Martha Wells's Blog, page 63
July 2, 2018
Great article
Great article by author Patrice Sarath:
Harlan Ellison, Hannah Gadsby, and the Art of Transgression
http://www.patricesarath.com/observations/art-of-transgression/
On same day that I heard about the death of Harlan Ellison, I watched Hannah Gadsby’s Netflix special, “Nanette.” The juxtaposition did not go unnoticed, by me anyway. One artist shocked the world with their rage and anger, creating new stories that didn’t just subvert, they blew up the whole field, electrifying it for everyone else.
The other one grabbed Connie Willis’s breast.
comments
Harlan Ellison, Hannah Gadsby, and the Art of Transgression
http://www.patricesarath.com/observations/art-of-transgression/
On same day that I heard about the death of Harlan Ellison, I watched Hannah Gadsby’s Netflix special, “Nanette.” The juxtaposition did not go unnoticed, by me anyway. One artist shocked the world with their rage and anger, creating new stories that didn’t just subvert, they blew up the whole field, electrifying it for everyone else.
The other one grabbed Connie Willis’s breast.
comments
July 1, 2018
Families Belong Together Protest
Here's a tumblr post of the photos from yesterday: https://marthawells.tumblr.com/post/175435579422/the-families-belong-together-protest-in-bryan
The Families Belong Together protest in Bryan, Texas, on June 30 2018. There were about 200 people there, stretched out all along the street. The top photo is me and one of my goddaughters.
comments
The Families Belong Together protest in Bryan, Texas, on June 30 2018. There were about 200 people there, stretched out all along the street. The top photo is me and one of my goddaughters.
comments
June 29, 2018
Today is a day, all right
I'm going to try to start posting more here, just because. Let's see, today so far I answered some interview questions I need to finish up today and wrote most of a short story that a magazine to be named later asked for. It's supposed to be around 1000 words and as usual I went over. I'm going to try real hard to keep it under 1200-1300 and hope that will be okay. This is like Dominaria, where all the chapters were supposed to be around 4000 words and ended up being anything from 5000 to 10,000.
Speaking of Return to Dominaria, I think I forgot to post here that it's all finished: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/magic-story/return-dominaria-episode-1-2018-03-21 It's 12 parts and even if you don't know the backstory, I think it reads as a fantasy novella.
Also, Kate Elliott is writing the next part of Magic Story here: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/magic-story/chronicle-bolas-twins-2018-06-13 It's not a continuation of my section (which should happen later this year) but a prequel about one of the characters.
I also started some housecleaning, watered the outdoor potted plants and the things I am trying to make grow in the heat of this terrible world. And that's my day so far.
comments
Speaking of Return to Dominaria, I think I forgot to post here that it's all finished: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/magic-story/return-dominaria-episode-1-2018-03-21 It's 12 parts and even if you don't know the backstory, I think it reads as a fantasy novella.
Also, Kate Elliott is writing the next part of Magic Story here: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/magic-story/chronicle-bolas-twins-2018-06-13 It's not a continuation of my section (which should happen later this year) but a prequel about one of the characters.
I also started some housecleaning, watered the outdoor potted plants and the things I am trying to make grow in the heat of this terrible world. And that's my day so far.
comments
June 27, 2018
Book Recs for What Day Is it Exactly
Couple of things first:
* I really liked this review of The Murderbot Diaries: http://www.nerds-feather.com/2018/06/a-robot-learns-to-love-itself.html
Murderbot watches rather a lot of shows – indeed, extensive media consumption is its most prominent character quirk – and it also does a lot of complaining, so the combination of the two is not exactly unusual. However, this is the first time it has articulated a desire to see itself represented positively in media.
* The Families Belong Together protest is this Saturday. Here's a way to find a nearby location: https://act.moveon.org/event/families-belong-together/search/
Book Recs
(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.)
(I only link to one retail outlet in the book's listing, 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.)
* The Heart Forger by Rin Chupeco
In The Bone Witch, Tea mastered resurrection—now she's after revenge... No one knows death like Tea. A bone witch who can resurrect the dead, she has the power to take life...and return it. And she is done with her self-imposed exile. Her heart is set on vengeance, and she now possesses all she needs to command the mighty daeva. With the help of these terrifying beasts, she can finally enact revenge against the royals who wronged her—and took the life of her one true love.
* Picture Book: Dragon Dancer by Joyce Chng and art by Jeremy Pailler
On the eve of Chinese New Year, Yao wakes the ancient sky dragon, Shen Long, from his year-long sleep, propelling Yao on a magical journey through the skies to battle the bad luck of the previous year and usher in the good.
* The Mere Wife by Maria Dahvana Headley
For Willa, the wife of Roger Herot (heir of Herot Hall), life moves at a charmingly slow pace. She flits between mommy groups, playdates, cocktail hour, and dinner parties, always with her son, Dylan, in tow. Meanwhile, in a cave in the mountains just beyond the limits of Herot Hall lives Gren, short for Grendel, as well as his mother, Dana, a former soldier who gave birth as if by chance. Dana didn’t want Gren, didn’t plan Gren, and doesn’t know how she got Gren, but when she returned from war, there he was. When Gren, unaware of the borders erected to keep him at bay, ventures into Herot Hall and runs off with Dylan, Dana’s and Willa’s worlds collide.
* A Thousand Beginnings and Endings Edited by Ellen Oh and Elsie Chapman
Fifteen bestselling and acclaimed authors reimagine the folklore and mythology of East and South Asia in short stories that are by turns enchanting, heartbreaking, romantic, and passionate.
