Things Coming Out Next
Jun. 16th, 2025 01:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
marthawellsStoryteller: A Tanith Lee Tribute Anthology
Out in ebook and paperback on July 1. My story is "Data Ghost"
https://bookshop.org/p/books/storyteller-a-tanith-lee-tribute-anthology/a74b320486117220?ean=9798992595406&next=t
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/storyteller-a-tanith-lee-tribute-anthology?sId=e0bafab6-32a8-4ffb-9436-2dcda473349c
Edited by Julie C. Day, Carina Bissett, and Craig Laurance Gidney. Stories by Martha Wells, Andy Duncan, C.S.E. Cooney, Nisi Shawl, Mike Allen, Alaya Dawn Johnson, CL Hellisen, Maya Deane, Rocío Rincón Fernández, Theodora Goss, Getty Hesse, Starlene Justice, Amelia Mangan, Michael Yuya Montroy, Marisca Pichette, KT Wagner.
Sixteen new stories from some of today's most renowned authors. All inspired by the master storyteller Tanith Lee.
Drowning cities and unicorns. Burning deserts and forgotten gods. Golems, elf warriors, and inner-Earthers. Alien lifeforms and museum workers. Ancient plagues and the future of humanity. The familiar and the fantastical. Each story in this anthology is both unique and compelling: from fairy-tale retellings to romance-tinged high fantasy, from nihilistic horror to gripping science fiction. Immersive, wide-ranging, and sublime, Storyteller features worlds and characters that are sure to travel with you long after the last page has been read.
***
Short Story: "Rapport: Friendship, Solidarity, Communion, Empathy" by Martha Wells
will be available on Reactor Magazine on July 10
Illustrated by Jaime Jones
Edited by Lee Harris
Perihelion and its crew embark on a dangerous new mission at a corporate-controlled station in the throes of a hostile takeover...
***
Summer of Science Fiction & Fantasy: Martha Wells in conversation with Kate Elliott
https://www.clarionwest.org/event/summer-of-science-fiction-fantasy-martha-wells-in-conversation-with-kate-elliott/
July 30 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm PDT
The Clarion West Summer Reading Series will be held virtually and streamed live over Zoom during the Six-Week Workshop.
Join us for our final event, a conversation between Martha Wells and Kate Elliott!
This event will begin with a conversation between Martha and Kate. There will be time to take questions from the audience. Participants will be able to submit questions in the webinar.
***
The New Yorker announced "Platform Decay" will be the next Murderbot novella. No word on publication date yet.
***
Grimoire: A Grim Oak Press Anthology For Seattle Worldcon 2025
https://grimoakpress.com/products/grimoire-a-grim-oak-press-anthology-for-seattle-worldcon-2025
My story is a fantasy called "Birthright" which is reprint that's not currently available anywhere else.
***
Queen Demon, the sequel to Witch King, second book of the Rising World, is up for preorder and will be released in ebook, audiobook, and hardcover on October 7.
From the breakout SFF superstar author of Murderbot comes the remarkable sequel to the USA Today and Sunday Times bestselling novel, Witch King. A fantasy of epic scope, Queen Demon is a story of power and friendship, of trust and betrayal, and of the families we choose.
Dahin believes he has clues to the location of the Hierarchs' Well, and the Witch King Kai, along with his companions Ziede and Tahren, knowing there's something he isn't telling them, travel with him to the rebuilt university of Ancartre, which may be dangerously close to finding the Well itself.
Can Kai stop the rise of a new Hierarch?
And can he trust his companions to do what's right?
