AntipodeanSF

Ionospherics 120

2008-05-17T23:36:00.001+10:00

It is with more than a little regret that I need to tell you that Sue Clennell, our regular "E-Scapes" columnist since September 2005, has decided to focus on her own fiction writing instead of that of others.

This regret, is of course, tempered by the fact that Sue has done a wonderful reviewing job for thirty-three issues — and she has done this for us here at AntiSF without remuneration or reward.

So, I offer a heartfelt thanks to Sue — for her persistence, dedication, and words. The magazine would not have been the same without "E-Scapes". We're all going to miss it.

And no, alas, the column won't continue without Sue. "E-Scapes" finishes with this issue.

But let's speculate. Is it possible that another reviewer is about to, "Go Critical"?

Can't wait for the supernova.

Ooroo for now,

Nuke.

Ionospherics 119

2008-05-17T23:35:00.000+10:00

Sometimes, more is less. Ain't that the case with some of our fifty-worders?

Of course, I don't expect you all to agree with me. But sometimes the constraints of form force us to be more creative with what we have available to us. Adversity delivers invention.

And, if you do agree, then perhaps we've found the ideal story-telling form for display on those tiny mobile telephone screens...

Anybody tried it?

Ooroo for now,

Nuke

Ionospherics 118

2008-03-22T20:34:00.000+11:00

Not convinced that astronomy has an influence on us? I did say astronomy not astrology. Take this Easter for example. Here's an event that's closely tied to astronomy. Have you wondered why it's so early this year?

Here's the thing: lunar cycles. Easter is based on the phases of the Moon and the solar equinox, even though it's a Christian religious event that we celebrate here on Earth.

So, Easter comes on the first Sunday after the first full Moon after (here in the Antipodes) the autumn equinox.

All of which isn't an excuse for this issue to be late. But hey, I hope it's worth the wait.

Ooroo for now,

Till next we meet under the glow of a distant red-shifted gamma ray burst...

Nuke.

Ionospherics 117

2008-02-16T20:59:00.001+11:00

What can I say? Ten years of publication and we're still here, still going strong (stronger than ever, I'd say), with no plans to shut down any time soon. AntipodeanSF has been, and is, a success — as far as I'm concerned, at least.

In that ten years, well apart from the fact that I've published some real SF story gems, I have to admit a certain pride in the fact that AntipodeanSF has helped rather more than a few writers into first-time publication, and from there into successful publication elsewhere.

More than anything else, however, I must thank all of the contributors, right down the line, starting with Edwina Harvey and Rakel Hansen who both appeared in the first issue, to the hundreds of contributors that have made their fantastic work available for us to publish since then. Thank you all. Well done.

Ooroo for now, till next we meet on the surface of a dying supernova...

Nuke

Ionospherics 116

2008-01-16T12:53:00.000+11:00

Ten years of publication next month. That long! In that time, yes, we've missed some issues, else we'd be at issue 120 rather than 117 for our tenth anniversary. So it's a grand total of three issues missed, probably (for I can't recall the details) after special double issues, or at times that I was away (lazy bugger that I am). Not that it matters. For a regular internet publication, I think we've done well.

By way of celebration next month we'll have another double issue. That's twenty selected pieces of flash fiction for you to enjoy.

There's also change in site design and implementation coming. But in the words of Douglas Adams's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, "Don't Panic", for we'll still be focusing on what we do best — publishing the best in speculative flash fiction from around the world.

As for the timing of this change, I'd originally scheduled it for the anniversary issue, but I'm not sure that the new CMS-driven site will be ready on time. Unfortunately, while I enjoy producing AntiSF, it is something that I do with a seemingly dwindling amount of spare time.

Despite the above, I'm of the firm belief, barring the takeover of the internet by the awakening of a self-aware electronic nasty, that we'll continue to publish into the foreseeable future.

Ionospherics 113

2007-10-16T15:31:00.000+10:00

So, you like SF? If you didn't grow up in the fifties or sixties, there's a good chance that you may have missed out on an important aspect of SF: radio.

That's right. SF storytelling by multimedia, before the days of TV. You'd call it a podcast these days. Luckily, some of the shows have been preserved as downloadable audio files. The internet will provide in the form of mp3s.

One of the programs you'll want to avail yourself of is "X Minus One". The stories produced in these half-hour NBC broadcasts usually came from the pens of the SF/F Grandmasters, and include classics such as: Nightfall, A Logic Named Joe, and Knock.

You can download some of the episodes of "X Minus One" from here: <www.archive.org> (just search for X Minus One in the search box).

Turn down the lights, relax into your recliner, watch the stars above if you're so inclined, and listen carefully for the seeds of our futures.

Ooroo for now, till the next time we're caught in the same sticky whirlpool of dark matter,

Nuke.

