The IF Anthology of Indian SF
from Westland Books
A Note from the Editor, Gautam Bhatia
In June 2024, Westland/IF issued an open call for submissions to an anthology of new Indian SF. While a few anthologies of Indian SF exist, we wanted to try something new and experimental: the anthology would comprise entirely submissions from the open call (i.e., no solicited pieces), and editorial review at the first stage would be double-blind (i.e., the editor would not know the identity of the writers).
We received a total of 232 submissions, out of which 30 were novelettes (between 8,000 and 20,000 words), and 202 were short stories (up to 8,000 words), including synopses/stories from languages other than English. At the end of the first round of review, we have shortlisted 25 short stories and 6 novelettes. The final anthology will have 10 short stories and 3 novelettes. The final selection will be made by the editor, in consultation with Westland’s editorial team.
Because of the sheer number of submissions, I was forced to reject a number of excellent stories (our final selection rate will end up being around 3 per cent). Rejection, therefore, should not in any way be taken to be a verdict on story quality. Also, because of the volume of submissions, individual feedback is not possible for all stories.
However, on reading the submissions, I was able to identify a few general trends, which I set out here.
There was a large number of mythological, or mythology-inspired submissions (and a few epic fantasy, heroic fantasy, or historical fantasy). These submissions did not quite fit the scope of the anthology; many of them, however, were strongly written, and aimed at subverting mythological/fantasy themes in interesting ways. I hope that these stories find a home elsewhere.
There was also a large number of stories that I’d call ‘classic’ science fiction. There were two things that stood out in quite a few of these stories, which I set out here by way of general feedback.
• Many of these stories had a strong premise, but were let down by over-description. Far too much space was occupied by a third-person omniscient narrator point of view, that sought to inform the reader of how this SF-nal world worked. In the limited space of a short story, this will almost never work: the reader has to be made aware of the world indirectly, while you get on with the story. In my notes to myself, there were so many occasions where I’ve written a variant “excellent concept, let-down over-description.”
• A few of the stories, while being well-written, recycled SF themes and tropes that have become worn out by the passage of time. This does not mean that such themes cannot be treated in fresh and interesting ways (people are still writing fascinating stories about robots, after all), but it does make it quite a challenge. I’d also encourage writers engaging with such themes to read extensively, especially contemporary genre short fiction, most of which is found in online zines such as Clarkesworld, Uncanny, Strange Horizons, and so on. You’ll get a better sense, then, of where the genre is at with respect to these themes, and this will help to ensure that your work does not read dated.
There was a component of magical realism, much of which felt interesting and fresh. Not all of these stories made it to the second round, but they were ambitious, and I hope the writers keep writing.
I’d recommend everyone intending to submit short stories – whether to an anthology or to a magazine – to ensure that they pass their first drafts through the hands of trustworthy – but constructively critical – beta readers. Even with anonymous submissions, it often becomes clear by the end of the first page if a story has been workshopped and revised/refined before submissions: there are obvious issues with pacing/style/word choice that we can’t spot in our own drafts (all of us have our own writing tics), but which stick out like a sore thumb to external readers.
These are not deal-breakers, but again – when space constraints necessitate that only around 3% of the submissions will make it – they matter, quite a bit, especially when the editor is reading in the first round.
The entire Westland team and I are so thankful to all of you who trusted us with your words. Regardless of the final decisions, it was wonderful to see so many people writing genre. Editorial choices are, at the end of the day, subjective, but I really hope that all of you will continue to write and to submit your work.
Gautam Bhatia