Strange Horizons Reader CommentsOctober to December, 2001
Thanks for the suggestions, Ben. For anyone interested in gender in sf, I would also recommend perusing all the winners of the Tiptree Award ("an annual literary prize for science fiction or fantasy that explores and expands the roles of women and men"), and particularly the Tiptree-Award anthology Flying Cups and Saucers, which contains some truly astonishing (and some superbly written) stories dealing with gender issues.
Jed Hartman <fiction@strangehorizons.com> I enjoyed "Sleeping With The Bug-Eyed Monster" and I also agree with Alex and Marissa's point that Friday's destiny isn't entirely a reversion to traditional gender roles. (I must say I grinned to think of Friday again -- I think she must have been central to my vision of womanhood when I was 13 or so.. ;-> ) Another point that bears mentioning: the essay tries to draw some conclusions from its three examples about how far it is possible for SF to go in challenging our notions of gender. But one of the three books, Le Guin's, dates from the very beginning of the modern feminist SF tradition, and (as Jim points out) was seen by Le Guin herself, later, as not having gone far enough -- and the other two are by writers who, while creative and original thinkers, are not usually thought of as being on the cutting edge of SF's analysis of gender. Readers interested in how far SF can go in terms of reimagining gender might look at Delany's Stars In My Pocket Like Grains of Sand, Le Guin's "The Matter of Seggri" (available in The Best of Crank!), Joanna Russ's The Female Man, or pretty much anything by James Tiptree, Jr. Not that I disagree with Jim's ultimate conclusion -- we can never entirely get beyond reading and writing through the notions of gender we've absorbed from our culture and all that -- but there are SF works that deliver a lot more of a kick in the head to them than Anthony, Heinlein, or (even) the early Le Guin! Ben p.s. hope those links work -- I tried to give SH the Amazon brownie points. ;->
Benjamin Rosenbaum <ben@digitaladdiction.com> Thanks for the note, John; we, too, are pleased at the honorable mention. I should mention that my co-editors Susan and Chris also deserve credit for any useful suggestions we give during the revision process. A couple of other SH stories are getting honorable mentions in YBF&H as well, and we're hoping to have more good news about Year's Best anthologies as time goes on; keep an eye on our Awards page for details. (We haven't added the new honorable mentions yet, but will soon.) Switching topics: Thanks for the pick, Paula. Sorry to see that you're discontinuing your Picks list, though. Thanks for keeping that running for so long, and for your praise and support of SH. For anyone who wants a way to keep up with online sf now that Paula won't be posting her picks, you might take a peek at Ahmed A. Khan's Index of Online Fiction; Ahmed lists all the fiction that appears online in most paying sf-related online magazines, and each month lists his top five "Webmaster's Choice" stories as well as the top five "Readers' Choice" stories voted on by readers.
Jed Hartman <fiction@strangehorizons.com> SH fiction editor Jed Hartman just gave me the good news that Ellen Datlow will list my story "Waiting" (published here a few months ago) as an Honorable Mention in the next Year's Best Fantasy & Horror. I wanted to publicly thank Jed for his editorial insight into this story. We went through a rewrite or two before it was accepted, and he definitely helped to make it a better story. It was obviously worth it. Thanks! John
John Platt <plattzine@att.net> Although I felt the ending of LeBlanc's "Fiddler" dropped off a cliff, the prose style, the imagery, and the authenticity of the narrational voice were enough to make me feature the story's url at my Picks site. Awesomely beautiful artwork, too. Bravo!
