Cait Gordon's Blog, page 5

Voting for the Indie Ink Awards ends on Dec 31 and my book is a nominee!

Happy holiday season to you all! Season One: Iris and the Crew Tear Through Space! has been nominated for an Indie Ink Award in the “Writing the Future We Need: Disability Representation by a disabled author” category.

THANK YOU SO MUCH to those of you who already voted for my book to appear on the final ballot, but the voting ends on December 31, 2023! So, if you want Iris and the Crew to be on the final ballot, please visit the Indie Story Geek website (you need to first create an account, but it’s free). If you’d spread the word, too, that would be awesome!

Thanks again! If my book becomes a finalist, a panel of judges chooses the winner.

Congratulations and good luck to all of the nominees! And thanks again for supporting the work of indie and small press authors!

Cait Gordon is an autistic, disabled, and queer Canadian writer of speculative fiction that celebrates diversity. She is the author of Season One: Iris and the Crew Tear Through Space! Cait also founded the Spoonie Authors Network and joined Talia C. Johnson to co-edit the multi-genre, disability fiction anthologies Nothing Without Us (a 2020 Prix Aurora Award finalist) and Nothing Without Us Too (a 2023 Prix Aurora Award winner).

Iris and the Crew has been nominated for a 2023 Indie Ink Award and voting opens NOW!

MUCH EXCITE!!!

My lil’ ol’ book, Season One: Iris and the Crew Tear Through Space! has been nominated for an Indie Ink Award in the category “Writing the Future We need: Disability Representation by a Disabled Author.”

Voting is open now until the end of this year, and your votes could make my novel a finalist! If it becomes a finalist, then a jury will vote on it to determine if it wins the award for that category!

If you’d like to vote for Iris and the Crew and/or a ton of other amazing books in incredible categories, you’ll need to create a free account on Indie Story Geek. Click here to vote for your faves!

THANK YOU SO MUCH for considering to support the work of indie and small press creatives! (Including me! Thanks a ton!)

Cait Gordon is an autistic, disabled, and queer Canadian writer of speculative fiction that celebrates diversity. She is the author of Season One: Iris and the Crew Tear Through Space! Cait also founded the Spoonie Authors Network and joined Talia C. Johnson to co-edit the multi-genre, disability fiction anthologies Nothing Without Us (a 2020 Prix Aurora Award finalist) and Nothing Without Us Too (a 2023 Prix Aurora Award winner).

Writing Awards Eligibility for Works Published in 2023, Cait Gordon

(I know it seems funny to add my name in the title, but if anyone is bookmarking this post, it might help as a reference.)

As a human who arranges the alphabet, I had three works published this year that mean a lot to me:

Season One: Iris and the Crew Tear Through Space!

Work: Novel
Genres: Disability-Hopepunk, Space Opera, Humour

This episodic space adventure stars the crew of the massively accessible ship, the S.S. SpoonZ, who defy the ableist Piranha Pirate Brigade at every turn. Representation: characters who are disabled, Deaf, Blind, selectively speaking or non-vocally speaking, neurodivergent, and/or who manage mental illness. Characters who are ace/aro, bi, nonbinary, transgender, gay, and lesbian.

“Iris and the Crew Tear Through Space is an exuberant romp that ditches all the stale clichés of sci-fi in favour of what’s fresh, exciting, and truly possible.” 

AMANDA LEDUC, AUTHOR OF THE CENTAUR’S WIFE AND DISFIGURED: ON FAIRY TALES, DISABILITY, AND MAKING SPACE

Where to buy!“Putting A Bee in Their Bonnet” in Mighty: An Anthology of Disabled Superheroes (Eds. Emily Gillespie and Jennifer Lee Rossman)

Work: Short Story
Genres: SuperHero Fantasy, Humour

This superhero story stars Cayleen, a 50-something autistic writing instructor who despises ABA (Applied Behaviour Analysis) but who adores ABBA! One day after getting talked over by a neurotypical student who thinks she knows everything about autism, our hero tries to soothe her own thoughts with tunes from her favourite Scandinavian quartet. Moments later, leaning against the bus stop pole with a lightning storm imminent, Cayleen engages in mini-rant against someone posting about “gentle ABA” on social media. And then, ZOLT!

