“Fantasy & Science Fiction” – December Issue

Fantasy & Science Fiction is a bimonthly magazine now in its 61st year of publication. The publisher was kind enough to send me the December issue as a review copy and, I must say, when I received the magazine it was not at all what I expected.

Even though the magazine has been around longer than I have, I had never come across it before. I was surprised to see the issue weighed in at more than 250 pages and the content was very good. It contained four novelets, seven short stories, and the usual handful of departments/columns (an editorial, Books of Interest, Films, Coming Attractions, and a quirky little one-page entitled Curiosities).

The writing in the magazine is top-notch. I love highlighting periodicals such as this because, especially in the fantasy/sci-fi genre, they are responsible for giving a leg up to aspiring writers as well as giving readers a taste of other, already published authors who someone might not have run across before.

A subscription to the magazine is a little pricey ($34.97 for one year; $46.97 outside the U.S.), but is large enough that it would be like buying six paperbacks for less than $6 each. In addition, you can purchase copies on the magazine’s website for your smartphone or computer (PDF). According to the website, there is supposedly audio copies available from audible.com but I couldn’t find them. If you love fantasy/sci-fi short stories and novelettes, you’ll probably enjoy the magazine.

Fantasy & Science Fiction is published bimonthly by Spilogale, Inc.
The magazine’s website is: http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/
Further information is available here.

A Star Curiously Singing, by Kerry Nietz

A Star Curiously Singing is a first-person science fiction novel written by Kerry Nietz. It is a unique book in that it projects what the world might look like if sharia law became the ultimate authority worldwide. Mix that scenario with a future, technology-rich culture and you end up with the world Nietz has built.

The main character, Sandfly, is a debugger, a slave with an implant in his brain enabling him to connect to the electronic world around him in ways that only debuggers can. Sandfly’s primary job is to fix his master’s robots, but when he is called upon to unravel a technological mystery, everything changes. It seems a spacecraft capable of interstellar flight has successfully made a trip to the stars and back to Earth again, but on the way, one of the key robots on board has gone haywire and torn itself limb from limb. Now it’s up to Sandfly to figure out what went wrong and whether the robot poses a danger to humans. But as Sandfly pieces the robot back together, he finds a strange recording that sets his world on edge.

I found that the first-person viewpoint in Nietz’ book immediately drew me into the story. Maybe it’s just me but I found it intriguing to be in the head of a guy who has an implant in his head. (Ok, sorry. I couldn’t help myself.) Seriously, the technology in the book was fascinating to me. How great would it be to have your own wireless computer inside your head, complete with email and instant messaging in text or video or more? Of course, Sandfly had to deal with the whole do-what-I-want-or-I-zap-your-head situation, but he finds ways to survive and still keep his sanity.

I suppose it could be a side effect of reading fantasy books that are so long they could be used as doorstops, but when I reached the end of A Star Curiously Singing and turned the last page…aaaaaaa! I couldn’t believe it was the end! The book went by so fast and I wasn’t through with the story. Must…read…more. I’m sure the sequel will be well worth reading.

The publisher, Marcher Lord Press, was kind enough to provide me with a PDF for review and to set me up with Kerry Neitz, the author. In turn, Kerry was kind enough to answer a few questions for me. Enjoy!

What led you to write “A Star Curiously Singing”? Where did the story come from?

ASCS came out of a confluence of things, really. I was at a place in my writing where I was really questioning whether God wanted me to continue doing it. I’d spent at least a half dozen years writing novels and submitting and getting rejected. When you spend that long, you have to begin to question a little, I think. I love writing, but I didn’t want to keep spending time on it, if God had better things for me to do.

Thankfully, I had written one non-fiction book (FoxTales) that got published, so I could at least say I’d accomplished my writing dream to some extent. In that book, I wrote the introductory chapter in this very “in the moment” first person present style. I received a lot of positive comments on that book, but the chapter I got the most comments on was that first chapter. It made me wonder if I could write a whole book that way.

Also, for awhile I’d had this idea itching at me about this future computer programmer / robot maintenance guy. One that is just doing his job yet somehow solves an important mystery.

Plus, there was also this question in my mind about what sort of future I would hate my children to have to live in. What future frightened me the most for them?

In that context, with all those things working on me,  I was sitting in an airport terminal one day, with my laptop, and thought “I’m going to write something just for me—just to see if I can pull it off—without wondering whether anyone else will like it or even read it.”

So, I started with: “It’s hard to describe this buzzing in my head…” It grew from there.

How long did it take you to write the book?

I started in February of ‘08 and finished the first draft that spring. Even though I wrote it “for me” by the time I got to the end of it, I thought there was enough unique and cool about it that it might have a shot at being published.

So, I contracted this acquisitions editor turned freelancer (named Jeff Gerke) for his opinion. He got back to me in October of ‘08 with some fairly positive comments. Room for improvement, of course, but also enough encouragement (excitement, really) that I knew I had to revise it and “mature” it with his suggestions in mind.

