Weird Tales: The Editorial Fiasco
There’s something troublesome about what is going on with Weird Tales. Yesterday, Ann VanderMeer, the current-(no-longer)-editor of the magazine posted an announcement that she would not longer be editor. More disturbing was the news that Weird Tales had been sold to another editor who seems to have purchased it in order to edit it himself (this fellow being Marvin Kaye). The entire staff has been dropped, without much in the way of warning or transition. Poof. Done. Over. I’m sure there was something going on behind the scenes that we don’t know, but it doesn’t seem all that relevant when you consider the lack of professionalism going on here. To add insult to injury, apparently the first thing Kaye intends to do is launch a Cthulu-themed issue of Weird Tales, taking the magazine backwards many decades. It’s almost as if they don’t care what Ann did for Weird Tales — dragging it out of the shadows of its past. To be honest, I find myself agreeing with much of what Jason Sanford has already said on this issue: Which brings me back to what I mentioned earlier about Ann’s vision. Without a strong editorial vision a magazine can easily founder in the marketplace. Unfortunately, my take on Kaye’s vision, which is based on the type of stories he’s published in his anthologies over the years, is of someone in love with storytelling as it used to exist. The fact that his first issue as editor of Weird Tales will be “Cthulhu-themed” supports this view. I’m not alone in this thinking. On Twitter, John Joseph Adams was asked what he knew about Kaye and replied “Not much, but I would expect WT to revert to the magazine it was 30-40 years ago.” Warren Ellis echoed this by saying that Kaye is “clearly very retro in his tastes.” I simply don’t get why we need more Cthulu stuff. There are so many anthologies already out there, and more hitting shelves every day. I get that Cthulu is fun and classic, but isn’t the point of Weird Tales as it currently stands to get beyond rehashes of Lovecraftian thematics into other visions of the weird, macabre, bizarre, and downright strange? And isn’t going back to Lovecraft and Cthulu and all these classic forms of horror and weirdness taking things in the wrong direction? It seems, to me, like a mighty dickish move. I don’t know Kaye, so perhaps he has good intentions and things got out of control. But a lot of readers of Weird Tales are already talking about cancelling their subscriptions and many others are practically in boycott mode. If the last few years have taught us anything about the genre community, it doesn’t like it when someone else takes a dump on someone they like, even if the perception itself is inaccurate. We just don’t like it. I guess this is farewell. Sad, but true. Ann will be greatly missed. Maybe she’ll start a Weird magazine of her own one day. That would be mighty cool, no? (Hint hint to any company wanting to start a magazine and in need of a staff…) ——————————- P.S.: I linked to Jeff VanderMeer’s blog primarily because I don’t know how long Ann’s post will remain up on Weird Tales considering how dickish it makes Kaye’s move seem. You all might also be interested in Warren Ellis’ take.
An Anthology Idea: Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories About Homophobia
In the last twenty-four hours, I have been having a very interesting discussion with Fabio Ferndandes, Charles Tan, and others on the subject of homophobia and science fiction. Our talk stems from a post I wrote a few days ago on that very subject and has sparked serious consideration of queer-related anthologies (at the time of this post, many were discussing the possibility of a queer military SF anthology, of which I would love to be a part). I suggested early on that it would be interesting to see an anthology of SF/F stories which deal with homophobia. A number of people thought that was a good idea too, and so I am writing this post as a way to further test the waters (and have something concrete on “paper”). The anthology would obviously serve a social/political purpose: to help spread knowledge about the issue of homophobia, discrimination against LGBT people, and so on within the SF/F community. How could it not have a purpose if it is on that very subject? I think an anthology dealing directly with these issues would have an impact on the SF/F community (and, perhaps, outside of it). In terms of the actual theme, it has occurred to me that diversity in content is essential. Nobody wants to read a collection in which every story is about a gay man or gay woman being treated like garbage by heterosexuals. Such stories are important and would be welcome, but I think it’s also important to explore