Caroline M. Yoachim's Blog, page 7

“Seven Wonders” selected for Best SF of the Year

The table of contents has been announced, so I can share that my story “Seven Wonders of a Once and Future World” is going to be included in Neil Clarke’s Best Science Fiction of the Year.  I’m so excited to be a part of this book, alongside many of my favorite authors!

Story at Daily Science Fiction!

My story “Birthday Child” is up at Daily Science Fiction.  This is my last story of the year, and brings my total publications for 2015 up to 23, which is the most I’ve ever had in one year!

Novelette in the Jan/Feb issue of Analog

Tina Connolly and I co-wrote a novelette titled “We Will Wake Among the Gods, Among the Stars,” and it’s out in the current issue of Analog!

This is my first time appearing in Analog, and Tina’s first time in the magazine as well.  Really happy that we broke into the market together :)

Stories in 2015

This has been kind of an amazing year for me, and I have 23 original stories out (8 short stories and 15 flash).  My favorite, if you’re looking for a place to start, is Seven Wonders of a Once and Future World.

The other story of mine that has been getting a lot of buzz (including a tweet from Wil Wheaton!) is Rock, Paper, Scissors, Love, Death.

Here’s the complete list:

Short Stories:

Ninety-Five Percent Safe (Jan 2015, Asimov’s)

Temporary Friends (Escape Pod, Artemis Rising, February 2015)

Four Seasons in the Forest of Your Mind – (May/June F&SF)

Seasons Set in Skin (July, BCS)

Seven Wonders of a Once and Future World – (September 2015, Lightspeed & io9)

The Little Mermaid of Innsmouth (Drabblecast, September)

Betty and the Squelchy Saurus (Fireside, October)

Rock, Paper, Scissors, Love, Death (November 2015, Lightspeed)

Flash Fiction:

Bread Babies (DSF, January 7, 2015)

A Million Oysters For Chiyoko (DSF, January 21, 2015)

Red Planet (Lightspeed, February 2015)

Meat That Grows On Trees (February 4, 2015 DSF)

Coin Flips (w/Tina, February 17, 2015, DSF)

Goat Milk Cheese, Three Trillion Miles From Earth (February 18, 2015, DSF)

Sugar Showpiece Universe (March 4, 2015, DSF)

Garbage Trucks of Discontent (March 18, 2015, DSF)

Everyone’s A Clown (Unlikely Story, April)

Goodbye, First Love (April 14, 2015, DSF)

Dancing With Fire (May 25, 2015 DSF)

Grass Girl – (September 25, 2015, DSF)

An Impromptu Guide to Finding Your Soulmate at a Party on the Last Night of the World (September, Selfies from the End of the World)

Please Approve the Dissertation Research of Angtor (October, Unidentified Funny Objects 4)

Birthday Child (December 14, 2015, DSF)

Time Travel Love Story Double Feature

I have an original story out today at Lightspeed Magazine, a time travel love story called “Rock, Paper, Scissors, Love, Death.”  You can read it for free at: http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/rock-paper-scissors-love-death/

 

In an odd coincidence, my OTHER time travel love story “Beneath the Willow Branches, Beyond the Reach of Time” is out as a (reprint) podcast at StarShipSofa today:  http://www.starshipsofa.com/blog/2015/11/17/starshipsofa-no-411-caroline-m-yoachim-and-tricia-glock/

Katherine Inskip does a lovely reading of the story.  This story is an older one of mine (I originally wrote it at the Clarion West Writer’s Workshop, nearly ten years ago), and I hadn’t read it for a while.  It was interesting for me to compare what I thought constituted a good time travel romance then, as compared to now.  I do still love this story, but I feel like I’ve grown both as a person and as a writer in the intervening years.

The World Fantasy Award – Let’s Make it a Book!

So I’ve seen a lot of discussion about what the redesigned WFC Award ought to look like, and I figured I’d throw out my suggestion:  Let’s make it a book.

