This is a response to “Why fanfic makes us poor” by Cupidsbow, made over here. I think, in the interests of civilised debate, that it’s important that I make it clear that this is a reponse, not an attack.
One of the arguments in the essay was that fanfic is deserving of more broad recognition, [...]

I’ve been challenged on my post decrying the recent Supreme Court decision to criminalise intact dilatation and evacuation (iD&E), so here’s more argumentation about how I came to my conclusion. For those who enjoy reading 73-page legal documents, the complete summation can be found here.
The finding can be condemned on two grounds. It ignored [...]

Explanation: this nauseating opinion article by Roger Sandell in Quadrant.

On Wednesday, the US Supreme Court overturned a generation of legal precedent and the opinion of working gynaecologists to pass a law that makes a certain kind of abortion illegal. Apart from the obvious arguments and counter-arguments, I would just like to point out two interesting quotes from this excellent Washington Post report.
Quote the First:
Mr. [...]

This gem appeared in the first sentence on the back page of yesterday’s Sunshine Coast Daily newspaper. To be fair to the Daily, the article washed up in the AAP feed. No byline = no blame.
Andrew Johns will be immortalised for at least one day in Newcastle this Sunday…
It cheers me up every time I [...]

In terrible news, Christopher James Bishop is confirmed as being among the thirty-two murdered at Virginia Tech, where he taught German and managed a student exchange program. Jamie is the son of author Michael and school counsellor Jeri Bishop, and leaves behind a wife, Stephanie, who also teaches at Virginia Tech.
On Michael Bishop’s website, readers [...]

It seems to be the season for announcing the closure of independent fiction outlets. First Shadowed Realms, now Potato Monkey. Editor Ben Payne has decided to let Potato Monkey lie fallow “for the indefinite future.”
I love the magazine with all my heart, but there are now better magazines providing venues for new talent.
Potato Monkey never [...]

The Children’s Book Council shortlist for 2007.
Squid favourites Margo Lanagan and Shaun Tan are shortlisted in the Older Readers Book and Picture Book categories respectively. Look out also for the Aurealis-blooded D.M. Cornish and Anne Spudvilas.
Hat tip to Garth Nix.

COSMOS magazine has announced that its web arm will begin publishing Post Mortal Syndrome, a new novel by Damien Broderick and Barbara Lamar, in daily instalments of 2,000 words. The novel will start here, from Monday…
Post Mortal Syndrome is an exciting blend of thriller and science fiction, with a poignant love story at its heart.

There is little I can add to the storm of opinion and news surrounding Kurt Vonnegut’s death, so I’ll say simply this: Sirens of Titan and Mother Night are two of the best novels I have ever read. Sirens of Titan is especially interesting for its place in science fiction because Vonnegut wrote the book [...]