She survives. Only to find she has a superpower that comes up every time she encounters ableism against autism.

Moral of the story? With great music comes great responsibility.

Where to buy!“Alien” in There’s No Place: Tales of Home by Storytellers Who Have Experienced Homelessness (Ed. H.E. Casson)

Work: Short Story
Genres: Space Opera

“Alien” is told through a protagonist with no name, who fled one planet’s bad situation only to find themself in another awful place. But they have to decide if escape is the answer.

Representation: coded autism

Where to buy!Thanks for considering my work!

There are always so many awesome books every year that are eligible for awards. So, thanks for even considering suggesting my written works for various SFF and indie award lists. And good luck to everyone who has or will have their works submitted.

(Also, a reminder: rewards are cool, but they don’t absolutely define our works. I’ve read a billionty amazing things that weren’t nominated for stuff. Let’s just keep writing for the joy of it. I know I need to remember that too.)

Cait Gordon is an autistic, disabled, and queer Canadian writer of speculative fiction that celebrates diversity. She is the author of Season One: Iris and the Crew Tear Through Space! Cait also founded the Spoonie Authors Network and joined Talia C. Johnson to co-edit the multi-genre, disability fiction anthologies Nothing Without Us (a 2020 Prix Aurora Award finalist) and Nothing Without Us Too (a 2023 Prix Aurora Award winner).

I was interviewed on Speculating Canada!

The multi-award-winning digital humanities platform, Speculating Canada, has a new website and new content! Derek Newman-Stille interviewed me about Iris and the Crew Tear Through Space, disability rep in fiction, and more!

It’s about 50 minutes, so get cozy with a hot beverage! I hope you enjoy it. Always a pleasure for me to discuss these topics!

Thanks again to Derek for having me!

Here’s the link:

Interview with Cait Gordon on Disability in Science fiction, Humour, and Space Opera

Cait Gordon is an autistic, disabled, and queer Canadian writer of speculative fiction that celebrates diversity. She is the author of Season One: Iris and the Crew Tear Through Space! Cait also founded the Spoonie Authors Network and joined Talia C. Johnson to co-edit the multi-genre, disability fiction anthologies Nothing Without Us (a 2020 Prix Aurora Award finalist) and Nothing Without Us Too (a 2023 Prix Aurora Award winner).

I was a guest on NOW with Dave Brown and had a total blast!

This was so thrilling! Thanks again to AMI and Dave Brown for having me on the show!

I was so excited to be on NOW with Dave Brown on Accessible Media Inc.’s televised show on November 7. It was my second time being interviewed on an AMI program, the first being when Talia and I spoke about Nothing Without Us in 2019 on Live from Studio 5.

This time, I would be interviewed on my own and about the first book of my latest disability hopepunk series: Season One: Iris and the Crew Tear Through Space! Not gonna lie, I was a little nervous, but everyone I interacted with on AMI was so amazing. And Dave Brown himself put me right at ease immediately. I had so much fun!

The segment of my interview is available on many podcast platorms, such as Google Play, Apple podcasts, and Spotify. You can click below to listen. I have also included a transcript of the interview. Thanks muchly to AMI for providing me right away with the live transcript.

I was also told that my segment might appear on their YouTube Channel, and that will have a video with closed captions. But if you’re like to listen or read right now, here’s the podcast version on Spotify followed by the transcript!

Dave Brown: Welcome back! It’s NOW with Dave Brown on AMI TV. Author Cait Gordon is back with a new novel. It’s called Season One: Iris and the Crew Tear Through Space! As an author, Cait writes through the lens of disability, mental health, and neurodiversity. And Cait can give you some insight into this brand-new book. 

