Value What You Value

Scientifiction / By /

Christopher weighs in on the demise of SciFiction:

It’s sad that they’re shutting it down, and you know what else? It is surprising, too, despite what a lot of others have said. It seems like a lot of people (like, disappointingly, many SFWAns) are innately suspicious of any endeavor that they can’t at least see some revenue in, even if they don’t see a “profit.” A lot of people "knew it was just a matter of time." Well, patronage has got a fairly respectable track record in Western art, predating even good old Adam Smith. I think that was part of the impulse behind SCI FICTION and I think it’s an impulse that will continue to exist, one that should be fostered.

Read the whole thing (then go pick a story!).

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GilmoreGossipCircle

6 Comments / TV Goodness / By /

Based on what I’ve seen about this one, it should have us all gabbing:

The Prodigal Daughter Returns. A surprise phone call from Christopher (David Sutcliffe, who does not appear in the episode) brings up issues of trust between Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Luke (Scott Patterson). Later, when a person from Luke’s past shows up in Stars Hollow, he has no idea how to tell Lorelai about it. After months of estrangement, Lorelai and Rory (Alexis Bledel) make their first move toward reconciliation and Rory takes major steps to change the direction of her life.
Kelly Bishop, Edward Herrmann, Melissa McCarthy, Keiko Agena and Yanic Truesdale also star. The episode was written and directed by Amy Sherman-Palladino.

Can I just say again how much I despise Christopher? He’s such a lothario. (Not you; you are no lothario.)

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Tuesday Hangovers

Hangovers / By /
  • Please visit The ED SF Project and sign up to write an appreciation of a story published on SciFiction. More info there or in the post below this one. Meanwhile, Jonathan Strahan makes his own Best of Ellen Online list.
  • Gothamist interview with the always fabulous George Saunders. (Via the always fabulous Margo Lanagan.)
  • I keep forgetting to say how much I loved Cecil Castellucci‘s new book The Queen of Cool. I am now utterly spoiled and will become tyrannical if I don’t get to read a new book by CC every year. I’ll have more to say about this one closer to its Valentine’s Day release date. For now, I’ll just nudge you again to read Boy Proof if you haven’t.
  • New Huruki Murakami story, "The Year of Spaghetti," in the New Yorker. (Via the Rake.)
  • Wish list lurking at Tingle Alley.
  • Maud Newton has the goods on the letters of response to that big Harper’s essay about experimental fiction. She quotes Sherman Alexie’s:

    • Does Ben Marcus, educated at NYU and Brown, employed by Columbia, and published by Anchor, Vintage, and Harper’s, truly believe that he is an excluded experimentalist? Does he honestly believe that Jonathan Franzen, educated at Swarthmore, once employed by Harvard, and published by FSG and Harper’s, is somehow more elitist? Or is Franzen the populist? Or is a populist elitist? Is there really much difference between Marcus and Franzen? This East Coast – East Coast Literary Rap War reminds me of the Far Side cartoon in which a lone penguin, suffering in a crowd of millions of exactly similar penguins, rises and shouts, "I just have to be me!"

    Sherman Alexie
    Seattle, Wash.

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You’re Invited to a Wake

1 Comment / Scientifiction / By /

Dave Schwartz has launched The ED SF Project to celebrate SciFiction:

SciFiction is ending after five and a half years of great fiction. I don’t think we should let this go without, at the very least, showing our appreciation for the site and the work Ellen Datlow and so many talented writers have done.

Here’s my idea.

By my count there are 320  stories archived at the site. I’m willing to bet that there are that many SF writers/critics/fans/what have you who have some sort of presence on the web. So I’m thinking, let’s all of us write an appreciation of one of the stories.

It doesn’t need to be something long — it could be a few paragraphs, or it could be in-depth; it could be a critical analysis or just a reaction to the story. Just something that focuses on the fiction and shows how much impact the site has had. Remember, this is an appreciation. A celebration. Pick a story you love, or discover a new one by reading through the archives. Discover for yourself just what we’re losing. Then let’s give it the best sendoff possible.

Claim a story in the comments at the site; first come, first serve. I’ll be writing about John Kessel’s fabulous "It’s All True."

You need to be a part of this, trust me — even if you never really followed the site, discover something, read a story you wouldn’t otherwise and write about it. If you did follow it, make a tough choice and tell the rest of us why. See you there, unless you’re a big old L7.

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Odds and Ends De Nada, Alex

Miscellany / By /

Little things, not quite hangovers.

