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Doherty Wins Heinlein Award
Tor Books founder Tom Doherty is the winner of the 2024 Robert A. Heinlein Award, given for “outstanding published works in science fiction and technical writings that inspire the human exploration of space.” This award is “in recognition of Mr. Doherty’s work in bringing the inspiring books of hundreds of authors writing about our future in Space to public awareness.”
The selection committee consists of science fiction writers and was ...Read More
2024 Philip K. Dick Award Judges
The five judges for the Philip K. Dick Award for works of science fiction published as paperback originals in the US during the year 2024 have been announced:
- Maurice Broaddus, 533 E. 32nd Street, Indianapolis, IN 46205-3871; pdf files to Broaddus.Assistant@gmail.com
- C.S. Friedman, 585 Grove St, Ste 145 #642, Herndon VA 20170-4791 (USPS shipments only); epub files to Wkdata99@gmail.com
- Rajan Khanna, 6 Willig Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125-3325; epub files to
Chandrasekera Wins Crawford
Vajra Chandrasekera’s The Saint of Bright Doors (Tor) is the winner of the 2024 Crawford Award, presented annually by the International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts (IAFA) for a first book of fantasy fiction.
The awards committee also named honorable mentions:
- Summer Fishing in Lapland, Juhani Karila (Pushkin)
- Dry Land, B. Pladek (University of Wisconsin Press)
- Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon, Wole Talabi
Jaime Lee Moyer Found Deceased
Jaime Lee Moyer was discovered deceased on February 29, 2024, apparently of natural causes.
Her friends C.C. Finlay & Rae Carson organized a wellness check with the East Lansing MI police after failing to hear from Moyer for more than ten days, and officers found her deceased at home.
Moyer was from Fremont CA, and attended Ohlone College before moving to Texas, where she studied at Mt. San Antonio College. ...Read More
Glasgow 2024 Confirms Los Angeles as Sole Bidder for 2026 Worldcon Site
Glasgow 2024 has announced that LA in 2026 (Los Angeles) is the only site bid submitted by the filing deadline of February 18, 2024, as required by the WSFS Constitution. The election to select the site of the 2026 WorldCon will be administered by Glasgow 2024, the 2024 WorldCon. The documents filed by LA in 2026 are available at glasgow2024.org/for-members/wsfs-site-selection. The proposed convention dates are August 27-31, 2026, at the ...Read More
Brian Stableford (1948-2024)
Author, academic, critic, editor, and translator Brian Stableford, 75, died February 24, 2024 after a long illness. He was married twice and is survived by his son Leo and daughter Katy.
Brian Michael Stableford was born July 25, 1948 in Shipley, Yorkshire, England. He attended the University of York, getting a degree in biology, followed by a doctorate in sociology; his doctoral thesis was The Sociology of Science Fiction. ...Read More
How to Fix Your Ornithopter: The Unlikely Publishing History of Dune
by Jeremy Zentner
In the ever-changing age of technology, the opportunities for publication are as daunting as they are diverse. I don’t think anyone can argue that it’s easy to find success as a writer. However, as a writer, it is prudent to remember that even the legends employed their own cunning to find publication and readership in a world saturated with competition. In point of fact, one of the most renowned and best-selling sci-fi authors of all time, Frank Herbert, had to squeeze his book into a niche market before digging up the riches of Dune. With Villenueve’s film adaptations taking fans by storm, I’ll review how the unlikely success of one of science fiction’s best-selling books began next to do-it-yourself car manuals.
It’s important to remember that Dune was initially serialized in Analog magazine under the titles “Dune World” and “The Prophet of Dune.” So, while the story of Dune succeeded in a periodical, the sheer size was too pricey for publishing houses to print as one book. In addition, nobody wanted to publish the book installments (what would become the three books in Dune) as a trilogy. Herbert was rejected twenty different times from the traditional fiction markets, with Analog as Dune’s only platform. A noble beginning, to be sure, but the spice would never flow into pop culture without a whole book on the shelves. However, there was one thing that Analog did procure for Frank Herbert that no publishing house could: a connection.
You see, Sterling E. Lanier was an editor for Chilton Books, a nonfiction publishing house known for their manuals on auto-repair. Lanier was a science fiction author himself, as well as a mega-fan of “Dune World.” Even before the entire serial was completed, Mr. Lanier reached out to Herbert’s agent with an offer to publish a whole book at Chilton Books. The offer was accepted, and a few months later, in 1965, the auto repair company published its first fiction novel, Dune. According to his son Brian, Frank Herbert would sometimes crack that Chilton may change the title to How to Repair Your Ornithopter.
