Editorial

The Accidental Tourist

I fell into editing quite by accident.

I always knew what I wanted to be and that was an author. My first short story was penned at the age of six. I remember it because I successfully spelt the word ‘because’ which impressed my teacher no end. A novel followed in grade four. It was based on the works of Erich Von Daniken and was about how we came to the Earth from other planets. Interesting that my first ‘real’ work proved to be Spec Fic.

My teenage years saw a plethora of angst-driven poetry about death. One poem stands out. Titled ‘Nuclear’ it was my attempt to examine the juxtaposition that obviously lies between the decay of the modern family and the advent of the nuclear bomb.

Two more novels were written in the pubescent 80’s, both about love and war.

Then the Chambers and Barlow case erupted and everything changed. I realised I wasn’t quite the pacifist I purported to be. I stopped writing while I sorted through the confusion. The pen lay dormant for two years and then the next short story came to me, a piece about incest and fate. The piece was reworked nearly twenty years later and won a minor place in the KSP SF and F awards three years ago.

And thus I returned to my roots. Science Fiction was where I was at. I dipped my foot in the pool (my first publication ‘Divinities’ appeared in Antipodean in 2001) then threw myself in at the deep end. I was one of the founding editors of Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine and quickly discovered I had a good eye for what worked and what didn’t. Issue 11 appeared in February 2004 for which I won a Tin Duck. I’m extremely fond of ASIM and am grateful for the exposure to the SF community that it gave me.

And still I kept writing and achieved more publications.

When Russell and Lee decided to restart TiconderogaOnline I put my hand up and said I wanted in. I’ve edited a few issues now and featured stories that have gone on to garner award nominations. TiconderogaOnline, like ASIM, has been kind to me and helped me understand the workings of the Australian SF hive-mind.

But time moves on and so must we. I have a chaotic six months ahead of me both personally and professionally and I have to re-prioritise my life. Family, writing and work come first and I have to let go of some things that I enjoy but take up my time. Editing is on that list. So, it is with this editorial that I make my goodbyes. I’ve loved my time with TiconderogaOnline but it is time to move on.

I’d like to give my thanks and fondest regards to Russell, Liz and Lee for being part of a wonderful team. I’d also like to thank certain authors who have made editing such a joy. All the authors we’ve worked with have been fantastic, but Shane Jiraya Cummings and Martin Livings, both of whom appear in this issue, deserve special attention and I will miss their input most of all. I count both among my closest friends and am glad to close my time with their works.

I’ve also had the great pleasure of working with established authors and newbies and seeing how both developed. It is such a satisfying feeling to put the likes of Cat Sparks and N Joy Dodds up side by side and seeing how well their themes and styles fit. Not only were the reviews for both positive, but Cat’s “Macchiato Lane” also went on to be nominated for an Aurealis Award.

So, all in all, it’s been a good couple of years but now it’s at an end. Please, enjoy this issue. The magazine is an important part of Australian SF and deserves both your time and your donations.

Love

Lyn