[January 10th] Horror Podcast "Tales to Terrify" and I As An Editor

I've been talking about this Secret Project for ages and now it's time to reveal it. I've been picked up by Tony Smith, you know, the Hugo award winner for the science fiction podcast StarShipSofa, to work on a new podcast as an assistant editor, but this time the genre is horror. As you might have guessed, the name of the podcast is "Tales to Terrify" and we're launching this Friday, January the 13th, because we all need a certain sense for fatality.

Here is the official promo for the "Tales to Terrify"

 

Something creeps in between the cracks of your opened browser tabs. It hisses and whispers behind the static of your headphones. It’s there, when you touch the keys on your keyboard. You can only catch a silhouette in the corners of your screen. 

Yes, your computer has been possessed and the ghost that will haunt your browsing history from Friday, January 13th onward is “Tales To Terrify”. 

Tony Smith, Hugo award winner for his internationally renowned science fiction podcast Star Ship Sofa, dares to allows the scariest, spookiest and creepiest horror stories that have been published to speak as the producer and editor of your new favourite horror podcast. 

The voice of “Tales to Terrify” is award winning author and narrator, Lawrence Santoro, who has known dark tales since early childhood. Functioning as assistant editors are new comer writer and reviewer, Harry Markov and multi-tasking writer and slush reader, Sarah Hendrix. The task to bring disturbing visual content falls on our art director Church H. Tucker. 

“Tales to Terrify” will gather together fiction from both established and break-through voices in horror from around the world to interpret horror in all of its nuances and manifestations. In the shows to come you will hear already published stories by names such as Joe R. Lansdale, Tim Lebbon, Gary McMahon, Gemma Files, Caitlin R. Kiernan and Nick Mamatas among many others. 

“Tales to Terrify” will function as horror-centric hub for fans of fiction, art, movies and other horror-dominated genres. 

Hush now and let us haunt your feed. 

Our first show presents "Chair" by Martin Mundt. Since this is a rather huge deal for me, I would like to ask you to help spread the word and make the debut of our first show a success. Speak, link, tweet and gossip. Thank you in advance.    

Here is the URL: http://talestoterrify.com/

[December 5th] "Subversion" edited by Bart R. Leib

Today is the release date of a rather interesting anthology, which I'd like to bring to your attention. What caught my interest is the fact the cover, which speaks for itself and is especially striking considering the current political and economic climate on a global scale. Here is more from the press release from Crossed Genres, which have always brought quality fiction through their Crossed Genres Magazine in the past. I'm especially interested to see the socio-political criticism, which is hinted at with the cover. 

Subversion: Science Fiction & Fantasy Tales of challenging the norm

‘Traitor’ or ‘revolutionary.’ These labels are two sides of the same coin, just as ‘hero’ or ‘villain’ depends on the point of view of the person telling the story. These are obvious concepts when spelled out in clear cut settings. Because of this, how one goes about subverting the norm (as a traitor or revolutionary) is based on what the norm is. What is normal in one society can be, and often is, taboo in another society. This allows tales of subversion to be subtle, blatant, personal, communal, and endless in variation.

- from the Foreword by Jennifer Brozek

Subversion: Science Fiction & Fantasy tales of challenging the norm is an anthology of stories about striking back at the status quo – whatever that might be. The Authority can be real or perceived; the act of subversion subtle or overt; and the consequences minute yet significant, or immense and world-shaking.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Jennifer Brozek – Foreword

Jessica Reisman – “A Thousand Wings of Luck”

Camille Alexa – “And All Its Truths”

Melissa S. Green – “Pushaway”

Daniel José Older – “Phantom Overload”

Kelly Jennings – “Cold Against the Bone”

Barbara Krasnoff – “The Red Dybbuk”

Natania Barron – “Pushing Paper in Hartleigh”

Kay T. Holt – “Parent Hack”

Jean Johnson – “The Hero Industry”

Cat Rambo – “Flicka”

Shanna Germain – “Seed”

RJ Astruc & Deirdre M. Murphy – “Scrapheap Angel”

C.A. Young – “The Dragon’s Bargain”

Wendy N. Wagner – “A Tiny Grayness in the Dark”

Timothy T. Murphy – “Received Without Content”

Caleb Jordan Schulz – “To Sleep With Pachamama”

Cover art: “New Generation of Leaders” by Brittany Jackson

ISBN 978-0615533292

To place orders for the book, for review copies, or for additional information, contact Crossed Genres Publications

Email: publicity@crossedgenres.com

[November 23rd] The Death of Anne McCaffrey

I've just been able to come to the intertubes and I was floored with the news that Anne McCaffrey had died and yes, my title is intentionally dramatic. I personally have not had the pleasure of reading her work, although I had in my sights. Even unfamiliar with her body of work, I know of the influence Anne had in the community as evidenced by the long list Charles Tan has assembled with tributes. 

