Audio: Kim Stanley Robinson Predicts a Coming Utopia

In his Guest of Honor speech at this year’s Worldcon (Aussiecon), Kim Stanley Robinson offered his take on utopia.  It was a speech full of intriguing ideas and fun musings.

Sometimes he’s a bit too optimistic:

The powers of human science and ingenuity are such that even despite this strangely dangerous situation we’re in I have full confidence that people will for their own sakes and for their children’s sakes, will get a grip and, even if it’s 51 per cent, even if it’s a hung parliament with a lot of dealings to pull a few more people into the fold, that’s all you need.

Sometimes convincing:

The more visions we have of a future where things are going right in some large sense, the more we believe in our hearts that we’re headed that way as a consensus culture.

Often quite funny:

Economics is the astrology of our time.

Always worth your time.  And he does it all in the form of an interview with himself.

So if you want to listen to the whole thing.  (And you should.)  You just a click on the play button below.

2009 Hugo Awards!

So it’s that time of year again … time for the Hugos!  The most famous and prestigious Science Fiction award in the world.  It’s run by the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS) in conjunction with the World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon).   Voting is open to anyone who is either an attendee or supporting member of the latest Worldcon.

The fiction categories offered no real surprises.  In fact, all winners had previous Hugos to their credit.  Though some might be surprised to see Neil Gaiman grabbing the top honors in the novel category for “The Graveyard Book” which is a children’s book and not expressly Science Fiction.

Joss Whedon’s web series “Doctor Horrible’s Sing-a-long Blog” won the short-form dramatic category, ending a three year winning streak for Steven Moffat and Doctor Who.

And Pixar’s Wall-E edged out The Dark Knight for a win in the long-form dramatic category.

Here is the full list of the winners:

• Best Novel: The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman (HarperCollins; Bloomsbury UK)
• Best Novella: “The Erdmann Nexus”, Nancy Kress (Asimov’s Oct/Nov 2008)
• Best Novelette: “Shoggoths in Bloom”, Elizabeth Bear (Asimov’s Mar 2008)
• Best Short Story: “Exhalation”, Ted Chiang (Eclipse Two)
• Best Related Book: Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded: A Decade of Whatever, 1998-2008, John Scalzi (Subterranean Press)
• Best Graphic Story: Girl Genius, Volume 8: Agatha Heterodyne and the Chapel of Bones, Written by Kaja & Phil Foglio, art by Phil Foglio, colors by Cheyenne Wright (Airship Entertainment)
• Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form: WALL-E Andrew Stanton & Pete Docter, story; Andrew Stanton & Jim Reardon, screenplay; Andrew Stanton, director (Pixar/Walt Disney)
• Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form: Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, Joss Whedon, & Zack Whedon, & Jed Whedon, & Maurissa Tancharoen, writers; Joss Whedon, director (Mutant Enemy)
• Best Editor Short Form: Ellen Datlow
• Best Editor Long Form: David G. Hartwell
• Best Professional Artist: Donato Giancola
• Best Semiprozine: Weird Tales, edited by Ann VanderMeer & Stephen H. Segal
• Best Fan Writer: Cheryl Morgan
• Best Fanzine: Electric Velocipede edited by John Klima
• Best Fan Artist: Frank Wu

And the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer (presented by Dell Magazines): David Anthony Durham

For the full list of nominees click here.