Scientifiction

Editor Gordon Van Gelder is trying a unique (as far as I’ve seen) promotion of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction:

I just got a box of fifty advance copies of the July 2006 F&SF sitting here.

I’m looking to give away these copies to the first fifty people who ask for one.

The catch is this: if you want one of the copies, you’ll have to blog about the issue.

Your blog can say anything, even "I’m only writing this blog entry about F&SF because I said I would to get a free copy of this sucky magazine."

If you’re interested, go here or drop an email to fandsfATaolDOTcom. I’d do it, but we already subscribe. (Via shortform.)

Hannah Wolf Bowen appreciates Kij Johnson’s "At the Mouth of the River of Bees" over at The ED SF Project — a story that has been much on my mind the past few days and which has never failed to make me cry. It’s a beautiful story and Hannah’s appreciation does it justice.

* Yes, some of us realize we still have appreciations to write.

Christopher’s serving on the Nebula novel jury this year and he wants your recommendations. Follow the link for details.

Last Itzkoff-y post ever (or at least until he sins again). Curtis Brown agent Ginger Clark responds in a letter to the NYTBR (scroll to fourth letter). It’s a thing of beauty:

More disappointing, Itzkoff’s reading list, which appeared on the Web, contains only two works written within the last 15 years and not a single one by a woman. Where are the novels of Ursula K. LeGuin, Lois McMaster Bujold, Alice Sheldon (a k a James Tiptree Jr.) and the recently departed Octavia E. Butler? I very much hope he has read ”The Left Hand of Darkness” and ”The Parable of the Sower.” And will Itzkoff ever touch on fantasy in his column? Or are those books even more humiliating to read? I’d better hide my George R. R. Martin and Gene Wolfe right now — someone on the F train might think badly of me! Please, Book Review: There is nothing wrong with science fiction.

Behind the cut. Snitched from Instant Fanzine, where you can see a complete list with some quick reaction. (Thanks, Niall!)

I’d just like to say again, that for a convention with so many members, the number of people nominating (and ultimately voting) in these categories is depressingly low. At first glance, at least in the fiction categories, still too few women on the ballot (looks to be the same as last year actually — three). (Since the Campbell’s not technically a Hugo, I’m not counting it — see Niall’s excellent comment below.) But there is some good stuff on here, no doubt about it. Congratulations to the nominees!

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Hugo Noms announcedRead More »

Karen Joy Fowler remembers Octavia Butler for Salon:

The last two stories I read by Octavia E. Butler prior to her death in February, at the age of 58, were "The Book of Martha" and "Amnesty." Both were published in 2003, and both are available in the SciFi.com archives. Neither, in my opinion, is absolutely first-rate Butler; still, they are quintessential as to theme and character. They have their own strengths, and remind you of the pure stuff that made Butler’s work so powerful.

The opening to "The Book of Martha" makes for sad rereading now, though. In it, God tells Martha that she is free for the very first time. Martha seems to be much like a younger Butler — a woman of 43, an African-American and a writer. Her first concern is that she must be dead, and she doesn’t want to be. Her last memories of earth are of writing, the "sweet frenzy of creation that she lived for."

It’s worth clicking through the ads.

Updated: Meghan is my hero. I wholeheartedly second her response to the silly thing at Bookslut. NOBODY MESSES WITH KJF, FOOL!

Anyway, one side note: I wouldn’t have had as much of a problem with Itzkoff’s list if it had really felt like an honest list of favorites. But it felt very manufactured to me — as I’ve said elsewhere, the inclusion of Looking for Jake seemed like a ringer (which is not to say that Mieville didn’t deserve to be on the list) — and the fact that a critic’s manufactured list serving as a quasi-manifesto about his taste would be so uniformly white and male and narrow is what’s most disturbing to me. Which is not to say I couldn’t be wrong — perhaps these really are the books he loves best, in which case, we’re back to Meghan’s point that a critic is accountable for examining and understanding his own taste, especially when it turns out to be so narrow and unrepresentative.

I thought Karen was actually way more GENEROUS than most of us to Itzkoff in her remarks. Also, I love the implication that Itzkoff has such a huge readership — his readership are people buying the paper, and except for his mom and Michael Schaub, not buying it for him. When someone reads Karen, they’re doing it ON PURPOSE. Okay, must stop now. Go read Meghan.