Compiled by We Need Diverse Books's Ellen Oh and Elsie Chapman, the authors included in this exquisite collection are: Renée Ahdieh, Sona Charaipotra, Preeti Chhibber, Roshani Chokshi, Aliette de Bodard, Melissa de la Cruz, Julie Kagawa, Rahul Kanakia, Lori M. Lee, E. C. Myers, Cindy Pon, Aisha Saeed, Shveta Thakrar, and Alyssa Wong.
* Red Waters Rising by Laura Anne Gilman
In the last novel of The Devil’s West trilogy, Isobel, the Devil’s Left Hand, and Gabriel ride through the magical land of the Territory to root out evil by the way of mad magicians, ghosts, and twisted animal spirits. As Isobel and Gabriel travel to the southern edge of the Territory, they arrive in the free city of Red Stick. Tensions are running high as the homesteading population grows, crowding the native lands, and suspicions rise across the river from an American fort.
* The Black God's Drums by P. Djeli Clark
In an alternate New Orleans caught in the tangle of the American Civil War, the wall-scaling girl named Creeper yearns to escape the streets for the air – in particular, by earning a spot on-board the airship Midnight Robber. Creeper plans to earn Captain Ann-Marie’s trust with information she discovers about a Haitian scientist and a mysterious weapon he calls The Black God’s Drums.
* Preorder Terra Nullius by Claire Coleman
The Natives of the Colony are restless. The Settlers are eager to have a nation of peace and to bring the savages into line. Families are torn apart. Reeducation is enforced. This rich land will provide for all. This is not the Australia we know. This is not the Australia of the history books. Terra Nullius is something new, but all too familiar. Shortlisted for the 2018 Stella Prize Indie Book Awards and Highly Commended for the Victorian Premiers Literary Awards, Terra Nullius is an incredible debut from a striking new Australian Aboriginal voice.
* Rosewater by Tade Thompson
Rosewater is a town on the edge. A community formed around the edges of a mysterious alien biodome, its residents comprise the hopeful, the hungry and the helpless - people eager for a glimpse inside the dome or a taste of its rumored healing powers. Kaaro is a government agent with a criminal past. He has seen inside the biodome, and doesn't care to again -- but when something begins killing off others like himself, Kaaro must defy his masters to search for an answer, facing his dark history and coming to a realization about a horrifying future.
* State Tectonics by Malka Older
The future of democracy must evolve or die. The last time Information held an election, a global network outage, two counts of sabotage by major world governments, and a devastating earthquake almost shook micro-democracy apart. Five years later, it's time to vote again, and the system that has ensured global peace for 25 years is more vulnerable than ever.
* Preorder Severance by Ling Ma
Candace Chen, a millennial drone self-sequestered in a Manhattan office tower, is devoted to routine. With the recent passing of her Chinese immigrant parents, she’s had her fill of uncertainty. She’s content just to carry on: She goes to work, troubleshoots the teen-targeted Gemstone Bible, watches movies in a Greenpoint basement with her boyfriend. So Candace barely notices when a plague of biblical proportions sweeps New York. Then Shen Fever spreads. Families flee. Companies halt operations. The subways squeak to a halt. Her bosses enlist her as part of a dwindling skeleton crew with a big end-date payoff. Soon entirely alone, still unfevered, she photographs the eerie, abandoned city as the anonymous blogger NY Ghost.
* Suicide Club: A Novel About Living by Rachel Heng
Lea Kirino is a "Lifer," which means that a roll of the genetic dice has given her the potential to live forever—if she does everything right. And Lea is an overachiever. She’s a successful trader on the New York exchange—where instead of stocks, human organs are now bought and sold—she has a beautiful apartment, and a fiancé who rivals her in genetic perfection. And with the right balance of HealthTech, rigorous juicing, and low-impact exercise, she might never die.
* Summerland by Hannu Ranjaniemi
Loss is a thing of the past. Murder is obsolete. Death is just the beginning. In 1938, death is no longer feared but exploited. Since the discovery of the afterlife, the British Empire has extended its reach into Summerland, a metropolis for the recently deceased.
comments
* I really liked this review of The Murderbot Diaries: http://www.nerds-feather.com/2018/06/a-robot-learns-to-love-itself.html
Murderbot watches rather a lot of shows – indeed, extensive media consumption is its most prominent character quirk – and it also does a lot of complaining, so the combination of the two is not exactly unusual. However, this is the first time it has articulated a desire to see itself represented positively in media.
* The Families Belong Together protest is this Saturday. Here's a way to find a nearby location: https://act.moveon.org/event/families-belong-together/search/
Book Recs
(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.)
(I only link to one retail outlet in the book's listing, 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.)
* The Heart Forger by Rin Chupeco
In The Bone Witch, Tea mastered resurrection—now she's after revenge... No one knows death like Tea. A bone witch who can resurrect the dead, she has the power to take life...and return it. And she is done with her self-imposed exile. Her heart is set on vengeance, and she now possesses all she needs to command the mighty daeva. With the help of these terrifying beasts, she can finally enact revenge against the royals who wronged her—and took the life of her one true love.
* Picture Book: Dragon Dancer by Joyce Chng and art by Jeremy Pailler
On the eve of Chinese New Year, Yao wakes the ancient sky dragon, Shen Long, from his year-long sleep, propelling Yao on a magical journey through the skies to battle the bad luck of the previous year and usher in the good.
* The Mere Wife by Maria Dahvana Headley
For Willa, the wife of Roger Herot (heir of Herot Hall), life moves at a charmingly slow pace. She flits between mommy groups, playdates, cocktail hour, and dinner parties, always with her son, Dylan, in tow. Meanwhile, in a cave in the mountains just beyond the limits of Herot Hall lives Gren, short for Grendel, as well as his mother, Dana, a former soldier who gave birth as if by chance. Dana didn’t want Gren, didn’t plan Gren, and doesn’t know how she got Gren, but when she returned from war, there he was. When Gren, unaware of the borders erected to keep him at bay, ventures into Herot Hall and runs off with Dylan, Dana’s and Willa’s worlds collide.
