Clarkesworld

Hooray for September

~ Cheryl ~ 2 Comments

It goes like this: because I spent a couple of weeks in North America around Worldcon I got hopelessly in a hole with paid work and have had to spend much of the past two weeks getting that done to meet end-of-August deadlines. But because I did that I got hopelessly in a hole with all of the post-Worldcon stuff. Now it is September, August deadlines are done with, and I can start digging my way out of hole #2.

I just hope that doesn’t involve the creation of hole #3.

Today is actually quite busy. There’s a new Clarkesworld due out, I have Open Alliance Pride Day to do (more on that later) and month end invoicing and backups. However, Damien Walter has saved me one panic because he has postponed Support Our Zines Day until October. Thank you, Damien, and good luck with the event.

Oh No, Link Salad

~ Cheryl ~ 12 Comments

Sorry about this folks, but I do need to get some paid work out of the way before the end of the month. This is in lieu of proper blogging.

Jed Hartman pointed me at the Geek Feminism Blog, and in particular the Where are all the men bloggers? post, which is hilarious.

Justine is absolutely spot on when she says that wannabe writers tend to ask Very Wrong Questions.

Crochety claims that Jules Verne and HG Wells didn’t write science fiction because they didn’t call it “science fiction”, which I think is the stupidest thing I have heard on a very stupid topic for a very long time.

Damien Walter wants to start a Support Our Zines Day, and as he’s planning to donate money to Clarkesworld as part of it I’m certainly in favor, though there are, of course, many other fine zines out there that deserve your support.

Tim Holman has some more fascinating data, this time proving that urban fantasy is keeping the SF&F business afloat.

Clarkesworld in World Fantasy Awards

~ Cheryl ~ 4 Comments

I’ve just posted this year’s list of World Fantasy Award nominees to SFAW. I’m delighted to be able to report that Clarkesworld has two nominees in the lists. The magazine itself is nominated for Special Award, Non Professional, and Catherynne M Valente’s lovely story, “A Buyer’s Guide to Maps of Antarctica”, is nominated in Best Short Story.

I hasten to add that I can take no credit for any of this. I didn’t join the team until January this year. However, I am absolutely delighted for Neil, Sean, Nick and Cat, and I hope they do well. Cat, as I recall, won’t be able to be at the ceremony as she’s getting married that weekend, but she’s up against “26 Monkeys, Also the Abyss” and “Pride and Prometheus”, both of which are fabulous stories, so it is a very tough contest.

I’m very pleased with the rest of the list as well. Lots of my choices appear to have got onto the ballot. The three books I have read in the Best Novel list are superb, and I’m looking forward to reading Tender Morsels when I can be reunited with my copy. The Collection and Anthology lists both have some really great books in that. Special Award, Professional is particularly difficult for me because I love all the nominees (and several of them are really good friends).

Then again, four of the five judges are friends of mine too, and I know they all have excellent taste. Take a bow, please: Jenny Blackford, Peter Heck, Ellen Klages, Chris Roberson & Delia Sherman

Living With Ghosts

~ Cheryl

I probably would have got to Kari Sperring’s debut novel sooner or later. I have, after all, met her at conventions, and I commissioned an article from her alter ego for Clarkesworld. What kicked me into action, however, was a conversation with another British writer who was enthusing about how good the book was. When writers I respect say that sort of thing I sit up and take notice. And I’m glad I did.

Living With Ghosts isn’t going to leap off the shelves with a cover in multiple shades of gray, but it is well worth picking up. The characterization in particular is well above what I normally expect from SF&F. The magic is interesting too: very subtly done. There were one or two points when I wasn’t quite convinced, but overall it is a very impressive debut. Here’s hoping there are more books to come.

August Clarkesworld Online

~ Cheryl

Another month, another issue of Clarkesworld!

This one contains a story by one of my favorite authors, the very wonderful Catherynne M Valente. Go check out her “The Radiant Car Thy Sparrows Drew”. Cat’s story is also available an a podcast.

Also in fiction this month is “Advection” by Genevieve Valentine, a new name to me. Neil seems to have had a thing about ‘V’ this month. Rumors that the next issue will include stories by writers whose name begins with ‘X’ are strenuously denied.

