New Maps: Deindustrial Fiction

[ecosophia]

Regular readers of my blog will be familiar with my longtime interest in deindustrial fiction -- that is to say, fiction set in the kind of future we're actually going to get, in which declining resources, crumbling infrastructure, and the accelerating failure of the grand myth of perpetual progress take the place of the shoddy Tomorrowland kitsch that provides so many minds these days with their prefab thoughts. There aren't many venues that will publish stories of that kind -- it's long been a source of wry amusement to me that so many of those cultural venues that like to strut around claiming to be antinomian and transgressive are the first to run like rabbits back into the conventional wisdom the moment anybody proposes something that actually contradicts the conformist beliefs of our time. 

Joel Caris' fine quarterly Into the Ruins offered a venue for deindustrial SF for several years, but Joel has decided to go in new directions now. Fortunately, other hands are ready to pick up the work. 

Thus I'm pleased to announce the impending birth of a new quarterly magazine, New Maps, which will publish stories of deindustrial science fiction.  You can find its website here. Editor Nathanael Bonnell is eagerly seeking stories -- you can read his submissions requirements here -- and is also looking for cover art for the upcoming issues. This is a real opportunity for aspiring authors and artists -- and of course for anyone who likes to read science fiction rather than spaceship-themed fairy tales. Check it out. 

Comments

[ecosophia]

It's a typical getting off the ground rate. Short fiction these days pays very poorly, however, because the market's so small -- and not just for deindustrial SF. It's quite rare for any but the celebrity writers to make more than $100 on a short story.

[(Anonymous)]

Thanks.

BoysMom

[(Anonymous)]

You’ll have a publishing credit, though.

—Lady Cutekitten

[ecosophia]

It's also a chance to get feedback and work through the early stages of developing a personal style and vision.