The nominations for the 2008 Eisner Awards have been announced, and they contain good news.  Shaun Tan has been nominated in three separate categories (Best Graphic Album – New; Best U.S. Edition of International Material; Best Writer/Artist) for his book, The Arrival, while Ben Templesmith has been nominated for Best Painter or Multimedia Artist (interior art).  Wonderful news, indeed!

Ollie Johnston, the last of Disney’s Nine Old Men, had died at the age of 95. An age of art is over. We can only glory in what he (they) did.  Sad news, indeed.

One day to go. You gotta nominate / vote in the 2008 Locus Awards. You can do it here. There’s all sorts of good stuff in the pre-completed dropdowns, but don’t forget you can add whatever you want.  This is one of the biggest public-vote awards in the field, and you can be part of it (no cost, nothing!).

There’s a lot of talking about space opera going on out there. First, the redoubtable Paul Di Filippo takes a look at Gary Wolfe’s Space Vulture for Barnes and Noble. Then, John Clute peers into Peter F. Hamilton’s The Dreaming Void over at SciFi.com. And then, finally, Gwyneth Jones (one of my favorite critics) takes a clear-eyed look at Iain M. Banks’ Matter for Strange Horizons.

What to make of it all? Well, Space Vulture doesn’t look to my taste, in truth.  I’m daunted by the sheer volume of backstory that comes with Hamilton’s book, as much as I’ve enjoyed some of his stuff.  The Banks novel, though, I’ve read and enjoyed. Jones’ comments are on the money too.

Via JJA at the Shade, a very nice review from Bob’s Book Reviews for Eclipse One. I can’t speak for any of the contributors, but I’ve been delighted by the way the book’s been accepted.