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.

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.

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

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.

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 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

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!

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

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 Flash Fiction: Another Year

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