SF Signal has created a listing of all the 2008 Hugo Award nominees and the amazing thing is that almost all of the stories are now available online to read. This is not only a smart way to generate votes for the nominees, its also a great way to people to read the best SF/F of the last year. The Denvention site also lists the links to the nominated stories, but the novels are only available for WorldCon members to read online.
The mysterious Star Trek singing curse
SF Signal has the clip of George Takei of Star Trek fame singing "On the Road Again." While the clip from "Secret Talents of the Stars" is already making the rounds because of Takei's, err, unique take on Willie Nelson's classic song, the good news is that the song helped kill this horrid reality show after only one episode. And in even better news, this performance means Takei can take his place alongside his more famous Star Trek stars. After all, who can forget the classic musical album "Spaced Out: The Best of Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner." Perhaps the three of them should do a concert tour.
Tobias Buckell on when to trunk your stories
Tobias Buckell has some excellent advice about when an author should stop submitting (or trunk) a story:
I use a couple things to figure out when to retire a story. As a writer ... you should obviously be growing enough each year that you look back at something you wrote a year ago and see flaws. If you're not looking back on even earlier writing and seeing how much better you are now, then you are not growing as a writer. You should be able to see how much your earlier efforts suck, but also, you should also be able to spot bits of polish and neatness. So the earlier work is easy for me to spot what's out of sorts.
If I don't obviously see why the work sucks so bad it shouldn't be submitted, the next metric I use is: has a work has exhausted all the markets I submit to? If so, then I retire it.
Tobias also mentions that of the 130 short stories he's written, he's published just over 30 of them and has trunked about 95. That gets us back to the best advice for any writer--keep writing. Some stories are simply going to fail. But what you learn from those failures will help you succeed in a new story further down the line.
Big Interzone news
Issue 215 of Interzone arrived in my mailbox this week and my name is listed on page two under the "coming soon: stories by ..." section. According to Interzone editor Andy Cox, my story "The Ships Like Clouds, Risen By Their Rain" is tentatively slated for issue 217. Vincent Chong is also illustrating the story, which is amazing news because I'm a big fan of his artwork. You can see samples of his work here.
In even more exciting news, Andy e-mailed me today to say that a second story of mine, "When Thorns Are The Tips Of Trees," has just been accepted by Interzone. I'd like to publicly thank Andy, Jetse de Vries, and all the editors of Interzone for the faith and support they've shown my writing.
The reports of the death of the novella are greatly exaggerated
There's a fascinating conversation on the state of the SF/F novella on the Asimov's discussion board. While Fabrice Doublet bemoans the lack of good novellas nominated for the Hugo Award, editor Rich Horton notes that a number of strong novellas have been published lately. Gardner Dozois says that while there are "never a whole lot of novellas published per year, ... science fiction is one of the few genres in which any are published at all."
Personally, I'm glad that the SF/F genre remains receptive to novellas. As Dozois states, "Sometimes working under restrictions and limitations is actually good for art." I totally agree. There are a great many famous novellas--such as The Old Man and the Sea, to give a "literary" example--which would have been bloated and weak if the story had been fleshed out to novel length.
Story of the week: "An Alien Heresy" by S.P. Somtow
I first heard about S.P. Somtow back when I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Thailand. During in-country training, one of my first dates with my future wife--who was also training to become a PCV--was to invite her to a showing of the Thai SF film Kawow tee Bangpleng. The movie isn't a classic of the genre and is remembered mainly for the scene in which a massive UFO visits a Thai village and impregnates the local women. The day after seeing the movie I fell into a discussion about science fiction with one of my Peace Corps language trainers, who mentioned Somtow as a famous Thai SF author. However, when I asked what he'd written, she preceded to describe his work as a musician. Because my Thai was so poor, I assumed she'd misspoken about his being a science fiction writer.
Nope. Turns out I was merely limited in understanding all that a man like Somtow could do. Somtow is a throwback to the 18th century ideal of a renaissance man and is an accomplished musician, composer, film director, and author. Somtow's writings have won a number of high profile awards, including a World Fantasy Award for his novella "The Bird Catcher." A past president of the Horror Writers Association, Somtow also wrote a moving semi-autobiographical novel set in Thailand in the 1960s called Jasmine Nights. George Axelrod, Oscar-winning writer of Breakfast at Tiffany's, so loved this wonderful book that he called Somtow the "J.D. Salinger of Siam." However, in recent years Somtow has written very little as he's focused on musical compositions and his work with the Bangkok Opera. But now, after a seven year fiction drought, he returns to SF with the amazing novelette "An Alien Heresy" (published in the April/May 2008 issue of Asimov's).
