Artwork for "May Our Voices Sing Like Blood from Open Wounds" created by Dean Spencer.
My first-ever vampire novelette, “May Our Voices Sing Like Blood from Open Wounds," has been published as the cover story for InterGalactic Medicine Show. The amazing artwork was created by Dean Spencer.
Robert L Turner III, reviewing the issue at Tangent Online, says "The story is well paced and extremely well written, hinting at deeper meanings while only occasionally becoming explicit. While not perfect, this is the best short story I have read in some time and deserves careful reading and perhaps award nominations."
Not only is this the 50th issue of IGMS, it's also Edmund Schubert's final issue as editor. I'll miss working with Edmund, who is a class act and one of those unsung heroes who make the SF/F genre what it is.
Last year Edmund was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Editor, Short Form. While Edmund had long been on my ballot for a Hugo nomination, in 2015 he was also on the Rabid Puppies' slate, a fact which caused him a good bit of pain. He eventually withdrew from consideration. You can read his statement on why he did this — which proved yet again how classy Edmund is — here.
Prior to Edmund withdrawing I wrote the following, which I feel still really, really applies:
As editor of Intergalactic Medicine Show, Edmund has been extremely supportive of new writers no matter their politics or backgrounds or beliefs. The list of writers who've earned one of their early publishing credits through Edmund reads like a "who's who" of the new generation of SF/F authors, and includes Tony Pi, Saladin Ahmed, Aliette de Bodard, Nancy Fulda, Eric James Stone, Eugie Foster, and many more.
And yes, I'm biased about Edmund because he accepted my first-ever professionally published story. He also published my first short story collection Never Never Stories while working as the editor of Spotlight Publishing. And he commissioned this amazing artwork from fellow Hugo finalist Julie Dillon for my story "The Never Never Wizard of Apalachicola."
But despite IGMS being one of our genre's few professional-level magazines, Edmund has never appeared on the Hugo Award Best Editor ballot. Again, I'm not naive — I know it's because of two reasons. First, Edmund has never been among the trendy insiders in our genre. And it's also likely some people never considered him for the award because the full title of his magazine is Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show. That OSC name trips up people and they hold it against Edmund.
Which is a true shame. After all, OSC doesn't run the editorial side of the magazine. He merely supports the magazine. I am able to separate OSC's political views, which I disagree with, from his support of new writers. This is similar to how most people in our genre support the Writers of the Future contests and programs even though they were founded by L. Ron Hubbard and receive funding from Scientology-related ventures.
Edmund has a new SF short story collection out, so go read the book to learn more about his fiction. I wish Edmund the best in his life and his writing and all he takes part in during the years to come.
I also wish our genre would remember the common dreams and goals which bound us together in the first place, no matter our differences.
We should never forget to notice the good people all around us.
People like Edmund Schubert.