Part thirty-nine in my ongoing retrospective as I read the fiction to the back issues of Realms of Fantasy and offer my thoughts, right up to the present. This time around I'll be breaking in 2001 by discussing the February 2001 issue.
There is one point of interest I'd like to note before I start dissecting the fiction. In the previous issue, I noted it was the first time the magazine had run stories by as many as five previous contributors. This issue also has stories by five previous contributors. The difference is that last issue had a total of six stories. This issue has a total of five. In other words, this marks the first issue wherein the fiction all came from previous contributors to the magazine. Just one more example of how Realms has been building up a stable of authors over the years, but that the previous 38 issues should always have at least one new voice contributing fiction is just as significant. Generally speaking, I think the best speculative magazines achieve a nice blend of repeat offenders and new voices. I have no hesitation in saying that Realms has managed this just fine since I've come aboard, but clearly this wasn't a new development brought on by yours truly. Well, maybe we have a few more stories coming out of the slush than we used to. :)
On to the fiction itself ...
The lead story in this issue is "The Trickster's Wife" by Richard Parks, which marks his eighth appearance in the magazine. This is a short piece steeped in Norse mythology. It deals with Ragnarok, and as Richard often seems to do in his Realms stories (and I'd imagine in other venues as well), he does so in an unexpected way. Being as this one is on the short side, saying anything more would pretty much give it away, so mum is the word.
Following this we have "The Darbies" by Kate Riedel, which marks her fourth appearance in the magazine. This one deals with a mother and her troubled teenage daughter. After her daughter has a run-in with the law, mom moves them into the woods, where she hopes to bond with her daughter and get her back on the right track. Things slowly seem to be changing for the better, but along the way mysterious hints are dropped about the Darbies, who own this area, as well as some local folklore about some fairies that supposedly inhabit the forest. Gradually these three ideas come together, and it's demonstrated to the reader that's it's one thing to set your child along the right path and quite another to believe they're walking it.
The middle story is "The Man Who Stole the Moon: A Story of the Flat Earth" by Tanith Lee, which marks her ninth appearance in the magazine. This one deals with a master thief whose arrogance and carefree ways finally lead to his capture. When he meets the king, he is given the impossible task of stealing the moon or his life will be forfeit thanks to some spells cast upon him by the court wizards. The thief has a year to manage this task, though it hardly seems like enough time. But when he strikes a bargain with a minor demon, it leads to layer upon layer of deception, until it finally catches the attention of the head honcho among demonkind. It's a very rich, otherworldly tale, and it was selected for inclusion in Year's Best Fantasy 2, edited by David Hartwell & Kathryn Cramer.
Then we have "Breaking Spells" by M. Shayne Bell, which marks his third appearance in the magazine. This one is a young adult piece with an ambiguous fantastical nature. Dad is having an affair and Mom has become a mess as a result. Brother & sister suspect the mistress of being a witch who has placed an enchantment on Dad. They resort to various methods to break the spell, but in the end they resort to love lure him back. It's left to the reader to decide whether love conquers all, even magic, or whether the resolution is the more mundane home is where the heart is, and the "spell" was nothing more than lust. I chose to believe the mundane in this one (I usually go the other way in such stories), but as I mentioned this one is ambiguous, so I don't view it as any less of a fantasy piece.
Finally we have "Night Sweats" by Jim Van Pelt, which marks his fourth appearance in the magazine. I guess the best way to describe this one is a post-apocalyptic ghost story. It involves a woman who moves into a house that turns out to be haunted. This woman's grandfather was among the native population in Japan subjected to the horrors of the Atom Bomb. Meanwhile, back in America, there was a teenage couple. At the precise moment the bomb was dropped, said boyfriend was on his way to meet his girlfriend for what would be their first time giving themselves to each other, shortly before he left town. On the way he tragically loses his life in an accident with a milk truck ...and this happens at the precise moment the Bomb is dropped. Ths unfortunate chap would be the ghost mentioned above. As you might imagine, he's got some unresolved issues. As to the hauntee (i.e. the woman living in the tale), when you combine her past with the fact that she's also a thirty-something virgin with issues of her own regarding sex & sexuality, we're left with a powerful combination of elements with some deep characterizations. Jim recently mentioned to me that there was actually a whole subplot he took out of this piece before submitting it to ROF, though I can't imagine what it is. The story feels quite complete as it is.