It could be an open book, with a different artist each year illustrating the pages (much like the hugo base is different each year).  It could be a closed book, simple and elegant, with information about the year and whatever else where the title would go.  It could be a bunch of books that twirl up in a precarious stack.

Because what writer wouldn’t love to go to WFC and come home with an extra book?

World Fantasy Convention 2015 Recap

This past weekend I was at WFC.  I had a lovely time, meeting many people I formerly only knew online and seeing lots of old friends.  (I would try to list everyone, except that I would inevitably miss someone.)

I also gave a reading, which was well attended despite being in the earliest time slot on the schedule.  I read two stories (“Four Seasons in the Forest of Your Mind from the May/June F&SF, and “Please Approve the Dissertation Research of Angtor” from Unidentified Funny Objects 4).  I also got it into my head that I would sing the Lovecraft Little Mermaid parody song that I wrote/performed for Drabblecast a couple months ago.  WHICH WAS TERRIFYING.  I practiced the song several times in the week leading up to the convention, but I had to tell myself that I was just ‘thinking about doing it.’  I didn’t tell anyone that I was going to sing beforehand, and I didn’t make the decision to actually perform the song until after I’d finished reading.  Then I said, “so I wrote this song…” and INSTANTLY I was incredibly nervous (which makes it much harder to sing).  But I managed to get through the song, and people assured me afterward that it was a nice addition to the reading :)

For anyone who couldn’t be there to hear “Part of Your World” with Lovecraftian lyrics, here is a recorded version:

http://carolineyoachim.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Lovecraft_PartOfYourWorld_Sept1_wBackground.mp3

 

While my personal experience at the convention was really fantastic, the con was not without its problems.  I want to mention two, because I think these are things that need to change for future cons, and getting the word out seems like a good first step.

First, while the convention did make an attempt to improve upon their original harassment policy, the updated version still left a lot to be desired.  A good policy helps attendees feel safe, and there are many examples out there for people to draw from.  I am encouraged to hear (via Marie Brennan’s blog) that WFC is talking about implementing a standard policy for the convention as a whole.

Second, there were issues at WFC with accessibility.  The con is for everyone.  If there are elevated stages for the panelists, there need to be ramps so that all the panelists can be up there.  I could say more, but instead I’ll redirect everyone to the post that Mary Robinette Kowal wrote on the subject.

There are a lot of things I really like about WFC, so it’s sad that there are some big problems.  I see people calling for a boycott of the con, which is a totally valid strategy.  On the other hand, I think there is also something to be said for attending, but calling for change.  My hope is that more people will speak up about the issues at this year’s con, and that the issues will be addressed in future years.

Come Find Me at World Fantasy Con!

Here is my schedule for World Fantasy:

Friday 8:30pm Autographing Session in City Center 2A and 2B

Starts at 8:30pm (open to signers at 8:oopm).  Bring me things and I will sign them!  I will also bring a few print magazines to give away to people who stop by and chat with me.

Saturday 10am Reading in Broadway 1

Yes, I have the very first time slot (10 am!) on Saturday for my reading.  I’m hoping people will be awake!  I will have chocolate to give away.  At minimum a dark chocolate and a milk chocolate.  Possibly several kinds of chocolate.  Come get free chocolate!  Also I will read :)

“Betty and the Squelchy Saurus” at Fireside Magazine

My story “Betty and the Squelchy Saurus” is out today at Fireside Magazine, with a beautiful illustration by Galen Dara.  Excerpt:

Betty was hanging wet towels on the clothesline when a faded blue Plymouth Roadking came up the drive. Someone had donated the car to the Six Sisters orphanage back in 1952, and Sister Mary Margaret was the only nun who knew how to drive it.

A new girl got out of the car — maybe five years old, with brown hair and lots of freckles. Skittish little thing, probably terrified of monsters. . .

New Website

I haven't been updating much, but for anyone who happens to stumble upon this LJ, my blog is now on my website:

http://carolineyoachim.com/blog/