Despite having seen Pete’s hangover,
Zephyr soon went on a binge of his own.
I’ll be at AWP for the rest of this week and over the weekend. If you don’t know what AWP is, it’s basically the convention for academic literary writers. More emphasis on panels, and a huge dealer’s room where magazines, presses, and MFA programs (among others) have set up their tables.
Or in their words:
AWP provides support, advocacy, resources, and community to nearly 50,000 writers, 550 college and university creative writing programs, and 150 writers’ conferences and centers. Our mission is to foster literary achievement, advance the art of writing as essential to a good education, and serve the makers, teachers, students, and readers of contemporary writing.
I’m giving a reading on Saturday at 1:30 p.m., along with several other fantastic women writers of SF/F: Cat Rambo, Camielle Griep, and Helena Bell.
Over the past 10 years, the number of women nominated for science fiction and fantasy awards has surged, a phenomenon that occurred only a handful of times in the 50 years prior. Many believe women are only now discovering genre fiction, although Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is widely regarded as the first science fiction novel. Listen to four award-winning and nominated women who write science fiction and fantasy read from their work and answer questions.
That’s my only programming item, but I’ll be around. Come say hi!
The following two things are true.
If you don’t know what Steven Universe is, it’s this great cartoon show. It’s entertaining for kids, but also exists on a level for adults in which it is more sophisticated and intelligent than almost anything else on TV. If queer anthropomorphic alien superhero gems appeal to you, watch it. What else can I say?
Clearly, I need lots of Steven Universe pottery, mostly various kinds of cups. Clearly. Here are my designs.
Pottery contains spoilers. Do not peruse if you haven’t seen to the end of season 2, and want to do so unspoiled.
A Steven Mug with Feet
I think this was Mike’s idea to start with. I painted a mug in this shape last year for my father, using the Hawaiian shirts he wears as inspiration. All of a sudden, Mike, in the car driving to or from Los Angelos, exclaimed, “You should do a Steven mug with Feet!”
It’s pretty simple to paint. A Steven-flesh color on the stomach and feet, with red for the shirt and sandals. A star marked out on the chest in yellow. A pink gem on the belly–I can either paint one to be shiny or use a gem, but that will affect whether it’s dishwasher safe.
I put in two pictures just to show the difference between the way I was using the drawing program without the stylus (left) and what becomes more possible with a fancy one on the new ipad (right). (I borrowed the latter, alas.)
NOM NOM Amethyst Mug
There’s an excellent mug at Color Me Mine that has a big slot in it where you can store a cookie. The paintings I’ve seen other people on it are really cute–monsters, muppets, zombies. I’ve always wanted to make one, but never had quite the right match.
Now? Amethyst. Definitely.
Pearl Wine Glass
Mike picked this one out, too — I kept trying to look for things that were simply tall and narrow, while Mike figured out that Pearl would look adorable as a big funnel-shaped head.
Plan to just paint it white. I’ll likely do the gem with paint, not with a 3D gem — that works better with something like Steven’s quartz than it would with a pearl. (And I’ll probably paint Steven’s too, really.)
I’m not sure whether to use the curve smile, or the wicked wrinkly smile. I *could* do one face on each side, but I think that would be creepy. Mike is a wholehearted fan of the wrinkly smile. I like it, too, although I also like the idea of having a wine glass that just shows Pearl being Pearl.
Garnetini
Something else Mike picked out. I love using the shape of the pottery to influence the designs, and he’s really good at spotting those shapes. Should be pretty easy to do with masking to keep the lines crisp, except for the glasses, which I hope I can make look as shiny and cool as they should.
She Is Made of Love
Color Me Mine ALSO has a pair of mugs that fit together like the divided pieces of one of those heart lockets that features in a hundred farces. One side: Ruby and Sapphire. The other: Garnet.
I made this before I was using a stylus or the zoom function on my ipad, so doing a rough line sketch was all I felt able to attempt. I’ll do the cartoons in the colors from the show, but I’m not sure what I’m going to do with the background yet.
