EugeneFischer.com » Asimov’s

“Adrift” Reaches Stores

Eugene Fischer — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 23:41:15 +0000

The April/May double issue of Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine, containing my story “Adrift,” is now in stores. This is what the cover looks like, complete with a list of other people I am totally stoked to be sharing a table of contents with!

Look mom and dad! Finally! My name, up in ink!

Behind the Scenes at Asimov’s on the Sofanauts

Eugene Fischer — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:31:32 +0000

People interested in the ongoing discussion about the future of short fiction may be interested in the most recent episode of The Sofanauts. The Sofanauts is usually a show about current events in the SF field, but this week’s episode is a special with writers Jeff Vandermeer and Jeremy Tolbert and Asimov’s editors Sheila Williams and Brian Bieniowski, discussing the state of Asimov’s in particular and the print markets for short SF in general. Among the interesting things on the program is an explanation for why the seemingly precipitous decline in subscriber numbers over the last couple of decades, commented on by Warren Ellis and others, is a misleading artifact of a changed marketing model. (I’d actually like even more detail on what the old model was and how it contributed to inflated numbers.) Also, Sheila informs that subscriber numbers have risen 10% in the last year, lead by electronic subscriptions through the Kindle. Jeff and Jeremy take Brian and Sheila to task for the state of Asimov’s internet presence, and Sheila reveals some behind-the-scenes information about the contraints that come with being part of a larger organization. A very interesting 90 minutes for people following the “are the magazines doomed or aren’t they?” debate.

A Lot of Good News

Eugene Fischer — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:38:07 +0000

To begin, other people’s good news:

First, and long run most important, Mary Anne had a baby! Howdy, Anandan. Welcome to the world.
Paul Berger sold one of his Clarion stories, “Small Burdens” to Strange Horizons. It should be showing up next year in the Spring, and it is a marvelous piece of work.
Meghan McCarron also sold a story to Strange Horizons. It will also be showing up next Spring, and is titled “WE HEART VAMPIRES!!!!!!” My personal connection to Meghan is tenuous–I met her at WisCon and was probably creepily excited to do so. But every one of her stories I’ve read has blown me away, so this leaps onto my list of eagerly anticipated works.
Sarah Miller put in the legwork to compile a list of Clarion ’08 publications. It’s still incomplete, but we’re tallying in email, and it seems that in the slightly more than a year since we disbanded, we’ve sold 25 stories, 10 of which were written at Clarion, and 7 of which are to pro markets. This counts as meta good news, in a “lots of my friends are doing awesome things” kinda way.

And now, my own good news.

I got a job. After stringing together two consecutive months without losing a day to debilitating intestinal pain, it was time to stop living entirely off my parents. I will be teaching the GRE for Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions. This is part time work, and how much work is available depends on student demand. I’ll find out how much of my costs this will reliably cover after I finish training. I may end up needing another job in tandem, but after being on my back for most of a year, this is an awfully heartening development.
Another heartening development — I sold a story to Asimov’s! It’s a hard-SF story titled “Adrift,” (I never was able to think up a better title for it than my working title. It’s kind of boring, but whatever.) and I haven’t yet been told when it will run. But when it does it will be my first publication that I can point at in a bookstore. I’m pretty excited about that.
My website is working again. Hello website.

Things Are Different

Eugene Fischer — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 00:50:41 +0000

The world today is a subtly changed place, full of mystery and curiosities. The tide of popular opinion waxes on strange shores:

Long familiar things have mutated into nearly unrecognizable forms:

But the most important change of the day? That would be this:

What? You don’t see it? Understandable. Look closer:

My friend and former roomie Ferrett‘s first pro sale, “Camera Obscured,” hit the stands today. I got to see the first draft of this story at Clarion, and was thrilled for him when it was bought by Asimov’s only a few months later. This makes Ferrett the first Clarion ’08er to crack one of the so-called “big three.” Asimov’s was the one my parents subscribed to when I was a kid, and thus retains a special, nostalgia-tinged place in my affections. Holding a copy of it that has a friend’s story inside is pretty exciting for me. Way to go, Ferrett!