Bookshop.org https://bookshop.org/p/books/queen-demon-martha-wells/21751501?ean=9781250826916
B&N https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/queen-demon-martha-wells/1146167707?ean=9781250826916
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/queen-demon
Audiobook Libro.fm https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781250291981-queen-demon
Bakka-Phoenix (indie bookstore in Canada): https://bakkaphoenixbooks.com/item/3Czr8TaWU9-_fwJ25ytSCw
Out in ebook and paperback on July 1. My story is "Data Ghost"
https://bookshop.org/p/books/storyteller-a-tanith-lee-tribute-anthology/a74b320486117220?ean=9798992595406&next=t
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/storyteller-a-tanith-lee-tribute-anthology?sId=e0bafab6-32a8-4ffb-9436-2dcda473349c
Edited by Julie C. Day, Carina Bissett, and Craig Laurance Gidney. Stories by Martha Wells, Andy Duncan, C.S.E. Cooney, Nisi Shawl, Mike Allen, Alaya Dawn Johnson, CL Hellisen, Maya Deane, Rocío Rincón Fernández, Theodora Goss, Getty Hesse, Starlene Justice, Amelia Mangan, Michael Yuya Montroy, Marisca Pichette, KT Wagner.
Sixteen new stories from some of today's most renowned authors. All inspired by the master storyteller Tanith Lee.
Drowning cities and unicorns. Burning deserts and forgotten gods. Golems, elf warriors, and inner-Earthers. Alien lifeforms and museum workers. Ancient plagues and the future of humanity. The familiar and the fantastical. Each story in this anthology is both unique and compelling: from fairy-tale retellings to romance-tinged high fantasy, from nihilistic horror to gripping science fiction. Immersive, wide-ranging, and sublime, Storyteller features worlds and characters that are sure to travel with you long after the last page has been read.
***
Short Story: "Rapport: Friendship, Solidarity, Communion, Empathy" by Martha Wells
will be available on Reactor Magazine on July 10
Illustrated by Jaime Jones
Edited by Lee Harris
Perihelion and its crew embark on a dangerous new mission at a corporate-controlled station in the throes of a hostile takeover...
***
Summer of Science Fiction & Fantasy: Martha Wells in conversation with Kate Elliott
https://www.clarionwest.org/event/summer-of-science-fiction-fantasy-martha-wells-in-conversation-with-kate-elliott/
July 30 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm PDT
The Clarion West Summer Reading Series will be held virtually and streamed live over Zoom during the Six-Week Workshop.
Join us for our final event, a conversation between Martha Wells and Kate Elliott!
This event will begin with a conversation between Martha and Kate. There will be time to take questions from the audience. Participants will be able to submit questions in the webinar.
***
The New Yorker announced "Platform Decay" will be the next Murderbot novella. No word on publication date yet.
***
Grimoire: A Grim Oak Press Anthology For Seattle Worldcon 2025
https://grimoakpress.com/products/grimoire-a-grim-oak-press-anthology-for-seattle-worldcon-2025
My story is a fantasy called "Birthright" which is reprint that's not currently available anywhere else.
***
Queen Demon, the sequel to Witch King, second book of the Rising World, is up for preorder and will be released in ebook, audiobook, and hardcover on October 7.
From the breakout SFF superstar author of Murderbot comes the remarkable sequel to the USA Today and Sunday Times bestselling novel, Witch King. A fantasy of epic scope, Queen Demon is a story of power and friendship, of trust and betrayal, and of the families we choose.
Dahin believes he has clues to the location of the Hierarchs' Well, and the Witch King Kai, along with his companions Ziede and Tahren, knowing there's something he isn't telling them, travel with him to the rebuilt university of Ancartre, which may be dangerously close to finding the Well itself.
Can Kai stop the rise of a new Hierarch?
And can he trust his companions to do what's right?
Bookshop.org https://bookshop.org/p/books/queen-demon-martha-wells/21751501?ean=9781250826916
B&N https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/queen-demon-martha-wells/1146167707?ean=9781250826916
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/queen-demon
Audiobook Libro.fm https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781250291981-queen-demon
Bakka-Phoenix (indie bookstore in Canada): https://bakkaphoenixbooks.com/item/3Czr8TaWU9-_fwJ25ytSCw
Another Murderbot interview
Jun. 16th, 2025 08:42 ammarthawellsIn ‘Murderbot,’ an anxious scientist and an autonomous robot develop a workplace-trauma bond
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2025-06-13/murderbot-episode-6-alexander-skarsgard-noma-dumezweni
Leading a TV series is a first for Dumezweni, who has previously been cast in smaller roles. She wasn’t convinced by the initial pitch at first because sci-fi hasn’t traditionally had a lot of major roles for actors of color.
