Very early this morning I wrote, “Maybe after the
first issue was printed I was in a celebratory mood—New Genre was actual—but
that didn’t last. For all the care we took, the issue wasn’t perfect, and ever
since, when a new issue arrives, I only feel anxious.” I added, “I am, however,
entirely confident about the stories. That’s true of every story I’ve ever
published—they’re all fantastic.”
New Genre no. 7 is in hand. The stories are
Jennifer Claus’ “The Room Is Fire,” Geordie Williams Flantz’s “Parents of the
Apocalypse,” Matthew Pendleton’s “Work Planet Welt Space,” John Cotter’s “After
the Storm,” and G. Carl Purcell’s “The Middle-Managers of Páchnout.”
My designer, Eliza Smith, wrote toward the end of
production: “I read all the stories
in my final pass and think this is my favorite issue of NG. Maybe I'm biased,
but I think all five of these stories have a unifying thread of exceptional
quality, and I feel so lucky to have worked on this issue.” Of course we’re
biased, but I agree.
The authors waited a very long time for this
issue to happen. Mr. Flantz was particularly faithful, for which I am grateful.
All the anxiety, what kept me awake last night and on into the morning, is the
worry that I’ve not or will not—that the issue doesn’t—serve the stories as
well as they ought to be served.
# # #
Apparently I attended Readercon 20 in 2009. I
dimly recall moderating a panel “The Career of Elizabeth Hand,” but I don’t
remember anything else about the convention. According to the program, I spoke
about “[Edgar Allen Poe’s] importance to the development of the [horror] genre,”
led a discussion called “Short Horror Fiction: The State of the Art (and Market)
Today,” and interviewed Victoria Blake, founder of Underland Press. Let’s be
clear, I don’t know much about Elizabeth Hand’s career (though I am acquainted
with her and she is great), I don’t know how Poe helped develop the horror
genre, I am a poor navigator of the short fiction horror market, and—well, ok, I
did know something about Underland. There was talk, at one point, of Victoria
buying the digital rights to New Genre. I haven’t been to Readercon since.
I will attend Readercon 26, on Sat., July 11th.
Also in attendance will be G. Carl Purcell. If you will be at Readercon, seek
me out for a copy of New Genre no. 7. And I bet Mr. Purcell will autograph your
copy.
And by the way, Mr. Purcell, as Greg Purcell, is
in the latest issue of Fence. There’s a party in NYC on Thurs., June 25th
at Babycastles to celebrate Fence no. 30.
# # #
Watch this space for news re. New Genre no. 7 as it enters the world, and contact me here with any questions.
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