Martha Wells's Blog, page 38
April 16, 2020
Creators4Comics and other stuff
* My #Creators4Comics auction is here: https://twitter.com/marthawells1/status/1250414571346628609 Bids are only accepted on the original tweet, so the other bidders can see them. Winning bidder will donate directly to https://www.bincfoundation.org/
An amazing amount of art, books, and other stuff is up for auction by 100s of comic creators and writers and artists here: https://twitter.com/hashtag/Creators4Comics?src=hashtag_click
* Here's a lovely 13th Doctor and Yaz short story by Paul Cornell: https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/doctorwho/entries/ea758c64-014d-40f3-ba6f-3136207abfa2
In other news, I had an appointment with my rheumatologist and was able to get it changed to an online appointment, but I still have to go in and get bloodwork, so. I'll be wearing a mask and gloves and it's in their clinic not a hospital or anything but still, not fun. I'm taking one of my cats to the vet in a little bit for a curbside appointment, where I get to stay in the car and they come out and get her carrier, then bring her back out when they're done.
comments
An amazing amount of art, books, and other stuff is up for auction by 100s of comic creators and writers and artists here: https://twitter.com/hashtag/Creators4Comics?src=hashtag_click
* Here's a lovely 13th Doctor and Yaz short story by Paul Cornell: https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/doctorwho/entries/ea758c64-014d-40f3-ba6f-3136207abfa2
In other news, I had an appointment with my rheumatologist and was able to get it changed to an online appointment, but I still have to go in and get bloodwork, so. I'll be wearing a mask and gloves and it's in their clinic not a hospital or anything but still, not fun. I'm taking one of my cats to the vet in a little bit for a curbside appointment, where I get to stay in the car and they come out and get her carrier, then bring her back out when they're done.
comments
April 15, 2020
Creators 4 Comics Auction on Twitter
Today is the start of the #Creators4Comics (https://www.creators4comics.com/) auction, to raise money for the
![[profile]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1491408111i/22407843.png)
bincfoundation
(https://www.bincfoundation.org/), the Book Industry Charitable Foundation, to benefit comic shops and independent bookstores struggling due to the pandemic. You can follow
creators4comics
or #Creators4Comics on Twitter to see the items. There will be original art, signed books, signed comics, and all kinds of stuff.
The auction will run from April 15-20, and there's more info at https://www.creators4comics.com/, but winning bidders pay their donation directly to BINC which is taking aid applications now and will be dispersing the money to stores at the end of April.
I'll be posting an item on Twitter soon.
comments
bincfoundation
(https://www.bincfoundation.org/), the Book Industry Charitable Foundation, to benefit comic shops and independent bookstores struggling due to the pandemic. You can follow
creators4comics
or #Creators4Comics on Twitter to see the items. There will be original art, signed books, signed comics, and all kinds of stuff.The auction will run from April 15-20, and there's more info at https://www.creators4comics.com/, but winning bidders pay their donation directly to BINC which is taking aid applications now and will be dispersing the money to stores at the end of April.
I'll be posting an item on Twitter soon.
comments
April 8, 2020
Book Rec Wednesday (it is Wednesday, right?)
(If you've been following my book rec and new book listing posts for a while, you may have noticed this already, but while most book lists emphasize books by popular straight white men, this one emphasizes everybody else. I include books by straight white men, but in about the same percentage that other book lists include everybody else. I also try to highlight books that are less well known.)
(All the book list links below are to Bookshop (Bookshop is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support independent bookstores and give back to the book community), but most books are available at multiple outlets, like Kobo, iBooks, international Amazons, Barnes & Noble, etc. The short stories are usually on free online magazines.)
(Buy your audiobooks from an independent store here: https://blog.libro.fm/shopbookstoresnow/)
* Short stories: New issue of Uncanny Magazine
Harvest by Rebecca Roanhorse
So You Want to be a Honeypot by Kelly Robson
* Short story: Little Free Library by Naomi Kritzer
* Short story: If You Take My Meaning by Charlie Jane Anders
* Preorder Thorn by Intisar Khanani
Princess Alyrra has always longed to escape the confines of her royal life, but when her mother betroths her to a powerful prince in a distant kingdom, she has little hope for a better future. Until Alyrra arrives at her new kingdom, where a mysterious sorceress robs her of both her identity and her role as princess--and Alyrra seizes on the opportunity to start a new life for herself as a goose girl. But as Alyrra uncovers dangerous secrets about her new world, including a threat to the prince himself, she knows she can't remain silent forever. With the fate of the kingdom at stake, Alyrra is caught between two worlds, and ultimately must decide who she is and what she stands for.
* Empire of Dreams by Rae Carson
Red Sparkle Stone is a foundling orphan with an odd name, a veiled past, and a mark of magic in her hair. But finally--after years and years of running, of fighting--she is about to be adopted into the royal family by Empress Elisa herself. She'll have a home, a family. Sixteen-year-old Red can hardly believe her luck. Then, in a stunning political masterstroke, the empress's greatest rival blocks the adoption, and everything Red has worked for crumbles before her eyes.
* Preorder The Empire of Gold by S.A. Chakraborty
Daevabad has fallen. After a brutal conquest stripped the city of its magic, Nahid leader Banu Manizheh and her resurrected commander, Dara, must try to repair their fraying alliance and stabilize a fractious, warring people. But the bloodletting and loss of his beloved Nahri have unleashed the worst demons of Dara's dark past. To vanquish them, he must face some ugly truths about his history and put himself at the mercy of those he once considered enemies.
* A Spectral Hue by Craig Laurance Gidney
For generations, the marsh-surrounded town of Shimmer, Maryland has played host to a loose movement of African-American artists, all working in different media, but all utilizing the same haunting color. Landscape paintings, trompe l'oeil quilts, decorated dolls, mixed-media assemblages, and more, all featuring the same peculiar hue, a shifting pigment somewhere between purple and pink, the color of the saltmarsh orchid, a rare and indigenous flower.
* Carved From Stone and Dream by T. Frohock
February 1939 Catalonia has fallen. Los Nefilim is in retreat.
With the Nationalist forces hard on their heels, the members of Los Nefilim--Spanish Nephilim that possess the power to harness music and light in the supernatural war between the angels and daimons--make a desperate run for the French border.
Diago Alvarez, a singular being of angelic and daimonic descent, follows Guillermo and a small group of nefilim through the Pyrenees, where the ice is as treacherous as postwar loyalties--both can kill with a single slip. When a notebook of Los Nefilim's undercover operatives falls into a traitor's hands, Diago and Guillermo risk their lives to track it down.
* Preorder Court of Lions: A Mirage Novel by Somaiya Daud
On a planet on the brink of revolution, Amani has been forced into isolation. She's been torn from the boy she loves and has given up contact with her fellow rebels to protect her family. In taking risks for the rebel cause, Amani may have lost Maram's trust forever. But the princess is more complex than she seems, and now Amani is once more at her capricious nature. One wrong move could see her executed for high treason.
