by Neil Clarke
In 2013, David Bowie was inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, the first musician to be granted that honor. It had been 44 years since the release of “Space Oddity,” which crystallized the alchemy between science fiction and popular music. A few weeks after Bowie’s death earlier this year, Paul Kantner of Jefferson Airplane died; his 1970 solo record Blows Against the Empire, a science fiction concept album partly inspired by Robert A. Heinlein’s Methuselah’s Children (with Heinlein’s blessing), became the first and only rock album nominated for a Hugo Award in the Best Dramatic Presentation category.
The recognition of SFF music still has a long way to go—but thankfully, recognition isn’t what fuels most of the writers and musicians who continue to carve out the liminal space between SFF and music. Or those of us who grew up with their nose in fantasy novels and their ears glued to science fiction songs on the radio. Pop culture gave us rock stars; SFF gave us strange stars.
About the Author
Jason Heller is a former nonfiction editor of Clarkesworld; as part of the magazine’s 2012 editorial team, he received a Hugo Award. He is also the author of the alt-history novel Taft 2012 (Quirk Books) and a Senior Writer for The Onion’s pop-culture site, The A.V. Club. His short fiction has appeared in Apex Magazine, Sybil’s Garage, Farrago’s Wainscot, and others, and his SFF-related reviews and essays have been published in Weird Tales, Entertainment Weekly NPR.org, Tor.com, and Ann and Jeff VanderMeer’s The Time Traveler’s Almanac (Tor Books). He lives in Denver with this wife Angie.
Editor’s Desk:
Stress Relief
Neil Clarke
One of the things I do to get some downtime is play video games and for almost two years I have spent a lot of time playing Bungie’s Destiny on the Xbox One with Sean and Kate. The game’s latest update came out last month and it was particularly well-timed. We’ve spent a lot of hours trying out the new features and fighting our way towards higher light levels. As we battle aliens, rescue Russian AIs, and run over one another with sparrows—they are like the speeder bikes in Return of the Jedi—we often talk about Clarkesworld stuff. Even when I’m trying to relax, this place comes with me . . . that’s not a complaint, though!
We’ve had all sorts of things to talk about last month:
2015 BSFA Award for Best Short Story went to “Three Cups of Grief, By Starlight” by Aliette de Bodard (Clarkesworld #100, January 2015)
The 2015 Theodore A. Sturgeon Memorial Award Finalists were announced and included, “The Three Resurrections of Jessica Churchill” by Kelly Robson (Clarkesworld #101, February 2015)
The Nebula Award Weekend is this month—Kate and I will be there—and three Clarkesworld stories are in the running for Best Short Story: “Cat Pictures Please” by Naomi Kritzer (Clarkesworld #100, January 2015), “When Your Child Strays From God” by Sam J. Miller (Clarkesworld #106, July 2015), “Today I Am Paul” by Martin L. Shoemaker (Clarkesworld #107, August 2015)
Disney: pro, con, or cruise?
How a Destiny anthology is becoming a mini dream project
And my stressing out over editing the Nebula Award issue of The SFWA Bulletin.
We also spent a lot of time talking about the Hugo Awards. That said, I have no desire to fuel the fires of controversy that once again swirl around the process and some of the nominees. I’ve seen more than enough to last me. However I do want to say that I’m thrilled to be a finalist for Best Editor Short Form for the fourth time. It means a lot to me that I accomplished this without the real or imagined assistance of a special list or slate. It leaves me with no doubt that my readers put me on this ballot for nothing more than the work I’ve done here and at Forever Magazine. And for that, and your nomination, I thank you. I am proud to represent the stories we published last year.
A special thank you also goes to Bungie for providing me with a valuable stress-relieving tool. It’s been particularly handy this month, as perhaps my kill volume and 335 light level can readily attest to.
So, do any of you play?
About the Author
Neil Clarke is the editor of Clarkesworld Magazine, Forever Magazine, and Upgraded; owner of Wyrm Publishing; and a four-time Hugo Award Nominee for Best Editor (short form). The innagural edition of his Best Science Fiction of the Year anthology series will be published by Night Shade Books this June. He currently lives in NJ with his wife and two children.
Cover Art:
Ananiel, Angel of Storms
Peter Mohrbacher
About the Artist
Peter Mohrbacher is an independent illustrator and concept artist living in the Chicago area.