Francesca T. Barbini's Blog, page 12

Steampunk Writers: Suna Dasi

Today we would like you to meet Suna Dasi, one of the "Steampunk Writers Around the World" authors. Suna has contributed the short story "UNMADE", one of the stories you will be able to read in English.Above, you can see Jay Johnstone's image created for this particular story. Jay is also responsible for creating the cover of the anthology.Suna Dasi is a passionate geek with a pen. Her profession as a singer has taken her all over the world. She currently records and performs with Texan artist Erin Bennett. Being a woman in the creative industries led her to co-found female film and music production company Art Attack Films/Attack Agency. Suna is the founder of PandoraFest, Scotland's first female-focused music festival. She has also contributed fiction to The Clockwork Watch Transmedia Project, The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences spin-off anthology series Tales From the Archives, and non-fiction to Jeff VanderMeer's Steampunk User's Manual and the SciFi Fantasy Network.Here is Suna on the anthology and on her story, "Unmade":This anthology has been gestating for some time: Paulo Ramirez Villaseñor and Josué Ramos' first suggested the idea a few years back. It was born during the annual Steampunk Hands Around the World multimedia event, an initiative by Airship Ambassador Kevin D. Steil.All the contributing writers and artists connected through Steampunk Hands, which is exactly what that event is for: to join as many likeminded Steampunks and Steampunk aficionados worldwide and show that shared passion for a genre or subculture exceeds physical, cultural and social boundaries.Especially as Steampunk lends itself extremely well to re-envision an alternate speculative world which rewrites the more dodgy elements of Victorian colonial history. Steampunk world-building incorporates a multitude of gender roles, class strata, sexual preferences and diverse cultural groups and expressions as equal aspects of a multilayered realm in which those things are calmly accepted and gloriously normalised.So that writers have the luxury to get on with the business of what they are most passionate about: the telling of the actual story.It's been a pleasure to be part of this group of writers and to add my flavour to the cauldron of stories here told. I wanted to blend several ingredients. A woman under duress, learning to trust, with a goodly dash of adventure, simmering climates, an homage to the Westinghouse robot, plus a bit of social commentary without ever overbalancing the chance of a yarn by getting too heavy.For those of you who have no taste for the final ingredient I must beg your indulgence. It's is also a kissing tale. ​You can pre-order your copy on our website, through your usual outlets, or even pick up a copy in Helsinki, during the Worldcon!We leave you with a little teaser of Suna Dasi's story. Enjoy!UNMADENausea.That’s all the explosion was to me.No flying through the air, no flash of light: just the stolid “Dhoomp!” that overwhelmed my body and emptied my stomach.No noise. No smell of burning. I don’t remember my hand being ripped off. Nor my leg.

A Little Encouragement to Write.

We all need a little encouragement every now and then. I can see you glancing furtively at your laptop, as you walk past it, knowing you want to stop and write. Somehow though, you just keep on walking by, Maybe you have too many things to do, or you are afraid your story is not going to be good enough. Truth is, there is only one tested way to deal with our demons: you face them. Here is some encouragement to get you to take that first step. Enjoy!Any man who keeps working is not a failure. He may not be a great writer, but if he applies the old-fashioned virtues of hard, constant labour, he’ll eventually make some kind of career for himself as a writer. – Ray BradburyIf you have other things in your life—family, friends, good productive day work—these can interact with your writing and the sum will be all the richer. – David BrinExercise the writing muscle every day, even if it is only a letter, notes, a title list, a character sketch, a journal entry. Writers are like dancers, like athletes. Without that exercise, the muscles seize up. – Jane YolenEverybody walks past a thousand story ideas every day. The good writers are the ones who see five or six of them. Most people don’t see any. – Orson Scott CardRejection slips, or form letters, however tactfully phrased, are lacerations of the soul, if not quite inventions of the devil—but there is no way around them. – Isaac AsimovGet it down. Take chances. It may be bad, but it’s the only way you can do anything really good. – William FaulknerI went for years not finishing anything. Because, of course, when you finish something you can be judged. – Erica Jong