Paula L. Fleming <p.flemingSPAMatt.net> I really liked a lot of things about "Carol for Mixed Voices," but my absolute favorite thing about it is that it starts with the words "Marley was dead." It just warms my heart to know that Dickens is spinning in his grave somewhere...or maybe he likes the story as much as I did, I suppose anything's possible. Thanks for getting this story out there. All the best, The Plaid Adder
The Plaid Adder <plaidder@mindspring.com> I think it's pretty clear from his work that Mr. Heinlein believed that being a mother was the best thing a woman could do. But that's not necessarily sexist -- most of his stuff seems to indicate that he thought being a father was the best thing a man could do. And neither of those roles, as Alex Harman pointed out, was limited to traditional roles in domesticity or commerce. If being a polyamorous mom with Friday's composition and past, who does some traditionally male jobs, is not "untraditional" enough, well, I'm not sure what would be -- unless parenthood is taboo of itself.
Marissa Lingen <mris@gritter.dsg.stanford.edu> "Sleeping with the Bug-Eyed Monster" was well-written and interesting, but I think Mr. Hines missed Heinlein's point in his discussion of "Friday." Mr. Hines describes the ending of the novel as follows: "At this point, she had numerous options. She could have aborted the child, or had it transplanted into another host. She could have waited and given birth to the child, then resumed her previous lifestyle. But instead, she chooses to become "a country housewife." She marries another escapee from the ship. While Heinlein hints that polyamorous liaisons continue to occur, they are now quietly swept under the rug. Instead, what is emphasized is the idyllic family life and Friday's happiness with her situation." First, Heinlein doesn't merely "hint" that polyamorous liaisons continue; he makes it explicitly clear that Friday is part of an 8-member, open polyamorous marriage -- hardly a "traditional family" in the Western sense, and a rare arrangement in any place or time, past or present (throughout the known history of our species, most marriages involving more than two people have been closed, patriarchal polygynies). In addition, although she was able to gestate a child artificially implanted in her womb, Friday remains incapable of conceiving; the medical technology that would be needed to reverse her sterility is not available on the relatively new colony world where she lives. Far from restricting herself to Gayle Rubin's "charmed circle," Friday continues to enjoy a sex life which is not monogamous, not procreative, and not exclusively heterosexual, married, or even necessarily relationship-oriented. Second, and more significantly, Mr. Hines has also missed the novel's point about gender roles and the relative satisfaction of Friday's life as a mercenary courier and a country housewife. Her life back on Earth was certainly exciting, and a radical departure from traditional female gender roles, but it was also strenuous, unstable, and liable to lead to an early grave -- as Friday's frequent brushes with death, not to mention the rape and torture inflicted on her by enemies of her employer early in the book, amply demonstrate. Most salient, though, was Friday's sense of alienation: as an Artificial Person, she was legally and socially a second-class citizen, not accepted as a full member of society. Her dissatisfaction stemmed mainly from an unfulfilled desire to belong, not from the abandonment of traditional female gender roles. It was more or less inevitable that Friday's role in the society of Botany Bay should fall into a more traditional gender role: neither of the professions for which she had been trained (courtesan and mercenary) would be in high demand on a peaceful frontier planet. Not everything she does as a housewife is "women's work," though; she states in the epilogue that she and her co-wives built their homestead along with their husbands, and that she is a competent carpenter -- a quintessentially masculine trade in traditional society. In addition, she is active in the local politics of her colony, serving as secretary of the town council. The important difference in Friday's two lifestyles, as Heinlein makes clear, is not her reversion to a somewhat more traditional female gender role, but the stability and sense of belonging that she finds in her life on Botany Bay. Finally, there's a larger point in "Friday" which Heinlein has also made less subtly in other works: in his view, experimenting with radically different gender roles is a luxury, one which highly complex, industrialized societies can afford, but frontier societies cannot. A frontier culture favors large families; someone has to raise all those babies, and, *on average,* women are better suited to that role, both biologically and temperamentally, than men. Heinlein's fundamental position was that a woman can do most anything a man can do (the only exception being getting another woman pregnant), and also certain very important things a man *can't* do, i.e. carry, bear, and nurse children. As only women can do those essential jobs, he felt they should be given a high priority in women's lives, especially in a frontier setting where rapid population growth is beneficial to society. J. Alexander Harman Strange Horizons Resident Biology Geek
Alex Harman <mantis@wam.umd.edu> Thanks for "Carol for Mixed Voices" by Madeleine Rose Reardon Dimond, a Christmas story that doesn't flinch from saying something pithy about Christianity. (Love the line, "Wisdom must first be pretended.") Maybe I can look forward to a Reardon story every Christmas? Hope so.
