Episode 370: Ten Minutes with Ian Mond

In the second of our all-new “Ten Minutes with…” series, Jonathan spends ten minutes (well, nearly twenty) with critic and reviewer Ian Mond talking about the book he’s reading right now and the books he recommends for those with a little time on their hands (some of which he’s reviewing for Locus).

Books mentioned in this episode include:

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Episode 369: Ten Minutes with Sarah Pinsker

And now for something a little different. With all of us staying indoors, the team at Coode Street thought it might be fun to get in touch with some of our favourite people – writers, artists, and just folk we like to hang out with – and ask them what they’re reading at the moment, what they recommend to read if you’re currently hanging around indoors a lot, and maybe to let us know what they’ve been doing to.

For the very first of this “Ten Minutes with…” series, Gary calls up Sarah Pinsker to chat with her about her insanely prescient novel, A Song for a New Day, and what she’s been reading.

 Books discussed in this episode include:

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Episode 368: NK Jemisin and The City We Became

The City We Became by N K Jemisin

This week Jonathan and Gary have a lively discussion with the wonderful N.K. Jemisin, mostly about her new novel The City We Became (you can read the short story that inspired the novel at Tor.com), but with fascinating side discussions about living in New York and trying to capture and celebrate it in fiction; the vices and virtues of H.P. Lovecraft and his difficulties in dealing with Brooklyn; the comparative challenges of world-building in an invented versus a recognizable world; how her work as a psychologist has informed her fiction; and a couple of side trips about the short stories in her recent short story collection How Long Til Black Future Month? 

With most book tours cancelled (including hers), this is a good way to spend some time with one of our most interesting and innovative writers. As always, our thanks to Nora for making time to join us, and we hope you enjoy the episode. See you in two weeks (and stay safe and well!)

Weekending

What a busy weekend! A pleasant couple of hours at The Flying Scotsman with KJ turned into an even more pleasant evening at home. Saturday was all about getting daughter to WAAP and then meeting up at Stefen’s Books for a terrific Cat Valente signing (with additional reading from Space Opera by Cat and Heath Miller). I’m guessing there are still signed copies of Cat’s books, so get in touch!

Sunday and the now traditional Coffeepool Karaoke where Miss 19 and I (joined this week by Miss 18) headed out to Yahava in the Swan Valley to pick up coffee and spend time singing loudly in the car on the way there and back, before Miss 18 and I met up with Cat for lunch at Clancy’s Fish Pub. A great time, and Cat managed to completely turn Miss 18s world on its end regarding Antigone. Great stuff.

And then back to the world. No reading done and lots to do. Busy!

Call for stories: The Year’s Best Science Fiction Vol. 2 : The Saga Annual Anthology of SF

Saga Press

I edit the The Year’s Best Science Fiction anthology series for Saga Press. The first volume in the series will be published in September 2020, and the second will appear in  September 2021.

I am currently reading for the second volume and am looking for stories from all branches of science fiction — space opera to cyberpunk and beyond (pretty much, if you think it’s science fiction it is) — that were published anywhere in the world during 2020. Stories published in translation are eligible provided they appeared in English for the first time during 2020. If in doubt, please send your work.

Eligibility

This is a reprint anthology. Stories must have been published for the first time in English* between 1 January and 31 December 2020.

Deadline

The submission deadline for this year’s book is:

1 November 2020

Anything sent after this deadline will reach me too late. If a magazine, anthology, or collection you are in or that you edit is coming out before 31 December 2020 please send galleys or manuscripts so that I can consider the stories in time.

Publication date

The second volume of the series is scheduled for publication in September 2021.

Format

Where possible, I prefer to receive book-length works in print (especially anthologies).  Books, stories etc can be sent to me via email. I prefer ePub, .mobi, .rtf or .doc files. PDFs are not accepted. I strongly suggest that authors check with their publishers that they are sending review copies out to me, as I don’t have the resources to follow-up every publisher to get material.

Postal address

When sending material please put “Year’s Best Science Fiction” on the envelope.

Jonathan Strahan
P.O. Box 544
Mt Lawley, WA 6929
Australia

Email submissions, recommendations, or information on publications can be sent to me via email at:

jonathan.strahan (at) gmail (dot) com

For publishers

I am eager to consider work you are publishing. If you produce a magazine, chapbook, collection or anthology with any original stories in it please let me know. I am happy to accept email submissions. The most important thing is to make sure that I get to consider the best science fiction and fantasy published in 2020.

If you are publishing online please email copies of stories to jonathan.strahan (at) gmail (dot) com as early as possible. This is particularly important for stories published between October and December which may otherwise be overlooked.

For writers

I do not need to receive manuscripts from authors of stories from venues that it’s likely I already receive regularly (I get Analog, Asimov’s, F&SF, Interzone, Black Static, Postscripts etc, but not many of the smaller ‘zines and publications).

Please do not send an SASE. This is not a submission, and I’m unable to return manuscripts or respond directly to stories sent to me.

Rights

If I am considering your story for inclusion in Year’s Best Science Fiction, I will be acquiring non-exclusive World anthology rights in English and foreign languages in print, audio and ebook. I cannot split these rights or agree to term limits.

News and information

I will be published an overview of science fiction in 2020 as an introduction to the volume. Please send news and information to jonathan.strahan (at) Gmail (dot) com.

…unavoidable stuff from jonathan strahan…