Science fiction and fantasy manuscript submission guidelines

This weekend I gave feedback to a friend on his novel submission packet. While I don't believe submissions must follow a rigid set of manuscript rules or always risk instant rejection, authors should generally stick to the basic formatting guidelines so editors can focus on what really matters--your story--instead of that crazy font you printed your story in.

For my money, the best online resource for proper manuscript guidelines comes from William Shunn. He presents the formatting guidelines in an extremely visual way as actual short story, poetry, or novel submissions. New writers would to well to study up on these examples.

Creating an online SF/F convention

Sherwood Smith wants to know if there is interest in holding an online SF/F convention in mid January of next year. Based on the responses to her post, the answer appears to be a big yes. I think this is a great idea and echo others who wonder why this hasn't been attempted before.

Over on the Asimov's forum, people also like Smith's idea, although Bill Moonroe wonders if one actually has "to see the costumed attendees in person to really appreciate the convention atmosphere." On the plus side, he notes he could afford the airfare to an online convention. With the price of fuel at all time highs, I'm sure a lot of people would agree with that last statement.

Interzone and a preview of my story

Issue 216 of Interzone--the much publicized mundane science fiction issue--arrived in my mailbox on Saturday. I'm reading through the stories now and plan to publish a review of both the issue and the entire mundane manifesto.

First, though, a few words of excitement: The inside cover of the magazine plugs my upcoming story "The Ships Like Clouds, Risen By Their Rain," which should be in the next issue. The tiny piece of the artwork for my story, from Vincent Chong, looks amazing. I can't wait to see the entire art spread.

Million Writers Award update

I'm still working on picking the Million Writers Award top ten stories. Reading through all this short fiction has literally worn me out.

A few more stories which have caught my attention include "Intellectual Property" by Angela Woodward, "Casa de Serenidad" by Zachary Amendt, and "Elsbeth Rose" by Lavie Tidhar. Doesn't mean I'll pick these stories for the top ten, but from my last two days of reading these are my favorite stories.

Paolo Bacigalupi, Tobias Buckell, Charles Coleman Finlay and others host the superbowl of author readings

How's this for a superbowl of an author reading: Paolo Bacigalupi, Tobias Buckell, Charles Coleman Finlay, Sandra McDonald, Paul Melko and Sarah Prineas will do a joint reading in Columbus, Ohio, on June 7th at 7 p.m. at the Barnes & Noble Bookseller, 1739 Olentangy River Rd. That's located about a stone's throw from the Ohio State campus.

Sadly, Buckell's new book Sly Mongoose won't be out prior to the reading, but his highly praised novel Ragamuffin is still available. For more information on Buckell and his writings see my review of Ragamuffin and my featured interview with him. I also highly recommend Bacigalupi's Pump Six and Other Stories (see my overall review here and my praise for the title story here). As readers may remember, I'm really pushing for the title story of Bacigalupi's collection to be nominated for the Hugo and Nebula awards. And obviously Finlay, McDonald, Melko, and Prineas are all top-notch authors.

A few years ago I ran a major literary reading series in the Twin Cities, meaning I attended the dang things several times each week. As you might guess, that really burned me out on the whole idea of author readings.This is the first reading since then that I'm actually excited about attending.

Free online fiction: "A Handful of Pearls" by Beth Bernobich

Last year I reviewed issue 212 of Interzone and singled out for mention the disturbing "A Handful of Pearls" by Beth Bernobich. Apex Digest has now reprinted the story online, so anyone wanting to read it can do so. But as I said previously:

I don't recommend "A Handful of Pearls" to most readers. But anyone wanting to understand how people do truly evil acts while imagining themselves to be the mistreated heroes of their own self-narratives, then this story is a must read. I'm certain that long after the fun stories I've read this year fade from memory, "A Handful of Pearls" will remain.

Six months after writing that statement it remains true, just as Bernobich's story remains lodged in my mind.

Flashback to the future

I'm completely taken with the blog Modern Mechanix, which provides flashbacks to what people decades ago thought the future would look like. Some of my personal favorites of late are how to create your own inflatable dome (from Popular Science, July 1973) and amazing marvels of tomorrow (from Mechanix Illustrated, Aug. 1955). Amazing how many of these predictions were both totally off the mark and actually close to the truth of what happened.

