The Open Page: Book & Print News – 5/21/08
 
1) Best-selling author James Patterson’s upcoming young-adult SF novel, The Dangerous Days of Daniel X, has been optioned by New Regency. The novel, due out in print in July, is the first in a series of novels, which will also have a graphic novel tie-in adaptation. The series chronicles the adventures of a conflicted teen who discovers secrets about himself and his family as he fights off alien outlaws who threaten life on Earth. Patterson will serve as executive producer. His adult thrillers Along Came a Spider and Kiss the Girls were previously adapted into hit films.
 
2) Robert Charles Wilson's Hugo Award-winning SF novel Spin will head to the big screen, courtesy of Olympus Pictures. Spin concerns a spinning shell that envelops Earth and causes time within it to slow down, a mystery that scientists have to unravel. Wilson has two other books in the series, Axis, released last year, and the upcoming Vortex.

3) The next Philip K. Dick sf story to hit the big screen will be Ubik. Dick's daughter, Isa Dick Hackett, is one of the producers on the adaptation. Ubik is a metaphysical thriller about reality and illusion, concerning a future of moon bases and telepaths and partially dead people whose consciousnesses are cryonicly suspended. The novel was selected by Time Magazine as one of the 100 greatest English-language novels.

4) Stargate: Atlantis series executive producer and showrunner Joseph Mallozzi is encouraging scifi fans to explore the print domain of SFFH through his blog: http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/ He offers a tri-monthly book club discussion of SF, fantasy and horror titles, with participation by authors, critics and publishers, such as Lou Anders of Pyr, Jeffrey Ford and F. Paul Wilson. Up-coming visiting authors include Joe Abercrombie, John Scalzi, Kage Baker, K.J. Bishop and Jennifer Pelland.

5) The Canadian Aurora Awards have been announced:

Best Long-Form Work in English/Meilleur livre en anglais : The New Moon's Arms, Nalo Hopkinson (Warner)
 
Meilleur livre en français/Best Long-Form Work in French: Cimetière du musée, Diane Boudreau (du Phoenix)
 
Best Short-Form Work in English/Meilleure nouvelle en anglais: “Like Water in the Desert,” Hayden Trenholm (Challenging Destiny #24) (novelette)

Meilleure nouvelle en français/Best Short-Form Work in French : “Sur la plage des épaves,” Laurent MacAllister (Solaris 164)

Best Work in English (Other)/Meilleur ouvrage en anglais (Autre): Under Cover of Darkness, Julie E. Czerneda & Jana Paniccia, eds., DAW
 
Artistic Achievement/Accomplissement artistique : Lar deSouza (On Spec Winter 2007, Parsec Spring/Summer 2007)
 
6) Jeanne DuPrau’s YA novel, City of Ember, has been made into a movie starring Bill Murray and Tim Robbins, due out in October 2008. You can see a trailer at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKtu-Ed9LWo