Hey, Cait, great to chat with you once again. Thank you for making the time this morning.

Cait Gordon: Again, thank you so much for having me. I’m absolutely thrilled to be here today!

Dave Brown: I always have so much admiration for authors because of the dedication and work that it takes to create a universe and then actually write a story inside that universe.

What was the inspiration behind this new novel?

Cait Gordon: Well, you know, it’s interesting. I get asked that quite a bit. I think that because of when I wrote the novel, the inspiration was to kind of soothe my little fretting heart during the pandemic.

As a disabled person, accessibility is something that I find lacking at the best of times.

And in the climate of the environment [that is, the pandemic], there were a lot of messages like: only disabled people will be affected, only chronically ill people will be affected.

And I was kinda was tired of being an only. So, I wanted to go somewhere.

I escaped into a world where there was a galactic network where accessibility and accommodations were the norm.

They weren’t an afterthought.

I had been familiar with the concepts of universal design and the social model of disability where all bodyminds are thought of right at the beginning.

Not, “Oh, I guess we better figure out how to accommodate this person.”

So, I love the space opera genre. What if i merged those concepts of inclusion in a space adventure? What would that be like?

And, I just had so much fun writing this book.

Dave Brown: How did you build that universe? How did you build that galaxy? What was in your mind as you were putting together this universally designed sort of science fiction, hopepunk genre?

Cait Gordon: You know, I think I just I put pedal to the metal. [Dave laughs]

I just thought, Okay, now, if we have people who are Blind, Deaf, neurodivergent. Who are selectively speaking. Who are non-vocally speaking. And they’re all on the same ship. And: Oh wait a minute, there’s a galaxy! There has to be at least one universal signing language that people know.

And I thought, Okay but, what if they’re in the middle of going somewhere, and they need a mobility device? What do they do then?

And I thought, Okay, we’re going to have an accessible tech stripe all down every corridor that you can sign at, text at, talk to. 

And POOF, materialized in front of you could be a power chair, a hover chair, hearing aids…

I just thought of as many things as I could in this galactic network where accessibility and accommodation were the norm.

And was fun!

Even the accessible tech, a lot of it is sentient, because you get to play when you write science fiction. And all the sentient tech have their own little social culture, as well.

I have a whole episode dedicated to Iris’s guidebot, Clarence, called “Clarence Has a POV.”

And it’s really fun to see how Clarence views the world as an artificial sentient. [Cait laughs]

Dave Brown: Go deeper into the characters because now that you’ve created this universe, and it’s a really neat universe, how did you go about briining characters into the mix?

What’s your approach for developing great characters?

Cait Gordon: You know, I think I was inspired by the many wonderful people in my own life who kind of saved me.

Years ago, I was #DisabledAndAlone.

And then I came into community over the last few years with people with all kinds of wonderful body-mind diversity.

So, it wasn’t really hard for me to imagine: Okay, we have the captain. The captain is going to be Deaf. Oh, the navigation team. How about it’s a duo? One person is Blind, one person’s Deaf. Iris herself is visually impaired. I have a character who doesn’t have vocal cords like you and I do.* They have a different kind of way of communicating. They can hear, but they’ll sign. (* Davan has a trunk he uses for a trumpeting language.)

Then the notion of well, everybody is going to know how to sign.

I just – I think i just wanted what I experience here on Earth at this time to be reflected in this book. You know, I’ve been in such healthy community with different folks from all around the world who have all different kinds of diversity within disability, and I think that was probably one of the biggest inspirations.

How we work together.

How we have these unbreakable friendships.

How we nurture each other.

How we don’t judge each other.

And that’s where the hopepunk comes in.

Dave Brown: So now you’ve got a universe, you’ve got characters, you’ve got intention.

What kind of story did you want to tell?