How original is it to ask if SF has lost its originality?

Prashant Raju over at Jumbabox asks "Has Science Fiction lost its originality?" Prashant's reasoning is that several of the characters from the upcoming Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie are extremely similar to previously seen characters in Stargate, Star Wars and Pan's Labyrinth. Since Guillermo del Toro directed both Hellboy II and Pan's Labyrinth, I don't think that's a fair comparison--after all, authors and directors tend to reuse certain of their favorite character designs--but the other images Prashant provides does make one wonder. My theory is that there are only so many ways to use make-up and latex to turn humans into aliens or monsters.

First "space lawyer" dooms humanity to an earth-bound fate

The first "space lawyer" has graduated, which probably means humanity is now doomed to an earth-bound fate. MichaelDodge, the newly minted lawyer to the stars--not the high paying type of stars out in Hollywood, mind you--says that he was initially curious as to why "space needed regulation." But luckily for him, and to the future detriment of all who dream of humanity throwing off the shackles of earth, he got over such non-lawyerly worries and showed his right stuff by embracing the final legal frontier.

All I can add is don't look to me to write about space lawyers anytime soon, unless it's in connection to some alien monster needing a space lawyer's stomach to explode out of.

Story of the Week: "Johnny Cash Beset by Darkness" by John Marshall Daniel

I'm still working on my top ten selections from the Million Writers Award notable stories of 2007. While I haven't made up my mind about a handful of stories, there is one tale I'm totally in love with. This is also a story which, tragically, I can't select: "Johnny Cash Beset by Darkness" by John Marshall Daniel.

The reason I can't pick this story is because it was published in storySouth, a literary journal I edit. Our fiction editor Scott Yarbrough is to be commended for selecting this amazing story, which--without giving too much away--involves a lush Southern setting and a disturbing travelling sideshow. But while a lesser story would have dog-paddled in the warm waters of these familiar story-telling cliches, this tale dive deep into the cold, fresh waters of Daniel's unique writing voice. The result is a classic tale which stays with the reader. While I can't select this story because of the obvious conflict of interest, I highly recommend it.

Free online science fiction stories

James Wallace Harris has the details on all the free, high quality science fiction available online. As Harris says, these aren't links to trunk stories or works by wanna-be writers. These are classic SF stories. In addition, Harris adds that "a good way to dip your toe in the free story waters is to read BestScienceFictionStories.comwhere Rusty reviews standout SF short stories, many of which are on the net to read for free and Rusty provides the links.  He even offers a guide to finding free stories, 'Nine Secrets For Finding Your Favorite Science Fiction Short Stories Online,' as well as 'The 10 Best Web Sites for Free Online Science Fiction Short Stories.' When I was a kid I had to haunt musty used bookshops all over Miami to find classic SF stories to read.  Now story hunting is as easy as a mouse-click away."

Charles Platt's "Marginal Transcendence" and how to wholeheartedly sell out

The April and May issues of the New York Review of Science Fiction feature a fascinating two-part autobiography by author Charles Platt. Titled "Marginal Transcendence," the first essay follows Pratt's life from his birth in a dull town 40 miles outside London to his work on Michael Moorcock's groundbreaking New Worlds magazine. The second essay picks up with Platt's move to the United States, his writing in the science fiction field, and his journalism for Wired Magazine.

While Platt's impact on the science fiction field has been somewhat limited, he has been involved in two seminal magazines associated with the genre--with New Worlds promoting the launch of the New Wave movement, and Wired popularizing many SF memes--while also being a life-long part of SF fandom. He also drops some amazing insight during the essays. For example, he says that if editors could give authors three instructions, they would be:

  1. Don't be a prima donna.
  2. Don't write a book that's different from the one you said you would write.
  3. Deliver it on time.

He also advises that if writers want to sell out, "it should be a wholehearted sellout with no self-serving nonsense about doing it 'ethically.'"