Barth <bander5731@aol.com> I read A FIRE UPON THE DEEP a few years ago and remember it as an entertaining read, if not worthy of a Hugo Award. At the moment I am reaching the conclusion of A DEEPNESS IN THE SKY and I would have to say that it is a far superior work. It would have to rate as one of my "must reads" !
Ste5en <ste5ens@hotmail.com> The imagery in "The Fiddler" by Harry LeBlanc can only be described as spellbinding. Though I agree with some of the comments that said they were left feeling that they wanted more, this story caught me and dragged me in (the way good stories should). Bravo to Harry!
Lyda Morehouse <l_morehouse@hotmail.com> I completely forgot to mention how wonderful the artwork by Shelton Bryant was for "The Fiddler." Brilliant work!
Michael Jasper <mjasper@nc.rr.com> I really enjoyed "Fiddler" the first time I heard and like it even better now. Good job, Harry!
Catherine Lundoff <clundof@earthlink.net> I found the ending of _Fiddler_ very unsettling -- my analytic brain keeps going, "But what happened next?! What does it all MEAN?!" -- and yet, despite a valiant effort to dislike it, I really enjoyed the story. Thanks, guys, for making my day slightly more surreal. R Michael Harman / Auros New Media Reviews Editor
R Michael Harman <rmharman@auros.org> M. LeBlanc, Thank you once again for your imagery and lyricism. The Fiddler is reminiscent of The Square Hills. Will this to be included in "The Tainted Cotillion." ? Oh how I look forward to the happy day that that is published. Write on! JH.
Jim Hall <taojones@dhmail.net> "Fiddler" was a nicely-done piece of prose. My only complaint was that it felt too short -- I'd have loved to see what happened next, when the "fiddler" awoke. But great use of dialect, description, and tall tale in this one!
Michael Jasper <mjasper@nc.rr.com> Enjoyed Jed Hartman's editorial, found myself nodding frequently. I have only one small caveat: Ellen Kushner's SWORDSPOINT owes a great deal to Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles. It's Stevermer and Wrede's delightful SORCERY AND CECELIA that is a paean to Georgette Heyer.
Sherwood Smith <Sherwood@sff.net> It's been said that talking (or writing) about music is like dancing about architecture. H. Courreges LeBlanc's "Fiddler" dances about architecture very well. The narrator's experience of the unmoving cellist (the "fiddler" of the title) is analogous to a response to music. The first-person narrative has hints of this musicality from the opening paragraph ("a thin steady rain, puddling slow rainbows in the oil"). These flights, woven into a regionally accented monologue, continue throughout the story, rising to a crescendo by the time we learn the results of somebody's plucking a string from the cello. By presenting those results in visual and aromatic terms, LeBlanc evokes the feel of sound, particularly musical sound, including music's affective potential for good or ill (or perhaps a bit of both at once). By dancing around the architecture of music, he brings this reader a sense of a listening experience. Shelton Bryant's illustration picks up on this beautifully and thus really enhances the story.
Cliff Winnig <cwinnig-at-yahoo.com> I really enjoyed T. Emmett Mueller's "purified on the only visible moon." The starkly beautiful imagery (e.g., "the only waves are shadows") captured in words the reality of the barren lunar surface in a sharply compact manner. Mueller uses that imagery to compare the longing for immortality ("our footprints,/pristine, eternal") and the realization of mortality ("the only hint of breeze,/the exhale of our solitary sighs."). That juxtaposition serves as a microcosm for the tenuous position of the living Earth ("blue with stormy swirls of white/and worried gray "), contrasted with the eternal but unliving moon. At least that's some of what I got out of it. :-) Nicely done!