So that wraps up this issue. And my favorite story? "Night Sweats" by Jim Van Pelt. Next time around I'll delve into the April 2001 issue. Until then ...
So Shawna has made her latest selections, and will soon be buying the following pieces:
"The Radio Magician" by Jim Van Pelt
"The Happiest Place" by Carrie Vaughn
''The River of Three Crossings" by Richard Parks (a Lord Yamada tale)
"Fragments of a Fantasy Mind" by Joshua Rountree & Mikal Trimm
"Late in the Day" by Gregory Frost
"Joy is the Serious Business of Heaven" by David Levine
"Digging For Paradise" by Ian Creasey
"Crocs, Monkeys, Black Vans, and Missing Kids" by Euan Harvey (former slush survivor)
"Desaparecidos" by Aliette de Bodard (slush survivor!)
It's been a little while since I snagged a slush survivor (my 19th), so it's nice to break the mini-slump. And Euan is a former slush survivor, and since this is his third sale to us, he's well on his way to becoming a regular contributor. Very cool.
Congrats to all ...and Aliette, you are a secret slush survivor no longer. ;)
Just a reimder to those planning to submit to ROF that the postage went up today, and a standard SASE now means $.42 instead of $.41.
What I didn't anticipate was that my blog could make a difference. Worldwide changes? Hardly. Some changes/impact within our little speculative community?
You betcha. The first time almost happened a couple of years ago, when Shawna read a rant of mine about fantasy stories that fail when their fantasy elements fail. She liked the rant enough that she forwarded it along to the publisher, with a recommendation that we run it in the magazine. Nothing ever came of that, but it was cool nonetheless.
The next time wasn't an almost. It didn't actually happen through my blog, but rather somone else's. Of course, this person had friended me and I in turn friended him back, which led to me reading his blog, so there's a definite connection. Anyway, this blogger posted some wonderful sketches on his blog, and I was quite complimentary of them in the comments thread. He in turn made a suggestion regarding his artwork and Realms of Fantasy. I liked the suggestion enough that I forwarded it along to the publisher. Months later I leaned that through my involvement said artist will be featured in the Artist's Gallery of a forthcoming issue of the magazine. I'm being coy with the name because I'm not sure if it's cool to announce it. If it is, perhaps he'll let us know under the comments thread! ;)
Then there is that Halloween issue that Realms will be running, along with the call for submissions. Shawna asked me post it on my blog (and I got to work up the announcement) because she thought it would be the easiest way to the get the word out. Excuse me? Commence double-take. I mean, we have a website. So that was ...um. Yeah.
Now we have the latest example, this being our new experiment regarding international submissions. I didn't have to blog about the incident that started this. I didn't have to continue exploring the matter by running polls and such. I didn't have to leave the comments thread open to what I understood was a hot-button topic. I didn't have to reply to those comments, of which there were plenty. I'll freely admit that other factors outside the blogosphere influenced this decision, but if I hadn't done all this, while such changes may still have occurred, they probably would've happened at a later date. And when I suggested I make the announcement on my blog (there was a precedent, so why not?), Shawna didn't bat an eye.
My point isn't to brag. It's just that I'm gratified to see that every so often this blog makes a difference for the better.
But the true hero is the blogosphere. Oh mighty blogosphere. I bow before your cyber-power. :)
Ever since Spider-Man (at least, I think it started with Spidey), there has been an explosion of superhero movies. Most of them have blown chunks. To date, there have been four superhero movies I've actually considered worthwhile: Spider-Man, Batman Begins, X-Men, and X2.
Now that number is five. Iron Man is packed with metallic goodness. Solid acting, great pacing, amazing special effects, acceptable plotting, and just plain fun. I officially want an Iron Man suit.
To those that haven't seen the movie, if you didn't know already, make sure you stay through the credits. There is another scene.
Great way to start the summer movie season. Next up for me: the new Indiana Jones movie.