* Preorder A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir
Picking up just a few months after A Reaper at the Gates left off... The long-imprisoned jinn are on the attack, wreaking bloody havoc in villages and cities alike. But for the Nightbringer, vengeance on his human foes is just the beginning. At his side, Commandant Keris Veturia declares herself Empress, and calls for the heads of any and all who defy her rule. At the top of the list? The Blood Shrike and her remaining family.
* Preorder The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson
In the lands of Bethel, where the Prophet's word is law, Immanuelle Moore's very existence is blasphemy. Her mother's union with an outsider of a different race cast her once-proud family into disgrace, so Immanuelle does her best to worship the Father, follow Holy Protocol, and lead a life of submission, devotion, and absolute conformity, like all the other women in the settlement. But a mishap lures her into the forbidden Darkwood surrounding Bethel, where the first prophet once chased and killed four powerful witches. Their spirits are still lurking there, and they bestow a gift on Immanuelle: the journal of her dead mother, who Immanuelle is shocked to learn once sought sanctuary in the wood.
comments
(All the book list links below are to Bookshop (Bookshop is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support independent bookstores and give back to the book community), but most books are available at multiple outlets, like Kobo, iBooks, international Amazons, Barnes & Noble, etc. The short stories are usually on free online magazines.)
(Buy your audiobooks from an independent store here: https://blog.libro.fm/shopbookstoresnow/)
* Short stories: New issue of Uncanny Magazine
Harvest by Rebecca Roanhorse
So You Want to be a Honeypot by Kelly Robson
* Short story: Little Free Library by Naomi Kritzer
* Short story: If You Take My Meaning by Charlie Jane Anders
* Preorder Thorn by Intisar Khanani
Princess Alyrra has always longed to escape the confines of her royal life, but when her mother betroths her to a powerful prince in a distant kingdom, she has little hope for a better future. Until Alyrra arrives at her new kingdom, where a mysterious sorceress robs her of both her identity and her role as princess--and Alyrra seizes on the opportunity to start a new life for herself as a goose girl. But as Alyrra uncovers dangerous secrets about her new world, including a threat to the prince himself, she knows she can't remain silent forever. With the fate of the kingdom at stake, Alyrra is caught between two worlds, and ultimately must decide who she is and what she stands for.
* Empire of Dreams by Rae Carson
Red Sparkle Stone is a foundling orphan with an odd name, a veiled past, and a mark of magic in her hair. But finally--after years and years of running, of fighting--she is about to be adopted into the royal family by Empress Elisa herself. She'll have a home, a family. Sixteen-year-old Red can hardly believe her luck. Then, in a stunning political masterstroke, the empress's greatest rival blocks the adoption, and everything Red has worked for crumbles before her eyes.
* Preorder The Empire of Gold by S.A. Chakraborty
Daevabad has fallen. After a brutal conquest stripped the city of its magic, Nahid leader Banu Manizheh and her resurrected commander, Dara, must try to repair their fraying alliance and stabilize a fractious, warring people. But the bloodletting and loss of his beloved Nahri have unleashed the worst demons of Dara's dark past. To vanquish them, he must face some ugly truths about his history and put himself at the mercy of those he once considered enemies.
* A Spectral Hue by Craig Laurance Gidney
For generations, the marsh-surrounded town of Shimmer, Maryland has played host to a loose movement of African-American artists, all working in different media, but all utilizing the same haunting color. Landscape paintings, trompe l'oeil quilts, decorated dolls, mixed-media assemblages, and more, all featuring the same peculiar hue, a shifting pigment somewhere between purple and pink, the color of the saltmarsh orchid, a rare and indigenous flower.
* Carved From Stone and Dream by T. Frohock
February 1939 Catalonia has fallen. Los Nefilim is in retreat.
With the Nationalist forces hard on their heels, the members of Los Nefilim--Spanish Nephilim that possess the power to harness music and light in the supernatural war between the angels and daimons--make a desperate run for the French border.
Diago Alvarez, a singular being of angelic and daimonic descent, follows Guillermo and a small group of nefilim through the Pyrenees, where the ice is as treacherous as postwar loyalties--both can kill with a single slip. When a notebook of Los Nefilim's undercover operatives falls into a traitor's hands, Diago and Guillermo risk their lives to track it down.
* Preorder Court of Lions: A Mirage Novel by Somaiya Daud
On a planet on the brink of revolution, Amani has been forced into isolation. She's been torn from the boy she loves and has given up contact with her fellow rebels to protect her family. In taking risks for the rebel cause, Amani may have lost Maram's trust forever. But the princess is more complex than she seems, and now Amani is once more at her capricious nature. One wrong move could see her executed for high treason.
* Preorder A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir
Picking up just a few months after A Reaper at the Gates left off... The long-imprisoned jinn are on the attack, wreaking bloody havoc in villages and cities alike. But for the Nightbringer, vengeance on his human foes is just the beginning. At his side, Commandant Keris Veturia declares herself Empress, and calls for the heads of any and all who defy her rule. At the top of the list? The Blood Shrike and her remaining family.
* Preorder The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson
In the lands of Bethel, where the Prophet's word is law, Immanuelle Moore's very existence is blasphemy. Her mother's union with an outsider of a different race cast her once-proud family into disgrace, so Immanuelle does her best to worship the Father, follow Holy Protocol, and lead a life of submission, devotion, and absolute conformity, like all the other women in the settlement. But a mishap lures her into the forbidden Darkwood surrounding Bethel, where the first prophet once chased and killed four powerful witches. Their spirits are still lurking there, and they bestow a gift on Immanuelle: the journal of her dead mother, who Immanuelle is shocked to learn once sought sanctuary in the wood.
comments
April 7, 2020
Hugo Award Nominees
Congrats to all the Hugo Award nominees! I am so happy for all of you!
