An amazing revival: Classic sci-fi magazine makes its way to web | Concord Monitor

This is a nice, concise report on what the magazine is all about.

An amazing revival: Classic sci-fi magazine makes its way to web | Concord Monitor

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Amazing Stories Blog: Various and Sundry Science Fiction Poetry

Hello everybody,

With this post I'm just going to point you toward my most recent article which went up on Amazing Stories on Friday. Yes, I'm very bad at this. I'm 3 days late posting here. But perhaps (hopefully?) you already knew about it?  I will have a new article go up at Amazing Stories every two weeks, so in case I forget, you can check it out every other Friday.

Here's a bit of a teaser:

Welcome back! I have a bit of a hodge-podge for you today. The interview with Bruce Boston has been postponed for two weeks – life got in the way for both me and Bruce. But I promise you won’t be disappointed. Bruce Boston is a thoughtful... Read More »

Remember, you can always comment on the article here, but if you want to say something about it there, you must register. There's nothing to it, but it is a requirement.

Enjoy! And I'll be back soon with some news that ISN'T about Amazing Stories. I promise.

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House of Forever Review

My second post over at Amazing Stories Magazine has been published - a review of The House of Forever, by Samantha Henderson.

Here's a teaser:

This volume of collected poetry comes to us from Raven Electrick Ink and is edited by publisher/poet Karen A. Romanko.

Her bio, lifted from her website: Samantha Henderson lives in Covina, California by way of England, Johannesburg, Illinois, and Oregon. Her short fiction and poetry have appeared in Strange Horizons, Realms of Fantasy, Weird Tales, various podcasts and Year’s Best collections. She’s the author of two tie-in books from Wizards of the Coast, Heaven’s Bones (Ravenloft) and Dawnbringer (Forgotten Realms). “In the Astronaut Asylum,” a collaborative poem with Kendall Evans was the winner of the 2010 Rhysling Award for long-form poetry.

To read the full review please head over here...

You can also hear my reading of "When They Woke" from the collection.

Enjoy!


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First Article on Amazing Stories live!

As indicated in the title, I just wanted to let you know that my first article/post for Amazing Stories was published today. It's very cryptically entitled "Science Fiction Poetry". For SF poets, this is probably a post you can skip, but I'd love it if you went over to Amazing Stories and checked it out. It's meant to entice people to join me in discovering new SF poetry (I'll be reviewing collections and anthologies and maybe poetry magazines), read about what the SF Poets have to say about themselves and their poetry (I'll be doing regular interviews, beginning with Bruce Boston) and delve into the world of SF Poetry in general. Join me! And while you're at it check out the rest of the site, which is chock full of articles on nearly every aspect of Science Fiction and SF Fandom you can think of.

I'm a little nervous, because I'm not really a writer. I never took any writing classes and my style is definitely not polished. There are a lot of writer types on Amazing Stories writing really interesting stuff very well. I hope I don't put anyone off! But I've decided to take the plunge. The editor seems to think that everything's fine... :-)

Amazing Stories Launch!!!

I haven't been around much lately, even though I theoretically have more time for things like blogging. However, much has conspired against me lately: International move; Christmas/New Years; grave illness in the family requiring a trip home to the USA; and last but not least, my own battle with the flu on top of bronchitis. Ugh.

But there are pressing matters! Things happening that you don't want to miss out on! Things that won't wait for me to get my act completely together. So, here is the most pressing of pressing matters:

Amazing Stories, the online Fanzine I mentioned before Christmas, which has been in a BETA testing phase has gone officially live!!! My first post is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 25, 2013 entitled "Science Fiction Poetry" (original, huh?). It's basically meant to be an enticement and invitation to join me in my exploration of SF Poetry. Please go check it out and comment on the post, make a request, wave or whatever.  I'd love to greet you there. Here is the official blurb:

Amazing Stories, the world's first science fiction magazine, is now open to the public.

Social Magazine Website Offers Nearly Sixty Writers and Social Networking For Fans!

Experimenter Publishing Company
Hillsboro, NH
January 19, 2013

AMAZING STORIES are just one click away!TM

The Experimenter Publishing Company is pleased to announce the  reintroduction of the world's most recognizable science fiction magazine – AMAZING STORIES!

Following the completion of a successful Beta Test begun on January 2nd, 2013, Amazing Stories is now open to the public.  Fans of science fiction, fantasy, and horror are invited to join and encouraged to participate in helping to bring back a cherished icon of the field.

For the past several weeks nearly sixty fans, authors, artists, editors and bloggers have been producing articles on your favorite subjects – the literature of SF/F/H, its presentations in media such as television, film, poetry, literature, games, comics and much more.

All contents of Amazing Stories are free to the general public. 

Membership is also free – and entitles members to participate in the discussion, share information and engage in many other familiar social networking activities.

Membership also represents a stake in helping Amazing Stories return to publication.  The more members the site acquires, the faster Amazing Stories can become a paying market for short fiction.

Every genre fan now has a chance to help support the creation of a new market for the stories, artwork and articles they all love so much.

