StarShipSofa
Encyclopedia
StarShipSofa is a Hugo-Award-winning
science fiction
podcast
from the UK
hosted and edited by Tony C. Smith. It was the first ever podcast to be both nominated for and win a Hugo Award. StarShipSofa was also nominated for Best Fan Podcast in the 2007 Parsec Awards
. According to self-reported numbers, 70,000 downloads were recorded for all StarShipSofa episodes in the month of June 2010.
. The next 70 episodes ran weekly and featured commentary on such subjects as Harlan Ellison
, Samuel R. Delany
, Charles Stross
, and other well-known science fiction authors. StarShipSofa also covered subjects such as films and specific themes such as religion in science fiction.
In 2010 many of these original podcasts were transcribed and published in book form as StarShipSofa: The Captain's Logs.
At the end of this initial run O'Carrol left StarShipSofa and the podcast began to transition to an audio fiction magazine, with narrated fiction mixed with commentary and essays. Now calling itself StarShipSofa - The Audio Science Fiction Magazine, in October 2007 StarShipSofa began podcasting Hugo Award
winning audio stories for free. In March 2008, for the first time ever, all five of the short stories that had been shortlisted for the BSFA Award for Best Short Story were made available on the StarShipSofa in audio narrated format.
s ballot. It was nominated in the category Best Fanzine
after an online lobbying effort by Smith and supporters of the podcast. On 5 September 2010 StarShipSofa went on to become the first podcast to win a Hugo. The award was presented at Aussiecon 4 in Melbourne, Australia.
As a result, the 2011 business meeting of the Worldcon voted to create a new category for "Best Fancast", so that StarShipSofa would no longer be deemed a fanzine
or be eligible for a fanzine Hugo.
, Gene Wolfe
, Peter Watts, Elizabeth Bear
, and others. The second volume of stories was published in October 2010 and contains fiction by Neil Gaiman
, China Miéville
, Mary Rosenblum
, and others.
StarShipSofa is free and is available for subscription and automatic download through iTunes
.
Hugo Award for Best Fanzine
The Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...
science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
from the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
hosted and edited by Tony C. Smith. It was the first ever podcast to be both nominated for and win a Hugo Award. StarShipSofa was also nominated for Best Fan Podcast in the 2007 Parsec Awards
Parsec Awards
The Parsec Awards are a set of annual awards created to recognize excellence in science fiction podcasts and podcast novels. The awards were created by Mur Lafferty, Tracy Hickman and Michael R. Mennenga and awarded by FarPoint Media...
. According to self-reported numbers, 70,000 downloads were recorded for all StarShipSofa episodes in the month of June 2010.
History
The show was first broadcast in July 2006 by Smith and Ciaran O'Carrol with an episode focusing on Alfred BesterAlfred Bester
Alfred Bester was an American science fiction author, TV and radio scriptwriter, magazine editor and scripter for comic strips and comic books...
. The next 70 episodes ran weekly and featured commentary on such subjects as Harlan Ellison
Harlan Ellison
Harlan Jay Ellison is an American writer. His principal genre is speculative fiction.His published works include over 1,700 short stories, novellas, screenplays, teleplays, essays, a wide range of criticism covering literature, film, television, and print media...
, Samuel R. Delany
Samuel R. Delany
Samuel Ray Delany, Jr., also known as "Chip" is an American author, professor and literary critic. His work includes a number of novels, many in the science fiction genre, as well as memoir, criticism, and essays on sexuality and society.His science fiction novels include Babel-17, The Einstein...
, Charles Stross
Charles Stross
Charles David George "Charlie" Stross is a British writer of science fiction, Lovecraftian horror and fantasy. He was born in Leeds.Stross specialises in hard science fiction and space opera...
, and other well-known science fiction authors. StarShipSofa also covered subjects such as films and specific themes such as religion in science fiction.
In 2010 many of these original podcasts were transcribed and published in book form as StarShipSofa: The Captain's Logs.
At the end of this initial run O'Carrol left StarShipSofa and the podcast began to transition to an audio fiction magazine, with narrated fiction mixed with commentary and essays. Now calling itself StarShipSofa - The Audio Science Fiction Magazine, in October 2007 StarShipSofa began podcasting Hugo Award
Hugo Award
The Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...
winning audio stories for free. In March 2008, for the first time ever, all five of the short stories that had been shortlisted for the BSFA Award for Best Short Story were made available on the StarShipSofa in audio narrated format.
Hugo Award
On 4 April 2010, StarShipSofa became the first podcast to ever be included on the Hugo AwardHugo Award
The Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...
s ballot. It was nominated in the category Best Fanzine
Hugo Award for Best Fanzine
The Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...
after an online lobbying effort by Smith and supporters of the podcast. On 5 September 2010 StarShipSofa went on to become the first podcast to win a Hugo. The award was presented at Aussiecon 4 in Melbourne, Australia.
As a result, the 2011 business meeting of the Worldcon voted to create a new category for "Best Fancast", so that StarShipSofa would no longer be deemed a fanzine
Science fiction fanzine
A science fiction fanzine is an amateur or semi-professional magazine published by members of science fiction fandom, from the 1930s to the present day...
or be eligible for a fanzine Hugo.
StarShipSofa Stories
To celebrate the 100th episode of StarShipSofa's audio fiction magazine, an anthology of stories titled StarShipSofa Stories, Volume 1 was published, featuring fiction by Michael MoorcockMichael Moorcock
Michael John Moorcock is an English writer, primarily of science fiction and fantasy, who has also published a number of literary novels....
, Gene Wolfe
Gene Wolfe
Gene Wolfe is an American science fiction and fantasy writer. He is noted for his dense, allusive prose as well as the strong influence of his Catholic faith, to which he converted after marrying into the religion. He is a prolific short story writer and a novelist, and has won many awards in the...
, Peter Watts, Elizabeth Bear
Elizabeth Bear
Sarah Bear Elizabeth Wishnevsky is an American author. Writing under the name Elizabeth Bear, she works primarily in the genre of speculative fiction, and was a winner of the 2005 John W...
, and others. The second volume of stories was published in October 2010 and contains fiction by Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
, China Miéville
China Miéville
China Tom Miéville is an award-winning English fantasy fiction writer. He is fond of describing his work as "weird fiction" , and belongs to a loose group of writers sometimes called New Weird. He is also active in left-wing politics as a member of the Socialist Workers Party...
, Mary Rosenblum
Mary Rosenblum
Mary Rosenblum is a science fiction and mystery author. Mary Rosenblum grew up in Allison Park, "a dead little coal mining town outside Pittsburgh PA," and attended Reed College in Oregon, earning a biology degree. She attended the Clarion West workshop in 1988.Her first story came out in 1990...
, and others.
StarShipSofa is free and is available for subscription and automatic download through iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
.