Features – Locus Online

Christopher Brown Guest Post–“Truth and Reconciliation and Science Fiction”

August 20, 2019August 11, 2019 Alvaro Zinos-Amaro 0 Comments

The best science fiction I have read this year came in a series of emails from the future.

The Training Commission is a collaboration between authors Ingrid Burrington and Brendan C. Byrne, produced with sponsorship from Mozilla. It’s an epistolary work, a fragmented narrative in the form of electronic correspondence from a character on the run in a near-future USA that is both familiar and incredibly strange. Rich with worldbuilding ...Read More

Lesley Nneka Arimah: Dualities

August 19, 2019July 29, 2019 locusmag 0 Comments Interviews

Lesley Nneka Arimah was born October 13, 1983, in London and grew up in Nigeria, Europe, and the US – wherever her father was stationed for work. She attended Florida State University as an undergrad and got her MFA at Minnesota State University, graduating in 2010.

Arimah’s short fiction has appeared in in Granta, Harper’s, McSweeney’s, The New Yorker, A People’s Future of the United States (2019), and several other ...Read More

Features

Photo Story: Sycamore Hill

August 16, 2019July 31, 2019 locusmag 0 Comments

The 2019 Sycamore Hills Writers’ Conference was held June 15-21, 2019 at the Wildacres Retreat Center in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Little Switzerland NC.

This story and more like it in the August 2019 issue of Locus.

While you are here, please take a moment to support Locus with a one-time or recurring donation. We rely on reader donations to keep the magazine and site going, and would like ...Read More

Roundtable

Reese Hogan Guest Post–“Music, Art, and Connection: How Artists Benefit One Another Through Creation”

August 13, 2019July 9, 2019 Alvaro Zinos-Amaro 0 Comments

All ideas come from somewhere. For me, a book really starts taking shape when I have three separate ideas that come together. These ideas come from all sorts of places, but at least one of them is almost always from another piece of art. For example, for one of my novels, I found a gorgeous picture on Deviant Art that filled my mind with possibilities, and brought my story in ...Read More

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William Gibson: One Tough Zeitgeist

August 12, 2019July 30, 2019 locusmag 0 Comments Interviews

William Gibson was born March 17, 1948 in Conway SC and grew up in Virginia, attending boarding school in Arizona. He went to Canada in 1967 to avoid being drafted into the Vietnam War, eventually settling in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1972. He began seriously writing fiction while studying at the University of British Columbia, where he earned a BA in English in 1977. That same year he published his ...Read More

Conventions Features

Photo Story: Laffcon 4

August 9, 2019July 31, 2019 locusmag 0 Comments

Laffcon 4, the world’s only conference dedicated to the work of R.A. Lafferty, was held at the Lawrence Library in Lawrenceville NJ on June 8, 2019. The event, co-sponsored by the Lawrence Library and the Northeast Lafferty League (NELL), included lectures, readings, panels, an art gallery, and a lunch reception. More information can be found at <ralafferty.com> and <laffcon.org>.

This report and more like it in the August 2019 issue ...Read More

Conventions Features

SF in Beijing Report

August 7, 2019July 31, 2019 locusmag 0 Comments

I had the good fortune of attending Another Planet Science Fiction Convention from May 22-23, 2019 at the Chaoyang Museum of Urban Planning in Beijing, China. It’s the second year of this four-track con celebrating Chinese and world science fiction. The conference is organized by the Future Affairs Administration (FAA), a private multimedia SF company looking to create a meeting place for authors, fans, movie producers and directors, special effects ...Read More

Conventions Features

Readercon 30 Report

August 6, 2019July 31, 2019 locusmag 0 Comments

Readercon 30 was held July 11-14, 2019, in Quincy MA. Guests of honor were Tananarive Due and Stephen Graham Jones; Edward Bryant was the memorial guest of honor. Total attendance was 700; highest warm body count an estimated 650 on Saturday. The focus of Readercon is “imaginative literature” – literary science fiction, fantasy, horror, and their intersections. Programming was deliberately organized, with topics ranging from book-club style discussions to academic ...Read More

Commentary Features Kameron Hurley Slider

Kameron Hurley: Writing Through the News Cycle

August 5, 2019August 5, 2019 locusmag 0 Comments Kameron Hurley

It’s taken some time for me to come to terms with the fact that I have developed fairly severe anxiety. When I say this out loud, of course, those in conversation with me often reply, “It’s 2019. Who doesn’t have anxiety?”