To visit the site and obtain your free membership, go to AMAZING STORIES, and don't forget to invite your friends too!

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This reincarnation of Amazing Stories could not have happened without the generous support of Woodall Design LLC and the members of the Amazing Stories Blog Team:

Cenobyte, Karen G. Anderson, Mike Brotherton, Ricky L. Brown,

Michael A. Burstein, Catherine Coker, Johne Cook, Paul Cook, Gary Dalkin,

Jane Frank, Adria K. Fraser,  Jim Freund, Fran Friel, Adam Gaffen,

Chris Garcia, Chris Gerwel, Tommy Hancock, Liz Henderson, Samantha Henry,

M.D. Jackson, Monique Jacob, Geoffrey James, J. Jay Jones, Daniel M. Kimmel,

Peggy Kolm, Justin Landon, Andrew Liptak, Bob Lock, Melissa Lowery,

Barry Malzberg, C. E. Martin, Farrell J. McGovern, Steve Miller, Matt Mitrovich,

Aidan Moher, Kevin Murray, Ken Neth, Astrid Nielsch, D. Nicklin-Dunbar,

James Palmer, John Purcell, James Rogers, Felicity Savage, Diane Severson,

Steve H. Silver, J. Simpson, Douglas Smith, Lesley Smith, Bill Spangler,

Duane Spurlock, Michael J. Sullivan, G. W. Thomas, Erin Underwood,

Stephan Van Velzen, Cynthia Ward, Michael Webb, Keith West, John M. Whalen,

Karlo Yeager, Leah A. Zeldes


For more information about Amazing Stories, please contact the publisher at


Experimenter@AmazingStoriesMag.com

Amazing Stories Magazine - BETA version

With everything else that has been going on, there's also been quite a bit of movement toward legitimizing my hobbies of SF Poetry and Voice Acting.

I've gotten my first paying job as a narrator. Granted it's pretty minor - I'll be reading 3 stories for an anthology called Geek Love Anthology. It's a little risque :-) But Nobilis Reed is paying me to do it, so I'm happy!

The other semi-professional improvement is that I will become one of the original bloggers for the new Amazing Stories Magazine that is launching its beta-version on Jan. 2nd, 2013. Here's the official press-release:

Amazing Stories, the world's first science fiction magazine, opens for Beta Testing of Phase 1 on Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013.

Fifty+ Writers Sign On to provide genre-related content!

Experimenter Publishing Company
Hillsboro, NH
December 20, 2012

AMAZING STORIES are just one click away!

On Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013, I will be joined by more than 50 other writers from around the blogosphere to help launch the Beta Test of Phase 1 of the return of Amazing Stories.

Amazing Stories was the world's first science fiction magazine.  Published by Hugo Gernsback, the Father of Science Fiction, the magazine created the genre's first home and was instrumental in helping to establish science fiction fandom – the fandom from which all other fandoms have evolved.

The magazine itself ceased publication in 2005; in 2008 the new publisher, Steve Davidson, discovered that the trademarks had lapsed and applied for them.  The marks were finally granted in 2011.

Phase 1 introduces the social networking aspects of the site and the Blog Team, more than 50 authors, artists, collectors, editors, pod casters, designers and bloggers who will address 14 different subjects on a regular basis – SF, Fantasy & Horror literature, anime, gaming, film, television, the visual arts, audio works, the pulps, comics, fandom, science and publishing.

Those wishing to participate in the Beta Test should request an invite by emailing the publisher, Steve Davidson.

Amazing Stories' Social Magazine platform is designed to create an interactive environment that will be familiar to fans – especially those who attend conventions or enjoy club activities – with blog content designed to encourage discussion and take things beyond the usual user-generated content model for social networks.

The Amazing Stories Blog Team will cover (for now – more coming!) fourteen popular topics – Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Literature, Film, Television, Gaming, Comics and Graphic Works, the Visual Arts, the Pulps, Audio Works, Anime, the Business of Publishing, Science and Fandom itself.

Amazing Stories' relaunch will take place in two phases. Those interested in participating in the Beta Test of Phase 1 should contact the publisher at steve.davidson33@comcast.net. Phase 2 will introduce additional interactivity and user-customization to the site. Following the completion and testing of Phase 2, the magazine, featuring both new and reprint fiction, essays, photo galleries, reviews and more will begin publication. Readers who are interested in what the magazine will look like can read two Relaunch Prelaunch issues on line, or download them from the Amazing Stories store. (Additional Amazing Stories themed product is also available here.)

How cool is that?!? My first blog post will mostly be just an introduction and a bit of a teaser to get people interested in coming back. I have several ideas for subsequent posts and I think it will be fun!


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Poetry Planet No. 8 SFPA Poetry Contest 2012

It's been a while - had you noticed? My last post was actually the previous Poetry Planet! Well, we've moved. Not just moved house, but moved to a new city, a new country, a new language! We've moved from Germany to Paris. Yes, and you'll find us under the Eiffel Tower... Not actually, but nearly! We have a lovely apartment (huge, for Parisian standards) and live in a very dynamic area of town - on the border of the 7th and 15th arondissements (quarters). We are nearly out of all the boxes and have found homes for most of our stuff. Even having left most of our books and CD/DVD collections in Hannover and doing some major decluttering, we're still struggling with lack of space.

