Editorial – November 2019

Issue #13, eh? Presumably unlucky for someone, somewhere, simply by the law of averages. I took a look back at Emerald City #13 and discovered that it had been written shortly after I had come out as trans to my family. That did not go well. Fortunately Kevin was there to pick up the pieces. This time around I’m just scared stupid of what will happen to the UK if Boris Johnson is returned as Prime Minister. Fortunately I’m a lot older and more sanguine about things, but I worry dreadfully about those who still have plenty of life ahead of them.

Getting this issue out means that I have now done the requisite four issues in the year, and am therefore eligible for next year’s Hugo Awards in Best Fanzine. Technically I’m eligible in Best Fan Writer as well, but it is the fanzine category that I’m hoping to revive by tossing my hat back in the ring. I don’t need to win any more rockets, but hopefully having me involved will increase voter interest in the category.

Both of the interviews in this issue are a little old. I was going to have one with Lucy Hounsom, but I screwed up the recording. We’ll fix that next year. In the meantime profuse apologies to Lucy. Also the two interview I have included both have a direct connection to reviews in this issue. Next issue my chat with Kate MacDonald of Handheld Press will have disappeared off the Ujima Radio Listen Again system, so I can run that here.

Apologies are also due to Kate Heartfield because I didn’t get around to the second Alice Payne book as I’d hoped. We’re deep into end of the year list season now and I have much to read. Hopefully by this time next year the discipline of having this ‘zine to fill will have left me in a much better state. Next issue, Kate, promise.

Over the holiday season I hope to do some work on the website to provide some decent indexation of the reviews. I’m also planning to transfer some of my older reviews to this site so that everything is in the same place. You’ll see some of that starting with this issue.

There will be a December issue, but it won’t be out before the Solstice so I should wish you all a very happy holiday season, in whichever way you choose to celebrate it.