Cait Gordon: Well, you know, there’s a joke that ever since I wrote my first book, I accidentally put too much dessert in it. [Laughter]

So, I thought, if it’s gonna be an authentic Cait Gordon novel, we have to talk about food somewhere! So, food accessibility and just food enjoyment is one of those things.

You know, I’m kind of a pantser. So, that means I like to write from the seat of my pants.

It was a little different with Iris because I had to do a lot of research, as well. I am disabled but I don’t have every type of body-mind that exists in the world. So, I had to do a lot of research.

But I also thought I wanted this to feel like a streaming series. So,  it’s written as 13 episodes and not chapters.

And I put a title, because I love titles and a one-sentence writing prompt.

So it was, “Okay, this is your writing prompt. Go.”

It was like that.

I didn’t know [laughs]what the book was going to be at all.

I just knew that I wanted to write it and have fun writing it.

Dave Brown: Along those lines, what did you—I’m trying to find the right way to phrase this question.

But now that you have your plot in place. Your characters. You even have a structure.

Do you have an anticipation or a thought about maybe making a season two on here?

Cait Gordon: Absolutely.

In fact, I’ve already started drawing the—I have— in every episode I have sketches, I have episode sketches. Because, I don’t know, I just like I like pictures. [laughter]

But I created a 13 episode outline for season two, which I’m calling Iris and the Crew Verb the Noun because I’m not giving away the title just yet.

[laughter]

Dave Brown: On the way out of here, I want to ask you two questions.

You talked about genre a little bit.

Whether it’s space opera or whether it’s hopepunk. Maybe I in error used the word science fiction before.

But what’s the freedom that that genre offers you as a writer?

Cait Gordon: You know, first of all, space opera is part of science fiction.

So, you’re good. You did fine there.

The freedom for me is… within the space opera sub-genre of science fiction, is it gets to be more relational.

It’s about the characters, the friendships, the relationships.

Yeah, sure, it’s set in a setting and there’s PEW-PEW-PEW! There’s adversaries and those adventure elements. But I like space opera because often it comes with characters that people can identify with.

Whether they’re fighting ableist space pirates or living their life on earth, a lot of feelings are very real.

The friendships are very real. The love interests. You know, what you experience when you’re falling in love.

It was really important for me to write something where readers could not only identify with the characters because they might share the same types of disabilities and such, but they might just have the same kinds of feelings when put in different situations.

So that—space opera offers me that.

Dave Brown: You mentioned before you’re a bit of a seat of your pants style of writer.

What is your sort of day-to-day as you’re going through the creative process?

Do you designate a couple of hours a day of strictly in front of the computer time or is it a little bit more hodgepodge as you’re doing the active writing?

Cait Gordon: Well, that’s a very good question. I have a—I have a chronic pain disability. So that means that every day is not going to happen for me.

So, I write when I can write.

And even when I do write, I say, “Okay, you know what? The pain is getting too much. You have to stop.”

I’m someone who is—I have spoken actually quite a bit about the “you must write every day” concept. I don’t believe in that at all. Write when you’re able, write when you have the energy to do it.

The books will still get done.

Yeah, so I write when the inspiration comes. When I feel like, “Yeah, I can write right now.” And I always kind of take care to self-check: how’s my body doing?

That’s very important, I think.

Dave Brown: This is why I could never do what you do because i am extremely deadline driven.

Without deadlines nothing will get done.

I am the king of procrastination.

Hey Cait, what are the relevant points of contact for someone if they want to get their hands, eyes or ears on Season One: Iris and the Crew Tear Through Space?

Cait Gordon: Okay! Well, it could be ordered nationwide through many independent bookstores. It also can be ordered through Indigo-Chapters.

So, you can try those places. I always say, “Hey, support local.” So,  if you can, order it through your local indie book store.

For folks interested in following me and finding out what I’m working on, my website is caitgordon.com.