* A Thousand Beginnings and Endings Edited by Ellen Oh and Elsie Chapman
Fifteen bestselling and acclaimed authors reimagine the folklore and mythology of East and South Asia in short stories that are by turns enchanting, heartbreaking, romantic, and passionate.
Compiled by We Need Diverse Books's Ellen Oh and Elsie Chapman, the authors included in this exquisite collection are: Renée Ahdieh, Sona Charaipotra, Preeti Chhibber, Roshani Chokshi, Aliette de Bodard, Melissa de la Cruz, Julie Kagawa, Rahul Kanakia, Lori M. Lee, E. C. Myers, Cindy Pon, Aisha Saeed, Shveta Thakrar, and Alyssa Wong.
* Red Waters Rising by Laura Anne Gilman
In the last novel of The Devil’s West trilogy, Isobel, the Devil’s Left Hand, and Gabriel ride through the magical land of the Territory to root out evil by the way of mad magicians, ghosts, and twisted animal spirits. As Isobel and Gabriel travel to the southern edge of the Territory, they arrive in the free city of Red Stick. Tensions are running high as the homesteading population grows, crowding the native lands, and suspicions rise across the river from an American fort.
* The Black God's Drums by P. Djeli Clark
In an alternate New Orleans caught in the tangle of the American Civil War, the wall-scaling girl named Creeper yearns to escape the streets for the air – in particular, by earning a spot on-board the airship Midnight Robber. Creeper plans to earn Captain Ann-Marie’s trust with information she discovers about a Haitian scientist and a mysterious weapon he calls The Black God’s Drums.
* Preorder Terra Nullius by Claire Coleman
The Natives of the Colony are restless. The Settlers are eager to have a nation of peace and to bring the savages into line. Families are torn apart. Reeducation is enforced. This rich land will provide for all. This is not the Australia we know. This is not the Australia of the history books. Terra Nullius is something new, but all too familiar. Shortlisted for the 2018 Stella Prize Indie Book Awards and Highly Commended for the Victorian Premiers Literary Awards, Terra Nullius is an incredible debut from a striking new Australian Aboriginal voice.
* Rosewater by Tade Thompson
Rosewater is a town on the edge. A community formed around the edges of a mysterious alien biodome, its residents comprise the hopeful, the hungry and the helpless - people eager for a glimpse inside the dome or a taste of its rumored healing powers. Kaaro is a government agent with a criminal past. He has seen inside the biodome, and doesn't care to again -- but when something begins killing off others like himself, Kaaro must defy his masters to search for an answer, facing his dark history and coming to a realization about a horrifying future.
* State Tectonics by Malka Older
The future of democracy must evolve or die. The last time Information held an election, a global network outage, two counts of sabotage by major world governments, and a devastating earthquake almost shook micro-democracy apart. Five years later, it's time to vote again, and the system that has ensured global peace for 25 years is more vulnerable than ever.
* Preorder Severance by Ling Ma
Candace Chen, a millennial drone self-sequestered in a Manhattan office tower, is devoted to routine. With the recent passing of her Chinese immigrant parents, she’s had her fill of uncertainty. She’s content just to carry on: She goes to work, troubleshoots the teen-targeted Gemstone Bible, watches movies in a Greenpoint basement with her boyfriend. So Candace barely notices when a plague of biblical proportions sweeps New York. Then Shen Fever spreads. Families flee. Companies halt operations. The subways squeak to a halt. Her bosses enlist her as part of a dwindling skeleton crew with a big end-date payoff. Soon entirely alone, still unfevered, she photographs the eerie, abandoned city as the anonymous blogger NY Ghost.
* Suicide Club: A Novel About Living by Rachel Heng
Lea Kirino is a "Lifer," which means that a roll of the genetic dice has given her the potential to live forever—if she does everything right. And Lea is an overachiever. She’s a successful trader on the New York exchange—where instead of stocks, human organs are now bought and sold—she has a beautiful apartment, and a fiancé who rivals her in genetic perfection. And with the right balance of HealthTech, rigorous juicing, and low-impact exercise, she might never die.
* Summerland by Hannu Ranjaniemi
Loss is a thing of the past. Murder is obsolete. Death is just the beginning. In 1938, death is no longer feared but exploited. Since the discovery of the afterlife, the British Empire has extended its reach into Summerland, a metropolis for the recently deceased.
comments
June 26, 2018
ALA 2018 Photos
And here's the tumblr posts with the photos:
https://marthawells.tumblr.com/post/175271326682/and-heres-some-more-photos-of-new-orleans-from
https://marthawells.tumblr.com/post/175270760777/so-this-weekend-i-went-to-the-american-library
comments
https://marthawells.tumblr.com/post/175271326682/and-heres-some-more-photos-of-new-orleans-from
https://marthawells.tumblr.com/post/175270760777/so-this-weekend-i-went-to-the-american-library
comments
Back From ALA 2018
So this weekend I went to the American Library Association Annual Conference in New Orleans, and it was awesome. It was my first time to go, though I've always wanted to.
It is huge. I can't describe how huge. It takes up the whole giant convention center plus meeting space in surrounding hotels. Michelle Obama was the opening keynote speaker (and no, we missed her, because we drove in and didn't get there in time to get in line for her talk.) (Viola Davis was the end of conference speaker, and we couldn't stay long enough to see her.)