Hey Folks,
You may recall a recent flurry of activity on my blog regarding postal submissions vs. email submissions in the world of short story submissions. I left the comments threads open to discussion, but I stressed that you shouldn’t expect any change in Realms of Fantasy’s submission policies. I meant it too. But that didn’t mean change was impossible.
Shawna and I have discussed the matter, and we’ve decided to implement the following change: if you are submitting to us from outside the U.S.A., if you provide a working email address, we will reply to your submission via email. If you want your manuscript returned to you however, you must still provide the necessary postage. An editorial response will be included when we mail your submission back to you. Otherwise, please feel free to take advantage of this change in policy.
While this policy change does not address all the concerns people have raised regarding postal submissions, it does accomplish the following:
1) If you live in a country that doesn’t have or makes it difficult to procure International Reply Coupons, this will no longer be a problem.
2) If your country does have IRCs, it hopefully means fewer trips to the post office.
3) After we’ve reviewed your submission, it should mean a faster reply time.
4) Provided you don’t wish your manuscript returned to you, you are no longer responsible for the cost of providing return postage.
We will honor those submissions currently in the slush employing IRCs, as well as those in the mail that have yet to reach us. We’ll even honor those sent to us in the future, but for the time being there is no need to use them anymore.
I say “for the time being,” because right now Shawna and I have elected to make this change an open-ended trial period. We want to see how everything unfolds over the next few months. We expect it to go smoothly, or we wouldn’t be making this change at all. So assuming there are no unforeseen hitches, there is a very real possibility we will make this change permanent. If this happens, I will announce as much on my blog. If the experiment proves unsuccessful, I’ll also announce as much on my blog, meaning Realms would then go back to the old method. Should this happen, we will honor any international submissions in transit without return postage. We would also provide an unspecified grace period for international authors while we revert back to the old way.
Please note: THIS DOES NOT MEAN WE ARE OPEN TO EMAIL SUBMISSIONS. At this time, Realms of Fantasy has no plans to open up to email submissions. If you opt to send us your submission via email anyway, it will be deleted unread.
Please also note: THIS CHANGE IN POLICY ONLY APPLIES TO INTERNATIONAL AUTHORS. If you live in the U.S. and fail to provide postage for our reply, your submission will go unanswered. If you live in the U.S. and are currently grumbling how unfair this is, please remember that international authors will still be spending more money than you to submit their stories to us, and it still takes longer for their stories to arrive, meaning we end up reading your masterpieces first. The least Realms can do is make an honest attempt to accommodate the international community in this one regard.
This trial policy is effective immediately, so you can start taking advantage of it at your earliest convenience.
I hope this answers all of your questions. If I’ve missed anything, feel free to ask about it in the comments thread. If you do have a question, please read the comments thread first, to make sure the question hasn’t been asked already.
Thank you.
First, the cover. It's another Elric cover, which marks the fourth time the albino prince has graced the cover of ROF. The cover is by Michael Whelan, and it's my favorite Elric cover. He is at once scrawny and kick-ass (the latter part thanks to his soul-sucking sword, Stormbringer), and this cover catches that perfectly.
Opening up the magazine ...
An interesting tidbit on the Letter Page stems from something that happened in the previous issue. The last few lines from "Luther and the Dragon," the lead story from the October 2000 issue, were cut off at the end of the story, so they're added here. Thankfully I was aware of this, so when I reached the last sentence in the last issue, I turned right the Letters Page of this issue. But I sympathize with readers who had their reading experience cut off at such a critical moment.
On to the fiction ...
This marks the first time that Realms of Fantasy has run stories by five previous contributors in a single issue. Since this issue contains six stories, the one first-timer is the lead story, "Rare Firsts" by Paul Di Filippo. This one deals with a rare books dealer who schemes, scams, and nickel and dimes his way to the most possible profit. But when he stumbles upon an extraordinary collection of rare books, he rediscovers his love of books. The magic in this story is the magic of reading. I'm sure it's the kind of story that certain fantasy fans would have a very difficult time accepting as fantasy, but I have to say I enjoyed it. This is one for hardcore readers, not to mention writers and editors.