Those are ways that you can find out more about me and where to purchase the book.

Dave Brown: Cait, congratulations on another successful book launch.

Delightful to talk to you again.

Keep up the really creative, amazing work.

And don’t be a stranger.

Let’s catch up down the road.

Cait Gordon: I’d love to. Thank you so much, Dave.

Dave Brown: That is Cait Gordon, the writer of recently published novel, Season One: Iris and the Crew Tear Through Space.

Throw that in your Google machine. Throw Cait Gordon in your Google machine. Go to Cait’s website. Keep that handy. And go order and read that book.

(Thanks a million again, Dave and the AMI team!)

Cait Gordon is an autistic, disabled, and queer Canadian writer of speculative fiction that celebrates diversity. She is the author of Season One: Iris and the Crew Tear Through Space! Cait also founded the Spoonie Authors Network and joined Talia C. Johnson to co-edit the multi-genre, disability fiction anthologies Nothing Without Us (a 2020 Prix Aurora Award finalist) and Nothing Without Us Too (a 2023 Prix Aurora Award winner).

I was interviewed by the Community Voice and Knee Brace Press!

I had the honour of being interviewed by Nevil Hunt of the Community Voice about the Prix Aurora Award win for Nothing Without Us Too and spoke about disability representation in fiction, too!

You can read the entire article here! It’s on page 15!

I also had the honour of being the 50th post topic for the wonderful disability lit mag, Knee Brace Press! Thanks to Allison Stalberg Seibens for interviewing me about Season One: Iris and the Crew Tear Through Space! You can read the entire interview here!

It’s always so great when I can speak on these topics. Thanks to my lovely interviewers for taking the time with me!

Cait Gordon is an autistic, disabled, and queer Canadian writer of speculative fiction that celebrates diversity. She is the author of Season One: Iris and the Crew Tear Through Space! Cait also founded the Spoonie Authors Network and joined Talia C. Johnson to co-edit the multi-genre, disability fiction anthologies Nothing Without Us (a 2020 Prix Aurora Award finalist) and Nothing Without Us Too (a 2023 Prix Aurora Award winner).

#CaitTacklesTBRPile: Stuck With You, By ’Nathan Burgoine

Lorimer Press has a series of LGBTQIA2S+ YA books in their Real Love series whose goal is to have short and easy-to-read storytelling, or as I like to say, “snack-sized stories.” As an adult who is chronically fatigued, I have come to really appreciate works with a small word count, and these books are within the 20-25K word range. Yet, so much can be told within these pages.

Enter one of my favourite storytellers, Canadian award-nominated author Nathan ’Burgoine, who’s tagline is “mostly short queer fiction from a tall queer guy.” His contribution to the Real Love series is a book called Stuck With You. It’s an incredibly charming tale from the point of view of Ben (but now I think of him only as Benny), who has a long train ride back to Ottawa from Toronto, with no cell phone to keep him company because some jock broke it at school before March break. Oh, and the person who is seated beside Ben on the train is none other than Caleb Khoury, the “some jock” who broke the phone. This train ride becomes extra long because of stoppages, but offers Ben and Caleb the opportunity to get to know each other better. Caleb seems fine with having Ben as a seat-mate, but Ben is not thrilled. Ben has firm notions about what Caleb is like, but chatty friendly Caleb begins to challenge each presumption Ben has. And it’s kind of wonderful to see how their conversations affect them both.

As for format, I simply loved the chapter titles. They all are centred around Caleb, such as “Caleb Khoury Ruins Everything” or “Caleb Khoury Never Sits Still.” Isn’t it true that we often call the popular kids at school by their full name? I know I did, 550 years ago.

I also really love the way queerness is represented in this book. It’s not always pretty and perfect. Even their Rainbow Club needs to learn not to be exclusive after a breakup affects their friend group. But whenever imperfections are illustrated, so is a seamless commentary calling it out and recommending an action to make things inclusive again. It’s not preachy, but it subtly educates the reader by thinking, “Oh yeah, that’s not okay. Good thing they pointed that out.”