Well, that's not actually what this post is meant to be about! Wed. 19 December 2012 comes the release of a new edition of Poetry Planet! No. 9 - the SFPA Poetry Contest 2012. You can listen to it here: StarShipSofa No. 269. You'll hear the winners and the runner up poems of the contest sponsored by the Science Fiction Poetry Association. And as a bonus at the end I also read the winning poems of the Dwarf Stars Award. You can read the winning and placing poems in their entirety on the SFPA website. So without further ado, here are the links and show-notes for the show:

Dwarf length:

• Runner up: Noel Sloboda - Dinosaur Heart. Noel Sloboda is the author of the poetry collection Shell Games as well as several chapbooks. He has also published a book about Edith Wharton and Gertrude Stein. Sloboda teaches at Penn State York and serves as dramaturg for the Harrisburg Shakespeare Festival. His forthcoming poetry collection, Our Rarer Monsters, will feature original art by Marc Snyder. Catch a glimpse here: tumblr.com/tagged/our-rarer-monsters
• Winner: Steven Wittenberg Gorden, M.D. - Lilith. Steven Wittenberg Gordon received his BA from Amherst College and his MD from Albany Medical College. He credits his romantic Shakespearean sonnets and other love poems with his luck in wooing, winning, and keeping his wife—a lady otherwise clearly out of his league. In the past year, he has been experimenting with speculative poetry, mainly fantasy and horror. “Lilith” is his first work of short fiction to be published in a professional market. Doctor Gordon resides in Kansas with his wife, their two children, and a poorly trained Airedale terrier. He continues to practice medicine on a part-time basis. Visit him at eretzsongs.blogspot.com.

Short length:

• Runner up: Cathy Bryant - Calculated. Cathy Bryant lives in Manchester, UK, and performs her poetry all over the country. Her short stories and poems have been published in every continent except Antarctica, and in 2012 she won the Swanezine Poetry Prize, the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Prize, the Sampad 'Inspired by Tagore' Prize and the Malahat Review Monostich Poetry Prize. Her collection Contains Strong Language and Scenes of a Sexual Nature was published recently and can be purchased from amazon.co.uk or any good bookshop. Fnd out more at cathybryant.co.uk.        
• Winner: Damien Cowger - Cold.  Damien Cowger is a writer of short fiction and poetry. His work has most recently appeared in Fox Cry Review, Midwest Literary Magazine, and Denver Syntax. He lives in Athens, Ohio where he is the Managing Editor of New Ohio Review. Damien estimates that he has swallowed about $1.20 in dimes in his lifetime.

Long length:

• Runner up: Jade Sylvan - Rocketman Pantoum. Jade Sylvan is a writer and performance artist. She's the author of The Spark Singer and has had work published in PANK, The Sun, Bayou, Basalt, Word Riot, Decomp, and others. Read her work and about her various projects at jadesylvan.com. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
• Runner up: Bryant O'Hara - The Music is Always On. Bryant O'Hara is a programmer, poet, occasional musician, and budding maker - not always in that order, sometimes all at once. He has worked as an industrial engineer and technical writer, and is currently a software developer. Bryant started writing poetry in earnest during the mid-1990's, performing as part of the Klub Kuumba poetry collective in Atlanta, GA. After a long hiatus, he revisited many of those poems and began creating new ones. "The Music is Always On" is his first published poem. You can listen to poetry with musical backgrounds here on SoundCloud. Bryant lives in Stone Mountain, GA, with his wife Alice and two of his seven children.
• Winner: Darrel Lindsey - The Fugitive. Darrell Lindsey is a freelance writer/ poet/songwriter from Nacogdoches, the oldest town in Texas. His haiku and tanka have won awards in the United States, Japan, Croatia, Bulgaria, Canada, and Romania. He is the author of Edge Of The Pond ( Popcorn Press, 2012), available on Amazon and from the publisher at popcornpress.com.

Dwarf Stars Awards:

• 3rd Place: "Snowflake galaxies" by G.O. Clark 
• 2nd Place: "Closure" by Greer Woodward
• Winner: "Blue Rose Buddha" by Marge Simon

News items:


Kickstarter Projects mentioned:

• Clockwork Phoenix 4 and other stories of beauty and strangeness, ed. Mike Allen
• Cthulhu Haiku and Other Mythos Madness, Poems and Stories, ed. Lester Smith
• Apocalypes Now: Poems and Prose from the End of Days, ed. Andrew McFadyen-Ketchum & Alexander Lumans. 

Julie Bloss Kelsey Blog contest: Stars in my Sugar Bowl

Online Zines: Abyss & Apex, Goblin Fruit, Inskscrawl, Stone Telling, Niteblade and Scifikuest.

Please do visit the poet's sites and check out more of their work! I know they appreciate the visit. As always, feel free to comment on the show either here or on the StarShipSofa forum.

Thanks for listening!