Next up is "Conceiving Kings" by Dave Smeds, which marks his third appearance in the magazine. This one is a piece of Arthuriana, though you don't learn that for certain until late in the story. Rather than Arthur or his court, the focus is on the Iceni several hundred years before the days of Arthur.
Following this we have "The Golem" by Naomi Kritzer, which marks her third appearance in the magazine. This one takes an interesting premise as the golem from Jewish mythology is brought to life to protect the Jews in Prague during WWII. But when the golem discovers it has free will, it's anyone's guess what will happen. Powerful stuff, which ended up being reprinted in Year's Best Fantasy 2, edited by David Hartwell & Kathryn Cramer.
Then we have "Thrushbeard" by Bruce Glassco, which marks his fourth appearance in the magazine. This one is a fairy tale that in some ways reminded me of Shakespeare's TAMING OF THE SHREW, as witness a king trying to bring an extremely strong-willed princess to heel. Where it goes however, is quite different from old Bill's tale.
After this is "The Man For the Job" by Lawrence Watt-Evans, which marks his second appearance in the magazine. This one is a light piece about a group of siblings--four brothers and one sister--that go in quest of a magical helmet to help them overcome a dragon that is terrorizing a village. The twist? One of the helmet's great powers is that it changes the sex of the wearer while it's being worn. As one might expect, silliness (not to mention discomfort) ensues.
Finally we have "Things Don't Always Turn Out Like We Plan" by Leslie What, which marks her fifth appearance in the magazine. In this one we meet a middle-aged wife who has always has the ability to have visions. The visions are slight though, tenuous. But when she and her husband are in a near-fatal crash on New Year's Eve, her abilities begin to manifest while they're in the hospital. Gradually it's revealed these abilities are tied to Death, which is interesting since as it also represents an unexpected crossroads in her life.
So that wraps up this issue, as well as the publishing year for 2000. And my favorite story? "Rare Firsts" by Paul Di Filippo. Next time I'll kick off 2001 when I discuss its February issue. Until then ...
Open to: All, results viewable to: All
What is Your Favorite Form of Speculative Fiction?
High Fantasy
11 (16.4%)
Sword & Sorcery 7 (10.4%)
Magic Realism 1 (1.5%)
New Weird 3 (4.5%)
Light/Funny Fantasy 2 (3.0%)
Fairy Tales 3 (4.5%)
Urban Fantasy 8 (11.9%)
Military SF 1 (1.5%)
Cyberpunk 1 (1.5%)
Space Opera 7 (10.4%)
Social SF 7 (10.4%)
Alternate History 4 (6.0%)
Hard SF 1 (1.5%)
Dark Fantasy/Horror 7 (10.4%)
Young Adult 4 (6.0%)
Not really. The number is actually higher than this. Sometimes I'll work with an author on a rewrite, pass the story along to Shawna, and she'll reject it. This doesn't automatically mean the story fails to find a home. Case in point, I present to you "Sea Child" by Aliette de Bodard, which just received some nice recognition after being published a while back in Coyote Wild. There have also been some stories I've personally rejected, and the appreciative authors have later told me that the feedback I provided helped them publish the story elsewhere. There are also stories I've passed along to Shawna without working with the authors on rewrites, and some of them also found nice homes after being rejected.
Just because these stories publish somewhere else doesn't mean I'm not proud of them and their authors. And when the authors express appreciation to me, as they often do, it means that much more to me. Such stories may not appear in ROF, but they're still a part of me.
So to Aliette and my other secret slush survivors, I salute you!
First, the cover. It features a sexy babe in skimpy (perhaps kinky is the better word!) strips of leather & steel. The artwork itself is very detailed and I'm actually a fan of the work of Luis Royo, but I'd have to say that along with the demon dominatrix cover some issues back, this must be the most controversial cover to grace the magazine.
Moving on, there has been another change in the masthead. Ron Stevens' one issue return as Art Director has come to an abrupt end. His replacement is, for a change, NOT Steven Vann. Instead, the new Art Director is Samantha Detulleo. Samantha is actually the current Art Director as well, meaning that the position finally has some serious stability and you shouldn't read about me mentioning further changes in the position of Artwork Director in future retrospectives.
