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Interview: Ken Liu (FISH)

April 27, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Name: Ken Liu

Age: 36

Author of: “How Do You Know If a Fish Is Happy?”

Current Geographic Location: Massachusetts, near Boston.

Original Hometown, if different: Lanzhou, China

Twitter: @kyliu99

Website: http://kenliu.name

Recent publications:

  • “A Brief History of the Trans-Pacific Tunnel” — The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Jan/Feb 2013.
  • “Good Hunting” — Strange Horizons, October 2012.
  • “The Waves” — Asimov’s Science Fiction, December 2012 (Nebula nominee)
  • “The Bookmaking Habits of Select Species” — Lightspeed, Issue 27, August 7, 2012 (Nebula nominee)
  • “All the Flavors” — GigaNotoSaurus, February 2012 (Nebula nominee)

Which zodiac sign where you born under? Ophiuchus / Dragon

If a magic fish granted you one wish, what would it be? FTL travel.

What inspired your story? I’ve always wanted to write a story based on the legend that a carp jumping over the Dragon’s Gate will become a dragon. A sci-fi setting seemed perfect.

Did you listen to music while writing it? No. I can’t listen to music and write at the same time.

How many rewrites did you do before submitting? One. A very extensive one.

What is your favorite bit?

“I believe that Freddy is my friend, and that makes all the difference.”

Want to read the rest?

Get the ePub (for nook and other readers) here and mobi (perfect for your Kindle) here. Only $4.99 each, instant downloads.

You can also get FISH as an ebook through Barnes & Noble, Amazon, or Kobo.

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Interview: A.D. Spencer (FISH)

April 25, 2013 By Leave a Comment

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Name: A.D. Spencer

Age: 24

Author of: “Fish Tears”

Current Geographic Location: Belgreen, Alabama

Twitter: @AriyanaSpencer

Website: http://busyprocrastinator.blogspot.com/

Recent publications: ”Carnivores,” published in Menial: Skilled Labor in Science Fiction by Crossed Genres, “(Retro)Causality and Effect,” published in Vol 2 Issue 3 of Penumbra eMag, and “On the Unlawful Events Taking Place at Outcast’s Last,” available at Wily Writers Audible Fiction.

Which zodiac sign were you born under? I’m an Aries, born in the year of the Rabbit. Some would say this explains my temperament.

If a magic fish granted you one wish, what would it be? Since underwater reading material is rare, I’d try to politely stay away from the most obvious: “Please make my first novel a bestseller!” I think I’d ask for the ability to understand the language of fish (and sea mammals, too, since every dolphin I’ve met has had a great sense of humor). I’m sure pet goldfish, even with their horrible memories, have some really interesting stories to tell.

What inspired your story? My story was mostly inspired by my love for Egyptian mythology. I seriously have an entire corner of my room devoted to Egyptian replicas. I was also inspired by modern theories on ancient aliens. I thought, “What would it be like to apply these theories to a post-Apocalyptic future instead of the past?” “Fish Tears” was the result.

Did you listen to music while writing it? I always listen to music while I write because it helps me focus on the task at hand and blocks out the rest of the world. During “Fish Tears” I found myself listening to the band 30 Seconds to Mars. Their music seemed to add color to the environment I was creating for my setting.

How many rewrites did you do before submitting? My story was rather short, so I only did one rewrite before sending it. Usually my rewrites involve improving the beginning or the ending. In this case, it was the ending.

What is your favorite bit?

Hatmehyt’s step was slow, but her travel constant. The waters kept to her sides, flowing around her form like a second skin. They were filled with her children of many colors, of many shapes, of many names.

Want to read the rest?

Get the ePub (for nook and other readers) here and mobi (perfect for your Kindle) here. Only $4.99 each, instant downloads.

You can also get FISH as an ebook through Barnes & Noble, Amazon, or Kobo.

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Interview: Mjke Wood (FISH)

April 24, 2013 By Leave a Comment

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Name: Mjke Wood

Age: 56

Author of: “The Last Fisherman of Habitat 37”

Current Geographic Location: Wirral, England

Original Hometown, if different: Douglas, Isle of Man

Twitter: @MjkeW

Website: www.mjkewood.com

Recent publications: “Ship of Fools” Kasma SF Magazine; “The Third Attractor” Abyss and Apex.

