A very long time ago, when The Log of the Mustang Sally was being discussed, and JRE and I were trying to write Gibsonesque stuff, I realised that the Forum format is entirely the right medium in which to prototype writing, but the wrong medium in which to exhibit finished work to its advantage.

I have been knocked out by some of the contributions to Write Something Now, Draw Something Now, and other topics, but they are so hard to get at, and when a story is a few pages back, it's irritating, and when it's 60 pages ago, you can waste 20 minutes finding it. If you don't belong to the WGB, you will never see it.

I have finally done something about this. I've started a sf and fantasy on-line magazine, and would like to showcase items from WGB and from other forums in it. It's important to me that the format is clean, even if the content isn't, so I'll have none of that black background / Star Trek / Pixie Shit / movie adverts / flashing gifs trash that blights other sf mags on the net.

This is a not-for-profit operation, so don't expect to be paid because it's going to cost me money just to host and maintain it. I will display appropriate links. But it's basically a free showcase for new writing talent, with an attached forum in case anyone wants to start a discussion.

The mag is called Mythaxis, and it's at http://www.mythaxis.co.uk. Come and have a look.

Sounds very very cool.
Kudos for setting it all up.

Pretty cool.

But why didn't you simply use The Dead Channel?

(not complaining, just asking)

Ahem... didn't know about The Dead Channel. Sorry. Just visited and it looks pretty cool, too. Perhaps I should have floated this idea before doing the work.

But anyway it's done now and I am sure we can peacefully co-exist!

Have you been reading Warren Ellis' recent rants on the staid nature of the old sci-fi magazines? Asimov's, Analog and the like...

When you have the place populated you might want to shoot him a link.

quote:

from Contrite Puppy: Warren Ellis' et al

Yes I did, and I came to the conclusion that trying to make money out of a web mag would be damned hard.

Like the stick-in-the-mud existing print mags, I'm not keen on whizz-bang gimmicks. It ocurred to me that if Mythaxis really became popular, I still wouldn't charge for a subscription, but I might, from ad revenue, be able to pay contributors.

But, meanwhile, I'll just be content to rustle up volunteers and do it as a hobby.

Good job, sir. I may send you some old pieces from WSN, cleaned up a bit. (I am still working on new stuff for Dead Channel, folks, just moving very slowly on that front lately.)

Thanks, Splitcoil. I'd be delighted to receive and publish them.

I signed up.

I'd be willing to contribute, but Dead Channel has first rights. Since I'm not exactly overflowing with output at the moment, that probably means I won't have much to give for a while, at least. However, if I do something that seems better aimed in your direction, I will be sure to submit it.

Thanks, colin, I think my first link from Mythaxis is going to be the dead channel!

We've got a couple more entries in Mythaxis...
and we DO accept submissions, folks.

I totally missed this thread when it first appeared. Hmm.

*wonders if he has anything suitable to submit*

*wonders what the fuck he'd do for a nom de plume*

This very koo Gil-
I like the simplicity-
I'll have to have my friend edit, some of my stuff- And I'll send it into yur mag-

quote:

Originally posted by Mean Old Man:
I totally missed this thread when it first appeared. Hmm.

*wonders if he has anything suitable to submit*

*wonders what the fuck he'd do for a nom de plume*

Aperture Strait?

Too theatrical, perhaps.

All submissions gratefully received. I'm tarting up the site very gently, but don't want any Gee Whizz! effects, if I can help it, though I'm introducing an annotation system for footnotey stuff.

How sci-fi do you want submissions to be? I have two shorts that might apply.

>>*wonders what the fuck he'd do for a nom de plume*
What's wrong with Mean Old Man? Or do you want to keep your real name off these writing efforts?
And I still think of it as a baby's dummy.

Is there tone? Wordlength?

quote:

How sci-fi do you want submissions to be? I have two shorts that might apply.

Well, I'm not drawing the line yet, though everything I've accepted so far is either sf or computer- technical- related. Shoot it across and let me see it - I've liked your work in WSN.

My mission, if I have one, is to present a face of sf and fantasy that isn't Star Trek or pixie-shit. I want readers of mainstream lit. not to switch off when they see sf on the top line!

quote:

Originally posted by Mean Old Man:
I totally missed this thread when it first appeared. Hmm.

*wonders if he has anything suitable to submit*

*wonders what the fuck he'd do for a nom de plume*

I think you should stick with Oldman. Vicious Oldman?