Actually, that headline is a little too harsh—the writers involved in the first issue of Flurb, led by editor Rudy Rucker are all substantial talents in their own right, and it’s only in terms of public recognition and sales figures that you’d think of them as “backups” to stars like William Gibson and Bruce Sterling. Rucker created the magazine, which launched a few days ago, as a venue for “Elves of the Subdimensions,” a short story written with his occasional collaborator Paul Di Filippo, and along the way picked up contributions from Richard Kadrey, Marc Laidlaw, John Shirley, and Terry Bisson. (And, yes, fans, I know Bisson’s not a cyberpunk, but then neither is Di Filippo, really, when you get down to it. Work with me for the sake of a catchy headline, will ya?)