The exhibit floor: there were over 600 exhibitors. Some were technical and physical library services (like a place selling realistic metal trees for children's storytime areas which is the coolest thing I ever saw and if I was rich that is absolutely how I would spend my money), some were institutions like the Library of Congress, Oxford University Press, and various academic libraries, but most were publishers. And they were giving away free books. It was free-bookapalooza. There were small booths like Titan Comics and Wizards of the Coast and Skyhorse, then there were giant book encampments like HarperCollins and Penguin Random House. There were author signings and giant piles of ARCs and free buttons and free t-shirts and free totebags and my audiobook publisher (Recorded Books) gave us free earbuds. It was amazing. There are so many free books that librarians from small libraries without a lot of money will use it to basically stock their collections, so you see a lot of people toting multiple bags. Librarians are strong.
We got there Friday night and the conference runs a massive well-organized shuttle bus system with very large buses from all the hotels to the convention center. (They're tall buses and I only almost fell twice, and the second time the driver caught me.) We went to the opening of the exhibit floor, then walked through the convention center, the attached mall, and over to the Hilton to make sure we knew the route for Sunday (when I had two programs only half an hour apart). Then we caught the shuttle from the Hilton to the Marriott (which was across the street from our hotel, the Sheraton) (there were probably thirty convention hotels in use for this) and got advice from the concierge about a good restaurant in walking distance. It was Mr. Ed's in the French quarter, and it was this little two story place that was really delicious. I had crawfish pie.
Saturday we went to eat breakfast at the Ruby Slipper, which was right behind our hotel, and was also delicious (everything was delicious) (I had eggs benedict with pulled pork), and then rode over to the convention center. We did the exhibit hall until noon, and I signed copies of The Cloud Roads at the Skyhorse booth for them to give away on Sunday. Then we met up with a friend from Cushing Memorial Library and Archives for lunch, which was in a tiny place in the French Quarter called Jimmy J's, which only had about ten tables total, and so we had to wait for it quite a while. Lunch took about three hours but the food was worth it and we got to hang out and talk. (fried shrimp and oysters) Then I went back to the exhibit hall briefly to pick up some cards from the Tor Forge booth for my Sunday programs, and then we just rested in the hotel room for a while.
And then on Twitter I found out that All Systems Red won the Locus Award for Best Novella!!! http://locusmag.com/2018/06/2018-locus-awards-winners/ Congrats to all the other winners and nominees!!!!
(I went from zero awards to three awards very quickly this summer so it's been great and overwhelming.)
That night Katharine from Tor.com took us to dinner at the Redfish Grill in the French Quarter and again it was delicious. (fried catfish and etouffee) (These places are all in wonderful old buildings, and I'll post some pictures on tumblr later.)
Then Sunday morning we got up early to take the shuttle to the Hilton for the YALSA coffee klatch. This was basically librarian speed-dating. There was a large group of authors and a big room with forty tables of 3-10 YA librarians each, and the authors go from table to table handing out cards and telling the librarians about their books, and you have about four minutes at each table. In the green room before it started I got to meet Angela Johnson!!! Then it started and it was kind of fun but also completely exhausting. It went a bit longer than they said and I did about 13 tables.
Then we had to do a quick walk through the Hilton, the attached mall and into the convention center for the YALSA Alex Award program. This was really a lot of fun. It was a panel with the winners who were at the conference (me, Seanan McGuire, and Daniel Wilson) and we each spoke for a little bit (I wrote a short speech and then messed it up because I was still so frazzled from the coffee klatch) and then we answered questions. The publishers had supplied copies of our books for everybody at the program and we signed them at the end and got to talk a bit. It was great.
Then we went back to the exhibit hall for a bit, then to the hotel for lunch, then to the French Quarter to sightsee for a few hours. We toured the Gallier House, walked through the Cathedral, and through some art galleries and stores. Then we went to the Court of Two Sisters for dinner (red snapper on crab risotto)
Then we went back to the hotel and collapsed, and then drove home Monday morning. (It's about 7-9 hour drive, depending on traffic.)
So in short, it was great.
ETA:
And here's the tumblr posts with the photos:
https://marthawells.tumblr.com/post/175271326682/and-heres-some-more-photos-of-new-orleans-from
https://marthawells.tumblr.com/post/175270760777/so-this-weekend-i-went-to-the-american-library
comments
It is huge. I can't describe how huge. It takes up the whole giant convention center plus meeting space in surrounding hotels. Michelle Obama was the opening keynote speaker (and no, we missed her, because we drove in and didn't get there in time to get in line for her talk.) (Viola Davis was the end of conference speaker, and we couldn't stay long enough to see her.)
The exhibit floor: there were over 600 exhibitors. Some were technical and physical library services (like a place selling realistic metal trees for children's storytime areas which is the coolest thing I ever saw and if I was rich that is absolutely how I would spend my money), some were institutions like the Library of Congress, Oxford University Press, and various academic libraries, but most were publishers. And they were giving away free books. It was free-bookapalooza. There were small booths like Titan Comics and Wizards of the Coast and Skyhorse, then there were giant book encampments like HarperCollins and Penguin Random House. There were author signings and giant piles of ARCs and free buttons and free t-shirts and free totebags and my audiobook publisher (Recorded Books) gave us free earbuds. It was amazing. There are so many free books that librarians from small libraries without a lot of money will use it to basically stock their collections, so you see a lot of people toting multiple bags. Librarians are strong.
We got there Friday night and the conference runs a massive well-organized shuttle bus system with very large buses from all the hotels to the convention center. (They're tall buses and I only almost fell twice, and the second time the driver caught me.) We went to the opening of the exhibit floor, then walked through the convention center, the attached mall, and over to the Hilton to make sure we knew the route for Sunday (when I had two programs only half an hour apart). Then we caught the shuttle from the Hilton to the Marriott (which was across the street from our hotel, the Sheraton) (there were probably thirty convention hotels in use for this) and got advice from the concierge about a good restaurant in walking distance. It was Mr. Ed's in the French quarter, and it was this little two story place that was really delicious. I had crawfish pie.
