Friday, January 22: Bandersnatches
COMING TO A NEWSSTAND NEAR YOU
by Steve Steinbock
The emails started coming in last weekend, on Saturday to be precise. My pal Neal in sunny Florida wrote:
I just pulled the new Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine out of my mail box. As usual, I checked out the TOC before even closing the mail box door and there you are!!!
Wow, I was keyed. I stomped through the snow to get to my own mailbox, but nothing had arrived yet. Mail was especially late that day. It slows down deliveries when the poor postal carriers have to drive along the edges of snowbanks all day. When the mail arrived, I was greeted by a few bills and a few catalogs, but not EQMM.
Sunday there are no mail deliveries, and Monday was Martin Luther King Day. Tuesday didn’t bring the magazine either. But today I was greeted by the brand-spanking new double issue (March/April 2010) of EQMM. It’s a dandy.
In addition to my story, “Cleaning Up,” filling the Department of First Stories space, there are stories by Doug Allyn, Michael Z. Lewin, Terence Faherty, Val McDermid, Robert Levinson, and Bill Link, to name a few. Immediately following my story is a story by my friend Art Taylor. The opening story in the issue is a special one, a horror tale by Edward D. Hoch that was suggested to EQMM by Doug Greene. Ed’s story, “The Faceless Thing,” is a very short, but powerfully moody story that for me conjures up something from the vast realm between Stephen King and H.P. Lovecraft.
For about ten years it was a tradition that Doug Greene, Ed and Pat Hoch, and I would go out to dinner on the Friday evening of Bouchercon. Those dinners were fun and memorable. I can’t bring back those days, but in a sense, this issue of EQMM marks a reunion of sorts.
The Story Behind the Story
For those who haven’t read “Cleaning Up” I won’t spoil any surprises. But I thought I’d share a little of the genesis of the story. The two main characters, Frances and Cora, had been battling it out in my head for quite a while. These two women are composites of a lot of people, including as much as I hate to admit a certain amount of myself. But most of the inspiration was drawn from the arguments I had the pleasure of witnessing between my mother and my grandmother, and to a lesser extent between my grandmother and her older sister.
Congratulations, Steve — can’t wait to read the story. And you’re in some pretty distinguished company, in that issue!
Boy, do I know that feeling of waiting for the magazine. Congrats, Steve. Can’t wait to read it.
SO pleased for you, Steve! Yea, you! I can’t wait to read it!
My copy hasn’t arrived, but I’m looking forward to it. Last month’s “first story” was by former DAPA-Emmer (Dave) Evan Lewis. Great to see the apa doing so well.
Well, let me be the first to congratulate you on the story itself–really very, very good! Great characters and a surprise and novel ending (I won’t give it away here in deference to those that haven’t read it yet). Thanks for having made life just a lttle tougher on the rest of us by entering the fray–good on ye all round!
When I got my copy, the first thing I did after reading the story was write to Steve and tell him I expected his column this week to announce the great news.
We had some discussion concerning the illustration — our first inclination was to scan the magazine’s cover, and Steve actually did so — but we were both concerned about the mailing label on the cover. Just before Steve sent me his scan, with the label whited out, though, I had scanned the title and byline from inside the magazine. When I asked him which he preferred, he said it was up to me, and I chose the title and byline. It’s not as colorful, perhaps, but it has the virtue of directly celebrating Steve’s first sale.
I wonder if Steve has stopped dancing yet?
Thank you all. It’s a beautiful issue. If you don’t subscribe, be sure to pick one up.
I am still standing by the mailbox. . .
I am starting to feel like a watched pot.
Seriously, Steve, much congratulations over this, the first of many.
Terrie
Dear Steve:
Got the issue a few days ago. Found your story. Read it, delighting in it. When I got to the paragraphs including the line “This is a good city,” and I realized what was going on, I yelled out “Oh, My God!” in the quiet of my house.
Loved it!
So, picture it as an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents or Night Gallery (“This painting is a portrait of frailty. But don’t be fooled…”)
Excellent! I look forward to that.
I know exactly how you must be feeling at the moment. It’s a great sensation.
Stevo—
Bravo! Loved it!!
Mikey