Salman Rushdie Sends Message to Book Banners in a Speech at the British Book Awards
Speaking in a video message delivered to the British Book Awards in London on Monday, Salman Rushdie had a message for those calling for book bans in America. “We live in a moment, I think, at which freedom of expression, freedom to publish has not in my lifetime been under such threat in the countries of the West,” the novelist said. Rushdie went on to argue that books should be allowed to “come to us from their time and be of their time…And if that’s difficult to take, don’t read it, read another book.” Salman Rushdie was awarded the Freedom to Publish award as part of the British Book Awards ceremony on Monday evening.
Tor Books Acquires Four Books From Hugo Award-Winning Author Amal El-Mohtar
Tor Books has acquired four books from Hugo Award-winning author Amal El-Mohtar. In a statement, Tor Books Executive Editor Ali Fisher said, “Amal El-Mohtar has a voice from another, better world. Her writing is an irresistible glowing doorway—you know whatever’s on the other side will change you, but there’s no hesitation in turning the handle and passing through. I’m overjoyed to be working with Amal on these projects!” The books include two novels, one novella, and one short story collection. El-Mohtar’s new novella is slated for a fall 2024 release. The remaining projects will follow.
Amazon Announces New Lord of the Rings MMO
Amazon has announced plans to create a new Lord of the Rings massively multiplayer online game (MMO). The as-yet-untitled game will be developed by Amazon Games Studio, the same team behind Amazon’s MMO New World. With this new game, Amazon says it intends to “deliver something that feels distinct from New World and fitting for the world of Middle-earth. The team has some big plans for the next generation of New World’s Azoth Engine that will unlock exciting new possibilities for its take on Middle-earth.” This is not the first time Amazon has announced a LOTR MMO. Amazon had previously announced that it would team with the Chinese developer Leyou Technologies to develop the game, but the deal ultimately fell through.
Weird Queer: An Introduction to the Genre
Take a dive into the Weird Queer genre, where traditional genres and binaries of all kinds disappear, merge, and mutate delightfully.