Jean Cocteau Cinema Hosts Q&A with Ernest Cline #GRRMinion

April 7, 2016 at 11:12 am

Ogre Jenni here (not George, just a minion) with a very special announcement!

Ernest Cline, author of Ready Player One and Armada, will participate in an interview, Q&A, and book signing at Jean Cocteau Cinema on April 17th. There is a new paperback edition of Armada, and we are thrilled to celebrate its release with Ernest. We will have both hardcover and paperback versions of Ready Player One and Armada available for purchase at the event. If you identify on any level with geek culture, then these novels will fill your nerdy heart with pure joy!

In addition to picking Ernest Cline’s brain and getting books signed, we will have arcade games to play on our movie screen—hooray Pac-Man and Space Invaders! Who will earn the highest score? (Parzival is not allowed to participate.)

See you at the Cocteau!

ABOUT ERNEST CLINE:

Ernest Cline is a novelist, screenwriter, father, and full-time geek. His first novel, Ready Player One, was a New York Times and USA Today bestseller, appeared on numerous “best of the year” lists, and is set to be adapted into a motion picture by Warner Bros. and director Steven Spielberg. Ernie lives in Austin, Texas, with his family, a time-traveling DeLorean, and a large collection of classic video games.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Zack Lightman has spent his life dreaming. Dreaming that the real world could be a little more like the countless science-fiction books, movies, and videogames he’s spent his life consuming. Dreaming that one day, some fantastic, world-altering event will shatter the monotony of his humdrum existence and whisk him off on some grand space-faring adventure. But hey, there’s nothing wrong with a little escapism, right? After all, Zack tells himself, he knows the difference between fantasy and reality. He knows that here in the real world, aimless teenage gamers with anger issues don’t get chosen to save the universe.

And then he sees the flying saucer. Even stranger, the alien ship he’s staring at is straight out of the videogame he plays every night, a hugely popular online flight simulator called Armada—in which gamers just happen to be protecting the earth from alien invaders. No, Zack hasn’t lost his mind. As impossible as it seems, what he’s seeing is all too real. And his skills—as well as those of millions of gamers across the world—are going to be needed to save the earth from what’s about to befall it.

It’s Zack’s chance, at last, to play the hero.

—THIS MESSAGE WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE MINIONS OF FEVRE RIVER—

Tags: armada, ernest cline, jean cocteau cinema, ready player one

Last Call (Almost)

March 28, 2016 at 9:49 pm

Hugo nominations close at midnight on March 31.

Time is running out.

Let your voice be heard.

Let’s get some good stuff on the ballot!!!

NOMINATE!!!

http://grrm.livejournal.com/479524.html

Tags: hugo awards, worldcon

Francis Menotti Returns to Jean Cocteau Cinema #GrrMinion

March 28, 2016 at 4:24 pm

My name is Jenni, and I am just an ogre living in a human’s world. I also work for Jean Cocteau Cinema, George’s movie theatre and events venue in Santa Fe, New Mexico!

Jean Cocteau Cinema is proud to welcome the magician who stumped Penn and Teller, Francis Menotti, back to its stage on Friday, April 1st and Saturday, April 2nd. Our audiences were blown away by his performances last time, and Menotti says that he has written some awesome new material for us!

Francis Menotti has surprised and confounded audiences worldwide with his Scrabble tricks and word games. He runs circles around participants with an intentionally convoluted (but hilarious) script that makes you feel like you're struggling through the vocab section of the GRE—except that it's really fun!

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Magicians use sleight-of-hand or physical cues to direct attention away from a trick's execution, and Menotti takes it a step further with his outlandishly ornate vocabulary. You really do have to stop and think for a moment about what he's saying. His wordsmithing is both a brilliant distraction and an integral part of the trick's nerdy flavor.

Menotti also exhibits an appreciation for modern art history—Surrealism in particular. Lobsters and green apples make appearances in his shows, and sometimes he will work original animations and other artistic creations into his acts. His magic shows are funny, artistic, exciting, and absolutely brilliant.