the boundaries of political engagement for LGBT people in a variety of settings, extrapolative (science fiction) or imagined (fantasy). This might mean looking at how LGBT people navigate heteronormative cultures in future settings (dystopian or optimistic) or medieval worlds, but it might also mean delving into the finer points of civil rights arguments, religion and dogma, and so forth, whether through direct engagement or clever uses of allegory and metaphor. In a way, I think the topic should be focused on the struggle of LGBT life in SF/F settings rather than specifically on homophobia. In my opinion, it is just as crucial to find good stories as it is to find stories that shy away from blatant point-making (i.e., message stories). Homophobia plays a role in a variety of situations beyond the most obvious, and I would like to see stories that play with these more subtle boundaries suggested above. The last thing I want to cover is the issue of genre. I like the idea of an anthology of science fiction and fantasy stories, but I wonder how loosely we should take those genres and whether it is a good idea to keep the two together. Would it be more effective to have an anthology of SF stories on this topic? Should the term “SF” be taken loosely? Should fantasy be taken loosely too (so as to include literary forms such as magical realism)? My initial tweets kept to the SF/F merger, but I wonder if that would post problems for editorial cohesion. Then again, because of the specificity of the theme, narrowing the genre even further could pose serious problems for acquiring good work. Maybe I’m worrying over nothing. I’ll leave the rest of the discussion to others. I don’t want to overload this idea with too much of my own opinions, preferences, and so forth. With that in mind, here are a few questions to consider: Would you be interested in an anthology on this subject? What would you change? Who would edit it? I have some experience editing, but not for something of this scale or specificity (or so I think). Who would like to contribute, and who should one ask to contribute (i.e., who would be a good writer to consider approaching)? How would such an anthology be run? Suggestions have been made about putting the anthology on a website, with an ebook version sold through Smashwords. Are there any serious publishers who would be a good fit for the anthology? Or should the project, if it were to be put together, stay in the indie realm? Would authors be paid? If so, how would we acquire the funds to do so? Kickstarter? Would proceeds go to a related charity, the authors, or the “publishers?” What would we call the anthology? Something tells me “Homophobia X: An SF/F Anthology of LGBT Stories” would not be appealing to readers. I am open to any ideas, suggestions, and thoughts that you might have. If you could also spread the word, that would be great. I’d love to get as many opinions as possible on this idea. Anywho!
Literary vs. Genre Fiction: The Line? (Part Three)
[And now for part three. You can read parts one and two here and here.] 3. What are some common myths people have about fantasy and/or science fiction? The interesting thing about Delmater’s response is that she offers a myth held by genre readers as a myth held by general readers. She says that the reason few people come to science fiction is because they assume it is “very hard to understand—too scientific—or that it is all about robots and ray-guns, and that it is best suited for children or the simple-minded.” There are a lot of problems here (other than the odd contradiction). According to Terry Jones, this is how migraines start. First, people don’t not read SF because they think it’s too hard to understand (double-negative!). That’s a myth transplanted from at least thirty years ago, if not farther. If this part of Delmater’s response were true, then one would not expect to find Star Wars or Michael Crichton books on the bestseller list. After all, pretty much everyone who gives a flying fig about categorizing genres in the loosest sense believes Star Wars is science fiction, and Michael Crichton writes the closest thing to hard science fiction that you’re going to find from a bestselling author today. More importantly, Star Wars is just one franchise with a book series that seems to sell quite well (it’s probably the most successful, but I don’t have sales numbers to confirm that). The issue isn’t that people think SF is hard to read. There’s something else going on. Captain Flashypants says, “Gotcha!” Second, I agree that people do associate SF with its tropes (or furniture). And you know what? That’s not a reason why people don’t read SF. If it was, then it would also be a reason used to