Happy New Year from The Penumbra Editor-In-Chief

2012 has been a great year for Penumbra.  Today, we're going to make the first day of 2013 even more exciting with a pair of announcements.

First off, we have now set the Best of Penumbra, Volume I anthology. A cross-section of Penumbra staffers, interns, and readers ranked their favorite stories to form a consensus top eleven.  These stories are as follows:

The Second Coming of Thogradorax by Andrew Kaye (Animals, April 2012)

Arrhythmia by Terra LeMay (Death Dec 2011)

The Jade Tiger by Rachael Acks (steampunk Mar 2012)

Song of Passing Grief by James Beamon (Steampunk Mar 2012)

The Princess's Kiss by Chuck Rothman (Fairy Tales, May 2012)

A Deed Without a Name by Nyki Blatchley (Shakespeare Feb 2012)

And When The Innocence Falls To The Floor by Damien W. Grintalis (Fractured Fairy Tales May 2012)

Cocklebur by Nathaniel Lee (Travel, November 2011)

The Square That Hides A Thousand Stories by Daniel Ausema (The Arts October, 2011)

The Reckoning by Bruce Golden (sports January, 2011)

The Memory of Huckleberries by Rebecca Birch (Native American Folklore, Sept 2012)

Musa will be releasing these outstanding stories in anthology form in early 2013. 

And second, today Musa Publishing is announcing a brand new project for lovers of speculative fiction to ponder as 2013 kicks off.

The Darkside Chronicles

 In the Empire of Dalriada lies a city of steam and electricity and aether, where mechanical horses pull carriages through the streets and grand airships float overhead, patrolling the skies--a city where alien eyes watch the world of man and enforce a great and deadly penalty for man’s uncaring treatment of the world.

Dissecting the city's spires and buildings is the Dark Cloud--a fifty-foot high wall of pollution and filth that separates Sunside from the Darkside. 

Sunside is a place of wonder and beauty, where airships made from glass as strong as steel and pride as strong as diamonds contend for supremacy of the town, floating among the peaks of the city’s skyscrapers and the nobles and the movers and shakers reside. 

And then there's Darkside, the part of the town beneath the cloud, where only the faintest stray beams of light penetrate, illuminating what little hope resides in the citizens who toil in the underground factories or the Great Steamworks that provide power to the city. As Southwatch enters a new age of conspiracy, magic, technology and war, the people who live in the shadow of the Dark Cloud must choose sides when the whole city goes up in flames. 

When the day of reckoning comes, on what side of the Dark Cloud will you stand?

Musa Publishing is pleased to announce the launch of The Darkside Chronicles, a steampunk-inspired shared world project for writers and lovers of speculative fiction.

In the tradition of great shared worlds of the past like Thieves' World, Borderlands, and The Fleet, Darkside Chronicles invites authors to incorporate their favorite speculative fiction genres into the steampunk-inspired city of Southwatch.  Musa is seeking stories from 35k and up to help expand this new universe.  The world was built by author Richard C. White (with works published in the Star Trek, Dr. Who, and The Incredible Hulk universes among others)in collaboration with multi-published fantasy author and Musa Editorial Director Celina Summers, resulting in a expansive and comprehensive bible as a foundation for the stories of Southwatch.We will consider stories of fantasy, science fiction, urban fantasy, romance, horror, and noir set in the steampunk-influenced city of Southwatch.

To request a copy of the bible, please send a query to editor@musapublishing.com.   Please add "Darkside Chronicles" to the subject line. Submission guidelines specific to the line are included within the universe bible; otherwise this line will be treated and contracted according to the same guidelines as all the other Musa books. . 

The Darkside Chronicles will open to submissions April 1, 2013.

The Darkside Chronicles will launch for readers in Summer, 2013. 

How It All Began

Today, we host a short Q&A with Randy Lindsay, "Not Fragile", and Edorado Albert, "Time Hoppers". Both talented authors and their work appeared in the November issue of Penumbra eMag.

Randy, when did you first realize you wanted to pursue writing as a career rather than a hobby?

It’s entirely possible that I live in a fantasy world of my own devising. Whenever a great idea pops into my head, I am convinced that there is a market for it – somewhere. So, it isn’t as much a matter of when I decided to pursue a writing career as it is a question of when I decided to start writing.

That happened while I was reading a book. I happened to disagree with many of the story telling decisions that the author made and discussed with one of my friends how I would have written it. When I finished, I thought I had a pretty good alternate story going on and started my journey as an author.

Several years of learning the craft and dozens of failed stories later I decided it was time to get serious about writing as a career. That would have been about three years ago. I started attending conferences to network within the industry. I started my blog so it could serve as a media platform once my stories started to be published. And I started submitting my stories.

What I find most interesting is that while it took a while to get here, things are really popping for me now. Right on the heels of my sale to Penumbra I had three more stories accepted for publication and will be coming out in 2013. I appreciate Penumbra opening the flood gates for writing career.

Edoardo, when did you first realize you wanted to pursue writing as a career rather than a hobby?