“Usually I’d come in and play the receptionist,” she says. “I love to watch sci-fi. But I wondered: Who am I going to be in this sci-fi world?”
However, once she learned more about the world and the character, the actor changed her mind.
“It was an absolute joy to discover that there was nothing that Chris and Paul had to change to make it representational,” Dumezweni says. “It’s lovely not to have to fight for people’s positions in the world based on their skin color.”
ETA: Wanted to add this one real quick from BlueSky:
Vestal Magazine: Noma Dumezweni -- Off Canvas
https://www.vestalmag.com/noma-dumezweni
Set in a near future where the line between machine and human is increasingly blurred, Murderbot explores themes of identity, autonomy, and what it truly means to be alive through the eyes of a self-aware security android. Adapted from Martha Wells’s beloved The Murderbot Diaries novels, the series blends gripping sci-fi action with sharp, witty humor. At the heart of the story is Noma Dumezweni’s portrayal of Dr. Ayda Mensah, the thoughtful leader of a pacifist civilization struggling to uphold her community’s ideals amid a universe dominated by corporate greed and political tensions. Noma brings to the role a grounded strength, embodying the delicate balance between idealism and pragmatism as her character wrestles with the burdens of leadership and moral compromise. The parallels between Noma and Ayda run deep: both choose to lead with heart, courage, and conviction. “Your head will try to talk you out of that feeling of expansion. It will tell you, ‘You can’t do this,’” Noma says. “Trust your body, trust your instinct. Your body knows the truth.” That instinct and bravery have guided her career, from becoming the first Black actress to portray Hermione Granger on stage, a landmark moment for representation in theater, to winning two Laurence Olivier Awards and becoming a beacon of inspiration for a new generation of actors. Like Ayda, Noma has forged a path not only of leadership, but of quiet, transformative power.
Lovely photos in this!
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2025-06-13/murderbot-episode-6-alexander-skarsgard-noma-dumezweni
Leading a TV series is a first for Dumezweni, who has previously been cast in smaller roles. She wasn’t convinced by the initial pitch at first because sci-fi hasn’t traditionally had a lot of major roles for actors of color.
“Usually I’d come in and play the receptionist,” she says. “I love to watch sci-fi. But I wondered: Who am I going to be in this sci-fi world?”
However, once she learned more about the world and the character, the actor changed her mind.
“It was an absolute joy to discover that there was nothing that Chris and Paul had to change to make it representational,” Dumezweni says. “It’s lovely not to have to fight for people’s positions in the world based on their skin color.”
ETA: Wanted to add this one real quick from BlueSky:
Vestal Magazine: Noma Dumezweni -- Off Canvas
https://www.vestalmag.com/noma-dumezweni
Set in a near future where the line between machine and human is increasingly blurred, Murderbot explores themes of identity, autonomy, and what it truly means to be alive through the eyes of a self-aware security android. Adapted from Martha Wells’s beloved The Murderbot Diaries novels, the series blends gripping sci-fi action with sharp, witty humor. At the heart of the story is Noma Dumezweni’s portrayal of Dr. Ayda Mensah, the thoughtful leader of a pacifist civilization struggling to uphold her community’s ideals amid a universe dominated by corporate greed and political tensions. Noma brings to the role a grounded strength, embodying the delicate balance between idealism and pragmatism as her character wrestles with the burdens of leadership and moral compromise. The parallels between Noma and Ayda run deep: both choose to lead with heart, courage, and conviction. “Your head will try to talk you out of that feeling of expansion. It will tell you, ‘You can’t do this,’” Noma says. “Trust your body, trust your instinct. Your body knows the truth.” That instinct and bravery have guided her career, from becoming the first Black actress to portray Hermione Granger on stage, a landmark moment for representation in theater, to winning two Laurence Olivier Awards and becoming a beacon of inspiration for a new generation of actors. Like Ayda, Noma has forged a path not only of leadership, but of quiet, transformative power.
