Editorial

The result is the following conversation between two webzine editors, culled from a series of emails traded between February 7 and February 16. We hope our visitors and contributors will find useful information about how webzines are run, what goes into our choices for stories, and our opinions about writing and the Internet in general. Enjoy!

Doyle: Martin, do you consider yourself a writer or editor first?

Martin: Funny you should ask that one first, because I think it's a struggle for website editors that put up their own material like I do. I suppose from Demensions' standpoint, I'm editor first. However, personally, I like to think of myself as a writer first. Or perhaps "dreamer" is the better "first job." I say that because I don't think I write nearly half the stuff I come up with.

So, Doyle, why did you decide to start a webzine, ezine, or ... hey! what is the right term, anyway? And why did you decide to focus on fantasy rather than science fiction, or both?

Doyle: At first "The Worlds of Fantasy" (TWoF) was more of a place for me to store all my favorite links. Then I got this weird idea: Why not spend a little time with it and see where it might lead. Now it's been three years and TWoF has steadily grown. But into what I really don't know? The only thing I do know is that TWoF has about hit its limit size wise. It's starting to get too big to manage alone.

As far as content, I'm going to spend more time upgrading what I already have. Maybe add a few book reviews, that "Enterview" section we talked about, and some articles.

The Worlds of Fantasy title fit my definition of what I think "speculative fiction" is. Everything within the specific boundaries being a form of fantasy in one form or another. I suppose you classify all fiction that way. And I know a lot of people wouldn't agree with that. Because we live in a world that likes to separate everything and then stamp labels on it. There's nothing wrong with that. I'd surely get pissed if someone decided to take the label off twinkies and just called them snack-cakes. It wouldn't work.

But for me I don't need that kind of separation when it comes to "speculative fiction." I'm an avid reader of many different genres and just because a publisher has decided it would make more money to put sf on it rather than fantasy, so what. The readers know different. But I'm glad they do lable books this way, I'd hate to walk into a Barnes & Noble bookstore and see nothing labeled.

I'm just wondering when even those lines will blur, and publishers decide to label sf books in the mainstream because it will make more money. Michael Crichton is a good example of this. Many of his books are speculative in nature. But look at where they place his books on the shelves.

For me I don't care how publishers label it. It's all fantasy to me. King, Jordan, Asimov, Clark, Brooks, Le Guin, Bradbury, Card, they all write fantasy. If someone needs to call it science fiction, horror, fantasy, cyberpunk, to separate the genres, great! Let them enjoy themselves! But for TWoF it all falls under the boundaries of fantasy.

So in a round-about way I hope that answers the question about why I focused on fantasy rather than science fiction, or both.

And the right term for e-zine or webzine; I don't know? I guess the best choice is to call it what you want.

Your turn, Martin. If Demensions were to be around ten years from know, how would you visualize it?

Martin: First of all, it would be really cool to be able to look back from the Fall of 2009 and say, hey! we've been here a decade. I'm not necessarily doubting that it'll be around, but the Web is such a fast-changing place that there's no telling what might happen.

But if it were, I would love to see Demensions truly fulfill its promise to be THE place where new, untried, but wonderfully talented science fiction and fantasy authors can get their stuff out there. And be paid for it. Right now, Demensions is a non-paying market and - and this is not a slam - is hosted by a company that really restricts our advertising potential. In order to pay our authors, we would have to move to commercial web hosting, start bringing in advertising dollars, etc. At the same time, I don't want to weigh down the site with lots of ads, banners, and the like. Even I, as someone who wants to make some kind of living on the 'Net, do not want advertising to detract from what the site is all about: the stories.

Your question really goes beyond this, though. Visualizing Demensions in another 9-1/2 years means having to think about how the technology will be working then. Advancements are coming so quickly. Could Demensions become, literally, a virtual science fiction and fantasy world, where visitors can pick a "book" off a "shelf" and read the stories as if they were holding the real thing? Technology is already moving us toward the point where we can hold live chats on top of web pages (see what Microsoft's doing with Office 2000, for example). This could allow people to read one of our stories, and start chatting away in real time about the story with other readers, as well as the authors. Or perhaps we would move to a more multimedia platform where instead of reading the printed word, you'd be hearing our stories, read by the authors (or someone of their choosing). There are so many possibilities, that it's hard to pinpoint one exact thing that Demensions might be like by 2009.

So, what will Demensions be like in 10 years. I have no idea. But if it is around I know that Demensions will continue to be a launching pad for writers that might not otherwise have gotten a break.

Doyle, you might be interviewing me, and I appreciate that, but since the tables are turned ... if there were one author you would want to interview for TWoF, who would it be and why?

Doyle: Now that's a question. If he was still alive, It would have to be Isaac Asimov. Now that may sound weird coming from someone who loves sword & sorcery and high fantasy, but I don't think a conversation with let's say, Robert Jordan or Michael Moorcock would be half as interesting or entertaining as talking to a man that seemed to know a lot about everything.

And that's strange considering I've only read two of his novels (though I plan to read a lot more). But I've read a lot of his non-fiction. And just the other day at a garage sale, I found an old non-fiction book of his titled, "The Genetic Code." The neat thing about it, is that it's signed. I spent a whole dime on it. I also found a nice copy of Theodore Sturgeon's, "The Synthetic Man." Another dime well spent.

My next question to you is: What are some of the most common reasons why you reject a story, besides terrible writing?