Anxiety is showing up sooner in children, too. My mom often points out that in her day, everyone was fearful of nuclear war, and the threat of climate change ...Read More

Conventions Features

Locus Awards Weekend Report

August 2, 2019July 31, 2019 locusmag 0 Comments

The Locus Awards were held June 28-30, 2019 at the Executive Inn in Seattle for the 14th consecutive year. Connie Willis and Daryl Gregory emceed the ceremony. Attendance reached 160, starting on Friday night with readings by Willis and Amal El-Mohtar, followed by a Clarion West-hosted party in honor of first-week instructor Elizabeth Hand. Willis and El-Mohtar also taught the Locus Writers Workshops that bookended the weekend.

Saturday started with ...Read More

Roundtable

David Wellington Guest Post–“The Race for the Soul of NASA”

July 31, 2019 Alvaro Zinos-Amaro 0 Comments

NASA had a plan. A plan that would put people back on the moon by 2028. There we would build a base camp from which we would take the first steps toward landing human beings on Mars. It was a bold plan built on decades of science and experience, and it would have probably taken a few miracles to pull off. NASA, of course, has always been in the business ...Read More

Features

Photo Story: Hexagon XII Retreat

July 25, 2019June 24, 2019 locusmag 0 Comments

The Hexagon XII Retreat was held April 2019 in Crozet VA.

This photo story and more like it in the July 2019 issue of Locus.

While you are here, please take a moment to support Locus with a one-time or recurring donation. We rely on reader donations to keep the magazine and site going, and would like to keep the site paywall free, but WE NEED YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT to ...Read More

Conventions Features

The Outer Dark Symposium on the Greater Weird Report

July 18, 2019July 31, 2019 locusmag 0 Comments

The third annual Outer Dark Symposium on the Greater Weird was held March 22-23, 2019 at Hotel Indigo-College Park in College Park GA and Silver Screen FX Lab in Atlanta GA. There were about 80 attendees, including volunteers. The event was organized by Anya Martin and Scott Nicolay, producers of The Outer Dark podcast, hosted by This Is Horror.

Programming featured a welcome reception, panels, readings, special presentations, art ...Read More

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R.F. Kuang: Distortions

July 15, 2019June 26, 2019 locusmag 0 Comments Interviews

Rebecca F. Kuang was born May 29, 1996 in Guangzhou, China. Her family moved to the US in 2000. She grew up in Dallas TX, and went to college at Georgetown in Washington DC, where she studied history. She took a year off as an undergrad to live in Beijing and teach debate to high school students; in her free time, she worked on her first novel. She attended the ...Read More

Conventions Features News

WisCon 43 Report

July 12, 2019July 17, 2019 locusmag 0 Comments

WisCon 43 was held May 24-27, 2019 at the Concourse Hotel in balmy Madison WI, with Charlie Jane Anders and G. Willow Wilson as guests of honor. There were 940 full memberships sold, plus 51 teen/youth/child memberships (including many donated and assisted memberships). Programming offered 109 panels, solo presentations, and roundtables, focused on SF/F literature, diversity, feminism, disability, criticism, and more. There were 14 group readings plus GoH readings for ...Read More

Features

Photo Story: Best New Horror Signing

July 11, 2019June 24, 2019 locusmag 0 Comments

Editor Stephen Jones celebrated the publication of Best New Horror #29 (PS Publishing) – his 150th book! – at a signing in London on June 8, 2019, with contributors Kim Newman and Reggie Oliver.

This photo story and more like it in the July 2019 issue of Locus.

While you are here, please take a moment to support Locus with a one-time or recurring donation. We rely on reader donations ...Read More

Roundtable

Angela Slatter Guest Post–“The Pleasure and Pain of Finishing a Trilogy”

July 8, 2019July 8, 2019 Alvaro Zinos-Amaro 0 Comments

Write a trilogy, they said. It’ll be fun, they said.