As it happens, Jeff is the founder of Marcher Lord–and even though there were no guarantees–I got some pretty strong vibes from him that my book was one he’d be interested in. If it was a little longer and some targeted improvements were made.

I sent my second draft to him in January of this year. He got back to me in the spring with a few more suggestions. Then, in early July, he offered me a contract. There was a final round of revisions after that. Now here we are.

I love how Marcher Lord Press is publishing Christian science fiction and fantasy books that other publishers aren’t willing to give a chance. How long did you look for a publisher before finding MLP?

See my answer to the above question. <g>

Really, Marcher Lord was the first and only publisher that saw A Star Curiously Singing. But I think that’s where God wanted it. If it wasn’t for Jeff’s enthusiasm and willingness to help, my book wouldn’t be near as special. I owe him a lot.

Who is your favorite character in your book and why?

That would have to be Sandfly, the main character. He is this technological “fix-it” man. The guy people call when their machines are broken. I spent a good share of my life in the tech field as a computer programmer, so I know firsthand what it is like to be the guy people call when things go wrong.

Surprisingly, though, this is the first fictional story that I’ve written where the main character and I really had that “technically-skilled” connection. Maybe not so surprising is the fact that this is my first novel to be published. Write what you know, they say.

Do you have a sequel to ”A Star Curiously Singing” written or under contract?

A sequel to ASCS is in the works. In book contracts it is fairly standards for publishers to have a “right of first refusal” clause for the author’s next book. My publisher carved it in stone, though, by putting “Book 1” on the spine of ASCS. I’m OK with that. <g>

When it comes to other authors, which ones or which books are your favorites?

I use a lot of author names in my book—as swear words, actually. <g> That will give anyone who reads it a fairly good idea about some of the authors I admire. There are lots of others, though. Maybe I’ll use those in later books…

What projects are you working on now?

Primarily, the sequel to A Star Curiously Singing. There have also been quite a few marketing tasks for ASCS that has taken my time–just trying to get the word out. It’s tough!

Plus, I’ve been trying to help Jeff with Marcher Lord in whatever way I can. Mostly that means technical or website issues or advice.

Finally, I have two young children (both under five) so free time is always hard to come by.

If you could be any character from a science fiction or fantasy book, who would it be and why?

One character that I really liked as a teen (and still do) is John Carter of Mars. He’s a fairly archetypical “Hero With a Thousand Faces” type of hero. A “fish out of water” that not only thrives in his new environment but ends of saving it. He has fairly significant initials, too. (JC)

Where is your favorite place to write?

I have this well-insulated Media Room that doubles as my writing room. The only danger there is that there is a TV and an XBOX there as well. Ah well…we all make our sacrifices.

Do you have any additional projects in the works?

Well, we just found out that my wife is pregnant again. That’s fairly significant. <g>

Congratulations! How can readers find you on the web?

www.kerrynietz.com

Many thanks to Marcher Lord Press and Kerry Nietz for a great read and interview.

Clive Staples Award for Christian Spec Fic

As some of you might know, the market for Christian speculative fiction has been, well, shall we say limited. It’s a tough sale. However, the authors in this genre are a pretty tight-knit group. In an effort to increase visibility of Christian speculative fiction and to recognize those authors in this genre who have recently been published, Rebecca Miller (bless her heart) has headed up the effort to create an awards competition. Who else would be best to memorialize with this award than C.S. (Clive Staples) Lewis?

Here’s the good part. The award is reader’s choice. To be eligible to vote, you need to have read at least one of the nominated books and you need to leave an email address to validate your vote. We’re going on the honor system, so let’s keep this honest, folks. No ballot box stuffing, ok? You have until the end of November to vote.

To see a list of the nominees and to place your vote, visit the web site: http://clivestaplesaward.wordpress.com

And if you look over the list of nominees and haven’t read any of the books there, why don’t you pick out one or more and get busy?

The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss

Patrick Rothfuss is a fairly new author with only one published novel under his belt. The Name of the Wind was published in 2008 and quickly rose to appear on the New York Times best-seller list.

I found The Name of the Wind to be fairly well crafted. Rothfuss has built an extensive, believable world wirh complex characters. In addition, he has developed a deep backstory, much of which he has wisely cloaked, feeding the reader only enough to keep him or her interested.

On the down side, I found the story to ramble a bit through the middle portion, however, Rothfuss built a strong enough plot to keep me interested despite several slow chapters. To his benefit, the action picked up before I drifted too far astray.

There’s one more thing I want to mention about the book. I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or not, but the end of the book left me wanting more. I found the book posed more questions than it answered. The book opened with a great deal of mystery, posing several dilemas that I looked forward to finding an answer to. However, by the end of the book, I found my questions still unanswered. In many ways, I wish I had waited to read the book until the sequel was available. Unfortunately, the second volume in the Kingkiller Chronicles will not be available until who-knows-when. The last I heard, there is not a projected publishing date because the author has not yet finished writing the book.

