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Sci-Fi Books Media

Clarion Sci-Fi Auction 73

Posted by samzenpus from the sign-my-laser dept.
trickofperspective writes "To defray the cost of this year's session, following budget cuts at host school Michigan State University, the famed Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers' Workshop is holding an online auction of items donated by past alums. Bidding opens January 28th on items such as a signed limited edition of Neil Gaiman's American Gods, a signed, homeade galley of Cory Doctorow's upcoming Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, and more."
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Clarion Sci-Fi Auction More

Clarion Sci-Fi Auction

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  • Auctions for a cause... (Score:5, Interesting)

    by ZiZ ( 564727 ) * on Wednesday January 19, 2005 @07:58PM (#11414946) Homepage
    I always think it's kind of neat when these sorts of auctions happen, because people tend to bid things up that they could otherwise get for free or cheap (such as something signed by Neil Gaiman - he's a pretty personable guy, and is happy to sign things in person or by special arrangement mailed to certain bookstores that he frequents...and not just books [suicidegirls.com] (disclaimer: this site contains Not Safe For Work material, but aside from a few tiny ads way down at the bottom of the page, that particular page is safe)) because the money is going for a good cause. Like the Penny-Arcade Child's Play auction, for instance. (Of course, there are a bunch of first-editions and limited editions in this auction, so that might also be part of it. But I've never really understood the collector's mind.)

    Or, perhaps I'm just being too optimistic, and people bid because they go insane at auctions [berkeley.edu].

    • Do the authors who donated the items to the students think it's so neat? What do they think about the mismanagement that is letting their alma mater go under amidst bake sales and raffles?
    • I always think it's kind of neat when these sorts of auctions happen, because people tend to bid things up that they could otherwise get for free or cheap (such as something signed by Neil Gaiman - he's a pretty personable guy, and is happy to sign things in person or by special arrangement mailed to certain bookstores that he frequents..

      I couldn't help but notice he's got 3 different printings of American Gods (none of which are the copy I have.) I assume the Hugo and Nebula awards were good for him. H

  • Do the doners agree? (Score:1, Interesting)

    by rdwald ( 831442 )
    What do the authors who donated the items think of the auction?
    • I didn't read anything to indicate that the authors weren't asked, "Hey, we're having an auction, can you donate something?" At least, that would be my assumption. So, if true, I would assume that the authors were in favor of it.
      • Katherine Kurtz was at a convention that had financial troubles. She donated a character for auction. (That is, the person that won the auction could be a bit character in a future Deryni work.) The bidding ended up going sky-high with a team of two winning the bidding war.

        Of course, Steve Stirling wrote in members of his writers group in early books, and then killed most of them--and all for free! :)

        • Katherine Kurtz was at a convention that had financial troubles. She donated a character for auction. (That is, the person that won the auction could be a bit character in a future Deryni work.) The bidding ended up going sky-high with a team of two winning the bidding war.

          Saw the same sort of thing once. Tom Dietz was working on his third or fourth book, The Gryphon King, and made the same kind of offer that Kurtz did. Hardly anyone at the auction had much in the way of funds, so when one fellow whippe

    • Re:Do the doners agree? (Score:1, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward
      I think it's pretty clear that most of the authors donated these items specifically for the auction... Cory Docotorow even links to it on boingboing.

  • This is downright disrespectul, they were fonated as gifts to the place. Not as "sell me on in 10 years time" gifts. This is like selling your engagement ring or that necklace your [beloved family member here] bought you for your 18th/21st birthday.

    I hope someone demands their items back and gives them to people who deserve them and will respectful rather then pawn it.

    • Re:Disrespectful. (Score:1, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward
      Um, you realize these items being sold were donated for the specific purpose of BEING sold in the auction, right?

    • Re:Disrespectful. (Score:2, Insightful)

      by AndroidCat ( 229562 )
      The story doesn't say when the items were donated. It's quite possible that Clarion "passed the hat" around alumni who sent in items specifically to be auctioned.

      I've got a Cory promotional flipbook, do you think it would get much on ebay? .. Oh.

    • If it's for a good cause, why not? I'll readily sell off that necklace or autographed first edition, i.e., another family member desperately needs money for an operation or the organization is on the verge of liquidation. Besides, I don't think the items that are going to be sold represent anything really personal. These are basically the same sort of things that celebrities give away, in lieu of cash, to charity auctions. This is the one lesson that Gollum, that sneaky hobbit formerly known as Smeagol, fai
  • Annoyingly enough, this is the first time I've heard anything about the "director's cut" version of American Gods. Twelve thousand extra words? Sigh... And the "reader's" version with even more new stuff? Are books the new DVDs?

