Warren has posted the
updated cover for the February 2010 issue of RoF. The artwork to this one is by Gallegos. It represents another interior illustration we're also running on the cover, and it is for "The Unknown God" by Ann Leckie. Ann's story is also one of my slush survivors, so this just adds to the overall coolness factor. :)
Here is the complete TOC (no order):
"How Interesting: A Tiny Man" by Harlan Ellison, illustrated by Leo & Diane Dillon
"The Unknown God" by Ann Leckie, illustrated by Gallegos
"Melanie" by Aliette de Bodard, illustrated by Frank Wu
"Mister Oak" by Leah Bobet, illustrated by Gary Lippincott
"The Demon of Hochgarten" by Euan Harvey, illustrated by Dave Leri
This issue's artist gallery features Charles Vess.
As always seems to be the case, there is some stuff worth noting. Let's start with the fiction. As the cover notes, this is Harlan Ellison's first new story in almost a decade. So we're very proud to be the venue publishing this legend in the field. Harlan has appeared in the magazine before--both in the fiction and nonfiction departments-but this is the first time he's publishing original fiction with us. Leah & Euan have also appeared in the magazine before. Ann & Aliette are both appearing in the magazine for the first time.
In the art department, there are several things I'd like to note. First, by special arrangement with Realms of Fantasy and its art department, Harlan Ellison got to play art director with his story. The artists to this piece were selected by him and he worked with them. I gave the stamp of approval on the artist selections and it was up to me concerning whether to accept the final piece that was turned in, but this was Harlan's baby.
With the cover/interior illustration by Gallegos, I should note that I learned about this artist through the general submissions pile. I almost always have to hunt down the right artists through research, either by flipping through back issues of RoF or the latest edition of Spectrum, or poking around on various online artist sites and/or galleries. So it was kind of cool to skip the research portion for a change and have this artist presented to me on a silver platter. Gallegos is not an unknown, but he does mark the first artist I learned about through the general art submissions. Carol Heyer & Stephanie Pui-Mun Law have both submitted portfolios and I've since worked with them both, but I was aware of their work already and had planned to work with them anyway. Not so with Gallegos. I was actually still looking for the right artist to "The Unknown God" when I made my weekly trip to the art p.o. box. Inside was a portfolio from Gallegos, and as I looked through his samples, the proverbial light-bulb went off and I decided to pair him up with Ann's story. So to any artists who might believe it is a waste of time to snail-mail your portfolios to the general art submissions, I say thee nay!
To any who like to keep track of this sort of stuff, I'd also like to note that Dave Leri's illustration is a piece from the Sovereign Media era. I've actually worked with Dave already, and the result was published in our last issue, with his illustration to "Felicity's Engine" by Sharon Mock. But coincidentally enough, his piece for Sovereign Media is being published in the very next issue. Anyway, with the publication of this piece, we're now down to three pieces of art remaining from the Sovereign Media era.
Finally, with Frank Wu's illustration to "Melanie," I present to you the completed trifecta from the art brouhaha a while back. First there was the intense interest in the mermaid cover from the August 2009 issue. Then there was the intense interest in the mermaid story by William Eakin in the October 2009 issue. And early on in that whole unfortunate brouhaha, there was some scrutiny regarding this illustration's nudity. I said that it wasn't right to judge the interior illustration without reading the accompanying story. Well, now you can read the story. So feel free to judge away! Thus concludes our final chapter of the art brouhaha (or so I sincerely hope).
Anyway, I know there are still some folks out there who have been waiting a while to see their stories published in the magazine. We're getting there. Euan's story was tied with another story for our second oldest story in inventory. And Aliette actually has the oldest story in inventory ...just not "Melanie." "Melanie" marks her second sale to us, but being as it's shorter we ran this one instead due to space considerations. Call it a hunch, but I doubt Aliette is complaining. :)
And that, I believe, is all the news fit to print, except to let you know that this one should be finding its way to newsstands and subscribers in December. Hope you like it!