Semiprozines and the Locus Recommended Reading List

- Neil Clarke 1 Comment

locusThe Locus Magazine Recommended Reading list is published annually in their February issue and represents a consensus view by Locus editors and reviewers.

The following 2008 novelettes and short stories were selected from the pages of semiprozines:

Novelettes

Short Stories

Semiprozines in Hartwell & Cramer Year’s Best Anthologies

- Neil Clarke

ybsf14The table of contents for David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer’s  Year’s Best SF 14 (EOS) and Year’s Best Fantasy 9 (Tor.com) have been released. The following stories were originally published in semiprozines:

Year’s Best SF 14

  • “The Ships like Clouds, Risen by Their Rain” by Jason Sanford (Interzone, Issue 217)

Year’s Best Fantasy 9

The Internet Review of Science Fiction (IROSF)

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Established: 2004irosf
Editors:
Editor in Chief: Stacey Jannsen, Reviews Editor: Jaq Greenspon, Features Editor: Bridget McKenna, News Editor: Scott James Magner, Editors-at-Large: Marti McKenna, Corie Ralston, Publisher: Blunt “Bluejack” Jackson

Overview:
The Internet Review of Science Fiction started in 2004 with the goal of creating a forum for the serious exploration of the literature of the fantastic. IROSF publishes intelligent articles, essays, interviews, reviews, and criticism to illuminate the most interesting and important work in the genres of science fiction and fantasy.

Along the way we have also added elements that explore the history and culture of the genre, including convention reports, obituaries, and bibliographies.

With our sister-site, Red Rocket Station,the Internet Review of Science Fiction continues to build a community and a substantial body of work around the goal of a thoughtful and serious approach to the larger literary genre of speculative fiction.

Other Items of Interest:
We are active participants in the small press culture of the Pacific Northwest, regularly participating in events with Fairwood Press, Bizarro, and others. We can be found at NorWesCon, RadCon, OryCon, and usually a few other conventions each year.

Website:
www.irosf.com

Information provided by Blunt Jackson.

Talebones

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Established: 1995talebones
Editor: Patrick Swenson

Overview:
Talebones was a quarterly magazine for the first 7 years of publication. It now publishes twice a year, and has had 37 issues out to date. It publishes a mix of SF and dark fantasy.

Awards and Recognition:
Numerous honorable mentions in the Year’s Bests and several story reprints. We also had a story on the final Nebula ballot a few years back.

Other Items of Interest:
Helps sponsor the Rainforest Writers Village in Quinault, Washington, which happens every March.

Website:
www.talebones.com

Information provided by Patrick Swenson.

The Vote to Eliminate Semiprozine

- Neil Clarke 12 Comments

The fate of the Best Semiprozine Hugo will be determined during the WSFS business meeting at Anticipation this August. I’ve invited Kevin Standlee, WSFS Business Meeting Chair, to give us an overview of how the process will work. Here’s his response:

Short Version

The proposal to eliminate the Semiprozine Hugo Award and make existing semiprozines ineligible passed at the 2008 WSFS Business Meeting in Denver. If the proposal is ratified at the 2009 WSFS Business Meeting in Montreal, the Semiprozine Hugo ceases to exist at the end of Anticipation, and no Semiprozine Hugo will be presented in 2010 or thereafter.

Every attending member of the 2009 Worldcon may attend the Business Meeting and vote on the ratification. The debate and vote are expected to happen sometime after 10 AM on Saturday of the convention. If you want to vote on this proposal, you must be present in person at the time of the vote. Voting takes place only in person, not by mail, ballot, or by proxy.

The longer version of this piece that follows goes into much more detail about the background and process, including details of how the debate process works. It sounds more intimidating than it really is, if you just watch the other people present and follow along.

Read more

Neo-Opsis Science Fiction Magazine

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Established: 2003neo-opsis
Editor: Karl Johanson
Assistant Editor: Stephanie Johanson

Overview:
Neo-opsis  is a literary magazine that runs short stories, editorials, articles, reviews, and SF news. With beautiful cover art, accent illustrations, and photo work, Neo-opsis Science Fiction Magazine is a wonderful addition to anyone’s collection. So if you are looking for thought provoking entertainment, Neo-opsis Science Fiction Magazine is the one for you.

Awards and Recognition:
Winner of the 2007 Aurora Award for Best Work in English (Other)

Other Items of Interest:
Neo-opsis produces the Neo-opsis CD of Amazingly Neat Stuff that goes to subscribers with every fourth issue. The CDs include articles, reviews, desktop art and photos, animated gifs, video clips, links, and write-ups and photos for conventions and author readings.

Website:
www.neo-opsis.ca

Information provided by Stephanie Ann Johanson.

Albedo One

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Established: 1992albedoone
Editors: John Kenny, Frank Ludlow, David Murphy, Roelof Goudriaan and Bob Neilson. Contributing Editors Juliet E. McKenna, Mike O’Driscoll, Dev Agarwal, Andrew McKenna (no relation) and David Conyers.

Overview:
Albedo One is a speculative fiction magazine from Ireland that features short stories by new and established writers, author interviews, commentary and book reviews. We are currently reviewing our payment policy and attempting to encourage better writers into the fold but it is difficult out here on the very edge of civilization (Ireland) to make ends meet especially with charges for postage to the rest of the world (outside Ireland) is due to rise to over four euro for one copy.

Over the past sixteen years, we have featured stories from authors like  Anne McCaffrey, Brian Stableford, Liz Williams, Steve Rasnic Tem and David D. Levine. Our interviews have always generated great interest as we have covered the great and the good from Julian May and J.G. Ballard in our first couple of issues, through Terry Pratchett and Lois McMaster Bujold to Raymond E Feist, Alastair Reynolds and Ellen Datlow in the last couple.

Recently, we’ve begun to focus on European writing and translation from other languages. Our current issue features a Breton story translated by an Irish poet and we plan to feature the best German language story of 2008 in our next issue. Our plan is to  follow this with a French story and (probably) one from Holland. We have always been aware of our Irish and European roots and attempt to feature fiction from these regions whenever possible.

Awards and Recognition:
Since 1997, we have won four European SF Society awards. Along with numerous honorable mentions, stories published in Albedo One have also been selected for Gardner Dozois’ Year’s Best SF anthology.

Other Items of Interest:
We have published, under our Aeon Press imprint, a novel, a graphic novel, several single author short story collections, and a Best of Irish Spectulative Fiction entitled Emerald Eye.

The Aeon Award, our international short story contest, is currently in its fourth year and offers a  top prize of 1000 euro. The winner of the contest is selected by internationally-acclaimed writer Ian Watson.

Website:
www.albedo1.com

Information provided by Bob Neilson.

Welcome!

- Neil Clarke 14 Comments

This is a website born from an ongoing attempt to abolish the Best Semiprozine Hugo. In the course of trying to eliminate the category, some disparaging remarks have been made against semiprozines. By and large, I consider their statements about the worth and health of the semiprozine field uninformed. As such, I have invited (and continue to invite) the people involved with these publications to join me in providing content for this blog.

Our goal is to be both educational and informational. We’ll be featuring specific venues, providing current news, and offering some of our opinions on the state of the field as well as the Best Semiprozine Hugo. We encourage you to ask questions, suggest topics, and help spread the word.

Thank you,

Neil Clarke
Publisher/Editor
Clarkesworld Magazine