Wednesday, December 21, 2011

The latest and last issue of Isku, my crime zine

Here's the link to the fifteenth issue of Isku, the crime zine I've been publishing from 2004. This is also the last issue of the magazine - just can't find the time and energy to do it anymore. The line-up is impressive: I've got Allan Guthrie, James Reasoner, Keith Rawson, Lawrence Schimel and Michael A. Kechula, with some very good Finnish writers thrown in for good measure: Tapani Bagge (with two vintage stories, the other previously unpublished), Tarja Sipiläinen, Tuomas Saloranta, Henry Aho and one writer who wanted to use a pseudonym to go along with his rather risqué story. There's also the Finnish classic Eino Leino with a story from 1903 that might even now be classified as flash fiction!

There's also a short history of Isku (the title means "punch"), but sorry, in Finnish only. Suffice to say that this has been good training for anthologies! And practicing my own writing, as I've published my own stories in Isku as well. (Only in the printed Iskus, though.)

One more point: every issue of Isku has had a translated story, usually from American writers, but occasionally from some British and Scottish as well. I've been dreaming of doing an anthology of those stories. Some of you guys reading this blog: beware, I'll come asking for rights once again!

4 comments:

Todd Mason said...

Hey, if you feel like running my little piece of grue from your other magazine in that potential anthology, consider the permission granted.

Juri said...

Thanks, Todd! I may consider of including the flash stories as well.

Kevin Wignall said...

Juri, it's a shame you're bringing it to an end, but for good reasons, and it's great that you produced 15 issues. As with Todd, you know you don't need to ask my permission - it was honour for "A Death" to be translated in Isku and I'd be happy to see it in an anthology. Hope you'll keep it all online. K

Juri said...

Thanks, Kevin! I think this is a project that needs to be done. And yes, I'll certainly keep everything online, just as long Blogger stays alive.