In addition, Menotti agreed to do some up-close prestidigitations and card tricks in the bar after the shows! See you at the Cocteau!

—THIS POST WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE MINIONS OF FEVRE RIVER—

Tags: fool us, francis menotti, jean cocteau cinema, magic, penn and teller

Behold, The Mighty Editor

March 25, 2016 at 11:07 am

I have my editor’s hat on today. (It looks just like my writer’s hat, only in a different color). ((No, not really, I am being facetitious. Damn, you guys, don’t take everything I say so literally)).

For the past three weeks, the forty-odd (some very odd) members of the Wild Cards consortium have been submitting story proposals and pitches for the three new WC books from Tor, LOW CHICAGO and MISSISSIPPI ROLL and TEXAS HOLD ‘EM. Last night at midnight was the deadline for pitches.

As usual, we have more proposals than we need. Only eight writers per book. So today is Decision Day, wherein I decide who gets to be in which book, who is out, who gets to double-dip. It is never easy. So many talented writers, so many great characters, so many fun ideas.

But that’s why I get the Big Bucks as editor (that was another joke, yessir, for sure, this is a labor of looooooove).

John Sebastian said it best:

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Tags: anthologies, editing, wild cards

Countdown to Liftoff

March 21, 2016 at 7:45 pm

Only ten more days remain until the close of nominations for the 2016 Hugo Awards, to be presented in Kansas City at MidAmericon II.

Are you a member of MidAmericon? Were you a member of Sasquan, last year’s worldcon in Spokane? Are you a member of the 2017 worldcon, to be held in Helsinki, Finland? If so, you’re eligible to nominate the books and stories and artists you loved best in 2015.

So, please… NOMINATE!

You can do it here: http://midamericon2.org/the-hugo-awards/hugo-nominations/

No fan of good will, no one who truly loves SF and fantasy and worldcon and fandom, wants a repeat of what happened to the Hugo Awards last year. I am not going to rehash that sorry mess; there’s no point to it, everything that needed to be said has been said, and a lot more besides. I would rather look to the future. Let’s restore the silver rocket to its former glory (and, by doing so, make a second round of Alfie Awards unnecessary) as a true measure of the year’s best work in imaginative literature.

I made my objections to the Puppy slates clear last year. This time around, the Sad Puppies at least changed from a slate to a recommendation list, to which I have no objections. I’ve looked at their list. There’s some great work on it. There’s some bad work on it, writers and books that I don’t think belong anywhere near a Hugo. And there’s a lot of books and stories that I haven’t gotten around to reading yet. The same could be said for most any list, however. There’s stuff on the Nebula shortlist I don’t like as well, and a lot of books on the LOCUS list that I have not read yet. (I will get to some of them. Too many books, too little time). Sad Puppies 4 played fair, in my estimation, and for that I commend them.

((The Rabid Puppies produced another slate. They have entirely different aims. And no, we will not discuss them here)).

And how about my own recommendations?

I’ve made a few. I did not issue them all at once, in a single list, but rather category by category over the past five months. I did not get to every category, and even with those I did, my recommendations are by no means exhaustive.

My intent, whenever I make a recommendation, is NOT to say, “Vote for this,” but rather, “Here’s something I really liked, take a look it it, you may find it deserving as well.”

Some of the other recommended reading lists are just lists of titles and names. Fine and good, I suppose, but I prefer to do a little more: to talk about the categories, the books, the authors, the artists and editors, and where I can to discuss WHY I think they deserve a nomination.