Best Novel
The City in the Middle of the Night, by Charlie Jane Anders (Tor; Titan)
Gideon the Ninth, by Tamsyn Muir (Tor.com Publishing)
The Light Brigade, by Kameron Hurley (Saga; Angry Robot UK)
A Memory Called Empire, by Arkady Martine (Tor; Tor UK)
Middlegame, by Seanan McGuire (Tor.com Publishing)
The Ten Thousand Doors of January, by Alix E. Harrow (Redhook; Orbit UK)
Best Novella
“Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom”, by Ted Chiang (Exhalation (Borzoi/Alfred A. Knopf; Picador)
The Deep, by Rivers Solomon, with Daveed Diggs, William Hutson & Jonathan Snipes (Saga Press/Gallery)
The Haunting of Tram Car 015, by P. Djèlí Clark (Tor.com Publishing)
In an Absent Dream, by Seanan McGuire (Tor.com Publishing)
This Is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone (Saga Press; Jo Fletcher Books)
To Be Taught, If Fortunate, by Becky Chambers (Harper Voyager; Hodder & Stoughton)
Best Novelette
“The Archronology of Love”, by Caroline M. Yoachim (Lightspeed, April 2019)
“Away With the Wolves”, by Sarah Gailey (Uncanny Magazine: Disabled People Destroy Fantasy Special Issue, September/October 2019)
“The Blur in the Corner of Your Eye”, by Sarah Pinsker (Uncanny Magazine, July-August 2019)
Emergency Skin, by N.K. Jemisin (Forward Collection (Amazon))
“For He Can Creep”, by Siobhan Carroll (Tor.com, 10 July 2019)
“Omphalos”, by Ted Chiang (Exhalation (Borzoi/Alfred A. Knopf; Picador))
Best Short Story
“And Now His Lordship Is Laughing”, by Shiv Ramdas (Strange Horizons, 9 September 2019)
“As the Last I May Know”, by S.L. Huang (Tor.com, 23 October 2019)
“Blood Is Another Word for Hunger”, by Rivers Solomon (Tor.com, 24 July 2019)
“A Catalog of Storms”, by Fran Wilde (Uncanny Magazine, January/February 2019)
“Do Not Look Back, My Lion”, by Alix E. Harrow (Beneath Ceaseless Skies, January 2019)
“Ten Excerpts from an Annotated Bibliography on the Cannibal Women of Ratnabar Island”, by Nibedita Sen (Nightmare Magazine, May 2019)
Best Series
The Expanse, by James S. A. Corey (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
InCryptid, by Seanan McGuire (DAW)
Luna, by Ian McDonald (Tor; Gollancz)
Planetfall series, by Emma Newman (Ace; Gollancz)
Winternight Trilogy, by Katherine Arden (Del Rey; Del Rey UK)
Wormwood, by Tade Thompson (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
Best Related Work
Becoming Superman: My Journey from Poverty to Hollywood, by J. Michael Straczynski (Harper Voyager US)
Joanna Russ, by Gwyneth Jones (University of Illinois Press (Modern Masters of Science Fiction))
The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick, by Mallory O’Meara (Hanover Square)
The Pleasant Profession of Robert A. Heinlein, by Farah Mendlesohn (Unbound)
“2019 John W. Campbell Award Acceptance Speech”, by Jeannette Ng
Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin, produced and directed by Arwen Curry
Best Graphic Story or Comic
Die, Volume 1: Fantasy Heartbreaker, by Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans, letters by Clayton Cowles (Image)
LaGuardia, written by Nnedi Okorafor, art by Tana Ford, colours by James Devlin (Berger Books; Dark Horse)
Monstress, Volume 4: The Chosen, written by Marjorie Liu, art by Sana Takeda (Image)
Mooncakes, by Wendy Xu and Suzanne Walker, letters by Joamette Gil (Oni Press; Lion Forge)
Paper Girls, Volume 6, written by Brian K. Vaughan, drawn by Cliff Chiang, colours by Matt Wilson, letters by Jared K. Fletcher (Image)
The Wicked + The Divine, Volume 9: Okay, by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie, colours by Matt Wilson, letters by Clayton Cowles (Image)
Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form
Avengers: Endgame, screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo (Marvel Studios)
Captain Marvel, screenplay by Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck and Geneva Robertson-Dworet, directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (Walt Disney Pictures/Marvel Studios/Animal Logic (Australia))
Good Omens, written by Neil Gaiman, directed by Douglas McKinnon (Amazon Studios/BBC Studios/Narrativia/The Blank Corporation)
Russian Doll (Season One), created by Natasha Lyonne, Leslye Headland and Amy Poehler, directed by Leslye Headland, Jamie Babbit and Natasha Lyonne (3 Arts Entertainment/Jax Media/Netflix/Paper Kite Productions/Universal Television)
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, screenplay by Chris Terrio and J.J. Abrams, directed by J.J. Abrams (Walt Disney Pictures/Lucasfilm/Bad Robot)
Us, written and directed by Jordan Peele (Monkeypaw Productions/Universal Pictures)
Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
The Good Place: “The Answer”, written by Daniel Schofield, directed by Valeria Migliassi Collins (Fremulon/3 Arts Entertainment/Universal Television)
The Expanse: “Cibola Burn”, written by Daniel Abraham & Ty Franck and Naren Shankar, directed by Breck Eisner (Amazon Prime Video)
Watchmen: “A God Walks into Abar”, written by Jeff Jensen and Damon Lindelof, directed by Nicole Kassell (HBO)
The Mandalorian: “Redemption”, written by Jon Favreau, directed by Taika Waititi (Disney+)
Doctor Who: “Resolution”, written by Chris Chibnall, directed by Wayne Yip (BBC)
Watchmen: “This Extraordinary Being”, written by Damon Lindelof and Cord Jefferson, directed by Stephen Williams (HBO)
Best Editor, Short Form
Neil Clarke
Ellen Datlow
C.C. Finlay
Jonathan Strahan
Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas
Sheila Williams
Best Editor, Long Form
Sheila E. Gilbert
Brit Hvide
Diana M. Pho
Devi Pillai
Miriam Weinberg
Navah Wolfe
Best Professional Artist
Tommy Arnold
Rovina Cai
Galen Dara
John Picacio
Yuko Shimizu
Alyssa Winans
Best Semiprozine
Beneath Ceaseless Skies, editor Scott H. Andrews
Escape Pod, editors Mur Lafferty and S.B. Divya, assistant editor Benjamin C. Kinney, audio producers Adam Pracht and Summer Brooks, hosts Tina Connolly and Alasdair Stuart
Fireside Magazine, editor Julia Rios, managing editor Elsa Sjunneson, copyeditor Chelle Parker, social coordinator Meg Frank, publisher & art director Pablo Defendini, founding editor Brian White
FIYAH Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction, executive editor Troy L. Wiggins, editors Eboni Dunbar, Brent Lambert, L.D. Lewis, Danny Lore, Brandon O’Brien and Kaleb Russell
Strange Horizons, Vanessa Rose Phin, Catherine Krahe, AJ Odasso, Dan Hartland, Joyce Chng, Dante Luiz and the Strange Horizons staff