The first thing I can remember wanting to be was a paleontologist. When I realised that, unfortunately and despite the hopes raised by Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World, all the dinosaurs really were dead, I switched to zoology. Then, an astronaut, a physicist, the President of the United States (abandoned when I found out that, not being American, I couldn't actually be president), an engineer and various other ideas in a rather dizzying succession. However, the only constant through all of this was reading.

I read - all the time. I even got told off as a seven-year-old for sneaking a book into a lesson and reading it under the desk because I couldn't wait to find out what happened (it was one of Enid Blyton's Famous Five books and to this day I will hear no calumny against her). So, in the end, I realised there was a thread through my life: words. And I began to pursue them. It has, though, been a long, slow slog - some thirty (30!) years of learning, being rejected, learning some more, making connections, getting rejected, and, hopefully, learning even more.

Randy Lindsay worked in the Hobby-Game industry for several years as a game designer and is now a stay-at-home dad looking to establish himself as an author. He writes Fantasy, SF, and is working on a Murder-Comedy. His short fiction has appeared in City of the Gods anthology and now Penumbra with upcoming stories in the Once Upon An Apocalypse anthology and the second City of the Gods anthology.

Learn more about Randy on his website and blog where he also writes on topics related to the craft of writing and offers movie reviews.

The responses to Edoardo Albert’s work rather prove what he argues. The stories, the books, the articles, have drawn some compliments, but the best response ever, which saw a friend rolling on the ground, helpless with laughter, was a lonely-hearts ad. It was probably the bit about tickling the belly of a wolf that did it.

Find Edoardo Albert’s books (he’s particularly proud of Northumbria: The Lost Kingdom which has just been published) and stories via his website although the lonely-hearts ad will not be making an appearance in the foreseeable future). Connect with him through his blog, Twitter or Facebook.

From All of Us at Penumbra eMag

We Wish You and Yours

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

What's On Your Reading List for 2013?

by Dianna L. Gunn

The new year is almost upon us, and as 2012 comes to a close many people are re-examining their lives and creating lists of "resolutions"--things they want to do to make their lives better in 2013.

I have my own list of "resolutions", but it isn't my only list for 2013. I also have another kind of list: a reading list for the year ahead. It consists of all kinds of stories, from speculative short fiction to novels in all genres. Some are books I've been asked to review on my blog, others are books by friends, still others are on the list because I believe I can learn from them. A few are on the list entirely for pleasure.

One of the things on my reading list is actually twelve things—the twelve issues of Penumbra we'll be producing next year. And I'm not just saying that because I work here—I'm planning to read the next several issues of Penumbra because I've enjoyed every single issue we've produced so far. Our editorial committee selects only the best stories, and our columns by Lori Basiewicz and Richard White are not to be missed. Most issues come with an author interview and feature article to boot, and if you're interested in finding out more about our deal with Gary K. Wolf for Who Wacked Roger Rabbit, the next couple of issues are not to be missed.

Whatever else is on your reading list for 2013, I hope you'll be adding twelve issues of Penumbra. A year's subscription only costs $36—a low price when compared to other speculative fiction magazines, made possible by our electronic model and low overhead—and if you purchase your subscription by January first, you'll get a second one free. What better way to celebrate the holidays than by purchasing matching subscriptions for you and a loved one so you can share stories all year?

To purchase your subscription now, please click HERE.

Dianna L. Gunn is a young Canadian fiction writer who specializes in dark fantasy. She also writes poetry, generally dark, which is her way of dealing with life. This insightful author hosts a website covering every aspect of fiction writing and interviews with noted guest authors.

Learn more about Dianna L. Gunn on her website and follow her on Twitter.

What I Learned About Writing

by Joyce Frohn

This story began during the proverbial ‘dark and stormy night’. Okay, so it wasn’t really night, but it was stormy and I was stuck in my Grandmother’s farmhouse. I did what many of us did when we were kids, went looking for a something to read. After thumbing three dog-breeding magazines, I found a ten-year-old copy of The Whole Earth catalog that had a serial story in it. I don’t know how it began or ended. What I had was a piece with a drug-addled guy, a girl, and a van crossing America. The van told the story. It complained a lot, especially that its carburetor was painted purple in an attempt to improve its feung-shui. The guy kept saying there was an invisible dragon in the backseat.

For some reason, this hippie mess fascinated me. For the first time in my life, I took a story apart in my mind. I liked the van, if it would shut up. I liked the girl and the invisible dragon. I jotted down some things and tried to figure out where I wanted to place these characters. Little did I know this was me becoming a writer. I was twelve and had already learned to read everything: the good, the bad, and the cereal box.

I had already learned one important lesson of writing; there is no story so bad that it can’t inspire something. I took those characters and popped them into various places which meant I threw away a lot of stories. The first one involved the girl being a ballerina and was set in Medieval Europe. Before burning it, I learned something else. There needs to be a balance of weird and normal to make a good speculative story. I also needed to get rid of that druggie.

Later, I spoke with a former drugged-out hippie. He said the strangest thing that ever happened was after he got sober. He went to a gas station for the first time in more than ten years. After that, everything fell into place and it only took a little more than thirty years.