avoid SF movies. But guess what? SF movies are often the top grossing movies every year, and it has been that way, more or less, for a decade, if not longer. The reality: people like ray guns and spaceships and aliens and explosions and all that stuff that is often associated with SF in all its forms. Again, the problem has to be related to something else. Third, the idea that people still look at SF as simple-minded is somewhat unfair to how people view SF. Yes, people still consider SF to be a less serious genre, but that’s largely because most SF movies are meant as pure entertainment. And you know what? There’s nothing wrong with that. I may not like those movies, but a hell of a lot of people do; good on them. SF as a literary genre is somewhat more sophisticated, certainly, but it is only more sophisticated in the sense that literature almost always is in relation to its film counterpart. People aren’t reading SF because they see it as simple-minded, though. There are certainly individuals who think it is just that, but, again, for the third time, I think the problem is something else entirely. (To be fair to Dalmater, I think she’s right that people view fantasy in a derogatory light, but I also don’t think it matters. Fantasy isn’t struggling to maintain a readership. People can think ill of it all they like, but it’s not going to stop people from writing fantasy or publishers from releasing four-thousand trilogies a year.) The thrill of discovery… The nude kind… The problem I see with readership in SF is that there has not been enough of an effort to transplant media tie-in readers and genre movie watchers to the general literary field. Some of that has to do with marketing and the community, and some of that has to do with the fact that so much of the SF that gets attention seems to be of the more serious variety. The problem? That’s not true of other genres. There are serious fantasies, sure, but most fantasy is on the lighter side. The plots might be dark, there might be evil and dark magic, and perhaps some political intrigue, but overall, most fantasies that get attention are rip-roaring good fun, with some exceptions. You can even look to other genres, such as romance or mysteries, with the same lens. The titles that often sell the best are the ones that give readers the thrill they’re looking for. The reality is that most people read books to be entertained, and that’s it. They’re not necessarily interested in deep themes, complicated prose, convoluted plots, and other such things. They want that thrill, and they want it fast so they can move on to the next thing. This is a good movie. SF is having a hard time meeting that demand, and that’s likely because there has not been enough effort to dispel the myth that SF literature can be just as fun as SF movies. Remember, people loved District 9, generally speaking, and I think it’s clear that films like Inception and The Matrix remain fan favorites. Hell, I’ll even throw Avatar into the mix (it’s hard to avoid talking about it anyway). All of these films have one thing in common: they are immensely entertaining, generally speaking (not everyone agrees, but that’s like saying that not everyone likes licorice). Three of the aforementioned films are also “serious” SF films (you can define that word “serious” if you so choose; I’m not going to). SF literature isn’t snatching up these folks for one reason or another. Maybe they’ve simply lost them to the film engine, or maybe we as a community aren’t doing enough to point out to lovers of films that there are great books that would be right up their alley if they’d just give them a shot. Meanwhile, SF readers who have been reading since H. G. Wells and Jules Verne had their literary child are concerned about the “coming end.” I’m not one of those individuals who thinks that SF literature is dying. I don’t think it can die. But I do think that it will continue shrinking until
Brief Thoughts on The Apex Book of World SF 2 (Table of Contents)
The fine folks over at Apex recently released the table of contents for their upcoming second book in the Apex Book of World SF series. Before I throw in my thoughts, here is the list: Rochita Loenen-Ruiz (Philippines)–Alternate Girl’s Expatriate Life Ivor W. Hartmann (Zimbabwe)–Mr. Goop Daliso Chaponda (Malawi)–Trees of Bone Daniel Salvo (Peru)–The First Peruvian in Space Gustavo Bondoni (Argentina)–Eyes in the Vastness of Forever Chen Qiufan (China)–The Tomb Joyce Chng (Singapore)–The Sound of Breaking Glass Csilla Kleinheincz (Hungary)–A Single Year Andrew Drilon (Philippines)–The Secret Origin of Spin-man Anabel Enriquez Piñeiro (Cuba)–Borrowed Time (trans. Daniel W. Koon) Lauren Beukes (South Africa)–Branded Raúl