Recursive Science Fiction

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Zebrowski, George, "Catch the Sleep Ship"

Subtitled "The First Science-Fiction Story of the Century." An old—possibly the last—SF writer tries to teach the students of the future. They do not seem to understand so he biotimes (cryogenic suspension with virtual reality) in order to reach true futurity. Only one of the students figures out what happens and understands. Much of this is a lecture rather than a story.

Interzone 163 January 2001 (pp.6-9)

Zebrowski, George, "The Last Science Fiction Story of the 20th Century"

In the future SF writers need to have their extrapolations performed and science vetted by machine simulations; otherwise, the electronic editors of the publications will not consider them. Even with this the protagonist doesn't seem to be able to fit in; he would prefer the old days. One theory is that the increasing pace of science and innovation creates a culture inimical to science fiction.

Interzone 162 December 2000 (pp.44-49)

Zelazny, Roger & Saberhagen, Fred, The Black Throne

There are three - Annie, a young lady of powerful mesmeric force, Edgar Allan Perry, a sergeant in the U.S. Army and Edgar Allan Poe.  The latter two are the same person in alternate worlds.  A trio kidnaps Annie to use her to make gold; this necessitates swapping Poe and Perry.  Perry is hired by Seabright Harrison to track down Annie and prevent this alchemical transformation.  In this he is aided by Ligeia and M. Ernest Valdemar (who happens to be dead). In Paris they meet other agents of Ellison, Dupin and Marie Roget.  Dupin's raven attaches himself to Perry.  We see the adventures through Perry's eyes.  Poe is linked to him and interprets them as nightmares, writing them down for us.  Most of Poe's major works are woven into this novel.

Baen 72013-9, October 1990

Zelazny, Roger, "LOKI 7281"

Roger Zelazny's home computer is sentient.  This was an accident but is also true of many of this model who are now in the homes of many of the leading SF writers.  The computer is rewriting his books to make them more salable.  When the writer finds out he tries to destroy the machine.  The machine, in concert with its siblings, plan to murder the writers and keep this secret.  They will tell whoever is curious that the writers are off at an SF convention, somewhere.

R-A-M: Random Access Messages of the Computer Age, (edited by Thomas Monteleone), Hayden 6333-4, 1984

Frost and Fire, Morrow 08942-9, June 1989(pp. 49-56)

Zeldes, Leah A., "Hemingway, Remarks Are Not Literature"

In the 1920s, there was a handful of SF writing living in Paris.  Hemingway published a space adventure book The Sun Also Rises, which Gertrude Stein said was too "nuts and bolts." Stein was not able to sell to Amazing when Gernsback was editor, but did place stories when Elliot Paul took the helm. Other SF writers in the group were F. Scott Fitzgerald, D. H. Lawrence, and Upton Sinclair.  Hemingway never liked Edith Wharton's time travel novel The Agent of Innocence even though it won a Pulitzer Prize.

Alternate Skiffy (edited by Mike Resnick and Patrick Nielsen Hayden), The Wildside Press 1-880448-54-8, December 1997 [dated 1996] (pp. 76-78)

Zeldes, Leah A., "A Proud and Lonely Thing"

Late in the 21st century, the whole culture is oriented about SF and conventions.  Since so many people want to go, lotteries are held for the Live Attending (as opposed to Virtual) Memberships.  Mike Warner has one to the 2082 Worldcon in Detroit (first one there in 123 years) but would rather stay home and read old-fashioned books.  So, he gives his ticket to a neighbor in the building Uhura Pryzbyla.  She offers it to her boyfriend Harlan Horowitz from Cleveland.  Both agree that Mike is such a mundane.

Alternate Worldcons (edited by Mike Resnick), Pulphouse Publishing 1-56146-448-1, September 1994 (pp.115-122)

Alternate Worldcons and Again, Alternate Worldcons (edited by Mike Resnick), WC Books, September 1996 (pp.115-122)

Zeldes, Leah, "Yesterday's Stormy Fable"

A brief description of a world in which Worldcons are held once every five years.  This resulted from the intervention of Melvin Roscoe (a time traveler or a ghod) who unified fandom in New York up to and including the 1939 convention in New York City.

Alternate Worldcons and Again, Alternate Worldcons (ed, by Resnick, Mike), WC Books, September 1996 (pp.145-156)

Zivkovic, Zoran, "The Bookshop"

The protagonist runs a science fiction bookshop.  One evening a customer arrives looking for a new book—he does not know the title nor author.  It turns out that he is an alien who came to Earth via a fifth force (imagination) anomaly caused by two fifth force beams interfering. He must locate the offending story and bring it back to his planet or the volume of space between will be destroyed. The story is finally found in the shopkeeper's computer where he was writing it. Now he cannot write SF for a while. One of the books offered to the alien is Impossible Encounters by Zoran Zivkovic, of which "The Bookshop" is the fifth. Translated from the Serbian by Alice Copple-Tosic; translation edited by Chris Gilmore.

Interzone 160 October 2000 (pp.25-30)

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