As a neurodivergent reader, I kept thinking Ben could be in my ND friend circle. The way he structures and processes his world really spoke to me. Then at another point, Caleb begins stimming (a self-regulating action that is often looked down upon as “fidgeting”). Ben recognizes this and mentions stimming by name in the narration. Coded neurodivergence is always fun for me to discover in stories. And I like that anyone reading this could, again, be subtly educated.

The entire story is sweet and delightful, to be honest. It gives one that “Awwww,” feeling at the end. I can totally see Stuck with You being a comfort book that one reads again and again.

Okay, so, I’m just gonna say it. I’m autistic and trains are cool. And stories on trains? Even cooler.

I highly recommend this book to teens and adults who love YA with a romantic theme. The language is easy to follow, the pace has a great flow, and there are so many important points that come through. Plus, it’s cute as heckin’ heck.

Here’s where you can pick it up!

Buy from PublisherIndigoAmazon

Cait Gordon is an autistic, disabled, and queer Canadian writer of speculative fiction that celebrates diversity. She is the author of Season One: Iris and the Crew Tear Through Space (2023). Cait also founded the Spoonie Authors Network and joined Talia C. Johnson to co-edit the multi-genre, disability fiction anthologies Nothing Without Us (a 2020 Prix Aurora Award finalist) and Nothing Without Us Too (a 2023 Prix Aurora Award winner).

I’m a featured author in The Miramichi Reader!

I’m thrilled to be included in Issue 16 of The Miramichi Reader’s “Why I Wrote This Book” series, along with Steven Mayoff, Jerrod Edson, and Melia McClure! I briefly explain what motivated me to write Season One: Iris and the Crew Tear Through Space!

You can read the article on the Miramichi’s website!

Cait Gordon is an autistic, disabled, and queer Canadian writer of speculative fiction that celebrates diversity. She is the author of Season One: Iris and the Crew Tear Through Space (2023). Cait also founded the Spoonie Authors Network and joined Talia C. Johnson to co-edit the multi-genre, disability fiction anthologies Nothing Without Us (a 2020 Prix Aurora Award finalist) and Nothing Without Us Too (a 2023 Prix Aurora Award winner).

Featured photo by Suzy Hazelwood on Pexels.com

I will be at Can*Con 2023! Here’s where to find me.

For the first time since 2019, I will be attending—in person—the Conference on Canadian Content in Speculative Arts & Literature, known as Can*Con! It’s at the Sheraton Hotel, located at 150 Albert Street, from Friday October 13 to Sunday October 15. And there are different ways you can meet me there!

I’m moderating a panel!

On Saturday, October 14, from 1-1:50pm (for those who pay to attend the con), I will be moderating a panel called Disability in Sci-Fi and Fantasy: Worldbuilding for Disabled Heroes. I’m really excited about this because the panelists are Melissa Blair, Ada Hoffman, and A.D. (Anna) Sui! They are brilliant writers, and I can’t wait to find out what they’ll share with us on this topic!

I’m doing an author signing!

There will be a vendor room at the Sheraton that is free to the public. You can buy my books (Season One: Iris and the Crew Tear Through Space! and Nothing Without Us Too) and other awesome books at the Renaissance vendor table, then visit me at the authors’ signing table in the same room to get a signature! My signing session is Saturday, October 14, from 3-3:30pm! I’ll sign books of mine that you’ve bought before, too! Come and say hi!

I’ll be celebrating Renaissance’s 10th Anniversary in the Con Suite!

Again on Saturday, October 14, from 1-4pm (for those who pay to attend the con), there will be much celebrating of my publisher’s tenth anniversary! Whoo! Because I am doing a panel from 1-1:50pm and a signing from 3-3:30pm, I will have to pop in around those time slots. But please go and meet other awesome Renaissance authors too!