Jeremy L. C. Jones has been busy again this month. There’s the second part of his interview with book editors, and an interview with Ian C. Esslemont, the co-creator of the Malazan Empire.

In my section this month is an article by Brian Trent about the possibilities for uploading our minds into silicon. Along the way Brian looks at some amazing science. Do check out the videos and follow up on the links he provides.

And finally there is some superb cover art by Kim Kyoung Hwan.

That’s a whole pile of great stuff. Go read.

Clarkesworld #34 Online

~ Cheryl

The July issue of Clarkesworld went up while I was asleep, and I’m just getting round to reading parts of it. There is fiction by Tobias S. Buckell and Lisa Hannet. There’s the second part of Jeremy L.C. Jones’ fascinating mind meld of editors, and an interview with Jim C. Hines. And finally there’s an editorial by Neil about the way the online fiction market is developing. As Neil points out, more and more people are publishing free online and asking for donations from those who can afford it. All too often this is from necessity, as has been the case with Cat Valente and Tim Pratt. However, it would not surprise me to see this become the norm. As I recall, Amanda Palmer is saying much the same thing about the music business.

Neil ends with a short plea that I’d like to echo:

Spreading the word about user-supported fiction is easy and requires only a little of your time. So, aside from telling you to go read Catherynne’s and Tim’s wonderful new stories and asking you to consider tossing a coin in the hat, I’m going to ask you to pick three or four online fiction ventures and (if you can):

  1. Do a review or tell people about them on your blog. Pretend it’s a meme if it makes it easier. Pretend it isn’t if memes make you ill.
  2. Link to a story or the main site on Facebook and Twitter.
  3. Get an account on Stumbleupon and give “thumbs up” recommendations to your favorite works. (Honestly, this one is huge. A single recommendation can trigger a storm of new visitors.)
  4. If you are already doing these things, thank you, now go encourage others to do the same.
  5. Use your imagination and try something else I haven’t mentioned.

Give it a try. Sometimes, tough times can be eased by the simple measures of a group of individuals.

Clarkesworld #33

~ Cheryl ~ 5 Comments

This issue came out while I was in New Zealand and consequently I wasn’t able to write much about it at the time, or indeed read it. I’m finally remedying that omission.

The fiction is my Nick Mamatas (who manages to use the phrase “Singularity with tentacles” in the first paragraph) and Corie Ralston.

The non-fiction article is a historical one about what we actually know about “Celtic” peoples, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone in the USA who thinks they are a fan of things “Celtic”. Not that this will stop the modern-day disciples of Iolo Morganwg, but it may give others pause for thought.

Also in non-fiction are two articles about the short fiction business. Jeremy L. C. Jones conducts an interview with many of the top magazine editors in the field, and my crotchety old friend Steve was rather impressed with it. In addition an editorial by Neil looks at the sales stats of the major magazines, and at the “births” and “deaths” stats of less well known publications. As usual, rumors of the imminent demise of short fiction have far more to do with the Internet’s insatiable appetite for apocalyptic drama than actual facts, but the decline in readership of the big magazine is as relentless as ever.

Clarkesword Cover is Chesley Nominee

~ Cheryl

Clarkesworld #19 coverIt might seem a little odd for an online magazine to have cover art, but Clarkesworld does, and the art is very good. So good, in fact, that one of our covers has been nominated for a Chesley award, alongside covers from Asimov’s and F&SF. Best of luck to Matts Minnhagen. The Chesley winners will be announced at Worldcon.

While I’m talking about the Chesleys, a few congratulations are in order for my friends. John Picacio has four nominations (I particularly like his cover for L.E. Modesitt Jr.’s Viewpoints Critical). Lou Anders has achieved the magnificent double of nominations as both Best Editor (Long Form) in the Hugos and Best Art Director in the Chesleys. And Maurizio Manzieri is another of the nominees in Best Magazine Cover (go Italy!).

New Clarkesworld Online

~ Cheryl

We have a new issue up. This month’s non-fiction article is about those “Celts” that people seem so fond of but who existence as a unified people is a matter of some dispute amongst archaeologists. I’ll have more to say about the issue when I can get somewhere that I have a decent Internet connection from my laptop.

Not Dead

~ Cheryl

Urk, I’ve just realized that I haven’t posted anything here all day, and it is almost midnight in the UK already.

