Emshwiller Talks Lifetime Award
SCI FI Wire just published a news story I wrote about Carol Emshwiller’s recent World Fantasy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Anders Turns To Anthologies
SCI FI Wire just published a news story I wrote about Lou Anders’s forthcoming anthologies, FutureShocks (Roc, Jan. 2006) and Fast Forward (Pyr, 2007).
Another dose of corporate-think
One of my favorite reactions thus far to the death of SCI FICTION, by Matt Hughes (via the Asimov’s forum):
Another dose of fucking corporate-think. Making a world full of people who know the price of everything and the value of nothing.
One of these days we’re going to have to realize that an economy is a necessary part of a civilization, but not a workable substitute for one.
Tell SCIFI What You Think
Everyone who is dismayed over the death of SCI FICTION, email SCIFI.com at feedback@scifi.com and tell them of your displeasure. Also, if you want to write a long, detailed, and eloquent letter that you’d like the community to see, send a note to Science Fiction Weekly too, at scifiweekly@scifi.com, and maybe they’ll publish it in their letters column.
Death of SCI FICTION – Ruminations
I find it curious that SCIFI.com decided to pull the plug on SCI FICTION without exploring other options first. There have been a number of online ventures that have tried modified versions of the “give it away free” business model (for instance, Salon.com, with their subscribe or watch this ad system), yet SCIFI.com didn’t bother to try with any of these. Though we all have come to expect SCI FICTION will be free, and though some of us would abandon it if we were charged money for it, I’d wager a fairly large number of people would subscribe to it, or pay some sort of small fee in order to read a particular story.
Sure, any business model that includes payment for SCI FICTION might not put the ezine in the black–it would still be a money-losing venture–but I expect it would help quite a bit, thus lessening the burden on SCIFI. If a little money were to start rolling in, wouldn’t that have been enough to stave off execution, considering all the accolades SCI FICTION has received (and all the legitimacy it afforded the SCI FI Channel)?
The other issue is the SCI FICTION anthologies…or the lack thereof. Ellen Datlow has spoken of them informally, so I assume deals for books have been in the works, but none have materialized. These anthologies could have been a great potential source of income for SCI FICTION. I don’t know the terms of their contract, but if SCIFI.com reaped most of the rewards from royalties from such books, that would go a long way toward offsetting the financial drain the site put on the network. And though that’s probably not generally how anthology royalties work, that seems fair–they pay big bucks for the stories and gave them away for free to the general public; when it comes time to sell the anthologies, they’re entitled to making some of that money back.
So while I’m disturbed that SCI FICTION is no more, I think I’m more disturbed that nothing was done to try to save it. Or if anyone did make any of these suggestions behind closed doors, the beancounters at SCIFI chose to ignore them, and instead let the axe fall without listening to any pleas for clemency.
The Death of SCI FICTION
Holy crap! SCI FICTION is being discontinued by SCIFI.com. Read Ellen Datlow’s farewell message. A post by Ellen on her Nightshade Books Message Board indicates it’s true. There’s also discussion on the SCI FICTION BB.
I’m sure I speak for everyone when I say that SCI FICTION will be missed.
Update: Gwenda Bond has posted a list of favorite SCI FICTION stories, along with a link-roundup of other reactions to the demise of SCI FICTION.
Roberson Eyes High Adventure
SCI FI Wire just published a news story I wrote about Adventure, Vol. 1, a new multi-genre pulp anthology edited by Chris Roberson (MonkeyBrain Books).
Otaku Party
Some wonderful items of interest were posted to BoingBoing while I was away, including reports of: a wall of boobs and a cruise ship fending off Somalian pirates with a sonic blaster. Also of interest was an item about the physics of cow-tipping, which was of particular interest to me, seeing as how during the con someone tried to convince me that cow-tipping was a myth (and that cows don’t sleep standing up); also, yesterday I bought a cow-tipping shirt at the Madison airport (a little local flava), so the subject was on my mind.
If you would all just read BoingBoing everyday, I wouldn’t have to post these things.
But the real reason I wanted to post about BoingBoing today is because of the story they posted about a new stupid Wi-Fi law being proposed. That post serves as a perfect example of the idiocy of the government, and how without watchdogs like Cory Doctorow and other journalists who point out such idiocy, this country would completely go to hell. Obviously, the issue of Wi-Fi is not an issue of monumental importance to the general public, but critical issues are dealt with by the government with that same clusterfuckery.
Jeremy Tolbert published a story in Interzone recently which postulated a future that included an “Otaku” political party–a geek party, for you non-geeks reading this (as if I would have any non-geek readers!). The story is a fun, farcical romp (not at all a political diatribe), but all this political bullshit that’s been going on lately here in the real world makes me long for such a party.
Cory for President! Doctorow in 2008!
Reed Hits SF Milestone
SCI FI Wire just published a news story I wrote about Robert Reed, who, with his story “The Cure” in the December issue of F&SF, will have published his 50th story in the magazine.
Crazy Monkey Love
At some point during the con festivities this weekend, Gordon went on my laptop and googled “crazy monkey love + where to find it” and left the results for me to see. This was amusing, and resulted in a wonderful discovery: a film called Play Mate of the Apes. It sounds like one of those movies that one just has to see. Go read the customer reviews of it at Amazon, and then please go to the Netflix request a title page, and request that they stock this fine piece of independent filmmaking.