Also, in print: ”Risqueman” published September 2009. Writers of the Future XXV (Galaxy Press); ”A Better Sense of Direction” published July 2008. The Best of Jim Baen’s Universe #2. (Baen)

Which zodiac sign where you born under? I’m a Virgo Fire Monkey.

If a magic fish granted you one wish, what would it be? More time. So, let’s see – if I could manage on only two hours sleep per night that might just do the trick.

What inspired your story? The idea didn’t come straight away. Members of my local writing group, Wirral Writers, were running an in-house competition at the time, to write a story that had to include 5 specific words. The story clicked when I added a sixth word – fish.

Did you listen to music while writing it? No, no, no! Not at all. I can write in crowded coffee shops. I can write on the bus. I can write standing up waiting at the bus stop. But I cannot, ever, write to music. I wish I could but I get too involved in what I’m listening to. I just stop, and I listen, and I…

How many rewrites did you do before submitting? I did a couple of tidy-up sessions on the first draft – a word here, a word there. Then I chopped out at least a third of it. The second draft pretty-well worked with just the odd tweak.

What is your favourite bit?

But that was a fate that would not befall Ed’s creatures. No, sir.

Ed’s fish were going back home.

Want to read the rest?

Get the ePub (for nook and other readers) here and mobi (perfect for your Kindle) here. Only $4.99 each, instant downloads.

You can also get FISH as an ebook through Barnes & Noble, Amazon, or Kobo.

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Interview: Claude Lalumière (FISH)

April 23, 2013 By Leave a Comment

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Name: Claude Lalumière

Age: 47

Author of: “Xandra’s Brine”

Original Hometown: Montreal

Twitter: @cldllmr

Website: lostmyths.net/claude

Recent publications:

My most recent book is: The Door to Lost Pages (April 2011, CZP)

The most recent anthology I’ve edited is: Masked Mosaic: Canadian Super Stories, co-edited with Camille Alexa (Tyche 2013)

Recent stories include: “The Secondary 4 Class of Prettygood Park High School”: Ride the Moon (Tyche 2012), edited by M.L.D. Curelas; “The Ministry of Sacred Affairs”: Here Be Monsters 7: Tongues and Teeth (September 2012), edited by Duane Burry / Vincent Mackay / Alexander Newcombe; “Big Guy and Little Guy’s Survivalist Adventure”: Fungi (in the hardcover edition only) (Innsmouth Free Press 2012), edited by Orrin Grey & Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

Which zodiac sign where you born under? I fall on the cusp between Aquarius and Pisces. Kinda fitting for this anthology, no?

If a magic fish granted you one wish, what would it be? To immediately and permanently stop the enslavement and torture that humanity inflicts on other animals.

What inspired your story? My girlfriend, Camille Alexa, inspired the story itself (not that anyone should read too much into that; the “Camille” in the story is nothing like her), while a 2006 European trip inspired the setting of Venera. (This is one of several of my stories that revolve around the fictional European city-state Venera.)

Did you listen to music while writing it? Yes. My iPod or iTunes is usually on random, so whatever’s playing. Because music helps me tune out the distractions of reality and helps me get to that mental state that allows me to write. It also occupies a portion of my mind, allowing me to focus more on writing rather than get distracted or have my attention meander.

How many rewrites did you do before submitting? Only a light cosmetic clean-up.

What is your favorite bit? I always have a particular affection for beginnings and endings, so let’s go with the beginning:

The smell of brine wafted inland from the Mediterranean; Camille breathed it in, its pungent saltiness making her feel as if her bones had lost their solidity, adopting a malleability that held the promise of profound transformation.

Want to read the rest?

Get the ePub (for nook and other readers) here and mobi (perfect for your Kindle) here. Only $4.99 each, instant downloads.

You can also get FISH as an ebook through Barnes & Noble, Amazon, or Kobo.

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