Moving on the fiction, the lead story is "Luther and the Demon" by Franklin Thatcher. This one deals with the Martin Luther responsible for the groundbreaking split in Christianity back in the 16th century (as opposed to the other famous Martin Luther, who was pretty groundbreaking in his own right). In this piece a bit of a mystical element is introduced as Luther tries to reconcile his faith with his past.
Following this we have "River Woman" by Devon Monk, which marks her second appearance in the magazine. In this one we witness the depths of a mother's love as she attemps to find her son who was lost two days earlier to a flooding river. The magical element is introduced when we meet the River Woman, a mysterious water spirit who helps the protagonist reach a critical crossroads and decision regarding her son.
Then we have "The Children of his Old Age" by Tanith Lee, which marks her eighth appearance in the magazine. This one is a high fantasy that deals with a familiar theme, that being dragons and dragon hunters. But as she excels at doing, she takes an old idea and breathes new life into it. How? Saying more would give away the whole story.
Next up is "Hey Hey Something Something" by Jan Lars Jensen. This one takes a rather fascinating premise, as we learn about a game that only children can truly play or understand. As children pass into adulthood, the rules of the game became lost on them, and they can no longer understand the words when the children are playing what has been classified as Hey Hey Something Something. If an adult witnesses it, they tend to become disoriented and look through it, as if the game didn't exist. On a sociological level, this one was fascinating, because the whole time it feels like there is a disturbing kernel of truth to this logic.
Then we have "Judgment Day" by Richard Parks, which marks his seventh appearance in the magazine. He's doing an awfully good job of staying hot on Tanith's heels! Besides this, Richard's story also mark a couple of firsts in the magazine. One is that while there have been a few apocalypse stories, this one marks our first Armageddon story. It also marks the first story told from the viewpoint of God. As to the story itself, another one that's tough to describe without giving the whole thing away, but suffice it to say there's quite an interesting twist come the end.
Next up is "Spirit Stone" by Naomi Kritzer, which marks her second appearance in the magazine. This one is a high fantasy piece that deals with a young woman who was trained to be a midwife. When she is married off to her new husband, she quickly realizes that he has no interest in her, except to bear the children of his other fourteen wives. But when Sarai realizes her necklace actually houses a spirit that can grant her wishes, she finds herself presented with choices she never thought she had. Where it goes from here is quite different than your standard wishing tale.
Finally we have "Saving the Skychildren" by Mindy L. Klasky. This high fantasy plays with a rather fascinating premise. Imagine a world where astrology is king, and people signs are broken into a caste system of swan, owl, lion, and sun. Each class has its rank tattooed upon its face, and has its own special skill set where they are prevalent. In this particular story, a mad king is bent on conquering a land across the sea, but there is nothing left to conscript to his armies but children, those that are swans and lions in particular. In this tale, a woman is caring for orphaned children, attempting to shield them from the mad king's armies, but because of their classifications, these children have a say in what happens, especially since the woman bears the lowest rank of sun. This one really provided an interesting look at a rather outside-the-box culture.
So that wraps up this issue. And my favorite story? "Saving the Skychildren" by Mindy L. Klasky. Next time I'll put a cap on 2000 by discussing the December issue. Until then ...
Hey Folks,
The latest batch of slush has been received and organized. In total there are 217 submissions, with postmarks ranging from 2/29/08-4/23/08. I should start slushing tomorrow. No Halloween submissions mixed into this batch, which is no surprise given how recently we announced that call for submissions. Good luck to everyone this time around, and those from the last batch moving on to the next round.
Open to: All, results viewable to: All
If you live outside the U.S., how do snail-mail vs. email submisions impact your personal submission habits?
They don't. I always submit to what I consider the best market first, regardless of their submission policies. 9 (27.3%)
Snail-mail only? No submission for you! 4 (12.1%)
Snail-mail only? Only if it's in my own country. 2 (6.1%)
I'll use email first to save $$$ on postage 18 (54.5%)
Some stuff to keep in mind:
--I've published in Interzone, a highly respected magazine in the UK. I originally sent the submisison via snail-mail, then later email (long convoluted story why). It's not the same as living in Australia or the UK, but it's something. One reason I get along so well with most authors is because I know how you guys think. I am you guys, but I'm also working at ROF. And the writer in me understands that blogging about this will help me the editor in me understand the international auhthors' stance here a bit better.