NOM NOM Lion
I’m not sure I’ll make this because I’m not sure I want to have two NOM NOM mugs in the set, but so far this is the best idea I’ve had for Lion.
She Is REALLY Made of Love
While I’m including ones I’m not sure I’ll do, there’s this heart plate.
—
I’ll post updates when I have some painted!
For a while, I was linking weekly (from my twitter and facebook) to stories of mine from the past decade. I let it lapse, but I thought I’d pick it up again on some Mondays. So:
“Marrying the Sun,” published in 2008 by Fantasy Magazine.
I wrote this story because of a prompt from Vylar Kaftan. She gave me the opening line:
The wedding went well until the bride caught fire.
I’ve been obsessed with Greek mythology since I was a kid, which might be why my first, strange thought was to pair the burning bride with the Greek sun god, Helios.
Bridget’s pretty white dress went up in a whoosh, from train-length veil to taffeta skirt to rose-embroidered bodice and Juliet cap with ferronière of pearls. The fabric burned so hot and fast that it went up without igniting Bridget’s skin, leaving her naked, singed, embarrassed, and crying.
Of these problems, nudity was easiest to cope with. Bridget pulled the silk drape off the altar and tied it around her chest like a toga.
“That is it,” she said. She pried the engagement ring off her finger and threw it at the groom. The grape-sized diamond sparkled as it arced through the air.
Gathering up the drape’s hem, Bridget ran back down the aisle. She flung open the double doors, letting in the moonlight, and fled into the night.
The groom sighed. He opened his palm and stared down at the glittering diamond, which reflected his fiery nimbus in shades of crimson, ginger, and gold. His best man patted him on the shoulder—cautiously. The bride’s father gave a manly nod of sympathy, but kept his distance. Like his daughter, he was mortal.
“Too bad, Helios,” said Apollo.
The groom shrugged. “I gave it my best shot. I can’t keep my flame on low all the time. What did the woman want? Sometimes a man’s just got to let himself shine.”
I don’t do a lot of humor, but with that opening line, what can you do?
I workshopped this during my last semester at Iowa where it got good reception from the other students. No one seemed to mind much that it was fantasy. I really do think the boundaries are dissolving–which I love, because I hope it means more people will be able to find more fiction they’re excited about.
Also, that means it’s been 8 years since I graduated from my MFA. Weird.
This was one of my first breakthrough stories, though the big breakthroughs–“Eros, Philia, Agape” and “A Memory of Wind”–came out the next year. Jonathan Strahan picked it for his Best Science Fiction and Fantasy, Volume 3.
If you read it, I hope you enjoy.
In the previous three parts, I recommended my favorite SFF graphic novels that were published in 2015. Follow the links to read those five reviews (and also cover art and a sample page from each book).
First, I reviewed The Sculptor, which is my favorite SFF graphic novel of the year (disclosure, created by a friend). (In that same post, I also reviewed Beautiful Darkness, but it turns out that was published in 2014 oops oh well).
Then, I reviewed Curveball and Nimona. (Some people say Nimona isn’t eligible for a Hugo, but I think the book includes enough new material to qualify it.)
And then Crossed + One Hundred and Stand Still, Stay Silent.
But those aren’t all the books I read! Books that were almost on my top five list.
The Abbadon. A surreal comic with amazing graphics – judged purely on a visual level, this is my favorite comic on the list – loosely based on the play “No Exit.” The first half would have been one of the best graphic novels of the year, but it fell apart in the second half. (CS: rape)
Bitch Planet Funny, violent and feminist comic set on a women’s prison planet. A violent, profane, and hilarious sci-fi feminist remake of “The Longest Yard.”
The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Computer. Silly and likable steampunk short stories, replete with historical footnotes. So much whimsy!
More notable sff graphic novels of 2015 (some of which I haven’t read yet):
The continuing adventures of last year’s Hugo nominees: Sex Criminals volume 2, Ms Marvel volumes 2 3 and 4, Saga volume 5, and Rat Queens volume 2.
