REVIEW: “One of the rare collections that keeps the reader hungrier with every passing story.”

“These stories represent both the importance of games and the people that play and create them. They are all labyrinths, the stories and the games, and they act as mazes that we never intend to escape from. Collections are fickle beasts to tame, there is an overwhelming fear that one story will outweigh the rest and spoil the reader, and a greater fear of that one story that may leave a sour taste in your mouth. Press Play to Start is one of the rare collections that keeps the reader hungrier with every passing story. One might question why we even need a collection like this, or if Cline’s like revolution of videogame stories is simply a fad waiting to pass like the Dreamcast. And another would counter that, this collection should not and will not be sectioned off as a mere collection of nerdy stories; it is an utter and visceral look at our humanity, a reflection of us as both Bowser and Mario.” —Stymie [review]

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NEWS: Nebula Awards Nomination Period Now Open + Free Stuff for SFWA Members

This year’s Nebula Awards nomination period is now open.

From November 15 to February 15, Active and Associate SFWA members may submit nominations for the Nebula Awards. Nominations may be submitted through the online ballot, available here. For more information, visit SFWA’s How to Vote page.

To assist you in finding material to nominate, I’ve assembled this post to list everything that I worked on in 2015.

  • Most of Lightspeed‘s original fiction from 2015 is available online (and also much of the 2015 original fiction is available as a podcast). If you are a SFWA member, you can also download an ebook (epub/mobi/pdf) compilation of all 2015’s original material from the SFWA forums.
  • Most of Nightmare‘s original fiction from 2015 is available online (and also much of the 2015 original fiction is available as a podcast). If you are a SFWA member, you can also download an ebook (epub/mobi/pdf) compilation of all 2015’s original material from the SFWA forums.
  • Selected stories from Fantasy’s Queers Destroy Fantasy! Special Issue are available online. If you are a SFWA member, you can also download an ebook (epub/mobi/pdf) of the special issue. (Queers Destroy Science Fiction! and Queers Destroy Horror! are included in the aforementioned Lightspeed and Nightmare compilations, respectively.)
  • Selected stories from The End Has Come are available online. If you are a SFWA member, you can also download an ebook (epub/mobi/pdf) of the anthology.
  • Selected stories from Press Start to Play are available online. If you are a SFWA member, you can also download all of the original stories from the anthology in doc/rtf format.
  • Selected stories from Operation Arcana are available online. If you are a SFWA member, you can also download an ebook (epub/mobi/pdf) of the anthology.

After the jump, you’ll find lists of all of the 2015 eligible stories/authors that either appeared in Lightspeed or Nightmare, or in projects I’m otherwise affiliated with. (more…)

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NEWS: Vox.com Presents the Top 5 SF/F Short Stories of All-Time, Selected by BASFF 2015 Editors

“For the first time ever, the renowned Best American series of anthologies has published a collection of the country’s best science fiction and fantasy stories. Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy is a terrific book, filled with 20 stories that filter very basic questions about humanity — how do men and women relate to each other? how are we being changed by our technology? what is the relationship between oppressor and oppressed? — through the filters of other genres and even other worlds.” —Vox.com, on BASFF 2015

Clickthrough to see the list of our top ten stories, including discussion about each selection. [article]

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REVIEW: “An exemplary list of the year’s best short fiction.” —SF Signal, on BASFF 2015

“An exemplary list of the year’s best short fiction […] The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2015 ultimately brings together an impressive collection of authors exploring a wide range of characters, ideas, and worlds. If you’re a fan of John Joseph Adams and his tendency to lean towards unique, character driven stories, then you’ll certainly enjoy The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2015.” —SF Signal, on BASFF 2015

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