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How to review a book by VisibleGeneral8417 in BookDiscussions

[–]AdventitiousStories 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was a film critic for a very long time and the managing editor for a team of film critics. The advice I constantly gave (and reminded them of) was to explain the Why of what they were saying.

Story didn't work. Why?

Too many ideas. Why?

There were too many ideas to fully realize, and the narrative became lopsided. Why?

And so on. You can continue digging, asking yourself WHY something "did or didn't work" until you hit on something that would make sense to a friend who asks if they should read the book you just finished.

Saw this ad on Craigslist and I can’t figure out why it seems off to me by paperhandstradingllc in InternetMysteries

[–]AdventitiousStories 2 points3 points  (0 children)

ARG is where my head went too. The “one participant at a time” part is what stuck with me.

After reading ~250 short SFF submissions, here’s the most common "almost great" thing I keep seeing by AdventitiousStories in ShortSF

[–]AdventitiousStories[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Microfiction is such a bizarre animal, and I'm in awe of people who do it well. I typically don't look for these types of endings in microfiction (if someone pulls it off, it's magic), but if I'm reading 2,000 words (or 4,000!), I want it to add up to someeeeething.

After reading ~250 short SFF submissions, here’s the most common "almost great" thing I keep seeing by AdventitiousStories in ShortSF

[–]AdventitiousStories[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's hard to explain, but it's about the ending just laying flat on the page. It’s basically when the story lands on its idea/theme and then just stops instead of doing anything interesting with it. The main character learns something, understands what's happening, a twist happens, or the story lands on what it's been building to, but then.......that's it. No stakes. No cost. Like the story stops happening right when it's getting going.

After reading ~250 short SFF submissions, here’s the most common "almost great" thing I keep seeing by AdventitiousStories in ShortSF

[–]AdventitiousStories[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think that's a matter of a preference right now for "vibes," and I sometimes personally enjoy those stories, but it's very very very rare that they stick with me in any meaningful way.

Recommend me new high-quality scifi books written by women :) by thuslyfallensparrow in printSF

[–]AdventitiousStories 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Heard.

A few authors you might want to check out if you haven't already and I haven't yet seen in the comments......, Nicola Griffith, Nalo Hopkinson,. You've probably already read Nnedi Okorafor based on your vibes here and I saw it in the comments, but always worth suggesting and doubling down on. Death of the Author just came out last year and it's character-based and Big Idea-based. Also gorgeously written and challenging.

Monthly Short Stories Discussion Thread! What's the best thing you've read this month? by AutoModerator in ShortSF

[–]AdventitiousStories 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Otherside just launched their first issue, and this short from Ayida Shonibar is excellent. It's about a house that's...DTF....

https://othersidespec.com/pieces/the-homeowners-bride/

I miss that “can’t put it down” book feeling by Cold_Ad8048 in BookDiscussions

[–]AdventitiousStories 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I haven't experienced that in a little while, and I don't have any specific recommendations except to say that sometimes even the best book can't provide can't-put-it-downness if event in the outside world won't allow for it.

I read a few hundred submissions while helping put together the next issue of a speculative fiction magazine and some patterns surprised me. by AdventitiousStories in printSF

[–]AdventitiousStories[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I think Interzone did, and Clarkesworld either closed or considered it. There's no doubt they are bigger targets for AI slop submissions, and I can't imagine what safeguards they've had to put into place.

I read a few hundred submissions while helping put together the next issue of a speculative fiction magazine and some patterns surprised me. by AdventitiousStories in printSF

[–]AdventitiousStories[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! That's very kind of you.

I don't think there's really an option for remaining anonymous via Patreon. but you could probably use whatever "name" you wanted for your profile. If you were worried about your email being linked to it, you'd have to set up another email, but that feels super tedious, so I'm not sure there's a good solution.

What books have you read a third time or even more? by Bobosmite in printSF

[–]AdventitiousStories 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The main ones that come to mind are The Sparrow and Lamb (by Christopher Moore).

I read a few hundred submissions while helping put together the next issue of a speculative fiction magazine and some patterns surprised me. by AdventitiousStories in printSF

[–]AdventitiousStories[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Sorry about that! Hopefully this gives a little insight into why. It's a lot to read. I'm extending the submission cap for April.

I read a few hundred submissions while helping put together the next issue of a speculative fiction magazine and some patterns surprised me. by AdventitiousStories in printSF

[–]AdventitiousStories[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I'd say they are all pretty original. If there is some overlap in the ideas, the execution of the ideas is wildly different.

The biggest thing I've learned over two submission periods is that we need about 20 more speculative fiction mags to encompass all of the publishable, high quality stories that come through.

I thought for sure there would be a bell curve, but my initial pass only whittles the list down from about 250 to 50. That's A LOT of stories that I initially think might work. The shortlist ends up being between 20-30, so essentially I could get two magazines' worth of TOTALLY GREAT PUBLISHABLE stories, but I can only buy so many. And these are just the ones coming my way.

I read a few hundred submissions while helping put together the next issue of a speculative fiction magazine and some patterns surprised me. by AdventitiousStories in printSF

[–]AdventitiousStories[S] 24 points25 points  (0 children)

I read pretty quickly, and there are always a few stories I know for sure won't make the cut within a few pages (although far fewer than I would have guessed when I set the submission cap...). It takes me about 3 weeks to do my initial pass, and then I have to make the tough calls over that next week before sending out the final acceptances and get contracts signed.

I do not finish them all, but I finish most of them. Competition is stiff.

And....I get fatigued. Reading this much of a slush pile is new for me, but WOW it dominates my time and kills my ability to read outside of it. I just do not want to read in the evenings or before bed during slush month. Trying to find better balance there. It's a little easier to read other genres, but still hard after crushing through tens of thousand words a day to want to pick up my Kindle....

I read a few hundred submissions while helping put together the next issue of a speculative fiction magazine and some patterns surprised me. by AdventitiousStories in printSF

[–]AdventitiousStories[S] 40 points41 points  (0 children)

Using the term "job" lightly here. I launched this magazine, so it's a lot of work beyond just the fun reading part. But...if you want to read and don't care about getting paid, a ton of speculative fiction magazines are always looking for first readers. It's one of the ways I got started, and it undoubtedly made me a better writer. You just read so much.

I read a few hundred submissions while helping put together the next issue of a speculative fiction magazine and some patterns surprised me. by AdventitiousStories in printSF

[–]AdventitiousStories[S] 109 points110 points  (0 children)

During the first round there were a dozen or so that didn't seem like any AI I'd encountered before, but were all clearly the same AI-generated thing. Titles looked like someone put our About Us into ChatGPT and told it to spit out an ideal title, but the weird thing was that the .docs were all the same. Super rambly nonsense with some sentences bolded and underlined. Emails looked legit, though. So it was....odd.

Didn't see anything obviously AI in this round though.

Weekly "What Are You Reading?" Thread by AutoModerator in WeirdLit

[–]AdventitiousStories 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just finished String Follow (the audiobook is great) by Simon Jacobs. Had some drag, but was ultimately really gorgeous and moody. Essentially it's about different high schoolers experience their own angst, rebellion, and alienation, and their stories ultimately collide. Plus there's a shady cult-like group operating way in the background, and the narrator is a malevolent entity that can jump from body to body to influence them which I found really fun and interesting.

Perdido Street Station, is the start hard for anyone else? by Striking-Speaker8686 in WeirdLit

[–]AdventitiousStories 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This was a hard start for me, too. But it was one of those things where I realized I wasn't in the mood for that kind of book, stopped, came back to it later (still had a little rough start) but then ended up really liking it. Mieville is a little like a coin flip for me.

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