It was a good run

On a sad note, SciFiction is a gone thing. Of course, wherever Ellen Datlow lands next will be the new hot spot for speculative stuff. Just hope the wait isn’t too long.

My selfish reason for being sad, of course, is that I cut my teeth on OMNI’s fiction* back in the 80’s. Which is to say Datlow introduced me to the short story, more or less. So I’ve been amassing rejection letters from her for about twelve years now. Maybe longer, even. I should rig them up in some kind of display case, really, charting changes in letterhead, all that. Going to miss that monthly rejection, though. You get addicted to it after a while. Well, that and the hope that there’s an acceptance in the mail too, one that’ll bring you (me) full circle, as far as the short story goes. Foolish as it sounds, I’ve always felt like I owe her one good story, as thanks for all the good ones she’s shared over the years.

Anyway, not sure how long it’ll all be archived there, so nab it while it’s live. There might be a print anthology in the works, but who knows.

* for example, Carol Emshwiller’s “Mrs. Jones,” both here and here. Joyce Carol Oates had an excellent story too right around then, too, “Thanksgiving.” Can’t find it on-line, though.

Author: SGJ