Uncanny Magazine, editors-in-chief Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas, nonfiction/managing editor Michi Trota, managing editor Chimedum Ohaegbu, podcast producers Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky
Best Fanzine
The Book Smugglers, editors Ana Grilo and Thea James
Galactic Journey, founder Gideon Marcus, editor Janice Marcus, senior writers Rosemary Benton, Lorelei Marcus and Victoria Silverwolf
Journey Planet, editors James Bacon, Christopher J Garcia, Alissa McKersie, Ann Gry, Chuck Serface, John Coxon and Steven H Silver
nerds of a feather, flock together, editors Adri Joy, Joe Sherry, Vance Kotrla, and The G
Quick Sip Reviews, editor Charles Payseur
The Rec Center, editors Elizabeth Minkel and Gavia Baker-Whitelaw
Best Fancast
Be The Serpent, presented by Alexandra Rowland, Freya Marske and Jennifer Mace
Claire Rousseau’s YouTube channel, produced & presented by Claire Rousseau
The Coode Street Podcast, presented by Jonathan Strahan and Gary K. Wolfe
Galactic Suburbia, presented by Alisa Krasnostein, Alexandra Pierce and Tansy Rayner Roberts, producer Andrew Finch
Our Opinions Are Correct, presented by Annalee Newitz and Charlie Jane Anders
The Skiffy and Fanty Show, presented by Jen Zink and Shaun Duke
Best Fan Writer
Cora Buhlert
James Davis Nicoll
Alasdair Stuart
Bogi Takács
Paul Weimer
Adam Whitehead
Best Fan Artist
Iain Clark
Sara Felix
Grace P. Fong
Meg Frank
Ariela Housman
Elise Matthesen
Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book
Catfishing on CatNet, by Naomi Kritzer (Tor Teen)
Deeplight, by Frances Hardinge (Macmillan)
Dragon Pearl, by Yoon Ha Lee (Disney/Hyperion)
Minor Mage, by T. Kingfisher (Argyll)
Riverland, by Fran Wilde (Amulet)
The Wicked King, by Holly Black (Little, Brown; Hot Key)
Astounding Award for the Best New Science Fiction Writer, sponsored by Dell Magazines
Sam Hawke (2nd year of eligibility)
R.F. Kuang (2nd year of eligibility)
Jenn Lyons (1st year of eligibility)
Nibedita Sen (2nd year of eligibility)
Tasha Suri (2nd year of eligibility)
Emily Tesh (1st year of eligibility)
comments
Best Novel
The City in the Middle of the Night, by Charlie Jane Anders (Tor; Titan)
Gideon the Ninth, by Tamsyn Muir (Tor.com Publishing)
The Light Brigade, by Kameron Hurley (Saga; Angry Robot UK)
A Memory Called Empire, by Arkady Martine (Tor; Tor UK)
Middlegame, by Seanan McGuire (Tor.com Publishing)
The Ten Thousand Doors of January, by Alix E. Harrow (Redhook; Orbit UK)
Best Novella
“Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom”, by Ted Chiang (Exhalation (Borzoi/Alfred A. Knopf; Picador)
The Deep, by Rivers Solomon, with Daveed Diggs, William Hutson & Jonathan Snipes (Saga Press/Gallery)
The Haunting of Tram Car 015, by P. Djèlí Clark (Tor.com Publishing)
In an Absent Dream, by Seanan McGuire (Tor.com Publishing)
This Is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone (Saga Press; Jo Fletcher Books)
To Be Taught, If Fortunate, by Becky Chambers (Harper Voyager; Hodder & Stoughton)
Best Novelette
“The Archronology of Love”, by Caroline M. Yoachim (Lightspeed, April 2019)
“Away With the Wolves”, by Sarah Gailey (Uncanny Magazine: Disabled People Destroy Fantasy Special Issue, September/October 2019)
“The Blur in the Corner of Your Eye”, by Sarah Pinsker (Uncanny Magazine, July-August 2019)
Emergency Skin, by N.K. Jemisin (Forward Collection (Amazon))
“For He Can Creep”, by Siobhan Carroll (Tor.com, 10 July 2019)
“Omphalos”, by Ted Chiang (Exhalation (Borzoi/Alfred A. Knopf; Picador))
Best Short Story
“And Now His Lordship Is Laughing”, by Shiv Ramdas (Strange Horizons, 9 September 2019)
“As the Last I May Know”, by S.L. Huang (Tor.com, 23 October 2019)
“Blood Is Another Word for Hunger”, by Rivers Solomon (Tor.com, 24 July 2019)
“A Catalog of Storms”, by Fran Wilde (Uncanny Magazine, January/February 2019)
“Do Not Look Back, My Lion”, by Alix E. Harrow (Beneath Ceaseless Skies, January 2019)
“Ten Excerpts from an Annotated Bibliography on the Cannibal Women of Ratnabar Island”, by Nibedita Sen (Nightmare Magazine, May 2019)
Best Series
The Expanse, by James S. A. Corey (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
InCryptid, by Seanan McGuire (DAW)
Luna, by Ian McDonald (Tor; Gollancz)
Planetfall series, by Emma Newman (Ace; Gollancz)
Winternight Trilogy, by Katherine Arden (Del Rey; Del Rey UK)
Wormwood, by Tade Thompson (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
Best Related Work
Becoming Superman: My Journey from Poverty to Hollywood, by J. Michael Straczynski (Harper Voyager US)
Joanna Russ, by Gwyneth Jones (University of Illinois Press (Modern Masters of Science Fiction))
The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick, by Mallory O’Meara (Hanover Square)
The Pleasant Profession of Robert A. Heinlein, by Farah Mendlesohn (Unbound)
“2019 John W. Campbell Award Acceptance Speech”, by Jeannette Ng
Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin, produced and directed by Arwen Curry
Best Graphic Story or Comic
Die, Volume 1: Fantasy Heartbreaker, by Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans, letters by Clayton Cowles (Image)
LaGuardia, written by Nnedi Okorafor, art by Tana Ford, colours by James Devlin (Berger Books; Dark Horse)
Monstress, Volume 4: The Chosen, written by Marjorie Liu, art by Sana Takeda (Image)
Mooncakes, by Wendy Xu and Suzanne Walker, letters by Joamette Gil (Oni Press; Lion Forge)
Paper Girls, Volume 6, written by Brian K. Vaughan, drawn by Cliff Chiang, colours by Matt Wilson, letters by Jared K. Fletcher (Image)
The Wicked + The Divine, Volume 9: Okay, by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie, colours by Matt Wilson, letters by Clayton Cowles (Image)
Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form
Avengers: Endgame, screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo (Marvel Studios)
Captain Marvel, screenplay by Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck and Geneva Robertson-Dworet, directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (Walt Disney Pictures/Marvel Studios/Animal Logic (Australia))
Good Omens, written by Neil Gaiman, directed by Douglas McKinnon (Amazon Studios/BBC Studios/Narrativia/The Blank Corporation)
Russian Doll (Season One), created by Natasha Lyonne, Leslye Headland and Amy Poehler, directed by Leslye Headland, Jamie Babbit and Natasha Lyonne (3 Arts Entertainment/Jax Media/Netflix/Paper Kite Productions/Universal Television)
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, screenplay by Chris Terrio and J.J. Abrams, directed by J.J. Abrams (Walt Disney Pictures/Lucasfilm/Bad Robot)