If you want to know more, here’s the official description from Daw Books, the publisher:

This is the riveting first-person narrative of Kvothe, a young man who grows to be one of the most notorious magicians his world has ever seen. From his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, to years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-riddled city, to his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a legendary school of magic,The Name of the Wind is a masterpiece that transports readers into the body and mind of a wizard.

The author’s website is: http://www.patrickrothfuss.com

Eternity Falls, by Kirk Outerbridge

First off, let me say that Eternity Falls was a fun read, a fast-paced cyberthriller that I could easily see running through my imagination as if it were a movie. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this sci-fi adventure to any guy looking for a good read. While this might not be a book that some of the ladies in my book club would prefer, it’s right up my alley. I love a good suspenseful story that will hold my attention and keep me turning the pages, one after another.

And yet, Eternity Falls goes beyond many suspenseful sci-fi adventures in that a couple of profound themes are woven deep into the plot. Themes of: self-righteous judgement; how difficult it can be sometimes to determine what God’s perfect will is; and when righteous anger is righteous versus when it is misdirected.

And one of my favorite quotes from Eternity Falls sums it all up: “It’s never too late–never, before eternity falls–to regain your soul.”

Kirk has been gracious enough to grant me an interview. Here goes:

What led you to write this particular story?

I think I wanted to reduce life down to its common denominator, death, and then speculate what would happen if that final boundary were ever removed. How would the world change if dying were no longer an issue? How would we see God? And of course, being a Sci-fi enthusiast, I just had to tell the story with a cyberpunk flair.

Who was your favorite character to write? Why?

I truly enjoyed writing Sheila. She’s an interesting character because I wrote her to first be immediately unlikable but then slowly grow on you as you get to know her. That gave me a challenge as a writer. Hope I managed to pull if off! <grin>

Did anything funny happen while writing this book?

Funny? I don’t think so. Amazing maybe, in the fact that I actually found a publisher willing to take a chance on my Christian cyberpunk novel!

Who are some of your favorite authors?

I don’t have a list of favorite authors really. It’s strange but I find I tend to read less when I’m writing. Maybe it’s something about me not wanting to have my creativity or writing influenced or something. But there is one exception: I am always inspired by anything produced by Masamune Shirow. He’s not an author but a Japanese Manga artist, famous for creating Ghost in the Shell, one of my favorites. His cyberpunk stories never cease to get me in the mood to write my own.

If you could be any character from a sci-fi book, who would it be and why?

Guess it’d be too easy for me to pick the main character in my own book, right? <grin> This is a hard one. I think I’d have to say Felix from John Steakley’s Armor. He was just such an awesome dude.

Where is your favorite place to write?

Since I still have a desktop I don’t have a favorite place so much as an only place. <grin> In my study at home.

What projects are you working on now?

I’m working on the next book in the Rick Macey series. Halfway done!

How can readers find you on the web?

They can find me on my author website www.kirkouterbridge.com and then follow the links to my book on Amazon or my Facebook fan page.

Eternity Falls is published by Marcher Lord Press, which was kind enough to send me a PDF file for review.

Realms of Fantasy Accepting Submissions

Realms of Fantasy, the bimonthly publication, announced recently that the door has just been opened to writers and artists for submissions.

The magazine has had quite a year. It was announced in January that the publication would be closing after its April 2009 issue. But then in March, a new announcement revealed that Tir Na Nog Press purchased Realms of Fantasy from Sovereign Media and would keep the magazine alive. They opened a temporary splash page at http://www.realmsoffantasymag.com.

I was lucky to receive a review copy but I’m embarrassed to admit, the issue got lost in my stack of books to be read. Sorry guys. But I found it and here I am.

My first impression of the magazine was that it is beautiful. The artwork is high quality and the publication is printed on nice stock. According to the official description, the magazine covers fantasy, Arthurian sagas, ancient myths, contemporary fantasy, and features fantasy artists, movie reviews, new computer games, board, card, and role-playing games.

However, in terms of content, I found a mixed bag. The game, movie and book reviews were informative, but I found some of the nonfiction articles were just a little odd, particularly an article entitled “Folkroots.” This article was a wandering assessment of “mystic rhythms” that seemed to drift from one religion to another in its attempt to trace the roots of music. Meanwhile, the fiction was comprised of solid speculative works.

I’m not sure how long Realms of Fantasy has been published, but it undoubtedly has a loyal fan base. And the truth remains (as pointed out in an editorial by Fiction Editor Shawn McCarthy), that publications like this have helped to give a leg up to many talented, aspiring writers and artists. In that regard, I wish them the best of luck.

If you are an artist or writer interested in submission details, see the details found in this blog post by Nonfiction Editor Doug Cohen:
http://douglascohen.livejournal.com/206482.html