Rather than the PinkSF and BlueSF divide that some propose, can’t we go for something a bit more interesting, perhaps purple with its multitude of hues from deep purple on up to palest lavender? Let’s see less F&SF worried about fitting into categories and more of it interested in questioning and moving beyond those categories.
As part of that movement, we do need to agree that there’s a distinct difference between being called sexist/racist/whatever and being told that something you have said or done is offensive because it’s sexist/racist/whatever. Part of getting past the kneejerk reaction of outrage that comes with being corrected is realizing and internalizing that criticism. It’s a hard lesson for many of us, but one that is (imo) necessary for our continued growth as human beings.
Because we do, overall, continue to grow. One of the bright spots of Gamergate has been seeing a crop of bright, fierce, younger feminists such as Zoe Quinn, Anita Sarkeesian, and Brianna Wu. For those of us who’ve been here in the trenches for a while, it’s reassuring to know that others will and have picked up the torch of social justice, and are willing to fight for the right for every race, shape, gender, orientation, or other divisive category be included under the label of human beings.
The conversation will not go away in 2015. It’ll keep on going, informing and changing us all. There will be painful moments, but there will also be amazing and wonderful things coming out of it. Here’s to that. Here’s to the future we all, no matter what side we’re on, are moving towards.
About the Author
Cat Rambo lives and writes in the Pacific Northwest, with occasional peregrinations elsewhere. A World Fantasy Award and Nebula nominee, she has 200+ fiction publications, which have appeared in Asimov’s, Tor.com, and Clarkesworld, as well as in audio form and a dozen different languages. She is the current Vice President of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Check her website for links to her fiction and information about her popular online classes.
Editor’s Desk:
On the Road to One Hundred
Neil Clarke
As 2014 has come to a close, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for a wonderful year.
We started the year by making the announcement that we were no longer eligible for the Hugo Award for Best Semiprozine. We crossed that magical twenty-five percent income line in the sand and became “professional” in Hugo terms. We went out on top (as 2013 winners) and I was once again nominated in the Best Editor Short Form category, where I eventually lost to Ellen Datlow.
Clarkesworld, however, is still in that grey area of what makes one professional. 2014 saw us pick up our fourth World Fantasy Award nomination in the Special Award Non-Professional category. In simple terms, we land there because none of us work on Clarkesworld full-time. That remains an elusive goal, but I refuse to give up. In the end, four turned out to be our lucky number. In November, we won our first World Fantasy Award.
As we put together a wish-list of authors we’d like to see return for our one hundredth issue, there was one we desparately wanted, but seemed unlikely. Jay Lake was one of the first authors to write for us and was a regular for several years. His support meant a great deal to me and his stories were always something special. Sadly, Jay passed away in June, much too young, and at the hands of cancer. Some months later, we discovered he left behind some unpublished stories and that it still might be possible for him to be with us one last time. “An Exile of the Heart” is one of those stories. Thanks Jay. You are missed.
In September, I published my first non-Clarkesworld anthology, Upgraded, and it almost immediately went into a second-printing. Tying my medical adventures to a cyborg theme was fun and a great learning experience. In retrospect, there are a few things I would have done differently, but I remain proud of the book. Now I just need to come up with an idea for the next anthology. Any thoughts?
I also spent several months last year working on secret projects. One was eventually revealed as a partnership with Storycom in China and resulted in a Kickstarter campaign to add Chinese translations to each issue of Clarkesworld. The campaign was very well received and surpassed expectations by unlocking a stretch goal that will help us include stories from other languages as well. This issue features the first of our Chinese translations, “Ether” by Zhang Ran. A special thank you goes to our Kickstarter supporters and Storycom for making this possible.
In December, Clarkesworld became a launch partner with the Joyride podcast app. Joyride has created another way for our listeners to help us work towards goals by supporting us with a monthly pledge. Joyride has big plans and they will be one of the featured apps in the Android Auto Platform currently rolling out to nearly thirty car brands. This increased visibility for our podcast and the opportunity to bring in some extra revenue will be very important to us in the years ahead. We’re very grateful to have been invited and thank everyone at Joyride for their faith in us. Check out our Joyride page and let us know what you think.
Speaking of revenue, there’s someone else I should thank for their support in 2014: our subscribers, patrons, advertisers, and donors. Throughout the year your support made it possible for me to continue doing a job I love, work towards that goal of being full-time, and even set aside a little extra to make sure this issue was special. Thank you.
Last, but certainly not least, a huge thank you to everyone that works on Clarkesworld. One hundred issues is a huge accomplishment and it took all of us to get here.
Happy New Year and I’m happy to welcome you to our one hundredth issue!
About the Author
Neil Clarke is the editor of Clarkesworld Magazine, owner of Wyrm Publishing and a three-time Hugo Award Nominee for Best Editor (short form). He currently lives in NJ with his wife and two children.
Cover Art: Disciple
Julie Dillon
About the Artist
Julie Dillon is a science fiction and fantasy illustrator creating art for books and magazines, as well as for her own projects and publications. She has won two Chesley awards, a Hugo Award, and has been nominated for two World Fantasy Awards.
Clarkesworld Magazine Issue 100 Page 24