Cliff Winnig <cwinnig at yahoo.com> Thank you for publishing Ms. Hogarth's story, "Money for Sorrow, Made Joy". I enjoy stories in which aliens that differ from human in some significant way are used to illuminate some important aspect of our condition. I would like to see more stories about the Jokka so the effects of their biological differences can be more fully explored.
Paul F. Dietz <dietz@interaccess.com> I enjoyed reading "Money for Sorrow", and am intrigued by the world background and characterizations. I'm left wanting to read more of that story universe. Please, sirs, may I have some more?
Garth Minette <gminette@verisity.com> "Money for Sorrow, Made Joy" is an excellent story. This story would not be out of place in the most prestigious magazines. Kudos to SH for snagging it, and many thanks to the author for writing it. Let's have some more!
David Kopaska-Merkel <dragontea@earthlink.net> Thanks for the article "Fan Force," covering the phenomenon of Star Wars fan films. It takes me back to college and a professor of mine who didn't hold to Joseph Campbell's prefabbed myth-making. She had to fend off students who adamantly argued that Star Wars was the American national myth (a narrative that defined the values and mores of an entire cultural group) and who used Campbell's "monomyth" as evidence. The prof poked holes in their circular argument by saying that one can't consciously create a myth or an epic. True "national epics" (Arthur, Beowulf, Roland, Sundyata, etc) were many stories, told by hundreds of storytellers over centuries, putting their own spins on the old tale, and later cobbled together into a single narrative. In retrospect, it seems those Star Wars boys were right, but for the opposite of the professor's reasoning. Star Wars is a single narrative that has exploded into hundreds of smaller stories, told by many storytellers putting their own spin on the old tale. It seems highly significant to me that this storytelling process is now happening in the same medium in which the original story was created. Perhaps now that Star Wars is out of the hands of one storyteller (who tried all too consciously to create a "myth"), and into the culture's creative ferment, it truly can be called a national epic. Thanks to Cristopher Hennessey-DeRose for the insightful article.
Barth <bander5731@aol.com> "The Cruel Brother" by Justine Larbalestier stunningly humanized and rendered relatable the complex issue that incest can be. Sometimes siblings find or create in each other the elements of comfort, protection, and passion that they lack -- An electrifying tale counted in the most dark and loveliest fashion. fn
Felicity Nduku <congoprogress1@yahoo.com> "Money for Sorrow" creates a vivid, involving world and characters; I'm glad to hear that there are more stories set here, and I intend to look them up.
Connie Wilkins <conniew@sff.net> I was thrilled to see "Money for Sorrow, Made Joy" by Maggie Hogarth online today. I've been following her work avidly for some time. I count the Jokka among my favorite characters for their unique design and the sensitive portrayal of their tragic biology. I hope to see more Jokka stories on Strange Horizons soon. This reviewer gives the story five stars!
Elizabeth Barrette <ysabet@worthlink.net> I love "The Franks"!
Ben Rosenbaum <ben@digitaladdiction.com> Just read Chameleon by Beth Bernobich. Excellent story! I could feel the emotions of both characters. The desperation of both, to have control of their feelings. Terrific writing!
Audrey Shaffer <shafferaudrey@hotmail.com> Incest is a difficult subject to write about and I admire Justine Larbalestier's "The Cruel Brother" and its realistic portrayal of the interplay of conflicts, guilt, jealousy, and desire. The stained relationship of brother/sister is shown on both literal and metaphorical levels. A powerful piece of writing and the first fiction that I've read by Justine Larbalestier. I look forward to seeing more.
Leslie What Really enjoying your poetry at the moment. Great to see Robert Frazier -- publish more of his! Loved "The Franks."
Gavin Grant <info@lcrw.net> Gratifying to see Steve's effective use of imagery;the metaphors and neologisms threaten to choke in places, and by this i impute no fault. This poetry is as fecund as Keats.
STEVE WHITAKER <sj.whitaker@virgin.net> "Forget-Me-Not": What a BEAUTIFUL-BEAUTIFUL story. Please bring more of Aria back to SH.
