Friday, January 30, 2009

Friday Flash Fiction: Air Bhog

This week, Friday Flash Fiction goes Gaelic again, with a translation by Niall Gordan of Launch


Air Bhog


Chrith an rùchdail an talamh fad is farsaing. Bha i cho ìseal an toiseach ‘s gum fairichear i seach a chluinntinn. Dh’ fhàs i gu ìre ‘s nach gabhadh a fulang cha mhòr.

Le sgal mòr faochaidh, thilg an Gralbh, bèist a bha cho tomadach ‘s gur gann a ghluaiseadh e, smugaid gu h-àrd san àile. Chaidh a tilgeil le uiread neart ‘s gun do ruig i astar-teichidh gu luath ‘s gun deachaidh i steach gu cuairt-rèil ìseal mun a’ phlanaid Òirdia.

Air am pasgadh taobh a-staigh dhith, air an dìon bho neart an luathais leis an
sglaidhp bhog, bha dithisd fhear mar gum biodh air bhog gu ciùin san àile.

Bha iad dìreach air tighinn gu bhith mar chiad seòladairean-fànais am planaid.


A’ Chrìoch.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Antares

My 1000 word story Travel by Numbers that was first published in Nature magazine last summer will be making its second appearance some time this year. It's just been accepted by Serbian fanzine Antares and work has begun on translation already. This will be my 13th language.

Monday, January 26, 2009

So it begins

This year’s run of publications begins with the Romanian version of The Gondolier on SF Era, where it’s called Gondolierul.

They’ve also republished the original English version.

The Gondolier can now be read in 6 langauges:

• Cornish (not yet published)
English
Manx
Romanian
Scottish Gaelic
Spanish

Friday, January 23, 2009

Friday Flash Fiction: The Man in the Iron

This week Friday Flash Fiction has a theme: Altered Film Titles.

By the end of the day there should be a roundup of the participants on Futurismic. Meanwhile you can check out the Fictioneers on the left-hand sidebar.


The Man in the Iron
By Gareth D Jones


This story is currently undergoing metamorphosis and will re-appear elsewhere...

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Altered Film Titles

It’s been a long time since last we had a themed week, but this week the Friday Flash Fiction theme is Altered Film Titles. For example, last year I wrote one called Gone With The Window.

If you want to join in you’ve still got three days to think of a title, alter it and write a story around it.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Reading Material

Having finished Jonathan Maberry’s Patient Zero (not due out til April) and Jupiter XXII (very enjoyable as usual), I have a whole load more reading material lined up.

I’ve started Interzone #220, to be followed by Subtle Edens, which sadly is the final anthology from Elastic Press. I also have volumes 1 and 2 of Jonathan Strahan’s Eclipse antholgies. The cover for volume 2 has been nominated for this year’s BSFA award. Finally a Bureau of Special Investigations novel by Roger McBride Alan, which looks like fun.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Cornish SF

Another new language this week. I had The Gondolier translated into Cornish, intending to post it on this site along with the other Celtic translations, but I've actually found a home for it!

An Garrak is a magazine for people learning Cornish and includes some poetry and flash fiction. It's on hiatus at the moment but the editor has accepted The Gondolier for the proposed next issue.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

50 Reviews

I almost missed this significant milestone: my review of Interzone #219 in the January issue of SF Crowsnest is my 50th review to date.

My first 2 reviews appeared on Laura Hird's website, followed by 18 on UK SF Review. I then moved to Whispers of Wickedness for 5 reviews before that site closed and since then I've been based at SF Crowsnest.

My reviews have included:

36 Magazines (35 of them UK based)
5 Anthologies
9 Novels

Monday, January 12, 2009

So Far This Year…

• Two stories accepted.
• Three rejections.
• Sent the penultimate section of the Roadmaker novel to my Orbitter writing group for critiquing.
• Critiqued a story from said group.
• Started on the final section of Roadmaker.
• Written a review of Bernd Struben’s 40 Years .
• Received Jupiter XXIII, which I can relax and read as I’m not reviewing it!
• Received FFF translations in Cornish, Manx and Scots and organised a Welsh translation.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Ten by the Tenth

The good news continues this week with a reprint of Delayed Reaction being accepted by the semi-pro magazine Cat Tales. Published by Wildeside Press, the people behind Fantasy Magazine amongst other things, it's scheduled for issue #3 though as yet has no firm publishing date.