There’s another important thing; don’t throw away all your early work, there maybe something worth salvaging. I recently had the shock of being paid for the scribbled notes that I put in my Jr. High Student Manuel where I fantasized about how much better the school would be if there were werewolves, vampires and other assorted monsters in attendance. Think about it, it would make Jr. High better wouldn’t it?

And from those dog breeder magazines, I learned that my version of a nightmare killer dog is a Rhodesian Ridgeback crossed to an English Mastiff. I still haven’t written that story, but the notes are saved.

Joyce Frohn has been writing since childhood and published since her research on slime molds ended. She is married to a man who says he never wants her to stop writing. Jouce has a nine-year-old daughter who envies how much time Mom gets to spend on the family computer.

The Futility of Utopia

by Kristen Saunders

What is utopia? It is an ideal community or society possessing highly desirable or perfect qualities. The problem lies within humanity’s inability to agree on a single course of action that would create a desirable outcome.

Desire is such a dangerous thing especially when there is only a limited quantity of something. “Something” could be money, time, space, a job, resources, or even the thoughts of people. It then stands to reason that a utopia would be able to fulfill everyone’s desires.

There have been several different kinds of government systems to try and equalize our desires. It could easily be said communism is an even distribution of things so that people will always have the basics and occupation. No one is left to suffer or to have their mind wandering endlessly. However, they can dream of more and are often stuck in a role they are not happy with.

Republics and Democracies are a representation of the people. The people, or their representatives, find their own balance and have their voices heard. Essentially distributing roles and resources as needed in each area. However, the state does not guarantee anything. The people must work with those around them to obtain the resources they need. Those who are not of the majority often lose their say in how the distribution is done for the community.

Dictatorships and Kingdoms raise up a few who would ideally provide and protect those bellow them. Very often this works out poorly. Those at the top often become greedy and deprive the people below them of their basic needs.

Wars are always the result of governments, or on a smaller scale people, having a shared desire of a limited resource. The desire often stems from a need that must be met. Sadly in many cases there is no way to satisfy the needs of everyone and eventually conflict breaks out.

The balancing of desire is a tricky business with an entire society. So hard in fact it is almost impossible to imagine a true utopia where everyone is happy. I would venture to say it would be impossible if people are responsible for the making of that world.

I imagine if utopia actually existed it would be different than we would normally think. It would be a world without want and everyone would have their place. Not only that, but they would be content with their lot.

If utopia existed, the society would very closely mimic that of the Borg from Star Trek. Your personal desires would be gone; you would want for nothing. Your directive would be your life, but you would always be satisfied and taken care of. Utopia would lie in having no desire for more and never dreaming of anything greater. It would the pinnacle for everyone to achieve. There would be neither great happiness nor great sadness. Everything would be in balance, and eventually there would be peace because everyone would be a part of it. After all, resistance is futile.

Kristen Saunders is a recent addition to Penumbra EMag, serving as an editorial intern. She loves to write science fiction in her free time and recently started her blog The Musings of a Growing Writer.

My Definition of Utopia

by Dianna L. Gunn

When we ran the Dystopia issue back in July, I wrote a post entitled Utopia Vs. Dystopia. As a final note I said that everyone's idea of utopia is different, so today I'd like to tell you about my vision of utopia.

In my utopia, we would have found an infinitely renewable source of electricity. This way, we could keep things like the internet functional without ruining our planet.

In my utopia, money wouldn't exist. Instead, regardless of what job they did, children, students and everyone employed would have shelter and food and other crucial items would be shared freely. What jobs people did would be based on their passion, rather than on what education they could afford or on race, age or gender. This would eliminate both poverty and hunger.

In my utopia, it would be easy and acceptable to plan your families, with birth control and contraception being freely provided. This way, nobody would have children they didn't want, meaning all children would be well loved.

In my utopia, sickness would never put someone into debt, but more importantly, terminally ill people would be able to choose when they die. Nobody would be forced to live in a hospital bed attached to twenty machines. People would instead choose the time and place of their death, so that they might die happy and with dignity.

In my utopia, there would be no 1%. Instead there would only be 100%, with all people on an equal footing, recognizing that everyone's contribution to society is important—after all, how well do you think teachers would teach if they had to clean the schools too? How well do you think scientists would do if they had nobody to teach them the periodic table? Every job is important to keep the system running, and in my utopia, they would acknowledge that.

My utopia would be a society that matched my values, focusing on the well being of its people rather than their efficiency or money. It is based upon my ideals. Some people's idea of utopia will be the same as mine. Others will have a slightly different or even completely different idea of utopia based on their own beliefs—and that variety of belief is just what makes humans so great.

So now I ask you to think: what does your utopia look like?

Dianna L. Gunn is a young Canadian fiction writer who specializes in dark fantasy. She also writes poetry, generally dark, which is her way of dealing with life. This insightful author hosts a website covering every aspect of fiction writing and interviews with noted guest authors.

Learn more about Dianna L. Gunn on her website and follow her on Twitter.