Attention readers
DMZ · July 31, 2008 at 8:09 pm · Filed Under Mariners
Please proceed in an orderly fashion to your nearest bookstore, newsstand, or magazine-carrying outlet and purchase a copy of Asimov’s. It’s one of those science-fiction digests the size of a trade paperback but a lot thinner. That is all.
gosh, would that be the issue with Derek Zumsteg’s tonally consistent and compelling “Usurpers�
Asimov was brilliant. His knowledge of the scientific world was only matched by his knowledge of the English language. Any man who writes over 500 books in his life is clearly exceedingly creative.
I believe the award for “Best Series Ever” that was given to his Foundation Trilogy was completely warranted.
Rest In Peace, you mutton-chopped genius!
Seriously goddam delighted for you, sir.
Oh, good God, I almost forgot: Congratulations!
Oooh, someone got something out of Clarion!
Well done, Derek. Congratulations!
Sweet! I haven’t picked up Asimov’s in far too long!
“Any man who writes over 500 books in his life is clearly exceedingly creative.”
Be careful what you’re saying. Volume alone is no way to account for a writer”s worth.
Barbara Cartland wasn’t a man, but she published 723 titles in her lifetime. All were shit.
Joyce, on the other hand, wrote three novels, and he wasn’t exactly a scrub.
Congrats Derek! That’s quite an accomplishment, sir 🙂
Wow, published author. Congratulations to your achievement!
I think Derek was already a published author, but this is still a fine achievement.
Apparently the “buy the book” ad isn’t big enough.
Why bust on Barbara Cartland? Have you ever actually read any of her books?
I understand if romance isn’t your genre (it isn’t usually mine), but there are some great writers who write romance fiction.
Congratulations Derek.
Congratulations Derek! Geek Heaven! Wow, being published in Asimov.. talk about teenage wish fulfillment.
Hey Derek, when you’re approached to sell the movie rights, remember:
It’s all about the merchandising baby.
Don’t settle for less than 30 percent.
Joyce, on the other hand, wrote three novels, and he wasn’t exactly a scrub.
True enough. Joyce was a well over Replacement Level writer, and his makeup was “off the charts,” as the literary critics like to say.
I need to check to see if the mag I just received in the mail was Asimov’s or Fantasy and SF. One of my subscriptions just ran out and I can’t remember which it is.
I’m not sure exactly how to respond to that, but I hope you’re not implying that scifi = teenagers.
Itea
I was just picking on the late Ms. Cartland as an example of a writer known for quantity not quality, because I think it foolish to assert that writing lots and lots of books automatically makes one a great writer.
And my snark is quite unfair because I have read not a single book by Barbara Cartland (but she once walked past me in the lobby of the House of Commons, queenly and resplendant in pink. She looked like a slightly more camp Quentin Crisp).
hey, Cartland broke new ground in the utilization of the elipses.
oh, how could such a thing be?
Foundation is great.
Speculative fiction is a good term.
DMZ
I think
just means that you’ve probably wanted to do something like this since you were a teenager and it’s awesome you’re living out such a long held fantasy. I don’t think KeyMaster is saying SF is “just for teenagers”- because lord knows it hasn’t been since about 1965.
Way to live the dream. Go ahead and high-five your 14 year old self, he’s super impressed.
BrianV
“Foundation is great.”
Are you talking about Barbara too?! She was famously fond of heavy makeup.
Congratulations! Breaking into a magazine like Asimov’s is no easy feat. Now get to work on the next one!
That’s what they called it when I was at University. Speculative Fiction I was Science Fiction. Speculative Fiction II was Fantasy. I took them both (in reverse order, for some reason).
Congrats on publishing your fiction, Derek. I do pick up Asimov’s on occasion, but I will certainly grab this one.
Barbara Cartland wrote a story for Asimov’s when Derek was a teenager? This thread is getting confusing.
man, it was good.
Well, apparently she did participate in some early aviation research. According to Wikipedia:
As I recall, the troop-carrying gliders were about as successful as a typical Batista start is these days, but hey, who’s counting.
But seriously, congratulations Derek. It might be that getting published in the leading mag for a field is harder than getting a book deal these days.
Congrats, DMZ.
congratulations Derek,
Like many others, I attempted to crack that particular market for many years without success. It’s a major big deal that you did.
-Jonathan Laden
Can someone tell me what those big words say?
In all seriousness, although this wouldn’t be on my typical reading list, I might have to go grab a copy. I’m assuming that since it’s short fiction, there won’t be an entire chapter dedicated to Gaylord Perry…?
Congrats Derek!
That’s awesome.
And I don’t meant that in the sarcastic way Dave sometimes uses.
Okay, I just wandered over to the same bookstore where I purchased Cheater’s Guide and secured my copy. While (coincidentally) wearing my Ichiro! t-shirt.
Attention potential advertisers: this completes my transformation into a highly-suggestible USSM fanboy. I will now click on any tastefully-rendered ads in the sidebar and strongly consider purchasing your excellent goods and services.
Mike Snow #11. If you were commenting on my compliment, I meant in that format (Asimov’s) if that’s the correct word to use. Incompletely expressed thought, a serious compliment, it’s nice to see people succeed and have their work recognized, especially artists, writers.
I didn’t doubt the sincerity of the compliment, I just thought it would be appropriate to recognize that this is not a one-off achievement.
Same for me … I pretty much stopped reading SF after high school (doesn’t mean that I stopped liking it, rather I discovered other things to read). But the review that Post 1 links to was great, telling the reader what was going on in the stories and describing strengths and weaknesses without spoiling the plot — made me really want to go out and read them.
Now I have to find a place that sells Asimov’s; the outstanding newstand in Pasadena closed several months ago, I’ll have to try the bookstore across the street (which is an outstanding independent bookstore but has a mediocre newstand).
Re: Cartland vs Joyce. Counting books published is a little like using batting average to measure offensive contribution. Joyce did the equivalent of three times hitting walk-off grand slams in the bottom of the 9th in Game 7 of three World Series. I’m tempted to say that Cartland hit 723 meaningless singles but since I’ve never read her I can’t say that.
Cool, I did in fact already have this. It was next on my reading list.
Now in stock at the Crossroads B&N in Bellevue WA.
Thanks. It’s not carried at my local bookstore. Do Barnes & Noble or Borders carry it? On their websites they sell subscriptions but they don’t say if their stores carry single issues.
B&N was my shorthand for Barnes and Noble.
Got it, I was thinking that it refered to a place called “Crossroads Books & News” or some such. I’ll take a look at my local “B&N”.