See also: Dave Marusek’s bemused response to the reactions Itzkoff’s column touched off.

p.p.s. The irony that we’re now talking about Itzkoff again when Karen was writing about Octavia Butler is not lost on Hemingway the Cat, LLC, or George Rowe the Dog, My Attorney. They keep looking at me and shaking their heads. You will never learn, they say.

And: Schwartz(ie) enters the good fray. But good too.

Colleen Mondor pointed me to an excellent column by Adrienne Martini in the current issue of Bookslut called "Science Fiction, Bake Sales, and the Feminist Cabal." It looks at the Tiptree Award itself, the two Tiptree Award anthologies and even gets into some biography of James Tiptree, Jr./Alice Sheldon. Definitely worth a look, whether you already know what all this fuss is about or not. Simply put: It’s the best award! The best!

(And Colleen’s own review column looks at some YA fantasies on the heels of Harry Potter this time around.)

Liz Hand sends a letter to Locus about the NYTBR’s new SF column:

I lay awake last night brooding over Dave Itzkoff’s list of his favorite SF books. I was delighted to see his positive review of David Marusek’s stunning new novel, but the list troubles me: no women? no writers of a younger vintage than China Mieville? With all respect for Lucius Sorrentino, Itzkoff’s list seems as though it were compiled by a dutiful student who had taken a single elective course in the literature, focusing on white male SF writers of the last century. In light of Octavia Butler’s recent and tragic death, this seems particularly egregious.

Best regards,

Elizabeth Hand

Speaking of which, recent events seem to have resurrected the letters page; always a good thing in my opinion. There’s been some robust debate there in the past.

Updated: Yet another reason to love Ed.

I just heard a rumor that Geoff Ryman’s Air: Or, Have Not Have is getting the Tiptree Award this year. If this is true, and it seems almost too good to be, then it’s the next best news ever beside this. I’ll update this as soon as it’s official (or turns out to be a happy lie). Also, if this news is out all over the place and I just haven’t seen it yet, point the way, soldiers It’s official! Thanks, JJA! And for those who don’t know what the Tiptree is, it’s presented each year to a "work that explores and expands gender roles in science fiction and fantasy."

The shortlist has also been announced: Aimee Bender, Willful Creatures (Doubleday 2005); Margo Lanagan, “Wooden Bride” (in Black Juice, Eos 2005); Vonda N. McIntyre, “Little Faces” (SciFiction 02.23.05); Wen Spencer, A Brother’s Price (Roc 2005); Wesley Stace, Misfortune (Little, Brown 2005); and Mark W. Tiedemann, Remains (Benbella Books 2005).

The press release includes quotes from a couple of jurors about Air, including past winner Matt Ruff:

Jury chair Liz Henry says, “Geoff Ryman’s brilliantly written sf novel takes a long look at what happens when all boundaries are crossed, national, cultural, and individual, when "Air", an internet-in-your-head technology, connects people with drastic consequences. … The unusual pregnancy in mid-book is jarring, shaking readers’ expectations of what boundaries stories can push.” And Matt Ruff, author of Set This House in Order and Sewer, Gas, and Electric, says: “Reading Air for the first time, I was torn between excitement at having discovered something truly special, and fear of the inevitable false step that would ruin it. But Geoff Ryman never stumbled… Air is a smart, moving story about men and women–especially women–striving to adapt to a new technology and the threat and promise of cultural change it brings with it.”

A couple of my previous posts pimping this wonderful novel:

At the LBC
At the old homestead

Sci Fi Wire has all the Nebula award nominees. There’s some great, great stuff on the lists in pretty much every category this year; let’s hope the great, great triumphs. I think it’s kind of fun that the Andre Norton Award nominees are all women:

Andre Norton Award: The Amethyst Road by Louise Spiegler, Siberia by Ann Halam, Stormwitch by Susan Vaught, Valiant: A Modern Tale of Faerie by Holly Black

I know nothing about any of the jury adds in this category (and am rooting for Holly because her book was BRILLIG and better than slithy tothes). Anyone read the others?

Update: As Abigail points out in the comments, this is news only to those of us who spent the last while with head inserted in sand. Still, who has the goods on the YA books?

Reupdated: Abigail gets her wish — "Singing My Sister Down" is now online here. (Via the ever award-worthy Ms. Lanagan.)