Us, written and directed by Jordan Peele (Monkeypaw Productions/Universal Pictures)
Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
The Good Place: “The Answer”, written by Daniel Schofield, directed by Valeria Migliassi Collins (Fremulon/3 Arts Entertainment/Universal Television)
The Expanse: “Cibola Burn”, written by Daniel Abraham & Ty Franck and Naren Shankar, directed by Breck Eisner (Amazon Prime Video)
Watchmen: “A God Walks into Abar”, written by Jeff Jensen and Damon Lindelof, directed by Nicole Kassell (HBO)
The Mandalorian: “Redemption”, written by Jon Favreau, directed by Taika Waititi (Disney+)
Doctor Who: “Resolution”, written by Chris Chibnall, directed by Wayne Yip (BBC)
Watchmen: “This Extraordinary Being”, written by Damon Lindelof and Cord Jefferson, directed by Stephen Williams (HBO)
Best Editor, Short Form
Neil Clarke
Ellen Datlow
C.C. Finlay
Jonathan Strahan
Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas
Sheila Williams
Best Editor, Long Form
Sheila E. Gilbert
Brit Hvide
Diana M. Pho
Devi Pillai
Miriam Weinberg
Navah Wolfe
Best Professional Artist
Tommy Arnold
Rovina Cai
Galen Dara
John Picacio
Yuko Shimizu
Alyssa Winans
Best Semiprozine
Beneath Ceaseless Skies, editor Scott H. Andrews
Escape Pod, editors Mur Lafferty and S.B. Divya, assistant editor Benjamin C. Kinney, audio producers Adam Pracht and Summer Brooks, hosts Tina Connolly and Alasdair Stuart
Fireside Magazine, editor Julia Rios, managing editor Elsa Sjunneson, copyeditor Chelle Parker, social coordinator Meg Frank, publisher & art director Pablo Defendini, founding editor Brian White
FIYAH Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction, executive editor Troy L. Wiggins, editors Eboni Dunbar, Brent Lambert, L.D. Lewis, Danny Lore, Brandon O’Brien and Kaleb Russell
Strange Horizons, Vanessa Rose Phin, Catherine Krahe, AJ Odasso, Dan Hartland, Joyce Chng, Dante Luiz and the Strange Horizons staff
Uncanny Magazine, editors-in-chief Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas, nonfiction/managing editor Michi Trota, managing editor Chimedum Ohaegbu, podcast producers Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky
Best Fanzine
The Book Smugglers, editors Ana Grilo and Thea James
Galactic Journey, founder Gideon Marcus, editor Janice Marcus, senior writers Rosemary Benton, Lorelei Marcus and Victoria Silverwolf
Journey Planet, editors James Bacon, Christopher J Garcia, Alissa McKersie, Ann Gry, Chuck Serface, John Coxon and Steven H Silver
nerds of a feather, flock together, editors Adri Joy, Joe Sherry, Vance Kotrla, and The G
Quick Sip Reviews, editor Charles Payseur
The Rec Center, editors Elizabeth Minkel and Gavia Baker-Whitelaw
Best Fancast
Be The Serpent, presented by Alexandra Rowland, Freya Marske and Jennifer Mace
Claire Rousseau’s YouTube channel, produced & presented by Claire Rousseau
The Coode Street Podcast, presented by Jonathan Strahan and Gary K. Wolfe
Galactic Suburbia, presented by Alisa Krasnostein, Alexandra Pierce and Tansy Rayner Roberts, producer Andrew Finch
Our Opinions Are Correct, presented by Annalee Newitz and Charlie Jane Anders
The Skiffy and Fanty Show, presented by Jen Zink and Shaun Duke
Best Fan Writer
Cora Buhlert
James Davis Nicoll
Alasdair Stuart
Bogi Takács
Paul Weimer
Adam Whitehead
Best Fan Artist
Iain Clark
Sara Felix
Grace P. Fong
Meg Frank
Ariela Housman
Elise Matthesen
Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book
Catfishing on CatNet, by Naomi Kritzer (Tor Teen)
Deeplight, by Frances Hardinge (Macmillan)
Dragon Pearl, by Yoon Ha Lee (Disney/Hyperion)
Minor Mage, by T. Kingfisher (Argyll)
Riverland, by Fran Wilde (Amulet)
The Wicked King, by Holly Black (Little, Brown; Hot Key)
Astounding Award for the Best New Science Fiction Writer, sponsored by Dell Magazines
Sam Hawke (2nd year of eligibility)
R.F. Kuang (2nd year of eligibility)
Jenn Lyons (1st year of eligibility)
Nibedita Sen (2nd year of eligibility)
Tasha Suri (2nd year of eligibility)
Emily Tesh (1st year of eligibility)
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April 1, 2020
Book Recs Whatever Day This Is
(If you've been following my book rec and new book listing posts for a while, you may have noticed this already, but while most book lists emphasize books by popular straight white men, this one emphasizes everybody else. I include books by straight white men, but in about the same percentage that other book lists include everybody else. I also try to highlight books that are less well known.)
(All the book list links below are to Bookshop (Bookshop is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support independent bookstores and give back to the book community), but most books are available at multiple outlets, like Kobo, iBooks, international Amazons, Barnes & Noble, etc. The short stories are usually on free online magazines.)
(Buy your audiobooks from an independent store here: https://blog.libro.fm/shopbookstoresnow/)
* Another list: Charles Payseur's list of queer short SFF for March: https://www.patreon.com/posts/35509998
(extra link from Tor.com: https://www.tor.com/2020/03/31/queering-sff-12-authors-critics-and-activists-on-whats-changed-in-the-last-ten-years/ Queering SFF: 12 Authors, Critics, and Activists on What’s Changed in the Last Ten Years)
* Another list: Electric Literature: https://electricliterature.com/6-debut-fantasy-novels-starring-black-women/ Six Debut Fantasy Novels Starring Black Women, compiled by editor Patrice Caldwell
* A Game of Fox and Squirrels by Jenn Reese
After an incident shatters their family, eleven-year old Samantha and her older sister Caitlin are sent to live in rural Oregon with an aunt they've never met. Sam wants nothing more than to go back to the way things were... before she spoke up about their father's anger. When Aunt Vicky gives Sam a mysterious card game called "A Game of Fox & Squirrels," Sam falls in love with the animal characters, especially the charming trickster fox, Ashander. Then one day Ashander shows up in Sam's room and offers her an adventure and a promise: find the Golden Acorn, and Sam can have anything she desires. But the fox is hiding rules that Sam isn't prepared for, and her new home feels more tempting than she'd ever expected. As Sam is swept up in the dangerous quest, the line between magic and reality grows thin. If she makes the wrong move, she'll lose far more than just a game.
* Incendiary by Zoraida Cordova
am Renata Convida.I have lived a hundred stolen lives. Now I live my own.