Flores Iriarte (Cuba)–December 8 Will Elliott (Australia)–Hungry Man Shweta Narayan (India)–Nira and I Fábio Fernandes (Brazil)–Nothing Happened in 1999 Tade Thompson (Nigeria)–Shadow Hannu Rajaniemi (Finland)–Shibuya no Love Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Mexico)–Maquech Sergey Gerasimov (Ukraine)–The Glory of the World Tim Jones (New Zealand)–The New Neighbours Nnedi Okorafor (Nigeria/US)–From the Lost Diary of TreeFrog7 Gail Har’even (Israel)–The Slows Ekaterina Sedia (Russia)–Zombie Lenin Samit Basu (India)–Electric Sonalika Andrzej Sapkowski (Poland)–The Malady (trans. Wiesiek Powaga) Jacques Barcia (Brazil)–A Life Made Possible Behind The Barricades That’s one heck of a diverse list, don’t you agree? The thing that I love about it is that it brings in countries that even by World SF standards are usually not represented (Malawi, for example, although this is based on my admittedly limited exposure to world SF). I only have one suggestion for future editions. While I understand that the project is to bring works by people who are traditionally ignored by Western magazines, I do think it would be interesting to see a U.S. and a U.K. story in the mix, not because I want such an anthology to be “fair,” but because I think seeing the contrast between all of the cultures presented above would be fascinating. This is, after all, an anthology of World SF, which says to me that it is occupied by an incredibly broad view of SF across various cultures and perspectives. One could illustrate a very interesting point by showing the differences and similarities between all of the cultures that have participated in SF, now and in the past. But that might be a trivial point to bring up, since one could say that Western SF is readily available to those of us in the West (and elsewhere). So be it. I just want everything in one convenient package, and I would be willing to pay extra for such a book. Otherwise, this anthology looks amazing. I will likely purchase it when it comes out in 2011. For now, I’ll have to look at the first edition!
A Scifi Strange Anthology? Publishers, Pay Attention!
Jason Sanford recently posted the table of contents for a dream anthology of scifi strange stories that you all need to see. The list mostly contains stories available online (primarily because Sanford is calling it an online anthology) and is perhaps one of the most comprehensive and diverse ToCs I have seen in a while. It includes stories by Rachel Swirsky, Eugie Foster, Nnedi Okorafor, Ted Chiang, Jason Sanford, and many more. You should definitely check out the post to see what he’s picked, and if any publishers are paying attention out there, you should consider publishing this anthology! Seriously. If you’re unfamiliar with scifi strange, then you should check out Sanford’s two posts on the subject: here and here. Sanford also has a list of links to other places where the term has been discussed. Now I need to do some reading…
Lightspeed Magazine is Live!
The news is circulating around the interwebs that Lightspeed Magazine, edited by John Joseph Adams, has launched. This is, of course, very good news indeed for anyone who loves science fiction and wants there to be more pro-paying avenues out there for those who write it. Here are the details (after the fold): FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:Contact: publicity@lightspeedmagazine.com ROCKVILLE, MD, JUNE 1 — Lightspeed (www.lightspeedmagazine.com), the new online science fiction magazine published by the award-winning independent press Prime Books, launches today with the publication of “I’m Alive, I Love You, I’ll See You in Reno” by Vylar Kaftan. Lightspeed is edited by John Joseph Adams (Fiction Editor), the bestselling editor of anthologies such as Wastelands and The Living Dead, and Andrea Kail (Nonfiction Editor), a writer, critic, and television producer who worked for thirteen years on Late Night with Conan O’Brien. Lightspeed’s focus is exclusively on science fiction. It features all types of sf, from near-future, sociological soft sf, to far-future, star-spanning hard sf, and anything and everything in between. No subject is considered off-limits, and Lightspeed writers are encouraged to take chances with their fiction and push the envelope. Each month at Lightspeed, you will find a mix of original and reprint fiction, and featuring a variety of authors—from the bestsellers and award-winners you already know to the best new voices you haven’t heard of yet. When you read Lightspeed, it is our hope that you’ll see where science fiction comes from, where it is now, and where it’s going. Lightspeed also features a variety of nonfiction features, fiction podcasts, and Q&As with our