Lovely photos in this!
Explicit vs Suggestive
Jun. 16th, 2025 09:22 ammelagan
There are many shades of suggestive.
Explicit...well now, some work is a little more explicit than others.
( NSFW )
My current WIP is turning out barely suggestive and I'd really really like to have at least one explicit scene.
I can't get the characters to cooperate. *sigh* Has that ever happened to you? Or maybe the reverse? You meant to write a gen story but the characters insisted on getting naked? (Yes, that has happened to me too) Damn characters just seem to take over.
![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
The Angel Trap (Supernatural Fic)
Jun. 16th, 2025 01:29 amglory_jean posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
unconventionalcourtshipTitle: The Angel Trap
Author: Glory_Jean
Fandom: Supernatural
Pairing/Characters: Dean Winchester/Castiel
Rating: PG
Length: 1694
Summary: Not long after Cas returns from the empty, Dean and Cas get drawn into an undercover case by their favorite wayward young hunters. But they quickly realize it’s not what they expect. Meanwhile even though Dean knows he isn’t relationship material he’s having trouble keeping his feelings to himself. Cas and this case are not helping matters. Not to mention this pack of annoying kids. Claire and Alex have a plan. Patience and Kaia are along for the ride. Jack is just having a good time.
Notes: Season 13 if most of that *waves hands* Apocalypse World stuff didn’t happen. Don’t worry about it. It’s total crack.
Link: https://glory-jean.dreamwidth.org/226620.html
Author: Glory_Jean
Fandom: Supernatural
Pairing/Characters: Dean Winchester/Castiel
Rating: PG
Length: 1694
Summary: Not long after Cas returns from the empty, Dean and Cas get drawn into an undercover case by their favorite wayward young hunters. But they quickly realize it’s not what they expect. Meanwhile even though Dean knows he isn’t relationship material he’s having trouble keeping his feelings to himself. Cas and this case are not helping matters. Not to mention this pack of annoying kids. Claire and Alex have a plan. Patience and Kaia are along for the ride. Jack is just having a good time.
Notes: Season 13 if most of that *waves hands* Apocalypse World stuff didn’t happen. Don’t worry about it. It’s total crack.
Link: https://glory-jean.dreamwidth.org/226620.html
(no subject)
Jun. 15th, 2025 10:01 pmliminalovertea posting in addmeName: Holly
Age: Mid-30s
I mostly post about: Shower-thought essays and musings, fandom, fan theories, world-building, drabble snippets, OC and character development, creative process, occasional IRL that's in a digestible form for the internet.
My hobbies are: Writing, art, paragraph roleplay, video games, reading, book annotation, note-taking theory, journaling, hand-sewing, crochet, knitting, playlist-building, theory-crafting, wiki-building and information management.
My fandoms are: Anything cat-related, The Elder Scrolls, Baldur's Gate 3, Dragon Age: Origins, The Legend of Zelda (Ocarina of Time → Twilight Princess), Silent Hill (1-4), The Evil Within/サイコブレイク, The Apothecary Diaries, Higurashi When They Cry, Hayao Miyazaki, anything horror by Mike Flanagan, anything by Guillermo del Toro, Asian horror, found-footage films, high-end animation.
I'm looking to meet people who: are preferrably 25+ in age, neurodivergent, share my fandoms, are open-minded and fun to talk with.
My posting schedule tends to be: Sporadic, due to fluctuating spoons and hyperfocus binges.
When I add people, my dealbreakers are: Anyone under 18, anyone supportive of America's current administration/MAGA/right-wing idealists, excessive political posts, crypto/AI/Tesla/entrepeneurial bros, religious evangelism or witnessing, animal cruelty, bigotry, racism, homophobes, transphobes, lore-policing, drama-llamas, unsolicited mental-health bombs (I'm your friend, not your therapist), overt neediness/attention-seeking, inebriated/intoxicated messaging, atrocious grammar and spelling (my native language is English), toxic behaviors in general.
