Apex Magazine to Showcase Muslim Talent this November

Apex Magazine, a publisher of science fiction and horror (among other things), is showcasing Arab and Muslim authors in its November 2010 issue. While it may or may not be too late to submit a story or poem for publication (I heard that the deadline is October 15th, but check with the editor), I am sure that many of the visitors to this blog will be interested in reading/purchasing the issue. I also noticed that one of the magazine's editors (Zakarya Anwar) is a British Muslim of Pakistani heritage.

If you do happen to get published in this magazine, payment is 5 cents per word for short stories and 25 cents per line for poems.

If interested, continue reading here.

Islam and Science Fiction

Ahmed K. Khan, science fiction writer and co-editor of A Mosque Among the Stars, defines Islamic Science Fiction in an article published on IslamOnline.net. You can read two of Br. Ahmed's stories here:

The Pre-sonic Man

The Maker Myth

If you are a science fiction writer, you will probably be interested in the Islam and Science Fiction Website.

You can also submit Islamic sci-fi stories for publication on IslamOnline.net by following these guidelines.

Hot Off the Presses: Sophia's Journal

The following is a press release I acquired from Muslim Writers Publishing:

(For the record, this sounds like an amazing book).

I am a little late posting this, so you will have to check with the publisher on the price.

Muslim Writers Publishing is happy to announce the forthcoming publishing of Sister/IWA member Najiyah Helwani's new book, Sophia's Journal: Time Warp 1857... an historical sci-fi book written especially for older youth and teens. A good read for adults too... perfect as a supplemental book for any school's American History course! This exciting Islamic Fition book for Teens will be released and available within the next three weeks!

Book Details:

During a bike ride with her family near Lawrence, Kansas, Sophia Ahmad falls into a river and is washed downstream. She emerges in 1857 – smack in the middle of Bleeding Kansas

Sophia is an American Muslim teenager who's intelligent, feisty, and determined, yet also a bit of a germophobe, among other anxieties. A high school sophomore, Sophia is on the verge of
getting her driver's permit and embarking on a summer of mall visits and evenings at Caf? Rumi with her friends when she suddenly finds herself living in the past.

Just as Sophia is beginning to adjust to her new surroundings, she is aghast to find that slavery is being practiced in her adopted community. She and her adopted sister Abby set about fighting for the freedom of the slaves they know.

Along the way a local boy captures Sophia's heart, but when he proposes marriage she is torn about marrying outside her faith. Sophia turns to an old Gambian slave who is still a closet Muslim. He helps her work out her fears, and this causes an exciting, dangerous and unexpected turn of events, in which Sophia learns that the best cure for worrying about oneself is taking care of others.

Author Najiyah Diana Helwani's love of her American roots blends beautifully with her Islamic faith, and readers will be delighted to discover that the two are not mutually exclusive. Raised on the windswept prairies of central Kansas, Helwani's connection to and research of frontier life manifest in an interesting and realistic setting for Sophia's adventure. The book includes a glossary and several unique recipes that are specific to its period in history.

Author Bio:

Najiyah Diana Helwani is a teacher and freelance writer whose published credits include poetry and magazine & newspaper articles. Sophia's Journey: Time Warp 1857 is her first Islamic Fiction novel, and the first novel to bear the Islamic Fiction emblem. Najiyah currently teaches English and writing in Damascus, Syria, where she lives with her husband and six children. When she is in the USA she conducts workshops on Islam and the history of United States'
relations with the Middle East.

List price $10.95

Ordering:

Contact Sister Najiyah's publisher at woodad@mindspring.com
Provide your Mailing name and address and number of copies you
want to order! http://www.muslimwriterspublishing.com/

Shipping anywhere in the USA $3.00
Shipping outside the USA: The publisher will advise you of the
shipping cost on reciept of your order.

After this Pre Publication Sale, Sophia's Journal: Time Warp 1857,
will be available to order from IslamicBookstore.com and Amazon.com..

Order now to get your copy of Sophia's Journal: Time Warp 1867

Call for Submissions: Islam in Science Fiction Anthology

At the Islam SciFi site I mentioned in my last post, there is a call for submissions for an Islam in Science Fiction anthology. Here are some of the details:

Theme: As stated on the website
Genre: SF or fantasy. No horror, please.
Length: Any
Reprints: Okay.
Simultaneous Submissions: No
Deadline: January 31, 2008
Rights: One time anthology rights
Payment: The authors will be paid, though the payment will be nominal - 1 cent per word, with a minimum of $10 and maximum of $40 + a contributor's copy. The payment will be upon publication.

Visit the website for more information.

Islamic SciFi

Here is an interesting website dedicated to Islam and Science Fiction:

Islam & Science Fiction

The creator of this site has gone through some lengths to identify Muslim science fiction authors and mentions of Islam in secular science fiction (literature, movies, etc.). It seems like this would be an excellent resource for anyone interested in this topic.

IOL and Science Fiction

IslamOnline.net has posted this call for science fiction stories:

Share Your Science Fiction Story