--Please remember I don't have to blog about this at all. But I'm interested in hearing your views. Not just because some guy from Australia was annoyed. No one person would make me spend this much time on the issue. But after working three years at the magazine, you notice stuff. I'm sure this conversation would've happened sooner or later.
--To people this hans't occurred to, please remember it isn't just about what the writers want. That's so easy to forget, because there are a lot more writers than their are editors and publishers, but editors & publishers are just as crucial to the success of a magazine. If a certain method works best for them, that is crucial to the process, even if it seems unfair or antiquated. Publishing isn't a democracy That may seem like a harsh thing to say, but it's also the truth. Places that have gone the email route have done so because the publishers and editors decided it was in their best interests. It may have made writers happy, but it wasn't why they did it. Magazines sticking to postal subs are also doing what they consider best too. They have that right. Just because email is faster and more cost effective for writers, it doesn't mean it's the best route for every single magazine in regards to our submission policies. We're not all the same=different process=different policies. I know a lot of you understand that, but clearly some people don't. Or won't.
--Remember that editors have to read all the time. How an editor likes to read matters a whole lot. A WHOLE LOT.
Just some stuff to think about.
Open to: All, results viewable to: All
How do snail-mail vs. email submissions policies at the magazines impact your personal submission habits?
They don't. I always sub to what I consider the best market first, regardless of their submission policies 39 (46.4%)
Snail-mail only? No submission for you! 11 (13.1%)
I'll go with email first to save $$$ on postage 33 (39.3%)
I won't do email submissions. I don't trust spam filters, computer crashes, etc. 0 (0.0%)
They don't. I just write novels. 1 (1.2%)
And once again for the record ...
While I didn't make the rule, I do happen to prefer reading off the page. Not only do I find it easier on the eyes over a long stretch of time, but the tactile pleasure of turning the page to learn happens next tends to make it a more engaging reading experience for me. It doesn't mean I can't enjoy reading off the screen, but it's probably a good thing for most writers I'm considering your manuscripts in the manner I'm most comfortable with, don't you think?
Edit: Why is LJ putting my post beneath the poll? That's never happened before.
Someone did some extrapolations based on those numbers, and while most of them looked right to me, one of them made me crinkle my brow enough that I went back and checked my personal records. I'm uncertain how the guy crunched his numbers (or if maybe he meant something else by his post, or misunderstood one of my figures, which would mess with his figures), but they stated that only slightly over 17% of all automatic passes to ROF got rejected. I'm assuming this figure is based on totals extrapolated from both years, but again, I don't know what formula made him reach this figure.
Regardless, the % is quite off. I'd like to address this ASAP, as our community is small and information travels fast. Based on my records, which have logged every automatic pass since I've been with ROF, if I factor in every story I know Shawna has come to a decision on, 80 out of 365 automatic passes have been or are slated to be published. That means 285 out of 365 failed to be accepted for publication. Break it down and that's 57 out of every 73 automatic passes that has been rejected. Granted, my personal records are more up to date and are accounting for almost another whole year of submissions to the magazine, but that's a signifcant difference in the percentages. If I toss out the most recent year, the % would fluctuate a few points at most, I think. If we rejected just 17% of our automatic passes, we'd be so overstocked with stories we'd have to close to submissions for ...for ...well, I'm not going to do that math. :)
And before people do further extrapolations and post more figures, we've received more submissions than 365 these past three years that have been automatically passed along to Shawna (or will be, since my official anniversary isn't until May 10th). These are just the ones she's reached her decision about and has informed me.
