I’m delighted to see the readers of Interzone have voted “Ack-Ack Macaque” as their favourite short story of 2007.

I’m very pleased and surprised with this accolade for three reasons: 1) because my story was up against some very strong writing from some excellent authors, 2) because Interzone’s always been the standard against which I’ve measured my success, and 3) because this poll was voted for by the readers of the magazine, and shows there’s an audience out there for the kind of stuff I’m writing.

This is the second year running I’ve had a story placed highly in this poll, and I’d like to thank everyone who voted for me.

You can see a list of the full results here: http://ttapress.com/441/2007-interzone-readers-poll-results

Recently, there has been a debate raging in Sf circles around something called “Mundane SF” – a brave experiment by some writers to produce valid SF stories without resorting to the standard SF tropes of artificial intelligence, interstellar travel, alien intelligence, or alternate universes – instead building their stories using only the real world technology available at the time of writing.
On the face of it, this sounds like an interesting exercise. But because the Mundanistas have presented the idea as some sort of manifesto, it has led to a division among SF writers and fans between those who support it as a new movement, and those who see it as an attack on traditional SF.

As Interzone 216 will be a special “Mundane” issue, I thought I’d take this opportunity to state my own position – which is very simple:

Some of the stories I have written could be classed as “mundane”, others as “cyberpunk” or “space opera”. And that’s what “Mundane SF” is – another setting, another background against which to tell stories.

I find writing “Mundane SF” an interesting exercise, and I wish nothing but success to other writers taking up the challenge. But at the same time, there’s no way I’m going to limit myself to exclusively writing “mundane” stories. Why would I? SF offers such a vast panorama of ideas and possibilities, it seems perverse to confine yourself to the here-and-now.

I like “Mundane SF” and I applaud its attempt to create a new branch of SF. I have no doubt that I will write some “mundane” stories. But for me, the canvas is wider and I will continue to go wherever my imagination takes me.

Rather than setting up artificial divisions in the SF community, we should be celebrating its diversity.

Matthew Tait has re-posted the review of Interzone 202 that originally appeared on the Horrorscope site back in June 2006. Of my contribution to that issue, he writes:

“Author Gareth Lyn Powell gives us The Last Reef, and manages, via a powerful torrent of invention, to imbue a myriad of ideas more in tune with a novel than a short story. In such a short space, we are treated to a potential future where simple communication nodes in an interplanetary radio network develop into sentience with awesome results. Humans, in their desire to transform, enter this matrix and are utterly altered from the creatures they once were. Some experience physical or mental deformities; others are elevated to a higher level of consciousness. People transformed by the Reef are highly sought after prizes as the Reefs themselves slowly morph into different realms or are terminated by the powers that be. Against this backdrop are three characters trying to reverse the reef’s destructive forces. Powell uses love as a motivation, with clever flashbacks throughout that dovetail inexorably toward the ending. Accompanied by a brilliant illustration, The Last Reef is a fabulous read indeed.”

If you missed the printed version, you can read my short story “Ack-Ack Macaque” by purchasing an electronic copy of Interzone 212 from Fictionwise.

TTA Press have posted a scan of my latest newspaper clipping: http://ttapress.com/321/well-done-gareth/#more-321

The pictured article appeared in today’s edition of the Portishead Times. It explains how my short story “The Last Reef” came to be broadcast on WRFR FM radio in Rockland, Maine.

By a strange coincidence, today also saw the arrival in the post of a CD containing the audio recording of WRFR presenter, Paul Cole, reading “The Last Reef”, and the latest issue of Interzone.

Don’t forget to vote for my short story “Ack-Ack Macaque” in the Annual Interzone Reader’s Poll: You can cast your vote online at: http://ttapress.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=456

I would like to remind you that you can vote for my short story “Ack-Ack Macaque” in the Annual Interzone Reader’s Poll. Voting starts with the new issue of Interzone, available next week. I came sixth in this poll last year with my story “The Last Reef” – and I hope to do well again this year.

And while we’re on the subject, the following stories are all eligible for the Preditors & Editors reader’s choice poll, should you feel like nominating any of them.

• Ack-Ack Macaque – Interzone
• Distant Galaxies Colliding – Infinity Plus
• Six Lights off Green Scar – Infinity Plus
• Pod Dreams of Tuckertown – Byzarium
• The Redoubt – Aphelion
• A Necklace of Ivy – Fiction Magazine

“Ack-Ack Macaque” gets another mention in Colin Harvey’s review of Interzone 213 on Suite101.com.

In his review of Interzone 212, Blue Tyson calls “Ack-Ack Macaque” a “high point” of the issue and sums the plot up in one succinct sentence:

“Everybody loves the monkey until it goes a bit Skynet.”