Alex + Ada Volume 3. The love story – about a sentient robot and a human in a society that is determined to wipe all all sentient robots – comes to a conclusion with its third volume. I haven’t read it yet, but the first two volumes were likable and well-done without being extraordinary.
ApocalyptiGirl. A post-apocalyptic mystery; we follow main character Aria (and her cat) as she goes about her tasks in the ruins of the world, but we don’t understand what and why she’s doing until the end of the book. Enlivened by extraordinary cartooning, combining great drawing skills and a real sense of fun.
The Autumnlands, Vol. 1: Tooth and Claw. Well-thought-out sword-and-sorcery story, albeit a bit on the grim side, with anthropomorphic animals. Nice real-ish artwork.
Baba Yaga’s Assistant. In this pleasant coming-of-age kid’s book, a teenage girl has to pass a number of difficult tests to get taken on as Baba Yaga’s assistant. Pretty artwork by Emily Carroll.
Black River. I’m back and forth about including this deeply unpleasant book. It’s very well done as a piece of cartooning craft; the storytelling is clear, characters are laid out well, and the old-fashioned black-and-white cartooning was very enjoyable to look at. But the story – a post-Apocalypse story about a bunch of desperate survivors and the awful things other survivors do to them – felt ugly and pointless. His point, I think, was to do a story that conveyed total hopelessness; he succeeded. (CW: rape.)
The Divine. A fantasy story about American mercenaries traveling to a fictional Asian country to blow up a mountain, only to be opposed by a magical child army in service to a dragon. The story has major Orientalism issues, and is occasionally incoherent, but I appreciate how ambitious it was. The art (especially the colors) are exceptionally beautiful.
Fables Vol. 22: Farewell. The concluding volume of the long-running fantasy series. Four previous volumes of Fables have been nominated for Hugos.
Heart In A Box. A heartbroken young woman sells her heart to a mysterious dealer. After seller’s regret sets in she hits the road, tracking down pieces of her heart scattered across the country, inside various people’s chests. This book starts out with a super-violent scene that feels gratuitous, and it’s a shame, because the rest of the story was so much better.
The Multiversity. More high superhero weirdness from Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely. I’m not sure that anyone without an extensive background in mainstream superhero comics would enjoy this exercise in superuniverse metaphysics. But I thought it was fun, and I can’t fault it for lacking ambition.
Lumberjanes volume 1 and volume 2. Summer camp monsters and mysteries. So much girl power. Co-created by the creator of Nimona.
The Oven. In a distopian society, a young couple goes off the grid to try and have a baby. But there’s no getting away from other kinds of oppression. Neat use of orange spot color, too.
Private Eye. “The series is set in 2076, a time after “the cloud has burst”, revealing everyone’s secrets. As a result, there is no more Internet, and people are excessively guarded about their identity, to the point of appearing only masked in public.” I haven’t read this yet (it’s quite pricey), but I’ve heard good things.
The Sandman: Overture. The much-admired graphic novel series, which concluded in 1996, returns for a prequel story. It’s engaging and fey, as we expect from Sandman, and has shiny and stunning artwork by J H Williams, whose ability to render fluently in a myriad of styles is put to good use.
Usagi Yojimbo Volume 29: Two Hundred Jizo. Honestly, I haven’t read this one yet, but I will. Usagi rarely disappoints.
And some notable sff webcomics:
Honestly, I feel sort of guilty for not reading these (in many cases, I’m holding out for the book collection). It’s very Luddite, but I’m not as comfy reading webcomics as I am reading books, and since there isn’t enough time to read everything, I mainly read books. But my loss needn’t be your loss!
Finally, I might as well mention that I had a new fantasy graphic novel come out in 2015: Hereville: How Mirka Caught a Fish.
Happy reading!
I met Deborah Coates when I was in graduate school at the University of Iowa. She and I were in a writers group together with a lot of other people. We called it Dragons of the Corn.
Deb writes beautiful magical realism, fantasy and science fiction. At one point, she was tossing around the term “rural fantasy.” Her prose is lovely, and the moods she creates are delicate and pervasive.