Naturally this got my slush hackles up (picture sheets of fantasy manuscripts, rippling along my spine in the breeze). I've posted slush statistics before (and here) If you crunch the numbers, maybe the top 1% or so of all the slush gets accepted for publication. But the accepted material overall? I'm afraid the % is much higher. IMNSHO, this is a major distinction. Also, define writers these markets "already know." I knew 4 of my slush survivors (though only 1 in person) before they were accepted by us (and for every slush survivor I've known, I've rejected at least 50 times that number I've also known, so no cries of favortism please). And just because a writer has published a novel with a major house like Tor, Bantam Spectra, etc., it does not mean we've heard of you. There are a lot of novels published every year. We can't keep track of everyone. That's why cover letters are sometimes helpful. So if we take a story from these people, where do they fit in regards to that 99%?
Now granted, this is all in regards to Realms of Fantasy. But do you imagine it's like this with just this magazine? And as to "commissioned and on spec," these are far from uniform practices among magazines when it comes to fiction. Many mags rarely go these routes, especially after they've established themselves. Magazine editors like finding slush survivors. We like choosing stories according to our tastes. On spec or commission has its place, and more than that depending on your business model. But grouping a bunch of (unnamed) mags as part of that aforementioned 99%? Come on. Off the top of my head I can think of just a few established genre mags that are strictly or mostly commissioned or on spec with their fiction on anything resembling a regular basis.
Sometimes I wonder where people get their information.
10) They think they're being helpful
9) They're trolls
8) They know for certain they're the next J.K. Rowling, so who gives a shit what some assistant editor thinks?
7) They clicked "Send" accidentally
6) If they can't write their way into publication they'll argue their way in
5) Not enough years of bitter frustration to start drinking yet
4) How dare you tell me no. Do you know who I am?
3) I've spent the last 5 years working on this story. You have to give me my way!
2) I was drunk
1) And the number one reason authors do this: THEY DON'T KNOW ANY BETTER!
Oh, and Sam, believe it or not, # 10 is also very true. I've seen it happen on more than one occasion, although if these are examples of the authors being helpful, I shudder to think what langauge they'll use when they're genuinely pissed. :)
An author queried Realms of Fantasy with a question. When he didn't receive the answer he wanted, he proceeded to tell me what was wrong with the magazine, and complained we were too fussy. My answer? "You shouldn't argue with the policies of a magazine's editors, no matter how fussy you think we are. All it does is make us fussier." To illustrate my point, I told him to scratch us from his list of potential markets.
*Throws back head and raises fists to the heavens* "The power! The power!"
:)
Part thirty-six in my ongoing retrospective as I read the back issues to Realms of Fantasy and offer my thoughts, right up to the present. This time the lucky contestant is the August 2000 issue.
When I met with Shawna back in 2005 to discuss the position of assistant editor, one of the first things she asked was if I had read any of the issues of the magazine. "A couple," I told her. It was the truth, too. I had read exactly two issues. One of them I've already done my retrospective on, this being the August 1997 issue. You can read my reasons for purchasing that issue there. The reason I had purchased this issue is quite simple. I had just finished the Odyssey Fantasy & Science Fiction Writing Workshop, and armed with a much stronger understanding of the short fiction market, I went out and bought the latest issues to a bunch of the bigger magazines, in the hopes of gleaning some idea of the editors' tastes. August 2000 just happened to be the issue of ROF out at the time.
As to the issue itself ...
One thing I'd like to note concerning the editorial this issue is that Shawna bids a fond farewell to Science Fiction Age, which had ceased publication. To those of you unaware, Science Fiction Age was the sister magazine to Realms. I've actually never read an issue of SFA, but in terms of format and presentation, it's my understanding that it was basically the science fiction equivalent of Realms of Fantasy. Science Fiction Age actually preceeded Realms by about two years, so it had an eight-year run before reaching its end. With its next issue, Realms would be a frisky six years of age. It's a shame Science Fiction Age is no longer publishing, but I suppose this an unfortunate sign of the times.
There's also another change in the masthead in this issue. Stephen Vann's run as Art Director has once again drawn to a close. In his place is former Art Director, Ronald (in this issue Ron) Stevens. Not to make light of the situation, but what is it with these two guys? It seems as if every few issues they play a game of musical chairs with this position.
On to the fiction ...
Given that it's been eight years since the last time I read these stories, I decided to reread them all, even the ones I thought I remembered quite clearly. My reactions to some of these stories the second time around left me quite surprised.
