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Posts Tagged ‘sff’

Climate Futures Contest

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 23, 2023| Leave a Comment »

It’s that time again, when Grist rolls out its annual climate fiction short story contest! Have something to say about the future, and how we might win it? This could be the contest for you!

Imagine 2200 climate fiction contest 2023: Submit your story

We’re looking for stories of 3,000 to 5,000 words that envision the next 180 years of climate progress – roughly seven generations – imagining intersectional worlds of abundance, adaptation, reform, and hope. 

Hopeful doesn’t mean “fatuous” or “unrealistic” or even “easy.” It does mean light at the end of this particular tunnel. If you’re wondering what a winning entry looks like, here are stories from previous iterations of the contest:

Here’s the listing on The Submissions Grinder (best submission tracking platform out there and did I mention it’s free?).

All genres welcome, no cost to enter, submissions close June 13, 2023. Head to the link for more details and the submissions portal.

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Photo by Felipe Dolce on Unsplash

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How to Thursday

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , on May 26, 2022| Leave a Comment »

I have apparently forgotten how to Thursday and my schedule is all awry. While I get myself sorted out, here are the Nebula Award winners:

2021 Nebula Awards Winners – Locus Online

As mentioned in a previous post, some of the nominees are free-to-read. The short story winner is open access (and is told primarily through its 93! footnotes):

“Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather“, Sarah Pinsker (Uncanny 3-4/21)

Enjoy!

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Photo by Tina Xinia on Unsplash

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Locus Awards Finalists

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , on May 15, 2022| Leave a Comment »

I spent a good part of the day cooking and am pleased with the results. (Bread times four, duxelles times giant bowl, roasted mushrooms times big ziplock, plus a couple gallons of soup.)

Now the couch and Murderbot are calling. If you’re looking for something new to read, you might check out the 2022 Locus Awards Top Ten Finalists. Winners will be announced June 25, 2022.

For the full list see the above link, but for free reads check out the novelette and short story categories (bold links are pay to play, but the rest are open access):

NOVELETTE

SHORT STORY

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Photo by Ai Takeda on Unsplash

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Tuesday, It Is

Posted in Other, tagged , , , , , , , , on May 10, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Another Tuesday, another day when I am both inspired to reach dramatic new heights* and, after an intensive tour of the data mines, reduced to the mental status of a child. How appropriate, then, that today we have a Baby Yoda coloring book by the talented Martin Gee.

The Unofficial Baby Yoda Coloring Book

Enjoy!

* A girl can dream.

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Risk/Reward

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , on May 5, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Today, another free installment from Anthropocene’s Climate Parables series.

Dodging the Apocalypse | Mark Alpert

Yo, fellow defenders of our beautiful planet, happy Monday and happy Earth Day! What a crazy week, right? I’m guessing you’ve heard about my adventures in New Mexico; they were all over the freakin’ news. So first let me send a shout out to you, my loyal listeners, for your amazing support of this graying environmental correspondent. Without you, I’d probably still be in jail.

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Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

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Food / Futures

Posted in Science!, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , on May 2, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Interested in the short and long term future of food? (Of course you are, we all have to eat.) Then you might like this article from Bon Appètit:

Predicting the Future of Food

To take a look at what the future of food might look like, we talked to experts to come up with menu predictions for the future. For the years 2023 and 2024, scientists offered their insights on how food might change. But for 100 years from now—the year 2122—we spoke with people who were unafraid to make some bold claims: science fiction writers. 

Fascinating, sometimes frightening, fun.

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While we’re examining the relevance of science fiction for real-world action, you might also be interested in the next meeting of the Science Fiction/Real Policy Book Club. They’ll be discussing All Systems Red by Martha Wells, a.k.a. Murderbot.

Join Future Tense and Issues in Science and Technology at 6pm ET on Wednesday, June 1 to discuss the novel and its real-world implications.

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Photo by Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash

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What’s This?

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 21, 2022| Leave a Comment »

What’s this, what’s this? I have just discovered that the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America has a video interview series with interesting authors like Ann Leckie, Ken Liu, Karen Lord and more. It’s called Narrative Worlds and is hosted by author Kate Elliott.

I now know this because I follow Martha Wells (Murderbot and much more), and she is heading for the interview chair this Sunday the 24th.

Busy on Sunday? Me too, probably, but good news, SFWA archives the series.

Here’s Season 1 and Season 2.

Have I listened to these yet? I just discovered they existed five minutes ago so no, I have not. The list of authors is impressive, however, and I expect good things.

Also Murderbot.

If you’re into science fiction and fantasy and are curious about what’s goes on in a writer’s head, check out this series.

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Photo by Lacie Slezak on Unsplash

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Rumored, But Still

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , on April 16, 2022| Leave a Comment »

A brief excerpt from a work in progress (and no, this isn’t about the Whippersnapper):

“As I’ve stated, Miss Winter, your grandmother’s will is quite specific.” He cleared his throat and straightened his back with an ostentatious thrust of the shoulders. “She made you her primary heir. Except for cash distributions to your relatives and a few minor items like your father’s bronzed baby shoes and so on, you are to receive all of her possessions. This includes the house on Willow Lane and all of its contents, the car, as well as a bank account that will allow you to maintain the house in good order.” He smiled smugly, as bearers of news they expect to be well-received tend to do. Little did he know.

My grandmother lived through the Great Depression, seven children, her husband’s early death, a (rumored, but still) alien abduction, and a long line of vicious Siamese guard cats named Fido. She was as hard-nosed as they come. And she didn’t give anything away, ever.

I could feel the walls of her trap closing in on me, but couldn’t see them yet. I just hoped that it wasn’t too late to escape.

“Ok,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm. “And I get all of this for the low, low price of…?”

“The stipulations are quite clear, Miss Winter. If you follow the letter of the will all rights and responsibilities to her things will become yours, but for that to happen you must officially take possession.”

Ah. Here it was, the sticking point.

He shuffled the papers around a bit, looking for the relevant section of text. “If you do not move into the house and reside there on a permanent basis for a period of at least one full year from today, the day after her death, all goods and monies will revert to my protectorship and be liquidated, funds to go to the largest right-wing fascist group in the state.” He looked up at me with a wry expression. “The final amount would be… considerable.”

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Photo by MaddiesCreation on Unsplash

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Mirror and Inspiration

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 14, 2022| Leave a Comment »

This interesting article discusses space exploration as an extension of the frontier mentality, how humanity’s complications underly a lot of science fiction, and asks, “Are the stars better off without us?”

Expanding Horizons | Atmos

A few years ago, in an attempt to lose myself in something other than winter lethargy, I became enthralled with The Expanse, a space drama that asks: what if humanity became a multiplanetary species? What would happen next?

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“So much of the show is about resources and scarcity and the connection between economics and history”

…

It’s easy to write off The Expanse as “just” science fiction, but the ideas that the show wrestles with are important. Science fiction both holds a mirror to culture and acts as a source of inspiration. 

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Photo by David Gavi on Unsplash

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Very Good Dragons

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on April 11, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Fun free fiction for folks. Because Monday. And because you can’t have enough dragons.

The Dragon Project by Naomi Kritzer : Clarkesworld Magazine

“We’ve now created dragons for you twice, you’ve had the opportunity to inspect our work at every step of the way, and both times you’ve refused to take delivery. Timothy is a very good dragon, and you don’t deserve him anyway. You’re fired.”

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Photo by Tarik Haiga on Unsplash

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