Interzone review

Yay! A review of Voices of Vision has turned up in Interzone no. 199, which is a Good Thing, as Interzone is where many of these interviews originally appeared:

Over a five year period, Jayme Lynn Blaschke conducted interviews with numerous authors and editors. Published in a variety of locations on the web and in print magazines (including Interzone), seventeen of these interviews have been collected into the book Voices of Vision, which provides a snapshot of the state of science fiction and comic books at the turn of the millennium.

Beginning with the editors of Analog, Asimov's, Fantasy & Science Fiction and Science Fiction Age, Blaschke demonstrates that he is an insightful interviewer who is interesting in asking more than just basic, run of the mill questions. The results, in the editorial interviews as well as the auctorial interviews, means he is able to shed light on what science fiction is and can be.

Not only does he include interviews with some of the grandmasters of the field, Blaschke also interviewed a variety of up and coming authors, thereby providing a wide range of point of view as authors reflect on their careers and the fields from different perspectives. Of necessity, authors who are just starting out, like Patricia Anthony, will view the field very differently than longtime authors like Jack Williamson. Similarly, a comic book author and a science fiction author, while sharing some of the same concerns, will diverge in other areas.

The only real quibble with Voices of Vision is that Blaschke was unable to either conduct follow-up interviews closer to the time of the book's publication or provide information about how the authors' and editors' careers have changed in the years since he spoke with them.

Blaschke's interviews and their subjects are interesting and, while relatively brief in length, cover a tremendous amount of ground. Voices of Vision is essential for understanding the current state of science fiction from the point of view of those who write it and publish it.

I also hear tell that there's a positive review in the new Analog. I haven't seen it yet, but will certainly crow it from the rooftops as soon as I do!

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