Category: Announcement

Pakistaniaat Launches Its Own Open Journal System (OJS) Hosting Service

OAlogoMasood Raja, my friend and former professor, told me the exciting news today that Pakistaniaat has started its own Open Journal System (OJS) hosting service. This means that if you want to found your own open access journal, you can purchase OJS hosting from Pakistaniaat.  Masood founded Pakistaniaat on open access principles, so I believe that this new endeavor takes what began with his journal to the next level by providing the hosting and software necessary for an OJS-based journal to thrive. Find all of the details here.

International Authors Builds New Connections to the Williamsburg Art and Historical Center in Brooklyn, NY

Carter Kaplan tells me that exciting things are afoot with International Authors. He reports by email that:
International Authors is building connections with the Williamsburg Art and Historical Center in Brooklyn, NY.  Three IA board members joined the Williamsburg Circle of International Arts and Letters, and the WAH Center is interested in carrying IA publications in their bookstore.
If you are not familiar with IA, its website describes it as: “A consortium of writers, artists, architects, filmmakers and critics, International Authors publishes work of outstanding literary merit. Dedicated to the advancement of an international culture in literature, primarily in English, the group seeks new members with an enthusiasm for creating unique artistic expressions.”
I am a proud member of the IA Board of Advisors, and I am glad to hear about the growth of these rhizomic networks!

Own a Piece of Science Fiction Film History and Support Parkinson’s Disease Research: Back to the Future’s Nike Mag Shoe

Nike announced today the 2011 Nike Mag shoe–a wearable replica of Marty McFly’s shoes from Back to the Future II. The shoe company made only 1500 pairs, and they will be auctioned off on ebay here with proceeds going to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. Auctions will run for 10 days with 150 pairs being sold per day. If you love BTTF, love awesome shoes, and love helping a great cause, head over to the auction before they end on September 18 and place a winning bid. If you are poor like me and likely cannot afford the awesome Nike Mag, you can also donate to the cause here.

The Postnational Fantasy Back in Stock at Amazon.com

The Postnational Fantasy [read about the book and its contents here] is back in stock at Amazon.com here! Get yours today, or tell your library to place an order.

You can also purchase it from the publisher McFarland & Co here, from Barnes & Noble here, or from Books-A-Million here.

Many thanks to the folks who have already purchased a copy of my first book co-edited with my friends Masood Raja [please visit his Pakistan Forum and Postcolonial Space websites] and Swaralipi Nandi.

Philip K. Dick Festival, San Francisco State University, Sept 22-23, 2012

David Gill announced on his Total Dick-Head blog the dates for next year’s Philip K. Dick Festival at San Francisco State University. It will be held on September 22-23, 2012, and Jonathan Lethem is confirmed as the conference’s guest of honor. I will report back when I hear more about the event. Read more here.

Bid on Rare Video Game Artifacts to Support Japan Relief Efforts

Ars Technica alerted me to Play for Japan, a Game Industry Relief Effort. Play for Japan raises funds for charities by allowing winning bidders of their auctions to select a charity that is assisting with the humanitarian relief efforts in Japan. The rare items made available for Play for Japan are amazing–you have to see them for yourself by going here. If you are a fan of video game history and you have the means to help out, please go bid on some items.

The Collected Stories of Ray Bradbury, Volume One (1938-1943) Released

I received a letter from The Center for Ray Bradbury Studies at Indiana University that the first volume of The Collected Stories of Ray Bradbury: A Critical Edition is now available. It is a critical collection of Bradbury’s stories in the order that they were written, and it includes commentary by the editors William F. Touponce and Jonathan R. Eller on the stories, thirteen of which have never been anthologized. This is the first of a proposed three volume series. More information is available on the publisher’s website here.

I’m a big fan of Ray Bradbury. I fell in love with his writing shortly after beginning my early science fiction explorations with Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke. I figured if I were to begin reading SF, I should begin with the three Grand Masters. My favorite titles by Bradbury include The Martian Chronicles, Dandelion Wine, and The Illustrated Man.