“Magic in a Certain Slant of Light” is one of my favorites of her short stories. Take a look at the beginning:
“If you could wish for something magical, what would you wish for?” Jeff asks Nora as he enters the kitchen.
Jeff has been gone all day, helping a friend fix the plumbing in his basement. There’s no “Hello,” or “How was your day?” Just Jeff, in the doorway, asking about magic. “It can’t be about yourself,” he continues. “I mean, like making yourself immortal. Or about world peace. It has to be—”
“Talking dogs,” Nora says.
Jeff smiles in that way he has that seems to change his face. He’s wearing faded jeans and a sweatshirt that’s been washed so many times its cuffs are all unraveled; it’s a change from pin-striped suits and crisp white shirts. “You know, Dexter made a dog talk once and it didn’t work out like he figured it would. That dog was annoying.”
“Well, I don’t know how to tell you this”—Nora chops onions under running water, then transfers them to the frying pan on the stove—”but I don’t rely on Dexter’s Laboratory for my scientific knowledge.”
“Talking dogs are not scientific.”
“Yeah, magical.” Nora turns the heat up on the pan and looks through the cupboards for the spices that she needs. She swears that they’re never where she put them, no matter how often she returns them to their proper place. “That’s what we were talking about, right? Magic? You tell me, what would you wish for?”
“Zeppelins,” he says without hesitation.
“Uhm, zeppelins actually exist.”
He stands in the kitchen doorway, slouched against the frame, and she knows that he will leave her. There is something in the way he looks, a shadow in his eye, that wasn’t there yesterday or even this morning. And it almost kills her, like being stabbed right through the heart, because he’s the only one she ever really loved.
“Zeppelins,” he says, crossing to her and putting his arms around her waist from behind as she turns back to the stove, “are a collective figment of the imagination.”
“Zeppelins are totally possible. Plus, you can ride in one.”
He kisses the back of her neck and it feels like the soft brush of sun-warmed honey. “Bring me a zeppelin,” he says. His words murmur against her skin as he talks and she can feel his smile through the small hairs along the nape of her neck. “Then I’ll believe you.”
“Bring me a talking dog.”
You can read the story at Strange Horizons, or listen at PodCastle. Even if you don’t, I hope you consider checking out the rest of Deb’s work.
By the way, since the story involves talking dogs, I may as well show off a picture of Deb’s. The photograph is from Deb’s site, taken by Rachel Ritland.
Darusha Wehm is a Canadian-born New Zealander who spent YEARS SAILING THE PACIFIC, which is pretty freaking cool. She’s got several novels out, a number of short stories, and she also publishes mainstream fiction (without the ‘m’ in her name).
Transcript of cartoon:
The cartoon shows two men. The first man, a young man wearing a suit and tie, is clean-shaven with short hair, and is standing near a park bench, talking on his cell phone. Seated on the park bench is the second man, a bit older in appearance, with stubble and a van dyke beard. He is wearing a knit cap, a hoodie, and sweatpants.
PANEL 1
SUIT: We need equal opportunities, not equal outcomes. No free lunches for anyone! You can’t get more egalitarian than that.
SWEATS (cheerfully): There’s no such thing as “equal opportunity.”
PANEL 2
Suit removes his phone from his ear and turns to face Sweats.
SUIT: Excuse me?
SWEATS: Someone who’s tall has a better shot at being a basketball star. Someone with rich parents is born with a big advantage. “Opportunities” are never really equal.
PANEL 3
A close shot of Sweats, as he gestures to indicate himself.
SWEATS: And what about someone like me? I’ve never been able to hold down a job… would you say I deserve starvation and homelessness?
PANEL 4
Suit looks abashed.
SUIT: Well… not to your face.
SWEATS: Mighty egalitarian of you.
@Watcher If you scroll through Barry's old cartoons on leftycartoons.com, some of the old ones are about Clinton, while some…
@Watcher: Much as I would like to have Obama or Clinton or even Dubya* back rather than the current wannabe…
I am curious now, where can I view the Clinton Iraq sanctions comics?
Watcher - This may not apply to your friends, but during Obama's term, my impression was that part of the…
@beth: Thank you