Despite a publishing contract, Dune’s initial success was slow. Chilton priced the 412-page novel at a whopping $5.95, which is over $56 today. On top of this, they printed a mere 2,200 copies for the first edition. Sales were so bad that Sterling Lanier was dismissed from Chilton after the first year of publication. Regardless of Chilton’s lackluster production, Dune went on to win the Nebula and the Hugo awards. At the time, Herbert’s book resembled a genre in science fiction called “New Wave.” This was essentially soft sci-fi, or science fiction that focused on the storytelling, and less on the technology. Frank Herbert managed to get his New Wave space opera into the hands of the public when the demand for newer science fiction was just gaining momentum.
In addition to the critical acclaim, it wouldn’t be too long before the environmental magazine Whole Earth Catalog would sing Dune’s praises and sell large quantities of the novel at 97 cents a pop. With the high praise and more affordable print, the readership expanded to environmentalists, dramatically increasing sales. Herbert also worked at the Examiner, later the Seattle Post Intelligencer, as education editor, serialized five other non-Dune books, drafted his only non-sci-fi book, Soul Catcher, and placed Dune Messiah on the bookshelves by 1969.
What a writer should take from this is simple: the hustle. It’s an old adage, but a writer is always writing, and Frank Herbert was no exception. Even if sales are not the best, an author’s goal should always entail the production of more content, whether it’s a new project or a sequel to previous work. Like a brand, the more often a writer produces content, the more likely they are to impact literature. Coinciding with this, public speaking is another technique to expand readership.
It can be a dreaded prospect, but shaking hands and making speeches nationwide strengthened readership for Dune. Frank Herbert was a celebrated orator at universities, giving speeches to college-age students keenly infatuated with ecological conservation and drug use. By the early 1970s, Chilton sold 6,500 hardbacks, and Ace would make a bestseller out of Dune in paperback, further expanding the readership far beyond the first year’s disappointments.
With the advances in remote communications, there are even new opportunities to reach out to fans and increase readership personally. While traditional writers’ conferences still exist, video appearances add new opportunities to solicit readership from the comfort of one’s home. In conjunction with this, social media and blogging allow authors to reach out to fans without some of the stresses that public speaking may present. Frank Herbert, I’m sure, would have milked these resources for all they are worth.
With all of Dune’s long-term success, it’s important to remember some key points. Over twenty different publishing houses initially rejected Dune. When Frank Herbert got a publishing deal, it was because the editor Sterling E. Lanier searched Herbert out after falling in love with the story he read in Analog. With this in mind, Frank Herbert hustled as a writer, spoke as a master brander, and always pursued his career with vigor. He captured the minds of a younger generation and, perhaps luckily, rode the trends for a new demand in science fiction. Frank Herbert’s tenacity as a writer and as a communicator created the conditions for an unprecedented chain of events that made Dune a cultural icon.
Jeremy Zentner is a librarian and a sci-fi addict. He has published short stories in sci-fi and supernatural fiction. He lives in rural Illinois, USA.
The post How to Fix Your Ornithopter: The Unlikely Publishing History of Dune appeared first on SFWA.
SFPA Announces 2024 Grand Masters
The Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association (SFPA) has named F.J. Bergmann as their 2024 Grand Master.
The title is given “to an individual living at the time of selection whose body of work reflects the highest artistic goals of the SFPA, who has been actively publishing within the target genres of Science Fiction and Fantasy for a period of no fewer than 20 years, and whose poetry has been ...Read More
2024 Prix Bob Morane Finalists
Finalists have been announced for the 2023 Prix Bob Morane, recognizing French-language works in the science fiction, fantasy, espionage, and thriller genres.
Roman traduit (Translated Novels)
- Dors et ne te réveille pas, Matthias Ernst, translated by David Gruner (DP)
- Le silence [Small Mercies], Dennis Lehane, translated by François Happe (Gallmeister)
- Le ministère du futur [The Ministry for the Future], Kim Stanley Robinson, translated by Claude Marnier (Bragelonne)
- Parcourir la
Year’s Best African Speculative Fiction Call
The Year’s Best African Speculative Fiction Volume Three anthology is open to submissions until March 31, 2024, covering works originally published in 2023. The book will be published in late 2024 by Caezik SF & Fantasy. Editors for this volume are Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki & Chinaza Eziaghighala.
We welcome submissions of all reprint works of speculative fiction, from any genres and sub genres, including fantasy, dark fantasy, science fiction, horror ...Read More
2023 Analog AnLab and Asimov’s Readers’ Awards Finalists
Finalists for the 2023 Analog Analytical Laboratory (AnLab) Awards, and the 38th Asimov’s Readers’ Awards, have been announced, with many finalists available to read online.