Saturday we went to eat breakfast at the Ruby Slipper, which was right behind our hotel, and was also delicious (everything was delicious) (I had eggs benedict with pulled pork), and then rode over to the convention center. We did the exhibit hall until noon, and I signed copies of The Cloud Roads at the Skyhorse booth for them to give away on Sunday. Then we met up with a friend from Cushing Memorial Library and Archives for lunch, which was in a tiny place in the French Quarter called Jimmy J's, which only had about ten tables total, and so we had to wait for it quite a while. Lunch took about three hours but the food was worth it and we got to hang out and talk. (fried shrimp and oysters) Then I went back to the exhibit hall briefly to pick up some cards from the Tor Forge booth for my Sunday programs, and then we just rested in the hotel room for a while.
And then on Twitter I found out that All Systems Red won the Locus Award for Best Novella!!! http://locusmag.com/2018/06/2018-locus-awards-winners/ Congrats to all the other winners and nominees!!!!
(I went from zero awards to three awards very quickly this summer so it's been great and overwhelming.)
That night Katharine from Tor.com took us to dinner at the Redfish Grill in the French Quarter and again it was delicious. (fried catfish and etouffee) (These places are all in wonderful old buildings, and I'll post some pictures on tumblr later.)
Then Sunday morning we got up early to take the shuttle to the Hilton for the YALSA coffee klatch. This was basically librarian speed-dating. There was a large group of authors and a big room with forty tables of 3-10 YA librarians each, and the authors go from table to table handing out cards and telling the librarians about their books, and you have about four minutes at each table. In the green room before it started I got to meet Angela Johnson!!! Then it started and it was kind of fun but also completely exhausting. It went a bit longer than they said and I did about 13 tables.
Then we had to do a quick walk through the Hilton, the attached mall and into the convention center for the YALSA Alex Award program. This was really a lot of fun. It was a panel with the winners who were at the conference (me, Seanan McGuire, and Daniel Wilson) and we each spoke for a little bit (I wrote a short speech and then messed it up because I was still so frazzled from the coffee klatch) and then we answered questions. The publishers had supplied copies of our books for everybody at the program and we signed them at the end and got to talk a bit. It was great.
Then we went back to the exhibit hall for a bit, then to the hotel for lunch, then to the French Quarter to sightsee for a few hours. We toured the Gallier House, walked through the Cathedral, and through some art galleries and stores. Then we went to the Court of Two Sisters for dinner (red snapper on crab risotto)
Then we went back to the hotel and collapsed, and then drove home Monday morning. (It's about 7-9 hour drive, depending on traffic.)
So in short, it was great.
ETA:
And here's the tumblr posts with the photos:
https://marthawells.tumblr.com/post/175271326682/and-heres-some-more-photos-of-new-orleans-from
https://marthawells.tumblr.com/post/175270760777/so-this-weekend-i-went-to-the-american-library
comments
June 18, 2018
Book Recs for Monday
(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.)
(I only link to one retail outlet in the book's listing, 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.)
* Sleeping With Monsters: Readings and Reactions in Science Fiction and Fantasy by Liz Bourke
Anyone familiar with Liz Bourke's work knows she isn't shy about sharing her opinion. In columns and reviews for science fiction and fantasy website Tor.com and elsewhere, she's taken a critical eye to fantasy and SF, from books to movies, television to videogames, old to new. This volume presents a selection of the best of her articles. Bourke's subjects range from the nature of epic fantasy— is it a naturally conservative sort of literature?—to the effect of Mass Effect's decision to allow players to play as a female hero, and from discussions of little-known writers to some of the most popular works in the field. A provocative, immensely readable collection of essays about the science fiction and fantasy field, from the perspective of a feminist and a historian, Sleeping With Monsters is an entertaining addition to any reader's shelves.
* The Road to Neozon by Anna Tambour
To those who lack caution, proceed. To those who conjure. To those who wander. To those with a hopeful eye for things unseen: 11 distinctly Tambourian (7 special to this collection), typically slippery tales to celebrate life's wondrous unease, and its unerring ability to attract the attention of forces that grin at the notion of human control.
* Do You Dream of Terra Two? by Temi Oh
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet meets The 100 in this unforgettable debut by a brilliant new voice. A century ago, scientists theorised that a habitable planet existed in a nearby solar system. Today, ten astronauts will leave a dying Earth to find it. Four are decorated veterans of the 20th century’s space-race. And six are teenagers, graduates of the exclusive Dalton Academy, who’ve been in training for this mission for most of their lives.
* Revenant Gun by Yoon Ha Lee
Machineries Of Empire, the most exciting science fiction trilogy of the decade, reaches its astonishing conclusion! When Shuos Jedao wakes up for the first time, several things go wrong. His few memories tell him that he's a seventeen-year-old cadet—but his body belongs to a man decades older. Hexarch Nirai Kujen orders Jedao to reconquer the fractured hexarchate on his behalf even though Jedao has no memory of ever being a soldier, let alone a general. Surely a knack for video games doesn't qualify you to take charge of an army?
* Starless by Jacqueline Carey
Destined from birth to serve as protector of the princess Zariya, Khai is trained in the arts of killing and stealth by a warrior sect in the deep desert; yet there is one profound truth that has been withheld from him. In the court of the Sun-Blessed, Khai must learn to navigate deadly intrigue and his own conflicted identity…but in the far reaches of the western seas, the dark god Miasmus is rising, intent on nothing less than wholesale destruction.