Before adding me, you should know: I'm west-coast American (and yes, I would rather be anywhere else right now, but can't be), I'm AuDHD (progressively demasking after years of working corporate and burning out) and queer (AFAB genderfluid, pansexual; she/they pronouns). I'm 15-years-happily-married and monogamous. I'm very direct, because I would rather be honest than polite. I grew up in a household where expletives were every other word, so I hope you don't mind if I curse at times. My creative works are intended for mature audiences and are not intended for people who are easily triggered (I do try to tag accordingly, though, I'm not a monster 😅).
Good Night, and Good Luck (PG) Screenshots
Jun. 15th, 2025 03:00 pmverushka70 posting in ds_noticeboardRegina Keim took many screen shots of Paul Gross (and the star and play's author, George Clooney, lol) in the CNN broadcast of Good Night, and Good Luck in Broadway, and she shared them on the Due South! Facebook group, if you want to go have a look.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
My poem: drupe
Jun. 15th, 2025 03:39 pmstonepicnicking_okapiThis weeks' prompt was: color. This is called an In Memorium stanza.
drupe by okapi
of orange-yellows, reds which leach
in blush upon the most sun-kissed
of rounded flesh, in velvet mist
enveloped, casting fog on each
and every curvature whose breach
reveals a more uniform gold
of corpus, sweet perfumes unfold,
attracting wasps and buyers, speech
is needless, scent alone can preach
its Good News, bushel baskets filled
to rolling, dark hearts hedged and grilled
by dark nettles which overreach
on pitting, nectar colors teach
the artist how to mix the rich,
the once-child to remember, stitch
a patch of farmer’s market peach
drupe by okapi
of orange-yellows, reds which leach
in blush upon the most sun-kissed
of rounded flesh, in velvet mist
enveloped, casting fog on each
and every curvature whose breach
reveals a more uniform gold
of corpus, sweet perfumes unfold,
attracting wasps and buyers, speech
is needless, scent alone can preach
its Good News, bushel baskets filled
to rolling, dark hearts hedged and grilled
by dark nettles which overreach
on pitting, nectar colors teach
the artist how to mix the rich,
the once-child to remember, stitch
a patch of farmer’s market peach
Happy Father's Day!
Jun. 15th, 2025 03:29 pmstonepicnicking_okapiI almost forgot, but Minisculus made him a card and the boys' father went with Minor to Day 2 of the track meet and Minor says he PR'ed as his gift (on the 1500 m). Yesterday he didn't PR on either of the 2 events he did (3000 m and 800 m). We all went and I got a very bad sunburn because it was crazy humidity and I thought it was going to rain but it never did so I didn't prepare myself or my skin properly.
I think I am going to go to Taco Bell and get a big, big box of tacos. I don't want to go to the grocery store today and get stuff to make homemade tacos. He's watching soccer/football now, so he's happy.
I know a lot of us have complicated relationships with our fathers. Mine's been dead for almost 20 years but he left his mark for sure :/ For good and for bad. He was a very intelligent man who loved me and my sister but who was also completely at the mercy of his inner demons.
Anyway, there are lots of great fathers out there, too! Huzzah!
I think I am going to go to Taco Bell and get a big, big box of tacos. I don't want to go to the grocery store today and get stuff to make homemade tacos. He's watching soccer/football now, so he's happy.
I know a lot of us have complicated relationships with our fathers. Mine's been dead for almost 20 years but he left his mark for sure :/ For good and for bad. He was a very intelligent man who loved me and my sister but who was also completely at the mercy of his inner demons.
Anyway, there are lots of great fathers out there, too! Huzzah!
(no subject)
Jun. 15th, 2025 09:05 amelaynaMy sister, her kids, and I attended the No Kings rally yesterday. Her oldest squiggled thru the crowd to get a space where he could hear the speakers, he said they were really good. The rest of us drifted in the less dense part of the crowd. The speakers sounded like the adults in a Charlie Brown special but we were able to join in the chants, which felt energizing.