*sigh*

I should start by saying that the Verity Fassbinder series began as a standalone short story. “Brisneyland by Night” was written at Clarion South in 2009 and caught the eye of someone who helpfully suggested it would make an excellent series if I could manage it.

Ignorance is not only bliss but also a kind of protective Teflon coating ...Read More

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Ben H. Winters: Alternate Dimensions

July 8, 2019June 26, 2019 locusmag 0 Comments Interviews

Benjamin Allen H. Winters (he added the “H” after he got married; it’s the first letter of his wife’s maiden name) was born June 14, 1976 in Washington DC and grew up in Maryland. He attended Washington University in St. Louis MO. Winters played in a punk band and wrote and performed in theater before switching his focus to writing. He’s lived all over the country, and currently resides in ...Read More

Conventions Features News

2019 SFWA Nebula Conference Report

July 5, 2019July 17, 2019 locusmag 0 Comments

The 2019 SFWA Nebula Conference was held May 16-19 at the Warner Center Marriott Woodland Hills in sunny California for the first of two years. There were 465 warm bodies of the record-breaking 475 registered members, compared to 356 in 2018. The hotel was comfortable, with spacious mingling areas, a well-appointed bar, and eateries within a few (albeit large) blocks.

Each attendee received a logo-adorned bag stuffed with books. The ...Read More

Commentary Cory Doctorow Features

Cory Doctorow: Fake News Is an Oracle

July 1, 2019August 12, 2019 locusmag 9 Comments Commentary, Cory Doctorow

Several times over the 13 years that I’ve been writing this column, I’ve railed against the toxic myth that science fiction is a predictive literature, a way to know the future. Science fiction writers are not fortune tellers, and that’s obvious because no one is a (real) fortune teller, because the future is unknowable, and because the future changes based on what we do.

With that said, there are two ...Read More

Conventions Features News

Hal-Con 2019 Report

June 28, 2019July 17, 2019 locusmag 0 Comments

This year marks the 10th Anniversary of Hal-Con Japan, which took place at the Kawasaki International Center, April 13-14, 2019, with international guest of honor Lavie Tidhar and Japanese guest of honor Misato Hisa. Past years have included writers like Ken Liu, Ann Leckie, Hannu Rajaniemi, Joe Haldeman, and Alastair Reynolds, with the goal of broadening the science fiction community here in Japan and fostering a more inclusive approach to ...Read More

Features Interviews

Kaaron Warren: True Stories of Terrible Things

June 24, 2019July 15, 2019 locusmag 0 Comments Interviews

Kaaron Warren was born July 3, 1965 in Melbourne Australia.

She began publishing SF with “White Bed” in 1993, and has since published over a hundred stories, including Aurealis Awards winners “A Positive” (1998) and “Air, Water and the Grove” (2013); Ditmar Award winners “Fresh Young Widow” (2005), “The Grinding House” (2005), and “Crisis Apparition” (2018); Stoker Award finalist “All You Can Do Is Breathe” (2011); and World Fantasy Award ...Read More

Conventions Features News

Norwescon 42 Report

June 19, 2019July 17, 2019 locusmag 0 Comments

Norwescon 42 was held April 18-21, 2019 in SeaTac WA at the DoubleTree by Hilton Seattle Airport. The theme was “Never Forget Your Towel.” Guests of honor were Mary Robinette Kowal (writer), Tran Nguyen (artist), Dan Koboldt (science), and Nancy Pearl (special guest). Subterranean Press was the spotlight publisher, represented by COO and managing editor Yanni Kuznia. Neil Clarke was honored professional.

Norwescon 43 will be held April 9-12, 2020 ...Read More

Features Interviews

Michael Blumlein: Love & Space

June 17, 2019July 8, 2019 locusmag 0 Comments Interviews

Michael John Blumlein was born June 28, 1948 in San Francisco CA. He attended medical school at the University of California, San Francisco and has worked as a practicing MD and member of the faculty at UCSF for decades.