"An Alien Heresy" is the story of Lenclud, a young official in the Catholic church during the dark years of the European Inquisition. A few years back, Lenclud lead an inquisition against the royal leader of the area called Tiffauges, who had been sexually assaulting and killing the children under his protection. While this should have been a high point in Lenclud's life, he also gave in to lust with a local woman. Ever since he's regretted his lack of true faith and piety while also fearing that his sin will be discovered. Now Lenclud is sent back to Tiffauges to examine reports of a captured demon. If the creature is indeed a demon, he will lead a new inquisition. But instead of a demon, Lenclud encounters both an alien explorer who crash landed in the area and a son he never knew he had. Both encounters test his faith--and his views of his faith--in ways he never could have expected.
This story of how religious faith can be perverted to justify almost any horror is a deeply disturbing story. But it is also an amazing tale, crafted with the atmospheric prose and attention to character that are Somtow's specialties. "An Alien Heresy" is highly recommended.
Starbuck says science fiction has little to do with Battlestar Galactica's success
Actress Katee Sackhoff, who plays Captain Kara "Starbuck" Thrace on the Sci Fi Channel television show Battlestar Galactica, has this to say on why this show is the best thing on TV:
"We never relied on the science fiction of the show. Most science fiction shows rely way too much on the bells and whistles. It kind of opened doors in science fiction to realize . . . it's just a setting. . . . It's not, (and) it should never have been what the show is."
Sackhoff is correct that the show's amazing character development is a major factor in why BG is so successful, but she's wrong to imply that the show's setting is irrelevant to this success. If Battlestar Galactica had been set in present day America, the show would have simply been an over-wrought soap opera. Instead, the space setting, combined with the desparate race for survival by this last group of human survivors, allows the show to explore complex issues with a depth and resonance that other TV dramas lack. Yes, the characters make the show great. But without the setting, no one would care about any of that character drama. Great science fiction is a merging of setting and drama and character. And it takes all three of those legs to support a great story like Battlestar Galactica.
Million Writers Award nomination summary
The editor and reader nomination period of the 2008 Million Writers Award for best online short story is now closed. The complete list of editor nominations can be seen here, while reader nominations are on this page.
A "mysterious, anonymous benefactor with an obsession for spreadsheets" (in his words) sent me a wonderful analysis of the nominations so far. According to his analysis, there are 537 nominated stories by 458 authors from 189 different publications. The publications with most nominations are:
- Eclectica Magazine, 31 nominations
- Storyglossia, 20
- MendaCity Review, 9
- Thieves Jargon, 9
- Word Riot, 9
- Helix, 8
- Pindeldyboz, 8
- Clarkesworld Magazine, 7
- FRiGG Magazine, 7
- Night Train, 7
- Thuglit, 7
- AGNI Online, 6
- Narrative Magazine, 6
- Underground Voices Magazine, 6
The preliminary judges have been screening these nominations, along with looking for stories which may have escaped the notice of nominating readers and editors. These preliminary editors will compile the list of notable stories, which will be released in a few weeks. I will then select the top ten stories of the year from this notable list; the public vote for the top story will occur shortly after that.
I want to thank everyone who took part in this nominating period. And, as always, a big thanks goes to the Edit Red Writing Community for sponsoring the contest, which means there is a $300 prize for the overall winner.
Final days for Million Writers Award nominations
We're nearing the deadline for reader and editor nominations for the 2008 Million Writers Award for best online short story. Remember, nominations need to be submitted by the end of the day on March 31st. Editor nominations can be made here, while reader nominations go on this page. As always, a big thanks goes to the Edit Red Writing Community for sponsoring the contest, which means there is a $300 prize for the overall winner.
10,000 BC and real fake movies
I saw 10,000 BC the other night and really enjoyed it. No, the movie is not a deep cinematic exploration of life, but it is a fun summer-type action movie. I mean, how can you hate a film with sabertooth tigers and giant carniverous birds!
One thing that puzzles me, though, is that 10,000 BC has received fairly negative reviews, with many of the reviewers complaining that the film is not historically accurate. Well, duh. The film even starts out with a voice-over stating that what follows is essentially a myth. But because the film takes liberties with history--nevermind that our knowledge of the specifics of human history that long ago is very limited--the movie gets panned. Now contrast this with movies and TV shows set in current times which take liberties with reality in ways which we know are absolutely wrong. For example, the action scenes and events in the TV series 24 are uniformly unrealistic, as they likewise are in the film No Country for Old Men. But we accept that these are cases where cinematic license is taken with reality in order to tell a compelling story (and in the two examples given, even reward these productions with well-deserved awards).
So my suggestion: Enjoy 10,000 BC for what it is--a far-fetched but fun story--and don't get all worked up over whether or not it is historically accurate.
