James Nicoll Reviews

The ISFDB says that Phyllis Eisenstein’s 1997 Spec-Lit is the first of two Spec-Lit anthologies. I’d argue they are closer to magazines. I base this on vibes and also because the copyright says, ​“This magazine is copyright © 1997 by Phyllis Eisenstein.” The two Spec-Lit books/magazines are, as far as I know, the only examples of Eisenstein’s editorial work.

But first! Background.

As Eisenstein explains in the foreword, this anthology is the product of a university creative writing course Eisenstein taught. She thought it a pity that the best works would be submitted, then vanish forever. Thus, two issues of Spec-Lit that collect the best student works (plus some works by known authors, presumably to convince readers to take a chance on the anthology/magazine).

You must be wondering, as I did, if courses like these are correlated with actual writing careers? There are seventeen authors in the anthology (including the editor). Excluding Eisenstein, Budrys, and Wolfe on the grounds that their careers were well established by the time Spec-Lit appeared, how many of the remaining fourteen authors were published elsewhere (in a form tracked by the ISFDB)?

Five, at least one of whom actually got their start in the 1970s. At the risk of sounding cynical, I am not surprised. Getting published more than once requires a certain combination of determination, luck, and willful blindness to the realities of publishing, qualities that many people lack. Most aspiring writers will abandon commercial writing for something more immediately rewarding long before their souls are crushed by the realities of commercial publishing.

The anthology is pretty much what one would expect from ​“stories written as course work for a creative writing class.” The students demonstrate a basic competence that I must assure you is not necessarily the case with university student prose. Good for them and their teacher! However, the stories (even the ones by established pros) aren’t really memorable, so it’s good I kept notes. There is one standout: John O’Shaughnessy’s ​“To Protect and Profit,” a rather Galaxy-esque tale exploring ​“what if this goes on?”

I don’t think I will be seeking out the other issue of Spec-Lit, unless my compulsive completism overcomes my sloth.

Spec-Lit is out of print. Used copies — signed, even! — are available via the usual used book venues.

Editorial: Into the Unknown (Spec-Lit) • (1997) • essay by Phyllis Eisenstein

A brief history of how the anthology/magazine came to be.

Eisenstein’s enthusiasm is infectious. One gets the sense that she was an inspiring teacher.

Some people, terrible people who probably wear street shoes indoors, might wonder how effective a teacher she was, given that the anthology is rather meh. We can’t say because we don’t know where the students began. It might be that the prose we’re reading is a vast improvement over their initial skills. Or it could be that at least they had fun spinning their wheels for a semester. I can say, having adjudicated university writing contests, that the worst story in this anthology is still better than the worst contest stories I’ve read.

“Chief” • (1997) • short story by Sam Weller

A country boy discovers that aliens are annoying.

“Dr. Max Gets His Questions Asked” • (1997) • short story by Tom Traub

A VR expert becomes concerned about reality.

Traub’s name sounds familiar. I searched and found that a Tom Traub does merit a short IMDB entry for two films he produced; I haven’t seen the films. Nor am I sure that this is the same Tom Traub.

“Right-Horned” • (1997) • short story by Craighton Hippenhammer

A medical puzzle is solved.

“The Orbs” • (1997) • short story by Don Franke

Foolish humans seek transformative experiences.

“Living Alone in the Jungle” • (1991) • short story by Algis Budrys

Isolation has unfortunate cognitive side-effects.

The Art Page • (1997) • interior artwork by James Cawthorn

A crude image suitable for a less notable fanzine or roleplaying game.

“Spukknapped!” • (1997) • short story by J. T. Monahan

A woman is kidnapped by an annoying alien.

This was … not good. I very nearly bailed out at this point.

“Rough Beast” • (1997) • short story by William McMahon

A couple is entirely unaware of the new entity in whose creation they played a role.

“Fugue” • (1997) • short story by George Alan

Characters sleepwalk through Actor’s Nightmare lives.

“The Changeling” • (1968) • short story by Gene Wolfe

A disgraced veteran returns to a home he finds transformed, save for one important detail.

First published in Orbit 3. I wasn’t keen on it then, either.

“The Liver and Mr. French” • (1997) • short story by Eric M. Weinstein

Inmates do their very best not to think about their disturbing circumstances.

“The Gambler” • (1997) • short story by Jeremy Efroymson

A couple tries to escape their home state and its onerous gambling laws.

This was both terrible and something I could see being published in Analog.

“Letters to Luna” • (1997) • short fiction by Jenna Rosenthal

Complaints about a dominant cabal, in letter form.

To Protect and Profit • (1997) • novelette by John O’Shaughnessy

An exploration of gamified law enforcement.

“The Eatery” • (1997) • short story by D. Everett

A melancholy life on the road.

“Night Ride” • (1997) • short story by Jeff Jacobson

Hitchhikers: threat or menace?