With six minutes to go, our Kickstarter campaign for Pangaea II hit its mark. By October, backers will have the book in their hands (or, you know, in their reading devices).

Why is this important? Because science fiction needs to survive, and it needs to do so in written form. Sci fi movies are great. TV shows too. Believe me, I love ’em as much as the next guy. But they’re telling a story on a clock. And they’re subject to the tyranny of budget restrictions. And they’re produced by studios who usually err on the side of caution in all things. Which is why some things are better said in print. The problem, as we’ve seen in recent years, is that booksellers are under pressure. I hope we agree that there’s nothing like browsing in a bookstore. And if you’re a writer, there’s nothing like seeing your latest title on the shelf. But if bookstores–or at least many of them–go away, I don’t want books to go away too. I want them to be around forever because I like reading them and I like writing them. That’s why the Kickstarter success of Pangaea II is important. Because it allows 15 science fiction writers to reach out to readers with their stories, without any reliance on traditional publishers or bookstores (and, by the way, to share equally in the revenues after expenses). It blazes a trail for others to follow. It gives courage to the next science fiction writer or anthologist, who might otherwise have looked around at the traditional publishing landscape and despaired. Pangaea II is hardly the only worthwhile anthology that’s ever sprung from crowd funding. There are others looking to hit their mark right now. Take a moment and check them out. Give them some love. We’re in this together, readers and writers. As I’ve said before, that’s where the magic happens. That’s the relationship we need to preserve at all costs. I’m proud of Pangaea II. I’m proud of the stories my colleagues are even now starting to write. But most of all, I think, I’m proud of you for making it happen.