    Not that I have anything against Niel - AG was a really great book (and I already have an autographed copy of the "cinema release" version (from his appearance at Exoticon in New Orleans)), and all of his work is brilliant (and so different from all of his other work, that's his

    • Re:American Gods (Score:3, Informative)

      by fireduck ( 197000 )
      Its been out a while now, since April of last year. Hill House Publishers [hillhousepublishers.com] have an arrangement with Neil (and other authors like Stephenson) to release limited edition "collector" versions of their works. These are the "books as heirloom" type printings, very high quality, archival grade, hand sewn bindings, you name it, deal. The version of American Gods they have sells for $200 and comes with the reader for free (if you request it). I've thought about doing this, as I love his work. Apparently, they'l
    • that later became a book? ender's game for example?

  • Money is always tight (Score:3, Interesting)

    by foolish ( 46697 ) on Wednesday January 19, 2005 @08:32PM (#11415225)
    Clarion funding has always been tight. This is a program for students in a specific genre of writing that is not generally taught/funded in most writing programs.

    Writers never make a ton of money, with some notable exceptions. And most of those make thier "real money" off of other properties (film, etc). The same for being an instructor of writers, or a student in writing program. They don't have the same types of alumni that can leave an huge financial endowment, unlike the tech sector.

    So they're trying to fund things the way they can, without gouging the students for the six weeks of instruction. Most of the authors have pointers to the auction on their respective sites, so I'm fairly sure most of the approve of the use of their donations.
  • Looks like Cory Doctorow has made two slashdot posts IN A ROW [slashdot.org]!

  • Old News (Score:3, Informative)

    by Ranger ( 1783 ) on Wednesday January 19, 2005 @09:18PM (#11415567) Homepage
    This is really old news. Michigan State pulled funding in 2003. So obviously this "news" item is really a "timely" plug to help fundingraising.

    We have recently been informed that Clarion's funding from Michigan State University has been discontinued after the current 2003 workshop.

    Read about their funding woes here [msu.edu] It may be worth supporting Clarion, but don't pass this off as breaking news.
    • when as slashdot been about breaking news?
      I'll tell you when, never.

      It's a sci-fi auction, it sounds like news for nerds to me.

    • Re:Old News (Score:2, Interesting)

      by trickofperspective ( 180714 )
      I originally submitted this as a news item back when funding was initially cut, but the editors rejected it. Clearly the more recent promise of cool sci-fi swag for a good cause tipped the scale in the direction of the front page this time. Notice I didn't say, "...following recent budget cuts," or the like.

      And... come on... I linked to the Clarion website in the story. You know how easy it is to find the information about their funding trouble there. I wasn't trying to fool anyone.

      Let's just chal

  • A homeade galley? (Score:1, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    I thought it was a misspelling at first, until I realized that it was refering to Cory's ship full of prostitutes serving honey-wine.
  • But it comes up a little short.

    don't believe me?

    "the official home page for much-lauded author Harlan Ellison." - harlanellison.com/home.htm

    Bidding starts at 20,000 quatloos on the newcomer.

  • Oooh. Low interest on Slashdot. . . (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Fantastic Lad ( 198284 ) on Thursday January 20, 2005 @12:00AM (#11416684)
    Sci-Fi is so very dead.

    I think it's because the science in our culture is no longer fiction, all the choices have been made, and the scope of possible futures is narrowing rapidly as we zero-in on our final destination.

    Sci-Fi did a great job when it really mattered, and to be fair, it still does in the areas which count. --Look at the subjects which have been holding recent fascination in such titles like The Matrix, Firefly, Stargate, Enterprise, Star Wars. There are some very current and interrelated themes running through each of these titles which indicate what the global consciousness is focused on at the moment.
    An X-Files sequel? Gee, no shit.


    -FL

    • Re:Oooh. Low interest on Slashdot. . . (Score:5, Interesting)

      by Yokaze ( 70883 ) on Thursday January 20, 2005 @03:18AM (#11417464)
      > The Matrix, Firefly, Stargate, Enterprise, Star Wars.

      Pop Sci-Fi with hardly any revealing insights. Mostly, that is why it they are selling it, its not challenging, no one will be offended, no risk.

      > I think it's because the science in our culture is no longer fiction, all the choices have been made, and the scope of possible futures is narrowing rapidly as we zero-in on our final destination.

      Okay, then please tell me.

      How will genetic engineering affect our lives, or nanotechnology? How will the Global Climate Change affect us and our societies? Will China become the next superpower, or will shee break due to socioeconomical difference between the country and the cities? What will happen to the aging industrial societies? Will the globalism destroy cultural indiviuality or will it create transnational subcultures?

      And more importantly, which questions did fail I to ask?
      • How will genetic engineering affect our lives, or nanotechnology? How will the Global Climate Change affect us and our societies? Will China become the next superpower, or will shee break due to socioeconomical difference between the country and the cities? What will happen to the aging industrial societies? Will the globalism destroy cultural indiviuality or will it create transnational subcultures?

        Everybody is currently living out the answers to those questions. Who needs sci-fi when it's here? --Well
        • Sorry, but the fact that you (or I) lack the capacity to know what is coming is not sufficient to conclude that nothing new is coming. It just means that human imagination is limited.