Renata was only a child when she was kidnapped by the King's Justice and brought to the luxurious palace of Andalucia. As a memory thief, the rarest and most feared of the magical Moria, Renata was used by the crown to carry out the King's Wrath, a siege that resulted in the deaths of thousands of her own people. Now Renata is one of the Whispers, rebel spies working against the crown. The Whispers may have rescued Renata years ago, but she cannot escape their mistrust and hatred-or the overpowering memories of the hundreds of souls she drained during her time in the palace.
* Water into Wine by Joyce Chng
When war comes to your planet, everything changes... perhaps even the meaning of family and identity. Xin inherits a vineyard on a distant planet, and moves there to build a life... but an interstellar war intervenes. Will Xin's dreams of a new life get caught in the crossfire? Xin's understanding of family and sense of self must evolve to cope with the changes brought by life on a new planet and a war that threatens everything.
* A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna
The first book in a scifi retelling of the Mahabrahata. When Esmae wins a contest of skill, she sets off events that trigger an inevitable and unwinnable war that pits her against the family she would give anything to return to. In a universe of capricious gods, dark moons, and kingdoms built on the backs of spaceships, a cursed queen sends her infant daughter away, a jealous uncle steals the throne of Kali from his nephew, and an exiled prince vows to take his crown back. Raised alone and far away from her home on Kali, Esmae longs to return to her family. When the King of Wychstar offers to gift the unbeatable, sentient warship Titania to a warrior that can win his competition, she sees her way home: she'll enter the competition, reveal her true identity to the world, and help her famous brother win back the crown of Kali.
* Talk Like A Man by Nisi Shawl
In these previously uncollected stories, Shawl explores the unexpected horizons (and corners) opened up by science fiction and fantasy's new diversity. In her worlds, sex can be both business and religion, complete with ancient rites, altars, and ointments ("Women of the Doll"); a virtual reality high school is a proving ground for girlpacks and their unfortunate adversaries ("Walk like a Man"); and a British rock singer finds an image in a mirror that reflects both future hits and ancient horrors ("Something More"). With her trademark wit passing for wisdom, Shawl lights up our Outspoken Interview and then, in a talk given at Duke University, explores the connections between ancient Ifa and modern science fiction.
* The Glass Magician by Caroline Stevermer
New York 1905--The Vanderbilts. The Astors. The Morgans. They are the cream of society--and they own the nation on the cusp of a new century. Thalia Cutler doesn't have any of those family connections. What she does know is stage magic and she dazzles audiences with an act that takes your breath away. That is, until one night when a trick goes horribly awry. In surviving she discovers that she can shapeshift, and has the potential to take her place among the rich and powerful. But first, she'll have to learn to control that power...before the real monsters descend to feast.
* Night of the Dragon by Julie Kagawa
Third in trilogy following Shadow of the Fox and Soul of the Sword. To save everyone she loves from imminent death, kitsune shapeshifter Yumeko gave up the final piece of the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers. Now she and her ragtag band of companions must make one desperate final effort to stop the Master of Demons from using the scroll to call the Great Kami Dragon and make the wish that will plunge the empire into chaos. Shadow clan assassin Kage Tatsumi has regained control of his body and agreed to a true deal with the devil--the demon inside him, Hakaimono. They will share his body and work with Yumeko to stop a madman, and to separate Hakaimono from Tatsumi and the cursed sword that trapped the demon for nearly a millennium.
* War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi
The year is 2172. Climate change and nuclear disasters have rendered much of earth unlivable. Only the lucky ones have escaped to space colonies in the sky. In a war-torn Nigeria, battles are fought using flying, deadly mechs and soldiers are outfitted with bionic limbs and artificial organs meant to protect them from the harsh, radiation-heavy climate. Across the nation, as the years-long civil war wages on, survival becomes the only way of life. Two sisters, Onyii and Ify, dream of more. Their lives have been marked by violence and political unrest. Still, they dream of peace, of hope, of a future together.
* I Hope You Get This Message by Farah Naz Rishi
News stations across the country are reporting mysterious messages that Earth has been receiving from a planet--Alma--claiming to be its creator. If they're being interpreted correctly, in seven days Alma will hit the kill switch on their "colony" Earth. True or not, for teenagers Jesse Hewitt, Cate Collins, and Adeem Khan, the prospect of this ticking time bomb will change their lives forever. Jesse, who has been dealt one bad blow after another, wonders if it even matters what happens to the world. Cate, on the other hand, is desperate to use this time to find the father she never met. And Adeem, who hasn't spoken to his estranged sister in years, must find out if he has it in him to forgive her for leaving. With only a week to face their truths and right their wrongs, Jesse, Cate, and Adeem's paths collide as their worlds are pulled apart.
comments
(All the book list links below are to Bookshop (Bookshop is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support independent bookstores and give back to the book community), but most books are available at multiple outlets, like Kobo, iBooks, international Amazons, Barnes & Noble, etc. The short stories are usually on free online magazines.)
(Buy your audiobooks from an independent store here: https://blog.libro.fm/shopbookstoresnow/)
* Another list: Charles Payseur's list of queer short SFF for March: https://www.patreon.com/posts/35509998
(extra link from Tor.com: https://www.tor.com/2020/03/31/queering-sff-12-authors-critics-and-activists-on-whats-changed-in-the-last-ten-years/ Queering SFF: 12 Authors, Critics, and Activists on What’s Changed in the Last Ten Years)
* Another list: Electric Literature: https://electricliterature.com/6-debut-fantasy-novels-starring-black-women/ Six Debut Fantasy Novels Starring Black Women, compiled by editor Patrice Caldwell
* A Game of Fox and Squirrels by Jenn Reese
After an incident shatters their family, eleven-year old Samantha and her older sister Caitlin are sent to live in rural Oregon with an aunt they've never met. Sam wants nothing more than to go back to the way things were... before she spoke up about their father's anger. When Aunt Vicky gives Sam a mysterious card game called "A Game of Fox & Squirrels," Sam falls in love with the animal characters, especially the charming trickster fox, Ashander. Then one day Ashander shows up in Sam's room and offers her an adventure and a promise: find the Golden Acorn, and Sam can have anything she desires. But the fox is hiding rules that Sam isn't prepared for, and her new home feels more tempting than she'd ever expected. As Sam is swept up in the dangerous quest, the line between magic and reality grows thin. If she makes the wrong move, she'll lose far more than just a game.
* Incendiary by Zoraida Cordova
am Renata Convida.I have lived a hundred stolen lives. Now I live my own.
Renata was only a child when she was kidnapped by the King's Justice and brought to the luxurious palace of Andalucia. As a memory thief, the rarest and most feared of the magical Moria, Renata was used by the crown to carry out the King's Wrath, a siege that resulted in the deaths of thousands of her own people. Now Renata is one of the Whispers, rebel spies working against the crown. The Whispers may have rescued Renata years ago, but she cannot escape their mistrust and hatred-or the overpowering memories of the hundreds of souls she drained during her time in the palace.