authors that go behind-the-scenes of their stories. Lightspeed’s regular publication schedule each month includes two pieces of original fiction and two fiction reprints, along with four nonfiction articles. Fiction posts on Tuesdays, nonfiction on Thursdays. Additionally, award-winning audiobook producer Stefan Rudnicki, will be producing the Lightspeed Magazine story podcast, which will feature audio adaptations of two Lightspeed stories every month. Lightspeed’s debut issue features four all-new, never-before-published stories: from newcomer Vylar Kaftan, an interstellar love story dealing with the perils of communication and time-dilation; from bestselling, award-winning author Jack McDevitt, a tale about Earth’s moon and the mysteries it might still possess; from David Barr Kirtley, an adventure of a young catman who must face the last of the dogmen and something else entirely unexpected; and from bestselling author Carrie Vaughn, a cautionary tale of the near future that shows some of the extremes we might be pushed to if we don’t start implementing now the seeds for a sustainable future. Additional features include an article about relativity and the speed of light by astronomer/author Mike Brotherton; a list of the top ten reasons why genetically-engineered animals won’t make good pets by humorist Carol Pinchefsky; a profile of astronaut Eugene Cernan, the last man to walk on the moon, by Genevieve Valentine; and a primer for sustainable living by ecologist Amanda Rose Levy. As a special feature of the debut issue, in conjunction with the popular podcasts Escape Pod and Hugo Award nominee Starship Sofa, Lightspeed will present two bonus podcasts: “I’m Alive, I Love You, I’ll See You in Reno” by Vylar Kaftan will appear on Escape Pod on June 1 and “Cats in Victory” by David Barr Kirtley will appear on Starship Sofa on June 15. This is in addition to the Lightspeed Magazine story podcast’s offerings, which will present “The Cassandra Project” by Jack McDevitt and “Amaryllis” by Carrie Vaughn. Future issues of Lightspeed will include fiction by the likes of George R. R. Martin, Joe Haldeman, Ursula K. Le Guin, Carol Emshwiller, Catherynne M. Valene, Tobias S. Buckell, Tananarive Due, Yoon Ha Lee, Cat Rambo, and Adam-Troy Castro, as well as from newcomers such as Genevieve Valentine, Alice Sola Kim, David Tallerman, John R. Fultz, and Corey Joshua Mariani. Lightspeed held a launch event at the science fiction convention Wiscon, in Madison, WI on Memorial Day weekend. Limited edition Lightspeed Magazine samplers in digest magazine format were made available for free to all members of the convention. This special hardcopy edition of Lightspeed features “I’m Alive, I Love You, I’ll See You in Reno” by Vylar Kaftan, “Is There Anybody Out There That Wants to Go Fast” by Mike Brotherton, “Amaryllis” by Carrie Vaughn, and an Author Spotlight on Carrie Vaughn. The launch event included readings from Vylar Kaftan, Alice Sola Kim, Cat Rambo, and Genevieve Valentine. About John Joseph Adams (Fiction Editor) John Joseph Adams (www.johnjosephadams.com) is the bestselling editor of many anthologies, such as Wastelands, The Living Dead (a World Fantasy Award finalist), By Blood We Live, Federations, and The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Barnes & Noble.com named him “the reigning king of the anthology world,” and his books have been named to numerous best of the year lists. Prior to taking on the role of fiction editor of Lightspeed, John worked for nearly nine years in the editorial department of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. In addition to his editorial work, John is also the co-host of Tor.com’s Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy podcast. About Andrea Kail (Nonfiction Editor) Andrea Kail (www.andreakail.com) is a graduate of the Dramatic Writing Program at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and has spent the last two decades working from one end of New York’s television spectrum to the other: HBO, MTV, A&E, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, as well as thirteen years at NBC’s Emmy Award-winning Late Night with Conan O’Brien. Her fiction has appeared in Fantasy Magazine, and her novella, “The Sun God at Dawn, Rising from a Lotus Blossom,” was a first-place winner in the Writers of the Future contest and appeared in Writers of the Future Vol. XXIII. Since 2005, Andrea has also been writing lively film criticism for such venues as Paradox Magazine and CinemaSpy. About Stefan Rudnicki (Audio Editor) Stefan Rudnicki is an independent director, producer, narrator, and publisher of audiobooks. He has received more than a dozen Audie Awards from the Audio Publishers Association,