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realthogMuch of my energy the past few months has gone into writing an essay on time-travel fiction for a scholarly book Keith Brooke is editing for publication by Palgrave Macmillan next Fall: The Sub-genres of Science Fiction: Strange Divisions and Alien Territories. Since I'm no academic, whenever I do something like this there's definite anxiety as I wait to hear the judgment of its adequacy . . . or, as I usually convince myself during the waiting period, of its many and profound inadequacies. This was especially so in this instance since Keith has otherwise assembled a very distinguished bunch of contributors.
Here, although the running order may well change, is the contents list:
Foreword - Michael Swanwick
Hard Science Fiction - Gary Gibson
Space Opera - Alastair Reynolds
Alternative History - Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Topian Science Fiction - Keith Brooke.
Aliens - Justina Robson
Planetary Romance - Catherine Asaro and Kate Dolan
After the Apocalypse - James Lovegrove
Religion - Adam Roberts
Time Travel - John Grant
Cyberpunk and the Human-Machine Interface - James Patrick Kelly
Special Powers - Paul Di Filippo
Post-Human - Tony Ballantyne
Afterword: Picking Up the Pieces - Keith Brooke
My own chapter proved to be a monster. The first draft was nearly 15,000 words long -- somewhat over the target figure of 5000. After much painful amputation, I got it down to 11,000 words and asked Keith for advice. With the help of his suggestions, I finally submitted at just over 8000 words . . . and then the waiting began.
Well, the waiting's over, and: Phew! My piece apparently passes the mustard. Er, cuts muster. Something like that.
And now commences another -- but this time much more pleasant -- period of waiting: waiting to read the other essays in the book, to which I'm very much looking forward!
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no subject
Date: 2010-10-02 01:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-02 04:21 pm (UTC)I hope you'll post again when it's ready to purchase!
I should imagine it'll be hard to keepme quiet!
Still nothing fresh on the Spinetingler site for either of us this morning . . .
no subject
Date: 2010-10-02 04:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-02 04:54 pm (UTC)I'm glad I'm not the only one that's been monitoring the Spinetingler site!
Yep. Their procedure seems specially designed to destroy a writer's working day!
no subject
Date: 2010-10-02 05:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-02 06:31 pm (UTC)Me too!
Have you noticed that near the bottom of the page they call themselves "Spintingler"? Weird they've never noticed/corrected this!
no subject
Date: 2010-10-02 10:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-02 11:42 pm (UTC)Spintingler
A newfangled gadget for getting your laundry dry?
no subject
Date: 2010-10-03 09:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-03 12:20 pm (UTC)Hanging's too good for it, eh?
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Date: 2010-10-03 01:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-03 02:45 pm (UTC)"Programming note: I still have three stories not being reviewed from Requiems. If you want one of the slots let me know."
"Programming note: I’m still waiting on two reviews of stories from Requiems. If and when I receive them I’ll post them."
So we may still appear...
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Date: 2010-10-03 03:07 pm (UTC)Ta for this info.
What's startling is that in their preamble they single out McKinty as a Spinetingler fave author, yet his is one of the three stories currently unreviewed.
no subject
Date: 2010-10-03 03:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-03 03:33 pm (UTC)If all else fails, we could always offer to review each other's!
Oddly, that had crossed my mind too . . . but I think readers might smell a rat as we each heaped glowing encomium after outright rave after dulcet blandishment onto the other's story in hopes of earning reciprocal treatment . . .
no subject
Date: 2010-10-03 04:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-03 04:41 pm (UTC)Hm. I'm not sure "McCormack" is as easily rhymable as "Grant". On the other hand . . .
"The sea is not full," remarked Una.
"There is room for at least one more schooner,
Plus luxury yachts,
And some floating nite spachts --
I.e., cruise ships complete with a crooner."
no subject
Date: 2010-10-03 04:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-03 05:36 pm (UTC)"Into verse does not eas'ly decant.
It takes a full story
To capture life's glory.
The limerick form is too scant."
no subject
Date: 2010-10-03 06:48 pm (UTC)Excellent! A keeper!
For requiems, once they are started,
Cannot be just lightly departed:
To sneak out the door
Would cause rage and furor
As if at a funeral one'd farted.
no subject
Date: 2010-10-04 02:23 pm (UTC)As the site moves on, I offer:
"What's the use?" sighed the woebegone pair
(That's McCormack and Grant - should you care!).
"Oh, the things one must do
To earn one's review!
Fart gags and doggerel. Unfair!"
no subject
Date: 2010-10-04 02:45 pm (UTC)Again fine stuff. Perhaps we should ask the Spintinglers to review these instead? A veritable "Leaves of Grass" de nos jours, I can already hear them say. Meanwhile . . .
This ongoing procrastination
makes t'pub seem the best destination.
The sole cause for brio
's the pair is a trio --
for McK's in the same situation.
no subject
Date: 2010-10-04 02:50 pm (UTC)A veritable "Leaves of Grass" de nos jours, I can already hear them say.
Funny, I can hear that too...
Right. Nearly 4pm here. Must get back to work!
no subject
Date: 2010-10-07 01:21 pm (UTC)We're now down to a duo: they've posted a review of McKinty's story.
Between this and missing out on the Nobel Literature Prize yet again, it's not been the best of weeks.
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Date: 2010-10-07 05:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-07 08:10 pm (UTC)You're right, obviously. And it's cheering to think that his hasn't been reviewed there either.
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Date: 2010-10-08 08:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-08 04:26 pm (UTC)I bet he's glad he's in such good company.
I agree. This could be the making of him.
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Date: 2010-10-02 02:23 pm (UTC)waste of moneyfuture purchase.no subject
Date: 2010-10-02 04:23 pm (UTC)It's getting it cut down to size that's the problem in a chapter submission
I gather the only other contributor who had difficulty in this project was Keith himself. So at least I had a sympathetic editor!
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Date: 2010-10-02 11:45 pm (UTC)I'm looking forward to the book, even though I'm under orders to avoid frivolous expenditures.
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Date: 2010-10-03 03:46 am (UTC)Ahem. This book will be not a "frivolous expenditure" but a valuable research tool.
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Date: 2010-10-03 12:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-03 03:09 pm (UTC)Oh, I'm sure she'll understand completely.
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Date: 2010-10-02 07:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-03 03:47 am (UTC)Sounds like a knockout book.
Doesn't it just? As I say, I'm really looking forward to reading it.