Tag: asimov’s

An Author’s (and Publisher’s) Dream

On June 25, 2023

I have stories in the July/August Asimov’s and the August issue of Lightspeed. The titles are “Have You Seen Bitsy” and “The United Systems Goodwill Concert Series and the Greatest Performance of All Time” respectively.

If you’re interested in a larger dose of my fiction, my collections and novels are available in paperback and e-format at Amazon James Van Pelt author page and Fairwood Press James Van Pelt Collection page.

Publishers Weekly said in their starred review of my latest collection, The Best of James Van Pelt, “Van Pelt showcases his mastery of short-form fiction in these 62 stories, all published between 1993 and 2018 and ranging from apocalyptic fiction to subtle daylight horror, Lovecraftian riffs, and speculation about future social policy initiatives. . . .Van Pelt’s superior combination of imaginative concepts with recognizable human emotions makes him a talent deserving of a wide readership.”

Catching up with Van Pelt News

By [email protected]

On April 17, 2022

In Uncategorized

So here’s what’s happening lately:

The May/June Asimov’s will be out soon with my story, “The Way Lost Cafe.”
Daily Science Fiction published my latest with them, “NPC.”
Analog Science Fiction bought “Party On” from me. It will appear sometime soon.
I will be attending World Fantasy in New Orleans in November.

In the meantime, I continue my 200-word minimum a day writing streak that started in November of 1999. Right now I’m working on a near-future science fiction about a retiring high school English teacher directing her class through Hamlet for the last time.

Asimov’s and Analog Readers’ Award Ballots for 2021

By [email protected]

On December 17, 2021

In Uncategorized

Analog Science Fiction and Asimov’s Science Fiction magazines do an annual readers’ choice awards. The ballots for stories appearing in 2021 from both are now available.

Science fiction and fantasy have a long and rich history of being responsive to fans, and, of course, the fans have been loud and enthusiastic. Taking part in voting for the awards is one way for you as a reader to be a part of the conversation.

Fortunately for me I had stories in both magazines last year: “The Bahnhoff Drive-in” appeared in Asimov’s and “I Have Loved the Stars too Fondly” in Analog. I’m very proud of those pieces.

You don’t have to be a subscriber to vote (although, why aren’t you?).

Analog Readers Award

Asimov’s Readers Award

Stuff That’s Happened Lately: Late 2020

By [email protected]

On November 18, 2020

In Uncategorized

It’s been a while since I’ve shared news here (I post more often on my Facebook page!).

I attended the virtual MileHiCon the third week in October. This was my first virtual con. I had a tough time getting into it. I love conventions, but the virtual version lost almost everything I like: meetings in the hallways, crowds, room parties, dealers’ room, art show, bar-con, etc. Still, it was better than no con at all, and I did meet up with friends virtually. Fortunately, they recorded many of the panels. Here are the ones I was on:

Creative Parenting

There’s Kissing in My SF

My Favorite Writing Tools

You can cruise through the complete list of recorded panels here.

I attended World Fantasy a week later, where I also did some panels.

For most of the fall I have been working on supporting the release of The Best of James Van Pelt, my huge short story collection. This has included doing interviews and essays. The first rumination on the collection appeared in “My Favorite Bit: James Van Pelt Talks about The Best of James Van Pelt,” which Mary Robinette Kowal hosted. The second one appeared on John Scalzi’s WHATEVER, The Big Idea: James Van Pelt.

Sadly, Covid wiped out this year’s Rain Forest Writers Retreat, which I’ve attended for the last eleven years (sob!). Hopefully the world will right itself by 2022 and conventions and public events will be a part of our regular schedule again.

On the publishing side of things, my novelette, “The Minerva Girls,” was the cover story for the Sept./Oct. Science Fiction Analog. Also, “Ethnoentomology” appeared in Deep Magic, and “After the War” in On Spec. Analog sent the galleys of “I Have Loved the Stars too Fondly” for approval, and Asimov’s bought “The Bahnhof Drive-in.”

In the meantime, I’m truly enjoying being retired, and I’m working on my next stories.

April/May Asimov’s

By [email protected]

On April 9, 2016

In Publishing, Short Stories

APRILMAY2016 Asimovs The latest Asimov’s is out with my short story, “Three Paintings.” The main character is an artist who has come up with an unusual experiment in creativity.

I have artist friends, so I wanted to make sure I didn’t create an artist who wouldn’t pass their verisimilitude test. So far, the two who’ve read the story said that I didn’t screw up too badly.

This is my 12th appearance in Asimov’s, starting with “Safety of the Herd” in 2002 (13th if I count a reprint of an Analog story that appeared in the Greek edition of Asimov’s). It is truly awesome to make a sale there. If you would have told me twenty years ago, the year I made my first professional sale, that I would be where I am today, I wouldn’t have believed you.

The Old Stuff vs. the New Stuff

By [email protected]

On April 7, 2016

In Publishing, Short Stories, Writing

1953-10 The Magazine Of Fantasy And Science Fiction by Ed Emshwiller You know how sports fans will sit around the table and argue about today’s teams vs. the teams of the past? How would the 1985 Chicago Bears who went 15-1 do against the Superbowl champion 2015 New England Patriots, for example? This is an evergreen topic, and I think it’s an interesting one for the modern science fiction/fantasy writer.

How do the old market conditions (pre computer era) and the new market conditions compare? My premise is that computers and a proliferation of markets who accept e-submissions, among other factors, has increased the number of writers. Here are my complete thoughts on why I think there are more writers than ever competing for the publishing slots. Are the conditions more difficult now for a writer to break into the big three print magazines?

To get to my question, do you think that the bulk of what Analog, Asimov’s and F&SF is better than what they used to print, say, twenty to thirty years ago? I know better is an arguable term, but if you assume there is a kind of “middle of the road” story for the three markets, which would be stories that are fine on their own terms but not award winners, has the bar for the middle of the road gone up? Does a writer have to be “better” now to get into those magazines than they used to have to be?

By the way, when you consider this question, be sure to factor in the rosy-goggles-of-time factor that eliminates all the forgettable stuff you read, leaving only the glittering jewels of your favorite stories.

Or here’s another way to ask this question, if you could take your current writing skills, climb into a time machine, say to 1975 (or 1955) and try to make your way in the world as a SF writer, do you think you would have more luck then than now?

Just wonderin’.