oh hey

[swan_tower]

It turns out today is the first anniversary of Beneath Ceaseless Skies -- which I discovered when I, proud of the fact that I'd almost caught up with back issues, clicked onto their site and found not two but FOUR new stories awaiting me. Yes, folks, it's a double issue, in celebration of their anniversary, and I'm busy enough between now and when I leave for India that I'm going to come back to find myself almost as far behind as I was before. Oh woe!

Also, it seems they've added e-book formats to the usual web publication and audio podcasting. So if you have an e-reader, you can download their content as a PDF or Mobipocket PRC file. Which is nice and convenient.

Anyway, congrats to editor Scott Andrews on making it through a full year, with great fiction every two weeks like clockwork. That's a hell of an achievement, in the world of web magazines.

Comments

[electricpaladin.livejournal.com]

I first encountered your work on Podcastle (Heretic by Degrees), and it was fun to also see your story on Beneath Ceaseless Skies (Driftwood). It's a fun surprise to listen to a story and gradually come to recognize the intro, the style, the setting, and the characters.

By the way, have you written any other Driftwood stuff? I really enjoy that setting. Metaworld stories fascinate me as a rule, and Driftwood is a particularly compelling framework.

For that matter, I think Driftwood would make a great rpg setting...

[(Anonymous)]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate it. I wish you happy reading when you have time to catch up. :)

Scott H. Andrews
_Beneath Ceaseless Skies_
http://beneath-ceaseless-skies.com

[tchernabyelo.livejournal.com]

It certainly is - a fine new venue that has put some really good material out there, and which I hope will be well represented when the next "Year's Bests" start to emerge - it really deserves it. And a print anthology. I'd really love a print anthology.

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

Glad you enjoy it!

I've completed one other Driftwood story so far; then the rigors of meeting my novel deadline knocked me off track before I could revise it, let alone send it anywhere. But I'll be getting to that just as soon as I have this book off my desk -- and then maybe trying to finish some of the other half-started Driftwood stories I've got cluttering my hard drive.

As for an RPG setting, it's easy to do! Just take every gaming book on your shelves, drop them on your living room floor in whatever arrangement seems suitable, and there's your map of Driftwood. Whatever setting your characters wander into, that rulebook applies. :-)

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

And then I need to get started on short fiction again so I have something to send you . . . .

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

So would I, come to think of it.

[lindenfoxcub.livejournal.com]

It's hands down my favourite short story venue.

[(Anonymous)]

Absolutely! I look forward to it.

Scott
_BCS_

[(Anonymous)]

Thank you so much!!

And may I ask who/where that cool airship pic that's your icon is from? We've been getting so many great steampunk stories that I'm looking to bring that element into our cover art.

Thanks very much,

Scott
_BCS_

[lindenfoxcub.livejournal.com]

I grabbed a bunch of steampunk icons from here: http://community.livejournal.com/iconaddicts/10062062.html

But my favourite steampunk artwork (next to the poster with Abe Lincoln with an old school gattling gun instead of his right arm) is the bomber with the smokestacks: http://steampunkpics.blogspot.com/2008/10/airships.html

I'm glad to hear there's more Steampunk coming; I love the setting, but there's so little quality steampunk lit out there - the main complaint I've heard about the genre. There's a Steampunk podcast called Steampod, but it's releases are intermittent and the editor, I think, is having trouble finding good stuff to podcast. Likely all the good stuff is getting snapped up by paying markets. I imagine paying pro rates helps BCS get the good stuff.

[(Anonymous)]

So would I. :) But with _BCS_ a one-person production at this point, and pretty much all my time taken up with reading and producing the podcasts, a print anthology is likely not in the immediate future. POD technology and online distribution do make it an eventual possibility, as they would avoid leaving me with cases of unsold books in my basement. :)

Scott
_BCS_

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

Understandable. Just know that you've got a few customers ready and waiting. :-)

[(Anonymous)]

Thanks very much to both you and Brian. Reader interest like that will be a main factor in getting an antho off the ground.

Scott
_BCS_