OK, so I have been busy doing other things. Today I’ve been editing an article for the next Clarkesworld, and doing the real world job, and helping run the Hugo Award logo contest, and working on plans for Internet coverage of Worldcon, and helping a UK event find some SF authors for a panel. There have also been several SF Awards Watch stories today. This one was particularly pleasing.

Sooner or later I hope to write something about this year’s IPL. It is a measure of how busy I am that I haven’t been blogging each Royals game the way I did last year.

But I do have one piece of actual content, so I guess I should get on and post it.

Clarkesworld #32 Online

~ Cheryl

The latest issue of Clarkesworld Magazine is now online. It includes fiction by Nnedi Okorafor and Alex Dally MacFarlane, an interview with Robert V. S. Redick (author of The Redwolf Conspiracy) and an article by Brian Dow explaining how he created the cover art for Tobias Buckell’s new short fiction collection, Tides From The New Worlds.

Brian’s article actually came via Neil, not via me. I’m rather surprised at how few non-fiction submissions we get, given that we pay well. It is, however, an article I would have been delighted to have been offered. Brian takes us through the various steps involved in creating the cover for Toby’s book, which include beachcombing, model-building and freezing balloons full of water. Go take a look. It is amazing what artists put themselves through in order to get just the right look for a commission.

Clarkesworld Stories up for Million Writers Award

~ Cheryl

The long list for this year’s Million Writers Award is out. I’ve just done the official post on SF Awards Watch, which if of course entirely neutral. Here, however, I’d like to congratulate those Clarkesworld contributors who have made it onto the list. They are:

There are many other SF/F/H stories on the list, and as is the nature of online fiction most of them are published by semiprozines.

Clarkesworld #31 Online

~ Cheryl

While I was having dinner Neil put Clarkesworld #31 online, and a very fine issue it is too. It has fiction by Jay Lake & Shannon Page, and by Lavie Tidhar. It has an interview with Jim Morrow. And it has the article that I bought for this issue.

Ever wondered why you don’t have a flying car and a jet pack yet? No, it isn’t because they haven’t been invented. It is just that you can’t quite afford one right now. Because you can buy them. Joyce Frohn gives us a guided tour of the current state of personal aviation. Complete with several videos of the vehicles in flight. It is cool. You will want them.

And I got a buzz out of running an article that was full of hyperlinks and YouTube videos.

March Clarkesworld Online

~ Cheryl

Issue #30 of Clarkesworld Magazine has just gone online. I haven’t had a chance to read it yet, but I see that it includes fiction from Ekaterina Sedia and an interview with Tobias Buckell. It also includes the first non-fiction article I have bought. Had you asked me when I took the job what that first article would be about I don’t think I would have even considered movie remakes, but I remembered Dan Kimmel from Emerald City so when he pitched me an idea I knew he could deliver. Given the debacle over The Day the Earth Stood Still, and the news yesterday that plans are afoot for remakes of Total Recall, Robocop and Never Ending Story, the subject is very topical. Why not pop over there and see what Dan has to say.

Clarkesworld in the News

~ Cheryl

A Computer World article on what to read if you don’t have a Kindle includes the following about fiction web sites:

There are a large number of them out there; what you find depends largely on what you’re looking for. Since I tend to read a lot of science fiction/fantasy stories, I can cite several samples in that genre. They include Strange Horizons, a professional-level speculative fiction magazine; Farrago’s Wainscot, a compendium of weird tales; and Clarkesworld, which features some of today’s best new authors.

Thank you, Barbara Krasnoff!

Clarkesworld in Guardian

~ Cheryl ~ 1 Comment

Well, OK, we got a brief mention down at the end. The majority of the piece was all about exciting new writers, the Campbell Award, and in particular about Joe Hill, Mary Robinette Kowal and Ken Scholes. Huge thanks to Damien Walter for the good work. Go thank him, people, and don’t forget to recommend your own favorite hot new writer.

We Iz Recommended

~ Cheryl ~ 1 Comment

The boss end of the Clarkesworld editorial collective has been going over the Locus Recommended Reading List to see how we, and other fiction magazines, did. You can find Neil’s analysis here, but the most exciting news is that we actually have two stories on the list. They are:

If you happen to be wondering what to put on your Hugo ballot, you might like to click through and read those stories.