* Water into Wine by Joyce Chng
When war comes to your planet, everything changes... perhaps even the meaning of family and identity. Xin inherits a vineyard on a distant planet, and moves there to build a life... but an interstellar war intervenes. Will Xin's dreams of a new life get caught in the crossfire? Xin's understanding of family and sense of self must evolve to cope with the changes brought by life on a new planet and a war that threatens everything.
* A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna
The first book in a scifi retelling of the Mahabrahata. When Esmae wins a contest of skill, she sets off events that trigger an inevitable and unwinnable war that pits her against the family she would give anything to return to. In a universe of capricious gods, dark moons, and kingdoms built on the backs of spaceships, a cursed queen sends her infant daughter away, a jealous uncle steals the throne of Kali from his nephew, and an exiled prince vows to take his crown back. Raised alone and far away from her home on Kali, Esmae longs to return to her family. When the King of Wychstar offers to gift the unbeatable, sentient warship Titania to a warrior that can win his competition, she sees her way home: she'll enter the competition, reveal her true identity to the world, and help her famous brother win back the crown of Kali.
* Talk Like A Man by Nisi Shawl
In these previously uncollected stories, Shawl explores the unexpected horizons (and corners) opened up by science fiction and fantasy's new diversity. In her worlds, sex can be both business and religion, complete with ancient rites, altars, and ointments ("Women of the Doll"); a virtual reality high school is a proving ground for girlpacks and their unfortunate adversaries ("Walk like a Man"); and a British rock singer finds an image in a mirror that reflects both future hits and ancient horrors ("Something More"). With her trademark wit passing for wisdom, Shawl lights up our Outspoken Interview and then, in a talk given at Duke University, explores the connections between ancient Ifa and modern science fiction.
* The Glass Magician by Caroline Stevermer
New York 1905--The Vanderbilts. The Astors. The Morgans. They are the cream of society--and they own the nation on the cusp of a new century. Thalia Cutler doesn't have any of those family connections. What she does know is stage magic and she dazzles audiences with an act that takes your breath away. That is, until one night when a trick goes horribly awry. In surviving she discovers that she can shapeshift, and has the potential to take her place among the rich and powerful. But first, she'll have to learn to control that power...before the real monsters descend to feast.
* Night of the Dragon by Julie Kagawa
Third in trilogy following Shadow of the Fox and Soul of the Sword. To save everyone she loves from imminent death, kitsune shapeshifter Yumeko gave up the final piece of the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers. Now she and her ragtag band of companions must make one desperate final effort to stop the Master of Demons from using the scroll to call the Great Kami Dragon and make the wish that will plunge the empire into chaos. Shadow clan assassin Kage Tatsumi has regained control of his body and agreed to a true deal with the devil--the demon inside him, Hakaimono. They will share his body and work with Yumeko to stop a madman, and to separate Hakaimono from Tatsumi and the cursed sword that trapped the demon for nearly a millennium.
* War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi
The year is 2172. Climate change and nuclear disasters have rendered much of earth unlivable. Only the lucky ones have escaped to space colonies in the sky. In a war-torn Nigeria, battles are fought using flying, deadly mechs and soldiers are outfitted with bionic limbs and artificial organs meant to protect them from the harsh, radiation-heavy climate. Across the nation, as the years-long civil war wages on, survival becomes the only way of life. Two sisters, Onyii and Ify, dream of more. Their lives have been marked by violence and political unrest. Still, they dream of peace, of hope, of a future together.
* I Hope You Get This Message by Farah Naz Rishi
News stations across the country are reporting mysterious messages that Earth has been receiving from a planet--Alma--claiming to be its creator. If they're being interpreted correctly, in seven days Alma will hit the kill switch on their "colony" Earth. True or not, for teenagers Jesse Hewitt, Cate Collins, and Adeem Khan, the prospect of this ticking time bomb will change their lives forever. Jesse, who has been dealt one bad blow after another, wonders if it even matters what happens to the world. Cate, on the other hand, is desperate to use this time to find the father she never met. And Adeem, who hasn't spoken to his estranged sister in years, must find out if he has it in him to forgive her for leaving. With only a week to face their truths and right their wrongs, Jesse, Cate, and Adeem's paths collide as their worlds are pulled apart.
comments
March 29, 2020
Sunday, I guess
* The Last Best Time: https://whatever.scalzi.com/2020/03/28/the-last-best-time/ This is an article about the JoCo cruise, the same one I was on.
Because of that, at least some of us started looking at the cruise in a different light. The JoCo Cruise was always a good time — it’s why it had lasted for ten years and spawned a community that existed outside the confines of the cruise ship — but it was beginning to sink in that this might be the last good time for a while. Maybe for a long while. Or at least, the last good time we could spend with friends in reasonably close proximity, outside of the confines of our own homes.
* You can go to a free virtual SF/F con on May 22-25: https://www.balticon.org/wp54/
* Some good news: the German edition of The Murderbot Diaries (translated by Frank Böhmert) is nominated for two awards: Best Foreign Work and Best Translation
http://www.kurd-lasswitz-preis.de/2020/KLP_2020.htm
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Because of that, at least some of us started looking at the cruise in a different light. The JoCo Cruise was always a good time — it’s why it had lasted for ten years and spawned a community that existed outside the confines of the cruise ship — but it was beginning to sink in that this might be the last good time for a while. Maybe for a long while. Or at least, the last good time we could spend with friends in reasonably close proximity, outside of the confines of our own homes.
* You can go to a free virtual SF/F con on May 22-25: https://www.balticon.org/wp54/
* Some good news: the German edition of The Murderbot Diaries (translated by Frank Böhmert) is nominated for two awards: Best Foreign Work and Best Translation
http://www.kurd-lasswitz-preis.de/2020/KLP_2020.htm
comments
March 26, 2020
Interview with Me and the Doubleclicks
If you missed the livestream, you can watch it here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llu2nQI1USI
ETA: oh, there's a bit at the end, my editor was actually mistaken, the offer for the free short story is for hardcover preorders only.
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ETA: oh, there's a bit at the end, my editor was actually mistaken, the offer for the free short story is for hardcover preorders only.
comments
Livestream interview with me today (Thursday)
I will be on the Doubleclicks' livestream https://www.youtube.com/thedoubleclicks/live
Thursday, March 26, 11:00 am PDT
We'll be talking about The Murderbot Diaries and I think it will be recorded somewhere if people miss the live version.
***
I keep wanting to do a post talking about my emotional state, and I keep not doing that, no matter how many times I open a post. We're doing fine, and our situation is a lot better than most people. We have a house with a yard, my husband is able to work from home, our grocery stores are used to hurricane prep so their supply chains are fast and robust. So, yeah. That's about all I got.