Steampunk Writers: Milton Davis

Today we would like you to meet Milton Davis, one of the "Steampunk Writers Around the World" authors. Milton has contributed the short story "THE SWARM", one of the stories you will be able to read in English.Above, you can see Jay Johnstone's image created for this particular story. Jay is also responsible for creating the cover of the anthology.Milton Davis is a research and development chemist, speculative fiction writer and owner of MVmedia, LLC, a micro publishing company specializing in Science Fiction, Fantasy and Sword and Soul. MVmedia’s mission is to provide speculative fiction books that represent people of color in a positive manner. Milton is the author of Changa’s Safari Volumes One, Two and Three. His most recent releases are Woman of the Woods and Amber and the Hidden City. He is co-editor of four anthologies; Griots: A Sword and Soul Anthology and Griot: Sisters of the Spear, with Charles R. Saunders; The Ki Khanga Anthology with Balogun Ojetade and the Steamfunk! Anthology, also with Balogun Ojetade.  Milton Davis and Balogun Ojetade recently received the Best Screenplay Award for 2014 from the Urban Action Showcase for their African martial arts script, Ngolo. His current projects include The City, a cyberfunk anthology, Dark Universe, a space opera anthology based on a galactic empire ruled by people of African American descent, and From Here to Timbuktu, a steamfunk novel.Milton resides in Metro Atlanta with his wife Vickie and his children Brandon and Alana.​You can pre-order your copy on our website, through your usual outlets, or even pick up a copy in Helsinki, during the Worldcon!We leave you with a little teaser of Milton Davis' story. Enjoy!THE SWARMFamara Keita shielded his eyes from the bright dry season sun, his shesh protecting his face from the stinging, windblown sand. His Sokoto stallion stirred restlessly, agitated by the scene before them. A wide stretch of barren land stretched to the horizon. It was a scene that would be normal in the Sahara, but this was the Sahel, a region that even in its driest was covered by grass and clumps of shrubs.

Steampunk Writers: César Santivañez

Today we would like you to meet César Santivañez, one of the "Steampunk Writers Around the World" authors. César has contributed the short story "LAS CADENAS INFINITAS", one of the stories you will be able to read in Spanish.Above, you can see Jay Johnstone's image created for this particular story. Jay is also responsible for creating the cover of the anthology.Comic book script writing teacher at the Mostron Comics workshop (2009-2011). In Peru, he published several articles about script writing in magazines such as Huaico, Lima Gris and Artefacto. In Spain, he collaborated in magazines such as Exégesis and Gibralfaro (Faculty of Humanities, University of Málaga). He participated as a conceptual artist in the “Comics en Edición Limitada” exhibition (Lima, 2010) and in the “Panóptica 3.5” exhibition (Lima, 2014). His graphic novel “Las moscas no vuelan de noche” (Contracultura, 2010) has been on sale at the 30th Barcelona’s international comic fair. Finalist to the “En amor a dos” literary contest (Spain, 2014) and honorable mention at the 11th PUCP Comic Contest (Lima, 2014). Nowadays he works as a writer for the “Panóptica” (Dogma Editorial) and “La Chola Power” (Perú.21) comic book series. He teaches narrative, script writing and character design courses at Toulouse Lautrec and San Ignacio de Loyola institutes (Lima). He’s also the head writer of the  comic book themed blog of the Perú.21 journal.​You can pre-order your copy on our website, through your usual outlets, or even pick up a copy in Helsinki, during the Worldcon!You can hear all about the anthology and César's involvement from the man himself. Here is the link to his English interview.We leave you with a little teaser of César Santivañez's story. Enjoy!LAS CADENAS INFINITASLas once menos cuarto y las cosas no parecían haber mejorado. La enorme barcaza de níquel decorada con grandes velas verticales bautizada como S.S. Malinowski aún flotaba, inerte, en las costas del Callao. Mal presagio, considerando que el armatoste debía haber abandonado la costa hacía tres horas. Si así recibían la primera noche de 1855, nadie se atrevía a suponer cómo sería el resto del año.

Steampunk Writers: Ray Dean

Today we would like you to meet Ray Dean, one of the "Steampunk Writers Around the World" authors. Ray has contributed the short story "PROVIDENCE IN THE PACIFIC", one of the stories you will be able to read in English.Above, you can see Jay Johnstone's image created for this particular story. Jay is also responsible for creating the cover of the anthology.Ray Dean was born and raised in Hawaii where she spent many a quiet hour reading and writing stories. Performing in theatre and working backstage lead her into the delights of Living History, creating her own worlds through writing seemed the next logical step. Historical settings are her first love, but there is something heady about twisting the threads of time into little knots and creating new timelines to explore. There are endless possibilities that she is just beginning to discover.You can pre-order your copy on our website, through your usual outlets, or even pick up a copy in Helsinki, during the Worldcon!We leave you with a little teaser of Ray Dean's story. Enjoy!PROVIDENCE IN THE PACIFICThe conceit of men in power is that they forget that it’s not just the walls that have ears. Just because a man is in servitude does not mean he lacks the intelligence to understand how little he is valued... how little he is respected by those around him.A snap brought John’s attention back to the men at the table, going through their plans. They had ample need to talk among themselves, leaning over maps, poring over lists of names and numbers. They ignored the two men in the room toting pitchers of water and emptying ashtrays of cigar stubs. These servants, with no stake in the conversation, had no importance to them.