This means that with the other stories accepted last year, it's only the tenth and I already have ten stories scheduled for this year!

Friday, January 09, 2009

Friday Flash Fiction: Yn Gondoleyr

Another first this week. As far as I know, this is the first SF story ever translated into Manx. One of my great-great-great-grandmothers was Manx and I went to the Isle of Man for a holiday when I was 3. I remember a big red water wheel and a cattery.

This is a translation of The Gondolier.


Yn Gondoleyr
By Gareth D Jones

Translated by Robard y Charlsalagh

Skeab gob doo my ghondoley dy rea trooid ushtaghyn kiune ny ammyryn. Va’n baatey s’keylley shoh er chooney lhiam dy mie ’syn obbyr aym rish ymmodee bleeantyn, as er n’arraghey troailtee trooid bollee ushtey yn valley ard fo laueyn stiuree sheelogheyn my henn ayraghyn.

Va’n ghrian goll dy lhie harrish yn valley ard feer henn, as va’n ushtey myr rybban doo currit ny lhie eddyr troggalyn cumir ass clagh-gheinnee. Hayrn mee stiagh ennal dowin jeh fynneraght yn ’astyr beg.

Row ynnyd ny s’aaley na balley ard yindyssagh shoh ny ammyryn? Choud’s haink yn baatey dy aashagh gys e voaral, scuirr mee dy yeeaghyn seose lesh aigney jeant magh gys speyryn conghorraghey yn Vart.

Yn Jerrey

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Second Anthology

I'm very pleased to have been accepted for a second anthology due for publication this year. A revised reprint of my 2005 story Fluctuations will be appearing in the anthology Quantum Genre on the Planet of Arts, due for publication in September.

This is an anthology of quantum genre stories rather than just science fiction and is an intriguing concept. You can read the guidelines on the submissions page.

This follows on from the Pow!erful Tales anthology due in February that will include The Ironic Man. Ironicaly this also is not an SF anthology, but a superhero anthology.

It's a great start to the year!

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Favourite Stories of 2008

I enjoyed a lot of stories this year, so much so that I have a top 16 instead of a top ten. This list is only of stories first published during 2008 - I also read some excellent stories in collections and anthologies. I've listed them in alphabetical order.

An Empty Kind of Love by Adam Colston – Escape Velocity #2
Arches by Gareth L Powell – The Last Reef and Other Stories
Are You Lonesome Tonight? by Alan James Rolls – Murky Depths #6
Automatic Swan, Fusion Heart by James Targett – Hub #68
Best in Class by Jonathan C Gillespie – Murky Depths #6
Butterfly, Falling at Dawn by Aliette De Bodard – Interzone #219
By The River by David Towsey – Jupiter XIX
Endra – From Memory by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro – Interzone #216
The Factory by James Johnson & Leonardo M Giron – Murky Depths #6
Greenland by Chris Beckett – Interzone #218
Jerie by Adam Roberts – Celebration: A Taster
Living With the Dead by Molly Brown – Celebration
Pseudo Tokyo by Jennifer Linneae – Interzone #214
The Scent of Their Arrival by Mercurio D Rivera – Interzone #214
The Ships Like Clouds, Risen by Their Rain by Jason Sanford – Interzone #217
The Thursday Night League by James Hartley – Concept SciFi #1

Saturday, January 03, 2009

Magazine Review: Interzone #219


The new issue arrived with its customary selection of articles and interviews, a huge book review section and a variety of striking pictures to accompany the fiction. I was pleased to note the return of Jason Sanford and Mercurio Rivera whose stories I enjoyed earlier in the year. In truth, I haven't been disappointed by any 'Interzone' stories this year, unlike previous years when I seemed to be on a different wavelength.

Read the rest of my review at SF Crowsnest.

Friday, January 02, 2009

Friday Flash Fiction: Another Year


Another Year will be appearing in the 2011 Daily Flash anthology from Pill Hill Press.