Analog Science Fiction and Fact Analytical Laboratory Award Finalists
BEST NOVELLAS
“To Fight the Colossus“, Adam-Troy Castro (July/August 2023)
“The Tinker and the Timestream“, Carolyn Ives Gilman (March/April 2023)
“The Elephant-Maker”, Alec Nevala-Lee (January/February 2023)
“Flying Carpet“, Rajnar Vajra (November/December 2023)
“Poison“, Frank Wu & ...Read More
2023 L.A. Times Book Prize Finalists
Finalists have been announced for the 2023 Los Angeles Times Book Prizes. Categories and works of genre interest follow.
Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Speculative Fiction
- The Reformatory, Tananarive Due (Saga)
- Whalefall, Daniel Kraus (MTV Books)
- Lone Women, Victor LaValle (One World)
- The Fragile Threads of Power, V.E. Schwab (Tor)
- Jewel Box: Stories, E. Lily Yu (Erewhon)
Fiction
- Same Bed Different Dreams, Ed Park (Random House)
2023 Stoker Awards Final Ballot
The Horror Writers Association (HWA) has announced the final ballot for the 2023 Bram Stoker Awards:
Superior Achievement in a Novel
- The Reformatory, Tananarive Due (Saga)
- How to Sell a Haunted House, Grady Hendrix (Berkley)
- Don’t Fear the Reaper, Stephen Graham Jones (Saga)
- Lone Women, Victor LaValle (One World)
- Black River Orchard, Chuck Wendig (Del Rey)
Superior Achievement in a First Novel
- The Daughters of
Steve Miller (1950-2024)
Author Steve Miller, 73, best known for the Liaden Universe series co-written with wife Sharon Lee, died suddenly on February 20, 2024, as reported by Lee on Facebook.
Steven Richard Miller was born July 31, 1950 in Baltimore MD. He attended the University of Maryland, where he worked on college newpaper The Retriever and founded the science fiction club. He was the curator of the UMBC Albin O. Kuhn Library ...Read More
SFWA Career Mentorship Program Open to Applications
The Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) has opened applications their 2024 career mentoring program, seeking both mentors and mentees. The program is “is an all-volunteer service provided free of charge… with the objective of providing community, sharing knowledge, and offering networking opportunities.”
Applications are open from February 13 to February 27, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
For more information, or to apply, see the announcement on the ...Read More
Why Indie Writers Shouldn’t Be Afraid to Reach Out to the Big Names
by Noah Sturdevant
You write, right? You write books, novellas, poems, screenplays, comics, demented scribbles on the subway, etc. That makes you an author. Simple, isn’t it? It should be. But for some reason, we tend to forget our favorite authors are also humans.
That means John Scalzi is a cat-loving, church-owning human. Gail Simone is totally not a bear, despite her love of picnic baskets. George R.R. Martin is a human who we really all should stop bothering about release schedules. I’ve even heard whispers that Neil Gaiman is human, but the person who told me that was snatched by the Elvish Winter Court in the night and hasn’t been seen since.
I’m being silly, but I belabor the point because indie authors often treat the “big names” like an otherworldly caste that we dare not approach with our unclean and unworthy emails.
Guess what? You can approach them. And, in many cases, they might like or love it if you did.
Now that I’ve raised your expectations, let me lightly hit the brakes for a second. I’m talking about professional contact between authors and/or a connection between fellow authors. Again, the keyword is professional, which is hard to even talk about in the age of social media.
Speaking of social media, Facebook, Instagram, or the three rats and a toaster left on Twitter/X, are probably the best way to contact an author. They are most likely on it to promote their work and to interact with their readers. You should absolutely reach out to them there… respectfully. Don’t think you are best friends just because Felicia Day liked a picture of your adorable pet. Also, don’t spam them. For the love of (insert deity here), don’t spam them. Do unto others what wouldn’t annoy the bejeezus out of you.
With that out of the way, let’s say you want to contact the author for a professional reason. Most authors are probably cool with that. Just be realistic and don’t ask them to write a screenplay based on a dream you had once. In that case, you should only go through the channels they’ve established. If they have an email, you should use it. If they have a form for business, you should use that. If they screen things through a personal assistant, manager, or other person paid to deal with things, that’s who you talk to. Don’t go sniffing around for personal addresses or other malicious sneakiness. Anyone who tells you to be persistent and do whatever it takes to get that contact should be politely invited to go sit in a dumpster for a few weeks.
Maybe the person will say yes, or pass it up for approval, and then say yes. If so, congrats!
Or maybe they decline. Sadly, it’s time to talk about dealing with rejection.
Being rejected is part of life. Unless you are the author’s publisher, they don’t owe you anything. Yes, we are all in this business together, but that only goes so far. Don’t expect a royalty check from Kevin Hearne just because you are Facebook friends and he loves your breakfast taco recipe.
What do you do if you are rejected? Nothing. You move on. If you think your email went to spam, you might check once, and only once, to see that they got your proposal. That’s it. Be warm and gracious to those that take the time to reject you and either refocus on another person, or just move on. Rejection stings, but you’ll be fine.