Susanne Bridenbaugh <cbriden@telocity.com> Just read "Fright before Christmas". Great stuff. Unique approach. Visited his website and it was nice as well. Keep up the good work and don't let the bad stuff get you down.
Billy Vincent <BillyJ72@webtv.net> I was very impressed by "Forget Me Not". I found the prose lovely and the handling of the subject quite novel. In particular, I'd like to praise the illustration for the story, by Judith Huey. The mother and daughter figures are lovely, as is the intricacy of the monk's jewelry.
Gin I have just downloaded the PDA version of SH (sep/2001) from fictionwise. I usually read the fiction section online. Having time on the train to read the articles I was particularly impressed with http://www.strangehorizons.com/2001/20010917/libertarian_SF.shtml It and the comments it generated certainly stimulated thought. Denis
Denis Jackman <denis_jackman@hotmail.com> ANGELA BOORD'S STORY is beautiful. I was entranced by the gentle poetry of her style, and the deep emotions running through the tale. I'd love to know what happened to Aria next!
Cecilia Dart-Thornton <dartthornton@yahoo.co.uk> I enjoyed the interview with James Van Pelt because I have always wanted the magic recipe for writing a good short story. I found the interview very insightful, especially about the SF genre and influencing artists. Now I have to say that you can never really explain "magic". For instance, the "Origin of the Species" by Van Pelt, or "What Weena Knew" (Analog), were stories that altered my idea about SF. These, to me, have a "literary" quality as well as that experience or a "thrill ride" to which I will personally return. These are the best of the SF genre. Thank you for your interview with James Van Pelt!
Kathleen Jensen <kjensen@mesa.k12.co.us> Hmmm, interesting that some folks are offended by using gender and theme as criteria for selecting literature to be co-read. In our university course catalog I see: British Literature, Latino Literature, African American Literature, Renaissance Literature, Victorian and Romantic Period Literature.... Presumably because there are commonalities to be compared and contrasted, because authors' experiences DO inform and impact their work—just as the readers' do, because it's okay to focus on one area, and even prefer it, without it being a slight to the other material. It's reasonable to me that women might write about mothering more often than men, and might have personal insight to bring to it. Doesn't mean male authors can't, it just means it might be a farther step. For example: I can tell you what it feels like when a baby crowns but I had to ask my partner what it's like to be a teenage boy in a classroom with a spontaneous erection. Reading around the theme of 'mothering' is one of many possible choices for adult children and their moms. I'm surprised Bruno would be confronted for suggesting it. While you're at it, have a discussion with dear old dad about Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, or any of the Star Wars movies: movies by men about fatherhood. People's reactions to discussions of gender are so often more informative than the original material. Kirsten
Kirsten Faisal <RowanGF@AOL.com> Audra, I have to say I agree with Marissa Lingen's comment about the problem with making some feature of the author -- color, religion, gender -- a criterion for reading their work. Were I to apply that kind of criterion, I'd probably never read Orson Scott Card. He's really a quite horrible man, if you read his opinions. But he sure does write well... And while I like many of the authors you mention, I have to say that my favorite book with a parenting-related theme is probably "A Case of Conscience", by Blish. The parenting theme is, perhaps, not the most important part of the book, but it's definitely there. The aliens involved don't seem to need parents -- they grow up functional and moral without any guidance (precisely the kind of parental obsolesence you worry about in your editorial). Or so, at least, it appears... On a more positive note, I thought the fiction and poetry this week were both particularly good. Yay us. Now go take the reader survey! I worked for hours and hours last month to get it ready, the least you lot can do is go take a look. :-) http://www.strangehorizons.com/cgi-bin/survey/vote.pl Cheers, R Michael Harman New Media Reviews Editor
Auros <rmharman@auros.org> Angela Boord writes like an angel! Maybe it's because I'm a mother, but her story hit me hard and, despite its exotic setting, felt so real. I'll remember "Forget Me Not" for a long time.
