Edicts

In ancient Rome, when a new praetor took up his magistracy, he published a statement of the laws he proposed to enforce. Since I am about to take up the editorship of Prometheus, I propose to follow this admirable custom by saying what I expect to do with the office.

For the most part, I intend to follow the example set by Anders Monsen, who has done excellent work both in maintaining a consistent publishing schedule and in finding well written and interesting material to publish. I have been grateful for Anders’ encouragement of my contributions, and I will do my best to encourage other contributors. Diversity is one of the core values of libertarianism and one that the Libertarian Futurist Society’s newsletter can do well to honor.

The primary focus of Prometheus has been and should remain libertarian science fiction, both in relation to the Prometheus Award and as a topic of general interest. Reviews of new books, in particular, will make up much of each issue. But other topics also deserve increased attention, and I will give it to them:

Libertarian themes in genres other than science fiction, such as fantasy, horror, and mysteries, and in media other than books, such as comics, films, and music; futurism and futurology in the form of real questions about where our culture and society are going and what philosophies will shape them; the Internet, as a major new sphere of free interaction and one whose legal and economic aspects are only now being worked out;

Other scientific and technological fields that are relevant to libertarian concerns, from space travel (especially privatized space travel) to alternative human reproductive technologies.

Articles on all of these topics will be welcome. The range of libertarian concerns is wider than one person can reasonably master; I will be glad to work with anyone who can bring their expertise to the service of our readers.

Last, I invite and encourage readers of Prometheus to let me know what their interests are and which material they liked and would like to see more of. Market feedback is what makes a consensual system work; Prometheus can’t serve your concerns unless you tell us what those concerns are. My e-mail address is whswhs@primenet.com; I prefer electronic communications, but will also accept physical mail to 4654 1/2 36th Street, Apartment B, San Diego, California 92116-3641. Letters columns have been a lively part of libertarian publications at least since Benjamin Tucker’s Liberty, so unless a letter specifically requests otherwise, all letters will be considered for publication.

I look forward to working with you all for a better Libertarian Futurist Society and a libertarian future.