Religion and science fiction
SF Signal has a great discussion up titled Is Science Fiction Antithetical to Religion? Among the authors taking part are Mike Resnick, Lou Anders, Ben Bova, and many many more. And don't even begin to assume that you know what the different authors are going to say. As Resnick states at the beginning, "You can't generalize about this large a field. For every atheist or agnostic author you can name, I'll name a religious one. For example: Gene Wolfe is a devout Catholic. Ray Lafferty was a devout Catholic. Avram Davidson was an Orthodox Jew. Michael A. Burstein is an Orthodox Jew. Ect. Ect. Ect."
Convention finder website
The other day John Joseph Adams issued a call for some tech savvy person to create a searchable database of SF/F conventions. Nathan Lily took up that call and has created Convention Finder, where you can search for conventions by zip code. Now all that we need are for people to enter the details of conventions into the database. So if you know about a convention, surf over there and do your part to help this wonderful website succeed.
Making science fiction books not look like SF books
GalleyCat examines the United States and United Kingdom versions of Charles Stross's Halting State and notices that in the U.S., the book cover clearly labels the novel as SF, while in the U.K. the book looks like a hip mainstream thriller. In addition, both editions of Ken MacLeod's The Execution Channel avoided an overly SF-looking cover. As GalleyCat observes, this is an obvious attempt to market these books beyond the core SF audience while at the same time not diluting the books' SF appeal. Sounds like a good strategy to me, although I wonder if part of the problem is that far too many SF books go for the generic SF-looking cover we all see in every SF section of the bookstore. Perhaps if more SF books showcased the variety of cover designs seen among generic literary and thriller books, other audiences would be willing to give these books a read.
Larry Sessions's proposal to honor Arthur C. Clarke
Larry Sessions is proposing that a massive stellar explosion which was visible on earth during the early hours of March 19th--shortly after the death of Arthur C. Clarke--be named in honor of this science fiction grandmaster. I totally support this proposal and urge others to do the same.
As Sessions says:
I propose that henceforth we refer to the March 19 gamma ray blast, officially designated GRB 080319B, as the "Clarke event" in honor of Sir Arthur. Was it the Universe reacting to the loss of this great man? No, as he himself would have told you, although likely not without prefacing it with a mischievous grin and an allusion to the gods being angry with him. No it wasn't the Universe mourning Sir Arthur. Instead, at its enormous distance, the light from this event formed and left on its journey long before Earth was born, presumably also making it the oldest event ever witnessed by humans. But what more fitting an honor for Sir Arthur?
For the record, NASA said this explosion was "the most intrinsically bright object ever observed by humans in the universe." I can think of no better tribute than to name this event for Clarke, who brought more illumination to humanity than most ordinary writers can even dream of doing.
Story of the Week: "The Nanny" by Thomas Wylde (and BTW, what happened to this guy?)
As I type this a well worn copy of the July 1983 issue of Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine sits beside my computer. The cover story is a fascinating tale by Tanith Lee; other content includes a short story by Ursula K. Le Guin. But the reason the issue stays in my mind is a story by a writer I never heard from again: Thomas Wylde.
I first read Wylde's novelette "The Nanny" when I was thirteen. My grandfather subscribed to Asimov's until his death in the mid 1980s and I probably borrowed this issue once he was finished. In fact, his mailing label is still stuck to the cover.
And did Wylde's story ever burn its way into my consciousness.
"The Nanny" concerns a NASA astronaut piloting a severely jazzed up, anti-matter powered space shuttle to Alpha Centauri. His cargo: human zygotes, the last hope for a humanity destroyed in a nuclear war. But something goes wrong on the way to the new star and, as the first line of the story says, "Eismann woke up eighteen years too early." To his horror he discovers the freezer containing the zygotes is destroyed. Unable to do anything else, he saves a male and female and raises the babies as he journeys through space, intent on these two children becoming humanity's new Adam and Eve. And that's exactly what happens, although not in the way Eismann plans.
"The Nanny" remains an excellent emotional examination of the choices people make when the fate of humanity is on the line. Because the story has held up so well even after 25 years, I've selected it as my story of the week. But the quality of the story also makes me wonder about what happened to Thomas Wylde. "The Nanny" was good enough to land in Donald A. Wollheim's 1984 Annual World's Best SF (along with being reprinted in a SF anthology titled Space Shuttles). But after publishing a handful of stories throughout the 1980s, along with two novels in Roger Zelazny's Alien Speedway series, Wylde dropped off the face of the planet. That's a shame because "The Nanny" definitely showed he could write an amazing SF tale.
BTW, this issue's coming attractions heralds another "moving tale" which would be published in the Aug. 1983 Asimov's--"The Peacemaker" by Gardner Dozois.
Guilt tripping as a book promotion strategy
Robert Hoge has this suggestion for small literary presses which promote their books at conventions:
Don't try to guilt $25 out of me as a purchase-as-charity sale to support a small press. Yes the publisher has put lots of effort into the book and will almost certainly make a loss on the publication. But don't say you're going to bar the doors until everyone buys a book because the small press publisher deserves our support. Small publishers deserve and get our support because they publish shit-hot stories. If you don't at least try to sell me on buying the book because of its quality then you're not doing you're job and you don't deserve a sale.