Sarah Prineas <sprineas@msn.com> James Tiptree/Alice Sheldon is rolling over in her grave, Audra Bruno! It's been proven time and again that you can't tell the gender of a writer by reading the work. And this used to be considered a good feminist position -- people were supposed to write as people, not as Men's Writing and Women's Writing. But you pick nebulous enough critera -- "more internal, more open to us" -- that you feel you can justify your sexism without having a chance of being disproven. After all, who can tell you, "No, this person really is open to you"? "AI" wasn't a bad movie because it was written by a man. It was a bad movie because the man in question had did a terrible job of writing it. Imagine how you'd feel if a pair of men said, "Well, we just don't think that women's writing has anything to say to us." They're sexist and exclusionary, right? I'm glad you and your mom have found a bonding ground in speculative fiction. (I have the same thing with my mom, too.) But don't try to fool yourselves that you're not being sexist -- reading Atwood and Piercy doesn't get you a Get Out Of Sexism Free card. You're missing out.
Marissa Lingen <mris@gritter.dsg.stanford.edu> Unfortunately, there's no foolproof way of displaying a pi character correctly on all browsers. After much debate, we ended up using a character in the Symbol font; readers whose browsers can display the Symbol font should see a pi character, but other readers may see a P instead.
Jed Hartman <fiction@strangehorizons.com> um, in the joan aiken poem, shouldn't that be PI in the sky? you need pi to calculate area, circumference, and so forth, not "P". plus, pi rhymes with "sky" and "P" doesn't.
marymary <marymary@alum.mit.edu> I love the intersection of folk song and fairy tale in Larbalestier's The Cruel Brother. A succinct and moving rendition which leaves intriguing gaps in the narrative. A writer to watch.
Pamela Freeman Loved The Cruel Brother (such a creepy boy). Justine Larbalestier - more stories please. (I've always wanted to know the real story of Little Red Riding Hood...?)
Stephen Hart "The cruel brother" is a great read, I wish I had such vivid imagination!
Tine Millard <tmillard@ozemail.com.au> I work for the N.Y.F.D. in J.F.K. Airport and a cousin sent this site to me. This site took my mind off the World Trade Center. I spent 45 mins. on your site. It has lots of great stories and great art. Strange Horizons is a great site and I will pass it on and post it in my firehouse. PAUL LEVINE <BKLYNPML57@AOL.COM> Smokin'! that was a fantastic development of a favorite childhood fairy tale! I loved it from the steamy erotic sin of it, to the plight of two cursed children. You never cease to impress me.
Hope Anderson <fawnsjava@aol.com> Absolutely Beautiful Story! Thank you :)
Juliet Pendray <aloe@intouch.bc.ca> Excellent short dark story from Justine Larbalestier - looking forward to seeing more in Strange Horizons. Provided stimulating reading and helped me escape from pressures of work - if only for 5 minutes.
June <june@uow.edu.au> Looking forward to reading more of Justine Larbalestier's work. "The Cruel Brother" was beautifully dark. Haven't had this much fun with fairy tales since Angela Carter.
karen A general note about emailing authors: if there's a link attached to an author's name in the author's bio at the end of a piece published at SH, it's generally a "mailto" link, and you can click that link to send email to the author.
Jed Hartman <fiction@strangehorizons.com> Justine Larbalestier's "The Cruel Brother" brilliantly and poignantly answers two questions: What motivated the Brother of the Child Ballad (surely not the suitor's mere failure to ask him for his sister's hand!) and what happened to two traumatized children after escaping the oven of the candyhouse witch (the real deal please, not the-happily-ever-after party line). This re-telling enhances the power of each tale. Looking forward to more short fiction from Ms. Larbalestier.
A. Patterson <Amazi@aol.com> Justine Larbalestier's story "The Cruel Brother" is inspired. I am an avid reader of fairy tale retellings and think this work is brilliant. I also enjoyed Sarah Prineas's "Water, Green River, Daybreak" immensely and found its mix of characters, setting, and magic to be completely unique. I look forward to reading more from both of these writers.
