Kevin Ahearn Sends Good Wishes
to Bewildering Press

by Kevin Ahearn

First off, let me congratulate Bewildering Press on this bold step and wish you all the luck in the world.

I know very little about this game, but one thing I’ve always held to: “A wise man learns from his own mistakes; a wiser man learns from the mistakes of others.”

Two failed ventures to examine: Sci-fiction and Baen’s Universe.

Both had “professional” award-winning editors and “name writers” and were backed with bucks, yet both failed to find an audience. Yeah, that’s the tough part.

Science fiction and fantasy in the new millennium is too often defined by older, more experienced hands who want their science fiction and fantasy, the kind of stuff that turned them on to the genre. That has led to compromise, compliance, and conformity. In short, VHS thinking in a DVD age.

For me, science fiction and fantasy are about confronting the issues of our day and connecting with an audience. That requires confidence and guts. No mean feat. Does that mean that Bewildering Stories should abandon its editorial policies and “dumb down” and “sex up” its content? NO! Stick to your guns, but at the same time take a few chances with material that “boldly goes where no one has gone before.”

Gee, so what’s that? Well, like they say about porn: “I can’t define it, but I know it when I see it.”

Get tough! I’ve read too much in Bewildering Stories that needed another run through the word processor and never got it. “Everything stinks till it’s finished.” said Dr. Seuss. “Rewriting is the magic of writing,” said Mario Puzo. I would argue with either of them?

If you need any help somewhere along the line, please let me know.

“Go on again with fresh courage,”

Kevin

Copyright © 2006 by Kevin Ahearn

Kevin, thinking that new readers might wonder who you are and how you could give such friendly and familiar advice, I checked your bio sketch and found that you’ve been with us since issue 67, early in Year 2 of Bewildering Stories. You’re a long-time friend, and you understand what we’re doing.

Our new readers would benefit from checking your bibliography. What you say here fits like the proverbial glove with everything you’ve said before. We’ve had our debates at times, but your viewpoint is well worth heeding; your intentions are solid gold.

All your advice is well taken, particularly: “Go on again with fresh courage.” You’re right: learn from history. After Sci-fiction and Baen’s, things are less than ever like they used to be. And where and who is our audience? “Build it and they will come?” Only if — as you say — we play a good game; and that requires good fundamentals, and practice. We do our contributors a favor by demanding it.

Our title “Bewildering” Stories is at once ironic and playful. It’s also serious, because it means you never know what you’re going to get from one issue to the next. Gems that could not be published elsewhere? Ask and you’ve already received: our contributors have supplied it in abundance. And now Bewildering Press is ready to continue going “boldly” where Bewildering Stories has gone before, to a place sans frontières — without boundaries.

Don