Thursday, December 8, 2011

The Minion Master Lays Down the Word

.




Okay, so yesterday I wrote:



One of the Best of the Year editors contacted me yesterday to say that two of my stories were being picked up for this year's volume.
I won't specify which editor or which stories because these guys like to keep their lineups close to the vest until they're ready to issue a press release.

And shortly thereafter, Gardner emailed me:
I don't care if you tell people.
--Gardner
To which I replied:
No, no, no.  You're a proud man and quick to anger.  It would be worth my life to cross you in even the slightest way. 
Anonymous

And Gardner counter-replied:

I would send my dread and fell minions out against you!
--Gardner
The man has minions!  No wonder all of science fiction quakes at his slightest frown.

But, luckily, Gardner posted the following on Facebook today:
For those of you who are interested, here's the Table of Contents for my THE YEAR'S BEST SCIENCE FICTION, Twenty-Ninth Annual Collection:

THE CHOICE, Paul McAuley
SILENTLY AND VERY FAST, Catherynne M. Valente
THE MAN WHO BRIDGED THE MIST, Kij Johnson
THE ANTS OF FLANDERS, Robert Reed
A SOLDIER OF THE CITY, David Moles
THE INVASION OF VENUS, Stephen Baxter
LAIKA'S GHOST, Karl Schroeder
THE BEANCOUNTER'S CAT, Damien Broderick
THE VICAR OF MARS, Gwyneth Jones
DOLLY, Elizabeth Bear
MARTIAN HEART, John Barnes
ASCENSION DAY, Alastair Reynolds
THE SMELL OF ORANGE GROVES, Lavie Tidhar
AFTER THE APOCALYPSE, Maureen McHugh
A LONG WAY HOME, Jay Lake
WHAT WE FOUND, Gepff Ryman
THE INCREDIBLE EXPLODING MAN, Dave Hutchinson
THE COPENHAGEN INTERPRETATION, Paul Cornell 
THE WAY IT WORKS OUT AND ALL, Peter S. Beagle
THE DALA HORSE, Michael Swanwick
EARTH HOUR, Ken MacLeod
THE ICE OWL, Carolyn Ives Gilman
DIGITAL RITES, Jim Hawkins
CODY, Pat Cadigan
GHOSTWEIGHT, Yoon Ha Lee
A RESPONSE FROM EST17, Tom Purdom
DIGGING, Ian McDonald
A MILITANT PEACE, David Klecha & Tobias S. Bucknell
FOR I HAVE LAID ME DOWN ON THE STONE OF LONELINESS AND I'LL NOT BE BACK AGAIN, Michael Swanwick
THE IRON SHIRTS, Michael Flynn
THE BONELESS ONE, Alec Nevala-Lee
CANTERBURY HOLLOW, Chris Lawson
THE COLD STEP BEYOND, Ian R. Macleod
THE VORKUTA EVENT, Ken MacLeod
DYING YOUNG, Peter M. Ball
So it's probably safe to admit that two of my stories were picked up by Gardner Dozois for his best of the year volume.
But just to be safe, I'll be hiding in Undisclosed Subterranean Location with a year's supply of food and a surplus minion costume to help me escape any sudden attacks.  Just in case.
Above: Miss Helen Hope Mirrlees is not in the least impressed by any of this.
*
at

3 comments:

  1. Chad HullDecember 10, 2011 at 6:02 AM

    Two selections in one anthology doesn't seem to be the norm; congratulations. I loved The Dala Horse, but didn't really read it as science fiction. Perhaps this publication will help me broaden my concept of genre.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Michael SwanwickDecember 10, 2011 at 6:51 AM

    My own interpretation is that "The Dala Horse" is a science fiction story told in a fairytale voice. But, of course, once the story is published, the author loses control over how it's read.

    Science fiction is an astonishingly broad and accommodating genre. It contains multitudes. And Gardner's book is not a bad way to explore its variety.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousDecember 10, 2011 at 11:40 AM

    Gardner does double author entries with some regularity. It was the first time I'd encountered Lucius Shepard, Greg Egan and Ian R. MacLeod in print. Way back, he doubled up on Howard Waldrop in a much slimmer volume. Editor ne plus ultra.

    ReplyDelete