Jonathan Lethem (shown on the right with editor Gordon van Gelder on the left) cut his teeth in the publishing industry through science fiction. His early work appeared in publications such as Pulphouse, Asimov’s Science Fiction, Interzone, Crank!, and the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. Early novels, including Gun, With Occasional Music (a Nebula award finalist for Best Novel and winner of a Locus Award for Best First Novel) and Amnesia Moon, combined science fiction tropes with other genres and literary device. (Tor Books published trade paperback editions of both of these book).
Since that time, Lethem has gone on to win the National Book Award and a MacArthur Fellowship. Despite his mainstream and non-genre success, Lethem has never turned his back on his beginnings. He wrote a story arc for the Marvel Comics character Omega the Unknown, and continues to appear at science fiction conventions (as evidenced in the photo from Readercon above). Recently, Lethem published a science fictional story in The New Yorker. And without further ado:
“Lostronaut” by Jonathan Lethem
[Image from Flickr user jmgold; CC licensed for commercial use.]
