Green Group discussion

Hello again, Greens!

I thought I'd take the opportunity to introduce the project I've been helming since April. The writers community of the forums at SFFWorld.com have been e-publishing annual short fiction anthologies since 2012, and this year's release has the theme (and title) of Ecotones , referring to the points of contact between different ecosystems.

This is a “pro-am” project, with established authors invited to help raise the anthology's profile to provide the majority of less well-known contributors with an opportunity to reach a wider audience. Past anthologies have enjoyed the support of a number of big-names in contemporary speculative fiction, including Hugh Howey, Elizabeth Moon, Michael J. Sullivan and Mark Lawrence.

This time we may have out-done ourselves, as the cover boasts best-sellers and award winners in Tobias S. Buckell, Lauren Beukes and Ken Liu—who has provided us with an original piece written especially for the anthology! As if this wasn't enough, the forum contributors are led by established SFF author Matthew Hughes, and Stephen Palmer, who alone has been writing bizarre takes on eco-fiction for almost twenty years.

So, here's the pitch: Ecotones contains fourteen diverse and imaginative stories that range in genre from space opera to epic fantasy, action thriller to romance, comedy to horror. You might say we're attempting to create a complex ecotone of our own by bringing them together.

They explore themes like bio-technology, social activism, family sacrifice, militant conservationism, the frustrations of ageing, and good food. And they present interpretations of the “ecotonal” theme which are sometimes literal—where land meets sea; where forest meets clearing—and sometimes figurative—where the city meets suburbia; where the fantastic meets the mundane; where cultures clash.

This year, the project is attempting a first: to use Kickstarter as a promotional platform, offering backers discounted copies of Ecotones —as well as the previous SFFWorld anthologies and other offers—in order to create a ready-made audience on release day.

I hope you'll take a look at the site and consider backing the campaign. This has been a labour of love for me: not only am I a contributor and the editor, I also designed the cover, set up the website, even made the promotional video!

The campaign finishes on December 1st, and two weeks later the book will be available—but why wait until it's full-price when you can order now and get it for less?

Too long? Didn't Read?

Ecotones - Ecological Stories from the Border Between Fantasy and Science Fiction

Kickstarting until December 1st, 2015. Published December 15th, 2015.

We're giving away the book for only £3 or £4, depending on how fast you get there, plus bundles that include the previous SFFWorld anthologies at reduced prices too. There are even "writer-oriented" rewards, including editing services from the anthology team, plus advertising, interview and roundtable opportunities on SFFWorld.com

Website | Kickstarter

Just wanted to mention that I'm a proud and enthusiastic supporter of the Ecotones project on Kickstarter. Andrew has created an amazingly diverse and talented lineup of story contributors for this anthology. I can't wait to get my copy!

(Santa comes early, and in a sleigh powered by renewable reindeer! Although Rudolph's nose is red instead of green... ;-)

Quick heads-up (which I'm also doing on the other thread here) to say that, with just under 48 hours still to run, the Ecotones Kickstarter campaign has succeeded!

That means two things:

1: you still have time to back it, if you want a copy of the book for less than it will cost on release date; and

2: getting it's a sure thing!