I have been to too many launches where the only call to action is "buy the book so you can support the publisher's hard work and they can do more publications." Harper Collins won't be telling me to buy the books at their launch because Rupert Murdoch needs the money. They'll be telling me to buy the book/s because if I don't I'll be missing the hottest YA fantasy of the year or the best science fiction debut since Mary Doria Russell.
Since Hoge is a judge for this year's World Fantasy Award, I'd suggest small presses take his suggestion under serious consideration.
The passing of a science fiction master
Arthur C. Clarke is hands down my favorite science fiction author. As a teenager growing up in Alabama, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Childhood's End not only provided me with my first glimpse at how humanity stacked up against the eternity of time and space in which we swim, these books also showed me how fiction could tackle issues which are so large they send shivers down your spine to even contemplate them. I'm sorry to hear that Clarke has died, but I'm grateful for the amazing stories and perspective Clarke bequeathed to several generations of readers. Thank you, Mr. Clarke, for giving our world so much joy and insight.
Tom Purdom's science fiction memoir
The March 2008 New York Review of Science Fiction contains the second installment of Tom Purdom's fascinating science fiction memoir. While the NYRSF isn't online, Purdom has posted the first nine installments of his memoir on his website and I'd highly recommend them for anyone interested in the SF field of the 1950s and 60s. Of particular interest is episode eight (titled "Doubling Up"), which explores Purdom's adventures in the Ace Double field and the writing of his novel "I Want the Stars."
Florence Owens Thompson, Migrant Mother
Even though the name Florence Owens Thompson probably isn't familiar to you, you've likely seen her famous portrait by Dorothea Lange. Titled "Migrant Mother," this photograph is one of the iconic images of the Great Depression. Now, via Wikipedia, you can read about the life of the woman behind the photo. You can also learn more on the wonderful website created by her grandson Roger Sprague. As he states, the image came from a migrant camp where Florence and her family were living.
Then a shiny new car (it was only two years old) pulled into the entrance, stopped some twenty yards in front of Florence and a well-dressed woman got out with a large camera. She started taking Florence's picture. With each picture the woman would step closer. Florence thought to herself, "Pay her no mind. The woman thinks I'm quaint, and wants to take my picture." The woman took the last picture not four feet away then spoke to Florence: "Hello, I'm Dorthea Lange, I work for the Farm Security Administration documenting the plight of the migrant worker. The photos will never be published, I promise." Florence said, "Okay, if you think it will help." The woman turned, walked away, got in her car, and was gone. The next day the promise was broken: Florence's picture taken by the well-dressed lady was on the front page of all the newspapers. (Source: Migrant Mother website)
One of the recurring mysteries of life is to see an old photograph and wonder about the life of the person captured in that one brief moment of frozen light. Thanks to Wikipedia and the internet, Florence Owens Thompson's amazing life doesn't need to be a mystery to anyone.
Story of the Week: "Five Thrillers" by Robert Reed
April has brought a shower of excellent short stories to the pages of the major print SF/F magazines, some of which I'll touch upon in the coming days. However, even with so many strong stories around, one tale stands far above the rest: "Five Thrillers" by Robert Reed in the April 2008 issue of Fantasy and Science Fiction.
"Five Thrillers" is the story of Joseph Carroway, an assistant engineer/secret agent/eventual world leader during a turbulent future period of human civilization. The major conflict of Joe's time is between ordinary humans and those practicing extreme genetic manipulation, who call themselves the Rebirth movement. But while Reed does an excellent job creating the fascinating universe in which this story exists, the tale itself belongs solely to Joe and his five different adventures across his lifetime (hence the story's title). Joe is one of the strongest and most startling characters to cross the short SF/F scene in years as he survives life through a sense of cunning and understanding of humanity that Machiavelli could only have agreed with. But just when readers begins to think that Joe might have gone too far with his power games, we are shown in stark terms how the future belongs to those who survive life--and how without people like Joe, humanity may not be long for this universe.
This novelette is a masterpiece of action, fast-paced narration, and insightful examination of the attributes which make humans so successful and potentially scary. Reed recently won a Hugo Award for his wonderful "A Billion Eves;" with this tale, he is in serious competition for a second award. In fact, if I don't see this story on the short list for the major awards (along with "Pump Six" by Paolo Bacigalupi, my previous story of the week), I will be extremely disappointed.
As a final note, artist Maurizio Manzieri should also be commended for his mind blowingly great cover art for "Five Thrillers." As Manzieri says, he decided to go all out with this piece of art because "when will I have another first-hand opportunity to paint the end of the world?" And boy did he ever create a sense of hell to match the hell found in both Reed's story and the amazing character of Joseph Carroway.