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Thursday, March 26, 11:00 am PDT
We'll be talking about The Murderbot Diaries and I think it will be recorded somewhere if people miss the live version.
***
I keep wanting to do a post talking about my emotional state, and I keep not doing that, no matter how many times I open a post. We're doing fine, and our situation is a lot better than most people. We have a house with a yard, my husband is able to work from home, our grocery stores are used to hurricane prep so their supply chains are fast and robust. So, yeah. That's about all I got.
comments
March 25, 2020
Great article about the Books of the Raksura
It's kind of rare when I see an article or description of my work that absolutely gets what I was trying to do, so whenever it happens, it makes me very, very happy.
Comfort, Connection, and Community in Martha Wells’ Books of the Raksura by Kali Wallace
https://www.tor.com/2020/03/25/comfort-connection-and-community-in-martha-wells-books-of-the-raksura/
I want to quote the hell out of this but I'll just try to stick to a few paragraphs.
For now, I just want to explore the richly emotional story woven into that weird and wonderful world. I mean, look, I’m not going to lie. I just want to talk about Moon and his feelings. Because the more I think about it, the more convinced I am that the imaginative, unabashed alienness of the Raksura characters and world is what makes it possible for the emotional arc of the story to wriggle its way under the skin so easily. My theory is that the very fact that they are nothing like me is why they provide so much lasting comfort.
...
One of the reasons I revisit the Raksura series over and over again is that the unusual nature of the characters and their world allows freedom from many common assumptions and tropes about how people connect to one another. For example, the Raksura, as a culture, are agrarian, communal hunters with no concept of commerce or currency and divisions of labor that do not map onto any kind of class division; the people who tend the crops are as important as the people who raise the children, and both are as important as the warriors who protect the community. They are matriarchal, polyamorous, and pansexual, and have very few taboos relating to sex or intimate relationships. So right from the start a whole lot of the hang-ups that drive human-centered stories of connection are turned on their heads. On the other hand, Raksura society is rigid in other ways, with leaders defined by their biology, its own confining gender dynamics, almost no mobility between social roles with the community, elaborate rules and manners for official interactions, and the lives of entire populations often depending on the whims of temperamental queens who will literally fight each other to the death to assert power.
...
There is nothing ennobling or dignified about the trauma Moon has suffered. It has fucked him up in ways he has to deal with even when things are going well.
And while it would take an entire thesis to get into all of the details, this is also true of the other characters in the series. Their experiences might have made them better at fighting monsters who want to eat them, but a lifetime of fighting for one’s life doesn’t make a person better at all the non-fighting parts of living. There is a queen whose inability to protect her people has caused her to sink into a deep depression and another who is still fighting battles she won at great cost decades ago. There are young people who are war orphans of both allies and enemies now trying to find out where they fit in the world. There are a lot of people who simply don’t like each other for reasons both petty and serious. There are characters who are despondent, others who are clearly suffering from PTSD, quite a few who are desperate for change but afraid to push for it, and some who are just so lost and angry it overpowers everything else in their lives.
There are not characters whose jagged edges are neatly filed off by the right combination of friendship and found family, because this is not a story interested in easy solutions to complex problems. The world they live in, with all its violence, sickness, distrust, betrayal, doubt, and people who want to eat them, has done a number on everyone, but they still learn to make decisions, get along, change, grow, disagree, and compromise on every level, from private, interpersonal relationships between individuals to political relationships between large populations who don’t like each other and don’t want cooperate.
comments
Comfort, Connection, and Community in Martha Wells’ Books of the Raksura by Kali Wallace
https://www.tor.com/2020/03/25/comfort-connection-and-community-in-martha-wells-books-of-the-raksura/
I want to quote the hell out of this but I'll just try to stick to a few paragraphs.
For now, I just want to explore the richly emotional story woven into that weird and wonderful world. I mean, look, I’m not going to lie. I just want to talk about Moon and his feelings. Because the more I think about it, the more convinced I am that the imaginative, unabashed alienness of the Raksura characters and world is what makes it possible for the emotional arc of the story to wriggle its way under the skin so easily. My theory is that the very fact that they are nothing like me is why they provide so much lasting comfort.
...
One of the reasons I revisit the Raksura series over and over again is that the unusual nature of the characters and their world allows freedom from many common assumptions and tropes about how people connect to one another. For example, the Raksura, as a culture, are agrarian, communal hunters with no concept of commerce or currency and divisions of labor that do not map onto any kind of class division; the people who tend the crops are as important as the people who raise the children, and both are as important as the warriors who protect the community. They are matriarchal, polyamorous, and pansexual, and have very few taboos relating to sex or intimate relationships. So right from the start a whole lot of the hang-ups that drive human-centered stories of connection are turned on their heads. On the other hand, Raksura society is rigid in other ways, with leaders defined by their biology, its own confining gender dynamics, almost no mobility between social roles with the community, elaborate rules and manners for official interactions, and the lives of entire populations often depending on the whims of temperamental queens who will literally fight each other to the death to assert power.
...
There is nothing ennobling or dignified about the trauma Moon has suffered. It has fucked him up in ways he has to deal with even when things are going well.
And while it would take an entire thesis to get into all of the details, this is also true of the other characters in the series. Their experiences might have made them better at fighting monsters who want to eat them, but a lifetime of fighting for one’s life doesn’t make a person better at all the non-fighting parts of living. There is a queen whose inability to protect her people has caused her to sink into a deep depression and another who is still fighting battles she won at great cost decades ago. There are young people who are war orphans of both allies and enemies now trying to find out where they fit in the world. There are a lot of people who simply don’t like each other for reasons both petty and serious. There are characters who are despondent, others who are clearly suffering from PTSD, quite a few who are desperate for change but afraid to push for it, and some who are just so lost and angry it overpowers everything else in their lives.
There are not characters whose jagged edges are neatly filed off by the right combination of friendship and found family, because this is not a story interested in easy solutions to complex problems. The world they live in, with all its violence, sickness, distrust, betrayal, doubt, and people who want to eat them, has done a number on everyone, but they still learn to make decisions, get along, change, grow, disagree, and compromise on every level, from private, interpersonal relationships between individuals to political relationships between large populations who don’t like each other and don’t want cooperate.
comments
State of Me
I'm having an absolutely shit morning but this helped a lot: https://twitter.com/bbcdoctorwho/status/1242783288571211776
***
We're under a county-wide shelter in place order, which is basically what we were doing already, but it's a relief now that everybody's doing it.
The City We Became came out yesterday so I may just take a mental health break today and read it.
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***
We're under a county-wide shelter in place order, which is basically what we were doing already, but it's a relief now that everybody's doing it.
The City We Became came out yesterday so I may just take a mental health break today and read it.
comments
