I have a story acceptance to report, woot! Also one hold request. More on these delightful occurrences later.
I also have a ton of rejections to report, but you don’t want to hear about that, do you? It’s easy to talk of our acceptances, our small triumphs – they are the rewards of months of perseverance and determination. It’s less easy to talk of our rejections, although Sunil Patil has made an art of it (I recommend checking out his twitter rejection feed). Continue reading
This is the story that was supposed to have been published by Lakeside Circus in Year Two, Issue 1. On 18 March, 2015 to be precise. It was in the Table of Contents until yesterday. It was accepted by the editor Carrie Cuinn in June 2014. I am publishing it here on my website because the editor has pulled it from the issue. And I believe it deserves to see the light of day and be read. Continue reading
Yesterday I had the pleasure of seeing The Last Man on the Moon directed by Mark Craig, a documentary about Eugene Cernan, Commander of Apollo 17, the final lunar landing. The best part? A Q&A with Capt. Eugene Cernan himself, who even at age of 82 continues to engage in outreach, sharing his experiences with millions around the world who can only dream of what he has done. Continue reading
I’m pleased to announce that my story The Shadowless has been published by The Novel Fox SHORTS’ Anthology I. You can read samples of the eight science fiction and fantasy stories in this Anthology right here. The authors include Dominic Dulley, Gerri Leen, T.D. Edge, Shawn Scarber, Ernesto Pavan, Peter White, and Shane Halbach. (And yes, I like using the Oxford comma.) Continue reading
I came to the wonderful Discworld of Terry Pratchett late. I was working in Switzerland at the time, and I picked up The Light Fantastic – the second Discworld novel – at a second-hand church sale. I loved those old church sales. They were reliable sources of marvellous fiction priced at 1 CHF (paperbacks) or 2 CHF (hardcover). In English, too. So I read The Light Fantastic and was instantly hooked.
Imagine a world that is a huge Disc, resting on the backs of four elephants, which in turn stand on the back of an enormous turtle, slowly swimming through space. The Disc is suffused with magic and has its own unique physics, as well as a vast cast of entertaining characters. Continue reading
I’m pleased to report that my story Charaid Dreams is now live at Apex Magazine. Apex is an online magazine of dark science fiction, fantasy and horror. It’s been a Hugo-award nominee for Best Semiprozine three years running. That means you can reliably find an excellent selection of stories and poems, posted on their site every month. Today on Apex I find myself in stellar company, with original fiction by Thoraiya Dyer, Shannon Peavey, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, and Shanna Germain. Continue reading
Those who – like me – read and loved Ann Leckie’s Hugo award-winning Ancillary Justice will no doubt want to read Ancillary Sword, the sequel. After all, Breq Mianaai is one of the most complex and beautiful characters to emerge in recent sf. Who can’t love the ship-turned-ancillary seeking revenge for her favorite officer’s death? In the author’s competent hands, Ancillary Justice is the epitome of what an sf book can be – fiercely intelligent, structurally complex, emotionally rewarding. Continue reading
Last November at SFContario 5, I wandered into the dealers’ room and met Hugh Spencer, who was manning the On Spec table. Hugh persuaded me to pick up their 25th Anniversary Retrospective – Casserole Diplomacy and Other Stories (Thanks, Hugh – it’s a fantastic read).
I had also just subscribed to the magazine. I had some vague idea of a) supporting the oldest running Canadian speculative print magazine and b) discovering new (to me) Canadian writers. What I did not expect was to devour each issue in a single sitting. I’ve received two issues so far and you can be sure I’m going to renew my subscription. Continue reading
I made eight short story sales in 2014 at pro and semi-pro rates. Not all the stories are published/paid yet, but last I checked, I made around USD 1100. Riches!
What? Not enough to live on, you say? Well, it’s USD 1100 more than I’ve ever earned with my writing in any previous year. Besides, it’s all a matter of perspective. If I double my sales and move to the lowest cost-of-living country on the planet (India) I could technically survive. I couldn’t afford the big cities, of course, but I could live (very frugally) in a small town or village. Doubling my sales will not be a problem – divested of my day job, and dependent on writing for my food, I am sure to be motivated to write. A lot. Maybe about food. Continue reading
Between the Betwa and the Jamnia Rivers in Madhya Pradesh, is a small strip of land called Orchha, or the ‘Hidden Place’. Legend has it that the Bundela chief Rudra Pratap Singh set off in search of a new capital, and discovered this ideal place hidden from the eyes of outsiders in 1501. He built the Orchha fort, from the top of which you can still see the remains of the old city and its walls. Continue reading
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Rati Mehrotra 