The lead story in this issue is "Cactus Land" by Kate Orman. This is one of the stranger stories I've read in ROF. Of course, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Orman has a rather compelling blend of elements in this tale. It's what you might term a pre-apocalyptic tale. The year is 2027, and bit by bit the world is falling apart. This really isn't the focus of the story, but the author cues the reader in by slipping several elements normally encountered in post-apocalyptic literature. And while all this is going on, the continent of Australia (where the story is set) is undergoing a strange transformation as Aztec culture seems to be inexplicably experiencing a revival here. Really strange, but I bought into it. I distinctly remember not enjoying this story when I read it back in 2000. Obviously my feelings have changed. I attribute this to several factors, but this biggest reasons come from working for Realms of Fantasy. It isn't because this is a Realms of Fantasy story that I liked it, but rather three years on this job--reading slush, reading back issues, working with authors on rewrites, swapping emails with Shawna and seeing her at work--has really expanded my definitions of what constitutes good fantasy short fiction. I can say with real confidence that I'm a better editor now than I was when I started. If this story was in the slush at the beginning of my reign of terror, there's a chance I would've rejected it. That would've been a mistake. Now I'd know better. Experience counts.
The second story is "Mousers" by Peni R. Griffin, which marks her sixth appearance in the magazine. Every editor has types of stories that are tough sells with them. Some of my "tough sells" are elves, dwarves, and the fey. One of Shawna's tough sells is cat stories. Shawna must've really liked "Mousers," because this one is all about cats. Actually, it's a ghost tale about cats, and a cute one at that!
Following this we have "The 4th Law of Power" by Richard Parks, which also marks his sixth appearance in the magazine. This one is a high fantasy tale about a woman's quest to hunt down the magical Laws of Power. Seeing this title might make one ask, "Hey, where are the stories about the first three Laws of Power?" I'm afraid I don't have these answers. I don't even know if there are earlier Laws of Power stories (they haven't appeared in ROF to this point) but I can tell you that this tale holds up quite well on its own.
Next up is "Return to Pleasure Island" by Cory Doctorow. This is another tale I remember having a lot of difficulty with when I first read it. But once again, I found myself far more interested reading it all these years later. This one is decidedly dark (and the more you think about it, the darker it is). It revisits Pleasure Island from the classic Pinoccio tale, but does so with a modern-day spin. And here's something interesting, as I stumbled across this background for the story over at the author's website:
This is the story of the ogres who run the concession stands on Pleasure Island, where Pinnocchio’s friend Lampwick turned into a donkey. Like much of my stuff, this has a tie-in with Walt Disney World; the idea came to me on the Pinnocchio ride in the Magic Kingdom, in 1993. I went back and reviewed the original novel, in two translations, and found that Pleasure Island was a scary, scary place. During this time, I spent a lot of time listening to the creepy voiceover on “High-Diddle Dee-Dee” on Stay Awake, a wonderful Disney tribute album. The result is what you see below. Like many of my recent stories, “Return” deals with self-indulgence, discipline, and attenuated attention-spans.
Following this we have "Mom and Dad at the Homefront" by Sherwood Smith, which marks her third appearance in the magazine. This is a really touching YA tale in the tradition of Narnia and other universes where the children use closets and such as portals to secret fantasy worlds. What's really clever about this one is that it explores this idea from the perspective of the parents. Ever wonder what they're going through while their children are off adventuring? This is the 200th story to be published in Realms of Fantasy. It's a milestone number, and Shawna & crew managed it with style. Not only was this story reprinted in Year's Best Fantasy, edited by David Hartwell & Kathryn Cramer, but it was also nominated for the 2002 Nebula Award for Best Short Story. Pretty sweet.
The final story is "Playing in the Dark" by David Phalen, which marks his second appearance in the magazine. This one is real short, and it deals with some children who play with shadows each night come bedtime.
So that wraps up this issue. It's certainly one of the longest retrospectives I've done to date. And my favorite story? "Mom and Dad at the Homefront" by Sherwood Smith. Next time I'll discuss the October 2000 issue. Hopefully that will retrospective will be a little shorter. Until then ...
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