K. Ohara <telisiane@townwideweb.com> Loved the poems for October and am happy to be counted among these other fine authors! But how can anyone collect their free drink at Brennan's if they can't email me? My email addy is: eerieaerie@hotmail.com
Denise Dumars <eerieaerie@hotmail.com> You may have already noticed, but we just wanted to announce here that Strange Horizons is now available through Fictionwise in free downloadable formats. You can get versions for your Palm Pilot or Visor, your MS Reader, or a PDF that you can either read off-line on your computer or print out for your convenience. Fictionwise is currently offering the August 2001 issue; September is coming soon! Enjoy them at: http://www.fictionwise.com/eBooks/StrangeHorizons,InceBooks.htm
Mary Anne Mohanraj <editor@strangehorizons.com> Justine Larbalestier's story "The Cruel Brother" was bloody brilliant. I love retellings of fairytales and this one was one of the best I've read. I want more. ...
nackles <nb_niki@yahoo.com.au> Justine Larbalestier's "The Cruel Brother" simply blew me away. What a powerful story.
Beth Bernobich I got a real chuckle after reading S.K.S. Perry's "The Fright Before Christmas". It was delightful and his sense of humour throughout was purely entertaining. It couldn't help but bring a smile to my face after what had started off as a bad day.
JANET <jvinkle@yahoo.ca > Just wanted to say how much I loved "Cruel Brother". It reminded me of some of Angela Carter's early work in revisionist fairy tales, done in lush language that matches the heat and passion and fear that inhabits those stories. Larbalestier brings life to the Hansel and Gretel tale, making the characters real, and the problem they face extremely real and frightening. A tragic story altogether. Thanks for letting us read it.
Chris I was impressed to read Justine Larbalestier's "The Cruel Brother" after waiting a long time to finally sample her fiction! A well-constructed and memorable little piece for those who are fascinated and curious about what happens _after_ "happily ever after", very much in keeping with Ellen Datlow and Terry Windling's fantasy anthologies or Poppy Z. Brite's take on "Sleeping Beauty", in exploring the latent eroticism and cruelty inherent in many folk/fairytales. A pleasure to read! I look forward to more...
Kim Selling "The Fright Before Christmas" by SKS Perry was a rollicking, riotous hoot! This guy has a natural talent for schmaltzy poetry and a great way with words. His humor is fresh and his approach very exciting. Would love to see more of his work!
Barbara A. Garrett <ragbag@isoc,net> What a delightful read Sarah Prineas' Water, Green River, Daybreak made. As sprightly and mischievous as an old Russian Khorovod dance, the culture clash was presented with gentle humor and a great sense of location. Lovely stuff indeed!
James Allison <jamesrallison@hotmail.com> I had to write a poem about the profession of Chaucer's medieval plowman in the Canterbury Tales. Your article was exactly what I was looking for! It was great! Thanks!
Jen <pacocaballo@hotmail.com> Thanks for your kind comment on my article on Neil Gaiman and American Gods, MirDreams. In all honesty, criticizing the new novel (in whatever small way) made me feel guilty to an extent because I truly do admire and enjoy Gaiman's work. I imagine both of us will nevertheless eagerly await his next novel. Incidentally, if you (or any other Gaiman fans) haven't yet done so, seek out his CBLDF video recorded at the Alladin and released a few months back: it features an absolutely stunning reading of "Chivalry."
Bryan Hollerbach <bryan.hollerbach@ey.com> Mr. Hollerbach's article "Divining Neil Gaiman: An Exegesis of American Gods" was refreshing because it gave Gaiman credit for what he does well and acknowledged where he falls short. I've loved Gaiman's work for a long time, but there were some elements of American Gods which definitely didn't live up to their promise. Thanks for putting it all in perspective.
