And Thanks for All the Fish

So, the thing you have to understand about me is that I love words. Like most writers, I love working with words on my own creations. (Most, not all: the history of literature is strewn with people who hated working with words. I often wonder why they didn’t become plumbers or accountants, but, if you think about it, they probably would have hated that, too.) But I love working with other people’s words, too. I’ve copy edited an anthology and edited two novels for a publisher friend of mine; I find that helping other writers achieve the best version of the story they want to tell is almost as rewarding as achieving the best version of your own.

So, when it looked like Steve needed help with the Amazing Stories Web site, I was happy to oblige.

What I did was, for the most part, copy editing; I had no input into the structure of the arguments the writer’s made, I mostly made sure that sentences were grammatically correct and flowed well (in addition to ensuring that Amazing’s formats were respected). It may not sound that exciting, but it was working with words, which was exciting enough for me. (There was also the time Steve asked me to edit the special fiction edition of Amazing Stories online; that was a highlight of my time as Managing Editor.)

Over the course of the year and a bit that I’ve been Managing Editor of the Amazing Stories Web site, I have worked with some gifted writers and truly wonderful people. It’s been an honour.

And I’ve learned so much! I knew very little, for instance, about the speculative fiction scenes in Latin America and China – may they live long and prosper! Nor did I fully appreciate how many authors of science fiction romance there were, or how dedicated the sub-genre’s fans are. I found the weekly anime wrap-ups to be erudite and entertaining – they were an especial treat. And as you might imagine, I was delighted that Amazing Stories has such a vibrant book reviewing community.

The fact that I’m stepping down as Managing Editor of the Web site does not mean that I’m saying goodbye. Or even so long. For one thing, I should now have time to write reviews of all those books that have been piling up in my in tray. And as Steve mentioned in his note on my changing role at Amazing Stories, I hope to have a role in the revival of the magazine.

I would like to thank Steve Davidson for this Amazing opportunity to be a part, however small, of the history of speculative fiction. Whatever the future may bring, the past year and a bit has been a delightful experience for me.