His first SF story, “Tissue Ablation and Variant Regeneration: A Case Report”(1984) appeared in Interzone. Other notable stories include World Fantasy Award finalist “The Brains of Rats”(1986), Stoker Award finalist “Bestseller”(1990), ...Read More

Features

Photo Story: SF in SF

June 14, 2019May 23, 2019 locusmag 0 Comments

An SF in SF reading was held on April 28, 2019 at the American Bookbinders Museum with Peter S. Beagle and Jaymee Goh performing, with guest moderator Cliff Winnig. The event included readings from each author’s work, a Q&A with the audience, and was podcasted by SomaFM. Proceeds from the reading went to the American Bookbinders Museum.

This story and more like it in the June 2019 issue of Locus. ...Read More

Conventions Features News

Bay Area Book Festival Report

June 14, 2019July 17, 2019 locusmag 0 Comments

The fifth Bay Area Book Festival took place May 4-5, 2019 in Berkeley CA, with keynotes, interviews, and panels held on ten indoor stages. The festival also included an Outdoor Fair in Martin Luther King, Jr. Civic Center Park with over 200 exhibitors and free programming, including many events for children. Books were available for sale through various independent bookstore partners.

The festival included over 300 speakers and panelists, with ...Read More

Commentary Features Kameron Hurley

Kameron Hurley: The Singular Cure for Burnout

June 10, 2019July 1, 2019 locusmag 3 Comments Commentary, Kameron Hurley

We live in a hustle culture. Trying to manage a living with a singular regular job is increasingly difficult. To freelancers and other working class folks, this isn’t news. As the middle class shrinks, the working class grows, and so does the working class hustle.

There’s an expectation that we all have side hustles. How are we monetizing our hobbies, our passions? Do you pick up odd jobs? Have you ...Read More

Features

Photo Story: Madle Still Going Strong

June 7, 2019May 23, 2019 locusmag 0 Comments

Curt Phillips recently visited writer and fan Robert A. “Bob” Madle, “First Fandom founder, WW II veteran, and science fiction’s master bookseller.” Madle turns 99 on June 2, and Phillips reports he is still selling rare books and magazines and “doing very well… active, sharp as a tack, and still loving science fiction and fandom as much as ever…. He was there at fandom’s beginnings and he’s with us still.” ...Read More

Conventions Features News

StokerCon 2019 Report

June 6, 2019July 17, 2019 locusmag 0 Comments

StokerCon, sponsored by the Horror Writers Association, was held at the Amway Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids MI, May 9-12, 2019. Guests of honor were Josh Boone (who was unable to attend), Kathe Koja, Josh Malerman, Robert R. McCammon, Kaaron Warren, and Stephanie M. Wytovich; Jonathan Maberry was emcee, giving a “moving opening speech” and keeping the “pace of the awards brisk.” Graham Masterton was the recipient of the Lifetime ...Read More

Features Spotlight

Spotlight on: Sarah Gailey

June 1, 2019July 1, 2019 locusmag 0 Comments Spotlight

Your first novel Magic for Liars is forthcoming from Tor in June (exciting!) and combines detective story and magic school tropes. Tell us a bit about the book. What appeals to you about those particular tropes? Did working with both create extra challenges or just give you more elements to play with?

Magic for Liars follows Ivy Gamble, P.I., as she investigates the murder of a faculty member at a ...Read More

Features

Photo Story: Galactic Philadelphia

May 24, 2019May 7, 2019 locusmag 0 Comments

The April Galactic Philadelphia reading was held April 2, 2019 at their new venue, the Free Library of Philadelphia (Central Branch), with Paul Levinson and Sarah Beth Durst performing. Co-curators Sally Wiener Grotta & Lawrence M. Schoen were in attendance, along with Dena Heilik, head of the fiction department at the library.

This story and more like it in the May 2019 issue of Locus.

While you are here, please ...Read More

Features Interviews

Ilana C. Myer: Troubadour Magic

May 20, 2019June 24, 2019 locusmag 0 Comments Interviews

Ilana C. Myer was born Ilana Chaya Teitelbaum on January 19, 1981 in Queens NY, and moved to Israel with her family when she was 12 years old. She came back to the US to study English at Queens College in New York while working as a receptionist, administrative assistant, and executive assistant. She later returned to Israel, where she started a journalism career and co-founded Middle East environment blog ...Read More

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