• Writing Resources

    Magazine Subscriptions

    Most readers probably know that I subscribe to Black Gate and On Spec fairly regularly but there are other magazines I have subscriptions for (or have had subscriptions for). I allocate a budget for magazine subscriptions and every year I choose *different* magazines to subscribe in. Even if I find a magazine I like, I try to spread the ‘subscription money’ around each year, to sample the largest number of magazines that I can. I do this primarily to get a feel for what kinds of fiction the different magazines publish but also to get exposure to other writers that I might not have if I stuck to the same…

  • Review

    On Spec #79 Review

    Another great issue full of fun stories from On Spec. Orchids by Christopher Johnstone A man searching for odd creatures — and always disappointed — goes to a forest looking for a dryad. A good story, with an interesting take on the dryad as creature and theme. Carter Hall Judges the Lines by Marissa Lingen Carter Hall has figured in a few stories in On Spec and this hockey player turned reluctant ‘protector against weirdness’ has his hands full this time, dealing with some rather dangerous women. A fun read, as are all of Carter’s stories. Commonplace Sacrifices by L.L. Hannett Really really bizarre story with a guardian angel of…

  • Writing Resources

    A Ragman's Vow… Back Again

    “A Ragman’s Vow” which is the first story I had published in On Spec has been reprinted in A Thousand Faces #11, a superhero themed magazine. A Thousand Faces has a somewhat unique distribution in that all of the stories can be read online, for free, or a print version can be ordered with the authors and editor splitting profit on the print issues. So if you didn’t read “A Ragman’s Vow” the first time around go to A Thousand Faces and read it, or better yet, order the ebook or print version. And of course back issues from On Spec are available.

  • Writing Resources

    Prix Aurora Awards

    The shortlist for the Prix Aurora Awards have been announced. BEST NOVEL IN ENGLISH : THE AMULET OF AMON-RA, by Leslie Carmichael, CBAY Books DRUIDS, by Barbara Galler-Smith and Josh Langston, Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy WAKE, Robert J. Sawyer, Penguin Canada STEEL WHISPERS, Hayden Trenholm, Bundoran Press TERRA INSEGURA, Edward Willett, DAW Books BEST SHORT-FORM WORK IN ENGLISH: “PAWNS DREAMING OF ROSES”, Eileen Bell, Women of the Apocalypse. Absolute Xpress “HERE THERE BE MONSTERS” Brad Carson, Ages of Wonder, (DAW) “LITTLE DEATHS” Ivan Dorin, Tesseracts Thirteen “RADIO NOWHERE” Douglas Smith, Campus Chills “THE WORLD MORE FULL OF WEEPING” Robert J. Wiersema, ChiZine Publications BEST WORK IN ENGLISH (OTHER) :…

  • Writing Resources

    New review for On Spec Fall 2009

    Up at EssentialWriters.com is a review of the Fall 2009 issue of On Spec. Nice things are said about this issue of the magazine, including a new review for my story “From the Sea”. Thanks to Judy Darley for the kind words and kudos go out to all the other authors who produced such fine work for the issue.

  • Review,  Writing Resources

    Review for "From the Sea"

    A nice review from SFCrowsnest about my story “From the Sea” in On Spec #78 …This story is not very heavy on fantasy but it’s perceptive about humans. The bleak setting and the hard life of a fishing village were well conveyed and the story was quite moving. Read the full review here. In all they really liked the issue.

  • Writing Resources

    Rich Horton – On Spec

    Every year Rich Horton’s does a year end summary of all the fiction he has read in the year (how does he find the time to read all these magazines?!). He has recently posted his summary for On Spec 2009. Last year he said he liked “A Ragman’s Vow” and this year he mentioned me in his “also good work from” category (for my story ‘From the Sea’), which pleased me. Rich Horton seems to have three tiers of mentions when reviewing — the “good work from” is his lowest tier, the middle tier is when he mentions the title of the story and a short blurb, and one story…

  • Writing Resources

    Fave magazines

    Two of my favorite magazines are On Spec and Black Gate (they cater to two different readings tastes but both provide intelligent and entertaining stories every issue). Anyways the folks on the Black Gate blog have posted a short note congratulating On Spec on their 20th anniversary! If you haven’t read both of these fine magazines you should grab yourself a copy. In addition to print both now offer electronic versions of their magazines. – Brent