          I'm sure that at some point in every age, some pundit has claimed that humanity had done everything which could be done. There is no evidence that current claims that there is nothing left to ponder are of any more worth that those in the past.
          • Sorry, but the fact that you (or I) lack the capacity to know what is coming is not sufficient to conclude that nothing new is coming. It just means that human imagination is limited.

            This may be so, but I'm just trying to explain the slumped popularity of Sci-Fi book sales. I think my explanation holds some validity.


            -FL

            • I think it would have validity if you suggested that people *feel* like everything's been done, rather than suggesting that everything actually *has* been done.

              Besides, SF is something like C&W music in its ups and downs. It's out there skittering around the edges of the mainstream most of the time, and every so often something huge comes along (Star Wars, Garth Brooks) and a huge explosion in popularity occurs. After a while people just get sated and interest again wanes, and it becomes slightly uncoo
              • I think it would have validity if you suggested that people *feel* like everything's been done, rather than suggesting that everything actually *has* been done.

                Besides, SF is something like C&W music in its ups and downs. It's out there skittering around the edges of the mainstream most of the time, and every so often something huge comes along (Star Wars, Garth Brooks) and a huge explosion in popularity occurs. After a while people just get sated and interest again wanes, and it becomes slightly uncoo

                • Your point about the fact that some media never seem to return to the strength of their initial heyday is valid, but doesn't really address the point being argued. My original argument was simply that everything has NOT verifiably been done, and so the need to wonder lives on. I have seen no evidence that this is not the case. I have also seen no evidence that SF is waning significantly. True, the Kennedy-era general fervour for space itself is gone, but SF itself seems to be going strong.

                  Some industry [computercrowsnest.com]

        • > Everybody is currently living out the answers to those questions.

          You failed to answer my question. If we are currently living out the answers, then it should be quite easy to answer those. But we don't know them, there is no consent on a single of these question. We are only living in the infantile states of the said developments and the mid- to long-term development is far from clear.

          > but you'll notice that they're all dealt with in the context of already having happened in such pop sci-fi as...
    • As an sf novelist, obvisouly I'm likely to disagree.

      I think it's because the science in our culture is no longer fiction, all the choices have been made, and the scope of possible futures is narrowing rapidly as we zero-in on our final destination.

      We're certainly living in an sf world, but an infinitesmal number of the choices have been made, and the scope of possible futures is still infinite.

      It's somewhat telling that you only cite TV and movie science fiction. And I wouldn't even consider Star
      • the number of posts linked to this story. At the time of this post, it's only at sixty-five, and that's after nearly a whole day of activity.

        This seems like as valid an indicator of how much popular interest Sci-Fi has in our culture as any. --If Sci-Fi were still hugely valid, then the mention of Clarion would ring bells instead of just tinkling them.

        As for the number of choices left open to us. . . The possible futures may certainly be infinite, but the broad scope of discernable differences between t
        • Personal computers were not predicted (e.g., Apollo astronauts and Heinlein characters in the distant future all used slide rules). Flying cars -- where the F are they? Cloning becomes a possibility and politicians sit up as if they had no clue about it, and the public is pretty damn reactionary. People are miserable predictors of the future, especially when it depends on technological change.

          Moreover, sf is really about just predicting the future and warning people about technological pitfalls. That'
          • Personal computers were not predicted (e.g., Apollo astronauts and Heinlein characters in the distant future all used slide rules). Flying cars -- where the F are they? Cloning becomes a possibility and politicians sit up as if they had no clue about it, and the public is pretty damn reactionary. People are miserable predictors of the future, especially when it depends on technological change.

            Moreover, sf is really about just predicting the future and warning people about technological pitfalls. That's a n
    • A lot of this is due to an abysmal understanding of science in the general public. Without a grounding in real science and intellectual speculation, "Sci-Fi" just becomes another genre -- "Space Opry" as opposed to "Horse Opry." [misspelling deliberate] The heart of worthwhile Sci-Fi is intellectual, but we live in a technological society where it is cool to be anti-intellectual. Even on a "geek" discussion site like Slashdot! Make no mistake, "My OS is cooler than yours" pissing matches are anti-intel
  • I love Cory Doctorow's imagination and how he can immerse the reader in a very different world yet still keep everything consistent. I hope he has developed his writing a bit for this new book though because it seemed like in almost every story he ties the end up too quickly, almost as if he got tired of working on it and just wanted it to be done. I would like to be wowed by the endings as much as I am by the beginnings. He also keeps you in suspense by having unexplained questions that you want to underst
  • I went to Clarion West back in 1994 and had a great time. Of my class of 20, 17 have published at least a short story at professional rates. About half have written or edited some sort of book. The more well-known writers include Andy Duncan (World Fantasy Award winner), Eric Nylund (writer of many novels, including HALO: FIRST STRIKE), and Syne Mitchell (three novels). I'm trying to finish my second. My wife Leah Cutter (Clarion West 1997) has her third novel coming out this spring from Roc.

    I'm real

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