"Shoe Factory" back issues...

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I just confirmed that you can order back issues of Interzone #231 from this URL:

http://ttapress.com/interzone/backissues/

Cost (at today's exchange rate) is $8.20, shipped. Paypal accepted.

In addition to "The Shoe Factory", the issue also includes 3 stories from Jason Sanford, as well as Aliette de Bodard's "The Shipmaker", which just made the short list for Best Short Story from the BSFA (British Science Fiction Association) as well as the US's Year's Best Science Fiction anthology. More info on Jason Sanford and Aliette de Bodard can be found at:

http://aliettedebodard.com/

http://www.jasonsanford.com/ (FYI: Jason's site is chock full of awesome writerly goodness, and should be read by *everyone* who creates (or wants to create) good stories, genre-based or not. It's kinda like a vast Hometown Buffet of literary criticism, tips on craft, and timely announcements about what's happening in the field - only instead of crappy pasta and wilted salad, everything that's laid out is fillet mignon and lobster tail. Oh, and the buffet is free. Seriously... go lose an hour or two poking around... now.)

Anyway - go get your copy of Interzone #213 while you can!

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Award Nomination: British Science Fiction Association

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Just learned that "The Shoe Factory" made the long list for "Best Short Story" for 2010 from the British Science Fiction Association. The entire long list can be found here:

http://vectoreditors.wordpress.com/2011/01/14/bsfa-nominees-so-far-best-short-fiction/

Scanning who I'm up against (Tanith Lee! Stephen Baxter! Bill Willingham! Aliette de Bodard! So many others!) I think my chances are... well... let's be polite and call them slim, but hope springs eternal, right? Either way, it's one hell of an honor to even be nominated, particularly considering that the story was, for all practical purposes, my first professional short-story sale.

PS - Yeah, I know they typo'd my name (they have me listed as Michael Cook...) - I dropped them a note asking them to change it.

Wish me luck, and if you're a member of the BSFA and liked the story, please feel free to second (or third... or fourth...) the nomination!

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R.I.P.: Pete Postlethwaite

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Just learned about the death of one of my all-time favorite actors, Pete Postlethwaite:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/8237109/Actor-Pete-Postlethwaite-dies-aged-64.html

I just saw Pete in what I think was his last role, the psychotic, calculating villain The Florist in Ben Aflack's The Town. He was also recently in the amazing Inception.

Goodbye, Pete - you will be sorely missed...

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Undercity - a film by Andrew Wonder

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Ran across this while doing research for a new story, and thought it was just too cool to keep to myself. Do yourself a favor and, instead of watching Two And a Half Men or whatever network drivel that might be tempting you, check this out instead.

Undercity - by Andrew Wonder:

http://www.vimeo.com/18280328

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Interzone #231 SPOTTED In The Wild...

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For everyone who's taken time to mail or call me to let me know that they can't find copies of Interzone #231 on store shelves: I just heard from Jason Sanford that copies have been spotted at Barnes and Noble as of Jan. 2. I also checked with Borders and learned that they do NOT stock the magazine, sorry. I'm also checking with the editors over at the magazine - apparently the TTA Press store site is not working properly and people have been having trouble direct-ordering copies right from the publisher.

Grrr...

Also, fresh reviews of the issue (including positive notes about my story, "The Shoe Factory") are up at SF Signal and Locus. URLs are listed below for the linked-challenged when this re-posts to Facebook:

http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2010/12/review-interzone-231/

http://www.locusmag.com/Reviews/2010/12/lois-tilton-reviews-short-fiction-mid-december/

Happy New Year to all my friends, family and fans!!!

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