My posts are still up. For those who want to read them, here are links:

Short Fiction:
http://grrm.livejournal.com/476905.html

Professional Editor, Long Form:
http://grrm.livejournal.com/474144.html
http://grrm.livejournal.com/472316.html
http://grrm.livejournal.com/471834.html
http://grrm.livejournal.com/470764.html

Professional Editor, Short Form:
http://grrm.livejournal.com/471135.html

Professional Artist:
http://grrm.livejournal.com/462350.html

Graphic Story:
http://grrm.livejournal.com/460106.html

Related Work:
http://grrm.livejournal.com/458605.html

Dramatic Presentation, Short Form:
http://grrm.livejournal.com/453648.html

Dramatic Presentation, Long Form:
http://grrm.livejournal.com/452587.html

Novel:
http://grrm.livejournal.com/457140.html

If any of you go back and read those — and I hope you will — read the comments too. There are plenty of other recommendations to be found there, recommendations from my readers and friends. I am only one (overworked) guy, I can’t get to everything, it’s great to hear from other precincts. Especially when they tell you why they liked whatever it is they liked…

I did mean to get to some of the other categories. Alas, I failed. I am just not knowledgeable enough to make recommendations in some areas.

I did overlook some good choices even in the categories I covered. Naomi Novik’s UPROOTED is her best work to date, a very strong fantasy (though I had problems with the ending) and probably worth a nomination in Novel. I forgot about EX MACHINA when talking about Long Form Drama, but it’s a gripping and well done film, worthy of consideration. I recommended OUTLANDER for Short Form Drama, but it should be noted that the first season was telecast in two eight-episode arcs, and only the second eight are eligible, as the first eight were broadcast in 2014. I think JONATHAN STRANGE AND MR. NORRELL should be nominated in Long Form as a whole, rather than in Short Form, by episode, but others disagree.

Anyway… quibbles and additions aside… read, watch, consider… and please…

NOMINATE!

Tags: awards, fantasy, hugo awards, science fiction, worldcon

Game of Thrones: Season 5 at the Jean Cocteau #GrrMinionPost

March 21, 2016 at 5:20 pm

Greetings from Ogre Jenni! I’m one of George's minions at Jean Cocteau Cinema, and I have an awesome announcement to make.

Beginning Monday, March 21st we will show free screenings of HBO’s Game of Thrones Season 5. We are not pre-selling the tickets online. The tickets (and seats) will be available on a first come first serve basis, and they must be obtained directly from our box office on the day of the screening.

There will most likely be a line going around the block, but while you are waiting we will bring food, coffee, signed copies of the Song of Ice and Fire books, and other goodies outside for you to purchase! We are also booking some geeky entertainment for you—not that waiting in line isn't fun in its own right.

We will host a costume contest before each screening, and we are giving away some cool Game of Thrones-themed prizes. So we hope to see plenty of Denaeryses, Hounds, Briennes, Sansas, Podricks, or even White Walkers at the screenings!

EPISODE SCHEDULE:

Monday, March 21st at 7:00 p.m. • Episodes 1 and 2
Monday, March 28th at 7:00 p.m. • Episodes 3 and 4
Monday, April 4th at 7:00 p.m. • Episodes 5 and 6
Monday, April 11th at 7:00 p.m. • Episodes 7 and 8
Monday, April 18th at 7:00 p.m. • Episodes 9 and 10

As you might know, Game of Thrones: Season 6 premieres exclusively on the HBO channel Sunday, April 21st. Check out HBO's website for more information.

See you at the Cocteau!

—THIS POST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE MINIONS OF FEVRE RIVER—

Tags: a song of ice and fire, game of thrones, jean cocteau cinema

The Big Meow

March 21, 2016 at 1:11 am

Meow Wolf opened “The House of Eternal Return” with a roar and a bang last week.

We had a “small” (hoo hah) friends and family ‘soft opening’ on Wednesday. On Thursday was the Grand VIP Gala. On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday the doors opened to the public for the first time. Amanda Palmer, Jason Webley, and the Handsome Family played. Wonders were unveiled, caves and treehouses and haunted mansions and space gates explored, refrigerators opened…

The reviews, I am thrilled to say, were uniformly raves. Here’s a few:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/21/t-magazine/mystery-house-santa-fe-george-rr-martin.html?_r=0

http://www.santafenewmexican.com/pasatiempo/art/museum_shows/forever-home-meow-wolf-opens-house-of-eternal-return/article_4f72acf1-b0be-52d4-ad87-d8c48192ca78.html

http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/meow-wolf-s-long-anticipated-exhibit-debuts-it-s-awesome/article_5110812e-cc53-54cb-b216-b2cf61c3ea91.html

I am told that 5500 hundred people visited the House on its opening weekend. Most of them went away smiling… especially the kids, who loved the place… but there’s plenty there for adults to enjoy as well.

