In 2008, there was an interesting interview in the Vietnamese news with one of their leading science fiction writers, Vu Kim Dung.

One of the striking quotes to me from his interview was his idea that "to write science fiction, an author has to love both the social and natural sciences and be a skillful writer. Moreover, you should have a deep knowledge of social issues. As a writer, an imaginative mind is necessary to create interesting work. First begin writing short stories, then try with novels. You must combine scientific knowledge and literary skill."

I also found it interesting how he made an effort to have science fiction regarded seriously, when he remarked:

"Writing science fiction doesn’t mean basing stories on imagination alone. I have to study science and find scientific evidence. Then I work as a normal writer, finding context and making the stories interesting.

On the other hand, a writer must be creative and predict the future. That’s the big difficulty. The writer’s role is to create what hasn’t been invented. Writing on what already exists creates a story without value."

While I respect his position, I think that remains a key part of the difference between certain Asian nations' traditions and American speculative literature. This question of creating stories with value.

Certainly, there's a good deal of American speculative literature written with grand purpose and themes that make a comment on the human condition or seek to build a genuine love of the sciences, but there's also a great body of work that is is created without ulterior motive and grand purpose. Art that is indifferent to its value. That should be something of interest to us, this purity of effort where one has no illusions, no pretensions that what is written will change the face of arts and letters forever, yet one still creates.


I think many writers undermine their texts by trying to create something with 'worth' that ultimately goes into the dustbins of literary history because they become too much a product of their time.  There are some who succeed, but I think art can be extremely interesting when it can accommodate the truly unanticipated.

Vu Kim Dung's position on what science fiction and writers in general must do is something I'm taking note of: "The writer's role is to create what hasn't been invented," because it brings to mind, for me, Marx's classic assertion that "philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways, the point is to change it".  I would hope that many officials within Marxist-inspired systems can appreciate this and give their speculative fiction writers the latitude to explore and to be ambitious, because good speculative literature does not have to be in contradiction with their value systems, but it will also thrive when it's given broad latitude to imagine.

Asian American emerging poets, apply to be a Kundiman fellow!

The online application deadline is Sat., Feb. 1, 11:59pm EST.

You'll need: $15 and 5-7 pages of poetry, with your name included on each page. Include a cover letter with your name, address, phone number, e-mail address and a brief paragraph describing what you would like to accomplish at the Kundiman Asian American Poetry Retreat. If you're accepted, the non-refundable tuition fee is $375. But, Room and Board are free to accepted Fellows. The Kundiman Asian American Poetry Retreat is held on Fordham University's Rose Hill Campus located in the Bronx, NYC.


Note: Very few writers from Laos have ever gone through this acclaimed program since it began in 2004. Consider applying. Since 2004, twenty-six fellows have published first books and twenty-five have published chapbooks and they credit Kundiman as being instrumental in their growth as writers.

L'etoile Magazine's Rob Callahan recently posted up the great list "9 Twin Cities Cultural Exports You Didn’t Know About… Yet" I made the list at #8 along with Dr. Demento, Inspector Spacetime and Killing Joke Films, among other awesome folks! Thanks L'etoile Magazine! It's great company to be with!

For my Lovecraftian fans, I'd particularly point them to Killing Joke Films, who, L'etoile mentions "... first hit our radar when they signed on to adapt local playwright Tim Uren’s Lovecraft-inspired play, The Curse of Yig."

In good news, my poem, "Full Metal Hanuman," with art by Nor Sanavongsay won first place in the Strange Horizons 2013 Reader's Poll.

"Full Metal Hanuman" originally appeared in September, 2013. A big thanks to all of our readers who voted for us! It's an honor, and certainly an exciting thing to wake up to in the morning.  You can find "Full Metal Hanuman" in my new book DEMONSTRA from Innsmouth Free Press.

I would definitely check out all of the poetry they've presented at Strange Horizons over the years. There are some pieces that are going to become classics. Among this year's other winners: "Lost" by Amal El-Mohtar, "Tattertongue" by Jenn Grunigen, "Jael" by Nancy Hightower, "Tataki" by Shweta Narayan and "I Am Learning To Forget" by Dominik Parisien are also poems you should check out.


I'm also going to give a big shout out to Sofia Samatar who's just on fire this week with her 1st Place fiction "Selkie Stories are for Losers" and 1st Place for reviews, and a 4th Place for her interview with Nalo Hopkinson. She'll have to clear off some space on the mantle for her new Crawford Award for Best Fantasy Debut, the novel A Stranger in Olondria. Seriously, read her book.