Linkdump

Various stuffs out there:

*The new issue of Strange Horizons has been posted, with a column I wrote about the impulse to collect things.

*It struck me recently that a lot of the small-press 'zines have plenty of fiction by women in them, but most of the major magazines don't. F&SF, for instance, has published three issues this year where all of the fiction is by men. In search of other people's opinions on this subject, I came across Sue Linville's SF & Fantasy in the New Millennium: Women Publishing Short Fiction, an article with data from the late '90s and early '00s. (For what it's worth, I don't think this is a case of simple prejudice; there are too many other factors involved. The unfortunate effect of the male dominance, regardless of whatever various reasons lie behind it, is that it makes the magazines appear to be men's clubs.) [Update 7/5/05: Please read the discussion in the comments section.]

*My sensitivity to the above might be explained by the fact that I just read Justine Larbelestier's The Battle of the Sexes and Science Fiction, an extraordinary book. It's worth reading just for the chapter including fan letters. But there are excellent analyses and arguments throughout, and a marvelously dry wit behind the prose.

*There's a group interview of China Mieville over at Long Sunday. Good stuff -- a mix of both erudition and goofiness. And it's only Part 1. (By the way, you do know that China has a short story collection coming out at the end of August, don't you? It includes some new stories, some popular stories ["The Tain", etc.], and even a graphic story with illustrations by Liam Sharp.)

*Wage Earners and Work: Pulp Science Fiction as Vernacular Theory

*Alan DeNiro has been writing some marvelous posts at his Goblin Mercantile Exchange, with at least one that is required reading for all science fiction fans. And everybody else.

*Frank J. Oteri asks, "How can you possibly have your mind open to a brand new piece of music if the only music you'll allow into your life is music that you already like?"

*At TEV, Daniel Olivas has a guest review of The People of Paper by Salvador Plascencia, a book I happened to look at at a bookstore today, and which I nearly bought, except I am currently trying to force myself not to buy any books other than required texts for grad school (yes, this post is me procrastinating doing reading for classes tomorrow. Not that I have anything against articles about working class popular culture in 19th century London.)

*John Crowley's new book, Lord Byron's Novel : The Evening Land, is the best novel of the year so far, even though it's [link removed: LiveJournal entry has been locked]. Thus, it's a a worthy read that will will leave your mind buzzing, which is astounding and miraculous for a book about Byron that is not Byronic.

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