On Writing, with John Robert Colombo and Brett Alexander Savory

With Hallowe'en on the horizon, we want stories that will make the hairs at the back of our necks stand up. Plenty of these creepy tales can be found in the new anthology of strange fiction, Tesseracts 14: Strange Canadian Stories, released this fall with EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing. Here, editors John Robert Colombo and Brett Alexander Savory tell Open Book about the anthology and their thoughts on how the best spec fiction can really curl your toenails.

Open Book:

Tell us about the Tesseracts series.

John Robert Colombo:

Everyone in the country should know that the long-established series of anthologies called Tesseracts 1, Tesseracts 2, etc., is an ongoing series of collections of current fantastic literature, largely contributed by new writers. It offers its readers what Ezra Pound called “an active anthology,” one that presents new, unusual and untried material, often of a provocative nature. It is not a reprint anthology. Tesseracts 14, which I have had the pleasure (and pain) of co-editing with Brett Alexander Savory, offers more than an unusual amount of pleasure (and pain)!

Brett Alexander Savory:

BAS: Me, a pain?? Come on now!

OB:

How do you define "speculative fiction"?

JRC:

I do not define it, nor did Judith Merril, the “SF personality” who introduced the term to Canada. The term I find useful is “fantastic literature.” This is highly imaginative, non-mainstream writing, and it consists of three genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy Fiction and Weird Fiction. Tesseracts 14 includes works from these three categories.

BAS:

Yeah, I would just say Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror. There are lots of sub-genres, but those three loosely sum it up.

OB:

What is the most common misconception about the genre?

JRC:

Most people confuse fantastic literature with rocket-ships and space-ships or with ghosts and haunted houses. It is really about how human we mostly are — and also about how inhuman we sometimes are.

BAS:

People think genre fiction can't be of the same calibre as "literary fiction," which is complete horseshit. Good writing is good writing is good writing.

OB:

What spec fiction writers do you most admire, and why?

JRC:

Robert J. Sawyer’s fiction is outstanding because it is focuses on human reactions and on current concerns. Who would not want to know his future? Read Rob’s novels and stories and find out about your possible future.

BAS:

As a publisher, that's a dangerous question to answer, since you never want to leave people out — especially your authors! So I won't answer with any of ChiZine Publications' authors, but will answer strictly as a reader/fan. I think Brian Evenson is doing some incredible work. I keep trying to twist his arm to do something with CZP, and I think I've almost got him beaten down. Ha!

OB:

What was the hardest part about selecting the fiction and poetry for Tesseracts Fourteen: Strange Canadian Stories?

JRC & BAS:

Selecting the top 15 stories was easy. The editors agreed immediately. Selecting the next half-dozen stories was hard — there were so many claimants. We hate to say no, but with 440 or so submissions and space for only 22 or so contributions, we had to say no 418 times. It hurts!

OB:

What would you advise novice writers of spec fiction NOT to do in their writing?

JRC:

Don’t explain, dramatize. Don’t describe, surprise.

BAS:

Aim for resonance in your writing, rather than resolution. Resonance is far more powerful and stays with the reader much longer than wrapping up your story with a neat little bow.

OB:

How do you plan to spend Hallowe'en this year?

JRC:

On All Hallow’s Eve, I will be delivering a talk (at the Oshawa Public Library, I think it is) called “Do Ghosts Exist?” I find myself wondering how it will turn out ....

BAS:

On Hallowe'en, I'll be driving back to Toronto from the World Fantasy Convention in Columbus, Ohio, where on Friday night (Oct. 29th) ChiZine Publications is having a big fall launch party. So if you're going to WFC, come to the party, buy books, eat food and drink booze! I certainly will be.

Also, Edge Books is launching Tesseracts 14 there on Saturday, Oct. 30th from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. I will likely be drinking booze there, too.

John Robert Colombo, nationally known as the Master Gatherer for his compilations of Canadiana, is a long-time fan of fantastic literature. He edited Other Canadas, the first anthology of such literature in this country. He then undertook Years of Light, a pioneering study of Canadian fandom, which focuses on Leslie A. Croutch of Parry Sound. He has also compiled collections of the horror stories of Maurice Level and the terror stories of Algernon Blackwood. His current publication is Poems of Space and Time, which brings together 360-plus poems inspired by the vistas of ... space and time.

Brett Alexander Savory is the Bram Stoker Award-winning Editor-in-Chief of ChiZine: Treatments of Light and Shade in Words (which has been in operation since 1997), Co-publisher of ChiZine Publications, has had nearly 50 short stories published, and has written two novels. In 2006, Necro Publications released his horror-comedy novel, The Distance Travelled. September 2007 saw the release of his dark literary novel, In and Down, through Brindle & Glass. His first short story collection, No Further Messages, was released in November 2007 through Delirium Books. He is now at work on his third novel, Lake of Spaces, Wood of Nothing. Savory is represented by The Carolyn Swayze Literary Agency. He lives in Toronto with his wife, writer/editor Sandra Kasturi. For more information about their co-edited anthology Tesseracts 14, please visit the Edge & Tesseracts website. Buy this book at your local independent bookstore or online at Chapters/Indigo or Amazon.