Christie Yant over at the Ink Punks has written a post, which pretty much sums up how I feel about the passing of such a profilic author. I have to agree that I wish I have read her novels and send my thanks when she was alive. I'm not sure I would have loved them, but authors need to have a connection with their fans, need to know that they are needed. 

I'm convinced Anne has had many people come to her with letters of gratitude and appreciation, but it never hurts to appreciate a good person [a fantastic author with a sprawling legacy in our community] while we have the chance. Something happens when an author dies; to the readers, to the writers, to the community as a whole. It's sad, irreversible and rings a bell that time is fleeting and you should make the most of it, even in your literary explorations. Don't be reactive, be proactive, when experiencing an author. Say 'thank you'. Cause you may never get the chance otherwise. And for me, meeting Anne will happen only through her work.  

[November 15th] World SF / The Portal Merger

Something in tone with the news

Yesterday, it has been finally announced that The World SF Blog (run by Lavie Tidhar) has merged with Val Grimm's The Portal. This is an exciting merge, one which I believe is a perfect fit as both venues are complementary of each other.

The Portal provides excellent, high quality reviews of short fiction [I had to follow quite a lot of rules and guidelines, which made me more critical about my reviews] with an international angle, while The World SF Blog has its fingers on the pulse of international SFF with a lot of fun authors [my christening has to do with horror duo S.L.Grey, which really tops my 2011 experiences].

As a contributor to both venues, I'm more than excited to see the full effect of the changes take place and focus my own efforts in one place entirely.  

Here is the official press release post: World SF Blog to merge with The Portal; Expand Operations. And as soon as the new fiction editor Debbie Moorhouse has been announced, there is a new story on The World SF blog by Milena Benini from Croatia titled "Dancing Together Under Polarized Skies".

This reminds me. Are you interested in international fiction? 

[August 24th] Weird Tales' sudden change of editors

I'm very distraught at the news that Weird Tales has been sold and its staff fired. As I learn from The World SF Blog, a writer named Marvin Kaye has bought it in order to edit it himself. Details on the purchase are scarce and are competently summarized in the link I've provided. I find this very hard to swallow.

One of my goals as a writer was to have a short story accepted by Weird Tales under VanderMeer as an editor. Now that won't happen. I also lament the loss of the all female staff, which managed, in my honest opinion, to bring a state of Reconnaissance to the magazine. I can't say what will happen with the magazine now. I do hope it maintains popularity and credibility, but I am distraught that such an exciting and innovative era has come to an end.

Here is Ann's farewell letter.

America dumbs down Downton Abbey

While I'm on the cultural vibe, I've read news that Downton Abbey [my favorite period TV drama to date] will be edited in order for the American audience to have a better grasp on the plot. I find it quite startling, when an article [on Digital Spy] opens with the following:

"TV executives in the US have simplified the central storyline in ITV's hit period drama Downton Abbey due to fears that it will not be understood by American audiences.

The programme's plot - in which a distant relative stands to inherit the estate - will be downplayed and the series running time cut from eight to six hours when it airs in the US next week.

Downton Abbey focuses on the inner workings of the English aristocracy, specifically a legal device called the 'entail', which determines how an estate should be divided up."

REALLY? This is my question. Personally, I don't know anything about British nobility and how the law treats their estate, but I've watched the show. It's pretty obvious: the title of Lord along with the estate and money goes to the closest male relative [in this case, cousin Matthew], while the current Lord's progeny [three sisters] are left with nothing. Even without having to google the 'entail', it is clearly defined in the context of the plot and dialogue.

However, 'it is not a concept people in the US are very familiar with' AND 'American audiences are used to a different speed when it comes to television drama and you need to get into a story very quickly.'

Basically, America managed to ruin another quality story WITHOUT re-booting, re-making or commissioning a sequel. A big round of applause, please. What I'm mostly bitter about is that the American TV executives underestimate the audience without giving it a chance to see for itself, whether it can get the references or not. Plus, it's a minor challenge, really. One which could very well inspire more viewers to become interested in other cultures and really, Britain is fascinating with its history of power shifts and nobility.

It's sad, really.