* Sweet Black Waves by Kristina Perez
As best friend and lady-in-waiting to the princess, Branwen is guided by two principles: devotion to her homeland and hatred for the raiders who killed her parents. When she unknowingly saves the life of her enemy, he awakens her ancient healing magic and opens her heart. Branwen begins to dream of peace, but the princess she serves is not so easily convinced. Fighting for what's right, even as her powers grow, will set Branwen against her best friend and the only man she's ever loved.
* Bruja Born by Zoraida Cordova
Lula Mortiz feels like an outsider. Her sister's newfound Encantrix powers have wounded her in ways that Lula's bruja healing powers can't fix, and she longs for the comfort her family once brought her. Thank the Deos for Maks, her sweet, steady boyfriend who sees the beauty within her and brings light to her life. Then a bus crash turns Lula's world upside down. Her classmates are all dead, including Maks. But Lula was born to heal, to fix. She can bring Maks back, even if it means seeking help from her sisters and defying Death herself. But magic that defies the laws of the deos is dangerous. Unpredictable.
* Pride Month Storybundle: https://storybundle.com/lgbt
Includes: books by Melissa Scot, Geonn Cannon, Alex Acks, Emily L. Byrne, Tenea D. Johnson and more.
* Witchmark by C.L. Polk
Magic marked Miles Singer for suffering the day he was born, doomed either to be enslaved to his family's interest or to be committed to a witches' asylum. He went to war to escape his destiny and came home a different man, but he couldn’t leave his past behind. The war between Aeland and Laneer leaves men changed, strangers to their friends and family, but even after faking his own death and reinventing himself as a doctor at a cash-strapped veterans' hospital, Miles can’t hide what he truly is. When a fatally poisoned patient exposes Miles’ healing gift and his witchmark, he must put his anonymity and freedom at risk to investigate his patient’s murder. To find the truth he’ll need to rely on the family he despises, and on the kindness of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen.
* Markswoman by Rati Mehrotra
Kyra is the youngest Markswoman in the Order of Kali, one of a handful of sisterhoods of highly trained elite warriors. Armed with blades whose metal is imbued with magic and guided by a strict code of conduct, the Orders are sworn to keep the peace and protect the people of Asiana. Kyra has pledged to do so—yet she secretly harbors a fierce desire to avenge her murdered family.
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(I only link to one retail outlet in the book's listing, 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.)
* Sleeping With Monsters: Readings and Reactions in Science Fiction and Fantasy by Liz Bourke
Anyone familiar with Liz Bourke's work knows she isn't shy about sharing her opinion. In columns and reviews for science fiction and fantasy website Tor.com and elsewhere, she's taken a critical eye to fantasy and SF, from books to movies, television to videogames, old to new. This volume presents a selection of the best of her articles. Bourke's subjects range from the nature of epic fantasy— is it a naturally conservative sort of literature?—to the effect of Mass Effect's decision to allow players to play as a female hero, and from discussions of little-known writers to some of the most popular works in the field. A provocative, immensely readable collection of essays about the science fiction and fantasy field, from the perspective of a feminist and a historian, Sleeping With Monsters is an entertaining addition to any reader's shelves.
* The Road to Neozon by Anna Tambour
To those who lack caution, proceed. To those who conjure. To those who wander. To those with a hopeful eye for things unseen: 11 distinctly Tambourian (7 special to this collection), typically slippery tales to celebrate life's wondrous unease, and its unerring ability to attract the attention of forces that grin at the notion of human control.
* Do You Dream of Terra Two? by Temi Oh
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet meets The 100 in this unforgettable debut by a brilliant new voice. A century ago, scientists theorised that a habitable planet existed in a nearby solar system. Today, ten astronauts will leave a dying Earth to find it. Four are decorated veterans of the 20th century’s space-race. And six are teenagers, graduates of the exclusive Dalton Academy, who’ve been in training for this mission for most of their lives.
* Revenant Gun by Yoon Ha Lee
Machineries Of Empire, the most exciting science fiction trilogy of the decade, reaches its astonishing conclusion! When Shuos Jedao wakes up for the first time, several things go wrong. His few memories tell him that he's a seventeen-year-old cadet—but his body belongs to a man decades older. Hexarch Nirai Kujen orders Jedao to reconquer the fractured hexarchate on his behalf even though Jedao has no memory of ever being a soldier, let alone a general. Surely a knack for video games doesn't qualify you to take charge of an army?
* Starless by Jacqueline Carey
Destined from birth to serve as protector of the princess Zariya, Khai is trained in the arts of killing and stealth by a warrior sect in the deep desert; yet there is one profound truth that has been withheld from him. In the court of the Sun-Blessed, Khai must learn to navigate deadly intrigue and his own conflicted identity…but in the far reaches of the western seas, the dark god Miasmus is rising, intent on nothing less than wholesale destruction.
* Sweet Black Waves by Kristina Perez
As best friend and lady-in-waiting to the princess, Branwen is guided by two principles: devotion to her homeland and hatred for the raiders who killed her parents. When she unknowingly saves the life of her enemy, he awakens her ancient healing magic and opens her heart. Branwen begins to dream of peace, but the princess she serves is not so easily convinced. Fighting for what's right, even as her powers grow, will set Branwen against her best friend and the only man she's ever loved.
* Bruja Born by Zoraida Cordova
Lula Mortiz feels like an outsider. Her sister's newfound Encantrix powers have wounded her in ways that Lula's bruja healing powers can't fix, and she longs for the comfort her family once brought her. Thank the Deos for Maks, her sweet, steady boyfriend who sees the beauty within her and brings light to her life. Then a bus crash turns Lula's world upside down. Her classmates are all dead, including Maks. But Lula was born to heal, to fix. She can bring Maks back, even if it means seeking help from her sisters and defying Death herself. But magic that defies the laws of the deos is dangerous. Unpredictable.