There is one thing you can do to improve your odds, though. Be realistic with your expectations. What’s realistic? That will depend, but here are a few guidelines:
Realistic: Getting a like on social media if you post something funny or interesting. Maybe if you keep interacting, you can become social media (not the same as real) pals.
Worth a shot: Seeing if they’d like to contribute a story to an anthology. Note: you should either be prepared to pay a reasonable rate per word or be doing it for a charity they can support. Gail Simone (the not-bear) gently let me know my first choice of charity for a recent fundraiser was problematic. I quickly found one that suited the project much better.
Also worth a shot: Getting their work included in a bundle, especially if it’s something older that hasn’t had a lot of attention lately. This is also another area where you pay, split profits, or donate to charity.
You’re out of your mind: Getting them to write a book for you, or to be your co-author, just because you think you have a great idea.
Let me share my own project as a case study. During the height of Covid, I decided to try to get a charity anthology going.
On a whim, I contacted an author I admired and asked if he might be interested in joining me on the project. Then I contacted a whole lot more. At the same time, I worked with a group of authors I’m friends with (Hail, Team Twatwaffle) and also started looking for lesser-known authors to contribute.
To my surprise, many authors said yes. I won’t go into the names, but by stating what I was doing, why, and what I expected, I ended up with a lot of very clear responses. Not everyone was willing or able to help. That was fine. Again, these people owed me nothing. In fact, some good came out of it.
Many of the people I contacted said it was just a bad time, but to consider them the next time around. That’s very positive. Of course, some didn’t see my message, responded harshly, or just ignored me.
Oh well. I kept on moving and together with the group, we raised thousands of dollars for a great cause. In fact, I’m going to do it again.
Maybe you will too. Good luck.
Noah is a writer of comedy, in whatever form seems like the most fun at the time. Most of his work is in horror comedy/ urban fantasy, but only because Hasbro won’t let him write books about Transformers.
Noah grew up in Southeast Kansas, then lived in Asia (South Korea, China, and Thailand) for most of a decade, acquiring a wife and daughter in the process. He is currently living back in Kansas and is openly resentful about having to grow up and settle down. He plans to take frequent vacations abroad, just as soon as his books are turned into movies or he hits the lottery.
Noah never really knows what’s going on, but attempts to have a good time anyway. He hopes you have as much fun reading his books as he does writing them.
The post Why Indie Writers Shouldn’t Be Afraid to Reach Out to the Big Names appeared first on SFWA.
2024 Dell Award Winners
“Lolo’s Last Run” by Emma Kerkman is the winner of the 2024 Dell Magazines Award for Undergraduate Excellence in Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing.
The complete list of honors is:
- First Runner-up: “The Waves of Light” by Liam Betts from Vanderbilt University
- (Tie) Second Runner-up: “Red Roots” by Wren Chan from Oberlin College
- (Tie) Second Runner-up: “My Mother’s Daughter” by Rona Wang from Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Honorable Mention: “Kodak
2024 Splatterpunk Awards Nominees
Nominees have been announced for the Splatterpunk Awards, “honoring superior achievement for works published in 2023 in the sub-genres of Splatterpunk and Extreme Horror.”
Best Novel
- The Night Mother, John Everson (Dark Arts)
- Maeve Fly, C.J. Leede (Nightfire)
- Pedo Island Bloodbath, Duncan Ralston (Shadow Work)
- Dead End House, Bryan Smith (Grindhouse)
- Along the River of Flesh, Kristopher Triana (Bad Dream)
Best Novella
- The Bighead’s Junk
2024 Premio Ernesto Vegetti Finalists
The Associazione World SF Italia announced the finalists for the 2024 Premio Ernesto Vegetti, an Italian SF award.
Novel
- Daimones, Giancarlo Giuliani (Tabula Fati)
- Eva dei sette mondi, Max Gobbo (Elara)
- I Giganti immortali, Stefano Carducci e Alessandro Fambrini (Elara)
Nonfiction
- Astronavi. Le storie dei vascelli spaziali nella narrativa e nel cinema, Michele Tetro e Roberto Azzara (Odoya)
- Batman. Le origini, il mito, Riccardo Rosati
Cybils Awards Winners
Winners for the 2023 Children’s and Young Adults Bloggers’ Literary Awards (Cybils) have been announced. Books of genre interest follow.
Young Adult Speculative Fiction
- WINNER: Threads That Bind, Kika Hatzopoulou (Razorbill)
- The Half-Life of Love, Brianna Bourne (Scholastic)
- The Isles of the Gods, Amie Kaufman (Alfred A. Knopf)
- Divine Rivals, Rebecca Ross (Wednesday)
- Fault Lines, Nora Shalaway Carpenter (Running Press)
- Revelle, Lyssa Mia Smith