Extroverting in the halls and vendor room

I love hanging in the vendor room, but you also might catch me in the hallway with my trust rollator, Noola! Say hi! I’m friendly!

Check out the full schedule!

You can visit the Can-Con website to learn more about this conference, like:

The lists of guestsExhibitorsPitches and Kaffeeklatches (informal gathering for a chat)Schedule (in-person and virtual)

Cait Gordon is an autistic, disabled, and queer Canadian writer of speculative fiction that celebrates diversity. She is the author of Season One: Iris and the Crew Tear Through Space (2023). Cait also founded the Spoonie Authors Network and joined Talia C. Johnson to co-edit the multi-genre, disability fiction anthologies Nothing Without Us (a 2020 Prix Aurora Award finalist) and Nothing Without Us Too (a 2023 Prix Aurora Award winner).

It’s the official release date of Season One: Iris and the Crew Tear Through Space!

Thanks to everyone who followed the ten fun facts since September 5! The day has finally arrived—the official release date of Season One: Iris and the Crew Tear Through Space! As many of you already know, this is the first book in my new disability hopepunk space opera series.

Advanced praise

“Readers, get ready—for the gleekin’ ride of your life! Iris and the Crew Tear Through Space is an exuberant romp that ditches all the stale clichés of sci-fi in favour of what’s fresh, exciting,
and truly possible. Here is a tale that shows when it comes to accessibility, not even the sky is the limit. Buckle up and enjoy!”

Amanda Leduc, author of The Centaur’s Wife and
Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space

“I simply cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this! Best thing I’ve read all year.”

Robert Kingett, co-editor of Artificial Divide

“Space… the most accessible frontier. These interconnected, intergalactic stories imagine disability as a natural part of life, and accessibility as a necessity rather than an afterthought.
No matter what your body can or can’t do, and no matter your species, Iris and the crew welcomes you aboard.”

Jennifer Lee Rossman, co-editor of
Mighty: An Anthology of Disabled Superheroes

Back cover teaser summary

In a galactic network known as the Keangal, where space is accessible…

Lieutenant Eileen Iris and the command crew of the S.S. SpoonZ haven’t a clue what it means to be disabled. An unexpected conversation with an intergalactic janitor brings up the question but offers no answers before he’s ’ported away.

Unfazed, duties resume as Iris manages an overprotective guidebot; Security Chief Lartha and her sentient prostheses offer kick-ass protection; Mr. Herbert’s inventiveness is a godsend (although he’s not quite grasped how to flirt); Commander Davan’s affable personality comes through whether trumpeted, texted, or signed; and Captain Warq’s gracious but firm leadership keeps everyone at their best.

Until on one mission, where the crew tears through space.

Just a little bit.

Where to buy it?

If you’re in Canada, the 49th Shelf link has a Shop Local button, which might direct you to local bookshops in your area! Here are a few links to get you started:

Renaissance (my publisher)Chapters-Indigo49th ShelfAmazon

My catalogue page will be updated with a Books2Read list soon, and that should provide even more places to buy the book! I also plan to be at Can*Con 2023 at the downtown Ottawa Sheraton Hotel from October 13-15, and will confirm when my signing spot will be (the schedule is not yet finalized). If you order a paperback through my publisher, they can arrange for me to sign your book, too!

Thanks as always for supporting my work!

Now to eat some book-relase cake, ’cause that’s totally a thing.

Cait Gordon is an autistic, disabled, and queer Canadian writer of speculative fiction that celebrates diversity. She is the author of Season One: Iris and the Crew Tear Through Space (2023). Cait also founded the Spoonie Authors Network and joined Talia C. Johnson to co-edit the multi-genre, disability fiction anthologies Nothing Without Us (a 2020 Prix Aurora Award finalist) and Nothing Without Us Too (a 2023 Prix Aurora Award winner).