Welcome to the dawn of the twenty-first century. This month's issue is a simple one, a look back at the stories I published last year.
In the year 2000, I published seven stories (two of them collaborations):
Also, I received my first Nebula and Sturgeon nominations, for "Reality Check," and I saw close to half of my stories come into electronic print at Fictionwise.com.
I also want to note that one of these stories, "Kaddish for the Last Survivor," received more fan mail than any other story I've ever published. One letter came from a teacher, who will use it in his unit on the Holocaust. Another letter came from a fellow in California, who asked permission to share copies of the story with members of his congregation. Needless to say, I'm gratified by the response this story has received.
It's the season for both AnLab voting and Hugo nominating, and I want to remind people to vote.
First the AnLab. Every year, Analog magazine polls their readers for the best fiction they published. The winners receive the Analytical Laboratory Award, also called the AnLab. Readers used to have to mail in a ballot; now Analog also takes votes on-line. Anyone on this list who is a regular reader of Analog can make their choices known by going to www.analogsf.com and casting their votes. All voters are entered in a drawing for a one-year subscription to the magazine.
As for the Hugos, this year's Worldcon, the Millennium Philcon, has placed the nominating ballots for both the Hugos and the Retro-Hugos at their website, www.milphil.org. If you were a member of last year's Worldcon, Chicon 2000, or are a member of MilPhil, you can print out the ballot, fill it out with the stories you would like to see nominated for the Hugo, and mail it in. The deadline for this is the end of March; however, if you're not yet a member of MilPhil, you can still fill out a ballot as long as you purchase a Worldcon membership along with it and mail it in before January 31.
Needless to say, I have a vested interest in readers of mine participating in these two ballots. However, even if you're not planning to vote for any of my stories, I still encourage you to check it out. The more people who vote, the more meaningful the results.
Reminder: the cover story of the Spring 2001 issue of ABSOLUTE MAGNITUDE will be "The Cold Calculations," and the magazine should be out in February. I'll announce this again when the magazine is actually available.
I'll also be speaking to the Shawsheen Valley chapter of Hadassah on February 4.
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-- Michael A. Burstein