Editor sued for running a negative review

I know that Sundays are generally reserved for Blog Spots and hopefully I will get to those as soon as possible, but for the time being with a rather nasty string of headaches. As a result, I feel rather drained to form any in-depth sentences. So I leave you with a rather bizarre courtroom case that is going down in Paris as we speak:

After running a review of the book by Thomas Weigend, director of the Cologne Institute of Foreign and International Criminal Law, and dean of the faculty of law at the University of Cologne, “Dr Calvo-Goller wrote to Professor Weiler alleging that it was defamatory and asking for it to be taken down,” says the THE report, because it could “cause harm to my professional reputation and academic promotion.” She even provided Weiler with a positive review to run in its place. Weiler told her “The heavy burden needed in my eyes to suppress a book review has not been met,” but offered her space to reply. She declined and pressed charges of “criminal libel” instead.

To be fair, this case sounds less bizarre in context. The negative review, in question, relates to very niche non-fiction, which requires a very narrow and specialized knowledge to write. It's not complete overreaction [in theory] considering how a review affects the competence, reputation and credibility of a specialist. Had the review been truly aimed at the author and not the book [in this case it's not] then I can justify this happening. But given the circumstances explained in the paragraph above I'm inclined to think that this case leans more to being a farce.

“What did Calvo-Goller do wrong in this situation? Rather than covering up the fact she may or may not have written a credible ICC ‘Trial Proceedings’ book, she illuminated the fact that she may or may not have written a credible ICC ‘Trial Proceedings’ book.”

This is the actual morale of the story. Given the circumstances, Calvo-Goller should have kept quiet about her book not being perfect. It's human nature to be err and a faulty book can and will receive negative reviews. You screw up and try your best with the next.

Yes, the review was posted in a respectable and popular venue. However, what we must not forget is that negative reviews get posted all the time. People read them and that's that. Some of the times the review sticks with the reader, more often than not people forget they've read it.

What Calvo-Goller did was to not only bring the negative review to the attention of thousands more, but also making it stick. The verdict is due March and the defendant runs a column about the experience. This case is receiving attention and then after all this is over [whether she wins or loses] the trial will become a connotation to her name. I'm sure that it will taint her future readers' opinion of her work.

LESSON: When you try to vindicate your ego, beware how far you go and whether you have the justifications to do so. Considering that most of us focus on fiction, I doubt a negative review will get this to court [UNLESS you stole someone's novel; shame on you]. But when you decide to hog the spotlight, your ass is on the line. Beware.

The whole article can be found [HERE]

Weird Tales is on the rise [that is quite obvious]

I'm very fond of Weird Tales, one of the oldest magazines to post weird fiction and speculative fiction in general. It brought me great joy to learn about the new changes happening. Here is the press release:

Several exciting developments mark the start of 2011 for Weird Tales. In addition to launching a new website , editor-in-chief Ann VanderMeer and publisher John Betancourt have raised the pay rate to 5 cents per word and implemented a new submissions portal for potential contributors.

These changes come on the heels of the news last year that VanderMeer would be taking over as editor-in-chief, with Paula Guran retained as nonfiction editor and Mary Robinette Kowal named as art director. This is the first time in the magazine’s 88-year history that Weird Tales has had an all-female editorial/management staff. Dominik Parisien and Alan Swirsky join Tessa Kum as editorial assistants on the Weird Tales team.

“Weird Tales was always known for publishing unclassifiable dark fiction, for publishing new voices alongside old pros, and we’ll continue that tradition,” VanderMeer says. “Our website updates those traditions by posting video flash fictions and news of the bizarre.” The new site also features a blog, through which VanderMeer and the rest of the Weird Tales team will discuss fiction and topics related to the revamped magazine.

This month marks the publication of the 357 issue of the magazine, featuring exceptionally strong short fiction. Contributors include Hundred Thousand Kingdoms’ N.K. Jemisin with “The Trojan Girl”, Swedish newcomer Karin Tidbeck’s ingenious and unsettling inversion of faerie and critically acclaimed J. Robert Lennon with “Portal,” a disturbing Shirley-Jackson-esque horror story. Weird Tales will return to its normal quarterly schedule this year, with future issues slated for May, August, and November.

Thanks to Matt Kressel for the new website and Neil Clarke for the submissions portal.

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What does this mean? First, Weird Tales is now a professionally paying market. Second, I think it will prosper immensely under the guidance of an all female editorial team. I won't pretend that women don't have a special approach, when it comes to fiction and I'm sure that more surprises will come soon. Third, the magazine won't be going on anywhere soon.