* Pride Month Storybundle: https://storybundle.com/lgbt
Includes: books by Melissa Scot, Geonn Cannon, Alex Acks, Emily L. Byrne, Tenea D. Johnson and more.
* Witchmark by C.L. Polk
Magic marked Miles Singer for suffering the day he was born, doomed either to be enslaved to his family's interest or to be committed to a witches' asylum. He went to war to escape his destiny and came home a different man, but he couldn’t leave his past behind. The war between Aeland and Laneer leaves men changed, strangers to their friends and family, but even after faking his own death and reinventing himself as a doctor at a cash-strapped veterans' hospital, Miles can’t hide what he truly is. When a fatally poisoned patient exposes Miles’ healing gift and his witchmark, he must put his anonymity and freedom at risk to investigate his patient’s murder. To find the truth he’ll need to rely on the family he despises, and on the kindness of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen.
* Markswoman by Rati Mehrotra
Kyra is the youngest Markswoman in the Order of Kali, one of a handful of sisterhoods of highly trained elite warriors. Armed with blades whose metal is imbued with magic and guided by a strict code of conduct, the Orders are sworn to keep the peace and protect the people of Asiana. Kyra has pledged to do so—yet she secretly harbors a fierce desire to avenge her murdered family.
comments
June 8, 2018
Book Recs
I know shit is bad out there, but here's some book recs.
(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.)
(I only link to one retail outlet in the book's listing, 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.)
* Short Story: The Thing in the Walls Wants Your Small Change by Virginia M. Mohlere
* Short Story: I Frequently Hear Music in the Very Heart of Noise by Sarah Pinsker
* Short Story: Ally by Nalo Hopkinson
* The Amiestrin Gambit by J. Kathleen Cheney
Ellis Dantreon is barely fifteen when she learns that her father–the king of Jenear–has decreed that she’s to be trained as a soldier. Thrust in among the others at the newly reopened War College of Amiestrin, Ellis must earn the other cadets’ respect and trust. Not all of them are pleased at having a girl among them.
* The Sisters Mederos by Patrice Sarath
House Mederos was once the wealthiest merchant family in Port Saint Frey. Now the family is disgraced, impoverished, and humbled by the powerful Merchants Guild. Daughters Yvienne and Tesara Mederos are determined to uncover who was behind their family's downfall and get revenge. But Tesara has a secret – could it have been her wild magic that caused the storm that destroyed the family's merchant fleet? The sisters’ schemes quickly get out of hand – gambling is one thing, but robbing people is another...
* Preorder: Ruse by Cindy Pon
Sequel to Want
* Preorder: The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa
On an unnamed island off an unnamed coast, things are disappearing. First, animals and flowers. Then objects—ribbons, bells, photographs. Then, body parts. Most of the island's inhabitants fail to notice these changes, while those few imbued with the power to recall the lost objects live in fear of the mysterious "memory police," who are committed to ensuring that the disappeared remain forgotten. When a young novelist realizes that more than her career is in danger, she takes refuge beneath her editor's floorboards. Together, as fear and loss close in around them, they cling to literature as the last way of preserving the past. Part allegory, part literary thriller, The Memory Police is a stunning new work from one of the most exciting contemporary authors writing in any language.
* Preorder: The Decent of Monsters by JY Yang
Something terrible happened at the Rewar Teng Institute of Experimental Methods. When the Tensorate’s investigators arrived, they found a sea of blood and bones as far as the eye could see. One of the institute’s experiments got loose, and its rage left no survivors. The investigators returned to the capital with few clues and two prisoners: the terrorist leader Sanao Akeha and a companion known only as Rider.
* Preorder: The Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse
Maggie Hoskie is a Dinétah monster hunter, a supernaturally gifted killer. When a small town needs help finding a missing girl, Maggie is their last best hope. But what Maggie uncovers about the monster is much more terrifying than anything she could imagine.
and her Nebula-Award winning short story: Welcome to Your Authentic Indian Experience
comments
(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.)
(I only link to one retail outlet in the book's listing, 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.)
* Short Story: The Thing in the Walls Wants Your Small Change by Virginia M. Mohlere
* Short Story: I Frequently Hear Music in the Very Heart of Noise by Sarah Pinsker
* Short Story: Ally by Nalo Hopkinson
* The Amiestrin Gambit by J. Kathleen Cheney
Ellis Dantreon is barely fifteen when she learns that her father–the king of Jenear–has decreed that she’s to be trained as a soldier. Thrust in among the others at the newly reopened War College of Amiestrin, Ellis must earn the other cadets’ respect and trust. Not all of them are pleased at having a girl among them.
* The Sisters Mederos by Patrice Sarath
House Mederos was once the wealthiest merchant family in Port Saint Frey. Now the family is disgraced, impoverished, and humbled by the powerful Merchants Guild. Daughters Yvienne and Tesara Mederos are determined to uncover who was behind their family's downfall and get revenge. But Tesara has a secret – could it have been her wild magic that caused the storm that destroyed the family's merchant fleet? The sisters’ schemes quickly get out of hand – gambling is one thing, but robbing people is another...
* Preorder: Ruse by Cindy Pon
Sequel to Want
* Preorder: The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa
On an unnamed island off an unnamed coast, things are disappearing. First, animals and flowers. Then objects—ribbons, bells, photographs. Then, body parts. Most of the island's inhabitants fail to notice these changes, while those few imbued with the power to recall the lost objects live in fear of the mysterious "memory police," who are committed to ensuring that the disappeared remain forgotten. When a young novelist realizes that more than her career is in danger, she takes refuge beneath her editor's floorboards. Together, as fear and loss close in around them, they cling to literature as the last way of preserving the past. Part allegory, part literary thriller, The Memory Police is a stunning new work from one of the most exciting contemporary authors writing in any language.
