Broads rule at Worldcon!

My Worldcon blog report is about the Broads (Broad Universe members) who made it so special - at least for me. This was my first Worldcon so I can't compare it to others for you, nor can I tell you much about the scheduled events. I had a ball at Worldcon, but did it mostly outside of the box. I only hit a couple panels and no other scheduled events - unless you count book launches and room parties.

To me, Worldcon was about the people. Where else can I see so many marvelous sci-fi writers all in one place? I met many authors whom I had only met virtually and caught up with old friends. I arrived in Reno late Wednesday afternoon and spent the evening with my cousin who so graciously put me up and put up with me coming in late at night. She lives way out in the country with the cottontails and the quail. And the sage brush - echew!

Thursday I went to breakfast with her and her husband and experienced a first. I ordered tea. I have to say the abysmal lack of good tea or even tea water was certainly the worst thing that happened at Worldcon. The waitress brought the generic restaurant tea along with a pot of ... air. How did she not notice how light it was? The food for the Worldcon green room did not include water for tea until I made a small stink. Still, they insisted to the contracted caterers that we just wanted to drink hot water so they wouldn't have to pay the exorbitant price for the cardboard dust they call tea. The last day, someone snuck in some Twinings. Now that's more civilized. But, again, the pot was dry. Grrrr. I hate coffee. Can't pay me to drink the stuff. But get between me and my tea and there'll be trouble. I drink the hard stuff at home. PG Tips, baby. I even carry Bigelow tea bags in my purse as a Lipton defense. That was much more than you needed to know about my tea habits, but I feel better. ;)

Friday morning started early with a 7AM Broad Universe breakfast at a casino restaurant. How great to meet so many Broads face to face! Karina Fabian went around the three tables recording video interviews with all of us. I expect that is posted somewhere or will be soon. I'll drop the link in later.

Next, it was off to the very well-attended Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading. I ran a tight ship and 12 ladies were able to read from their work before we had to clear the room. The response was super and many listeners headed to the dealers room to buy our books.

Next up for me was the book launch of Defending the Future IV: No Man's Land with Brenda Cooper, S.A. Bolich and Jennifer Brozek. That was less well-attended, but went very well. Of the ladies I read with Jennifer's was the only story I hadn't read yet. Now I'm anxious to read it, too.

Corie Ralston shared her Speculative Literature Foundation booth with Broad Universe in the dealers room. I have to say that I sold more books than ever at a con and I'm sure it was because of the exposure afforded by the boutique table versus trying to sell books wedged in with a zillion other titles at a bookseller's table. I got a kick out of volunteering there, too. Here is S.A. Bolich and Ann Gimpel taking their turn.



And here I am with Corie (far left), Karina Fabian and S.A. Bolich.


Friday night I attended Brenda Cooper (Mayan December) and Louise Marley's (The Brahms Deception) joint book launch. They're both Broads, as I've mentioned before. Louise sold out and Brenda was well into her second box when I stopped back by toward the end of the evening.

And here is Allen M. Steele at the Asimov/Analog room party cutting the Asimov cakes with the cover featuring his story.

Incidentally, Allen won a Hugo Saturday night for his novelette "The Emperor of Mars". Read all the Hugo results at Tor.com now. AND, my next con is Conjecture in San Diego where he is Guest of Honor.

Read more Worldcon reports by perusing my blogroll to the right.

Now I know why zombies are so popular. That's what sci-fi writers turn into after a five-day con. Write what you know...

Press for Ann Wilkes and sf tidbits

Lots of sf news this week. Some of it is even about Ann Wilkes. ;)

Broad Universe, that wonderful organization I keep hawking here, has just published its May Broad Pod, which features a story written by yours truly. I read five minutes of "Immunity Project", my offering in the newly released Defending the Future IV: No Man's Land (Dark Quest Books, May 2011).

Trisha Wooldridge from A Novel Friend Writing and Editing hosts this month's collection of short readings celebrating mothers from women writing across the realm of speculative fiction.