Ionospherics 112

2007-09-16T21:51:00.000+10:00

You gotta do it.

From time to time I'm going to suggest things. Things you ought to read, watch, and experience as a lover of SF.

This month? In the interests of keeping it simple, it's some of the short stories by Philip K. Dick.

Classics all, and some of them made into movies:

"Second Variety"
"Paycheck"
"We Can Remember It For You Wholesale"

No explanations. No more prompting. After you're done with AntiSF, consider finding them. And enjoy.

Ooroo for now, till next we meet courtesy or not of that ever-so-elusive Higgs Boson...

Ionospherics 110

2007-07-16T14:24:00.000+10:00

Are you dedicated weird? If you are, you may be a little like me, and do things that seem strange and vague to others of our race. Coming in August (Sunday, 12th), for example, is the annual Perseid meteor shower, something that's promising to be rather spectacular, aided by the fact that we don't have the washout effect of the Moon this time around. In order to catch the shower at its best I'll be camped somewhere away from city lights and I'll be waking in the wee hours of the morning, around three or four o'clock, then lying on a banana lounge in that freezing morning air to view the show.

Some would scorn this notion and say, "why not watch it on TV?"

Well hell. It's not like being there. Not that being there is necessarily a guarantee for awe. My partner, Karen, for example, didn't suffer from my affliction a number of months back when we were visited by one of the brightest comets in recent history. "Is that it?" she asked. "That tiddly thing?"

Tiddly? It's real, and it's a once-in-a-lifetime event to see a comet that bright. I went out of my way to view it as much as I could. And that's what SF is all about too — stretching the real into the future, being dedicated weird and interested not just in the unnatural, but the natural too.

Ooroo for now,

Nuke.

PS: for more info why not visit: <NASA>

Ionospherics 109

2007-06-15T21:12:00.000+10:00

Unfortunately, in the course of running a magazine like AntipodeanSF, I need to decide which stories will appear as opposed to those that don't. For a writer of any story that I don't accept, this means rejection. That's not a nice thing — for the writer. Trouble is, if I accept all of the stories that are submitted to the magazine I'd soon be overwhelmed by what would be, in my opinion, substandard stories for publication.

Note that I said "in my opinion". There's no denying this aspect. AntipodeanSF is in some ways a reflection of what I like, of what I consider is suitable for publication, and of what I think might please the readers. I can't filter that in any way other than through my sensibilities. And I do need to make a judgement about it. It's my call alone and I am willing to take responsibility for it.

In saying the above, I also realise that I've probably rejected good stories, from good authors, and all for no good reason — according to standards other than my own. Similarly, those standards are just as valid in this unfixed world in which we live as any standards that I happen to work by.

Is any of this a consolation if you're rejected? Probably not. Nevertheless, I must also remind authors that my rejection of a particular story isn't a rejection of them. I believe that all writers have good stories to tell — it's just a matter of finding the right one if it's to appear in this magazine. Sometimes, if I can see a good story hiding under a few layers of awkward writing, I'll suggest major editorial fixes, or rewrites. At other times I admit that I have succumbed to a feeling that a particular story just isn't ever going to work, and even extensive editing won't fix it.

Ultimately, if a story of yours is rejected, here or elsewhere — don't despair, just keep on writing. Sooner or later a story is going to fit.

Ooroo for now, and enjoy this month's edition,

Nuke.

Ionospherics 108

2007-05-16T14:43:00.000+10:00

There's a bit of a rumble right now that the science fiction aspect of SF (speculative fiction) is in a bit of a slump. To look at the shelves in the bookstores you'd tend to agree. It's all this fantasy trilogy, that fantasy trilogy, or the odd media-tie in to a TV program that's not considered good SF (by some, at least). There's little solid science fiction to be seen.

Personally, I think it's a trend, and that as with most trends, the focus will eventually shift as the market becomes over-saturated. While I'm not a fantasy aficionado, at least the material within the genre still dares to ask "what if?".

And that's the important thing.

Nowadays, more than ever, it's important. Never stop questioning and questing. Never blindly accept what you're told. And be brave enough to be different.

I live with the sincere hope that AntiSF contributes just a little to this open mindset.

Ooroo for now, and enjoy this month's edition,

Nuke.

Ionospherics 107

2007-04-16T15:33:00.001+10:00

It’s like OCD. I have a swag of books to read already, and I ought not be stopping in the second-hand bookshop because I have other things to do in town. It’s the weekend for goodness sake, and we’re staying on a beautiful private bush-acreage with river frontage — Maria River — where there is no power, no phone, and no good light to read by. The river is all pushbike-riding, wood-chopping, campfires, and river-swimming. Wither reading? Whither SF?

