The seasons are starting to change and a Plutonian wind is just around the corner, and everyone’s thoughts turn to the stories they can warm themselves with – and Plutonian Times isn’t any different. The last few months have seen the addition of some hot fiction to our generally chilly non-fictional mix. We’ve chosen the very short and to the point ‘flash’ variety because we still aim to remain a science fiction magazine about the real world. Go figure.

At the top of the list is ‘XVI and Deek Escape in the Night’, very much not a hot cup of cocoa, this one aims to please by being a bit jarring. We’ve also got a very fine offering from Maia del Mar, ‘Ken Oshiro’s Rebellion’.

Back to the non-fictional side of things, instead of trying to define or redefine what SFF is, Jason Block asks why ask why in ‘Talking About Science Fiction Talking About Itself’. Tram Hillyard visits the Writer’s Apothecary and leaves us with ‘Good Characters Are Tragically Flawed’. Last but not least, Mark Twimbly explores the brand new and the very old with a couple of top ten lists, with ’10 Recent SFF Books You Should Read NOW’ (I believe him!) and ‘Top Ten Free Science Fiction and Fantasy Classics’.

Might not see you again before the ice starts to thaw, so have a good one and make sure you’ve got plenty of firewood before you seal the airlock. Or something like that. Take it easy!

jdb

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September 13, 2010 5:40 pm

The internet is always in flux, and so is Plutonian Times. There are no ‘issues’ like a paper magazine, but periodically it’s a good idea to get a snapshot of the evolving site, to spread it out and take a look at it.

Here’s the March 2010 snapshot of the Plutonian Times:

First, we’ve got an essay in Jason D. Block’s genre-bending column, The Melting Ray, Genre, What Genre?.

Mark Twimbly makes a quick pass over of some recent bestsellers that have absolutely no trace of urban fantasy or kid lit in them: The March 2010 Really Real SFF Bestseller List.

Writer Mary Borjes (not related to any other writer) gives us her ideas on How (Not) To Make An Alien.

Next, we’ve got the Plutonian Times Official Call For Submissions. Hooray!

It’s a little old and musty, but we’ve got another of Jason’s essays, A Brief History of the Fantasy Genre, tracing the recent history of the genre we know and love.

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February 26, 2010 12:32 pm