full day in Beijing. Once again, the wonderful Juana and Dede were our guides. We started with shopping (well, the women shopped — I parked myself in the English-language bookstore and browsed). Then it was off to lunch at a restaurant Juana recommended — terrific. After that it […]

Beijing: Summer Palace, Kung Fu

Sunday, September 2nd, 2007

Yesterday (Saturday, September 1, 2007) Carolyn and I were met at our hotel (the Park Plaza Beijing) by Juana, a lovely woman who had worked as a translator at the Chengdu SF conference, and her friend Dede — and also by a wonderful guide we’d hired for the day who used the western name Remington. […]

Worldcon in Montreal in 2009

Saturday, September 1st, 2007

Yay! I, of course, am thrilled! Montreal Worldcon Homepage The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

Beijing Book Fair and Sightseeing

Friday, August 31st, 2007

A provocative banner outside the Beijing Book Fair We began today by making an appearance at the Beijing International Book Fair. No sooner had we arrived than we ran into Neil Gaiman, who accompanied us to the Canadian Publishing booth, where Fitzhenry & Whiteside, and my Robert J. Sawyer Books imprint, were very well represented. […]

Rob at Harbourfront

Friday, August 31st, 2007

I will be reading at the International Festival of Authors at Harbourfront in October. More details as I get them, but information about the Festival is here. This is one of the largest and most prestigious writers’ festivals in the world, and I’m thrilled to be part of it again. The Robert J. Sawyer Web […]

Neil Gaiman blogs China conference

Friday, August 31st, 2007

Neil Gaiman also attended the Chengdu Science Fiction and Fantasy Conference, and he’s much further ahead in getting it blogged than I am. Check out his excellent reportage here, and in the other posts Neil links to at the end of that one. The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

Great Wall of China

Thursday, August 30th, 2007

Yesterday (Thursday, August 30, 2007), Carolyn and I hired a driver and guide to take us on the road trip to a portion of The Great Wall of China, and we hiked along the wall. This was, I think, the hardest physical exercise I’ve ever done. It was boiling hot, the sun was beating down […]

Pandamonium

Wednesday, August 29th, 2007

I promise to post lots more pictures of my China trip when I have a chance, but for now, here’s one: that’s a real live panda bear in my lap. Do I have the coolest job in the world, or what? ;) The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

CBC Radio podcasts RJS

Wednesday, August 29th, 2007

CBC Radio’s Q with Jian Ghomeshi interviews Robert J. Sawyer about his winning China’s Galaxy Award for Most Popular Science Fiction Author of the Year. You can listen here (grab the Tuesday 28 August 2007 show). The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

Globe interview

Tuesday, August 28th, 2007

The article in Tuesday’s Globe and Mail about my Galaxy Award win is based in part on this email interview I did with the Globe‘s James Adams yesterday: Have any of your novels been translated into Cantonese or Mandarin for the mainland China market? Or have your books just been brought in as English-language imports […]

Globe and Mail, Quill & Quire on China win

Tuesday, August 28th, 2007

The Globe and Mail: Canada’s National Newspaper reports on Robert J. Sawyer winning the Galaxy Award, China’s top science-fiction award, for most popular foreign author here. Quill and Quire, Canada’s publishing trade journal, has its report on Rob’s win here. And CBC Radio One’s Q interviews Rob today: In about two hours, as I post […]

Aurora final ballot delayed even longer

Monday, August 27th, 2007

Says Dennis Mullin, “Apologies for the delays. I’m aiming for sooner, but promise the 2007 voting ballot will become available on the website no later than Labor Day.” In other words, he’s just delayed it another full week after the latest possible day he’d said it would be available. The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

Coverage of Galaxy Award Ceremony

Monday, August 27th, 2007

… is here, with photos. The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

China SF conference coverage … from China!

Monday, August 27th, 2007

A good article, with photos, is here. Oh, and the CBC has a nice piece about my award win here. The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

Sawyer wins China’s top SF Award

Sunday, August 26th, 2007

CHENGDU, CHINA, 26 AUGUST 2007: Robert J. Sawyer of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, today won China’s top science-fiction award, the Galaxy Award, in the category “Most Popular Foreign Author of the Year.” The award, voted on by Chinese readers, was presented at the Chengdu International Science Fiction and Fantasy Festival, the largest science-fiction conference ever held […]

Off to China!

Tuesday, August 21st, 2007

Tomorrow, Carolyn and I start our Long March to China! :) We take two flights tomorrow — Dawson to Whitehorse, then Whitehorse to Vancouver, and we stay overnight in Vancouver. Then on Wednesday, it’s two more flights: Vancouver to Beijing, and Beijing to Chengdu. We’ll be attending the Chengdu International Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention; […]

A good cartoon

Tuesday, August 21st, 2007

David Seltzer, a reader of mine in Palm Beach, who is currently reading Calculating God, sent me this link to a cartoon, which certainly is apropos of that book, and sadly is pretty much spot on. The cartoonist is Wiley, and the strip is called “Non Sequitur.” The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

Aurora final ballot delayed — again

Saturday, August 18th, 2007

Dennis Mullin has yet again delayed release of the final Aurora ballot for 2007. It was to have been released in July; he then changed that to today, Saturday, August 18 — handily making sure that no ballots or copies of work could be available for Con-Version, the Calgary regional con, which is happening this […]

(Deleted)

Saturday, August 18th, 2007

Robert J. Sawyer online:Website • Facebook • Twitter • Email