Yet, in town for the necessities, I aim for the bookshop first. Before anything else. The urge is stronger than my desire to do the other things I must do in town: buy food, kerosene lanterns, funnels, petrol, lawnmower blades.

Of course, there are books hiding in the musty piles therein that I really must have: a textbook "Trillion Year Spree" by Brian W. Aldiss; a fantasy by my favourite wordsmith Gene Wolfe "The Knight Wizard"; "The Locus Awards" edited by Charles N. Brown and the indefatigable Jonathan Strahan; and something by Greg Egan that I’ve not read before called "Teranesia".

I could hang my head with shame, but I do not. I could answer my phone with untruths when my partner Karen calls and asks, "Are you on your way back yet?"

"Er. Actually. I’m in the bookshop."

"Might have guessed."

But the obsession doesn’t end there. While the books remain on the back seat of the car at my return to our campsite, I must beat off an urge to deploy the LED flashlight at dusk.

No. No. No. No reading.

Nevertheless, the advent of the evening campfire delivers me to my disease. It’s like this: lie back and consider the stars, the flaring satellites, the streaking meteors. Spaceships all.

And in the background, powered by 12V battery and ratted car stereo, I’m comforted by the opening strains of an old-time-radio program, "Dimension X":

"And now," says the NBC announcer, "a story from one of our most brilliant young science fiction writers, Ray Bradbury..."

How’s that?

Isn’t it some sweet disease?

Ooroo for now

Nuke (Editor)

Ionospherics 105

2007-02-16T19:03:00.000+11:00

The time between issues seems to be getting shorter. Am I suffering time dilation?

If I am, I'm not suffering otherwise. This issue once again bears witness to the creativity of our authors. I recommend reading every story. Allow their creativity to illuminate and twist your life.

And while you're at it, why not admire the cover art by AntiSF's latest contributor, Martin Blanco of Pit Bros Productions? Martin has produced a fine cover for this month's issue, and has promised to do the same for coming issues too.

Finally, but not in any way the least, this month also sees the debut of tooncasting at AntiSF, namely "G.A.A.K.", by Darryl Hughes and Monique MacNaughton. Enjoy!

Ooroo, till next the electrons let us touch.

Nuke (Editor)

Ionospherics 104

2007-01-16T15:32:00.000+11:00

It wasn't on purpose. I didn't choose them that way. It just happened.
Sometimes a theme seems to develop for a particular issue, and in this issue it's pessimism with regard to the future of the human race. Which is not to say that pessimism in story doesn't have its place. We need darkness and light. Both serve an important need.

Pessimistic stories also serve as a warning. Don't let this happen to you, to us, to the cosmos.

That's right. You have been warned.

Ooroo for now,
Nuke. (Editor)

Ionospherics 101

2006-10-16T10:53:00.000+10:00

There's a new saying about. I've heard more than one person utter it. Nothing unusual in this, but I mention it here because it gave me pause to consider what it means to be an editor. The saying is this: "It's all good."

Sorry. Beg to differ. But it's not all good. Don't read me wrong. I'm not complaining here. It's just a simple fact — dealing with authors who have spent precious hours and sweated blood from their fingertips to write a story isn't always a positive thing. Fact is, editors have opinions that sometimes clash with those of writers. Writers and editors alike get stuck on minor points of style, wording, story form and other aspects of narrative. Both of them want the same thing — that is to present the best story possible to the readers. How that's achieved is an oft-disputed point.

And yes, before you ask, let me answer. I've had my so-called "run-ins" with authors. Those who've taken my editorial suggestions, flung them back at me and said, "I'm never dealing with you again," or worse...

Thing is, though, while it's not all good, it's not all bad either. I hear a murmur. Very Buddhist? Sure. Not the middle road, though. What emerges from positive and constructive entanglements with authors is just that — overwhelmingly positive.

Ultimately, the proof is in the magazine — its quality, its readability, its popularity.

Eventually the judgement passes along the chain.

Now, dear reader, what the Hell do you think?

Nuke (editor).

Ionospherics 100

2006-09-16T15:39:00.000+10:00

Made it. It's a light-year stone. A hundred issues of AntipodeanSF, and still in publication. Amazing. Gives me goosebumps.

But AntiSF is so much more than just a publication place to me. Indeed, while I've blushed with some of the accolades I've received in the past month (thank you, all), accolades aren't what it's all about. I'm shameless in the admission that AntiSF has a political objective above and beyond anything I might do as an editor to encourage new and existing talent.

Frankly, you don't need me to tell you outright what that political objective is. Don't be surprised. It's cloudy, ill-defined, and deliberately different. Speculative (read subversive) stories do far better in this task than any outright plea. The medium is the message is the medium.