Steampunk Writers: Aníbal J. Rosario Planas

Today we would like you to meet Aníbal J. Rosario Planas, one of the "Steampunk Writers Around the World" authors. Aníbal has contributed the short story "PÓLVORA Y VAPOR", one of the stories you will be able to read in Spanish.Above, you can see Jay Johnstone's image created for this particular story. Jay is also responsible for creating the cover of the anthology.Aníbal J. Rosario Planas was born January 2, 1982 in Ponce, Puerto Rico. A professional in Business Administration and Communications who dedicates most of his free time to various art expressions. Not only is he a self-taught drummer, but he has developed as a writer in a period that expands more than a decade. He started writing poems and songs and later, short stories and novels.Rosario Planas is the first Puerto Rican to publish a book completely dedicated to the Steampunk genre. He is the creator of the Steampunk series ATLAS CENTRI, that includes the books Sobre Comienzos Fortuitos and Sobre Pasados Conflictivos, plus a comic book titled Mecanismos Imperfectos and the short story Mecanismos Perfectos.He is currently working on the conclusion to the ATLAS CENTRI series, plus two other books non-related to Steampunk.You can pre-order your copy on our website, through your usual outlets, or even pick up a copy in Helsinki, during the Worldcon!You can hear all about the anthology and Aníbal's involvement from the man himself. Here are two links, one in Spanish and one in English.We leave you with a little teaser of Aníbal J. Rosario Planas' story. Enjoy!PÓLVORA Y VAPOREra invierno del año 1899 en Puerto Rico. El invierno en el Caribe no es nada parecido a los fríos inviernos de Inglaterra, España o Estados Unidos. La mayoría de los días de invierno en Puerto Rico se asemejan a un día de verano en esas regiones. Las noches pueden ser un poco más frescas, algo similar a un día de primavera. Al igual que todos los inviernos, los días eran templados, las noches un poco más frescas. Pero el 25 de enero de 1899, en el pueblo de Ponce, una noche fresca se transformó rápidamente en un infierno caluroso. Un acontecimiento que cambió para siempre la historia de este pueblo y de todo un país. El suceso se recuerda hoy día como “el Fuego del Polvorín”. Pero antes de hablar de tan histórico acontecimiento es importante conocer un poco del trasfondo de la ciudad.

C4P: A J Dalton - Identity & Sexuality: Do we Have a Problem?

Luna's first Call for Papers, 'Gender Identity and Sexuality in Fantasy and Science Fiction' will be released on Wednesday the 9th of August. Explore the ten brilliant papers you will find in the book.Today, we would like to introduce you to AJ Dalton (UK), PhD Creative Writing. Author Fantasy author with Gollancz.He is presenting the paper: "Gender-identity and Sexuality in Current Sub-Genres of British Fantasy Literature: Do we Have a Problem?".AJ says:"The article considers why authors of fantasy, in trying to introduce more diverse representation into their work or to break away from the conventions of the genre, find themselves variously accused of racism, homophobia, misogyny and cultural appropriation. The article identifies how the ‘epic fantasy’ of the 1980s and 1990s was implicitly ‘white and patriarchal’, and how that sub- genre did so much to define and dominate the genre. Subsequent, inheriting sub-genres of fantasy - ‘urban fantasy’, ‘dark fantasy’, ‘metaphysical fantasy’ and ‘grimdark fantasy’, to name but a few - have had to work through, within and around the framework of the ‘white and patriarchal’ fantasy narrative in order to discover their own voices and representation. However, the article provides evidence that these later sub-genres have only succeeded up to a certain point."Follow AJ Dalton on Twitter.Pre-order 'Gender Identity and Sexuality in Fantasy and Science Fiction' now!

C4P: Kim Lakin-Smith - The Feminine Grotesque. From Hardinge to Gaiman.

