madddscience:

Science fiction history has its share of disputes and disagreements, but there’s only one that left a plane crash, untold awards ceremony speeches, and the world’s first combination war treaty/book dedication in its wake. Today, in honor of the light-hearted tomfoolery April Fool’s Day inspires in us all, I’m taking a look at the rivalry behind two of the 20th century’s undisputed masters of science fiction: Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov, SF history’s greatest insult battlers.

The Decades-Long Flame War Between Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov

Happy April Fools! Here’s my latest post on science fiction history for Barnes and Noble.

A portrait of Robert Heinlein by Donato Giancola.

Biggest Worldbuilding Mistake Made By Isaac Asimov And Frank Herbert?

10 Sci-Fi Stories That Predicted the Surveillance State

The author of Adam Link, Robot, Eando Binder isn’t very well known today. But the pulpy 1940’s writer paved the way for the golden age of science fiction, pioneering original concepts such a robot grappling with its own sentience. It isn’t as nonsensical a nom de plume as it seems: The real authors were Earl and Otto Binder—they settled on a single first name by combining their initials into a phrase, “E and O,” which became the appropriately futuristic-sounding “Eando.”

A Weird History of Science Fiction Pen Names

Joseph Lombardero’s trippy portrait of Frederik Pohl

Alfred Bester

“Bester’s name is surprisingly
well-suited: he bests most science fiction authors out there. The winner of the
very first Hugo award in 1953, Bester pens idea-based works that feverishly
burn through wacky concepts. Though known for short stories, his best works are
generally considered to be The Demolished
Man, a murder mystery set in a world of telepaths, and The Stars My Destination, which is best described as a ton of cool
ideas wrapped into a Count of Monte
Cristo–style revenge tale. They’re true classics of SF. Sadly, Bester wound
down in the 70s and 80s, and his final novel The Deceivers is considered his worst.”

– An excerpt about one of my favorite authors, from my guide: Asimov to Zelazny: The Science Fiction Author Manual

10 Great Novels That Aren’t About What You Heard They Were About

amazingstoriesmagazine:

“Publishing a science fiction or fantasy book can seem like a mystical experience – it happens to those privileged few, but the rest of us can only fire out manuscripts at random. Or at Random House, as the case may be.

But any aspiring author can’t be content to work for anyone who accepts them, or they’ll wind up in the literary equivalent of a sweatshop. Instead, it’s best to research the assorted publishing houses and know which one is the best fit.”

Take a 101 course in speculative fiction publishing houses and imprints.

Here’s an article I wrote for Amazing Stories!