ellen_datlow | Vote vote vote--and rec rec rec rec

Vote vote vote--and rec rec rec rec

Ok. Here's my impassioned plea/push/nag for anyone who reads this blog and is eligible to recommend stories and or novels for the various peer group science fiction, fantasy, and horror awards.
I know that some people feel that awards themselves are a bad thing and that they should all be abolished. I'm not talking to you. I don't believe that and I know I'm not going to change your minds.

Awards are NOT going to go away but they could become less visible (which I think is a bad thing). As an editor I really appreciate it when the stories/books I edit make final award ballots and win awards. And I think most writers are even more appreciative of this. It gives a sense of validation for what you're doing by your peers (for the Nebula and Stoker).

Right now is "award rec season" and there are discussions on both the SFWA Bulletin Board and the HWA Bulletin Board about how their respective awards are dying --not enough members are recommending works to even make a preliminary ballot.

Now some people think that this might be because no one likes the work being published.
Others that no one is reading enough short fiction to be interested in recommending works in those categories.
I have a really difficult time believing the first reason. I've been reading sf/f/h short fiction for twenty five years and have found no drop off in quality in any of those fields.

I can't answer for the second but I hope it's not true because if so my profession will die and I love editing short fiction.

If you care at ALL for the genre short story then I urge you to recommend the stories that you think are worth bringing to the attention of your peers.

This is totally off the cuff and I know if I thought about it more I'd have more to write--but I'd also probably just delete the whole post...

Comments welcome!

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No, are you saying that you do? I know you make a solid attempt to read all the short fiction, but that you also don't have much of an opportunity to read a large number of novels.

However, one doesn't have to read Every Story EVAR in order to have an informed opinion. I do read a heck of a lot of stories, and more this year than last as I am now once again local to an SF specialty shop that gets the obscure stuff and small zines, and in one of the most heavily serviced areas for bookstores in the country.

I don't read everything, but given the amount I do read and the markets I do read, it would be a bizarre demographic quirk wherein almost all the best stuff is somehow only published in the magazines and by the publishers I miss.

I haven't been talking about novels at all because I don't read many of them.

But as far as short fiction, yes I do try to but invariably miss a few here and there.

I'll give you a list of the mags I have read or will be reading/skimming this year and you can judge. There's already a list of the anthologies I have received so far this year in another post on my blog. If you can't find it I'll repost it in this thread.

I have a reader who reads the mags where I don't think there will be any horror fiction (eg Analog and the mystery mag--he passes on the dark stuff from the mystery mags).
there are nonfiction mags too as I don't have time to separate them out.

