Codex Q&A: Why did you decide to start your own SF/F/H magazine?

In July 2013, I served as the “editor-in-residence” for the Codex Writing Group, which meant basically I was asking a month-long AMA (“Ask Me Anything”) interview. With Codex’s permission, I’m re-posting the Q&As here on my blog. The questions were all provided by members of Codex.

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Why did you decide to start your own SF/F/H magazine?

I was approached about the possibility by Sean Wallace of Prime Books. He was already publishing Fantasy Magazine, but he was interested in launching a science fiction magazine as well, and asked if I might be interested in editing it. Sean had published a couple of my anthologies at that point, so he was familiar with my taste. Once I agreed, Sean and I worked together to develop and shape what Lightspeed would be.

But more to the point: The reason I left F&SF to edit my own magazine is because once I started working in editorial, I almost immediately knew that I wanted to do it as a career and that one day I’d want to sit in the big chair (i.e., be the one making the final editorial decisions). I was able to do that with the anthologies I was editing, but it’s not quite the same has the pure editorial experience of editing a magazine–something that’s ongoing, with no theme (other than genre). I couldn’t just stay at F&SF and hope that the editor would get fired or retire. He couldn’t be fired because the editor and publisher was the same person (Gordon Van Gelder), and I couldn’t wait around for him to retire since he was only 10 years older than me. So editing my own magazine was pretty much my only option if I wanted to be the one calling the shots at a magazine.

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HELP FUND MY ROBOT ARMY!!!

From October 1 – October 31, I’ll be running a Kickstarter campaign for a new project called HELP FUND MY ROBOT ARMY!!!, an anthology of improbable, futuristic, magical, & alternate-world crowdfunding projects. Please check it out, consider backing it, and, if you’re so inclined, spread the word!

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Help Fund HELP FUND MY ROBOT ARMY!!!

In the October 2013 issue of Lightspeed, you’ll find a story written in the form of a fictional Kickstarter pitch by Keffy R.M. Kehrli called “HELP FUND MY ROBOT ARMY!!!” My first thought when I read the story was: This story is really funny. My second thought was: I should build an anthology around it. My third thought was: Obviously the anthology should be launched via Kickstarter.

So that’s what I’m doing. I’m running Keffy’s story in Lightspeed as an original, and simultaneously launching a Kickstarter for HELP FUND MY ROBOT ARMY!!! & Other Improbable Kickstarters, an anthology of futuristic, magical, alternate-world, and entirely fictional crowdfunding projects.

In addition to the anthology itself, there are lots of great prizes available, like subscriptions to Lightspeed and Nightmare, and signed copies of my anthologies. So, if you enjoy Keffy’s story and would like to read more stories like it, please do check out the Kickstarter and consider backing it. In addition to Keffy’s story (which will be the lone reprint in the anthology), the book will include works by folks such as Seanan McGuire, Daniel H. Wilson, Tim Pratt, Tobias S. Buckell, and Mary Robinette Kowal—along with works by Kickstarter phenoms such as Monte Cook (Numenera), David Malki (Machine of Death: The Game of Creative Assassination), Michael J. Sullivan (Hollow World), and Matt Forbeck (12 for ’12)—and more! The Kickstarter ends October 31, so don’t delay!

 
HELP FUND MY ROBOT ARMY!!!

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Selling of My Comics Collection

I recently sold off my book collection, and now I just need to do the same with my comics.

I’m selling my old house back in New Jersey, and that means I need to find a new home for all the comics I left behind, which have been in storage the last couple of years. It worked out well when I posted about selling my books, so I thought I’d also just post this note as well, in the hopes that these can find a good home.

Note: You’d have to make arrangements to pick them up yourself; I can’t ship them anywhere unless you want to pay a ton of postage costs! The comics are located in Perth Amboy, NJ (which is just across the bridge from Staten Island).

The collection:

1. Looks like long boxes typically have between 200-225 bagged/boarded comics. I have 6 full long boxes available, which means there’s about 1300 comics. Plus there’s a 7th box that is about 1/3 full.

2. These are mostly from 1990 – 1996 or so.

3. The vast majority of the books have been bagged and boarded and read with care, but they have all been read, and though they were read carefully they were not handled with gloves or anything, so I would say they’re probably in “good” condition for the most part, though some may be better (or worse) than that.

4. It’s entirely possible there’s some rare valuable gem in the mix. I don’t really remember what all is in there.

5. You can see what comics are in there more or less by looking at these photos my mom took for me: http://www.flickr.com/photos/slushgod/sets/72157635689757444 (Apologies for the quality.) FWIW, the title cards are BEHIND the comics, so if you see a title card that says HULK, all of the comics in FRONT of the title card are HULK books. There’s also a few books I had not bagged or in boxes that are photographed individually in the set.

I’m looking for $100 for the lot. If you’re interested–and remember, you’d need to go pick them up in Perth Amboy, NJ–please email me.

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Selling Off My SF/F Novel Collection

Working in publishing, and as an interviewer and book reviewer, over the years I’ve amassed a large number of books, as you might imagine. When I moved to California a couple years ago, I only took what I considered essential books with me–namely, my anthologies and collections, since I need those for work, plus some selected novels that were important to me, etc.

I’m now selling my old house back in New Jersey, however, and that means I need to find a new home for all the books I left behind, which have been in storage the last couple of years. So: I’ve reached out to some booksellers to see if there’s any interest there, but I thought I’d also just post this note publicly as well, in the hopes that these can find a good home.

