Who(m) should write for Futures?
Henry Gee
Monday, 03 August 2009 14:43 UTC
I’ve just come back from Constitution, the first SF convention I’ve ever attended in 10 years (on and off) as Editor of Futures. I met a few writers familiar to me – and quite a few of whom I’d not heard. Some of these writers have written quite a few stories and novels – and yet news of their existence had somehow failed to reach my cloth oreilles. This suggests that there’s a huge amount of talent out there. I haven’t actually commissioned Futures pieces for ages (such is the flux of copy arriving on my desk) but that doesn’t mean I don’t have to, or that I’d ignore suggestions of authors . So, have you come across good but perhaps little-known SF writers whom you think I should approach as potential Futures authors? Give reasons for your answer. Please use both sides of the paper. You may begin.
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THANK YOU for suggesting me, Maxine!
I do I have a little bit of ‘form’ as regards fantasy and science-fiction stories and had a few published – one won a prize, another, I recently discovered, was ‘highly commended’ in the World Fantasy awards a year or two ago, and the other actually received favourable mention by Paul Morley on Newsnight review. And now I think about it …my children’s novel was partly fantasy too.
I do have some proper science-fictiony stuff too – using my er… ‘specialist knowledge’ acquired painfully over several years as a post-doctoral research scientist.
I would also like to suggest someone’s work I have been reading recently – Chris Beckett, whose book The Turing Test contains some amazing ideas. It also won the Edge Hill short story prize against some stiff competition including Booker prize winners.
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Clare – for shame, I hadn’t thought o you in this context. Good call, Maxine.
So, Clare, you’re on.
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Oh thank you, Henry! I am really delighted!
And thanks again to Maxine too.
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Hi Henry,
I have a couple more names for you, both excellent writers of short SF:
Ian Creasey: He’s had several stories published in Asimov’s. Contact details are on his web site: http://www.iancreasey.com/about_me.htm
David Redd: A British short fiction writer active since the heady days of New Worlds. IMHO one of the best British short SF writers ever. There’s a “contact us” link on his web site. http://www.davidredd.co.uk/
Vaughan
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One of my goals for this year was to write something for Futures. Not to get it published, mind, but actually get something together of a form and quality that I would be happy submitting.
As I haven’t done that yet:
There’s quite a speculative fiction/transreal fiction/sci-fi community in Scotland, especially Edinburgh – Iain Banks is the obvious big name, but there’s also Ken MacLeod and Charles Stross, for instance. I think you’ve had something from Charles already, but if not, they would both be brilliant.
There’s also a broader community of slightly more “up and coming” folk (the Nova Scotia anthology captured that quite well) – perhaps some of them are worth approaching? One from Matthew Fitt in Scots, maybe?
In any case, the Edinburgh writer community is quite well networked together – thanks in part to Mike Calder’s bookshop and groups like Writer’s Bloc. More broadly, there must be similar groups/networks where you could spread the word of Futures in other cities – but which ones?
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One of my goals for this year was to write something for Futures. Not to get it published, mind, but actually get something together of a form and quality that I would be happy submitting.
Ditto… and for Lablit et al. too…
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Surely Alastair Reynolds, who writes some of the most gothic and dark SF stories I have ever read (for example, the Revelation Space story arc).
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Ian Brooks wrote:
Ditto… and for Lablit et al. too…
And did/have you? I haven’t spotted your name on the back page yet, but I (shock horror) don’t get to see it every week.
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As a once-published Futures author myself (he coughs, awkwardly) I’d go for myself again, if I’d written anything…but seeing as I haven’t, why not the following new ones:
- Ian McDonald (Brasyl, Cyberabad Days)
- Richard Morgan (Altered Carbon, Market Forces)
- Justina Robson (Keeping it Real; Selling Out)…and I enthusiastically second Alastair Reynolds (I just bought pretty much his entire output in one go), and the very excellent Charles Stross.
All seriously good, all write short stories. I honestly think the Golden Age of SF is right now – and I applaud you and Nature for publishing Futures. PLEASE carry on!!
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I’m pleased to report that I have published Alastair Reynolds, Justina Robson, Charlie Stross (more or less in the same week he won a major award), Ian McLeod … But Iain Banks has so far resisted the allure of Nature.
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