Lack of imagination hadn’t been a disability in the past. Imagining shit was other peoples’ jobs, makers and rich kids with degrees, people who sat around coming up with fucked-up worst-case scenarios. My story "Strange Comfort"is out today at Clarkesworld Magazine.
Neighbor
The crabmen are out walking their puppy again. It's a ball of fluff, unaccustomed to existence; it falls over itself and savages its leash with tiny jaws. The crabmen watch with eyeless curiosity, pincer-faces cocked. A posture of fondness, but it's possible they're considering eating it. Nothing with mandibles like that should be given benefit …
John Simnel’s First Goshawk
And this is how you break a boy: tell him he is king. Simple, but not easy. Read my new historical fantasy here at Beneath Ceaseless Skies! It's also available in podcast form.
Good Dog
"The Work of Wolves" (Asimov's, July/August 2019) has been trucking along nicely--lots of extremely kind reader feedback and a great reviews. The Locus Recommended Reading List is out this morning, and "The Work of Wolves" is up there for recommended novellas. I'm on an awards longlist! Life goal achieved! I'm not gloating, you're gloating! Here …
More About Smart Dogs at From the Earth to the Stars
I have a blog post up at the Asimov's Science Fiction blog on my thoughts behind the tech in "The Work of Wolves." (Out on newsstands now!) There are cute pictures of my dogs, so definitely click for that.
Banana of Merit
Yesterday during the Locus Awards Liza Trombi and Connie Willis awarded me the Second Banana for Meritorious Service. It actually made me cry. (Connie: "You are crying over a plastic. Banana.") Helping with the Locus Awards doesn't feel like any kind work. I get to drive Connie around and help Liza (who is one of …
The Work of Wolves
I guess today is just my lucky day: look what came! I am a good dog. Read "The Work of Wolves" in the July/August 2019 issue of Asimov's Science Fiction, on newsstands now!
A Forest, or A Tree
“We should tell scary stories,” Elizabeth said. “No we should not.” Piper lay next to the fire, head on her pack. “We definitely should not do that.” Read my first real horror story (bought by Ellen Datlow!!) here.
Forthcoming
I hear rumors that the current issue of Asimov's is out. I don't have my copy yet, but hold on to your butts, guys: I wrote about dogs. Not these dogs though.
Solutions to Story Problems
This is always the hardest part of writing a story: you've got it all down, and it works... mostly. There's something missing, and you can't quite figure out what it is. Here's my current process for getting through those "I just don't know what to do to fix this story!" days. What is this story …
