Amazon women on the Moon. Brains suspended in jars. The heat death of the universe.

It’s all here, as a free pdf download, in Subterranean #4, guest edited by Campbell Award Winner John Scalzi (The Android’s Dream, Old Man’s War, The Ghost Brigades).

Here, in John’s own words, is what you have in store for you:

Let me tell you what happened every single time I told a writer I was planning to edit a magazine on the theme of science fiction clichés. Every time I mentioned it to a writer, their eyebrows would shoot up, they’d get a smirky little lopsided grin, and behind their eyeballs you could see the little men inside their head pressing the pleasure buttons with gleeful abandon. Not once did a writer frown. Not once did a writer say “That’s a really stupid idea.” Not even once did a writer ask “For God’s sake, why?!?” in a stupefied tone of voice. Not once.

Here’s why: Because just about every writer out there has a story they would dearly love to do but could never justify actually writing, because its very beating heart is a cliché so old and worn out that there would be no chance of actually selling it—clichés so advanced in years that even Hugo Gernsback would send back the story with a handwritten note: “Look, kid. It’s been done.” And now, finally, an excuse to bang that story out! It’s like Christmas!

And off these writers would go, merrily, to type their little treasures to life. You can say what you will about the quality of the stories in this magazine (I happen to think they’re good, which is why I bought them), but here’s one thing you can’t deny. These stories that you read here today? These stories were loved by their creators. Oh yes, indeed. And you can sense the delight as you read them; some of the writers were so excited at being able to play with clichés that, as with potato chips, they couldn’t stop at one (indeed, Allen Steele’s piece may now hold the world record for largest number of science fiction clichés jammed into the smallest space—a record the no doubt proud Mr. Steele is likely to carry until the heat death of the universe, lovingly described by Elizabeth Bear in her story. A grateful nation salutes you, Mr. Steele).

So what are you waiting for? Subterranean #4 awaits.

Posted on Saturday, November 18th, 2006 at 1:25 pm.