Supernatural tales 11 spring read
Subterranean issue #6 read
Subterranean #7 read
The Cincinnati Review 3.2 winter
Conjunctions #48: Faces of Desire
City Slab #10 read
Aurealis 37 read
Keleidotrope 3 October
Aoife’s Kiss September
Hungur Walpurgisnacht
Weird Tales 343 read
Weird Tales 344 read
Weird Tales 345 read
Albedo One issue 32 read
Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet #20
Black Gate issue 10
Black Gate issue 11
Space & Time #100 spring read
Cemetery Dance Issue #57 read
ASIM # 26 read
ASIM # 27
ASIM # 28 read
ASIM # 29 read
ASIM #31
Out of the Gutter #1
Out of the Gutter #2
Not One of Us #37
Midrash NOOS one off read
Rue Morgue 64 Jan/Feb
Rue Morgue 54 March
Rue Morgue 66 April
Rue Morgue 68 June
Rue Morgue 69 July read
Rue Morgue 70 August read
Rue Morgue 71 September
Rue Morgue 72 October
Postscripts #10 spring special issue read
Sybil’s Garage 4 read
Talebones #34 winter 07 read
Talebones #35 summer read
Tales of the Talisman volume 2 issue 4
Tales of Talisman volume III, issue 1
Tales of the Talisman volume III, issue 2
Dark Discoveries winter read
Dark Discoveries summer 10 read
Zahir 12 spring read
Zahir 13 Summer read
Withersin Magazine issue 1.1
Withersin Magazine issue 1.2
Tales of the Unanticipated #28
Interzone February 208 read
Interzone April 209
Interzone June 210
Interzone July/August 211 read
Dead Reckonings 1 spring
Shimmer winter read
Horror garage #12 read
EQMM January
EQMM February
EQMM March/April
EQMM May
EQMM June
EQMM July
EQMM August
EQMM September/October
EQMM November
EQMM December
AHMM Jan/Feb
AHMM March
AHMM April
AHMM May
AHMM June
AHMM July/August
AHMM September
AHMM October
AHMM November
AHMM December
Prism March read
Prism April/May read
Prism August/Sept
Analog Jan/Feb
Analog March
Analog April
Analog May
Analog June
Analog July/August
Analog September
Analog October
Analog November
Analog December
New Genre Issue 5 read
F&SF January read
F&SF February read
F&SF March read
F&SF April read
F&SF May
F&SF June read
F&SF July read
F&SF August read
F&SF September read
F&SF Oct/Nov
All Hallows 42 read
ASF January read
ASF February
ASF March
ASF April/May
ASF June
ASF July E
ASF August
ASF October/November read
ASF December
Fictitious Force #4
Dark Horizons 50
Dark Wisdom Issue 11 read
Beyond the Borderland 2 December 06 read
Lovecraft’s Disciples 7 December 06 read
Lovecraft’s Disciples 8 March read
Video watchdog 129 Mar/Apr
Video watchdog 130 May
Video Watchdog 131 June
Video Watchdog 132 July
Video Watchdog 133 August
Video Watchdog 134 Sept
On Spec winter read
On Spec spring read
On Spec summer read
Outer Darkness Issue 34
Whispers of Wickedness 14 winter read
Whispers of Wickedness 15 summer
The Horror Fiction Review 15 winter
The Horror Fiction Review 16 spring
Farthing 5 January
Midnight Street issue 8 winter read
Midnight Street issue 9 May/June read
Fantasy Magazine winter issue 5 covered in 06
Fantasy Magazine spring issue 6 read
Realms of Fantasy February read
Realms of Fantasy April read
Realms of Fantasy June read
Realms of Fantasy August read
Realms of Fantasy October read
Grendelsong issue 2 spring
MAR (mid-American Review ) XXII # 2
Fangoria 260 February
Fangoria 262 April
Fangoria 263 May
Fangoria 264 June read
Fangoria 265 August read
Fangoria 267 October
Horror Carousel spring
Apex 9 read
Apex 10 read
Clarkesworld up through August read

What, you don't read Nature? You're gonna miss my story in a couple of weeks! :)

Also, how about the "evil" themed issue of Tin House from this April?

Of the mags you list, those I have not seen and skimmed are Keleidotrope, Out of the Gutter, the Not One Of Us one-off (unless it actually was on the shelves at Pandemonium after all), Tales of the Talisman, Zahir, Prism, Fictitious Force, Whispers of Wickedness, and Horror Carousel.

What percentage of the best stories of the year would you say are coming out of those magazines? I'm not even asking about what you'll reprint, but what really knocked your socks enough enough to consider (maybe give an HM to or something)?

My blind guess is that the number of stories that are excellent in those magazines is a very very small one.

Nope--no Nature, although I should probably ask Gardner to direct me to any dark stories in the series :-) If you story is dark, send it to me!
I'm getting the new Tin House--will have to get the "evil" issue--I THINK Kelly & Gavin get that regularly (not sure) so I'd like to think they'd mention it to me...will ask for it right now!!! I'm always looking for tips to journals/mags that might have dark fiction. I did see the 06 issue with the King story last year.

Prism is the the nonfiction pub of the BFS so has no fiction.
Out of the Gutter is new and I haven't yet read it.

None of the stories in any of those mags knocked my socks off but I thought some were interesting and well done enough to give honorable mentions to.

Zahir is a mixed-genre pub so only ever has some dark fiction:
six stories in 06 I liked enough to HM
this year one so far--

Whispers of Wickedness --last year one and so far this year one
Tales of the Talisman I haven't finished looking through (two issues are with my reader and one I've got)

Kaleidotrope (new mag--at least I'm getting it for the first time) just received and haven't gotten to yet.
Horror Carousel haven't read this year but last year it got three HM
Fictitious Force nothing

That's so, but I'm not looking for sf or fantasy so don't rec stories that are sf/f even if I like them.

I've regularly taken most of my picks from original anthologies and collections.

Yeah, I too think that anthos and collections have better short fiction than magazines!

I just mailed you the page proof to the nature story. It's a single page, as those features tend to be, so easy to print.

I was surprised at noting that for my current volume, I actually chose more stories from mags than anthos/collections. This is very different from most years.

Thanks.

"A Zahir story ended up in Vandermeer's Best American Fantasy," she said, contributing very late.

What's EQMM and AHMM?

these are all the mags you read for YB? What about Black Static (3rd Alternative), Strange Horizons, Chizine, Abyss&Apex, Helix and Ideomancer?

not that you don't have enough, already...

