Category Archives: Writing & Publishing

How to Support Our ‘Zines

SUPPORT OUR ‘ZINES DAY – OCTOBER 1st 2009 What are ‘zines? The short answer is that ‘zines are where we go to find good, new short fiction. Magazines like Asimov’s or Weird Tales. Fanzines like Electric Velocipede or Shimmer. Webzines like Clarkesworld or Strange Horizons. Podcasts like Escape Pod and The Drabblecast. There are hundredsContinue reading “How to Support Our ‘Zines”

We need a ‘Support our ‘Zines Day’

***UPDATE: SUPPORT OUR ‘ZINES DAY now 1ST OCTOBER*** Last week I put a call out for suggestions of magazines that as an SF fan I should be reading. My subscriptions have lapsed recently (its been a busy year) so this week I wanted to renew some subscriptions and start a few new ones. I wantedContinue reading “We need a ‘Support our ‘Zines Day’”

Mieville Nominated for Not the Booker

China Mieville’s The City and the City is one of forty-six titles nominated for the Not the Booker prize organised by the wonderful people at the Guardian. Also on the list are Spirit by Gwyneth Jones, The Quiet War by Paul Mcauley and Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie. You can read the full listContinue reading “Mieville Nominated for Not the Booker”

The Booker longlist is ignorant and bigoted

The long list for the Booker prize has been announced today, and has dashed my hopes that following the victory of Interzone’s Chris Beckett in the National Short Award, The Booker would foil its many critics (myself included) and include some of the great works of speculative fiction published this year. In previous years IContinue reading “The Booker longlist is ignorant and bigoted”

Why do we write this SF stuff?

Today I bought a table. Its the final piece of furniture for my new home. Which is the first real home I have had since I was eighteen. Thats my own damn fault, for taking thirteen years to realise that a home is made, not found. The table is important, because it is where IContinue reading “Why do we write this SF stuff?”

WorldCon vs. World Fantasy

If you could go to only one, which would be and why? Answer below. I am caught in indecision. I can afford to do either WorldCon (Montreal) of World Fantasy (San Francisco) this year. I had almost settled on World Fantasy because of the higher concentration of writers and editors in my favored milieu ofContinue reading “WorldCon vs. World Fantasy”

We need more beautiful magazines

Mary Robinette Kowal made a wonderful point on tonight’s Sofanauts. In a discussion on the iPhone as e-reader Mary argued that e-books and online ‘zines would not kill printed publications. But the publications that survive will be the ones who understand the value of the physical object they are producing. I could not agree more.

A Circumnavigation

Excellent fantasy author Catherynne Valente has taken action against the economic meltdown of the western world by asking readers to support the writing of The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making. As I write Valente’s initiative has already generated enough support to alleviate the financial crisis she was facing, but pleaseContinue reading “A Circumnavigation”

Pain and the Soul

I saw Seamus Heaney interviewed about his translation of Beowulf tonight on the BBC documentary about the ancient epic. He said the most beautiful thing, that Beowulf was born into life as an intelligence and shaped by pain into a soul. An idea I  must remember. Elsewhere.. Jetse de Vries gives some statistical feedback onContinue reading “Pain and the Soul”

End of Days

My holiday in San Francisco is entering its final days. It feels like I have been here forever, so long that I’ve established a routine and the streets around Union Square now seem very familiar. I’ve had a lovely time seeing old friends from Clarion, and taken time out to read some and write more.Continue reading “End of Days”