Our hope is that Meow Wolf and the House of Eternal Return will be one of Santa Fe’s premiere attractions for many, many years to come. Come visit when you’re in town. I promise you, you’ve never seen anything quite like it.

Tags: artwork, meow wolf, santa fe

Autographs! Autographs!!

March 17, 2016 at 3:50 pm

Here are just a few of the large selection of books who can get SIGNED from the bookstore at the Jean Cocteau Cinema.

Lots of my own books are available too… along with more titles from Gabaldon, Gaiman, Lansdale, Stephenson, Andy Weir, Lisa See, Dennis Lehane… and even a few from Pat Conroy.

For the full list, go to http://www.jeancocteaubooks.com/

And YES, copies of OLD VENUS and OLD MARS are still on sale at 30% off, while the supplies last.

Tags: jean cocteau cinema bookstore, signed books

Season 6 Is Coming

March 17, 2016 at 12:37 pm

GAME OF THRONES is coming back. Mark down Sunday, April 24 on your calendars.

HBO has released the first full-length trailer. Here’s a taste:

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And yes, it’s true. After last year’s unfortunate leak, HBO is not sending out any press screeners this year, to try and cut down on the piracy.

They have also eliminated all the regional premieres, including (sob) the one we had scheduled at my own Jean Cocteau Cinema. This year the only premiere will be the big one in LA at Grauman’s Chinese.

The Jean Cocteau will, however, go ahead with our season 5 marathon. Admission is free, so watch our website and newsletter for show times.

And we’ll all just have to wait to see what season 6 has in store.

Tags: game of thrones, hbo

Wild Cards Times Three

March 16, 2016 at 5:15 pm

Some exciting news on the WILD CARDS front for fans of the world’s longest running shared world anthology series.

HIGH STAKES will be out later this year, as previously announced. That’s the third and concluding volume in what we’ve come to call our “mean streets and madness” triad, and the twenty-third volume in the overall series (which originally began way way back in 1987). It was also the last new volume under contract to Tor.

But no longer! Wild Cards will fight another day. Tor has just stepped up and signed us for three more originals. This set we will be calling (informally) “the USA Triad.” But it won’t really be a triad, more like three stand-alones, each with its own setting, cast, and tone.

The three new books are:
TEXAS HOLD ‘EM
MISSISSIPPI ROLL
LOW CHICAGO

Details? Sorry. You’ll need to wait for those. The ink on the contracts is not quite dry yet, so we’re just getting up to steam (as in MISSISSIPPI… no, that would be telling).

This much I can tell you. I’ll be editing the new volumes, natch. Melinda Snodgrass will continue as my assistant editor and right hand woman. And we’ll be calling on the madman and wild women of the Wild Cards consortium for stories, as ever. Whenever we begin a new triad and a new contract, however, we like to reach out and recruit a few new writers. Fresh blood is just so tasty, and adding some new characters to the mix always helps to enliven things.

So let me introduce you to our Class of 2016. The newest inmates in the asylum are:
SALADIN AHMED
MAX GLADSTONE
MARKO KLOOS
DIANA ROWLAND

They’re all insanely talented, and they claim they play well with others (we’ll see). And no, I won’t tell you about the new characters they’ve created for us… but we think you’re going to like them.

WILD CARDS! From 1987 to forever….

((And if you have not caught the virus yet, there’s still time. Head over to the Jean Cocteau Bookshop at http://www.jeancocteaubooks.com/ and you’ll find all sorts of signed Wild Cards books on sale, some of them with multiple autographs from editors and writers both).

[[Comments welcome. On Wild Cards only, please. Stay on topic]].

Tags: editing, wild cards, writing

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