MirDreams <mirdreams@onebox.com> I just have to observe that the short stories over the last month or so -- the Other Cities features; Ovigonopods of Love; Somewhere Down the River; Water, Green River, Daybreak; When She Came Walking; and today's Alien Animal Encounters -- have all been wonderfully entertaining and thought-provoking. There's an offbeat sense of humor at work in even the most serious of the lot, and an intelligent mind behind the silliest. Kudos to the authors, and our fiction editors. This is the kind of stuff that makes me proud to work here. Auros
R Michael Harman <rmharman@auros.org> This is a follow up to Frank Palmer's comment on my article. I agree completely that one of the dangers of a pure capitalist economics is the use, or even the idea, of externalities. Some capitalist theorists are honest and admit this; others turn away. In the Prometheus books, Vinge is probably the only person who addresses this issue, via amazing high tech solutions. His "bobbling" allows characters to enter a stasis field and simply wait until pollution passes, thousands of years if necessary. The rest of the books...don't deal with it much, and they don't address at all the way humans get pushed into the categories of externalities (the homeless, various ethnic groups in different societies). Good point. Greg
Greg Beatty I liked Greg Beatty's analysis of Libertarian SF. 1 addition. Libertarian economics, like Adam Smith whom Libertarians so admire, is based on ignoring "externalities." When we act, we make things better for one person and/or worse for another. If my customers also visits your shop next door, that is an externality. If my car poisons the air you breathe, that is an externality. Now, to a first approximation, God takes care of the pollution on earth. That won't be so in orbiting habitats. Those who live in ner space will have to obey environmental laws that make the strictest of present laws look permissive. In this light, I always find it strange that so many of the fans of settlement of near space are also Libertarians.
Frank Palmer <flpalmer@ripco.com> Every week, more or less, I find a story online that especially tickles my fancy and feature its url at my website. It's been a delight to feature Joe Murphy's work in the past, and this week is no exception. === October 8 Ohmigawd!!! There is just nothing else in this world, or in any other, like a Joe Murphy alien, ahem, ecology story. How does he manage to be so weird and so funny at the same time? Maybe it's something to do with those long, dark Alaska winters with his artistic wife. Or maybe he's just a weird, funny guy. Fuel your own speculation -- read "Ovigonopods of Love" at Strange Horizons. Another treat: The illustrations by Gavin Schnitzler are absolutely perfect for this tale!
Paula L. Fleming <p.flemingSPAMatt.net> Water, Green River, Daybreak was a delightful read. I like the war of Old World vs New. And the character of Michael was excellent (and gay to this reader, nu?).
Steve <sberman8@yahoo.com> Despite its somewhat distancing title, I liked "Water, Green River, Daybreak" quite a lot. I enjoy this kind of urban fantasy a great deal, and I thought Ms. Prineas did an excellent job of tying the different kinds of magic together in the story, and the ending was very lovely. The setting of Miami Beach was particularly inspired. Now to read some of the journals of a certain Professor Finch, MS HexD...
Michael Jasper <mjasper@nc.rr.com> I really enjoyed Ben Rosenbaum's piece Bellur. Lovely, succinct, evocative. Reminds me of Italo Calvino's book Invisible Cities. Keep up the good work!
Vandana Singh Thanks for Ben Rosenbaum's short-short, Bellur. It was at once both funny and thought-provoking. And all in just a handful of words. I'm looking forward to the next 11 cities. Patrick Samphire
Patrick Samphire <patrick.samphire@btinternet.com> Thank you SO much for the interview with China Mieville. (Sorry, dunno how to type the accent.) I'm just finishing up Perdido Street Station which is BRILLIANT!! I really enjoyed reading what he had to say about it! Thanx! ^_^ ~dUcK!
Duck <Duck_Waters@yahoo.com> July to September, 2001, Comments April to June, 2001, Comments January to March, 2001, Comments September to December, 2000, Comments
| contents |
art |
articles |
fiction |
poetry |
reviews |
editorial |
|