Note: You’d have to make arrangements to pick them up yourself; I can’t ship them anywhere unless you want to pay a ton of postage costs! The books are located in Perth Amboy, NJ (which is just across the bridge from Staten Island).

The collection:

  1. I’d estimate it’s somewhere between 1000-1500 books.
  2. It’s almost entirely science fiction/fantasy novels. There’s likely a small percentage of mystery novels, and probably with a few random non-genre novels mixed in, and maybe some nonfiction books about science, science fiction, or writing. The vast majority of the collection is SF/F novels, though.
  3. It’s a mix of paperback and hardcover. If I had to guess, I’d say it’s close to 50/50, with the paperbacks being split about 50/50 between mass markets and trade paperbacks.
  4. Since I was a reviewer, and a lot of the books I got were new titles, it’s largely comprised of books published from 2001 – 2010. I would guess it’s about 60% from that period, with the other 40% being older books, mostly bought used.
  5. If you’re a fan of post-apocalyptic fiction, note that I believe the collection contains most of the books mentioned in the “Further Reading” list I included in my anthology, Wastelands.
  6. It’s entirely possible there’s some rare valuable gem in the mix. I don’t really remember what all is in there.
  7. Most of the books in the collection should be in at least “Very Good” condition; I always treated my books very carefully and never cracked the spines of paperbacks. However, I certainly acquired my share of used books over the years that won’t be as in good condition.

I’m looking for $500 for the lot, which boils down to 50 cents per book. Or if it ends up being closer to 1500 rather than 1000 books, then you’d be getting an even better deal.

If you’re interested–and remember, you’d need to go pick them up in Perth Amboy, NJ–please email me.

ETA: Buyer found!

 

 

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My 2013 Worldcon Schedule

Later this month, I’ll be attending LoneStarCon, the 71st Annual World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon). Here’s my slate of programming:

Autographing: John Joseph Adams
Friday 11:00 – 12:00

Creating Anthologies
Friday 15:00 – 16:00
Ellen Datlow (M), Ann VanderMeer, John Joseph Adams, David G. Hartwell, James Gunn

How Magazines are Changing in the Digital Age
Friday 17:00 – 18:00
Sheila Williams (M), John Joseph Adams, Kirsten Gong-Wong, Neil Clarke, Irene Gallo

Autographing: Epic: Legends of Fantasy
Saturday 11:30 – 12:30
John Joseph Adams, Robin Hobb, Carrie Vaughn, Mary Robinette Kowal
Tachyon Publications table in the Dealer’s Room (not on program)

Short Stories – What’s Next?
Saturday 15:00 – 16:00
Kij Johnson (M), David D. Levine, Steven Silver, John Joseph Adams, Damien Broderick

Reading: John Joseph Adams
Sunday 11:00 – 12:00

Mad Science
Sunday 12:00 – 13:00
David D. Levine (M), Mary Robinette Kowal, John Joseph Adams, Seanan McGuire

Into Darkness: Horror and Dark Fantasy
Sunday 15:00 – 16:00
Lee Harris (M), John Joseph Adams, Greg Ketter, Julia Rios, Ann VanderMeer

Hugo Awards Reception
Sunday 19:00 – 20:00
Hugo Awards Ceremony
Sunday 20:00

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NEWS: EPIC Nominated for the World Fantasy Award

My anthology, EPIC: LEGENDS OF FANTASY, has been named a finalist for the World Fantasy Award!

This is my fifth time being nominated for the World Fantasy Award. I’ve been on hand to lose in person every time thus far, but this year, alas, I won’t be able to attend in person. (Maybe that will somehow magically increase my odds of winning!) In any case, as always, it’s a huge honor to be nominated, and I am deeply humbled.

You can see a complete list of the finalists on the World Fantasy Convention’s website. (Congrats to all of them as well!)

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9th annual Science Fiction + Fantasy Short Film Festival

I’m going to be on the jury of the 9th annual Science Fiction + Fantasy Short Film Festival, put on by the EMP Museum in association with the Seattle International Film Festival.

From June 1–September 15, 2013 the Science Fiction + Fantasy Short Film Festival will accept short film submissions—up to 15 minutes in length and that have been produced after 2009—for entry into the competition. Multiple submissions will be accepted according to the rules and regulations. Submissions will be judged based on originality, quality, artistic merit, innovation, voice, style, and narrative.

The festival will accept animated or live-action submissions in science fiction (examples: futuristic stories, space adventure, technological speculation, social experiments, utopia and dystopia) and fantasy (examples: sword and sorcery, folklore, urban fantasy, magic, and mythic adventure).

For more detailed information, download the Rules and Regulations and the Info Sheet PDFs. To submit a film, visit SFFSFF.submittable.com.

The Call for Entries video is below. You can find more information about the festival at empmuseum.org/filmfestival.

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SEEDS OF CHANGE – Revised & Expanded 2nd Edition Now Available

Seeds of Change

The original 2008 edition of Seeds of Change is now out-of-print, but the good news is that the new revised & expanded 2nd edition is now available. It is currently available in Kindle format, and is coming soon in other ebook formats.

The 2nd edition includes an afterword to each story from the author, corrects some errors and typos, and features a beautiful new cover. Otherwise, it’s the same Seeds of Change you all know and love. So tell a friend!

 

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