Interzone, February 2008
It’s a sad fact that there really aren’t enough hours in the day and, in ramping-up our coverage of the best sci-fi and fantasy on the printed page, it’s inevitable that we can’t read everything but also, some of the stuff we’d like to read just slips through the cracks.
And so it was that I found myself reaching for a pile of Interzone magazines that, to my shame, have been lying neglected for a few months. After quickly shuffling them into date order (yes, I know…) I settled down with a giant mug of coffee and a packet of Yum Yum’s to read the February 2008 issue.
For the uninitiated, Interzone was launched by David Pringle in 1982 and has published short stories by a huge number of the big names in the genre including Brian Aldiss, JG Ballard, Ian Watson and Gene Wolfe. But the magazine’s real strength has been in spotting and nurturing new talent. Without doubt, Interzone has launched the careers of a great many sci-fi and fantasy writers.
The list of Interzone alumni reads like a who’s who of the field but includes such luminaries as:
Sarah Ash, Stephen Baxter, Stephen Blanchard, Michael Blumlein, Scott Bradfield, Keith Brooke, Eric Brown, Molly Brown, Christopher Burns, Richard Calder, Paul Di Filippo, Greg Egan, Neil Ferguson, Nicola Griffith, Simon Ings, Ben Jeapes, Richard Kadrey, Paul J. McAuley, Ian R MacLeod, Kim Newman, Nicholas Royle, Geoff Ryman, Sylvia M Siddall, Charles Stross, Michael Moorcock, Bruce Sterling, William Gibson, M. John Harrison, Iain M Banks, Alastair Reynolds, Harlan Ellison, Gwyneth Jones, Jonathan Lethem, Rachel Pollack, Jon Courtenay Grimwood, John Brunner, Paul McAuley, Christopher Priest…
Without doubt, the world of sci-fi, and British sci-fi in particular, owes Interzone a great deal.
And so to this issue.
The magazine kicks off with an interview with Iain M. Banks talking about ‘Matter’, his most recent novel of The Culture. Then onto Jason Stoddard’s excellent novella ‘Far Horizon’, for which the gorgeous cover art, by Paul Drummond, was produced. If you’re reading this Mr Cox, how about making some posters available…..
This is followed by ‘Pseudo Tokyo’ by Jennifer Linnaea (illustrated by Darren Winter) and ‘The Trace of Him’ by Christopher Priest, followed by the James White Award-winning story ‘The Faces of My Friends’ by Jennifer Harwood-Smith and then tying things up nicely with ‘The Scent of Their Arrival’ by winner of the last IZ Readers’ Poll, Mercurio D. Rivera (illustrated by Paul Drummond).
As if that wasn’t enough, all the usual features are here, including reviews of books, movies, DVDs, film, TV – even manga!
TTA Press and the redoubtable Andy Cox took over publication of Interzone from David Pringle in 2005, guiding it steadily to where, more than 200 issues later, it now celebrates its 25th year. Often found on the awards shortlists, Interzone has won both the Hugo and British Fantasy Awards.
Interzone is published bi-monthly, in colour, by TTA Press and continues to introduce some of the world’s finest writers and most talented newcomers. Subscriptions are available direct, online. Visit the website for information, news, extra stories and downloadable novels.
Greg Egan, one of the magazine’s most popular, and most frequent, contributors, has compiled a complete index covering the entire back catalogue of Interzone.