Read Moonkids

Tue 30 Oct 2018 - Filed under: Not a Journal., | Posted by: Gavin

by Abbey Mei Otis. Now online at The Offing:

No denying it, though. Moonkids, they’re kind of stubby.
On account of them growing up on the moon. Your muscles
learn differently in moon gravity. Your bones form light like
a bird’s. Used to not even be possible to make the transition,
you’d touch down into earthpull and collapse like fast-melting
candles. Too many fractures for all the king’s horses and all the
king’s men. Way, way too many for Earth doctors to deal with.
(Earth doctors are known for not giving a shit.) Now, though,
they’ve got ways around it. They’ve got operations and stuff.
Every moonkid’s got incision scars in the same places.
Colleen likes that her friend Tesla works for Suzo too. Tesla
got promoted to assistant manager a couple weeks ago, because
she’s so bomb with the business side of things. Encouragement
is good for Tesla. The people side of things, she has more trouble
with.


Startlingly Original and Deeply Familiar

Mon 8 Oct 2018 - Filed under: Not a Journal., | Posted by: Gavin

I slept through most of Saturday due to having a cold, yay! Would I have slept the day away if it wasn’t the weekend, who knows? I could be a good bot and go to work and ship stuff out and infect everyone. But the question was moot, so sleep it was. Phew.

Sunday brought a relief from the cold and — ignoring for a moment the stupidity of the fools in charge — something good to read: the New York Times, which included a fantastic review by Amal El-Mohtar of John Schoffstall’s debut novel Half-Witch. Although if I’m honest, as per usual I read the business section first (I recommend the interview with Eileen Fisher) and the review section — where you owe it to yourself and this world to read Emma Gonzalez’s advice.

Later I found the review of John’s novel and took this photo with flowers that had been sent to Kelly in the background:

Half-Witch cover“John Schoffstall’s Half-Witch is one of those books that are simultaneously so startlingly original and deeply familiar I can’t quite believe they’re debuts. . . . Half-Witch is a marvel of storytelling, balancing humor, terror and grace. Lizbet is so earnestly good, in a way that I think has fallen out of fashion but that I loved reading. She and Strix are a perfect double act, and the shape and texture of the friendship they build is a joy to discover. . . . This is a book of crossing and mixing, of mashing and counter-mashing, with surprise and wonder the result. The ending suggests a sequel, which I hope comes about; the book’s last act is full of revelations (as it were) about the especially strange nature of Lizbet’s world that I’m keen to see Schoffstall develop and explore. But Half-Witch is also fully satisfying in and of itself.”
— Amal El-Mohtar, New York Times Book Review


MacWhat?

Thu 4 Oct 2018 - Filed under: Not a Journal.| Posted by: Gavin

Link: MacFound

Kelly Link!

<Keanu Reeves voice>Woah. </Keanu Reeves voice>

Um. ZOMG. Sale?

ETA: Yes, we did throw in an extra book to that order, thanks again!


An Afternoon in Hanover, NH

Wed 3 Oct 2018 - Filed under: Not a Journal., , | Posted by: Gavin

On Monday I drove up to New Hampshire to attend a panel and reception with the winners of the inaugural Neukom Institute Literary Arts Award:

In the category of debut speculative fiction, the award goes to Best Worst American, by Juan Martinez (Small Beer Press, 2017). The co-winners of the inaugural prize in the open category are Central Station, by Lavie Tidhar (Tachyon Publications, 2016), and On the Edge of Gone, by Corinne Duyvis (Amulet/Abrams, 2016).

I’d never been to the town of Hanover before and it seemed lovely and absolutely full of students. The panel and reception were held in the Filene Auditorium, which, of course, was in the basement. NYT bestseller and author of the recent hit The Mere Wife, Maria Dahvana Headley, the principle award judge for the award this year, was the chair of the panel (bad pre-panel pictures below, sorry!) and she had some fine questions for Martinez (who was brought in from Chicago) and Duyvis (who came in from Amsterdam) — Lavie Tidhar was travel-delayed as he came in from London and arrived in time for the reception.

After the panel, everyone enjoyed the buffet as the winners signed books and chatted with attendees, who included students, faculty, a local science fiction book club, and more. Besides being flown in and put up in a local hotel, the winners all received a check for $5,000 and a physical award — which maybe the university or one of the winners will post a picture of. All in all, it was a lovely first celebration and fingers crossed I’ll go up again in years to come.

ETA: Read more in The Dartmouth.