Samuel R. Delany

A Whole Month of Earthsea Discussions, with Charles Yu, Lev Grossman, Samuel Delany, Kelly Link and More!

If you’re lucky enough to be in New York, then October is going to be a brilliant month for you — the Center for Fiction is putting on a whole month of science fiction and fantasy discussions, in honor of Ursula K. Le Guin’s A Wizard of Earthsea. It’s all part of “The Big Read,”…

Books & Comics Charlie Jane Anders Sep 28

Finally Revealed: The 100 Greatest Science Fiction and Fantasy Books, According to NPR’s Readers

When NPR revealed its list of finalists for its “Top 100 Science-Fiction and Fantasy Books” survey, we were struck by how diverse and wide-ranging that list was. Now the actual list of the 100 greatest books has been revealed… and it’s quite a bit more conservative. https://gizmodo.com/the-best-science-fiction-and-fantasy-books-of-all-time-5826981 As NPR points out, the final selections for…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders Aug 11

10 Classic SF and Fantasy Books That Were Originally Considered Failures

Some of science fiction/fantasy’s classic books failed to win over readers at first. And the publishers of some of SF’s most beloved works were convinced they had a disaster on their hands. Here are 10 masterpieces that were deemed failures. Top image: Lord of the Rings watercolor by David T. Wenzel Little, Big by John…

Books & Comics Charlie Jane Anders and Michael Ann Dobbs Jul 5

What are the craziest, most experimental science fiction novels out there?

Over at Jeff VanderMeer’s Ecstatic Days blog, VanderMeer asked his readers to name the “craziest or most experimental” science fiction novels of all time — and the answers are pretty diverse and fascinating. If you’ve been feeling the need for more novels along the lines of Dhalgren or House of Leaves, you could do worse…

Books & Comics Charlie Jane Anders May 4

Samuel Delany’s massive new novel finally has a publisher and release date!

We’ve been dying to read Samuel R. Delany’s Through The Valley of the Nest of Spiders since we talked to him about it a couple years ago. So we were disappointed when his publisher ran aground. https://gizmodo.com/samuel-delany-answers-your-science-fiction-questions-5295779 https://gizmodo.com/samuel-delanys-long-awaited-next-novel-in-limbo-5723749 The good news is, Nest of Spiders has a new publisher, Magnus Books, and a release date:…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders Apr 13

Soar into danger, with the stunning artwork of Christopher Moore

A ship plunges boldly into the swirling eye of an event horizon, criss-crossed by a searing beam of purple light. What happens next? It’s the sort of tantalizing image that leaves you dreaming — and desperate to read the book that the image adorns. Chances are you’ve already drooled over Christopher Moore’s absolutely stunning science-fiction…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders Feb 16

The Inside Story of “the Dhalgren Miracle”

When Samuel R. Delany’s Dhalgren was first published, it was listed as “a Frederik Pohl selection.” Now at last, Pohl blogs about how he acquired a book that 20 or 30 publishers had rejected, and helped make it a success. We’ve been waiting for “part 2” of Pohl’s series of blog posts about Delany, since…

Books & Comics Charlie Jane Anders Jan 12

Samuel Delany’s long-awaited next novel in limbo

We were excited to read Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders, Samuel R. Delany’s next novel which starts in 2007 and covers the relationship between two men over a 70-year period. But it turns out the troubles at publisher Alyson Books have put him back to square one — Delany tells us his…

Books & Comics Charlie Jane Anders Jan 3

15 classic science fiction and fantasy novels that publishers rejected

Science fiction’s greatest authors have brilliant ideas, storytelling mojo… and plenty of stubbornness. Many of the field’s greatest writers were buried in rejection slips, before they finally broke in. Here are 15 classic novels that publishers didn’t want to touch. When we were doing our list of 10 science fiction classics that the publishers originally…

Books & Comics Charlie Jane Anders and Michael Ann Dobbs Oct 19

10 classic SF books that were originally considered failures

Some of science fiction/fantasy’s classic books failed to win over readers at first. And the publishers of some of SF’s most beloved works were convinced they had a disaster on their hands. Here are 10 masterpieces that were deemed failures. Little, Big by John Crowley Writer’s Almanac summed it up best: “[John Crowley’s] most famous…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders and Michael Ann Dobbs Oct 13

Harlan Ellison, Samuel R. Delany receive lifetime achievement awards

Two of the field’s most respected authors will receive recognition for the ways in which they transformed science fiction. Samuel R. Delany and Harlan Ellison will receive, respectively, the 2010 and 2011 Eaton Awards for Lifetime Achievement in Science Fiction from the University of California, Riverside. Ellison will accept his award at the 2011 Eaton…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders Jul 22

Read an excerpt from Samuel Delany’s long-awaited new novel online!

We’ve been excited about Samuel R. Delany’s new novel, Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders, since we talked to him about it a year ago. And now, at last, you can read an excerpt from it online. https://gizmodo.com/samuel-delany-answers-your-science-fiction-questions-5295779 The novel is coming out in February from Alyson Books, and here’s the blurb: A…

Books & Comics Charlie Jane Anders Jul 14

What did we think was at the center of our galaxy?

