overly idealized characters?

One of my writing groups recently brought up the concept of "Mary Sue" and "Gary Stu". I must admit I was not familiar with the term. Apparently Mary Sues and Gary Stus are overly idealized characters. Wikipedia indicates they lack flaws, and primarily function as wish-fulfillment fantasies for their authors. Hhm...my Mary Sue would be a famous editor who wanted to buy dozens of books from me... Oh, wait, I digress.

I was shocked to hear authors still write characters like this. Didn't this go out in the 1950s? None of our Electric Spec authors do this.
Has anyone read any Mary Sues lately?

Keep sending us your flawed-character-filled stories!
(I must confess I am a little behind on my slush, but will catch up by the end of the month.)

Writing on Reading: Brasyl

I recently read the 2007 novel Brasyl by Ian McDonald. It's been nominated for many awards including the best novel Hugo (2008) and best novel Nebula (2009). I picked up it because of a rave review in Asimov's or Analog (can't recall which, sorry) which said among other things it is a novel of The Multiverse.

Brasyl has three Brazilian timelines: 1732, 2006, and 2032. In these three time lines there are different pov characters including an Irish-Portuguese Jesuit, a psychotic rogue priest, a french natural philosopher, a reality TV producer, a quantum hacker, and a hustler. The 1732 plotline is very reminiscent of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness or maybe even Francis Ford Coppola's movie Apocalypse Now. The 2006 and 2032 timelines really reminded me of William Gibson's Neuromancer, by which I mean a lot of style, perhaps at the expense of plot.

The so-called science in this science fiction novel is a magical frog. Specifically, there's an Amazonian frog "whose eye is so sensitive that it can perceive a single photon of light, a single quantum event. The frog sees the fundamental quantum nature of reality." Thus, folks lick the frog and it enables them to perceive and move between the multitude of quantum realities.

I really try to stay positive in these little mini-reviews, so I'll leave you with this: This book is very creative.

Did you read it? What did you think?

Oh, and there's a Portuguese-English glossary in the back of the book--you'll need it.

We're Live!

And We're Live with the new issue! Kudos to Editor Betsy and the rest of the behind-the-scenes group for all their hard work!

Update

The blog's been quiet as we've been getting the new issue ready, but it is nearly ready and will go live on schedule, or maybe just a bit early as I'm leaving town for the holiday.

We've got 7 great stories--a slightly darker issue than usual, which, of course, I love. There are bugs and angels and all sorts of nasties...can't wait to show it to the world! Plus,we've an interview with Stuart Neville, whose debut novel is taking the British Isles by storm, and our regular movie column.

Our slush has also been quiet--not on the intake side! but on the reading side. I for one, with company and the holiday, am not likely to read until July.

Happy Fourth to our Stateside readers.

Writing on Reading: Sunshine

 I've mentioned before that I don't get too excited about vampire novels, but I read Robin McKinley's Sunshine because of some recommendations. I liked several aspects of Sunshine over other vampire tales I've read. In McKinley's world, vampires are much different than humans--they move differently, look less than human, and act strange. This is better than vampires who are essentially human except they have super abilities and drink blood. Also, McKinley's novel takes place in an alternate world that is quite different than ours. She's developed alternative history and culture that's both interesting and unique. McKinley is also a talented writer with a deft touch and an enjoyable voice, which adds a great deal to the book.

On the other hand, the novel goes over ground that feels tired to me. The issue of how could a vampire and human actually get along or . . . actually love each other does not interest me all that much. Also, the awe and mystery is missing from vampires simply because we've all heard about them. So, if you like urban fantasy involving vampires, Sunshine is a good choice. But if you're already eating lots of garlic to keep vampire stories away, steer clear.

2009 Stoker Awards

I know we have a lot of horror writers/readers out there... As you may or may not know, the 2009 Stoker Awards were presented Saturday, June 13 in Burbank California. Each year, the Horror Writer's Association presents the Bram Stoker Awards for Superior Achievement. The winner for short fiction was: "The Lost" by Sarah Langan. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners! Read more about the awards at www.stokers2009.org.

Right Market, Right Time

From under a pile of rejections, it is sometimes hard to remember that it is often not about your writing; it's about the market. For example, awhile back I stumbled upon a magazine that happened to be looking for a story set in a certain kind of world exploring a certain theme. I could hardly believe how well a story I'd written fit what these editors were looking for. My story had been rejected by several other markets, but sure enough I submitted it to this one and it sold.

So, don't get too discouraged in the submission process. Sooner or later you may well find the right market!