The Broad Pod is sponsored by Broad Universe, an international, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting, honoring, and celebrating women writers of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Find out more about our organization, including new fiction released by women, more podcasts, and information about writing and publishing for women, visit our website at www.broaduniverse.org

May is for mothers, and our podcast today celebrates all kinds of motherhood. Vonnie Winslow Crist shares surprising and magical consequences when a young woman mothers a baby bird back to health; Ann Wilkes' military science fiction has strange visitors chatting with a mother in her home; Roberta Gregory's people are celebrating the mother goddess; a young wizard has to rescue his mother from a terrible date in Katherine Mankiller's tale; and Suzanne Reynolds Alpert introduces us to the 16-year-old embodiment of the mother goddess Quan Yin.

Listen now.

Along that same vein, there's a DTF IV: No Man's Land book giveaway of that anthology over at Goodreads. Now would be a good time to friend me there, too. But not if you don't have any books listed. No pretenders. ;)

I am also interviewed at MilSciFi.com.

That's enough about me. Now to give a little love to my friends.

First up, is my good friend and excellent writer, Juliette Wade. She has this awesome, ambitious endeavor going on at Talk To You Universe. She offers a chance for anyone to share their culture. She's compiling a sort of cultural database. A close-up and personal look at those hard to research aspects of Folklore, Religion, and Cultural Practices. It's called The Writer's International Culture Share and promises to be an excellent source for writers around the globe.

Alma Alexander, another talented writer and Broad Universe member, announces the Fall release of River, an anthology she has edited which features "a stellar selection of authors who between them have been nominated for, finalists for, or have won, practically every known industry award (including the Campbell, the Tiptree, the WFA, the Mythopoeic, and yes, even the Hugos...)."

Last, but not least, Episode 2 of the Minister of Chance is now available from the Minister of Chance site and iTunes. I listened already and enjoyed the continuing adventures of Kitty and the Minister. And there be monsters and dark and a mysterious horseman.

The "season" has begun!

I thought it was time for another photo. One in which I'm not hiding behind dark glasses and my hat. Photo by Patrick F. Wilkes

There is a new deal in the wind for Awesome Lavratt. More news later. It just received another excellent review at Amazon. Don't know who the reviewer is, but I'm thrilled with their review. You can read it for yourself here.


Spring has sprung, and with it we have trees and flowers in bloom, lovely pollen in the air to make us sneeze, shirt-sleeve weather, festivals and, for speculative fiction writers – awards!

Winners for the British Science Fiction Association (BSFA) Awards, the Philip K. Dick Award, the Bram Stoker Awards, Australian Shadows Awards and short lists for the David Gemmel Awards and the Arthur C. Clarke Awards and nominees for the Hugos, Campbell and Rhysling and Compton Crook and Promethius Awards.

2009 BSFA Award Winners are as follows:
Best Novel: The City and the City by China Mieville
Best Short Fiction: "The Beloved Time of Their Lives," by Ian Watson and Roberto Quaglia
Best Non-Fiction: Mutant Popcorn by Nic Lowe
Best Artwork: Cover of Desolation Road by Stephen Martiniere

Philip K Dick Award (for distinguished original science fiction paperback published for the first time during 2009 in the US):
Bitter Angels by C.L. Anderson (Ballantine Spectra)
Special citation given to Ian McDonald for Cyberabad Days (Pyr)

HWA and Bram Stoker Awards

• Lifetime Achievement Awards: Brian Lumley and William F. Nolan
  
• The World Horror Convention also awarded a lifetime achievement award. There's went to Basil Cooper.
  
• The Richard Layman President's Award: Vince Liaguno
  
• Silver Hammer Award (for volunteer work on behalf of the Horror Writers' Association: Kathy Ptacek (She's a Broad Universe member! Go Kathy!)
  
• Specialty Press Award: Tartarus Press (Ray Russell and Rosalie Parker)
  
• Bram Stoker Awards for
  
  • Best Novel: Audrey's Door by Sarah Langan (Harper)
    
  • Best First Novel: Damnable by Hank Schwaeble (Jove)
    
  • Best Long Fiction: The Lucid Dreaming by Lisa Morton (Bad Moon Books)
    
  • Best Short Fiction: "In the Porches of My Ears," by Norman Prentiss (PS Publishing)
    
  • Best Anthology: He is Legend: An Anthology Celebrating Richard Matheson edited by Christopher Conlon (Gauntlet Press)
    
  • Best Collection: A Taste of Tenderloin by Gene O'Neill (Apex Book Co.)
    
