Although on-line reviews of SF are of course commonplace (along with on-line rants, blogs, predictions, fights, libel, and actual stories), yesterday I received an email that represents a new development. New to me, at least, although no one would ever cite me as Internet-forward. Rich Horton, who already edits one of the four annual Best of the Year print anthologies, is starting an annual "best of SF published on-line." He asked for my story "First Rites," which appeared on Jim Baen's Universe.
This is interesting to me because it marks yet another move toward the Internet supplementing print publishing -- and possibly replacing it, eventually, especially for short stories. The best of those stories would probably then be collected in print anthologies or collections. However, not all published stories are very good (and I definitely include some of my own in that class). Those which are not good, which previously had a prolonged existence only in yellowing magazines mouldering in basements, would attain a sort of immortality on the Internet, while the good ones would continue in both forms.
I'm not sure yet how Rich Horton's anthology is financed, bought, or expected to yield a profit, but I intend to find out. It's an interesting development for SF.
3 comments:
Hi Nancy,
Mr. Horton's internet anthology is being published by Wyrm Publishing, the specialty press run by Neil Clarke (Clarkesworld Magazine). He has published much yet, but it looks like there is a bunch of stuff in the works.
So, it still falls under a traditional small press publishing model.
Thank you, Joe. Do you mean the anthology will appear in print? I thought it would only be on-line. The contracts haven't yet arrived with particulars.
I guess I'm assuming print publication because of the specification of Wyrm Publishing. Neil does online publishing for his magazine, but from what i've been able to find out over the last few years it does look like he is building a specialty press. An online publication of the anthology doesn't seem to fit into what I see Wyrm doing.
I may be very much wrong about this, of course. When I heard about it I assumed a print publication of anthology comprised of fiction published online.
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