Luna's first Call for Papers, 'Gender Identity and Sexuality in Fantasy and Science Fiction' will be released on Wednesday the 9th of August. Explore the ten brilliant papers you will find in the book.Today, we would like to introduce you to Kim Lakin-Smith (UK), MA in Journalism and Creative Writing, Fantasy and Science Fiction writer.She is presenting the paper: "Doll Parts: Reflections of the Feminine Grotesque in Frances Hardinge’s Cuckoo Song and Neil Gaiman’s Coraline".Kim says:"Neil Gaiman’s titular Coraline knows that something lurks on the far side of a locked door while, in Cuckoo Song, Frances Hardinge’s anti-heroine Not-Triss is haunted by a sense that she is ill - or wrong - ‘quailing to see her own face staring in from the night.’ On the bleeding edge of adulthood, these strange little girls are ravenous for the forbidden fruits of self-sovereignty, sexual maturity and knowledge. But in shrugging off their shrink-wrap, are they remade as that ultimate female pariah, the menstruating doll? Using Lacan’s psychoanalytical study of the ‘Mirror Image’ stage and David Elkind’s theory on ‘Egocentrism in Adolescence,’ this paper seeks to explore the arcane nature of the ‘feminine grotesque,’ and identifies three aspects - Doll Child, Wild Woman and Other Mother. Both Coraline and Cuckoo Song lend themselves to Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex and Julia Kristeva’s essay on abjection and the female ‘other’, through which we find a fresh understanding of predatorial parents, societal gatekeepers, paedophilic patriarchs, and ‘the monster’ in the mirror. It is my proposal that these domestic fairy tales restructure the doll parts of the feminine grotesque to reflect a state of ‘real girl’ consciousness."Follow Kim on Twitter.Pre-order 'Gender Identity and Sexuality in Fantasy and Science Fiction' now!

Steampunk Writers: Marcus R. Gilman

Today we would like you to meet Marcus R. Gilman, one of the "Steampunk Writers Around the World" authors. Marcus has contributed the short story "HEIRS", one of the stories you will be able to read in English.Above, you can see Jay Johnstone's image created for this particular story. Jay is also responsible for creating the cover of the anthology.Marcus R Gilman is a general geek who conforms to too many clichés and has a faible for monocles, Zeppelins, cyberspace and cities beneath the ocean housing ancient deities. A long-time RPG enthusiast, he also dabbles in computer programming and works full-time spreading insanity among the younglings as a teacher. On the side, he is an author with a range spanning from anthropology to steampunk (both fiction and non-fiction) to horror to Japanese poetry. His main outlet on the web is the bilingual blog project Metapunk, complete with one steampunk and one occasional science podcast. Cameos of him can be found in four different Steampunk novels and he is the official representative of Section P, the Imperial German equivalent to Pip Ballantine's and Tee Morris' Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences.You can pre-order your copy on our website, through your usual outlets, or even pick up a copy in Helsinki, during the Worldcon!We leave you with a little teaser of Marcus R. Gilman's story. Enjoy!HEIRSAdmiral Von Köpitz was sitting comfortably in his armchair in Friedrichshafen Zeppelin base’s officer’s mess. Behind him, the panoramic window opened to a beautiful view of Lake Constance and the Zeppelins of 3rd Air Fleet. They were silver now. Silver hulls meant peace; in times of conflict, or during manoeuvres, their hull colour would change to sky-grey by the flick of a switch.

C4P: Jyrki Korpua - Divine Mothers and Active Heroines. From Tolkien to Jackson.

Luna's first Call for Papers, 'Gender Identity and Sexuality in Fantasy and Science Fiction' will be released on Wednesday the 9th of August. Explore the ten brilliant papers you will find in the book.Today, we would like to introduce you to Jyrki Korpua (Finland), PHD in Literary studies and Lecturer. Researcher.He is presenting the paper: "What about Tauriel? From Divine Mothers to Active Heroines - The Female Roles in J. R. R. Tolkien’s Legendarium and Peter Jackson’s movie adaptations".Jyrki says:"J. R. R. Tolkien’s fiction is often considered to be male-dominated. Tolkien’s Legendarium - his writings on Middle-earth - has its background in medieval myths and romances, where gender identities are quite conservative in the eyes of the Western 21st century reader. At a glance, Tolkien’s stories seem to consider male characters as dominant and active, and female characters as passive. Representations of gender roles are therefore seemingly old fashioned. Perhaps because of this conservative attitude, the treatment of gender in Peter Jackson’s film adaptations of both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit has been challenged. In the first movie, Jackson changed the male character of Glorfindel to the active female character of Arwen and, in The Hobbit he created a brand new female character, Tauriel. These changes have been scrutinised by both fans and scholars on numerous occasions. This article focuses on the question of female roles in Tolkien’s Legendarium and the corresponding Jackson movie adaptations. Firstly, I will examine female characters and their roles in Tolkien’s main opus, before discussing the changes to the roles introduced by Peter Jackson’s adaptations. Secondly, I will examine how audiences have reacted to the female roles in the movie series, concentrating on the non-canonical character of Tauriel. The latter part of my article is based on the results from the Finnish sub-project, to the global The World Hobbit Project, which was a study on audience reception. Although I am using Finnish data as a background for my reading, these figures echo the results that can be seen in the global data."Pre-order 'Gender Identity and Sexuality in Fantasy and Science Fiction' now!