Yes, you CAN work it out for yourself.

And I'm not done with you yet. Since I suspect I've hoodwinked contributors and readers alike to serve in a nebulous cause, I really ought to offer my personal thanks.

So:

Special thanks to Edwina Harvey and Rakel Hansen as contributors to the first issue. They provided a much-needed impetus for me to continue the AntiSF project.

Similarly, thanks to my partner Karen, who tirelessly picks up the pieces when I'm not around because I'm editing, designing, or otherwise occupied with AntiSF.

And most of all, thanks to each and every contributor of stories, articles, and artwork. Without your efforts AntipodeanSF would not exist. I truly appreciate the fact that you're all willing to submit without serious recompense other than a guarantee that your efforts will be read.

Finally — our mission remains unchanged: AntipodeanSF still aims to seek out and publish the kind of stories that somehow flip the mind of the reader into another realm — somewhere diametrically opposed to a "normal" point of view. Truly antipodean!

Meanwhile, Issue 200 looms...

Ooroo for now,

Nuke (editor)

Ionospherics 99

2006-08-15T11:08:00.000+10:00

For the majority of the population here in the antipodes July 21 is probably not marked as a special day. The day came, the day went, and the daily news would have mentioned nothing of the anniversary of which I speak.

I suspect many of the readers of AntiSF, however, know what happened on July 21 thirty-three years ago (July 20 in the 'podes). The USA managed an important demonstration of what a good deal of SF aspired (and still aspires) to show — that humans can have big and expansive ideas and act on them for the common good. We can go places.

Argue with me if you like. But if we choose to erect a boundary, it will ultimately become our prison. We will die in our own muck.

Space travel is not a waste of money. Not a waste of time. We must solve inward problems by looking and going outward. To the stars. Beyond.

Experimentation within a single test-tube is not an option. One drop of poison and we're done.

Expand or perish, I say...

Ooroo for now,

Nuke (editor).

Ionospherics 98

2006-07-16T01:32:00.000+10:00

I haven't changed my mind in all these years. I still think it's uncomfortable and inconvenient for readers to cope with long pieces of text on a computer screen. Conversely, for short-short flash fiction of around 500 words — which is exactly the kind we're interested in here at AntiSF — the computer screen works.
I think our success, and our continued contributor support has proved it.

What do you think?

Ooroo for now,

Nuke.

Ionospherics 97

2006-06-16T16:53:00.000+10:00

In their introduction to The Year's Best Australian SF & Fantasy, Two Bill Congreve and Michelle Marquardt write about me that I'm "indefatigable" in the role of editor of AntipodeanSF. Personally, I'm not so sure about that. I'm certainly able to get tired, and deadlines often slip. It is without doubt that scratchy eyes and brain are a contributing factor to the length of my all-too-long submission queue. Despite this, AntipodeanSF will keep coming at you.

The mission's worth it. I might get tired, but I LOVE what I do. The issues are going to keep on coming. Indeed, issue 100 of AntipodeanSF looms, and it will be not only a double issue of twenty (20) fine flash fiction stories, but also a retrospective and reflective featuring some of AntiSF's regular and long-past contributors — who I'm hoping will tell us some home truths a about their experiences with AntiSF, both good and bad. I promise not to edit them too much...

Ooroo for now,

Ion.

PS: along with Terry Dartnall's The Ladder at the Bottom of the World, I’d recommend obtaining a copy of The Year's Best Australian SF & Fantasy, Two, even though it does not feature any of AntiSF's stories this time around. Bill and Michelle did an indefatigable job of their own in the production of this fine anthology, in that they read about five hundred stories, totalling over a million words published by Aussies in 2005. Amazing.

Ionospherics 96

2006-05-16T13:03:00.000+10:00

I read a story by Alan Dean Foster in a recent issue of Fantasy and Science Fiction (well, perhaps not so recent since I have a huge backlog of reading) and I was intrigued by an apology by Gordon Van Gelder (the editor of F&SF) to the effect that the story wasn't perhaps SF/F or may not be considered speculative enough for the magazine by its usual readership.

Far from it, Gordon. Said story may indeed be considered mainstream. But it is still speculative, even if in only a small way. That small piece of speculation (I recommend you read "The Last Akialoa" if you can get hold of a copy of the magazine) is enough to force the whole story into the realms of "What If". And that's all that's required, if you ask me. In all areas, SF, F, H — whatever genre you care to name within the speculative field — if the story asks the question (even if in a roundabout way), then it qualifies. Indeed, I'll go as far as to say that a if a story is both speculative and possible then the reading of it allows a wonderful suspension of disbelief, and makes the story all the better.

What do you think?

Ooroo for now,

Nuke.

PS: You'll find the story in question in the December 2005 Issue of F&SF.