tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674052026208516564.post7261795220657270332..comments2023-12-11T09:45:58.487+01:00Comments on Sense of Wonder: Interview with Marty Halpern, editor of Alien Contactodohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15843697797318896800noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674052026208516564.post-59472672909210012672012-05-07T10:35:41.380+02:002012-05-07T10:35:41.380+02:00The post on story order is extremely interesting. ...The post on story order is extremely interesting. I think that beginning the anthology with "The Tought War" and ending it with "Last Contact" was, indeed, an excellent choice.odohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15843697797318896800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674052026208516564.post-11023245805506646842012-05-07T10:31:43.868+02:002012-05-07T10:31:43.868+02:00I subscribe to a lot of magazines (Lightspeed, Cla...I subscribe to a lot of magazines (Lightspeed, Clarkesworld, Asimov's, F&SF, Fireside, Bullspec...) and I find it increasingly difficult to read them all... Thus, I also find reprint anthologies extremely useful (especially when the selection of stories is as good as in Alien Contact)odohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15843697797318896800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674052026208516564.post-25511726019147597912012-05-05T02:02:42.077+02:002012-05-05T02:02:42.077+02:00Hi, Cristina,
I'm glad you enjoyed the interv...Hi, Cristina,<br /><br />I'm glad you enjoyed the interview. It's always difficult to know what to say in response to a question: I want to provide an intelligent answer without boring the readers!<br /><br />As to my criteria for selecting a story, I don't have any kind of a list, if that's what you mean. As a fan of "alien contact" stories, I've had my favorites throughout the years, and when the Night Shade Books agreed to publish this anthology, I immediately went after those favorite stories. And a number of those fave stories were also by my favorite authors, as well (e.g. Pat Cadigan, Jeffrey Ford, and George Alec Effinger, to name only three). I had also requested suggestions for stories from readers of my blog, from the Usenet group rec.arts.sf.written, and from a number of authors whom I know personally. And then I just read stories, and read more stories, and reread a lot of those. I considered the type of alien contact in each story, the tone of each story, the point of view, the length, etc. You might like to read a guest blog post I did for The Mad Hatter's Book Review blog on how I put together the story order.<br />http://booktionary.blogspot.com/2011/12/guest-post-marty-halpern-gives-order-to.html<br /><br />All best,<br />Marty HalpernMarty Halpernhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01180395701141986711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674052026208516564.post-82049095626076805432012-05-05T01:47:53.390+02:002012-05-05T01:47:53.390+02:00Codony,
Thank you for your kind words. And I'...Codony,<br /><br />Thank you for your kind words. And I'm pleased to hear that Odo's review of <i>Alien Contact</i> was the motivation behind your wanting to read the book.<br /><br /><i>Witpunk</i> was published in 2003 by Four Walls Eight Windows, an independent press that is now defunct, but I have seen copies of the book available online. My co-editor and I hassled with the publisher over a subtitle for the book for at least three or more days until we finally came to an agreement. Then, when the book was published, Claude and I discovered that the publisher decided not to include the subtitle after all, on the suggestion of one of his marketing people. The subtitle should have read: "Stories with Attitude."<br /><br />On your last point, I used to subscribe to nearly every major science fiction and fantasy magazine, and would read them cover to cover each month -- but it became too overwhelming. I would spend all of my reading time on magazines and never had time for novels. Now, of course, with my editing responsibility, I rarely have time to read stories <i>or</i> novels for pleasure: everything is work, work, work! Reprint anthologies, like <i>Alien Contact</i>, have become popular simply because readers can't afford all the magazines, or don't have time to read all the magazines, etc. -- and the editors do a lot of the upfront work for you by selecting some of the best stories.<br /><br />Cheers,<br />Marty HalpernMarty Halpernhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01180395701141986711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674052026208516564.post-32951264142122210852012-05-04T23:00:39.472+02:002012-05-04T23:00:39.472+02:00Thanks! Glad you liked the interview!Thanks! Glad you liked the interview!odohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15843697797318896800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674052026208516564.post-51312229463723083362012-05-03T09:57:51.472+02:002012-05-03T09:57:51.472+02:00Great interview and one of the best that I have re...Great interview and one of the best that I have read lately. I would like to ask Mr. Alpern what were the criteria to include a story in the anthology? Thanks for all the hard work in favor os sci-fi!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674052026208516564.post-40759229351508599862012-05-03T09:28:07.714+02:002012-05-03T09:28:07.714+02:00Really, a very interesting interview.
Thanks Odo,...Really, a very interesting interview.<br /><br />Thanks Odo, for me your blog has become one of the cornerstones of science fiction current status in our country. And thank you, of course, to Mr. Alpern for giving such interesting answers.<br /><br />I haven't read the anthology yet, though it is in my to-be-read list (thanks to Odo's review, I must say) and I hope to get to it soon. I wasn't aware of your blogging experience regarding this book, so I'll make sure to follow your advice and read each post before the corresponding story. Also, this is the first time I hear of Witpunk. That sounds funny, I'll try to find a copy :-)<br /><br />I'm not really good reading short fiction on a current basis (that is, following their publication in magazines), though I love the format. Anthologies (be it reprints or original publications), on the other hand, are really convenient for me. I think that editors devoted to the compilation and edition of anthologies do a really important job.<br /><br />So, congratulations to the both of you :-)qdonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16260195277393988193noreply@blogger.com