Reading science fiction like it matters since 1989.
From NYRSF ISSUE #238, June 2008
The good news, and fine news it is, it that we are now a twenty consecutive year Hugo finalist. Thank you all for voting for us, and we’ll see some of you at least in Denver for the Worldcon. The bad news is that since the first of the year a number of subscribers have (thus far) declined to renew their subscriptions to NYRSF, and the number is large enough to be financially worrisome. No one in that group is reading this, I presume, and so my words are directed to those of you coming up for renewal in another issue or three: renew now, please. Save us the time and expense of sending renewal forms, please.
By the time you read this, I will already have attended Congres Boreal in Montreal; the Eaton Conference in Riverside, California; and Balticon, at the good old Hunt Valley Inn, all in May. In June, I will be at the SF Hall of Fame inductions and the Locus Awards in Seattle, and in July at Readercon in Massachusetts and Confluence in Moon Township, Pennsylvania (where Kathryn is critic guest of honor). At each of those events I am prepared to renew subscriptions, so say hello if you are there.
Other bad news includes the annual postal rate increase, not bad enough to effect our subscription rate this time, but every little bit hurts. And other good news is that we are attempting to have a twentieth anniversary party for NYRSF in July, probably at the home of Ken Houghton and Shira Daemon in New Jersey, but we’ll tell you more next issue. If you are not in the area, then we promise some pictures. Twenty years is a long time to publish every month without fail, and we have never missed a month yet—“Monthly ’Til We Die” is one of our mottoes.
The publishing industry in the US is in mediocre shape, just like the general economy. The continued existence of the Borders bookstore chain is in doubt, as are the continued existence of the Book of the Month Club and the Science Fiction Book Club.
We anticipate neither a doomsday scenario, in which everyone or nearly everyone goes out of business, nor a utopian compromise, in which the distribution system and the printing and paper industries behave reasonably and settle for a moderate profit. Nor do we see a sudden transcendent shift to all electronic publishing, which shows no sign at present of supporting either writers or the staffs of publishers, never mind paying for the rent and electricity. We had better hope, nevertheless, that science and technology live up to the ideals of science fiction and help us to pull through. And we had all better help in some way. Meanwhile, buy and read a good book and recommend it to all your friends. Go see a good movie and recommend it. If you are in the area, visit the SF Museum and Hall of Fame in Seattle (I personally recommend it for long-time sf readers).
My job in June at the SF Hall of Fame is to help induct Richard M. Powers. Richard was a friend for more than thirty years, and the godfather of my oldest son Geoff. You can find out more about Richard at www.panix.com/~dgh/Powers.html
I leave in the morning for Montreal. I’ll be seeing you.
—David G. Hartwell
& the Editors