This was the third for sis and I, first for the kids. Previous two, there had only been 3-4 cops mounted on horseback and staying off to the side. This time 4 cops were positioned near where a lot of people were walking up and seemed to be hassling people carrying flag poles. I did see flag poles in the crowd, so not sure if they were stopping anyone or just warning them to be careful.
No violence. Lots of great signs. Never saw so many icky pictures of the orange felon, that man is not attractive, in appearance or character. This crowd was more age diverse. Previous were mainly 40s up, I would say. More in their 20s and 30s this time. A few with toddlers or dogs.
I was very glad to have gone. Pleased to have my sister as a constant companion. I highly recommend attending one if you can. It feels good, in this stressful time, to be around so many others sharing the same concerns. I’m seeing over 12 million estimated for the crowd size across the country, which is fabulous, but I’m sure there will be more. It’ll take time to restore decency and a commitment to democracy to our government.
This was the third for sis and I, first for the kids. Previous two, there had only been 3-4 cops mounted on horseback and staying off to the side. This time 4 cops were positioned near where a lot of people were walking up and seemed to be hassling people carrying flag poles. I did see flag poles in the crowd, so not sure if they were stopping anyone or just warning them to be careful.
No violence. Lots of great signs. Never saw so many icky pictures of the orange felon, that man is not attractive, in appearance or character. This crowd was more age diverse. Previous were mainly 40s up, I would say. More in their 20s and 30s this time. A few with toddlers or dogs.
I was very glad to have gone. Pleased to have my sister as a constant companion. I highly recommend attending one if you can. It feels good, in this stressful time, to be around so many others sharing the same concerns. I’m seeing over 12 million estimated for the crowd size across the country, which is fabulous, but I’m sure there will be more. It’ll take time to restore decency and a commitment to democracy to our government.
security thoughts that I didn't have
Jun. 15th, 2025 06:57 amlauradi7dwThere is a long amazing twitter thread about how badly organized the crowd control was at Trump's thing. The person who wrote it estimated the crowd to be between 20000-100000 people (half of what Trump's folks said) at least in part because seemingly some people couldn't get into the area due to the way security areas were designed.
https://x.com/dougblandry/status/1934052056878243848
I am used to "just show up" sorts of gatherings, so I hadn't stopped to think about spectators being required to pass security checks on the way in DC. I was interested to see yesterday in Boston that there were police officers inspecting each vehicle (for sneaky bombs, maybe?) and then putting a tiny green sticker on once it had been approved. If you wanted to bring a sneaky bomb, you could keep it in your backpack until you had your tiny green sticker, and *then* put in in your vehicle. Or not. I hadn't even thought of it until just now, when I typed that, but in backpacks is how the Tsarnaev brothers brought in their bombs in 2013. Our line-up spot was very near the marathon bombing memorial, and I had no thoughts yesterday about receiving any harm from members of the crowd or from the police, really, who seemed mostly busy with traffic. Arlington Street was being partly closed off as I walked past on the way to Boylston. A driver leaned out of her SUV and asked an officer if it was OK if she drove down just to drop someone off, not to park. No.
https://x.com/dougblandry/status/1934052056878243848
I am used to "just show up" sorts of gatherings, so I hadn't stopped to think about spectators being required to pass security checks on the way in DC. I was interested to see yesterday in Boston that there were police officers inspecting each vehicle (for sneaky bombs, maybe?) and then putting a tiny green sticker on once it had been approved. If you wanted to bring a sneaky bomb, you could keep it in your backpack until you had your tiny green sticker, and *then* put in in your vehicle. Or not. I hadn't even thought of it until just now, when I typed that, but in backpacks is how the Tsarnaev brothers brought in their bombs in 2013. Our line-up spot was very near the marathon bombing memorial, and I had no thoughts yesterday about receiving any harm from members of the crowd or from the police, really, who seemed mostly busy with traffic. Arlington Street was being partly closed off as I walked past on the way to Boylston. A driver leaned out of her SUV and asked an officer if it was OK if she drove down just to drop someone off, not to park. No.