Cyberpunk
The reason I started reading science fiction again after a long rest is a kind of of SF called cyberpunk. I read Vernor Vinge’s novel “True Names”, John Shirley’s novel “Eclipse”, and William Gibson’s novel “Neuromancer”. These books made me love Science Fiction again.
When I started writing science fiction stories I found it easiest to write cyberpunk. I wrote about 30 cyberpunk style stories. I wrote lots of horror, fantasy and traditional SF stories, but I enjoyed writing cyberpunk.
That was 30 years ago. I have had problems in my life since, and I find it difficult to write at all. I do write short stories from time to time, and I usually write cyberpunk.
The problem with writing cyberpunk is that it has gone in and then out of style. There are not many venues that buy cyberpunk stories anymore.
I just wrote a nice little story called “Two Annies”. I sent it out to four or five magazines and got nothing but form responses. I doubt that they ever read much beyond the first paragraph.
I sent the story over to Shaun Lawton who runs a cool little zine which is internet slang for web magazine. He is the editor of the “Freezine of Fantasy and Science Fiction”. I don’t know how I got involved with Shaun’s Freezine, but it has a kind of appeal that keeps me coming back. If I write a “Weird Tale” style story I always know where it can find a home. The trouble is that Shaun prefers horror and there have not been may cyberpunk stories in Freezine.
Shaun has “Two Annies” now and I hope he wants to include it. I guess I could sell it somewhere if I waited, but I’ve had a few cyberpunk stories out for submission for three years without a sale.