  • I’m sure you’ve seen this elsewhere, but here’s John Joseph Adams’ instructions for more formally expressing your feelings about the end of Sci Fiction: 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.
  • Speaking of which, this probably isn’t a bad time to support other short fiction outlets in the genre that are consistently excellent, such as Strange Horizons, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Asimov’s, Realms of Fantasy, Black Static (formerly The Third Alternative), insert your own here, etc., etc. Or how about newcomers the Fairy Tale Review or Fantasy magazine (which little birdies say includes lots of X chromosomes on the TOC)? One of the things that has always made the genre feel unique to me is the value that’s still placed on short fiction; let’s keep it that way.
  • The windshield wipers decided to up and die on the way home from work today, leading to waiting for C to come follow me home, a fifteen minute interlude that led to utter exhaustion. And our heat is currently blinking in and out (don’t worry, guesties, it’ll be fixed by the time you get here) at the exact same time it’s finally getting autumn cold. And I have to write anyway. Whine. That is all.

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Why, Ms. Lynn, I Do Believe You’re Stoned

5 Comments / Uncategorized / By /

Loretta

While a painkiller addiction may be troubling for a 30-year-old, Loretta Lynn proved at her Friday show that it can be hilarious for a 70-year-old. Not once, not twice, but three times, Ms. Loretta began to sing a song she’d already done. ("Fist City" (yay!), "You Ain’t Woman Enough," and "God Bless America.") The third time she explained this was because: "Every song I sing sounds alike."

Of course, when I say began to sing, I’m talking about the high points. For a good half the show she couldn’t remember the lyrics and would turn it over to her youngish, poofy-haired singing relative daughter with a barked order: "Sing it, Patsy!"

The audience could have cared less and was beyond forgiving during all this. And, of course, when Lynn was singing, no one could touch her. I believe she made it entirely through just one song. She sat in a crappy metal and plastic chair at center stage for the entire show. Apparently she’s just off a three month cancellation of the tour due to a broken foot. At one point, she remarked that it was the first time she’d had a shoe on the broken foot in months and someone from the audience yelled out, "Take it off!" To which she replied: "If it’s okay with you, honey, I’ll just leave it on. If I take it off I’ll never get the thing back on there. I have to get back to the bus."

Various extended members of her family who appeared to be supping at the Loretta Lynn, Inc, trough, were there to step in and carry the show at her command, including a son-in-law who also drives the bus and who did two ho-hum numbers sporting a gigantor cowboy hat. The back-up singers were untalented to an extremely unfortunate degree–their costumes consisted of the same black shirt, but they apparently are free to choose whatever pants they want. The "lead" back-up singer was sort of a white trash Owen Wilson and, rather obviously, had chosen leather pants. He led an extremely creepy version of "Peaceful Easy Feeling." (Aren’t all Eagles songs creepy though? They have a very serial killer preparing for an evening out vibe.)

But still, it was Loretta and so it was wonderful. If perhaps a bit more kitsch than even we expected. And hey, I got to hear "Fist City" more or less twice.

Now back to work. Keep an eye out for Mr. Rowe’s account; he’s much funnier on the whole experience than I. (I’ll link to it once it’s up.)

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My Own Personal Best of Sci Fiction (Updated)

11 Comments / No News Like Bad News / By /

For those of you who didn’t regularly read Sci Fiction and are wondering what all the fuss is about, a list of my own personal favorite stories published there with links to them. Read now, as no one seems to know how long the site will be archived. I’m only linking to new stuff; pretty much everything from the classic science fiction series is worth your time. I know I’ll leave out some excellent stories, but here goes nothing. (Oh, and I didn’t read the site consistently from the very, very beginning, so that explains why I’m missing a bunch of excellent stories from the start–I suggest you go browse the archives on your own.)

We are losing something special. Ellen is one of the best editors working right now, period. As far as I’m concerned, the best literary magazine in the world just got shut down. It’s a pretty rare situation that an amazing editor with fantastic, broad taste is able to pay such that she can pick from the best stories being written in the field. It’s time for some billionaire who loves SF to step up and start a new magazine for her to edit.

(p.s. What stories am I missing, peeps? I haven’t read everything, obviously, with Lucius Shephard being a big blindspot.)

(Updated) Reactions elsewhere:

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Worst News Ever

2 Comments / No News Like Bad News / By /

Stupid corporate parents:

As SCIFI.COM gears up to expand with exciting new ventures utilizing the newest technology, it will discontinue SCI FICTION, the online publishing division of of the site, at the end of 2005.

In almost six years of groundbreaking online publishing, SCI FICTION and its editor, Ellen Datlow, had an unparalleled record of critical success, earning 10 major awards, including three Hugo Awards, four Nebula Awards and a World Fantasy Award.

We wish Ellen the best and look forward to seeing her future work.

There’s a message from Ellen at  the site too. I’m just stunned and sad.

Updated: Okay, three quick thoughts.

  1. This pretty much tells me that the Sci-Fi Channel cares nothing for science fiction.
  2. They have lost my viewership forever.
  3. If there’s any justice, Ellen will have a great new gig instantly.

Back to being stunned and sad. (Letter writing campaign? Endless, brand-crushing interweb mockery of SciFi.com, anyone?)

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