* Preorder: The Decent of Monsters by JY Yang
Something terrible happened at the Rewar Teng Institute of Experimental Methods. When the Tensorate’s investigators arrived, they found a sea of blood and bones as far as the eye could see. One of the institute’s experiments got loose, and its rage left no survivors. The investigators returned to the capital with few clues and two prisoners: the terrorist leader Sanao Akeha and a companion known only as Rider.
* Preorder: The Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse
Maggie Hoskie is a Dinétah monster hunter, a supernaturally gifted killer. When a small town needs help finding a missing girl, Maggie is their last best hope. But what Maggie uncovers about the monster is much more terrifying than anything she could imagine.
and her Nebula-Award winning short story: Welcome to Your Authentic Indian Experience
comments
June 4, 2018
Links and It's Been a Day Already
I'm going to do a book rec post this week hopefully, but I wanted to post a few links and complain. We had a big storm last night and it knocked down part of our fence into the neighbor's yard. When I went out to take a look at it I noticed it also knocked the power line down onto our back fence. Still waiting for the utility company to show up. Also it might rain again.
Minor irritations: I forgot to mail something I should have mailed on Friday, that's taken care of now but I feel like a slacker.
Minor injuries sustained: I hurt my back and accidentally bopped a cat in the face. No emergency doctor or vet visits required.
Links:
* Kickstarter: Women Up to No Good: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1431077765/women-up-to-no-good-0?ref=4rnsnc
The Women Up To No Good series are anthologies of dark fiction by marginalized voices—primarily women and authors of marginalized sex and gender identities, and we additionally strive for diversity in race, national origin, sexual orientation, and ability.
Our contributors include a wide range of up-and-coming and established horror and speculative fiction writers, including L. Timmel Duchamp, Chikodili Emelumadu, Nisi Shawl, D.A. Xiaolin Spires, Catherynne M. Valente, and Alyssa Wong.
* Fan needs assistance: Tara (was taraljc on Live Journal) was hospitalized for an asthma attack and could use some help.
April 16th I had a severe asthma attack, which led to acute respiratory failure. I spent 10 days in the ICU, intubated and heavily sedated and then spent a week in a rehab unit, doing PT and OT.
She has a GoFundMe:
https://www.gofundme.com/operation-clean-sweep
and a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fringe_element
comments
Minor irritations: I forgot to mail something I should have mailed on Friday, that's taken care of now but I feel like a slacker.
Minor injuries sustained: I hurt my back and accidentally bopped a cat in the face. No emergency doctor or vet visits required.
Links:
* Kickstarter: Women Up to No Good: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1431077765/women-up-to-no-good-0?ref=4rnsnc
The Women Up To No Good series are anthologies of dark fiction by marginalized voices—primarily women and authors of marginalized sex and gender identities, and we additionally strive for diversity in race, national origin, sexual orientation, and ability.
Our contributors include a wide range of up-and-coming and established horror and speculative fiction writers, including L. Timmel Duchamp, Chikodili Emelumadu, Nisi Shawl, D.A. Xiaolin Spires, Catherynne M. Valente, and Alyssa Wong.
* Fan needs assistance: Tara (was taraljc on Live Journal) was hospitalized for an asthma attack and could use some help.
April 16th I had a severe asthma attack, which led to acute respiratory failure. I spent 10 days in the ICU, intubated and heavily sedated and then spent a week in a rehab unit, doing PT and OT.
She has a GoFundMe:
https://www.gofundme.com/operation-clean-sweep
and a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fringe_element
comments
June 2, 2018
Village Voice Article
There's an awesome Village Voice article on the Nebula Awards, and my picture is in it and everything:
https://www.villagevoice.com/2018/06/01/catching-up-with-the-next-generation-of-sci-fi-writers/
It is worth noting that out of the five awards given for short story, novelette, novella, novel, and young adult novel, four went to women writers, one to a man, and three to people of color — a big change from 1965, when all the winners were white and male. All Systems Red (Tor), by Texas native Martha Wells, won Best Novella with an ironic glimpse into the mind of a very fed-up and angry security android. Kelly Robson won Best Novelette for “A Human Stain” (Tor), which she describes as “Lesbian Gothic Horror.” From the podium, Sam J. Miller, winner of the Andre Norton Award for Outstanding Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy for The Art of Starving (HarperCollins) noted that when he’d worried aloud if there was too much cursing and gay sex in his YA novel about bullying, anorexia, and ESP, his husband assured him the book contained “exactly the right amount of cursing and gay sex.”
comments
https://www.villagevoice.com/2018/06/01/catching-up-with-the-next-generation-of-sci-fi-writers/
It is worth noting that out of the five awards given for short story, novelette, novella, novel, and young adult novel, four went to women writers, one to a man, and three to people of color — a big change from 1965, when all the winners were white and male. All Systems Red (Tor), by Texas native Martha Wells, won Best Novella with an ironic glimpse into the mind of a very fed-up and angry security android. Kelly Robson won Best Novelette for “A Human Stain” (Tor), which she describes as “Lesbian Gothic Horror.” From the podium, Sam J. Miller, winner of the Andre Norton Award for Outstanding Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy for The Art of Starving (HarperCollins) noted that when he’d worried aloud if there was too much cursing and gay sex in his YA novel about bullying, anorexia, and ESP, his husband assured him the book contained “exactly the right amount of cursing and gay sex.”
comments