The touchiest subject in America: bicycles vesus cars

It's been a while since I've found a good mystery, but try this one on for size: What's the one subject you should never bring up in polite society in the United States? The one subject which will instantly polarize a room and causing screaming, over-the-top displays of histrionics?

The 2008 presidential election? Hillary versus Obama? Abortion? Global warming? Nope. Try asking whether bicycles and car should share the road. A post two days ago in Columbus Underground has generated over a hundred comments from both sides of this cultural divide (this on a community board where a handful of comments is the norm). Similar online food fights on this same subject have been documented around the country. So I'm wondering why no politician has stepped forward to leverage this insane hatred into a new political movement. I can see it now. Soon, identifying yourself as a pro-cyclist will be the surest way to show your liberal credentials, while conservatives will prostrate themselves before the voters of the pro-car circuit.

The Liar's Review of James Frey's Bright Shiny Morning

Monsters and Critics has published my new essay "The Liar's Review of James Frey's Bright Shiny Morning." As you may remember, Frey's best-selling memoir A Million Little Pieces turned out to be a million little lies. So what's a book reviewer to do when reviewing the novel of an author with a well-known aversion to the truth? Why the reviewer should do just like Frey did in his "memoir" and lie.

And just in case Frey hasn't irritated everyone in America, he's now thrown down the gauntlet to his fellow writers by stating that "Writer's block is for chumps." Charming guy.

Review of Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse, edited by John Joseph Adams

A few minutes ago Monsters and Critics published my review of the short story anthology Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse, edited by John Joseph Adams. I'm probably the last person on earth to review this wonderful book, which fits nicely since these this is a collection of the best end-of-the-world stories from recent years. The long and short of my review is that I really enjoyed the stories in this anthology. However, I also wonder (and explore in the review) if the recent surge of post apocalyptic stories might now have passed its high water mark.

"Do Not Hate Them Very Much" by Matthew M. Quick

I am continuing to read through the list of Million Writers Award notable stories of 2007. Another story which has seared its way into my mind is "Do Not Hate Them Very Much" by Matthew M. Quick. Published in AGNI online, this strong slice-of-life story is a gripping examination of the cross-cultural conflicts and communications surrounding a traffic accident in war-torn Iraq. The writing is extremely strong, with the main character crafted into life as only the best authors can do. What I particularly like is that this story doesn't present easy answers to the conflict and situation. The U.S. soldiers, the Pakistani drivers, the Indian narrator--everyone here exists as fully realized people trying to do their best in a difficult situation.
 

"Small Pale Humans" by Daniel Spinks

As I read through the Million Writers Award notable stories of 2007, one thought that kept returning to me is that there are a lot of sick puppies writing fiction. I mean, I couldn't even begin to count how many stories in this list deal with murder, sex, torture, insanity--and murderous sex while torturing someone with an insane rubber chicken (okay, I made that last one up).

Seriously, if there is one constant in the realm of fiction, it is that authors will turn time and again to stories about extreme people exploring the extremes of human nature. One story from the list that captures this aspect of humanity in a good way is "Small Pale Humans" by Daniel Spinks. Published in Bear Parade, the story follows a seriously crazy individual as he goes through the endless repetitions of his life. As Einstein is believed to have said, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." In "Small Pale Humans," you can easily see why this is a valid definition of insanity. I especially liked the format of the story, which is spread over 16 small chapters. This forces people to click through the chapters as they read them, giving a circular nature to the story which fits in well with its repetition theme. Spinks' writing is also top-notch.

Million Writers Award update

I'm now reading through the Million Writers Award notable stories of 2007. There are a ton of great stories in the list this year, which will make selecting the top ten finalists extremely hard. I'm still aiming for having these story selections up by the last week of May. Until then, I'll post comments on this blog about stories I really like (although this doesn't mean I'll pick these stories for the top ten).

I should also note that in response to my previous post about some minor screw-ups in the list of notable stories--and the resulting tempest in a teapot from some writers and fans of flash fiction--it appears no one will take me up on my offer to remove their name from consideration for the award. I guess this means these mistakes didn't truly undermined the award's credibility, despite claims to the contrary.