  • Best Non-Fiction: Writers Workshop of Horror by Michael Knost (Woodland Press)
    
  • Best Poetry: "Chimeric Machines" by Lucy A. Snyder (Creeative Guy Publishing)

Australian Shadows Awards:
Long Fiction: Slights by Kaaron Warren (Angry Robot)
Edited Publication: Grants Pass edited by Jennifer Brozek and Amanda Pillar (Morigan Books) Jennifer is another Broad! :)
Short Fiction: "Six Suicides," by Deborah Biancotti (A Book of Endings)

Congratulate all the award winners, better still, buy their works.

And good luck to the nominees for the other awards mentioned above. If you're eligible to vote for any of them, please do so post haste.



vote it up!

Science fiction haps and lists

This just in -- Publishers Weekly posted a list compiled by John Ottinger of blogs that review SF. Now were was this list before I started mine? I haven't had a chance to compare yet. Here's both.

Publisher Weekly
Ann Wilkes' SF Reviews list

Mine's not just blogs and is still growing. Let me know if you have suggestions, though I think I may have my work cut out for a while.

Broad Universe just held some birthday parties for Mary Shelley. Get a load at the refreshments at one of them. And here's an article about another birthday party they held.

Wired posted a list of their favorite SF movies--pre Star Wars.

Here's my tentative schedule for Silicon in San Jose:
Saturday, October 3rd, 2009
11:30 am - 12:45 pm in San Jose Room: Joy of Research
4:00 pm - 5:15 pm in Carmel Room: Writer's Block
5:30 pm - 6:45 pm in Carmel Room: Harry Potter is Over...Now What?

This Friday I'll be posting an interview with SF author, Juliette Wade. You can peek at her blog in the meantime.

On the writing front, I'm polishing a first draft of a book review and facing rewrite number 9 of a SF story. I'm currently reading Mortality Factor by Ben Bova and Grants Pass edited by Jennifer Brozek. The Japanese SF was good, but very military. Review to follow at Mostly Fiction.

I'm being interviewed on the radio again next week. This time regarding the Redwood Writers Conference in Santa Rosa this October. I'll be presenting on the topic of building an online platform as an author - go figure. ; Redwood Writers is one of 17 chapters of the California Writers Club which claims to be the oldest writing club in the nation. Jack London and Ina Coolbrith were founding members.

It's September, the beginning of fall, kids are back in school and -- best of all, the latest edition of quarterly and tri-annual mags are heading our way.

The latest edition of Ideomancer has just gone live.

Abandoned Towers released their sneak peek at their next issue coming out November first.

More quarterly mags to look for new issues from are Abyss and Apex, Aoife's Kiss, The Pedestal, and Darwin's Evolutions.




vote it up!

Broad Universe and Irene Radford

Okay, it's time for a commercial break. I have to tell you about Broad Universe, a wonderful organization that's all about promoting women writing spec-fic. It's no coincidence I'm doing this when I have an article in their publication, The Broadsheet, but it's long overdue.

Here's a blurb from their website:

"Broad Universe is an international organization of women and men dedicated to celebrating and promoting the work of women writers of science fiction, fantasy and horror. We started a group because we love the work of women and the different perspective they bring to the field, and yet we have noticed for some years that women's work can get short shrift in the babble of genre marketing. We'd like to make certain that doesn't happen."

We attend as many conventions as we can and hold RFRs or Rapid Fire Readings in which each "Broad" in attendance reads from her original works for 5 min. We produce a catalog of members spec-fic novels and members can also take advantage of numerous resources and an online forum. I can't tell you how many calls for submission or other useful information I've gained by participating there, to say nothing of the extraordinary authors I've had the privilege to meet.

Because I've got volunteeritis, I also moderate their forum. If you want to meet some up and coming female talent in the spec-fic world, check out our group and peruse our catalog.

Now for my more personal plug. :)

The latest edition of The Broadsheet contains my interview with Irene Radford.

Irene Radford: 25 Books and Counting