Scientists now believe there’s a supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy. But back in the day, we dreamed the galactic center held God’s home planet. Or a super-civilization. What else did science-fiction authors think we’d find there? A super matter transmitter: In the Perry Rhodan books, Rhodan discovers a gigantic matter transmitter,…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders Jun 23

William Gibson reveals his favorite science fiction novels of all time

William Gibson shares his dearest science fiction novels with New York Magazine. The best is his blurb for Samuel R. Delany’s Dhalgren. “It won’t work unless you can allow it to become your head for a few weeks.” [via DisInfo]

Books & Comics Charlie Jane Anders May 31

Samuel Delany’s Dhalgren Becomes A Bizarre, Experimental Stage Play

It’s a massive behemoth and possibly the closest thing you could imagine to an unfilmable novel. But starting tomorrow, New York City’s The Kitchen is doing a stage play of Samuel R. Delany’s challenging Dhalgren. Have they gone mad? The stage play of Dhalgren is called Bellona, Destroyer Of Cities, and it’s being put on…

Books & Comics Charlie Jane Anders Mar 31

20 Great Infodumps From Science Fiction Novels

A truly great infodump is a work of art. The best science fiction authors can brief you on everything you need to know about their worlds, without making you feel lectured. Here are 20 great examples of the smooth infodump. Because you demanded it! We all love science-fiction books that have rich world-building — but…

Books & Comics Charlie Jane Anders Mar 19

Samuel Delany’s 70-Year Romance Novel Coming This Fall

You think your love affair is long lasting? Your romance is but an eyeblink compared to that of the characters in Samuel R. Delany’s new novel — which is finally coming out this fall. When we interviewed Delany a while back, he was excited about his new novel, Through The Valley Of The Nest Of…

Books & Comics Charlie Jane Anders Feb 9

12 Unfinished SF Novels We Wish We Could Read

Of all the alternate worlds we’re dying to visit, the greatest is that mythical room containing every book that was never written. Here are the dozen unfinished novels by science fiction’s greatest authors, that we wish we could read. The Masks by Ray Bradbury Masks, myths and metaphors” play an important part in much of…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders Oct 23

Samuel Delany Answers Your Science Fiction Questions!

Samuel R. Delany has been away from science fiction for over twenty years — and now he’s coming back to it, sort of. His new novel Through The Valley Of The Nest Of Spiders is an introspective future history. https://gizmodo.com/4-authors-we-wish-would-return-to-science-fiction-5285084 When we talked to Samuel R. Delany for our mega-feature about writers we wished would…

Books & Comics Charlie Jane Anders Jun 20

4 Authors We Wish Would Return To Science Fiction

Some of our favorite science fiction authors appear to have left SF behind, after creating stories that live with us forever. We asked Nicola Griffith, Karen Joy Fowler, Samuel R. Delany and Mary Doria Russell why they left the genre. I was talking to some friends online about the writers we miss the most from…

Books & Comics Charlie Jane Anders Jun 10

A Whole Month of Earthsea Discussions, with Charles Yu, Lev Grossman, Samuel Delany, Kelly Link and More!

Finally Revealed: The 100 Greatest Science Fiction and Fantasy Books, According to NPR’s Readers

10 Classic SF and Fantasy Books That Were Originally Considered Failures

What are the craziest, most experimental science fiction novels out there?

Samuel Delany’s massive new novel finally has a publisher and release date!

Soar into danger, with the stunning artwork of Christopher Moore

The Inside Story of “the Dhalgren Miracle”

Samuel Delany’s long-awaited next novel in limbo

15 classic science fiction and fantasy novels that publishers rejected

10 classic SF books that were originally considered failures

Harlan Ellison, Samuel R. Delany receive lifetime achievement awards

Read an excerpt from Samuel Delany’s long-awaited new novel online!

What did we think was at the center of our galaxy?

William Gibson reveals his favorite science fiction novels of all time

Samuel Delany’s Dhalgren Becomes A Bizarre, Experimental Stage Play

20 Great Infodumps From Science Fiction Novels

Samuel Delany’s 70-Year Romance Novel Coming This Fall

12 Unfinished SF Novels We Wish We Could Read

Samuel Delany Answers Your Science Fiction Questions!

4 Authors We Wish Would Return To Science Fiction

I’m Worried About the Helpless AI Disruptors of the Future

Russia Allegedly Swung at VPNs but Accidentally Hit Its Own Banking Sector Instead

Ryan Coogler Is Shifting ‘Animorphs’ Into a Disney+ Show

No Fooling, ‘Spaceballs 2’ Will Hit Theaters April 2027

I Regret to Inform You That the Artemis II Astronauts Are Having Lots of Screen Time

The First ‘Maul: Shadow Lord’ Reactions Are Most Solid

‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Season 3 Is Doing What You Hoped

Wearables Are Getting Very Messy

AirPods Max 2 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Which ANC Headphones Win?

The Best Gadgets of March 2026

AirPods Max 2 Review: Still Ridiculously Expensive and Ridiculously Nice

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Review: A Solid 2-in-1 Laptop With Some Glaring Flaws

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

Sonos Era 100 SL Review: The Cheapest Way Into Wired Sonos Sound

Let us help find what you are looking for...