Ellery Queen Mystery Mag and Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Mag.

Black Static hasn't been out in a few years--I'm awaiting the first issue (I've always found excellent horror in TTA and very much look forward to its new incarnation.
Strange Horizons and Chizine sends me the dark fiction printouts late in the year. I've been reading Helix and also Caitlin Kiernan's Sirenia Digest (private email with fiction in it--monthly), Hub. I regularly read Apex (it's on the list). I don't even remember what Abyss is...
Nope, I don't cover Ideomancer. If someone would like to point out if there's any horror on it, I'll take a look.

I put out calls throughout the year for magazines (and anthologies and collections) and only have the presence of mind to nag about something I don't get once or twice a year. If publishers can't be bothered with getting me their magazines on a regular basis I can only do so much. Sometimes, if I have the time, I go through my list of magazine websites (and publisher websites) to see if I've missed an issue and yet again contact the publishers.

I thought the new issue of BS (heh, somewhat unfortunate initials..) had been released?

Abyss&Apex - (not Apex Digest:) it's one word, kinda) - online mag, pubs mostly SF&F, sometimes a darker slant to some of them. It's, hmm, generally more upbeat emphasis than SH or some of the Helix stories. Maybe check out the Joseph Paul Haines, "The man behind the curtain", thought it was a good read myself, but is still fantasy.

Ideomancer don't do horror per se, although they do have it in their guidelines; sorry, forgot you only read the horror part of the YB, yes? I'd still class Ideo as mostly fantasy, somewhat moody at times, but not overly so.
Then again, maybe if you dropped them a mail and asked them to send you yearly samples of their horror work, that might help. Speaking purely for myself, I go look at them if I want something to read and have already finished with SH, Chizine and CW. Helix is also growing on me. Ideomancer is ok, but don't always appeal to me so much. Still, they do have a horror category in the guidelines.

You have heard of Noctem Aeturnus? they're supposed to launch come January, horror magazine with free subscription, issues sent pdf to your mailbox quarterly (I think, don't quote me).

Yes, Black Static has been mailed but I haven't yet received it. Could be the UK postal strike :-)

Yes, I'll contact Ideomancer about them getting me their horror printouts.
I have heard of Abyss&Apex.. and about the forthcoming Noctem Aeturnus and I THINK I've already been in touch with them...afraid it's getting toward that time of the year that the morass of material gets a little confusing...do you know it only took me fifteen years of co-editing the YBFH for me to start making an incoming and outgoing checklist? (duh)

I'm curious - are you going to keep reading Subterranean Mag now that it's moved to online rather than print? (and yes, I'm asking because I do get published in it - hey, at least I'm honest :P)

Oh yes, but I wiiiish I could get printouts...Knowing Bill though, there's no way.

I understand - I need pages for reading, not computer screens. I use my printer at work quite a bit. All the time, actually. :)

It's partly that non print stories get lost in the ether...I have various pdf files marked on my computer inbox but after awhile reading lots of pdf files gets tiring...Having the pieces of paper messing up my sofa and floor makes me want to get rid of them quicker :-)

I regularly read Apex (it's on the list). I don't even remember what Abyss is...

*laughs* Abyss...I mean Abyss & Apex (http://www.abyssandpex.com/) is a quarterly online speculative fiction magazine. Rich Horton reviews us in Locus on occasion and Gardner gave us four honorable mentions in his last YBSF. It's about half science fiction and half fantasy, and much of it is bittersweet. Some of it is even dark.

Abyss & Apex does put a good scare into folks on occasion, despite our "no horror" request in the guidelines. A recent example is "Weepers and Ragers" by Aliette de Bodard.

I can shoot those sorts stories only (or all of our stories) over to you in print, if you wish.

Wendy S. Delmater, Managing Editor
ABYSS & APEX
http://www.abyssandpex.com/

Yes, please :-) That would be very helpful.'
THanks
Ellen

I didn't twig to that abbreviation immediately I saw it, either.

There you go. Nice list. You could take this and your anthology list, put it in one and have a link from your blog home page perhaps, as this would then basically be what I was wondering about before.

okok but not nowwwwww! :-)

Sure, when you need saving from accidentally considering old Guy N. Smith paperbacks on ebay one night. ;-)

Actually, I never buy books on ebay. Alas, it's the three faced and bisque dolls that I'm always checking out.

Easyish to find this one, from right near the start of your blog

Ellen's anthology received list

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