Martin: Interesting you bring up Isaac Asimov. Younger readers (and even some older ones) may not have realized two things about him. One: That he was born in Russia. Two: That he was one of the founding members of MENSA (the "high-IQ society"). My father met him once at a function and related some rather ... shall we say, unfortunate ... stories about Mr. Asimov. Let's just say he was quite fond of the girls as well as constantly using some rather blushing language.

All that aside (after all, the personality of a writer really isn't as important as the work they produce), I would have to agree with you on him as one of my first choices. And Robert Jordan (I did meet him once -- and he signed a copy of "A Crown of Swords" for me). However, I think my ultimate would have to be J.R.R. Tolkien. While Jordan's certainly proved himself a master of what I like to call "world-creation," where a writer has a fully realized concept of the world their writing about, Tolkien was the first to do so on such a high level. I think his insights to the creative process using the written word would be superb!

The only reasons I currently reject a story submitted to Demensions are: 1) The person is not submitting a mainstream science fiction or fantasy story. While Demensions does use stories that we like to call "Stories Between Demensions," some of the material we've received since last Fall clearly falls into the Horror category. 2) The person obviously hasn't read one of the most important things about our guidelines - the use of foul language. While we also have restrictions on sexual content (and, as evidenced by my rejection of Horror, explicit violence), I've actually had more trouble with authors submitting material with foul language (and I'm talking very explicit) laced all through it. I do try to edit them - using other words that convey nearly the same meaning, although I admit that can water-down the emotional impact. But I have actually, flatly rejected a couple of stories because of this.

Let's see ... a new question for you: What's the worst published story/book you've ever read? (Hint to potential authors: DON'T submit one like this!)

Doyle: Tolkien would have definitely been in my top five for an interview. The Hobbit being one of my favorite books. I'd also would have liked to interview Mr. H.P. Lovecraft just to see how abnormal he was.

As far as the worst book I ever read, Orson G. Wells's 1984 tops the list. Too depressing. I almost failed my 9th Grade English because I had a hard time choking down this one. It might be a classic and dealt with all kinds of issues but it's not my kind of mind candy. Now Animal Farm I enjoyed.

Martin, If Demensions was a high profile magazine like Weird Tales or Fantasy & Science Fiction, what writer living today would you love to see submit a story? Then reject (only kidding!) :-)

Martin: Interesting answer about "1984." I agree it's too depressing; but then Wells was trying to knock people over the head with social commentary, if you ask me. As for the worst book I ever read: Stephen R. Donaldson's "Gap" series. They are absolutely one of the filthiest series of books I've ever tried to read. Oddly enough, I absolutely love the Thomas Covenant series (both), even though the main character was rather depraved. But the "Gap" books ... my word, the foulness of them is incredible. I can't imagine what possessed the man to write them.

Demensions as a high-profile magazine and who would I want to be in it? Probably Anne McCaffrey. She's one of my favorites, does a nice job with genre-twisting (how many people really realize that the "Pern" series is sci-fi and not fantasy?), and does a good job with either short stories or novels.

Doyle, if TWoF could take a classic fantasy story (any length) and rewrite and republish it, what story would you chose to re-do and why?

Doyle: I've never read any of Anne McCaffrey's books and with so many people telling me that they are good, I think I'm going to have to finally break down and give them a try.

I would like to take Karl Edward Wagner's short story, "Sticks" (a great piece of work) and expand that into a full novel. Maybe even a series of books. I just think this story is aching to tell a lot more. It is a forbidden knowledge piece that is weaved around an interesting mystery. Basically, you have these strange, weird artifacts, and drawings, a cult who likes to keep its secrets; and these crazy looking megalithic structures found under the earth in upstate New York; a bizarre latticework of sticks that stretch for miles over the landscape and seem to suggest a 'pentagram' of some sort. And an ending that leaves things wide-open for another story or two, depending on how you work it.

Last question, Martin: If you have any advice you would like to share with other aspiring editors and writers, much like ourselves, what would it be?

Martin: That's very interesting about "Sticks."" While I consider myself fairly well read, I've never even heard of Wagner or "Sticks." Personally, the one story I'd love to do a rewrite on (or maybe add to) is Carl Sagan's "Contact." To be honest, I saw the movie first and enjoyed it immensely. When I read the book later on, I realized that there were elements that were separate to the book or the movie that I wish had been used in both. There are two things about the book that the movie lacked: 1) All the other "astronauts" that were supposed to go on the journey with the main character (in the movie, Jodie Foster's the only one who goes). 2) The revelation of a "god-code" within PI (the mathematical symbol/number). This is completely skipped over in the movie.

However, I liked two things about the movie: 1) The "all-rolled-up-in-one" character played by Matthew McCanaughay (sp.) (in the book, this is three separate characters). The interplay between these two main characters in the movie was more powerful, I thought, than the relationships portrayed in the book. 2) The use of the main character's search for her father through astronomy (in the book, the main character's relationship with her parents [note that's plural] may be more complex, but nowhere near's as satisfying).

My final answer ("No, Regis, no, get away! Get away!): Advice for writers/editors? Assuming you mean people like us that are one and the same, I would say my one piece of advice is to get out there and just do it! Don't think about writing, write! Don't think about editing a website, do it! While it's hard when you're working a regular 9 to 5 job like I do (and I'm sure you do, too, Doyle), you just have to do it. (Now look what I've done -- I have to go and practice what I preach. Arrgghh!)

Thanks for the interview/conversation, Doyle. I really enjoyed it.